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This will be the first official trip to Vietnam by PM Hun Sen since Cambodia set up its sixth-tenure Government last September. It is also on the threshold of the 40th anniversary of the victory over the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime (January 7th, 1979), which Cambodia won with Vietnams support. The visit will help Vietnam reiterate its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance and diversification and multilateralisation of foreign relations, with a focus on developing relations with Cambodia. With diplomatic ties established on June 24th, 1967, the two countries have maintained mutual high-ranking visits as well as delegation exchanges between their ministries, sectors and localities. The two prime ministers have also discussed bilateral cooperation at many events, including the 10th Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Summit on Development Triangle Area in Hanoi in April, the 27th World Economic Forum on ASEAN in Hanoi in September and the ASEAN leaders gathering in Indonesias Bali in October 2018. In the Friendship Year 2017, the countries worked together to repair and inaugurate 13 monuments to the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship. They also organised activities marking 50 years of their diplomatic relations last year. Cooperation between ministries, sectors and localities, along with people-to-people exchange have been promoted. The two sides have coordinated in sharing information, resolving incidents along their border and stepping up joint patrols at sea. The countries have been consistent in the principle of not allowing hostile forces to use one countrys territory to sabotage the others security and stability. They have also worked closely to search for and repatriate remains of Vietnams soldiers who died in Cambodia during wartime. While realising their foreign policies of multilateralising and diversifying foreign relations, Vietnam and Cambodia have coordinated at international and regional mechanisms like the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area, the Cambodia-Laos-Myanmar-Vietnam Cooperation, the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting and the United Nations, thereby helping to improve each countrys stature in the region and the world. Encouraging outcomes have also been recorded in bilateral economic links. Two-way trade reached USD3.8 billion in 2017, up 30 percent year on year. The figure topped USD3.8 billion in the first 10 months of 2018, up 21 percent from a year earlier. Vietnam has invested in 206 projects worth USD3.02 billion in Cambodia, making it one of the five biggest foreign direct investors in the latter. Meanwhile, Cambodian investment in Vietnam has also been rising, with 18 projects worth USD58.12 million. Investment and business activities of Vietnamese firms have been highly valued by Cambodian leaders, and they have helped with local social welfare and development. In 2017, more than 835,000 Vietnamese visited Cambodia, making Vietnam the countrys second largest source of foreign tourists./. Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung and Committee President Chang Byung-gyu (Photo: VNA) In trade, to realize the target of bilateral trade turnover of USD100 billion by 2020, Vietnam suggested the RoK accelerate the quarantine process on Vietnamese agricultural products, helping Vietnamese goods join Korean businesses global value chains. He also asked the Fourth Industrial Revolution Committee to work with relevant agencies to promote ongoing cooperative projects. President Chang Byung-gyu confirmed that his committee will consider Vietnams proposals, and be willing to cooperate with Vietnamese agencies, especially the Ministry of Science and Technology, to carry out the projects. He added that Korean agencies will also be willing to organize forums so that the young generations of the two countries can have dialogue on start-ups and the fourth industrial revolution./. The event features the participation of 50 enterprises from Vietnam and many other countries around the world, including numerous leading brands such as Fecon (Vietnam), VRO (Vietnam), Soilmec (Italy), Nippon (Japan), JFE (Japan), Eirich (Germany), and Hyundai (the Republic of Korea). Speaking at the opening ceremony, Secretary General of the Vietnam Federation of Civil Engineering Associations, Tran Dinh Thai, said that Contech Vietnam 2018 offers an opportunity for corporations and enterprises to meet and update their knowledge of modern technologies and machines as well as seek cooperation. The fair is divided into four main categories: the construction of projects; construction materials; transport technology; and the mining industry. In addition to equipment and technologies provided by foreign enterprises, domestic suppliers researched, improved, found and selected high-quality products at reasonable prices which are suitable for the construction conditions of Vietnam to display at the event. Within the framework of the fair, ministries and the relevant agencies organised a series of seminars with different themes, including the application of resource-saving mining technologyin coal mines and pits in Quang Ninh province, universalisation of knowledge about Vietnamese construction sector; and Green, clean and energy-saving building materials solutions and products. Contech Vietnam 2018 will last until December 8. Iran is a West Asian nation that is situated on the western edge of the continent where it spans an area of roughly 636,372 square miles. Iran's economy, which according to the World Bank is heavily reliant on natural resources, is considered to be the second largest in the Middle East and North Africa region. In 2017, the value of Iran's gross domestic product was roughly $447.7 billion. Some of the main natural resources of the Iranian economy include oil, arable land, natural gas, agriculture, and minerals such as zinc and iron ore. Iran's Major Natural Resources Arable Land Research indicates that close to 35% of Iran's total land area can support crop production, but due to several reasons, not all the land is adequately utilized. Official records indicate that only 12% of Iran's total land area is utilized in crop production. Due to the region's unique climate, irrigation is practiced on roughly a third of the total farmland. Some of the most common crops grown within Iran include wheat, rice, and pistachios. The most fertile regions in Iran are situated in the northwestern and western edges of the country. According to a report from the Iranian government, in 2014, the nation was close to attaining total food security as its food security index was roughly 96%. Pistachios The pistachio is one of the essential natural agricultural resources in Iran since it employs more than 350,000 individuals. In Iran, pistachio is most commonly grown in the southeastern edge of the country around oases. Iran is one of the most prolific producers of pistachio nuts in the world, and it exports more pistachios than any other nation in the world. In 2008, the value of Iran's Pistachio exports was estimated to be $840 million which contributed significantly to the Iranian economy. Estimates indicate that by 2010, Iran already controlled close to 50% of the international pistachio market. Saffron Saffron is also one of the most important natural agricultural resources in Iran which is mainly grown in the northeastern section of the county. Iran's saffron is of extremely high quality and is sold to a variety of nations such as the United Arab Emirates, Spain, and France. The province of Khorasan Razavi accounts for a large portion of the saffron grown in Iran. In 2010, the province's saffron production was estimated to be worth $156.5 million. In 2010, Khorasan Razavi's saffron was exported to more than 40 countries around the world. Fruits Fruits are some of Iran's most important agricultural resources, and the nation is the most significant producer of fruits among the countries in the Middle East and North African region. Internationally, the nation of Iran has been previously ranked as the eighth highest fruit producer in the world. In the production of pomegranates, Iran ranks first in the world while in the production of dates it ranks second in the world. Several fruits trace their origin to Iran such as the muskmelons, pomegranates, limes, and the Persian walnuts. Oil Due to the vast quantities of crude oil reserves within Iran, the nation is considered an energy superpower. According to official records from the Iranian government, in 2006, the crude oil reserves in the nation were estimated to be 132.5 billion barrels. At the time, Iran's reserves were estimated to be 15% of the total reserves of all the members of the organization of petroleum exporting countries. In comparison to the rest of the world, Iran's 2006 oil reserves were approximately 11.4% of the global reserves. After the discovery of oil reserves around the town of Bushehr, the oil reserves in Iran increased by roughly 32%. According to the International Monetary Fund, the monetary value of Iran's oil reserves was estimated to be $10 trillion. The Iranian government entered into several agreements with oil companies from a variety of nations such as the United Kingdom, Russia, the Netherlands, and Spain to develop the oil reserves. Several oil refineries are situated within Iran's boundaries with the most prominent being Abadan, Esfahan, and Bandar-e Abbas. The main method of transporting Iranian petroleum is through the pipeline. According to a study carried out in 2004, pipelines in Iran transported roughly 69% of the refined petroleum products. Natural Gas Iran also has massive reserves of natural gas that according to official government records are estimated to be 1,201 trillion cubic feet. Iran's reserves are some of the largest in the world as they account for close to 18% of the world's total. The only nation with larger gas reserves than Iran is Russia. In 2011, the Iranian petroleum minister released a report indicating that Iran's reserves of natural gas had increased significantly due to the discovery of gas reserves within the Caspian Sea. The Caspian reserves were estimated to be 50 trillion cubic feet. Iran is currently exploiting a limited amount of its natural gas reserves, and on average it exploits 5.5 trillion cubic feet annually. The Iranian government has planned to invest huge sums of money in improving the gas industry. The government has planned to set aside $15 billion every year to increase the annual natural gas production. The Iranian government is planning to take advantage of the increase in the demand for natural gas all over the world. Estimates indicate that over 20 years the global demand for natural gas would increase by either 2% or 3%. Some of the main markets for Iranian natural gas include China and India. Beautiful Scenery Iran has a wide variety of sites that are extremely popular due to their beauty. The natural beauty of Iraq attracts huge numbers of tourists each year, but due to security concerns, the number of tourists visiting the nation declined sharply. Some of the most popular tourist attraction sites are the beaches along the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Iranian government has put in place some measures to increase the number of tourists visiting the nation. Challenges Facing the Iranian Economy Due to its reliance on oil, one of the most significant challenges facing the Iranian economy is the fluctuation of global oil prices. Iran's political situation has also significantly affected the country's economy. Greece is a country found in the southeastern part of Europe at the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The country is found at the crossroad of Asia, Europe, and Africa and is the Mediterranean basins country with the longest coastline. Greece is believed to be the cradle of western civilization and is the birthplace of political science, democracy, Western literature, Western philosophy, historiography, major principles in mathematics and science, the Olympic Games, and Western drama. According to CIA world factbook, the nation has an area of 5,0948.8 square miles and a total land border of 428.6 miles long. The country shares a land border with Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Turkey. Greece-Albania Border The border separating Greece from Albania is about 81.8 miles long according to the CIA world factbook. The relations between the two countries have been cordial, and the border was drawn when Albania gained independence in 1912 following the Florence Protocol by the great powers (Austria, Hungary, and Italy). There were periods when the relations were sour, such as when the Greek military and the Albanian forces fought during the Greco-Italian war. Presently, there are numerous border crossings between Greece and Albania, for instance, the Kapshtice (Devoll)Krystallopigi (Prespes) border crossing point which is the most important for the two countries. Greece-Bulgaria Border According to CIA world factbook, Greece and Bulgaria share a border which stretches for about 293 miles long. The two countries share strong political, religious, and cultural ties. The majority of the citizens of Bulgaria and Greece practice Eastern Orthodox religious faith and currently, the two nations have the best diplomatic relations and they are considered friendly nations. Greece has been a strong supporter of the integration of Bulgaria into Euro-Atlantic and admission to the Schengen Area. The two countries have a common political stand on the Balkans and the enlargement plans of the European Union. Bulgaria has also been a supporter of Greeces stance on the Macedonia naming dispute. The close ties between the two nations were established in 1908, and Bulgaria has an embassy in the city of Athens, while Greece has an embassy in Sofia. Greece is Bulgarias major trading partner, and it is a top investor in Bulgaria. The two nations corporate in different fields like energy, judicial, political, and tourism. Greece-Macedonia Border According to the CIA world factbook, the border between Greece and Macedonia is about 145 miles long. Macedonia is among the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, and it became independent in 1991. However, the country has a dispute with Greece over the name Macedonia. The country joined the UN in 1993, with the interim name of Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, which is abbreviated as FYROM and is used by organizations such as NATO, the Council of Europe, and EU. The two countries signed the Prespa agreement on June 17, 2018, which would see the country change name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Despite the dispute over the name, the two countries enjoy close trade relations, and Greece has invested in Macedonia. Greece maintains a liaison office in Skopje and a consular affairs office in Bitola. On the other hand, Macedonia maintains a liaison office in Athens and a consular affairs office in Thessaloniki. Greece-Turkey Border Greece and Turkey share a land border running for 119 miles (CIA World Factbook). Ever since Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832, the relationship between Greece and Turkey has been marked with periods of alternating peace and hostility. The two countries have engaged in four major wars in the past. The major dispute between Greece and Turkey is on the Aegean Sea, which has been running since the 1970s and has led to almost military conflict in 1980s and 1990s. The issue in the Aegean Sea touches on several aspects such as sovereignty and related rights. Greece International Relations Greece is the oldest member state of Euro-Atlantic and enjoys the significant geopolitical role as a middle power country because of its proximity to the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. The country maintains close diplomatic ties with other European countries, and it is focusing on improving relations with China, the Caucasus, and the Arab world. Greece plays an important role in the eastern Mediterranean because it is a member of the Union for the Mediterranean and the EU. The country has the largest economy in the Balkan region, and it is a significant regional investor. As of 2015, protected areas of the United States constituted 499,800 square miles. This area is 14% of the total land area of the US and a tenth of the worlds protected land area. The number of protected areas in the United States was 25,800 in 2015. In addition to the protected areas on land, the US also had 787 National Marine Protected Areas. The National Marine Protected Areas covered 490, 893 square miles. This area is 12% of the US total marine area. Protected areas of the US are operated by various authorities. The authorities could be local, tribal, state or federal. Other areas are managed between levels of government. The level of protection of these areas is unique to each area. Some areas are managed as wildernesses. Such areas are intact and undisturbed wild natural areas. Other areas are managed with acceptable commercial exploitation. This fact means that the natural resources found in these areas can be exploited for economic growth. Exploitation of these resources could result in a negative impact on the environment such as environmental degradation. Federal Level Protected Areas According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), there were 6,770 federal level protected land areas in the US. These land areas are managed by various agencies. Most of the agencies managing these areas are part of the National Park Service. The National Park Service is a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. The other areas are managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) describes the levels of protection. The highest level is level I, which is the Strict Nature Reserves & Wilderness Areas and level II which is the National Parks. 12% of the worlds Level I and II lands is maintained in the US and has a total area of 210,000 square miles. Designations of federally protected land areas include the National Park System, National Forest, and National Conservation Lands among others. State Level Protected Areas These are state parks. State parks are varied. While some are the size of urban parks, others are large parks that are on par with national parks. For example, the Adirondack Park, which is a state park, is similar to the national parks of England and Wales. Numerous towns are located inside this park. About half the area of the state park is owned by the state. The largest state park is Wood-Tikchik State Park in Alaska. Local Level Protected Areas Some local level parks are extensive nature reserves whereas others are more like playgrounds or picnic areas. Local parks are managed by a variety of local authorities such as cities, counties, regional soil conservation districts, and metropolitan authorities. The largest city park in the United States is the South Mountain Park in Phoenix, Arizona. The lopsided vote for Mexicos new president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) and his MORENA party in the July elections arose in no small part from his pledge to end governmental corruption. Outrage over corruption in the last government drew him many voters. In his inaugural speech on Saturday, Lopez Obrador stressed that the main cause of economic and social inequality in Mexico, as well as of the insecurity and violence that have plagued it, had been the dishonesty of government officials and the small minority that had profited from peddling influence. His administrations prime objective thus would be to end that corruption, as well as the absence of criminal sanctionsimpunityfor it. The Bank of Mexico said something along the same lines in its quarterly report last monththat Mexicos economy could not advance without an end to corruption and violence. Most might conclude that prosecution for past corruption would be likely to help deter corruption in the future. And for much of the campaign AMLO had insisted that corrupt government officials would be prosecuted. However, later in the campaign he began to backtrack, suggesting that, while he would not halt ongoing prosecutions, such as those of corrupt state governors, others might not be prosecuted for past activity. Two weeks before his inauguration Lopez Obrador clarified that he in fact would grant an amnesty to those who committed acts of corruption in the years prior to his government, including even past presidents. He insisted, I do not think its good for the country that we get bogged down in persecuting corrupt suspects. That is, publicly airing the scale of corruption would only trigger more outrage in the population and discredit the entire framework of bourgeois rule. In his speech on Saturday Lopez Obrador reiterated that position: I propose to the people of Mexico that we draw a final line under this horrible history and make a new start: In other words, that there be no persecution of former officials and that the current authorities breathe easily about any pending issues. When that statement was greeted with jeers, he said he would put the issue to a national consultation. Many now assert that during the election campaign Lopez Obrador, who lost two prior presidential runs due to electoral fraud, entered into a compact with Pena Nieto that he and the members of his government would not be investigated for corruption in exchange for a promise they would not interfere with his campaign. Lopez Obrador has repeatedly said that he will fund his social programs with money that would otherwise be diverted to graft. But his amnesty policy means that corrupt government officials will keep the hundreds of millions of dollars they pocketed, while businessman who had paid bribes will likewise hold on to the billions they garnered. They will not be poured back into government coffers to fund the promises AMLO has made to fight poverty and increase pension and education funding. In his speech on Saturday made no mention of pardoning those driven by poverty to commit low-level crimes who fill Mexicos prisons. Lopez Obrador in his inaugural speech Saturday also tied the insecurity and violence that have plagued Mexicothe killing and disappearance of hundreds of thousands and skyrocketing murder rate since the federal government launched the war on Mexicos drug cartels a dozen years agoto widespread government corruption. Funds from the drug gangs did stuff the pockets of government officials both petty and high. A desire to end the resulting violence also was a significant motivation behind the massive rejection of the old parties in the July election. Lopez Obradors amnesty for past corruption is perhaps curious in light of the testimony that is being given in the criminal trial in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman Loera, who is charged with being the co-leader of Mexicos Sinaloa narcotics cartel. In an extraordinary series that appeared two weeks ago in Mexicos Bloomberg-affiliated El Financiero, columnist Raymundo Riva Palacio, depicting Mexico as a narco state, outlined the scale of payments made by the cartel to high-level officials that are alleged in El Chapos case. Because of such massive payments, Mexicos government favored certain cartels over others in their internecine wars, including through military action, thereby fueling the waves of violence. For example, according to the US governments main witness, who is the brother of the co-leader with Chapo Guzman of the Sinaloa cartel, it paid millions of dollars to the secretary of public security under Pena Nietos predecessor, president Felipe Calderon. The right-arm to Marcelo Ebrard, who was Lopez Obradors secretary of public security when he was mayor of Mexico City (2000-05) and is now is serving as his new foreign minister, also received millions for protection of the cartel. The US governments prosecutor in the Chapo Guzman case has also told the court that the government of former president Carlos Salinas de Gortari, who, along with his brother, had long been accused of having entered into arrangements with drug cartels, had the archbishop of Guadalajara killed in 1993 in Guadalajaras airport, and then pinned the crime on Guzman and his cartel. Salinas was a trusted adviser to Pena Nieto during his ascent to political power. Perhaps more significantly, the lawyers for Chapo Guzman assert that the evidence in his trial will show that Pena Nieto received six million dollars in bribes for protection of the cartel when he was governor of the state of Mexico (2005-2011). If true, there would be little reason to conclude that similar arrangements would not have continued into his presidency. Instead of initiating investigations, and then prosecutions, based on whatever may be established in the Chapo Guzman case in terms of high-level government corruption, Lopez Obrador intends to grant an amnesty unless the people demand prosecution. MORENAs deputies in Congress are initiating a constitutional reform to permit such a procedure. A consultation with the people of Mexico on his amnesty proposal is projected for March (as well as on his decisions to form a National Guard composed of military units, and a business advisory council to meet regularly with the countrys wealthiest businessmen). Last weeks sensationalist allegation by the Guardian newspaper, that WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange met with Paul Manafort, American political lobbyist and one-time campaign manager for Donald Trump, has been exposed as a politically-motivated tissue of lies. The online article was presented as being co-authored by Luke Harding and Dan Collyns. Harding has written a number of pieces seeking to paint Assange as an accomplice in a Russian government conspiracy to ensure that Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 US presidential election to Donald Trump. In the print edition of the Guardian, however, it was also credited to Fernando Villavicencio, an Ecuadorian journalist. He has previously been accused of fabricating stories against former President Rafael Correa, whose government granted Assange political asylum in the countrys embassy in London in 2012. Julian Assange The article alleged that Julian Assange held meetings with Manafort in the Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2013, 2015 and March 2016. The claim was then widely reported internationally as another smoking gun to prove that WikiLeaks worked with Russian intelligence to hack Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Democratic Party emails and then collaborated with Trump-linked figures to publish them, beginning July 22, 2016, and undermine Clinton. The Guardians assertions have been totally discredited. There is no evidence that any meetings took place between Assange and Manafort. As well as denials by both WikiLeaks and Manafort and their threats of legal action against the newspaper, the claim was rejected as nonsense by Fidel Narvaez, Ecuadors counsel, then first secretary, at the London embassy from 2010 to the start of 2018. In an interview with the Canary news site, Narvaez rejected the Guardians insistent claims that Manaforts visits had taken place, despite there being no record in the official embassy entrance log. He stated: It is impossible for any visitor to enter the embassy without going through very strict protocols and leaving a clear record: obtaining written approval from the ambassador, registering with security personnel, and leaving a copy of ID. The embassy is the most surveilled on Earth; not only are there cameras positioned on neighbouring buildings recording every visitor, but inside the building every movement is recorded with CCTV cameras, 24/7. In fact, security personnel have always spied on Julian and his visitors. It is simply not possible that Manafort visited the embassy. Paul Fahri wrote in the Washington Post on December 4 that the Guardians bombshell looks as though it could be a dud. No other news organisation has been able to corroborate the Guardians reporting. The Guardian, however, has not retracted its allegations. Nor have the vast majority of newspapers and television news stations which repeated them condemned the fabrication. The article has served its intended scurrilous purpose. It has lent credibility to the hysterical campaign by the American intelligence agencies and Democratic Party establishment to portray the US as the victim of nefarious Russian-WikiLeaks interference. Amid unprecedented social tensions and an upsurge in the international class struggle, the allegations of Russian meddling have provided the pretext for state-dictated censorship of left-wing and oppositional views by major Internet companies such as Google and Facebook. In the US, the claims have been used by the military-intelligence apparatus to pressure the Trump administration into adopting an ever more bellicose foreign policy against Russia. The attempt to implicate WikiLeaks in a Russian plot has no less anti-democratic motives. It is aimed at justifying the prosecution of Julian Assange on charges of conspiracy with a foreign power to manipulate the outcome of the 2016 election, rather than the sealed charges of espionage that were filed against him in late 2010, after WikiLeaks published documents that exposed US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan and international diplomatic intrigues. The establishment media like the Guardian has self-interested concerns over any prosecution of Assange for publishing these whistleblower leaks. In 2010, newspapers such as the New York Times, the Guardian, Der Spiegel, Le Monde and El Pais eagerly worked with WikiLeaks to publish the explosive information leaked by Chelsea, formerly Bradley, Manning. Moreover, virtually every major newspaper and television news outlet regularly publishes confidential information provided by unnamed sources within the government, military or corporations. At the same time, the Guardian, New York Times and other publications have proven they are more than willing to collaborate with the US state apparatus in its vendetta to destroy WikiLeaks. They view all independent and critical publications as a threat to their immediate profits, as well as to the corporate oligarchy and imperialist agenda that they serve. For years, the media effort to discredit WikiLeaks was conducted via the slander that Assange had to answer fabricated claims he had committed sexual assault in Sweden. After the publication of the leaked Democratic Party emails in July 2016, the media attack on Assange shifted. From that point, the media began its accusations that he was working with Russia to assist the campaign of Donald Trump. In fact, the publication of the emails exposed the underhanded, pro-big business and militarist character of Clintons bid for the presidency and the fraud of her claim to be a progressive alternative to Trump. The information made available by WikiLeaks, regardless of its source, made clear that the choice between Clinton and Trump in the 2016 election was, as Assange stated, like choosing between gonorrhoea or syphilis. The newsworthiness and truthfulness of the leaks was reflected in the fact that their content was reported by most news outlets around the world. WikiLeaks has denied that it obtained the information from Russian sources. Craig Murray, a former whistleblower in Britain, stated in 2016 that he knew the source was Democratic Party staff who were outraged over ithe leaderships efforts on behalf of Clinton to undermine left-posturing candidate Bernie Sanders. Nevertheless, the allegation of a plot involving the Putin regime, WikiLeaks and figures associated with Trump has been at the centre of the investigation into the outcome of the 2016 election by special counsel and former FBI director Robert Mueller. Mueller has spent months trying to establish that Assange coordinated the publication of the Democratic emails with right-wing political operator and one-time Trump adviser Roger Stone. Stone boasted in August 2016by which time he had been dismissed from Trumps campaignthat he had contact with Julian Assange. He has publicly admitted this claim was an exaggeration to boost his credentials. In an interview on the weekend with ABC in the US, Stone was asked whether it was true that he had never spoken with Julian Assange. That is absolutely correct. I turned over one direct message to the House Intelligence Committee between the flack [spokesperson] for WikiLeaks and I, in which he essentially brushed me off ... No, I had no contact with Assange, he said. The Mueller investigation has uncovered no evidence to suggest otherwise. In a blaze of media publicity, the special counsel has interrogated a number of people connected with Stone and revealed nothing more than that the right-wing operator speculated, after WikiLeaks published the first batch of emails, about what other information it had and when it might release it. Despite the shameless character of the attempt to demonise and criminalise WikiLeaks, an array of trade union, Green and pseudo-left organisations internationally have fully aligned with the persecution of Assange. From the Democratic Socialists of America and the New Anti-capitalist Party (NPA) in France, to the Greens Party and Socialist Alternative in Australia, they maintain a complicit silence on every sordid twist and turn in the state and media effort to railroad him into a prison cell, or worse. The only social force that will defend Assange is the international working class. It must be mobilised in the fight to secure his unconditional right to leave the Ecuadorian embassy in London, with guaranteed protection from any prosecution by the US government. On December 16, the Socialist Equality Party in Australia will be livestreaming on Facebook a public meeting in Sydney to discuss taking forward this perspective. The author also recommends: SEP meeting and livestream on December 16: What next in the fight to free Julian Assange? [28 November 2018] Autoworkers throughout Ohio denounced the decision by General Motors to cut 15,000 jobs and shut five plants in the US and Canada, including the Lordstown complex near Youngstown, which is slated to close in March. I think its a death sentence, said Tori, a Ford worker who lives nearby. Me, the middle class and autoworkers bailed them out in 2008 and they are turning around and closing auto plants because theyre being greedy. They took the cash breaks and went with stock buybacks and all that crap and could care less about the workers. They came to us, the middle class, and now theyre firing us. Ford is also preparing massive layoffs. Wall Street analysts say they expect Ford to cut 25,000 jobs worldwide over the coming year. Both companies are moving out of car production in the US, while keeping their more profitable SUVs and small trucks. The Lordstown plant produces the Chevy Cruze, which is being discontinued by GM. This past June, GM closed the second shift at Lordstown, laying off 1,500 workers. This followed the elimination of the first shift in January, displacing 1,000 workers. In 2015, the United Auto Workers (UAW) pushed through massive concessions in the name of saving jobs. Just as the second shift was shut, workers found out that the UAW had signed a secret deal with the company allowing it to hire temporary workers, some getting paid only $9 an hour, while senior workers were losing their jobs. I have 24 years with GM, said one Lordstown worker who was laid off in June. My unemployment lasts only a few more weeks and my SUB pay runs out in June. They told us it would only be for a short while, now the entire plant is closing. Ive lived here my entire life. My whole family is here, I cant move. Im helping my daughter take care of her daughter while she works. Her husband was also laid off. He worked eight years at the plant. Kim, a worker with over 30 years seniority at Fiat Chrysler, felt it was important for autoworkers to come to each others defense, pointing out that what is done at one company will be done at another. After the 2008 financial collapse, the UAW agreed to massive concessions, including cutting pension benefits for new-hires. Kim said, All these kids came to work in 2008, once Chrysler was allowed to not offer pensions. Then all the companies did that. She emphasized the importance of mobilizing younger workers, including temporary-part time and other lower-tier workers, together with more senior workers. This generation of workers, she said, people in their 20s and 30s, I was surprised that they turned the contract down. They want everything and they will fight for it and they will speak up. To pull them in and get them involved, then youve got something. Thats something I didnt see for a long time, banding together like they do. Many workers are enraged by the betrayal of the United Auto Workers. Tori said, Weve been having contracts full of concessions since [2008]. Referring to UAW officials who have pled guilty to taking bribes from Fiat Chrysler, she added, I think they should get a lot longer prison sentence than a couple months, thats for sure. Its time to clean house. Tori continued, Its like we dont have any rights anymore at our plant. Seniority at our plant doesnt mean anything other than whos out the door the fastest. It doesnt apply to anything else at that plant. You can have 25 years at that plant and someone else hired two months ago can have better vacation hours and a better job than you just because theyre related to somebody. They [the UAW] get their family members hired in. Of course, theyre beholden to the company as long as they get somebody hired in. A union member can have up to five family members hired in. When they give us applications, people in town hear about it. Theyll get on social media and say, If you have a Ford application, Ill give you $500. Thats how badly people want a job. The union reps and management, they can get their family hired in on a regular basis. Tori denounced the multi-tier wage and benefit system, which the company and the UAW use to divide workers. They try to keep the temps as long as they can, she said. Its not fair that you have at least three different tiers of workers. Youve got temps, youve got part-time temps, youve got second-tier workers and legacy workers. When they start to outnumber us, are they going to protect me and my pension if they think I didnt care if they got paid $10-$15 less an hour? Its not fair because theyre doing the exact same thing I am. They just pit everybody against each other. Tori agreed with the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter s call for workers control over working conditions, particularly when safety is at stake, noting, Whenever you have a grievance about something, the union says, Well, theyre allowed to manage any way they want. Then you ask, What do we have a union for? and they say, Your wages and your benefits. A few months ago we had a bad rainstorm coming through. There were a lot of leaks in the roof and they had to shut down production. The water got on the electrical panels that keep the machines running. Then they covered the panels up with plastic and said, Go back to work. I said you dont have to do that. Thats not the way electricity works. You could kill somebody by turning the electricity on. The team leader was telling us to go back to work and was yelling at me. I told the supervisor, were not going to start it up until you get health and safety. There was a lot of convincing because they think they have to do what theyre told. When you do something like that and stick up for your fellow workers, then youre labeled a troublemaker. They retaliate. People that stand up for themselves and each other, theyre called troublemakers. Talking about the way forward for autoworkers internationally, Tori argued, We need to get everybody up to the same pay and benefits around the world. Don, a worker at the Ford Lima engine plant with 19 years experience, also spoke about the betrayal of the UAW. Its a corrupt situation, he said. The union, from the local all the way up to the Glass House (headquarters in Detroit), is corrupt. Were paying dues to reps who dont represent us. Its like working for two companies when you walk through the door at work, Ford and the UAW. Were paying 2.5 percent of our pay in dues to these guys now. They get together at their convention and the first thing they do is give themselves a 33 percent raise. Its like a mafia. Grace just retired after 32 years at Jeep in Toledo. She told the WSWS, Pensions havent gone up forever. I just retired and Im getting the same pension my father did, who retired in 2007. Do you know how union dues work? They take one-third for the local, one-third for the international, and one-third for the strike fund. But they dont use the strike fund for strikes. Its a slush fund for the union. They dont even allow strikes. How do you crank out 900 cars a day, sell them for $30,000, and then claim that you cant afford health care for your workers? Theres no such thing as a grievance. I had to file the same grievance four times. The union finally just blackballed me. The unions been in bed with the company since the 1990s. I had a union rep brag to me back then that the company writes him his checks. On unifying the workers across borders, she said, I totally agree with you. Its about globalization. The WSWS Autoworker Newsletter is holding an emergency meeting this Sunday, December 9 at 2 p.m. in Detroit to organize a fight against the plant closures. We urge all autoworkers to make plans to attend and organize delegations from your factories. Theresas Mays minority Conservative government lost three crucial procedural votes in parliament Tuesday, immediately ahead of five days of debate on her deal with the European Union (EU) on the UKs exit from the bloc. A cross-party opposition motion found the government in contempt of parliament for failing to publish in full the legal advice on Brexitthe first time in history such a motion was passed. This followed Attorney General Geoffrey Cox publishing only a summary of the advice statement Monday, insisting that disclosing the full advice was not in the national interest. MPs rejected this by 311 to 293, with some Tory MPs voting against the government or abstaining. This forced the government to publish the full advice Wednesday. Earlier MPs voted by 311 to 307 against a government amendment to the motion by leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom, which attempted to refer the legal advice issue to an investigation by the Privileges Committee. A still more serious defeat followed, when MPs voted by 321 to 299 to give parliament the power to amend any motion on a deal with the EU that May would have to put before the Commons within 21 days of her current proposal being rejected in the December 11 vote. The move to assert parliaments power over a Plan B was led by the pro-EU Tory and former attorney-general, Dominic Grieve, and backed by another 26 rebel Tories. Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has propped up Mays government for the last two years through a confidence and supply arrangement with its 10 MPs. In the vote over the publication of the legal opinion, the DUP sided with the five other opposition parties. Labour has scheduled a vote of no-confidence on the May government immediately after the December 11 vote, and Mays fate may be determined immediately by the position adopted by the DUP. The DUP was understood to be prepared to vote down Mays EU deal, even before the publication of the legal advice that contains provisions anathema to the Unionists. Wednesdays publication of the advice confirmed that Cox told May last month that the EU deal effectively classified the UK to a third country as far as Northern Ireland was concerned, requiring compliance checks on items crossing the UK/Northern Ireland border. The advice also states that the EU can decide in the future that the Withdrawal Agreement should no longer apply to Britain, leaving Northern Ireland under the so-called backstop arrangements indefinitely in a separate status within a customs union with the Republic and therefore with the EU. The no-confidence vote takes precedence over any other business. If May loses it, a range of possible scenarios opens up. She could choose to step down, to give way to a Brexiteer, or a leadership contest could be triggered. Or she might stagger on and return to Brussels to extract any concession from the EU that could placate her opponents and try to win a second parliamentary vote. Labour has called for the queen to recognise it as leader of a minority government, while Corbyn has said a general election should be called. This would require acceptance by the government, given the fixed term parliament act, and there is no enthusiasm for this in the Blairite wing of the party either. They are focused on demanding a second referendum over Brexit in order to break the deadlock. Labours conference confirmed that a Peoples Vote would on the table should there be no general election and that the option to remain in the EU should be included. Whatever happens, Britain is in the grip of a historic crisis of rule that threatens to unleash mass social upheavals. In a Daily Telegraph comment Wednesday, Philip Johnston noted, The term constitutional crisis is often bandied about in British politics but such an event is mercifully rare. This one is rarer still, involving a clash between the executive and Parliament, of which The most extreme example in our history was, of course, the English Civil War, where differences that could not be sorted out by political means were dealt with on the battlefield. Johnson pointed to the fuel tax protests in France as a warning as to what might develop in the UK. Amid all the apocalyptic predictions for Brexit, civil unrest is considered unlikely and un-British. Yet we only have to look across the Channel at the gilet jaunes, or yellow vests, movement to see how a sense of grievance can quickly descend into mob violence. He warned, There is a tradition of the mob, especially in London, that used to terrify the life out of the authorities in the 18th and early 19th centuries constitutional crises can be perilous because the normal processes of representative democracy have broken down. The repressive arms of the state are likewise gearing up for repression of the working class. Speaking to the LBC Radio, Cressida Dick, the commissioner of Londons Metropolitan Police, was asked by host Nick Ferrari, Is there an aspect of civil unrest of some sort [in the Mets planning]? Dick replied, There is certainly a potential for protests. We are in London. It is the protest capital of the world. We are preparing for all scenarios, and deal or no-deal the police will be here. Social tensions in Britain have reached fever pitch. In his report last month, after investigating staggering levels of extreme poverty in the UK, UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston also warned, This could well lead to significant public discontent, further division and even instability. It is in this context that discussions have been held between MI5 and MI6 and Corbyn, on the role a Labour government would have to play in suppressing social discontent. Despite the constant invoking of the will of the people by both the pro-EU and anti-EU wings of the bourgeoisie, this is a debate deliberately confined to ruling circles on how best to defend the interests of British imperialism. Whichever side wins, the working class will pay in a deeper assault on jobs, wages and conditions to make Britain competitive in the frenzied struggle for global markets and through the turn to domestic repression and global militarism. As the Socialist Equality Party insists in its recently published congress resolution: The task facing working people is not to help resolve the crisis facing the bourgeoisie, as Corbyn and the Labour Party insist, but to secure its independent class interests in a common struggle with its class brothers and sisters throughout the European continent. The International Committees European sections, the SEP in Britain, the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES) in France and the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) in Germany, together with our co-thinkers in Turkey, Ireland and throughout the world, seek to mobilise the working class against the nationalist splintering of the European continent and the growth of far-right movements, while rejecting any support for the EU and its constituent national governments. The rule of the financial oligarchy and its governments must be broken and replaced with government of, by and for the working classa socialist Britain as part of the United Socialist States of Europe. The adoption of this perspective would bring the most powerful social force into actionthe European working class. Teachers at 15 Acero Charter Schools in Chicago, one of more than 34 charter school operators in the city, walked out Tuesday morning in the first ever strike against a US charter school operator. Pickets resumed Wednesday morning. Some 500 teachers in the suburb of Geneva, Illinois also remained on strike Wednesday. The Acero teachers are demanding a reduction in class sizes, increased classroom resources and pay increases. Clerks and support staff do not have a pay schedule and are asking for one. Teachers are also asking for some assurance that Acero students and families will not be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) without a court order. After six months of bargaining and two days on strike, few concrete details are being released by the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) on its negotiations with Acero. Charter school teachers are even more exploited than Chicago Public Schools (CPS) teachers, who have suffered years of deteriorating conditions due to the collusion of the CTU with the Democratic-controlled city government. Charter teachers receive 15 percent lower pay than CPS educators and work longer school days and school years. Other charter school teachers have authorized strikes in recent weeks, including those at Chicago International Charter Schools, Civitas Education Partners and Quest Management, but they have not been mobilized by the union to back the strike at Acero and broaden the struggle. CPS teachers spoke in support of Acero teachers on social media. Christina Vestal said, I teach kindergarten and have 30 with no aide. I hope their demands are met, but CTU doesnt even bargain over class size. The Acero network has 550 teachers and 7,500 students. It was formerly known as UNO, named for the United Neighborhood Organization that founded it. UNO/Acero has intimate ties to the Illinois Democratic Party and business interests. The schools name change was the result of a major fraud scandal that took down former CEO Juan Rangel, who chaired Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuels election campaign. On Tuesday, the United Educators for Justice/CTU held a rally in front of the Acero headquarters on Randolph Street in downtown Chicago. Elizabeth, who has taught at UNO/Acero schools for 14 years, felt the main issue in the strike was the extreme inequality within Acero schools. She told the World Socialist Web Site, Spending is very uneven from school to school. One campus is well positioned and funded, and others are not at all. As with charter schools across the country, Acero receives public funds and awards lucrative packages to its executives, purchases real estate, and finances lavish construction projects that benefit connected insiders, while skimping on pay and resources for educators. Only yesterday, Acero released financial statements that are reported to show a multi-million-dollar budget surplus and projected classroom cuts. Elizabeth continued, I have some freedom to develop what I am teaching. I can have rigorous lessons and use best practices. Not all teachers can do that. Theres a lot of inequity. This means parents and students cant expect the same things from all of our schools. We need the resources put into our schools. One Acero teacher, who has more than 20 years as an educator teaching in different parts of the world, is in her first year with the charter operator. She was astounded at the lack of basic resources available for students and the overcrowded conditions. Im a first-year teacher, she said. I wake up at 5:30 in the morning and am at work by 7 a.m., before my students arrive at 7:30. Theyre there until 3:30 p.m. and I usually stay until 5 or 6 at night. So my days are 11 or 12 hours. We [charter teachers] work a longer school year, longer days. I sometimes work weekendsit depends. I have taught in four or five other schools. Being first year in any school, it takes you a longer time to do things. Ive been abroad for very many years, teaching in international schools. When I got back to the US, I did some subbing, so Ive been in several schools. Ive taught in a lot of different environments and it astounds me. I was so surprised to see what was going on here. Having 32 kids in my classroom. Its nearly the most Ive ever seen. Twenty-one years ago, at my first job, I had 36, in a Catholic school. At other schools I worked in abroad, American schools, I had 20-22 students. So, this was shocking. Were out here trying to get resources for our kids. I could not believe that when I started teaching here I couldnt get any money for anything in my classroom. I mean essentials: bulletin boards, markers, staplers, scissors, nothing. While striking teachers are determined to fight and have the support of CPS teachers, the unions and the Democratic Party are doing everything they can to sabotage their struggle and expand the corporate school reform agenda. The Tuesday morning pickets and afternoon rally provided an opportunity for American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, whose annual salary of more than $500,000 is even larger than that of Acero CEO Rich Rodriguez, and Democratic Party politicians to pose for photos with striking teachers. The recent elections both locally in Illinois and nationally have been marked by the Democratic Partys efforts to change its image from that of a party of and for the wealthy. Under the cover of the slogan A Chicago for the many, leading Democrats in Illinois, with the aid of the teachers unions and various pseudo-left organizations, are vying for more say on what tough decisions are made. Current mayoral candidate Toni Preckwinkle, currently the Cook County Board president and chair of the Cook County Democratic Party, appeared at the rally in downtown Chicago, walking the picket line and taking selfies with teachers, as did former CTU staffer and candidate for county commissioner Brandon Johnson. Preckwinkle, who has a record of advocating hundreds of millions in budget cuts, pension "reform" and an unpopular tax on sweet beverages, is trying to refurbish her image. She holds an enormous amount of political power in the city and backs pro-business policies. But at the rally, she stressed that she was once a teacher. There was a sharp contrast in the scene on Randolph Street. On the one hand, amid chants and whistles, determined teachers demonstrated against the conditions in the schools that the Democratic Party has created in Chicago. On the other hand, a leading Democratic Party politician with a long record of serving the interests of business, standing alongside well-heeled national and local union lackeys, used the demonstration as a backdrop for her election campaign. Late Wednesday, local media reported that CTU is to endorse her for mayor on Thursday morning. Within a couple of hours of the rally, Preckwinkle announced her mayoral education agenda, which includes a four-year freeze on charter schools and school closings, a return to an elected school board, and what she called real progressive revenue to fund neighborhood schools, which may involve changing the states income tax law and restructuring the TIF (tax-increment financing) district funds. Preckwinkle denounced the corporate privatization of our public schools and promised to invest in social workers and support staff. But belying the progressive window dressing, her education agenda is evidently open to additional school closings. This is the reality behind the cynical posturing. Teachers and all workers should reject Preckwinkles phony promises with contempt. They come from a Democratic Party leader with more than two decades in the Chicago party machine, which has presided over the closure of hundreds of schools. Chicago has been ground zero for the bipartisan attack on public education, with charter expansion and school closing plans going back decades. Just this week, a WBEZ analysis found that the city has closed or fired all teachers at 200 schools since 2002, comprising nearly one-third of the countrys third largest school district. This aggressive shutdown of public schools has fueled the expansion of charters, and it was led by the Illinois and Chicago Democratic Party. The CTU has played a key role in this. At a December 3 press conference, CTU President Jesse Sharkey, a member of the International Socialist Organization, explained the unions strategy of working within the charter school framework, declaring: I believe the charters, when it first started, one of its selling points was this was a union-free environment, in which they could do whatever they wanted. What they failed to take account of is actually that union contracts are part of the things which regulate, enforce the education industry to actually produce fair practices both for people who work in those schools and for the students who attend the schools. Just as he did for outgoing Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Sharkey is offering the CTUs services to guarantee the institutional stability city officials require to carry out their anti-working class policies. Teachers in Chicago, Illinois and across the US face the same challenges and the same class enemies in the bipartisan assault on education. To fight for their interests, teachers should form rank-and-file workplace committees, independent of the unions and the Democratic Party, to unite teachers across schools and districts and link up their struggle with autoworkers, UPS workers and Amazon workers. The author also recommends: Unions promote corporate Democrats to succeed Emanuel [27 November 2018] Randi Weingarten holds secret meeting with Steve Bannon [4 November 2017] After days of intensive backroom collaboration, the opposition Labor Party today sought to assist the crisis-wracked Liberal-National Coalition government to push through encryption-cracking and computer-accessing laws during the final hours of this years last parliamentary session. Labors support for the bill, with only token amendments, will hand extraordinary powers to the spy and police forces, setting a global precedent that has been demanded by the US intelligence and military establishment. The Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 will allow an array of state and federal agencies, including the Australian Border Force, to access encrypted and other privacy-protected communications, including WhatsApp or iMessage conversations. They also will be able to secretly hack into and manipulate peoples computersa power currently reserved for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), the domestic political spy agency. This is a fundamental attack on basic democratic rights, including privacy, free speech and the right to organise, especially against the corporate and political establishment. It is part of an escalating barrage of measures designed to suppress dissent and social unrest. By helping Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government fast-track the slightly amended billallowing almost no public debate in parliamentthe Labor Party sent two clear signals to the ruling capitalist class. The first is that the Labor leaders will try to prop up this government until it calls a federal election, either in March or May, in an effort to stabilise the increasingly loathed and discredited parliamentary order. Labor does not want the government brought down in a way that could open the door for a wider working-class movement against the entire political establishment. The second message is the Labor Party is ready to form a repressive government under conditions of emerging economic slump, mounting popular discontent and a US-led drive for war against China. In the final two-week parliamentary session of the year, Labor also joined hands with the government to bring forward four other bills with police-state provisions. These will allow the government to call out the military to put down domestic unrest; fast-track a new foreign interference register; strip citizenship from anyone convicted of even a minor terrorism-related offence; and permit Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) operativesAustralias foreign spiesto kill people to protect their clandestine missions. The government proclaimed a victory after Labor dropped a request for them to agree to initially push through a temporary version of the encryption and computer hacking laws, supposedly limiting their use to federal agencies targeting terrorists and paedophiles. Attorney-General Christian Porter described the deal as a massive win. He said Labor had moved very substantially from its so-called compromise offer, which would have delayed part of the bill until the outcome of a parliamentary intelligence and security committee review. Labors legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus said the government had trashed the intelligence committee process but welcomed the retention of the bipartisan unity that has imposed wave after wave of new measures to boost the powers of the state apparatus. Labor has spent five years responsibly improving national security legislation to make Australians safer, and we have done the same thing today, Dreyfus said. In fact, Labor has worked hand-in-glove with the Coalition since 2001, both in opposition and in office, to impose one package of draconian laws after another. These included the metadata retention legislation of 2015, which already gave the police and intelligence agencies the power to access everyones online data, going back up to two years. There has been bipartisan agreement on expanding such powers since 1979, when ASIO first obtained the legal authority to tap into telecommunications and computers. They already have powers to hack end points, where information is not encrypted, Monique Mann, a Queensland University of Technology law and technology researcher, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Labors request for a narrower initial regime was not driven by any concern for democratic rights. Instead, it voiced the interests of the internet and social media conglomerates, which said handing the powers to a broad range of government agencies would increase the danger of encryption-cracking tools falling into unwanted hands. The companies were concerned that this could threaten the highly-profitable use of encryption by themselves and other giant corporations, including banks and retail operators. Under the deal struck between Labor and the Coalition, the anti-encryption powers will be available to investigate serious crimesdefined as all terrorism and child sex offences, and other offences punishable by imprisonment for three years or more. This covers a wide range of offences, including the new crimes of being involved in foreign interference or failing to register under the foreign influence transparency scheme. As a supposed safeguard against abuse, law enforcement and spy agencies will not be able to issue technical capability notices, which can force companies to install software or modify their systems to enable encryption-cracking, unless both the attorney-general and communications minister approve. Placing this process in the hands of two senior cabinet ministers can hardly be regarded as a protection. Instead, it facilitates the use of the new powers for political purposes. The agreed bill contains a definition of systemic weaknesswhich companies cannot be asked to createand stipulates that disputes about what constitutes such an impermissible back door will be determined by a former judge and a person with technical expertise. Giving such figures scrutiny over these disputes may assuage the telco giants but it will not protect ordinary people. Where companies are compelled to comply with encryption-breaching notices, or agree to do so voluntarily, these processes will remain hidden from retail users. It will be illegal for companies to inform their customers that they have handed information over to the authorities. According to an ABC report, technology giants like Apple and Google already voluntarily assist the authorities. During July-December 2017, for instance, Australian police made 120 requests for Apple account details, which could include someones iCloud content. Apple provided data in 64 percent of these cases. Business organisations generally backed the Labor-Coalition deal for shielding their interests. Ai Group chief executive Innes Wilox said the changes appear to go some way to addressing a number of the concerns Protecting the security of communications and information between businesses and their customers is of fundamental importance. The Australian bill is regarded as a test case for similar legislation in the US and other places, and will facilitate surveillance across the global US-led Five Eyes spy network. Capitalist governments, in collaboration with social media companies like Google and Facebook, also are implementing restrictions on internet access, particularly designed to limit or block access to the World Socialist Web Site and other left wing, anti-war and progressive websites. The WSWS has called for the formation of an International Coalition of Socialist, Anti-War and Progressive Websites to fight back against the escalating attack on freedom of speech and basic democratic rights. The author also recommends: Australian Labor Party helps disintegrating government impose repressive laws [1 December 2018] On Tuesday night, Special Counsel Robert Mueller released a memorandum filed with the US district court in Washington DC laying out his offices recommendation on the sentencing of Michael Flynn. Repeating several times in the course of the 13-page filing that Flynn had provided substantial assistance to the government, Mueller recommended a sentence with no jail time. Judge Emmet Sullivan is slated to hand down the sentence for Flynn on December 18. Flynn is the retired Army lieutenant general and former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency who served for 24 days as President Donald Trumps national security advisor before he was fired in February 2017 for lying to Vice President Mike Pence about his contacts with then-Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Flynn pleaded guilty last December to one count of lying to the FBI in connection with the special counsels investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections and possible collusion by the Trump election campaign. He admitted to having given false information about his discussions with Kislyak concerning sanctions imposed by Barack Obama against Russia in the final days of his administration, when Flynn was part of the Trump transition team. He also acknowledged lying about talks with Kislyak urging the Putin government to oppose a UN resolution against Israeli settlements in the West Bank. In pleading guilty to the single count, Flynn agreed to cooperate with Muellers investigation. There was a feverish media buildup in advance of the release of the court document, with speculation that it would provide information about Flynns statements to Muellers investigators highly damaging to Trump. Muellers Russia probe, based on a concocted and unsubstantiated narrative of Russian manipulation of the election to undermine Hillary Clinton and promote Trump, has been the focal point of a fierce conflict within the ruling class and the state between two equally reactionary factions. The dominant sections of the intelligence establishment, the Democratic Party and most major media outlets have conducted a McCarthyite-style witch-hunt against Russia and used the Mueller probe to pressure Trump to adopt an even more aggressive policy in Syria and Eastern Europe directed against Moscow. Trump, for his part, has escalated the US offensive against Russia, adding more sanctions, supporting the NATO mobilization on Russias borders and withdrawing from the INF missile treaty, but has continued to maneuver with Putin in pursuit of his trade war and military buildup against China. Meanwhile, the Democrats have dropped any opposition to Trumps fascistic persecution of immigrants and appealed for bipartisan cooperation on key aspects of his pro-corporate, anti-working class domestic economic and social policy. In the end, Muellers sentencing memorandum provided no specific information about the content of Flynns discussions with federal investigators. However, it indicated that Flynn has cooperated closely with the special counsels office and federal investigators and provided information that could be damaging to Trump and members of his campaign team and administration, including Donald Trump Jr. and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The heart of the filing, an addendum laying out the significance and usefulness of Flynns cooperation, is heavily redacted, on the grounds that the specifics it presents include sensitive information relating to ongoing investigations. However, it contains assertions that suggest Mueller is gathering information that could be used to accuse the Trump White House of either collusion with Russian meddling, obstruction of justice, or both. The addendum asserts that Flynn has provided firsthand information about the content and context of interactions between the transition team and Russian government officials. It states that Flynn has cooperated with several investigations, including, in addition to the Russia probe, a criminal investigation whose content is blacked out and a third investigation whose character is completely concealed by redactions. It also notes that Flynn gave 19 interviews to special counsel investigators or other Justice Department attorneys. The release of the Flynn document follows last weeks escalation by Mueller in the form of a court appearance by Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen. Cohen pleaded guilty to one count of lying to Congress in connection with his negotiations with Russian officials in behalf of Trumps efforts to build a Trump Tower hotel in Moscow. In effect accusing Trump of lying, Cohen admitted that he had given false testimony about the hotel talks, which took place during the 2016 election campaign. Cohen said he had continued to hold discussions with Russian officials, including aides to Putin, until June 2016, when Trump had already sewed up the Republican nomination. He also said he had discussed the talks with Trump on several occasions during that period, as well as with Trump family members. During the campaign and since, Trump has insisted that no talks on the hotel project were held after January 2016, prior to the first Republican primary election, and that neither he nor his family were involved in any such discussions after that time. The Democrats leapt on Cohens confession to claim it established a business motive for Trump to act as Putins stooge and gave the Russian president leverage over the future US president. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a blunt ultimatum to Moscow Tuesday, vowing that the US will unilaterally abrogate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, one of the last remaining arms control agreements from the Cold War, within 60 days unless Russia submits to what Washington defines as compliance with the pact. The move represents a major escalation of the threat of global nuclear war. The 60-day period was a concession of sorts to the European powers and in particular Germany, whose Chancellor Angela Merkel pressed US President Donald Trump at the recent G20 summit in Buenos Aires not to follow through with plans to summarily upend the INF Treaty. Signed in 1987 by the US and the former Soviet Union, the accord banned both nuclear and nonnuclear land-based missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (about 310 to 3,400 miles). Accepted by Moscow under the leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last Soviet president, who was embarked upon a program of capitalist restoration, the treaty represented a strategic concession to the United States, which far outstripped the Soviet Union in airborne and sea-launched missiles. A secret memo drafted by Trumps National Security Adviser John Bolton and obtained by the Washington Post instructed the US secretary of state to make all necessary arrangements to withdraw from the treaty no later than December 4, 2018, and the US defense secretary to develop and deploy ground-launched missiles at the earliest possible date. While Washington succeeded in pressuring NATO into supporting its ultimatum to Russia, there is deep disquiet in Europe over the scrapping of the agreement, which poses the return of US short and medium-range missiles to the continent and the redoubled threat that it will become a principal battlefield in any nuclear exchange between the US and Russia. The deployment of US Pershing II missiles in Germany in the 1980s triggered mass popular protests against the threat of war. According to the Washington Post, Merkel and other European officials told Trump that an immediate withdrawal from the treaty would not give them enough time to explain the policy change to domestic audiences. European leaders fear that their voters could be sympathetic to a Kremlin argument that the United States is tearing up one international agreement after another, after Trumps decision to leave the Paris climate agreement and the Iran nuclear deal, the Post reported. In other words, European leaders fear that their populations will see the move for what it is, a ratcheting up of US imperialist aggression, and popular antiwar sentiment will become fused with already escalating class tensions like the ones that have played out in clashes across France in recent weeks. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, a reliable stooge of US interests, nonetheless responded to the development by stating, I regret that we now most likely will see the end of the INF Treaty. We really felt that the world was moving forward when the Soviet Union and the United States in 1987 agreed. The 60-day countdown to the US formal repudiation of the treaty is supposed to provide time for Russia to cease its alleged violations of the pact. There is no indication, however, that Moscow can do anything to satisfy Washington's demandsRussia insists that it is already in compliance. For that matter, it is clear that the Trump administration has no desire to reach an agreement that would keep the agreement in place. In announcing the US decision to a two-day meeting of NATO foreign ministers, Secretary of State Pompeo made it clear that Washingtons scrapping of the accord is aimed not at punishing some alleged Russian transgression, but rather at bolstering US strategic advantage in any future war with both Russia and China. There is no reason the United States should continue to cede this crucial military advantage to revisionist powers like China, Pompeo said. China, which was not a party to the bilateral 1987 treaty, has developed its own land-based short- and medium-range missiles to counter US attempts to militarily encircle the country in its Pivot to Asia, which has included a massive redeployment of US armed forces to the Pacific and East Asia. Russia has repeatedly denied that its missile systems are in violation of the INF Treaty. It has countercharged that US Aegis missile defense systems deployed in Romania and Poland constitute a violation because they are easily adaptable for the launching of offensive cruise missiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin Wednesday mocked Pompeos announcement, stating that it was a bit late in announcing Washingtons intentions. First the American side said its determined to withdraw from the treaty on intermediate- and shorter-range missiles, then they started to look for reasons why they should do this, he said. As usual theyre not providing any evidence of these violations by us. Putin added that if the US sought to develop such weapons, Moscows response would be simple. We will also do this, he said. There is an element of madness in Washingtons headlong rush toward deployment, which would effectively place nuclear conflagration on a hair trigger by relying on weapons that take only minutes to reach their targets. The reckless drive toward a nuclear arms race is unfolding in the context of multiple military flashpoints that could erupt into war between the worlds two largest nuclear powers. These include the provocation staged by Ukraine in the Sea of Azov last week, which brought Russian and Ukrainian forces into direct confrontation for the first time since the US-backed, fascist-led coup in Kiev in 2014. This has been followed by a provocative freedom of navigation exercise Wednesday, sending a US guided-missile destroyer into the Peter the Great Gulf, the base of the Russian Navys Pacific fleet. The decision on the INF, like all of Washingtons war policy in the Middle East, Asia and Eastern Europe, is driven by the crisis of the capitalist system, characterized by the ever-sharpening contradiction between a global economy and an outmoded nation-state system and expressed most acutely in the attempt by US imperialism, in the aftermath of the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union, to overcome the protracted decline of its economic position by means of military force. One significant response to the announcement on the countdown to the end of the INF treaty came from the magazine National Defense, a trade publication for the military-industrial complex, which speculated on the profits that would flow to arms manufacturers once production of new short- and medium-range missiles resumed. It pointed out that the Pershing II program cost $692 million for research, development, testing and evaluation, and $1.76 billion to procure 247 missiles, according to the Government Accountability Office. A conventional ground-launched cruise missile, the GLCM, that was deployed at that time cost $383 million for RDT&E, and $2.72 billion to procure 442 missiles. Given rising costs, tens of billions of dollars more are to be made in the rush toward nuclear war. Even before the abrogation of the treaty, US nuclear weapons spending was projected to reach $1.7 trillion over 30 years. These vast sums are to be extracted from the working class, diverted from social resources needed to provide jobs, housing, health care, education and other vital needs for the masses of the population. Ranking Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations, Armed Services and Intelligence committees sent Trump a letter on Monday questioning whether the way in which he was scuttling the treaty served to take the focus away from Russias transgressions and malign behavior as well as the failure to consult with Congress and the lack of what they termed a strategic alternative. But Trump announced his decision to terminate the INF treaty on October 20 in the heat of the midterm elections. No Democratic candidate nor the leadership of the party chose to make this move, which threatens the survival of the entire population of the US and the world, an issue in the campaign. On the contrary, the Democrats have centered their opposition to the Trump administration on allegations of collusion with Moscow in the 2016 presidential campaign and charges that Trump has been too soft on Russia. Likewise the major media has given scant attention to the scrapping of one of the last remaining agreements restricting an all-out arms race and headlong rush to nuclear war. Neither the New York Times nor the Washington Post published any front-page article or editorial on the subject Wednesday. There is no antiwar faction within the US ruling establishment, nor any interest on the part of the Democrats or the corporate media in alerting the American people to the growing threat of a global nuclear conflagration. This threat can be answered only through the construction of a new mass antiwar movement based on the struggle for the unification of the international working class in the struggle against capitalism. Workers, teachers, fishermen, students, youth and housewives from all over Jaffna district attended last Fridays public meeting marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Fourth International. Organised by the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), the event was held at the Jaffna Public Library canteen hall. Jaffna, the largest city in Sri Lankas north, and its surrounding districts remain devastated by Colombos almost three-decade communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. In the days before the meeting, SEP and IYSSE members distributed thousands of leaflets across the city and at workplaces, as well as Jaffna university and the teachers training college. SEP Central Committee member P. Thirugnanasampanthar chaired the meeting and SEP General Secretary Wije Dias delivered the main lecture, entitled The Lessons of History and the Fight for Socialism Today. David North, chairman of the World Socialist Web Site international editorial board, delivered speeches under the same title at meetings in Colombo and Kandy during October. Thinakkural, a Tamil daily newspaper, announced the meeting a day before the event and requested an interview with Wije Dias. MTVs News First broadcast a considerable portion of Thirugnanasampanthars opening address to the meeting. P. Thirugnanasampanthar addressing the meeting Thirugnanasampanthar began with an overview of international political events and the growing danger of global military conflict and stressed the contemporary relevance of the historic struggle of the Fourth International. Without the revolutionary intervention of the working class it is impossible to stop the devastation that would be created by a third world war, he said. Working people all over the world were entering into struggle against government and employer attacks on their living standards, Thirugnanasampanthar said. He warned that they cannot defend their democratic and social rights by pressuring crisis-ridden capitalism and its various governments. The working class must establish its own power and this requires a socialist perspective and leadership based on an international socialist program. Thirugnanasampanthar referred to the bitter conflict raging within the Sri Lankan elite following President Maithripala Sirisenas dismissal of Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and his replacement by Mahinda Rajapakse. He explained that the political infighting was an expression of decay of the bourgeois parliamentary system established in Sri Lanka in 1948. The speaker commented on the role of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The TNA, he said, continuously works as an agent of US imperialism. Its leader, R. Sambandan, had told foreign diplomats that law-and-order needs to be implemented soon in Sri Lanka or else anti-social elements may engage in violence with far reaching results. Sambandans statement was an appeal to the major powers to intervene against the working people. Wije Dias told the meeting the crisis of bourgeois rule was driven by global economic and political processes. No national economic unit, he said, had been able to escape the repercussions of the global financial crisis that began in 2008. This is why, despite the end of the anti-Tamil war in Sri Lanka and the defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in 2009, no political stability has been achieved in the island, Dias said. Lengthy columns in the bourgeois press and television commentaries about the present political crisis, the speaker continued, were devoid of any reference to the global crisis of world capitalism. Likewise, the interventions of the so-called left parties and the unions were designed to politically disarm working people and youth. Wije Dias Dias said the capitalist classes in every country were adopting authoritarian and dictatorial forms of rule in preparation for war. Confronted by the growing resistance of working people and youth to the austerity measures demanded by the International Monetary Fund, the Sri Lankan ruling elites were moving to discard the parliamentary constitution and establish a police-military dictatorship. Without a historical approach to these questions, the working class cannot properly understand, let alone prepare to fight against, these attacks, Dias said. The speaker explained that Leon Trotskys decision to found the Fourth International was a result of the Soviet Stalinist bureaucracys policies, which allowed Hitler to come to power in Germany in 1933, and the lack of any condemnation of this devastating betrayal within the Third International. Trotskys analysis of all the strategic lessons of the working class in the imperialist epoch guided the fight for the Fourth International over the next five years to gather and train a revolutionary cadre to establish the new international in 1938. Turning again to Sri Lankas political crisis, Dias said: The TNA, JVP [Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna] and the pseudo-left parties, such as Nava Sama Samaja Party and the Frontline Socialist Party, and the Maoist parties, claim it is a question of choosing the lesser evil of the two fighting bourgeois factions. Some back Rajapakses faction and others Wickremesinghes. The reactionary contract they have undertaken is to disorient and deflect the working people and youth from the independent political preparations they urgently need to confront and defeat the counter-revolutionary schemes of the ruling elite as a whole. Bourgeois politicians like TNA leader R. Sambandan and his new rival, Northern Province Chief Minister C. Vigneswaran, are tied to Colombo capitalist rule and imperialism by thousands of threads. They do not represent the aspirations of the working people and are hostile to any perspective for the unity of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim working class and rural poor. Dias concluded by appealing to all those in the meeting to join the SEP and take forward the struggle to build the International Committee of the Fourth International. Several of those in attendance spoke with WSWS reporters about the meeting. Theeban, a history teacher, decided to come to the event after seeing a poster. The current political situation in Sri Lanka is full of confusion and dangers, he said. People do not believe any of the political parties in Sri Lanka but the meeting made clear how the crisis erupted and what is the solution As the lecturer said, the working class should take power by rejecting all these political parties. This is the need today and these ideas should be taken among broad masses. Milistan Raj, an advanced level student, commented: The good governance administration established in 2015 did nothing for the people but, in fact, led to higher prices and other difficulties. Unable to solve any political problem, President Sirisena is now acting in an autocratic manner. At the same time, the Tamil parties in the North regard the people as a vote bank. I understood many issues from this meeting. In particular today I learnt about socialism. I now understand that the political crisis in Sri Lanka is not just an isolated issue but part of the world economic crisis and it can be solved only by fighting for socialism. This is what we need today. The eruption of mass protests against President Emmanuel Macron is fast exposing the bankruptcy of the corrupt, petty-bourgeois anti-Marxists that for decades have passed for the European left. Protests by workers, retirees, and small businessmen against fuel tax hikes and pension cuts were organized via Facebook, outside the control of the union bureaucracies and official political parties. These forces held aloof from the yellow vest protests, which they neither expected nor wanted. Their hostility to the yellow vests was epitomized by Stalinist union official Philippe Martinez's refusal to march with the yellow vests, which he justified by slandering them as neo-fascists. So, when Unsubmissive France (LFI) leader Jean-Luc Melenchon said he would attend yellow vest protests, one protester replied on Twitter: You're trying to exploit the movement and kill it off, go back and chat with your pal Macron. And this weekend, Melenchon posted a note on his blog titled On the citizens revolution of the yellow vests, proclaiming socialism dead and the working class politically irrelevant. He wrote, I'm jubilant. Current events are in my view the confirmation of the theoretical schema set up in the theory of citizens revolution as summarized in my book The Era of the People This conceptualization breaks with the traditional dogmas of the traditional left and far left on this subject. The book posits a new actor, the 'people', Melenchon adds, and carries out a break with the centrality of the proletariat and socialist revolution as the inevitable pair in History's dynamic. Melenchon's boasting about the superiority of populism over Marxism is absurd. If he had the superior theory, why was he taken by surprise by the eruption of mass protests among the working class and oppressed sections of the middle class, and why are the protesters turning on him and telling him he is an arrogant careerist? In fact, the eruption of the yellow vests protests has not confirmed Melenchon's populism, but blown it apart. Protests against tax increases affecting drivers and pensioners directed explosive class anger against Macron, social inequality and the privileges of the financial aristocracy. Class is discussed today more than ever. White-hot outrage is mounting at gross social inequality, capitalist exploitation and the arrogance of the ruling class that predominate in France and across the world. Bourgeois politicians like Melenchon have, however, dominated what passed for left politics for decades, suppressing Marxism and Trotskyism. As a result, the yellow vests claim to be apolitical and a movement of the people instead of the privileged, in order to signify their hostility to all the established capitalist political parties. Melenchon's ideas thus continue to exercise a definite influence, even among protesters who are legitimately mistrustful of him personally. Melenchon's proposal of a national people's revolution as an alternative to international socialist revolution by the working class is, however, a reactionary block on the development of the struggle against the capitalist financial aristocracy. Even as yellow vest protests spread across Europe and growing sections of workers in France strike in support of the yellow vests, it divides French workers from fellow workers internationally and from foreign workers inside France. Its aim is to tie the emerging movement to capitalism and to the French state. The Parti de l'egalite socialiste, the French section of the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), has called for the formation of committees of action in the working class. Such bodies, independent of the trade unions, could draw together growing strike action, and defend protesters and working-class neighborhoods from police brutality and unjust police detention. These committees could form the organizational framework of an international movement to transfer political power to the workers. Melenchon's word-juggling aims to protect the financial aristocracy, the police, and the current capitalist state from revolution. He declares, my work does not say how the state power can fall under the blows of such a [populist] movement. Especially as, in my view, the result must be peaceful and democratic. That is, in all cases, it is a matter of finding an institutional resolution to the crisis. He continues, Our first duty is to use the existing democratic methods for instance with a motion of censure by all the opposition parties demanding just one thing: new elections. With this demand for new elections to the National Assembly, it must be said, Melenchon is giving another try at the strategy he proposed last year: becoming Macron's prime minister. It is a slap in the face to the yellow vest protestersone of whose main slogans is Macron, resignas it would leave Macron in power. Bitter experiences of the international working class underscore that this perspective is a dead end for the working class. Melenchona former 1968 student radical who passed from Pierre Lambert's Organisation communiste internationaliste after its nationalist break with Trotskyism and the ICFI, to a long career as a senator and minister in the big-business Socialist Party (PS)is the French ally of Syriza in Greece and Podemos in Spain. The record of these parties is a warning that the populist perspective Melenchon is peddling is a trap for the workers. After four years in power, Syriza prime minister Alexis Tsipras is infamous for his imposition of European Union (EU) austerity policies, his complicity in Middle East wars, and his brutal persecution of refugees trapped in Greek detention camps in appalling conditions. As for Podemos, it pursues at the regional level in Spain the same reactionary policies Tsipras imposed at the national level in Greece. As the yellow vests protest high taxes, low purchasing power, and Macron's taxes designed to raise funds for a European army, proposing such a government in France is an unmistakable sign of Melenchon's hostility to the movement. The only way forward for the working class to advance the broadly felt demands raised by the yellow vests is to seek to take state power. For such a struggle, the working class needs to build its own socialist and Trotskyist party. The record of Melenchon and his allies makes clear that it is not socialists who are the corrupt operatives hostile to the workers, but reactionary populists like Melenchon. His cynical article aims to use his own bankruptcy to give the left and socialism a bad name, while promoting populism in the defense of the existing social and political order. No less than Martinez, Melenchon is quite consciously hostile to the yellow vest protesters. He argues for new elections based on the view that this strategy, compared to the alternatives, will require making as few concessions as possible to the protests. Examining the question of possible solutions to the crisis, he writes, one sees there are three of them. First, there is demoralizing and demobilizing the movement, which is dangerous and already too obvious. Second, dissolving parliament and voting. This is a democratic logic. As neither the protesters nor the government and its parliamentary majority want to give up; democracy should decide. Finally the third: giving in to the movement. This would be the simplest, but one must admit that as the days pass, the scale of protesters' demands has grown very broad. So much so that, really, voting would be the best option, or anyway the most peaceful. Melenchon, whose LFI party includes broad sections of the police unions, some of whom are now calling for the army to intervene against protesters, concludes: From all of this, I remember only one objective: to always act responsibly to find the best possible exit from the crisis. It is clear that the main task Melenchon sets himself in this crisis is to rescue and defend the Macron government amid a deep, potentially fatal crisis. He warns the reader of the potential refusal of the security forces to obey orders to crack down on the protests, adding: Of course such fragility does not come from nowhere. That is the case now. Thousands of hours of unpaid overtime, over 100 suicides in the police, just as many in the other security agencies, tense trade union elections in a few days, everywhere the situation is explosive. Echoing the police unions' calls for more aggressive policing against yellow vest protests this coming Saturday, he adds: In any case, current policing arrangements for yellow vest Saturday protests are unsustainable in the long term. These statements are a vindication of the ICFI's and the PES's warnings on the reactionary role of pseudo-left forces like Melenchon. These defenders of the capitalist state against the upsurge of social anger in the masses stand, not only figuratively but also literally on the other side of the barricades. GMs announcement that it is closing plants in Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario, as well as two more still unnamed international plants, has triggered the usual nationalist poison from politicians and union officials in the US and Canada. This happens every time there is a downturn in auto production. The union executives and the capitalist politicians of all stripes solemnly declare that they are going to protect American jobs, or Canadian jobs, each at the expense of the otheras well as Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, South Korean, German, Italian, French workers and so forth. They can never admit the most elementary fact about the auto industry: It is a global industry, and therefore the defense of jobs anywhere requires the collaboration of workers everywhere. This A-B-C of the class struggle was something that was understood and lived in 1937, when the Flint sit-down strikes, led by socialist workers, spearheaded a massive upsurge of the working class on both sides of the US-Canadian border. We repost here an article from October, 2016 on that struggle. More than 20,000 Canadian autoworkers at Ford, GM and Chrysler are currently engaged in a bitter struggle to defend their jobs and working conditions as the Detroit Three, with the full support of the Unifor bureaucracy, seeks to ram through yet another round of concessions in the name of guaranteeing investment and job security. For over three decades, Unifor and its predecessor, the Canadian Auto Workers, like the US-based United Auto Workers, have sabotaged every attempt by workers to fight back against wave after wave of wage and benefit cuts, plant shutdowns, the gutting of work rules and pension benefits, and the institution of a low-wage, multi-tier workforce. Mounting a counteroffensive against the auto bosses and their union lackeys demands that workers draw on the experiences of decades of struggles. These include not only bitter defeats and betrayals, but also heroic class battles driven by the rebellious, and in the 1930s even incipiently revolutionary, impulses of rank-and-file workers. One such struggle, which contains critical lessons for today, was the 1937 strike by GM workers in Oshawa, which marked a turning point in the development of industrial unionism in Canada. The strike, which broke out at GMs Oshawa facilities on April 8, 1937 was driven by, and part of, an international upsurge of the working class. The GM Canada workers were inspired by the actions of their brothers and sisters in the United States, who in the months prior to the Oshawa walkout had led the famous 44-day sit-down strike at the center of GMs operations in Flint, Michigan. The Flint victory precipitated an eruption of working-class struggles across the US and a rapid growth in the ranks of the recently established UAW. There were 477 sit-down strikes in the US during 1937 alone, involving an estimated 500,000 workers. Canadas first UAW local, Local 195 at Kelsey Wheel in Windsor, was chartered on December 9, 1936, after workers held Canadas first recorded sit-down strike. The sit-down strikes, in turn, emerged out of an unprecedented upsurge of the American working class, beginning with three general strikes in Minneapolis, San Francisco and Toledo in 1934, and a radicalization of workers internationally that found expression in the Spanish revolution of 1936 and the French general strike of the same year. Socialist-minded workers, including members of the Socialist and Communist Parties and the Trotskyist movement, played the leading role in these working-class battles. The working-class upsurge across the US and Canada could only develop through a rebellion against the conservative, craft-based American Federation of Labor (AFL) and, its Canadian counterpart, the Trades and Labour Congress (TLC), and the foundation of a new organization in 1935, the Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO. From Flint to Oshawa It was in this climate that 200 sheet metal workers downed tools at GMs facilities in Oshawa on February 15, 1937 in response to GMs decision to increase production from 27 to 32 units. GMs speed-up campaign was almost certainly an attempt to offset some of the production losses due to the Flint sit-down strike. Although it was the immediate trigger for the dispute, workers were also outraged by the wage cuts the company had imposed in late 1936 even though it was raking in record profits, not to mention the generally miserable working conditions and constant threat of layoffs. Real wages were 20 percent lower in 1937 than they had been in the 1920s. The strikers made an appeal to the UAW in Detroit for support and in the following days Hugh Thompson, a UAW organizer, was sent to Oshawa to aid in the conduct of the struggle. Workers initially returned to their jobs after being advised to do so by Thompson, who began signing up workers to the UAW. The organizing drive quickly spread to other businesses in the city, with workers from outside the auto industry also joining. The appeal to the UAW in Detroit was no mere tactical decision. It was motivated by the longstanding and widespread conviction that Canadian and US workers had common interests. Ever since the emergence of the Knights of Labor in the 1870s, militant working-class movements had quickly crossed the Canada-US border. This was true of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) in the early 20th century and of the industrial unions that emerged in the 1930s. In early April 1937, with GM refusing to recognize the UAW and the provincial Liberal government of Mitch Hepburn fully backing the company, the 4,000 Oshawa GM workers voted for strike action. Their demands included recognition of the UAW as the official bargaining agent, an 8-hour day, a 40-hour work week, seniority rights and a steward and grievance committee. In the face of a militant struggle in a major industrial center only a short distance from Toronto, and the burgeoning threat of a North America-wide working-class upsurge, GM and the Ontario Liberals sought to sow divisions by stoking reactionary Canadian nationalism. GM justified its refusal to recognize the UAW by describing their leaders as foreign paid agitators, a description seconded by the Liberal Premier Hepburn who railed against the union as foreign-dominated and un-Canadian. In December 1936, just months before the strike, Hepburn had denounced the CIO for dominating and dictating to Canadian industry, adding, After reviewing the activities of those foreign agitators and the chaos created by them in the United States, I am satisfied that the policy as dictated by them will be one of ever-increasing and impossible demands, culminating in the course of time in the entire loss of the tremendous and ever-increasing export trade now being enjoyed by the automobile industry of Ontario. The provincial Liberal government also took steps to ruthlessly suppress the strike. Hepburn organized a volunteer anti-strike police force of some 300 to 400, comprised of police officers, war veterans and university students for the explicit purpose of violently breaking the strike. The deployment of this force, which the strikers derisively nicknamed Hepburns Hussars, was prevented by the solidarity among the striking workers in Oshawa, the rallying of support from working people in Oshawa and Toronto, and the ruling-class fear that a direct clash would provoke a much broader working-class rebellion. Mass meetings and rallies were held in Oshawa, including a 5,000-strong demonstration in the city, which had a total population of just 25,000 at the time. Farmers and small business owners provided food and credit to striking workers. The success of the 1937 strike, which saw the GM workers secure their main demands after a two-week struggle, flowed from the revolutionary spirit and militancy of the workers, guided by an instinctive internationalism that sought to link the battles being waged against the capitalist bosses and their state by workers in Canada with similar struggles in the US and beyond. Although GM refused to formally recognize the UAW in the agreement that ended the strike on April 23, in practice the UAW local negotiated on behalf of the workforce. The mass upsurge of workers across the US and Canada in the mid-1930s was ultimately suppressed politically by the industrial union leaderships, aided and abetted by the Stalinist Communist parties. The CIO maintained the subordination of the working class to the political representatives of big business, to Roosevelt and the Democratic Party in the United States and to the Liberals in Canada. With their Popular Front policy, which claimed that in the interests of fighting fascism workers had to support the progressive capitalists, the Stalinist Communist parties assisted the unions in preventing the working-class upsurge from becoming a political struggle against capitalism as a whole. In the decades that followed, the unions shifted sharply to the right. Fully wedded to the capitalist profit system, the UAW became a bulwark of the Democratic Party and in Canada maintained the political subordination of the working class to the Liberals and the reformist Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) and its New Democratic Party (NDP) successor. In tandem with the union bureaucracy in the US, the Canadian unions mounted a vicious purge of socialists and left-wing militants at the beginning of the Cold War and promoted a virulent, pro-imperialist nationalism and anti-communism. The break-up of the UAW along nationalist lines Under conditions of the post-war boom, the unions were able to secure limited material benefit for workers, while politically policing the working class. But by the late 1970s they were in ever-increasing crisis. They had no progressive response to the globalization of production, which brought to an end any possibility of securing limited improvements for workers within the framework of the nation state, and to the offensive launched by the ruling elite against the working class as personified by the emergence of Reagan and Thatcher. In the years that followed, they systematically repudiated any tradition of working-class struggle, embraced a corporatist perspective in which workers interests are wholly identified with and subordinated to those of capitalist investors, and sought to secure their privileges by joining union-management committees and acting as enforcers of concessions and job cuts. The United Auto Workers spearheaded this development. In the US, the bureaucracy promoted reactionary buy American nationalism and were willing accomplices in downsizing and attacks on wages and working conditions. During the Chrysler bankruptcy of 1979, the UAW organized plant shutdowns, the destruction of thousands of union jobs and unprecedented wage cuts, while UAW President Douglas Fraser took a seat on Chryslers Board of Directors. In Canada, when workers rebelled against the concessions policy of the UAW Solidarity House leadership, the Canadian wing of the UAW, under the leadership of Bob White, worked to contain and suppress the opposition by diverting it along nationalist lines. Although US workers lobbied the Canadian UAW leadership to launch an appeal to US workers for a joint struggle against concessions, White was adamant in his opposition. He insisted that the issue was one of nationality, not the common class interests of autoworkers on both sides of the border. Relying on reactionary anti-working class arguments that in their essentials were no different than those put forward by the bosses and capitalist politicians in the 1930s, White advanced the fraudulent claim that Canadian autoworkers needed their own separate organization and that their jobs and wages could only be defended on the basis of a nationalist perspective. In 1985, the Canadian UAW leadership split the international union to form the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), repudiating, just as the UAW was doing, the militant traditions of the unions birth. At the CAWs founding, White claimed it would be more militant than the pro-corporate unionism practiced by the UAW south of the border. Instead, the CAWs nationalist, pro-capitalist perspective paved the way for one round of concessions after another, as the UAW and CAW systematically pitted US and Canadian workers against each other in a race to the bottom that continues to this day. Canadian autoworkers at GM, Ford and Chrysler can take forward their struggle against the assault being waged on their jobs and working conditions by corporate management and their union accomplices only if they repudiate this nationalist outlook. The internationalist traditions of the 1930s, when Canadian and US autoworkers saw their fates bound together, must be revived and further developed. This cannot be carried out by any faction of the trade union bureaucracy, but must be fought for by workers in irreconcilable struggle against the pro-corporate Unifor. Above all, the heroic struggles of the 1930s demonstrate the necessity for workers to build their own party, based on a socialist program, to mobilize workers in the auto industry, unite them with their class brothers and sisters across Canada and internationally, and provide political leadership in their struggle against the auto corporations and capitalist elite as a whole. The author also recommends: Thirty years since the Canadian split from the UAW: Lessons for today [30 September 2015] Walter Reuther and the rise and fall of the UAW [23 December 2015] 75 years since the Flint sit-down strike [30 December 2011] Hundreds of thousands of plantation workers began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, demanding a doubling of their daily wage. Workers from all of Sri Lankas tea plantation districts, including Nuwara-Eliya, Badulla, Kandy, Kegalla, Ratnapura and Kalutara and Colombo, are participating. On November 26, the workers walked out, insisting on their longstanding demand for a 100 percent rise. Plantation workers, among the most oppressed sections of the islands working class, currently work for a mere 500 rupees ($US2.80) per day. In an attempt to derail the struggle, the plantation trade unions, including the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) led by Arumugam Thondaman, held another round of futile discussions with the company managements on Tuesday but the employers flatly rejected doubling the basic wage. Even after reluctantly calling for an indefinite strike, the CWC leaders did not want workers to engage in protests. Nevertheless, pickets, meetings and demonstrations have erupted in several estates. Workers picketing a factory at the Abbotsleigh estate Members of rival unions, including the National Union of Workers (NUW), Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) and Up-country Peoples Front (UPF), joined the strike, defying their leaders calls not to support it. In demonstrations organised independently of the unions, workers chanted slogans against the Regional Plantation Companies (RPC) and the government. This struggle by workers will compound the political crisis of the ruling elite, which is wracked by bitter factional rivalry and facing mounting social opposition. When President Maithripala Sirisena unconstitutionally sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe as prime minister and replaced him with former President Mahinda Rajapakse on October 26, CWC leader Thondaman joined Rajapakses administration. Thondaman justified his action by citing Rajapakses utterly bogus promise to increase the daily wage to 1,000 rupees. Socialist Equality Party (SEP) members visited the hill plantations, where workers expressed their anger toward the unions and their leaders. In one of the four divisions of the Abbotsleigh estate, five kilometres from Hatton, around 70 workers picketing near the factory listened enthusiastically as SEP speakers explained the need for an international strategy and new forms of organisation for the workers to win their demands. SEP members emphasised that the plantation companies were not prepared to increase wages but were instead insisting on higher productivity to overcome the industrys crisis and extract profits via the ruthless exploitation of workers. M. Thevarajah addressing the workers SEP speaker M. Thevarajah said: Struggles by workers have erupted in every country against the attacks imposed by the capitalist classes. Sri Lankan workers have to unite with their international class brothers to fight for a socialist program. Thevarajah urged workers to establish democratically-elected action committees in their workplaces and estates. The committees had to be completely independent of the unions, which had become agents of the companies. Workers must take control of large estates, big industries and companies and banks and organise production and distribution for the interests of working people and the poor, and not for profits of the rich, the speaker said. Only then can workers defend their social and democratic rights. The plantation companies rejection of workers demands, with the support of the government, shows that workers can win their rights only in a political struggle, unifying with workers in every sector and internationally. The picketing workers shouted slogans: Workers of all countries unite! Build action committees on international socialist policies and Fight for a workers and peasants government. After discussion with SEP members the Abbotsleigh workers decided to form an action committee. Kanakasapai Kanakasapai, 57, who has worked in the estate for 42 years, told the WSWS correspondents: Union officials deliberately bar the outside world from us, preventing collaboration with other workers and blocking knowledge of the root cause of our problems. All workers should know the issues plantation workers are facing. If workers unite, then they can win their rights. Sivapakyam, 60, who has worked in the plantation for 30 years, commented: We are not asking for a luxurious life. We are just asking for a 1,000-rupee daily wage to feed our families, and educate our children. The doctors are advising us that we need to give vitamins to our children as they are not healthy. How can we find vitamins when it is hard to even earn enough for a daily meal? We are ready to go to other divisions too and organise the workers. Sivapakyam Workers at the Hanthana Estate near Kandy also criticised the unions. Nawaratne said: The real problem we face is, we dont have a leadership. We dont have faith in any union. The unions no longer worry about plantation workers. I think the workers need to form new organisations to fight for their rights. We welcome such a movement. Kumaraswami, a recently retired worker from the same estate, explained: The company owners are closing many estates and now turning them into hotels and other businesses. Multi-millionaire businessmen take hold of acres of land while the plantation workers are pleading for a few perches [25 square metres] to build a house to live. The only organisations we knew to present our demands were trade unions. But now I dont believe that. Workers will surely support a movement that will provide a proper program. Kumaraswami This pay struggle has come to a critical stage. The companies have insisted that workers must agree to the employers revenue-share system. Under that system, workers are allocated about 1,000 tea bushes to work, transforming them into share-croppers. Whole families have to toil in allocated plots. In estates where the scheme was implemented, workers have begun to hand the plots back to the companies because the system has become a massive burden on workers families. In other estates, the companies have failed to implement the scheme because of the resistance of the workers. As Thondemans membership of Rajapakses government typifies, the unions are acting as agents of the companies and governments. Leaders of the NUW, DPF and UPFP. Digambaram, Mano Ganeshan and P. Radhakrishnanwere ministers in the previous government of Sirisena and Wickremesinghe. As governments come and go, the union bureaucracies shift their allegiances to gain privileges and suppress workers struggles. The unions have lined up on one side or another of the fight between rival factions of the capitalist class, one led by Sirisena and Rajapakse, and the other by Wickremesinghe. Thondaman supports Sirisena and Rajapakse, and the other unions back Wickremesinghe. Faced with an upsurge of workers in Sri Lanka and internationally, these factions are preparing to crush this resistance. As the SEP speakers stressed, the only alternative is the fight for a workers and peasants government on the basis of international socialism. This means joining and building the SEP as a mass revolutionary party. The Rail, Maritime and Transport workers union (RMT) held a meeting in Liverpool, November 29, as part of a series ostensibly intended to galvanise public support for the struggle against the introduction of Driver Only Operation (DOO) trains. Instead, the meeting confirmed that the RMT is opposed to any struggle to unite its members against DOO. For over two years, RMT and the drivers union ASLEF have sabotaged the fight by thousands of guards in defence of their jobs and the safety of railway users. The UKs private rail franchises are set on introducing DOO, in which the safety-critical job of guards is to be downgraded before their role is eliminated entirely. Around 6,000 guards are threatened, as part of government-backed plansstemming back to 2011to eliminate more than 20,000 rail worker jobs. In recent weeks, staff at South West trains and Northern Rail have continued to strike against plans to introduce DOO. Earlier in the dispute, rail workers have also struck at Southern Rail, Merseyrail and Greater Anglia. Prior to the meeting, Socialist Equality Party members distributed a WSWS article, No to driver only operated services at West Midland Trains! For a national mobilisation of rail workers, to around 120 rail workers and members of the public. It provided details of the RMTs latest attempt to impose DOO at West Midlands Trains (WMT), noting, In June, behind workers backs, the RMT entered back room discussions on a Framework Agreement that states, On such new or modified rolling stock, train drivers will operate the train doors and undertake train despatch in normal circumstances. The WSWS article explained, Workers at WMT are being forced to accept an agreement that has not been discussed with them, with the RMT denying them the most elementary right to strike to protect their jobs. The article called for a rebellion by rail workers against the deal, as either the unions will retain control and impose sellout deals over DOO everywherefollowed by a massive assault on all wages and working conditions across the entire rail networkor workers will take the struggle into their own hands and open up an avenue of mass struggle. Dan Carden (left) Steve Rotheram (second left) and Steve Hedley (right) at the Liverpool meeting The main speaker in Liverpool was RMT Assistant General Secretary Steve Hedley, a former member and close supporter of the pseudo-left Socialist Party (SP). Also speaking were Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheramformerly parliamentary private secretary to Labour leader Jeremy Corbynand Dan Carden MP, who also supports Corbyn. The speakers all proclaimed that the RMT is waging a determined fight, loyally echoed from the floor by members of the Socialist Partyone of whom congratulated the RMT and described the disputes on Merseyrail and Northern as a model of tenacity, determination and solidarity. Nothing was said about the fact that Rotheram has played a pivotal role in enforcing DOO through a sellout deal in principle with Merseyrail and the Labour-led Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Under this agreement, door control and dispatch of the trains will transfer to the driver from the guard on new trains to be brought into operation by 2020. In his opening remarks, Hedley directed his fire against the exposure of the RMTs role by the SEP, who he said, are trying to say that we are some sort of sellouts and class traitors, but all our decisions are taken by reps, every one of them and the membership. During the Q&A session, a member of the SEP said that the RMT was holding a meeting to build support for conductors fighting DOO at Northern Rail even as it was working to contain their dispute. To applause, she asked Hedley, Why has the RMT accepted DOO at ScotRail and Greater Anglia? Why has the RMT entered a Framework Agreement at West Midlands to impose DOO? The RMT has isolated conductors in the north and elsewhere who are fighting bitterly against DOO. In response, Hedley claimed, Weve never agreed a deal for DOO Weve recently ensured theres going to be a safety critical person, a guard on every train, on Greater Anglia that still have guards on trains. At [West] Midlands theres no agreement, just a framework for negotiations, just like everywhere else. His comments involve sleight of hand, as the unions Greater Anglia deal and framework agreements, as stated in the SEP leaflet, are forms of DOO, including Driver Controlled Operation (DCO). The RMT agreed, Train drivers will operate the train doors and undertake train dispatch in normal circumstances subject to undertaking a safety risk assessment of train dispatch for those locations affected on a station by station basis. [Emphasis added] Holding up the SEP leaflet, Hedley said, I dont see you out there picketing people and trade unions who are not on strike In the middle of the dispute you are saying the RMT are sellouts. Thats an absolutely incredible position Our members decide the tactics of a dispute not some self-appointed elite who think they know whats best for the working class. Another member of the SEP denounced Hedleys attacks, insisting that the party had opposed DOO right from the outset Weve been to picket lines, weve published every single action on our website But what has taken place? A day strike here, a day there. To applause she asked, Why doesnt the RMT call for total, national action against DOO? Hedley answered by blaming rail workers. Its the easiest thing in the world to say what we need is a general strike, he said. People have been saying that for 20 years. Its not materialised has it? If we want a general strike, lets organize it, lets do it, lets have a socialist society. But at the minute what our members are telling us is we are not at that point yet. Hedleys claim that the RMT is straining at the leash to fight DOO, but is held back by its members, was refuted by events that same day. The RMT released a press statement declaring that it was prepared to suspend Northern Rail action this weekend for talks if company meets key guarantees on second person on the companys trains. The RMT sought only clarity from the company on a new proposal that will see the retention of a second person on-board trains. The proposal specified that this second member of staff, i.e., not specifically a guard, will retain the full suite of safety and operational competencies of the guard, including a direct role at the platform/train interface and train despatch. It says nothing about a guard being in full control of the doors, which is the main issue of dispute. Northern Rail did not accept the RMTs offer, but the union insisted, We are available across the weekend and would welcome talks commencing as soon as possible This search for an agreement with management that safeguards the RMT bureaucracys perks and privileges at the expense of members jobs, wages and working conditions is the real reason why there has been no unified action called. The Liverpool meeting confirmed that workers require new rank-and file organisations of struggle and must act independently of the union bureaucracy. This defiance must be broadened out with rail workers forming rank-and-file committees to unite transport workers throughout the UK. These should also reach out to their fellow workers facing similar attacks from the global transport conglomerates across the European continent. The SEP is the political leadership needed to wage such an offensive. The lying campaign by the ruling class to mythologize George H.W. Bush reached absurd new heights with the elevation of his service dog, Sully, as a symbol of mourning and national unity. In the absence of any sympathetic humans who were ever associated with the deceased ex-president, a dog has become the chief mechanism through which the political establishment is seeking to convince an uninterested population to honor one of Americas least popular presidents. On Tuesday night, Bush family publicity agent Jim McGrath tweeted a photo of the Labrador retriever lying down near Bushs flag-draped casket in Texas. Though poor Sully probably thought he was just taking a nap, his photograph was picked up by nearly every newspaper, website or television program in America within several hours. A Google search for Sully the dog now yields over 50 million results. The headlines tearfully proclaimed: Watch Sully the dog say goodbye one last time, Sully the dog proves that love conquers all, Mission complete: Sully the service dog accompanies Bush one last time. NPR hosted a roundtable discussion with dog experts to determine how much Sully really loved his master. Fox News nobly rose above partisan bickering: George H.W. Bushs dog Sully isnt a Democrat or Republican. When Bushs casket was flown from Texas to Washington DC to lie in the capitol rotunda, Sully was brought along. CSPAN filmed him walking on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. Cable news programs featured live breaking news coverage when Sully arrived at the capitol, entering the rotunda to the somber tune of taps, flanked by a wall of saluting war veterans. When Sully ambled insporting an American flag bib embroidered with the presidential sealthe rotunda echoed with the sound of camera shutters from the assembled press gaggle. An emotional CNN political analyst declared that with this patriotic display, Sully had really captured the imagination of the country. The Washington Post published this Hemingway-esque report on Sullys solemn entrance: George H.W. Bushs flag-draped coffin was flanked by rifle-bearing troops before they were joined by Sully, his paws quietly shuffling across the polished Capitol Rotunda floor. When Sully entered, He sat and looked around at a crowd both large and silent, then lay for a moment. The dog appeared woebegone, his head slack over his front left paw, his muzzle resting on the ground. Yet he was also steadfast, still keeping watch over Bush. The display of instinctual, animalistic devotion captured the reaction to Bushs death in a way that the words spilled all weekend over the Internet could not. Forthcoming Pulitzer Prizes aside, the elevation of Sully the dog as a propaganda symbol underscores several truths about the degraded character of American political life. Like everything else about the press coverage of Bushs death, even the Sully story was based on lies. Though press accounts described Bush and Sullys forever friendship, the Bush family only bought Sully in July, and when intrepid Slate reporter Ruth Graham dared point out that the now-famous photo says almost nothing other than the fact that Sully was, at one point in the same room as the casket of his former boss, Slate came under heavy fire, fielding thousands of angry messages and tweets. The episode is a public relations ploy aimed cynically at tugging the heartstrings of onlookers who otherwise felt no particular sympathy for Bush, his family, or the funeral attendees. Those in attendance were a whos who of the most hated politicians in America: George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Karl Rove, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. If one were to lock the doors at the funeral, empanel a jury and bring in a judge, most of the distinguished guests could be tried for war crimes. None of these hated figures could serve as media icons around which Americans could be expected to rally. And so, through psychological sleight of hand, the propagandists in charge of the funeral are trying to dupe viewers into transposing their love for mans best friend with support for one of Americas worst presidents. But the political establishment is using the Bush funeral media hype to serve a broader political purpose. As with the funeral of John McCain in August, the official canonization of leading political figures is not primarily to humanize the deceased themselves, but to legitimize the state, its institutions and the authority of the ruling class. Like coronation ceremonies and royal weddings in a monarchy, the official mourning periods are intended to poison the atmosphere with nationalism and paper over social tensions arising from gaping levels of social inequality with phony calls for unity. As for Sully, he will forever remain by far the most popular member of the Bush family to have ever lived. This resolution was unanimously adopted by the Fourth National Congress of the Socialist Equality Party in Britain, which was held October 27-30, 2018. To join the Socialist Equality Party, click here. The resurgence of the class struggle and the tasks of the Socialist Equality Party (UK) 1. The world situation is characterised by an immense crisis of the capitalist profit system and acute social and political discontent. All the measures taken to offset the 2008 financial crash and bailout the super-rich, through the imposition of permanent austerity, have changed class relations irrevocably. Capitalism is increasingly discredited, as many recognise that the present economic system is fatally flawed and in need of drastic remedyeven if they do not yet understand how this should be done. This is finding expression in a global resurgence in the class struggle, which immediately involves a conflict with the traditional political mechanisms of class ruleespecially the labour and trade union bureaucracy. In response, the bourgeoisie is aligning the state apparatus more directly with the interests of the financial oligarchy, turning towards police state methods and deliberately cultivating far-right forces. As imperialism spirals into protectionism, trade war and militarism, the conditions associated with the 1930s are returning, at an even more advanced and explosive level. 2. The ever-tightening grip of the financial oligarchy and its ultra-wealthy periphery over the worlds resources threatens the survival of humanity and the planet. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is now the richest person in history, at $150 billion and rising, with his wealth ballooning last year alone by $35.1 billionmore than one million times the average pay of an Amazon employee. The top 10 percent of society owns over 70 percent of total wealth, while the bottom half of the worlds population3.5 billion peopleowns less than 2 percent. In 2017, nearly all the growth in global wealth72 percentwent to the top one percent, while the bottom 50 percent received nothing. The vast majority of the worlds population toils under conditions of poverty, hunger and disease. But calls for even a modest reallocation of resources to meet social needs meets furious resistance from a financial elite that enforces its dictates through the official political parties, trade unions and the mainstream media. Capitalist democracy is a fraud, a cover for the rule of the billionaires. Social and political discontent is routinely dismissed as the outcome of fake news, conspiracy theories, and foreign meddling by state actorsusually Russiato be dealt with by intimidation, censorship and repression. 3. The fundamental contradictions within capitalismbetween socialised production and the private ownership of the means of production; and between a global economy and the division of the world into antagonistic nation statesis fuelling trade war, military rearmament and the threat of a third world war, fought with nuclear weapons. The ruling elite in every country is embracing nationalism, authoritarianism and fascistic reaction. Writing in the 1930s, five years before the outbreak of World War II, Leon Trotsky explained that the interdependence of every country in the global economy meant that the programme of economic nationalism was a reactionary utopia insofar as it set itself the task of harmonious national economic development on the basis of private property. But it is a menacing reality insofar as it is a question of concentrating all the economic forces of the nation for the preparation of a new war. (War and the Fourth International) 4. The epicentre of the eruption of imperialist violence is the United States, which is seeking to counter its economic decline and the challenge from rival powers by asserting its dominance over the Eurasian landmass. The fascistic bully in the White House embodies the criminality and parasitism of the entire US ruling class. Recklessly destabilising the institutions through which the US exercised its hegemony in the post-war period, President Donald Trump enacts trade war measures targeting much of the globeincluding Americas European allieswhile issuing bellicose threats of war against China, North Korea and Iran. His efforts to cultivate a fascistic movement at home, through nationalist demands for America First and the mass round-up of immigrants, is directly responsible for the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the largest act of anti-Semitic violence in US history. Notwithstanding the civil war in the American state apparatus, his Democratic Party opponents are no less reactionary. Their utilisation of sex scandals to effect a change in the White House expresses their own contempt for democratic rights. As the political mouthpiece for the CIA and the Pentagon, their conflict with Trump is over foreign policywhether the US war drive should be directed, in the first instance, against Russia or China. 5. Trumps presidency marks an unprecedented deterioration in post-war relations between the US and Europe, above all with Germany. Americas post-war relationship with Europe between 1945 and 1991 was determined by the overriding need to enforce the isolation of the Soviet Union and prevent social revolution, at a time when the European working class was extremely militant and highly politicised. Now, powerful tendencies within the US ruling elite have concluded that the dissolution of the Soviet Union means there is no longer any reason to prop up the European bourgeoisie, who are viewed as strategic competitors and rivals. Trump praised Britains decision to exit from the European Union (EU), which he denounced as a vehicle for German domination, declaring the NATO alliance obsolete. Regardless of the notes of caution by leading Democrats, the US is being objectively driven into conflict with Europe as it seeks to counter the threat to its global hegemony posed by the rise of China and other rivals. 6. The European ruling elites are responding to this geostrategic shift by preparing their own challenge to the US, seeking an end to their military subordination to Washington. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (Social Democratic Party) says it is necessary to recalibrate the NATO alliance and build the EU as a counterweight to the US. French President Macron and German Chancellor Merkel agree that the US can no longer be relied on as an ally and have called for the development of a genuinely European army to protect European interests. However, their ability to formulate such a coordinated response is undermined by the deepening of national antagonisms, which the EU only held in abeyance but never overcame. The corollary of Trumps America First agenda is demands to put Britain First, Germany First and France First, portending the fracturing of Europe into competing power blocs. 7. The project of European unification under capitalism is being stripped of its liberal pretensions. Right-wing movements are being assembled as a shock force against the working class, and the doors of state office thrown open to the likes of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Italys Lega. Seven decades after the death of Hitler, the fascistic AfD is the main opposition party in the German parliament. Despite receiving just 12.6 percent of the vote, it sets the tone in federal politics, while its supporters physically attack immigrants, Muslims and Jews with impunity, because of the tacit support of the Grand Coalition and the highest echelons of the state. In Poland, the government marches alongside neo-Nazis, while in France, President Macron pays tribute to the leader of the Nazi collaborationist Vichy regime, Marshal Petain. Alongside the attack on workers jobs, wages and living standards goes the brutal reinforcement of national borders, as migrants fleeing unending wars of western intervention are left to drown in the Mediterranean or herded into prison-camps. The official parties and media pollute society with the poison of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim xenophobia, while demanding an increase in military budgets. 8. Brexit was only an initial expression of this disintegration of the post-war European order. Having seized on the 2016 referendum to try and settle a factional conflict within the right-wing of the Tory Party and its fringes, the unexpected vote to leave the EU has provoked an existential crisis for the British bourgeoisie. Throughout the post-war period, the ruling elite sought to offset the decline of Empire through the transatlantic alliance, acting as a bridge between the US and Europe, at the centre of which was NATO. The growing divide between Washington and Europes capitalsespecially Berlinmeans this balance can no longer be sustained. Whatever their differences over foreign policy, all factions of the ruling class and its political parties are united in their determination to try and resolve this crisis through a ratcheting up of militarism, paid for by the gutting of social and democratic rights. The fate of the working class, not only in Britain, but across Europe, once again hangs in the balance. The continent that was the crucible for two world wars and the extermination of European Jewry is once again being torn asunder. 9. These conditions are driving forward a renewed interest in socialism, which the ruling elites believed they had banished to the history books, thanks to the crimes of Stalinism and the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Internationally, the decades-long suppression of the class struggle is being challenged by a revival of militant protests and strikes. This includes anti-austerity protests in Iran, strikes throughout China, India, Latin America and the Middle East, and state-wide action by educators in the US. In Europe, coordinated walk-outs by Ryanair and Amazon workers express the elemental striving by the working class to internationalise its struggle against global corporations. In Britain, after industrial disputes hit a record low in 2017, this year saw a spate of actions, including by rail workers, lecturers and council employees, and a doubling of disputes in the private sector to a 20-year high. The greatest threat to the bourgeoisie and its plans is the development of the political understanding, in wide sections of the working class, above all the youth, that its enemy is the entire capitalist system. 10. Whether the working class can rise to its historic task of socialist revolution in time, or be crushed by reaction, will be decided in the course of the class struggle. The decisive role will be played by the Marxist party. In its resolution, The resurgence of the class struggle and the Tasks of the Socialist Equality Party, the Fifth National Congress of the SEP (US) recognised: The relation between the objective crisis of the global capitalist system and the class consciousness of the working class is not static, but dynamic. There will be no shortage of explosive eventsabove all, those arising out of the actual experience of class conflictthat will undermine traditional beliefs and radicalize social consciousness. Only a Marxist party, conditioned by theoretical insight and historical knowledge, can detect, analyze and prepare for the deep-rooted processes that will suddenly assume the form of mass revolutionary struggles. The task of the revolutionary party, therefore, is not to speculate as to whether a revolutionary movement can be built. What can and cannot be achieved will be determined in struggle Within this historical situation, the revolutionary party is itself an immense factor in determining the outcome of the objective crisis. An evaluation of the objective situation and realistic appraisal of political possibilities, which excludes the impact of the intervention of the revolutionary party, is utterly alien to Marxism. The Marxist revolutionary party does not merely comment on events, it participates in the events that it analyses, and, through its leadership in the struggle for workers power and socialism, strives to change the world. The 80th anniversary of the Fourth International 11. The fight for a socialist alternative to the prevailing capitalist chaos must be informed by historical knowledge. The answer to questions such as What is socialism? Can it be achieved, and by what methods? requires an understanding of the strategic lessons of the 20th century. At the centre of the Socialist Equality Partys active intervention in the class struggle, therefore, must be educating workers and youth in the history of the Fourth International, founded 80 years ago in September 1938 by Leon Trotsky, to take forward the struggle for world socialism against Stalinism, Social Democracy and all forms of pseudo-left politics. Trotskyism is the Marxism of the 21st century, led for 65 years by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI). Contained in its history and in the programme and perspective of the ICFI are all the essential prerequisites for international socialist revolution. 12. The founding document of the Fourth International, The Transitional Programme, began by insisting, The world political situation as a whole is chiefly characterized by a historical crisis of the leadership of the proletariat. The struggle for the Fourth International was precipitated by the most terrible event of the 20th centurythe coming to power of fascism in Germany. Its formation was prepared by the struggle initiated by Trotsky in 1923, with the formation of the Left Opposition to oppose the bureaucratic degeneration of the Bolshevik Party and the Soviet regime. Under the anti-Marxist banner of building socialism in one country, the Stalinist bureaucracy subordinated the fight for world socialism to the defence of its own material interests and privileges. Trotskys struggle assumed international dimensions as Stalins disastrous policies led to defeats, including the British General Strike in 1926 and the Chinese revolution in 1927. 13. The refusal of the Third International to permit any discussion of the policies of the German Communist Party, which had enabled Hitler to take power without a shot being fired, signified that it had passed irrevocably into the camp of reaction. This was followed by the betrayal of the 1936 Spanish revolution and the wave of counter-revolutionary terror within the Soviet Union. In the fight against centrist tendencies, which refused to break decisively with Stalinism and social democracy, Trotsky warned that the Soviet bureaucracys role as an instrument of imperialism within the workers movement threatened the very existence of the Soviet Union as a degenerated workers state. Unless overthrown in political revolution, the Stalinist counter-revolution would end in the restoration of capitalism. 14. Trotskys prognosis was vindicated by the events in the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, China and Vietnam between 1989 and 1991. The Stalinist bureaucracies liquidated the nationalised property relations on which these states rested, and reconstituted themselves as the new bourgeoisie, turning the masses over to imperialism for super-exploitation. History delivered its verdict on all the anti-Trotskyist tendencies that broke from the Fourth International and which, in one form or another, ascribed an enduring historical legitimacy to Stalinism and opposed the fight for the political independence of the working class. 15. The Shachtmanite opponents of Trotsky in 1940 rejected the defence of the Soviet Union against imperialism, declaring that it represented a new form of state-capitalism, headed by a new class of exploiters. In 1953, the Fourth International came under renewed revisionist attack, led by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel. In a seeming reversal of the Shachtmanite line, they claimed that the Stalinist bureaucracies in the Soviet Union, and the regimes established in Eastern Europe and China at the end of the Second World War, could be driven objectively towards the realisation of socialism under pressure from the working class. Both tendencies therefore assigned a world historic role to the Stalinist bureaucracy. Having excluded any role for the Fourth International and the independent revolutionary struggle of the working class, the Pabloites later also hailed Castro in Cuba, Ben Bella in Algeria, and a host of similar bourgeois nationalist and petty-bourgeois radical movements, as blunted instruments through which capitalism could be overthrown. 16. The issuing of the Open Letter in 1953 by the leader of the American Trotskyists, James P. Cannon, and the establishment of the ICFI, was critical in ensuring the continuity of Trotskyism. But the split heralded a protracted civil war within the Fourth International between the orthodox Trotskyists and various strains of Pabloism. Behind the theoretical disputes were opposing class interests. The role of the petty-bourgeoisie as a political and social buffer between the working class and the bourgeoisie was greatly strengthened during the post-war boom. The continued domination of the workers movement by the Stalinist, social democratic and trade union bureaucracies, and the expansion of welfare states, suppressed socialist consciousness and created conditions favourable to petty-bourgeois opportunism. The pressure this exerted led, in the 1970s, to the retreat of the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP), the ICFIs British section, from the principled struggle it had previously conducted against Pablo and Mandel in 1953, and in opposition to the American Socialist Workers Partys reunification with the Pabloites in 1963. 17. The political and theoretical opposition led by the Workers League (predecessor of the Socialist Equality Party in the US) between 1982 and 1986 to the WRPs Pabloite course won the support of the ICFI majority. The split with the WRP between December 1985 and February 1986 represented the decisive victory of the orthodox Trotskyists. It coincided with the final stage of the terminal crisis of the Stalinist regimes, the repudiation by the social democratic parties and trade unions of any defence of the interests of the working class, and the abandonment of the anti-imperialist struggle by the bourgeois nationalists. 18. The objective processes which underpinned the crisis of these agencies of imperialism strengthened the position of the International Committee and its relationship to the working class. In the aftermath of the split, the International Committee drew on the wealth of Marxist theory, as distilled in the history of the Trotskyist movement, to initiate a process of political clarification and organisational development. Drawing the most far-reaching conclusions from the decay of the old nationally-based parties and trade unions, the ICFI recognised that the Trotskyist movement must prepare to advance itself as the leadership of a new revolutionary upsurge of the working class. This was the basis for the decision to end the previous league forms of the International Committees sections, and to establish the Socialist Equality Parties. The establishment of the World Socialist Web Site in February 1998 enabled the ICFI to utilise the revolutionary potential of the Internet to vastly expand the audience for revolutionary Marxism and the political influence of the Trotskyist movement globally. By virtue of its principles, programme and history, the International Committee of the Fourth International is now the critical force in uniting the world working class through the building of the World Party of Socialist Revolution. The social catastrophe in Britain 20. The Grenfell Tower Fire on June 14, 2017 was a seminal event. The horrific loss of 72 lives starkly exposed the reality of class relations in Britain. As the SEP commented, There are events in world history that lead to a fundamental change in consciousness and create the basis for developing a socialist political orientation among broad masses of workers. The June 14 Grenfell Tower inferno is such an event. The fire was an act of social murder, responsibility for which lies with successive Conservative and Labour governments and councils. They have destroyed Britains social infrastructure and turned London into a playground for the rich, while socially cleansing working people and the poor. That is why, despite the crocodile tears of royalty and the political establishment, no one has been held to account. The government-mandated inquiry is a cover-up. It cannot allow the truth to come out because Grenfell is only the most egregious example of how the lives of workers and their families are sacrificed to satiate the super-rich. 21. This is a deliberate policy. In a devastating critique of the impact of austerity, the United Nations special rapporteur Philip Alston commented, at the conclusion of his two-week visit to the poorest areas of the UK in November 2018, In the area of poverty-related policy, the evidence points to the conclusion that the driving force has not been economic but rather a commitment to achieving radical social re-engineering Key elements of the post-war Beveridge social contract are being overturned. According to the British Medical Journal, austerity can be linked to 120,000 extra deaths since 2010. It estimates that between 2015 and 2020, an extra 100 people will die every day. The growth in life expectancy has now stopped and has decreased in some areas. This reversal is the fastest rate of any leading industrialised nation, outside of the United States. Unexplained infant mortality has increased and is highest in the most deprived areas. At least 320,000 people are homeless, with the numbers increasing by 1,000 people a month, meaning one in every 200 adults is without a permanent place to live. At least one person dies on the streets each day, yet the majority of homeless are in employment. Drug addiction, too, is rising, as are instances of suicide. With 4,500 suicides annually, this is now the leading causing of death amongst men below 50 years of age, while it has risen 67 percent amongst teenagers since 2010. The UK government has the dubious distinction of being the first in the world to appoint a Minister for Suicide Prevention. 22. Workers in Britain have suffered a decline in wages unsurpassed for more than a century, falling further than any European country except Greece. The official jobless rate of 4.1 percent conceals large numbers of mainly young workers, who have been driven off the employment rolls, and more than 7 million peopleone in every five workerswho are in precarious employment. At least 6 percent of the workforce is on zero-hour contracts, rising from 1.7 million to 1.8 million last year. More than 14 million people, including 4.5 million children, one-third of all children, live below the poverty line. More than two-thirds are comprised of the working poor. The use of food banks has doubled, with the Trussell Trust delivering almost one and a half million three-day emergency food supplies in the first three months of 2018. Food bank usage and the resort to extortionate pay-day loans has grown, even among professionals. The roll-out of the punitive Universal Credit benefits system has left thousands without any means of support. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation estimated that around 1.5 million people were destitute last year, including 300,000 children. UK households collectively owe 400 billion in personal debt, the highest on record, on average spending 900 more than they received in income during 2017. Every three minutes last year, one person sought help for issues related to non-payment of rent, utility bills or council tax. 23. The situation facing young workers is most severe. The ruling class is using this generation to set a new benchmark for the exploitation of the entire working class. The gig economy now accounts for more than five million workers, most of them young. Those employed in this sector are not even guaranteed the minimum wage. The norm now is zero-hour contracts and no pensions, sick leave, holiday or redundancy pay. Even as earnings overall have fallen, young workers aged 30 years and under have been especially impacted. In the last 20 years, the pay differential between those aged 30 and below, and those over 30 years of age, has increased by 50 percent. Young workers pay has fallen by 16 percent since 2008. Warehouse and distribution centres such as Amazon and call centres proliferate, where the latest technology is used to enforce maximum productivity at the expense of employees health. Millions of students and graduates face rising levels of debt, due to the hiking up of tuition fees to 9,240 a year. With interest repayments at 6.3 percent, average student debt is 57,000 with the student debt loan book expected to reach 1 trillion by 2025. Many will never be able to pay off their loans, as a university education is no longer a route to a decent job. 24. In a country that once prided itself on its social safety net, from the cradle to the grave, essential services have been gutted. Little remains of the founding ethos of the National Health Service. Subject to severe funding cuts, whole areas of healthcare have been turned over to giant corporations, such as Richard Bransons Virgin Care. Waiting lists have soared, leaving many with debilitating and life-threatening illnesses, or pushed into seeking expensive private provision. Almost half of all maternity units in English hospitals were closed to expectant mothers at least once last year, with some shut for weeks. In education, schools have suffered a real-term funding cut of 2.7 billion since 2015. In the next two years, nine out of 10 schools will see cuts in real terms, while further education colleges, catering predominantly for working class youth, have been the biggest losers in education spending over the last 25 years. Central government funding to local authorities has been slashed by 11.3 billion, and by 2020 local authorities will have lost 75 percent of the grant they received in 2015. Almost half of all councils will receive no central government funding by 2019/20, leaving a funding gap of 5.8 billion. The response of some local authorities has been to halt all but emergency spending and, in moves pioneered by Labour councils, to become property speculators, selling off social assets to private developers and earning themselves windfalls in the process. 25. The money looted by government from working people and essential services is funnelled into the coffers of the super-rich, so that the UK is now home to the largest number of billionaires on record134with London host to 86, more than any other city in the world. Since 2016, the wealth of Britains top 1,000 has grown by 14 percent to 658 billion, more than the combined wealth of the poorest 40 percent of the population (10.3 million families). Such a social divide has revolutionary implications, as was acknowledged by Martin Sandbu in the Financial Times: To borrow a Marxian term, the social contradictions are more acute [in the UK] than elsewhere and may have been so more often than not throughout history... The more tense are the pent-up springs of opposite extremes forced together, the more disruptive is the snap when it ultimately comes. Brexit and the drive to trade and military war 26. The outcome of the 2016 referendum on Britain leaving the EU has produced an unprecedented crisis of class rule. The May government faces possible collapse due to the sharpening divisions within the Tory Party over an agreement with the EU to prevent a hard Brexit. Even the constitutional and territorial integrity of the United Kingdom has been thrown into question by the impact of Brexit on both Scotland and Northern Ireland. With Labour still torn apart by the efforts of its right-wing to remove Jeremy Corbyn as leader, the ruling elite is deeply divided over whether a general election can break the deadlock, with many urging a second referendum to overturn the 2016 result. Meanwhile, there are dire warnings of a national crisis and escalating social conflict, of failures in supply chains and talk that the police and armed forces are readying for a national emergency. 27. The SEP rejected the false binary choice offered in the 2016 referendum, insisting that the responsibility of genuine socialists is to define a policy that upholds the interests of workers not only in Britain, but in Europe as a whole and throughout the world. This was critical, it warned, as the biggest political danger in this situation is the mixing of class banners on the basis of the espousal of a supposedly left nationalism... subordinating the working class to an initiative aimed at shifting political life even further along a nationalist trajectory, thereby strengthening and emboldening the far-right in the UK and across Europe, while weakening the political defences of the working class. Calling for an active boycott of the referendum, the SEP explained, There can be no good outcome of such a plebiscite. Whichever side wins, working people will pay the price ... A boycott prepares the ground for the development of an independent political struggle of the British working class against these forces. Such a movement must develop as part of a continent-wide counteroffensive by the working class, which will expose the referendum as only an episode in the deepening existential crisis of the British and European bourgeoisie. 28. This was in sharp contrast to all the pseudo-left tendencies, who lined up behind one or another faction of the bourgeoisie. The Socialist Party and Socialist Workers Party, advocates of a Left Leave vote, acted as an appendage of a campaign led by the most right-wing sections of the Tory Party and the UK Independence Party. As for Left Unity, Socialist Resistance and the Alliance for Workers Liberty, they lined up behind Corbyn and the Labour Party in backing the Remain camp and its promotion of the EU as a bulwark of social progress against nationalism. Likewise, in the referendums aftermath, they are working to politically confuse and mislead workers and youth by parroting the demands to either honour the Leave vote or support a second peoples vote to overturn the result. Both arguments are yet another cynical pseudo-democratic smokescreen, aimed at obscuring that, whatever their disagreements, the Leave and Remain camps are united in their support for NATO, demands for more military spending and provocations against Russiaand, above all, in their determination to deepen the savage assault on the working class. 29. Events since the Brexit referendum have proved that in a globally integrated economy it is impossible to secure economic progress or defend democratic and social rights on a national basis. The Leave campaigns rhetoric of reclaiming sovereignty was only ever an assertion of the sovereign right of British capital to better exploit the working class and secure more favourable investment and trade relations with the US, China and the emerging markets. The Brexiteers dismissal of warnings from industry and the City over the economic impact of Brexit is based on the calculation that a hard rupture will create the necessary political crisis for the imposition of economic shock-therapy and the realisation of their preferred Singapore economic model. Their plan for a free trade deal between the UK and US argues for the complete privatisation of the NHS and a bonfire of consumer, environmental and worker protections. Their geostrategic calculations centre on aligning themselves with the Trump administration and its unilateralist turn against Europe in order to crack open the Single European Market, while establishing relations with far-right pro-US governments and parties on the continent, as allies against Germany and France. 30. Fear of economic dislocation, combined with hostility to the overt xenophobia and nationalism of the leading Brexiteers, and restrictions on travel and work within the EU, has increased support for a second referendum on Brexit. But these legitimate concerns are exploited by the political representatives of the dominant sections of the ruling elite, who are just as hostile to the working class as the pro-Brexit Tories. The Remain factions real concern is how best to ensure British imperialisms global position. The Labour Party, dissident Tories, the Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and the Greens want to ensure continued tariff-free access to European markets, on which Britain depends for 40 percent of its trade, and which has guaranteed Londons position as a global financial centre. That is why there is no hint of opposition among them to a domestic agenda of continued austerity, and why they are silent on what EU membership really means for working peopleas evidenced in Greece, where extreme poverty has doubled, social services have collapsed and the economy has shrunk by 25 percent as a result of EU dictates. 31. The acute polarisation of society between the mass of working people struggling to survive and a grotesquely rich oligarchy is incompatible with the preservation of democratic forms of rulewhether in or out of the EU. Already five years ago, Edward Snowden revealed the existence of the surveillance programs PRISM and Tempora, through which Britains GCHQ colluded with the US intelligence agencies in spying on millions of people throughout the world, to identify political threats and to destabilise and undermine their opponents. Britain now operates one of the highest levels of state surveillance and censorship in the world, including numerous legal restrictions of online communication and voluntary arrangements with ISPs. The ongoing parliamentary inquiry into further internet regulation, under the guise of clamping down on fake news and Russian interference, will inevitably end in the imposition of still more onerous restrictions. 32. Such police state measures are in line with a massive escalation of militarism, on which all factions of the bourgeoisie are agreed. The Commons Defence Committee has proposed to increase defence spending from 2 to 3 percent, on the grounds that it is the only solution to the serious risk of the army being outgunned by its Russian counterpart, warning that [d]iminished capacity reduces the UKs usefulness to the US and our influence within NATO. To this end the UK, despite disagreements over the nature of relations with the US and NATO, is still taking full part in plans to develop a European military capability. War requires the suppression of anti-war and socialist opposition at home. This is behind the Fusion Doctrine initiated by the National Security Council Capability Review, in which government, the military and the security services, corporations, the BBC and the other media, charities and NGOs are to be wielded together in a unified security strategy directed against Russia and other unnamed state actors. 33. The task facing working people is not to help resolve the crisis facing the bourgeoisie, as Corbyn and the Labour Party insist, but to secure its independent class interests in a common struggle with its class brothers and sisters throughout the European continent. The International Committees European sections, the SEP in Britain, the Parti de legalite socialiste (PES) in France and the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) in Germany, together with our co-thinkers in Turkey, Ireland and throughout the world, seek to mobilise the working class against the nationalist splintering of the European continent and the growth of far-right movements, while rejecting any support for the EU and its constituent national governments. The rule of the financial oligarchy and its governments must be broken and replaced with government of, by and for the working classa socialist Britain as part of the United Socialist States of Europe. The adoption of this perspective would bring the most powerful social force into actionthe European working class. A balance sheet of Corbynism 34. Three years after taking the Labour leadership as the undeserving beneficiary of a leftward shift amongst workers, and especially youth, Corbyn and his Stalinist and pseudo-left coterie have reneged on every single one of his minimal reformist pledges. Despite widespread demands for change among the hundreds of thousands of new members that flooded into the party, he has opposed efforts to kick out the right-wing and issued instructions to Labour councils to abide by Tory spending limits and implement cuts. So completely does the right-wing continue to dominate Labour policy that the partys 2017 general election manifesto was largely indistinguishable from that under Ed Miliband, with its pledge for Tridents renewal, support for NATO, and commitment to a fiscal credibility rule that prohibits any end to austerity. Corbyns commitment to the interests of British capital is behind his promise, on Brexit, to oppose any deal that does not guarantee access to the European Single Market. This is combined with a rejection of free movement and support for managed migration. Above all, wherever the class struggle erupts, Corbyn functions as the high priest of class compromise, sermonising on the need for a swift return to negotiations. 35. The SEPs rejection of the claims advanced by the pseudo-left that Corbyns leadership offered a socialist rebirth of Labour, has been vindicated. For more than a century, the Labour Party has functioned as the primary political pillar of capitalist rule in Britainfrom its betrayal of the 1926 General Strike, the split to form the national government with the Tories in 1931 to administer austerity, and the formation of a second government of national unity to support the Second World War. Labour underwent a further transformation in the wake of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 by the Stalinist bureaucracy. As the ICFI analysed, advances in science and technology enabled the development of globalised production, which exploits the labour power of the working class as a global workforce. This ripped the ground from under the feet of the old nationally-based labour organisations, which became the direct instruments of their own bourgeoisie in eliminating workers past social gains to secure global competitiveness. This process was epitomised by the Blair Labour government. Repudiating any connection with the working class, it transferred more wealth to the oligarchy than Margaret Thatcher did, joined the illegal war against Iraq in 2003, and bailed out the banks in 2008. As the SEP warned following Corbyns election in 2015, No one can seriously propose that a party which, in its politics, organisation and the social composition of its apparatus, is Tory in all but name, can be transformed into an instrument of working-class struggle. 36. Historically, the reformist pledges of the left have played a key role in subordinating the working class to Labour. Even so, the ruling class has viewed those carrying out this carefully calibrated task with deep suspicion, aware that they are policing dangerous militant and socialist sentiment in the working class. Writing in 1925, Leon Trotsky explained that the left-wing noises of the Labour leadership were made not at all with the intention of arousing the workers to drive the capitalists out, but merely to urge the capitalists along the road of progressive efforts... if this pathetic scaremongering has any effect at all, it is in the opposite direction. Every serious British bourgeois understands that behind the mock-heroic threats of the Labour party leaders there lies concealed a real danger from the deeply stirring proletarian masses. (Trotsky, Where is Britain Going? New Park, 1978, p.15) Any indication that the left might lose control has been met with deep-state intriguesincluding the forged Zinoviev Letter in the 1920s, the destabilisation of the Wilson government in the 1970s and the fashioning of the right-wing, break-away Social Democratic Party and the forced resignation of Labours leader, Michael Foot, in the 1980s. 37. It is the danger from the stirring proletarian masses that accounts for the hysterical attacks by the Blairites and the mainstream media against Corbyn. But it is Corbyns innumerable retreats that have given them free rein in their vicious political offensive for his removal, centred on smears of anti-Semitism. Led, behind-the-scenes, by the military-intelligence agencies of Britain, the US and Israel, the target is not primarily Corbyn, but the workers and young people who rallied to his pledge against austerity and war. Drawing an equals sign between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism is aimed at silencing criticism of Israel and its brutal treatment of the Palestinians. But it is also part of efforts to criminalise anti-imperialist and socialist views, while legitimising Europes far-right parties as defenders of Israel based on their espousal of anti-Muslim prejudice and support for imperialist intervention in the Middle East. The 2018 congress of the European Jewish Association devoted an entire session to the existential threat represented by a Corbyn government, while reaching out to the AfD, Freedom Party of Austria and other formations because, as one participant declared, Its impossible to classify European parties as Left or Right. Everything has changed. 38. The equation of Nazism and socialism is a historic libel. The emergence of modern anti-Semitism from the 1920s as a mass political movement in Germany and other European countries, was bound up with efforts to mobilise petty-bourgeois and lumpen layers as a shock force to destroy the organised workers movement. This was the precondition for an eruption of militarism, aimed at securing the markets and territory required by imperialism. Anti-Marxism was Hitlers driving obsession, to which he counterposed ethnic German nationalism. His hatred of the Jews was based on their association with the socialist movement. In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote of his conviction that the question of the future of the German nation is the question of the destruction of Marxism ... In Russian Bolshevism we must see the attempt undertaken by the Jews in the twentieth century to achieve world domination. 39. None of those complaining about the threat facing Britains Jews from a Corbyn-led government have any qualms about allying themselves with Hitlers successors. Tory MEPs voted to defend Hungarys Viktor Orban in the European Parliament in September and set up the European Conservatives and Reformists grouping to unify the far-right in Europe. Boris Johnson and other leading Tories meet with Trumps fascist former adviser, Steve Bannon, who promotes the far-right Britain First, and anti-Muslim demagogue Tommy Robinson, whose supporters have been involved in attacks on left-wing bookshops and trade unionists, and the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox. Other leading Tories, such as Toby Young, advocate progressive eugenics, appearing alongside leading fascistic exponents of racial superiority at the prestigious University College London, to assert that global inequalities are the result of mental capacity and call for the phasing out of incompetent cultures. 40. There is widespread hostility to the Blairite conspiracy among workers and Labour Party members. This has been expressed in protests, especially in London, against the social cleansing carried out by Labour councils, as well as numerous successful no-confidence and censure motions against sitting MPs and a 50,000-strong petition to Labours annual conference calling for mandatory reselection. In each instance, it has been Corbyn, and his supporters within the Labour Party and the trade unions, who have sought to smother the fight against the right-wing, including vetoing mandatory selection at Labours conference. Unmasking Corbyns left pretensions is critical, especially under conditions in which the crisis over Brexit and the disintegration of the Tories could bring a Labour government to power. His constant policy shifts and abasement before the right-wing are in preparation for this possibility. 41. The SEP has lent critical support to the efforts waged by Labour members against the Blairites, urging them to Drive out the right-wing! This call is directed not to Corbyn, but to the rank-and-file. It is an appeal to Labour members to reject Corbyns soporifics and take up an independent political struggle. While solidarising with this struggle, the SEP warns that Corbyn and his coterie would rather see their own supporters expelled, than break with the Blairites. Events in the London borough of Haringey are telling. Popular opposition to the planned destruction of public housing, in a 2 billion sell-off of public assets and the imposition of cuts, led to the deselection of Blairite councillors and the resignation of the councils leader. Months later the newly elected Corbyn council announced a 10 percent overall budget cut on top of the 40 percent imposed by the Blairites, after McDonnell insisted that they must run a prudent, responsible authority. Under these conditions the call to kick out the right-wing can provide a mechanism to advance the class struggle, break the stranglehold of the Corbynites and strengthen the influence and political authority of the SEP. 42. As important as any such tactical initiative is in the arsenal of the party, it is always directed towards, and subordinate to, the building of the Marxist revolutionary party. In its June 10, 2017 statement, Britains general election: A new stage in the class struggle, the SEP stressed that the greatest political danger is to identify the radicalisation of the masses with the initial and undeserving political beneficiaries such as Corbyn. This was based on the lesson drawn from the warning made in 1967 by the Socialist Labour League, then the British section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, to the then-French section, the Internationalist Communist Organisation (OCI). The OCI was moving in a pronounced centrist direction, under conditions of the beginning of a major political shift in the working class that was soon to take on revolutionary dimensions. The SLL cautioned the OCI: There is always a danger at such a stage of development that a revolutionary party responds to the situation in the working class not in a revolutionary way, but by adaptation to the level of struggle to which the workers are restricted by their own experience under the old leaderships, i.e., to the inevitable initial confusion. Such revisions of the fight for the independent party and the Transitional Programme are usually dressed up in the disguise of getting closer to the working class, unity with all those in struggle, not posing ultimatums, abandoning dogmatism, etc. 43. Corbyns overarching concern is to preserve the domination of the Labour and trade union bureaucracy over the working class, which routinely employs the possibility of a Labour government to stem rising social anger and demands for change. But the re-emergence of the class struggle that is now underway means this is not sufficient. With the support of the Trades Union Congress, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell champions the new economy plan of the Blairite Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). This calls for an activist role for government to reverse low productivity and boost industrial competitiveness to place the UK economy on a trade war footing. A central role is assigned to the unions as an arm of corporate management and the state apparatus in policing the workforce, with the IPPR advocating a social partnership between the Bank of England, Treasury, big business and the trade union bureaucracy. 44. As Trotsky warned in 1935: Should the electoral successes of the Labour Party raise it once again to power, the consequences would not be a peaceful socialist transformation of Great Britain, but the consolidation of imperialist reaction, that is to say, an epoch of civil war, in the face of which the leadership of the Labour Party will inevitably reveal its complete bankruptcy. ( Documents of the Fourth International: The Formative Years (1933-40), p.67) The character of any incoming Labour government and its role is already being mapped out. After first meeting with MI5 for a briefing on the threat of extremism, Corbyn then met with Alex Younger, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, to discuss the necessary preparations for a possible snap election in the event of the failure of Brexit negotiations. The implications of such discussions were made clear by the head of the Armed Forces, General Sir Nick Carter, who confirmed the existence of sensible contingency plans Whether its a terrorist attack or whether its a tanker drivers dispute, industrial action or whatever else it might be. The struggle against the pseudo-left 45. The building of the SEP as a mass party in the working class requires a concerted political and theoretical offensive against the anti-Marxist theories of the pseudo-left groups, most of whom have their origins in the repudiation of the Fourth International as the world party of socialist revolution. Representatives of the many Pabloite, state-capitalist and other pseudo-left tendencies occupy leading positions in university departments, academic journals, online media and publishing houses, as well as the trade unions. They function as professional anti-Trotskyists, playing the essential role in promoting theories aimed at attacking the fundamental tenets of Marxism, including philosophical materialism, the revolutionary role of the working class and the necessity for a vanguard party. Their rejection of the grand narrative of the class struggle, in favour of identity politics based on race, nationality, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, facilitates the anti-democratic agenda of the ruling elite. Their embrace of irrationalism and philosophical subjectivism articulates the striving of an upper middle-class layer to buttress their social privileges against the challenge from below. 46. Whether they are organisationally part of the Labour Party or formally stand outside it, the pseudo-left are all loyal advocates of a Corbyn-led government, apologists for his every retreat before the right and determined opponents of the developing rebellion of the working class against the trade union bureaucracy, whose authority they uphold unconditionally. They collaborate intimately with Corbyns Stalinist advisers, such as Seumas Milne and Andrew Murray, and the leadership of Momentum, Jon Lansman, Paul Mason and Owen Jones, who have collectively drawn up the blueprint for an incoming Labour government. The pseudo-lefts acceptance of Momentums claim to represent a people-powered, grassroots movement facilitated the efforts of Lansman et al to stifle opposition to the right-wing, and police the influx of new members into the Labour Party. Notwithstanding belated and token criticisms, this collusion continues despite Momentum endorsing the expulsion of Ken Livingstone and others, removing critics of Israel from its National Executive Committee slate and Lansman joining anti-Corbyn coup plotters on the platform of the Zionist Jewish Labour Movement. 47. The pseudo-lefts support for Corbyn is based on their desire for a position of influence within government and the state apparatus. Like Corbyn, their model is the Syriza government in Greece that, in 2015, betrayed its anti-austerity mandate. In the period since, it has dutifully implemented austerity measures far worse than those of its right-wing predecessors, and ruthlessly enforced the anti-immigrant policies of the EU. Earlier this year, Corbyn not only congratulated Syriza Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on his record, but also invited Minister of State Dimitris Tzanakopoulos to address Labours annual conference, so delegates could understand what they are going to do if they are going to enter government. Tzanakopoulos was also afforded pride of place at Momentums World Transformed event, where Paul Mason echoed the statement of Syrizas former finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, that his aim was to save European capitalism from itself, by boasting that Labour could make an offer to capitalism. We will save your bacon. 48. Chantal Mouffe has emerged as a key advisor defining the political agenda of Momentum and similar pseudo-left groups throughout Europe, such as Die Linke in Germany and La France Insoumise. Mouffe describes Corbyn as potentially the most successful example of a new wave of left populism, because he stands at the head of a great party and enjoys the support of the trade unions. His success, she told Red Pepper, is above all based on Labours break with politics based on the working class and its defence of political liberal institutions. The traditional left political frontier was established on the basis of class. There was the working class, or the proletariat, versus the bourgeoisie. Today, given the evolution of society, that is not the way in which one should establish the political frontier anymore, she asserted. The reactionary character of this perspective is underscored by Momentums endorsement of Aufstehen (Stand Up), a right-wing initiative spawned from Die Linke that competes with the AfD in its denunciations of unrestricted immigration, which also includes those who merely want to earn more money and enjoy a standard of living. The class struggle, rank and file committees and the general strike 49. In a period of enormous flux and sharp political changes, the SEP is charged with providing a programme, perspective and leadership, through which the working class can advance its independent interests and open the road to socialist revolution. The lag between the consciousness of the working class and the advanced stage of the imperialist world crisis presents grave dangers. But the objective conditions that give rise to these dangers also provide the basis for their overcoming, through the intensification of class conflict. The struggle against the horrors of mass poverty, fascism and war generated by capitalism will dispel illusions, undermine traditional beliefs and radicalise social consciousness. 50. This is foreshadowed by recent strikes, where opposition to the attacks of the employers has immediately involved a confrontation between workers and the trade unions. The past two years has witnessed a series of walk-outs on the railways against Driver Only Operated trains, and the generalised attack on pay, pensions and safety. Entire areas of the country, including London, have been paralysed, demonstrating the immense potential power of the working class. After decades in which anti-union legislation and the threat of punitive fines and dismissal has been used to prevent solidarity action, railway drivers have refused to cross guards picket lines. During the recent strike by female council workers in Glasgow, refuse collectors took illegal secondary action in their support. In each instance, this was in defiance of the trade union bureaucracy, which functions as the chief ally of corporate management and enforcer of anti-union laws. The strike by lecturers saw mass protests outside the University and College Union HQ, in opposition to its planned sell-out deal and the early closure of its annual conference to prevent motions of censure against its leadership. In the Royal College of Nursing, anger at a similar rotten pay deal forced the resignation of the entire executive. In November, an entire shift of auto workers at Vauxhalls Ellesmere Port plant mounted a wildcat strike against job losses that Unite was negotiating, while, on the same day, Cammell Laird shipyard workers, just 20 minutes away, began a series of strikes against mass redundancies. 51. Historical experience demonstrates that the escalation of social struggles leads towards a general strike, which poses the question of political power. This was the case in the 1926 General Strike that was betrayed by the TUC and Labour Party. The same possibility was pregnant within the strikes by miners and others that erupted between 1972 and 1974, which brought down the Conservative government of Edward Heath. Today, the generalised offensive of the capitalist class, and the common experience of millions, who face worsening social hardship and brutal exploitation, must once again provoke such a unified counter-offensive by the working class. Preparation for such a coalescence of struggles requires the formation of rank-and-file committees of action in factories, workplaces and communities, from which the capitalist politicians and the corporate-controlled trade unions are excluded. The World Socialist Web Site has established the International Amazon Workers Voice and the Autoworkers Newsletter as a forum through which workers can begin to coordinate their struggles independently and on a global basis. In Britain, the SEP set up NHS Fightback and the Grenfell Fire Forum, which has worked to systematically expose the fraud of the official government inquiry through hundreds of postings and in the monthly public meetings held in the local area. 52. The rightward evolution of what was once defined as the labour movement has seen the emergence of mass protests and movements outside the confines of official politics. In the absence of a socialist program, such socially heterogeneous protests, often in defence of essential democratic and social rights, take on a confused character. Hundreds of thousands protested in favour of Remain, animated by genuine revulsion at the nationalist xenophobia of the leading Brexiteers and its devastating economic impact. Close to 300,000 protested in France against Macrons crippling fuel tax rises. In Britain, this sentiment was exploited by a coalition of Blairites, Liberal Democrats and Tories, while in France it was Marine Le Pens National Rally that tried to make political capital from the fuel protests. But the ability of right-wing or far-right forces to secure influence and exploit popular discontent is the product of the suppression of the class struggle by the trade unions and social democratic parties. Against this danger, the working class must come forward as the leadership of the emerging social and political movements. The tasks of the Socialist Equality Party 53. The SEPs work in the coming period will be to extend its influence in every section of the working class. It will connect struggles against austerity, falling wages, attacks on the NHS and the dismantling of education with the defence of immigrant workers and free movement, and opposition to the destruction of democratic rights and the danger of world war. It will seek to impart to these struggles a revolutionary socialist, anti-imperialist and internationalist orientation for the working class to take state power and reorganise economic life to meet social need, not private profit. At the centre of this is the fight for the United Socialist States of Europe. 54. Together with its sister parties, the SEP has a central responsibility in building sections of the ICFI throughout Europe. It will wage a unified campaign in next years European elections, in support of the candidates of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei, and will publish and popularise the book, Why Are They Back? Historical Falsification, Political Conspiracy And The Return Of Fascism In Germany, documenting the fight waged by the SGP since 2014 to develop a socialist opposition to the rehabilitation of fascism and the renewal of German militarism. The SGP and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality have been alone in alerting workers and young people to the implications of efforts to rehabilitate Hitler by far-right ideologues such as Jorg Baberowski of Humboldt University. For this, the SGP has been cited by the German secret service as a left-wing extremist party, and identified as an object of observation. This is justified on the basis of the SGPs opposition to nationalism, imperialism and militarism. In contrast, the AfD is mentioned only as a victim of alleged left-wing extremists. The issues fought out by the SGP have become the immediate concern of masses of workers and youth, as expressed in the recent 250,000-strong protest in Berlin against the rise of the far-right. 55. The SEP has a special responsibility to champion the rights of immigrant workers, above all the refugees made homeless by the social and economic devastation created by imperialist intervention in their countries. The SEP defends the right to free movement, not just for European citizens but for workers throughout the world. It opposes the whipping up of anti-immigrant chauvinism, from the open xenophobes on the far right and the EUs inhumane Fortress Europe policies, to Corbyns specious advocacy of managed migration. The fight against the persecution of immigrants must be based on the recognition that their scapegoating is an attack on all workers, and that the brutal measures taken against them strengthens the state in its suppression of social and political dissent. Their defence is the cutting edge of the struggle to unite the working class across national boundaries in the struggle for socialism. 56. The SEP will redouble its efforts to develop an international coalition of socialist and anti-war web sites against Internet censorship by the tech corporations and governments. The WSWS has been the primary target of internet censorship, because of its role as the authentic voice of Marxist revolutionary socialism. The aim of the international coalition is to encourage the broadest possible mobilisation of the working class in defence of democratic rights. It opposes all attempts to justify censorship with claims of Russian interference, combating terrorism, or on the grounds of anti-bullying and political correctness. Measures taken on such pretexts are directed at closing off all avenues of democratic debate and independent political action by the working class. It will counter the efforts to conceal the WSWS, by Google and other search engines, by developing its content and expanding its readership, including through the development of our social media presence. 57. Central to this work is the intensification of the campaign to end Britains persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. For exposing the war crimes of the major powers, Assange has been forced to shelter in the Ecuadorian Embassy for six years, against Britains plans to extradite him to the US, where he faces criminal proceedings that could even include the death penalty. Since the start of the year, he has been rendered incommunicado, cut off from contact with the outside world. The key role in isolating Assange, despite massive popular support, has been played by the Labour and trade union bureaucracy and the pseudo-left groups. Based upon their espousal of identity politics, they endorsed the demands for Assange to be extradited to Sweden to face trumped-up allegations. All of them, including Corbyn, have erected a wall of silence, behind which the government conspires to lay the basis for Assange to be arrested and deported to the US to face espionage charges. 58. The branches of the SEP must conduct an energetic offensive to build the International Youth and Students for Social Equality among young workers and on the campuses. The desire for social change is felt most keenly in the young generation, which is the hope for a new social order. The focus of the IYSSE will be to educate the younger generation in Marxism and the history of Trotskyism, and to turn student youth towards the working class and a conscious struggle against capitalism. It will make a focused intervention among the younger generation of workers, especially the super-exploited in the major distribution centres, call centres and others employed for a pittance in the gig economy. 59. The SEP reaffirms its commitment to establishing a new socialist anti-war movement of the working class. The principles of such a movement are outlined in the ICFI statement, Socialism and the Fight Against War: i) The struggle against war must be based on the working class, the great revolutionary force in society, uniting behind it all progressive elements in the population. ii) The new anti-war movement must be anti-capitalist and socialist, since there can be no serious struggle against war except in the fight to end the dictatorship of finance capital and the economic system that is the fundamental cause of militarism and war. iii) The new anti-war movement must therefore, of necessity, be completely and unequivocally independent of, and hostile to, all political parties and organizations of the capitalist class. iv) The new anti-war movement must, above all, be international, mobilizing the vast power of the working class in a unified global struggle against imperialism. The permanent war of the bourgeoisie must be answered with the perspective of permanent revolution by the working class, the strategic goal of which is the abolition of the nation-state system and the establishment of a world socialist federation. This will make possible the rational, planned development of global resources and, on this basis, the eradication of poverty and the raising of human culture to new heights. 60. The building of a new revolutionary leadership demands that the cadre of the SEP is firmly rooted in the historical experiences of the Marxist movement, above all the eighty-year history of the Fourth International. This immense history must be brought into the developing movement of the working class. As Trotsky insisted, Without a party, apart from a party, over the head of a party, or with a substitute for a party, the proletarian revolution cannot conquer (The Lessons of October). Only the conscious alignment of the programme and practice of the revolutionary party with the objective radicalisation of the working class will create the conditions for a world free of class exploitation, fascist reaction and war. American autoworkers who spoke to the World Socialist Web Site expressed their solidarity with French workers and youth fighting President Emmanuel Macrons fuel tax hikes, austerity measures and state repression. The Yellow Vest movement, which is not under the control of the unions or any political party, has highlighted the opposition of broad layers of the working class to social inequality and the financial aristocracy. The tenacity of the demonstrators has shaken the ruling class in France and internationally while giving inspiration to workers in the US and around the world. You are my brothers and sisters and we have the same struggles, Angela, a Fiat Chrysler worker in Kokomo, Indiana, said to French workers. I am with you. I wish you could bottle up some of what you are doing and send it to us American workers. Those in power, whether it is Trump or Macron, have a vested interest in dividing us between countriesits the oldest trick in the book. The United Auto Workers union does it too. They dont want us to know how powerful we are if we stand together. The fight by workers in France and in every country, fundamentally, is against the capitalist system. History has shown that this is a failed system. It gave us the Depression, world wars and the 2008 crash and the Great Recession, which weve never recovered from. Workers in the US, France and everywhere are teetering on the brink, we dont have any financial stability. We have to go outside the control of the unions to organize, and then well have the power to fight, Angela concluded. Mike, a Fiat Chrysler worker in Detroit, told the World Socialist Web Site, If I could speak directly to the French workers, I would urge them to continue their fight and stay strong. What they are doing is a great example and is encouraging to us workers in the United States. There are billions of us in the US and around the world who stand in solidarity with the French workers because we all face the same fight. What France shows is that this is a class struggle, not over race, gender or any other superficial tool of division. This is a legitimate and real struggle that we are living through every day, not a make-believe one. It is the working class vs. the monied class, the bourgeoisie. The Yellow Vest movement is a great example for American workers to emulate. The firefighters, ambulance drivers and others are supporting it, and the workers are standing up and battling the police. The unions, the controlled opposition, have no control over this movement and have not been able to stop it. But the government is putting police and military snipers on the rooftops. The six-month moratorium on the tax hike is to diffuse this movement, to tell the workers to go home. But this is only to get the troops in position and be better prepared, so they can roll them out to stop the mass protests. Here in the US and Canada, GM is shutting five plants. Its not that GM is not profitable its all about corporate greed at the behest of the big investors. Workers are outraged but that anger has to be directed and workers need to know what to fight for and how to fight for it. We should not give ground on anything. Instead we should fight to win back everything that the United Auto Workers union has given up because its ours. All over the world, the corporations want to transform us into a pool of expendable labor, temporary at-will employees, who pay union dues and have no rights. Corporations like GM and Ford are not bound by national borders and to combat them workers need to unite globally. Mankind has made immense technological and scientific progress but there has not been an equivalent social evolution. We shouldnt have poverty and scarcity anywhere. The next stage in human progress must be a massive social transformation and we, workers, have to do it. The French workers are a good example for workers in America and around the world, and they should continue their fight. Update 12/14/18 11:01 a.m. A job fair is being held today, December 14, at the Itawamba Community College Belden Center. This is taking place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The job fair will also be tomorrow, December 15, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Belden campus is located at 3200 Adams Farm Road, Belden. The Community Development Foundation says Williams-Sonoma is hiring administrative and manufacturing positions. Job offers will be made on site with competitive wages. See the original post below. JACKSON, Miss. (WTVA) - Sutter Street Manufacturing is expanding its upholstered furniture manufacturing operations by opening a facility in Baldwyn. This project will create 350 jobs during the course of five years. Sutter Street is a wholly-owned subsidiary of retailer Williams-Sonoma. I know the regions skilled workforce will ensure the company finds success in Lee County just as it has at its distribution facility in DeSoto County, said Gov. Phil Bryant. Sutter Street will use the already existing facility in the Harry A. Martin North Lee Industrial Complex. The employees there will produce handcrafted upholstered furniture for Williams-Sonoma brands including Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm and Williams-Sonoma Home. The company will begin hiring workers immediately for the Lee County plant and expects to begin production in January. TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - A city of Tupelo employee is facing backlash after a Facebook post regarding Mayor Jason Shelton not attending President Trump's rally. WTVA confirmed from several council members that Monday an email was sent to the council by Mayor Shelton in reference to a post from Community Outreach Director Marcus Gary. Gary's post appeared to support the mayor for not attending the rally. Councilman Buddy Palmer confirmed the email stated that Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis, the mayor, and Councilwoman Nettie Davis met with Gary about the post. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reported the email said that Gary was counseled not to make inflammatory comments. The newspaper reports Gary told city officials he understands his personal Facebook post can be seen as reflective of his city job and that hell be more mindful of any future posts. The City of Tupelo says they do not have a social media policy. SCOOBA, Miss. (WTVA) - East Mississippi Community College has named its new president. Dr. Scott Alsobrooks has been chosen to the lead the college. He will begin his new post early in the spring term that begins in January. In a news release from EMCC, the new president expressed his excitement and eagerness to begin working with the staff and community stakeholders. Alsobrooks comes to Scooba from Pearl River Community College where he is the Vice President of Economic and Community Development. He has worked as an engineer, grant coordinator, faculty member and college administrator. Alsobrooks praised the states numerous community colleges, describing them as second to none. He has earned degrees from Pearl River Community College, Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. Former EMCC President Dr. Thomas Huebner resigned in June. TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - North Mississippi Health Services says it will soon no longer accept coverage for Humana customers enrolled in the insurers Medicare Advantage plan. This takes effect January 1, and this applies to all NMHS hospitals, including North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo, and its other clinics and imaging centers. The hospital system describes the move as a business decision. Below is a description of how this will affect people with Humana Medicare Advantage coverage: Impact of the Change to Out of Network Status With NMHS moving to Out-of-Network status, Humana MA members will no longer be able to schedule elective procedures at NMHS locations or with NMHS providers. For elective procedures, Humana MA members will need to locate an in-network Humana provider. Continuity of Care and Waiver Situations For some Humana members, Continuity of Care scenarios may exist (such as a member undergoing an existing treatment plan with an NMHS provider). NMHS has received confirmation from Humana that Continuity of Care letters were mailed to some 4,600 Humana MA members in the region. Humana also informed NMHS that since NMHS will be an Out of Network provider, Humana will be unable to share any internal documents specific to this detail item, including the actual member letter itself. As such, it is very important that the Humana MA members understand that the obligation for providing any requested information to Humana will be the responsibility of the member. NMHS will no longer be in a position to assist in this documentation requirement process. In addition, NMHS received notice from the Humana Clinical Intake team that members may potentially qualify for a Waiver if a health care provider (such as NMHS) is outside a specific mileage radius determined by the Center for Medicare (CMS). Completing the details tied to this waiver documentation requirement will also be the responsibility of the member. Members requiring assistance in completing either form (Continuity of Care or Waiver) will be routed to Humana Customer Service in both of these situations. What Options Exist for Medicare Members in the Community With NMHS providers exiting the Humana Medicare Advantage PPO network, members are faced with two choices (1) drop their coverage with Humana and enroll in traditional Medicare and add a Medicare Supplement, plus consider adding a Part D prescription drug plan or (2) find another provider who participates in the Humana Medicare Advantage PPO network. NMHS is a Medicare provider and accepts a wide range of Medicare Supplement plans. A listing of Medicare Supplement plans is located on the Mississippi Department of Insurance website www.mid.ms.gov Feedback from the Insurance Agents in the Region Many local community Medicare eligible members have already taken the steps necessary to address this required change during the Annual Medicare Open Enrollment process. Local insurance agents have seen a large turnout of members seeking information and guidance on the steps in moving to a Medicare Supplement plan. Reports of 50 individuals per day requesting information from local brokers have been very common. Plus, the actual transition rate of current Medicare Advantage members to traditional Medicare and Medicare Supplement carriers has been very high. Details for the Annual Open Enrollment period can be located on www.cms.gov Whens the Medicare Open Enrollment Period? Every year, Medicares open enrollment period is October 15 - December 7. Whats the Medicare Open Enrollment Period? Medicare health and drug plans can make changes each yearthings like cost, coverage, and what providers and pharmacies are in their networks. October 15 to December 7 is when all people with Medicare can change their Medicare health plans and prescription drug coverage for the following year to better meet their needs. Where can people find Medicare plan information or compare plans? 1-800-MEDICARE or Medicare.gov What can Members do who missed the opportunity to change plans during the Annual Open Enrollment Window Whats next? Medicare Open Enrollment Period Returns in 2019 In 2019, you have a grace period within Medicare. Usually, when it comes to Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans, you can only switch your plan once a year. That is changing in 2019 with the return of the Medicare Open Enrollment Period (OEP). The 2019 Medicare Open Enrollment Period will run from January 1st through March 31st. This return of this enrollment period will allow Medicare Beneficiaries that are currently locked in to their Medicare Advantage Plan an additional opportunity to change their plan after the effective date. This turnabout is a substantial comfort for Medicare Beneficiaries on Medicare Advantage Plans. Those on a Medicare Advantage plan will have a one-time chance to: Drop your Medicare Advantage Plan and return to Original Medicare, Part A and Part B Sign up for a stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan. Usually a Medicare Advantage Plan includes drug coverage. Once you sign up with a Part D Prescription Plan it will drop you from your Medicare Advantage Plan and return you to Medicare Part A and Part B. You can enroll in a Medi-gap (Medicare Supplement Plan) once you are no longer on a Medicare Advantage Plan, if you can medically qualify. I Just Signed Up for my Medicare Advantage Plan: Why Would I Want to Change Already Medicare Advantage Plans must cover at least the same benefits as Original Medicare. However, some Medicare Advantage Plans provide extra benefits, and these extras can change on a yearly basis. One of the biggest reasons people choose Medicare Advantage Plans is they think they have some dental, vision, and hearing benefits included. Another crucial reason people want to drop their Medicare Advantage Plan is due to the provider network changes with hospitals and doctors. Who can I talk with to get help with the Medicare Open Enrollment process? Talk to a local Insurance Agent of your choice about the upcoming 2019 Medicare Annual Election Period today. Its important to be aware of all the options available to you during the Medicare Annual Election period. There are a great number of different plans available, but only certain ones will give you the coverage you need. 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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 Minister Cuong said that, over the past decade, the agricultural production structure has been adjusted and shifted to promoting the advantages of each locality in connection with the market demand. The average GDP growth rate of the whole agricultural, forestry and aquatic sector was reported at 2.66% per year and the sector's production value growth rate reached 3.9% per year in the 2008-2017 period. In 2018, the sector's GDP growth rate is estimated at 3.6% - 3.7%. Agricultural labour productivity has improved, rising from VND13.6 million (US$584.8) per labourer in 2008 to VND35.5 million (US$1,526) per labourer in 2017. The agricultural production value also increased from VND43.9 million (US$1,887) per ha in 2008 to VND90.1 million (US$3,874) per ha in 2017. Vietnamese agricultural products have been present in over 180 countries and territories worldwide, with the export revenue ranked second in Southeast Asia and 15th in the world. Vietnam's total agricultural export turnover in the 10 years reached more than US$261 billion, including US$36.5 billion worth of agricultural, forestry and aquatic exports in 2017, up 2.2 times compared to 2008. This year's agricultural, forestry and aquatic export revenue is expected to hit over US$40 billion. Vietnam also witnessed 10 groups of goods with an annual export turnover of over US$1 billion, including five items posting export turnover of over US$3 billion each. The income per capita in rural areas has increased by 3.49 times from VND9.15 million (US$393.4) in 2008 to VND32 million (US$1,376) in 2017, while the income gap between urban and rural areas has narrowed to 2.1 times in 2008 and to 1.8 times in 2017. The average rate of poor households has decreased by 1.5% per year and by 4% per year in extremely poor districts. In addition, the national forest coverage has increased sharply from 38.7% in 2008 to 41.45% in 2017 and 41.65% in 2018. By November 2018, the country had 3,687 communes meeting the criteria set for new-style rural areas, accounting for 41.32% of the total number of communes and 58 districts were recognised as completing the task of building new-style rural areas. The new-style rural areas programme has helped 99.2% of rural households to gain access to electricity, while 99.7% of communes have primary schools and kindergartens, 99.5% of communes have health stations and 88.5% of the rural population has access to clean water. Besides the remarkable achievements, Minister Cuong also pointed out inadequacies in the implementation of Resolution No.26 regarding the quality, efficiency and sustainability of agricultural production, the rural economy and the building of new-style rural areas. The agricultural growth rate was lower than the target of 3.5%-4% set out in the Resolution for many years. The agriculture sector mainly relies on smallholder farmers lacking links and being vulnerable to market fluctuations, natural disasters and epidemics. Meanwhile, the quality and competitiveness of many types of agricultural products are not high, in addition to shortcomings in the management of food safety and hygiene. Rural infrastructure, particularly transport, irrigation, and electricity works, has yet to meet the requirement of large-scale agricultural commodity production. The income and living standards of a majority of farmers remain low with the average income of farmers equivalent to 78% of the national average. The poverty reduction results are not sustainable as the rate of households relapsing into poverty accounts for 5.1% of the total number of households escaping from poverty. By the end of 2017, agricultural labour still occupied 40.1% of the total social workforce but the rate is expected to decrease to 38% in 2018. Speaking at a national teleconference reviewing the 10-year implementation of Resolution No.26, in Hanoi, on November 27, PM Phuc said that it is necessary to "create a revolution in the development of agriculture to build a modern agricultural sector with high competitiveness and added values, which is capable of adapting to climate change, in addition to improving the living standards of rural residents. To fulfil the set targets, the agricultural sector should continue to boost its restructuring and building of new-style rural areas. In the 2020-2030 period, roughly 400,000 - 500,000 ha of rice land will be converted into land for livestock, aquaculture, and other types of production with higher efficiency. In addition, the country will promote hi-tech, ecological and organic agriculture and utilise the achievements of the Industry 4.0 and apply them to agricultural production. Furthermore, traditional craft villages will be further preserved and developed aligned with tourism services. More preferential policies and credit packages will be developed for enterprises investing in agriculture and rural areas, while farmers will be provided with more vocational training courses to enhance their skills. It is also advisable to improve the State management over agriculture and rural development so that the sector will gain more considerable achievements in the future, minister Cuong noted. The opposition Democratic Coalition has initiated a law amendment proposing that the speaker of parliament should not be allowed to deny journalists entry to Parliament. Agnes Vadai, DKs deputy group leader, told a press conference that under the Orban regime certain journalists had been banned from Parliament for years. She said Laszlo Kover, parliaments speaker, decided on a whim whom to allow into Parliament, making it impossible for the independent press to hold Fidesz politicians to account. DKs proposal is that only people who present a physical threat to parliamentary security or who provide false personal information should be deprived of access to the building. Journalists who are refused entry should have the chance to appeal to the countrys supreme court, the Kuria, she added. Maine Teen Who Fatally Stabbed Parents and Chihuahua Before Laughing on 911 Call Gets 40 Years Maine Teen Fatally Stabbed Parents and Family Dog, Gets 40 years A Maine teen who believed her parents were intolerant of her transgender identity was sentenced Tuesday to 40 years in prison for their 2016 stabbing murders. I do not speak today to beg for lenience or to try to save myself from due punishment. Im here only to ask for one thing, the forgiveness of my family, said Andrea Balcer, who was 17 at the time of the attack at the familys home in Winthrop, reports the Associated Press. Court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE portrayed Balcer, now 20, as an academically gifted but socially isolated teen who had no prior criminal or disciplinary issues when she stabbed her parents, Antonio and Alice Balcer, both 47, along with the familys Chihuahua, on Oct. 31, 2016. The teen identified as Andrew in those earlier court documents summoned police to the familys home around 1:30 a.m. that day, according to a judges order that granted the prosecutors request to try the teen as an adult. That order says Balcer told a 911 dispatcher she had stabbed her parents about 30 minutes earlier and, when asked by the dispatcher if she was sure they were dead, responded: Yeah, theres no helping them. The teen said she snapped and stabbed her mother, Alice, in the back in Balcers bedroom, and that when Antonio Balcer awoke to his wifes screams, the teen then stabbed the f out of him, the documents state. Balcer then laughed, according to the documents, and told the dispatcher she didnt even know anymore why she would kill her parents. Oh, I stabbed the dog too, she said, according to the documents. He was barking. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. Antonio, at left, and Alice Balcer Autopsies revealed Antonio had 13 major stab wounds while Alice had been stabbed significantly nine times. Wounds on both were so severe they went through their chests and out the other side. Story continues Balcer also told the dispatcher her older brother, who was in the home at the time, had run down the street after begging for his life and being spared. When police arrived, Balcer who was covered in her parents blood surrendered without incident. Once detained in the back of the police cruiser, officers reported that Balcer broke into an opera song shed heard performed by Luciano Pavarotti. Police found the father, a retired member of the Coast Guard, dead on the kitchen floor. The mothers body was found in the back bedroom. The familys Chihuahua was also dead. Balcer initially was charged with two counts of intentional or knowing murder, and one of aggravated cruelty to animals. On Tuesday she accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty under a negotiated agreement, according to the AP. Killer Says Parents Werent Accepting, But Family Members Reject Claim Balcers defense attorney Walter McKee alleges Balcers parents did not accept her gender identity, and that part of his defense was Andreas position that what she did was in response to her parents rejection of her transgendered status. McKee says the judge, Daniel Billings, specifically noted that the struggles of being a transgendered teen were very real and documented in the psychological evaluations, but adds Billings did not allow it to be considered an excuse for violent conduct. At the sentencing, Balcers brother Christopher dismissed the killers excuses as flimsy, the AP reports. In my view, all leniency does is put a remorseless murderer back on the street, he said. Balcers uncle Carl Pierce who is Alice Balcers brother also challenged the idea that any perceived lack of support for Balcers gender identity factored in the murders. He called the claim an insult to our family, an insult to our society and an insult to the LGBTQ community, according to the AP. Pierce said hed spoken openly to Balcers dad about her gender identity. There was no hatred, he said. There was no malice. There was no ill will. There was resignation to be sure, but ultimately there was acceptance. Balcers defense attorney says there are no plans to appeal. Netanyahu launches military operation to destroy 'cross-border terror tunnels' from Lebanon to Israel originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday to update him on the details of a military operation that will destroy cross-border tunnels between Israel and Lebanon, according to a statement released by his office. Netanyahu launched the open-ended Israeli military operation, known as Operation Northern Shield, to destroy what he called "cross-border terror tunnels" that stretch from Lebanon into Israeli territory. He accused Hezbollah, the Lebanese-based militant Shiite group, of digging the tunnels along the northern border to attack Israeli civilians and to capture parts of the Galilee in a future conflict. On the first day of Operation Northern Shield, the Israeli Army said it destroyed a Hezbollah terror tunnel from the Lebanese village of Kafr Kiya that reached 120 feet inside Israel, near the town of Metullah. PHOTO: Israeli soldiers are seen from the village of Kfar Kila, in south Lebanon, Dec. 5, 2018. (Aziz Taher/Reuters) In his call with Guterres, Netanyahus office said he urged the UN Chief to strongly condemn Hezbollah for violating Israels sovereignty and the ceasefire reached in UN Security Council Resolution #1701. He called Hezbollahs tunnels, part of Irans aggression in the region. Netanyahu also urged Guterres to galvanize the international community to demand that more sanctions be imposed on Hezbollah. Earlier in the week, the Israeli leader said that he asked U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to consider slapping new U.S. sanctions on the Iranian proxy. (MORE: Israel under threat in shifting Middle East diplomacy: Analysis) Netanyahus appeal to the UN Chief came as the Israel Defense Forces held a prescheduled meeting with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces. Both monitor the border between Israel and Lebanon, known as the Blue Line. In a statement, the IDF said it presented the uncovered Hezbollah attack tunnel that had been dug from Lebanon to Israel. Story continues The statement came after reports of Lebanese parliament speaker Nabih Berri saying that the IDF had not given information about the tunnels. PHOTO: An Israeli M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is near the Northen Israeli kibbutz of Yiftah near the border with Lebanon, Dec. 5, 2018. (Jalaa Marey/AFP/Getty Images) Some in Lebanon have questioned the IDFs tunnel claims despite a number of images and footage released by Israel purportedly documenting the sophisticated 6-by-6-foot underground passageway. Hezbollah has not directly responded to the Israeli allegations or its military operation. The IDF says it has been tracking Hezbollahs attack tunnels since 2014 and expects to find and destroy several more in a campaign that will last weeks to months. In Metullah, residents seemed unfazed by the increased military presence in their small town, which sits just a half-mile from the Israeli-Lebanese border. (MORE: Israeli authorities recommend charges of bribery, fraud for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) Im not worried, said Leora Razklien, a 35-year-old who was born in Metullah. Im confident in the army, in the guys who serve to protect us. But some residents, like 30-year-old Issac Lipman, expressed anger that the IDF was only addressing the tunnel problem now. PHOTO: Israeli soldiers gather by an army vehicle at the Lebanon-Israel border wall near the site of an Israeli excavation site for reported cross-border Hezbollah-dug tunnels, Dec. 5, 2018. (Mahmoud Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images) There were reports for years that people here heard digging and construction late at night. They told the IDF about it. So why did it take so long? he said. One possible answer? A Senior Military official who asked to remain unnamed said it took many years for the IDF to develop the technology to detect the suspected Hezbollah tunnel burrowed in limestone rocks and cliffs. Is anything in life more incredible and scary than travel? Sure, exploring new parts of the world is a life-changing experience, but it can also be intimidating if youre not a seasoned pro. One of the best ways to conquer your fears is to face the thing head-on, and thats certainly true with travel. You cant learn the language, try the food, and understand the culture if you never leave home, right? If youre ready to push yourself to see more than your own backyard, choosing a random travel destination and committing to a visit in the new year may be just what the doctor ordered. Airbnb just released its list of most popular travel destinations for 2019, based on booking and search data, and were surprised by many of them. They span the worldfrom southeastern China to the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennesseeand will open you up to new experiences no matter where you go. If conquering your fears and seeing the world are on your 2019 to-do list (and in your budget), why not pick one of the following cities and plan an unforgettable adventure? Airbnb says that this region, which is near to Osaka, is sometimes referred to as Japans spiritual heartland. You can visit or stay in a Buddhist temple, and plan your trip in July to catch the Nachi Fire Festival, a breathtaking display of blazing pine torches celebrating the return of a deity to the Great Waterfall of Nachi. On this Scottish island chain, red deer outnumber humans 30 to 1so suffice to say this region is a nature-lovers paradise. Bookings for this destination are up nearly 150% since this time in 2017. 8Mozambique This African nation is below Malawi, on the southeastern edge of the African continent and across the Mozambique Channel from Madagascar. Its coastline is packed full of picturesque beaches along the Indian Ocean, and you can find rooms on Airbnb for as low as $20 per night. On the other side of the continent is Accra, capital city of Ghana, on the Atlantic coast. Make time to visit the citys bustling bazaar, Makola Market, and dance the night away at a beachside nightclub. Story continues Were not talking about the capital city hereBuenos Aires Province runs up the Atlantic coast of Argentina and is home to the mountain town of Tandil, one of the most hospitable cities in the world, according to Airbnb. The Great Smoky Mountains are located along the Tennessee-North Carolina border and offer an affordable stateside destination for those not quite ready to venture beyond our borders. There are 800 miles of hiking trails to choose from in the Smokies, so if exploring the outdoors is your favorite way to travel, this destination is ideal. If youre so inclined, 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, and a full celebration of the historic event will take place during the summer. While youre in town, check out the picturesque French regions classic architecture and eat your weight in camembert. 3Puebla, Mexico Skip the beaches on your next trip south and take in this stunning citys culinary delights and breathtaking museums and cathedrals. Located in the east-central part of Mexico, Puebla is a mere two-hour drive from Mexico City. No wonder bookings are up 240% from this time last year. 2Xiamen, China Xiamen, Fujian Province is a Chinese port city thats become a top destination for local travelers. Take the international plunge and head there yourself to enjoy all that this locale has to offer (including a pedestrian-only island thats right off the coast). Bookings for Xiamen are up 283% over last year. New Zealand is one of those countries thats on pretty much everyones must-visit list, but Kaikoura is a bit more off-the-beaten-path than somewhere like Christchurch or Auckland. The city is staging a comeback after a devastating earthquake in 2016, so stop by next year and help bring it back to life. Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS - Getty Images From ELLE Chanel became the second ever fashion brand to put on a runway show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday night. (Valentino was the first to do it in 1982.) Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images The French maison crossed the pond to showcase its Metiers d'Art collection using the Met's most famous piece-the Temple of Dendur, an Ancient Egyptian temple dating from around 15 BC-as the backdrop. Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Karl Lagerfeld was very obviously inspired by the location. He presented an Ancient Egyptian-themed collection. The approach wasn't nuanced: the inspiration was quite literal and heavy-handed at times. A song called "Egypt, Egypt" by Egyptian Lover, from the album "On the Nile" served as the soundtrack (sample lyrics: Egypt, Egypt, Egypt, Egypt/ Egyptian Lover/ Egyptian Lover, baby/ Egyptian Lover/ Egyptian Lover, baby). Models carried tiny pyramid shaped minaudieres, wore layered jewel-collar necklaces, and silhouettes featuring rounded breastplates with shoulders that jutted out, mimicking the regalia of the ancient pharaohs. Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Ancient Egyptian symbols, like scarabs and lotus flowers and ankhs, appeared in prints. Eye makeup paid homage to the Eye of Horus. Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images The collection was so awash in gold that even the models legs got dipped. Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Still, the collection was quite beautiful. Chanel's signature nubby knits took on more languid silhouettes-forgoing the boxy suits for body-skimming tunics with a gauzy, muslin, floor-skimming skirt underneath (perhaps as a reference to the linen that mummies were wrapped in?). Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images More casual pieces, like intarsia knits and metallic pants (like the ones modeled by Pharrell), or a denim look modeled by Kaia Gerber, gave the decadent collection a slightly more relaxed feel. Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images Photo credit: ANGELA WEISS - Getty Images Karl Lagerfeld took his bow alongside his longtime collaborator, Chanel fashion studio director, Virginie Viard, and Hudson Kroenig, the son of Chanel model Brad Kroenig, who has been walking Chanel shows since he was, well, old enough to walk. Story continues Photo credit: Dia Dipasupil - Getty Images He received a standing ovation from the room, filled mostly with VIP clients dripping in his creations. It was clear here, in a space filled with references to ancient gods, theirs is King Karl. ('You Might Also Like',) Don't you just love how Kate Middleton keeps it real and re-wears her favorite outfits over and over again? I do. Middleton knows exactly how to take those tried-and-true pieces and make them feel fresh and new year after year. While visiting Cyprus today, the Duchess of Cambridge whipped out one of her Smythe blazers ($695; saks.com). This jacket is so good that Middleton actually has it in two colors: one in navy and the other in olive. And guess what? She's been rocking the classic design since 2011. Smythe Duchess Blazer Getty Images $695 Yep, seven (well, almost eight) years later and the tailored jacket still looks just as elegant and stylish as the first time we spotted Middleton wearing it. From the 2012 Summer Olympics to the 2013 SportsAid to the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the figure-flattering jacket has been on constant rotation. Smythe Duchess Blazer Getty Images $695 And Middleton makes the blazer look so good that the brand even changed the name of the originally-called One Button blazer to the Duchess blazer. RELATED VIDEO: Kate Middleton Just Wore the Most Un-Kate-Like Pantsuit We've Ever Seen Get it while you can from retailers like Amazon, Saks, Shopbop, Neiman Marcus, and Revolve. Warning: This one's a splurge, ringing up at $695. But if you think about the cost per wear, the investment pays off in the long run. BEIJING (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd said on Wednesday it has signed an agreement with the Belgium government to launch an e-commerce trade hub, which will include investments in logistics infrastructure. The project is part of Alibaba's Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP), and Belgium is the first European country to join the project following similar agreements in Malaysia and Rwanda. Alibaba's logistics arm, Cainiao, will lease a 220,000 square meter logistics port at Belgium's Liege airport as part of the deal and invest an initial 75 million euros ($85 million) in the project set to begin operations in 2021, it said. "We strongly believe that under the eWTP, we will open up the huge potential for European businesses to reap the benefits of global cross-border trade, especially into the China market," Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said in a statement. Alibaba's eWTP is designed to help countries reduce trade barriers for e-commerce trade, including lowering or eliminating tariffs and speeding up customs clearance. The company has previously said the project is designed to "compliment" the World Trade Organization (WTO). Alibaba is expanding the project to Europe amid wider trade tensions, which have forced the firm to back down from efforts to tap U.S. sellers. Recently, Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma said previous plans to create a million jobs in the United States had been put on ice due to trade tensions, according to Chinese state media. ($1 = 0.8820 euros) (Reporting by Cate Cadell; editing by Darren Schuettler) Paris (AFP) - The Aquarius migrant rescue ship is to end its operations in the Mediterranean, the humanitarian groups that chartered the boat said on Thursday. The vessel has been stranded in Marseille since early October after Panama revoked the right to fly its flag following a request from Italy's far-right, anti-establishment government. Last month Rome also ordered the seizure of the Aquarius, which had been conducting rescue operations off Libya since 2016, for allegedly dumping toxic waste. "This is the result of a sustained campaign, spearheaded by the Italian government and backed by other European states, to delegitimise, slander and obstruct aid organisations providing assistance to vulnerable people," Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said in a statement. "Coupled with the EU's ill-conceived external policies on migration, this campaign has undermined international law and humanitarian principles. With no immediate solution to these attacks, MSF and SOS Mediterranee have no choice but to end operations by the Aquarius," it added. SOS Mediterranee director of operations Frederic Penard said "giving up the Aquarius has been an extremely difficult decision" but added that the group was "actively exploring options for a new boat". According to Italian media, investigators suspect the vessel passed off 24 tonnes of potentially toxic waste as ordinary waste. Prosecutors in the Sicilian city of Catania are running the inquiry into migrant clothing, food leftovers and sanitary waste that was handled at Italian ports from the Aquarius and the Vos Prudence, another vessel chartered by MSF last year. The ships have rescued thousands of migrants from the Mediterranean with immigration a hot-button issue in the European Union. The International Organisation for Migration says that about 15,000 migrants have drowned in the central Mediterranean since 2013. During the same period Italy has seen 600,000 migrants land on its coastline, while other European nations have closed their borders. Italy's former centre-left government tried to stem the flow of migrants by working with the Libyan authorities and limiting the NGO effort. Anti-immigrant Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, who came to power as part of a populist government in June, however, has since closed Italian ports to civilian and military boats that have rescued migrants, saying Italy bears an unfair share of the migrant burden. Dakar (AFP) - A museum showcasing black heritage from the dawn of time to the modern era opened in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Thursday. The opening came as African countries press harder for the restitution of artwork from their former colonial masters -- and as France made its first steps in that direction, pledging to return artworks to Benin. The Museum of Black Civilisations will foster the "dialogue of cultures" and offer a "new view of Africa and its diaspora, which recognises our part in the great human adventure," Senegalese President Macky Sall said as he opened the museum. "Today rekindles in us the precursors of pan-Africanism and African identity," Sall said after cutting the symbolic ribbon at the ceremony. Among the guests was Chinese Culture Minister Luo Shugang, whose country financed the project to the tune of 30 million euros ($34 million). Spread over 14,000 square metres (150,000 square feet), the museum has a capacity to house 18,000 pieces, said museum director Hamady Bocoum. Both Bocoum and the museum's lead scientist Ibrahima Thioub said the collection, which includes megaliths dating back more than 1,700 years ago alongside contemporary art, would both honour the past and look to the future. It should not be "a place of nostalgia but a crucible of creativity, a factory of self-esteem," said Thioub, rector of Dakar's Cheikh-Anta-Diop University. - A dream fulfilled - Such a museum was the dream of Senegal's first president Leopold Sedar Senghor, among the drivers of the Negritude literary movement born in the 1960s. The poet, who was Senegal's president from 1960 to 1980, spoke of it at the first World Festival of Black Arts, held in Dakar in 1966. "We are in the continuity of history," Sall said Thursday. "Through the ages, Africa invented, fashioned and transformed, thus constantly participating in the flow of innovations. Our duty is to remain vigilant sentinels of the heritage of the ancients." Story continues The museum is among several new -- or overhauled -- facilities springing up around Africa that bolster growing demands for the restitution of artworks spirited out of the continent since colonial times. Late last month France announced it would return 26 cultural artefacts to Benin. It was a first gesture acting on the findings of a study commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron on repatriating African treasures held by French museums. Senegal was quick to call for the restitution of some 10,000 pieces of Senegalese art from France. Ivory Coast followed suit the next day, asking for the return of around 100 works of art. In a reflection of the museum's embrace of the ages, Thursday's ceremony was followed by a show featuring traditional music and dance as well as rap and slam performances. The hundreds of guests also heard homages to giants of black civilisation including American civil rights hero Martin Luther King and Burkinabe revolutionary Thomas Sankara. By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) - At least two policemen died and 48 people were injured in a rare suicide car bomb attack by a Sunni jihadist group on a police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in southeast Iran on Thursday, state media reported. While suicide bombings are rare in Iran, Sunni militant groups have carried out several attacks on security forces in recent years in Sistan-Baluchestan province, where Chabahar is located. The province is home to a Sunni minority in the largely Shi'ite country, and it has also long been plagued by violence from both drug smugglers and separatists. State television also reported shooting in the area on Thursday. "Two policemen were killed in the terrorist attack in Chabahar this morning," Hadi Marashi, deputy governor for security affairs, told state TV, which reported the figure of 48 hurt. Video clips posted on Twitter, purportedly from Chabahar, showed thick smoke rising. TV reported that four children, a pregnant woman and 10 policemen were among the wounded. "Police stopped the explosive-laden car and started firing at the driver ... who then set off the explosion near the police headquarters in Chabahar," Chabahar's acting governor Rahmdel Bameri told TV. The Washington-based SITE Intelligence Group and state media reported that Sunni jihadist group Ansar al-Furqan had claimed responsibility for the attack. "Such terrorist acts, which are designed and adopted by enemies to divide the Iranian nation, are doomed to failure and will make us more decisive in our fight against terrorism," said First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri, according to TV. Iran's Revolutionary Guards promised to give a "crushing" response to the attack, state TV reported. In June, the Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had killed Ansar al-Furqan's suspected leader, Molavi Jalil Qanbar-Zehi, in a mountainous area of Sistan-Baluchestan. A year ago the group claimed responsibility for a blast at an oil pipeline in southern Khuzestan province. Iran has stepped up security in border areas after gunmen in September opened fire on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, killing 25 people, almost half of them members of the Revolutionary Guards. Last year, in the first deadly assault claimed by Islamic State in Tehran, 18 people were killed at the parliament and mausoleum of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Tehran accuses its Sunni-led regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United States of funding Sunni militants, a charge Riyadh and Washington deny. "Foreign-backed terrorists kill & wound innocents in Chabahar. As we've made clear in the past, such crimes wont go unpunished," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. "Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists & their masters to justice." Iran says militant groups are sheltering across the border in Pakistan, and it has threatened to attack their bases if Islamabad does not confront them. Chabahar is a free trade zone and the site of an Indian-backed port complex being developed as part of a new transportation corridor for landlocked Afghanistan. The Indian foreign ministry condemned Thursday's attack. "The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror," the ministry said. India has said it is ready to invest up to $500 million to develop the port as it seeks to create a route to landlocked Central Asian countries and Afghanistan that bypasses Pakistan. Washington has granted exceptions to some U.S. sanctions on Iran for the project despite pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers and reimposing other sanctions that were lifted under the pact. (Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Additional reporting by Dubai newsroom and Sanjeev Miglani in Delhi; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Sao Paulo (AFP) - A Brazilian federal court on Thursday suspended a proposed $4.75 billion tie-up between US aerospace giant Boeing and the civilian business of Brazilian plane-maker Embraer pending the government of president-elect Jair Bolsonaro taking office. The Sao Paulo court said it was it was taking action to avoid "possible concrete acts" being taken on the aviation deal before the new administration comes in under Bolsonaro, who takes over on January 1. The court added it was suspending "any concrete effect" of the Embraer board's decision over transferring commercial operations to Boeing. Boeing and Embraer announced the deal in July. Under the terms, Boeing was to hold an 80 percent stake in the Brazilian company's commercial business, thus allowing Boeing to offer planes with capacity of up to 150 seats -- a market in which it currently does not operate. Embraer's military aircraft business was excluded to overcome Brazilian government opposition to giving up a national champion to a foreign entity. The agreement was seen as a response to a similar strategic partnership announced in October 2017 between Boeing's European arch-rival Airbus and Canada's Bombardier. The American firm will have operational and management control over the new venture, which will be led by a Brazil-based chief who will report to Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg, the companies said in July. The companies are creating another joint venture to promote their defense products and services, especially Embraer's KC 390, a military transport aircraft vehicle. Embraer, the third-largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, was founded as a state group in 1969 before being privatized in 1994, although the Brazilian government retains the right to make strategic decisions for the company. The deal, which Embraer had said it expected to be finalized by the end of 2019, was struck under Brazil's outgoing President Michel Temer. Story continues Thursday's ruling effectively prevents Temer's government from seeing through the Boeing-Embraer deal in its final days before Bolsonaro's team takes over. Bolsonaro, a far-right politician, had a long record as a nationalist and protectionist when it came to Brazil's economy. But he changed tack to win over voters and investors in the run-up to his November election by advocating privatizations. By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush was hailed at his state funeral on Wednesday as a warrior-statesman of uncommon personal kindness who went from being a hero of American conflicts to representing a bygone era of civility in politics. Amid an unusual bipartisan spirit at the service at Washington's National Cathedral, both Republican and Democratic politicians honored a president who called for a "kinder, gentler" nation. Later on Wednesday, a plane carrying the body of Bush, who died last week in Texas aged 94, landed in Houston where there will be a funeral service on Thursday at St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Afterward, he will be laid to rest at his presidential library in College Station, Texas. There will be a public viewing on Wednesday night at the Houston church where Bush and his late wife, Barbara Bush, were longtime worshippers. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, occupied the White House from 1989 to 1993, navigating the collapse of the Soviet Union and expelling former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from oil-rich Kuwait. George H.W. Bush was America's last great soldier-statesman, Jon Meacham, a presidential biographer, said in a eulogy. "He stood in the breach in the Cold War against totalitarianism. He stood in the breach in Washington against unthinking partisanship," he said. At a ceremony full of pomp but also peppered with laughter, the capital's current political feuds were briefly set aside in honor of the late president, a naval aviator who survived being shot down by Japanese forces over the Pacific Ocean in World War Two, and a former head of the CIA during the Cold War. Still, there were reminders of lingering tensions. President Donald Trump shook hands with his predecessor, Barack Obama, and former first lady Michelle Obama. But he did not greet the other two former Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, sharing the front pew, or their spouses, including Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 election opponent. Story continues A patrician figure, Bush was voted out of office in part for failing to connect with ordinary Americans during an economic recession. But he has been remembered as representing an earlier era of civility in American politics, an image burnished in recent years by the divisiveness and anger in the United States that accompanied the rise of Trump. Former President George W. Bush said his father "valued character over pedigree, and he was no cynic. He'd look for the good in each person, and he usually found it." The best father a son or daughter could ever have, the former president said in his eulogy, his voice cracking with emotion as he spoke near his father's flag-draped coffin. CLINTON WIPES AWAY TEARS Trump, like Bush a Republican, infuriated the late president by attacking his sons, George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, a rival in the 2016 Republican primary campaign. Trump sat mostly motionless next to first lady Melania Trump throughout much of the service. He had tweeted earlier that he was "Looking forward to being with the Bush family. This is not a funeral, this is a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. He will be missed!" Bush did not endorse Trump in the 2016 presidential election but sent him a letter in January 2017 saying he would not be able to attend his inauguration because of health concerns, but wishing him the best. All surviving former U.S. presidents were at the cathedral. During one of the eulogies, Bill Clinton wiped away tears and Michelle Obama leaned over to pat him on the arm. Canadian former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney lauded Bush's role in handling the end of the Cold War and helping the delicate reunification of Germany. Bush put together a U.S.-led international coalition that ousted invading Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991 and was president when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. "When George Bush was president of the United States of America, every single head of government in the world knew that they were dealing with a gentleman, a genuine leader, one who was distinguished, resolute and brave," Mulroney said. The guest list included Britain's Prince Charles and leaders from Germany, Jordan, Australia and Poland, along with a host of former world leaders, such as former British Prime Minister John Major, who was in office during Bush's term. Trump closed the federal government on Wednesday to mark a day of mourning for Bush, and several U.S. financial exchanges were closed. During his presidency, Bush was dogged by domestic problems, including a sluggish economy, and he faced criticism for not doing enough to stem the tens of thousands of deaths from the AIDS virus ravaging America. When he ran for re-election in 1992, he was pilloried by Democrats and many Republicans for violating a famous 1988 campaign promise: "Read my lips, no new taxes." His opponent Bill Clinton coasted to victory. Before Wednesday's service, his body lay in state since Monday evening in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. Thousands of people filed past to pay their respects, some getting a chance to see Sully, a service dog who was Bush's friendly companion. Sully became an internet sensation after being photographed lying next to his late master's coffin. (Reporting by Steve Holland; Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Susan Heavey and Jeff Mason in Washington, Gary McWilliams in Houston and Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Frances Kerry and Peter Cooney) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Leslie Moonves, who resigned as the top executive of CBS Corp in September amid a wave of claims of sexual misconduct, destroyed evidence and misled an internal investigation, the New York Times reported on Tuesday, citing a draft of an internal report. The lawyers hired by CBS to investigate the claims against Moonves concluded the company has justification to deny paying his $120 million severance package, the newspaper reported. The newspaper, citing the draft of a report prepared for the company's board, said lawyers who conducted the inquiry found that Moonves destroyed evidence and misled investigators in a bid to save his reputation and his severance deal. CBS in September said it would pay $120 million to Moonves if an internal investigation into allegations of harassment failed to provide grounds for his dismissal. The CBS board retained two law firms, Debevoise & Plimpton and Covington & Burling, to conduct the investigation, in part to determine whether the allegations against Moonves would have constituted grounds for his dismissal, and thus forfeiture of his severance. According to the Times, which said it reviewed a draft report compiled in November, the investigators wrote that they had substantiated numerous accusations of sexual wrongdoing, some previously undisclosed, against Moonves. A CBS spokesman, Dana McClintock, said the company had no comment on the Times article. The Times quoted Moonves' lawyer, Andrew Levander, as saying that his client "denies having any non-consensual sexual relation" and "cooperated extensively and fully with investigators." Levander could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters. The lawyers who conducted the inquiry also wrote that they had spoken with Moonves on four occasions and found him to be "evasive and untruthful at times and to have deliberately lied about and minimized the extent of his sexual misconduct," the Times said. Story continues "Based on the facts developed to date, we believe that the board would have multiple bases upon which to conclude that the company was entitled to terminate Moonves for cause," the Times quoted the report as saying. The 59-page report is expected to be presented to the CBS board ahead of its annual meeting next week, and could be modified before its presentation to the full board, the Times said. Moonves, who turned CBS from an aging radio and TV broadcaster into a successful provider of shows to digital platforms and was a major figure at the broadcast network and media company for more than two decades, stepped down as chairman, chief executive officer and president of CBS in September amid a wave of accusations that he subjected women to sexual assault and harassment. Moonves called the allegations "untrue." (Reporting and writing by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Leslie Adler) The chances of the U.K. canceling Brexit have just shot up, according to economists at J.P. Morgan. In a Wednesday note to clients, economist Malcolm Barr said the chances of no Brexit had doubled from 20% to 40%, the chances of the U.K. leaving the EU without a deal had halved from 20% to 10%, and the chances of an orderly negotiated Brexit were down from 60% to 50%. The shift in the banks Brexit outlook is due to a couple of dramatic events that have taken place in the last couple days. Firstly, the advocate general of the EUs top court said in a Tuesday opinion that the U.K. could unilaterally cancel Brexit by withdrawing its Article 50 notification of leaving the EU, ahead of the March 29th date for Brexit. This was just a non-binding opinion, but the Court of Justice of the European Union is more likely than not to agree, and its publication immediately boosted the pound. Then British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered three crippling defeats in the countrys parliament, with rebellious lawmakers forcing her government to publish the full legal advice it had received on the Brexit deal agreed to by U.K. negotiators and their EU counterparts, and to give lawmakers direct influence on the next steps if they vote to reject the deal. The full legal advice had already been shown to Mays cabinet, but Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, who authored the advice, claimed that it would not be in the national interest to publish anything more than a summary more widely. Within the no Brexit scenarios, a unilateral revocation on the U.K.s part looks more likely to us than a joint U.K.-EU decision to extend the Article 50 negotiating period and thereby keep the existing clock running, Barr wrote in his note. And a second referendum strikes us as rather more likely than a general election to be driving a decision to revoke. May has been adamant that its her deal or no deal, though she has recently started to mention the possibility of there being no Brexit at allsomething she previously maintained was not an option. Meanwhile, the other EU countries have been clear that they have no desire to return to the negotiating table, and the agreed deal is a final offer. Tuesday left May particularly weakened because Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which is supposed to be propping up her minority government as per a deal struck last year, turned on her in the vote about disclosing the legal advice. Parliaments vote on Mays Brexit deal will take place next Tuesday. Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Jingling amid a Kuala Lumpur skyline, nearly a dozen people sit in a hanging sleigh-like restaurant as it is raised by a crane some 45 metres (147 feet) above the street below. Strapped into rollercoaster-like seats, the Santa in the Sky patrons dine next to prancing reindeer models and a mannequin of jolly St Nicholas far above the city's busy traffic. "We have all of our guests having their dinner in the sky (up) 45 metres on Santa's sleigh," restaurant manager Gurjit Singh told AFP. "We have the whole Christmas mood going on, Christmas carols... and warm food." The Christmas-themed eatery is a holiday edition of the Belgian-based novelty restaurant, which has lifted dinner guests in over 40 countries around the world. Malaysia, a tropical country which rarely sees temperatures dip below 24 degrees Celsius, is also the second country after Belgium to host the Yuletide concept. As a team of chefs and safety officers serve dinner to up to 16 guests up top, a small team down below pulls on cables attached to the platform, turning it slowly for patrons to take in the urban skyline. "When the table is up, we need to get great pictures of KLCC," Singh said, referring to the Petronas Twin Towers skyscrapers. "We have the table turning around 180 degrees both ways." The restaurant's dinner menu is priced upwards of 499 ringgit ($119), with a Christmas-period seating available until December 31. While more than half of the Southeast Asian nation's 32 million people are Muslim, Christmas is celebrated by the large Christian minority. Cuba will begin a roll out of fee-based internet access for mobile phones throughout the island on Thursday, a milestone as the Communist-run country softens its tough stance on individual freedoms. State-run telecom agency ETECSA said Cubans will have access to 3G service on their phones. The internet service has a prohibitive price tag 600 megabytes costs the equivalent of $7, while a larger package of four gigabytes costs about $30, or an entire months salary for most Cubans. Officials said it will be cheaper to access state-run websites and applications, Reuters reported. While many Cubans are priced out, the service marks a sign of progress for a government that had long restricted internet access for its citizens. Cuba began implementing public Wi-Fi hotspots in 2015 and approved home internet use in 2017. In the past, Cubans only had access to a government-run email service on their phones. The islands internet is said to be mostly uncensored, though sites advocating for a regime change or other reforms in Cuba are blocked. Raul Castro stepped down as Cubas president last April. His hand-picked successor, Miguel Diaz-Canel, has championed greater internet access for the islands residents. Diaz-Canel joined Twitter last October. Internet use has grown even after President Trump tightened restrictions on the island, which had been loosened by former President Barack Obama. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Related Articles Nouakchott (AFP) - The Sahel Alliance contributed the majority of 2.4 billion in development funding pledged Thursday aimed at preventing terrorism in Sahel African countries, as the region struggles with jihadism and lawlessness. The Alliance -- which was launched last year and includes the European Union, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the UN Development Programme, Germany, France and six other European countries -- committed 1.3 billion euros at a conference in the Mauritanian capital, it said in a statement on Friday. The five Sahel states -- Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger -- have been struggling against extremism and lawlessness along the Sahara's southern rim since a jihadist revolt that began with a Tuareg separatist uprising in northern Mali in 2012. The countries had sought 1.9 billion euros to help them fund the Sahel Priority Investment Programme (PIP) for projects in border regions vulnerable to jihadists. They themselves provide 13 percent of that sum. The EU's International Cooperation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica also annnounced a 122 million-euro contribution on Thursday. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Paris would add 220 million euros. Governments hope that with an array of projects, including building schools, health centres and improving access to water, they can prevent communities from falling under the influence of extremists. Jihadism in the region has been fuelled by the chaos that engulfed Libya in 2011, the Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012 and the rise of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. The extremists were largely driven out of Mali in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013. The France-backed fledgling African regional force fighting jihadists is also suffering from lack of funding and shortfalls in equipment and training have led to delays in its operations. As well as fighting terrorism it tackles smuggling and illegal immigration networks that operate in these vast, remote areas on the Sahara's southern fringe. A devastating attack in June on the force's headquarters in Mali, claimed by an al-Qaeda-linked group, destroyed the communications room, prompting a brief halt in operations. Athens (AFP) - Petrol bombs and fireworks exploded in Athens on Thursday at demonstrations marking the 10th anniversary of the fatal shooting by police of a 15-year-old boy, which had triggered weeks of youth protests. More than 4,000 people, mostly young people, joined protests in Athens as well as the northern city of Thessaloniki, according to police. Demonstrations are held each year in memory of Alexis Grigoropoulos, who was killed by a police bullet on December 6, 2008, in a skirmish during street protests staged by Greek youths over conditions in the country on the verge of a economic crisis. While the rallies in Athens throughout Thursday were generally peaceful, there were some disturbances as a group of hooded youths set up and ignited barricades and others threw stones at police who responded with tear gas. More than 20 people were arrested, a police source said. Greek police had already been on alert for the remembrance day, mobilising thousands of officers. Epaminondas Korkoneas, the policeman who shot Grigoropoulos was in 2010 found guilty of culpable homicide and sentenced to life in prison -- a conviction he has appealed. Korkoneas claimed he had fired warning shots to keep back youngsters who were hurling objects at him and his patrol partner. One of his bullets deflected onto the boy's chest, killing him before he could be taken to hospital. His patrol partner Vassilios Saraliotis was sentenced to 10 years for complicity but was conditionally freed in 2011. Paris (AFP) - Anti-government protesters wearing fluorescent yellow jackets have roiled France for nearly three weeks and shaken the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Here are five key consequences of the crisis: - A weakened president at home - Since his election in May 2017, Macron, a former investment banker, had styled himself as a resolute and visionary president in the style of famed former French leaders such as Charles de Gaulle. His detractors saw in him the authoritarian instincts of a older historical figure: Napoleon Bonaparte, the 19th-century general who named himself emperor of the French. Having abandoned planned fuel tax hikes on Wednesday, a week after ruling this out in a televised address to the nation, Macron has seen his authority and image take a severe blow. "The Bonapartist method which was successful at the beginning to launch his reforms is not suitable any more," Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet, an expert in political communication, told AFP this week. The protests also come as his government is preparing to push through other contested changes, including a hugely sensitive shake-up of the pension system which is likely to spark fierce resistance. With his political opponents emboldened and protesters sensing weakness, will Macron be able to deliver any more of his vision of a France that is more business-friendly and less dependent on state spending? - Angry France is back - The sight of burning barricades in the street, mass demonstrations and a government in a retreat is a wearily familiar one for observers of France. But for foreign investors and his fans abroad, Macron had provided hope that France might finally put an end to decades of high unemployment and low growth. The 40-year-old spent much of his first 18 months in office wooing foreign companies, at one point inviting global CEOs to the Versailles Palace for dinner, where he wheeled out his catchphrase: "France is back!" Story continues Overhauls of labour laws and the state railways, as well as tax cuts for businesses and high-earners, passed with relative ease. But it is angry street protests that are back, not the image of a "start-up nation" wedded to innovation and technology that Macron envisioned. "The attractiveness of France has taken a real hit," Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire conceded on Monday. - Nationalists rejoice - The election of Macron, a pro-EU centrist, bucked the electoral trends around Europe which have seen gains for rightwing populism -- something Macron has likened to "leprosy". Since taking office, he has positioned himself within the EU and on the international stage as a leading voice for centrist politics and multilateralism. With European Parliament elections looming in May, Macron said voters faced a stark choice between nationalists like Hungary's hard-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini, and his own "progressive" camp. His side has taken a hit. "Macron is not a problem for me, Macron is a problem for the French," Salvini quipped this week in an interview with Politico. - Economic strains - Macron had named reining in France's public spending a priority since taking office and had set himself an objective of balancing the country's books for the first time since the 1970s by the end of his term. But cancelling planned fuel tax rises next year will leave a hole in the budget of around two billion euros ($2.3 billion), and Macron might still have to give more ground to appease the angry "yellow vests." The government had a target of reducing its deficit to 2.8 percent of GDP this year, just under the 3.0 percent limit set under the EU's Stability and Growth Pact. Any further concessions or a decline in economic growth -- due to disruption from the protests, falling investment or fewer visits by tourists -- will exacerbate the impact of the crisis. - A republic under pressure - The crisis has prompted a new round of soul-searching about France's fifth republic, established under de Gaulle in 1958, which institutionalised the role of an all-powerful president. The new constitution was intended to put an end to the instability and ineffectiveness of the parliamentary system which emerged in France after World War II. But the French have soured in record time on three successive leaders -- Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande and now Macron -- making many observers question the hyper-centralisation of power in the hands of the president. Macron scored just 24 percent of the votes in the first round of the presidential election, pushing him into the final round but leading his most vocal critics to question his legitimacy and his programme ever since. "The republic is under threat," the head of the upper house of parliament, Gerard Larcher, told France Inter radio. "I'm not seeking to be dramatic. I want everyone to understand their responsibilities." By Peter Maushagen BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments that refuse to host refugees could instead pay to be excused from the bloc's system of sharing out migrants, France and Germany proposed on Thursday as they sought to end a long-running EU feud over migration. The move reflects impatience with progress on reforming EU asylum rules ahead of EU parliament elections in May, diplomats said. It aims to narrow gaps between states in central Europe who fear such changes could encourage more migrants, and those such as Italy, where many asylum-seekers reach Europe and which, under current rules, are responsible for accommodating them. According to a document circulated to EU interior ministers in Brussels and seen by Reuters, initial host countries would have responsibility for about eight years -- less than the 10 years previously proposed by Berlin, which has taken in the bulk of people who first arrived in Europe in Greece or Italy. And in a further concession to Rome, there should be a special rule for people arriving after being rescued at sea -- Italy's populist government has been refusing to let rescue ships dock at its ports to avoid having to deal with them. Governments would still be obliged to take asylum-seekers from other EU states, but exceptions could be made if countries made "alternative measures of solidarity". That EU language is code for paying into the EU budget or paying towards development projects in Africa, diplomats said, and seeks to end divisions between EU states such as Germany, which are willing to take in refugees, and eastern countries such as Hungary, who reject granting asylum. Mediterranean arrivals of migrants and refugees are below 100,000 people so far this year, according to U.N. data, but the 2015 influx that caught the bloc unprepared has hardened southern and eastern EU governments against migration. The document said the European Union would need a proper mechanism to avoid a situation in which all EU governments opted to pay their way out of any hosting responsibilities and would set an eight-year period for any arrangements. European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said in October more development money for Africa could be an acceptable compromise for eastern, formerly communist EU states that are refusing entry to refugees, mainly from Muslim countries. Germany, France and the Netherlands had previously demanded solidarity from all EU states, but now appear more open to others buying out of the refugee distribution scheme, which was first set out by the European Commission in a series of proposals 2015. Any political agreement is likely to take time, diplomats said, not least because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the eurosceptic Italian government have built their political image on anti-immigration policies. (Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Writing by Robin Emmott; Editing by Alison Williams) ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara defied Australia's bowling attack and overcame stifling conditions at the Adelaide Oval with a century on the opening day of the first test on Thursday. India was in danger of being bowled out cheaply after reckless batting in the opening two sessions, but Pujara scored 123 runs as India reached stumps at 250 for 9. The 30-year-old notched his 16th century and also passed 5,000 test runs. Just before the close, Pujara was run out by a direct hit from Pat Cummins to end his 246-ball innings. Pujara played with the determination and patience lacking from the rest of India's specialist batsmen. He found willing support through Ravichandran Ashwin (25) as the pair combined for a 62-run seventh-wicket partnership. Cummins provided the breakthrough of Ashwin just before the new ball. Australia's four-pronged attack shared the spoils with two wickets apiece. Pujara said it was one of his best test innings, but lamented the lack of application from India's main batsmen. "The top-order should have batted better but we will learn from our mistakes," he said. "I knew I had to stay patient and wait for the loose balls." Australia's early aggressiveness was blunted by the heat with the temperature hitting 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) during the final session, forcing Australia captain Tim Paine to juggle his pacemen with sharp bursts. Aided by a hint of bounce and movement, Australia's trio of quick bowlers did all the damage in a fiery opening session before Nathan Lyon took over after lunch. The offspinner took the only two wickets in the middle session but could not take wickets after tea. "I think it is a new-ball wicket, when it swung around a bit," Australia paceman Mitchell Starc said. "We got it wrong in the end and let it slip a bit but for the most part we were exceptional." After winning the toss, India rued reckless batting from their top-order starting with openers K.L. Rahul and Murali Vijay falling to loose drives. The visitors slumped to 19-3 when captain Virat Kohli was spectacularly caught by Usman Khawaja in the gully for just three runs. Story continues Khawaja dived and snared the ball in his left hand. Kohli, the No.1 batsman in the world, has scored just 49 runs in his past six test innings against Australia. He had scored three centuries in his previous two tests in Adelaide. Ajinkya Rahane (13) fell in the slips to an impulsive stroke as India crashed to 56-4 at lunch. They slid further when Rohit Sharma holed out attempting a slog off Lyon. Sharma, who was selected at No. 6 ahead of allrounder Hanuma Vihari, fell for 37 off 61 balls. A crowd of 23,802 braved the heat but the figure was considerably less than opening days for the Adelaide day-night tests of the past three years. The Board of Control for Cricket in India refused Cricket Australia's request for the series opener to be played under lights. India has never won a test series in Australia. ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Indonesian security forces Thursday stepped up the grim search for victims of a massacre by suspected separatist rebels in restive Papua province, having retrieved 16 corpses so far, the military said. The fatalities, believed to be of construction workers, mark the deadliest bout of violence in years to hit a region wracked by a low-level independence insurgency. "This was a very cruel act," national military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters in Papua, vowing to catch the "rebels" and "bring them to justice". The bodies were being sent to the city of Timika from the remote district of Nduga, a mountainous region where the attack happened Sunday, the local military said. The dead have not yet been publicly identified and the military did not supply details about how they were killed, saying autopsies would be conducted. An earlier eyewitness account supplied by the military said at least 19 people had been killed, by execution-style shootings or having their throats slit. Previous local media reports put the number of dead as high as 31. It was not yet clear whether all the dead worked for a state-owned contractor that has been building bridges and roads to boost infrastructure in the impoverished region, the military said. Another 20 people -- including five employees of the contractor -- have been evacuated from the area, but not all the company workers have been accounted for yet. Some in Papua view Indonesia as a colonial occupier and its building work as a way to exert more control over a region that shares a border with Papua New Guinea, an independent nation. One soldier was killed and two were wounded earlier this week when they were sent to the remote site to investigate reports about the killings, according to authorities. - Warning letter - On Wednesday, the military supplied an account from one survivor identified by his initials "JA" who claimed about 50 rebels entered the workers' camp on Saturday and led them away with their hands tied behind their backs. Story continues The following day, the rebels shot dead a group of workers, while some tried to escape, the account said. The attackers allegedly recaptured half a dozen workers and slit their throats, according to the witness, who said at least 19 employees had been killed in all. A Facebook account purportedly run by the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) said the armed group had killed 24 workers on the orders of regional commander Ekianus Kogoya. Indonesia routinely blames separatists for violence in Papua and conflicting accounts are common. This weekend, about 500 activists -- including an Australian -- were arrested in a nationwide police crackdown that coincided with rallies on December 1, a date many Papuans consider their anniversary of independence from Dutch colonialists. Papua declared itself independent on that date in 1961, but neighbouring Indonesia took control of the resource-rich region two years later on the condition it hold an independence referendum. Jakarta officially annexed Papua in 1969 with a UN-backed vote, widely seen as a sham. A former employee of the state contractor, who worked in the area of the weekend attack, said rebels had warned the firm in writing last year that the work camp should be vacated around the independence anniversary. "The letter said 'we're asking that workers not disturb us and we won't disturb them,'" the 38-year-old told reporters in Papua. He did not provide a copy of the letter. Papua experienced several spasms of violence this summer including the killing of three local people, allegedly by rebels. While construction workers have been targeted in the past, much of the violence has involved skirmishes between rebels and Indonesian security forces. Some fighting has been centred around a huge gold and copper mine operated by US-based firm Freeport McMoRan -- a frequent flashpoint in the local struggle for independence and a bigger share of the region's resources. Jerusalem (AFP) - Israel's army on Thursday demanded a UN peacekeeping force operating across the border with Lebanon to destroy a tunnel the military said was built by Hezbollah across the frontier. Israel launched an operation dubbed "Northern Shield" on Tuesday to destroy tunnels it said were dug across the border by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. As operations continued on Thursday, the army said it had contacted the United Nations peacekeeping force (UNIFIL) which monitors the border region regarding a tunnel originating on the Lebanese side of the border. The military provided UNIFL with a map of the area around Ramieh village on which houses are marked which are "connected to another attack tunnel that has been dug from Lebanon into Israel," army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said. The tunnel crosses into Israel but is not yet operational, he added. Yoel Strik, head of the army's northern command, demanded the UN force "take action, investigate and make sure to neutralise the shaft of that attack tunnel" in a discussion with the head of the peacekeeping mission Stefano Del Col. Following the launch of "Northern Shield", UNIFIL said Tuesday it had increased patrols but noted the area remained calm. Israel has not detailed how many tunnels have been detected, although Cornicus on Thursday said the army was working in three different areas along the border. The operation is part of Israel's wider campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah, including actions to tackle the group's weapons facilities. Israel estimates Hezbollah has approximately 130,000 rockets in its arsenal, although rejects the group's claim that it has successfully acquired precision missiles. "Despite Hezbollah's effort to insinuate otherwise, Hezbollah is not in possession of any significant accurate capabilities," Conricus said. RIMBO, Sweden (AP) The Latest on Yemen developments as warring sides gather for U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Sweden (all times local): 4:45 p.m. The head of the U.N. food agency has accused Shiite Houthi rebels of blocking access to food deliveries to civilians devastated by the war in Yemen. World Food Program chief David Beasley, who has previously criticized the Saudi-led coalition for a blockade of Yemeni ports, told The Associated Press on Thursday that it's now the Houthis who are impeding access in parts of the country. In an interview at the agency's headquarters in Rome, Beasley says: "I'm on their back because we have access issues out into different areas throughout Yemen. We need more people; they blocked our visas. We need equipment, they blocked our equipment, they blocked our access." Beasley, who visited Yemen two weeks ago, called the humanitarian situation there "desperate" and said the WFP needs access and money to avert a famine. ___ 1:55 p.m. The international Red Cross says it will oversee the implementation of an agreement between Yemen's warring sides to carry out a prisoner exchange, hailing it as "one of the first positive steps for Yemen" as peace talks got under way in Sweden. Fabrizio Carboni, regional director for the Near and Middle East at the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross, said the group "has been asked to play its role as a neutral intermediary and provide technical support." "We are determined to help facilitate the transfers and reunite people separated from their families," he said in a statement minutes after Thursday's announcement of the prisoner exchange at the talks in Rimbo, north of the Swedish capital Stockholm. Carboni said the ICRC hopes the agreement will build confidence toward a political solution in the war. "The Yemeni people can't wait any longer for their ordeal to end." Story continues ___ 11:40 a.m. The U.N. envoy for Yemen says the country's warring sides have agreed on a prisoner exchange as part of confidence building measures for the war-torn nation. Martin Griffiths spoke at the opening of Yemen peace talks in Sweden on Thursday. Representatives of the internationally recognized government and the Shiite Houthi rebels sat across from each other as Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Griffiths opened the talks. Griffiths said: "Today I'm also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners" that will allow thousands of families to be reunited. Wallstrom told the Yemeni delegates: "Now it is up to you, the Yemini parties. You have the command of your future." ___ 11:20 a.m. Sweden's foreign minister has opened the U.N.-sponsored Yemen peace talks, bringing the Arab country's warring sides to negotiating table and wishing them the strength to find "compromise and courage" as they embark on the difficult task ahead. Margot Wallstrom opened the talks on Thursday in Rimbo, a town north of Stockholm, where representatives from Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Shiite Houthi rebels sat across from each other. The U.N. envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths said the "coming days are a milestone." He urged the parties: "Don't waver... let us work in good faith ... to deliver a message of peace." ___ 9:25 a.m. The U.N. food agency says it's planning to rapidly scale up food distribution to help another 4 million people in Yemen over the next two months, more than a 50-percent increase in the number reached now if access can be maintained in the poor, war-stricken country. World Food Program's spokesman Herve Verhoosel says the "ambitious undertaking" finalizes plans in the works in recent months to reach 12 million people with food and nutritional supplements through January, from between 7-8 million now. The target population includes some 3 million women and children who need special support to prevent malnutrition. Verhoosel said the rollout will require "safe, immediate and unimpeded access for food and other vital supplies." WFP's announcement on Thursday comes as Yemen's warring parties are to hold U.N.-mediated talks in Sweden. ___ 9:15 a.m. Yemen's warring sides are gathering in Sweden for U.N.-sponsored talks aimed at halting the Arab country's catastrophic three-year war. A castle in the Swedish town of Rimbo, north of Stockholm, has been chosen as the venue for the talks, expected to start on Thursday. However, U.N. officials say they don't expect rapid progress toward a political settlement but hope for at least minor steps that would help to address Yemen's worsening humanitarian crisis. Both the internationally-recognized government, which is backed by a U.S.-sponsored and Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels say they are striving for peace. A Houthi delegation arrived in Stockholm late Tuesday, accompanied by U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths. The government delegation and the head of the rebel delegation headed to Sweden on Wednesday. Riga (AFP) - Latvia on Thursday rejected the United Nations migration pact set to be adopted next month, following similar moves by several other European countries as well as Australia and the United States. The 100-seat parliament of the Baltic EU state voted against the UN Global Compact for Migration agreed in July after 18 months of negotiations. It lays out 23 objectives to open up legal migration and better manage migratory flows as the number of people on the move worldwide has increased to 250 million, or three percent of the world's population. Latvia's outgoing centre-right Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis vowed earlier this week to "adhere to parliament's decision, whatever the outcome." Among the lawmakers who voted down the pact, Dagmara Beitnere-Le Galla from the New Conservative Party charged that the treaty was "very poorly prepared for a document that may have major implications throughout the entire world". Latvia is the latest state to either disavow or withdraw from the pact that is focused on promoting cooperation to deal with the world's growing migrant flows. It has been targeted by right-wing politicians who denounce it as an affront to their countries' national sovereignty. The United States quit negotiations early on, in last December, and was followed by Hungary seven months later. Since then, other naysayers include Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Israel, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland. BEIRUT (Reuters) - Israel provided no evidence of cross-border attack tunnels in a meeting with U.N. peacekeepers on Wednesday, Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri said. The Israeli military launched an operation on Tuesday to "expose and thwart" tunnels into its territory which it said came from Lebanon. Israel accused Lebanon's Hezbollah movement of digging across the frontier. It said the tunnels did not function yet but posed "an imminent threat". There was no comment from Iran-backed Hezbollah. It and Israel have avoided major conflict across the border since their last war in 2006, though Israel has mounted attacks in Syria targeting the heavily armed Shi'ite Hezbollah. "The Israelis did not present any information" at Wednesday's meeting with the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, a statement from Berri's office said. A UNIFIL statement said the sides had agreed at the meeting, scheduled before Israel launched its tunnel operation, that UNIFIL would send a technical team to Israel on Thursday "to ascertain the facts". Berri, a political ally of Hezbollah, said Lebanon had asked for geographic coordinates but received none. "This (Israeli accusation) is not based on any real facts at all," Ali Bazzi, a lawmaker from Berri's parliamentary bloc cited the speaker as saying after a meeting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that he had spoken with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday and told him that he "viewed with great gravity the blatant violation of Israel's sovereignty". For its part, Lebanon's foreign ministry will submit a complaint to the United Nations about "repeated Israeli violations," the state news agency NNA said. The Israeli army has released footage of the tunnels. Reuters was unable to independently verify the photos and videos, one of which shows a man, described as a Hezbollah operative, walking along a tunnel up to a camera planted by the military and then running back unharmed as a small explosion is seen. Other images released on Wednesday purport to show the route of one of the tunnels dug from inside a cement factory in the Lebanese village Kila and then under the border and into Israel. Mechanical diggers, drills and other heavy machinery were seen from south Lebanon throughout Tuesday, working on the Israeli side of the heavily-guarded border. U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Wednesday Washington "strongly supports Israel's efforts to defend its sovereignty" and calls on Hezbollah to "stop its tunneling into Israel and to refrain from escalation and violence". The border remained calm on Wednesday as Israeli forces pressed on with the operation. Netanyahu said on Tuesday the operation would continue for as long as necessary. The Lebanese army said it was "fully prepared to face any emergency". (Reporting by Ellen Francis in Beirut and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Moscow (AFP) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced $6 billion in Russian oil and gold mining investments in his crisis-wracked South American country Thursday, after talks in Moscow with Kremlin officials. The Venezuelan strongman is in Moscow to whip up support from allies to prop up an economy in freefall. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for the socialist leader after the pair held talks. "It's been a very long, intense couple of days of work," Maduro said after meeting investors. "We have guarantees of an oil investment of over $5 billion," as well as "gold mining contracts worth over one billion dollars," Maduro told Venezuela's state television VTV. He offered few details of the agreements, but said Russia's investment in one of the world's largest oil reserves would focus on joint ventures with Venezuelan companies, with the aim of increasing production by "almost one million barrels" per day. According to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Venezuelan production plummeted from 3.2 to around 1.1 barrels per day over the last decade. In a video message on Twitter, Maduro indicated the agreements with Russia went well beyond oil and gas, stretching to wheat supplies as well as Russian expertise on weapons systems. "We also signed a contract to guarantee all the wheat -- 600,000 tonnes of wheat for the bread of the Venezuelan people," said an ebullient Maduro in the message. "Already guaranteed for 2019, and beyond." Hit by low oil prices, mismanagement, hyperinflation and the impact of US sanctions, Venezuela's economy has plummeted. Food and medicine shortages have sparked an exodus of some two million people. Maduro also announced Venezuela would benefit from a contract "for the maintenance and repair of the weapons system of the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela." "Russia and Venezuela, more united than ever!" Maduro said in the video, his fists pressed together. Story continues In a text message accompanying the video, Maduro said the meetings "with our brothers from the Russian federation" had made "a very positive assessment of the welfare of the Venezuelan people. "Thank you, people of Russia. Thank you, President Vladimir Putin." Hit by US and EU sanctions, and ostracized as a dictator by Western powers for his brutal suppression of the opposition -- many of whose leaders are in jail or exiled -- Maduro has recently reached out to Washington's foes in a bid to raise investment. Prior to leaving for Moscow, Maduro hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks in Caracas, as well senior officials from North Korea and Iran. Russia and Venezuela enjoy a long history of ties and Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chavez, known for his passionate tirades against the United States, was a welcome guest at the Kremlin. On the day when I learned of the passing of George Bush, I recalled my meetings with him that marked turning points in our personal relationship and in the relations between our countries. Our first serious conversation took place in December 1987, when I was on an official visit in Washington. George was then Vice President and running for President. The visit culminated in the signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty; after, I would depart from an Air Force base. According to the protocol, or perhaps according to his own wish, the Vice President was to accompany me there. George suggested that he go in my car, which was unusualcertainly not according to protocol. Later, on many occasions, we recalled that conversation in the car. It went far beyond the usual exchange of pleasantries. We agreed that relations between our countries were reaching a new level and that new opportunities were opening up, which must be used to the maximum extent possible. The Vice President assured me that, should he be elected, he would continue what we had started with President Reagan. And importantly, we said that, in relations with third countries, we would not undermine each others interests. However, after Bush was elected President, there were reports in the U.S. media that the new Administration would not be ready to get down to serious work with us right from the start, that it was taking a pause for reflection. Why would the Administration wait? We were receiving all kinds of signals, but it was clear that the hard-liners were increasingly active. Our relations suffered a loss of momentum. We knew that some members of the Administration were pushing Bush to continue to play the waiting game. So the message that came in September 1989 was important: the President was ready to meet at a halfway point, even before the exchange of -official visits. What happened during the Malta summit that December can be described without exaggeration as a historic breakthrough. Against the backdrop of turbulent changes in Central and Eastern Europe and the accelerating process of German unification, including the demolition of the Berlin Wall, Bush said, I would tread cautiously. He added, I will not be jumping on the wall, because there is too much at stake. Story continues When the two delegations met, Bush outlined a program of cooperation between our countries in various areas, including disarmament, which was generally constructive. I responded by stating: The new U.S. President must know that the Soviet Union will not under any circumstances initiate a war Moreover, the USSR is prepared to no longer consider the U.S. as an enemy and announce this openly. This was not an off-the-cuff remark, but instead a position approved by the Soviet leadership. Our conversation with the U.S. President continued in that spirit. The Malta summit drew a final line under the Cold War. This became clear when the events in Central and Eastern Europe and the process of German unification acquired an even greater speed. Working together, we succeeded in keeping them on a peaceful track. A few months later came another test: Saddam Husseins invasion of Kuwait, and his regimes attempt to annex that country. This crisis proved that the Cold War was a thing of the past. The Soviet Union and the United States took a principled stand. The aggression was reversed, but there was no U.S. occupation of Iraq, no regime change. All of this was taking place even as events in my country, as it transitioned to democracy and market economics, took a dramatic turn. My step-by-step approach to reform was being attacked from various sidesnot just by those who wanted to stop the democratic process and turn back the clock but also by separatists seeking to dismember the country and supported by hotheads in Russia. In these circumstances, it was very important for me to get a clear idea of the intentions of the United States. I put the question bluntly when I met with the President in London in July 1991, during the G-7 meeting, to which the President of the USSR was invited for the first time. I believe, Bush replied, that your success is in line with the profound interests of the United States. It is in our interest to see you work out the problems of relations with the republics. The demise of the Soviet Union would not be in our interests. Though at the G-7 meeting our Western partners failed to take concrete steps to support the transformations in the Soviet Union, I took the remarks of George Bush seriously. During his visit to the Soviet Union a little more than two weeks later, we had a serious and far-reaching discussion. We not only signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty but held an unprecedented discussion of a future international security system, to be created by common efforts. That prospect, however, was scuttled by the attempted coup detat in the USSR in August 1991. The coup, organized by reactionary forces, failed, but it weakened my position as the USSR President. We were not able to preserve the Union. I vividly remember our talk on the phone on Dec. 25, a few hours before I announced that I was stepping down from the presidency of the Soviet Union. We reviewed the results of our cooperation. Our main accomplishment was our agreement to destroy thousands of nuclear weapons, both strategic and tactical. Together, we helped to end conflicts in various parts of the world. We laid the groundwork for a partnership between our countries. Those historic results are now in jeopardy. The world is on the brink of a new confrontation and a new arms race. George and I, having left government, often discussed the alarming trends that threaten world peace. We sometimes differed in our assessment of the events but we agreed on one thing: the end of the Cold War was not a victory of one side over another. It was the result of joint efforts. Today, only joint efforts can avert a new confrontation and the threat of a devastating war, thus restoring the prospect of a new world ordermore secure, more just and more humane. Translated by Pavel Palazhchenko CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has no "compelling case" to cut ties with Saudi Arabia following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but it's unlikely to pursue an expansion of its work in the kingdom, according a to a report released by the school Thursday. The school began reviewing its relationships with Saudi Arabia in October amid a global uproar over Khashoggi's killing. MIT is among dozens of U.S. universities that accept funding from the Saudi government, but it has stood out for its close relationship with the country's national oil company and other government-owned institutions. Associate Provost Richard Lester, who led the review, criticized Saudi Arabia's role in the killing, along with its "repressive policies" in other areas, but he said none of the institutions MIT works with had any role in Khashoggi's death. Cutting ties would curb important research, he said, while doing nothing to fix the country's problems. "These organizations are supporting important research and activities at MIT on terms that honor our principles and comply with our policies," he said in the report. "They are also providing critical resources to support the education of outstanding Saudi students and women scientists and engineers, who will surely be in the vanguard of social change in that country." Still, Lester said the killing likely puts an end to earlier discussions about a major expansion of the school's work in Saudi Arabia. In previous conversations, he said, some at MIT suggested that by broadening ties, the institute could help steer the kingdom toward more progressive policies. "The Khashoggi murder has deflated many of those hopes," Lester wrote. The report revealed what Lester called a "disturbing" connection between the Khashoggi murder and MIT's campus. When Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the school in March, his entourage included Maher Mutreb, who was later identified by the U.S. government as one of 17 Saudis who organized and carried out the killing of the Washington Post columnist. Story continues "This individual had engaged with members of the MIT community at that time an unwelcome and unsettling intrusion into our space, even though evident only in retrospect," Lester wrote. His report suggests that the school should welcome only "appropriate" Saudi visitors in the future, but does not elaborate further. Lester's report was based on input from students, faculty and alumni, along with outside experts on Saudi Arabia. It now goes to MIT President Rafael Reif, who called for the review and will make a final decision. Since the killing, some on campus have called for an end to all financial ties with the kingdom. In an open letter in October, more than 20 graduate students in political science urged Reif to take a stand against Saudi Arabia. Along with the murder, they pointed to the kingdom's alleged human rights abuses in neighboring Yemen and against women in its own country. Nicolas Dumas, one of the students who signed the letter, said Thursday that it is "absurd" to claim MIT's Saudi partners are free from blame in the killing. He noted that several U.S. senators briefed by the CIA believe the killing can be traced to bin Salman, who personally met with Reif during his March visit to MIT. "This government has committed a variety of human rights violations," Dumas said in an email. "The claim that somehow MIT's hands aren't bloody because they're only working with Mohammed bin Salman is frankly ridiculous." But in his report, Lester said some on campus pushed just as strongly for continued collaboration. If individual researchers want to back out of projects with the kingdom, he said, the school will help arrange it without disrupting the work. The report didn't detail how much MIT receives from Saudi sources, but it said 52 percent has covered "sponsored research" over the last three years, primarily from state-owned institutions like Saudi Aramco, the kingdom's national oil company; SABIC, a national chemical company; and the King Abdulaziz City of Science and Technology, a research center. Meanwhile, 44 percent came from private and corporate donors, and another 4 percent came from a variety of smaller Saudi-funded programs. A previous Associated Press analysis of federal data found that MIT is among 37 U.S. universities that received $350 million from the Saudi government over the last decade. Much of that came through a scholarship program that covers tuition for Saudi students in the U.S., but at least $62 million came from contracts and gifts from Saudi-owned sources. MIT specifically has received at least $4 million from Saudi Aramco, the data showed, along with $73 million in private donations from Mohammed Abdul Jameel, a Saudi businessman who graduated from MIT in 1978 and supports research in areas including poverty and education. Besides MIT, few other schools said they were reviewing their ties to Saudi Arabia following Khashoggi's murder. Several schools defended their work with the country, including the University of California, Berkeley, which has a $6 million contract to develop nanomaterials that can be used to support renewable energy. ___ Follow Collin Binkley on Twitter at https://twitter.com/cbinkley Brussels (AFP) - NATO on Wednesday warned it would have to reassess its security mission in Kosovo if Pristina goes ahead with plans to create its own army. Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said Kosovo's plan was "ill-timed", went against the advice of many NATO countries and would have "serious repercussions". Kosovo has relied on NATO-led forces to ensure security since the end of the 1998-99 war that effectively cleaved it from Serbia. Belgrade still refuses to recognise Kosovo's independence and the plans for a military force have caused outrage in Serbia. "NATO supports Kosovo's security force in its current mandate," Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. "Should the mandate for the Kosovo security force evolve, the North Atlantic Council would have to re-examine the level of NATO's engagement in Kosovo," he said, adding that NATO had made this clear to Pristina on several occasions. In the latest fiery salvo between the two neighbours, Serbia's Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said Wednesday she hoped Belgrade would not have to resort to military action in response to Kosovo's moves, but warned "it is one of the options on the table". On Tuesday, Serbian President Aleksander Vucic accused Kosovo of trying to "drive out" the territory's remaining Serb minority with the army plan and by refusing to lift a 100 percent tariff on Serbian goods. Kosovo says the tariff will remain in place until Serbia recognises its independence. Stoltenberg urged the two sides to "refrain from provocative steps and statements" and to try to find a compromise. By Letitia Stein (Reuters) - North Carolina Republican Party leaders said on Thursday they would be open to holding a new congressional election in a district roiled by fraud allegations if a state investigation finds enough evidence that the outcome of the race was affected. Almost a month after Republican Mark Harris declared victory in his race for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, the North Carolina board of elections is declining to certify the result as it investigates mail-in ballots from two rural counties. If fraud is uncovered, the board could order a new vote. Democrats in the U.S. House are also calling for an investigation and could rule on the contest when they take control of the chamber next year. North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Robin Hayes said his party supports a public hearing by the state election board on the investigation into allegations of improper handling of ballots by political operatives. "If they can show a substantial likelihood it could have changed the race then we fully would support a new election," he said in a statement, adding that Harris should be certified the winner if the ballots in question would not have changed the outcome. Based on an initial tally, Harris edged out Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes. That was before residents of rural Bladen County provided sworn affidavits that people came to their homes and collected absentee ballots that they had not filled in. It is illegal in North Carolina for a third party to turn in absentee ballots. An analysis by Michael Bitzer, a politics and history professor at Catawba College in North Carolina, found Harris won 61 percent of these votes, even though registered Republicans cast only 19 percent of the absentee ballots. To explain the results, Harris would have needed to also win every voter unaffiliated with a party, or about 39 percent of the absentee voters, along with some Democratic votes, Bitzer said. "I'm not saying that can't happen, but there is a very high probability that it did not," Bitzer told Reuters by phone, noting the absentee vote in the rest of the district favored McCready. Bladen and another rural community under review, Robeson County, saw high interest in absentee ballots this year with abnormally large numbers of ballots unreturned, Bitzer's analysis showed. Republican state lawmakers on Thursday said questions have been raised about mail-in ballots in Bladen County for years, including in elections where Democrats appeared to benefit. In a press conference, a group of Republican legislators called for Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, to convene a bipartisan panel to investigate, claiming the state's elections board was not neutral despite having bipartisan representation. Democratic leaders questioned their motives. "Republicans claim to care about putting a stop to election fraud and protecting the integrity of our elections," North Carolina Democratic Party chairman Wayne Goodwin told reporters. "But with the most egregious case of election tampering our state has seen in decades in front of all of us, Republican lawmakers are attempting to pass blame and derail an ongoing investigation." The state elections board has said it would hold a hearing by Dec. 21. The contest will not affect the balance of power in the new Congress. Democrats already gained enough seats to take control of the House, while Republicans expanded their Senate majority. (Reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida; editing by Colleen Jenkins and David Gregorio) By Manuel Mogato MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine law enforcement agents have arrested a 77-year-old American Catholic priest on a warrant for sex crimes issued by a court in the United States, a spokeswoman for immigration authorities said on Thursday. Kenneth Bernard Hendricks is to be deported after Wednesday's arrest at his home in Naval on the remote central island of Biliran, where he has been a priest for 37 years, following complaints from dozens of children, she added. "We will not allow sexual predators to prey on our children," the spokeswoman, Dana Krizia Sandoval, said in a statement. Hendricks was flown back to Manila, the capital, where the U.S. embassy is taking steps to enable his deportation to face charges in the U.S. state of Ohio, she added. "I am sad leaving this town," a handcuffed Hendricks told television after the arrest, but he made no mention of the case. The church suspended Hendricks from his priestly duties after opening a formal inquiry more than a month ago, said Father John Estina of the Catholic diocese in Biliran, adding that it had cooperated with civil authorities. "We will not tolerate those kind of activities," Estina told Reuters by telephone, saying the investigation began after religious authorities were told of the accusations. The priest, a native of Cincinnati, faces criminal complaints in the Philippines, he added. The move followed a request by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after Hendricks was indicted for engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, said Bobby Raquepo, who heads the immigration bureau's fugitive search unit. A 12-year-old was among the roughly 50 children from Biliran who provided statements to an Ohio court, he added. (Reporting by Manuel Mogato; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis, who has made boosting ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy, will visit Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in February, the Vatican said Thursday. The pontiff was invited to the majority-Muslim country by both Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and the local Catholic church. Francis will take part in an international "interfaith" meeting during the trip, which will run from February 3 to 5. The 81-year old has already visited several Muslim countries, including Turkey in 2014, Azerbaijan in 2016 and Egypt in 2017. The Vatican said the theme for the Abu Dhabi trip was summed up in the phrase "make me a channel of your peace" -- a quote from Saint Francis of Assisi, the pope's namesake. The hope was the visit would "spread in a special way the peace of God within the hearts of all people of good will," it said. "This visit, like the one to Egypt, shows the fundamental importance the Holy Father gives to inter-religious dialogue," spokesman Greg Burke said. "Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter," he added. The UAE prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity, and most Gulf Arab states have long allowed Christians to worship in churches. Nearly 80 percent of the population of the UAE is Muslim, while Christians constitute around nine percent, according to the Catholic News Agency. Many of the Catholics are workers from Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, though some are locals. The UAE trip will come head of a visit in March to Morocco. Pope Francis moved quickly after his election in 2013 to make overtures to Jews and Muslims, inviting two old friends from Buenos Aires -- a rabbi and a Muslim professor -- on a trip to the Middle East where he condemned religious hatred. Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis, who has made boosting ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy, will visit Abu Dhabi in February, the Vatican said Thursday, becoming the first ever pope to visit the Arabian peninsula. The pontiff, who turns 82 on December 17, has already visited several Muslim countries, including Turkey in 2014, Azerbaijan in 2016 and Egypt in 2017. He is scheduled to visit Morocco in March. The pontiff was invited to the majority-Muslim country by both Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and the local Catholic church. "The UAE is delighted to welcome His Holiness Pope Francis on the upcoming visit to the UAE," tweeted the prince, who met Francis at the Vatican in 2016. "He is a symbol of peace, tolerance and the promotion of brotherhood. We look forward to a historic visit, through which we will seek dialogue on the peaceful coexistence among peoples," he said. Francis will take part in an international "interfaith" meeting during the trip, which will run from February 3 to 5. - 'Culture of encounter' - The Vatican said the theme for the Abu Dhabi trip was summed up in the phrase "make me a channel of your peace" -- a quote from Saint Francis of Assisi, the pope's namesake. The hope was the visit would "spread in a special way the peace of God within the hearts of all people of good will," it said. "This visit, like the one to Egypt, shows the fundamental importance the Holy Father gives to inter-religious dialogue," spokesman Greg Burke said. "Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter," he added. Bishop Paul Hinder of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which encompasses UAE, Oman and Yemen, said: "The generosity of the UAE government has also been extended in making it possible to celebrate a Mass, which will be on February 5 at a public venue in Abu Dhabi. These are warm and kind gestures that we appreciate and acknowledge." Story continues The UAE prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity, and most Gulf Arab states have long allowed Christians to worship in churches. Nearly 80 percent of the population of the UAE is Muslim, while Christians constitute around nine percent, according to the Catholic News Agency. Many of the Catholics are workers from Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, though some are locals. - 'Strengthen ties' - The pope's visit "will strengthen our ties and understanding of each other," UAE's Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum said on Twitter. Francis will make the journey just a week after returning from Panama, where he will take part in the World Youth Day rally. The tireless pontiff will then head off to Morocco. Pope Francis moved quickly after his election in 2013 to make overtures to Jews and Muslims, inviting two old friends from Buenos Aires -- a rabbi and a Muslim professor -- on a trip to the Middle East where he condemned religious hatred. But the Catholic church has found it harder to bridge differences with Islam than with Judaism. Benedict XVI angered the Muslim world with a speech in 2006 in which he appeared to endorse the view that Islam is inherently violent, sparking deadly protests in several countries as well as attacks on Christians. Since then the Vatican's pontifical council for inter-religious dialogue has been working overtime to mend fences with moderate Islam. Saint Petersburg (AFP) - Russia's Constitutional Court ruled Thursday that a controversial land deal between the Caucasus republics of Ingushetia and Chechnya was legal, a move likely to fuel tensions in the volatile region. Thousands protested in the majority-Muslim region of Ingushetia in October after its veteran leader agreed to a Kremlin-backed border deal with Chechnya. Activists and clerics have accused Yunus-Bek Yevkurov of surrendering swathes of territory to neighbouring Chechnya and called for his resignation. A court in Ingushetia ruled in October that the deal was unconstitutional, while the protesters called for a referendum. In its ruling on Thursday, the Saint Petersburg-based Constitutional Court said the deal was in line with legislation and there was no need for a public vote. "A referendum in Ingushetia is not necessary for the establishment of borders with the neighbouring republic," court chairman Valery Zorkin said. Chechnya's Moscow-backed strongman Ramzan Kadyrov praised the ruling, saying he was "grateful" to judges and that the issue had been "put to rest". But opponents of the land deal were frustrated. "We had hoped for a miracle," Barakh Chemurziyev, one of the organisers of the protests in Ingushetia, told AFP. "We wanted to be given an opportunity to conduct a referendum." He was unsure whether there would now be more protests, saying opponents of the deal needed to "brainstorm" first. The people of Chechnya and Ingushetia are ethnically close, but tensions have persisted over borders which were arbitrarily drawn up in the early days of the Soviet Union. Opposition figures said the ruling was the latest evidence that ordinary Russians have no say in how the country is run. Top Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny said on Twitter that it proved that regional leaders can change borders "as they wish, completely ignoring any laws, opinions and sentiments of the people." Russia's North Caucasus struggles with a litany of problems including a simmering Islamist insurgency, deep poverty and entrenched corruption. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russian troops fought two separatist wars in Chechnya. MOSCOW (AP) Russia's highest court has upheld a land swap deal in the North Caucasus which caused large-scale protests. Thousands of people rallied for days earlier this year after the leaders of the provinces of Ingushetia and Chechnya signed the agreement to exchange unpopulated plots of agricultural land. The deal and the secretive manner in which it was adopted fueled a popular view that authorities had betrayed their interests. The Russian Constitutional Court on Thursday overruled a decision by Ingushetia's high court which ruled in October to invalidate the deal. The Constitutional Court said that the leaders of the two provinces had the right to sign the deal without putting it up for a referendum vote, contrary to what the Ingush court had argued. Senate moving ahead with plans to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggi killing as US re-evaluates relationship originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Key Republican senators will meet Thursday morning to discuss how to proceed as many lawmakers seek to punish Saudi Arabia for the brutal murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Several Republicans have joined Democrats in pushing for a resolution that would withdraw all U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting rebels in neighboring Yemen, and they are now pursuing other options like the restriction of U.S. arms sales to the kingdom and a "Sense of the Senate" resolution that censures Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his reported role in the murder plot. PHOTO: A general manager of Alarab TV, Jamal Khashoggi, looks on during a press conference in the Bahraini capital Manama, Dec. 15, 2014. (Niganned al-Shaikh/AFP/Getty Images) Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a close ally of President Donald Trump, said he planned to introduce that resolution on Wednesday. Graham has been an outspoken critic on this issue. (MORE: Turkey issues arrest warrants for 2 Saudi aides over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's killing) It's not clear when that resolution could come up for a vote. While the Yemen resolution cleared a key hurdle last week, it won't come up for a vote until at least next week, a spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told ABC News. The Trump administration and GOP leaders like McConnell are working to kill the bill and prevent other penalties for the Saudis as they defend America's relationship with them. That all sets high stakes for Thursday's meeting as several members of Congress look to send a message to both the White House and the Saudis that it is no longer business as usual. Top Senate Republicans like Sen. Bob Corker, Foreign Relations Committee chairman, and Graham are furious over what they call the administration's stonewalling and deception on the role of the crown prince, sometimes known by his initials MBS. PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo talks during a press conference after a NATO Foreign Ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Dec. 4, 2018. (John Thys/AFP/Getty Images) Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis said there's no "direct reporting" or "smoking gun" implicating the crown prince, and Trump has said the U.S. may never be able to know. But according to multiple reports, the CIA intercepted messages exchanged between the crown prince and a top adviser who led the mission while it was ongoing. Story continues "I have zero question in my mind that the crown prince, MBS, ordered the killing, monitored the killing, knew exactly what was happening, planned it in advance. If he was in front of a jury, he would be convinced in 30 minutes -- guilty," Corker said Tuesday after being briefed by CIA Director Gina Haspel. The Saudi Embassy in Washington has denied that, with spokesperson Fatimah Baeshen tweeting Tuesday, "At no time did HRH the Crown Prince correspond with any Saudi officials in any government entity on harming Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi citizen. We categorically reject any accusations purportedly linking the Crown Prince to this horrific incident." (MORE: After CIA briefing, Republicans say 'no question' Saudi crown prince ordered Khashoggi murder) While Pompeo and Mattis also cast doubt on role, Graham dismissed their statements Tuesday as those of "good soldiers" towing the president's line, adding, "You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved." With anger bubbling on Capitol Hill, it remains an open question what Congress will and can do next, especially because the White House has fiercely defended the Saudis and the Saudis have warned that any action against the crown prince would be an attack on the country. PHOTO: Sen. Lindsey Graham waits for President Donald Trump in the Roosevelt Room at the White House, Nov. 14, 2018. (Leah Millis/Reuters, FILE) Still, Graham told ABC News on Wednesday that he was looking to suspend arms sales and U.S. support for the Saudis in Yemen, saying the U.S.-Saudi relationship is "strategically important," but it's also "strategically important that we separate ourselves from the conduct of the crown prince." Graham said his resolution will go "through the parade of horribles regarding MBS," including his military intervention in Yemen, his crackdown on royal rivals and political dissidents and activists, the detention of Lebanese Prime Minister Said Hariri, the blockade of neighbor and U.S. partner Qatar, and the public spat with Canada over human rights. It explicitly says the Senate has "a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit" and "urges the United States Government and the international community to hold all parties, including Mohammed bin Salman, involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi accountable." (MORE: Donald Trump defends Saudi Arabia's denials in Khashoggi murder, says relationship most important) That bill could be added to the Yemen resolution, according to Graham, who told ABC News he was not inclined to support the withdrawal of U.S. support for the Saudi coalition, but he didn't think any legislation would win enough support without it. At the same time, Corker said he was working on a resolution similar to Graham's, though he would not share details as it is being crafted. And the meeting Thursday, which Corker is expected to lead, is designed to try to find a consensus among interested parties. That product could then be substituted for the Yemen resolution. It's unlikely Trump would support any of that and, at this point, it's unclear whether Congress has the necessary two-thirds support to override a potential presidential veto. But analysts warn that the administration has to do something now to work with Congress before the situation escalates. "If you don't do enough now, then the pressure is going to build because the frustration is going to build for doing something much more profound later on, which may not be in our interest in terms of preserving a relationship that still serves us in the broader Middle East," said Dennis Ross, a U.S. diplomat who served both Republican and Democratic presidents, most recently as a special assistant to President Barack Obama. PHOTO: Senator Bob Corker speaks to members of the media following a closed briefing for US senators on Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC, Nov. 28, 2018. (Michael Reynolds/EPA via Shutterstock) Critics also say the Saudis need to be sent a stronger message and Saudi reliance on the U.S. means the relationship could sustain a tough one. "The Saudis need us a lot more than we need them," Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser to Obama, tweeted last week. "A remarkable show of weakness from the Trump Administration." (MORE: CIA director to brief handful of senators on journalist Jamal Khashoggi's death) But one thing seems to be clear: The crown prince is not going anywhere. He has concentrated so much power within the kingdom and he retains strong popularity among young people who see him as a reformer. "The Saudis are not going to remove him because we say so," said Ross, now the counselor and a distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. With Graham promising to withhold arms sales until the crown prince is gone, that sets up a difficult showdown in the weeks and months ahead. "Saudi Arabia has never been popular in America, but presidents of both parties have recognized the importance of strong ties with Riyadh," wrote Bruce Riedel, a former CIA official now at the Brookings Institution. "This might not survive the accession of Mohammed to the throne." ABC News' Mariam Khan contributed to this report from Capitol Hill. Tokyo (AFP) - One US Marine died and five were missing Thursday after two American military aircraft crashed during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, officials said. Japanese and US military officials earlier said two of the seven crew of the planes had been found. "One is in fair condition and the other has been declared deceased by competent medical personnel," the US Marine Corps said late Thursday. "US military and the Japanese Self-Defense planes and vessels are searching for those still missing... I hope all the members will be rescued safely as soon as possible," Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said. The search would continue through the night, Kyodo news agency reported. The Marines were conducting "regularly scheduled training" when the crash occurred around 2:00 am local time, the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement. The F/A-18 fighter jet with two crew onboard and a KC-130 refuelling tanker with five crew crashed into the sea around 100 kilometres (55 nautical miles) off the cape of Muroto in southwestern Japan, Iwaya said. The crew member rescued had been in the fighter jet, the minister confirmed. Japan's SDF had deployed nine aircraft and three vessels for the search, he said. "We are thankful for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's efforts as they immediately responded in the search and rescue operation," the Marines said. A spokesman for the Japanese coastguard said six vessels and an aircraft had been dispatched separately to assist in the rescue efforts. There are few details about the circumstances of what the Marines described as a "mishap" and an investigation is underway. Public broadcaster NHK sent a helicopter to try to find the crash site but was unable to locate it due to heavy fog and rain. During a normal KC-130 refuelling operation, the tanker aircraft trails a hose from the back of the plane with a so-called "drogue", shaped a bit like a windsock, at the end. Story continues The fighter jet then inserts a probe inside the drogue to receive fuel, which it can do at a rate of up to 300 gallons per minute, according to globalsecurity.org. - 'Appropriate measures' - The US military has about 50,000 troops stationed in Japan and accidents are not uncommon. In November, a US navy fighter jet crashed into the sea off Japan's southern island of Okinawa and its two crew members were rescued alive. And in November 2017, a C-2A "Greyhound" aircraft with 11 people on board went down in the Philippine Sea -- eight were rescued and the search was called off for the remaining three after a two-day search. The US military has also experienced difficulties with its Osprey helicopters, with several emergency landings, a deadly crash and a piece of chopper falling on the grounds of a Japanese school. Those incidents have stoked tensions between close military allies Washington and Tokyo and led to protests against the deployment of Ospreys by residents living near US bases. Iwaya said the incident was "regrettable but at this point we are doing our utmost to rescue those still missing". "Later, if we get to know the details of the accident, we will take appropriate measures," added Iwaya. He said that there was no information that any passing vessels were affected by the crash. Yoshihiko Fukuda, mayor of Iwakuni that hosts the US base where the two aircraft were based, told the city assembly he had asked the military to halt operations until the cause of the accident became clear. "I will urge the government and the US military to take thorough measures in finding out the cause of the accident and preventing a repeat," said Fukuda. The US ambassador to Japan, Bill Hagerty, said he was sending "heartfelt thoughts and prayers to families and colleagues of those still missing" and also praised the Japanese response. Moscow (AFP) - Alexander Solzhenitsyn and his family were exiled from the Soviet Union after he exposed the horrors of the country's labour camps to the world. Today his US-raised son is back to conduct an opera based on the dissident's work, with what he says is a message for modern Russia. The Bolshoi Theatre production of "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" is one of a number of Moscow events to mark 100 years since the Nobel laureate's birth. "It's a useful reminder of how far Russia has indeed come that Solzhenitsyn is not only no longer banned but in fact is actively studied, read and debated," said musician Ignat Solzhenitsyn, who lives in New York with his family, ahead of the opera's final dress rehearsal. But in an interview with AFP that touched on Russian authorities' ongoing crackdown on dissident artists, the 46-year-old admitted the country was "crying out" for more reforms. "It's a country that's vastly different from the one that expelled Solzhenitsyn in 1974 and yet a country that surely still has a long journey ahead towards being... fully normal, fully integrated, and where people feel a sense of pride and of satisfaction," he said. "Ivan Denisovich" is based on the author's own experiences as a political prisoner. It recounts the Stalin-era repressions, in which millions were killed and millions more held in the Gulags, through the eyes of one inmate over the course of a day in a labour camp. The opera, staged in the round in the Bolshoi's chamber theatre, sees prison guards patrol balconies behind barbed wire and searchlights roam the orchestra pit. - Dissident voices now - Composer Alexander Tchaikovsky said the late Soviet dissident was usually reluctant to approve adaptations of his works but was convinced after a direct appeal from the director of the first production in 2009. "Unfortunately he didn't survive to see the opera," Tchaikovsky said of the work, which was first staged in the Urals city of Perm months after Solzhenitsyn's death. Story continues In Moscow, authorities will unveil a new memorial to the writer to mark his centenary on December 11. A number of theatres are putting on productions based on his works, and city hall has even produced an app-based "Solzhenitsyn tour" of the capital. But some have accused President Vladimir Putin's government of perpetuating the Soviet Union's persecution of artists. Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov remains in a Russian arctic jail on "terrorism" charges that have been denounced as politically motivated, and celebrated director Kirill Serebrennikov is on trial for embezzlement. Popular rapper Husky was briefly jailed as part of a crackdown that some have compared to the Soviet blacklisting of rock musicians. Ignat Solzhenitsyn is reluctant to draw a line between his father, who in his later years supported Putin, and the modern dissidents. "It's understandable why people would draw parallels, but I would say the differences outweigh the similarities," he said. "The 'crimes' which are punishable are completely different from those days and the scope of people who fall under the eye of jurisprudence is incomparable. Those things matter as well." Solzhenitsyn returned to Russia in the 1990s, after some two decades in exile with his family following the publication of "The Gulag Archipelago". - No new Cold War - Most of those years were spent in the Vermont town of Cavendish, where he was famously jealous of his privacy and a sign in the local grocery store read: "No directions to the Solzhenitsyn home". While the rest of the family eventually also returned to Russia -- with Ignat's two brothers working in Moscow for the American consultancy firm McKinsey -- the young musician remained in the United States and carved out a successful career as a conductor and pianist. The Russian-American said he feels "a little uncomfortable at times" as he straddles the two cultures in the current political climate. However he dismissed the idea that Russia and the West were in a new Cold War. "When I hear people say, 'Things are back to how they were', that's lunacy. It's real lunacy to say that, it's silly to say that or it's completely dishonest." If relations between Moscow and Washington are strained, Ignat hopes they can be improved in the near future and "absolutely" believes that culture has a part to play in this. "Even in Soviet times, culture was the Soviet Union's finest export. We know what Russia is capable of and what kind of talent there is here. Theatre, the arts, remind us of what we all have in common." Tehran (AFP) - A suicide bomber killed at least two people and wounded many more outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, according to a revised official toll. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. "This terrorist act led to the martyrdom of two members of the police force," the province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, told state television. Chabahar city governor Rahmdel Bameri said earlier that four people were killed and many more wounded when the bomber blew up a car, but later revised the death toll to two. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," Bameri told state television. Many nearby shop owners and civilian passers-by, including women and children, were severely wounded, he added. Chabahar lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border and is home to a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the two countries. The number of assailants was not immediately clear. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," Marashi said without elaborating on how many assailants took part. Chabahar has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman and with Indian assistance Iran has been developing it as a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan. Tehran (AFP) - A suicide car bombing followed by an armed assault killed at least two people and wounded dozens outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused "foreign-backed terrorists" of being behind the attacks and vowed to bring them to justice. "Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists and their masters to justice" Zarif tweeted. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. "This terrorist act led to the martyrdom of two members of the police force," the province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, told state television. A total of 42 people were injured, the majority of whom were discharged from hospital by late afternoon, state television reported. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," Marashi said without elaborating on how many assailants took part. The gunmen who attempted to storm the building were killed by security forces, Iranian media reported. Chabahar city governor Rahmdel Bameri said many shop owners and passers-by, including women and children, were seriously wounded. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," he told state television. Chabahar lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border and is home to a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the two countries. - Busy shopping district - A resident contacted by AFP who said he was inside the police headquarters at the time of the assault said the assailants had attacked the building after blowing up the vehicle. "There was an exchange of gunfire right after the explosion," the resident said, adding that it lasted about 10 minutes. Story continues The police headquarters lies in a busy commercial district with many shops and banks around it. The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ground forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, who has overseen counter-insurgency operations in the southeast, visited the police base after the attack, the ultra-conservative Tasnim news website reported. The news agency carried pictures of the remains of the vehicle used by the attackers which is believe to have been a blue Nissan van. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Several recent attacks in the province have been claimed by the jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Iran. It was formed in 2012 as a successor to the Sunni extremist group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), which waged a deadly insurgency against Iranian targets over the previous decade. In October, the group claimed the capture of 12 Iranian security personnel who were conducting an operation near the Pakistan border. A state-run television news agency reported that the unit included intelligence agents from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Five of those captured were released and flown home last month following Pakistani intervention. Chabahar is a strategically important city for Iran. It has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman which, with Indian assistance, Iran has been developing as a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan. Due to its importance as a trade gateway for landlocked Afghanistan, it is the only Iranian port exempt from sanctions imposed by the United States earlier this year after Washington pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran. Lome (AFP) - Togo's government has banned a series of planned opposition protests on security grounds, saying the marches posed a security risk. A coalition of 14 opposition parties announced earlier this week that they would boycott a parliamentary election planned for December 20 and instead try to stop the electoral process. But the government said on Wednesday in a letter seen by AFP that they would not be allowed to take to the streets. Government minister Payadowa Boukpessi said the chance of protesters clashing with political parties out campaigning was "very likely". That "would lead to a very high risk of public disorder", he added. Coalition coordinator Brigitte Adjamagbo Johnson told local radio on Thursday that the minister had "no grounds" to ban the protests. "The electoral code allows us as legally constituted political parties to campaign," she said. "We stand by what we've planned." The opposition wants constitutional reform to reintroduce a two-term limit for presidents and an overhaul of the composition of the Independent National Electoral Commission. Togo has been rocked by a wave of political unrest for more than a year. Opposition parties have held a series of protests across the country calling for the resignation of President Faure Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005. His father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, was president for 38 years beforehand. On Wednesday, evangelical, Presbyterian and Methodist churches called for the election to be postponed for several months. The conditions for holding the vote had not been agreed upon, they added in a joint statement. Its still not clear what exactly Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping agreed to in Buenos Aires during the G-20 summit in early December. Although Trump said the two had made a big leap forward in resolving the trade dispute, both the substance and the timing of next actions remain in doubt. The U.S. accounts of the results of the meeting were significantly more specific than the Chinese post-meeting announcements. If that reminds you of Trumps sitdown with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in Singapore earlier this year, it should. Trump approached the much hyped summit with assurances that Korean denuclearization was a problem only he could solve and that success depended on the quality of his relationship with the man across the table. As the meeting ended, Trump hailed it as an historic success. Kim had much less to say. Trump continues to insist the Korea problem has largely been solved, even as U.S. intelligence reportedly produces evidence that North Korea is moving forward with its weapons programs. Trump has likewise presented himself as the only leader tough enough to force China to play fair on trade. In the days after the G-20 meeting, he offered assurances on Twitter that he and Xi have a very strong and personalrelationship, while threatening to play Tariff Man if future negotiations fail. Donald Trump is far from the only world leader who says China isnt playing fair on trade and investment. Other governments have complained that China buys much less than it sells, that state subsidies for Chinese companies give them an unfair competitive advantage and that China steals intellectual property. Even -policymakers who dont like Trump know hes right about Chinas drive to protect its privileges while exerting ever more economic and political influence in Asia and beyond. The risk is that Trump-increasingly embattled at home by midterm election setbacks and a new Democratic Party majority in the House, plus expectations that special counsel Robert Mueller is preparing to show his workwill look for foreign policy wins that arent really there. Story continues And even if Trump is successful in forcing some changes in Chinas behavior and restoring balance to the U.S.-China commercial relationship, theres a more serious long-term problem: the biggest issue that divide the two governmentsChinas encroaching global ambitionis effectively off the table. Xi has made clear that he will not approve any economic plan that he believes might undermine the Communist Partys power or create instability inside China. So whatever concessions he might offer Trump, he will not loosen the leaderships grip on Chinas economic development. State-owned companies will still help the government generate economic growth and maintain jobs. The state will continue to use cash and political clout to boost Chinas private sector. In addition, China will expand its Belt and Road development strategy of large-scale investment in foreign countries, extending Beijings economic and political influence abroad as the U.S. long-term commitment to its regional allies wavers. More important, Xi will continue to protect plans that allow China to compete for access to, and development of, the emerging information and communication technologies crucial for both national security and prosperity in the 21st century. For Xi, these things are nonnegotiable, no matter the skill of the dealmaker seated across the diplomatic dinner table. By Crispian Balmer MILAN (Reuters) - Ukraine urged a gathering of dozens of foreign ministers on Thursday to increase sanctions against Russia, accusing Moscow of ramping up aggression against Kiev and sowing "instability and insecurity" across the West. Speaking at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the foreign minister of Ukraine denounced the recent seizure of three Ukrainian naval vessels and their crew by Russian forces off Crimea, saying it represented another assault on international law. "It is a matter of urgency to provide a prompt and consolidated international response to this act of aggression. Declarations are not enough. There must be action," Pavlo Klimkin told the annual gathering of OSCE ministers. "We must raise the cost for Russia with comprehensive and tailored sanctions ... There can be no business as usual." The 57-nation OSCE, a security and human rights watchdog, has been rattled by the military and diplomatic stand-off between Russia and Ukraine, both of whom are member states. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov appeared untouched by the wall of criticism that faced him in Milan, thanking hosts Italy for creating a "warm atmosphere" at the meeting and pinning the blame for years of escalating tensions with Kiev on Ukraine and its allies. "Striving for dominance, a small group of countries uses blackmail, pressure and threats," Lavrov told the gathering in a cavernous conference center in Italy's financial capital. "Kiev (is) free from any punishment, shielded by its Western sponsors, who justify all its outrageous actions," he said. FIGHTING The United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Russia since 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea, previously Ukrainian territory, after a pro-Russian leader was toppled in Kiev. Fighting between Ukraine and Moscow-backed separatists in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine has killed more than 10,000 people. Most of the fighting ended with a 2015 ceasefire, but deadly exchanges of fire are still frequent. The unresolved crisis returned to the fore last month when Russian patrol boats fired on and seized three Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea and captured 23 sailors. Moscow has accused Kiev of orchestrating the clash, saying the Ukrainian boats had entered Russian waters -- something Ukraine denies. Lavrov said on Thursday the move was a "provocation" and charged that Ukraine was seeking to sabotage any efforts to restore peace in the region. But U.S., Canadian and European ministers dismissed his version of events and pledged their full support for Kiev, demanding the immediate release of the detained sailors. "The Russian aggression was a miscalculation," said Wess Mitchell, the U.S. assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. "It has strengthened Western resolve to maintain sanctions against Russia and has galvanized the international community's efforts to ensure the respect of international law... It is time for Russia to rethink this approach," he said. Canada's foreign minister, Chrystia Freeland, who has family roots in Ukraine, voiced her support for the country in Ukrainian in one session. "Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, its direct involvement in the conflict in the Donbass and now its illegal actions targeting Ukrainian sailors and vessels ... cannot and must not be accepted by the international community," she said. (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Milan (AFP) - Ukraine's foreign minister on Thursday called for a speedy international response to Russia's "aggression" after it seized three Ukrainian navy ships and 24 sailors in the Sea of Azov. At a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Milan, Pavlo Klimkin said this was the fifth consecutive OSCE ministerial meeting to be dominated by Russia's "destabilising" behaviour in Europe. "It's a major threat to European security," the minister said, in front of Russia's top diplomat who was also in attendance. "This year, Russia did not pull back but extended its aggressive course of action," Klimkin added. The confrontation at sea on November 25 was the first open military incident between Kiev and Moscow since 2014 when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and a conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russia separatists and government forces, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives. Klimkin said Ukraine would return to the United Nations to demand a "prompt response to this act of aggression". "Declarations are not enough, there must be action." Klimkin called for the "immediate release and safe return to Ukraine" of the sailors and the ships, a demand also made on Thursday by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell. Mitchell denounced Moscow's "dangerous escalation", saying it was an attempt to "negate the integrity of Ukraine". "Russia has violated international law," he said, adding that the United States would never recognise the annexation of Crimea. "It is time for Russia to rethink its approach, to respect international laws, to fulfil its commitments as an OSCE state and be a member of the community of civilised nations." Mogherini called for the "greatest moderation to proceed toward a de-escalation" of the conflict. Story continues The sailors have been put before a court in Simferopol, the main city in Russian-annexed Crimea, and ordered to be held in pre-trial detention for two months. The first sign of detente appeared on Tuesday when Ukraine announced the "partial" lifting of the blockade by Russia in order to access some ports in the Sea of Azov. Moscow has defended its actions, maintaining that the Ukrainian ships had entered Russian territorial waters and refused to respond to requests to stop from Russia's patrol boats. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meanwhile denounced "Ukraine's behaviour" at the meeting and its support from the West. He blasted "the reckless enlargement of NATO... the deployment of US anti-aircraft defence systems in Europe, as well as illegitimate sanctions (imposed) under false pretexts," referring to sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union after the annexation of Crimea. MINSK, Belarus (AP) The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday voted to withdraw from a wide-ranging treaty on friendship with Russia, the latest step in escalating tensions between the two neighbors. The Supreme Rada overwhelmingly supported a motion by President Petro Poroshenko not to prolong the treaty when it comes up for renewal in April. The camouflage-clad president on Thursday visited an air base to announce an upcoming dispatch of troops to the Russian border. The long-simmering conflict between Russia and Ukraine that started with Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 spilled into the open on Nov. 25 when the Russian coast guard fired upon and seized three Ukrainian naval vessels and their crews. The seamen are still in Russian captivity. Ukraine's foreign minister on Thursday reiterated his country's call for the release and safe return of the 24 Ukrainian sailors. Pavlo Klimkin in a speech at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe warned that since the Crimean annexation Russia has not pulled back but, on the contrary, has extended operations into the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. With the Ukraine-Russia conflict at the top of the OSCE agenda, the EU's high representative Federica Mogherini on Thursday also called on Russia to release the Ukrainian ships and soldiers "without delay." Poroshenko responded to the standoff by introducing martial law for 30 days, something Ukraine hadn't done even after Crimea's annexation and amid large-scale fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed separatists in 2014-2015. As part of martial law, Ukraine has beefed up its forces on the border with Russia, called up reservists for training and barred entry to all Russian males aged between 16 and 60. Poroshenko in an opinion piece published in The New York Times on Thursday called on the West to respond to what he described as Russia's aggression by imposing additional sanctions on the Kremlin. Story continues "Our common task is not to allow Russia to spill its aggression into the Sea of Azov," he said. "While the West is speaking, Mr. Putin is acting. It is time to respond." Poroshenko on Thursday visited a military air base in the city of Zhytomyr where Ukraine's Air Assault Forces troops were preparing to leave for the locations on the border with Russia "in order to strengthen our defense capabilities and be ready to stop the aggressor without losing a second." The Ukrainian parliament on Thursday voted not to prolong the friendship treaty with Russia, which is up for renewal next April, and adopted a bill that unilaterally doubles the extent of Ukraine's territorial waters to 24 nautical miles. Ukrainian authorities say this will allow the coast guard and the navy to be more efficient in patrolling the area to prevent military threats and smuggling. The bill also allows Ukrainian border guards to open fire without warning on potential attackers. __ Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow and Colleen Barry in Milan contributed to this report. United Nations (United States) (AFP) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday called on Yemen's warring sides to engage in UN-brokered talks without imposing pre-conditions afer the government and rebels put forward demands. Yemen's government and Huthi rebels began talks in Sweden on Thursday aimed at ending nearly four years of war that have pushed the impoverished Arab country to the brink of mass starvation. Guterres "urges the parties to make progress on the agenda for the consultations ... by exercising flexibility and engaging in good faith and without pre-conditions," said a UN statement. The UN chief appealed to the sides to continue the de-escalation of Hodeida, the rebel-held port city that is a key entry point for humanitarian aid and vital supplies. In Sweden earlier, Yemen's foreign minister called for the withdrawal of the Huthis from Hodeida, a demand rejected by the rebels. The United Nations is offering to play a supervising role in Hodeida, but the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's government is insisting on a rebel withdrawal as a first step. The coalition, which includes troops trained by the US and UAE, has for months led an offensive to retake Hodeida, the last rebel stronghold on Yemen's Red Sea coast and the conduit for 90 percent of vital food imports. Beirut (AFP) - A UN peacekeeping force Thursday confirmed the presence of a tunnel in northern Israel near the Lebanese border, after the Jewish state accused Hezbollah of digging under the frontier. UNIFIL "visited a location" near Metula in northern Israel, it said in a statement, and "can confirm the existence of a tunnel at the location". "UNIFIL is now engaged with the parties to pursue urgent follow-up action," it said. "It is very important to determine the full picture of this serious occurrence." Israel launched an operation dubbed "Northern Shield" on Tuesday to destroy tunnels it said were dug across the border by the Shiite militant group Hezbollah. As operations continued on Thursday, the Israeli army said it had contacted UNIFIL, which monitors the border region, regarding a tunnel originating on the Lebanese side of the border. Yoel Strik, head of the army's northern command, demanded the UN force "take action, investigate and make sure to neutralise the shaft of that attack tunnel". Lebanon's Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil asked his country's ambassador to the United Nations to "present a complaint against Israel", his ministry said in a statement. He accused Israel of carrying out a "diplomatic and political campaign against Lebanon, preparing to launch aggressions against it", he said. On the Lebanese side of the border, residents in the town of Kafr Kila received a recorded voice message on their mobile phones in Arabic from Israel, the national news agency said. The message called on recipients to distance themselves Hezbollah, NNA said. "Your town will be exposed to danger because of the presence of tunnels linked to (Hezbollah) near your homes," the message reportedly said. It warned residents against cooperating with the militant group. Iran-backed Hezbollah is the only group in Lebanon not to have disarmed after the country's 1975-1990 civil war. It earned its moniker "the Resistance" through fighting Israel, which occupied southern Lebanon until 2000. Beirut (AFP) - US-backed Syrian fighters have broken into an eastern holdout of the Islamic State group on the Iraqi border, a commander and a monitor said Thursday, months into an anti-jihadist offensive. A Kurdish-led alliance, backed by air strikes of the US-led coalition, has been battling to oust IS from the pocket in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor since September. But the Syrian Democratic Forces suffered a series of setbacks, including due to a vicious fightback by jihadists and bad weather that impeded visibility. On Thursday, an SDF commander said the alliance had managed to break into the pocket and wrest part of its main town from IS. "Heavy clashes are ongoing inside the town of Hajin, after our forces advanced inside and started to control some of its neighbourhoods," Redur Khalil told AFP. The SDF opened up humanitarian corridors out of the beleaguered pocket, allowing more than 1,000 civilians -- mostly woman and children -- to flee from Hajin in the past few days. Khalil accused IS of using civilians as human shields, and said the corridors would remain open. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the SDF launched an attack on Tuesday and than dozens of families had managed to flee. The attack was backed by the heaviest shelling and air strikes by the US-led coalition since the start of the offensive on the Hajin pocket on September 10, Observatory chief Rami Abdelrahman said. Since Tuesday, 34 jihadists including three suicide bombers, and 17 SDF fighters have been killed in the fighting, the Observatory said. In almost three months of battle, more than 820 jihadists and more than 480 US-backed fighters have been killed, the monitor says. More than 300 civilians have been killed in that period, its says, though the coalition has repeatedly said it did not target non-combatants. IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" across territories it controlled. Story continues But various offensives in both countries have routed the jihadists from most of that land, crushing their dreams of statehood. In Syria, the jihadists retain a presence in the vast Badia desert that stretches to the Iraqi border, as well as the pocket under attack around Hajin. "The liberation of Hajin will not signify the end of IS," Khalil said, warning it would retain sleeper cells. "Operations to expel them will still last a long time." STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) The U.S. Marshals Service says a man convicted of murder who escaped from a county jail in Oklahoma has been apprehended in Missouri. Deputy U.S. Marshal Callen Stephens says 34-year-old Patrick M. Walker was taken into custody about 11:15 a.m. Tuesday at an extended-stay motel in St. Louis. Authorities say Walker escaped from the Payne County Jail on Thursday after he assumed the identity of a cellmate who was being released on bond. Walker, also known as "Notty G," was serving a life sentence for first-degree murder out of Oklahoma County and was housed temporarily at the Payne County Jail for a court appearance. Federal marshals say Walker made his way to St. Louis with the help of a female accomplice. Details about the woman haven't been released. US military observation plane flies over Ukraine in direct response to Russia's actions in Kerch Strait originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A U.S. military observation plane flew over Ukraine Thursday in direct response to Russia's "unprovoked attack" on Ukrainian Navy ships and sailors near the Kerch Strait last month, which the Defense Department described in a statement on Thursday as a "dangerous escalation in a pattern of increasingly provocative and threatening activity." The flight of the U.S. Air Force OC-135 was the first "extraordinary" Open Skies Treaty flight since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, DOD spokesperson Eric Pahon told ABC News. Thirty-four nations are party to the treaty which allows them to gather aerial imagery and conduct surveillance on the military forces and activities of other nations. The treaty "promotes openness and transparency in military activities through reciprocal, unarmed observation flights," Pahon said. But Thursday's "extraordinary" flight was conducted outside the previously agreed number of flights for the year, requested under the treaty by the Arms Control Directorate of the Ukrainian General Staff, according to Pahon. DOD would not comment on whether the OC-135's flight path crossed over Crimea. PHOTO: An OC-135 Open Skies aircraft takes off Sept. 14, 2018 from the flight line at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. (Charles J. Haymond/U.S. Air Force) "The United States seeks a better relationship with Russia, but this cannot happen while its unlawful and destabilizing actions continue in Ukraine and elsewhere," the DOD statement read. Observers from the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Romania, and Ukraine were aboard the flight, which departed from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland on Nov. 30, traveling to Ramstein Air Base in Germany before flying over Ukraine. There were 25 U.S. military personnel taking part in the flight, including a 17-person crew from the 55th Wing out of Offut Air Force Base in Nebraska and eight personnel from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Story continues Past use of the Open Skies Treaty In August 2017, a Russian reconnaissance jet flew over several government buildings and landmarks in Washington, D.C. -- including the Pentagon, Capitol, National Mall, White House, and Central Intelligence Agency -- under the Open Skies Treaty. "They come here just like we go there," a U.S. official told ABC News at the time. "It's a mutually agreed process." Russian Open Skies flights in the U.S. are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and carry U.S. Air Force personnel who serve as escorts. (MORE: Unarmed Russian air force jet flies over Pentagon, Capitol, CIA, White House) DTRA has pointed to valuable information gained from the Open Skies flights, including unclassified imagery gathered in March 2014 during a German-U.S. flight over Russia's border with Ukraine that helped prove Russian military activities in eastern Ukraine despite Moscow's denials. Per stipulation in the treaty, visiting aircraft are allowed to use specific wet film equipment or digital sensors to take aerial surveillance photos that are later shared with the host nation. Rising tensions with Russia News of the Open Skies flight comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow on a range of issues. A U.S. Navy destroyer sailed through waters claimed by Russia in the Sea of Japan on Wednesday, challenging Moscow's ownership of the area for the first time since the end of the Cold War. The guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell traversed through part of Peter the Great Bay in what the U.S. refers to as a "freedom of navigation operation," according to the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet. (MORE: US Navy destroyer sails through waters claimed by Russia in Sea of Japan) In a statement on Thursday, Russia's defense ministry mocked the passage, claiming the ship never entered waters claimed by Russia and expressing "puzzlement at the rhetorical feat of the representatives of the U.S. Navy." Earlier this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the U.S. would pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 60 days should Russia fail to return to compliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded, saying that if the U.S. were to exit the treaty and build such missiles that Moscow would follow suit. Manila (AFP) - An American Catholic priest wanted for allegedly sexually abusing Filipino altar boys as young as seven has been arrested in the Philippines and now faces deportation, officials said Thursday. Kenneth Bernard Hendricks, 77, was taken into custody Wednesday on the central island of Biliran after serving as a priest for 37 years in the predominantly Catholic Philippines. "We received information from US authorities regarding the alleged sexual exploitation of multiple minor Filipino boys by Hendricks," immigration bureau spokeswoman Dana Sandoval said in a statement. "This is our priority, to kick out people like this because they are preying on our children," she told AFP. Hendricks was wanted on an American warrant after being indicted by a US court on charges of "engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places", immigration authorities said. The US embassy in Manila did not immediately provide comment on the case. It was not clear how American authorities had learned of the allegations. The priest allegedly abused altar boys, who were between the ages of seven and 12, in his residence and warned them they would go to prison if they told anyone about the molestation, they added. Hendricks, wearing a blue shirt and glasses, calmly nodded as he was being read his rights, TV reports showed. He later said he wanted to see the charges against him in writing. Local police said Hendricks was also the subject of a separate investigation by Philippine authorities after two boys filed a complaint against him. "People in the community could not believe the allegations as he was known as a good priest. He had no record of any violations so the community was shocked," provincial police spokeswoman Chief Inspector Lilibeth Morillo told AFP. Hendricks is to be deported and banned from the Philippines, the immigration bureau said. The Philippines is Asia's biggest Catholic country and has also seen sexual abuse charges levelled against its clergy. A US court in October sentenced a Filipino ex-priest to 20 years in prison for abusing minors there in the 1990s. President Donald Trump showed support for using the death penalty against drug traffickers Wednesday, applauding Chinas recent decision to classify synthetic opioid Fentanyl as a controlled substance. Under the new classificationbrokered by Trump and President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires last weekthose caught smuggling Fentanyl to the U.S. can receive Chinas maximum sentence: the death penalty. If China cracks down on this horror drug, using the Death Penalty for distributors and pushers, the results will be incredible! Trump said in an early morning tweet, adding that more than 77,000 people died from Fentanyl in 2017. According to a November report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were just over 70,000 total drug overdose deaths in 2017but thats not to say Fentanyl isnt a huge problem. Deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone (which includes Fentanyl) increased 45% between 2016 and 2017, whereas the rates of overdose deaths from other categories of drugs remained the same, according to the CDC data. .....considered to be the worst and most dangerous, addictive and deadly substance of them all. Last year over 77,000 people died from Fentanyl. If China cracks down on this horror drug, using the Death Penalty for distributors and pushers, the results will be incredible! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2018 Trump has been said to have championed the use of the death penalty to prevent drugs like Fentanyl from reaching users. During a December 2016 phone call with Rodrigo Duterte, Trump allegedly praised the anti-drug efforts of the Philippines president, who, according to the Human Rights Watch, has killed 12,000 in the name of drug prevention over the past two years. He often jokes about killing drug dealers Hell say, You know the Chinese and Filipinos dont have a drug problem. They just kill them,' Trump also allegedly told an unnamed senior administration official, according to a February 2018 Axios report. Trumps plan to tackle the countrys opioid epidemic, released in March, included increased sentencing laws. At the time, Trumps Domestic Policy Council director, Andrew Bremberg, stated that, The Department of Justice will seek the death penalty against drug traffickers when its appropriate under current law. Geneva (AFP) - The first talks in six years on the disputed Western Sahara region ended in deadlock Thursday, with key players Morocco and the Polisario Front pledging to meet again early next year. The two sides remained at loggerheads over the prospects of an independence referendum, something demanded by Polisario, but an option categorically rejected by Rabat. The negotiations on the decades-long conflict were being led by United Nations envoy Horst Koehler and included Morocco, the Polisario Front, along with Algeria and Mauritania. "A peaceful solution to this conflict is possible," Germany's former president told reporters in Geneva at the end of the two-day meeting, while announcing that all sides had agreed to meet again "in the first quarter of 2019". The international community has long intended for a referendum to be held to decide the status of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, on the western edge of the vast eponymous desert, stretching around 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) along the Atlantic coastline, a prime fishing region. When Spain withdrew from the North African territory in 1975, Rabat sent thousands of people across the border and claimed it was an integral part of Morocco. The following year the Polisario Front declared Western Sahara the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), with support from Algeria and Libya, and demanded a referendum on self-determination. Morocco has aways rejected the prospect of a vote in which independence is an option and reinforced that position on Thursday. "A referendum is not on the agenda," Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita told reporters. "If we are ready for a compromise then the option is there and autonomy is on the table," he added. The head of the Polisario delegation, Khatri Addouh, told reporters that autonomy requires allowing people "to make choices about their own fate." "As far as we are concerned, the most democratic way to do that is through a referendum in which the Sahrawi will have the opportunity to choose among various options," he said. Story continues - Good atmosphere - Morocco has built razor-wire-topped concentric sand walls in the desert that still ring 80 percent of the Western Sahara territory it controls. Under a 1991 ceasefire, the UN deployed a peacekeeping mission which has perpetuated the line of control. But a renewed diplomatic push has raised hopes that a final deal could be reached. Bourita praised "a very good atmosphere" during the talks, but stressed that "it is not enough." "A good atmosphere should be translated into a genuine will" to act," he added. "This momentum will have an end if there is no political will." The Polisario vowed to remain engaged in the talks but said it needed a willing partner. "We are doing our part, and we are hopeful that Morocco will do its part too. The status quo is not an option," it said in a statement. The Polisario has also criticised the European Union over its decision to continue negotiating trade deals with Morocco that involve Western Sahara despite the absence of a peace deal -- a move the Polisario says amounts to the acceptance of Moroccan control. The EU conduct "violates international (agreements) and particularly the ruling of the European Court of Justice," Addouh said. A spokeswoman for the EU mission in Geneva, Antje Knorr, declined to comment on the "UN-led process". Adding pressure on the need for a solution are the 100,000 to 200,000 refugees living precariously in camps near the town of Tindouf in western Algeria, not far from the Moroccan and Western Sahara borders. The last direct talks on Western Sahara were launched by the UN in 2007 but collapsed five years later over the territory's status and the proposed referendum. Lome (AFP) - When campaigning began in Togo this week for parliamentary elections, Tikpi Atchadam, the northern strongman who led the popular uprising that shook the country last year, was nowhere to be seen. But he was in their hearts -- and on their WhatsApp. "Tikpi is not with us today but the fight continues," said Ouro Longa, a representative of his Pan-African National Party (PNP), at its headquarters in Lome. Tikpi Salifou Atchadam, 51, emerged as a key political figure in Togo in August 2017 around the time of the first anti-government protests against President Faure Gnassingbe. His verve and charisma helped to galvanise northern Togo, in particular the Tem community and Muslims, which had previously given tacit support to the regime. With the success of the first protests, "Tikpi" as his supporters call him affectionately, forged an alliance with 13 other political parties, including the National Alliance for Change (ANC) of leading opposition figure Jean-Pierre Fabre. Since then, the coalition has repeatedly called for the re-introduction of a two-term limit for presidents and the departure of "Faure", who has been in power since the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, in 2005. More recently, these parties have decided to boycott parliamentary elections slated for December 20 because of what they say are irregularities in their organisation. - Exiled leader - At the first anti-government protests last year Atchadam was a very visible presence and spoke freely to the media. But since October 2017 he has completely disappeared from the public eye. He has rarely commented on politics or the opposition strategy. "He's hiding. He's afraid for his own safety," said one of his close friends. Atchadam is thought to be in exile in neighbouring Ghana from where he sends voice messages to his supporters across Togo via WhatsApp. "Jean-Pierre Fabre's life has been threatened on a number of occasions but to some extent his status as the leader of the opposition protects him," a PNP source told AFP. Story continues "Atchadam is seen as the bete noire of the government and won't let up for a minute. He's not on the ground but he's in our hearts." Other members of the PNP say the same. "Political opponents have been assassinated in this country. His safety is more important because Tikpi is our idol," said Nouroudine Idrissou. Idrissou was wearing a red t-shirt emblazoned with a white horse, the PNP symbol. Under the horse it said: "I love the PNP." "Tikpi is not physically present but spiritually and morally he's right here," he added. - Election boycott - At major rallies in September 2017, which left at least a dozen people dead and more injured, Atchadam's house was under surveillance -- and often surrounded -- by security forces. Those close to him say he was threatened but was never beaten up or prosecuted -- unlike his ally and rival Fabre. Today, the opposition still officially maintains it is united but Atchadam has hit out at Fabre, accusing him of organising "small-scale demos" and "suffocating" the movement. In his last WhatsApp message sent on November 11, Atchadam insisted "a huge march is possible and it alone could be enough to liberate Togo" from the Gnassingbe presidency. After months of crisis and aborted talks with the government, some of his allies fear the return of Atchadam, assessing that his absence is a "political strategy" to portray him as a saviour. "We need the PNP to win the north as much as the PNP needs the rest of the opposition and its political base," said one member of the coalition. Parliamentary elections scheduled to take place in Togo on December 20 could have been the ideal time to test the strength of the coalition but it has said it will not take part. The fledgling PNP could have tested its popularity in the polls, to win its first members of parliament and position itself as a credible opposition force against the ANC. But the orders are clear. "We aren't fighting this battle to become members of parliament," said coalition spokesman Eric Dupuy. "We're fighting for change." Rimbo (Sweden) (AFP) - Yemen's Huthi rebels will assess the "seriousness" of fragile UN-brokered talks with the rival government in Sweden on Friday, the head of the delegation said. "We have no problem holding talks with the other side," Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam said Thursday, as the first day of the talks wound down. "We will judge whether the Stockholm talks are serious or not tomorrow," Abdelsalam told the Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen television channel. Talks between the Iran-backed Huthis, armed tribesmen from northern Yemen, and a pro-government military coalition led by Saudi Arabia opened on Thursday in Rimbo, Sweden, a rural area some 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of Stockholm. They are expected to last a week, a UN official told reporters. The meeting marks the first time warring Yemeni parties have officially met since 2016, when more than 100 days of negotiations in Kuwait yielded no breakthrough in the devastating conflict. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said he was cautiously optimistic the talks would help find common ground between the warring parties, particularly over the fate of rebel-held city of Hodeida. The Red Sea city has been the target of a Saudi-led offensive to drive the Huthis out. Hodeida is home to Yemen's most valuable port, the entry point of 90 percent of all food imports to a country at the brink of famine. Members of the rebel and government delegations in Sweden however traded accusations of aggression, refusing to compromise on Hodeida. The government is demanding the full withdrawal of the rebels from the city and port. The Huthis, however, have refused to evacuate Hodeida. The United Nations now qualifies Yemen as home to the world's largest humanitarian crisis, with 14 million people at risk of famine and one child dying every 10 minutes of preventable causes. The conflict between the Saudi-backed government and armed rebels has killed more than 10,000 people in Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the world. WELINGTON, New Zealand (AP) New Zealand police were searching Thursday for a 22-year-old British tourist who has been missing for five days and failed to contact her parents on her birthday. Grace Millane was last seen on Saturday evening in central Auckland. She had been staying at a backpacker hostel and left some of her belongings there. Her birthday was on Sunday and police said it was unusual for her not to contact her family then. Detective Inspector Scott Beard told reporters the investigation is focusing on videos from surveillance cameras around the city. He urged anyone who has seen Millane or knows her to contact police. "The police investigation today has concentrated on her movements and activities in Auckland since she's arrived in New Zealand," Beard said. "A large part of that focus has been around CCTV footage around Auckland." Police released a blurry image of Millane taken from a surveillance camera in which she is wearing a black dress and white sneakers. "The longer this goes on the more concerning it is," Beard said. "At the moment, we don't have any evidence of foul play but we're keeping an open mind." Beard said Millane's father was on his way to New Zealand. Millane's brother, Michael Millane, posted an appeal for help on Facebook. He said they had been in contact with the British High Commission in Wellington. "Grace has been missing for five days," he wrote. "She has not returned to her hostel room in Auckland, New Zealand, and family members have had no contact since Saturday 1st December." You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close 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. 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. Security forces detained overnight Wednesday 14 Palestinians in the West Bank on suspicion of being involved in terrorist activities. The suspects were taken for questioning. Education Minister Naftali Bennett slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday evening amid reports Netanyahu asked Shaul Elovitch, who owns the Walla! News website, to publish a story that Bennett's wife, Gilat, worked as a chef at non-kosher restaurants. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The Israel Police announced Sunday that there is sufficient evidence to indict Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust in Case 4000, which deals with suspected corruption tied to telecommunications giant Bezeq and the Walla! News website. Prime Minister Netanyahu is suspected of taking bribes and acting in a conflict of interest by promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq and its majority shareholder Shaul Elovitch, including Bezeq's merger with the satellite TV company Yes. In return, the prime minister allegedly received favorable coverage on Walla! News, which is owned by Bezeq. Education Minister Bennett with his wife Gilat (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky) Journalist Amit Segal quoted a close associate of Elovitch on Wednesday night who claimed that "Netanyahu had unusual requests. One day, he asked (Elovitch) to publish a story about the fact Gilat, Bennett's wife, was a chef in non-kosher restaurants. They (Walla! News) wouldn't publish something like that." The story Netanyahu allegedly sought to have published about Gilat Bennett apparently refers to the time the couple lived in New York in 2002. Bennett was furious about the report, posting an unusually harsh message on social media, demanding Netanyahu to apologize to his wife. "I feel sorry for you, Mr. Netanyahu. You personally took the trouble of calling the owners of Walla! to hurt my wife," Bennett wrote. "This is a despicable and cowardly act. Shame on you." "I married Gilat, a wonderful woman, an Israeli from a secular home with values, and together we built a wonderful religious Zionist home. My family is the pride of my life. Don't apologize to me, I'm not interested. Apologize to my wife," he added. Netanyahu's Likud Party rejected Bennett's demand, saying "There's no limit to Bennett's hypocrisy. He's the one who should apologize. Many journalists know that from the moment he left Netanyahu's office, Bennett didn't stop briefing (reporters) against Sara Netanyahu and slandering her at every opportunity. People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Moshe "Chico" Edri withdrew his candidacy for the police commissioner position on Wednesday, following reports of his secret meeting with Chava Yodfat, who performed his lie-detector test, several days before the test. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "I'm not disappointment, that's life. I would like to thank the people of Israel for their support and warm messages," Edri said after pulling his candidacy. Edri was appointed as the new chief commissioner by Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan a month ago. Moshe "Chico" Edri Last week, the Advisory Committee for the Appointment of Senior Officials in the Civil Service, also known as the Goldberg Committee, rejected Edri's appointment because of a meeting he had with an attorney representing a man who is pressing charges against him. Minister Erdan has expressed his disappointment with the decision, saying Edri is a worthy man who has devoted his career to fighting crime and terrorism. He argued the committee failed to demonstrate any ethical problem with Edris behavior that would disqualify him and pledged to fight the decision. Moshe "Chico" Edri (Photo: Motti Kimchi) Two weeks ago, former police commissioner Roni Alsheikh expressed his objection to Edri's appointment before the Goldberg Committee. A short while later Edri was required to go through a lie-detector test. On November 20, he met with Yodfat, but neither of them knew she would be the one to conduct the test. "Yodfat did not have the slightest idea she would have to conduct Edri's lie-detector test," an associate of Edri said. Edri insisted the meeting was not meant to prepare him for the polygraph test, rather to consult with Yodfat about "a medical conditions he suffers from," adding he merely wanted to know "whether it might jeopardize his test." After the meeting, the Goldberg Committee informed Edri that to avoid the appearance of preferrential treatment, the lie-detector test will be conducted by an outside contractor rather than the police or the Shin Bet. Despite learning he would undergo the test at Yodfat's instituion, neither Edri nor Yodfat disclosed their meeting to the committee. outgoing Police commissioner Roni Alsheikh (L) and Public Security minister Gilad Erdan (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg) "Unfortunately, since the day I was declared as a possible candidate for the police commissioner position, there were forces whose sole purpose was to thwart my candidacy, slander me, trample on my reputation, and hurt my family," Edri wrote in the letter he sent Erdan announcing his withdrawal. He explained that despite his combat service in the IDF and his 30-year service in the police "for Israel's security," he must pull out of the fight for the police commissioner position. "I don't intend to allow the ongoing slandering against me to continue while my only sin was to be selected as a candidate for the police commissioner position," Edri added. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (L) and Moshe 'Chico' Edri He highlighted the support he had received from two members of the Goldberg CommitteeProf. Daniel Hershkowitz and Moshe Terrywhile stressing that the "smear campaign against me crossed every line while hurting my reputation, with no wrongdoing on my part." "Out of sincere concern for the Israel Police that might remain without a permanent commissioner for many months and pay the price for this smear campaign, I've decided to remove my candidacy," Edri explained. Edri will resume his position as the director-general of the Public Security Ministry. Erdan issued a statement saying, "I regret the fact Moshe Edri withdrew his candidacy for the police commissioner position. Edri is a man who fought many years for the security of Israel's citizens, and even if a mistake was made along the way, it does not change the fact an unjustified smear campaign was waged against him, inflicting terrible injustice on him." Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said Wednesday there is no reason for a military confrontation with Israel despite the IDF's Operation Northern Shield to destroy Hezbollah terror tunnels along the Israel-Lebanon border. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "The Lebanese government is fully committed to UN resolution 1701, to the cooperation and coordination between the authorities in the two countries and the international emergency forces, Hariri said in a statement. The Lebanese army is the one authorized to ensure peace on the borders, the Lebanese leader said. The government is committed to protecting the countrys sovereignty. IDF works on Israel-Lebanon border (: ") X On Tuesday, a tripartite meeting was held between the IDF, UNIFIL and representatives of the Lebanese military in the area of Naqoura/Rosh HaNikra on the Israel-Lebanon border. "During the meeting, the Israeli team presented the evidence of the terror tunnels that were discovered, said the IDF Spokespersons Unit. Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri (Photo: AFP) Hariri stated that during the meeting the Lebanese representatives expressed their opposition to the continuing violations of the countrys borders. The Israeli side violates Lebanon's airspace and maritime border this is what the Lebanese representatives emphasized at the meeting, he stressed, adding, The government will continue to monitor the matter in cooperation with the relevant parties in the UN Secretariat and the Security Council." IDF works on Lebanon-Israel border as part pf Operation Northern Shield (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) However, the Lebanese prime minister refrained from addressing the discovery of the terror tunnel network, while officials in the Lebanese army rejected the IDFs claims and demanded to be provided with the exact location and coordinates of the underground terror infrastructure. The IDF's Northern Command said they have enough intelligence and operational information regarding the location of all the tunnels within 120 meters from the Israeli border, but the military cannot guarantee that all of them will be exposed. "Hezbollah has lowered its profile since the surprising and embarrassing discovery," a senior Northern Command officer explained. After we complete the task, we dont intend on building an underground wall like we are doing in Gaza to stop tunnel digging, therefore the operation might last not weeks but months, and we are prepared for it, the officer added. The opening of one of the terror tunnels (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) On Tuesday, the IDF Spokespersons Unit released footage of two Hezbollah terrorists running away from a surveillance camera planted by the IDF inside one of the tunnels, as the camerawhich had explosives attached to itblows up. For years, Hezbollah and Hamas invested huge sums and efforts in building tunnels and concealing them. Well, the army is methodically, calmly, and decisively dismantling this weapon," said Prime Minister Netanyahu at the onset of the operation. "The operation is due to last several weeks and will be led by the head of the IDF Northern Command, Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick," said IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, emphasizing the Cabinet approved the operation on November 17 when "conditions were ripe. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has allegedly tried to get one of his close associates to buy the Walla! News website, according to the police. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Among the potential buyers the prime minister allegedly had in mind were Sheldon Adelson, James Packer, Larry Ellison and Paul T. Marinelli. The police claim to have evidence, which includes testimonies, showing how adamant Netanyahu was to ensure the site is sold to one of his associates. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Walla! owner Elovitch (Photo: Marc Israel Sellem, Orel Cohen) The police recommended indicting both Netanyahu and Walla! News owner Shaul Elovitch in Case 4000, which deals with the alleged quid-pro-quo relationship between the two. Netanyahu is accused of promoting regulations worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Bezeq and its majority shareholder Elovitch in return for favorable coverage on Walla! News. One recommendation is to charge Netanyahu with breach of trust, based on evidence of Netanyahu's intensive efforts in 2013-2015 to have the Walla! News site sold to one of his billionaire associates. Sheldon Adelson already owns the free daily newspaper Israel Hayom, which Netanyahu's critics say is biased in favor of the prime minister. James Packer is an Australian billionaire who was questioned by the Israel Police in connection with another investigation against Netanyahu, Case 1000, which concerns illicit gifts the prime minister allegedly received from wealthy associates. Sheldon Adelson (Photo: AFP) Larry Ellison With the exception of Packer, who remains in Australia and police investigators have been unable to collect testimony from him in Case 4000, the three other billionaires gave the police a detailed testimony about the attempts to purchase Walla! News. James Packer (Photo: Reuters) "It was an obsessive endeavor for Prime Minister Netanyahu," said an inside source who is familiar with the details of the investigation. "Where else did you hear of a regulator, who is supposed to supervise media outlets, helping and promoting the sale of one? It's simply absurd." Marinelli was apparently the keenest potential buyer. According to testimony the police obtained, Marinelli, Elovitch and Netanyahu met at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem to discuss the matter. Marinelli also got a tour of the Walla! News offices, which was hosted by the CEO of the website Ilan Yeshua, who also presented him with commercial data about the siteallegedly to promote its sale. However, recordings provided to the police by Yeshua apparently indicate that Elovitch had no real intention of selling the site. The Elovitch family allegedly sought to keep the site, seeing it as a strategic asset and a direct link to the Prime Minister's Office. "Even when he spoke to the potential buyers, he was actually playing a double game," a senior police official said of Elovitch. "On the one hand, he put on an act for Netanyahu that he was trying to sale, but in reality he torpedoed the sale for each and every one of the potential buyers, setting a steep and unrealistic price so the deal falls through." Police investigators say they have objective evidence concerning each of the potential buyers. In addition to the recordings he provided the police with, Yeshua also testified that he was aware of Elovitch's intentions to sabotage the sale. A statement on behalf of Prime Minister Netanyahu said: "Predictably, since the rushed publication of the recommendations, we've witnessed a flood of false and systematic leaks meant to resuscitate the hollow recommendations against the prime minister and his wife. Since there is nothing to the case, there is an attempt to create the false impression as if there is different evidence and documents that were not presented to the prime minister in his questioning. It's all just hot air." Police arrested Wednesday an 18-year-old from southern Israel on suspicion of raping his 14-year-old girlfrienda resident of Petah Tikva. The suspect denies the allegations. Brazilian authorities arrested Danny Traeger, the head of an Israeli drug smuggling network, who fled to Brazil before being extradited to Israel, Paraguay's media outlets reported Thursday. The suspect will be transferred to the Israel Police, which announced earlier this week that 37 suspects had been arrested so far for involvement in the drug smuggling network. The International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague has reported significant progress in its preliminary investigation into a complaint filed by the Palestinians for war crimes allegedly committed by Israel in the 2014 Operation Protective Edge, during the 2018 protests on the Gaza border and over the construction of settlements and the demolition of houses in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter However, Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in the report she has not yet decided whether to open an official investigation and nor whether she has the authority to deal with the Palestinian issue. Bensouda; Gaza border Bensouda's report states that during the "March of Return" campaign that began in March 2018 along the Israel-Gaza border, IDF soldiers used lethal as well as non-lethal force against the protesters and have caused the deaths of 170 people, including 30 children, and wounded more than 19,000. Among those wounded were also medical aid workers and journalists, according to the report. However, Bensouda also noted that "while most of the demonstrators engaged in non-violent protest and remained a few hundred meters away from the border fence, some of them entered the immediate area of the fence and were involved in violent activities such as rocket fire, Molotov cocktails and explosive devices, they launched incendiary balloons and kites into Israel and tried to infiltrate Israeli territory." Riots at Gaza border fence (Photo: AFP) "Israel claims that Hamas and other armed groups initiated a violent confrontation and exploited the protest as a cover for terrorist activity... while making use of the civilian population as a human shield for their military activities," she wrote. "However, the IDF's rules of engagement and the claims of excessive and lethal use of force by the Israeli security forces in the context of the demonstrations elicited harsh criticism from, among others, UN officials and several international NGOs." The prosecutor noted the UN Human Rights Council's decision to establish a body to investigate allegations of violations of international law by Israel in connection with the demonstrations. The IDF has stated that it will conduct internal investigations into incidents in which protesters were shot. Bensouda also noted that her office received information about other crimes allegedly committed by senior Israeli officials in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, which could possibly be classified as crimes against humanity; in particular, allegations of persecution, expulsion of civilians and accusations of apartheid. In addition, the prosecutor's office received accusations that Palestinian security and intelligence agents operating in the West Bank committed crimes against civilians held in PA detention facilities. These and other crimes, she noted, require further investigation. Regarding the situation in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, the report emphasized that the Israeli government consistently claims that settlement activity is legal, while on the other hand, the Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that the government's settlement policy is not justiciable. The prosecutor's office examined several Supreme Court decisions that examined the legality of certain government activities relating to the settlements. In addition, the office examined whether, based on existing information, alleged crimes committed in the West Bank since June 2014 were serious enough to warrant opening an investigation, particularly with regards to their scope, nature, and impact on the victims and communities. In April 2018, shortly after the start of the March of Return campaign, Bensouda issued a statement expressing deep concern over the violence escalating in the Gaza Strip and called for its cessation. On October 17, she issued another statement expressing concern about Israel's intention to dismantle the Bedouin settlement in Khan al-Ahmar in the West Bank, as well as the continued violence by both sides along the Gaza-Israel border. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement: "The annual report of the prosecutor's office on preliminary examinations has only just been published, and we are studying it. Recalling that Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court, and our unequivocal position is that the tribunal has no authority to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, inter alia, since the PA is not a state. We expect that at the end of the preliminary examination the prosecutor will confirm this." EU Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret referred Thursday to the IDF's Northern Shield Operation to neutralize Hezbollah tunnels on the Israeli-Lebanese border. "Closely following news regrading Northern Shield Operation. In close contact with Israeli authorities. Israel has the right to safeguard security of its citizens and territory. UNIFIL has key role to ensure stability, need full support to fulfil its mandate to maintain stability and prevent escalation," he said on Twitter. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday there is "reasonable possibility we will have to operate in Lebanon" as part of the IDF's Operation Northern Shield to uncover and destroy Hezbollah tunnels that cross the border into Israel. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter "We are systematically and decisively denying our enemies the tunnels weapon. We are doing this with Hamas, and with Hezbollah; we will do whatever is necessary," Netanyahu told 25 foreign ambassadors during a tour of the tunnel site in the upper Galilee. "This operation is just beginning but in the end, the tunnels weapon, in which Hezbollah has invested so much, will not exist and will not be effective." "Whoever attacks us is taking his life into his hands. Hezbollah knows this and so does Hamas," he added. Netanyahu briefing foreign ambassadors (Photo: Haim Tzah/GPO) "Israel expects an unequivocal condemnation of Hezbollah, the imposition of additional sanctions on Iran, a condemnation from the Lebanese government and a demand that it stop giving its approval for the use of its territory for these attacks against Israel," the prime minister stressed. Netanyahu said Israel plans to demand a response from the international community at a meeting of the UN Security Council called for by Israel. Netanyahu briefs foreign ambassadors X The prime minister confirmed that the impending Operation Northern Shield was part of the reason why the Security Cabinet decided to continue pursuing an arrangement with Hamas in Gaza after the last flare-up, which saw over 500 rockets fired by terror groups in the strip at Israel. "We're preparing on all fronts, and I will determine the timing (for fighting) on each front. They can't do anything because we neutralized them. It's one of the reasons we didn't go on an operation in Gaza, but not the only reason," he said. Netanyahu briefing foreign ambassadors (Photo: Haim Tzah/GPO) The ambassadors were briefed by GOC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoav Strick and Planning Directorate Commander Maj.-Gen. Amir Abulafia, and toured the area of the exposed tunnel. A senior Israeli intelligence explained Netanyahu decided to tour the operation's area with the ambassadors "to create diplomatic legitimization for further action down the roadif and when we need it." "We're trying to de-legitimize Hezbollah," he explained. "They infiltrated our territory. We're convening the Security Council at the end of the week or early next week, and we'll start applying the same pressure we put on Hamasnot just against the tunnels, but also to make it clear this is a terror organization that is here to kill civilians." The official said the IDF chose to launch the operation on the Lebanese border now to stop Hezbollah from learning of it ahead of time. "If Hezbollah found out that we know (about the tunnels), they might have accelerated the efforts to carry out a kidnapping. We didn't want to reach a situation in which they infiltrate and capture a soldier or a civilian," he said. IDF troops operating in the north (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit) The official also noted Russian presence on the Syria-Lebanon border is significantly slowing down Hezbollah's efforts to convert its regular missiles into precision-guided ones. "We're using a plan that exposes and deprives them of their conversion sites for such a weapon. They were neutralized and eliminated by mere words," he said. "If Iran tries to transfer such weapons to Lebanon, the state of Lebanon will get into a big mess." Furthermore, "according to Nasrallah's plan to develop accurate weapons, they were supposed to have thousands of accurate missiles by now. In reality they have mere dozens," the senior official explained. "It happened because we disrupted their operations." However, Israel's main enemy remains Iran. "The result of our operations in Syria is a drop in the (Iranian) order of battle there. We acted against the Iranian militias and blew up their bases," he said. "As a result of the sanctions regime against Iran, their cash flow dropped by tens of percents." Iran too has tunnels, he said. "The tunnels are wide and the goal is to have battalions, large forces, infiltrating Israeli territory, go on a killing spree and take over communities." European Union nations have agreed to step up the fight against anti-Semitism and boost security to better protect Jewish communities and institutions across the continent. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter The 28-nation EU's interior ministers unanimously approved an 11-page declaration Thursday recognizing a common definition of anti-Semitism and acknowledging Jewish concerns given the prevalence of attacks in recent years. The Council of the European Union, composed of all leaders of European countries, is expected to also approve the declartion as well on Friday. French President Macron with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Photo: MCT) The declaration underlines the importance of education about the Holocaust and urges the EU's police agency Europol to point out anti-Semitic terror content online to internet service providers. EU funds are available to improve security. This is the first time that an official document of the Council of the European Union explicitly mentions the need to unite in the fight against anti-Semitism. The declaration was co-authored by Austria and the World Jewish Congress over a period of five months and involved frantic diplomatic activity when some European countries initially opposed the statement or its wording. The formulation of the declaration began after representatives of the WJC were invited to appear before the EU's Forum of Ministers of Justice and Interior. A copy of the document The two main objectors were Sweden , which requested the addition of a reference to Islamophobia, not just anti-Semitisma demand that was rejected (the document does state that EU countries are determined to prevent and combat anti-Semitism as well as all forms of racism, xenophobia, intolerance and discrimination)and Spain, which had a more general opposition to the document, but came around ultimately. According to officials involved in formulating the declaration, the real reason for opposition to the declaration was fear it would serve to stifle criticism of the State of Israel. Two central players behind the declaration, intervening to ensure a full consensus among the 28 EU states, were German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron's foreign relations adviser persuaded the Spaniards to withdraw their reservations. Baroness Katharina Von Schnurbein, the EU Coordinator on combating anti-Semitism, was the driving force behind the document's formulation. Baroness Katharina Von Schnurbein (Photo: Anders Lecko) The Israeli Foreign Ministry, through the Israeli delegation to the European Union and the Israeli embassies in Europe, joined the diplomatic process on its last stretch and assisted behind the scenes in persuading the hesitating countries. To understand the difficulty of formulating a document agreed upon by all 28 EU member states, it is worth noting that the final declaration had no fewer than 84 drafts. An important clause was added to the document stating that the Council of the European Union notes "that anti-Semitism, including when disguised under the cover of political views, as well as neo-Nazism are causing great concerns to Jewish communities in several Member States." The statement said that the EU Council "is determined to ensure a future for Jewish people to live with the same sense of security and freedom as all other citizens in the EU." In addition, the Council recognizes that "the security of the Jewish people is an immediate need requiring immediate action of the Member States and institutions of the European Union." The document includes a series of prominent operational provisions that European countries are to undertake on behalf of Jewish communities. Among the outstanding points, the 28 countries promise to adopt and implement a holistic strategy to combat and prevent anti-Semitism, provide funding and implement measures to secure communities, promote Holocaust memory education, and pay special attention to anti-Semitism on the Internet. EU headquarters The World Jewish Congress stressed that although it is not a binding declaration or a pan-European legislation, it can be translated into action. The Congress intends to appeal to the countries of the European Union and demand the implementation of the declaration they signed. This also provides a basis for the various Jewish communities to demand financial assistance from European countries for improving security measures. The Congress found that there are Jewish communities that have to spend 50 percent of their budget on security, and there are eight European countries that do nothing to protect their Jewish communities (Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Ukraine, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia) or do very little such as providing protection to synagogues only on Rosh Hashana and Passover Seder night in addition to giving a small budget to the Jewish community for security purposes. On the other hand, there are countries that do a lot, such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, France, Italy (police presence at synagogues 24 hours a day) and Greece (police presence 24 hours a day). 'This document will save lives' "This is undoubtedly a revolution in the European Union's approach to dealing with anti-Semitism," said the World Jewish Congress, "and that this document will save human lives, if because of it another policeman is added to guard a synagogue and possibly prevent a terrorist attack." Anti-Semitic graffiti in Spain Baroness Von Schnurbein added, "If countries are signatories to the declaration, it means that they are committed to fighting anti-Semitism This will allow Jewish communities and organizations struggling with anti-Semitism to turn to the various governments and ask: 'what you are doing to increase protection for Jews?'" Referring to a CNN poll that found that one in five Europeans justify anti-Semitism, Von Schnurbein said "It is shocking but unfortunately not surprising. We see the memory of the Holocaust fading quickly, especially among young people who are less aware. Anti-Semitism is rearing its head and there are countries that are witnessing record levels of anti-Semitism, such as the UK where there are four anti-Semitic incidents daily, and it has nothing to do with the Middle East" A senior Israeli official noted that in light of the dramatic rise in anti-Semitism in Europe and CNN's anti-Semitism survey, there is no more opportune time for such a declaration. "Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem, it is a European problem. Something is screwed up in European DNA that after 70 years anti-Semitism is rising without any connection to Israel. We dont need Israel for anti-Semitism; this continent has a malignant disease. Using Israel as an excuse for anti-Semitism must end. Europe must not be freed from responsibility." A comprehensive survey of anti-Semitism across the continent conducted by the European Union and will be published in the coming days found that 85 percent of European Jews say that anti-Semitism and racism are the most difficult problems they face. GOC Northern Commander Maj. Gen. Yoel Strick on Thursday gave the commander of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) a tour of the Hezbollah terror tunnel the IDF uncovered near Metula, and protested the violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Follow Ynetnews on Facebook STRONG> and Twitter Maj. Gen. Strick presented UNIFIL commander Maj. Gen. Sefano Del Col with aerial photos of a group of houses in the Lebanese village of Ramyeh, where the IDF says there is another terror tunnel is crossing into Israel. Strick demanded UNIFIL to work in conjunction with the Lebanese army to investigate and neutralize the tunnel. Maj. Gen. Strick with the UNIFIL commander (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office) "We urge ... that UNIFIL take action together with the Lebanese armed forces to clear the area, clear the access to the tunnels and make sure that it is not used for (hostile) purposes against Israel," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a senior military spokesman. The UN peacekeeping force confirmed the existence of a tunnel near the "blue line" frontier between the two countries in a statement on Thursday, describing it as a "serious occurrence". Israel this week launched an open-ended operation meant to expose and thwart tunnels built by Hezbollah aimed at infiltrating Israel. The IDF said it "holds the Lebanese government, the Lebanese Armed Forces and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), responsible for all events transpiring in and emanating from Lebanon." Meanwhile, the IDF presented dozens of foreign military attaches, including the US, with information on Hezbollah's tunnel project. The IDF stressed Operation Northern Shield will continue despite the winter weather. "We've prepared for that with suitable equipment, warm food and heating to the hundreds of soldiers who are part of the operation alongside civilian bodies," the army said in a statement. UNIFIL at the Lebanon border (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office) "We continue with the effort of gathering intelligence about what's happening in Lebanon. Many Hezbollah members, including senior members, didn't even know about these tunnels," the IDF continued. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu toured the operation's area with a group of ambassadors Thursday. "I told the ambassadors that they need to unequivocally condemn this aggression against us by Iran, by Hezbollah and by Hamas, and of course, to also strengthen the sanctions against these elements," Netanyahu said. Netanyahu also said he will demand the UN Security Council discuss the matter. He said that at the end of the operation, the tunnels "will no longer exist and will no longer be effective." Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, told reporters Thursday that the army is now operating in three areas where tunnels have been discovered. "We are aware of additional tunnels," he said. In Lebanon, the LBC TV posted an audio message that it said some residents of the border village of Kfar Fila received on their cellphones Thursday warning them to stay away from tunnels. "Hezbollah is putting your lives in danger because of digging tunnels," said the Arabic audio message, which appeared to have been sent by Israel. "These tunnels could explode. Anyone who is close to the tunnels is putting his or her life in danger." IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis rejected Lebanese reports from recent days that Hezbollah already has accurate missiles. "An accurate missile hits a specific target, like a building, and Hezbollah's capability in this regard is minor to non-operational. We continue operating against Hezbollah's accurate missile project, in Syria as well," he said. JERICHO - A Palestinian court has extended the detention of a hunger-striking Palestinian-American activist who claims she was tortured in captivity. The Jericho court on Thursday ordered that Suha Jbara, a US citizen born in Panama, remain in custody 15 more days on suspicions she funded "illegal organizations." Jbara started a hunger strike two weeks ago to protest what she says is unjust treatment by Palestinian authorities. She appeared weak, with trouble walking, breathing and keeping her eyes open, as she entered the courtroom. She told human rights organization Amnesty International that Palestinian authorities tortured her and forced her to sign a document admitting to charges she claims are false. Residents in southern Lebanon have been receiving messages from Israel warning them from Hezbollah's tunnels, the Lebanese Elnashra News site reported Thursday. According to the report, the message said: "Near your homes there are tunnels dug by Hezbollah, which could endanger your lives. Take caution." The High Court of Justice on Thursday approved the demolition of the home of the terrorist who carried out the attack at the Barkan industrial area in early October, murdering two Israelis. The judges rejected a petition by the terrorist's family appealing the decision. IDF forces will be able to demolish the house of Ashraf Naalwa on December 16, when the temporary injunction issued by the court expires. The diplomat was speaking at a seminar on the Vietnam-Mexico relations, held on December 5 by the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico and the International Studies Faculty of the Mexico Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), discussing the outlook of cooperation between the two countries. Addressing the event, Ambassador Duong said that since the two countries first set up their diplomatic relations 43 years ago, the bilateral relationship has grown strongly in all fields, such as politics, economics, trade, culture, education, healthcare and tourism. Mexico is now the third largest trade partner of Vietnam in Latin America, while Vietnam is the eighth biggest market of Mexico in Asia. He stated that the Vietnamese and Mexican economies can supplement each other, adding that the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will contribute to creating a favourable environment for the promotion of economic, trade and investment partnership between Vietnam and Mexico. Through 40 years of national construction, from a war-torn country, Vietnam is now on the way to industrialisation and modernisation with a rising position in the world arena. So far, the Southeast Asian nation has set up diplomatic relations with 180 countries and trade partnership with nearly 200 economies in the world, Duong said. Vietnam consistently pursues the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, openness, diversification, multilateralisation and active international integration. The ambassador affirmed that in the past two decades, Vietnam has made important contributions to the growth of ASEAN, adding that the country is working with the other members of the association to build the ASEAN Community Vision with the aim to foster intra-bloc connectivity through integration and dialogues. Israel's supervision and monitoring of the Qatari funds going into the Gaza Strip has improved significantly, a senior diplomatic official said Thursday. "Israel gets a list of all of the government employees who are coming to get their salaries. They sign off on it and give their fingerprint. There has never been better supervision over the money transfers," he said. A Palestinian from Bethlehem in his 30s was arrested in the Ma'ale Adumim area on Thursday on suspicion he planned to transfer tens of thousands of shekels to Hamas. A search of the suspect's vehicle found the money hidden. Cities face licensing decisions with legalization of pot By RALPH ANSAMI [email protected] Marijuana is legal for adults in Michigan today as Proposal 1 officially takes effect. The initiative was approved by 56 percent of Michigan voters in the November mid-term election. It allows adults 21 and older to possess and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, including up to 15 grams in the form of marijuana concentrate. It also allows them to grow up to 12 marijuana plants and possess up to 10 ounces of marijuana in their residences, as well as any marijuana grown on the premises. Michigan officials are in the process of establishing a... GCC STUDENT Brittany Walters attempts to complete a sobriety test while wearing goggles that simulates the effect of being under the influence Wednesday during a presentation by local Michigan State Police troopers. By RICHARD JENKINS [email protected] IRONWOOD - While the members of Gogebic Community College's TRIO program have undoubtedly heard they shouldn't drink and drive before, Michigan state police troopers explained why during a "Eat, don't drink and be merry" lunch and learn program Wednesday. Along with the potential risk to themselves and others, the troopers said drunk driving can also be an expensive mistake. "They say on average your first drunk driving, will cost you about $10,000 by the time everything is said and done," Trooper Joe Renaud said. "They're taking into account i... News Washington, DC - Three men were charged in an indictment returned November 27 for their roles in a scheme to defraud U.S. Military contracts in Afghanistan, engaging in illegal commerce in Iran, and laundering money internationally. Their conduct was in connection to two multi-million dollar contracts to provide supplies and logistical support to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. and Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John F. Sopko made the announcement. Abul Huda Farouki, 75, of McLean, Virginia; his brother Mazen Farouki, 73, of Boyce, Virginia; and Salah Maarouf, 71, of Fairfax, Virginia, were each charged in an indictment filed in the District of Columbia with two counts of major fraud, one count of conspiracy to violate the restrictions on doing business with Iran, four counts of substantive violations of those restrictions, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering. The defendants made their initial appearance on Nov. 29 before Judge G. Michael Harvey. All were arraigned and pleaded not guilty. The next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 6 before Judge Trevor N. McFadden. The indictment alleges that Abul Huda Farouki was the chief executive officer of Anham FZCO, a defense contractor based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which maintained offices in Dubai, UAE, Jordan and the United States. Mazen Farouki was the President and Founder of Unitrans International Incorporated, an international logistics company with close ties to Anham. Defendant Salah Maarouf operated a company that procured goods and services for Anham. According to the indictment, on June 22, 2012, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded Anham an $8 billion contract to provide food and supplies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan known as the SPV-A contract. As part of the bidding process, the defendants allegedly caused Anham to represent that it would build two warehouses in Afghanistan, which Anham would use to provide supplies to U.S. forces. The indictment alleges that the defendants schemed to defraud the Department of Defense in connection with the SPV-A contract by submitting bids that contained knowingly false estimates of the completion dates for the warehouses and by providing the government with misleading photographs intended to convey that Anhams progress on the warehouses was further along than it actually was. Specifically, the indictment alleges that, in February of 2012, the defendants and others caused Anham employees to transport construction equipment and materials to the proposed site of one of the warehouse complexes to create the false appearance of an active construction site. Members of the conspiracy then photographed the site, provided the photographs to the Department of Defense, and then largely deconstructed the staged construction site. The SPV-A contract also required bidders to certify that they abide by the Iran Sanctions Act, which prohibits U.S. citizens and companies from engaging in commercial activity in Iran. According to the indictment, the defendants conspired to increase Anhams profits in connection with the SPV-A contract by shipping warehouse building materials to Afghanistan via Iran, instead of using more costly, but legal, routes. According to the indictment, after learning that the Wall Street Journal was planning to run a story detailing Anhams practice of shipping materials through Iran, Abul Huda Farouki sent an email to a senior Department of Defense official, which falsely claimed that senior management at Anham had been unaware that the transshipments through Anham had taken place. In addition to the SPV-A contract, the indictment alleges that the defendants schemed to defraud the Department of Defense with respect to the National Afghan Trucking (NAT) contract, which was a $984 million contract that required Anham to supply trucking services to the U.S. Military in Afghanistan. As with the SPV-A contract, the NAT contract required bidders to certify compliance with laws concerning sanctions placed on Iran. According to the indictment, rather than ship trucks to Afghanistan using legal but relatively expensive routes, the defendants conspired to cut costs by transporting vehicles through Iran. The indictment alleges that the defendants conduct violated laws prohibiting fraud, commercial activity with Iran, and international money laundering. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case was investigated by HSI Washington, DC and by investigators at SIGAR. Trial Attorneys James Gelber and Danny Nguyen of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. News Miami, Florida - A former owner of Banco Peravia bank in the Dominican Republic was sentenced to three years in prison for his role in a billion-dollar money laundering scheme involving currency exchange. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Mark B. Dawson of HSI's Houston Field Office, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBIs Miami Field Office and Inspector General Jay N. Lerner of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporations (FDIC) Washington, D.C. Office made the announcement. Gabriel Arturo Jimenez Aray (Jimenez), 50, a Venezuelan citizen residing in Chicago, Illinois and former owner of Banco Peravia bank, was sentenced today to three years in prison by U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg of the Southern District of Florida. Jimenez pleaded guilty under seal on March 20, 2018 to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. As part of his guilty plea, Jimenez admitted that, as part of the scheme, he conspired with co-conspirator Raul Gorrin Belisario, 50, and others to acquire Banco Peravia, through which he helped launder bribe money and scheme proceeds. Jimenez and his co-conspirators made the decision to use Banco Peravia to pay bribes to Venezuelan government officials in exchange for contracts to conduct currency exchange schemes and to launder the money obtained from running those currency exchange schemes. Jimenez facilitated illegal transactions and bribe payments to foreign officials and others via bank issued credit cards, cash disbursements, wire transfers and other financial transactions, he admitted. HSI Miami, HSI Houston, HSI Boston, FBI Miami and the FDIC investigated this case. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Vanessa Sisti Snyder, Paul A. Hayden and John-Alex Romano of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael B. Nadler and Nalina Sombuntham of the Southern District of Florida. The Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The Policia Nacional (Spanish National Police) also provided significant assistance. News Brussels, Belgium - Restoring the Role of the Nation-State in the Liberal International Order: SECRETARY of STATE POMPEO: Thank you, Ian, for the kind introduction. Good morning to all of you; thank you for joining me here today. Its wonderful to be in this beautiful place, to get a chance to make a set of remarks about the very work that you do, the issues that confront the Marshall Fund and confront our region as well. Before I start today with my formal remarks, it would be I would be enormously remiss if I did not pay a well-deserved tribute to Americas 41st president, George Herbert Walker Bush. He was a many of you know him. He was an unyielding champion of freedom around the world first as a fighter pilot in World War II, later as a congressman. He was the ambassador to the United Nations, and then an envoy to China. He then had the same job I had as the director of the CIA I did it longer than he did. He was then the vice president under Ronald Reagan. I got to know him some myself. He was a wonderful brother, a father, a grandfather, and a proud American. Indeed, America is the only country he loved more than Texas. (Laughter.) I actually think that he would be delighted for me to be here today at an institution named after a fellow lover of freedom, George Marshall. And he would have been thrilled to see all of you here, such a large crowd gathered who are dedicated to transatlantic bonds, so many decades after they were first forged. The men who rebuilt Western civilization after World War II, like my predecessor Secretary Marshall, knew that only strong U.S. leadership, in concert with our friends and allies, could unite the sovereign nations all around the globe. So we underwrote new institutions to rebuild Europe and Japan, to stabilize currencies, and to facilitate trade. We all co-founded NATO to guarantee security for ourselves and our allies. We entered into treaties to codify Western values of freedom and human rights. Collectively, we convened multilateral organizations to promote peace and cooperation among states. And we worked hard indeed, tirelessly to preserve Western ideals because, as President Trump made clear in his Warsaw address, each of those are worth preserving. This American leadership allowed us to enjoy the greatest human flourishing in modern history. We won the Cold War. We won the peace. With no small measure of George H. W. Bushs effort, we reunited Germany. This is the type of leadership that President Trump is boldly reasserting. After the Cold War ended, we allowed this liberal order to begin to corrode. It failed us in some places, and sometimes it failed you and the rest of the world. Multilateralism has too often become viewed as an end unto itself. The more treaties we sign, the safer we supposedly are. The more bureaucrats we have, the better the job gets done. Was that ever really true? The central question that we face is that is the question of whether the system as currently configured, as it exists today, and as the world exists today does it work? Does it work for all the people of the world? Today at the United Nations, peacekeeping missions drag on for decades, no closer to peace. The UNs climate-related treaties are viewed by some nations as simply a vehicle to redistribute wealth. Anti-Israel bias has been institutionalized. Regional powers collude to vote the likes of Cuba and Venezuela onto the Human Rights Council. The UN was founded as an organization that welcomed peace-loving nations. I ask: Today, does it continue to serve its mission faithfully? In the Western Hemisphere, has enough been done with the Organization of American States to promote its four pillars of democracy, human rights, security, and economic development in a region that includes the likes of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua? In Africa, does the African Union advance the mutual interest of its nation-state members? For the business community, from which I came, consider this: The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund were chartered to help rebuild war-torn territories and promote private investment and growth. Today, these institutions often counsel countries who have mismanaged their economic affairs to impose austerity measures that inhibit growth and crowd out private sector actors. Here in Brussels, the European Union and its predecessors have delivered a great deal of prosperity to the entire continent. Europe is Americas single largest trading partner, and we benefit enormously from your success. But Brexit if nothing else was a political wake-up call. Is the EU ensuring that the interests of countries and their citizens are placed before those of bureaucrats here in Brussels? These are valid questions. This leads to my next point: Bad actors have exploited our lack of leadership for their own gain. This is the poisoned fruit of American retreat. President Trump is determined to reverse that. Chinas economic development did not lead to an embrace of democracy and regional stability; it led to more political repression and regional provocations. We welcomed China into the liberal order, but never policed its behavior. China has routinely exploited loopholes in the World Trade Organization rules, imposed market restrictions, forced technology transfers, and stolen intellectual property. And it knows that world opinion is powerless to stop its Orwellian human rights violations. Iran didnt join the community of nations after the nuclear deal was inked; it spread its newfound riches to terrorists and to dictators. Tehran holds multiple American hostages, and Bob Levinson has been missing there for 11 years. Iran has blatantly disregarded UN Security Council resolutions, lied to the International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors about its nuclear program, and evaded UN sanctions. Just this past week, Iran test fired a ballistic missile, in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2231. Earlier this year, Tehran used the U.S.-Iran Treaty of Amity to bring baseless claims against the United States before the International Court of Justice most all of this malign activity during the JCPOA. Russia. Russia hasnt embraced Western values of freedom and international cooperation. Rather, it has suppressed opposition voices and invaded the sovereign nations of Georgia and of Ukraine. Moscow has also deployed a military-grade nerve agent on foreign soil, right here in Europe, in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention to which it is a party. And as Ill detail later today, Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty for many years. The list goes on. We have to account for the world order of today in order to chart the way forward. It is what Americas National Security Strategy deemed principled realism. I like to think of it as common sense. Every nation every nation must honestly acknowledge its responsibilities to its citizens and ask if the current international order serves the good of its people as well as it could. And if not, we must ask how we can right it. This is what President Trump is doing. He is returning the United States to its traditional, central leadership role in the world. He sees the world as it is, not as we wish it to be. He knows that nothing can replace the nation-state as the guarantor of democratic freedoms and national interests. He knows, as George H.W. Bush knew, that a safer world has consistently demanded American courage on the world stage. And when we and when we all of us ignore our responsibilities to the institutions weve formed, others will abuse them. Critics in places like Iran and China who really are undermining the international order are saying the Trump administration is the reason this system is breaking down. They claim America is acting unilaterally instead of multilaterally, as if every kind of multilateral action is by definition desirable. Even our European friends sometimes say were not acting in the worlds interest. This is just plain wrong. Our mission is to reassert our sovereignty, reform the liberal international order, and we want our friends to help us and to exert their sovereignty as well. We aspire to make the international order serve our citizens not to control them. America intends to lead now and always. Under President Trump, we are not abandoning international leadership or our friends in the international system. Indeed, quite the contrary. Just look, as one example, at the historic number of countries which have gotten on board our pressure campaign against North Korea. No other nation in the world could have rallied dozens of nations, from every corner of the world, to impose sanctions on the regime in Pyongyang. International bodies must help facilitate cooperation that bolsters the security and values of the free world, or they must be reformed or eliminated. When treaties are broken, the violators must be confronted, and the treaties must be fixed or discarded. Words should mean something. Our administration is thus lawfully exiting or renegotiating outdated or harmful treaties, trade agreements, and other international arrangements that do not serve our sovereign interests, or the interests of our allies. We announced our intent to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change, absent better terms for the United States. The current pact wouldve siphoned money from American paychecks and enriched polluters like China. In America, weve found a better solution we think a better solution for the world. Weve unleashed our energy companies to innovate and compete, and our carbon emissions have declined dramatically. We changed course from the Iran deal, because of, among other things, Tehrans violent and destabilizing activities, which undermined the spirit of the deal and put the safety of American people and our allies at risk. In its place, we are leading our allies to constrain Irans revolutionary ambitions and end Irans campaigns of global terrorism. And we neednt a new bureaucracy to do it. We need to continue to develop a coalition which will achieve that outcome which will keep people in the Middle East, in Europe, and the entire world safe from the threat from Iran. America renegotiated our treaty, NAFTA, to advance the interests of the American worker. President Trump proudly signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement at the G20 this past weekend in Buenos Aires, and on Friday will submit it to the Congress, a body accountable to the American people. The new agreement also includes renegotiation provisions, because no trade agreement is permanently suited to all times. We have encouraged our G20 partners to reform the WTO, and they took a good first step in Buenos Aires this last week. I spoke earlier about the World Bank and the IMF. The Trump Administration is working to refocus these institutions on policies that promote economic prosperity, pushing to halt lending to nations that can already access global capital markets countries like China and pressing to reduce taxpayer handouts to development banks that are perfectly capable of raising private capital on their own. Were also taking leadership, real action to stop rogue international courts, like the International Criminal Court, from trampling on our sovereignty your sovereignty and all of our freedoms. The ICCs Office of the Prosecutor is trying to open an investigation into U.S. personnel in connection with the war in Afghanistan. We will take all necessary steps to protect our people, those of our NATO allies who fight alongside of us inside of Afghanistan from unjust prosecution. Because we know that if it can happen to our people, it can happen to yours too. It is a worthy question: Does the court continue to serve its original intended purpose? The first two years of the Trump administration demonstrate that President Trump is not undermining these institutions, nor is he abandoning American leadership. Quite the opposite. In the finest traditions of our great democracy, we are rallying the noble nations of the world to build a new liberal order that prevents war and achieves greater prosperity for all. Were supporting institutions that we believe can be improved; institutions that work in American interests and yours in service of our shared values. For example, here in Belgium in 1973, banks from 15 countries formed SWIFT to develop common standards for cross-border payments, and its now an integral part of our global financial infrastructure. SWIFT recently disconnected sanctioned Iranian banks from its platform because of the unacceptable risk they pose to a system to the system as a whole. This is an excellent example of American leadership working alongside an international institution to act responsibly. Another example: the Proliferation Security Initiative, formed by 11 nations under the Bush administration to stop trafficking in weapons of mass destruction. It has since grown organically to 105 countries and has undoubtedly made the world safer. And I cant forget, standing here, one of the most important international institutions of them all which will continue to thrive with American leadership. My very first trip, within hours of having been sworn in as a secretary of state, I traveled here to visit with our NATO allies. Ill repeat this morning what I said then this is an indispensable institution. President Trump wants everyone to pay their fair share so we can deter our enemies and defend people the people of our countries. To that end, all NATO allies should work to strengthen what is already the greatest military alliance in all of history. Never never has an alliance ever been so powerful or so peaceful, and our historic ties must continue. To that end, Im pleased to announce that I will host my foreign minister colleagues for a meeting in Washington next April, where we will mark NATOs 70th anniversary. As my remarks come to a close, I want to repeat what George Marshall told the UN General Assembly back near the time of its formation in 1948. He said, quote, International organizations cannot take the place of national and personal effort or of local and individual imagination; international action cannot replace self-help. End of quote. Sometimes its not popular to buck the status quo, to call out that which we all see but sometimes refuse to speak about. But frankly, too much is at stake for all of us in this room today not to do so. This is the reality that President Trump so viscerally understands. Just as George Marshalls generation gave life to a new vision for a safe and free world, so we call on you to have the same kind of boldness. Our call is especially urgent especially urgent in light of the threats we face from powerful countries and actors whose ambition is to reshape the international order in its own illiberal image. Lets work together. Lets work together to preserve the free world so that it continues to serve the interests of the people to whom we each are accountable. Lets do so in a way that creates international organizations that are agile, that respect national sovereignty, that deliver on their stated missions, and that create value for the liberal order and for the world. President Trump understands deeply that when America leads, peace and prosperity almost certainly follow. He knows that if America and our allies here in Europe dont lead, others will choose to do so. America will, as it has always done, continue to work with our allies around the world towards the peaceful, liberal order each citizen of the world deserves. Thank you for joining me here today. May the Good Lord bless each and every one of you. Thank you. Latest News Miami, Florida - A South Florida pharmacist was sentenced to 78 months in prison today for his role in a $5 million compounding pharmacy scheme. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBIs Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector Generals (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge John F. Khin of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Services (DCIS) Southeast Field Office and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement. Stephen Chalker, 42, of Wellington, Florida, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks of the Southern District of Florida, who also ordered Chalker to pay $4,980,679.50 in restitution jointly and severally and a forfeiture money judgment of $244,134. After a four-day trial before Judge Middlebrooks, Chalker was convicted by a jury in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sept. 7, 2018 of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and two counts of health care fraud. According to evidence presented at trial, from approximately September 2014 to August 2016, Chalker engaged in a scheme to defraud Medicare, TRICARE and Medicaid by submitting false and fraudulent claims for compounded drugs and other prescription medications that were not medically necessary and/or never provided. The evidence established that in his role as the licensed pharmacist-in-charge of Pops Pharmacy, a now-defunct pharmacy in Deerfield Beach, Florida, Chalker submitted or caused the submission of high-dollar claims for expensive pain and scar creams that patients did not want, did not need and in some cases did not receive. Chalker, as pharmacist-in-charge, created the formulas for the fraudulent compounded pain and scar creams to be filled by Pops Pharmacy in order to maximize profits for Pops Pharmacy from insurance reimbursement, and not for patient care. Chalker and his co-conspirators ran a nationwide telemarketing and telemedicine scheme in which there was no real patient-prescriber relationship or actual patient care, the evidence showed. The evidence established that as a result of claims submitted in connection with the scheme, Medicare, TRICARE and Medicaid made payments totaling nearly $5 million. Two other defendants have been charged in this case. Elaina Liva, 66, of Pompano Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Nov. 1, 2018 to 24 months in prison and was ordered to pay $4,980,679.50 in restitution jointly and severally. Chris Liva, 40, the owner of Pops Pharmacy, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Nov. 14, 2018 to 48 months in prison and was ordered to pay $4,980,679.50 in restitution jointly and severally. (40 months of his 48-month sentence will run concurrently with a 78-month health care fraud sentence imposed on Liva on June 19, 2018 in a health care fraud case prosecuted in the Northern District of Ohio, United States v. Physicians Surgical Group, LLC et al., 14-CR-00447-ADAMS). This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS and the State of Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Trial Attorney Jim Hayes of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie Wright of the District of Massachusetts (formerly a Fraud Section Trial Attorney) prosecuted the case. The Criminal Divisions Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 14 strike forces operating in 23 districts, has charged nearly 4,000 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for more than $14 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers. Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. 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. 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Mechanical engineering is a discipline applying knowledge in physics, engineering, material science, and engineering mathematics to design, analyze, maintain and manufacture mechanical systems. In fact, it is one of the oldest engineering disciplines in the world. This said, it is obvious to see why it would be a lucrative line of career considering that it has had years to develop and revolutionize. SOURCE: uwaterloo.ca Source: UGC There are certain careers that are admired by kids from the time they are young. This is because of their lucrative nature as far as remuneration is concerned. Mechanical engineering is one of the engineering disciplines that is actually very attractive. This article brings important information concerning this discipline for anyone who wants to venture into it. This is a discipline that is clearly not for the faint-hearted. One needs to have an understanding of various fields including material science, dynamics, mechanics, and electricity, not forgetting structural analysis. Going by these areas, it is easy to see that this is a career path that requires intellect and a high level of attention to details. To understand more about this field, read on. What you need to know about mechanical engineering Have you ever wondered or asked yourself the question: What is mechanical engineering? Before you envision a career in mechanical engineering, there are certain things you ought to know in order to excel in the field. The right foundation is crucial as it will help you make the right choices early enough. When you prepare in good time, you will become a better expert in your field of choice. READ ALSO: How to become a pilot in Ghana SOURCE: engineering.nyu.edu Source: UGC According to Accra Technical University, the demand for mechanical engineering courses in Ghana is on the rise since there has been an increase in the number of industries in the country. This calls for more skilled labour in this line. As seen by the courses offered in this school, mechanical engineering is diverse and ensures that competent experts that can work in both engineering and non-engineering capacities are modeled. Mechanical engineering touches on different areas among them being automobile engineering, refrigeration engineering, plant engineering, and robotics or production engineering, just to mention a few. Courses in engineering, regardless of specification, are geared towards empowering learners to acquire hands-on skills in designing, assembling, and manufacturing components and systems. The courses go further to help students apply all the social science skills learnt in school in order to manage engineering needs in organizations as well as maintain the right relationships with the said companies. There are different areas where a mechanical engineer could work. They could either be directly related to the course or could fall outside the course. Some of the jobs you can get into as a mechanical engineer include the following: Aerospace engineer Automotive engineer CAD technician Contracting civil engineer Control and instrumentation engineer Maintenance engineer Nuclear engineer Acoustic consultant Corporate investment banker Mining engineer Patent attorney Production manager Technical sales engineer Water engineer Apart from engineering jobs, you can also work in management, especially if you have a number of years of experience in the field. READ ALSO: Ghana signs agreement for Accra Sky Train Project Becoming a mechanical engineer step by step In case you are eyeing any of the mechanical engineering jobs described above, it is important to be prepared on how to achieve this. Some of the useful tips I believe will come in handy include the following. 1. Choosing the right school This is probably the most basic and logical thing to do when choosing any career. It is important that you settle for a reputable school, especially one that is renowned for the field of study you are interested in. This is the best way to prepare yourself as the skills and knowledge you acquire will be useful in your area of study. Secondly, the school will have an impact on your CV whenever you apply for jobs in the future. Make sure you choose a school that is well-respected locally and internationally, if possible. Depending on the mechanical engineering school you settle for, you may have to study locally or abroad. If you decide to study abroad, choose a country that supports your study. This calls for extensive research. It helps to note that countries offering the best mechanical engineering courses are also likely to need these engineers more. This means that you can also easily secure a job in these countries. 2. The earlier you start gaining experience, the better The next thing you should have in mind is to always look out for opportunities to exercise your knowledge. While it is true that the school you choose has a great impact on the engineer you become, experience is even much more important. This means that you should always consider investing your free time in doing internships and voluntary sessions that encourage you to apply the skills you learn at school. This way, you get to build your CV and have an added advantage over the rest of the engineers graduating with just excellent results and no experience. 3. Know and understand your niche One of the most crucial things any aspiring engineer ought to know is that becoming the best in your field is a crucial element to success. After all, your salary will also depend on it. As you accumulate your experience, which will also boost your earnings, obviously, make sure that you learn and improve in your area each day. It is important to also understand your industry very well especially if you are just getting into employment. READ ALSO: List of food processing companies in Ghana Mechanical engineering jobs in Ghana SOURCE: continuinged.uml.edu Source: UGC As mentioned earlier, it is obvious that industries in Ghana have been increasing in the last few years. This translates to the need for more engineers. You can look for mechanical engineering jobs on different sites including Glassdoor.com. However, note that mechanical engineering careers are not the easiest to come by. The amount of hard work you have to put in right from the time you start studying warrants that the remuneration you get when you begin working is worth it. It is important, just as it is for other careers, to feel that your effort is valuable. Engineers spend quite a substantial amount of time at work ensuring that everything runs smoothly. They cannot afford to make silly mistakes as the consequences could run into thousands of dollars in losses, not to mention in some cases, it could cause far more damaging outcomes. This said, understanding the average salary of most mechanical engineers in Ghana will help you decide if it is a career path worth venturing into. You should weigh the pros and cons by comparing the investment in terms of schooling and actual work vs the remuneration before making a decision. Most of the mechanical engineers' salaries depend on the number of years of experience one has. An intern or a new graduate will definitely earn less than an engineer with several years experience in the industry. The salary will also depend on the hiring company and industry. According to PayScale.com, the average salary for a mechanical engineer in Ghana is about $12,004 per year, translating to about 57,771.65 Ghanaian Cedi. This estimate will give you an idea of what amount to expect in salary when you venture into the mechanical engineering field. READ ALSO: 5 high-paying jobs for people who don't like stress Source: Yen The Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Allotey Jacobs, has said that he disagrees with former president Jerry John Rawlings concerning the GHC 420,000 filing fees to be paid by NDC presidential aspirants. This comes in the wake of NDCs outrageous filing fees saga where some presidential aspirants were calling for a reduction in the GHC 420,000. Former president, J. J. Rawlings, who doubles as the founding father of Ghanas largest opposition party, the NDC, has said that the amount was too huge thus should be reconsidered and subsequently reduced. Allotey Jacobs. Credit: Supplied Source: Depositphotos READ ALSO: Ghanaians excited about Mahama's birth year lottery bonanza However, Mr. Allotey Jacbos, speaking as guest on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 edition of Badwam Show on Adom TV expressed his dissatisfaction with the stance taken by the founder of their party. I disagree with Rawlings that the fees should be reduced because if we gather the amount of money we will need for the flag-bearer race, even if they all pay, the total amount will not be enough, he said. Just after the NDCs National Delegates Congress, the general secretary of the party, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia announced that the filing fees for the presidential aspirant position was a whooping GHC 420,000. This announcement did not go down well with some NDC presidential aspirants as well as some party members thus they complained bitterly about the amount, deeming it too expensive. The likes of Dr. Ekow Spio-Gabrah, Sylvester Mensah, Alban Bagbin among others complained about the fee except former President John Dramani Mahama. READ ALSO: 9 of the wildest Jackie Appiah photos for her 35th birthday Not long after the filing fee was announced, about 97 NDC Members of Parliament together with over 100 members of the NDC party opted to contribute and pay the GHC 420,000 for ex-President John Dramani Mahama who was an aspirant for the flagbearership position of NDC towards the 2020 elections. News trickling in has confirmed that 4 of the presidential aspirants have been able to pay the filing fee of GHC 420,000 as of today. However, the 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament and 7-time Member of Parliament for Nadowli West Constituency; Mr. Alban Bagbin is still bitterly complaining about the filing fees. He claimed that the national executive committee of the party were being bias towards those who could not afford the fee. Meanwhile on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, Mr. Allotey Jacobs noted on Badwam Show on Adom TV that considering the NDCs penniless situation at the moment, it was justifiable to charge GHC 420,000 as filing fees since the amount would be used to finance the party towards the 2020 elections. READ ALSO: We are sick as NPP - Kennedy Agyapong faults government on issues surrounding illegal mining Watch: Ghana News Today: Colleges of Education Closed Indefinitely / Work Continues at GIJ | #Yencomgh Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen News A group of unidentified men who posed as workers of mobile telecom giant, MTN Ghana, have kidnapped an 18-year-old lady in Takoradi. The men were said to have advertised a supposed job opening at MTN Ghana in a WhatsApp group and encouraged interested persons to call a contact provided in the advertisement to apply for the job. According to a report sighted by YEN.com.gh on 3news.com, a young woman, Ruth Quayson, saw the advertisement in a WhatsApp group and called the contact number to express interest in the job. The kidnappers then asked Quayson to show up at the Takoradi Market Circle branch of MTN. It was there that she is believed to have been kidnapped. READ ALSO: Meet Prince William Darlington, the guy who 'used and dumped' Afia Schwarzenegger The kidnappers are asking for GHC 8,000 before they let go of 18 year-old Ruh Quayson. Source: UGC An elder sister of the kidnapped lady, Nana Adwoa Quayson, narrating the incident on Takoradi-based Connect FM Tuesday, said that her sister left home in the afternoon for the supposed job interview and never returned. The older Quayson said her sister was said to have been met by some guys at the entrance of the MTN office at the Market Circle. These men stopped and asked if she was the one coming for the job interview to which she responded in the affirmative. Nana Adwoa Quayson said she has been in contact with Ruth, who narrated everything to her. READ ALSO: I have prayed for Shatta Wale; he wont die Dr. Lawrence Tetteh declares The kidnappers were initially reported to have asked for GHC 500 before they let go of the 18 year-old. But after a long period of no communication, the kidnappers called back with an increased demand of GHC 8,000. The police have been notified on the incident. Star Gist: Rosemond Brown a.k.a. Akuapem Poloo discloses how much she earns | #Yencomgh: Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen.com.gh - President Akufo-Addo has donated GHC25,000 to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Fund - The amount is the president's November salary - Akufo-Addo made the donation when he opened the newly constructed burns centre of the hospital on Wednesday The president, Nana Akufo-Addo has donated his November salary of GHC25,000.00 to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Fund. The donation, YEN.com.gh has gathered, is his contribution to resourcing the Fund to assist Ghanaians who may require plastic surgery. Akufo-Addo who is on a three-day tour of the Greater Accra region, made the donation while commissioning the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the hospital. I have askedthe Deputy Chief of Staff in my office to contribute my monthly salary of twenty-five thousand cedis (25,000.00), November salary, to the Burns and Reconstructive Surgery Fund, the president was reported by Kasapafmonline.com to have said. READ ALSO: 23 'atopa' photos of a young Ghanaian man and some ladies leak online Touching on KBTH's maternity block and surgical ward, Akufo-Addo he was heartbroken when the bad state it was in after entering the hospital. He, however, assured that funds have been sourced for the total rehabilitation of the two buildings. The terms of the funding, he disclosed, were before the Finance Minister and will be certainly approved when it comes before cabinet for the rehabilitation works to start as quickly as possible. READ ALSO: 9 wild Jackie Appiah photos that will make you fall in love with her Meanwhile, in other political news, the leadership of National Democratic Congress has reportedly rescinded its decision to charge aspirants in their upcoming presidential primary GHC400,000 as filing fee. According to reports, the amount has been reduced by GH100,000. The price for the nomination form which was pegged at GHC20,000, however, remains unchanged. This means aspirants would have to pay GHC320,000 to contest the presidential primary which will elect the party's flagbearer for the 2020 elections. READ ALSO: Eish - John Dumelo shouts in surprise as his wife drops wild video of her post baby bodStar Gist: Rosemond Brown a.k.a. Akuapem Poloo discloses how much she earns | #Yencomgh: READ ALSO: Wild video of Obinim finally revealing the secret to his wealth goes viral 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. Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place Source: Yen.com.gh Aisha Huang, the Chinese lady who gained notoriety in the illegal small scale mining business popularly called galamsey, is still illegally mining gold in parts of Ashanti region. YEN.com.gh sighted a report on Myjoyonline.com confirming that a galamsey task force together with Erasmus Asare Donkor, a Luv FM reporter, chanced upon a team of Chinese and Ghanaian illegal miners in the forests of Amansie Central. Upon arrest and interrogation, one worker confirmed that the illegal activity was masterminded by Aisha Huang, one Mr. Bonsu and another whose name was given as Arko. Aisha Huang. Source: Supplied Source: UGC READ ALSO: You are behaving like a class 1 kid after your years of political experience - Sammy Awukus aide The Ghanaian populace are familiar with Aisha Huang in the wake of the Stop Galamsey Now campaign, she was said to be heavily involved in the illegal mining of gold thus was subsequently arrested by the police. She was later released on bail but standing trial together with 3 others. Contrary to perceptions that the Chinese galamsey 'queen' was no longer practicing the illegal activity, those arrested at the site confirmed that the machines and the entire operation belonged to Aisha Huang who was said to have developed a new strategy of hiding behind her Ghanaian collaborators. READ ALSO: Akufo-Addo donates November salary to Korle-Bu Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Fund The task force consisting of officials from the Ghana Army and Police Service revealed that just last week, some excavators were seized at that same site in Bepotenten in the Amansie Central area. On Monday, December 3, when the team went back for operation, they met illegal miners on sight. One Ghanaian who was arrested confirmed that they were indeed working for Aisha Huang. W/O Nyarko, a member of the task force explained saying: Aisha owns this site. We came here last three weeks and we found three excavators and sent them to Obuasi. We came today again and weve found another four excavators; that means they are still mining and we are looking for that Aisha. W/O added: A ground that theyve operated just three weeks ago and then the woman (Aisha) will just organize, come back and continue the same job and look at the mess she is causing for the whole nation. Look at the mess! And I believe its not only this place. READ ALSO: NDCs Stephen Atubiga claims he will soon be president of Ghana Watch: Ghana News Today: Colleges of Education Closed Indefinitely / Work Continues at GIJ | #Yencomgh Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen The police in the West Gonja District of the Northern region have launched a search for a teacher of Ndewura Jakpa Senior Technical School for allegedly abusing a female student of the school. The suspect, Solomon Lotsu, is believed to have left town after the incident. Lotsu is the ICT tutor in the school and is thought to have lured the victim to his rented apartment in Damongo. The 47-year-old is now the subject of a massive search involving the police and members of the community. Daily Guide reports sighted by YEN.com.gh indicated that the father of the victim, Alhassan Razak, said his daughter was one of two initially invited by Lotsu into his apartment. READ ALSO: Shatta Wale blasts Stonebwoy for saying he stole 'Gringo' and 'My level' songs (Video) Teenage students are known to have been victims of their teachers in Ghana. Source: UGC The teacher sent one of the students away and told her not to return. He then locked up the victim in his room and forcibly had his way with her. According to Mr. Razak, he suspected something when the girl who normally comes home every Saturday was absent. He then rushed to the school with his wife in search of their daughter, but all efforts to find her proved futile. But some of the victim's friends reported that they had not seen the girl since the previous day. READ ALSO: Young Ghanaian man Moses Sakala drops photos of 23 girls he's slept with on social media A search went on and it was revealed that the victim had been kept overnight by Lotsu. After a report was lodged at the police station and medical attention was done at a hospital, an arrest warrant was issued for the ICT teacher. But he had ran away before the police could lay hands on him. Star Gist: Rosemond Brown a.k.a. Akuapem Poloo discloses how much she earns | #Yencomgh: Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen News A Ghanaian man who owns a real estate company, AL Properties, is still reliving the shock of his life waking up every day knowing that his GH2 million (20 billion old cedis) has been locked up with Menzgold. Popularly called Richboy Alien, the young man said the biggest mistake he has made in his life so far was investing in Menzgold. Richboy said he would have been better off investing in Kumawood movies than Menzgold. Richboy Alien, the young man crying for investing GHC2 million with Menzgold. Photo credit: YEN.com.gh Source: Original READ ALSO: Opambour, Duncan-Williams, 3 other pastors belong to occult groups Former occult grandmaster claims I regret the day I invested GH 2 million in Menzgold and not in Kumawood movies, I would have benefited a lot if I had invested in movies, he complained. In a series of posts he made on snapchat, the young man decried his huge investment which has gone just like that. He also wondered what the government was doing about the situation stressing that it was shielding the Menzgold CEO, Nana Appiah Mensah. READ ALSO: Lawrence Tetteh breaks silence on Shatta Wale death prophecy How can the government be protecting him and his assets to frustrate his clients of entry to demand their money, Alien cried. He added: So my 2 million ghs gone just like that? I should have invested in Kumawood movies. Alien revealed that he was planning with his American-based lawyers to sue Nana Appiah Mensah for refusing to answer his calls and also Menzgold for locking up his cash. READ ALSO: We are sick as NPP; no competent people to do work Ken Agyapong fires in latest video He stated that when he is able to retrieve his money from Menzgold he would invest big time into movies. I want to invest big time in movies, I want to buy expensive cameras and equipment for hardworking movie producers to produce good quality movies, he promised. Richboy Alien is known among his contemporaries to own some of the expensive cars. He is just one of the many people who have cried for their monies with Menzgold. In an earlier report by YEN.com.gh, one woman said she was convinced by a worker at Menzgold to invest with the company following an assurance that Nana Appiah Mensah had a room full of money to pay clients no matter what happened. READ ALSO: Faded uniforms, torn boots, single rooms, we are tired! - Wives of policemen Ghana News Today: Colleges of Education Closed Indefinitely / Work Continues at GIJ | #Yencomgh Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place Source: Yen Ghanaian actress Yvonne Nelson has lamented the current economic situation in the country, insisting times are hard. According to her, things are not going very well under President Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The award-winning actress is noted for being vociferous when it comes to issues of national interest. READ ALSO: Ghanaian youth are suffering Shatta Wale tells Nana Addo Some years back, she led a vigil to protest against the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government when citizens were experiencing erratic power supply. In a Twitter post, Yvonne Nelson insists things are still hard under the current government. Things are hard in this country!!!! Its that bad!!!!!! she wrote on her timeline. She becomes the second celebrity in the space of three days to complain about the economic situation in the country. On Tuesday, dancehall sensation Shatta Wale also called on President Akufo-Addo to sit up, insisting the youth of the country are suffering. According to him, the hard economic conditions have made it difficult for the youth of Ghana to thrive. In a social media post, Shatta Wale said President Akufo-Addo must sit up and alleviate the youth from suffering. READ ALSO: The Ghanaian highest music earner in Africa The My Level hit maker said anyone who says the economy of the country is functioning well is a liar and a hypocrite. Remember when the youth rise there is no stopping cuz everybody is saying it loud now.Chale money no deh the system hard my job spoil this government has failed us Yes this is what the street is saying and anyone who will comment and say am lying is a damn liar himself. Mr President stand up!!! Shatta Wale wrote. Ghana News Today: Colleges of Education Closed Indefinitely / Work Continues at GIJ | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: 5 reasons why you should never lend money to friends Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen.com.gh The leader of Heavens Gate Ministries Nicholas Osei, popularly known as Prophet Kumchacha, has revealed how he rejected a sex offer from controversial on-air personality, Afia Schwarzennegger. Prophet Kumchacha's comment came after Afia and Hitz FMs Prince Tsegah insulted each other on social media. Prince Tsegah said Afia was not =a serious person and a was also a liar. Prophet Kumchacha (Photo credit: suppled) Source: UGC READ ALSO: Old Christabel Ekeh naked photos causes stir on social media However, the self-acclaimed man of God in supporting Prince Tsegah in the said fight, claimed that Afia once offered him sex but he rejected because he didnt find her attractive enough to 'go down' on her. He added that because Afia wasnt attractive enough he left the room leaving her alone. YEN.com.gh earlier reported how Afia and her ex-boyfriends mother washed their dirty linen in public with respect to their said failed relationship. READ ALSO: Shatta Wale blasts Stonebwoy for saying he stole 'Gringo' and 'My level' songs (Video) Afia claimed that she ended her relationship with Prince because she did not want to marry a clown and claimed he was not a mature person. But the woman replied and said her son broke up with Afia because she was a weed smoker. Star Gist: Rosemond Brown a.k.a. Akuapem Poloo discloses how much she earns | #Yencomgh: Your stories and photos are always welcome. Send us a message via YEN's official Facebook page Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place Source: Yen.com.gh The Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA), led by its President Elliot Agyare has called for renewed and deepened partnership with Ghana Library Authority to collectively address systematic issues affecting the progress of both institutions. Agyare made the call during a courtesy call on the Chief Executive Officer (Ag) of Ghana Library Authority, Hayford Siaw. The president intimated on the critical role of the Ghana Library Authority in the development of Ghana, and though, they are aware of some of the challenges, the association is confident of a turnaround under the new leadership. Source: Modern Ghana Source: UGC "The Ghana Library Authority with its network of libraries and professionals, is the right organization to lead the promotion of reading and the GBPA supports the declaration of 2019 as the Year of Reading," Agyare added. Siaw on his part assured the Association of GhLAs readiness to collaborate with GBPA to increase local book collections in our libraries in Ghana. "To ensure systematic acquisition process, we have introduced an Acquisition and Distribution Unit which will work closely with all publishers to ensure, books conform to approved standards and qualifies to be on the shelves," he stated. "Over the past few months, we have deployed and currently testing the automation system in compilation of the Ghana National Bibliography. This provides a detailed list of all books and other published materials in Ghana. This will inform acquisition decisions of all special, school and academic libraries in Ghana and provide business for GBPA members" He narrated. Both parties agreed to work together on the annual Ghana International Book Fair and introduce the National Reading Conference to develop a vibrant ecosystem. Star Gist: Rosemond Brown a.k.a. Akuapem Poloo discloses how much she earns | #Yencomgh Click here to get the latest exciting English Premier League news. Get match highlights, reports, photos & videos all in one place. Source: Yen The signing was witnessed by National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, who is on an official visit to the Republic of Korea from December 4 to 7. The MoU is important as it reflects the commitment of the two ministries to further lift two-way trade as agreed by the two countries top leaders at the APEC Economic Leaders Week held in Da Nang last year. Under the action plan, the two sides will cooperate to support Vietnamese enterprises in enhancing their competitiveness in the fields of spare part manufacturing, automobiles, garment and textiles, footwear, and electronics. They agreed to facilitate the trade of agricultural products with the establishment of a working group among the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade; the RoKs Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy; and relevant ministries from both sides. The Korean side also agreed to help build the capacity of Vietnamese officials in trade policymaking and improve the skills and competence of Vietnamese engineering workers and specialists in basic industries. After the signing ceremony, Anh and Sung co-chaired the mid-term meeting of the Vietnam-RoK Joint Committee for cooperation in nuclear power, energy, industry, and trade. The two sides reviewed the progress of their cooperation since the eighth meeting in Ho Chi Minh City in February. Both ministers conveyed satisfaction as most of the agreements reached during the last meeting have been effectively implemented. The two ministries have inked a variety of MoUs on cooperation in the supporting industry, automobile, garment-textiles and footwear, energy saving, electricity, trade defence, intellectual property, and most recently the action plan for raising bilateral trade to US$100 billion by 2020. Regarding training, this year the Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy has so far organised more than 20 training courses for Vietnamese officials, focusing on trade policy, retailing, SME management, policy for supporting industry development and manufacturing techniques in automobiles, mechanics and metallurgy, electricity and electronics, garment-textiles, and more. The RoK has completed and transferred the US$21.1 million Korea-Vietnam Incubator Park (KVIP) to the Mekong Delta City of Can Tho; approved official development assistance (ODA) funding for a Vietnam-Korea technological consultancy and solution centre (VITASK); and partnered with the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade to survey the demand for support industry products from large Korean corporations. It has also made a list of qualified Vietnamese producers to help them enhance capacity in manufacturing electronic and automobile parts so they would be able to join supply chains of Korean enterprises in Vietnam. Furthermore, the two ministries agreed that the Governments of Vietnam and the RoK must improve the business climate and policies, as well as strengthen cooperation mechanisms to make enterprises of both sides a driver of economic growth in the two countries. They also agreed that they need to further expand new areas of partnership in the fields of trade, industry, and energy. The six-day event will bring visitors to a special cultural and art space with nearly 20 unique programmes by artists from both Vietnam and France. The festival opened with an art programme which featured the folk songs of Vietnams southern region, followed by romantic love songs of Vietnam and France performed by saxophonist Xuan Hieu accompanied by a combination of Vietnamese and French musical instruments. On the occasion, the history of development of Ho Chi Minh City before 1975 will be reproduced at IDECAF centre through an exhibition of old objects, such as motorcycles, music phones and other tools. In addition, miniature models highlighting the Second World War and wars in Vietnam, as well as houses and street corners of Saigon, will be on display. On December 9, artists from Hong Hac Theatre will perform the play titled Eugenie Grandet which was adapted from the original work of the same name by the great French writer Honore Balzac. Vietnamese people will have a chance to learn more about Western cuisine with delicious food, particularly from France, being offered at the cultural space. Notably, a France Vietnam Film Week will be held from December 6-10, screening over ten classic movies of the two countries. The closing ceremony for the festival will take place on December 10 with art performances by numerous artists from Vietnam, France and the Republic of Korea (RoK), especially the dance titled 365 days choreographed by dancer Ta Thuy Chi. Accordingly, the Giang brothers were required to perform a head-to-head balancing act in a studio, walking up and down 10 steps while blindfolded within one minute. The Vietnamese circus artists finished their performance earlier, in just 53.97 seconds. According to Giang Quoc Co, the performance was recorded exclusively by an Italian television station in mid-November and all information about the performance was kept secret. The duo said that they would like to present the record to their beloved family members, and to all Vietnamese citizens, particularly Vietnamese circus artists, and fans of Vietnams circus at home and abroad. Quoc Co, 34, and Quoc Nghiep, 29, are currently working in the Ho Chi Minh City Circus Association. They were both presented with the Meritorious Artist title for their outstanding contributions to the development of Vietnams circus. In December 2016, the brothers previously set a Guinness World Record with their head-to-head balancing act by scaling 90 stairs in 52 seconds on the steps of Girona Cathedral in Spain. Most recently, they finished in fourth place Britain's Got Talent 2018, where they received a standing ovation from British audiences. The Giang brothers were required to perform a head-to-head balancing act in a studio, walking up and down 10 steps while blindfolded (Photo: laodong.vn) Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 The event, part of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and South Africa, was attended by Sindiswa Mququ, Chief Director for South, Central and Southeast Asia at the South Africas Department of International Relations and Cooperation; Malaysian Ambassador Mohamad Nizan Mohamad, Chairman of the ASEAN Pretoria Committee; and ambassadors of ASEAN countries in South Africa, among others. Opening the event, Ambassador Vu Van Dung noted Vietnam and South Africa are celebrating 25 years of their ties in 2018, the same year when many activities have been held around the world to mark the 100th birthdays of President Nelson Mandela and political activist Albertina Sisulu, two symbols of the struggle for freedom, equality, democracy and reconciliation. The Singaporean and Malaysian Ambassadors enjoy Vietnamese 'Pho' at the event. (Photo: baoquocte.vn) Over the past 25 years, along with official diplomatic channels, people-to-people exchange and cultural diplomacy have contributed to promoting the Vietnam-South Africa friendship. The unique Vietnamese cuisine has left a strong impression for foreign friends, he said. Participants at the event had chances to enjoy traditional dishes of Vietnam such as spring rolls, pho (noodle soup) and lotus soup. They also explored the culture, tourism potential and well-known landscapes of Vietnam through publications, photos and videos. During the meeting, the top legislator briefed participants on the fruitful development of the Vietnam-RoK relationship and the homelands socio-economic development, politics-diplomacy, education-training and culture-sports in recent time, saying that Vietnam has made significant achievements in these spheres. Vietnams economy continuously maintains stable growth, and the national GDP is likely to increase by nearly 7 percent in 2018, she said, adding that attention has been paid to promoting sustainable poverty reduction and ensuring social security. She highlighted that Vietnams role and position has been improved at the regional and international arena. NA Chairwoman Ngan also asserted that the legislative body always pays heed to building and bettering the national legal system, including those that are very important to ensure legitimate rights and interests of citizens such as the revised Law on Vietnamese Nationality, which allows Vietnamese nationals to have two nationalities and can retain the Vietnamese nationality if they desire. The NA leader appreciated the Vietnamese community in the RoK for its active contributions to the homeland, especially in charitable programmes and social activities, affirming that those clearly manifest the close solidarity among Vietnamese expats in the RoK. NA Chairwoman Ngan urged the Vietnamese Embassy in the RoK to continue doing well its citizen protection work, while calling on OVs to strictly abide by the host countrys laws. On the occasion, she presented the Labour Order,second class, to Vietnamese Ambassador to the RoK Nguyen Vu Tu in recognition of his achievements when he was the director of the Department of External Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City from 2011-2015. The visit from December 6 to 8 is made at the invitation of his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc. This will be the first official trip to Vietnam by PM Hun Sen since Cambodia set up its sixth-tenure Government last September. It is also on the threshold of the 40th anniversary of the victory over the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime (January 7, 1979), which Cambodia won with Vietnams support. Vietnam and Cambodia established diplomatic ties on June 24, 1967, and have maintained mutual high-ranking visits as well as delegation exchanges between their ministries, sectors and localities. The two countries are enjoying flourishing friendship and cooperation, which have been nurtured by generations of the two countries leaders and people. News Scary rare fish spotted on a beach in San Diego At first, I thought it was a like a jellyfish or something, and then I went and looked at it a little more carefully, and some other people were gathered around it too, and then I saw that it was this very unusual fish. While receiving Belarusian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Dapkiunas on December 5, Vice Chairman of the HCM City Peoples Committee Le Thanh Liem said Vietnam and Belarus have maintained good relations since the two nations officially established diplomatic ties in 1992. He told his guest that a delegation of HCM City has recently paid a working visit to Belarus for the first time, opening up a new chapter in its cooperative relations with Belarus, including the capital city of Minsk. Liem applauded Belaruss wish to participate in metro construction projects in HCM City, adding that the city wants to cooperate and share experiences and technologies with Belarus in producing medical equipment. He also spoke highly of effective cooperation between the Saigon Transportation Mechanical Corporation (SAMCO) and the Minsk Automobile Plant Joint Stock Company (Maz). Dapkiunas highly evaluated the cooperation and friendship between HCM City and Belarus, including Minsk. He said it is an honour for Belarus to join in the Vietnam Expo 2018, saying it was a chance for Belarusian products to penetrate the Vietnamese market, thereby further promoting economic and trade ties between the two countries. The deputy minister said Belarus wants to cooperate with HCM City in the fields of public transportation vehicle manufacturing, metro construction, scientific and technological development, and education. Truong Thi Mai, Politburo member, Secretary of the CPV Central Committee, and head of its Commission for Mass Mobilisation, made the remark while meeting with Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner during her working visit to the city from December 2-3. Mai took the occasion to thank the municipal administration for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live, study and do business in the city. She suggested the city intensify cooperation in energy, healthcare, and education with Vietnamese localities and partners. Turner said that the 300,000-strong Vietnamese community in Houston has made positive contributions to the citys economy and enhancing its trade and investment cooperation with Vietnam. He promised to maintain support for the community so that they can further contribute to US-Vietnam relations. The mayor also introduced Houstons potential for collaboration with Vietnamese partners. As part of her visit, Mai had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese community in Houston, during which she informed them of the countrys situation, as well as the Party and States current policies. She appreciated their efforts towards boosting national development, while encouraging them to contribute more useful initiatives to the Party and State, and continue nurturing the traditional friendship and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries. On this occasion, the Party official visited the family of Vu Van Le, an outstanding overseas Vietnamese national in Houston. She spoke highly of the efforts made by him and his family to collect and preserve antiquities and tangible cultural heritage related to Vietnam. The statement was made by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at a reception for Singapores Minister for Home Affairs Shanmugam in Hanoi on December 6. He highlighted the strategic partnership between Vietnam and Singapore and said that the two countries are expanding cooperation in all realms with Singapore being the third biggest foreign investor in Vietnam. The cooperation achievements that Vietnam and Singapore have gained over the past few years were significantly contributed to by the two ministries, he added. He suggested the two ministries increase consultation in addressing issues of mutual concern, contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, and development in each nation as well as in the region at large. Regarding the prevention of crimes, the PM asked the two sides to maintain cooperation mechanisms and strengthen information exchange and investigation coordination, especially in ensuring cybersecurity and dealing with high-tech crime, economic crime, drug crime, terrorism, and wanted crime. Shanmugam, who is also the Minister for Law, told the host that his working visit to Vietnam aims to tighten the multi-faceted cooperation with the countrys Ministry of Public Security, through which contributing to deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries. While informing PM Phuc about the two ministries cooperation outcomes, Shanmugam said the two sides have actively worked together to enforce law in the fight against crimes, fire prevention, and rescue efforts, thus contributing to ensuring order and security in each nation as well as peace and stability in the region. The two ministries agreed to step up and expand coordination in the coming time, he added. While discussing international matters, Shanmugam said ASEAN is playing an increasingly important role in global cooperation. He called on ASEAN member states to further promote solidarity and close-knit relations in the context of more complicated and unpredictable political and commercial turmoil in the world. The Minister expressed his hope that PM Phuc will continue backing the strengthened cooperation between the two ministries in law-building and crime prevention. The PM conveyed his congratulations to PM Lee Hsien Loong, the Singapore Government, and its people on the successful organisation of the 33rd ASEAN Summit, which not only contributes to promoting regional peace, solidarity, and prosperity but also reinforces the security and development of each ASEAN member nation, including Vietnam and Singapore. The Vietnamese top legislator made the statement during a meeting with those who have made contributions to the Vietnam-RoK friendship on December 6 in Seoul as part of her ongoing official visit to the country. Jointly held by the RoK-Vietnam Friendship Association and the Korea-Asia Friendship Foundation, the event saw the participation of representatives from RoK enterprises, non-governmental organisations in cooperation with Vietnam, experts, scholars, and lawyers. NA Chairwoman Ngan thanked RoK friends and people friendship organisations for their support and sustainable cooperation with Vietnam in accelerating the bilateral friendship. The two nations have witnessed the breakthrough development of their relations across many fields, especially after they upgraded the ties to a strategic cooperation partnership, she stressed. The enhanced people-to-people exchange in particular contributes to promoting the bilateral relationship, she added. She expressed her belief that the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK will continue to grow stronger in the future, bringing practical benefits to their people and for the prosperous development of each country towards peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world. Chairwoman Ngan briefed participants on Vietnams socio-economic development and international integration over the last 30 years, affirming that Vietnam has pursued its consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of external relations, and active international integration. She suggested people friendship organisations in Vietnam and the RoK continue their wide range of practical exchanges to further contribute to strengthening the friendship and cooperation between the two nations. The statement was made by Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung at the Vietnams Internet Day 2018, held by the Vietnam Internet Association in Hanoi on December 5. According to Hung, with a population of approximately 95 million people (ranked 15th in the world), of which internet users account for more than 60%, Vietnam is the 16th nation in the world regarding the number of internet users. A notable statistic is that the average Internet usage time of Vietnamese people is nearly 7 hours a day. This proves that Vietnamese have spent considerable time on activities on cyberspace to serve different needs. Therefore, Hung said, the development of digital ecosystems serving Vietnamese people is a long-term and necessary direction, creating a lot of value for the society and the people. Vietnamese businesses now have the capacity and desire to master technology and conquer the domestic market, and even bring their products to the international market if they receive timely support from the State policies, and market users as well. The explosive growth of technology in general and the internet in particular has brought new business models, turning Vietnam into an attractive destination for foreign technology enterprises. The deputy minister said that domestic enterprises still need to play a key role in the building of Vietnam's digital ecosystem. Products and services developed by domestic enterprises should meet the practical needs of Vietnam to bring about common benefits to the society and be widely welcomed by the people. Deputy Minister Hung suggested that the concerned authorities, associations and enterprises need to exchange and discuss more to work towards the common mission to serve the country and the people. He also called for investment and experience by international investors and multinational corporations in building digital ecosystems in Vietnam. Representatives from the Ministries of Science and Technology and Information and Communications also shared the view on the orientation of promoting Vietnam's digital ecosystem. The ecosystem must be developed and provided by Vietnamese enterprises, operating under the supply and demand of the market. The State will create favourable mechanisms and policies to facilitate Vietnamese enterprises to build the digital ecosystem. The event witnesses the participation of ministers of other ASEAN member nations and its dialogue countriesChina, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), India, the US alongside Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Houlin Zhao. The meeting aims to discuss cooperation plans to complete the implementation of the Master Plan ICT 2020 (AIM2020), towards turning ASEAN into a safe and sustainable digital economy, while promoting creation and integration in the ASEAN Community. In his speech, General Secretary of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi said the ASEAN Secretariat has made an assessment of ASEANs readiness for the impact on the future of ASEAN economy, adding that ASEAN leaders approved a statement on cyberspace security cooperation, recognising the increasing urgency and sophistication of cross-border cyber security threats. He affirmed that the digital economy is one of the new growth drivers that could improve ASEANs GDP by another US$1 trillion by 2025, however it currently only accounts for 7% of the regional GDP. The Vietnamese ministers proposal of one-price international roaming in the ASEAN region is very interesting, he said, noting that this is a good project for the future of the region. Themed Aiming the Future of Digital Ecosystem for ASEAN Prosperity, the two-day meeting is discussing and confirming the determination to accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN ICT Master Plan 2020 (AIM 2020), aiming at promoting ASEANs digital economy towards a creative, safe, and sustainable digital integration community. It focuses on approving an ASEAN digital data management framework with four priority initiatives, namely data classification regulations, formation of cross-border data transfer mechanism, digital innovation and policy, and privacy protection regulations. Ministers also affirmed the importance of promoting cooperation in developing regional cyber security policies, sharing information on the risk of unsafe information, and coordination mechanisms among computer emergency response teams (CERTs) of ASEAN as well as with dialogue partners. ASEAN ministers had working sessions with representatives from China, Japan, the RoK, and the ITU, and adopted cooperation programmes for 2019 which will focus on the exchange of ICT development policy, human resources development, promotion and adoption of new technologies, and capacity building for cyber security risks. Minister Hung held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore to share information and debate cooperation plans in the time to come. At the working session with representatives from Indonesia, military-run telecom group Viettel of Vietnam and PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin) of Indonesia signed an agreement to promote their cooperation on existing services and to accelerate the provision of services to Indonesians living in countries that Viettel is operating and vice versa. This is the premise of the negotiation roadmap of reducing international mobile roaming charges between Vietnam and Indonesia as committed by Viettel from now to 2020. Traveling with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Levant Affairs and Special Envoy for Syria Joel Rayburn, Jeffrey will visit the two countries on December 4-14, said the department in a statement. In Turkey, Jeffrey will meet with Turkish leaders and other senior officials to discuss the security situation in Syria and attend a High-Level Working Group on Syria. In Jordan, Jeffrey will meet with senior Jordanian officials on humanitarian aid for Syrian refugees and other issues, said the statement. Relations between Turkey and the United States have been strained recently because of the support provided by Washington for the People's Protection Units (YPG), which is regarded by Ankara as Syrian affiliates of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Meanwhile, Turkey is uneasy about US plans to set up observation posts in northern Syria, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said on December 1. The US-led coalition has intensified its airstrikes in recent weeks to support the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is fighting to dislodge the Islamic State (IS) from its last stronghold on the eastern bank of Euphrates River. At least 206 civilians were killed in November this year by US-led airstrikes on areas controlled by the IS in eastern Syria, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on December 1. * Indonesian President Joko Widodo on December 5 ordered the military and police to arrest those responsible for the recent killing of construction workers and a troop in Papua province. Widodo reiterated the trans-Papua project would continue despite deadly challenges from insurgents. * An F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 tanker plane belonging to the Marines collided and crashed off Cape Muroto of Japan's western coast early on December 6, with six of the seven crew members still missing, the Marines and Japanese Defense Ministry said. * Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on December 5 said Turkey may call for an international probe if a deadlock is reached on the Jamal Khashoggi case, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. * Chinese President Xi Jinping's latest trip to Europe and Latin America boosted China's ties with cooperation partners and steered global economic governance on the right path, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said. * Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro on December 5 that he condemns actions of terrorist nature and attempts to change the situation in Venezuela by force. * Afghanistan's Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) has invalidated all votes cast during the October 20 parliamentary elections in Kabul constituency, an ECC official said Thursday. * Brazil's President-elect Jair Bolsonaro on December 5 said pension reform will be a priority of his government in the first half of 2019. * The Republic of Korea (RoK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have agreed to verify the pilot withdrawal of guard posts in the inter-Korean border area, the RoK's Defense Ministry said on December 6. The verification will be conducted through on-site visits on December 12 by sending seven-member teams to guard posts, which were subject to the pullout. * Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on December 5 that Pakistan is always keen to have China to be a part of efforts for the Afghan peace process, and he is glad that China is playing a more active role for Afghan development and reconstruction. * China and Cuba on December 5 signed two agreements to promote economic cooperation during the 14th session of the bilateral business committee, where companies from both nations explored new trade and business opportunities. * UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on December 5 expressed her concern over the situation in Syria's Deir-ez-Zor Governorate, saying that civilians continue to pay the highest price in the conflict. * Albania will manage the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Chairmanship in 2020, Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) reported on December 5. According to ATA, the news was announced in Italy which is chairing OSCE in 2018. * The Maltese government and the British High Commission in Malta signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the fight against human trafficking and modern slavery on December 5. * UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on December 5 that corruption costs at least US$2.6 trillion, or 5 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP). * The expected peace talks on Yemen will take place on December 6 in Sweden, and will last for about a week, UN official source confirmed to Xinhua on December 5. * Greece has raised 1.66 billion (US$1.88 billion) in a 26-week treasury bills auction, the country's Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) announced on December 5. * Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said in Islamabad on December 5 that his government will launch a comprehensive campaign to control the alarming growth of population in the country. * Ongoing face-to-face meetings between South Sudan's rival armed groups with the army have boosted peace efforts by reducing tension and hostilities among the foes in the country's five-year-old conflict, top military officials said on December 5. * The French government would look at reimposing wealth tax on the rich if the measure deemed not to be working, government spokesperson Benjamin Griveaux said on December 5, as France is bracing for nationwide blockades and protests on Saturday, for the fourth weekend in a row. * Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena assured on December 5 that the political crisis in the island country would be solved in seven days. The assurance comes after the new government appointed by the president has been temporarily suspended by a Sri Lankan court. * The British government on December 5 published Brexit legal advice in full, one day after MPs found it in contempt of the British parliament. In the documents, the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox said the proposed backstop arrangement with the European Union (EU) to prevent a hard Irish border could "endure indefinitely." * Russia opposes the withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) and it will respond "in an appropriate manner," Russian President Vladimir Putin said on December 5. * At least 19 Taliban militants, including a local Taliban leader, have been killed and seven others wounded after NATO-led coalition forces launched airstrikes in western province of Farah, a local official said on December 6. * A new China-Europe freight train line has been launched, linking Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, with Duisburg, Germany. * Turkish police has seized more than one ton of heroin in the eastern Turkish province of Erzincan, the governor said on December 5. The casket of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush is carried out of the U.S. Capitol for a state funeral in Washington D.C., the United States, on Dec. 5, 2018. In laughter and tears, the United States held a state funeral here Wednesday for the 41st President George H.W. Bush, who has been widely mourned and praised as a good leader and a devoted person with a "gentle soul" and great sense of humor during his 94-year-long lifetime. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- In laughter and tears, the United States held a state funeral here Wednesday for the 41st President George H.W. Bush, who has been widely mourned and praised as a good leader and a devoted person with a "gentle soul" and great sense of humor during his 94-year-long lifetime. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, four other living former U.S. presidents, together with dignitaries from across the country and foreign leaders attended the state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. Bush was remembered as "America's last great soldier-statesman" by biographer Jon Meacham, one of four people that delivered eulogies at the solemn ceremony broadcast live on major U.S. TV networks. Meacham recalled Bush's public service and personal integrity, evoking laughter filling in the cathedral time after time. Delivering the final eulogy at the funeral emotionally, the 41st president's son, former President George W. Bush, said his late father was "a great and noble man. The best father a son or daughter could have." "He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country," said George W. Bush, who returned to his seat with tears in eyes. In and outside the Capitol Hill, along the Pennsylvania Avenue, thousands of Americans gathered on Wednesday morning to bid farewell to the former president when his casket was transported by a motorcade from the Capitol to the National Cathedral. Tom Wiggins was one of them. He told Xinhua that he admired the late president as a "good person and a good leader" who had an extraordinary and exemplary life. "Very bright, even-tempered, trying to be fair and considerate - a true gentlemen," said Ed Nef, 85, president of a nonprofit organization, The Ed Nef Foundation, who recalled his exchanges of light-hearted letters with the late president in 1991. They attended the same high school-- Phillips Academy, Andover -- in the eastern U.S. state of Massachusetts. Les Schroeppel, a resident of Washington D.C., told Xinhua outside the National Cathedral that he knew the late president served as head of the U.S. Liaison Office in China when the two nations were not diplomatically tied. He said the 41st president was effective in building contacts and communications with China and other countries. George H.W. Bush passed away on Friday at his home in Houston, Texas. The former president, who served as head of the U.S. Liaison Office in China between 1974 and 1975, was seen "an old friend of the Chinese people," who had witnessed and promoted the historic development of U.S.-China relations in the past decades. Born in 1924, Bush joined the U.S. Navy upon finishing high school in 1942. His wartime duty was spent in the Pacific flying a three-man Avenger torpedo bomber. He graduated from Yale University in 1948 with a degree in economics. Bush was elected U.S. president in 1988 as the successor to Ronald Reagan. Following the funeral service in Washington, Bush's remains will be flown back to Houston later on Wednesday to lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church before burial Thursday at his family plot behind the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum at Texas A&M University. He will be buried alongside his wife Barbara Bush who died seven months ago, and Robin Bush, the daughter the couple lost to leukemia in 1953 at age of three. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba inked an agreement with the federal government of Belgium on Wednesday to open its first Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) in Europe with the aim of promoting long-term cross-border trade. The agreement was signed by Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister Kris Peeters and Senior Director of the Alibaba Group James Song. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and Alibaba Group President of Global Business Angel Zhao, were present witnessing the signing of the memorandum of understanding. Prime Minister Michel declared that "Today is a historic day. This cooperation will enhance the competitiveness of Belgian and European companies on the global stage". Cao Zhongming, the newly appointed Chinese ambassador to Belgium, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua that this latest agreement is a sign of growing cooperation between Belgium and China, but hinted that more can be done to expand cooperation. "The establishment of this new electronic trading platform in Liege will drive more Belgian enterprises to cooperate with China and promote the export of high-quality Belgian products to China for our mutual benefit. Pragmatic cooperation injects new impetus," said Cao. A major element of the eWTP agreement signed is the establishment of a logistics infrastructure to support cross-border trade. Cainiao Smart Logistics Network Ltd., the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, and Liege Airport also signed a contract to lease a 220,000-square-meter area to build a world-class smart logistics hub at the airport. The initial investment will be 75 million euros, with the first phase of the facility planned to commence operations in early 2021. The Liege smart hub is expected to enhance overall logistics efficiency and help small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) better manage their exports especially with the surge in global e-commerce. The new smart logistics hub will be the cornerstone of the eWTP infrastructure collaboration, with Alibaba playing a key role in facilitating trade, particularly for accessing the China market, as part of the group's commitment to serve as the "Gateway to China" and help import 200 billion dollars worth of quality goods to China over the next five years. In addition, the government of Belgium and Alibaba will work closely together to introduce new technologies that will promote the digitization of customs procedures and the more efficient clearance of goods, which will be crucial for global trade, in particular for SMEs. Alibaba and Belgium's trade and investment agencies will also collaborate to increase the sales of quality Belgian products on e-commerce platforms within Alibaba's ecosystem. This will include product promotions, marketing and direct imports by Alibaba's platforms. Alibaba will also work closely with the Belgian government to promote Belgium as an attractive destination for Chinese tourists. Over the past two years, the eWTP has become an exceedingly marketable concept for Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, who pitched the idea for the first time at the 2016 Boao Forum for Asia. The world e-commerce platform has already set up subsidiaries in Malaysia and Rwanda. This latest MoU with Belgium will sow the seeds for the eWTP's speedy entry into new European markets. Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues, president of the Portuguese parliament, in Lisbon, Portugal, Dec. 5, 2018. (Xinhua/Gao Jie) LISBON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President of the Portuguese Parliament Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues here on Wednesday, and they pledged to promote bilateral legislative cooperation. Referring to Portugal as a good friend and good partner of China in the European Union, Xi said China and Portugal properly resolved the question of Macao in 1999, setting an example for other nations in tackling issues left over from history through friendly negotiations, and laying the foundation of mutual trust and cooperation for the bilateral relations in the 21st century. In recent years, the National People's Congress of China and the Portuguese parliament have had close exchanges, producing good results, he said. China supports the two countries' legislative bodies to learn from each other on important subjects such as legislation, governance and issues related to national interests and people's livelihood, he said. Xi called on the two legislative bodies to explore the potentials for more cooperation, continuously improve the legal and policy environment, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of each other's investing enterprises and people. The two sides should strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, safeguard common interests, and contribute to the safeguarding of world peace, development and prosperity, he said. Xi noted that China has taken an unprecedented development path chosen by its 1.4 billion people and constantly updated in line with the times. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, the country will continue to comprehensively deepen its reform and unleash development vitality, implement a higher-level opening-up policy, and promote the formation of a new pattern of all-around opening-up, said Xi. The Chinese president said such moves will lead to a new phase of China's opening-up to the outside world, and therefore bring new opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Rodrigues said that the Portuguese parliament warmly welcomes President Xi's visit, which reflects the advanced level of Portugal-China relations. Rodrigues said that China is a key trading partner of Portugal and that both sides advocate multilateralism. Portugal appreciates China's development achievements and hopes to transform the friendly mutual trust into more cooperation. He expects the two countries to expand bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and culture, adding that the Portuguese side supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and is well positioned to become a hub of the Belt and Road in Europe. The Portuguese parliament is committed to deepening the Portugal-China relations, and will actively participate in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year, so as to consolidate bilateral friendship, Rodrigues said. The Portuguese parliament hopes to continuously strengthen the productive dialogue and exchanges with the National People's Congress of China, he said. The gold and silver commemorative coins issued by the central bank to celebrate the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up are now available, Chinanews.com reported on Wednesday. The back pattern of the 8-gram pure gold coin. [Photo: Official website of PBOC] The People's Bank of China has issued a set of "reform and opening-up" coins including 1 gold coin, 5 silver coins and 1 double-color copper alloy coin. The gold coin containing 8 grams of pure gold is 22mm in diameter, with the denomination of 100 yuan. Its back pattern is a combination of the digital "40" shape and peony flowers, and the words "celebration of the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up". The gold coins will be issued with the largest distribution of 20,000. The back pattern of the 150-gram round silver coin is designed to symbolize the "Belt and Road Initiative" decoration of land, sea, bridge, olive branch, etc. Its maximum issuance is 4,000. The back pattern of the 150-gram silver coin. [Photo/Official website of PBOC] The other four 30-gram silver coins are patterned with different symbols of memorabilia of the reform and opening-up. The gold coin will not be sold separately but will go with four 30-gram silver coins, at a price range from 9,300 yuan ($1,355) to 13,000 yuan ($1,896). Buyer can also only purchase the set of the four silver coins at a range from 2300 yuan to 2600 yuan. The 150-gram silver coin sells separately at more than 13,000 yuan. The gold and silver coins are distributed exclusively through the country's licensed or franchised gold coin retailers, and all of the coins will not be in circulation. To buy the first batch of the double-color copper alloy coins, people can make appointment from Dec 5 to 8 through the official websites of the four biggest State-owned commercial banks or directly to their business outlets. Its exchange limit is 20 for each buyer. Pakistani Ambassador Masood Khalid with Prof. Jia Wenjian, Vice President of Beijing Foreign Studies University A lecture titled Cultural Echoes Pakistan and China through the Prism of the Classic Three Kingdoms was held at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing on Dec. 3, 2018. Ambassador of Pakistan Masood Khalid was the Special Guest at the occasion. Mr. Zahoor Ahmed, a career diplomat of the Foreign Service of Pakistan, has done the first ever Urdu translation of a Chinese classic Romance of Three Kingdoms. Introducing the novel, Mr. Zahoor said that it was an enriching experience, underlying the mutual love and friendship between the two countries. He termed the novel not only as a classic piece of Literature, but also as a prism which gives insight into Chinese culture and heritage. He also elaborated the main themes of the novel like honor, dignity, friendship and respect for history. Ambassador Khalid in his speech shed light on multiple facets of Pakistans history, culture and folklore. He said that Pakistan is rightly called the cradle of civilizations, being home to Mehergarh, Gandhara, Indus River and Mohenjo-Daro civilizations. He informed that how the journey of Monks Faxian and Xuanzang to seats of Gandhara civilizations paved the way for spread of Buddhism. Mr. Zahoor Ahmad, delivering lecture along with Mr. Sha Zukang, President of China Pakistan Friendship Association. Ambassador Khalid noted that the relationship between Pakistan and China has grown from strength to strength with the recent trip to China by Prime Minister of Pakistan further solidifying this friendship. Earlier Prof. Jia Wenjian, Vice President of Beijing Foreign Studies University, welcomed the Ambassador and acknowledged the support of the Embassy of Pakistan. He said that this University is a hub of future diplomats, with the Urdu Center, established in 2007, as an integral part for promoting people to people contacts. Mr. Sha Zukang, Chairman of the China-Pakistan Friendship Association, Prof. Sun Xiaomeng, Prof. Intikhab Alam, Prof. He Mingxing and Dr. Yuan Yuhang also spoke on the occasion. They termed the book as a code of Chinese history and appreciated the effort of Mr. Zahoor Ahmed. The lecture was attended by Chinese scholars, academicians, intellectuals, international students and officers from the Embassy of Pakistan. Five days of discussion to end with vote on May's plan for split from EU Members of Britain's Parliament kicked off five days of debate on Tuesday to rake over the Brexit deal negotiated by Prime Minister Theresa May. At the conclusion of the discussions, which are likely to be feisty, MPs will vote on whether or not to accept the agreement that sets out how the United Kingdom will interact with the European Union after its withdrawal from the bloc at the end of March. The vote is set for Tuesday, Dec 11. May's deal is unpopular among many MPs and is likely to be defeated, according to current projections, which would create more uncertainty and could see May unseated as prime minister, a general election, and possibly a reopening of negotiations with the EU, as well as potentially unleash a so-called people's vote during which the UK's electorate would again be asked whether they want to leave the EU. But before the debate started, May's cabinet faced criticism for refusing to release in full the advice of the government's lawyers on the legality of the proposed deal and its long-term implications. The government's chief legal adviser, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, published an overview of his advice on Monday but that was not enough to satisfy many MPs who said a binding Commons vote on the issue meant the advice should have been published in full. Cox told MPs on Monday his advice contained no bombshells and should remain private. "There is nothing to see here," he said. But the opposition Labour Party's Brexit spokesperson, Keir Starmer, told the BBC he wanted transparency. "It's about parliamentary democracy and guaranteeing that MPs have the information they need to know precisely what the government has negotiated with the European Union," Starmer said. Labour is calling for the immediate publication of the advice and is being backed by minor parties, including the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party, the Democratic Unionist Party, Plaid Cymru, and the Green Party. Commons Speaker John Bercow, who enforces Parliament's rules, said on Monday the critics had an "arguable case" that a contempt of Parliament had been committed and the matter was referred to Parliament's Privileges Committee. May intended to kick off Tuesday's debate by insisting Britain could have a better future outside the EU, and noted that her deal allows the country to take back control of its borders, its laws, and its currency. Downing Street said she would also say: "The British people want us to get on with a deal that honors the referendum and allows us to come together again as a country, whichever way we voted." But her proposed deal satisfies neither hardline Brexiteers who want to sever the nation's ties with the EU, nor Remainers who want Britain and the EU to be closely bonded. It is also controversial because of its so-called backstop provision on the border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK and will leave the EU, and the Republic of Ireland, which remains a member. The backstop tries to avoid a hard border between them if no future trade deal is agreed by binding the UK to the EU's customs rules. Critics say this means the UK could be effectively be trapped indefinitely within the EU while having no role in its governance. If May's deal is defeated in Parliament, the push for a second referendum is likely to intensify but Cabinet member Michael Gove, the environment secretary, warned on Sunday that May's critics should think twice before trying to maneuver her into holding a second poll. He said it could backfire on Remainers and deliver even more support for Brexit than the last poll in 2016. Chinese doctors conduct free cataract surgery for Sudanese patients at the Eye Hospital of Al-Nilain University in Khartoum, Sudan, Dec. 5, 2018. A Chinese medical team of eight members will conduct 250 free surgeries to Sudanese cataract patients at the Eye Hospital of Al-Nilain University in Khartoum, said Chinese Embassy in Sudan on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Mohamed Khidir) KHARTOUM, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese medical team of eight members will conduct 250 free surgeries to Sudanese cataract patients at the Eye Hospital of Al-Nilain University in Khartoum, said Chinese Embassy in Sudan on Wednesday. The Chinese aid program to Sudan, known as "Brightness Action 2018," was co-launched by Khartoum State's Health Ministry and the Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office of the Chinese Embassy in Sudan. "We highly appreciate the deeply-rooted relationship between Sudan and China. We, at the Health Ministry, have greatly benefited from the cooperation with the Chinese Friendship Hospital, which provides a great work," said Mamoun Homeida, Khartoum state health minister, when addressing the launching ceremony. He noted that Sudan's efforts to reduce eye diseases have achieved positive results, saying that "the blindness rate in Sudan dropped from 500,000 cases to 200,000 cases, and by 2020 it will drop to less than 1,000 case." Zhou Chunlin, representative of Economic and Commercial Counselor's Office of the China Embassy in Sudan, for his part, said that the program "comes as part of the cooperation between China and Sudan." He added that there has been a standing cooperation between the two countries in the health field, pointing out that since 1970, the Chinese government has sent 34 missions of Chinese medical experts to work in Sudan. The visit of the Chinese medical team comes as part of a short-term medical assistance program that China implements in less-developed countries, where the team has previously conducted cataract surgeries for citizens of Sierra Leone, Senegal and Chad. HANGZHOU, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Zhejiang University in eastern China released a four-legged robot Tuesday that is capable of running and climbing stairs. The new "Jueying" robot, a small-sized quadruped robot that can handle 20 kg objects, is 1 meter long, 60 cm tall and weighs 70 kg. The robot is completely electric, lasts for about two hours on a full charge and can run at a top speed of just over 6 km per hour. "The new 'Jueying' handles impact better since it seeks balance and resumes its mobility while running," said Zhu Qiuguo, a major developer of "Jueying" with Zhejiang University. The new robot also has excellent rough terrain mobility and stability. "We made adjustments to the robot's control system so that it can have immediate stress responses to cope with an emergency," said Dr. Li Chao, a member of the Yueying team. The first generation of "Jueying" was released in February this year and is regarded as a representative of the latest quadruped-robot technology in Asia. The technology is expected to be used for security checks, logistics, education and research. Ports in Portugal can serve as important junctions of Belt and Road The national flags of China and Portugal are hung along the streets of Portugals capital Lisbon to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping. (Peoples Daily/Wang Yunsong) Portugal has a long history of marine culture and rich experience in the exploitation of marine resources, Chinese President Xi Jinping noted in a signed article on Portuguese media. He said China and Portugal should strengthen Blue Partnership, facilitate cooperation in marine research, ocean development and protection, port logistics and other areas, and grow blue economy together to better harness the vast ocean to the benefit of future generations. China and Portugal have identified marine aquaculture as an important area for bilateral cooperation on marine science and technology during the 8th meeting of the China-Portugal Joint Commission on Science and Technology Cooperation held in Lisbon on December 14, 2017. Adelino V M Canario in scientific research. (Peoples Daily/Feng Xuejun) A Portuguese research team led by Adelino V M Canario, director of Portugals top marine science research institute Center for Marine Science (CCMAR) at University of Algarve, has cooperated with many Chinese scientific research institutes and universities, carrying out a series of studies on key marine resources including mussel, sea cucumber, and clam to seek new technological breakthrough in green and sustainable aquaculture. The cooperation between Canario and Chinese institutes dates back to 2012, when Portugal was deeply affected by the European sovereign debt crisis and troubled by insufficient budget for scientific and research. At an international conference, Canario learnt Chinas strong support to enhance scientific and technological innovation, as well as the countrys constantly optimized innovation environment and improved independent innovation capability. Later, Canario had an opportunity for academic exchange in China upon recommendation, and in 2014, he started working as a distinguished professor at Shanghai Ocean University. Portugal and China can share information in such areas as marine scientific research, marine exploitation, and marine protection, noted Canario, adding that he hopes the two countries can set up more joint research centers for marine scientific and technological innovation, so as to enhance capacity complementation in scientific research, and facilitate exchanges of scientific personnel. Carlos Guedes Soares, director of Center for Marine Technology and Ocean Engineering (CENTEC) at University of Lisbon, is a leader of a research team on safety performance of Chinas innovative ship - dual-use vessel for river and sea. The project is another vivid example of marine cooperation between China and Portugal. Students of Confucius Institute at Aveiro University perform bamboo dance. (Photo/Xinhua) The dual-use vessel, which can be used in both river and sea, exempts people from the trouble of changing vessels at ports, enhancing capacity of containers and improving efficiency. The sea-river 1100 TEU container vessel was built according to the contract signed in Chinas Wuhan Shipping Exchange in 2017. It can not only cut cost by around 30 percent for containers from central Chinas Wuhan to Shanghai, but also improve the capability to cope with extreme weathers and waves at sea. Portugal has advantages in fundamental theoretical research on marine science, expressed Soares, adding that ocean engineering research is helpful in improving the logistics capability along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which is conducive to the infrastructure construction of the Belt and Road China has abundant talent resources, and the Chinese government has been placing increasingly great importance and support to scientific research projects, bringing the country to the worlds forefront in terms of scientific and technological innovation environment, said Soares. Soares believes that his team will benefit from the cooperation with their Chinese partners. President Xi expressed in his signed article that China hopes to make concerted efforts with Portugal to take forward the Belt and Road Initiative and build a partnership of common development. As Portugal lies at an important intersection of the land and maritime silk roads, our two countries are naturally positioned to cooperate under the Belt and Road, Xi said in the article. Portugal has responded actively to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi since its inception, said, Ambassador Pedro Sanchez Da Costa Pereira, Director General for Foreign Policy of the Portuguese Ministry of the Foreign Affairs. , in an interview with Peoples Daily. Located at the west end of the Eurasian continent, Portugal is endowed with the unique advantage of boosting connectivity around the world, said Pereira, noting that the ports of Portugal can serve as important junctions of the Belt and Road. Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang (Photo/CCTV) Both the Chinese government and people on Thursday called for the immediate release of Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Chinas Huawei Technologies, after it was reported that she was arrested in Canada at the request of the United States. On Thursday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry responded to the incident at a regular press conference. Spokesperson Geng Shuang said that China has made its position clear to Canada and the United States and has demanded that Meng Wanzhou be released immediately. The spokesperson also said that the two countries are required to immediately clarify the reasons for her detention and must protect her legitimate rights and interests. Under the official Weibo account of the US Embassy in China, a Chinese citizen wrote that the United States, which has already imposed a number of sanctions on Chinese companies, has hit a new low by arresting a Chinese citizen in Canada, limiting her personal freedom. Are you that afraid of Chinas rise? the netizen asked. Is this really how the worlds most powerful country should act? Some Chinese people online said that Meng Wanzhou was detained for no reason. I have a new view of the United States. Even if America was once great, but has since gone rogue, a comment read. Under the official account of the Embassy of Canada to China, a large number of internet users questioned whether Canada has gone from being a sovereign state to Americas hired thug. They claim that Canada has violated the human rights of a Chinese citizen and demand that the Canadian side release Meng right away. According to Huaweis response to the detention of Meng, the CFO of Chinas Huawei Technologies was provisionally detained by the Canadian Authorities at the request of the United States when she was transferring flights in Canada. The company said that the United States is seeking her extradition from Canada to face unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York. Huawei said that the company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng. The company also said that it complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the United Nations, the United States, and the European Union. As you first walk into the new branch of the famous hot pot restaurant Haidilao in Beijing, you could be forgiven for thinking you had stepped into a cinema screening rather than a restaurant. A wall-length plasma screen, QR code games and an automatic reservation checker greet you a world away from the traditional, steamy hot pot restaurants that anyone familiar with the Chinese cuisine knows and loves. The only indication that you're not in a fancy cinema is the unmistakable smell of hot pot, and the myriad of interactive hot pot-themed games which you can play to pass the long waiting time, proving the branch's success since it opened on Oct. 28. As soon as our number flashes up on the screen, were lead through to a futuristic dining hall to our seat. The walls and ceiling of the restaurant are LED screens, displaying shooting stars, cherry blossom forests and romantic scenes of an old Chinese town. As stars whiz over your head and virtual blossom falls around you, its not difficult to understand why this restaurant cost 150 million RMB to build. However, its not the fancy screens that cost the majority of this money. This is the worlds first smart hot pot restaurant, which was created together by the Haidilao chain and Japanese company Panasonic Corp. After picking your ingredients from an iPad, orders are sent through to the kitchen, where robotic arms pick out the correct items from a refrigerator and lay them out on a conveyer belt. From here, members of kitchen staff load them onto cute little AGV (automated guided vehicle) robots, which then whiz around the restaurant to deliver your order. Adding to their cutesy charm, if a customer gets in the way of a robot, it is pre-programmed with phrases such as Dear, would you mind moving aside, please? We can take selfies after work! and Would you mind moving aside, please? Or Ill get angry! By mid-2018, the hot pot chain had opened 341 outlets around the world, and has no plans to stop there. This smart restaurant is just Haidilao's latest method to gain more attention, and therefore, more customers. But are smart restaurants more than a quick gimmick? According to Forbes, Haidilao plans to expand to as many as 5,000 restaurants around the world in the future. Jun Yamashita, managing director of Ying Hai Holding Pte., the joint venture between Haidilao and Panasonic, told Bloomberg, It could be difficult to expand to that size in terms of personnel, so Haidilao is shifting earlier to an operation that doesnt rely so much on manual labor. Thats where Panasonics technology comes in. It isnt just Haidilao, either, with many restaurants across China jumping on the bandwagon. For example, during the recent China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, Alibaba implemented a number of AGV (automated guided vehicle) robots to serve food to customers in a smart restaurant at the event's venue, while Xcafe in Tianjin uses AGV robots during the entire process of ordering, cooking and serving food. While robots serving food may air on the side of gimmicky, behind the scenes in the kitchen, robots and smart technology can make preparation safer by sensing when food may be about to go bad and ultimately eliminating the risk of contamination, making food scandals a thing of the past. Although many people worry about the implications of what robot members of staff will mean for their human counterparts, Haidilao stresses that they have no plans to cut front-line service staff, as they will always require people to help with the smart technology, as well as offer human service and interaction, which is something robots cant do. Not quite yet, anyway. My Favorite Quotes Recent Quotes Portfolio Summary Your most recently viewed tickers will automatically show up here if you type a ticker in the Get Quotes box on the top of the page. Were coming to the end of the year. Has 2018 been a good year overall for Raymond Weil? The year is not yet over but we can already say that, given the speed at which the watch industry is evolving and transforming, it has been a rich and intense one. Were doing our best to adapt and innovate with our watch product developments, while at the same time taking a new approach to distribution, which will bring the final customer closer to our independent family brand. This years launches included the very recent new Parsifal models. What role does this collection play in Raymond Weils output? The Parsifal collection is an iconic line for Raymond Weil. Reviving this collection has been one of our main objectives. We wanted to relaunch Parsifal, cultivating the original design that made it such a success for so many years across different global markets, but without betraying its origins: the gadroons on the bezel, the Roman numerals and the cross-shaped links of the bracelet. We also updated the product in line with current trends, resizing the case and simplifying some of its aesthetic elements. Advertising campaign for Parsifal Raymond Weil All of the new Parsifal 2018 models are quartz. Why is that? Our average market price is between CHF 1500 and CHF 2000, and we wanted the new Parsifal to be aligned with this positioning, in order to ensure it met with the success we hoped for. Its possible that in due course an automatic option will be added to the current range, in order to meet the demands of a different category of customer. One year after the launch of your first in-house movement, you have developed a skeleton version. What led to this decision? Im very proud of our Calibre RW1212, an in-house mechanical movement developed entirely by our own teams and produced by our faithful partner of many years, Sellita. By introducing a skeletonised version we wanted to take this development further, highlighting its refined finish and providing a genuine testament to our watchmaking savoir-faire. Freelancer Calibre RW1212 Skeleton Raymond Weil In 2018 you also added to Raymond Weils musical limited editions. Do you have a target client in mind for these pieces? Music and the arts are to Raymond Weil what thought is to the human race: an infinite source of inspiration and creation. This year, we developed another piece that draws its essence from the world of music, with a design inspired by the legendary rock group AC/DC, putting our wealth of expertise into the creation of a watchmaking masterpiece. We also paid tribute to the famous amplifiers made by Marshall Amplification, with the launch of the Tango Marshall, a new, exclusive timepiece whose style and aesthetics reflect the subtle iconic features of the brand. These limited editions, which pay tribute to timeless artists, are aimed at all fans who share Raymond Weils values. Freelancer AC/DC Raymond Weil How do you choose your musical partners? We work with artists who are selected for their musical achievements, like the Beatles, Frank Sinatra and AC/DC, but we also seek out musical brands, like Gibson and Marshall, which make an important contribution to the performance of these great artists. Whats important to us as a watch brand is that we share the same values of emotion, precision and performance that are found in music. Which is your favourite model of 2018? One piece Im particularly fond of this year is the Maestro Moon Phase. Its simple and authentic; it was developed in the purest watchmaking tradition to provide an elegant moon phase display. The dial detailing with its Roman numerals embodies the Raymond Weil identity. The exquisite central decoration gives it a classically elegant style. I particularly like the version with a deep midnight blue dial on a Milan mesh strap. Other models come with a silvered dial on a leather strap. Maestro Moon Phase Raymond Weil What can we expect to see in 2019? We will be strengthening our close links with our distribution and retail partners, while at the same time growing closer to our end clients. These days, its vitally important to get to know the people who buy our brand, in order to secure their loyalty in an increasingly competitive marketplace. It will come as no surprise to anyone that we will be bringing out new timepieces in collaboration with some big names in the music industry, to further strengthen our footprint in the world of music. Our horological discography has only just got started, and I look forward to springing a few surprises in 2019! And finally, we would not be half so excited about 2019 if we werent preparing to announce a new watch development whose originality and price point might cause some upset among industry experts!. Ambassador of Slovenia Prevolsek stressed that Iskra looks forward to cooperation with Egyptian military production companies in light of high quality of their products and technological and industrial capabilities Egypt's Minister of Military Production Mohamed El-Assar attended on Tuesday in Cairo the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Egypts National Organisation for Military Production and the Slovenian company Iskra to cooperate in the field of developing infrastructure to distribute energy. The ambassador of Slovenia Mateja Prevolsek also attended the event. El-Assar expressed his ministry's desire to cooperate with Slovenia in a way that serves the common interests of both countries, stressing the importance of benefiting from Slovenian expertise in many modern industrial fields. The minister explained that the MoU will allow Egypt to benefit from Iskras expertise in the fields of energy and logistics services as well as the field of manufacturing equipment used in the provision of electricity to military production companies. Ambassador Prevolsek explained that Iskra is the largest national company in Slovenia in the areas of information and communications systems; logistics' services; securities' systems; energy distribution systems, means of transportation, railroads, road traffic systems, as well as programming solutions. The ambassador of Slovenia stressed that Iskra looks forward to cooperation with the Egyptian military production companies in light of both the high quality of its products and the fact that its technological and industrial capabilities meet international standards, as well as its participation in executing national and developmental projects. The ambassador also affirmed her confidence in the success of the cooperation between the two parties to implement national and development projects that serve both sides in the field of energy and other fields, especially since Iskra works in many areas that can benefit Egypt. El-Assar invited Slovenian defence companies to participate in EDEX 2018, the first international exhibition of defence and military industries organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Defence under the auspices of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. The event will be held at the Egyptian International Exhibition Centre from 3 to 5 December 2018. The minister said that this exhibition is an important opportunity to learn about the potential of Egyptian defence industries and to establish new partnerships with paticipant countries. Search Keywords: Short link: Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi spoke by phone late on Wednesday with Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi where they discussed the United Nations efforts to end the war in Yemen, El-Sisi's spokesman said. The two leaders discussed the latest developments in Yemen, most notably the UN-sponsored peace talks between warring parties in the country, presidency spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement on Facebook. El-Sisi emphasised Egypt's commitment to supporting the political solution in Yemen within a framework that seeks to preserve the unity and stability of Yemen and its legitimate government, Rady said. The United Nations is sponsoring efforts to end the nearly four-year-old conflict in Yemen under a peace plan that calls for a ceasefire between the Saudi-led coalition and Iranian-aligned Houthis, as well as the formation of a transitional governance deal. During the call, the two leaders agreed on the need to avert any attempt to circumvent the political course to solve the Yemeni crisis and agreed to continue future coordination to provide support and humanitarian assistance to Yemen. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's Administrative Authority (ACA) said on Thursday that it has uncovered an international human trafficking network consisting of 20 Egyptian, foreign and Arab nationals involved in the sexual exploitation of women and drug trafficking. The network was involved in smuggling methamphetamine, heroine, and the pharmaceutical painkiller Tramadol from India and Turkey via air and land ports. The prosecutor-general has tasked the office of the Public Fund Prosecution with investigating the case. The police, accompanied by members of the ACA, raided the residence of the suspects on Thursday and a cafeteria in Mohandesin district in Cairo thought to be the headquarters of the network. Police arrested the suspects and seized an amount of drugs. Search Keywords: Short link: MP Kamal Amer says that Italy's chamber of deputies made a mistake by suspending relations with Egypt's parliament Kamal Amer, chairman of the Egyptian parliament's defence and national committee and former head of military intelligence, has accused "some foreign elements hostile to Egypt" of trying to disrupt Egyptian-Italian relations. Amer, in an interview with Al-Ahram Arabic news website, said that "Egyptian-Italian relations are historical, but some parties that hate Egypt are trying to exploit the murder of Italian student Giulio Regeni in Cairo in 2016 to disrupt the relations between Egypt and Italy." Regeni, 28, was an Italian student who was killed in Cairo while conducting research for his thesis on the country's trade unions. Amer insisted that the recent decision by the speaker of the Italian parliament to suspend relations with Egypt's House of Representatives, on the grounds that the investigation into the Regeni case was taking too long, was premature. Amer said that Egypt is a state of institutions that has laws that clearly respect human rights. "It is also a state that boasts an independent judiciary that is trying its best to unravel the mystery of Regeni's killing and bring the murderers to justice," Amer said, adding that "Egypt's prosecutor-general has been keen at all times to inform his Italian counterpart of the latest developments in the investigation into the murder of Regeni." However, Amer said "some parties are doing their best to disrupt relations between Egypt on one side and friendly countries like Italy on the other side." "Please be sure that the Egyptian state is keen to reveal the truth about the murder and bring the killers to justice." Amer said there are strong economic relations between Egypt and Italy, especially in the oil sector, and that the Italian company Eni has many investments in Egypt. "[Egyptian] President El-Sisi's foreign policy is also based on keeping excellent relations with all European countries, particularly Italy," said Amer. Amer also said that he has a message for the Italian government. "Please be careful, there are some foreign elements that hate the growth in economic business relations between Egypt and Italy, and they are trying to disrupt these relations in the same way they tried to exploit the crash of a Russian plane in Sinai in 2015 to disrupt relations between Cairo and Moscow," said Amer, adding that "Egypt will never be intimidated by these hateful foreign elements or be economically strangled by their conspiracies." Search Keywords: Short link: The special rapporteur 'deliberately downplayed and concealed the government's unprecedented achievements in providing adequate housing for citizens and the progressive and bold decisions,' the foreign ministry said Egypt's foreign ministry issued a statement on Thursday condemning a recent report by the UN special rapporteur on the right to housing which alleges violations in the area of housing rights in the country, saying the report contained fabricated incidents and baseless allegations about the governments policies in the area of housing. The ministry said that Egypt had invited the special rappateur to visit the country between 24 September and 3 October as part of the governments openness to cooperate with international human rights bodies and enable them to understand the challenges faced by the government in providing suitable housing. "Egypt was surprised by the special rapporteur's attempts to fabricate facts and create problems in her meetings from the very start of her visit to Cairo, even though the state had provided her with all the assistance needed for her to carry out her duties," the statement said. The independent rights expert, Leilani Farah, had said that she was "shocked" to learn that after her visit to Egypt over a month ago, a number of the people she spoke to were forcibly evicted, arrested, or had their homes demolished. Farah had also said that unless Egypt ensures that human rights defenders and victims of human rights violations can interact with UN human rights envoys without fear of reprisal, it is in our view not ready to host further visits. The foreign ministry said that "Egypt strongly rejects this threat to halt the work of special rapporteurs with Egypt," saying that this "is a decision entirely outside the rapporteur's jurisdiction and is a violation of her duty." "The Egyptian government will hold the rappateur responsible and accountable or her irregular actions and the dire consequences of her allegations." The ministry said that "the rapporteur's actions upon arriving [in Egypt] raised suspicions that she intended to deliberately defame the country." "These doubts were confirmed after the rapporteur communicated with Al-Jazeera satellite channel which is known for its blatant support for terrorist organisations immediately after the report was issued," the statement said. "The [rapporteur's] actions proved that the report was intentionally malicious and politicised, hiding under the guise of human rights and fundamental freedoms." "The special rapporteur deliberately downplayed and concealed the government's unprecedented achievements in providing adequate housing for citizens and the progressive and bold decisions taken by the government to create a shift in housing policies to ensure decent and adequate living standards for citizens without discrimination," the statement said. The ministry also called on the UN Human Rights Council to take action against those who would exploit their positions for political purposes. Search Keywords: Short link: Meanwhile, PM Madbouly attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Cisco Systems Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met on Thursday with the CEO of the multinational technology giant Cisco Systems and a senior official in the automobile company Mercedes-Benz to discuss pushing investments and cooperation during the upcoming period. President El-Sisi expressed to Cisco Systems CEO Chuck Robbins his appreciation for the company's efforts in supporting Egypt's transformation towards digital technology through its current investments and training of young Egyptian cadres. Robbins praised the efforts undertaken by Egypt to centralise the role of technology in the process of economic development, as well as improving the investment atmosphere despite the challenges faced by the country in the past few years. The meeting was attended by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat. President El-Sisi also met with Markus Schafer, member of the divisional board and head of the production department at Mercedes-Benz. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and the Minister of Industry and Trade Amr Nassar. The president expressed to Schafer Egypt's desire to cooperate with Mercedes in the area of manufacturing self-driving smart vehicles for use in Egypt's new cities, especially the New Administrative Capital. Mercedes Talks Meanwhile, PM Madbouly attended the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Cisco Systems, represented by its General Director in Egypt Ayman El-Gohary. The MoU aims to promote digital development and stimulate technological innovation. The MoU outlines the framework for the implementation of the Cisco Context Directory Agent (CDA), which was launched by the global company in the Middle East and Africa two years ago to help countries that are planning to implement digital development plans. PM Madbouly said in media statements that Cisco Networking Academy in Egypt would expand its training capacity to 30,000 Egyptian and African students in 2020. He also announced that Cisco, which has been operating in Egypt for 19 years, would support Algebra Ventures VS with $10 million in addition to launching a cyber security academy in partnership with the National Telecommunication Institute in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: The UN envoy for Yemen says the countrys warring sides have agreed on a prisoner exchange as part of confidence building measures for the war-torn nation. Martin Griffiths spoke at the opening of Yemen peace talks in Sweden on Thursday. Representatives of the internationally recognized government and the Shia Houthi rebels sat across from each other as Swedens Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom and Griffiths opened the talks. Griffiths said: Today Im also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners that will allow thousands of families to be reunited. Wallstrom told the Yemeni delegates: Now it is up to you, the Yemini parties. You have the command of your future. Search Keywords: Short link: Iraqs frustrated Arab Sunni are striving to find ways out of their crisis by looking to Shia Iran, but that could be a strategic muddle Last week a prominent Iraqi Sunni cleric joined a handful of visiting dignitaries in paying homage to Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The image of Abdel-Latif Humaim kissing Khamenei along with other leaders of Irans proxy groups attending an international Islamic unity conference in Tehran was highlighted in a footage broadcast over Irans state-run television. In many respects, a televised encounter between Al-Humaim, the head of the Sunni Religious Endowment in Iraq who served in former dictator Saddam Husseins administration and who until recently was an ardent supporter of the Sunni insurgency in Iraq, and Khamenei would have been unthinkable until recently. It opens a window on how Iraqi Sunnis have been moving, albeit at a slow pace, closer to Shia Iran. Following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, which toppled Saddams Sunni-led regime, Iraqs Arab Sunnis were opposed to the empowerment of the majority Shia population and soon displayed their disapproval at the way Shia political groups were running the country. They tried many tactics to achieve their goals, including an armed insurgency. The Sunnis had their own strategic reasons for this, but they paid a terrible price during the decade-long struggle to overturn the situation, and in the end this was without success. They failed to make significant political gains that could pose an existential threat to the Shia-led governments in Iraq which have been able to consolidate their power with Iranian and US backing. In contrast to their former policy of keeping fighting in the hope of eventually eroding the Shia resolve, the Iraqi Sunnis have more recently shifted their position and accepted the status quo. This dramatic shift has led Iraqs Sunni political groups to adopt a posture of reconciliation and compromise with rival ruling Shia groups. The defeat of the Islamic State (IS) terror group in 2017 gave new weight to Sunni options, encouraging them to drop a confrontational approach and draw closer to the ruling Shia groups and in particular to the Iran-backed Popular Mobilisation Force (PMF), an umbrella organisation for Shia militias which played a critical role in the war on IS. How did that surprising twist happen? Has it been backed by the whole Sunni community? Is it a strategic or a tactical move? Does it serve the Sunnis final goals? And is it likely to succeed? These are all key questions that remain unanswered, but they require attention in order to explain the attitudes of the Iraqi Sunnis towards the post-war state. Iraqs Sunnis have been brutalised by IS, which seized their cities and towns and forced some four million of them to flee their homes. There was a tremendous sense of relief among Iraqs Sunni Arab population at the liberation of their cities from IS. The Sunnis wanted to move forward to rebuild their cities through government help and translate the successes of the security forces and the PMF into enduring stability. The victories over IS have also emboldened the Shia ruling groups and allowed the PMF and other Shia militias to capitalise on the space left by the withdrawal of IS militants from the Sunni areas and become the dominant forces on the ground. Moreover, the powerful PMF has become a political force seeking to establish a legitimate institutional presence and play a role in national politics in Iraq. The Iraqi Shia-led governments successes have also reinforced Irans presence in Iraq and enabled Tehran to become a dominant actor on the ground. The expanded Iranian presence in Iraq has shifted the balance of power in favour of its proxies and away from other actors, and it has made the Islamic Republic effectively the main power-broker in Iraq. Despite US pressure, Tehran seems to be determined to preserve its gains in Iraq and even to dominate the future of the country and use it as a base to expand further in the region. On the other hand, the long-brewing crisis in Iraq has exhausted the confidence of Iraqs Sunni Arabs in their traditional supporters in the Arab Sunni states in pushing back Iran and its proxies in Iraq. In responding to the Shia empowerment and the increasing Iranian influence in Iraq, key Sunni Arab governments have rallied behind their co-religionists in the country. However, many Iraqi Sunnis now feel that their Arab Sunni neighbours have failed to forestall the consolidation of Shia power and the increased entrenchment of Iran and its proxies in Iraq. They also think that the Sunni Arab countries involvement may have potentially worsened sectarian issues and ultimately communal tensions in Iraq. Amid this challenging mix, Iraqs Sunnis seem to be seeking to redefine their role and to find a new strategy to face up to Shia majority rule and end their perceived marginalisation. The cooperation between the Sunni tribes and political leaders with the PMF in fighting IS and liberating Sunni cities has established broader mutual trust and encouraged them to develop this into a rapprochement with the countrys Shia majority. This dramatic shift was manifested in the May elections in Iraq when Sunni factions entered into alliances with the main Shia blocs on declared cross-sectarian tickets. Several Sunni groups joined the PMFs parliamentary bloc the Fatah Alliance, which came second in the elections with some 46 seats in parliament. One of the Sunni politicians whose group had joined forces with the PMF in Anbar Province, Mohamed Al-Halbousi, was even elected to the prestigious post of speaker of parliament with the backing of the Iran-backed Fatah Alliance. Yet, it is difficult to measure the success of the new Iraqi Sunni policy and whether it is a temporary posture or a clearly calculated long-term vision. There is also no way to gauge the level of support the new approach enjoys from the Sunni community at large, or to judge whether it is simply the brainchild of Sunni political elites that have been in the parliament and the government and want to preserve their gains in post-IS Iraq. However, there are plenty of other reasons to feel sceptical about this Sunni-Shia detente and whether it could eventually turn into Sunni recognition of the idea of Iraq being redefined to mean a Shia-dominated polity, an option which the Sunnis have been resisting since the regime change in 2003. So far, all the parties have insisted that the new parliamentary alliance only reflects a cross-sectarian approach to Iraqi politics, and they have sought to keep the identity debate between the Shias and Sunnis at arms length from national politics. It was, after all, the conflict between the two communities that led to the massive violence in Iraq and the rise of IS and its seizure of one third of Iraqs territory in 2014. Indeed, the showpiece of a cross-sectarian alliance designed to agree on the formation of a new government masks a greater problem because it ignores intractable challenges that have so far eluded national reconciliation and an enduring power-sharing agreement that could end religious, political and societal sectarianism in Iraq. Complicating matters, the split in Iraq is also clearly articulated in the broader sectarian divide in the Middle East and in particular in the geopolitical competition between the Sunni Arab countries and Shia Iran. The Sunni Arab nations are not powerless, and they may take on Iran and its proxies in Iraq. Some of them, such as Saudi Arabia, are political, economic and military powerhouses that can still exert influence in Iraq that could be effective in supporting the Sunnis. Any attempt to overlook this regional conflict and its geopolitical and human complexities through a tactical approach would be a too-simple solution to the identity-based power struggle in Iraq. Fighting sectarianism at its core may matter more to the entire Middle East than resolving political issues such as the distribution of seats in government and the allocation of revenues to the various provinces in Iraq. * A version of this article appears in print in the 6 December, 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under the headline: Iraqi Sunnis dilemma Search Keywords: Short link: The first visit by a pope to the Arabian peninsula will take place in February when Francis travels to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the Vatican said on Thursday. The Feb. 3-5 trip, Francis latest to a predominantly Muslim nation, will be centred around the theme of inter-religious peace. The Vatican said the pope had accepted an invitation from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the small Catholic community there. He will attend an inter-faith meeting. In a statement, Bishop Paul Hinder, head of the Roman Catholic Arabian Vicariate of Southern Arabia, thanked the UAE government for having given permission for the pope to celebrate a Mass at a public venue in Abu Dhabi. Hinder, whose jurisdiction includes the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen, said the Mass would be held on Feb. 5. Francis has visited Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Azerbaijan and the Palestinian territories and used those trips to call for inter-religious dialogue and to condemn the notion of violence in the name of God. The theme of the visit is Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and thats the popes intention in going to the United Arab Emirates. How all people of goodwill can work for peace will be a major topic on this trip, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said. The theme is taken from the opening words of the Prayer of Peace of Francis of Assisi, the saint whose name the pope took when he was elected in 2013. This visit, like the one to Egypt, (2017) shows the fundamental importance the Holy Father gives to inter-religious dialogue. Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter, Burke said. Crown Prince Mohammed said in a tweet that the pope is a symbol of peace, tolerance and the promotion of brotherhood. We look forward to a historic visit, through which we will seek dialogue on the peaceful coexistence among peoples. *This story was edited by Ahram Online Search Keywords: Short link: Yemen's government and rebels, locked in a devastating war for years, traded mutual accusations Thursday as they sat down for hard-won talks the United Nations described as "difficult" but "critical". The talks in Sweden are the first in two years in a conflict which has pushed impoverished Yemen to the brink of mass starvation. While the days leading up to the talks looked promising, with the government and rebels agreeing on a prisoner swap deal and the evacuation of wounded insurgents for medical treatment in Oman, the atmosphere between the two sides was tense as the talks opened. Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, who heads the government's delegation to the UN-sponsored talks, told AFP his team would follow through with a planned prisoner swap with the Houthi rebels. But he refused to compromise on the flashpoint city of Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port. "The Houthi militias must withdraw from the city of Hodeida and its port and hand it over to the legitimate government, and specifically internal security forces," Yamani said. Hamid Issam, a member of the team of Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Sweden, however, dismissed Yamani's role in the talks altogether. "We came here with the intention that these talks would succeed," Issam told AFP. "But it is not up to Khaled al-Yamani... It is up to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. "If they could have taken Hodeida four years ago, they would have. They have not been able to take it, and they will not be able to take it as long as the people of Yemen are fighting." The talks, being held in the picturesque Swedish village of Rimbo, around 60 kilometres (35 miles) north of Stockholm where warring parties have to eat in the same cafeteria, have been months in the making and are slated to run for one week. - 'Critical opportunity' - On the agenda is Hodeida. Not on the table are negotiations on a solution to the conflict between the government of Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, based in southern Yemen, and the northern Houthi rebels, according to UN envoy Martin Griffiths. The Saudi-led military coalition, which includes troops trained by the US and UAE, has for months led an offensive to retake Hodeida, the last rebel stronghold on Yemen's Red Sea coast and the conduit for 90 percent of vital food imports. The move has sparked fears for more than 150,000 civilians trapped in the city as even hospitals were seized by militants. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the rebels of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida, a charge Tehran denies. More than three years since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's fight against the Houthis, Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis with 14 million people facing starvation amid war as a frail economy crumbles. Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen, said the talks presented a "critical opportunity" but did not amount to negotiations on a full end to the conflict between the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and a rival government alliance led by Saudi Arabia. Speaking on condition of anonymity as Thursday's talks wound down, a UN official said the talks marked "the beginning of difficult work". - 'Humanitarian pipeline' - Griffiths said the UN was willing to step in in Hodeida, an offer the Saudi-led coalition has rejected unless the rebels withdraw completely from Yemen's western coastline. "We'd like to take Hodeida out of the conflict because ... it's the humanitarian pipeline to the rest of the country. "We would like to see that airport open, but it needs to be assessed," he said. "We'd like to see progress on this." The head of the Houthis' political council, Mohammed Ali Houthi, threatened Thursday to bar UN planes from using the Yemeni capital's airport unless the talks led to its full reopening. "Unless the airport is opened to all our wounded and sick... then it will remain closed," said Houthi delegate Issam, referring to demands the rebels be allowed to evacuate more fighters for medical treatment. Sanaa international airport, located in the rebel-held capital, has been largely shut down for years. It has been the target of air raids by the Saudi-led coalition, which also controls Yemeni airspace. Griffiths' plans to host talks in Geneva in September collapsed on the opening day after the rebels refused to leave the Yemeni capital, saying they feared they would not be allowed to return. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: Frances hard-left CGT trade union on Thursday called on its energy industry workers to walk out for a 48 hours from Dec. 13, saying it wanted to join forces with yellow vest protesters. The CGT said President Emmanuel Macrons long-term energy-transition plan would hurt jobs and increase Frances energy dependency on neighboring countries. It urged its workers at state-utility EDF, gas and power supplier Engie and all other companies in the sector to down tools. It had already called a 24-hour strike, but said it was extending that. The union said its members were joining the protests which the country is currently experiencing. It said it challenged the choices of the Elysee and Matignon (President and Prime Ministers offices), which are increasing inequalities and no longer allow a large part of the population to live with dignity. French authorities are worried that another wave of great violence and rioting will be unleashed in Paris this weekend by a hard core of several thousand yellow vest protesters, an official in the French presidency said on Thursday. There was no immediate reaction from the yellow vest movement, an amorphous group with no formal leader which so far has not associated itself with any political party or trade union. Search Keywords: Short link: On Saturday, The Sadat Administration Academy in Maadi will discuss the doctoral thesis presented by journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan El-Banna on "The Role of Governance in enhancing the the competency of the National Media Institutions." The discussion panel will include Mohamed Hassan El-Azazi, the president of Misr Science and Technology University, Noha El-Khatib, the former dean of the Administrative Sciences College, and Essam Farag, the deputy of National Press Association. Search Keywords: Short link: WASHINGTON, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. military has started the preparations to dispatch a warship into the Black Sea amid the tension between Russia and Ukraine over the Kerch Strait incident, reported U.S. media on Wednesday. The U.S. military has asked the State Department to notify Turkey about its possible plan to sail a warship into the Black Sea, CNN reported, citing multiple U.S. officials who claimed the move was a response to the recent Russia-Ukraine confrontation. "The United States carries out its activities consistent with the terms of the Montreux Convention. We will not, however, comment on the nature of our diplomatic correspondence with the Government of Turkey," reported the cable network, quoting a State Department spokesman. Under the Montreux Convention signed in 1936, naval vessels of non-riparian countries are required to notify Turkey in advance about their passage through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles straits, which connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. Under the rules of the treaty, ships of non-riparian countries cannot remain in the Black Sea for more than 21 days. On Nov. 25, three Ukrainian naval ships and more than 20 sailors attempting to sail through the Kerch Strait from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov were seized by Russian forces for allegedly violating the Russian border. The Ukrainian Navy called the incident an "act of aggression," saying it had informed Moscow in advance of the passage. Meanwhile, Russia said it had received no such report and the ships ignored multiple warnings by the Russian border guards. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it has appealed to the Budapest Memorandum guarantor countries the United States, Britain and Russia, for urgent consultations over the tension in the Kerch Strait. MOSCOW, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- The military buildup of the United States and its allies has forced Russia to increase its combat potential to guarantee its security, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov said Wednesday. "One of the main destructive factors complicating the international situation is the U.S. activities aimed at retaining its dominant role in the world and excluding other countries from competition," Gerasimov said at a news briefing. "It is for these purposes that Washington and its allies are taking comprehensive and concerted measures to contain Russia and discredit its role in international affairs," he said. In 2018, Russia concentrated efforts on maintaining the high level of combat readiness of its strategic nuclear and non-nuclear forces, building up a layered aerospace defense system, and improving the training of its troops and control system, Gerasimov said. In response to the buildup of the U.S. global missile defense system, Russia has increased the combat capabilities of its ground-based strategic nuclear forces and continued to arm them with modern Yars missiles capable of overcoming the missile defense system, he said. They have also received advanced Avangard cruise missiles and successfully tested Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles, Gerasimov said. The Russian strategic naval nuclear forces have received new submarines with ballistic missiles capable of penetrating the missile defense system, and the strategic air nuclear forces have upgraded their aircraft and equipped them with modern weapons. However, Russia is not getting involved in a ruinous arms race, Gerasimov said. He said Russia has limited the financing of its armed forces to around 50 billion U.S. dollars a year over the last few years, much less than the U.S. military budget. Citizens of Hong Kong visit the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning in Hong Kong, south China, July 8, 2017. A flotilla including China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning on Friday arrived in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) for a visit, during which Liaoning, for the first time, is open for the public to visit. (Xinhua/Qin Qing) The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will operate at least five aircraft carriers in the near future, including the country's first two nuclear-powered ones that would likely be launched around 2025, Chinese military experts predicted on Wednesday. The remarks came after online discussions on how many aircraft carriers China needs, which were sparked by a WeChat article from the Xinhua News Agency on November 25, which announced the construction of the nation's third aircraft carrier. The PLA Navy will shift its focus from "offshore waters defense" to "offshore waters defense" with "open seas protection," and will enhance its capabilities for strategic deterrence and counterattacks, maritime maneuvers, joint operations at sea, comprehensive defense and support, according to China's Military Strategy released by the State Council's Information Office in 2015. Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, said that China needs at least five aircraft carriers to fulfill the strategic shifts. Wang Yunfei, a naval expert and retired PLA Navy officer, told the Global Times on Wednesday that China needs six aircraft carriers to ensure enough carriers are on active duty while the others are undergoing maintenance. Meanwhile, China's Ministry of National Defense has not yet revealed a plan for future carriers. Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang said at a press conference in November that the development of China's aircraft carriers will be based on the country's overall plan. The plan includes China's comprehensive national strength and shipbuilding capabilities, experts said. The Liaoning and the Type 001A, which use a ski jump ramp to launch aircraft, will mainly remain in offshore waters near China, Song said. A third one, which will likely use an electromagnetic catapult, will go further into open seas and lay the foundation for the operations of two nuclear-powered carriers to protect China's global interests. Wang echoed that China will develop two nuclear-powered carriers, but he said China's fourth carrier will remain conventionally powered, before making the fifth and sixth ones nuclear-powered. Song expected China's first nuclear-powered carrier to be launched around 2022-24, while Wang predicted its launch ceremony in 2026. The goal of having five to six aircraft carriers will be reached by 2030-35, experts said. Korea's first communication, ocean and meteorological satellite, has successfully sent photos to the ground after entering geostationary orbit last week. The Cheollian rotates around the earth at the same speed as the earth at an altitude of about 36,000 km to observe the Korean Peninsula around the clock. It was launched from the Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana on June 27. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology on Wednesday said the Cheollian sent photos of the Pacific Ocean off the Korean Peninsula and off the Philippines to the ground. Photos show a long monsoon front lying east to west between an area near Jeju Island and Japan, and Conson, the second typhoon of the year lying east of the Philippines. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute will finish the test run of the Cheollian by year's end before putting it into full operation. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador proposed on Wednesday offering more work visas for Central Americans and said the United States should do the same, part of a negotiation aimed at stemming the northward flow of migrants. Lopez Obrador, who took office Saturday, said he would discuss immigration with U.S. President Donald Trump in coming days, including increasing investment in southern Mexico and Central America. "We are proposing investment in productive projects and in job creation, and not only that, also work visas for Mexico and for the United States," he told a news conference, saying he would give more details "soon." Mexico and the United States have been in talks about how to manage the large groups moving through Mexico in caravans, with Lopez Obrador pushing for investment to address the poverty and crime that drive thousands of people every year from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. Lopez Obrador, soon after being elected in July, sent a letter to Trump suggesting they work together to address the root causes of immigration. "It is very important to us that we reach an investment agreement between companies and governments, to create jobs in Central America and our country," he said. The Defense Ministry also decided to set up radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems at all military checkpoints across the country. Until now, they were used only in certain military installations due to cost concerns, and the change will make it much quicker for civilians living near military bases and visitors to pass through. The military will let local governments manage some 24.7 million sq.m near military installations including Seoul's Eunpyeong and Mapo districts as well as Goyang north of the capital, so they can decide whether to ease building height restrictions and engage in other negotiations with locals. Gangwon Province accounts for 63 percent of the newly opened land and Gyeonggi Province surrounding Seoul for 33 percent. In Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, around 200 million sq.m of restricted land has been opened for development, slashing the proportion of military reserves in the area from 64 percent to 42 percent. In Gimpo west of Seoul, 24.4 million sq.m of military reserves have been opened for development along with 14 million sq.m in Dongducheon north of the capital. A total of 337 million sq.m of land has been opened for development, the largest chunk in 24 years. The Defense Ministry will also make it easier for civilians to pass through military-controlled areas. The government on Wednesday eased development restrictions hundreds of millions of square meters of land near military installations after the Defense Ministry made the decision late last month. The ministry said the restrictions were lifted to improve coexistence with local residents while maintaining defense readiness. But critics accuse the government of trying to win votes for the ruling party in the 2020 general election. Military insiders worry that easing restrictions around key defense installations could lead to security problems. Cities surrounding Seoul like Pyeongtaek, Yangpyeong and Pocheon are home to key U.S. and Korean military installations, and easing restrictions there could make it easier for North Korean forces to invade. Cheorwon and Goseong in Gangwon Province are home to many artillery bases. One former officer who served in Cheorwon said, "The latest measures could make it difficult for artillery units to conduct operations. If there are no problems, why didn't they ease restrictions sooner?" Recently, the ministry also decided to remove 68 percent of barbed-wire fences that had been set up on beaches and river banks across the country to prevent North Korean infiltration. But locals welcomed the move since it could stimulate regional economies and boost property prices. Expectations were especially high in the huge satellite cities of Paju, Gimpo and Goyang north of Seoul. Real estate prices north of Seoul have been rising since President Moon Jae-in came to office, fueled by hopes of improving cross-border relations. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, land prices in Paju rose 8.14 percent on average in the third quarter of this year compared to the nationwide average of 3.3 percent. In Goseong, Gangwon Province they rose 6.51 percent. One estate agent in Munsan north of Seoul said, "We have been getting more and more inquiries about property since this spring, and most people who had land to sell have already done so. Now land owners who haven't sold their property are holding on to their assets because they hope for prices to rise." But skeptics say development will not progress as rapidly as locals hope. Prof. Shim Kyo-eon at Konkuk University said, "Most of the land where development restrictions have been eased is in areas with practically no demand. There's still a long way to go until development can actually start." One local government official said, "Real estate developers are buying up land in which local residents have no interest and are selling them at a profit to buyers from Seoul." The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Wednesday it agreed with the two flag carriers to revise their frequent flier mileage policies "to accommodate customers." Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have promised to make it easier for customers to use their frequent-flier miles in peak season by allocating more than five percent of available seats to them. At the moment carriers are not obligated to set aside seats for customers using airmiles and they allocate seats on an available-only basis. But from next year they will have to allocate more than five percent of available seats per flight to mileage customers and show how many are available every three months. Also, canceling tickets booked on airline miles at least 91 days before departure will no longer incur penalties. Currently 3,000 miles are docked from their points regardless of the timing. The ministry also asked carriers to find more ways for customers who with fewer than 5,000 airmiles to use their mileage, and lower deducted points for short-haul flights to Japan and Southeast Asia. Of airmiles set to expire next year, some 30 percent or W100 billion worth have gone unused so far because there is often no way to redeem them. A senior U.S. State Department official on Tuesday accused China of accepting vast numbers of North Korean slave laborers to keep labor costs down. Laura Stone, the acting deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, told U.S. lawmakers, "I'm familiar with the fact that in the past China certainly has accepted a large number of laborers from North Korea because the North Korean laborers do not have the ability to keep their salaries and have any kind of freedom. We do consider them to be slave laborers." "One of the things that we've worked [on] with our like-minded partners on the UN Security Council resolutions is to ensure that... new [North Korean] labor going into a country has to be tapered off." Many North Korean workers are in China illegally on one-month passes instead of passports to avoid UN sanctions, according to Radio Free Asia. RFA reported that North Korean women are working in restaurants and karaoke bars and even North Korean artists are selling their works in the streets to earn hard currency in the Chinese border city of Dandong. "The monthly pay is 2,000 to 2,500 yuan for each North Korean worker, but they receive only 700 to 800 yuan a month after they fork out a large sum to North Korean authorities," RFA quoted sources as saying. In the end they get to keep around 500 yuan after a month of backbreaking labor because they also need to pay a bribe of 200 yuan to North Korea's State Security Department. About 30,000 North Koreans are believed to be working in China. One reason for Korea's high youth unemployment despite a shortage of workers in smaller firms is the vast wage gap between big and small businesses. Workers in Japan's small and mid-sized businesses earn 80 percent of what staff at large conglomerates make, and starting pay is about the same. But in Korea, workers in SMEs earn just half of what their counterparts in big conglomerates make, and starting pay is only 60 percent. This is why young Koreans compete so hard for the limited job openings at major conglomerates, and why the snob value is so much higher, which has ended up exacerbating youth unemployment. Unemployment among Korean men in their late 20s reached 11.6 percent last year and among women 7.1 percent. In contrast, unemployment among Japanese men and women in the same age group stood at just 4.3 and four percent. Baak Saang-joon at Waseda University in Japan and Kim Nam-joo and Jang Keun-ho at the Bank of Korea in a report on Wednesday showed how the wage gap between big and small businesses is one of the main culprits for high youth unemployment here. Embracing the world helps make Tsingtao a global brand From:ChinaDaily | 2018-12-06 08:58 Chu Liangjing still remembers when his company did business overseas 30 years ago, and had no idea where its products were sold. "It was like a 'blind' sale without knowing the other end of an order. There seemed to be several walls between the sellers, overseas dealers and consumers," said Chu, deputy general manager of Tsingtao Brewery International. Chu started working at the international department of Tsingtao Brewery, based in Qingdao, Shandong province, in 1986. At a time when China was dominated by a planned economy, the brewery didn't have the right to directly export products. Instead, beer products were supplied to a designated foreign trade corporation under the administration of the provincial government. Founded in 1903 by German and British merchants, Tsingtao Brewery bears the name of its birth place. It had gained some renown by the 1980s, but was still far from being a world-leading beer maker. Things changed after Tsingtao Brewery was granted the right to export directly in April 1987. Chu said he was told it should shift its focus to real customer needs and ought to learn how to compete in global markets. "Hearing that team talk, I was almost petrified, but I quickly came back to myself and realized it was time for a tremendous transformation," he said. In 1992, Tsingtao Brewery launched its first overseas office in Italy and then sent staff members to wholesale agencies in countries such as Canada and France. By establishing joint sales companies, the brewery quickly expanded its overseas business. Now the company has become one of the world's largest breweries in terms of output, with products exported to more than 100 countries and regions. "As a participant, witness and beneficiary of the country's reform and opening-up policy, Tsingtao is also an active explorer and practitioner of China's successful market-orientated economy, enterprise capitalization and internationalization," Chu said. Statistics from the Centre for International Communication Studies last year showed Tsingtao has acquired more than 90 percent brand recognition in many developed countries in Europe and North America. "Tsingtao will continue to resonate with the country's development and social progress and make efforts to enhance the global influence of Chinese brands," Chu said. International Craft Expo to be held By:Zheng Qian | From:english.eastday.com | 2018-12-06 10:52 The fourth Shanghai International Hobbycraft Expo is to open at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center on December 7. Covering an area of 12,000 square meters, the three-day expo has attracted more than 300 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, including AfricaJapan, France and Britain. According to Yang Qinghong, the director of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, many traditional crafts persons in China find it difficult to make a living from their inherited skills, and gradually give up their traditional professions. Therefore, by communicating with the overseas peers at the expo, the Chinese craftsmen can learn more about what the market really needs. With achievements of the intangible heritages in the fields of modern design, poverty alleviation and Shanghai-style life to be showcased, the expo will provide a chance for the public to get access to intangible heritage and for the craftspeople to discover how to modernise their skills, or more effectively market their traditional products. Early episodes of the enduring Michelle & Arlene satire focussed on the pair of political leaders finding ways of resolving the political stalemate that has removed Northern Irelands government rug from beneath the publics feet. But even playwright Rosemary Jenkinson has had to abandon that possibility and move on to other political imperatives with her latest set of adventures.opens with the Secretary of State imposing a second, more drastic cut in MLA salaries, which sees the DUP leader and her Sinn Fein northern counterpart scratching around to make a living. Could her charity CD Arlene Sings Christmas be a festive hit to boost the Fermanagh & South Tyrone MLAs financial coffers? A more likely possibility opens up when a Brazilian trade visit sparks a fund-raising gala.Maria Connolly steps back into the shoes of Arlene Foster, with a reddy/orange dress, a crown broach, a scowl and something suitable in her Union Flag suitcase ready for Copacabana Beach. Mary-Frances Doherty has straightened out Michelle ONeills long blond wig, carries a ready supply of miniatures in her travel bag to get the pair half cut, like their pay and, despite the bonhomie, never wastes an opportunity to tease or get one up on her unionist rival.Director Richard Lavery breaks up the scenes with fun interstitial videos. The stylised performances of Connolly and Doherty are by now as familiar as they are ridiculous. The actors have probably spent more time together than the politicians they are lampooning!Cyril the intern is introduced as a new foil for Foster, while ONeill has developed quite a womance with Mary Lou. Thecover (My, my, at Mary Lou Arlene did surrender) is a musical highpoint in the one act show that squeezes in a few Christmas numbers and some of Arlenes greatest hits.With the effort of finding a political agreement for every citizen replaced with a focus on improving the bank balances of the two leaders who put us in this situation (and could click their fingers and get us out of it), even with Brexit hanging over proceedings the jeopardy is reduced and along with it some of the easy mirth of the earlier episodes.Since Jenkinson has claimed shell keep making these plays as long as the deadlock remains and the plot tends to get all the more ludicrous as time goes on perhaps the next step is to take them up into the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings? Michelle & Arlene: Ulster Says Snow continues at Accidental Theatre in Belfasts Shaftesbury Square with performances on Friday 7 and Thursday 13 October. Home Just In DPM Pokharel asks UAE businesses to invest in Nepal Kathmandu, December 6 Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Ishwar Pokharel has asked the business communities and investors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to invest in Nepal. DPM Pokharel said so during a meeting with UAE Ambassador to Nepal Saeed Hamdan Al Naqei on Wednesday. Saying that Nepal attached top priority to its relations with UAE since there are around 200,000 Nepali migrant workers, Pokharel asked the UAE envoy to encource UAE business communities for the investment. The Government of Nepal has unveiled investment-friendly policies to welcome the FDI, he claimed. On the occasion, Ambassador Naqei said that Nepali migrant workers in UAE were contributing to security, construction and service sectors of UAE. According to Spokesperson of Defence Ministry Baburam Gautam, the UAE envoy said that the investors from the UAE were ready to invest in agriculture, tourism, transport, airport management and other areas. RSS Major Nepali and English broadsheet dailies published from Kathmandu on Thursday have covered significant issues from political, sociocultural and economic spheres on their front pages. A meeting of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament over the recent controversial purchase of two wide body aircraft for Nepal Airlines Corporation has been covered in the lead story of many newspapers. Like other days in the recent past, the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant in June in Kanchanpur and the governments involvement in hosting the controversial Asia Pacific Summit have also been featured on their front pages. Important Govt wants to sell NAC shares Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari concentrated on the idea of bringing in a strategic partner for the national flag carrier while speaking in a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament yesterday, according to the reports in The Himalayan Times and Republica. With the introduction of the strategic partner, the government is planning to divest a certain amount of shares to other companies, the report informs. Police suspect Nirmala Pant was gang-raped After their failure to prove any of previous hypotheses, police have now suspected that Nirmala Pant in Kanchanpur was raped by a gang rather than an individual, Naya Patrika reports. Police have recently arrested one person from Kathmandu and three from Mahendranagar in connection with the case, the report adds. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs is preparing to form another committee to investigate into the case, according to Nagarik. Ignored Govt begins probe into complaints against envoy Sherpa After her former driver accused Nepals Ambassador to Australia Lucky Sherpa of her and her husbands involvement in human trafficking, the government has launched an investigation, Annapurna Post reports in its lead story. Because the accusation is serious, we are trying to find out the truth, the report quotes Foreign Affairs Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, We will take needful action is the accusation is proved. We are looking into the case from multiple perspectives. NCP leaders demand meeting to discuss Asia Pacific Summit Some members of Prime Minister KP Sharma Olis Nepal Communist Party have demanded that the party hold special meetings of the partys Standing Committee and Secretariat to review the party leaders role in the recently hosted Asia Pacific Summit, according to a two column story in Kantipur. Those demanding the meeting also include senior leader and former prime minister Jhala Nath Khanal. New bill limits forest users rights A four column story in The Himalayan Times reports that the government is preparing the draft for a new law on peoples right to forests. If the law gets endorsed as it is, it will limit the right of community forests, the report says. Meanwhile, activists have said the new provisions will only benefit bureaucrats. Congress accuses govt of inviting economic crisis The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, has accused the government and the ruling Nepal Communist Party of pushing the country towards an economic crisis, according to a three column story in Republica. The draft of economic proposal prepared for the upcoming mahasamiti meeting has criticised the government for failing to fix economic problems of the country and failing to create conducive environment for investment. Interesting Action room to monitor ministries activities Gorkhapatra reports in a three column story that the government is establishing an action room, from which the Prime Minister can directly monitor and supervise activities of various ministries and agencies. The construction of the room has just begun and it will be over in next three months, according to officials of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Kathmandu, December 6 Nepal Police on Thursday detained 11 members of a youth group who were staging a protest in front of the Presidents Office, Sheetal Niwas, in Maharajgunj of Kathmandu. They demonstrators, who wore black bands around their heads with I Nirmala slogan, had launched the protest against the governments failure to conclude investigations into the rape and murder of Nirmala Pant in Kanchanpur around five months ago. The demonstrators had scheduled the protest this afternoon as President Bidya Devi Bhandari was coming home from a formal trip to Poland. The detainees have been now kept at the custody of Maharajgunj-based Metropolitan Police Circle. DSP Phanindra Prasain says they will be released soon. TAHIR AMIN ISLAMABAD: Strained relation between India and Pakistan constitute one of the major non-tariff barriers hurting the bilateral trade, said Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria. He was speaking at a session titled Intraregional Trade in South Asia; Challenges and Opportunities, organised on the occasion of the 11th South Asia Economic Summit held under the auspices of Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Tuesday. Bisaria said that the Kartarpur Corridor is a peace corridor. It is not correct that India has deteriorated relations with Pakistan due to election. Both the countries need to take steps for better relations and increasing bilateral trade. Space is available for better bilateral trade relations if better policies are framed, said Bisaria, adding that India and Bhutan have established peaceful barter trade relations which can be promoted while including Pakistan as well. Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of China, Zhao Lijian said that China and Pakistan enjoy good relations so they have cooperation in different sectors like education, tourism, trade and strategic relations. Furthermore, he discussed about the benefits of One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative and said its not the type of Singapore or South Korea model but its a model of industrialisation. The BRI has created many opportunities for Pakistan, said Chinese official, adding that Pakistan has become a big receiver of Chinese assistance. Zhao said that a joint venture agreement has been signed on Rashakai Economic Zone. The ML-1 up-gradation from Peshawar to Karachi is a vital project for Pakistans economic development. Project Director China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Planning Commission of Pakistan, Hassan Daud said that the world is changing day by day so the CPEC is a long-term project which will play a vital role in the region. Work on 22 projects worth around $ 28 billion under the CPEC framework is under way. Pakistan is engaged in talks with China for market access. He maintained that it is a corridor of regional and trans-regional cooperation among the states and a good hope for the better future of coming generations of Pakistan. He said with its geo-strategic location, it has strategic importance for both the countries. He further said that it will create more trade and investment opportunities for domestic investors through special economic zones (SEZs) while more foreign direct investment (FDI) will come in the country after the completion of this project. He said that Gwadar will be the trans-shipment hub in near future, so Pakistan is an emerging economy, adding, We welcome foreign investors in Pakistan. Director Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment, World Bank, USA, Dr Caroline Freund highlighting the benefits and importance of Belt and Road Initiative said its a great initiative to connect the region. Discussing some of the projects related to this initiative like construction of road and transport, she said it will create many employment opportunities in future. She also discussed the challenges faced by the country which created uncertainty in investments. She said that there are many policy gaps/barriers. Team Leader, Prime Ministers Performance Delivery Unit, Dr Shazia Ghani said that the CPEC is a flagship project among all the regional projects and has great impact on institutional development like Asian Development Bank and China Silk Road Fund. Senior Advisor to Finance, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Nazir Kabiri stressed the need for close ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan through different regional organisations like SAARC. He said that Afghanistan has potential for trade and connectivity because it has clean environment for trade. There are many opportunities to launch clean energy projects in both the countries. He said that the CPEC is a good initiative and there is a need to initiate bilateral and trilateral agreements between Afghan and Pakistan like the CPEC. He said there is a need to start peace projects between the two countries. Head of UNESCAP in India, Dr Nagesh Kumar highlighted the importance of SDGs in South Asia, saying the South Asian governments should focus more on key priorities, including poverty, hunger and environment as all are interlinked. Executive Director Institute of Policy Studies, Sri Lanka, Dr Dushni Weekaron said the national development plan and annual budget spending need to be aligned with the SDGs. Chairman of South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), Nepal, Dr Posh Raj Pandy said the challenges towards achieving the SDGs include localisation of issues, implementation and unavailability of data. Speaking at a penal discussion titled Building Renewable Energy Supply Chains in South Asia, PPP MNA Syed Naveed Qamar highlighted a few problems regarding energy generation and presented their solution as how we can adopt a system having least dependencies. He emphasised on the importance of energy generation and recommended the private sector to step in to work on manageable solar systems. Speaking at a session titled Intra-regional Trade in South Asia: Challenges and Opportunities lead economist World Bank, the USA, Sanjay Kathuria emphasised on reducing import tariff so that intra-regional cooperation can be strengthened. He also emphasised on deploying track-II diplomacy to promote trade and trust between India and Pakistan. Speaking at a concurrent session on Renewable Energy Landscape of South Asia, Dr Shamsul Mulk, former WAPDA chairman, said that hydropower should be the centre for development keeping in view the landscape of Pakistan. In connection with the present scenario, he stressed the need for building more dams. He said that 46,000 dams were built in the last century; mainly in China. We need dams to avoid floods, protect the lives of our people and for economic infrastructure. There is a big way forward for Pakistan in hydro energy if we construct more dams. Gold chains for men are uniquely designed, preserving in mind the durability. The excellent gold chain for men that are... While marathon running is specifically an athletic endeavor, it is also a very publicized sport, where your picture could get... Moving to a new city can be full of anxiety and excitement. When you feel scared, you cant enjoy the... Most real estate agents have an obligation to market their business to potential clients. You have to make sure that... I Agree This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy . 2026 . ... VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Candelaria Mining Corp. (TSXV:CAND, OTC PINK:CDELF) (the Company) announces that it has agreed to issue 7,075,472 of the Companys common shares (Acquisition Share Issuance) to the shareholders of Minera Apolo S.A. de C.V. (Minera Apolo) to acquire the remaining 40% of the shares of Minera Apolo. Minera Apolo, incorporated in Mexico, holds several mining properties including the Pinos Gold Project (Pinos). For further details on Pinos, please see September 13, 2018 news release on Pinoss Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The Company is currently seeking external financing to fund the development of the Pinos Gold Project. Financing alternatives may be in the form of equity and/or debt. Curtis Turner, President and CEO of Candelaria Mining stated: I am pleased to announce that Candelaria will hold 100% of the Pinos Gold Project. The recently released PEA shows that Pinos is a great small scale project with the ability to grow with exploration potential. Developing the property as outlined in the PEA will allow us to commence with a low-capex project which will generate cash flows to allow further expansion in operations and exploration organically. The Acquisition Share Issuance remains subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Curtis Turner Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Email: info@candelariamining.com Phone: 604-349-5992 About Candelaria Mining Candelaria Mining is a Canadian-based gold development and exploration company with a portfolio of highly prospective projects in Mexico, one of the worlds best mining jurisdictions. Candelarias 100% owned Caballo Blanco Project hosts an Indicated Resource of 521,000 ounces of gold and 2,170,000 ounces of silver (31,220,000 tonnes grading 0.52 g/t gold and 2.16 g/t silver) and an Inferred Resource of 95,000 ounces of gold and 590,000 of ounces of silver (8,630,000 tonnes grading 0.34 g/t gold and 2.14 g/t silver). Potential exists to increase these estimated resources through continued drilling and exploration. Candelaria also holds the Pinos Gold Project which hosts a Measured Resource of 4,444 ounces of gold and 228,892 ounces of silver (85,847 tonnes grading 1.6 g/t gold and 82.9 g/t silver) and an Indicated Resource of 20,586 ounces of gold and 267,745 of ounces of silver (175,697 tonnes grading 3.6 g/t gold and 47.4 g/t silver). For more information on resource estimates, please see the technical reports prepared pursuant to NI 43-101 which are available on the Companys website at www.candelariamining.com . Technical Information Mineral resources referenced herein are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral resource estimates do not account for mineability, selectivity, and mining loss but do include a dilution factor of 10%. The mineral resource estimates include inferred mineral resources that are normally considered too speculative geologically to have economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves. There is also no certainty that these inferred mineral resources will be converted to measured and indicated categories through further drilling, or into mineral reserves, once economic considerations are applied. The Company cautions that a PEA is preliminary in nature and that it relies upon mineral resource estimates which have the considerations noted above applied to them. There is no certainty that the PEA will be realized or that any of the resources will ever be upgraded to reserves. Mr. Jose Antonio Olmedo, Eng. Geol. MSc. is an Independent Consultant, located in Mexico City, Mexico, who is an Independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and the lead person responsible for completing the Pinos resource has reviewed this press release as it relates to the Pinos project. Mr. David Salari, P.Eng. of DENM Engineering Ltd. located in Oakville, Ontario, Canada who is an Independent Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101 and the lead person responsible for reviewing the metallurgical work for the Pinos resource has reviewed this press release as it relates to the Pinos project and has overseen the metallurgical and recovery methods and infrastructure. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Candelaria Mining Corp. (Candelaria or Candelaria Mining). Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to estimation of mineral resources at mineral projects of Candelaria; Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates as 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 Candelaria 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, changes in project parameters, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated. Piedmont increases land position at its Piedmont Lithium Project by 15% to 1,383 acres Core Property expanded by 93 acres or 18% to a total of 622 acres Contiguous land acquisitions are along strike from current Mineral Resource Drill targets being finalized and will be incorporated in upcoming Phase 4 Drill Program All deals structured as options or deferred purchases to minimize upfront cash outlay NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Piedmont Lithium Limited (Piedmont or Company) is pleased to advise that the Company has increased its exploration land position to 1,383 acres. The land acquisitions include properties within the Carolina Tin Spodumene Belt (122 acres), and preferred locations for our concentrator and mine infrastructure (49 acres). Importantly, these acquisitions include 93 acres which are contiguous to the Core Property land package increasing it to a total of 622 acres. The Company also controls a 60-acre parcel in Kings Mountain, North Carolina for the site of the Companys planned Chemical Plant. A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b9cd659-0eba-4b1b-a7fb-0fd4ed751612 These important additions were achieved via a combination of option agreements and deferred purchase contracts, making effective use of Company funds to maximize exploration opportunities. Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, We continue to pursue our strategy of adding to our dominant land position in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt. We have found high-grade mineralization in over 90% of the holes weve drilled on the TSB, and our expectation is that the larger our land position the larger our ultimate resource and mine life will be. We are particularly excited to add 18% to the size of our Core Property and are hopeful that we will be able to expand our mineral resource and mine life proportionately. Notably, these land additions like the vast majority of our existing properties are controlled via lease/option or deferred purchase contracts to minimize the use of cash on a pre-development basis. Piedmont has increased its land position by 184 acres to 1,383 acres. The most significant tracts, with regards to the current resource, are in the south-east and western portions of the Core Property. In the south east, a newly acquired 55-acre tract adds over 600 meters of highly prospective strike length along the F Corridor and a newly acquired 20 acres in the west adds over 400 meters of highly prospective strike length along the B Corridor. These two properties have significant potential to add to the current resource of 16.2 Mt @ 1.12% Li2O (reported June 2018) defined on the Core Property. Late phase 3 drilling, along the F Corridor, traced mineralization to the southwest suggesting that strike and downdip extensions of known spodumene bearing pegmatites could extend onto the newly acquired 55-acre tract. Within the 55-acre tract, one area of subcrop of spodumene bearing pegmatite has been identified, a grab sample from this subcrop assayed 1.21% Li2O. To the west, indicated and inferred classified resource blocks exist immediately adjacent to the northeast and southwest boundaries of the newly acquired 20-acre property. It is expected that mineralization extends onto the newly acquired tract. Piedmont is planning additional drilling to upgrade portions of the Inferred resource to Indicated classification, convert Exploration Target areas to Indicated where possible, explore the newly acquired properties and follow-up drilling on the Central property. Land acquisitions also feature the Companys preferred concentrator and waste rock disposal locations as identified in the Companys Updated Scoping Study announcement dated September 2018. The Company is designing condemnation drilling programs for 2019 completion in these areas. Finally, several off-trend properties have been acquired by the Company for consideration as potential future waste rock disposal, possible exchange properties for on-trend parcels, buffer zones, or as conservation targets for mitigation purposes. Piedmont Lithium Inc. has entered into exclusive option agreements and land acquisition agreements with local landowners, which upon exercise, allow the Company to purchase (or in some cases long-term lease) 1,383 acres of surface property and the associated mineral rights from the local landowners. The new properties being the subject of this announcement total 184 acres, of which 142 acres have been acquired under land acquisition agreements and 42 acres have been optioned under land option agreements, on substantially the same terms as the Companys existing land option agreements. The Company also controls a 60-acre parcel in Kings Mountain, North Carolina for the site of the Companys planned Chemical Plant. The Companys strategy remains to consolidate the region between newly secured and historic landholdings with emphasis towards on-trend properties and sufficient off-trend for potential infrastructure development, mitigation, and future land exchanges. Click here to view the ASX announcement For further information, contact: LUXEMBOURG, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tenaris S.A. (NYSE, Buenos Aires and Mexico: TS and MTA Italy: TEN) has been informed that, within an ongoing investigation into allegations involving payments purportedly made to Argentine government officials (known as the Notebooks Case), the Argentine prosecutors involved in that investigation have appealed the preliminary decision (auto de procesamiento) issued by the Argentine investigating judge on November 27 and have requested that all individuals included in that decision, including Tenariss Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paolo Rocca, be subject to preventive detention. The prosecutors request does not constitute an order and does not have any immediate effect. Any such order can only be issued by a court, and the court of appeals is expected to consider the prosecutors request at the time it considers the investigating judges decision and the appeals against it, including Mr. Roccas appeal. Tenaris is a leading global supplier of steel tubes and related services for the worlds energy industry and certain other industrial applications. Giovanni Sardagna Tenaris 1-888-300-5432 www.tenaris.com IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Talonvest Capital, Inc., a boutique self storage and commercial real estate mortgage brokerage firm, arranged over $5 million of equity through its exclusive relationship with Clark Investment Group for Integritas Partners. In addition, Talonvest negotiated $13.6 million of construction financing with a Midwestern bank on behalf of the partnership. The partners are developing a Class-A, institutional quality self storage facility with 152,000 gross square feet in a five-story building featuring 1,220 storage units, 100% climate-controlled units, and drive-in loading bays. The property is located at 625 Grand Avenue in Ridgefield, NJ and is ideally positioned between Grand Avenue (SR-93) and Broad Avenue (SR-9) for outstanding visibility and access. Grand and Broad are the primary north-south arterials in the Borough of Ridgefield, which is located directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan. Unique among JV equity investors, the Clark Investment Group structures its investments with a long-term hold orientation. The construction loan for this project also had several unique features including a non-recourse 70% loan-to-cost advance rate with a 5-year loan term and interest only payments for the full term. Gary Delaney, Managing Partner of Integritas Partners, commented, Talonvest delivered a unique equity structure through their partnership with Clark Investment Group and then followed up with a one-of-a-kind construction loan. Theyve made invaluable connections for us and the growth of our business. The Talonvest team responsible for this assignment included Tom Sherlock, Jim Davies, Erich Pryor, and Terra Hendrich. About Talonvest Capital, Inc. Talonvest Capital is a boutique real estate firm providing advisory services to self storage and commercial real estate investors, owners and developers nationally. The firm utilizes a unique, collaborative team approach, emphasizing the institutional knowledge and expertise gained during the past four decades by its team members, to structure and deliver better capital solutions to its clients. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/76cb4341-af11-456e-924e-680f807a41de VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Redfund Capital Corp (CSE: LOAN) (Frankfurt: O3X4) (OTC: PNNRF) (Redfund or the Company) highlights tremendous speaking engagements to close out 2018. OCannabiz Conference and Expo: Vancouver December 10 th and 11 th 2018 OCannabiz is a gathering of the people putting Canada on the worldwide cannabis industry map and creating momentum in a new marketplace. One of the keynote speakers is Montel Williams. He is one of the highest profile advocates for cannabis in the USA. He has used cannabis products to effectively manage the symptoms of his chronic illness since his diagnosis in 1999. As a military veteran, over the past two decades, he has worked to pass cannabis legislation in key states and led the push for military veterans to access medical cannabis without the threat of losing benefits. www.ocannabiz.com Virginia Vidal, CEO of Marys Tea, will be speaking on the edibles, infused foods and beverages, hurdles and rewards as a head panelist. Amanda De Freitas, Redfund Director and Meris Kott, Redfund CEO and Director are discussing the future of cannabis currency and the ability to digitally track supply chains, sales and transactions. OCannabiz is more about medical cannabis than any other show and it is what differentiates Redfund from other funders as we are focused on financing medical cannabis. For Virginia Vidal, this has never been about a job, and it was more of a calling from the beginning to help others who could benefit from her medicinal infused tea. We look forward to supporting her team into 2019. As we close out the year, this is just one more milestone we have reached, 3 women all involved with Redfund speaking at a cannabis event, stated Meris Kott, CEO, Redfund Capital Corp. About Redfund Capital Redfund intends to provide debt and equity funding in the mid-to-late stages of a target companys development, or in technologies that are developed and validated by revenues. The present focus of the merchant bank is on medical cannabis, hemp and CBD-related, healthcare-related target companies. For further information please visit www.redfundcapital.com For more information on Redfund Capital contact Meris Kott CEO 604.484.8989 0r info@redfundcapital.com Further information about the Company is available on www.SEDAR.com under the Companys profile. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain statements contained in this release may constitute forwardlooking statements or forward-looking information (collectively forward-looking information) as those terms are used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and similar Canadian laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. The use of any of the words could, intend, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated, anticipates and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Companys current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to the business of the Company, the Property, financing and certain corporate changes. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the Company 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. FOSTER CITY, Calif., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GridGain Systems , provider of enterprise-grade in-memory computing solutions based on Apache Ignite, garnered numerous industry honors during 2018. The recognition came from an array of prestigious tech awards and industry lists, including Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Inc. 5000, Red Herring Global Top 100, American Business Stevies, and many more. The awards reflect GridGains continued dominance in the in-memory computing industry, as well as the companys ability to execute on its mission to provide organizations with the performance and scale they need to power their digital transformation and omnichannel customer experience initiatives while reducing cost and complexity. We are extremely gratified by the ongoing recognition of our ability to execute across all phases of our business, including technology, product development, revenue growth and marketing, said Terry Erisman, VP of Marketing for GridGain Systems. Our mature in-memory computing platform is becoming a standard technology in datacenters worldwide. It allows our customers to cost-effectively upgrade their current infrastructures to become highly responsive organizations that can analyze and act upon massive amounts of operational data in real time while leveraging machine and deep learning at in-memory speeds. Deloitte Technology Fast 500 GridGain was named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list, coming in at #77 with 1,724 percent growth over the past four years. Inc. 500 GridGain was named to the 2018 Inc. 5000 list , coming in at #158, up from #187 last year. The company was ranked 17th among software companies, 13th in the San Francisco metro area, and 37th in the California. Red Herring Global Top 100 GridGain was named to the 2018 Red Herring Top 100 Global list . Silicon Valley Business Journal GridGain was named to the Silicon Valley Business Journals Fast Private 2018 list, coming in at #2 with 681.8 percent growth from 2015 to 2017. San Francisco Business Times GridGain was named to the San Francisco Business Times list of the Bay Areas 100 Fastest-Growing Private Companies 2018 , coming in at #5 based on revenue growth from 2015 to 2017. American Business Stevie Awards GridGain received Bronze Stevie Awards in the categories Company of the Year - Computer Software Medium and New Product or Service of the Year Software Other for the GridGain In-Memory Computing Platform. Database Trends & Applications Database Trends & Applications (DBTA) included GridGain in its annual DBTA 100 list of the Companies That Matter Most in Data . DBTA also included GridGain in its annual list of Trend-Setting Products in Data and Information Management for 2019 . The insideBIGDATA IMPACT 50 GridGain was included on The insideBIGDATA IMPACT 50 List for Q2 2018 . PR World Awards 2018 GridGains Vice President of Marketing Terry Erisman took the Bronze award for Marketing Executive of the Year in the 2018 PR World Awards . The Marketo Fearless 50 GridGains Sr. Director of Product Marketing Alisa Baum was named to Marketos first Fearless 50 , a list of marketers who are boldly pushing the envelope with new technologies and innovative, creative ways to engage customers. Golden Bridge Awards GridGain won a Bronze Golden Bridge Award in the New Products & Services - Information Technology Software category for GridGain Enterprise Edition 8.5. The Silicon Review 50 Most Valuable Brands of the Year 2018 GridGain was named to The Silicon Review - 50 Most Valuable Brands of the Year 2018 . 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 GridGain is a trademark or registered trademark of GridGain Systems, Inc. Apache, Apache Hadoop, Hadoop, Apache Ignite, Ignite, Apache Kafka, Kafka, Apache Spark, and Spark, are trademarks of The Apache Software Foundation. Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. All other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FinCanna Capital Corp. (FinCanna) (CSE: CALI) (OTCQB: FNNZF), a royalty company for the U.S. licensed medical cannabis industry, has advanced US $750,000, the third and final tranche of its US $3 million capital commitment, to its investee company Refined Resin Technologies Inc. (Refined Resin) of Oakland, California. Refined Resin is a cannabinoid research and extraction company that provides B2B and B2C products and services to licensed dispensaries and distributors in the medical cannabis supply chain. This capital is the third and final tranche to be advanced as Refined Resin implements its three-phase development strategy to operationalize its legally zoned, 6,000 square foot, state-of-the-art medical cannabis extraction laboratory. This final payment will fund Refined Resin through build out. Refined Resin has now finalized its architectural renderings and submitted for its Building Permit (the Permit) which kicks-off its phase-two build-out program prior to full commercialization. Initial site inspections by Oakland city authorities have occurred and the Permit is expected prior to Dec. 31, 2018. Upon approval, construction refit of its 6,000 square foot manufacturing facility will commence and will include installation of all manufacturing equipment required for full production. The construction is expected to be completed in approximately 90 days of Permit approval with initial production the month after. Refined Resin has also submitted and received it first signature approvals for its Cannabis Permit Application Inspection Card, which, once complete, will allow the company to conduct its business within the City of Oakland. Full approval is granted upon final fire and safety inspection of the manufacturing facility. Based on these initial city permit approvals, Refined Resin has submitted for its California Temporary License for Cannabis Manufacturing and its Temporary Cannabis Distributor License under the states Type 7 license protocols. Upon approval of these licenses Refined Resin expects to submit for the Annual State Permit by Dec. 31, 2018. Upon completion of construction and receipt of the required permits Refined Resin will be moving expeditiously to fulfill previously announced annual minimum purchase orders of $10,400,000. The company expects to add to that total based on buying interest from a number of significant parties. For more information on FinCannas now funded, initial royalty arrangement with Refined Resin including information regarding FinCannas right to acquire an additional royalty for the consideration of US $1.795 million in cash and stock as previously announced please visit the Refined Resin portfolio overview. We are very pleased to see the company hitting key milestones as it moves towards full commercialization, said Andriyko Herchak, President and CEO of FinCanna Capital. With its strong leadership team in place we have every confidence that the company will deliver a first class facility and with its deeply rooted industry relationships continue to build on its already growing order book to the benefit of both Refined Resin and our FinCanna shareholders. Refined Resins intention is to become a premier producer of bulk quantities of THC distillate and various high value concentrates produced via hydrocarbon-based solvent extraction. The company also plans to provide white-labeling services to licensed brands and infused product manufacturers who do not have direct access to compliant production facilities. Brands and manufacturers who work in conjunction with Refined Resin will also be able to utilize their in-house distribution and marketing expertise as part of their value-add service offering. About Refined Resin Technologies Inc. Refined Resin Technologies, based in Oakland, California, is a cannabinoid research and refinement company focussed on the medical cannabis industry to provide B2B and B2C products and services to licensed dispensaries, infused product manufacturers and numerous others in the medical cannabis supply chain. About FinCanna Capital Corp. FinCanna provides financing to top-tier companies in the licensed medical cannabis industry in exchange for a royalty on revenues. FinCanna, led by a team of finance and industry experts, is building its diversified portfolio of royalty investments in scalable, best-in-class projects and companies exclusively in U.S. legal states, with a focus on California. The company is differentiated by its royalty business model that is based upon providing capital to best in class U.S. cannabis businesses for a percentage of their top line revenue. It is a stream of income model that supports the growth of investee companies by providing them with an infusion of cash on terms that are less restrictive than debt and without the requirement to surrender a large equity stake in their business. In return, FinCanna receives ongoing cash payments based on a negotiated percentage of an investees topline revenue. FinCanna diversifies its risk by investing in multiple sectors to generate multiple income streams in various industry verticals. For additional information visit www.fincannacapital.com and FinCannas profile at www.sedar.com. FinCanna Capital Corp. Andriyko Herchak, CEO & Director Investor Relations: Arlen Hansen Kin Communications 1-866-684-6730 CALI@kincommunications.com Forward-Looking Information NEW YORK, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Druggability Technologies USA today announced that Dr. John E. Friend II has been named as Chief Medical Officer. Druggability Technologies USA has been engaged by Druggability Technologies Holding (DRGT) to assist with the clinical development of all human trials for DRGT. DRGT is a specialty pharmaceutical company that utilizes its proprietary Super-API technology to generate high-value pharmaceutical products that deliver clinically meaningful improvement in efficacy and safety. Without chemical modification, the technology provides solutions for dose delivery, bioavailability, solubility and other performance limiting issues that can improve efficacy, the side-effect and toxicity profiles of drugs by reducing total administered dose. Dr. John E. Friend, II, M.D. brings more than 16 years of leadership experience in the biopharmaceutical industry to DRGT USA. Most recently he was Chief Medical Officer of Cellectar Biosciences, Inc. where he was instrumental in the planning and execution of a number of oncology development programs, including rare pediatric and adult hematologic cancers. Prior to that, Dr. Friend served as Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Helsinn Therapeutics (U.S.), Inc. leading its research and development, clinical, medical affairs and regulatory affairs divisions. Prior to his time at Helsinn, Dr. Friend held executive responsibility for clinical research, medical affairs, pharmacovigilance and risk management at various pharmaceutical companies including Akros Pharma, Actavis, Alpharma, Hospira and Abbott. He completed post-graduate residency program in family medicine and subsequently served as Clinical Director and faculty attending physician at Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency Program in North Carolina. After obtaining an undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Southern Methodist University, Dr. Friend earned his medical degree from UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (now Rutgers, RWJMS). We are very excited to work with Druggability Technologies USA on the management of our expanding clinical development programs. Dr. Friends extensive experience and deep understanding of clinical operations and medical regulatory affairs will be instrumental in the successful conduct and completion of the clinical development of our lead candidates. - said Gabor Heltovics, CEO of DRGT. In 2019, DRGT will be continuing and initiating as many as 8 pivotal clinical trials including several orphan and pediatric designations in various indications such as oncology, pain management, proctology and erectile dysfunction. This is an exciting moment for DRGT with multiple clinical trials underway and planned across multiple therapeutic areas for diverse patient populations, all of whom are vastly underserved by current options, said Dr. Friend. It's clear from the clinical data generated to date utilizing our unique drug delivery platform, that these medicines possess significant potential to address some of the biggest health challenges, including pain and cancer." About DRGT DRGT is a specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of high-value proprietary drugs that deliver measurable and meaningful improvements in clinical utility. DRGT utilizes its proprietary Super-API drug development platform to carefully select and screen drugs and develop their Super-API compositions. The Companys Super-API portfolio contains 30 compounds in various indications. Super-API drugs are protected by global composition of matter IP. DRGT is incorporated in Ireland with R&D facilities in Budapest, Hungary. The corporation was founded by Dr. Ferenc Darvas, Chairman of the oldest Hungarian upstream-technology network. Dublin, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "House Dust Mite Allergy - Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast" drug pipelines has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report delivers an in-depth understanding of the disease, historical & forecasted epidemiology trends in the United States, EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France and United Kingdom), and Japan. The report provides the current treatment practices, emerging drugs, market share of the individual therapies, current and forecasted market size of House Dust Mite Allergy from 2016 to 2027 segmented by the US, EU-5 countries and Japan. The report also covers current treatment practice/algorithm, market drivers, market barriers and unmet medical needs to curate best of the opportunities and assess underlying potential of the market. Disease Understanding and Treatment Algorithm The House Dust Mite Allergy market report gives the thorough understanding of the House Dust Mite Allergy by including details such as disease definition, classification, symptoms, etiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic trends, treatment algorithms and treatment guidelines in the US, Europe, and Japan. Epidemiology The disease epidemiology covered in the report is segmented into two parts: Total Prevalent Population of Respiratory Allergy and Total Prevalence of House Dust Mite (HDM) Induced Respiratory Allergies in 7 Major Markets [United States and EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France and United Kingdom) and Japan]. According to the publisher, the prevalent cases of House Dust Mite Induced Respiratory Allergy was 50,703,100 in 2016 in 7MM and, is expected to increase during the study period i.e., 2016-2027. Among 7MM, United States account for highest prevalent cases of House Dust Mite Allergy with 69,310,852 prevalent cases in 2016. Drug Chapters House Mite Allergy is a hypersensitive (IgE mediated) reaction to proteins in the excrement of dust mites. These proteins can cause an allergic reaction in the respiratory passages causing the symptoms of hay fever and asthma. It can often aggravate atopic dermatitis (eczema) in people who have this problem, causing facial eczema that can be difficult to treat. Odactra by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. and Actair by Shionogi & Co. are currently approved therapies for House Dust Mite Allergies. Market Outlook The report provides global market share of House Dust Mite Allergy i.e., 7 Major Markets [United States and EU5 (Germany, Spain, Italy, France and United Kingdom)] and Japan. In 2016, global market size of House Dust Mite Allergy was USD 258 million and, is expected to grow during the forecast period of 2018-2027. The region-wise market size for House Dust Mite Allergy in US, EU-5 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the U.K.) and Japan shows highest market size in US, followed by Germany, the lowest being in the Spain. Companies Featured Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. Shionogi & Co. Key Topics Covered 1. Key Insights 2. House Dust Mite Allergy Market Overview at a Glance 2.1. Market Share (%) Distribution of House Dust Mite Allergy in 2017 2.2. Market Share (%) Distribution of House Dust Mite Allergy in 2027 3. House Dust Mite Allergy: Disease Background and Overview 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Classification of House Dust Mites (HDM) 3.3. HDM Anatomy and Feeding 3.4. Clinical Signs and Symptoms 3.5. Factors Influencing Exposure, Sensitization, and Allergy to HDM 3.6. Atopic Sensitization to Dust Mites 3.7. HDMs in allergic disease 3.8. Diagnosis 3.9. Management 3.10. Current Therapeutic Strategies 4. Epidemiology and Patient Population 4.1. Key Findings 5. 7MM Total Prevalence of HDM Induced Respiratory Allergy 6. Country Wise-Epidemiology of House Dust Mite Allergy 6.1. United States 6.2. EU5 Countries 6.3. Germany 6.4. France 6.5. Italy 6.6. Spain 6.7. United Kingdom 6.8. Japan 6.9. Treatment Algorithm 7. Unmet Needs 8. Marketed Drug Analysis 8.1. Odactra: Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. 8.1.1. Drug Description 8.1.2. Mechanism of Action 8.1.3. Regulatory Milestones 8.1.4. Advantages & Disadvantages 8.1.5. Safety and Efficacy 8.1.6. Product Profile 8.2. Actair: Shionogi & Co. 8.2.1. Drug Description 8.2.2. Regulatory Milestones 8.2.3. Mechanism of Action 8.2.4. Advantages & Disadvantages 8.2.5. Safety and Efficacy 8.2.6. Product Profile 9. House Dust Mite Allergy: 7 Major Market Analysis 9.1. Key Findings 9.2. Market Size of House Dust Mite Allergy in 7MM 9.3. Market size of House Dust Mite Allergy by Therapy-Type in 7MM 9.4. Market Size of House Dust Mite Allergy by therapies in 7MM 10. The United States Market Outlook 10.1. United States Market Size 10.2. Total Market size of House Dust Mite Allergy in the United States 10.3. Market size of House Dust Mite Allergy by Therapy-type in the United States 10.4. Market Size of House Dust Mite Allergy by Therapies in the US 11. EU-5 Countries: Market Outlook 11.1. Germany 11.2. France 11.3. Italy 11.4. Spain 11.5. United Kingdom 11.6. Japan: Market Outlook 12. Market Drivers 13. Market Barriers For more information about this drug pipelines report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4h293q/house_dust_mite?w=12 Dublin, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Organic Whey Protein Market 2019-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The organic whey protein market is projected to register a CAGR of over 6% by 2023. Increasing preference for online retailing among vendors Vendors use e-commerce platforms to broaden the visibility of their products and involve their customers with brand stories. Increasing product launches Many vendors are encouraged to introduce new products, which in turn, increases their revenue flow and expand their customer base. Successful product launches also increases the market share and provide a competitive edge to the market. Growing popularity of vegan protein powders Vegans do not consume dairy products, butter or cheese, and animal products such as eggs and milk. There is an increase in the demand for vegan protein powders such as hemp protein and pea protein due to rise in the vegan population and rising health awareness. Competitive landscape The market appears to be concentrated with the presence of a few companies. Factors such as the increasing preference for online retailing among vendors and increasing product launches, will provide considerable growth opportunities to organic whey protein market vendors. Key players Milk Specialties NOW Foods Organic Valley The Organic Protein Company The Organic Whey Topics covered PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Nutraceutical - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Food and beverages - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison Americas - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 EMEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Increasing use of e-commerce channel for sales Innovation in packaging Increasing use in infant nutrition products PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Milk Specialties NOW Foods Organic Valley The Organic Protein Company The Organic Whey For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kdc94n/organic_whey?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Government employees dont pay the full cost of their defined-benefit pensions. Taxpayers provide a $22 billion annual subsidy by assuming undisclosed investment risks for which they are not compensated, finds a new study released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank. The issue is not whether government employees should have defined-benefit pensions, but rather how much they should pay for these pensions, said Philip Cross, Fraser Institute senior fellow and co-author of Risk and Reward in Public Sector Pension Plans: a Taxpayers Perspective . The study, co-authored by pension expert Malcolm Hamilton, finds that defects in public sector pension accounting let public employees pay less for their pensions than they should and less than private sector workers would be expected to pay. There is nothing wrong with government workers having good pensions as long as they pay a fair price for these pensions. commented Cross. The paper further notes that the approach taken by public sector employers is prohibited in the private sector where accounting standards require employers to properly measure and disclose pension costs. MEDIA CONTACT: Philip Cross, Senior Fellow Fraser Institute To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact: Bryn Weese, Senior Media Relations Specialist Fraser Institute (604) 688-0221 Ext. 589 bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter and Facebook VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pretium Resources Inc. (TSX/NYSE:PVG) (Pretivm or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on the progress from the 2018 exploration activities at the Valley of the Kings and the Bowser Claims along with plans for 2019. 2018 Regional Grass-roots Exploration Results Results of the 8,000-meter regional exploration drill program conducted on the Bowser Claims confirm the presence of Brucejack style high-grade gold mineralization hosted in broad zones of low-grade stockwork, highlighting the potential for discovery of porphyry-related copper-gold mineralization and high-level epithermal mineralization on the property (see Table 1 below for select assays). Additional drilling is being planned to further evaluate these targets in 2019. The wholly-owned, approximately 1,200-square-kilometer Bowser Claims, located east of the Brucejack Mine, include the American Creek, Bluffy, and Koopa Zones, along with the newly discovered Upper Kirkham Zone. A summary of results by zones follows. For a plan view of the 2018 program please see the following link: http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/1163ad22-0e19-4143-83a7-23c2590750fa. American Creek Zone Several gold and silver epithermal targets were tested in the American Creek Zone, located approximately 25 kilometers southeast of the Brucejack Mine. Drilling successfully intersected broad zones of low-grade mineralization at the north end of the American Creek Zone (Lillianne showing) and an upper expression of a polymetallic epithermal vein system near the center of the American Creek Zone (Virginia K showing). At the south end of the American Creek Zone (Outlaw showing), vein-hosted copper mineralization was intersected which is interpreted as the upper expression of a porphyry system. A review of the strong alteration and metal zonation intersected in drill core will be conducted over the winter to focus future drilling on the higher grade segments of these mineralization systems. Selected drill highlights from the American Creek Zone include: Hole BR-001 intersected 1.82 grams per tonne gold over 6.60 meters, including 9.19 grams per tonne gold and 196.00 grams per tonne silver over 0.74 meters. Hole BR-003 intersected 10.15 grams per tonne gold over 1.50 meters. Hole BR-007 intersected 0.47 grams per tonne gold over 10.70 meters, including 3.16 grams per tonne gold over 1.00 meters. Hole BR-016 intersected 41.54 grams per tonne silver, 0.56% lead and 2.12% zinc over 25.50 meters, including 230.00 grams per tonne silver, 1.00% lead and 7.55% zinc over 1.50 meters. Bluffy Zone The Bluffy Zone, located 30 kilometers south-southeast of the Brucejack Mine hosts disseminated sulphide mineralization in the Unuk River Formation of the Lower Hazelton Group, which also hosts the Valley of the Kings deposit. Drilling intersected broad zones of low-grade gold hosted in shear zones, which contain narrow veins of high grade gold and base metal values. This drilling has confirmed that a substantial mineral system was active at Bluffy and additional work is being planned to further delineate the higher grade mineralization. Koopa Zone The Koopa Zone, located approximately 30 kilometers east-southeast of the Brucejack Mine, is dominated by intensely quartz-sericite pyrite altered Salmon River Formation volcanics and Quock Formation sediments of the Upper Hazelton Group, which also hosts the Eskay Creek deposit. At Koopa, a structurally controlled epithermal system appears to be overprinting a VMS style alteration system. The stratigraphy, alteration, and broad halo of pathfinder elements are indicative of a potentially large mineralization system. Follow-up drilling in the Koopa Zone is planned in 2019. Upper Kirkham Zone The 2018 prospecting program successfully resulted in the discovery of the Upper Kirkham Zone, located four kilometers southwest of the Bowser Camp. Epithermal-style polymetallic veins with strong quartz-sericite pyrite alteration halos were intersected in an area recently exposed by the receding glacier. Prospecting samples collected across the Upper Kirkham Zone returned assays as high as 3.55 grams per tonne of gold, greater than 10,000 grams per tonne of silver, 4.71% copper, greater than 20% lead and 3.81% zinc. Follow-up drilling as well as additional prospecting is planned to resume in 2019. 2019 Regional Exploration The regional exploration campaign was initiated in 2016 to identify mineralized zones similar to the Valley of the Kings and Eskay Creek deposits. In 2019, this work will continue with additional drilling planned in the areas tested this year, and continued expansion of the regional prospecting and mapping programs, with an emphasis on continued identification of Eskay Creek style VMS mineralization in the preserved Salmon River formation, and epithermal and porphyry related gold mineralization in the deeper parts of the stratigraphy. The comprehensive regional exploration program has included the collection of over 13,000 samples, regional mapping, prospecting, airborne geophysics, ground geophysics, hyperspectral mapping, and data compilation. Kenneth C. McNaughton, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., Chief Exploration Officer, Pretium Resources Inc. is the Qualified Person (QP) responsible for the 2018 and 2019 regional grassroots exploration program. 2019 Underground Exploration Drilling for Porphyry Source Over the summer, a surface geophysical program was conducted to follow-up on the successful underground exploration drilling that demonstrated mineralization continuity between the Valley of the Kings and the Flow Dome Zone, an area approximately 1,000 meters east of the Brucejack Mine (see news release dated June 18, 2018). Two drill holes, both over 1,500-meters in length, drilled east from the Valley of the Kings intersected Brucejack-style mineralization throughout. In addition, the drilling intersected anomalous copper and molybdenum mineralization, which coupled with mineralogical indicators, suggest proximity to porphyry-style mineralization at depth. Results from the follow-up geophysical program which included downhole and surface IP and reflection seismic surveys, are currently being processed. Mineral chemistry evaluation for porphyry vectoring and geochronology of porphyritic material at depth is currently underway. The drill results, along with the geophysics and mineral chemistry, will be integrated to refine targeting of this zone for subsequent drilling. Preliminary plans are to drill three to four targeted holes to further test the porphyry potential below the Flow Dome Zone. Valley of the Kings Resource Definition and Expansion Drilling Zones at depth, to the east, west and north-east of the Valley of the Kings resource will be drilled as part of an approximately 70,000 meter drill program planned for 2019. The purpose of the drilling is to expand the current mineral resource and reserve to the east and at depth and to improve resource definition ahead of mining. The area to the north-east of the currently defined mineral resource is considered highly prospective for additional resource expansion. A re-interpretation of previous drill results indicates the presence of a repetition, through faulting, of the key stratigraphy that hosts high-grade gold mineralization in the Valley of the Kings. Warwick Board, Ph.D., P.Geo, Pr.Sci.Nat., Vice President, Geology and Chief Geologist, Pretium Resources Inc. is the QP responsible for the Brucejack Mine resource and exploration drilling. Table 1: Selected Grass-roots Exploration Drill Results, November 2018 (BR-001 to BR-034)(1,2) Hole No. Dip/ Azimuth From (meters) To (meters) Interval (meters) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Copper (%) Lead (%) Zinc (%) Comments American Creek Zone BR-001 -55/60 5.82 11.38 5.56 0.95 100.99 0.09 0.32 0.61 Lillianne Incl 10.64 11.38 0.74 5.36 84.70 0.37 0.25 0.19 105.90 112.50 6.60 1.82 36.18 - - 0.28 Incl 105.90 107.06 1.16 9.19 196.00 0.43 0.25 1.33 BR-002 -60/60 6.00 11.50 5.50 0.58 313.26 0.25 0.24 0.81 Lillianne BR-003 -60/140 158.50 160.00 1.50 10.15 6.33 - - - Moonlight BR-004 -60/270 119.35 120.00 0.65 0.31 11.85 - - 0.56 Lillianne BR-008 -55/60 19.00 19.50 0.50 0.19 247.00 - - - Lillianne 102.06 102.56 0.50 0.73 78.20 0.41 - - BR-010 -55/60 21.50 23.00 1.50 0.40 197.00 - - 0.15 Lillianne 154.50 163.50 9.00 0.40 12.50 - - - Incl 162.00 163.50 1.50 1.23 69.70 0.16 - 0.11 BR-011 -75/60 39.00 48.00 9.00 0.68 77.10 - - 0.33 Lillianne Incl 39.00 41.00 2.00 0.37 147.05 - - 0.36 Incl 45.00 46.00 1.00 4.90 57.50 0.45 0.12 0.38 Incl 47.00 48.00 1.00 0.262 298 - - 0.22 BR-012 -55/60 114.2 115.05 0.85 1.09 23.70 0.28 - - Lillianne 174.2 174.88 0.68 0.59 33.10 - - 0.86 184.00 192.00 8.00 0.08 221.99 - - - Incl 184.00 186.00 2.00 0.09 795.00 0.29 - - BR-016 -60/270 33.00 58.50 25.50 0.01 41.54 - 0.56 2.12 Virginia K Incl 33.00 34.50 1.50 0.01 70.20 - 0.49 11.60 Incl 45.00 46.50 1.50 0.02 230.00 - 1.00 7.55 Incl 54.00 60.00 6.00 0.03 56.50 - 1.45 2.90 BR-019 -50/60 93.00 96.00 3.00 0.70 2.81 - - - Moonlight 222.00 223.00 1.00 0.05 322.00 - - - BR-021 -60/60 24.00 28.50 4.50 0.62 2.55 - - 0.68 Lillianne 49.50 57.00 7.50 0.57 6.00 - - - 102.00 106.50 4.50 0.89 2.35 - - - Incl 105.00 106.50 1.50 2.09 1.86 - - - 212.00 213.00 1.00 1.46 7.48 - - 0.14 BR-026 -45/315 7.80 10.50 2.70 0.00 1.74 0.22 - - Outlaw 15.00 18.50 3.50 0.01 2.66 0.34 - - Incl 18 18.5 0.5 0.03 14.70 1.73 - - BR-027 -75/315 9.00 12.00 3.00 0.04 6.97 0.75 - - Outlaw Incl 10.00 10.50 0.50 0.08 28.50 2.21 - - 19.00 21.60 2.60 0.00 1.85 0.28 - - Incl 21.00 21.60 0.60 0.01 4.84 0.85 - - Bluffy Zone BR-005 -45/225 40.50 42.00 1.50 0.61 4.25 - - - 121.85 123.15 1.30 1.06 1.24 - - - 134.95 135.55 0.60 0.31 12.05 - 0.31 0.54 BR-006 -60/225 36.00 39.00 3.00 0.77 0.81 - - - 45.00 46.50 1.50 0.74 35.10 - 0.74 1.55 87.00 90.00 3.00 1.52 23.85 - 0.17 0.19 133.00 143.50 10.50 0.69 2.93 - - - Incl 140.50 143.50 3.00 1.74 3.56 - - - BR-007 -60/130 60.50 71.00 10.50 0.22 1.27 - - - 80.00 90.70 10.70 0.47 18.16 - 0.27 0.52 Incl 80.00 81.00 1.00 3.16 3.50 - - - Incl 86.50 87.70 1.20 0.44 115.00 0.12 1.78 3.97 125.50 135.00 9.50 0.24 19.07 - 0.24 0.34 Incl 130.00 130.85 0.85 0.28 119.00 - 1.02 1.51 Incl 132.00 135.00 3.00 0.62 5.33 - - - 141.00 163.50 22.50 0.13 1.27 - - - BR-013 -45/130 16.00 17.50 1.5 1.09 12.20 - - - 37.50 42.00 4.50 0.78 2.74 - - - Incl 37.50 38.50 1.00 1.03 3.85 - - - Incl 39.00 40.00 1.00 2.02 3.49 - - - 57.00 60.00 3.00 0.57 33.37 - 0.67 0.56 Incl 57.00 57.50 0.50 2.10 138.00 - 3.09 2.58 71.00 71.50 0.50 0.11 81.70 - 1.75 1.05 115.50 117.00 1.50 1.48 8.72 - - - BR-014 -45/40 37.00 40.00 3.00 0.30 2.59 - - - 39.00 40.00 1.00 0.53 2.39 - - - BR-015 -60/225 2.73 5.00 2.27 0.94 20.62 - - - Incl 3.26 3.82 0.56 2.86 69.20 - - - 48.50 57.50 9.00 1.21 35.28 - 0.14 0.16 Incl 53.00 56.00 3.00 2.05 32.15 - - - Incl 57.00 57.50 0.50 1.58 284.00 - 1.99 1.92 123.00 130.50 7.50 0.59 6.73 - - - BR-017 -45/135 5.00 6.00 1.00 4.39 37.90 - 0.37 0.67 146.00 150.50 4.50 0.86 8.72 - - - BR-018 -60/45 139.00 143.50 4.50 0.40 2.08 - - 0.18 299.00 302.00 3.00 0.58 2.26 - - - 320.50 322.00 1.50 0.71 0.73 - - - 372.00 380.50 8.50 0.20 0.48 - - - Incl 372.00 373.00 1.00 0.70 0.66 - - - BR-020 -45/45 85.00 97.00 12.00 0.34 4.02 - - - Incl 91.00 92.00 1.00 1.07 4.90 - - - Incl 95.50 97.00 1.50 1.05 0.74 - - - 233.00 236.00 3.00 0.72 21.04 - - - Incl 234.00 235.00 1.00 1.41 53.80 - - - 255.50 261.50 6.00 0.53 2.13 - - - Incl 257.00 258.50 1.50 1.11 2.03 - - - 273.50 276.50 3.00 0.47 2.44 - - - Haimila Zone BR-028 -50/315 292.50 294.00 1.50 0.01 800.00 - - - Koopa Zone BR-029 -45/45 31.50 34.50 3.00 0.08 2.27 - 0.12 0.22 132.00 133.00 1.00 0.07 5.28 - 0.18 0.31 228.00 229.50 1.50 0.04 15.55 - - 0.24 BR-033 -45/225 46.50 48.50 2.00 0.04 3.45 - - 0.15 BR-034 -85/90 261.00 262.43 1.43 0.50 5.82 - - - 397.50 400.50 3.00 0.18 2.00 - - - (1) True thickness to be determined. (2) All samples were submitted for preparation and analysis by ALS Chemex at its facilities in Terrace, B.C. All samples were analyzed using multi-digestion with ICP finish and fire assay with AA finish for gold. Samples over 100 ppm silver were reanalyzed using four acid digestion with an ore grade AA finish. Samples over 1,500 ppm silver were fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Samples with over 10 ppm gold were fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. One in 20 samples was blank, one in 20 was a standard sample, and one in 20 samples had a sample cut from assay rejects assayed as a field duplicate at ALS Chemex in North Vancouver, B.C. About Pretivm Pretivm is a low-cost intermediate gold producer with the high-grade underground Brucejack Mine in northern British Columbia. For further information contact: Joseph Ovsenek Troy Shultz President & CEO Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Pretium Resources Inc. Suite 2300, Four Bentall Centre, 1055 Dunsmuir Street PO Box 49334 Vancouver, BC V7X 1L4 (604) 558-1784 invest@pretivm.com (SEDAR filings: Pretium Resources Inc.) Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information, forward looking statements, future oriented financial information and/or financial outlooks within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively herein referred to as forward-looking statements or forward-looking information). The purpose of disclosing future oriented financial information and financial outlooks is to provide a general overview of managements expectations regarding the anticipated results of operations and costs thereof and readers are cautioned that future oriented financial information and financial outlook may not be appropriate for other purposes. Wherever possible, words such as plans, expects, guidance, projects, assumes, budget, strategy, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, anticipates, believes, intends, modeled, targets and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative forms of any of these terms and similar expressions, have been used to identify forward-looking statements and information. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to: our planned mining, exploration and development activities, including our regional grass-roots exploration program, our deep hole underground exploration drilling and our expansion drilling, and the results, plans and timing thereof; production and cost guidance; anticipated results of our operations; our operational grade control program, including plans with respect to our infill drill program and our local grade control model; the reconciliation of the global resource model for the Valley of the Kings and the anticipated timing thereof; capital and operating cost estimates; production and processing estimates; the future price of gold and silver; the adequacy of our financial resources; our intentions with respect to our capital resources; our financing activities, including plans for the use of proceeds thereof; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources including the 2016 Valley of the Kings Mineral Resource estimate and the Brucejack Mineral Reserve estimate; realization of mineral reserve and resource estimates; timing of further development of our Brucejack Mine; costs and timing of future exploration and development; results of future exploration and drilling and timing of such results; capital and operating cost estimates; timelines and similar statements relating to the economic viability of the Brucejack Mine, including mine life, total tonnes mined and processed and mining operations; timing, receipt, and anticipated effects of approvals, consents and permits under applicable legislation; our executive compensation approach and practice; our relationship with community stakeholders; litigation matters; environmental matters; and statements regarding USD cash flows currency fluctuations and the recurrence of foreign currency translation adjustments. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those related to: the accuracy of our mineral resource and reserve estimates (including with respect to size, grade and recoverability) and the geological, operational and price assumptions on which they are based; uncertainties relating to inferred mineral resources being converted into measured or indicated mineral resources; commodity price fluctuations, including gold price volatility; general economic conditions; the inherent risk in the mining industry; significant governmental regulations; currency fluctuations, and such other risks as are identified in Pretivms Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2018, Form 40-F dated March 28, 2018 and other applicable disclosure documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and in the United States through EDGAR at the Security and Exchange Commissions website at www.sec.gov (collectively, the Pretivm Disclosure Documents). Our forward-looking statements are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, many of which may be difficult to predict and beyond our control. In connection with the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, we have made certain assumptions about our business, including about our exploration, development and production activities, and the results, costs and timing thereof; timing and receipt of approvals, consents and permits under applicable legislation; the geopolitical, economic, permitting and legal climate that we operate in; the price of gold and other commodities; exchange rates; market competition; the adequacy of our financial resources, and such other material assumptions as are identified in the Pretivm Disclosure Documents. We have also assumed that no significant events will occur outside of our normal course of business. Although we believe that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date of this news release, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX nor the NYSE has approved or disapproved of the information contained herein. VANCOUVER, Washington, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTC.QB: CYDY) announces that Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., President and CEO, and Richard Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.C.P., M.B.A., Chief Medical Officer, will host an investment community conference call to provide a business update. Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2018 Time: 4:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. PT Dial In: 877-407-2986 U.S. and Canada 201-378-4916 international A live audio webcast may also be accessed via CytoDyns corporate website at www.cytodyn.com under the Investors section/IR Calendar and will be archived for 60 days. Web participants are encouraged to go to the website 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register, download and install any necessary software. The webcast can also be accessed via the following link: https://78449.themediaframe.com/dataconf/productusers/cydy/mediaframe/27785/indexl.html A replay of the conference call will be available until February 12, 2019. To access the replay, interested parties may dial 877-660-6853 (U.S./Canada) or 201-612-7415 (international) and enter conference identification number 13683202. CONTACTS: Investors: LHA Investor Relations Jody Cain 310-691-7100 jcain@lhai.com Third Quarter Highlights: Net revenue for the third quarter increased to $14.2 million compared to $11.7 million in the prior year (+21.3%). Gross profit margins for the quarter increased to 28.1% versus 26.5% in quarter 3 of the prior year. Selling, Marketing and Administration (SM&A) of $2.22 million, compared to prior year at $2.24 million. EBITDA* for the quarter increased by $1.0 million or 55% to $2.8 million compared to EBITDA* in the third quarter of fiscal 2017 of $1.8 million, excluding one-time costs. The Board of Directors approved an increase to the quarterly dividend, to $0.025/share, payable January 29, 2019 to shareholders of record as of January 15, 2019. The dividend is classified as an eligible dividend. Year to Date Highlights: Net revenue increased to $41.3 million, from $39.1 million in the prior year, excluding the impact of The Beer Stores (TBS) consignment-based system (+5.6%). TBS, the Companys largest customer, moved from buy/sell to consignment-based system resulting in a one-time gross profit decrease of $2.2 million. Gross profit margin has rebounded from the first quarter softness to deliver 27.8% versus 28.5% prior year. Selling, Marketing and Administration (SM&A) expenses increased slightly to $7.2 million from $7.0 million. EBITDA* improved slightly to $7.25 million year to date, up from $7.23 million in the prior year, excluding one-time costs of TBS consignment-based change. Brick Brewing recently announced its strategic direction to produce cannabis-infused beverages for itself and others in 2019. KITCHENER, Ontario, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brick Brewing Co. Limited ("Brick" or the "Company") (TSX: BRB), Ontarios largest Canadian-owned brewery, today released results for the third quarter ended October 28, 2018. Net revenues for the third quarter of fiscal 2019 grew to $14.2 million, up from $11.7 million in the third quarter of fiscal 2018. Gross profit margins for the quarter increased to 28.1% versus 26.5% in Q3 of the prior year. Margin expansion was supported by strong pricing, enhanced product mix as well as overall cost reductions in operations. EBITDA for the third quarter of fiscal 2019 improved to $2.8 million, reflecting an acceleration of strong results in fiscal 2019. This was a tremendous quarter for Brick Brewing, noted George Croft, President and CEO. Were reporting double digit revenue and EBITDA growth. Weve been able to expand margins, increase the investment in our brands, and still deliver 55% growth in EBITDA. Our Laker brand posted 4% volume growth and our LandShark brand continued to resonate with consumers and grew 6% in the quarter. Our Waterloo brands declined 8% in the face of craft beer proliferation and strong competitive category pressure. The Waterloo brand will benefit considerably from our recently announced small batch brewery and taproom where we can showcase our new expertly crafted innovated products. Overall, the beer industry saw a decline of 5.9% versus prior year. In comparison, our owned beer business grew 2% versus prior year, for the quarterly comparison. We have been successful in growing market share, and the strong response weve enjoyed from our consumers has allowed us to outperform the category. As a result of the strength in operating and financial performance, Brick is also announcing today a 25% increase in the quarterly dividend, to $0.025/share, up from $0.020/share. The dividend is payable January 29, 2019 to shareholders of record as of January 15, 2019. The increase in the dividend is simply a continuation of our commitment to deliver value to shareholders. We believe in our ability to both invest in growing our business while at the same time increasing returns to shareholders, commented David Birch, Chief Financial Officer. Croft added, Although we are pleased with our Q3 results, we will continue to focus on execution and will be working hard to ensure a strong finish for the year. Additionally, we are excited about our recently announced strategic direction to engage in the new and developing cannabis-infused beverage category and its impact on our future business. The following financial information should be read in conjunction with the audited annual financial statements of the Company prepared under IFRS for the year ended January 31, 2018. Reconciliation of Net Earnings to Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization, and Share Based Payments (EBITDA)* Quarter ended Fiscal year-to-date ended (in thousands of dollars) October 28, 2018 October 29, 2017 October 28, 20181 October 29, 2017 Net income $ 1,025 $ 387 $ 604 $ 2,293 Add (deduct): Income tax expense 395 156 233 857 Depreciation and amortization 1,101 927 3,178 2,650 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment - (26 ) 251 (26 ) Share-based payments 132 93 334 206 Finance costs 151 145 348 380 Subtotal 1,779 1,295 4,344 4,067 EBITDA* 2,804 1,682 4,948 6,360 STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME Quarters ended October 28, 2018 and October 29, 2017 Quarter ended Fiscal year-to-date ended October 28, 2018 October 29, 2017 October 28, 20181 October 29, 2017 Revenue $ 14,169,490 $ 11,671,466 $ 37,745,557 $ 39,055,280 Cost of sales 10,185,405 8,557,904 28,538,993 27,894,803 Gross profit 3,984,085 3,113,562 9,206,564 11,160,477 Selling, marketing and administration expenses 2,224,770 2,238,472 7,153,180 7,047,895 Other expenses 187,763 186,903 616,205 581,850 Finance costs 151,411 145,552 348,484 380,259 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment - - 251,405 - Income before tax 1,420,141 542,635 837,290 3,150,473 Income tax expense 395,281 155,620 233,320 857,022 Net income and comprehensive income $ 1,024,860 $ 387,015 $ 603,970 $ 2,293,451 Basic earnings per share $ 0.03 $ 0.01 $ 0.02 $ 0.06 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.03 $ 0.01 $ 0.02 $ 0.06 STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL POSITION As at October 28, 2018 and January 31, 2018 October 28, 2018 January 31, 2018 ASSETS Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment $ 28,847,782 $ 27,119,488 Intangible assets 15,300,407 15,381,578 Construction deposits 409,025 323,255 44,557,214 42,824,321 Current assets Cash 1,074,152 - Accounts receivable 4,188,773 6,999,212 Inventories 8,609,220 7,891,364 Prepaid expenses 1,024,292 613,710 14,896,437 15,504,286 TOTAL ASSETS 59,453,651 58,328,607 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Equity Share capital 40,095,357 39,747,525 Share-based payments reserves 1,190,119 1,026,667 Deficit (4,067,748 ) (2,547,746 ) TOTAL EQUITY 37,217,728 38,226,446 Non-current liabilities Provisions 546,859 538,376 Obligation under finance lease 2,414,945 3,011,893 Long-term debt 7,220,095 6,019,245 Deferred income tax liability 1,359,784 1,126,464 11,541,683 10,695,978 Current liabilities Bank indebtedness - 787,843 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 8,278,399 6,516,382 Current portion of obligation under finance lease 792,186 769,962 Current portion of long-term debt 1,623,655 1,331,996 10,694,240 9,406,183 TOTAL LIABILITIES 22,235,923 20,102,161 TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY $ 59,453,651 $ 58,328,607 STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS Quarters ended October 28, 2018 and October 29, 2017 Quarter ended Fiscal year-to-date ended October 28, 2018 October 29, 2017 October 28, 2018 October 29, 2017 Operating activities Net income $ 1,024,860 $ 387,015 $ 603,970 $ 2,293,451 Adjustments for: Income tax expense 395,281 155,620 233,320 857,022 Finance costs 151,411 145,552 348,484 380,259 Depreciation and amortization of property, plant and equipment and intangibles 1,100,576 927,290 3,178,450 2,650,282 Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment - (26,418 ) 251,405 (26,418 ) Share-based payments 132,083 92,824 334,475 205,784 Change in non-cash working capital related to operations (1,875,576 ) 2,006,426 3,499,070 (3,403,830 ) Less: Interest paid (145,927 ) (142,232 ) (386,780 ) (342,439 ) Cash provided by operating activities 782,708 3,546,077 8,062,394 2,614,111 Investing activities Purchase of property, plant and equipment (886,648 ) (1,254,226 ) (4,968,523 ) (7,123,641 ) Construction deposit paid (151,069 ) - (409,025 ) - Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment - 2,566,598 280,000 2,566,598 Purchase of intangible assets (23,501 ) (486 ) (65,200 ) (197,551 ) Cash provided by (used in) investing activities (1,061,218 ) 1,311,885 (5,162,748 ) (4,754,594 ) Financing activities Decrease in bank indebtedness - (1,050,335 ) (787,843 ) - Issuance of long-term debt - - 2,600,000 5,163,067 Repayment of long-term debt (419,008 ) (328,338 ) (1,115,763 ) (693,713 ) Repayment of obligation under finance lease (193,395 ) (186,194 ) (574,724 ) (553,327 ) Dividends paid (709,363 ) (563,882 ) (2,123,972 ) (1,686,420 ) Issuance of shares, net of fees - 3,631 - 9,342 Shares repurchased and cancelled, including fees - - - (322,629 ) Stock option costs - - (18,510 ) - Proceeds from stock option exercise 1,077 - 195,319 125,048 Cash provided by (used in) financing activities (1,320,689 ) (2,125,118 ) (1,825,493 ) 2,041,368 Net increase/(decrease) in cash (1,599,200 ) 2,732,844 1,074,152 (99,115 ) Cash, beginning of the period 2,673,352 - - 2,831,959 Cash, end of the period $ 1,074,152 $ 2,732,844 $ 1,074,152 $ 2,732,844 About Brick Brewing Brick is Ontario's largest Canadian-owned brewery. The Company is a regional brewer of award-winning premium quality and value beers and is officially certified under the Global Food Safety Standard, one of the highest and most internationally recognized standards for safe food production. Founded in 1984, Brick Brewing Co. was the first craft brewery to start up in Ontario and is credited with pioneering the present-day craft brewing renaissance in Canada. Brick has complemented its Waterloo premium craft beers with the popular Laker brand. In 2011, Brick purchased the Canadian rights to Seagram Coolers and in 2015, secured the exclusive Canadian rights to both LandShark and Margaritaville. In addition, Brick utilizes its leading-edge brewing, blending and packaging capabilities to provide an extensive array of contract manufacturing services in beer, coolers and ciders. Brick trades on the TSX under the symbol BRB. Visit us at www.brickbeer.com. Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release that do not directly and exclusively relate to historical facts constitute forward-looking statements as of the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "anticipate", "seek", "plan", "believe" or "continue" or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements, which are not guarantees and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause actual performance and financial results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only at the date of this press release and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation does not undertake to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or otherwise. * EBITDA is a non-IFRS earnings measure, therefore it does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards and may not be similar to measures presented by other companies. EBITDA represents earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, gain on disposal of property, plant, and equipment, and share based payments. Management uses this measurement to evaluate the operating results of the Company. This measure is also important to management since it is used by the Companys lenders to evaluate the ongoing cash generating capability of the Company and therefore the amounts those lenders are willing to lend to the Company. Investors find EBITDA to be useful information because it provides a measure of the Companys operating performance. Contact Information For further information: David Birch, Chief Financial Officer (519) 742-2732 Ext.106 E-mail: info@brickbeer.com DENVER, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HighPoint Resources Corporation (HighPoint or the Company) (NYSE: HPR) today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Lori A. Lancaster as a director of the Company, effective December 4, 2018. She will serve as an independent director and as a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Ms. Lancaster has extensive experience in the oil and gas sector and is a former Managing Director of the Global Energy Group at UBS Securities. Prior to UBS she was a Managing Director in the Global Natural Resources groups at Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Nomura Securities. During her 18-year tenure in investment banking, she led or was a key member of the execution team on more than $60 billion of announced energy M&A deals and led the structuring and execution of numerous capital market transactions. She also previously served as an independent director on Energen Corporations Board of Directors. Jim Mogg, Chairman of the Board, commented, "On behalf of the Board, we would like to welcome Lori to HighPoint. We are pleased to have an individual with Loris extensive oil and gas background joining HighPoint and are confident that her experience will enhance the strategic viewpoint of the Board as we continue to execute our growth strategy." ABOUT HIGHPOINT RESOURCES CORPORATION HighPoint Resources Corporation (NYSE: HPR) is a Denver, Colorado based company focused on the development of oil and natural gas assets located in the Denver-Julesburg Basin of Colorado. Additional information about the Company may be found on its website www.hpres.com . Company contact: Larry C. Busnardo, Vice President, Investor Relations, 303-312-8514 NEW YORK, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The demand for Baltic countries small-scale LNG market is projected to reach 1.908 MTPA by 2030, actuating at an estimated CAGR of 14.01% from 2020 to 2030. Increasing investment in LNG infrastructure in the Baltic region, and the support from local governments for the adoption of LNG as a marine and road transport fuel is expected to give impetus to the market growth during the forecast period. Moreover, the sulphur emission cap set by the European Union on road transport fuel and marine fuel is expected to propel the market in the coming years. Gazprom, a Russian company, had a monopoly on the natural gas exports to the Baltic region in the past. This led to higher import costs of natural gas in these countries. To reduce the dependency on Russian imports and to develop a negotiating platform for prices, small-scale infrastructure is being developed across the region. The infrastructure includes building of LNG import terminals, bunkering terminals, LNG truck fueling stations, and an efficient distribution network for truck reloading operations. FSRU Independence in Lithuania currently serves as a hub for LNG import in the north-eastern Baltic countries. However, with recent developments in Estonia, relocation of LNG import traffic is expected in the coming years. Key findings from the report: The Baltic small-scale LNG market is expected to reach 1.908 MTPA by 2030 at a CAGR of 14.01% Based on application: The road transport fuel segment is expected to reach around 0.6 MTPA by the year 2030 The road transport fuel segment is expected to reach around 0.6 MTPA by the year 2030 Based on off grid power generation: Off-grid power generation segment is projected to experience steady growth during the forecast period. This can be attributed to demand for green fuels for generation of power Off-grid power generation segment is projected to experience steady growth during the forecast period. This can be attributed to demand for green fuels for generation of power Based on supply mode: Ship-to-ship segment is likely to dominate the market in 2020 and the trend is likely to continue over the forecast period. This can be owed to planned marine LNG bunkering projects across the Baltic Sea Ship-to-ship segment is likely to dominate the market in 2020 and the trend is likely to continue over the forecast period. This can be owed to planned marine LNG bunkering projects across the Baltic Sea Some of the key companies operating in the market include LNG Gorskaya LLC; Alexela; Gazprom; Litgas; Vopak E.O.S; Eesti Gaas; Polskie LNG S.A.; Statoil AGA; Skangas; and DUON, among others Marine fuel segment: A new market stemming from small-scale LNG imports during 2020-2030 Baltic countries are developing LNG bunkering infrastructure across the Baltic Sea to cater for the LNG marine fuel market currently in nascent stage. Companies like Gorskaya have planned floating storage units with a small bunkering vessel at several locations. These facilities can be expanded with storage and truck loading bays adding to the countries LNG distribution network. In the most basic supply chain operations, LNG import terminals supply LNG to bunkering terminals via truck reloading operations or a small carrier vessel. A bunkering terminal planned in the port of Montu will act as a strategic point to perform marine bunkering operations in the Baltic Sea. These developments are expected to create a positive impact on the marine fuel bunker market. Road transport fuel segment: A fast developing network for LNG fueled vehicles The conventional fuels for road transport have high carbon and sulphur emissions. This has led to adoption of greener fuels for vehicles. CNG fueling stations have experienced success in Baltic markets and are growing at a steady rate. This reflects the optimistic adoption of LNG as a fuel for long-haul trucks. Additionally, LNG fueling services can be integrated with CNG facilities enabling easy installation in an efficient manner. Browse full research report with TOC on "Baltic Small-Scale LNG Market Outlook, Trend and Opportunity Analysis, Competitive Insights, Actionable Segmentation & Forecast 2020-2030" at: https://www.energiasmarketresearch.com/baltic-small-scale-lng-market-report/ To purchase report: sales@energiasmarketresearch.com Estonia Regional Insight Estonia is poised to witness significant growth in small-scale LNG infrastructure, and is likely to be a small-scale LNG hub in the north-eastern Baltic Sea. Estonia is developing several regasification facilities, constructing a natural gas pipeline with Finland, and bunkering facilities to cater for the upcoming marine bunkering market. For instance, the Paldiski regasification terminal will also serve as a LNG storage facility for truck reloading, truck-to-ship & marine bunkering. Moreover, LNG Gorskaya, a Russian company, is planning to construct a bunkering facility in the port of Parnu before the year 2020. This facility consists of a floating storage unit of 5500 cubic meter capacity, and a small-scale bunkering vessel of capacity 1300 cubic meter. Similar facility is planned at the port of Montu and other countries in Europe. These facilities are expected to target the bunkering market in Baltic Sea. Gorskaya is planning to operate from a LNG liquefaction plant located near St. Petersburg, and will be fed natural gas from a pipeline of Gazprom. The report segments Baltic small-scale LNG market on the basis of application, infrastructure, and region. Baltic LNG Market, By Scale Small-Scale LNG Large-Scale LNG Baltic Small-Scale LNG Market, By Application Marine Fuel by Supply Mode Ship-To-Ship Terminal-To-Ship Truck-To-Ship Others Ship-To-Ship Terminal-To-Ship Truck-To-Ship Others Road Transport Off-Grid Power Generation Off-Grid Household Off-Grid Industrial Off-Grid Household Off-Grid Industrial Industry By Baltic Small-Scale LNG Market, Infrastructure Truck Fueling Stations Bunkering Vessels Bunker Barge Bunkering Terminals Storage Hubs LNG Storage Regas Facilities Truck-To-Ship Bunkering LNG Trailers By Country Sweden Poland Denmark Lithuania Estonia Latvia About Energias Market Research Pvt. Ltd. Energias Market Research launched with the objective to provide in-depth market analysis, business research solutions, and consultation that is tailored to our clients specific needs based on our impeccable research methodology. With a wide range of expertise from various industrial sectors and more than 50 industries that include energy, chemical and materials, information communication technology, semiconductor industries, healthcare and daily consumer goods, etc., we strive to provide our clients with a one-stop solution for all research and consulting needs. Our comprehensive industry-specific knowledge enables us in creating high quality global research outputs. This wide-range capability differentiates us from our competitors. Contact: Mr. Alan Andrews Business Development Manager For any queries email us: info@energiasmarketresearch.com To purchase report: sales@energiasmarketresearch.com Call us: +1-716-239-4915 Visit: https://www.energiasmarketresearch.com/ Dublin, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Harmonic Filters Market 2018-2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The harmonic filters market will register a CAGR of more than 4% by 2022. The rising investments in renewable energy to trend in the market. Resources available for industries across the world are limited as most government has imposed strict regulations to control the use of resources. Consumers are also motivated to use eco-friendly products. Power quality refers to the efficiency of power. High power quality refers to a situation when a power supply is always available and within the required frequency and the voltage tolerance and sinusoidal waveform do not have any sags, spikes, or other electronic disturbances. Power network reliability issues have increased the need for efficient power supply in industrial and commercial premises. Though harmonic filters provide better return on investment, end-users must make significant investments compared with economical alternatives such as line reactors and load reactors. The high switching cost is a major obstacle for end-users to implement these filters in their production processes. With the presence of a considerable number of companies, this market appears to be concentrated. Some of the leading harmonic filter manufacturers are focused on developing advanced equipment that meets the expectations of the end-users. This market study provides an extensive analysis of the harmonic filtration sector by considering the evolving demographics and consumer behavior in the market. Market Trends Rising Investments in Renewable Sources of Energy Advent of IoT Evolving Competitive Scenario Key Topics Covered PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT PART 03: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PART 04: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 05: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2017 Market size and forecast 2017-2022 PART 06: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY PRODUCT Overview Comparison by product PHF - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 AHF - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Market opportunity by product PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 09: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY END-USER Overview Comparison by end-user Industrial - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Non-industrial - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Market opportunity by end-user PART 10: REGIONAL LANDSCAPE Geographical segmentation Regional comparison APAC - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 EMEA - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Americas - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 11: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 12: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 13: MARKET TRENDS Rising investments in renewable sources of energy Advent of IoT Evolving competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competition review PART 15: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors ABB Danfoss Eaton SCHAFFNER Schneider Electric For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/8h8h98/the_global_market?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Dublin, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Artificial Intelligence in Aviation Market 2018-2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. One trend in the market is emergence of smart airports. Over the last two decades, the business model and airport operations of the airlines have witnessed a drastic change in accordance with the exponential growth of the global aviation industry. Therefore, both the airport authorities and airlines have been looking for an alternative approach to manage the complex ecosystem of aviation operations. According to the report, one driver in the market is blockchain integration into aviation. The information in the aviation industry is deemed to be very sensitive and complex. Integration of blockchain into the industry can lead to vast improvements in the operational efficiency of the whole workflow. Blockchain technology may be incorporated by manufacturers and airline operators alike for comprehensive data sharing and reconciliation, leading to reduction of complexities associated with cross-enterprise business processes Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is concerns over security breach. Big data can revolutionize the world with its predictive power. The collection of huge data sets for legitimate analysis by computers may be at risk of becoming available for abuse by miscreants. The possible impacts of a cyberattack range from endangering the safety of an aircraft to affecting operational reliability, financial health, and business continuity. Key Players Airbus Amazon IBM Intel Microsoft Topics Covered PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT PART 03: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PART 04: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 05: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2017 Market size and forecast 2017-2022 PART 06: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Segmentation by application Comparison by application Airline and airport operations - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Manufacturing and MRO activities - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Market opportunity by application PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 09: REGIONAL LANDSCAPE Geographical segmentation Regional comparison Americas - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 EMEA - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 APAC - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Airbus Amazon IBM Intel Microsoft For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6fvtl4/ai_in_the_global?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. DENVER, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elixinol, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Elixinol Global (ASX: EXL; OTCQX: ELLXF), achieved a milestone in the U.S. by reporting retail sales approaching seven figures over the Thanksgiving shopping holiday. The record revenue was buoyed by increased U.S. consumer demand and Elixinols annual U.S. Buy One Get One promotion over the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend. The sales also equate to record-breaking donations to non-profit organizations at a time of year when most needed. 5% of all elixinol.com sales are donated to charity benefiting veterans and various health organizations. I co-founded this business with a global vision to give everyone, from individuals to organizations, the opportunity to enjoy hemps restorative benefits, said Paul Benhaim, Elixinol Global CEO and Elixinol co-founder. Our commitment to doing the right thing for the right reasons really shines this time of year, he continued. A foundational value of Elixinol is Do-Good, Feel-Good. The entire Elixinol team is proud of the charitable contributions to organizations important to our customers, said Chris Husong, Elixinol Director of Marketing. Besides industry-leading charitable donations, as one of the few CBD companies with complete seed-to-sale control, Elixinol has raised the standards for premium-grade CBD and hemp extracts. Elixinol provides customer assurances with transparent third-party potency and purity testing and food-grade extraction which meet or exceed the FDAs Good Manufacturing Process (GMP) standards. In addition to shoring up facilities, Elixinol spent 2018 hiring operational staff and increasing oversight with the promotion of Amberley Calvo, who is one of Elixinols original staff members. In her new position, as General Manager, Calvo oversees the operational systems and team members who make a milestone such as this possible. We knew this would be a record-setting year, said Gabriel Ettenson, Elixinol co-founder and President. From seed-to-sale, weve been preparing for this all year long, Ettenson continued. Throughout 2018, Elixinol has been exceeding sales projections with triple-digit revenue growth. The marketing, sales and customer service teams have also increased in 2018. Over the Black Friday-Cyber Monday holiday shopping weekend, Elixinol customer service agents answered over 500 online inquiries. It would be easy for Elixinol to cut corners on community support and even quality during such an incredible growth spurt, but instead, weve stayed true to ourselves and our community, said Husong. Its extremely rewarding to see those decisions benefiting everyone, including our nonprofits, in the Elixinol family, Husong continued. About Elixinol: Colorado-based Elixinol , co-founded by Paul Benhaim, hemp entrepreneur since 1991, is widely regarded as one of the most influential CBD brands in the world. With a proven track record of growing and extracting premium-quality hemp, Elixinol is one of the few CBD hemp extract brands with complete seed-to-sale control over its products. Elixinol also conducts rigorous third-party laboratory testing and quality control. Elixinol distributes hemp-derived CBD products in 40 countries including North and South America, throughout Europe, Asia, and the Pacific Region under its own label and bulk CBD and wholesale CBD. Elixinols parent company EXL ( elixinolglobal.com ) is publicly traded on the Australian Securities Exchange and on the U.S. OTC (ASX:EXL, OTCQX: ELLXF). More information available at Elixinol.com . Media Contact: Chris Husong Elixinol +1 844-804-3504 ext 420 chris@elixinol.com Corporate Announcement no. 42/2018: Annual Report 1 October 2017 - 30 September 2018 Copenhagen, 6 December 2018 The Board of Directors and the Management have today discussed and approved the Annual Report of Ress Life Investments A/S for the period 1 October 2017 - 30 September 2018. Key results and highlights: Ress Life Investments A/S realised a net profit before and after tax of USD 7,898,953 for the period 1 October 2017 - 30 September 2018. The net profit for the period corresponds to a net return on equity of 8.7 % and an increase in net asset value of USD 144.83 per share. The increase in profit mainly relates to positive fair value adjustments offset by administrative expenses and staff costs. The fair value of the Company's investment assets increased from USD 81,109,099 at 30 September 2017 to USD 93,390,868 at 30 September 2018. Equity stands at USD 99,515,013 as of 30 September 2018, corresponding to a net asset value of USD 1,796.56 per share compared with a net asset value of USD 1,651.73 at 30 September 2017. During the period, 5,025 new ordinary shares were issued and 0 shares were bought back from investors. In addition, 363 existing treasury shares were sold to investors. Both increasing investments and the expectations that the life settlements market continues to offer attractive returns, enables Management to take a positive view on future performance. Questions related to this announcement can be made to the Company's AIF-manager, Resscapital AB, Gustaf Hagerud, telephone: (+46) 7 366 072 42 and email: gustaf.hagerud@resscapital.com, or to the Company's Chairman Helle M. Breinholt, email: hmb@breinholt-consulting.dk. Yours sincerely, Ress Life Investments A/S Board of Directors THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IsoEnergy Ltd. (TSXV:ISO) (IsoEnergy or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Cormark Securities Inc., as lead underwriter on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the Underwriters), pursuant to which the Underwriters have agreed to purchase, on a bought deal private placement basis, 6,818,000 flow-through shares of the Company (the Flow-Through Shares) at a price of $0.44 per Flow-Through Share for aggregate gross proceeds of $2,999,920 and 3,947,000 common shares (the Common Shares) at a price of $0.38 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $1,499,860 (collectively, the Offering) (collectively, the Securities). In addition, the Underwriter will have the option, not the obligation, exercisable in whole or in part at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing of the Offering, to increase the size of the Offering by up to an additional 2,691,250 Securities. The proceeds received by the Company from the sale of the Flow-Through Shares will be used to incur Canadian exploration expenses on the Companys properties in the Province of Saskatchewan (as such terms are defined in the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the Qualifying Expenditures). The Qualifying Expenditures will be renounced to the subscribers with an effective date no later than December 31, 2018, in the aggregate amount of not less than the total amount of the gross proceeds raised from the issue of Flow-Through Shares. The Offering is scheduled to close on or about December 20, 2018 and is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary regulatory and other approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and the securities regulatory authorities. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy 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 or for the account or benefit of a U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. For further information on IsoEnergy Ltd. please contact: Craig Parry Chief Executive Officer +1 778 379 3211 cparry@isoenergy.ca About IsoEnergy Ltd. IsoEnergy is a well-funded uranium exploration and development company with a portfolio of prospective projects in the eastern Athabasca Basin in Saskatchewan, Canada and a historical inferred mineral resource estimate at the Mountain Lake uranium deposit in Nunavut. IsoEnergy is led by a Board and Management team with a track record of success in uranium exploration, development and operations. The Company was founded and is supported by the team at its major shareholder, NexGen Energy Ltd. 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. Cautionary Statement on Forward -Looking Information The information contained herein 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 applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including, without limitation, planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or the negative connotation thereof or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved or the negative connotation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Companys planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: the closing of the Offering, the use of proceeds of the Offering, the tax treatment of the flow-through shares, negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves or resources, the limited operating history of the Company, the influence of a large shareholder, alternative sources of energy and uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by 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 forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or reissue forward-looking information as a result of new information or events except as required by applicable securities laws. TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arena Minerals Inc. (Arena or the Company) (TSX-V: AN) is pleased to confirm that is has completed the recently announced acquisition of Antofalla Minerals S.A. (AMSA). The acquisition of AMSA provides Arena with three potential lithium brine projects in the Catamarca and Salta provinces of Argentina: Antofalla: this project consists of three claims covering a total of 4,000 hectares of the central portion of Salar de Antofalla, located immediately south of Albemarle Corporations Antofalla project. Albemarle acquired its project from Bolland Minera S.A. (see Albemarle Corporations press release dated September 12, 2016). AMSA also has a claim on an additional 2,000 hectares in Antofalla, currently disputed in the courts, which if successful would result in additional ownership by AMSA. Hombre Muerto: this project consists of claims covering 290 hectares in Salar de Hombre Muerto, within the northern basin recently acquired by POSCO from Galaxy Resources. While the claim footprint is relatively small, these claims would enable the Company to access brine from this established salar. Pocitos: this project consists of an option over 2,000 hectares in Pocitos. AMSA was granted the exclusive right to conduct exploration activities on these claims for a two-year term, with an option to purchase the claims for a single payment of US$30,000 on or prior to July 2nd, 2020. The key project from Arenas perspective is the Antofalla project. Arenas team has developed a proprietary process, using lithium rich reagents produced from Antofalla brine, which when mixed with most other brines in Argentina can deliver a high quality, high purity, >5% Li concentrate at reduced cost, due to the significant reduction in the use of reagents while contributing to lithium concentration. This would have the overall impact of lowering operating costs as well as providing supply security. This operational concept originated from the practice of the brine industry in Atacama, Chile, where two types of brines are mixed to create an ideal chemistry. This process was developed under the leadership of Mr. Eduardo Morales who commented: After three years of process development work, our team was able to re-invent the process to fit Argentine brines, which differ considerably in chemical characteristics from those in Atacama. The brine from the Antofalla project could be processed using conventional evaporation ponds on site to produce the desired reagent which would then be delivered to other projects in the country. The Antofalla projects are located in the same Puna region as the more advanced lithium brine assets in Argentina, providing further advantages due to reduced trucking distances when compared to traditional sources of lime, such as San Juan province, Argentina, located approximately 800 km away. Will Randall, President and CEO of Arena Minerals, commented: As we enter the lithium industry in Argentina, we wanted to secure a foothold in this strategic salar first as it enables us to unlock our proprietary process. Going forward, we will have the option to either form strategic alliances with other advanced lithium projects or complete further acquisitions and implement our proprietary process ourselves. Having recently secured strong institutional financial partners, Arena believes it is in a position to execute on the most favorable alternative or even advance both since the alternatives are not exclusive. About Arena Minerals Arena owns 80 percent of the Atacama Copper property, consisting of two projects covering approximately 7,000 hectares within the Antofagasta region of Chile. The projects are at low altitudes, within producing mining camps in infrastructure rich areas, located in the heart of Chile's premier copper mining district. Arena also owns three lithium brine projects in Argentina, consisting of: three claims covering a total of 4,000 hectares of the central portion of Salar de Antofalla, located immediately south of Albemarle Corporations Antofalla project; claims covering 290 hectares in Salar de Hombre Muerto; and an option over 2,000 hectares in Pocitos. The technical and scientific aspects of this news release have been reviewed and approved by Mr. William Randall, P.Geo, who is a qualified person pursuant to NI 43-101. As the President & CEO of the Company, Mr. Randall is not considered independent. To view our website, please visit www.arenaminerals.com . In addition to featuring information regarding the Company, its managements and projects, the website also contains the latest corporate news and an email registration allowing subscribers to receive news and updates directly. For more information, contact William Randall, President and CEO, at +1-416-818-8711 or Simon Marcotte, Director Corporate Development, at +1-647-801-7273 or at smarcotte@arenaminerals.com . On behalf of the Board of Directors of Arena Minerals Inc. William Randall, President and CEO Cautionary Note Regarding Accuracy and Forward-Looking Information: This news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates relating to the future development of any of the Companys properties, the anticipating timing with respect to the private placement financing, the ability of the Company to complete the private placement financing, the results of the exploration program, future financial or operating performance of the Company, its subsidiaries and its projects, the development of and the anticipated timing with respect to the Atacama project, and the Companys ability to obtain financing. 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 state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The statements made herein are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially because of factors discussed in the management discussion and analysis section of the Companys interim and most recent annual financial statement or other reports and filings with the TSX Venture Exchange and applicable Canadian securities regulations. Estimates underlying the results set out in this news release arise from work conducted by the previous owners and the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of current exploration activities; other risks of the mining industry and the risks described in the annual information form of the Company. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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. Arena Minerals does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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. Abingdon, VA, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wize Solutions LLC, an IT services provider with a mission to create sustainable employment opportunities in rural communities in Virginia, has been named in the 2018 NVTC Tech 100 list by the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia and Greater Washington. The NVTC Tech 100 are the companies and individuals who are driving tech innovation, implementing new solutions for their customers, and leading growth in the Greater Washington region. We are more than honored to be recognized by the NVTC for our work trying to change the model for underserved rural areas in Virginia, especially because we launched just a year ago, said Wendy Marquez, co-founder. The changes we are trying to make across Virginia are important not only for those who live in areas that dont provide access to a solid career path or opportunities, but also for the companies who are in need of highly skilled IT professionals at a reasonable cost. Wize Solutions offers cybersecurity, quality assurance, software development and testing, cloud consulting, and data management services to Americas top organizations. We aim to tie urban and suburban economic growth to the proven resources of the rural workforce, specifically in areas like Southwest Virginia where they need an economic boost, Marquez continued. We help some of the countrys largest companies create remote, U.S.-based teams they can insource at a lower cost than teams they can pull from urban areas. We are focused on building IT teams with the best talent. This is a win for our customers and the communities from which we source these skilled professionals. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC is the regional voice of technology, serving 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. Click here to learn more about the NVTC Tech 100. About Wize Solutions Wize Solutions LLC was established by business and IT professionals whose goal is to provide a full range of remote IT services to companies across the United States, while bringing 21st century careers to rural communities in Virginia. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in Abingdon, the gateway to Southwest Virginia, where it is home to a talented team with expertise in software application development and support, software quality assurance and testing, information management, systems engineering, and cloud consulting. The mission of the Wize Solutions team is to create sustainable IT employment opportunities for workers in economically distressed rural communities. By providing thriving urban businesses with highly trained and qualified rural IT talent, Wize Solutions creates a cost-effective alternative to models that offer only onsite and/or offshore sourcing. Under the Wize Solutions business model, both our clients and American workers win. In essence, Wize Solutions provides the economic bridge that allows both urban centers and rural communities to prosper. Visit Wize Solutions at http://wizesolutionsva.com. About NVTC 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 from all sectors of the technology industry, as well as service providers, universities, foreign embassies, nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 300,000 employees in the region. NVTC is recognized as the nation's leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; and the NVTC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that supports the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative and other priorities within Virginia's technology community. Visit NVTC at http://www.nvtc.org. Attachment Dublin, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Paper Pigments Market 2019-2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Global Paper Pigments Market is projected to register a CAGR of around 4% by 2023. Increasing adoption of UWF paper in packaging to gain traction in the global paper pigments market. The advent of industry 4.0 has led to technological advances and increased adoption of sustainable packaging solutions. The increasing focus on hygiene is driving the consumption of tissue papers. The growing demand for various products such as paper towels, toilet paper, facial wipes, and tissue papers used in the food industry will contribute to the growth of the global paper pigments market during the forecast period. The paper production industry contributes significantly to carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. The paper production process will require resources such as trees for fiber production and fuel for manufacturing. The significant increase in the use of both resources will have a negative impact on the environment which will contribute to the global warming. Key Players BASF DowDuPont Imerys KRONOS Worldwide Omya Topics Covered PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT PART 03: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 04: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2018 Market size and forecast 2018-2023 PART 05: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 06: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY APPLICATION Market segmentation by application Comparison by application Coated paper - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Uncoated paper - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Market opportunity by application PART 07: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 08: GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison APAC - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 EMEA - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Americas - Market size and forecast 2018-2023 Key leading countries Market opportunity PART 09: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 10: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 11: MARKET TRENDS Market trends PART 12: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 13: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors BASF DowDuPont Imerys KRONOS Worldwide Omya For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lqmp7b/global_paper?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. OLIVE BRANCH, Miss., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- MedCareers Group, Inc. (MCGI: OTC pink) is pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of The 4 Less Corp. (4Less), the owner of Liftkits4less.com (www.liftkits4less.com), on November 29, 2018. We are extremely excited to announce the completion of our acquisition of The 4Less Corp., states Tim Armes president and CEO of MCGI. During this period, Christopher and his team have continued to grow the top line sales of the business at an approximate 30% year over year. 4Less is on-target to finish 2018 with approximately $9 million in sales, after just 3 full years of operations. In 2018, The 4Less Corp made several significant improvements to their operations, such as consolidation of e-commerce activities to a single management platform and opening their first fully operational warehouse which was granted the coveted Amazon Prime Badge on products housed in their new Las Vegas warehouse, all of which we expect to accelerate growth and profitability in 2019. Armes further stated that MCGI expects to have The 4Less Corps fully audited financial results for their previous 2 years of operations prior to the end of January 2019 and reported to shareholders in an 8k filing. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, The 4Less Corp is a fast growing e-commerce, automotive specialty equipment parts and accessories company with highly targeted automotive "niche" web sites created to offer consumers the best buying experience on the internet today. Utilizing unique content such as: photos, installation directions, high impact how to videos, and live chat support resulting in top SEO results for the companys manufacturers products. The 4Less Corp drives brand awareness and sales by selling leading manufacturers products not only on their websites but in the largest market places in the world including Amazon and eBay. Products are sorted by brand, height or cost in one of a kind interactive niche web sites to allow customers to compare and shop efficiently in order to quickly and accurately find the correct after-market parts for their Jeep, Truck or SUV. The specialty equipment market includes parts and accessories that are manufactured for cars, light trucks, and other passenger vehicles as well as motorcycles, ATVs, UTVs and boats. The auto specialty equipment market is often described as the parts you want rather than the parts you need and believed to be an exemplary application for e-commerce. Examples of products that fall into the specialty equipment market include suspension systems, bumpers, exhaust systems, wheels, tires, truck bed covers, shocks and so much more. This press release should be read in conjunction with the 8K filed at www.sec.gov MedCareers Group, Inc. Prior to this acquisition, MedCareers Group, Inc.'s focus to date had been to develop and build value through its wholly-owned subsidiary Nurses Lounge, Inc., an online professional network and communication resource for nurses and stakeholder organizations such as nursing schools, associations and employers. Also visit: www.the4LessCorp.com as well as www.LiftKits4Less.com CAUTIONARY DISCLOSURE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of the Company's future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Factors that could cause results to differ include but are not limited to, successful performance of internal plans, product or services development and acceptance, the impact of competitive services and pricing, or general economic risks and uncertainties. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The Company takes no obligation to update or correct (i) its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law, or (ii) those prepared by third parties that are not paid for by the Company. For more information, contact: Tim Armes President and CEO of MedCareers Group, Inc. Phone: 662-510-8992 Email: tarmes@nurseslounge.com Meeting adjourned in order to gather additional votes FORT LEE, N.J., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB; IMNP) (Immune or the Company) a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of immunologic and inflammatory diseases, announced today that its Special Meeting of Stockholders, held on December 5, 2018, was adjourned until December 19, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The Adjourned Meeting will be held at the offices of the Companys counsel, Lowenstein Sandler LLP, at One Lowenstein Drive, Roseland, New Jersey 07068. A quorum was present for the authorization of the Special Meeting, as more than one-third of the issued and outstanding shares entitled to vote as of the record date were represented in person or by proxy. The stockholders entitled to vote approved the proposal to adjourn the Special Meeting (Proposal 2) to solicit additional proxies in the event that there were not sufficient proxies to approve Proposal 1, the proposal to amend the Companys Certificate of Incorporation to increase the number of authorized shares of common stock. There were approximately 22.1 million shares voted in favor of Proposal 1 and 8.1 million shares voted against, with 1.1 million abstaining. Immune will continue to solicit proxies from stockholders during the period of the adjournment. Only stockholders of record on the record date of November 5, 2018 are entitled and are being requested to vote. No further action is required by any stockholder who has submitted his or her proxy card or otherwise voted. The Companys Board of Directors and management respectfully request all such holders as of the record date who have not yet voted their shares to do so by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, December 18, 2018. Tony Fiorino, MD, PhD, President and interim Chief Executive Officer of Immune, commented, We are grateful for the participation we have seen thus far, which strongly supports the necessary increase in authorized shares. Unfortunately, not achieving the vote today does very likely expose the company to meaningful financial damages because we cannot issue shares to holders of our convertible securities who may wish to convert. Also, it may not be clear to our shareholders that the receipt of the remaining $3 million in funding from our October financing is dependent upon the increase in authorized shares, because our registration statement that was filed on November 21 cannot become effective until we have enough shares authorized. We hope to use the intervening two weeks to work on allowing our ex-US shareholders a chance to vote their shares, which I believe is an important goal that was not afforded to them at yesterdays meeting. Shareholders may use their existing proxy to vote. Please see our definitive proxy statement on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission for instructions on how to vote your shares of common stock. Shareholders with any questions or in need of assistance in submitting a proxy or voting their shares, may contact Okapi Partners LLC at the address and telephone number set forth below: Okapi Partners LLC 1212 Avenue of the Americas, 24th Floor, New York, New York 10036 (888) 785-6707 Important Information This material may be deemed to be solicitation material in respect of the solicitation of proxies from stockholders in connection with the Special Meeting. Immune has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and mailed to its stockholders a proxy statement in connection with the Special Meeting, and advises its stockholders to read the proxy statement and any and all supplements and amendments thereto because they contain important information. Stockholders may obtain a free copy of the proxy statement and other documents filed by Immune with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. The proxy statement and these other documents may also be obtained upon request addressed to Immune's Corporate Secretary at Immune Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 1 Bridge Plaza North, Suite 270, Fort Lee, NJ 07024. About Immune Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of immunologic and inflammatory diseases. Immune's lead program, bertilimumab, is a first-in-class, human monoclonal antibody that targets eotaxin-1, a chemokine that plays a role in immune responses and attracts eosinophils to the site of inflammation. By blocking eotaxin-1, bertilimumab may prevent the migration and activation of eosinophils and other cells, thus blocking an important inflammatory pathway active in a variety of allergic and immune diseases. Bertilimumab has shown promising clinical activity in bullous pemphigoid and has been studied in other conditions including allergic rhinitis and ulcerative colitis, and may have application in other diseases, including atopic dermatitis, asthma, and other diseases. Immune is also developing NanoCyclo, a nano-encapsulated formulation of cyclosporin, which is in late stage preclinical development for atopic dermatitis and psoriasis. For more information, please visit http://www.immunepharma.com/ and connect with the Company on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Safe Harbor Statements Regarding Forward Looking Statements The statements in this news release made by representatives of Immune relating to matters that are not historical facts, including without limitation, those regarding future performance or financial results, the timing or potential outcomes of research collaborations or clinical trials, any market that might develop for any of Immune's product candidates and the sufficiency of Immune's cash and other capital resources, Immunes ability to fund its operations, the continued development by Immune of bertilimumab are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the likelihood that actual performance or results could materially differ, that future research will prove successful, the likelihood that any product in the research pipeline will receive regulatory approval in the U.S. or abroad, or Immune's ability to fund such efforts with or without partners. Immune undertakes no obligation to update any of these statements. In addition, there can be no assurance that Immune will be able to reduce expenses, capitalize on strategic alternatives, develop its assets, and generate value for shareholders. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as to the date hereof. Accordingly, any forward-looking statements should be read in conjunction with the additional risks and uncertainties detailed in Immune's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those discussed in Immune's Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and periodic reports filed on Form 8-K. Investor Contact Investors@immunepharma.com SOURCE Immune Pharmaceuticals Inc. MIAMI, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE--Miami-based United American Corp ("UnitedCorp") (OTC: UAMA) announced today that it has launched a suit for damages and injunctive relief against Bitmain, Bitcoin.com, Roger Ver, the Kraken Bitcoin Exchange and other individuals that are related to what is alleged to have been a well-planned scheme to take control of the Bitcoin Cash network for personal gain and which caused a global capitalization meltdown of the Bitcoin Cash network at the expense of others. The suit launched today in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleges that the defendants collectively engaged in unfair methods of competition and through a series of unconscionable, deceptive and unfair practices, manipulated the Bitcoin Cash network for their benefit and to the detriment of UnitedCorp and other Bitcoin Cash stakeholders. UnitedCorp believes that the defendants colluded to effectively hijack the Bitcoin Cash network after the November 15, 2018 scheduled software update with the intent of centralizing the network - all in violation of the accepted standards and protocols associated with Bitcoin since its inception. The suit seeks injunctive relief against the defendants to prevent them from continuing ongoing actions against the Bitcoin Cash network and to prevent them from doing so in the future. It also seeks compensatory damages with a quantum to be determined at trial. Bitcoin Cash is one of the most important cryptocurrency networks that has been established in recent years. It is used for peer-to-peer electronic cash system between parties on the Bitcoin Cash network which are executed through a network of decentralized public ledgers which confirm and maintain the records of these digital transactions on a blockchain in a highly cryptographic environment. The integrity and confidence in the network is in part based on this decentralization as well as the operating principle that no single person or entity is able to control the majority of the network. Since confirmation and recording of transactions on the blockchain is undertaken by "consensus" of network nodes and since transaction ledgers are continuously being checked against each other, tampering with the ledgers is extremely difficult if not impossible since multiple ledgers would have to be tampered with in the same way and simultaneously. However if an entity controls more than 51% of a blockchain network, the network becomes susceptible to fraud including reversal of transactions and what is known as "double spending" or spending the same cryptocurrency more than once. On November 15, 2018 the Bitcoin Cash network underwent an upgrade using the Bitcoin ABC 0.18.4 implementation. UnitedCorp alleges that the defendants took control of the Bitcoin Cash network immediately after the November 15th software upgrade against all principles and protocols of the blockchain, through the use of "rented hashing" the process of artificially and temporarily deploying or redirecting computing power to take control of the network and used this computer power to favor the adoption of the Bitcoin ABC new rule sets over other implantations that would have maintained democratic rule sets. Once the Bitcoin ABC rule set was established, it became the dominant chain and the rented hashing was withdrawn and was no longer contributing to the Bitcoin Cash network. UnitedCorp alleges that the use of computational hashing power that did not contribute to the network just prior and then was withdrawn shortly after the network upgrade was put in place for the sole purpose of maintaining an artificially longer chain over the existing rule sets and amounted to human manipulation for the purpose decentralizing the autonomous network and that this was orchestrated by a small group of individuals and corporations. UnitedCorp also alleges that a few days later on November 20th, the ABC development team planted a "poison pill" into the blockchain in the form of a "Deep Reorg Prevention" as well as other functionality in order to cement the control of the blockchain ledger. This intervention allows maintenance of control on future implementations and any related rule sets for future network upgrades. "We are bringing this suit on behalf of UnitedCorp because we believe strongly in the value and integrity of democratic, distributed and decentralized blockchain networks which will become more important with time," stated Benoit Laliberte, President of UnitedCorp, "In order to maintain confidence in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin Cash, no person or entity can be allowed to control them." About United American Corp Established in 1992, United American Corp is a Florida-based development and management company focusing on telecommunications and information technologies. The company currently holds the rights to manage a portfolio of patents and proprietary technology in telecommunications, social media and Blockchain technology, and owns and operates the BlockchainDomes which are designed to provide heat for agricultural operations using computer equipment in naturally cooled data centers where efficiency and low-cost operations are a priority. This news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors that may be beyond the Company's control. Forward-looking statements are based on the expectations and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made, and the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances in management's expectations or opinions change. Source: United American Corp Contact: investorrelations@unitedcorp.com Boca Raton, Florida, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GM Law firm is one of the only law firms in America that has a history of winning cases against the major student lenders. Recently, the firm won a $23,000 lawsuit against Navient. This is the biggest student loan servicing company in America. There are thousands of complaints against Navient filed through the CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.) Students and their lawyers accuse Navient of predatory phone calls meant to facilitate debt collection. These calls violate the stipulations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. Navient has not been willing to accept responsibility. According to Navient, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should not limit calls that it has to make to borrowers because these calls facilitate debt collection. The company states that the calls yield excellent results and they help struggling borrowers. Navient says that nine out of ten times when the firm tries to contact a debtor, it assists the borrower to avoid default. The FCC has proposed limiting robot calls. This will not stop robot calling by Navient and other debt collection agencies. In some cases, Navient even denies making specific calls or having records. That is where GM Law Firm will come in handy. This is a firm of consumer protection attorneys. These lawyers have professional expertise. They usually handle cases diligently and thoroughly. That is why GM Law Firm always wins cases. Being in debt is stressful. There is the risk of lawsuits by creditors. Navigating the legal system is complicated and overwhelming. GM Law Firm focuses on debt resolution and consumer law. GM Law Firm attorneys have over a half-century combined experience in consumer law. Their practice areas include private student loans, credit card debt, and medical debt. This firm has compliments on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Chantel Grant, a senior partner of GM Law firm, has helped borrowers for more than a decade in dealing with predatory debt collectors like Navient and other government-backed debt collectors. He has a wealth of experience in debt resolution and consumer law. GM Law Firm is in the business of stopping creditor harassment. An attorney will handle the debt of a borrower. The lawyer will deal directly with the credit card companies, lenders, and banks. That will save a person from creditor harassment. Professionals of GM Law Firm usually empower their clients to stand up to predatory lenders. A borrower will obtain all the legal remedy required. A lawyer of the firm will guide a person every step of the way. Client participation will make thing easier. A borrower should log all the calls from the creditors and preserve all the written communications, and subsequently send these to GM Law firm to facilitate the making of a strong case. Doing it yourself is a bad idea when it comes to debt resolution. Those who attempt to negotiate their own debt should remember the good old saying that says, "The lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client." A lawyer from GM Law Firm will apply strong consumer protection measures to facilitate debt resolution and financial freedom. For more information, visit the Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pages of the firm and http://www.gmlawfirmllc.com/. Atlanta, Georgia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ScottMadden, Inc., one of North Americas leading management consulting firms specializing in energy, has released its latest edition of The Energy Industry Update (EIU). Themed Dont Stop Believin, this EIU explores, among other things, various approaches to grid modernization by utilities around the nation. Grid modernization has moved to the forefront of utility planning as utilities, customers, and regulators seek to enhance customer engagement, improve reliability and resiliency, and more efficiently use grid assets. This Update highlights how states and utilities are testing the waters. The discussion in this latest Update draws upon ScottMaddens experience in major grid modernization programs. ScottMadden has a proven approach and methodology to assist in every aspect of grid modernization, from developing the strategy to identifying critical investments and creating a roadmap to managing the implementation. In this latest Energy Industry Update and in other insights, weve been able to share some lessons and observations from a number of grid modernization efforts that our consultants have led, says Cristin Lyons, partner and energy practice leader at ScottMadden. Our experience in the trenches of these efforts, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our clients, has given us practical experience with what works (and what doesnt) in grid modernization programs. If you were not able to join our Energy Industry Update webcast, the complimentary recording is now available. Hear what our industry experts have to say about changes to grid modernization efforts around the nation, evolving federal policy toward wholesale energy infrastructure development, and opportunities for and possible trade-offs with increased electrification in this session replay. You may also hear more about their original analysis in this new video. About ScottMaddens Energy Practice We know energy from the ground up. Since 1983, we have served as energy consultants for hundreds of utilities, large and small, including all top 20 energy utilities. We have helped our clients develop strategies, improve operations, reorganize companies, and implement initiatives. Our broad and deep energy utility expertise is not theoreticalit is experience based. About ScottMadden, Inc. ScottMadden is the management consulting firm that does what it takes to get it done right. Our practice areas include Energy, Clean Tech & Sustainability, Corporate & Shared Services, Grid Transformation, and Rates, Regulation, & Planning. We deliver a broad array of consulting services ranging from strategic planning through implementation across many industries, business units, and functions. To learn more, visit www.scottmadden.com | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn. Nev., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- -Efftec International, Inc. (OTC Pink: EFFI) (Efftec or the Company) is pleased to announce the acquisition of Teligent Care, Inc. (Teligent). Teligent has been fully acquired by Efftec, with Efftec remaining as the surviving entity. Pursuant to the terms of this transaction, shareholders of Teligent have been issued seven million restricted shares of Efftec. The Company intends to change its name to Teligent Care, Inc. as well as seek a new ticker symbol to better reflect its new business model and enterprise. In accordance with the terms of the acquisition agreement, Teligents CEO, Mr. Paul Cristiano, has joined Efftec as a member of its Board of Directors alongside Efftecs current CEO, Bruce Collett. Shareholders and interested parties are invited to visit https://www.teligentcare.com for information on the Company and its subsidiaries. The website will be updated regularly to inform our shareholders of all business developments, including acquisitions, mergers and partnerships. After an exhaustive search of potential acquisitions, we are incredibly excited to have closed this transaction. We believe that the acquisition of Teligent will greatly enhance Efftecs shareholder value. Furthermore, the company has the potential to become a leading competitor in the field of specialized telemedicine. Bruce Collett, CEO of Efftec International, commented. Bruce continued that In the coming weeks, we will have a chance to more fully elaborate the details of Teligents management, business model, accomplishments thus far and plans for the future. Paul Cristiano responded: We thank Efftecs shareholders and its Board for their vote of confidence and for supporting our vision. Our goal is to become the preeminent provider of specialized telemedicine services and advanced technologies in the healthcare field. As mentioned by Bruce, I look forward to the opportunity to more fully introduce ourselves and our company to the investing public. About Teligent Care, Inc. Teligent Care is a healthcare company designed to acquire and manage organizations and oversee strategic partners that work interdependently with its fully-owned subsidiary Telecare Partners Group (TPG). TPG serves the skilled nursing facility sector with specialized and fully-customized telemedicine programs that contain costs, improve productivity, and enhance the quality of medical encounters. Companies under the Teligent Care brand apply advanced telemedicine technology to deliver on-demand remote medical diagnosis to patients when an on-site doctor is not readily available and critical care is needed. The company is based in Avon, Connecticut where it serves clients on a national basis. About Efftec International Efftec International, Inc (EFFI: OTC) is a diversified holding company whose strategic plan is to acquire interests in young businesses, and provide financing, advice and guidance to assist them in realizing their potential. It continues to identify and evaluate potential acquisitions that its management believes will create shareholder value and a return on investment. Additional information is available in its filings on otcmarkets.com. For additional information please email investor@teligentcare.com . Press Releases may include forward-looking statements. In particular, the words believe, may, could, should, expect, anticipate, estimate, project," "propose," "plan," "intend," and similar conditional words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Such statements are subject to a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the company. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that its forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof. The company takes no obligation to update or correct its own forward-looking statements, except as required by law or those prepared by third parties that are not paid by the company. Statements in this press release that are not historical fact may be deemed 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. Although Efftec International, Inc. believes the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, Efftec International, Inc. is unable to give any assurance that its expectations will be attained. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include the companys ability identify a suitable business model for the corporation. Dublin, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Automotive Active Roll Control System Market 2018-2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. One trend in the market is emergence of vehicle autonomy. The global automotive industry is marching toward full autonomy, wherein different stakeholders operating in the value chain are working on the commercial viability of autonomous technologies. The global automotive industry is undergoing a paradigm shift by utilizing technological innovations and advanced solutions that are enhancing customer experiences. According to the report, one driver in the market is growing injuries and fatalities caused due to vehicle rollover accidents. The growing on-road accidents and collisions caused due to vehicle rollover are acting as primary drivers for the concerned market. Rollover accidents have become common, and the same has led to severe injuries and even fatalities in certain occasions. Tripped rollover accidents are those accidents wherein a vehicle leaves the roadway, sliding sideways, and then rolls over either due to brushing with the curb, guard rails or due to the tire getting stuck in the soil. Further, the report states that one challenge in the market is high cost of advanced safety systems. In the recent times, the global automotive industry is witnessing increased penetration of advanced automotive technologies across different verticals, such as powertrain, safety, and comfort. However, increasing fitment of such advanced systems is resulting in an increase in the overall vehicle cost. Key Players Bosch BWI Group Continental HYUNDAI MOBIS Schaeffler WABCO Topics Covered PART 01: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PART 02: SCOPE OF THE REPORT PART 03: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY PART 04: MARKET LANDSCAPE Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis PART 05: MARKET SIZING Market definition Market sizing 2017 Market size and forecast 2017-2022 PART 06: FIVE FORCES ANALYSIS Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition PART 07: MARKET SEGMENTATION BY VEHICLE TYPE Segmentation by vehicle type Comparison by vehicle type Passenger cars - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 CVs - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Market opportunity by vehicle type PART 08: CUSTOMER LANDSCAPE PART 09: REGIONAL LANDSCAPE Geographical segmentation Regional comparison Americas - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 EMEA - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 APAC - Market size and forecast 2017-2022 Market opportunity PART 10: DECISION FRAMEWORK PART 11: DRIVERS AND CHALLENGES Market drivers Market challenges PART 12: MARKET TRENDS Developments in automotive active roll control system market Emergence of vehicle autonomy Growing electric vehicles market driving automotive electronics PART 13: VENDOR LANDSCAPE Overview Landscape disruption Competitive scenario PART 14: VENDOR ANALYSIS Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Bosch BWI Group Continental HYUNDAI MOBIS Schaeffler WABCO For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/xnsk43/automotive_active?w=12 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Atlanta, GA, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Envistacom today announced the company has been named a subcontractor to Msol Inc. (dba Macro Solutions), on the U. S. Armys Information Technology Enterprise Solutions 3 Services (ITES-3S) program. Awarded by the Computer Hardware, Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) and Army Contracting Command - Rock Island (ACC-RI), ITES-3S is a general IT contract for the procurement of IT services for the U.S. Army and other Department of Defense (DoD) agencies. The competitive ITES-3S contract is valued at up to $12.1 billion and includes a five-year base with four one-year options. Envistacom will provide subject matter expertise to Msols ITES-3S team in cyber, cybersecurity, SATCOM, enterprise network and datacenter, E&I and O&M services. With this award, Envistacom will work collaboratively with Macro Solutions to compete for and execute Task Orders in support of U.S. Army and other DoD agencies: the scope of ITES-3S includes Cybersecurity Services; Information Technology Services; Enterprise Design Integration, and Consolidation; Network/Systems Operations and Maintenance; Telecommunications/Systems Operations and Maintenance; Business Process Engineering (BPR); IT Supply Chain Management; and IT Education & Training. We are honored to be selected as the subcontractor to Msol Inc. to help execute on the U. S. Armys Information Technology Enterprise Solutions 3 Services program, said Alan Carson, senior vice president, Envistacom. We are looking forward to working alongside Msol Inc. in our shared mission to support the US Army and their efforts to secure and modernize their networks. About Envistacom Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Envistacom provides counterterrorism, cyber and communications solutions to the U.S. DoD and coalition partners in the aerospace, defense, and intelligence communities. Customers rely on Envistacom for rapid-response, secure technology solutions and subject-matter expertise to support mission critical operations. With an elite team of former military leaders and domain experts located in 11 countries, and multiple IDIQ contract vehicles worth $55B+, Envistacom is a trusted partner in protecting military, civilians and critical infrastructure around the world. DWOSB. For more information, please visit www.envistacom.com ATLANTA, GA, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- True Nature Holding, Inc. (OTCQB: TNTY) (the "Company" or "True Nature") announces the appointment of Mr. Mark Williams, age 58, as Chief Revenue Officer as well as a member of its Board of Directors. Williams is a health care market expert with over 30 years experience accelerating the success of both public and private companies. As Chief Revenue Officer, Mr. Williams will be responsible for the Companys business development and sales initiatives as well as advising the Board of Directors on potential acquisitions. We are pleased to add Mark to the leadership team at True Nature Holding, Inc. and look forward to his contributions as an accomplished health care and professional services entrepreneur, said Jim Crone, True Nature Holdings President. Mark brings incredible health care market subject matter expertise, professional experience in successful M&As, deep business relationships within the health care industry, international business development expertise, as well as a clear track-record of success in driving revenue growth. This is exactly what TNTY needs to continue to create value for our shareholders. 2005 - 2006, Mr. Williams was a Vice President of Carefx Corporation based in Scottsdale AZ that specialized in single sign-on and context management solutions and based on its success in the marketplace was sold to Harris Corporation. Mr. Williams also held roles with Microsoft Corporation and Siemens Medical where he was a Product Manager, Installation & Support Manager, and New Sales Executive. Over the course of his career Mr. Williams has personally negotiated, contracted, and closed business valued at nearly one-half a billion dollars and has successfully led three organizations through M&A. From 2007 - 2016, Mr. Williams founded and was President and CEO of Artistry Consulting and built it into a company producing $26,856,000 in annual revenue. Artistry specialized in health care technology working with large providers and insurers across the US, Canada, UK, UAE, and Egypt. He developed strategic relationships with Allscripts, Cerner, Epic and Siemens Medical to drive growth. Some of Mr. Williams marquee clients included Dignity Health, Bon Secours Health System, CHI, The Cambridge Institute, the UAE Ministry of Health and SEHA. In 2017, Mr. Williams was a partner and senior professional services consultant at Altus Alliance, an international revenue growth firm, specializing in accelerating success through top-line revenue growth in new ventures within large companies and/or technology startups. Mr. Williams was part of a team at Altus that worked with over 200 companies, assisted in successful IPO's and M&A events for 14 companies, and generated more than $200M directly for clients through business development and sales. In 2016 and continuing into 2017, Mr. Williams also served as a Director for the Washington Medical Information Network and was Senior Vice President of Orion Health overseeing professional services. TNTY is a great platform to apply my industry knowledge, leverage valued professional relationships, and use my professional experience to propel growth, commented Mr. Williams. TNTY is bringing together a top-notch team of team of skilled financial, operational, and investor value creation subject matter experts that are second to none. I very much look forward to working with the team to further TNTYs success. Mr. Williams holds degrees in Business and Engineering from the University of Utah, 1985. The Mission of True Nature Holding, Inc. To leverage new technologies and services to improve healthcare and outcome for individuals, their families, and their pets. We believe we can reduce the cost of healthcare while improving the quality of life using Telehealth and Telemedicine Solutions. We are building healthcare applications that focus on patient engagement, care coordination, remote monitoring, data analytics, and may include Blockchain RX(TM) to provide applications for market participants in healthcare through the encryption of sensitive data. Our approach is to develop these business opportunities as individual "threads" in response to client needs, ultimately creating an end-to-end set of solutions from the end user up to the healthcare provider, or veterinary professional. Further, we expect to assist suppliers to the healthcare industry by allowing them to access unique technologies that bind them with their clients in a "top-down" distribution model. We recognize it will take the investment of major market participants like Apple, Amazon, IBM, hospitals, healthcare networks, pharmacy and other providers for us to achieve critical mass. In consideration of this reality, we expect to work with these market makers in collaboration, and in support of the ultimate user, the individual, and their pets. The day of "direct-to-consumer" healthcare, including "the humanization of our pets" is upon us, and we hope to be key parties to their evolution, and success. Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act As contemplated by the provisions of the Safe Harbor section of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to future, anticipated, or projected plans, performances, and developments, as well as other statements relating to future operations. All such forward-looking statements are necessarily only estimates or predictions of future results or events and there can be no assurance that actual results or events will not materially differ from expectations. Further information on potential factors that could affect True Nature Holding, Inc. is included in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements. WASHINGTON, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 20,000 board members, today released its 20182019 NACD Public Company Governance Survey , an annual survey that reveals trends and insights for board governance of public companies across the country. Changes in the regulatory climate, the prospect of an economic slowdown, and worsening geopolitical volatility topped the list of concerns for 2019 in this survey of more than 500 public-company directors. Artificial intelligence is ranked as the biggest technology disruptor but also the biggest business enabler. Directors are watching for shifts in the regulatory and economic climate that could impact their companies over the next year, said Peter Gleason, president and CEO of NACD. These often interconnected risks lead to increased business uncertainty as management finds their likelihood difficult to anticipate and their impact challenging to mitigate. Outlined below are highlights from the reports key findings. Economic and Political Uncertainty, Intensifying Trade Conflicts Among Chief Concerns: Asked what five trends directors foresee having the greatest effect on their company over the next 12 months, nearly half of directors rank changes in the regulatory climate (49%) and the threat of an economic slowdown (48%) as the top issues with the greatest impact on their organization. (49%) and the (48%) as the top issues with the greatest impact on their organization. Also of great concern are cybersecurity threats (42%), business-model disruptions (40%), geopolitical volatility (39%), pace of technology disruption (39%), key talent deficits (39%), and increased industry consolidation (37%). (42%), (40%), (39%), (39%), (39%), and (37%). When asked how concerned they are that intensifying global trade conflicts will impact their organization, 67 percent of directors said concerned or very concerned. will impact their organization, 67 percent of directors said concerned or very concerned. Despite growing investor concern, only 6 percent of boards view climate change as a top trend impacting their organization over the next 12 months. Disruptive Risks Growing, Artificial Intelligence Biggest Disruptor: Eighty-two percent of directors surveyed report that disruptive risks are much or moderately more important than they were just five years ago. are much or moderately more important than they were just five years ago. Directors rate artificial intelligence as the biggest technology disruptor (47%) but also regard it as the biggest business enabler (49%) likely to benefit their organizations. Monitoring of Strategy and Understanding of Risks Top Improvement Priorities for Boards: Directors point to monitoring of strategy execution (68%) and understanding of risks and opportunities (68%) affecting company performance as the top-two areas for board improvement in the next 12 months. Boards Have Improved Their Understanding of Cyber Risks: The vast majority of directors (81%) believe that their boards understanding of cyber risks has improved over the last two years, perhaps because 50 percent of directors indicate that cyber-risk reporting from management is of much higher quality than it was two years ago. has improved over the last two years, perhaps because 50 percent of directors indicate that is of much higher quality than it was two years ago. More than half of directors (52%) are confident that they sufficiently understand cyber risks to provide effective cyber-risk oversight . . Nearly 60 percent (58%) believe their boards collectively know enough about cyber risk to provide effective oversight. Board Oversight of Corporate Culture More Robust Than Last Year: Nearly 9 in 10 directors (88%) report a solid understanding of the tone at the top of their organization. Their understanding of the mood in the middle rose 10 percentage points to 45 percent. And 27 percent now clearly understand the buzz at the bottom levels of their organization, a nine percentage-point increase compared to 2017. ESG Remains Low Priority, but Boards Considering Action: Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues are currently a relatively low priority for many boards, with just 28 percent of directors reporting that it is important or very important to improve board oversight in this area. (ESG) issues are currently a relatively low priority for many boards, with just 28 percent of directors reporting that it is important or very important to improve board oversight in this area. However, a majority of directors (54%) would like their boards to improve their understanding of current ESG performance levels in the next 12 months. Direct Board-Investor Engagement Now Common: Fifty-eight percent of boards report that a board representative met with institutional investors over the past 12 months, an eight percentage-point increase over last year. over the past 12 months, an eight percentage-point increase over last year. Overall, 45 percent of public-company board respondents discuss their oversight of long-term strategy with institutional investors. Larger Company Boards Are More Gender Diverse; Boards Have Diversity Goals, Yet Face Barriers: Gender diversity on boards of companies in the Russell 3000 index is strongly correlated with company size . On average, only 16.5 percent of directors of companies in the Russell 3000 index are women. (Data from Main Data Group) . On average, only 16.5 percent of directors of companies in the Russell 3000 index are women. (Data from Main Data Group) Larger public companies tend to have larger boards and more seats occupied by women . Notwithstanding their size, these organizations also give a larger percentage of board seats to women. An organization with $10 billion or more in revenue is likely to have 12 or more board seats, 2 or 3 of which will be occupied by women. Contrast this with organizations under $2 billion in market capitalization, which on average have a board size of nine individuals with one seat occupied by a woman. (Data from Main Data Group) . Notwithstanding their size, these organizations also give a larger percentage of board seats to women. An organization with $10 billion or more in revenue is likely to have 12 or more board seats, 2 or 3 of which will be occupied by women. Contrast this with organizations under $2 billion in market capitalization, which on average have a board size of nine individuals with one seat occupied by a woman. (Data from Main Data Group) More than half of directors (53%) report that their organizations have board diversity goals. Of those boards, 70 percent report that their diversity mandate is driven by the need to enhance the cognitive diversity of boards, while 49 percent indicate that it is a moral imperative. goals. Of those boards, 70 percent report that their is driven by the need to enhance the cognitive diversity of boards, while 49 percent indicate that it is a moral imperative. Directors cite the lack of an open board seat (54%) and difficulty finding diverse candidates that meet the boards skill needs (53%) as top barriers. The trends and insights highlighted with this survey can help boards assess priorities, explore emerging business themes, and evaluate the effectiveness of their governance, said Gleason. The 20182019 NACD Public Company Governance Survey details responses from more than 500 public-company directors and was conducted June through August 2018 by NACD, with additional board-governance analysis of the Russell 3000 from Main Data Group, a provider of executive-compensation benchmarking and corporate governance data and analytics. To download your copy of the report, visit www.nacdonline.org/survey . About NACD The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) empowers more than 20,000 directors to lead with confidence in the boardroom. As the recognized authority on leading boardroom practices, NACD helps boards strengthen investor trust and public confidence by ensuring that todays directors are well prepared for tomorrows challenges. World-class boards join NACD to elevate performance, gain foresight, and instill confidence. Fostering collaboration among directors, investors, and corporate governance stakeholders, NACD has been setting the standard for responsible board leadership for 40 years. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org . Contact: Susan Oliver susanboliver@gmail.com 703-216-4078 GUERNSEY, Channel Islands, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Further to the press release of Northern Vertex Mining Corp. (the Company) of December 6, 2018, Greenstone Resources II L.P. (Greenstone) announces that it has signed a subscription agreement to subscribe for units of the Company at a price per unit of Cdn$0.24. Each unit of the Company (a Unit) will, upon issue, consist of one common share of the Company (a Share) and one common share purchase warrant (each a Warrant). Each Warrant will be exercisable for a period of two years from issuance to acquire one additional Share at an exercise price of Cdn$0.40. Completion of the subscription agreement is subject to satisfaction of certain conditions. The aggregate gross proceeds from the proposed subscription by Greenstone for Units will be US$4,500,000 (the Greenstone Subscription), with the exact number of Units being subscribed by Greenstone to be calculated using the US$:Cdn$ exchange rate in effect on the business day prior to completion of the Greenstone Subscription. As disclosed by the Company, the Greenstone Subscription is part of a larger private placement of Units by the Company, in a current amount of US$8,000,000, including the Greenstone Subscription (the Private Placement). Prior to completion of the Greenstone Subscription, Greenstone has ownership of and control over 51,769,230 common shares, representing approximately 28.4% of the issued and outstanding Shares (on an undiluted basis). Greenstone also owns (i) warrants exercisable for 25,884,615 Shares of the Company (issued to Greenstone in May 2017, exercisable for 5 years at a price per warrant of C$0.91 for a period of two years and then a price of C$1.04 for the remaining 3 years) (the 2017 Warrants), (ii) convertible debentures in the aggregate principal amount of US$6 million issued to Greenstone in January 2018 and March 2018, exercisable for Shares of the Company at a price per Share of C$0.70, subject to reduction in certain circumstances (the Jan March 2018 Convertible Debentures), and (iii) a convertible debenture in the principal amount of US$2.5 million issued to Greenstone in November 2018, exercisable for Shares of the Company at a price per common share of C$0.30 (the November 2018 Convertible Debentures and together with the Jan March 2018 Convertible Debentures, the Debentures). Assuming exercise of the 2017 Warrants and the Debentures (using an exchange rate of US$1.00 = Cdn$1.3353, the exchange rate published by the Bank of Canada on December 5, 2018), Greenstone would own and control, including the Shares it currently owns, an aggregate of 100,226,774 Shares, representing 43.5% of the Companys issued and outstanding Shares (assuming exercise of the Warrants and conversion of the Debentures). Assuming completion of the Greenstone Subscription, Greenstone will acquire ownership of and control over 25,036,875 Shares, together with Warrants exercisable for an additional 25,036,875 Shares (using an exchange rate of US$1.00 = Cdn$1.3353), representing approximately 11.05% of the Companys Shares (assuming completion of the full Private Placement disclosed by the Company). When aggregated with the Shares currently owned and controlled by Greenstone (assuming exercise of the 2017 Warrants and Debentures), Greenstone would, after completion of the Greenstone Subscription, own an aggregate of 150,300,524 Shares, representing approximately 47.04% of the Companys Shares, assuming completion of the full Private Placement disclosed by the Company (an increase of approximately 5.5%). Assuming no exercise of the 2017 Warrants or Debentures, or exercise of the Warrants, following completion of the Greenstone Subscription, Greenstone will own an aggregate of 76,806,105 Shares, representing approximately 33.9% of the issued and outstanding Shares (assuming completion of the full Private Placement). Greenstone is acquiring the Shares and Warrants under the Greenstone Subscription for investment purposes. Depending on market conditions and other factors, Greenstone may from time to time acquire and/or dispose of securities of the Company or continue to hold its current position. A copy of the early warning report required to be filed with the applicable securities commission in connection with the transactions will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and can be obtained by contacting Matt Hornton or Gordon Purvis at +44 1481 749 700. Greenstones address is set out below. Greenstone Resources II L.P. PO Box 656, East Wing, Trafalgar Court, Les Banques St Peter Port, Guernsey Northern Vertex Mining Corp. Suite 1650 1075 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6E 3C9 Bend, Oregon, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- G5 client QuadReal Property Group was awarded the 2018 MAC Award for Best Property Management Website by the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario for its residential website, www.quadrealres.com. This award recognizes a company that has demonstrated excellence in creativity, design, content structure, use of graphics, ease of navigation, interactivity and overall utilization of the medium. G5 Helps QuadReal Raise Profile in the Multifamily Market QuadReal partnered with G5 in 2018 to attract, engage, and build its B2C audience in the multifamily sector, especially among current and prospective residents and career seekers. G5 designed the QuadReal residential website with a performance-first mindset. Launched in February 2018, it is fully responsive across desktop and mobile devices, aligns with user experience (UX) best practices, and includes key elements to drive engagement and conversions. The continuous scroll experience entices users to read and engage with high-value content, such as properties, careers, and community pages. Clear calls-to-action drive traffic to important pages, delivering greater reach, engagement, and conversions. The result is a highly effective website with a conversion rate of 21.7 percent, which is near twice the conversion rate of leading websites in the real estate industry. QuadReal & G5: Partners in Multifamily Lead Generation Beyond bricks and mortar, our QuadReal residential team is working hard to ensure a consistent experience through numerous consumer touchpoints including online, said Anthony Lanni, Senior Vice President, Residential. We were looking for a partner that could help us strengthen our position as a North American market leader. And we found that partner in G5. At G5, our goal is to drive the best quality leads for our clients, said G5 CEO Dan Hobin, and our partnership with QuadReal is proof of that. The QuadReal Residential website is a beautiful design, and most importantly, it is designed to perform. We collaborated together to create a solution true to the QuadReal brand, built on G5s performance-driven best practices, that drive industry-leading results. About G5 As the leader in real estate marketing optimization, G5 is a predictive marketing SaaS company that uses AI and other emerging technologies to help marketers amplify their impact. Through its Intelligent Marketing Cloud, G5 delivers unrivaled performance and scalability through predictive analytics, 1:1 customer journeys, hyper-personalized customer experiences, and continuous spend optimization. About QuadReal Property Group Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, QuadReal Property Group is a Canadian real estate investment, development, and management company operating on a global scale. The companys $24.5 billion portfolio spans 23 global cities across 17 countries. Owned by BCI, one of Canadas largest institutional investors, QuadReal Property Group was established to manage its real estate investment portfolio. Paducah, KY, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HERstory: A Celebration of Strong Women exhibition is opening at The National Quilt Museum Friday, Dec. 7th at 10 a.m. There will be an opening night event from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the museum which will include some hands on activities in addition to the exhibit. Media is welcome to attend the event. Museum CEO, Frank Bennett, and Museum Curator, Rachael Baar, will be available to the media. The HERstory: A Celebration of Strong Women exhibition is curated by Susanne Jones and celebrates womens groundbreaking accomplishments from 1920, when women won the right to vote, to modern day. The exhibit consists of 107 quilts. Each quilt is an original design and measures 24 inches wide and 30 inches long. Each quilt features a woman that has made a significant impact in the world. I believe that museum visitors will thoroughly enjoy this exhibit showcasing the accomplishments of women through a variety of exquisite quilts. There are some surprising pieces of information found within the quilts, such as a quilt portraying Hedy Lamarr, a well-known actress who was less known for making a major impact on the invention of wifi, said Susanne Jones, HERstory: A Celebration of Strong Women exhibit Curator. The quilts display artistic arrangements of women from Henrietta Lacks, whose immortal cells have been used in medical research for decades, to Mother Teresa, who founded a Roman Catholic congregation of women dedicated to helping the poor. The collection is featured in the book HERstory Quilts: A Celebration of Strong Women by Schiffer Publishing. The book will be available to purchase in The National Quilt Museums bookstore. HERstory: A Celebration of Strong Women will be on exhibit at The National Quilt Museum through April 9, 2019. For more information on the exhibit, please go to www.quiltmuseum.org/herstory. ### About The National Quilt Museum Now in its 27th year, the National Quilt Museum is a quilt community advocacy organization. Through exhibits, education programs, and preservation efforts, the museum brings the work of todays quilters to new audiences worldwide. The museum is a top destination for quilters and art enthusiasts, hosting visitors from all 50 U.S. states and more than 40 foreign countries every year. Its rotating exhibits feature quilts from its own collection of more than 600 artifacts, as well as outstanding national and international touring collections. More than 120,000 people annually experience the museums in-facility and traveling exhibits. In addition to exhibiting the work of todays quilter, the museum is committed to educational outreach, and its programs annually attract more than 4,000 young people and adults. Educational opportunities include the School Block Challenge, Quilt Camp, and the museums acclaimed hands-on program, The Creative Stitch, in which people of all ages with no previous experience learn to make a quilt block. The National Quilt Museum has won the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years, making it one of the top tourist attractions in the world by visitor review. The museum made Southern Livings Top 25 Museums in the South list in 2017 and it has been featured in Midwest Living, CNN Travel, National Geographic, USA Today, and the Chicago Tribune. www.quiltmuseum.org Attachment TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wyse Meter Solutions Inc. (Wyse) today announced it has won the 2018 MAC Award for Outstanding Community Service (Supplier Member) presented by the Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO). Wyse is the first supplier member to receive a MAC Award, earning recognition for its comprehensive corporate social responsibility program, which supports local frontline partners providing shelter, advocacy and economic self-sufficiency services. Thanks to FRPO for honouring our community engagement with a MAC Award, said Ian Stewart, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Wyse. Our employees have shaped this program, and we encourage them to run with it. Our ongoing focus is to help the most vulnerable members of our communities. Were contributing to the kind of society we want to live in. We are very proud of the positive change we supported together with our impressive partners, said Peter Mills, Co-Chief Executive Officer of Wyse. As longtime members of FRPO, earning a MAC Award for our efforts is gratifying. We feel at home with our industry's shared dedication to making a difference. The MAC Awards celebrate the multi-residential industrys innovation and commitment to quality, as well as everything that goes into promoting the brand of rental housing. The gala was held on Thursday, November 29 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre with a record-breaking 1,050 industry professionals in attendance. About FRPO Federation of Rental-Housing Providers of Ontario (FPRO) has been the leading voice of the Province's rental housing industry for over 30 years. It is the largest association in Ontario representing those who own, manage, build and finance, as well as those who service and supply residential rental homes. FRPO represents more than 2,200 members who own or manage over 350,000 units across Ontario. For more information on FRPO, visit its website at www.frpo.org . About Wyse Meter Solutions Wyse Meter Solutions Inc. provides turnkey submetering and utility expense management services to building owners, developers and property managers across Canada. Wyse is unique in its ability to provide clients with financial and utility consumption transparency, as well as accountability. Through an exclusive partnership with Conservice, the largest submetering and utility management company in North America, Wyse is able to offer its customers a powerful program known as Synergy, providing owners and managers with a 360-degree comprehensive view of the entire utility spend within a building or portfolio of buildings. Synergy is already in use across 2.5 million units in North America, including eight of the top ten owners and managers of multi-family real estate. For more information on Wyse, visit its website at www.wysemeter.com . For further information: Wyse Meter Solutions Inc. Ian Stewart Co-Chief Executive Officer istewart@wysemeter.com +1.416.709.0141 KAMPALA, Uganda , Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fredericton natives, Matt & Chaundra Eagar, along with their three children, have been living and working in Uganda with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) for the last four years. In his role as a pilot, Matt flies daily to provide essential transportation to enable relief and aid organizations to reach isolated villages and refugee camps, and bring the sick and injured to desperately needed medical care in situations where every moment counts. Uganda is currently the largest host of refugees in Africa, and third worldwide, with around 1.5 million asylum seekers in settlements there as of 2018. This expanding crisis only continues to grow. With conflict still ongoing in neighbouring South Sudan and DR Congo, road travel to support the refugee settlements isnt always an option due to poor road conditions, conflict, and banditry. MAF flights flown by pilots like Matt ensure that aid organizations responding to this crisis are able to safely deliver staff, drop off much-needed supplies, vaccines, food supplements, and so much more. Subsidized flights allow other organizations to get into key remote areas quickly and safely. A two-hour flight from the countrys capital of Kampala to the refugee settlements in Adjumani replaces over 11 hours of dangerous travel by road. Sometimes, seeing the situation on the ground can be a bit overwhelming, Matt shares, but knowing the impact that our flights make - getting medical response teams and supplies into refugee settlements, and being the lifeline for the workers and people in the campsthat just makes you want to keep going. There is no other way to get into some of these places. Chaundra reaches out to the children in their neighbourhood and beyond, impacting their lives in a meaningful way, by providing a safe place for them to be a part of a family and receive a hot meal. Chaundra also uses her time to help Tutapona, one of the organizations flown by MAF in Uganda, as they work with refugees. Tutapona, a Swahili word which means we will be healed, offers trauma rehabilitation in the refugee settlements for those who have experienced the overwhelming and devastating effects of war. The benefits of the group care programs Tutapona offers are a key component in supporting refugees as they begin to rebuild their lives and families in a new country. To say that it's an honour to work with Tutapona is an understatement. After almost a year here I still find myself overwhelmed at the strength, the hope, and the resilience of the refugee men and women I get to work with. It really puts things into perspective, Chaundra states. Agnes is a refugee with a story that shows the amazing impact of Tutaponas work: I came here with my 5 children from South Sudan, and I had to leave my husband behind. Not long after I left I heard that he had died; he had been slaughtered...Then, in November, my son was killed at school. [Tutapona] helped me to learn to cope with my loss, and they gave me the knowledge of the power of forgiveness, because before, I could never forget what happened. But now I can let go, I can forgive that person. My life has changed a lot. Now Im a councilwoman and Ive started a group called the Peace Makers. If people are quarrelling or fighting, we will sit together, talk about it and tell stories. We pray together; no more violence. We can be in peace only when we come together. Mission Aviation Fellowship ( www.mafc.org ) operates a fleet of some 130 airplanes worldwide. Since 1945, MAF has enabled the work of churches, relief organizations, missionaries, medical teams, development agencies, and others working to make life better for those who live in the most isolated parts of the world. In recent years, MAF has responded to disasters in Haiti following Hurricane Matthew, in Nepal following two deadly earthquakes in 2015, and Indonesia following the earthquake in 2018. MAFs Canadian headquarters is in Guelph, Ontario. Tutapona.com HOUSTON and HASSELT, Belgium, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TrendMiner NV , a Software AG company, has announced their latest software update: TrendMiner 2018.R2. The release includes a completely new set of capabilities, collectively called ContextHub. Other additions include: OSIsoft PI Event Frames integration, a related context item search for fast filtering of time-series data, and further extensions to the recommendation engine that helps operators and engineers to speed up root cause analysis of process anomalies. Connecting Critical Context to Time-series Data TrendMiner enables process and asset experts to analyze, monitor and predict operational performance through trend analysis of time-series data. The introduction of ContextHub significantly increases the flexibility of annotation, providing process and asset experts brand-new insights into their data. ContextHub is a repository, search engine, and collaboration platform for context items that can be neatly aligned to assets, processes and events. The platform can be configured for context itself to become a powerful new dataset that can be both visualized and analyzed. It also serves as a starting point for time-series analytics. Context items can be automatically captured, manually entered, or easily imported from other manufacturing solutions, such as Batch systems (i.e.OSIsoft PI Batch), Laboratory Information Management Systems, Computerized Maintenance Management Systems and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) systems, thus maximizing the flexibility of contextual information. "As the digitization of organizations continues, more business-critical information sources are available, but often remain in silos, said Rob Azevedo, Product Owner at TrendMiner. TrendMiner's ContextHub brings all this information together in its self-service analytics platform, enabling true data-driven decisions for improving overall profitability. Engineers can see which plant assets experience the most downtime by easily gathering available data and analyzing the worst performer, allowing decisions to be based on data and reducing the reliance on a best guess," he added. OSIsoft PI Event Frames Integration TrendMiner, already deeply integrated with OSIsoft Asset Framework, now provides out-of-the box access to both historical and new Event Frames for OSIsoft PI System users and others. These ecosystem synergies give OSIsoft customers a much easier way to gain access to Event Frames information, click through the related information, and kick-start their discovery and diagnostic analysis to continuously improve operational excellence. Context Items Search The new and novel ability to search for context items gives users the power to actively employ gathered context as part of the TrendHub analysis itself. It enables users to select saved ContextHub views from which they can visualize, filter or overlay time periods in TrendHub. Context items can now become a rapid starting point for trend analysis and facilitate filter requirements through all time series data. This capability also effectively speeds up root cause analysis or can even create fingerprints and monitors that can be used to send notifications to the control room and adjust process parameters when necessary. Enhancements Driven by Users TrendMiner is designed by engineers for engineers and highly values user feedback. Each release includes improvements based on user ideas and suggestions. The most important enhancements in the TrendMiner 2018.R2 release include: Easy and hierarchical organization of saved fingerprints, which help monitor process performance. Fingerprints used to monitor process performance can now be used for early warnings. This will help avoid the trigger of hard alarms and support control room personnel to take appropriate action. For diagnostic analysis, TrendMiner provides a compare table showing the statistical difference between a range of tags of interest that can be exported as xls-file to be used in other systems. Further extension of the powerful Recommendation Engine capabilities. This machine learning tool now uses the matching patterns found in the historical data to recommend potential root causes for process anomalies, which increases the likelihood of recommendations. The full range of capabilities plus the new ContextHub and the several usability enhancements will serve to further reduce the time and effort it takes to solve equipment and process performance related issues. It is TrendMiner's goal to help customers make better, faster decisions by giving the power of analytics to the people who can interpret the data. Further information For more information about ContextHub, watch their latest webinar "Operating in the Fast Lane; Contextualize time-series data for smarter analytics" for free here . About TrendMiner TrendMiner , a Software AG company, delivers self-service data analytics to optimize process performance in industries such as chemical, petrochemical, oil & gas, pharmaceutical, metals & mining and other process manufacturing industries. TrendMiner software is based on a high-performance analytics engine, for data captured in time series, that allows users to question data directly without the support of data scientists. This plug and play software adds immediate value on deployment, eliminating the need for infrastructure investment and long implementation projects. Search, diagnostic and predictive capabilities enable users to speed up root cause analysis, define optimal processes and configure early warnings to monitor production. TrendMiner software also helps team members to capture feedback and leverage knowledge across teams and sites. In addition, TrendMiner offers standard integrations with a wide range of historians such as OSIsoft PI, Yokogawa Exaquantum, AspenTech IP.21, Honeywell PHD, GE Proficy Historian and Wonderware InSQL. Founded in 2008, Trendminer is a software company with global headquarters in Belgium, and offices in the U.S., Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. Learn more about the company and Software AG at: https://www.trendminer.com/software-ag-acquires-trendminer/ Media Contact Dawn Fontaine Ripple Effect Communications dawn@rippleeffectpr.com Tel: 617-536-8887 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/80a5aa94-acb6-4287-a69f-2c09702810e1 Phoenix, AZ, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- No Borders, Inc. (OTC:NBDR), a leading remote work holding company, has announced that it will be changing its corporate brand from Lannister Holdings, Inc. to No Borders, Inc. effective immediately We have decided to embrace the name No Borders to reflect our synergy with the name we acquired when we completed our reverse merger of this company. We are truly a no borders remote work company in both philosophy and reality, and our brand strategy must reflect this vision, said Joseph Snyder, CEO. One of the reasons for this decision was the holding companys decision to immediately acquire/deploy product offerings in two additional business verticals, Medical and Education. These new offerings are named No Borders Dental Resources, Inc. and No Borders Education, Inc. respectively; both are Arizona corporations. No Borders Dental Resources, Inc. is a supplier of medical/dental equipment and wellness products while No Borders Education, Inc. is a purveyor of digital courses and classes. No Borders, Inc. strongly believes in the ability of our experienced team to create and deploy valuable software solutions in business verticals where the current market participants are behind the curve of technological adoption and deployment. These strategic deals are the first of many that the company intends to pursue in order to provide immediate market access, non-technical revenue streams and in-vertical operations that allow for the deployment of technologies that reduce cost, improve results and add scale to verticals from the inside out. With that vision in mind, our software development division, Lannister Development, will be rebranded as No Borders Labs, Inc. and Lannister Capital, Inc, will be renamed No Borders Funding, Inc. These existing subsidiaries will begin to, or continue to have, their own client-facing offerings while providing technical and financial support to the No Borders family of brands. We have thus unified our brands under our actual public company name and ticker symbol, which gives us a cleaner, stronger brand identity as we continue our mission to deploy cutting-edge technology in real-world businesses, stated Cynthia Tanabe, COO of No Borders, Inc. As COO I am committed to maintaining lean operations throughout our organization to provide our shareholders the greatest value while giving us the financial ability to scale our internal and acquired brands. We have achieved great things with the resources available to us and we will continue to utilize all of our assets with mindfulness and care. 2018 was a year of many milestones for No Borders, including complete elimination of variable convertible debt, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in fresh capital, achieving and maintaining NBDRs current status with OTC markets, building a world-class remote talent team and advisory board among many other victories big and small. The company also appeared in Forbes, Reuters, and Entrepreneur while Joseph Snyder and Christopher Brown appeared on dozens of podcasts. The companys technology principals have gained positions of authority in the blockchain/Web 3.0 field while the companys remote work staffing and lean operating ideologies have received great attention and traction. Interested parties can view our video about this Press Release on YouTube with the following link- https://youtu.be/MqpYQo5hvG0 About No Borders, Inc. No Borders, Inc. (OTC:NBDR) is a remote work, diverse holding company for several brands in verticals that are ripe and ready for the impact of Web 3.0 technologies. With a strategic focus on acquiring, improving and utilizing Web 3.0 tech inside its target verticals, No Borders can leverage its technological talent alongside its best in class branding, messaging and product teams to scale revenues for multiple vertical product offerings. No Borders Labs, in addition to supplying leading-edge tech tools to our internal companies also offers consulting, architecture, and software development services to external businesses looking to update their technology infrastructure for greater efficiency, security, and transparency. No Borders is headquartered in Arizona with resources in the USA, South America, Asia, and Europe. Forward-Looking Statement This press release details forward-looking content projected based on present conditions. The reader is forewarned to not place expectation on speculative language. Except as required by law, the Company renounces any intention and accepts no obligation to update forward-looking statements, be it as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Furthermore, the Company assumes no obligation to comment on the expectations of, or statements made by, third parties in respect of the matters discussed above. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) is proud to announce its 2018 Celebration of Excellence Award winners. Leaders will be recognized for their significant efforts and contribution to the industry at the renowned AME Awards Gala on January 30 during the AME Roundup 2019 conference. Tickets are available through registration at www.amebc.ca/roundup. Commenting on the Award Winners success, Lyn Anglin, Chair of the AME Board of Directors, said; Congratulations to the industry leaders who are receiving AMEs 2018 awards. I am honoured to commend each winner for their momentous contributions to our industry, paving the way for its future beneficiaries. The theme of AMEs 2019 Roundup conference is Elements for Discovery and these individuals and teams, through their remarkable efforts in elements of exploration, development and outreach, have generated discoveries and advancements which will bring benefits to the many diverse communities throughout British Columbia and Canada. The Awards Gala at Roundup is a chance for us all to recognize and rejoice in their accomplishments. This years Award Winners are: Al McOnie, Seymour Iles and Jared Chipman of Alexco Resource Corp. are the recipients of the 2018 H.H. Spud Huestis Award for Excellence in Prospecting and Mineral Exploration. They have been responsible for the recent discovery and delineation of more than 60 million ounces of silver in the Flame & Moth and Bermingham deposits in the Keno Hill Silver District of central Yukon. John McCluskey is the recipient of the 2018 Murray Pezim Award for Perseverance & Success in Financing Mineral Exploration. He is being honoured for his pivotal role in acquiring, financing and encouraging the successive discoveries of the La India (Grayd Resources), Mulatos (Alamos Gold) and Kemess East (AuRico Metals) deposits. In addition, he is being honoured for his ongoing success as CEO of Alamos Gold. Eric Friedland, Executive Chairman of Peregrine Diamonds, Geoff Woad, former head of World Diamond Exploration for BHP Billiton and Brooke Clements, former President of Peregrine Diamonds are recipients of the 2018 Hugo Dummett Award for Excellence in Diamond Exploration and Development, in recognition of their roles in discovering the Chidliak Diamond Province on Baffin Island in Nunavut. Dr. Tom Henricksen is the recipient of the 2018 Colin Spence Award for Excellence in Global Mineral Exploration, recognized for his outstanding contributions to mineral discovery, and being involved in some monumental discoveries and or/acquisitions across the world. Matt Andrews and Monica Moretto are the 2018 recipients of the Robert R. Hedley Award for Excellence in Social and Environmental Responsibility. Their leadership has created an environment within Pan American Silver Corp. of respect for social and environmental principles on all its projects. Paycore Drilling is the recipient of the 2018 David Barr Award for Excellence in Leadership and Innovation in Mineral Exploration Health and Safety. Paycore Drilling is recognized for its professionalism and care following an incident in Mineral Exploration. Dan Moore Yukon Dan and Peter Bradshaw, recognized with the 2018 Gold Pan Award for exceptional meritorious service to the mineral exploration community through the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME). J. Greg Dawson and Victoria Yehl, honoured with the 2018 Frank Woodside award for distinguished service to the Association for Mineral Exploration British Columbia (AME) and/or the mineral exploration industry. The two recipients of AMEs Outreach Education Fund are MineralsEd to support delivery of the Kids & Rocks Classroom Workshop in 2019 and Britannia Mine Museum to support the 2019 continuation of its well-established Education Program. Dr. Norman Keevil, acknowledged with a Special Tribute from AME for his outstanding achievements and major contributions to and support of exploration, discovery and development in British Columbia and adjacent parts of the Cordillera. See the Full Awards Citations and Backgrounder. AME Contact: Tracey Sexton Director, Communications & Corporate Affairs, AME tsexton@amebc.ca 604.630.3919 About AME AME is the lead association for the mineral exploration and development industry based in British Columbia. Established in 1912, AME represents, advocates and promotes the interests of almost 5,000 members who are engaged in mineral exploration and development in BC and globally. AME encourages a safe, economically strong and environmentally responsible industry by providing clear initiatives, policies, events and tools to support its membership in delivering responsible projects that advance reconciliation and provide benefit to all British Columbians. NEW YORK, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, continues to investigate potential securities claims on behalf of shareholders of Tenaris S.A. (NYSE: TS) resulting from allegations that Tenaris may have issued materially misleading business information to the investing public. On November 27, 2018, Bloomberg reported that Tenariss Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Paolo Rocca was indicted for his role in a graft scheme. According to the article, [t]he judge charged Rocca after the Argentine billionaire testified that one of his companys executives paid an undisclosed amount of cash to government officials in monthly installments from 2009 to 2012. The article stated [t]he officials were allegedly working for then-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchners administration to speed up a compensation payment from Venezuela[] . . . for the nationalization of Sidor, a unit that . . . Roccas group was [ultimately paid] $1.95 billion for[.] The judge set a $103 million bond and banned Rocca from leaving the country. On this news, Tenariss stock fell $2.64 per share or nearly 10% to close at $24.36 per share on November 27, 2018. Rosen Law Firm is preparing a class action lawsuit to recover losses suffered by Tenaris investors. If you purchased shares of Tenaris please visit the firms website at https://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-1459.html to join the class action. You may also contact Phillip Kim or Zachary Halper of Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via email at pkim@rosenlegal.com or zhalper@rosenlegal.com . Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm or on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm . Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 3 each year since 2013. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- CHRISTIANSBURG, Va., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montgomery County, Virginia, represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP, Kaufman & Canoles, P.C., and The Cicala Law Firm PLLC today initiated legal action against opioid manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for their role in creating the public health emergency caused by prescription opioids. Montgomery County filed the lawsuit in state court against more than 15 opioid manufacturers, distributors, and PBMs including pharmaceutical titan Purdue Pharma and worldwide distributor McKesson. The lawsuit alleges that each defendant contributes to the opioid crisis in Montgomery Countydrug manufacturers make the drugs and misrepresent the truth about their benefits and addiction risks to doctors and patients; wholesale distributors ignore their responsibilities to report and stop suspicious orders of opioids leading to drug diversion to the black market; and PBMs leverage their role as middlemen to increase the flow of opioids into the marketplace. The County has alleged violations of statutory and common law public nuisance, the Virginia Consumer Protection Act, fraud, common law conspiracy, negligence, and unjust enrichment. The defendants include manufacturers Purdue Pharma, Abbott Laboratories, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals; Teva Pharmaceuticals, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Cephalon, Inc., Barr Laboratories, Inc., Actavis Pharma, Watson Laboratories, Inc., Allergan PLC, and Insys Therapeutics; distributors AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., McKesson Corp., and Henry Schein, Inc.; and PBMs Express Scripts, Inc., CVS Health; United Health Group Inc., and OptumRx, Inc. The harmful impact of opioids in Montgomery County cannot be overstated. The rate of neonatal abstinence syndromewhich results from opioids being used during pregnancyin Montgomery County has been higher than the statewide rate in Virginia during the entire course of the opioid epidemic. The rate of overdose deaths in Montgomery County has been consistently rising since the 1990s, and by 2016, the rate at which citizens of Montgomery County were dying of drug overdoses every year was three times higher than the rate at which they were dying in 1999. The financial cost of the opioid epidemic has been tremendous for the County. For example, Montgomery County is paying exorbitant amounts to house inmates that are incarcerated due to illegal drug use and other criminal activity that is highly correlated to prescription drug abuse. Furthermore, the number of children placed in foster care in the County has risen in recent years due to the effects that opioid addiction has had on households in the County. Chris Tuck, Chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors, stated, These defendants have gotten rich pushing addictive drugs to our citizens, while they have left Montgomery County on the hook to pay the bill for incarceration, law enforcement, foster care, and many other costs that were predictable results of their actions. We owe it to our residents to do everything we can to recover some of the costs created by the preventable epidemic the defendants caused. The lawsuit aims to recover these types of costs. April N. DeMotts, Vice-Chair of the Board of Supervisors, added, The costs that Montgomery County has incurred as a result of the opioid epidemic were entirely predictable, and entirely preventable, but these Defendants chose to put profits before their responsibilities, and they did nothing to prevent the disaster they created from harming Montgomery County. We are pleased to represent Montgomery County as it seeks to hold the defendants accountable for their reprehensible actions and recover the funds the County has spent to address the impact of the opioid crisis. Montgomery Countys citizens deserve justice for the harms inflicted upon them by the defendants and our respective firms are proud to take on this fight on their behalf, said Kevin H. Sharp of Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP. Joanne Cicala added, The opioid epidemic is not accidental. It is not a natural disaster. It is a man-made crisis. And worse the companies that did this were not just seeking to build market share they knew they were creating addicts. And now their scheme is costing Montgomery County and communities like it dearly - in so many ways. It is fair for Montgomery County to respond by seeking to hold those responsible for the epidemic those who continue to profit from it accountable for its costs. About Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP is a public interest class-action litigation law firm with offices in New York, Washington, D.C, Nashville, Baltimore, San Francisco, and San Diego. Our attorneys have graduated from the nations top law schools, clerked for judges throughout the United States, and amassed extensive experience litigating and trying cases that have earned over one billion dollars for our clients. The Firm specializes in civil rights and general public interest cases, representing plaintiffs with claims of employment discrimination, labor and wage violations, predatory lending, consumer fraud, and whistleblowing, among other claims. Along with a focus on class actions, the Firm also represents individuals and has achieved extraordinary success in the representation of executives and attorneys in employment disputes. For more information go to www.sanfordheisler.com or call (202) 499-5200 or email ksharp@sanfordheisler.com. For the latest news, visit our newsroom or follow us on Twitter at @sanfordheisler. About Kaufman & Canoles, P.C. Tracing its roots to 1919, Kaufman & Canoles has a long-standing history of representing local governments and municipalities throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia with a variety of legal needs. With eight offices in Virginia, the firm is known for its rich history, highly-respected attorneys, business connections, and a deep commitment to improving the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.kaufcan.com. About The Cicala Law Firm PLLC The Cicala Law Firm PLLC is a plaintiffs civil litigation firm with particular expertise in prosecuting commercial, consumer and health care fraud matters on behalf of individuals, businesses and governmental clients. It maintains a diverse, experienced and nimble team comprised of attorneys, analysts, health care and IT professionals. The firm is committed to taking advantage of cutting edge technology to identity claims and particularize damages, including through data mining. The firm has the ability to do this work in-house which permits substantial cost savings for its clients. In addition to its litigation and big data services, The Cicala Law Firm is available for health care cost containment efforts such as pharmacy benefit claims evaluation. It welcomes strategic partnerships with other firms where its competencies may complement those of the collaborating firm. Cedar Rapids, IA, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midamar, the Iowa based national Halal brand, has launched their new e-commerce website to better serve their Halal customers across the nation. The new website features a stylish visual and simplified design, improved functionality, mobile compatibility, and refined content to help Halal consumers find the high-quality Halal foods they are looking for. Payment options now include PayPal for customers preferring to use this payment option for their online shopping. Midamar Corporation launched their e-commerce website, www.midamarhalal.com, in the early 2000s. Midamarhalal.com was one of the first websites to fulfill Halal food orders to customers anywhere in the United States. For more than 15 years the website has proven to be a one-stop shop for Halal consumers, now this update will make it even easier to serve these customers. The updated website also launched along with Midamars new line of Halal Bread and Buns and Halal Cheesewich products, produced in partnership with Cheesewich. SIEGEN, Germany, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As part of ongoing global expansion, Microdrones is proud to announce a merger with Schubeler Technologies. Since its founding in 1997, Schubeler has built a global business by providing advanced fan propulsion jets and lightweight composite materials fabrication. Offering a full product lineup of robust turbo fans, jets, compressors, pumps, electric motors, carbon fiber and aluminum composites, Schubeler products are designed to withstand extreme conditions and demanding field use. These components provide thrust power and lightweight durability to high tech applications including UAVs, professional motorsports and heavy duty outdoor equipment. Microdrones, founded in 2005, has enjoyed rapid growth, evolving from the worlds first manufacturer of commercial grade unmanned VTOL aircraft, to a provider of fully integrated systems for surveying, mapping, LiDAR and inspection applications. These systems are being put to use worldwide by professionals in the construction, mining, energy, agriculture and infrastructure trades. According to Microdrones President Vivien Heriard-Dubreuil, We make life easier for professionals by offering the full solution; it has proven to be a successful strategy. Perfectly integrated drones, sensors, software, workflow, training and support is what the market needed. Welcoming the Schubeler team, talent and capabilities to Microdrones delivers new aviation technology and capabilities to our customers in the form of next generation unmanned aircraft. As the preferred provider of VTOL solutions to Trimble Dealers worldwide, Microdrones adds a global sales force and distribution network as well as technical centers and production sites spanning 7 countries and 3 continents. Daniel Schubeler, founder and CEO of Schubeler Technologies explains, Merging with Microdrones empowers us to develop and deliver systems where we can best support customers locally. This is a happy homecoming for me and the team that weve built over the past twenty years. Daniel was an original founding partner in Microdrones and helped develop the pioneering technology that helped Microdrones gain global recognition as the first professional VTOL UAVs. He adds, Both of these companies have enjoyed global growth and impressive technological advancements independently- merging our talents and teams will yield amazing solutions in the years to come. Francois Gerner, SVP of Corporate Affairs at Microdrones explains, This is a strategic growth initiative. We are adding technology, IP, talent, strong leadership and investment capabilities that are complementary to both brands. This deal brings us to more than 150 highly skilled employees worldwide, which translates to better products, service and support. In addition to expanding the Microdrones team and family of products, the merged companies will also retain the Schubeler Technologies brand, which commands a niche audience of serious aeromodelling enthusiasts. Schubeler Technologies will continue to serve these markets as well as tackle large scale custom R&D projects related to propulsion and materials. About Microdrones Founded in Germany in 2005, Microdrones developed the world's first commercial quadcopter and the company continues to lead the industry with their professional UAV solutions. By pairing robust drones with cutting-edge sensors, Microdrones offers advanced turn-key solutions that make it easy for businesses to start using UAVs for surveying, mapping, construction, inspection, precision agriculture, mining, and other commercial applications. A heritage of quality German engineering, extra-long flight times, resistance to environmental challenges, and technology like direct georeferencing make Microdrones solutions exceptionally safe, efficient, and cost-effective choices for commercial users. Microdrones serves markets around the globe. To learn more about Microdrones, visit www.microdrones.com . About Schubeler Technologies Founded in 1997, Schubeler Technologies offers a full product lineup of robust turbo fans, jets, compressors, pumps, electric motors, carbon fiber and aluminum composites. These rugged components are designed to withstand extreme field use and demanding applications for UAVs, professional motorsports and more. To learn more about Schubeler Technologies visit http://schuebeler-technologies.de/en/ . Contact: Mike Dziok Marketing Director Microdrones news@microdrones.com MUMBAI, INDIA, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- UPL Limited today declared the new leadership appointments for the merged entity. The appointments will be effective upon the completion of the proposed transaction. The completion of the proposed transaction is subject to obtaining various regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. On 20 July 2018, UPL, a global agrochemicals solutions provider, had announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary UPL Corp had signed a definitive agreement with Platform Specialty Products Corporation (NYSE:PAH) to acquire Arysta LifeScience Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively Arysta). The vision for New UPL is that it presents a huge opportunity to transform agriculture, enhance the lives of the farmers and grow the world's food supply sustainably. Our new UPL is a game changer, with the ambition to reshape the industry by revolutionizing the agribusiness through innovation to enhance the life of farmers worldwide. The coming together of UPL and Arysta will be transformative not only for growers but will open new opportunities for partners and customers across the entire agriculture and food chain. New UPL will also be a leader in bio-solutions and is committed to achieving sustainable growth for the world. Envisioned as an agile organization, New UPL will leverage the strengths that both UPL and Arysta bring to this entity. The leadership structure is strategically designed to allow for the organization to deliver impact on both short- and long-term horizons. The leadership will continue to focus on being customer centric, leverage its expertise in manufacturing, innovation and strategic partnerships to deliver innovative solutions to farmers to enhance their sustainability and profitability. The new executive team will be led by Jai Shroff, currently the Global CEO of UPL Limited. Jai is a well-recognized global leader in the Agri-Inputs industry with over 30 years of experience in India and internationally. Under Jais leadership, UPL has been one of the fastest growing agri-input companies in the world with strong presence in the Seeds, Plant Nutrition, Crop protection and Post-harvest food preservation value chains. Vikram Shroff, Executive Director, Rajendra Darak, Group CFO, Raj Tiwari, Global Head of Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Anand Vora, Global Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Rohit Kumar, Global General Counsel, Sanjay Singh, Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), Paresh Talati, Global Head of Chemistry R&D, Vidya Sagar Kaushik, Global Head of Corporate Affairs will all continue to play the same role for New UPL. Bhupen Dubey will continue to lead the Seeds business, and K. R. Srivastava will continue to lead the Specialty Chemicals business for New UPL. Diego Casanello, currently President of Arysta LifeScience, will take over as the COO for the Crop Protection business for New UPL. Ajit Premnath, currently the COO of the Crop Protection business at UPL, will assume the position of Business Mentor, Crop Protection, focusing on mentoring Diego to take over the COO role, leading strategic initiatives and ensuring a seamless cultural integration across the two organizations. He will continue in the new role of Business Mentor till March 2020, post which he will assume a new role in the group. Carlos Pellicer, currently COO Global Strategy Innovation & NPD at UPL, will now be the COO Integration, Global Strategy and Special Growth Initiatives. He will work closely with marketing, R&D and strategic alliances to drive strategic growth initiatives for New UPL. Decco will also continue to report to Carlos. Following is the new Crop Protection Leadership Team that will be reporting to Diego: Farokh Hilloo, currently Global Sales Director in UPL, will assume responsibility for the position of Chief Commercial Officer in the New UPL reporting to Diego. Farokh will have overall responsibility for global sales and will lead the budgeting and MBR/MIS process and work with the regions to help deliver the targets. He will also be responsible to help the organization achieve expected revenue synergies. Rico Christensen, currently Head North America, Australia and New Zealand, will be the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for New UPL. Current Portfolio team, Strategy & Innovation, Marketing Communication and ZEBA teams at UPL will now become part of the Marketing organization. Paula Pinto, currently Head of Integration and 3rd Party Relations for Arysta, will become Global Head of Strategic Alliances and B2B for New UPL. The newly created CTO (Chief Technology Officer) position is currently open and will be filled as soon as possible. Strategically, New UPL structure will be organized in 7 regions, with the following leaders: Vicente Gongora, currently the head of UPL North America, will continue as the head of North America for New UPL. Fabio Torretta, currently Regional Business Head LATAM in Arysta, will be the Regional Head of Brazil for New UPL. Sameer Tandon, currently head of UPL India, will continue in this role as the Regional Head of India for New UPL. Hisaya Kobayashi, currently Head of Asia in Arysta, will become Regional Head of Asia for New UPL. Jagdish Nainwal, who currently leads LATAM North business for UPL, will be the LATAM Regional Head for New UPL. Hildo Brilleman, currently Head of EMEA in Arysta, will become Regional Head of Europe for New UPL. The Europe region will also include Turkey, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. Marcel Dreyer, currently the head of Southern, Eastern Africa for Arysta, will take on the role of the Africa, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand Regional Head for New UPL. The global Decco organization will continue to be led by Francois Girin and will continue to report to Carlos Pellicer. Speaking of the new team, Jai Shroff Group CEO said, "This is the leadership team that will be working closely, to take New UPL to the next level. We are creating the 'new leader' in our space. A company ready to challenge the established order and play a dynamic role in transforming agriculture globally. We have great talent to draw on in New UPL and these new leaders that we are announcing today will push us even beyond our goals. Together with our powerful New UPL team worldwide, we will drive a new era of sustainable growth." The appointments will be effective only with the closing of the merger. Until that date, both companies will continue to operate under their current structures. About UPL UPL Limited is one of the leading global crop protection products companies headquartered in India. UPL Limited stock is publicly traded on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India. Its current market capitalization is ~US$5.3 billion, as of October 31, 2018. For FY 2018, UPL Limited reported operating revenue of c.US$2.7 billion and EBITDA of US$543 million. UPL Corp is an operating company that leads the international operations of UPL Limited across the world. Since its inception in 1993, UPL Corp has expanded its production and distribution footprint through its subsidiaries internationally and now has a diversified crop protection and post-harvest solution business with an established presence and leading market position in major agricultural regions throughout the world. Recap of deal rationale Following the acquisition, UPL will enhance its position as a global leader in agriculture solutions: US$5 billion in combined sales US$1 billion EBITDA: 20%+ EBITDA margin pre-synergies Transaction provides a compelling value proposition and underscores UPLs Farmer First mission to continue the transformation of UPL into a leading crop solutions company: A perfect match" with powerful synergies across geographies, crops and products, strengthened through best-in-class manufacturing and differentiated R&D capabilities Brings together two winning teams with strong values and successful track records UPL Limited today announced the new leadership appointments for the consolidated organization. The appointments will be effective upon the completion of the proposed transaction, which is expected early 2019. The completion of the proposed transaction is subject to obtaining regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. SMITHFIELD, Va., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc. has partnered with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to become the dedicated sponsor of Smithfields Fundamentals Teaching Kitchen at the colleges Hyde Park, NY campus. Representatives from both organizations hosted an official naming ceremony of the kitchen this morning, marking the next chapter in a relationship of more than six years, and a shared commitment to educating the future leaders of the food industry. First-year CIA culinary students spend many quality hours in the Fundamentals Teaching Kitchen where they are introduced to primary cooking theories, techniques, and applicationsthe building blocks of their culinary journey. In addition to naming the kitchen, Smithfield will expand its support for the colleges mission, including educational and student activities programs, leadership conferences, and other initiatives. We believe its imperative for Smithfield to have an impact on the next generation of chefs not only to encourage culinary creativity, but also reinforce the importance of sustainability, said Russ Dokken, executive vice president of foodservice for Smithfield Foods Packaged Meats Division. We are honored to champion the journey and education of CIA students, and we look forward to seeing how they will implement their talents, inspire the culinary community, and shape new food trends once they graduate. As the recognized leader in culinary education for undergraduate and graduate students, foodservice and hospitality professionals, and food enthusiasts, the CIA is shaping the future of the food world. The college has been widely recognized for setting standards of excellence, innovation, and leadership within the industry for more than 70 years. The Culinary Institute of America is grateful for Smithfields support of our students education, says CIA Vice President of Advancement Kevin Allan. They share our core values of excellence, leadership, professionalism, ethics, and respect for diversity, and we look forward to a strong and beneficial relationship. To learn more about Smithfield Foods expertise in foodservice, visit www.SmithfieldFoodservice.com . About Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, Farmer John, Kretschmar, John Morrell, Cooks, Gwaltney, Carando, Margherita, Curlys, Healthy Ones, Morliny, Krakus, and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental, and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com , and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn . About The Culinary Institute of America Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is the worlds premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers masters, bachelors, and associate degrees with majors in culinary arts, baking & pastry arts, food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies. The college also offers executive education, certificate programs, and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences, leadership initiatives, and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry and its worldwide network of more than 50,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food world. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu . Media Contacts: FoodMix Marketing Communications on behalf of Smithfield Foods Trisha Teckenbrock (630) 366-7515 tteckenbrock@foodmix.net The CIA Jeff Levine 845-451-1372 Jeff.Levine@culinary.edu A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8e1b5aed-d6e2-42a5-a9b5-f2e02dee4a99 REHOVOT, Israel, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF), a clinical-stage in-vitro diagnostics company focused on the development of blood tests for the early detection of cancer, presented its scientific abstract discussing the most recent clinical trial results of the TM-B1 cancer screen test at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) earlier today. The TM-B1 cancer screen test, which is designed for women 25 and over, screens for the presence of breast cancer. The study consisted of 190 women, including 50 women with breast cancer (including DCIS). We are extremely pleased with the results of our latest clinical trial, said Herman Weiss, MD, FACOG, MBA, CEO of Todos Medical. The TM-B1 cancer screen test achieved an overall sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 98% for breast cancer detection in the general population, and interestingly, an 83% sensitivity and 99% specificity was recorded for women with dense breasts (about 55% of study population). In comparison, screening mammography, the most commonly used imaging modality, has a sensitivity and specificity of approximately 80%, and even less in dense breast tissue. These results demonstrate the ability of Todos Medical to offer game-changing technology for the early detection of breast cancer in all women, including those who present challenges to existing screening methods. The potential to save lives is compelling. Our TM-B1 breast cancer screen test, in conjunction with current imaging techniques, may contribute to the early detection of breast cancer by increasing sensitivity and reducing false positive results and unnecessary biopsies, said Todos Medical Chief Technology Officer Udi Zelig, PhD. With further studies with larger numbers we hope to validate and establish the utility of adding the TM-B1 cancer screen test to current standard screening for breast cancer. Its quite an exciting prospect. About Todos Medical Ltd. Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF) headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, is a cancer in-vitro-diagnostic (IVD) company engaging in the development of a series of blood tests for the early detection of a variety of cancers. The company has developed two cancer screening tests based on TBIA (Todos Biochemical Infrared Analyses), a method for cancer screening using peripheral blood analysis. The TBIA screening method is based on the cancers influence on the immune system which triggers biochemical changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and plasma. This proprietary and patented method incorporates biochemistry, physics and signal processing. The companys two cancer screening tests, TM-B1 and TM-B2 are CE marked in the EU. For more information, the content of which is not part of this press release, please visit http://www.Todosmedical.com . Forward-looking statements: Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. For example, we use forward-looking statements when discussing our expected clinical development programs and clinical trials. These forward-looking statements are based only on the current expectations of the management of Todos Medical, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the risks and uncertainties related to the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approval or patent protection for our product candidates; competition from other biotechnology companies; and our ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct our research, development and commercialization activities. In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; delays or obstacles in launching our clinical trials; changes in legislation; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; lack of validation of our technology as we progress further and lack of acceptance of our methods by the scientific community; inability to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; unforeseen scientific difficulties that may develop with our process; greater cost of final product than anticipated; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition; and laboratory results that do not translate to equally good results in real settings, all of which could cause the actual results or performance of Todos Medical to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Todos Medical undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Todos Medical, reference is made to Todos Medicals reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Media Contact: Todos Medical Ltd. Daniel Hirsch Investor Relations Dan.h@todosmedical.com (347) 699-0029 LONDON, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Ship Lease, Inc. (NYSE: GSL) (the Company) today announced that it intends to solicit consents from holders of its 9.875% First Priority Secured Notes due 2022 (the Notes) to approve amendments (the Proposed Amendments) to the indenture governing the Notes (the Indenture) immediately following the consummation of its annual mandatory offer, announced on November 9, 2018, to purchase up to $20.0 million of the Notes (the Annual Mandatory Offer), which is expected to be December 12, 2018. The Proposed Amendments would amend the Indenture to bring forward the date beginning on which the Company is permitted to pay dividends to common shareholders in an aggregate amount per year equal to 50% of the consolidated net profit after taxes of the Company for the preceding financial year to January 1, 2020 (rather than January 1, 2021), and include an acknowledgement by holders of the Notes that the transactions (the Poseidon Transactions) contemplated by the Agreement and Plan of Merger dated October 29, 2018 by and among the Company, Poseidon Containers Holdings LLC, K&T Marine LLC and the other parties thereto do not constitute a Change of Control (as defined in the Indenture) under the Indenture. In addition, the Proposed Amendments amend certain other provisions of the Indenture for the benefit of the holders of the Notes. These include, among other things: to provide that only equity issuances for cash will increase the Companys capacity to make distributions to shareholders, and not in-kind contributions to equity; to reduce the increases in the amount of permitted transfers of assets or cash from the Company and the guarantors of the Notes (the Guarantors) to non-Guarantor subsidiaries (the Permitted Transfer Basket) generated by in-kind contributions to equity from 100% to 15% of the fair market value of these contributions, other than cash which will increase the Permitted Transfer Basket by 100%, and to set the increase in the Permitted Transfer Basket created by the Poseidon Transactions at $50 million; to regulate in more detail certain intercompany transactions that may take place between the Company and the Guarantors on the one hand and non-Guarantor subsidiaries on the other hand, including with respect to intercompany loans, vessel transfers and vessel management arrangements; to extend the Companys annual and quarterly financial reporting to include certain stand-alone financial information of the Company and the Guarantors on one hand and the non-Guarantor subsidiaries on the other; and to modify the treatment of beneficial ownership by certain permitted holders pursuant to the Change of Control definition. The Proposed Amendments contribute to the integration of the legacy Global Ship Lease entities and the new Poseidon entities and facilitate the unlocking of the growth potential of the Poseidon Transactions for the benefit of all of the Companys stakeholders while at the same time reinforcing its support of, and active engagement with, holders of the Notes. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement, the Company intends to offer a cash payment (Consent Fee) of $7.50 per $1,000 in aggregate principal amount of Notes held by each holder as of the record date set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement who validly delivers (and does not validly revoke) a duly executed consent at or prior to the Expiration Time. The Company will not be obligated to make any payments if the Company does not receive the Requisite Consents at or prior to the Expiration Time, the consent solicitation is terminated for any reason before the Expiration Time or if the other conditions to the consent solicitation are not satisfied or waived. Adoption of the Proposed Amendments will require the consent of the holders of at least a majority of the aggregate principal amount of all outstanding Notes (such consent, the Requisite Consents). As of December 6, 2018, the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the Notes was $360,000,000, which amount may be reduced following the consummation of the Annual Mandatory Offer. As of the same date, the Company reached an agreement with beneficial owners of approximately $164.2 million of the principal amount of the Notes, representing approximately 46% of the outstanding Notes, with respect to the terms of the consent solicitation described herein, including the Proposed Amendments, pursuant to which such holders have agreed to consent with respect to all of their Notes and the Company has agreed to launch the consent solicitation. The Company anticipates that, promptly after receipt of the Requisite Consents at or prior to 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on December 18, 2018, unless extended by the Company in its sole discretion (the Expiration Time) as set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement relating to the consent solicitation (the Consent Solicitation Statement), the Company will give notice to Citibank, N.A., London Branch, as trustee and security agent (the Trustee), that the Requisite Consents have been obtained and the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee will execute and deliver a supplemental indenture with respect to the Indenture (the Supplemental Indenture and such time, the Effective Time). Pursuant to the terms of the Supplemental Indenture, the Proposed Amendments will become effective at the Effective Time, with retroactive effect as of the date of completion of the Poseidon Transactions, and shall thereafter bind every holder of Notes. Although the Supplemental Indenture will become effective upon execution by the Company, the Guarantors and the Trustee, the Proposed Amendments will not become operative and will have no effect until and unless the payment to consenting holders described above is made in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement. Additional details about the consent solicitation will be provided in the Consent Solicitation Statement, which will be sent to holders of the Notes at the time of launch. The Company may, in its sole discretion, extend or amend the consent solicitation at any time, subject to its agreement with the beneficial owners of the Notes referred to above. This announcement is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. This announcement is also not a solicitation of consents with respect to the Proposed Amendments or any securities. If and when commenced, the consent solicitation will be made solely on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Consent Solicitation Statement. The solicitation of consents will not be made in any jurisdiction in which, or to or from any person to or from whom, it is unlawful to make such solicitation under applicable state or foreign securities or blue sky laws. No recommendation is being made as to whether holders of Notes should consent to the Proposed Amendments. About Global Ship Lease Global Ship Lease is a leading independent owner of containerships with a diversified and fuel-efficient fleet of containerships. Incorporated in the Marshall Islands, Global Ship Lease commenced operations in December 2007 with a business of owning and chartering out containerships under mainly long-term, fixed-rate charters to top tier container liner companies. Global Ship Lease owns 38 vessels ranging from 2,207 to 11,040 TEU, of which nine are Post-Panamax new-design eco wide beam, with a total capacity of 198,793 TEU and an average age, weighted by TEU capacity, of 10.7 years determined as at September 30, 2018. The average remaining term of the charters at September 30, 2018 was 2.4 years on a weighted basis. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements provide the Companys current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include statements about the Companys expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, intentions, assumptions and other statements that are not historical facts. Words or phrases such as anticipate, believe, continue, estimate, expect, intend, may, ongoing, plan, potential, predict, project, will or similar words or phrases, or the negatives of those words or phrases, may identify forward-looking statements, but the absence of these words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that may be incorrect, and the Company cannot assure you that the events or expectations included in these forward-looking statements will come to pass. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the factors described in Risk Factors in the Companys Annual Report on Form 20-F and the factors and risks the Company describes in subsequent reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, you should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investor and Media Contact: The IGB Group Bryan Degnan 646-673-9701 or Leon Berman 212-477-8438 NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd. ("Barkerville" or the "Corporation") (TSX-V:BGM) is pleased to announce that it has amended its agreement with Haywood Securities Inc., on behalf of a syndicate of underwriters (collectively, the "Underwriters") in relation to its previously announced "bought deal" private placement of 14,706,000 common shares of the Corporation (the "Common Shares") at a price of C$0.34 per Common Share, and 40,000,000 common shares of the Corporation that will qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada)) (the "Tranche 1 Flow-Through Shares") at a price of C$0.50 per Tranche 1 Flow-Through Share, for total gross proceeds of C$25,000,040 (the "Offering"). The Offering has been amended to include a second tranche of up to 6,000,000 flow-through shares (the "Tranche 2 Flow-Through Shares") at a price of C$0.40 per Tranche 2 Flow-Through Share (the "Tranche 2 Issue Price"), to be sold on a "best efforts" agency basis, for gross proceeds of up to C$2,400,000. The Corporation has granted the Underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 15% of the number of Common Shares or Tranche 1 Flow-Through Shares sold under the Offering, in any combination (the "Underwriters' Option"), exercisable by the Underwriters in whole or in part at any time up to 48 hours prior to the closing date. The Corporation intends to use the gross proceeds from the sale of the Tranche 1 Flow-Through Shares and Tranche 2 Flow-Through Shares to fund "Canadian exploration expenses" (within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada)), related to the Corporation's Cariboo Gold Project in British Columbia. The Corporation has also agreed to renounce such Canadian exploration expenses with an effective date of no later than December 31, 2018. The net proceeds from the sale of the Common Shares will be used for exploration and development of the Cariboo Gold Project, as well as working capital and general corporate purposes. The closing of the Offering is expected to occur on or about December 18, 2018 and is subject to the completion of formal documentation and receipt of regulatory approvals, including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. The securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a statutory four month hold period in accordance with applicable securities legislation. In consideration for their services, the Corporation has agreed to pay the Underwriters a cash commission equal to 5.0% of the gross proceeds from the Offering, excluding gross proceeds received from the sale of Securities to Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd and Osisko Mining Inc. About Barkerville The Corporation is focused on developing its extensive mineral rights package located in the historical Cariboo Mining District of central British Columbia. Barkerville's Cariboo Gold Project mineral tenures cover 1,950 square kilometres; along a strike length of 67 kilometres which includes several past producing placer and hard rock mines, making it one of the most well-endowed land packages in British Columbia. Since the management change in mid-2015, the Corporation has unlocked the fundamental structural controls of gold mineralization. The Corporation's Brownfield's exploration team is focused on developing and delineating a mineable resource within the 7 kilometers of principle project area located near the town of Wells, British Columbia. The Corporation's Greenfield's team is developing quality exploration assets throughout the remaining land package through systematic, scientific, exploration. The operation's team is focused on developing and mining the Bonanza Ledge and BC Vein deposits on Barkerville Mountain. This operation allows the company to generate near term cash flow, train a local work force, keeps the present mining permit active, and de-risk's the project through staged production growth. Processing of material from these deposits is processed at the QR mill. QR is a fully owned, permitted mill and tailings facility, located approximately 110 kilometres away from Wells, and can be accessed by an all-season road. For more information on Barkerville Gold Mines Ltd., please contact: Chris Lodder President and Chief Executive Officer 155 University Avenue, Suite 1410 Toronto, Ontario, Canada clodder@barkervillegold.com 416-775-3671 Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Forward-looking information involves risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Although the Corporation believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Neither 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. HOUSTON, TEXAS, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quanex Building Products Corporation (NYSE:NX) (Quanex or the Company) today announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share on the Companys common stock, payable December 28, 2018, to shareholders of record on December 17, 2018. About Quanex Quanex Building Products Corporation is an industry-leading manufacturer of components sold to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the building products industry. Quanex designs and produces energy-efficient fenestration products in addition to kitchen and bath cabinet components. CALGARY, Alberta and ADELAIDE, Australia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eguana Technologies (TSX.V: EGT) (OTCQB: EGTYF) is pleased to announce its Australian distribution partner AC Solar Warehouse has the Eguana Evolve available in South Australia and will distribute to qualified system providers under the Marshall Liberal Governments Home Battery Scheme (HBS). The HBS plans to outfit 40,000 South Australian households with Virtual Power Plan (VPP) ready integrated battery systems by providing access to a $100 million in State Government subsidies to pay installations. Strategically we are on track to become the dominant supplier of energy storage in South Australia (SA), stated Brent Harris, Chief Technology Officer for Eguana Technologies. Our SA order book has crossed the $1.5 million mark in less than two weeks and as we establish our System Provider partner network in the market, we recognize they require capable distribution partners to support their growth. Its great to see our partner AC Solar Warehouse stepping in to ensure this success. The South Australian governments Home Battery Scheme is accelerating residential energy storage growth in the worlds highest penetration rooftop solar PV market. Coupled with the Government grant consumers that purchase registered systems will also have access to CECFs 100 million for additional financing. Eguanas Evolve residential energy storage system is ideally suited for the market with its VPP capable AC coupled format supporting backup operation with solar charging ensuring that both new and retrofit customers can get the maximum value out of their energy storage purchase. Eguana has made a remarkable commitment in establishing its manufacturing capacity in South Australia, said Grant Behrendorff, Managing Director at AC Solar Warehouse. We are excited to support their Australian expansion. We have long history of supporting our customer base across Australia and look forward to further enhancing our presence in the SA market with local stock and just in time delivery of the full range of solar and storage equipment for eligible System Providers. Eguana and AC Solar Warehouse will be hosting a product orientation and training event for local installers in Adelaide on December 13th. Please contact Mark Colwell if you are interested in attending. See below for details. Evolve Home Energy Storage Systems Evolve is a fully-integrated residential energy storage system that includes the companys proprietary power electronics system, LG Chem low-voltage battery modules, and a comprehensive user interface. The system is rated at 5KW AC output with a modular battery design based on a 6.5 kWh battery, which is scalable from 13 to 39kWh in storage capacity. The wall-mounted package is suitable for indoor and outdoor installations. The package is backed by a 10-year standard warranty. The Evolve supports grid-connected solar self-consumption, time of use, and backup power with solar charging. It is registered under the Clean Energy Councils Battery Assurance program and is available across Australia. Interested parties may contact: Eguana Technologies Georgia Mayson Customer Solutions Specialist, Australia Georgia.Mayson@EguanaTech.com 0473 522 532 AC Solar Warehouse Mark Colwell Sales Manager - SA mark@acsolarwarehouse.com 1300 55 44 67 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 About AC Solar Warehouse AC Solar Warehouse ( www.acsolarwarehouse.com ) is a 100% Australian owned and operated wholesaler of solar and energy storage products for residential and commercial applications. We are the largest specialist wholesaler of AC Solar equipment in Australia and have built our business through relationships based on honesty, transparency and integrity. We partner with our customers to develop and grow their solar business through optimum technology selection, smooth supply chain logistics and proven sales and marketing support. 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. New York, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blockchain Holdings Capital Ventures, Inc. (OTC: BHCV): On August 23rd the company formerly trading as Safe Lane Systems (OTC:SFLL), purchased the assets of Blockchain Holdings, LLC. Blockchain Holdings, LLC is in the business of sourcing of blockchain mining equipment from various suppliers for their customers and providing management of the equipment hosted, mining pools and tech work on such equipment. Blockchain Holdings Capital Ventures, Inc. is well positioned to help maneuver a very dynamic space effectively. I believe the knowledge, research and connections Blockchain Holdings, LLC has developed over the last year will prove to be very valuable to our overall vision, stated Delray Wannemacher, CEO ABOUT BLOCKCHAIN HOLDINGS CAPITAL VENTURES, INC. Blockchain Holdings Capital Ventures, Inc. is a fully reporting, publicly traded company focused on finding, vetting and acquiring cash flowing assets including Commercial Real Estate, Energy and Technology Companies. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed, implied or inferred by these forward-looking statements. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," estimates," "predicts," "projects," "potential" or "continue" or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. In evaluating these statements, you should specifically consider various factors. Actual events or results may differ materially. These and other factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statement. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, the risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and other reports filed by the Company from time to time with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any of the information included in this release, except as otherwise required by law. For more information about BHCV and this press release, please click on the following website link: http://www.bhcv.io Invest@BHCV.io (833) 682-2428 (T) Three RS-68A engines and an RL10B-2 second-stage engine to propel the next ULA Delta IV Heavy mission This NRO launch will mark the 38th for the Delta IV family and 10th launch of the Delta IV Heavy The RS-68A is the worlds most powerful hydrogen-fueled rocket engine SACRAMENTO, Calif., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following the successful launch of NASAs Parker Solar Probe aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket earlier this year, engine provider Aerojet Rocketdyne is gearing up for the next scheduled mission of the launch vehicle. On Dec. 7, a Delta IV Heavy is slated to launch a classified national security payload for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Aerojet Rocketdyne supplies the main and upper-stage engines, as well as pressure tanks, for the mighty Delta IV. The upcoming NRO mission marks the tenth operational launch of the Delta IV Heavy, and the 38th overall for the Delta IV family, which debuted in 2002. The nine previous missions flown in this launch vehicle configuration have all been successful. While the Delta IVs excellent track record might give the appearance that space launch is routine, the truth is that ensuring mission success requires diligence and vigilance on the part of everyone involved, said Eileen Drake, CEO and president of Aerojet Rocketdyne. Our engines are the centerpiece of the Delta IV Heavy, the only launch vehicle that has successfully delivered the heaviest payloads to orbit for the Defense Department. In its Heavy configuration, the Delta IV features three side-by-side common booster cores that comprise the first stage. Each booster is powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68A engine. Capable of generating 702,000 pounds of thrust at sea level, the RS-68A is the worlds most powerful hydrogen-fueled engine. The rockets second stage is powered by an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10B-2 engine, which generates 24,750 pounds of thrust at altitude. The RL10 family of liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen-fueled engines has been in operation on various vehicles for more than five decades. Aerojet Rocketdyne also supplied the 12 MR-106 reaction control thrusters on the Delta Cryogenic Second Stage. ARDE, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne, provides the pressure vessels on the first and second stages of the launch vehicle. About Aerojet Rocketdyne: Aerojet Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:AJRD), is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader that provides propulsion systems and energetics to the space, missile defense and strategic systems, and tactical systems areas, in support of domestic and international customers. For more information, visit www.Rocket.com and www.AerojetRocketdyne.com. Follow Aerojet Rocketdyne and CEO Eileen Drake on Twitter at @AerojetRdyne and @DrakeEileen. Media Contacts: Todd McConnell, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 561-882-5395 todd.mcconnell@rocket.com Mary Engola, Aerojet Rocketdyne, 571-289-1371 mary.engola@rocket.com English French TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ombudsman Paul Dube today committed his office to the new responsibilities transferred to it under the Restoring Trust, Transparency and Accountability Act, 2018 (the governments fall economic statement, also known as Bill 57), which was passed in the Legislature this afternoon. The legislation expands the Ombudsmans mandate to include childrens aid societies and French-language services. While a period of transition will present considerable challenges for us and our new stakeholders alike, we look forward to helping Ontarians with issues in these new areas, just as we have helped them with other public sector bodies for 43 years through independent, impartial investigations, confidential complaint resolutions, and recommendations for positive, systemic change, Mr. Dube said. The Ombudsman saluted the work of French Language Services Commissioner Francois Boileau, Child Advocate Irwin Elman, and Environmental Commissioner Dianne Saxe, who will no longer be independent officers of the Legislature once the legislation is in force. Instead, responsibilities of the first two officers will be transferred to the Ombudsman, while those of the third will be assumed by the Auditor General. Thanks to their expertise in each of these areas and passion for their work, my three colleagues have brought about profound improvements, Mr. Dube said. I have already begun consulting with Mr. Boileau and Mr. Elman, and am grateful for their assistance. I have assured them that my office will respect and build on their legacy and their relationships with the stakeholders they have so ably served. No date has yet been set for these changes to become effective, although the legislation says it must be no later than May 1, 2019. Until the legislation is in effect, all of the officers work will continue as usual. Mr. Dube noted that he has also been in contact with the responsible ministers (Children, Community and Social Services Minister Lisa MacLeod and Francophone Affairs Minister Caroline Mulroney) and senior ministry staff to discuss details of the new laws implementation. Among other things, the law stipulates that the Ombudsman establish a Deputy Ombudsman position, to be known as the French Languages Services Commissioner. In addition to responding to and investigating complaints about French language services in the province, the Commissioner will continue to promote French language rights and issue an annual report. This structure will allow us to preserve the Commissioners role within our office as a promoter of linguistic equity Mr. Dube said, noting that he recommended the legislation enable such a role in his submission to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs this week. The law also makes clear that the Ombudsman will complete any of the Child Advocates ongoing investigations. However, Mr. Dube said he is seeking further clarification from the government about its plans for the advocacy function of that office, which the Minister has indicated will be assumed within the Ministry. As he also noted in his December 3 written submission to the Standing Committee, Mr. Dube has informed the Board of Internal Economy that he will present a new budget in the coming weeks that sets out the resources his office will need to implement the changes, including the transfer of employees. I am confident that there is enormous talent and professionalism in both of the offices that will be joining ours, and a shared passion among all staff for the kind of administrative oversight work we all do, he said. However, we only learned of these proposed changes three weeks ago; in the coming weeks and months, we will obtain the information we need to work out the logistics. Today marks the second time in four years that the Ombudsmans mandate has been expanded. In December 2014, the previous government passed legislation that effectively doubled the size of the Ombudsmans mandate, extending his oversight to municipalities, universities and school boards changes that came into full effect by January 1, 2016. Together with todays legislation, these changes mark the most significant expansion of the Ombudsmans jurisdiction in the offices history, although the first Ombudsman, Arthur Maloney, called for his mandate to be expanded to all publicly funded bodies in the province in 1979. The past three years have been extremely busy as we implemented our growth strategy, but our experience in reaching out to and working with - new stakeholders over the past few years has been overwhelmingly positive, Mr. Dube said. Both the public and the public sector bodies themselves have grown to appreciate the value of independent oversight and the manner in which we operate, because it helps improve public services. In our new areas of jurisdiction, we will build on the examples of the existing officers, along with our decades of experience in systemic investigation and complaint resolution. The Ombudsman is an independent, impartial officer of the Ontario Legislature who resolves and investigates more than 20,000 public complaints per year about more than 1,000 public sector bodies, including all provincial ministries, agencies, corporations, boards, commissions and tribunals, as well as municipalities, universities and school boards. He also has the power to investigate broad systemic issues of maladministration on his own motion, without receiving a complaint. Aussi disponible en francais For more information, contact: Linda Williamson, Director of Communications, lwilliamson@ombudsman.on.ca , 416-586-3426 I have good news and bad news, mostly bad so let's get that out of the way first. On Wednesday, climate scientists convened at the 24th annual U.N. Climate Change Conference in Poland announced that 2018 will mark the highest level of carbon dioxide emissions ever, despite recent reports that we must collectively clean up our act or face certain doom. "We are in deep trouble," United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres kicked off the conference, according to the Washington Post. "It is hard to overstate the urgency of our situation. Even as we witness devastating climate impacts causing havoc across the world, we are still not doing enough, nor moving fast enough, to prevent irreversible and catastrophic climate disruption." The Post reports that two years of stagnant emissions, from 2014 to 2016, gave climate scientists cause for cautious optimism, but no longer: Global emissions crept up 1.6 percent in 2017, and are expected to weigh in at a 2.7 percent increase by the time we close 2018. Although U.S. leaders have more or less buried their heads in the sand, with President D.J. Trump disavowing the Paris Climate Agreement while simultaneously promising to resurrect an environmentally damaging industry (coal) that can't realistically be resurrected, this country does not top the list of countries doing the worst. Emissions in China and India have expanded 5 and 6 percent respectively, while U.S. emissions increased 2.5 percent. For reference, though, the EU reduced its emissions by 1 percent, suggesting that where there's a will, there's a way. Which brings us to the good news: New York City may soon take meaningful action to drastically limit energy use by large and mid-size buildings. A bill sponsored by 25 City Council members, including Speaker Corey Johnson, would set up an Office of Building Energy Performance to ensure building owners stick to the prescribed limits on greenhouse gas emissions. It would also establish a mandatory reporting protocol to allow the city to keep tabs on owners' progress, thereby obligating them to actually put energy efficiency upgrades in place. The legislation, which Councilmember Costa Constantinides introduced in late November, is basically an update on previous attempts the council has made to make Mayor Bill de Blasio's building emissions mandate more plausible. In 2017, de Blasio committed to making large buildings energy efficient by 2030, without laying out a framework for accomplishing this feat. Constantinides's bill would apply to all buildings 25,000 square feet and up, and as the National Resource Defense Council points out, it's not perfecta better version of the bill would extend the command to rent-regulated housing, something this one doesn't dobut it's a good step. It also comes alongside legislation that would help building owners afford the required updates. And you know what? I'm not feeling up to complaining about shortcomings in light of today's climate assessment. As CityLab reports, heating buildings accounts for 42 percent of our city's carbon dioxide emissions. With the entire world about to be engulfed in flames, I will accept any concrete steps toward bringing that number down. Relatedly, please immerse yourself in this comprehensive explainer on that Green New Deal you've heard so much about. An impatient man who flipped out while waiting for his food order at a Bushwick deli is wanted for assaulting a deli employee, according to police. Video shows the irate customer pounding his fist on the deli display case and screaming, "Make my cinnamon raisin toasted bagel with bacon, egg and cheese RIGHT NOW! Right f---king now! Make my s--t right now!" The NYPD says the incident occurred around 4:30 a.m. on November 25th, at the Hi Mango Natural Market at 1055 Flushing Avenue. According to police, the man got into a dispute with the employee making food orders, and the argument "escalated into a physical altercation, at which time the male threw merchandise at the employee striking him about the head and torso causing bruising and swelling." The deli worker, Sanjay Patel, told NBC New York that he had explained there were other customers ahead of him and that the order might take 5-10 minutes, which seemed to greatly upset the man. "He just kept throwing stuff at my head," Patel said, noting items included "a bag of bread, a computer tablet, a metal stand lying on the counter and a hand basket." The suspect fled in an unknown direction. He is described as being in his late teens or early twenties, and having a thin build, and a dark beard, and was last wearing all green clothing. Here's the silent, slow-motion version of the video distributed by the NYPD: 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. Breaking: MoviePass is somehow still operational, and somehow still hoping for your businessdespite running out of money in a spectacular public disaster, trapping many of its customers on a service change rollercoaster I personally suspect may have been subsidized by Slenderman, and becoming the subject of a fraud probe by the New York Attorney General??? We have all seen some shit this year, so much shit that I'd assumed myself immune to genuine surprise, but here we are: MoviePass lives, it has a zany new pricing scheme that's both more expensive and more confusing than ever before, and 2018 has won. We turn now to the gathering storm cloud that is 2019, with MoviePass launching a new plan series in January. But first, a quick tour through the calamity that left us with the pile of ashes from which MoviePass will now rise. In late July, the ticket subscription service surprised its patrons with widespread outages: Cardholders opened the app to check showtimes at their local theaters, only to find the screen wiped of all listings. MoviePass initially blamed "technical issues," but the real issue lay with a business model premised on losing money. For $10 per month, subscribers enjoyed the freedom to see one film per day, no restrictions imposed, while MoviePass reimbursed the theaters. Because that's obviously not sustainable, the service ran out of money, and temporarily suspended ticketing until a $5 million bailout from its parent company, Helios and Matheson, arrived. Still, customers found themselves denied passes, or aggressively upcharged, for movies screened to empty auditoriums. Facing an angry internet mob, the company pivoted again, introducing a new plan unlikely to appeal to anyone: Fewer films for more money. That did not mollify the rioting masses, so MoviePass tried again: What about $9.95 per month, for access to three films, new releases and banner titles excluded? Those parameters left moviegoers with pretty much one optionSlenderman, a flick no one wanted to see but which MoviePass hyped heavilyand many of those who hadn't yet jumped ship allowed themselves to fall limply overboard. "We have a lot to prove to all our constituents," MoviePass chairman Mitch Lowe told Variety, in a laughable understatement. "We don't just have to prove ourselves to our members, we also have to prove ourselves to the investment community, our employees, and our partners. We believe we're doing everything that we possibly can to deliver a great service and we're in the process of fixing all the things that went wrong." How will they prove to the world that they know how to do math and what profit margins are? How will they regain your trust? Let's take a look at The Plan, which is actually three plans that vary in cost depending on where the customer lives. looking at the new moviepass plans. turns out "no restrictions" actually means "you can only see three movies per month." cool. pic.twitter.com/EU3FMCAuaW brendon bigley (@brendonbigley) December 6, 2018 Check out this trio of pricing tiers: Select (the most basic format), All Access (which does not actually gain you access to all possible films, but hold that thought), and Red Carpet (the fanciest of all). No matter which plan you choose, you will be limited to three movies per month. Select customers can't use their cards to secure seats in 3-D screenings, and will be able to choose from a title selection that varies by date and time. All Access members can use their passes to see whatever they want, except for 3-D movies. Red Carpet, meanwhile, affords access to one Imax OR 3-D screening per month, choose wisely. What you will pay for this limited privilege hinges on your location. In the middle of the country and in more rural pockets, Select plans start at $9.95 per month; in more expensive urban areas, that figure rises to $14.95. All Access, meanwhile, will cost between $14.95 and $19.95, and Red Carpet, between $19.95 and $24.95. A small price to pay for the promise of reliable service? Heres the days u never responded on your direct message pic.twitter.com/Fl03PhEpqG Vaughn Bruce Taylor (@01Brucetaylor14) December 6, 2018 "We need to be empathetic and think about our memberswhat it's been like for them to be whiplashed and wake up one day and this is different and now this is different," Khalid Itum, a MoviePass executive vice president, told the NY Times. Will this latest pricing scam, I mean scheme, solve that problem? I am not prepared to say so, although this time, at least you've had a nice long break between your urgent MoviePass dispatches. And hey, Helios and Matheson reportedly have $6.2 million in cash on-hand, plus about $23.3 million on deposit with credit-card processors, according to Variety. It's also reporting $137.2 million in losses, and again, facing a fraud investigation, but look over here at these shiny new plans! Distract yourself from the probable chaos by escaping into these cleverly contrived twists! This is what going to the movies is all about. Four women have now come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against famous astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. The most recent accusations come years after one woman's rape allegations against Tyson went largely unheard or dismissed. Tchiya Amet first accused Tyson in 2010, decades after the alleged rape, in front of an audience at one of his talks. HuffPost reports: It was April 21, 2010. Tyson was doing a Q&A segment at a NOVA scienceNOW Cosmic Conversation event at San Franciscos Palace of Fine Arts Theatre. There, in front of a live audience, with NOVA executive producer Paula Apsell watching, Amet confronted the famous astrophysicist. Im here in honor of all the people that you raped, assaulted, harassed, violated, denied, she said, and for the lives that you affected and for the lives of their parents and their friends and everyone that was involved when you were a TA in grad school at UT Austin in 1984 including myself. BuzzFeed News has also published a report, noting that "no one believed Amet when she said Tyson had raped her in the 1980s," but now three others have come forward to relay their own experiences. BuzzFeed's report includes the allegations of another woman who was working for Tyson this year, which was first published on the blog Patheos last week. Ashley Watson says she took a job earlier this year as his driver, and then his assistant. When she took the job, she said a friend warned her of a blog post that accused the astrophysicist of drugging and raping a woman in the 1980s, "but the comments on the website that published the womans story calling her a 'mentally disturbed individual' who 'lies for a living' only reinforced her doubts." The post was written by Amet. After some time on the job, which was largely on the set of his show Cosmos, one night "Tyson invited [Watson] up to his apartment to 'unwind' over a bottle of wine... She felt uncomfortable as he gazed into her eyes and held her wrist to feel her 'spirit connection.' They spent two hours together, as he made sexual references to song lyrics and described his need for physical release. As she was leaving, he took her by the shoulders and said, 'I want to hug you so bad right now, but I know that if I do, Ill just want more.' He [also] repeated the lyric 'Do I make you quiver'... assembled a cheese plate... and talked about his need for emotional, spiritual, and physical releases. He asked her if she required releases too." The next day he told her that "she was 'too distracting' to ever make it as a producer." Watson reported the incident to a producer on the show and said she was resigning. The producer suggested she tell everyone she would be leaving due to a "family emergency." Watson then found Amet online, and told her she believed her. Watson and Amet's allegations, along with those of another woman, Katelyn Allers (an astronomy and physics professor at Bucknell University) were published on Patheos last week. BuzzFeed spoke with a fourth woman who remains anonymous, who says she was harassed by Tyson "at a holiday party for employees of the American Museum of Natural History" in 2010, when he allegedly propositioned her. "In a 2014 email shared with BuzzFeed News, she described the incident to her own employer in order to shoot down a proposed collaboration with Tyson," the site reports. During BuzzFeed's on-and-off three year investigation, they interviewed dozens of people. Most of the people interviewed lamented the prospect that damaging allegations might take down the worlds most famous living scientist and perhaps the most famous black scientist in history beloved for eviscerating so many of the stereotypes of the stuffy, out-of-touch academic. But for Watson and Allers, the tragedy was the loss of a different black scientist: Amet. [Who, along with Tyson, was a graduate student in the astronomy department at UT Austin in 1983.] For years, Amet had been trying to make the world listen to her account of a powerful man who had once assaulted her and derailed her life. Mainstream publications, including BuzzFeed News, were unable to adequately corroborate the events from so long ago, and did not publish her allegations. And internet commenters assailed her character and New Age lifestyle. Her claims may have stayed buried forever, if not for the women who saw in Amets story a shadow of their own. I saw that her credibility was being questioned in a way that honestly had a lot of racist and sexist and anti-religious undertones, Allers said. I kinda figured if I had any credibility to lend to that so that shes taken more seriously, I should do that. According to BuzzFeed, Amet has been telling people in her life about Tyson for decades; her ex-husband told them "that she described being drugged by Tyson, and vaguely alluded to something traumatic. 'It actually was a sore subject,' he said. 'It bled onto our relationship. It caused emotional problems for her.'" And when Amet went to Austin to file a police report against Tyson, the department said it "surpassed the 10-year statue of limitations for sexual assault. One of the officers wrote that Amet 'had tears in her eyes as she said this has affected her entire life: her marriage, her relationship with her children, her unrealized ambitions and the choices she had made over the course of her life.'" As for Tyson, he responded over the weekend in a Facebook post, in part by accusing Amet of waiting too long to speak out, having "odd" interests, and a "false memory." At an event in New Jersey last night, Tyson reportedly addressed the allegations by reading part of his Facebook statement. "For a variety of reasons, most justified, some unjustified, men accused of sexual impropriety in today's Me Too climate are presumed to be guilty by the court of public opinion," he told the audience at the beginning of the event. Adding that "Emotions bypass due-process," and "Evidence always matters." Fox Broadcasting Company and National Geographic have announced an official investigation, according to BuzzFeed, and a spokesperson for the American Museum of Natural History (where Tyson is the Director of the Hayden Planetarium) said they were "looking into the allegations." Working Girl, the delicious workplace romantic comedy starring Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, and Sigourney Weaver, is 30 years old, and what better way to celebrate this ode to making it in cutthroat New York City business than a free screening of the film at Staten Island's St. George Theatre tonight. And to sweeten the deal: there's going to be an '80s hair-teasing station! Griffith plays Tess McGill, a secretary who commutes to Manhattan from Staten Island to a finance firm full of sleazy men. When she starts working for a WASPy female executive (Weaver) who promises to help her succeed, Tess discovers the opportunity isn't what it seems and takes her career into her own hands. Tess also has a terrible boyfriend (played by Alec Baldwin), an amazing, supportive best friend, played by the inimitable Joan Cusack, and an intrigued new work colleague, in the form of Harrison Ford. In the Hollywood Reporter's oral history about the making of Working Girl, costume designer Ann Roth revealed that the secretary fashion that Griffith's and Cusack's characters wear was very authentic: Tess lives in Staten Island, and if you sat at the foot of the ferry when it dumped everybody off, that's what it looked like. We did not tone it up or tone it down. We did the real thing, not a Hollywood version. Some of Melanie's wardrobe I bought in the ground floor of the World Trade Center. There were shops down there. I knew what kind of salary she had, so the clothes were secretarial in that way. It represented the New York working class in the '80s, plus a little bit of Wall Street with Sigourney's character. Cusack also revealed that director Mike Nichols "gave such brilliant direction, like when we got off the ferry, he said, 'Be thinking something in your head. That's what people do as they walk off a boat, they think about their day or their life.'" She added, "We worked with Roy Helland, the hair and makeup artist who has been Meryl Streeps artist forever and ever. He bleached the ends of my hair so it looked like it was burnt. It was so creative. He also said the teasing should take only as long as the ferry ride, so it took 20 minutes and that was my real hair. I always felt like it was like a Kabuki mask it came on and instantly you were transformed." The movie also features a brief appearance from up-and-coming actor of the time Kevin Spacey, playing a coke-snorting, handsy bro: "It's a strange coincidence that Kevin's now ostracized because of his actions, his sexual proclivity or whatever," Grffith told the Hollywood Reporter. "In Working Girl, I jump out of the car because of his [character's] sexual advances. There are millions of women who had that experience, and that's why so many women love that movie and to this day tell me how we changed their lives." There's a Working Girl musical in the works, and Cyndi Lauper has been working on the music for it. Working Girl is screening at the St. George Theatre (just two blocks from the St. George ferry terminal) at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7 p.m. Admission is free. 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It begins now, and it is up to you, young people, to continue it," the official told university students. Likewise, he pointed out the population will regain its right to define the nation's political lines thanks to the popular vote Within this framework, the cabinet chief indicated these four proposals mark the beginning of a new phase. "What matters is that you are aware a referendum means the voice of the people ," he added. Presidente @MartinVizcarraC: No podremos recuperar la confianza de los ciudadanos, ni asegurar la gobernabilidad del pais, si no acabamos con la plaga de la corrupcion. Garantizar la transparencia en el sector publico es tan importante como asegurarla en el privado. #PeruCOA pic.twitter.com/mZFdnx2lLg The process was initiated by the Peruvian Embassy in Poland, concurrently accredited to Ukraine, with the participation of the Economic and Trade Attache Office in such country and the Honorary Consulate based in Kiev, plus the support of the Inca country's Foreign Affairs Ministry. The procedure was conducted in defense of Peru's legitimate rights, acting on behalf of the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi). The regulation was issued after completing all formal steps, including an expert opinion by Ukrainian Intellectual Property Institute 's Patent Office. The resolution states that the Peruvian request has been fully substantiated and according to the law to protect the denomination of origin for goods establishes the registration of the denomination of origin for pisco and the right to use it in favor of the Republic of Peru. The delivery took place at a special ceremony in Kiev. Salas was joined by Peru's Honorary Consul in Kiev Igor Balenko, as well as the Economic and Trade Attache in Ukraine Juan Olivas. (END) MMG/JJN/RMB/MVB The Ukrainian Government has recognized denomination of origin for pisco in favor of Peru, thus completing a process begun by the Peruvian Embassy in Poland, concurrently accredited to Ukraine, Peru's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed.Published: 12/6/2018 YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The French government says it has dropped the fuel tax hike plan that has sparked the massive protests known as the Yellow Vests movement. The fuel tax hike plan was suspended with a moratorium on Tuesday for the 2019 budget. The government is ready for dialogue and is showing it because this tax increase has been dropped from the 2019 budget bill, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told the lower house of parliament Wednesday, RT reports. It is unclear if the government might re-introduce the plan in the budget update later next year. The leader of the right-wing National Rally (NR) party, Marine Le Pen, has called on Macron to promise not to allow the canceled tax to be reintroduced into the budget in spring at all costs. Protesters welcomed the governments step to de-escalate the situation. But, nevertheless, it is unlikely to bring an end to the movement that also includes other demands, such as raising taxes for the wealthy, increasing minimum wage and others. A spokesperson for the Yellow Vests, Jacline Mourad, said that the concessions of the government are on the right path, but at the same time she said they will not fundamentally change the movement. The moratorium was introduced after the protests turned violent, with hundreds of arrests taking place and many protesters and officers being injured in clashes. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The United States is planning to send a warship to the Black Sea to assist Ukraine amid tensions regarding the incident in Kerch Strait, when Russia seized Ukrainian ships that violated its territorial waters and detained sailors. The US military has requested that the State Department notify Turkey of its possible plans to sail a warship into the Black Sea, CNN reported citing U.S. officials. The sources told CNN the move is a response to Russia's actions against Ukraine in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday that its troops in eastern Crimea, which Moscow seized from Ukraine in 2014, conducted a military drill with its Pantsir anti-aircraft missile systems. The US is required to notify Turkey about the passage through the straits under the Montreux Convention, a 1936 treaty that governs the passage of military vessels through the Bosporus and the Dardanelles, which connect the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, CNN reported. Under the rules of the treaty, countries that do not have a coastline on the Black Sea are required to provide Turkey with at least 15 days' notice prior to transiting the straits. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. A U.S. Marine Corps refueling plane and a fighter jet have crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Japans south-western coast after a midair collision early Thursday, the Washington Post reported. Two of the total seven crew members have been found. Washington Post reported citing officials that one of the recovered crew members is in stable condition. The condition of the other member wasnt immediately clear. The U.S. Marine Corps said that the crash involved an F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refueling aircraft during regular refueling training after the planes took off from their base in Iwakuni. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Similar incidents have taken place frequently in the recent months, with a U.S. Navy F/A -18 Hornet crashing into the sea southwest of Japans island of Okinawa in November, and a MH-60 Seahawk crashing off the Philippine Sea in mid-October. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The grand televised debate involving leaders of all parties and blocs running for elections must be stipulated by law as a mandatory requirement in the new electoral code, argues caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. I think that the new Electoral Code should stipulate a grant pre-election debate as a mandatory requirement on the level of the first faces of forces participating in the election. Yesterdays debate, certainly, took place. This is New Armenia. [With courage], Pashinyan said on Facebook. The December 5 live televised debate involving all candidates for parliament lasted nearly 3 hours and 30 minutes. Leaders of all political parties and blocs running for parliament were participating in the debate broadcast on the Public TV channel. Vigen Sargsyan (HHK Republican Party of Armenia), Suren Sahakyan (Citizens Decision Social-Democratic Party), Armen Rustamyan (ARF Dashnaktsutyun), Nikol Pashinyan (My Step bloc), Edmon Marukyan (Lusavor Hayastan party), Levon Shirinyan (Christian-Peoples Rebirth party), Lusine Haroyan (National Progress party), Aram Sargsyan (We bloc), Artur Baghdasaryan (Orinats Yerkir party), Varuzhan Avetisyan (Sasna Tsrer party) and Gagik Tsarukyan (Prosperous Armenia party) debated a number of issued during the program. The politicians spoke about their campaigning messages, programs, the settlement of the Artsakh issue, economy, anti-corruption combat, and many other issues. In conclusion, the politicians addressed their voters with remarks and then shook hands. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tendered a tactical resignation on October 16 in a maneuver to trigger the process of dissolving the parliament. 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. Pashinyan took office after massive protests in April forced president-turned PM Serzh Sargsyan to resign. But Sargsyans Republican Party (HHK) still held 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. The parliament was dissolved by virtue of law on November 1. On the same day, President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian signed an order on calling early general election on December 9. The incumbent parliament functions until the new parliament is elected. The government is formally a caretaker government until a new Cabinet is formed after the election. The campaigning period kicked off November 26 with 11 political parties and blocs running for parliament. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The daughter of Chinese tech giant Huaweis founder has been arrested in Canada and is facing extradition to the United States, Reuters reports. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, who is also Huawei Technologies Co Ltds chief financial officer, is related to violations of U.S. sanctions, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. Meng was arrested on December 1 in pursuance of an American warrant. A court hearing is set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesperson said. Sources told Reuters in April that U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei, the worlds largest telecoms equipment maker, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws. Huawei confirmed the arrest and said that it is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. Chinas embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for Mengs immediate release. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) discussed the Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA) of Armenia and assessed the macroeconomic indicators of the country as sufficient, and the financial system as stable. Below is the report as published at the official IMF website. Armenias financial system has expanded further since the 2012 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP). The countrys macroeconomic performance has been satisfactory, and the financial system has been stable. Armenias banking sector has weathered the 2014 economic slowdown, aided by additional capital injected by shareholders, several mergers, and improved regulation and supervision. At present, financial soundness indicators show signs of improvement. All banks meet the 12 percent minimum capital requirement. Bank profitability has gradually recovered, although it is still below pre-crisis levels. Nonperforming loans (NPLs) have fallen, of which a substantial proportion is covered by provisions, although NPL ratios are still high in a few banks. Armenia is a small open highly dollarized economy subject to external shocks. Against this backdrop, the Armenias financial system is relatively shallow and dominated by banks. The banking sectors assets equal about 78 percent of GDP, and subsidiaries of foreign banks make up a sizable proportion of banking assets. Capital markets are thin, and external financing is important for long-term financing, given a small domestic investor base. As illustrated by the stress tests, risks from a high degree of financial dollarization are significant, including credit risks and limited liquidity cushions in foreign currency in the event of external shocks. Since the 2012 FSAP the CBA has made progress in strengthening Armenias financial system. The CBA has adopted measures to mitigate risks from dollarization. Higher risk-weights and provisioning were imposed on dollar assets to absorb the credit risk due to unhedged borrowing. Liquidity requirements were introduced in 2012 to mitigate the higher liquidity risk of foreign exchange funding. At the same time, the CBA has pursued an ambitious agenda to strengthen financial oversight, which includes adopting a risk-based supervision framework and addressing gaps in the regulatory framework identified in the previous FSAP. Executive Board Assessment Executive Directors agreed with the main findings and recommendations of the Financial System Stability Assessment (FSSA). They welcomed the progress made by the authorities in strengthening financial sector oversight and promoting financial deepening to further enhance financial sector resilience. Directors commended the Central Bank of Armenia (CBA) for the reforms undertaken since the 2012 FSAP review, notably in adopting the prudential measures to mitigate risks from dollarization and upgrading the riskbased supervision framework. They encouraged the authorities to prioritize reforms, recognizing capacity constraints. While welcoming the measures already adopted, Directors underlined that vulnerabilities remain from high levels of dollarization and insufficient liquidity cushions in foreign currency. They recommended that the authorities adopt the capital conservation buffer and the surcharge for domestic systemicallyimportant banks as planned, as well as measures to address credit risk from unhedged foreign exchange exposures, such as the introduction of a stressed debt service to income ratio limit. In addition, Directors advised the gradual introduction of the requirement for banks to maintain reserves in foreign currency for liabilities denominated in foreign currency and the liquidity coverage ratio and net stable funding ratio in Armenian dram and in U.S. dollars. They also emphasized the need to be prepared to implement the countercyclical capital buffer, if the current trend in credit growth persists. Directors commended the improvements in banking oversight, but noted that shortcomings remain. They called on the authorities to refine the riskbased supervision framework for a more granular assessment of banks capital needs, enforce large exposure limits, and amend the definition of nonperforming and restructured loans in line with international best practices. In addition, Directors encouraged the authorities to implement measures to improve transparency in reporting and accounting by corporations and subnational and stateowned entities. Directors noted the narrow functions of the Deposit Guarantee Funds and the absence of a true interagency highlevel crisis management committee. They urged the authorities to fully develop all components of the financial safety net and crisis management arrangements in line with international standards and best practices. Given the significant presence of foreign subsidiaries, they stressed the importance of expanding the supervisory memoranda of understanding to include resolution planning of foreign subsidiaries in Armenia. Directors welcomed the progress in enhancing the AML/CFT framework since the 2015 assessment. They looked forward to continued efforts to address the remaining gaps to align the framework with the Financial Action Task Force standard. The Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), established in 1999, is a comprehensive and in-depth assessment of a countrys financial sector. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian Government has granted LLC Armenian Helicopters customs duty exemption privileges for importing equipment and other materials. The decision was made during todays Cabinet meeting. The imported equipment is one passenger helicopter that will be used in the small aviation sector. The company has already made 1 billion 550 million drams investments, and it plans to make an additional 271 million 400 thousand drams investments, caretaker minister of economic development and investments Tigran Khachatryan said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The government approved the 2019-2020 list of admission examinations and curriculums for higher educational institutions bachelors and continuous and integrated educational programs. Certain changes have been made. The American University [AUA] will implement a Data Studies educational program, the Yerevan State University [YSU] will implement the Applied Statistics program and data science. Some of the private universities decided to suspend their educational activities, deputy minister of education and science Hovhannes Hovhannisyan said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government has extended the 2012 November 23 loan agreement signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on the modernization of the northern border checkpoint of Armenia. In accordance to the agreement it is envisaged to build a new bridge on the River Debed in the territory of the Bagratashen border checkpoint. Georgia has expressed readiness to fund the construction of the section in its territory, as a result of which Georgia and the bank signed a loan agreement in 2016. As a result, loan funds provided to Armenia have been cancelled by 4,2 million Euros by ensuring the equal funding of the parties. Given that the loan agreements term has already expired, there is a need to extend it until May 23, 2022, Deputy Minister of Transportation, Communication and Information Technologies Bagrat Badalyan said at the Cabinet meeting today. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government is in no hurry to accept the property of two former officials as donations. Lawmaker Manvel Grigoryan, the former general arrested on corruption-related charges, and former head of the Customs Committee Armen Avetisyan had earlier come forward proposing to donate private property to the state. Its not ruled out that the property may have been acquired illegally and it is not appropriate to accept whats been acquired illegally, State Property Committee president Narek Babayan told reporters. This also depends on the stance of law enforcement bodies, he said, adding that they are waiting for a final assessment, but nevertheless are developing all versions. However, it would be more effective to accept the donated property now than wait for the completion of the criminal proceedings, which might last more than a year, he said. The former customs official, Armen Avetisyan, had proposed to donate a hotel owned by him. Earlier Babayan had said that the state might reject the donation offer and expropriate it anyway. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government approved the decision on abolishing visa requirements for diplomatic and official passport holders between Armenia and Mongolia, reports Armenpress. The agreement aims to promote, facilitate and encourage the visits of officials of the two sides by abolishing visa requirements for persons holding valid diplomatic and official passports. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The policy of the Turkish leader is leading to clashes with almost all its neighboring states, and from this point of view it is important for the Armenian-Turkish relations normalization issue to remain on the political agenda, however it is not a priority with its urgency, Republican MP Armen Ashotyan, who seeks re-election in the December 9 general election, told reporters. The present-day leadership of Turkey is not ready to encourage the relationship process built on this global, universal values. Turkeys leader stands out with plain belligerent, expansionist and aggressive policy. Syria too becomes the victim of this policy. This policy leads to Turkeys clashes with all surrounding neighbors, perhaps with the exception of Georgia. And from this perspective the probable normalization issue of the Armenian-Turkish relations is important to remain on the political agenda, but it is not a priority with its pressingness , Ashotyan said. He said that Republicans maintain the same paradigm of the possible normalization of relations possible relations without preconditions in all levels from diplomatic to economic. According to Ashotyan, a simultaneous work must be done in order for the Turkish society and leadership to face their own past. He noted that arguments about the normalization of these relations are very theoretical not only for him, but also all other political forces. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian visited the Green Food LLC in Artik region during his working visit to Shirak province, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. By the use of latest technologies in accordance with the international standards the company has established 3 hectares of greenhouse economy which is engaged in production of ecologically clean strawberries. President Sarkissian toured the companys greenhouses, got acquainted with the production technologies and products, as well as talked to the workers. The company executives said some part of strawberry is sold in the domestic market, but most of it is being exported, their product has a great demand thanks to high taste qualities and durability. They also noted that they plan to expand their activities and discussed their program approaches directed for this purpose together with the President. Armen Sarkissian attached importance to establishment of such productions in the provinces which helps to improve the socio-economic situation and create new jobs in the provinces. YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian sent a congratulatory letter to President of Finland Sauli Niinisto on the national day of the country, the Independence Day, the Armenian Presidential Office told Armenpress. In the letter President Sarkissian expressed confidence that the positive dynamics of the Armenian-Finnish relations will not only be maintained, but a productive cooperation will be established in a number of fields of bilateral interest for the benefit of the two countries and peoples. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Acting Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is in Russia on a working visit, participated in the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg, reports Armenpress. The session was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kyrgyzstans President Sooronbay Jeenbekov, as well as Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Tigran Sargsyan. The narrow format session was followed by an extended one. The session participants summed up the EAEU annual activities during Russias chairmanship, highlighted the key sectors for further deepening the Eurasian integration, such as trade, energy and digital agenda. In particular, they touched upon the activities aimed at eliminating barriers and restrictions, creating single market of goods and services, ensuring conditions for free movement of capital and labor and etc. The leaders of the EAEU member states also observed the ongoing and organizational issues of the organizations activity. A decision was made to transfer the chairmanship in the EAEU to Armenia. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Membership to the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) is one of the Armenian governments priorities, trade-economic cooperation with EEU countries is becoming one of the most important positive factors that is influencing the countrys economic growth and foreign trade potential, caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in his remarks at the Eurasian Economic Supreme Council session. In the first ten months of 2018 trade turnover growth between Armenia and EEU countries has amounted 15% against the same period of 2017. In the same time period, export volumes of EEU countries grew more than 22%, while Armenias general exports volumes 11,7%. EEU countries share in Armenias general exports structure is also increasing. This facts, I believe, prove not only the favorable conjuncture for our products in EEU markets, but also the efficiency of active free trade tools within our union, Pashinyan said. He added that Armenia is interested in the further deepening of integration processes in the EEU. We are ready to further make all efforts for perfecting integration institutions and finding new paths and mechanisms for cooperation. In this context I would like to note that Armenia welcomes the Declaration on Further Deepening of Integration Processes and supports the clauses of this document that define the philosophy of our cooperation and the main directions of its development. We are convinced that the integration of our countries must eventually serve for the creation of a convenient business environment and complete realization of human potential. If we will be able to achieve visible results in this matter, then a number of businessmen and individuals will appear who will be interested in the deepening of integration. Integration will become irreversible, if citizens of the countries will see concrete results, Pashinyan said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The Armenian government plans to develop the technological parts of the economy, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg, reports Armenpress. The information technologies are one of the rapidly growing fields of our economy and is the possible competitive advantage of our country. In this sense the digital agenda of the Eurasian Economic Union presents a unique interest to us. It is fully in accordance with our priorities, and we are interested in completely implementing it, the acting PM said. Pashinyan added that Armenia attaches specific importance to the diversification of foreign economic relations. We fully support the main directions of the EAEUs 2019 international activity and the efforts aimed at expanding the geography of free trade agreements. We consider a priority the cooperation with the EU and the countries which are our direct trade partners, Nikol Pashinyan said. The acting PM stated that Armenia is ready to act as an effective platform for the development of trade and economic relations with Iran. We are also ready to play an active role in the talks over a free trade agreement with Egypt. We are interested in the Iran-China agreements coming into force as soon as possible. The Armenian government is completing the domestic procedure on ratifying these documents, and soon will submit them for the parliaments approval after the parliamentary elections, Nikol Pashinyan said. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian today received the delegation led by Vice President of the Senate of Italy Paola Taverna, the Presidential Office told Armenpress. The delegation arrived in Armenia to observe the December 9 early parliamentary elections with the staff of the OSCE observer mission. President Sarkissian said Armenia today is at the stage of key changes and attached importance to the progress in strengthening of democracy, expressing confidence that the elections will be held free and fair. The sides also talked about the Armenian-Italian relations and agreed that they are developing successfully. Armen Sarkissian said he is optimistic towards the future of the bilateral relations. He specifically highlighted the great potential existing in economic, cultural ties and the necessity to expand the cooperation. The President said some Italian companies are already operating in Armenia, some others show interest towards our country, adding that Armenia can serve as a bridge between the EU and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) due to its membership to the EAEU, which opens new opportunities for foreign businessmen and investors. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Number of people visiting Armenia is greater after the recent peaceful, velvet revolution, than that of those leaving the country, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the meeting with the Armenian community representatives in St. Petersburg, reports Armenpress. I am happy to announce that after the recent peaceful, velvet revolution the number of people visiting Armenia is greater than that of those leaving the country. I think this is one of the key achievements of the revolution. In the next 20 years we have a task to double the number of our population, firstly through an economic development, he said. Pashinyan stated that the governments task is to transform the political revolution into an economic revolution, and today the ongoing processes in Armenia show that this is possible. Nikol Pashinyan added that the government has hopes with the investment programs of the Diaspora in this regard. What is planned for now, if it turns into a reality in 2019, the economic image of our country will be different. And therefore we will take concrete actions on the way of becoming an industrial country. I hope todays Armenia encourages you as well, he said. In response a lot of representatives of the Armenian community stated that they are greatly excited over the ongoing processes in the homeland and are planning to return to Armenia aimed at implementing different investment programs. In this context they presented the problems in connection with the exports from Armenia to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenias caretaker Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has addressed the issue of the CSTO secretary general during a meeting with the Armenian community of St. Petersburg in Russia. To a great extent this position is simply an occasion to speak about the existing issues regarding mutual obligations of the organizations member states. We want to get clear answers. No one can accuse us in not fulfilling our allied obligations in any point. Like previously, Armenia has now also proven the fact of being a loyal ally. Regrettably, we cant say this about all our CSTO colleagues, therefore we say lets clarify our relations are we allies or not? If we are allies, then we must fulfill all our obligations, but the actions that essentially contradict these obligations are unclear for us. We must know whom we can rely on and whom not. I am sure that the CSTO is able to not allow Azerbaijans temptation to solve the Nagorno Karabakh conflict militarily. Now a question, is the CSTO planning to apply this tool of its or not. This is a matter of strategic importance for us. The issue of the secretary general is a secondary, tertiary, even [less important] issue. Let the representative of Belarus remain there eternally, but all our mutual obligations be fulfilled, Nikol Pashinyan said, adding that there are serious questions regarding the vision of CSTO countries concerning NK in the direction as to what extent they stem from the nature of strategic partnership. When we clarify relations in the context of these questions, I can guarantee that there will never be any [crumples] in our relations. We dont need formal statuses, we need mutual obligations and full implementation of these obligations, he said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The solution of logistic problems within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is in the Unions agenda, Armenias acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the meeting with the Armenian community representatives in St. Petersburg, reports Armenpress. This is one of the most important issues being discussed in the EAEU. We are going to implement a pilot program which will facilitate the process of cargo transportations, the goods will not be subject to additional checks by introduction of digital system, the acting PM said, commenting on the opportunities to solve the road issues between Georgia and Russia, adding that Armenia is interested in this process. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to continue working in the direction of a peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict, ARMENPRESS reports acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov said in a joint statement in Milan. The OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs saluted the significant decline of ceasefire regime violation cases and news about victims following the conversation between the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders in Dushanbe in the sidelines of CIS summit. The Co-chairs addressed to the sides with a petition to abide to the agreements reached in Dushanbe and take concrete measures for preparing both peoples to peace. The Co-chairs hoped that in the near future an intensive dialogue aimed at reaching concrete results between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan may resume for reaching a just and firm settlement of the conflict. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov reaffirmed their readiness to continue the intensive works aimed at de-escalating tensions and reaching a settlement of the conflict. The Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs agreed to meet once again in the beginning of 2019 under the auspices of the Minsk Group Co-chairs. The Foreign Ministers of the two countries highly appreciated the mediation efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs, as well as the activities of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is in Milan on a working visit, met with Foreign Minister of Poland Jacek Czaputowicz on December 5. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the FMs of the two countries discussed a number of issues of bilateral and multilateral agenda. The interlocutors expressed readiness to take practical steps to further enrich the Armenian-Polish agenda of cooperation, based on centuries-old friendship and mutual respect, and highlighted the role of the Polish-Armenian community in those efforts. The sides exchanged views on Armenia-EU cooperation. In this context Zohrab Mnatsakanyan emphasized that the new Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia and EU is not only a legal ground for enhancing cooperation with the EU member states, but is also an important tool for encouraging the reforms in Armenia. The interlocutors shared the opinion that the 10th jubilee anniversary of the Eastern Partnership initiative is a good opportunity to evaluate the achievements recorded in this format and to outline the prospects for enhancing the existing cooperation. The acting Foreign Minister of Armenia presented the reform process in Armenia conducted by the Government of Armenia, emphasizing the Governments priority of holding elections that will be trustful and will reflect the will of the people. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. German Sueddeutsche daily newspaper published an expanded article on December 1 about wine and cognac making in Armenia. ARMENPRESS reports the article notes that according to archeologists nearly 6 thousand years ago people were engaged in wine making in the area of Armenias Vayots Dzor Province. The wine jars discovered in a cave near Arpa River by Armenian and U.S. scientists in 2007 were used 4100-4000 BC. This is believed to be the oldest winery in the world. Armenia is also known for its cognac. There are two old cognac making factories in Yerevan Ararat and Noy. The grapes used for cognac production is mainly grown in Ararat valley, where Noah planted grapes after the global flood. The grapes here are very sweet. The taste of the Armenian cognac varies from the French cognac. Its key export direction is Russia. German Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper published an expanded article on December 2 about the IT sector in Armenia. Noting that Armenia is a landlocked country in a tense region with a few export products, the author emphasizes that Armenia has great ambitions and plans in IT sector. The article speaks about Tumo center for creative technologies, where 14 thousand Armenian young people get free education. The subjects offered include programming, robotics, web design, game development and machine learning. During her visit to South Caucasus German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited this center and was impressed by it. All the visitors to Tumo find that this center is exemplary and it should be exported. In Paris a similar center has already been opened, while its planned to open such centers in Tirana and Moscow. Merkel has discussed the issue of opening a similar center in Germany with Dorothee Bar, German Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). Start-ups in Armenia are exempted from taxes in the 1st 5 years of activity. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan This story of a childhood in Iceland was told with humour by Queensland academic and author Dr Kari Gisalon, who spoke of how the absence of television spurred the mammoth publishing efforts of his homeland. The authors were predominantly Icelandic men who talked, wrote and published books about themselves. This included the minutes allotted to a lone man who, nestling in his armchair in the television studio, would read aloud from a novel. The meagre three-hour program anchored by a host who would dutifully read the news then linger for the remaining scheduled shows. Reappearing to announce each, the announcer would convey a preview of the upcoming minutes and then rematerialize at the segments end to recap what we had just seen. Every Thursday at 6pm, the nations only television station would filter into homes for its once-a-week broadcast. BRISBANE A question was thrown into the Twitterverse for perfect strangers to consider and respond to: Who has been your *biggest* fictional crush? Unabashed in my public declaration, I declared, Count Vronsky, closely followed by Pacey Witter. Forget reading, you should watch more TV was the provocation for a debate at the recent CreateX Design Festival moderated by the charismatic Gisalon. At this event hosted by Queensland University of Technologys creative industries faculty, Australian authors Trent Dalton, Kristina Olsson, Sandra Johnson and Steve Irwin wrangled the relative merits of screen and print. Doubling as adjudicators, the audience needed to be convinced that screen, rather than print, take precedence in their personal media consumption habit. People familiar with Anna Karenina and Dawsons Creek will understand my bewilderment at the suggestion that I discriminate. Early in my life, both the imagination of Tolstoy and the screenwriting team of the US television series engaged my (regrettably, fictional) romantic interests. For me to now select approval for one format over the other was an impossibility. Besides, as with all of us who rail against producing repetitive and monotonous content, scouring the respective mediums is something of an antidote to episodes of writers block. There in my hallowed writing space (dining table caked with unidentifiable residue), I switch manically between book and screen; searching for reason, channelling inspiration and eventually enthusiastically forming ideas. Reading and watching have equal footing in my repertoire. But this debate sought the stronger argument. In the end, I deemed the more convincing team was that championing screen over print. Screenwriter Steve Irwin was stellar in opening for the affirmative, Forget reading, you should watch more TV. Summarising the evolution of storytelling, Irwin recounted the spectrum of tradition also exposed in Trish Nicholsons A Biography of Story, A Brief History of Humanity. From sharing stories around small fires underneath the night sky, the creation of writing in Mesopotamia and China, papyrus scrolls, printing contraptions, publishing and distribution methods, Irwin settled on highlighting the modern-day storytelling of the screen. With about 130 million subscribers across 130 countries, Netflix is proving the drawcard for screen through multiple modes of television, mobile phones and desktop and other computers. Irwin pointed out that, unlike print publication, show dont tell is the screenwriters challenge. In books, writers can indulge in the descriptive. On screen, limited time requires verbal coverage of intended meaning delivered succinctly and accurately. The real power is in the image. Book to film adaptation needs to be a mastery of translation. Craig Silveys Jasper Jones comes to mind. In the 2017 film adaptation, Charlie Bucktin is seen grimacing as he pores over piles of newspapers and books in search of clues to the perpetrators of Laura Wisharts death. The camera pans across to the country town librarian, who unknown to Charlie, monitors the youthful patron with a suspicious gaze. Only the novel reveals that, during this scene, Charlie is engrossed in the account of the horrific torture, abuse and murder of American teenager, Sylvia Likens. Silveys extensive account of this is missing in the film, but Charlies face captures his fear at the grotesque words that swim before his eyes. AUTHOR Kristina Olsson referred to classism and privilege as factors pinned to the established tradition of reading. Reading was an activity only meant for those who could access printed books - royalty, the wealthy, the ruling class, old white men. Olsson went on to describe how storytelling on-screen has become a leveller, narrowing the margins of opportunity between rich, middle class and the poor. Television and film have enabled all to connect with the gifts that stories offer: information, education, inspiration, hope, motivation, reason. Considering this in the context of illiteracy in developing countries, Olsson caused me to reflect on the surge of film production and distribution in Papua New Guinea; and in particular how this translates to the work produced by PNG authors engaged in traditional book publishing. It is a cause of frustration for PNG authors that the nation has seemingly opted for engaging with the wider population in stories on screen. Financial investment in documentaries and short films have flourished in the past year. From the annual PNG Human Rights Film Festival to documenting community activism and women playing sport, film has garnered more attention spreading out to multiple distribution points, network inclusion, professional development and international exposure. Thanks to author Theresa Meki and academic and film producer Dr Mark Eby, I recently I watched an excellent film promoting social change in Papua New Guinea; Aliko and Ambai. Set in Goroka and rural areas of the Eastern Highlands, it covered family breakdown, substance abuse, domestic violence, rape, child neglect and underage marriage through the two female characters, Aliko and Ambai. The script was simple and clear with a mixture of English and Tok Pisin making for dialogue that engaged the audience. Aliko is forced to leave her village and move to town to continue high school where she befriends her neighbour, Ambai. Both teenage girls are confronted with challenges that extend to violating their human rights and general well-being. Yet the films effectiveness as an educational tool to encourage social change is demonstrated through a solution-focused approach. The friends share experiences with each other, are depicted informing close relatives and readily accessing community support services. It is a film that is clear in its efforts to dismantle the shaming, stigma and victim-blaming so rife within PNG society. Eby and his team mastered show dont tell with diligent sensitivity and minimising the trauma-inducing imagery that so often appears in print whenever PNG is mentioned. A well-written script, a soundtrack buzzing with PNG music and likeable, positive characters like Ethan and Miss Rehzol, optimise the possibilities for connection with a wide audience irrespective of literacy. The underlying messages of Aliko and Ambai are so important, instructive in social change and easy to engage on-screen. Published as book, it would be interesting to monitor its reach, interest and engagement by Papua New Guineans and more importantly assess it as a motivator to enact social change. Authors note: Next week, I will be attending a 3-day Screen Queensland screenwriting seminar to be delivered by American author and screenwriter Wendall Thomas. Thomas is a lecturer at the Graduate School of Film and Television at UCLA . Her film and television writing has been used by companies including Disney, Showtime, A&E, NBC and Warner Brothers. Participation in this activity is sponsored by Keith Jackson AM. Following the event, I will prepare a summary of learning to share with PNG Attitude readers and contributors In simple terms the battle that is raging is between people who not only want to preserve the status quo but take us back to what they see as the halcyon days of the past and people who are saying those ideals dont cut it anymore and the world needs a new political and social model if it is going to survive. The terminology has been subtly changing too. We are now openly calling the political right conservatives and the political left progressives. If you believe the pundits its an urgent existential struggle that will determine the very survival of our planet. TUMBY BAY - In Australia and in other parts of the world there seems to be a monumental power struggle going on between the political forces of the right and the political forces of the left. This is all heady stuff and its hard for the average person to work out where they stand in the struggle. Or if they want a position at all. Many people seem to have given up and buried their heads in the sand. As the constant barrage rings out on televisions, radios and websites, there is a gathering sense of impending doom. It is as if the end of days is imminent. As respite and as a diversion, Ive taken to watching old movies and reading books well out of print. Last night I watched John Fords classic 1939 movie Drums Along the Mohawk about the American war of independence. The night before I was reading Chinua Achebes 1958 novel Things Fall Apart about the impact of colonialism on Nigeria. Im not burying my head in the sand, I just think its wise to take a breather every now and again for the sake of ones sanity. In the process of exploring some of this old literature and drama it occurred to me that this idea of a left and right, a conservative side and a progressive side in society is by no means new or unusual. It is a concept that has always existed at the family level, the clan and tribal level and the national level. Those elders who resisted colonialism in places like early America, Africa and Papua New Guinea, strangely enough, had much in common with the conservatives who are reverting to isolationism and protectionism in the present time. No one called them right wing hardliners or terms like that but thats what they were. In contrast, those young firebrands who enthusiastically embraced the new way of life brought by the missionaries and colonial officers had much in common with the progressives who are now calling for action on climate change, a rethink of our financial systems and rights for various minorities. This is all pretty simplistic. The real situation is decidedly more complex. However, if you look at it all in those terms it becomes apparent that there is merit in both sides of the political spectrum. In Papua New Guinea we constantly hear people calling for the re-establishment of traditional values as a panacea for the woes brought by modernism. This argument has a lot going for it, even if it is a conservative or right wing view. At the same time there are people who are appalled by how traditions like the bigman and wantok cultures have been subverted and are calling for their abolishment and a re-education of the people. That argument also has a lot going for it. If you put the two together you have what is called a centrist view. A little bit of the left and a little bit of the right. People are now talking about this compromise position as the sensible centre. So where does the current Papua New Guinean government sit? Is it right wing, left wing or centrist? Its not a question thats been asked much before. Michael Somares first government might have been labelled left wing by the Australian government at the time but apart from its involvement in the independence movement its policies were generally those normally associated with a centrist government. Successive governments were also difficult to pin down but were also mostly accepted as conservative because of their preoccupations with the economy over broader social issues. The missing element over all this time was something with which to compare it. There has never been, until now, an effective opposition with a clear political agenda. I think the current opposition in Papua New Guinea under the leadership of people like Bryan Kramer and Gary Juffa could be accurately labelled as left wing, or at the very least centrist. In any event it offers a fairly stark contrast to Peter ONeills decidedly conservative outfit. Perhaps through its extreme incompetence and corruption the ONeill government has done Papua New Guinea a favour by causing an opposition to grow and mature. Is this important or am I just playing with semantics or trying to foist a western take on what has been to date an unusual political arrangement? I dont think so. To me this development portends a potential maturing of politics in Papua New Guinea. Finally, after great cost to the country as a whole, a portion of its political class seems to be growing up. In this sense I think the present changes are highly significant. And if they continue to develop by providing a substantial role for women in the national parliament (at present all 111 members are male), the process of maturisation will accelerate. Search-and-rescue operations are underway for two US Marine Corps aircraft involved in a "mishap" off the coast of Japan, the Marine Corps said Wednesday. The service did not say which aircraft were involved or describe the nature of the incident. Media reports indicated the planes in question were an F/A-18 fighter and a KC-130 cargo plane and that they were taking part in aerial refuelling operations. "The aircraft involved in the mishap had launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and were conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred," the service said in a statement published by USNI News. The incident happened around 2 a.m. local time on December 6. Japanese search-and-rescue aircraft responded immediately, the Corps said, adding that the circumstances were under investigation. The C-130 had five crew aboard and the F-18 two, Mary Walsh of CBS News reported. One of those missing was rescued alive, a spokeswomen for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing said Wednesday evening. The search is ongoing in an area about 200 miles of the Japanese coast. (Bloomberg) -- Australias parliament passed some of the worlds toughest anti-encryption legislation Thursday, installing a bill that seeks to force Facebook Inc. and other tech giants to help decode messages used in terrorism and organized crime. Under new powers to be given to police and intelligence agencies, companies may be required to help decrypt communications on platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal, and even insert code to help capture data. The bill had support from both major parties and, late on Thursday, the opposition Labor party said it was withdrawing amendments it had previously demanded. That allowed the upper house to vote in support of the legislation, meaning it becomes law. The new law thrusts Australia to the center of a global battle between tech companies and governments over privacy and security. In 2016, the U.K. gave authorities sweeping powers to hack, intercept and retain the communications of all British citizens, while Chinas Cyber Security Law requires internet operators to cooperate with criminal and national security investigations. There has been similar legislation in the U.K. and possibly a few other jurisdictions but their legislation doesnt go anywhere near as far as whats happening here, said Mark Gregory, an associate professor specializing in network engineering and Internet security at Melbournes RMIT University. The government here can coerce the company to actually provide backdoors into their systems and into devices and force the company to build systems that can help with investigations." In arguing for the legislation, Prime Minister Scott Morrisons government said 95 percent of people being monitored by security agencies use encrypted messages. The technology has resulted in law enforcers effectively going blind or going deaf, according to Alastair MacGibbon, the governments cyber security adviser. Security Risks The Digital Industry Group, an association whose members include Facebook and Google, campaigned against the legislation in a loose alliance with Amnesty International and the Melbourne-based Human Rights Law Center. Critics warned the legislation could undermine security across the Internet, jeopardizing activities from online voting to market trading and data storage. Story continues The legislation will be subject to a review by a parliamentary committee for 12 months. The new powers will be limited to tackling serious crimes. And there would be strict oversight of so-called technical capability notices that would seek to force companies to amend their services to help police access data. Many technology companies began to add encryption to their products after former U.S. government contractor Edward Snowden exposed the extent of U.S. spying. Thats left security agencies facing an uphill struggle to keep up with new technology, and caused repeated tussles with tech giants. In 2016, the U.S. Justice Department clashed with Apple Inc. when the company refused to unlock an iPhone connected to a mass shooting in San Bernardino, California. The U.K. government, meanwhile, has been deeply critical of WhatsApps end-to-end encryption, which was used by a terrorist shortly before he killed five people in London in March 2017. Lobby group Digital Rights Watch said some extremely dangerous elements of the Australian legislation had been addressed by the agreement between the government and the opposition. Gross Overreach But the fundamental fact remains that the powers being sought by law enforcement are ill-informed, badly drafted and a gross overreach, Digital Rights Watch said in a statement. This bill is still deeply flawed, and has the likely impact of weakening Australias overall cyber-security, lowering confidence in e-commerce, reducing standards of safety for data storage and reducing civil right protections. RMIT Universitys Gregory said the effect of the laws would likely spread beyond terrorist or criminal activities and into private-sector investigations. Its too rushed, too broad, not well-defined and ultimately will be misused," he added. People will also be able to use this not just for criminal law matters but also corporation law matters." Monique Mann, a researcher in technology, law and regulation at the Queensland University of Technology, agreed there were problems with the legislation, which she described as world first in its scope. There are issues around transparency, accountability, oversight, and the potential and scope for misuse, Mann said. (Updates with law passing in first paragraph.) --With assistance from Edwin Chan and David Ramli. To contact the reporter on this story: Jason Scott in Canberra at jscott14@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ruth Pollard at rpollard2@bloomberg.net, Edward Johnson For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2018 Bloomberg L.P. Two key pieces of legislation are being debated in the Australian parliament today, the final sitting day for 2018. One bill, giving law enforcement access to encrypted messaging - a world-first piece of legislation - is central to the Morrison government's national security measures, and looks set to pass with some minor amendments The other bill allows the medical evacuation of refugee children on Nauru to Australia - legislation opposed by the government, but it may pass because the Coalition has lost its majority in the lower house. The government is frantically manoeuvering to try and save its encrypted messaging bill while fending off an embarrassing defeat on the medivac legislation, with the stakes extremely high for both the Coalition and Labor. Christmas can't come soon enough for the Morrison government as the parliament rises for the summer break. Having lost its one-seat majority in the House of Representatives after losing the Wentworth by-election to independent Dr Kerryn Phelps, then falling into minority government after Liberal MP Julia Banks moved to the crossbench as an independent last week, every piece of legislation sits on a knife edge. Today the stakes are particularly high, with the government keen to get its message encryption legislation through, which would allow police and security services investigating terrorism plots and other crimes to access encrypted messaging services, compelling service providers to let them in the back door in the world-first laws. But it could face an embarrassing defeat over a bill which amends the Migration Act so that medical evacuations for refugee children currently on Nauru can take place and they can be brought to Australia for treatment if two doctors confirm it is necessary. The medical evacuation legislation was put forward by Dr Phelps - another reminder of the self-inflicted wounds the Liberal Party gave themselves in rolling Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister. Story continues The matter is currently being debated in the Senate, where government leader there, Mathias Corman, has been attempting to bat away the legislation without success, and despite a series of delaying tactics, it looks set to pass in the Senate. If it comes the lower house, it also looks like it will pass in a humiliating defeat for the government. The problem for the government is that it's wedged on the two bills. The parliament's Intelligence and Security committee handed down a report on the encryption legislation, known as the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill, overnight and the government put through more than 170 amendments this morning. This afternoon, Labor said "it is clear that they do not fully reflect the recommendations put forward by the committee" and will be making its own amendments in the Senate. That means it then goes back to the lower house, which either agrees to the changes or rejects them, leaving the bill in limbo. The question becomes how badly does the government want its bill passed before Christmas? If it wants to get the encryption legislation passed, then it needs to deal with the medivac bill first. Prime Minister Scott Morrison called Bill Shorten a "clear and present danger" to national security earlier today. The government is railing against Labor. Yet there's something very strange about Question Time today, which normally has a pantomime-like quality of shouting across the chamber and raised voices. Today it's surprisingly subdued. The government is rounding once again on Labor as being soft on border protection and people smuggling, with defence minister Christopher Pyne accusing them on "cheap political stunts" over the medical evacuation bill. Prime Minister Scott Morrison says people smugglers are lining up with boats and thousands of asylum seekers the moment Bill Shorten becomes PM. Normally this would provoke uproar from the Labor side of the House, but not today. There's a simple explanation. Normally interjections lead to the Speaker removing MPs from the chamber -- and they're nearly always from the Opposition benches -- under the standing orders. They're sin-binned for the rest of the day. That's happened to Labor MPs dozens of times in 2018, but it won't be happening today because every vote will be crucial if the medical evacuation bill comes to the lower house. There's talk that when Parliament traditionally adjourns at 4.30 pm today, that will be it, without the usual extension that comes on every other sitting day. The clock is ticking on the medivac bill - it basically needs to pass the Senate by about 3.3 0pm in order to make it to the lower house on time if the government decides to not extend parliament. But that means a vital and supposedly urgent piece of the Coalition's national security agenda sits in limbo too. Either way, it's not looking like a good Christmas present for Scott Morrison's government. UPDATE: The House of Representatives rose for the Christmas break at 5pm today, without the government seeking an extension. It won't sit again until February 12, 2019. Amendments to the encryption bill are still being debated in the Senate, which means it won't be passed this year. Image: Getty The healthcare costs of sugar-laden drinks have become too high, a Senate inquiry into Australias obesity epidemic has found, pushing for a tax on sugary drinks. The inquiry recommended a sugar tax be placed on soft drinks and other sweetened drinks to curb the excessive consumption and manufacturing of sweet products. This isnt just something that affects consumption, but it also affects production and what we see is healthier products being made available, Greens leader and former general practitioner, Richard Di Natale said. This is a major health issue. We have an epidemic of chronic disease looming over the horizon and we have an urgent need to address this issue. The inquiry suggested the government find the best way to increase prices by at least 20 per cent. The impacts of sugary drinks are borne most by those on low income and they will also reap the most benefits from measures that change the behaviour of manufacturers, the Select Committee into the Obesity Epidemic said in the report. What else did they recommend? The report, released yesterday, also recommended restrictions on food and drink advertising on free-to-air television and a wider roll-out of the health start system. The inquiry said the health indicator should be made mandatory by 2020 and problems in the way fruit juice and their sugar content are measured be resolved. The committee comprising of senators from all major parties also suggested fast food menus be required to display nutritional information In the 2014/15 year, a shocking 63 per cent of Australian adults were overweight or obese and 20 per cent of children between two and four were also overweight or obese. However, both Labor and the Coalition have historically opposed a sugar tax and changes to advertising. With AAP. Make your money work with Yahoo Finances daily newsletter. Sign up here and stay on top of the latest money, news and tech news. Now read: 6 secrets to the cheapest Christmas holidays Now read: Chart: How much you earn based on job type and gender Now read: Dangerous scam cost taxpayers $800,000 in 30 days Indonesian security forces Thursday stepped up the grim search for victims of a massacre by suspected separatist rebels in restive Papua province, having retrieved 16 corpses so far, the military said. The fatalities, believed to be of construction workers, mark the deadliest bout of violence in years to hit a region wracked by a low-level independence insurgency. "This was a very cruel act," national military chief Hadi Tjahjanto told reporters in Papua, vowing to catch the "rebels" and "bring them to justice". The bodies were being sent to the city of Timika from the remote district of Nduga, a mountainous region where the attack happened Sunday, the local military said. The dead have not yet been publicly identified and the military did not supply details about how they were killed, saying autopsies would be conducted. An earlier eyewitness account supplied by the military said at least 19 people had been killed, by execution-style shootings or having their throats slit. Previous local media reports put the number of dead as high as 31. It was not yet clear whether all the dead worked for a state-owned contractor that has been building bridges and roads to boost infrastructure in the impoverished region, the military said. Another 20 people -- including five employees of the contractor -- have been evacuated from the area, but not all the company workers have been accounted for yet. Some in Papua view Indonesia as a colonial occupier and its building work as a way to exert more control over a region that shares a border with Papua New Guinea, an independent nation. One soldier was killed and two were wounded earlier this week when they were sent to the remote site to investigate reports about the killings, according to authorities. - Warning letter - On Wednesday, the military supplied an account from one survivor identified by his initials "JA" who claimed about 50 rebels entered the workers' camp on Saturday and led them away with their hands tied behind their backs. The following day, the rebels shot dead a group of workers, while some tried to escape, the account said. The attackers allegedly recaptured half a dozen workers and slit their throats, according to the witness, who said at least 19 employees had been killed in all. A Facebook account purportedly run by the National Liberation Army of West Papua (TPNPB) said the armed group had killed 24 workers on the orders of regional commander Ekianus Kogoya. Indonesia routinely blames separatists for violence in Papua and conflicting accounts are common. This weekend, about 500 activists -- including an Australian -- were arrested in a nationwide police crackdown that coincided with rallies on December 1, a date many Papuans consider their anniversary of independence from Dutch colonialists. Papua declared itself independent on that date in 1961, but neighbouring Indonesia took control of the resource-rich region two years later on the condition it hold an independence referendum. Jakarta officially annexed Papua in 1969 with a UN-backed vote, widely seen as a sham. A former employee of the state contractor, who worked in the area of the weekend attack, said rebels had warned the firm in writing last year that the work camp should be vacated around the independence anniversary. "The letter said 'we're asking that workers not disturb us and we won't disturb them,'" the 38-year-old told reporters in Papua. He did not provide a copy of the letter. Papua experienced several spasms of violence this summer including the killing of three local people, allegedly by rebels. While construction workers have been targeted in the past, much of the violence has involved skirmishes between rebels and Indonesian security forces. Some fighting has been centred around a huge gold and copper mine operated by US-based firm Freeport McMoRan -- a frequent flashpoint in the local struggle for independence and a bigger share of the region's resources. Indonesian military officers are evacuating the bodies of those killed in restive Papua to the town of Timika Boosting aid and even ending the devastating Yemen conflict would not be enough to end hunger in the impoverished country, a World Food Programme official said Thursday. "WFP hopes that the warring parties will successfully negotiate an end to this conflict, which is the only way to solve what has become the largest hunger crisis in the world," WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel said as rival Yemeni delegations gathered for UN-brokered talks in Sweden. "Even if we have peace tomorrow, we hope of course that we will have peace tomorrow, then you will still need to work on a way to have that economy recover," Verhoosel told AFP. "Humanitarian support is not enough. You need the humanitarian support but you also need to save the local economy." Yemen is home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, a crisis triggered by a frail economy, massive poverty, war, blockade and disease. The Sweden talks mark the first time in two years warring parties have sat down together in a nearly four-year war which has pushed the impoverished country to the brink of mass starvation. The Yemen crisis spiralled after Saudi Arabia and its regional military allies launched an offensive to support Yemen's embattled government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in March 2015. The situation has worsened in recent months due to a broad economic collapse and rising violence in the rebel-held port of Hodeida, a crucial import hub for food and other basic supplies. The UN says 24 million people in Yemen -- roughly 75 percent of the population -- will need humanitarian assistance in 2019. Both the UN humanitarian agency (OCHA) and WFP have called for a boost in funds next year to help meet the needs of Yemenis -- 14 million of whom stand at the brink of famine, according to UN estimates. At least 10,000 people have been killed since the Saudi-led alliance joined the Yemen war in 2015. In Yemen, 14 million people stand at the brink of famine The arrest of a top executive of tech giant Huawei at the request of US authorities signals a toughening stand in Washington on dealing with Chinese tech firms amid longstanding concerns over cyberespionage. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, was detained this week in Canada and faces an extradition request from US authorities over an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions violations by the Chinese technology giant. Meng is the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. China's embassy in Canada issued a strong protest saying Meng was "not violating any American or Canadian law." The move is likely to escalate US-China tensions. The relationship has been under pressure over concerns over unfair trade, Chinese theft of trade secrets and cyberespionage. "I do think this is a provocation from the US toward China," said David Fidler, an Indiana University law professor and cybersecurity fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Although the charges pertain to Iran sanctions, "the Chinese are going to see this as linked to the broader economic relationship," Fidler added. The escalation of trade frictions will result in a "lose-lose on both sides," according to Fidler, with the Chinese likely to make it even more difficult for US tech firms to do business there. "I think the Chinese believe they have less to lose in sticking to their guns, and that they can actually stare down the United States," he said. "They have a plan B. I'm not sure the US has a plan B if the relationship goes sideways." A recent federal law already bans military and government use of devices made by Huawei and fellow Chinese firm ZTE over security concerns, and federal regulators are in the process of implementing rules that would bar Huawei for rolling out fifth-generation, or 5G, networks in the United States. Huawei has denied any ties to the Chinese government, but many in Washington are skeptical. "Huawei acts as an arm of Chinese intelligence, it is supported by the Chinese government for intelligence reasons," said James Lewis, who heads public policy and technology at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "Huawei offers a subsidized product that is pretty good, but they are going to places where people put cost over security." Lewis said China may be hurt by taking a harder line because its 5G systems rely on chips and other components from Silicon Valley firms. For Huawei and many others, Lewis said, "they are completely dependent on US technology. They could not make 5G without Intel or other (US) chipmakers." - Decade of scrutiny - Huawei has been under scrutiny in Washington for more than a decade. It was denied a bid in 2007 for the telecom networking firm 3Com and lost an effort in 2010 to upgrade the Sprint wireless network. Earlier this year, Huawei had been in position to announce a major tieup with AT&T on smartphone distribution in the United States, but abruptly canceled the plan. Nonetheless, Huawei has overtaken Apple as the second-largest global maker of smartphones, despite limited US sales, and has become one of the leaders in 5G infrastructure around the world. But Huawei is facing bans for 5G contracts in Australia and New Zealand, and British telecom group BT revealed on Wednesday it was removing Huawei equipment from its core cellular network. - Capitol Hill fears - Officials and lawmakers have long expressed concerns over China's use of its tech firms to steal trade secrets and Beijing was seen as the main culprit in a breach of millions of US government employees revealed in 2015. One report this year suggested Chinese manufacturers had been able to insert "spy chips" in many US tech products, raising the prospect of "supply chain" espionage risk. The companies affected have denied the report. Republican Senator Tom Cotton said this week's arrest was a positive move against Chinese cyberespionage. "This arrest of a Huawei executive should be the first of many steps by the free world against Huawei, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party," Cotton tweeted. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, said the latest news shows that Huawei and other Chinese firms are willing to flout US sanctions and take its cues from Beijing. "It has been clear for some time that Huawei, like ZTE, poses a threat to our national security," Warner said. "This is a reminder that we need to take seriously the risks of doing business with companies like Huawei and allowing them access to our markets." The arrest of a key Huawei executive in Canada at the request of the United States signals a worsening of already strained US-China relations Huawei has become the second largest global smartphone maker and a leader in 5G networks, despite limited access to the US market Sen. Mark Warner said Chinese tech firms Huawei and ZTE pose national security threats and should not have access to US markets Winter is here and coal is burning, enveloping the Balkans in a toxic smog and turning its cities into some of the most polluted on the planet. As hundreds of nations gather in Poland for the UN's COP24 climate summit this week, residents in this corner of Europe are wondering when their governments will do anything to address an annual plague that is killing thousands. The pollution levels reached alarming heights in early December. On Tuesday, the Macedonian capital Skopje was ranked the third most polluted city in the world, while Sarajevo was fifth, according to the monitor AirVisual. Pristina, the capital of Kosovo which relies on two coal-fired plants for more than 95 percent of its electricity, was not far behind. "In three decades of teaching, I have never seen so many children cough and get sick," said Vesna Delevska, a 56-year-old teacher in Skopje. "On the worst days, many parents don't even send their children to school," she told AFP, describing the conditions as "unbearable". Lignite-fired power plants across the region, many of which are old and pollute heavily, plus the burning of coal to warm individual homes, pump the air with toxins. In Skopje and Sarajevo, a ring of mountains helps trap the hazardous air in valleys where residents live, shrouding them in a grey fog. An October UN report said fossil fuel emissions must be slashed by half in the next 12 years to limit global temperature rises. But Balkan governments are bucking the European trend by boosting their investment coal, with plans to build new power plants across the region. - Human toll - The effects are plain to see. Five Balkan cities with coal or lignite-based industries are among Europe's top ten most polluted cities, according to a 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) report. They include Tuzla (Bosnia), Pljevlja (Montenegro), Skopje, Tetovo and Bitola (Macedonia). The only ones benefiting from the pollution are those selling air purifiers, which one vendor in Macedonia's capital said are flying off the shelves "like hot cakes". "People are emptying their wallets to breathe clean air," said Vanco, who runs a store in Skopje and declined to give his last name. An air purifier costs about 400 euros ($450) -- close to the average monthly salary in Macedonia and several of its Balkan neighbours. But residents are digging into their savings, "even borrowing to buy the purifiers", said Vanco. "Especially families with children," he added. The economic and human costs are high in a poor region with little extra cash to spare. According to a WHO study, pollution cost the Western Balkans countries more than $55 billion in 2010. It also caused more than 36,000 premature deaths that year across the region, which is home to 23 million people -- a proportion six times higher than in a country like France. Since then, there have been no major efforts to curb pollution. This winter the Macedonian Ministry of Health has announced the distribution of masks to 43,000 chronically ill people. But Jane Dimeski, an activist with the citizen group "STOP air pollution", sees it as a "short-term response...more than a serious fight against pollution". - 'Wait for wind' - In Bosnia, the hazardous air shaves "44,000 years of life" off the country's population every year, according to a 2018 UN report. It costs the poor nation nearly a fifth of its GDP through lost work and school days, plus health expenses and fuel costs, the UN said. Fuad Prnjavorac, a 69-year-old Sarajevo resident who suffers from asthma, tries to escape the city for cleaner air on Mount Trebivic, which overlooks the capital. From that view, the city was completely obscured by the dense grey smog this week. "It's terrible in town at this time of year, impossible to breathe," he told AFP. In early December, the air had an average of 320 micrograms per cubic metre of fine particles, with peaks above 400. Anes Podic, who runs as Bosnian environmental organisation Eko-Akcija, blames the government for ignoring the problem. "Someone has judged that the lungs of Sarajevo residents are five times more resistant than those of Paris," she said with sarcasm at a recent press conference, referring to how French authorities set 80 micrograms per cubic metre of fine particles as their alert level. "When the problem appears, as it does every year, authorities ignore it at first, then seem to work on it, and finally, their only measure is to wait for a gust of wind," she added. burs-rus/ssm/pvh/je Air pollution levels were at the 'very unhealthy' level in the Bulgarian capital Sofia this week On Tuesday the Macedonian capital Skopje was ranked the third most-polluted city in the world A ring of mountains helps trap the smog in valleys, shrouding Sarajevo residents in a grey fog Some of the highest buildings in the Skopje area peak above the clouds in an area where the air pollution can practically paralyse the Macedonian capital Banksy has been Banksied. The guerilla artist who puts up his work in public spaces without asking authorisation is the subject of a new show in Madrid featuring his works -- without his authorisation. "Genius or Vandal?" opened Thursday at the Ifema centre in the Spanish capital and will run until March 10. It has already pulled in half a million visitors at its previous venues Moscow and Saint Petersburg, according to a statement from the organisers. The show's curator Alexander Nachkebiya, who assembled the works from private collectors, describes Banksy as "a phenomenon and one of the most brilliant and important artist of our epoch". The street artist himself remains something of an enigma. All he has revealed about himself is that he is British and that his home town is Bristol in southeast England. But the dark wit of his art and a certain talent for self-promotion has helped him build up an international reputation, to the point that his works have fetched more than a million pounds. In August, Banksy used his Instagram account -- 5.1 million followers -- to make his position clear on the original Moscow show. He posted an exchange of messages between him and a follower who tipped him off to the unauthorised exhibition. Told they were charging a 20 ($25, 22 euro) entrance free, Bansky replied: "I wish I could find it funny. What's the opposite of LOL?" But at the suggestion that he put out a statement denouncing the fact that it was made to look like an official show, he replied: "...not sure I'm the best person to complain about people putting up pictures without getting permission." Nevertheless, his website does carry a message warning visitors about this and other shows. "They've been organised entirely without the artist's knowledge or involvement. Please treat them accordingly." In the meantime, his subversive style continues to attract admirers. His most recent stunt was at the October auction of one of his works, "Girl with Balloon", at Sotheby's in London. Moments after it sold for 1,042,000 -- a joint record for the maverick artist -- it unexpectedly passed through a shredder hidden in the frame. Only partially destroyed, the buyer went through with the purchase and some art experts said it was probably now worth more than it had been before the stunt. The dark wit of Banksy's art -- such as this work that went up for auction at the French auction house Artcurial in October -- has earned him an international following At a recent auction of one of Banksy's works in London, moments after his painting fetched just over 1 million, it was partially shredded by a device hidden in the frame A museum showcasing black heritage from the dawn of time to the modern era opened in the Senegalese capital Dakar on Thursday. The opening came as African countries press harder for the restitution of artwork from their former colonial masters -- and as France made its first steps in that direction, pledging to return artworks to Benin. The Museum of Black Civilisations will foster the "dialogue of cultures" and offer a "new view of Africa and its diaspora, which recognises our part in the great human adventure," Senegalese President Macky Sall said as he opened the museum. "Today rekindles in us the precursors of pan-Africanism and African identity," Sall said after cutting the symbolic ribbon at the ceremony. Among the guests was Chinese Culture Minister Luo Shugang, whose country financed the project to the tune of 30 million euros ($34 million). Spread over 14,000 square metres (150,000 square feet), the museum has a capacity to house 18,000 pieces, said museum director Hamady Bocoum. Both Bocoum and the museum's lead scientist Ibrahima Thioub said the collection, which includes megaliths dating back more than 1,700 years ago alongside contemporary art, would both honour the past and look to the future. It should not be "a place of nostalgia but a crucible of creativity, a factory of self-esteem," said Thioub, rector of Dakar's Cheikh-Anta-Diop University. - A dream fulfilled - Such a museum was the dream of Senegal's first president Leopold Sedar Senghor, among the drivers of the Negritude literary movement born in the 1960s. The poet, who was Senegal's president from 1960 to 1980, spoke of it at the first World Festival of Black Arts, held in Dakar in 1966. "We are in the continuity of history," Sall said Thursday. "Through the ages, Africa invented, fashioned and transformed, thus constantly participating in the flow of innovations. Our duty is to remain vigilant sentinels of the heritage of the ancients." The museum is among several new -- or overhauled -- facilities springing up around Africa that bolster growing demands for the restitution of artworks spirited out of the continent since colonial times. Late last month France announced it would return 26 cultural artefacts to Benin. It was a first gesture acting on the findings of a study commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron on repatriating African treasures held by French museums. Senegal was quick to call for the restitution of some 10,000 pieces of Senegalese art from France. Ivory Coast followed suit the next day, asking for the return of around 100 works of art. In a reflection of the museum's embrace of the ages, Thursday's ceremony was followed by a show featuring traditional music and dance as well as rap and slam performances. The hundreds of guests also heard homages to giants of black civilisation including American civil rights hero Martin Luther King and Burkinabe revolutionary Thomas Sankara. Spread over 14,000 square metres, the new museum has a capacity to house 18,000 pieces, its director Hamady Bocoum said "Today rekindles in us the precursors of pan-Africanism and African identity," Sall said after cutting the symbolic ribbon at a ceremony attended by Chinese Culture Minister Luo Shugang, whose country financed the 30 million euro project The Museum of Black Civilisation is among several new -- or overhauled -- museums popping up around Africa that bolster growing demands for restitution of artworks spirited out of the continent since colonial times Spread over 14,000 square metres (150,000 square feet), the Museum of Black Civilisation has a capacity to house 18,000 pieces Respect Ruvimbo Topodzi was 15 and walking home from school in her native Zimbabwe when a 22-year-old man asked her out. She turned him down but it was too late. Her father saw them and assumed they were already together. He told her she had to marry the man and live with him. She dropped out of school and soon became pregnant. It was only when her husband became abusive that she was allowed back to the family home. Since then, Topodzi has been working to stop other girls having the same experience. She took on the government to change the law and increase the minimum legal age of consent for marriage from 16 to 18. "As a mother and survivor of child marriage, I am so passionate about ending child marriage," she told AFP at a recent conference on the subject in Ghana's capital Accra. "I know how it feels to be married early and I know how you handle things in your marriage -- that is so difficult." - High rates - According to a new World Bank report, more than a third of girls in sub-Saharan Africa marry before their 18th birthday, which costs countries billions of dollars in lost earnings. Estimates for 12 countries suggest some $63 billion (55.5 billion euros) is lost because child brides complete fewer years of formal education than their peers who marry later. Every year of secondary education reduces the likelihood of marrying before the age of 18 by five percent or more, it added in the report, "Educating Girls and Ending Child Marriage". West Africa in particular has the highest prevalence of marriage before age 15, and of the top 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage in the world, 18 are in Africa. Yvette Kathurima Muhia, from the Girls Not Brides organisation of more than 1,000 civil society groups working on the issue, said governments and communities need to work together. Twenty-four countries have launched national strategies to end the practice since the African Union began a campaign to stop child marriage by 2023. But she said more needed to be done, particularly to keep girls in school by providing free meals, sanitary items and transport. "Then the families feel they can send the girls to school, where they have support and incentives rather than if they were at home," she added. - Rooted in poverty - The causes of child marriage are complex and include traditional beliefs, climate change and conflict. But poverty is an underlying factor. The UN last month said that the drought in western Afghanistan, which has displaced more than 250,000 people, has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation, compelling some families to sell their daughters to pay off debt or buy food. At least 161 children between the ages of just one month and 16 were sold between July and October, according to Unicef. Kathurima Muhia, head of Africa engagement at Girls Not Brides, conceded that the AU's 2023 target to eradicate the practice was "not going to happen", describing progress so far as "slow-moving". As well as addressing policies and legal reforms, social norms must change in communities too, she added. At the same time, people need to understand that there are no cultural or religious reasons to marry off young girls, she said. In September, the marriage of a 15-year-old Malaysian girl to a 44-year-old man sparked anger, two months after a girl aged just 11 was married off to a 41-year-old. But child marriage is not just an issue in the developing world: in June last year, the US state of New York overhauled legislation that allowed children as young as 14 to get married. The age of consent to marry there is now 18, putting pressure on other US states to follow suit. - Uphill battle - Despite growing awareness of the practice, as policy makers met in Ghana a 17-year-old girl in South Sudan was auctioned for marriage on Facebook, causing international outrage. The viral post eventually led to the largest dowry ever recorded in the fledgling war-torn nation, with the highest bidder a man three times older than her. Others bidding included a deputy state governor, according to reports. Kathurima Muhia said that indicated the scale of the task at hand. "One of the challenges we are having on the continent is where the policymakers themselves who are supposed to protect the law are the ones who are breaking it and child marriage is a key way of demonstrating that," she added. West Africa in particular has the highest prevalence of marriage before age 15, and of the top 20 countries with the highest rates of child marriage in the world, 18 are in Africa The drought in Afghanistan has worsened an already dire humanitarian situation, compelling some families to sell their daughters to pay off debt or buy food. At least 161 children were sold between July and October, according to Unicef A class of young children have been left traumatised after their teacher set up a crime scene activity in their classroom. Eight-year-old pupils at Flowery Field Primary School, in Manchester, UK, were made to investigate the death of an elf in a Christmas themed task. Teachers laid down the equivalent of a chalk outline with red tape, left fake blood on tables and used police tape around the school. A parent has said the activity was a step too far for some kids. Source: Twitter/ Flowery Field The school took to Twitter to share photos of their mock-up crime scene saying their Year 4 pupils were on the case. But one parent has revealed several of the children were horrified by the activity and that the school had gone a step too far. Year 4 writing detectives are on the case! What has happened in 4VS today? Collecting as many clues as we can find. pic.twitter.com/PyYewMTlpx Flowery Field (@floweryfieldpri) December 4, 2018 My daughter came home and she was absolutely traumatised, the mother told the Manchester Evening News. Im not the only parent who felt like that. A lot of the kids in Year 4 were unsettled by it. Yet the school defended their festive activity, with headteacher Ian Fell saying the kids were excited. Of all of the 90 children who took part, none of them showed anything but full engagement, he told the Manchester Evening News. I have been a teacher for 30 years and this is, in my judgement, an appropriate, engaging and exciting thing that children aged eight and nine have done. They have been so up for it. Cuba became one of the last countries in the world to get 3G mobile internet services on Thursday, though most citizens on the communist-run island won't be able to afford it. Cuba's internet provider Etecsa rolled out its 3G service from 8:00 am to answer pent-up demand, though initially only for clients with numbers beginning with a 52 or 53 prefix. Others will have to cool their heels for a few more days before they can connect to the 21st Century. At $30 dollars for 4 gigabytes per month -- an average monthly wage -- the convenience will be too costly for most. The roll-out left Idalmist Mendoza a little frustrated on a Havana street. "The prices are a little bit high. But well, maybe with time, if there are a lot of people signing up, prices will go down," said the bureau de change employee. According to government figures, some 5.3 million people on the island use mobile phones, a little under half the population of 11.2 million. Cubans have relied for years on WiFi zones in public parks and squares. There, it's common to see hundreds of people talking, laughing and crying into their phone screens, keeping in touch with some of the two million Cubans in exile. Etecsa's home internet service, Nauta Hogar, only has 60,000 clients. Their connections costs are often paid by family members aboard, as a means of keeping in touch. - 'People with money'- "Mobile internet in Cuba, it's for people with money, because those that don't have it won't be able to connect much," said Hector David, 28. However, he was happy with the connection speed on his phone: "Fast, very fast. I talked and used up a few megabytes, I think, but then I switched to WhatsApp and it consumed much less." Apart from 1,200 public WiFi zones, the government says there are 670 internet cafes around the Caribbean country, where connection charges are a dollar an hour. "We are continuing to advance on the computerization of our country," President Miguel Diaz-Canel said in a congratulatory message on a Twitter account that he only opened in August. His example has since been followed by several ministers as his government tentatively embraces social media. Cuba, which has been under US embargo since 1962, signed an agreement with Google in late 2016 to ensure a faster connection to its content. "Mobile internet is a good option, but Etecsa really has to have the technical capacity to provide a stable service, not that this is what happened during the tests, when the servers were overwhelmed," computer engineer Enrique Rivero told AFP. "Our internet service is probably the most expensive in the world," when set against the standard of living of its clients, Rivero said. - Test of progress - Etecsa carried out several tests of its fledgling 3G service in recent months, but by its own admission they were disrupted by "connection problems and significant congestion of voice and data services due to the instability of part of the network." Diaz-Canel, who took over from Raul Castro in April, visited the United States in September and held meetings with tech giants Google, AirBnB and Twitter on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. For now, Cubans like Aguilera -- a homemaker from Havana -- will take this small, uncertain step towards progress. "It's not the same as connecting in a park, when you have the possibility to connect directly on your phone from anywhere," she says. "It's very good for Cubans because it gives us one more chance to connect." Cubans have relied for years on WiFi zones in public parks and squares People use their mobile phone to connect to the internet in Havana People use their mobile phones to connect to internet through WiFi at a park in Havana Cuba, which has been under US embargo since 1962, signed an agreement with Google in late 2016 to ensure a faster connection to its content A professor has been slammed for suggesting people should only eat six sticks of french fries during a meal. Professor Eric Rimm, from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told the New York Times they were starch bombs and restaurants should serve only six sticks of the greasy goodness on a plate alongside a salad. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last year claimed people who ate fried potatoes two to three times a week had a higher mortality rate than people who ate potatoes cooked other ways. The fatty food has also been linked to heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Despite the research, fans of the salty snack have hit out at Professor Rimms suggestion, saying he is trying to ruin French fries. Professor Eric Rimm says we should only eat six sticks of French fries. Source: Getty Six fries? Im going to eat a slice of apple pie after my chilli dinner with cheesy mash potatoes. Theres more than one way to skin a potato, one joked on Twitter. Another said she was in the final planning phase of her French fry protest while others suggested Professor Rimm was a mad man. What kind of mad man would want six french fries? I get it, they are bad for you, but eating six sounds like torture. Id rather not have them at all, one wrote on Twitter. Professor Rimm has hit out at his critics, saying the first six taste the best anyway. After that do you still feel the same? Also finishing all 50 how does your stomach feel 30 minutes later. Its all about portion size, he tweeted. He also called on people to stop dissin the Prof. We need culinary experts to step up and take a stance. Its easy to give diners a huge hunk of fried potatoes. Give them a tease to make them wanting more (and sneak in some greens!). Alcohol will be banned on Melbournes popular St Kilda foreshore from November until the end of March each year, the local council says. Port Phillip Council decided on Wednesday night to implement an annual 24-hour alcohol ban over the warmer months, from November 1 to March 31, with a review of its effectiveness to be held before August 2019. Mayor Dick Gross said the council understands some residents feel the ban is unfair, but things have changed since the measure was last considered. Large crowds on the St Kilda foreshore have been causing trouble and trauma recently to people just enjoying a walk or at work, he said in a council statement late on Wednesday. Crowds gather at St Kilda beach on Australia Day earlier this year. Image: AAP Beachgoers will no longer be able to enjoy a few beers down at St Kilda Beach. Image: AAP Local business owners and some residents had sought the 24-hour alcohol ban following a night of violence at the beach last weekend. Superintendent Philip Green said Port Phillips beaches, cafes and restaurants attracted thousands of visitors a day during summer and police wanted to ensure everyone could enjoy the public areas safely and responsibly. As always police encourage people to come out, enjoy themselves and be mindful of their personal safety, particularly in and around the water, he said. It might be a beach-goer past the point of one too many drinks, whose raucous behaviour makes nearby families uncomfortable. Or a violent brawl which pulls first responders and hospital workers into action and leaves families and friends devastated by the life-long consequences of a punch thrown in anger. Melbourne, Australia March 10, 2018: boardwalk along the St Kilda foreshore. St Kilda is a fashionable inner city bayside suburb in Melbourne. He said these types of scenes take place far too often. If you chose to have weapons or be unruly, confrontational or cause people to be alarmed, police will identify you, intervene and take action. Police will be working hard to keep you safe but it must not be forgotten that everyone has a responsibility to ensure a safe and enjoyable summer for all. Anti-government protesters wearing fluorescent yellow jackets have roiled France for nearly three weeks and shaken the government of President Emmanuel Macron. Here are five key consequences of the crisis: - A weakened president at home - Since his election in May 2017, Macron, a former investment banker, had styled himself as a resolute and visionary president in the style of famed former French leaders such as Charles de Gaulle. His detractors saw in him the authoritarian instincts of a older historical figure: Napoleon Bonaparte, the 19th-century general who named himself emperor of the French. Having abandoned planned fuel tax hikes on Wednesday, a week after ruling this out in a televised address to the nation, Macron has seen his authority and image take a severe blow. "The Bonapartist method which was successful at the beginning to launch his reforms is not suitable any more," Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet, an expert in political communication, told AFP this week. The protests also come as his government is preparing to push through other contested changes, including a hugely sensitive shake-up of the pension system which is likely to spark fierce resistance. With his political opponents emboldened and protesters sensing weakness, will Macron be able to deliver any more of his vision of a France that is more business-friendly and less dependent on state spending? - Angry France is back - The sight of burning barricades in the street, mass demonstrations and a government in a retreat is a wearily familiar one for observers of France. But for foreign investors and his fans abroad, Macron had provided hope that France might finally put an end to decades of high unemployment and low growth. The 40-year-old spent much of his first 18 months in office wooing foreign companies, at one point inviting global CEOs to the Versailles Palace for dinner, where he wheeled out his catchphrase: "France is back!" Overhauls of labour laws and the state railways, as well as tax cuts for businesses and high-earners, passed with relative ease. But it is angry street protests that are back, not the image of a "start-up nation" wedded to innovation and technology that Macron envisioned. "The attractiveness of France has taken a real hit," Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire conceded on Monday. - Nationalists rejoice - The election of Macron, a pro-EU centrist, bucked the electoral trends around Europe which have seen gains for rightwing populism -- something Macron has likened to "leprosy". Since taking office, he has positioned himself within the EU and on the international stage as a leading voice for centrist politics and multilateralism. With European Parliament elections looming in May, Macron said voters faced a stark choice between nationalists like Hungary's hard-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini, and his own "progressive" camp. His side has taken a hit. "Macron is not a problem for me, Macron is a problem for the French," Salvini quipped this week in an interview with Politico. - Economic strains - Macron had named reining in France's public spending a priority since taking office and had set himself an objective of balancing the country's books for the first time since the 1970s by the end of his term. But cancelling planned fuel tax rises next year will leave a hole in the budget of around two billion euros ($2.3 billion), and Macron might still have to give more ground to appease the angry "yellow vests." The government had a target of reducing its deficit to 2.8 percent of GDP this year, just under the 3.0 percent limit set under the EU's Stability and Growth Pact. Any further concessions or a decline in economic growth -- due to disruption from the protests, falling investment or fewer visits by tourists -- will exacerbate the impact of the crisis. - A republic under pressure - The crisis has prompted a new round of soul-searching about France's fifth republic, established under de Gaulle in 1958, which institutionalised the role of an all-powerful president. The new constitution was intended to put an end to the instability and ineffectiveness of the parliamentary system which emerged in France after World War II. But the French have soured in record time on three successive leaders -- Nicolas Sarkozy, Francois Hollande and now Macron -- making many observers question the hyper-centralisation of power in the hands of the president. Macron scored just 24 percent of the votes in the first round of the presidential election, pushing him into the final round but leading his most vocal critics to question his legitimacy and his programme ever since. "The republic is under threat," the head of the upper house of parliament, Gerard Larcher, told France Inter radio. "I'm not seeking to be dramatic. I want everyone to understand their responsibilities." Macron has seen his authority and image take a severe blow Angry street protests are back Only 26% of French people have confidence in their president to resolve the country's problems, according to an opinion poll by Kantar TNS in November 2018. Macron still might have to yield more ground A health alert has been issued for parts of Victoria and South Australia where the temperature is set to rocket ahead of the weekend. Melbourne is due to reach 35C on Thursday while some centres in the states northwest could surpass 40C according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The state governments warning covers districts including the Mallee and Wimmera. Victoria and South Australia will experience a heatwave rarely experienced at this time of year. Source: BoM Sol signalled summer's sizzle is set to soar with stunning sunset splendour! Hot weather ahead in #Victoria before a weak cool change slowly extends from the southwest late Friday and across the weekend . Details: https://t.co/WKN4EOIpef pic.twitter.com/SJG4cGLpKx Bureau of Meteorology, Victoria (@BOM_Vic) December 5, 2018 The chief health officer has issued a heat health alert to notify you of forecast extreme heat conditions at or above heat health temperature thresholds, the statement read. The warning urged residents to take extra care when out and about, remembering to stay hydrated. Victorians were also reminded to never leave children or pets in vehicles alone. The temperature will soar to 35 degrees on Thursday and 36 on Friday, according to @BOM_Vic. Drink plenty of water. Never leave kids, adults or pets in cars. Keep cool in air-conditioned buildings, draw your blinds and take cool showers. pic.twitter.com/V3g2NzLFl8 Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) December 5, 2018 While Victorians may head to the beach on Thursday and Friday, they are urged to stay safe. Source: AAP Heat has been building, fanned by a northerly breeze theres plenty of sunshine, no real cloud, bureau senior forecaster Chris Godfred said. Story continues The hazard will continue on Friday when temperatures are expected to increase further, with Melbourne stretching to 38C and inland regional centres including Mildura due to record 40C. We havent seen temperatures this high this early in December since 1994, Mr Godfred said. Extreme heat has been forecast in areas across Victoria today. The Chief Health Officer has issued Heat Heath Alerts. Plan ahead, drink water, keep cool, check in on others and never leave kids, adults or pets in a car. #SurviveTheHeat, visit: Visit https://t.co/CMo0QAI0Vr pic.twitter.com/5b6LaqgItT VicGovDHHS (@VicGovDHHS) December 5, 2018 South Australia to swelter through extreme temperatures Temperatures are set to soar in South Australia as well, with the Adelaide Oval to cop the brunt of the heat for Australias first test against India. Temperatures could rise to as high as 39C in the state capital. The heat in Adelaide didnt affect our cricketers with Australia claiming four early wickets on Day One of the first test against India. Source: AAP A severe bushfire risk has been declared for five South Australian districts with temperatures set to soar. The Country Fire Service says severe conditions can be expected on Thursday on the west coast, the lower Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and across the Mt Lofty Ranges. Temperatures will be high across the state, hitting the low 40s in some regional centres. With AAP A teenager is looking for justice after she was badly injured when a friend allegedly pushed her off an 18-metre high bridge. Footage of Jordan Holgerson, 16, being pushed off the bridge in August went viral and her friend Taylor Smith was charged with reckless endangerment over the incident at Moulton Falls Regional Park, northeast of Vancouver. The Columbian reports the trial has now been postponed until February, allowing more time for Ms Smiths lawyers to negotiate with prosecutors over the case. Jordan Holgerson, 16, was injured after being pushed off a bridge in Vancouver, Wash. Source: KATU via ABC News Ms Smith has entered a not guilty plea to the charge of reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of up to a year in jail and/or a $6,900 fine. ABC News in the US reports during a court hearing on Tuesday Ms Holgerson said: Im just looking for justice. I hope this is over soon shes making this a difficult trial, she said. A teenager accused of injuring her friend when she pushed her off a bridge was charged with reckless endangerment. Source: Youtube/Genelle Holgerson Ms Smith spoke out to ABC after the incident in August, saying she accepted the charges and hoped for the best for her friend. But Ms Holgerson, who cracked five ribs and punctured a lung in the fall, doesnt believe Ms Smith has learned her lesson. She said that she was going to take full responsibility All that shes been doing is lying I just dont think she really even cares, she told ABC. Former US president George H.W. Bush, remembered as much for his legacy of service as his impact on history, was buried Thursday, capping days of tribute from a nation that briefly set aside political divisions to honor him. After a state funeral Wednesday in Washington that was attended by the country's five living presidents and foreign dignitaries, Bush's flag-draped casket was flown to Texas for a final farewell. A compassionate national spotlight had shone on Bush's passing and the memorial proceedings throughout this week. But his burial at Bush's presidential library center in College Station, Texas -- alongside Barbara, his wife of 73 years, and their daughter Robin who died of leukemia at age 3 -- was a private family service. "The 41st President of the United States of America, George Herbert Walker Bush, has reached his final resting place," family spokesman Jim McGrath posted on Twitter. Bush, who died Friday at age 94, lay in repose at St Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, where he was eulogized at a final memorial service by close friend James Baker, who served as his secretary of state. "His incredible service to our nation and the world are already etched in the marble of time," Baker said, highlighting the sense of duty, service, and personal grace that drove Bush. Fighting through tears, the 88-year-old Baker recalled how Bush's deeds "expressed his moral character, and they reflected his decency, his boundless kindness and consideration of others, his determination always to do the right thing." - Final resting place - Son George W. Bush, the nation's 43rd president, appeared somber at his wife Laura's side, and stood ramrod straight as military pallbearers carried the casket from the Houston church to a waiting hearse. It was then placed on a train -- with a locomotive painted in the colors and pattern of Air Force One, the presidential jet -- for the final journey to the presidential library, part of a precise series of ritualized events. There were emotional displays along the route in towns like Spring, Magnolia, Navasota and College Station. Crowds of people braved rainy weather to mass beside the tracks, where they held American flags, saluted, cheered and waved goodbye as the train rolled slowly past. Bush was the 12th president to lie in state in the US Capitol rotunda. Thousands paid respects there to a statesman who steered the nation through turbulent times including the end of the Cold War and the marshalling of an international coalition to oust invading Iraqi forces from Kuwait. On Thursday, Baker pointed to Bush's eagerness to forge compromise and peace rather than rattle sabers. "He had the courage of a warrior," Baker said. "But when the time came for prudence, he always maintained the greater courage of a peacemaker." Bush was a decorated World War II aviator who nearly died when he was shot down on a bombing mission. He served as a congressman, envoy to China and to the United Nations, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and vice president to Ronald Reagan before winning the White House. At Wednesday's service in Washington, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania shared a front row pew in the National Cathedral with past presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives, to honor Bush. Son George delivered an emotional eulogy in tribute to his father. The pair are only the second father-son presidential duo in American history, after John Adams and John Quincy Adams. - An uneasy truce - Since Bush's death, Trump has traded his usual provocative posture for one of solemnity and respect for the Bushes, with whom he has often clashed since his meteoric rise in the world of politics. As Trump toned down the rhetoric this week, Washington's political heat was reduced from a normal boil to a simmer. But at Wednesday's service, tensions were obvious. Trump arrived and shook hands with the Obamas, but his body language turned cold as he failed to acknowledge Hillary Clinton, his defeated Democratic rival in 2016, or her president husband Bill. Former US president George W. Bush and brother Jeb Bush wait as the casket of their father, former US president George W.H. Bush, is carried upon arrival at his presidential library center Former US President George W. Bush embraces former US secretary of State James Baker (R) after he gave a eulogy during the funeral for former president George H.W. Bush in Houston People line the road as the hearse carrying the flag-draped casket of former US president George H.W. Bush heads to a Houston train station, for a final trip to the late leader's presidential library Profile of George H. W. Bush Hailed as a hero in the fight against populism after defeating the far right in elections last year, French President Emmanuel Macron has seen his international reputation take a battering over his failure to quell the "yellow vests" protests. "In 2017, his election was greeted as a sign of hope by his European neighbours after the Brexit referendum and Donald Trump's election in 2016," Nicolas Baygert, professor of political communications at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles, told AFP. Seen from Berlin or Brussels, the centrist Macron represented a "bulwark against populism" and a determined advocate of deeper European integration at a time of rising divisions within the bloc, Baygert said. But shocking scenes of rioting and destruction last week in Paris, which forced him into a U-turn on fuel tax hikes, have raised questions abroad over his ability to reform France -- let alone the European Union. - Fears for European elections - Two images from the Champs-Elysees that reverberated around the world encapsulate the stunning fall in Macron's stock. On November 11, around 70 world leaders including US President Donald Trump gathered under the Arc de Triomphe war memorial at the top of the avenue for a ceremony commemorating the end of World War I. Leading the ceremony, Macron was widely commended for his statesmanship, including his refusal to be drawn into a war of words with Trump, who later attacked his host on Twitter for castigating nationalists. But three weeks later, the world watched in shock as rioters swarmed the Arc de Triomphe, spraying it with anti-Macron slogans and smashing sculptures inside during a protest over inequality. "The contrast between the two images is striking," Baygert noted. The scenes of mayhem in France have rattled Macron's EU partners in particular. "Macron is well liked by his European neighbours for his unbending approach in a country that has long been seen as incapable of reforming itself," Vincent Laborderie, a professor of political sciences at the Catholique de Louvain, also in Belgium, told AFP. The French government has insisted that its reformist zeal remains undented and that it stays committed to cutting the budget deficit. But with demonstrators continuing to block schools and shopping centres, and radicals gearing up for a third round of violent protests in Paris on Saturday, mainstream European parties are worried that a new populist wave is being unleashed, a few months before European elections. "If Macron does not act... there is a risk that it will end in a massive nationalist victory in the coming European elections," Spanish daily El Pais wrote in an editorial on Tuesday. "France cannot afford that. Nor can Europe." With German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the autumn of her rule -- bowing out after electoral setbacks for her party in which the far right made strong gains -- Macron had been expected to lead moderates into May's European Parliament elections. "If the situation continues to deteriorate in France... Macron will no longer be able to occupy this role," Laborderie said. - Salvini, Trump cheer - In an analysis for The Washington Post, the writer Ishaan Tharoor said the riots had undermined Macron's reputation as one of the few politicians on the world stage who could stand up to the tide of populism. "Macron likes to present himself to the world as the suave centrist who can hold the line against the anger of the fringes. But at home, he's a politician under siege, at risk of being overwhelmed by a growing rebellion," Tharoor wrote. Trump was among those who appeared to derive satisfaction from Macron's woes. On Tuesday, he seized on Macron's climbdown on anti-pollution fuel taxes as a vindication of his decision to pull out of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change, which he said imposed too heavy a financial burden. "I am glad that my friend @EmmanuelMacron and the protestors in Paris have agreed with the conclusion I reached two years ago," he tweeted. Macron's chief European adversary, the far-right Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, also appeared cheered by his troubles. "Macron is no longer a problem for me or for Europe," Salvini said on Monday. The shine had already begun to come off Macron's presidency in recent months, with Western media that had sung his praises starting to voice concern over stagnant growth in France, the limited effects of his first wave of reforms on job creation in the eurozone's second-biggest economy, and his failure to gain traction with Donald Trump on trade, climate change and Iran. Commenting on the shift, the Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia wrote: "It's a tough blow for Macron. His image will never be the same again." The violent street protests in Paris have raised questions abroad if President Emmanuel Macron (C) is still able to reform France - let alone the European Union Malaysia on Thursday torched nearly three tonnes of seized scales of endangered pangolins worth $9 million in a bid to deter illegal wildlife trafficking from Africa. The Southeast Asian nation is battling to clamp down on rife trafficking through its borders of the ant-eating mammals, whose scales are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. "Such a huge seizure and torching of it is definitely a blow to smuggling syndicates," Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, the director-general of the Wildlife and National Parks Department told AFP. Some 3,000 pangolins would have been killed to obtain the 2.8 tonnes (2,800 kilograms) of scales, Abdul Kadir estimated. The scales were confiscated by customs officials at Malaysia's Port Klang between May and September 2017. The animal parts arrived in three different shipments from Ghana and Cameroon, and had false local addresses, officials said. "Forensic examination of the scales showed that it is from the African species," said Abdul Kadir. The scales were incinerated at a private waste disposal plant in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Seized pangolin scales are usually meant for foreign markets including China and Vietnam, where raw pangolin scales are sold for large profits in traditional Chinese medicine. Last year Malaysia torched eight tonnes of pangolin scales, Abdul Kadir said, adding that wild pangolins in Malaysia have become a rare sight due to rampant hunting and deforestation. Pangolins are also heavily poached for their meat which is considered a delicacy while products obtained from the animal are thought to increase blood circulation and lactation. Malaysia is battling to clamp down on rife trafficking through its borders of the ant-eating mammals, whose scales are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine Graphic on pangolins, the world's most heavily trafficked mammals. OPEC members and other oil-producing countries may not be able to agree a reduction in output to help shore up plunging prices, Saudi Arabia said on Thursday. "No, I am not confident," Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters after coming out of a meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna. "We're still debating the distribution" of any possible cuts, he added. Iraqi minister Thamir Abbas Al Ghadhban said deliberations would continue on Friday. But he said: "We are hopeful that an agreement can reached." Unusually, the oil cartel had scrapped a planned news conference on Thursday at which the members had largely been expected to announce a new reduction in output to stem the recent sharp drop in the price of crude. OPEC's 15 members had been meeting in the Austrian capital on Thursday to decide what action to take, a day after US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to urge them not to cut output. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" said Trump, who has repeatedly accused the cartel of keeping prices artificially high. The group is scheduled to meet again on Friday, this time with other oil-producing countries that are outside the cartel -- notably Russia -- to coordinate a joint policy. Earlier, Saudi oil minister al-Falih had said that a cut of a million barrels per day would be ideal. "Ideally, everyone should join equally. I think that's the fair and equitable solution," he said. OPEC daily output stood at 32.99 million barrels in October, according to the International Energy Agency. Nevertheless, the volume and distribution of the cuts will depend on the participation of Russia, whose energy minister Alexander Novak is only expected in Vienna on Friday. Novak, speaking from Saint Petersburg on Thursday, said that his country was watching closely how the situation was developing. But with Russia heading into winter, "climate conditions" made it "much more difficult (to cut output) than for other countries," he said. Analysts took that as a hint that Russia might only sign up to additional cuts at a later date. - Market disappointment - The price of a barrel of Brent, the European benchmark, fell four percent to below $60 Thursday because the projected reduction of around one million barrels was below what markets had been expecting, said CMC analyst, David Madden. OPEC ministers reacted to Trump's intervention by telling him not to interfere. "We don't need permission from anyone to cut," Saudi minister Al-Falih said. The US "is not in a position to tell us what to do." Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia is in a delicate position, in the wake of the murder of opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump has continued to support the kingdom despite worldwide outrage over the murder but he is at the same time keeping up the pressure for lower prices. Iran, OPEC's third-biggest producer, complained that it was the first time a US president was trying to tell OPEC what to do. "They should know that OPEC is not part of their Secretary of Energy," said its minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh. Iran wants to be exempted from any cuts that are agreed. Given the economic sanctions being reimposed by the United States, the Islamic republic "(won't) join any agreement for cutting production because of the special situation Iran faces," Zanganeh said. Zanganeh said the estimated surplus currently on the market amounted to 1.3-2.4 million barrels per day. Ideally, "the price would be better to stand at $60-70. That is acceptable for most OPEC countries." - Fraught relations - Negotiations between OPEC members are fraught, as some feel that Saudi Arabia wields too much clout in setting policy. Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of being in thrall to the US. In a surprise move on Monday, Qatar -- which has been an OPEC member since 1961 -- said it would quit the cartel next month in order to focus on gas production. Doha accounts for only around two percent of OPEC output but the move caught the headlines given the political overtones. Qatar has been isolated by a group of countries led by Saudi Arabia since June 2017, in the worst political fallout between the energy-rich Gulf powers. If the OPEC members and other nations meeting in Vienna keep pumping at current record levels, they risk seeing prices continue to tumble Prices have plunged more than 30 percent over the past two months OPEC crude reserves in 2017 Pope Francis, who has made boosting ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy, will visit Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in February, the Vatican said Thursday. The pontiff was invited to the majority-Muslim country by both Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and the local Catholic church. Francis will take part in an international "interfaith" meeting during the trip, which will run from February 3 to 5. The 81-year old has already visited several Muslim countries, including Turkey in 2014, Azerbaijan in 2016 and Egypt in 2017. The Vatican said the theme for the Abu Dhabi trip was summed up in the phrase "make me a channel of your peace" -- a quote from Saint Francis of Assisi, the pope's namesake. The hope was the visit would "spread in a special way the peace of God within the hearts of all people of good will," it said. "This visit, like the one to Egypt, shows the fundamental importance the Holy Father gives to inter-religious dialogue," spokesman Greg Burke said. "Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter," he added. The UAE prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity, and most Gulf Arab states have long allowed Christians to worship in churches. Nearly 80 percent of the population of the UAE is Muslim, while Christians constitute around nine percent, according to the Catholic News Agency. Many of the Catholics are workers from Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, though some are locals. The UAE trip will come head of a visit in March to Morocco. Pope Francis moved quickly after his election in 2013 to make overtures to Jews and Muslims, inviting two old friends from Buenos Aires -- a rabbi and a Muslim professor -- on a trip to the Middle East where he condemned religious hatred. Pope Francis, seen here at the Vatican, has already visited several Muslim countries, including Turkey, Azerbaijan and Egypt Pope Francis, who has made boosting ties between Christianity and Islam a cornerstone of his papacy, will visit Abu Dhabi in February, the Vatican said Thursday, becoming the first ever pope to visit the Arabian peninsula. The pontiff, who turns 82 on December 17, has already visited several Muslim countries, including Turkey in 2014, Azerbaijan in 2016 and Egypt in 2017. He is scheduled to visit Morocco in March. The pontiff was invited to the majority-Muslim country by both Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and the local Catholic church. "The UAE is delighted to welcome His Holiness Pope Francis on the upcoming visit to the UAE," tweeted the prince, who met Francis at the Vatican in 2016. "He is a symbol of peace, tolerance and the promotion of brotherhood. We look forward to a historic visit, through which we will seek dialogue on the peaceful coexistence among peoples," he said. Francis will take part in an international "interfaith" meeting during the trip, which will run from February 3 to 5. - 'Culture of encounter' - The Vatican said the theme for the Abu Dhabi trip was summed up in the phrase "make me a channel of your peace" -- a quote from Saint Francis of Assisi, the pope's namesake. The hope was the visit would "spread in a special way the peace of God within the hearts of all people of good will," it said. "This visit, like the one to Egypt, shows the fundamental importance the Holy Father gives to inter-religious dialogue," spokesman Greg Burke said. "Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter," he added. Bishop Paul Hinder of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which encompasses UAE, Oman and Yemen, said: "The generosity of the UAE government has also been extended in making it possible to celebrate a Mass, which will be on February 5 at a public venue in Abu Dhabi. These are warm and kind gestures that we appreciate and acknowledge." The UAE prides itself on its religious tolerance and cultural diversity, and most Gulf Arab states have long allowed Christians to worship in churches. Nearly 80 percent of the population of the UAE is Muslim, while Christians constitute around nine percent, according to the Catholic News Agency. Many of the Catholics are workers from Africa, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Philippines, though some are locals. - 'Strengthen ties' - The pope's visit "will strengthen our ties and understanding of each other," UAE's Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum said on Twitter. Francis will make the journey just a week after returning from Panama, where he will take part in the World Youth Day rally. The tireless pontiff will then head off to Morocco. Pope Francis moved quickly after his election in 2013 to make overtures to Jews and Muslims, inviting two old friends from Buenos Aires -- a rabbi and a Muslim professor -- on a trip to the Middle East where he condemned religious hatred. But the Catholic church has found it harder to bridge differences with Islam than with Judaism. Benedict XVI angered the Muslim world with a speech in 2006 in which he appeared to endorse the view that Islam is inherently violent, sparking deadly protests in several countries as well as attacks on Christians. Since then the Vatican's pontifical council for inter-religious dialogue has been working overtime to mend fences with moderate Islam. Pope Francis, seen here at the Vatican, has already visited several Muslim countries, including Turkey, Azerbaijan and Egypt Nearly 80 percent of the population of the UAE is Muslim, while Christians constitute around nine percent Thousands of people took part in protest marches across Bolivia on Thursday amid a general strike called by opponents of President Evo Morales' bid for a fourth term. Groups of activists blocked streets in the capital La Paz and other main cities, many waving Bolivian flags and waving banners saying "Bolivia said No" -- a reference to a 2016 referendum ignored by Morales. Interior Minister Carols Romero played down the blockades and said the country was working "as normal". Banking and other businesses remained opened in defiance of the general strike call, despite widespread disruption of public transport. The government said 5,000 people took part in the protests. "The results are far from what the organizers were looking for, " said Alfredo Rada, minister with responsibility for the presidency. The protests follow the decision Tuesday by Bolivia's Supreme Electoral Court to give a green light for Morales -- in power since 2003 -- to seek a fourth term. - Electoral Court decision - The ruling party last year dismissed the result of the 2016 referendum that denied Morales the possibility of seeking a fourth term as president. Morales argued that it is his human right to seek reelection. His main opponent in the October 2019 elections, ex-president Carlos Mesa, called on the opposition to wage "a democratic battle" against the court decision. The influential Catholic Church hit out at the court ruling, saying it "called into doubt the basis of democracy" in Bolivia, and "left Bolivians with an uncertain future." The biggest protests came in the eastern province of Santa Cruz, whose governor Ruben Costas heads opposition to Morales. Three separate marches that set off earlier this week from outlying provinces were expected to converge in the capital La Paz later Thursday. La Paz mayor Luis Revilla, an opponent of Morales, a supporter of Mesa, said "what remains now is to resist this decision, is to turn to street protests, to prevent this decision being realized." Another opposition figure, Samuel Doria Medina -- a three-time loser to Morales at the polls who has dropped out of the 2019 campaign in favor of a single candidate -- called for "unity to stop the dictatorship." People march against the nomination of Bolivian President Evo Morales as candidate for reelection for the October 2019 elections, during a national strike, in La Paz, on December 6, 2018 People with a sign reading "Evo Morales: Fire spreads! And if we burn, you will burn with us," march against the nomination of the Bolivian president as candidate for reelection for the October 2019 elections, in La Paz on December 6, 2018 People argue with policemen during a march against the nomination of Bolivian President Evo Morales as a candidate for reelection for the October 2019 elections, during a national strike, in La Paz, on December 6, 2018 A security guard at a Costa Rica Airbnb rental villa has been arrested in the death of a Florida woman who was remembered by friends as an avid world traveller and happy soul. Carla Stefaniak of Hallandale Beach, Florida, went to the Central American country to celebrate her 36th birthday but never boarded her November 28 return flight after messaging friends that it was pretty sketchy at her resort. Her missed flight prompted her family to raise the alarm with Costa Rican authorities. Officials later found a partially buried body in woods near the Villa le Mas complex and identified it using fingerprints, the countrys Judicial Investigation Department said. Ms Stefaniaks family members also travelled to there to help with identification. Security guard Bismark Espinosa Martinez, 32, was arrested in the slaying after he contradicted himself in statements to police, the department said on Wednesday. Investigators said blood was found in his nearby apartment. What happened to Carla is just unimaginable, friend Bugra Demirel said in a telephone interview. He said Carla was a happy soul who made everyone laugh and had a large social media presence. Carla Stefaniak was in Costa Rica celebrating her 36th birthday. Source: Facebook/Finding Carla Espinosa Martinez, a Nicaraguan immigrant, was working as a security guard at the complex despite lacking the proper documents to be in Costa Rica, department officials said at a news conference in San Jose. He is believed to have lived in Costa Rica since June. Airbnb removed Villa le Mas a compound with seven vacation apartments from its site and said Wednesday that it had reached out to family members to offer condolences. Villa Le Mass attorney, Federico Jenkins, said the owners are cooperating with the authorities in the investigation. Ms Stefaniak, who was an insurance agent, loved to travel and post photos on Instagram. Her trips included visits to Iceland, Switzerland and Mexico, all documented on social media. For her birthday, she and her sister-in-law decided to visit Costa Rica for a short trip. Story continues As with her other journeys, Ms Stefaniak posted photos on her Instagram. On Nov. 23, she posted a photo of her looking at the ocean that said: Future resident of Costa Rica. Two days later, her last Instagram picture featured her in a turquoise bathing suit, lying near a pool with tropical plants in the background. Im going to miss the place, she wrote. On Nov. 27 her birthday Ms Stefaniaks sister-in-law returned home; the two women had booked different return flights on different days. Ms Stefaniak reserved an Airbnb about 16 kilometres from the airport in San Jose for her final night in the country. Language wasnt an issue; she was born in Venezuela, then moved to Florida in 2000 with her family and finally settled in South Florida. After her sister-in-law left, an Uber driver took her on a tour of San Jose, then dropped her off at the Airbnb around 5 p.m. on Nov. 27. Mr Demirel said she texted a friend that it was raining crazy and the power was out. She added that it was pretty sketchy here and included a picture of the Airbnb. Everything she did she always shared with friends and thats when we knew definitely something was up as soon as we lost contact with her, he said. Ms Stefaniak, who was an insurance agent, loved to travel and post photos on Instagram . Source: Facebook/ Finding Carla After Ms Stefaniak failed to board her Nov. 28 flight to Florida, the family discovered a troubling detail: she had checked in for her flight on the 26th. The family alerted Costa Rican authorities and launched a social media campaign to find her. Then came a break: the hotel guard said hed last seen Ms Stefaniak at 5am on Nov. 28 and helped her put her bags into a taxi. But then he changed his story, according to Costa Rican media, and authorities scrutinised the details more. The family wondered why she would have taken a car to the airport at 5am when her flight was in the afternoon. On Tuesday, a body was found half-buried and covered in plastic in a wooded area about 305 metres from the hotel. It was Ms Stefaniak. An autopsy revealed that she suffered a blunt force wound to the head and cuts on the neck and arms. On Wednesday, her family worked to bring her body home so they could make funeral arrangements. Its too much for us, her father, Carlos Stefaniak, told ABC Action News from Costa Rica. He showed a photo of his four children Carla and her sister, and their two brothers. Thats my team. They are incomplete. Carlos Caceido, the father of U.S. tourist Carla Stefaniak who went missing last week, speaks about having to identify his daughters body at the morgue, during a press conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, on Wednesday. Source: AP Photo via AAP Mr Demirel wondered if the culprit planned to harm Ms Stefaniak from the moment she booked the reservation because her profile photo shows shes beautiful and she noted in her reservation that she was travelling alone. Airbnb encourages users to post their photos as an important way for hosts and guests to learn about each other. I want people to know these things happen, he said. Girls traveling alone make decisions to stay at places. We want them to be aware of their surroundings. But it is hard to have fun and have your guard up at the same time. A suicide bomber killed at least two people and wounded many more outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, according to a revised official toll. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. "This terrorist act led to the martyrdom of two members of the police force," the province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, told state television. Chabahar city governor Rahmdel Bameri said earlier that four people were killed and many more wounded when the bomber blew up a car, but later revised the death toll to two. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," Bameri told state television. Many nearby shop owners and civilian passers-by, including women and children, were severely wounded, he added. Chabahar lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border and is home to a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the two countries. The number of assailants was not immediately clear. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," Marashi said without elaborating on how many assailants took part. Chabahar has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman and with Indian assistance Iran has been developing it as a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan. Iranian police survey the aftermath of a suicide car bombing which killed at least two people and wounded many more outside police headquarters in the southeastern port city of Chabahar Map of Iran locating bomb attack in Chabahar. A suicide car bombing followed by an armed assault killed at least two people and wounded dozens outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused "foreign-backed terrorists" of being behind the attacks and vowed to bring them to justice. "Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists and their masters to justice" Zarif tweeted. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. "This terrorist act led to the martyrdom of two members of the police force," the province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, told state television. A total of 42 people were injured, the majority of whom were discharged from hospital by late afternoon, state television reported. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," Marashi said without elaborating on how many assailants took part. The gunmen who attempted to storm the building were killed by security forces, Iranian media reported. Chabahar city governor Rahmdel Bameri said many shop owners and passers-by, including women and children, were seriously wounded. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," he told state television. Chabahar lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border and is home to a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the two countries. - Busy shopping district - A resident contacted by AFP who said he was inside the police headquarters at the time of the assault said the assailants had attacked the building after blowing up the vehicle. "There was an exchange of gunfire right after the explosion," the resident said, adding that it lasted about 10 minutes. The police headquarters lies in a busy commercial district with many shops and banks around it. The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ground forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, who has overseen counter-insurgency operations in the southeast, visited the police base after the attack, the ultra-conservative Tasnim news website reported. The news agency carried pictures of the remains of the vehicle used by the attackers which is believe to have been a blue Nissan van. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Several recent attacks in the province have been claimed by the jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Iran. It was formed in 2012 as a successor to the Sunni extremist group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), which waged a deadly insurgency against Iranian targets over the previous decade. In October, the group claimed the capture of 12 Iranian security personnel who were conducting an operation near the Pakistan border. A state-run television news agency reported that the unit included intelligence agents from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Five of those captured were released and flown home last month following Pakistani intervention. Chabahar is a strategically important city for Iran. It has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman which, with Indian assistance, Iran has been developing as a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan. Due to its importance as a trade gateway for landlocked Afghanistan, it is the only Iranian port exempt from sanctions imposed by the United States earlier this year after Washington pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran. Iranian police survey the aftermath of a suicide car bombing outside police headquarters in the southeastern port city of Chabahar Map of Iran locating bomb attack in Chabahar The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ground forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, visits the scene of Thursday's attack A detective inspects the wreckage of the car bomb detonated in Thurday's attack on police heaquarters in the port city of Chabahar in southeastern Iran Syria's president on Thursday announced a budget for 2019 of almost $9 billion, of which around a third has been allocated to investment projects including in areas ravaged by the war. Seven years into Syria's grinding civil war, the Damascus government has expelled rebels and jihadists from large parts of the country with Russian military backing. President Bashar al-Assad issued the budget after the parliament passed the bill on Monday. Next year's budget would amount to 3,882 billion Syrian pounds ($8.9 billion, according to the official exchange rate), state news agency SANA said. From that, 1,100 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) would be allocated to "investment", SANA said. Finance Minister Mamun Hamdan said 443 billion pounds ($1 billion) would go to "investment projects in liberated areas or to which the Syrian army brings back stability", SANA quoted him as saying. The minister also said that 700 billion Syrian pounds ($1.6 billion) would be spend on electricity projects, without mentioning in which areas, according to state television. Hamdan told newspaper Al-Watan that the projected deficit for next year was 946 billion pounds (almost $2.2 billion). The regime this year expelled rebels and jihadists from the capital's surroundings and the south of the country, bringing these areas back under its control. It has also threatened to retake the northwestern region of Idlib on the Turkish border, but the area is for now protected by a shaky buffer zone deal struck in September between Russia and rebel backer Turkey. The 2018 budget was of 3,187 billion pounds ($7.3 billion). Syria's war has killed 360,000 people and displaced millions since starting in 2011 with the brutal repression of anti-regime protests. Seven years into Syria's grinding civil war, the Damascus government has expelled rebels and jihadists from large parts of the country with Russian military backing The terrifying moment a group of people narrowly escaped armed bandits on a remote road has been captured on dashcam. Lauren Swenson and her husband Bryant, who according to Fox13 moved to Kenya a couple of years ago to open a CrossFit gym, shared footage of the frightening encounter near Maai Mahiu on Facebook. Ms Swenson explained in a lengthy post online that she had been in a land cruiser with her husband Bryant and two of their trainers on Friday, when the group decided to take a different route because there was a traffic jam on a highway. Shortly after leaving the paved roadway the group came across a matatu, a public transport vehicle, which had been stopped in the middle of the road. The Swensons passengers knew that seemed strange, but the couple originally from the US did not. As the minibus pulled away three bandits are seen standing behind it. In the video, the armed trio immediately run towards the Swensons land cruiser, with one waving a machete. The terrifying confrontation was captured on the Swensons dashcam on Friday. Source: Storyful The passengers inside tell Mr Swenson drive and he starts to reverse. I had to back up long enough to roll my window up before passing by the guy wielding the ponga (machete.),Mr Swenson wrote online. The guy on the far left had a handgun, but couldnt get it out of his waist belt in time. As the bandits appear to reach the car, Mr Swenson hits the accelerator. The bandits chased after us when we passed them, but by then we believe the matatu had alerted the police and you can hear in the video as Collins told us that the police were coming, Ms Swenson wrote online. Then we heard the rifle shot and continued high-tailing it out of there. The group had been driving along the remote road and noticed a minibus stopped. When it pulled away they released there were three bandits behind it. Source: Storyful Fortunately the four in the land cruiser escaped unscathed. For me, everything unfolded as if it was a cartoon seriously. I really didnt process what was happening as dangerous, Ms Swenson wrote online. It just seemed odd and sort of like a Jackie Chan-style scripted bad guy chase. And it wasnt until afterwards when Ms Swenson viewed the vision, did she realise the driver of the minivan had flashed their lights in an attempt to warn them about the danger. Ms Swenson said she is very thankful they got out of the situation safely. Prime Minister Theresa May suggested Thursday that MPs may get to decide whether Britain eventually joins the "backstop" plan to avoid post-Brexit border checks with Ireland. May told BBC Radio that she was looking at allowing lawmakers a vote on the arrangement, which would keep the country in a customs union with the European Union after the end of the proposed Brexit transition period in December 2020. The alternative, according to the deal struck between May and the EU, would be to extend the transition period for up to two years, during which time Britain would largely enjoy the same relationship with the bloc, despite officially leaving on March 29, 2019. "We're looking at is this question around the backstop and the role of parliament," May said. "The backstop is talked about as if it's automatic. Actually it's not automatic. There is a choice. "The question is do we go into the backstop, do we extend... the transition period? I'm exploring." - 'Somewhat illogical' - May is drumming up support for her deal, but faces daunting odds with scores of her own MPs set to vote against the government on December 11. The Conservative prime minister commands a slim working majority in parliament thanks to a deal with Northern Ireland's DUP, which is fiercely opposed to her plan. DUP leader Nigel Dodds said his party would vote against the deal, but would not move to bring down May's government. "If it (the deal) is defeated, it would be somewhat illogical -- having achieved our aim trying to get to a better deal -- it would be illogical then to turn around the next day and say 'let's vote the government out'," he told ITV. "I think then we start on a process to try to get a better deal," he added. The backstop issue is the key sticking point, with official legal advice suggesting Britain could get indefinitely stuck in a customs arrangement, having no power to unilaterally withdraw. According to media reports, May's office has attempted to win over rebellious backbenchers by suggesting that MPs may even be able to vote on rejecting both options of the deal, but was rebuffed by leading Brexiteers. Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the influential eurosceptic ERG group, told the Daily Mail that such a proposal would mean ripping up the Withdrawal Agreement and renegotiating it entirely, something the EU has ruled out. MPs were to hold a third day of debates on the deal on Thursday, focusing on its economic impacts. May's fragile position was laid bare on Tuesday with a stunning series of defeats in parliamentary votes. MPs backed an amendment that will give them a bigger say in what happens if May's deal is voted down and also forced her to publish the official legal advice. A defeat for the prime minister next week could trigger a no-confidence vote leading to early elections, leaving the Brexit process in chaos. The issue of the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland is a key sticking point in the Brexit deal British Prime Minister Theresa May faces a tough task to push the Brexit deal through parliament British Prime Minister Theresa May sought Thursday to woo MPs with a promise of more power over the next stage of Brexit as she fought to save her EU withdrawal deal ahead of a crucial parliamentary vote next week. May said lawmakers could have a greater say over an arrangement to avoid border checks with Ireland that could see Britain tied to EU rules for years after it leaves the bloc in March. The so-called backstop is the key reason many of her own Conservative MPs and her Northern Irish allies opposed the divorce deal, putting her on course for defeat in Tuesday's vote. "People are concerned about the role of the UK in making these decisions. And the obvious, in terms of the UK, is for it to be parliament that makes these decisions," May told BBC radio. Ministers admit the deal struck with Brussels last month is not perfect but say it is the only option for an orderly Brexit after four decades of membership. Civil servants on Thursday briefed senior MPs and ministers on plans for a "no deal scenario", which some commentators suggested would focus minds on the implications of rejecting the agreement. But the scale of the threatened defeat has left some speculating whether May could postpone the vote. Senior Conservative MP Graham Brady, said he would welcome deferring the vote if it meant clarifying the issue of the backstop. Former prime minister Tony Blair told reporters at an event in parliament: "Personally I don't see what the point is of going down with a huge defeat." - Vote on the future - In Brussels, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said the deal was "the only and best agreement possible". "Now is the moment for everyone to take their responsibilities," he told a committee of regional representatives. But the European Court of Justice may yet throw a spanner in the works with a ruling due Monday on whether London has the right to simply call off the entire Brexit process. May has rejected the idea. But with her deal facing defeat and Brussels not budging, the premier's range of options appears to be shrinking. May commands a slim majority in the House of Commons thanks to a deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), but the DUP is fiercely opposed to her plan. The opposition Labour Party has said it could propose a confidence vote if May loses next week. Her chance to convince Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to give her more time in a one-on-one TV debate, which had been expected on Sunday, vanished when the second of two channels in discussions about carrying it live pulled out Thursday. Corbyn and May had spent more than a week arguing about the potential debate's format. But the premier received some good news when the DUP's parliamentary deputy leader Nigel Dodds said his party would back May in a confidence vote if one comes after her deal is defeated. "Having achieved our aim trying to get to a better deal, it would be illogical then to turn around the next day and say 'let's vote the government out'," he told ITV. "I think then we start on a process to try to get a better deal." - 'Just not possible' - The backstop is an arrangement intended to avoid border checks between British Northern Ireland and EU member Ireland by keeping both in a customs arrangement after Brexit. It would only come into effect if London and Brussels fail to agree a new trading relationship by the end of a post-Brexit transition period, in December 2020. But official government legal advice says the backstop could see Britain left indefinitely in the new customs arrangement, with no power to unilaterally withdraw. Under May's deal, if the new trade deal is not ready in June 2020, Britain will have an option to extend the transition for up to two years to avoid going into the backstop. May has suggested parliament make that choice, but former foreign minister and leading Brexit supporter Boris Johnson rejected that idea. "This is simply not possible," he tweeted. "Under her deal, the EU has the legal right to stop us extending the transition and make us enter the backstop -- whatever the PM or parliament says." Theresa May proposed MPs vote on the Irish border "backstop" arrangements, as she fought to save her Brexit deal British ministers admit the deal struck with Brussels last month is not perfect but say it is the only option for an orderly Brexit after four decades of membership Britain voted in favour of leaving the EU in June 2016 Brexit: what happens next? British Prime Minister Theresa May commands only a slim majority in the lower house of parliament A woman has been accused of throwing hot grease on her victim after they became embroiled in a heated argument. Charlene Thompson, 61, allegedly caused a woman to suffer severe burns on her back and arm after the attack at a home in Hawaiian Terrace in Cincinnati, US, according to news station WKRC. Charlene Thompson was accused of pouring hot grease on her victim. Source: WKRC The victims condition and what the argument was over is unknown. WKRC reports Thompson was charged with felonious assault. Yemen's government and rebels, locked in a devastating war, traded accusations Thursday as they sat down for hard-won talks the United Nations described as "difficult" but "critical". The talks in Sweden are the first in two years, in a conflict between a pro-government military coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, and Iran-backed Huthi insurgents that has pushed impoverished Yemen to the brink of mass starvation. While the days leading up to the gathering saw the government and rebels agreeing on a prisoner swap deal and the evacuation of wounded insurgents for medical treatment in Oman, both parties dug in on their demands as the talks began. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged the warring parties not to impose pre-conditions after both sides put forward demands, while the rebels said they were still assessing the "seriousness" of the hard-won talks. "We will judge whether the Stockholm talks are serious or not tomorrow," Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam told the Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen television channel Thursday night. The talks, in the picturesque Swedish village of Rimbo north of Stockholm, where the two sides have to eat in the same cafeteria, are slated to run for one week. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said the talks presented a "critical opportunity" but did not amount to negotiations on a full end to the conflict between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the rival government alliance led by Saudi Arabia. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one UN official said the talks marked "the beginning of difficult work". - 'Humanitarian pipeline' - On the table at the Sweden talks is the fate of Hodeida, the last rebel stronghold on Yemen's Red Sea coast and the conduit for 90 percent of vital food imports. The Saudi-led military coalition, which includes troops trained by the US and UAE, has for months led an offensive to retake Hodeida. The battle has sparked fears for more than 150,000 civilians trapped in the city. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the rebels of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida, a charge Tehran denies. "We'd like to take Hodeida out of the conflict because... it's the humanitarian pipeline to the rest of the country," said UN envoy Griffiths. Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, who heads the Saudi-backed government's delegation to the UN-sponsored talks, told AFP his team would deliver on a planned prisoner swap with the Huthi rebels. But he refused to compromise on Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port. "The Huthi militias must withdraw from the city of Hodeida and its port and hand it over to the legitimate government, and specifically internal security forces," Yamani said. Hamid Issam, a member of the team of Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Sweden, dismissed Yamani's role in the talks altogether. "We came here with the intention that these talks would succeed," Issam told AFP. "But it is not up to Khaled al-Yamani... It is up to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. "If they could have taken Hodeida four years ago, they would have. They have not been able to take it, and they will not be able to take it as long as the people of Yemen are fighting." - Sanaa airport - More than three years since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's fight against the Huthis, Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Fourteen million people face starvation, according to the UN. And as the talks started, a World Food Programme official warned even halting the war would not end hunger in Yemen. The head of the Huthis' political council, Mohammed Ali Huthi, threatened Thursday to bar UN planes from using the Yemeni capital's airport and keep it closed unless the talks led to its full reopening. Sanaa international airport, in the rebel-held capital, has been largely shut down for years. It has been the target of air raids by the Saudi-led coalition, which also controls Yemeni airspace. "We would like to see that airport open, but it needs to be assessed," Griffiths said. "We'd like to see progress on this." International pressure to end the conflict has been ratcheted up in recent weeks, after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi focused attention on Saudi Arabia's foreign policy. Griffiths' plans to host talks in Geneva in September collapsed on the opening day after the rebels refused to leave the Yemeni capital in case they were not allowed to return. The Yemen conflict has killed at least 10,000 people since 2015 and triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani said the government would not compromise on the flashpoint port city of Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port Map showing territorial control in Yemen as of December 5 The talks are being held in the picturesque Swedish village of Rimbo, some 60 kilometres north of Stockholm Many current and former members of Congress attended the funeral for President George H.W. Bush Wednesday at the National Cathedral in Washington. Among those in the crowd: U.S. Rep. John Katko. Katko, R-Camillus, said in an interview that it was an "amazing" experience, especially with President Donald Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter present for the service. Former President George W. Bush, the son of the 41st president, eulogized his late father. "It was really moving and the tributes to him were well founded," Katko said. George H.W. Bush died Friday at the age of 94. The World War II veteran had a long career of public service. He was a two-term congressman from Texas, a diplomat, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and vice president for eight years under President Ronald Reagan. In 1988, Bush won the presidency and served one term before he was defeated by Clinton. There have been numerous memories shared of Bush's public service. One of Katko's predecessors, former U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh, recently told The Citizen about some of his experiences with Bush. Bush was elected president in the same year Walsh won his first congressional campaign. Katko said he met the late president on one occasion. He didn't remember the setting, but the brief encounter he shook hands with Bush occurred when he was a federal prosecutor. With Bush's death, his one term as president has received a greater focus. Some pundits have noted that historians tend to overlook one-term presidents in favor of those who served two or more terms. There are exceptions for Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, two presidents who were assassinated while in office. But for one-term presidents who lost their re-election bids, history usually isn't kind to them. But Katko thinks that will change for Bush 41. "People are going to understand just how good he was as a president, as a leader and as a public servant," he said. "They talked a lot about when the Berlin Wall fell (in 1989) and the dignity and grace with which he handled that helped keep the hardliners in (the Soviet Union) from getting inflamed because he wasn't in your face about it. He was very, very subdued and lowkey about it because he knew how important it was to do that." Katko added, "That shows you leadership isn't what you do so much as sometimes things you don't do. He was great." For those present for the funeral and Americans watching at home, Katko hopes there was a takeaway from the service and Bush's contributions to the country. Bush, he said, was a good guy and a good leader who "led with dignity and grace." "He dispensed with bombast and bravado and tried to do what was right for the country," Katko continued. "We could all learn from that." Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Cayuga Museum of History & Art commonly takes its visitors back in time. An event this Friday, however, will do so a little more actively. The museum will host two performances of "Marie and the Nutcracker Prince," an interactive theater event presented by Breadcrumbs Productions, of Syracuse. Tanner Efinger, the company's artistic director and founder, said Wednesday that the show transforms its host spaces into 1917 revolutionary Russia. If you go WHAT: Immersive theater event: "Marie and the Nutcracker Prince" by Breadcrumbs Productions WHEN: 6 and 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 WHERE: Cayuga Museum, 203 Genesee St., Auburn COST: Tickets $20 INFO: Visit cayugamuseum.org or breadcrumbsproductions.com, or call (315) 253-8051 Based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" and not Tchaikovsky's ballet, the production features four characters: Drosselmeyer (Tallon Larham), Marie (Maya Dwyer, the show's director), the young revolutionary who becomes the nutcracker (Efinger, the show's producer) and an ambassador character (Andrew Hughes, the show's designer). Efinger said the ambassador is there to guide the audience through the show experience. When they arrive, they'll be encouraged to explore the rooms of the Cayuga Museum mansion and the characters occupying them. Then, an event will occur that brings the characters and the audience together into one room, beginning the show. The characters will later scatter once more, at which point the audience must decide which ones to follow. For that reason, Efinger said, no one who sees "Marie and the Nutcracker Prince" actually sees the entire show. "I'm just really fascinated by the concept of audience choice," he said. "If they have to make a choice, they engage more in what they've chosen." Though the show changes based on the audience's response to it and features improvisation, Efinger said it also boasts stage combat, music and choreography. Breadcrumbs produces it with sound and lighting systems, as well as props and smaller set pieces, but the company also relies on the visual character of the venue to define the experience, he said. That won't be a problem with the Cayuga Museum: Breadcrumbs performed a different piece there in February, Efinger said, and architectural features like its grand staircase will certainly define Friday's production. The show also ties into the museum's current exhibit, "1918: A Century Ago," by taking place a year prior. Shows like Friday's are the reason Efinger formed Breadcrumbs after moving to Syracuse a year and a half ago. The company consists of a core of about half a dozen artists and a network of another couple dozen. "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" is its fourth production, Efinger said, and has previously been performed in Syracuse and Oneida. Along with performing such nontraditional shows, the company also advocates for keeping local arts sustainable and "changing the narrative" of what it means to work in theater, Efinger said. "Our long-term goal is to turn central New York into a region that attracts artists because of the depth of opportunity," he said. Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Stay up-to-date on what's happening Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Reading about George Herbert Walker Bushs passing this week brought back a lot of memories. It was for his inauguration in 1989 that Anne Marie and I were selected to serve on the team of florists chosen to decorate the inaugural events. The Presidential Inaugural Commission had asked the Society of American Florists if it had any members who would give up a week, go to D.C. on their own dime and do the flowers for the inaugural balls. And, of course, if the society could find people to donate the 750,000 stems of flowers that would be needed. SAF saw this as an opportunity to show how important flowers are for major social events. The TV coverage would be great for the whole floral industry, and PIC had funds for meals and hotels. Volunteers paid their own way to get there. The whole floral industry would benefit from the efforts. Thus this major decoration effort cost nothing to taxpayers. We went for seven days and the work encompassed 10 to 11 hours each day for the volunteers. The work was exhausting, but exciting and gratifying, because it was a piece of history we were part of. The team was assembled from a list of prominent floral designers, design people active in our industry. Especially those folks who routinely provided $25,000-$75,000 weddings. And one more thing was important: They had to be able to take orders from the folks who had planned it all. You see, we did not go in with a list of ideas and arrangements we thought we would be making. All the planning was done by an old friend, Tom Powell. As soon as the deal was concluded with PIC, he was commissioned to do the sketching and planning for each of the nine balls, as well as other events. Once the overall look was decided, he and his team then made one of each of the designs, counted the flowers and put together an order from which these arrangements could be made. They had to order carnations (a lot of red and white ones), nearly 200,000 roses, red tulips, daffodils, blue iris, white hyacinths and a myriad of other flowers to get it all done. Then there was the water-holding foams, preservatives and the 20 or so kinds of greens and the vases to hold the flowers. And then there were the large tropical houseplants, and on and on. No, it was not going to be each florist showing up with his own box of cut flowers and designing what they wanted. Speaking of that, last week I read an article from an Ohio newspaper in which they interviewed a local florist who had been invited to join the White House Christmas decorating team something my Mom was invited to do in 1976 and 77. It went on to talk about how the florist was creating the arrangements that she wanted to do and making lists of flowers for the White House to buy that would give her an opportunity to showcase her creativity. I do not think that she understands the process that is used for decorating the White House, or for inaugurals. I am wondering what she is now thinking, after the last couple of days of criticism of first lady Melania Trumps blood-red Christmas tree theme, and if she is still thinking she can be that creative. Back to 1989: Each of these nine balls would be equivalent to a million-dollar wedding. Anne Marie and I were honored to be there. I can never recall all the things we learned about design and decorating as we associated with some of the great designers of our land. As it turned out, excepting for a few folks who declined to come back or were asked not to for one reason or another, the team stayed together for the Bill Clinton and George W. Bush inaugurals. A final footnote: In 2008, the Obamas, facing a terrible recession, thought that such opulence might be tough for the public to take and didnt do what their predecessors did, leaving the floral industry out of the process. The current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. did not use the industry, either. I am not sure we will ever return to the old system. Carmen Cosentino operates Cosentino's Florist with his daughter, Jessica. He was elected to the National Floriculture Hall of Fame in 1998, and in 2008, received the Tommy Bright award for lifetime achievements in floral education. He can be reached at cosenti@aol.com or (315) 253-5316. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 0 AUBURN Gretchen Christenson knows that chocolate is an indulgence. So if you're going to have one, she reasons, it should be as good as it possibly can be. Christenson is the owner and chocolatier at Gretchen's Confections, which opened in Auburn's East Hill area Nov. 1. Along with her chocolate creations, the shop also sells lattes, cappuccinos, espressos and other coffee drinks prepared by her husband, William, as well as scones, muffins, cheesecakes and other treats baked by her aunt (and barista) Eleanor Wilcox. The Christensons moved to central New York last year from Tacoma, Washington. It was out west where Gretchen studied chocolate, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Seattle and interning at Tease Chocolates in Tacoma. She has since taken classes in Montreal and Chicago, and completed the online Ecole Chocolat's Certified Chocolatier Program. One of the more popular items at Gretchen's Confections resulted from a homework assignment: Stargazers, which consist of passionfruit jelly and white chocolate vanilla bean ganache dipped in dark chocolate. Tart and decadent, it's already one of the shop's most popular items, Christenson said. Another is the Dreamboat, a slow-cooked caramel dipped in bittersweet chocolate and topped with a sprinkle of sea salt. Christenson said she honed its recipe over the course of a year, noting that a single-degree change in temperature can significantly affect the character of the caramel. "I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to flavor, combination and mouthfeel," she said. "The chocolates I produce are at my highest standards." That approach extends to Christenson's ingredients. She uses premium Belgian chocolate, and sources other items locally whenever possible. The cream and butter in her creations is genuine and fresh, the chocolate and cocoa butter pure. She also doesn't use additives like palm oil, nor preservatives that extend the shelf life of mass-produced chocolates. For those reasons, Christenson encourages eating her chocolates within a month or so. They don't spoil, she said, but their flavor quality begins to dip. No matter how good the chocolate, though, Christenson said that making it for so long has dulled her sweet tooth. She takes tiny tastes for quality control purposes, but at the end of the day, she's done with sweets. That also makes her perfectionism easier: Christenson has to throw out a lot of chocolate, she said, despite the cringes of onlookers. Quality control will be a concern if Christenson is able to mass-produce and distribute Gretchen's Confections chocolates, which she hopes to do one day. "We would love Auburn to be the birthplace of that," she said. "We want to be part of Auburn's growth." Before that, though, Christenson has to set up another kitchen to make her chocolates. After she and William moved to the area to be closer to Gretchen's family in Skaneateles and raise their daughters, Desi and River, the Christensons purchased the former Poppy's ice cream shop on Mattie Street. They wanted the space for its commercial kitchen, but in the process, they decided to open the shop as Sweet William's Ice Cream Cafe in June. However, the Christensons realized the shop wasn't a good fit as they focused on opening Gretchen's Confections, so they've since closed it. Because Christenson is using the East Hill shop to prepare her chocolates, its hours are currently limited to Wednesday through Saturday mornings and afternoons. After she moves into her new kitchen, though, the hours will be extended. Meanwhile, she's been swamped with online orders, as her chocolates are available as packaged gifts, wedding favors, corporate gifts and more. Also in the works, Christenson said, is partnering with Potatoes and Molasses food truck, of Skaneateles, to sell its soups and salads at Gretchen's Confections. She'd like to offer paninis as well. And when it comes to chocolate, Christenson believes she still has "a long way to go" before she's the best she possibly can be at making them. She doesn't know if she ever can be. But as far off as she may be, and as much patience and precision as chocolatiering requires, she's having fun doing so. "Making products that people just love and come back for," she said, "that's satisfying." Lake Life Editor David Wilcox can be reached at (315) 282-2245 or david.wilcox@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @drwilcox. Love 10 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Young people in Cayuga County are dying. As a community leader, I dont want to acknowledge this fact. However, not acknowledging this makes me complicit in continuing a reality that affects us all. I frequently hear stories about young people dying. However, seldom have I taken time to consider why young people are dying until Oct. 9. On this beautiful fall day, a young man I know died suddenly. The death of Cameron Young Siege Sanders sent a shockwave through the community. Cameron is what I refer to as one of Auburns heartbeats. He was a loving, kindhearted, beautiful spirit. Cameron is respected and loved by many across the diversity of our community. He was a rising star in the hip-hop music industry whose career took off like a shot before he was in high school. He had such a bright future ahead of him. Those of us who know the Sanders family must stand with and for them as they continue to build their sons legacy. They launched the Siege the Day initiative as a way to inspire young people to live great lives and seek help as needed in honor of Cameron. As a community leader, I often ponder the idea of a public policy agenda for young people. This agenda would focus on strategic community actions designed to help them live healthy, productive lives. Camerons death inspires me to offer ideas for what the components of this agenda could be: 1. Every young person in Auburn has access to age-appropriate sexual and behavioral health services. These services will be widely publicized and easy to access, especially for youth in crisis. Specific emphasis is placed on mental health since it is nationally reported that 30 percent of Americas children struggle with anxiety. Anxiety is a contributing factor to many other challenges faced by youth. Ideally, these services will be provided by a multicultural group of culturally competent health professionals trained in adolescent/young adult sexual and behavioral health. 2. It is practice to offer community-based learning communities for parents. Learning communities designed to ensure parents understand current youth issues, skills needed to parent in the face of these issues and comprehensive knowledge of services available in times of crisis. Over time, there are cohorts of parents who graduated from the learning community ready to teach and support other parents. 3. Politicians position this issue as a public health emergency. Organizations providing services to young people are given priority for funding from government, corporate and private foundations. This funding is considered a strategic investment in Auburns next generation of leaders. The goal is to build capacity in these organizations so they work in partnership with health providers, families and faith communities to address pressing issues faced by young people. Politicians issue public statements emphasizing the death of a young person in the community by mental health, overdose, suicide or lack of access to age-appropriate health services as unacceptable and compel leaders to reduce these incidences by any means necessary. A public policy agenda for young people may seem like wild fantasy. However, as I meet families of deceased young people, this idea seems increasingly urgent to me. As our community finds its way through this critical issue, it is important to say the names of young people gone too soon. Their presence in our community can never be forgotten. We cant let their lives be in vain. I am committed to doing what I can, when I can, to help this family honor their sons memory by inspiring his peers to be what he was to them. A gifted young man who loved his community. An emerging leader who wanted to do his best to make Auburn, New York, proud. His name is Cameron Young Siege Sanders. Founded by sought-after lecturer, conference keynote speaker and leadership development expert Gwen Webber-McLeod, of Auburn, Gwen Inc. exists for the sole purpose of helping leaders achieve business goals by focusing on the competencies of confidence, competence, courage and calm. The companys hallmark division, The Leadership Connection: A Resource Centered on Great Leadership, provides leadership education, professional consulting/facilitation, mentoring/coaching and technical assistance in organizations, businesses and public venues. Gwen Inc. also produces You Cant Fail, a conference for professional women of color and those who support them. For more information on Gwen Inc., visit gweninc.com. Love 1 Funny 1 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 0 Moravia Central School District voters approved the first phase of a multi-million dollar capital project on Wednesday. The capital project proposal passed 190-36. The first part of a three-phase project is set to have a $11.5 million price tag, with $10 million in building improvements and a energy performance contract for $1.5 million in upgrades. The district plans to start bidding for contractors by fall 2019 and expects construction to start by spring or summer 2020 in order to complete the first phase by late 2020 or early 2021. Approval of the proposal also included an additional 10 percent in state aid to the upgrades under the energy contract. The first phase will include updating all district lighting to LED; upgrades to mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems; and replacing some corridor lockers, ceilings and the middle school gymnasium, according to the district's website explaining the capital project. Safety is set to be a major focus of the project, with the replacement of interior and exterior doors, asbestos abatement in different areas and secured entrances preventing outside visitors from reaching student areas without reaching additional security. To ensure the improvements under the first phase are energy effective and cost efficient, a $1.5 million energy performance contract will run simultaneously alongside with the phase. Automated electronic controls, several mechanical system upgrades, improved insulation and sealing and lighting controls with dimming capabilities will all be under the energy contract. The project is not expected to raise taxes. The district said it will cover the project's costs through reserve funds and debt replacement. The project residents voted for on Wednesday was the first of three phases for $35 million in work overall on district facilities. District officials had previously said phase two would cost $10 million to $11 million, with $15 million for phase three. District Superintendent John Birmingham said he was happy with the results. "I appreciate the support of the community. I wouldn't say I was surprised, because they knew that we were prioritizing student safety and energy upgrades," he said. Resident Rich Chandler said he voted for the project because it won't raise taxes and that state aid will pay for the majority of the project. He said he figured that if Moravia doesn't use that state aid it would be spent elsewhere, such as Syracuse. "It's a no-brainer," Chandler said of voting for the project. "You have to invest in your community." Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. MANCHESTER, NHThe New Hampshire chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project (SWOP NH) has announced that it will be holding a special luncheon and fundraiser on December 17, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, to raise awareness of the problems and challenges facing that much-maligned group. The event will be open to the public at The Flats at Hanover Commons, 235 Hanover St, Manchester, New Hampshire from 5-7 PM. The luncheon will support the work that SWOP does to secure protections and equal rights for sex workers in the Granite State. In attendance will be SWOP NH members and other like-minded supporters. The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers has been observed since 2003, and marks the conviction of Gary Ridgway, The Green River Killer, who was convicted of 48 murders of sex workers, confessed to over 70 killings, and is suspected of more than 100 murders. Violence against sex workers is pervasive across the globe, and trans and sex workers of color are specifically vulnerable due to intersections of violence. As we mark the memories of victims and rally in support of the sex worker community, events marking December 17 are an opportunity to continue to build a corresponding community of sex worker allies, said Ashley Fires, SWOP NH president. The more we shine a light on the plight of sex workers, the more we combat the misinformation and stereotypes that contribute to the stigmatization of sex work. As of today, there are more than 17 affiliated events spread throughout the United States to mark this significant date. These events span from vigils and rallies to art installations and various celebrations of life. "In the continuing effort to support sex workers, fight for their rights and raise awareness of the violence and oppression sex workers face around the world, December 17 is an important day of annual remembrance and one that inspires hope that the goal of the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers will someday be reached, said Angie Rowntree, SWOP NH representative. As an organization, SWOP attempts to track and document all of the sex workers who die in a calendar year. The organization has recorded 45 deceased sex workers who will be recognized on December 17, 32 of whom passed in 2018. Unfortunately, they believe this number will significantly increase as we get closer to the day of recognition. The global list tracked by the SWOP contains over 104 names of sex workers who have passed internationally. Criminalization of sex work in the United States is a major contributing factor to the violence that sex workers face. SWOP calls for the full decriminalization of sex work and the dismantling of policing systems that prey on the most vulnerable members of the sex work communities. Trans sex workers of color make up a disproportionately large number of those that were lost this year, likely due to sex worker stigma and transphobia that go hand-in-hand. Both must be defeated. Sex workers rights are human rights, and sex work is work. This December 17, SWOP will renew its commitment to fight for safety, dignity, and respect. As the community gathers together, they will honor and uplift the names of the many victims who have fallen to violence, as well as hold space for those facing daily non-fatal attacks. More information on the event and SWOP NH can be found at SWOPNH.ORG, or contact Ashley Fires at [email protected]. Information on other events can be found here. Just two days after the social media microblogging site Tumblr announced that it would ban all adult content, as AVN.com chronicled, reports have surfaced claiming that the Tumblr algorithms designed to block porn uploads are stopping images that should not be classified as adult, such as illustrations of Jesus, and the DC Comics superhero Wonder Woman. The out-of-control image censorship software is creating havoc already, despite Tumblrs announcement that the porn ban will not go into effect until December 17, according to a Guardian report. Actor Wil Wheaton tested the Tumblr algorithm by posting the results of an image search for the phrase, beautiful men kissing. According a post by Wheaton, the post depicting several photos of men kissing was flagged within 30 seconds. These images are not explicit. These pictures show two adults, engaging in consensual kissing. Thats it, Wheaton wrote on his own Tumblr blog. It isnt violent, it isnt pornographic. Its literally just two adult humans sharing a kiss. Its ludicrous and insulting thatespecially in 2018this is flagged, either by some sort of badly-designed algorithm, or by shitty homophobic people. According to the Guardian report, other users chronicled flagged posts, including historical images of (clothed) women of colour, a photoset of the actor Sebastian Stan wearing a selection of suits with no socks on, an oil painting of Christ wearing a loincloth, a still of ballet dancers and a drawing of Wonder Woman carrying fellow superhero Harley Quinn. Cartoonist Erika Moen posted on her Twitter account that Tumblr had flagged three mages of herselffor no apparent reason. The site also flagged a post of a flower vase. I just went through the 12 most recent pages of my Tumblr archive and these were the only three photos flagged. Two photos of me fully clothed and a picture of my vase, she wrote. Another artists illustration of a witch floating among kelp was also incorrectly flagged, the site The Verge noted. Yet another artist saw their illustrations of people running around and swimming get flagged. In announcing the porn ban, Tumblr CEO Jeff DOnofrio acknowledged that he expected the sites algorithms to block some posts in error. Were relying on automated tools to identify adult content and humans to help train and keep our systems in check. We know there will be mistakes, he wrote. Computers are better than humans at scaling processand we need them for thatbut theyre not as good at making nuanced, contextual decisions. While DOnofrio said that Tumblr was committed to getting this right, he specified no clear measures to prevent the site from blocking non-porn images. Photo By ABC Television / Wikimedia Commons Public Domain French Village Bakery has invested 850,000 to expand its current operations and develop its catering division. The Belfast-based business opened in 1981 as a producer of artisan breads, cakes and buns. In 2014, production moved to a purpose-built bakehouse, where the business was able to diversify into the catering industry. Now, the family-owned bakery is to develop this area with the help of an 850k investment sum, supported by Danske Bank. The move will create 10 new jobs. We feel there has been a natural progression from when the business supplied sandwiches and catered small events to catering for large corporate events and weddings, said French Village Bakery director Ashley French. With the catering division being located at our bakehouse, we can also use the skill set we have in the bakery to assist with products required for catering events, from fresh bread to wedding cakes, The support of Danske Bank has allowed us to expand our catering kitchen and equip it with top-of-the-range equipment, such as new ovens. Weve also been able to break into new markets and that has really helped us get a foothold in the larger catering market. French added that the business would continue to develop its product range and expand its wholesale bakery arm into new geographical markets. It will also expand the French Village Academy, an apprentice scheme for chefs, bakers and logistics and warehouse operatives, creating four apprentice positions. Superior Court panel will delay order which would have dissolved current elections board Monday The Bipartisan State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement should get a little more time to reorganize as it deals with challenges to the outcome in North Carolina's 9th U.S. Congressional District race.The board was supposed to dissolve by court order Monday, Dec. 3 - the certification date for all 2018 election results. But Friday evening, legislative leaders learned the three-judge Superior Court panel handling the lawsuit will delay imposing its order until Wednesday, Dec. 12.Pat Ryan, a spokesman for Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, told Carolina Journal the court said it would issue the stay Monday. Lawmakers had asked the court to delay its order to give legislative leaders and Gov. Roy Cooper time to develop the structure of a new board.Meantime, it's unclear who will represent the 9th District in the 116th Congress - and how the elections board will proceed over the next week.Republican Mark Harris unofficially defeated Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes in a race capturing national attention. But Friday, a 7-2 elections board majority voted to delay certifying the result. Saturday, the board's chairman, Democrat Andy Penry, resigned after Republicans and media critics said his partisan comments on social media could taint any decisions he made for the board.The board said it will convene an evidentiary hearing by Dec. 21 into allegations of election irregularities and fraud involving absentee mail-in ballots in the 9th District. Two Republican board members, Stacy Eggers and John Lewis, backed the majority.Harris rebuked the board's decision. The Baptist minister said he supports investigating voter fraud and election irregularities, but any probe should be fair and focus on all political parties.Harris said in a Friday news release.he said.The Superior Court panel in October abolished the elections board after all elections were certified. The judges ruled the Republican-led General Assembly altered the board's composition in an unconstitutional way.Had the order taken effect Monday, an attorney in Cooper's office said the nine-member board must revert to its previous five-member format and shed the ethics and lobbying components that were added to it. No one knew who would be part of the reconstituted board.Harris said the uncertainty would have disenfranchised voters. For now, negotiations over a new board and the investigation of potential voter fraud in the 9th District can continue.Jack Minor, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Mark Walker, R-6th District, chairman of the influential House Republican Study Committee, said Walker wasn't ready to say whether Harris needed state certification to be seated.First, Walker wants the legal issues resolved.Democrat Joshua Malcolm, the state board vice chairman, first raised the issue of absentee ballot funny business at a Tuesday board meeting during which the board didn't certify the 9th District results.He introduced Friday's motion to hold an evidentiary hearing to look into News reports say Bladen County had an unusually high number of absentee ballots and abnormally high Republican and unaffiliated votes for Harris. Some voters filed affidavits saying they gave their signed but incomplete ballots to third parties to submit.Malcolm said he wanted toMcCready, who conceded to Harris the day after the election, took to Twitter Thursday to back the election board's decision not to certify Harris.McCready said in his post.he wrote.Penry was the subject of an official complaint alleging he violated state election neutrality laws by disparaging Republicans on his social media posts. State GOP chairman Robin Hayes demanded Penry's ouster.Hayes said in his written statement. On Thursday Hayes threatened legal action if Harris' win was not certified.Also, the News & Observer's editorial board , in an editorial published online Friday and updated Saturday, called on Penry to leave.Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Goodwin supported the election board's investigation on Twitter.Goodwin said in a post.said Kerry Rom, National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman.The Democratic National Congressional Committee did not respond to a request for comment. A JDIG agreement may be up to 12 years and is a binding obligation of the State .... G.S. 143B-437.56(f) requires that each employee's withholdings used to calculate a total JDIG award be capped at $6,500. This requirement affects companies with employees earning more than $175,000 per year ($160,000 for projects in Tier 1 counties). For example, a company with an employee earning $200,000 per year could expect to report income tax withholdings of $10,165. Though 75% of $10,165 is $7,623, under current law, only $6,500 could be used to add to the company's award. Under the proposed bill, the withholdings cap would increase to $16,000 per employee. The Department of Commerce could then use withholdings of employees earning up to approximately $410,000 per year to calculate companies' JDIG awards. skilled labor the state regulatory burden state corporate tax rate local property tax rates community colleges state personal income tax rate highways information technology infrastructure four-year colleges and universities housing costs environmental regulations land prices workforce training programs major airport We need to begin by lowering their expectations about their ability to micromanage economic growth and making the case for a more sensible view of the role of government - providing the foundations for growth through sound fiscal practices, quality public infrastructure, and good education systems - and then letting the economy take care of itself. Senate Bill 820 , which skyrockets tax incentives for " big boys with deep pockets ," rampaged through the North Carolina General Assembly last week like a General Patton simile . It's already law.Gov. Roy Cooper, who told the entire state that in his view "we cannot sacrifice education at the altar of even more corporate tax cuts or giveaways that are mostly for the wealthiest," completed that ritual by signing it into law Dec. 3.Nevertheless, economic research continues to cast doubt on the idea that targeted "corporate tax cuts or giveaways" for economic development actually work. They're wealth transfer programs, and since the beneficiaries are the wealthiest, take a guess on where that wealth is coming from.Here are excerpts from the fiscal note on the bill's huge expansion of the Jobs Development Investment Grant (JDIG) program's cap:To recap, then:We are supposed to believe that a corporation that would otherwise think it makes business sense to relocate or expand in North Carolina simply can't if it "only" gets grants reimbursing it for its income-tax withholding for executive salaries up to $175,000.If it's such a "big boy" where the salaries are higher, the difference between the actual salaries and $175,000 wouldn't be reimbursed. So we're supposed to believe that gap means "no sale" on the corporation coming here - and therefore disastrous to the state's economy.We're also supposed to believe that the few companies that this would actually affect are critical to the state's economic growth , as opposed to further enhancing the state's business climate by keeping regulatory and corporate tax burdens light for all employers.There's little to no reason to believe such things. Research published in 2015 in Economic Development Quarterly cast significant doubt on tax incentives as a way to enhance job creation and the state's overall business climate, even if you ask executives at the companies getting the incentives.The research, by G. Jason Jolley, Mandee Foushee Lancaster, and Jiang Gao, surveyed executives from 150 companies that received economic development incentives from North Carolina and 465 companies that did not. These were incentives under the now-ended William S. Lee Act, the state's first foray into state tax incentives for economic development.Their findings included:Seven out of 10 executives from incentivized companies didn't even know their companies were getting an incentive from North Carolina: "29.3 percent were aware the company had received an incentive, 61.8 percent did not believe the company had received an incentive, and 8.9 percent were unsure." If that's "economic impact," so's losing a check in a desk drawer.Corporate executives want skilled labor, low regulations, low taxes, low costs of living, and good transportation infrastructure more than incentivesOut of a list of 19 important factors for North Carolina's business climate, executives ranked state and local economic development tax incentives 15th and 16th. The only things they found less important than tax incentives were being able to access low-cost labor, mass transit infrastructure, and availability of unskilled labor.Put another way, asked how important tax incentives were, business executives said they could name 14 things more important to the state's business climate:Even incentives recipients think lower tax rates across the board would be betterAs if to drive home the point, executives of incentivized companies were asked which was better, to have"select incentives to certain businesses" or "reduce taxes affecting business taxpayers and their owners." Only one out of five (21.7 percent) said select incentives were better. (Just 14.7 percent of executives at companies not receiving incentives said incentives were better.)In their scholarly article on " The Failure of Economic Development Incentives ," published in the Journal of the American Planning Association in 2004, researchers Alan Peters and Peter Fisher described what they called the "most fundamental problem" with the incentives. It is thatTheir solution sounds like the executives' list of 14 things more important to have than incentives, including skilled labor, low regulations, low taxes, low costs of living, and good transportation infrastructure:Yes, we really do. #3 Laptop Wizard, Vaal R1, 10:10 GMT Laptop Wizard is in great heart at the moment, hitting the frame in each of his last two starts. That form leaves him some way clear of this field, and a repeat of those efforts should see him finally shed his maiden tag. The newcomer Im Not Telling could prove to be the principal danger if ready to go on debut, whilst Pearl of Siberia is another to consider. #6 Isovar - Vaal R2, 10:40 BST Isovar was a beaten favourite on her most recent start at Turffontein in September, only able to finish sixth, but that was just her second outing to the racecourse and she is worthy of a second chance in this lowly company. Shezahotti is far more exposed than the selection, but sets the form standard and is respected, whilst Azeeza produced a solid debut here last time. #4 Shanghai Tang - Vaal R3, 11:10 GMT Shanghai Tang was down the field on his most recent start in a maiden here in April, but the form he showed previously to finish second on debut two months earlier was a solid run, and he is worthy of another chance to get his head in front on just his third career start. Glitter Path has the best credentials of the remainder, while Takatul is one to bear in mind too. Court Revives Grandma's Case Against Officials Who Sent Her to Men's Jail Fior Pichardo de Veloz was on her way to Miami for the birth of her grandchild when a not-so-funny thing happened. She was arrested on old drug charges, but that wasn't it. What happened next made all the newspapers: police took her to the men's jail. It got worse. That's why she sued in Pichardo de Veloz v. Miami-Dade County. No Man A county nurse falsely told police that Pichardo was a transgender man, the lawsuit said. A doctor didn't physically check, and so officials sent Pichardo to the men's jail. For 10 hours, she feared for her life because she was surrounded by about 40 men in custody. She felt "psychologically assaulted because everyone looked at her as if she was a pinata," she told an investigator. Officers then strip-searched her and discovered the mistake. In her lawsuit, Pichardo said the male officers laughed at her. Pichardo, who is a lawyer and elected official in the Dominican Republic, later sued over the mix-up. A trial judge dismissed her case, however, saying the doctor and nurse were entitled to immunity. No Immunity The U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed. Judge Frank Hull, a woman, wrote the opinion. The appeals court said Pichardo had a plausible claim the nurse and doctor were deliberately indifferent to her health and safety. They were not immune from suit because the constitutional violation was obvious, the panel said. "Every reasonable prison officer and medical personnel would have known that wrongfully misclassifying a biological female as a male inmate and placing that female in the male population of a detention facility was unlawful." Hull wrote. Related Resources: D.C. Marriage Clerk Thought New Mexico ID Was 'Foreign' "My supervisor and I have verified that New Mexico is a state." Not exactly what you expect to hear from a marriage clerk. Perhaps from a middle schooler clowning around in a geography class, but not a civil servant in our nation's capital. But that's apparently what Gavin Clarkson was told after a back-and-forth with a D.C. Marriage Bureau clerk last month that included the clerk asking to see Clarkson's "New Mexico passport." Oof. Is That Anywhere Near Old Mexico? Clarkson and his now-wife Marina went to the D.C. bureau to request a marriage license on November 20. But when he first presented his New Mexico driver's license to the clerk on duty, she looked at it skeptically, saying "I'm sorry, my supervisor says we can't accept international driver's licenses." And after a brief consultation with her supervisor, she requested to see Clarkson's "New Mexico passport." When Clarkson tried to explain that New Mexico was indeed part of the United States, she again went to speak with her supervisor. Upon returning, she confirmed to Clarkson, "'My supervisor and I have verified that New Mexico is a state." "Basically, they went back and did a Google search," he told NBC Washington. At one point, according to Clarkson, the clerk even complimented him on his English. Double oof. All the World, Right Here at Home We understand that a clerk in our Marriage Bureau made a mistake regarding New Mexico's 106-year history as a state," Leah Gurowitz, spokeswoman for District of Columbia Courts, assured the public in a statement. "We very much regret the error and the slight delay it caused a New Mexico resident in applying for a DC marriage license." Clarkson did note that the clerk was embarrassed and apologetic once the matter of statehood was straightened out. Not a great day for the D.C. Marriage Bureau, but the couple were able to get their paperwork sorted out and get married that same day. Here's hoping, however, the clerk doesn't also ask for passports for engaged couples from Paris (Idaho), Rome (Georgia), or Cairo (Illinois). Related Resources: That massive data breach that hit hotel group Marriott? Now there are clues the hackers behind it were working for a Chinese government intelligence gathering operation. Let's refresh on how bad the hack disclosed just last week ago really was. 500 million people were affected. Unauthorized access to the Starwood network since 2014 For approximately 327M of these guests, the info includes some combination of name, mailing address, phone number, email address, passport number. Today, sources familiar with the breach detailed what they know to Reuters: Marriott said last week that a hack that began four years ago had exposed the records of up to 500 million customers in its Starwood hotels reservation system. Private investigators looking into the breach have found hacking tools, techniques and procedures previously used in attacks attributed to Chinese hackers, said three sources who were not authorized to discuss the company's private probe into the attack. That suggests that Chinese hackers may have been behind a campaign designed to collect information for use in Beijing's espionage efforts and not for financial gain, two of the sources said. While China has emerged as the lead suspect in the case, the sources cautioned it was possible somebody else was behind the hack because other parties had access to the same hacking tools, some of which have previously been posted online. Identifying the culprit is further complicated by the fact that investigators suspect multiple hacking groups may have simultaneously been inside Starwood's computer networks since 2014, said one of the sources. "The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not return requests for comment." From the weekly series The Bureau . Brought to you this week by the U.S. House of Representatives and InjectoCortex, Proud provider of INF-based Brain Transistors for Elected Officials (IBTEOs) since public disclosure of their existence in 1952. Welcome back to The Bureau, a weekly series on Boing Boing that pairs a comics story with an electronic music soundtrack. Each panel is timed to occur in real-time, covering an entire day at your job. If you're new to the story, please check in with your manager, as you'll want to catch up on an eventful morning of work. You clocked in at 8:59am, then dealt with a vending machine at 10:28am. You were assessed on your collating at 10:58am, then saw a vision of Abraham Lincoln at 12:03pm. Following this, you were filled with a legitimate sense of joy around 1pm. This sixth episode begins the second act of the story. You'll want to start this playlist at 1:21pm: Featured this week: The SSL Scat Talker Phoneme Generator This week the second act of The Bureau story begins, and introduces you to one of the larger truths of the world: A President's thoughts are not his or her own. Rather, they are often controlled via Telepathy, through a large Infant Brain. And while that fact is well established, and justifies many Presidents' behavior and decisions, the means by which the Infant Brain communicates might surprise you. Infants are known to use 100% Pure-Grade Uncut Phoneme! Not a surprise if you follow history. Many world leaders have been controlled by Phonetic means. Phonemes are the sounds that make up words, and thus are more potent than words themselves. The monosyllabic grunting hissing bopping and pucking of phonemes speak to the primal core of world leadership. Currently, all leaders have been mandated by International Law to have a Phonetic indoctrination prior to being able to represent any country with a population that exceeds 150,000 citizens. This video is shown to world leaders on their first day of work, prior to their implant Implantation Starts Early: The first week at their job, following filling out some forms, being shown the Break Room, and getting an ID card, World Leaders are swabbed for DNA and then paired with an Orphanage-Raised Psychic Infant (ORPI) who will guide their every decision through office. A series of video tutorials (like the one above) then guides the leader into a new blissful stage of Comfortable Control. The implant process, and changes in technology The U.S. Government has been using ORPIs in its Psychological Operations since World War I, when infants of great mental strength were originally hidden behind the curtain of a President, communicating their directives via normal unamplified telepathy. While useful, once television exposed FDR to living rooms in 1939, the need for remote control became evident, as viewers at home were curious about what they were seeing on the screen. The story goes that FDR was convinced the orphan was hidden with care, but numerous letters to the New York Times asked "What was that lump on FDR's lap?" The Press Agent at the time rejoined "He's just happy to see you." But the government realized The Infant would need to be hidden from view. But how to amplify the Brain Wave? Enter the Transistor. As Presidents became more mobile, the broadcast abilities of Psychic Thought would require small clandestine components that amplified their signal and be difficult to see. Ideally the Infant could be housed in a room or two away from the President, and the President could have a "trance sister", or "a friend" that could help the psychic energy, as originally phrased from Harry Truman's eccentric wife Bessie. Bell Labs took the call, thus delivering the what it deemed with clarified language 'the transistor', to the White House in February 1945 Nearly two years before officially revealing such science to the world. The transistor allowed for technology providing a nearly unbreakable beam of Telekinetic Conduit But its perspective shifting result was almost too noticeable, bending the will of any president receiving its signal without discretion. Harry S Truman's presidency saw the first use of transmittable psychic infant's control, notable with its first act of mental reconfiguration: Executive Order 9835, or "Loyalty Order", which established the rule of McCarthyism. Under true and total Phoneme control, Truman then directly engaged American forces into the Korean War, bypassing the obligatory theater of seeking Congressional approval. If you listen carefully you can hear a buzzing of the Infant's words prior to Truman speaking. This was later improved upon in future noise-cancelling implants of the INF-2 and INF-3. The original implant used on Truman, dubbed the "INF-Beta", would go through numerous Administrations and iterations. Despite large improvements, the technology has had its moments of error: Here at one minute twenty seconds, Nixon completely mishears his Infant's phonetic advice on answering the subject of impeachment. The problem was later deemed more than just technology-fixable with an improved INF-4. Nixon was known to perceive only half of the sounds of human language, the press deeming him an inconsonant voweler. A vertigo-inducing inner ear INF-5 implant produced balance difficulties for President Ford. Ronald Reagan's INF-8 transmitter consistently failed to contact with his Control Center Infant, leading to numerous moments of cognitive distress. Making your own Infant Transmission at home with the Synthetic Sound Labs Scat Talker Phoneme Generator At this point, you might be curious about making your own Phoneme messages. Use of a proper transmitter might even send your message directly to the President's mind! We at The Bureau recommend a unique and wonderful electronic device called the Scat Talker (rather funny if you think the President is, him or herself, a shit talker) but the SSL Scat Talker is far more unique. Doug Slocam, the inventor of the Scat Talker (and a person with a remarkable and impressive history with synthesizer technology going back decades) describes the Scat Talker Particularly its implementation of a Votrax SC-01 chip, used as the voice module in the movie War Games, Q-Bert, and the Heathkit HERO robot. "Shall we play a game?" Get your synth talking, singing, scatting, growling or just plain babbling like a drunken Swede (not my metaphor, sorry). Born from 1970s & 80s technology and pushed to the limits with modern microprocessors, the 1420 Scat-Talker is a module that speaks volumes about the analog-digital hybrid innovations of its time. The Votrax chip's most famous Hollywood moment of phoneme-driven speech synthesis, as the voice of Global Thermonuclear War At the Scat-Talker's heart is an original Votrax SC-01 chip. The chip's sounds have gone into outer space on a satellite, were used in the movie "War Games", Q-Bert video and several pinball games, Radio Shack's Speech module, as well as the Heathkit HERO robot. Phoneme programmed speech from a Votrax chip introducing itself in a HERO home robot Operation of the Scat Talker: Select one of the 63 built-in phonemes with a control voltage (CV) or panel control aided by the convenient high contrast LCD display, press the button and have some fun by setting the pitch from normal to growls, thru duck like gibberish. Trigger the phonemes with a sample & hold or sequencer, or connect to a DAW with a MIDI to CV converter for speech like sequences. The Scat-Talker can be made to 'speak' by sequencing its phonemes in specific orders. (Best implemented with a step sequencer that sends CV for each note and gate) Dedication The Scat-Talker is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Max Mathews of Bell Laboratories, who while certainly not alone in his efforts, is credited with numerous speech and music related innovations from the 1950's right up to his death in 2011. As the story goes, while visiting a friend at Bell Labs in 1961, director Stanley Kubrick was treated to a demonstration of a singing computer with musical accompaniment arranged by Mathews. That song "Daisy Bell" was all the inspiration Kubrick needed for the final dramatic scene in '2001 A Space Odyssey' where the HAL computer is slowly decommissioned. The Scat-Talker's built in demo sings a few familiar bars from "Daisy" in memory of Mathews. The Scat Talker singing 'Daisy' in a nod to Douglas Rain's performance as HAL from 2001 John L Rice's demo is an outstanding demonstration of much of the Scat Talker's abilities: Fun listen here on COUB The sounds of the SSL Scat Talker in The Bureau The Scat Talker is the sound of Droning Dread at the beginning of your day: The Scat Talker asks you about the Fire Alarm Lever: The Scat Talker speaks directly for the President on State TV: And in its most unrestrained, the Scat Talker is the recorded sounds of the Brain-Controlling Infant itself Exercise Caution: To be continued next Wednesday on The Bureau. View all Bureau installments Continued vigilance, good friends! Facebook's changes to content display algorithms met with "the fierce devotion in France to local and regional identity," and the so-called yellow jacket protests in France exploded. "What's happening right now in France isn't happening in a vacuum," reports Buzzfeed. This is real Sourcerer's Apprentice stuff. Social media is the real global political story. Nobody wants to admit it, because doing so always sounds like it invalidates the concerns of the often legitimately angry. But it is. It is. https://t.co/QABuXPu1fp Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) December 5, 2018 Excerpt: The Yellow Jackets movement named for the protesters' brightly colored safety vests is a beast born almost entirely from Facebook. And it's only getting more popular. Recent polls indicate the majority of France now supports the protesters. The Yellow Jackets communicate almost entirely on small, decentralized Facebook pages. They coordinate via memes and viral videos. Whatever gets shared the most becomes part of their platform. Due to the way algorithm changes made earlier this year interacted with the fierce devotion in France to local and regional identity, the country is now facing some of the worst riots in many years and in Paris, the worst in half a century. This isn't the first time real-life violence has followed a viral Facebook storm and it certainly won't be the last. Much has already been written about the anti-Muslim Facebook riots in Myanmar and Sri Lanka and the WhatsApp lynchings in Brazil and India. Well, the same process is happening in Europe now, on a massive scale. Here's how Facebook tore France apart. Jamie Dimon is CEO of Jpmorgan Chase, the massive bank that settled a $13 billion mortgage fraud case with the DoJ in 2013 by committing more mortgage frauds to raise the cash; he has since taken the bank into some of the dirtiest business on Earth, from the loans that keep the Keystone XL pipeline viable to funding the private border prisons where Trump's Kids in Cages are being held, terrified and separated from their families. Dimon is an infamous money-over-people crook: when Elizabeth Warren caught his bank failing to comply with rules put in place after the 2008 crisis, he smirked at her and told her to "hit him" with fines because the bank could easily afford them, having after the massive profit-taking from their massive frauds. He's even floated the idea of a presidential run in 2020. Now, Dimon's smirk is turning to rage, as he finds himself dogged by protesters everywhere he goes: speeches, shareholder meetings, when he comes and goes from work. The activists call on him to divest from the bank's unethical business, which will not happen while Dimon is in command. But in the meantime, they are keeping these issues alive, afflicting the comfortable and ensuring that he does not have a moment's peace while he is profiting from others' misery and the destruction of the planet. Protesters have targeted Wall Street for years, but criticism at the annual conclave has shifted from the traditional corporate complaints about pay and risk-taking. The CEO is annoyed by the activism that now overshadows the event. "The shareholder meeting has become a farce," Dimon told clients and employees in Washington in October. "I'm not against social groups," he said, but the meetings "get hijacked." A JPMorgan spokesman declined to comment. In September, Breech and climate activists disrupted Dimon's talk at a hotel in Philadelphia with shouts about fossil fuels. JPMorgan lends to TransCanada Corp., whose controversial Keystone XL pipeline got approval from Trump to carry fuel from the Alberta tar sands to the Gulf. Before that, eight people were arrested when immigration activists blocked the streets outside his co-op on Manhattan's Upper East Side. At one point, protesters at the gates to his building halted their chants, called for silence, and played the audio of Central American children sobbing in a detention center after being separated from their parents by U.S. authorities at the border. JPMorgan lends to GEO Group Inc. and CoreCivic Inc., which run facilities that hold immigrant families in Texas. Some protesters don't just want Dimon's help, they want atonement. At this May's meeting outside Dallas, Juleon Robinson of the New Economy Project asked Dimon if Chase would provide reparations for giving less banking access and fewer loans to black and Latino customers in New York. "You seem like a bright young man who is highly misinformed," Dimon said, before ticking through some of the bank's philanthropic initiatives. Occupy Jamie Dimon: Activists Are Chasing the Billionaire Across the U.S. [Michelle Davis and Max Abelson/Bloomberg] (via Naked Capitalism) (Image: Infrogmation of New Orleans, CC-BY-SA) We've talked before about how hard it is for folks driving for Lyft and Uber to break even. Things aren't so hot for cab drivers, either: as ridesharing becomes more prevalent by the day, those who own their own taxi or drive for someone else are finding it harder to make a living. The drop in revenue going into the pockets of New York City Taxi medallion owners has been so extreme that drivers have been forced to work 100-hour weeks just to stay out of the red. Others, feeling that their lives were ruined by mounting debt, out of desperation committed suicide. Today, New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission decided that they'd do something about it. From Gizmodo: Today, New York's City's Taxi and Limousine Commission approved measures to enact minimum pay requirements for app-based for-hire vehicles (FHV) like Uber, Lyft, and Juno. The new pay structure is set to take effect early in the new year. The $26.51 per hour gross pay floor (estimated to amount to $17.22 per hour, less expenses) comes after "growing evidence of declining driver pay" was confirmed by a labor study, commissioned by the TLC, which concluded that 85 percent of drivers in NYC were earning less than the local minimum wage of $15 an hour. The new requirements will increase the average driver's take-home pay by an estimated $9,600 per year. Advocacy groups like the Independent Driver's Guild and Amalgamated Transit Union have celebrated the change. "All workers deserve the protection of a fair, livable wage and we are proud to be setting the new bar for contractor workers' rights in America," Conigliaro, Jr., founder of IDG, wrote in a press statement. So of course, rideshare companies are throwing a fit. According to Gizmodo, Uber thinks it's fantastic that their drivers will finally be able to make a living wage, but insinuated that the extra cash required to ensure that their employees can afford to eat AND pay the rent would come out of the pockets of those using the rideshare service. Lyft? They're thrilled that folks can afford to maybe set their kids up at a decent daycare while simultaneously paying all of their bills. But they warn that "the TLC's proposed pay rules will undermine competition by allowing certain companies to pay drivers lower wages, and disincentive drivers from giving rides to and from areas outside Manhattan." Image via Pexels - Tito Mboweni spoke out on Twitter against the publication of the address where Julius Malema's family lives - Malema replied to Mboweni's tweet and thanked him for his support - However, Mboweni's defence of Malema sparked divergent opinions PAY ATTENTION: Click "See first" under the "Following" tab to see Briefly News on your newsfeed! Finance Minister Tito Mboweni defended Julius Malema's family's right to privacy on Twitter yesterday but ended up dividing Twitter. In a hard-hitting tweet, Mboweni said: I find the violation of my homeboys @Julius_S_Malema family privacy distasteful, abhorrent, unjournalistic, backward and deserving the full condemnation by SANEF and all democrats. PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app As Briefly.co.za reported earlier, Malema condemned the publication of his family's home address on Twitter by journalist Jacques Pauw earlier this week. He said this unnecessarily put his family's safety in jeopardy, and Mboweni clearly agreed with him. Malema later replied to Mboweni's tweet and thanked him. READ ALSO: Expert points finger at Eskom and ANC for mismanagement of country's power Mboweni's tweet went viral but sparked divergent opinions. Some tweeps agreed with him that Malema's family's privacy should be respected. While some commenters agreed with Mboweni, they urged him to also speak out whenever Malema or EFF does something similar. For others, it was simply a case of what goes around, comes around. READ ALSO: Traffic cop filmed napping while speed trapping in Free State 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 After his massive success with #FillUpMosesMabhida, fans are wondering where Cassper Nyovest will be going next. He recently said on social media he might head outside South Africa's borders, to Botswana, perhaps. PAY ATTENTION: Click See First under the Following tab to see Briefly.co.za News on your News Feed! Cassper Nyovest's #FillUpMosesMabhida was a huge hit, and his fans loved every second of the concert. In fact, the concert was so epic, fans are already asking where the next one will be. While the musician isn't sure yet, he hinted at going to Botswana. As reported by SAHipHopMagazine, Cassper said he might do his next concert in Botswana after a fan asked about his plans. I would love to go home, NW. If not home then maybe our second home as Motswako is Botswana. Meeting Durban officials would be beautiful to take it back with the full support of the city now that weve went through so much. Cape Town or East London but the fans will decide. PAY ATTENTION: Save mobile data with FreeBasics: Briefly is now available on the app Cassper has a a wide fan base and we're sure the rest of the world would love the opportunity to see him perform live. READ ALSO: Tweeps accuse DJ Zinhle of defending AKA by throwing shade at Cassper While his last concert was definitely a success in the eyes of his fans, Cassper admitted that thanks to sponsors bailing on him, he has a lot of debt. Briefly.co.za reported earlier that the hip-hop star has a R7 million bill after the concert, but he's grateful to have his fans and their support. 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 POSTAL and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Potraz) director-general Gift Kallisto Machengete appeared at Harare Magistrates' Court yesterday facing criminal abuse of office charges after he allegedly engaged a local company to construct Container Village Information Centres (CVICs) valued at $1 494 104 without going to tender.Machengete who appeared before magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa was remanded to January 15 on $500 bail.As part of his bail conditions, he was ordered to surrender his passport with the clerk of court and report to the police twice a week on Mondays and Fridays.Machengete was appointed Potraz director-general on December 1, 2016. Sometime in December last year, Potraz resolved to procure CVICs,which were going to be mounted countrywide.The State alleges in February, Machengete wrote to the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (Praz) requesting a waiver of procurement regulations to enable the authority to purchase CVICs through quotations because container conversion was a specialised skill.It is alleged on February 12, Praz wrote back to Machengete advising them to procure through the normal tender process.Instead, on February 15, Machengete, in violation of the Procurement Act approved a memo recommending sourcing of quotations for the supply of CVICs from four companies.It is alleged Potraz subsequently purchased 24 CVICs from B Smart Business Solutions at $70 682,95 each, totalling $1 494 104, through comparative schedule despite the fact that the value involved required competitive bidding in terms of the Procurement Act.The State further alleges that Machengete, in his capacity as the chief accounting officer signed the contract between Potraz and B Smart Business Solutions for the supply and purchase of the CVICs. B Smart Business Solutions has since erected 20 CVICs and was paid $1, 032 755, 38.Linda Gadzikwa appeared for the State. News / National by Mandla Ndlovu The United States of America on Thursday emphasised their terms of engagement that can lead to America being a development partner with Zimbabwe and see the removal os economic and trade sanctions.Addressing the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Matthew Harrington said, "There are several steps the government of Zimbabwe could take that would send a strong signal to its own people and to the international community that it is serious about taking the country in a new, more positive direction."First, it should repeal laws such as the Public Order and Security Act, and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act which have long been used to suppress the human rights of people in Zimbabwe and which violate Zimbabwe's 2013 constitution."Harrington also called on Zimbabwe's government to end all forms of brutality directed towards opposition members."Second, the government should immediately end the harassment of members of the political opposition. It should drop charges against former Finance Minister and prominent opposition figure Tendai Biti and all those who have been arbitrarily detained for exercising their human rights and fundamental freedoms."Third, the government should allow the Commission of Inquiry to work transparently and independently, and hold perpetrators of the August 1 violence fully accountable. And fourth, the government should move quickly to ensure legislation is consistent with the 2013 constitution, as well as uphold its letter and spirit."Harrington said America is seeing a lot of positives on commitment but no action from Zimbabwe. he added that they still have a long way before they come to the table to talk about loans to Zimbabwe."The United States wants a stable, peaceful, democratic Zimbabwe that is genuinely accountable to its citizens and responsive to their needs. If there is real, concrete progress along those lines, the government and people of Zimbabwe will find a committed partner in the United States." Opinion / Columnist The Parliament of Zimbabwe consists of two chambers thus, the upper chamber which is the Senate and the House of Assembly which is the lower chamber. Parliaments are usually defined as having two main categories of actors, the Government and the opposition. The legislators in Zimbabwe are comprised of members of the ruling party, ZANU PF, opposition party, MDC and independent legislators.All the members of parliament (MPs) represent different constituencies. The core functions of Parliamentarians comprises of law making function, the consent to taxation and control of public expenditure and debate on Government policies.As elected officials, legislators are expected to speak for and air the views of those who elected them into office. They are expected to represent the aspirations of the electorate and engage in debates that give value to the wishes and will of citizens.Contrary to that, most MDC legislators in Zimbabwe have not been doing justice to the people they represent in various constituencies. On a number of occasions, during Parliament sessions MDC MPs have been behaving rowdy through disrupting parliament business.It is understood that opposition legislators should complement Government programmes or proffer solutions where possible rather than putting spanners in government programmes for political expediency. The opposition MPs have been foolishly propagating the notion that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is not the legitimate President. Their failure to recognise President Mnangagwa as the Head of State has been derailing Government programmes and it can only hurt their constituency in the long run. Some of them had been openly declaring that they would make this country ungovernable, a declaration which many described as sabotaging Government efforts in developing the economy.Recently, MDC Vice President, Engineer Elias Mudzuri was harassed and landed himself in hot soup for attending a parliamentary function at State House which was officiated by President Mnangagwa. As the leader of opposition in the Senate and a member of the Parliamentary Standing Rules and Orders Committee, it was essential for Mudzuri to attend such a Government event as a way fulfilling his parliamentary duties. The behaviour by other MDC MPs depicted that the MDC officials do not even understand their role in parliament anymore as they follow the dictates of their immature and delusional leader, Nelson Chamisa.One of the MDC legislator for Kuwadzana East, Charles Hwende interrogated Mudzuri for attending that parliament event saying, "One munhu weMDC, vana chief whip vese Havana kuenda. Hana yenyu yanga isangarove muri one kuState House kwacho?'At one point, the opposition leaders walked out of Parliament building making noise as they disrupted the State of the Nation Address (SONA) which was being officiated by President Mnangagwa. Also, the legislators refused to acknowledge President Mnangagwa when he entered the National Assembly chamber during a national budget presentation last month.If the Constitution of Zimbabwe states that the government is comprised of the executive, legislature and judiciary, how then would the opposition parliamentarians foolishly acknowledge one arm of government and not the other? The MDC parliamentarians should be encouraged to swallow their pride and start to acknowledge President Mnangagwa's leadership or else its going to be an unpleasant five years for them to the next elections in 2023.MDC legislators have no choice but to work with the Government of the day. It is also imperative to note that even the voter in any constituency, who did not vote for that particular MP, is still being represented by that legislator who won in that constituency. For any political party, either ZANU PF or MDC that has legislators in Parliament to distance itself from the Government of the day is irresponsible and un-strategic as no amount of noise is going to change the election result in their favour.Government programmes such as building of schools, drilling of boreholes, or distribution of food and inputs for agriculture may take place in constituencies that are under MDC legislators and it will be their responsibility to make sure that the people they serve are well represented. Such legislators should ensure that programmes initiated by President Mnangagwa's Government are well understood by the people.The MDC parliamentarians should rethink their "illegitimate" mantra as they are shooting themselves in the foot. Author Discovers Hangover Cure by Getting Drunk for a Decade Trending News: A Guy Got Drunk for a Decade to Find the Best Hangover Cure For all I know, you're in bed or sitting on the John right now hungover AF. Well, allow me to share some good news there is hope for a better future after drinking. At least according to one guy. Shaughnessy Bishop-Stall, 44, did the grueling work of getting drunk for a decade to find out the best hangover cure (somebody had to it) and wrote a book about it. Related: Searching For A Great Multivitamin? Start With These 'Research' The book, Hungover: The Morning After and One Man's Quest for the Cure, describes how Bishop-Stall explored hangover cures through trial and error. He reportedly got obscenely drunk many times and tried hundreds of remedies including the "hair of the dog" strategy where you drink the next day until he found the most effective 'cure.' It was a process of elimination until I got . . . ingredients that I thought held some merit, the author told New York Post. As you might imagine, the endeavor wasn't great for his health. Pretty much every facet of my health did take a real hit during [those] years, Bishop-Stall said. I gained weight, had problems with my circulatory system . . . My mental health took a whack too. The Cure Here's the conclusion, via NYP. "The hero ingredient, per Bishop-Stall, is a high dose about 1,500 milligrams of an amino acid called N-acetylcysteine (NAC). NAC, he explains, is sort of a magic ingredient: It helps the body produce a powerful anti-oxidant called glutathione. Plus, its earned its reputation as a toxicity cure: NAC is used in hospital settings to treat Tylenol overdoses. Along with NAC, Bishop-Stall recommends taking vitamins B1, B6 and B12, which purportedly make NAC more effective, along with boswellia (frankincense), a supposed anti-inflammatory, and milk thistle, an herb that contains even more glutathione." Or Maybe Not So, is that the full-proof hangover cure? Err... NYP spoke with Dr. Edward Goldberg, an internist and gastroenterologist in Manhattan, who is skeptical that NAC and milk thistle will be effective for the average drinker. These supplements . . . are more for a chronic alcoholic with liver damage, not a casual drinker with a hangover, he told NYP. However, Goldberg said frankincense could work, though, only as well as Advil (ibuprofen) could. For Goldberg, the best cure is to down two liters of Pedialyte or coconut water before hitting the pillow after a night of drinking. You heard the man, drink up! But you should probably get off the toilet first before doing anything. You Might Also Dig FILE PHOTO: Meng Wanzhou, Executive Board Director of the Chinese technology giant Huawei, attends a session of the VTB Capital Investment Forum "Russia Calling!" in Moscow, Russia October 2, 2014. REUTERS/Alexander Bibik By Julie Gordon and Christian Shepherd VANCOUVER/BEIJING (Reuters) - The daughter of Huawei's founder, a top executive at the Chinese technology giant, was arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, stirring up fears it could reignite a Sino-U.S. trade row and roiling global stock markets. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, 46, who is Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, threatens to drive a wedge between the United States and China just days after they agreed a 90-day trade war truce in Argentina on Saturday - the day she was detained. Meng's arrest, revealed late on Wednesday by Canadian authorities, is related to U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the possible violations. People familiar with the matter told Reuters in April that U.S. authorities have been investigating Huawei, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws. The arrest and any potential sanctions on the world's no. 2 smartphone maker could have major repercussions on the global technology supply chain. U.S. and Asian shares tumbled as news of the arrest heightened anxiety over prospects of a collision between the world's two largest economic powers, not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. Huawei is not listed, but China's second-largest telecom equipment maker, ZTE Corp (HKSE:0763.HK - News)(Shenzhen:000063.SZ - News), sank nearly 6 percent in Hong Kong while most of the nearby national bourses lost at least 2 percent. U.S. stocks also started lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) down 1.16 percent, the S&P 500 (.SPX) down 1.35 percent and the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC) down almost 2 percent at the opening bell. Investors rushed to the safety of government debt, pushing the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note back below 2.9 percent to its lowest level in three months. Story continues Huawei is already under intense scrutiny from Washington and other western governments over its ties to the Chinese government, driven by concerns it could be used by Beijing for spying. It has been locked out of the U.S. and some other markets for telecom gear. Huawei has repeatedly insisted Beijing has no influence over it. Meng, one of the vice chairs on the company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Trump and Xi had dined in Buenos Aires on Dec. 1 at the G20 summit. Huawei, which generated $93 billion in revenue last year, confirmed the arrest. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," it said in a statement. She was detained while transferring flights in Canada, it added. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing on Thursday that China had asked Canada and the United States for an explanation of Meng's arrest, but they have not provided any clarification". The Chinese consulate in Vancouver has been providing her assistance, he added, declining further comment. On Wednesday, China's embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for her immediate release. In April, the sources told Reuters the U.S. Justice Department probe was being handled by the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn also declined to comment. 'EXTREMELY SHOCKING' Lu Xiang, an expert on China-U.S. relations at the state-backed Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, called Meng's arrest extremely shocking. "If someone from the United States is hoping to use threats to an individuals personal safety in order to add weight in the talks, then they have most certainly miscalculated," he said. Arthur Kroeber, founder of Gavekal Dragonomics, said Beijing was unlikely to retaliate against the U.S. business community in China because its interests have partly overlapped with Chinas in the trade war, giving Beijing some leverage. Jia Wenshan, a professor at Chapman University in California, said the arrest "runs a huge risk of derailing the U.S.-China trade talks." While Meng's arrest comes at a delicate time in U.S.-China relations, it was not clear if the timing was coincidental. The probe of Huawei is similar to one that threatened the survival of China's ZTE Corp (HKSE:0763.HK - News) (Shenzhen:000063.SZ - News), which pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran in efforts to curb Tehran's missile and nuclear programs. Earlier this year, the United States banned U.S. firms from selling parts and software to ZTE, which eventually paid $1 billion as part of a deal to get the ban lifted. Huawei has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. News of the arrest came the same day Britain's BT Group (:BT.L) said it was removing Huawei's equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. In January 2013, Reuters reported that Hong Kong-based Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran's largest mobile-phone operator, had much closer ties to Huawei than previously known. Meng, who also has used the English names Cathy and Sabrina, served on the board of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009, according to Skycom records and several other past and present Skycom directors appear to have connections to Huawei. Meng's arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse praised the move and said that it was "for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran." He added: "Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes it's laundered through many of Beijing's so-called 'private' sector entities." (Reporting by Makini Brice and Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Diane Bartz in Washington, Tony Munroe and Christian Shepherd in Beijing, Josh Horwitz and John Ruwitch in Shanghai and Jessie Pang in Hong Kong; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Susan Thomas) By Rania El Gamal, Ahmad Ghaddar and Olesya Astakhova VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC tentatively agreed to an oil output cut on Thursday but was waiting for a commitment from non-OPEC heavyweight Russia before deciding the exact volumes for a production reduction aimed at propping up crude prices, two sources from the group said. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak flew home from Vienna earlier for talks with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Novak returns to Austria's capital for discussions among Saudi-led OPEC and the group's allies on Friday. The price of crude has fallen almost a third since October but U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries make oil even cheaper by refraining from output cuts. "We still want Russia to cut as much as possible," Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters as the OPEC meeting concluded without yielding concrete figures. "I'm not confident but I hope to reach a deal ... Hopefully, he (Novak) will come tonight," Falih said. Possible output cuts by OPEC and its allies range from 0.5-1.5 million bpd. A reduction of 1 million bpd would be acceptable and so far was the main scenario, Falih said. Brent oil futures fell as much as 5 percent to below $59 per barrel on fears that there could be no deal but later recovered somewhat, trading down 3.5 percent at 1720 GMT. [O/R] "One million bpd may disappoint many. But should the cut be from a September or October baseline, rather than November, the net impact would be sufficient to limit storage builds," Greg Sharenow, executive vice-president for Pimco, said on the sidelines of the OPEC meeting. "It is unlikely to spark a meaningful price rally, but also will not be so dire either. In many respects it is the middle road, which may be the optimal solution," said Sharenow, who helps manage a $15 billion commodities fund at the $1.77 trillion U.S. investment management firm. OPEC delegates have said the group and its allies could cut by 1 million bpd if Russia contributed 150,000 bpd of that reduction. If Russia contributed around 250,000 bpd, the overall cut could exceed 1.3 million bpd. Novak said on Thursday that Russia would find it harder to cut oil output in winter than other producers because of the cold weather. Oil prices have crashed as Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United Arab Emirates raised output since June after Trump called for higher production to offset lower exports from Iran, OPEC's third-largest producer. Graphic: Who might agree to an OPEC crude supply deal? https://tmsnrt.rs/2Ru61od Graphic: OPEC's battle to coax Russia to cut oil output as the US ramps up - https://tmsnrt.rs/2RzCE3J Graphic: Difference in OPEC oil output between Nov 2018 and Oct 2016 - https://tmsnrt.rs/2RqgBMS Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States have been vying for the position of top crude producer in recent years. The United States is not part of any output-limiting initiative due to its anti-trust legislation and fragmented oil industry. On Thursday, U.S. government figures showed the country had become a net exporter of crude oil and refined products for the first time on record, underscoring how the surge in production has altered the supply equation in world markets. Graphic: OPEC* crude production in November - Reuters Survey - https://tmsnrt.rs/2RqgctQ TRUMP RAISES PRESSURE Iranian exports have plummeted after the United States imposed fresh sanctions on Tehran in November. But Washington gave sanctions waivers to some buyers of Iranian crude, further raising fears of an oil glut next year. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The world does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" Trump wrote in a tweet on Wednesday. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Thursday he would support a cut as long as Iran did not need to reduce its own output. Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said Iraq as OPEC's second-largest producer would support and join a cut. Possibly complicating any OPEC decision is the crisis around the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October. Trump has backed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite calls from many U.S. politicians to impose stiff sanctions on Riyadh. (Additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla and Alex Lawler; Writing by Dmitry Zhdannikov; Editing by Dale Hudson; Graphics by Amanda Cooper) By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock markets around the world sank on Thursday as the arrest of a top Chinese technology executive threatened to strain an already brittle U.S.-China trade relationship, while oil prices fell after OPEC delayed an output decision. The arrest of smartphone maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada for extradition to the United States came as Washington and Beijing prepared for talks aimed at resolving a bitter trade spat. Sources familiar with the probe told Reuters Meng was arrested as part of a U.S. investigation of an alleged scheme to use the global banking system to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran. Wall Street tumbled in early trade before paring some losses by the close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 79.4 points, or 0.32 percent, to 24,947.67, the S&P 500 lost 4.11 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,695.95 and the Nasdaq Composite added 29.83 points, or 0.42 percent, to 7,188.26. The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost 3.09 percent and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe shed 1.05 percent. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed 2.04 percent lower, while Japan's Nikkei lost 1.91 percent. "Clearly, the Huawei CFO arrest was the individual catalyst that caused todays moves lower," said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. Canadian authorities late on Wednesday said they had arrested Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, on Dec. 1, the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit in Argentina. The world's two economic superpowers had agreed on a 90-day trade truce period to hammer out a more permanent agreement, which sent global stock markets soaring on Monday. Equities reversed course the next day as uncertainty grew that the world's two largest economies could, in fact, find common ground. "The potential slowdown in global growth is also something the markets are pricing in," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley FBR in New York. Earlier this week, shorter-dated yields rose above medium-dated yields for the first time since early 2008, which fanned fears about a U.S. recession in the coming months and also sent Wall Street shares sliding. U.S. Treasury yields fell, with 10-year yields hitting three-month lows, as worries about U.S.-China trade and Brexit spurred safe-haven bids. A U.S. derivatives regulator warned on Thursday that uncertainty over Britains exit from the European Union is having a "substantial" impact on some U.S. entities and markets. Additionally, traders scaled back expectations on the number of rate hikes the Federal Reserve would implement amid weakening economic data and market volatility. U.S. jobs data is due on Friday. If the figures show any serious weakness, markets are likely to react, said Shuji Shirota, HSBC's head of macro economic strategy. The U.S. dollar fell against major peers on lower Treasury yields and as traders scaled back rate hike expectations. "The problem for the dollar is really a decline in U.S. yields and fading Fed expectations," said Shaun Osborne, chief FX strategist at Scotiabank in Toronto. The euro was 0.26 percent higher against the dollar at $1.1373. Gold prices, which move inversely with the dollar, held near a five-month peak as the greenback and equities slipped. Oil prices fell nearly 3 percent in choppy trading after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ended a meeting without making a decision on crude output. OPEC met in Vienna to decide on production policy in coordination with other countries, including Russia, Oman and Kazakhstan. The organization said it had agreed on a tentative deal to cut oil output but had not yet come up with a final figure. U.S. crude settled down 2.65 percent at $51.49 per barrel and Brent was last at $60.06, down 2.44 percent on the day. (Reporting by Laila Kearney; Additional reporting by Marc Jones, Lewis Krauskopf, Shreyashi Sanyal, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Devika Krishna Kumar, Amanda Cooper; Editing by Dan Grebler and Lisa Shumaker) Ricardo Miranda is looking for the perfect shoes for his wedding. It's a wedding that will make history in Alberta. Later this month, the Calgary-Cross MLA, who is also minister of culture and tourism, will become the first Alberta cabinet minister to be married in a same-sex ceremony. In another first, Premier Rachel Notley will officiate at the wedding. Miranda, 42, and his fiance, Christopher Brown, are excited about their love story, which brought together a Nicaraguan refugee and a small town Ontario boy. Fernando Vargas From Nicaragua to Alberta Miranda's family fled war-torn Nicaragua when he was 10 years old. Two years later, the family moved to Calgary, to the riding he now represents in the legislature. It's a diverse neighbourhood, and Miranda said he and his family were welcomed. It was harder being a young gay man, he said. "It was a very isolated sense of existence. You didn't see role models." Miranda came out when he was 18; he said that wasn't a big deal to his family. His mother was more concerned about the fact he wouldn't give her any grandchildren. When he told her he still wanted to have kids, "she came along nicely," he said. The rest of the family didn't have a problem with his sexuality. "I guess they realized that I wasn't any different than I was before they knew," he said. Supplied He graduated from high school in Calgary and worked for Canadian Airlines and Air Canada before he was elected as a union representative. That was the springboard he needed to get into politics and join the NDP. In 2015, he became the first openly gay, Jewish, Hispanic person elected to the Alberta legislature. A match made in Slave Lake Three years later, he went to a constituency event in the Lesser Slave Lake riding of his cabinet colleague, Danielle Larivee, the minister of children's services. Brown works for Larivee and was taking pictures at the event on July 4, 2018. Larivee had mentioned Brown to Miranda, thinking the two might hit it off. Story continues "She kind of played matchmaker," Miranda said. After the event, Brown and Miranda went out for coffee. "I thought he was more interested to talk about politics," said Miranda. "Then it turned out he was more interested in talking about personal stuff." The relationship blossomed. Miranda realized early on that Brown was a keeper. Both wanted to propose Miranda said he was thinking of proposing in October but got a definite "no" vibe from Brown. Supplied It turned out the reason was, Brown wanted to be the one to propose. "Little did I know ... it turned out he wanted to ask me but he hadn't bought the ring yet ," said Miranda. After the NDP convention at the end of October, Brown popped the question. He gave Miranda a gold ring with four small diamonds to signify the day they met. "He wanted to give me something that meant something to him about me," said Miranda. It was a whirlwind courtship but Miranda said he was ready for the commitment. They've invited about 100 people to the wedding. His 18-year-old nephew will be best man, and his 23-year-old niece will be the flower girl. Brown's family will travel from Ontario for the ceremony. A second reception will be held in Ontario in the new year. Going public with the news The two decided to share their news publicly, though Miranda said he wasn't initially keen on the idea. "Visibility is very important to the community," he said. "We've seen, unfortunately, even here in the province, a rise in hate crimes. And it takes us back to a time I don't want to go back to." Miranda said it's important for other LGBTQ people to see him sharing the news about his engagement and wedding. "You can't forget where you're from, and you have to make strides to advance the rights of everyone," he said. "We could have ... easily done this without anybody finding out. But I've always been open and forthcoming and honest about my life, and this didn't seem like the time to actually hide." Miranda said he and Brown are prepared for any negative reaction. He has experienced discrimination before but said having Brown by his side will make all the difference. "I have someone I can rely on and have the support from," he said. "That's very soothing." Nola Keeler/CBC He's not worried about reaction from his constituents because he has been open about being gay. "When they get to meet me, they realize I have just as many concerns as they do about the energy sector and the environment, and all these other things that are important," he said. "All these other things just kind of fade into the background and we can connect on the most basic of levels." Miranda admits he finds the prospect of marriage intimidating. "We want to make it work and it's going to be hard and we're willing to do the work," he said. "Love is really love, at the end of the day." While the dairy industry was warning about concessions forced upon Canada in the new North American free trade deal text last week, the federal government quietly awarded Canadian dairy processors almost exclusive rights to import nearly all of the dairy products set to arrive soon from countries like New Zealand under the new Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. That means that in a few weeks, when Canadian consumers have the option to purchase more foreign dairy products, Canada's dairy industry could still get a cut of the profits at least temporarily as it imports and then markets foreign dairy alongside products made with Canadian milk. "This is a support for the dairy farmers through a roundabout means," said Karl Littler, senior vice-president of public affairs for the Retail Council of Canada. "(The government) will, of course, deny that until they're blue in the face." The revised North American trade agreement dubbed the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) by Ottawa and signed by the leaders of all three countries last week is the third major trade agreement in a row to hand over a share of Canada's dairy market to foreign milk products. Canadian dairy farmers estimate that about ten per cent of their market has now been conceded at the negotiating table. Cheese from the European Union began entering Canada last fall, under the terms of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). After the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) takes effect on Dec. 30, specified quantities of cheese and other dairy products from 16 different categories will begin to enter Canada tariff-free from the 11 CPTPP member countries, including globally-competitive products like New Zealand's butter. The federal government has struck working groups to come up with a strategy for the future of Canada's dairy industry which now appears set to shrink and to plan for appropriate compensation for affected farmers. Story continues A government official speaking to CBC News as Finance Minister Bill Morneau released his Fall Economic Statement last month pointed to dollar amounts earmarked for "non-announced measures" and said a not-yet-finalized sum of money will be available for compensation. About-face on import strategy In a move Littler described as "very low key," Global Affairs Canada quietly opened the application process for licences to import dairy products from CPTPP countries last week. The application timeline is very short the deadline is Dec. 12. Successful applicants will receive their allocations by Dec. 21, with imports set to begin at the end of the year. When import licences were awarded for EU cheese last year, half of the allocation went to retailers and distributors and half to dairy processors with the exception of industrial cheese imports, all of which were awarded to other food processors, such as those who make frozen food entrees. This cheese import quota was split roughly equally between smaller and larger businesses. Things are different this time. Dairy processors are eligible for between 80 and 90 per cent of the CPTPP import licences, with a much smaller share available for dairy distributors. Retailers have been shut out entirely. "We got nothing," Littler said. And the amount allowed for distributors which could include some large, vertically-integrated players in the Canadian grocery scene is a "token amount," he said. Suresh Doss A spokesperson for International Trade Minister Jim Carr, Joseph Pickerill, wrote CBC News that "extensive consultation with industry preceded the approach ultimately taken," with each quota tailored to specific sectors. The government will now monitor how well the CPTPP import process works before deciding how to proceed with the additional quota Canada conceded in the new NAFTA deal. Barely keeping commitments? Littler said that if the federal government had "gone much further" in giving quota to processors, "they'd be in violation of the treaties." The government isn't allowed to award import quota to farmers outright and it's not allowed to give the entire amount to processors either, he noted. "When you can't give 100 per cent of the butter quota to processors, but you give 90 per cent to processors, I guess you have to ask whether that is in keeping with the spirit of the treaty," Littler said. The most aggressive dairy exporter among the 11 CPTPP countries is New Zealand, where Fonterra, the country's near-monopoly dairy co-operative, is a dominant global player. CBC News reached out to the New Zealand High Commission for comment, but did not hear back before deadline. CBC EU officials supported giving retailers most, if not all, of the import quota for cheese under CETA because they did not trust the Canadian dairy industry to ensure their products were sold as negotiated. With only a few weeks remaining in 2018, Canada has imported about 73 per cent of the 5.3 million kilograms of EU cheese it committed to buy this year. With holiday consumption expected to be strong, it appears likely imports could rise over a key 75 per cent threshold by the end of the year. But if Canada does not import at least three-quarters of this commitment, on average, over the first three years CETA is in effect, the deal says the two sides will reconvene and perhaps renegotiate. The situation is more dire for industrial cheese imports, a food ingredient negotiated separately with the EU. Canada has filled about seven per cent of what Canadian food processors were allocated. In a last-minute move, the federal government quietly re-opened import licence applications to interested dairy processors this fall. But no flood of imports has materialized to get Canada anywhere close to fulfilling its 2018 commitment. 'Unhappy' people If processors reconsidered and didn't want all the import quota they applied for, they had until Aug.1 to notify the government and return it for re-allocation to retailers and distributors. Mathieu Frigon, president and chief executive officer of the Dairy Processors Association of Canada, told CBC News he doesn't know how much quota was returned. Why would companies apply for quota if they didn't intend to use it? "That's a very good question," Frigon said. "It's one thing if you don't apply ... then Global Affairs would know we don't have any demand for it. But if you apply and don't use it, that's a problem." A lot of people were "unhappy" with the way the CETA import allocation went, Frigon said. "Really unhappy." It will be very difficult for Canada to avoid a tough conversation with the EU about its industrial cheese commitment, based on how things are going so far. The government knows which kind of importers retailers/distributors or processors have been slow to keep their commitments. But it won't release this data, even though both the industry groups involved and CBC News have asked for it. Nevertheless, Frigon said it's essential for domestic processors to be awarded quota. "We are the ones that are suffering under trade agreements," he said. Profits from imports mitigate market losses from trade deals for some processors. Francois Lenoir/Reuters It also "maximizes options to consumers" he said, because processors have a vested interest in choosing imports that add variety to Canadian cheese counters, rather than compete with domestic cheeses. Retailers, on the other hand, may be tempted to displace Canadian cheeses with cheaper foreign products to maximize their profits. Data available so far suggests the most popular cheeses imported under CETA are parmesan, cheddar and gouda. While last week's announcement that processors will get most of the CPTPP import quota is "welcome news," Frigon said, it doesn't necessarily make up for what they could lose under the new NAFTA. Processors joined dairy farmers last Friday in condemning additional "oversight" and price disclosure requirements they said were inserted into the text of the new North American trade pact by the Americans after talks were supposed to have concluded. In the end, this new CPTPP allocation is only temporary. The government's "interim" announcement applies only to imports for 2019. It's reviewing the import quota allocation system next year, prior to handing out the import quota for NAFTA. That process won't be complete until after the next federal election. The price of oil is low and the rate of unemployment is high in Drayton Valley. Residents say that needs to change and fast. The central Alberta oil and gas town has a population of roughly 7,000 people. About 1,300 of them gathered in the cold on Tuesday afternoon to send a message to the provincial and federal governments: "Build that pipe" so Canadian oil can be delivered to international markets. The small town has been hit hard by the oil price crisis, with several businesses struggling to stay afloat. Perry May has owned Tykan Systems trucking company in Drayton Valley for 24 years, and says business has never been so bad. Following the economic downturn, he said there was a period of time when the company was operating at just 10 per cent of its normal capacity, and employees were laid off as a result. Peter Evans/CBC "My company was told last week that the oil companies that we're working for are shutting down their programs. And I'm going to lose 80 to 90 per cent of my work again," he said. "What am I going to do? What are my men going to do?" May said new pipeline projects should have moved forward a long time ago. "Get that pipeline built so we can all make a living as everybody should be able to," he said. "Our companies aren't failures and our employees aren't failures We're let down by our government." 'Please come to our aid' Peter Evans/CBC Doug Galavan doesn't work in oil and gas, but said his Drayton Valley company, Flooring Canada, has still taken a hit. Business slowed dramatically when the Federal Court of Appeal quashed Ottawa's approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion this summer, he said. "It was shocking how the announcement happened and the door stopped swinging in the store," said Galavan, who helped organize Tuesday's rally. Peter Evans/CBC He said Premier Rachel Notley's move to curtail oil production by 8.7 per cent is a Bandaid solution. It could lead to some minor improvements in the industry, he said, but Drayton Valley will likely see layoffs anyway. Story continues "We have to have more action. Like, there has to be something to get the message through that our families are just hurting," Galavan said, reiterating the call for pipelines. "The energy industry is so vital to the wealth and well-being of people from coast to coast to coast. And we're all in this together, so please come to our aid." From slump to crisis Peter Evans/CBC Drayton Valley Mayor Michael Doerksen said he understands why the province imposed production cuts, but thinks small towns will suffer as a result. If oil companies are drilling less, that means the service industry will get less work, he said. The slump has turned into a crisis, Doerksen said "Alberta, Canada is losing money on a daily basis, not getting the proper value for the oil that we're producing," he said. "We do it better than anyone else. We're more environmentally friendly than anyone else. And if we don't produce it, countries that don't care as much as we do are going to produce it." HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland's Supercell, maker of the Clash of Clans mobile game, said on Wednesday it would fund a new software programming school free of tuition fees to be established in Helsinki next year, to combat a lack of skilled coders. "Supercell is funding it entirely for the first five years," Chief Executive Ilkka Paananen told a news conference at Helsinki's Slush startup event, adding the total value of the investment was estimated at between eight to ten million euros. Paananen and several other Finnish top executives estimated recently that there is an immediate need for 7,000 to 9,000 new coders in Finland, hindering growth in tech-oriented companies. Paananen said the new school, named Hive Helsinki, would intend to attract students aged 18-30 from different backgrounds, and would especially seek to bring women into the tech industry to address a lack of diversity. A report released on Tuesday at Slush by Atomico, which runs Europe's largest independent venture fund, found that 93 percent of all funds raised by European venture-capitalist-backed technology companies in 2018 went to all-male founding teams. "Coding is not just for mathematically-oriented, engineering-inclined men," Paananen said, adding that the need for software is spreading across society and throughout industries from healthcare to fashion. The new coder school will start accepting applications in December and the first 100 students are to begin their three-year long training next September, free of charge as is customary in the Finnish educational system. The school's curriculum will be based on that of Ecole 42, a similar tuition-free nonprofit school based in Paris. (Reporting by Anne Kauranen; editing by David Evans) Champagne and Aishihik First Nations (CAFN) are accusing Yukon Energy of failing to honour a 2016 agreement to work together on the relicensing of the Aishihik hydroelectric dam. The water licence for the 37 MW facility, near Haines Junction, expires at the end of 2019. At a press conference on Monday, Rose Kushniruk, the First Nation's deputy chief, said construction of the dam in the 1970s caused significant disruption to their traditional way of life, and left lasting impacts on fish and wildlife. "This agreement was, we believed, to recognize past challenges our First Nations faced with Yukon Energy: the long-term impacts of the dam on our people and traditional territory," she said. "[It] would enable us to develop a joint proposal that would be acceptable to both parties." Two years of consultation and studies led the First Nation to conclude waters in the area should be allowed to return to natural levels. "This agreement was, we believed, to recognize past challenges our First Nations faced with Yukon Energy. - Rose Kushniruk, CAFN deputy chief But in September, Kushniruk says they were shocked when Yukon Energy suddenly announced it would be doing its own application, and would aim to maintain status quo operations at the facility. She said the First Nation feels that's unacceptable. A letter written to Yukon Energy president in October never received an official response, she said. As a result, the First Nation is making a public call for the corporation to return to the collaborative process. "We want to get back to the table so we can conclude these kinds of conversations and come up with a solution that is both good for Champagne and Aishihik, and Yukoners," said Roger Brown, manager of environment and natural resources for CAFN. Consensus wasn't required Andrew Hall, the president of Yukon Energy, said he was disappointed by the First Nation's characterization of the situation. Story continues "Our intention and hope is to still engage with them on specific topics related to the relicensing process and we were in the process of that. So we were surprised. They certainly didn't give us any advance notice that they were going to take this approach." Alexandra Byers/CBC He said the 2016 agreement was to work together on the next water licence application, but there was no requirement to reach a consensus. Hall said Yukon Energy spent millions of dollars on the joint work with the First Nation, funding studies with elders, scientists and non-profit organizations to explore the state of Aishihik Lake, and the management of the hydroelectric facility. But in the end, Hall says Yukon Energy, and Yukoners, just can't afford to bring the lake back to "pre-dam" levels. In the short term, it would cost $10 million a year in fossil fuels to make up the energy shortfall, he said. Long-term solutions would involve building more than $100 million in new hydro assets elsewhere. Hall also said, from the company's perspective, the studies show the lake is healthy, and there are no urgent environmental reasons to change the operation of the Aishihik facility. Guns, cocaine, diamond jewelry and more than $840,000 in cash are now in the hands of police, as a result of an investigation into organized crime and drug trafficking. The amount of money collected by officers as part of Project Broken is the biggest cash seizure by provincial police in the history of Newfoundland and Labrador, according to RCMP. CBC "[It was] an interprovincial drug trafficking network which was importing large volumes of cocaine into the province and the laundering of moneys associated with its operation," Inspector Derek Santosuosso told the media at RCMP headquarters in St. John's. Police arrested five people during Operation Broken, including three from this province. Jonathan Brandon Mahon, 27-years-old from St. John's. conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance possession of cocaine from trafficking possession of a restricted firearm possession of a firearm with serial number removed 2 counts of careless storage of a firearm Nicklaus James Travis, 29-years-old from Torbay conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance possession of cocaine for trafficking trafficking cocaine Thomas Scott Brown, 30-years-old from Torbay conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance The three appeared in provincial court on Oct. 9. "All three were released on bail and will be appearing in court on Dec. 14 for their next appearance," said Santosuosso. Jeremy Eaton/CBC Other items seized as part of the operation include: six kilograms of cocaine; five vehicles; including a Hummer and Mercedes Benz 16 doses of LSD; $7,000 in diamond dental grills and other jewlery; three guns, including a 9mm handgun, Kel-Tec pump-action shotgun and a Czech Small Arms brand semiautomatic rifle. RCMP Staff Sergeant Stefan Thoms said the gun possession shouldn't be too alarming to the general public. Jeremy Eaton/CBC "Across Canada you're finding semiautomatic rifles and people in possession of those across Canada," he said. "I would say that for the regular person going about doing their business, it's not something that they should be concerned about." Story continues Project Broken began in May 2017 as an investigation into several people originally from Torbay. The total value of all items seized is around $1.4 million, RCMP said. "It certainly does help our morale," Thoms said. "More importantly, it's a win for the community to get this off the street and improve the safety of our community." Project Broken included resources from the RCMP CSFEU in Montreal, the Alberta RCMP, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, Correctional Services Canada and the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. Jeremy Eaton/CBC Read more stories from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Ontario Premier Doug Ford is defending his government's efforts to clear out the senior leadership at Hydro One after a U.S. regulator denied its proposed takeover of Avista Corp., citing political interference in the Ontario utility by the provincial government. In a statement issued Thursday morning, Ford said his government is focused on lowering hydro rates for Ontarians and argued the deal, arranged by Hydro One's former CEO and board, would have done nothing to help with that. "While some critics might believe that the concerns of Ontario families, seniors and businesses should take a back seat to foreign regulators, our government remains unwavering in our commitment to the people of Ontario to reduce hydro rates and provide a reliable energy system," Ford said. "Our government ran on a clear promise to clean up the mess at Hydro One. This included a firm commitment to renew the Hydro One senior leadership that had lost the confidence of Ontario ratepayers. The people of Ontario elected us to follow through on this promise." On Wednesday, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission says it found the deal, which valued Avista at $6.7 billion, to not be in the public interest after it became clear that the Ontario government was willing to interfere in the utility. "The proposed transaction cannot be said to be consistent with the public interest when it is evident that decisions affecting Hydro One's and Avista's business operations and financial integrity are subject to political considerations," the commission stated in its order. Political considerations may motivate provincial leaders to make decisions and take actions in the future that may cause harm instead of promoting the best interests of Avista, its customers and Hydro One's non-government shareholders, the order reads. Ontario is Hydro One's largest shareholder In September 2017, Avista and Hydro One filed a joint application with the commission to approve the companies' proposed merger agreement. Story continues Under the original proposal, Avista would have become a wholly owned subsidiary of Hydro One, an electric transmission and distribution utility headquartered in Toronto. Avista would have maintained its existing corporate headquarters in Spokane, and continued to operate in Washington under the same name, management team and employee structure. In March, the companies, UTC staff and nine other parties reached a settlement on the proposed merger that would have provided more than $30 million in rate credits to Washington ratepayers over a five-year period, provided more than $11 million toward low-income programs, provided for accelerated depreciation of Colstrip power plants in Montana and set aside funds for economic transition efforts in Colstrip. The parties also asserted their agreement offered financial protections for Avista customers and insulated Avista from Hydro One's largest shareholder, the province of Ontario. Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press Hydro One, which is 47 per cent owned by the Ontario government, had assured in testimony on the Avista deal that the province was a passive investor that would not exert political pressure on the company. But the U.S. regulator said the promised benefits of the deal, including rate credits, are inadequate to compensate for risks Avista customers would face. "Provincial government interference in Hydro One's affairs, the risk of which has been shown by events to be significant, could result in direct or indirect harm to Avista if it were acquired by Hydro One, as proposed," the commission stated in Wednesday's order. "This, in turn, could diminish Avista's ability to continue providing safe and reliable electrical and natural gas service to its customers in Washington. Avista's customers would be no better off with this transaction than they would be without it." The Ford government hailed the leadership changes at Hydro One at the time as a "great day" for the province after heavily criticizing the company's management while on the campaign trail. Hydro One is Ontario's largest electricity transmission and distribution provider with more than 1.3 million customers. In a brief email statement emailed to CBC News on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Energy Minister Greg Rickford said the government will always stand up for the largest shareholder of Hydro One, the people of Ontario. "We are confident that the renewed leadership and direction at Hydro One will make responsible business decisions that are in the best interest of their shareholders," Sydney Stonier said. Christopher Katsarov/Canadian Press Ontario Liberal finance critic Mitzie Hunter said Ford's "reckless conduct" at Hydro One continues to damage the province's interests. "The state of Washington blocked the sale of their utility to protect themselves from Doug Ford's political interference. The fact that this could even be a factor is a disgrace," Hunter said Wednesday. She added that the message from this decision should be clear to the premier: Stop meddling at Hydro One. "Doug Ford needs to understand that processes are in place for a reason; vindictiveness and cronyism are no way to run a province," Hunter said. Its been a busy week for Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridgeand its only Wednesday. Yesterday the Duchess greeted military families with her husband Prince William at a holiday event early in the evening before joining her Majesty the Queen for a diplomatic reception at Buckingham Palace. Between the tartan skirt she wore in the afternoon and Queen Mary's famous Lovers Knot tiara she flaunted later that night, Middleton pulled off two fabulous fashion moments in the space of 24 hours. Its clear that the Duchess is on a winning style streak, judging by her latest look. It was wheels up to Cyprus for the young royal today, who is visiting the Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri. She swapped out the stunning heirloom jewelry for a low-key airport outfit, perhaps inspired by the understated wardrobe her sister-in-law Meghan Markle wore on a recent tour of Australia and Fiji. Middleton sported Smythes appropriately named Duchess blazer in olive, an elegant and practical alternative to the frock coats and sheath dresses she has worn on her travels in the past. A simple white shell was tucked under her jacket, while wide-leg trousersan unexpected silhouette for the Duchesshad an elongating effect that was amplified thanks to L.K. Bennett stilettos. See this weeks best dressed celebrities: 10 Best Dressed: Week of December 3, 2018 Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Julian Mackler / BFA.com Photo: Getty Images Photo: Getty Images Photo: Backgrid 4 Go-To Looks that Define Kate Middleton's Royal Style Kate Middleton Scolds William on His 'Nightmare' Habit at Home and Reveals Louis' New Milestone Kate Middleton Reveals Louis' New Milestone Even a future king has some bad habits! Prince William and Kate Middleton ended their visit to Cyprus, where they spread holiday cheer to military families who will be away from home this Christmas, by officially opening the Oasis recreation center. Spotting the bright yellow couches in the room, William teased the men to keep the pizza off the sofas! His wife playfully volleyed back, Youre a nightmare with that! Mainly aimed at younger personnel who generally live in shared accommodation, Oasis provides a space for some me time and a place where they can make private video calls. Princess Kate cutting the cake at the kitchen if the Oasis centre at the RAF base in Cyprus pic.twitter.com/tSj6qrpUCl Simon Perry (@SPerryPeoplemag) December 5, 2018 Former Royal Air Force pilot William recalled the tokens he would use to make 15-minute calls home when he was serving time away. FaceTime makes such a difference now, he added. Cant get enough of PEOPLEs Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! During a walkabout outside the Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess, Kate chatted with well-wishers and revealed that 7-month-old son Prince Louis is already working on his royal wave. Kate Middleton and Prince Louis. Rhian Davis, 32, who was carrying 10-week-old daughter Dorothy, said the royal mom stopped to chat about their young children. She asked whether she was sleeping through the night, and she told me that Louis is starting to wave, Davis said of Kate. Kate also disclosed she had tried to show her older children, 5-year-old Prince George and 3-year-old Princess Charlotte, the festive treats laid out for military families at Kensington Palace for yesterdays party when they arrived home from school and nursery but they were too late. Story continues We took the children down to where the party was but everything was gone, she said. They were so disappointed! Still, George was already looking forward to something else, William shared with a group of pilots. I told George this morning we were going to see the pilots today, and he said, If you see a helicopter, can you take a picture?' GENEVA (Reuters) - Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made an apparent threat on Tuesday to disrupt other countries' oil shipments through the Gulf if Washington presses ahead with efforts to halt Iranian oil exports. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran and U.S. officials say they aim to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero in a bid to curb the Islamic Republic's missile program and regional influence. "America should know that we are selling our oil and will continue to sell our oil and they are not able to stop our oil exports," Rouhani said in a televised speech during a trip to the northern Iranian city of Shahroud. "If one day they want to prevent the export of Iran's oil, then no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf," he said. Rouhani made similar comments in July. Also in July, an Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander, Ismail Kowsari, was quoted as saying that Tehran would block oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz lf the United States banned Iranian oil sales. Tensions have risen between Iran and the United States after U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal in May and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Rouhani said the United States would not succeed in cutting Iran's economic ties with the region and the world. "The most hostile group in America, with relation to Iran, has taken power," Rouhani said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). "Of course they never had a friendship with the people of Iran and we never trusted America or others 100 percent." Earlier, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif denied a Reuters report that said a European mechanism to set up an account to trade with Iran and beat the newly reimposed U.S. sanctions may not cover oil sales, the Iranian foreign ministry website reported. "Based on the information we have, it's not so. Because if Iran's oil money is not deposited into the account, it's not clear that there would be any funds for trade, because oil is a major part of Iran's exports," Zarif said, according to the website. "This appears to be propaganda aimed at discouraging people," Zarif added. France and Germany are to take joint responsibility for the EU-Iran trade mechanism, Reuters reported. But the agency quoted diplomats as saying that, with U.S. threats of retribution for sanctions-busting unrelenting, the goals of the nascent trade mechanism could be scaled back to encompass only less sensitive items such as humanitarian and food products. Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said on Tuesday that U.S. sanctions were hitting vulnerable people in Iran. "When (Americans) say their target is the Iranian government and there won't be pressure on the sick, the elderly and the weak in society, it's a lie," Jahangiri said, according to IRNA. (Reporting by Babak Dehghanpisheh, additional reporting by Dubai newsroom; Editing by Adrian Croft and David Evans) Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Israel Hayom..06 December '18..1.On Dec. 10, two Palestinian organizations one openly declared, the other of which uses Israeli cover will receive the Human Rights Award from the French government. The two groups deserve each other, and they both fight against Israel and the Jews' return to their homeland. They both talk about morality, but their activities promote the opposite. They both work in response to international pressure on the Jewish state, which urges us to agree to their suicidal peace plans. One organization is B'Tselem, whose director Hagai El-Ad travels the world, slandering Israel and inviting the nations of the world to intervene and call to order these Jews who for some reason insist on defending themselves and holding on to their historic lands in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem.This isn't the first time that the activity of El-Ad and his organization creates the impression that for them, human rights include everyone except the Jews. In the imaginary Palestine, which sees to celebrate the destruction of Israel, heaven forbid, El-Ad would be an honored citizen.2.The other organization being awarded the sketchy honor is Al-Haq, which hates Israel and the Jews and uses every platform to support the BDS movement and boycott of Israel, meaning wiping it off the map. In February 2016, the group declared it "the right of every individual to take part in and support BDS activity." Their call decreed that the European Union's steps to label products made in Israeli settlements was insufficient, and they are demanding a total boycott of Israeli goods. For them, all of Israel is a "settlement" that must be uprooted from the Middle East, under the guise of "protecting human rights."Al-Haq encourages the world to fight Israel in the courts, over "war crimes and crimes against humanity" a reference to our war against terrorism. The organization has suggested attacking the Israeli legal system by "flooding the Supreme Court with petitions in the hope of overwhelming its workload and resources." Last July, the head of the organization declared that convicted terrorists had a "right" to receive a salary from the Palestinian Authority.This is how the organization described the events leading up to Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014: "On June 12, 2014, three settler boys disappeared near the city of Hebron in the West Bank; the three were later found dead." What do you think? "Disappeared" and "were found dead" it happens, doesn't it? Like I said, this kind of "human rights" does not include the Jews' right to life.3.Wait for the cherry on the cake: The director of Al-Haq, Shawan Jabareen, is a well-known lover of Israel. In June 2007, the Israeli Supreme Court described him as follows: "The petitioner [Jabareen] apparently operates as a kind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; he spends some of his working time as executive director of a rights group, and the rest as an operative in a terrorist organization [the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine] that does not hesitate to commit murder and attempted murder, and has nothing to do with rights, and actually rejects the most basic right of all, the most fundamental right, without which there are no others the right to life." These are B'Tselem's friends. It's no coincidence.Irish Senator Frances Black was quick to congratulate the recipients of the French prize, saying their activity helped her bring a bill to boycott products from Israeli settlements, which she called a "war crime," to a final vote. Birds of a feather.4.And now for those who are conferring the honor. It's very doubtful that French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet truly knows to whom she will be awarding the prize. This is not the first time the French government has taken part in such an immoral disgrace. A perverted relationship has been created there that gives prizes to haters of Israel that support terrorism and who use the term "human rights" in vain.In 2012, the French government gave the prize to none other than the Alternative Information Center for "its work in exposing Israel's lack of culpability in the occupied Palestinian territories." This is an even more extremist organization than B'Tselem (it's hard to compete with them, but they manage it) that supports the Palestinian demand to return to Israel, as well as BDS, of course, and accuses us of genocide and a bunch of other crimes. It's heartening to know that the head of the organization, Michel Warschawski, an anti-Zionist Marxist, was tried and imprisoned in the 1990s for aiding the PFLP.Here's a suggestion for the government of France let's drop the pretense and call the prize by an appropriate name: the prize for the rights of those who oppose (sometimes with fire and bloodshed) the Jews' return to Zion. Written for Arutz Sheva, translated from Hebrew by Rochel Sylvetsky, Op-ed and Judaism editor. Dr. Mordechai Kedar is a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University. He served in IDF Military Intelligence for 25 years, specializing in Arab political discourse, Arab mass media, Islamic groups and the Syrian domestic arena. Thoroughly familiar with Arab media in real time, he is frequently interviewed on the various news programs in Israel. Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh. blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. . ..Israel National News..05 December '18..This week, for the first time, Israel made public its discovery of the tunnel constructed by Hezbollah and reaching into Israel's sovereign territory. This brought to an end a long period during which a large number of Israelis living in communities adjacent to the Lebanese border reported hearing sounds of digging as well as feeling tremors in the walls of their homes.Attack tunnels are intended to allow for significant numbers of armed infantry bearing weapons, artillery and supplies, to traverse them within a minimal time span, avoiding Israeli lookouts and thereby gaining the element of surprise. An underground passage grants attackers protection from Israeli bombs, while it also means that the war begins on the Israeli side of the border, in the midst of areas populated by civilians. That fact allows for sudden forays and kidnapping.However, the discovery and neutralization of the tunnel that Hezbollah dug into Israel's sovereign territory is a technological, operational and intelligence network accomplishment, for additional reasons:1. Hezbollah based its plans for future wars on these tunnels. Nasrallah has not made a secret of his plans to take over the Galilee in the next war, but because Hezbollah has no means of air transport, it cannot land sufficient numbers of armed forces in Israeli territory, and the tunnels were intended as the substitute for an airlift. By discovering the first tunnel, Israel has eliminated the immediate use of this strategic method, but the IDF believes there are additional tunnels. An underground passage grants attackers protection from Israeli bombs, while it also means that the war begins on the Israeli side of the border, in the midst of areas populated by civilians.2. The discovery of the tunnel has proven to the entire world that Hezbollah is acting in flagrant violation of the Security Council Resolution 1701 which brought the 2006 Second Lebanon War to an end. This resolution forbids Hezbollah any presence in southern Lebanon, but now it has become clear that not only is the terrorist organization in that region, it is also violating Israeli sovereignty. It is obvious once again that UNIFIL has neither the ability nor the interest to carry out the mission it was given by the Security Council and Israel has no reason to assume that the international community will act to ensure its security. This violation of a Security Council decision provides Israel with justification, vis a vis the Israeli public and the world, to attack Hezbollah.3. Israel has the technological ability to discover tunnels dug as deep as 25 meters (27 yards) down into bedrock, a depth equal to the height of an 8 storey building. And Israeli know-how does not end with the discovery of the tunnel: despite the fact that the tunnel reaches only 40 meters (43 yards) into Israel, Israel managed not only to discover it but to position both a camera and explosive charge inside it without Hezbollah lookouts becoming aware of any activity in the tunnel.4. Hezbollah suspects that Israel succeeded in finding the tunnel by means of intelligence activity, meaning that there is a "mole" within its ranks, someone with access to its most secret information the location of its tunnels who is on such a high level of collaboration with Israel that he can provide it with the relevant information without being exposed. IDF CoS Gadi Eizenkot said on Tuesday that Israel is in possession of Hezbollah's tunnel plans.In my opinion, from the minute the tunnel's discovery was made public, internal Hezbollah security forces are working feverishly to discover who the collaborator is. People are being interrogated, an insulting experience in itself that does not make for a pleasant atmosphere. Tension is at a high between members of the organization who had information about the tunnel, as each and every one of them automatically is suspected of working with Israel. Fearing that anyone can be the "mole", people are refraining from sharing information with one another.This situation is affecting the organization's functioning and opens up the possibility that the innocent will find themselves accused. Those falsely accused will not continue as if nothing untoward has happened after they have been suspected of disloyalty, an unforgivable insult to their dedication. No organization can function in a situation of this kind, especially in a case where the organization's entire strategy has to be altered due to fears that Israel has found other tunnels and booby-trapped them as it did the first.5. Up until Wednesday morning, the time these lines were written, there has been no reaction from Hezbollah. In my opinion, the organization is in a state of utter disarray, with Hassan Nasrallah expected to explain how this debacle occurred. The Iranians are furious because of Nasrallah's failure to adequately develop the tunnel strategy and because of the suspicion that there is a Hezbollah member passing on information to Israel.6. Hezbollahs' "Radwan" commando unit is the attack force which was to traverse the tunnels, enter the Galilee and conquer Israeli settlements there. Now that the tunnel has been found and booby-trapped by the IDF, both officers and fighters in the "Radwan" unit are afraid that every tunnel they enter is a death trap not exactly adding to their motivation.7. The discovery of the tunnel will cause Hezbollah to concentrate on developing its rocket arsenal and especially on honing its ability to pinpoint targets in Israel.8. The tunnel project cost Hezbollah many millions of dollars, and now all that investment has gone to waste. Hassan Nasrallah is going to have to explain the financial aspect of this failure as well.9. Despite all this, Israel would be wise not to think that the discovery of the tunnels is a knock-out blow to Hezbollah. That terror organization knows how to overcome difficulties and adapt itself and its operations to changing circumstances. While it is true that the discovery of the tunnel is an impressive achievement, technologically and intelligence-wise, it is not enough to defeat Hezbollah and convince the organization that there is no point in continuing to fight Israel. Hezbollah will remain Israel's implacable and bitter enemy from an ideological standpoint, and more immediately, because it is the long arm of the Iranian Islamic Republic which has sworn to destroy Israel. The Chinese Government has approved the sale of Costa Coffee from CBI member The Whitbread Group to Coca-Cola for 3.9 billion. The UK hospitality group announced last Thursday, that the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation has already approved the sale, whilst the acquisition remains under review by the European Union regulator. Ever since Coca-Cola acquired the coffee chain from the Whitbread Group in August, commentators had speculated that the American food & beverage giant planned to re-launch the chain in China. Costa Coffee originally entered the China market in 2007, and enjoyed early success before being crowded out by rival Starbucks. Costa originally opened 450 stores across the mainland, but this was then dwarfed by the US giants efforts, which saw Starbucks open 3,000 stores. With Chinese consumers increasingly shifting from sugar-laden milk teas towards healthier options, the coffee market has appeared to become more competitive recently. Coffee consumption in China has nearly tripled in the past four years, whilst coffee imports have increased at a rate of 16% per year. However, ultimately, Chinas coffee market remains comparatively small, with annual consumption of 0.06kg per capita well below that it of more established markets within Asia, such as Japan. Nonetheless, as the tastes of Chinese consumers continue to change, coupled with a shifting socio-economic situation, presenting consumers with more disposable income, time and a desire to socialise, the coffee market is expected to experience significant growth in China. If interested please read the CBIs commentary on the changing coffee market in China here. (Photo: Reuters) The 'God letter' written by Albert Einstein in 1954 A letter in which Albert Einstein shared his thoughts on God and the Bible has sold at auction for $2.9m. Christie's had expected the handwritten letter to fetch $1.5m when it went under the hammer at its New York City auction room on Tuesday. The letter is one-and-a-half pages long and was written by the famous scientist in German to the philosopher Eric Gutkind in 1954, the year before Einstein's death. In the letter, Einstein shared with Gutkind that he did not regard the Bible as anything more than a collection of 'legends' and that even his own Jewish faith was 'superstition'. 'The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses,' he wrote, 'the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends.' He continued: 'No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can [for me] change anything about this.' Regarding the Jewish faith, he wrote that it was in his view 'like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition'. 'The Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and in whose mentality I feel profoundly anchored, still for me does not have any different kind of dignity from all other peoples.' he said. A Bible up for auction at Sotheby's last week shed more light on Einstein's views on the Christian faith. It was given by Einstein to an employee in 1932 and contained a brief inscription on the inside from the scientist. 'This book is an inexhaustible source of living wisdom and consolation,' he wrote. It had been expected to fetch $300,000 at Sotheby's New York City auction room last week but it failed to find a bidder. Photo - Arizona Memorial Eight years ago my wife and I visited Pearl Harbour and taken on a tour recalling that fateful morning of 7 December 1941 when Japanese carrier borne high level bombers, torpedo bombers and fighter military aircraft attached the base without warning. This military action bought the United States into the Pacific War and a few days later into the European theatre of war when Adolf Hitler declared that Germany was also at War with the United States. The historical reasons are well known. The USA put an embargo on oil being shipped to Japan as a result of their refused to get out of China. This led to a Japanese political and military plan that resulted in the attack on Pearl Harbour to cripple their naval fleet in the hope of leaving the Pacific in the hands of the Japanese. It was a Sunday morning and many Christians in Pearl Harbour were preparing for church both military chapel and domestic church services. It was 8.00am. We too in Australia know what Sunday morning's are like. Photo - US Missouri tour Evangelism I have read the book Pearl Harbour to the Pulpit by Captain Mitsuo Fuchida who led that Pearl Harbour raid and after Japan had been defeated, how he became a Christian and a preacher even travelling the United States evanglising. Ramon Williams of the Religious Media reminded me of all this when he circulated recently this same story, by Tim White from the Pocket Testament League - for Children of the World. Captain Mitsuo Fuchida was more excited than usual as he awoke that morning on the aircraft carrier, Sunday December 1941. As general commander of the air squadron, he made some last-minute checks on intelligence information before going to warm up his plane. Three hundred and sixty Japanese planes led by Captain Fuchida headed toward Hawaii. He knew the objective of this mission: to surprise and cripple the American naval force in the Pacific. The destruction left behind included 20 naval vessels including eight enormous battleships with over 200 planes. The human cost was over 2000 military and civilians killed and more than a 1000 injured. Fuchida was the first over the target and the last to leave. It was his voice that sent his aircraft carrier the message "Tora! Tora! Tora!"(Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!)indicating the success of the surprise mission. Photo - Arizona Name Wall Memorial After Pearl Harbour After Pearl Harbour, he had many close brushes with death including six crashes into the sea. Recovering on board after an appendectomy, the ship was bombed and both his legs were broken and he was thrown into the sea. He realised he was the sole survivor of the seven Air Commanders and the thirty two squadron leaders who took part in the Pearl Harbour attack. It was not until the war was over that he realised why God had kept him from death on so many occasions. After his military career was over, he became more unhappy and depressed. This was further aggravated by his call to be a witness at the war crimes trials. On his way to give evidence and as he got off the train he was handed a leaflet entitled I was a Prisoner of Japan. The leaflet produced by the Pocket Testament League was the experience of Jake DeShazer who was held in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp. Jake described how he was cruelly treated. He told about his violent hatred for the Japanese guards. But one day, the prisoners in the camp were given Bibles. As Jake read it he came to understand that the book was more than an historical story. Its message of love, grace and forgiveness became relevant to him right there in his cell and he accepted Jesus to come into his life. His life changed and his entire attitude toward his captors changed too. His hatred turned to love and concern, and he decided that should his country win the war, and he be set free, he would someday return to Japan to introduce others to this life-changing Bible. Jake DeShazer did return to Japan after the war as a missionary. The Bible Now Fuchida had Jakes story, printed in leaflet form, in his hand. It was all about a forgiveness he could not understand and could not explain. Since the American had found that peace in the Bible, he decided to purchase a Bible. Eagerly he read the Bible and sought help from the Pocket Testament League representative on how to become a Christian. Now he understood about the love of Jesus and for the first time he understood the meaning of Jesus dying as a substitute for his sin. His actions at Pearl Harbour could not be changed but now he was aware of why God had kept him from harm. His new mission in life was to tell others how they can overcome the hatred in their hearts and minds. He learnt that Jesus is the only One who was powerful enough to change his life and inspire him with Gods thoughts. Jesus was the only answer to Jake DeShazer's tormented life and He is still the only real answer for people today. Gods forgiveness is powerful and life-giving. When we feel it deep down it can be infectious and really change our lives. Photo - Mark Tronson at the Arizona Memorial 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 WEDNESDAY, Dec. 5, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- Could an infection make your child or teen prone to mental health issues? New research from Denmark suggests it's possible. "The findings linking infections with mental disorders in the developing brain do add more knowledge to this growing field, showing that there exists an intimate connection between the body and the brain," said lead researcher Dr. Ole Kohler-Forsberg, from the psychosis research unit at Aarhus University Hospital. But Kohler-Forsberg cautioned that the study could not prove that infections or their treatments cause mental diseases, only that they seem to be connected. The risk appeared greater for severe infections that required hospitalization. But less severe infections treated with drugs were also linked to an increased risk for mental disorders, the researchers found. Specifically, they found that children who had been hospitalized with an infection had an 84 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with a mental disorder and a 42 percent increased risk of being prescribed drugs to treat the disorder. It seems that infections and the inflammatory reaction that follows can affect the young brain and be part of the process of developing mental disorders, Kohler-Forsberg explained. "This can, however, also be explained by other causes, such as some people having a genetically higher risk of suffering more infections and mental disorders," he said. How infections increase the risk for mental illness isn't clear, Kohler-Forsberg said. The frequent infections that everyone experiences do not generally harm the body or the brain, he said. In fact, infections are necessary to develop the immune system. "But for some individuals, an infection can affect the brain and lead to lasting damage, although this is a rare event," Kohler-Forsberg said. For the study, researchers collected data on more than 1 million people born in Denmark between 1995 and 2012. Among these, nearly 4 percent were hospitalized for a mental disorder and more than 5 percent were taking drugs to treat their condition. Kohler-Forsberg's team found that infections treated with medications, especially antibiotics, were associated with an increased risk for mental illness. The extent of the risk varied by the type of mental disorder. Bacterial infections conferred the highest risk. The mental conditions that were most commonly linked with having been hospitalized for an infectious disease include schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, personality and behavior disorders, mental retardation, autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, and tics, the researchers reported. "A better understanding of the role of infections and antimicrobial therapy in the development of mental disorders might lead to new methods for the prevention and treatment of these devastating disorders," Kohler-Forsberg said. He cautioned again that these are general associations and do not say much about any single infection. "Therefore, parents should generally not be worried, Kohler-Forsberg said. "We also showed in a different paper that cognition is not affected by the number of infections in childhood." Research over the last few decades has revealed many complex interactions between the mind and the immune system, said Dr. Timothy Sullivan, chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Staten Island University Hospital in New York City. These include correlations between inflammation and symptoms of depression, as well as gut microbes and emotional health. Strong associations between mental illness and some physical conditions -- such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis -- also exist, he said. "As yet, although we have identified some of the cellular and physiological mechanisms through which these interactions may occur, we have not fully elucidated the links, and some in the scientific community, as a result, remain unsure that these observations are anything more than coincidence," Sullivan said. As insights from the developing knowledge of the human genome and gene functions increase, "understanding the impact of even routine illnesses on the risk for mental illness will be a crucial component of scientific inquiry, and will allow us to one day -- hopefully soon -- anticipate and treat those risks directly," he added. The report was published online Dec. 5 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. More information The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more on the link between infections and mental illness. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Despite the French government announcing it will drop a proposed fuel tax rise, the gilets jaunes (yellow jackets) group, truckers, and farming groups have called for more protests, according to The Guardian. Mass demonstrations have taken place across France and Belgium as initial protests over the proposed increase in fuel duty on diesel spread to wider disaffection over the cost of living. At least three people have been killed and hundreds have been injured since protests began in mid-November, according to reports. While the majority of protesters are peaceful, police and agitators allegedly from the far right and anarchist left have clashed and there are reports of looting, according to the BBC. Some protesters attacked police with paving stones and other missiles, and police have used teargas, pepper spray and water cannon. Journalists have been attacked and harassed while covering the protests, and reporters covering the unrest in France told CPJ they expect more violence. The Council of Europes platform to promote the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists listed several incidents from the French protest, including accounts of journalists being harassed with racist insults, protesters attacking television reporters in Montpellier, attempting to break into a news room of the newspaper Midi Libre, and reporters being attacked or threatened. In one case, a group of journalists from BFM TV and CNews teams escaped what the COE described as an attempted lynching. The Council of Europe reported that police in Brussels violently detained a journalist filming the clashes. A journalist covering events in Paris, who spoke with CPJ on condition of anonymity, said that the majority of protestors are non-threatening but when the police started cracking down, the tension increased. Crush injuries were a concern because it was easy to fall and be injured when crowds fled advancing water cannon. Journalists can minimize the risk by following CPJs guidance below. Be prepared: Plan the assignment and ensure that you have a full battery on your cell phone. Know the area you are going to. Work out in advance what to do in an emergency. Always try to work with a colleague and have a regular check-in procedure with your baseparticularly if covering rallies or crowded events. Wear clothing and footwear that allow you to move swiftly. Avoid wearing necklaces, ponytails, lanyards or anything that can be grabbed, as well as flammable material, such as nylon. Consider your position. Try to find an elevated position that may offer greater safety. At any location, always plan an evacuation route. If working with others, select an emergency rendezvous point. Maintain situational awareness at all times and limit valuables in your possession. Do not leave any equipment in vehicles. After dark, the risk of criminal actions increases. If working in a crowd, plan a strategy. Try to keep to the outside of the crowd and avoid the middle, where it is hard to escape. Identify an escape route. In situations where teargas may be used: Wear personal protective equipment, including a gas mask, eye protection, body armor, and helmet. Contact lenses are not advisable. Individuals with asthma or respiratory issues should avoid areas where teargas is being used. When large amounts of teargas are used, there is the possibility of high concentrations of gas sitting in areas with no movement of air. Take note of landmarks (i.e. posts, curbs) that can be used to help you navigate out of an area if you are struggling to see. If you are exposed to teargas, try to find higher ground and stand in fresh air to allow the breeze to carry away the gas. Do not rub your eyes or face. When you are able to, shower in cold water to wash the gas from your skin, but do not bathe. Clothing may need to be washed several times to remove the crystals completely, or discarded. When dealing with aggression: Read body language and use your own body language to pacify a situation. Keep eye contact with an aggressor, use open hand gestures and keep talking with a calming manner. Keep an extended arms length from the threat. Back away and if someone grabs hold of you, break away firmly without aggression. If cornered and in danger, shout. If the situation escalates, keep a hand free to protect your head and move with short, deliberate steps to avoid falling. If in a team, stick together and link arms. Be aware of the situation and your own safety. While there are times when documenting aggression can be newsworthy, taking pictures of aggressive individuals can escalate a situation. Journalists requiring assistance can contact CPJ via report_violation@cpj.org. CPJs Journalist Security Guide has additional information on basic preparedness, assessing and responding to risk, or safety measures when covering civil conflict and disturbances. CPJs resource center has additional information and tools for pre-assignment preparation and post-incident assistance. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, December 6, 2018Nicaraguan authorities should stop harassing independent media outlets and allow them to report without interference, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On December 3, anti-riot police stormed Radio Dario, an independent Nicaraguan radio station that has been critical of President Daniel Ortegas increasingly authoritarian government, detained four of its reporters, and briefly forced the station off the air, according to news reports. Nicaragua grows more dangerous by the day for independent journalists, with newsroom raids, detention, invasive questioning, and equipment seizure, said CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick in New York. Nicaraguan authorities should allow Radio Dario to broadcast safely and without obstruction. Anibal Toruno, owner of Radio Dario in the western city of Leon, told CPJ that the citys police chief, Fidel Dominguez, led the raid. Although Dominguez lacked a court order, Toruno said that his agents threatened to break down the door unless the station allowed them inside. Police handcuffed and questioned four reporters for several hours and confiscated 10 mobile phones and two computers. Toruno, who has spent much of the last six months working from outside of the country due to the dangers he faces in Nicaragua, added that Dominguez accused him of being a terrorist and of plotting a coup against Ortegas government and threatened to imprison journalists and their families if they continued to work for Radio Dario. Every day conditions get worse for the independent media in Nicaragua, Toruno told CPJ in a telephone interview from the United States. Toruno said the police occupied the station for about three hours that evening and forced the station off the air. He said that transmissions resumed the next day but that Radio Dario has yet to resume its full schedule of news programs. The public relations department of the Nicaraguan National Police did not respond to an email from CPJ seeking comment. Staff that answered multiple phone calls to the Leon police station told CPJ that Dominguez was the only person authorized to comment on the incident and that he was unavailable at the time of the calls. This weeks raid was the second major incident this year involving Radio Dario, a privately owned station and one of the few media outlets providing independent and often critical reporting on the Ortega government amid its violent, eight-month crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. On April 20, pro-government mobs set fire to Radio Dario, badly damaging the station. Studio personnel escaped, but a security guard was hospitalized with burns and two of the arsonists died in the fire, according to news reports. The attack forced Radio Dario to move to another building in Leon. Numerous independent news outlets and journalists have been targeted in the crackdown. One reporter was shot dead in April while broadcasting via Facebook live. During a CPJ visit to Nicaragua in June, reporters said they had been shot at by snipers, beaten, or had their equipment stolen by police or pro-Ortega paramilitaries. In addition, authorities have deported several foreign correspondents, according to news reports. Since April, more than 300 protesters have been killed. Human rights groups blame most of the killings on the police and pro-Ortega paramilitaries. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Journalists in court A Diyarbakr Court on December 5 ordered Rojhat Dogru, a journalist formerly with the northern Iraq outlet Gali Kurdistan TV, to be detained pending investigation, the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya Agency reported. According to the report, Dogru was taken into custody in Istanbul on the accusation of being a member of a [terrorist] organization, and appeared at the Diyarbakr court via teleconference. Dogru pleaded not guilty and told the judge he did not know the people the police had asked him about, that it was at least two years since he last used the telephone number police asked him about, and that he has not used his Facebook account for a long time. Evidence cited for Dogrus arrest was an interview he did for Gali Kurdistan TV with PKK members at a public event in Iraq, which he also posted visuals from on Facebook. The report did not specify the date he was detained or where he was being held. * Authorities in Romania detained Turkish journalist Kamil Demirkaya on December 5 over an extradition request from Turkey, according to the Associated Press. Turkey issued the request over accusations that Demirkaya is a member of criminal, terrorist group, referring to the so called FETO group that the government blames for the failed attempted 2016 coup. A court is due to consider Demirkayas request for political asylum on December 14, according to other reports. *An Istanbul prosecutor on December 6 questioned Hasan Cemal, a columnist for the news website T24, over accusations that he insulted the president via one of his columns, his employer reported. Cemal was questioned about his use of terms including strong man, dictator, and civilian coup which, the prosecutor said, were terms used by members of the FETO group. Cemal told the prosecutor that the column was part of his right to free speech and that the FETO allegation was wrong. * The trial of Kamil Tekin Surek, a lawyer and a columnist for the leftist daily Evrensel, started in Istanbul on December 6, his employer reported. Surek is accused of insulting the president in a column titled The Fascist Dictatorship. Surek pleaded not guilty and the next hearing was scheduled for December 20, according to the report. * The second hearing in the trial of 14 people from the shuttered, pro-Kurdish daily Ozgurlukcu Demokrasi was heard in Istanbul on December 6, Evrensel reported. The court ordered five defendants who are detained pending the outcome of the trial to remain in custody. The next hearing is scheduled for February 21, 2019. * Cigdem Toker, a former economics columnist for the opposition daily Cumhuriyet, tweeted on December 6 that an Ankara court has dismissed the damages case filed against her. CPJ documented in January how a privately owned company was suing Toker for 1.5 million Turkish lira (US$398,190) in damages over a Cumhuriyet column alleging the companys involvement in the irregular export of tomatoes to Russia. * The Chief Prosecutors Office of Istanbul issued another arrest warrant for exiled journalist Can Dundar, the English-language newspaper Hurriyet Daily News reported. This time, the journalist is being prosecuted over his alleged connection to the so-called Gezi Events, the nationwide street protests in Turkey in 2013 that authorities claim were attempt by FETO to start a coup. Switzerland permits journalist to enter country Switzerland has permitted Mustafa Mamay to enter the country, according to a December 1 tweet from the journalist. The journalist said he feared being deported to Turkey after Switzerland barred him from entering the country last month. CPJ could not determine the conditions of the journalists entry to the country. The 80th Session of Policy Commission of World Customs Organization (WCO) was held Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra. It is being organized by WCO and hosted by Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), under Union Finance Minister. Key Facts Secretary General, WCO, other top officials and customs heads from more than 30 countries had participated in this conference for discussion on various matters related to customs. Key discussion were on issues related trade facilitation, controlling illicit financial flow, performance measurement, challenges of small island economies. Hosting of Policy Commission session will give global presence and leadership role to India in area of customs procedures. It will also give a boost to Indias thrust in facilitating trade. World Customs Organisation (WCO) It is independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. It was established in 1952 as Customs Co-operation Council (CCC). It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. More than 180 countries are its members including India. It is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters and defines global standards and procedures for customs clearances at border and their implementation. It is considered as voice of international Customs community. It aims to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of member customs administrations and assist them to contribute successfully to national development goals, particularly revenue collection, national security, trade facilitation, community protection, and collection of trade statistics. India is member of WCO since 1971 and has been participating actively in its various activities. It is part of Asia Pacific region having 33 countries, one of 6 regions. From 1st July 2018, India has taken over as the Vice-Chair of the Asia Pacific region for two years. Organistaional Structure WCOs governing body is Council which relies on competence and skills of WCO Secretariat and range of technical and advisory committees to accomplish its mission. Secretariat comprises over 100 international officials, technical experts and support staff of some nationalities. WCO has divided its membership into six regions whereby each region is represented by elected vice-chairperson to WCO Council. Functions About Documentation Centre The Documentation Centre of ICSF was initiated in 1999, in Chennai, India. The main aims behind the setting up of the Centre were to disseminate relevant information pertinent to small-scale fisheries and fishworkers in a format that would be easily available. The focus areas of information collection of the DC has been: artisanal fisheries, working conditions of fishworkers, fishworkers unions, fishworker movements, social security, women in fisheries, fisheries statistics, fishing technology, fishing communities, aquaculture, fisheries trade, fisheries management, coastal ecosystems and legal instruments, from different parts of the world. A Bill to abolish the death penalty will not be tabled at this parliamentary sitting, said Bukit Gelugor MP and vocal critic of the death penalty Ramkarpal Singh. Last October, de facto law minister in the Prime Ministers Department Liew Vui Keong had confirmed that the death penalty would be abolished for 33 offences, including murder. This is obviously not going to happen at this sitting and there is no official reason being given as to why, Ramkarpal said at a forum on the abolition of the death penalty, organised by the Bar Councils human rights committee. We hope to see it being tabled at the next sitting in March, he added. Crimes against kids Ramkarpal said the abolition of the death penalty, as promised in the PH manifesto, was all-encompassing. It was for offences which carry both the discretionary and mandatory death penalty. Certain offences such as crimes against children and sexual offences have raised debate as to whether or not the country is ready to totally abolish the discretionary death penalty, he said. He said this had resulted in the government taking a step back to consider the views of all the stakeholders who have an interest in the issue. We have to accept the fact that not everybody is anti-death penalty. A responsible government has to take into account the views of all the stakeholders. Ramkarpal had previously stated that the death penalty could be retained in certain cases. When I said the death penalty could be retained in certain cases, I meant it in the context of new identifiable offences. I dont mean this discretion should be applied to the current offences that we have. He gave as example repeat offenders or offenders who were caught red-handed for specific crimes, although he did not go into the details. However, Ramkarpal stressed that the governments view was that the death penalty must go. It is this responsibility of considering the views of all stakeholders that has resulted in the delay in tabling the Bill at this parliamentary sitting." Expedite reforms or youll lose credibility, Ambiga warns PH The Pakatan Harapan (PH) government will lose credibility if it fails to carry out reforms as outlined in its election manifesto, former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan said. She said the people voted for PH instead of Barisan Nasional as it had promised to promote democracy and uphold human rights. "If PH keeps backtracking on the promises, it will lose credibility, she told a forum entitled Abolition of the Death Penalty: Rationale and Implications" organised by the Malaysian Bar here this evening. The human rights lawyer said it was also important for this region that Malaysia succeeds as a vibrant democracy. She also suggested that PH set up a transition team, which comprised government representatives, civil society members and the Malaysian Bar, to kickstart all reforms as promised in the manifesto. "This committee will help the government explain to the public its reform agenda." She said there were already concerns that the reform agenda would grind to a halt. Ambiga said it would be disgraceful if PH could not get a simple piece of legislation, like abolishing the death penalty, approved, given that 142 countries had already repealed it. "What is our excuse?" Ambiga said she still hoped the government would table the bill in the Dewan Rakyat to repeal the death penalty on Dec 10, which is the World Human Rights Day. "Give it as a present to the people of Malaysia." Ambiga said there had been enough consultations and arguments for and against capital punishment. "No need for further consultations. You cannot run the government by referendum." She said the government needs to abolish the death penalty first but could consider retaining the punishment in the rarest of rare cases later. The Cabinet made a decision on Oct 10 that the death penalty in all laws in this country should be abolished. | 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 freemalaysiatoday.com, December 4, 2018 2 men convicted of drug trafficking have escaped the gallows, after the Court of Appeal found them not guilty and acquitted them in a split 2-1 decision. Mohamed Affandi Rosli and Mohamad Fadzli Ahmad had appealed against their convictions in the High Court Affandi for trafficking 132.82g of diamorphine, also known as heroin, and Fadzli for abetting by instigating the trafficking. Both were given the mandatory death penalty for the offences. In a written judgment issued on Wednesday (Dec 5), Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon and Senior Judge Chao Hick Tin granted both appeals. They found that the prosecution had failed to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, the chain of custody of the drug exhibits from the time they were seized to the time the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) analysed them, such that the drug exhibits seized were the substances eventually analysed. However, Judge of Appeal Tay Yong Kwang disagreed, saying there was no break in the chain of custody, and that Fadzli had abetted Affandi. After their trial in the High Court, Affandi and Fadzli were also convicted of other drug-related charges that did not carry the death penalty, but the prosecution at the time sought a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for them, in light of their capital punishment. With the latest development, the apex court will hear at a later date any further orders that may be sought by the prosecution and lawyers in connection with that. BACKGROUND TO THE CASE On July 12, 2013, officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) inspected Affandis car and found 8 bundles of drugs containing 132.82g of diamorphine, as well as 4 packets of drugs containing methamphetamine. Affandi was a fire safety supervisor working at Marina Bay Sands then. Fadzli, a part-time mover, was arrested on the same day. CNB officers found 4 packets of drugs containing methamphetamine in his car, and he later surrendered 2 packets of nimetazepam tablets when officers searched his flat. Affandi said that the diamorphine belonged to Fadzli, and that he was only in possession of the bundles until Fadzli was ready to collect them. Fadzli denied knowledge of the diamorphine, claiming that he had met Affandi that afternoon to collect groceries from him to donate to an orphanage. During the High Court trial, Affandis main defence was that there were serious questions surrounding the chain of custody of the drugs. However, the High Court judge rejected this argument, saying it was not enough for the defence to suggest that there was a real break in the chain of custody without indicating when and how it might have happened. The judge also found that Fadzli was seeking to distance himself from Affandi, and would have no reason to do so if he had nothing to hide. THE APPEAL Delivering the majority decision, Chief Justice Menon noted that two inconsistent narratives emerged during the trial as to how the drugs were handled by the arresting officers. Accounts by two CNB officers showed that there were inconsistencies as to where the drug exhibits were or who held them at several points such as during the time the arresting officers were searching Affandis flat, and after they returned to the CNBs headquarters. The prosecution is first required to account for the movement of the exhibits from when they were seized to the point of analysis by the HSA, the Chief Justice noted. It would then be for the defence to raise reasonable doubt that there was a break in the chain of custody. However, neither of the "2 complete and mutually exclusive chains of custody that emerged were disproved. We respectfully disagree with the (High Court) judges conclusion that the defence had to show that the exhibits have left the custody of the officers, or that unauthorised parties had access to them at some time during that period, or that the exhibits have been interfered with. Instead, the onus is first and foremost on the prosecution to prove the chain of custody beyond reasonable doubt, the majority judges said in the written judgment. Neither Affandis nor Fadzlis DNA was found on the bundles of diamorphine as well, they added. Judge of Appeal Tay, in delivering the minority decision, found that the 2 inconsistent narratives did not suggest there was a break in the chain of custody. He noted that the drug exhibits were always in a trash bag and in the custody of the CNB officers, and there was no evidence they had been mixed up with other exhibits. Along with the other 2 appeal judges, he also rejected the defences argument that the drug exhibits could have been tampered with or contaminated. The defence had argued that after the investigating officer took possession of the exhibits, she left them on the floor of her office, unsealed and unsigned, for almost 34 hours instead of locking them in a safe or steel cabinet. However, the argument was premised on a mere theoretical possibility, Mr Tay said. Chief Justice Menon and Senior Judge Chao also said that the defences argument was speculative as the investigating officers office was locked and even though the keys to her office were centrally available, the officers personal authorisation was required before anyone else could enter it. During the period in question, no one had requested such access, and there was nothing to suggest that the protocol had been compromised. | 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 todayonline.com, December 5, 2018 Just weeks after a toxic Twitter exchange between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Imran Khan, the former has reportedly sought Islamabads help in the Afghan peace negotiations. While the full text of his letter to PM Khan is not known, Trumps tenor seems to be mellower. One must not be surprised by this blow-hot-blow-cold game that has become the hallmark of the current state of Pakistan-US relations. Ironically, while the Afghan war may be the basic cause of the tension between Pakistan and America, it has also been a reason for the two estranged allies to stay together. More than ever, the US appears serious in finding a political solution to the Afghan crisis. Trumps message has come at a time when Zalmay Khalilzad, the special US envoy, has arrived in the region for his third round of shuttle diplomacy. Although Khalilzads optimism about reaching a peace deal before the presidential elections in Afghanistan is a bit far-fetched, there are some strong indications of a thaw in negotiations with the Afghan Taliban. Being Afghan by origin has certainly given him more confidence. But there is a long way to go before one can hope to see the end to the longest war the United States has ever engaged in. Notwithstanding all diplomatic efforts, the war has intensified, taking a huge toll on both sides. Khalilzad is engaging with the insurgents who appear much stronger with their successes on the battlefield. The increasing diplomatic legitimacy has certainly boosted their confidence. Declared as a terrorist group in the past, the Taliban are now recognised as an important military and political force in Afghanistan. There is no indication yet of the Taliban accepting a ceasefire as being demanded by Washington. Khalilzad has held two preliminary meetings with Taliban representatives in Doha in October and November. The talks were mainly focused on what the Taliban described as part of a trust-building process. There has not been any statement from the US side about the outcome of the two meetings. The Taliban reiterated their demand of official recognition for their office, scrapping the UN black list and release of Taliban prisoners as confidence-building measures. The Doha political office is critical for the insurgents to maintain contact with other countries. The Taliban had made it very clear that formal negotiations could not be started without the US willing to discuss the withdrawal of its military forces from Afghanistan. One major challenge that Khalilzad faces is to get the Kabul government on board the reconciliation process. While giving tacit support to direct US talks with the insurgents, President Ashraf Ghani has expressed some reservations over his government being kept away from the negotiating table. The Afghan President does not share Khalilzads optimism that a peace deal is around the corner. Addressing a conference on Afghanistan in Geneva last month, Ghani stressed the need for an Afghan-owned, Afghan-led peace process as the only viable path to ending the long conflict. Ghani insists that any peace negotiations must include respect for Afghanistans Constitution and its provisions with regard to women, and an end to foreign interference in his countrys affairs. He announced the formation of a 12-member team to negotiate with the Afghan Taliban. The Geneva conference, in which 61 countries and several international organisations participated, has placed a renewed focus on the imperatives of a negotiated peace in Afghanistan. The participants also agreed that the peace process cannot move forward successfully unless the Taliban entered into talks with the Afghan government. But there is no indication of the Taliban moving away from their hard-line position that rejects negotiations with the Kabul government. The insurgents have also rebuffed Ghanis latest peace talks offer. Notwithstanding the Talibans position, there have been some unofficial contacts established between the two sides at international conferences. One such informal interaction took place last month in Moscow, but both downplayed the importance of sharing a platform. The invitation for participation in the Moscow meeting was seen as a big diplomatic triumph for the Afghan Taliban. The insurgent group said in a statement that participation in the Moscow meeting was not about holding negotiations with any side. The Moscow meeting that was attended by representatives of 11 regional countries called for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan and a political solution to the problem. It will now be difficult for anyone to defend the invasion of Afghanistan under the excuse of terrorism, a Taliban spokesman said. Surely, Pakistans role in Afghan reconciliation is extremely important, but it seems that it is difficult for Islamabad to come up to Washingtons expectations of making the talks work. It will certainly be in Pakistans own interest to help facilitate a negotiated political settlement. But there is a big question mark over its capacity to deliver on its promises. By arrangement with Dawn 'America should know that we are selling our oil and will continue to sell our oil and they are not able to stop our oil exports,' President Hassan Rouhani said. (Photo: File) Geneva: The United States will not be able to stop Iran exporting its oil and any move to prevent Iranian crude shipments passing through the Gulf would lead to all oil exports through the waterway being blocked, Iran's president said on Tuesday. The United States has imposed sanctions on Iran and US officials say they aim to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero in a bid to curb the Islamic Republic's missile programme and regional influence. "America should know that we are selling our oil and will continue to sell our oil and they are not able to stop our oil exports," President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech during a trip to the northern Iranian city of Shahroud. "If one day they want to prevent the export of Iran's oil, then no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf," he said. Tensions have risen between Iran and the United States after US President Donald Trump withdrew from a multilateral nuclear deal in May and reimposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic. Rouhani said the United States would not succeed in cutting Iran's economic ties with the region and the world. Iranian Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri also said on Tuesday that US sanctions were hitting vulnerable people in Iran. "When (Americans) say their target is the Iranian government and there won't be pressure on the sick, the elderly and the weak in society, it's a lie," Jahangiri said, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). I am a retired newspaperman. I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 44 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com Sabeco's Saigon beers are displayed for sale in a market in Hanoi, Vietnam. Photo by Reuters/Kham Vietnams securities authorities have lifted any foreign ownership cap on the countrys largest brewer Sabeco. The State Securities Commission has allowed 100 percent foreign ownership of Sabeco, up from the previous 49 percent. The confirmation came after the brewer, known for its Bia Saigon and 333 beer brands, announced last month that its board of directors had approved unrestricted foreign ownership percentage in the company. Vietnam allows listed companies, except those working in certain business fields like banking, to determine their foreign ownership cap. They just need to register the limit with the State Securities Commission. Sabeco has been seeking to remove from its portfolio businesses that have limited foreign ownership. Its shareholders in July voted in favor of removing its commercial advertising business, and its domestic and international travel business. They also allowed unspecified adjustments to a few other businesses. The Ministry of Finance last month presented a draft securities law that would remove the current 49 percent foreign ownership cap from many sectors. The draft has not been finalized or submitted to the National Assembly for approval. In Vietnam, conditional sectors are subject to additional regulations that would override limits set out by the securities law. Last December, Thai Beverage acquired a 53.59 percent stake in Sabeco from Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade for $4.84 billion through a local entity, Viet Beverage (VietBev). Sabeco, formally known as Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp, recorded revenues of VND25.5 trillion ($1.1 billion) in the first nine months of this year, meeting 70 percent of its annual target. It occupies approximately 42.8 percent of the domestic beer market, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Securities Corporation. Last year, it produced nearly 1.8 trillion litres of beer. Vietnam has set target of increasing GDP per capita to $6,500 in 2030, and $10,000, or four times the current value, in 2035. The GDP in those years would then be $670 billion and $1.05 trillion, according to an economic policy framework for the period up to 2035 recently issued by the Ministry of Planning and Investment. This will make Vietnam an upper middle-income country. Vietnam has also targeted to reduce its poverty rate to 1 percent and increasing the middle-class rate to 50 percent by 2035. The middle and affluent class now is categorized as those earning $714 a month or more, according to the Boston Consulting Group. According to the document, encouraging the continued development of the private sector and developing human resources and innovations taking advantage of the Fourth Industrial Revolution would be two of the driving forces for economic growth. The country hopes to have two million private businesses that contribute 50 percent of its GDP by 2020 and 60-65 percent by 2030. The reforms to achieve these goals will focus on modernizing the economy and developing the private sector, building innovation capacity, improving economic efficiency of urbanization, and building modern institutions and efficient governance. Vietnam also aims to ensure its development is environmentally sustainable and equitable, promote social inclusion and enhance its adaptability to climate change. Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said strong reforms are needed to continue developing and not fall behind the times. Speaking to Vietnam's development partners at a forum on reform and development Wednesday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said: "We have the aspiration to become a prosperous economy, but we are fully aware that the road will be uneven with many challenges. Those are the challenges from both within the economy and the impacts caused by fluctuations in the global economy." To address these issues he pledged his government would soon speed up administrative reform and establish an economic system that enables all economic entities to have the right to participate in making development plans and policies. "Vietnam will focus on building its soft and digital infrastructure to convert the economy into a digital one, reform its recruitment mechanism and focus on training human resources to make use of the fourth industrial revolution as a driving force for growth." According to World Bank Group statistics, Vietnam's GDP per capita in 2017 is $2,343. The figure for Singapore is $57,714, Malaysia ($9,945), Thailand ($6,594), the Philippines ($2,989) and Myanmar ($1,298). Minister Dung estimated that Vietnams GDP would grow by 6.57 percent on average in the 2016-2018 period, meeting the Nationals Assembly target of 6.5-6.7 percent growth. In the first nine months this year, Vietnams GDP grew by 6.98 percent, the highest nine-month growth rate since 2011. The economy grew by 6.81 percent last year, the highest rate in a decade. Arguments fly over Vietnams need for more or less airports Tan Son Nhat is handling 36 million passengers, which is way above its designed capacity of 25 million. Shutterstock/AsiaTravel Travel firm execs say Vietnam needs more airports, contradicting some aviation experts assessments that there are too many, already. The executives argue that new airports and upgrades will help overhaul the countrys poor aviation infrastructure, now a bottleneck for tourism development. "My view is we need more airports and upgrades, because infrastructure, especially in important destinations, is critical for future development," said Tran Trong Kien, chairman and CEO of Thien Minh Group (TMG), one of Vietnams top travel and hospitality companies. Kien was responding to a VnExpress International question about the controversy over provincial proposals on building airports like the one near renowned tourist venue Sapa in northern Vietnam. Several aviation experts have remarked that there are too many proposals and plans for new airports, and that the country has too many already. Kien said the first priority should be to expand the Tan Son Nhat airport, second to expand the Noi Bai and Da Nang airports. These three meet or exceed their design capacity. "Hue and Chu Lai airports are also extremely important, and Hai Phong airport is also a very good solution for future development," Kien said on the sidelines of the Vietnam Travel & Tourism Summit 2018 Wednesday. He is also chairman of the National Tourism Advisory Board (TAB). Hue currently has Phu Bai airport while Chu Lai airport is located in the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone in Quang Nam Province. Both are in central Vietnam. The northern city of Hai Phong has Cat Bi airport. Kien said that up to 80 percent of foreign tourists come to Vietnam by air, but air connections from and to Vietnam, regionally and globally, are much lower than big cities in Asia like Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Kuala Lumpur. Luong Hoai Nam, deputy general director of joint stock company Vietstar Airlines, also said the country definitely needs new airports and upgrades to the old, poor ones. "Phu Quoc and Van Don are the only two new airports up and running since 1975 (when the Vietnam War ended). Apart from them, the only changes in aviation infrastructure have been upgrades to military airports whereby limited expansions were made due to limited land areas," Nam told the tourism event organized by VnExpress. The Phu Quoc airport in southern Vietnam is a public investment project while the latest, Van Don, is a private project of the Sun Group in the northern province of Quang Ninh. Nam said Vietnam has 21 airports while Thailand has 38. The aggregate annual capacity of 21 airports in Vietnam is only equivalent to Thailands biggest Suvarnabhumi Airport, Singapores Changi and Malaysias Kuala Lumpur. "Lack of airports, especially the bigger ones, leads to an overload, with airports serving about 105 million passengers this year against the designed capacity of only 75 million." The biggest airport Tan Son Nhat which is handling 36 million passengers, way above its designed capacity of 25 million, has suffered overloading for many years, but the "upgrades are very slow". "Our airports are like a house designed to accommodate 25 people, but last year 36 were living in it and the figure this year is 40. "The images of passengers running, pulling their suitcases to Tan Son Nhat airport (instead of having cars driving them to the gate due to traffic congestion) published in local and foreign media are harming the image of our aviation and tourism sectors." Too many already Previously, in interviews with VnExpress International some aviation experts claimed Vietnam was building too many airports without carefully evaluating their necessity. Authorities in the southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau province have been working with private firm Ho Tram Ltd, the investor of the Grand Ho Tram Strip resort, on plans to construct a $194 million civilian airport nearby. Ba Ria-Vung Tau already has an operational airport on Con Dao Island and the mega Long Thanh International Airport being planned in southern Dong Nai Province is just 40 kilometers away. In July, Lao Cai Province proposed that a $246 million airport built near Sapa for both civilian and military purposes. Nguyen Thien Tong, former faculty head of aeronautical engineering at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said its not necessary to have two new airports in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, as the province does not have a large (enough) number of tourists. Ngo Viet Nam Son, an architect who participated in designing the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal in the Philippines, argued that it would be much more efficient if money is spent on building an expressway which connects Ba Ria-Vung Tau and HCMC. As for the proposed airport near Sa Pa, Tong claimed that roads should be the focus of this area, not airports as investing in roads in this area will allow different vehicles to travel to multiple destinations in the north, serving the majority of the population. Son was concerned about the distance from the airport to Sa Pa town, which is about 100 kilometers away, a distance too long to attract tourists. The Ministry of Transport in September approved amendments to the expansion plan for HCMCs Tan Son Nhat airport. The plan, which lists targets until 2020 with orientation towards 2030, includes the addition of a third terminal and a 250 hectare expansion of the airports area. Specifically, the airport's total area will be increased from the current 545 hectares (1,350 acres) to 791 hectares. Regarding Hanois Noi Bai airport Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho in October urged related agencies to quickly review plans to expand the airport to the south. Their aim is to increase the capacity to 100 million passengers a year in 2050. The airport now has a capacity of 21 million passengers per year, but accommodated some 24 million passengers in 2017. The direct power purchase agreement model for renewable energy, which has drawn much interest from investors, is set to be completed this month. A report released at the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF) Tuesday quoted Le Anh Duc of the Electricity Regulatory Authority of Vietnam (ERAV) as providing this assurance. It will be an agreement (DPPA) between an electricity producer and a corporate customer for power to be sold and delivered to the latter for its operation. It is aimed at encouraging development of renewable energy. Currently independent power producers sell their electricity to the state-run Vietnam Electricity (EVN), which is also the monopoly distributor. DPPA has been hot a topic on the agenda for the last two years, and has attracted enormous interest among potential private power producers and energy consumers like Coca-Cola, Heineken and Unilever, who would like their energy sources to be greener to fulfill their global environmental commitments. "Based on the advice of our consultants, ERAV will undertake preparatory work like determining the regulations that need to be amended or supplemented, and report to the Ministry of Industry and Trade and, if necessary, to the Prime Minister," Duc, director of the electricity market development and human resource training center at ERAV, said. "At present ERAV is focusing more on selection of the DPPA model before exploring the pilot program in depth." Speaking about the criteria for the selection of renewable energy plants participating in the DPPA, he said ERAV is considering the possibility of selecting those with a capacity of at least 30 MW. He said 300 MW is the size of the pilot scheme, less than half of the total installed capacity in the country. Vietnam plans to pilot the DPPA next year. The government envisages that by 2021-22 large industrial and commercial power consumers will be able to transact directly with power suppliers. By this time customers will have many options for buying electricity, either directly from power producers or from retail companies. The two DPPA models proposed by ERAVs consultants are sleeved and synthetic. The VBF consortium, which includes many foreign chambers of commerce and business groups in Vietnam, has stated its preference for a sleeved DPPA. Under this, excess renewable energy produced will be sold through the spot electricity market at the market price. But ERAV has said this is not in line with the country's current power market design. Under the synthetic DPPA model, 100 percent of the output will be sold through the market. Agreements between buyers and renewable energy generating companies (DPPA contract) will be settled through a financial contract (contract for difference, or CfD). CfDs will set a fixed price for a certain period and amount of power traded by customers and the power producers. The two parameters need to be agreed to by both parties, but the payment for the CfD is the difference between the price in the contract and the spot price. Duc explained: "The synthetic DPPA model is appropriate and completely similar to the current design of Vietnams wholesale electricity market. Adopting this mechanism will help reduce the work to be done and the issues to be addressed." Le Hong Hai, another ERAV official, said: "Basically, ERAV is supporting the synthetic DPPA model." The Ministry of Industry and Trade has finalized a draft circular regulating the operation of the competitive wholesale electricity market, which gives renewable energy producers the option of participating in the electricity market. Hai said the circular is expected to take effect from January 1 next year. The revised Power Development Plan for 2011 2020 (revised PDP VII), adopted in 2016, was evidence of the Government's growing appreciation for alternative sources of energy. Under the plan, power stations in the country are expected to generate a total of 60,000 MW by 2020. Coal-fired stations would account for the largest ration of 42.7 percent, followed by hydropower (30.1 percent), gas-fired plants (14.9 percent) and renewables (9.9 percent). By 2030 the capacity would soar to 129,500 MW, with the proportion of electricity from coal and gas remaining unchanged, but renewables doubling to 21 percent. Since early 2017 there has been a sharp rise in the number of solar and wind power plants approved by the Government after the adoption of new feed-in-tariffs (FIT) for on-grid solar projects and for onshore and offshore wind projects. The governmental Decision 39 on support mechanisms for the development of wind power, effective from November 1 this year, raised the tariffs from 7.8 US cents per kWh to 8.5 US cents for onshore and 9.8 US cents for offshore generation respectively. The new tariffs are attracting great interest in wind power, but investors are concerned about grid connection and the bankability of the power purchase agreement. Last September the government had issued a resolution that allows solar power projects in the central province of Ninh Thuan to enjoy a rate of 9.35 cents per kilowatt-hour for a period of 20 years as long as they begin commercial operations by the end of 2020. This marked an extension of the commercial operation date (COD) deadline from June 30, 2019, set earlier by the government. The new resolution has given investors hope the deadline would also be pushed back in other localities. Recent innovations in solar power technology that have helped bring down production costs dramatically have made Vietnams 9.35 cents tariff attractive to private investors. Hundreds of private investors had submitted proposals to set up solar farms, but the June 30, 2019, deadline had been too tight, energy experts said. There are also lingering concerns over infrastructure needed for the solar projects to connect to the national grid, land acquisition, procedural lags, and a lack of master zoning plans for solar power development at the national and provincial levels. Le Diep Kieu Trang, director of Facebook Vietnam, has announced to resign from the beginning of next year. Photo by Le Diep Kieu Trang on Facebook Le Diep Kieu Trang will stop working as director of Facebooks operations in Vietnam from January 1 next year. On her own Facebook page, Trang, 38, cited "family reasons" for her decision. Trang, also known as Christy Le, surprised the business community in March when becoming the country director of Facebook in Vietnam. She told local media back then that she wants to experience a "challenging position." She has been in charge of the social network's business development in Vietnam from its office in Singapore. Kenneth Bishop, managing director of Facebook in Southeast Asia, said in March that with more than 60 million people using Facebook in Vietnam each month, Facebook is investing in human resources to support the business community and its partners in Vietnam. With her professional experience, Trang would be able to support companies in Vietnam, he said. Trang comes from a family with a long business tradition. Her father, Le Van Tri, is former deputy CEO of The Southern Rubber Industry Joint Stock Company (Casumina), Vietnam's leading rubber manufacturer, while her brother, Le Tri Thong, is former deputy CEO of Dong A Bank and is currently deputy chairman of Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint-Stock Company (PNJ). Trang won scholarships to study at Oxford University in England and then Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S. She previously worked for global management consulting firm McKinsey in the U.S. before joining her husband to found Misfit Wearables, a startup specializing in keeping track of human health and physical activities that attracted investment from John Sculley, former CEO of Apple, and Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing. Misfit was acquired by Fossil Group for $260 million in 2015, but Trang continued to work as CEO of Fossil Vietnam until early March this year. In June, Vietnam passed the Cybersecurity Law that enforces tougher conditions on tech businesses like Facebook and Google. The law says local and foreign digital and tech businesses will have to open a representative office in Vietnam and store users data. Facebook has just lost its throne as a top-rated employer, based on Glassdoor's 2019 list of the "Best Places to Work." After ranking top last year, Facebook now ranks seventh, dropping from a 4.6 to 4.5 award score out of 5. Glassdoor bases its ranking on eight different of factors, including work/life balance, senior management and compensation and benefits. On employee satisfaction alone, Facebook has seen a decline from a 4.6 rating in the first quarter to a 4.3 in the last quarter, Glassdoor Community Expert Scott Dobroski told CNBC. Six former Facebook employees told CNBC they have been receiving increasingly more messages from current Facebook employees looking for a way out. Two men have been held by the Hanoi police for threatening and attempting to attack a woman attendant on board a VietJet flight. The passengers, whose names have been withheld, were on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Vinh in the central province of Nghe An Wednesday when the flight attendant announced the plane had to make an emergency landing in Hanoi due to bad weather in Vinh. Several passengers were angry, and two began abusing the flight attendant. They tried to hit her in the face. Local media reports said the woman, from Thailand, was the flight's chief attendant. After touching down at Noi Bai International Airport, the captain refused to carry the two and handed over them to airport security. As they continued to scream and bang their hands on the plane, security officers gave them to the police. Officers said they would likely face flight bans. The flight then took off for Vinh, around 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of Hanoi. Low-cost carriers and the countrys increasing affluence have sparked rapid growth in the aviation industry, which served more than 53 million passengers in the first half of this year, up 14 percent from a year earlier. But there have been a series of violent clashes between passengers and flight crews in recent years. Last month, three Vietnamese men received a one-year flight ban for assaulting a VietJet flight attendant in Thanh Hoa Province as she refused to take photos with them. The men are also being investigated for disturbing public order. Last year a man was fined VND7.5 million ($330) for hitting a woman employee of Vietjet Air in the face with his bag after she refused to give him a boarding pass and said she had to move his flight to the next day. Vietnam imposes flight bans of up to a year on travelers who disrupt order on flights or in airports, make bomb threats or use fake documents to travel. Repeat offenders get an indefinite ban. Vietnam is one of the hardest hit by cryptomining attacks this year, Kaspersky says. Photo by Shutterstock/Lifestyle discover Vietnam is among nations hardest hit by cryptomining attacks this year, says Moscow-based multinational cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab. The 2018 Kaspersky Security Bulletin, published last week, ranks Vietnam the second hardest hit country by cryptomining attacks between January and October, with 13 percent of all cybersecurity attacks in this period launched by cryptominers. Kazakhstan ranked first at 16.75 percent, followed by Vietnam, then Indonesia at 12.87 percent and Ukraine at 11.9 percent. Cryptomining refers to solving complex computational math problems to produce cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It typically requires a great deal of computational power to do so, so the work is often done by using powerful computer hardware like graphic cards. Some cryptominers infect other users computers to harvest their computing power and mine cryptocurrencies instead. The miners usually find their way to computers and corporate machines using adware, hacked games, and other pirated content, the report said. "The more freely unlicensed software is distributed, the more miners there are. This is confirmed by our statistics, which indicates that miners most often land on victim computers together with pirated software." Content piracy and copyright infringement are still rampant in Vietnam, partly due to high licensing fees and a lack of effective law enforcement, the report said. Also according to the Kaspersky report, legislative control over cryptocurrencies has had little impact on the spread of hidden mining. While the Vietnamese government never legalized cryptocurrencies, it was still among the most targeted countries for cryptomining attacks. Vietnam is particularly vulnerable to cryptomining malware due to its weak cybersecurity, speakers had said at a regional conference in September. The country suffered over 6,500 cyber attacks in the first eight months of this year. Nguyen Trong Duong, Director of the Vietnam Computer Emergency Response Team, said during a cybersecurity conference in Hanoi earlier this year that cyber criminals were switching from spreading ransomwares, which encrypt users data and prevent them from being accessed unless a ransom is paid, to spreading cryptocurrency mining malware. This was happening as institutions and organizations had successfully developed countermeasures against ransomwares, he added. Malware cost Vietnam VND12.3 trillion ($540 million) in losses last year, according to Bkav, a Vietnamese cybersecurity corporation. Housed in an ethnic Central Highlands long house, it traces the history of the brew in Vietnam and the world. The World of Coffee Museum in Buon Me Thuot City, Dak Lak Province, will open to visitors on December 4, from 8 a.m to 7 p.m. From its architecture to the exhibits inside, it is one of the most unique museums in the country. The museum is built in the Central Highlands ethnic long house style. Its owner, Trung Nguyen Legend Group, hopes to attract local and foreign tourists and make Buon Ma Thuot the "global coffee capital." On the company's website, chairman and founder Dang Le Nguyen Vu stated: "Coffee is a treasure of the universe, a heritage of mankind and a solution for the future." In addition to the exhibition space, the museum also has a library of light, and places for coffee drinks and workshops. These facilities are part of the Coffee City, which spreads over more than 45 hectares. The museum's collection of more than 10,000 artifacts showing the history of coffee has been brought from Germanys Jens Burg Museum. As the museum is yet to open to the public, it is still a work in progress. Unlike other museums, the interior of the World of Coffee is completely open to visitors. The exhibits are not placed in glass cases. In addition to the Jens Burg Museum collection, Coffee World also features a wide range of items, production tools used in Vietnam from the earliest days until now. Many of the early artifacts delight visitors. Interactive spaces allow visitors to experience the coffee culture through all five senses. Some areas are only for viewing and not photographing. From its design to arrangement style, the museum reflects the cultures of the Central Highlands. The interiors are high and have plenty of natural light. The World of Coffee Museum is opened in preparation for the 2019 Coffee Festival of Vietnam. The country is the second largest exporter of coffee after Brazil. It is a 360-degree virtual museum. Every item exhibited in the museum is shown in 3D with a detailed description. The admission fee is VND75,000 ($3.22) for adults and VND40,000 ($1.72) for children. The emissions from Chinese-backed coal-fired power plants could cripple global efforts to rein in climate change, analysts warn. Photo by AFP/Greg Baker China is aggressively exporting coal-fired power to other regions, an investigation by AFP has shown. China struggles to curb domestic coal-fired power and the deadly pollution it produces. The world's top carbon emitter is exporting the same troubled technology to Asia, Africa and the Middle East. The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from these Chinese-backed plants could cripple global efforts to rein in global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuels -- especially coal, analysts warn. "China is a world leader in terms of embracing the policy and investment needs to progressively decarbonise its economy," said Tim Buckley, director of energy finance studies at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). "But internationally, China continues to invest in a range of coal project in direct contradiction to its domestic energy strategy." Globally, coal use accounts for 40 percent of CO2 emissions, and is on the rise after declining slightly from 2014 to 2016. More than two-fifths of the world's electricity is generated by coal-fired power, nearly double the share of natural gas and 15 times as much as solar and wind combined. As China tries to draw down its domestic coal use, it has aggressively pushed coal power outside its borders. Photo by AFP/Sanjib Dutta A quarter of coal plants in the planning stage or under construction outside China are backed by Chinese state-owned financial institutions and corporations, according to research by IEEFA, an energy finance think-tank based in Cleveland, Ohio. Remove India from the picture, and the share of coal development supported by China rises to above a third. "The risk is locking these countries into something that won't be good for them in the long-run, and that is incompatible with the Paris climate agreement's temperature goals," said Christine Shearer, an energy analyst for CoalSwarm and lead author of the research, which is slated for publication later this month. Many of the recipients of China's largesse -- Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe and half a dozen others -- currently have little or no coal-fired power, and no coal to fuel future plants. "That means they will have to build import infrastructure, or even coals mines," Shearer told AFP. The 2015 Paris treaty calls for capping global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and a by the UN's climate science panel warned last month that even the 2C target may not be ambitious enough to avert catastrophic impacts. With only one 1C of warming so far, the planet has seen a crescendo of lethal heatwaves, flooding, drought and storms surges made worse by rising seas. SE Asian coal boom And yet, Chinese banks and investment agencies have committed more than $21 billion (18.5 billion euros) to developing 31 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired capacity in a dozen countries, and an additional $15 billion is on offer to support projects that would generate 71 GW in 24 nations, for a total of more than 101 GW, IEEFA found. Worldwide, there are nearly 2,500 30-megawatt-or-larger coal-fired stations in operation, with a combined capacity of about 2000 GW, according to the. Globally, coal use accounts for 40 percent of CO2 emissions, and is on the rise. Photo by AFP/Greg Baker "A glut of new coal infrastructure would bury our chances of keeping global warming well below 2C," Heffa Schuecking, director of Urgewald, an environmental NGO based in Germany which tracks the coal sector, told AFP. "The Chinese government needs to stop bankrolling new coal plants both at home and abroad." Any pathway to a 1.5C world -- even one that allows for "overshooting" the target and depends heavily on extracting CO2 from the air -- requires the near elimination of coal from the energy mix by mid-century, according to the UN. A "sustainable development" scenario laid out by the International Energy Agency (IEA) sees coal power dropping 60 percent by 2040. Coal use within China -- nearly half the world total -- has declined slightly in recent years, as has CO2 emissions, though both are likely to tilt upward this year. In the rest of Asia, however, soaring demand for electricity has translated into a sharp jump in coal consumption. In Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines, for example, electricity generation shot up more than 20 percent from 2014 to 2017 -- triple the global average -- with China-backed coal powering a significant part of the increase. China is not alone in peddling the most carbon-intensive of fossil fuels beyond its borders. As of last month, South Korea and its export credit agencies were positioned to back 12 GW of coal-fired power abroad, and Japan was behind another 10, according to a research note from Han Chen, international energy policy manager at the Natural Resources Defense Council. During the 2013-2018 period, South Korea and Japan financed 8 GW and 20 GW, respectively. Spectre of stranded assets But their shares were dwarfed by China's, whose financing covered as much power generation as Japan and South Korea combined. The three East Asian rivals supported 90 percent of the 135 GW built since 2013 or in the pipeline. "China is winning more bids, and Chinese firms are more willing to consider countries and markets with high risk profiles," Chen told AFP. All this external funding comes at a time when financial institutions in the rest of the world are starting to shy away from coal. Cheap solar and wind energy combined with mounting concern about climate impacts have cast a shadow over coal-fired power, raising the spectre of stranded assets. At least 19 major insurers with more than $6 trillion in assets, 20 percent of the global total, have divested from coal, up from $4 trillion a year ago, the Unfriend Coal Scorecard, which tracks divestment in the insurance sector, reported this week. Insurers Generali, Lloyd's, Hannover Re, AG2R La Mondiale and Groupama all announced new divestment policies this year. Investors, pension funds, export credit agencies, and multilateral development banks -- including the World Bank -- have also pulled back, as have many private banks. An by the Washington DC-based World Resources Institute of China's energy sector financing under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- which seeks to boost $6 trillion in infrastructure across 68 nations, shows that very little went towards renewables. "Most Chinese deals from 2014 to 2017 in energy and transportation" -- totalling $250 billion in loans and financing -- "were tied to carbon-intensive sectors," said lead author Lihuan Zhou, an associate at the WRI's Sustainable Finance Center. China is acutely aware of mounting criticism of its drive to export coal-fired power, said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation and -- as France's top climate negotiator -- one of the main architects of the. 'China has to choose' "Every conference, every discussion is about how to green the Belt and Road Initiative," she told AFP upon returning from a round of meetings in Beijing. Domestically, the barriers to rapidly drawing down coal use -- despite a cap on coal production -- are evident. "China has built up an enormous coal-power generation industry -- workers, companies, technology manufacturing -- and now they have a lot of surplus," said energy analyst Shearer. At the same time, China's juggernaut economy is slowing, which has left these state-run behemoths "looking for new markets". But a dozen experts interviewed for this article pointed out that -- outside its borders -- Beijing could opt for a different path. "They do have a choice," said Oliver Sartor, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations in Paris. "It looks hypocritical to clean up at home and then be investing in coal abroad." Tubiana said that "China's dynamic private sector -- which is very much involved in renewables, electric vehicles - would be a perfect vehicle for outside influence." Several coal-fired projects in the pipeline financed by China have met fierce resistance. Three of them - the Sendou plant in Senegal, the Rampal project in Bangladesh, and the Lamu plant in Kenya - are in countries where little or no energy is currently produced by coal. The Sendou and Rampal developments are in coastal areas where local communities have already been devastated by climate impacts. "China has to choose whether it will offload abroad what it is trying to leave behind at home, or secure a far bigger market share over the next few decades in clean energy," said Renato Redentor Constantino, executive director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities in Manila. "I think it will choose clean energy, but it won't do it alone," he added. "Pressure has to come from other countries and civil society." Vietnam has conducted drills to prevent the spread of African swine fever Wednesday. Photo by Shutterstock/Woramut Saewong Vietnamese authorities on Wednesday conducted drills to prevent the spread of African swine fever as the risks of transmission from neighboring China increase. The highly contagious fever has killed around a million pigs worldwide and recently spread rapidly across China, which has reported 80 cases since early August. In footage shown on state-run Vietnam Television (VTV), officials covered from head to toe in protective clothing were seen taking samples from dead pigs and spraying corpses before burying them in a large pit in the ground. "The fever is only 150 kilometers away from our border, so its necessary to understand the risk and danger...if it reaches our 27 millions pigs," said Tong Xuan Chinh, vice head of the agriculture ministrys livestock department. Vietnam has more than 27 millions pigs, most of which are consumed domestically, with pork accounting for three quarters of total meat consumption in the Southeast Asian nation of 95 million people, Chinh said. "If this fever infects our pigs, it will be a major hit to the economy, society, environment and food security," Chinh said. He added that authorities were tightly controlling the transportation of pigs and pork products from China and had banned pork products from other infected countries such as Poland and Hungary. Last month, China reported outbreaks of African swine fever in several provinces, including Yunnan, a border province with Vietnam. Washington sets aside divisions as US bids farewell to Bush George W. Bush delivers a eulogy beside the flag-draped casket of his father George H.W. Bush, during his state funeral at Washington National Cathedral. Photo by AFP/Alex Brandon A divided Washington led by the nation's five living presidents attended a the state funeral on Wednesday of George Herbert Walker Bush, as America bade farewell to its 41st president. Donald and Melania Trump shared a front row pew in the National Cathedral with past presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives as an honor guard brought Bush's flag-draped casket into the prayer hall filled with dignitaries. George W. Bush tapped the casket twice when he walked up to deliver a rousing eulogy, fighting through tears as he sang the praises of his father and predecessor as commander-in-chief, who died Friday at age 94. Former president George W. Bush weeps after delivering his eulogy at the state funeral for his father George H.W. Bush at Washington National Cathedral. Photo byFP/Alex Brandon "He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage, and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country," Bush said. "He was born with just two settings -- full throttle, then sleep," he said. "To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light," he said in a reference to his father's signature call to volunteerism. "When the history books are written, they will say that George H.W. Bush was a great president of the United States." Bush's eulogy followed a performance by Irish tenor Ronan Tynan -- a friend of H.W. who sang to him in his dying hours. Wednesday's funeral capped a national homage that saw Bush lie in state in the US Capitol rotunda, where thousands paid respects to a statesman who steered the nation through turbulent times including the end of the Cold War -- and in a style dramatically different to the current president. Since Bush's death, Trump has traded his usual provocative posture for one of solemnity, tweeting before the service about "a day of celebration for a great man." But at the funeral, Trump and his Democratic predecessors appeared locked in an uneasy truce. Trump arrived and shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. But his greetings stopped there, and the body language turned cold as he failed to acknowledge Hillary Clinton, his defeated Democratic rival in 2016. Clinton stared straight ahead and the two made no eye contact. It was a dramatic contrast when George W. Bush arrived minutes later and shook hands with the current and past presidents and their wives -- and handed Michelle Obama a piece of candy, as he did during the memorial service for senator John McCain in the same cathedral in September. Bells tolled while the casket was carried down the aisle, as dignitaries including Britain's Prince Charles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Polish president Lech Walesa, and former US vice presidents and cabinet officials looked on. Precision, patriotic ritual, and ceremony ruled the day. The Bushes and congressional leaders stood outside the US Capitol with hands on hearts as Bush's casket was carried out to a 21-gun salute. Pennsylvania Avenue was lined with well-wishers as the cortege proceeded toward the Neo-Gothic cathedral in the first presidential funeral since Gerald Ford died in 2006. 'Stay the course' Bush was a decorated World War II aviator who nearly died when he was shot down on a bombing mission. He served as a congressman, envoy to China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and vice president to Ronald Reagan before winning the White House. Trump's ascendancy to the head of the Republican Party saw him exchange vitriolic attacks with the Bushes, notably slamming the presidential son's 2003 invasion of Iraq and mocking candidate Jeb Bush during the Republican primaries. Former US president George W. Bush, Laura Bush and other family members watch as the casket of George H.W. Bush is carried by a military honor guard at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, following his state funeral. Photo by AFP/Alex Brandon Bush Sr meanwhile branded Trump a "blowhard," and revealed he did not vote for him. At a time of political fissures, admirers of the 41st US president looked to him this week as a dedicated servant of country who aimed to do good and bridge political divides. "His life code, as he said, was tell the truth, don't blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course," presidential historian Jon Meacham told Wednesday's service. Afterwards, the presidential aircraft carried Bush and family on his final journey from Washington back to Texas, touching down in Houston at 5:00 pm (2300 GMT). He will lie in repose at St Martin's Episcopal Church, where the Bushes worshipped for decades, until he is buried Thursday. Bush will be interred at his presidential library in College Station, Texas, next to his wife, who died in April, and their daughter Robin who died of leukemia at age three. "In our grief," his son George said, "let us smile knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again." What do you think about our new website? Share your opinion Container train between China, EU to run via Ukraine minister The Ministry of Infrastructure is confident that about a thousand such trains will run annually. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Two Ukrainian seaports forced to cut working hours amid Russia's blocking of Kerch Strait Omelyan Ukrainian ports Mariupol and Berdyansk lost more than half of their cargo traffic and are forced to start layoffs. If you see a spelling error on our site, select it and press Ctrl+Enter Besides, European partners could ban port calls to Russian ships sailing from the occupied Crimea or the Sea of Azov. U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations, Ambassador Kurt Volker says the United States and its Western allies are considering a number of options to prevent Russia from asserting any more "unilateral control" in the shared waters of the Azov Sea. Volker told Voice of America one of the possible measure is cutting Russian banks from the international SWIFT banking network, which operates under Belgian law and facilitates international transactions by sending payment orders between institutions in different countries. "People refer to it as a nuclear option," Volker said. "It would have costs for everybody involved. Big costs for Russia, but big costs for allies as well. Ultimately, we have to keep it on the table as a possibility because we just can't continue to see Russia launch further steps of aggression in its neighborhood like this." Read alsoTwo Ukrainian seaports forced to cut working hours amid Russia's blocking of Kerch Strait Omelyan Volker said the United States' European allies could move to bar Russian vessels coming from Crimea or the Azov Sea from European ports. He said the move was suggested recently by Annegret Kramp-Karrenabaue, general secretary of Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union and an aspiring successor to outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "It is a very strong measure and a very creative one," Volker told VOA. "We'll see if they pursue it." He said the United States wants such measures to put pressure on Russia and "get to the point at which Russia is willing to negotiate a solution." Read alsoU.S. makes preparations to sail warship into Black Sea amid Russia-Ukraine tensions - CNN As UNIAN reported earlier, on the morning of November 25, Russia blocked the passage to the Kerch Strait for the Ukrainian tugboat Yany Kapu and two armored naval boats Berdyansk and Nikopol, which were on a scheduled re-deployment from the Black Sea port of Odesa to the Azov Sea port of Mariupol. The Ukraine Navy Command noted that the Russian side had been informed in advance of the intention to re-deploy the vessels in accordance with international standards to ensure the safety of navigation. The Russian coast guard ship "Don" rammed the Ukrainian tug, damaging the Ukrainian vessel. As the Ukrainian boats were heading back in the Odesa direction after being rejected passage via the Kerch Strait, Russian coast guards opened aimed fire on them. All 24 crew on board were captured and later remanded in custody for two months, charged with "illegal border crossing" (the sailors are facing up to six years in prison). Three crewmen were injured in the attack. The Russian-controlled court in the occupied Crimea ruled to remand all 24 POWs in custody, after which they were transferred to Moscow-based Lefortovo and Matrosskaya Silence detention centers. The restored cauldron with more than 8,000 coins at the National Archaeology Museum. Victor Sainz In the middle of a torrential storm, the siblings Eusebia and Tomas Roldan traveled up an old path that connected the tiny villages of Valsadornin and Gramedo in Palencia, in northwestern Spain. The rain, which rushed down that wet morning on August 19, 1937, began to reveal an object that looked like an old cauldron at the foot of a wall. Intrigued, the brother and sister moved closer and pulled at its handles with all their strength. It was a copper cauldron, weighing 45 kilograms. Inside there were more than 8,000 fused coins and thousands more were scattered around it. The Roldans had discovered what would from then on be known as the treasure of Valsadornin. After 67 years, Madrids National Archaeology Museum has finished restoring the coins and will return them to Palencia authorities in 2019. According to the director of the Palencia Museum, Francisco Javier Perez Rodriguez, the thousands of silver and copper coins, acquired during the reign of 18 Roman emperors and empresses, are now ready to be put on permanent display. The restored cauldron and Roman coins. V.S. Experts agree that the owner of the cauldron hid the treasure due to the instability the Spanish peninsula was experiencing around 270 AD. A study by historian Valentina Calleja highlights that the Spanish-Roman era between 260 and 280 AD was subject to various upheavals from external and internal causes. Its possible the owner hid the treasure with the aim of recovering it once the danger had passed, but never returned. The cauldron contained around 8,000 coins that were fused together and another 2,421 loose ones. The treasure was handed over to the Palencia Museum, but the siblings did try to sell it beforehand. In fact, according to the reports from that time, the Roldans kept some of them. Locals from Cervera de Pisuerga, a locality close to Valsadornin where the treasure was left for some days, were also reported to have held on to some of the coins. And the governor of Valladolid at that time was given 23 of the best-conserved coins. The remaining coins, which could not be removed from the cauldron with the technology of the time, were sent to Madrid in 1951 and left to be restored. But decades passed and the treasure remained in the National Archaeological Museum. There was never time to restore them. Because they were from Palencia Perez Rodriguez complains. The treasure of Valsadornin traces a map of power at the time. There are pieces with the names of 18 emperors, empresses and their heirs. It puts a face to the political instability of the empire, with ephemeral leaders and usurpers that succeed and overlap in Rome, Gaul and the East, explain sources from the National Archaeological Museum. The thousands of silver and copper coins are now ready to be put on permanent display in Palencia The oldest coins date back to around 240 AD and the newest to 269 AD. Most were minted in Rome but others were minted as far as Lyon, Antakya and Milan. Almost all were made during the reign of the Roman Emperor Gallienus, who ruled between 253 and 263 AD. Gallienus was emperor during one of most turbulent periods with various rebellions threatening to break up the empire. He was assassinated. Between 2016 and 2018, the Spanish Institute of Cultural Heritage (IPCE) took charge of restoring the cauldron and the coins, conserving its appearance as close as possible to the original and individually fixing up the coins that were welded together. The team also performed various tests: X-rays, micro-analyses with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopies (EDX). The information from these tests helped them understand what Roman techniques were used to make the coins and the variation of the silver content in these types of pieces. For instance, Antoninus coins, named after the ruling Emperor Marcus Aurelius, were initially made from silver. But as the years passed, they began to lose value because they were made with less silver and more copper and tin. The coins are currently part of an exhibition at the National Archaeology Museum called Vitrina Cero. But once this closes on January 13, the treasure will be permanently moved back to Palencia Museum. All security measures will be taken, assures Perez Rodriguez. English version by Melissa Kitson. Spain is observing Constitution Day on Thursday, which marks the 40th anniversary of the document that officialized the countrys transition to democracy following four decades of dictatorial rule by Francisco Franco. State and government officials addressed Congress to call for national unity and urge respect for the countrys institutions at a time when Spain is facing new challenges from the Catalan secessionist drive, political fragmentation, criticism of the judiciary and the rise of the far right. The anniversary coincides with political division over the need to reform the Constitution In his address, King Felipe VI said that the 1978 Constitution has contributed the most to the development of Spain because it is the first one that does not divide but unite Spaniards, as a result of agreement and consensus. Our democracy is firm and consolidated. There is no going back, he added. House speaker Ana Pastor said that there is no room for anything outside the Constitution, in a veiled reference to the Catalan secession bid that was not specifically mentioned in any official speech today. The ceremony took place uneventfully, with no acts of protest by the pro-republic Unidos Podemos beyond a refusal to applaud the kings speech. Divided about reform The anniversary also coincides with political division over the need to reform the Constitution. The governing Socialist Party (PSOE) says it is essential in order to overcome Spains institutional crisis. But Pablo Casado, president of the Popular Party (PP), said in a recent interview that now is not the time to slice open our Fundamental Law, nor do I believe that we have the kind of consensus that we had in 1978. Former PMs Mariano Rajoy, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Jose Maria Aznar and Felipe Gonzalez. Zipi (EFE) Parliament has been working on the agenda of events for months first under the previous Rajoy administration, and later under Pedro Sanchez, who came to power in early June after leading a successful no-confidence vote against the conservative leader. Sanchez, of PSOE, leads a minority government that is struggling to get legislation passed, most crucially the 2019 budget. On Monday, the Catalan pro-independence party PdeCAT said that it will only consider supporting the budget if Sanchez comes up with a proposal for Catalonia that includes progress on calling a referendum, official sources told EL PAIS. The prime minister has suggested that if he is unable to push his blueprint through parliament, he may call a snap election next year, coinciding with local, regional and European elections. The results of the regional election held on Sunday in Andalusia, a traditional Socialist bastion where the far-right Vox party has made unprecedented inroads, suggests that the outcome of a national election could yield an even more fragmented parliament. Our democracy is firm and consolidated. There is no going back Felipe VI of Spain King Felipe VI addressed the lower house in the presence of his parents Juan Carlos and Sofia, as well as three of the founding fathers of the Spanish Constitution, Miquel Roca, Miguel Herrero y Rodriguez de Minon, and Jose Pedro Perez Llorca (the other four have passed away). Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and four of his predecessors were also present: Felipe Gonzalez, Jose Maria Aznar, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and Mariano Rajoy. In a sign of the times, most regional premiers attended the event, following years of absence, to underscore the idea of national unity. The exceptions are the leaders of Catalonia, the Basque Country, Navarre and the Balearic Islands. English version by Susana Urra. The United Kingdom will file a formal complaint over the Spanish naval ship that played the Spanish national anthem as it sailed past Gibraltar, a British Overseas Territory in the south of the Iberian peninsula. The British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley, told EL PAIS that the complaint will be filed in the next few days but insisted it was not to do with the national anthem itself, but rather because British authorities believe Spain strayed into Gibraltarian waters. Spain does not recognize that Gibraltar has waters under its jurisdiction and so argues there was no incursion. Some military sources said it was a response to somebody playing God Save the Queen on an emergency channel On Tuesday, the navy patrol vessel Infanta Elena passed through waters next to Gibraltar that UK authorities say belong to the British Overseas Territory. A video shared on Twitter showed that the Infanta Elena played the Spanish national anthem from a loudspeaker as it passed by. Manley says this has yet to be clarified by British authorities and is not the point of the complaint. As we have always done, we will send a diplomatic complaint in the next days over the ships incursion in these waters, Manley said on Wednesday. The video, which was filmed by Gibraltarian Nicholas Karnani, caused outrage among local residents, who described the incident as a provocation. The Spanish Defense Chief of Staff said the navy vessel was in the Strait of Gibraltar for a maritime surveillance mission and was in waters under Spanish jurisdiction at all times. Its an invasion of British Gibraltar Territorial Waters Gibraltar resident Nicholas Karnani Other military sources say they played the Spanish anthem in response to a provocation after the British anthem God Save the Queen was suddenly heard on a ship radio channel normally reserved for maritime emergencies. Enough is enough; it may not undermine sovereignty for the UK, but for us Gibraltarians it's an invasion of BGTW [British Gibraltar Territorial Waters]. The UK Government must take action in defence of it's people (sic), Karnani wrote in his Twitter message. London claims every year there are many incidents of this type, and to each one a complaint is filed with Spanish authorities. This incident comes at a moment of heightened tension between Spain and Gibraltar with negotiations over the UKs exit from the European Union, a process known as Brexit, straining relations. Spain and Gibraltar did reach a series of landmark agreements over the Brexit transition period but the British Overseas Territory continues to be a thorny issue. Spain believes only the city, castle, ports, defense stations and forts of Gibraltar were legally ceded to the UK under the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Since the isthmus and the adjacent waters were not included in the treaty, Spain considers them to be occupied, and refuses to recognize Britains jurisdiction, which has led to a number of disputes. English version by Melissa Kitson. Spains Costa del Sol is once again at the center of a major drug bust. A joint raid by the Spanish Civil Guard and the Belgian police has resulted in 19 arrests, seven in Malaga province and the rest in Belgium. Authorities also seized over 1,250 kilograms of cocaine that the gang was transporting from Ecuador to the ports of Antwerp in Belgium and Algeciras in Spains Cadiz province. The port of Algeciras is a favored drop-off point for traffickers The case has newly evidenced how the port of Algeciras, the worlds fourth busiest shipping hub by number of containers, is a favored drop-off point for traffickers seeking to move their drugs into Europe. The suspects are believed to be members of an international cocaine trafficking organization made up of 26 individuals. The operation is one of several carried out in southern Spain in recent months to combat drug trafficking in the area. As part of an operation dubbed Brocade-Fraternity, Civil Guard and Tax Agency officers inspected five containers that had come into Algeciras from Ecuador. Inside they found 797.7 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the hollowed trunks of tropical trees sold for wood. Arrests in Belgium A further 12 people have been arrested and 12 homes searched in Belgium in connection with the case. Authorities there seized 10 high-end cars, jewels worth around 200,000, a further 130,000 in luxury items, property worth 50,000, cash, cellphones and various documents that could help with the investigation. This discovery triggered a wider investigation that led to a criminal gang based in Belgium with delegations in Spain, France, the Netherlands, Colombia and Ecuador. Law enforcement officials and judicial authorities from Spain and Belgium met in The Hague to design a joint operation to bring down the ring. One month before the discovery of the cocaine in Algeciras, authorities at the port of Antwerp had found a 470 kg shipment. The import-export companies involved in the delivery and the method used to conceal the drug were identical to the Spanish case. Fuengirola, a narcotics hub The leader of the gang and several of his lieutenants had temporarily moved from Belgium to the Malaga town of Fuengirola, where they spent two months to oversee the operation. After the logs were removed from the containers, they were trucked to a warehouse in the industrial park of Sabinillas, where four gang members were waiting to extract the drug from the trunks. This is where authorities arrested them and two Moroccan individuals tasked with monitoring the off-loading. The leader of the gang was simultaneously arrested in Fuengirola on a European arrest warrant. English version by Susana Urra. US$30m OPEC Fund loan to Ameriabank to promote sustainable energy and support small businesses in Armenia Black Friday at ucom: up to 70% discount for smart home devices, gadgets and smartphones 116 million AMD assistance to minors with disabilities in Shirak Province from Mikayel Vardanyan Discussion on the topic IT infrastructure as the basis of the digital economy with the participation of the heads of telecommunication companies in Armenia Google Ad Statement nn the ongoing Aggression by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia "We condemn any attempts at borderisation, as observed since the incursion of Azerbaijani troops into Armenian territory on 12 May" Joint statement The United States is deeply concerned about reports of intensive fighting today between Armenia and Azerbaijan.ANTONY J. BLINKEN Statement of the MFA of Armenia Ookla has awarded Ucom with The fastest fixedline network in Armenia award UCOM keeps on supporting the 42 YEREVAN programming school Recognizing the One-Year Anniversary of the Ceasefire Declaration Between Armenia and Azerbaijan They should not be positioned near civilian communities neither in Armenia nor in Artsakh Humanitarian and human rights protection needed following the 2020 outbreak of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh Galaxy Group of Companies expands its activities in Belarus: a new TIME and Pandora store launched I think its a good moment to invest in Armenia. Head of Markets at Symbiotics Vincent Lehner Ameriabank has Raised USD 17.5M Tier 2 Capital Google Ad UNIGHT TO UNITE. UCOM CELEBRATED ITS REBIRTH Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13 Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide 1217 new cases Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel Protester: Prime Minister's Assistant and Minister of Education and Science make decisions that Mr. Pashinyan is not aware of (video) A group of lecturers from Yerevan's N2 regional college are complaining that their director Karlen Hayrapetyan has committed a number of illegal activities but has not been punished. "There were more than 100 'fake' students in the college, who did not attend classes, even they did not live in Armenia. These students made agreements with the college principal, thanked him and received diplomas, "says Mkitaryan Pastuvyan, a former college deputy director. According to him, the inspection body has detected up to twenty dozens of cases of illegalities, but the Ministry of Education has not given any assessment to these inspections so far. Patvakanyan says that the college staff has been applying for the Ministry of Education for months. Anahit Bakhshyan has also sent a letter, but none of them has been responded by the Ministry. "The Minister of Education and Deputy Minister quickly understood the director, who became the director of the educational institution due to corruption during Serzh Sargsyan's regime. I can say that the inspections of the inspectorate are not assessed as the Minister of Education and Science sponsors the college director. " Patvavanyan said that when they raised the above mentioned issues, the college management reduced their hours and then dismissed. The lecturers are demanding to meet with the prime minister as they have doubts that he is not aware of what's happening. "We sent a letter to the Prime Minister and there is no answer yet. We have doubts that Prime Minister's Assistant Nairi Sargsyan and Minister of Education and Science Arayik Harutyunyan make decisions that Mr. Pashinyan is not aware of. " Deputy Minister of Education and Science Hovhannes Hovhannisyan told "A1 +" that the Ministry of Education responded to the citizens' applications in a proper manner, and an internal investigation is underway on the inspections. According to the Deputy Minister, Paraguyan is lying and no one has been dismissed. "Postanjyan was not dismissed, on the contrary, his salary was raised. He used to receive 60,000 drams and now he is receiving 120,000 drams. " US$30m OPEC Fund loan to Ameriabank to promote sustainable energy and support small businesses in Armenia Black Friday at ucom: up to 70% discount for smart home devices, gadgets and smartphones 116 million AMD assistance to minors with disabilities in Shirak Province from Mikayel Vardanyan Discussion on the topic IT infrastructure as the basis of the digital economy with the participation of the heads of telecommunication companies in Armenia Statement nn the ongoing Aggression by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia "We condemn any attempts at borderisation, as observed since the incursion of Azerbaijani troops into Armenian territory on 12 May" Joint statement The United States is deeply concerned about reports of intensive fighting today between Armenia and Azerbaijan.ANTONY J. BLINKEN Statement of the MFA of Armenia Ookla has awarded Ucom with The fastest fixedline network in Armenia award UCOM keeps on supporting the 42 YEREVAN programming school Recognizing the One-Year Anniversary of the Ceasefire Declaration Between Armenia and Azerbaijan They should not be positioned near civilian communities neither in Armenia nor in Artsakh Humanitarian and human rights protection needed following the 2020 outbreak of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh Galaxy Group of Companies expands its activities in Belarus: a new TIME and Pandora store launched I think its a good moment to invest in Armenia. Head of Markets at Symbiotics Vincent Lehner Ameriabank has Raised USD 17.5M Tier 2 Capital Google Ad UNIGHT TO UNITE. UCOM CELEBRATED ITS REBIRTH Ameriabank and HSBC Armenia to provide their customers access to each others ATMs without additional fees Ameriabank. 62.5% Growth in Taxes YOY Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans have provided 300 million AMD to overcome the infertility in Armenia UCOM has officially launched the sale of IPHONE 13 Six servicemen were wounded by the attack of the Azerbaijani armed forces in Artsakh, two of them in critical condition S&P Improved the Outlook on Ameriabank to Positive Ararat Mirzoyan to visit to Minsk Foreign Minister of India visits the Memorial of Armenian Genocide 1217 new cases Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Statement by the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group At UCOM only: Tv sets at 10% discount + 1 month free UMIX package + 4k tv channel Russia-led occupation forces mounted 15 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas in the past 24 hours, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action. "One Ukrainian soldier was wounded in the past day. According to intelligence reports, three Russia-led fighters were killed and another two were wounded," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said on Facebook December 6 morning. The Russian occupation forces opened aimed fire from grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms to attack the defenders of the town Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Pisky, Taramchuk, Novomykhailivka, Chermalyk, and Hnutove. Also, the enemy used 120-mm mortars, shelling the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Opytne, while those near the village of Vilniy came under fire from 82-mm mortars five times. The enemy used a ZU-23-2 towed 23-mm anti-aircraft twin-barreled autocannon twice in the area, as well as anti-tank guided missiles. "Since December 6 midnight, Russian-led forces haven't attacked the Ukrainian positions yet," JFO HQ said. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC KP) has called on the public to abstain from comments and speculations on the upcoming election of the primate of the local Orthodox Church in Ukraine pending the Unification Assembly. "I herewith ask you to use the primary source of information and not to listen to comments on rumors whose dissemination has only been preventing the decisions acceptable to all the parties to the process from being made. This, in my opinion, is the goal of spreading such rumors. This is what the Moscow-funded media of mass disinformation have been busy with. There are things in relation to which the best response is to keep silence," archbishop Eustratius (born Zoria) of the Kyiv Patriarchate wrote on Facebook, responding to comments on the likelihood of the head of the Kyiv Patriarchate Filaret running for primate of the unified local Orthodox Church in Ukraine. Also, archbishop Eustratius (born Zoria) said people should wait "for official documents to arrive from Fener and not tell fortunes in a teacup." Also, he recalled that Patriarch Filaret made a statement on November 19 about his stance on running for primate of the unified local Orthodox Church in Ukraine. In particular, Patriarch Filaret on November 19 said he will give his reply to a suggestion by the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate to run for primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church at the Unification Assembly itself. "Self-nomination of candidates for primate in the Church are not allowed for by the canons. I am grateful to the bishops for having confidence in me. I am also grateful for a strong support from the members of the Kyiv Patriarchate and the entire society. What my answer to the above-mentioned suggestion on being elected will be, if it is to be officially announced at the Assembly, I will officially announce at the Assembly itself," a statement by the head of the UOC KP said. The Unification Assembly to create the local Orthodox Church in Ukraine is scheduled for December 15 to be held at St Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv. The primate of the new Church and its statutes are to be approved by the assembly. U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Kurt Volker is planning to travel to Ukraine, visit Kyiv and one of the Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, the U.S.-government funded Voice of America (VOA) has reported. Volker, responding to a question about the correctness of imposing martial law in 10 regions of Ukraine, said: I think there are specific reasons why the Ukrainian government decided to impose martial law in a limited format - 30 days and only in several regions of the country, so that it does not affect the presidential election, but allowed the mobilization of conscripts, the movement of military forces. I think it is important that Ukraine be a strong and stable democracy, which does not require martial law as a long-term solution, he added, speaking in an interview with VOA. Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law" suggested by President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine call for lifting the ban on holding local elections scheduled for December 23, 2018, under the state of martial law declared in ten regions of Ukraine. The draft law posted on the Verkhovna Rada's website suggests adding the following provision to Article 28 of the law: "The effect of Part 1 of Article 19 of this law, which bans holding elections to local self-government bodies during the period of martial law, shall not be applied to the organization of local elections scheduled for Sunday, December 23, 2018." If passed by the parliament, the law will be in effect from the date of its publication until December 31, 2018. The former external advisor to the head of the State Space Agency of Ukraine (SSAU) in 2009-2010 has been detained by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), as he is suspected of causing a $8.25 million loss to state-owned enterprise (SOE) Ukrkosmos under the Lybid project. The press service of the NABU reported on Wednesday that on December 4, the former external advisor was notified that he is suspected of committing a crime under Part 5 of Article 191 (Misappropriation, embezzlement or conversion or property by malversation) and Part 3 of Article 209 (laundering of criminally obtained money and other property) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. According to the report, as part of the investigation, on December 4, another person was notified that he is suspected of committing a crime under Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. According to investigators, in 2011-2017, the suspects organized a scheme, as a result of which they removed from Ukraine and legalized UAH 8.245 million provided as part of a loan by the Export Development Canada (EDC) to manufacture a launch vehicle at the facilities of the SOE Pivdenmash (Yuzhmash) to launch the Lybid satellite, the press service said. "As a result of these actions, the launch of the first Ukrainian satellite Lybid as one of the components of the creation of the National Satellite Communication System of Ukraine was disrupted," the press service said. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini has met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin on the sidelines of the 25th meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan to discuss the incident near the Kerch Strait with him, the European External Action Service said in Brussels. "The two exchanged on the latest situation in the Azov Sea, including the state of play of the seized Ukrainian vessels and their detained crew. The EU is looking into ways to increase support to the regions of south-east Ukraine, which are economically affected by the hindered access to the Ukrainian ports through the Kerch Strait by Russia," a communique released in Brussels on Thursday reads. Meanwhile, Klimkin "informed of the measures taken by Ukraine, including the introduction of the Martial Law and its scope." Mogherini reaffirmed "the European Union's continued condemnation of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation and the continued full support to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty." She also assured the Ukrainian interlocutor that the EU continues to support the ongoing reform agenda. Their meeting came ahead of the Foreign Affairs Council, at which the EU foreign ministers, with the participation of Foreign Minister Klimkin, will discuss the increase of tensions in the Azov Sea, on December 10. Interfax-Ukraine to host press conference 'Legal Sale of Christmas TreesWhat Has Been Done and What is Left to Do?' On Monday, December 10, at 11.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine news agency will host a press conference entitled "Legal Sale of Christmas TreesWhat Has Been Done and What is Left to Do?" An application for checking the origin of Christmas trees called yalynka.info will be presented at the press conference. Participating will be Viktor Melnychenko, Director General of the state-owned enterprise Forestry Innovation & Analytics Center; Volodymyr Molochko and Andriy Voronoi, representatives of the developer company, Austria-based Latschbacher GmbH (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration requires press accreditation. I In 1975, in Helsinki, the leaders of 35 countries of Europe and North America signed the Helsinki Final Act, which became a symbol of the new peace on the continent. Human rights and freedoms, national sovereignty and the inviolability of territories have become a new value system in international relations, not only for Europe, but for the entire world community. Fundamental was and remains the human right to a free and safe life. But new military conflicts on the continent, the growth of radical nationalism, the migration crisis have become challenges that require a new and comprehensive response. The old world architecture of the Cold War period, based on the principles of balance of forces and restraint of development, still divides participants into enemies and friends. In turn, the policy of national pragmatism on the part of all members of the world community without exception threatens to launch the flywheel of new bilateral and multilateral conflicts with an unpredictable result. And in this struggle, force and power, technology and the army again took first place. The war has spread to all areas of human life - trade, information, cyber, technological, cultural and spiritual. The world as a peaceful co-existence of nations and unions is dynamically transformed into a hybrid world of war, which, like lava of a volcano, breaks out on separate parts of the continents and draws the whole world community into its funnel, internationalizes every conflict and globalizes its influence on the whole world community in seconds. Increasingly, collective forces and international security institutions act as a scenery for the operation of certain centers of power. Comprehensive war as a new hybrid state of the world calls into question the very possibility of the sustainable development of each nation and international alliances. In turn, global instability has undermined the basic foundations of the modern global world - human rights, freedoms, dignity and security. Geopolitical expediency and national egoism turned out to be above the principles of humanism, respect for human rights, dialogue and the peaceful resolution of conflict situations. II Two states of the Euro-Asian continent - Ukraine and Russia - are in a state of undeclared war. Territories are annexed. The military conflict in the Donbass has been lasting for five years already. At the end of 2018, martial law was introduced in Ukraine in 10 administrative regions. Tens of thousands killed during the conflict and millions of those affected (refugees, immigrants, migrants) have already become victims of actual collective inactivity. The principles of world order and the coexistence of peoples, laid down in the basis of the modern security system on the continent - the principles and provisions of the 1975 Helsinki Final Act, as well as the other fundamental documents of the OSCE (Paris Charter for New Europe, Istanbul Charter for European Security, Astana Commemorative Declaration: on the way to universal security) are questioned. Sanctions policies and existing collective security mechanisms have demonstrated their low effectiveness and actual incapacity. And at the same time, the reform and strengthening of the existing collective structures has been postponed for decades. The policy of consultations and contacts (the so-called Minsk and Normandy negotiation processes) has exhausted itself and requires a qualitatively new approach and a new responsibility. We are on the verge of continental and world catastrophe. A new round of tension on the continent could lead to a reiteration of the tragedy of 1914, when Europe and the whole world were plunged into World War after one shot in Sarajevo. The war, which lasted almost 7 decades. Ending the war in Ukraine and ensuring the conditions of a new and stable continental peace can and should be the first practical step of the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian community to overcome the new threats and prevent a continental catastrophe. The OSCE can and should assume the role of a moderator of negotiations and of the process of signing of binding documents on the formula of peace, involving all parties to a military conflict. The Treaty on the Peace Plan and the guarantee of its implementation, ensuring the principles and commitments of the OSCE participating states, will be the first precedent of the new mission and role of the OSCE as a viable collective organization. The OSCE should act as a responsible organizer and guarantor of effective bilateral negotiations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation as member states of the Organization, in order to prevent an interstate military conflict and create a new legal framework in relations between the two states. To this end, we propose to initiate an extraordinary OSCE summit conference in 2019 with the goal of organizing effective negotiations involving all parties to a military conflict to achieve peace, and taking into account the will of the population on the territory of a military conflict. III We believe that the time for unsubstantiated declarations and mutual deterrence has passed. We need a new collective response to the challenges of the peace, the unification of the efforts of the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian community (Astana Commemorative Declaration OSCE, 2010). The new system of collective security on the continent, which would be based on goodwill, dialogue and interaction "from Vancouver to Vladivostok and Beijing", without exceptions and limitations, could be the answer. The continent needs a new Helsinki 2.0. We need an off-block, universal mechanism to ensure peaceful development and guaranteed human security regardless of the country and region. We need a mechanism for effective dialogue and operative decision-making in controversial and conflict situations. The continent needs an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Asia, with a full-fledged Treaty and Charter, with a peace mission in every corner of the continent, with real mechanisms of involvement in the resolution of emerging intergovernmental security problems. Our proposals and initiatives: Transform the OSCE into a continental organization - the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Asia (OSCE + A) with pro-active security functions. This will allow combining the interests of the member states that are members of the existing military-political blocs, non-aligned states or have a recognized neutral status. The key to restarting the OSCE should be the Treaty on Security and Development on the continent, as well as the Charter of the organization, which will be binding on the participating states. As early as 2019, discussions and the preparation of such a treaty should begin, with the involvement of new participants. The war in the center of the continent and the threat of a world war that has arisen is a compelling and indisputable reason for starting such work. The basis of the work of the new organization - the OSCE + A - should be based on the main provisions and ideas of Helsinki 75, as well as the principles of development security (preventive reduction of threats to peaceful development and well-being of the OSCE + A member states and peoples) and collective sovereignty of participating states (collective conflict resolution and agreed national responses to global threats). In order to implement the "security of development" - The creation of the OSCE Civil Assembly. Today, the limitations of diplomatic and political instruments for resolving conflict situations are obvious. It is necessary to fully use the potential of civil, humanitarian and intellectual diplomacy, the horizontal dialogue mechanism of the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian community, preventive measures to prevent information wars, the spread of xenophobia, radical nationalism and aggressive separatism. The system of continental security needs a new format of dialogue and influence - civil and intellectual interaction. And such a role can be played by the OSCE Civil Assembly, and in the future - by the OSCE + A. - creation at the OSCE / OSCE + A international intellectual network of research centers on development security issues, with the holding of the annual Europe-Asia Intellectual Forum. - the formation under the OSCE / OSCE + A Ministerial Council of permanent commissions for conflict prevention and the development of cooperation of the participating states in the socio-economic, technological, environmental and humanitarian spheres. In the future, the conversion of such commissions into specialized institutions, using the experience of the UN. - creation of a system for monitoring and controlling the militarization of advanced civil technologies, scientific discoveries in order to limit the possibilities of their introduction into the field of armaments; - formation of a GIS monitoring system (space technology monitoring the Earths surface) of military, infrastructural and environmental safety on the continent. The OSCE / OSCE + A should have the right to provide guarantees of sovereignty and territorial integrity to states with neutral status and non-aligned states. The OSCE / OSCE + A should have the right to preventive stabilization measures, including with the help of collective peacekeeping forces, to prevent conflict or to provide assistance to a member state upon request. In order to implement "collective sovereignty", new mechanisms for collective action should be created: - The permanent OSCE / OSCE + A peacekeeping corps and national units of law enforcement bodies of the armed forces, in the OSCE / OSCE + A registry, are capable of collective action if necessary. IV In the modern world of the 21st century, a vacuum of generally recognized spiritual leaders of development has emerged. After a long battle of two superpowers, personifying the two worlds - the world of capitalism and democracy, on the one hand, and the world of communism and justice, on the other - humanity plunged into an endless struggle. The struggle for their own national, narrow corporate or private group interests. New leadership is possible only as a product of collective efforts, based on the ideals of humanism, human values, and security of development. A continent that has survived the bloody 20th century as a century of wars and upheavals needs new continental thinking. Helsinki-2 as a new collective security and cooperation system on the continent is a timely and dignified answer. We hope for the active support of our initiatives by all people of goodwill, advocates of peace and cooperation who share and support the idea of Helsinki 2.0. From Strategic Studies Institute "New Ukraine" Anriy Yermolayev KyivStratPro analyst, PhD in philosophy Andriy Buzarov Head of the Analytical Center "Institute for Regional Policy," co-chairman of the "Responsible Citizens" humanitarian organization Enrique Menendez Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies "New Ukraine" Sviatoslav Denysenko U.S. prosecutors have charged four people linked to the Panamanian law firm behind the "Panama Papers"-- the massive leak of financial data and legal papers that highlighted a global scheme to evade U.S. taxes. In a statement December 4, federal prosecutors in Manhattan identified the four people as two Germans, one American, and one Panamanian citizen, and said that three of the four people had already been arrested. That included Harald Joachim von der Goltz, a former U.S. resident and a client of the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca & Co., who they said was arrested in London on December 3. Another man was arrested in Paris last month and a U.S.-based accountant was arrested in Massachusetts on December 4. The fourth defendant was a lawyer at Mossack Fonseca and remains at large. Prosecutors say Mossack Fonseca, which shut down earlier this year, conspired to circumvent U.S. tax laws to maintain their own wealth and that of their clients. The four men named in the 11-count indictment face conspiracy and tax fraud charges. The Panama Papers are a collection of 11 million secret documents that were first leaked to the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung. They were then shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which began publishing collaborative reports with news organizations in 2016. With reporting by AP, Reuters A prominent Iranian economist says selling essential goods to foreigners in Iran's border area markets is "looting" and should not be counted as "export". "This is not export, it is indeed looting local people's essential goods by foreigners", Hossein Raghfar told the state-run Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) December 5, adding, to call the sweeping of people's essential goods by foreigners is a tragedy that cannot be mitigated by labeling it as "export". Raghfar has lamented, "The government is dominated by businessmen, pseudo-private and semi-public institutions. It is the interest of the influential large groups that dictate the government policies." The recent dramatic fall in the value of the Iranian national currency (rial), which started in March, before the reimposition of US sanctions last May, has attracted tens of thousands of Iraqis to Khuzestan and other border areas for almost free shopping sprees that have substantially increased prices for many goods, especially in cities in border areas. The Iranian government indirectly subsidizes food and other essential goods by offering cheap dollars to importers. Following large demonstrations against the influx of Iraqi visitors, the provinces representative to the influential Assembly of Experts, mid-ranking cleric Mohsen Heidari said on September 10, The issue of Iraqis presence in Abadan and Khorramshahr [Khuzestan] needs a thorough investigation and should be resolved. Buying a chicken in Iraq costs six dinars, which amounts to 600,000 Iranian rials, Fathollahzade has noted, adding, Whereas, an Iraqi can easily buy the same chicken for 100,000 to 120,000 rials in Abadan or Khorramshahr. Describing the situation as extremely harmful and detrimental to Irans economy, a travel agent, Mostafa Fathollahzade has complained, These Iraqis are not tourists since they do not buy an air ticket or book a hotel room. They do not spend any money at local cafes or restaurants. They just rush to the markets to grab cheap goods and leave. JERUSALEM, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Israel told Lebanon's army and U.N. peacekeepers on Thursday to destroy a tunnel it said had been dug by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement across the border into Israeli territory. Israel's military said this week it had identified a number of passages and sent diggers and troops close the frontier to block them. The peacekeepers, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), confirmed the existence of a tunnel near the "blue line" frontier between the two countries in a statement on Thursday, describing it as a "serious occurrence". Israel said its operation would stop on its side of the border. But Israeli media on Wednesday quoted a unnamed senior official saying Israel could broaden its actions into Lebanon. There was no immediate reaction from Hezbollah or Lebanese authorities. All parties say the situation has remained calm on both sides of the border. But the Israeli operation has focused attention on a frontier across which Israel and Hezbollah fought a war in 2006. The Israeli military said in a statement it "holds the Lebanese government, the Lebanese Armed Forces and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon responsible for all events transpiring in and emanating from Lebanon." It added that one of its commanders had showed one of the tunnels to the head of UNIFIL, Major-General Sefano Del Col. "We urge ... that UNIFIL take action together with the Lebanese armed forces to clear the area, clear the access to the tunnels and make sure that it is not used for (hostile) purposes against Israel," said Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus, a senior military spokesman. UNIFIL said in its statement it was "engaged with the parties to pursue urgent follow-up action". Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week Hezbollah was planning to send militants through the tunnels to launch attacks and he expanded on his comments on Thursday. "Hezbollah wants to insert several battalions to our territory with the aim of isolating communities, towns and kibbutzim (collective farms) to continue its reign of terror and abductions which could take place simultaneously," he told a meeting of foreign diplomats. He said Hezbollah's tunnels were big enough to be used by motorcycles, small vehicles and groups of people. Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil has instructed the country's envoy to the U.N. to complain that Israel is waging "a diplomatic and political campaign against Lebanon in preparation for attacks against it", Hezbollah's al-Manar TV said Several MPs from the Mazandaran province on the Caspian Sea in northern Iran have denounced President Hassan Rouhanis recent decision to transfer water from the Caspian Sea to the parched province of Semnan as unscientific and impractical, with irrevocably damaging consequences for the region's ecology and economy. Visiting his birthplace of Semnan southwest of Tehran December 4, Rouhani said the criticisms of the water transfer project had been addressed, adding "If there are investors interested in the project, the government is prepared to expedite all necessary licenses. Reacting to Rouhanis announcement, Mazandaran MP Mohammad Shaeri cautioned, The people of Mazandaran should know that transferring the Caspian Sea water to Semnan will definitely be followed by other projects, including the transfer of the Caspian Sea water to Tehran, Isfahan, Northern Khorasan, and other parts of Iran. Iran is experiencing an unprecedented drought that has pitted regions against each other as they compete for scarce water supplies. The state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) cited Shaeri as saying Wherever there is a drought and water shortage, people will call for a new project and demand Caspian Sea water be transferred to their area, state-run Iran Students News Agency (ISNA) quoted Shaeri as saying. "The Caspian Sea will gradually dry up under the pressure of this manipulation. Representatives of Mazandaran say a better solution to Irans water shortage is to tap water from the Sea of Oman and the Persian Gulf, which are connected to the open seas and oceans. They note the licenses for these transfers have already been granted and the infrastructure is already in place. According to ISNA, the idea of transferring Caspian Sea water to Semnan was initially proposed during former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejads second term in 2012. Ahmadinejads Minister of Energy, Majid Namjoo, unexpectedly announced in April 2012 that the project to transfer water from the Caspian Sea to the province of Semnan (also Ahmadinejad's place of birth) would begin soon. Mohammad-Reza Attarzadeh, the deputy minister of energy for water affairs also told the government's official news agency (IRNA) at the time that, according to the plan, fresh water would be transferred to three parts of central Iran from the Caspian Sea. "The first part of the project has already begun and will transfer water to the towns of Semnan, Qom, Kashan, and Isfahan, Attarzadeh was cited by IRNA as saying. The announcement triggered a barrage of criticism that forced the Ahmadinejad administration to shelve the project. Five years later, President Rouhani has revived part of the project, which would see Caspian Sea water from the Neka power station in Mazandaran sent through two 160-kilometer (99.5 mile) pipelines to the cities of Damghan, Shahroud, and Semnan, all in the province of Semnan. MP from QaemShahr Abdollah Razian was so angered by the revival of the project that he called it "demagoguery" and fundamentally a "populist" move. Addressing a public session of parliament December 5, Razian went even further, saying, "Instead of managing the water flowing into the Caspian Sea and constructing dams in the northern parts of Iran, the President wants to transfer salty water of the Caspian Sea to the desert areas of the country. This is not scientific or practical." The Association of Mazandaran MPs has insisted that it will not allow the implementation of the project, ISNA reported December 5 Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the ministry who are currently at the front-line zone on the instructions of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, visited foremost units, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on Dec. 6. Hasanov was informed about the operational situation, then the combat readiness of the units was checked. Observing the position of the enemy from the observation post, Hasanov gave corresponding instructions in connection with more efficient organization of service using modern technical means. Hasanov also has met with military personnel working out combat missions at one of the training sites located on the front line, and awarded servicemen who distinguished themselves in service and achieved high results in combat training. The minister also reviewed the logistic support of the units, weapons, and military equipment, including moral-psychological training and social conditions of the military personnel. Then the minister, meeting with local residents in one of the villages in the Aghdam district, talked to them about the organization of the defense of Azerbaijans settlements and ensuring the security of the population. During the talks with the leadership of the ministry, the residents, expressing satisfaction with the conditions created there for the servicemen and the local population, asked the minister to convey their gratitude to the leadership of the country, to Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. Residents stressed that they have high confidence in servicemen, and also noted that the security of settlements located in this area is well ensured. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: The OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, Azerbaijan, and Armenia agreed to continue working towards a just and lasting peaceful settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Trend reports citing a joint statement by the heads of delegations of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, Azerbaijan, and Armenia following a session during the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Milan on Dec. 6. On the occasion of the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting in Milan, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries (the Russian Federation, the United States of America, and France) and Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov and Acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan agreed to continue working towards a just and lasting peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the statement says. According to the statement, the co-chair countries welcomed the significant decrease in ceasefire violations and reported casualties following the conversation of the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the margins of the Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Dushanbe in September. They appealed to the sides to continue implementing the understandings reached there and to take concrete measures to prepare their populations for peace, the statement said. The co-chair countries expressed hope that an intensive results-oriented high-level dialogue between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia to promote a just and lasting settlement of the conflict can resume in the near future. According to the statement, the foreign minister of Azerbaijan and the acting foreign minister of Armenia reaffirmed their commitment to work intensively to promote a peaceful resolution of the conflict and to further reduce tensions. They agreed to meet again in early 2019 under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs for this purpose and in order to facilitate high-level talks, the statement said. They recognized the strong engagement and good-faith mediation efforts rendered by the co-chair countries, as well as the activities of the personal representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office. 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, Dec. 6 Trend: The Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism - MONEYVAL positively assessed Azerbaijans system for countering the financing of terrorism and laundering of criminally obtained money, Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Financial Monitoring Service on Dec. 5. Azerbaijan's report on the 4th round of combating the legalization of criminally obtained money or other property and the financing of terrorism was heard during the 57th plenary meeting of MONEYVAL. According to discussions, during the 4th round, Azerbaijan successfully fulfilled the 40+9 Recommendations of FATF, including MONEYVAL's recommendations. The reforms being carried out in the country in this area were appreciated. The success achieved in improvement of the legal framework and control mechanisms, as well as strengthening of institutional potential were particularly emphasized. Thus, Azerbaijans system for combating the legalization of criminally obtained money and other property and the financing of terrorism was assessed as a system that fully meets the international standards. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: Milan hosted a meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Bureau, and vice-president of the structure, Azerbaijani MP Azay Guliyev made a speech at this meeting, Trend reports Dec. 6. Guliyev brought to the attention of the Bureau members the initiative put forward by the Azerbaijani side for the exchange on the all for all principle of the persons taken prisoner and hostage, and registered both from the Armenian and from the Azerbaijani side by the International Committee of the Red Cross. This initiative of Azerbaijan is a very humane approach, and there are enough grounds for its support from the OSCE PA, he said. The implementation of this initiative can play a positive role in creating a certain environment of trust between the parties and achieving progress in the peace talks. I believe that the new leadership of Armenia should correctly assess the good intentions of Azerbaijan, and not to miss this unique chance, which can create good conditions for negotiations. Therefore, I urge President of the OSCE PA George Tsereteli and the Bureau members to support this initiative and to leave the matter in the main political agenda of the Assembly. Guliyev reminded that he had sent an official letter to Margareta Kiener Nellen, chairperson of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, to assist in the release of Azerbaijanis Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev who had been held for four years in Armenian captivity, and give assessment to this issue in terms of gross violation of human rights. Tsereteli said that he welcomes the initiative of Azerbaijan, and steps will be taken in this direction. During an operation in July 2014 in the Shaplar village of Azerbaijani Kalbajar district, occupied by Armenia, the Armenian special forces killed an Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, and took hostage two other Azerbaijanis, Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov. A "criminal case" was initiated against them. Afterwards, a "court" sentenced Asgarov to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years in prison. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Elchin Mehdiyev Trend: Azerbaijani MP, vice president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Azay Guliyev expressed his gratitude to Chairman of the OSCE PAs Sub-Committee on the Rules and Procedure, Vice-President of the organization Lord Peter Bowness, Trend reports on Dec. 6. In his report Bowness touched upon the importance of resolving the protracted conflicts in the OSCE region. However, Guliyev protested that in the report the conflict existing in Azerbaijans territory is called the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He added that it is very important to change the name of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. It is wrong to call the conflict that continues between the two countries as the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict from a political, legal or geographical point of view, he said. Nagorno-Karabakh region is an integral part of Azerbaijan. Armenia has been occupying this territory, as well as seven adjacent areas which are not related to Nagorno-Karabakh region. It is more correct to call the conflict the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Guliyev added. For this reason, the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been holding the negotiations on the peaceful settlement of the conflict for many years. So, I would like this mistake to be corrected and the conflict to be indicated in the OSCE PAs further documents as the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. This correction is important to curb many abuses and political manipulations. OSCE PA President George Tsereteli, Vice President Lord Peter Bowness and Secretary General Roberto Montella agreed with Guliyevs comment and said that they will take that into account in the future. While speaking at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Tsereteli used the term "Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict". The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov met Paolo Grimoldi, head of the Italian Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, within his visit to Milan, Trend reports. At the meeting, the strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Italy, the opportunities for developing cooperation in various fields of economy, the inter-parliamentary relations between the two states, and cooperation within the OSCE PA were discussed. The sides exchanged views on the role of Azerbaijan in the region, the globally important projects initiated and realized by Azerbaijan, particularly the Southern Gas Corridor, settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as well as the other regional issues of mutual interest. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met Ambassador Baghdad Amreyev, the Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States (the Turkic Council) on 6 December in the margins of the 25th OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan, Trend reports citing Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry. Underlining the role of Azerbaijan as one of the founders of the Turkic Council the Minister said that Baku continues to support the expansion of cooperation between this body and other international organizations like UN, OSCE etc. He spoke about the concrete projects and initiatives by Azerbaijan, making a significant contribution to the activities of the Turkic Council. Amreyev highlighted appreciation for Azerbaijans constant support to futher development of the Turkic Council. In this context, he emphasized the historical significance of the establishment of the Turkic Council as an international body at the Nakhchivan Summit in 2009 and expressed the symbolic nature of the Summit to be held in Azerbaijan in 2019. At the meeting, appropriate ways of promoting and supporting the existing common language and culture heritage among the Turkic Councils countries and peoples in line with the requirements of the modern times and reforms to be undertaken for this purpose were discussed. The sides noted a great potential for further development of economic, trade and tourism relations between our countries. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: On December 6 in the framework of the 25th session of the OSCE Ministerial Council Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held a meeting with the OSCE Secretary-General Thomas Greminger, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend. At the meeting the perspectives of the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and cooperation opportunities between Azerbaijan and the OSCE were discussed. Minister Elmar Mammadyarov gave information about the recent meetings held with the Armenian Foreign Minister and the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs and reiterated that these meetings were fruitful, and it was agreed to continue in near future intensive and result-oriented negotiations in the existing format. Responding to the question of T.Greminger about the OSCE's role in this regard, Minister Elmar Mammadyarov noted the role of the OSCE in the organization of possible assessment mission to the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Furthermore, the sides discussed the cooperation opportunities between Azerbaijan and the OSCE. Minister Elmar Mammadyarov underlined that the realization of the OSCE's off-budget project named Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region prepared by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities will contribute to the diversification of energy supply from the ports of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, as well as the accession of the Central Asian states to the European markets via the Caspian Sea. The sides also exchanged their views on the issues of mutual interest. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell on the sidelines of the 25th session of the OSCE Ministerial Council, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend. During the meeting, the sides expressed satisfaction with the existing partnership relations between Azerbaijan and the United States and exchanged views on a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation agenda. Minister Elmar Mammadyarov briefed his interlocutor about the current state of negotiation process on the settlement of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the recent meetings with the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and Armenian acting foreign minister held in Milan on 5 December. Furthermore Minister Elmar Mammadyarov spoke on important energy and transport projects implemented with the initiative and direct involvement of Azerbaijan, in particular the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and the Southern Gas Corridor, and praised the US support for the implementation of these projects. Wess Mitchell noted that the bilateral relations between the two states are developing dynamically and commended Azerbaijans contribution to the NATO Resolute Support Mission and the fight against terrorism. The sides also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: The student team of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS), which won the national ClimateLaunchpad Azerbaijan 2018 and represented Azerbaijan at the Grand Final of the ClimateLaunchpad, the worlds biggest clean-tech business idea competition held in Edinburgh, came a winner once again. The ThermoNorth project presented by the BHOS students was recognized as the best at National Innovation Challenge Azerbaijan 2018. The contest was jointly organized by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies, the State Agency for Public Services and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani National Academy of Sciences and United National Development Program (UNDP) in Azerbaijan. The purpose of the event was to support The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the first stage, young Azerbaijani researchers and scientists presented 200 innovative ideas, out of which 17 projects were selected for the finals. The BHOS team comprising students Husseyn Aliyev, Elmar Askarzada, Yadigar Nazarov, Alexander Oborovsky, Murad Rahimov and their research supervisor, associate professor Amir Reza Vakhshouri took the first place and received the main prize of 5,000 manat. As the winners, they presented Azerbaijan at The Istanbul Innovation Days (IID), a well-known international annual gathering. This year, the IID featured #NextGenGov, focusing on emerging global trends impacting governance mechanisms and aiming to contextualize their potential implications around the world through. Earlier this year, the BHOS team was invited to attend the international conference to be held under the title TRANS/SUM: Transportation and Mobility Technology Summit in Tokyo in December 2018. As expected, their innovative ThermoNorth project may be of interest to logistics and transportation companies participating in the conference. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 Trend: A Volunteer Council has been created under Azerbaijan's Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), and the first meeting of the Council has already been held, Trend reports citing the Economy Ministry. In connection with the International Volunteer Day, celebrated on Dec. 5, an event was organized in the Agency with the participation of its employees and volunteers. Head of the Agency Orkhan Mammadov stressed that volunteer activities play an important role in the youth development. He informed about the work carried out by the Agency in this area, saying the scope of the measures will be expanded in accordance with the "SME Volunteers" program. Mammadov brought to attention the role of volunteer activities in expanding the outlook, knowledge and skills of young people. The main directions of the "SME Volunteers" program are the accumulation of experience by volunteers, the organization and promotion of volunteer activities, the involvement of young professionals and volunteers in entrepreneurship (Young Internship Programs), as well as cooperation with universities, NGOs and companies. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: Kazakh Invest National Company is presently negotiating with about 20 leading Turkish holdings, Managing Director of the company Erik Yakubayev told Trend. The negotiations are aimed at establishing in Kazakhstan the production of canned vegetables, paint and varnish products, sandwich panels, yarn and home textiles, processing of meat products, construction of solar power plants, as well as the opening of a modern clinic and projects in the logistics, chemical, mining and metallurgical industries. It is worth noting that since the beginning of this year, 23 projects with Turkish capital worth $1.5 billion have been in the monitoring system of Kazakh Invest. "For Kazakhstan, the implementation of agreements with Turkish companies will contribute to the development of the non-primary sector of the country's economy, as well as will have a positive socio-economic effect," Yakubayev said. For instance, more than 3,000 jobs will be created in the regions of the country. New plants will appear in Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, Aktobe and Almaty regions in the fields of mining and smelting, production of building materials, agriculture, agricultural chemistry and manufacturing. Since Kazakhstan gained independence, Turkey has invested more than $3 billion in the country. Moreover, Turkey is among the top 10 trade partners of Kazakhstan. Trade turnover between the two countries in 2017 increased by 27 percent and amounted to almost $2 billion. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Sara Israfilbayova Trend: Many Latvian companies are interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan, Ambassador of Latvia to Azerbaijan Juris Maklakovs said in an interview with Trend. The ambassador stressed that some Latvian pharmaceutical companies are represented on the Azerbaijani market, for example GRIDEX and OLAINFARM. "These are the largest companies of our country and it is up to them to decide how deep to expand they business here. Right now they have offices in Baku and if they have good business proposals they will certainly enlarge their business in Azerbaijan," Maklakovs noted. He went on to say that the countries have very good relations, adding however that the economic relations lag behind the level of political relations between the two countries. "We are working on finding best solutions of cooperation in economic field. Meantime we are very glad that Azerbaijans Trade House was opened in Riga this summer and we work right now to open similar establishment in Baku," the ambassador said. Speaking of the priorities of cooperation, the ambassador pointed out trade and investment, education and science, culture and tourism, transport, information and communication technologies, agriculture, environment protection, construction business. Touching upon the investments, Maklakovs noted that Azerbaijans foreign direct investment in Latvia is $12 million, while Latvian foreign direct investment in Azerbaijan is $1 million. In January-October 2018, the trade turnover between the countries amounted to $19.45 million, of which $1.62 million accounted for exports from Azerbaijan. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: At the end of the year, GDP growth in Turkmenistan will be 6.2 percent, according to forecasts, Trend reports citing Turkmen media. Ashgabat hosted the final meeting of the Turkmen Cabinet of Ministers. "Despite the difficult situation in the global economy, as well as shortcomings in the work of individual industries, especially the oil and gas complex, it is safe to say that we managed to maintain high growth rates of the national economy," Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper reported. In accordance with the adopted programs, the share of the private sector of the economy has increased, which at this stage is 65 percent. "Wages, pensions and state benefits are paid in the established order," the Turkmenistan State News Agency reported. "Numerous industrial and social facilities have been commissioned." As a result of measures taken to increase the output of export-oriented products, production volumes in this area grew 51 percent compared to last year, imports of raw materials and resources decreased by 48 percent, the report said. "Considering the real state of affairs, a weighted state budget has been adopted for 2019," the Watan newspaper quoted Berdimuhamedov as saying. "In addition, we have enough finances in the Stabilization Fund and large amounts of public resources." He noted that privatization should be accelerated. The placement of shares, the organization of the stock market and open competitive bidding are the main mechanisms of this event, he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Elnur Baghishov Trend: Iran carries out export transactions with Iraq and Afghanistan by using rials, chairman of the Iranian Ceramic Producers Syndicate Behnam Azizzadeh said in an interview with the Young Journalists Club (YJC), Trend reported. He said that however, according to the refunds regulations, exporters should return the currency. Azizzadeh added that more than 90 percent of Irans export transactions account for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The transactions have been carried out by using rials for many years, he said. According to the refund regulations, the exporters must make a commitment to return the currency to the government, Azizzadeh added. However, exporters do not take currency to return it to the government, he said. Azizzadeh added that no company gives foreign currency liabilities, which leads to a decline in Irans export transactions. Last Iranian year (started on March 21, 2017) 375 million cubic meters accounted for ceramic tile production and 100 million cubic meters of which were exported to Iraq and Afghanistan. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rashid Shirinov Trend: In the first 9 months of 2018, the export of Kazakh agricultural products to China increased by 42 percent, Kazakhstan's Agriculture Vice-Minister Arman Yevniev said, according to Kazakh media. "To ensure the availability of markets and the development of exports, measures are being taken to protect the domestic market and expand foreign markets," he said at a government meeting, noting that the Chinese market is open to many agricultural products. Yevniev also said that veterinary requirements for the supply of live sheep, frozen and chilled lamb, beef and eggs have been agreed with Iran. This year it is planned to harmonize the requirements for live cattle supply. "Restrictions on the supply of cattle and small ruminants to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as of meat, meat products and chicken eggs to the UAE, have also been lifted," the vice minister added. He further noted that 153 Kazakh enterprises have the right to export agricultural products to China, and 17 fish processing enterprises have permission to export fish products to the EU. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @ShirinovRashid Tehran, Iran, Dec.6 Trend: The amount of cigarettes imports to Iran in the first half of the current fiscal year (March 21-Sept. 22) has dropped to zero, while in the same period last year was 1.5 billion cigarettes. "We have experienced a 16-percent cut in production and sale of tobacco products and by the end of the year the number would reach 30 percent," said the Head of Tobacco Products Manufacturers Exporters and Importers Association Mohammad Reza Tajdar, Trend reported referring to IRNA. "Iran's domestic cigarette production during the first half of the current year was 19.6 billion cigarettes, while the production in the same period last year was 23.4 billion," he said. "The policy of raising cigarette prices that was aimed for cutting the consumption has push the country's cigarette market toward low quality smuggled products. If this continues, the producing factories would face serious problems in salary payments," he added. "According to statistics, around 15,000 workers are employed in the country's tobacco industry," he said. "The lawmakers recommended the increase of tariffs on the tobacco products last year, where it was disapproved by the government," he added. "In this plan the 10-percent rise of tariffs on domestic products, 20-percent increase on joint products, 25-percent rise on domestic production of foreign brands and 40-percent increase of tariffs on cigarette imports was applied," he said. "This year budget plan also passed the law to impose taxes on cigarettes. The tax of one box of domestic cigarette products would be about $18, while the tax on joint product is about $36, $36 on foreign brands and $143 on imports. The rise of prices, has led to increase of the cigarette smuggling in Iran market," he said. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Fikret Dolukhanov Trend: Uzbekistan and Ukraine support ensuring mutual access of goods to the markets of the two countries, as well as the formation of predictable trade relations, Trend reports referring to the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine. The statement was made during the phone conversation between Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv. Kubiv noted that one of the important tools for establishing a better trade and economic dialogue between Ukraine and Uzbekistan is the restoration of the work of the joint Ukrainian-Uzbek commission of comprehensive cooperation and the earliest possible holding of the next eighth meeting of the commission to jointly discuss the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Aripov, in turn, supported the importance of resuming the work of the commission and assured of the absence of restrictions and the resolution of problematic aspects of the mutual supply of goods to the markets of Ukraine and Uzbekistan. In early October, an interdepartmental commission in Ukraine launched an anti-subsidy investigation into the import of passenger cars from Uzbekistan on the basis of a complaint by the Ukrainian Automobile Manufacturers Association Ukravtoprom. It noted that the Uzbek manufacturer could receive subsidies from the government of Uzbekistan, which would create unequal conditions for the Ukrainian automakers. During the investigation, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Ukraine provided official explanations, which had been given in the statement of the Ministry of Economic Development. In turn, Uzbekistan suspended customs clearance of goods from Ukraine without official statement. In particular, it was reported that Uzbekistan has ceased customs-clearing of pharmaceuticals. In addition, on Dec. 1, the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine Ukrtsukor stated that sugar and other goods entering Uzbekistan are not unloaded and are not cleared. As a result, on Dec. 4, Ukraine stopped the anti-subsidy investigation, after which the Ukrainian drugs and pharmaceutical products began to be supplied to Uzbekistan on the same day. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Taleh Mursagulov - Trend: Azerbaijans State Customs Committee plans to increase the number of companies participating in the green corridor, Safar Mehdiyev, chairman of the committee, told reporters in Baku, Trend reports. He said that thanks to this system, entrepreneurs have the opportunity, without leaving their offices, to provide e-customs declarations to the committee, as well as pay customs duties. Our main goal is to reduce the interaction of citizens with officials, Mehdiyev added. It is also planned to fully transfer the documentation related to exports to electronic mode, he added. Entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to declare export goods at any time of the day, Mehdiyev said. Nine companies were participants of the green corridor in late 2016 and their number reached 28 in 2017. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @TalehMursagulov Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Taleh Mursagulov Trend: Baku Steel Company has concluded a deal worth $1.17 billion with China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd., Trend reports citing the website of the Chinese company on Dec. 6. The agreement was signed by Deputy Director General of Baku Steel Company Mardan Aliyev and Deputy Director General of China CAMC Engineering Wang Yuhang. The document envisages the construction of the Azerbaijan Integrated Steel Mill Complex in Ganja. The planned capacity of the plant is 1.25 million tons of metal and 700,000 tons of sheet metal annually. ---- Follow the author on Twitter: @TalehMursagulov Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: Qatars withdrawal from OPEC will not risk the cartels goal of decreasing the crude production next year, Ann-Louise Hittle, vice president, macro oils at Wood Mackenzie research and consulting company told Trend. "Qatar has minimal spare capacity so its exit won't affect the volume of oil supply in the market during 2019 or risk OPEC's goal of reducing output next year. However, it does come at a time when OPEC needs to hammer out a deal in the face of market scepticism in the cartels ability to control production," she said. Hittle believes that more positive for OPEC is the statement from President Vladimir Putin in Argentina at the G20 that Russia has agreed to cooperate with OPEC to ensure production restraint during 2019 as needed. She went on to add that rather than being a reaction to the 18-month long regional blockade against it, Qatar's withdrawal is more likely a result of its effort to focus on its place as one of the worlds leading gas producers. "The smaller nations of OPEC have a relatively quiet role in the group's decision making and Qatar may also see that it has less to gain from its membership now that is not involved in the GCC," added Hittle. Lynn Morris-Akinyemi, research analyst, MENA upstream, at Wood Mackenzie, for her part said that the news should not come as a huge surprise. "Qatar is OPECs smallest Middle East oil producer, and the groups fifth smallest producer overall. Its total 2018 oil production is estimated at 600,000-650,000 barrels per day, less than 2 percent of OPECs oil output," she noted. Morris-Akinyemi said went on to add that since lifting the 12-year ban on development of the North Field in April 2017, Qatar unveiled ambitious plans to increase its LNG capacity from 77 million tons per annum to 110 million tons per annum. "This will be achieved via a new four mega-train LNG development, due onstream in 2023. Qatars OPEC exit underlines the countrys aim to maintain its place in the global LNG market." Qatar has announced it will withdraw from OPEC on 1 January 2019, putting an end to its 57-year membership of the producers cartel. Qatar, which said it intends to focus on its gas production, made the announcement ahead of the 6 December OPEC meeting. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Tehran, Iran, Dec.6 Trend: Seyed Mehdi Hosseini, the ex-chairman of Iran's Oil Contract Restructuring Committee in an exclusive interview with Trend said that despite Iran`s disagreements with Saudi Arabia, it should not celebrate the Qatar`s decision to exit OPEC. Referring to the departure of Qatar from OPEC, he said that the arrival and departure of OPEC members has a long history, and this is not the first time that this happens. The Ecuador has already been withdrawn from OPEC and some other countries entered it, he said. "But the reason for the departure of Qatar is important, he said. This country has nothing to say in the oil field, it is mostly the producer of gas and LNG. Besides, Qatar has unsolved disputes with some Arab countries led by Saudi Arabia, he said. These days, we are witnessing political differences between the Arab countries. The Qatar blockade by Saudi Arabia and UAE could be one of the main factors that forced Qatar to exit OPEC, he said. "Perhaps Iran would not be unhappy with disputes between these three countries and the withdrawal of Qatar from OPEC, at the first stage; but in general, OPEC's coherence is to be maintained and we do not encourage any exit from OPEC, he added. Qatar has made a shock decision to quit OPEC after 57 years of membership. Saad al-Kaabi, Qatars minister of state for energy affairs, said the decision would enable focused efforts on gas production. But it created shockwaves, making Qatar the first Middle Eastern country to abandon the producer group and further fracturing OPECs most powerful bloc, the Gulf States. New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening. Increasing clouds with periods of showers late. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.6 By Leman Zeynalova Trend: OPEC needs to change June 2018 strategy in crude output, Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, and President of the OPEC Conference, said. He made the remarks during the 175th Meeting of the OPEC Conference in Vienna, Austria on December 6, 2018, Trend reports. OPEC ministers announced a deal in June 2018 that will increase oil supplies from the producer group, which has been capping output in order to balance the market and boost prices for the last 18 months. We have witnessed positive progress on removing the inventory overhang, the market has seen further rebalancing and there has been excellent collaboration between OPEC and non-OPEC participants in the Declaration of Cooperation. However, I think we can all recognize that our work is not done, Al Mazrouei noted. He pointed out that today, it is vital to thoroughly examine the potential gap between supply and demand in 2019. As we look forward to 2019, we see a new set of challenges. This includes the general consensus that prospects point to higher supply growth than expected global requirements and there are signs of a potential slowdown in demand. Today, it is vital that we thoroughly examine the potential gap between supply and demand in 2019, and how this might impact inventory levels and the extremely hard won market balance we have achieved over the past two years, noted the UAE energy minister. He went on to add that there is a need to focus joint efforts on maintaining the balanced market achieved in 2018; sustaining the stability; and, ensuring that there is a firm foundation to allow the industry to make the necessary investments to continue to meet expected future oil demand. This will require us to change the strategy we took in June 2018. Thus, it is essential that we look to move ahead with a more permanent relationship with our non-OPEC producers, in order to continuously adapt to ongoing market dynamics, and to help meet the challenges, as well as opportunities, that we will face in the months and years ahead, added Al Mazrouei. OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017. OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till the end of 2018 in Vienna on November 30, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Azad Hasanli Trend: The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $654.1 million at currency auctions organized by the Central Bank in November 2018, Trend reports citing the Fund Dec. 6. SOFAZ sold to banks $489.6 million in October. Since the beginning of the year, Azerbaijani banks have bought around $5 billion from the Fund. The Oil Fund will continue the sale of foreign currency through auctions in 2018. The sale of currency is carried out as part of SOFAZ transfers to the state budget of Azerbaijan, which are planned to stand at 10.966 billion manats in 2018. The official rate of manat for the next day is determined on the basis of the weighted average rate under transactions concluded with commercial banks in the interbank currency market and auctions. Auctions are held in the format of one-sided currency sale. (1.7 manats = $1 on Dec. 6) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli Facebook Inc (FB.O) gave some companies, including Netflix (NFLX.O) and Airbnb, preferential access to user data in 2015 as it limited services for most others, according to company emails and presentations released by a British lawmaker, Reuters reports. The 223 pages of communication from 2012 to 2015 between high-level Facebook employees, including founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg, show how the social media company debated generating revenue by selling access to data, tracked and fended off rivals and braced for potential blowback as it moved to capture more user data. Damian Collins, a Conservative member of parliament, made the documents public on Wednesday after demanding them last month under threat of sanction from Six4Three. The defunct app developer obtained them as part of its ongoing lawsuit in California state court alleging that Facebook violated promises to developers. Facebook, which has described the Six4Three case as baseless, said the released communications are misleading without additional context, but did not elaborate. We stand by the platform changes we made in 2015 to stop a person from sharing their friends data with developers, a spokesperson said. Though filed under seal and redacted in the lawsuit, the material needed to be made public because they raise important questions about how Facebook treats users data, their policies for working with app developers, and how they exercise their dominant position in the social media market, Collins said on Twitter. Collins has been among leaders of a British inquiry into fake news on social media, one of the many issues that has brought Facebook into the crosshairs of governments in several countries. Data breaches, allegations of political bias by Facebook in content recommendations and lobbying tactics have also drawn questions from lawmakers. Waymo tests the business model of self-driving cars Dating app Badoo and Lyft were among the other companies 'whitelisted' for access to data about users' friends, the documents here showed. Collins also alleged that Facebook took aggressive positions against competitor apps by denying them access to any user data. The documents show an exchange between Zuckerberg and senior executive Justin Osofsky in 2013, in which they decided to stop giving friends data access to Vine on the day that social media rival Twitter launched the video-sharing service. Weve prepared reactive PR, Osofsky wrote, to which Zuckerberg replied, Yup, go for it. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: As many as 39,065 tourists from the United States visited Turkey in October 2018, which is by 69.79 percent more as compared to similar period of 2017. Turkey's Ministry of Tourism and Culture told Trend share of U.S. citizens in the total number of foreigners incoming Turkey made up 1.04 percent in October 2018. Incoming U.S. tourists to Turkey accounted for 387,450 people in January to October, up by 27.57 percent compared to similar indices of 2017. Share of U.S. citizens in the total of number of foreigners visiting Turkey was 1.09 percent in the first ten months of 2018. Turkey received 3.8 million tourists in October 2018, which is by 25.48 percent more compared to similar period of 2017. As many as 35,571,419 tourists visited Turkey in January to October 2018, up by 22.43 percent as compared to 2017. Furthermore, Turkey's resort province saw 1,359,212 incoming tourists in October 2018, while Istanbul welcomed 1,230,070 travelers. In the first ten months of 2018 Turkey's resort province Antalya received 12,008,939 tourists and Istanbul welcomed 11,340,081 travelers. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Turkeys Izmir province will host the opening of the tourism exhibition Travel Turkey Izmir 2018 Dec. 6, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. Travel companies from 36 countries will take part in the exhibition, the ministry said. Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy will attend the opening of the exhibition. The ministry noted that Izmir province is one of the most important tourism centers in the region. During ten months of this year, 83,331 tourists visited Izmir province, which is 2.22 percent more compared to the same period in 2017, the ministry said. In October 2018, 3.8 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 25.48 percent more compared to October 2017, according to the ministry. In January-October 2018, 35,571,419 tourists visited Turkey, which is 22.43 percent more than in January-October 2017, the ministry noted. The ministry said that in October 2018, 1,359,212 tourists visited Turkey's Antalya province, while Istanbul's visitors amounted to 1,230,070 tourists. In January-October 2018, Antalya and Istanbul were visited by 12,008,939 and 11,340,081 tourists, respectively, the ministry added. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The European Union transferred grant funds in the amount of 9.375 million euros into the Treasury Account of the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic on December 5, 2018, as part of the budget support for the education sector, Trend reports referring to kabar.kg. The press service of the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic reported that this is the final payment under the budget support program totaling 30 million euros, which assists the government of the Kyrgyz Republic in implementing the Education Development Strategy for 2020 and the Action Plan for 2016-2017. The goal of the program is to assist in reforming the systems of general and vocational education, improving the quality of education and pedagogical standards, as well as improving the management of public finances. Moreover, in response to the instructions of the Jogorku Kenesh during the process of ratifying the program, these grant funds will be directed, among other things, to the purchase of textbooks, financing of the preschool education system and the installation of the Internet in all schools. In addition, the European Union provides policy advice, technical assistance and training to employees of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Public Council under the Ministry of Education and Science, as well as the Ministry of Finance in addition to budget support. The previous two tranches of 10 million each were paid in December 2016 and 2017, respectively. This budget assistance is provided to the Kyrgyz Republic as part of the multi-year indicative assistance program for the period 2014-2020, where education is one of the three main areas of the EUs bilateral program. The European Union is currently discussing with the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic a new program of budget assistance in the amount of 35.760 million euros for the period 2019-2021 to assist in the implementation of reforms and relevant indicators presented in the Action Plan of the Education Development Strategy for 2018-2020. This program is also funded under the assistance program for 2014-2020. A bilateral working meeting of Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan Kursan Asanov with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to the Kyrgyz Republic Ha Tae-yeok took place in Bishkek, Trend reports referring to kabar.kg. The first secretary of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Kyrgyz Republic Kim Hyung Jun also attended the meeting, the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of the Kyrgyz Republic reported. During the meeting, a number of issues were discussed regarding further strengthening of cooperation and interaction in the fight against crime, ensuring public safety, and issue of ensuring the safety of citizens of the Republic of Korea in Kyrgyzstan were considered. During the meeting, Asanov noted that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic is interested in a deeper study of the positive experience of the police of the Republic of Korea. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Deputy Interior Minister expressed confidence that the friendly relations that had existed for many years would serve to strengthen and develop bilateral cooperation. The meeting was held in a warm, friendly atmosphere, and in the spirit of mutual understanding. The first round of consultations between the foreign ministries of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan on informational support for foreign policy and work with journalists took place here on December 3-4, Trend reports referring to news.tj. According to the Tajik MFA information department, the two sides exchanged views on experience of work in public diplomacy and discussed perspective directions of expansion of cooperation between news agencies of the two countries in the context of dynamic expansion of bilateral comprehensive cooperation between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. In accordance with the program of cooperation between the foreign ministries of the two counties, the next consultations are expected to take place in Tashkent next year. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon today morning left for the Russian city of St Petersburg to participate in an informal summit of the CIS heads of state, Trend reports referring to news.tj. The CIS heads of state will review the results of the past years work and determine priorities of activities for the next year, a source in the Tajik government told Asia-Plus in an interview. They will also discuss the results of rotating chairmanship of Tajikistan in the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2018. Established on December 8, 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a regional organization. It now consists of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. Georgia pulled out of the organization in 2009. Although Ukraine was one of the founding countries and ratified the Creation Agreement in December 1991, Ukraine chose not to ratify the CIS Charter as it disagrees with Russia being the only legal successor state to the Soviet Union. Thus it does not regard itself as a member of the CIS. In 1993, Ukraine became an "Associate Member" of CIS. On March 14, 2014, a bill was introduced to Ukraine's parliament to denounce their ratification of the 1991 Agreement Establishing the CIS, following the Russian military intervention in Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, but was never approved. Following the 2014 parliamentary election, a new bill to denounce the CIS agreement was introduced. In September 2015, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Ukraine will continue taking part in CIS on a selective basis. Since that month, Ukraine has had no representatives in the CIS Executive Committee building. In April 2018, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko indicated that Ukraine would formally leave the CIS. On May 19, 2018, President Poroshenko signed a decree formally ending Ukraine's participation in CIS statutory bodies. However, as of 1 June the CIS secretariat had not received formal notice from Ukraine of its withdrawal from the CIS, a process which will take 1 year following notice being given. Ukraine has stated that intends review its participation in all CIS agreements, and only continue in those that are in its interests. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Ashgabat will host a regional meeting on the Aral Sea problem, Trend reports citing the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. It is expected that the project proposals will be sent to the Executive Committee of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) until Dec. 30. Established in the 1990s by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, IFAS aims to finance joint projects and programs to save the Aral Sea and improve the environmental situation in the Aral Sea region. IFAS was granted an observer status in the UN General Assembly in December 2008. Ashgabat put forward earlier an initiative to develop a special UN program for the Aral Sea. Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Dec. 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has left for a working visit to St. Petersburg, Russia, Trend reports citing the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. Berdimuhamedov is expected to participate and deliver speech at the informal summit of the CIS heads of state. In 2019, Turkmenistan will take over the chairmanship of the CIS. In 2005, Ashgabat, referring to the status of permanent neutrality of Turkmenistan, recognized and supported by the UN, decided to participate in the CIS as an associate member. In 1999, Turkmenistan withdrew from the agreement on visa-free regime with the CIS countries. In 2012, Turkmenistan even chaired the CIS and held about 30 events in this regard. Latest on the car bomb explosion in Iran's Chabahar Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: 14:57 (GMT +04:00) A source in Irans medical institutions said that 33 people, including 8 women and 4 children were injured in the terrorist attack in the Iranian city of Chabahar, Trend reports citing IRINN. The explosion was staged by the Ansar Al-Furqan terrorist group, IRNA reported. 14:44 (GMT +04:00) Police lieutenant Dariush Ranjbar and police officer Nasir Darzadeh died in the terrorist attack in Chabahar. Director general of the Interior Ministry's border affairs department, Shahriar Heidari, said three people were killed and three were wounded in the attack. He said the explosion was staged by a terrorist group. 12:25 (GMT +04:00) Rahmdel Bamri, governor general of Chabahar, said the blast took place in front of a police post. A suicide bomber, who couldnt drive the car into the police post's yard due to police intervention, blew the car up, Bamri added. 12:00 (GMT +04:00) A blast has occurred at the Shahid Rigi Boulevard in Irans city of Chabahar, Trend reports citing IRINN. At least two people were killed and several others were injured in the car bomb explosion, according to preliminary reports. There are women and children among the injured. Sounds of shooting were heard at the scene of the incident as well. Tehran, Iran, Dec.6 Trend: The head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi has indicated that the European Union Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) would be completed by the end of 2018, Trend reports, citing ILNA. "It's been a long time that the Europeans have remained committed to solving the void in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and providing economic profit to Iran, according to the agreement," Salehi told reporters. "One of their solutions is the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which according to them is in its final stages of completion," he added. "They have told us, it is not an easy task to create consensus between 27 countries over this issue since the US is making all the efforts to prevent EU's success in operating the plan," he said. Salehi went on to add that his colleagues, including the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are in contact with the European officials on the issue. "Due to their promise we hope to see the launch of SPV before the New Year," he said. "Of course Brussels and the European Commission have stated that Europe has plan to use euro for oil transactions with other countries if the volume is more than 300 billion," he said. "This is a big event that means EU plans to import oil from all over the world by paying 85 percent of its payment in euro instead of U dollar, if it happens, it would put the US dollar in a difficult situation and the US would be isolated," Salehi added. "The Europe suggestive package is being amended by our friends in Iran and we are frequently consulting each other," he said referring to the possibility of Iran dissatisfaction with that EU package. As long as sanctions are in effect, Iran will not be a party to any agreement reached in the meetings of Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC) organization on the production level, said the Iranian Minister of Petroleum in Vienna on Thursday, Trend reports referring to IRNA. 'Iran has always supported OPEC to stabilize the oil price, but in the current situation, as stated before, Iran will not take part in any decision regarding the production level,' said Bijan Zangeneh upon arriving Vienna. Zangeneh is in Vienna to participate in the 175th meeting of OPEC. 'There are several suggestions about reducing production, which need to be examined to be decided on,' said Zangeneh. He avoided commenting on the amount of Iran's oil export, and said that this will cause the US to pressure Iran more. 'If Brian Hook is in Vienna regarding US' request to become an OPEC member, the request is examinable; but if they want to pressure Iran through OPEC, it is quite non-professional,' he said. 'OPEC is an independent organization, not a part of the US Treasury; it is not controlled by Washington.' Regrading Qatar's withdrawal from OPEC, Zangeneh said, 'Iran is not happy with it and doesnt know the reasons behind that.' Answering a question if Iran is to leave OPEC, he said, 'Iran is a founding-member of OPEC and will not quit it.' He also said that he welcomes meeting with the Russian minister of oil. Regarding the Declaration of Cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers to reduce production, he said that it is just a statement of cooperation and nothing more. OPEC members meeting will be held on Thursday, as member and non-member producers are to convene on Friday. Zangeneh left Tehran on Wednesday for Austria to attend the 175th OPEC meeting. In the upcoming meeting, member-states are to mull over various issues such as decrease in oil production to below one million barrels. Pakistans Adviser to Prime Minister for Commerce and Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan Mehdi Honardoost during a meeting discussed ways to increase bilateral trade, Trend reports referring to IRNA. Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation to take the bilateral trade volume to $5 billion within next five years. Iranian envoy on the occasion said that trade between the two countries can be further strengthened by continued engagement of the business communities of Iran and Pakistan. He urged the Pakistani authorities to complete their work regarding opening of two new border points between the two countries so that the people of Iran and Pakistan can be given more facilities. Mehdi Honardoost again expressed Irans interest in joining China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said that Iran is willing to give rail and road facilities to Pakistan to connect the Central Asian states. Both countries also discussed upcoming 21st Iran-Pakistan joint economic commission and 8th meeting of Iran-Pakistan trade ministers to be held in Islamabad. The number of those injured in the Thursday morning car bomb blast in southeastern Iran has risen to 42 people, while two others were killed, Sputnik reported citing Isna. An attacker exploded the bomb outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar, located in Sistan and Baluchestan province on the border with Pakistan. The blast injured ten officers and 32 civilians, according to a senior health official quoted by the Iranian news agency Isna. He said many of those wounded had soon been discharged. WATCH Plumes of Smoke Rise Over Iranian City of Chabahar After Blast According to Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, crimes perpetrated by what he called "foreign-backed terrorists" would not go unpunished. The inauguration ceremony of president elect Salome Zurabishvili will be held in the eastern town of Telavi on 16 December, Trend reports referring to Agenda.ge. President-elect Salome Zurabishvili says that it was her idea for the ceremony to be held in Telavi. There are two reasons. First is that during my election campaign I promised the popularization of Georgia regions and the second is that Telavi residents did not vote for me and with this decision I want to show that I will be the president of each Georgian citizen-those who voted or did not vote for me, Zurabishvili said. Head of the Georgian government administration Kakha Kakhishvili will chair the commission tasked to organise the ceremony. He stated that the existing decree which specifies the procedures for the inauguration ceremony was issued in 2001 and the document is no longer relevant. Kakhishvili said that a new decree is being drafted in the government administration which will establish the procedure for the ceremony. Karre Mastanamma, a toothless granny from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, shot to fame on the Internet for her cooking videos over the past two years, Xinhua reports. Her Youtube channel, Country Foods, managed by her grandson and his friend, has attracted over 1.2 million subscribers since its launch in 2016. Mastanamma, who often sat in an open field in a remote village, was famous for her Indian-style old cuisine like her iconic watermelon chicken which gained 11 million views on Youtube. In the videos, she often used her nails to peel vegetables and served food on traditional Indian banana leaves. She had probably fallen sick in the past 6 months as her Youtube channel had stopped posting her videos for a while. Her Youtube channel issued a death announcement on Monday. Together with Mastanamma's death announcement, Country Foods also posted a video called Final Journey of Granny. Since then, many fans have paid tribute to Mastanamma on social media, leaving messages of Rest In Peace. Venezuela and Russia have signed several multi-billion dollar contracts during a visit of the Venezuelan delegation led by President Nicolas Maduro to Moscow, the Venezuelan leader posted on Twitter, TASS reported. "Today, the contracts have been signed to guarantee investments exceeding $5 billion with our Russian partners in joint ventures to ramp up crude oil production," he said. "In addition, we are guaranteeing an investment of over $1 billion for the mining sector, mostly in gold production." The Venezuelan President also said that a deal on supplies of Russian wheat to the South American country has been signed during his visit to Moscow along with a contract on the maintenance of weapons. "We... have signed a contract to ensure supplies of 600,000 tonnes of wheat for Venezuelan people," he stated, pointing out that the supplies are guaranteed for "2019 and onwards." "Furthermore, a contract has been signed to provide assistance, maintenance and repair of weapons of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela." Also, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Thursday that the Venezuelan Armed Forces are interested in the modernization of land-based and air systems previously supplied by Russia. The Venezuelan leader expressed gratitude to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Russian people. Maduro also said that Moscow will host a "meeting of the joint commission" in March 2019 "aimed to continue developing (bilateral) relations." Russia and Venezuela are implementing joint investment projects in energy, agriculture, geological exploration, pharmaceuticals, information and communication technology, nuclear medicine, military technology, etc. The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday the Gulf Cooperation Council remained valid despite a bitter row with Qatar that has fractured the bloc ahead of an annual summit next week, Trend reports referring to Reuters. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and non-GCC member Egypt have imposed a diplomatic and economic boycott on Qatar since June 2017 over allegations Doha supports terrorism. Qatar denies the charges and says the boycott aims to curtail its sovereignty. The main success of the council is in its economic aspects and the creation of a Gulf common market, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted. The political crisis will end when the cause behind it ends and that is Qatars support of extremism and its interference in the stability of the region. The dispute has undermined the regional role of the six-nation GCC, set up in 1980 as a bulwark against larger neighbors Iran and Iraq. Last week, Qatar abruptly announced it was quitting OPEC after 57 years to focus on gas in an apparent swipe at the oil-exporter blocs de facto leader Saudi Arabia. The move has deepened the sense among diplomats and analysts that any prospect for a near-term resolution to the dispute was unlikely to come at the GCC summit in Riyadh. Saudi Arabias king has invited Qatars emir to attend the Dec. 9 gathering of heads of state, but Doha has not yet said what level of representation it would send. Bahrains foreign minister said in remarks published on Thursday that the level of Qatari representation at the one-day summit was irrelevant. It is the same whether they attend or not, Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa told the pan Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat. The crisis with Qatar has reached unprecedented levels and I dont know how they will come back from that, as Qatar has joined itself with the regions enemies such as Iran and distanced itself from the GCC. Qatars ruler last month said the dispute exposed the failure of the GCC and harmed regional security by weakening the block which groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. At last years summit, held in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain sent ministers or deputy prime ministers. Yemens warring sides agreed to free thousands of prisoners on Wednesday, in what a U.N. mediator called a hopeful start to the first peace talks in years to end a war that has pushed millions of people on the verge of starvation, Trend reports referring to Reuters. U.N. mediator Martin Griffiths told a news conference in a renovated castle outside Stockholm that just getting the warring sides to the table was an important milestone. The war has killed tens of thousands of people and spawned what the United Nations calls the worlds direst humanitarian crisis, since a Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in 2015 to restore a government ousted by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. No talks have been held since 2016, and the last attempt in Geneva in September failed when the Houthis did not attend. Griffiths said the prisoner swap agreed at the start of the talks would reunite thousands of families. The International Committee of the Red Cross said at least 5,000 would be freed. The war, widely seen across the region as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has been stalemated for years, threatening supply lines to feed nearly 30 million inhabitants. The Houthis control the capital Sanaa and most populated areas, while the ousted government based in the southern city of Aden has struggled to advance despite the aid of Arab states. Humanitarian suffering in one of the worlds poorest countries has added to pressure on the parties to end the conflict, with faith in the Saudi-led war effort flagging among Western allies that arm and support the coalition. Outrage over the Oct. 2 murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdoms Istanbul consulate has also undermined Western support for Riyadhs regional activities. Diplomats are expected to shuttle between the warring parties to discuss other confidence-building steps and the formation of a transitional governing body, a U.N. source said. Griffiths wants a deal on reopening Sanaa airport, shoring up the central bank and securing a truce in Hodeidah, the countrys main port, held by the Houthis and a focus of the war after the coalition launched a campaign to capture it this year. This could lead to a wider ceasefire to halt coalition air strikes that have killed thousands of civilians, and Houthi missile attacks on Saudi cities. A U.N. source said that the two sides were still far from agreement on the three issues, especially on who should manage Hodeidah port and whether the Houthis should entirely quit the city. Hodeidah is very complex, the source said. The United Nations is trying to avert a full-scale assault on Hodeidah, the entry point for most of Yemens commercial goods and aid. Both sides have reinforced positions in the Red Sea city in sporadic battles after a de-escalation last month. The other main route in and out of Houthi territory is the Sanaa airport, but access is restricted by the Saudi-led coalition which controls the air space. The head of the Houthis Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said in a Twitter post that if no deal is reached to re-open the airport, the movement could close it on the ground to all traffic including U.N. flights. Chinese President Xi Jinping met with President of the Portuguese Parliament Eduardo Ferro Rodrigues here on Wednesday, and they pledged to promote bilateral legislative cooperation, Xinhua reports. Referring to Portugal as a good friend and good partner of China in the European Union, Xi said China and Portugal properly resolved the question of Macao in 1999, setting an example for other nations in tackling issues left over from history through friendly negotiations, and laying the foundation of mutual trust and cooperation for the bilateral relations in the 21st century. In recent years, the National People's Congress of China and the Portuguese parliament have had close exchanges, producing good results, he said. China supports the two countries' legislative bodies to learn from each other on important subjects such as legislation, governance and issues related to national interests and people's livelihood, he said. Xi called on the two legislative bodies to explore the potentials for more cooperation, continuously improve the legal and policy environment, and protect the legitimate rights and interests of each other's investing enterprises and people. The two sides should strengthen communication and coordination within multilateral organizations such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, safeguard common interests, and contribute to the safeguarding of world peace, development and prosperity, he said. Xi noted that China has taken an unprecedented development path chosen by its 1.4 billion people and constantly updated in line with the times. As this year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, the country will continue to comprehensively deepen its reform and unleash development vitality, implement a higher-level opening-up policy, and promote the formation of a new pattern of all-around opening-up, said Xi. The Chinese president said such moves will lead to a new phase of China's opening-up to the outside world, and therefore bring new opportunities for bilateral cooperation. Rodrigues said that the Portuguese parliament warmly welcomes President Xi's visit, which reflects the advanced level of Portugal-China relations. Rodrigues said that China is a key trading partner of Portugal and that both sides advocate multilateralism. Portugal appreciates China's development achievements and hopes to transform the friendly mutual trust into more cooperation. He expects the two countries to expand bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and culture, adding that the Portuguese side supports the Belt and Road Initiative, and is well positioned to become a hub of the Belt and Road in Europe. The Portuguese parliament is committed to deepening the Portugal-China relations, and will actively participate in the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries next year, so as to consolidate bilateral friendship, Rodrigues said. The Portuguese parliament hopes to continuously strengthen the productive dialogue and exchanges with the National People's Congress of China, he said. Pope Francis will visit Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in February, the Vatican said on Thursday, in his seventh trip to a predominantly Muslim nation to call for inter-religious peace, Trend reports referring to Reuters. The trip will take place from Feb. 3-5. The Vatican said the pope had accepted an invitation from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and the tiny Catholic community there. He will attend an inter-faith meeting. Francis has already visited Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh and Azerbaijan, the Palestinian territories and used those trips to call for inter-religious dialogue and to condemn the notion of violence in the name of God. The theme of the visit is Make Me a Channel of Your Peace and thats the Popes intention in going to the United Arab Emirates. How all people of goodwill can work for peace will be a major topic on this trip, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke said. The theme is taken from the opening words of the Prayer of Peace of Francis of Assisi, the saint whose name the pope took when he was elected in 2013. This visit, like the one to Egypt, (2017) shows the fundamental importance the Holy Father gives to inter-religious dialogue. Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter, Burke said. Crown Prince Mohammed said in a tweet that the pope is a symbol of peace, tolerance and the promotion of brotherhood. We look forward to a historic visit, through which we will seek dialogue on the peaceful coexistence among peoples. Slovenia will make a contribution of 2.7 million euros for the second tranche of funding of the EU Facility for Refugees in Turkey between 2019 and 2023, Xinhua reported citing the national media. The contribution is in accordance with the timeline proposed by the European Commission as part of the action plan of cooperation with Turkey in the field of migration, said the Slovenian Press Agency STA. Facing a major refugee crisis in 2015, the EU decided to enhance its cooperation with Turkey, adopting a joint action plan with two sets of measures -- aid for Syrian refuges in Turkey and measures to be taken by Turkey to prevent illegal migration. In the first tranche the EU secured three billion euros for the Facility for Refugees in Turkey in 2016 and 2017, including one billion euros from the EU budget, while the rest were contributions by member states relative to their GDP. Slovenia contributed more than five million euros in the first tranche. In June this year, the European Council approved a second tranche of three billion euros, with two billion euros coming from the EU budget and the rest from member states. Slovenia will chip in 2.726 million euros, said the STA report. While the threat of precise rockets and missiles from Lebanon increases and large IDF engineering forces are leading the Northern Shield operation to expose attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah into Israeli territory, the Ministry of Defense of Israel is accelerating and budgeting a plan to develop a new interception system using powerful lasers. The program, including procurement of future interception systems, is projected as several billion shekels, Trend reports referring to Globes. Sources inform "Globes" that upon becoming Minister of Defense two and a half years ago, Avigdor Liberman ordered Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure head Brig. Gen. (res.) Danny Gold to proceed with staff work for assessment of new laser interception technologies. Liberman resigned as Minister of Defense three weeks ago, but the project continues. Gold, who was awarded the Peres Israel Defense Prize for his important role in developing Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.'s Iron Dome interception system, leads a joint steering team of the Ministry of Defense and the defense industries working to develop a laser interception system. A senior defense source told "Globes," "Exciting developments have already been attained. Many good minds have already been working on this for two and a half years. We have achieved a breakthrough and made substantial progress, You could say that the system is on the verge of being ready." The Ministry of Defense says that during Liberman's term as Minister of Defense, he personally kept track of progress in laser development programs and conducted prolonged consultations on the matter with former Israel air force commander Maj. Gen. (res.) David Ivry, now VP Boeing International and president of Boeing Israel; former IAI chairperson, former MK, and former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Yair Shamir; and Maj. Gen. (res.) Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, currently chairperson of the Israel Space Agency. Defense sources told "Globes" that Liberman had made major budget allocations for the laser program that would be sufficient to reach the final development stage and produce a prototype of the system. They declined to state how much was allocated. One source said, "If they continue giving preference to the current program and work on it at a fast pace, there may be operational laser rocket interception capability in three years, or even a little less." The Ministry of Defense does not disclose details about progress in the development program, which is being conducted in secret in cooperation with some of the defense industries. Defense industry sources said that clear progress had been made in recent years on problems previously regarded as major stumbling blocks in laser development, such as the ability to focus lasers rapidly and accurately on the threatening object. Among the principal obstacles that previously prevented making such systems operational were the need for enormous energy sources in order to operate them, concern about environmental pollution by poisonous gases, mobility difficulties, deploying them according to operational needs, and lack of effectiveness in varying weather conditions. "Iron Dome wouldn't have existed, either, had we not wanted it," a senior defense source told "Globes," referring to Israel's future laser weapon program. "Such a system can be operational - if they decide on it and realize that it is critical, given the situation," he added. Since entering operational use in the spring of 2011, Iron Dome has intercepted over 2,000 rockets launched against Israel, the vast majority of them from the Gaza Strip. The cost of each Iron Dome interception is estimated at $80,000. In the most recent conflict in the Gaza Strip, it successfully intercepted 80% of the rockets aimed at densely populated areas or sensitive installations, despite the fact that the campaign included the heaviest rockets barrage ever within a short period - 500 rockets in less than 24 hours. A senior defense source told "Globes" that even Iron Dome would not be enough in the future. "The coming rounds of fighting in the Gaza Strip, not to mention a state of war in the north, will feature far heavier barrages against the home front. We need something that is also effective in interception costs and will make the war economy more feasible. There is no comparison between the cost of interception with a missile and the cost of interception with a laser, which should be almost negligible." It is believed that Hezbollah is capable of bombarding Israel with 1,500 rockets and missiles a day, some of them precise. The defense industries are keeping a low media profile on the laser programs in which they are involved. The three major companies - Rafael, Elbit Systems Ltd., IMI Systems Ltd. (IMI), and Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. - which are leading classified development programs in this area, are disclosing no details about the their rate of progress in these ventures. At the same time, industries sources say that there has been clear preference in recent years for laser development programs, especially at Rafael and Elbit Systems-IMI, also reflected in the construction of special facilities in some of them. Rafael has been focusing on laser for some years now, including a program for development of mortar interception capability. The system being developed, Iron Beam, is being led by the company's land warfare division. The system's concept was first revealed in a 2014 defense exhibition in Singapore. At the same time, Rafael has other laser programs, one of which has already demonstrated good capabilities in intercepting drones. The Ministry of Defense has wanted to develop laser systems for the IDF to use in intercepting high-trajectory weapons for a long time, and has been keeping close track of developments in this sphere. 15 years ago, even before the decision to procure Iron Dome, the Ministry of Defense considered the Nautilus laser system developed by US company Northrup Grumman. Nautilus is based on a chemical laser that emits poisonous gases into the environment when it is used. Its production requires large energy sources, and the dimensions of the system itself are exceptionally large. These problems mean that it cannot be made mobile. Northrup Grumman later offered Israel a smaller mobile system, based on Nautilus, called Skyguard. The Ministry of Defense was unimpressed and turned down the offer, preferring to go ahead with the Iron Dome development program. The Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure explained at the time that with the completion of the development of capabilities for interception with a solid-state laser, which is more effective than a chemical laser, systems of this type would be integrated as an element supplementing Iron Dome. The Northrup Grumman salespersons trying to persuade the Ministry of Defense to select their system did not give up, however; they claimed that the system had successfully withstood a series of trials in the US. Senior figures in the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure dismissed this, saying, "Every such trial took place after dozens of postponements, or it was necessary to recalibrate the system. The US itself decided against getting this interception system." The upper house of Irelands parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to criminalize importing or selling goods produced in Israeli towns in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, Trend reports referring to The Times of Israel. After advancing through several debates, the Control of Economic Activities (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 now moves to the lower house, known as the Dail Eireann, where it will have to pass an additional five rounds of debates before the president would sign it into law. Incredible the Occupied Territories Bill has just passed all stages in Seanad Eireann! Ireland can be the first EU country to end trade in illegal #SettlementGoods, the sponsor of the bill, Independent Senator Frances Black, tweeted minutes after the vote. It now goes to Dail for agreement, & with such huge support well make this vital bill law! Foreign Ministry spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon replied by calling the measure hateful and unhelpful. Truly incredible the Irish Senate just approved a hateful boycott initiative against a friendly nation, he tweeted at Black. This will not help the Palestinians and just push their leadership further away from negotiations. In a formal response to the vote, the Foreign Ministry stated: The Irish Senate (Seanad Eireann) have chosen to give their backing to the most extreme anti-Israel piece of legislation in Europe. This bill will not help a single Palestinian and is aimed at negating the historical connection between the people of Israel and the birthplace of the Jewish people. The proposed legislation a private member bill declares it an offense for a person to import or attempt to import settlement goods. Likewise, those who assist another person to import or attempt to import settlement goods would be committing a crime punishable by up to five years in prison, if the bill were to become law. The bill seeks to prohibit the import and sale of goods, services and natural resources originating in illegal settlements in occupied territories, Black said in a statement posted to her website on June 25. Such settlements are illegal under both international humanitarian law and domestic Irish law, and result in human rights violations on the ground. Despite this, Ireland provides continued economic support through trade in settlement goods. While the bill does not mention Israel and the Palestinian territories, critics have charged that it appears to have been written exclusively with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in mind. This is a bill which selectively uses international courts decisions to discriminate solely against Israel and exclude all other cases of disputed territories, the Foreign Ministry charged Wednesday. It is a dangerous piece of legislation as it gives the Palestinians the illusion that external coercion can actually replace negotiations. It encourages Palestinians to continue supporting terrorism instead of engaging in direct negotiations. If passed into the law, the bill would be counter-productive, as it seeks to close doors for Israelis but will only succeed to close the door on any future input that Ireland could have in a peace process in the Middle East, the statement continued However, in private conversations, Israeli officials appeared unperturbed by the legislation, estimating that the government in Dublin will ultimately prevent it from coming into force, even, if need be, blocking it technically from advancing. The bill was supported by all opposition parties and independent senators, but was opposed by Irelands minority government. The government argues that banning trade with certain products is the exclusive prerogative of the European Union. Interpol on Wednesday rejected Ecuador's request to issue a "red notice" calling for the arrest of ex-president Rafael Correa, Xinhua reports. The international police coordinating agency said that after close examination of the case, it concluded that calling for his arrest "was not compatible" with Interpol's obligation to ensure effective cooperation between police in different parts of the world. Correa, who has been living in Belgium since the end of his term, is wanted in connection with the attempted kidnapping of a political rival, a charge he claims is politically driven to keep him out of politics. Ecuador's National Court of Justice (CNJ), which had made the request in July, confirmed it received Interpol's response. It also said Interpol's decision failed to comply with the agency's own regulations and should be reviewed. Correa, who governed from 2007 to 2017, was aware of the CNJ request and said he was expecting Interpol to reject it given the "evidently political (nature) of the case." The "Balda Case," as it's known in Ecuadorean media, revolves around Fernando Balda, a former member of the progressive PAIS Alliance -- the still ruling party that Correa founded. Balda later joined the opposition, becoming an ardent anti-Correa activist and collaborating with extreme right-wing groups in Colombia. Balda alleged that in 2012, five people forced him into a car, but Colombian police succeeded in intercepting the vehicle. He accused Correa and his intelligence aides of ordering the attack. Indian minister of tourism Joseph Alphons Kannanthanam welcomes Russias proposal to grant its organized tourist groups a visa-free entry to India, Trend reports referring to TASS. In an interview with TASS the official said that granting a visa-free entry to Russian tourist is a good idea but in turn Moscow should do the same for the groups of Indian tourist groups visiting Russia. "I think it is a very good idea but as I said earlier it should be on a bilateral basis. If the Russian government allows Indian tourists to come to Russia on similar terms, we would be happy to allow that (a visa-free entry - TASS)," the minister said. The official stressed that that his ministry is actively promoting tourism to Russia. "We have just opened office in Moscow. We are hugely interested in the Russian market. I was told that when we put out six new promotional (videos) on social media, the biggest response came from Russia. We had more than 200 mln views in three months," the minister said. "We would like you in turn to launch more campaigns in India so that many more Indians will go (to Russia)," he added. A couple of years ago, Russia proposed introducing a visa-free regime with India for organized tourist groups. The Indian side has not yet responded to such a proposal. Pakistan has strongly condemned the suicide car bomb attack in Iranian city of Chabahar, Pakistan's Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency reported. Earlier in the day, a suicide bomber drove his explosives-laden vehicle into a Police Headquarters in Chabahar, killing three people and causing injuries to four further as well. Pakistan strongly condemns terrorist car bomb attack in Chabahar in brotherly neighboring Iran that has taken lives of three innocent people while injuring others, Foreign Office Spokesman Mohammad Faisal said. Pakistan condemns terrorism. Concerted efforts are required to uproot it from spreading anywhere and everywhere, Faisal also said. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the suicide car bomb attack. Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour also visited the blast area, and said that calm and security has returned to Chabahar as the security forces have brought the situation under control. IRGC forces have been deployed to the site, and are fully on alert, Pakpour said according to the Iranian media. Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev starts his two-day visit to India on Thursday, Trend reports referring to TASS. "Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev will visit New Delhi on December 6-7, where he will meet with the Indian prime minister's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and hold Russian-Indian inter-departmental consultations on security," the Russian Security Council's press service said. Patrushev maintains regular contacts with Indian colleagues in bilateral and multilateral formats. He met with Doval in January 2017 in Moscow. The sides discussed fight against terrorism, among other things. In November 2017, Patrushev met with India's Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss cooperation in cyber security and anti-terrorism efforts. The Russian Security Council secretary met with Doval again in September 2018 in Tehran, where the sides discussed cooperation between Russian and Indian defense ministries and law enforcement agencies. Over the last years, Patrushev held many meetings with Indian colleagues in the formats of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organizaiton), as well as in the framework of international meetings of high-ranking representatives on security issues. Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 6 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: For the last two years (2017-2018), the Turkish Air Force eliminated 732 militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist group, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said. Soylu noted that the Turkish Air Force used drones, helicopters, as well as fighter planes during the terrorists elimination, Trend reports citing Turkish media. Earlier, Soylu said that from early 2018, 87,838 operations have been carried out against PKK in Turkey, and 289 PKK terrorists have been killed. "In 2017, 380 PKK terrorists and in 2018, 343 terrorists surrendered to Turkish law enforcement agencies," Soylu noted. The conflict between Turkey and the PKK, which demands the creation of an independent Kurdish state, has lasted more than 25 years, claiming more than 40,000 lives. PKK is recognized as a terrorist organization by the UN and the EU. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu The US House of Representatives has submitted an interim spending bill for approval to the Senate. The new deadline is aimed to be applied to seven spending bills, including funding for the Department of Homeland Security, previously scheduled to expire at 12:01 a.m. this Saturday, Sputnik reported. The US House of Representatives has approved a stopgap spending bill (active until 21 December) that would prevent a government shutdown, sending it on to the Senate. The move was initiated as funding for several federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, State Department and Department of Homeland Security, will expire in the next few days and there is still disagreement remaining over spending measures concerning border security. One of the core disagreements is connected with the Congressional Democrats' refusal to fully support the $5 billion in border security funding, which includes a wall at the Mexican border, proposed by US President Donald Trump. Among other agencies expecting budget finalization are the US Department of Justice, NASA, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Speaking about the disputes over the budget, US Senator from Vest Virginia Shelley Moore Capito stated, as quoted by MetroNews, that "it's essential that we get better and bigger border security when you see the numbers just escalating of the number of people that are coming across illegally." In the meantime, four US Senators, namely Jim Inhofe, John Kennedy and Ted Cruz have introduced legislation that would secure full funding for the wall. Commenting on the proposed bill, Senator Mike Rounds, its co-sponsor, explained that it is aimed "to protect against illegal immigration and stop those who wish to do us harm, such as terrorists, gang members and drug dealers, from entering the United States". KYODO NEWS - Dec 6, 2018 - 13:25 | Japan, All A health ministry panel said Wednesday that most of the foods currently under development using genome editing can be marketed without safety screening by the state, a proposal that would accelerate the creation of such items as more nutritious tomatoes and more meaty red seabream in Japan. The relatively moderate regulation would allow companies to sell gene-edited foods only by providing the government with information on specific genome engineering, or which DNA is snipped or tweaked in crops or animals. (Photo shows potatoes, left, that are free of toxins as a result of genome editing and ordinary potatoes) [Photo courtesy of Osaka University, Riken] It contrasts with stricter rules on genetically modified foods, which are produced by adding foreign genes of other organisms. Based on the panel's report, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry plans to draw its own conclusion on the matter by the end of March. Compared with traditional breed improvement techniques, which usually require a decade or more to create new crops through cross breeding or by applying chemicals and radiation to DNA, the gene-editing techniques can deliver results in a much shorter period of time. In October, Tsukuba University announced it will launch a startup to commercialize genome-edited tomatoes with abundance of gamma-aminobutyric acid that can lower blood pressure. Other genome-edited foods being developed in Japan include potatoes free of toxin in their sprouts and tubers, and super high-yielding rice, while inactivating specific genes through gene-editing tools is believed to reduce work for farmers and transporters as well. Meanwhile, out of safety concerns, consumer groups have been calling for the implementation of mandatory safety assessment for gene-edited foods, but the panel determined those foods, with which specific genes are inactivated through gene-editing, cannot be distinguished from foods produced by conventional improvement techniques. It also concluded that such inactivation of genes can occur naturally through mutations, among other things, and those gene-edited foods should be outside of current regulations for genetically modified foods. The report compiled by the panel stipulates safety assessment should be required for foods derived from plants or animals in which foreign genes were introduced, since such foods are considered as genetically modified foods. It also said information, including that of edited genomes and substances which can cause allergic reactions, should be provided to the government, while the request of information should not be legally binding. Among new genome editing technologies, the CRISPR-Cas9 system has generated a lot of excitement in the scientific community due to its efficiency and accuracy, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The genome-editing tool allows cutting of the strands of DNA at a specific point and creating a gap in the DNA where a new piece of DNA can be added. (Photo taken n Japan in October 2017 shows a type of genome edited rice) KYODO NEWS - Dec 7, 2018 - 00:35 | Urgent, All, World A U.S. Marine was killed and five others went missing after an FA-18 jet and KC-130 tanker plane based in Japan collided and crashed off the country's western coast early Thursday while conducting nighttime air refueling training. The Marine and another crew member of the fighter jet were rescued by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces following the 1:40 a.m. accident, the third crash of U.S. military aircraft in about two months. The other rescued Marine is in stable conditions, according to the Marine Corps. U.S. carrier fighter jet crashes, 2nd case in month U.S. Navy helicopter crashes on U.S. aircraft carrier (A Japan Coast Guard vessel sails in waters near the crash site of a U.S. Marine Corps' FA-18 fighter jet and KC-130 air tanker) (File photo of an FA-18 fighter jet at Air Station Iwakuni) Japanese authorities said they will continue searching all night for the five missing personnel who were aboard the tanker plane in the area in the Pacific, about 100 kilometers south of Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture. According to the Kochi prefectural government, two fishing boats were operating in the area at the time of the accident, but neither was affected by the crash of the two aircraft belonging to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The SDF sent 10 aircraft and the Japan Coast Guard dispatched six patrol ships for search operations, government officials said. The Marines said the circumstances of the accident are under investigation. The Iwakuni base, jointly used by Japanese and U.S. forces as well as commercial carriers, is home to some 120 U.S. aircraft. The base is also used for commercial aviation as Iwakuni Kintaikyo Airport. News of the accident stirred anger among residents of the city of Iwakuni, which hosts the base that expanded its role in March under a realignment of U.S. military forces in Japan. Hiroshi Okamura, who heads a local group protesting the expansion of the base, termed the distance of 100 km "very close" for an aircraft crash. "It would have been an unimaginable disaster if it had crashed in a town. All of the flying operations should be suspended until safety is confirmed," the 75-year-old said. [Getty/Kyodo] A 66-year-old man said he has seen more U.S. jets flying recently. "I want them to take all possible safety measures," he said. Last month, an FA-18 from the U.S. carrier Ronald Reagan crashed off Okinawa. The two crew members aboard were rescued. In 2016, a Marines FA-18 stationed at Iwakuni crashed into the sea off Kochi, killing the pilot. Over 100 cases have been detected in South Africa, where the new strain is slowly becoming the dominant one. Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, researchers from iPSYCH and the University of Queensland report Newborns with Vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Queensland report. The discovery could prevent some cases of the disease, and shows that neonatal vitamin D deficiency could possibly account for about 8 per cent of all schizophrenia cases in Denmark. The study, led by Professor John McGrath from Aarhus University and the University of Queensland, found that newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a 44 per cent increased risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults, compared to those with normal Vitamin D levels. Professor McGrath, says the new study is based on 2602 individuals. The study confirms a previous study that also found an association between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of schizophrenia. The findings support the hypothesis that the risk of schizophrenia could be reduced with the treatment of vitamin D deficiency during the earliest stages of life. "Schizophrenia is a group of poorly understood brain disorders characterised by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and cognitive impairment," he says. Professor McGrath Is part of the Danish research-project, iPSYCH and has a Niels Bohr Professorship at the National Centre for Register-based Research at Aarhus University "As the developing fetus is totally reliant on mother's vitamin D stores, our findings suggest that ensuring pregnant women have adequate levels of vitamin D may result in the prevention of some schizophrenia cases, in a manner comparable to the role folate supplementation has played in the prevention of spina bifida." 8 per cent of all schizophrenia-cases in Denmark The team made the discovery by analysing vitamin D concentration in blood samples taken from Danish newborns between 1981 and 2000 who had gone on to develop schizophrenia as young adults. The researchers compared these samples to those of people matched by sex and date of birth who had not developed schizophrenia. The research was published in Scientific Reports . According to John McGrath, schizophrenia is associated with many different risk factors, both genetic and environmental, but the new research suggests that neonatal vitamin D deficiency could possibly account for about 8 per cent of schizophrenia cases in Denmark. "Much of the attention in schizophrenia research has been focused on modifiable factors early in life with the goal of reducing the burden of this disease. Previous research identified an increased risk of schizophrenia associated with being born in winter or spring and living in a high-latitude country, such as Denmark," he says. "We hypothesised that low vitamin D levels in pregnant women due to a lack of sun exposure during winter months might underlie this risk, and investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of schizophrenia." Professor McGrath also led a Dutch 2016 study that found a link between prenatal vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of childhood autism traits. "The next step is to conduct randomized clinical trials of vitamin D supplements in pregnant women who are vitamin D deficient, in order to examine the impact on child brain development and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia" ### Contact Professor John McGrath National Centre for Register-based Research Aarhus BSS, Aarhus University Tel: +45 87165312 Email: j.mcgrath@uq.edu.au The research was published in Scientific Reports and was supported by the organisations: the Lundbeck Foundation and Danish National Research Foundation, the Stanley Medical Research Institute, Australia's National Health and Medical Research Centre, The University of Queensland, the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, and the European Research Council. About iPSYCH iPSYCH was founded back in 2012 when six leading researchers who all work in the field of psychiatry and genetics got together. Their mission was to find the causes of five of the most serious mental disorders; schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (previously manic depression), autism, ADHD and depression. iPSYCH's purpose was - and still is - to lay the foundations for better treatment and prevention of mental disorders by mapping the factors that play a role in these diseases. By examining genes and risk factors in more than 80,000 Danes who both did and did not suffer from mental disorders, iPSYCH sheds light on the complex interaction between heredity factors and the environment, which for some people results in them developing a mental disorder. The project examines the diseases from various angles, ranging from genes and cells to population studies, prenatal life to adult patient and from cause to symptom. iPSYCH, funded by the Lundbeck Foundation, is a Danish research project with collaborators from the University of Copenhagen, Aarhus University, Central Denmark Region, Capital Region and the State Serum Institute. Today, iPSYCH is one of the world's largest studies of genetic and environmental causes of mental illness, and consists of more than 140 researchers in psychiatry, genetics and registry research. RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Rebekah Charney, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, has been awarded the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health. The fellowship provides $177,000 to support Charney for three years to study the earliest events underlying the formation of neural crest cells. Charney, who joined UCR in 2016 after receiving her doctoral degree at UC Irvine, explained that neural crest cells are a stem cell population unique to vertebrates. They migrate extensively throughout the developing embryo and form numerous derivatives, including neurons, pigment cells, and most of the bone and connective tissue in the face. Their improper development leads to multiple pathologies, including very common birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate and aggressive cancers such as neuroblastoma. However, major questions regarding the formation of neural crest cells remain unanswered. "The molecular mechanisms underlying the earliest stages of neural crest cell formation remain uncharacterized, and this fellowship precisely aims to address this issue," Charney said. At UCR, Charney works in the laboratory of Martin I. Garcia-Castro, an associate professor of biomedical sciences. Under the fellowship, Charney will be sponsored by Garcia-Castro and co-sponsored by Nicole zur Nieden, an associate professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology. On the research project, Charney will also collaborate with Thomas Girke, an associate professor of bioinformatics at UCR. "The research enabled by this fellowship brings together multiple research groups from across the UCR campus," Charney said. "Together, we will integrate cutting-edge, genome-wide technology with embryology and stem cell biology in order to uncover the processes underlying key developmental decisions." Garcia-Castro, her sponsor, emphasized that this is the first instance this fellowship has been awarded to a postdoctoral researcher performing work in the School of Medicine since accreditation. "Dr. Charney is an outstanding postdoctoral scholar who joined the Division of Biomedical Sciences with a glowing academic record," he said. "Since her arrival, Rebekah has made great strides in her research implementing creative approaches to decipher the molecular interactions that initiate the formation of the neural crest, and has been very successful in crafting research funding applications and getting our research published. "She is a smart, tenacious and tireless scientist who has already been recognized for her capacity and promise to lead a very productive research career in academia," he continued. "At the same time, she has distinguished herself through service towards other members of the School of Medicine and UCR community, including envisioning and initiating workshops for postdoctoral scholars, and mentoring undergrads. I am thrilled to have her performing her postdoctoral work with us, and look forward to her continued positive impact on the UCR and scientific community." Charney's work under this fellowship pioneers gene network studies of neural crest cell specification at previously uncharacterized early stages of development. Neural crest cells are thought to arise from committed ectoderm cells - one of the three germ layers that serve as the foundation for the tissues and organs that make up the adult body - in a region of the embryo called the neural plate border. Evidence from the Garcia-Castro laboratory and others, however, suggest a much earlier origin of neural crest cells that is prior to the committed segregation of the germ layers. "The goal of this work is to investigate how transcription factors function in regulating the earliest stages of neural crest formation," Charney said. "Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, select genes will be removed from human embryonic stem cells, and I will assess the effect of their loss on the formation of human neural crest cells. The role of these factors will also be tested in animal models of development, for example in the chick embryo." Charney noted that the immediate outcomes of the research are addressing key biological questions of neural crest formation and processes governing cell fate decisions during development. Understanding how neural crest cells are formed, and how this process is disrupted in a disease state, however, can help lead to novel therapeutics. Such projects are already underway in the Garcia-Castro lab. ### Charney is the recipient of several other awards and honors, including a K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award from the Association of American Colleges and Universities. At UCI, she was a recipient of a U.S. Department of Education Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need fellowship, an Edward Steinhaus Teaching Award, and was an NSF IGERT LifeChips trainee. New research suggests that people with a narcissistic self-view are more likely to demonstrate lower support for democracy. They are also more likely to feel that democracies are not good in maintaining order, or that it would be better if countries were run by strong leaders or the military. The research, which was co-led by psychologists at the University of Kent, suggests this is probably because narcissists tend to feel entitled and superior to others, which results in lower tolerance of diverse political opinions. In contrast, people who take a positive, non-defensive self-view and trust others are more likely to show support for democracy, the research found. The study, the findings of which are published as My way or the highway: high narcissism and low self-esteem predict decreased support for democracy, consisted of two parts that analysed the relationship between different types of self-evaluation - narcissism and self-esteem - and support for democracy in the US and Poland. The team, led by Dr Aleksandra Cichocka, of Kent's School of Psychology, and Dr Marta Marchlewska, of the Polish Academy of Sciences, set out to understand the psychological mechanisms driving support for democracy. They built on previous research which demonstrated that basic personality traits can predict broader opinions about the organisation of the social world. Dr Cichocka said: 'The jury is out on whether the new generations are becoming more narcissistic than previous ones, but it is important to monitor how societal changes can affect the self. We need to make sure we are not fostering feelings of entitlement or expectations of special treatment. In the end, these processes may have important implications for our social and political attitudes.' ### My way or the highway: high narcissism and low self-esteem predict decreased support for democracy (Marta Marchlewska, Polish Academy of Sciences; Kevin Castellanos, University of Maryland; Karol Lewczuk and Miroslaw Kofta, University of Warsaw; and Aleksandra Cichocka, University of Kent) is published in the British Journal of Social Psychology. See: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjso.12290 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 editors Established in 1965, the University of Kent - the UK's European university - now has almost 20,000 students across campuses or study centres at Canterbury, Medway, Tonbridge, Brussels, Paris, Athens and Rome. It has been ranked 22nd in the Guardian University Guide 2018 and in June 2017 was awarded a gold rating, the highest, in the UK Government's Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). In the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2015-16, it is in the top 10% of the world's leading universities for international outlook and 66th in its table of the most international universities in the world. The THE also ranked the University as 20th in its 'Table of Tables' 2016. Kent is ranked 17th in the UK for research intensity (REF 2014). It has world-leading research in all subjects and 97% of its research is deemed by the REF to be of international quality. In the National Student Survey 2016, Kent achieved the fourth highest score for overall student satisfaction, out of all publicly funded, multi-faculty universities. Along with the universities of East Anglia and Essex, Kent is a member of the Eastern Arc Research Consortium (http://www.kent.ac.uk/about/partnerships/eastern-arc.html). The University is worth 0.7 billion to the economy of the south east and supports more than 7,800 jobs in the region. Student off-campus spend contributes 293.3m and 2,532 full-time-equivalent jobs to those totals. Kent has received two Queen's Anniversary prizes for Higher and Further Education. Photo credit: picture collection - Getty Images From Popular Mechanics This fall, white mold and leaf spot ravaged Georgia peanut farms, causing significant crop destruction and income loss for Georgia farmers. Pests and pathogens have caused devastation and famine throughout the ages and its unfortunately still a reality. According to a 2015 study conducted by the Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, between 20-40 percent of crop yields are destroyed each year due to pests and diseases. The Fourth National Climate Assessment, released last month, predicts that global warming will cause higher frequency of drought, lower crop yields, and depletion of surface and groundwater resources decreasing arable land-making the effects of crop destruction all the worse. The future looks pretty bleak. Photo credit: Steve Hyland Luckily, however, there are some ways to fight back. Farmwave is a new app that incorporates artificial intelligence to help farmers detect pathogens and pests and recommend ways to combat them and reduce their spread, thus saving crops. Craig Ganssle, founder and CEO of Farmwave, has a background in telecommunications engineering and a former Communications Intelligence Specialist in the Marine Core, wanted to create an affordable, efficient way for farmers to detect crop destruction and stop its spread early in its tracks. Back in 2013, he was one of the early adopters of Google Glass, the Explorers edition. Later that year he went to a John Deere developers conference in Iowa where he heard about some of the shortfalls of crop scouting. Putting two and two together, he had the idea of using image recognition to identify pathogens and pest infestation. In 2015, he founded InteliSCOUT which became Farmwave, AI packaged in an affordable, user friendly app. Basically a farmer takes a picture of a crop and Farmwave will explain what the crop is, if there are any pathogens or pests present on it, if so what the severity is, and then suggestions on how to contain and handle the situation if necessary. Story continues For example, hold up an ear of corn-Farmwave will tell you that it is corn, that it has corn leaf blight, and that the leaf blight is 40 percent severe. Ganssle explained how farmers can save their crops by detecting damage with Farmwave instead of relying on the traditional detection method of hiring a crop scouter or agronomist in an interview with Popular Mechanics: A farmer goes out in the field and if he finds a problem and hes not sure what it is, hell reach out to his agronomist. It could take maybe a day or so until they get to his area. It may take a week. If you talk to agronomists, finding people to do their job is far and few between. Work load is high and their arent a lot of people doing that sort of profession today. So in a week, that crop could spread from six acres to 60 acres and youre losing crop yield. Image recognition and a solution like Farmwave gets you an answer with high accuracy in seconds. When pathogens and pests are caught quickly, destruction can be significantly curtailed. And then the amount of herbicides and fungicides that need to be sprayed is far less and more precise, benefiting crop yields and the environment at large. Farmwave records and saves the mapped location of destruction, so users have a record to trace what went wrong and where for future planning. Users can then share their reports with notes to help out other farmers. Farmwave claims 90 percent accuracy in identifying pathogens and pests, which seems almost unbelievably high for image recognition software that has to contend with so many variations in crops, pathogen expression, and variations in environmental conditions. Gannsle says that the number is only possible thanks to the help of the agricultural program at the University of Georgia and other undisclosed universities and research partners, which helped Farmwave build an extensive image database of properly identified crop pathogens, that the AI behind the app can use as a foundation for further learning. Other competing apps, which are similar to Farmwave conceptually, often rely on crowd sourced imagery and are much more susceptible to human biases and error. In regards to apps with crowd sourced imagery, Gannsle says: What that means is they let users take a picture and if the system doesnt know what it is, theyll tell the user, Well if you know what it is or if you find out, let us know. The problem with that is you end up with too many biases in your artificial intelligence with false positives and false negatives and it can skew your algorithms thus throwing everything off to skew your results in the future. We have the only known library of properly curated, catalogued, validated imagery by PhD level subject matter experts in plant pathology and entomology that we literally have looked at every image that has come into our library which is why it has taken us years to do. Photo credit: Steve Hyland Farmwave is currently free in public beta and you can download the app on IOS or Android. A self-service subscriber model will launch at the end of the first quarter in 2019, in time for spring planting, and will be available to users for a nominal monthly fee. Right now you can access an up-to-date list of the crops and diseases that Farmwave covers under its Crop Leader Board on its website. Farmwave is a fairly small company but the products applications are vast. Last August, Ganssle met with the Secretary General and Ministry of Agriculture in Iraq to spread Farmwave to Iraqi farmers. Earlier, he had met with President Macron in France for the same reason. Farmers from Lebanon, Jordan, and Brazil have also taken interest in the app. Out of any AI agricultural app around today, Farmwave has the highest accuracy for diagnosing crop pathogens and pests, and as the company continues to work with universities and research partners, imagery will continuously be added. Since Farmwave was built using a machine learning algorithm, C.O.R.E. (Cloud Optimized Recognition Engine), once new images are validated, accuracy will continue to improve. AI is no longer some lofty, amorphous technology existing in a digital space and removed from normal people. Crop harvesting and food production affect everyone. And with any luck, apps like Farmwave can help ensure that we have enough to go around. ('You Might Also Like',) (Adds quotes from judge's decision) By Ricardo Brito and Marcelo Rochabrun BRASILIA, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A Brazilian federal court on Thursday granted an injunction blocking the proposed tie-up between U.S. planemaker Boeing Co and Embraer SA , a deal the Brazilian company says is crucial to its survival. Embraer shares in Sao Paulo closed 2.42 percent lower, although it remained too early to say whether the injunction will actually block or significantly affect the deal. Labor groups in Brazil often bring court challenges against significant business deals and the injunction could be reversed. The decision forbids Embraer's board of directors from signing the deal to create a joint venture on commercial aviation that Boeing would control. Boeing declined to comment and Embraer did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The legal action was brought by four congressmen with Brazil's left-wing Workers Party. The companies announced in July that Embraer would sell 80 percent of its commercial aviation business to Boeing in a deal valuing that segment at $4.75 billion. Embraer, among the world's largest makers of mid-sized planes of up to 150 passengers, used to compete in that segment with Canada's Bombardier Inc. The deal has stalled partly because the Brazilian government, which has veto power at the planemaker, has been reluctant to give it a greenlight. Only then could the company call a shareholders meeting to approve it. In his decision, judge Victorio Giuizio Neto cast doubt that the proposed deal would be good for Embraer's bottom line. "The reason is very simple, Boeing is not giving up anything" in this transaction, he wrote. The decision says Embraer would give up its profitable commercial division. He added that the new company would threaten the rights of the Brazilian government because it would restrict its control over Embraer to the part of the company that will not be sold to Boeing. Bombardier spun off its mid-sized commercial jet division earlier this year after selling a controlling stake to Boeing rival Airbus. Story continues The deal between Boeing and Embraer is widely seen as a reaction to an earlier deal between that joint venture. Boeing and Airbus historically have produced larger aircraft than Embraer and Bombardier. But the mid-sized segment is expected to grow substantially, which would give Airbus a significant advantage over Boeing unless the U.S. planemaker also expands into that market. Brazil President Michel Temer said he would leave the decision to the future administration, which takes office Jan. 1. President-elect Jair Bolsonaro has said he is in favor of the deal. (Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and David Gregorio) Logo of Brazilian aviation company Embraer at LABACE in Sao Paulo The logo of Brazilian aviation company Embraer is seen during the Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition fair (LABACE) at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil August 14, 2018. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker By Ricardo Brito and Marcelo Rochabrun BRASILIA (Reuters) - A Brazilian federal court on Thursday granted an injunction blocking the proposed tie-up between U.S. planemaker Boeing Co and Embraer SA , a deal the Brazilian company says is crucial to its survival. Embraer shares in Sao Paulo closed 2.42 percent lower, although it remained too early to say whether the injunction will actually block or significantly affect the deal. Labor groups in Brazil often bring court challenges against significant business deals and the injunction could be reversed. The decision forbids Embraer's board of directors from signing the deal to create a joint venture on commercial aviation that Boeing would control. Boeing declined to comment and Embraer did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The legal action was brought by four congressmen with Brazil's left-wing Workers Party. The companies announced in July that Embraer would sell 80 percent of its commercial aviation business to Boeing in a deal valuing that segment at $4.75 billion. Embraer, among the world's largest makers of mid-sized planes of up to 150 passengers, used to compete in that segment with Canada's Bombardier Inc . The deal has stalled partly because the Brazilian government, which has veto power at the planemaker, has been reluctant to give it a greenlight. Only then could the company call a shareholders meeting to approve it. In his decision, judge Victorio Giuizio Neto cast doubt that the proposed deal would be good for Embraer's bottom line. "The reason is very simple, Boeing is not giving up anything" in this transaction, he wrote. The decision says Embraer would give up its profitable commercial division. He added that the new company would threaten the rights of the Brazilian government because it would restrict its control over Embraer to the part of the company that will not be sold to Boeing. Bombardier spun off its mid-sized commercial jet division earlier this year after selling a controlling stake to Boeing rival Airbus . Story continues The deal between Boeing and Embraer is widely seen as a reaction to an earlier deal between that joint venture. Boeing and Airbus historically have produced larger aircraft than Embraer and Bombardier. But the mid-sized segment is expected to grow substantially, which would give Airbus a significant advantage over Boeing unless the U.S. planemaker also expands into that market. Brazil President Michel Temer said he would leave the decision to the future administration, which takes office Jan. 1. President-elect Jair Bolsonaro has said he is in favor of the deal. (Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Additional reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and David Gregorio) FILE - In this July 4, 2018, file photo, a shopper walks past a Huawei store at a shopping mall in Beijing. Canadian authorities said Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE - In this July 4, 2018, file photo, a shopper walks past a Huawei store at a shopping mall in Beijing. Canadian authorities said Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) TORONTO (AP) Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. China demanded her immediate release, and a former Canadian envoy to China warned the case might lead to retaliation by the Chinese against American and Canadian executives. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday. The arrest took place on the same day Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the trade war after the close of the G-20 summit in Argentina. They agreed to a 90-day truce in an escalating trade war that is threatening world economic growth and has set global investors on edge. Meng is a prominent member of Chinese society as deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide further details. The ban was sought by Meng, who has a bail hearing Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that U.S. authorities are investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. Huawei issued a statement saying Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained "on behalf of the United States of America" to face "unspecified charges" in New York. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," the statement said. Huawei said it complies with all laws and rules where it operates, including export controls and sanctions of the United Nations, the U.S. and European Union. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said her human rights were violated and demanded she be freed. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim," the statement said. Story continues A U.S. Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that U.S. authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiraling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China hoped the U.S. would refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the U.S. business environment and harm its domestic economy. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp. from exporting U.S. technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. That is widely seen as part of a broader effort by Washington to respond to intensifying competition with Chinese technology industries that Trump says benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. The escalating trade war is threatening world economic growth and has set global investors on edge. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said U.S. and Canadian business executives could face reprisals in China. "That's something we should be watching out for. It's a possibility. China's plays rough," Mulroney said. "It's a prominent member of their society and it's a company that really embodies China's quest for global recognition as a technology power." Mulroney said Canada should be prepared for "sustained fury" from the Chinese and said it will be portrayed in China as Canada kowtowing to Trump. He also said the Iran allegations are very damaging to Huawei and said China will push back hard. Wenran Jiang, a senior fellow at the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, said the Chinese will read the arrest on the same day as the Trump meeting with the Chinese leader as a planned conspiracy to do damage "She was in transit though Vancouver. That means the intelligence agencies in Canada and the U.S. were tracking her and planning to arrest her for some time," he said. He foresees a crisis in relations between the three countries if she is extradited and said any talk of free trade agreement between Canada and China would be over. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services and Banking committees, said Huawei is an agent of China's communist party and applauded Canada for the arrest. "Americans are grateful that our Canadian partners have arrested the Chief Financial Officer of a giant Chinese telecom company for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran," he said. Canada has arrested Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States on suspicion she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday . Meng Wanzhou, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said, according to the Globe and Mail. Representatives of Huawei, one of the world's largest makers of telecommunications network equipment, could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters. Officials for the Canadian and U.S. Justice Departments did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei since at least 2016 for allegedly shopping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws, sources told Reuters in April. Huawei has previously said it complies with "all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including the applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU." More From CNBC By Polina Ivanova BERDYANSK, Ukraine (Reuters) - When the Island Bay cargo ship arrived from Beirut at the Kerch Strait, gateway to the Azov Sea, it sailed into a perfect storm of geopolitics and bad weather. The following day, Russia opened fire on three Ukrainian naval ships, impounded them and detained their sailors, some of them wounded. It then blocked the strait by putting a tanker underneath a new bridge it has built linking the Russian mainland to the Crimean peninsula it annexed from Ukraine in 2014. While the world digested the implications of the Nov. 25 incident, the most explosive clash in recent years, Russia said it had reopened the channel to the Azov Sea, which is shared by Russia and Ukraine. But Island Bay remained at anchor outside the strait, lashed by gale force winds and sleet, its hull icing over while cargo ships amassed on either side. On Monday, a week on, the captain reported seeing 20 vessels awaiting clearance to cross. Refinitiv data that day also showed 20 Ukraine-bound vessels held up at the strait since Nov. 25, with two others allowed through. Meanwhile, Island Bay's cargo of 5,500 tonnes of wheat, destined for flour mills in Libya, waited in the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk. The saga of the ship is a window on the leverage Moscow has over Ukraine's Azov seaboard, affecting dock workers, port operators, brokers and farmers who depend on the route. Russia, whose coast guards began inspecting traffic in the Kerch Strait eight months ago, blamed inclement weather for the delay. But on Sunday, when the skies cleared, just a handful of ships passed through; by Monday evening, the Island Bay's captain's frustration was beginning to show. "It is acceptable weather for transit. Coast guards have own opinion," his log, seen by Reuters, said. That day, he reported seeing just two ships cross into the Azov Sea. Ukraine says the hiatus is one of many since the Russian spot-checks began in May, when Russia opened the Kerch bridge, interrupting exports of grain and steel and imports of coal. Moscow denies any disruption. THE STEVEDORES Story continues In Berdyansk's port, where icy winds had recently ripped off the roof of a nearby shed, staff of stevedore company Ascet Shipping were reading the daily reports from the Island Bay with growing concern. Ascet loads almost a million tonnes of Ukrainian grain a year onto cargo ships in Berdyansk and was waiting to load the Island Bay; its size means each day of waiting time costs around $2,000-$2,500, Ascet's chief executive, Denis Rusin, said. This has made Berdyansk an unpopular port in recent months. "Ship owners do not want to go to Berdyansk," said Rusin, whose clients include U.S. firm Cargill, one of the world's largest dry bulk and tank shipping companies. "Buyers are refusing to bet on passage." Since Russia and Ukraine clashed in the strait, Ukraine has introduced martial law in 10 regions, including the Azov Sea coast - highlighting the risks of doing business with Berdyansk. "For us this was the worst week in recent years," Rusin said. "Clients have stopped considering the possibility of signing contracts for delivery in January, let alone February or spring," he said. THE PORT Some Ukrainian politicians have accused Moscow of trying to strangle Ukraine's Azov Sea ports in preparation for an invasion from the east, following on from Crimea's annexation and the subsequent breakaway of Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine. Moscow says that idea is a fantasy dreamt up by Ukraine's pro-Western leaders ahead of elections next year. It says it has the right to patrol the strait. But Berdyansk's businesses say the patrols target ships bound for Ukraine, causing damaging delays. The recent escalation in tensions has not affected ships coming to pick up grain from the Russian side of the Azov Sea, according to Sergei Filipov, director of trading firm QAM7 Dubai, which has operations there. He said inspections have delayed travel by the usual two or three days. On its eleventh day at anchor in Kerch Strait, with skies finally clear, Island Bay reported to Berdyansk: "We called everywhere to make guards (come and) inspect the vessel, but their intentions cannot be explained." The situation has sent Rusin racing to further revise down his business forecasts. Climbing out onto the windswept roof of his office on Friday, he pointed to a single truck of grain where multiple trucks used to line up along the dock. "We had expected to load around 150,000 tonnes over the next three months... Maybe 200,000," he said. Now the company is preparing for anything between 50,000 tonnes and no business at all, he said. "This was a change of plan that happened this week." The Azov Sea grain supply chain makes up just 2 to 3 percent of Ukraine's agricultural exports, deputy central bank chief Dmitry Sologub said. But for the southeastern Zaporozhye region, home to 1.8 million people, it is critical. At the government Port Authority in Berdyansk, officials said they feared for the port's future as clients look to other locations with direct access to the Black Sea. "Of course we would prefer (to use other ports)," said Erdem Sekreter, fleet manager at Turkey's Bayraktar shipping group, which has two ships waiting to cross the Kerch Strait to reach the Ukrainian coast. "It is getting more expensive for ship-owners to go to the Azov Sea the Ukrainian side of course," he added. "We are paying out of our pocket now." FARMERS AND TRADERS Bison Group owns 40,000 hectares of arable land in Zaporozhye region and exports much of its harvest via Berdyansk. With ship-owners raising freight charges to factor in the new risks in the Azov Sea, the costs will be passed down to grain producers, Bison deputy director Igor Serov said. "It hits agricultural producers really hard." Prices will have to go down by at least $10 per tonne, a trader at Atria Brokers, which handles Berdyansk grain, said. But producers may not have other options. The railway infrastructure is not in place to send exports via Black Sea ports instead, Serov said, and transferring grain by truck to Odessa, for example, would cost an extra $40 per tonne. Buyers are also pulling back, afraid of the risks. "Our sales have fallen," the Atria trader said. "It has affected us in a fundamental way." Every day Island Bay's cargo sits in port, it racks up costs for traders. Grain can spoil, and storage costs are steep. "The market is suffering... everyone along the chain is paying the price for these war games," a grain trader said, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the situation. On Tuesday, Ukraine's agriculture ministry said some grain shipments from the Azov Sea had resumed. Five of the 14 ships headed to the Ukrainian port of Mariupol, held up since the stand-off, were still waiting to cross on Wednesday, Refinitiv data showed. One had turned back to Istanbul. In comparison, of the ships aiming for one of Russian city Rostov-on-Don's ports, that had arrived to Kerch Strait since the stand-off began, none were still waiting for passage, the data showed the same day. Only one out of the six boats headed to Berdyansk had crossed by Wednesday. After twelve days at anchor in the waters near the strait, Island Bay was still waiting. (Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets in KIEV and Polina Devitt in MOSCOW; editing by Philippa Fletcher) Screenshot of Prison Legal News' website. Screenshot of Prison Legal News' website. In a First Amendment dispute that has drawn attention from a wide range of groups, Attorney General Pam Bondis office this week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to turn down an appeal by a magazine that has been blocked from distribution to Florida prison inmates. State attorneys filed a 44-page brief urging the Supreme Court to deny consideration of a long-running legal battle with Prison Legal News. A U.S. district judge and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit sided with the state, which argues that advertisements in Prison Legal News pose security risks. The brief filed Monday disputed arguments that the Florida Department of Corrections has violated First Amendment rights or that it has imposed a blanket ban on the publication. The brief said the department has blocked distribution of the monthly magazine because of ads for such things as three-way phone calling services, which can be used to facilitate crimes. The policies challenged in this case are neutral on their face and reasonably calculated to curtail prisoners access to the means of committing crimes; the district court expressly found that those policies do not have the purpose or effect of suppressing disfavored viewpoints; petitioner Prison Legal News has not asked this Supreme Court to rule that those factual findings are clearly erroneous; and, if and when record evidence supports a finding of invidious discrimination or other comparable malfeasance on the part of prison officials, nothing in the Eleventh Circuits decision would bar a newspaper or prisoner from proving such a claim and obtaining appropriate judicial relief, the brief said. But in a petition filed in September asking the Supreme Court to take up the case, attorneys for Prison Legal News argued that censorship by the department violates free-speech and free-press rights. Publishers, reporters and advertisers have a constitutionally protected interest in communicating with prisoners, and prisoners have a right to receive those communications, the 45-page petition said. These protections are all the more important when the publication at issue is uniquely designed to inform prisoners of their legal rights, and a prisons decision to silence that speech is all the more suspect when it is applied in a blanket manner to the entire incarcerated population based on bare assertions of security concerns without supporting evidence. The Supreme Court receives thousands of petitions each year and takes up only a relative handful of cases. It is not clear when the court will decide whether it wants to hear the Prison Legal News dispute. But Prison Legal News has drawn briefs in support from groups ranging from media and religious organizations to Americans for Prosperity and The Cato Institute. For instance, a brief filed on behalf of Americans for Prosperity, The Cato Institute, R Street Institute, Reason Foundation and the Rutherford Institute pointed to interest in issues such as criminal-justice reform and protecting civil liberties. The brief said that by allowing Florida officials to censor Prison Legal News based on an unsupported invocation of nebulous prison security and public safety interests, the Eleventh Circuit failed to consider the substantial benefits to providing prisoners access to reading materials that support rehabilitation and civic engagement. The Eleventh Circuits decision amounts to an abdication of the judiciarys constitutional role in safeguarding individual liberty and encourages the government to impose arbitrary and capricious restrictions on the First Amendment rights of prisoners. But Bondis office framed the issues more narrowly as it said the case should not be heard by the Supreme Court. Petitioner Prison Legal News asks this court to decide whether the Florida Department of Corrections blanket ban of Prison Legal News violates petitioners First Amendment right to free speech and a free press. The premise of that question is incorrect: FDOC has not adopted a blanket ban, the brief said. Nor could it have: Under applicable regulations, prison officials must separately review and decide whether each issue of a publication violates the admissible reading rule. Petitioners publication has been consistently impounded in recent years, but only because its issues have consistently promoted ads for prohibited services. Jim Saunders reports for the News Service of Florida. By Julie Gordon and Christian Shepherd VANCOUVER/BEIJING (Reuters) - The daughter of Huawei's founder, a top executive at the Chinese technology giant, was arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, stirring up fears it could reignite a Sino-U.S. trade row and roiling global stock markets. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, 46, who is Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, threatens to drive a wedge between the United States and China just days after they agreed a 90-day trade war truce in Argentina on Saturday - the day she was detained. Meng's arrest, revealed late on Wednesday by Canadian authorities, is related to U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the possible violations. People familiar with the matter told Reuters in April that U.S. authorities have been investigating Huawei, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws. The arrest and any potential sanctions on the world's no. 2 smartphone maker could have major repercussions on the global technology supply chain. U.S. and Asian shares tumbled as news of the arrest heightened anxiety over prospects of a collision between the world's two largest economic powers, not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. Huawei is not listed, but China's second-largest telecom equipment maker, ZTE Corp <0763.HK><000063.SZ>, sank nearly 6 percent in Hong Kong while most of the nearby national bourses lost at least 2 percent. U.S. stocks also started lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average <.DJI> down 1.16 percent, the S&P 500 <.SPX> down 1.35 percent and the Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> down almost 2 percent at the opening bell. Investors rushed to the safety of government debt, pushing the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note back below 2.9 percent to its lowest level in three months. Huawei is already under intense scrutiny from Washington and other western governments over its ties to the Chinese government, driven by concerns it could be used by Beijing for spying. It has been locked out of the U.S. and some other markets for telecom gear. Huawei has repeatedly insisted Beijing has no influence over it. Meng, one of the vice chairs on the company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Trump and Xi had dined in Buenos Aires on Dec. 1 at the G20 summit. Huawei, which generated $93 billion in revenue last year, confirmed the arrest. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," it said in a statement. She was detained while transferring flights in Canada, it added. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing on Thursday that China had asked Canada and the United States for an explanation of Meng's arrest, but they have not provided any clarification". The Chinese consulate in Vancouver has been providing her assistance, he added, declining further comment. On Wednesday, China's embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for her immediate release. In April, the sources told Reuters the U.S. Justice Department probe was being handled by the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn also declined to comment. 'EXTREMELY SHOCKING' Lu Xiang, an expert on China-U.S. relations at the state-backed Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, called Meng's arrest extremely shocking. "If someone from the United States is hoping to use threats to an individuals personal safety in order to add weight in the talks, then they have most certainly miscalculated," he said. Arthur Kroeber, founder of Gavekal Dragonomics, said Beijing was unlikely to retaliate against the U.S. business community in China because its interests have partly overlapped with Chinas in the trade war, giving Beijing some leverage. Jia Wenshan, a professor at Chapman University in California, said the arrest "runs a huge risk of derailing the U.S.-China trade talks." While Meng's arrest comes at a delicate time in U.S.-China relations, it was not clear if the timing was coincidental. The probe of Huawei is similar to one that threatened the survival of China's ZTE Corp <0763.HK> <000063.SZ>, which pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran in efforts to curb Tehran's missile and nuclear programs. Earlier this year, the United States banned U.S. firms from selling parts and software to ZTE, which eventually paid $1 billion as part of a deal to get the ban lifted. Huawei has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. News of the arrest came the same day Britain's BT Group said it was removing Huawei's equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. In January 2013, Reuters reported that Hong Kong-based Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran's largest mobile-phone operator, had much closer ties to Huawei than previously known. Meng, who also has used the English names Cathy and Sabrina, served on the board of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009, according to Skycom records and several other past and present Skycom directors appear to have connections to Huawei. Meng's arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse praised the move and said that it was "for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran." He added: "Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes it's laundered through many of Beijing's so-called 'private' sector entities." (Reporting by Makini Brice and Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Diane Bartz in Washington, Tony Munroe and Christian Shepherd in Beijing, Josh Horwitz and John Ruwitch in Shanghai and Jessie Pang in Hong Kong; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Susan Thomas) (Bloomberg) -- Huawei Technologies Co.s chief financial officer was arrested in Canada over potential violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran, provoking outrage from China and complicating thorny trade negotiations just as they enter a critical juncture. Chinas embassy in Canada demanded the U.S. and its neighbor rectify wrongdoings and free Wanzhou Meng, who is also deputy chairwoman and the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. U.S. equity futures and Asian stocks slid as the episode reignited concerns about U.S.-Chinese tensions. Mengs arrest is likely to be regarded back home as an attack on one of Chinas foremost corporate champions. While Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd. dominate headlines thanks to flashy growth and high-profile billionaire founders, Rens company is by far Chinas most global technology company, with operations spanning Africa, Europe and Asia. China wants the U.S. and Canada to clarify the grounds for the detention, to release the detainee and earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the person involved, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said Thursday at a press briefing. Meng faces extradition to the U.S., said Ian McLeod, a Canada Justice Department spokesman, declining to elaborate. She was arrested Dec. 1 after the U.S. Department of Justice in April opened an investigation into whether the leading telecommunications-equipment maker sold gear to Iran despite sanctions on exports to the region. The U.S. Department of Justice didnt immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. Mengs arrest came on the day that Donald Trump and Xi Jinping dined in Buenos Aires, setting in motion a truce in the rising U.S.-China trade tensions. But Huawei itself already had been a flashpoint between Washington and Beijing. Huaweis ambitions span artificial intelligence and chipmaking to fifth-generation wireless. That last effort, a massive push into the future of mobile and internet communications, has raised hackles in the U.S. and become a focal point for American attempts to contain Chinas ascendancy. Shares in several of its suppliers, from Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. and Largan Precision Co. to MediaTek Inc., fell. Story continues Ren Zhengfei, a former army engineer, has won acclaim at home for toppling Apple Inc. in smartphones and turning an electronics reseller into a producer of networking gear with revenue surpassing Boeing Co. He is regularly named among Chinas top executives, and was among 100 business leaders honored for their contributions as the country celebrates the 40th anniversary of opening its economy. His stature at home is roughly comparable to Bill Gates or Michael Dell in the U.S. Tencent and Alibaba may be domestic champions and huge platforms in of their own rights, but Huawei has become a global powerhouse, said Neil Campling, an analyst at Mirabaud Securities Ltd. It is 5G standards that are at the heart of the wider IP debate and why the U.S. and her allies are now doing everything they can to cut to the heart of the Chinese technology IP revolution. Canadas Globe and Mail newspaper first reported the arrest, about which the U.S. Justice Department declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referred questions to his countrys own justice department. Huawei said the arrest was made on behalf of the U.S. so Meng could be extradited to face unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng, it said in a statement. The company believes the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion. Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, U.S. and EU. U.S. Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, said those who cheat on sanctions have to face consequences. We ought to prosecute to the full extent of the law, Kennedy said in a Bloomberg Television interview Thursday. Senator Angus King, an independent from Maine, said Chinas history of using retaliatory tariffs leaves him worried about possible repercussions. Thats certainly a possibility. Were dealing with a regime that has absolute power over all levers of state power and they may feel they have to respond in some way, King told CNN, while adding that he didnt know specifics of the arrest beyond news reports. Clearly some kind of response in China is absolutely possible. In targeting Huawei, the U.S. is threatening one of the companies at the heart of Xis long-term campaign to wrest the lead in future technologies and wean China off a reliance on foreign expertise. Once a purveyor of unremarkable telecommunications equipment, Huaweis now No. 2 in smartphone shipments and is shooting for the lead in fifth-generation wireless networks while preparing to take on some of Americas biggest chipmakers. Its already by some reckonings the worlds largest provider of networking equipment to wireless carriers, outstripping the likes of Ericsson AB with growing sales in Europe. Its declared its intention to surpass Samsung Electronics Co. in phones as well. The company is targeting record sales of $102.2 billion this year. Trumps administration this year invoked its name in blocking a Qualcomm Inc.-Broadcom Inc. merger that wouldve been the largest deal ever, saying it would hand the lead in 5G to China. But as far back as 2016, the Commerce Department had sought information regarding whether Huawei was possibly sending U.S. technology to Syria and North Korea as well as Iran. The U.S. previously banned ZTE Corp., a Huawei competitor, for violating a sanctions settlement over transactions with Iran and North Korea. That moratorium -- since lifted -- drove ZTE to the brink of collapse. U.S. authorities in 2016 also began voicing concerns that Huawei and others could install back doors in their equipment that would let them monitor users in the U.S., something Huawei has denied. Senator Chris Van Hollen, a Maryland Democrat, said Wednesday night that Huawei and ZTE are two sides of the same coin Chinese telecommunications companies that represent a fundamental risk to American national security. While the Commerce Department focused its attention on ZTE, this news highlights that Huawei is also violating U.S. Law, Van Hollen said in a statement. Its unclear whether Mengs arrest could trigger the same sort of sanctions that ZTE incurred. Such a move would be far more significant given Huaweis heft. In August, Trump signed a bill banning the governments use of Huawei technology based on the security concerns and U.S. allies are either imposing or considering similar moves. That same month, Australia barred the use of Huaweis equipment for 5G networks in the country and New Zealand last week did the same, citing national security concerns. The U.K. is currently debating whether to follow suit. In November, Huawei said moves against it would hinder the development of 5G in the U.S. and raise prices for consumers. This is what you call playing hard ball, said Michael Every, head of Asia financial markets research at Rabobank in Hong Kong. China is already asking for her release, as can be expected, but if the charges are serious, dont expect the US to blink. --With assistance from Kevin Hamlin, Alistair Barr, Peter Martin, Erik Wasson and Terrence Dopp. To contact the reporters on this story: Josh Wingrove in Ottawa at jwingrove4@bloomberg.net;Natalie Obiko Pearson in Vancouver at npearson7@bloomberg.net;Mark Gurman in San Francisco at mgurman1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jacqueline Thorpe at jthorpe23@bloomberg.net, ;Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Edwin Chan, Peter Elstrom For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com 2018 Bloomberg L.P. SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Mercedes Benz's Brazil operation will hire some 600 contractors in 2019 on year-long contracts to work on commercial vehicles, adding to a workforce of 10,000, the company said on Tuesday. Brazil's economy is slowly emerging from its worst recession in a century, with unemployment above 11 percent. The recovery mimics growth in the Brazilian auto industry, which has recovered in the past two years but lags behind its peak in 2012. Phillipp Schiemer, Mercedes' chief executive for Brazil and Latin America, told journalists that about 12,000 people had already applied for 400 open positions. He said he was optimistic about the economy and about Mercedes, which has seen 30 percent growth in its truck business so far this year. "It had been a long time since we were this optimistic," Schiemer told journalists at an event in the company's headquarters in Sao Bernardo do Campo. "If we get pension reform and tax reform through, I believe that we have a good chance that (economic recovery) will happen even faster." Schiemer also discussed commercial electric vehicles in Brazil, but said he did not expect to see them in the country any time soon. He said the company had already signed contracts to sell self-autonomous vehicles to be used in agribusiness. The executive declined to discuss electric private vehicles, such as Sedans or SUVs. (Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Bernadette Baum) University of Michigan Law School. The University of Michigan Law School had landed a $33 million donation that it will use to bolster student scholarships and reduce graduate debt. The universitys board of regents on Thursday gave final approval for the gift, from alumni real estate developer Chris Jeffries and his wife, Lisa. The school plans to rename a building, now dubbed South Hall, as Jeffries Hall. The building, which opened in 2012, houses classrooms, clinics and administrative offices. Jeffries previously donated $5 million toward the construction costs and the couple has given more than $40 million to the school since 2007. "Law school is a unique way of disciplining your mind, and my time at Michigan was formative and memorable," said Jeffries, who graduated from the law school in 1974. "I'm especially interested in paying the way forward for students who lack financial resources, and this gift will allow them to have opportunities and experiences they otherwise wouldn't be able to." In addition to student scholarships, the gift will be used for student support initiatives and will fund summer support programs. Their generosity is particularly meaningful because it directly supports our students, who are the heart of our mission," said Law Dean Mark West. "The Jeffries' support also reflects one of Michigan Law's greatest strengths: the passion and generosity of our alumni community." After graduating from Michigan Law, Jeffries practiced law at the Michigan firm Keywell & Rosenfeld before acting a principle in the leveraged buyout of Midwest-based automotive equipment manufacturer and metal recycler Key International, Inc. Jeffries went on to co-found real estate development firm Millennium Partners. The couples gift to Michigan is among the largest to a law school. It ranks as the sixth-largest on record, according to statistics compiled by the school. The funds will count toward the law schools Victors for Michigan Law capital campaign, which will have exceeded its $200 million goal when it ends with the calendar year. The influential oil cartel is meeting at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, with the aim of reaching an accord over production levels for the next six months. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia has been leading calls for the group to trim output, amid surging supply and fears that an economic slowdown will erode fuel demand. Oil prices snapped lower Thursday morning after Saudi Arabia's energy minister said that a cut of 1 million barrels per day would be enough for OPEC and its allied oil producers. The influential oil cartel is meeting at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, with the aim of reaching an accord over production levels for the next six months. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia has been leading calls for the group to trim output, amid surging supply and fears that an economic slowdown will erode fuel demand. The oil-rich kingdom had indicated previously that it wanted the group to curb output by at least 1.3 million barrels per day. However, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters Thursday morning that a cut of 1 million barrels would be sufficient. Oil market watchers were expecting a supply cut of around 1.2 million to 1.4 million barrels per day, and Al-Falih's comments caused prices to slide. International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $59.65 a barrel at around 10:00 a.m. London time, down around 3 percent for the session, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood at $51.33, more than 2.8 percent lower. This is a breaking news story, please check back later for more. Reuters contributed to this article. More From CNBC FILE PHOTO: The logo of the Organization of the Petroleoum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC and its allies led by Russia are discussing the idea of cutting oil output next year by reverting to production quotas agreed in 2016, Russia's TASS news agency reported on Wednesday, citing an OPEC source. The move would mean reducing oil production by more than 1 million barrels per day. (Reporting by OPEC newsroom; Editing by Dale Hudson) Sri Lanka's ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe (C) arrives for a press conference in Colombo on December 4, 2018 (AFP Photo/LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI) Colombo (AFP) - Sri Lanka's toppled premier likened the president to Hitler on Tuesday as he demanded to be reinstated, almost six weeks into a paralysing political crisis in the Indian Ocean nation. Ranil Wickremesinghe made the comments -- his strongest yet directed at the head of state -- at the prime minister's official residence, which he has refused to vacate since his dismissal in October. "The president has to appoint me prime minister as I command a majority in parliament," he said. "I am telling the president not to act like Hitler who bypassed the constitution... We are not going to allow him to do that." President Maithripala Sirisena sacked Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapakse, the larger-than-life former president credited with ending Sri Lanka's bloody civil war with Tamil separatists in 2009. However with Wickremesinghe's supporters still controlling a majority in parliament -- which has witnessed brawls between MPs in recent weeks -- Rajapakse has lost two votes of confidence. On Monday the Court of Appeal denied Rajapakse the authority to act as prime minister and stripped his cabinet of their powers, giving Rajapakse until December 12 to prove his legitimacy and that of his government. Sirisena, a former opponent of Rajapakse, told a group of legislators on Monday that he would not reinstate Wickremesinghe even if the latter had the support of all 225 members of the legislature. Rajapakse's lawyers on Tuesday filed an appeal with the Court of Appeal, but it was not immediately taken up for hearing. Rajapakse urged his supporters on Monday night to remain calm and join his struggle to press for a general election nearly two years ahead of schedule. Sirisena meanwhile told minority Tamil legislators who held talks with him on Monday evening that he would resolve the political vacuum "within 24 hours". However, there were no signs of a settlement by Tuesday afternoon. The Supreme Court this week is also expected to rule on whether Sirisena's decision to dissolve parliament in November -- a move already suspended by the court -- was constitutional. Optimism after the G20 Trump-Xi truce drove up soybean prices as the Chinese are expected to resume orders for U.S. agricultural products. Master Limited Partnerships are looking forward to the upcoming OPEC+ meeting this week in Vienna. On the technology side, cloud computing enjoyed rejuvenated investor interest following solid earnings from big players. China and various agricultural commodities like sorghum and corn made this weeks list as the U.S.-China truce should propel U.S. exports to 2017 levels and beyond. Check our previous Ttrends edition at Trending: Cold Weather and Low Inventories Push Natural Gas Prices to Four-Year Highs. Soybeans on the Rise The White House announced a 90-day trade truce that opens a period of negotiations between the U.S. and China. The Trump-Xi meeting in Argentina last week was expected by agricultural markets especially because products like soybeans have been battered in 2018 as the Chinese virtually stopped buying the grain from U.S. farmers. Soybean prices spiked with the news, prompting a 171% surge in traffic. China is the largest soybean consumer in the world, by far, with 60% of the oilseed traded worldwide. In 2017, the Asian nation imported 32.9 million tons of soybean from the U.S., worth $12.25 billion and accounting for 34% of the total purchases. The Chinese slashed orders for U.S. soybeans in April and bought from Canada and Brazil in order to feed its domestic processors. Now, a shift in sentiment is propping soybeans and producers to look forward to Chinese orders. The 2018 harvest has been piling up in storages all across the Midwest as China contracted for delivery this year a little over half a million ton of U.S. beans, a whopping 95% drop from the 20 million tons it booked last year at this time. Teucrium Soybean (SOYB B) is directly linked to soybean prices and should be used as an instrument to play this political event in the short term. The ETF dropped by 21% from its March highs as it follows futures prices for the commodity. It has established a floor over the last five months with breakout prospects over this month and January. Story continues Sign up for ETFdb.com Pro and get access to real-time ratings on over 1,900 U.S.-listed ETFs. Soyb barchart interactive chart 12 06 2018 MLPs Helped by Record U.S. Production and Supply Cuts Despite being tied to energy prices, Master Limited Partnerships were salvaged by a record production in U.S. crude of 11,700 barrels per day. These are more connected to business velocity as they primarily deal with the distribution and storage of energy products and less reliant on the commodities market. MLPs were also jolted by the Trump-Xi meeting as investors envisage a China that is more open to energy imports. Viewership in the sector almost doubled over the last week as investors hope for a resurgence after a difficult year. Russian President Vladimir Putin also stated that his country plans on extending its cooperation on production cuts with OPEC into 2019. This matters as OPEC meeting will take place this week in Vienna and is widely expected to bring the needed cuts in production that will help stabilize oil prices. Analysts expect supply cuts anywhere from 1 to 1.4 million barrels a day with Saudi Arabia and Russia bearing the largest share of the curb. Bringing another bump to U.S. crude, Canadian province of Alberta will also reduce its oil output by over 300.000 barrels per day in order to both clear the excess supply in storage and provide support for the declining prices. Alerian MLP ETF (AMLP A) is the largest investment vehicle of its nature and provides exposure to a basket of infrastructure MLPs, yielding between 6% and 8% on a consistent basis. It has declined for the year by 8% but should be an attractive option for those looking towards an increase in Chinese oil and LNG imports while also holding up well during rising rates environments. Use our Head-to-Head Comparison tool to compare two ETFs such as (AMLP A) and (SOYB B) on a variety of criteria such as performance, AUM, trading volume and expenses. Amlp barchart interactive chart 12 06 2018 Cloud Computing Revitalized The broad market sell-off took down cloud companies to their lowest in six months as fears regarding the global economy and the U.S.-Sino trade war escalated. However, business transformation did not slow down cloud enterprises and blowout earnings from the likes of VMware (VMW) or Salesforce.com (CRM) helped dissipate such concerns. Cloud computing traffic rose by 84% over the last week. These companies have risen rapidly for the last two years and thus were the hardest hit by sellers running for the exit doors in the October-November sell-off. Then earnings came out and the sector rebuffed all doubts regarding the cloud industry with strong results. Virtualization software giant VMware reported annual revenue growth of 14% and, with license revenue advancing 17%. Guidance for the next year was also encouraging, the company estimating a revenue increase of 12%. The largest customer relationship management software firm, Salesforce.com, crushed estimates with 26% revenue growth. First Trust ISE Cloud Computing Index Fund (SKYY B-) offers exposure to both VMware and Salesforce.com and performed rather well over the last two weeks, posting a 5.3% ascent. It also holds well for the year, having risen by 11.49% to date. For a deeper analysis on individual ETF investments such as (AMLP A) or (SKYY B-), use our ETF Analyzer Tool. You can select ETFs by Category or Type as well as add individual ticker symbols to compare performance, expenses and dividend yield, among other metrics. Skyy barchart interactive chart 12 06 2018 China Trade Truce Boosts U.S. Agricultural Products The G20 Trump-Xi meeting spurred optimism not only in the soybean market but also for various feed grains and even pork. The $24 billion worth of U.S. agricultural products exported last year to China should slowly reverse the 2018 steep decline as Chinese authorities already began preparations for lifting the 25% tariff and restarting imports, according to a Bloomberg report issued on December 5. As a result, traffic in agricultural commodities climbed by 51% over the last week as the news is still being digested by investors. Aside from soybeans, sorghum has been stung by the Chinese import halt and is in need of buyers. Over the last five seasons, around 60% of sorghum was exported each year and 83% of exports were to China. By the end of November, sorghum sales for the current marketing year are at the lowest levels in more than a decade. Animal feed additives like distillers dried grains and pork may also be on the menu for Chinese businesses and state companies. Pork is in high demand already, as sales hit 3,348 tons for the year and are set to reach 9,384 tons in 2019 as a deadly outbreak of African Swine Fever took a toll on Chinese farms. Invesco DB Agriculture Fund (DBA A) dived 7.84% since the start of the year and could be ripe for an upswing if positive scenarios become reality in 2019. Dba barchart interactive chart 12 06 2018 China In return for their willingness to buy American products, the Chinese have gained a 90-day grace period for the U.S. tariff increase planned for January 1. The 10% to 25% hike in levies on $200 billion of Chinese exports will go into effect in March if no deal is reached after the three-month trade truce is over. This arrangement has spurred a 23% advance in interest for China because a deal is widely expected at the end of this period, if the rewritten NAFTA is to be taken as an example. One of the goods that will more than likely be imported by the Chinese is oil as prices are low and the 90-day window is a perfect play for companies to load up their storage facilities. The U.S. also stands to win a wider access to Chinese markets with various business barriers set to be annulled. Investing in China through an ETF like iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI A-) is favored as it lost only 9% in value this year, far better than its peers. Its exposure to corporations with a vast local footprint bodes well for the continuation of GDP expansion, particularly if 25% levies are avoided. By comparison, the Shanghai Composite Index has fallen 22% since the beginning of the year. For more ETF news and analysis, subscribe to our free newsletter. Fxi barchart interactive chart 12 06 2018 The Bottom Line This G20 meeting in Argentina spurred a broad market rally as the Sino-U.S. trade tensions deescalated amid a 90-day truce between the two world powers. Soybeans reacted strongly, investors viewing the commodity as the main beneficiary of the Chinese returning to U.S. agricultural markets. MLPs stand to win from the OPEC plus gathering as oil cuts from major players are expected to support oil prices and underpin energy-related businesses. Cloud computing shook off the anxiety related to technology and a possible slowdown in orders with supportive earnings. U.S. sorghum, corn, pork and other agricultural goods are due for a comeback on the shopping list of Chinese importers. China as an investment destination closed the list as it managed to temporarily avoid increased tariffs on its goods destined for the U.S. By analyzing how you, our valued readers, search our property each week, we hope to uncover important trends that will help you understand how the market is behaving so you can fine-tune your investment strategy. At the end of the week, well share these trends, giving you better insight into the relevant market events that will allow you to make more valuable decisions for your portfolio. Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com. FILE PHOTO: Gas flares from an oil production platform at the Soroush oilfields in the Persian Gulf, south of the Iranian capital Tehran, July 25, 2005. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/File Photo By Stephanie Kelly NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped on Wednesday ahead of a meeting of the world's biggest exporters, who will discuss cutting output to help shore up prices and curb excess supply. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and other producers will meet in Vienna this week to discuss a potential cut in production. A monitoring committee of OPEC and its allies, including Russia, agreed on the need to cut oil output in 2019, two sources familiar with the discussions said, adding that volumes and the baseline for cuts were being debated. Brent crude futures fell 52 cents to settle at $61.56 a barrel after earlier reaching a session high of $63.29 a barrel and a low of $60.80. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 36 cents to settle at $52.89 a barrel. The contract traded between $54.44 a barrel and $52.16 a barrel during the session. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak told reporters he had a "good" meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Khalid al-Falih, on Wednesday and they planned more talks. "All of us, including Russia, agreed there is a need for a reduction," Oman's Oil Minister Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Rumhy told reporters after a ministerial committee that groups Saudi Arabia, Russia and several other producers met on Wednesday. Russia's No. 2 oil producer Lukoil is ready to cut oil production if OPEC and other leading producers agree to do so, though it would be technically difficult in winter, RIA news agency quoted the company's head Vagit Alekperov as saying. OPEC wants to avert a buildup in global oil inventories like the one that sent prices from late 2014 into a prolonged slump that brought Brent to below $30 a barrel at the start of 2016. U.S. President Donald Trump pressured OPEC not to reduce output. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" Trump wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. Story continues "None of today's comments should have come as a surprise since the key unknown remains the size of any such reduction and how the cuts are distributed," Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch and Associates, said in a note. "The Trump administration appears to be maintaining pressure on the Saudis to limit any production cuts in precluding significant price advances from current levels. And the fact that Russia still appears somewhat non-committal would appear to tilt odds in favour of about a 1.0-1.1 million barrels per day reduction." Saudi Arabian crude supply in November rose to 11.3 million barrels per day, a source familiar with the matter said.. That marks a rise from October's 10.65 million bpd. U.S. crude inventories rose by 5.4 million barrels in the week to Nov. 30 to 448 million, data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute showed on Tuesday. [API/S] Official U.S. government inventory data is due on Thursday, delayed by one day. A Reuters survey forecast a decline of 900,000 barrels. [EIA/S] (Additional reporting by Amanda Cooper in London and Henning Gloystein in Singapore; Editing by Edmund Blair, David Gregorio and Jonathan Oatis) Trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., December 6, 2018. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stock markets around the world sank on Thursday as the arrest of a top Chinese technology executive threatened to strain an already brittle U.S.-China trade relationship, while oil prices fell after OPEC delayed an output decision. The arrest of smartphone maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Canada for extradition to the United States came as Washington and Beijing prepared for talks aimed at resolving a bitter trade spat. Sources familiar with the probe told Reuters Meng was arrested as part of a U.S. investigation of an alleged scheme to use the global banking system to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran. Wall Street tumbled in early trade before paring some losses by the close. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 79.4 points, or 0.32 percent, to 24,947.67, the S&P 500 lost 4.11 points, or 0.15 percent, to 2,695.95 and the Nasdaq Composite added 29.83 points, or 0.42 percent, to 7,188.26. The pan-European STOXX 600 index lost 3.09 percent and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe shed 1.05 percent. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan closed 2.04 percent lower, while Japan's Nikkei lost 1.91 percent. "Clearly, the Huawei CFO arrest was the individual catalyst that caused todays moves lower," said Mark Hackett, chief of investment research at Nationwide. Canadian authorities late on Wednesday said they had arrested Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, on Dec. 1, the same day that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met at the G20 summit in Argentina. The world's two economic superpowers had agreed on a 90-day trade truce period to hammer out a more permanent agreement, which sent global stock markets soaring on Monday. Equities reversed course the next day as uncertainty grew that the world's two largest economies could, in fact, find common ground. "The potential slowdown in global growth is also something the markets are pricing in," said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at B. Riley FBR in New York. Story continues Earlier this week, shorter-dated yields rose above medium-dated yields for the first time since early 2008, which fanned fears about a U.S. recession in the coming months and also sent Wall Street shares sliding. U.S. Treasury yields fell, with 10-year yields hitting three-month lows, as worries about U.S.-China trade and Brexit spurred safe-haven bids. A U.S. derivatives regulator warned on Thursday that uncertainty over Britains exit from the European Union is having a "substantial" impact on some U.S. entities and markets. Additionally, traders scaled back expectations on the number of rate hikes the Federal Reserve would implement amid weakening economic data and market volatility. U.S. jobs data is due on Friday. If the figures show any serious weakness, markets are likely to react, said Shuji Shirota, HSBC's head of macro economic strategy. The U.S. dollar fell against major peers on lower Treasury yields and as traders scaled back rate hike expectations. "The problem for the dollar is really a decline in U.S. yields and fading Fed expectations," said Shaun Osborne, chief FX strategist at Scotiabank in Toronto. The euro was 0.26 percent higher against the dollar at $1.1373. Gold prices, which move inversely with the dollar, held near a five-month peak as the greenback and equities slipped. Oil prices fell nearly 3 percent in choppy trading after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ended a meeting without making a decision on crude output. OPEC met in Vienna to decide on production policy in coordination with other countries, including Russia, Oman and Kazakhstan. The organization said it had agreed on a tentative deal to cut oil output but had not yet come up with a final figure. U.S. crude settled down 2.65 percent at $51.49 per barrel and Brent was last at $60.06, down 2.44 percent on the day. (Reporting by Laila Kearney; Additional reporting by Marc Jones, Lewis Krauskopf, Shreyashi Sanyal, Saqib Iqbal Ahmed, Devika Krishna Kumar, Amanda Cooper; Editing by Dan Grebler and Lisa Shumaker) [The stream is slated to start at 12:45 p.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] SpaceX is set to launch its latest mission for NASA from Florida on Wednesday, sending supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. The rocket launch will be livestreamed from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This is SpaceX's 16th Commercial Resupply Services mission for NASA (or CRS-16, for short). This is SpaceX's 20th mission of the year, a record for Elon Musk company. CRS-16 was delayed earlier this week when "mold was found on food bars for a rodent investigation," NASA said in a blog post on Monday. The food bars were replaced and the launch is now ready to go. More From CNBC (Reuters) - Wells Fargo & Co (WFC.N) is firing around three dozen district managers for oversight failures related to a sales scandal that came to light in its retail banking unit in 2016, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has been briefed on the firings by the bank's senior executives, including consumer banking head Mary Mack, the WSJ reported https://on.wsj.com/2BSF1cz, citing people familiar with the matter. Wells Fargo did not respond to a request for comment, while the OCC was not immediately available. (Reporting By Aparajita Saxena in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila) (Reuters) - Yum Brands Inc (YUM.N) on Wednesday forecast same-store sales growth of 2 percent to 3 percent for fiscal 2019 and said it would reduce Pizza Hut's dine-in operations as it sharpens its focus on delivery. The company said Pizza Hut's international dine-in assets would be cut to about 25 percent in the next three to five years from 42 percent and that it would make similar cuts in the United States. "We are migrating out of many of our dine-in assets to delivery assets in the United States," Chief Financial Officer David Gibbs said in an interview with Reuters. The 60-year-old chain has been struggling with changing consumer tastes and stiff competition from other restaurant chains, mainly Domino's Pizza Inc (DPZ.N), which has relied on its delivery business to drive growth. Pizza Hut's same-store sales have shown little growth since 2015, with analysts estimating a drop this year too. Artie Starrs, president of Pizza Hut's U.S. unit, said on the company's investor day that he was "extremely dissatisfied" with the pizza chain, blaming its dine-in assets, and lack of innovation and creative advertising for its poor performance. As part of a turnaround, the pizza chain is banking on its Delco outlets, which focus on delivery and carryout, and investments in new technologies. Gibbs said Delco is a growth driver, with 90 percent of its new stores built around that model. "(Delivery and carryout) part of the business is growing well today, that gives us a lot of hope and excitement for the future," Gibbs said. The Louisville, Kentucky-based company forecast full-year system sales growth in the mid-to-high single-digit range, adding that it was on track to deliver a profit of $3.75 per share in 2019. Analysts on average were expecting same-store sales growth of 2.25 percent and a profit of $3.80 per share, according to IBES data from Refinitv. (Reporting by Nivedita Balu and Soundarya J in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila and Anil D'Silva) Iranian officials and state media are reporting that two security guards have been killed in a suicide attack outside police headquarters in the southeastern port city of Chabahar. Rahmdel Bameri, Chabahar's acting governor, was among the Iranian officials who said two victims were killed by the December 6 car-bomb attack. Earlier reports said at least three people had been killed and more than two dozen injured by the explosion. Bameri also suggested that more than one assailant was involved in the attack. "The terrorists exploded a car carrying explosives at the gate of the [police] headquarters," Bameri was quoted as saying by the official government news agency IRNA. Mohammad Hadi Marashi, the deputy governor in charge of security, said the assailants tried to enter the city's police headquarters but "they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb." State television reported shooting in the area shortly after the explosion. Videos posted online by Iranian news agencies, purportedly from Chabahar, showed thick smoke rising in the area after the blast. Chabahar is a key port city on the Gulf of Oman about 100 kilometers west of Iran's border with Pakistan. It is located in Iran's southeastern region of Sistan-Baluchistan, home to a Sunni Muslim minority in largely Shi'ite Iran. The region has long been plagued by violence blamed on drug smugglers and militant separatists. Suicide attacks are rare in Iran. Mohammad Pakpur, the commander of the ground forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the attack had failed. "This was a blind terrorist attack," Pakpur told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. "It had no results for the terrorists. Pakpur also said several hours after the explosion that calm and security had returned to the city of Chabahar. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. With reporting by IRNA, ISNA, Fars, Tasnim, AFP, and Reuters Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is celebrating its 28th year of Electric Safari, a holiday lighting event that features more than 85 light sculptures spread over 50 acres on the zoo's property. The celebration of the season popular with all ages is open for 21 select days beginning Friday and running through Jan. 1. The Colorado Springs-based Exponential Impact accelerator for startup technology businesses has received a $750,000 federal grant to extend its program from 12 weeks to two years. The grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration will help companies prepare to raise up to $5 million in venture capital funding, said Exponential Impact CEO Hannah Parsons. The grant also will be used to hire an entrepreneur-in-residence to help companies ready their technologies for market, she said. This award is a game changer for XI (Exponential Impact) and entrepreneurship in southern Colorado, Parsons said in a news release. The accelerator has experienced tremendous success in our first year with our flagship program. The investment from the EDA will enable us to expand programs to serve later stage entrepreneurs and increase venture funding in the region. Exponential Impact brought four startups to Colorado Springs for 12 weeks this summer to further develop their technology, investor pitches, operations and management. The four companies specialize in improving the security and transparency of the agricultural industry, verify regulatory compliance in a variety of industries and get better feedback from customers and employers. The accelerator plans to offer the program annually to startups developing products and services using cybersecurity, blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies in exchange for a small ownership stake 4 percent to 7 percent by a $1 million fund affiliated with Exponential Impact. The program will be offered next summer in space about to be built in the National Cybersecurity Center. Parsons said she hopes to have the entrepreneur on staff by April and add second- and third-stage programs by the time the accelerators next group of companies finishes the 12-week program in September. The six-month second stage includes mentoring to help companies launch operations and prepare to raise $1 million. The yearlong third stage includes higher-level mentoring and professional services such as accounting to get the companies ready to raise $5 million in venture funding. Exponential Impact also will use part of the grant to hire a part-time workforce director. That staff member would help create an apprenticeship program that would start late next year to provide accounting, software development and other help to its companies, Parsons said. The accelerator expects to attract about 20 participants in the apprenticeship program within three years. The grant also includes local matching funds totaling $918,000 that Parsons has raised. Exponential Impact told the agency it wants to support 45 companies in the second-stage program, called Amplify, and 27 companies in its third-stage program, called Ascend, by 2022. Those companies would employ 610 people, the accelerator said in its grant application. The grant is one of 40 totaling $21 million made by the agency under its Regional Innovation Strategies program, including a $519,956 award to the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education. The board plans to use the grant to launch the Southern Colorado Innovation Link, which includes more than 20 organizations that want to help incubate and grow innovative ideas, products and businesses in southern Colorado. Contact Wayne Heilman 636-0234 Facebook www.facebook.com/wayne.heilman Twitter twitter.com/wayneheilman A 24-year-old man is suspected of smashing his truck into an El Paso County sheriff's deputy's patrol car while under the influence of drugs early Wednesday just north of Colorado Springs Airport, the Sheriff's Office said. Hector Villa Diaz was arrested on suspicion of crimes including first-degree assault on a peace officer, vehicular eluding and reckless driving, the Sheriff's Office said. About 2:15 a.m., a deputy working in the area of Peterson Road and Panamint Court saw a pickup driving around the the Super 8 Motel and the Econo Lodge parking lots, the Sheriff's Office said. The deputy saw several equipment violations and tried to stop the truck. Diaz initially slowed down, but then fled from the deputy, the Sheriff's Office said. He repeatedly slowed down and did circles in the middle of the street while slamming on his brakes, apparently trying to get deputies to hit him, the Sheriff's Office said. A second deputy showed up to help, and Diaz allegedly ran into the side of his patrol car. Then Diaz went east on Colorado 94, where he slowed down and drove into a field, the Sheriff's Office said. He hit several items in the field and drove in circles, ultimately crashing his truck. Deputies entered the field and found the truck unoccupied. Diaz, who is believed to have been under the influence of narcotics, was lying on the ground with a Bible near his head, the Sheriff's Office said. The deputy's car had minor damage, Gazette news partner KKTV reported. Neither deputy was hurt. More than half of Colorado utility customers are expected to have 100 percent carbon-free electricity in the next 30 years after another of the states utility providers announced new emission goals Thursday. Platte River Power Authority, which serves the cities of Longmont, Fort Collins, Estes Park and Loveland, voted to commit to a goal of 100 percent renewables by 2030. The northern Colorado utility serves more than 330,000 people, according to its website. Colorado Springs Utilities is moving toward more renewable energy, although at a slower pace than the other large power producers in the state. Utilities, which had languished around 10 percent renewables, announced in September a planned purchase of 150 megawatts of solar energy, which will raise its renewable energy share to 21 percent. The municipally owned utility remains committed to coal for at least part of its energy production for possibly another decade or more. The coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant downtown is to be closed no later than 2035, but the new CEO, Aram Benyamin, has said it could be shut down much sooner. Two of Colorados biggest utilities committed this week to eliminate carbon pollution, and this news is largely in response to years of advocacy at the local level for a shift from costly fossil fuels to clean energy ... said Emily Gedeon, conservation program director of Colorado Sierra Club. The rest of Colorados utilities can no longer sit idly by because their customers are also going to want a low cost, clean energy system that works for everyone. This year, the cities of Longmont and Fort Collins made commitments to reach 100 percent clean energy by 2030. Within the past month, the Estes Park Town Board and Loveland City Council passed resolutions supporting the utilitys goal. Platte River has been a leader in the past, in the early stages of developing hydro and renewable energy, said Gordon MacAlpine of the Estes Valley Clean Energy Coalition, and now its fitting that our municipal utility will take advantage of the opportunity to lead again, both economically and environmentally, as Colorado moves toward zero carbon emissions. Xcel Energy announced it would supply zero-carbon electricity by 2050 to utility customers in the eight states in which in operates. By 2030, it hopes to slash its emissions by 80 percent from 2005 levels. Platte Rivers service area includes about 342,000 people. Combined, the utilities account for about 54 percent of Colorado electricity customers and one-third of Colorados population, including those in cities of Denver, Boulder and part of Pueblo, according to 2017 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Representatives in both deals cited climate change as a driver behind the decision. Renewable energy is the path that we must take to reduce the harmful effects of climate change in our communities, said Karen Dike, vice chair of Sustainable Resilient Longmont. The residents of Longmont support this vote by the PRPA and this represents a major step forward to achieving Longmonts goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, set forth by the City Council in January. The announcements come amid the release of multiple major climate reports during the past two months. Most recently, the Global Carbon Fund published a report detailing 2018s record-setting carbon emissions. The paper comes on the heels of the the Trump administrations Fourth National Climate Assessment released Thanksgiving weekend and a report from the United Nations on temperature rise in October. Twitter: @lizmforster Phone: 636-0193 In solving the growing problem of homelessness, the public should welcome and support innovative ideas to get people off the street. GRAND BAIE, Mauritius, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alphamin Resources Corp. (AFM: TSXV, Alphamin or the Company) is pleased to announce an update on progress at its Bisie Tin Project. Project update The Companys 80.75% owned DRC subsidiary, Alphamin Bisie Mining SA (ABM) has now received all approvals required to draw down the final $20m of its previously announced $80m credit facility (the Credit Facility). Funds are expected to be received by Monday 10 December and, based on current projections, should be sufficient to see the Company into production. Cold commissioning of the crushing circuit is expected to start in the first half of December, while the completion of construction of the gravity concentration building and tailings storage facility remain on track for Q1, 2019. Hot commissioning (first ore through the plant) is currently expected to commence in late March 2019. As disclosed in the Companys Management Discussion and Analysis on November 28, 2018 the Company continues to assess the impact of the likely change of mining method. Rock conditions underground have led management to review the suitability of the Sub Level Caving mining method previously planned at Bisie. A Cut and Fill mining method is being analysed and if approved, would result in changes to the operating costs, mined grade, recovery and mineral reserves. Management expect to receive a revised mining schedule from its technical mining consultants on or around December 7, 2018. An updated reserve statement and 43-101 is expected to be issued in Q1, 2019. Grant of stock options The Company also announces that, subject to regulatory approval, it has granted 7,235,861 stock options under its stock option plan to directors, officers and employees of the Company and its DRC subsidiary. All options carry the right to acquire one common share at a price of C$0.26 per share until 3 December 2025, with one third of the options vesting after two 2 years, one third after 3 years and the final one third after 4 years from the date of grant. Further information, videos and photographs of the Projects progress are available on the Alphamin Resources Corp. website at www.alphaminresources.com EDITORS NOTES: FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Boris Kamstra Alphamin Resources Corp. Chief Executive Officer Tel: +230 269 4166 E-mail: boris.kamstra@alphaminresources.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this News Release. ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ALPHAMIN RESOURCES CORP. BY: Boris Kamstra, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +230 269 4166 Grand Baie, Mauritius CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS EDMONTON, Alberta, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At its 10th annual Investor Day event held in Toronto today, Capital Power Corporation (TSX: CPX) (Capital Power or the Company) will provide updates on its plans and progress on various topics including operations, construction projects, growth and financial outlook, sustainability and its operational and financial targets for 2019. The growth from the recent acquisition of Arlington Valley and the expected completion of our New Frontier Wind facility before the end of the year, along with higher Alberta power prices will contribute to an approximate 21% increase in our adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) in 2019 based on the midpoint of our $460 million to $510 million target range, said Brian Vaasjo, President and CEO of Capital Power. The target range includes approximately $40 million in additional AFFO in 2019 during the final year of Arlington Valleys current tolling agreement, compared to the new 6-year tolling agreement from 2020 to 2025. The increase in AFFO per share in 2019 is 22% which recognizes the impact of share buybacks completed in 2018. Since Capital Powers last dividend guidance in July 2017, we have committed approximately $800 million in growth for the construction of three contracted wind projects without requiring capital from the equity markets, continued Mr. Vaasjo. The wind projects are targeted for completion between December 2018 and the first quarter of 2020 and the AFFO generated from these long-term contracted wind facilities, averaging nearly 15 years in length, provide the support for the Company to extend its 7% annual dividend growth guidance for an additional year to 2021. This will represent eight years of consistent, sustainable dividend growth. Acquisition of Arlington Valley completed On November 30, 2018, the Company completed the acquisition of the Arlington Valley facility from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. and its co-investors, for approximately US$305 million, including preliminary closing adjustments. Arlington Valley is a 580 megawatt combined cycle natural gas generation facility located in Arizona and is under long-term tolling agreements through 2025. The acquisition was originally announced on September 6, 2018. Updated financial guidance for 2018 Based on its most recent forecast, Capital Power expects its AFFO for 2018 to be approximately $390 million to $410 million, compared to its original guidance of $360 million to $400 million. 2019 Outlook Operations Capacity-weighted average plant availability of 95%, reflecting major planned outages at Genesee 1, Shepard Energy Centre, and Joffre, and sustaining capital expenditures of $80 to $90 million. Growth from development and construction projects Completion of the Whitla Wind project on-budget and on-time for commercial operations in December 2019, continue construction of Cardinal Point for commercial operations in March 2020, commit capital of $500 million for contracted growth, and secure an additional two contracted wind developments. Financial targets AFFO of $460 million to $510 million, based on 70% of the Alberta commercial baseload generation portfolio sold forward at an average contracted price in the low-$50 per megawatt hour range, Adjusted EBITDA of $800 million to $850 million, and a dividend increase of 7% in-line with annual dividend growth guidance, which will result in an AFFO payout ratio of 39%. Investor Day event and webcast information Todays Investor Day event is being held at Vantage Venues located at 150 King Street West, 16th floor in Toronto. Registration begins at 8:30 am (ET) with presentations starting at 9:00 am. A live audio webcast of the event is available on the Companys website at www.capitalpower.com . The webcast will be archived and accessible for replay. Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company uses (i) earnings before net finance expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, impairments, foreign exchange gains or losses, finance expense and depreciation expense from its joint venture interests, gains or losses on disposals and unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits (adjusted EBITDA), (ii) AFFO, (iii) AFFO per share (iv) normalized earnings attributable to common shareholders, and (v) normalized earnings per share as financial performance measures. These terms are not defined financial measures according to GAAP and do not have standardized meanings prescribed by GAAP and, therefore, are unlikely to be comparable to similar measures used by other enterprises. These measures should not be considered alternatives to net income, net income attributable to shareholders of the Company, net cash flows from operating activities or other measures of financial performance calculated in accordance with GAAP. Rather, these measures are provided to complement GAAP measures in the analysis of the Companys results of operations from managements perspective. Commencing with the Companys March 31, 2019 quarter-end, adjusted EBITDA will exclude unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits which were previously included in adjusted EBITDA. This change has been made to better align the Companys measure of adjusted EBITDA with its other non-GAAP measures, as both the AFFO and the normalized earnings per share measures exclude the impacts of unrealized changes in fair value of commodity derivatives and emission credits. This change will also result in period over period adjusted EBITDA being more comparable. Forward-looking Information Forward-looking information or statements in this press release are provided to inform the Companys shareholders and potential investors about managements assessment of Capital Powers future plans and operations. This information may not be appropriate for other purposes. The forward-looking information in this press release is generally identified by words such as will, anticipate, believe, plan, intend, target, and expect or similar words that suggest future outcomes. Material forward-looking information in this press release includes disclosures regarding: (i) 2019 plant availability, (ii) 2019 sustaining capital expenditures, (iii) securing of new development projects, (iv) future additional committed capital for growth, (v) expected completion dates and costs compared to budget for ongoing development projects, (vi) future AFFO, AFFO per share and expected increases in those metrics, (vii) 2019 adjusted EBITDA, and (viii) future dividend growth. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate. The material factors and assumptions used to develop these forward-looking statements relate to: (i) electricity, other energy and carbon prices, (ii) anticipated facility performance, (iii) business prospects (including potential re-contracting opportunities) and opportunities including expected growth and capital projects, (iv) status of and impact of policy, legislation and regulations, and (v) effective tax rates. Whether actual results, performance or achievements will conform to the Companys expectations and predictions is subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the Companys expectations. Such material risks and uncertainties are: (i) changes in electricity prices in markets in which the Company operates, (ii) changes in energy commodity market prices and use of derivatives, (iii) regulatory and political environments including changes to environmental, financial reporting, market structure and tax legislation, (iv) facility availability and performance including maintenance of equipment, (v) ability to fund current and future capital and working capital needs, (vi) developments including timing and costs of regulatory approvals and construction, (vii) changes in market prices and availability of fuel, and (viii) changes in general economic and competitive conditions. See Risks and Risk Management in the Companys Managements Discussion and Analysis for the year ended December 31, 2017, prepared as of February 15, 2018, for further discussion of these and other risks. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the specified approval date. The Company does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in the Companys expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law. About Capital Power Capital Power (TSX: CPX) is a growth-oriented North American power producer headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta. The company develops, acquires, owns, and operates power generation facilities using a variety of energy sources. Capital Power owns approximately 5,100 megawatts (MW) of power generation capacity at 25 facilities across North America. Approximately 1,000 MW of owned generation capacity is in advanced development in Alberta, North Dakota, and Illinois. Syracuse, NY, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dina Eldawy has been named as a 2019 recipient of the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. She is the second Marshall Scholar in Syracuse University history. Eldawy is an international relations major in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and a citizenship and civic engagement (CCE) major in the Maxwell School. Funded by the British government, the Marshall Scholarship finances outstanding American students to study in the United Kingdom. Regional committees of British consular personnel and former Marshall Scholars interview finalists and select up to 40 scholars each year to study at the graduate level at U.K. institutions in any field of study. Marshall Scholars are chosen based on their academic merit, leadership and ambassadorial potential. Eldawy, of Pensacola, Fla., is a member of the Renee Crown University Honors Program, a 2018 Truman Scholar and a 2018-19 Remembrance Scholar. She has spent the fall 2018 semester in Washington, D.C., through the Maxwell-in-Washington program. Eldawy plans a future working on immigration and education reform policy, and contributing to peacebuilding in the Middle East. She will use the two-year Marshall award to fund two masters degrees in the U.K. For her first year, she will enroll in the migration and global development MA at the University of Sussex. In her second year, she plans to complete an MSc in comparative and international education at the University of Oxford. A career in public service is a natural fit for Eldawy, who says shes been given a multitude of blessings in her life and feels a strong need to give back. Being a child of immigrants, and an immigrant myself, I've witnessed how my parents worked tirelessly to build their new lives in this country, Eldawy says. They care deeply, they pray deeply, and I am the result of that love, care and selflessness I saw in my parents. Now I have so many opportunities and I want to spend the rest of my life giving to those in need. I cannot sit back and accept the inequalities, discrimination and violence we see here in the U.S. and abroad, and I hope to make an impact one day. In Syracuse, Eldawy has interned at the North Side Learning Center, a local refugee education center, for three years. There, she teaches English to high school girls from Somalia and Syria. These girls have taught me the meaning of resilience, and inspire me in my work on refugee education policy and in breaking down racial and socioeconomic barriers in the U.S. as a whole, she says. She has also worked in education centers in Santiago, Chile, with Bolivian and Peruvian immigrants there, and in Tyre, Lebanon, with Palestinian refugees. Eldawy has been involved with interfaith work and activism through the Muslim and Arab student associations on campus. I believe that dialogue through one-on-one, grassroots community building is an invaluable tool to break down barriers, as we try to do on campus, she says. This semester, Eldawy is interning at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., working as a research intern for the National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy. The center focuses on national and local education policies in place for immigrant communities and English language learners. My internship ties directly with the work I do in Syracuse, especially because my senior honors thesis is a direct action plan that addresses English language services for Syracuse refugee communities. It has definitely solidified my interest in studying refugee populations and education policy in my graduate studies, she says. Carol Faulkner, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of history in the Maxwell School, first met Eldawy in MAX 301 Justice, Ethics and Citizenship, a required seminar for the CCE major. In class discussions, Dina emphasized the importance of engagement, with peers, faculty, administrators and the wider community. In a class that focused on theories and practices of citizenship, she was a passionate advocate for an active model of citizenship. Faulkner says Eldawy is an outstanding thinker, writer, communicator and leader. She will be a wonderful representative of Syracuse University and the United States, Faulkner says. She has embraced all the opportunities available to her at Syracuse UniversitySyracuse Abroad, Maxwell-in-Washington, the Honors Program, and her citizenship and civic engagement and international relations double majorto explore her interests in migration and education policy. I cant wait to see what she does next. Eldawy worked with the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA) on her application materials and to prepare for her Marshall interview. Dina embodies the very best of our Syracuse community in the vision, determination, and commitment to service she brings to her work, says Jolynn Parker, CFSA director. She has clear, focused plans for graduate study in the U.K. This extraordinary award will enable her to fulfill those goals. The Marshall Scholarships were established in 1953 by the British government to honor the ideals of the Marshall Plan and the special U.S./U.K. relationship. Attachment readyforgmat wrote: Hi, Can you some one suggest me which is the best center from the below? I have heard some really bad experiences about all other test centers. Thanks in advance! 1. Pearson Professional Centers-Bangalore 2 KAR Prestige Atrium, Unit 101, Ground Floor Central Street, Shivajinagar, Bangalore Karnataka Bangalore Karnataka 560001 India 2. Pearson Professional Centers-Bangalore # 45, 3rd Floor,Trade Center Dickenson Road Next to Manipal Centre Bangalore Karnataka 560042 India I don't think you should have a problem with either center. The first one is quite new, but it is still a center run directly by Pearson.Also, I haven't personally seen the first one, so if you do end up choosing it, please do post back here with your thoughts._________________ Current role Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Minister of Immigration and Asylum Biography Jean Asselborn was born on 27 April 1949 in Steinfort. After leaving school at the age of 18, Jean Asselborn resumed his studies in 1976 by attending evening classes. He obtained his final secondary school diploma from the Athenee de Luxembourg the same year. In October 1981, Jean Asselborn was awarded a masters degree in private judicial law from the University Nancy II. Read more I wonder about Virginia Galloway. In 2004, she sued the Diocese of Springfield, alleging an awful thing. In the late 1960s, when she was 10 years old, she said that the Rev. Richard Niebrugge took her under his care as a foster child and began sexually abusing her. A decade later, she said in her lawsuit, she gave birth to his child. In 1983, five years after Galloway had a baby, Niebrugge died. But enablers remained, according to the lawsuit that named as defendants the Rev. Herman Niebrugge, the priests brother who died in 2004, and the Rev. Theodore Baumann, who retired in 2008 after a career spent as a holy man last year, he was reported to be living at a retirement home for priests in Belleville. Both Herman Niebrugge and Baumann, Galloway said in her lawsuit, knew that she was being abused but didnt report it and did nothing to stop it. Courts ruled that Galloway didnt sue soon enough, and her case was dismissed without being considered on its merits. Galloway had issues, her own lawyer acknowledged when she sued. Psychological problems included a multiple personality disorder brought on, at least in part, by being sexually abused by a priest, attorney Rex Carr said more than a decade ago. No DNA testing had been performed prior to filing suit, Carr told the media, but there were millions of factual statements that connect him to her and he expected that science would confirm claims made in court.We want, to the best of our ability, to find out what happened and make sure some healing occurs, Kathie Sass, then diocesan spokeswoman, told the Belleville News-Democrat when the lawsuit was filed. If anyone has been abused, we want to do what is right.Fourteen years later, Bishop Thomas Paprocki is saying much the same thing now that the diocese, under pressure from attorney general Lisa Madigan, has released the names of 19 priests who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing minors. Cases date back as far as 1951, the bishop says. A dozen of the priests named last week are dead. Niebrugge isnt on the list.Ive never heard of this case, Paprocki told me during an interview. He promised to look into it. By days end, he sent an email: The diocese hasnt substantiated allegations contained in Galloways lawsuit. What steps did the diocese take to determine the truth? The bishop didnt give a direct answer. The truth, Paprocki wrote, is difficult to determine, given the passage of time. He also said the diocese has no proof of paternity. That is the reason why there are statutes of limitation, since it is difficult to ascertain the truth many years later when memories fade and key parties are dead, the bishop wrote.I had no luck finding Galloway, who at last report was living in Georgia. Carr, her lawyer, died in 2015. It should have been easy via DNA testing to prove or disprove Galloways claims when she made them. Instead, the diocese appeared to put its energies into getting the case dismissed.Paprocki says that priests have a duty to report sexual misconduct by brethren if their knowledge was obtained outside the confessional booth. As for victims of clerical sexual misconduct whose wrongs cant be addressed by courts due to the passage of time, Paprocki was less certain. Counseling, he suggested, might be one remedy. I would ask the person bringing the allegation, What are you looking for from the church? the bishop said.The church, quick to damn those whose thoughts differ from doctrine, would finish last in a race with glaciers when it comes to telling the truth about sexual predation in the priesthood. Paprocki himself has criticized Pope Francis, who last summer ducked questions about whether he had covered up or ignored abuse by Theodore McCarrick, who resigned as a cardinal last summer after credible allegations of sexual misconduct involving seminarians and an altar boy became public.Why did it take so long for the Springfield diocese to release names of priests whove been credibly accused of sexually abusing kids? I would say the attorney generals investigation prompted us to review our files, Paprocki offers. Its not like I had a list of names in my drawer.The names posted on the diocesan website are just that, names and only names. No hint of just what these priests might have done, where they might have done it or when. And so were left to wonder whether folks like Eugene Costa, the former priest who was beaten by two teenage boys in Douglas Park in 2004 after soliciting them for sex, made one bad decision or just picked the wrong two boys that time.In the future, the bishop promises, the diocese will publish both findings and disciplinary action taken when sexual misconduct allegations are substantiated. But the diocese wont do that with priests named last week. Protecting the privacy of victims, he said, is part of the reason. If were dealing with cases from the past, I would question whats the point of making all that information known, the bishop adds.Lots of reasons come to mind, starting with establishing trust, which grows with transparency. We should know what, if anything, was done when priests were caught diddling kids, and we should know who was in charge if cops didnt get called.In the meantime, Ill keep wondering about Virginia Galloway. Perhaps someone will conduct a paternity test or otherwise take steps to determine the truth and make that truth public -- so that stains either can be removed from accused priests names or a victim can have some semblance of justice, regardless of courtroom maneuverings.There is, after all, a moral aspect to this.Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com. As you sit down to a delicious meal, imagine you are an average Cuban worker, who earns $15 per month, making your monthly trip to the only supermarket in Havana where you are registered to shop. You enter a concrete block warehouse with tables scattered around the edges. Behind some tables are stacks of various foods such as rice, beans, spaghetti, sugar and eggs. Other tables hold cooking oil, small packets of coffee (mostly chicory and sawdust), meat (usually chicken) and buns. Your government-issued monthly ration book, for which you paid $2, entitles you to 6 lbs. of white rice, 1 lb. of spaghetti, 20 oz. of black beans, 6 lbs. of sugar, 1 cup of cooking oil, 5 eggs, 2 small packets of mixed coffee and a daily bun for each person in your family. The ration book also entitles your family to 5 lbs. of meat every 10 days and a bag of salt every three months. If you ask fellow Cubans, as I have done during three trips to Cuba, why this meager ration system still exists more than 50 years after the revolution, they will tell you it is the result of the U.S. blockade. They do not use the term embargo because any multinational firm that does business in Cuba is threatened by U.S. sanctions. Although this anecdote may be enough to convince many about the vulgarity of the Cuban blockade, here are more reasons to end this failed foreign policy. The Cuba blockade is a totally failed foreign policy implemented to destroy the revolutionary Cuban government, which has had the exact opposite outcome, leaving the Castro family in power for the past 56 years. Castro has successfully blamed the economic problems of Cuba on the U.S. blockade, which many foreign policy experts believe is why he scuttled negotiations on ending it on a number of occasions. Due to the blockade, Cuba is once again becoming increasingly dependent on Russia. We call this period a renaissance, said Aleksandr Bogatyr, Russias trade representative in Cuba. It is hypocritical to argue that the blockade is necessary because the Cuban government is not a representative democracy, given the fact that the U.S. has supported many brutal dictators friendly to U.S. interests, including former dictator General Batista, known to have killed, tortured and imprisoned as many as 20,000 Cuban political dissenters. A lack of democracy has not kept the U.S. from commercial relations with other nations including communist Russia, China and Vietnam, so why should Cuba be held to a different standard? It is ethnocentric to judge the Cuban government as a total failure, given the fact that infant mortality rates are higher in the U.S. at 5.80 per 100,000 live births than in Cuba at 4.40 per 100,000 live births and literacy rates are higher in Cuba at 99.7 percent of the population than in the U.S. at only 86 percent of the population. The blockade prevents many corporations and farmers interested in shipping goods to Cuba from doing so with an estimated cost to the U.S. economy of $1.2 billion in lost sales of material goods and $4.84 billion in agricultural exports annually as well as around 6,000 lost jobs. The blockade reduces the opportunities for improvements in democratic reforms and human rights in Cuba, as well as denying the Cuban people access to technology, medicine and affordable food. Most people in the U.S. are opposed to the blockade, with a December 2016 Pew Research Center Poll reporting 73 percent of U.S. citizens favoring lifting the embargo, up from 66 percent just two years earlier, with 62 percent of Republicans favoring lifting it. Every year since 1992, the General Assembly of the United Nations has overwhelmingly approved a resolution condemning what it calls the adverse effect of the embargo on the Cuban people, which most recently passed by a vote of 191 to 2 abstentions (the U.S. and Israel). Many Christian denominations, including the Presbyterian Church USA, the Evangelical Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church (including several Popes), the United Church of Christ and the American Baptist Church, have passed resolutions demanding the end of the blockade in solidarity with fellow Christians in Cuba.Don Ecklunds consciousness regarding the unfair and unethical U.S. treatment of Cubans was raised by his three trips to Cuba, including two with members of First Presbyterian Church in Springfield. The congregation enjoys a warm partnership with the Sancti Spiritus Presbyterian Church located in the center of Cuba, where members of both churches grow in the sharing of friendships, fellowship, spiritual journeys, community outreach, personal and political concerns, stories, music, meals and customs. click to enlarge PHOTO BY LARRY D. MOORE Jim Hightower Ive observed that the true political spectrum in our society does not range from right to left, but from top to bottom. This is how Americas economic and political systems really shake out, with each of us located somewhere high or low on that spectrum. Right to left is political theory; top to bottom is the reality we actually experience in our lives every day. And the vast majority of Americans know that theyre not even within shouting distance of the moneyed powers that rule from the top of both systems, whether those elites call themselves conservatives or liberals.For me, the ism that best encompasses and addresses this reality is populism. What is it? Essentially, its the continuation of Americas democratic revolution.Few people today call themselves populists, but I think most are. Im not talking about the recent political outbursts by confused, used and abused Trumpian ranters whove been organized by corporate front groups to spread a hatred of government. Rather, I mean the millions of ordinary Americans in every state whore battling the real power thats running roughshod over us: out-of-control corporations. With their oceans of money and their hired armies of lobbyists, lawyers, economists, consultants and PR agents, these self-serving, autocratic entities operate from faraway executive suites and Washington backrooms to rig the economic and governmental rules so that they capture more and more of Americas money and power.This is where populists come in. You wouldnt know it from the corporate media, but in just about every town or city in our land you can find some groups or coalitions that, instead of merely shouting at politicians, have come together to find their way around, over or through the blockage that big money has put in the way of their democratic aspirations.With the rebellious spirit and sense of hope that has defined America from the start, these populists are directly challenging the plutocratic order that reigns over us. This populism is unabashedly a class movement one that seeks not merely to break the iron grip that centralized corporate power has on our country, but also to build cooperative democratic structures so that ordinary people not moneyed interests define and control our countrys economic and political possibilities.Its necessary to restate the solid principles of populism and reassert its true spirit because both are now being subverted and severely perverted by corporate manipulators and a careless media establishment. These debasers of the language misapply the populist label to anyone who claims to be a maverick and tends to bark a lot. Although the targets theyre usually barking at are poor people, teachers, minorities, unions, liberals, protestors, environmentalists, immigrants, LGBTQ or other demonized groups that generally reside far outside the center of the power structure the barkers are indiscriminately tagged as populist voices even when their populist pose is funded by and operates as a front for one or another corporate interest. Thats not populism; its rank hucksterism, disguising plutocrats as champions of the people. And it is important that we call them out on it. A recent story in New Yorker magazine paints a Springfield radiologist as a physician whos moved from the fringe of vaccine controversies to the outer limit of child abuse experts. Before becoming an expert witness in child abuse cases, Dr. David Ayoub argued that immunization amounts to genocide in the Third World. When it comes to population control via sterilization, he once compared the cost of vaccines to the cost of wars, which are messier and more expensive. They run toward these bullets, so its ideal, he said in a 2005 speech. Thirteen years later, Ayoub, who blames rickets as opposed to violence for broken bones, downplays his criticism of immunization, saying he was concerned about mercury in vaccines and that those levels have been reduced and so his work is done. I dont talk about that anymore, he says. His views on vaccines, Ayoub says, have nothing to do with his takes on child abuse. Mainstream experts have derided criticism of vaccines as junk science that puts people at risk. Ayoub wont say whether he believes that vaccines, on balance, do more harm than good. In order to have an opinion, I have to dig really deep, Ayoub says. I know what the popular opinion is. When it comes to child abuse, the New Yorker article shows Ayoub as pushing against a wall of other experts, blaming rickets, time and again, for fractures in infants that have led to charges against caregivers. Hes testified in 80 or so trials, including a few proceedings in Europe and England, and authored reports in, he estimates, 200 other cases. He doesnt charge for his services. Billing, he says, involves a lot of paperwork, and so he doesnt bother. He also says that hes taking on fewer cases these days, but still gets as many as 10 queries a week from lawyers. I turn down even when I was doing more I turn down the vast majority of cases, he says. Ive got too many cases. He says the defense prevails in about half of the criminal cases in which he testifies. Not everyone is impressed. In every case in which he has written a report, he has expressed the opinion that the child in question suffered from a metabolic bone disease, a British judge wrote in January. In a television interview given in about 2010, he said this: Ive not seen any high-risk family. I dont believe any case of fractures Ive seen has been the result of real physical child abuse, that its metabolic. The judge wrote that Ayoub doesnt have sufficient expertise to offer opinions in court, and he criticized the doctor as an advocate with entrenched positions as opposed to an objective expert. (H)is approach is shot through with the dogma that child abuse is over-diagnosed, the judge wrote. Memorial Medical Center, where Ayoub has privileges, notes that the doctor is not an employee and says that it wasnt aware of Ayoubs work as an expert witness before the New Yorker published its story last week. Memorial does not share his views, Memorial spokesman Michael Leathers wrote in an email. In a 2016 case tried in Maryland, Ayoub testified that a six-month-old girl who died three days after being taken to an emergency room with broken ribs, a fractured leg, a broken arm, bruises on her face, bleeding in her eyes and a brain injury had suffered from rickets. The jury couldnt agree on a verdict after hearing Ayoub testify. The doctor didnt take the stand in a second trial, and the daycare operator charged in the death was convicted and sentenced to 50 years, the New Yorker reported. Ayoub blames bruises in the Maryland case on disseminated intravascular coagulation, a blood condition unrelated to violence. The bleeding eyes brain injury, he says, also could have been natural ailments. The dead girl, he says, showed no bruising or internal injuries in extremities or on her torso that would be expected if shed been beaten, although he also acknowledges that he isnt a bruise expert. Contrary to what the New Yorker published and what others say, Ayoub says that rickets isnt a rare condition in infants. Rather, he says, its commonplace, and doctors going back nearly a century ago knew it. Thats why, he says, mothers once were counseled to dose babies with cod liver oil, which is rich in bone-strengthening Vitamin D, and put infants in the sun for an hour or more each day to help kids absorb the critical vitamin that staves off rickets. Rickets has been removed from the textbooks, he says. An overlooked epidemic of rickets, Ayoub says, has broken out due to lack of awareness and preventative measures. Most cases are mild, undiagnosed and self-correcting, he says, but a small percentage are severe enough that even routine handling of a baby can result in fractures. In a recent Florida case, Ayoub testified that an infant who suffered fractures to an arm, a shin bone and a thigh bone likely was injured while being held down for immunizations at a doctors office. Two experts who disputed Ayoubs analysis pointed out that the child, who had more than a dozen fractures, suffered not a single broken bone after being separated from his accused abuser, according to the New Yorker story. Ayoub says the sheer number of fractures in the Florida case and others, without corresponding bruises or injuries to internal organs, supports his view that rickets, not violence, is the cause. He says a patient run over by a car typically sustains six fractures, and so dozens of fractures sustained by a baby often cant be explained by abuse. Ayoub dismisses criticism that he hasnt been trained in pediatric radiology and that he doesnt routinely see infants in his practice. Not being an pediatric radiologist, he says, allows him to look at cases with fresh eyes. Im not a pediatric radiologist, he says. I didnt drink the Kool-Aid. Political correctness, Ayoub says, explains why hes being attacked. Judges, he said, tend to be former prosecutors. As such, theyve been part of a system thats unfairly put wrongly accused child abusers in jail and are reluctant to reconsider mindsets. He also says that he didnt intend on becoming controversial when he first agreed to look at a case involving fractures to an infant when a colleague asked for help a decade ago. I didnt get into this thinking Im going to stir the pot, he says. Contact Bruce Rushton at brushton@illinoistimes.com. 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 Internet access will be a human right in Yucatan The Yucatan Times That withdrawal was completed last month with the re-imposition of US sanctions on Irans oil exports, as well as its banking sector. But limited sanctions had already returned in August, three months after President Donald Trumps statement declaring the Islamic Republic to be in violation of the spirit of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The withdrawal announcement apparently led to a steady stream of global businesses exiting the Iranian market and cutting their imports of Iranian oil. Although the Trump administration ultimately granted some waivers to countries that are highly dependent on this energy source, the White House has made it clear that its long-term goal is to bring Irans oil exports as close to zero as is possible. In the interest of highlighting the viability of these plans, administration officials have boasted that those exports have already fallen by as much as a third. Market Watch roughly corroborated these findings on Wednesday, noting that Irans petroleum output had fallen to less than three million barrels per day, effectively wiping out the former benefits of the JCPOA, which had alleviated multilateral sanctions and allowed Iran to greatly boost its production. Under these condition, the essential reason why global oil prices did not jump in November is because two leading OPEC member states and key US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates raised their production levels by 350,000 and 130,000 barrels per day, respectively. These moves closely coincided with public statements by President Trump, urging the Saudis to make up for the loss in global production caused by Irans loss of access to export markets. The US seemingly kept this pressure in place this week, as Bloomberg reports that Brian Hook, the administrations special representative for Iran, had met one-on-one with the Saudi Energy Minister on Wednesday in Vienna, the capital of Austria and the location of OPECs headquarters. The meeting took place just ahead of a meeting of representatives from OPEC member states, leading to an irate reaction from Iranian officials. According to Reuters, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh described the US as having adopted an unprofessional, naive and meddlesome approach whereby it was trying to make OPEC operate as if part of the US Department of Energy. For its part, Saudi Arabia denied that the meeting between Hook and Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih even took place. But Bloomberg indicated that eye-witness reports of the meeting were credible and illustrative of the extent to which the White Houses Iran policy has inserted the US into the [OPEC] decision-making process. This conclusion may have been further supported earlier in the week by comments that Hook made to the press, which seemed to imply advance knowledge of what that process would yield. In 2019 we expect a much better-supplied oil market, and that will put us in a better position to accelerate the path to zero [Iranian oil exports] he said. Yet Hook and others have indicated that they do not view recent communications with Middle Eastern allies as examples of the US imposing its will on foreign governments. Instead, American pressure on Saudi Arabia and the UAE is an expression of shared interests relating to oil markets and the threat of expansion in Irans economic, political, and military influence. The White House has been hard at work building a coalition of nations that are opposed to this expansion, and Reuters reported that the president viewed Saudi oil production increases as payback for the actions the US has taken to defend Riyadh against its main regional adversary. But the Islamic Republics immediate neighbors are only one aspect of the sought-after anti-Iran alliance. Ideally, the coalition would also include the nations of Europe, under American guidance. And this aim is supported by the ongoing effort to prevent a rise in oil prices, which might encourage US trading partners to avoid defying sanctions in order to continue importing Iranian oil. On the other hand, there is also an ideological component to this prospective European defiance, insofar as the European Union has been standing against the renewed sanctions and has even teased a special purpose vehicle to facilitate illicit transactions with Iranian businesses. However, the escalating tensions between Iran and its foremost enemies may pose a challenge to the EUs defiance. As those tensions escalate, Iranian officials appear to be growing more belligerent, thus highlighting the longstanding and widely-recognized threats posed by the Islamic Republic. For example, Irans supposedly moderate President Hassan Rouhani once again threatened on Tuesday to close off international access to the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-third of the worlds oil passes. If someday, the United States decides to block Irans oil, no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf, he said via Iranian state media, winning praise from his hardline adversaries in the ruling hierarchy. This rhetoric comes just days after the Islamic Republic claimed to launch a new and more advanced naval destroyer, one of several new pieces of military hardware that have been presented as fulfilling Supreme Leader Ali Khameneis injunction to increase the nations military power as much as possible. Despite ongoing support for the JCPOA among EU member states, its three signatories to the deal the UK, France, and Germany have taken leading roles in expressing concern about Irans military buildup, particularly where it is related to ballistic missiles. On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council held a closed-door meeting on this issue, at the request of the UK and France, two of the councils permanent members. There is some expectation that this signals greater international support for US sanctions. And that support may be further boosted by the perceived threat of Iranian terror plots stemming from the regimes failure to contain unrest within its own territory. In June, European authorities disrupted a plot to bomb a rally organized near Paris by the National Council of Resistance of Iran. And in October, an assassination plot by an Iranian operative was foiled in Denmark. The latter incident led to prominent calls for collective action by the EU, and it was recently reported that the body was considering broad-based adoption of the unilateral sanctions that France put into place in the wake of the Paris plot. While the US is imposing sanctions on the mullahs and putting international security above trade deals, Europe is trying to figure out a way to evade these sanctions and continue trade with Iran. It seems they have not learnt their lesson about cosying up to dictators, so they are neglecting terrorist threats posed by Iran in favour of securing short-term economic benefits. Europes main idea for protecting Iran from US sanctions involves a special purpose vehicle that works on a barter system or uses the Euro for trade or possibly something else by the time you read this as no one seems to be sure how it would work. No one even knows where it would be located as no country seems to want to take it on. One thing that many experts agree on though is that it will still violate US sanctions, leaving all parties involved liable to severe penalties. Then, of course, there are the consequences of continuing to fund the Iranian Regime, when we know that all of their money goes into their malign plot for regional domination, which has resulted in countless proxy wars across the Middle East and attempted terrorist attacks in Europe. How can Europe justify giving money to the mullahs when they know it will be used to kill and maim people anywhere, let alone the Europeans? This year alone, Iran has been using proxies across the Middle East to create chaos in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Lebanon, and Palestine, to cite just the most prominent examples. Theyve also been caught up in numerous terror plots in Europe, in Albania, France, Denmark, Turkey and the Netherlands; all of which were thankfully caught in time by the European authorities. Just recently, Iran test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads in violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which enshrines the nuclear deal, and earned condemnation from Britain and France. But both countries remain committed to the nuclear deal. Alavi wrote: Europe must learn from the mid-20th century and modern history, and finally bring an end to its humiliating indulging of Irans terror-fuelling regime. Tehrans malign activities must not go ignored, including human rights violations, the proliferation of ballistic missiles and a very suspicious nuclear program while sitting on an ocean of crude oil and natural gas. He advised that Irans Regime will soon fall, especially as the Iranian people step up their protests, so Europe should decide to stand on the right side of history and oppose the mullahs. Public statements by the group have highlighted the cases of six such individuals, but the Iranian regime is known to be holding upwards of 20 prisoners who are either citizens or permanent residents in the nations of Europe and North America. Many if not all of these persons have been credibly described as hostages who are being held as bargaining chips for negotiations with foreign governments. And in light of recent developments, it is clear that the number of these detainees is still growing. On Wednesday, Fox News reported upon the open letter published by the hostages families and addressed to world leaders, rights organizations and media outlets. As well as emphasizing the newfound unity of their advocacy efforts, the signatories also declared that they shall remain quiet no longer in the face of what appears to be inaction by Western governments that have a responsibility to confront a pattern of hostage-taking and prisoner abuse. Responsible stakeholders on all sides of this issue know what to do, the letter said. Please, secure our loved ones freedom from Iranian prisons. Of the dual nationals who were known to be held in the Islamic Republic at the time of the letters publication, 13 of them were professional scholars or academics, according to ABC News. That report explained that yet another such individual recently joined this number when the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps detained an Iranian demography researcher who holds a position at Melbourne University and is accordingly an Australian citizen. ABC noted that Meimanat Hosseini-Chavoshi is facing the familiar charge of collaboration with the West, as well as the comparatively unusual charge of social espionage. Since the conclusion of nuclear negotiations between Iran and six world powers in 2015, many of the dual nationals who were detained in the country were accused of being part of an infiltration network seeking the soft overthrow of the Islamic Republic. But details about this network have not been forthcoming, and actions as insubstantial as discussing Iranian current events have been cited as evidence for membership. In the case of Dr. Hosseini-Chavoshi, the arrest appears to stem from her criticism of a government plan to reverse former population controls. In recent years, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has promoted policies encouraging women to forgo education and careers in favor of starting families at an early age and bolstering Irans birth rates. But as Maysam Behravesh, another population expert of Iranian extraction, explained: Population increase at a time when we have a huge environmental crisis inside Iran, when the economy is not stable, when the country is under sanctions there are so many problems. The ABC report also quoted Behravesh as saying that academic work on this topic is not very politically sensitive. But Hosseini-Chavoshis arrest seems to point to Iranian authorities being exceptionally sensitive about any form of criticism. This sensitivity has certainly been blamed for the mass arrests of environmentalists early in 2018, which was also carried out by the IRGC. The hardline paramilitary accused several environmental researchers of spying on the nations missile sites, but some of their defenders have concluded that the arrests were, at least in part, a vendetta against critics of the IRGCs ongoing for the environmental impact of current and forthcoming missile installations. Additionally, the crackdown on environmentalists came shortly after the outbreak of nationwide protests that gave rise to stark anti-government slogans such as death to the dictator. These protests naturally generated their own crackdowns, resulting in thousands of arrests in the month of January alone, as well as more than 60 deaths. About a dozen of those deaths occurred as result of torture while activists were in police custody. Similarly, one environmental researcher who happened to also be an Iranian-Canadian dual national was found dead in his jail cell following the mass arrest. Authorities attributed that death to suicide, but this narrative has been widely disputed. On Tuesday, the Center for Human Rights in Iran named this individual, Seyed Kavous-Emami, among several other academics and scientists with foreign ties who have been detained in Iran since 2016. This reference to foreign ties is significant because it underscores the fact that dual nationals comprise only one aspect of the Islamic Republics effort to root out foreign infiltration and minimize contacts between Iranian and Western society. It is difficult to say how many native Iranians have been targeted in this crackdown on the basis of their professional or personal relationships with persons living in the US or Europe. Furthermore, countless arrests in recent years, such as the law enforcement sweep of online social networks known as Operation Spider, have plainly sought to crack down on persons who were merely seen as promoting Western lifestyles. According to CHRI, another demography researcher by the name of Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi was arrested alongside Dr. Hosseini-Chavoshi. No clear explanation was offered by authorities to explain this arrest either, leaving open the conclusion that it was based either on his past work in collaboration with Hosseini-Chavoshi or else his previous academic posting in Australia, even though he remains a citizen of the Islamic Republic only. In light of this and other such arrests, it might be said that the pattern of behavior highlighted this week by dual nationals families is actually significantly more far-reaching than their targeted advocacy suggests. She is one of a growing number of dual-national academics being held in Iran on spying charges that can carry the death penalty. Some of Dr Hosseini Chavoshis work focused on the Iranian Governments population control policies, which have long been a subject of debate in Iran. The Regime had implemented strict population control policies that led to a massive drop in the birth rate, but this was reversed five years ago. Swedish-based fellow academic and Iranian national Maysam Behravesh said: Population increase at a time when we have a huge environmental crisis inside Iran when the economy is not stable when the country is under sanctions there are so many problems. And people like Chavoshi, in that context; people like her are not very welcome. A University of Melbourne spokesperson said that Dr Hosseini-Chavoshis detention was deeply concerning. It is unclear when Dr Hosseini Chavoshi will face trial. Dual nationals At least 13 other dual national academics are being held in Iran, with many more being held in secret. Behravesh said that he knows three people, aside from Dr Hosseini Chavoshi, who were held in Iranian prisons and that one of them is now dead. Here he is referring to Professor Kavous Seyed-Emami, an Iranian-Canadian conservationist arrested in January and accused of espionage along with eight other environmental activists. The Regime blamed his death in February on suicide, but Behravesh disputes this. He said: He had plans, he had a life to live, and he was arranging stuff, and all of a sudden, I was just shocked when I heard about his death in prison. Also this week, six families of dual and foreign nationals imprisoned in Iran published a joint open letter accusing the Iranian Regime of hostage taking, advising that this is not an individual problem, [but] a pattern. While conservationists and scholars around the world sent an open letter to Irans Supreme Leader calling for the detained environmentalists to have a fair trial and access to lawyers of their choice. Earlier this year, the Iranian Regime changed the law so that people charged with national security crimes could only pick from a list of 20 Regime-approved lawyers, which is a violation of international law and stacks the deck firmly in the favour of the Regime. Arrests of dual-nationals on spurious charges is part of Irans foreign policy, with the intelligence wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), trying to reduce contact between Iran and the outside world to hide the malign activities of the Regime However, these protests all have some very important things in common: 1) They are all the result of the ineptitude and corruption of the ruling mullahs, who have squandered Irans fortune on proxy wars, terrorist groups, and filling the bank accounts of those close to the Iranian Regime. 2) They are all held by the Iranian people and organised with the help of the Iranian Resistance with no outside enemies, like the US, bankrolling them. 3) They are all saluted as brave by Iranian Resistance Leader Maryam Rajavi. Since December 2017, Iran has been besieged by anti-regime protests that call out the false narrative of any moderate v. hardliner struggle within the ruling elite and demand complete and total regime change by and for the Iranian people. Maryam Rajavi has stood with the protesters every step of the way, supporting their legitimate protests, calling attention to the plight of the protesters after the Regimes crackdown led to thousands of arrests and dozens of executions or arbitrary killings, and asking global leaders to do more to ensure the protection of the protesters. Maryam Rajavi also led calls for more protests by the Iranian people in March, during the Iranian New Year celebration of Nowruz, when she called for the Iranian people to make this a year full of protests. The Iranian people certainly heeded that call and protests only grew in size and scale over the next eight months, despite an increased crackdown by the mullahs. During the recent strikes at both the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Factory and the Ahvaz Steel Company, Maryam Rajavi issued a statement in support of the workers and calling on others to join their noble protests. She said: Shoosh has risen with the cries of workers, and solidarity and strike of youth, teachers and merchants of the bazaar. The enemy attempts in vain to silence the Haft Tappeh deprived workers by suppressing and arresting them, but the cry of we are hungry, hungry of the children of Shush, calls the conscience of every human being to rise up against the oppressor mullahs. This is in a similar vein to the majority of Maryam Rajavis statements about strikes or protests in Iran, but why does she so often call on others to join the strike? Simply, because Maryam Rajavi understands the need for unity amongst the Iranian people and against the Regime. Whatever differences the Iranian people have, all of them would be better off without the mullahs in power, so its important that they support each other and show the world that regime change is the unified position of the Iranian people. Maryam Rajavi also knows that the only way to stand up to the Iranian Regime is for all Iranians to stand together. There is nothing that scares a dictatorship more than a unified populace being guided by a popular leader like Maryam Rajavi. IPKat has received breaking news t he Technical Board of Appeal (TBA) yesterday decided that recently amended Rule 28(2) EPC is in conflict with Art. 53(b) EPC as interpreted by the Enlarged Board of Appeal in G 2/12 (Broccoli/Tomato II). Further, a ccording to the Art. 164(2) EPC the Articles prevail, thus rending the R. 28 amendment void. The case is yet another development in the on-going legal confusion on the issue of whether plant products produced by essential biological processes are patentable. Article 53(c) EPC excludes from patentablity processes for producing plants and animals by essentially natural processes. Rule 28(2) was recently added to extend this exclusion to plant products produced by essentially biological processes. The TBA yesterday ruled that new Rule 28(2) is incompatible with Article 53(b) as previously interpreted by the Enlarged Board of Appeal, and therefore void. The decision was issued in oral proceedings yesterday for T 1063/18, an appeal from the Examination Division against an objection under Rule 28(2) . Rule 28(2) was amended in a 2017 decision of the Administrative Council ( OJ EPO 2017, A56 ) to exclude plant products produced by essentially biological processes (e.g. natural breeding methods) from patentability. Rule 28(2) relates essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals from patentability. Protecting his tomatoes Following a long-running legal saga, the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBoA) decided in EPC excludes from patentability claims directed to an essentially biological process for the production of plants. The follow-up EBoA decisions Broccoli/Tomatoes II ( G2/12 and G2/13 , IPKat post here ) found that the Article 53(b) exclusion should be interpreted narrowly. Particularly, Article 53(b) should not prevent claims directed to plants or plant products produced by essentially biological processes. In wake of the Broccoli/Tomatoes II, the European Commission (EC) was asked by the European Parliament to review the Biotech Directive ( Directive 98/44/EC ). Article 4 of the Biotech Directive mirrors the wording of Article 53(b) EPC, and excludes from patentability essentially biological processes for producing plants and animals, but does not explicitly exclude products produced by such processes. T he EC concluded that the intention of the Biotech Directive was to exclude products produced by essentially biological processes from patentability, not just the processes themselves. The EC position was thus at odds with the view of the Enlarged Boards of Appeal in Broccoli/Tomatoes II, but in line with the patent laws in some member states, including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The Administrative Council of the EPO subsequently decided to amend the EPC regulations to reflect the EC's position (IPKat post here ). Particularly, Rule 28 of the Implementing Regulations was amended to include the following paragraph: (2) Under Article 53(b), European patents shall not be granted in respect of plants or animals exclusively obtained by means of an essentially biological process. GMO directive (recently ruled by the CJEU also to include gene-edited products, IPKat post The Administrative Council decision was considered a blow for the EU agritech industry, already hampered by arguably the world's most stringent GMO regulations, in the form of the(recently ruled by the CJEU also to include gene-edited products, IPKat post here ). The appeal case decided yesterday, T 1063/18, related to Syngenta's EP patent application EP2753168 . The application seeks protection for a pepper plant. The application was rejected by the Examining Division in view of the Rule 28 amendment. Syngenta filed a notice of appeal and statement of grounds in April 2018. The TBA agreed to expedite proceedings in view of the many pending applications to which the issue of new Rule 28 is relevant. Oral Proceedings were held yesterday, 5 December 2018. In view of the nature of the appeal, the EPO also decided to enlarge the number of members on the Board to include 3 technical members and 2 legal members. Third party observations were filed by the European See Agency (ESA), urging the board to maintain the rejection in view of Rule 28. Third party observations were also filed in support of Syngenta, for example by Solynta (a potato seed breeding company). The EPO has not yet issued a statement regarding the decision, and IPKat is therefore indebted to our source and Katfriend Bart van Wezenbeek for information on the outcome of proceedings yesterday at the Board of Appeal, Haar . Broccoli/Tomatoes II decisions therefore stand. According to Bart, the Board found the matter so crystal clear that they did not see the need to refer the question to the Enlarged Board. Particularly, the Board found that Article164(2) EPC stipulates that the Articles have precedence over the rules, and the amendment to Rule 28 is therefore void. Thedecisions therefore stand. The case has now be remitted back to the Examining Division, for examination on clarity and inventive step. Yesterday's decision is an exciting turn of events for the European agritech industry. It seems that the legal uncertainty regarding plant and plant product inventions will continue for some time to come. (STIM) and the (SAMI) brought two separate proceedings against two companies that operate in the automobile leasing/renting industry. Both cases followed missed payment (since 2014) of yearly licensing fees to STIM and SAMI, and they are currently pending before the Swedish Supreme Court. This has now to stay the proceedings, and ask the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to clarify the scope of communication to the public in Article 3(1) of (InfoSoc Directive) and Article 8(2) of the (the Rental Rights Directive). The first case was brought by STIM against Fleetmanager, a company that leases vehicles, primarily to companies. The cars are equipped with built-in radio systems and are usually rented out to customers for a period of 29 days or less (short-term hire). The second case was brought by SAMI against Nordisk Biluthyrning, which leases vehicles to private individuals, governmental authorities, and various companies. According to evidence submitted, eleven of the vehicles leased by the company are for short-term hire. Background STIM submitted that Fleetmanager should be considered responsible for obtaining a licence to make radio equipment systems available in its own vehicles to listen to protected content. [C]opyright shall include the exclusive right to exploit the work by making copies of it and by making it available to the public []. However, Fleetmanager could not be regarded as participating in the unlicensed activity and Stims claim was therefore dismissed. The District Court held that the leasing of cars equipped with radios meant that protected subject matter would be made available to the public within the scope of Section 2 of the Swedish Copyright Act (SCA). This sets out that:[]. However, Fleetmanager could not be regarded as participating in the unlicensed activity and Stims claim was therefore dismissed. The Court of Appeal subsequently held that the scope of Section 2 of the SCA should be assessed in light of Article 3(1) of the InfoSoc Directive. The Court of Appeal reached the same conclusion as the District Court in regard to the liability claim. The case was therefore rejected. Following Fleetmanagers appeal to the Swedish Supreme Court, this submitted that leasing vehicles with built-in radio systems should not be considered as a "communication to the public" within the meaning of Article 3(1) of the InfoSoc Directive. In particular, leasing cars equipped with integrated radio receivers - which are an integral part of the cars' control and information systems is akin to providing the physical facilities required to enable or implement such transmission (as per Recital 27 of the of the InfoSoc Directive). Furthermore, the circle of people that rent vehicles cannot be regarded as "a public" that either, simultaneously, or in progression, listen to one and the same musical work via the radio in the rental car. Neither do the people who rent cars constitute a new public because they have the ability to access the same musical works which are being broadcasted through the car's radio, through their smartphones that can be connected to the car's control and information system. SAMI v Nordisk Biluthyrning Nordisk Biluthyrning also submitted to the Patent and Market Court that it does not publicly transmit or transfer sound recordings to the public. In particular, the company stated that it was not a communicating the works to the public, because the vehicles built-in radio system forms an integral part of the car's equipment. The company could not therefore be considered as carrying out any deliberate action but as merely providing the physical conditions for a communication to the public to take place. The Patent and Market Court reasoned that the relevant provision, namely Article 8(2) of the Rental Rights Directive substantially corresponds to the provision relating to "communication to the public" in Article 3(1) of the InfoSoc Directive. Thus, by providing radio receivers in rental cars, the company made audio recordings available to its customers, which constituted a communication to the public. The case was subsequently appealed to the Patent and Market Court of Appeal that reversed the first instance decision and held that the company could not be held liable. The referral from the Swedish Supreme Court Further to appeals to the Supreme Court, this stated that, according to CJEU case law, it is apparent that a communication to the public may take place in the manner envisaged by Article 3(1) of the InfoSoc Directive when transmissions are made by means of technical equipment to a nearby audience (e.g. in a cafe, rehabilitation centre, or a spa). Furthermore, the CJEU has held that hotel operators carry out a communication to the public in light of Article 8(2) of the Rental Rights Directive, when hotel rooms are equipped with phonograms available in digital or physical form and which can be played or intercepted ( Further to appeals to the Supreme Court, this stated that, according to CJEU case law, it is apparent that a communication to the public may take place in the manner envisaged by Article 3(1) of the InfoSoc Directive when transmissions are made by means of technical equipment to a nearby audience (e.g. in a cafe, rehabilitation centre, or a spa). Furthermore, the CJEU has held that hotel operators carry out a communication to the public in light of Article 8(2) of the Rental Rights Directive, when hotel rooms are equipped with phonograms available in digital or physical form and which can be played or intercepted ( Phonographic Performance Ireland, C-162/10 ). Nonetheless, the CJEU also came to the contrary conclusion regarding transmission of phonograms in a dental office ( Societa Consortile Fonografici, C-135/10 ). - Dingdong Dantes has expressed his observation towards LoiNie, MayWard and DonKiss - The Kapuso actor commended the three for having a solid relationship as a love team - He recalled that he also started with having onscreen partners before PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed After shooting the movie 'Fantastica' with Vice Ganda, Dingdong Dantes has a positive remarks towards the three of the biggest love teams of today. These are Loisa Andalio and Ronnie Alonte, Maymay Entrata who is paired with Edward Barber, and Kisses Delavin with Donny Pangilinan who are also part of the MMFF entry. As reported by PEP.ph, Dingdong commended the three pairs for being so close with each other. Personally, natuwa ako pag napapanood ko iyong tatlong love teams, kung gaano sila ka-close sa isat isa, he joyfully said. The 'Cain at Abel' star recollected those times when he started his career with an onscreen partner as well. He added that the pairs have also established a good relationship with other people around them. Kasi siyempre, naalala ko noong bata ako, di ba, na sa love team din nag-umpisa. Nakakatuwa how they are towards each other, and how they are sa mga tao sa paligid nila. Nakakakuwentuhan namin," he added. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! Their movie Fantastica is showing on December 25 along with other MMFF entries. In a previous report by KAMI, Dingdong Dantes' daughter revealed the name of their second baby. Dingdong tied the knot with Marian Rivera on December 30, 2014. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Filipinos Street Quiz: Philippines tricky questions - can you answer these tricky questions. This game appears simple: you should name the color of the word appearing on the screen. Let us see if you can pass it! on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that the taxes they are paying are safe with him - This came after the approval for the second round of fuel excise tax hikes for next year - However, the netizens were divided with regard to the pledge of the President PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed In a speech during the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas, President Rodrigo Duterte shared that the people should not be worried about paying taxes. KAMI learned that President Duterte reiterated that he will not allow corruption during his administration. KAMI brings this news to the readers to spread knowledge about the approval of the government for the second round of fuel excise tax hikes for 2019. Do not be so sad about being taxed because your money here during my term is safe. I will not allow corruption. I have fired so many Cabinet members for just an infraction," said the President as reported by CNN Philippines. In a report by Inquirer, as per Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act, there will be an additional P2.24 per liter for diesel and gasoline starting January 1, 2019. The P2 will be the excise tax, while the 24 centavos will be for the value-added tax (VAT). However, the netizens are divided in the pledge made by President Duterte. Here are some of their comments on the Facebook page of CNN Philippines: So Mr. President, we would like to clarify if this is one of your jokes or one of your broken promises? Kami na mag-adjust kasi huling sinabi mo joke yung sa marijuan. *Edit* tax payer here may right akong itanong kung saan ginagastos ang malaki kong tax monthly. May naimbag naman siguro ako kahit hindi to contribution sa Christmas party? I will not allow corruption but I simply love Estrada, Arroyo and Marcoses Bakit po kapartido at inindorso ng anak nyo yung mga nakasuhan at nakulong na dahil sa corruption? Yung sa hugpong ng ulupong? galit sa corrupt...ba't andyan pa c gloria sa kongreso...me pork barrel pa ngang pinapalusot eh!!! THANK YOU FOR SPENDING OUR TAXES TO #BUILDBUILDBUILD, free education, free hospital bills, pangkabuhayan para sa mga sumukong NPA at mga OFWs!! Too many things to be thankful for! God bless you, Mr President! I don't support ANY tax increase. But since it's going to happen, I trust the President and understand that the additional revenue will be used for intended purpose. Ang problema nang Pilipinas eh lahat gusto maging leader! panay batikos kahit pa sino man yung nagiging presidente,rally dito,rally doon.Lahat puro matatalino at magagaling! Puro reklamo eh di kayo na! Palitan nyo na ang Presidente at iba pang namumuno. sus ano lang ba yung 2 pesos compared sa 210 pesos na pinangbibili nyo ng Dark Mocha Frappe sa Starbucks everyday or everyweek As previously reported by KAMI, some senators and President Duterte are also open to legalize the use of medical cannabis in the Philippines after the remark he left about using it to remain awake amid erratic schedule. POPULAR: Read more news about President Duterte! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! HumanMeter team is tricking Filipinos in the street with the second part of our famous Beggar With A Twist prank. The reactions from the prank victims are just extremely hilarious! You can also check out our other videos on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - President Rodrigo Duterte shared that 90 percent of the priests are gay - He also claimed that the Catholic Church is the most hypocritical institution in the country - However, the President said he had no offense meant to the homosexuals PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed President Rodrigo Duterte said during his speech that almost 90 percent of the Catholic priests are homosexuals. KAMI learned that the President threw another criticisms to the priests of the Catholic Church during his speech at the Presidential Awards for Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas in Malacanang. KAMI brings this news to the readers to enlighten about the opinion of President Duterte about the Catholic Church. The President also made it clear that he has nothing against the homosexuals as reported by GMA News. No offense intended, I have so many relatives who are gay. I have two brothers-in-law who are gay, but most of the priests there are homosexuals. Almost 90 percent of you, so do not postulate on immorality," said the President. President Duterte reiterated that the Catholic church is the most hypocritical institution in the Philippines. The most hypocritical institution in the entire Philippines is the Catholic church and the pope knows that, he stated. In a report by Reuters, Pope Francis said that gay priests should either leave from priesthood or remain true to celibacy. As previously reported by KAMI, Pope Francis praised the Philippines as one of the great Catholic nations in the world. This was days after President Duterte anew his tirades against the Catholic church. POPULAR: Read more news about President Duterte! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! HumanMeter team is tricking Filipinos in the street with the second part of our famous Beggar With A Twist prank. The reactions from the prank victims are just extremely hilarious! You can also check out our other videos on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - Senator Antonio Trillanes challenged President Rodrigo Duterte to go through drug test - He said that if the President wants to be clear about his joke, he should go through it - The Palace commented to the challenged of Trillanes PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Senator Antonio Trillanes, known as a political critique of President Rodrigo Duterte , threw a challenge to the President. KAMI learned that the senator dared President Duterte to undergo a drug test once again as reported by ABS-CBN News. KAMI shares this news to the readers to spread awareness regarding the on-going drug war in the Philippines under the administration of Duterte. Duterte is desperately trying to contain the damage of his admission about marijuana use by saying it is just a joke. Too late! Bistado na sya na isa rin pala syang durugista," said Trillanes. According to Trillanes, if the President really meant it as a joke and that he is clean, he must undergo a drug test. "Now, if he really wants to clear himself, I am again calling on him to take a drug test," said the senator. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! It has been recorded that there were 5,000 killed due to the anti-drug war campaign since 2016. In a report by GMA News, the Palace responded about the challenge of Trillanes. Hindi niya [Duterte] papatulan yun. Nagtataka nga ako bat pinapatulan ninyo siya, said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. As previously reported by KAMI, President Duterte said that he was using marijuana as a tool to keep him awake amid his hectic schedule. The President quickly defended himself and said that he was just kidding. It has been reported before by KAMI that Trillanes went through a drug test and he then challenged the Presidential family to undergo the test as well for the public to know. POPULAR: Read more news about Senator Trillanes! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! HumanMeter team is tricking Filipinos in the street with the second part of our famous Beggar With A Twist prank. The reactions from the prank victims are just extremely hilarious! You can also check out our other videos on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - The House of Representatives approved on second reading the Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) - However, there are big changes proposed for the 1987 Constitution - Some of these are the removal of anti-dynasty provisions and term limit for government officials PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed The House of Representatives already approved for second reading the amendments for 1987 Constitution as well as the shift of Philippines to federalism. KAMI learned that there are 13 big changes that the House wants to be done in the Constitution as per Resolution of Both Houses (RBH) 15 as led by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Here are the changes as stated in RBH 15 as reported by Rappler: - No set number of federal states to be established. A federal state may be created as long as there is a petition to the Congress. - Limit of 4 years for the term of president and vice president with one chance for re-election - No anti-dynasty provisions - No two-term limit for senators - No three-term limit for district and party-list representatives - Bangsamoro Autonomous Region will be declared as a federal stare. - The elected president and vice president should come from same political party and should be elected as a team. - Only two political parties will be allowed; with the first two parties who have the most votes during the first election under federalism will be allowed - Candidates for president, vice president and Congress members should have college degree - Current President is not allowed for re-election in same position in 2022 - The incumbent vice president will be the successor of the president once he or she steps out of duty. - Instead of the Senate President, the House Speaker will be the chair of Commission on Appointments - National election will be set on the second Monday of May 2022. Elected officials will start their term at 12pm on June 30, 2022. Photo from Google Images Source: Facebook PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! House Speaker Arroyo said that RBH 15 will not be approved during the 17th Congress. In a report by Philippine Star, Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto II said that he doubts that the RBH 15 will make it in the Senate. Chances of the federal draft charter making it in the Senate at this point are very doubtful, said the Senate President. Sotto also added that the Senate is still too busy discussing about the proposed national budget. In a previous report by KAMI, Vice President Leni Robredo commented about the previous draft charter by Arroyo. It had been stated before that the Senate President will be the successor of the President which was changed for the new RBH 15. Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! HumanMeter team is tricking Filipinos in the street with the second part of our famous Beggar With A Twist prank. The reactions from the prank victims are just extremely hilarious! You can also check out our other videos on KAMI HumanMeter YouTube channel! Source: Kami.com.ph - Actor Vice Ganda never fails to amaze people with his ability of making other people laugh easily - During an episode of Its Showtime, he pranked his co-host Anne Curtis - This caused a lot of madlang people and netizens to laugh hard PAY ATTENTION: Click "See First" under the "Following" tab to see KAMI news on your News Feed Kapamilya comedian Vice Ganda once again caused the madlang people to laugh out loud for letting Anne Curtis experience an embarrassing yet funny moment on air. KAMI learned that the hilarious incident happened when the two prominent personalities were hosting the noontime show, Its Showtime. Vice was seen and heard delivering a serious statement about the countrys peace and security after learning that a contestant was from Basilan. The Phenomenal star expressed that he is looking forward to the time when the Philippines and its people will finally be able to live without danger in their lives. I still believe and hang on to my hope that in time, we will live in a place of peace and we will all enjoy a gun-less society, he stated. PAY ATTENTION: Using free basics app to access internet for free? Now you can read KAMI news there too. Use the search option to find us. Read KAMI news while saving your data! Seemed touched by the comedians statement, Vice and Anne attempted to hug each other but a hilarious moment just happened. The former Praybeyt Benjamin star did not hug his co-host but moved to her side which drew loud laughter from the audience. The actor reasoned out that his real intention was to call his personal assistant and ask for a tissue instead of hugging the Filipino-Australian actress. Here is the video of the prank: In a previous article by , the Kapamilya comedian revealed the content of the long text messages of Anne whenever she is mad. Vice is a Filipino comedian who has garnered numerous awards in his showbiz stint. In 2017, he was hailed by the Golden Laurel: LPU Batangas Media Awards as the Best Talk Show Host for the program, Gandang Gabi Vice. POPULAR: Read more news about Vice Ganda! Enjoyed reading our story? Download KAMI's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Filipino news! Let's Play: Pera or Bayong? We are again catching Filipinos and suggesting them to choose: they can either take money or the unknown present (native bag). What would you choose without knowing what's inside the bag? on HumanMeter! Source: Kami.com.ph Scientists suggest that the treasure was buried by a local banker during the years of the Ukrainian revolution. Head of the Cultural Heritage Department at the Kyiv City State Administration Oleksandr Nykoriak says archaeologists have found 2 kilograms of silver coins in the territory of the Ancient Kyiv Historic Reserve. "About 2 kilograms of silver coins of 1 ruble and 50/20/10 kopiyka denominations have been found in the basement of a building demolished in the '1970s in the territory of the Ancient Kyiv reserve," he wrote on Facebook on December 5. The coins, dated from 1817 to 1912, were found by an architectural and archaeological expedition, headed by Vsevolod Ivakin, of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, during security archaeological research. Archaeologists are still unaware of the treasure trove origin. Read alsoUkraine issues unique hexagonal coins (Photo) "However, there is a city legend. A bank was located in the nearby building and we can assume that its employee lived here. Archaeologists suggest that 'in the turbulent years of the Ukrainian revolution,' when life, unfortunately, ceased to be something worthy, special attention was paid to bankers. So, the owner hid his treasure in the basement and never got back to it," Nykoriak added. Scientists plan to restore the coins and hand them over to the Institute's Museum of Archeology. As UNIAN reported earlier, archaeologists had found an underground city in Kharkiv region. According to researchers, the dungeon was dug three and a half centuries ago. 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 Refinery29, the "young women"-targeting digital media company, is bringing its 29Rooms art installation to downtown L.A. OK, art installation-slash-selfie opportunity. They have celeb collaborators like Lena Waithe and Kesha, plus numerous artists and others helping to curate a wide variety of experiences. And some of the rooms have been switched up since its previous appearance in New York City. Refinery29 co-founder Piera Gelardi noted that they'd received feedback from previous runs to offer more chances to connect. Now you'll find a number of the rooms inviting you to be part of the exhibition. Some of the most striking rooms we saw were 2, 7, 13, 17, 25, 28, and 29. But act quick -- it's only in town Dec. 5-9. Here's what you can find inside its various spaces. ROOM 1: SHAKE IT OUT This wasn't set up yet at the media preview, but it features those inflatable tube men (you know, like at car dealerships) and encourages you to pull a T-Swift and shake alongside yourself. ROOM 2: INNER BEAUTY BALL Curated by New York night club House of Yes, they promise a three-minute dance party with the pro dancers trying to pull you in and get you to have fun. You can put your all into it -- because after a few minutes, they play "Hit The Road Jack" so more visitors can cycle in. ROOM 3: SONIC SANCTUARY Guests attend Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Refinery29) A room of mechanized gongs, in various sizes -- known as a Gamelatron -- create a soundscape amid low red light. A platform in the center invites you to sit or lay down and experience the sound coming from all around you. It's one of two paired rooms in the downstairs area of 29Rooms, offering a bonus that's not readily apparent when you first walk in. ROOM 4: SONIC SHADOW Sonic Shadow at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) Before you even reach the sanctuary, you'll see a modern dance performance created in response to the sound. Multiple giant shadow images of each dancer are created through the placement of red lights, creating the illusion of more dancers than you see in front of you. The low light means you probably wouldn't get any Instagrammable moments here anyway, but these rooms are among those where Refinery29 asks you to put your phone away and just enjoy the experience. If you're able to do so for a few minutes, maybe you'll have fun, who knows. ROOM 5: IN LIGHT OF YOU In Light of You at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) Stained glass lines a walkway with images presenting images of a spectrum of ideas about sex and gender. ROOM 6: BLIND DATE WITH DESTINY Guests interact with an installation during Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Refinery29) Visitors are invited to enter one of two sides of this room, with a barrier in between. Some instruction about palm reading is given out (one of a variety of pseudoscientific portions of 29Rooms), then one side of the room reads the palms of those on the other. ROOM 7: A LONG LINE OF QUEENDOM The A Long Line of Queendom room at Refinery29's 29Rooms. (Mike Roe/LAist) There are a number of social and political statements being made throughout 29Rooms, including this room. It celebrates black women and the power of a black woman's hair, with phrases on the wall about the black female experience. ROOMS 8-9: THE FULL PICTURE The Full Picture at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) Another branded collaboration, this time with TNT, the small faux theater shows short films from Refinery29's Shatterbox film series. It promotes female filmmakers. Ellen Pompeo (R) and guest attend Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Refinery29) The reason this is two rooms is that you can actually open up the screen and walk through to the other side, coming out to directors' chairs and a marquee promoting women in Hollywood. You can sit in those chairs for your own photos alongside the marquee if you want to go drop some truth bombs on your social media feeds. ROOM 10: KNOW! YOUR! RIGHTS! Kerri Medders interacts with an installation during Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Refinery29) A collaboration with the ACLU, this game show set features a game show wheel you can spin -- and when you pull off the piece of the wheel's pie you land on, you'll learn something about rights. There's also a test of strength that offers a variety of ways for you to get involved at its various levels. At the contestant stands, there are also, of course, opportunities to donate to the ACLU. ROOM 11: STAR MATTER Guest interacts with installation at Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Refinery29) Curated by Nicole Richie (what's up, Simple Life fans?), this features a starscape inside a tent, as well as a bright moon ball hanging overhead. It represents the California skies of the 1970s, and it's all set to classic rock, helping to put you in an otherworldly headspace. ROOM 12: 29QUESTIONS 29 Questions at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) Perhaps the most personal space, this room challenges you to share the answers to intimate questions with strangers. You're paired up and encouraged to bare your soul. ROOM 13: TEEN BEDROOM Teen Bedroom at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) This room delivers late '90s/ early 2000s teen bedroom vibes, from a Spice Girls poster to a functioning Nintendo 64 with Mario Kart running on it. (L-R) Hannah Simone, Angelique Cabral and Zoe Lister-Jones interact with Teen Bedroom at Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Refinery29) Everything is covered in fur, including the furry jackets in the closet, as you jump into a Pokemon-sticker-covered throwback room. Teen thoughts alongside a Saved By The Bell poster inside a room from Refinery29's 29Rooms art installation. (Mike Roe/LAist) There's even a message board filled with controversial teen opinions -- like that the Backstreet Boys are better than 'N Sync. Wait, what?! ROOM 14: MONEY MANTRAS The Money Matters exhibit from Refinery29's 29Rooms. (Mike Roe/LAist) A real-life version of Refinery29's Money Diaries column, it features a pyramid of piggy banks backed up by economic affirmations. There are even cards you can take with some of these phrases on them, then place them inside the piggy banks as your own symbolic way of taking your finances into your own hands. ROOM 15: THE VALUES STAND A newsstand of values from Refinery29's 29Rooms. (Mike Roe/LAist) One of the most obviously political displays, this stand features messages encouraging political engagement, paying women what they're worth, and more. Before the election, they offered people the chance to actually register to vote at a previous stop on the 29Rooms tour -- this time, they're encouraging you to get engaged for all those future elections, along with making a difference in your daily life. ROOM 16: PLAY, RESCUE, REPEAT Guest interacts with Play, Rescue, Reset at Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Refinery29) On the other hand, this is one of the most obviously branded displays. It's meant to give those who go through a feeling of luxury, while also reminding them "Hey Pantene, Pantene Pantene Pantene?" The experience teaches new ways to wear your hair, while also visiting an opulent hair product fantasyland. ROOM 17: IN TOUCH Guests interact with installation at Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Refinery29) One part ASMR plus one part blindfolded sensory experience equals this attraction. You put a mask put on, and some headphones, and you're taken into a hidden room. You're led through by the calm instructions, feeling your hands down a wall and touching items meant to make you feel as though you're in a cave, by a waterfall, in a field. Once you make your way through, you can peek back in to see what you were actually doing -- it's made up with objects that are at least a solid facsimile for what you're being told you're feeling while blindfolded. ROOM 18: A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR INNER CHILD From Refinery29's 29Rooms exhibition. (Mike Roe/LAist) The center of this room features amorphous statues representing you and your inner child, and you're encouraged here to engage in conversation with your own inner child. Slips of paper are provided for you to share with the world what your own inner child tells you -- they range from the profound to someone telling them that they should have gone to see Drake at the mall. Which is profound in its own way, we suppose. ROOM 19: ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE Go! Make art! At Refinery29's 29Rooms exhibition. (Mike Roe/LAist) In another interactive experience, multiple artists display their own work while also offering art classes to visitors. Go learn how to create art, including one artist teaching you how to do so with unexpected parts of your body. ROOM 20: BETWEEN THE SHEETS Between the Sheets at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) Despite the suggestive title, this is a lot tamer than it sounds. Another guided audio experience -- but this one allowing you to see where you're going. You listen to a poem by Rupi Kaur, while picking up and carrying sand, symbolizing what weighs you down, before disposing it at the end of your journey. The floor is covered in sand, so be careful to avoid that socks-full-of-sand feeling. ROOM 21: A DIFFERENT TUNE The Trans Chorus of Los Angeles sings at Refinery29's 29Rooms. (Mike Roe/LAist) Two local L.A. choirs rotate in this presentation from GLAAD and the Trans Chorus, presenting joyful music by rainbow-clad choir members. ROOM 22: LOVE LETTER TO THE WORLD Love Letter To The World at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) Performance artist Cocovan presents an ongoing project, where people are encouraged to contribute to a love letter to the world. You can add your own words to writing from thousands of others from 115 countries on long scrolls, which would reach skyscraper-height if allowed to fully roll out. ROOMS 23-24: NO FILTER Lena Waithe attends Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Refinery29) Two rooms with different light setups give you the chance to strike a pose. You'll see the different ways that light can change your look thanks to angles, color, and shadow. ROOM 25: CLAIM THE STAGE Get on stage without the fear of bombing, because there's no audience! The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel room at Refinery29's 29Rooms. (Mike Roe/LAist) Another branded space, this one from Amazon Prime promotes the near-universally beloved Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which conveniently comes back for its second season this week. You can get up onstage and grab the old-school microphone -- and they'll also give you the chance to get your own name on the board to replace that of Midge Maisel. New nicely labeled profile pics, anyone? ROOM 26-27: YOU ARE MAGIC Get woo-woo with the Hoodwitch in Refinery29's 29Rooms. (Mike Roe/LAist) This collaboration with the Hoodwitch (yes, that is a thing) is another on the new age side of things, as you choose between rooms in a pseudo-cave environment. No, this isn't one of the stations from Lost, we promise. (At Refinery29's 29Rooms.) (Mike Roe/LAist) They're crystal caves, like Krypton. The Hoodwitch helps guide visitors to tap into what's described as their own inner magic. ROOM 28: DEEP SEA GALAXY: WELCOME TO MY MIND So, which part of Kesha's mind did she write "TiK ToK" in? (Mike Roe/LAist) One of the biggest names to curate a room is pop star Kesha, and her room invites you to visit a world that's part-space, part-ocean. You even get offered a helmet to start your journey into sea-space, offering you a tinted perspective at neon jellyfish, stalactites and stalagmites, and more dayglo wonder. ROOM 29: OH SAY CAN YOU SEE The Full Picture at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) The 29th room is one of the most powerful, curated by writer/actress Lena Waithe. You enter a dark room surrounded by four screens -- sometimes the same images are projected on each, and sometimes they differ. The Full Picture at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) They juxtapose black excellence against discrimination and violence against blacks, with most of the film scored to Whitney Houston's breathtaking rendition of the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. BONUS: MORE BRANDING, THE 29TH DIMENSION, AND THE PLAN B HOTLINE Anita Procedure (L) and Gigi Goode perform during Refinery29 Presents 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality at The Reef on Dec. 4, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Refinery29) You'll find more branding from Birchbox in their Hello Beautiful display -- basically a glorified makeup counter -- along with a drag show courtesy of Smirnoff. The Plan B Hotline at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) In one of the more serious of the other exhibits, there's a series of phone booths sponsored by Plan B. You can pick up the phone and hear real stories from people who relied on emergency contraception. An interior view at the Refinery29 29Rooms Los Angeles 2018: Expand Your Reality Press Conference at The Reef on Dec. 3, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29) There are also various "the 29th Dimension" locations throughout the space. They offer you a chance to unlock and make use of special Instagram filters, as you share your experience on social media. There, you made it through 29 rooms and more! Now go rest your legs and upload all the photos you didn't get a chance to post yet. You made it! Congrats, you read the entire story, you gorgeous human. This story was made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism costs $$$$$. And now that LAist is part of KPCC, we rely on that support. So if you aren't already, be one of us! Help us help you live your best life in Southern California. Donate now. 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 Echo Park landmark House of Spirits Liquor Store on Sunset Boulevard caught fire this morning, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The department first tweeted out the fire at 8:56 a.m., noting that smoke was "showing from the attic." #StructureFire; INC#0638; 9:46AM; 1571 W Sunset Bl; https://t.co/NvNpapQRVb; #EchoPark; One story commercial building with smoke showing from the attic; FS 20; Batt 11; #CentralBureau; Council District 13; BC11 BC2 E20 E220 E235 ... https://t.co/MsMoKQcRYQ LAFD Central (@LAFDcentral) December 6, 2018 Images on Twitter show smoke billowing up from the building, and firefighters going after the blaze -- and simultaneously sheltering themselves from the rain under umbrellas -- from the roof. House of Spirits Echo Park Firefighters on roof. pic.twitter.com/bKQiMHYTZb Pete (@Silverlake_Pete) December 6, 2018 At 9:10 a.m., LAFD updated the status of the fire and described their response, writing on their website that heavy fire was coming from the back of the building, and that firefighters were "continuing a coordinated fire attack." As of 9:37 a.m., firefighters were still battling the blaze. At 11:15 a.m., LAFD reported that the fire was put out. The blaze was extinguished in one hour and 15 minutes. Update KNOCKDOWN #StructureFire; INC#0638; 9:46AM; 1314 N Echo Park Av; https://t.co/FQ4II23p4W; #EchoPark; 77 Firefighters extinguished the heavy flames from a 50' x 70' one-story commercial building; The blaze extended through ... https://t.co/TblNWPjcnS LAFD Central (@LAFDcentral) December 6, 2018 UPDATES: Dec. 6, 12:20 p.m.: This article was updated to reflect that the fire has been put out. This article was originally published at 11:07 a.m. 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. 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 Heads up, California babies. The governor-elect, Gavin Newsom, is looking to make your life better. Newsom -- the father of four kids under the age of 9 -- has called himself a fanatic about early childhood issues, and has said improving care and education for infants, toddlers and preschoolers is a top priority. Newsom's education plan starts with a focus on the first three years of life, and calls eliminating child poverty the "north star" of his administration. "No one should be surprised,"he told KPCC/LAist. "When I get in there, that first budget will reflect this priority." This could affect roughly 3 million California kids aged 5 and under. This is not a whim for Newsom. He talked about it at debates and events. And during the election, his campaign released only two televised ads -- both were child focused. "Even my campaign team is like, 'Why are you doing those ads? Attack your opponent," he told KPCC/LAist in November. "And I'm like, 'No, let's use this campaign as an educational tool.'" Here are some of the challenges he'll face: POVERTY 1 in 5 California children live in poverty. COST FOR PARENTS The market price for licensed care for infants and toddlers can can easily outpace the cost of in-state tuition for University of California schools. Annual costs of infants/toddlers: $9,400-$15,100. Annual cost for kids 2-5: $8,800-$10,000. WAGES FOR THE WORKFORCE The median hourly wage for a childcare worker in 2017 was $12.29. For a preschool teacher is was $16.19. More than half of the early childhood workforce qualifies for some form of public assistance. PROGRAM SUPPLY Statewide, only 1 in 8 families can find a licensed center to provide care for their infants and toddlers. FUNDING MAZE Money for programs flows through a tangled web of federal, state, local and private sources. LET'S START AT THE VERY BEGINNING. A VERY GOOD PLACE TO START. It's not everyday that you hear political candidates talking about brain science, but Newsom regularly spouts facts about all of the brain structure that develops in the first three years. In fact, it was a regular topic during primary debates, due in part to a coordinated effort by early childhood advocates to make it a regular talking point. He wants parents and caregivers to know about early brain development and the importance of talking, singing, reading and playing with kids. "I wasn't aware of it," he said. "My wife went to Stanford and all this fancy stuff and we had no idea with our first two kids -- that is the most determinant three years of a young person's life." He also said he wants to expand care for infants and toddlers, nurse home-visits for first-time mothers and prenatal support. Newsom has already made investments in the early childhood years. As mayor of San Francisco, he prioritized the expansion of preschool for 4-year-olds. In 2004, local voters passed a publicly funded Preschool for All program to reduce costs to families across income levels. Despite the victory, Newsom told KPCC/LAist that he "blew the opportunity to focus zero to three." Child advocacy groups have started releasing videos and policy briefs highlighting their issues of choice for the governor-elect, and we will be following the funding and policies affecting young children under Newsom's administration. Meanwhile, we've asked some key players in the field what they what they're hoping to see. KRISTIN SCHUMACHER, senior analyst, California Budget and Policy Center PRIORITY: RESTORING SUBSIDIZED CHILD CARE SYSTEM There were major cuts to funding for state-run child care and preschool programs for low- and moderate-income families after the recession. Funding has slowly eeked back up to 2007-08 levels, but demand still outweighs supply. Schumacher told us restoring this should be a top priority. "We know that if we provide families with resources, such as access to subsidized child care, that they're able to work and maintain employment because they know that their kids are in a safe and stable and consistent environment that they can rely on while they go to work. That's really important because we want to boost familles' resources and we know that really benefits kids in the long run." ANTHONY RENDON, Speaker of the California State Assembly PRIORITY: UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL Rendon, who worked as a preschool director before he became a legislator, wants to prioritize creating a publicly funded universal preschool program for all 4-year-olds. He told us that he and Newsom are committed to achieving it "at some point in the near future." Lawmakers see it as a way to close the achievement gap and address poverty. Just Tuesday, Assemblyman Kevin McCarty, who also has a background in early childhood, introduced legislation to expand pre-K access for 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families. Rendon created a Blue Ribbon Commission in 2017 aimed at streamlining the early childhood education system. Subcommittees focused on access, financing, workforce and family engagement are set to release reports next spring. With Newsom's support and a growing number of legislators who've worked in early childhood (McCarty, Sen. Holly Mitchell, and now Assemblywoman Sydney Kamlager) he hopes to make real change. "There's a whole cadre of people who spent their career in early ed, so it is a special time," said Rendon. SEPTEMBER JARRETT, former director of San Francisco's Office of Early Care and Education PRIORITY: CARE FOR INFANTS AND TODDLERS During his time as San Francisco's mayor, Newsom gave momentum to preschool funding; now more than 90 percent of public school kindergarteners in the city have been to preschool before kindergarten. But there are big gaps in care for babies and toddlers, and Jarrett wants to close them. "Like other communities throughout the state, we have huge challenges in access to infant and toddler care and issues of affordability," said Jarrett. In San Francisco, infant-toddler care is available for about 15 percent of children. In Los Angeles County, just 11 percent are in licensed care settings. Addressing this, Jarrett told us, also means expanding paid family leave. "Parents of young children are stressed and stretched both to earn their living and to raise their kids and are forced to make really difficult choices, both because of the high costs and lack of availability of quality options, or any options, in a lot of places in the state." TONIA McMILLIAN, family child care provider PRIORITY: COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE WORKERS Home daycares make up about a third of the total licensed child care supply. They're usually a more affordable option and are more likely to have slots for infants and toddlers than other child care settings. The median income for family child care providers is around $12 an hour, and low pay, cuts to subsidies and lack of benefits are causing more and more of the businesses to close. McMillian and more than 800 providers have turned to SEIU Local 99, the education workers union, which is allowing them to voluntarily pay dues with the hopes of gaining collective bargaining rights to improve wages, safety and benefits. "At the same time parents are struggling to pay their own rent, providers are struggling to pay our own rent and to pay expenses and keep our doors open," said McMillian. "We've got to make sure that providers have equitable wages for the work that we do." Newsom has signed a pledge saying he'll support collective bargaining efforts. KIM BELSHE, executive director of First 5 LA PRIORITY: APPOINTING EARLY CHILDHOOD SUPPORTERS TO KEY POSITIONS Belshe has been in lead policy positions during three gubernatorial transitions in the state. She told KPCC/LAist that in addition to funding and policy reform, sustained support for the issues over the course of a term depend on who a governor puts in key roles. "I think that's particularly important for early childhood development because it's not like there's a secretary for early childhood development," said Belshe. One of the first hires of Newsom's administration is incoming chief of staff Ann O'Leary, who among other achievements, advised President Obama's transition team on early childhood education. Belshe hopes Newsom will name a point person who can corral ideas and resources to breakdown silos between school districts, public health, social services and other areas. "That's thinking and acting beyond early care and education, to also focus on family strengthening and child health. And there's no one agency that does that." MARY IGNATIUS, statewide organizer for Parent Voices, CA PRIORITY: MAKING SURE PARENTS A SEAT AT THE TABLE When politicians roll out new policies, they often don't include the parents who have to navigate the systems and programs, Ignatius told KPCC/LAist. She hopes to see an effort, in Newsom's first 100 days, in which the administration meets with the parents who are directly impacted by the policy and funding decisions. "Folks underestimate just how smart and thoughtful and engaged parents are, particularly low-income parents and low-income parents of color," she said. "They live and breathe our childcare system everyday, and if you sit down and talk to them about what it takes to improve that system, you will get 5, 10, 15, 20 policy ideas that are reasonable, that are doable." And since it is easy to separate issues within early childhood into separate (and competing) age groups and initiatives, Ignatius has this reminder: "If the governor wants to prioritize infant and toddler care, then [his administration] has to be prioritizing families with infant and toddlers, with the recognition that they might have a 4-year-old or a 10-year-old and that entire family needs a system of care. Families don't look at any of these things through a single lens, and we shouldn't either. This governor has the aptitude to look at these things very comprehensively and not try and pick winners and losers." 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. A New Way of Life Reentry Project Honors Social Justice Champions When Susan Burton founded A New Way of Life Reentry Project in 1998, she wanted to assist women who were newly released from prison. After serving six terms in prison herself, she had experienced firsthand the despair and hopelessness of having nowhere to turn. Launching her agency in a three-room bungalow in Watts, she didnt have a lot of resources, but she did have an abundance of determination and two decades later, the fruits of her labors have paid off. A New Way of Life (ANWOL) currently operates seven homes, where it has housed more than 1,000 women and children, reunited 300+ women with their children and extended free legal services to over 2,500 formerly incarcerated individuals. In addition, the group provides case management, advocacy and leadership development to hundreds of women. ADVERTISEMENT I started A New Way of Life alone, but Im not alone anymore, said Burton in her Founders Message. There are so many who stand side-by-side with me in so many ways and who help build powerful pathways to change. In recognition of its progress, the organization marked its 20th anniversary on Dec. 2, in a gala affair held at the L.A. Grand Hotel. The theme was Remembering the Woman and a capacity crowd of supporters filled the ballroom to celebrate with Burton and her team. Many in the audience were current and former clients of ANWOL, who remarked on their transformation after encountering Burton and her agency. April Adkins, who served 28 years in prison, was appointed ANWOLs housing coordinator in September. In her view, ANWOL is a safe place to live. Its hope for those of us who came home and didnt know which way we were going to go. It gives us things that people forgot that we needed when coming back into society. Another former resident, Tiffany Johnson, now serves as ANWOLs co-director and reflected, ANWOL is a place that provides endless opportunities for women and that is wrapped around with so much love and support, that a women cant do anything but succeed. The gala featured a salute to four champions of social justice. Following an invocation by Crystal D. Crawford of the California Wellness Foundation and remarks by L.A. County Supv. Mark Ridley-Thomas, emcee Val Zavala introduced Academy Award-winning actress Natalie Portman to present the Flozelle Woodmore Award to Ingrid Archie, a former ANWOL resident. A product of a violent home and the foster care system, Archies life eventually landed in prison and shortly after her release, lost her children to foster care. She came to ANWOL in 2015, whichresulted in her regaining custody of her children and working full-time as an advocate for ANWOL. She educates women in L.A. County jails, conducts leadership training for formerly incarcerated women and serves on the executive steering committee of Californians for Safety and Justice. Attorney Peter Sheehan received the Community Champion Award in honor of his long career of fighting for the constitutional and civil rights of others. He worked for the ACLU in 1971, where he represented Black Panthers targeted by law enforcement. As the founder of the Social Justice Law Project, Sheehan successfully argued cases such as Gresher v. Anderson (2005) and Doe v. Saenz (2006) that infringed upon rights of formerly incarcerated individuals. Margaret Prescod of KPFK radio earned the Movement Builder Award for using her platform to highlight social injustices. She hosts the Sojourner Truth public affairs program and a founding member of the Every Mother is a Working Mother Network. Her effort to publicize the serial murders of Black women in South L.A. in the 1980s was dramatized in the HBO film, Tales of the Grim Sleeper. Prescod is also the author of Black Women Bringing It All Back Home. The Industry Impact Award went to Ellen Adler, publisher of The New Press. Adler, who will release Burtons memoir, Becoming Ms. Burton, in 2019, has also published several acclaimed works including Race to Incarcerate by Marc Mauer, The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and Chokehold by Paul Butler. ADVERTISEMENT As for the future, ANWOL has established the SAFE (Sisterhood Alliance for Freedom and Equality) Network. Burton said the initiative will train others to replicate the A New Way of Life model on a national and international scale. An Invitation From Inglewood City Clerk Horton The Los Angeles County Registrar Recorder is proposing to replace polling places with Vote Centers, which are basically larger consolidated polling places. Historically, they were called polling places because they were located in the homes and garages of neighbors. Today, millions of people enjoy waking up on Election Day and going to their neighborhood polls to cast their vote. In the city of Inglewood, Yvonne Horton, the Inglewood city clerk, has kept this tradition alive by maintaining polling places in neighborhoods throughout the city and intends to keep it that way as she helps to implement SB 415. Under SB 415, the local city elections are now consolidated with the county. Although this is causing some confusion, the date of the election has changed, but most things remain the same. Instead of the city hiring consultants like Martin and Chapman Co. to count votes on Election Day, the Los Angeles County Registrar Recorders Office (LACRRO) is now responsible for counting. The city clerks, as local election officers, will continue to work with the LACRRO to monitor the process, which Horton has done for the past 16 years. ADVERTISEMENT You may have heard the saying, The more things change, the more they remain the same. To assure that your experience of going to the polls is improved, the Inglewood city clerk is inviting you to voice your opinion on the details of setting up these new Vote Centers at a meeting hosted by the L.A. County Registrar Recorders Office (CRRO) scheduled for December 11, 2018 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the Inglewood City Hall, One W. Manchester Blvd Inglewood, in Community Room A. As your chief election officer I will continue to be responsible for monitoring the vote counting process to make sure everyone who wants to vote can and that their vote is counted, Horton said. We will also have city staff working Election Day to assure access to the Vote Center and respond to voter inquires. The city clerk is additionally requesting that the polling locations placed in the Inglewood accommodate seniors, students, the disabled and others with special needs. This will include a mobile or popup sites at Inglewood City Hall. Noteworthy, city clerks will continue to be responsible for ALL of the major election related voting duties, which are the bulk of the complexities of the election process. Dont be misled, other than consolidating local elections with the county, your city clerk will be there for you, said Horton Voting is a privilege that should not be restricted in any way. Black Historian and Archeologist Makes A First Over the past decade, we have been able to uncover the hidden histories of people who have been written out of their own history, said cultural historian, Egyptian archeologist, author and educational consultant, Anthony Browder, on the latest find in Egypt. We have raised the profile of African Americans in Egypt and are now seen as archeologists, financiers and tourists. Its a major game changer. ADVERTISEMENT In May 2018, Browder, his daughter Atlantis and the ASA Restoration Project excavation team discovered 2700-year-old, Kushite artifacts that are now installed in the Egyptian Museum in Luxor. He makes history as the first African American to lead and fund an archeological excavation project in Egypt. Through our archeological discoveries, we have been able to tell a story of 25th dynasty kings and nobles that has never been told, said Browder. And we are able to connect Kushite history with Kemetic history, and the history of civilizations in West Africa. We will be producing books and documentaries of our findings for the next 50 years. Browder added, I am fortunate to have met and cultivated working relationships with Ivan Van Sertima, John Henrik Clarke, Yosef ben-Jochannan, Asa Hilliard, John G. Jackson, Frances Welsing, Naim Akbar, Leonard Jefferies and other African-centered scholars who befriended me and nurtured my development over several decades. They prepared me to recognize opportunities before they appeared and position myself to take full advantage of them. I am honored to have the opportunity to do what they were unable to do in their careers, and am dedicated to create opportunities for those who will follow in my footsteps. Based in Washington D.C., Browder was born in Chicago and attended Howard University in 1971. He graduated from Howard in 1974, with a [bachelor of fine arts] and an emphasis on graphic design and advertising. Browder has made many of these amazing treks with his daughter Atlantis, having been to Egypt 56 times, with his daughter along for 13 of those trips. She grew up meeting all of the scholars I referenced earlier and I am preparing her to continue my legacy, said Browder. As new discoveries are made at our site in Egypt, she is always the first one to enter these rooms so that history will record that she was the first African American inside of the burial chambers of Karakhamun and Karabasken, and the newly discovered tomb where we recently found the canopic jars of Amenirdis. ADVERTISEMENT This year is the 10th anniversary of the ASA Restoration Project that was established to honor the late Dr. Asa G. Hilliard III, an esteemed psychologist, historian, master teacher, and author who has been internationally recognized for his outstanding scholarship regarding ancient Egyptian history. The project is named in honor of Asa Hilliard and is my way honoring a man who played a pivotal role in my life and my career, said Browder. According to Browder, the past decade has seen the excavation and restoration of the 2700-year-old tombs of Karabasken, the Mayor of Waset (Luxor and Karnak) and Karakhamun, a priest, who played a major role in organizing cultural and spiritual activities at Karnak Temple the largest temple on earth. Browder and his team are still working to better understand and share the ancient knowledge that will change understanding of Nile Valley history and culture. As an educator, he is making sure that this knowledge is passed down to the next generations. All of my books are used in school systems throughout America and around the world, said Browder. Ive authored six books, co-authored two books with my daughter and four books with others. Browder added, We have just developed a Saturday academy that will be held in 12 cities and will be expanding to other cities in the near future. Browder and his team are set to complete the restoration and open the tombs in 2023. They also have plans to create a Visitors Center and a research facility for African Americans in Luxor, Egypt. I have been doing this work for 37 years and will spend the rest of my life training my replacements, said Browder. In other wordsthe best is yet to come. Burns Releases A Prayer Book for Healing Author Tierra Burns offers a timely resource to help people tap into the power of prayer. Her new work, Bombarding Heaven in Unity: A Prayer Book for Healing aims to assist those who may be uncomfortable communicating with God. Explaining her reason for addressing this topic, Burns said her two-fold goals are to encourage people to increase their prayer life and learn to pray before a crisis occurs. My ultimate goal is to express the power of prayer in Gods healing process and introduce prayer as a lifestyle to build a relationship with God, said Burns. I felt called to put into writing prayers that can be used to intercede for others and pray for a situation that one may encounter in their daily life. ADVERTISEMENT Her prayer samplings cover a range of contemporary topics such as mental illness, physical disabilities and relationship dilemmas. She also suggests entreaties that speak to domestic violence, racism and sexual trauma. I live by the motto, Live to Inspire, Dare to Dream, and Hope for Healing. I think this book provides hope for healing in this broken world, said Burns. This is just the first step with communicating with God, but when God speaks, there must be more action of obeying God in the midst of the trials and tribulations. Certainly, Burns overcame trials to reach this point in her life. After earning a Bachelors degree at North Carolina Central University, she served as an automated logistical specialist in the U.S. Army. From there, Burns enrolled in the University of Southern California where received her Masters of Social Work degree in 2015. She also participated in the schools ROTC program, which led to her being commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army. Shortly after graduation, her journey entered another phase when she accepted her call to the ministry. She preached her trial sermon at Walker Temple AME Church, also in 2015, and the next year joined the U.S. Army Chaplain Candidate Program. I also started seminary at Pepperdine University in 2016 and then transferred to Fuller Theological Seminary in 2017. I will graduate with my Masters of Divinity from Fuller this December, said Burns, who plans to become a social worker at the VA Hospital and serve as a chaplain candidate (first lieutenant) at the 420th Combat Sustainment Support Brigade. Currently attending Christ Our Redeemer AME Church in Irvine, Burns recently entered the denominations ordination program as well with the support of her pastor, the Rev. Mark E. Whitlock Jr., who said, Tierra is a very thoughtful woman with many gifts. She is an answer to our prayers for Christ Our Redeemer AME Church. Although her schedule is full, Burns remains confident that she can achieve her goals with Gods help along with promoting Bombarding Heaven in Unity: A Prayer Book for Healing. One of my favorite scriptures is Luke 10:19, which reads, Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. This scripture gives hope and reminds us that God has given us everything we need to get through our trials, tribulations, and anything the enemy tries to throw at us. ADVERTISEMENT Bombarding Heaven in Unity: A Prayer Book for Healing is available on Amazon.com, christianbooks.com, goodreads.com and in local bookstores. EXCLUSIVE: Camille Cosby Speaks to the Black Press About Hate Groups, Racism, History and Voting Rights Racism and prejudice are omnipresent and internalized within Americas institutions, media and myriad entities. One example can be traced to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, according to Camille Cosby, wife of imprisoned Bill Cosby. While her husband languishes in a Pennsylvania prison, Mrs. Cosby said its important to keep his case at the forefront of the publics awareness because of the injustice done. She also wanted to remind Black America of the importance of the Voting Rights Act that she long ago predicted would be dialed back by politicians who sought to deprive African Americans of their so-called inalienable right to vote. ADVERTISEMENT And, in an editorial she wrote exclusive for Black Press USAprior to the 2018 midterm elections, she urged African Americans to vote for justice, equality and democracy. The American people have been dangerously close to being governed by a dictatorship intent on serving its own greedy interests even, when it results in eradicating the laws that protect humanity, Mrs. Cosby said. Many of todays politiciansespecially those who are heavily financed by particular corporate entitiesare becoming increasingly dangerous enemies of our human rights. She continued: However, history teaches us that we, the People of the United States, can purge this danger from our nations political offices. Indeed, President Richard Nixons corrupt presidency was finally brought to an end when the people rose up and demanded that their representatives be held accountable. We must do the same today. That the Voting Rights Act had even been tampered with is indicative of the society black Americans are faced with, Mrs. Cosby said. ADVERTISEMENT No other Americans are subjected to this oppressive nonsense, she said. For those who might mistakenly believe that Mrs. Cosby is simply speaking out because of her husbands predicament, she easily and understandably scoffs at such a notion. After all, she and Mr. Cosby have donated more than $200 million to Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as dozens of integrated schools most of whom have rescinded honorary degrees to Bill Cosby but hadnt returned the millions of dollars the family has donated. The Cosbys have also loaned their extensive African art collections to museums and other institutions of higher learning. Following the murder of her only son, Ennis Cosby, more than 20 years ago in Los Angeles, Mrs. Cosby wrote an essay in which she spoke fiercely about Americas hate and racism. She blamed America for teaching Mikail Markhasev, her sons killer, to hate black people because of the various and pervasive forms of racism in our society. I believe America taught our sons killer to hate African Americans. After Mikail Markhasev killed Ennis on Jan. 16 1997, he said to friends, I shot a nigger. Its all over the news, Mrs. Cosby wrote Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, an expert on race relations and family friend of the Cosbys told CBS News after the essay was published that Mrs. Cosby felt the media had played down the racial aspect of the case. This young man didnt like black people. He used the word nigger Poussaint said. I think that this was played down so much that Camille felt the need to present this to the American public. Poussaint noted that the crime had been called a botched robbery, but that Markhasev had shot Cosby in the head and did not take his cash, watch or car. I think theres reason to believe he shot Ennis Cosby because Ennis Cosby was a black man, Poussaint said. Camille noted that the killer of her only son probably did not learn to hate black people in his native country, Ukraine. Where, she noted, the black population is near zero. She added, he was not likely to have seen Americas intolerable, stereotypical movies and television programs about blacks, which were not shown in the Soviet Union before the killer and his family moved to America in the late 1980s. She also wrote about the risk of being black in America. All African Americans, regardless of their educational and economic accomplishments, have been and are at risk in America, simply because of their skin color. Poussaint, a psychology professor at Harvard agreed. Shes saying that, as long as you have hate groups that are targeting black people, theres a risk that they may randomly pick any black person and kill them, Poussaint said. Mrs. Cosby writes that propaganda against people of color is evident in the representation of holy figures in Christianity, who have been recreated in images of whiteness. In some ways, it creates or endorses white supremacist kinds of imagery within religion, which has been a problem for people of color and has been a problem for African Americans. In 1997, Mrs. Cosby wrote: African-Americans, as well as all Americans, are brainwashed every day to respect and revere slave-owners and people who clearly waffled about race. In truth, the enslavement of millions of Africans immeasurably enriched the treasuries of Americas government and individuals. Interestingly, several slave-owners images are on Americas paper currencies: George Washington ($1), Thomas Jefferson ($2), Alexander Hamilton ($10), Andrew Jackson ($20), Ulysses Grant ($50) and Benjamin Franklin ($100). Grant was the last U.S. president to own slaves. Even Abraham Lincoln ($5) said, I do not stand pledged to the prohibition of the slave trade between the states I, as much as any man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the White race. Americas educational institutions dictionaries define black as harmful; hostile; disgrace; unpleasant aspects of life, Mrs. Cosby said. Meanwhile, she said, White is described as decent; honorable; auspicious; without malice. A medical school at the University of Texas in Galveston conducted a controversial study primarily on black babies from 1956 to 1962. The researchers withheld an essential fatty acid from the babies formulas that humans need for the growth of the whole body and nervous system, Mrs. Cosby said. Those black babies were used as laboratory animals, and several of the infants died during the course of the study. Previously, this research had been done on dogs. This is just one of several unethical medical studies on African-Americans that has been documented. In 2018, Mrs. Cosby says: Our ancestors fought for the right to [vote]. They were jailed, were beaten, were killed for fighting for our right to vote. Yet, too often, we do not exercise that most important right. We overlook the mid-term elections because we forget how greatly they can impact our lives. But, as I learned from [Montgomery County District Attorney] Kevin Steeles election in 2015, a corrupt politician at any level is a danger to the American people, and even more so when that politician has promised to act in service of his own toxic ambitions and racial hatred. House Democrats choose Jim Clyburn as Majority Whip House Democrats have re-elected Rep. Steny Hoyer in their No. 2 spot and Rep. Jim Clyburn as the third-ranking Democrat, reinstating their entire leadership team for the new Congress. Hoyer of Maryland is set to become majority leader, while Clyburn of South Carolina will become the whip. They both ran unopposed despite the desire among some Democrats for new leadership. Democrats also nominated Nancy Pelosi as their choice for speaker. The California Democrat had no challenger, but will need a majority of votes from the full House to become speaker when the new Congress convenes in January. ADVERTISEMENT The three Democrats, all in their 70s, are pledging to bring up the next generation of Democratic leaders. Its an acknowledgement their time at the helm of the new House majority could be limited. Clyburn released the following statement about his election to the post: I thank all my House Democratic colleagues for the faith and confidence they have expressed in me to serve as Majority Whip in the 116th Congress. I am deeply honored to have the support of our Caucus and humbly accept this position with a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. As I said to my colleagues today, America is already a great country: our challenge is to make its greatness apply fairly and equitably to all of its people. As the only member of elected leadership from a red state and largely rural district, I will work tirelessly to be a voice for the millions of Americans who feel left out and communities that are too often left behind. I am committed to staying connected to all of our Caucuses and regions and building a whip operation that is reflective of the diversity of our Caucus and that empowers a new generation of Members to have a voice in our legislative process. IN MEMORIAM: Black Business Advocate Aubry L. Stone Remembered He fought tirelessly to secure economic opportunities for African Americans throughout the state and beyond and now, after a long battle with cancer, hes at rest. Aubry Stone, founder and CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce died Nov. 28. He was 74 years old. Stone, affectionately referred to by many as Stoney, was a formidable champion for Black entrepreneurs and was considered to be a giant in the small business community. While he was a native of Brooklyn, New York, his name was synonymous with California and was a familiar face and voice at the State Capitol. ADVERTISEMENT He was a pioneer and fierce advocate for minority business enterprise and for the Black community. He championed equal opportunities in the private and public sectors, and always talked about the need for better access to capital, shared Los Angeles City Councilmember and former Assemblymember Curren Price. Aubry Stone was a fierce unapologetic supporter of all things Black, shared former California Assemblymember Cheryl Brown. He was our champion. Stone and five others created the California Black Chamber of Commerce in 1995 with the mission of providing programs and services to strengthen Black ownership and business opportunities throughout the state. The California Black Chamber of Commerce Foundation also operates radio station KDEE 97.5 FM. He was also the founder and president of A. Stone & Associates, a corporate diversity-training firm designed to improve communications for increased productivity and break down stereotypes. He also took on national leadership roles, at a time serving on the Pfizer National Minority Business Board and as Chairman of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. He recently travelled to Africa to explore and promote business opportunities for Black business owners. Stone was also a founding member of the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. In his honor, the USBC created the Aubry Stone Advocate of the Year award, through which individuals such as Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Senator Corey Booker, Governor John Kasich, Congressman G. K. Butterfield, received this recognition. ADVERTISEMENT Aubry was like a second father to me during my adult life, said USBC President/CEO Ron Busby. He was full of sound and experienced advice. He was worldly in his travel, spiritual in his beliefs, which gave him a calming perspective on life. He was a visionary man with a commitment to the improvement of the Black community through entrepreneurial growth and development. Aubry, like Parren James Mitchell, Reginald Lewis, Ron Brown and so many others, will always be remembered but their impact will be felt long after theyre forgotten, Busby added. Stone served on the California Regional Community Utilities Diversity Council, the Citibank Regional Community Board, the California Small Business Advisory Board, the CalTrans Small Business Board, and the Greenlining Coalition. He served on the Boards of the NAACP, the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce, the Mayors Economic Development Council, the District Attorneys Community Relations Board, and the State Fair Minority Council. Upon his passing, many are reflecting on the legacy Stone leaves behind. He will be remembered as an outstanding force for economic and social justice, shared California Hawaii State NAACP President Alice Huffman. Under Aubrys leadership the CBCC has become not only a pillar of the community, but an invaluable resource for so many. Aubry will be greatly missed and we hope his family can find some comfort in the legacy he has left us all, said Elk Grove Assemblymember Jim Cooper. Stone championed issues ranging from redlining practices to African American procurement of contracts and recently spoke out about the inequities of legalized marijuana as it relates to African Americans and African American business owners. In America, economics are critical. It is incumbent upon us to connect small business development to the larger cause of improving the economic outlook of Black communities, Stone told The Sacramento OBSERVER in 2003, when he was named one of the citys most influential African Americans. Throughout the years, Stone stacked up countess accolades and awards, including being recognized by several California governors, the California Legislature and most recently, the California Legislative Black Caucus, who honored him in June. Longtime friend and colleague James Shelby, the former President and CEO of the Greater Sacramento Urban League was reflective upon Stones passing. The African American community has lost a legend with the passing of Aubry Stone, he told The OBSERVER. He was an energized leader dedicated to advocating fo African American businesses in California and across the nation. He will surely be missed. Memorial arrangements have not yet been announced. He is survived by his four children, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Journalist Peter Bailey Embarks on TheUnbreakable Virgin Islanders Tour Since debuting on St. Thomas, Paradise Discovered: The Unbreakable Virgin Islanders, is garnering critical-acclaim nationwide. The film, directed by renowned Virgin Islands author and journalist Peter Bailey, captures Bailey himself and a cross-section of Virgin Islanders retelling harrowing tales of surviving hurricanes Irma and Maria. The film is based on Baileys New York Times Op Ed which he wrote while building a make-shift roof after hurricane Irma destroyed his familys home. Now the intrepid author and journalist a former staffer at Time and Newsweek well-known for his NiteCap conversation series, is setting out on a nationwide screening tour to share what he calls one of the most inspiring stories in American history that mainstream media missed, according to a news release. Unbreakable is the story of how we as a community gave each other light when nature and the rest of the world left us darkness, Bailey said. The journalist has dedicated this most recent film to his late father Joseph Bailey, who died on September 3 after a lengthy battle with Alzheimers. The film made its U.S. mainland debut in October at USCs School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles as part of the universitys Our Voices program which invites the brightest minds in filmmaking to discuss their work. Past speakers include legendary director John Singleton and John Chu. The event marked the first time a chapter of Virgin Islands history was showcased at the nations most prestigious film school. Peters work is so important to the national discourse today, said Desa Philadelphia, a journalist who heads USCs Voices Program. There should be many rich discussions centered around the themes he explores in his work, Philadelphia said. Unbreakable most recently made its east coast debut at the University of Delaware, Baileys alma mater, to a packed crowd of students, professors and civic leaders. I laughed. I cried and identified. Someone is finally telling our story, said an emphatic Sharifa Paul, a high school classmate of Baileys who drove down from Philadelphia for the event. Others are calling the film a much-needed education. The film taught me a lot about U.S. citizens that I knew nothing about, said Katherine Nails, a graduating senior who serves as managing editor of the University of Delawares student- run newspaper. You learn that for the Virgin Islanders tragedy brought out the best in their community. Bailey is scheduled to return to St. Thomas on Dec. 7 for another showing of the film at the University of the Virgin Islands. Other upcoming stops on the tour include Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, Providence, Rhode Island and Charleston, South Carolina. Bailey said his goal for the Paradise Discovered series is to advocate for residents of the Virgin Islands and rest of the Caribbean to be included into the nations cultural and political discourse. The first film from the series, The Anguilla Connection, debuted in Anguilla his mothers homeland. If you close your eyes and think of the Virgin Islands you picture a beach, Bailey said. There are people on these islands. People with hopes and dreams beyond serving rum punch. For more information on the tour, visit www.nitecapmedia.com. ADVERTISEMENT KINECTA CELEBRATES 45 YEARS OF HOLIDAY GIVING One thousand local families identified as needing assistance by community-based organizations received a $75 gift certificate to Ralphs/Food4Less and a bag of traditional Thanksgiving food items, courtesy of Kinecta Federal Credit Unions (Kinecta) 45th Annual Holiday Food Drive held at Jesse Owens Park Gymnasium in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 18. Now in its 45th year, the Food Drive is an opportunity for employees of Kinecta to partner with more than 40 nonprofit organizations and churches to provide temporary relief to families in need during the holiday season. In the months leading up to the distribution day, Kinecta also received donations for the food from Kinectas branches and from the credit unions generous vendors and partners. On hand at the event to recognize the collaborative effort between Kinecta and community partners were nationally recognized Watts community activist, Sweet Alice Harris and U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (DCA). ADVERTISEMENT We are honored to carry on the tradition of providing holiday food and gift cards to local families in need, said Kinecta Chief Operating Officer Donna McNeely. Each year, our employees and community partners work together to give back to communities where Kinectas members, customers, and employees live, work, and worship. Its a tremendous and worthwhile effort. The event began with a brief presentation from Kinecta, followed by a vocal performance by Beyond the Lights Choir from King Drew Medical Magnet High School. Families then presented their vouchers to their respective nonprofits, and, after a seamless distribution, participants enjoyed free ice cream from the Kinecta Ice Cream Truck. Among the community organizations participating in this years Annual Holiday Food Drive were: Centro de Ninos, Drew League, El Centro Del Pueblo, King Drew Magnet Medical High School, My Sister My Friend BCS, Parents of Watts, Richstone Family Center, Salvation Army of Compton, South Bay Family Health Care Clinic, Thomas House Family Shelter, Training and Research Foundation, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10218, Watts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club, and Watts/Century Latino Organization. We have much to be grateful for, said McNeely. Kinecta wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! L.A. City, County Move Forward with Restrictions on Plastic Straws Restaurants in much of Los Angeles County will soon be restricted from distributing plastic straws to customers who dont ask for them, with the county Board of Supervisors and Los Angeles City Council both moving ahead with restrictions today. The City Council voted 12-0 to direct its attorneys to draft an ordinance that would ban all restaurants in the city from automatically distributing plastic straws to customers, beginning on Earth Day in April. Under the proposal, straws could only provided to customers who specifically ask for them. ADVERTISEMENT Councilman Mitch OFarrell is one of the proposals backers, and said he wants Los Angeles to go further than a state law, recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, banning full-service restaurants from automatically giving customers plastic straws beginning Jan. 1. The councils proposal would apply to all food and beverage facilities with more than 26 employees effective April 22, and then to all other food and beverage operations effective Oct. 1 of next year. The original motion called for the implementation for restaurants with more than 26 workers to start on Jan. 1, but it was amended to start on Earth Day. The motion for the straws-on-request ordinance cites a Los Angeles Times editorial which stated that Americans use and almost immediately discard up to a half-billion plastic beverage straws each day. Videos going viral on social media have focused on the harmful efforts of single-use straws on marine life. The council also instructed its the Bureau of Sanitation to report back on the feasibility of phasing out single-use plastic straws by 2021, and to work with the Department of Disability on methods and approaches to mitigate impacts to the disabled community associated with the phase-out. The two-year phase-out gives restaurants and bars the time they need to deplete their current inventory of plastic straws, and it gives the industry time to pioneer biodegradable and environmentally friendly alternatives for mass consumption, OFarrell said. The county Board of Supervisors, meanwhile, adopted an ordinance similar to the citys, but it will take effect Jan. 3. The county ordinance will apply to all businesses serving food or beverages in unincorporated areas and provides that servers hand out straws only on request. However, businesses that previously distributed straws automatically may ask customers if they want one and then only oblige if customers answer yes. ADVERTISEMENT Violators will be subject to fines of $25 per day and a maximum of $300 per year. More than 100 municipalities statewide have put some restrictions on single-use plastic products. Malibu has banned the use of plastic straws, stirrers and utensils, while Santa Monica has adopted an even broader prohibition that includes plastic plates, trays, cups and other single-use containers that will take effect Jan. 1. LAUSD Partners with Community Organizations to Significantly Improve Outcomes for Students of Color Superintendent Austin Beutner convened a meeting with community leaders from the Brotherhood Crusade, Social Justice Learning Institute, Suits in Solidarity, academics from the UCLA Bunche Center, and leadership from the Los Angeles Unified School District to discuss school policing and school discipline in Los Angeles Unified. The meeting was called in response to a recent report published by Million Dollar Hoods, a project of UCLAs Bunche Center for African American Studies. The report, Policing Our Students, analyzed data on Los Angeles School Police Department (LASPD) arrests, citations, and diversions between 2014 and 2017. It concluded that 1 in 4 youth arrests made by the LASPD were elementary and middle school-aged children. Concerned with these findings, Superintendent Beutner invited attendees to have an open and transparent conversation about the data included in the report and LASPDs processes of interacting with youth. ADVERTISEMENT Recognizing their shared vision to decrease youth contact with school police, the group agreed to collaborate on tangible steps to make this vision a reality. Specifically, the working group will work to identify policy recommendations aimed at eliminating citations and arrests of Black and Latino students in middle and elementary school, for minor offenses. In addition, the group will work to identify strategies to increase restorative practices and prevention services. Los Angeles Unified remains committed to advancing progressive school policing and discipline reform, Superintendent Beutner said. There is progress to be made to ensure every student is learning in a welcoming, safe and positive school environment. In 2013, Los Angeles Unified passed the School Climate Bill of Rights, which aims to improve school culture and decrease punitive discipline approaches that infringe on instructional time. The meeting was incredibly productive. It was very clear that everybody at the table believed that improving outcomes for students is a primary goal. The Superintendent is committed to forming a working group tasked with outlining a strategy to end arrests on middle schools and elementary schools while simultaneously bolstering the availability of alternative community-based resources. I think that is the right kind of leadership, and I look forward to supporting the ongoing process Isaac Bryan, public policy advisor, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA & public policy director, Million Dollar Hoods. The UCLA Bunche Center is committed to being an independent academic partner in this effort to improve outcomes for students. By delivering the eye-opening power of research, and working collectively with the broader community, we hope to advance this initiative to end racial disparities at all points of contact between youth and school police and to adopt new alternatives to arresting young students. Kelly Lytle Hernandez, UCLA professor of history and African American Studies director, Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA project director, Million Dollar Hoods. I thought the meeting with Superintendent Beutner was honest, contentious at times but very productive and clearly a step in the right direction. If we can work together toward a goal of zero tolerance policy of arresting elementary and middle school students, we will achieve something meaningful for students of color. Kerman Maddox, co-chair, Suits in Solidarity. ADVERTISEMENT We look forward to working with Superintendent Beutner to significantly change discipline outcomes for students of color while simultaneously dramatically improving school police and community relationships, said, George Weaver, Special Programs Administrator, Brotherhood Crusade. All parties involved in this process share a genuine and authentic desire to maximize the opportunity for students to succeed in school and in life. This desire is accompanied by mutually agreeable efforts to eliminate punitive discipline and increase resourced youth development support for minor offenses committed by elementary and middle school students. The Superintendents working group will help community leaders and LASPD to work together on school police reform and ensure that all Los Angeles Unified students have a welcoming and safe environment to learn and achieve academic success. Oh, the places Kyle Clark will go in his brand-new Hyundai Kona Thanks to Hyundai and Taste of Soul 2018, Kyle-Kyson Clark is one step closer to becoming the modern day Dr. Seuss. The 26-year-old Florida native and childrens book author is the 2018 winner of the 2ndannual Hyundai and Taste of Soul giveaway. Clark was selected out of over 100 video submissions. The requirement was a short video clip of contestants telling Hyundai how they make LA a better place. Clark makes LA better each day through his work in childhood development and education. With his brand-new Hyundai Kona, Clark can feel confident in his new ride, adding miles not only to his odometer, but to his journey towards actualizing his dreams. Taste of Soul website. In a city like LA, with its non-stop traffic and sometimes faulty public transportation, a chance to win a new car can sound too good to be true. Clark who is a self-proclaimed foodie first stumbled upon the contest while looking up some info on the Of course, I was like, people dont really win those contests so, I scrolled past it, says Clark. But after telling his mom about it, she convinced him to enter. She was like, you better apply for that car! says Clark of his mom, a retired Miami deputy sheriff. She was the first person he called when he found out he won. She went silent for at least ten seconds, says Clark who is known to be a jokester amongst his family. She was like, stop playing with me! and then she started yelling. Clark laughed as he recalled that moment with his mom who has been his biggest support since childhood, raising him and his brother as a single mom. For Clark, the journey to this point has been an uphill path towards his passion of reading for children. As a young boy who struggled deeply with a speech impediment, he might have never thought hed see his name printed on the cover of a book. Growing up was pretty rough for me, says Clark. I spent most of my childhood not speaking because I suffered from a bad case of stuttering and that prevented me from being able to communicate efficiently. I was embarrassed to speak because I couldnt have words come out of my mouth. It wasnt until his later years of high school that Clark decided to challenge himself and work on his speech. In high school, theres a big pressure on you about what youre going to do after school and what youre going to major in, and I really wanted to challenge myself, says Clark. Before he graduated, he watched YouTube videos and did extensive research on how he could improve his stutter. After an entire childhood of working with speech therapists and getting pulled from class for extra help, Clark was ready to move on in life and overcome the embarrassment and frustration that can come with having a stutter. He crammed all summer after graduation, and with the help of his speech classes, he mastered the tools necessary to beat his stutter. I ended up picking broadcast journalism as my major because I just wanted to tackle this weakness that I felt I had, says Clark. Clark, who was born and raised in Miramar, Florida, attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) and as a journalism major, developed goals of anchoring and reporting on screen. He interned with news stations, wrote for the newspaper, and hosted a radio show at FAMU. Clark also dabbled in acting and participated in stage plays, web series and student films on campus. After graduation, he moved to Miami, hoping to stay on-screen and start his professional career. I was thinking, Im about to be one of the hottest radio personalities in Miami, Florida and life was like Are you kidding me bro? says Clark about his rough start in Miami, one the top 20 news markets in the U.S. Clark couldnt find work as a reporter. Feeling down on life and struggling with finances, he took up a job as a kindergarten teaching assistant, just to keep money in his pocket. This is where his path towards becoming a childrens author unfolded. I literally fell in love with it, says Clark. At the end of the school year the principal told me that I did such a great job with the kids that she offered me a job as a first-grade teacher. After getting certified, and getting started in the classroom, Clark found a true passion for teaching. Yet, in the spirit of his on-screen aspirations, he still pursued acting part-time and began booking commercials and national ads. One day I was like, I love what I do, but I really feel like theres more to life than me coming to work every day inside a classroom. I know I can touch these childrens lives, but I also know I can touch even more lives. Back on my first day as a teacher, at an inner-city school Im not over-exaggerating on the first day of school, only one kid out of 26 kids knew how to read, says Clark. In that same moment, thats when I was like, okay, I really want to do something about this. At the end of the school year, Clark resigned and decided to move to LA with his earnings from commercials. A random job search landed him in a position to become a child behavior therapist, working one-on-one with children that are autistic and have special needs. It was one particularly difficult classroom situation Clark witnessed that influenced his book. It was probably one of the most uncomfortable classrooms Ive ever had to sit in. I just wrote my book in the back of the classroom. Clark felt the kids in the classroom werent receiving the proper motivation and he saw how much they gravitated towards his instruction and interaction. Anyone who works with kids knows you have to praise kids, you have to make them feel good. It is your job to educate, but its also your job to motivate as well, Clark says. I wrote the book for kids but I also wrote the book coming from a place where I felt uncomfortable and unappreciated. I knew there was more. Clark finished his book last year and has been sharing it with friends, family and kids around Los Angeles ever since. Clarks book, titled Yes! You Will Be Great! is a rhythmic and inspirational read that even teens and adults can relate to. The colorful book, illustrated by Gerrell M. Brown, is reminiscent of the Dr. Seuss best-seller Oh the Places Youll Go! a classic childrens book that resonates the ultimate message of following your dreams and never giving up in the midst of hardships along the journey. That book was probably one of my biggest inspirations, when it came to writing my book, he says. Clark is already receiving good feedback from his supporters. He plans to officially release the book this month. For Clark, winning the new Hyundai will help him upgrade his twenty-year-old, two-door Firebird that is in bad condition. He says his car makes it hard to be a mentor and work with kids. Parents have to feel that their children will be safe in the car I pull up in, says Clark. LA Auto Show Bakewell Medias Taste of Soul will join Hyundai at thethis week to hand over the keys to Clarks brand-new 2018 Kona. I feel like Im dreaming still, he says. Down the line, Clark wants to animate a childrens series and do voice acting for his characters. I really want to use my voice that I didnt get a chance to when I was a child, he says. In the future, I see myself as the modern-day Dr. Seuss. ADVERTISEMENT Pimp Sentenced to 281 Years to Life for Human Trafficking of Minors An ex-con who trafficked teenage girls as young as 13 for commercial sex was sentenced today to 281 years to life in state prison. In sentencing Raylonzo Roberts, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert J. Perry said he perceived the 43-year-old defendant as a danger to society. The crimes involving eight victims occurred at various times between August 2011 and July 2015, according to Deputy District Attorney Guillermo Santiso. ADVERTISEMENT Roberts a third-strike defendant, who had prior convictions for robbery and attempted robbery in the 1990s was arrested in August 2015 following an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Departments South Bureau Human Trafficking unit and the Long Beach Police Department. The Los Angeles resident was convicted Oct. 25 of two felony counts each of pandering by procuring a minor under age 16, human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act, human trafficking of a minor for a commercial sex act by force, fear, fraud or threat of injury and lewd act on a child. Jurors also convicted Roberts of one count each of human trafficking to commit another crime, aggravated sexual assault of a child and possession of a firearm by a felon. Rep. Bass Elected New Chairperson of Congressional Black Caucus In 2008, Congresswoman Karen Bass made history after being elected as the first ever African American woman to become Speaker of any state legislature. Since then, Bass has continued to represent the 37th congressional district of California by being an active voice for criminal justice reform, fighting for Americas foster care system, and strengthening the United States ties with Africa. Now Bass will have the opportunity to continue making change in her new role as the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). Bass colleagues from the DNC, CBC as well as local and religious leaders extended their warmest congratulations on her latest feat. [I am] truly excited to see the energy and determination Karen Bass will bring to her role as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said minority leader of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. DNC chair Tom Perez says he couldnt be happier to call Congresswoman Karen Bass the next chair of the CBC. From fighting for criminal justice reform and child welfare to affordable health care and a stronger economy for all, Karen has devoted her life to serving California families and African American communities across the country, he said. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II referred to Congresswoman Bass a trailblazer. I am delighted that Congresswoman Karen Bass has been elected to lead the Congressional Black Caucus for the 116th Congress. Rep. Bass has been a trailblazer and a true advocate for issues concerning people of color. I am certain that her leadership will continue to move the CBC ahead and I look forward to working with her, he said. Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson told the LA Sentinel: We are proud to share our leader, Karen Bass, with the rest of the country. I am eager to see the largest Congressional Black Caucus make great strides under her leadership. LA City Council President Herb Wesson, who is also a longtime friend of Bass, congratulated her in a Twitter post: Congratulations @RepKarenBass on being elected chair of the @OfficialCBC! Its been an honor to have you as a friend, colleague and representative. The Congressional Black Caucus is in good hands. Pastor J. Edgar Boyd who is the senior minister at First AME Church of Los Angeles calls Bass a true champion. Karen Bass has become a true champion for causes which impact the lives of people living within her district, across California and even beyond the borders of the US. True courage is seen in her fight to ensure the rights and opportunities of children, working parents, seniors, veterans, and the LGBT community; while yet promoting measures to ensure civil justice, human safety, and civility at our borders. Her leadership at the helm of the CBC will provide dividends well into the future, he said. Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas mentioned that he can think of no one better than Karen Bass to lead the CBC. With 55 members, the Caucus is larger than it has ever been, and well-positioned to advance a progressive agenda. I look forward to hearing more about that agenda when Rep. Bass delivers the keynote speech at this years Empowerment Congress, to be held January 19that Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science, he said. Senator Holly Mitchell who has worked with Bass in the past described how Bass leadership will influence the CBC. Someone with her experience in terms of managing budgets the size of California and managing budget crises the size of California and to have been a leader of one of the most powerful state legislatures in the countryall of that experience with her national contacts that she will bring to her role as chair will be hugely beneficial to the caucus as a whole. I am excited for her and I am excited for the future of the caucus, she said. Bass, who is the eighth woman to hold this position, will replace outgoing chair Cedric Richmond. Other members of Congress who were also elected include: Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), first vice chair; Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI-14), second vice chair; Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), secretary; Congressman A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-04), Whip; and Congressman-elect Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), Parliamentarian. From her days in the California General Assembly where she became the first African American woman in U.S. history to lead a state legislative body, to her work in Congress to address both domestic and international issues affecting people of African descent, Congresswoman Bass has demonstrated tried and true leadership, said Richmond in a statement. Theres much work to be done next Congress to ensure equality and justice for African Americans and other marginalized communities, and I am confident Congresswoman Bass will continue to provide strong leadership in this regard. Bass and the newly elected members of the CBC executive committee will take office on the first day of the 116th Congress. In the meantime, the LA Sentinel spoke with Congresswoman Bass to discuss her vision for the CBC as well as the things she hopes to tackle in this position. Well one of the main things that I hope to accomplish in the two years that Ill be able to serve in this capacity is to really elevate the accomplishments of individual members of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Bass. We have a President who is openly hostile and hateful when it comes to African Americans and immigrants and people of color in general. What he has done behind the scenes in attempting to dismantle 60 to 70 years of gains that we have made in the Civil Rights Movement through various levels of activism through legislative accomplishments. He is quietly dismantling a lot of those accomplishments and I want to see that stopped. Bass goes on to say the Trump administration is the most corrupt administration she has ever seen in her life and that the CBC will be at the forefront of that fight holding them accountable for their actions. Aside from new role in the CBC, Bass will also be the chair of the subcommittee on Africa. What I really want to do there is begin to change the way the United States does foreign aid, she said. Too many times we give foreign aid to our own consulting firms. I think we need to spend more attention assisting Africans, build their capacity. This is something President Obama was doing with initiatives like Feed the Future and Power Africa. He was trying to address some of the capacities in Africa. Bass further explains her plans for aiding Africa by zeroing in on infrastructure. So, looking at ways that we can do partnerships with U.S. businesses and African businesses for roads, bridges, ports and airports, she said. One of Bass other passions apart from her advocacy in Africa is her commitment to the Black Press. During the interview, Bass announced that she will be convening with the National Black Publishers Association (NNPA) to discuss the ways in which the federal government can do business with the Black Press. Its inexcusable that we spend millions and millions of dollars in advertising everywhere, but virtually zero in the Black community with Black Press. That should change, I hope I can make a dent in that, she said. Executive publisher of the Los Angeles Sentinel and the L.A. Watts Times, said Danny J. Bakewell Sr., recognizes Bass qualifications and appreciates her steeping in and up to fight for the Black Press. Bass ascension to the chairmanship of the Black Caucus is a great moment for Black America and particularly for the Black Press, said Bakewell. She is poised, professional, and will not be denied when she is in pursuit of things that are important for Black America. Kimberlee Buck contributed to this article. ADVERTISEMENT ISLAMABAD: Pakistans former ambassador to India Abdul Basit has said India under no circumstances will sit on the negotiations table for the Kashmir dispute at present therefore rather than begging for deliberations, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government must take practical steps. Basit expressed these thoughts while addressing a seminar held in Islamabad on Tuesday. Pakistan is not doing justice with freedom movement in the Indian occupied Kashmir, said Basit adding the government has a great responsibility of taking practical measures for resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Kashmiris have rendered innumerable sacrifices for freedom but it is unfortunate that some federal ministers are making statements on improving relations with India and showing their desire for deliberations, lamented the former ambassador. Basit further said although he supports promotion of cultural ties but India is still working on its typical strategy and attack on the Chinese consulate is a part of the same conspiracy. While the global comity of nations is mute over Kashmir issue, we need to take up the voice of the Kashmiris to the world so it feels its conscience, he said demanding the government to go beyond mere speeches and practically arrive at a solution for the dispute. Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party senior leader Farhatullah Babar in his address recommended the government to call up a UN convention on the longstanding dispute so the usage of pellet guns in Kashmir is stopped. The convention will add up pressure on India, suggested Babar adding the freedom movement by Kashmiris should not be mixed or stained with activities of non-state actors. The PPP leader also said his party has been the biggest advocate for freedom of Kashmir and it will keep supporting Kashmiris in their cause. Express Tribune Riverside County Jury Awards $2.5 Million for Wrongful Death in Fatal Shooting of Mentally-ill Anthonie Smith by Sheriffs Deputies A Riverside County jury awarded a $2.5 million wrongful death verdict on Wednesday to the family of a mentally-ill AfricanAmerican man fatally shot nine times by Riverside Sheriffs on July 16, 2015. Sybil Davis, the mother of now deceased, Anthonie Smith, has further expressed her hope that law enforcement will be required to obtain adequate training on the appropriate handling of citizens with mental illness. In a statement following the verdict, Ms. Davis expressed,Im very relieved that my son got justice today. Its been three years and Im happy that the jury found the officers excessive force unnecessary. I hope that this will serve as an example for families who struggle with mental illness. My son didnt deserve to lose his life. I trusted the police, and Im really glad the verdict ruled in our favor. The case centered around the use of excessive force and wrongful death in the detention of Anthonie Smith, who was having a schizophrenic episode. Deputies were notified of his mental illness, and upon locating Anthonie near the corner of Perris and Sunnymead boulevard, shot him eight times causing him to fall to the ground. A severely wounded Anthonie managed to stumble back to his feet, and after several seconds elapsed, Deputies shot him a ninth and final time. ADVERTISEMENT The deceaseds mother, Sybil Davis won justice for her son against Deputy Deylan Kennedy, Sergeant Sheree Anthony, and the County of Riverside. Plaintiff attorney John Harris of Harris & Associates commented on the victory saying, We are pleased with the jurys verdict today of 2.5 million dollars. Justice was served on behalf of the decedent, Anthonie Smith, and his mom, Sybil Davis. Were pleased that this three-year journey has now come to a close. Sen. Kamala Harris Expected to Announce 2020 Intentions California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris has never been known to pull-punches. Harris is viewed by those who know her as someone whos as tough as they come. And, she knows that any bid for president in 2020 against the bombastic Donald Trump will take a bit of rhinoceros skin to deal with. Its a very serious decision, Harris told MSNBCs Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski during an onstage conversation at the Know Your Value conference in San Francisco. Over the holiday, I will make that decision with my family. ADVERTISEMENT As she told NNPA Newswire in September during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations Annual Legislative Conference, shes keenly aware of the challenges a barrier-breaking campaign will entail. Lets be honest. Its going to be ugly, Harris said. When you break things, it is painful. And you get cut. And you bleed. Harris and her colleague from New Jersey, Sen. Cory Booker have long been seen as a possible Democratic ticket in 2020, though no one has speculated which might run as president. This is a critical time, Booker told NNPA Newswire in September at the conference. The CBC is the conscience of Congress and we have not yet achieved the American Dream which is increasingly out of reach for many. The Dream is still deferred, he said. Harris, who, like Booker, has gone from rising star to serious presidential contender, said there is plenty of work ahead. Its about where we came from and where weve got to go, she told NNPA Newswire. This is a pivotal moment. I think we all know when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about the Dream, it wasnt about being asleep, Harris said. It was about being awake. ADVERTISEMENT In her interview with MSNBC, Harris expressed frustration over the slow progress of the Secure Elections Act, which she introduced in March, along with co-sponsor Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma. The bipartisan legislation would give the Department of Homeland Security responsibility for ensuring secure elections and shoring up election infrastructure against cyber-attacks and would establish an independent advisory panel of experts to develop guidelines on election cyber security. Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, who currently serves as the leader of the Senate, has not yet brought the legislation to the floor for a vote. Harris said she has been told that is at the White Houses request. First of all, lets be clear about the fact Russia did interfere in the [2016] election of the president of the United States, Harris told Brzezinski. Flawed though it may be, we designed a beautiful system of democracy, and one symbol of that is that we have free and open elections. When a foreign government chooses to manipulate our democracy knowing that would compromise our strength and our perception of our strength, you would think leaders would say No, we are going to do everything we can to strengthen and to give ourselves the immunity we need to be free from that kind of manipulation. Yet, its not happening. Senate Budget Chair Holly J. Mitchell Praises State Study Calling on More Help for Families in Poverty Ca. State Senator Holly Mitchell SACRAMENTO Sen. Holly J. Mitchell, chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee, today released the following statement in response to the state Department of Social Services Task Force Report on Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty: ADVERTISEMENT Through a lot of work and consideration, The Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force has compiled a valuable report with many recommendations to alleviate harm and create opportunities for poor children in California to thrive. This report gives the Legislature and Administration a useful tool filled with information that lays out the problem of poverty and its many negative consequences with great thoroughness. I thank and congratulate the task force members and the staff of the California Department of Social Services for their hard work and I welcome them in joining an effort that I care deeply about and have worked on for many years. Increasing the CalWORKs grant is one of the most important things we can do to counter the debilitating effect of deep poverty on children. CalWORKs grants have lost more than one-third of its purchasing power in 1998 and remains at below deep poverty for 11 years in a roll; in contrast, the cost of housing and other necessities have gone up. That is unacceptable. I have fought to eliminate deep poverty through the 2018 Budget Act; and the state will be implementing the first of three steps to eliminate deep poverty for children in California effective April 2019. I am in complete agreement with the Task Force that taking steps two and three to increase grants is crucial in the near-term to help alleviate poverty and improve social outcomes. Expanding the California Earned Income Tax Credit is another. I anticipate these will be key Senate priorities for the coming year. I recommended expanding support like transportation and child care to parents who are working or going to school, but who are timed out from the CalWORKs program. I thank the Task Force for including my recommendation When we see impoverished Californians trying to do better for themselves and their children, we have an imperative to help them. When we do, we promote the general welfare of our society and all boats are lifted with the rising tides. Sentinel Classifieds Specialist Iris Sanford Set to Retire Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper staff member Iris Sanford announced she is retiring at the end of 2018. Sanford serves as the Classifieds Specialist for the Sentinel and L.A. Watts Times Newspaper. Iris is the proud mother of three and grandmother of six. Joining the company in 1991, Iris has developed a wide network of business relationships throughout the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area. I enjoy working closely with our customers to assist them with preparing the best possible ad to promote their product or service, said Iris. I began my journey here in 1991 as Accounts Receivable Clerk, working under the direction of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas for 13 years and the Bakewell company administration for the last 14 years, my time and dedication here at the Los Angeles Sentinel have been wonderful. However, after 27 years of great customers, being a part of the publishing industry and working the yearly successful Taste of Soul, it is now time for me to retire! It is time that I get out and start traveling, decorating, celebrating my life of being six years cancer free and spend time with friends and family especially my six grandchildren! Thank you all for making my time here so very memorable and I will truly miss all of you! THANK YOU! If anyone is interested in sending cards, gifts or flowers to celebrates Ms. Sanford, please send items to the attention of Iris Stanford at 3800 S. Crenshaw Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90008. ADVERTISEMENT Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse is a Web of Visuals and Inspiration Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has a new look. Though he still swings from skyscrapers, Miles Morales isnt your typical Spider-Man. He is an Afro-Latin teenager who is trying to figure out the world before him. Audiences will explore that world in the new action-packed movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The movie brings together various Spider-Man characters into one thrilling visual masterpiece. However, the animated film did come with some challenges. We spoke with director Peter Ramsey, a Los Angeles native, and creative director, about how the team overcame those challenges. LOS ANGELES SENTINEL NEWSPAPER: What was the biggest challenge in creating Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse? ADVERTISEMENT PETER RAMSEY: The biggest challenge was the animation. We had a lot of brilliant people working on the technical side who helped bring the film to life. Another challenge was keeping the story personal from Miles point of view. We had multiple dimensions with different superheroes and supervillains. There was so much material swirling around the world. We asked ourselves, how do we always make sure the movie shows Miles Morales story and everything that your experiencing comes through him? We did that by focusing on his quest. LAS: As a person of color, I enjoyed seeing a superhero that looked like me. How did you ensure that Miles portrayal felt authentic to viewers, especially people of color? RAMSEY: We wanted to make sure that Miles had a real personality of his own. That he had charm and wit. We wanted to make sure you really liked him and that you understood him. We also factored in that he had imagination and creativity. It was really important to us because we were introducing a new version of Spider-Man. LAS: Yes, especially his family in the film. RAMSEY: Right! We paid a lot of attention to making his world look and feel real. We wanted his family to feel and look like a real family and that the viewer really understood the dynamics and relationship of that family. The relationship between him and his father are the heart of the movie. It is very much the heart of Miles journey into the very person he will become. The other side of his journey was his mom being from Puerto Rico. That also added to the uniqueness of him as a character. All of these things we wanted to make sure that when you walked out of the theater knowing Miles Morales, and you felt like you could walk out the door and run into him. LAS: I could feel that after watching the movie especially the music. RAMSEY: Miles is the first Spider-Man to come around in the hip-hop generation. Its very different from the world Peter Parker grew up in. Even if you go back to the Spider-Man movies of the nineties with Tobey Macquire, you can see we are in a different world. Right off the bat, Miles lives in Brooklyn. We asked ourselves, what is he listening to? Whats in his headphones? We know he is a hip-hop kid. The whole world of Brooklyn and art all of those things were part of the effort. ADVERTISEMENT LAS: What do you want the audience to leave feeling? Ramsey: On the very first treatment with producer Phil Lord, he wrote a mission statement that said: We Are Counting On You. That is the message we want to send to everyone, particularly younger people. Our story is about a young kid who is trying to find his way in the world and he draws from everything around him to realize who he is to fulfill his potential. The entire movie is that anyone can really wear that mask. You just have to try to live up to what it means. Thats really the message. We want people feeling like they can actually do it if they just give it a try. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse releases everywhere Friday, Dec. 14. Supreme Court Hears Important Civil Forfeiture Case The Supreme Court this week is considering limiting the practice of civil forfeiture, which law enforcement has used since the War on Drugs mostly against African Americans, Hispanics and those in poor communities. At the heart of arguments in the nations highest court are two questionable forfeitures. The first occurred in October of 2016. ADVERTISEMENT Alexander Temple, a Maine resident, was pulled over on Interstate 95 in New Hampshire for a routine traffic stop. Police in that state seized $46,000 from Temple, claiming they felt it would be used for illegal activity. Even Though Temple was released without ever facing a single criminal charge, the police kept the cash. The second is Tyson Timbs, a recovering opioid addict from Indiana who pled guilty to dealing drugs in 2013. After he was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay a fine, the state seized his $42,000 Land Rover in an act of civil forfeiture. That despite the fact that Timbs proved that the funds he used to purchase the SUV were not from drug sales, but from a life insurance policy he received from his father. Im feeling very good, Timbs told ABC News as he entered the High Court this week. This has been a very difference experience for me with so much attention. Timbs attorney Wesley Hottot argued the seizure of the Land Rover violated the 8th Amendments protection against excessive fines, a Constitutional guarantee that should be upheld in all states. ADVERTISEMENT A majority of the justices reportedly seemed receptive to the idea. And, if they at least limit the practice of civil forfeiture, many a minority could regain previously lost property. Civil asset forfeiture is the ability of authorities to seize private property used in a crime. However, most legal experts agree that the practice has enriched states and law enforcement and usually the forfeitures occur without a court hearing. In the 26 states and District of Columbia that report forfeiture activity, law enforcement agencies collected more than $254 million in funds and property in 2012 alone, according to an analysis by the Institute for Justice, a non-profit libertarian public interest law firm. This is an incredibly important case, said Christopher Riano, lecturer in constitutional law and government at Columbia University, told ABC News. Historically, whenever the court takes these types of cases, the court does usually move to incorporate the federal guarantees against the states. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that, since the advent of the War on Drugs, law enforcement agencies have used civil asset forfeiture laws to strip Americans of billions of dollars in cash, cars, real estate, and other assets. Under these state and federal laws, officers are legally empowered to seize property they believe is connected to criminal activity even if the owner is never charged with a crime. In most states, the agencies are entitled to keep the property or, more typically, the proceeds from its sale. An analysis by the Southern Poverty Law Centerfound that while federal forfeitures totaled $93.7 million in 1986, this revenue grew by more than 4,600 percent to $4.5 billion a year by 2014. Forfeitures handled by states have also poured millions, perhaps billions, of dollars into law enforcement agencies. As a result, there has been a massive transfer of wealth and assets from American citizens and especially the most economically vulnerable to police, who can largely use the funds however they see fit, the SPLC reported. Many states do not even require local agencies to track or report seized property. In civil forfeiture cases, as many as 80 percent of people who have their assets seized are never charged with a crime. In most state and federal courts, the government is only required to show there is a preponderance of evidence more likely than not that the property abetted a criminal act. Homes have been seized from owners whose children or grandchildren were accused of committing drug crimes, even though the owners themselves were never implicated. In one money-laundering case in Florida, SPLC officials noted that law enforcement seized approximately $49 million but did not bring a single indictment. The drug war has unduly harmed racial minorities, and its civil forfeiture provisions are no different, according to the SPCL. Because of racial profiling, Black and Hispanic motorists are disproportionately searched and put at risk of having their cash assets seized, even though Black and white drivers are equally likely to be found with narcotics. A 1993 investigation by The Orlando Sentinel revealed that nine of every 10 motorists who were stopped and stripped of their cash by police in Volusia County, Florida, were either Black or Hispanic, and three out of four were never charged with a crime. In Philadelphia, where nearly 300 houses are seized annually, African Americans make up 44 percent of the population but 63 percent of house seizures and 71 percent of cash forfeitures unaccompanied by a conviction, according to the SPLC. Forfeiture is also most likely to affect economically disadvantaged communities: One study found that areas with high income inequality were targeted for civil forfeiture operations, likely because these police departments have limited funding and are inclined to use forfeiture to secure needed revenue. The profile of suspects who have their assets seized, a researcher observed, differ greatly from those of the drug lords, for whom asset forfeiture strategies were designed. Now, as the Supreme Court considers the law, many like Temple and Timbs wait with great anticipation. For ordinary citizens, the real-world consequences can be devastating, Timbs attorney argued in a brief to the Supreme Court. The Excessive Fines Clause secures a single, unitary right: freedom from excessive economic sanctions that are at least partly punitive. To be sure, that right can be violated in countless ways, using countless tools; in this regard, governments are endlessly innovative, with more and more civil laws bearing more and more extravagant punishments. Three Charged in Shooting Deaths of Two 15-Year-Old Boys Three people are facing capital murder charges stemming from a May 13 gang-related shooting in South Los Angeles, in which two 15-year-old boys were killed and two other teens were wounded, the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office announced today. Nancy Joanna De La Rocha, 27, and Edwin Federico Loza, 19, both of South Los Angeles, are scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 14 in a South Los Angeles courtroom on two counts each of murder and attempted murder. The two are charged along with Cristian Ivan Macias, 19, who previously pleaded not guilty in the slayings of Lamarrion Upchurch of Long Beach and Monyae Jackson of Los Angeles, along with the shootings of two other 15-year-old boys who were injured by the gunfire. ADVERTISEMENT The murder charges include the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder while the defendants were active members of a street gang who carried out the crime to further the gangs activities, along with an allegation that Loza personally and intentionally discharged a firearm. Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to seek the death penalty against the three. Macias allegedly had a confrontation with a group of teenage boys on a public street that day. Deputy District Attorney Michael Michelena alleged that Mascias returned to the area a short time later with his co-defendants and found the teens walking in the 300 block of West Manchester Avenue near the Harbor (110) Freeway. Loza allegedly opened fire from a vehicle, striking the four. Upchurch died that day of a gunshot wound to the back, and Jackson died of two days later as a result of a gunshot wound through the abdomen, according to records from the coroners office. Macias was arrested June 14 by homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department, while De La Rocha was taken into custody Sept. 18 and Loza was arrested Nov. 14, jail records show. All three are being held without bail. U.S. Senates Only Black Republican Blocks Tom Farr from Becoming a Federal Judge On November 29, the U.S. Senates only African American Republican Senator, Tim Scott, announced he would oppose the nomination of Thomas Farr to a lifetime appointment to the federal bench. Scotts blockbuster decision ended the chance of Farrs nomination being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Scott cited, lingering concerns on issues that could affect [Farrs] decision-making process as a federal judge. This week, a Department of Justice memo written under President George H.W. Bush was released that shed new light on Mr. Farrs activities. This, in turn, created more concerns. Weighing these important factors, this afternoon I concluded that I could not support Mr. Farrs nomination, said Scott. The decision marked the second time Scott has blocked a Trump nominee to the federal bench. Thomas Farr was the most polarizing, dangerous and biased nominee that we have seen put forth by President Trump. We applaud Senator Tim Scott for exercising independence in the examination of Farrs disturbing record; a record influenced by the modern white supremacist machine that former North Carolina senator Jesse Helms pioneered, and one that demonstrated bias and a commitment to defending voter suppression efforts at every turn, stated Kristen Clarke, President of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Farr was the primary coordinator of the 1984 ballot security program conducted by the 1984 Helms for Senate Committee. He coordinated several ballot security activities in 1984, including a postcard mailing to voters in predominantly black precincts which was designed to serve as a basis to challenge voters on election day. Footnote 7, DOJ Memo, June 19, 1991. This revelation is singularly disqualifying, wrote NAACP President Derrick Johnson. Sen. Scotts decision was a dramatic one. A day before on November 28, he was nowhere to be found shortly before a vote to continue debate on the Farr nomination. Other Senators, as well as reporters, searched for Scott near the Senate floor before that procedural vote. Many assumed his support of moving the debate to a final vote meant he would support Farrs nomination. That assumption was incorrect. Sen. Scott was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in wondering out loud about whether Farr should be on the federal bench. But Sen. Scott was the only one to announce he would vote against Farr on the floor. ADVERTISEMENT White Officer Indicted For Murder in Killing of Black Man Dallas County court records show that a White former Dallas police officer has been indicted on a murder charge for the killing of her Black unarmed neighbor when she mistakenly went to his apartment instead of her own and shot him. The court records were posted Friday before authorities were set to announce the decision of a grand jury on the fate of Amber Guyger. She was arrested days after the Sept. 6 shooting that killed her 26-year-old neighbor Botham Jean, who was from the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia. Guyger told investigators she mistook Jeans apartment for her own and thought shed encountered an intruder. She has since been fired from the department and Jeans family has filed a lawsuit against Guyger and the city of Dallas. ADVERTISEMENT The shooting thrust Dallas into the national conversation on the intersection of race and law enforcement. In March 2019, the GM plant in Lordstown, Ohio is scheduled to stop production of the slow-selling Cruze sedan. That means it will go idle. But not necessary shut down completely. In a bipartisan initiative, Democratic U.S. senator Sherrod Brown and Republican U.S. senator Rob Portman met with GM head Mary Barra in Washington D.C. They requested that GM bring to Lordstown for production an electric vehicle or the SUV. Among what they cited were the high ratings Lordstown received and the fierce work ethic of employees. Here is the report from MarketWatch. On the local television coverage, Barra essentially stonewalled. She said retraining and possible transfers to other GM plants would be offered to those laid off at Lordstown. In addition she indicated as she has over and over again how GM was planning for its long-term future. She said nothing about bringing the production of another product to Lordstown. The TV reporting also noted that the U.S. senators were going to discuss the matter with U.S. president Donald Trump. In his campaign he promised to keep jobs in OH. Lots of Trump supporters reside in the OH Valley. Eventually, if Lordstown is permanently shut down the economic carnage will be immense. Not only are those 1,500 affected. So are the local auto part suppliers and small businesses. Unlike Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the OH Valley has not diversified after the demise of the steel mills. According to rumor, the one industry which is scaling is meth manufacturing. That, along with sales of opioids, is bound to surge if Lordstown is a wrap. Attention is the currency of the 21st century. Jane Genova helps you get it for products, services, points of view, causes, branding, careers after-50, and college admission. In addition, this blog welcomes sponsored content. Free consultation janegenova374@gmail.com A place to call home Government must reconsider its stance against integrating Bhutanese refugees Thursday, December 6, 2018 An attorney who represented a client in multiple matters has been charged with a conflict of interest by the Illinois Administrator In the meeting on December 5, 2017, Respondent presented to [client] Gresham a quit claim deed by which Gresham would convey her house and real estate in Wood River, Illinois, to Respondent's law firm, Maag Law Firm, LLC. Gresham resided in the property and had owned it since 2010. The deed that Respondent presented to Gresham recited that the consideration for the conveyance was "$30,000 in legal services in hand paid" to her. Gresham signed the deed. Respondent and Gresham understood and agreed that after the conveyance, Gresham would continue to reside in the Wood River property indefinitely. After the execution of the deed, Gresham continued to reside there. According to Respondent, Gresham's conveyance of her residence was in payment of the $10,000 fixed fee for representation in the new misdemeanor cases and in payment of $20,000 that Gresham allegedly owed to Respondent for previous legal services. Respondent claimed that he had earned legal fees totaling $20,000 for his services in the child custody and support case (number 07-F-336) which Gresham had not paid. At no time did Respondent prepare, and at no time did he or Gresham sign, a written agreement that reflected premises, terms or conditions of the real estate transaction. The attorney recorded the deed and while counsel of record in both criminal and civil matters On March 2, 2018, while he continued to serve as Gresham's attorney in ongoing legal matters, Respondent sent a letter to her in which he directed her to vacate the Wood River house. In the letter, Respondent offered "to discuss a formal lease" with Gresham in the event that she wished to return to the house, after she vacated it and certain repairs were completed. On March 3, 2018, Respondent conveyed the Wood River property by quit claim deed from his law firm to Maag Holdings, LLC, which was a business entity in which Respondent owned a 50% interest. As of April 3, 2018, Respondent continued to represent Gresham in ongoing legal matters, including case number 07-F-336, the lawsuits in case numbers 17-L-284 and 17-L-1653, and the misdemeanor charge in case number 17-CM-100712. On April 3, 2018, Respondent filed a lawsuit against Gresham seeking her eviction from the house in Wood River and monetary compensation for alleged damage that she caused to the property. The matter was docketed in the Circuit Court for Madison County as case number 18-LM-372, titled Maag Holdings, LLC, Plaintiff, v. Brittany Rose Nicole Gresham, Defendant. Gresham obtained counsel from Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc., to represent her in the eviction matter and filed responsive pleadings, including claims against Respondent of fraud and unconscionability in relation to the transaction for the quit claim deed on December 5, 2017. On May 31, 2018, the court in case number 18-L-372 entered an order that dismissed the litigation on terms that included, among other things, that Respondent convey the Wood River property back to Gresham. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/an-attorney-who-represented-a-client-in-multiple-matters-has-been-charged-with-a-conflict-of-interest-by-the-illinois-adminis.html Monday, December 3, 2018 Dismissal of ethics charges has been ordered by the California State Bar Court Review Department In this contested proceeding, Rita Mahdessian was charged, inter alia, with misappropriating in excess of $385,000 in cy pres settlement funds awarded to a California nonprofit corporation established for the education and remembrance of the Armenian Genocide of 19151918, and with misleading the district court judge who approved the award. The hearing judge dismissed the charges of misleading the judge, but found that Mahdessian committed acts of moral turpitude by both (1) misappropriating $30,000 from the nonprofit, and (2) engaging in tax fraud by falsely reporting this and another $26,000 in taxable payouts to her children and their law school as donations or loan repayments, charges that were not contained in the Notice of Disciplinary Charges (NDC). Considering Mahdessians three prior disciplinary suspensions, the hearing judge recommended disbarment. Both Mahdessian and the Office of Chief Trial Counsel of the State Bar (OCTC) appeal. OCTC supports the hearing judges disciplinary recommendation, does not challenge the considerable narrowing of the misappropriation charge, and requests review only as to the limited issue of whether Mahdessian engaged in additional acts of moral turpitude, by withholding material information from the district court judge. Mahdessian disputes culpability and requests a full dismissal. Her argument is twofold: (1) OCTC did not charge her with either tax-related transgressions or breach of fiduciary duties; and (2) the evidence falls short of establishing the actual charged allegations of misappropriation and misrepresentation because (a) the nonprofit board approved all at-issue fund transactions, and (b) Mahdessian did not file any pleadings, make any court appearances, or have any proven duty to provide information to the district court judge. Upon our independent review (Cal. Rules of Court, rule 9.12), we too find fatal deficiencies in the notice and evidentiary record in this case. Conduct in the nature of tax fraud was not alleged in the NDC against Mahdessian. Moreover, we find no clear and convincing evidence to support culpability as to the charged misconduct. The evidence fails to establish that Mahdessian made any unauthorized fund withdrawals from the nonprofit or that she was ever involved in the district court litigation such that she had an obligation to disclose information. Accordingly, we dismiss this proceeding without prejudice. Background Mahdessian was admitted to the practice of law on November 20, 1989. At all times pertinent to this proceeding, Mahdessian and her husband, Yeghiayan, practiced law together at the variously named Yeghiayan and Associates, Yeghiayan Law Corp., and Law Offices of Vartkes Yeghiayan. Since 2009, Mahdessian has maintained her own law practice under the name Law Offices of Rita Mahdessian. Yeghiayan, on behalf of Yeghiayan and Associates, was counsel of record and co-lead counsel in two class actions lawsuits filed in 1999 and 2002Marootian, et al. v. New York Life Insurance Company, Case No. C99-12073 CAS (MCx) (NYLIC class action) and Kyurkjian, et al. v. AXA, S.A., et al., Case No. 2:02-cv-01750 (AXA class action). The litigation was brought on behalf of heirs and descendants of victims of the Armenian Genocide of 19151918, seeking to enforce survivor benefits under life insurance policies sold by New York Life and AXA. The cases were eventually related and singly assigned to the Honorable Christina A. Snyder of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. One case settled for $20 million; the other for $17.5 million. Mahdessian was an attorney with Yeghiayan and Associates. Her name appeared on the docket in the AXA class action as one of many lead attorney[s] to be notified. She testified that her name was entered into PACERs electronic case filing system at some point by the law firm so that she could receive notices about the case. No evidence was produced at the disciplinary trial that she directed any of the civil litigation, filed any pleadings, or appeared in court in any representative capacity in either class action matter. Rather, it was Yeghiayan and two other lead class counsel who had these roles. One of the other class counsel was Mark. Geragos. She was involved in charitable foundations set up to administer the funds Evidence is undisputed that a substantial portion of CARs funding came directly from Yeghiayan, frequently in the form of loans to the organization, and that he, Mahdessian, and their children did considerable work for CAR and incurred expenses for work-related activities. Further, as attested to by several witnesses, CARs Executive Committee knowingly approved all at-issue transactions in this case with no evidence of improper or undue influence from Mahdessian. Although the report below found misappropriation We note that these findings differ from the judges statements on the record at trial, where he expressed concerns about: (1) the evidence supporting misappropriation, asking, To the extent that I have evidence from multiple witnesses that all of the transactions were approved by the board, how can I conclude there was a misappropriation if I conclude that everything was approved by the board?; and (2) the relevancy of any tax-related issues under the NDC, inquiring, Whats the relevancy of the these documents [CARs general ledgers] being wrong, listed as a charitable donation? [] Have you charged her with filing a false tax return . . . .? As discussed below, we find the judges reactions during trial to the respective lack of notice and evidence in this case to be most apt. ...the hearing judge dismissed the vast majority of the misappropriation allegations against Mahdessian. Since we find that the tax issues were not properly charged in this case, we are left with only the hearing judges limited finding that Mahdessian misappropriated $30,000 from CAR. Upon our independent review, we find factual flaws and insufficient evidence to support this finding. First, the hearing judge found that Mahdessian created a ShareBuilder brokerage investment account using the name and personal information of her daughter without her daughters knowledge or permission. Mahdessian, however, testified it was her husband, Yeghiayan, who opened the account for his daughter. Based on the thin evidence presented at trial, we cannot say with certainty that Mahdessian established the account. OCTC produced a copy of an account statement in Mahdessians daughters name, containing the daughters address, social security number, and other identifying informationno other authorized or ancillary users are listed. While OCTC also produced a separate printout showing that email addresses belonging to Mahdessian and Yeghiayan accessed the account, OCTC failed to call a custodian of records from the account to testify. Without any evidence of user verification or information of how this ShareBuilder account was established and operated, and in the absence of any credibility findings, we are left to speculate who created the account. Second, the hearing judge found that Mahdessian transferred $30,000 of CAR funds into the ShareBuilder account, and purported to justify that transfer with the explanation that it represented a loan repayment from CAR to the daughter when, in fact, no such loan had ever been made. Again, the evidence does not support this finding. Mahdessians unrefuted testimony was that her daughter (through the ShareBuilder account) was the secondary recipient of the funds, and that the money was actually Yeghiayans. Mahdessian testified that Yeghiayan was owed approximately $40,000 as payment for books he published in Armenia. On October 28, 2009, CAR received an overseas wire payment of $39,971, of which CAR approved and earmarked $30,000 to partially recompense Yeghiayan. According to Mahdessian, Yeghiayan directed that the $30,000 be deposited into the ShareBuilder account, and Mahdessian transferred the money accordingly on October 30, 2009. Moreover, to the extent CARs general ledger listed the transaction as a loan, Karine Ghapgharan (a manager at CAR and the person responsible for recordkeeping in 2009) testified that Mahdessian did not make ledger entries. That was done by Ghapgharan or an outside accountant. Ghapgharan further testified that Mahdessian did not direct whether to characterize a payment as a loan. Rather, that decision was made independently, and she indicated it could have been the result of an English [translation] [] problem. She explained that when someone did work for CAR and they were owed money, whoever was doing the ledger treated it like a loan . . . . But most of them [were] reimbursement[s] . . . . [] Instead of reimbursement we wrote loan payment [or] loan repayment. Third, the hearing judge found that Mahdessian continued to maintain control over the ShareBuilder funds, which the daughter had no knowledge of until being subpoenaed by the State Bar to testify in this matter. Again, the record does not demonstrate who managed the portfolio or maintained control over the investment funds. In light of the foregoing, we do not find clear and convincing evidence that Mahdessian misappropriated $30,000 from CAR. CAR, as a nonprofit, is not the subject of these disciplinary proceedings and we have no basis to question the financial decisions of CAR or its board, which approved the transaction. Under the circumstances, and the uncontroverted evidence that CAR knowingly approved the fund transfer, we are unable to find that any unauthorized transaction occurred. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/disbarment-has-been-proposed-by-the-california-state-bar-court-review-department-in-this-contested-proceeding-rita-mahdessi.html Wednesday, December 5, 2018 The Oklahoma Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney who had been interim suspended from practice The respondent was previously suspended from the Oklahoma Bar Association in an order of immediate interim suspension on May 7, 2018. A disciplinary hearing was held on July 25, 2018. Because the respondent has not participated, the Bar Association seeks to have the allegations against him be deemed admitted pursuant to Rule 6.4 of Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings, 5 O.S. 2011, Ch. 1, App. 1-A. The respondent's disciplinary proceedings demonstrate that disbarment is warranted. The Poteau Daily News reported in March A controversial Poteau attorney was again arrested Wednesday on contempt, only to receive additional charges while in custody at the LeFlore County Detention Center. Attorney Steven Minks failed to appear for two felony dockets in cases he is representing, which led to him receiving two $500,000 bonds for contempt. The LeFlore County Detention Center said Minks on Thursday then received new charges while in custody of assault on a detention officer, destruction of county property and had a warrant for a bogus check. He will remain in the jail on the new charges and is set for an arrangement Friday afternoon with Judge Jennifer McBee. Minks has other charges already filed in LeFlore County court. In November, he was arrested in Panama during the early morning hours on complaints of improper parking on a roadway, public intoxication, resisting arrest and obstruction. Minks claimed he had been targeted by police. In December, law enforcement with the LeFlore County Sheriff's Office arrested Minks for protective order violation and driving under the influence of drugs. Minks' wife had been granted a protective order against him but he refused to leave the protective order zone, Sheriff Rob Seale reported at the time. Court records show he also received a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in February. His misdemeanor docket call in the cases is slated March 26. (Mike Frisch) https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2018/12/the-oklahoma-supreme-court-has-disbarred-an-attorney-the-poteau-daily-news-reported-in-may-a-controversial-poteau-attorney.html Cuban officials have announced that the countrys citizens will soon be able to fully use the internet on their mobile phones. Cuba is one of the last nations in the world to offer such service. Mayra Arevich is the president of the Cuban state-operated telecommunications company ETECSA. She made the announcement on national television on Tuesday. She said Cubans can begin paying for use of high speed data and voice services that use third generation, or 3G, communication networks on Thursday. Until now, Cubans have had access only to state-operated email accounts on their phones. The Cuban government has been building a 3G network in cities across the island. Some Cuban government officials and foreign business people and visitors have been able to use the network for several years. Communist Party-ruled Cuba has one of the worlds lowest rates of internet use. Internet use increased after former United States President Barack Obama and former Cuban President Raul Castro eased tensions in 2014. That growth has continued at a time when President Donald Trumps administration has announced economic restrictions on Cuba. Cuba permitted home internet use in 2017. Since that time, hundreds of public wireless internet, or Wi-Fi, connection points have opened in parks and open areas around the country. The cost of the new service will be similar to the international average. But it will still be too costly for many Cubans who live on state salaries of about $30 a month. Cuba created a high speed internet connection to Venezuela in 2012. This permitted the island to move from slow and costly satellite links. Cuba then began the slow process of permitting citizens to get access to the internet. The government started offering internet service at places like cafes in 2013 and Wi-Fi two years later. The number of places offering internet service has grown to more than 800. The Cuban internet is mostly uncensored. But the government blocks a small number of sites like the U.S.-supported Radio and TV Marti networks and some others. Radio and TV Marti provide news, information and commentary that Cubans are not likely to receive inside of Cuba. Radio and TV Marti is based in Miami, Florida and is operated by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the same agency that operates VOA. Tania Velazquez is vice president of ETECSA. She said the new internet service would become active in stages from Thursday through Saturday. Officials hope to avoid having too many people using the network at one time. Heavy usage caused problems during tests of the mobile network earlier this year. Im Jonathan Evans. Andrea Rodriguez reported this story for the Associated Press. Pete Musto adapted this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do you think this new internet access will affect Cuba? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story mobile phone(s) n. a small telephone that people can take with them and use outside their homes telecommunications n. the technology of sending and receiving signals and images over long distances by telephone, television or satellite data n. information that is produced or stored by a computer access n. a way of being able to use or get something salaries n. amounts of money that a person is paid uncensored adj. expressed openly without removal of words or opinions that may shock or offend people stage(s) n. a particular point or period in the growth or development of something A United States airport has become the first in the nation to permit passengers to use facial recognition technology to get on flights. The system launched last week at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the state of Georgia. The technology can be used by international passengers traveling through a special terminal. Atlantas HartsfieldJackson Airport usually ranks as the worlds busiest airport based on the number of passengers. The terminal is operated by Delta Airlines. But it also serves passengers flying on international carriers Aeromexico, Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic Airways. Delta said in a statement it is the first fully biometric airport terminal to operate in the U.S. The goal of the system is to simplify and speed up the process of presenting documents to get on a flight. The company says passengers can begin using the facial recognition system when they first arrive at the airport. After the first check-in, passengers can also use face recognition to pass through security and to get on the plane. Delta says the system prevents the need for travelers to present their passport up to four times during the usual check-in process. Travelers look into a camera that scans their face. This image is then compared against a collection of pictures kept by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The agency collects face scans from passports and visas. The system, however, has raised concerns about privacy. Earlier this year, two U.S. lawmakers sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, which is home to the border protection agency. Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Mike Lee of Utah urged that official rules be put in place before the program is expanded. Official rules, the senators said, would help Americans understand and accept the program. Jeramie Scott is a lawyer with the Electronic Privacy Information Center. He has called the use of facial recognition at U.S. airports a massive threat. Scott placed a statement on Twitter. He said his fear is that the governments facial recognition database of citizens could be used for other purposes without an individuals permission. The government now has the power to identify you whenever it wants, without your consent, and even without your knowledge, he said. Scott added that through facial recognition, the government has created a digital ID of millions of Americans. He added: And they did this without a public discussion or consent taking photos collected for one purpose and using it for another. John Wagner is deputy executive assistant commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP. He told CBS News any U.S. citizen who has privacy concerns can choose not to take part in the facial recognition system. He said this would prevent the airline from collecting a face scan to compare with CBP records. The CBP says its policy is to remove photos of U.S. citizens from its system once their identities have been confirmed. Delta says about two percent of passengers using the Atlanta airport terminal have chosen not to use the facial recognition system. Next year, the airline plans to expand its biometric system for international travelers at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Michigan. Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from Reuters and online sources. Mario Ritter Jr. was the editor. How do you feel about facial recognition technology being used in airports? Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Quiz - First US Face Recognition Terminal Opens at Atlanta Airport Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story terminal n. building where people to get onto an aircraft, bus, or ship biometric adj. involving the application of statistical analysis to biological data scan v. capturing an image using a special machine check-in n. the act or process of reporting ones arrival at a hotel or airport database n. information stored in a computer in an organized structure so that it can be searched in different ways consent n. permission for someone to do something digital adj. relating to computer technology, especially the internet Haydee Posadas had been waiting eight years for her son to come home. Wilmer Gerardo Nunez left Honduras for the United States in 2010. He was 35 years old. He left his home because of gang threats, just as thousands of other people have done. Somewhere in Mexico, Nunez disappeared. Posadas told the Associated Press, I am between a rock and a hard placeI know nothing about my son, whether hes dead or alive. Posadas is not alone. The AP found that almost 4,000 Latin American migrants have died or gone missing along the same route in the past four years. The news agency says the real numbers might be even higher, because families may not report missing family members who were migrating illegally. Posadas and her 10 children are from the Ciudad Planeta neighborhood of San Pedro Sula, Honduras. It is known as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in one of the most dangerous countries in the world. Posadas son left home for the United States for the first time in the 1990s, when he was 16. Posadas had just lost her factory job. Nunez would send money back home to help. He would call her almost every day. Nunez was deported two times but returned to the United States each time. In 2007, he had a child with a Mexican woman, Maria Esther Lozano. When Lozano was about to give birth to another child, in July 2010, Nunez was deported for a third time. Posadas was happy to have her son back home. He would make tasty meals with her. He cooked better than a woman, Posadas said. But the familys neighborhood had grown more dangerous over the years. Organized crime moved in. One time, men who claimed to be police locked her daughter to iron bars in the house and shot one of Posadas grandsons. The men suspected the boy was involved with gangs. Other times there were shootouts in the streets. In order to survive in the neighborhood, Posadas said, If you saw it, you didnt see it. If you heard it, you didnt hear it. And everyone keeps quiet. Posadas said things were so bad that Nunez almost never went outside the house. He told his mom that he was afraid and that he wanted to get back to California to meet his new daughter. After just a few days in San Pedro Sula and after a possible threat from gang members, Nunez left earlier than he planned. In the past, Nunez had crossed into the U.S. at the border in California. But this time, he had an injured foot. He planned to cross at the border in Texas. The route is shorter but also more dangerous. He let Lozano know about his plan. He called her on the phone almost every day using the phone of the smuggler taking the migrant group across the border. About a week after leaving home, Nunez spoke with his mother for the last time. He asked her to pray that everything would turn out well. A day later, he called Lozano. He seemed calm and happy. The group made it to Piedras Negras, across from the Texas town of Eagle Pass. Lozano was told to wait for a phone call, then she could pay the smuggler half the money -- about $3,000. Then she needed to wait for another call from Nunezs sister to confirm his safe arrival before paying the remaining $3,000. The calls never came. Lozano never heard from Nunez. The smuggler told her they were still waiting to cross. Then the phone went unanswered. Another week went by. Then, Posadas saw on television news that authorities had found the bodies of 72 migrants on a large farm in San Fernando, Mexico, across the border from Texas. Posadas says she started to cry like a crazy person. There were no names, but I was shaken. An investigation found that drug gang members had stopped two large trucks filled with migrants in northern Mexico. The migrants were taken to the farm and asked to join the gang. Only one of the migrants agreed. The rest were blindfolded, tied up and shot dead. Among the identified victims were two neighbors who had left with Nunez. But there was no sign of Nunez. Nunezs father offered his genetic material, or DNA, to be compared with the unidentified bodies. But still, Nunez was not found. Posadas and Lozano began looking for Nunez in prisons, holding centers and hospitals. They contacted Mexican, Honduran and Ecuadorian authorities many times. Yet, they still found nothing. After years of searching, Posadas thought that she would never find an answer to what happened to her son. Posadas had no way to know, but she could have had her answer just days after the mass killing. The official report on the mass killing on the San Fernando farm stated that body number 63 was a male with body art, including a tattoo of Nunezs sons name. The report also noted the body was found with a Honduran drivers license, with the name Wilmer Gerardo Nunez Posadas on it. But that information was not released. Body number 63 was buried in a common grave. In September 2013, an international team of experts began to identify more than 200 bodies from three mass killings, including the one in San Fernando. Late last year, a team from Argentina, with the help of the Catholic Church, was able to reach Posadas to tell her about body number 63. They also collected DNA to confirm the identity of Nunez. Posadas learned in May that the DNA test confirmed his identity. No one has been charged with the killings at San Fernando. Nine bodies are still unidentified. Mexican officials did not comment. On October 31, the body of Wilmer Gerardo Nunez came home to Honduras. When the box containing his body was opened at a local morgue, the smell of death filled the room. Posadas said, My heart hurt so much ... most of all because of the death he suffered, not even knowing who killed him, with his eyes blindfolded, hands tied ... I'm Caty Weaver. And I'm Ashley Thompson. Hai Do adapted this story for Learning English based on Associated Press report. Ashley Thompson was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story route - n. a way that someone regularly travels along smuggler - n. a person who move someone or something from one country into another illegally and secretly authorities - n. people who have power to make decisions and enforce rules of laws blindfolded - adj. having the eyes covered by a piece of cloth morgue - n. a place where the bodies of dead people are kept It is not easy to excite New Yorkers. This is one reason why actors and other famous people move to the city. They can live quieter lives and escape the paparazzi photographers who would follow them in Hollywood. But New York has a new media star. And this star is not living so quietly. The star is a colorful Mandarin duck. The bird first appeared this month in a small body of water in Manhattans Central Park. Large crowds have gathered to see the duck. Reporters have been following its every move. The media attention on the duck has earned the name quackarazzi a word combination of paparazzi and the sound a duck makes! The duck has chosen to live in a costly part of New York -- just off Fifth Avenue, near the historic Plaza Hotel. There, hundreds of people turn up every day, hoping to see the bird show off its extremely colorful feathers. Many people like the duck because its colors are like sunsets, says New Yorker Joe Amato. He comes to the park nearly every day with his camera equipment. Bird lovers have been keeping record of the birds daily life through social media postings and videos. People have noted how effortlessly the duck moves through the water. Newspaper writers have reported on its clashes with the common New York ducks. This week, New Yorks newest celebrity seemed to enjoy its fame, showing off its wings while members of the quackarazzi pushed each other to get a closer look. Leesa Beckmann traveled over two hours from her home in New Jersey to see the duck. She says her 90-year-old mother has been talking all about the duck since its first appearance. Ive got to see thisduck, Beckmann told her mother. She plans to take pictures and give them to her mother. Bird expert Paul Sweet heads a large collection of bird species at the New York-based American Museum of Natural History. He says there is nothing special about a Mandarin duck in Central Park. Central Park Zoo has its own Mandarin duck, he says. These ducks are often imported to the United States from Asia for use on private property. Sometimes they escape, he said. Sweet said he believes this duck is an escapee. If it were wild, he added, traditional bird watchers -- often called birders -- would be very excited. And they are not. A lot of non-birders tend to see (colorful) birds as more beautiful, Sweet said. But to me, its no more beautiful than, say, a sparrow. In this case, though, common New Yorkers get to decide what is beautiful. And they have clearly chosen this Mandarin duck. Im Susan Shand. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story paparazzi n. photographers who follows famous people in order to take their pictures and then sells the pictures to newspapers or magazines feather n. the light growths that make up the outer covering of the body of a bird species n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants sparrow n. a common type of small bird that usually has brown or gray feathers Dr Krushil Watene, senior lecturer in philosophy at Massey University, has been awarded a 2018 Rutherford Discovery Fellowship. The fellowship is awarded in support of her research on Intergenerational Justice, in which she is looking at how New Zealand Maori narrative describes obligations and decision-making involving other generations. Dr Watenes Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, which provides NZ$800,000 in research funding over five years, is the first Rutherford ever awarded to a philosopher. The Royal Society of New Zealand awards ten Fellowships per year across all disciplines. (Thanks to Adrian Rini for the information.) Activists seeking justice for Nirmala arrested from outside Presidents office (In photos) Police have arrested #JusticeForNirmala campaign activists while they were staging demonstration outside the Presidents office in Maharajgunj, Kathmandu on Thursday. China issued an upbeat but vague promise yesterday to carry out a tariff cease-fire with Washington but gave no details that might dispel confusion about what Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump agreed to in Argentina. China has yet to confirm Trumps claim that Beijing committed to cut auto tariffs and buy more American farm exports. That, coupled with conflicting statements by Trump and U.S. officials, helped trigger a tumble in U.S. stock prices Tuesday amid doubt about the chances for a lasting settlement of a battle over technology that threatens to chill global economic growth. China will start from implementing specific issues on which consensus has been reached, and the sooner, the better, the Commerce Ministry said on its website. The two sides have a clear timetable and road map for talks, the ministry said, but gave no details. The ministry didnt respond to questions by phone and fax. The Chinese silence prompted questions about what Trump said was a promise by Beijing to buy more American exports and negotiate over U.S. complaints that it steals American technology. Stock markets rose Monday after U.S. officials touted the agreement as a historic breakthrough. But they plunged Tuesday after Trump called himself Tariff Man on Twitter and renewed threats of penalty duties. Be patient, said Ma Hong, a trade expert at Tsinghua University in Beijing. He said Chinese leaders are right to move carefully as they deal with contentious details. The delay in talking isnt a sign of rejection, but of cautiousness, said Ma. The United States has put forward many demands, not all of them reasonable, he said. Negotiations will proceed step by step, not based on the rhythm of the United States. Trump is pressing Beijing to roll back plans for state-led development of Chinese technology champions that Washington says violate its market-opening commitments. Chinese leaders have offered to change some details of plans such as Made in China 2025. They have rejected pressure to scrap strategies they see as a path to prosperity and global influence, but foreign analysts say they might be starting to understand the depth of foreign opposition to their plans. Beijing has tried without success to recruit Europe, South Korea and other countries as allies against Trump. They criticize Washingtons tactics but share its complaints. This weeks confusion highlights the clash between the secrecy and measured pace of the ruling Communist Party and Trump, who fires off dozens of Twitter comments a day and cultivates an image as a fast-paced, unpredictable deal-maker. Chinese leaders routinely use delays of months or years to pressure negotiating partners. Even on routine matters, with no voters to placate and total control of Chinese media, they can frustrate other governments by leaving them waiting weeks or months for a response. Beijing is less informative than Washington, which might sometimes be too transparent, with officials issuing conflicting statements, said Louis Kuijs of Oxford Economics. Despite the Chinese silence, the atmosphere is more constructive and Beijing might be more willing to negotiate, Kuijs said. He noted all the major American players attended the Argentina meeting, giving a sign of buy in on a U.S. position. China has responded to Washingtons list of demands, though it is unclear what Beijing said. The Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post, citing unidentified sources, said Beijing was preparing to send a 30-member negotiating team to Washington. I think there is a higher likelihood that we get meaningful discussions now than in much of the last six months, said Kuijs. Questions began to swirl after Chinas foreign minister read a statement Saturday in Buenos Aires that said Washington agreed to halt tariff hikes. Wang Yi failed to mention industrial policy or Trumps demand that Beijing make progress in changing it or face renewed duty increases. That prompted some economists to ask whether Beijing was presenting a positive image for Chinese audiences or didnt understand the depth of American opposition to its technology plans. Earlier this week, Chinas government issued a pledge that appeared to be aimed at mollifying U.S. complaints about rampant violations of patents and copyrights. It promised to create a list of violators that would make it harder for them to do business or get government support. Analysts noted, however, there were no additional enforcement efforts. The notice wont convince President Trump that China is taking a serious stance on the matter, Irene Pang of ING said in a report. Meanwhile, Rabobank suggested a simpler explanation yesterday for Chinas silence: Xi has yet to return to Beijing to approve official statements. The president, Chinas most powerful leader since at least the 1980s, flew from Argentina to Panama for an official visit and yesterday was in Portugal. Talk about one-man rule! Rabobank researchers said in a report. (And does the man not have email?) Joe McDonald, Beijing, AP Yes, you can transfer your domain to any registrar or hosting company once you have purchased it. Since domain transfers are a manual process, it can take up to 5 days to transfer the domain. Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred. For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here. Apex Court acquits former IGP Motilal Bohara on corruption charges The Supreme Court (SC) has acquitted former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Motilal Bohara on corruption charges. Climate change is going to make the sub-tropical cities of southern China even warmer, Hong Kongs former Under Secretary for the Environment warned at a talk held last week at the City University of Macau. But, she noted, the cities of the Greater Bay Area can take measures to enhance their resilience. Christine Loh, who is currently the chief development strategist at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technologys Institute for the Environment, outlined a number of climate-related challenges that Macau, Hong Kong and the cities of the Greater Bay Area are likely to face in the near future. The former official, who held the Under Secretary post between 2012 and 2017, said that extreme snaps of hot and cold weather, rising sea levels and a higher occurrence of rainfall- induced landslides presented region-specific challenges to the Greater Bay Area. Whether we like it or not, and no matter how hard we work on reducing carbon emissions, warming has come to a stage where severe climate events are happening and will continue to happen, she said. We live in a hot climate, but its going to get hotter. However, while temperatures in the years ahead are expected to climb, scientists also predict that there will be more frequent and intense cold snaps, which they say will endanger vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the poor. The mortality rate in Hong Kong for those very cold moments in the last two or three years has actually been higher [than in the exceptionally hot moments], said Loh. When its very cold and theres no heating this is actually a big problem. Though her research team is primarily concerned with the situation in neighboring Hong Kong, Loh believes that Macau and the other cities of the Greater Bay Area will face similar challenges. For example, both Hong Kong and Macau are home to high-density residential tower blocks that were not designed with air ventilation in mind. On warmer days, the configuration of tower blocks threatens to trap hot air in insulated pockets known as microclimates. The former government official also warns of a domino effect among the cities of the Greater Bay Area, highlighting the rapid pace of regional integration and the consequent risk of spillover when it comes to weather-related disasters. Our region, which we now call the Greater Bay Area, is more and more integrated, said Loh. In this particular region, we have investments in each others places there are lots of people from Macau who have investments in southern China and Hong Kong. We are already connected. If something were to happen because of this [regional] infrastructure, it would affect the activities of many people. In Lohs opinion, the key to weathering climate change is resilience and the ability to adapt to a new culture of coping. That starts with education both on a government and a community level. In fact, she said during last weeks talk, when there is a severe climate emergency, it may be that your neighbor is more important to you than your government because it may be your neighbor who saves you. The role of the community in preparing itself to resist climate phenomena is broad, but could cover early warning systems or drills organized by community leaders. Other significant weather-related problems that are likely to arise from climate change include rising sea levels, more intense rainfall and severe landslides. Our prediction is that the overall rainfall on an annual basis will probably remain about the same, however it is going to come down in much bigger dumps, making flooding risks higher, said Loh. She added that the higher downpour of rain presents an added risk of more severe landslides across the hilly landscape of Hong Kong. With regards to sea level, Loh suggested that certain physical forces could cause an above average rise in the local area. About 67 million people live in the cluster cities of the Pearl River Delta estuary, most of whom reside within 50 kilometers of the coast. Because of the different gravitational pull and other physical forces the sea level rise in our area will actually be higher [than the world average], warned Loh. The D. Jose Costa Nunes Kindergarten will be included in the list of schools to offer free of charge education for residents in the upcoming academic year. The agreement was signed yesterday between the Association for Macanese Education (APIM) and the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ). To the Times, the president of APIM, Miguel de Senna Fernandes, explained that the agreement would not lead to any significant changes in the operation of the school, nor to its teaching. I hope there will be no surprises [at a later stage], said Senna Fernandes. They [DSEJ] have a high consideration for the kindergarten and any potential change [in the current system] would require a very long study and thinking. Instead, the changes to the institution would have to do with the accounting, since we will be dealing with subsidies that come directly from DSEJ and in that sense we must have a very rigorous approach to the accounts since we are dealing with public funds. But this does not upset us in any way since we are already used to this and the accounts have been reviewed one by one and without problems, he explained, adding that he expected the transition to be hassle-free. For the academic year of 2019/20, the only significant difference for parents and guardians is that Macau residents will stop paying the normal tuition fee from the start of the next academic year, from September 2019. The measure, as in other institutions, applies only for the tuition fee as additional services will continue to be charged. Parents will continue to pay the extra costs such as the extra-curricular activities and the meals and other small things. Senna Fernandes also noted that only Macau residents could be included in this system, acknowledging that the school does have several students that are not Macau residents and would not see any difference next year. RM Germanys top official for human rights was due to visit Tibet this week for a dialogue with Chinese counterparts after being denied permission to visit the heavily policed northwestern region of Xinjiang. German Human Rights Commissioner Barbel Kofler said in a statement that she had wanted to travel to Xinjiang, where an estimated 1 million members of the Turkic Muslim Uighur minority have been held in political re-education camps in what China calls a campaign against terrorism and religious extremism. I am shocked by reports of the treatment of the Turkic Uighur minority, Koflers statement said. She said she would continue to push for permission to visit Xinjiang soon. Former inmates and monitoring groups say those interned in the camps are subjected to prison-like conditions and forced to renounce their religion and cultural background while swearing loyalty to Communist Party leader and President Xi Jinping. In addition, more than 1 million local government workers have been deployed to move in with Uighur families to monitor their religious practices and political commitments, with those considered disloyal sent to the internment camps. Uighurs have long reported economic, political and cultural discrimination at the hands of the countrys majority Han Chinese, but the last two years have seen a monumental ramping up of repression that has sparked the beginnings of an international backlash. Chinas campaign against Muslims and other religious minorities has been spreading nationwide. Most recently, authorities in the largely Muslim province of Gansu have ordered the shutdown of a school teaching Arabic that had operated for more than three decades, according to state newspaper Global Times. The crackdown in Xinjiang was preceded by a massive security campaign against anti-government sentiment in Tibet, which had been largely independent before communist forces invaded in 1950. Koflers statement said that conditions in Tibet give her great cause for concern due to restrictions on traditional Buddhist culture and excessive controls. She travelled to the Himalayan region late yesterday and will take part in the dialogue on today and tomorrow. The government has canceled the holiday change proposal in the latest Labor Law amendment. The proposal stated that three days out of four (New Years Day, Ching Ming Festival, the day following Chong Chao, and the Chong Yeung Festival) could be taken on other public holidays, meaning that these days could be normal working days for some workers. Government and employers engaged in a three-hour discussion about the Labor Law amendment proposals during yesterdays Standing Committee for the Coordination of Social Affairs. The participants included the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, the Director of the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), Wong Chi Hong, the President of the Macau Federation of Trade Unions, Leong Wai Fong (representative of the employees), and the Vice-President of the Macao Chamber of Commerce, Chui Yuk Lum (representative of the employers). Yesterday, six Labor Law amendment proposals were approved by both the employers and the employees: five days of paid paternity leave, an additional 14 days of paid maternity leave, compensation for overlapping holidays and weekends, compensation for working during compulsory holidays, and two additional amendments concerning compensation for working on mandatory holidays. These six amendments will have their drafts finalized and will enter legislative procedures as soon as possible. Since there is a huge disagreement between the employers and the employees, the three parties agreed to temporarily shelve the discussion of the three in four proposal. We think the government is seeking the truth from the facts, said the representative of the employees, Leong Wai Fong. Talking about the meeting, Leong said that we all have our own basis, and we expressed our own [opinions]. Moreover, Leong expressed that the employees sector strongly opposes the three in four proposal. The representative of employers, Chui Yuk Lum, also made a statement on the results of the meeting: We, the employers, need especially to highlight that, regardless of the original three in ten or the current three in four, the proposal was not made by us, the employers. Secondly, we feel that the government made this proposal out of kindness, and that the proposal provides flexibility. Chui added we hope that the law amendment can fully take care of SMEs and provide them with a better commercial environment. However, Chui accused the government of having completely failed to consider the capacity of SMEs because it eventually set a five-day paid paternity leave while the previous proposal suggested three to five days. We feel like the government disrespected and even ignored the employers opinion, said Chui. Regarding maternity leave, [the employers] clearly remember that [] the government proposed 14 days of unpaid maternity leave, but it turned out to be 14 days of paid maternity leave, said Chui. The government proposed that, in the first year, 14 days of paid maternity leave be subsidized by the government, and, in the second year, only seven days be subsidized. We expressed our strong dissatisfaction towards this. The government had proposed 14 days to be unpaid, but now the unpaid [leave] has become paid. The government should absolutely bear the compensation for these 14 days, said Chui. We will carry out the follow-up works as soon as possible, including drafting the bill or bringing the law to legislative procedures, said Lionel Leong. DSAL Director Wong Chi Hong could not provide information regarding the timetable of the laws establishment and implementation to the media. Hong Kongs Central area has taken the prize for the worlds most expensive premium office rents for a fourth year running, according to global real estate consultant JLL. Occupancy costs including rent, taxes and service charges are 60 percent higher than New Yorks Midtown and almost 75 percent more costly than Londons West End, JLLs Premium Office Rent Tracker, which crunches data in the premier office districts of 61 cities, shows. If youre looking for somewhere cheap to base your business, best head to Africa. Office rents in Johannesburg are just $20 per square foot per year, and not much more expensive in Nairobi. Kuala Lumpur is also pretty cost competitive, as is Manila. Premium office rents refer to the top achievable in units over 10,000 square feet (930 square meters) in key buildings in the prime office districts of each city, JLL said. The Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) Director, Mok Ian Ian, has apologized on the behalf of the bureau for the incident in which a journalist was stopped by ICs security from taking pictures of the Ruins of St. Pauls light decorations. It was reported earlier this week that a local reporter was ordered by ICs security to not record the Ruins of St. Pauls light decorations. Mok pledged she will issue a warning letter to the security company requesting it enhance knowledge of ICs instructions. Police officer dismissed after illegally entering casino A police officer from the Public Security Police Force (PSP) has been dismissed after he was discovered in March of this year entering casinos and removing casino chips left on a gambling table by other people. The PSP reiterates that unless there is legal permission for a police officer to enter a casino, all police officers must strictly comply with the citys regulation regarding police officers entering casino premises. Helpers require training to help seniors The head of the nursery department of the Kiang Wu Hospital, Wong Cheng Wa, has reported that some domestic helpers have been providing improper care to seniors. Yesterday, a a TDM radio program, Wong said that some domestic helpers need instructions on how to take care of seniors or those who are bedridden. Giving an example, Wong noted that some caretakers [domestic helpers] do not help laying-down seniors turn over, which could result in skin problems. Day after day, rampant speculation about North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns possible trip to Seoul is making headlines in South Korea, despite no official confirmation from either government. Many analysts say it would be extremely difficult for Kim to fulfill by the end of this year his reported promise to become the first North Korean leader to visit South Korea, given limited time for preparation and impasses in global diplomacy on his nuclear weapons. But others say we will not know until the year is over, noting that several previously unthinkable events have happened in the past months, including Kims June summit with President Donald Trump in Singapore. A look at the status of Kims possible trip to Seoul: THE SPECULATION As the year draws to a close, South Korean media, experts and politicians are churning out reports and guesswork on whether Kim will come to Seoul by the end of December, or will postpone or even spike his plan. South Korean President Moon Jae-in appears to be pushing Kim to keep his promise, though he said there is no time frame for his visit. After a meeting with Trump last week on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina, Moon told reporters that the two agreed that Kims trip would play a very positive role in U.S.-North Korea nuclear diplomacy. Moon suggested that Trump agreed Kims Seoul trip could come before the resumption of high-level U.S.-North Korean talks, including a possible second Trump-Kim summit. One of the time frames that South Korean media say would likely be for Kims trip to South Korea is Dec. 18-20. These dates are based on a belief that the two Koreas would need more than a week of preparation, and would allow Kim to stay at home for a Dec. 17 memorial service for his late dictator father, Kim Jong Il. Also, Kim would be busy in late December preparing for his annual New Years Day address to outline his policy directions for 2019. South Koreas presidential Blue House, however, has denied that time frame. The Blue House reiterated yesterday that Kims trip can occur either this month or early next year, saying its up to North Korea. THE OBSTACLES So the ball is in Kims court now, but his propaganda services have been silent about a Seoul trip. Kim might find such a trip less beneficial now than when he agreed to it following his third summit with Moon in Pyongyang in September. At the time, some experts said the United States could soon accept a North Korean request for jointly declaring the end of the 1950-53 Korean War as part of security assurances to the North so that Kim could find it less burdensome to make a symbolic, emotionally charged trip to Seoul after receiving that political concession. But North Korea-U.S. diplomacy has since come to a standstill amid disputes over a U.S. demand that North Korea first disclose a full inventory of its nuclear weapons and take other significant denuclearization steps before winning major outside rewards. North Korea, for its part, now wants sanctions relief, the end-of-war declaration and other reciprocal measures from the United States, arguing it has taken some steps, like dismantling its nuclear testing facility and releasing American detainees. Kims top lieutenants could also persuade him not to go to Seoul, citing worries about security arrangements for their supreme leader visiting an enemy state. Its almost certain that Kims trip would trigger huge daily protests in Seoul by activists, conservative politicians and North Korean defectors. South Koreas main conservative opposition says Kim must first apologize for 2010 attacks blamed on the North that killed 50 South Koreans before stepping on South Korean soil. WHY A KIM TRIP MATTERS No North Korean leader has traveled to South Korea since the end of the Korean War, which killed millions. There have been five summit talks between the leaders of the Koreas, three of them between Kim and Moon, but they all happened either in Pyongyang or the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom. When Kims influential sister, Kim Yo Jong, and favorite pop diva, Hyon Song Wol, came to South Korea earlier this year at the start of his outreach to the South, their trips triggered a media frenzy here, with TV cameras and photographers following their every move. A Kim trip to Seoul would surely garner even more worldwide attention. Seoul is the bustling capital of a country that Kim until last year repeatedly vowed to destroy with his nuclear weapons, and which his dictator father and grandfather wanted to unify with the North. Moon would likely arrange many emotional events, such as jointly visiting South Koreas highest peak, Halla Mountain, like they did to the Norths sacred Paektu Mountain during their Pyongyang summit. Kim also might address South Koreas parliament, after Moon addressed a Pyongyang stadium packed with 150,000 people at the September summit. Moon said Kims trip would be unprecedented and contain a message of his commitment to nuclear disarmament, improvement in inter-Korean relations and world peace. But again, it appears to be up to Kim, whose joint statement with Moon in September stipulated only that his visit to Seoul would come in the near future. Moon later said that means within this year. Kims father, Kim Jong Il, vowed to visit South Korea at an appropriate time after his 2000 summit with then-South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. But he did not carry out his promise before he died in late 2011, handing over power to Kim Jong Un, his youngest son. Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, AP Malaysian police said yesterday they have filed new criminal charges against fugitive financier Low Taek Jho and four others over the multibillion-dollar looting of state investment fund 1MDB. Low is wanted for his alleged role as the mastermind in a massive money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered billions of dollars from the indebted 1MDB fund. He remains at large but maintains his innocence. Malaysian authorities charged Low and his father with money laundering in August. Last month, U.S. prosecutors charged Low and two former Goldman Sachs bankers with conspiracy to launder 1MDB money. Malaysian police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said Low and four others, mostly former 1MDB employees, were charged Tuesday with 13 new money laundering and criminal breach of trust offenses involving losses of USD1.17 billion of 1MDB funds. He said Wednesday that arrest warrants have been issued for the five, who have fled Malaysia. If they are found in any country, the government will request their extradition so they can face charges in a Malaysian court, Fuzi said in a statement. Former Prime Minister Najib Razak started the 1MDB fund when he took power in 2009 to promote economic development but it accumulated billions in debts, and is being investigated in the U.S. and several other countries. Anger over the huge scale of the scandal led to the shocking election ouster of Najibs coalition, and ushered in the first change of power since the countrys independence from Britain in 1957. The new government reopened a probe into 1MDB that was stifled under Najibs rule. Najib and his wife have been charged with multiple counts of corruption in the scandal, and have criticized the charges as political vengeance. His lawyer, his former deputy, two ex-senior government officials and a former chief state minister have also been charged with graft. Fuzi said Low, 36, was charged with five counts of money laundering involving transfers totaling $1.03 billion into a Swiss bank account between September 2009 and October 2011. Low and his aide, Eric Tan Kim Loong, face two more money laundering charges for receiving $126 million in a Singapore- based bank account, he said. 1MDBs former lawyer, Jasmine Loo Ai Swan, its ex-business development director, Casey Tang Keng Chee and former finance director Terence Geh Choh Heng were also charged. A spokesman for Low, in a statement issued through his lawyers, slammed the new charges against him as a continuation of the trial by media and political reprisals by Malaysias new government. Mr. Low maintains his innocence. As has been previously stated, Mr. Low will not submit to any jurisdiction where guilt has been predetermined by politics and there is no independent legal process, the statement said, alleging that Low cannot get a fair trial in Malaysia. AP Malaysias tiff with neighboring Singapore over air space and port waters is escalating, a sign of renewed bickering not seen in years. First came Malaysia saying on Tuesday it wants to retake airspace in Johor from neighboring Singapore in stages beginning end-2019. Singapores transport ministry responded by saying that both countries had an agreement dating back to 1974 that gave Singapore the right to provide air traffic services in the airspace above southern Johor. The very same day brought a Singapore protest over Malaysias move to extend the limits of a port in Johor, the state bordering Singapore. The unilateral action encroaches into Singapores territorial waters, Singapores Ministry of Transport said. Yesterday, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad fired back, saying moves to extend the limits of the Johor port did not encroach into Singapores territorial waters. Malaysia can measure to see whether this is true or not, Mahathir told reporters. The latest salvo came from Singapore late Wednesday, with its foreign ministry saying Malaysian government vessels have made a series of provocative intrusions into Singapore territorial waters despite the nations diplomatic protests. Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stressed in a phone call with his Malaysian counterpart the need for Malaysia to cease these intrusions to comply with international law, according to the statement. The latest statement does suggest that Singapore is not taking this lightly at all, said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University and former nominated member of parliament. This could be an indication that if there are further intrusions, Singapore would take even more assertive actions that could amount to arresting these vessels. Singapores transport ministry has also issued documents including an extract of meeting minutes on what transpired between authorities on both sides regarding the airspace issues, according to a local media report. The two nations, which were once part of the same country, had a fractious relationship during Mahathirs first stint in power from 1981 to 2003. The bluntly-spoken Mahathir famously sparred with then-Singapore leader Lee Kuan Yew to the point of accusing him of going through the formalities of being democratic. Mahathir is now back in power after a shock election victory in May. It is within Malaysias right to deploy its enforcement and relevant competent agencies in its territorial sea, Transport Minister Loke said in a statement yesterday. Loke urged Singapore to prevent its enforcement agencies from further intruding into Malaysias territorial sea. These actions by Singapore amount to serious violations of Malaysias sovereignty and international law and are unconducive to good bilateral relations, cause confusion for the international shipping community and lead to increased navigational and safety risks to all parties. MDT/Bloomberg U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May is locked in a power struggle with the British Parliament that looks set to determine the final shape of Brexit. May lost three key votes on a day of drama in the House of Commons yesterday [Macau time], highlighting the weakness of her position as she tries to ratify the deal shes struck with the European Union. The result is that Parliament now has the potential to decide on Britains plan B if as expected it rejects Mays divorce agreement with the EU in the biggest vote of all next week. Thats not what the premier wanted. It raises the possibility that members of Parliament could seek to pursue a softer withdrawal including potentially staying in the blocs single market or even attempt to stop Brexit entirely. One option that could gather momentum over the weeks ahead is for a second referendum to allow the public to overturn the decision of the first. No longer must the will of Parliament reflecting the will of the people be diminished, Tory lawmaker Dominic Grieve said after engineering one of Mays defeats. Parliament must now take back control and then give the final decision back to the public because, in the end, only the people can sort this out. But according to Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom, the crucial vote didnt rule out a no-deal Brexit. It basically says Parliament, where we know there is no majority for one outcome or another, will have more say over this, she told BBC Radio yesterday. Long odds On Dec. 11, Parliament will vote finally on whether to accept or reject the 585-page withdrawal agreement that May and the EU reached in November. Few officials in Mays government believe they have much chance of winning, with some Tories predicting a heavy defeat. If theyre right, the U.K. will be on course to crash out of the EU with no deal, an outcome which the Bank of England and the Treasury warned last week would cause immediate and severe damage to the British economy. According to the BOE analysis, house prices could be hit by 30 percent and the pound could fall by as much as 25 percent after a no-deal Brexit. The signs are not good for Mays plan. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the official opposition, which he leads, will oppose her deal next week. Critics from all sides of the House lined up to raise objections to the deal. One of those was former Conservative Chief Whip Mark Harper, who said he would end 13 years of loyalty to the government and vote against the deal. He urged May to go back to Brussels before the vote next week and try to change the text on the Northern Irish backstop in order to appease Brexiteers. If the Prime Minister listened to the views of Conservative colleagues, she would know that her deal isnt going to be voted through next week and it needs to be changed, he told BBC Radio on Wednesday. Key votes lost Even Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party, which has a formal role propping up Mays minority Tory government, isnt backing her. Speaking shortly after the defeats, May put on a brave face, and appealed to her colleagues to back her compromise plan or risk betraying voters who chose to leave the EU in the referendum of 2016. Central figure I do not say that this deal is perfect it was never going to be, May told the Commons. We should not let the search for the perfect Brexit prevent a good Brexit that delivers for the British people. The governments frustration focused on the central figure of Commons Speaker John Bercow. He made the ruling to allow Tuesdays damaging votes to take place. According to people familiar with the matter, Mays cabinet ministers expressed their private anger at Bercows handling of Brexit during a meeting earlier Tuesday, with some of those present voicing harsh words about the Speaker. Bercows office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. Thanks to Mays defeats yesterday [Macau time], it would be the Speaker again who would decide how Parliament can shape the plan B if the premier fails to get her overall Brexit deal through the Commons next week. Tim Ross, Robert Hutton & Jessica Shankleman Bloomberg Cabinet decides to build 41 buildings for official residences in Bhainsepati The government has decided to relocate the ministerial quarters from Harihar Bhawan, Pulchok, to 149 ropanis of land acquired in Sainbu Bhaisepati, Lalitpur, for building official residences for Members of Parliament (MPs). Federal authorities announced a raft of conspiracy and tax fraud charges yesterday [Macau time] against four men in the first U.S. prosecution related to the so-called Panama Papers. The 11-count indictment unsealed in Manhattan stems from what prosecutors described as an intercontinental money laundering scheme involving a global law firm based in Panama. Two Germans, one American and a Panamanian attorney were charged with conspiracy and other counts. The Panama Papers include a collection of 11 million secret financial documents that illustrated how some of the worlds richest people hide their money. The records were first leaked to the Suddeutsche Zeitung, a major German newspaper, and were shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which began publishing collaborative reports with news organizations in 2016. The repercussions of the leaks were far- ranging, prompting the resignation of the prime minister of Iceland and bringing scrutiny to the leaders of Argentina and Ukraine, Chinese politicians and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others. Federal prosecutors say the law firm Mossack Fonseca conspired to circumvent U.S. laws to maintain the wealth of its clients and conceal tax dollars owed to the IRS. They say the scheme dates to 2000 and involved sham foundations and shell companies in Panama, Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands. Prosecutors said the names of the firms clients generally did not appear on incorporation paperwork even though they had complete access to the assets and the accounts. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said the defendants shuffled millions of dollars through off-shore accounts and had a playbook to repatriate un-taxed money into the U.S. banking system. Now their international tax scheme is over, Berman said in a statement, and these defendants face years in prison for their crimes. The law firm had relatively few American clients. The data leak included copies of about 200 American passports, and some 3,500 shareholders in the offshore companies listed addresses in the U.S. a small fraction of the more than 250,000 companies Mossack Fonseca set up for clients in four decades of business. Charged in the indictment were Ramses Owens, 50, a Panamanian attorney who worked for Mossack Fonseca; Dirk Brauer, 54, a German investment manager; Harald Joachim Von Der Goltz, 81, of Germany; and Richard Gaffey, an accountant from Medfield, Massachusetts. Authorities said Owens remained at large; the other defendants have been taken into custody. An attorney for Von Der Goltz, Jeffrey Neiman, called the indictment a desperate attempt to salvage an American case out of the Panama Papers. He said his client will be vindicated at trial. AP The death of George H.W. Bush is bringing together the five remaining members of an oh-so-exclusive fraternity the presidents club. But for President Donald Trump, it may not be an entirely comfortable reunion, throwing him together with former occupants of the Oval Office who have given him decidedly mixed reviews. Todays [Macau time] state funeral for the late president will be attended by formers Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. The last time they were together with Trump was at his inauguration in 2017. Recalling the funerals for Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, they will all sit together in Washington National Cathedral, with the exception of the younger Bush, who will be seated nearby with his family. Those who have occupied the Oval Office share an unparalleled experience that typically builds a special camaraderie. And by virtue of health, longevity and opportunities for continued influence, ex-presidents are sticking around longer than ever and staying active in the public eye. But since taking office, Trump has had little contact with his predecessors. He has not spoken to Democrats Clinton or Obama since his inauguration. He did speak with the younger Bush during the contentious confirmation process for Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, as the previous Republican president helped lobby for his former aide. Democrat Carter has been briefed by White House officials on North Korea, though it was not clear if he has engaged directly with Trump. Trump has sought to meet the elder Bushs passing with grace, a contrast to the rhythms of much of his tumultuous presidency. He came to office after a campaign in which he harshly criticized his Democratic predecessors and co- opted a Republican Party once dominated by the Bush family. Despite the traditional kinship among presidents, Trumps predecessors have all made their discomfort known in different ways. Its unusual that a cabal of ex- presidents from both parties dislike a sitting president and thats what youve got happening right now, said Douglas Brinkley, a history professor at Rice University. Past presidents often built relationships with their predecessors, Brinkley said. Bill Clinton would reach out to Richard Nixon for advice on Russia, he said. Harry Truman leaned heavily on Herbert Hoover. Its endless. To be sure, Brinkley added, those ties vary from president to president and there have been chilly relationships as well, noting, for example, that FDR would never talk to Herbert Hoover. Busy with a mix of personal pursuits, charitable endeavors and, in some cases, paid speaking gigs the former leaders dont mingle very often, making a funeral in their group a big occasion. Bonded by the presidency, they tend to exercise caution in their comments about each other. Still, all the living former presidents have aimed barbs directly or indirectly at Trump. In a speech in September, Obama slammed the crazy stuff coming out of the White House without directly naming Trump. Last year, the younger Bush made a speech that confronted many of the themes of Trumps presidency without mentioning him by name, cautioning that bigotry seems emboldened and the nations politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication. While Trump has struggled to set the right tone in past moments of national grief, he has gone out of his way to address Bushs passing with consideration, issuing kind statements and ensuring that Bush family members have whatever they need for the funeral. AP China wants to continue to take advantage of Portugals privileged geographical location by deepening its political and business ties with the southern European country, Chinese President Xi Jinping said. We should continue to expand and improve our existing projects, increase trade and create other areas of growth, Xi said at a joint press conference with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. We should bolster our cooperation in other markets. Xi said the two countries enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges, adding that since the establishment of diplomatic ties 39 years ago, China and Portugal have always witnessed win-win cooperation with mutual understanding, respect and trust. Noting an ancient Chinese saying, A partnership forged with the right approach defies geographical distance; it is thicker than glue and stronger than metal and stone, Xi said China and Portugal are good friends and partners who are getting along with each other. Rebelo de Sousa said that Portugal is willing to support the Belt and Road Initiative and accepted Xis invitation to take part in a summit about the Chinese project, to be held in Beijing in April. Yesterday, Xi Jinping met Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa. The two governments signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly advancing the construction of the Belt and Road after the meeting, which was witnessed by the two leaders. The Chinese President visit to Portugal ended yesterday, the final stop in a global tour that has included Panama, Spain and the Group of 20 meeting in Argentina. China became a major investor in Portugal during the countrys 2011-2014 international bailout program. In May, China Three Gorges Corp. offered 9.1 billion euros (USD10.3 billion) to raise its stake in Portuguese utility EDP-Energias de Portugal SA, which would be this years biggest Chinese overseas acquisition if accepted, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Portugal already attracts wealthy Chinese with its so-called golden visa program that allows foreign individuals to buy property valued at 500,000 euros or more in return for residency. Other Chinese investments in the country include China State Grids 25 percent stake in energy operator REN-Redes Energeticas Nacionais SA. Fosun Group is the biggest shareholder in lender Banco Comercial Portugues SA with a 27 percent stake, and controls insurer Fidelidade. MDT/Agencies EUR2 million to close luxury hotel DURING HIS stay in Lisbon, Xi Jinping and his delegation had the citys top luxury hotel closed to other guests. For that, the Chinese reportedly paid EUR2 million to the Hotel Ritz, according to several media reports. The Chinese delegation brought several armored limousines which were so big that construction had to be done on the exit gate of the airport and the parking area of the hotel. According to the report, China paid for those works. Camera traps installed to monitor animals movement The Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Tarai Arc Landscape (TAL) programme of the World Wildlife Fund have jointly installed camera traps in Sumeshwora trans-border bio-corridor between the CNP and the Valmiki Tigers Reserve of Indiato monitor the movement of wild animals in the area.v Tulsipur High Court order gives Pappu reprieve The Nepalgunj bench of Tulsipur High Court has ordered the government not to blacklist Pappu Construction, notorious for leaving most of the projects it contracted in disarray. Elephants terrorise Hirapur residents Residents of Hirapur settlement at Lalbandi Municipality-11 in Sarlahi district have been living in constant fear for the last four days due to a menace of wild elephants in the area. (HealthDay)Medical science has made tremendous advances in "personalized medicine"drugs that fight cancer and other diseases by boosting the immune system or targeting specific genetic traits. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter benefited from one of these drugs, Keytruda (pembrolizumab), which successfully beat back his brain cancer by ramping up his immune system. But the American public is still struggling to understand the implications of these new targeted treatments, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll has found. A large majority (71 percent) of Americans are unfamiliar with personalized medicine, the survey found. Among those who are familiar with the concept, nearly half (49 percent) don't understand that this new type of therapy is typically more successful, with fewer side effects, compared to other treatments. On the other hand, most (62 percent) didn't realize that the cost of the drugs will be significantly higher than other treatments. The online survey of over 2,000 adults was conducted Nov. 15-19. "Very few Americans know a lot about personalized medicine but, nevertheless, people are excited about it, particularly regarding its potential to save lives and revolutionize health care," said Deana Percassi, managing director of The Harris Poll's public relations research practice. Personalized medicine, also called precision medicine, uses genetic profiling and specific knowledge of a person's body to optimize therapies. For example, there's a drug called Lynparza (olaparib) that treats people with advanced breast and ovarian cancers caused by mutations of the BRCA gene. The drug blocks an enzyme and makes it more likely for cancerous cells to die off more quickly. In an advance for the field, last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a drug for a treatment of a wide range of cancers based on a shared mutation. The drug, Vitrakvi (larotrectinib), can treat thyroid, lung, and head and neck cancers caused by a common genetic factor. Doctors need to spread the word Despite advances like this, two in five people (41 percent) are not at all familiar with personalized medicine, and only 5 percent said they are very familiar, the survey found. That doesn't surprise Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, acting chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. "We're all exposed to a lot of information on a regular basis," Lichtenfeld said. "People tend to not pay a lot of attention to a particular topic until it becomes personally relevant to them." Dr. Bruce Johnson suggested that doctors "need to do a better job disseminating information about personalized medicine." Johnson is past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "I'm a lung cancer doc. We just had our fifth drug for a specific genomic driver in lung cancer approved last week. That started out from zero in 2004," Johnson said. "As opposed to the old days, where drugs worked, on average, for four to six months, these currently are typically working between 10 months to three years," Johnson said. "For patients with lung cancer, it's dramatically transformed their lives. Our job is to get that information out there and make it clear." More and better treatment options Lichtenfeld noted that the word needs to spread so people will know these drugs might be available to help them. "I had a conversation with someone a couple of weeks ago who had a cancer, had a genetic test done on their cancer, and had a mutation for which there is a clinical trial, but no one had recognized that," Lichtenfeld said. "This was what I call an activated patient, an intelligent and engaged person," he continued. "We need to do a better job, nationwide, understanding the options we now have." The general public also lacks knowledge of some key topics of debate surrounding personalized medicine. More than half (60 percent) are unaware that the drugs used in personalized medicine tend to be much more expensive than more conventional treatments like chemotherapy. Overall, 46 percent think the costs of personalized medicine for cancer patients will be similar to other available treatment options. Even among those who are familiar with personalized medicine, this percentage remains the same. Further, about one in six (15 percent) thinks the costs of personalized medicine will be significantly lower than other treatment options. Cost a big factor In reality, personalized medicine costs a lot. People taking Keytruda pay around $150,000 a year, while Lynparza is estimated to cost more than $234,000 to extend a patient's life by one year. Vitrakvi will cost $32,800 for a 30-day supply of capsules. According to Percassi, "Even those who are familiar with the topic are relatively unaware of the extreme cost difference between personalized medicine and other available treatments." There's currently a debate in medicine over the cost of these drugs, Lichtenfeld said. On the one hand, these cutting-edge medicines are expensive to develop and often only help a small number of patients who carry the specific genetic trait being targeted, Lichtenfeld explained. "You have people who say it's a big risk to develop these drugs and we take on that risk. As a result of taking on that risk, we're entitled to earn a return on that investment," Lichtenfeld said. But there are also people who feel these drugs are way too expensive, particularly those for which broader uses have been found, he noted. More patients are taking certain drugs but the prices haven't budged. "When you first had immunotherapy available, you had a very small number of patients who were candidates to receive those drugs," Lichtenfeld said. "Now we're in a situation where thousands of patients can receive those drugs, but the price of the drugs has not come down." People also don't know that by specifically targeting genes and immune functions within the body, personalized medicine avoids the nasty side effects that result from chemotherapy and other harsh treatments. Only around half (48 percent) think personalized medicine will have a higher level of success and relatively less side effects among cancer patients than other available treatments. The percentage still only reaches 51 percent among those who are already familiar with personalized medicine, the poll results showed. Johnson pointed out that "it's not only that it works better, but people can return to their lives, to live as well as they can for as long as they can." Potential to save many lives Despite this lack of information, the poll found that Americans are excited about the prospects for personalized medicine: More than two in three (68 percent) say they are excited about the advances in personalized medicine. The percentage climbs to 85 percent among those who are familiar with personalized medicine. More than six in 10 agree personalized medicine will save many lives (63 percent) and revolutionize health care (62 percent). This climbs to three-quarters of those who are familiar with personalized medicine (79 percent say it will save many lives, and 76 percent say it will revolutionize health care). Just over two in five (41 percent) say personalized medicine makes them less worried about getting diseases like cancer. "We've been through some ups and downs when it comes to personalized medicine," Lichtenfeld said. "The good news from my perspective is we are clearly on an upswing where we have more medicines that are more effective for particular patients. But we have to keep in mind that for a particular medicine, there may only be a small number of patients who are going to benefit from it." Explore further Personalized medicine leads to better outcomes for patients with cancer More information: Deana Percassi, managing director, public relations research practice, Harris Poll; Len Lichtenfeld, M.D., acting chief medical officer, American Cancer Society; Bruce Johnson, M.D., past president, American Society of Clinical Oncology; Nov. 15-19, 2018, HealthDay/Harris Poll Deana Percassi, managing director, public relations research practice, Harris Poll; Len Lichtenfeld, M.D., acting chief medical officer, American Cancer Society; Bruce Johnson, M.D., past president, American Society of Clinical Oncology; Nov. 15-19, 2018, The American Society of Clinical Oncology has more about personalized medicine Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Credit: CC0 Public Domain A rise in dangerous and even fatal asthma and other allergic attacks as occurred in Melbourne's deadly 2016 'thunderstorm asthma event' could be one of Australia's biggest health challenges from climate change, warns the author of a major new review of international evidence. The review in the latest issue of Public Health Research & Practice, published by the Sax Institute, looks at studies since 2000 relating to climate change, allergens and allergy. It includes recent research from Europe and North America that finds higher temperatures and more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will significantly boost levels of allergens in the air such as grass pollen. At the same time, the pollen season is changing, starting earlier and going on for longer. Again, the result is substantially more pollen in the air. However, the review's author, Associate Professor Paul Beggs, from Macquarie University's Department of Environmental Sciences, Sydney, found that almost all the research about climate change's effects on allergies is from overseas, and Australian-focused research "is therefore urgently needed". Associate Professor Beggs also found that Australia's systems for monitoring, reporting and forecasting atmospheric concentrations of allergens such as pollen were not fit for purpose. The review notes that allergic illness is "already a very significant public health issue in Australia". Asthma prevalence in Australia is among the highest in the world, with some estimates suggesting one child in five has wheeze symptoms and one in 13 has asthma. In November 2016, Melbourne experienced "the world's largest, most catastrophic epidemic thunderstorm asthma event" that caused thousands of emergency department presentations, hundreds of asthma-related hospital admissions and 10 deaths. The odds of such extreme weather events are greatly increased with climate change, the review finds. Evidence shows that higher temperatures can also lead to increased production of fungal spores, another trigger for many susceptible people, as well as boosting indoor moisture and mould growth, which can cause allergic reactions. "It could be argued that these impacts pose a serious climate change-human health risk to Australia and that they should therefore be among Australia's climate change-human health priorities," Associate Professor Beggs says. But Australia's research efforts in this area have been woefully inadequate, and much of the international research has been done in climates unlike our own, involving allergens that are not common here. Our allergen monitoring is equally poor, Associate Professor Beggs says, with no national, state or territory body having responsibility for the monitoring, reporting and forecasting of environmental allergens. What monitoring exists is sparse and sporadic. For example, in Melbourne, scene of the deadly thunderstorm asthma event, allergen monitoring only occurs for three months of the year. Elsewhere in Australia, monitoring remains precarious, with all sites either unfunded or subsisting on short-term funding. Explore further Thunderstorm asthmawho's at risk and how to manage it More information: Paul Beggs. Climate change and allergy in Australia: an innovative, high-income country, at potential risk, Public Health Research & Practice (2018). Paul Beggs. Climate change and allergy in Australia: an innovative, high-income country, at potential risk,(2018). DOI: 10.17061/phrp2841828 Drs. Zheng Dong and Qingqing Wei in the Cellular Biology Anatomy lab at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Credit: Phil Jones, Senior Photographer, Augusta University For the first time, scientists have described the body's natural mechanism for temporarily protecting the powerhouses of kidney cells when injury or disease means they aren't getting enough blood or oxygen. Powerhouses, called mitochondria, which provide fuel for our cells, start to fragment, likely as one of the first steps in the kidney cell damage and death that often result from an acute kidney injury, says Dr. Zheng Dong, cellular biologist in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dong and his colleagues appear to have delineated the natural mitochondrial protection pathway in kidney cells and say it's a logical therapeutic target for treating acute kidney injury. "We know there is a natural protective mechanism. Maybe we need to upregulate it," says Dong, also a senior research career scientist and director of research development at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta. Dong is senior author of the study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. In fact, drugs that target at least one key part of the pathway already have been studied in patients experiencing anemiaa deficiency in the red blood cells that carry oxygenbecause of chronic kidney disease. The scientists started by examining a large number of microRNAs, small RNAs known to regulate gene expression. They found one, microRNA-668, consistently elevated in both patients with an acute kidney injury as well as animal models of the condition, which is common in patients in intensive care, particularly older patients. Mitochondrial fission and fusion are polar opposites but their balance is key to a healthy cell powerhouse. They are governed by two distinct classes of proteins, which emerging evidence suggests are regulated by microRNAs. Proteins like mitochondrial Protein 18 KDa, or MTP18, for example, have already been implicated in powerhouse fission, at least in periods of stress. The MCG scientists and their collaborators have now confirmed it's a direct target of microRNA-668. But the pathway has at least one earlier point of action: hypoxia-inducible factor-1, or HIF-1, a transcription factor that increases when oxygen levels decrease to help cells adjust by controlling expression of genes that can protect them. They found that ischemic acute kidney injury induces HIF-1, which upregulates microRNA-668, which suppresses MTP18 and the result is kidney cell protection. One key discovery was an HIF-1 binding site on the gene that promotes microRNA-668, and the related finding that too little HIF-1 reduced the expression of microRNA-668. "The microRNA-668 gene is a new targeted gene for HIF-1, which may help explain some of HIF-1's protective function," Dong says. When scientists restricted microRNA-668, more kidney cells died. Conversely, giving a mimic of microRNA-668to increase its presenceprotected kidney cells. More microRNA-668 also meant less MTP18 and vice versa. "We don't know what MTP18 does normally, but now we know what it does when stressed," Dong says. "It induces fragmentation of the mitochondria." They've shown that increased levels of microRNA-668 can prevent most of that damage so the cell can keep functioning ideally until blood and oxygen are restored. "This is like a temporary mechanism for cell survival," Dong says. One way physicians might one day improve the odds for mitochondrial and kidney survival, may be a class of drugs called PHD inhibitors, which have already been studied in chronic kidney disease. PHDprolyl hydroxylaseis a protein that induces the degradation of protective HIF-1 and Dong suspects PHD inhibitors could benefit patients with acute kidney injury as well. A microRNA-668 mimic, similar to that used in the studies, might one day be another option. Right now there aren't any targeted therapies for acute kidney injury, says Dong, rather supportive therapies like hydration, possible short-term dialysis and addressing the injury cause. With an acute kidney injury, kidney function deteriorates in a few hours or days. It can result from a literal blow to the kidney, in a fall or car accident, or from dehydration in an overzealous student athlete. In the face of general good health, most patients recover fully and quickly, Dong says. However, acute kidney injury mostly occurs in people who already have another medical problem like diabetes. In fact, most are in the hospital when it happens, with problems like bleeding or shock, failure of other organs like the heart, even an overdose of over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories for problems like a cold or flu, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Dong's lab was the first to show that as a class of molecules, microRNAs could play an important role in reducing acute kidney injury. They reported in 2010 that deletion of a key enzyme for microRNA production from kidney tubules made mice resistant to ischemia-induced acute kidney injury, suggesting an important destructive role for at least some microRNAs. Subsequent work by Dong and colleagues led to identification of specific microRNAs with significant changes in expression in the face of ischemic acute kidney injury. Those studies found some microRNAs definitely promote fission but others seem to help protect kidney cells. Just what microRNA-668 does has been largely unknown other than another recent report implicating it in protecting human breast cancer cells from radiation therapy. Explore further The search is on for a treatment target for acute kidney injury More information: Qingqing Wei et al. MicroRNA-668 represses MTP18 to preserve mitochondrial dynamics in ischemic acute kidney injury, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2018). Journal information: Journal of Clinical Investigation Qingqing Wei et al. MicroRNA-668 represses MTP18 to preserve mitochondrial dynamics in ischemic acute kidney injury,(2018). DOI: 10.1172/JCI121859 Changes in abundance of four selected metabolites: The steroid hormone cortisol, the amino acid glutamine, the metabolite cotinine and the signaling molecule kynurenine (X-axis: Months to the time point of the diagnosis of tuberculosis; green lines: Average levels and range in the healthy individuals). Three of the four metabolites show a significant change over time allowing prognosis of tuberculosis. The remaining risk factor shows a difference even at the beginning of the study. Credit: Weiner et al., 2018 Although a quarter of the world population is infected with the pathogen that causes tuberculosis, only about ten percent develop the disease during their lifetime. An international team of scientists, including some from the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin showed that the amounts of certain chemical compounds which circulate in the blood, change prior to the onset of the disease even months before a clinical diagnosis can be made. In the future, this may allow to predict tuberculosis based on a blood screening a highly valuable progress in the fight against this life threatening disease. Tuberculosis remains a major threat to humankind: each year, over 1.5 millions die of this disease, making the responsible microbe Mycobacterium tuberculosis the deathliest one on Earth. Even though some risk factors are known such as smoking it is largely unclear who will develop the disease. To fight tuberculosis successfully, an early diagnosis is extremely important. Earlier work of scientists from Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology revealed that tuberculosis patients can be identified based on a number of chemical compounds in blood. Their analysis showed that a number of amino acids have lower concentrations in the blood of tuberculosis patients than of the healthy individuals, while some important signaling molecules such as kynurenin or cortisol are present at higher concentrations. Disease prediction from blood samples This study was performed by a consortium supported by the Grand Challenges program of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The team tested whether these and other molecules could be helpful to predict progression to tuberculosis in apparently healthy individuals. To this end, they recruited some 4,500 individuals from four African countries and followed them up for several years. During the study, around 100 individuals were diagnosed with active tuberculosis. Then, hundreds of chemical compounds were analyzed in blood samples taken from the recruited individuals. "We were able to predict who will develop tuberculosis in future. Furthermore, we were identified risk factors, such as molecules characteristic for smokers, who are at a higher risk for developing the disease" so January Weiner from Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology. The scientists validated their findings using independent data sets and thereby showed that the chemical compounds characteristic for progressors those, who will develop tuberculosis at a later time point are largely similar to the chemical compounds which allow distinguishing tuberculosis patients from healthy individuals. Moreover, the findings are specific to tuberculosis and the profiles of patients suffering from other respiratory diseases were different. In future, these results may be the starting point for a rapid and inexpensive prognostic test. According to Stefan H.E. Kaufmann, director at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in Berlin, "this type of screening can be used at a very early stage in suspected tuberculosis cases and will allow preventive therapy prior to disease onset. This would be an important step forward in fight against tuberculosis." Explore further Activity of two genes able to predict active tuberculosis More information: undefined undefined et al. Metabolite changes in blood predict the onset of tuberculosis, Nature Communications (2018). Journal information: Nature Communications undefined undefined et al. Metabolite changes in blood predict the onset of tuberculosis,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07635-7 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Circulating tumor-cell (CTC) count could be used to choose hormone therapy or chemotherapy as frontline treatment for patients with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+), HER2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer, according to data from the phase III STIC CTC clinical trial presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 48. In the case of discrepancy between CTC count-based treatment choice and physician's choice of treatment, frontline chemotherapy was associated with a significant gain in overall survival. "Two main treatment options exist for patients newly diagnosed with metastatic, ER+, HER2- breast cancer: hormone therapy or chemotherapy (eventually followed by maintenance hormone therapy). There is unfortunately no validated predictive biomarker to guide that choice," said Francois-Clement Bidard, MD, Ph.D., Professor of Medical Oncology at Institut Curie (Saint Cloud, France) and University of Versailles. While frontline hormone therapy is the preferred treatment option because of limited side effects, chemotherapy is proposed in patients presenting with adverse prognostic factors, Bidard explained. These factors are, however, not well defined in the current literature and, as the choice between hormone therapy and chemotherapy relies on the doctor's estimate of the patient prognosis, different doctors may, in turn, propose different treatments to the same patient, he noted. "CTC count has been investigated in thousands of breast cancer patients worldwide over the past decade, and numerous analyses have established that, beyond performance status, CTC count is the strongest prognostic marker in ER+, HER2- stage 4 breast cancer patients," Bidard said. His team studied whether CTC count can be used to assess a patient's prognosis and personalize the choice between hormone therapy and chemotherapy. "In our study, not only have we demonstrated that basing the decision on CTC count alone does not harm patients in the overall study population (primary objective), but subgroup analyses show that, in the 292 patients with discordant treatment recommendations (between the clinician estimate and the CTC count), frontline chemotherapy was associated with a significant 35 percent decrease in the risk of death," Bidard said. In this trial, 778 patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to a clinically driven treatment arm (hormone therapy or chemotherapy was administered as decided by a physician based on clinical factors) or a CTC-driven treatment arm (hormone therapy was administered if 7.5 ml blood had less than 5 CTC and chemotherapy was administered if 7.5 ml blood had 5 or more CTC). After randomization, in the clinically driven arm, 72.6 percent of the patients received hormone therapy and 27.4 percent received chemotherapy. In the CTC-driven arm: Among those likely to receive hormone therapy by clinically driven choice, this treatment option was confirmed by a low CTC count in 66.7 percent of the patients; the remaining 33.3 percent were switched to chemotherapy based on a high CTC count; Among those likely to receive chemotherapy by clinically driven choice, this treatment option was confirmed by high CTC count in 48.1 percent of the patients; the remaining 52.9 percent were switched to hormone therapy based on low CTC count. The study met its primary endpoint (assessed in the 778 patients), with progression-free survival (PFS) not being inferior in the CTC-driven arm, compared with the clinically driven arm. Patients whose treatment was escalated to chemotherapy based on CTC count had a significantly longer PFS (median PFS was 10.5 months with hormone therapy in the clinically driven arm who had high CTC count, versus 15.5 months with chemotherapy in the CTC arm) and showed a trend toward longer overall survival (OS, 37.1 vs. 42.0 months). In contrast, patients whose treatment was de-escalated to hormone therapy based on CTC count had non-significantly shorter PFS and OS compared with those who received chemotherapy in the clinically driven arm who had low CTC count. In an exploratory analysis, pooling the two subgroups of patients (292) with discordant treatment recommendations showed that patients treated with frontline chemotherapy had significantly longer PFS (34 percent less likely to have their disease progress) and OS (35 percent lower risk of death). Overall survival rates at 24 months were 82.9 percent in patients treated with chemotherapy (eventually followed by maintenance hormone therapy) vs. 74.7 percent in patients treated with frontline hormone therapy. "Since the 1990s, no trial has assessed the question of front-line therapy, and our results suggest that modern prognostic biomarkers, such as the CTC count, may lead to better patient survival," Bidard added. Bidard noted that a main limitation of the study is that during the STIC CTC study follow-up, CDK4/6 inhibitors (palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib) became largely used as first-line treatment, therefore, doctors are more likely to recommend front-line hormone therapy combined with CDK4/6 inhibitors rather than chemotherapy. Explore further Some patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer live longer with immunotherapy Credit: CC0 Public Domain An investigation published by The BMJ today suggests that cows' milk protein allergy (CMPA) may be acting as a Trojan horse for the $50 billion (40 billion; 44 billion) global formula industry to forge relationships with healthcare professionals in the UK and around the world. Dr. Chris van Tulleken finds examples of unnecessary and improper use of formula to treat CMPA, and industry funding of healthcare professionals, medical education and clinical guidelines. He names prominent individuals involved in developing cows' milk allergy guidelines who receive funding from the formula industry for activities such as research, consultancy, and lecturesas well as industry-funded bodies that run allergy training for healthcare professionalscreating a potential for bias. Taken together, his findings raise the question of industry driven overdiagnosis of CMPA with potential for harm to mothers and childrenand prompt calls for more independence. Between 2006 and 2016, prescriptions of specialist formula milks used to treat CMPA increased by nearly 500% from 105,029 to over 600,000, while NHS spending on these products increased by nearly 700% from 8.1 million to over 60 million annually. But the data give no indication of such a large increase in the number of infants with the condition. Furthermore, many milk allergy guidelines have direct or indirect support from industry, and are often written by experts with interests in formula manufacturers. And, despite a World Health Organisation (WHO) code of practice that aims to restrict companies from sponsoring educational events, links to industry sponsored courses on CMPA can be found at The Allergy Academy, the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI), Allergy UK and other industry funded websites. The BMJ also reports what appears to be a violation of the code that prevents advertising by formula manufacturers in hospitals and other health facilities. When contacted by The BMJ, several guideline authors acknowledged concerns about the influence of industry, but said there was no direct influence over the guidelines or their own practice. The BSACI said they work with industry in a responsible way "to help us fulfil our aims and objectives ensuring healthcare professionals are able to treat patients as effectively as possible." The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) - the professional body for child health in the UKsays their sponsorship relates only to specialist formulas, not breast milk substitutes. But Nigel Rollins at WHO says specialist formulas are unequivocally breast milk substitutes in the eyes of WHO, and are thus covered by the code. The belief that specialist formulas are exempt from the WHO code "may be enabling manufacturers to justify this network of links with clinicians and institutions to pursue a wider agenda," writes van Tulleken. Clinicians and patients who spoke with The BMJ are also concerned at the wide availability of industry funded online information promoting non-specific symptoms potentially indicating CMPA as a diagnosis in exclusively breastfed infants. London-based GP Gary Marlowe said the symptom list in the Milk Allergy in Primary Care (iMAP) guideline is so broad it may lead to a concern about CMPA in healthy babies. Chi Eziefula, from the Department of Global Health at Brighton and Sussex Medical School says: "In a culture where breastfeeding rates fall off sharply after birth, there must be no risk of industry influence on guidelines or education of postnatal and paediatric caregivers. Instead, we need more infrastructure to support continued breastfeeding." Anthony Costello, former director of WHO Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and now a professor of Child Health at UCL, agrees and calls for the RCPCH to be independent. "In the UK we have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world," he says. "The WHO code is not enforced strongly in British law so we need the royal college to stop accepting money from industry and defend the global codes set up to try to protect mothers." But the college says the vast majority of its members felt the RCPCH should accept funding with a robust set of safeguards in place. Meanwhile, the industry strongly believes they have a role to play both in scientific research and the education of healthcare professionals. Declan O'Brien, director general of the British Specialist Nutrition Association, whose members include Danone Nutricia, Mead Johnson and Nestle, says: "We recognise the need to put in place policies to ensure that potential conflicts of interest can be managed and avoided. The measures in The Infant Formula Industry (INI) Code are in line with the WHO Code, UK regulations, the ABPI Code and GMC Guidance." Dr. Fiona Godlee, The BMJ's Editor in Chief, says: "The growth in prevalence of CMPA has all the hallmarks of overdiagnosis fuelled by commercial interests. While recognising that some infants will develop CMPA, we need tighter diagnostic criteria and guidelines drawn up by experts who are free from financial conflicts of interest. In light of this investigation and our own growing concerns, BMJ is reviewing our policies on accepting advertising for these products. We will report back early in the new year." Government begins probe into allegation against envoy Sherpa Nepal government has directed its Canberra-based embassy in Australia to probe into the allegation against Nepali Ambassador to Australia Lucky Sherpa levelled by her former employee. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Performance on an exercise test predicts the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other causes, reports a study presented today at EuroEcho-Imaging 2018. Good performance on the test equates to climbing three floors of stairs very fast, or four floors fast, without stopping. The findings underline the importance of fitness for longevity. The study included 12,615 participants with known or suspected coronary artery disease. Participants underwent treadmill exercise echocardiography, in which they were asked to walk or run, gradually increasing the intensity, and continue until exhaustion. Watch a video of the technique here. The test also generates images of the heart to check its function. During a median 4.7-year follow-up, there were 1,253 cardiovascular deaths, 670 cancer deaths, and 650 deaths from other causes. After adjusting for age, sex, and other factors that could potentially influence the relationship, each MET (metabolic equivalent) achieved was independently associated with 9%, 9%, and 4% lower risks of cardiovascular death, cancer death, and other causes of death during follow-up. The death rate from cardiovascular disease was nearly three times higher in participants with poor compared to good functional capacity (3.2% versus 1.2%, p<0.001). Non-cardiovascular and non-cancer deaths were also nearly three-fold higher in those with poor compared to good functional capacity (1.7% versus 0.6%, p<0.001). Cancer deaths were almost double in participants with poor compared to good functional capacity (1.5% versus 0.8%, p<0.001). As expected, the imaging part of the examination was predictive of cardiovascular death, but not of deaths caused by cancer or other conditions. Study author Dr Jesus Peteiro, a cardiologist at University Hospital A Coruna, A Coruna, Spain, said: "Our results provide further evidence of the benefits of exercise and being fit on health and longevity. In addition to keeping body weight down, physical activity has positive effects on blood pressure and lipids, reduces inflammation, and improves the body's immune response to tumours." Dr Peteiro said people do not need to undergo exercise echocardiography to check their fitness level. "There are much cheaper ways to estimate if you could achieve ten METs on the treadmill test," he said. "If you can walk very fast up three floors of stairs without stopping, or fast up four floors without stopping, you have good functional capacity. If not, it's a good indication that you need more exercise." ESC guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity, or a combination of the two intensities. Explore further Heart disease patients less likely to die of cancer if they are fit More information: 'Prediction of cardiovascular, cancer and noncardiovascular noncancer death by exercise echocardiography' will be presented during Poster session 3: Stress Echocardiography on 6 December, 14:00 to 18:00 CET The new massive sequencing platform permits scientists to identify alterations in the structure or number of chromosomes of the embryonic cells related to over 4,800 genes. The results of the experiments conducted in the study (CNV-NGS) were later confirmed with other genomic hybridation preimplantational diagnosis techniques (mCGH and aCGH), previously developed by the research team led by UAB's researcher Joaquima Navarro. Credit: UAB A research team from the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), in collaboration with the Blood and Tissue Bank of Catalonia, has implemented a massive sequencing platform for preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) for the first time in history. The work adapts the TruSight One (TSO) platform, one of today's most complete genetic panels, to Double Factor Preimplantation Genetic Testing (DF-PGT). The study, published in PLoS ONE, was led by Joaquima Navarro and Jordi Benet, researchers from the UAB Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, and included the collaboration of the team led by Francisco Vidal from the Blood and Tissue Bank of Catalonia. "We successfully managed to implement an innovative, promising and universal strategy, prepared for a simultaneous diagnosis of genetic mutations and chromosomal alterations within embryos obtained by in vitro fertilisation (IVF), of benefit to the DF-PGT candidate families with mutations causing diseases included in the TSO platform. In addition, it only requires a single laboratory experiment, without the need to prepare the diagnosis methodology. This substantially speeds up the study process and the availability of the results of the family's single gene disorders. Until now, there was a need to prepare the specific procedures before conducting the diagnosis for each of the mutations," Joaquima Navarro says. The new tool will make it possible to diagnose mutations both directly and indirectly, which increases the degree of diagnostic accuracy. At the same time, it allows for chromosomal characterisation within embryos for the totality of all 23 human chromosome pairs, and detects whether the embryo is aneuploid, having an abnormal number of chromosomes, or euploid, with the correct number and therefore viable and with greater chances of implantation. The team led by Professor Navarro developed the DF-PGT strategy in 2009. A pioneering technique successfully applied on numerous occasions since then, it consists of analysing within one IVF cycle the specific genetic mutations causing hereditary diseases, as well as a complete embryonic chromosomal endowment (cytogenetics) through a comparative genomic hybridisation technique. This allows identifying and selecting embryos free of diseases and chromosomal defects that would hinder their development. In 2009, 2013 and 2015, this group was the first ever to use another DF-PGT strategy to select healthy embryos and help families conceive healthy offspring, including twins free of Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome, twins free of Lynch syndrome, and two other healthy babies from two families at risk from sickle cell disease and cystic fibrosis, respectively. On those occasions, the scientists first had to prepare the diagnostic methods of the mutations responsible for the specific genetic disease, whereas in the current strategy proposed, no specific preparation is necessary. Overcoming DNA Limitations in Embryonic Cells Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques represent a giant leap forward in the quality of genetic analysis procedures,permitting the study of millions of DNA sequences massively and simultaneously in one experiment. These powerful tools are being used for the characterisation of blood and tissue samples in which the amount of DNA is not a restricting factor. "The proposed methodology overcomes the limitations existing until now. It was developed to be applied to samples of only six to eight blastocyst trophoderm cells with the scheduling of a frozen embryo transfer cycle, in the case of the results indicating an absence of family diseases and embryo," explains Joaquima Navarro. Before implementing the new platform, there was a need to determine which of the four most commonly used DNA amplification systems was most suitable for the adequate identification of mutations. Researchers were thus also the first ever to conduct a chromosomal characterisation with the Nexus computational biology programme by using the TSO database. "The tool is also of interest in PGTs with risk of chromosomal alterations due to advanced maternal age, alterations found in the father's chromosomes, as well as in cases of repeated miscarriages. Also in cases of the oocytes of young donors, since a certain risk of aneuploidy has also been described," the UAB researcher says. This new methodology will soon be available for use with the TSO panel or by applying it to new, even more complete panels, such as the ones capable of analysing the whole exome or whole genome sequencing. In the middle term, it can be applied simultaneously to many samples, thereby reducing its cost. Explore further Improvements in embryonic preimplantation genetic screening techniques More information: Javier del Rey et al, Novel Double Factor PGT strategy analyzing blastocyst stage embryos in a single NGS procedure, PLOS ONE (2018). Journal information: PLoS ONE Javier del Rey et al, Novel Double Factor PGT strategy analyzing blastocyst stage embryos in a single NGS procedure,(2018). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205692 (HealthDay)Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is associated with an increased risk for colorectal cancer (CRC), with the association significant for men only, according to a study published online Nov. 7 in the British Journal of Cancer. Yanan Ma, from China Medical University in Shenyang, and colleagues followed 87,523 women from the Nurses' Health Study and 47,240 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study to examine the correlation of T2D and its duration with the risk for incident CRC. The researchers documented 3,000 cases of CRC during a follow-up of 32 years. Among men, the risk for CRC was increased for those with versus those without T2D (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.81). The positive association remained in sensitivity analyses excluding CRC identified within one year of diabetes diagnosis and excluding patients with T2D using hypoglycemic medications. Among women, there was a positive but not statistically significant association between T2D and CRC risk (hazard ratio, 1.17; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.98 to 1.39). "More studies are warranted to further investigate the underlying mechanisms," the authors write. "Our finding further underscores the importance of enhancing the effort to reduce the emerging epidemics of type 2 diabetes for colorectal cancer prevention and control." Explore further Consuming caffeine from coffee reduces incident rosacea Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. (HealthDay)For many breast cancer patients, removal of lymph nodes in the armpit area is a common procedure, due to worries that the tumor has spread to these tissues. But the operation can also bring the difficult long-term side effect of lymphedema, a painful arm swelling. Now, new Dutch research suggests that for early stage breast cancer patients, radiating the lymph nodes may bring about as good a chance of long-term survival as full removalperhaps sparing women those tough side effects. The new 10-year study finds that both lymph node removal or radiation treatments "provide excellent and comparable overall survival," said study co-author Dr. Mila Donker, a radiation oncologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Her team was scheduled to present the new findings Thursday at the annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. All things being equal, many women may now opt for radiation only and spare themselves lymphedema, said one U.S. oncologist. "If, in fact, the rate of recurrence in the breast or armpit is basically the same with radiation as compared to removal of lymph glands, this would make radiation very interesting as an alternative," said Dr. Lauren Cassell, who wasn't involved in the new study. She directs breast surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. The new research involved 1,425 women with early stage breast cancer that had spread to their armpit lymph nodes and was found by biopsy. Each patient was randomly assigned to have either surgery (744 women) or radiation therapy (681 women). After 10 years, recurrence of cancer in the armpit lymph nodes had occurred in 1.82 percent (11 out 681 patients) of those who had received radiation therapy and 0.93 percent (7 out of 744 patients) of those who had undergone surgery. Overall survival rates after 10 years were 81.4 percent for the radiation patients and 84.6 percent of those who'd had lymph nodes removed, Donker's team found. Dr. Emiel Rutgers, a surgical oncologist at the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, was the lead investigator of the new study. "Patients with early stage invasive breast cancer who have no clinical evidence of local spread of disease to axillary (armpit) lymph nodes, meaning that palpation or ultrasound shows no sign of disease spread, undergo a sentinel lymph node biopsy," he explained in a meeting news release. However, "data from another recent clinical trial suggested that there may be some patients who do not need axillary treatment even if they have a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy," Rutgers added. The new study seems to reinforce that view, at least for some patients, he said. "Moving forward, we need to better tailor treatment for each individual patient. Some will still need axillary treatment, and our data indicate that axillary radiotherapy is a good option here," Rutgers concluded. One other U.S. expert was encouraged by the new findings. "As breast surgeons, many of us have been excited about and eagerly anticipating the results," said Dr. Alice Police, regional director of breast surgery at Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. The notion that some patients can avoid lymph removal "is very appealing as a surgeon and as a human being," she said. Police noted that in recent years, removal of just one or two so-called "sentinel" lymph nodes has become routine. Surgeons use these sample nodes to assess if (and by how much) breast cancer may have spread, before deciding on whether to remove more nodes. Already, the number of full lymph-removal surgeries has been reduced by using this sentinel node approach, she said. And with the results of the new Dutch trial, "we now know that even with one positive lymph node, more patients can have radiation therapy instead of more surgery," Police said. "Radiation therapy has fewer complications and is generally easier on patients," she said. "This is wonderful news for breast cancer patients who can rest assured that radiation instead of more surgery will not increase their mortality rates or recurrence rates with only a small amount of [lymph node] disease. I am happy that for some patients we can make this an easier journey." Because the new findings were presented at a medical meeting, they should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Explore further Which breast cancer patients need lymph nodes removed? Ultrasound narrows it down More information: Lauren Cassell, M.D., chief of breast surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Alice Police, M.D., Westchester regional director of breast surgery, Northwell Health Cancer Institute, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.; 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, news release, Dec. 6, 2018 Lauren Cassell, M.D., chief of breast surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Alice Police, M.D., Westchester regional director of breast surgery, Northwell Health Cancer Institute, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.;2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, news release, Dec. 6, 2018 The American Cancer Society has more on lymph nodes and cancer. Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer in Gaslight (1944), the film that inspired the now widely used term. Credit: Metro Goldwyn-Mayer Shortlisted for the Oxford English Dictionary's 2018 word of the year, "gaslighting" has well and truly found its way into contemporary thought and vernacular. The term has recently been employed to explain the behaviour of contestants on The Bachelor Australia, Monica Lewinksy's experiences with the media post-Bill Clinton, and the words of US President Donald Trump. But what, exactly, does it mean? Where did it come from? And why is it experiencing a resurgence today? Gaslighting takes its name from the 1944 film Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer (itself based on the 1938 play Gas Light). In the film, Paula (Bergman) is deliberately and gradually manipulated by her husband, Gregory (Boyer), into believing she is insane. Paula's late aunt's priceless jewels are hidden in their house: if Paula is declared insane and committed to an asylum, Gregory can search for the jewels in peace. One of his main tactics in convincing Paula she is losing her mind is his manipulation of the gaslights in their home. Whenever he sneaks off to the attic to search for the jewels, he switches on the lights in that part of the house: this leads all other lights to flicker and dim. Upon returning to Paula, he denies all knowledge of this, leading her to question her sanity. In the film's final scenes, Paula allows a policeman to enter the house while Gregory is preoccupied with his search. The policeman confirms that the lights are flickering, demonstrating that Paula is not insane. What does gaslighting look like? Gaslighting is a new term for a relatively old set of behaviours. If you've read the ancient Greek myth of Cassandra (about a woman cursed to foresee true prophecies that others disbelieve due to her perceived mental instability), watched The Truman Show, or listened to Shaggy's hit song, It Wasn't Me (in which a man tells his girlfriend it wasn't him she saw having sex with another woman), you've seen gaslighting in action. Although it can cover various behaviours, the central tenet of gaslighting is the psychological manipulation of a person in order to erode their sense of self and sanity. The behaviour itself is not always deliberate, in that the perpetrator may not have consciously set out to distort another person's experience of reality. But gaslighting is often used as a method of power and control. Common gaslighting tactics can include denial of the gaslightee's experience ("That wasn't what happened!"), escalation ("Why would you question this? I wouldn't lie to you!"), trivialisation ("You're too sensitive, this is nothing"), and countering ("That wasn't what happened, this was"). Why now? Gaslighting's re-emergence in our day-to-day vernacular is in part due to a wider societal focus on violence against women. As we move towards a broader understanding of what constitutes abuse, there is growing recognition that psychologically abusive techniques such as gaslighting are often used to unnerve and demoralise others. Gaslighting is increasingly being recognised as a technique of abuse by groups such as the Domestic Violence Resource Centre of Victoria and Safe Steps. The term also rebuts a common set of stereotypes: the "crazy ex-girlfriend", the "bitches be crazy" or "psycho bitch" refrain and the "hysterical woman". Gaslighting reframes these cliches: instead of asking whether women are indeed crazy, it questions the motivations of the accuser. Unfortunately, gaslighting has also been used to dismiss those who have employed #MeToo to speak out about their abuse. Comments directed to survivors that they must have "misread the situation" or "imagined the abuse" can in turn point to wider questions about a person's sanity. Gaslighting's application in the public lexicon has become quite broad. For instance, many news articles have been written about Donald Trump's so-called gaslighting behaviour towards the American public, in which he has tried to manipulate people into "doubting their reality". In a recent speech, for example, Trump criticised the media for its reaction to his trade tariffs policy, accusing it of broadcasting "fake news" and telling people, "what you are seeing and what you are reading is not what's happening". But in describing Trump's behaviour as gaslighting, we lose some of the word's context: it was developed to describe behaviour altogether more intimate and controlling in nature, and difficult to escape. Still, aside from the latter example, the growing usage of "gaslighting" as a term is broadly a good thing. It signifies a deeper understanding of what abuse looks like and the many forms it can take. Explore further From Love Island to HD brows, what you need to know about narcissism This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. By age 60, one in three American women have had a hysterectomy. Though hysterectomy is a prevalent and routine surgery, the removal of the uterus before natural menopause might actually be problematic for cognitive processes like memory. Researchers in the Arizona State University Department of Psychology have found rats that underwent the surgical removal of the uterus with ovaries left intact had a memory deficit, suggesting the uterus might have functions beyond reproduction. The study will be published on December 6 in Endocrinology. A dormant and useless organ? Endocrinology textbooks used in medical and graduate schools describe the uterus as having the sole function of accommodating and supporting a fetus or as a useless organ outside of reproduction. But, there is mounting evidence from research in animals and people suggesting otherwise. The uterus and ovaries communicate for reproductive functions, but there are also direct connections between the uterus and the brain through the body's autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system coordinates unconscious functions like breathing and digestion. The lesser understood uterine-brain connections could affect cognitive functions and impact how females age. "There is some research showing that women who underwent hysterectomy but maintained their ovaries had an increased risk for dementia if the surgery occurred before natural menopause. This finding is striking," said Heather Bimonte-Nelson, professor of psychology and senior author on the paper. "We wanted to investigate and understand whether the uterus itself could impact brain function." The research team used female rats to systematically test the role of the uterus and ovaries in learning and memory. The rats were divided into four groups based on the type of menopause surgical intervention. The three experimental groups were: removal of the uterus with ovaries left intact, removal of the ovaries with uterus left intact and removal of both the uterus and ovaries. The fourth group underwent a sham surgery in which no reproductive organs were removed. Six weeks after surgery, the researchers taught the four groups of rats how to navigate a maze. Once all the rats had learned this task, the researchers tested the memory capacity of the rats. The team also looked at the reproductive organs and hormones. "This experiment tests the role of the uterus in cognitive changes that accompany menopause. The researchers use several surgical approaches that are actually used for women who undergo oophorectomy, hysterectomy, or both. This alone is laudable," said Donna Korol, an associate professor of biology at Syracuse University who was not part of the study. "One of the beauties of this experimental design was the sampling of different measures from the same rat, allowing for within-animal comparisons across multiple systems." The non-pregnant uterus is commonly assumed to be an unimportant organ. A third of American women have a hysterectomy by age 60, often before natural menopause. Arizona State University researchers have found an animal model of hysterectomy resulted in decreased memory capacity and an altered hormonal profile within two months after surgery. The study suggests an important role for the uterus that could impact cognitive aging. Credit: Robert Ewing, ASU A rodent version of the card game "concentration" During the memory testing, the rats navigated a water maze that looked like a sunburst, with eight arms radiating out from a circular center. There were submerged platforms at the end of some of the arms, and the rats had to swim to locate a hidden platform. In the beginning of the experiment, the researchers placed four platforms for the rats to find. After a rat found a platform, the researcher removed it for the rest of the day. The rat then restarted the maze, searching for the remaining platforms while having to remember both where previous platforms had been and which arms had always been empty. With two platforms down and two to go, the research team found the rats that had only the uterus removed could not handle the increased memory load. These rats kept returning to places where there had never been a platform, indicating they were unable to remember which arms of the maze led to platforms. The other kinds of surgery did not affect how many mistakes the rats made in the maze. The rats that underwent the removal of just the ovaries or the removal of the ovaries plus the uterus navigated similar to the group that had the sham surgery. "The surgical removal of just the uterus had a unique and negative effect on working memory, or how much information the rats were able to manage simultaneously, an effect we saw after the rats learned the rules of the maze" said Stephanie Koebele, ASU psychology graduate student and first author on the paper. A hormonal jigsaw puzzle At the end of the study, the researchers looked at the size, shape and structure of the ovaries in all the groups. The ovaries of the hysterectomy-only group were indistinguishable from the ovaries of the sham surgery group, which maintained their ovaries and uterus. The research team also measured the amounts of different hormones in the blood, like progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Hormones are chemicals made by the body that regulate organs and body systems and send information. The hormone levels in the hysterectomy-only group were different from the sham surgery group, even though both of these groups still had ovaries. "Even though the ovaries were structurally similar across all the groups, the hormones that were produced in the group that received hysterectomy alone resulted in a different hormone profile," said Koebele, who has a fellowship from the National Institute on Aging for her doctoral research. "Hormones affect both brain and other body systems, and having an altered hormonal profile could impact the trajectory of cognitive aging and could create different health risks." Exactly how the altered hormone profile affects cognitive aging or creates health risks is complicated but is nonetheless very important to study and understand. "Complicated does not mean impossible," said Bimonte-Nelson, who directs ASU's Behavioral Neuroscience of Memory and Aging lab. Her lab is currently testing whether the memory deficit after hysterectomy is reversible with time or is the beginning of a more global memory impairment. More information: "Hysterectomy Uniquely Impacts Spatial Memory in a Rat Model: A Role for the Nonpregnant Uterus in Cognitive Processes," Endocrinology (2018). Journal information: Endocrinology "Hysterectomy Uniquely Impacts Spatial Memory in a Rat Model: A Role for the Nonpregnant Uterus in Cognitive Processes,"(2018). AKI Kidneys are just as safe. Credit: Johns Hopkins Medicine Organ procurement teams are sometimes leery of accepting kidneys from deceased donors with acute kidney injury (AKI), fearing they will harm the recipients. However, a national study chaired by a Johns Hopkins kidney specialist suggests these fears may be unfounded. In medical chart reviews of 2,430 kidneys transplanted from 1,298 donors585 (24 percent) of them with AKIresearchers say they found no significant differences in rates of organ rejection among kidneys from deceased donors with or without AKI. They also report they found no evidence that factors such as the amount of time an organ is chilled and left without blood supply before transplantation had any impact on recipient outcomes for those who received AKI kidneys. Results of the study, published Nov. 20 in the journal Kidney International, suggest that patients in need of kidney transplant could have access to more kidneyspotentially shortening organ waiting list times, the investigators say. With the field of medicine moving toward a system that focuses on the improvement of patient safety while reducing health care costs, this research is a step forward in the high-value health care movement. "Our results should add to evidence and reassure the general public and the transplant community that acutely injured deceased-donor kidneys appear to have the same success rates as noninjured kidneys from otherwise similar donors," says Chirag R. Parikh, M.B.B.S., Ph.D., director of the Division of Nephrology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and senior study author. "Even transplanted kidneys with the highest severity of AKI did not have worse outcomes, so we should bring these kidneys into the donor pool with confidence," Parikh adds. An estimated 95,000 Americans are on the national kidney transplant waiting list, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Networks. Given the organ shortage, says Parikh, the transplant community should pursue measures to increase use of kidneys from deceased donors with AKI. AKI affects about one-third of patients in intensive care units, Parikh says. Hospitalized patients are likely to develop AKI as a complication resulting from reduced blood supply, or administration of medications to increase blood pressure, or from being placed on ventilators. Deceased donors are likely to develop AKI if they spent time in an ICU following a trauma or other medical or surgical complications. Physicians worry about patients who develop AKI because they are more likely to have negative long-term consequences, such as chronic kidney disease or premature death, Parikh says. It remains unclear if transplanting a kidney from a donor with AKI would have similar consequences. Nationwide, the discard or rejection rate for all potential donor kidneys is approximately 18 percent, and for AKI kidneys about 30 percent, Parikh says. "We estimate there may be approximately 500 kidneys a year with AKI that are currently discarded, but can be transplanted." Some criteria that surgeons use around decisions for kidney discard include the presence of diabetes, hypertension or poor kidney donor profile indexa standard measure of how likely a kidney is to function over time. The current study had two parts. In the first section, researchers conducted transplant chart reviews for kidneys from 1,298 donors in five regional organ procurement organizations (Philadelphia, Michigan, New York, New Jersey and New England) from 2010-2013, and linked them to 2,430 single kidney transplant recipients via the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network's national transplant registry. Donors with AKI, compared with donors without AKI, were more often African-American (24 percent versus 13 percent), more likely to have hypertension (36 percent versus 29 percent), and had a higher average kidney donor profile index (56 versus 46). Recipients of AKI kidneys versus non-AKI kidneys were more often older (55 versus 52 years old), and donor AKI kidney transplants had longer mean cold ischemia time (16.4 hours versus 14.9 hours)the amount of time an organ is chilled before transplantation. The AKI kidneys also were more likely to undergo machine perfusion (a technique to push fluids through the organ to preserve it), a difference of 46 percent versus 37 percent, and slightly more likely to have human leukocyte antigen mismatchesa measure of how compatible a donor and recipient will be based on cell proteins. During an average follow-up period of four years, there were 623 (26 percent) kidneys that had permanent failure, so-called graft failures. This occurred in 475 (26 percent) recipients of AKI kidneys and 148 (25 percent) recipients of non-AKI kidneys. The severity of AKI did not impact graft failure rates. In the second part of the study, investigators examined recipient charts from a subgroup of 739 kidneys from 601 donors transplanted at 12 medical centers. They found graft failures or progression to kidney disease in 143 (19 percent) of the recipients (40 recipients received AKI kidneys and 103 received non-AKI kidneys). Kidney transplant potentially saves the health care system more than $250,000 per year for each patient in costs related to dialysis treatments, medications and hospitalizations, says Parikh: "Hopefully this study will provide confidence to surgeons that they can transplant these kidneys and expect good outcomes." The researchers caution it is possible that donor AKI kidneys selected for transplant have a more favorable risk factor distribution than the donor kidneys without AKI. In addition, donor AKI kidneys may be less likely to be selected for transplant unless they have other, more favorable characteristics such as younger age and an absence of other chronic health conditions. Explore further Does the US discard too many transplantable kidneys? Professor John McGrath led a team that has confirmed a link between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and schizophrenia. Credit: The University of Queensland Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, a team of Australian and Danish researchers has reported. The discovery could help prevent some cases of the disease by treating vitamin D deficiency during the earliest stages of life. The study, led by Professor John McGrath from The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia and Aarhus University in Denmark, found newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a 44 per cent increased risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults compared to those with normal vitamin D levels. "Schizophrenia is a group of poorly understood brain disorders characterised by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and cognitive impairment," he said. "As the developing foetus is totally reliant on the mother's vitamin D stores, our findings suggest that ensuring pregnant women have adequate levels of vitamin D may result in the prevention of some schizophrenia cases, in a manner comparable to the role folate supplementation has played in the prevention of spina bifida." Professor McGrath, of UQ's Queensland Brain Institute, said the study, which was based on 2602 individuals, confirmed a previous study he led that also found an association between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of schizophrenia. The team made the discovery by analysing vitamin D concentration in blood samples taken from Danish newborns between 1981 and 2000 who went on to develop schizophrenia as young adults. The researchers compared the samples to those of people matched by sex and date of birth who had not developed schizophrenia. Professor McGrath said schizophrenia is associated with many different risk factors, both genetic and environmental, but the research suggested that neonatal vitamin D deficiency could possibly account for about eight per cent of schizophrenia cases in Denmark. "Much of the attention in schizophrenia research has been focused on modifiable factors early in life with the goal of reducing the burden of this disease," he said. "Previous research identified an increased risk of schizophrenia associated with being born in winter or spring and living in a high-latitude country, such as Denmark. "We hypothesised that low vitamin D levels in pregnant women due to a lack of sun exposure during winter months might underlie this risk, and investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of schizophrenia." Professor McGrath said that although Australia had more bright sunshine compared to Denmark, vitamin D deficiency could still be found in pregnant women in Australia because of our lifestyle and sun-safe behaviour. Professor McGrath, who holds a prestigious Niels Bohr Professorship at Aarhus University, also led a 2016 Dutch study that found a link between prenatal vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of childhood autism traits. "The next step is to conduct randomised clinical trials of vitamin D supplements in pregnant women who are vitamin D deficient, in order to examine the impact on child brain development and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia." Explore further Low pre-natal vitamin D doubles schizophrenia risk More information: Darryl W. Eyles et al, The association between neonatal vitamin D status and risk of schizophrenia, Scientific Reports (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports Darryl W. Eyles et al, The association between neonatal vitamin D status and risk of schizophrenia,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35418-z From left to right: Christina Gavino, M.Sc., Research Assistant; Marija Landekic, Ph.D. trainee; Melanie Langelier, B.Sc(N), M.Sc(N), clinical research nurse and program manager; Lucie Roussel, Ph.D., Research Associate; Dr. Donald Vinh, researcher from the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program of the RI-MUHC and an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at McGill University. Credit: RI-MUHC A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) led by Dr. Donald Vinh, the RI's so-called "Dr. House" because of his research into rare diseases, has discovered a new human disease and the gene responsible for it, paving the way for the proper diagnosis of patients globally and the development of new therapies. Their findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Dr. Vinh has coined this new disease 'combined immunoficiency' or 'CID,' and the gene responsible for it 'ICOSLG'. The disease is characterized by a weakened immune system and, because the body's ability to fight off infections is crippled, patients are susceptible to recurrent life-threatening infections such as pneumonias and debilitating infections, such as progressive warts. New disease that affects the immune system "This discovery will help patients who have escaped diagnosisto nowbe correctly diagnosed. By doing so, patients could benefit from aggressive monitoring of potential complications and earlier implementation of tailored therapies," explains Dr. Vinh, a researcher from the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program of the RI-MUHC and an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at McGill University. "Pinpointing this gene, will also help scientists identify who else in the family is at risk, including newborn babies before they become sick." Gene with a link to Chromosome 21 The scientist says the knock-on from this discovery is the glimpse into whether it causes the immune deficiency reported in Down syndrome, which occurs as these individuals get older. "This gene is on Chromosome 21 and it turns out that Down syndrome's patients, who have three Chromosomes of 21 (instead of the usual two), have a similar problem with their immune system. We're looking to see if this causes the immune deficiency reported in adults with Down's syndrome," says Dr. Vinh, whose study of genetic defects of the immune system has fueled his "medical detective" reputation. A patient with similar symptoms to the "Bubble Boy" Dr. Vinh's discovery originated with the medical investigation of a 36-year-old male patient who had endured recurrent sinusitis and pneumonias, yeast infections and viral infections since childhood. Researchers used a state-of-the-art technique called 'Whole Exome Sequencing' inside Dr. Vinh's laboratory to evaluate the patient's genes and perform sophisticated analysis of his genes compared to that of his family members, to identify the abnormal gene that was responsible for his disease. "At the clinical level, previous evaluations did not look at all his symptoms in their entirety as one disease but as individual and unrelated problems. But once you start putting the abnormalities together, you see our patient's case was similar to that of the "Bubble Boy," which was the most severe form. Our patient's disease is in the same family of conditions but because he was an adult, nobody thought to explore this possibility," says Dr. Vinh, who explains the "Bubble Boy" name was given to a young child in the Seventies who was forced to live in a sterile bubble from birth due to his severely weakened immune system. "Once we related our patient to the Bubble Boy's disease, which we know is genetic, we discovered this new gene," says Dr. Vinh, who collaborated with Dr. Andre Veillette, the Director of the IRCM Molecular Oncology Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) in the study. "We are so relieved to finally receive a diagnosis, after so many years of doctors not knowing what was wrong with me, and with the research providing the potential for eventual treatment for me. And knowing that our children are not affected is a major comfort," says the French-Canadian patient, who resides in Eastern Quebec with his wife and two young children. Dr. Vinh has already received numerous requests from physicians around the world to test patients who may have the same medical condition diagnosed in his own patient, providing hope for both patients and their families. Credit: CC0 Public Domain Older adults who take up drawing could enhance their memory, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Waterloo found that even if people weren't good at it, drawing, as a method to help retain new information, was better than re-writing notes, visualization exercises or passively looking at images. "We found that drawing enhanced memory in older adults more than other known study techniques," said Melissa Meade, Ph.D. candidate in cognitive neuroscience at Waterloo. "We're really encouraged by these results and are looking into ways that it can be used to help people with dementia, who experience rapid declines in memory and language function." As part of a series of studies, the researchers asked both young people and older adults to do a variety of memory-encoding techniques and then tested their recall. Meade conducted this study with Myra Fernandes a Psychology professor in cognitive neuroscience at Waterloo and recent UW Ph.D. graduate Jeffrey Wammes. The researchers believe that drawing led to better memory when compared with other study techniques because it incorporated multiple ways of representing the informationvisual, spatial, verbal, semantic and motoric. "Drawing improves memory across a variety of tasks and populations, and the simplicity of the strategy means that it can be used in many settings," said Myra Fernandes. As part of the studies, the researchers compared different types of memory techniques in aiding retention of a set of words, in a group of undergraduate students and a group of senior citizens. Participants would either encode each word by writing it out, by drawing it, or by listing physical attributes related to each item. Later on after performing each task, memory was assessed. Both groups showed better retention when they used drawing rather than writing to encode the new information, and this effect was especially large in older adults. Retention of new information typically declines as people age, due to deterioration of critical brain structures involved in memory such as the hippocampus and frontal lobes. In contrast, we know that visuospatial processing regions of the brain, involved in representing images and pictures, are mostly intact in normal aging, and in dementia. "We think that drawing is particularly relevant for people with dementia because it makes better use of brain regions that are still preserved, and could help people experiencing cognitive impairment with memory function," said Meade. "Our findings have exciting implications for therapeutic interventions to help dementia patients hold on to valuable episodic memories throughout the progression of their disease" The study appears in Experimental Aging and Research. Government seeks explanations from Ambassador Sherpa The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sought an explanation from Nepali Ambassador to Australia Lucky Sherpa who has been accused of human trafficking by her former driver Wongchhu Sherpa. The 2018 Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine Tasuko Honjo attends a press conference with James P. Allison at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Thursday Dec. 6, 2018. (Janerik Henriksson/TT via AP) The winners of this year's Nobel Prize for Medicine say they expect substantial advances toward treating cancer in the next several decades, although it is unlikely the disease could be eradicated. James Allison of the United States and Tasuku Honjo of Japan made the assessments at a Thursday news conference ahead of receiving the 9 million-kronor ($999,000) prize. They were named winners of the prize in October for their work in immunotherapyactivating the body's natural defense system to fight tumors. "Soon we'll get close with some cancers," Allison said, citing progress against some forms including melanoma. But, he said, "the world will never be cancer-free." Honjo said he expects that immunotherapy will eventually be used against most cancers, often in combination with radiation or chemotherapy, and that cancer can effectively be stalled "even if we cannot completely eliminate the tumor, if we can survive with some tumor." "I think what is coming next are triple combinations and quadruple combinations," Allison said. Although immunotherapy is an advance against cancer treatment, the costs are high, with courses of treatment reportedly exceeding $100,000. "Something's going to happen" about the cost, Allison said. "These high prices are not just a feature of these drugsit's almost everything. ... It's out of control. We've just got to hope that with competition and wisdom the prices will come down." The 2018 Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine, Tasuko Honjo, left, and James P. Allison attend a press conference at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Thursday Dec. 6, 2018. (Janerik Henriksson/TT via AP) Allison, after noting that some of his share of the prize would have to be paid in taxes, said he intends to donate what's left to support others working in the field and to a charity that supports schools for women. Honjo said his half will be given to his institution, Kyoto University, to fund young researchers. The Nobel Prizes are to be awarded on Monday. The medicine, physics, chemistry and economics prizes will be given out in Stockholm and the peace prize in Oslo. No literature laureate was named this year. The 2018 Nobel laureates in Physiology or Medicine, Tasuko Honjo, left, and James P. Allison attend a press conference at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Thursday Dec. 6, 2018. (Janerik Henriksson/TT via AP) The 2018 Nobel Physiology or Medicine laureate, Tasuko Honjo poses during the traditional Nobel Chair Signing ceremony at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, on Thursday Dec. 6, 2018. (Claudio Brescian/TT via AP) The 2018 Nobel Physiology or Medicine laureate, Professor James P. Allison poses during the traditional Nobel Chair Signing ceremony at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, on Thursday Dec. 6, 2018. (Claudio Bresciani/TT via AP) Explore further Nobel Prize in physics to be announced Tuesday 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. (HealthDay)Obese people with heart failure may live longer than those who are thinnerespecially if they are "metabolically healthy," a new study suggests. The study, of more than 3,500 heart failure patients, is the latest to look into the so-called "obesity paradox." The term refers to a puzzling pattern that researchers have noted for years: Obese patients with heart disease tend to survive longer than their normal-weight counterparts. "It has consistently been observed in large studies," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, co-chief of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. "But the mechanisms contributing to this paradox continue to be debated." Fonarow was not involved in the new research, but has worked on studies reaching similar conclusions. The pattern is dubbed a "paradox" because obesity actually raises your risk of developing heart disease in the first place. So it's not clear, Fonarow said, why it would be linked to better survival after the disease develops. In the current study, South Korean researchers followed 3,564 patients who were hospitalized with heart failure symptoms. Overall, about 2,000 were overweight or obese, while more than 1,500 were of normal weight. Heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart muscle can no longer pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body's needs. It causes symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue and fluid buildup. In general, the study found, heavier patients tended to show less deterioration in the structure and function of the heart's main pumping chamber. And the highest survival rate was seen among overweight or obese patients who were metabolically healthymeaning they did not have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or abnormal blood sugar levels. Among those patients, more than 79 percent were still alive three years later. That compared with 64 percent of normal-weight patients in good metabolic health. Patients in the normal-weight group who were metabolically unhealthy fared worst: Only 55 percent were still alive after three years. Metabolically unhealthy obese people fared about the same as normal-weight, metabolically healthy peoplewith a survival rate of about 66 percent. However, it was apparently not easy to be overweight and metabolically healthy: Only 12 percent of overweight/obese patients were, said researcher Dr. Chan Soon Park. Park, of Seoul National University Hospital, was scheduled to present the findings this week at a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, in Milan, Italy. What do the results mean? They do not prove that obesity, itself, provides a survival advantage, said Dr. Gurusher Panjrath. Panjrath, who was not involved in the research, chairs the American College of Cardiology's heart failure and transplant section. He noted that the studylike most previous onesused body mass index (BMI) to divide patients into weight categories. People with a BMI of 23 or higher were considered "overweight/obese," while those with a lower BMI were considered "normal-weight." For example, a 5-foot-8-inch person who weighs 151 pounds has a BMI of 23. (The definitions used for Asian populations are different from those used in the United States and elsewhere, Park said.) But BMIa measure of weight in relation to heightis an imprecise gauge, Panjrath explained. He said the normal-weight group in this study might have included some patients who were actually more sick and frail. In contrast, people who had more muscle, and may have been relatively fitter, could have fallen into the overweight category. In fact, Panjrath said, a number of studies have suggested that cardiovascular fitness levelsrather than weightare critical to heart disease patients' outlook. That includes heart failure. Often, people develop heart failure after suffering a heart attack that damages the heart muscle, or because of poorly controlled high blood pressure. Obesity is a risk factor because it contributes to the conditions that can cause heart failure, Panjrath explained. There's also some evidence those extra pounds might directly affect heart muscle function, he said. Once people are diagnosed with heart failure, Panjrath said, the priority is to boost their fitness levels through exercise, and control conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. "Fitness is more important than fatness," Panjrath said. He added, though, that weight loss is encouraged when patients are severely obese. Park said that since weight loss can be difficult, efforts to improve factors like blood pressure and fitness may be more practical. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. More information: The American Heart Association has more on The American Heart Association has more on managing heart failure Copyright 2018 HealthDay. All rights reserved. A team of surgeons from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are the first in the world to use a surgical robot to assist with a bilateral free flap breast reconstructiona procedure in which tissue is taken from the lower abdomensimilar to a "tummy tuckand used to rebuild the breast. The robot allows surgeons to make a much smaller incision into the abdominal wall muscles, allowing patients to recover and be discharged more quickly and without the use of addictive narcotic painkillers. Suhail Kanchwala, MD, an associate professor of Plastic Surgery, led the team that performed the procedure, which took place at Pennsylvania Hospital earlier this month. Kanchwala partnered with Ian Soriano, MD, FCAS, a clinical assistant professor of Surgery, who specializes in minimally invasive procedures, to develop the technique. "We've been using a minimally-invasive, laparoscopic technique to reduce pain and get patients home more quickly without using narcotics for more than a year. The addition of the surgical robot allows for greater precision and is the next step in our evolution," Kanchwala said. Women who have chosen a mastectomy, either to remove cancerous breast tissue or as preventative measure due to genetic risk, have several options for reconstruction. Traditionally, using a patients' own tissue results in a more natural appearance and is a more permanent solution when compared to implant-based reconstructions, which often require additional surgeries. Penn surgeons perform more than 700 tissue-based reconstructions yearly, making it the largest center for this form of reconstruction in the world. "Our experience is what allows us to innovate, and adapting minimally invasive approaches to breast reconstruction allows patients to have the same recovery of implant reconstruction without the downsides of having an implant, such as the risk of infection or the need for further surgery," Kanchwala said. The minimally invasive flap procedure virtually eliminates the need to cut into a patient's abdominal muscles to remove the skin and fat of the lower abdomen to use in the reconstruction of the breast. That incision in the muscle is the main source of pain and other potential complications. Kanchwala called the laparoscopic technique, which he has now used in more than 120 cases, "game changing." He also notes that in 70 percent of those cases, his patients did not require any narcotics, even while under anesthesia. Instead, patients receive over-the-counter medicine like Motrin or Tylenol for pain. "Many of these patients wake up as if they haven't had a surgery, and we've seen patients who would normally be in the hospital for five days go home in just one or two days," Kanchwala said. Much like with the laparoscopic technique, the surgical robot allows the surgeon to avoid larger cuts to the muscle while also collecting blood vessels more easily. The smaller incision also limits the risk of hernia and other complications. Pain management is another unique aspect of this technique. Research has shown that one out of every 20 breast reconstruction patients who have never had a narcotic before their surgeries are still on those narcotics five years later. Kanchwala says this technique addresses this reality head-on, and it requires a team approach. All patients are enrolled in a coordinated Enhanced Recovery Protocol which means from the minute they enter the hospital the focus is on their recovery and getting them back to normal as fast as possible. "We've paired our surgical innovations with similar progressive ideas in anesthesia and postoperative care," Kanchwala said. "Nothing I do now is the same as it was even a year ago, and knowing what I now know, I could never go back." Credit: CC0 Public Domain In a study among United States combat veterans, researchers found no significant difference between two of the most common treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and no benefit for combination treatment. The study results are published in the Dec. 5 online issue of JAMA. The head-to-head randomized clinical trial was conducted between 2012 and 2016 by researchers at four sites: Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Massachusetts General Hospital and VA San Diego Healthcare System. It was led by principal investigator Sheila Rauch, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Emory University School of Medicine. The study included 223 service members or veterans of the Iraq and/or Afghanistan wars with combat-related PTSD and significant impairment (Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale score 50) of at least three months duration. Current clinical practice guidelines recommend both trauma-focused psychotherapies, such as exposure therapy, and antidepressants, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), as effective treatments for PTSD. Investigators looked at how sertraline hydrochloride (commonly prescribed SSRI) plus enhanced medication management compared to prolonged exposure therapy plus placebo and the combination of prolonged exposure therapy plus sertraline and to help reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms over 24 weeks of treatment. "Our study is the first to compare psychotherapy and medications in veterans with PTSD. The findings provide guidance for clinicians that both prolonged exposure therapy and sertraline are effective treatments for PTSD in veterans, both resulting in large reductions in symptoms," says Rauch, who also serves as clinical director of the Emory Healthcare Veterans Program and director of Mental Health Research and Program Evaluation at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Rauch noted the efficacy of sertraline in this study is larger than previous studies and may suggest that standardization of psychoeducation and support may enhance response to this medication. Combination sertraline and prolonged exposure did not show additional benefit. During the double-blinded study, participants completed assessments at the start and routinely throughout the 24 weeks, as well as a one-year follow-up assessment. Participants completed up to 13 90-minute sessions of prolonged exposure therapy throughout the 24-week study period. Sertraline dosage was adjusted as needed during a 10-week period and continued until the end of the study. Medication management was manualized. Rauch says the study also examined mechanisms and predictors of change. Additional publications will be forthcoming to address questions of who responds better to medication versus prolonged exposure therapy as well as what mechanisms may be involved. According to the American Psychological Association, prolonged exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that helps people confront their fearsapproach fear instead of avoiding it. Clinicians create a safe environment in which to "expose" individuals to the things they fear and avoid. Explore further PTSD symptoms improve when patient chooses form of treatment, study shows As Catholic health care systems expand nationwide, little is known about the reproductive outcomes of their patients compared to patients in other settings, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. "What we were essentially looking at is how religious guidelines that restrict reproductive care at Catholic facilities impact patient care," said the study's senior author Maryam Guiahi, MD, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The study was published today in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology. Researchers identified only 27 studies that described the provision of reproductive health services at Catholic health care facilities and found just one with reported patient outcomes. At the same time, they discovered a number of restrictions to care compared to non-Catholic settings. In 2016, 14.5 percent of U.S. hospitals were Catholic-owned, accounting for one in six acute hospital beds. And 349 of the 654 Catholic hospitals had obstetric services, accounting for more than 529,000 deliveries. Yet providers at these facilities are expected to adhere to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services. These directives stress the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, allude to the moral imperative that intercourse involves both `love-giving' and `life-giving' intentions while stating that human life begins at conception, the study said. "So according to these tenets, family planning methods cannot inhibit the `life-giving' aspect and infertility techniques cannot inhibit the `love-giving' aspect of the marriage or sex act," said Guiahi. In analyzing the studies found in the review, Guiahi discovered differences in the way reproductive health services were provided in Catholic health care facilities. Often Catholic facilities limited common women's health services like contraception and sterilization. "Patients may not know that tubal ligations or IUDs (intrauterine devices) are often restricted," she said. "When it comes to birth control, sometimes they are only offered pills, which have a 9 percent typical failure rate over a year and certain facilities may only offer natural family planning as a contraceptive method." She noted that in many of these facilities, reproductive health care is acceptable solely to treat other medical conditions. The review found that in most studies participants were primarily physicians and emergency department staff. Some of them reported that Catholic facilities either don't provide or are less likely to provide family-planning methods than non-Catholic facilities. One survey showed that 54.9 percent of Catholic hospitals do not dispense emergency contraception in any cases compared to 42.2 percent of non-Catholic hospitals. "Some Catholic institution representatives reported there were policies in place that prohibited discussion of emergency contraception with rape victims," the study said. One national survey showed that less than 2 percent of Catholic-affiliated obstetrics and gynecology clinics offered abortion. But some studies revealed that reproductive services were not completely prohibited in these settings. A 1975 study reported 60 percent of Catholic hospitals offered some form of contraception, most commonly instruction in the rhythm method. A study done between 2014-2016, found 95 percent of Catholic hospitals offered appointments for birth control and many were willing to provide IUDs or tubal ligation appointments. "As many facilities do not always adhere to the directives, it is unclear to health care consumers how Catholic affiliation might impact the reproductive services they are offered," said Guiahi. Overall, she said, most studies examined showed limited provision of reproductive health care services, reflecting adherence to the religious directives governing Catholic hospitals. "We need to understand how institutional restrictions affect patient outcomes," Guiahi said. "We need to know that when women are denied tubal ligation, what percent of them get pregnant again. How are minorities and transgender patients affected when religion plays a role in their health care? These are all questions that require further exploration." Micrograph showing prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma (the most common form of prostate cancer) Credit: Wikipedia Medical software developed at UCL that overlays tumour information from MRI scans onto ultrasound images can help guide surgeons conducting biopsies and improve prostate cancer detection. A team of engineers and medical researchers found that the technology enabled surgeons to pick up clinically relevant cancers that were missed when using current visual detection methods. The best approach would be to use both techniques in tandem, according to the findings published today in European Urology. The software is deployed via a system called SmartTarget. The advent of MRI-targeted biopsies, where MRI scans are used to inform surgeons where a tumour lies before they conduct a biopsy (tissue sample), has improved detection rates to close to 90% from 50% in the last five years. Now, the SmartTarget system has further enhanced this technique by allowing a 3-D model of the prostate and cancer to be created for each patient from their MRI scans using advanced image processing and machine learning algorithms. During a biopsy, this model is fused with ultrasound images to highlight the area of concern, which otherwise does not appear in the ultrasound images, helping to guide the surgeon while conducting the procedure. Until last year when MRI targeting was introduced, the established way to test for prostate cancer involved taking a biopsy from the prostate without knowing where in the prostate a tumour was likely to be, resulting in close to half of life-threatening cancers being missed. "Prostate cancer detection has been improving at a very fast rate in recent years, and this technology pushes the science forward even further, enabling clinicians to pick up prostate cancer quickly so that patients can access the right treatment early enough," said co-senior author Professor Hashim Ahmed, who began the research in UCL Medicine before moving to Imperial College London. For the present study, 129 people with suspected prostate cancer underwent two biopsiesone using the SmartTarget system, and one where surgeons could only visually review the MRI scans. Funded by the UK Department of Health and Social Care and Wellcome Health Innovation Challenge Fund, the study was conducted at UCLH.The two strategies combined detected 93 clinically significant prostate cancers, with each of them picking up 80 of these cancers; each missed 13 that the other method picked up. The researchers say that surgeons' visual review of MRI scans should be used in tandem with SmartTarget as using this technique enables surgeons to learn to make subtle adjustments such as adapting to the movement of the patient and the prostate as the needle is inserted. "We developed the SmartTarget system to equip surgeons with vital information about the size, shape and location of prostate tumours during a biopsy that is otherwise invisible on ultrasound images," explained co-senior author Dr. Dean Barratt (UCL Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering and UCL Centre for Medical Image Computing), who invented and led the development of the SmartTarget system. "The software provides them with a clear target. As MRI-targeted biopsies require a very high degree of expertise and experience, we hope that the imagery displayed by SmartTarget will help to bring high accuracy prostate cancer diagnosis to a much wider range of patients and hospitals." The researchers say the new methods could reduce the number of biopsies needed, and reduce the unnecessary surgeries caused by over diagnosis of less harmful cancers. The SmartTarget software has been commercialised by SmartTarget Ltd, a company spun out by UCL's commercialisation company UCL Business PLC (UCLB), and the system is already in use by several hospitals in the UK and USA. The inter-disciplinary study brought together engineers, urologists and radiologists, supported by the UCL Translational Research Office in project management and navigating the translational and regulatory pathway involved in taking the project from the lab bench to the operating room. "There has been much discussion and speculation in the media recently on the degree to which computers and artificial intelligence will be integrated into clinical care. Studies such as this one are extremely important as they provide valuable evidence on the performance of a new technology in the clinical setting," said co-senior author Professor Mark Emberton (Dean, UCL Medical Sciences). "With this study we now have hard data showing that SmartTarget is as good as a group of experts in targeting tumours in the prostate, and have a glimpse of how clinicians and computers will be working together in the future for the good of the patient." Explore further Study shows targeted biopsy for prostate cancer more effective than traditional method Public health protection and cost savings are often used as reasons to restrict migrants' access to health care, or to deny them entry. Yet, as the new UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health lays out with new international data and analysis, the most common myths about migration and health are not supported by the available evidence and ignore the important contribution of migration to global economies. In 2018, there were more than one billion people on the move, a quarter of whom were migrants crossing international borders. The Commission is the result of a two-year project led by 20 leading experts from 13 countries, and includes new data analysis, with two original research papers, and represents the most comprehensive review of the available evidence to date. The report, including its recommendations to improve the public health response to migration, will be launched on 8th December at the UN Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration in Marrakech. "Populist discourse demonises the very same individuals who uphold economies and bolster social care and health services. Questioning the deservingness of migrants for health care on the basis of inaccurate beliefs supports practices of exclusion, harming the health of individuals, our society, and our economies," says Commission Chair Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, UCL (UK). "Migration is the defining issue of our time. How the world addresses human mobility will determine public health and social cohesion for decades ahead. Creating health systems that integrate migrant populations will benefit entire communities with better health access for all and positive gains for local populations. Failing to do so could be more expensive to national economies, health security, and global health than the modest investments required to protect migrants' right to health, and ensure migrants can be productive members of society." The Lancet editor Dr. Richard Horton adds: "In too many countries, the issue of migration is used to divide societies and advance a populist agenda. With one billion people on the move today, growing populations in many regions of the world, and the rising aspirations of a new generation of young people, migration is not going away. Migrants commonly contribute more to the economy than they cost, and how we shape their health and wellbeing today will impact our societies for generations to come. There is no more pressing issue in global health." Myths about migration and health not supported by the available evidence Are high income countries being overwhelmed by migrants? Discussions about migration often focus on rising numbers of people crossing international borders and overwhelming high-income countries, but changes in migration are more complex. Although international migration receives the most political and public attention, most movement globally is internal migration. A quarter of all migrants (an estimated 258 million people) are international migrants. In the past four decades, the percentage of the world's population that is considered an international migrant has changed very littlefrom 2.9% in 1990 to 3.4% in 2017 globally. Most international migrants are labour migrants (approximately 65%) - and a much smaller proportion are refugees and asylum seekers. While high-income countries have seen a greater rise in the percentage of international migrants (from 7.6% in 1990 to 13.4% in 2017), they are more likely to be students who pay for their education or labour migrants who are net contributors to the economy. Refugees make up a larger proportion of the total population in low income countries compared to high income countries (0.7% vs 0.2%). Are migrants damaging economies? An overwhelming consensus of evidence exists on the positive economic benefits of migration, which is insufficiently acknowledged. In advanced economies, each 1% increase in migrants in the adult population increases the gross domestic product per person by up to 2%. Additionally, migration contributes to global wealth distribution. An estimated US$613 billion was sent by migrants to their families at origin in 2017. Approximately three quarters of these remittances are to low- and middle-income countriesan amount three-times larger than official development assistance. Are migrants a burden on health services? Migrants constitute a substantial proportion of the health care workforce in many high-income countries. Rather than being a burden, migrants are more likely to bolster services by providing medical care, teaching children, caring for older people, and supporting understaffed services. In the UK, 37% of doctors received their medical qualification in another country. A new, comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis concludes that international migrants in high-income countries have lower rates of mortality compared to general populations across the majority of disease categories. The study used mortality estimates on more than 15.2 million migrants from 92 countries and found that international migrants had lower rates of deaths for cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, neoplasms, nervous and respiratory diseases, mental and behavioural disorders and injuries than people in the general population in the receiving country. There was no evidence of a difference for blood, genitourinary, or musculoskeletal disorders. The only two exceptions were for infections such as viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV, and external causes, such as assault, where migrants had increased rates of mortality. However, as the report also highlights, several studies (eg on tuberculosis) have shown that the risk of transmission of infections is elevated only within migrant communities, and is negligible in host populations. The findings are most likely to apply to international migrants in high income countries who are studying, working, or have joined family members in these countries. Vulnerable groups, such as refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants, may have different health needs, but, as the authors note, rather than form policies based on exceptions, evidence about the healthy benefits of migration should be at the forefront of decisions. Are migrants disease carriers that pose risks to resident populations? The stereotype of migrants as disease carriers is perhaps one of the most prevalent, and the most harmful. However, there is no systematic association between migration and importation of infectious diseases, and the evidence shows that the risk of transmission from migrating populations to host populations is generally low. Studies on tuberculosis suggest that the risk of transmission is elevated within migrant households and communities, but not in host populations. Migrants may come from regions with higher disease burden, especially if they come from regions of conflict, with weak public health systems. But illness and infection can also be acquired or during transitfor example air travel can facilitate the rapid spread of infection. Indeed, recent examples of spread of resistant pathogens was driven mainly by international travel, tourism, and the movement of livestock rather than migration. Strong public health systems are needed to prevent outbreaks of disease, whether associated with migration or not. Do migrants have higher fertility rates than among host populations? Populist rhetoric often claims that migrants have many more children than host populations. The Commission collates data from several long-term studies that suggest the birth rates among migrants are barely at the level of population replacement (2.1 births per woman) and often falling. A study of six European countries found that fertility rates among migrant women were, in general, lower than host populations. Studies in India and Ethiopia, for example, have shown that internal migrants are more likely to use contraception than host populations. Ensuring access to services is key to ensuring the sexual and reproductive healthcare of migrant women and girls. Unfounded myths: harmful to individuals and society Unfounded myths about migration have wide ranging impacts on how migrants are treated within society. Despite evidence that migrants have positive health benefit to societies, many men and women who migrate are subjected to laws, restrictions, and discrimination that put them at risk of ill-health. Protection of the public is often invoked as a reason for the denial of entry, detention or deportation, but too often these policies leave migrants facing worse health situations. The Commission calls for governments to improve migrants' access to services, strengthen migrants' right to health and tackle the wider determinants of migrant health, including taking a zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination. Restricting entry based on health status is increasingly common. In Australia, permanent residency application can be rejected because the applicant has a health conditionthe five most common reasons were intellectual or functional impairment, HIV, cancer and renal disease. 35 countries have imposed some form of travel ban on people with HIV. Too often, policies are not based on the overall contribution of migrants to host societies, but only in terms of costs to the state. Restrictions on entry or deportation for diseases with low risk of casual transmission are impermissible on both public health and human rights grounds. Linking health status to migration enforcement also reinforces distrust in the health profession, and Iimits migrants' ability to access health care on a non-discriminatory basis. The fear of deportation can mean migrants will not seek health care or assistance when needed, hindering individual and public health. In practice, health-related enforcement regimes can pressure health workers to act as immigration control agents. The Commission points to a growing trend of states limiting access to health care for migrants, despite commitments to provide "health for all." In the UK, the hostile environment policy was highlighted in the Windrush scandal of 2018 with long-term migrants being deported midway through medical treatment. Upfront charging regulations are still in place. "Migrants are healthier and contribute to our economy and the NHS. There is no evidence that migrants are a drain on the NHS or that they spread infectious disease. Exclusion of migrants in health systems and the increasing negative rhetoric is political and not evidence based. The hostile environment towards migrants in the UK has led directly to migrants and British citizens being denied health care, with direct severe public health and health economic consequences. Migrants constitute a considerable portion of the heath care workforce in the UK, making important contributions to the country which should be recognised," says Professor Abubakar. States are increasingly treating unauthorised border crossings as a criminal offense, leading to detention, at times indefinitely. Indefinite offshore detention of migrants on Nauru island was introduced as an immigration policy in Australia in 2013, and the USA recently announced a zero-tolerance policy, resulting in migrants arrested or jailed and children separated from their parents. Detention poses clear violations of international law, and findings from a systematic review of 38 studies shows that detention is associated with negative health outcomes, especially mental health. "Contrary to the current political narrative portraying migrants as disease carriers who are a blight on society, migrants are an essential part of economic stability in the US. The separation of migrant children from their parents creates long term psychological damageand is a cruel and unnecessary aspect of US policy. The criminalization and detention of migrants seeking internationally protected refuge violates international law, and puts them at greater risk of ill health. Migrants are vital to our wellbeing as a society. Addressing the healthcare needs of migrant populations is an essential strategy to stemming costs associated with any avoidable disease burden in these populations," says co-author Professor Terry McGovern, Columbia University. Finally, the health of migrants depends on the social and structural context of their journey, and destination. Migrant related discrimination is a profound determinant of health, especially mental health and social wellbeing. Access to justice, and education are important determinants of health. Yet a study of 28 developed and developing countries found that nearly half did not allow immediate access to education for irregular migrant children, and migrants face many barriers accessing justice, through poor information, employer intimidation, language barriers or unfamiliarity with the system. Professor Bernadette Kumar, Norwegian Institute for Public Health (Norway) adds: "Too often, government policies prioritise the politics of xenophobia and racism over their responsibilities to act forcefully to counter them. Racial and ethnic discrimination fuel the exclusion of migrant populations, not only violating the rights of individuals, but hindering social cohesion and progress of society at large. Racism and prejudice should be confronted with a zero-tolerance approach." I can make the intellectuals speechless: PM warns Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has issued warnings to intellectuals that they will be left speechless if he started speaking in retaliation against their jibe. 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. Madam diplomat Women should get more opportunities to show their potential in the global arena Sandy UT - The Utah couple has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies including sexual exploitation of a minor and unlawful sexual activity with a minor. Michael Mahoney, according to court documents, was arrested after returning from a trip to England. The couple has a Sandy, Utah, address listed in the documents but the abuse all allegedly happened in Grantsville UT The abuse is said to have started in November, 2017, when Michael Mahoney touched the girl, then 14, when he put his hand down down her pants. Then between March and November of this year, the couple engaged in various sex acts with the victim, separately and together. Christina Mahoney had a protective order restricting her from contacting the victim or the victim's mother and allegedly violated that order with 52 separate messages. "The conversations ranged from sexual to Christina telling the minor she did not like her parents and could kill them," documents state. Other texts included sending gifs or images to the victim. A phone with a number belonging to Christina Mahoney contacted the victim's mother six times. One message apparently from Christina Mahoney threatened to "take her out" if the mother continued to call, but phone records show no contact from the woman to Christina Mahoney. Documents say the married couple engaged with the girl by way of FaceTime, during a sex act, while the girl was in a bathroom at school. Other times in messages, Christina Mahoney is said to have referred to herself as the watch out while the victim and her husband were engaged in sex acts. Michael Mahoney also had two videos of the victim, according to documents. They state he also sent her pictures of his penis and used a sex toy on the victim. Text records indicate he talked with the girl about having sex and sex acts between the two of them. Each of the accused told police about various sexual activity with the girl after they were read their rights, documents state. CHARGES The pair is charged with the following: Michael Mahoney Two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony Five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a third-degree felony Christina Mahoney Two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony Five counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, a third-degree felony Three counts of violation of a protective order, a third-degree felony Documents state both of the accused are flights risks. Michael Mahoney was said to be a risk because he has children in England and has previously lived there. Christina Mahoney was said to be a risk and a danger to the community because she made references to killing people she didn't like and violated an order of protection. The former blockchain project lead at Rand Merchant Bank, Farzam Ehsani, has disclosed the details of his new cryptocurrency venture called VALR. VALR has partnered with Bittrex, an international cryptocurrency exchange, to launch a digital asset trading platform in South Africa. In addition to being its platform partner, Bittrex has also invested in the company. Former FNB CEO and venture capitalist Michael Jordaan is another investor. Jordaan is invested in several other fintech and telecommunications companies, including Rain and Bank Zero. While VALR is not launching today, it is opening registrations for a limited access launch. VALR already has trading functionality but this will be enabled for our customers slowly and prudently to ensure our platform scales smoothly and lives up to expectations, Ehsani said. As customers sign up, they will be placed on a waiting list and will have the opportunity to get earlier access to the limited-access launch by participating in our referral program, which will ultimately reward them with discounts and the ability to earn up to R1,500 per referral. VALR will begin by offering a buy/sell feature, allowing clients to trade between Bitcoin, Ethereum, and over other 50 cryptocurrencies. Machine learning The platform will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to streamline its identity verification process, which the company said will allow new customers to be fully verified within minutes. VALR said that, in the near future, it plans to launch rand-to-crypto trading and more advanced trading options between different cryptocurrencies. Through its partnership with Bittrex, VALR said that it has access to all cryptocurrencies and digital tokens available on the Bittrex and Bittrex International platforms. This will allow VALR to offer clients one of the largest selections of digital assets. Our partnership gives our customers direct access to international liquidity, globally competitive prices, and leading security practices. We look forward to advancing the crypto industry in South Africa and beyond, Ehsani said. Bittrex CEO Bill Shihara said they are committed to advancing blockchain technology around the world. Our partnership with VALR gives us the opportunity to help drive adoption of this technology in new markets, said Shihara. We will continue to explore partnerships like this one that not only support the blockchain industry, but also incubate innovative projects using this emerging technology, as we further expand our global footprint. Now read: Bitcoin headed for biggest gain since July Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou has been arrested and faces extradition to the USA due to allegations she violated the latters trade sanctions against Iran, reports The Globe and Mail. Wanzhou, who is also the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Saturday, and her bail hearing will take place tomorrow. She is sought for extradition by the United States, said US justice department spokesperson Ian McLeod. As there is a publication ban in effect, we cannot provide any further detail at this time. New York prosecutors have been investigating the alleged violations, which were first reported in April. The company has been provided with very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng, said Huawei in a statement. The company believes the Canadian and US legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion. The USA has previously expressed its concerns regarding the possibility that Huawei may use its equipment to spy on American citizens. Now read: Apple to sell HomePod speaker in China Facebook Inc. wielded user data like a bargaining chip, providing access when that sharing might encourage people to spend more time on the social network and imposing strict limits on partners in cases where it saw a potential competitive threat, emails show. A trove of internal correspondence, published online Wednesday by U.K. lawmakers, provides a look into the ways Facebook executives, including Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg, treated information posted by users like a commodity that could be harnessed in service of business goals. Apps were invited to use Facebooks network to grow, as long as that increased usage of Facebook. Certain competitors, in a list reviewed by Zuckerberg himself, were not allowed to use Facebooks tools and data without his personal sign-off. In early 2013, Twitter Inc. launched the Vine video-sharing service, which drew on a Facebook tool that let Vine users connect to their Facebook friends. Alerted to the possible competitive threat by an engineer who recommended cutting off Vines access to Facebook data, Zuckerberg replied succinctly: Yup, go for it. In other cases Zuckerberg eloquently espoused the value of giving software developers more access to user data in hopes that it would result in applications that, in turn, would encourage people to do more on Facebook. Were trying to enable people to share everything they want, and to do it on Facebook, Zuckerberg wrote in a November 2012 email. Sometimes the best way to enable people to share something is to have a developer build a special purpose app or network for that type of content and to make that app social by having Facebook plug into it. However, that may be good for the world but its not good for us unless people also share back to Facebook and that content increases the value of our network. The emails were released by a committee of U.K. lawmakers investigating social medias role in the spread of fake news. They provide more insight into how Facebook achieved its dominance of social media, and how it thought about the value of users data, which users provide to the company for free. Facebook, which runs a network of more than 2 billion people globally, has been interrogated by regulators about the reaches of its power, and the effect of that control on user privacy, the spread of misinformation, and global elections. Lawmakers obtained the documents after compelling the founder of U.S. company Six4Three to hand them over during a business trip to London, despite the fact that they were under seal in a California court case. Facebook said Six4Three cherrypicked these documents from years ago as part of a lawsuit to force Facebook to share information on friends of the apps users. The set of documents, by design, tells only one side of the story and omits important context. In a blog post Wednesday, Facebook said it will still stand by the platform changes we made in 2014/2015, which prevented people from sharing their friends information with developers, like those at Six4Three. Facebook said the facts are clear: weve never sold peoples data. Damian Collins, head of the committee that released the documents, says the emails show that Facebook shut off access to data required by competing apps and conducted global surveys of the usage of mobile apps by customers possibly without their knowledge. He also said that a change to Facebooks Android app policy that resulted in call and message data being recorded was deliberately made difficult for users to know about. He explained his rationale for releasing the emails in a tweet: The emails could increase scrutiny around whether Facebook is a monopoly one of Facebooks biggest current political risks. Damien Geradin, a Brussels-based lawyer at Euclid Law, said the refusal of access to Vine data could be seen as a potential refusal to deal with rivals, but you would need to show that Facebook is essential to users and it is not clear it is. Still, members of Parliament will not hesitate to wield a big stick to enforce competition rules and taxation, said Claude Moraes, a U.K. lawmaker and member of the European Parliament. In the European Parliament, we have repeatedly raised concerns about the manipulation of online data and have made clear that competition law is crucial, to make sure that the dominant players are accountable and that democracy is protected from excessive market power, Moraes said. According to one of the documents, Zuckerberg personally reviewed a list of apps made by strategic competitors that were not allowed to use Facebooks advertising services or services for applications without Mark level sign-off. In its blog post, Facebook said it had restricted apps built on top of its platform that replicated the companys own core functionality, but that it will now remove this out-of-date policy. Collins said last week that he would release the emails and that he was free under U.K. law to do so. Six4Threes founder, Ted Kramer, had obtained them as part of a legal discovery process in a U.S. lawsuit against Facebook that his company has brought against the social network in California. Facebook touted itself as championing privacy four years ago when it decided to restrict outside developers access to data about its users friends. Zuckerberg in 2012 underestimated how much giving developers access to data could be a risk. I think we leak info to developers, but I just cant think if any instances where that data has leaked from developer to developer and caused a real issue for us, he wrote in one of the emails. This year, he had to testify in front of U.S. Congress on one such instance of a developer sharing user data with Cambridge Analytica, the political consultancy. In one email, dated Feb. 4, 2015, a Facebook engineer displayed some concern about how Facebooks moves would be perceived by the public. He said a feature of the Android Facebook app that would continually upload a users call and SMS history would be a high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective. A subsequent email suggests users wouldnt need to be prompted to give permission for this feature to be activated. That move, combined with one that would track what stores users were entering would lead to a situation where enterprising journalists dig into what exactly the new update is requesting, then write stories about Facebook uses new Android update to pry into your private life in ever more terrifying ways reading your call log, tracking you in businesses with beacons, etc. Kramer was ordered by a judge on Friday to surrender his laptop to a forensic expert after admitting he turned over the documents to the British lawmakers, in violation of a U.S. court order. What has happened here is unconscionable, California Superior Court Judge V. Raymond Swope said to Kramer and his attorneys during the hearing. Facebook wants the laptop to be evaluated to determine what happened in the U.K., to what extent the court order was breached, and how much of its confidential information has been divulged to the committee. Now read: These 3 types of Facebook and WhatsApp messages can now land you in jail in South Africa You have made us proud; but ... Patrick and Alex Merkley, new owners of Shackford's Kitchen Store, collaborated with the Napa Chamber Foundation (NCC) to lend a helping hand to Teri Rubiolo, of the community of Cuckow in Butte County. Despite losing her home in the Butte County fires, she was determined to continue to provide meals from her established homemade soup kitchen. Dear Len and Rosie, I have a sister who is a drug addict and is usually out of contact with us. My other sister and my stepbrother and I are the beneficiaries of my stepfathers living trust. Is there anything I can do ahead of time to ensure that we dont have to find her when my stepfather dies? David Dear David, When an ordinary revocable trust becomes irrevocable upon the deaths of the settlors (the persons creating the trust), then the trustee is required to provide notice of the existence of the trust to certain persons, including all of the beneficiaries, other trustees and the people who would inherit from the trust settlors had they died with no estate plan at all. If your stepfather created the trust on his own, presumably after your mothers death, then you have nothing to worry about. Your sister, his stepdaughter, isnt entitled to any notice regarding the existence of the trust unless shes named as a beneficiary. If your stepfathers trust was created by him and your mother, then your drug addicted sister is entitled to notice of the trust under California Probate Code section 16061.7. If you know where she resides, then the trustees attorney can mail the notice to her after it is signed by the trustee, with a cover letter explaining that shes not entitled to anything. If she cannot be located after a diligent search, then thats OK too. The trustee does not have to send the notice if your sister cannot be located. Alternatively, it may be possible for your stepfather to revoke the trust he created with your mother, and transfer everything to a trust he creates for which your sister will not be entitled to notice. Its difficult to deal with a drug addicted loved one in an estate plan. Frequently, it does more harm than good to leave a substantial sum of money to someone suffering from an addiction. There are generally two ways of dealing with this challenge. The easiest way is to disinherit the drug addicted child, but that can be harsh. An alternative would be to leave an inheritance to the drug addicted beneficiary within a discretionary trust in which the trustee has the absolute right to withhold most distributions unless the beneficiary passes a drug screening test. The trust would be there to pay for drug rehabilitation, but not the drugs themselves. The problem with this alternative is that the person serving as trustee becomes his brother or sisters keeper. The trustee is the person who has to say no to the drug-addled demands of a suffering beneficiary. Thats why many families take the easy way out by disinheriting the drug addicted child, leaving everything to the other children and rely on a legally unenforceable handshake promise from the family to help out the drug addicted child when its appropriate. Len and Rosie Len Tillem and Rosie McNichol are elder law attorneys. Contact them at 846 Broadway, Sonoma, CA 95476, by phone at 707-996-4505. Chandan Kumar Mandal is the environment and migration reporter for The Kathmandu Post, covering labour migration and governance, as well as climate change, natural disasters, and wildlife. At first, Lucy Reynolds was unnerved by the non-renewal notice from the insurance company two years ago. Mortgaged homes must have coverage so Reynolds and her husband needed to find a replacement, quick. She was turned down by her neighbors carrier and an insurance agent spent a week looking for ways to cover their ranch-style home in the foothills of El Dorado County. They landed with the Hartford Insurance Company, only their premium was 17 percent higher after receiving a discount through AARP. When we bought the house we had no trouble getting insurance, Reynolds said. Ive heard anecdotal stories of people having to pay twice as much as they had before so I felt fortunate that we only had a (17 percent) increase. More and more, insurance companies are casting a wary eye on Californians who live in wildfire-prone areas, choosing not to renew policies or drop some homeowners coverage altogether. Researchers have found that as wildfires become less predictable and more potent, the industry that relies on spreading out risk is in retreat in some parts of California. Some homeowners now buy more expensive insurance products that offer fewer protections and less coverage in case of a catastrophe. Consumer advocates and industry groups say the states property insurance market is not yet in a crisis, but the recent spate of intense wildfires will portend lasting change. The Camp Fire that burned through the town of Paradise was only the latest in a string of blazes experts say are growing larger, moving faster and causing more destruction than fires in previous years. The buildup of foothill communities in the last two decades means many now live in harms way and that risk will come with a price. I think consumers are going to have to get used to paying more for their homeowners insurance, said Amy Bach, executive director of the insurance advocacy group United Policyholders. The days of your annual premium being under $1,000 are coming to an end here in California. The question is how much more are they (premiums) going to jump. Looming crisis? Wildfires are already reshaping the homeowners insurance market. Some insurance sellers have already noticed the difference. A half-dozen brokers and agents interviewed by The Bee said finding coverage has become more challenging in the last five years. All these major companies started pulling out quietly. People got non-renewals; people got flat-out canceled. There are companies that are still doing that today, said Joyce Howard, a broker in Auburn who specialized in high-risk properties until she sold her book of clients in November. If a homeowner is denied coverage by an insurer three times, they can buy fire insurance through the FAIR Plan the states insurer of last resort. Since 2011, the organization has seen enrollment fall by 5 percent but policyholders in counties that border wildlands now account for a greater share than before. Homeowners in certain counties have flocked to the states insurer of last resort for fire coverage. Consumer advocates say the shift is troubling since those policies offer less protection than mainstream insurers. In a state-funded study, researchers found that between 2007 and 2015, insurers renewed fewer policies in ZIP codes in and around the city of San Bernardino and the Sierra foothills of Placer, Nevada and El Dorado counties. While insurers pulled back from the places with a higher concentration of risky properties, the FAIR Plan saw a distinct increase in market share, according to the study published by the RAND Corporation in September. FAIR Plan officials said the increase does not pose a challenge and the organization can adjust. The question is how fast are premiums changing. Weve found that between 2007 and 2014 the premiums in the high-risk areas that we identified rose by about 12 percent. The premiums in the low-risk areas actually fell by the same amount, said Lloyd Dixon, a RAND economist and co-author of the study. You have this situation where overall in the low-risk areas of the state premiums are actually trending downward but youre seeing in those high-risk ZIP codes where premiums are actually decreasing. Still, Lloyd said companies argue that even though the cost of homeowners insurance has climbed in hazardous areas, the price many pay still does not reflect the full risk because of state regulations. The state limits rate increases to 6.9 percent, and anything over that can be challenged. Losses paid out from wildfires and other calamities are factored into a 20-year average. As larger and larger claims are paid from the onslaught of fires, experts say premiums will inevitably rise. That could have some bearing on the states real estate market if consumers find it too difficult to obtain affordable coverage when buying or selling a house. But Bach and others do not foresee an exodus from those places where wildland blends into small cities. Bach said California regulators and industry insiders are clinging to a gambling analogy. Insurers are (like) gamblers. If they get spooked, they will fold their hand and leave, Bach said. And so even just calling something a crisis can cause a crisis because perception, when youre a gambler, can be powerful. Self-insurance Insurance regulators seized control this month of Merced Property & Casualty Co. after the firm said it could not pay its potential $64 million in liabilities stemming from the Camp Fire. The California Department of Insurance said it will turn the company over to an industry-backed guarantee fund that will handle claims. Such actions are rare, and industry groups say its another reason to be leery of the shift to alternative forms of insurance. The so-called non-admitted market is not regulated by the state and there is no guarantee fund if a company collapses. Thats one of the reasons we should see it as a concerning development. There are some downsides for that move. Thats why the (regulated) market is most secure, said Rex Frasier, president of the Personal Insurance Federation of California. The changes have stirred some anxiety in homeowners like Reynolds who expects her policy with the Hartford to be renewed in January. The 61-year-old former fire inspector watched from a distance as the King Fire burned in Pollock Pines and then the Tubbs, Carr and Camp fires the most destructive blaze in state history. Reynolds knows their home surrounded by mostly woods and brush could be next. So every year, she and her husband try to clear some of the 10 1/2 acres they own. They have an RV in storage off-site so they have someplace to live in case of a fire. Go-bags are packed all summer for themselves and their dogs. Copies of important documents are stored online. You have to start thinking a different way, she said. Im starting to think of all of that stuff as self-insurance. But the actual insurance business is less predictable and consumers often do not have a say. Their insurance premium cost $2,128 this year up 15 percent from when they first bought with the Hartford. After the barrage of wildfires this year, Reynolds knows another rate hike is in store. I just dont know what the end of the story is here, Reynolds said. Insurance companies arent going to want to insure us after these catastrophic fires. Where does that leave all of us? Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC Napa Valleys historic Oakville Grocery has been sold. Jean-Charles Boisset has added the grocery store to his Boisset Collection, purchasing it from the Rudd family, which has owned it for the past 11 years. The sale will close in early 2019. The purchase price was not disclosed. The sale includes the Oakville store and property, the Healdsburg location and the brand from the Rudd family, who are proprietors of Rudd Estate and PRESS Restaurant. The family completed significant restoration of the Oakville property, grocery store, and adjacent Victorian house during its ownership. It joins Boissets family-owned portfolio of historical wineries and gourmet retail destinations. Oakville Grocery has been a staple of Napa Valley since 1881, said Samantha Rudd. My family purchased it in 2007 in order to revive the illustrious historical store that has meant so much to this community. My fathers vision was to restore it to its rightful place in California wine country, and to ensure that its legacy remained for the local and tourist community for decades to come. Our family invested significantly in the site and the store, including a restoration to the historic Victorian house in Oakville, to achieve his vision. I am proud of my fathers stewardship. Samanthas father, Leslie Gerald Rudd, passed away on May 3, 2018 in New York City at age 76 after a battle with esophageal cancer. He was a vintner, entrepreneur, businessman and philanthropist, who founded The Rudd Group. One of his friends, venture capitalist and former tech executive, Joe Schoendorf, said Rudd rescued the Oakville Grocery from bankruptcy in 2007, not because of its investment potential, but because he saw it as an important institution to preserve for the Napa Valley and its visitors. Samantha Rudd said the sale allows her to focus on Rudd Estate and PRESS Restaurant, knowing that Oakville Grocery is in good hands. For many years, Rudd owned the grocery chain Dean & DeLuca, which has a store in St. Helena. He sold the chain to a Thai development company in 2014. Boisset, proprietor of Boisset Collection, said, I have always adored the Oakville Grocery for what it represents for Napa Valley, for California and for America. I have fond memories of visiting from France with my parents and sister when I was 11 years old. It is a landmark and iconic destination at the crossroads of history in Napa that has been the community gathering place, mercantile, farm stand, and grocery for neighbors and visitors alike for well over a century. The Rudd family have been remarkable stewards, believing in its past and future, and infusing the property with the passion, care and respect it deserves. We are exceptionally honored to be entrusted to carry forward this timeless property and continue their dreams. Boisset said he plans to offer a selection of fresh and local products from farmers, artisans and purveyors in Napa and Sonoma, anchoring Oakville Grocery with a sense of history and place in the foundation of local, sustainable, organic, and healthy food. Oakville Grocery joins Boisset Collections historical wineries and destinations in California and France, including Buena Vista Winery, founded in 1857 as the first premium winery in California. Boissets portfolio is anchored in history, heritage and terroir in Napa, Sonoma, Burgundy, Jura, Beaujolais, the Rhone Valley and the South of France. 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 the help of Santa and Mrs. Claus, rescue dogs from Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch will be escorting guests to their seats at the Napa Valley Ballets holiday performance of Tchaikovskys The Nutcracker. The show is at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Napa Valley Unified School District Auditorium at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Jefferson Street in Napa. When children are better educated around issues concerning animals our whole community benefits, said Monica Stevens, who co-founded Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch with her husband, David, in 2014. The dogs at the ballet will be ones that the couple rescued, she said, adding that she and her husband will be helping out as Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Children and animals naturally go together and we couldnt be happier to collaborate with the Napa Valley Ballet, she said. Marcella Contessi-Smith, artistic director of Contessi Ballet and founder of the North Bay Performing Arts Center, is directing the Napa Valley Ballet performance, as she makes her first steps into retirement at age of 90. Mrs. Smith has been dancing for over 70 years. Napa Valley Ballet is proud to work with other nonprofits in the region, said Christopher Ott, chairman of Napa Valley Ballet. We take very seriously the development of whole human beings in our program. Working with other organizations such as Contessi and Jameson models clearly the connectivity of the world and underscores the fact that dance training is life training. Principal dancer Ryan Camou will be performing as the Nutcracker prince who escorts Clara on a magical Christmas journey. Camou received his dance training from Hawaii State Ballet and San Francisco Ballet School, before becoming an apprentice with Houston Ballet where he was featured in Trey McIntyres Touched. Halie Nelson will star as Clara. Nelson, 22, has been dancing at Contessi Ballet since she was 2 years old. She has performed many principal roles in large productions including Cinderella, The Magic Flute, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. Tickets are $18 for children 10 and younger, $23 for students and seniors, and $28 for adults. For tickets and more information, visit brownpapertickets.com/event/3745696 A 27-year-old man suspected of assault on a female was shot and killed by a Napa Police officer early Wednesday morning after a foot chase and struggle, Chief Robert Plummer reported. Plummer said events unfolded after the dispatch center got a call at 1:48 a.m. of a male assaulting a female. A Napa Police statement said officers were sent to the Kentwood Apartments on Soscol Avenue and River Glen Drive. The male, later identified by the Napa County Coroners Office as David Alejandro Molina of Napa, was reported to be armed with a handgun. Molina left the apartments and was soon found skateboarding along Soscol, according to the statement. Officers asked him to put his hands up and get on the ground, but instead he ran to the nearby Vineyard Terrace apartments at Soscol and Stonehouse Drive. An officer continued to chase him and asked him to cooperate for several minutes, but Molina kept running, according to the statement. The chase took the officer and the suspect into a wooded area near the Vineyard Terrace apartments. There was a struggle and gunfire erupted, Plummer said. No residents were in harms way, Plummer said. The officer, who sustained minor unspecified injuries, used his department-issued rifle, according to the statement. Molina was declared dead by emergency medical responders at 2:05 a.m., according to the Coroners Office. Molinas father, Jorge Molina, said his son was raised in Napa. He was generous with a loud and contagious laugh. Molinas life took a turn after he was hit by a car at age 7, the father said. He suffered frontal lobe brain damage, which curbed the development of his reading and writing skills. His son also struggled with bipolar disorder, he said. Police will release the name of the officer within 48 hours, Plummer said. Per department policy, the officer will be taken off duty while the investigation continues, Plummer said. Before being returned to duty, the officer would have to be evaluated by a psychologist, he said. The body remained at the scene of the shooting at daybreak, awaiting a coroners investigation, Plummer said. Plummer said he didnt know if any weapons had been recovered. The investigation is being led by the Napa County Major Crimes Task Force, which sits under the Sheriffs Office, according to the statement. Father tells of his sons final hours Molinas father said he was on his way to pick up his son at a nearby gas station when he realized something was wrong. By the time I got there, he was nowhere to be found, Jorge said. All I saw was all the cars and later on, the ambulance and the fire department, and I knew it wasnt good. Molina lived with his parents. Jorge said his son went out with two friends a man and woman who were dating earlier that night. They went to look at a lit Christmas tree, ate dinner at Taco Bell and stopped briefly at the Molina home. The couple even came in the house at one point to say hello to the family, Jorge said. Molina later got into an altercation with the couple in the car and they kicked him out, Jorge said. Molina returned home and said his phone and wallet were still in the car. Molina decided to head over to their apartment to get his belongings after calling his cellphone for at least 30 minutes straight, Jorge said. He gave his son a hug for the last time and told him getting his phone back wasnt worth it. Jorge eventually got a call from his son, asking for a ride. Molina said an altercation occurred when he arrived at the apartment and the woman slapped him in the face, Jorge said. Jorge admitted his son had gotten into fights with men, but did not believe that he would put his hands on a woman. He did not have a chance, he said. If somebodys running away from you, I dont think shooting is the way to do it. Molina was raised in Napa with two brothers and a sister. He was pretty much a giver, he want a taker, Jorge said. He was always trying to make people happy. Jorge admitted his son had run-ins with law enforcement. Court records show arrests for resisting arrest and assaulting a peace officer in 2013. Molina had a mouth sometimes and he was impressionable, and got into trouble when he was younger, he said. Molina once presented his father with a gun and said he needed it for protection because others wanted to do him harm, Jorge said. Jorge said he told his son that guns were not allowed in his house and he needed to get rid of the firearm, but he doesnt know what happened to it. I miss him tremendously, Jorge said. He was a ray of sunshine. Police said they will issue a more complete report on Monday once more interviews are conducted and images from an officers body camera are reviewed. Soscol north of Lincoln was shut down much of the night and Wednesday morning while officers looked for evidence. First officer-involved shooting of 2018 This was the departments first officer-involved shooting of the year. In 2017, there were two, records show. In March 2017, Noel Aaron Russell, 23, was killed when he advanced on an officer with a knife in a parking lot north of South Napa Marketplace. The Napa County District Attorneys Office determined that the shooting was justified. Russell, who had been living in a tent next to the Napa River, had used meth and consumed alcohol before threatening shoppers with a knife just before the confrontation with police, District Attorney Allison Haley reported. In April 2017, Stephen Connard Ferry, 64, was killed in a hail of bullets after a shootout with officers from Napa Police and the Napa County Sheriffs Office. Police were called after Ferry, who was heavily intoxicated, began shooting at his neighbors in west Napas Linda Vista neighborhood. The DA cleared 13 law enforcement officers who used deadly force to stop Ferry. 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. Kevin Courtney Follow Kevin Courtney 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. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Facing a roadblock to joining forces with Napa County to create affordable housing, the city may look east for a solution toward Sacramento. Napa city officials will consider seeking special state legislation to ease the creation of below-market-rate rental homes at Napa Pipe, the mixed-use development that would transform 154 acres of a dormant pipe manufacturing plant off Kaiser Road with up to 945 dwellings, as well as retail space, parks, a hotel and a Costco store. If accepted by the California Legislature, a rule change would allow Napa County to receive credit for permits on affordable housing built within city limits or on city-annexed land and thus meet its state-required quota of lower-cost housing, city Planning Manager Erin Morris told the Napa City Council on Tuesday. Under the Regional Housing Need Allocation program, California communities must plan for a set number of below-market-rate homes in eight-year cycles. For the 2015-23 period, Napa County and its five cities are required to plan for 1,482 dwellings, including 180 in the unincorporated county. Napa Pipe is expected to host 140 of those affordable homes: 70 units for families making less than half the local median income, and the rest for households that earn less than 80 percent of the median. Another 50 dwellings would be reserved for households with moderate incomes no more than 20 percent above median level. However, the annexation of unincorporated Napa Pipe lands into the city of Napa would throw a snag into the plan, according to Morris. While the county is relying on the projects size to fulfill most of its affordable housing requirement, state law currently blocks the county from claiming credit for housing permits issued within the city, she told council members. (A pact with the county transferred most of the Napa Pipe tract into the city two years ago, with the remaining 43 acres to follow by the end of 2022.) Should city and county leaders head to the Capitol to seek a remedy from state lawmakers, Mayor Jill Techel will offer to represent the city in that effort. Ive been there, and Id be willing to go there again, said Techel, a Napa council member for two decades. A promised infusion of home construction amid historically high sale prices and rents is one of two highly anticipated features of Napa Pipe, along with a Costco membership store that executives have said may open in the spring of 2021 if enough of the projects housing is complete by then. The development also is to include 150 units of senior housing, a 150-room hotel, 90,000 square feet of office space and 40,000 square feet of other retail areas, along with commercial and light industrial construction and 34 acres of parkland. 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. California Fire Safe Council announced 45 projects, including four that benefit Napa County, have been selected for funding for the 2018 Grants Clearinghouse Fire Prevention Program. The selected projects help California towns respond to the growing concern over catastrophic wildfire. Through subgrants from CFSC, these projects provide support to implement fuel reduction projects such as chipper programs, fuel breaks, and roadside and defensible space projects. These projects will also use educational tools to spread the Fire Safe message and engage local residents. VISALIA A high school teacher in Central California was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment after forcibly cutting the hair of one of her students while singing the national anthem, authorities said. Margaret Gieszinger was arrested Wednesday after videos posted to social media showed a student at University Preparatory High School in the city of Visalia sitting in a chair at the front of the classroom as Gieszinger cuts his hair. In a video obtained by KFSN-TV, the 52-year-old science and chemistry teacher is heard belting the "Star Spangled Banner" while cutting chunks of the boy's hair and tossing them behind her. The circumstances of what led the teacher to cut the student's hair were not known. After cutting the boy's hair, Gieszinger grabs at a girl's long hair before the students make a run for it out of the classroom, the video shows. Officers responded Wednesday to the high school housed on the grounds of the College of the Sequoias, a California community college, after receiving reports of child endangerment involving a teacher and a "pair of scissors," Police Chief Kevin Mizner told the Vasalia Times Delta. Mizner did not return a message from The Associated Press seeking a comment. Rob Herman, a spokesman for the Tulare County Office of Education, said counselors were made available Thursday to support students at the public high school. "We take very seriously the safety of the students in classrooms and on the COS campus," Herman said in an email. Herman said Gieszinger "will not return to her classroom," but wouldn't say whether she was fired. Gieszinger was hired in August to teach at the high school part-time, he said. Gieszinger's teaching credential was suspended for 14 days in 2016 "for immoral or unprofessional conduct," according to the state's Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Her teaching credential was also suspended for two weeks in 2017 but the commission does not list a reason. Lilli Gates, one of Gieszinger's students, told the newspaper the incident was out of character for the teacher. "When everything was going on I was terrified, and I so badly wanted to blame her," Gates said. "She is a loving and kind lady. She is usually all smiles and laughs. This is not the Miss G. we know and love." Gieszinger is being held on $100,000 bail. It was not known if she has an attorney. California Democrats massive victory in last months election made their party even more dominant at all levels of government and in doing so, confined Republicans to relatively tiny redoubts, mostly in rural areas. CALmatters political writer Ben Christopher summarized the GOPs exile last week in this sentence: This year, 26 percent of Californians are represented in Congress by a Republican. Next year, it will be down to 13 percent. By its nature, the Democratic wave, fueled by disdain for President Donald Trump, swept away Republican legislators and congressional members who had won and held so-called swing districts by adopting relatively moderate positions on such hot-button issues as immigration. The GOP officeholders who survived tend to be steadfast conservatives who embrace Trump, while the states Democratic Party appears to be drifting leftward, albeit with some internal ideological fissures. The intensified polarization of the two parties very conservative, Trumpist Republicans and very liberal, Bernie Sanders-loving Democrats essentially isolates millions of Californians, likely a majority, who are somewhere in the political middle. They want governance that taxes fairly, budgets responsibly, provides vital services efficiently and effectively, promotes family stability, encourages economic opportunity and doesnt try to control every human activity. The question, however, is whether the political middle can find representation in such a polarized state. Two relatively new organizations are trying to encourage middle-of-the-road politics, and their success or failure may answer the question. Disaffected Republican politicians, led by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, have launched NewWay California and see opportunity in the isolation of the states GOP. Californians are tired of partisanship and government dysfunction, its manifesto declares. They expect elected leaders to address the states pressing problems. Just saying no or blindly opposing any proposal for purely partisan reasons does not serve our constituents. The most durable solutions have bipartisan support. Kristin Olsen, a former state Assembly Republican leader whos now a Stanislaus County supervisor, is one of the organizations most visible figures and gained some national media attention as the GOP was pummeled in last months election. With the state GOP now linked to Trump, Olsen said in a recent public radio interview, I believe its not only toxic, but its dead in California. And I believe that death had to occur if theres any opportunity to revive a viable Republican Party in the future for our state. She added that NewWay California may try to revive the GOP or form a new party and The jurys still out on that. NewWay Californias Democratic counterpart, occupying virtually the same ideological territory, is Govern for California, founded by David Crane*, a Democrat who was an investment banker for 24 years before becoming Schwarzeneggers economic adviser. Crane, who now lectures at Stanford University, angered Democrats in the Legislature and even more so, labor unions by criticizing how state pension funds and other financial affairs are managed. In 2006, the Senate refused to confirm his appointment by Schwarzenegger to the State Teachers Retirement System governing board, and five years later, the Senate wouldnt even take up his nomination to the University of Californias Board of Regents. Crane continues to issue regular critiques of how the state manages its finances most recently about how the immense Medi-Cal program operates. Govern for California has also plunged into the political thicket raising and disbursing money to centrist politicians and candidates. Perhaps NewWay California and Govern for California should join forces and create a new party, or quasi-party, to represent the interests of middle-of-the-road Californians, who otherwise are becoming political refugees in their own state. *Editors note: David Crane is a donor to CALmatters. 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. A few days ago, I attended Mexico in a Bottle, an event organized to celebrate Mexican spirits. The gathering, which included dozens of producers, opened my eyes to the diversity of spirits crafted throughout this bountiful country. Beyond the celebrated tequila, which holds the flag high representing Mexico throughout the world, there are many other distillates being produced in several states. In the majority of this spirits, agave is the key player; however, for example, the spirit Charanda, a protected or Denominacion de Origen Protegida since 2003, is crafted in the state of Morelos near the city of Uruapan using sugarcane. The final product goes neck to neck with the best rum examples in the market. One of the main exporting producers is Gustoso, their Blanco expression ($22) shows hints of spice with a creamy and balanced profile great for Mojitos and Cuba Libre cocktails. In the northern states of the country, an intriguing and exciting distillate, Sotol, is produced. This spirit produced from the Dasylirion wheeleri plant in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Durango and became Denominacion de Origen in 2004. One of the producers of note is Flor Del Desierto (desert flower) produced in the Chihuahua Sierra. Their Desert bottle ($52) shows the purest example of Sotol with intriguing earth and spice notes reminiscent of star anise, turned wet soil and clay. The exploration continued to the famed Mezcal, a category on the rise both in its native Mexico as well as Europe, Asia and the U.S. Mezcal can be produced from several agave species like Agave Angustifolia, Agave Convalis and the popular Agave Karwinski. The expressions produced from the several agave plants create diverse styles ranging from bold and masculine to elegant and feminine. Thankfully for us in the U.S., the market is populating with excellent producers like Bozal, Del Maguey Vida, Union and Cruz de Fuego. I had the pleasure of spending time with Ismael Gomez from Laika Spirits, which imports several spirits from Mexico into the U.S. He explained the dedication and history that this producers pass on from generation to generation. A good amount of producers are still using ancient techniques started by their grandparents he said with excitement. Ismael also shared the story of how he and his wife, Mackenzie, were traveling through Europe when they stumbled on a Mezcaleria in Rome where they were introduced to Tuxca, a historical agave spirit produced in Jalisco. Ismael, a Jalisco native and well versed in the Mexican spirit world, said Just when you think you know something, you find something else this time from my own state. After trying Tuxca, he started a quest to meet a producer, a journey that proved harder than it seemed. He ended up finding an artisan producer in the hills, he became enchanted and convinced the distillery to let him export into the U.S. But what is Tuxca? It is an agave distillate, limited to the states of Jalisco and Colima, with a long tradition of fermenting in carved volcanic rock while the distillation takes place inside tree trunks. It is produced from wild limeno and cimarron agave, according to Ismael. The brand he imports is Balancan ($80), a complex and layered spirit with notes of dried herbs, cinnamon, dried cherry and a cleansing finish. It will soon be available nationwide. Another relatively unknown Jalisco native distilled spirit is the elusive Raicilla. Traditionally known and sold as Moonshine, this fiery friend can is commonly high proof and wild. At 90 proof, Balam Raicilla Joven Costa de Jalisco ($65) shows a fruity profile with tons of pineapple, quince and an electric and herbal mouthfeel. Certainly, there is a whole world to discover when we dive into the nooks and crannies of the beverage world and, thankfully for us, traditions that are not lost from generation to generation. Always drink responsibly and stay hydrated! The Mexico in a Bottle event was founded in 2014 by Mezcal enthusiasts Susan Coss and Max Garrone. Since its inception this even has gained popularity throughout the United States with gatherings in several cities including New York City, Chicago and San Francisco attracting hundreds of attendees per event. National flag carrier directed to conduct due diligence audit The Tourism Ministry has directed the Nepal Airlines Corporation to conduct its due diligence audit, a move that allows the government to sell shares in the national flag carrier or to induct a strategic partner into it. Ombudsman rejected after applying to initiate proceedings against Armenia Security Council Secretary Karabakh emergency situations service: Remains of one serviceman found in Varanda Armenia defense minister meets with Karabakh President, situation on Artsakh-Azerbaijan line of contact discussed Armenia State Revenue Committee ex-chief appointed Armavir Province governor Putin to inform Russian Security Council about meeting with Aliyev and Pashinyan Putin: Russia attaches importance to strategic and allied nature of relations with Armenia Aliyev: A 'thorough and sincere conversation' was held with Putin and Pashinyan Pashinyan: I affirm Armenia's and its government's willingness to open an era of peace Meeting of Vladimir Putin and Nikol Pashinyan kicks off Putin gifts Pashinyan and Aliyev olive branches Armenia's Pashinyan, Russia's Putin and Azerbaijan's Aliyev adopt joint statement Putin: There is an agreement to create mechanisms for demarcation and delimitation of Armenia-Azerbaijan border Putin, Pashinyan and Aliyev making joint statement Putin-Pashinyan meeting is underway Meeting of leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia ends in Sochi Armenia Fund's 24th Telethon helps raise nearly $12,351,000 in donations and pledges Republican Party of Armenia: Capitulator didn't say a word about Karabakh's independence Traffic is paralyzed in Verin Khotanan section of "Goris-Kapan" alternative road Marketing Inecobank introduces BNPL, the latest trend in worldwide shopping, to Armenia Azerbaijani SOCAR sets up petrol station on Armenia's Goris-Kapan motorway Turkish court refuses to release Osman Kavala again Erdogan: Armenia needs to appreciate the hand that is extended for peace Armenia Liberation Movement initiative's rally kicks off at Republic Square in Yerevan Armenia's newly appointed Deputy PM meets with Karabakh President Russia's Putin: We are reaching agreement on demarcation and delimitation of Armenian-Azerbaijani border NEWS am daily digest: 26.11.21 Armenia PM sends condolence telegram to Russia's Putin Armenia President sends condolence telegram to Russian counterpart Aliyev: Azerbaijan has offered the Armenian side to start working on peace treaty Armenia Justice Ministry has new General Secretary Armenia PM: Many issues can be resolved in the trilateral and even bilateral formats Armenia Parliament Speaker attends session of Council of CIS Interparliamentary Assembly Putin: The aim of all our efforts is to create conditions for rebirth of region Head of Armenia's Tatev village: During meeting with PM, I recommended creating self-defense forces in Syunik Province CSTO Secretary-General sends congratulatory message to Armenia defense minister Armenia ex-PM Vazgen Manukyan on Putin-Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting, possible outcomes Turkologist: Aliyev is declaring Armenia's elimination, while Pashinyan still has doubts about that Aliyev to Putin: It is important to work on a comprehensive settlement of Armenian-Azerbaijani relations Putin talks Russian-Azerbaijan strategic partnership development Karabakh President sends condolence telegram to Russia President Armenia Parliament Deputy Speaker receives China Ambassador Putin: Russian peacekeepers play a positive role in Nagorno-Karabakh Peskov: Putin-Aliyev talks underway in Sochi Armenia, Azerbaijan, Russia leaders' meeting kicks off in Sochi Sochi: Moscow expects it will be possible to outline directions to normalize Yerevan-Baku relations Six people were apprehended during Yerevan protests Nikol Pashinyan arrives in Sochi Armenia confirms reports that Azerbaijan transferred 2 POWs Putin highlights importance of Russia-China cooperation in science Pashinyan's second negotiator with Azerbaijan was Hrachya Tashchyan Aliyev arrives to Sochi for talks with Putin and Pashinyan Azerbaijan informs about transfer of 2 POWs to Armenia 675 new cases of COVID-19 reported in Armenia per day PM Pashinyan leaves for Russia on a working visit Zatulin: Last year's war in Karabakh caused tremendous damage to not only Armenia, but also Russia Alexander Rahr: In regard to Karabakh conflict, West will support territorial integrity Russian political scientist: Moscow not concerned about Pashinyan-Aliyev meeting in Brussels Armenia acting commander of battalion arrested under criminal case of regarding Nov. 16 attack Turkish aggressor declares that Armenia 'needs to assess extended hand for peace as a chance' Armenian analyst says Iran is not interested in transfer of any sector of Armenia Armenian official: MFA hasn't raised issue to review CEPA with regard to Karabakh Deputy mayor of Armenia's Goris: I have deeper concerns after meeting with PM Matviyenko: Borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan are precise on Soviet maps Armenian analyst: Part of Armenia's Goris-Kapan motorway does not pass through Azerbaijani territory Zatulin: Opening or closure of this or that corridor is the sovereign right of Armenia, not Baku Zakharova: Russia sees good prospects for agreement on unblocking of transport links in South Caucasus Russian MFA: Conversation of experts of Moscow, Yerevan and Baku is important Azerbaijani planes still flying through Armenia's airspace (PHOTOS) NEWS.am daily digest: 25.11.21 Armenia 2nd President: I have decided not to attend 30th session of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund's Board of Trustees Armenian-Russian joint military exercise held, air force used (PHOTOS) Czech President Milos Zeman discharged from military hospital Armenian opposition party leader calls on people to free state institutions of 'Turks' Beijing protested over US sanctions against Chinese companies European Commissioner says EU will soon change its border crossing rules due to COVID-19 Armenian army's General Staff ex-deputy chief: War is very likely, but it is rare that there will be corridor Armenian political party leader: There is a need for a national unity committee in Armenia Armenian MFA: Coronavirus has decelerated course of implementation of Armenia-EU CEPA Armenia Parliament Speaker meets with IFRC Europe Regional Director in St. Petersburg Armenia Constitutional Court ex-chief of staff proposes to hold parliamentary hearings under non-stop regime Armenia high-tech industry minister: There is no need to wiretap opposition members Aram Vardevanyan: Armenia health minister was obliged to attend session of Constitutional Court today Zakharova says she has no comment on upcoming meeting of Russian, Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders Zakharova: Russia is interested in normalization of Armenian-Turkish relations Latest developments in Artsakh among issues to be discussed during Turkish National Security Council's session Armenian FM holds phone talk with Israeli counterpart Protests continue in Turkey with demand for Erdogan's resignation Armenia allocates AMD 1.44 billion to Karabakh COVID-19 in Armenia: 42 new deaths Russian peacekeepers ensure control in Nagorno-Karabakh Parliamentary hearings on demarcation and delimitation being held in Yerevan Ambartsum Matevosyan appointed Armenian deputy PM EU, WHO provide Yerevan's Surb Grigor Lusavorich Medical Center with state-of-the-art X-ray machine Armenian soldier found dead on Armenia's border in Tavush Province had been drafted in February (PHOTO) What Speaker of the Parliament of Armenia really said in response to Russian journalist's question Analyst: Iran's accession to EEU will create serious counterbalance to Turkey and strengthen Armenia's positions Armenia FM holds phone talks with Iranian counterpart Firefighters put out fire in Range Rover Sport near night club in Yerevan Putin discusses current situation in Karabakh during phone talks with European Council President Armenia's Liberation Movement holding march after rally, calling on citizens to join Officials sleep as victims weep The curtains are open. A Bollywood music video plays on the laptop as Arjun Bhandara snuggles under the sheet with his earphones on. It is a completely new setting for him in Cabin 315 of the Neuro/Medical ward at the Teaching Hospital, but the 20-year-old who recently came out of coma is unaware of everything around him. He does not remember anything or make sense of why he does not have his right leg anymore. Participation in the Eurasian Economic Union is a priority for our government, Armenian acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg on Thursday. According to him, the growth of trade turnover between Armenia and EEU member states stood at 15% during the last ten months compared to the same period last year. The volume of exports to the EEU member states over the same period increased by over 22%, while total exports of Armenia increased by 11.7%. The share of the member states in the total export of Armenia is also increasing. The Armenian government intends to develop technological sectors of the economy, the acting PM said, adding that information technologies are the fastest growing sector of Armenian economy, and the potential competitive advantage of the country. Pashinyan noted that Armenia attaches great importance to the diversification of foreign economic relations and fully support the main directions of the international activities of the Eurasian Union for 2019. We consider the cooperation with the EU, as well as with countries that are our direct trading partners is a priority. Armenia is ready to become an effective platform for the development of trade and economic relations with Iran. We are also ready to take an active role in negotiations with Egypt on a free trade agreement. We are interested in the early entry into force of the treaties with Iran and China. The government of Armenia will interstate the procedure of ratification of these documents and will submit them to the National Assembly shortly after parliamentary elections, he said in a statement. Pashinyan recalled that Armenia set to hold snap parliamentary elections in three days. The new parliament will enable Armenian people to form a government whose activities will be aimed at achieving early results in areas of priority for our society, particularly in the fight against corruption, strengthening the institutions of the rule of law, and creating equal conditions for all actors operating in economic and political life our country, Nikol Pashinyan said. Armenian acting PM also raised the issue of the Armenian representation in the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council. Guided by the principle of partnership and a constructive approach with regard to the functioning of our union, we do not insist on an immediate discussion of this issue and the adoption of an appropriate decision. Pokhara University tense after police arrest four Congress-aligned students Pokhara University remained tense throughout Thursday after police arrested four students of Nepal Student Union (NSU)the student wing of main opposition Nepali Congress. Armenia's acting Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, who is in Milan on a working visit, met with Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz on December 6, the press service of the ministry reported. The Foreign Ministers of the two countries discussed a number of issues on bilateral and multilateral agenda. The interlocutors expressed readiness to take practical steps to enrich the agenda of cooperation between Armenia and Poland on the centuries-old friendship and mutual respect, highlighting the active role of the Armenian community in Poland. The Foreign Ministers of the two countries exchanged views on the partnership between Armenia and the European Union. In this context, Minister Mnatsakanyan emphasized that Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement is a new legal basis for relations with EU and EU member states, and is also an important tool for promoting reforms in Armenia. The interlocutors agreed that the 10 th jubilee of the Eastern Partnership would give a good occasion to the achievements of this format and to outline the prospects for filling out the existing partnership with new content. Acting Minister Mnatsakanyan presented the process of reforms carried out by the Armenian government, emphasizing the credibility and priority of holding the people's will. Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal proposes general convention for May, 2019 Ruling Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSFN) has proposed holding its general convention in the second week of May, 2019. 19:09 Delhi Police and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, accused in a case related to death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar, on Thursday opposed a plea by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy to assist the court in the matter. The public prosecutor and Tharoor's counsel contended that Swamy's application was not maintainable and it should be dismissed. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal, after hearing the arguments, reserved its order on the plea saying it would be pronounced on December 10. Swamy's plea has also sought to bring on record the Delhi Police's vigilance report on tampering of evidence in the case and claimed that it might lead to framing of additional charges. Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava, said the case was not magistrate triable. It was triable by the sessions court so Swamy should move the application before the sessions judge at a later stage, he added. He said the BJP leader's assistance was not required and since it was a criminal trial, the matter is between the State and the accused person and no interference by a third party was permitted. He submitted that the purpose of a Vigilance Report is to ascertain whether 'the service of an officer is still required' and not to determine the commission of an offence. Senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, appearing for Tharoor, agreed with the submissions of the prosecutor that the application was not maintainable and said Swamy was 'an alien to the case' and he has no locus standi to participate in the proceedings. "It is a criminal trial. He is a stranger to the proceedings. If we start entertaining them, everybody in the country will start poking their noses in every trial," he said. The senior counsel added that only a victim was permitted to assist the prosecution and Swamy neither comes under the definition of a victim nor he was related to the family. He contended that trial court was not governed by rules of public interest litigation and even the Delhi high court had said that Swamy had filed 'Political Interest Litigation' and not a Public Interest Litigation and had dismissed his petition. Rebutting the arguments, Swamy said he was not a total stranger to the case and it was he who had filed the PIL in the Supreme Court and things started moving. He said he was asking for the vigilance report to be placed before the court and wanted that vital information may not be left out by the police. During the hearing, Pahwa told the court that the process of scrutiny of documents annexed with the charge sheet was not complete. The court asked him and the prosecutor to complete it within three days. After completion of the process of scrutiny of documents, the case would be committed to sessions court for further proceedings. Pushkar was found dead in a suite of a luxury hotel in the city on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple were staying in the hotel as the official bungalow of Tharoor was being renovated at that time. The court allowed Tharoor's plea seeking exemption from personal appearance for the day. The court had directed Delhi Police to hand over various documents filed along with the charge sheet, including statements of witnesses, to Tharoor on a plea moved by him. The Thiruvananthapuram MP was granted regular bail on July 7 after he appeared before the court in pursuance to the summons issued against him. The court had on June 5 summoned Tharoor, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him. He has been charged under Sections 498-A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) and 306 (abetment of suicide) of the Indian Penal Code, but has not been arrested in the case. -- PTI 19:34 A Delhi court on Friday recorded the statements of two witnesses in support of defamation case filed by journalist and politician M J Akbar against his former woman colleague Priya Ramani who had levelled allegations of sexual misconduct against him. Akbar's two former colleagues, Sunil Gujral and Veenu Sandal deposed as witnesses before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal and said the allegations came as a shock to them and irreparable damage was caused to his reputation. Gujral, a businessman and printer, publisher of the Sunday Guardian, who appeared as a complainant witness to support defamation case filed by Akbar, testified that as a colleague and a friend, he never heard any whisper regarding misconduct or misbehaviour of any kind. Regarding the allegations levelled by scribe Ramani against Akbar, he said this came as a 'shock' to him and he was 'very disturbed'. "I spoke to Akbar thereafter as I felt embarrassed and let down. Besides this, my embarrassment was compounded as friends and acquaintances who knew of all my old association with Akbar of almost 40 years started asking embarrassing questions, which made me feel very bad since I felt that irreparable damage has been done to Akbar's reputation in my estimation as well as in estimation of my friend circle and acquaintances," Gujral, who knows Akbar sinch 1979-80, testified. Akbar, who resigned as Union minister on October 17, had filed a private criminal defamation complaint in the court against Ramani after his name cropped up on the social media when he was in Nigeria, as the #MeToo campaign raged on in India. Ramani has accused Akbar of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago, which was denied by him. The other witness, Sandal said she heard in the news about Ramani's tweets on October 8 and it was a 'huge jolt' that she had called Akbar a 'predator' and other revelations about him. "It was really distressing that the allegations had been made and that he could do the things that Ramani had alleged... It was very shocking and painful to think that someone you had placed on a pedestal could allegedly fall so low," she deposed. Sandal, a journalist who said she knows Akbar for over 20 years, added that there was a lot of talk about this at that time and during discussions with friends and at other public places, it was embarassing to be asked questions about Akbar as people knew of her association with him. "It was very obvious that not only in my eyes but also in others, his reputation had been dragged through the mud and was in tatters," she said. The court has posted the matter for further hearing on January 11, when it is likely to record the statement of another witness named by Akbar in his complaint. It had earlier recorded the statements of Akbar and Joyeeta Basu, the editor of Sunday Guardian, in the matter. Akbar had earlier told the court in his statement that an 'immediate damage' has been caused to him due to the 'scurrilous', concocted and false allegations of sexual misconduct levelled against him. Multiple women have come out with accounts of alleged sexual harassment by him while he was working as a journalist. He had termed the allegations 'false, fabricated and deeply distressing' and said he was taking appropriate legal action against them. Expressing her readiness to fight the defamation allegations, Ramani had said, "Rather than engage with the serious allegations that many women have made against him, he seeks to silence them through intimidation and harassment." -- PTI AQIM Denies Killing of its Members in U.S. Airstrike in Libya With the help of a recent grant, student conducts research on decomposition patterns in high altitudes by Hannah Erickson CARBONDALE, Ill Body decomposition may not be a very popular conversation point, but when law enforcement officials are in the middle of a forensic investigation or recovery mission, the topic becomes one of extreme importance. Seeing just how vital this information is for solving complex cases, SIU anthropology student Christiane Baigent is out to improve upon the current research. To support her research, Baigent recently received over $100,000 from the National Institute of Justices Graduate Research Fellowship program. The funds set Baigent up to take the next step in her unique study. Research focuses on high altitude changes Baigent came to Southern Illinois University Carbondale after studying and working with coroners, law enforcement officials, and the Forensic Investigation Research Station at Colorado Mesa University in Colorado. While working in the field, she noticed an important gap in research when it came to body decomposition in higher altitudes. My research started because I was working in the Rocky Mountain region first as an undergraduate intern, then with my masters degree, consulting for law enforcement, Baigent said. I spent several years doing that, and in the course of that I saw that the patterns of decomposition at high altitude were very different than widely accepted, published material. While this difference may not seem immediately significant, it can directly impact the results of an investigation. The goal for Baigent is to develop predictive models to estimate how much time has elapsed since a person has died. To do this, she is working to establish macroscopic patterns of decomposition. Understanding the sequence and rate of soft tissue changes allows anthropologists to make a more informed estimate of postmortem interval (time since death) and may also inform cause and manner of death. Altitude can affect decomposition rates While research is available on a variety of regions and situations, it has largely been performed in the southeast United States; no work had been done on the impact of high altitude on the decomposition process. High altitude has more direct UV exposure, lower temperatures, different scavenger guilds, and the partial pressure of atmospheric gasses is different, Baigent said. So thats going to affect a cascade of biological processes, from how a body releases gasses to how tissues degrade. Not everything dies at the instant of medical death - cells, protein molecules, amino acids, and enzymes degrade at different rates which will be affected by these environmental variables. Understanding the process of decomposition is a long study, but one that is necessary to make conclusive decisions on many cases. Thats why Baigent feels it is so important to bridge the research gap and build a knowledge base for these scenarios. This will be the only research using human remains, absolutely, that has been performed in a controlled way at high altitude and in these high altitude environmental conditions, Baigent said. Work aids law enforcement One of the main jobs of a forensic anthropologist is to assist with search and recovery of human remains, and then help to identify remains by providing the medical examiner information regarding age, sex, ancestry, stature and circumstances surrounding death. The goal of this research is to come up with models to understand how long a body has been on the ground in order to determine other investigative factors. One of the things that really informs an investigation is answering how long has this person been out there? Baigent said. Has it been months, has it been years? Because so many variables affect how decomposition progresses, its not a straightforward process. Generally, forensic anthropologists are consulted by medical examiners or coroners when there is not enough tissue left for the remains to be informative to them. Once you have passed the point of soft tissue having any analytical value, they pass on the hard parts (bone) on to us, Baigent said. Baigent is working to ensure the results are truly conclusive, even when factoring in changes due to unique altitudes and the environmental variables within. Research will begin this summer This upcoming summer, Baigent plans on heading back to her hometown region of Colorado to jump into the hands-on element of the research. After working in the region off and on over the last several years, Baigent has experimented with sample tests to build her hypothesis and hone in on her specific focus. Her preliminary research shows a big difference between decomposition at higher and lower altitudes, with decomposition faster at the higher altitudes. I think compared to what we see on the lower slope of Colorado, where remains desiccate, it will be faster, Baigent said. But more important, the sequence and presentation of soft tissue dissolution diverges from well accepted sequences. The research is valuable not only for her specific region, but other areas with similar altitude. The goal and the hope is that this is applicable not only through the Rocky Mountain chain, which extends from Canada down to New Mexico, but anywhere you are moving up in altitude, Baigent said. Collaborative work With such a big project, Baigent feels fortunate to have excellent support from not only SIU, but also the Forensic Investigation Research Station (FIRS) at Colorado Mesa University and the Colorado Park County Commissioners and Coroners Office. Working together, Baigent received 40 acres of land, now a FIRS satellite facility, to conduct her research, and continuing support and approved donations from FIRS. While completing her doctoral program, Baigent is working under Gretchen Dabbs, associate professor of biological anthropology, at SIUs Complex for Forensic Anthropology Research (CFAR). The team is currently conducting research within the curated osteological collection, and in the field assessing decomposition. The research experience provides Baigent the foundation she needs as she builds toward understanding the full impact of decomposition in various regions. Christiane Baigent Christiane Baigent Seven Indians use fake details to get citizenship Saptari police has arrested two people on charge acquiring Nepali citizenship by providing fake documents. Gangadhar Yadav and his grandson Bibekananda are accused of obtaining Nepali citizenship from the then Bhutahi VDC-9 in Saptari. If youve been half-following the presidential campaign, you know Donald Trump wants to get tough on China, stop US companies from moving overseas, round up illegal aliens, slash taxes and, of course, make America great again. Trumps plan doesnt entirely add up, and even economists in his own Republican Party complain that debt would soar and he could cause a recession. But Trumps plan is tangible, almost like something you can hold. Voters know what he stands for, what he plans to do and what his vision is (something about making America great again). What is Hillary Clintons economic plan? I conducted an informal poll in the Yahoo Finance newsroom, staffed by people who read news stories all day long and know a lot about whats going on. A sampling of answers: Aw, geez. I shouldnt talk with my mouth full. Whatever Obamas plan is. Help us with student debt? She hasnt come out with one yet, has she? Infrastructure. More infrastructure. Cut taxes? Make sure unions get a fair shake. Is that right? I have no idea. Clinton actually has a far more detailed economic plan than Trump does, with plenty of good ideas. Her website features 18 specific policy proposals on the economy, including more infrastructure spending, debt-free college for underprivileged kids, higher taxes on the wealthy, new fees on banks and fresh ways to boost small businesses. But her economic agenda is about as exciting as a binder filled with think-tank papers, and if she has an overarching economic vision, she hasnt communicated it with any zeal whatsoever. Clinton considers herself a champion of the underdog, as she tried to convey during her nominating speech at the Democratic National Convention this summer. But shes also an elitist who gets paid millions in speaking fees and spends more time hobnobbing with millionaire donors than with ordinary people. If Clinton has a populist bent, it is largely lost in her small-ball economic agenda and her unwillingness to muster conviction. Story continues Its a huge missed opportunity for Clinton, because Trump has essentially ceded the ground of serious economic policy to her. His sound-bite economic plan has been shredded by mainstream economists. Planks such as slashing taxes on the wealthy and squandering billions trying to build a wall against Mexico or round up illegal immigrants are political nonstarters. Yet Americans still say a stagnant economy is their top concern, and one reason Trump remains competitive in the presidential race is because he seems to be the candidate most impassioned about those falling behind. His remedies could do those same people more harm than good, but he sure knows how to brand a plan. What could Clinton do differently? Plenty. She could join a majority of economists in defending free trade, as she did not so long ago. Instead of flip-flopping on deals such as the Trans Pacific Partnership, which she used to support but no longer does, she could explain with authority why such deals are in our interest and back it up with new ways to help those disenfranchised by trade and present a small number of big ideas for making America the worlds most desirable economy (again). She could steal Trumps good idea about growth: Set a target of 4% annually and declare it a national priority akin to winning a war. And then demand that we change the rules so every talented emigre in the world wants to come to America, and can. Given Washingtons inability to accomplish anything, it might not matter that much who gets elected in November. But many of Clintons economic ideas are generally accepted concepts that have been banging around inside the Beltway for years. If she wants a chance to put them into action, she first needs to brand her economic plan and sell it like, well, a Trumpian pitchman. Before anybody votes for her plan, they have to know she has one. Rick Newmans latest book is Liberty for All: A Manifesto for Reclaiming Financial and Political Freedom. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman. The call came at 9:38 p.m. on Election Day. The Associated Press projected Republican Mark Harris had won his race in North Carolinas heavily gerrymandered Ninth District, a slice of the state that offered Republicans a roughly eight-point advantage. The district last had a Democratic Congressman in 1963 and most models predicted that would continue past the vote tallies on Nov. 6. It seemed straightforward. That was 29 days ago. In the period since, all hell has broken loose in the district. The state board of elections has twice refused to certify the results, which give pastor Harris a narrow 905-vote win over Democratic businessman Dan McCready. Voters have come forward with sworn statements that someone knocked on their door, handed them ballots, filled parts of them out and, presumably, turned them back into election officials. Theres been plenty of finger pointing and suspicion of stuffing the ballot box or votes getting lost or destroyed on their way to election offices. Professors who have reviewed the vote tallies suggest something funky happened. The feds are looking into the situation, which as it has been described appears plainly criminal. And the AP withdrew its race call. The question now is a very basic one: Now what? Will the residents of Charlottes suburbs have a Representative when Congress comes back in January? Clearly, something hinky happened. If the five sworn affidavits and the sixth unsworn one are accurate, a woman showed up at these voters doors, said she was collecting absentee ballots, offering to return ballots in at least one case, a ballot that showed up unrequested to the local elections office. Other allegations include whisper campaigns of Harris team perhaps paying for votes, some ballots having unusual coding on them and what may appear to some as election intimidation at polling locations. In short, it appears that the specter of election fraud long screamed from the rooftop by Republicans, seldom with any proof to back it up materialized in this one North Carolina district. And again, if these six affidavits are correct the Republican nominee was the one who stood to gain from it. Story continues Local elections officials had signs something was up. In Bladen County, more than 7 percent of registered voters asked for an absentee ballot. (The rest of the state was seeing numbers closer to 3 percent of registered voters.) Of those sent out, 40 percent never came back. In neighboring Robeson County, 62 percent of the ballots didnt come back. (The next highest county of no-show absentee ballots logged a 27 percent ghosting rate.) In August, the chairman of the Robeson County elections board noticed an uptick in voter registration forms and requests for absentee ballots. He flagged the efforts to the state elections panel. He wasnt the only one to notice. At Catawba College, near Charlotte, professor Michael Bitzer was crunching the numbers and saw reason to take a second look. In both Robeson and Bladen counties, Harris was crushing the absentee votes, picking up 61% of the mail-in vote in places that were only 19% GOP. If ballots were manipulated without the registered voters knowledge, and votes were changed or spoiled to negate a vote, that would raise serious concerns about the integrity of the 9th Congressional Districts election, Bitzer wrote in a post-election blog post that has become a must-read primer on the case. Whats more, there appear to be a deep cache of absentee ballots that were requested but never returned in Robeson and Bladen counties, perhaps suggesting there was an attempt to suppress votes. State elections officials, meanwhile, arent sure what to do. The matter has been turned over to the U.S. Attorneys Office to investigate. (In North Carolina, it is against the law for anyone except the voter to handle his ballot even if the vote is not tampered with.) The most generous reading of the situation is that a consultant hired by a vendor hired by the Harris campaign got too enthusiastic about a get-out-the-vote operation and crossed the line. The most nefarious reading is an elaborate effort to target rural minorities and deep-six their ballots. Republicans, who already suffered a swamping in the midterm elections and lost their majority in the House, are as worried as Democrats. Last week, all four Republicans on the states Board of Elections twice sided with their four Democratic and one independent colleagues in choosing not to certify the results of the Nov. 6 race. But the board itself has its own issues: a judge is allowing the nine-person group to continue its work only until Dec. 12, when a stay will expire and an earlier ruling that it the members were empaneled unconstitutionally by the state legislature will take effect. On Wednesday, the editorial board of the states largest newspaper called for both a new primary and a new general election. Voters in the 9th District deserve the confidence that their election was free from fraud. North Carolina statute supports it. The evidence already demands it. The Board of Elections should start the election over, the editorial in the Charlotte Observer read. Democrats have tepidly been urging North Carolina officials to simply throw out the suspect elections and have a do-over, too. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has lawyers on the ground. Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts representative who is seen as a rising star in Democratic politics, on Tuesday joined that chorus: McCready put his life on the line for our democracy and we owe it to him to hold a fair and honest race. Republicans are resisting those calls, saying their candidate had the most votes. The outcome has little obvious impact on the agenda for Congress next year. Democrats have a comfortable majority in the House, having engineered a blue wave that was the largest since Watergate. But symbolically, the outcome carries great weight. If Democrats can win in a district so heavily designed to tilt to Republicans, in a state that carries 15 electoral votes rivaling fellow swing states Ohio and Virginia it would be a warning sign to President Donald Trump as he looks ahead to 2020. Then theres the shade Democrats can throw. Finally, there appears to be evidence of election fraud. And that effort appears to have benefited a Republicans, who have for years been making their own allegations that ballots are being lost, cast illegally or counted twice. That alone is why many Democrats are watching this otherwise footnote-able district carefully. This could be a Democratic victory served with a side of irony and hypocrisy. Eat This, Not That! You pour it out, wear it on your sleeve and love people from the bottom of it. But do you take carewe mean, proper careof your heart?For decades, heart disease has been the No. 1 killer of Americans.The good news: You can make quick, easy changes to your lifestyle to cut your risk, and add years to your life, and it's never too late. Here are the top 50 things you're probably doing that put you in dangerfrom the Eat This, Not That! Health to you, with all our heart. Read onand to ensure your TAR HEEL, N.C. Emma Shipmans house is hidden away at the end of a long and narrow, bumpy dirt road. But over the last week, the 87-year-old says shes been stunned at how many reporters have made the trek. Shipman holds key evidence in a closely watched probe into irregularities involving absentee ballots in the states 9th Congressional District. Shortly before this years election, Shipman says a woman came to her home and took her unsealed but filled-out absentee ballot, which is illegal in North Carolina. Then, a few days before Election Day, Shipman says the woman returned with a sealed ballot and stamps and asked her to turn it in. Shipman said she was suspicious, so she went to the polls on her own and decided to cast an in-person vote instead. State investigators are trying to figure out how many more people like Shipman were illegally asked to turn over their absentee ballots. If they find enough irregularities, they could choose to order a new election. HuffPost spoke with voters, including Shipman, whose absentee ballots werent returned to election officials in Bladen County, the center of the investigation. Some were surprised to learn of the irregularities at all, while one woman said she was angry. Shipman, who is black, submitted a written affidavit to the state board of elections through the state Democratic Party last week. Sitting in her living room Wednesday evening, she said she was glad she spoke up but had grown increasingly more scared the more attention she got. I wonder what the other side is going to do. They see me on TV and see me talk and all that stuff, theyre going to come back and get on me or what, she said. People are so mean that it isnt even funny. Theres something they may come back to do to me. I think about that, too. Emma Shipman helped jump start a North Carolina investigation into voting irregularities. Now she says she's afraid of retribution. (Photo: Sam Levine/HuffPost) Investigators are trying to figure out if theres a nefarious reason for so many unreturned absentee ballots in Bladen County, which has a large black population, and nearby Robeson County, which is majority Native American. Story continues In Bladen County, 40 percent of absentee ballots were never mailed back. In Robeson, 62 percent were not returned, according to an analysis by Michael Bitzer, a political science professor at Catawba College in North Carolina. Both counties far exceeded the districts non-return rate of 24 percent. Mark Harris, the Republican who ultimately won the congressional race, won 61 percent of the absentee vote in Bladen, even though 19 percent of the absentee ballots submitted came from registered Republicans. The non-return rate in the 9th District overall was the highest of any of the states 13th congressional districts. In recent days, three people have come forward to local television station WSOC and BuzzFeed News to say they were hired to collect absentee ballots, something that violates state law. All of those people have said they worked for McCrae Dowless, a campaign operative with a criminal history who was working for a contractor on behalf of Harris. Dowless did not respond to a request for an interview Wednesday. Lisa Britt, Dowless stepdaughter, told BuzzFeed she worked for Dowless but denied illegally taking absentee ballots. Britt signed as a witness on 44 absentee ballots and listed her address as a unit in an apartment complex called Village Oak. State records show 17 unreturned absentee ballots at the complex. A woman inside the address Britt listed on Wednesday refused to come to the door and said she had nothing to say. One of the unreturned ballots at the Village Oak complex was from Miriam Bellamy. In an interview Wednesday at her home, she said she had mailed back her absentee ballot but had been given inconsistent information about how much postage to put on it. Bellamy, 57, said two women came to her door and offered to serve as the required witnesses for filling out an absentee ballot in the state. Bellamy said she took the women up on their offer but then sent the ballot in on her own. She seemed unaware of the larger investigation but nonetheless was angry that her vote apparently didnt make it to election officials. Its a mess. I voted for nothing. My vote dont count. Somebody stole my vote from me. Im thinking they stole mine, they got plenty of other peoples, too, she said. This is terrible. Isnt this terrible? Two Bladen County women, Ida Collins and Willa Brown, who live about a 25-minute drive from the Village Oak complex, were surprised to learn their names showed up on the list of voters who had not returned absentee ballots. Neither recalled requesting one, though state records show both women requested and were sent a ballot. McCrae Dowless paid workers with wads of cash, Jessica Dowless, one of his employees, told BuzzFeed. (Jessica Dowless husband is distantly related to McCrae Dowless, BuzzFeed reported.) Several people suspected of working with Dowless were not home when HuffPost knocked on their doors Wednesday. While Shipman says shes glad she spoke up about what happened to her, she also said shes gotten angrier as she has reflected on what happened to her. All this Im going through, I feel like Im going through it by myself, she said in an interview. She didnt do nobody like that but me. Related Coverage North Carolina Delays Certifying Results Of Congressional Race Amid Probe Of Irregularities Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Thousands of people protested Wednesday across Argentina against a court ruling that acquitted two men of sexually abusing and killing a 16-year-old girl in 2016. The womens rights grassroots movement Ni Una Menos (Not One More) joined with labor unions and other feminist groups in the nationwide protests, the Associated Press reports. Last week, a federal criminal court in the coastal city of Mar Del Plata ruled in favor of two men accused of abusing and killing teenager Lucia Perez, citing a lack of evidence according to local media. Perez murder two years ago prompted public outcry and fanned the flames of the Ni Una Menos movement, which has since spread across Latin America with the mission of campaigning against gender-based violence. Her body was left at a hospital in October 2016, having been drugged and repeatedly raped. In Argentina, the rate of violence against women and girls is high, with 254 femicides reported in 2016 alone. The country also has a strict abortion ban, with the practice legal only in cases of rape or when a mothers health is in danger. Efforts to legalize abortion were voted down by senators earlier this year. Read more: Argentinas Warrior for Womens Rights Clad in green and purple, colors traditionally used to symbolize womens rights and equality in the country, protesters lay down on the streets of Buenos Aires, clutching photographs of a smiling Perez. Today we have anger, activist and campaigner Lola Jufre told the AP amid a wave of women marching. In spite of our fight, we are being decimated in the most cruel ways. Despite reports that doctors found evidence of extreme sexual violence on Perez body after her death, last weeks ruling declared that the teenager had consensual sex with one of the men and that her cause of death was an overdose. According to the AP, the men were convicted of selling drugs to a minor and sentenced to eight years in prison. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier speaking at the European Parliament on Thursday. Photo: EU/John Thys. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has hit back at claims that the Brexit deal to be voted on by MPs next week represents a humiliation for the UK. In a speech in Brussels on Thursday, Barnier described the deal on the table as the only and best possible agreement in a bid to deter its detractors on both sides of the Commons. But the French politician was later confronted with the scale of domestic opposition to the deal he has spent the last 18 months brokering with the UK government. Barniers speech to the EUs committee of the regions was followed by a debate on the deal involving politicians from across the continent. READ MORE: ECJ to give crucial Brexit ruling on eve of vote on Mays deal He was told that the British people have been humiliated by this withdrawal agreement by Ulster Unionist councillor Arnold Hatch. Hatch added: The most pernicious clause is the backstop agreement which is in effect a trap which will tie the UK and more particularly Northern Ireland to EU regulations forever unless the EU agrees to release us from the shackles. We are virtual prisoners in this system. Hitting back, Barnier said: I do not see this humiliation to which you refer. I cannot see it myself. We have reached an agreement with the UK government, which represents Northern Ireland. It is a balanced agreement, it is a good agreement for the economy of the entire island, including Northern Ireland. Michel Barnier during Thursdays debate at the European Parliament (EU/John Thys) You appear to be criticising the backstop but we agreed upon it with the UK government. It is not necessarily going to be used, in fact its not intended to be used. But we have it there as a form of insurance in order to ensure that we protect peace. A European commission spokesperson refused to comment on reports that the UK government is considering giving MPs a say on whether the backstop should be activated. He said only: There is a deal on the table which is the best possible one, actually the only one. Lets see what the House of Commons will say. Story continues EU leaders will hold crisis talks within 48 hours if the deal is voted down next Tuesday, Yahoo Finance UK has revealed. READ MORE: EU leaders to hold crisis talks within 48 hours if Brexit deal is rejected Barnier said during Thursdays debate that there was no better relationship with the EU than being a full member, although he offered no encouragement to the half a dozen UK politicians who spoke in favour of a second referendum. The process is underway, it is the will expressed by the majority of UK citizens, he said. Barnier also came under pressure from EU27 politicians over fishing rights, with one calling on him to be tough with the UK to maintain existing access to UK waters. We will try to find a balanced agreement, he replied. It may not be the same as now because the UK will leave the fisheries policy but they will have to guarantee access to British waters and we will have to guarantee access of UK processed products to our market. Ike Sorkin remembers December 11, 2008, like it was yesterday. He was at his granddaughters nursery school watching the teacher ask children about the sounds farm animals make. But Sorkin was about to learn the chickens had just come home to roost for Bernie Madoff. I pick up the cell phone, in the classroom, and the conversation was, Ike, I need your help. Im handcuffed to a chair at FBI Headquarters. Thus began Sorkins role as defense attorney in Madoffs epic tragedy, the implosion of the worlds largest Ponzi scheme, $65 billion dollars. Within a few hours of that phone call, thousands of people across the world learned they had individually lost hundreds of thousands, in some cases millions, of dollars. Some were completely wiped out. Others like Manhattan attorney Helen Chaitman lost every penny they had saved for retirement. I was standing at the kitchen sink in my daughters apartment washing my grandsons dinner dishes and I grabbed on to the edge of the sink because I thought I was going to faint, Chaitman recalls about first learning about Madoffs scheme. She would go on to defend other Madoff victims in court and before Congress, attempting to recover money they needed desperately to live. The list of Madoff victims includes Hollywood celebrities director Steven Spielberg, actors Kyra Sedgwick and her husband Kevin Bacon. Charities, including Hadassah ($90 million), Los Angeles Jewish Community Foundation ($18 million), pension funds such as Royal Dutch Shell ($45 million), the Town of Fairfield, Connecticut ($42 million), and Massachusetts Pension Reserve ($12 million), were just a few of the institutional victims. In some cases they didnt even know they were invested with Madoff. Swindler Bernard Madoff exits the Manhattan federal court house in New York, U.S. on January 14, 2009. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid New York University invested money with hedge fund operator Ezra Merkin unaware that his two funds, Ascot Partners LP and Ascot Fund Ltd. were just feeder funds Madoff used to finance the Ponzi scheme. Merkin lost $110 million of his own money and claims he was unaware of the fraud. His funds exposure to Madoff was just a small part of a much larger calamity. Other feeder funds had greater exposure to Madoff, including Fairfield Greenwich Group $7.5 billion, Grupo Santander $3.5 billion, Tremont Group $3.3 billion. The feeder funds solicited money from investors by the thousands without always disclosing the money was being sent directly to Madoff. The eventual carnage would lead to terrible consequences. Story continues Some of Madoffs business partners at those feeder funds killed themselves. Rene-Thierry Magon de La Villehuchet was the first. He was a founder of Access International Advisors, with $1.4 billion tied to Madoff, and slit his wrists and bled to death just two weeks after the Ponzi scheme collapsed. Two years later, Madoffs oldest son Mark committed suicide, hanging himself on the second anniversary of his fathers arrest. Marks younger brother Andrew died in 2014 from cancer. But before he died, Andrew demanded his mother Ruth cut off all contact with her husband Bernie or risk losing all contact with her grandchildren. Ruth complied with her sons demand. Sources close to Ruth tell Yahoo Finance she now lives in Connecticut and donates her time to charity. Ruth Madoff continues to turn down requests for interviews. $13 billion recovered Sorkin says, There is nothing that I have seen, heard, learned that suggests in any way that the boys and Ruth knew about this. But the lawyer entrusted to recover Madoffs ill-gotten billions disagrees. Irving Picard, a partner at Baker Hostetler, was appointed Trustee for the liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities almost immediately after Madoffs arrest. Over the last 10 years, Picards team has successfully sued people like Ezra Merkin, funds like Fairfield Greenwich, and the estates of Mark and Andrew Madoff, recovering more than $13 billion. The list is in the thousands and in several cases Picard has had to sue, or threaten to sue, Madoff victims. Those victims are former Madoff clients who withdrew more from the Madoff operation than they originally invested. Picard calls these people net winners. Suing them has proved controversial. The trustees office argues that the money net winners withdrew did not belong to them, it belonged to Madoff victims known as net losers, people who got nothing or far less than their original investment. Federal courts agree with Picard. The biggest Ponzi scheme in history The single largest recovery came from the estate of Jeffry Picower, $7.2 billion. He was one of Madoffs close associates and allegedly dictated, over several years, the gains and losses he expected from Madoff. For instance, between 1996 and 2007, Picowers returns on various accounts exceeded 100% fourteen times. But Picower never had the chance to explain his phenomenal returns or relationship to Madoff. Almost a year after the scheme imploded, he was found dead at the bottom of his swimming pool in West Palm Beach. I met Bernie Madoff five years ago at the federal prison he calls home in Butner, North Carolina. He is serving a 150-year sentence. Madoff told me then that he was ashamed of what he did and that he feels remorse for the people he harmed. But its hard to know when Madoff is telling the truth. Madoff, in his original confession, said he acted alone. Since then, 15 former Madoff employees have confessed to or been convicted of crimes they committed helping Madoff pull of the largest Ponzi scheme ever. Even Ike Sorkin, Madoffs lawyer whose family lost money with Bernie Madoff, says Madoff deserves credit for fessing up to the crime and avoiding a trial. We could have kept him out for another year and then at the eve of the trial, pleaded guilty and he would have gotten the same sentence Sorkin said. Adam Shapiro is an anchor for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @ajshaps. Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and reddit. Know your airplane, fly your airplane is a bedrock principle for pilots. But pilots cant know their airplane if the maker fails to disclose a new emergency feature in its flight operations manual, as happened with the Boeing 737 Max. On Oct. 29, the feature, known by the acronym MCAS, relentlessly pushed down the nose of Indonesias Lion Air Flight 610 more than 20 times before the jet plunged into the Java Sea, killing all 189 on board. Pilots struggled against the new system, which is designed to prevent a stall by automatically pushing the nose down. Tragically, on Flight 610 it was apparently triggered by a sensor delivering a false reading. There was no stall. The 737 Max, Boeing's newest version of the workhorse 737 series, is flown by airlines around the world, including American, Southwest and United. Hundreds more are on order. Since the Lion Air crash, American and Southwest pilots have complained about Boeings failure to communicate. BOEING: Safety will always be a core value The key to any emergency is identifying the system that is betraying you or failed, says Dennis Tajer, a veteran 737 captain and spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents pilots at American. We did not know about the system" until after the Lion Air crash. It was not on previous versions of the 737. Jon Weaks, a Southwest captain and president of Southwest Airlines Pilots Association, put it simply: "We should have known the system existed." With all the safety built into todays jetliners, it typically takes a cascading series of events to bring down a plane. Based on a preliminary report released last week by Indonesian authorities and questions raised by safety experts, the final flight of Lion Air 610 is a textbook example of multiple failures. Investigators will need to get to the bottom of several issues involving: Boeing. A potential design or manufacturing flaw might have allowed a single sensor, with an erroneous reading, to trigger MCAS which stands for Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System and the nose-down movements. Two sensors on the jet were measuring whats known as angle of attack, one giving you an accurate reading, one inaccurate, says former National Transportation Safety Board Chair Mark Rosenker. The problem was the inaccurate one appeared to take over. He questioned why a single malfunctioning sensor could create a situation potentially leading to a catastrophic failure. The answer might be that it shouldn't. Story continues Within days of the crash, Boeing issued a bulletin telling 737 Max pilots to deal with erroneous sensor data and nose-down movements by turning off the automatic system, in accordance with existing procedures. A Federal Aviation Administration directive followed, warning that erroneous readings could cause difficulty controlling the airplane and possible impact with terrain. Lion Air. The day before the crash, Lion Air maintenance replaced the sensor on the same plane. But pilots got erroneous readings on that flight and experienced a nearly identical problem to the one on Flight 610. Was the sensor installed properly by company crews? Based on the serious problems on Oct. 28, should the plane have been grounded before the fatal flight? Flight 610 pilots. On the Oct. 28 flight, pilots initially reacted to the nose-down movements the same way as pilots on Flight 610 the next day. When that didnt work, they used two switches to cut off the system a standard emergency procedure. It is baffling that the pilots on Flight 610 failed to do the same thing. Perhaps faced by an inaccurate reading from a faulty sensor and a system they likely knew nothing about, they were confused in the emergency. Perhaps they were not well-trained. For now, that remains a mystery. The causes of the crash will be determined by Indonesian authorities and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which has an interest in keeping American fleets safe. Boeing issued a statement asserting, We are confident in the safety of the 737 MAX." A company spokesman added that the function performed by MCAS is referenced in the flight manual, and existing procedures to deal with it are documented. The chairman of the United Airlines branch of the Airline Pilots Association echoed that statement, breaking with two other unions and his own union leadership. Backup systems, what the industry calls redundancy, are designed to keep planes in the air if one component fails. The ultimate safety backups are the pilots who deserve to know about every change on the aircraft they fly. USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view a unique USA TODAY feature. To read more editorials, go to the Opinion front page or sign up for the daily Opinion email newsletter. To respond to this editorial, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. If you can't see this reader poll, please refresh your page. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Between Boeing and Lion Air: What we've got here is a failure to communicate Tim Martin, founder and chairman of JD Wetherspoon, is a vocal Brexit supporter. Photo: Matt Cardy/Getty Images Wetherspoon founder Tim Martin is on a cross-country tour of his pubs to promote his ideas about Brexit, saying he felt compelled to leave London for his two-month tour as he worries that pro-Brexit voices are being censored and ignored. Supporting the European Union is almost a quasi-religion for some people, he told Yahoo Finance UK in a phone interview outside Leeds. Its quite difficult to get my message across. Martin has developed a reputation for his staunchly pro-Brexit stance and is one of a small number of high-profile businesspeople in the UK who have publicly supported Brexit, alongside James Dyson, the billionaire founder of the engineering firm Dyson. Why dont more people speak out? Hard to say. Hard to say. Its quite difficult to speak out its almost socially unacceptable in many social circles, said Martin. His pub chain JD Wetherspoon (JDW.L), which Martin launched in 1979, has altered some of its business practices in recent months to promote Martins pro-Brexit message. It moved to phase out popular European drinks from its menu, including German spirit Jagermeister, in favour of British and non-EU beverages. It has also printed pro-Brexit beer mats for its nearly 900 pubs. Martin said he favours the UK leaving the EU in March with no political deal and no transition plan. He expects that the default of moving to World Trade Organization (WTO) trading rules would be optimal, and then he wants the country to abolish all its trade tariffs. Trading under World Trade Organization rules is a successful way to trade, he said, noting that the UK trades with the US and China under these WTO rules without a problem. But many economic and trade experts have warned about risks associated with leaving the EU without a deal, along with difficulties in lowering tariffs to zero. RELATED: What is a no-deal Brexit? The key things you need to know The Bank of England warned last week that the UK could be headed for an economic shock in 2019 that could be more severe than the global financial crisis if the country leaves the EU without a deal and transition period. Story continues The UKs central bank said that in its worst-case Brexit scenario, the UK economy could shrink by about 8% within a year. That fall would be the worst the country has seen since the 1920s. Meanwhile, lowering tariffs to zero could be a risky move. Abolishing tariffs across the board is a policy that nobody in government seems to advocate given the consequences of such an approach for the UKs farm[s] and industry, said Holger Hestermeyer, a lawyer and academic specialising in world trade and international law at Kings College London. Tariffs around the world are near their lowest levels ever averaging around 2.9% according to recent data from the World Bank. The UKs average tariff rate applied to all imports in 2016 worked out to 2%. However, agricultural tariffs around the world tend to stay high because countries use them to protect their farmers. Brexit is set to happen in late March after a 2016 referendum showed 52% of people voted to leave the EU. But the votes were not evenly distributed, with a majority of voters in London, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar wanting to remain in the European Union. In total, 33.5 million people voted in the referendum. The House of Commons is hosting a multi-day debate on the EU-approved Brexit deal. Photo: Alberto Pezzali/ Getty Images The UK is preparing to pay out an estimated 39bn ($50bn) to settle its Brexit divorce with the European Union, a figure that has proven to be controversial as some have urged the government to withhold any payment when Britain breaks out of the EU. Members of parliament will be debating the Brexit divorce agreement on Thursday in the House of Commons ahead of their vote on the deal on Tuesday. Heres what you need to know, based on a new report from the House of Commons Library: The amount isnt set in stone The financial settlement isnt set at exactly 39bn. Instead, the deal sets out the commitments that will be settled, how payments will be calculated and when payments will be made. It does not set out the actual amounts that the UK will pay, noted researcher Matt Keep in the House of Commons Library. The amount is meant to cover the UKs share of its EU spending commitments that it made whilst it was an EU member. So it will continue to pay into the EU budget until the end of any Brexit transition period, which is currently expected to run until the end of 2020. Meanwhile, the UK will still receive some money back from the EU for certain programmes during that time, as if it was still a normal member state. Between 2019 and 2020, the total bill is expected to reach 16bn. The UK is expected to spend a total of 20bn between 2021 and 2028 based on long-term spending commitments it already agreed on. Another long-term financial commitment involves paying the pensions of EU staff who worked on behalf of the UK and wider EU. These payments could last into the 2060s. Image: House of Commons Library 75% of costs will be paid over four years The UK is expecting to pay three-quarters of its Brexit bill in the next four years. The following image from the House of Commons shows how payments will peak and then drop off sharply. Image: House of Commons Library Could the UK refuse to pay? If British MPs do not approve the current Brexit deal that was hammered out by the EU and UK prime minister Theresa May, the financial settlement will not become legally binding, according to Keep. So its possible the country could leave the EU without paying the bill. Story continues Even so, the UK is still expected to make some form of payout to avoid angering its powerful ally and largest trading partner. The governments view is that it has financial obligations that it will meet and not doing so could see the UK portrayed as an unreliable partner, Keep said in his report. Future collaboration between the UK and EU could be difficult if the EU feels that the UK hasnt settled its account It seems probable that politics and economic considerations will lead to the UK and EU negotiating an alternative settlement. Making the payment will also be crucial to avoid challenges in international courts. The UK is set to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 at 11PM local time. RELATED: What is a no-deal Brexit? The key things you need to know London (AFP) - British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday faced fresh attacks on her Brexit deal after MPs forced her government to publish legal advice on the arrangements for leaving the European Union. Pro- and anti-Brexit MPs seized on the advice relating to clauses on Northern Ireland, warning once again they would not back the deal when the House of Commons votes on it on December 11. The Northern Irish party which props up May's government said it was "totally unacceptable", while the pro-European Scottish National Party (SNP) accused May of concealing the truth until now. May said she understood their concerns and fuelled speculation she was still seeking a compromise to avoid a heavy defeat in the Brexit vote next week. "I believe that the deal we have negotiated is a good deal," she told MPs, adding: "I'm continuing to listen to colleagues on that and considering a way forward." It is not clear what she can do. May says the withdrawal agreement will not be reopened, echoing EU leaders who want the issue settled as Brexit looms in March. But the fragility of her position was laid bare in a stunning series of Commons defeats on Tuesday night. Her allies, Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), sided with the opposition Labour party to find ministers in contempt for failing to publish in full the legal advice on the Brexit deal. Some her own Conservative MPs meanwhile voted with Labour to give the Commons more say in what happens if the deal falls. The government on Wednesday published the legal advice on the most controversial clause of the deal, relating to the "backstop" plan to avoid border checks with Ireland. May said she had always been clear on the risks of the arrangement, which could keep Britain in the EU's customs union indefinitely after Brexit, and risks a separate status for Northern Ireland. But SNP lawmaker Ian Blackford was twice reprimanded by the Commons speaker for suggesting May had been "concealing the facts on her Brexit deal". Story continues Keir Starmer, Labour's Brexit spokesman, said the legal advice revealed "the central weaknesses in the government's deal". - Steal Brexit - May opened the debate on the Brexit deal on Tuesday with a personal plea for MPs to back her, and will hold meetings with Conservative colleagues in the coming days to try to convince them. Ministers will make the government's case during four more days of debate, but few believe they can overcome the intense opposition to the deal. If May loses next week's vote, the government has 21 days to return to MPs to propose what happens next, first in a statement and then a motion to the Commons. MPs on Tuesday backed an amendment tabled by Conservative former attorney general Dominic Grieve that would allow the Commons to amend that motion. This raises the possibility they could demand a re-negotiation, a second referendum or even staying in the EU. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox aired that concern on Wednesday, saying that a majority in favour of staying in the EU in parliament "may attempt to steal Brexit from the British people". - Going round in circles - Some Conservative MPs are pushing for a second referendum, but May warned against spending "the next decade as a country going round in circles". Many MPs want May to return to Brussels to renegotiate her deal, and she is due at a summit two days after next week's vote. Some are pushing for Britain to stay in the European Economic Area (EEA). But some eurosceptic Conservatives believe Britain can leave without any deal at all, even after a government assessment found this risked causing a major recession. If her deal fails, Labour has said it will almost certainly trigger a confidence vote in the Commons, while May also risks a challenge by her own Conservative MPs. In Brussels, meanwhile, the European Commission began the process of ratifying the Brexit deal. "Of course we need to see what the outcome of discussions in UK parliament and the result of a vote in parliament would be," Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said. "But we are preparing for the deal, we have agreed on the deal with the government." By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President George H.W. Bush was hailed at his state funeral on Wednesday as a warrior-statesman of uncommon personal kindness who went from being a hero of American conflicts to representing a bygone era of civility in politics. Amid an unusual bipartisan spirit at the service at the Washington National Cathedral, both Republican and Democratic politicians honored a president who called for a "kinder, gentler" nation. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, died last week in Texas aged 94. He occupied the White House from 1989 to 1993, navigating the collapse of the Soviet Union and expelling former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from oil-rich Kuwait. George H.W. Bush was America's last great soldier-statesman, Jon Meacham, a presidential biographer, said in a eulogy. "He stood in the breach in the Cold War against totalitarianism. He stood in the breach in Washington against unthinking partisanship," he said. At a ceremony full of pomp but also peppered with laughter, the capital's current political feuds were briefly set aside in honor of the late president, a naval aviator who survived being shot down by Japanese forces over the Pacific Ocean in World War Two, and a former head of the CIA during the Cold War. Still, there were reminders of lingering tensions. President Donald Trump shook hands with his predecessor, Barack Obama, and former first lady Michelle Obama. But he made no attempt to greet the other two former Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, sharing the front pew, or their spouses, including Hillary Clinton, Trump's 2016 election opponent. A patrician figure, Bush was voted out of office in part for failing to connect with ordinary Americans during an economic recession. But he has been remembered as representing an earlier era of civility in American politics, an image burnished in recent years by the divisiveness and anger in the United States that accompanied the rise of Trump. Former President George W. Bush said his father "valued character over pedigree, and he was no cynic. He'd look for the good in each person, and he usually found it." The best father a son or daughter could ever have, the former president said in his eulogy, his voice cracking with emotion as he spoke near his father's flag-draped coffin. TEARS AND MEMORIES Trump, like Bush a Republican, infuriated the late president by attacking his sons, George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, a rival in the 2016 Republican primary campaign. Trump sat mostly motionless next to first lady Melania Trump throughout much of the service. He had tweeted earlier that he was "Looking forward to being with the Bush family. This is not a funeral, this is a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. He will be missed!" Bush did not endorse Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He did not publicly say who he voted for but a source told CNN at the time that he had voted for Hillary Clinton. Bush, who was ailing in recent years, did send Trump a letter in January 2017 saying he would not be able to attend his inauguration because of health concerns, but wishing him the best. All surviving former U.S. presidents were at the cathedral. During one of the eulogies, Bill Clinton wiped away tears and Michelle Obama leaned over to pat him on the arm. 'RESOLUTE AND BRAVE' Canadian former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney lauded Bush's role in handling the end of the Cold War and helping the delicate reunification of Germany. Bush put together a U.S.-led international coalition that ousted invading Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991 and was president when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. "When George Bush was president of the United States of America, every single head of government in the world knew that they were dealing with a gentleman, a genuine leader, one who was distinguished, resolute and brave," Mulroney said. The guest list included Britain's Prince Charles and leaders from Germany, Jordan, Australia and Poland, along with a host of former world leaders, such as former British Prime Minister John Major, who was in office during Bush's term. Trump closed the federal government on Wednesday to mark a day of mourning for Bush, and several U.S. financial exchanges were closed. During his presidency, Bush was dogged by domestic problems, including a sluggish economy, and he faced criticism for not doing enough to stem the tens of thousands of deaths from the AIDS virus ravaging America. When he ran for re-election in 1992, he was pilloried by Democrats and many Republicans for violating a famous 1988 campaign promise: "Read my lips, no new taxes." His opponent Bill Clinton coasted to victory. Bush is to be buried on Thursday at his Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas. Before Wednesday's service, his body lay in state since Monday evening in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. Thousands of people filed past to pay their respects, some getting a chance to see Sully, a service dog who was Bush's friendly companion. Sully became an internet sensation after being photographed lying next to his late master's coffin. (Additional reporting by Richard Cowan, Susan Heavey and Jeff Mason; writing by Alistair Bell and Steve Holland; Editing by Frances Kerry and Peter Cooney) Do you know which demographic of Canadian is most likely support a ban on religious symbols in the public sector? Researchers at the Angus Reid Institute set out to learn just that, and released the results of their study on Dec. 4. It turns out males in Quebec over the age of 34 are the most likely to support bans on religious symbols in the public sector. The study comes as the provinces new Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) government is considering just such a ban. If approved, the ban would apply to employees in positions of authority wearing visible religious symbols. While polls have shown two thirds of Quebec residents support the proposed ban, the Angus Reid study shows that more than half believe public employees should be allowed to wear a crucifix, a Star of David or a nuns habit at work. Shown images of nine different symbols and asked whether they should be allowed in the workplace for public employees, Canadians are most amenable to the Judeo-Christian items on the list, the study concluded. The study found widespread support across all provinces for a ban against burkas, niqabs or kirpans the first two are head coverings worn by Muslim women, while the latter is a ceremonial sword or dagger worn by Sikhs in the public sector, but that the sentiment is strongest in Quebec. Symbols from Sikhism and Islam are less favourably viewed, particularly if they cover the face such as a niqab or burka or, as some argue, could be considered a weapon, as in the case of the kirpan, the final report said. Some data from the Angus Reid Institutes religious symbols study. (Graphic from the Angus Reid Institute) In fact, Quebecers are more likely than people in other provinces to say all religious head coverings should be banned, including the Muslim hijab, the Sikh turban, the Jewish kippa, and the Christian nuns habit. The study also found that people in certain gender and age cohorts are more or less likely to support bans on religious apparel in the public sector. Across Canada, people under the age of 35 are more likely to say each type of religious symbol should be allowed, and less supportive of seeing it banned. Story continues Women across Canada were also less likely to support bans on each type of religious symbol, while men were more likely to support bans. Some data from the Angus Reid Institutes religious symbols study. (Graphic from the Angus Reid Institute) What do you think? Do you support bans on public sector workers wearing religious symbols on the job? Do you support bans on certain religious symbols compared to others? Let us know by answering our polls or have your say in the comments. International Space Station over the planet Earth A Christmas turkey, cranberry sauce, candied yams, and fruitcake were among Christmas items that were launched into space this week so that those spending Christmas day at the International Space Station could celebrate just like everyone else. According to Associated Press, a Dragon capsule and its 5,600 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of cargo, was launched into space on Wednesday from Cape Canaveral in Florida. While the takeoff was a little rocky, if all goes to plan, those staying at the International Space Station over Christmas should receive their festive supplies on Saturday. There was an initial mishap on takeoff as the SpaceX booster missed its landing zone on the ground, ending up in the sea instead. While those looking on from SpaceX Mission Control in Hawthorne, California we disappointed at the missed landing, a SpaceX commentator noted that the Falcon 9 rockets task was only secondary to getting the Dragons capsule into space. Click here to continue and read more... CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Christmas turkey rocketed toward the International Space Station on Wednesday, along with cranberry sauce, candied yams and the obligatory fruitcake. The SpaceX booster missed its landing zone on the ground after liftoff, however, and ended up in the sea just a couple of miles offshore. Groans filled SpaceX Mission Control in Hawthorne, California, as live video showed the first-stage rocket booster spinning out of control, still high above Cape Canaveral. It was the company's first missed ground landing, although it has overshot floating barges plenty of times in the past, a tougher feat to pull off. A SpaceX commentator called it a "bummer," but noted it was secondary to the Falcon 9 rocket's main mission of getting the Dragon capsule to orbit. SpaceX chief Elon Musk said the booster appeared to be undamaged. The hydraulic pump for the landing fins apparently stalled, but the engines stabilized the approximately 160-foot-tall booster just in time, allowing for "an intact landing in water!" Musk noted via Twitter. "Ships en route to rescue Falcon," he tweeted. SpaceX's 12 previous ground landings dating back to 2015 all were successful. Altogether, the company has recovered 32 boosters following liftoff 33 once this one is towed back, said Hans Koenigsmann, a SpaceX vice president. He did not know if it could be reused. Koenigsmann said the booster deliberately avoided land after sensing a problem, a built-in safety feature, and even managed to touch down upright in the Atlantic, atop its landing legs. "Public safety was well protected here," he told reporters. The disappointment was offset by the successful flight of the Dragon capsule and its 5,600 pounds (2,500 kilograms) of cargo. It should reach the space station Saturday. "What a great day for a launch," said Kennedy Space Center director Bob Cabana. Twenty years ago this week, Cabana commanded the shuttle mission that carried up the first U.S. part of the space station . Story continues Besides smoked turkey breast and all the other fixings for Christmas dinner, the delivery includes 40 mice and 36,000 worms for aging and muscle studies. Researchers expect a tenfold increase in the worm population. There will be plenty of room on board for all the tiny nematodes. It turns out their muscles are similar to ours in structure and function, making them perfect lab substitutes, said lead scientist Timothy Etheridge of the University of Exeter in England. The launch was delayed a day when NASA discovered that the food for the mouse-tronauts was moldy. More food had to be rushed in from California. Just two days earlier, three astronauts arrived at the space station to join the three already there. The crew includes two Americans, two Russians, one German and one Canadian. The newest residents will remain on board for six months, while the others will return to Earth on Dec. 20. SpaceX has been making station deliveries for NASA since 2012. The private company expects to start launching station crews next year. ___ The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP (3), Getty images. More than five years after a major failure was identified in a system used to communicate with CIA agents on the ground around the world, the agency has yet to fully fix the problem, according to sources directly familiar with the matter. Between around 2009 and 2013, the CIAs online method of communicating with its human sources on the ground all over the world was tragically compromised leading to the exfiltration, imprisonment or death of dozens of people spying for the agency, according to a November investigation by Yahoo News. The failure started when Iranian officials used a double agent to trace back a series of websites the CIA was using to communicate with its sources. Iran then located, detained and in some instances executed CIA sources it identified using this system. The problem then spread to China, where roughly 30 CIA sources were eventually executed. Once Iran and China were able to locate users of these covert CIA platforms in their own countries, sources told Yahoo News, they were very likely able to discover a large number of CIA sources using similar systems worldwide. But the fallout from that disaster, including internal battles at the CIA and struggles to replace and fix a complex web of interlocking technical systems, continues to rage on to this day, according to five former intelligence community sources familiar with the matter. The CIA declined to comment for this piece. Because of the scope of the problem, fixing it was also a staggering task. Its not just a single flawed system that needed to be fixed, according to one former CIA official. It was a universe of systems. The issues with internet-based covert communications systems cannot be fully solved piecemeal and will require an immense allocation of resources. A patch wont solve the problem, said one of the former officials. Were not talking about billions of dollars, were talking about hundreds of billions of dollars to fix these systems. Story continues A second former official was more charitable, arguing that while the problem is not entirely solved, theres been major improvement in the communications system. But, the source added, it doesnt serve everyone equally. As a result, many who are directly responsible for working with sources on the ground within the CIAs Directorate of Operations are furious, said a former official who was more critical about the agencys progress. The fiascos in Iran and China continue to be sticking points between the Directorate of Operations and the CIAs Directorate of Science and Technology (DS&T) the technical scientists. There is a disconnect between the two directorates, said one former CIA official. Im not sure that will be fixed anytime soon. The CIAs website says that the agency is wholly in charge of providing secure communications for CIA assets. But the agency acquires its cutting-edge tech through multiple channels, including through contracts with defense companies. It also invests money in startups through In-Q-Tel, the CIAs nonprofit venture capital wing. The agency does some in-house research and development within DS&T, which houses many of the CIAs tech experts, who often work directly with external defense contractors developing technology to fit agency needs. Former intelligence officials described longstanding tensions between the two directorates, as well as dysfunction within DS&T itself. DS&Ts budget has grown tremendously, said one former official, and the division was known for wasting a lot money over the years. A deeper issue was the lack of congruence between the covert communications platforms and the actual stated needs of CIA officers in the field, said former officials. DS&T employees, who seemed intent on empire building, had a take it or leave it attitude, said one former senior official. However, introducing technology into sensitive operations is always risky, particularly in countries like Iran where the United States doesnt have a dedicated diplomatic presence. Internet-based covert communications provide sources the opportunity to hide in plain sight, using innocuous seeming websites but the systems are inherently less secure and prone to exposure, especially in placed where the internet is heavily surveilled. Even under the best of circumstances, said one former senior official, internet-based communications systems create counterintelligence challenges. CIA agents using the system were supposed to conduct electronic surveillance detection routes that is, to bounce around on various sites on the internet before accessing the system, in order to cover their tracks but often failed to do so, creating potentially suspicious patterns of internet usage, said this person. Entire careers in the CIAs Office of Technical Service the part of DS&T directly responsible for developing covert communications systems were built on these internet-based systems, said a former senior official. Raising concerns about them was like calling someones baby ugly, said this person. Distrust also built up over DS&Ts perceived lack of truthfulness about its own capabilities, or that of its contracting partners. DS&T has a nasty habit of overpromising and underdelivering, said the same former official. In official traffic they say, Yes, we can do that. But over direct message, theyd say, We cant. In the case of the initial covert communications failure in Iran, contractors were deeply involved in the mission, including locating and targeting specific sources on the ground that the CIA might recruit. John Reidy, a contractor with Virginia defense company SAIC, was one such employee. In 2008, he blew the whistle on concerns that a massive technical failure might occur. His complaints were not heeded for several years. The reliance on major defense contractors within the Pentagon and the intelligence community is a controversial one. The Congressional Research Service examined the issue in 2015 following former NSA contractor Edward Snowdens leak of a large cache of internal classified documents on global surveillance. Among other concerns, CRS cited the risk that the government may not have sufficient capacity to monitor contractor employees who perform critical functions and may run the risk of ceding control over their mission and operations to contractors. Problems with complex technical systems are nothing new in the national security community. But typically when those problem occur in unclassified Pentagon contracts, they are publicized, like with a $5 billion intelligence fusion network acquired by the U.S. Army that at one point was deemed not survivable or effective. But when problems occur with classified contracts, the issues tend to stay under the radar. They keep paying shitty defense contractors to work on covert communications and other projects, said one of the sources. The problem is also potentially larger than just the CIA, said one former senior intelligence official. In the past, the Defense Clandestine Service, the Defense Intelligence Agencys covert human-intelligence gathering arm, has employed CIA-developed internet-based covert communications platforms, as has the United Kingdoms Secret Intelligence Service during joint operations conducted with the agency, said this person. At the CIA, its unclear whether the exposure of the failure will lead to any major changes. However, CIA Director Gina Haspel spent decades undercover in the Directorate of Operations and has spoken about the near sacred place human sources hold for her and the agency. Within the intelligence community, CIA is the keeper of the human intelligence mission. Technical forms of collection are vital, but a good human source is unique and can deliver decisive intelligence on our adversaries secrets even their intent, she said during a speech at the University of Louisville in Kentucky in September. One longstanding proposal has been to put the Office of Technical Service under the direct authority of the Directorate of Operations a move resisted by DS&T, said a former senior official. The same former official also decried shortfalls among the agencys technical staff. We used to recruit tech officers from a variety of fields, said this person. And the agency would produce its own COVCOM [covert communications] systems in-house. Wed test it there. In denied areas, we had special systems. These systems were not internet-based, said this person, and functioned more like electronic dead-drops. Now, said this person, tech officers only know about computers. The ease of using these online systems lulled people into false confidence about their security, said former officials. Additionally, its possible congressional investigators could again take up the mantle to oversee the ongoing procurement process and the effectiveness of the technology in use overseas to communicate with sources. But with the investigation into Russian electoral interference dominating the agenda of the oversight committees, theyre unlikely to pursue the matter aggressively, said one former senior intelligence official. Heads should roll because of this, said this person. Agents were killed. But to protect peoples careers and egos, we buried counterintelligence problems. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Britain roasted last summer, as high temperatures hit countries around the globe (Met Office) Climate changed caused by human action was probably behind the searing heatwave which hit Britain last year, the Met Office has announced. Our warming climate meant that last years summer heatwave was 30 times more likely and by mid-century, such summers could happen about 50% of the time. The study, based on computer models, found that Co2 in the atmosphere is behind the rising temperatures, Met Office scientists said. Professor Peter Stott of the Met Office said at thebCoP24 climate conference in Katowice, Poland, Our provisional study compared computer models based on todays climate with those of the natural climate we would have had without human-induced emissions. We find that the intensity of this summers heatwave is around 30 times more likely than would have been the case without climate change. UK weather: Tropical storm Chris could end British heatwave this weekend, forecaster warns This rapidly increasing chance results from the increase in concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The most recent figure is for 2017, which shows the atmosphere held around 405.5 parts per million of CO2. This represents 146 % of the values in the pre-industrial era (before 1750), when the atmospheric concentration was about 280 parts per million. Last years summer was the equal-warmest summer for the UK in a series from 1910, along with 2006, 2003 and 1976. Met Office scientist Dr Nikolaos Christidis who was also involved in the study said: Our models show that there is now about a 12% chance of summer average temperatures being as high as the UK experienced in summer 2018. This compares with a less than half per cent chance wed expect in a natural climate. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK 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 Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) called for an emergency hearing on election fraud in North Carolina after multiple outlets reported votes in the states 9th district may have been altered. While the Republican majority is once again chasing conspiracies, real election fraud is playing out right before us in North Carolinas 9th Congressional District, Connolly, the vice ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement. We should see every action they take to ignore this situation for what it is a slap in the face to all voters in North Carolina who participated in the 2018 election with the expectation that every vote would be counted. Initial results showed Republican Mark Harris defeated Democrat Dan McCready by fewer than 1,000 votes in last months midterm elections. But the results have come under intense scrutiny after reports surfaced that a political operative working for Republicans ran an illegal ballot operation in Bladen County. The reports prompted the Associated Press to rescind its initial call for Harris as the winner. The North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics said it was now investigating claims of irregularities and fraudulent activities related to absentee by-mail voting and potentially other matters in the 9th Congressional District contest. On Monday, the Charlotte Observer reported Leslie McCrae Dowless a man who worked as an independent contractor for Harris campaign in Bladen County was possibly connected to suspicious absentee ballot activity. Dowless was convicted of perjury in 1990 and felony fraud in 1992, according to court records obtained by the paper. Dowless denied any wrongdoing to the publication. Votes have been stolen by preying on senior and minority voters, and now a cloud of doubt and suspicion hangs over this election result, Connolly said in his statement. It is incumbent on Chairman [Trey] Gowdy to hold an emergency hearing before the end of this congressional session so that we can shed light and understand what happened in this race. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. A daycare owner fired and called the cops on an assistant teacher who allegedly slammed a toddler into a mat. (Photo: Getty Images) Workers at a Georgia day care center called the police on one of their own employees after witnessing her slam a toddler into a mat. Jonee Hamilton was arrested on Tuesday, a week after the alleged attack at Oxford Babies daycare center in Smyrna, Ga. Officer Heather Knight, a representative for the Smyrna Police Department, told the Marietta Daily Journal that the 20-year-old allegedly picked up a 16-month-old girl and slammed her face first into a mat because she was refusing to nap. Hamilton is charged with aggravated assault and first-degree cruelty to children, according to her arrest report. On Nov. 28 it was determined that a recently hired assistant teacher returned a toddler to her sleeping mat in an improper and inappropriate manner, Oxford Babies owner Cindy Smith told Yahoo Lifestyle. The teacher was fired immediately, Smith said. Police told the Marietta Daily Journal that the assault caused a laceration on the inside of the toddlers lip, which left her clothes bloodied. There were actually other teachers in the class; we found it on our video, Smith said. I called right from the start I was the first one to report it, she said when asked who alerted the police. She said that Oxford Babies has been cooperating fully with all authorities investigating this incident, including, right from the start, the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning. Shes also been working closely with the parents and respecting their wishes while they were deciding what avenues they wanted to take. When asked whether the childs parents were pressing charges, Smith declined to comment. Thankfully, the little girl is fine, Smith said. She went to a doctor. They dont see a concussion. But something like this couldve easily caused concessions, broken bones, Knight told Atlanta news station WSB-TV. Its just traumatic for everyone, to think that a teacher couldnt be trusted, Smith said. Especially when we have done all of our background checks and the state approved her and everything, she added. Story continues Hamilton had been working at Oxford Babies for two months, Smith said. Prior to being hired, the teacher passed all background checks and had no prior history of improper behavior, she said. This has never happened at Oxford Babies before, according to Smith, whos been caring for children for 35 years and been in business for 15. Its so difficult, she shared. I have teachers that have been with me for 15 years that have 30 and 40 years of experience. Were a Christian school. And this was a young girl that was only here two months. While Smith says the incident has hurt us all deeply, shes desperate to find meaning in its aftermath. The benefit to being in a center is there are so many people watching each other and we have cameras, she said. Thank goodness she wasnt a nanny somewhere. The rest of her staff is very dedicated. Weve got so many loving, wonderful teachers with 30, 40 years of experience that love these children, want to be here, she said. This is our passion. This was just one bad egg that could have been at any daycare center. Both Smith and the childs parents feel strongly about stopping Hamilton from working at another facility. I dont know how she ended up at ours; maybe God sent her here so we could catch her and prevent her from doing this to someone else. Hamilton is currently in custody in at Cobb County Adult Detention Center and is being held without bond. According to the arrest report, she has no previous bookings at that facility and has no attorney of record on file with the jail. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Front row, from left: Jahana Hayes, Deb Haaland, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Janet Mills. Middle row, from left: Kristi Noem, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Sharice Davids, Ilhan Omar. Back row, from left: Veronica Escoba, Sylvia Garcia, Abby Finkenauer, Marsha Blackburn, Kyrsten Sinema. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos, front row, from left: AP, Juan Labreche/AP, AP, Robert F. Bukaty/AP. Middle row, from left: AP, Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images, Al Goldis/AP, Charlie Riedel/AP, AP. Back row, from left: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP, Omar Vega/LatinContent/Getty Images, Nicki Kohl/Telegraph Herald via AP, Mark Humphrey/AP, Caitlin OHara/Reuters. Background: J. Scott Applewhite/AP) It was an election of firsts for the U.S. Congress: the first Native American women, the first Muslim women, the first women senators from Tennessee and Arizona. The first woman to represent Iowa, the first African-American to represent Colorado, the first Latinas to represent Texas, the first gay person to represent Kansas and the first black women to represent Massachusetts and Connecticut in the U.S. House of Representatives. The first female governors of Maine and South Dakota. The largest number of women and minorities and LGBTQ candidates to run at one time in American history, and the greatest number elected to serve. What is more striking even than all of those firsts is how few of them based their campaigns on belonging to a previously marginalized group. They were not saying Vote for me because I am an immigrant, said Sayu Bhojwani, of the 54 candidates on state and local ballots on Election Day who were first-generation immigrants. Instead, says Bhojwani, author of People Like Us: The New Wave of Candidates Knocking at Democracys Door and the founder and president of New American Leaders, which prepares first- and second-generation immigrants to run for office, they were saying Because I have this set of experiences, I will be a strong advocate for you in Congress. Its a subtle but important difference, says Kelly Dittmar, an assistant research professor at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University. While never a straight line, she says, the path for most underrepresented groups in politics generally goes from seeking the job in spite of being different to seeking the job because you are different to simply seeking the job. Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin, center, is presented with the flag that flew at the House of Representatives during the passage of the suffrage amendment. (Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images) Womens earliest political campaigns, for instance, were like those of Jeannette Rankin of Montana, the first woman elected to Congress, in 1917. Despite being an ardent suffragette and pacifist, she was also determined to be one of the guys. Im no lady, Im a member of Congress, she would respond when colleagues referred to her as the lady from Montana. Fifty-five years later, Patricia Schroeder became the first woman from Colorado in Congress with the slogan She Wins. We Win. chosen, she said back in 1972, because we wanted to make sure they knew I was a female. And this year, while the website for gubernatorial candidate Janet Mills noted briefly that she had been the first and only woman to serve as the attorney general in Maine, it did not mention anywhere that, if elected, she would be that states first female governor. Story continues So-called identity politics basing your pitch to voters on your gender, race, ethnicity or sexual preference has long been controversial, with Republicans accusing Democrats of valuing diversity over experience, while Democrats charge Republicans with valuing a white male status quo above all else. This year both sides arguably ran identity-based campaigns. The reason so many women and members of other underrepresented groups ran in the first place was anger at feeling ignored, injured or insulted by the Trump administration, so their campaigns played out against that backdrop. At the same time, Trump supporters are older, whiter and more male than the nation as a whole, and candidates seeking their votes tended to play to those identities. Of most interest to those who study and strategize campaigns, however, was that so many of these identity appeals were indirect and oblique. Weve moved beyond You should vote for me because I will be the first, Dittmar said. Now its expressed as Here is my life experience, the life experience of a black woman or a transgender woman, and thats the perspective and experience I would bring to the job. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., left, and Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M. (Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images) That is the message that underrepresented candidates are being advised to give. What we teach the candidates that we train and support is that being LGBT is not why youre running, but it is part of who you are, says Annise Parker, who became the second woman mayor of Houston and the one of the few openly gay mayors of a large U.S. city when she served from 2010 to 2016. Now CEO and president of the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and Leadership Institute, which endorsed 272 LGBT candidates across the country in the midterms, 160 of whom won their races, Parker stresses that You present it as a part of your resume, one piece of what you have to offer. Which is what 29-year-old Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez was trying to convey when she launched her campaign by saying Women like me arent supposed to run for office, and eventually won her bid, becoming the youngest member of the incoming Congress. Its what former MMA fighter Sharice Davids was signaling when she ran a video of herself working out against a punching bag, promising to continue fighting for everyone whos ever been left out or left behind. While owning her identity as a lesbian and Native American, she avoided pointing out that this would make her the first of either group to represent Kansas in Congress. Her Third Congressional District, comprising Kansas City and its suburbs, is over 80 percent white and less than 1 percent Native American. Similarly, Deb Haaland opened her speeches by saying My name is Deb Haaland and Congress has never heard a voice like mine, and successfully campaigned to become the first Native American to represent New Mexico, a state that is roughly 10 percent Native American. In part candidates take this approach because they dont want to be elected merely because We check a box, Haaland said in an interview with Yahoo News. Its not like I just popped up and decided Ill run in order to be the first Native American woman. Ive been working in politics and policy long and hard and I have a lot to contribute. Democratic house candidate Sharice Davids prepares to speak to supporters at a victory party in Olathe, Kan., on Nov. 6, 2018. (Photo: Colin E. Braley/AP) And in part it is because voters fill in what candidates dont need to say directly. Its something that the voters are thinking about, particularly over the past two years, says Christina Bejarano, associate professor of political science at the University of Kansas and author of The Latina Advantage, a book about the growing political strength of Latina candidates. Diverse candidates do not prioritize running solely on their identity, she said. But when they talk about their experiences, their backgrounds, voters fill in the lines and understand that this reflects their identity and they will bring those experiences with them into office. Adds Haaland: There are certain groups of folks that have never had a voice in politics. I didnt campaign directly on that. But it was something that we wanted people to know about our campaign. And people did. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge meet with serving personnel during an official visit to RAF Akrotiri on December 5, 2018 in Akrotiri, Cyprus - WireImage The Duke of Cambridge has said "thank you" on behalf of the nation to Britain's Armed Forces serving overseas this Christmas and paid tribute their commitment and sacrifices. William's words of praise came as he and wife Kate visited Cyprus for a whirlwind tour of a military base to meet RAF personnel and other UK forces deployed to the Mediterranean island. After meeting air and ground crew from RAF Akrotiri and other forces in a hangar, William praised the efforts of Britain's Armed Forces. He said "Thank you for your commitment and thank you for your sacrifices. "We are in your debt and Catherine and I feel very lucky to be able to spend time with you today." Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge meet with serving personnel during an official visit to RAF Akrotiri on December 5, 2018 in Akrotiri, Cyprus Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage The couple came bearing Christmas gifts for RAF personnel from 11 Squadron, a Typhoon fighter unit based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and flying missions from the Cyprus base to combat Isis. The Cambridges staged a festive party in the grounds of Kensington Palace on Tuesday for families from Coningsby and RAF Marham, and collected the presents from children, partners and grandparents. The duke, a former RAF Search and Rescue helicopter pilot, said about the efforts of the military: "All of this work is done without fanfare. "You don't seek praise for your contribution. "It's not about credit or recognition - for you, it's just about service. "But as we approach Christmas, Catherine and I feel strongly that praise for your work and recognition of your sacrifices is exactly what is due to you all. "From my time in uniform, we both know a bit of what it feels like to balance your work commitments with your family life. "You all put duty first, and so do your families, some of whom we had the chance to meet yesterday at a party at Kensington Palace." The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg where judges heard a legal challenge from anti-Brexit campaigners (Reuters) The EUs top judges will deliver their ruling on whether the UK can unilaterally revoke Article 50 on the eve of the meaningful vote over the Brexit deal in the Commons, it has been revealed. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has announced its ruling on the case brought by pro-EU politicians will be delivered at 10am GMT on December 10. Thats just a day before MPs vote on whether or not to accept the Brexit deal brokered by prime minister Theresa May and EU leaders last month. It would deliver a timely boost to anti-Brexit campaigners if judges rule, as expected, that the UK could cancel its intention to leave without the EUs permission. The urgency with which the ruling will be delivered, which is unusual for the court, has seen it accused of acting politically. Former UKIP MP Douglas Carswell said the ruling is clearly timed to put pressure on UK politicians to fold so much for a neutral judicial body. Jolyon Maugham QC, who is representing the politicians behind the legal challenge, said the point of case was to ensure MPs had all the information they needed before voting on the deal The Court undoubtedly wants our Parliament to know what choices it has. That, after all, was the point of the case. Always surprising to me when a Brexiter thinks too much Parliamentary sovereignty is a bad thing https://t.co/FUdK5hEtNb Jo Maugham QC (@JolyonMaugham) December 6, 2018 The ECJ issued a statement explaining that the case was being fast-tracked in light of the urgency of the issue in terms of parliamentary consideration and voting. It is expected that judges will rule in favour of the case because they usually follow the lead of the EUs advocate general, who published a legal opinion earlier this week supporting the UKs right to cancel Brexit. Story continues At a hearing in Luxembourg last week, lawyers representing the UK government and European Union both argued that the case should be rejected. The EUs legal team argued that allowing the UK to unilaterally withdraw Article 50 would be a disaster for the European project because other countries could exploit the precedent in a bid to win better membership terms without having a real intention to leave. READ MORE: EU and UK join forces against Brexit legal challenge The EUs top lawyer argued the UK should need the unanimous support of EU member states to revoke Article 50, saying: The prerogative of acting alone will have been exhausted by putting the notification letter on the councils table. Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay made the same argument when asked about the impending judgement. If someone could revoke in essence they could go to the last day of a judgement and then revoke and retrigger the process, he said. That would make a mockery of the two-year period of Article 50 and that is why we dont think that is the right position. However, the EUs advocate general said not allowing a country to unilaterally withdraw Article 50 increases the risk of the member state leaving against its will. The case has been brought by a cross-party group of pro-EU politicians from Scotland, including Britains longest serving MEP David Martin, with the support of 200,000 in donations. After early setbacks in the Scottish courts, the case was finally referred to the ECJ in September and the UK governments attempts to have that decision overturned failed. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is under fire again. Image Source: Getty Images Internal Facebook documents under seal in a pending U.S. court case were released by a British parliamentary committee Wednesday in a report that could raise questions over how the social network has profited from and protected user data. The 250-page report claims Facebook entered whitelisting agreements allowing select third-party companies to maintain full access to users friends data after it supposedly ended the practice in 2015. The report suggests that Facebook gave preferential treatment to some companies by giving them access to users friends data, while blocking other companies access. It is not clear that there was any user consent for this The report, including a summary and exhibits, was compiled by parliament member, Damian Collins, Chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. He led an effort to seize the sealed documents from Ted Kramer, the founder of a folded app development company, Six4Three, which is suing Facebook for changing its Graph API, which let outside companies see the data of not only people who signed up for their apps, but also their friends data. The documents suggest that Facebook whitelisted certain outside companies so they could, in fact, see this data, after it changed its Graph API. It is not clear that there was any user consent for this, nor how Facebook decided which companies should be whitelisted or not, the report states. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg responded Wednesday in a post saying the released documents represent only part of the companys discussions leading up to changes made to its developer platform in order to shut down abusive apps in 2014 and 2015. The trove of exhibits accompanying the Committees summary, including internal Facebook emails, as well as communications between Facebook and outside companies like Lyft, Airbnb and Netflix, discuss whitelisting practices that permit outside companies continued access to users friend data. The Committee accuses Facebook of monetizing such access the data-sharing practice central to Facebooks Cambridge Analytica scandal at the expense of consumers. Story continues It is clear that increasing revenues from major app developers was one of the key drivers behind the Platform 3.0 changes at Facebook, the Committees report says about Facebooks decision to end developer access to the friends data API. The idea of linking access to friends data to the financial value of the developers relationship with Facebook is a recurring feature of the documents. In a statement posted to its corporate website, Facebook said, There is an important distinction between friends data and friend lists. In some situations, when necessary, we allowed developers to access a list of the users friends. This was not friends private information but a list of your friends (name and profile pic), the statement said. The Committees summary goes on to say that it appears that without customers knowledge, Facebook conducted surveys to determine how many people downloaded and used mobile apps. For Android users, the summary states, Facebook made it as hard as possible for users to know that an upgrade to the Facebook app enabled Facebook to collect a record of users calls and texts. The [Android] feature is opt in for users and we ask for peoples permission before enabling, Facebook stated. In response, Facebook has denied that it sold user data. A spokesperson for Facebook told Yahoo Finance, As weve said many times, the documents Six4Three gathered for their baseless case are only part of the story and are presented in a way that is very misleading without additional context. We stand by the platform changes we made in 2015 to stop a person from sharing their friends data with developers. Like any business, we had many of internal conversations about the various ways we could build a sustainable business model for our platform. But the facts are clear: weve never sold peoples data. We will shut down their friends API access today However, the report suggests that Facebook might have had other motivations for cutting off companies API access. A January 2013 email from Dan Rose, Facebooks former Vice President of Partnerships, references communication between Zuckerberg and Vice President Justin Osofsky concerning Twitters launch of the now-shuttered Vine app that, at the time, was capable of using Facebook to find friends. Unless anyone raises objections, we will shut down their friends API access today, an email from Osofsky says. Yup, go for it, a reply from Zuckerberg says. However, in his response Wednesday, Zuckerberg said Facebook changed its data sharing authorizations to curtail abuse. This change meant that a lot of sketchy apps like the quiz app that sold data to Cambridge Analytica could no longer operate on our platform, Zuckerberg wrote. Some of the developers whose sketchy apps were kicked off our platform sued us to reverse the change and give them more access to peoples data. Were confident this change was the right thing to do and that well win these lawsuits. Zuckerberg went on to say the companys data-sharing changes were prompted when more of its users moved from desktop to mobile platforms. Back when the main way people used Facebook was on computers, we supported the platform by showing ads next to developers apps on our website. But on mobile, Apples policies prevent us from letting apps run within Facebook and apps take the whole screen anyway, so we needed a new model to support this platform to let people log in and connect with other apps, Zuckerberg said. Like any organization, we had a lot of internal discussion and people raised different ideas. Ultimately, we decided on a model where we continued to provide the developer platform for free and developers could choose to buy ads if they wanted. A missing Florida womans family said their worst fears came true Tuesday night. Family members said they identified a body found buried behind an Airbnb in Central America as Carla Stefaniak, a Miami woman who vanished while celebrating her 36th birthday there. Costa Rican Authorities finally allowed the family of Carla to see the body, reads a Wednesday morning message on the Finding Carla Facebook page. Carlas father confirmed that the body belongs to Carla. ... Words cannot express the devastation within her family and friends. The body was found Monday in a wooded area behind the Villa Le Mas Airbnb where Stefaniak was staying in San Antonio de Escazu, a suburb of San Jose. Walter Espinoza, director of Costa Ricas Judicial Investigation Department, held a news conference on Tuesday. He said the body was found half-buried and covered with plastic bags. He did not discuss a possible cause of death. That same day, investigators arrested 32-year-old Bismarck Espinoza Martinez, a security guard at the villa where Stefaniak was staying, according to CBS News. Investigators said Martinez was taken into custody because he made contradictory statements to investigators, CBS News reported. Stefaniaks sister-in-law, April Burton, had accompanied her on vacation but left on Nov. 27 because of a prior commitment. Stefaniak, who stayed behind to enjoy an extra night, was scheduled to fly home the following day but never made her flight, authorities said. Burton said Stefaniak sent an alarming message to a friend the night before she was reported missing, saying, Its pretty sketchy here. Stefaniak then had a FaceTime exchange with another friend and said she was going to ask a security guard at the Airbnb to get her a bottled water, according to the family. That was the last conversation shes known to have had with anyone she knew. Story continues On Nov. 29, Costa Rican police put out an appeal for anyone who may have seen or had contact with Carla Stefaniak to come forward. (Photo: Instagram.com/carla_margarita) The Miami Herald reported that Stefaniak immigrated to the United States from Venezuela in 2000 and worked for a Miami insurance agency. Burton told First Coast News her sister-in-law was really friendly, extroverted [and] has a ton of friends. The Finding Carla Facebook page was created by her family and has been used as a place to share information about her disappearance. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. The remaining questions make the tragedy all the harder for her loved ones. Are we done here? We are not, her family wrote on Facebook. In the following days, we will release critical digital leads of the investigation, continue asking questions and make sure this case is not closed. Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the Judiciary Investigative Police in Costa Rica at 800-800-0645 or through WhatsApp at 8800-0645. Send David Lohr an email or follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Related Coverage Florida Woman Sent Ominous Message Before Disappearing In Costa Rica Body Found In Costa Rica Near Where Florida Woman Vanished Also on HuffPost Samantha Sayers Since Aug. 1, 2018, Samantha Sam Sayers, 28, has been missing in the mountains of Washington state. On the morning of her disappearance , Sayers made the two-hour drive from her Seattle home for a solo hike at Vesper Peak in the North Cascades in Snohomish County. She is familiar with the area and previously went hiking there several times. Samantha Sayers was supposed to contact her boyfriend, Kevin Dares, around 6 p.m. When she didnt, he went looking for her. He located her vehicle parked at the trailhead. Despite increasing darkness, he hiked 2 miles along the rocky pathway before he was forced to turn back. He then notified a local ranger station. According to the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office, a group of hikers reported seeing Samantha Sayers on her way up Vesper Peak around midmorning on Aug. 1. Another hiker reported seeing her the same day at the 6,220-foot summit and then he watched her head south from the summit. The search led by the sheriff's office was suspended on Aug. 23, 2018. Sayers' family has since taken over coordinating volunteer search efforts. Friends and family members are posting updates to a Facebook group, #findsamsayers. They are encouraging everyone to share her story using the hashtag #FindSamSayers. Anyone with any information is asked to call the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office at 425-388-3808 or 425-388-3523. Tamala Wells Tamala Wells, of Detroit, Michigan, disappeared on August 6, 2012. Her mother, Donna Wells-Davis, learned of her daughter's disappearance on Aug. 7, 2012, when she received a phone call from her granddaughter, who was then 6 years old. The little girl said that her mom, then 33, had gone out the previous night and never returned. The mystery deepened when the Pontiac Wells had supposedly been driving was found abandoned just a few blocks from her home. In an interview with HuffPost, the father of Wells' daughter denied any involvement in Wells' disappearance, but he didn't deny how he feels about the mother of his child -- or about the child herself. "She gives me a headache," Rickey Tennant said. "[Wells] used to give me a headache, but I dealt with it, and I'm looking at it right now as 'one headache is better than two headaches.'" READ: Ex-Boyfriend Calls Missing Woman One Less 'Headache' David Neily David Neily disappeared in Mendocino County, Calif., on April 14, 2006. Additional information can be found at this link: www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/21/donald-cavanaugh-david-neily-missing_n_4319266.html Neily was 69 years old when he was last seen. He was 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighed 150 pounds, and had gray hair, green eyes and a white beard. He suffered from stunted growth due to a heart murmur, and as a result his legs were not proportional to his body. Anyone with information asked to call Sgt. Jason Caudillo at (707) 468-3423 or the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office Anonymous tip line at (707) 234-2100. Jason Ellis Jason Ellis, of Indianapolis, has been missing since Dec. 3, 2006. According to Project Jason, Ellis disappeared from an apartment he shared with two roommates. One of the roommates allegedly told police that Ellis, then 20, had left and taken his belongings with him. However, Ellis' last two paychecks were untouched and his car was still parked at the residence. In 2010, authorities told local media that they suspect Ellis is the victim of a homicide, but investigators did not elaborate. At the time of his disappearance, Ellis was 160 pounds and 6 feet 1 inch tall. He had a tattoo of his mother's name, Neatrice, on his chest, tattoos of Scooby and Scrappy Doo on his left arm, and a tattoo of a maple leaf and his name on his right arm. Anyone with information regarding Ellis' disappearance is asked to call the Indianapolis Police Department at (317) 413-7440. Ann Marie Newark Authorities in New Braunfels, Texas, are trying to locate 53-year-old Ann Newark. According to the San Antonio Express-News, she was last seen on Sept. 12, 2013, leaving her New Braunfels home after a brief argument with a family member. Authorities said Newark suffers from depression and is believed to be armed with a handgun. She is described as 5 feet 2 inches tall and 160 pounds. She has blonde shoulder-length hair, hazel eyes and a scar on her throat. Anyone with information about Newark's whereabouts is asked to contact the New Braunfels Police Department at (830) 221-4100. Dara Hagans Dara Hagans, 32, of Wilmington, Del., was last seen on Oct. 16, 2013, when she left the Christiana Care healthcare facility on West 14th Street. According to Black & Missing Foundation Inc., Hagans suffers from a unspecified medical condition and there is a genuine concern for her safety and welfare. She may be operating a blue 2005 Ford Focus with Delaware registration 595519. Hagans is described as 200 pounds and 5 feet 3 inches tall. She has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call (877) 972-2634. Chad Cookson WTNH.com reports that Connecticut police are trying to locate Chad Cookson. The 44-year-old from Naugatuck was last heard from on Aug. 22, 2013, when he spoke with his son by telephone. Cookson's son told police his father was depressed because of the recent death of his mother. Cookson is described as 250 pounds and 5 feet 10 inches tall. He has brown hair and brown eyes. His vehicle, a red 2001 Pontiac Montana, with license plate 705-FET, is also missing. Anyone with information on Chad Cookson's whereabouts is asked to contact the Naugatuck Police Department at (203) 729-5221. William Culbreath William Culbreath, 77, of Volusia County, Fla., was last seen on Oct. 17, 2013, when he left his Deltona home to go to a doctor's appointment in Orange City. Culbreaths wife reported him missing when he did not return. According to police, Culbreath could be suffering from delusions. A description of the missing man has not been released. Investigators also are trying to locate his black 1997 Ford van with a gray stripe and Florida license tag number VA6257. Anyone with information about Culbreath's whereabouts is asked to contact the Volusia County Sheriff's Office at (407) 323-0151. Erik Lamberg Erik Lamberg, 51, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., has not been seen since May 28, 2013, when he checked out of a hotel in Laytonville. His vehicle was later found abandoned in Northern California. Despite several searches, authorities have been unable to locate the missing computer security technician. Lamberg is described as 6 feet 5 inches tall, 200 pounds with sandy blond hair and blue eyes. Anyone who may have seen Lamberg or has information about his whereabouts is asked to call the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office at (707) 463-4086. A website and Facebook page have been created to share information in the case. Tametre Taylor The Associated Press reports that Tennessee police are trying to locate Tametre Taylor. The 40-year-old from Memphis was last heard from on Oct. 11, 2013, when she spoke with her pastor by telephone. No additional details have been released. Anyone with information on Taylors whereabouts is asked to contact the Memphis Police Department at (901) 545-2677. Robert Mayer Robert Mayer, 46, of Dix Hills, N.Y., has not been seen since June 14, 2013. Robert Mayer's red 2004 Pontiac GTO was found in the parking lot of the Long Island Rail Road's Deer Park station the day after he disappeared. The keys were not inside the vehicle and according to Mayer's wife, the driver's seat was adjusted much farther forward than her husband typically kept it. Mayer is described as a white male, 6 feet 1 inch tall and about 200 pounds. He has brown hair and green-hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a gray polo-type work shirt with a J.C. Electrical logo, light blue jeans and black work boots. His left middle finger is missing the tip. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Suffolk County Police Second Squad detectives at (631) 854-8252. Kenneth Lawson Patricia Bryan has been looking for her father, Kenneth Lawson, since June 6, 2013. The 76-year-old was last seen at his home in Union Point, Ga. A number of exhaustive searches have been conducted. "We have had no leads on the whereabouts of my father," Bryan said. "He was not always in a state of confusion. He would have moments were he would check out or not know where he was, but this was not all the time. Up till my father went missing, I didn't realize just how many people with dementia and Alzheimer's went missing on a daily basis. The media does not do them justice." Crystal Rogers Crystal Rogers, a 35-year-old mother of five, was last seen at her from Bardstown, Kentucky home on July 3, 2015, by her live-in boyfriend, 34-year-old Brooks Houck. Bardstown is a small city located roughly 60 miles southwest of Lexington. Rogers' maroon 2007 Chevy Impala was found abandoned with a flat tire along Kentucky's Bluegrass Parkway two days after she disappeared. Her keys, purse and cell phone were reportedly found inside the car. Investigators have since named Houck a suspect in his girlfriend's disappearance. Crystal Rogers is described as a white female, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 150 pounds, with shoulder-length blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information in the case is asked to contact the Nelson County Sheriff's Office at 502-348-1840. READ: Search For Missing Mom Crystal Rogers Eerily Similar To Aunt's 1979 Disappearance Willie Michael Wheaton Willie Michael Wheaton, 57, was last seen at a Greyhound bus station in Jackson, Miss., on the evening of June 17, 2006. Wheaton boarded a bus that was en route to Sacramento, Calif., but it is unknown if he ever arrived. For more information, visit Blackandmissinginc.com. Jennifer Kesse Jennifer Kesse has been missing from Orlando, Fla., since Jan. 24, 2006. It is believed she was abducted from her apartment complex early that morning. On Jan. 26, 2006, Kesse's car was found abandoned at a condominium complex located roughly 1 mile down the road from where she lived. Valuables were found inside the vehicle, leading police to believe Kesse was not the victim of a robbery or carjacking. Police bloodhounds tracked a scent from where the car was found back to Kesse's condo, but the trail ended there. At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer Kesse was 24 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 135 pounds. She had shoulder-length sandy blonde hair and green eyes. Anyone with information in the case or who would like to donate to search efforts can do so at Findjenniferkesse.com. Tipsters can also call anonymously at 800-423-8477. Jacob Tipp Jacob "Jake" Lipp, 27, is missing from North Huntingdon, Pa., last seen Dec. 16, 2013, in Pittsburgh by his girlfriend. Lipp and his girlfriend were at Static Bar when they got into a fight and the girlfriend drove off, leaving Lipp at the McDonald's on Penn Avenue around 3 a.m. She came back to get him and he was gone. He has not been seen since. Lipp is 5 feet 6 inches, 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. (Missing Persons Of America) Lauren Spierer Lauren Spierer, 20, was last seen around 4:30 a.m. on June 3, 2011, just a few blocks from her apartment in Bloomington, Ind. Earlier in the night, Spierer had visited Kilroy's, a nearby sports bar that closes at 3 a.m. When she left the establishment, she left behind her shoes and cell phone, police said. After leaving the bar, Spierer reportedly went to the apartment of Corey Rossman, a fellow college student at the university, before deciding to walk home. What happened to her after that remains a mystery. She was reported missing less than 12 hours later. Bloomington police, Indiana University police, the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, Indiana State Police and the FBI have all conducted searches for Spierer. Lauren Spierer is described as a white female, 4 feet 11 inches tall with a slender build. She has blue eyes and blond hair. She was last seen wearing a white tank top with a light-colored shirt over it and black stretch pants. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Bloomington Police at 812-339-4477. Carlos Diaz Carlos Diaz, of Bronx, N.Y., disappeared on Dec. 23, 1986, after he went out to bury a family pet. He has not been seen since. He is described as a Hispanic male with brown hair and brown eyes. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds at the time of his disappearance. He has a tattoo of the initials C.D. on his left hand. For more information, visit Findthemissing.org. Vilet Torrez Vilet Patricia Torrez, 38, of Miramar, Fla., was last seen by a friend she met for dinner on the night of March 30, 2012. Authorities have declined to comment on where Torrez went for dinner and will not release the name of the person she was with. Torrez's movements after the dinner are also unknown, but the vehicle she was driving was later found at her residence in the 12900 block of Southwest 28th Court, a gated community off Miramar Parkway. Torrez was scheduled to work March 31 at her job with Bath Fitter in Doral, but she did not show up or call in. On April 2, Torrez was reported missing. Her estranged husband, Cid Torrez, has since been named a person of interest in her disappearance. Torrez is 5 feet 3 inches, weighs 125 to 130 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about her disappearance is asked to call Miramar police at (954) 602-4000 or Broward Crime Stoppers at (954) 493-TIPS. Michelle Parker Michelle Parker, 33, vanished on Nov. 17, 2011, the same day that her appearance with her ex-fiance, Dale Smith, aired on "The People's Court." The couple was in dispute over a $5,000 engagement ring. After hearing both sides, Judge Marilyn Milian ordered Parker to pay Smith $2,500. A few hours after the episode aired, Parker dropped her 3-year-old twins off at Smith's condo for scheduled visitation. Parker's 2008 black Hummer H3 was found the following day in a parking lot on the west side of Orlando. Decals for Parker's Glow mobile tanning business had been removed from the windows, police said. Police initially said that Smith was cooperating and was not considered a suspect, but during a later press conference he was named the primary suspect in Parker's disappearance. For more information, visit Find Michelle Parker. Nieko Lisi Nieko Lisi, 18, lives in Jasper, N.Y., about 40 miles from Elmira. According to relatives, Lisi was en route to Buffalo when he disappeared. He was last seen around 2 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2011, when he and friend Robert Knight, 20, stopped at Lisi's uncle's home in Addison, N.Y. Knight arrived at his parents' home in Michigan on the morning of Oct. 1, 2011. He allegedly told family members Lisi had dropped him off, but no one physically saw Lisi, police said. Lisi's family reported him missing and on Oct. 5, Michigan police went to talk to Knight about his friend's whereabouts. According to WETM-TV, Knight "suffered some sort of ailment" during police questioning and was hospitalized. Knight was released from the hospital on Oct. 9. The next day, Knight was found dead in his parents' home. Lisi is described as a white male, 5-foot-10-inches tall and 160 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo of Chinese writing on the back of his right arm, a large angel on his right side and a large woman with a devil's tail on his left side. He was last seen wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a silver cross necklace. Anyone with information about Lisi's whereabouts is asked to call New York State Police at (607) 776- 6866. Lisi's family is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to his whereabouts. Kelly Armstrong Kelly Armstrong, mother of a 2-year-old son, has been missing from Kokomo, Ind., since August 2011. Family members became concerned when they were unable to reach her. A missing person report was filed on Sept. 26, 2011. In February 2012, authorities charged Armstrong's boyfriend, Travis Funke, with voluntary manslaughter in her death. According to an arrest affidavit, Funke allegedly told investigators he killed Armstrong around the first of July, placing a plastic bag on her head, wrapping her in a tarp and putting her in a trash tote. The garbage container was supposedly picked up later that same day. Investigators spent six days sifting through 6,000 tons of trash at the local landfill, but were unable to locate Armstrong's remains. Armstrong's father, David Armstrong, doubts Funke's version of events. People interested in helping search or donating funds can do so at Operationfindkelly.yolasite.com. Anyone with information is asked to contact Kokomo police at 765-459-5101. Robyn Gardner Robyn Gardner was last seen in Oranjestad, Aruba, on Aug. 2, 2011, traveling with Gary Giordano, an acquaintance she met on a dating website. Giordano claimed Gardner was swept out to sea while snorkeling in waters off Baby Beach. Giordano, 50, allegedly told police he had noticed a current pulling them out to sea and signaled to Gardner that they should return to shore. But when he got to dry land, she was nowhere to be found. Authorities conducted an extensive search of the area, but were unable to locate the 35-year-old Maryland woman's body. On Aug. 5, police took Giordano into custody before he left Aruba. Authorities held Giordano for four months in Gardner's disappearance, but he was released without charges in early December. Gardner vanished in the same Aruban town where teenager Natalee Holloway disappeared in May 2005. Gardner's whereabouts, like Holloway's, remain a mystery. For more information, visit theRobyn Gardner Full Coverage page. William "Billy" Disilvestro Billy Disilvestro, 28, has been missing since Feb. 7, 2011, when his grandmother dropped him off at a friend's house in Hamilton, Ohio. At about 2:30 a.m., DiSilvestro placed two calls -- one to his mother and one to his grandmother. Both calls went unanswered. What happened to DiSilvestro after that remains a mystery. According to police, the friend said DiSilvestro left the house after attempting to contact his mother and grandmother -- presumably for a ride. It is believed he was headed to his grandmother's house about 2 miles away, which would take him through a forested area called Milikin Woods. Authorities have conducted several searches of the area, but have yet to find any sign of the missing man. DiSilvestro is described as a white male, 6 feet 2 inches tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing jeans and a gray winter coat with fur around the hood. DiSilvestro has several tattoos, including the word SMOKE across his back, Jesus carrying a cross on his upper right arm, and a large angel on his upper left arm. Anyone with information regarding this case should contact the Butler County Sheriff's Office at 513-785-1300. Susan Powell Susan Powell was reported missing by her family on Dec. 7, 2009, when she failed to show up for her job as a stockbroker at Wells Fargo Financial. Her husband, Josh Powell, told police he had been camping with their two children, then ages 2 and 4, and had last seen his wife around midnight. Suspicious of his story, investigators named Powell a "person of interest" in his wife's disappearance. Not long after, Powell and his two children moved back to his hometown of Puyallup, Wash. On Feb. 5, 2012, police say Josh Powell attacked his two boys, Charlie, 7, and Braden, 5, with a hatchet and then set his home on fire, killing the three of them in a gas-fueled explosion. Since that time, a mountain of evidence has emerged that supports law enforcement's decision to name Powell the prime suspect in his wife's disappearance. Nevertheless, her whereabouts remain a mystery. Natalee Holloway Natalee Holloway, 18, from Mountain Brook, Ala., disappeared May 30, 2005, while on a trip to Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation. Holloway's classmates said they last saw her leaving Carlos 'n Charlie's nightclub with Joran van der Sloot, then a 17-year-old Dutch honors student living in Aruba, and his two friends, Surinamese brothers Deepak and Satish Kalpoe. All three young men would be arrested in the case, but they were released without being charged. On Jan. 13, 2012, van der Sloot, now 24, was sentenced to 28 years in prison for the slaying of Stephany Flores on May 30, 2010. The Peruvian business student was found dead in van der Sloot's hotel room in Lima that year. Van der Sloot was charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the case. Holloway's body has never been found. Lakeisha Nichole Archie Lakeisha Nichole Archie was last seen on Aug. 5, 2002. A family member dropped her off at a residence in the vicinity of Park Street and Buckeye in Sidney, Ohio, and she has not been seen since. Archie has a tattoo that reads "Lakeisha" on the right side of her neck, a tattoo of a black panther on her left forearm and tattoos of claws on each breast. For more information, visit Blackandmissinginc.com. Jessie Foster Jessie Foster has not been seen since March 29, 2006. According to her mother, Foster was living in Kamloops, British Columbia, in the spring of 2005, when she began traveling to the United States. In May 2005, the then 21-year-old ended up going to Las Vegas. While in Las Vegas, Foster met a man and the two were quickly engaged to be married. The man was reportedly wealthy and the two lived together in a million-dollar home. In 2006, Foster stopped calling her family. Concerned, they contacted her fiance and he allegedly said Foster had left him in April 2006. Foster's family promptly reported her missing to police, but with few clues to follow, the case quickly went cold. Foster is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 120 pounds, with blonde hair and hazel eyes. Anyone with information is asked to call Las Vegas Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477. Foster's mother also maintains a website devoted to the case, which can be found at jessiefoster.ca. According to the site, a $50,000 dollar reward is being offered for information in the case. Jesse Ross Jesse Warren Ross was a 19-year-old sophomore when he vanished on Nov. 21, 2006, while attending a mock United Nations conference in Chicago. According to police, Ross was last seen at about 2:30 a.m., leaving the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, where a conference dance was held. Surveillance footage from the hotel does not indicate Ross was intoxicated when he left. He was likely heading to his hotel, the Four Points Sheraton, about 10 minutes away. What happened to Ross after he left remains a mystery. For more information, visit Findjesseross.com. Brittanee Drexel Brittanee Drexel, 17, was last seen by friends on April 25, 2009, when she left the Bar Harbor Hotel in Myrtle Beach, S.C., to meet friends at the nearby BlueWater Resort. Surveillance footage shows Drexel arriving at the resort, then leaving roughly 10 minutes later. What happened to her after that is a mystery. For more information, visit Helpfindbrittanee.com. Corrie Anderson Corrie Anderson, a 36-year-old mother of three from Chautauqua County, N.Y., was last seen at about 1 p.m. on Oct. 28, 2008. Family members reported Anderson missing at about 3:45 p.m. that day, when she failed to show up at her son's school for a meeting. Two days later, a hunter discovered Anderson's car abandoned about 2 miles from her house. Authorities used ATVs, helicopters and dogs to search areas of interest in the case, but there's been no sign of Anderson. For more information, visit Findcorrie.com. John James Morris John James Morris, 38, was last seen on July 30, 2007, in the driveway of his ex-boyfriend's residence on Whites Ferry Road in Dickerson, Md. According to police, Morris' ex-boyfriend was out of town on the day John stopped by to pick up his belongings. Morris has not used his credit card or cell phone since and, according to his family, he did not have his ADD (attention deficit disorder) medication with him when he disappeared. For more information, visit Findjohnmorris.com. Ahren Benjamin Barnard Ahren Barnard was last seen in Boise, Idaho, on Dec. 4, 2004. He dropped his young son off for the evening with the child's mother and presumably drove home. His car was later found parked in his driveway, but he has not been seen since. For more information, visit Helpfindahren.com. Roxanne Paltauf Roxanne Paltauf was 18 years old on July 7, 2006, when she disappeared from the Budget Inn hotel in Austin, Texas. According to Roxanne's mother, Elizabeth Harris, Roxanne had been staying at the hotel with her boyfriend. The couple had an argument and, according to the boyfriend, she left the hotel, leaving all of her belongings behind. For more information, visit Find Roxanne Paltauf. William "Billy" Smolinski William "Billy" Smolinski, was a 31-year-old resident of Waterbury, Conn., when he disappeared Aug. 24, 2004. Smolinski told a neighbor he was going out of town for a few days to look at a vehicle. He has not been seen since and his truck was later found in his driveway. His keys and wallet were found inside. Investigators searched Smolinski's home and truck, and conducted several interviews but found no clues suggesting what might have happened to him. For more information, visit Justice4billy.com. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. HOUSTON (AP) While the Trump administration focuses attention on migrant caravans trying to cross the southern U.S. border in California, migration is surging at the opposite end of the border in South Texas. Last weekend in the Rio Grande Valley, Border Patrol agents caught 1,900 people trying to cross the southern border illegally. Border agents in the Rio Grande Valley are apprehending around 680 people a day, compared to up to 145 arrests daily in San Diego, across the border from Tijuana, Mexico, where an estimated 6,000 people are waiting to cross. Raul Ortiz, the Border Patrol's acting chief for the Rio Grande Valley, said about a dozen people have claimed to have been part of a migrant caravan. About 380 people per day are adults with children, which the Border Patrol categorizes as "family units." About 75 unaccompanied minors are caught daily. They primarily come from Guatemala or Honduras, countries wracked by gang violence and poverty. The Border Patrol apprehended more 50,000 people on the southern border in October, the highest monthly number this year. Ortiz said migrant traffic has remained largely consistent through November. Many migrants are brought to the Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings, by human smugglers known as "coyotes" who charge thousands of dollars per head. About 2,600 soldiers were sent to South Texas by President Donald Trump , who ordered an active-duty military deployment in response to the caravans. The soldiers set up camp near the border crossing at Donna, Texas, and laid razor wire near several of the bridges spanning the Rio Grande, the river separating the U.S. and Mexico. Soldiers have remained in Texas even though the caravans headed west. Ortiz said the deployment and a previous National Guard mission had helped free up Border Patrol agents to apprehend migrants. But drug seizures have fallen slightly in the Rio Grande Valley, Ortiz said. Part of the reason why, he said, is "the amount of energy (the Border Patrol is) having to spend" on detaining large numbers of migrants. Story continues The unabated wave of migration has also led to surging numbers of adults and children being detained. A temporary detention facility for children in Tornillo, Texas, has continued to expand, with signs that the facility is becoming more permanent . Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, said the shelter she supervises is taking in 100 to 200 families daily. "People are coming in great numbers, and they haven't stopped," she said. Pimentel said she once asked a group of migrants why they continued to risk the journey knowing how difficult it would be to stay in the U.S. once they arrived. "They said, 'I have to come because it's worse if I stay home. It's more dangerous,'" she said. An Ohio father's video on Facebook of his daughter being forced to walk five miles to school after bullying fellow classmates on the bus has gone viral with over 15m views: Facebook A fathers attempt at stopping bullying in its tracks has gone viral after he recorded his daughter walking five miles to school as punishment for bullying her classmates on the bus. Matt Cox, who lives with his family in Ohio, filmed his 10-year-old daughter being forced to walk in the frigid cold after she was said to have repeatedly bullied other students at her elementary school. Bullying is unacceptable, Mr Cox says as he films his daughter from inside his car. He continues to trail his daughter as she lugs a backpack and bag down a narrow two-way street. This is my small way of trying to stop it in my household. The video, uploaded to Facebook after the incident occurred, has got 15m views and provoked an online debate about parenting and bullying. Mr Cox has stood firmly behind his decision, writing in a caption coinciding with the video, Still has all her extremities intact is happy and healthy and seems to have a new outlook on bullying as well as a new appreciation for some of the simple things in life she used to take for granted. I know a lot of you parents are not going to agree with this and that's alright, he says. I am doing what I feel is right to teach my daughter a lesson and to stop her from bullying. In the 10-year-old childs defence, she told local news outlet WTVG News that she, too, had been bullied and would be kind to others from this point on. Her father reportedly broke up the long trek to her school over a three day period in which she was suspended from riding the bus due to the incidents of alleged bullying. While many of the 63,000 comments under the video appeared supportive, some expressed disdain towards Mr Cox, noting the apparent irony in filming the ordeal. Humiliate her by putting her on Facebook being punished. Irony, one user wrote. Mr Cox has said he hopes the video and incident will cause parents to start holding their kids accountable. Donald Trump sits with former presidents at George H.W. Bush's funeral. Donald Trump crossed paths with Bill and Hillary Clinton for the first time since his Inauguration Day, and it went about as well as everyone probably expected. President Trump sat in the same row as past presidents at the funeral of George H.W. Bush on Wednesday, and video from the Guardian caught what appeared to be a tense moment between him and the couple he frequently assails on social media. As Trump made his way to the pew at the National Cathedral, he stopped to shake hands with Barack and Michelle Obama while Jimmy Carter gave him a nod from down the row. Three seats down, Bill Clinton also turned his head to Trump. Hillary refused to even look at him. Click here to continue and read more... By Liz Hampton HOUSTON (Reuters) - The body of U.S. President George H.W. Bush arrived by train at his presidential library in College Station, Texas, on Thursday to be buried following a funeral at a Houston church where he was remembered by family members who knew him best as "Gampy." Bush's casket was carried to his grave behind his presidential library by a military honour guard, while a squadron of Navy aircraft did a flyover, in a ceremony overseen by his son and former President George W. Bush. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, died last week in Texas at 94. His remains were flown to Texas on Wednesday following a state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral attended by President Donald Trump, the four living former presidents and foreign leaders. Thursday's funeral service was held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, where Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush worshipped for more five decades, and took on a more personal tone with remarks by family members. George W. Bush, who followed his father to the White House, sat in a front pew near the flag-draped casket and joined in as some 1,000 mourners sang "America the Beautiful." George P. Bush, son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and one of the former president's 17 grandchildren, remembered fly fishing and sharing ice cream with the man he called "Gampy." James Baker, a longtime friend who served as Bush's secretary of state, eulogized the former president as a peacemaker and "a truly beautiful human being." "He was not considered a skilled speaker, but his deeds were quite eloquent and he demonstrated their eloquence by carving them into the hard granite of history," Baker said. Mourners laughed as Baker recalled how Bush would let him know a conversation was over: "'Baker, if you're so smart, why am I president and you're not?'" His voice cracking at moments, Baker said he was at his friend's deathbed last week. Story continues Raised in an Episcopalian family in Massachusetts, Bush fused his preppy New England background with the more free-wheeling traits of his adoptive state of Texas, where he moved as a young man to work in the oil industry. That mix was reflected in the music heard at his funeral: the St. Martin's Parish Choir sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," country music star Reba McEntire performed "The Lord's Prayer," and the casket was carried out of the church to the thunderous strains of "Onward Christian Soldiers." LOCOMOTIVE 4141 Following the funeral service, Bush's remains were taken by train some 80 miles (130 km) northwest to his presidential library in College Station, Texas, where he will be buried alongside his wife, Barbara, who died in April, and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia at age 3 in 1953. Residents of small towns along the route gathered to wave at the train, a Union Pacific Corp locomotive numbered 4141 and bearing the name "George Bush 41" on the side, as it passed. Bush, a U.S. Navy aviator who narrowly escaped death when he was shot down by Japanese forces over the Pacific Ocean during World War Two, will be buried with military honours, including a flyover by 21 Navy aircraft. Bush was president from 1989 to 1993, navigating the collapse of the Soviet Union and expelling former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from oil-rich Kuwait. He supported the passage of the American with Disabilities Act, a major civil rights law protecting disabled people from discrimination. A patrician figure who served as vice president to Ronald Reagan, Bush lost re-election to a second term in part for failing to connect with ordinary Americans during an economic recession. He has also been criticized for supporting tough drug laws that led to the disproportionate incarceration of black people, as well as what activists call an insufficient response to the AIDS epidemic. But tributes in recent days have focused on the former Republican president as a man of integrity and kindness who represented an earlier era of civility in American politics. (Reporting by Liz Hampton in Houston; Additional reporting by Gary McWilliams in Houston, Steve Holland in Washington and Jonathan Allen in New York; Writing by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Frances Kerry and Peter Cooney) SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) The Republican elected to oversee Georgia's elections for the next four years will inherit an office tasked with replacing the state's aging electronic voting machines, ensuring security flaws that exposed voters' personal information to potential hacks have been patched and dealing with several lawsuits that allege voter suppression marred the 2018 midterms. "We are moving forward as fast as we can," Brad Raffensperger said Wednesday, acknowledging the big workload he faces as Georgia's next secretary of state. "It's a full plate." The Republican state lawmaker won a runoff election Tuesday to become the state's new elections chief, defeating former Democratic congressman John Barrow. Their race gained unusual attention after GOP Gov.-elect Brian Kemp, who stepped down as secretary of state the day after the November election, was loudly criticized by Democrats for overseeing his own election and accused of suppressing votes to improve his odds of winning allegations Kemp strongly denies. Perhaps the biggest challenge Raffensperger will face: restoring the rattled confidence of Georgia voters. "I think this election brought a lot of, I guess you could say, the underbelly of elections into the light," said Cathy Cox, a Democrat who served as secretary of state from 1999 through 2007 and is now the dean of Mercer University's law school. A federal judge scolded state elections officials ahead of November for failing to replace paperless electronic voting machines despite experts' warnings that they're vulnerable to hacking. Meanwhile, the secretary of state's office has faced criticism at least three times since 2015 for security breaches that risked exposing information on millions of Georgia voters. A sweeping lawsuit filed after the election by Fair Fight Action, a nonprofit backed by Democratic gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams, alleges broad violations of citizens' rights and asks that Georgia be required to get a federal judge's approval before enacting any voting rules to ensure that the change won't disenfranchise minorities. Other pending lawsuits challenge Georgia's rejection of absentee ballots with signatures that don't match those on file or when certain information is missing or inaccurate. Story continues Voters at some Georgia precincts also faced wait times of two hours or more Nov. 6 as the state saw record turnout for a non-presidential election. Even Kemp had problems with his voting card when he tried to cast his ballot, though the issue was fixed quickly. In a phone interview Wednesday, Raffensperger said he hopes to get state lawmakers to approve and fund a new, more secure voting system in time for Georgia's municipal elections next fall. That would allow election officials and voters to try out the new system before the presidential primaries in 2020. As for problems voters encountered at the polls this year, Raffensperger said they seem to have been "rather minor" overall and largely were caused by glitches by election officials at the county level. Like Kemp, he fiercely denied arguments that officials tried to dampen turnout among poor and minority voters, citing record turnout last month and big increases in voter registration. "There was no concerted effort of any suppression whatsoever," Raffensperger said, adding he would be open to a review of "what went right and what went wrong" with the election. Asked how he plans to restore confidence in voters worried about the fairness and integrity of elections, he said a new voting system that's "cyber-secure" and has an auditable paper trail should go a long way. "I think that's going to give voters confidence their ballot never changed after it left their hands," Raffensperger said. Cox said she also suspects many of Georgia's voting problems this year were "unintentional and might even border on negligence," as opposed to being efforts at outright suppression. She said some issues could be easily be remedied, such as what she called an outdated requirement that voters write their birthdate on the outside of the envelopes used for mail-in absentee ballots. Regardless of intentions, voters' faith in elections has been shaken since at least the 2016 presidential campaign as candidates' rhetoric has increasingly cast doubt on the fairness of the system, said Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia. "This year in Georgia it's been Democrats saying there's something wrong with the system and you can't trust it. But two years ago who was saying it? Donald Trump," Bullock said. "We've gotten to some degree where both sides are saying our electoral system cannot be trusted. And that's kind of a bad message to be putting out." WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives may decide not to seat a North Carolina Republican currently embroiled in a voter fraud controversy after they take control in January, a top Democrat said on Tuesday. Representative Steny Hoyer, who will take on the powerful role of House majority leader next month, told reporters that if there was "a very substantial question on the integrity of the election" Democrats would oppose seating Republican Mark Harris until the matter is resolved, according to a transcript of Hoyer's remarks provided by his office. Harris edged out Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes in the Nov. 6 congressional election. But the validity of hundreds of mail-in absentee ballots from a rural county has been called into question, and the state elections board declined to certify Harris while it investigates fraud claims. It is the second time in as many years the board has considered voter fraud accusations in Bladen County. Harris has asked the state's board of elections to certify his victory while it carries out the investigation. If North Carolina authorities find sufficient evidence of fraud to cast doubt on the Nov. 6 result, they could order a new election. CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY Hoyer said the House has the constitutional authority to rule on the propriety of the election and decide whether Harris could take his seat, should the controversy drag on. The House Administration Committee can investigate elections and make recommendations, including calling for a new vote. The North Carolina Democratic Party said Bladen County residents made sworn affidavits that individuals came to their homes and collected absentee ballots that they had not filled in, saying they would do it for them. Local television station WSOC interviewed two women who said they were paid by elections consultant Leslie McCrae Dowless to collect absentee ballots and deliver them to him. Dowless worked for the political consulting firm Red Dome, which was on the payroll of the Harris campaign, according to WSOC. Neither Dowless nor Red Dome responded to requests for comment. It is illegal in North Carolina for a third party to turn in absentee ballots. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert in Washington; additional reporting by Andrew Hay; editing by Bill Tarrant and Leslie Adler) Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou had been detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday adding that Ms Meng was being sought for extradition by the US. Mr McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide any further details. The ban was sought by Ms Meng, who is due to appear in court for a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that US authorities were investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei had violated sanctions on Iran. Ms Meng is also deputy chairwoman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. A US Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Huawei said the company was not aware of any wrongdoing by the executive. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that US authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Ms Hua said in April, We hope the US will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the US business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp from exporting US technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. Mr Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. That is widely seen as part of a broader effort by Washington to respond to intensifying competition with Chinese technology industries that Trump says benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. Story continues Last month New Zealand blocked Huawei from rolling out 5G mobile coverage over national security fears, following scrutiny of the firm by the UK, Japan and others. BT has said it will remove the companys technology from its networks over spying fears. Huawei has insisted the Beijing government has no influence over its work. Additional reporting by AP Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou had been detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday adding that Mr Meng was being sought for extradition by the US. Mr McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide any further details. The ban was sought by Mr Meng, who is due to appear in court for a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that US authorities were investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei had violated sanctions on Iran. Mr Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. A US Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Huawei did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that US authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Ms Hua said in April, We hope the US will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the US business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp from exporting US technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. Mr Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. That is widely seen as part of a broader effort by Washington to respond to intensifying competition with Chinese technology industries that Trump says benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. Story continues Last month New Zealand blocked Huawei from rolling out 5G mobile coverage over national security fears, following scrutiny of the firm by the UK, Japan and others. Additional reporting by AP By Julie Gordon and Christian Shepherd VANCOUVER/BEIJING (Reuters) - The daughter of Huawei's founder, a top executive at the Chinese technology giant, was arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, stirring up fears it could reignite a Sino-U.S. trade row and roiling global stock markets. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, 46, who is Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, threatens to drive a wedge between the United States and China just days after they agreed a 90-day trade war truce in Argentina on Saturday - the day she was detained. Meng's arrest, revealed late on Wednesday by Canadian authorities, is related to U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the possible violations. People familiar with the matter told Reuters in April that U.S. authorities have been investigating Huawei, the world's largest telecoms equipment maker, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws. The arrest and any potential sanctions on the world's no. 2 smartphone maker could have major repercussions on the global technology supply chain. U.S. and Asian shares tumbled as news of the arrest heightened anxiety over prospects of a collision between the world's two largest economic powers, not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. Huawei is not listed, but China's second-largest telecom equipment maker, ZTE Corp, sank nearly 6 percent in Hong Kong while most of the nearby national bourses lost at least 2 percent. U.S. stocks also started lower, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.16 percent, the S&P 500 down 1.35 percent and the Nasdaq Composite down almost 2 percent at the opening bell. Investors rushed to the safety of government debt, pushing the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note back below 2.9 percent to its lowest level in three months. Story continues Huawei is already under intense scrutiny from Washington and other western governments over its ties to the Chinese government, driven by concerns it could be used by Beijing for spying. It has been locked out of the U.S. and some other markets for telecom gear. Huawei has repeatedly insisted Beijing has no influence over it. Meng, one of the vice chairs on the company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Trump and Xi had dined in Buenos Aires on Dec. 1 at the G20 summit. Huawei, which generated $93 billion in revenue last year, confirmed the arrest. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," it said in a statement. She was detained while transferring flights in Canada, it added. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing on Thursday that China had asked Canada and the United States for an explanation of Meng's arrest, but they have not provided any clarification". The Chinese consulate in Vancouver has been providing her assistance, he added, declining further comment. On Wednesday, China's embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for her immediate release. In April, the sources told Reuters the U.S. Justice Department probe was being handled by the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn also declined to comment. 'EXTREMELY SHOCKING' Lu Xiang, an expert on China-U.S. relations at the state-backed Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, called Meng's arrest extremely shocking. "If someone from the United States is hoping to use threats to an individuals personal safety in order to add weight in the talks, then they have most certainly miscalculated," he said. Arthur Kroeber, founder of Gavekal Dragonomics, said Beijing was unlikely to retaliate against the U.S. business community in China because its interests have partly overlapped with Chinas in the trade war, giving Beijing some leverage. Jia Wenshan, a professor at Chapman University in California, said the arrest "runs a huge risk of derailing the U.S.-China trade talks." While Meng's arrest comes at a delicate time in U.S.-China relations, it was not clear if the timing was coincidental. The probe of Huawei is similar to one that threatened the survival of China's ZTE Corp, which pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran in efforts to curb Tehran's missile and nuclear programs. Earlier this year, the United States banned U.S. firms from selling parts and software to ZTE, which eventually paid $1 billion as part of a deal to get the ban lifted. Huawei has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and other regulations. News of the arrest came the same day Britain's BT Group said it was removing Huawei's equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. In January 2013, Reuters reported that Hong Kong-based Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran's largest mobile-phone operator, had much closer ties to Huawei than previously known. Meng, who also has used the English names Cathy and Sabrina, served on the board of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009, according to Skycom records and several other past and present Skycom directors appear to have connections to Huawei. Meng's arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse praised the move and said that it was "for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran." He added: "Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes it's laundered through many of Beijing's so-called 'private' sector entities." (Reporting by Makini Brice and Karen Freifeld; Additional reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver, David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Diane Bartz in Washington, Tony Munroe and Christian Shepherd in Beijing, Josh Horwitz and John Ruwitch in Shanghai and Jessie Pang in Hong Kong; Writing by Anne Marie Roantree and Tomasz Janowski; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall, Muralikumar Anantharaman and Susan Thomas) Canadian officials have jeopardized tighter trade ties with the worlds second largest economy in arresting the heiress apparent of telecom giant Huawei Technologies, according to Chinese-Canadian relations experts monitoring the situation. Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of the Huaweis founder and a top executive widely believed to be in line to lead the company, is reported to be facing extradition to the United States for allegedly violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. The 46-year-old was arrested by Canadian authorities in Vancouver on Saturday. Gordon Houlden, director of the University of Albertas China Institute, expects Chinese officials will be unforgiving towards Canada for its role in the incident. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson has demanded the U.S. and Canada justify the arrest, and referred to Wanzhous detention as a human rights violation, a charge often leveled at Beijing. It is being seen by as a hostile act, Houlden told Yahoo Finance Canada on Thursday. Houlden added that Canada doesnt have much wiggle room when it comes to extradition requests from south of the border, noting that a Canadian judge does not have to rule on Wanzhous guilt or innocence before handing her over to U.S. authorities for trial. The Chinese have difficulty accepting that there is really no possibility of interference in a decision like this, he said. The idea that no one here, not even the prime minister, can call up a judge and tell them what to do. They have trouble understanding that. Huawei recently surpassed Apple as the second-biggest smartphone maker, and is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. In China, the company is seen as a symbol of technological prowess and economic achievement. Wanzhous arrest threatens the delicate 90-day truce in the U.S.-China trade war that the two nations agreed to at the recent G20 meeting. For Canada, the arrest could sour the chances of improving trade ties with Beijing as Ottawa looks to strike more global economic allies in the wake of the NAFTA 2.0 skirmish with the U.S. Story continues This is really not good for the Chinese-Canadian Trade relationship, Sui Sui, a Canada-China trade expert and professor at Ryerson Universitys Ted Rogers School of Management, told Yahoo Finance Canada. She said Canada could also face backlash from Huawei, which employees over 500 people in the country and operates research facilities in Toronto, Ottawa and Waterloo, Ont. The company is currently the third largest hardware supplier to Telus Corp. (T.TO), and has stuck partnerships with both BCE Inc. (BCE.TO) and Telus on 5G wireless projects. It could jeopardize all of this, Sui said of the arrest. Of course, Huawei is a global company and wants to expand into foreign countries. They may see that Canada has to do this, and the Canadian investment relationship is important. Houlden said he expects China will take a wait-and-see approach for the time being, but warns officials may also opt for a tit-for-tat response against the U.S. I would not be astounded if a U.S. individual were arrested, he said. You can expect it to be a business person charged with something like industrial espionage or tax evasion or something like that. Houlden believes Huawei will prioritize business, and continue working towards approval for a 5G network with its Canadian partners. As for Hauwei and Beijings attitude towards the U.S., thats another story, he said. Imagine if Bill Gates daughter, lets say she played a prominent role at Microsoft, and she was arrested, Houlden said. The reaction of the U.S. government would be very strong. Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android. Donald Trump and Jared Kushner Russia investigation Special Counsel Robert Mueller set off a wave of speculation with his court filing Tuesday detailing how former Donald Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn had helped with the Russia probe by cooperating extensively with Muller and his team. But Mueller left large portions of the document blacked out, as the Inquisitr reported, leaving experts and journalists to wonder what, exactly, Flynn told Mueller and who in Trumps inner circle he implicated. But according to an investigative journalist for Bloomberg News, Tim OBrien, who authored a 2005 biography of Trump, there is one person in particular other than Trump himself who should worry about what Flynn told Mueller, and that is perhaps the closest person to Trump in his administration. The person he is referring to is 37-year-old Jared Kushner, who is not only Trumps senior White House adviser but as the husband of Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump, Trumps own son-in-law. Click here to continue and read more... If Joanna Jedrzejczyk beats Valentina Shevchenko on Saturday at UFC 231, shes said shell have earned the right to be considered the greatest womens mixed martial artist of all-time. (Getty Images) Joanna Jedrzejczyks voice, bubbly and filled with excitement and joy, came on the other end of the telephone. She started with an apology. She was listening to the hold music, and somehow, it got her fired up for her fight against Valentina Shevchenko for the vacant flyweight title on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 231 at the Scotiabank Centre in Toronto. I cant wait, Jedrzejczyk said of her fight with Shevchenko. My whole career, I have tried to make history and on [Saturday], Ill be making history again. Ive always looked for the biggest challenges and Ill be the first woman in history to be champion in two weight classes in the UFC. Before she was asked a question, she went on and on, clearly excited, clearly motivated. She trains at American Top Team and is one of three women at the gym to fight for a world title in December. Jedrzejczyk goes first for the UFC flyweight belt on Saturday against Shevchenko. Then, ex-UFC fighter Valerie Letourneau faces Ilima-Lei Macfarlane for the Bellator flyweight belt on Dec. 15. The month concludes with UFC bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes, an ATT product, challenging Cris Cyborg at UFC 232 in Las Vegas for the featherweight title. Ill get it started the right way, Jedrzejczyk said. Jedrzejczyk knows Shevchenko well. They fought in Muay Thai three times, with Shevchenko winning each of them. The last fight was in 2008 and Jedrzejczyk dismisses it out of hand as being a factor on Saturday. Totally different in almost every way, Jedrzejczyk said of Saturdays bout relative to their three Muay Thai fights. Weve both changed. Im stronger, faster and more sharp. I have more skills to beat Valentina. I wasnt experienced then like I am now. She is a tough fighter and I agree with that, but I am a better and smarter athlete now and that will be a difference. Valentina Shevchenko and Joanna Jedrzejczyk face off during the UFC 231 press conference on Dec. 5, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Getty Images) If Jedrzejczyk wins, shes said shell have earned the right to be considered the greatest womens mixed martial artist of all-time. Shell be the first to hold belts in two divisions in the UFC, but her primary challenge for the honor of womens GOAT will come from Cyborg. Story continues Among the others who would be in the discussion would be Megumi Fujii, Holly Holm, Nunes and Ronda Rousey. Fujis last fight was five years ago and she fought in an era where there werent nearly as many women competing. Holm put herself into the conversation by destroying Rousey, and would have probably gotten the nod had she defeated Cyborg, but Holm lost both of her title fights at featherweight. Nunes beat Rousey, Miesha Tate, Shevchenko and Germaine de Randamie, who beat Holm to win the inaugural UFC womens featherweight belt. If Nunes beats Cyborg, it would be hard to deny her given the quality of opposition shed have beaten. Still, that Jedrzejczyk is even in the conversation is testament to her skill. And now that she is fighting at a more natural weight and not having to struggle to get to the 115-pound strawweight limit, she figures to be better. Whether thats enough to defeat Shevchenko, who beat Holm and Julianna Pena at bantamweight and lost a razor-thin decision for the title to Nunes, remains to be seen. Shevchenko seems like the bigger and stronger fighter, but Jedrzejczyk has no concern with that. Im not fighting Gabi Garcia, she said, dismissively, referencing the giant 6-foot-2, 230-pound jiu-jitsu ace. I have a big heart and I have the skills. That is what this fight is about, my skills versus hers. Jedrzejczyks volume punching is something Shevchenko hasnt had to deal with in a while and it creates a type of pressure that can change a fight. Shevchenko complimented Jedrzejczyk and said, I dont see too many weaknesses; if you do, please tell me, and then laughed heartily. Jedrzejczyk herself is laughing because she feels so good and is confident the belt will once again be around her waist. So many great things are happening in my life, personally and as an athlete, she said. Im a person with big goals and high ambition and I am going to show who I am as a person and an athlete. And after this fight, everyone will be saying, There she goes. She is the greatest of all-time. Thats the kind of fight it will be. You will see this. More from Yahoo Sports: NFL scolded by Cowboys Elliott for Salvation Army fine Cleveland police add new wrinkle to Kareem Hunt case Chiefs love how QB addressed Hunt scandal Bus carrying HS hoops team in fatal wrong-way collision Republican legislators in Wisconsin have voted to limit the powers of the incoming Democrat governor and state attorney general after losing the two key positions in the 2018 midterm elections. With the state government divided for the first time in ten years, the Wisconsin Senate voted before sunrise to pass a series of measures empowering the GOP-controlled legislature while weakening the Democrat replacing Republican Governor Scott Walker. The lame-duck sessions controversial vote took place despite weeks of protests and internal disagreement, effectively reducing the powers of incoming Democratic Governor-elect Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul, both of whom spoke out against the sweeping bill. Critics have spoken out against the measures as well, with two dozen health care providers, insurers and hospitals across the state warning they could pose unintended consequences to Medicaid. The measure passed 17-16 with all Republicans in the legislature except one in support. All Democratic legislators voted against the bill. Mr Walker has previously expressed his support for the measure, which would prevent his Democratic replacement from withdrawing a federal waiver request to implement the work requirement for able-bodied adults younger than 50. Among the proposals related to Medicaid, the bill requires new legislative oversight of waiver requests related to health care made by the governor, a move Democrats decried as a power shift designed to handcuff the new administration. The bill would weaken the governors ability to put in place rules that enact laws and shield the state jobs agency from his control until September. It would also limit early voting to no more than two weeks before an election, a restriction similar to what a federal judge ruled was unconstitutional. Why are we here today? Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz said as the debate of more than nine hours began late Tuesday night. What are we doing? Nothing were doing here is about helping the people of Wisconsin. Its about helping politicians. Its about power and self-interest. Story continues As debate resumed at 5:00 am local time, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling said, This is a heck of a way to run a railroad. She added, This is embarrassing were even here. Republican and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos countered that the bills would ensure a balance of power between the Legislature and the executive branch. The Wisconsin Assembly, also controlled by Republicans, later passed the bill in the early morning, sending it to the governors desk for consideration. Wisconsin lawmakers in both the legislature and the assembly throughout Wednesday are expected to continue debating the rest of the proposals designed to limit incoming Democrats. The proposal would also weaken the attorney generals office by requiring a legislative committee, rather than the attorney general, to sign off on withdrawing from federal lawsuits. That would stop Mr Evers and Mr Kaul from fulfilling their campaign promises to withdraw Wisconsin from a multi-state lawsuit seeking repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Both Democrats made opposition to that lawsuit a central part of both of their campaigns. The first thing Scott Walker did when he walked through the door of the Capitol was to create chaos, Democratic Senator Jon Erpenbach said during Senate debate. The last thing he is doing is creating chaos. Associated Press contributed to this report Japan's Coast Guard ship is seen at sea during a search operation for US Marine refueling plane and fighter jet: AP A major search is underway after two US Marine planes collided mid-air and crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Japan's south-western coast. Rescuers have so far found two of the seven crew members from an F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refuelling aircraft. One of the crew members was described as being in a stable condition while details about the second have not yet been released. The jets crashed on 6 December at 2am during a regular refuelling training exercise. . The planes took off from their base in Iwakuni, near Hiroshima in western Japan and crashed 200 miles off the coast, according to the US military. Japanese officials said it occurred closer to the coast, about 60 miles, and that is where the search and rescue mission found two crew members. The two aircraft were carrying seven crew members in total, two in the F/A-18 and five others in the KC-130, when they collided and crashed into the sea south of the Muroto Cape on Shikoku island. The cause of the crash is under investigation. The crash is the latest in recent series of accidents involving the US military deployed to and near Japan. Last month, a US Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japan's southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued safely. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors. More than 50,000 US troops are based in Japan under the bilateral security pact. Agencies contributed to this report HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) A member of the notorious "Texas 7" gang of escaped prisoners was executed Tuesday evening for the fatal shooting of a suburban Dallas police officer during a Christmas Eve robbery nearly 18 years ago. Joseph Garcia received a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the December 2000 shooting death of 29-year-old Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins. Asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Garcia replied: "Yes, sir." "Dear heavenly Father, please forgive them, for they know not what they do," Garcia said. He then paused, for nearly a minute, before speaking again as the muffled revving of motorcycles outside the prison ridden by a group of bikers who support police could be heard inside the death chamber. "To some of you," Garcia said, pausing again as the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital apparently had already started. "They've already started and I ain't even finished," he said. He gasped three times and snored twice before all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead at 6:43 p.m. Garcia, 47, became the 22nd inmate put to death this year in the U.S. and the 12th given lethal injection in Texas, the nation's busiest capital punishment state. Garcia, who was serving a 50-year sentence for murder, was among a group of inmates who escaped from a South Texas prison that month and committed numerous robberies, including the one in which they shot Hawkins 11 times, killing him. Hawkins had just finished Christmas Eve dinner with his family when he responded to the call about the robbery at a sporting goods store and was ambushed. The escaped inmates were eventually arrested in Colorado, ending a six-week manhunt. One of them killed himself as officers closed in and the other six were convicted of killing Hawkins and sentenced to death. Garcia was the fourth of the group put to death. Two others remain on death row. Story continues Garcia's attorneys had asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution, arguing he never fired his gun at Hawkins or intended to kill him. One of his lawyers, J. Stephen Cooper, said prosecutors didn't have any information that showed his client was one of the shooters. "He didn't do anything violent or prepare or encourage anybody else to do anything violent," Cooper said. The high court rejected Garcia's appeals Tuesday evening. Garcia was convicted under Texas' law of parties, in which a person can be held responsible for another individual's crime if he or she assisted or attempted to help in the commission of that crime. At the time of the prison break, Garcia was serving time for the slaying of Miguel Luna Jr. in San Antonio. Luna's parents and his three daughters were among witnesses to Garcia's execution, along with two friends of Hawkins. They did not make themselves available to reporters following the punishment. Toby Shook, the lead prosecutor who handled Garcia's case and the five others who were tried, said that while authorities couldn't narrow down which escaped inmate used which gun to shoot Hawkins, the inmates acted as a team to commit the robbery and the officer's murder. Shook said Garcia's case is a clear example of why the law of parties is needed in certain cases. "He was up to his ears in murder and mayhem out there. He was actively participating in everything," said Shook, now a defense attorney in Dallas. Shook said Garcia's execution will be another step to getting closure for Hawkins' family and law enforcement. "Ultimately, we can finally close the book on them when the punishments are all completed," he said. ___ Lozano reported from Houston. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 Michael Avenatti, the hard-charging lawyer representing the porn star Stormy Daniels, said Tuesday that he will not run for President in 2020. In a statement, Avenatti said that his decision came after consulting with his family, who had requested that he not seek the Democratic nomination, as he had indicated he might. I do not make this decision lightly I make it out of respect for my family, he said. But for their concerns, I would run. Avenatti had made his intentions clear in the past few months, appearing at dozens of Democratic events across the country and consulting with strategists. While his chances of securing the nomination always seemed to be a long shot, his pitch that the Democrats needed their own version of Trump undoubtedly seemed to appeal to some voters. Michael has picked up the corpse of the Democratic Party and breathed some life into it, David Betras, a lawyer in Youngstown, Ohio who chairs the Mahoning County Democratic Party and was among the first people Avenatti consulted about a run, told TIME earlier this year. But in recent months, Avenattis own marital and financial controversies had become fodder for their own headlines. A TIME investigation published in October revealed he was enmeshed in a multitude of professional and personal disputes including IRS probes, long-running lawsuits against him and his firm, and a contentious, expensive divorce. In October, a California judge ordered him to pay a former partner, Jason Frank, $4.85 million a sum that has still not been paid, according to Franks attorney Eric George. That same day, court documents showed his firm, Eagan Avenatti, was evicted from its office in a Newport Beach building for allegedly failing to pay rent for the past four months. (Avenatti says he is no longer associated with the firm.) Earlier this month, he was accused of domestic violence, an allegation he has denied. And as of October, he was still in the middle of a divorce with his wife, Lisa Storie-Avenatti, who told TIME their separation was nowhere near finalized. Storie-Avenatti did not immediately respond to an immediate request for comment about his decision to forego a presidential run. Story continues His personal woes, however, were also compounded by professional ones. He inserted himself into the contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh, alleging without evidence that his client Julie Swetnick was gang-raped at a party where Kavanaugh was present. His claims buoyed Republicans arguments that all of the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh were politically motivated and frustrated some Democrats in the process for providing such ammunition. Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley ultimately referred Avenatti and Swetnick to the Department of Justice for a criminal probe into whether they gave materially false statements to Congress and intentionally attempted to obstruct the process. Avenatti even recently hit a snag with Daniels the client that enabled him to scale the heights of cable television when she told the Daily Beast he had started a fundraising site and filed a defamation suit against Trump without her permission. The two appear to have reconciled, however, and Avenatti said in his statement he would continue to work with Daniels. I will not rest until Trump is removed from office and our republic and its values are restored, he said. An apparent smuggler has been caught on camera appearing to throw two migrant children over an 18-foot (5.5 metre) tall border fence between Arizona and Mexico and into the arms of their families. The video footage of the nail-biting moment was released by US Border Patrol on Monday. The footage captured the moment a suspected smuggler attempted to help a Guatemalan family cross the border by climbing the fence. In the video, the smuggler dropped the familys three childrenwho were the ages of 2, 7, and 10from the top of the wall for their adult relatives to catch them from 18-feet below on the other side of the border fence. #CBP#YumaSector camera operators observe two small children being dropped off an 18 foot wall by a suspected smuggler near San Luis, Arizona. One child received an injury to the face. #SouthwestBorder#NationalSecurity Details: https://t.co/r4tyZd9uzSpic.twitter.com/WwX1Wc5jlG CBP Arizona (@CBPArizona) December 4, 2018 The Yuma, Arizona region of the US-Mexico border has seen an increase in unlawful entry by migrant families and asylum seekers while the immigration enforcement authorities are tightening its border security and anticipating the arrival of the migrant caravan at the Tijuana and Mexicali border crossings, Reuters reported. After crossing the border, all six family members surrendered to US border agents who arrived at the scene. They were all taken into custody. Story continues Video: US Looking To Extend Troops At Border Through Christmas For more news videos visit Yahoo View. One of the children suffered from a bloody nose. They were treated for their injuries by agents. The smuggler was not apprehended and it is believed that he went back to Mexico. There have been about 23,121 family units that were arrested on the US-Mexico border, considered to be the highest number on record, an 150 per cent increase since July, the Washington Post reported. To put it into perspective, families with underage minors make up more than half of all migrants taken into US Border Patrol custody. The reason for this is that Central American migrants believe they are less likely to get deported, or can at least slow down their deportation process, if they are processed with their children. There is also another reasonone based on pure economicsfor families to cross the unforgiving terrains: Smugglers are charging families half price if a minor is part of their fleet since it doesn't require a lot of effort or dangerous work. For single adult migrants, smugglers would need to walk alongside them in the dangerous deserts of Texas and Arizona, where they are subjected to arrest. But with families with minor present, smugglers only need to deliver them to the border crossing where most of the US immigration authorities are already waiting. The smugglers wont need to enter the US and risk being arrested. The $2.5 billion smuggling industry has also been reportedly co-opted by organised crime groups who are taking advantage of powerless families, Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan said. These smugglers often make big promises to families who are desperately seeking asylum even though they know it cant be met. I don't know how many young women come to this blog or how many are parents of teenage or young adult women, but here are some safety tips from Kelsey's Army: T I P S 1. Trust your instincts - If something feels wrong then something probably is wrong.2. Know your surroundings - know who and what is around you.3. Always have a plan for where you would go and what you would do if a situation arises.4. Be willing to make a scene in order to be noticed.5. Let someone know where you are going and when you will be back.Remember the acronym TIPS:ake Chargenform others of your whereaboutsrepare for any situationurvival Mentality (role play situations so you will respond should they happen)For more information, go to Kelsey's Army A British lingerie model is facing heavy criticism after she snapped a selfie at a Berlin Holocaust memorial, and has continued to defend her actions on social media. A British lingerie model is facing heavy criticism after she snapped a selfie at a Berlin Holocaust memorial and has continued to defend her actions on social media. Rhian Sugden posted the selfie Monday, along with the caption "ET phone home," a reference to the Steven Spielberg film. People commented things like, "Silly pouting/duck faces at a Holocaust memorial? Narcissist," and "Your caption is inappropriate considering your setting," AOL reports. She responded to critics, telling one Every other single person who has been there has [taken] a pic/selfie. Am I smiling? Am I laughing? No. More: Daredevil couple dies while taking Yosemite selfie, report says Sugden took out the caption following criticism but kept hashtags #sightseeing #museum and #Berlin, the Independent reports. She has since made her Instagram account private. Sugden tweeted a screenshot of a media report Tuesday about her actions and stood up for herself. "I'm actually gutted people are saying I am disrespectful," the tweet read. "And for this to be picked up on is unfair." This is insane! I posted a pic of me sightseeing in Berlin - took a pic at a memorial and made a comment that I look like ET -the abuse I got is mental! Im actually gutted people are saying I am disrespectful - Im really really not. And for this to be picked up on is unfair. pic.twitter.com/ucsDgiCpEr Rhian Sugden (@Rhianmarie) December 4, 2018 Sugden later tweeted out a photo Wednesday that appears to be from her Instagram story, along with a statement. "Had lots of messages, many from Jewish people, who have gone out of their way to let me know that they are in no way offended by my selfie in Berlin," the statement reads. "I think for people to rip me to pieces like they have you are the ones that should be ashamed of yourselves. I meant no harm or malice. Glad most of you can see that." Story continues Sugden told USA TODAY in an emailed statement, "I would just like to say that the amount of abuse and torment I have had over the last 24 hours has been awful. I have been really upset by all this... I didnt set out to offend anyone and I certainly wouldnt class it as a 'sexy selfie' its just me with the memorial in the background. "Im hurt that people have gone out of their way to accuse me of something because they have taken my picture in a completely different context than it was intended." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Model spurs backlash for posting Holocaust memorial selfie, defends herself 2216239002 WASHINGTON Amid the hymns, prayers, tears and tributes for George H.W. Bush at his state funeral Wednesday, there was also plenty of laughter. That's befitting of a man who loved to laugh, especially at himself, as his son recounted. "He placed great value on a good joke," former President George W. Bush said during his eulogy. "That's why he chose (Alan) Simpson to speak." The former senator from Wyoming, known for his sense of humor, had the mourners who filled Washington National Cathedral chuckling as he told stories about singing "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" with Bush after attending a performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber songs with the president. "A few days later, he's getting hammered by the press for some extraordinarily pithy bit of trivia, and suddenly he sings out, 'Don't cry for me Argentina,'" Simpson recalled. "The press then wrote that he was finally losing his marbles." Former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo, center, speaks with former President George Bush, right, as he walks to a podium to speak during the State Funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the National Cathedral, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, in Washington. Simpson also added a bit of humor to a serious anecdote about Bush agreeing to a budget deal, knowing it would hurt him politically because it went against his pledge to not raise taxes. Bush said that on the tough choices, he had to think about his country before his party. "He was a man of such great humility," Simpson said, adding, "Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C., are not bothered by heavy traffic." More: George H.W. Bush funeral: These are the moments you missed More: George W. Bush, choking back tears, lauds his father as 'the best father a son or daughter could have' Former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney of Canada, who was close to Bush, recounted Bush's first NATO meeting as president where he took copious notes. Even after the leaders of Great Britain and Germany had spoken, Bush continued to write and write and write as the prime minister of Iceland droned on until the NATO secretary-general called for a coffee break. Story continues Bush put down his pen and walked over to Mulroney, telling him he'd just learned the fundamental principle of international affairs: The smaller the country, the longer the speech. "George Bush was a man of high accomplishment," Mulroney said, "and he also had a delightful sense of humor and was a lot of fun." When Bush was kidded for mistakenly grabbing the hand of a department store mannequin while courting voters in New Hampshire, he had a ready comeback. "Never know. Got to ask," Bush said. "You can hear the voice, can't you?" biographer Jon Meacham said of Bush's unique patter of East Coast-raised patrician-speak mixed with a fear of self-aggrandizement. "As Dana Carvey said, the key to a Bush 41 impersonation is Mr. Rogers trying to be John Wayne." Bush knew that public speaking wasn't his forte, Meacham noted. He repeated some signature Bush lines, including: "We're enjoying sluggish times, but we're not enjoying them very much." Besides laughing at himself when he was unintentionally funny, Bush had a circle of friends with whom he shared humor by email. George W. Bush described his father's rating system for the quality of the jokes as "classic George Bush." "The rare sevens and eights were considered huge winners," he said, "most of them off-color." But while Bush loved a good joke throwing his head back and giving a great laugh he could never remember a punchline, Simpson said. "And I mean never," he added. "So the punchline for George Herbert Walker Bush is this," Simpson said. "He never lost his sense of humor. Humor is the universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life. That's what humor is." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mourners at George H.W. Bush's funeral also laughed and that's the way Bush would have wanted it The judge overseeing the case of former national security adviser Michael Flynn has pushed back the date for the general's sentencing after a roller coaster ride of a hearing in which both the defence and prosecution were grilled about the Flynn's crimes The hearing is part of the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign and Moscow's election meddling being run by Special counsel Robert Mueller. Investigators filed a two-part sentencing memo for Flynn earlier this month with a recommendation for a light, or no, jail sentence The memo about Donald Trump's former national security advisor,was heavily redacted but provided valuable insight into what may lay ahead. The events in the Washington federal courthouse on Tuesday only add to the intrigue. Here is what you need to know about the sentencing memo, Fynn's hearing, and the implication it has for Mr Trump. What happened during Flynn's hearing and what is next? The hearing was, by all accounts, unusual. The proceedings began with US District Judge Emmet Sullivan asking Flynn about his crimes, and the process by which he admitted to the special counsel that he had committed the acts. He appeared so lenient during the process that he at times suggested that Flynn could confer with his legal team before answering certain questions Flynn declined as he asked him more than a dozen questions about the interviews he gave to federal investigators and his ultimate guilty plea for lying to the FBI. The judge also asked Flynn to repeatedly confirm that he had intended to plead guilty, after it had been suggested that he had been somehow tricked into implicating himself. Flynn and his lawyers repeatedly confirmed the former general's culpability. It was then disclosed that the "vast majority" of Flynn's cooperation with investigators had concluded, but that there was a potentially more that he could help with. Federal prosecutors indicated Flynn had not done anything that could be considered "treason", and the judge appeared angered by Flynn's crimes saying at one point that he would not hide his disdain for his decision to mislead the United States government about foreign ties and employment. Story continues Ultimately, the judge asked Flynn if he would like to delay his sentencing which Flynn affirmed, even though he had previously asked for a speedy trial. Judging from the proceedings Tuesday in court, that could mean Flynn will provide further details to Mr Mueller's team. What did the Mueller sentencing memo say? The sentencing memo from earlier in the month asked for a light sentence - with no prison time - but did not exactly go light on Flynn himself. Read more Flynn 'so cooperative with FBI' he should avoid jail, says Mueller Flynn was an early casualty of the Russia scandal, and was forced to resign from his post as White House national security advisor just weeks into the Trump administration in 2017. He was forced to do so after it was discovered that he had lied to the FBI about conversations he had with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak about Obama administration sanctions on Russia for meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The Mueller memo lays out those crimes, and deems them serious. But, the memo says that Flynns subsequent substantial assistance to the government means he should receive a sentence at the low end of the guideline range including a sentence that does not impose a term of incarceration is appropriate and warranted. Is it common for someone to receive this light of a sentence recommendation? When it comes to the Russia investigation, the answer is no. Plenty of other individuals who were once in Trumps inner orbit including former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Mr Trumps former personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, and former foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos face, or have been handed, tougher sentences for their crimes. The difference for Flynn who is almost certainly more of a valuable target than Papadopoulos is that substantial cooperation. Flynn, the heavily redacted sentencing memo says, provided particularly valuable information to the Mueller investigation. But, lets read between the lines a bit. The memo is heavily redacted, so there is quite a bit we do not know from it but some of what is left unsaid has important implications for the probe and what may come. We know from the memo that Flynn testimony is particularly valuable, but that does not mean that the value was in any way narrow. Flynn met with investigators 19 times during his cooperation, and ultimately gave helpful information on multiple investigations of interest and some of those are not yet concluded. How do we know that? Well, Mr Mueller spells it out in the memo itself: some of that benefit [from Flynn's cooperation] may not be fully realised at this time because the investigations in which he has provided assistance are ongoing. Which investigations has Flynn helped Mueller with? There appear to be three investigations, per the memo, that Flynn helped out with. One concerns interactions between the [Trump] transition team and Russian campaign officials. A second is an investigation concerning any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald J. Trump. A third is mentioned but, almost entirely redacted by 22 lines of blacked out text. Support free-thinking journalism and subscribe to Independent Minds What does this mean for the president? The delayed sentencing follows shortly after two major developments in the Mueller investigation. The special counsel has alleged that Manafort had violated his plea agreement by misleading investigators during his cooperation. Meanwhile, Mr Trumps former personal lawyer, Cohen, pleaded guilty to lying to Congress about negotiations between Trump associates and Russian officials regarding a real estate development in Moscow. He had told Congress those talks stopped before the 2016 Republican primaries, but he said that he had updated Mr Trump after those contests had started. Cohen was sentenced to three years and two months in prison last week for financial crimes, as well lying to Congress. The trickle of allegations has left many believing that Mr Muellers probe may be circling in on Mr Trump and his family and that the probe may show coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. But, for now, we will have to wait and see if that is the case. The president, for his part, has been pretty clear on his view of the notion that he and his closest associates were involved in any effort to coordinate with Russia in 2016: He says it is fake news, and that the Mueller probe is all just a witch hunt. Netflix's "Narcos: Mexico" has generated enough return for the streaming network to declare that a second season is in the pipeline. Less than a month after its debut, Spanish- and English-language crime drama "Narcos: Mexico" is set for a second season, Netflix has announced. At one point conceived of as the fourth season of drug trade crime drama "Narcos," and in many ways still occupying that function, "Narcos: Mexico" turns from Colombian trafficking to the gestation of the Mexican cartel empire in the 1980s. Specifically, it focuses on the rise of the Guadalajara and, with a small amount of cast crossover, introduces Diego Luna ("Rogue One," "If Beale Street Could Talk") as a drug lord in the making, Felix Gallardo, and Michael Pena ("Ant-Man") as DEA Agent Kiki Camarena. Environmental activist and billionaire Tom Steyer at his offices in San Francisco in June (Photo: Eric Risberg/AP) The biggest billionaire donor of 2018 is now telling Democrats how to run for president in 2020 and says that if they dont listen, he will run himself. Meet Tom Steyer although you may have encountered him already, perhaps on one of the many ads he ran last election cycle, online and on television, calling for President Trumps impeachment. Steyer, a San Francisco hedge-fund manager turned environmental activist, first made his name in American politics by spending vast amounts of his estimated $1.6 billion fortune to influence climate-change policy. But as 2016 came and went, and as he passed on possible bids for governor or senator, Steyer, 61, moved to diversify his political portfolio, launching NextGen Rising, a multimillion-dollar youth-vote initiative, and his $50 million Need to Impeach petition drive (current signature count: 6.4 million). Overall, Federal Election Commission records show that Steyer spent about $60 million in 2018 though he claims he spent at least twice as much, which would propel him past former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Republican casino magnate Sheldon Adelson to become the cycles top individual contributor. (Steyers calculation includes expenditures for ballot measures and issue ads, including those promoting impeachment of President Trump, which arent included in OpenSecrets.orgs current tally of individual contributions.) And while the midterms may be over, Steyer shows no signs of slowing down. Last week, he overhauled his website and launched a new campaign focused on The Five Rights that he says should be the basis of the Democratic Partys platform the rights to an equal vote, to clean air and water, to a living wage, to health, and to learn. At the same time, Steyer announced a series of related town hall meetings beginning in the key early primary state of South Carolina on Dec. 4. Predictably, the push fanned speculation that Steyer is planning to capitalize on his massive email list and even more massive war chest to run for president in 2020 and as Steyer confirmed Wednesday in an interview with Yahoo News, that is a distinct possibility. Story continues Someone is going to have to fight for this, he said. If no one else is going to do it, I am going to do it. Steyer also explained why impeachment should be House Democrats No. 1 priority and predicted that Nancy Pelosi, the likely House Speaker, who has publicly dismissed calls for impeachment, will soon change her mind on the issue. Edited excerpts: YAHOO NEWS: On Sunday, you told Meet the Press that you havent made your mind up about running for president. Its been three days since then. Have you decided yet? TOM STEYER: [15 seconds of laughter] Im still waiting for an answer. I need more coffee right now. [Laughs] Im preparing you for every interview you do for the next year of your life. Thats your job. You just put out a platform. Youre asking for it. I didnt put out I put out a framework. Lets talk about that framework. So you came right out of the gate after the election with a revamped website and a new message about what you call The Five Rights. When did you realize you wanted to launch this sort of campaign, and how did you settle on this particular message? Ive done all of these town halls around the country, and also met with tons of people outside the town halls. I spent that whole time trying to think, Why do Americans feel so abandoned and disrespected by their government? What protections can we put in place so that Americans feel protected again? And so we put out what we think should be the new social contract for American citizens with their government. If we accept this as a country, were a different country. Its a sharp, intentional move away from the ideas put forth in 1980 by Ronald Reagan. Those are failed ideas that have run their course and put us in a terrible position. But how are your Five Rights different from what other top Democrats are talking about? House Democrats first priority is a voting-rights package. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and others are putting climate front and center. Every 2020 Democrat is talking about health care and income inequality. Education is a perennial Democratic priority. Because its not just policies. Sure, every single one of those things can be a policy. But what were saying is, No, this is a level higher than that. This is a right that we have. In 2016, Mrs. Clinton had 19 important policy positions but did you understand what her point was? So youre saying the Five Rights is a messaging framework a message you want Democrats to run on in 2020? Look, Ive been talking about climate change for 10 years. Weve all been talking about health care 10 years. Its not the question about whether we should be doing a cap-and-trade or a carbon tax. Its a question of, This is an absolute right for the American citizen. Everyones asking, What is it that Democrats need to do next? And I tried to put this out there This is what we need to do. I want to be working for this. I want to see if other people respond to it if other people pick up the mantle. What if no one does? Does that mean youll run in 2020? This is about transformational politics. If we dont get transformational politics, we are going to get incremental politics. And incremental politics arent going to work. Everyone watching in D.C. likes to think that the Democrats are doing better, the Republicans are doing worse, but we need to work together blah, blah, blah. I dont think any of that. I dont think one word of that. I think thats a bunch of baloney. But just to be clear: If you dont feel like any of the candidates are proposing transformational politics, as you define it, then you will step in and put your name on that ballot? [Laughs] That wont be the absolute only thing that I will think about in terms of how I spend my life. But its something youre thinking about. Someone is going to have to fight for this. If no one else is going to do it, I am going to do it. Lets talk about 2018. You were one of the biggest donors of the cycle if not the biggest. How much did you invest overall? Whats the number thats out there? $120 million. Was that how much you pledged or how much you actually spent? I think its fair to say we spent at least that. Are you pleased with the return on your investment? Look at the youth turnout highest youth turnout ever, in a midterm, since 18-year-olds were allowed to vote. The other thing that my colleague mentioned to me this morning is that the spread, D to R, for people 18 to 29 was 44 percent. You know what that means? That means the Rs are in the 20s. Thats not usually the case. Oh my God, thats the largest gap in recent history. Do you know whats going to happen between now and November 2020? Millions more people are going to turn 18. And you dont think theyre going to be voting Republican. I guess about 28 percent of them will. Your other big push was around impeachment. Do you think America is closer to impeaching President Trump now than when you started? We think that the efforts of the Need to Impeach petition drive added 1.9 million additional people to the voting rolls who wouldnt have otherwise voted. But ultimately, its events pushing the American people to understand how bad this president is and its the people who will push Congress to act. To that end, youve just released a new impeachment ad, and you have said that impeachment should be the absolute first step for the new Democratic House. Why? We have a president whos a criminal an active criminal attempting to use his office to both profit and cover up his crimes. Its amazing. And people in Washington, D.C., are sort of like, Its bad, but lets not do anything about it. All they do is swallow lie after lie and normalize crime after crime, with the assumption that theres nothing we can do. How about telling the truth and doing everything you can to protect the American people and the Constitution? How about that? Nancy Pelosi is one of the people who doesnt want to pursue impeachment. Democratic leadership votes are taking place as we speak. Do you want to see her as the next House speaker, or would you rather see a pro-impeachment Democrat in that role? Im not in that vote. Nancy is my congressperson. I voted for her three weeks ago. I have voted for her for decades. I have a lot of respect for Nancy for the incredible work that shes done. I deeply disagree with her about this. Thats OK. It doesnt mean I dont respect her as a person. It doesnt mean I dont respect her as a leader. Right. But shes going to control the House and shes not going to do what you want. Wouldnt you rather see someone else in charge? Events are going to happen. Events are going to change everybodys position. Im not teasing. At some point, you just cant close your eyes anymore. Everybodys been saying we should wait for the Mueller report. The Mueller reports going to come out and its going to be explosive, and the question [for Pelosi] will then be, What are you going to do? I think whoever the leader is, [he or she] is going to be forced to do the right thing here, because the American people are going to force them. Pelosi and others argue that impeachment is a lost cause the process will divide and consume the country, and even if the House does impeach Trump, two-thirds of the Republican Senate will never vote to convict. Theyre choosing to focus on Democratic policies instead. Dont they have a point? Which policy initiatives that are so critical and timely do Democrats feel theyre going to get through the Republican-dominated Senate and this administration? Which ones? Name one. Their argument would be that even if nothing passes, policies are better than impeachment for messaging purposes. Messaging purposes? Right now there is something that [Democrats] can do to hold the president to account. It is called impeachment. Its not a whine, its not a complaint, its not an accusation. Its an act. People keep forgetting: This is a truly historic time. We have got to rise to the occasion. I want to be part of the people rising period. And Im going to do that, come hell or high water. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Mike Espy, Cindy Hyde-Smith (Photos: Jonathan Bachman/Reuters, Kevin Lamarque/Reuters) JACKSON, Miss. Capping a heated campaign fought largely on racial politics, Mississippis runoff election for U.S. Senate wound its way to a finish Tuesday after dueling election-eve rallies urged voter turnout in a race that went from safely Republican to too close to call. On one side of Mississippi was President Trump, dispatched at the last minute for what Republicans described as a life-saving mission to bail out Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Republican appointee whose campaign to be the states first elected female lawmaker in Washington was thrown off course when she was captured making comments that invoked the states dark history of racism. In two stops, Tupelo and Biloxi, Trump sought to change the subject and rally the GOP base in the state, which he won by 18 points two years ago. He cast the election as less about Hyde-Smith than about his own fate and agenda an argument Republicans hoped would be enough to push the embattled Hyde-Smith across the finish line. This elections about jobs and judges, borders and protecting the blessings of freedom and prosperity for our children, Trump declared in Tupelo before a largely white crowd. This is what its about. Across the state was Mike Espy, a former congressman and Clinton administration official who is vying to be the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Mississippi in nearly four decades and the first African-American since Reconstruction. Espy spent the last hours before Election Day at a praise and worship service at a predominately African-American church in Jackson, where he delivered an impassioned speech recalling the racism he endured as a child growing up in rural Mississippi. Senate candidate Mike Espy at a voting rally at New Horizon Church in Jackson, Miss. (Photo: Jonathan Bachman/Reuters) Speaking to a mostly black audience as part of his campaigns intense effort to turn out the African-American vote ahead of Tuesdays election, Espy cast himself as someone who tried to avoid race as an issue in the campaign and who has spent his career working to bridge lingering racial divisions in a state still reckoning with its Jim Crow past. Story continues Blacks and whites may have come to America in different ships, Espy said, but we are all on the same boat now. He told the crowd he was running to represent everyone irrespective of race, irrespective of gender, irrespective of party, irrespective of religion. I want to be the vehicle of progress in Mississippi. Across the chasm of racial acrimony, we are just trying to rise up from all the noise, from all the division, from all the dysfunction, Espy declared. And make sure everybody in Mississippi knows: If we gonna rise, we gotta rise together. Espys speech came in the final hours of a tumultuous campaign for a seat that was regarded as safely Republican as recently as two weeks ago. But the runoff election was thrown into disarray when a video clip emerged earlier this month showing Hyde-Smith praising a cattle rancher at a campaign event in Tupelo by saying that if the rancher invited her to a public hanging, Id be on the front row. To many, the comment invoked images of lynchings vigilante killings, overwhelmingly of blacks, carried out by mobs to terrorize or impose extrajudicial punishment. The NAACP counts 581 lynchings in Mississippi between 1882 and 1968, the most of any state. A billboard reminding voters about the Mississippi Senate runoff election in Vicksburg, Miss. (Photo: Holly Bailey/Yahoo News) That comment was followed by another campaign remark in which she mused about making it a little more difficult for liberal college students to vote. A 2014 Facebook photo circulated of her in a Confederate Army hat as she visited the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who lived out his final days in Biloxi. Her own history of attending a segregation academy a private school created as an alternative to the integrated public schools was publicized and got more attention after it was disclosed that she sent her own daughter to such a school. Hyde-Smith, a former state senator and state agriculture secretary, seemed flummoxed by how to respond to the racial controversy. She issued a statement accusing her opponents of a political smear. But she didnt initially apologize, and she dropped off the campaign trail almost entirely in the last week. Last Tuesday, in her one and only debate with Espy previously the states first elected African-American member of Congress since Reconstruction Hyde-Smith read from a carefully worded statement that seemed designed not to alienate her most conservative supporters. For anyone that was offended by my comments, I certainly apologize, Hyde-Smith said. There was no ill will. She accused Espy of twisting her words and turning them into a weapon to be used against her. No one twisted your comments, because your comments were live; it came out of your mouth, Espy shot back. I dont know whats in your heart, but we all know what came out of your mouth. While Trump made no mention of the controversy on the stump Tuesday, he defended Hyde-Smith to reporters, calling her a good person and saying her apology was genuine. I know where her heart is, and her heart is good, Trump said. President Trump encourages voters to support Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith in her runoff against Democrat Mike Espy at a rally Monday in Biloxi, Miss. (Photo: Rogelio V. Solis/AP) How the race controversy will affect the race is unknown. While people on both sides say the politics in deeply conservative Mississippi favor Hyde-Smith, Republicans acknowledge the uproar has damaged her campaign and given Espy momentum that puts the seat in play. A GOP source told Yahoo News that internal polling had Hyde-Smith up by just five points. There was hope that Trumps visit would help her, however, especially among ultra-conservative Republicans who had voted in the three-way general election for her Tea Party rival, Chris McDaniel, who had finished third. Some had threatened to sit out the election in protest. On Monday, dozens of GOP operatives flooded the state, including staffers for the Republican National Committee and National Republican Senatorial Committee who fanned out to aid Hyde-Smiths ground game. They were up against several Democratic groups who have been working on Espys behalf to get out the African-American vote, including in low-turnout areas like the Mississippi Delta. On Monday night, Republicans were still predicting a narrow Hyde-Smith win. But another GOP operative with close ties to the national and state party wasnt so sure. He pointed to the uncertainty of the African-American turnout but also to the open question of whether moderate Republicans might defect to Espy or not vote at all in protest of Hyde-Smiths racial views. On Monday, Megan Millroy, a founder of the Mississippi-based Republican Women for Progress, issued a public letter calling Hyde-Smith unfit to represent the state in Washington. Im not saying you have to vote for Mike Espy, but I am saying that if you love our state and want to see it represented as best as it can, you should not vote for Cindy Hyde-Smith, Millroy wrote. In Jackson, there was another ominous sign of how heated the issue of race has become in the Senate contest. On Monday morning, police found several nooses hanging from trees on the grounds of the Capitol, with signs that appeared to criticize Hyde-Smiths response to her public hanging remark. A noose hangs on a tree on the state Capitol grounds in Jackson, Miss., on Monday. A Mississippi official says two nooses and six signs were found on Capitol grounds. (Photo: WLBT-TV via AP) Were hanging nooses to remind people that times havent changed, one sign read, according to a photo posted on Facebook by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, which is investigating the incident. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks in the 1970s. (Photo: Consequence of Sound) Pete Shelley, leader of the legendary British punk band the Buzzcocks and one of rocks best and most biting lyricists, has died from a suspected heart attack. He was 63. Its with great sadness that we confirm the death of Pete Shelley, one of the U.K.s most influential and prolific songwriters and co-founder of the seminal original punk band Buzzcocks, the band said in a statement. Petes music has inspired generations of musicians over a career that spanned five decades and with his band and as a solo artist, he was held in the highest regard by the music industry and by his fans around the world. Photo: The Telegraph Shelley, who was born Peter McNeish, formed the Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in Manchester, England, after the pair attended a life-changing Sex Pistols concert in February 1976. Adopting a suitably Pistols-esque moniker and recruiting bassist Steve Diggle and drummer John Maher, they played their first show opening for the Pistols at Manchesters Lesser Free Trade Hall on June 20, 1976, and quickly became a force to be reckoned with in the burgeoning punk scene. In January 1977, they issued their Spiral Scratch EP the first punk record to be self-released (Shelley borrowed roughly $300 from his father to record and issue it on the bands own New Hormones label), thus laying down the DIY blueprint for countless indie bands to come. Devoto left the band only four days after the EPs release, but the Buzzcocks soldiered on, with Diggle switching to guitar and Shelley taking on most of the lead vocals. In fall 1977, the Buzzcocks signed to United Artists Records, which gave the band complete artistic control, and in a breathless period between 1978-79, they released three masterpieces of the punk age: Another Music in a Different Kitchen, Love Bites and A Different Kind of Tension. However, the Buzzcocks were, first and foremost, the premier singles band of the first punk wave, thus making their 1979 A-sides compilation, Singles Going Steady, one of the greatest punk albums of all time. Story continues Although many of the original British punk groups, including the Sex Pistols, focused mainly on the political issues of the era, Shelleys lyrics dealt with interpersonal politics, exploring such timeless matters of the heart as one-sided crushes, doomed romances, rejection, jealousy, betrayal and, in the infamous Orgasm Addict, sexual frustration. (I think one of the most meaningful parts of politics is how people relate to each other. I mean, you create your own society through relationships with other people, Shelley told me in 1996. So, its actually more important than other political issues that you may have forgotten about in five years.) Shelleys heart-on-ragged-sleeve love/hate songs Love You More, Ever Fallen in Love? (famously covered by Fine Young Cannibals in 1987), Promises, What Do I Get? and Why Cant I Touch It? were all highlights of Singles Going Steady, whose coy title cleverly hinted at this recurrent theme. However, Shelleys lovesick laments were never tedious; instead, they were the type of songs seemingly specifically engineered to win over the listener in three minutes or less, with impeccable melodies, singalong choruses, and Shelleys crisp, coquettish vocals lending his caustic words just the right amount of pitch-black humor. By applying punks spotty-faced adolescent aggression to the radio singles hooks-and-harmonies format, he and the Buzzcocks created short, sharp, souped-up powerpop (emphasis on power) that sacrificed neither the snottiness of the former nor the sweetness of the latter. In the process, Shelley laid the groundwork for pop-punk and emo bands like Green Day, Nirvana and Fall Out Boy, as well as Britpoppers ranging from Blur to Supergrass. While many of Shelleys disciples went on to much greater mainstream than the Buzzcocks ever did, Shelley, in my 1996 interview with him, expressed no bitterness. Having money is only one element of success, he reasoned. There are other measures of success, such as people liking what we do, and influencing people. And I think Ive been proven successful in that. As far as the financial part of success, that will come in time. When the Buzzcocks disbanded in 1981 (Shelley and Diggle reunited the group in 1989 and proceeded to release six more critically acclaimed studio albums, with various lineups, between 1993 and 2014), Shelley who had released one electronic music solo album, Sky Yen, prior to the Buzzcocks formation became a leader of the 1980s synthpop movement. His quirky 1981 music videos for Telephone Operator and Homosapien were early-MTV staples, and the latter song, an international club hit, was banned by the BBC for explicit reference to gay sex, thus cementing Shelleys status as an LGBTQ icon. In occasional press interviews, Shelley discussed his bisexuality and sexual fluidity, and it is noteworthy that his songs never employed gender-specific pronouns, thus rendering his lovelorn lyrics relevant to listeners of all orientations. Shelley was a proud punk until the very end, regularly touring and recording. The Buzzcocks were in the middle of celebrating their four decades as a band and were scheduled to perform an anniversary concert in the Netherlands next Friday. Follow Lyndsey on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, Amazon, Tumblr, Spotify President Donald Trump speaks as first lady Melania Trump looks on during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony held by the National Park Service at the Ellipse near the White House on Nov. 28, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Pool-Oliver Contreras/Getty Images) Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the nations capital. President Trump led a countdown for the lighting of the National Christmas Tree on Wednesday, and first lady Melania Trump hit the switch to illuminate the decked-out spruce in Presidents Park, just south of the White House. Merry Christmas, everybody, the president said. We just have to say it all together: Merry, merry Christmas. Its the 96th straight year for the presidential tradition. Speaking at the close of the event which featured musical performances by LOCASH, Spensha Baker, Gabby Barrett, Abby Anderson and others Trump paused to recognize the victims of disasters across the country this year. Our thoughts turn to those who are rebuilding their lives after devastating wildfires, destructive hurricanes and terrible tragedy, he said. We are one American family, and we hurt together, and we heal together, and we will always pull through together. Singer Gabby Barrett performs during the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images) Trump also honored foster families at the ceremony and first responders, as well as members of the military and their loved ones. Their families are all our families, he said. The presidents children Don Jr. and Tiffany; daughter-in-law Lara Trump; Don Jr.s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke were also present. The first national tree lighting took place on Christmas Eve in 1923, when President Calvin Coolidge lit a Christmas tree in front of 3,000 spectators. The National Christmas Tree is a living Colorado blue spruce. It is surrounded by 56 smaller trees featuring ornaments from every state and territory and the District of Columbia. (AP) ____ See more images here: The National Christmas Tree is lit following a ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) President Donald Trump, accompanied by first lady Melania Trump gives a thumbs up to a performer during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) President Trump and first lady Melania Trump leave after attending the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images) President Donald Trump, right, watches as host Antonio Sabato Jr., left, and first lady Melania Trump, second from left, light the National Christmas Tree during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) The National Christmas Tree is lighted on Wednesday in Washington. (Photo: Jim Young/Reuters) A girl cries in the cold temperature during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) President Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) President Trump at the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Pool-Oliver Contreras/Getty Images) President Trump and first lady Melania Trump at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images) The president looks on as Tiffany Trump, center, Donald Trump Jr., third from right, Kimberly Guilfoyle, second from right, and Eric Trump smile during the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) Melania Trump and President Trump attend a cold National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the Ellipse near the White House in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP) Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump welcome their father, President Trump, and first lady Melania Trump to the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Pool-Oliver Contreras/Getty Images) People arrive for the National Christmas Tree lighting outside the White House Washington on Wednesday. (Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images) Members of the U.S. Secret Service stand guard atop a truck prior to the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony near the White House on Wednesday in Washington. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. Read more from Yahoo News: Katowice (Poland) (AFP) - President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday said he would not allow Poland's coal mining industry to be eliminated, as the EU member hosts the UN climate summit. "Don't worry. As long as I am the president of Poland, I won't allow for anyone to murder Polish mining," Duda told miners in the southern town of Brzeszcze. Poland is one of many nations heavily reliant on coal, which along with other fossil fuels is being fingered as a leading climate enemy at the COP24 summit. The talks aim to flesh out the promises made in the 2015 Paris climate accord. Speaking in Brzeszcze, Duda pushed Poland's own agenda regarding the summit which ends on December 14. "We're there, we're its organisers, but we're also there to speak the truth without taking into account political correctness, which is often driven by foreign interests and not Polish ones," he told the miners celebrating their annual festival. Poland's economy "will continue to rely on coal. Of course, we'll achieve an energy mix, we'll implement our strategy, but coal remains and will remain in Poland," Duda added. On Monday, Duda had made his country's coal argument at the talks themselves. "The use of a country's own natural resources, i.e. of hard coal in the case of Poland, and dependence on such resources for the sake of one's own energy security does not clash with climate protection and progress achieved in this vein," he said. Post-election clashes in Zimbabwe turn deadly Supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party (MDC) of Nelson Chamisa react as they block a street in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 1, 2018. (Photo: Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters) Protests in Zimbabwes historic elections turned bloody on Wednesday as a man was shot dead during demonstrations over alleged vote fraud and President Emmerson Mnangagwa appealed for calm. The man died after soldiers fired live ammunition during opposition protests in downtown Harare, AFP reporters saw. The polls the first since autocratic president Robert Mugabe was forced out by a brief military takeover in November had offered Zimbabwe the chance of turning the page on a brutal chapter of its past. But the mood quickly descended into anger and chaos as supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition declared they had been cheated. You said you were better than Mugabe you are the picture of Mugabe, shouted one young male protester wearing a white T-shirt. We need security for the people. Official results showed that the ruling ZANU-PF party had easily won the most seats in the parliamentary ballot strengthening Mnangagwas prospects of holding onto power in the key presidential vote. Read more of this story by AFP on Yahoo News >>> _____ See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr. The Little Mermaid (Photo: Everett Collection) A famous a cappella group from Princeton University in the US is to cut the song Kiss The Girl from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid from its repertoire after complaints of misogyny. The Tigertones, which has been running since the 1940s, confirmed that its scrapped the song from all future performances. The song from the 1989 animation, penned by the legendary Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, finds Sebastian, the talking crab, suggest that smitten Prince Eric just go ahead and kiss the mermaid Ariel, despite not having asked for her consent. In an editorial by sophomore student Noa Wollstein in the Daily Princetonian magazine, published on November 26 and entitled Dear Tigertones, please stop singing Kiss The Girl, the song stood accused of being misogynistic and dismissive of consent. The song launches a heteronormative attack on womens right to oppose the romantic and sexual liberties taken by men, further inundating the listener with themes of toxic masculinity, wrote Wollstein. In trying to motivate Eric to kiss Ariel, the crab, Sebastian, makes use of lines such as, Looks like the boys too shy, Dont be scared, and Its such a shame, too bad/Youre gonna miss the girl. In agreement, the groups president Wesley Brown said it would drop the song in a responding editorial. A central element of our Kiss the Girl performance has involved our soloist selecting a female and male duo from the audience one by one, dancing with both of them on stage before encouraging them to dance with one another, and then requesting that they do as the song says before the group promptly advocates for a peck on the cheek, wrote Brown. Many of the recent criticisms of this performance reflect on internal conversations our group has been having for some time. In the last few years, we have taken intentional steps towards ensuring that audience participation is more voluntary and consensual. These steps have clearly not succeeded in guaranteeing total comfort for both participants or in obtaining continual consent. Performances of this song have made participants uncomfortable and offended audience members, an outcome which is antithetical to our groups mission and one that we deeply regret. Story continues Because of these concerns, we are removing Kiss the Girl from our active repertoire until we can arrive at a way to perform it that is comfortable and enjoyable for every member of our audience. We sincerely apologize to any of our past participants and audience members for whom our performance of this song was uncomfortable or offensive. It follows news that a radio station in Cleveland has pulled festive ballad Baby Its Cold Outside from broadcast for similar reasons. Read more Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg to host Golden Globes Brie Larson suits up for new Captain Marvel trailer Joan Collins has potential transgender moment as a teen Washington (AFP) - Prosecutors in Maryland and Washington announced Tuesday subpoenas for the records of 13 private businesses owned by Donald Trump as part of an investigation into whether the US president is illegally benefitting from his Washington hotel. The investigation focuses on the Trump International Hotel just four blocks away from the White House, which has become popular with foreign dignitaries and businessmen seeking to gain favor with the Trump administration. The Maryland and Washington attorneys general also issued subpoenas to five federal agencies for records related to the Trump hotel, which occupies the stately Old Post Office Pavilion on Pennsylvania Avenue and is owned by the federal government. Trump's victory in the presidential election in November 2016 immediately made the five-star hotel a hub for Washington politics, with various governments and embassies hosting receptions there. According to the Washington Post, the Saudi government spent more than $270,000 on rooms and other facilities in the hotel. In June 2017 Washington and Maryland filed suit, saying Trump was violating the emoluments clause of the US constitution, which prohibits US government officials from receiving gifts, payments or other valuable benefits from foreign governments and foreign officials. The lawsuit seeks "to make certain that (Trump) faithfully serves the American people, free from compromising financial entanglements with foreign and domestic governments and officials," the suit said. Behind the suit were complaints that the hotel and its restaurants have -- because of the link with the US president -- unfairly siphoned off business from local Washington and Maryland businesses, including convention centers in Washington and nearby Baltimore. The first complaints were made shortly after Trump became president. On Monday, a judge turned away objections by the US Justice Department, which argued that there was no basis for the case. Story continues Trump stepped away from involvement in his real estate business, The Trump Organization, when he became president, leaving management in the hands of his two sons. To skirt controversy over the hotel, Trump announced early on that profits from the Washington hotel and others derived from foreign customers would be donated to the US Treasury. In March they announced a donation of $151,470 for 2017, but without detailing how that figure was determined. Russian president Vladimir Putin has suggested Russia would develop intermediate-range nuclear arms in response to the US exiting a key Soviet-era arms control agreement. It seems our American partners think they should have such arms, he said. What will our response be? Simple. Were going to do the same. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday the US would suspend its obligations under the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty within 60 days, over what it describes as Russian non-compliance. Speaking in Moscow on Wednesday, Mr Putin said the US had decided to blame Russia as a pretext for getting out of the deal. Pompeo is so late with this. First, the US announces its intention to leave the agreement, and then decides to look for the reasons, he said. They revert to their easiest and most familiar refrain: Russias to blame. The US and Russia have accused each other of violating the 1987 deal since at least 2011. The last inspections were made in 2001. In his first term, Barack Obamas administration toyed with the idea of leaving the treaty over Russias alleged development of a new mid-range cruise missile. Eventually, and under pressure from German chancellor Angela Merkel, the US stuck with the deal. Moscow admits to having the SSC-8 missiles in question, but says they do not violate the treaty. Whats more, Russia accuses the United States of being in breach of the deal itself, arguing its European missile defence systems are capable of taking offensive nuclear loads. For a long while, neither side seemed entirely happy with the treaty, but neither were ready to tear it up. The appointment of hawk John Bolton as national security advisor this year was a major turning point. In October, arms control sceptic Mr Bolton visited Moscow to inform Mr Putin the United States intended to leave the outdated treaty. Its important to look at the reality, he told a press conference in Moscow following the talks. The treaty was not a cornerstone of world security, he said, nor did it apply to emergent Asian nuclear powers. Story continues It is outmoded and ignored by other countries. Only one country is following it. In October, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev one of the architects of the treaty described the US intention to leave the agreement as pathological. Any agreement directed against nuclear disarmament should be kept to preserve life on Earth, he said. It seems likely the end of the INF treaty will be followed by non-renewal of NEW Start, another key arms control treaty, that is due to end in 2021. And that, says independent military expert Alexander Golts, would take the world to a dangerous place. Russia and the US would be left without any nuclear arms control treaties, he said: Without them, were back to where we were on the eve of the Cuban missile crisis. U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss. (Photo: Rogelio Solis/AP) JACKSON, Miss . In the last major race of the midterm campaign, Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith claimed victory in Mississippis closely watched Senate runoff election, defeating Democrat Mike Espy after a tense campaign rocked by unsettling reminders of the states dark legacy of racism. Hyde-Smith, a former state senator and state Agriculture secretary, was appointed by Gov. Phil Bryant last spring to fill the seat vacated by ailing Sen. Thad Cochran. Her win Tuesday to serve out the last two years of Cochrans term made history, as she became the first elected female lawmaker to represent the state in Washington. But her path to victory wasnt an easy one, even in this deeply conservative state where no Democrat has won statewide office since 1982. Though Hyde-Smith failed to meet the 50 percent threshold she needed on Nov. 6 to avoid a runoff against Espy, she had been strongly favored to win the election as recently as two weeks ago. But the election was thrown into disarray after a video clip emerged earlier this month that showed Hyde-Smith praising a cattle rancher at a campaign event in Tupelo by saying if the rancher invited her to a public hanging, Id be on the front row. To many, the comment invoked images of lynchings vigilante killings, overwhelmingly of blacks, carried out by mobs as punishment or to terrorize. The NAACP counts 581 lynchings in Mississippi between 1882 and 1968, the most of any state. That comment was followed by another campaign-trail remark in which she mused about making it a little more difficult for liberal college kids to vote. A 2014 Facebook photo circulated of her in a Confederate Army hat visiting the home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, who lived out his final days in Biloxi. Her own history of attending a segregation academy, a private school created as an alternative to the integrated public schools, was publicized and got more attention after it was disclosed that she sent her own daughter to a similar school. Story continues GOP allies urged Hyde-Smith to quickly apologize, but she hesitated, waiting until her one and only debate with Espy to read from a carefully worded statement in which she expressed contrition to anyone that was offended by my comments. Under fire, she vanished from the campaign trail until this weekend, where she spoke to small crowds and fiercely avoided reporters who sought to question her about her views on race, at one point literally running out a side door to escape the media. On Monday, President Trump flew to the Mississippi for two last-minute rallies in Tupelo and Biloxi, two of the most conservative cities in the state, as part of a GOP effort to make the election less about Hyde-Smith and more about Trump, who won the state by 17 points two years ago and remains popular here. That coincided with a mailer issued by the Mississippi Republican Party that urged the GOP faithful to turn out and vote. It featured a photo of Trump, not Hyde-Smith. Espy, a former congressman who served as President Clintons Agriculture secretary until he was forced out as part of an ethics scandal, was vying to be the first African-American elected to the Senate from Mississippi since Reconstruction. He ran as a moderate, rarely speaking about race until the final days of the campaign amid the outcry over Hyde-Smiths comments, instead running as a unifier who sought to represent everyone. Hoping to replicate the success of Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in neighboring Alabama, Espy awakened a Democratic Party that had been driven into near extinction in Mississippi, driving up turnout among black voters and appealing to moderate whites angry with Trump. But he faced steep odds from the beginning in a state where Republicans make up more than half the voting electorate. Still, he was credited with making the race closer than anyone believed it could be, and Democrats were hopeful he might consider running again in 2020, when the seat comes up for full six-year term. In his concession, Epsy suggested he wasnt done with politics. Tonight is the beginning not the end, the former congressman said. When this many people show up, stand up and speak up, it is not a loss. It is a moment. It is a movement. And we are not going to stop moving our state forward just because of one election. I look forward to finding new ways to do just that. Tuesdays results didnt dramatically change the political makeup of the Senate, where Republicans will now hold a 53-seat majority beginning in January. But GOP officials were worried enough about a potential loss that they dispatched dozens of staffers here in recent days to help boost Hyde-Smiths ground game. The race was called about two hours after polls closed in Mississippi a longer wait than most elections here, adding to the GOP anxiety. Hyde-Smith was ahead by about 10 points, with 80 percent of the vote counted. But a party operative dismissed the closeness of the race. A win is a win is a win, he said. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: A New Jersey restaurant threatens to fire employee who wants to attend the funeral of Michael Sot. (Photo: Instagram/GoFundMe) A restaurant in New Jersey is in hot water after threatening to fire an employee who wanted to attend a friends funeral. The unnamed female college student from the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and hostess at Cafe Seventy-Two texted her boss, identified only as Katie, to check if there was another host who could take one of her shifts. As seen in screenshots of the exchange, Katie immediately replied, Are you serious? No, before the employee took an opportunity to explain the reason she had asked. Someone close to my [sic] just passed away, and Im trying to find a cover for my shifts so I can attend the funeral service rather than call out and leave you guys hanging, the student wrote, along with a link to the announcement of Michael Sots death, who died in a car accident on Sunday. The response received by the employee reads: Oh wow thanks. Just dont come back to work. Screenshots of the conversation were posted to Facebook. (Photo: Facebook) I like you but Im sick of all staff not taking their job seriously and just f***ing expect me to cover all of your shifts, Katie said. I have a business to run at the end of the day. And a family. Despite the employees effort to explain her dedication to her job, the extenuating circumstance surrounding this specific ask and the unethical nature of what her boss was threatening, Katie simply said, Im not playing this game. Screenshots of the exchange were soon thereafter posted to a TCNJ Facebook group, where students showed their support for the employee by saying that they would no longer bring their business to Cafe Seventy-Two. Students also decided to trash the restaurant on both its Facebook (which has since been deleted) and Yelp pages. I used to come here often as I love supporting small businesses, but I can guarantee I will never again spend a penny here as they dont deserve it at all. Completely disgusting, one person wrote in a recent review. Another said, Absolutely repulsed by the boss and her lack of empathy and respect towards an employee. Story continues The restaurants co-owner, and Katies husband, Ben, wrote the following apology, ensuring that the employee wasnt fired and revealing their donation to Sots GoFundMe, and posted it to their website. Hello to all of our loyal customers. My name is Ben, the owner and operator of Cafe 72, a long standing family run business. I am also the husband of Katie Cafe 72. You may or may not have seen some posts on social media reflecting an interaction with a current Cafe 72 employee whom is also a TCNJ student affected by the recent tragic death of Michael Sot. The employee was not fired. Her last shifts were this weekend before leaving for holiday break to be with her family and friends until January 28th. This private conversation was not related in any way to the mourning of Michael. Although this interaction was displayed completely out of context by a friend of the employee and drastically misrepresents Katie and our establishment, we recognize that there is NOTHING that excuses it. We carelessly let the stresses of family and business replace the professionalism, respect and empathy that every employee and person deserves. We have received countless hate emails, bad reviews and threatening phone calls and ask that they STOP. We understand the anger and animosity that has been created by these posts, and ask for the communities forgiveness. On behalf of Cafe 72 and our family, we offer our sincerest apology. We have been residents of Ewing and operated business for many years in this township. Cafe 72 has gone above and beyond for Ewing Township and TCNJ through gas explosions, hurricanes, snow storms and other tragedies and will continue to do so. We recognize that it is our patrons and the community that make us special and a place to come together as one. We would like to turn the tremendous amount of negativity around and create as much positivity as possible by contributing $1000 to Michaels GoFundMe page. We would also like to add to this donation by giving another 10% of all sales the remainder of this week in his honor. Thank you for taking the time to read this and we wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. Ben and Katie declined Yahoo Lifestyles request for comment. Still, comments from enraged students and former Cafe Seventy-Two customers have yet to stop. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Video shows McDonalds employees kicking out sweet old lady minding her business Code for no black people: New York bars racist dress code sparks online debate Restaurant manager sacked after refusing to serve customer in MAGA hat Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. President Donald Trumps longtime associate Roger Stone has invoked the Fifth Amendment in response to a request for documents from the highest ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary committee. In a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Stones attorney, Grant Smith, wrote that his client is declining to provide the documents because the scope of the request is too broad, and he does not want them to be used for private testimony. Mr. Stone decries secrecy. He will not subject himself to the innuendo of non-public proceedings. Nor will he confirm the existence of, or produce the documents of the request, for the purpose of being used in secret proceedings, Smith wrote. Feinstein posted the letter on her Twitter account Tuesday evening. Since Feinstein is in the minority party, she does not have subpoena power. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Roger Stones attorney sent a letter this week stating Stone wont provide documents or appear for an interview before the committee. https://t.co/csC3TG1BPH pic.twitter.com/oRbpE0qjEw Sen Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) December 4, 2018 Stone testified before the House Select Permanent Committee on Intelligence in 2017 in a closed door testimony. Smith argued in his letter that the secretive nature of the testimony rendered Stone vulnerable to leaks from the Democrats on the committee. Trump has previously decried those who invoked the Fifth Amendment. In a presidential debate with Hillary Clinton in 2016, he said the fact that her associates had pleaded the Fifth in regards to the investigation into her private email server disgraceful. At a rally in September of 2016, he also argued that the mob takes the Fifth. If youre innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? he asked, rhetorically. WASHINGTON Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) says the uproar over the extraordinary proposals aimed at reducing the power of incoming Gov. Tony Evers and other Democrats in Wisconsin is way overblown. The Republican-controlled state legislature in Wisconsin passed a series of proposals shortly before dawn on Wednesday that would cut early voting in the state, give Republicans full control of a state economic development agency, block the governors ability to write regulations and allow the legislature to hire its own lawyers to file lawsuits on behalf of the state. The GOP measures are being widely seen as an attempt to cripple the authority of statewide Democrats before they take power in January. Current Gov. Scott Walker, who narrowly lost re-election to Evers last month, is expected to sign the package into law. But Johnson, the senior senator from Wisconsin, downplayed its impact and expressed confidence about any potential consequences Republicans may face. Oh, I dont know, it depends on how much you guys blow it out of proportion, I suppose, Johnson told reporters when asked if hes concerned about a voter backlash. He added that Walker had vetoed the proposals earlier this year, so this is really what [they] wanted to do for quite some period of time. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). (Photo: Bill Clark via Getty Images) Wisconsin Republicans claim they are simply making long overdue reforms to restore the balance of power between the legislature and the executive. There is evidence, however, to suggest the effort had more to do about the politics of the incoming governor. State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R), for example, warned lawmakers ahead of the vote that if the measures were not enacted, Wisconsin would have a very liberal governor who is going to enact policies that are in direct contrast to what many of us believe in. Wisconsin Democrats called the move an unprecedented partisan power grab that is subverting the will of the voters, who picked Evers to lead them. Power-hungry politicians rushed through sweeping changes to our laws to expand their own power and override the will of the people of Wisconsin who asked for change on November 6th, Evers said in a statement on Wednesday. Story continues Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), meanwhile, accused the GOP-controlled legislature of showing great disrespect to the voters of the state of Wisconsin. Several of the GOP measures are aimed specifically at curtailing the governors ability to make administrative changes to programs like unemployment insurance, food stamps and Medicaid. Moreover, they would also limit the attorney general and governors authority to end lawsuits brought by the state, a move designed to keep Wisconsin in a legal action seeking to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Baldwin said Wednesday that she anticipated legal action over the matter. I think especially with regard to their actions on early voting, those are challengable in court. A similar measure was struck by a federal court two years ago, Baldwin said in an interview on Capitol Hill. Related Coverage Paul Ryan Silent On GOP Power Grab In Wisconsin The Wisconsin Senate's Move To Undermine An Incoming Democratic Governor, Explained Lame-Duck Republicans Stick It To The Poor In Wisconsin Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Russia has laughed off a US warship's challenge to its territorial claims in the Sea of Japan as unsuccessful while reacting angrily to reports that US ships could also enter the Black Sea. The US naval activity comes less than two weeks after Russia seized three Ukrainian ships off the coast of Crimea in the Black Sea last month in an escalation of existing tensions there. The guided missile destroyer USS McCampbell sailed in the vicinity of Peter the Great Bay to challenge Russia's excessive maritime claims in a demonstrative freedom of navigation operation on Wednesday, the navy said. But the Russian defence ministry claimed on Thursday that the McCampbell had not come closer than 100 kilometres (62 miles) to its territorial waters and was currently demonstrating its bravery 250 miles from Russian shores. A destroyer and several warplanes nonetheless followed the US ship, which tried to get away at maximum speed, the ministry said in a sarcastic statement carried on state television. Moscow has since Soviet times maintained that the entire Peter the Great Bay, which includes the home base of its Pacific fleet in Vladivostok, is historically Russian territory. Washington on the other hand argues that Russian waters extend only 12 nautical miles from shore as per international law. In an unrelated incident, five marines were missing after an American fighter jet collided with a tanker plane during refuelling over the Sea of Japan on Thursday. Russia blocked the Kerch Strait with a tanker before seizing Ukrainian navy ships that tried to sail through last month Credit: Pavel Rebrov/Reuters The navy's freedom of navigation operation marked a geographical broadening of tensions between Russia and the US, which has previously focused on challenging Chinese claims in the South China Sea, most recently sailing naval ships near contested areas there last week. The two Cold War foes are also at odds over a landmark arms control treaty that Donald Trump wants to abandon. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said on Wednesday Russia would develop new missiles if the US withdrew. Story continues Meanwhile, CNN reported that the US was notifying Turkey of possible plans to sail a warship into the Black Sea in response to the capture of three Ukrainian ships and 24 sailors there on November 25. The ships were headed for Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait, which has been controlled by Russia since the 2014 annexation of Crimea. US senator John Barrasso had called on Sunday for American and Nato ships to be sent to the Black Sea in a show of force against Russia. Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko, who is trailing in the polls before March's election, continues a string of appearances at military bases on Thursday Credit: Mikhail Palinchak/Presidential Press Service via AP The purported plan provoked a blustery response from Russian politicians and pundits on Thursday, with one warning Russia could repeat the incident of February 1988, when a Soviet frigate rammed a US cruiser in the Black Sea. MP Yury Shvytkin vowed that Russia would respond accordingly if Russia's waters were violated. I wouldn't really want our submarines to have to surface off the American coast, he said. Following the seizure of its ships, Kiev has declared martial law and called up reservists in response to claims of a Russian troop buildup on its borders, which Moscow has denied. On Thursday, parliament moved forward on legislation claiming Ukraine's waters extend 24 nautical miles into the Black Sea. In a New York Times editorial on Wednesday, Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko told Western leaders to stop appeasing Mr Putin and adopt further sanctions on Russia in response to its unprovoked military attack. The head of the Ukrainian fleet has offered himself in exchange for the 24 captured sailors, who face six years in prison on charges of violating Russia's borders. The Russian foreign ministry retorted that he should resign instead. Istanbul (AFP) - American actor Sean Penn was in Istanbul on Wednesday to film a documentary about the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate, Turkish media reported. Khashoggi, a US resident since 2017, was killed during his visit to the consulate to obtain marriage-related paperwork on October 2. In one image shared by state news agency Anadolu, two-time Oscar winner Penn was seen outside the mission where the Washington Post contributor was strangled before he was cut up into pieces by a 15-man Saudi team especially sent to Istanbul for the task. The remains of the 59-year-old have not yet been found despite searches of the consulate and other places. The agency said Penn was also seen outside the consul-general's nearby residence. Pro-government daily Sabah said the actor wanted to meet Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, during his visit. Since Khashoggi was critical of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, there has been speculation the de facto leader of the kingdom ordered the hit. Despite denials by Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's reputation has been tarnished, with US senators pointing the finger at the crown prince after a CIA briefing Tuesday. Penn has previously attracted controversy as a result of his foray into politics and current affairs, and especially after he and Mexican-American actress Kate del Castillo interviewed Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman while he was on the run. Penn, 58, won two Oscar awards for best actor for his roles in Mystic River and in Milk. By Moses Kyeyune. Embattled former executive director at the Bank of Uganda Justine Bagyenda and the Central Bank boss Prof Emmauel Tumusiime Mutebile have faced a tough meeting explaining the final sale of Global trust Bank. Early last month, the governor told the committee probing alleged illegal closure that he can never dream to re-open any bank closed under his hand. One of the Banks is Global Trust Banks whose closure and sale was done in a couple of minutes. The committee has further unveiled that the non disclosure agreement between the central bank and DFCU, the buyer was signed by only Bagyenda for the Bank of Uganda. The committee also wants the Governor to explain why Bagyenda took a decision on a matter that was never a position of the Board. Senators are to vote on a measure that would hold Saudi Arabias powerful crown prince formally responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A day after leading members of the Senate claimed Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the journalists killing after they were briefed by the head of the CIA, a group of senators from both parties introduced a measure that would hold the 33-year prince accountable. The resolution introduced by a group that included Republicans Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio, and Democrat Dianne Feinstein - says the Senate believes the crown prince was in control of security forces during the killing and based on evidence and analysis made available to this institution, has a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. I believe its vitally important to US national security interests to make a definitive statement about the brutal murder of an American resident Mr Khashoggi who has three American citizen children, Mr Graham said in a statement accompanying Wednesdays resolution. The resolution, which also calls for a peace deal to end Saudis military bombing operation, is non-binding. However, if is passed it would underscore the difference between many members of the US foreign policy establishment and Donald Trump. It would also force Mr Trump to decide whether or not to veto the measure. Mr Trump has repeatedly sought to defend the crown prince, denying reports that the CIA had concluded he was behind Octobers killing of the 59-year-old journalist at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Last month, the president issued a statement saying the US would remain a steadfast ally of Saudi Arabia, even though the prince may or may not have been behind the killing that triggered global outrage. Im not going to tell a country....that has helped me keep oil prices down...Im not going to destroy our economy by being foolish with Saudi Arabia, Mr Trump. Story continues After emerging from a private briefing with CIA Director Gina Haspel, Mr Graham of South Carolina, said a person would have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion this was orchestrated and organised by people under the command of Mohammed bin Salman. The Hill said the Senate is bracing for a chaotic floor fight over the Saudi-led campaign in Yemen and Mr Khashoggis murder. Senators voted to kick a resolution to the full Senate last week that would require Mr Trump to withdraw troops in or affecting Yemen within 30 days unless they are fighting Al-Qaeda. Senate Measure Holds Saudi Crown Prince Accountable for Killing of Jamal Khashoggi pic.twitter.com/339t49HVst Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 5, 2018 The resolution also calls on the Saudi government to negotiate with representatives of the Houthi movement and agree to a political resolution and end the countrys humanitarian crisis. The bombing campaign supported by a number of Gulf nations as well as the US and UK has resulted in a massive humanitarian catastrophe. Senator Bob Menendez, the top Democrat on the foreign relations committee, and who supports ending US support for Saudi Arabias bombing of Yemen, said his views had only solidified after attending the briefing on Capitol Hill. Senator Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the committee, shook his head to say no, when asked if he thought Ms Haspels briefing had changed any minds. I have zero question in my mind that the Crown Prince MBS ordered the killing, monitored the killing, knew exactly what was happening, said Mr Corker. Planned it in advanced. If he was in front of a jury he would be convicted in 30 minutes. Guilty. Saudi Arabia has denied the crown princes involvement. Last month, the nations public prosecutor charged 11 people over the murder, and seeking the death penalty for five of them. The Saudi public prosecutor has blamed a rogue operation aimed at bringing Mr Khashoggi back to the Riyadh for the killing. Investigations are continuing into another 10. The US Treasury Department has sanctioned 17 Saudis who it says targeted Mr Khashoggi. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump stared straight ahead. Former President Bill Clinton scanned the program. Former President Jimmy Carter checked his watch. The atmosphere at the rare meeting of the current president with his predecessors at the funeral of George H.W. Bush on Wednesday was noticeably chilly. Trump shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, did not engage with Bill or Hillary Clinton, and promptly took his seat at the end of the row. As Trump arrived, Hillary Clinton his 2016 opponent, and the subject of the president's continuing taunts did not glance his way. The funeral at the Washington National Cathedral brought together the current and all former living presidents. All but former President George W. Bush sat with their spouses together in a front row. Before Trump's arrival, they chatted amicably. It was Bush, who sat with other family member at his father's funeral, who appeared to break the solemnity, offering gregarious handshakes to Trump and all of the former presidents and their spouses. He also handed what appeared to be a piece of candy to Michelle Obama, in what has become a tradition between the two. Michelle Obama and Barack Obama laughed in response. Bush gave the former first lady a mint this year at the funeral of Sen. John McCain, a moment Obama later described warmly. "He is my partner in crime at every major thing where all the formers gather, Obama told NBC. So were together all the time, and I love him to death. Hes a wonderful man." Former presidents have come together only occasionally over the past several decades, typically for a funeral, or to celebrate the opening of a president's library at the end of his term. The funeral of former President Ronald Reagan in 2004 brought together both Bushes, Clinton, Carter and Gerald Ford. Trump has had a particularly acrimonious relationship with the Bush family, criticizing George H.W. Bush and his sons. The Bush family invited Trump to attend, but he is not expected to speak. George W. Bush will eulogize his father. Story continues The funeral was the first time that Hillary Clinton and Trump have been together since his inauguration last year following their bitter presidential campaign. Trump has continued to call for an investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server when she was secretary of state. During the campaign, Trump derided his opponent as "Crooked Hillary" and a "nasty woman." Crowds at his political rallies ahead of this year's midterm election continued to chant "lock her up" at the mention of her name. Throughout U.S. history, presidents have often been at odds with each other. Dwight Eisenhower and Harry Truman didn't speak for years. But historians say no previous chief executive has spoken as publicly and as harshly about predecessors as Trump has. "Not even close," Mark Updegrove, who has written books on Lyndon Johnson and the Bush family. Trump "entered the White House on a trail of scorched earth," Updegrove said. "I don't think he respects the institutions the way other presidents have." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Silence, straight-ahead stares and candy mark rare full meeting of president's club at Bush funeral (This story corrects to delete incorrect information that rocket carried a University of Illinois satellite) By Joey Roulette (Reuters) - Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket from California on Monday carrying 64 small satellites into low orbit around the Earth, which the company called the largest-ever "rideshare" mission by a U.S.-based rocket. The mission, dubbed SSO-A, also marked the third voyage to space for the same Falcon 9 rocket - another milestone for SpaceX's cost-cutting reusable rocket technology. The Falcon 9 blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 10:34 a.m. local time (18:34 GMT) carrying satellites from 34 different companies, government agencies and universities. SpaceX said the mission was "one of the most complex and intricate endeavors" for Seattle-based startup Spaceflight, the ride-share company that arranged passage for each satellite maker. The mission comes days after India fired a rocket carrying 31 satellites into space. After the launch, the Falcon 9's first-stage booster returned to earth as planned, landing on a ship off the coast of southern California, according to a live video of the flight. However, the Falcon 9's payload fairing - an enclosure that protected the satellites during launch - missed a landing net on the barge and ended up in the ocean. "Falcon fairing halves missed the net, but touched down softly in the water," Musk, SpaceX's chief executive officer, said on Twitter. He said the boat was moving to pick them up. "Plan is to dry them out & launch again. Nothing wrong with a little swim," Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla Inc , said on Twitter. (Reporting by Joey Roulette in Orlando, Florida, editing by Bill Berkrot) Lorena and her two children hold out their arms to show the numbers they were given to be on a list at Casa del Migrante to seek political asylum in the United States on Nov. 28, 2018. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) JUAREZ, Mexico At approximately 1 oclock on Wednesday, a white van adorned with a pink heart decal surrounding the letters DIF pulls up to the foot of the Paso del Norte, one of the bridges that leads from Juarez to El Paso, Texas. Two young men in black fleece jackets embroidered with the same pink heart the logo of Juarezs department of family services emerge to assist their passengers: a group of wary-looking asylum seekers. There are exactly 31 of them, nearly half of them small children, some too young to walk. They have no backpacks or suitcases, clinging only to each other as they as they climb cautiously from the back of the van and quietly form a line by a fence next to the bridge entrance. A man and woman wearing orange and tan shirts with the Mexican flag on their sleeves appear to have arrived separately but at the same time as the asylum seekers, and seamlessly replace the DIF workers, employees of the municipal government in Juarez, as their shepherds. They are with Grupos Beta, the humanitarian branch of Mexicos federal immigration agency, whose mission is to offer assistance and protection to migrants. The Grupos Beta officers, who refer questions from reporters to their superiors, each clutch a clipboard holding several sheets of lined paper, which they appear to be double- and triple-checking meticulously. Its unclear whether this version of the list contains the names of the migrants, each of whom has an identifying number written in black permanent marker on the inside of their wrists. Including children. These organized drop-offs have become a regular occurrence at the Paso del Norte over the past few weeks, ever since Mexican authorities began removing hundreds of asylum seekers from the bridges between Juarez and El Paso, where theyd previously been camped out. The encampments emerged over the summer, after CBP began placing officers in the middle of the international bridges to block those without documentation from proceeding to the port of entry forcing asylum seekers to wait on the Mexican side for permission to cross. Earlier this month, Mexican officials ordered all those camped out on the bridges between Juarez and El Paso to relocate to la Casa del Migrante, a Catholic-run migrant shelter located approximately 30 minutes away from the Paso del Norte by car. Story continues According to various advocates and others who observed the situation on the bridges over the summer, it was volunteers with the Mexican Red Cross who first created a waiting list to help maintain order within the encampments as asylum seekers waited for their turn to cross. The list was then transferred to the Casa del Migrante along with the asylum seekers, when they were forced to move there in November. Accounts vary on when, exactly, and with whom, the practice of tracking migrants with numbers on their arms originated, but it has now become a part of the process for all who wish to seek asylum at one of the U.S. ports of entry in El Paso. What, in part, started as an effort by the municipal government in Juarez to offer shelter to the growing encampment of asylum seekers on the bridges has evolved into a complicated, ad hoc arrangement of Mexican NGOs, municipal, state, and federal agencies to funnel asylum seekers away from the U.S. ports of entry in El Paso. At the center are U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, who control the flow of migrants, notifying Mexican immigration authorities in Juarez how many people from the list can be allowed over the border each day and when. A representative from Grupos Beta collects the names and list numbers from asylum seekers after they arrived in a group of 30 from Casa Del Migrante in Juarez, Mexico, on Nov. 28, 2018. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) A spokesperson for CBP acknowledged that officials in El Paso communicate to Mexican immigration officials in Juarez how many new asylum seekers can cross the border each day, depending on capacity at the ports of entry, stating that CBP is not denying or discouraging travelers from seeking asylum or any other form of protection, or from claiming fear of return to their home country. But the ACLU and other local immigrant rights advocates argue that U.S. border officials are violating their responsibilities under federal and international law, by preventing migrants who say they are fleeing persecution from freely accessing official U.S. ports of entry. So far, most asylum seekers whove been thrust into the new Juarez system have only had to wait a few days before they are allowed across the bridge. But in Tijuana, across from San Diego, where CBP has relied on a similar waitlist process to meter the flow of asylum seekers, the recent arrival of thousands of migrants traveling in caravans from Central America has overrun shelters and led to confrontations with local residents, a clash with border guards who used tear gas to disperse crowds attempting to climb the border fence and months-long wait times. They also warn of the high potential for corruption within such operations, noting that similar wait-management systems have also recently emerged in Matamoros and near other border crossings across from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, where migrants have reported Mexican officials demanding payments in exchange for a spot on the list. Though CBP denies involvement or knowledge of how the waitlist process in Mexico works, Blanca Navarette, director of Derechos Humanos Integrales en Accion, a Juarez-based human rights organization, calls CBP a violator of human rights that transfers its responsibility to receive [asylum seekers] to the Mexican authorities. Clearly, the root of the problem is CBP, said Alan Dicker, an El Paso-based advocate who has been observing CBPs interactions with asylum seekers at the ports of entry as a volunteer for the ACLU. Dicker dismissed the agencys claim that restricting access to ports of entry is simply a response to capacity constraints, noting that in the past, CBP has opened temporary facilities to accommodate influxes at the border. Migrants wait outside Casa del Migrante in Juarez on Nov. 28, 2018. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) If they decided to put a few more processing officers here to expand their capacity, they could do it very easily, he said. They have decided not to do things like that anymore and artificially create this sort of capacity issue. After the group of 31 crossed Wednesday afternoon, another smaller group was transported from the shelter to the bridge at seven that night. Anyone else who attempted to present themselves without documentation that day was stopped, including a 15-year-old girl and her mother whod traveled by themselves from Guatemala. When the diminutive pair, both of whom were well under 5 feet, approached the halfway point on the bridge without documents, the CBP agents physically blocked them from passing. But that was the extent of their interaction with U.S. authorities, who instead allowed a private security guard contracted by the state bridge authority in Juarez to oversee pedestrian tolls and other activity on the bridge to swoop in and tell the women that if they wanted to request asylum in the United States they had to go back to the bottom of the bridge, talk to the Grupos Beta people in orange, go to Casa del Migrante and get on the list. Customs and Border Patrol agents stop a woman and her daughter at the International Boundary Line of the Paso del Norte Port of Entry between Juarez and El Paso on Nov. 28, 2018. The mother did not verbally declare asylum to the agents before a private security officer explained they sign up to be put on the list for entry to ask for asylum. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) Shaw Drake, policy counsel for the ACLU of Texas Border Rights Center, said that sequence of events illustrates the crux of the problem with putting CBP agents in the middle of the bridge with general instructions to turn away anyone without documents. CBP summarily turning them away with no questions whatsoever potentially puts people at risk and is in violation of [the agencys] legal responsibility to inspect and process people who are presenting themselves to agents at the ports, he said. Without any conversation with that person, those agents have no idea if that family or individuals were Mexican citizens, immediately fleeing violence in Juarez or any other situations they may have been facing. Mexican citizens seeking asylum in the United States are being directed to the shelter in Juarez along with nationals of Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba and various other countries. The entire baseline of post-World War II refugee law is to ensure that governments do not return individuals into the hands of their persecutors, said the ACLUs Shaw, arguing that there is no other more clear-cut case of non-refoulment [violation] than returning a Mexican asylum seeker to Mexico and into a system that requires them to interact on multiple levels with the Mexican government. A young woman named Lorena and her two young children left their home in southern Mexico at 4 a.m. on Wednesday and boarded a plane to Juarez, carrying an assortment of personal records, including police reports documenting the consistent death threats she and her family have received from local cartel members who murdered one of her brothers for refusing to pay a quota. Lorenas children play outside in Juarez on Nov. 28, 2018, after spending the day traveling from southern Mexico to seek asylum in the United States. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) Within a few days of her brothers murder, Lorena said, the men who killed him began targeting her and other members of her immediate family. Sometimes they would deliver the message by phone, other times in person, but it was always the same: They were going to kill Lorena and her kids. Faced with similar threats, Lorenas other brother fled to the United States, where he successfully obtained asylum. Now, she and her children hope to do the same. Upon arriving in Juarez, the three were greeted by Alex Varela, a U.S citizen and former Marine from El Paso who has spent much of his life on both sides of the border and has parlayed his binational savvy into a variety of odd jobs ranging from construction to the occasional gig as a private security guard for Americans doing business in Juarez. Varela, who also runs a soup kitchen with his church, in the past has helped escort asylum seekers over the bridges that span this part of the Rio Grande to make their claims at one of the official U.S. ports of entry. He says he agreed to do the same for Lorena after meeting her family and hearing about their plight during a recent trip to southern Mexico with his church. But its been at least two years since Varela last accompanied a family to request asylum at the border, and a lot has changed since then. Alex Varela talks on his phone on Nov. 28, 2018, after taking a woman and her three children to his relatives home in Juarez,. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) Before, Varela recalls that asking for asylum at the border the first step in what can ultimately be a lengthy, complicated legal process required little more than walking across the pedestrian bridge and presenting oneself at the U.S. port of entry in El Paso. You would go, talk to someone, and youd start the paperwork, he said. However, since this spring, CBP agents have been stationed in the middle of the Paso de Norte and other bridges, at the international line that technically separates the U.S. and Mexico, essentially blocking anyone without documentation from reaching the port of entry. This arrangement, which began following the implementation of the Trump administrations ill-fated zero-tolerance policy, resulting in the separation of thousands of immigrant families along the southwest border, has continued even as the White House has implemented policies to prevent migrants from seeking asylum except at official ports of entry. Lorena and her children shop at the grocery store in Juarez with Alex Varela on Nov. 28, to buy food for the temporary home they are staying at until their numbers are up on the waiting list. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) Previously, under international law, even refugees who crossed the border illegally could still request asylum by presenting themselves to border agents. Ahead of Lorenas arrival this week, Varela went to survey the situation at the Paso de Norte, where he says he explained to a CBP officer that he was trying to help a Mexican family seek asylum in the United States. He was told they had to get on the list and was referred to Grupo Beta, who instructed him to bring the family to the migrant shelter and wait for their numbers to be called. So when Lorena and her children arrived in Juarez on Wednesday, thats what Varela did. By the time Lorena and her children got to Casa del Migrante on Wednesday there was no more space for them; the 280-bed shelter was full. A woman named Rosie, who said she did not have the authority to allow media into the shelter, took Lorena and her children inside to put them on the list. They returned a few minutes later with numbers 1173, 1174, 1175 scrawled on their inner wrists in black ink, and a piece of paper with a phone number to call the shelter in the morning to find out what numbers were being processed that day. Its how you would mark an animal, said Varela. A woman from southern Mexico holds out her arm where administrators at Casa del Migrante wrote a number on her arm to hold her place in a growing list of asylum seekers in Juarez, Mexico, on Nov. 29, 2018. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) Outside the shelter, Lorena said the woman had asked her for all three of their names, dates of birth, where they were from, and why they wanted to leave. She also said the woman told her that the United States isnt granting asylum to anyone right now and that if she attempts to cross, her kids will be taken away. Under current administration policy, which changes frequently, neither is true. Varela would take Lorena and the children to a vacant house owned by one of his relatives in Juarez until space opened in the shelter or their numbers got called, whichever came first. But not everyone who arrives in Juarez is fortunate enough to have a local contact. As Varela waited for Lorena outside the shelter, a young man and woman from Cuba arrived by themselves, only to hear that they too would have to find somewhere else to stay. Lorena and her children arrive on Nov. 28 at the temporary home in Juarez where they are staying until their numbers are up on the waiting list. (Photo: Adria Malcolm for Yahoo News) _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Tens of thousands protest Trumps election victoryational Mall during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, U.S. Students march along the National Mall during a protest against President-elect Donald Trump in Washington on Nov. 15, 2016. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) Anti-Trump protests continued for a seventh straight day in large cities throughout the country. In Washington, D.C., more than 1,000 students staged a walkout and protested outside of Trump International Hotel, holding signs that read Boycott Bigotry and Stronger Together. A flier posted on social media and directed toward District of Columbia Public School students detailed the main goal for the demonstration and advised against disrespecting police officers and starting negative or obscene chants. Show that DCPS students refuse to allow Trumps campaign to divide us, the flier reads. We are united against bigotry. The protest was not limited to public school students. Chris Jones, a history teacher at private school Edmund Burke School, where an estimated 30 percent of students walked out, said he was "proud" of his students. The students who walked out received unexcused absences but were not further penalized, Jones told ABC News. Several roads were closed in the D.C. area due to the protests, which continued at various locations on U.S. Capitol Grounds. Hundreds of high school and college students in New York City braved the damp weather and took to the streets as well, marching down Fifth Avenue chanting Anti-Trump and We reject the president-elect. Students also chanted Education not deportation as they held umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain. Protests erupted nationwide last Wednesday after Trump was announced as president-elect early that morning. (GMA) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr. Theresa May insisted opponents of her Brexit deal needed to outline their alternative (Getty) Theresa May took to the airwaves this morning to continue her defence of her Brexit deal, accusing MPs of attempting to frustrate it. The Prime Minister is facing a crucial vote on the deal next week and she continues to insist it is the only deal, despite huge opposition from all sides of the Commons. Speaking on Radio 4s Today Programme, Mrs May denied she was delaying the vote on 11 December while she attempted to shore up support. She insisted: We are in the middle of five days of debate in Parliament which will lead up to a vote on this issue. Mrs May, once again using phrases and stock answers she has used during numerous interviews on Brexit, refused to be drawn on the possibility of losing the vote. The Prime Minister said the controversial backstop element of the deal was an integral part of any withdrawal agreement (Getty) There are now 104 Tories who have said they will vote against the deal after prominent backbencher Johnny Mercer said he could not support it. But the Prime Minister simply stated: We havent had the vote yet. Brexiteers have raged against the deal ever since it was first announced last month but Mrs May said it was up to others to come up with a Plan B. COUNTDOWN TO BREXIT LATEST ANALYSIS FROM YAHOO UK Where do Theresa Mays ministers stand on Brexit? Post-Brexit trip to Europe? Try these non-EU alternatives Bank of England governor confident about UK banks Brexit readiness Dont be fooled the biggest battle over Brexit starts now Hard Brexit could cripple UK science warn Nobel Prize winners She insisted she had negotiated a good deal that delivers on the referendum, but refused to be drawn on whether she had an alternative. Mrs May said: That question is not for me, that question is for those who say that they want to oppose this deal. The Democratic Unionist Party, which props up Mrs Mays administration, made clear it would support the Government in a confidence motion if the Brexit deal was rejected by MPs on December 11. The DUP has insisted it will withdraw support for Mrs Mays Government if the Prime Minister presses ahead with her Brexit deal (Getty) However, the partys 10 MPs would not back the Prime Minister if her Brexit deal, including the controversial Northern Ireland backstop measure, survives. Story continues Asked if the DUP was prepared to precipitate a general election, the partys Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson told Radio: If it comes to the point where the Government makes, shows, a determination to implement the Withdrawal Agreement with its damaging terms at present, or some future version of it, which is still equally damaging, we will not be supporting the Government. Referring to the DUPs agreement to prop up the Tories in the Commons, Mr Wilson added: If they break the agreement which they have with us, then they dont have our support. If they renege on those promises now, or in the future, we always have that leverage. Mrs May said she recognised the concerns over the backstop but said: Any deal, any agreement, any arrangement that we came to with the European Union would involve a backstop. The countdown to Brexit is in full swing (PA) So, people talk about, lets have a Norway, or lets have a Canada, everything involves a backstop. Secondly, none of the other arrangements that people have put forward fully deliver on the referendum. This deal delivers on the referendum. Asked whether the MPs would be given a separate vote on the backstop, the Prime Minister said: The backstop is an integral part of the Withdrawal Agreement, but the backstop would be integral part of any withdrawal agreement and of any deal that was negotiated with the European Union. The PM signalled that MPs would decide whether the UK went into a backstop or extended the transition period. Mrs May said: There will be a choice between, if we get to that point, a choice between going into the backstop and extending the transition period. The crunch vote on Brexit takes place on 11 December (Getty) A European Court of Justice ruling on the reversibility of Article 50 is set to take place the day before MPs vote on Mrs Mays Brexit deal. But Mrs May said that, while there is no unilateral right to pull out of the backstop, the UK would have a choice over whether or not to enter into it. Asked if she would be happy for Parliament to adjudicate on whether to go into the backstop or extend the implementation period, the PM said: I think people are concerned about the role of the UK in making these decisions. And, the obvious, in terms of the UK, is for it to be Parliament that makes these decisions. By Moses Kyeyune. Former Executive Director in the Bank of Uganda Justine Bagyenda has been put on spot for spilling secrets of a sinking Client in breach of the Bank of Uganda Act. Bagyenda, who is appearing before parliaments Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises to answer queries surrounding the illegal sale of Global Trust Bank. The committee learnt that the Central Bank represented by Bagyenda entered into a purchase agreement with DFCU on July 10, 2014 before the Bank of Uganda could even liquidate the victim 15 days later. The committee chairperson has questioned the intention and purpose of the disclosure. It should be remembered that Global Trust Bank was also sold on the same day it was liquidated by the central bank, in a time frame of only one hour as opposed to the six months legal requirement. In the past, U.S. Attorney Robert Higdon Jr. has taken pains to prosecute a certain category of suspected voter fraud namely, individual cases that involve immigrants who mistakenly thought they were eligible to vote. Now, it looks as though Higdon has jurisdiction over something more wide-ranging: an apparent election fraud conspiracy tied to North Carolina Republicans. Higdon, a Trump appointee and the top federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of North Carolina, has jurisdiction over parts of North Carolinas 9th Congressional District where Republican Mark Harris appears to have defeated Democrat Dan McCready by fewer than 1,000 votes in last months midterm elections. Investigators are probing reports that a political operative working for Republicans ran an illegal ballot operation in the 9th District. A spokesman for Higdons office said Monday they cannot confirm or deny any investigation into the alleged wrongdoings in the race between Harris and McCready. Robert Higdon Jr. is seen in an undated photo. (Photo: U.S. Attorney's Office) State investigators in North Carolina, however, indicated they are working with the FBI and Higdons office on the investigation into the alleged election improprieties. The Washington Post reported that Harris 28-year-old son John is an assistant U.S. attorney working under Higdon. New evidence came to light Monday connecting suspicious absentee ballot activity in the Harris-McCready race to a political operative named Leslie McCrae Dowless. Dowless has a criminal history and has emerged at the center of the possible election fraud case. The conduct in question allegedly took place in Bladen County, which falls within the federal judicial Eastern District of North Carolina. Higdon, who co-led the prosecution of former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) in a case involving campaign finance fraud, has more recently overseen the prosecution of a number of cases of voting by noncitizens. One conviction in that batch of cases, involving an Italian immigrant whod registered as a Republican, resulted in a $200 fine. Former U.S. Attorney David Iglesias, who was fired during the George W. Bush administration after Republicans complained that he failed to bring enough voter fraud cases, told HuffPost that the episode was an example of the type of de minimis case that is, a case too minor to merit consideration that U.S. Attorneys almost never prosecute. Story continues Higdons office also issued a broad subpoena request earlier this year for millions of voter registration applications and absentee ballots, which the North Carolina Board of Elections voted to quash. Under scrutiny, Higdons office delayed the subpoenas until after Novembers election. Election officials are now investigating apparent irregularities with absentee ballots in the midterm race. In Bladen County, there appear to be an unusually high number of voters who requested ballots but never returned them. Bladen County is the only place in the district where Harris defeated McCready in absentee ballots. The state Democratic Party submitted an affidavit from a man named Dwight Sheppard, who said he overheard a group of people saying Dowless would receive a $40,000 bonus if Harris won the race. In another affidavit, a man said he spoke to Dowless outside an early voting location earlier this year, and says Dowless told him he was doing absentee work for Harris. Dowless was convicted of felony perjury and felony fraud in 1990 and 1992 respectively, according to The Charlotte Observer. Hes worked on get-out-the-vote operations for a number of candidates over the last decade. As described in a 2016 episode of This American Life, Dowless was at one point accused of running an illegal scheme that involved collecting absentee ballot forms and casting them on other peoples behalf. The volunteers working with Dowless were allegedly paid per ballot, and the case was referred to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Higdon was confirmed as U.S. Attorney several months later, in September 2017. Mark Harris speaks to the media on Nov. 7, 2018. (Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS) WSOC, a local television station, made another connection between Dowless and the apparent irregularities in the 9th District. A woman told the station that she collected absentee ballots from voters and then gave them to Dowless. In North Carolina, only the voter or a close relative can return a ballot. The woman, Ginger Eason, told the station she didnt know what Dowless did with the ballots. WSOC and the website Popular Information published the names of eight witnesses who signed a high number of absentee ballots (North Carolina requires two witnesses for an absentee ballot). Eason is among that group and signed as a witness for 10 people. The North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement voted 7-2 Friday to hold a public evidentiary hearing on or before Dec. 21. Andy Penry, a Democrat and the boards chairman, resigned over the weekend after Republicans drew attention to tweets hed written that were critical of President Donald Trump. Trump speaks often of the need to crack down on supposed election irregularities, and has made the baseless claim that millions of votes from illegal immigrants gave former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton her popular vote victory over him in the 2016 election. Nearly half of Republicans believe the conspiracy theory that millions of people illegally voted in the 2016 presidential election. Absentee voting is generally considered more vulnerable to electoral fraud than in-person voting. Voter ID laws are supposedly aimed at preventing in-person voter impersonation, which in reality is extraordinarily rare. North Carolina just passed a constitutional amendment mandating voter ID, and legislators are in the process of drafting the rules for which forms of ID would be acceptable. Related... Legal U.S. Immigrants Face Prison And Even Deportation For Voting Trump Prosecutor Gets First Illegal Voting Conviction. The Penalty Is $200 And Possible Deportation. North Carolina Delays Certifying Results Of Congressional Race Amid Probe Of Irregularities Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. President Trump on Thursday called Michael Cohen a weak person after his former personal attorney and longtime fixer reached a plea agreement with special counsel Robert Mueller. Hes a weak person, Trump told reporters on the South Lawn before departing for the G-20 summit in Argentina. Unlike other people you watch, Trump said, all Cohen is trying to do is get a reduced sentence, so hes lying. Asked by a reporter why Trump had employed Cohen for so many years if he doesnt trust him, Trump said Cohen had done a favor for him a long time ago. In a surprise appearance in federal court in New York earlier Thursday, Cohen had pleaded guilty to making false statements to Congress in testimony about his contacts with Russia on behalf of Trumps real estate business during the 2016 presidential campaign. Entering his plea agreement, filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Cohen said he lied to congressional investigators about the timing of a Trump-branded real estate project in Moscow out of loyalty to Trump and to be consistent with the presidents political messaging. Its no surprise that Cohen lied to Congress, Rudy Giuliani, Trumps personal attorney, said in a separate statement. Hes a proven liar who is doing everything he can to get out of a long-term prison sentence for serious crimes of bank and tax fraud that had nothing to do with the Trump Organization. President Trump speaks to reporters; Michael Cohen leaves federal court on Thursday. (Photos: Jim Young/Reuters, Drew Angerer/Getty Images) This was a project that we didnt do I didnt do, Trump said. There would be nothing wrong if I did do it. The president said that even if Cohen was telling the truth about the Moscow project, it wouldnt matter because I was allowed to do whatever I wanted during the campaign. During and after his campaign, Trump insisted that he had no deals involving Russia. He said Thursday that he had pursued the Moscow project, but dropped it to concentrate on his presidential run. But the question of precisely when he gave up on it has figured in Muellers probe. Yahoo News reported earlier this year that investigators had found evidence the project was still alive as late as May 2016, around the time Trump clinched the nomination. Story continues The president told the New York Post on Wednesday that he would consider a pardon for Paul Manafort, his former campaign manager, whose plea deal with the special counsel was rescinded after prosecutors said he lied to federal agents and government lawyers during interviews. (Manaforts attorneys dispute the allegations.) It was never discussed, but I wouldnt take it off the table, Trumps said about a pardon for Manafort. Why would I take it off the table? Earlier this year, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight felony counts related to his personal finances, including charges of tax evasion and bank fraud. But he also directly implicated the president in two campaign finance-related schemes during the 2016 general election, in connection with payoffs to women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump. President Trump walks with first lady Melania Trump as they depart the White House on Thursday. (Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters) ABC News reported that since that earlier plea deal, Cohen has spent more than 70 hours in interviews with Muellers team. The questioning has focused on contacts with Russians by Trump associates during the campaign, Trumps business ties to Russia, obstruction of justice and talk of possible pardons, ABC News said. Cohen, who once said that he would take a bullet for the president, left the courthouse without speaking to reporters. His attorney, Guy Petrillo, said his client has cooperated and will continue to cooperate. Cohen is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 12. Read the full charging document filed by Mueller: Hillary Clinton: We owe Donald Trump an 'open mind' Hillary Clinton: We owe Donald Trump an 'open mind' Donald Trump was elected Americas 45th president, an astonishing victory for a celebrity businessman and political novice who capitalized on voters economic anxieties, took advantage of racial tensions and overcame a string of sexual assault allegations on his way to the White House. His triumph over Hillary Clinton will end eight years of Democratic dominance of the White House and threatens to undo major achievements of President Barack Obama. Hes pledged to act quickly to repeal Obamas landmark health care law, revoke the nuclear agreement with Iran and rewrite important trade deals with other countries, particularly Mexico and Canada. The Republican blasted through Democrats longstanding firewall, carrying Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states that hadnt voted for a GOP presidential candidate since the 1980s. He needed to win nearly all of the competitive battleground states, and he did just that, claiming Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and others. (AP) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr. Former national security adviser Michael Flynn met with federal prosecutors on 19 occasions to help their various probes into possible connections between Russian officials and Donald Trump's presidential campaign. (Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS) WASHINGTON President Donald Trumps repeated praise for his first national security adviser as a good man who was treated badly by prosecutors appears to have ended, now that special counsel Robert Mueller is praising him. Mueller revealed Tuesday night that he is recommending that retired Army Gen. Michael Flynn serve no jail time because of his substantial assistance in various investigations regarding Trump and his dealings with Russia. Just a day earlier, Trump lauded a former business and campaign adviser for refusing to cooperate with prosecutors: Nice to know that some people still have guts! he wrote on Twitter about Roger Stone. Yet by late Wednesday, Trump still had not weighed in on revelations that Flynn met with federal prosecutors on 19 occasions to help their various probes including two that are not known publicly and whose details were blacked out in Muellers court filings. Trumps outside lawyer handling his criminal investigations, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, told HuffPost on Wednesday that there is no reason for Trump to attack Flynn because it does not appear that Flynn has given Mueller anything incriminating on Trump. The president is confident that the general is telling the truth, Giuliani said. Theres no indication of any connection to the president. Theyve produced nothing on that. Giuliani said that if Flynn was actually an important witness against Trump, Mueller would not be letting sentencing go forward for fear of losing his leverage. Giuliani said he did not know what investigations were covered by all the redacted material in Tuesdays filings but said he doubted they had anything to do with Trump. He may have other things hes cooperating about, Giuliani said. Trumps silence thus far comes in stark contrast to his reaction last week to a guilty plea by his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen for lying to Congress about Trumps efforts to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Story continues Hes a weak person and not a very smart person, Trump said the following morning. What hes trying to do is end and its very simple. Hes got himself a big prison sentence, and hes trying to get a much lesser prison sentence by making up a story. Trump appointed Flynn to run his National Security Council despite warnings from outgoing President Barack Obama about Flynn, whom Obama fired from a top Pentagon post. Trump wound up firing Flynn after less than a month on the job. The dismissal came 18 days after thenacting Attorney General Sally Yates informed the White House that Flynn had lied to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials during the transition. Trump claimed he had to fire Flynn because he lied to Vice President Mike Pence and because of negative press coverage. I think he has been treated very, very unfairly by the media as I call it, the fake media in many cases. And I think its really a sad thing that he was treated so badly, Trump said during a Feb. 15, 2017, news conference. That praise continued for a year and a half. This man has served for many years. Hes a general. In my opinion, hes a very good person, Trump said in a May 11, 2017 interview with NBC News. Even the day after Flynn pleaded guilty a year ago to lying to investigators, Trump continued to blame prosecutors. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide! the president wrote in a Dec. 2, 2017, tweet. And early this summer, Trump told reporters that perhaps Flynn was coerced into pleading guilty and had not lied to investigators at all. I feel badly for General Flynn. Hes lost his house, hes lost his life. And some people say he lied and some people say he didnt lie. I mean, really, it turned out maybe he didnt lie, Trump said. Flynn is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18. Prosecutors are set to file recommendations this week for sentences for Cohen from an earlier guilty plea and for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort from his September guilty pleas on fraud and obstruction of justice charges. The FBI has been investigating Trump and his campaigns contacts with Russia since before his election. He openly praised the countrys authoritarian ruler throughout his campaign, and President Vladimir Putins spy agencies worked to elect Trump by stealing emails from Democrats and releasing them through an ally, WikiLeaks. Trump repeatedly praised WikiLeaks and pointed to the stolen emails as proof that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton was corrupt. Trump fired FBI Director James Comey not long after taking office and told first Russian diplomats visiting the Oval Office and then NBC News that he had done so because of the Russia investigation. Mueller, who served as FBI director under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, was appointed special counsel to continue the probe after Comeys firing. Comey has said his firing took place after Trump asked him to go easy on Flynn and Comey did not agree to do so. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Jim Donegan was in his car waiting to collect his son at the time of the attack. Two men have been arrested following the death of a father who was shot while waiting for his son outside a Belfast school. Jim Donegan, 43, was targeted in front of children leaving school on the Glen Road in west Belfast on Tuesday. The married father-of-two was shot in the head as he sat in his Porsche car waiting to collect his teenage son. He died instantly. Teachers were forced to shield the car crime scene from view of the young pupils. Police released footage of a gunman, captured on CCTV moments before Donegan was shot and killed. The video sees a man in a hi-vis vest walking nearby the school. Officers believe the man concealed a gun in the bag that was slung over his shoulder. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said two men, aged 49 and 51, were detained on Wednesday evening following a number of searches in the west Belfast area. They remain in custody. Mr Donegans 13-year-old son is a pupil at St Marys Grammar School, near where the attack happened. Detective Chief Inspector Pete Montgomery said ricocheting bullets could have easily resulted in children being killed. He added: Children who moments before were no doubt enjoying Christmas activities in class, maybe practising for their Christmas concert or school nativity, will no longer be dreaming about Santa or presents. Police release an image of the suspected gunman Two men have been arrested Instead they will be having nightmares about a murder in broad daylight outside their school. A place which should be a safe haven to learn and grow. The gunman walked past these children and fired a weapon eight times. It is utter madness as any one of these bullets could have ricocheted, and having been at the scene I cannot emphasise enough that it is sheer luck I am not investigating multiple fatalities. More than 1,000 pupils were exiting the school at the time of the attack. The school is expected to reopen for classes on Thursday. By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The United States delivered Russia a 60-day ultimatum on Tuesday to come clean about what Washington says is a violation of a arms control treaty that keeps missiles out of Europe, saying only Moscow could save the pact. NATO allies led by Germany pressed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at a meeting in Brussels to give diplomacy a final push before Washington pulls out of the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, fearing a new arms race in Europe. "Russia has a last chance to show in a verifiable way that they comply with the treaty ... but we also have to start to prepare for the fact that this treaty may break down," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters. NATO foreign ministers agreed to formally declare Russia in "material breach" of the INF treaty in a statement in support of the United States, after Pompeo briefed them at the alliance headquarters in Brussels on Russian violations and on U.S. President Donald Trump's stated aim to withdraw from it. Russia denies undertaking any such development of land-based, intermediate-range Cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads and hitting European cities at short notice. Germany, the Netherlands and Belgian are concerned about the deployment of U.S. missiles in Europe - as happened in the 1980s, touching off large anti-American demonstrations - while being caught up in nuclear competition between Moscow and Washington. A U.S. exit from the INF treaty would put another strain on NATO allies already shaken by Trump's demands for higher defense spending and what diplomats say is a lack of clarity about where U.S. strategy is heading on the issue. While Stoltenberg said there would now be an intense diplomatic push to try to convince Russia to give up what Pompeo said were "multiple battalions of the SSC-8 missiles", Washington is set to start to pull out in February, prompting a six-month withdrawal period under the accord, diplomats said. "Its range makes it a direct menace to Europe," Pompeo said of the missiles, which also are called Novator 9M729. He added that Russia's actions "greatly undermine America's national security and that of our allies". Difficult to detect and fired from mobile launchers, the Russian missiles are especially dangerous because they reduce the warning time that NATO air defenses might have to shoot them down, military experts say. Pompeo said the U.S. government had raised the issue at least 30 times since 2013 with Moscow but had faced what he said were denials and counter-actions. He also said that the United States had evidence that the test launches were from a single site in Russia, the Soviet-era base Kupustin Yar, near Volgograd, southeast of Moscow. "In the light of these facts, the United States declares Russia in material breach of the treaty and will suspend our obligations ... effective in 60 days unless Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance," Pompeo said. EUROPE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE Washington has said it would be forced to restore the military balance in Europe after the 60-day period but Pompeo declined to elaborate, saying only that tests and deployments of new missiles were on hold until then. He also said that because China, Iran and North Korea were not signatories to the INF, the United States was putting itself at a disadvantage by not developing medium-range missiles, citing three failed diplomatic attempts to enlarge the treaty. However, experts believe the United States would be better off modernizing its long-range missile deterrent and ensuring that it could penetrate sophisticated Russian air defenses, rather than developing a new class of medium-range rockets. The INF treaty, negotiated by then-President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and ratified by the U.S. Senate, eliminated the medium-range missile arsenals of the world's two biggest nuclear powers and reduced their ability to launch a nuclear strike at short notice. U.S. Cruise and Pershing missiles deployed in Britain and West Germany were removed as a result of the treaty, while the Soviet Union pulled back its SS-20s out of European range. The treaty requires the United States and Russia "not to possess, produce, or flight-test" a ground-launched cruise missile with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km (310-3,420 miles), "or to possess or produce launchers of such missiles." (Reporting by Robin Emmott; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Even as President George H.W. Bush was memorialized on Wednesday with a national day of mourning, pundits were debating how to define the legacy of the 41st president, a venerated man in his old age whose reputation as president has improved in comparison to several of his successors. But, when viewed through one particular lens, he is much easier to understand: Bush was the last representative of the G.I. or Greatest generation to occupy the White House. That generation, born from 1904 or thereabouts through 1924, monopolized the presidency from 1961 through 1993, when Bush left officethe longest continuous run of any American generation. Bushs life exemplified that generation, and his strengths and weaknesses were theirs as well. His greatest achievements, which came in foreign affairs, reflected their capacity to work as a team, to accept reality as they found it and, above all, to understand the other persons point of view. Much of the childhood of the G.I. generation took place during the Progressive era, when the nation believed that reason and science could build a better future. The first half of the 20th century was a great epoch in American education, from which Bush and his peers benefited. And starting in 1933, when Bush was only 9, the G.I. generation also began to benefit from a series of federal programs that would look after them throughout their lives. The New Deal put them to work and made it easier to attend college, the G.I. Bill allowed returning veterans (including Bush) to educate themselves, and the tax code of the 1940s and 1950s favored young families, while housing programs encouraged the construction of suburbs. In 1972, when the first G.I.s were retired, social security benefits went up significantly. In return, ten million G.I.s served in the Second World War, where hundreds of thousands lost their lives. The victory gave them a lifelong faith in their country and the principles for which it had come to stand. Story continues Bush, though born to privilege, was no exception to this general pattern. When he graduated from Phillips Andover Academy in 1942, just as the Philippines and much of Southeast Asia fell to the Japanese and the world held its breath to see if the USSR could survive another year of war against Germany, he went right into the Navy and flight school rather than going to Yale. Just as John F. Kennedy lived through the loss of some of his crew when a Japanese destroyer sank his P.T. boat, Bush endured the loss of two crew members in his plane who were unable to bail out. They were the only two G.I. Presidents who saw combat. Like so many of his fellow veterans, the returning Bush went into college on the G.I. bill, married his high school sweetheart, and did not even wait for graduation to begin creating a large family. Then he threw himself into the oil business in Texas. Like so many G.I. fathers, he devoted himself to his work while his wife Barbara raised the children. Confronted with the devastating loss of their daughter Robin to leukemia at a very early age, they handled it with typical stoicism, not even telling her older brother George W. that she was gravely ill before she died. Bush, like many fathers of that time and class, seems to have paid little attention to his sons as children, but brought them into his orbit as adolescents on the condition that they do their best to replicate his own life. All four seem to have tried to do so. Bushs letters to his family in his middle age, published about ten years ago, are also typical: they are formal, stilted, and show great difficulty expressing any deep emotion, except in one or two that talk about his dead daughter. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter G.I.s were natural optimists, and George Bush needed lots of optimism to reach the White House. In 1980, when he ran for President for the first time, he had waged just four election campaigns, losing two runs for the Senate and winning two elections to Congress. Yet he managed to secure the Vice Presidencythe office that became such a common stepping-stone to the White House in the second half the 20th centuryand served eight often-humiliating years without complaint to earn his chance at the Whites House. Despite his diffidence, Bush, a lifelong athlete, was fiercely competitive, and his campaign mercilessly attacked Michael Dukakis vulnerabilities, leading Bush to a come-from-behind victory. He entered office at a critical moment in world history, and did great things on the world stage by sticking to the principles he had fought for in his youth. Significantly, Bush chose to leave domestic affairs entirely out of his memoir, A World Transformed. That gave him plenty to talk about, including the repercussions of the fall of the wall and the collapse of the USSR and the first Gulf War. That memoir, and the diary of his time as U.S. envoy to Beijing, belong on the reading list of any aspiring diplomat. In every one of the many conversations Bush describes with leaders such as Gorbachev and Shevardnadze, Margaret Thatcher, Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterrand, he shows curiosity and insight, always representing his interlocutors position succinctly and fairly while sticking to his own. Like John F. Kennedy, he understood the first rule of diplomacy: if you want your counterpart to help you with your problems, you have to understand his. I called Hosni Mubarak (of Egypt) on September 1 [1990a month after Saddam Hussein occupied Kuwait] to tell him I was going to recommend to Congress that Egypts entire debt to the United States be forgiven. I knew it would be difficult to accomplish . . . [but] Egypt was crucial to the entire Middle East peace process and the coalition. We had to find a way to help him out. He understood how torn Gorbachev, himself under severe domestic pressure, was between helping the U.S. and trying to protect the USSRs long-time ally Iraq. But Bushs patienceso utterly different from his Boomer son 12 years laterenabled him to assemble a coalition of NATO allies, the USSR in its last year of existence and critical Arab states. He also had the sense, as I heard him explain quite brilliantly in a commencement address in June 2001, to realize that sending coalition forces to Baghdad would not contribute to peace and stability in the Middle East. The United Nations had come together in San Francisco just as Bush was demobilizing from the Second World War, and now, with the end of the Cold War, it could function like the worldwide peacekeeping force that its founders had intended. But Bush senior was, as it turns out, the last American President to make it work that way. In 2002-3 his collaborator and co-author Brent Scowcroft to tried to stop his sons folly in Iraq, but could not do so. Other aspects of his team play at home look less admirable at 25 or 30 years distance, but on the world stage his G.I. sensibilities served the US and the world well. Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower, from older generations, had established the domestic and foreign policy consensus within which Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Bush worked. They kept it alive and all left office with important accomplishments thanks to the ethos of their generation. It is as a member of that generation who put its values to work in the world at large that I choose to remember George H. W. Bush. Historians explain how the past informs the present David Kaiser, a historian, has taught at Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, Williams College, and the Naval War College. He is the author of seven books, including, most recently, No End Save Victory: How FDR Led the Nation into War. He lives in Watertown, Mass. Luis Gustavo Lopezs left cheekbone and eye socket shattered instantly as the five-foot metal pole cracked against his face a blow that would send him to the intensive care unit for several days. The 18-year-old college student had been working at his fathers Salt Lake City tire shop on the morning of Nov. 27 when a middle-aged man he never met allegedly approached him asking if he was Mexican and hurling slurs at him. Im here to kill a Mexican! the assailant allegedly shouted. I hate Mexicans! He pummeled Luis and his father Jose with the makeshift weapon, eventually knocking the teenager unconscious and leaving his 51-year-old father bloody and bruised. On its face, the attack appears to be a cut-and-dry hate crime involving a man whose apparent hatred of Mexicans motivated him to threaten and attack members of the Latino community. But the state didnt charge the suspect, 50-year-old Alan Dale Covington, with a hate crime. Why? Because Utahs hate crime code is essentially unenforceable and the states Legislature refuses to do anything about it. Police say Alan Dale Covington bashed Luis Gustavo Lopez's face with a metal bar after shouting that he hated Mexicans. (Photo: Fox 31) Under Utah code, a case cannot be tried as a hate crime if the charge is more serious than a misdemeanor, rendering the legislation essentially useless, according to Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. Covington could face substantially more time behind bars if the state were able to try his case as a hate crime. But since he was charged with felony aggravated assault, which exceeds a misdemeanor, the district attorneys office is unable to pursue such action. The statute that we have is such an unworkable, unenforceable statute, Gill told HuffPost on Tuesday. It seems counterintuitive ... almost backward. Its not worth the paper its written on, he added. The Lopez case isnt an outlier either. Utah has never seen a hate crime prosecuted at the state level. The Beehive State is one of only a few states that hasnt passed meaningful hate crime legislation a failure Gill blames on the personal animus and willful ignorance of the Utah State Legislature. Story continues It really is an abdication of their moral, ethical and legal responsibility as elected officials, Gill said. It is a desire to not help these communities. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill has been calling on the Utah State Legislature to pass stricter hate crime legislation for nearly two decades. (Photo: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS) In early 2016, Utah state Sen. Steve Urquhart (R) sponsored a bill that would strengthen the states hate crime legislation. But the bill was snuffed out as he put it at the time by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which had released a statement encouraging lawmakers not to pass laws that would upset the balance between religious liberty and LGBT rights. LDS church members, commonly referred to as Mormons, make up more than 60 percent of Utahs population and roughly 90 percent of state lawmakers. The religious body is widely viewed as having a heavy influence on certain policy decisions. I now reject the term Utah compromise, Urquhart, a member of the LDS church, had said during a news conference about the organizations statement. Utah Compromise refers to the LDS churchs support for an LGBTQ anti-discrimination law passed in 2015, which made it illegal to fire or deny housing to someone based on gender identity or their stance on homosexuality, though it exempts religious organizations and the Boy Scouts of America. Yesterday that term, that concept, through a press release was perverted into a club to beat back further progress on civil rights, he added. Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, the capital and the most populous city in Utah. (Photo: Donyanedomam via Getty Images) When Urquhart did not seek re-election in 2016, Utah state Sen. Daniel Thatcher (R) adopted the hate crimes legislation crusade as his own. There are people getting bullied in Utah, Thatcher told HuffPost on Monday. A failure to address this, in my opinion, is a failure on our part to do our jobs. Thatchers bill (S.B. 86) would allow judges to increase the penalties for a charged crime if a defendant is convicted of targeting someone based on ancestry, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion or sexual orientation. The proposed legislation garnered support from several Utah law enforcement associations and every major religious organization except the LDS church, which hasnt publicly commented on it. The LDS church declined to comment on the record for this story. Despite wide-ranging support, the bill hasnt gained momentum within the Legislature, failing to win a Senate hearing three years in a row. Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. Thatcher said he intends to float his proposal again when a new legislative session begins in January and feels confident his bill will make it through a committee debate and onto the Senate floor for a vote this time around especially in light of the Lopez incident. The biggest reason that we need this change right now is to send a message that we wont tolerate this kind of bigotry, this kind of violence in Utah, he said, adding that he believes some conservative holdouts view hate crimes as a liberal social justice issue. I knew that I would never support hate crimes [legislation] because all crimes are hate crimes ... until I did my homework, Thatcher said. The people who actually understand the law support this legislation. Some LGBT activist groups have recently come out against passing hate crimes legislation, arguing that increasing punishment isnt necessarily the best way to curb violence. Other critics argue hate crime laws lead to unequal punishments for equal crimes. Utah state Sen. Dan Hemmert (R) said hes always open to learn more but feels pretty firmly set on the anti-hate crime legislation side of the debate. What I struggle with is the qualitative aspect, said Hemmert, suggesting its impossible to measure how a community not just a specific victim is impacted by a crime. Lets just have a uniform punishment for the crime. But advocates of the proposed legislation have thrown cold water on such arguments, noting that a hate crime clearly affects both a targeted victim and their community as a whole by instilling a message of fear and terror. Troy Williams, executive director of LGBTQ rights group Equality Utah, bashed Hemmerts position as pure bunk. For example, he said, a swastika spray-painted on a synagogue would have a stronger impact on the Jewish community than, say, a smiley face. Hemmert doesnt have to see the actual consequences of what its like to be a minority in America, Williams said. Its his way of evading the real debate about real crimes that are happening. Equality Utah Executive Director Troy Williams (right) speaks after Utah lawmakers introduced a landmark anti-discrimination bill that protects LGBTQ individuals while also carving out protections for the Boy Scouts of America and religious groups during a news conference at the Utah Capitol on March 4, 2015, in Salt Lake City. (Photo: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS) Thatcher believes federal law enforcement agencies could prosecute the Lopez incident as a federal hate crime. But states cant always rely on federal agencies to do so. Plus, proponents of hate crime laws say the state sends a strong message of inclusivity and tolerance by enacting such legislation and an even stronger message when they dont. The message is pretty clear that you do not matter, Gill said of the stalled efforts to pass hate crime legislation. The message is pretty clear that your pain and suffering, the terror that you feel, is not relevant enough for us as a community concern. The biggest obstacle for Utahans seeking hate crime laws with teeth appears to be the LDS church, as its silence on Thatchers bill has created the perception the church disapproves of it. Its very frustrating because without the nod of the LDS church, there will be no hate crimes bill, Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis (D) told HuffPost. They get their way 95 percent of the time when they weigh in on legislation, he added. It just seems to me that its a slam-dunk for a religion to be against hate crimes. Multiple members of the Utah Senate said the LDS church only weighs in on legislation it believes is of moral imperative, which apparently does not include Thatchers bill legislation that would help protect religious communities. The LDS church did come out in support of the recently passed legislation legalizing medical marijuana in the state, as well as other bills that relate to alcohol, a prohibited substance in the religion. Gill called the LDS churchs apparent opposition to strengthening hate crime laws in Utah the irony of all ironies. The historical structure of Utah is premised on a level of intolerance of Mormon pioneers being driven out of Illinois ... because of their faith, he said. They were targeted in hate crimes. That is our heritage and history yet we cannot seem to empathize with the same injury and hurt that is being perpetuated today. Related Coverage Utah Man Allegedly Shouted 'I Hate Mexicans' Before Attacking Latino Father And Son This article originally appeared on HuffPost. Opposition supporters flee from tear gas grenades fired by riot police during a protest in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Monday, May 16, 2016. Kenyan police have tear-gassed and beaten opposition supporters during a protest demanding the disbandment of the electoral authority over alleged bias and corruption. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Opposition supporters flee from tear gas grenades fired by riot police during a protest in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Monday, May 16, 2016. Kenyan police have tear-gassed and beaten opposition supporters during a protest demanding the disbandment of the electoral authority over alleged bias and corruption. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) Kenyan police fired tear gas and water cannon on Monday at stone-throwing crowds protesting in central Nairobi against an election oversight body they say is biased and should be scrapped, Reuters witnesses reported. Officers armed with batons confronted hundreds of protesters outside the offices of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the third clash over the issue in less than a month. The opposition leader said more protests would follow. Kenya will not hold its next presidential and parliamentary polls until August 2017, but politicians are already trying to galvanize their supporters in a nation where violence erupted after the 2007 vote and the opposition disputed the 2013 result. The opposition CORD coalition led by Raila Odinga, who lost the 2013 vote and unsuccessfully challenged the result in court has accused the IEBC of bias and said its members should quit. IEBC officials have dismissed the charge and say they will stay. For free and fair election, IEBC must go, read a banner held aloft by one demonstrator on Monday. As the number of protesters grew, police fired tear gas and water cannon at them from trucks parked nearby. A Reuters witness saw one protester carrying a bag of stones, while others threw them at police ranks. Police struck some protesters with batons. Despite the use of undue force by police, our peaceful pickets shall continue every week until the IEBC is reformed, Odinga wrote on Twitter. (Reuters) See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Tumblr! 38671011 Wisconsin Republicans passed legislation Wednesday that will diminish the powers of the governor and attorney general, and limit early voting, before Democrat Tony Evers takes office on Jan. 7. The measure passed the state Senate early Wednesday by one vote before being approved by the General Assembly. Outgoing Republican Gov. Scott Walker said he intends to sign the legislation. The Republicans held overnight negotiations among themselves behind closed doors in lame-duck session to iron out the details of the legislation. They also tried to pass a bill to protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions, but that measure failed Wednesday. Here is what you need to know about the political power struggle playing out in Wisconsin: Bob Kinosian, from Wauwatosa, Wis., holds up a sign during the state Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in state Capitol Rotunda on Dec. 4, 2018, in Madison, Wis. How will the legislation limit the governor's power? The bill would give the state legislature control of the board of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. an agency created by Walker in 2011 to replace the Wisconsin Department of Commerce through September. Under the proposed law, the board will be able to choose its CEO, a power held by the governor under current law. The WEDC has the power to grant loans and tax breaks to individual businesses. The legislation would also include a provision expanding lawmakers' ability to block rules out of the governor's office. Earlier versions of the bill gave lawmakers more power to limit those rules. It would also require Evers to get permission from lawmakers to ban guns in the state Capitol and to get permission to ask the federal government for any changes to programs run jointly with the state. How will it limit the attorney general's powers? The legislation will put lawmakers in charge of litigation, allowing them to keep alive a lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. It would also give them, rather than incoming Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul, control over how court settlements are spent. An earlier and controversial provision allowing the legislature to hire private, taxpayer-funded lawyers in place of Kaul was dropped from the most recent version of the legislation. But other provisions stayed that would allow lawmakers to more easily hire private attorneys when they are sued for violating the open records law or other statutes. Story continues How will it affect early voting? The proposed legislation would limit early voting to two weeks. A federal judge struck down a similar law in 2016 and under his ruling, local officials set their own schedules for early voting. In Madison, that meant six weeks of early voting in the midterm election. Are any Wisconsin Republicans opposing the effort? Republican state Sen. Rob Cowles was the lone Republican to vote against the legislation in Wisconsin's Senate. It passed in that chamber 17-16. Why is the Republicans' justification? Republican lawmakers argue they are re-establishing balance between the branches of government. "Whether everyone here likes it or not, I respect the fact that Tony Evers is the governor and hes going to be starting on January 7," Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said. "But hes not the governor today and thats why were going to make sure the powers of each branch are as equal as they can be." Vos said he was confident the legislation could survive the inevitable legal challenges that will follow its passage. "Everything weve done is within the bounds of the constitution and I think it will be found that way," he said. How are Democrats responding? Democrats have assailed the plan as a repudiation of the Nov. 6 election that felled Walker and swept Democrats into statewide offices. Evers said the new lame-duck moves could end up making it more difficult for the two sides to reach common ground. "Co-equal branches is not subjective depending who is in office," said Assembly Democratic Leader Gordon Hintz of Oshkosh. "Its about the fundamental structure of how government is supposed to work and you guys are fundamentally changing that." "Unfortunately, I think this extraordinary session says that the Republicans don't believe that people of this state have the right or the intelligence to elect their leaders," said Sen. LaTonya Johnson, a Milwaukee Democrat. Contributing: Patrick Marley and Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wisconsin GOP makes lame-duck moves to strip incoming Dems' power: What you need to know By Moses Kyeyune. Lawmakers on the Presidential Affairs Committee have asked Parliament to compel the government to back off Bulambuli land, citing unresolved ownership questions. The committee in its 176-page report to Parliament wants the government to find land elsewhere to resettle survivors of landslides in the Elgon region. The MPs, according to the report, found it not prudent to spend Government funds on infrastructure that is sitting on land characterized by ownership challenges, reads the report in part. The committee also established that there are still many unresolved complaints to different stakeholders. The Committee wants the government to rethink its position on Bulambuli land and instead relocate the affected people to areas with a clear public status. Government is in possession of Land in different parts of the country including parts of government lands reserved for refugees in Kiryandongo, Kyangwali, Isingiro, Rwamanja and Kyaka, the legislators said. The investigation followed media reports that over Shs 32 bn that had been committed for the purchase and resettlement activities had been swindled. Republicans in the Wisconsin state Senate rushed to approve 82 of Gov. Scott Walkers appointees, a month after voters chose not to reelect the Republican. The GOP-controlled Legislature has been working with Walker to make sure that the incoming governor and attorney general, who are both Democrats, wont have as much power as their Republican predecessors. Theyve passed a series of bills in a lame-duck session that amount to nothing less than a brazen partisan power grab, taking responsibilities away from the governor and attorney general and giving them to the heavily gerrymandered Wisconsin Legislature. Walker is expected to sign them in the coming days. On Tuesday, they also approved 82 Walker appointees to serve across the state government. Thats 82 confirmations in one day, just weeks before a new governor, of a different political party, is set to take office. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the full list of these appointees here. The appointees include two members of the board that oversees the states public universities. One of those positions has been vacant for more than a year, but Walker just nominated his choice this week. He also made one of his top aides, Ellen Nowak, who is currently Department of Administration secretary, the new head of the state Public Service Commission. In a letter to Walker on Tuesday, the incoming governor, Tony Evers, asked the governor to withdraw the names he submitted to the state Senate for approval. These appointments should be fully vetted in the next legislative biennium, Evers wrote. Many of them have had no public hearing and some have not filed a statement of economic interest. Given the rushed timing and the fact that many of these appointments have gone unfilled for extended periods of time, I must request that you withdraw this slate of names to allow ample time for full review, not only for the State Senate, but for the people of Wisconsin, too. Carrie Lynch, Evers spokeswoman, told the Wisconsin State Journal that more than 30 of the nominees have had no public hearing. Story continues Walker spokesman Tom Evenson said 78 of the 82 appointments were sent to the Senate for confirmation months ago. Of the others, 3 of the 4 appointees sent to the Senate last week were due to vacancies created by recent resignations. The fourth, the student regent...was selected months ago but was not forwarded to the Senate for confirmation because it was in recess. Walker no doubt knows what he did is not a good look. In 2010, he urged outgoing Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle not to finalize any permanent civil service personnel during his last two months in office. In the past, it has been common practice for political appointees to use this time to bump down into permanent civil service positions, Walker wrote. I believe these appointees should be required to go through the same application process as any other civil servants and my Administration will review any new permanent hires during the next two months so they can be considered for termination during the probationary period. Walker also recently gave the outgoing attorney general a seat on a court in Waukesha County a position that doesnt require state Senate approval. Wisconsin Republicans intent on invalidating the results of the 2018 election and undermining the orderly transfer of power rushed through a slate of political appointees to reward cronies with jobs and stop our incoming governor from being able to put his team in place, like Scott Walker was able to do, said Mike Browne, the deputy director of the progressive advocacy group One Wisconsin Now. This piece has been updated with comment from Walkers office. CORRECTION: A previous version of this article attributed a quote about permanent civil service positions to Doyle. The quote is from Walker. Related Coverage Scott Walker Leaves As He Came, With Extreme Partisan Power Grabs In Stunning Power Grab, Wisconsin Republicans Pass Bill Weakening New Governor Paul Ryan Silent On GOP Power Grab In Wisconsin Love HuffPost? Become a founding member of HuffPost Plus today. This article originally appeared on HuffPost. By Joseph Ax and Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) - Facing the loss of complete control of state government next month, Wisconsin Republicans passed legislation on Wednesday to weaken the powers of the newly elected Democratic governor and attorney general. The final votes in the state Senate and Assembly came around dawn, following hours of debate during which Democrats accused Republicans of a naked last-minute power grab that ignores the results of the Nov. 6 election. Republicans defended the legislation as a good-faith effort to ensure the legislative and executive branches remain equals. Republican Governor Scott Walker, who was heckled with chants of "Shame!" from dozens of protesters during a Tuesday tree-lighting ceremony, has indicated he will sign the legislation. His office did not respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. Governor-elect Tony Evers, the Democrat who will succeed him in January, issued a blistering statement criticizing the vote. "Power-hungry politicians rushed through sweeping changes to our laws to expand their own power and override the will of the people of Wisconsin who asked for change," he said. The Wisconsin legislation would allow legislators, rather than the attorney general, to decide whether to withdraw the state from lawsuits. That measure is aimed at preventing Evers and the incoming attorney general, Josh Kaul, from following through on campaign promises to end Wisconsin's challenge to the federal Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. The legislation also restricts Evers' ability to install rules that implement state laws. Democrats have said they expect the new bills to be challenged in court. HAMSTRINGING MICHIGAN DEMOCRATS Republican legislative majorities in other states where Democrats gained power in November have also sought to use lame-duck sessions to push through priorities and hamstring incoming Democrats. Michigan's Republican-led legislature was poised on Wednesday to advance measures that would allow lawmakers to sidestep the attorney general in litigation and strip away campaign finance oversight from the secretary of state. Both posts, along with the governor's mansion, will be turned over to Democrats in January after eight years of total Republican control. Republicans in the state also watered down minimum wage and sick leave laws on Tuesday, the culmination of a months-long strategy that involved passing the initial bills in September to keep the measures from appearing on November's ballot as a voter referendum. Democrats have called the move illegal and vowed to sue. North Carolina's Republican-dominated legislature could approve a new voter identification law as soon as Wednesday during its own lame-duck session. The Republicans are pushing to finish the ID law before January, when they will lose the supermajority that can currently overcome Democratic Governor Roy Cooper's veto. The various efforts are reminiscent of maneuvers by North Carolina Republicans to remove powers from the governor's office after Cooper won election in 2016. Meanwhile, investigators are probing the validity of hundreds of mail-in ballots handled by political operatives in a closely contested congressional race that has led the state to hold off certifying a Republican's apparent victory. (Reporting by Joseph Ax in New York and Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Additional reporting by Rich McKay and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Scott Malone and David Gregorio) Patricia Robertshaw was charged with defrauding a cancer charity at Harrogate Magistrates Court A woman who allegedly defrauded a cancer charity she was employed by out of more than 90,000 has appeared in court. Patricia Robertshaw, 42, is accused of pretending to have certain qualifications while working as a partnership and events manager at Yorkshire Cancer Research, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, between 2015 and 2017. Appearing at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Thursday, the defendant, of Gisburn Road in Barrowford, Lancashire, was not required to enter a plea to four charges of fraud by false representation, dating from September 2015 to November 2017. She was also not required to enter a plea to a charge of making a false instrument with intent that it be accepted as genuine between January 2013 and February 2013. Robertshaw, who spoke only to confirm her name and address during the brief hearing, was given unconditional bail to appear at York Crown Court on January 2. MORE: Watch: Brazen burglar waves at CCTV camera as he finishes robbing house MORE: Johnny Mercer becomes 104th Tory MP to come out against Theresa Mays Brexit deal as crushing defeat looms Yorkshire Cancer Research was founded in 1925 and is the largest independent regional cancer charity in England. The charity is funded entirely by donors and is the only charity committed to reducing the impact of cancer on the lives of people living in and around Yorkshire where cancer outcomes are below the national average and incidence rates are higher than the national average. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Authorities in South Carolina say a woman with a concealed carry permit fatally shot an escaped inmate who broke into her home. Two inmates at the Pickens County Prison physically assaulted two guards at around 2:40 a.m. on Tuesday morning in a "pre-meditated plan to escape from the facility," according to Pickens County Sheriff Rick Clark. One of the escaped inmates, identified as Timothy Cleveland Dill, who was initially jailed on charges of sexual conduct with a minor, was taken back into custody near the prison without incident following the escape, WHNS reports. Deputies were alerted to the whereabouts of the second inmate, whose name has not yet been released, shortly thereafter when a local woman called 911 to report that she had just shot a man who kicked down her back door. The female homeowner, a concealed carry permit holder who was home alone at the time of the break-in, shot the convict one time in the head as he approached her bedroom door, Sheriff Clark said. The escaped prisoner, who was wearing an orange jumpsuit and carrying a metal weapon when he was shot, was flown to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead. Sheriff Clark said the man had no relation to the woman, adding that her use of deadly force likely saved her life. "This is the shining example of what this lady did. She took the time to get her CWP and set herself up to be able to protect herself and not be harmed, killed or raped or whatever," Clark said during a press conference. "She came out on the good end of this and the bad guy didnt." ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) A woman who claims hidden-camera footage of her in a hotel shower was posted on a dozen pornographic web sites by someone who tried to extort her filed a $100 million lawsuit. The Chicago resident, identified only as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, alleges the nude video was taken at a downtown Albany Hampton Inn and Suites in July 2015 while she was taking the New York bar exam. The lawsuit filed Friday names the hotel's owners and the Hilton chain as defendants. The woman found out about the secret taping this September when an anonymous emailer sent her a link to the video, which was posted on a pornographic website with her full name. The emailer said "I'm a perv" and at first demanded more private images from her, but eventually demanded $2,000 up front and $1,000 a month for a year, according to the lawsuit. The woman did not give into the demands as more postings were made to popular porn sites. She monitors sites to seek the video's removal when she sees it. Links to the video also were emailed to friends and associates of the woman from an account made to look like they were from her. The bogus emails said it was for a friend's art project and asked recipients to "let me know what you think and leave a like!" A separate email to her seeking bitcoin payments said "you want me to stop. Right?" according to the lawsuit. "It was just absolutely traumatizing because these are people I went to law school with," the woman told Good Morning America, which first reported the lawsuit. "They're friends, they're co-workers. And they were sent a link to what looks like an email I sent." A hotel spokesman told the Associated Press in an email they were shocked by the lawsuit's allegations. While no recording devices were uncovered during a recent renovation, he said they will continue to work with authorities to discover the perpetrator. A Hilton spokesperson said in an email that they will support the hotel's independent ownership and management as they investigate and cooperate with any law enforcement investigations. 2214764002 WOODLAND PARK, N.J. One person was critically injured and nearly two dozen others were being treated at five hospitals Wednesday after a can of bear repellent fell off a shelf at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey, officials said. One of the workers had to have a tube inserted and was sent to the intensive care unit, Robert Wood Johnson hospital officials told WNBC-TV in New York. As of 11 a.m. ET, 24 workers had been sent to hospitals, said John Nalbone, communications and public information officer for Robbinsville Township, New Jersey. That total includes the person who was critically injured. An additional 30 people were treated at the scene of the fulfillment center, located in Robbinsville in an industrial park off Interstate 195. There is no threat to area residents, Nalbone said. The can fell off a shelf on the third floor of the warehouse and accidentally dispersed, Nalbone said. Emergency responders outside the Amazon warehouse in Robbinsville after 80 workers were sickened by bear repellent on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. The safety of our employees is our top priority, and as such, all employees in that area have been relocated to safe place and employees experiencing symptoms are being treated onsite," Amazon spokeswoman Rachel Lighty said in a statement. "As a precaution, some employees have been transported to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment. We appreciate the swift response of our local responders. Emergency responders received a call just before 9 a.m. that 80 workers were complaining of difficulty breathing and burning in their eyes and throat. A triage area was set up outside the warehouse to treat patients. Fifty-four workers at the facility reported difficulty breathing and a burning sensation in the eyes and throat, Nalbone said. The 30 people treated at the scene did not need further medical attention, he said. Amazon spokeswoman Lighty said the incident would not delay operations or shipments at the warehouse. She said the cause of the incident was under investigation. Follow Dustin Racioppi and Candace Mitchell on Twitter: @dracioppi and @CandaceBright 2214384002 This article originally appeared on North Jersey Record: Workers hospitalized after bear repellent falls off shelf at Amazon warehouse in New Jersey By Samuel Ssebuliba. Parliament has passed a loan request by government to borrow 335 million dollars from World Bank to support additional financing for phase II of the Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Program. The four additional Municipal Local Governments proposed by the government to benefit from this loan include Kamuli Kitgum Kasese and Mubende. The loan request was presented to parliament by the chairperson of the National Economy committee Hon Syda Bumba. However the Eastern region member of parliament for Persons with disabilities Helen Asamo has warned municipalities leadership against approving structures which have no possibilities for persons with disabilities. The chemicals are used in non-stick pans and greaseproof paper (Getty) Men develop penises up to half an inch shorter if their parents are exposed to a common chemical used in non-stick frying pans and waterproof clothing. The chemicals, perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) are also used in greaseproof paper but can have alarming effects on male children. Italian scientists monitored an area with high levels of PFCs in the water, and found that men had significantly shorter and thinner penises. The researchers say that the chemicals interfere with hormonal pathways and also mean men have less mobile sperm. MORE: Driver told police he was speeding so his McDonalds wouldnt get cold MORE: Girl, 2, drowned in river after wandering away from parents to feed the ducks The researchers write, This study documents that PFCs have a substantial impact on human male health as they directly interfere with hormonal pathways potentially leading to male infertility. We found that increased levels of PFCs in plasma and seminal fluid positively correlate with circulating testosterone and with a reduction of semen quality, testicular volume, penile length, and anogenital distance. There are several areas in the world contaminated with the chemicals, which are extremely difficult to remove from the environment, the researchers told IFLScience. Researcher Andrea Di Nisio says it is hard to avoid the chemicals, telling IFLScience, At least here in Italy, it is very difficult to know if a product contains these chemicals. In the case of a product where it is explicitly stated PFOA-free, I do not feel safe anyway, because PFOA is only one of hundreds of possible PFC compounds, and they can all be dangerous therefore it is very hard to avoid any contact with any PFC. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK The Whoa Vicky Jumped OUT! Reply Thread Link shes a snack Reply Parent Thread Expand Link omg she was on Dr. Phil wasn't she? I remember this Reply Parent Thread Link Iggy Azaleas impacT Reply Parent Thread Link Can we call her Whoa Ari? Reply Parent Thread Link WHAT THE FUCK Reply Parent Thread Link I'm just dead tired with all this stuff against her. Reply Thread Link its all valid criticisms though Reply Parent Thread Link given the fact that justin timberlake, christina aguilera, eminem and countless others who are fluent in blackcent have avoided this criticism, i'm not sure how valid it really is. i'm no fan of ariana and if there's anything I despise more is white people talking black, but this almost feels like a making up for all those years of keeping mum...dumping it all on one girl who's been taught that adopting black culture is perfectly acceptable by the aforementioned. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link You done dead then Reply Parent Thread Expand Link RIP ichabod_crake Reply Parent Thread Link and I'm dead tired of these lil white girls trying to serve black girl magic. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link wrong answer Reply Parent Thread Link CLIVE. Ugh I love him. Reply Parent Thread Link she looked so much better before the surgeries and weight loss Reply Parent Thread Link Her brow lift makes her look tired all the time Reply Parent Thread Link Yes. It's insane to me that anyone would do this it makes me sick to my stomach Reply Parent Thread Link I will never not judge doctors who do this shit. Not that women can't make their own choices and all, but when they're SO young and it's coming from a misguided place...yikes. Reply Parent Thread Link It's possible she got an eyebrow lift - I don't see any other explanation for the change unless she shaved them and tattooed them higher lol. However I really think her most of her current look is the result of weight loss, makeup, and excessive tanning. I give myself a "nose job" just by using highlighter alone. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link i honestly would not think they were the same person Reply Parent Thread Link Her real fave was cute, sad... Edited at 2018-12-06 06:24 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link at least she looks alive behind her eyes in this clip and she isn't fucking w her voice tone Reply Parent Thread Link I only made it :48. All the "like" were driving me crazy Reply Parent Thread Link Doing tribal dances... Reply Parent Thread Link ...the name 'dan schneider' rings an unpleasant bell, but i can't quite remember why... Reply Parent Thread Expand Link These arent even the worst of her tweets too lol Reply Parent Thread Link they say which one? i say nah i want alll uhm Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) December 4, 2018 You forgot this gem: Reply Parent Thread Expand Link omg that video of that impersonator that somebody on here posted was dead-on Reply Thread Link omg this gem killed me Reply Parent Thread Expand Link The "Hi. Yuh." kills me. Did they get the real guy who does these? Reply Parent Thread Link she is a treasure ! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Ahaha this was so good Reply Parent Thread Link please let more outlets pick this shit up and run with it Reply Thread Link As they should! Reply Parent Thread Link We can only hope. Reply Parent Thread Link Lettuce pray Reply Parent Thread Link i even saw this on a reddit beauty channel Reply Parent Thread Link omg ariana getting called out on her blaccent/brown face/cultural appropriation somewhere other than ontd? its a christmas miracle Reply Thread Link I seen a YT video about it, that called her out for blackfishing and her stans are all over it, defending her. Not surprised. The comments are something else. Reply Parent Thread Link her stans really are delusional :/ Reply Parent Thread Link it will last for 2 days max then people will forget. She'll get away with this SADLY and will get no repercussions whatsoever Reply Parent Thread Link I've seen it happen a few times, the difference is that, outside of ONTD, there are always tons of stans ready to defend her, so it ends up getting almost no traction. Reply Parent Thread Link I've seen her called out on Twitter but her fans usually flood the comments Reply Parent Thread Link I was disappointed that they talked about this on the Keep It podcast this week and the hosts all thought the blackface critique of her video was overblown. I feel like Ira and Kara usually get it right but they were really dismissive of the criticisms. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Shawn my love <3333 Edited at 2018-12-06 08:40 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link nnnn a HBK gif Reply Parent Thread Link MTE Reply Parent Thread Link lmao Reply Parent Thread Link an HBK gif on my ontd??? <3 Reply Parent Thread Link ugh such a gd BABE Reply Parent Thread Link blaccent to go with her blatant blackface. perfect match made it yt hell Reply Thread Link She sounds like Miss Nikki baby from LHHH lol Let her have her moment, I get it, but like anytime a female is succeeding the media is so quick to tear them down. Reply Thread Link Did she say juice Reply Thread Link Janelle better get awards for this album istg Reply Parent Thread Link I've been saying this like...if the Grammys snub her I'm gonna rage Reply Parent Thread Link Shes slept on tbh Reply Parent Thread Link promote this!!! Reply Parent Thread Link I know I'm gonna sound dumb right now, but what is YT? I thought it was You Tube, but I'm guessing not? Reply Parent Thread Link Xtinas was worse tbh Edited at 2018-12-06 06:27 am (UTC) Reply Thread Link Omg that one VMA when she wore the tiny skirt and scarf bra...whew chile! I was hollering every time she opened her mouth. Reply Parent Thread Link I mean at least shes actually a Latina but still like you said... whew chile!!! Lmao (Also auto correct does not understand slang apparently ) Edited at 2018-12-06 06:50 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link (that look is soooo iconic, legit my favorite next to her dress that was hot pink feathers) Edited at 2018-12-06 07:00 am (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Like, she's legit 1/2 Ecuadorian,.. as in her dad is a whole ass Ecuadorian man which means that blood runs through her! He was indeed part of her life growing up,.. did ya'll NOT listen to stripped?,.. "I'm OK?" Like, her dad royally messed her up, hence he was part of her life! What I don't get is that someone like Mariah NEVER gets questioned when it comes to her urban influence, yet her dad was never even part of her life (as far as I know) and her mom is legit a white opera singer? Yet Mariah is HEAVILY influenced and part of the urban genre and doesn't get questioned about it, but Xtina legit isn't latina to you guys? Her ancestry.com results would shut you all down right quick. And back to the topic of her dad not being part of her life, hence invalidating her latinaness,.. she even recently posted pix of her and her dad for veterans day,.. like, ya'll don't know her life! Thank you to the men and women who have fought and sacrificed so much to keep our country safe. pic.twitter.com/HzSqFNXmUZ Christina Aguilera (@xtina) November 12, 2018 Also, that VMA clip is definitely OTT,.. I truly think she was just HIGH AF tho! (not an excuse,.. just saying) What the hell w/ these replies invalidating Xtina being latina?!Like, she's legit 1/2 Ecuadorian,.. as in her dad is a whole ass Ecuadorian man which means that blood runs through her! He was indeed part of her life growing up,.. did ya'll NOT listen to stripped?,.. "I'm OK?" Like, her dad royally messed her up, hence he was part of her life!What I don't get is that someone like Mariah NEVER gets questioned when it comes to her urban influence, yet her dad was never even part of her life (as far as I know) and her mom is legit a white opera singer? Yet Mariah is HEAVILY influenced and part of the urban genre and doesn't get questioned about it, but Xtina legit isn't latina to you guys? Her ancestry.com results would shut you all down right quick.And back to the topic of her dad not being part of her life, hence invalidating her latinaness,.. she even recently posted pix of her and her dad for veterans day,.. like, ya'll don't know her life!Also, that VMA clip is definitely OTT,.. I truly think she was just HIGH AF tho! (not an excuse,.. just saying) Reply Parent Thread Expand Link TY to these people Are the replies agreeing with them or stans claiming they're reaching b/c I don't want to look if it's the latter lol my blood pressure can't handle it Reply Thread Link The DELUSION lol Reply Parent Thread Link Halp! CACKLING Reply Parent Thread Link OMG, yeah , I read a Twitter thread that said she looked white in Victorious because Nick forced her to look like that because colorism and racism (not joking those are the words they said ) and that the 50 shades darker Ariana is her one and true self , I can't believe the mental gymnastics some people do to defend their faves Reply Parent Thread Expand Link oh my lord lmao Reply Parent Thread Link These mental gymnastics are honestly worrying. Its not only delusional but they are seriously trying to rewrite history and gaslight people into thinking that she was brown this whole time. Her fans are a piece of work. Reply Parent Thread Link its 50/50 but the stans replying are all typing exactly like she talks which is entertaining oh so you REACHIN reachin Reply Parent Thread Expand Link By Moses Kyeyune. A US court has convicted Patrick Ho Chi Ping, the man accused of compromising Ugandas Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Prosecution convinced the court on Wednesday that Ho Chi Ping, aged 69 bribed Kutesa with $500, 000 (Shs1.8 billion), with bribery, according to The Straits Times. The convict allegedly offered the bribe, and gifts to President Museveni, to secure support for China Energy Fund Committee, a Shanghai-based rising star of Chinas energy industry. He is said to have wired the bribe from a Hong Kong account of the energy NGO to Deutsche Bank based in New York. The ministry of Foreign Affairs has in the past come out to defend MrKutesa over the bribery claims. The joint ministerial committee of OPEC and non-OPEC ministers that oversaw the production cuts from 2017 and the first half of this year has once again recommended that the cartel and its partners reduce crude oil production, TASS reports, citing the energy minister of Oman, Mohammed bin Hamad Al Rumhy. "We just agreed on the reduction. Actually, the level of reduction will be discussed in the next two days," Al Rumhy told media in Vienna. Later today, however, OPEC will come out with a statement on the topic that will reveal its final position on the cuts amid a lot of internal disagreement. Tomorrow, Russia and several other non-OPEC producers will join the talks and the amount of the cutsif agreedwill be specified. Al Rumhy said he believed OPEC+ could reduce its combined output by 1 million bpd. The agreement will be in force for six months, the minister also said. Talk about cuts began last month, initiated by Saudi Arabia amid slumping oil prices. Analysts projected cuts in the range of 1 to 1.4 million bpd but most acknowledged this time it might be harder for the Kingdom to get everyone on board. Iraq is not the only one that cant really afford the cuts: Iran has stated it will not discuss its production quota while under sanctions and Russia has made it clear it was fine with prices where they are. Yet president Putin said at the G20 meeting cooperation between Russia and Saudi Arabia would continue, which suggested Russian oil companies will join the cuts. If Saudi Arabia and Russia prevail in the discussions, the only issue would be the size of the cut unless Iraq decides to quit the cartel altogether, as Barclays David Cohen suggested in a chat with CNBC. If that happens, whatever cuts are agreed would have about the same effect on prices as the entry into effect of U.S. sanctions against Iran after market players had months to prepare for them. UPDATE: OPEC failed to reveal a solid agreement in Vienna after hours of meetings. The cartel cancelled its news conference, awaiting the Russian delegation set to arrive on Friday - read more here By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Even more cracks may be forming within OPEC, even as market pundits continue to analyze Qatars decision two days ago to withdraw from the oil producing cartel. Michael Cohen, head of energy markets research at Barclays bank, told CNBC on Tuesday that Iraq, OPECs second largest producer, could be the next member to withdraw from OPEC. I think in terms of all the OPEC countries, to me the one that stands out over the last six to eight months is Iraq, he said. Iraq has been out of line with its target frequently... so if restrictions to cut were too stringent, Iraq might feel it in its best interest to no longer be a member of the organization. Last month, Iraqs oil exports dropped to their lowest level in seven months due to bad weather at its southern ports. According to a statement from Iraqs oil ministry, and reported by global commodities data provider S&P Global Platts, Iraqs federal exports in November averaged 3.372 million bpd, the lowest level since April this year. Impending oil output cuts Additionally, Cohen is referring to recent remarks by Saudi Arabia that it could cut output to put support under global oil prices that have tumbled around 30 percent from multi-year highs in early October. Growing concerns over an impending supply overhang in global oil markets is making the de facto OPEC leader nervous and comes amid a record setting oil production level in Saudi Arabia of 11 million bpd, in addition to Russian production over 11 million bpd in both October and November. U.S. oil output also set record levels of nearly 11.5 million bpd. Soaring production from the top three oil producing heavy weights come as economic problems grip emerging markets and as a projected slowdown in economic growth is projected amid trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. Related: Is This The Next Disaster For Canadian Drillers? In the last few days, global oil prices have seen some support on hopes that the U.S. and China can reach a trade deal within the next 90 days. However, if no trade deal is agreed upon, and President Trump increases tariffs on Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent, as well as placing another $267 worth of Chinese goods on the tariff list, global economic growth and oil demand will come under tremendous pressure, a possible scenario obviously not lost on Saudi Arabia. History of disagreement There has been a history of disagreement between OPEC and Iraq dating back to the at least the end of the Second Gulf War in 2003 as the countrys post war oil production remained crippled. Iraq saw its oil production drop from a pre-war level of 3.5 million bpd to only around 900,000 bpd by the end of the war. Since then, Iraq has maintained an on again and off again willingness to comply with OPEC, particularly over oil production cuts. The last time a Saudi-led OPEC needed to trim production amid plunging oil prices and an oil supply glut in late 2016, Iraq waffled, stalled, bluffed then finally conceded and complied. Iraq's oil minister, Jabar Ali al-Luaibi, at the same time OPEC was considering cuts actually urged oil and natural gas producers operating in the country to continue increasing output for the rest of the year and in 2017. Related: Australians Create Battery From Waste Iraqi oil production plans Last month, as global oil prices were plunging amid over fresh supply concerns, Iraqi oil minister Thamer Ghadhban said Iraq planned to increase its oil output and export capacity in 2019, with a focus on its southern oilfields, and is close to reaching a deal with international companies. Moreover, five days ago Bloomberg reported that the biggest snag in OPECs push for a consensus on cutting oil output could come from relentless growth in supply from its second-biggest producer, Iraq. Iraq is targeting production capacity of 5 million bpd in 2019, with average exports expected to reach around 3.8 million bpd. According to a report from energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, Iraqi oil production has increased by around 6 percent this year, while its output could reach as much as 6 million bpd by 2025. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The U.S. government wants to help build a petrochemical hub in Appalachia, one that could rival, or complement, the concentration of petrochemical facilities on the Gulf Coast. The shale gas bonanza over the past decade has led to a tidal wave of cheap natural gas, which has resulted in shuttered coal-fired power plants, new gas-fired generation and even LNG export terminals. It has also led to a proliferation of pipelines, processing facilities and chemical complexes. Much of the gas is coming from the Marcellus and Utica Shales, located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. While a lot of the gas is burned in the region for heating and electricity, the thousands of shale wells in the region are located far from the downstream facilities on the Gulf Coast that turn gas into plastics and fertilizers. However, that is set to change. Royal Dutch Shell gave the greenlight to a massive $6 billion ethane cracker facility just outside of Pittsburgh, one of a slew of planned petrochemical facilities for the region. Taken together, the chemical and petrochemical boom could turn Appalachia into a new hub of sorts of plastics and other petrochemical products. The federal government is hoping to egg this on. The Department of Energy just published a report for the U.S. Congress trumpeting the case for a new petrochemical hub. The early phase of the shale gas revolution, from the mid- to late-2000s, saw a surge in supply from the Barnett and Haynesville Shales. That led to the construction of a handful of ethane crackers on the Texas coast. The next phase of the shale gas drilling frenzy occurred from roughly 2010 or so onward, and it was concentrated in the Marcellus shale. Today, the Marcellus and Utica shales produce in excess of 30 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), by far the largest source of shale gas in the country. Shale gas production is growing so quickly that the industry essentially needs more uses for their product. Much of the gas in the Appalachian region is wet gas, which means that it comes with a relatively higher concentration of natural gas liquids such as ethane. All of that ethane can be a feedstock for plastics. Related: Libya Closes All Oil Ports, Expects To Shut-In 150,000 Bpd To date, a few companies have built pipelines to transport natural gas liquids to the Gulf Coast and to Canada. Nevertheless, ongoing increases in both natural gas (methane) and NGL production (ethane and other liquids) has meant that the amount of ethane contained in raw natural gas production streams has exceeded domestic demand or the ability to export it abroad, the EIA wrote in a report earlier this year. This situation has led producers to leave some of the ethane in the natural gas stream, up to allowable limits set by natural gas pipelines and distribution systems, and to sell it as natural gas, rather than recover and market ethane as a separate product. We are now entering the next chapter of this story, with major companies building downstream plants within Appalachia, potentially transforming the region into a new petrochemical hub. Just as Texas saw a wave of petrochemical investment in the early part of this decade following the spike in gas production in nearby Texas and Louisiana, the Appalachian region is in the midst of a petrochemical construction boom. The U.S. Department of Energy forecasts that natural gas liquids will double between 2017 and 2050, supported by an increase in global petrochemical industry demand. However, much of the growth is frontloaded essentially between now and 2025. [I]ncreased demand spurs higher ethane recovery and producers focus on natural gas liquids-rich plays, where NGL-to-gas ratios are highest. DOE is, of course, talking about the Marcellus and Utica shales in Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and parts of West Virginia. There is likely to be environmental and public health problems associated with the petrochemical boom, which will also spur along even more shale drilling. Yet, the DOEs remit in the report, as directed by Congress, was to only focus on the economic benefits, possible locations, infrastructure needs and energy security benefits. As such, the agency didnt look at any of the downsides of the new Appalachian petrochemical hub. If the Appalachian region were its own country, it would be the third-largest gas producer in the world, Secretary of Energy Rick Perry said on Tuesday. DOE advocated for a petrochemical hub in Appalachia as a way to diversify the downstream sector, which is currently heavily concentrated on the Gulf Coast. The present-day geographic concentration along the Gulf Coast of petrochemical infrastructure and supply may pose a strategic risk, where severe weather events limit the availability of key feedstocks, the DOE report said. When Shells new ethane cracker comes online in the early 2020s, it could supercharge shale gas drilling in the Marcellus and Utica shales. The region is already setting records for production. But a new wave of downstream facilities, which will soak up a lot of gas, could lead to even more drilling. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil prices crashed early Thursday, as OPEC failed to reveal a solid agreement in Vienna, at least not yet. After hours of meetings, OPEC cancelled its news conference, awaiting the Russian delegation set to arrive on Friday. The oil price crash offers the group a reminder that the market is banking on a sizable cut. OPEC met on Thursday and Russias oil minister Alexander Novak arrives on Friday, where he can essentially tell Saudi Arabia what to do. The rest of OPEC, save for the UAE and Kuwait, are either unable or unwilling to go along with production cuts. Saudi Arabia clearly wants to reduce oil output to balance the market, and it will have to do the lions share of cutting. Russia is much less concerned about a specific outcome, and has only expressed interest in a symbolic cut. That gives Moscow an extraordinary amount of leverage at the OPEC+ meeting. Early Thursday, Al-Falih struck a confident tone in the face of uncertainty, suggesting that Saudi Arabia is not desperate for a deal, which is likely a bit of bravado in an attempt to put pressure on the rest of the group. If everybody is not willing to join and contribute equally, we will wait until they are, he told reporters. Brent fell below $60 per barrel during midday trading. President Trump offered his two cents on Wednesday on the eve of the meeting. Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2018 In reality, Saudi Arabia is pushing hard for a deal. After several hours of closed door meetings, the OPEC delegates emerged without offering too much in the way of detail. Still, there were rumors swirling in Vienna (as is usual) that the group is zeroing in on a production cut of about 1 million barrels per day (mb/d). But the lack of an announcement on Thursday unnerved market traders. Related: U.S. Oil Majors To Break The Contract Of The Century Nevertheless, there really isnt a wide set of possible outcomes. Most analysts seem to think that the OPEC+ meeting will end with a production cut that lies in a relatively narrow range. According to S&P Global Platts, the group is considering options between 500,000 bpd and 1.5 mb/d. Al-Falih also told reporters that a cut of roughly 1 mb/d should be enough to balance the market. Bloomberg reported on Thursday that a consensus was emerging around a cut of that size, including Russias contribution. We want to come up with something that will balance the market but we don't want to shock the market, Falih told reporters in Vienna. Oil traders likely already baked in that amount as a baseline, so if OPEC+ reduces only by that amount, the markets probably wont be overly impressed. In fact, anything less would be viewed as a major disappointment. The markets are already pricing in 1 mb/d and hoping for more. As ministers gather the general belief is that some kind of cut will be agreedanywhere between 1 and 1.5 million barrels a day, said Tamas Varga, oil analyst at PVM brokerage, according to the Wall Street Journal. Related: Is This The Most Crucial Factor For Oil In 2019? The sticking point seems to be how much Russia will cut. If Russia cuts by around 150,000 bpd, as Moscow prefers, then the overall cut would be closer to the 1 mb/d range. If Russia cuts by 250,000 to 300,000 bpd, for which Saudi Arabia is asking, then the total cut could rise to 1.3 mb/d, according to Reuters. The cut will be between 1.0 and 1.3 million bpd. We just have to see how it will be distributed, an OPEC delegate said. Iran, Libya and Venezuelan want exemptions from the cuts, and it isnt clear if the group resolved this disagreement. The larger amount would be enough to rebalance the oil market next year i.e. to avoid an oversupply, Commerzbank said in a note on Thursday. In this case Brent would rise slightly, though it would fall to below $60 if production is cut by a lesser amount. Rystad Energy went even further. To surprise the market in a bullish fashion, we believe cuts approaching 2 million bpd would have to be announced. Should OPEC+ announce a 1.5 million bpd cut, we believe the market reaction would be neutral at first, but gradually pave the way for a recovery in oil prices above the $70 level for Brent in 2019, Bjornar Tonhaugen, head of oil market research at Rystad Energy, said in a statement. [A]nything less than 1 million bpd of 2019 supply would be interpreted negatively by the market. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: After six hours of discussions, OPEC didnt agree on Thursday on any specific oil production cut agreement as members are quarrelling on how to divvy up the production cuts and who will be exempt from reducing output, while all signs point to the cartel waiting to see how much Russia will agree to cut before announcing a possible deal. OPEC canceled its scheduled after-meeting press conference on Thursday and Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the cartel was still deliberating an agreement, after the meeting ended. The main proposal that was discussed was a cut of around 1 million bpd. I am not confident of an agreement, al-Falih said, adding that Russia is not ready for a substantial cut. Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak will be joining the talks with non-OPEC on Friday, after having received instructions from President Vladimir Putin on Russias position on joining the cuts. Even without having to wait for Russias consent, the OPEC meeting was more contentious than usual, with the main sticking point being getting agreement from all producers, according to the Saudi minister. Another sticking point was who could be exempt from the cuts. Iran is not taking part in any production cuts until it is under U.S. sanctions, its oil minister Bijan Zanganeh has said, adding that todays talks we hard. Asked to clarify, he replied Harder than Ever...but we are trying to reach an agreement. According to a delegate who spoke to Bloomberg, one of the contentious debates in Thursdays meeting was whether Iran will get an exemption. Libya has also asked for exemption, citing fragile security situation, while Nigeria, which together with Libya was exempted from the original deal, may be open to joining cuts. According to Nigerian oil minister Emmanuel Kachikwu, the bigger producers within OPEC should shoulder more of the supply reductions. Apart from counting barrels and looking at demand forecasts, OPEC was dealing today with discontent from some members who blame Saudi Arabia for creating the oversupply by pumping at records, and for giving non-OPEC Russia a very big say in the cartels oil production policy. The deal-or-no-deal saga continues on Friday, while the oil market was left hanging, with prices down 3% at 1:16 p.m. EDT. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The province of British Columbia, which has just unveiled an ambitious emissions-cutting plan, cannot afford any more liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facilities if it is to meet its climate goals, an environmental group told CBC on Thursday. On Wednesday, the government of British Columbia unveiled the so-called CleanBC plan, which outlines actions to reduce the provinces greenhouse gas emissions from 2007 levels by 40 percent by 2030, 60 percent by 2040, and 80 percent by 2050. The industry, buildings, and transportation initiatives in the CleanBC plan combine to reduce B.C.s emissions by 18.9 megatons (Mt), getting the province to 75 percent of its 2030 climate targets. The remaining 6.1 Mt in reductions will be achieved through initiatives identified over the next 18 to 24 months, according to the plan. Peter McCartney of Wilderness Committee, however, is questioning the B.C. governments mixed message because, according to him, the climate targets have an LNG-sized gap as LNG projects in the province may derail the goals set in the plan. I still havent heard an answer as to what their plan to make sure these [natural gas] proposals dont blow their targets out of the water completely, McCartney told CBC, commenting on the CleanBC plan. Wilderness Committee, commenting on the CleanBC plan said: This strategy should ideally ensure the province sticks to its plans, which means most proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants are off the table. While the plan includes emissions from Woodfibre LNG and the first phase of LNG Canada in its calculations, any expansion of these projects or construction of additional terminals would be effectively impossible. This would all be far easier had the government not subsidized LNG exports in the first place, McCartney said. While they seem to have made initial plans fit, the math hasnt changed and that means LNG cannot move forward. Earlier this year, the British Columbia government said that it was offering the LNG Canada project tax breaks that boosted the chances of the project getting a final investment decision, which it did in early October. Unlike its fierce opposition to the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion project, B.C. supported the LNG Canada project. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The oil markets exhaled early on Thursday morning as two OPEC sources announced that the oil cartel had tentatively agreed to a production cut of non-specific volumes. The announcement as to exactly how much OPEC is agreeing to cut and which of its members will be tasked with doing so will come later, according to the sources, as they are waiting on Russia, without which the cuts could be toothless. Russias energy minister, Alexander Novak, was in Vienna earlier, and now must touch base with President Vladimir Putin before committing to anything. Novak is expected back in Vienna, answer in hand, on Friday. Two of OPECs members, Libya and Nigeria, have asked to be exempt from the cuts like they were for the last round of cuts, although OPEC delegates yesterday were trying to persuade both countries to cooperate this time around. Iran, under the weight of US sanctions against it, has refused to curb production, saying that as long as it remains under sanctions it will not restrict output. While the exact figures that the cartel and OPEC, and the rest of the non-OPEC allies will cut has not yet been announced, news that they have agreed to cut at all should lift prices that sunk earlier in the day. At 9:04am EST, the WTI benchmark had slid a massive 3.40% (-$1.80) to $51.09 per barrel. The international Brent benchmark had fallen 2.81% (-$1.73) to $59.83below the $60 psychological threshold that in the past has caused trading panic. The news of OPECs tentative agreement will be met with disappointment from President Donald Trump, who yesterday called on the cartel to keep oil flows as they were, and not restricted. The Joint Ministerial Committee of OPEC announced earlier today that it had officially recommended a production cut to the cartel and its non-OPEC allies of an unspecific volume. An official OPEC statement is expected later today, although specific figures may not be released until tomorrow when Russia returns to the negotiating table. By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Plunging spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices in Asia and a flipping of the market curve have helped to clear some of the LNG cargoes off Asias coasts that have been sitting there since October, Reuters reports, citing shipping data from Refinitiv Eikon. With weather warmer than usual in many parts of Asia, and China having procured most of its winter LNG requirements earlier this year after the rush and gas shortage last winter, LNG demand and prices have been dropping in recent weeks. This has led to many LNG cargoes sitting as storage off the coasts of Singapore, Malaysia, and offshore South China. But the LNG market structure has recently flipped to backwardationthe situation in which front-month prices are trading at a premium compared to prices further out in the future. When LNG traders started to float cargoes as storage, the market was still in the situation opposite to backwardation, contangothe structure in which front-month prices are lower than prices out in the future monthsmaking storage for future sales profitable. When the traders started floating the cargoes, the market was in a contango of about $1, but it has now flipped into backwardation, so there is more urgency to sell the cargoes, a Singapore-based trader told Reuters. With the backwardation in the market and LNG spot prices at their lowest in months, at least nine floating LNG cargoes have recently headed to buyers in Japan, China, or South Korea, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. At least five other LNG cargoes remain off the coasts of Singapore, with three of them sitting there since the second half of October. Last week, Asian spot LNG prices dropped to their lowest in four months, with natural gas inventories in China, Japan, and South Korea high, Chinese industrial demand slowing, and warmer temperatures in north China. According to Singapore traders who spoke to Reuters this week, Asian spot prices have further dropped since last week. Spot prices this week could be the lowest in almost seven months and 15 percent lower than the same period last year, according to Reuters data. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Saudi Arabias Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih met with the U.S. Special Representative for Iran, Brian Hook, on Wednesday, a day before OPEC is meeting to discuss new production cuts to rebalance the market, Reuters reported, quoting sources familiar with the meeting. While the topic of the Saudi-U.S. meeting was not immediately clear, its probably safe to assume that the energy minister of OPECs de facto leader and the U.S. official for Iran discussed the current and future impact of the U.S. sanctions on Iran on the global oil market. According to S&P Global Platts, the meeting between al-Falih and Hook, which neither side confirmed or agreed to comment, may have been held to exchange views on Saudi Arabias position at Thursdays OPEC meeting and what level of production the cartel and allies might need to keep in order to factor in more losses of Iranian oil supply. Over the past month, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed hopes that OPEC would not cut production, then sent out a thank-you-Saudi Arabia tweet and urged for even lower oil prices, while basically declining to blame Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. After the U.S. granted waivers to eight of Irans key oil buyers to continue importing Iranian oil at reduced volumes at least until early May 2019, Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members, as well as their key partner in the non-OPEC group, Russia, are now considering a new cut and a U-turn from their pump-to-compensate-for-Iran policy that started in June. The U.S. pledge to bring Irans oil exports down to zero did not materialize, and the market was left oversupplied, with oil prices plunging some 30 percent from the four-year-highs reached in early October. Last week, Hook said that a lot more Iranian oil would be coming off the market soon. We have taken over 1 million bpd off Irans export list and many more barrels will be coming off very soon, the diplomat said at a briefing. In November, Irans oil exports dropped to some 1.25 million bpd, down 1.12 million bpd since May, a Platts analysis of data from shipping sources and provisional tanker tracking showed. With eight countries securing waivers until early May, Irans oil exports may rise from the November levels in the coming months, according to analysts. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Tesla is expected to begin partial production at its first factory in China in the second half of 2019, the Shanghai government said after a meeting with local Tesla executives. At present, the project has basically completed land leveling and is about to start construction. It is expected to be partially put into operation in the second half of next year, a statement from the Shanghai government said, as reported by Electrek on Thursday. The China factory, to be built in Shanghai, will be Teslas first production facility outside the United States. The electric vehicle (EV) maker signed the deal for the construction project with the Shanghai authorities in July. The factory is expected to double Teslas electric car production, beginning in two years. The peak annual turnout of the Shanghai factory will be half a million Teslas and the same amount of battery packs, to be achieved two to three years after the launch of production, Tesla said in July after the signing of the deal with Shanghai authorities. This will put it basically on par with Teslas original factory in Fremont, California. Early in August, reports had it that Tesla started hiring personnel for its gigafactory in China, looking to hire 14 people, all in senior managerial and operating positions. Tesla has started a tender process for the construction of the gigafactory in Shanghai and at least one contractor has begun buying materials for the construction, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing sources and documents it has reviewed. Tesla aims to have a production facility in the worlds top EV market China in order to be able to compete on a level playing field with a growing number of local EV manufacturers. As a U.S.-made vehicle, Teslas cars in China are subject to steep tariffs, which China additionally raised during the U.S.-China tit-for-tat tariff spat this year. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: China demands clarity from US and Canada over arrest of Huawei CFO for violating US sanctions on Iran Beijing on Thursday demanded the US and Canada clarify why Ottawa has detained Chinese telecom equipment giant Huaweis chief financial officer Sabrina Meng Wanzhou at the request of the US government. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that both the US and Canadian authorities had yet to clarify their reason for arresting Meng, who is also one of Huaweis deputy chairpersons and a daughter of its founder and chief executive Ren Zhengfei. Geng said Beijing had lodged protests with Washington and Ottawa and offered consular assistance to Meng soon after she was detained. Her arrest in Vancouver raises more doubts about a 90-day truce on trade struck between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on December 1, the day she was detained. Chinese commerce ministry deflected questions that tied Huaweis crisis to the US-China trade war. I dont have information in this regard at the moment, ministry spokesman Gao Feng said. Ottawa confirmed Mengs arrest on Wednesday. Wanzhou Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, Ian McLeod, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman, said. She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday. As there is a publication ban in effect, we cannot provide any further detail at this time. The ban was sought by Ms Meng, McLeod said. Meng was tipped by some mainland Chinese media as a leading contender to succeed her father at the helm of the telecom giant. Meng adopted her mothers surname. She was arrested because she attempted to evade the trade embargo placed by the US on Iran, The Globe and Mail reported, citing a Canadian source with knowledge of the arrest. No other details were available. The Chinese government protested against the move soon after the Canadian government made the detention public. Story continues At the request of the US side, the Canadian side arrested a Chinese citizen [who was] not violating any American or Canadian law. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harm the human rights of the victim, Chinas embassy in Ottawa said. The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian sides, urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal liberty of Ms Meng Wanzhou. We will closely follow the development of the issue and take all measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens. In a statement, Huawei acknowledged the detention and extradition request by the US government. Recently, our corporate CFO, Ms Meng Wanzhou, was provisionally detained by the Canadian authorities on behalf of the United States of America, which seeks the extradition of Ms Meng Wanzhou to face unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York, while she was transferring flights in Canada. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng. The company believes the Canadian and US legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion, Huawei said. Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU, the company said. According to Mengs biography in the companys annual report, she joined Huawei in 1993 and held various positions in the companys finance departments. She is currently one of the board of directors deputy chairpersons and the companys chief financial officer. In April, The Wall Street Journal reported that Huawei was being investigated by New York prosecutors on suspicion of breaking sanctions against Iran. The report about the US Justice Departments investigation of Huawei followed news that US prosecutors activated sanctions against another Chinese telecom equipment producer, ZTE, on charges related to its equipment sales in Iran. ZTE was then subjected to sanctions after the US government determined that it had first attempted to trade illegally with Iran and North Korea, and then subsequently failed to follow through on remedies imposed by the US Department of Commerce. US firms were banned from selling microchips and other components to ZTE, crippling and nearly killing the company until the ban was lifted on the orders of Donald Trump, after he was contacted by the Chinese government. As part of a new agreement to lift the ban, ZTE paid US$1.4 billion in penalties, reformed its management and installed US-appointed compliance officers. US Senator Chris Van Hollen, who has co-sponsored legislation meant to keep the ban in place if further violations by ZTE are found, weighed in on Huawei soon after the announcement by Canada. Huawei and ZTE are two sides of the same coin Chinese telecommunications companies that represent a fundamental risk to American national security. While the commerce department focused its attention on ZTE, this news highlights that Huawei is also violating US law, Van Hollen said. At a bare minimum, we must hold both companies to the same standard. More importantly, we need a comprehensive plan to hold the Chinese and their state-sponsored entities accountable for gross violations of the law and threats to our security. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said US and Canadian business executives could face reprisals in China. Thats something we should be watching out for, he said. Its a possibility. Its a prominent member of their society and its a company that really embodies Chinas quest for global recognition as a technology power. Mulroney said Canada should be prepared for sustained fury from the Chinese and said it would be portrayed in China as Canada kowtowing to Trump. He also said that the Iran allegations were very damaging to Huawei and that China would push back hard. Wenran Jiang, a senior fellow at the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, said the Chinese would interpret the arrest as a planned conspiracy to do damage. She was in transit though Vancouver, he said. That means the intelligence agencies in Canada and the US were tracking her and planning to arrest her for some time. He foresaw a crisis in relations between the three countries if Meng were extradited, and said any talk of a free-trade agreement between Canada and China would end. Additional reporting by Catherine Wong, Amanda Lee and Associated Press This article China demands clarity from US and Canada over arrest of Huawei CFO for violating US sanctions on Iran 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: The remains of a 20-year old woman (Gokhem2) from around 4900 BP that was killed by the first plague pandemic. She was one of the victims of a plague pandemic that likely lead to the decline of the Neolithic societies in Europe. Credit: Karl-Goran Sjogren / University of Gothenburg A team of researchers from France, Sweden, and Denmark have identified a new strain of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, in DNA extracted from 5,000-year-old human remains. Their analyses, publishing December 6 in the journal Cell, suggest that this strain is the closest ever identified to the genetic origin of plague. Their work also suggests that plague may have been spread among Neolithic European settlements by traders, contributing to the settlements' decline at the dawn of the Bronze Age. "Plague is maybe one of the deadliest bacteria that has ever existed for humans. And if you think of the word 'plague,' it can mean this infection by Y. pestis, but because of the trauma plague has caused in our history, it's also come to refer more generally to any epidemic. The kind of analyses we do here let us go back through time and look at how this pathogen that's had such a huge effect on us evolved," says senior author Simon Rasmussen, a metagenomics researcher at the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen. To better understand the evolutionary history of the plague, Rasmussen and his colleagues trawled through publicly available genetic data from ancient humans, screening for sequences similar to more modern plague strains. They found a strain they had never seen before in the genetic material of a 20-year-old woman who died approximately 5,000 years ago in Sweden. The strain had the same genes that make the pneumonic plague deadly today and traces of it were also found in another individual at the same grave sitesuggesting that the young woman did likely die of the disease. This strain of the plague is the oldest that's ever been discovered. But what makes it particularly interesting is that, by comparing it to other strains, the researchers were able to determine that it's also the most basalmeaning that it's the closest strain we have to the genetic origin of Y. pestis. It likely diverged from other strains around 5,700 years ago, while the plague that was common in the Bronze Age and the plague that is the ancestor of the strains in existence today diverged 5,300 and 5,100 years ago, respectively. This suggests that there were multiple strains of plague in existence at the end of the Neolithic period. Rasmussen also believes that this finding offers a new theory about how plague spreads. Massive human migrations from the Eurasian steppe down into Europe are known to have occurred around 5,000 years ago, but how these cultures were able to displace the Neolithic farming culture that was present in Europe at the time is still debated. Previous researchers have suggested that the invaders brought the plague with them, wiping out the large settlements of Stone Age farmers when they arrived. But if the strain of plague the researchers found in the Swedish woman diverged from the rest of Y. pestis 5,700 years ago, that means it likely evolved before these migrations began and around the time that the Neolithic European settlements were already starting to collapse. At the time, mega-settlements of 10,000-20,000 inhabitants were becoming common in Europe, which made job specialization, new technology, and trade possible. But they also may have been the breeding ground for plague. "These mega-settlements were the largest settlements in Europe at that time, ten times bigger than anything else. They had people, animals, and stored food close together, and, likely, very poor sanitation. That's the textbook example of what you need to evolve new pathogens," says Rasmussen. "We think our data fit. If plague evolved in the mega-settlements, then when people started dying from it, the settlements would have been abandoned and destroyed. This is exactly what was observed in these settlements after 5,500 years ago. Plague would also have started migrating along all the trade routes made possible by wheeled transport, which had rapidly expanded throughout Europe in this period," he says. Eventually, he suggests, the plague would have arrived through these trade interactions at the small settlement in Sweden where the woman his team studied lived. Rasmussen argues that the woman's own DNA also provides further evidence for this theoryshe isn't genetically related to the people who invaded Europe from the Eurasian steppe, supporting the idea that this strain of plague arrived before the mass migrations did. The archaeology also supports this hypothesis, as there were still no signs of the invaders by the time she died. Of course, there are some limitations to what the data from this study can tell us. Most importantly, the researchers have not yet identified the plague in individuals from the mega-settlements where it may have evolved. "We haven't really found the smoking gun, but it's partly because we haven't looked yet. And we'd really like to do that, because if we could find plague in those settlements, that would be strong support for this theory," says Rasmussen. Regardless, he believes that this study is a step toward understanding how plagueand other pathogensbecame deadly. "We often think that these superpathogens have always been around, but that's not the case," he says. "Plague evolved from an organism that was relatively harmless. More recently, the same thing happened with smallpox, malaria, Ebola, and Zika. This process is very dynamicand it keeps happening. I think it's really interesting to try to understand how we go from something harmless to something extremely virulent." Explore further A new approach to old questions surrounding the Second Plague More information: Cell, Rascoven et al.: "Emergence and spread of basal lineages of Y. pestis during the Neolithic decline" DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.11.005 Journal information: Cell , Rascoven et al.: "Emergence and spread of basal lineages of Y. pestis during the Neolithic decline" www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)31464-8 Green turtle eating seagrass. Credit: Swansea University New research has reported effective conservation strategies that can mitigate the impacts of climate warming on sea turtle nesting success. In the article published by Scientific Reports, a range of experiments were conducted between 2012 and 2017 in St Eustatius Marine Park in the Dutch Caribbean by Swansea University and Wageningen University & Research in association with St Eustatius National Parks, Groningen University and Deakin University in Australia.Lead scientist Dr. Nicole Esteban from Swansea University says that turtles do not have sex chromosomes. It is the incubation temperature in sand surrounding a clutch of eggs that determines the sex of a turtle hatchling, which is known as Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination. Eggs incubating at cooler temperatures (generally lower than 29C) produce male turtles and eggs incubating at warmer temperatures produce females. This has led to concerns that, in the context of climate change, warming air temperatures may lead to female-biased sea turtle populations. The research team developed a series of trial experiments to test the effect of various shading treatments that were easily available (white sand, white sheet, palm leaves). The sand temperatures below the shaded areas were recorded using small temperature loggers buried at turtle nesting depths on Zeelandia and Oranjebaai beaches in St Eustatius. The data were combined with long-term beach temperature data to estimate the effect of shading and relocation between the beaches on hatchling sex ratios. In the study, a conservation mitigation matrix is presented that summarize evidence that artificial shading and nest relocation can be effective, low-cost, low-technology conservation strategies to mitigate impacts of climate warming for sea turtles. Dr. Nicole Esteban said: "Our previous work in St Eustatius showed that incubation temperatures are relatively high (mean of 31C) so the majority of turtle hatchlings born at these beaches have been female biased during the past decades. "Therefore, there is a real concern that not enough male hatchlings would be born on the beaches in future to sustain the local population and we decided to investigate options for conservation actions to reduce incubation temperatures." Marjolijn Christianen, collaborator from Wageningen University & Research said: "The results of the study surprised us. They show that simple measures can be very effective in preventing a female-only turtle population. The most effective shading material is palm leaves, decreasing temperature by a mean of 0.6 C. Variation between beaches that are only 1 km apart was an average of 1.9 C. Relocation between beaches and shading could shift hatchling sex ratio from the current ranges (97-100% female) to 60-90% femalea big difference." Explore further Warming temperatures threaten sea turtles More information: Nicole Esteban et al, Optimism for mitigation of climate warming impacts for sea turtles through nest shading and relocation, Scientific Reports (2018). Journal information: Scientific Reports Nicole Esteban et al, Optimism for mitigation of climate warming impacts for sea turtles through nest shading and relocation,(2018). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-35821-6 Credit: CC0 Public Domain UK-led research is taking place on the International Space Station (ISS) for the first time, following a successful launch from Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral in the US. An experiment using microscopic nematode worms involving teams of scientists from the Universities of Nottingham, Exeter and Lancaster was among a shipment of cargo and scientific investigations to be delivered to the ISS by the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft following the launch by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 6.16 pm (UK time) on Wednesday 5 December. Space is an extreme environment that causes many negative health changes to the body, including substantial muscle loss in fact, astronauts lose up to 40 per cent of their muscle after six months in space. The worms on the ISS are part of the Molecular Muscle experiment which will try to identify the precise molecules that cause these problematic changes and will also test new therapies to try and prevent muscle loss in zero-gravity. Molecular changes The University of Nottingham's Professor of Space Biology, Nate Szewczyk, who travelled to Cape Canaveral for the launch, said: "We are hugely excited to be coordinating the first UK-led experiment on the International Space Station. "The Molecular Muscle Experiment is the first experiment to try to establish the precise molecular causes of neuromuscular decline in space. We will be using a combination of gene manipulations and drugs to pinpoint these causes. "This work is part of a broader investment in space by both the UK government and the University of Nottingham and could lead to real-life improvements to human health, both in space and on Earth." Earlier research has revealed that the microscopic worms, C.elegans and humans experience similar molecular changes in space that affect muscle and metabolism. The muscles of thousands of worms will be examined as part of the experiment on the ISS. The changes in muscle observed in astronauts are known to be an excellent model to study the muscle ageing process, and scientists are able to use the knowledge gained from studying in astronauts to better understand the ageing human body. Practical advantages Tim Etheridge, Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter, said: "Worms are, perhaps surprisingly, a very good model for human muscle maintenance. At the molecular level, both structurally and metabolically, they are highly similar to that of humans and, from a space flight-specific perspective, they provide a lot of practical advantages. They are very small, quick to grow, cheap and easy to maintain. It makes them good to work with." Preparations for Wednesday's launchwhich was delayed by a day after mouldy food was found among another research team's kitbegan at Kennedy Space Centre with the arrival of the first scientists on 13 November. Immediately before the launch the worms were placed in liquid bacterial feed and sealed in special gas permeable plastic bags. The bags were then housed in a special container and placed in an incubator. The worms reproduce in space and after growing into adults in around 6.5 days will be frozen until returning to Earth. The experiment can be followed on Twitter via @worms_space Dr. Beth Phillips, another co-investigator on the project in the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine, said: "The Molecular Muscle Experiment is also important because it lets us engage with young people to encourage them to consider careers in science and technology." In addition to following the experiment on Twitter, students can learn more about the experiment online at www.mme-spaceworms.com and for graduates The University of Nottingham will be offering Ph.D. studentships in Astromedicine and Astropharmacy funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council from next autumn. UK scientists are able to carry out this research thanks to the UK Space Agency's subscriptions to the European Space Agency's exploration programme, which contributes to the costs of the International Space Station, which the UK joined in 2012. Libby Jackson, Human Spaceflight and Microgravity Programme Manager at the UK Space Agency, said: "This is the first of many exciting experiments heading to the International Space Station from the UK, thanks to our contributions to ESA. The Molecular Muscle Experiment will provide knowledge that will benefit our understanding of muscle ageing and help to improve life on Earth." Explore further Worms in spacethe molecular muscle experiment China's proposed 'social credit system' is drawing parallels to dystopian si-fi. But here's what you might not have heard about it. Credit: Shutterstock British journalist James O'Malley was on the Beijing-Shanghai bullet train last month when he heard a disturbing announcement. "Dear passengers, people who travel without a ticket, or behave disorderly, or smoke in public areas, will be punished according to regulations and the behavior will be recorded in individual credit information system. To avoid a negative record of personal credit please follow the relevant regulations and help with the orders on the train and at the station." It was particularly chilling to anyone familiar with George Orwell's dystopian classic, 1984. Indeed, what disturbed James is China's widely discussed and severely criticized Big Brother-style social credit system. But before we get carried away to 1984, let's get a more comprehensive overview of the system, including some misunderstood or lesser-discussed aspects. A measure of trustworthiness The system is portrayed by some media as a big-data surveillance system that aims to monitor, assess, and discipline citizens' social, political, and economic behavior. It was first referred to in 2014 in a government document (in Chinese) issued by the State Councilthe highest executive organ of state power in the People's Republic of China. The document described an omnipotent social credit system due to be launched in 2020, which aims to rate everyone's "trustworthiness." The 'credit' referred to in the unnerving train announcement is the translation of the Chinese word 'xinyong,' which indicates a person's honesty and trustworthiness. It is believed that the system entails a series of big data and AI-enabled processes that compute an individual's behavior, from online purchasing to obedience to traffic laws, timely bill payments, or your choice of friends. Here's a dystopian vision of the future: A real announcement I recorded on the Beijing-Shanghai bullet train. (I've subtitled it so you can watch in silence.) pic.twitter.com/ZoRWtdcSMy James O'Malley (@Psythor) October 29, 2018 High scores beget social privileges All 1.35 billion Chinese citizens will be subjected to the system. People with high scores will enjoy better social privileges and economic benefits. Low scores on the other hand, could get you blacklisted from accessing certain services, such as flights or train travel just as James heard on the train. The potential for misuse and the likelihood of mishandling personal, private data is easily drawing public attention in today's data-sensitive era. Data in the hands of an authoritarian government like China becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, which vividly illustrates how digital technology is aiding authoritarian regimes to augment their rule and sustain themselves by pressuring their citizens to act in certain government-approved ways (for higher social credit scores in this case). A work in progress However, many concerns around the social credit system are either inaccurate or one-sided. For one thing, the Chinese government has not yet announced officially how the credit system will work, including, probably most importantly, how algorithmic credit scoring will be amassed and different qualities weighted against one another. Some tend to consider the high-profile "Sesame Credit" ("Zhima Xinyong"in Chinese), a private credit system operated by Ant Financial, a company affiliated with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, as an example of such a mass surveillance system. With its 520 million users, Sesame Credit is for sure the current leader in China's "social credit" industry. Still, it is essentially evaluating purchasing volume and the price of purchased goods, rather than the content of purchases. To use the explanation from an Ant Financial spokeswoman, "It's basically the frequency that matters, it's not what you buy that matters." Cocaine or cake: the system doesn't care what you buy To be blunt, Sesame Credit does not care whether the user purchases cocaine or cake; it simply wants to sell products. Your score will increase as long as you buy something from Alibaba. As it turns out, Sesame Credit is more of a loyalty program than a reliable measure of 'xinyong' or 'credit.' To believe that Sesame Credit would work like a state-approved "beta version" of a social credit system risks exaggerating the use of inaccurate data tracking and information to deliver rewards and punishments. This further shows the challenge to compile necessary and sufficient data that covers every aspect of social life to serve as a useful reference in establishing a single and panoptic national-scale social credit system. To use Jamie Horsley's argument in Foreign Policy, "China's Orwellian social credit score isn't realThere is no such thing as a national 'social credit score'." Companies will also be rated Apart from the (negative) political implications of the work-in-progress social credit system, we should also consider the economic implication of such a system. According to the 2014 government document, one of the initiatives of the credit system is to rate not only individuals but also organisations and companies in order to "promote economic growth" and "further the credibility of the government." The Chinese government has experienced the dearth of commercial and consumer credit data for a long time. The People's Bank of China the central bank runs the country's only official credit rating system, and as of 2017 it serves only about 300 million people, or less than 25 per cent of the total population in China. In other words, three out of every four Chinese citizens lack publicly available credit histories. By contrast, over 80 per cent of the adult population in the US has a credit score, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's Office. System could boost investment and borrowing In the current system, many Chinese consumers especially younger generation with higher spending power and consumption potential struggle to invest or borrow money from the bank. Strict rules at most banks disqualify the majority of college and university students and new graduates from applying for credit cards. Similarly, small and medium-sized business (SMEs), which account for over 80 per cent jobs in the country, always struggle to get loans from China's financial institutions, regardless of the government's push. The lack of credit information puts the push to lend money to small firms in direct conflict with the effort to reduce risk in the financial system. That in turn hinders domestic consumption, a worrying factor amid China's slowing economy that would further deteriorate in the ongoing US-China trade war. A national wide credit system, in this sense, would allow responsible borrowers access to a line of credit. It will not only service Chinese bankers, but also has constructive effects on the economic realities of individuals and companies and the whole Chinese economy in the long run. Explore further China's dystopian social credit system is a harbinger of the global age of the algorithm This story is republished courtesy of ScienceNordic, the trusted source for English-language science news from the Nordic countries. Read the original story here. The emissions from Chinese-backed coal-fired power plants could cripple global efforts to rein in climate change, analysts warn Even as China struggles to curb domestic coal-fired power and the deadly pollution it produces, the world's top carbon emitter is aggressively exporting the same troubled technology to Asia, Africa and the Middle East, an investigation by AFP has shown. The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from these Chinese-backed plants could cripple global efforts to rein in global warming caused by the burning of fossil fuelsespecially coal, analysts warn. "China is a world leader in terms of embracing the policy and investment needs to progressively decarbonise its economy," said Tim Buckley, director of energy finance studies at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). "But internationally, China continues to invest in a range of coal project in direct contradiction to its domestic energy strategy." Globally, coal use accounts for 40 percent of CO2 emissions, and is on the rise after declining slightly from 2014 to 2016. More than two-fifths of the world's electricity is generated by coal-fired power, nearly double the share of natural gas and 15 times as much as solar and wind combined. A quarter of coal plants in the planning stage or under construction outside China are backed by Chinese state-owned financial institutions and corporations, according to research by IEEFA, an energy finance think-tank based in Cleveland, Ohio. Remove India from the picture, and the share of coal development supported by China rises to above a third. "The risk is locking these countries into something that won't be good for them in the long-run, and that is incompatible with the Paris climate agreement's temperature goals," said Christine Shearer, an energy analyst for CoalSwarm and lead author of the research, which is slated for publication later this month. As China tries to draw down its domestic coal use, it has aggressively pushed coal power outside its borders Many of the recipients of China's largesseEgypt, Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, Zimbabwe and half a dozen otherscurrently have little or no coal-fired power, and no coal to fuel future plants. "That means they will have to build import infrastructure, or even coals mines," Shearer told AFP. The 2015 Paris treaty calls for capping global warming at "well under" two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and a landmark report by the UN's climate science panel warned last month that even the 2C target may not be ambitious enough to avert catastrophic impacts. With only one 1C of warming so far, the planet has seen a crescendo of lethal heatwaves, flooding, drought and storms surges made worse by rising seas. SE Asian coal boom And yet, Chinese banks and investment agencies have committed more than $21 billion (18.5 billion euros) to developing 31 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired capacity in a dozen countries, and an additional $15 billion is on offer to support projects that would generate 71 GW in 24 nations, for a total of more than 101 GW, IEEFA found. Worldwide, there are nearly 2,500 30-megawatt-or-larger coal-fired stations in operation, with a combined capacity of about 2000 GW, according to the Global Coal Plant Tracker. "A glut of new coal infrastructure would bury our chances of keeping global warming well below 2C," Heffa Schuecking, director of Urgewald, an environmental NGO based in Germany which tracks the coal sector, told AFP. "The Chinese government needs to stop bankrolling new coal plants both at home and abroad." Globally, coal use accounts for 40 percent of CO2 emissions, and is on the rise Any pathway to a 1.5C worldeven one that allows for "overshooting" the target and depends heavily on extracting CO2 from the airrequires the near elimination of coal from the energy mix by mid-century, according to the UN. A "sustainable development" scenario laid out by the International Energy Agency (IEA) sees coal power dropping 60 percent by 2040. Coal use within Chinanearly half the world totalhas declined slightly in recent years, as has CO2 emissions, though both are likely to tilt upward this year. In the rest of Asia, however, soaring demand for electricity has translated into a sharp jump in coal consumption. In Vietnam, Bangladesh and the Philippines, for example, electricity generation shot up more than 20 percent from 2014 to 2017triple the global averagewith China-backed coal powering a significant part of the increase. China is not alone in peddling the most carbon-intensive of fossil fuels beyond its borders. As of last month, South Korea and its export credit agencies were positioned to back 12 GW of coal-fired power abroad, and Japan was behind another 10, according to a research note from Han Chen, international energy policy manager at the Natural Resources Defense Council. During the 2013-2018 period, South Korea and Japan financed 8 GW and 20 GW, respectively. The world's biggest producers and consumers of coal Spectre of stranded assets But their shares were dwarfed by China's, whose financing covered as much power generation as Japan and South Korea combined. The three East Asian rivals supported 90 percent of the 135 GW built since 2013 or in the pipeline. "China is winning more bids, and Chinese firms are more willing to consider countries and markets with high risk profiles," Chen told AFP. All this external funding comes at a time when financial institutions in the rest of the world are starting to shy away from coal. Cheap solar and wind energy combined with mounting concern about climate impacts have cast a shadow over coal-fired power, raising the spectre of stranded assets. At least 19 major insurers with more than $6 trillion in assets20 percent of the global totalhave divested from coal, up from $4 trillion a year ago, the Unfriend Coal Scorecard, which tracks divestment in the insurance sector, reported this week. Insurers Generali, Lloyd's, Hannover Re, AG2R La Mondiale and Groupama all announced new divestment policies this year. Investors, pension funds, export credit agencies, and multilateral development banksincluding the World Bankhave also pulled back, as have many private banks. An analysis by the Washington DC-based World Resources Institute of China's energy sector financing under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)which seeks to boost $6 trillion in infrastructure across 68 nationsshows that very little went towards renewables. Three possible scenarios for the future of the world's energy production "Most Chinese deals from 2014 to 2017 in energy and transportation"totalling $250 billion in loans and financing"were tied to carbon-intensive sectors," said lead author Lihuan Zhou, an associate at the WRI's Sustainable Finance Center. China is acutely aware of mounting criticism of its drive to export coal-fired power, said Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation andas France's top climate negotiatorone of the main architects of the Paris Agreement. 'China has to choose' "Every conference, every discussion is about how to green the Belt and Road Initiative," she told AFP upon returning from a round of meetings in Beijing. Domestically, the barriers to rapidly drawing down coal usedespite a cap on coal productionare evident. "China has built up an enormous coal-power generation industryworkers, companies, technology manufacturingand now they have a lot of surplus," said energy analyst Shearer. At the same time, China's juggernaut economy is slowing, which has left these state-run behemoths "looking for new markets". But a dozen experts interviewed for this article pointed out thatoutside its bordersBeijing could opt for a different path. "They do have a choice," said Oliver Sartor, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations in Paris. An anti-coal protest in Lamu, Kenya, where China has financed a coal-fired project "It looks hypocritical to clean up at home and then be investing in coal abroad." Tubiana said that "China's dynamic private sectorwhich is very much involved in renewables, electric vehicleswould be a perfect vehicle for outside influence". Several coal-fired projects in the pipeline financed by China have met fierce resistance. Three of themthe Sendou plant in Senegal, the Rampal project in Bangladesh, and the Lamu plant in Kenyaare in countries where little or no energy is currently produced by coal. The Sendou and Rampal developments are in coastal areas where local communities have already been devastated by climate impacts. "China has to choose whether it will offload abroad what it is trying to leave behind at home, or secure a far bigger market share over the next few decades in clean energy," said Renato Redentor Constantino, executive director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities in Manila. "I think it will choose clean energy, but it won't do it alone," he added. "Pressure has to come from other countries and civil society." Explore further China's unbridled export of coal power imperils climate goals 2018 AFP Although most of England's vineyards are in the southeast, parts of England farther north and in Wales are now suitable for growing grapes thanks to climate change With climate change pushing up temperatures, English winemakers are rubbing their hands as their sparkling wines start to give top champagnes a run for their money. Strolling through the Pinglestone vineyard in Hampshire, southern England, under a pale autumn sun, winemaker James Bowerman is smiling broadly. "The (Pinot) Meunier really enjoyed itself this year," the vineyard manager says, surveying the vines. This year's temperatures have taken Vranken-Pommery, the prominent French champagne house that bought the estate in 2014, by surprise. "We had to water the vines in June, which is pretty incredible. Given the reputation of the English climate, we were not expecting that," said Clement Pierlot, director of vineyards and champagne cellars at Pommery. Intrigued by the rapid growth of vineyards in England, Vranken-Pommery jumped into the market after falling in love with the chalk hills of Hampshire. Fifteen hectares (37 acres) of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, the three primary champagne grape varieties, were planted here last year. A further 25 hectares will be added over the next two years. While waiting to harvest the first crop of grapes, Vranken-Pommery produced a first sparkling wine with grapes brought in from elsewhere on this side of the Channel. Dubbed Louis Pommery England, the test was deemed a success. English vineyards have found their "niche" with sparkling wines, says Chris Foss, head of the wine department at Plumpton College, Britain's centre for excellence in viniculture "We can have wines which are fine and expressive but with a nice style and freshness," Pierlot said. English sparkling wine will "soon bring a level of cheer to British drinkers greater than that provided by French champagne," said Environment Secretary Michael Gove, talking up the "opportunities of a changing climate". Sparkling wine 'niche' While English vintners have made sparkling wines for decades, the number of hectares given over to their production has soared 150 percent in the last 10 years, tripling since 2000. At some four million bottles, sparkling wine represented 68 percent of wines produced in Britain last yeara share that is set to increase in the coming years. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier account for 71.2 percent of the grape varieties planted. "We have gone from a small cottage industry to a real, proper, thriving industry," said Cherie Spriggs, head winemaker at Nyetimber, whose first vines were planted in 1988, also in southeast England. Spriggs was named sparkling winemaker of the year at the 2018 International Wine Challenge in Julythe first time the prize has gone to a vintner outside the Champagne region of northeastern France. She is also the first woman to have won the prestigious award. "Thirty years ago, it was impossible to ripen the Chardonnay grapes," Foss said. "But now there's no problem" English vineyards have found their "niche" with sparkling wines, and now produce "delicious" bottles, said Chris Foss, head of the wine department at Plumpton College, Britain's centre for excellence in viniculture. "Thirty years ago, it was impossible to ripen the Chardonnay grapes. The wines were green, hard and very acidic. It didn't work. But now there's no problem," he said. "We have almost the same climate as the Champagne region did 100 years ago." Besides Vranken-Pommery, France's venerable Taittinger champagne house has set up in Kent, just across the Channel in southeast England. Their first sparkling wines are expected to be sold in 2023, after three years in the cellars. Besides English pioneers like Ridgeview and Chapel Downofficial wine suppliers to the British prime minister's Downing Street officenewer names such as Rathfinny and Gusbourne are also in production. Moving north Most vineyards are in the southeast, but climate change is opening new possibilities. A scientific study found that 86,000 acres in England and Wales were suitable for growing grapes thanks to warmer seasonsincluding counties north of the River Thames in eastern England such as Essex and Suffolk. New names are joining the English pioneers such as Chapel Downofficial wine suppliers to Downing Street, the British prime minister's office English sparkling wines are beginning to nibble into the market, but the champagne giants still dominate. And though the Brits love a bit of bubbly, English sparkling wine is expensive compared with Italian prosecco, an undisputed hit on the supermarket shelves. Land and labour costs are high in England compared with the continent. Brexit is also a concern for winemakers, who often rely on an EU workforce. "The worry for us is the movement of these people in the future," once Britain leaves the EU on March 29, said Bowerman, whose operation currently employs skilled workers from Romania. "They have taken this industry in their hearts and it contributes to the quality of our wines. "If they can't come it is going to be difficult to find enough skilled people." Explore further Champagne trying to defeat heat amid another early harvest 2018 AFP Finnish startup company Norsepower installed its rotor sail technology on the Maersk Pelican tanker, Aug. 29, 2018, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in the first such installation on a tanker as the shipping industry tries new solutions in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Maersk Pelican oil tanker is testing Norsepower's 30 meter (98 foot) deck-mounted spinning columns, which convert wind into thrust based on an idea first floated nearly a century ago. Transport's contribution to earth-warming emissions are the subject of investigations as negotiators gather in Katowice, Poland, for U.N. COP24 climate talks. (Casper Hariot/Maersk Tankers via AP) As the shipping industry faces pressure to cut climate-altering greenhouse gases, one answer is blowing in the wind. European and U.S. tech companies, including one backed by airplane maker Airbus, are pitching futuristic sails to help cargo ships harness the free and endless supply of wind power. While they sometimes don't even look like sailssome are shaped like spinning columnsthey represent a cheap and reliable way to reduce CO 2 emissions for an industry that depends on a particularly dirty form of fossil fuels. "It's an old technology," said Tuomas Riski, the CEO of Finland's Norsepower, which added its "rotor sail" technology for the first time to a tanker in August. "Our vision is that sails are coming back to the seas." Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk , the world's biggest shipping company, is using its Maersk Pelican oil tanker to test Norsepower's 30 meter (98 foot) deck-mounted spinning columns, which convert wind into thrust based on an idea first floated nearly a century ago. Maersk pledged this week to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2050, which will require developing commercially viable carbon neutral vessels by the end of next decade. The shipping sector's interest in "sail tech" and other ideas took on greater urgency after the International Maritime Organization, the U.N.'s maritime agency, reached an agreement in April to slash emissions by 50 percent by 2050. Transport's contribution to earth-warming emissions are in focus as negotiators in Katowice, Poland, gather for U.N. talks to hash out the details of the 2015 Paris accord on curbing global warming. Shipping, like aviation, isn't covered by the Paris agreement because of the difficulty attributing their emissions to individual nations, but environmental activists say industry efforts are essential to combating climate change. Ships belch out nearly 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year, accounting for 2-3 percent of global greenhouse gases. The emissions are projected to grow between 50 to 250 percent by 2050 if no action is taken. Notoriously resistant to change, the maritime shipping industry is facing up to the need to cut its use of cheap but dirty "bunker fuel" that powers the global fleet of 50,000 vesselsthe backbone of world trade. Finnish startup company Norsepower installed its rotor sail technology on the Maersk Pelican tanker, Aug. 29, 2018, at Rotterdam, Netherlands, in the first such installation on a tanker as the shipping industry tries new solutions in an effort to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Maersk Pelican oil tanker is testing Norsepower's 30 meter (98 foot) deck-mounted spinning columns, which convert wind into thrust based on an idea first floated nearly a century ago. Transport's contribution to earth-warming emissions are the subject of investigations as negotiators gather in Katowice, Poland, for U.N. COP24 climate talks. (Casper Hariot/Maersk Tankers via AP) The IMO is taking aim more broadly at pollution, requiring ships to start using low-sulfur fuel in 2020 and sending shipowners scrambling to invest in smokestack scrubbers, which clean exhaust, or looking at cleaner but pricier distillate fuels. A Dutch group, the Goodshipping Program , is trying biofuel, which is made from organic matter. It refueled a container vessel in September with 22,000 liters of used cooking oil on behalf of five customers, in what it called a world first that cut carbon dioxide emissions by 40 tons. In Norway, efforts to electrify maritime vessels are gathering pace, highlighted by the launch of the world's first all-electric passenger ferry, Future of the Fjords, in April. Chemical maker Yara is meanwhile planning to build a battery-powered autonomous container ship to ferry fertilizer between plant and port. The Yara Birkeland, scheduled to enter service in 2020, will cut emissions by replacing the trucks currently used to do this job. Shipowners have to move with the times, said Bjorn Tore Orvik, Yara's project leader. Building a conventional fossil-fueled vessel "is a bigger risk than actually looking to new technologies ... because if new legislation suddenly appears then your ship is out of date," said Orvik. Batteries are effective for coastal shipping, though not for long-distance sea voyages, so the industry will need to consider other "energy carriers" generated from renewable power, such as hydrogen or ammonia, said Jan Kjetil Paulsen, an advisor at the Bellona Foundation, an environmental non-government organization. Wind power is also feasible, especially if vessels sail more slowly. "That is where the big challenge lies today," said Paulsen. Finnish startup company Norsepower installed its rotor sail technology onto the Maersk Pelican tanker, Aug. 29, 2018, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the first such installation on a tanker as the shipping industry tries new solutions to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Maersk Pelican oil tanker is testing Norsepower's 30 meter (98 foot) deck-mounted spinning columns, which convert wind into thrust. Transport's contribution to earth-warming emissions are the subject of investigations as negotiators gather in Katowice, Poland, for U.N. COP24 climate talks. (Casper Hariot/Maersk Tankers via AP) Wind power looks to hold the most promise. The technology behind Norsepower's rotor sails, also known as Flettner rotors, is based on the principle that airflow speeds up on one side of a spinning object and slows on the other. That creates a force that can be harnessed. Rotor sails can generate thrust even from wind coming from the side of a ship. German engineer Anton Flettner pioneered the idea in the 1920s but the concept languished because it couldn't compete with cheap oil. On a windy day, Norsepower says rotors can replace up to 50 percent of a ship's engine propulsion. Overall, the company says it can cut fuel consumption by 7 to 10 percent. One big problem with rotors is they get in the way of port cranes that load and unload cargo. To get around that, U.S. startup Magnuss has developed a retractable version. The New York-based company is raising $10 million to build its concept, which involves two 50-foot (15-meter) steel cylinders that retract below deck. "It's just a better mousetrap," said CEO James Rhodes, who says his target market is the "Panamax" size bulk cargo ships carrying iron ore, coal or grain. High tech versions of conventional sails are also on the drawing board. Spain's bound4blue's aircraft wing-like sail and collapses like an accordion, according to a video of a scaled-down version from a recent trade fair. The first two will be installed next year followed by five more in 2020. The company is in talks with 15 more ship owners from across Europe, Japan, China and the U.S. to install its technology, said co-founder Cristina Aleixendrei. Tuomas Risk, CEO of Finnish startup company Norsepower, poses Nov. 2016, in the North Sea, in front of one of his company's rotor sails, one of the new technologies the shipping industry is looking at as it searches for new solutions to cut greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change. The Maersk Pelican oil tanker is testing Norsepower's 30 meter (98 foot) deck-mounted spinning columns, which convert wind into thrust based on an idea first floated nearly a century ago. Transport's contribution to earth-warming emissions are the subject of investigations as negotiators gather in Katowice, Poland, for U.N. COP24 climate talks. (Norsepower via AP) Ship owners are now "more desperate for new technology to reduce fuel consumption," she said Airseas , backed by European plane maker Airbus, plans to deploy its parachute-like automated kite sails on ships ferrying fuselages from France to Alabama starting in 2020. The company predicts that the "Seawing" will reduce fuel use by 20 percent on the 13-day journey. Explore further Spinning sail technology is poised to bring back wind-powered ships 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Launch of the Change 4 relay-satelliet QueQuiao on 21 May 2018 from China. Credit: Albert-Jan Boonstra (ASTRON) The Chinese space agency will be launching the Chang'e 4 moon lander on Friday 7 December, hoping to make China the first country to land on the far side of the moon. Dutch astronomers are also looking forward to the launch as they are collaborating with Chinese scientists on this mission. A satellite containing a Dutch radio instrument has already been launched to the far side of the moon, ready to be switched on once the moon lander touches down. How is the Chang'e4 satellite doing? China's Chang'e 4 relay satellite was launched on 21 May this year, following the launch of the moon lander. The satellite is now in place behind the moon to provide communication between the moon lander and the earth, and is equipped with a radio instrument made in the Netherlands. First Dutch team involved in a moon landing The Netherlands-China Low-Frequency Explorer (NCLE) was developed by a team from Radboud University, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON) and the company ISIS. The instrument is expected to start making scientific observations early next year. The whole Dutch team is keenly anticipating the launch on 7 December, not only because it will be the first ever landing on the far side of the moon, but especially because scientists from the Radboud Radio Lab in Nijmegen and ASTRON are also part of the Chang'e 4 mission's scientific team the first time they have been involved in a moon landing. Astrophysicist and Managing Director of the Radboud Radio Lab, Marc Klein Wolt, explains, "With our instrument installed on the relay satellite, we have become the first Dutch team ever to be part of a mission to the moon. That was special enough, but this makes it even more special." While no instruments from the Netherlands will be on board the Chinese lunar lander itself, the Dutch radio instrument on the satellite and the Chinese radio instrument on board the moon lander will carry out observations together. Albert-Jan Boonstra, program manager at ASTRON, adds: "We are particularly interested in how well our sensor is doing under the extreme conditions in space, in relation to the design and the sensitivity of the radio instrument on the moon lander. Both instruments are not only designed to collect scientific results, but they also provide us with technical information needed to design a future flock of small astronomical radio satellites." A new window to the universe Radio astronomers typically use one of the many radio telescopes on earth to make observations, but with the NCLE instrument, the Dutch team is opening a new window to the universe. They are seeking to tune in to radio signals with wavelengths that cannot be detected on earth due to our planet's atmosphere. "The NCLE is paving the way for a future large-scale radio experiment on the surface of the moon to observe the weak signal emitted just after the Big Bang, before the first stars were formed. That's why this moon landing is so interesting, because for the first time, we have the chance to study the conditions for radio astronomy on the moon," Heino Falcke explains, Professor of Astroparticle Physics and Radio Astronomy, and scientific leader for the NCLE instrument. Moreover, the Chinese lunar lander will only be operational for a month or two, whereas the NCLE is expected to be in service over the next five years. The hope is that the NCLE will be rolled out and switched on a few weeks after a successful landing. Explore further Dutch radio antenna launched from Chinese base to position behind the Moon A helium exoplanet inflated like a balloon, research shows. Credit: Denis Bajram Astronomers have discovered a distant planet with an abundance of helium in its atmosphere, which has swollen to resemble an inflated balloon. An international team of researchers, including Jessica Spake and Dr. David Sing from the University of Exeter, have detected the inert gas escaping from the atmosphere of the exoplanet HAT-P-11bfound 124 light years from Earth and in the Cygnus constellation. The remarkable breakthrough was led by researchers from the University of Geneva, who observed the exoplanet using the spectrograph called Carmenes, installed on the 4-metre telescope at Calar Alto, Spain. For the first time, the data revealed the speed of helium atoms in the upper atmosphere of the exoplanet, which is equivalent in size to Neptune. The helium is in an extended cloud that is escaping from the planet, just as a helium balloon might escape from a person's hand. The research team believe that the ground-breaking study could open up new understandings of the extreme atmospheric conditions found around the hottest exoplanets. The research is published in the leading journal, Science, on December 6 2018. Jessica Spake, part of Exeter's Physics and Astronomy department said: "This is a really exciting discovery, particularly as helium was only detected in exoplanet atmospheres for the first time earlier this year. The observations show helium being blasted away from the planet by radiation from its host star. Hopefully we can use this new study to learn what types of planets have large envelopes of hydrogen and helium, and how long they can hold the gases in their atmospheres." Helium was first detected as an unknown yellow spectral line signature in sunlight in 1868. Devon-based astronomer Norman Lockyer was the first to propose this line was due to a new element, and named it after the Greek Titan of the Sun, Helios. It has since been discovered to be one of the main constituents of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in our Solar System. It is also the second most common element in the universe and was long- predicted to be one of the most readily-detectable gases on giant exoplanets. However, it was only successfully found in an exoplanet atmosphere earlier this year, in a pioneering study also led by Jessica Spake. For this new study, the research team used the spectrograph, Carmenes, to pull apart the star's light into its component colours, like a rainbow, to reveal the presence of helium. The 'rainbow' data, called a spectrum, also tells us the position and speed of helium atoms in the upper atmosphere of HAT-P-11b, which is 20 times closer to its star than the Earth is from the Sun. Romain Allart, Ph.D. student at the University of Geneva and first author of the study said: "We suspected that this proximity with the star could impact the atmosphere of this exoplanet. The new observations are so precise that the exoplanet atmosphere is undoubtly inflated by the stellar radiation and escapes to space." Artist impression video of a WASP-69b with its helium tail orbiting its host star. Credit: Gabriel Perez Diaz (IAC) These new observations are supported by a state-of-the-art computer simulation, led by Vincent Bourrier, co-author of the study and member of the European project FOUR ACES, used to track the trajectory of helium atoms. Vincent Bourrier explained: "Helium is blown away from the day side of the planet to its night side at over 10,000 km an hour. Because it is such a light gas, it escapes easily from the attraction of the planet and forms an extended cloud all around it." It is this phenomenon that makes HAT-P-11b so inflated, like a helium balloon. The first detection of helium earlier this year, led by University of Exeter researchers, opened a new window to observe the extreme atmospheric conditions reigning in the hottest exoplanets. These new observations from Carmenes demonstrate that such studies, long thought feasible only from space, can be achieved with greater precision from ground-based telescopes equipped with the right kind of instruments. Explore further Helium detected in exoplanet atmosphere for the first time More information: R. Allart el al., "Spectrally resolved helium absorption from the extended atmosphere of a warm Neptune-mass exoplanet," Science (2018). Journal information: Science R. Allart el al., "Spectrally resolved helium absorption from the extended atmosphere of a warm Neptune-mass exoplanet,"(2018). science.sciencemag.org/lookup/ 1126/science.aat5879 Dr Amanda Barbosa and colleague. Credit: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Brisbane A new test for detecting multiple parasites in koalas has been developed by a Perth veterinarian and post-doctoral scientist. The technology will help us understand why so many of the iconic Australian species are becoming sick and dying. Koalas have suffered population declines of over 50 per cent in some Australian states. Infections with Chlamydia and koala retrovirus are known to play an important role in their decline, but until now, it's been difficult to identify multiple bugs in their systems. "For the first time, we were able to show that co-infections with up to five species of a parasite called Trypanosoma are common in koalas," says Dr. Amanda Barbosa. "This parasite is known to cause serious animal and human diseases worldwidefor example surra, Chagas disease and sleep sicknessalthough its effects in koalas need to be further investigated. "Trypanosomes may also reduce the immune competence of their hosts, predisposing them to the negative effects of other pathogens." The test could simultaneously detect DNA sequences of multiple parasite species in the blood of 168 hospitalized koalas and their ticks in eastern Australia. The ability to successfully describe the whole community of trypanosomes harboured by koalas is a crucial step towards better understanding what ultimately makes koala sick and die. The research was published in PLoS One in July 2017. Explore further Two koalas die in a month at Belgian zoo More information: Amanda D. Barbosa et al. Increased genetic diversity and prevalence of co-infection with Trypanosoma spp. in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and their ticks identified using next-generation sequencing (NGS), PLOS ONE (2017). Journal information: PLoS ONE Amanda D. Barbosa et al. Increased genetic diversity and prevalence of co-infection with Trypanosoma spp. in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and their ticks identified using next-generation sequencing (NGS),(2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181279 Provided by Freshscience The annual Global Carbon Budget report found that, although fossil fuel emissions remained steady for three years ending in 2016, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are at an all-time high and emissions are on the rise again, says atmospheric sciences professor Atul Jain. Credit: L. Brian Stauffer On Dec. 5, the Global Carbon Project published the Global Carbon Budget 2018, giving world leaders access to data on atmospheric carbon concentrations, emissions and trends. Illinois atmospheric scientist Atul Jain was among the many scientists worldwide who contributed data to the report. Jain talked about the carbon budget and this year's findings with News Bureau physical sciences editor Lois Yoksoulian. What is the global carbon cycle and how does it relate to climate change? The global carbon cycle governs the buildup of atmospheric carbon dioxide, the single most important greenhouse gas produced by human activities. Due to man's interference with it, the carbon cycle has become the most important biogeochemical cycle of the earth-atmosphere system. This cycle relates to climate change, because carbon dioxide currently accounts for about 60 percent of the net heat-trapping effects of all greenhouse gases and has a strong potential to affect Earth's future biosphere and climate. When we compare historical temperature data and carbon dioxide concentrations, we see that they are changing in tandem. This observed relationship is likely to continue. Therefore, understanding how the carbon cycle works is critical for predicting the evolution of atmospheric carbon dioxide and Earth's future climate. What is the Global Carbon Project? How does it help us better understand the global carbon cycle? The Global Carbon Project is an international research project of the Future Earth research initiative on global sustainability and a research partner of the World Climate Research Program. It aims to develop a thorough understanding of the global carbon cycle, including both its biophysical and human dimensions and the interactions between them. The latest GCP report suggests that the buildup of global atmospheric carbon dioxide emissions slowed significantly for three years ending in 2016, and then began to rise again. How do you explain this? That's correct. Fossil CO 2 emissions saw slow growth from 2014 to 2016 as a result of significant reductions in coal use in the U.S. and China. China reduced its investment in energy-intensive construction and the U.S. saw a shift from coal to gas, solar and wind power. However, fossil carbon dioxide emissions have now risen for two years in a row, reaching a record high of about 37 billion tons of carbon dioxide this year. The 2018 increase appears primarily driven by the growth in coal use in China (which rose 4.5 percent) and India (7.1 percent). The report suggests that global coal use is still at least 3 percent lower than its historical peak in 2013. But if the levels of growth seen in the last two years continues, the 2013 peak will soon be passed. In that scenario, global carbon dioxide emissions that result from the burning of fossil fuels will continue to rise in the next decade, but at much slower rates than seen during the 2000s. The expectation is that the nations will follow their emission pledges submitted to the Paris Agreement. The United Nations Environment Programme Emissions Gap Report and International Energy Agency concur on this point. The 2018 report suggests that renewable energy is growing exponentially. Given this trend, why do you expect emissions to continue to increase in the near future? Energy from renewables is growing exponentially but from a low base. The biggest winner is electricity generation, which is growing at 15 percent per year on average over the last decade. However, the growth in renewables has so far been too low to offset the growth in fossil energy. So, if we really want to see the decreasing trends in CO 2 emissions in the near future, carbon reduction needs to take place at a much higher rate in the energy sector not only in the electricity sector, but also in the transportation, construction and industrial sectors. How are deforestation and other land-use changes affecting carbon dioxide emissions? Carbon dioxide fluxes from the land change as a result of human activities. Changes in forest management for wood harvest and changes in land-cover type (for example, deforestation or the conversion of grasslands to pastureland) all affect the carbon cycle. According to the report, global carbon dioxide emissions from deforestation and land use activities add an additional 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, accounting for 10 percent of total CO 2 emissions. If CO 2 emissions are not reduced enough, are there other ways to accomplish the goals of the Paris Agreement? There are no easy solutions to accomplish the Paris Agreement goal. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius, carbon dioxide emissions should decline by about 20 percent by 2030 and reach net zero around 2075. To limit warming to 1.5 degrees, CO 2 emissions should decline by 50 percent by 2030 and reach net zero around 2050. Current country commitments lead to 3 degrees of warming, well above the Paris Agreement goals. No doubt, the goal of reaching a decarbonized economy by 2050 seems far-fetched today, given the increasing trend in the high-carbon technologies and economic constructs of the 21st century. However, not everything looks so bleak. While progress seems slow now, it is on track to deliver a very different decade and century ahead. For example, we are at the beginning of new exponential curves on renewable energy, electric vehicles and green finance. Serious deployment of solar or wind energy was unthinkable just 10 years ago, but the world started commissioning more gigawatts of clean energy than fossil fuels starting in 2015. Today, more than 50 percent of new electric generation capacity is renewable. In 2017, renewables accounted for the majority of all new power-generating capacity in developing countries, a remarkable turnaround from just a decade ago. Total historical renewable energy production hit 1 trillion watts of capacity three years ago. The next 1 trillion will be added in just four years. If these trends continue, renewables will produce half of the world's electricity by 2030. In addition to all these efforts with emerging technologies to deliver reductions in emissions, strong policy support is needed. With over 100 co-signatories from political, civil and industrial sectors of society, it is clear that a shared purpose and optimism will help us meet this monumental challenge. Explore further Climate reality check: Global carbon pollution up in 2018 In a world first, reproductive biologists at the University of Wollongong (UOW) have successfully applied hormones topically to the abdomens of northern corroboree frogs to get breeding pairs of the critically endangered frog "in the mood" to mate. The program has enabled the generation of hundreds of offspring, with more than 800 viable eggs produced using hormone-assisted breeding techniques over the past four years. Northern corroboree frog offspring of different developmental stages (eggs, tadpoles and juvenile frogs) have been released into sites in the northern Brindabella Ranges, with more than 100 juvenile frogs released in recent weeks by herpetofauna experts from UOW and Taronga Zoo. Dr. Aimee Silla and Dr. Phillip Byrne from UOW's Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions led the research project, teaming up with Taronga Conservation Society Australia Herpetofauna Supervisor Dr. Michael McFadden. The research was conducted with the support of NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) Senior Threatened Species Officer Dr. David Hunter, who oversees the recovery program for northern corroboree frogs. "We are delighted with the success of our breeding protocols," Dr. Silla said. "Reproductive hormones are administered to male and female northern corroboree frogs prior to putting pairs in breeding tanks. The hormones help encourage the frogs to mate, getting them in the right 'mood' for courtship and reproduction." Topical application of reproductive hormones eliminates the need for specialised training in amphibian injection, one of the main reasons why reproductive technologies have not been widely adopted by captive breeding facilities. "Amphibians have highly permeable skin, so we were able to squirt the hormones onto the ventral pelvic region of the frogs and it soaked right in," Dr. Silla said. Although the northern corroboree frog has been bred successfully in captivity for a number of years, captive populations display strong mating bias (where a small proportion of desirable males gain the majority of matings, while a large number of males don't mate and therefore don't pass on their genes). Dr. Byrne said that in northern corroboree frog captive breeding programs, typically less than a third of available males contribute to mating success annually. "Over time, such captive mating biases may lead to a loss of genetic variation and adaptive potential that could compromise long-term re-introduction success," Dr. Byrne said. The research team used the hormone-assisted breeding techniques to assist the genetic management of the species by boosting breeding success and increasing the genetic diversity of offspring. Dr. Silla said she hoped their development of a user-friendly, cost-effective method for hormone application would lead to more captive breeding facilities using hormone treatment to boost the breeding success of endangered frogs. The method could prove particularly important in developing countries in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Central and South America, which collectively are home to more than 80 per cent of endangered amphibians. ABOUT THE NORTHERN CORROBOREE FROG The critically endangered northern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne pengilleyi) is marked by yellowish-green and black stripes on its back, as distinct from the closely related southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) which has bright yellow and black stripes. The northern corroboree frog grows to about 2.5 to 3cms in length and is endemic to the Australian Alps (the Brindabella Ranges in the ACT and adjacent Fiery Ranges and Bogong Mountains in NSW). Threats to the species include: climate change; damage to breeding sites by feral pigs and horses, fire, drought, invasive weeds, and forestry operations; and infection by the amphibian chytrid fungus. Explore further Freezing frog cells for conservation More information: Aimee J. Silla et al. Hormone-induced spawning of the critically endangered northern corroboree frog Pseudophryne pengilleyi, Reproduction, Fertility and Development (2018). Aimee J. Silla et al. Hormone-induced spawning of the critically endangered northern corroboree frog Pseudophryne pengilleyi,(2018). DOI: 10.1071/RD18011 Credit: CC0 Public Domain Researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) have developed a complex hydrological model for forecasting dry spells lasting several weeks with high spatial resolution. These predictions make it possible, for example, to operate hydropower plants more profitably. Changing climatic conditions pose extra challenges for hydropower plant operators. As part of a National Research Programme called Energy Turnaround (NRP 70), researchers at WSL, MeteoSwiss and ETH Zurich have now developed a complex hydrological model that enables spatially detailed forecasts of persistent dry spells using real-time data. This allows reliable predictions of water scarcity over a period of up to three weeks. Massimiliano Zappa of WSL, who heads the project, explains the advantage of such forecasts: "With climate change, dry spells will become more frequent and intensive, and will last longer." Detecting these periods reliably is important for many reasons: long-range drought forecasts benefit agriculture and inland waterway transport; authorities could encourage people to conserve water at an early stage, or could save fish from rivers where water is low or too warm. This information is particularly useful for operators of reservoir power stations. "But up to now, forecasts have generally not been made over such long periods because of the high complexity and enormous amounts of data," says Zappa. Drought is easier to predict than precipitation, which can only be reliably forecasted up to five days at most. But dry spells are complex phenomena that depend on numerous climatic processes and regional factors such as intensity of water use, soil storage properties, expected soil moisture, water runoff and underground water reservoirs. Previously, Switzerland had no system capable of monitoring these local variables efficiently. Making optimal use of available water Long-range forecasts of inflow and outflow in the catchment areas of hydropower stations can be combined with predictions of price developments on the energy market to optimise operation and profitability. Up to now, hydropower operators had to rely on simple statistics such as multi-year averages of precipitation and runoff. The new procedure, however, allows them to estimate the water availability of each day of the following month. "Reservoir power stations can generate up to 4 per cent higher earnings by making optimal use of available water on the basis of long-range forecasts. This is very important for the hydropower industry, which has come under pressure," says Frederic Jordan, CEO of Hydrique Ingeniers, the industrial partner responsible for the economic calculations. It is in society's interest that hydropower plants be able to predict the availability of water and convert the stored water into electricity when market demand is high. Only when hydropower plants can operate profitably even under changing climatic conditions will it be possible to finance modernisation and expansion, as envisaged by the Energy Strategy 2050, from their own resources. Explore further Melting glaciers have a limited impact on Swiss hydropower production Gravitational wave astronomy is used to detect events such as binary star mergers, like the one depicted here. Credit: Bangalore Sathyaprakash In 2016, an international team of scientists found definitive evidencetiny ripples in space known as gravitational wavesto support one of the last remaining untested predictions of Einstein's theory of general relativity. The team used the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), which has since made several gravitational wave discoveries. Each discovery was possible in part because of a global network of supercomputer clusters, one of which is housed at Penn State. Researchers use this network, known as the LIGO Data Grid, to analyze the gravitational wave data. Penn State recently invested in an upgrade to its portion of the data grid that will roughly quadruple the cluster's capacity for conducting cutting-edge astronomy and astrophysics research. The new cluster, 192 servers working in tandem, is administered by the Institute for CyberScience (ICS). Bangalore Sathyaprakash, professor of astronomy and astrophysics and Elsbach Professor of Physics; and Chad Hanna, associate professor of physics and astronomy and astrophysics, and ICS co-hired faculty member, are the primary researchers who will be using the new system with their research team and collaborators. Speeding up faculty and student research "At Penn State we're involved in all aspects of gravitational wave astronomy, which we use to learn about the universe," said Sathyaprakash. "Until the discovery of gravitational waves, the only way we could observe the universe was using light, radio waves or gamma rays, which all belong to the electromagnetic spectrum. Gravitational waves allow us to create a complementary picture of the universe and reveal processes and phenomena that might not otherwise be revealed through electromagnetic observation." The new cluster will vastly increase the speed at which researchers can complete analysis, according to Chad Hanna. He and colleagues recently finished the first study that used data housed on Penn State's LIGO cluster. The team designed an experiment to quantify the number of binary black holes in the universe that have less mass than the Sun, which may have implications for the amount of dark matter in the universe. "Our first study that solely used the Penn State LIGO cluster took 12 weeks," said Hanna. "If we were to complete that same investigation on the upgraded cluster today, it would only take three weeks." The upgrade boosts the cluster from 1,152 compute cores to 4,608 cores, which will allow more researchers to use the system simultaneously. For reference, this is roughly equivalent to more than 1,000 desktop computers working in unison. "I'm most excited about the extra machines," said Ryan Magee, graduate student in physics. "It allows for multiple analyses to run at once without much bottlenecking." Magee plans to use the cluster to search for sub-solar mass compact objects in the universe, he said, because "they are not produced by stellar mechanisms, so it would be a hint of new physics." Researchers at all levels will be using the new resource, including undergraduate students like Phoebe McClincy, a sophomore studying astronomy and astrophysics, and a Millennium Scholar. McClincy was first exposed to gravitational wave research as a high school student attending a Penn State summer camp led by Hanna. "During that summer camp I was actually afforded the opportunity to visit the cluster, and I remember thinking it was really cool and fascinating to see the other side of the computer," said McClincy, now a member of Hanna's research team. "I've always thought tech like this is amazing, so I can't wait to see what can be done now that it will be even more advanced." Building capacity for future LIGO discoveries The first iteration of LIGO's observatories collected data from 2002 to 2010 but did not detect any gravitational waves. Upgrading the observatories to their current state, known as Advanced LIGO, greatly increased their detection capabilities, and, as a result, the system has detected six gravitational wave events since 2016. Sathyaprakash said there are plans to continue enhancing the detection capabilities of gravitational wave observatories, which will pose both opportunities and challenges for researchers. "When advanced LIGO reaches its design sensitivity, we will observe binary black hole collisions as far as tens of billions of light years and binary neutron star mergers billions of light years away. With the construction in the 2030s of new detectors that are 10 times more sensitive than the current ones, we will be able to observe the entire universe in gravitational waves for black holes and most of the universe for neutron stars," he said. Coming with that will be challenges in collecting, storing and analyzing huge amounts of data. It has taken between one and three months to analyze each gravitational wave detected to date. "With advanced LIGO we expect to observe one event every day or every other day, this will offer a huge computational challenge, and so every bit helps," he said. "With this new LIGO cluster, what we've done is to secure enough resources to be completely independent in doing our analyses. ICS and Penn State are enabling this challenging science. Without this new cluster, we would be very severely hampered from doing the science that we want to do." Explore further Scientists detect biggest known black-hole collision Ranomafana National Park is home to the critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemur. Credit: Daniel Burgas, Author provided People are too afraid to return to the village so they are sleeping in the forest or have left altogether. They have lost their stored grain and all their belongings. I don't know how they will get by. These are the words of Riana, a young woman from Bevoahazo, a tiny village in the eastern rainforests of Madagascar. Bevoahazo sits on the edge of Ranomafana National Park in a UNESCO world heritage site teeming with endangered and endemic species. Security in the area has been deteriorating over the last few years but things have escalated recently. On November 24, 50 men raided the village stealing stores of rice vital food reserves for local people who are mostly subsistence farmers and injuring anyone who tried to defend their property. A few days later the local police chief, Heritiana Emilson Rambeloson, who had come to the area with a small team to investigate, was shot dead. I spent two years living in Bevoahazo in the early 2000s while researching the sustainability of crayfish harvesting. I have spoken to friends from the village who are are currently staying in the nearby town of Ranomafana for safety, and researchers in the area to get a better understanding of what is happening. Bandits and biodiversity Patricia Wright, a professor of anthropology, has spent more than 30 years working in Ranomafana. She directs the Centre Valbio, an internationally renowned conservation research centre situated on the edge of the forest. She said: "The security situation is at crisis point. This is leading to real human suffering in one of the most important places for biodiversity on the planet. The [murdered policeman] was smart, dedicated to his job and was interested in wildlife and the importance of the forest. A genuine friend. We will miss him." The recent death comes just months after a member of Valbio staff was killed by bandits. Jean Francois Xavier Razafindraibe was killed when armed men raided his village close to the park entrance in June 2018. Ranomafana National Park was established by the Malagasy government to protect its globally important biodiversity. As part of the Forests of Atsinanana it is home to a number of critically endangered endemic lemurs such as the golden bamboo lemur and the black-and-white ruffed lemur. Ranomafana is a popular tourist spot in Madagascar with stunning scenery, rare wildlife and the friendly, sleepy town nearby. So far the insecurity hasn't influenced tourism. As Wright says: "The bandits steer clear of tourists, but the villagers are living a life of fear." Illegal gold miners in the forest are thought to be the source of the raids. Credit: Ricardo Rocha, Author provided Gold mining's dark influence Miners panning for gold illegally in the forest interior are a source of the insecurity. This has been an ongoing issue for many years but has become much more difficult for the park authorities to control. The miners pollute rivers, clear the rare swamp forest and hunt endangered wildlife for meat. The situation is complicated. Armed cattle thieves known as dahalo are causing havoc in many areas of Madagascar. A recent estimate suggests they have caused 4,000 deaths in the last five years alone. In 2017, the mayor of the neighbouring town of Ambalakindresy, Elyse Arsene Ratsimbazafy, was shot dead in what is widely believed to have been a hit. He had run for election on a platform of ridding the town of the bandits and had cooperated with efforts to get the miners expelled from the national park interior. Mar Cabeza, a professor of biology at the University of Helsinki, returned from the area a few days ago. She said: "The gold mining has escalated in recent years and differs greatly from previous subsistence-related threats. The widespread fear has negatively affected both research and conservation management." One of Cabeza's Ph.D. students, Marketta Vuola, was meant to conduct research in the attacked villages recently, but was warned of the danger and moved to another village. Vuola told me, "News spread fast, with all villages in the region being afraid. We spent last night hiding, with our day packs ready to escape to the forest." There has been a robust response to the recent series of attacks. The district quickly sent reinforcements of 80 police. This will hopefully reassure the local population, allowing people to return to their village, and will reduce the immediate threat. This reassurance is essential as my old friend Koto told me over the phone: "People need to be able to get back home to tend their crops; if they can't do this they will suffer even more." However the rise in insecurity reflects a wider problem of respect for the rule of law in Madagascar. Jonah Ratsimbazafy, a professor of paleontology at the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar, said: "If you focus on what is happening, then you will lose your hope for Madagascar. We must focus on the solutions. Good governance is crucial in order to develop the economy of Madagascar and for saving the irreplaceable biodiversity." Madagascar will elect a new president on December 19. People in Bevoahazo, and throughout Madagascar, are hoping that the new government can bring the change so desperately needed. Explore further Loss of lemurs might endanger many of Madagascar's largest tree species This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. O2, a division of Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, blamed a third-party supplier for a "global software issue in their system" that left millions of O2 customers "unable to use data" UK mobile phone operator O2 and Japan's SoftBank said Thursday that tens of millions of their customers were unable to use data due to a glitch with sofware made by Sweden's Ericsson. The outage wreaked havoc across Britain, with millions of drivers unable to use navigation apps and customers not having the option to use their phones to make in-store purchases. In London, electronic boards announcing the arrival times of buses went dark while Uber drivers complained of being unable to pick up new orders. Telefonica, the Spanish owner of O2, said more than 12 hours after the outage was noticed in London at around 5:00 am that it had been assured by Ericsson that "full service will be restored for customers by (Friday) morning". O2, which has 25 million customers in Britain, also has another seven million people whose mobile providers "piggyback" its network. SoftBank added that its customers had faced a near five-hour outage "caused by Ericsson-made software errors related to its packet switches, covering our customers nationwide". The Japanese company also cited an Ericsson report that indicated that telecom carriers in 11 countries were hit. In Stockholm, Ericsson added it was taking "immediate action". "Ericsson has identified an issue in certain nodes in the core network resulting in network disturbances for a limited number of customers in multiple countries," the company said. The group's chief executive Borje Ekholm also issued an apology in the late afternoon. "The faulty software that has caused these issues is being decommissioned and we apologise not only to our customers but also to their customers," Ekholm said. "We work hard to ensure that our customers can limit the impact and restore their services as soon as possible." Explore further Ericsson names new CEO amid declining networks industry 2018 AFP Credit: ACS For the first time, a University of Michigan chemist has used quantum entanglement to examine protein structures, a process that requires only a very small number of photons of light. Traditionally, scientists have used powerful laser scanning microscopes to study proteins on the molecular scale. But traditional lasers present two problems. First, the intensity of the laser can damage the sample examined. Second, the laser blasts the sample with photons, which then scatter away from the target. Instead, U-M Professor of Chemistry Theodore Goodson and his team's method of using quantum entanglement uses only a small number of photons to learn about molecules. In this case, the team studied flavins, a group of enzymes critical to energy metabolism in the body. Quantum entanglement is the idea that the properties of a pair or group of particles depend upon each other, even if the particles are separated by great distances. For example, if one particle is spinning in a clockwise position, the other in its pair will spin the opposite way, if they are entangled. This relationship persists even if the particles are thousands of kilometers away, Goodson said. "It turns out that if you have photons that are entangled, that high degree of correlation can interact with molecules of proteins in a different way than if they're not entangled," Goodson said. "We are able to probe the properties of the proteins with extremely small numbers of photons." Entangled photons are produced by sending laser light through a crystal no bigger than the tip of a fingernail. When the light travels through the crystal in a certain way, some of the photons become entangled. These entangled pairs are then used to examine the target molecules. These photons excite electronic states in the protein. Based on the electromagnetic radiation the molecule emits when excited by the photons, Goodson can determine specific properties about the molecule, a method called spectroscopy. The number of photons required for entangled photon spectroscopy is extraordinarily low compared to traditional laser spectroscopic methods. "Can you imagine doing an investigation where you can use 10 orders of magnitude fewer photons to probe the particular characteristic of a material, biological sample, or very small amount of a chemical on a surface?" Goodson said. Using this method, Goodson and his team were able to see a new interaction within a flavin protein. Looking at flavoproteins, the team was able to see differences in their spectroscopy using quantum entanglement compared to using classical light. The method opens up new avenues for imaging microscopy, Goodson said. Watching entangled photons interact with molecules in proteins may teach scientists something new about the electronic states of these molecules. "For example, in photosynthesis, when photons provide energy for the photosynthetic reaction center, the mechanism of this effect could be enhanced by using quantum light," he said. "With an entangled photon excitation process, it may be possible to optimize as well as enhance the energy transfer processes in biological systems. This could lead to new information about the chemical and biological processes in these naturally occurring biological complexes." Next, the group hopes to study the properties of organic and biological molecules using entangled photons in a microscope. The study's co-authors include Juan Villabona-Monsalve and Oleg Varnavski in the U-M Department of Chemistry and Bruce Palfey in the U-M Department of Biological Chemistry. Explore further Tracking down the mystery of entangled particles of light More information: Juan P. Villabona-Monsalve et al. Two-Photon Excitation of Flavins and Flavoproteins with Classical and Quantum Light, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2018). Journal information: Journal of the American Chemical Society Juan P. Villabona-Monsalve et al. Two-Photon Excitation of Flavins and Flavoproteins with Classical and Quantum Light,(2018). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08515 Credit: Princeton University Slimy, hard-to-clean bacterial mats called biofilms cause problems ranging from medical infections to clogged drains and fouled industrial equipment. Now, researchers at Princeton have found a way to cleanly and completely peel off these notorious sludges. By looking at the films from a mechanical engineering perspective, as well as a biological one, the researchers showed that using water to penetrate the junction between biofilms and surfaces, coupled with gentle peeling, can result in immaculate removals. That outcome contrasts with traditionally ineffective methods of scraping or mechanically dislodging biofilms, which sometimes leave behind still-adhered patches that regrow and recontaminate. The new removal method should help in thwarting harmful biofilms, as well as controlling the beneficial biofilms increasingly relied on for waste water treatment, microbial fuel cells and other applications. "We have discovered an easy and effective way to remove nasty biofilms from a variety of surfaces," said Jing Yan, an associate research scholar working jointly in the Princeton labs of Howard Stone, the Donald R. Dixon '69 and Elizabeth W. Dixon Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Bonnie Bassler, the Squibb Professor of Molecular Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. The work, bridging molecular biology, materials science and mechanical engineering, took advantage of the collaborative research communities between molecular biology and engineering. Yan is the co-lead author of the paper describing the results, published Oct. 8 in Advanced Materials, along with Alexis Moreau, who was a visiting student in Stone's lab and is now back at the University of Montpellier in France. "By investigating and defining the material properties of bacterial biofilms, rather than their biological properties, we have invented a new method for detaching entire biofilms," said study co-author Bassler. Other authors of the study are Ned Wingreen, the Howard A. Prior Professor of the Life Sciences; Andrej Kosmrlj, an assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering; Sepideh Khodaparast, a former research scholar in Stone's lab now at Imperial College London; associate research scholar Sampriti Mukherjee; postdoctoral researchers Jie Feng, Sheng Mao and Antonio Perazzo; and graduate student Chenyi Fei. For their investigation, the Princeton researchers turned to the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, which forms biofilms in sea water, fresh water and in the human intestine. Measurements revealed that the biofilms it produces exhibit mechanical behaviors very similar to hydrogels, which are materials extensively studied in Stone's lab. Well-characterized, manipulatable hydrogels have many applications, especially in biomedicine, including wound dressing, drug delivery and tissue engineering. Biofilms and hydrogels are largely made of water (about 90 percent). They possess defined structural networks that make them soft, viscous and elastic. Their stretchiness has a limit, however. If disturbed too vigorously, biofilms and hydrogels will break into pieces. This fragility poses a challenge for biofilm removal. It also hinders the intentional transfer of beneficial films between surfaces, for instance in industrial settings, and when running experiments in the lab to study biofilms in the first place. To learn how to avoid such fragmentation, the Princeton team examined the attachment of the V. cholerae biofilms to a variety of surface types. The researchers saw that the edges of the biofilms were water repellant, while surfaces they adhered to were sometimes water-attractive. Based on this insight, the researchers sought to drive a wedge between the biofilm and attached surface by driving water into the space at which the materials meet. This technique, known as capillary peeling, successfully created a lengthening crack that culminated in full separation of the biofilm from the surface. The water-assisted peeling must go slowly to prevent biofilm tearsakin to carefully removing a stickerbut the results showed that the extra time was well worth it. "Our capillary peeling method worked astonishingly well," said Yan. One obstacle for deploying the method outside the lab is that many biofilms exist in already-aqueous environments, where capillary peeling would appear to be a nonstarter. For those cases, Yan and colleagues have proposed two potential solutions to explore in future research. For biofilms initially grown underwater, the film and its adhered-to object could be removed from solution and dried out before removal attempts. Alternatively, introducing bubbles to the biofilm-substrate interface might deliver the same sort of capillary force. Overall, the new study illustrates the value of a multidisciplinary approach, bridging different fields to make key new insights. Biological systems must obey the laws of physics and in many cases also employ physics to achieve their ends, said Shmuel Rubinstein, an associate professor of applied physics at Harvard University who was not involved in the research. "The interdisciplinary team on this study that combines engineering, theory and biology is indeed perfect for the complex problem of biofilms." "Led by Jing, the students and postdocs did amazing work in developing a detailed understanding of the link between the biological components and the macroscopic mechanical properties of biofilms," said Stone. "Our demonstration that biofilms can be peeledintactmay prove useful in a multitude of ways going forward." Explore further Researchers discover how fatal biofilms form More information: Jing Yan et al. Bacterial Biofilm Material Properties Enable Removal and Transfer by Capillary Peeling, Advanced Materials (2018). Journal information: Advanced Materials Jing Yan et al. Bacterial Biofilm Material Properties Enable Removal and Transfer by Capillary Peeling,(2018). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201804153 Spherical iron concretions on Earth and Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/cornell/University, rests are all Nagoya Univeristy Museum (NUM) A team of researchers from Japan, Mongolia and the U.K. has developed a new theory to explain the origin of iron-oxide concretions (hard, solid masses) found in Utah and Mongolia. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes their theory and how well it tested. People have known about the iron-oxide balls found in Utah for hundreds, if not thousands of yearsthey are often referred to as Moqui marbles after the local Indian tribe. But how the small spheres came to exist is a mystery. It is the same story with the little balls in Mongolia. Interest in both has spiked in recent years due to the "blueberries" (hematite spherules) found on Mars back in 2004many geologists believe they developed in the same way as the balls on Earth. In this new effort, the researchers suggest they may have solved the mystery of their origin on Earth, and by extension, on Mars, as well. The researchers started by looking at samples of the balls using X-ray diffraction and optical microscopes. This allowed them to get a good look at the cores of the balls. After studying the makeup of the interior of the balls, the researchers concluded that they were first nothing but sandstone (mostly calcite). But then, the sandstone was very slowly dissolved by acidic water rich in iron, resulting in the formation of the balls, which notably have calcite cores. The researchers next conducted lab experiments designed to make similar balls using the same process. They report that their efforts were successful. Elemental mapping during iron concretion formation. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/cornell/University, rests are all Nagoya Univeristy Museum (NUM) The researchers suggest their findings offer evidence of flowing water on Mars during the time the "blueberries" came to exist. They note the lack of a calcite core does not mean it was never theresuch cores could very easily have vanished due to over-wash flowing through the rock. They further suggest that such an occurrence would also explain the dearth of carbonate on Mars' surfaceit would have been dissolved as part of the process that led to the creation of the blueberries. Formation process of iron concretion on Earth and Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/cornell/University, rests are all Nagoya Univeristy Museum (NUM) More information: H. Yoshida et al. Fe-oxide concretions formed by interacting carbonate and acidic waters on Earth and Mars, Science Advances (2018). Journal information: Science Advances H. Yoshida et al. Fe-oxide concretions formed by interacting carbonate and acidic waters on Earth and Mars,(2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau0872 2018 Science X Network Sturt Manning, the Goldwin Smith Professor of Classical Archaeology, at work in the Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory. Credit: Chris Kitchen/Provided New research by an international team raises questions about the timing and nature of early interactions between indigenous people and Europeans in North America. The European side of first contact with indigenous people and settlement in northeast North America is well known from European sources. Until now it's been assumed that the finds of dated European artifacts provide a timeline for the indigenous peoples and settlements of this period as well. New research suggests this may be a mistake in cases where there was not direct and intensive exchange. Radiocarbon dating and tree-ring evidence shows that three major indigenous sites in Ontario, Canada, conventionally dated 1450-1550 are in fact 50-100 years more recent. This dates the sites to the worst period of the Little Ice Age, around 1600. "This seems extraordinary: Given this was only 400 years ago, how can we have been wrong by as much as 25 percent?" said first author Sturt Manning, the Goldwin Smith Professor of Classical Archaeology, chair of the Department of Classics and director of the Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory. Manning is lead author of "Radiocarbon Re-dating of Contact-era Iroquoian History in Northeastern North America," published Dec. 7 in Science Advances. Other Cornell authors include Cornell Tree-Ring Laboratory senior researcher Carol Griggs '77, Ph.D. '06, and doctoral student Samantha Sanft. The paper represents the first major findings of the "Dating Iroquoia" project, a National Science Foundation-funded effort led by Manning and co-director Jennifer Birch (University of Georgia). Previously, dates in the early contact period were based on the absence and then presence of types of glass beads and other European trade goods in excavated sites, along with shifts in material culture, such as changes in ceramic designs. Dates were assigned according to "time transgression," the assumption that when European goods are found in one place with a confirmed date associated with them, that same date can be used for other places where those trade goods are found. "But goods don't get distributed evenly within societies or across distances," said Manning. "This is a vast area with complex local societies and economies, so the concept that everybody gets the same thing necessarily all at once is a bit ludicrous in retrospect." The team's chronological findings dramatically rewrite how history has been understood in the region. The period of first European contact, rather than following major changes in Iroquoian society, can now be seen to coincide with those changes. According to Birch, an expert on Iroquoian societies, "Our work has shown that, at least for some communities, contact-era transformations happened much later and much more rapidly than previously assumed." "Of course, we've dated only one site sequence, and there are many more," Manning said. "What this paper really shows is we now need to reassess all those site sequences where there's not a clear historical link or association." The researchers first examined the Warminster site in Canada, believed to be visited by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1615. Using radiocarbon isotope and dendrochronological (tree ring) dating, combined with a mathematical technique, determined the indigenous settlement at the location to date from between 1585 and 1624, which corresponded with Champlain's visit. Archaeological evidence and provided confirmation of the accuracy of their techniques. The team then assessed a series of well-known, high profile settlements, Draper-Spang-Mantle. In the 16th century, Iroquoian societies lived in village communities for approximately 10 to 50 years; once the local resources were exhausted, the community relocated the village. Archaeological evidence indicates that these three villages were occupied in sequence by the same ancestral Huron-Wendat community. Mantle, the latest site in the sequence, was shown to date to between 1599 and 1614, partly contemporaneously with Warminster. Explore further Research illuminates inaccuracies in radiocarbon dating More information: S.W. Manning el al., "Radiocarbon re-dating of contact-era Iroquoian history in northeastern North America," Science Advances (2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav0280 , Journal information: Science Advances S.W. Manning el al., "Radiocarbon re-dating of contact-era Iroquoian history in northeastern North America,"(2018). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav0280 , advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/12/eaav0280 A photo of typical karri (Eucalyptus diversicolor) forest near Pemberton in south west Western Australia. Credit: Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA 2.5 South-western Australia's tall karri forests require a new management approach for their conservation based on a changed moral consensus in the community, a new Curtin University study has found. The paper, published in Pacific Conservation Biology today, examined the role of advocacy in the management of these tall forests based on an analysis of statements in publications over 187 years. Lead author Adjunct Associate Professor Grant Wardell-Johnson, from Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences, said the research identified an opportunity to implement policies to protect these forests despite the increasing predicament associated with warming and drying in the region. "While they occupy a minute fraction of the land cover of WA, these tall eucalypt forests represent significant environmental, economic and cultural values," Associate Professor Wardell-Johnson said. "Our survey of the history of management reveals many tens of millennia of interaction among people, climate change and south-western Australia's tall forests." Associate Professor Wardell-Johnson said people and the natural environment had been intrinsically and unmistakably linked over millennia. "However, this research reveals a fundamental shift in interactions between people and the environment once these forests were first logged 150 years ago. The predominance of a resource focus then disconnected people and the natural environment from these forests," Associate Professor Wardell-Johnson said. "More recently, society's values concerning tall eucalypt forests are shifting back towards recognition of important environmental and socio-cultural values; a pattern also recognised in other recently exploited but globally significant forest environments." Associate Professor Wardell-Johnson said WA's tall forests grew in a much more ancient landscape than their European counterparts, with trees living longer and hoarding their hard-won resources of water, carbon and nutrients. "Global warming and a drying climate in the 21st Century emphasises the importance of intact tall forests. While conservation advocacy has resulted in protection of nearly half the south-west's tall forests in statutory reserves, much more needs to be done," Associate Professor Wardell-Johnson said. "This study highlights the need for an exit strategy for the timber industry on public lands to allow a refocus on the values that society places on these forests, ensuring beneficial outcomes for forest workers, protection of important environments and validation for industry on private land." Explore further Experts size up potential biodiversity sanctuaries More information: Grant Wardell-Johnson et al. The contest for the tall forests of south-western Australia and the discourses of advocates, Pacific Conservation Biology (2018). Grant Wardell-Johnson et al. The contest for the tall forests of south-western Australia and the discourses of advocates,(2018). DOI: 10.1071/PC18058 A fly on marula fruit. Credit: Marcus Stensmyr The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is quite possibly the most studied organism on the planet. Fruit flies are also quite familiar residents in many of our kitchens, attracted as they are to the fruit bowl. But how do the flies live in the wild? Surprisingly little is known. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on December 6 on their studies of fruit flies living in their ancestral forests of Zimbabwe offer new clues into how the flies live in the wild. The story centers on the African marula fruit, which has a thick rind surrounding sugary pulp, similar to D. melanogaster's modern-day favorite of citrus. Their discoveries also help to explain how the fruit flies might first have been domesticated. "The flies in your kitchen fruit bowl are the direct ancestors of a group of flies that lived on marula in a distant forest," says Marcus Stensmyr of Lund University in Sweden. "Some 10,000 years ago, these flies moved in with their human neighbors, and their offspring then colonized the world. That's pretty cool!" Prior to the new study, D. melanogaster had never been observed from undisturbed wilderness. So, researchers led by Stensmyr and first author Suzan Mansourian set out to find the ancestral African home of this important model organism. Using traps, they managed to locate wild flies in forests of Southern-Central Africa. Traps places in the vicinity of marula fruit trees quickly filled up with fruit flies. Traps placed in other parts of the forest collected little to no Drosophila. The researchers also showed that the fruit flies preferred marula fruits over citrus, a well-known favorite of theirs in other parts of the world. When in season, "the flies are solely found with a single host fruit, marula," Stensmyr says. In fact, the researchers found that D. melanogaster from other parts of the world still prefer marula over citrus, despite the fact that they've surely never seen it before. The flies are attracted to the main chemicals released by marula, which activate odorant receptors known to influence their selection of good spots to lay eggs. One of the reasons the new discovery is especially intriguing is that marula fruit is not only of importance to flies. The fruit also has long-standing cultural significance to San people, who live in the region. Archeological excavations of the caves where the San tribe lived during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene have uncovered enormous quantities of walnut-sized marula stones, which contain the seeds of the fruit. At least 24 million marula stones have been recovered from a single cave, the researchers note. "The San evidently spent considerable time collecting and processing marula, which would have been the staple food item during many months of the year," the researchers write. "Thus, just like D. melanogaster, these San tribes appear to have been seasonal specialists on marula as well." They propose that this may explain how fruit flies first came to live among humans, attracted to them by the scent of marula. Once inside the caves, the flies would surely have benefitted from protection from predators and bad weather. Over time, the researchers suggest, the cave flies adapted, becoming more willing to enter dark enclosures and increasingly tolerant of ethanol. "The fly has always been considered an opportunist and generalist, feeding and breeding in all manners of fruit," Stensmyr says. "In its native environment, however, the flies show a quite specialized lifestyle, being only found with marula fruit." Stensmyr says they'll now go back to the forests of Africa, to "really figure out what the flies are doing in their native habitat." Explore further Fruit flies fear lion feces More information: Current Biology, Mansourian et al.: "Wild African Drosophila melanogaster Are Seasonal Specialists on Marula Fruit" DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.033 Journal information: Current Biology , Mansourian et al.: "Wild African Drosophila melanogaster Are Seasonal Specialists on Marula Fruit" www.cell.com/current-biology/f 0960-9822(18)31362-9 Young aphid getting a piggyback from an adult aphid. Credit: Stav Talal Young aphids may ride on the backs of adult aphids to get back to the safety of a host plant quicker, according to an article published in Frontiers in Zoology. Researchers at the University of Haifa, Israel, observed large groups of aphids dropping to the ground from the plants they were attached to as a defence against animals grazing on the plants. Following the escape, the authors noticed young aphids mounting the backs of adult aphids and "catching a ride", which allowed them to reach the safety of a new plant faster. Dr. Moshe Gish, corresponding author of the study, said: "Since the ground is a hostile environment for an aphid, the faster it returns to a host plant, the higher the aphid's chances of survival. Young aphids have difficulty travelling over cracks, stones and twigs, so riding on a back of a fast-walking adult can shorten the time a young aphid needs to spend off the plant. Since young aphids cannot survive very long on the ground, this behavior may improve their chances of survival. "It is quite uncommon for a colony of non-social, mixed-age animals, to suddenly have to escape into a totally new and dangerous environment. In this case, it is "every aphid for itself" and interactions between individuals, which are normally rare when the aphids are on the plant, become a means of survival." The researchers observed the adult aphids frequently attempting to remove the young aphids from their backs and the young aphids trying to withstand the removal attempts. This behavior was found to slow the adults down, but the adults were not always successful at removing the young aphids. Young aphid getting a piggyback from an adult aphid. Credit: Stav Talal Dr. Gish said: "We were surprised to find that the adults do not seem to like young aphids climbing on their back. The fact that the riding behavior exists indicates that there is an overall benefit for the aphid colony; the help it provides for the young aphids outweighs the cost of slowing down the adults." Dr. Gish added: "The fact that such a behaviour has been selected for suggests that the threat of large plant eaters to plant-dwelling insects may be quite significant. It also adds another degree of sophistication to these tiny pests, which are among modern agriculture's biggest enemies." The researchers reared colonies of pea aphids on fava bean plants in a laboratory. They then simulated a plant-eating mammal by tipping each fava bean plant and gently tapping the base of the stem while breathing on it, causing the aphids to immediately drop to the surface. The authors then observed how young and adult aphids interacted and how long it took them to walk to a new plant. They also explored whether the adult aphids tried to remove the young from their backs, and tested the frequency of riding events performed by direct offspring compared to non-related aphids. The authors found that the young aphids were no more likely to ride on an adult related to them than an adult they had no relation to. This supports the idea of a lack of parental care or recognition among these aphids. The authors caution that these behaviors were observed in a laboratory, therefore care should be taken when generalising outside of this setting. Explore further Aphids manipulate their food More information: Moshe Gish et al, Standing on the shoulders of giants: young aphids piggyback on adults when searching for a host plant, Frontiers in Zoology (2018). Journal information: Frontiers in Zoology Moshe Gish et al, Standing on the shoulders of giants: young aphids piggyback on adults when searching for a host plant,(2018). DOI: 10.1186/s12983-018-0292-7 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. by Mathias Hariyadi About 31 workers and one soldier are dead after an armed group attacked the Trans-Papua highway, which is under construction. The project is a priority for the Widodo administration. Since its annexation to Indonesia in 1969, the province has been the scene of an ongoing insurrection by pro-independence forces. Jakarta (AsiaNews) The Indonesian Minister for Housing and Public Works Basuki Hadimuljono has ordered a temporary halt to major construction projects in Papua, Indonesias easternmost province. The government's decision comes after an armed rebel group killed 31 workers and a soldier in Nduga, a district located in the centre of the countrys largest province. Another soldier was also seriously wounded in the attack, which took place between last Sunday and Monday. About 150 soldiers are tracking those who perpetrated the massacre. The workers were employed at Istaka Karya, a state-owned contractor. In Nduga, teams of workers are building bridges and roads, as part of government efforts to upgrade infrastructure in the remote province. One of them is the Trans-Papua highway, a priority project for the administration of President Joko Widodo. According to the first indications, the armed group attacked building sites on Saturday where the victims worked on two bridges across the Aorak and Yigi rivers, in Yigi territory. The next day, militants shot dead 24 workers. Seven others, who tried to flee, were recaptured, and had their throats slit. In the confusion, four workers managed to save themselves. One of the survivors, Aldi Aritonang, told investigators that during the attack on Saturday, the rebels stopped their action against the construction sites to mark "National Day", the day in 1961 when Papua declared its independence. On Monday, police and soldiers arrived at the scene of the murders but came under rebel fire. One soldier was killed and another was wounded. Since Indonesia annexed the province in 1969, pro-independence armed groups such as the Free Papua Movement (OPM) have led an low-level insurrection. Last April, Widodo was the first Indonesian president to visit the remote territory. According to local sources, the president's trip changed the mind of many separatists, who want to abandon the struggle convinced that Widodo is genuinely interested in the fate of the province. Nevertheless, local tribal leaders have repeatedly filed complaints against the Indonesian government over the intensive exploitation of the provinces natural resources. FTC Guidelines In compliance with recently updated FTC Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials, etc., please be advised that Love Romances and More Reviews does not, by virtue of its reviews "endorse" or provide "testimonals" via its reviews. Our reviews are unbiased and objective synopses and critiques of books we have read. While the majority of the books we received are provided free of charge by various publishers, we also acquire a number of our books via the library or self-purchase. 10/6/09 Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. 5 hours ago Black Friday is back but it's not what it used to be NEW YORK (AP) On this year's Black Friday, things almost seem normal. Malls and stores report decent-sized crowds, if not the floods of people that used to fight over the latest toys Read Article European women journalists are discussing how their increased participation in editorial decision making processes might affect the way the news is covered. Only 23 percent of Europes news stories are authored by women, according to a recent study conducted by the European Journalism Observatory. The study was based on a content analysis of the news, comment, and business sections of two print and two digital-born news outlets in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. Speaking at the Prague Media Point conference held in the Czech capital in November, former editor with the German daily Taz, Ines Kappert, noted that stories about gender and womens rights tend to be covered almost exclusively by women. Womens underrepresentation in the bylines of news stories, according to Kappert, means, at a minimum, that issues of gender equality and coverage of topics that affect womens lives are getting short shrift. Womens bylines are sorely lacking in economics and political coverage, according to the study, and while Kappert is cautious about essentialist arguments that women have a particular perspective to convey in news coverage, she insisted that when the diversity of those sitting at the editors desks doesnt reflect that of the audience, the media is failing the public. We have to untangle the ties between authority and masculinity, said Kappert, explaining that in her experience women dont often rise to positions of power in the newsroom and are punished more harshly than men for their mistakes. Over time, this erodes their confidence and the tenacity required for good journalism and career success. Kappert added that beyond the gender disparity, the lack of diversity generally in Europes news organizations, which she describes as mostly white, male, and middle to upper middle class, has troubling implications for how the news is covered. She pointed to German medias treatment of refugees and other socially excluded groups, which she described as having a top down approach, pushing either a sentimental or sensationalized narrative. Fed up with waiting to see how Europes news agenda would change if women were in charge of it, last October a group of journalists based in Poland launched Newsmavens, a website publishing English translations of stories selected by women journalists working for publications across Europe. With funding from Googles Digital News Initiative Fund (DNI), Newsmavens is managed by the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza. The site curates European news and feature stories produced in newsrooms by women contributors that they believe are the most relevant. The project aims to find out how a news agenda created entirely by women would differ from the standard mass media narrative, whether or not gender has an impact on news, and if gender imbalance in newsroom management affects how the story of modern Europe is being told today. As long as we dont know the answers to these questions, what motivation does the news industry have to tackle its gender balance problem? NewsMavens founder and Editor in Chief Zuzanna Ziomecka told the International Journalists Network. We need to start by building a solid justification for change. --Emily Thompson To mark the United Nations International Day Of The Girl October 11, Radio Free Europe/Radio Libertys (RFE/RL) Pashto language service, Radio Mashaal, hosted a live discussion on the status of girls in the rural communities of Pakistan, with a special focus on barriers to their achievement in education and employment. The theme for the UN day this year was A Skilled Girl Force. While educated and skilled workers are in great demand around the world, roughly a quarter of young peoplemost of them femaleare currently neither employed nor receiving education or training, according to the UN. When young women in developing countries like Pakistan enter the workforce, it is usually in low-wage, informal sectors and unskilled positions. Three guests participated in the Radio Mashaal discussion: Ziauddin Yousafzai, girls education activist and father of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai; writer and poet Arif Tabassum; and mother of two girls Jamila Palwal. Participants agreed that girls in the region face gender discrimination from birth due to their lack of identity in patriarchal, tribal societies. The guests related their personal experiences of favoritism shown towards boys within families in terms of clothes, education, and even food when the means to provide are scarce. Yousafzai implored listeners to believe in the abilities and strengths of their daughters, adding that his proudest achievement in life is to be known because of his daughter. Tabassum said men and women have to be able to work together as equals if they want to see prosperity and progress in their societies. Palwal said she hoped she and other parents can raise their children not as boys or girls, but as human beings who can do something for our societies. WATCH: Another First For Pakistani Women In The Workforce The guests concluded that increasing girls access to education in Pakistan is the single most important step toward improving their lives. According to the November Human Rights Watch (HRW) report titled Shall I Feed My Daughter, Or Educate Her, more than 22 million children in Pakistan are not in school, including one-third of primary-school girls and 21 percent of the country's boys. By sixth grade, 59 percent of Pakistani girls are no longer attending school, with many of them forced to work to help their families make ends meet. Acting senior editor for Radio Mashaal and producer of the special discussion program Ahmad Shah Azami said Radio Mashaals efforts to address child illiteracy, child labor, and the lack of facilities for children at schools is unique in the country, as are its programs on youth and womens issues, religious minorities, family health, and human rights. The Service covers stories of rape, honor killings, acid attacks, forced marriage, and child marriage -- acts of violence that HRWs report claims stem from the gender inequalities perpetuated by a lack of education for girls. Pakistans Interior Ministry shut down Radio Mashaals Islamabad bureau in January 2018, branding its programs as against the interests of Pakistan. Mashaal continues to use cross-border AM and shortwave radio to reach its audience, and is active online. The Service counts more than 1.6 million Facebook fans, and registered 81 million video views on Facebook and 10 million views on YouTube in 2017. 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Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001, or you can fax it to 1-210-HELOISE or email it to Heloise@Heloise.com. I can't answer your letter personally but will use the best hints received in my column. Ukraine is accusing Russian intelligence services of carrying out cyberattacks against one of its government organizations. Ukraines security service SBU announced to have blocked a cyber attack launched by Russian intelligence aimed at breaching information and telecommunications systems used by the countrys judiciary. Attackers launched a spear phishing attack using messages purporting to deliver accounting documents. The weaponized document included a strain of malware that was developed to disrupt the exfiltrate data and disrupt the Judiciary Systems. Ukrainian government experts were able to determine the command and control (C&C) infrastructure that is using Russian IP addresses. The attack was detected and neutralized thanks to the efforts of result of collaboration between the State Service on Intellectual Property (SSIP) and the State Judicial Administration. Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine blocked the attempt of Russian special services to conduct a large-scale cyberattack on the information and telecommunication systems of the judiciary of Ukraine. Specialists of the SBU noted that the cyberattack began due to the sending by e-mail of counterfeit accounting documents infected by the virus. reads the alert published by the SBU. After opening files on computers, malicious software for unauthorized interference with judicial information systems and theft of official information were hidden. Employees of the Security Service of Ukraine found that the detected virus program was connected from control-command servers that have, in particular, Russian IP addresses. In July, Ukraine s SBU Security Service reportedly stopped VPNFilter attack at chlorine station, the malware infected the network equipment in the facility that supplies water treatment and sewage plants. VPNFilter is a multi-stage, modular strain of malware that has a wide range of capabilities for both cyber espionage and sabotage purpose, it is originating from Russia. Technical analysis of the code revealed many similarities with another nation-state malware, the BlackEnergy malware that was specifically designed to target ISC-SCADA systems and attributed to Russian threat actors. BlackEnergy is considered the key element in the attack aimed at Ukrainian power grid in 2015 and 2016, it was also involved in attacks against mining and railway systems in the country. This week, Adobe released security updates for Flash Player that address two vulnerabilities, including a zero-day flaw, tracked as CVE-2018-15982, exploited in targeted attacks. Experts observed the exploitation of the Flash zero-day exploit in an attack aimed at the FSBI Polyclinic No. 2 of the Administrative Directorate of the President of the Russian Federation. Once opened, the decoy document shows a questionnaire for personnel of the Moscow-based hospital, while the zero-day exploit is executed in the background. Gigamon has also published a blog post describing the flaw and the attack, the experts pointed out that the decoy document in Russian language was submitted to VirusTotal from a Ukranian IP address. Qihoo 360 researchers observed the attack was launched just days after the Kerch Strait incident that occurred on November 25, when Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) border service coast guard boats fired upon and captured three Ukrainian Navy vessels that had attempted to pass from the Black Sea into the Sea of Azov through the Kerch Strait while on their way to the port of Mariupol. Some of the injured crew members were taken to hospitals in Moscow and one of these hospitals could be the Polyclinic No. 2. Malicious documents involved in this attack were uploaded to VirusTotal from a Ukrainian IP address, which could indicate that Ukrainian cyberspies targeted the hospital to obtain information on the state of the crew members. Pierluigi Paganini ( Security Affairs Ukraine, Russia) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On According to a report published by the Reuters, the massive Marriott data breach was carried out by Chinese state-sponsored hackers. According to the Reuters, people investigating the Marriot data breach believe that it is the result of a cyberattack carried out by Chinese hackers. Last week Marriott International announced that hackers compromised guest reservation database at its subsidiary Starwood hotels and stolen personal details of about 500 million guests. Sources quoted by the media agency revealed that the attack was carried out by the Chinese intelligence to gather information. Hackers behind a massive breach at hotel group Marriott International Inc left clues suggesting they were working for a Chinese government intelligence gathering operation, according to sources familiar with the matter. reads the article published by the Reuters. Private investigators looking into the breach have found hacking tools, techniques and procedures previously used in attacks attributed to Chinese hackers, said three sources who were not authorized to discuss the companys private probe into the attack. The attribution of the Marriott data breach is based on the analysis of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) that were previously associated with Chinese APT groups. In particular, Reuters sources admitted that some of the tools were exclusively used by Chinese attackers. The attribution is also difficult because the security breach occurred back in 2014, this means that since then other threat actors may have had access to the Starwood systems. The relations between China and US are even more complicated, US Government accused in many circumstances Beijing of cyber espionage against Western entities. Chinese authorities denied any involvement in the alleged cyber espionage operations. China firmly opposes all forms of cyber attack and cracks down on them in accordance with law, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang told Reuters.If offered evidence, the relevant Chinese departments will carry out investigations according to law. Marriott International has bought Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide in 2016 for $13 billion. The brand includes St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, W Hotels, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Aloft Hotels, Tribute Portfolio, Element Hotels, Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, The Luxury Collection, Four Points by Sheraton and Design Hotels. According to the company, hackers accessed to the Starwoods guest reservation system since 2014 and copied and encrypted the information. The intrusion was detected on September 8 when a monitoring system found evidence regarding an attempt to access the Starwood guest reservation database in the United States. Two months later, on November 19, an investigation confirmed the intrusion into the archive containing guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties on or before September 10, 2018. Unknown hackers accessed personal information of nearly 327 million guests, compromised records include names, mailing addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, dates of birth, genders, arrival and departure information, reservation date. Pierluigi Paganini ( Security Affairs Marriot Data breach, hacking) Share this... Linkedin Share this: Twitter Print LinkedIn Facebook More Tumblr Pocket Share On Timely reminder that now would be the perfect time for Prez Trump to make good on his clemency talk | Main | Latest seemingly encouraging news on debate over FIRST STEP Act December 5, 2018 Previewing SCOTUS (re)consideration of "separate sovereigns" Double Jeopardy exception in Gamble v. US After delaying a day for honoring a deceased former Prez, on Thursday morning, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in Gamble v. United States to separate sovereigns doctrine providing that different sovereigns can prosecute for the same conduct without violating the Constitution's double jeopardy prohibition. Here are links to some folks discussing this case: The Atlantic: "Theres an Exception to the Double-Jeopardy Rule: The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the separate sovereigns doctrine in Gamble v. United States." The Economist: "The Supreme Court considers nixing a double jeopardy loophole" SCOTUSblog: "Argument preview: Justices to reconsider potentially far reaching double-jeopardy exception" The Volokh Conspiracy: "Dual Sovereign Doctrine Under Attack in the Supreme Court: Strong originalist arguments exist for overruling the dual sovereign doctrine in a case being argued before the Supreme Court today." December 5, 2018 at 11:57 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Texas completes execution for escapee involved in killing during crime spree | Main | Previewing SCOTUS (re)consideration of "separate sovereigns" Double Jeopardy exception in Gamble v. US The Washington Examiner has this notable recent article headlined "The criminal justice reform Trump can achieve without Congress." Here are excerpts: President Trump unveiled one of his top legislative priorities before Democrats take over the House of Representatives: passage of the First Step Act, which would reduce some prison sentences. Though he still must win a tug-of-war within the Republican Party to get that bill through, he has a Plan B and he doesn't need Congress for it. That would be the creation of a White House clemency commission to supplement or replace the Justice Departments opaque Office of the Pardon Attorney, which critics say is inherently biased in favor of prosecutors. A new clemency commission can be created without Congress. The idea has support from both left-wing and conservative advocates, who note Trumps repeated musing about the unfairness of the criminal justice system, including a remark in October that a lot of people are in prison for no reason and that he was actively looking to address that. Trump has nearly unchecked power to pardon or release federal inmates an authority hes already used in unconventional ways, breaking with stingy recent predecessors to give nine early-term pardons or commutations, including the first pardons to currently incarcerated inmates since the 1800s. The reason you havent seen anything done yet is that there are only 24 hours in the day, and this requires some thought, said Heritage Foundation scholar Paul Larkin, who advocates a clemency review process headed by the vice president. Larkin attended a September meeting at the White House hosted by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Kim Kardashian West joined a dozen reformers around a Roosevelt Room table, where guests discussed commission ideas. U.S. Sentencing Commission member and New York University law professor Rachel Barkow, who also attended the White House meeting, offered a similar assessment. My guess is institutional resources might be focused on the First Step Act, so clemency reform could be on hold, she said.... Mark Osler, a University of St. Thomas law professor also involved in talks about a commission, doesn't expect the clemency board to be used as a Plan B but rather as a second step: I suspect it will get more attention once the First Step Act is dealt with, though he declined to say if hes been in touch with the White House. Its important to reform the clemency process, and I think the project will come to the front of the agenda when President Trump wants to or does grant more clemencies. The September meeting was a great start, he said.... The pending First Start Act would, among other reforms, expand good-time credit, allow judges greater sentencing flexibility, and retroactively shorten some crack cocaine sentences. But it wouldnt reduce many already imposed terms.... Amid uncertainty over the bills fate, some advocates have recommended greater unilateral action to a potentially jilted Trump. Now is the perfect opportunity for President Trump to show Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell who's the boss," CAN-DO Foundation founder Amy Povah said recently. "He can commute the sentences of hundreds, if not thousands of prisoners who would qualify for an immediate release if First Step passes with one stroke of the pen." SINGAPORE (Dec 6): EC World REIT currently has seven assets in China under its belt, totalling $1.33 billion as at end-3Q18 and spreads over 757,173 sqm of net lettable area (NLA). Its largest asset by value is the Chongxian Port Investment, accounting for 33% of portfolio AUM and 46.8% of 9M19 net property income. In terms of asset value by trade sector, about 47.6% of the REITs portfolio value is derived from port logistics, 30.5% from e-commerce and 21.9% from specialised logistics. In addition, as at 3Q18, 37.8% of portfolio gross rental income and 35% of leasable area comprised e-commerce assets, making ECW uniquely exposed to the e-commerce sector in China. With this, the REIT has caught the attention of CGS-CIMB. In an unrated report by analyst Lock Mun Yee on Thursday, she also notes that the REIT has a high portfolio occupancy of 99.2%. Three of the REITs assets Stage 1 Beigang Logistics, Chongxian Port Investment and Fu Heng are currently master leased to subsidiaries of Forchn Group Holdings, while the remaining four properties Hengde, Fuchou Industrial, Wuhan Mei Luo Te and Chongxian Port Logistics are multi-tenanted. Forchn Holdings, the REITs sponsor, is a diversified enterprise group involved in the real estate, e-commerce, logistics, finance and health & wellness sectors. As at Mar 2018, it holds a 44.28% stake in EC World REIT. According to the company, all of its properties except Wuhan Mei Luo Te have inbuilt rental escalations [of 1-4%] in their rental structures until 2020-21 or 2029, giving the REIT visible earnings growth, says Lock. The management also indicated that Wuhan Mei Luo Te is under-rented. To recap, the REIT announced its 3Q18 earnings on Nov 7, which saw its DPU increase by 9% to 1.57 cents from 1.44 cents a year ago. See: EC World REIT posts 9% increase in 3Q DPU to 1.57 cents Based on the annualised 9M18 DPU of 4.609 cents, ECW is trading at 8.9% yield. The stock is also trading at 0.8 times 9M18 P/BV. This represents a 5.42% spread over Chinas 10-year government bond yield of 3.38% and 6.4% over the Singapore government bond yield of 2.39%. As at 2.30pm, units in EC World REIT are trading at 69 cents. SINGAPORE (Dec 6): Keppel Urban Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Keppel Corp, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Envision Group and Wuxis government to develop a smart internet of things (IoT) City in Xuelang Town, Taihu New City, Wuxi, China. Adopting a city-industry integration model, Keppel and Envision plan to create a scalable and replicable model with a view to leading the development of the IoT industry and smart city transformation in China and other parts of the world. Envision also intends to set up its global artificial intelligence and internet of things (AIoT) innovation centre in Taihu New City so as to congregate global top talents and develop a leading IoT platform for smart cities through innovative research and development. In a press release jointly issued between Keppel Urban Solutions, Envision and the Wuxi government on Thursday, the three parties highlight their projects aim to house high-technology industries in the fields of artificial intelligence and IoT, as well as vibrant, connected and liveable urban spaces for the community. They also plan for the new smart IoT city to serve as an exemplary integrated urban development and industrial transformation model for the future digital economy and IoT era. Going forward, Li Xiaomin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Party Secretary of the Wuxi Municipal Committee of the CPC, says he hopes all three parties will be able to build a successful landmark project by further refining the details of their co-operation post the MoU signing. The signing of the MOU by the three parties is a step in the right direction, and the prospects are very good The Wuxi Municipal Committee of the CPC and Wuxi Municipal Government will focus their strengths and resources to provide quality government services to support its development and operation, says Li. Shares in Keppel closed 1 cent lower at $6.26 on Wednesday. SINGAPORE (Dec 6): The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) have decided not to allow Noble Group to transfer its listing status to New Noble as part of groups proposed restructuring. The authorities say this follows a careful review of the findings to-date from the ongoing investigations into Noble and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Noble Resources International (NRI). MAS and SGX RegCo have concluded that there are significant uncertainties about the financial position of New Noble. It would be imprudent to allow the re-listing as investors will not be able to trade in New Nobles shares on an informed basis. MAS and SGX RegCo will therefore not allow the re-listing of New Noble to proceed, the Singapore Police Force (SPF), MAS and SGX RegCo say in a joint statement on Thursday. On Nov 15, Noble had said that its controversial restructuring plan which would have seen its investors shareholding significantly diluted and its creditors owning most of the company had been sanctioned by the relevant courts and would proceed. See: Noble gets go-ahead for controversial restructuring plan, pays funds into court in ongoing legal suit But less than a week later on Nov 20, MAS, the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) of the SPF, and the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) announced they are launching an investigation into beleaguered commodities trader. According to a joint statement by the authorities, Noble was suspected of making false and misleading statements as well as breaches of disclosure requirements under the Securities and Futures Act (Cap. 289). See: Noble comes under investigation for potential accounting & regulatory breaches Following the commencement of the investigations, Noble submitted to SGX RegCo a set of simulated financial statements to illustrate the effect on New Nobles financial statements, after considering the potential non-compliance with accounting standards highlighted by ACRA in its letter to Noble dated Nov 20, 2018. Story continues The authorities say the simulated financial statements show that the net asset value (NAV) of New Noble as at Dec 31, 2017, could be adjusted downwards by about 40%, and that the NAV as at Mar 31, 2018 could be adjusted downwards by about 45%. These adjustments would be in addition to the write-downs of more than US$2 billion ($2.7 billion) already made by Noble in FY2017. Arising from investigations by CAD and MAS, the authorities point out that there could be even further reductions in New Nobles NAV that extend beyond the potential non-compliances with accounting standards highlighted by ACRA. CAD and MAS are looking into other relevant areas in connection with the preparation and disclosure of [Noble Groups] financial statements, including valuation of commodity contracts and other related assets, the authorities say. The findings arising from these investigations could potentially lead to a further erosion of New Nobles NAV. In the joint statement on Thursday, the authorities add that they have been carefully reviewing, since 2015, the allegations raised by various parties against Noble Group and following up on information and leads provided. Shares in Noble last closed at 8.1 cents on Nov 16, and remain suspended. 3D avatar app Zepeto surges to most downloaded in China as millennials seek out new ways to interact Zepeto, a social networking app that allows you to build a 3D avatar, has become the latest overnight sensation in China, rising from relative obscurity to the most-downloaded app in mobile stores as the countrys millennials continue to explore new forms of online communication. The app, made by South Korean game developer Snow Corp, has been top of the daily download charts on both the Apple and Android app stores in China in the three days since Sunday, according to App Annie. Users log in to the app with their WeChat, Facebook or Twitter account, and can then create a 3D avatar of their own, with the ability to customise facial contours, cosmetics, hair style, outfits and set a virtual home in the background. Zepeto includes social networking features such as connecting real-world friends, meeting strangers from its virtual town, sending self-made emojis and creating photo booth-style virtual snaps. It also supports chat rooms and an easy-to-play mini-game. For those old enough to remember Tencents Qzone, once the biggest social platform in China before WeChat came along, the design bears some resemblance. Qzone allowed people to create a 2D character, pay for costumes, leave messages and send virtual gifts to one another. Zepeto follows hot on the heels of other hit apps that offer messaging, live-streaming, beautifying and customisation tools as Chinas restless youth seek to carve out their own individual identities and personal brands in a society once known for its general conformity. Consumer tastes can be fickle though as youngsters constantly search for what is new and cool. For example, short video apps where users film and watch seconds-long video clips quickly caught the attention of young Chinese netizens and today about three in four internet users in China use short-video apps to entertain themselves, according to a September report from the China Internet Network Information Centre, a state agency. Story continues How a TV show about a Chinese start-up gave unknown chat app Magic Crystal its big break Zepetos popularity also comes at a time when a range of start-ups are taking advantage of emerging AI facial recognition applications. China is using the same computer vision technology to catch jaywalkers, grant access to residential compounds, to create bank accounts and even allow people to pay for their KFC. Similar technology is also being deployed to help detect cancer and in navigation systems for self-driving vehicles in restricted areas. This article 3D avatar app Zepeto surges to most downloaded in China as millennials seek out new ways to interact first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. Australia Thursday passed controversial laws allowing spies and police to snoop on the encrypted communications of suspected terrorists and criminals, as experts warned the "unprecedented powers" had far-reaching implications for global cybersecurity. There has been extensive debate about the laws and their reach beyond Australia's shores in what is seen as the latest salvo between global governments and tech firms over national security and privacy. Under the legislation, Canberra can compel local and international providers -- including overseas communication giants such as Facebook and WhatsApp -- to remove electronic protections, conceal covert operations by government agencies, and help with access to devices or services. Australian authorities can also require that those demands be kept secret. The conservative government had pushed for the bill to be passed before parliament rises for the year this week, saying the new powers were needed to thwart terror attacks during the festive period. A last-minute deal was struck with the opposition Labor Party over its demands for more oversight and safeguards when the laws are used, with a review of the legislation to take place in 18 months. The government also agreed to consider further amendments to the bill early next year. National cyber security adviser Alastair MacGibbon said police have been "going blind or going deaf because of encryption" used by suspects. Brushing off warnings from tech giants that the laws would undermine internet security, MacGibbon said they would be similar to traditional telecommunications intercepts, just updated to take in modern technologies. - 'Serious problems' - Global communications firms, including Google and Twitter, have repeatedly said the legislation would force them to create vulnerabilities in their products, such as by decrypting messages on apps, which could then by exploited by bad actors. A central protection in the laws to block authorities from forcing companies to build a "systemic weakness" into their product remains poorly defined, critics say. The Law Council of Australia, the peak body for the legal profession, said it had "serious concerns" about the changes. "We now have a situation where unprecedented powers to access encrypted communications are now law, even though parliament knows serious problems exist," it said in a statement. Experts such as the UN special rapporteur on the right to privacy Joseph Cannataci have described the bill as "poorly conceived" and "equally as likely to endanger security as not". "Encryption underpins the foundations of a secure internet and the internet pervades everything that we do in a modern society," Tim de Sousa, a principal at privacy and cybersecurity consultancy elevenM, told AFP. "If you require encryption to be undermined to help law enforcement investigations, then you are ultimately undermining that encryption in all circumstances. Those backdoors will be found and exploited by others, making everyone less secure," he said. The new laws also include secrecy provisions, which could raise doubts over whether Australian and foreign vendors have already been compelled to act -- undermining their business models where privacy is a key selling point. The most high-profile clash over security and privacy was between Apple and the US' FBI, when agents sought access to the data of the San Bernardino attackers in California in 2015. Meanwhile, the Australian legislation could allow for policy laundering by its "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing partners -- Canada, Britain, New Zealand, and the United States -- who cannot enact similar powers because of constitutional or human rights protections. "There is an extraterritorial dimension to it, where for example the US would be able to make... a request directly to Australia to get information from Facebook or a tech company," said Queensland University of Technology's technology regulation researcher Monique Mann. General view of damages after a bomb inside a car exploded outside a police station in Chabahar, Iran December 6, 2018. Tasnim News Agency /Handout via REUTERS By Parisa Hafezi DUBAI (Reuters) - At least two policemen died and 48 people were injured in a rare suicide car bomb attack by a Sunni jihadist group on a police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in southeast Iran on Thursday, state media reported. While suicide bombings are rare in Iran, Sunni militant groups have carried out several attacks on security forces in recent years in Sistan-Baluchestan province, where Chabahar is located. The province is home to a Sunni minority in the largely Shi'ite country, and it has also long been plagued by violence from both drug smugglers and separatists. State television also reported shooting in the area on Thursday. "Two policemen were killed in the terrorist attack in Chabahar this morning," Hadi Marashi, deputy governor for security affairs, told state TV, which reported the figure of 48 hurt. Video clips posted on Twitter, purportedly from Chabahar, showed thick smoke rising. TV reported that four children, a pregnant woman and 10 policemen were among the wounded. "Police stopped the explosive-laden car and started firing at the driver ... who then set off the explosion near the police headquarters in Chabahar," Chabahar's acting governor Rahmdel Bameri told TV. The Washington-based SITE Intelligence Group and state media reported that Sunni jihadist group Ansar al-Furqan had claimed responsibility for the attack. "Such terrorist acts, which are designed and adopted by enemies to divide the Iranian nation, are doomed to failure and will make us more decisive in our fight against terrorism," said First Vice President Eshagh Jahangiri, according to TV. Iran's Revolutionary Guards promised to give a "crushing" response to the attack, state TV reported. In June, the Revolutionary Guards Corps said it had killed Ansar al-Furqan's suspected leader, Molavi Jalil Qanbar-Zehi, in a mountainous area of Sistan-Baluchestan. A year ago the group claimed responsibility for a blast at an oil pipeline in southern Khuzestan province. Story continues Iran has stepped up security in border areas after gunmen in September opened fire on a military parade in the southwestern city of Ahvaz, killing 25 people, almost half of them members of the Revolutionary Guards. Last year, in the first deadly assault claimed by Islamic State in Tehran, 18 people were killed at the parliament and mausoleum of revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Tehran accuses its Sunni-led regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United States of funding Sunni militants, a charge Riyadh and Washington deny. "Foreign-backed terrorists kill & wound innocents in Chabahar. As we've made clear in the past, such crimes wont go unpunished," Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. "Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists & their masters to justice." Iran says militant groups are sheltering across the border in Pakistan, and it has threatened to attack their bases if Islamabad does not confront them. Chabahar is a free trade zone and the site of an Indian-backed port complex being developed as part of a new transportation corridor for landlocked Afghanistan. The Indian foreign ministry condemned Thursday's attack. "The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror," the ministry said. India has said it is ready to invest up to $500 million to develop the port as it seeks to create a route to landlocked Central Asian countries and Afghanistan that bypasses Pakistan. Washington has granted exceptions to some U.S. sanctions on Iran for the project despite pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers and reimposing other sanctions that were lifted under the pact. (Reporting by Parisa Hafezi; Additional reporting by Dubai newsroom and Sanjeev Miglani in Delhi; Editing by Hugh Lawson) The boss of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has unexpectedly announced he will step down, amid losses and changes at the top of its US headquarters. The theme park announced on Thursday that Hong Kong managing director Samuel Lau Wing-kee would return to Orlando, Florida, to take up a position at Walt Disney World in February next year, ending a three-year stint in the city. He will be succeeded by Stephanie Young, who has been with the company for 26 years and was the Hong Kong theme parks chief financial officer between 2006 and 2009. She currently leads the operations team at the Disneyland Resort in California. I am thrilled to return to Hong Kong and work with Hong Kong Disneyland Resort team to further grow the business, Young said. The Hong Kong government owns 53 per cent of the theme park on Lantau Island, and The Walt Disney Company owns the rest. Disneys Asia-Pacific president and managing director Michael Colglazier said Youngs appointment would position the theme park to capitalise on Hong Kongs tourism growth. Malaysian casino giant launches billion-dollar lawsuit against Disney, Fox He thanked Lau for his leadership, during which the park opened a 750-room hotel, the Disney Explorers Lodge, and the Iron Man Experience feature. The theme park's visitor numbers shrank 10 per cent in 2015/16 to 6.1 million, while it maintained 79 per cent occupancy at its two hotels, the 400-room Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and 600-room Hollywood Hotel. The Explorers Lodge opened earlier this year. Losses widened to HK$171 million in 2015/2016, from HK$148 million in 2014/2015, partly due to lower visitor numbers and extra depreciation from the new hotel. During his tenure, Lau was in charge of the parks HK$10.9 billion expansion project, which was controversially approved by the Legislative Council last year. Yiu Si-wing, who represents the tourism industry in Legco, said Lau was very hard-working and serious about Disneylands performance. Story continues The new managing director has a finance background, which shows the management may want her to improve the theme park's balance sheet, he said. The business is challenging, facing competition from the region but also Disneyland in Shanghai. Yiu urged the Hong Kong theme park not to raise fees for next year, saying that would weaken its competitiveness and attractiveness to visitors, as existing fees are already expensive. Hong Kong Disneyland charges the highest fees of any of the citys theme parks, at HK$619 for an adult one-day pass. Ocean Park in Southern district costs HK$480 per adult, and the Ngong Ping 360 cable car on Lantau charges HK$235 for an adult return ticket. Yiu was optimistic about Disneylands outlook, noting boosts in cross-border infrastructure which could entice mainland Chinese visitors, namely the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong express rail link and the 55km Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. Laus departure comes amid a broader and higher-level reshuffle at the companys US headquarters. Parent group The Walt Disney Company merged with Rupert Murdochs film and television unit of 21st Century Fox in a US$71.3 billion deal in the summer. In September, co-chairman of Disneys media networks unit Ben Sherwood announced he would leave after the merger is completed, expected by the end of this year. Sherwood, who is only a year into a four-year contract, was previously thought to be a front runner to succeed CEO Bob Iger, who is due to step down in summer 2019. This article Boss of Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Samuel Lau to step down first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. China reacted furiously Thursday after a top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei was arrested in Canada following a US extradition request, threatening to rattle a trade war truce with the United States. The detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions violations by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials who deemed the company a national security threat. The arrest stirred tensions just as the United States and China agreed to a ceasefire in their trade spat while negotiators seek a deal within three months. "We have made solemn representations to Canada and the US, demanding that both parties immediately clarify the reasons for the detention, and immediately release the detainee to protect the person's legal rights," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing in Beijing. Meng was arrested in the western city of Vancouver on December 1, Canada's ministry of justice said in a statement on Wednesday, prompting China's embassy to say it had "seriously harmed the human rights of the victim". The ministry said the US is seeking her extradition and she faces a bail hearing on Friday, adding it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng, whose father, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, is a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. Huawei, which overtook Apple as the world's number two smartphone maker this year, said it was unaware of any wrongdoing by Meng and was provided "very little information" about the charges. "Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU," the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that the US Department of Justice had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by Huawei. The New York Times said the company had been subpoenaed by the US Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions. "China is working creatively to undermine our national security interests, and the United States and our allies can't sit on the sidelines," said US Senator Ben Sasse in a statement linking the arrest to US sanctions against Iran. The arrest occurred on the same day that US President Donald Trump and Xi struck the trade war truce at a summit in Argentina. Ye Tan, an independent Chinese economist, said Meng's arrest could be used as a "bargaining chip" in the trade talks. "The talks will continue but it's going to be a lot more tense with higher stakes," Ye told AFP. But Geng, the foreign ministry spokesman, said both countries will follow the agreement reached by Trump and Xi to "increase consultations, and work towards an earliest possible mutually beneficial agreement". The commerce ministry said separately it will "immediately implement" measures reached under the trade truce, which includes agricultural products, energy and autos, and was "confident" a deal could be reached in the coming 90 days. - ZTE case - News of her detention rippled through Asian stock markets, with Shanghai and Hong Kong falling and tech firms among the worst hit. Huawei is not the first Chinese telecoms equipment firm to face the ire of US authorities. Earlier this year, the US imposed a seven-year ban on the sale of crucial US components to Chinese smartphone maker ZTE after finding it had failed to take action against staff who were responsible for violating trade sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The ban nearly destroyed the Chinese tech company, forcing it to cease major operations in May. A month later, Washington and Beijing reached a deal that would strike ZTE from the sanctions list -- just days after China reportedly offered to ramp up purchases of American goods to reduce the trade imbalance with the US. American officials denied any connection between the two. In exchange, ZTE agreed to pay a hefty $1 billion fine and put an additional $400 million in escrow in case of future violations. It was also ordered to replace its board of directors and retain outside monitors. The case showed that China is highly dependent on imports of US-made semiconductors or computer chips and reinforced Beijing's need to become self-reliant on this key technology. - Espionage worries - Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. But its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage. In May, the Pentagon said that devices from Huawei and ZTE posed an "unacceptable" security risk. Personnel on US military bases are banned from buying ZTE and Huawei equipment. Over the summer, Australia barred Huawei from providing 5G technology for wireless networks in the country over espionage fears. New Zealand followed suit in November, but said the issue was a technological one. Britain's largest mobile provider BT announced Wednesday it was removing Huawei's telecommunications equipment from its 4G cellular network, after the MI6 foreign intelligence service chief singled out the company as a potential security risk. jl-ia-ewx-el/lth/fa Man throws explosive onto bus in China, 17 injured in blast caught on camera Seventeen people were injured in an explosion on a bus in southwestern China on Wednesday evening and police are searching for a 44-year-old male suspect, local media reported on Thursday. In security camera footage being circulated on social media, a man can be seen boarding the bus in Jiajiang county, near the city of Leshan in Sichuan province, and lighting a package wrapped in cloth before flinging it further into the vehicle, which quickly becomes engulfed in flames. Local police said they believed the culprit was Lu Shibing, a Jiajiang local, and urged the public to provide information. The injured were sent to hospital and all are in a stable condition, according to the Jiajiang county polices WeChat account. Other video footage, from The Beijing News, showed a bus stationary on a busy road, with smoke pouring from the front. Chinese chemical factory blast kills 23, injures 22 The windows of the bus had been blown out by the explosion, according to Shanghai-based news portal Thepaper.cn. China has had a spate of bus attacks in recent years. The latest incident was similar to another explosion on a bus in Leshan in June, which injured 15 people. In January 2017, police in Foshan in southern Chinas Guangdong province arrested a man who had twice blown up buses, injuring six in total. In 2013, a man in Xiamen in the southeastern Fujian province set fire to a bus, killing himself and 46 others and injuring 34. Fresh passenger attacks on Chinese bus drivers highlight scale of problem after fatal Yangtze crash In October this year, an angry passenger attacked a bus driver and sent the vehicle plunging into the Yangtze River, killing 15 people on board. It put incidents on buses into the national spotlight, with a string of similar cases being exposed and calls for improved safety on public transport. This article Man throws explosive onto bus in China, 17 injured in blast caught on camera first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho arrived in China on Thursday on a three-day trip to secure Beijings support for an easing of sanctions amid the continuing stalemate of denuclearisation talks with the US. China is the neighbouring hermit kingdoms biggest security guarantor and Ri will also be on a mission to solidify relations between the two countries. The Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday Ri was expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and exchange in-depth views on bilateral relations; the situation on the Korean peninsula; and other issues of mutual concern. It did not elaborate. However, Ris visit follows hard on the heels of last weeks US-China summit in Argentina, which included discussion of North Korea. Experts believe the sudden addition of Beijing to his itinerary has been prompted by the Xi-Trump meeting. North Korean state media last week said only that Ri would be visiting Vietnam and Syria, with no mention of China. US president Donald Trump said after the summit that Chinese president Xi Jinping had agreed to work with him on North Korea, amplifying Pyongyangs concerns over the summits implications for Chinas North Korea policy, including Chinese support for an easing of UN sanctions. Zhang Baohui, a professor of political science and director of the Centre for Asian Pacific Studies at Hong Kongs Lingnan University, said China was likely to push North Korea to implement denuclearisation, in an effort to show the US Beijing was playing its part. Beijing may be using this opportunity to share the information [on the summit results] with North Korea, Zhang said. China may convey [US] messages to North Korea and encourage it to complete denuclearisation to show to the US that it is still sincere in denuclearising North Korea. Beijing thinks the summit has [provided momentum] to reverse the deterioration of its relations with Washington, so Beijing is willing to do more to consolidate the results, he said. Story continues But Ris main focus will be to secure Chinas support on the easing of UN sanctions, rather than speeding up his countrys denuclearisation process. Pyongyang expressed its discomfort on the continuation of sanctions through its state media on Thursday, on the first day of Ris visit to China. Its state-owned newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, said sanctions regime by adversaries would never work self-sufficiency has always been our partys consistent strategy, playing down the impact of the UN sanctions regime on North Koreas economy and calling for the sanctions to be lifted. Ris visit also reveals North Koreas hedging strategy, to offset the risk of possible failure of its denuclearisation negotiations with Washington, according to pundits. Jin Chang-soo, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, a private think tank based in the South Korean city of Seongnam, said Ris visit could indicate denuclearisation talks with the US were not going well. North Korea may wish to accelerate restoring its relations with China and its economic and political support to offset the risk on the possible failure of the talks, Jin said. Frankly speaking, there is not really major progress on denuclearisation and the sanctions regime, he said, noting sanctions were likely to continue. Recent satellite images obtained by CNN indicate Pyongyang has continued to maintain and update its Yeongjeo-ri missile base, in breach of its vow for complete denuclearisation. Bruce Bennett, a senior defence researcher at the Rand Corporation, said North Korea had not yet started denuclearisation, and the lifting of sanctions was not on the Trump administrations table at this stage. [North Korea] has not yet surrendered a single nuclear weapon, and the number of nuclear weapons is the key measure of the level of North Korean nuclear threat North Korea is actually doing the opposite of what it has promised to do, Bennett said, noting the possibility of failure for the US-North Korea negotiations. This article China visit by North Korean foreign minister aims to shore up support amid stalled denuclearisation talks first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. No policymaker will admit to this, but here is the ultimate hard truth to keep Singapore going: fear is a potent ingredient that is used in almost every policymaking process. To clarify, fear can sometimes be a good thing. For instance, support for the states hardline stance on drugs is partially motivated by the publics fear that we might enable drug addicts and their addictions, should we ever relax our laws. Yet when fear as an instrument of policy is routinely deployed, it loosens our grip on reality and undermines our ability to deal with complex issues intelligently. This is because fear has a tendency to metastasise, becoming wildly disproportionate to any objective or logical perspective of a situation. In policymaking, this state of fear is known as moral panic. And it appears to be a key factor shaping many of our public policies. At its core, moral panic is the abandonment of careful deliberation, rational thought, and evidence-based policymaking. Decisions are made instead on the basis of what an emotionally-charged moral majority wants, often based on the herds simplistic assessments of perceived threats to societys values. Professor of Criminology and media analyst Scott Bonn describes moral panic as a situation in which public fears and state interventions greatly exceed the objective threat posed to society by a particular individual or group. Another sociologist, Stanley Cohen, notes that moral panic occurs when a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests. Moral panic is thus characterised by an excessive fear that is disproportionate to the actual threat, and the mobilisation of societal concern, moral indignation, or hysteria. During a recent Straits Times debate on whether Singapore should have minimum wage legislation, Professor Tommy Koh alluded to the Singapore governments common resort to moral panic when he described the governments arguments against a minimum wage as the usual scare tactic. Story continues To understand moral panic, it is useful to highlight a few common features. First, moral panic focuses on the behaviour of certain individuals or groups, such as gamblers and addicts, that are often portrayed in an excessively negative light by the media. Its important to note that these negative portrayals could be either real or imagined, and based on loose generalisations and commonly held stereotypes. Second, moral panic often cannot be sustained. Any concern for the issue starts off with a rapid rise and then peak in public concern, which then abruptly subsides. This change is largely due to the relentless renewal of the news cycle and online social chatter, which drive transient feelings and emotions. Third, as aforementioned professor Scott Bonn explains, even though moral panic seldom endures, the initial hysteria over a perceived problem often results in laws or policies that are highly punitive and unnecessary. In turn, this usually serves to justify the agendas of those in positions of power and authority. The significance of moral panic in a small country like Singapore cannot be overstated. A fundamental principle of moral panic is that the publics fear over an alleged problem is mutually beneficial to the government and media. This usually happens when state officials rely on media to disseminate their rhetoric, and the media can be counted on to reduce complex issues to simplistic, sensationalist anecdotes to attract audience and advertisers. In other words, moral panic arises as a result of both the states approaches to governing, and its strategically planned optics. In our view, moral panic in Singapore arises from three ingredients in our society: puritanism, paternalism, and political acquiescence and apathy. It is these three conditions that fuel the increasingly common recourse to moral panic by authorities. Puritanism and paternalism often work together to generate moral panic, which is then facilitated by societys political acquiescence and apathy. Puritanism in Singapores context is largely related to upholding values that the Church or other religious institutions subscribe to. It is motivated by an interest to cleanse society of sin, which includes smoking, alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, and support for the LGBT community or non-traditional ideas of marriage and the family. Puritanism often ignores scientific or empirical evidence, choosing to promote hand-wringing and emotional distress over the disintegration of family values and beliefs. We are also led to believe that puritans just want the best for our children and their future. Because smoking has been frequently debated this year, lets consider the ban on e-cigarettes. Despite increasing scientific evidence that they are less harmful than conventional cigarettes, the ban exists because many assume alternative products will act as a gateway to traditional cigarettes. Proponents of the gateway argument, including public health authorities in Singapore, often mistake correlation with causation by appealing to popular fears that children and youths would be drawn to e-cigarettes before moving on to cigarettes. In addition, they also ignore the fact that it is far more likely that existing smokers would turn to e-cigarettes to curb smoking instead. The ban on e-cigarettes is just one example of how policy can allow moral panic to displace careful, evidence-based reasoning. In another common display of puritanism, any threat to the traditional nuclear family unit, such as the repeal of Section 377A, is vehemently opposed. The 377A debate a few months ago revealed that those in favour of keeping the status quo felt that the repeal would be the start of an erosion of fruitful and life-giving marriages or cohesive families, which are the supposed bedrock of a strong and stable society. Earlier this year, the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) gave coming out teen movie Love, Simon an R21 rating, citing homosexual themes, as though homosexuality was something that one could pick up simply by watching it play out on screen. A crucial point to note is that puritanism is often inconsistent. Once upon a time, casinos were presumed to lead to societys moral decay. Yet, once it was clear that the economic benefits of having casinos outweighed the social costs, previously sound arguments about preserving the moral fibre of society were quickly abandoned by the authorities. One may argue that the government is simply striking a balance between furthering economic progress and protecting moral and social norms. But surely this should be done with more consistency. Upholding norms that explicitly exclude or marginalise any group with beliefs that dont align with religious institutions sends the message that the latters morality and the implied threat of moral panic are a sound basis for public policy, as long as that doesnt infringe on our economic goals. Moral panic is also often a (unintended) result of existing paternalistic policies that implore us to leave the business of governance to technocratic elites. As subjects (or children), we are taught not to question the decisions of those with power and authority. Yet to the average citizen, paternalism appears to be driven by a preference for ego over evidence. With the practice of paternalism honed over many decades, it has become instinctive for elected officials to double down on existing policy when challenged, and not admit to possible oversights. For example, in response to the widespread flak that social enterprise hawker centres (SEHC) received from both hawkers and customers in recent months, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli called the SEHC model generally sound. He further said that the government would allow market mechanisms to take effect, instead of mandating low rents. The paternalistic state tends to insist that it knows whats best for its citizens. The paternalism practised in Singapore is also, increasingly, of the moralising, choice-reducing variety (i.e. hard paternalism), expressed in the form of bans. The most recent example of this is the Orchard Road smoking ban. Even though people are still allowed to smoke within designated areas, some commentators have already argued that the ban might be inconvenient for the same visitors it wants to create a better experience for. And earlier this year, a few MPs raised the possibility of banning smoking in homes to curb secondhand smoke, revealing the assumption that the state can, or should, infringe on every aspect of a private citizens life as long as its for the greater good of society. This suggestion also reinforces the binary thinking that is inherent in moral panic: that things or people can be easily classified as good or evil, as right or wrong, as keeping with our values or being against those values. The reality is usually far more complex. With almost any regulation or policy, there are benefits as well as costs; winners and losers. Seen through this lens, regulations and policies should be calibrated according to the balance of costs and benefits to society. It is only when the social costs far exceed social benefits, and there are no practical alternatives to a ban, should the right policy response be outright prohibition. Bans, after all, are a prime example of myopic thinking. If the authorities want to put a complete stop to supposedly socially and morally questionable behaviour, huge resources would have to be expended to enforce the law. Its likely that costs would outweigh the benefits of completely eliminating that behaviour. The alternative would be to turn a blind eye to most violations, enforcing the law only when there are complaints. Yet this would raise concerns about the consistency of law enforcement, inevitably undermining public trust in the authorities and their regulations. For this reason, economists generally prescribe regulation and taxation to deal with activities that cause harm to third parties, such as smoking or vaping, alcohol consumption, gambling and commercial sex, rather than outright prohibition. Considering how much we take pride in being a nation of hardworking individuals, bans are also a lazy solution. Once something is banned, the policymaker has little incentive to think creatively about how his policy problem can be solved; he just has to outsource his job to the police or an enforcement agency. Instead, regulators must give thought to the broader, unintended consequences of bans, even if they are on things that harm consumers. We might then benefit from a softer form of paternalism, one that relies on the use of nudges and defaults which preserve individual choice and autonomy. Finally, our political acquiescence and apathy fuel moral panic. To the governments credit, it can be quite responsive to public pressure if the issue at hand attracts broad-based support amongst the population and becomes politically salient. For instance, the widespread opposition to the unfair terms imposed by some of the social enterprise hawker centres (SEHC) led the National Environment Agency to quickly prescribe changes to the contractual terms at SEHCs. In contrast, when the public is passive towards the status quo, or it is apathetic over proposed alternatives, the state seldom feels the need to amend the status quo, even when it is far from ideal. Whether the debate was over introducing minimum wages, the repeal of Section 377A, or allowing e-cigarettes, the state assessed that these issues did not upset average or neutral Singaporeans to justify changes to the status quo. On minimum wage in particular, it should not be surprising that the average voter is probably against it; only very low-wage workers would benefit from a national minimum wage. Meanwhile, the forces opposed to change can rely on moral panic to beat back any effort by minority groups arguing for change, without ever citing evidence. Seen in this light, moral panic can be a force for conservatism and a tool to pre-empt the efforts of social reformers and activists, lest they become too influential. After all, moral panic often relies only on gut feelings and popular stereotypes. The rest of the time, we are content with remaining politically quiescent and apathetic. Our discussion of puritanism, paternalism, and political acquiescence and apathy isnt meant to invalidate the sound work that most policymakers constantly do. But it should give us pause. Once the seeds of moral panic are sown, those same puritan and paternalistic policies are justified and used to keep us in line. Through its use of moral panic, the government also infantilises its citizens. Instead of encouraging us to engage in critical thinking, policymaking that relies on moral panic makes us more prone to hasty conclusions based on our impulses, biases, stereotypes, and feelings. It also reduces our ability to deal with an often complex and ambiguous world. This is because, as weve established, moral panic often reduces complex issues to simple binaries: good versus evil, right versus wrong, truth versus falsehoods. Moral panic obscures and blinds us to the shades of grey, the complicated trade-offs, and the untidy compromises that are often necessary in policymaking, especially as society becomes more plural and diverse. More importantly, when we allow moral panic to inform public policy, we unwittingly end up mistaking moral panic as a necessary part of bureaucracy. We grant elites the power to define societys values and beliefs, to persist with its paternalism, and to continue reducing our choices and our autonomy. All this reinforces inequality; anyone who doesnt subscribe to the same values and beliefs gets persecuted or marginalised. Unfortunately, these are all conditioned beliefs and learned behaviours that we as individuals must actively unwind if we want public policy to stop pandering to unfounded and irrational fears. This should be the first step in building a smart nation. To divorce moral panic from public policy, perhaps we must first stop using moral character to define our personal identity. When we make this basic shift within our personal lives, we may stop using our subjective moralities as the lens through which we perceive societys ills. Likewise, policymakers and politicians must not determine their policy positions on actual problems by only asking what their personal morality tells them. Instead, the main criterion for policymaking should be a secular morality: the costs and benefits to society. If we say that our policies are robust and can withstand scrutiny, its only right that they should be immune to the temptations of moral panic. We must resist allowing our fears to cloud objective facts. After all, Singaporeans boast that we are a pragmatic, rational people not prone to emotional flights of fancy. So lets get one thing straight: allowing our public policies to be driven or influenced by appeals to moral panic is the furthest thing from the staunch pragmatism we claim to uphold. Have something to say? Write to us at community@ricemedia.co. The post What Does Moral Panic Have to Do With Public Policy in Singapore? Everything. appeared first on RICE. A US museum has vowed to fight a decision by Italy's highest court which this week ordered that a prized bronze statue at the center of an epic legal dispute be returned to Italy. In a statement, the J. Paul Getty Museum said the more than 2,000-year-old statue named "Victorious Youth" was found in international waters in 1964 and was legally purchased by the museum in 1977. "We will continue to defend our legal right to the statue," Lisa Lapin, vice president for communications at the Getty Trust, said in a statement issued on Monday. "The law and facts in this case do not warrant restitution to the Italian government of a statue that has been on public display in Los Angeles for nearly a half century." She added that any forfeiture order "is contrary to American and International law." The decision handed down on Monday by Italy's supreme court came after a decade-long legal battle over the sculpture, also known as the Getty Bronze or by the name of its presumed sculptor Lysippos, one of the most prized antiquities on display at the Getty Villa, located on the outskirts of Los Angeles. "Now we hope the US authorities will act as soon as possible to favor restitution of the Lysippos to Italy," Culture Minister Alberto Bonisoli told the ANSA news agency following the court's decision. - 'Final word from Italy' - The Getty, however, said it was not ready to surrender the relic. Lapin said the museum had extensively researched the origins of the prized statue before purchasing it from an antiques dealer in Germany for $3.95 million, years after Italy's highest court had concluded there was no evidence the object belonged to Italy. "The statue is not and has never been part of Italy's cultural heritage," Lapin said. "Accidental discovery by Italian citizens does not make the statue an Italian object. "Found outside the territory of any modern state, and immersed in the sea for two millennia, the Bronze has only a fleeting and incidental connection with Italy." Italian officials dispute Getty's arguments and maintain that the life-size statue was found off Italy's Adriatic coast by Italian fishermen and as such rightfully belongs to the state. They say the statue was sold to an Italian art dealer after its discovery and was subsequently sold several times before it was smuggled illegally out of the country and eventually purchased by the Getty. Last June, a judge in Pesaro, a coastal town on the Adriatic Coast, ruled that the statue be confiscated. The Getty museum had appealed the decision and Italy's supreme court rejected the appeal on Monday. Pesaro prosecutor Silvia Cecchi told local media that the court's decision "was the final word from the Italian justice" system and that the statue must be returned. "It must be very clear that the order is effective immediately and we will apply this principle by notifying the American authorities," Cecchi said. In 2007, following long negotiations, The Getty agreed to return more than 40 works of art to Italy after questions were raised about their provenance. Huawei Technologies has signed a contract to upgrade Portugals No 1 phone network into the 5G standard, giving the Chinese company its 23rd global network client to extend its lead as the worlds largest maker of telecommunications equipment. Huawei will supply the equipment and software for Altice Portugal to upgrade its network to support commercially applicable 5G standards by 2019, the Shenzhen-based gear maker said in a press statement. The Altice deal in Portugal is the latest in Huaweis tally of 5G network clients 15 in Europe, five in the Middle East and three in Asia putting the Chinese company ahead of Nokia and Ericsson as the leading position as supplier of next-generation telecommunications technology. Altice had been working with Huawei since 2016, with a network training programme for the development of a 5G ecosystem in Portugal. Huawei have been a trusted partner for Altice for many years, and we look forward to explore this revolutional new technology together for the benefit of our consumer and enterprise customers, as well as a way to promote new business models and services, said Altice Portugals chief executive Alexandre Fonseca. Huaweis Portugal chief executive Chris Lu believes that 5G will bring unprecedented changes to the daily lives of people, and to the industry, and the contract with Altice shows the commitment of both companies to the future of 5G in Portugal. The global telecommunications industry is becoming increasingly hostile to Chinese technology, especially in countries allied with American policies, after US President Donald Trump in August authorised a ban on the companys hardware in US government networks, citing national security concerns. Huawei has said that the concerns were unwarranted. BT to strip Chinas Huawei from core networks, limit 5G access Australia has followed the US in banning Huaweis equipment from the countrys 5G roll-out. Spark, New Zealands biggest telecoms network operator, said on Wednesday that the countrys intelligence agency blocked its proposal to use Huaweis equipment for its 5G development plans. Story continues BT Group of the UK would remove Huaweis gear from its core 4G network within two years, according to a Wednesday report by the Financial Times newspaper. BTs move will bring its mobile phone business in line with an internal policy to keep the Chinese companys equipment at the edge of telecoms infrastructure, which has also excluded Huawei from bidding for contracts to supply equipment for use in its core 5G network, said the report. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US are members of the UK-USA Agreement dubbed the Five Eyes spy network which allows for collaboration on signals intelligence. BT, with whom Huawei has been working with for 15 years, has operated on a principle of different vendors for different network layers, the Chinese company said in a statement. It is a normal and expected activity, which we understand and fully support, Huawei said. Huaweis banned, but wheres the backlash in New Zealand? This agreement remains in place today. Since it acquired EE in 2016, the BT Group has been actively bringing EEs legacy network architecture in line with this long-standing agreement, Huawei said in a statement on Wednesday. Huawei began working with EE the largest mobile network operator in the UK, in 2012, according to the Chinese company, which added that it has provided EE with a series of 3G and 4G network solutions, including core network equipment, as part of the collaboration. We have never had a cyber security-related incident. Huawei has a robust cybersecurity assurance system and a proven track record, it said in the statement. This article Huawei signs deal to upgrade Portugals largest phone network Altice to 5G standard by 2019 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: The Johor Straits near Tuas. (FILE PHOTO: Reuters/Edgar Su) The Malaysian government has sent two protest notes to Singapore via the Singaporean High Commissioner to Malaysia that pertain to the current issues of airspace and maritime boundary delimitation facing both countries. Malaysias Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a media release on Wednesday (5 December) that in the first note which pertains to Singapores publication of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) and ILS Approach Procedures for Seletar Airport on 1 December it has registered the Malaysian governments strong objection and protest to the said publication by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) without the agreement of the Government of Malaysia. Malaysia had previously protested the publication of the ILS by Singapore, citing the impact of the Seletar Airport flight path on developments and shipping operations in Pasir Gudang in Johor. It also signalled its intention to reclaim its airspace over southern Johor from Singapore in phases between 2019 and 2023. In response, Singapore said that the ILS simply puts on paper the existing flight paths, making safety rules clearer and more transparent. Violation of Malaysias sovereignty In the media release on Wednesday, Malaysias foreign affairs ministry said: The unilateral act by the Government of Singapore is a violation of Malaysias sovereignty and is an intrusion of Malaysias sovereign airspace above its territory. This contradicts the principles that each State has complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory; and that the delegation of a States responsibility for its air traffic services over its territory does not derogate its sovereignty. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia therefore reiterates the call by the Government of Malaysia for the immediate withdrawal of the publication of ILS and ILS Approach Procedures for Seletar Airport by the Government of Singapore. The ILS procedure refers to an assisted navigational aviation facility that provides vertical and horizontal guidance to pilots at the airport while the flight is descending and approaching the runway. Story continues Rejection of statement on repeated vessel incursions The second protest note pertains to the issue of repeated incursions by Malaysian vessels into Singapores territorial waters off Tuas, in the wake of a purported extension of the Johor Baru port limits via a Malaysian government gazette. In the note, the Malaysian government categorically rejects Singapores statement that the move to extend the Johor Baru port limits has resulted in the encroachment of the port limits in Singapores territorial waters off Tuas, or that it is a violation of Singapores sovereignty and international law. It added, The Government of Malaysia affirms that the new Johor Baru Port Limits are within Malaysias territorial sea. Further, it is well within the Government of Malaysias right to draw any port limit in its territorial sea in accordance with Malaysias own national laws. As such, the Government of Malaysia refutes the view that Malaysias government vessels had intruded into Singapore territorial waters off Tuas. The Malaysian Foreign Ministry maintained that it is within Malaysias rights to deploy its enforcement and implementation agencies within its territorial sea, and that the practice is fully consistent with international law. As such, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Marine Department of Malaysia have not intruded into any part of Singapores territorial waters, it said. Meeting proposed to discuss issues In the media release, the ministry also noted the strong bilateral relations between Malaysia and Singapore, and proposed a meeting between the foreign ministries of both countries to discuss the marine boundary issues. It is important to avoid any acts which may lead to escalation and fuel tension, it said. This spirit of dialogue will also inform contacts between the Ministers of Transport to resolve the ILS and delegated airspace issues. Related stories: Urgent need for Malaysia to stop intrusions into Singapores Territorial Waters: Balakrishnan MOT releases documents detailing extensive discussions on Seletar Airport airspace issue Malaysian sea incursions have violated Singapores sovereignty, international law: Khaw Changes to airspace arrangements need consultations with stakeholders: Singapore MOT Malaysia on Thursday torched nearly three tonnes of seized scales of endangered pangolins worth $9 million in a bid to deter illegal wildlife trafficking from Africa. The Southeast Asian nation is battling to clamp down on rife trafficking through its borders of the ant-eating mammals, whose scales are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. "Such a huge seizure and torching of it is definitely a blow to smuggling syndicates," Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, the director-general of the Wildlife and National Parks Department told AFP. Some 3,000 pangolins would have been killed to obtain the 2.8 tonnes (2,800 kilograms) of scales, Abdul Kadir estimated. The scales were confiscated by customs officials at Malaysia's Port Klang between May and September 2017. The animal parts arrived in three different shipments from Ghana and Cameroon, and had false local addresses, officials said. "Forensic examination of the scales showed that it is from the African species," said Abdul Kadir. The scales were incinerated at a private waste disposal plant in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Seized pangolin scales are usually meant for foreign markets including China and Vietnam, where raw pangolin scales are sold for large profits in traditional Chinese medicine. Last year Malaysia torched eight tonnes of pangolin scales, Abdul Kadir said, adding that wild pangolins in Malaysia have become a rare sight due to rampant hunting and deforestation. Pangolins are also heavily poached for their meat which is considered a delicacy while products obtained from the animal are thought to increase blood circulation and lactation. Under her leadership, MDEC embarked and participated in nation-building projects such as the Digital Free Trade Zone and brought in FDIs into Malaysia Yasmin Mahmood (file photo) Yasmin Mahmood has stepped down as the CEO of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) after helming the organisation for more than four years. The resignation will be effective 15 January 2019. In a statement posted on the MDEC site, Mahmood said she would pursue a role with a tech venture in Jakarta. It is with a heavy heart that I am tendering my resignation as CEO of MDEC to pursue a role with a tech venture in Jakarta, said Yasmin. It has been an absolute honour to have served in this position for the last 4 years and 3 months. I have put my heart and soul into the role to bring MDEC to a higher level of effectiveness and relevance, not only with the initiatives and strategies weve implemented but also with the cultural transformation of the people in MDEC. Mahmood joined MDEC as its chief on 15 September 2014. Under her leadership, MDEC embarked and participated in nation-building projects such as the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) to encourage the small-medium enterprise (SME) community to embrace e-commerce, and brought in foreign direct investments (FDIs) into Malaysia. Also Read: MaGIC CEO Ashran Ghazi is stepping down While Mahmood at the helm, MDEC also nurtured the Malaysian technology ecosystem, including startups and local companies to world-class levels, empowered the future generation with the necessary skills and knowledge (via MyDigitalMaker), and encouraged inclusivity amongst the rakyat (citizens) through initiatives such as eRezeki and eUsahawan, so that they could earn additional income from the digital economy. Speaking on her contribution to the agency and the ecosystem, Minister of Communications and Multimedia Gobind Singh Deo said: We thank Datuk Yasmin for her stewardship in leading MDEC and all her contributions to the digital economy ecosystem. Her passion, commitment and energy in seeing things through to the very end has benefited Malaysia throughout the years. Story continues In the meantime, a management committee will be activated as part of the transition plan to oversee the agencys operations during the process of appointing a new CEO. MDEC (formerly known as Multimedia Development Corporation) is the lead agency in driving the digital economy in Malaysia under the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia. Since its inception 22 years ago, MDECs mission has been to develop the nations digital economy. Its implementation efforts are centred on driving investments, building local tech champions, catalysing digital innovation ecosystems and propagating digital inclusivity. MDEC is also responsible to ensure that Malaysia plays an integral part in developing and nurturing talent to drive digital innovation around the world, while attracting participation from global ICT companies to invest and develop cutting edge digital and creative solutions in the country. Recently, Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centers (MaGIC) CEO Ashran Ghazi resigned to join Malaysia-based consumer intelligence firm Dattel as CEO. The post MDEC chief Yasmin Mahmood steps down; to join a tech venture in Jakarta appeared first on e27. The government of Panama awarded Tuesday a Chinese consortium a $1.4 billion contract to build a bridge over the Panama Canal, a day after a visit by President Xi Jinping. That tour was part of China's efforts to extend its political and economic influence in Latin America. "Panama is moving ahead in its relations with China and without a doubt this project that begins its construction today is part of that message and trust between the two countries," Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela said. The order will allow a consortium called Panama Cuarto Puente, composed of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and its unit China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), to design and build a bridge over the Panama Canal. The group outbid companies from Spain, Italy, South Korea and China. It will be one of the largest construction projects in Panamanian history. During his visit Xi and Varela signed a score of infrastructure, tourism and development cooperation agreements as Panama became the first Latin American country to partner with Beijing's giant multi-billion dollar "Belt and Road" development initiative. They were promised a "peace diamond" dividend in the Sierra Leone village of Koryardu after the stone they handed over for auction fetched $6.5 million (5.7 million euros) a year ago. But they are still waiting to see the benefits. "Absolutely nothing happened," said Pastor Emmanuel Momoh, who manages the team of diggers that found the 709-carat diamond in March 2017, in eastern Kono province. The idea of handing the diamond over to the government to sell was that it would generate money to be ploughed back into developing the local community. But at the village school, Peter Baimoi, who helps teach its about 190 pupils, said there was no sign of the promised government funding. With no qualified teachers in the village, parents rely on their children being taught by some of the better-educated local people who can read and write, like Bamoi who finished high school. They do it voluntarily, the pastor said. The government had promised that 15 percent of the total sale price -- nearly one million dollars -- would go into a fund for Koryardu to develop water, electricity, health and education. A year on, Koryardu still has no electricity and no clinic -- and the nearest state school is in Koidu, about 14 kilometres (nine miles) away. The hamlet lies 10 kilometres from the main highway -- and the road into the village is still impassable for six months of the year, during the rainy season. - 'Blood' and 'peace' diamonds - Sierra Leone, like some other African countries, is struggling to overcome the legacy of so-called "blood diamonds", sold by warlords to finance conflicts. The west African country suffered a devastating civil war between 1991 and 2002. The international community set up the Kimberley certification system in 2003 to eliminate the problem, regulating the sale and export of diamonds. Experts said Koryardu's diamond was the largest found in Sierra Leone in almost half a century. Momoh entrusted it to the administration of the country's then president, Ernest Bai Koroma, who dubbed it the "peace diamond". The auction was originally scheduled to be held at the Central Bank in Freetown, but as the government thought the best offer made there -- more than $7 million -- was not high enough, they took the sale abroad. The subsequent auction in New York netted $6.5 million. - The legal option - Under the sale agreement, 60 percent of the proceeds went straight to the government, out of which the village was to get its share, and 40 percent to Momoh, he said. After sharing his proceeds with the five miners who found the stone, the village chief and the land owner, as well as donating 30 percent to charity and helping villagers, Momoh had about $1 million net, he added. Declaring the find to the government was the only legal option. The only other alternative would have been to sell to smugglers on the black market. Momoh also wanted the community to benefit from the proceeds. But there is still no sign of the money promised to the village. People need to see tangible benefits, said Victor Topoi, a teacher from Kono province, "not only on paper or in the news, but physically on the ground". - 'Maintain trust' - The Koroma administration did sign a million-dollar contract with a Chinese company to build a new school and a clinic in the village. But that deal was frozen when the new president, Julius Maada Bio, took office in April. Ibrahim Satti Kamara, spokesman for the National Minerals Agency, said there had been some design issues that had now been sorted out. Work on the project should begin before the end of the year, he told AFP. "The good news is that the money is still available and ready to use for that project," he said. The authorities understand the community's frustration, he added. "We expect that by the time we continue with the work, that will change. "We are aware of the responsibility to maintain that trust, that's why we've been very careful on how the money is spent on the project," he added. In the meantime, the Rapaport Group, the auction house that handled the New York sale, has stepped in to help, installing 50 solar panels in the village in November. It also has plans to bring in water filtration systems. "We want to make sure that (the villagers) see something tangible as the government gets its act together," the group's owner Martin Rapaport told AFP during a visit to Koryardu. But the money from the diamond sale also needs to materialise, said Momoh. "If the government doesn't fulfill its promises, I think that it will break the trust and people will not take their diamonds to the government any longer," he said. "Not only the people in Koryardu, but all over Kono." Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan (middle) giving a media briefing at Parliament House on 6 December 2018 on Malaysias intrusions into Singapore territorial waters. He is flanked by Permanent Secretary for Transport Loh Ngai Seng on his right and Maritime Port Authority Chief Executive Andrew Tan on his left. PHOTO: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo News Singapore Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that the Republic extended its Port Limits off Tuas with effect from Thursday (6 December) in response to Malaysias blatant maritime provocations in recent weeks. Speaking at a media conference in Parliament House on Thursday, Khaw gave an update on the bilateral maritime spat following Malaysias arbitrary extension of the Johor Bahru Port Limits, as well as a recap on Malaysias maritime territorial claims over the decades. It was the first time since 1997 that Singapore has amended its port limits. The 65-year-old minister revealed that there have been 14 intrusions by Malaysian government vessels into Singapores territorial waters between 24 November and 5 December. In particular, three vessels had come in and out of Singapores maritime boundaries while the closest intrusion was about a kilometre from the Singapore mainland. Khaw said that the Republics security agencies will continue to patrol the area and respond to any unauthorised activities, adding that they have exercised restraint against aggressive actions by the Malaysian vessels. The minister told reporters, We have been extremely restrained, but I think we have a job to do. But Singapore cannot allow our sovereignty to be violated, or new facts on the grounds to be created. Therefore, if it becomes necessary, we will not hesitate to take firm actions against intrusions and unauthorised activities in our waters to protect our territory and sovereignty, he said, without elaborating on the scope of firm actions. When asked by Yahoo News Singapore if he expects more intrusions from the Malaysian side, Khaw said, I hope not. Thats why my main message today (is): leave our waters, while we pursue sit-down dialogues and (try and) find a result. Decades-old territorial dispute A chart indicating the maritime boundaries between Singapore and Malaysia, and Malaysias arbitrary extension of the Johor Bahru Port Limits in 2018. PHOTO: Singapore Ministry of Transport Recapping Malaysias territorial claims over the decades, Khaw highlighted that Malaysia first published a map in 1979 that included its claim on Pedra Branca as well as on areas at the eastern and western approaches to Singapore. Malaysias claim of the new boundary lines at the western approach intruded into the port limits of Singapore, the minister said. Story continues Singapore protested to Malaysia to reject its claim on Pedra Branca and stated categorically that the new boundary lines violated Singapores sovereignty. But in 1987, Malaysia went ahead to publish the Johor Bahru Port Limits that followed the claimed boundary lines, making slight adjustments in 1999. These stayed fully within what Malaysia had since 1979 claimed was their territorial boundaries. On 25 October 2018, Malaysia issued a Federal Government Gazette that unilaterally and arbitrarily extended the Johor Bahru Port Limits, a move that goes beyond what even Malaysia itself claimed as its territorial waters, said Khaw. He stressed, Without any prior consultations, Malaysia is seeking to alter unilaterally the long-standing status quo in the area. A chart indicating the maritime boundaries between Singapore and Malaysia, and Singapores extension of its Port Limits in 2018. (PHOTO: Singapore Ministry of Transport) Khaw also noted that Putrajaya had proposed that officials from both sides meet to work towards an amicable resolution. Singapore naturally agrees to this and will follow up, said Khaw, stressing that the dispute must be resolved in accordance with international law and practice. Asked why the full details of the territorial dispute were not revealed earlier, Khaw said that the Singapore government had been working quietly in the hope that good sense would prevail. He added that it was not uncommon for neighbouring countries to have maritime boundaries that are not clearly defined, citing Singapores naval borders with Indonesia as an example. As to whether the dispute might be resolved via third-party arbitration, the Minister said the preference was to settle it bilaterally. The aggressions (by the Malaysian vessels) are clear: they should not be thereleave our waters, go back to the status quo. Related stories Malaysia sends Singapore two protest notes on airspace, port limits issues Urgent need for Malaysia to stop intrusions into Singapores Territorial Waters: Balakrishnan Changes to airspace arrangements need consultations with stakeholders: Singapore MOT Malaysian sea incursions have violated Singapores sovereignty, international law: Khaw Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan giving a media briefing at Parliament House on 6 December 2018 on Malaysias intrusions into Singapore Territorial Waters. PHOTO: Nicholas Yong/Yahoo News Singapore Singapore Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Thursday (6 December) that the ongoing maritime spat between Singapore and Malaysia is giving him deja vu as past baggage continues to bedevil bilateral ties. Speaking at a media conference in Parliament to give an update on the maritime spat between the two countries, Khaw said he is very saddened by recent developments and stressed the need to avoid a destructive path. When I discussed the High Speed Rail (HSR) Project with (Malaysian Economic Affairs) Minister Azmin Ali, I had a distinct feeling that the young Ministers in Malaysia want a fresh relationship with Singapore, without any past baggageI believe the citizens on both sides of the Causeway also expect the younger leadership on both sides to work together for a brighter win-win future, Khaw told reporters. One of them (Malaysias young ministers) told me that their own rakyat (Malaysian people) look forward to a new future, without the shadow of the past. He added, Why must we pursue a destructive path? Beggar thy neighbourif we work together, there are so many things we can achieve together. A plea for mutual cooperation A chronology of key events since 1979 on the maritime spat between Singapore and Malaysia. (PHOTO: Singapore Ministry of Transport) When asked what he meant by past baggage, Khaw declined to comment, adding, I leave you to draw your own conclusions. Earlier in the conference, the 65-year-old noted that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had raised the maritime issue with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad when the latter visited Singapore in November. PM Lee flagged this issue with PM Mahathir, as one that could affect our bilateral relationship. Unfortunately, further developments since then have made the situation more serious. There is so much that Singapore and Malaysia can gain by working together, the minister stressed. Citing the example of the HSR, Khaw said Singapore had decided not to utilise the full legal extent of the bilateral agreement on the project and instead allowed Malaysia to defer it in the spirit of bilateral cooperation. Story continues The maritime spat is the latest in a series of bilateral issues that have cropped up since the Pakatan Harapan coalition took power power in Malaysia in May such as the perennial bugbear of the status of the water agreement. On Tuesday, Khaw also briefed reporters about the Malaysian governments desire to reclaim its airspace over southern Johor, which has been managed by Singapore authorities for more than four decades. When asked on Thursday if the ongoing disputes affecting bilateral ties are isolated or otherwise, Khaw replied, Is there a pattern? I hope not. Related stories Malaysia sends Singapore two protest notes on airspace, port limits issues Urgent need for Malaysia to stop intrusions into Singapores Territorial Waters: Balakrishnan Changes to airspace arrangements need consultations with stakeholders: Singapore MOT Malaysian sea incursions have violated Singapores sovereignty, international law: Khaw A KC-130 Hercules conducting air refueling training over the Pacific Ocean A KC-130 Hercules with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 (Rein.), 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares to refuel a CH-53E Super Stallion during air refueling training in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility, March 14, 2013. Picture taken March 14, 2013 U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. John Robbart III/Handout via REUTERS/Files By Kiyoshi Takenaka and Phil Stewart TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Five U.S. Marines were missing after two Marine Corps aircraft collided in mid-air and crashed into the sea off the coast of Japan during an air-to-air refuelling exercise on Thursday, Japanese and American officials said. Japan's defence ministry said its maritime forces had so far found two of the seven Marines who were aboard the aircraft - an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet and a KC-130 Hercules - at the time of the incident. One was in a stable condition at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, while the second had been found about 10 hours after the collision and brought aboard a Japanese military vessel, the ministry said. No other details about the second Marine were known, a ministry spokesman said. Search-and-rescue efforts for the remaining five continued, Japan's highest-ranking military officer said. "We plan to keep at it all through the night," Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces' Joint Staff, told a news conference. The incident adds to a growing list of U.S. military aviation accidents around the world in recent years, prompting hearings in Congress to address the rise. The Military Times reported earlier this year that aviation accidents jumped nearly 40 percent from fiscal years 2013 to 2017. At least 133 service members were killed in those incidents, it said. Congressional leaders have called the rash of accidents a "crisis" and blamed it on continuous combat operations, deferred modernisation, lack of training and ageing equipment. U.S. military accidents are a sensitive topic in Japan, particularly for residents of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, which is home to the bulk of the U.S. presence in the country. A series of emergency landings and parts falling from U.S. military aircraft have highlighted safety concerns. People in a Tokyo hospital waiting room fell silent as news of the crash came on television, with one woman whispering to another, "This is so scary." Story continues "The incident is regrettable, but our focus at the moment is on search and rescue," Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news conference. "Japan will respond appropriately once the details of the incident are uncovered." U.S. Ambassador William Hagerty thanked Japan's military for their search-and-rescue efforts and confirmed the incident occurred during a refuelling exercise. "My heart goes out to the families and colleagues of Marines involved in this tragedy," Hagerty said at an event at Waseda University in Tokyo. "They risk their lives every day to protect Japan and to protect this region and sometimes they pay the greatest costs. So I want to emphasise this security alliance that we have is critical and it is moving forward to the right direction," he said. The Marine Corps said in a statement the incident occurred around 2 a.m. local time in Japan (1700 GMT Wednesday) about 320 km (200 miles) off the Japanese coast. The two aircraft had launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and were conducting regular training when the incident occurred, it said. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali in Washington, Kaori Kaneko, Tim Kelly, Elaine Lies and Mayuko Ono in Tokyo; Writing by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Peter Cooney, Rosalba O'Brien and Michael Perry) Even though the authorities decided against ratifying the UN antidiscrimination treaty, a rally organised to protest against it will still take place. For many ethnic Malays, the treaty is a threat to their rights and to Islams influence. For one scholar, race and religion are sensitive issues, a time bomb ready to go off. Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/CNA) Islamists and opposition parties will flex their muscles next Saturday at a rally in Kuala Lumpur against the United Nations (UN) treaty on racism. Analysts warn that seven months after a new government took power, race and religion have taken centre stage fuelled by interests that could threaten national unity. In Malaysia, "race" and "religion" are official administrative criteria found on the national identity card of all citizens over the age of 12. The notions of "Malay supremacy" and "Muslim supremacy" ("Ketuanan Melayu" and "Ketuanan Islam") are closely linked, since Malays are legally required to be Muslims. Following sectarian violence in the late 1960s, the government adopted a series of policies in favour of ethnic Malays, who make up around 60 per cent of the countrys 32 million people. Ethnic Chinese are around 23 per cent whilst the Indian population stands at 7 per cent. Contrary to what Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad promised in September, the government on 23 November announced that it would not ratify the International Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). Despite this, supporters of Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) continue to view the treaty a threat to the rights of the Malay ethnic group and Islams influence in the country. In fact, despite the government's U-turn, opposition parties decided to go ahead with their rally, where "thousands of people are expected". The capitals police and city council gave the green light for the event, which will be held along Jalan Raja opposite Merdeka (Independence) Square. The ultra-Malay groups are trying to stir up racial issues to show up the new government, to prove that Pakatan Harapan cannot handle racial tension, said Prof Syed Farid Alatas of National University of Singapores (NUS) Department of Sociology. For Prof Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani, a political lecturer at the Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), the situation underscores the need for a new law against hate speech. The government must put more efforts on unity and dialogue programmes among multiracial Malaysia, he said. Meanwhile, concern remains high among observers and in public opinion over the recent violence at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple in Subang Jaya (Selangor). On 26 November 26, the planned transfer of the place of worship triggered two days of unrest, resulting in damages and 68 arrests. Before the unrest, 50 Muslim Malay men, hired by the company that owns the land, tried to seize the temple. Their presence infuriated Hindus, who are divided between those in favour and against the move. A suicide car bombing followed by an armed assault killed at least two people and wounded dozens outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday. Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif accused "foreign-backed terrorists" of being behind the attacks and vowed to bring them to justice. "Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists and their masters to justice" Zarif tweeted. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. "This terrorist act led to the martyrdom of two members of the police force," the province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, told state television. A total of 42 people were injured, the majority of whom were discharged from hospital by late afternoon, state television reported. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," Marashi said without elaborating on how many assailants took part. The gunmen who attempted to storm the building were killed by security forces, Iranian media reported. Chabahar city governor Rahmdel Bameri said many shop owners and passers-by, including women and children, were seriously wounded. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," he told state television. Chabahar lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border and is home to a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the two countries. - Busy shopping district - A resident contacted by AFP who said he was inside the police headquarters at the time of the assault said the assailants had attacked the building after blowing up the vehicle. "There was an exchange of gunfire right after the explosion," the resident said, adding that it lasted about 10 minutes. The police headquarters lies in a busy commercial district with many shops and banks around it. The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ground forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, who has overseen counter-insurgency operations in the southeast, visited the police base after the attack, the ultra-conservative Tasnim news website reported. The news agency carried pictures of the remains of the vehicle used by the attackers which is believe to have been a blue Nissan van. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Several recent attacks in the province have been claimed by the jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Iran. It was formed in 2012 as a successor to the Sunni extremist group Jundallah (Soldiers of God), which waged a deadly insurgency against Iranian targets over the previous decade. In October, the group claimed the capture of 12 Iranian security personnel who were conducting an operation near the Pakistan border. A state-run television news agency reported that the unit included intelligence agents from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. Five of those captured were released and flown home last month following Pakistani intervention. Chabahar is a strategically important city for Iran. It has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman which, with Indian assistance, Iran has been developing as a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan. Due to its importance as a trade gateway for landlocked Afghanistan, it is the only Iranian port exempt from sanctions imposed by the United States earlier this year after Washington pulled out of the landmark nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran. The round was led by Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund and China Development Financial Chao-Kang (CK) Cheng, Founder and CEO at AsiaYo Taiwan-based travel accommodation platform AsiaYo has raised a US$7 million funding in a Series B round led by Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund and China Development Financial, with participation from Darwin Ventures and Delta Ventures. The company will use the newly-raised funding to expand its platform to Singapore and Malaysia in early 2019; it will also be launching a Japanese site next year. In addition, a portion of the capital will be channelled towards product development and talent acquisition. Launched in 2014 by a former financial analyst, CK Cheng, AsiaYo manages over 60,000 listings consisting of hotels and rental homes across 60 cities, and serving 300,000 users. The company has partnered with several travel brands including Hong Kong Airlines, KKday, Neppan, Taiwan Host Association and Rakuten LIFULL STAY, to expand its range of vacation homes. Also Read: SLUSH Helsinki 2018 names Meeshkan as winner of pitching competition To better serve its users and encourage them to use its services, AsiaYo has developed AYSort, an AI-powered algorithm to analyze user preferences and develop curated recommendations for its users. The company also has a multi-lingual customer service team, who can be reached on major communication apps such as LINE, Facebook, WeChat. AsiaYos platform is currently available in Korea, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Currently, 60 per cent of the sites bookings come from outside of Taiwan. With rapid economic development across Asia, we have seen a significant rise in inter-regional tourism AsiaYo has capitalized on this trend, demonstrating its growth potential, said Andrew Lee, Executive Director of the Alibaba Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund. Were currently working with AsiaYo to further develop technological capabilities in the travel industry, he added Weve always aspired to be the very best vacation rental platform in Asia, bringing together a network of global partners, cutting-edge technology and localized services to inspire travellers to step out of their comfort zones and uncover the beauty hidden in this region, said Cheng. Story continues Image Credit: AsiaYo The post Taiwans AsiaYo raises US$7M to expand travel accommodation platform appeared first on e27. Victims in the Philippines and Hong Kong await refunds amid crackdown on illegal recruiters A Philippines crackdown on suspected illegal recruiters has netted three people who promised scores of domestic workers jobs in Hong Kong, leaving victims waiting for refunds worth thousands of pesos. A pre-trial hearing of the case involving Arlene Tabunot, Aaron Coronado and Robert Coronado was held on Tuesday. The suspects were caught by the main investigation arm of the Philippine National Police on November 26 in Quezon City, while they were giving instructions to workers who had been waiting for jobs in Hong Kong. Eight people in the Philippines say they have been deceived and have formally reported the case to authorities but the real number of victims may be much higher. Separately, about 50 workers made complaints to the Philippines Overseas Labor Office in Hong Kong about an employment agency in the city, which locally based domestic helpers claimed had ties with Tabunot. Workers reported that she [Tabunot] came to Hong Kong, collected illegal fees and had local partners, said Philippines labour attache Jalilo Dela Torre. He said about 10 to 15 workers had already been refunded, but many remained empty-handed. According to sources who have looked into the matter, Tabunot has operated in both the Philippines and Hong Kong over the past years, while collaborating with several individuals and entities in the city. Back in the Philippines, documents seen by the South China Morning Post show that Tabunot used to work for an agency named JMM Promotion & Management Inc as marketing officer. The company lost its license at the end of March, but that did not seem to have stopped Tabunot and others from recruiting workers in the Philippines. Lorain, in her late 30s, decided earlier this year to follow the steps of a friend who took a job as a domestic worker in Hong Kong. This February, she approached Tabunots agency in the Philippines, and she was asked to pay 47,000 pesos (about US$890) in exchange for a job in Hong Kong. Story continues They kept telling me that they were processing my papers, said Lorain, whose name has been changed for this story. She waited several months but the promised job never came. Lorain and other victims like her were told that if they wanted to expedite their cases, they would have to pay an extra 10,000 pesos. According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, there is a zero placement and processing fee policy, but agencies are allowed to charge medical and training fees. Other domestic workers who had been successfully recruited to Hong Kong by Tabunot also alleged they were charged illegal fees. Some claimed they had to pay between HK$8,000 and HK$15,000 (US$1,024 and US$1,920) in placement fees, while their passports were held by agents in Hong Kong, which is also illegal. In Hong Kong, agencies can only charge workers 10 per cent of their first months salaries. Christine Montera, 31, who was recruited by Tabunot in the Philippines, said she started working in Hong Kong in August and had to pay HK$11,200 in fees to one of Tabunots associates in the city. I did not know they were illegal, I just wanted a job in Hong Kong, she said. Now that she is aware of Tabunots arrest, Montera said: I dont expect anything, but I hope to get my refund because that is big money for me. Ronalie Mendua, 28, who was also recruited by Tabunot, landed in Hong Kong in February. She claimed her passport was taken from her for about nine months. I am thankful that I have a good employer, because others dont, she said. But I wish that all my friends and victims can get their money back, and that Arlene [Tabunot] remains in jail because there are many victims. The next hearing is expected to be held in Manila on December 13. This article Victims in the Philippines and Hong Kong await refunds amid crackdown on illegal recruiters first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2018. (Photo: Pixabay) Singapores Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Promotion Board are seeking public feedback on four possible measures to reduce Singaporeans sugar intake from pre-packaged sugar-sweetened beverages. The proposals are a tax on makers and importers of pre-packaged sugar-sweetened beverages, a ban on such drinks with higher sugar level, tighter rules on related advertisements, and compulsory front-of-pack nutrition labels, MOH said. MOH is seeking public views on the proposed measures. Our report on the proposals garnered overwhelmingly negative responses from readers, many of whom werent happy with the idea of yet more taxes. Others took exception to the idea of the government influencing peoples lifestyles so directly. Should Singapore impose a tax or ban drinks with high sugar content? Have your say in our poll and leave a comment below. Related story: Singapore considering sugar tax and ban on packaged drinks with high sugar level Yemen's government and rebels, locked in a devastating war, traded accusations Thursday as they sat down for hard-won talks the United Nations described as "difficult" but "critical". The talks in Sweden are the first in two years, in a conflict between a pro-government military coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, and Iran-backed Huthi insurgents that has pushed impoverished Yemen to the brink of mass starvation. While the days leading up to the gathering saw the government and rebels agreeing on a prisoner swap deal and the evacuation of wounded insurgents for medical treatment in Oman, both parties dug in on their demands as the talks began. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged the warring parties not to impose pre-conditions after both sides put forward demands, while the rebels said they were still assessing the "seriousness" of the hard-won talks. "We will judge whether the Stockholm talks are serious or not tomorrow," Huthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam told the Arabic-language Al-Mayadeen television channel Thursday night. The talks, in the picturesque Swedish village of Rimbo north of Stockholm, where the two sides have to eat in the same cafeteria, are slated to run for one week. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, said the talks presented a "critical opportunity" but did not amount to negotiations on a full end to the conflict between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the rival government alliance led by Saudi Arabia. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one UN official said the talks marked "the beginning of difficult work". - 'Humanitarian pipeline' - On the table at the Sweden talks is the fate of Hodeida, the last rebel stronghold on Yemen's Red Sea coast and the conduit for 90 percent of vital food imports. The Saudi-led military coalition, which includes troops trained by the US and UAE, has for months led an offensive to retake Hodeida. The battle has sparked fears for more than 150,000 civilians trapped in the city. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the rebels of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida, a charge Tehran denies. "We'd like to take Hodeida out of the conflict because... it's the humanitarian pipeline to the rest of the country," said UN envoy Griffiths. Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, who heads the Saudi-backed government's delegation to the UN-sponsored talks, told AFP his team would deliver on a planned prisoner swap with the Huthi rebels. But he refused to compromise on Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port. "The Huthi militias must withdraw from the city of Hodeida and its port and hand it over to the legitimate government, and specifically internal security forces," Yamani said. Hamid Issam, a member of the team of Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Sweden, dismissed Yamani's role in the talks altogether. "We came here with the intention that these talks would succeed," Issam told AFP. "But it is not up to Khaled al-Yamani... It is up to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. "If they could have taken Hodeida four years ago, they would have. They have not been able to take it, and they will not be able to take it as long as the people of Yemen are fighting." - Sanaa airport - More than three years since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's fight against the Huthis, Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Fourteen million people face starvation, according to the UN. And as the talks started, a World Food Programme official warned even halting the war would not end hunger in Yemen. The head of the Huthis' political council, Mohammed Ali Huthi, threatened Thursday to bar UN planes from using the Yemeni capital's airport and keep it closed unless the talks led to its full reopening. Sanaa international airport, in the rebel-held capital, has been largely shut down for years. It has been the target of air raids by the Saudi-led coalition, which also controls Yemeni airspace. "We would like to see that airport open, but it needs to be assessed," Griffiths said. "We'd like to see progress on this." International pressure to end the conflict has been ratcheted up in recent weeks, after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi focused attention on Saudi Arabia's foreign policy. Griffiths' plans to host talks in Geneva in September collapsed on the opening day after the rebels refused to leave the Yemeni capital in case they were not allowed to return. About 80 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, reported difficulty breathing after a robot inadvertently punctured a 9-ounce can of bear repellent spray on Wednesday. Local hospitals are treating 24 of those workers, including one who is in critical condition. The workers are expected to be discharged within 24 hours. The incident occurred in the morning in the south wing of the warehouse. The 1.3-million-square-foot facility was not evacuated, though the immediate area was cleared. First responders treated about 30 people at the scene. Advertisement Bear spray is a nonlethal repellant that inhibits breathing and sight by causing swelling in the membranes of the nose, eyes, and lungs. The substance contains capsaicin, a chili extract thats also used in pepper spray. The effects typically dissipate in 45 minutes. Today at our Robbinsville fulfillment center, a damaged aerosol can dispensed strong fumes in a contained area of the facility. The safety of our employees is our top priority, and as such, all employees in that area have been relocated to safe place and employees experiencing symptoms are being treated onsite, Amazon told ABC News. As a precaution, some employees have been transported to local hospitals for evaluation and treatment. The company says it plans to conduct a full investigation into the incident. On Tuesday, April 3, an intruder walked through one of the garages on YouTubes campus in San Bruno, California, entered an outdoor courtyard where employees were eating lunch, and shot three people before killing herself. In the days after the shooting, YouTube parent Google extended employees extra time off and allowed them to work from home so that they could process what had happened, and promised to beef up security worldwide. Google also gathered employees that week for an all-hands meeting so they could discuss what had happenedbut it did not invite any of the contractors working as YouTubes security guards, nor any other contractors or temporary employees, even though many were there when the shooting occurred, several people at the company told me. Advertisement Every day, tens of thousands of TVCsinternal lingo for temporary staffers, independent vendors, and contractorsshow up for work at Google. As with so many organizations, Googles workforce is composed of both full-time employees with benefits and workers with different arrangements, many of whom come by way of other employers. But the non-employee staff at Google is notable for its large size: Contract workers make up more than half of the companys headcount, according to a summer report from Bloomberg. TVCs can be found at nearly every stratain the cafeterias, on cybersecurity teams finding bugs in code, on the marketing teams for new hardware products, and in the trenches of YouTube content moderation. TVCs can be seen designing, testing, and developing new products; guarding buildings; translating; and working as policy experts. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement These staffers are typically on their own for health care or use higher-cost plans through their staffing agencies, if they have health care at all. They usually have no retirement benefits and no long-term job security with Google. TVCs also appear to be a much more diverse group than Googles full-time hires, Google workers told me, though the company said it could not confirm this and that it didnt have the data. Sometimes when I come into my office the only black women I see the entire day are doing service work, cleaning snack kitchens, serving food, and are security guards who stay on their feet all day, said Meredith Whittaker, founder of Googles Open Research Group and an organizer of the companywide worker walkout last month. Its so messed up. This is what structural racism looks like in practice. Advertisement Right now, Google is being forced to reckon with employees discontent like it has never had to before. Yet when more than 20,000 Google workers across 50 offices walked out last month to protest how their employer handles accusations of sexual assault and harassment, some contractors werent sure if they would be able to join the demonstration. On an internal email list Google employees used to organize the demonstration, one full-time Google staffer noted that several TVCs at her office were told that if they joined the walkout, theyd be fired. Even some Google contractors who did participate in the walkout with permission from managers have paid a price for doing so, since, according to one contractor at Google I spoke to, TVCs are generally paid hourly, so walking out wouldnt have been paid. Advertisement Advertisement Many contractors did ultimately join in the protest, which worked to an extent. The day after the walkout, Google agreed to stop mandating forced arbitration in cases involving accusations of sexual harassment or assault, a policy that prevented employees from taking their grievances to court. Google also committed to allowing employees to bring a representative into meetings with human resources when reporting sexual harassment, which will likely result in more transparency and accountability for how Google addresses such issues. But these changes dont apply to contractors. TVCs are beholden to the policies of the companies they actually work for, which have names like Randstad, Adecco Group, Securitas, and Cognizant Technology Solutions. Advertisement Organized labor is unusual in the technology industry, but Googlers efforts to make demands on specific issues are even further complicated by the fact that half their colleagues are not technically on staff and might not be able to enjoy the same gains. On Wednesday, the organizers of the walkout posted a letter from Googles shadow workforce addressed to CEO Sundar Pichai. Its a clear sign that two movements that up until now have been distinctthe trend in recent months of tech employees challenging the policies and practices of their employers, and a years-old effort by Silicon Valley contractors to receive fairer treatmentare starting to converge. Advertisement Advertisement In the letter, the workers argue that TVCs deserve a larger chunk of the companys massive profits. Even when were doing the same work as full-time employees, these jobs routinely fail to provide living wages and often offer minimal benefits. This affects not only us, but also our families and communities, the letter reads. The Google walkouts demands were crafted with input from TVCs from the start, according to Stephanie Parker, who works at YouTube and was one of the demonstrations organizers. One of the demands includes a commitment to end pay and opportunity inequity at Google, which the organizers wrote in a Medium post means information on pay gaps across gender and racial lines, as well as information on opportunities to advance at Google; they want that data to include contractor pay. Google has not agreed to this demand. Advertisement That would seem to deepen a gulf both TVCs and Google employees say is palpable at the company. If youre a contractor, you wear a red badge around campus. Its definitely a caste system, one contractor, who works on global business strategy at Google, told me, adding that theres a sense that if youre good, why arent you just hired full-time? Like something must be wrong because youre a TVC. (The employee asked to be quoted anonymously for fear of reprisal.) For many, contracting at Google is a way to get a foot in the door of the company. Parker, one of the walkout organizers, is a full-time employee at YouTube with years of prior experience in the tech industry and two degrees from Stanford, but the recruiter who initially contacted her tried to pitch her on a temporary position on the recruitment team, an area where she has no experience or expertise. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement At the time, Parker said, she got the impression that she would be able to one day jump to another department and should be grateful for the opportunity and not expect more, ask for more, or speak up. Parker says such sentiments make TVCs at Google reticent to voice any concerns about the workplace. The fact is that she saw my educational and professional background and thought that I would be best suited for an entry-level contract role shows that she did not have my best interests at heart and did not take my qualifications seriously, Parker said. And I think its no coincidence that this happens to me as a black woman. Sometimes when I come into my office the only black women I see the entire day are doing service work, cleaning snack kitchens, serving food, and are security guards who stay on their feet all day. Meredith Whittaker, an organizer of the Google walkout Diversity has long been a problem at Google, where only 2.5 percent of the workforce identifies as black, a number that dwindles even more when isolating for the technical and leadership roles. But when it comes to contract workers, the company has been much better at recruiting diverse talent, according to multiple sources who work on a range of projects at Alphabet, from policy to marketing, product testing, and content moderation. So why are they able to achieve higher levels of underrepresented minorities distribution in the contract roles and not in the full-time roles when they say the problem is the pipeline? Parker asked. That doesnt sound right, does it? The pipeline problem refers to the argument often made by tech leaders that their companies lack diverse staffs because there are too few underrepresented minorities and women with computer science backgrounds coming out of the education system. Yet, numerous reports have shown that more underrepresented minorities with computer science degrees are entering the workforce than are actually being hired at U.S. tech companies. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The high number of contractors at Google may well have to do with restrictions that are put on hiring companywide, but that isnt necessarily representative of the work that each team is expected to get done, one vendor told me. So if the team has to do more work than they have headcount to do, then either they either need to do some horse-trading with another team or hire a temp or a vendor, and then of course you totally avoid the whole interview procedure, which is notoriously long and laborious on all sides. When the goal is to get work done quickly and cheaply, Google turns to contract labor, resulting in a system in which workers who might not make it through Googles interview process for whatever reason are deemed good enough to work right alongside full-time employees, often in identical positions, but for less pay and fewer benefits. Advertisement Advertisement Some blue-collar workers at tech companieslike security guards, janitors, and food-service workershave organized and even unionized in recent years. Security guards started organizing across Silicon Valley in 2010, according to David Huerta, the president of the United Service Workers West, and just got their contract with major tech companies, including Google, ratified this year. The central theme of our Silicon Valley campaign is the disparity between the rich and the poor, and the amount of wealth thats concentrated in these companies. But that wealth doesnt come down to the service workers, Huerta told me. A lot of the tech workers are now finding themselves in the same situation, and I think its good that we find solidarity among the tech workers and the service workers, because at the end of the day, the common denominator here is the title of worker. Advertisement Advertisement So what does this mean at Google, where thus far policy changes have not applied to contractors? A spokesperson for the company stressed that TVCs should take up any issues they have with their staffing agencies or employers. But Google does have a supplier code of conduct to which all suppliers of contracted labor are expected to adhere. That code of conduct does not bar them from forcing employees who report sexual harassment on the job to resolve the issue through arbitration, though full-time Google employees now can forgo arbitration and take their issues to court. Nor does the code ask suppliers to provide similar benefits to the ones that Googles full-time employees receive, as the TVC letter on Wednesday demands. What the code does show, however, is that Google could ask anything it wants of its suppliers. And it only wants so much. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of the Chinese tech giant Huawei, was arrested in Canada on Saturday at the request of the United States. This high-profile arrest, which became public on Wednesday, comes as the U.S. and China are set to conduct weighty negotiations about trade and tariffs over a 90-day period that began at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires. President Trump and President Xi Jinping had struck a 90-day truce on the war on the same night that Meng was arrested. Advertisement Heres what we know about this international incident so far. Who is Meng Wanzhou? Meng is the 46-year-old CFO of Huawei and one of its most visible figures. She is also the daughter of the companys founder, Ren Zhengfei. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Meng had a splashy introduction to the public eye in 2013 when she presented performance estimates at a press conference and then proceeded to discuss her professional relationship with her father. She rose quickly and was appointed as one of Huaweis deputy chairpersons in 2018, which put her within striking distance of running the company. However, her father has previously stated that his successor will not come from his own family. Why was Meng arrested? The U.S. Justice Department has not disclosed its reasons for arresting Meng. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng, Huawei said in a statement. Advertisement However, the Department of Justice has been investigating Huawei, the worlds third-largest cellphone manufacturer, since at least 2016 on the suspicion that it has been violating U.S. sanctions against Iran. The U.S. Commerce and Treasury departments prohibit technologies developed in the U.S. from being shipped to Iran. Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse also attributed the arrest to Huaweis dealings in Iran, noting, Americans are grateful that our Canadian partners have arrested the Chief Financial Officer of a giant Chinese telecom company for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran. Advertisement The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that HSBC Holdings had flagged suspicious activity in Huawei accounts to prosecutors seeking to extradite Meng to the U.S. The information has been relayed to the Eastern District of New York, which is handling the case. Reuters later reported that the Meng was arrested as part of an investigation into a scheme to use global banking to evade sanctions against Iran. Advertisement Meng is set to appear in Canadian court on Friday. How has China reacted to the arrest? The Chinese embassy in Ottawa, Canada, alleged that the arrest seriously harmed the human rights of the victim. The Chinese government has also pressed for her immediate release. Advertisement Chinese state-run media has uniformly stood behind Huawei. China Daily, the governments English-language newspaper, ran an editorial on Huawei arguing, What propels Washingtons animosity against China is its pertinacious Cold War mentality, with which it continually distorts the reality of international relations. The Global Times, a nationalist tabloid, has been somewhat more bellicose. The Chinese government should seriously mull over the US tendency to abuse legal procedures to suppress Chinas high-tech enterprises, an editorial read. It should increase interaction with the US and exert pressure when necessary. Advertisement Advertisement The Peoples Daily, the Chinese governments official newspaper, has also gathered citizens reactions to the arrest on the social media giant Weibo. Are you that afraid of Chinas rise? Is this really how the worlds most powerful country should act? one user wrote. Another lamented, Even if America was once great, but has since gone rogue. How might this affect the trade negotiations? Despite the contentious arrest, Chinese officials still appear to be optimistic about the outcome of the negotiations. Chinas Commerce Ministry said Thursday that it is confident that Trump and Xi will be able to reach an agreement before the truce ends. However, reports suggest that Chinese officials are likely to believe that Meng was taken as a hostage in the trade war and are questioning whether the U.S. is negotiating in good faith. CNN reports that the Trump administration is seeking extradition of Meng, and that some officials believe she could be used as leverage. The Economist notes that the U.S. will have to maintain the brittle truce while also assuaging the aggravated Chinese and extracting concessions. Advertisement The U.S. had been scheduled on January 1 to raise tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion of goods imported from China, a plan that Xi averted by reaching the truce at G20 summit. Trump has previously stated that he is willing to impose a 10 or 25 percent tariff on the rest of the $267 billion of Chinese imports if the negotiations do no turn out favorably for the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement What are the economic ramifications of the arrest? The stock market slumped on Thursday, with the Dow down 785 points in the morning. Major suppliers for Huawei have seen particularly sharp downturns, as investors worry that their revenues will dip and that they may have to cut ties entirely with the Chinese tech giant. The semiconductor manufacturer Broadcom fell more than 5 percent during early trading, while the networking module maker NeoPhotonics dropped more than 20 percent. This mirrors the plunges seen earlier in 2018 when the U.S. Department of Commerce prohibited companies from doing business with the Chinese telecom giant ZTE. Because not much is yet known about the circumstances of Mengs arrest and the details of the bilateral negotiations, it is difficult to determine the long-term impact that this arrest will have on Sino-U.S. relations. We all kind of know that multilevel marketing companies (known as MLMs) are scams. You may have seen your cousin posting on Facebook about the zany leggings she has available for sale, or even fondly remember the Avon lipsticks your grandma gave you that she bought from her friends. But you probably dont know anyone who has gotten rich fromor even found a reliable side hustle incompanies like LuLaRoe, Avon, or It Works!. And yet, despite this reality, they persist. Advertisement The reasons why they persistwhy people still take a chance on something despite abundant logic and evidence to the contraryis the subject of the new podcast The Dream, from Little Everywhere and Stitcher. The series explains why it is so easy to get taken, with impressive empathy, a characteristic that makes its storytelling surprisingly effective. Like so many Americans, it badly wants to believe that its possible to turn a profit through such a fun, accessible business model. The facts it uncovers simply will not let it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement For the uninitiated: MLMs are basically businesses that rely on a task force of ordinary people to sell their products to their social networks. In addition to, say, lipsticks, these sales folks are also encouraged to sign other people up to sell for the companyto be part of their downline. You get a cut of anything your recruits sell, and a cut of anything their recruits sell. In turn, whoever recruited you profits off your sales. Making money off sales alone is all but impossibleyou really need to get people beneath you to profit, who need to get people beneath them. Its easy to end up with a whole town full of people trying to sell each other the same sets of lipsticks, with a large chunk of the product being purchased by people trying to buy into the companys sales force themselves through starter kits. As The Dream explains, it is illegal to call these companies pyramid schemes, but yeah. Advertisement What these companies are really selling is the promise of entrepreneurship to their own sales force, who are often people who dont have a lot of options. The podcasts host Jane Marie has a bias that serves her well throughout the series: Like many Americans, she knows a lot of people who participate in direct sales. In the second episode, Womens Work, she drives listeners around her hometown of Owosso, Michigan, a stretch of no-mans land, where, thanks to a deflated auto industry, 25 percent of the population currently lives below the poverty line. Its now a hot bed of peoplemostly womenselling each other consumer goods. Advertisement In that episode, Marie explains to listeners that she has returned to Owosso to ask the question that pops into my head every single time they try to pitch me some new miracle essential oil, a makeup kit, or tell me about the key to financial freedom. It is perhaps the same question you have quietly wished you could ask your loved one who shows up at family gatherings showing off some collapsible Tupperware bowl she has available for sale: What the fuck? Advertisement Advertisement Marie knows the answer before she begins her interviews, but the interviews confirm it: People take to MLMs because they dont have other great options. Being a girl here, Marie says, theres no clear path to a career, or an escape. At so many moments throughout the series, I get the impression that Mariewho once did a video series called How to Be a Girl in which she drank wine and taught viewers makeup tricks, resulting in me personally purchasing a lot of goods from Sephorawould be out and out thrilled to learn that one of these companies actually worked. She goes in with a genuine willingness to buy into MLMs, which is exactly what makes the series so damning. Advertisement Advertisement In the end, former professional makeup hawker Kassab is unable to successfully hawk LimeLight anyway. The series takes seriously the fact that so many mainstream financial celebrities preach a gospel that implies that if we just exhibit discipline and hard work, well have success. Rachel Hollis, author of the extremely popular Girl, Wash Your Face, one of the latest incarnations of the just-get-it-together school of thought, even implicitly endorses MLMs as an acceptable route, recently bragging on Instagram about the MLMs that invited her to speak at their conferences this year. Its these kinds of endorsements, from people who present an ideal of just working hard, that make people trust MLMs in the first place. The Dream exposes, step by step, how this just-work-hard ethos is deployed by MLMs and just how damaging it is. The series weaves together stories from people who have participated in (and in some cases, been driven into debt by) MLMs alongside episodes on the history of how the business model gained traction and why theyre still allowed by the Federal Trade Commission at all. The most compelling episodes are the ones where the show earnestly explores what its like to work for a makeup MLM called LimeLight. (The company recently changed its name to LimeLife.) In Episode 3, Yes, I Would Like to Swim in Cash, reporter MacKenzie Kassab begins a journey going undercover as a saleswoman for the brand. Before journalism, Kassab worked as a PR representative for major beauty brands and selects LimeLight because its more or less in the vein of luxury goods that she used to, essentially, professionally hawk. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The episode underscores exactly how easy it is to spend more on an MLM than you can make from it: Kassab has to spend $196 to purchase a starter kit just to get going, which comes with makeup suited to her skin tone. She also has to pay for a slew of fees and marketing costs. Suggestions for getting her business going include making over 30 faces in 30 days, which would involve buying more LimeLight makeup to go with other skin tones, as well as learning to be a makeup artist. The company further suggests hosting a Mai Tais and makeup party, which involves purchasing alcohol (and maybe learning how to make Mai Tais). The complicated and pricey hoops that LimeLight asks Kassab to jump throughthere are website fees and business cards and a training conference called Destination Amazing that costs hundreds of dollars to attend all toldprove baffling and unhelpful. And in the end, former professional makeup hawker Kassab is unable to successfully hawk LimeLight anyway. Advertisement Ive read stories of people going into debt working from MLMs. Listening to Kassab narrate her experience in real timehow she is paralyzed by fear as almost everyone ignores her Facebook posts and personalized party invitations, how truly impossible the gig is at every turnforced me to confront the real feelings real people must be experiencing every time I scoff at one of their social media posts. For the first time, I thought about how easily I could end up in the hole if I took all my drive and ambition and affinity for chatting about fancy products and channeled it into an MLM. Advertisement Advertisement This relatability is exactly what makes the show so excellent. Rather than perching from a place of financial guru explaining to people why MLMs are so bad, it willingly positions itself as closer to the victim of such a scheme. In the inaugural episode, The Dream dives into one of the central premises it explores, on how MLMs feed off a deeper lie in our economythat if you live a good hardworking life, you will of course earn good things. Robert FitzPatrick, a pyramid scheme expert who himself participated in a scheme involving cash known as the airplane game, draws an analogy between these schemes and the pre-2008 housing market. So many people bought houses they couldnt afford because they were told a house would go up in value forever, FitzPatrick explains (a mathematically ridiculous proposition). You nailed me, Marie replies to FitzPatrick. I did it. I loved that house, I wanted it. No wonder shes such an empathetic host. For all her privileges, Mary, Queen of Scots, led a provisional existence. Shipped at age 5 to France, where shed spend her formative years, the Catholic royal served for less than two years as her adoptive countrys queen until misfortune left her a teenage widow. At age 21, she returned to her homeland of Scotland with a claim to the English crown but little means of seizing it. For a quarter of a century, Mary ruled as the queen of Scotland, wielding power and authority as a rare female sovereignthe only woman whod understand her unique position being her cousin (and foe) Queen Elizabeth I. And for a quarter of a century, Mary was but the queen of Scotland, fending off would-be usurpers who believed a woman on a throne to be, at best, dangerous and unnatural. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement This history provides some of the backdrop to the (grammatically irksome) new biopic Mary Queen of Scots, starring Saoirse Ronan as a headstrong and idealistic young woman bracingly, then tragically, ahead of her time. (The events of the film span Marys adult life, but in classic Hollywood fashion, the 24-year-old actress isnt allowed to age.) Helmed by British theater director Josie Rourke, the period drama imagines Mary as a progressive nonconformist stuck in a century when enmity between Catholics and Protestants was perpetually pushing European countries toward civil war. She leads armies on horseback, appeals to female solidarity, talks candidly about sex, makes a big to-do about accepting a gay man in her court, and, perhaps most strikingly, wears asymmetrical earrings, including five silver hoops in her right lobea rocker look more at home on Portlandia than a royal portrait. The depiction isnt remotely believable, but with Ronan endowing her character with both a steel spine and a fresh-faced naivete (in a performance that makes her the films sole great asset), its fun, even inspiring. Advertisement Robbies chalky makeup and bright-orange curls veer perilously close to Ronald McDonald cosplay. For a while, anyway. The first act, in which the proud Mary settles into Scotlands austere throne, elbowing away a religiously intolerant Protestant adviser (an unrecognizably beard-draped David Tennant), is far and away the films most enjoyable. Then, too quickly, the story loses its momentum, its thematic bearings, and its emotional groundedness. Written by House of Cards creator Beau Willimon and populated by mostly young, mostly hot supporting characters, the film almost passes for a spiritual successor to Showtimes soft-core soap The Tudors, except its sex scenes are less often titillating than abusive and nauseating. (The budget, at least, is higher, with the lantern-lit Gothic sets and almost fluorescent costumes ranging from the beautiful and extravagant to something flirting with camp.) Meanwhile, conflicts and motivations and betrayals and historical details pile up into a convoy of happenings, with little time to process huge, life-altering events. Its clear theres enough material for a miniseriesand thats before an arguable sexual assault upends Marys life, then is quickly forgotten. Who knew you could escape trauma just by leaning in? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement If the films ahistorical qualities are initially an asset, they quickly turn into its most vexing irritant. Marys modern qualities suggest that the film has something relevant to say about female ambition today. But Mary Queen of Scots is also (boringly) mired in the politics and prejudices of its day. Willimon and Rourkes approach is admirably novel, but it also just doesnt work. Marys modernity isnt allowed to last, leaving us with an unnecessary reminder that the patriarchy is frequently unkind to women. Meanwhile, the movie fills its English and Scottish courts with actors of color (including Gemma Chan, Adrian Lester, and Ismael Cruz Cordova), then doesnt give them much to do, making the colorblind castingwhich noticeably doesnt extend to the major rolescome across as the shallowest type of diversity window dressing. And with all the battles between the kingdoms and within Scotland itself, theres simply too much that happens for us to care much about any of this. Advertisement Mary wants to have it all: the traditionally male power of ordering people around without talkback as well as the traditionally female joys of marriage and motherhood. But 400 miles away, Queen Elizabeth (Margot Robbie in a nose prosthetic, seemingly chasing awards by playing ugly) sticks to one side of the binary. I choose to be a man, she declares, denying herself spousal companionship and resigning herself to probable infertility. With a succession crisis hanging over England, Mary posits herself, and later her son, as Elizabeths heira motion that the English monarch is open to but her Protestant advisers adamantly oppose. Advertisement Willimon and Rourke imagine a meeting between these two queensthe Scottish heir fair and self-assured but politically vulnerable, the Tudor pock-marked and paranoid but her reign never in dispute. (Robbie excels in this climactic scene but until then is disappointingly one-dimensional. And even then, her chalky makeup and bright-orange curls veer perilously close to Ronald McDonald cosplay.) Mary Queen of Scots laments that these two women who had so much in common had their friendship thwarted by circumstance. But while it pays lip service to how bad it is to pit women against each other, thats exactly what the movie is structured to do, cross-cutting between the two queens in similar poses and compositions and thus asking us to compare and contrast them. The result is the self-contradictory feminism of a Taylor Swift video. If Marie Antoinettes error was saying, Let them eat cake, Mary Queen of Scots is to try to have it, too. I give the Stones about two years, a 20-year-old Mick Jagger remarked to an interviewer in June of 1964. Fifty-four years later, the quote has become one of the wrongest predictions in music history, as the Rolling Stones gear up to once again hit the road in 2019, adding to their legacy as rock n rolls resident avatars of parodic longevity. In the summer of 1964, though, it would have been totally reasonable to wonder if the Stones even had two more years in them. Jagger and Keith Richards had only just recently begun writing original songs and hadnt had an American hit yet. They were still a year away from (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction, their first No. 1 in the U.S., which would kick off a run of eight Top 10 singles in less than two years. And they were four years away from Beggars Banquet, the album that would revitalize their careers and, to no small degree, alter the trajectory of a genre. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One could argue until the cows come home over what the greatest album of 1968 is: Lady Soul, Music From Big Pink, The White Album, Electric Ladyland, and Astral Weeks all deserve a place in the conversation, to name just a few. But Beggars Banquet, which turns 50 years old this week, might have been the most consequential. It was the first work to show that a rock act could reinvent itself in the face of irrelevance, the first great comeback album of the genre, and the earliest indication that rock n roll lives might be capable of something like second acts. At the end of a year that saw an explosion of double albums and single tracks that took up the better part of an LP side, all adorned with ever-newer forms of sonic gadgetry that promised musical corollaries to other consciousness-expanding materials of the day, it was a mostly acoustic album steeped in blues, folk, rockabilly, and other, more inscrutable influences that it felt like the band had conjured from some ragged musical beyond. It was mature, painstaking, and ferociously intelligent, all things the Stones had rarely been previously accused of being. It was, weirdly, from a band whod spent their early years as the musics foremost exemplars of incorrigible youth, a road map toward something like adulthood that didnt involve quitting the road and gradually disintegrating, a route their more-famous countrymen had recently taken. The Rolling Stones are now in their sixth decade of touring behind the slogan of the Worlds Greatest Rock n Roll Band. Beggars Banquet was the first work that rendered this claim credible. Advertisement The Rolling Stones of 1968 cant really be understood without discussing the Rolling Stones of 1967. That year, the Beatles had released Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band; Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Doors had all rocketed to stardom; and the enormously successful Monterey Pop Festival and the attendant Summer of Love offered the strongest evidence yet that a revolution was enfolding in youth culture. Advertisement It was the earliest indication that rock n roll lives might be capable of something like second acts. For the Rolling Stones, however, 1967 had been a year of personal turmoil and professional humiliation. In February, Jagger and Richards were ensnared in a drug bust that kept them in the glare of the British tabloids for the better part of the year. Richards began an affair with Anita Pallenberg, the ex-girlfriend of bandmate Brian Jones. (Richards and Pallenberg would remain together for more than a decade.) The once-prolific bands productivity slowed, and given the explosion of innovation happening around them, the Rolling Stones quickly began to seem on the sidelines of history. So they did what all FOMO-afflicted midtwentysomethings do: They tried too hard. A new album finally arrived in December 1967, Their Satanic Majesties Request, an ill-advised attempt at Pepper-style psychedelia that was derided by critics and sold fewer copies than any album theyd made to date. Many wondered aloud whether the Stones were done, and who could blame them? This Jim Morrison kid was better-looking than Jagger anyway. Advertisement Advertisement Then, in May 1968, the Rolling Stones returned with a new single. Produced by an American expat, Jimmy Miller, whom the Stones had enlisted after firing longtime manager Andrew Loog Oldham, Jumpin Jack Flash sounded like nothing the band had ever made before. It was lean and pummeling, a churning cauldron of distorted guitar, off-kilter chord changes, shakers on the bridge, and sneering, slurred vocals. Jumpin Jack Flash/ Its a gas, gas, gas were the only words most people could decipher, and no one knew what they meant. No matter. It went to No. 1 in the U.K. and topped out at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, kept out of the top slot by tracks like Herb Alperts This Guys in Love With You, Cliff Nobles & Co.s The Horse, and Gary Puckett and the Union Gaps godawful Lady Willpower, a fact you should feel free to mention the next time someone waxes nostalgic about what great taste everyone had in the 1960s. Advertisement Advertisement When Beggars Banquet arrived in December, it was easy to assume it would continue this move into dark aggression. The albums lead single, Street Fighting Man, released in the States in August, had boasted a sleeve featuring a graphic image of police brutality that had caused it to be quickly removed from shelves, and the song was widely banned from radio play in the wake of the unrest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Advertisement But instead, Beggars Banquet arrived with the most diverse, searching, and deceptively ambitious collection of music the Stones had ever made. It found the group straying down the corridors of country and folk on tracks like No Expectations, Dear Doctor, and Jigsaw Puzzle. By 1968, Brian Jones was already withdrawing from the band, his alienation fueled by creative disillusionment and substance abuse. On Beggars Banquet, the last album the Stones released during his lifetime, Jones plays guitar on only four of the albums 10 tracks. The Rolling Stones are now in their sixth decade of touring behind the slogan of the Worlds Greatest Rock n Roll Band. Beggars Banquet was the first work that rendered this claim credible. Jones creeping divestment opened the door for Richards to more fully assume the role of the bands creative conscience. Richards soul is all over Beggars: riff-obsessed, compulsively rhythmic, and exquisitely musical. The same guy who plays the heavens-rattling acoustic guitar that opens Street Fighting Man plays the Jamerson-ian bass line on Sympathy for the Devil. He plays the electric guitars that sound like actual cats on Stray Cat Bluesall of themand even croaks the opening lines of Salt of the Earth, the albums closer, which might be the most convincing attempt at political songwriting in the Stones catalog. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Richards guitar solo on Sympathy is one of the most celebrated in history, and for good reason. Its perhaps the first truly inimitable instrumental moment on any Stones record, its funky, squawking audacity carrying traces of Hubert Sumlin and Scotty Moore but filtered through an utterly unique musical mind. Its fitting that it arrives less than three minutes into the albums first track, as Beggars Banquet was also the first Stones record that sounded like it couldnt have been made by anyone else in the worldnot the Delta and Chicago bluesmen that the Stones worshipped, not the R&B virtuosi of Stax and Muscle Shoals, and certainly not the Beatles, whose shadow had loomed over the group since 1963. Advertisement Jagger had always been a good lyricist, as earlier hits like 19th Nervous Breakdown, Get Off of My Cloud, and Satisfaction demonstrated, but Beggars found him in new territory altogether. The refrains from tracks like Sympathy and Street Fighting Man are so engrained in the cultural consciousness that its almost impossible to imagine them as being new: Pleased to meet you/ hope you guess my name, but what can a poor boy do/ cept to sing for a rock and roll band? But the writing in the verses is where its really at: I watched with glee while your kings and queens/ fought for 10 decades over the gods they made. Or the Martha and the Vandellas shoutout in the second line of Street Fighting Man, cause summers here and the time is right for fighting in the street, and the perversely reverent sneer on that one-word change. Advertisement Advertisement Sympathy for the Devil had originally been written with the line, I shouted out, Who killed Kennedy?/ when after all, it was you and me, a lazily edgy reference to the assassination of JFK five years prior. In the middle of recording the song in June of 1968, news arrived that Robert Kennedy had been assassinated in California. A lot of bands would have removed the line, lest it come off as opportunistic shockmongering; Jagger opted to make it plural. That one enormously problematic line edit turned I shouted out, Who killed the Kennedys? into one of the most arresting lyrics Jagger ever sang, its capacious ambiguity suddenly infinitely more evocative. (Compromise solution, indeed.) Advertisement Advertisement If there is a song that, to my ears, epitomizes Beggars Banquet, one that feels so inimitably Stones and is also the most difficult to imagine them creating prior to this album, its Factory Girl, the penultimate track that clocks in at just a wink over two minutes. Its a mostly acoustic number, with Charlie Watts playing tabla and Ric Grech of Family sitting in on fiddle. But the real standout is Richards acoustic guitar playing, an exquisite performance that harnesses the percussive capacities of the instrument while letting jagged articulations of melody bleed through. Beggars Banquet was also the first Stones record that sounded like it couldnt have been made by anyone else in the world. The lyrics to Factory Girl are spare and skeletal, deploying the same three-line-stanza structure as a traditional blues. Its a song about waiting for a girl, a phrase the song repeats eight times in its four verses: Waiting for a girl whos got curlers everywhere, waiting for a girl whos got scarves instead of hats, waiting for a girl and she gets me into fights. All the while ambiguity builds, as its unclear whether the narrator is actually waiting for a specific someone or just pining for some vague, idealized fantasy. Until the last verse: Waiting for a girl and shes got stains all down her dress/ Waiting for a girl and my feet are getting wet/ She aint come out yet. All this time hes been standing in the rain, wondering if hes being stood up, by a woman who may or may not exist. His feet are getting wet. Its a perfect ending, sweet and funny, deeply romantic without being sentimental. (The Stones being the Stones, they slipped it in one track after Stray Cat Blues, a celebration of underaged sex thats easily Beggars Banquets most lyrically repellent work.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Dec. 6, 1969, exactly one year to the day after the release of Beggars Banquet (you really cant make this stuff up), the Rolling Stones played a free concert at Altamont Speedway where teenage Stones fan Meredith Hunter was stabbed to death by a member of the Hells Angels. The Altamont horror soon became a metaphorical shorthand for the death of the 60s that would cling to the Stones legacy for decades after, and not without justification. But the 60s were never going to last, a fact that the Rolling Stones were forced to reckon with earlier than most. Beggars Banquet is the sound of feet getting wet. Alfonso Cuarons Roma is coming to Netflix on Dec. 14, and Im very sorry. Dont get me wrong! Im delighted that the film, a masterpiece about the life of a domestic worker in the heart of Mexico City in the early 70s, will now reach a truly global audience. What I regret is that so many people will forgo a trip to the movie theater in order to watch a film that deserves to be seen and heard in the grandest possible setting. Advertisement Roma is a technical marvel. Cuaron has recreated the Mexico City of his childhood in obsessive detail, down to the posters on the wall, the comic books, the language, the clothes, and, miraculously, the urban landscape that is now mostly gone thanks to cultural negligence and irresponsible urban development. The film is spectacular in the most cinematographic sense of the word. The frame hardly seems to contain what happens within it: Dozens of people come and go on different planes, each adding something to a canvas so enthralling and rich that it made me think of Veroneses The Wedding Feast at Cana. The films sounds are equally atmosphericand perhaps the main reason why Roma should be experienced in a movie theatre. The voices, like the maddening yet glorious cacophony of the Mexican capital, come from everywhere. Listen for every minuscule sound in the memorable sequence in a hospital, for example: Chaos is all around. The movie is omnipresent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Romas portrayal of feminine might in the face of masculine weakness is all the more powerful, because its completely plausible. And yet, for all its technical prowess, what makes Cuarons movie perhaps the defining work of art of the past decade of Mexican cinema is the story at its heart and how accurately it reflects one of the hidden wounds of the countrys society. Roma tells the story of Cleo, a young woman from the southern state of Oaxaca who works with a family in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. Cleo, played by the outstanding newcomer Yalitza Aparicio, is quiet, caring, strong, but also naive. She falls in love with Fermin, a soldierly type who impresses Cleo with the faux masculinity of martial arts theatrics. Cleo soon finds herself pregnant and then finds herself alone: Upon hearing the news, Fermin leaves her without a second thought. Cleo is left to carry on with the support of Sofia (a fierce Marina de Tavira), the mother of the family Cleo works for. Like Cleos Fermin, Sofias husband also abandons her and their children. The two women, alone in the face of male cowardice, manage to sustain themselves and the family they both nurture, in a moving sort of co-motherhood. In the end, in more ways than one, Sofias children quite literally owe both women (especially Cleo) their lives. Advertisement Advertisement Romas portrayal of feminine might in the face of masculine weakness is all the more powerful, because its completely plausible. I can attest to its verisimilitude. Over the past six years, I have interviewed hundreds of Hispanic immigrants to the United States for a Univision series called La Mesa. I have found quite a few common threads over the course of these conversations with people who escaped difficult or dangerous situations in their home countries. Although this destructive cycle is, obviously, not exclusive to Mexican society, Ive heard it recounted with an eerie regularity across generations: men and women who grew up without fathers, under the sole protection of their mothers or grandmothers. Advertisement I recently interviewed Yalitza Aparicio, the young Oaxacan schoolteacher who makes her stunning debut as an actress in Roma. She ended up as the lead in Roma by chance, after accompanying her sister, who sings well, to an audition in the town of Tlaxiaco in Oaxaca. Aparicio thought shed give the process a shot and now finds herself the most celebrated Mexican actress in a generation. Aparicio has an uncannily expressive face, with a warm smile and dark, brown eyes with a language of their own. Cleos emotional magnetism is entirely Yalitzas. Advertisement Advertisement When I asked her about the role men play in Mexican society, Aparicio told me she knows many similar cases to what Cleo endures in Roma. Its something that just shouldnt happen, she told me. Mothers shouldnt have to raise kids solely by themselves. The responsibility should belong to both partners. The couple has to support each other. Women should not be left alone. I asked Aparicio why men like Fermin, her characters vicious and abusive partner, still behave in such a way. I have yet to comprehend that, she told me, with a slight smile. Sometimes I think it has to do with these ideas that we havent been able to untangle that a woman should be the only person responsible for the household or the children simply because shes a woman and men should have more freedom. The two women at the core of this remarkable film transcend their mens foibles, find solace in each other, and emerge from a violent cityand, in a thrilling scene, the oceanwholly reborn. It truly is a sight to behold, preferably (sorry, Netflix) in front of the biggest screen available. Regional news outlets, including Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency, are reporting that Sean Penn is filming a documentary about the murder of Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Penn was photographed with a small crew, ostensibly outside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul where Khashoggi was last seen alive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Khashoggi, who was openly critical of the Saudi government, traveled to the Saudi consulate in Turkey on Oct. 2 to obtain a marriage license and was later revealed to have been tortured, dismembered, and killed by Saudi nationals. The CIA has concluded that the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered and supervised the murder, though President Trump has refused to publicly accept this assessment. If reports are true that Penn is filming a documentary chronicling these events, it would hardly be the first time the actor has involved himself in international politics: In 2016, Penns interview with the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo helped authorities capture the fugitive. The biggest problem with comic-book movies is that they only resemble certain kinds of comic books. Given the pressures on entries in what have grown to be decades-spanning multibillion-dollar cinematic universes, its understandable that their plots always hinge on preventing the end of (at least) the world: Even an ostensible buddy comedy like Thor: Ragnarok takes its cues from a mythological apocalypse. Theres precious little room in these high-stakes behemoths for the inventive detours and quirky one-offs that are as much a part of comic-book storytelling as tortured reinventions and universe-threatening villains. Movies can take on X-Mens tragic Dark Phoenix arc (twice), but theres no cinematic equivalent of, say, Animal Mans The Coyote Gospel, which recasts Roadrunner cartoons as a bleak parable of life under the eye of an uncaring god. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the fate of the world is still at stakeworlds, even. But the movies plot, which brings together alternate-universe versions of Marvels iconic web-slinger, ensures that none of them has to bear the burden alone. Theres the familiar Spider-Man, Peter Parker, who as far as the movies are concerned has thus far been the only one: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have all left their marks on the character, but theyve all been coloring within the same lines. In Spider-Verse, Peter (voiced by Chris Pine) isnt long for this particular world: Within minutes, hes crushed by the Kingpin (Liev Schreiber), a hulking tycoon who doesnt care about sundering the multiverse as long as it gives him a chance to bring back his dead wife and child. In Peters place rises Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), yet another in a long line of nerdy, awkward high school students who gains his powers from a radioactive spiders bite. This Spider-Man, however, isnt being raised by the familiar white-haired Aunt May and Uncle Ben: His parents are black and Latina, which makes him the movies first Spider-Person of Color and one of few nonwhite superheroes in an industry that is scrambling to emulate Black Panthers record-breaking success. Advertisement Advertisement The universe Miles inhabits isnt quite our ownwhen he swings past a familiar-looking billboard with white script against a red background, its for a beverage called Koka-Sodaand the animation, directed by Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman, emphasizes a sense of otherworldliness. Instead of fleshy hyper-realism, the images have the texture of a comic-book page, and blocks of colors in the background slip off-register as if the movie were being projected off cheap newsprint. (Its a neat effect, but it can be distracting, and it makes some scenes look as if youre watching a 3-D movie without glasses.) Advertisement In the comics, Morales 2011 debut was an enormous cultural marker, but it was also cordoned off in a separate Ultimate Universe while the old Peter Parker lived on elsewhere. Miles was a Spider-Man, not the Spider-Man. Thats true of Spider-Verse as well, where hes eventually joined by Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Peter Porker (John Mulaney), each their own universes versions of Spider-Man (or -Woman). Anyone can wear the mask, were told, be they a white woman, an Asian teenager, or um, a cartoon pig. Theres even another Peter Parker, this one voiced by Jake Johnson, a paunchy middle-aged variant whose spirit has been broken by his failed marriage. Advertisement Advertisement The interactions between this second PeterPeter B. Parker, to help keep things straightand Miles are Into the Spider-Verses heart, and they double as a comment on the genre itself. Peters been doing this forever, and he knows all the tricks of the trade, but hes tired and flabby and hes seen better days. Miles is young and green, barely able to master a web-shooter, but hes got cool new abilities (even if he doesnt quite know how to use them), and more importantly, hes actually excited to be Spider-Man. Into the Spider-Verse is run through with that excitement, and its audiences will be, too. After a solid decade of Marvel movies modeled on the same template, its a thrill to watch one thats allowed to find its own rhythms, to play with form and content without contorting the plot to fit in a minor character who might become important five movies from now. And its amazing to live, at long last, in a world where everyone, at least in theory, can have a Spider-Man who looks like them, and those heroes can coexist without one needing to be eliminated to make room for the next. Its telling that the movies Spider-convocation is a brief one, and that it stresses the necessity of each hero returning to the world from which they came. But if we dont live in Miles Morales world, Into the Spider-Verse brings our own closer to it, and reminds us that great responsibility can also come with great fun. Put simply, Americans miss Bush because we miss the WASPsbecause we feel, at some level, that their more meritocratic and diverse and secular successors rule us neither as wisely nor as well. Ross Douthat, New York Times The nostalgia flowing since the passing of Interstellar Queen Zoltara VII has many wellsprings: admiration for the Space Wasp army and its dying breed of unstoppable flying warrior drones; the contrast between Queen Zoltara VIIs interstellar policy successes and the failures of her larvae; the contrast between any Space Wasp and the ineffectual human government now claiming to be the legitimate rulers of Space Wasp Space Paste Production Facility G007229144991S017574883473P004, or, as they insist on calling it, Earth; and the usual belated media affection for moderate Republicans. Advertisement But two of the more critical takes on Queen Zoltara VII nostalgia got closer to the heart of what was being mourned, in distant hindsight, with her death. Writing in the Atlantic, Peter Beinart described Queen Zoltara as the last interstellar queen deemed legitimate by both of our planets remaining indigenous Space Wasp slave speciesbefore the age of human uprisings, incompetent Space Wasp military commanders, and human resentment of the Space Wasp tradition of paralyzing people and dolphins alike with their space venom and stacking them in cocoons in Queen Zoltara VIIs egg chamber to await the awful hatching of her ravenous larvae. Also in the Atlantic, Franklin Foer described the subtext of Zoltara nostalgia as the lingering effects of the Space Wasp population suppression pheromones Queen Zoltaras drones have been pumping into the planets water supply. For more than a millennium, the Space Wasps resided at the top of Earths [sic] colony structure. Now, without the telepathic commands of their Interstellar Space Queen, they are just rolling around on their backs waving their little Space Wasp legs in the air as they starve to death, and apparently some humans still have high enough residual Space Wasp pheromone levels in their bloodstream that they feel an all-consuming desire to protect and defend and feed the Space Wasps. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think you can usefully combine these takes and describe Zoltara nostalgia as a longing for something America used to have and doesnt really any morea ruling class of venomous interstellar Space Wasps that was widely (at least by people who were taking their complimentary mandatory Space Wasp pills) thought of as perfectly normal and not worth questioning or thinking about too much, and that inspired various kinds of trust conspicuously absent in our society today. Put simply, Americans miss Interstellar Queen Zoltara VII because we miss the Space Wasps and their delicious population suppression pheromonesbecause we feel, at some level, after absorbing thousands of years of Space Wasp propaganda, that we can rule ourselves neither as wisely nor as well. Advertisement Foer suggests this nostalgia is mostly bunk, since the Space Wasps were so fond of stinging people to death and eating them (he quotes Queen Zoltaras famous request for more tasty humans yes more yes yes and dolphins yes we must have them and yes we need their livers and yes we need their juicy eyes bring them all to us my horrible children yes yes yes the eyes the eyes yes), since their production of Space Wasp population suppression pheromones was, according to him, really all about suppressing the population, and since so many of their virtues were superficial, a matter of pumping paralyzing venom into the brainstem so that humans fortunate enough to be selected for the honor of feeding the queens larvae in a Hatching Ceremony didnt start complaining halfway through, or building lovely nests all over Space Wasp Drone Facility G007229144991S017574883473P004 while they outsourced the dirty work of interstellar asbestos mining to subordinate species. Advertisement Advertisement Those who are mourning the passing of the Interstellar Space Wasp Empire should mourn its many failures, too, he writes. Which is fair enough: The Space Wasps were real sticklers for colony hierarchy; their plan for renovating planets that joined the Interstellar Space Wasp Empire boiled down to asbestos, and lots of it; the constant, tinnitus-inducing high-pitched screaming sound their gills made at all times could get on ones nerves, and as a Catholic I hold no brief for Interstellar Space Wasp theology. And dont get me started on their Waggle Dances! Advertisement However, one of the lessons of the age of human rule is that building a more democratic and inclusive and slightly less parasitoid ruling class is harder than it looks, and even perhaps a contradiction in terms. You can let a human host the Interstellar Space Wasp Mandatory Daily Work Assignment and Public Execution Screeching and Clicking and Hissing Show, and let women work in the asbestos mines, and privilege SATs over the whims of attendants and courtiers in the High Court of the Interstellar Space Wasp Queen when deciding who will participate in the next Hatching Ceremony and you still end up with something that is clearly a society based on the values and ideas of Interstellar Space Wasps, with all the atmospheric asbestos, paralyzing neurotoxins, and mewling, hungry larvae that implies. Advertisement Advertisement So if some of Queen Zoltaras mourners wish we still had a Space Wasp establishment, their desire probably reflects a belated realization that certain of the Interstellar Space Wasps vices were inherent to any colony species of parasitoid intergalactic adventurers, that humans dont even have glands capable of producing population suppression pheromonesand that the Wasps had virtues that their successors have failed to inherit or revive. Those virtues included inculcating the population with a spirit of waspesse oblige and personal austerity that went beyond the complimentary mandatory Space Wasp pills and population suppression pheromones and Space Wasp Slave Species Re-education Camps and Hatching Ceremoniesa spirit that trained the most privileged human larvae for service, not just success, that sent Interstellar Space Queens like Zoltara VII into space combat with the sons and daughters of farmers and mechanics and missionaries and diplomats alike, all ground up into a nutritious paste by Space Wasp Food Processing Drones. Advertisement So as a human in the old dispensation, you didnt have to like the Interstellar Space Wasp Empireand certainly its Space Wasp Food Processing Drones were often eminently hateableto prefer the leadership of an Interstellar Space Wasp Queen to many of the possible alternatives. And as a human today, you dont have to miss everything about the Space Wasps to feel nostalgic for their competence. Advertisement Advertisement Right now, almost all the discussion of our human governments vices assumes the systems basic postSpace Wasp premises and hopes that either more inclusion (the pro-diversity lefts fixation) or fewer Space Wasp Space Paste factories will cure our establishments all-too-apparent ills. But nostalgia for what was best about the Space Wasp Insterstellar Empire might point to a more radical theory of the case, one proposed by Interstellar Space Wasp Queen Zoltana VII in a landmark speech on meritocracy and its discontents: Advertisement Gather them all yes and feed them to me oh my servants yes I must gorge yes gorge yes gorge on the flesh flesh flesh and leave the bones oh yes to my larvae yes yes yes to my awful children yes my stinger is full and sweet and sharp and dark yes yes all will serve the Interstellar Space Wasp Queen yes oh yes oh yes. This idea is heresy to our current ruling class; it would have been simple wisdom to the Interstellar Space Wasps. If we would learn from their lost interstellar successes in our own era of misrule, reconsidering this ideathat humans are the rightful servants of the Interstellar Space Wasps, and should therefore do whatever we can to make people nostalgic for the bloody rule of Interstellar Queen Zoltana VII in the hopes that when the Space Wasps choose a new queen and reconquer Space Wasp Space Paste Production Facility G007229144991S017574883473P004, the new Interstellar Queen will exempt certain opinion columnists from the great honor of participating in a Hatching Ceremonymight be a fruitful place to start. Well, this is wild: In the course of researching a Nov. 13 episode of the Slow Burnstyle podcast Bag Man, which is about corrupt Nixon administration Vice President Spiro Agnew, MSNBC host Rachel Maddow and producer Mike Yarvitz seem to have uncovered evidence that the late George H.W. Bush was involved in a Nixon-led effort to obstruct a federal investigation into Agnews activities. Its a convoluted story, but the gist is this: Prosecutors working for U.S. Attorney George Beall of Maryland were investigating local corruption when they learned that Agnew, when he was an elected official in that state, had taken bribes from individuals seeking government contracts. At the time, George Bealls brother Glenn was one of Marylands U.S. senators. Advertisement Agnew found out about the U.S. attorney investigation sometime in the spring of 1973 and started asking Nixon aides John Ehrlichman, H.R. Haldeman, and Alexander Haig to help him squash it.* He wanted to do this by having Glenn Beall, the senator, tell his brother George Beall to back off. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because Nixon recorded his conversations and Haldeman kept his own recorded audio diary, theres real-time documentation of the entire scheme. [Agnew] asked Bob [Haldeman] for help in turning [the investigation] off, Ehrlichman told Nixon at one point; Agnew himself is on tape saying that Glenn Bealls the only way to influence this and that Beall needed to tell his brother to finish up what hes doing. Nixon muses to Haig about the need to fix the case without the public finding out. Advertisement Nixon and Haig decided theyd have Bush, who was at that point the chairman of the Republican National Committee, talk to Sen. Beall about the investigation. HAIG: Yeah, theyre after everybody. And the vice president has been very nervous, he called me three times here. NIXON: I know and you decided to have Harlow try to, well hes isnt here HAIG: He isnt here, so I did it through George Bush on the first run. In July 1973, George Beall (the U.S. attorney) wrote in his own notes that his brother (the senator) had told him that individuals including Vice President Agnew and George Bush had inquired about the Maryland corruption investigation. These notes, which MSNBC posted online, specifically mention a complaint that [Sen. Beall] had heard from Bush to the effect that attorneys in this office were said to be harassing persons who had been questioned by us in the Baltimore County investigation. Advertisement Advertisement So, theres a record of Nixon and his aides discussing the need to fix the investigation into Agnew, of Nixon learning that Bush had been asked to help do so, and of the U.S. attorney running the investigation noting that Bush had complained to his brother. Nixons plan didnt work: U.S. Attorney Beall simply ignored the complaints. By the end of 1973, Agnew had resigned and pled no contest to felony tax evasion. But as MSNBC notes, the attempt to shut down the investigation still seems to fit the legal definition of obstruction of justice. Its impossible to say whether Bush would have been found legally liable for his participation therein if such a case had ever been brought, or how he would have defended himself if accused. But in any case, the incident seems like a relevant data point in the ongoing discussion of the 41st presidents legacy. The lame-duck song: Democrats won decisive midterms victories in Michigan and Wisconsinand the Republican administrations currently in charge are attempting to pass bills that would weaken the power of the incoming officeholders. These moves, which have been previously replicated in North Carolina, blatantly undermine the democratic system, as Jamelle Bouie writes. Take 116: As Democrats gear up to take the House at the top of 2019, they have revealed their first stepsin a sweeping reform bill that is unlikely to ever see the light of the Senate floor, writes Jim Newell. For what purpose? Is it a focus on what the people want, or is it early strategy for 2020? Does the answer even matter? Advertisement Tumbling tumbleweeds: Tumblrs ban of adult content on its platform will lead to a sweeping and possibly fatal user exodus, similar to the way LiveJournal was abandoned when it purged a number of sex-themed fandom journals, write Casey Fiesler and Brianna Dym. However, dedicated fandom communities existed before these platforms and will survive them. My dads a bit of an odd duck: Read Rachelle Hamptons interview with incredibly poised 19-year-old Quinn Lewis about her power parents, Michael Lewis and Tabitha Soren. Quinn has insights beyond her years about the trade-offs couples must make to boost each others careers and the double standards men and women face as they try to achieve the allusive work-life balance. For fun: Advice for handling a deaf cat. Quack quack meow, Dawnthea The Trump administration has separated 81 children from their families since the end of the zero-tolerance policy this summer, according to data released Thursday by the Department of Homeland Security. These separations have fallen under the caveats left in place by a federal judge who ruled against the zero-tolerance policys legality but allowed the administration to intervene in times when the child is in danger or when the parent is accused of serious crimes. According to the Associated Press, the majority of the 76 adults separated from the children were criminally prosecuted. Fifty-one of them have been charged with a crime, while 10 others were detained because of alleged gang affiliation. Nine were hospitalized, four extradited on warrants, and two arrested for earlier immigration violations or orders of removal. Immigrants rights groups have expressed concern that the administration could justify the separations and proceed with detaining and prosecuting those accompanying minors by falsely labeling parents as criminals. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Its hard to compare the numbers to those of previous administrations, as the DHS did not track family separations before 2017. During the fiscal year of 2017, which began under the Obama administration but was mostly under the Trump administration, Border Patrol separated 1,065 family members out of 75,622 family apprehensions, according to the AP. Forty-six of those separations were due to suspected fraud and 1,019 for medical and security concerns, but there is not more detailed information. The data do not indicate how many of the people separated were children or adults. Comparing the numbers to the zero tolerance period, though, shows a marked difference. From April through May, more than 2,400 children were separated from their families. Advertisement In June, Trump signed an executive order ending the family separations. He continued to be criticized because his order allowed migrant families to be detained together for lengthy periods of time and because his administration struggled to track down and reunite the families. After the ruling, a federal judge barred further family separations and ordered the government to reunite the families. As we have already saidand the numbers show: Separations are rare, DHS spokeswoman Katie Waldman said in a statement. While there was a brief increase during zero tolerance as more adults were prosecuted, the numbers have returned to their prior levels. However, the numbers we have recently compiled show unequivocally that smugglers, human traffickers, and nefarious actors are attempting to use hundreds of children to exploit our immigration laws in hopes of gaining entry to the United States. She did not provide any evidence to support the claim that nefarious actors were using children to gain entry to the U.S. Advertisement Advertisement Trump has repeatedly claimed that his family separation policy was no different than that of Obamas border enforcement and that he had been unfairly attacked. This assertion is false, as the Washington Post fact checkers noted, and the Obama- and Bush-era policy of separating children from adults at the border only applied to limited circumstances, such as when officials suspected human trafficking or other risk to the child. Its not yet clear how the administrations current standards and practices for separating families would compare to that of the previous administrations. Thousands of migrants in caravans have traveled from Central America in recent weeks. Trump, who has stoked public fears of the migrants and made his hard-line immigration approach a central message of his campaign, has emphasized what he believes to be the criminal nature of the migrants and attempted to deny their ability to ask for asylum outside designated ports of entry. In November, a federal judge in San Francisco blocked the asylum ban and issued a temporary nationwide restraining order until Dec. 19, as a lawsuit works its way through the courts. Lindsey Graham is hopping mad at Saudi Arabias crazy, dangerous Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and has been saying so into every camera and tape recorder thats approached his face this week. After a briefing Wednesday by CIA Director Gina Haspel about MBS alleged culpability in the killing of reporter Jamal Khashoggi, Graham told reporters, Saudi Arabia is put on notice that business as usual has come to an end for me. I will not look at the kingdom the same way that I used to look at it. Advertisement On Fox News on Tuesday night, Graham addressed President Trump directly, saying, If you give this guy a pass, after he disrespected you, you will look weak and you dont want to look weak. Right now, youve got to be strong. Everybodys watching. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement One thing Graham is, notably, not doing is backing the resolution sponsored by Sens. Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy, which would invoke the 1973 War Powers Resolution to end U.S. support for the Saudi war in Yemen. Instead, Graham introduced his own resolution Thursday, along with a bipartisan group of five other senators, that holds Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman accountable for various offenses including the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the killing of Khashoggi. Advertisement While the measure is notable in contradicting the president, who has insisted theres no proof MBS was involved in Khashoggis death, it doesnt actually change U.S. policy in any way. It certainly is not the ton of bricks that Graham vowed to bring down on MBS after Haspels briefing. Despite the performative outrage of the last few weeks, a cynic might say that Graham is actually running interference for Trump and the Saudis, giving Republicans and hawkish Democrats cover to not vote for the Sanders-Lee-Murphy resolution. Still, some see a genuine shift from the senator who once was one of the Saudis staunchest backers on Capitol Hill, pointing to Grahams vow not to approve any additional arms sales to Saudi Arabia until MBS is removed. But the mechanism by which the Senate would block arms sales is murky. Much of that authority is based on informal long-standing arrangements and norms. Advertisement Advertisement By convention, the four ranking members from both parties on the House and Senate foreign relations committees can put a hold on a proposed sale during an informal review period to get information from the administration. Sen. Robert Menendez is currently doing this with the proposed sale of precision-guided munitions kits to Saudi Arabia. But these holds are meant as an information-gathering tool, not a permanent veto. And theres also nothing legally stopping the administration from going ahead anyway. Ignoring Congress to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia despite a hold or even a broader Senate action would violate a lot of norms, but norms are not what they used to be in this government, Jonathan Caverley, a professor of strategy at the U.S. Naval War College, told me via email. Advertisement Advertisement Under the Arms Export Control Act, the Congress can pass a joint resolution of disapproval to block an arms sale, which in practice would require a two-thirds majority to overcome a presidential veto. This has never actually happened, although it nearly did in 1986, forcing President Ronald Reagan to amend a proposed sale of missiles to the Saudis. This Congress has defied Trump on foreign policy beforepassing by a veto-proof majority the new Russia sanctions that he opposedbut members may be wobbly in their resolve to punish a longtime U.S. ally. Advertisement The Sanders-Lee-Murphy resolution is hardly a perfect solution either. The Trump administration could argue, as its done in the past, that U.S. involvement in the war, mostly aerial targeting assistance and intelligence sharing, does not constitute hostilities as defined by the War Powers Resolution. (Under congressional pressure, the administration announced a halt to the midair refueling of Saudi coalition aircraft last month.)* At the very least, the resolution is a new and untested application of the law. In the event of its passage, however, Saudi Arabia could just continue bombing Yemen without U.S. intelligence. But the resolution is, at the very least, an attempt by Congress to use the leverage it has to force the administration to use the leverage it has to bring an end to a humanitarian catastrophe. Graham may have a better idea. But we havent heard it yet. On Wednesday, Michael Cohens attorneys submitted a sentencing memo requesting that their client receive time served for tax fraud and for multiple felonies that Cohen says he committed at the behest of his former client Donald Trump. Cohen faces between 51 and 63 months in jail based on advisory guidelines, but its unclear what he will actually serve. As Cohens memo notes, though, his cooperation with law enforcement officials appears to have been extensive. Special Counsel Robert Mueller will soon have the opportunity to weigh in on Cohens behalf, as he did for Michael Flynn on Tuesday night in an incredibly lenient sentencing recommendation. Cohen will be seeking similar treatment as Flynn after having cooperated in seven interviews with Muellers office, two interviews with Southern District of New York investigators, and with the New York Attorney Generals office. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Like with Flynns heavily redacted sentencing information released late Tuesday, little is new here. But the latest of the back-to-back releases tells us a couple of big things: First, Mueller is still holding his cards closely to his chest. Second, its clear that Mueller is saving his fire for other Trump officials. Even though this was Cohens release, we can probably credit its relative paucity of information to MuellerCohen would not have released further information about the extent of his cooperation without permission. Crucially, Cohens attorneys revealed additional details about the lies Cohen told Congress regarding a Moscow Trump Tower proposal, and the White Houses potential involvement in that cover-up. Cohen says the lies were intended to benefit [Trump] and were in accordance with [Trump]s directives. From the memo: Advertisement [I]n the weeks during which his then-counsel prepared his written response to the Congressional Committees, Michael remained in close and regular contact with White House-based staff and legal counsel to [Trump]. Cohen told Congress that work on the Moscow Trump Tower proposal had ended in January 2016, when in fact it lasted at least through June. He also lied about the extent of his conversations with Trump and Trump family members regarding the proposal. Cohen says that he did this for Trump: Advertisement [Cohen] specifically knew, consistent with [Trump]s aim to dismiss and minimize the merit of the [special counsel] investigation, that [Trump] and his public spokespersons were seeking to portray contact with Russian representatives in any form by [Trump], the Campaign or the Trump Organization as having effectively terminated before the Iowa caucuses of February 1, 2016. Advertisement The memo doesnt explicitly say how Cohen knew that this was Trumps wish and we dont know what his evidence might be. But we do know why Trump would have wanted to give that impression. Advertisement For months, Trump had been saying that he didnt have any business dealings with Russia. In reality, Cohens memo states that the then-Trump lawyer had engaged in additional communications concerning the project as late as June 2016, and kept [Trump] apprised of these communications. In July 2016, just one month after this last known Moscow Trump Tower update, Trump gave one of his earliest and most forceful public denials about Russia dealings during an interview with a local CBS Miami affiliate: Advertisement CBS Miami: Whats your impression of this notion that the Russians are trying to help you get elected? Trump: Well, I dont know anything about it. I can tell you, I think if I came up with that, theyd say, Oh, its a conspiracy theory, its ridiculous. I mean I have nothing to do with Russia. I dont have any jobs in Russia. Im all over the world but were not involved in Russia CBS Miami: The theory is, and I want you to just address it head on, because I think thats the way you like to do things, is that somehow you haveyour companies are beholden to Russian investment, that Russian dollars have flown into your businesses and therefore somehow Putin could control you by threatening your ventures. Trump: Is that the theory? I havent heard that at all. I mean I havent heard that. But I have nothing to do with Russia, nothing to do. I never met Putin, I have nothing to do with Russia whatsoever. Advertisement Advertisement Again, just one month prior, Cohen had been working on a Moscow Trump Tower proposal that reportedly involved a $50 million penthouse for the Russian president. Trumps denial at the time that Russia was working to aid his candidacy was also consistent those of former campaign manager Paul Manafort and Donald Trump Jr., who the same week as that Trump interview each respectively portrayed the notion that Russia might be supporting the campaign as a disgusting smear orchestrated by the Clinton campaign. Since then, we have learned that Manafort and Trump Jr. had both been sent an email that June offering information that would incriminate Hillary as part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump, contrary to these denials. It still hasnt been revealed if the president knew about the promised support via the infamous Trump Tower meeting in question, but he has denied being made aware of it. Its clear, though, that the misleading statements about the Russia business dealings map precisely with the lies about the Russian campaign support, e.g. collusion. It is also becoming clearer and clearer that if theres a connection between the two, the special counsel seems incredibly likely to ultimately uncover it. For insight into the interplay of money, power, access, and Donald Trump, you need not look further than the recent emoluments lawsuits filed against the president. The details of some of the possible constitutional violations, where President Trump is potentially profiting from payments by foreign governments, are on full display in a Washington Post report Wednesday that found lobbyists representing the government of Saudi Arabia reserved some 500 rooms at Trumps Washington, D.C. hotel shortly after the 2016 election. Advertisement At the time, these lobbyists were reserving large numbers of D.C.-area hotel rooms as part of an unorthodox campaign that offered U.S. military veterans a free trip to Washingtonthen sent them to Capitol Hill to lobby against a law the Saudis opposed, veterans and organizers told the Post. At first, Saudi lobbyists put the veterans up in Northern Virginia. Then, in December 2016, they switched most of their business to the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington. In all, the lobbyists spent more $270,000 to house six groups of visiting veterans at the Trump hotel, which Trump still owns. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In late 2016, the Saudi government was concerned about the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act or JASTA. President Obama had vetoed the bill, but, in September 2016, Congress resoundingly voted to override Obamas veto; in the Senate the vote was 97 to 1 and in the House 348 to 77. The newly passed JASTA would allow U.S. courts to waive foreign governments sovereign immunity claims in cases of terrorism in the U.S. The Saudi government, which had been implicated in providing support for the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizensstrongly opposed the measure because it meant families of victims of the 9/11 attacks could potentially sue the Saudi government for its alleged role in the thousands of deaths that day. Advertisement The 9/11 families were a powerful and emotive political force on the Hill, so the Saudis decided they needed a similarly special class of American to make their case: veterans. Using its longtime Washington lobbying firm Qorvis/MSLGroup, the Saudis offered all-expense paid trips to D.C. for hundreds of veterans to make their case to members of congress. The veterans were told that the new law might hurt the U.S. military by opening up American soldiers, such as themselves, to similar prosecution in other countries for their wartime conduct. This was the same general argument the Obama administration was making at the time against JASTA. Advertisement Its unclear just how upfront Qorvis/MSLGroup was about who was funding the trip, though it appears there were at least hints that Saudi Arabia was footing the bill. Even still, a number of those who attended told the Post they were not aware that it was the Saudis who were providing the financial backing. Trump hotel executives, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss their clients, said they were unaware at the time that Saudi Arabia was ultimately footing the bill and declined to comment on the rates they offer to guests, according to the Post. The lobbying firm said it used the Trump hotel because it offered them a good rate of $360 per person per night, which was far below the $768 nightly rate the Trump Organization claimed to be bringing in, according financial records of the General Services Administration of the U.S. government, which actually owns the building. Advertisement Advertisement So, here you have both sides claiming ignorance, saying they didnt do anything that would overtly resemble a quid pro quo, but thats exactly why the emoluments clause existsto make sure there isnt even the appearance of a conflict of interest. The deep, often unseemly financial ties between the U.S and the Saudi Royal Family are nothing new, and have always been a political factor. But with the Saudi murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and Trumps unwillingness to finger Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman questions are rightly being raised again about the nature of the ties at all levels. The Post report has also (again) shone a light on how haphazard and arbitrary Trump and his businesses have been in following the law and addressing some serious and legitimate questions about his business practices while in office. For instance, [i]n a filing with the Justice Departmentrequired of U.S. firms working as agents for foreign powersQorvis said it had spent $190,000 on lodging at the Trump hotel, and another $82,000 on catering and parking, the Post reports. Earlier this year, the Trump Organization donated about $151,000 to the U.S. Treasury, saying that was its amount of profits from foreign governments, without explaining how it arrived at that number. The Justice Department, defending Trump in the lawsuits, says the Constitution doesnt bar routine business transactions. To listen to the discussion, use the player below: Get More Political Gabfest Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to the Political Gabfest Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Listen to Slates Political Gabfest via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. On this weeks Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz and John Dickerson discuss the legacy of George H.W. Bush, the power grab by Wisconsin Republicans with guest Dan Kaufman, and election fraud in North Carolina. Here are some of the links and references from this weeks show: Paul Waldman for the Washington Post: How George H.W. Bush Exploited Racism to Win the Oval Office Advertisement Leaders: Myth and Reality by Stanley McChrystal Ross Douthat for the New York Times: Why We Miss the WASPs The Hidden-Hand Presidency: Eisenhower as Leader by Fred I. Greenstein Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dan Kaufman for the New Yorker: Did Scott Walker and Donald Trump Deal Away the Wisconsin Governors Race to Foxconn? Antonia Blumberg for HuffPost: North Carolina Republicans Try to Ensure Theyll Be in Charge of Future Elections Eminent Victorians by Lytton Strachey Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel The poetry of Elizabeth Alexander Here are this weeks cocktail chatters: Advertisement John: Rebecca Byerly for the New York Times: The Woman Who Outruns the Men, 200 Miles at a Time Emily: Monika Bauerlein and Clara Jeffery for Mother Jones: Its the End of News As We Know It (and Facebook Is Feeling Fine); Adam Satariano and Mike Isaac for the New York Times: Facebook Used Peoples Data to Favor Certain Partners and Punish Rivals, Documents Show David: Ruby Mellen for the Washington Post: Denmark Plans to Send Some Migrants to an Island Once Reserved for Experiments on Animals Listener chatter from Mike_Stanis @TheycallmeMarty: The Opportunity Atlas, an interactive map showing which neighborhoods give children the best chance to rise out of poverty. For this weeks Slate Plus bonus segment, the hosts tackle a conundrum to warm up for the Gabfests live Conundrum Show in New York City on Dec. 12, featuring guest Simon Doonan. Tickets are still available! Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest. Tweet us your cocktail chatter using #cocktailchatter or post it to our Facebook page. (Messages may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Become a fan of the Political Gabfest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @SlateGabfest. The email address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (Email may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.) Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Research and show notes by Bridgette Dunlap. To listen to this episode of Trumpcast, use the player below: Get More Trumpcast Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Trumpcast Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Virginia Heffernan tackles the history of Trump-Russia ties with Seth Abramson, author of Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America and an arbiter of curatorial journalism. Virginia poses questions to Seth from Twitter, including a speed round examining the role of women in whitewashing Trump, the prospective futures of Ivanka Trump and Michael Flynn, and the best- and worst-case scenarios for Trump at this point. Further reading: Trump-Russia Is Too Complex to Report. We Need a New Kind of Journalism by Seth Abramson in the Guardian Politicos ultimate Trump-Russia chart Follow Trumpcast on Twitter: @realtrumpcast Podcast production by Melissa Kaplan with help from Merritt Jacob. Greetings, Future Tensers, Since its inception over a decade ago, Tumblr has been a haven for pornographic and nude drawings, paintings, GIFs, photographs, and short videos. In just two weeks, however, that era may come to an end. Tumblrs CEO announced on Monday that the beloved microblogging platform plans to ban all adult content (with some limited exceptions) in an attempt to crack down on harmful and exploitative posts. Its true that Tumblr does need to work to make sure that its services arent used to abuse minors and traffic in child pornography. But, as April Glaser argues, its move to ban nearly all adult content is an unnecessarily overreactive approach. It may also be a counterproductive one: eliminating one of the few remaining mainstream, relatively safe, and non-taboo online spaces find and share porn (and as Casey Fiesler and Brianna Dym write, the move decimates one of the few remaining social hubs for fandom). Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Elsewhere on Future Tense, weve been sleuthing into cybercrime. Aaron Mak reports on recent revelations that hackers obtained access to thousands of National Republican Congressional Committee campaign emails in the months leading up to the midterm elections. Josephine Wolff argues that new legislation aimed at increasing penalties on companies that suffer massive data breachesincluding jailing executivesmay go too far. Jennifer Kang looks at how inmates targeted military members in a recently-uncovered massive catfishing sextortion scheme. Other things we read between catching up with our new favorite Instagram influencers: Resurrection: Peter Bebergal explores the world of people who restore antique automata, the mechanical ancestors to robots, and what it takes to restore and remake these widgets of the past. Advertisement Digital hype men: How did DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweathers cryptocurrency endorsements get them fined by the Securities and Exchange Commission? Aaron Mak explains. Name and shame: Josephine Wolff details the Treasury Departments new approach to stopping ransomware attacks like the ones that cost the City of Atlanta millions. Team Teslas troubles: Continued reports of harassment, discrimination, unsafe working conditions keep coming out of Tesla. April Glaser questions what it will take for Elon Musk to care about making a change. Advertisement Human nature: J. Benjamin Hurlbut and Jason Scott Robert detail the story of the Chinese scientist who claims to have used CRISPR technology to gene edit human embryos, and argue that the discussion over the ethics of it should involve more than just the rules. Backsliding: Four years ago, Central European University professor Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick thought technology would help bring freedom to Hungary. It didnt happen, he explains. Events: Join Future Tense and some remarkable women leaders in aerospace for a lunchtime discussion about their experiences in the historically male-dominated field, and whether the gains that made them not-so-hidden figures can offer lessons for addressing the tech industrys poor track record on diversity and inclusion. RSVP to attend here. To quitting our Amazon obsession, Anthony Nguyen For Future Tense Listen to If Then by clicking the arrow on the audio player below, or get the show via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. Get More If Then Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to If Then Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. On todays show, hosts April Glaser and Will Oremus discuss the news that Tumblr will soon be banning all adult content on its site in response to some instances of child pornography that got it suspended from Apples App Store. Hundreds of thousands of Tumblr users are upset, and the plan appears to be backfiring. Advertisement Then, were excited to bring you a pair of interviews today, with two people who have emerged as leading critics of Facebookone from the outside and one from within, right before he left the company. Well talk first with former Facebook employee Mark S. Luckie about what he calls Facebooks black people problem. Those words came from a memo that he wrote shortly before leaving the company last month and published to the world after he left. Well ask him about his experiences at Facebook and the response to his criticism of the company. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Next, well talk with someone whos been thinking through problems at Facebook for many yearsand recently discovered that his organization was also a target of the companys controversial opposition research PR campaign. Rashad Robinson is the president of Color of Change, a progressive civil rights group that was among several nonprofits Facebook tried to discredit by highlighting its ties to the liberal financier George Soros. In the wake of that story, Robinson met last week with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. Well ask him how that meeting went and what fixes he hopes Facebook can make, especially given that Color of Change has been advocating for a civil rights audit of the tech giant. Advertisement 8:15 - Interview with Mark Luckie 16:00 - Interview with Rashad Robinson 35:20 - Dont Close My Tabs Stories discussed on the show: Slate: Tumblr Should Not Ban Porn. It Should Welcome More Porn! Facebook memo: Facebook Is Failing Its Black Employees and Its Black Users BuzzFeed News: This Document Is Some of the Research Facebook Commissioned on George Soros Politico: Facebook to Meet With Definers Target The New York Times: Delay, Deny and Deflect: How Facebooks Leaders Fought Through Crisis Advertisement Slate: Facebooks Former Security Chief Reflects on What Went Wrong Dont Close My Tabs: The New York Times: Philippine Journalist, a Thorn to Duterte, Turns Herself In to Face Charges Twitter: @NatashaVianna Podcast production by Max Jacobs. If Then plugs: You can get updates about whats coming up next by following us on Twitter @ifthenpod. You can follow Will @WillOremus and April @Aprilaser. If you have a question or comment, you can email us at ifthen@slate.com. If Then is presented by Slate and Future Tense, a collaboration among Arizona State University, New America, and Slate. Future Tense explores the ways emerging technologies affect society, policy, and culture. To read more, follow us on Twitter and sign up for our weekly newsletter. On the campaign trail, Brazils newly elected President Jair Bolsonaro loved to talk about a particular vision for shoring up his countrys struggling economy: Niobium Valley. Brazil is the main supplier of niobium to the entire global economy, as Bolsonaro frequently reminded his audiences, sometimes while waving around a little chunk of the nondescript gray metal that he kept in his carry-on luggage for just such occasions. He even made a 20-minute YouTube video about it. Advertisement If you care about the future of your smartphone, you might want to pay attention to what President-elect Bolsonaro does next with his countrys niobium riches. Thats because niobium is one of a host of minerals that are pivotal for powering our modern livesand modern militaries, as well. Today, the global economy depends on a veritable periodic table of once-unfamiliar metals for the function of all things high tech, from your smartphone to orthopedic implants to precision guided missiles. As a recent piece in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences suggested, the world has entered a new resource-centric era: farewell to the Bronze Age and even the Age of Oil, and welcome to the Critical Mineral Age. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because of this, these materials may well be at the heart of what the Pentagon recently dubbed the competitive space in its 2018 National Defense Strategy. According to the strategy, the primary threat to U.S. national security today is no longer global terrorism but long-term strategic competition, particularly with China. At this point, the great power rivalry between the U.S. and China is more of a tepid struggle than a cold warbut the contest for resources, trade partners, and other strategic advantages is clearly heating up. The Pentagons 2018 strategy doesnt explicitly mention niobium, or any other specific critical mineral, as part of the competitive space, but maybe it should have. This mineral is, after all, a shining example of how access to the materials that enable our high-tech world may translate to geopolitical hot spots. Advertisement First, it helps to understand the hype about the minerals themselves. In the case of niobium, this mineral has many desirable properties, and its versatility has made it an important element across high-tech modern life. It can be blended with other metals to make them stronger, lighter, and more resilient. Oil and gas pipelines, bridges, and automobiles, for example, may use niobium-steel alloys. Its hypoallergenic and doesnt react with human tissue, which has given rise to its use in everything from jewelry to pacemakers and replacement knees. Because its also conductive and heat-resistant, niobium is in batteries, semiconductors, and MRIs. Advertisement While theres no question niobium is useful stuff, the reason it has pride of place in the competitive space has more to do with Brazils corner on the market. Brazil has the worlds largest reserves of niobium, more than 10 times as much as the next producer, Canada. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Brazil today accounts for 90 percent of all global niobium production, mostly from a single mine. In other words, that dream of Niobium Valley is not unrealistic. Advertisement Advertisement Chinathat great power competitor delineated in the U.S. National Defense Strategyis taking no chances when it comes to Brazils niobium. First, and most directly, China acquired a 15 percent stake in Brazils Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineracao, the worlds top niobium mine. More indirectly, but also important, the Chinese are cultivating a diversified relationship with the South American powerhouse, including $22 billion in various kinds of aid and $68 billion worth of bilateral trade, making the Asian giant Brazils top trading partner. The Chinese government is making a range of soft power investments, as well, such as 10 cultural and language Confucius Institutes. Not everyone in Brazil is enthusiastic about the Chinese presence, however. Indeed, on the campaign trail, President-elect Bolsonaro decried China as a predatory foreign power buying Brazil and defied the one China policy by visiting Taiwan, making him the first Brazilian presidential candidate to do so since the 1970s. Yet, despite all this showmanship, Bolsonaro may find it difficult to go much beyond anti-China rhetoric, given how thoroughly intertwined China is with Brazils economy. Advertisement Advertisement This is not just about Brazil, however. According to the PNAS piece, in addition to Brazil and its niobium, there are four other countries that both China and the United States depend on for specific, important minerals. Those countries, in turn, dominate the global trade in that specific, important mineral. The list includes Chile for lithium, the Democratic Republic of Congo for cobalt, Rwanda for tantalum, and South Africa for platinum. China has already made significant inroads in relations with all of these countries, including aid, trade, and investment. China isnt just sitting back and letting the invisible hand steer its future. Theres another reason, beyond its strategic investments in key countries, that China is ahead in the competitive space when it comes to critical minerals. As the PNAS article highlighted, the United States relies heavily on foreign sources for an additional 13 other metals it needs to stay ahead in the information age, while China only has to rely heavily on five foreign sources right now. Even more to the point, China is the dominant global producer of nine of those 13 metals the United States is import dependent on (thanks to Chinas mix of geological good fortune, low-cost production, and lax environmental regulations). Thats right: The United States overwhelmingly depends on China for some of its Critical Mineral Age resources. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What does this all mean for the United States economic and national security? Its not necessarily a catastrophe. The United States remains very competitive around the world, including as Brazils second-largest trading partner. U.S. companies are highly skilled at doing business with Brazil and other countries that produce critical minerals, and that means China, too. As long as there is a functioning global market, theyll be able to keep competing for supplies. The Chinese, for that matter, still need foreign buyers for the minerals they mine at home, though the government is looking to develop more domestic demand from its own manufacturing industry. Plus, for some minerals, the U.S. can look to alternative potential producers or mineral substitutes, though these usually dont come at comparable prices or performance. Advertisement On the other hand, China isnt just sitting back and letting the invisible hand steer its future. The country has pursued a systematic, long-term strategy of securing key resources, and there have been clear signals that China is willing to use its resources as geopolitical leverage in the future, much the way the United States bends global markets through sanctions, tariffs, and preferential trade agreements. In 2010, for example, China blocked exports of rare-earth elements to Japan to pressure the nation over a maritime disputea big deal when you consider China controls almost 95 percent of the trade in these materials. The move temporarily drove up market prices for rare-earth elements and slammed the Japanese economy, which depends on them for a variety of industrial purposes, including for manufacturing components of electric cars. Despite the name, however, these materials are not truly rare and other producers did jump in when prices shot up. At the same time, this incident showed that market corrections cant always happen quickly, given the long lead times involved in opening new mines and refineries. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In some cases, Chinas strategy means hedging its bets against such market manipulations and corrections, such as by buying mines in other countries, in addition to investing more in domestic production. This has included a private Chinese company buying a nonvoting minority interest in the only (but currently bankrupt) rare earths mine in the United States in 2017. Testifying before Congress later that year, thenCIA Director Mike Pompeo said that U.S. foreign dependence on rare earths was a very real concern. With the looming threat of closure of the Australian-owned rare earths production plant in Malaysia, China may well consolidate its monopoly on the production and supply of these resources just as the trade war with the United States threatens to escalate (or maybe not, given the news from the latest G-20 meeting). Advertisement In contrast, the United Statesand other global economieslack a concerted strategy to ensure an open market for these and other critical minerals. This, in part, reflects a long-standing, if somewhat outmoded, aversion in the United States to governmental industrial base policy, namely anything that might dictate to or interfere with private industry. That may be a luxury of a bygone industrial era. A good step in a more modern direction is the recent Department of Defense report on the U.S. defense industrial base, which acknowledged the importance of critical materials to national defense and economic security and the growing risks of China dominating the supply chains for them. The country still needs a more comprehensive strategy, however: one that looks not just at the defense sector, but across the economy, and one that engages the private sector and diplomatic and cultural tools of engagement with key producers. Its the kind of contemporary strategic thinking it will take if America is serious about playing to win in the competitive space. It all makes sense once you realize they want to kill us, by Mike Whitney - The Unz Review : 'It is now apparent that these products in ... Warm weather caused problems during construction. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled More information about travelling in Slovakia Please see our Please see our Spectacular Slovakia travel guide The Tatra Ice Cathedral, one of the biggest winter tourist attractions in the region is now open at Hrebienok. Sculptors from several countries spent 12 hours a day for 30 days building it, said manager of the construction, Rastislav Kromka, adding that, on average, almost 30 people worked every day at the construction site. The biggest struggle was to overcome this year's very warm autumn weather when it was between 15 to 20 degrees Celsius outside. It was a tough nut to crack to keep everything inside the dome chilled enough to stick the blocks of ice together and cut the sculptures and monuments from it, noted Kromka, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Well-known sculptors such as Adam Bakos were part of the Slovak-Czech-Polish team but some new faces also showed up. This is the sixth year there has been an Ice Cathedral in Hrebienok and the theme is St Peters Basilica in Rome and Berninis Colonnade. It took a record 225 tons of ice, divided into 1,880 blocks, said the director of the Regional Organization of Tourism in the High Tatras, Veronika Littvova. There are 84 pillars that make up Berninis colonnade. The main dome is 11.5 metres high and the original ice master-piece lies within accompanied by the artistic panels of Achilleas Sdoukos, a Greco-Slovak sculptor and designer. The cathedral is accessible by cable car or an easy hike. A record 250,000 people visited the ice cathedral last year and organizers are hoping to have at least the same number of visitors this year. The cathedral is open every day from 9:00 to 16:30, however, opening hours will be prolonged during the main winter season and Christmas holidays. The admission to the cathedral is free and several concerts will take place there as well. It is believed that the ice cathedral will last until April at least, however, Littvova said that depends on the weather. John Palka wants to share the little-known story of Slovakia with a wider audience. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled My uncle inscribed the book with these simple words: To Johnny, so he wont forget. Needless to say, I have not forgotten! John Palka, or Janko Palka for Slovaks, is an American retired biology professor specialised in neuroscience at the University of Washington. His grandfather was Milan Hodza, the prime minister of Czechoslovakia during the turbulent years of 1935-1938 and his great-granduncle was Michal Miloslav Hodza, leading member of the Stur generation. He wrote a book on his family tree, his ancestors and Slovakia. In this interview, John Palka talks about: - His family history and how he ended up in the US - How he learned about his family roots - How he researched the history for his book - The life of the Slovak community in the US The Slovak Spectator (TSS): You wrote on your website that you are a two-time immigrant. John Palka (JP): Thats right. I have been an immigrant to the United States twice, and actually also a refugee twice. This came about because the lives of my family were swept up in two of the 20th centurys greatest upheavals, World War II and the Communist era. TSS: How did your family end up in the US? JP: I was born a refugee in Paris in 1939 because our family was under threat from Hitler. My mothers father, Milan Hodza, had been the prime minister of Czechoslovakia during the turbulent years of 1935-1938. Hodzas government finally resigned about ten days before the signing of the Munich Agreement by Britain, France, Germany, and Italy, which basically handed Czechoslovakia to Hitler. Not long after Munich, both Hodza and the president, Edvard Benes, went into exile. Hitler soon annexed the Czech lands as the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. He let Slovakia declare its independence, but it was a de facto German puppet state. Under the circumstances, it would have been dangerous for Hodzas family to stay in the Nazi-controlled territory. My mother was the last to leave. She was able to get an official permit to leave Slovakia, but of course, actually being let across the border required that the permit should be honoured by the guards on the train from Bratislava to Geneva. Fortunately, all went smoothly. Soon thereafter, my mother reached Paris, where she gave birth to me. But the timing was very stressfulI was born just two weeks after she arrived in Paris. Imagine a mother making such a journey while being eight and a half months pregnant! TSS: What about your father? JP: He was not with her. I did not understand for many years why he had stayed behind in Slovakia. Ultimately, I found out that he had been engaged in the anti-Nazi resistance, a thrilling story of its own. He joined us in France about nine months later. In June 1940, shortly before my first birthday, the Nazis overran France. We were trapped in occupied France for about a year, travelling on forged Yugoslav documents and trying to stay out of the reach of the Gestapo. This worked until one day we were given orders to report to the nearest Gestapo headquarters within 48 hours, and to bring with us one suitcase apiece. This, of course, was the archetypal first step in being carted off to a concentration camp. We managed to evade the Gestapo, and within weeks my parents and I were smuggled across the border into Free France by the French Resistance. We made it to American soil in December 1941. The lawsuit concerned an opinion piece mentioning the Gorilla file. The ruling is not valid yet. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The Dennik N daily has won its seventh legal dispute with the financial group Penta, this time concerning the infamous Gorilla file. The Bratislava III District Court issued its verdict at the very first session, dismissing the lawsuit filed by Penta. The financial group was asking for compensation of 5,001 and the publishing of a response in the paper. The ruling is not valid yet and the financial group can still appeal. Dennik N has already won all the proceedings, with three rulings being confirmed by the regional court, which means they are valid, the daily reported. Problem with the extract Read also: Read also: Dennik N won legal dispute with Penta Read more Penta sued Dennik N for an opinion piece written by its publisher Lukas Fila, titled Kalinak Has No Reason to Leave, published on June 22, 2016. It objected to this specific statement: And [Robert] Fico became prime minister twice after it was published, the second time also with the support of rightist parties. Not even Gorilla, according to which he does not take envelopes from Pentas head [Jaroslav] Hascak directly but through his personal aide, prevented this. Nothing. Penta responded that nobody has confirmed the authenticity of the file, which reportedly contains transcripts of recordings made by the Slovak Information Service (SIS) intelligence agency, which describe non-standard relations between top politicians and businesses. This fact should have been mentioned in the opinion piece, it added. Dennik Ns requests dismissed Read also: Read also: Police found recordings from the infamous Gorilla file in Kocners flat Read more To verify the authenticity, Dennik N proposed that the court ask for the recordings seized during the house search of the premises owned by controversial businessman Marian Kocner, found in his safe on a USB flash drive. It also asked the court to invite Hascak, who is heavily featured in the Gorilla file, for a hearing. According to Fila, he has never clearly denied the matters described in the file. The judge, however, has turned down these requests, saying they would be redundant, Dennik N wrote. Disclaimer: the Penta financial group has a minority share in Petit Press, the co-owner of The Slovak Spectator. If the Slovak-Italian consortium of companies does not speed up construction, the state might terminate the contract. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled If the construction work at the Visnove Tunnel continue at the current pace, the National Highway Company will terminate the agreement with the constructor. This is how Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini responded to the current state of the tunnel, who visited the site with Transport Minister Arpad Ersek on December 5. The 7.5-kilometre-long tunnel, which is part of the cross-country D1 highway between Bratislava and Kosice, is built by the consortium of the Slovak company Duha and Italy's Salini Impegrilo. Its construction began in summer of 2014 and was originally expected to be completed by the end of 2019. The construction firms promised to build it for 409 million excluding VAT, the SITA newswire reported. The construction work is about two years late, and it is possible the delay will be longer. For example, the road in the tunnel was expected to be built by late December 28, 2018, which will not happen. Read also: Read also: The longest highway tunnel in Slovakia is finally bored through Read more Despite all the steps we have made to help the construction we dont see real progress and the situation has to be solved fundamentally, Ersek said, as quoted by the Hospodarske Noviny daily. Low number of workers Ersek has been critical of the construction pace for some time. He visited the site with Pellegrini unexpectedly, and also checked it from the air. The prime minister has absolutely agreed with the transport minister, Karolina Ducka, spokesperson of the Transport Ministry, told Hospodarske Noviny. The work is not proceeding as it should and could have, and the constructors cannot explain it properly. The number of workers at the construction site should be four times higher. The representative of Salini Impegrilo responded that currently there are 250 people working in three shifts inside the tunnel, and another 300 outside it. The reason for such a number is the winter season. Of course, when it is warmer, at least from late March, the number of workers will be higher, said Alessandro Citterio, the companys project manager, as quoted by the private news channel TA3. However, the company has already dismissed more than 200 people, due to the optimalisation of costs. Were concerned about the constructors steps regarding the dismissal of employees, said Michaela Michalova, NDS spokesperson, as quoted by the Sme daily. However, we dont have any possibilities of intervening in the employment relations of private subjects. Alternatives for the construction Terminating the agreement with the constructors is not a definite option. There are three more possibilities that the representatives of NDS, the ministry and the Governments Office have presented to the consortium, Ducka said. The first is that they will start working at the full pace and respect the agreement, second, that they will leave the construction voluntarily, and third, that they will be kicked out, Hospodarske Noviny wrote. The definite solution will be adopted by next February. However, Salini Impregilo wants to continue in the construction. It wants to complete the junction in Lietavska Lucka next summer, and has prepared a new schedule for the construction work in Visnove Tunnel. The road is supposed to open in the first third of 2021. This is nearly a year-and-a-half later than originally planned, TA3 reported. The new timetable brings about several changes. What should passengers expect? News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The timetable of trains will change significantly after December 9. For example, the Intercity (IC) and express trains between Bratislava and Kosice running through Zilina will be quicker by two to seven minutes. The journey by the quickest train, the IC 45, will take 4 hours and 36 minutes, while the other IC trains will arrive to their final destination after 4 hours and 50 minutes, the Sme daily reported. Quicker express trains on other routes As for the trains between Kosice and Vienna, the train will leave the former shortly after 7:00 and will arrive to the latter just before 13:30. As for the opposite direction, the train will leave Vienna at 14:37 and arrive in Kosice at 20:42. They will stop in Bratislavas Nove Mesto and Petrzalka stations. Express trains running on the same route will be quicker, Sme wrote. The journey between Bratislava and Kosice is expected to last 5 hours and 40 minutes, which is 10 minutes less than now. Altogether 19 trains running between Bratislava and Kosice will be quicker, while on the Bratislava-Zilina route it will be 21 trains, said Filip Hlubocky, head of the state-run passenger carrier ZSSK, as quoted by Sme. New routes to be added 20 new trains are expected to be added on the route between Zvolen (Banska Bystrica Region) and Sahy (Nitra Region). They are expected to be used mostly by pupils and people travelling to work, Sme wrote. In addition, 30 out of 33 trains running between Zilina and Trencin will be two-storey. New motor trains are expected to be added in mid-2019. Moreover, there will be a completely new direct connection between Bratislava and Zurich. The new pair of high-speed Railjet xpress trains will run on the Bratislava, Main station Wien Hauptbahnof Salzburg Innsbruck Zurich route. Another pair of trains will be added to the route between Kosice and Prague, Sme wrote. Robert Kalinak also plans to take action against the Dennik N daily, over the case of the abducted Vietnamese businessman. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled The abduction of Vietnamese businessman Trinh Xuan Thanh from Germany, via Slovakia in a special governmental plane, with the knowledge of the Slovak authorities, is a fabricated accusation and false news, said ex-interior minister Robert Kalinak (Smer) at a December 6 press conference. In his opinion, the investigation has so far shown that he had no knowledge of the abduction, it did not happen with his permission and, if Thanh was really abducted in this way, Slovakia was deceived. Kalinak asked both the media and the opposition to apologise for the lies told to civilians working at the Interior Ministry. He also reproached President Andrej Kiska for speaking about the abuse of the power in this connection and is ready to take legal action against both the president and the Dennik N daily. President understands Kalinaks fear He [Kiska] whispered from the wings that I obtained a hotel complex for this incident, said Kalinak, as quoted by the SITA newswire. There are witnesses that would be happy to testify before the court. The president is protected by immunity but not in a civil proceeding. I would be glad to meet him in court. Read also: Read also: Criminal complaint in Vietnamese abduction case dismissed Read more Kalinak also criticised the decision of Trnava Region Governor Jozef Viskupic to forbid conspiracy media in the libraries situated in the region, SITA wrote. The president will not deal with the former interior minister, but he understands his fear, Kiska sspokesperson Roman Krpelan said, as quoted by SITA. Questions about Poland Journalists also asked Kalinak why he lied to the Poles when he said he was sitting on a plane heading to Moscow, even though he was not. The ex-minister replied that he did not lie, although the Foreign Affairs Ministry informed that Poland only approved the flight after the Interior Ministry had stated in their request that the delegation was to be led by then-interior minister Kalinak. When journalists protested that there are still some inconsistencies in this case, which could be checked by the General Prosecutors Office, he replied that there are no doubts, SITA reported. At the same time, he claimed that no politician was actively involved in the abduction, although he admitted that the Vietnamese could have deceived Slovakia. He does not, however, believe this to be the case. The retailers will now have to pay 2.5 percent of their net turnover. News: Receive favorite authors articles by email. Try the new feature and turn on the subscription. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Some retail chains will have to pay 2.5 percent of their net turnover as of January 1, 2019. MPs have approved the law introducing the levy, authored by the Slovak National Party (SNS). Due to several amendatory proposals submitted by coalition MPs, the new levy will apply only to those retail chains where at least 25 percent of revenues are comprised of food sales and which have shops in at least 15 percent of all districts, the SITA newswire reported. Moreover, the definition of retail chain was narrowed compared with the original proposal. It excludes small and medium-sized enterprises, shops in the companies and retail shops that sell only one range of food. Also shops in the less-developed counties will be excluded from paying the levy. Read also: Read also: Special levy may increase prices, retail chains warn Read more The Finance Ministry pushed through its proposal that the special levy on retail chains should be considered a tax expense only after it is paid, SITA reported. Fine from the EC? Several opposition MPs criticised the law. This levy is absurd, illegal, inappropriate, illogical, harmful and non-systematic, said Jana Kissova of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), as quoted by SITA. She warned that it will increase food prices and Slovakia may be fined by the European Commission. The reason is that the law will become effective on January 1, 2019, and the EC should have been notified about it two months ago. The net income from the special levy has decreased significantly from the original proposal. It will be less than 50 million instead of the the originally planned figure of 118.5 million, according to Radovan Balaz, who submitted the law. Robert Ratcliffe, representing the Province of Ontario, took centre stage during the opening session at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Brampton on Thursday (Dec. 6) as the proceedings of a civil lawsuit by a group of Ontario Standard breeders against the Province and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. (OLG) regarding the cancellation of the former Slots at Racetracks Program (SARP) continued. Ratcliffe referred to prior case law particularly, a proceeding which involved Imperial Tobacco and the Government of Canada while explaining the Provinces position that there was no Proximity, Special Relationship, Duty of Care or Negligent Representation by the Province surrounding the Provinces 2012 decision to cancel SARP. Ratcliffe also explained that the decision was one of many austerity moves by the Government in light of the provincial (and global) economic downturn that had begun years earlier (in 2008). Ratcliffe cited case law to highlight how: the Province of Ontario was not within a proximate relationship with the breeders in question; how it was not negligent in its handling of the SARP cancellation; how it did not make negligent misrepresentations; how it did not have a special relationship with the breeders; and how it did not have a duty of care for Ontario Standardbred breeders. Ratcliffe explained that the Province had neither proximity nor a legal relationship with Ontario Standardbred breeders, and that general information was being provided by Government to the breeders, but that was it. Ratcliffe made it clear the Ontario did not have a contractual agreement with the breeders. Ratcliffe explained that general statements had been made to the public and to breeders when it came to the encouragement of producing equine in the province for the purpose of sanctioned horse racing. He reiterated that those general statements were not communicated to the breeders within a legal, binding relationship with them, because it did not exist. Ratcliffe explained that the Government has taken the position that public statements dont necessarily constitute proximity, in a legal sense. He said that even though the two parties had dialogue and met for discussions, that does not mean that there is, in turn, proximity or a special relationship between the two parties. Ratcliffe said that those distinctions were held between the Government and the site holders (racetracks), but not the breeders. Ratcliffe characterized the Standardbred breeders of getting their SARP-related updates via a trickle-down effect from those that were privy to, or were part of, the Letter of Intent which dealt with government slot machines being housed at Ontario racetracks. After explaining all of that, Ratcliffe again stated that there was no proximity, no special relationship and no negligence in terms of its actions, or lack thereof, with the breeders. Ratcliffe went on to cite case law to explain that public policy decisions are not irrational or taken in bad faith just because they may lead to negative outcomes for some parties. He stated, referring to case law, that those important decisions can supersede duty of care. Ratcliffe circled back to the Provinces overarching position in the matter, being that the SARP cancellation was a decision made at the highest level, in cabinet a core policy decision. He explained that the decision to cancel SARP was one of many tough austerity decisions that the Government was forced to make at a time of financial stress. Ratcliffe went on to say that the breeders should not have been surprised by changes to, or the cancellation of, the SARP program, seeing as though the public Sadinsky Report from years earlier had specifically mentioned that the program had its issues. Later, lawyer Awanish Sinha, representing the OLG, clarified for the court that it was never the OLGs plan to remove slot machines from racetracks, but the corporation was, in fact, looking into scaling up gaming at tracks, be it an increase of slot machines and/or the introduction of table gaming. Sinha went on to say that the termination of the site holders' agreements and the SARP termination was more about lowering subsidy-induced rent to racetracks, which was part of the modernization of gaming in the province and the introduction of gaming bundles so RFPs could be issued to the private-sector operators. Sinha went on to explain that the OLG saved a quarter of a billion dollars by changing the rent structure for slots to remain at racetracks. He also stated that a marginal loss in savings was seen because the modernization process took longer than expected. Later in the afternoon, Ratcliffe went on to reference the Horse Racing Transitional Panel report, which touched on how the SARP program had problems and was not good public policy. He also went on to cite case law in regard to how the SARP cancellation was a rational decision, and not an irrational action as claimed by the plaintiffs. Ratcliffe also retorted the bad faith allegations by the breeders in relation to the SARP cancellation. He stated that there was no basis for the claim. He also addressed the plaintiffs claims of the SARP cancellation being a political decision, stating, again, that the move was an austerity measure. The Provinces legal team also challenged the plaintiffs claims of knowledge of financial harm stemming from the cancellation, stating that just because the fallout had serious financial consequences for the breeders, the decision to cancel wasnt made in bad faith, as claimed. Ratcliffe furthered that governments arent accountable just because financial harm is endured by parties. Ratcliffe went on to state that the Province did not conduct negligent misrepresentation. He keyed in on the fact that breeders were never told that SARP wouldnt change in the future. He said the plaintiffs knew that they didnt have a contract with the Government and that the decision to stop the funding could come at any time. Ratcliffe then rhetorically asked if the Government legally owed the breeders a duty to warn about SARP cancellation? The answer, he explained, was no. Early in the afternoon, Eunice Machado, a member of the Provinces legal team, discussed a pair of case-law items pertaining to secrecy within cabinet. The cases cited were used to explain how documents can legally be deemed privileged and that cabinet confidentiality can be is both legal and necessary at times. Justice Emery took the opportunity to note that cabinet confidentiality, as a principle, is not absolute. Court resumed after 2:00 p.m., at which point Awanish Sinha held the floor for the OLG. In trying to be succinct as possible, Sinha outlined the OLGs position, breaking down things down via a handful of points. Sinha started out by saying that there was no genuine issue for the OLG to be targeted in the civil lawsuit. He stated that neither the Crown nor the OLG breached the Letter of Intent, furthered that both parties fulfilled it. He went on to say that the decision of Dalton McGuintys government to cancel SARP was a policy decision and that it was a rational decision that was made in good faith. Sinha stated that there is policy immunity in the decision and that there was no legal relationship between the plaintiffs and the Province/OLG. He also went on to state that there was no misrepresentations about the cancellation of the Slots at Racetracks Program. He went on to characterize SARP as a racing industry support program via the siteholder agreements. He asserted that SARP was a trickle-down economic stimulus program. The characterization of SARP as a subsidy from the government visibly irked both the plaintiffs and their representation all through the days proceedings, although they respectfully stewed and found the ability to refrain from audible and demonstrative reactions throughout. Sinha said that when the SARP deal was struck in 1998, subsequently reupped, and then ultimately cancelled, each of those actions came via policy decisions. He went on to say that cancellation was a cabinet decision and that the move was a prudent redirection of public funds. Sinha further that after being directed by cabinet, the OLG terminated the siteholder agreements properly, as per the conditions of the contract. Sinha spent the majority of the late afternoon hours explaining how the plaintiffs were not contractually or legally part of the LOI in any way, shape or form. He also spent a decent amount of time going through testimony transcripts that highlighted the fact that many Ontario Standardbred breeders did not know that the LOI existed. For a recap of Tuesday's session, click here. For further information on the lawsuit, click here. Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed highlighted the need for religious institutions to fight Takfiri thought and developing the religious discourse writes SANA. Minister of Awqaf (Religious Endowments), Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayyed, discussed with a religious delegation headed by the Chairman of Indonesian Ulema Council means of deepening the cooperation between Syria and Indonesia at the religious level and prospects of improving the relationship. Al-Sayyed pointed to the role of the religious institutions in facing the conspiracy against Syria and raising awareness about the dangers of Takfiri thought by developing the religious discourse and curriculums in religious colleges and institutions. For their part, the Indonesian delegates affirmed that their current visit to Syria aims to take advantage of Syrias experience in combating extremist terrorist ideology and exchanging expertise in the religious work, hoping that safety and security will be restored all over the Syrian territories. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Former Slovak Prime Minister Jan Carnogursky praised Syria for their steadfast in the fight against terrorism reports SANA. On Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Faisal Mikdad, received former Slovak Prime Minister Jan Carnogursky, who is currently a Slovak Member of Parliament and Chairman of the Slovak-Russian Friendship Association. The Slovak politician said that the delegations visit to Syria is intended to express solidarity and appreciation for the Syrian people and government, adding that President Bashar al-Assads wise leadership and steadfast fight against terrorism is making history. Mikdad, for his part, presented a thorough review of the developments in Syria and their keenness on liberating all Syrian territories from terrorism, citing the importance of national reconciliations for restoring security and stability. He affirmed that unilateral coercive economic measures are harming the Syrian people and must be ended. Mr. Carnogursky met with Prime Minister Imad Khamis, who underlined the necessity of cooperation between progressive parties and exchanging expertise in all fields in a way that reflects positively on the interests of their people. Khamis indicated that Syria is on road to sealing a victory over terrorism and restoring safety to all areas, affirming that the terrorist war has failed to undermine Syrias sovereignty and independent national decision, thanks to the Syrian peoples support for their army and leadership. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey has said that if a constitutional committee cannot be formed, the Astana talks should be cancelled reports Asharq al-Awsat. US Special Representative for Syria Engagement James Jeffrey, has called on Russia to exert efforts to convene the Syrian constitutional committee on Dec. 14, 2018, proposing to end the Sochi/Astana peace talks if the committee is not put together. During a press conference at the State Department Monday, Jeffrey noted that Washington is looking forward to UN Special Envoy Staffan de Misturas report to the Security Council on Dec. 14, 2018, describing it as the key point where we see whether we are going to have the political process moving forward under the UN. Following a meeting with representatives from Germany, France, UK, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt at the State Department, Jeffrey explained that officials reviewed the implementation of a UN-facilitated, Syrian-led, and Syrian-owned political process that would create a permanent, peaceful and political end, in line with UN Resolution 2254. They also discussed the importance of sustaining the Idleb de-escalation arrangements and supporting the UN envoy. The Special Representative warned that if Damascus is not pressured, the new UN Envoy, Geir Pedersen, and the international community will face a serious issue. We were hopingthat the Russians, the Iranians, and the Turks would be able to finalize the third list of members to this constitutional committee, and that was a primary goal of the Astana meeting last Thursday. The Representative went on to say that after the meeting, they issued a statement that examined the Idleb de-escalation area, and stressed the importance of a lasting ceasefire, while underlying the necessity to continue the effective fight against terrorism. However, they did not take any significant action on the constitutional committee, but, they stated once again that there is no military solution to the Syrian conflict. All they did was reaffirm their determination to set up joint efforts to launch the constitutional committee in Geneva, Jeffrey told the press. He indicated that the officials did not determine a time frame for the committee but rather said it will be set up at the soonest possible time. Asked whether there will be a possible breakthrough in the political process, Jeffrey noted that the situation had been in a stalemate since the Astana/Sochi talks began in December 2017. What weve seen in the last few months is a ministerial at the small-group level at the UN, putting pressure on the UN and on the Astana group to come forth. Then we saw the Istanbul summit where, for the first time, Russia said that they would try to get this thing done by the end of the year, however, up till now they say there is no deadline. He hoped there is a possibility that they will move by Dec.14, 2018 with Mistura. The agreement on forming the Syrian constitutional committee, which is supposed to include representatives from the Syrian government, the opposition and civil society, was reached at the Sochi talks in January 2018. This article was edited by The Syrian Observer. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author. Women at shelter centers in the Damascus countryside have been targeted and blackmailed for sexual favors writes Al-Hal. Corruption by the regime government has overwhelmed the agencies responsible for the shelter centers in Ghouta in the Damascus countryside, with workers beginning to blackmail displaced people for them to obtain their simplest rights in terms of aid and the food offered to them. Activist Nour al-Kaswani told the Al-Hal website that the Herjalleh shelter center has become known for the corruption of those in charge. They deprive displaced people of their shares of food and do not deliver aid despite it having arrived months earlier, on the pretext of arranging the lists and organizing work. Kaswani added that those responsible for distribution in these institutions extort civilians, especially women, trying to receive sexual favors from them in exchange for the easing of the delivery of aid. This was confirmed by a number of women in the center. Provisions for shelter centers have been sold to a number of traders in coordination with officials and regime officers at checkpoints in the area, where they ease their transport, despite the fact that this is illegal, according to activists. 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. Those who have tested positive for swine flu have been placed under quarantine, although cases have been limited reports Al-Watan. A source in the Health Ministry confirmed there have been a number of cases of H1N1, or the so-called swine flu, in a number of hospitals over the last few weeks. The source said that these cases were very few and limited in number, and that procedures were being taken at the quarantine level for any cases that did occur. The source said that every winter there were cases of influenza. The source said that this week there had been only two positive casesthat is, testing positive for the diseaseand that the rest were negative. He added that treatment was available in the hospitals. He said that the probability of treatment was 100 percent. The source told Al-Watan that many samples had been taken recently, and that only four or five were positive. He said that there were not many people testing positive for the disease, which some call swine flu. Regarding protection against the disease, the source said that it was a matter of public awareness, as treatment was available in all Health Ministry hospitalsand this treatment is effective and free. Social media pages circulated news saying that a patient infected with swine flu had arrived in a hospital in Aleppo and had been quarantined. The source told Al-Watan that there were cases, but were very limited. 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. The Nasib Border Crossing was reopened in October when southern Syria was recaptured by the regime writes Al-Hal. Amman announced that about 28,000 Syrian citizens have returned to their country since the reopening of the Nasib Border Crossing between the two countries, which had been closed for while the opposition controlled the southern region. The Syrian regime and authorities in Jordan agreed to reopen the crossing about 50 days ago, despite the political differences between the two countries. A spokesman for the refugee commission in Jordan said, Surveys conducted by the commission indicated that eight percent of Syrian refugees in Jordan intend to return home next year, according to Anadolu. The commissions numbers indicate that there are 674,000 refugees in Jordan, 19 percent of them in camps, while the number of Syrians in Jordan as a whole is as high as 1.3 million. Out of the 28,000 who returned over the last two months, the number of refugees is estimated at just 3,400, according to the Director of Refugee Affairs at the Jordanian Interior Ministry in a government television statement. 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. Syrians have accused the Education Ministry of promoting homosexuality among children, with the inclusion of a song that contains the word gay reports Al-Modon. A song included in the curriculum for fourth grade music students in primary school has sparked widespread controversy among Syrians over the last few days, due to its inclusion of words that promote homosexuality, according to commenters. According to pictures circulated, the fourth grade music books include the song, Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree, a famous Australian song. In one part, it has the line, Gay your life must be, in English, which commenters saw as a call for homosexuality. In fact, in the original song, which was written in 1935, the word gay meant happiness and joy, and was not a reference to homosexuality. The word began to take on the sexual meaning after 1955. A doctor of English literature, Ahmed al-Aissi, wrote on his Facebook page: The Education Ministry is in need of education. He said that, Since 1955, the word gay, has come to mean one thing: homosexuality. The old meaning of the word became extinct. The whole world knows that, except the Education Ministry. This was a phrase repeated more than once in the comments. In 2010, an Australian teacher removed the word gay from the song and changed it to fun. However, that created anger among groups that defend homosexual rights. The teacher explained at the time that if he said that word gay in front of 10-year-old students, they would fall on their stomachs from laughter, and that he did not mean to insult the homosexual community On the contrary, there are no gay rights in Syria, and Syrian law actually bans homosexuality. Homophobia is also widespread for religious and social reasons. Therefore, the scene on social media was normal, whether in terms of loyalists upset with the Education Ministry, or opposition members who accused the regime of moral decay. 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. By withholding news and information, the regime has been able to avoid investigations and been allowed to seize assets writes Alsouria Net. On Wednesday, the Syrian Jurists Association issued a legal note about how the Bashar al-Assad regime has exploited provisions designed for missing people in Syrian law to close the files of prisoners and those forcibly displaced and claiming that those who were killed are missing, and thereby trick their relatives. The Association sent its note to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the International Security Council and the head of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria. The Association said in the note, posted on its official Facebook page, that the Assad regime had recently resorted to implementing legal provisions for missing and forcibly disappeared people, with the aim of covering up its crimes against Syrian prisoners, and to rid itself of requests from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, especially regarding its latest report where it called for the regime to hand over the corpses of people who died in its prisons and to open investigations on a case-by-case basis. In implementing this, the regime relies on personal status law articles 202 to 205, which include provisions for missions during times of peace and war. They stipulate that if a person is missing for four years, they are declared dead. This eliminates the requests from the commission and other agencies to hand over the bodies of prisoners and inform their families of what theyd been subjected to. The association said that the regime was exploiting the missing persons provisions, to confiscate their property, which had previously been achieved by utilizing Law No. 10. It also noted that the regime would exploit the law to trick supporters as well, saying that their children who were killed defending it were missing or held prisoner by rebel groups. Recently, the pro-regime Al-Watan newspaper reported there was an increase in requests for death certificates for missing people from their families, since four years had passed since they went missing. The Damascus courts received more than 70 requests a day to obtain judicial agency for missing people to manage their affairs in terms of documents, salaries, property, and other matters which concern them. The number of inmates held in Assad regime prisons, since the start of the revolution in 2011, is estimated to be in the tens of thousands throughout Syria. Testimonies of prisoners who survived and from rights organizations indicate that prisoners are subjected to all forms of torture, which have resulted in the deaths of thousands. Families drown in spirals of anxiety and doubt, and they spend their time going between security branches and spending their savings to find out where their loved ones are being held, or if they are even still alive. 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. The UN top rights official, Michelle Bachelet, has condemned the reported executions of civilians by violent extremists in the east of war-torn Syria, warning that an at least 7,000 people in Deir-Ez-Zor province were trapped, amid efforts to dislodge ISIL from one of their last strongholds in the country. Speaking to journalists in Geneva on Wednesday, the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that an at least 7,000 people in Deir-Ez-Zor province were trapped, amid efforts to dislodge ISIL from one of their last strongholds in Syria. These civilians are of course frightened and stuck between the intensifications of the airstrikes and bombardments against ISIL on one hand, and also being prevented from leaving the areas under ISILs control on the other hand, Ms. Bachelet told journalists in Geneva on Wednesday. We have also reports of ISIL executing civilians perceived as cooperating with the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) or with other parties to the conflict. In an appeal to the extremists, the High Commissioner urged them to remove all military personnel and objects from civilian areas, in line with international law. She also reminded all parties to the conflict including all States conducting operations against ISIL that they had an obligation under humanitarian international law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times. A Cairo court Wednesday pressed life prison sentences against Mohamed Badie, leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood and five other members of the organization, for igniting violence following the removal in 2013 of first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi. The Cairo Criminal Court indicted Badie, his deputy Khairat el-Shater and the four other members for planning demonstrations and shooting fire in the protests that ensued Morsis ouster by the military led by Fattah al-Sisi. The al-Sisi administration has blacklisted the Muslim Brotherhood as a terror group and placed members of the movement on terror list. The Wednesday verdict acquitted former parliamentary speaker Saad al-Katatni and leading members of Essam al-Erian and Mohammed al-Beltagy in the same case. The courts ruling is subject to appeal. Badie is facing multiple jail sentences. In September, the Supreme Guide and 64 defendants out of 682 other members of the Muslim Brotherhood were sentenced to life over charges of inciting violence in a case dubbed in the media as El-Idwa Incidents, Egypt Today reports. The same month, Mohamed Badie, 75, was handed another life prison sentence alongside 46 other Muslim Brotherhood members in a case known as al-Bahr al-Azam, the media notes. Wonder Caves: Ideal Spot for Hikers and Cave Explorers Environmentalists and experts say the waters are invaded by household and industrial waste. The situation is "alarming" and progress "is not enough". The problems have been dragging on for decades, the result of bad practices in the treatment of wastewater. Saving the river "is a priority". Beirut (AsiaNews) - After the cedar tree, symbol of the country, activists, environmentalists and civil society in Lebanon raise the alarm for the River Litani, one of the most important in the country, whose waters are now largely the equivalent of a basin of domestic and industrial waste", says scientist Kamal Slim, member of the National Research Council. The situation remains "alarming" in spite of some recent measures - closure of illegal and polluting industries, cleaning the banks which have proven insufficient. The degradation process therefore risks being irreversible if the polluting sources are not stopped. The experts' concern is shared by the population, which observes with its own eyes the environmental crisis. "I do not want to die of cancer," confesses a villager from Bekaa Haouch el-Rafqa desperately to L'Orient-Le Jour (OLJ). Fears about the health of people, especially the elderly and children, are now widespread among locals. For a long time the Litani was one of the most precious natural resources for Lebanon; however, today it is the epicenter of what is called an environmental catastrophe. In the 1960s it was possible to water the vegetables with its waters or swim in peace. Today, however, studies show a progressive deterioration and poor health conditions. Sami Alaouiye, director of the Litani Water Department since March 2018, talks about "progress", but not enough to cope with the "environmental catastrophe" in taking place. The water pollution was precipitated by the presence of Syrian refugees hosted in abusive reception centers built up along the river. However, even if their presence had environmental repercussions, they are certainly not the ones responsible for the emergency. These environmental problems have been dragging on for decades and are the result of malpractice in the treatment of wastewater; in addition, many factories dump industrial waste in the Litany, which is added to the solid waste thrown into the river. In November, the Lebanese Ministry of Industry imposed the closure of 79 irregular factories, which had not respected the rules on the disposal of waste thrown into the Litani. However, at least 251 industries would be targeted by environmentalists and magistrates for their polluting activities: of these, at least 82 were outlawed and another 40 began to comply with environmental regulations. To restore life to the river, the National Litani Office in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Industry and Energy received a loan of $ 55 million from the World Bank - along with other benefactors - to try to improve sewage systems, solid waste management and the fight against pollution. Ecologists and experts stress that saving the river is a priority that requires everyone's commitment, from the individual citizen to the companies, from the local administration to the national executive. To respond to the emergency would need more powers in terms of environmental protection, because the Litany is the epicenter of an "ecological disaster", but it is still possible to remedy if long-term policies are adopted. Rivers must return to being "sources of life, not diseases". US renowned Hollywood actor, director and two-times Oscar winner Sean Penn has arrived in Istanbul, Turkey, to shot a documentary about Saudi journalist, Jamal Khashoggi who was murdered and dismembered in the Saudi consulate on Oct.02, Turkish media Daily Sabah reports. Sean Penn, known for his career as actor and now as director, arrived Wednesday in the Turkish city and shot a video in front of the Saudi consulate and the residence of the Saudi consul who left Turkey after the killing. Khashoggi, 59, critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman (MbS) and US Washington Post writer, was killed after entering the consulate to get official documents that would have allowed him to marry his Turkish fiancee, Hatice Cengiz. According to Sabah daily, the US director is also expected to interview Hatice Cengiz and a handful people connected to the slain journalist. The American director and political and humanitarian activist is also set to meet with Turkish authorities in Ankara and Istanbul. Turkey pointed the blaming finger at the Saudi highest level leadership for the journalists death. Wednesday, leaders of the US senate pinned the blame on MbS for the journalists killing after they were briefed by the CIA on the case. Saudi Arabia has admitted that the journalist had been murdered but denied any involvement of the Crown Prince. The documentary project has reportedly caused a stir in Saudi Arabia, and the media aligned with the royal court tried to vilify and tarnish the image of the American activist. Al-Arabiya described Penn as linked to causes affiliated to the Muslim Brotherhood because of his stance in support of Argentina, not England over the Falkland Islands issue. He was also linked to Iran as he played a role in the release of two Americans who were imprisoned in Iran, in 2011, Al-Arabiya wrote in the article. At least three people lost their lives Thursday in the Iranian southern port city of Chabahar after a car bombing targeted a police headquarters. The port is located in Sistan-Balochestan province near the border with Pakistan. Three people were killed in the attack, according to Mohammad Hadi Marashi, security aide to the governor of the province, who was quoted by Press TV. Several people were injured, Marashi added. The suicide attack, Tasnim news agency reported, targeted the police headquarters in the port city. Images posted online showed thick smoke rising from the sky in the area where the incident took place, Aljazeera reports. No one claimed responsibility for the deadly attack. The city in December last year was rocked by a suicide attack near a mosque. At least 41 people were murdered and 90 other wounded. Jundallah, also known as Soldiers of God, had claimed responsibility for the attack. Your browser does not support the audio element. Vietnamese entrepreneur Le Diep Kieu Trang, a.k.a. Christy Le, has announced she will step down as Facebook country director for Vietnam from January 2019, nine months after taking on the position. Ill be leaving Facebook at the end of the year for family reasons, Trang said in a statement posted on the social media site on Wednesday afternoon. It has been a wonderful journey for me, learning, building and leading the Facebook business in Vietnam. In March, Trang announced she had been appointed by Facebook to take charge of its business in Vietnam and would be working from the companys Singapore office. At the time, Trang said she wanted to challenge herself with the daunting task of boosting the networks operations in Vietnam, where over half of the countrys population of 95 million are Facebook users. I truly believe in the mission of the company which is about giving people the power to build community and to bring the world closer together, Trang wrote in her Facebook post on Wednesday. Facebook has brought so many businesses and communities so much closer together and I cannot wait to see many other businesses grow and thrive on the platform. Trang, 38, is a well-known entrepreneur in Vietnam who in 2014 co-founded Misfit Wearables, a company that produces devices like fitness trackers, with her husband and fellow businessman Sonny Vu. In late 2015, the startup was acquired by U.S. fashion house Fossil Group for US$260 million, and Trang became the companys general director for Vietnam until she stepped down in March 2018. It was surprising news to many that Trang accepted Facebooks offer to head its operations in Vietnam, as she had been rumored to launch a new startup with her husband after leaving Fossil. Le Diep Kieu Trang, a.k.a. Christy Le, and her husband Sonny Vu are seen in this family photo posted on her Facebook page. I wont be going anywhere far in the next few months, Trang continued after announcing her quitting Facebook. I intend to spend more time with my family as I explore and figure out what my next venture will be. Thank you to Facebook, and my Facebook family, for the adventure and opportunity, she said. In an earlier Facebook post on December 1, Trang said she was looking for a personal assistant for her and her husband, sparking rumors that the couple were preparing to launch their own startup. Trang comes from a family of successful entrepreneurs. Her father, Le Van Tri, is former deputy general director of local rubber giant Casumina. Her older brother, Le Tri Thong, is former deputy general director of Dong A Bank and is currently deputy chairman of Ho Chi Minh City-based jewelry giant PNJ. Trang went to Le Hong Phong High School in Ho Chi Minh City, one of Vietnams leading high schools, where she graduated top of her class. Prior to co-founding Misfit Wearables, Trang had worked for global management consulting firm McKinsey in the U.S. for some time after her graduation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A university in Ho Chi Minh City recently hosted Vietnams first-ever robot combat competition, the 2018 RoboFight, based on the format used by U.S. television series BattleBots.' Twenty teams from eight colleges, universities, and tech companies in the city participated in the contests first edition, hosted by the University of Technology and Education. RoboFight competitors designed and operated remote-controlled machines armed and ready to battle against opponents in a sealed arena. Each pair of robots fought two three-minute matches to determine the victor. Pairs who split their victories in the two preliminary matches faced off in a tiebreaker round. During each match, the robots did their best to neutralize their opponents by flipping the opposing bots upside down, causing substantial damage, or forcing them into the hazard area of the arena. Bots fight in the quarterfinals of the 2018 RoboFight in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre The square arena features high polycarbonate walls with steel frames to protect the drivers, officials, and audience from flying shrapnel and charging bots. Six teams from Ho Chi Minh Citys top technology universities made it into the competitions quarterfinals on Wednesday, where they faced off against two teams from companies based in the southern metropolis. The semifinals will be broadcast live at 7:00 pm on Saturday on HTV7 television channel. Bots fight in the quarterfinals of the 2018 RoboFight in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Bots fight in the quarterfinals of the 2018 RoboFight in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Bots fight in the quarterfinals of the 2018 RoboFight in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Bots fight in the quarterfinals of the 2018 RoboFight in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Competitors repair damage to their robot after a match in the quarterfinals of the 2018 RoboFight in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre A team celebrates after winning a match in the quarterfinals of the 2018 RoboFight in Ho Chi Minh City on December 5, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Your browser does not support the audio element. During their three-day homestay event with Vietnamese locals starting on December 3, the Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP) ambassadors were led through an amalgam of Vietnamese street delicacies. First founded in 1974, SSEAYP is a joint effort between the ten ASEAN nations, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and Japan to foster friendship and cultural exchange between the nations youths. The program involves ferrying youth ambassadors to each of the participating countries over 52 days to experience their distinct cultures and traditions first-hand through interactions with locals and various events. The 2018 SSEAYP ran from October 23 through December 13, with Vietnam at its final stop. The ship left Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday for the return trip to Japan. During their homestay event in Ho Chi Minh City from December 3 through 5, Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper spent time guiding the young ambassadors as they sifted through all Vietnam has to offer. Many ambassadors admitted that though they would miss the exotic, bustling atmosphere - yet warm and catering nature - of Vietnam and its people upon departure, it is the famous street food that fostered their strongest bonds to the country. Vietnam street food 101 I feel so lucky and appreciative to live like a Vietnamese local even just for three days! Danny Ramadhan, an Indonesia youth ambassador, proclaimed. Walking through a local market with his host family while enjoying a cup of sugarcane juice, Ramadhan seemed intrigued at each fruit stall he came across, with question upon question pouring from his mouth. Danny Ramadhan (right) tries out dishes at a snail and shellfish eatery in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre With such vehement curiosity, no wonder Ramadhan was able to get his hands on just about all the wide variety of street foods Vietnam has to offer. His favorite? Stewed beef intestine. I cannot begin to imagine how cow intestines could make for such a delicious dish! Ramadhan said. I would have tried balut [fetal duck egg] but I was struck by terror, he added, referring to the dish known as hot vit lon in Vietnamese. As this was his first trip to Vietnam, Ramadhan was astonished at the urban lifestyle. Scenes of buildings and high-rises that are tens of stories tall towering over the noisy streets were a thrill to the Indonesian youth ambassador. How can the Vietnamese drive so fast in such narrow streets? It strikes me as odd to hear them honk and not get anywhere, Ramadhan said. But it is the close-knit families of Vietnam he found most baffling. They [Vietnamese families] have so many relatives - a stark contrast to Indonesia where each household only consists of a few immediate members, he stressed. We come to SSEYAP to get to know each other and to further develop ourselves as global citizens. Ive really been enjoying myself a great deal," Ramadhan commented on his voyage. Danny Ramadhan (right) watches as his host family buys food at a market. Photo: Tuoi Tre The experience of love and pride Like the outgoing Ramadhan, Japanese youth ambassador Junya Yashikawa and his Cambodian peer Suy Vathna, both 29, also tried out a lot of Vietnamese foods, notably grilled goat meat. This is my first time to Vietnam, and it is simply perfect! Yashikawa said. I get to visit many sites, and try a lot of variations of Vietnamese soup noodles. Its such a shame I overlooked those dishes in Japan, he said. For Vathna, the warm reception he received from local Vietnamese is the countrys biggest draw. Though this is the fourth time Ive been in Vietnam, the ambience is just so different, Vathna asserted. Thanks to SSEAYP, Ive been able to experience many Vietnamese customs. I realize that they are not so different from my home country. Perhaps it is because we are neighbors? Vathna questioned. When asked about which gifts the ambassadors wanted to present to their host families, Yashikawa said he planned to give a Daruma doll, which is considered a vessel of good luck in Japan. SSEAYPs Indonesian Ongky Abdi Nwari (left) and Vietnamese Nguyen Hoang An (right) pose for a photo with their host family. Photo: Tuoi Tre Vathna, on the other hand, planned to offer a box engraved with the image of Angkor Wat Cambodias largest historical site and a reference book containing the information of 28 Cambodian delegates as well as the countrys wonders. Meanwhile, Indonesian youth ambassador Ongky Abdi Nwari shared that his present would be the Indonesian emblem Garuda signet, which also represents the five merits its citizens strive for. He gave his host family Indonesian coffee and local brocade as well. Ongky Abdi Nwari, another Indonesian SSEAYP delegate, described his 71-year-old host in Vietnam as a senior who has more energy than most of the youth ambassadors. As I trod around Ho Chi Minh City with my host family, I came to see that it is not that much different from Jakarta, albeit a little more artistic in taste. I believe I have been to every landmark in this city over the last two days, Nwari enthusiastically shared. For Nguyen Hoang An, a youth ambassador from Vietnam, the experience in his homeland was initially a bit awkward. Though I could not go back to my family despite the close proximity, I did enjoy my stay with the host family to the fullest, An said. I feel proud of my fellow Vietnamese for putting together such a warm reception event for international friends. I cant help but love my country even more after my SSEAYP experience." Junya Yashikawa (left most) and Suy Vathna (second left) share a happy hour session with their host family. Photo: Tuoi Tre Host family a tradition over ten years Since 2005, Duong Thi Phuong Thao, 27, and her family have hosted several generations of SSEAYP youth ambassadors during their visit to Ho Chi Minh City. The annual youth exchange program always leaves Thao and her mother Truong Thi Nga with profound memories. Once, after the SSEAYP trip, a then Japanese youth ambassador named Malko returned to Vietnam for business for one and a half years. We invited her to stay at our house. Shes basically become a member of our family! said Nga. We always get visited by SSEAYP youth ambassadors when they come back to Vietnam. Sometimes we even meet their parents, she said. In return, whenever we go to their countries, they never fail to treat us as honored guests." Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Here are todays leading news stories: Society -- Police in the south-central Vietnamese resort city of Nha Trang said Wednesday that 1,000 road safety cameras recently installed across the area are ready to be put into use to detect traffic violations. -- Vietnamese border guard officers said on Wednesday that they seized fishing equipment on two Chinese fishing boats working illegally in Vietnams waters off the central province of Quang Tri and drove the vessels out of the countrys territory. -- Two passengers hurled invective at and attempted to strike attendants on a domestic Vietjet flight on Wednesday when they were informed that the aircraft would reroute due to bad weather. Airport security staff forcibly removed them from the plane after it landed. -- Police are hunting three inmates, one convicted of murder and two detained on drug trafficking counts, who escaped from a prison in the southern province of Kien Giang on Wednesday. -- About two-thirds of Ho Chi Minh City's area is vulnerable to flooding, likely causing trouble for over three million urbanites, Le Van Thanh, head of a department at the municipal Institute for Development Studies, said at a workshop on Wednesday. -- A former military captain in the southern province of Soc Trang is being detained on suspicion of transporting contraband goods, after he was caught carrying foreign tobacco boxes without stamps of government approval. -- The body of a 22-year-old Vietnamese woman who was found dead in the Japanese city of Osaka on November 26 was carried to Vietnam on Tuesday, with Japanese police already arresting the primary suspect - the victims Vietnamese boyfriend. Business -- Peaches, used as a decoration at homes in northern Vietnam during the countrys most important holiday of Tet, started to be sold earlier than usual at VND50,000-200,000 ($2-9) at a market in Hanoi on Wednesday, two months before the traditional event. -- Conglomerate Vingroup ranks first amongst Vietnams largest enterprises in 2018, becoming the only private company to lead state-run and foreign-invested corporations this year, according to a list by Vietnam Report. Education -- Four students at Nong Lam University in Ho Chi Minh City said they successfully created a robot able to automatically trim hedges at given speed. -- The Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education plans to open an interdisciplinary faculty to train students in the 4.0 technology this year. All students following the program will have tuition fees waived and be taught in English. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The decision-making Peoples Council of Ho Chi Minh City conducted a vote of confidence for 30 of its high-ranking officials during the councils ongoing 12th session on Wednesday, with the organs deputy chairwoman Truong Thi Anh receiving the highest level of trust. A total of 101 delegate of the municipal Peoples Council cast their votes to express their level of confidence toward each of the 30 officials. Those subject to the vote included the chair, vice-chairs, and heads of divisions of the Peoples Council, chair and vice-chairs of the Peoples Committee, which includes the municipal administration, directors of municipal departments, and the citys chief inspectorate. The delegates decided on their level of confidence toward each official by selecting between low, medium, and high. Peoples Council vice-chairwoman Truong Thi Anh ranked first amongst her colleagues, with 86 votes of high confidence, accounting for over 81 percent. Chairwoman of the Peoples Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam talks to the press following the vote. Photo: Tuoi Tre Chairwoman of the Peoples Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam ranked second with 81 votes of high confidence, equivalent to 77 percent, followed by chairman of the municipal administration Nguyen Thanh Phong with 70 percent. Nguyen Thi Thu, deputy chairwoman of the Peoples Committee, and Bui Ta Hoang Vu, director of the Department of Tourism, both received the highest number of low confidence votes, which was 18, followed by Tran Trong Tuan, director of the Department of Construction, with 17 votes. Overall, it is safe to say that we [the 30 officials] received a pretty high level of trust from the delegates, given the existing difficulties the city is facing, chairwoman Tam told the press. The low confidence votes, however, acted as a wake-up call for us to take a careful self-examination and make improvements in the future, Tam remarked. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The delegations representing Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario which held an initial round table on the Moroccan Sahara issue in Geneva December 5-6, at the invitation of the UN envoy Horst Kohler, decided to meet again in the course of the first quarter of 2019. The joint statement issued after the first Geneva round table and read out by the UN Secretary Generals personal envoy for the Sahara, announced that a second round table on the regional dispute will take place in the course of the first quarter of 2019. The delegations agreed that the Personal Envoy would invite them to a second round table in the first quarter of 2019, said Mr. Kohler when reading the joint statement before the media. The delegations, the statement said, reported on recent developments, discussed regional issues and discussed next steps in the political process for the Sahara. All delegations recognized that cooperation and regional integration, rather than confrontation, were the best ways to address the many important challenges facing the region, the statement said, noting that all talks took place in an atmosphere of serious commitment, openness and mutual respect. The round table was held at the invitation of Horst Koehler, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2440. It was the first time that Algeria participated in talks on the Sahara as a party to the conflict and not as an observer as it has long claimed. Resolution 2440 actually confirmed Algerias involvement and role as a party to the regional dispute over the Sahara and as a main stakeholder in the process aiming to find a political, realistic, practical and lasting solution to the conflict. The resolution also stressed the need for all parties to demonstrate political will in order to advance the negotiations and emphasized the importance of an enduring political solution based on compromise. The Moroccan delegation to the Geneva round table combined official diplomacy, local elects and civil society. It included Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Moroccan permanent representative to the UN Omar Hilale and three Sahrawis. These are Hamdi Ould Errachid, President of the Laayoune-Oued Eddahab region, Ynja El Khattat, President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region (a former member of the Polisario) and Mrs Fatima Adli, a civil society activist and member of the Smara municipal council. The presence of the elected Sahrawi trio sent a strong message to the internation al community that the Polisario secessionists are not the sole and legitimate representatives of the Sahrawis as they claim and that the majority of Sahrawis are leading a peaceful life in their native country, Morocco. Your browser does not support the audio element. As construction encroaches on one of Vietnams most famous lagoons, environmental experts and concerned locals are speaking up against unsustainable development in the area. Lap An Lagoon, overlooked by the switchbacks of the Phu Gia Mountain Pass and Bach Ma (White Horse) Mountain, is a 15-square-kilometer body of water contiguous to Lang Co Bay in central Vietnams Thua Thien-Hue Province. The once tranquil lagoon has recently been burdened by the establishment of several eateries and leisure facilities along its waters, leading to construction and the steady demise of the peaceful landscape. Nguyen Cong Binh, head of a provincial planning and construction agency, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that six of the seven businesses operating on the lagoon had recently been granted licenses. Before authorities began regulating business on the lagoon, several stilted structures made from planks, corrugated iron, and white-asbestos roofs had been built by local residents. Authorities saw this as a blot on the local landscape and began enforcing zoning codes, including declaring that all new constructions should be built from concrete and a sewage system should be installed to prevent wastewater from being directly dumped into the lagoon. A restaurant above Lap An Lagoon in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam. Photo: Tuoi Tre Now, the area is visited by hundreds of tourists a day during high seasons and a culture of throwing trash directly into the Lap An waters has emerged. Residents now fear that this disregard for the local environment will come at the expense of the lagoons oyster farming industry, the chief source of livelihood for many families in the area thanks to the absence of water-polluting factories. Nguyen Viet Hung, head of the provincial environmental protection department, said while constructing eateries on the lagoon alters its landscape, it has yet to impact its ecosystem. Hung cited test results for water samples taken from the lagoon and said they showed no signs of pollution. But the constructions adverse implication for the ecosystem is a foregone conclusion, said Prof. Vo Van Minh an environmental specialist at the University of Science and Education in Vietnams central metropolis of Da Nang. An environmental impact assessment should consider the accumulative effects of all structures at the lagoon and their socio-economic consequences, he said. I dont know how these environmental impact assessments were actually made, but to all outward appearances the construction is causing big concerns, he elaborated. Locals interests should be taken into account in construction planning at the beautiful lagoon, he added. Here are more photos of the structures built on Lap An Lagoon: Tourists and construction at Lap An Lagoon in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam. Video: Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Hanoi have captured and initiated legal proceedings against three suspects accused of collecting illegal protection money from merchants at a local market after journalists reported having received death threats from members of the racket. Duong Quoc Vuong, 50, Nguyen Manh Long, 56, and Le Thanh Hai, 55, all members of a porter team at Long Bien Market in Hanois Ba Dinh District, were charged with the appropriation of property. The municipal Peoples Procuracy approved a decision on Wednesday afternoon to take the three suspects into custody after a merchant at the market reported that the trio had forced sellers at the venue to pay protection money worth hundreds of millions of dong (VND100 million = US$4,286). Merchants who refused to cooperate were stopped from loading and unloading their goods at the market. Regarding other fees at the facility, traders had to pay the suspects at a much higher rate compared to the original cost promulgated by managers of the venue. The illicit operation of a protection racket at Long Bien Market has long been an aching problem for merchants and the community in general. Duong Quoc Vuong collects 'protection money' in this video previously published by Vietnam Television (VTV). Two reporters from Vietnam Television (VTV) and Ho Chi Minh City-based Phu Nu (Women) newspaper previously went undercover to expose the unlawful activities for their respective media outlets. Police in Hanoi launched an investigation into the case following their reports. On December 2, both journalists received text messages from the same phone number threatening to kill their families if they continued to look into the racket. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on Wednesday requested the Ministry of Public Security probe and punish those behind the death threats. The ministry must direct its units to protect the reporters, as well as those who denounce these crimes, said PM Phuc. The premier also asked the Hanoi Peoples Committee to submit a report of their efforts to deal with the protection racket at Long Bien Market prior to December 10. Le Thanh Hai exposed by VTV news Nguyen Manh Long exposed by VTV news Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnamese authorities on Wednesday conducted drills to prevent the spread of African swine fever should there be an outbreak of the disease in the country, as the risks of transmission from neighboring China increase. The highly contagious fever has killed around a million pigs worldwide and recently spread rapidly across China, which has reported 80 cases since early August. In footage shown on state-run Vietnam Television (VTV), officials covered from head to toe in protective clothing were seen taking samples from dead pigs and spraying corpses before burying them in a large pit in the ground. The fever is only 150 kilometers away from our border, so its necessary to understand the risk and danger...if it reaches our 27 millions pigs, said Tong Xuan Chinh, vice head of the agriculture ministrys livestock department. Vietnam has more than 27 millions pigs, most of which are consumed domestically, with pork accounting for three quarters of total meat consumption in the Southeast Asian nation of 95 million people, Chinh said. If this fever infects our pigs, it will be a major hit to the economy, society, environment and food security, Chinh said. He added that authorities were tightly controlling the transportation of pigs and pork products from China and had banned pork products from other infected countries such as Poland and Hungary. Last month, China reported outbreaks of African swine fever in several provinces, including Yunnan, a border province with Vietnam. There is also a danger of the disease spreading into Vietnam through smuggled pigs of unknown origin. Smuggling is a regular occurrence, especially in the northern border provinces with China, the agriculture ministry said last week. Authorities in Vietnam have destroyed 324 pigs and nearly 17 tonnes of pork products that have been smuggled or which do not have clear origins in 63 cases since August, the ministry said in a statement on its website. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Kremlin's cultivation operation on TRUMP also had comprised offering him various lucrative real estate development business deals in Russia , especially in relation to the ongoing 2018 World Cup soccer tournament. How ever, so far, for reasons unknown, TRUMP had not taken up any of these. In terms of specifics, Source A confided that the Kremlin had been feeding TRUMP and his team valuable intelligence on his opponents, including Democratic presidential candidate Hillary CLINTON, for several years (see more below). . . . Speaking to a trusted compatriot in June 2016 sources A and B, a senior Russian Foreign Ministry figure and a former top level Russian intelligence officer still active inside the Kremlin respectively, the Russian authorities had been cultivating and supporting US Republican presidential candidate, Donald TRUMP for at least 5 years. . . . The most important take away from the Powell piece is that it gives us some critical pieces of evidence for evaluating the Steele Dossier and exposing that document as a fraud. I want to focus on the what Christopher Steele claimed about Trump and a Trump Tower project in Moscow. This information is contained in the very first of the reports submitted by Steele to Fusion GPS. It is dated 20 June 2016.: As I have continued to try to peel the onion that is the layered life of Felix Sater, I discovered an excellent article by Newsweek reporter Bill Powell, Donald Trump Associate Felix Sater Is Linked to the Mob and the CIAWhats His Role in the Russia Investigation? . One of the surprising revelations from Powell, especially in light of recent events, is that Felix Sater was a childhood friend of Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer. Let that sink in for a moment. The FBI informant, Felix Sater, was a long time friend of Cohen. This now provides another explanation for how Michael Cohen became to be a part of the Trump orbit. Felix Sater appears to have brokered the introduction (Sater and his company, Bayrock, started working with Trump in 2003 while Cohen did not start working for Trump until 2006). Here are the key take away from this portion of the Steele Dossier. First, Russian authorities had been "cultivating and supporting" Donald Trump since at least 2011. Second, these prescient Russians allegedly fed him "valuable intelligence on his opponents " and offered him real estate deals. While Hillary Clinton is named specifically as one of those being targeted by the Russians, no one knew in 2011 or 2012 or 2013 or 2014 that Trump was going to run for President. I do not have Alzheimers. I recall clearly how many expert pundits dismissed reports that Trump was running for the 2016 nomination as utter nonsense. The claim that the Russians were "feeding" Trump valuable intelligence should be easy to prove. Why? Because Trump's principal liaison with Moscow were Felix Sater and Michael Cohen. Let's focus on the specific claim about real estate deals in Russia by Trump. Bill Powell reported the following in Newsweek: [Felix Sater] and his childhood friend, Michael Cohenthen a lawyer and dealmaker for the Trump Organizationhad been working for more than a decade, on and off, to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. The New York real estate mogul had long wanted to see his name on a glitzy building in the Russian capital, but the project had never materialized. In other words, Sater and Cohen were the ones trying to build a Trump Tower in Moscow and this effort started in 2006. No indication from Powell that the Russians were ponying up lucrative, tempting offers that could have ensnared Donald Trump. Powell reported that: In [2003], Sater says he met Trump, thanks to his work for Bayrock, the real estate company. . . Sater raised money for Bayrock from, among others, a wealthy businessman from the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, and he persuaded people in Trumps orbitincluding Cohen, his old friendto bring his deals before the boss. Two of the ideas worked out. Sater and the New York real estate mogul eventually worked on the Trump SoHo in Manhattan and a hotel and condo project in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which failed after the 2008 economic crisis. He and Trump, Sater claims, were friendly but not particularly close. Powell does not report the Russians offering up any "lucrative" real estate deal. This tracks with the information in the Charging Indictment of Michael Cohen. While the Steele Dossier makes the claim that the Russian Government was offering up "lucrative projects" to the Trump organization, Michael Cohen never made such a claim. The details in the charging document show otherwise; i.e., that Felix Sater and Michael Cohen were pushing the projects: The Moscow Project was discussed multiple times within the Company and did not end in January 2016. Instead, as late as approximately June 2016, COHEN and Individual 2 discussed efforts to obtain Russian governmental approval for the Moscow Project. Why does the Trump organization need to "obtain Russian governmental approval" if, per the Steele Dossier, the Russians are offering up a slew of "lucrative" deals? The charging document provides further detail on Cohen and Sater's interaction with Russian officials. In early January 2016, Michael Cohen sent an email to Vladimir Putin's Press Secretary. The Secretary responded: On or about January 14, 2016, COHEN emailed Russian Official 1s office asking for assistance in connection with the Moscow Project. On or about January 20, 2016, COHEN received an email from the personal assistant to Russian Official 1 (Assistant 1), stating that she had been trying to reach COHEN and requesting that he call her using a Moscow-based phone number she provided. Shortly after receiving the email, COHEN called Assistant 1 and spoke to her for approximately 20 minutes. On that call, COHEN described his position at the Company and outlined the proposed Moscow Project, including the Russian development company with which the Company had partnered. COHEN requested assistance in moving the project forward, both in securing land to build the proposed tower and financing the construction. Assistant 1 asked detailed questions and took notes, stating that she would follow up with others in Russia. Notwithstanding these communications, the Moscow project was terminated in June 2016. And it was Felix Sater aka "Individual 2", not the Russians, pushing for going to Russia and making a deal. No evidence of Russians offering up "lucrative deals." From on or about June 9 to June 14, 2016, Individual 2 sent numerous messages to COHEN about the travel, including forms for COHEN to complete. However, on or about June 14, 2016, COHEN met Individual 2 in the lobby of the Companys headquarters to inform Individual 2 he would not be traveling at that time. If the Steele Dossier was true, Trump should have had multiple project going on in Russia, especially Moscow. Steele paints a picture of Putin's people feeding Trump information and opportunity. So where is the evidence of such activity? Sure looks like Steele was fabricating "facts." The facts presented by journalist Bill Powell about Felix Sater are backed up, ironically, by Special Counsel Robert Mueller's indictment of Michael Cohen. It is not illegal to do a real estate deal in Russia (at least it was not illegal in the summer of 2016). Yet no sign of any "lucrative" deals floated to hook Trump. Not one. The biggest twist that needs some light shed on it is the long time relationship between Sater and Cohen. When I wrote my last piece I did not realize that they were childhood buddies and that Sater preceded Cohen in dealing with Trump by almost three years. Did the FBI direct Felix Sater to broker the introduction of Cohen to the Trump Organization? Did the FBI view the Trump Organization as a potential criminal target from 2006 thru 2015? Still lots of questions to be answered. But one thing is clear--if there really was evidence of Trump collusion with Vladimir Putin and the Russian intelligence sources then the FBI should have uncovered those facts long ago. That has not happened. Cookies op Tweakers Tweakers maakt gebruik van cookies Tweakers is onderdeel van DPG Media en maakt gebruik van cookies, JavaScript en vergelijkbare technologie om je onder andere een optimale gebruikerservaring te bieden. Functionele en analytische cookies die door Tweakers zelf geplaatst worden, worden gebruikt om de website goed te laten functioneren, bezoekersstatistieken bij te houden en a/b-testen uit te voeren. Ook kan Tweakers hiermee het gedrag van bezoekers vastleggen en analyseren. Cookies kunnen daarnaast worden gebruikt om op Tweakers advertenties te tonen die aansluiten bij je interesses. Daarbij kan gebruikgemaakt worden van bezoekersprofielen die door derden zijn opgesteld. Ook kunnen derden je internetgedrag volgen, zoals bijvoorbeeld het geval is bij embedded videos van YouTube. Tot slot kunnen cookies worden gebruikt om op sites van derden relevante advertenties te tonen. Content van derde partijen, zoals embedded videos van YouTube, wordt met een trackingvrij abonnement standaard uitgeschakeld. Indien je deze content wilt zien, kun je hier expliciet toestemming voor geven. Wil je meer informatie over cookies en hoe ze worden gebruikt? Bekijk dan ons cookiebeleid. Accepteer cookies ... Om deze pagina op Tweakers te kunnen bekijken, moet je cookies accepteren. Cookies accepteren Heb je al een account? Dan kun je hier inloggen! FILE PHOTO: Brine pools from a lithium mine, that belongs U.S.-based Albemarle Corp, is seen on the Atacama salt flat in the Atacama desert, Chile, August 16, 2018. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo By Dave Sherwood and Ernest Scheyder SANTIAGO/HOUSTON (Reuters) - Albemarle Corp has launched an aggressive lobbying campaign after Chilean regulators denied its request to boost lithium output, stressing the company's importance to Chile's economy and workers, according to records reviewed by Reuters. The behind-the-scenes moves come even as Albemarle has publicly brushed off worries from analysts and investors about rising regulatory pressure in Chile, home to the world's largest reserves of lithium, a crucial ingredient in electric car batteries and mobile phones. Ellen Lenny-Pessagno, who became Albemarle's Chile country manager in October, met with the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) on Nov. 23 to discuss the rejection, according to filings with Chile's lobbyist transparency website that have been previously unreported. The nuclear agency, which oversees lithium sales and export from Chile, had rejected Albemarle's request in September to increase its quota to sell lithium. That effectively stunted the long-term expansion plans of the world's top producer of the ultralight metal. Albemarle Chief Executive Luke Kissam stressed in a November conference call with investors that the rejection from CCHEN was "not a big deal, OK? It's not a big deal." But Lenny-Pessagno, a former diplomat who has held senior roles with the U.S. State Department advocating for U.S. renewable energy companies in Spain, Chile and Colombia, told CCHEN's interim director, Mauricio Lichtemberg, that the regulator's September decision was having an impact on its workers and investors, according to minutes from the meeting. Albemarle did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Lenny-Pessagno discussed "how important Albemarle is to Chile from an investment standpoint, as a source of direct employment and for contractors," the minutes show. Albemarle pays Chile more than $100 million annually in lithium royalties, giving it some financial and political sway in the country. Story continues Lenny-Pessagno's visit to CCHEN was the second in as many months by an Albemarle executive. Eric Norris, chief of Albemarle's lithium division, had flown to Santiago from the company's North Carolina headquarters in October, shortly after the rejection, according to the lobbyist transparency records. AUSTRALIA VS. CHILE? Lenny-Pessagno also referred to the U.S.-based miner's investments in other countries, meeting minutes show. She told Chile's nuclear regulator that Albemarle was making new investments in Australia, which vies with Chile to be the world's top lithium producer. The day before the meeting, Albemarle had announced a $1.15 billion deal to form a joint venture with Australia's Mineral Resources Ltd . That venture, if finalised, would eventually produce more lithium than Albemarle has authorization to sell from Chile. CCHEN's Lichtemberg reiterated to Lenny-Pessagno the same points it had made in the initial ruling in September, the minutes show. The agency has not responded to Reuters requests for comment on the details of the rejection. But it has said that Albemarle had failed to provide requested details about how it plans to triple lithium production from Chile's Salar de Atacama without using more water. Regulators are cracking down on water use by both copper and lithium miners in the salar, which lies at the heart of the world's driest desert. Last month, Reuters reported that environmental regulators had rejected Albemarle's plans to build a plant to process 42,500 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually on Chile's coast, another critical facet of its long-term plans. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder and Dave Sherwood, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien) MSF and SOS Mediterranee announced Thursday they will be ending the operations of the Aquarius migrant rescue ship, which has become a lightning rod for the controversy surrounding Europe's policies on accepting migrants. MSF (Medecins sans frontieres or Doctors Without Borders) and SOS Mediterranee announced in a joint statement that they had "brought an end" to the ship's rescue operations. The decision was made to wind up the ship's missions because the Aquarius itself had become a target, explained Francis Vallat, president of SOS Mediterranee, in an interview with FRANCE 24 shortly after the announcement. But he vowed that the NGOs would soon resume our activities. The ships have rescued thousands of migrants from the Mediterranean as immigration continues to be a hot-button political issue across the European Union. MSF lamented "the attacks carried out in the last 18 months by some European states" and the "grotesque claims of trafficking in waste and criminal activity" targeting both NGOs. All our port operations, including waste management, have always followed standard procedures, MSF said in a statement last month. The relevant authorities have not contested these procedures or identified a public health risk since we started our activities at sea. >> Mission Aquarius: 10 days rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean The Aquarius was at the heart of a diplomatic row in June when it became stranded with more than 600 migrants on board following a refusal by Italy and Malta to take it in. Under a deal reached in August, 141 migrants aboard the Aquarius were distributed among France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain. The ship has been repeatedly turned away by Italy and forced to stop in Malta and Spain in recent months. Italy's far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has vowed to block the Aquarius permanently from his country's ports, accusing it of offering a "taxi service" for migrants from Libya to Europe. Italy has seen more than 700,000 migrants landing on its shores since 2013. Story continues French President Emmanuel Macron has clashed with the Italian government over the policy, accusing it of "cynicism and irresponsibility". But Macron faced criticism at home for not offering safe haven to the Aquarius after it first became stranded in June, although France eventually offered asylum to about 80 of the rescued migrants. The International Organization for Migration said in October that 1,741 migrants had drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean so far this year. The group estimates that about 15,000 migrants have drowned since 2013. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) Andre Burnier, MD, hadnt taken his boots off in 24 hours. Even when he grabbed a nap on a cot under a Red Cross blanket, he kept his boots on so he could be ready at a moments notice to attend to patients. It was Nov. 28. Earlier that day, Burnier, a second-year resident in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Stanford, had treated an elderly man whose home had been destroyed in the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history. Im sure he was expecting to live out his days in peace and at home, Burnier said. Everyone has a story, and the vast majority of their problems we cant fix. Its humbling. Burnier had deployed with the Stanford Emergency Medicine Program for Emergency Response, or SEMPER, to provide medical support for people displaced by the fire, which started Nov. 8 in Butte County, California, and was not fully contained until Nov. 25. Since being established in 2010, SEMPER has deployed teams of Stanford physicians and nurses to areas hit by disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, around the world. In addition to members of SEMPER, other Stanford Medicine employees have helped out in the wake of the fires destruction, including a clinical assistant professor who serves as the physician for Task Force 3 of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and veterinary technicians with the medical schools Department of Comparative Medicine. Second wave of medical support The fire was responsible for at least 85 deaths. It destroyed nearly 14,000 homes and scorched 153,000 acres of land. More than 50,000 people were displaced. Some are still in shelters with nowhere else to go. The California Emergency Medical Services Authority called in SEMPER to provide a second wave of medical support for displaced residents. The US-led coalition behind Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, said on December 4 it was continuing to support an operation to clear Islamic State remnants from Hajin and surrounding areas of Deir Ezzor. On the same day, Kurdish media and local activists in Deir Ezzor said dozens of families had fled the Hajin area and reached areas controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Footage shared by the Kurdish news outlet ANHA shows SDF personnel transporting civilians who ANHA said had fled Hajin. The SDF have been receiving air and artillery support as part of the ongoing operation, the US-led coalition said. Credit: ANHA via Storyful A French court on Wednesday approved the extradition of the brother of Burkina Faso's ousted leader Blaise Compaore to face prosecution in his homeland over the murder of a journalist. Francois Compaore, who was arrested in Paris in October last year over the 1998 killing of investigative journalist Norbert Zongo in Burkina Faso, could still challenge the decision by the Court of Appeal in a higher court. He was one of the most disliked figures in the regime of Blaise Compaore, who was ousted in a popular revolt in October 2014 after trying to change the constitution to extend his 27-year grip on power. Francois Compaore is wanted on charges of "inciting the death" of Zongo and three companions, whose charred bodies were found in a burnt-out car in the south of the country in December 1998. Zongo's family have long accused Francois Compaore of having had a hand in the killings, which triggered mass protests in Burkina Faso and drew international condemnation. Compaore's lawyers argued against his extradition saying the charges he faces do not exist in France and warned he could face the death penalty. (AFP) Dassault fifth generation fighter YouTube via AsianDefence Germany and France will welcome Spain as a full partner in their program to develop a next-generation air combat system. In July 2017, France and Germany announced that they would join forces to build an advanced "European" fighter to replace Dassault's Rafales and Germany's Eurofighter Typhoons. Unlike the F-35, Dassault's next-generation fighter is likely to have two engines and therefore much more thrust, one analyst previously told Business Insider. Germany and France will welcome Spain as a full partner in their program to develop a next-generation air combat system, and expect to sign an agreement finalizing the move at the Paris Air Show in June, a German government source said on Wednesday. Paris and Berlin initially planned to offer Spain observer status on the program, but Spain this week formally asked to participate as a fully fledged partner, which will also require certain financial outlays. "The current intention is to sign a tri-national memorandum of understanding on the sidelines of the 2019 Paris Air Show in Le Bourget," the source said. In July 2017, France and Germany announced that they would join forces to build an advanced "European" fighter to replace Dassault's Rafales and Germany's Eurofighter Typhoons. In July 2018, the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation published a video giving a glimpse into what the aircraft might look like. Youtube Embed: //www.youtube.com/embed/G3UtJ6u0QL0 Width: 560px Height: 315px "I think if they can pull it all off, this seems a legitimate candidate for a highly capable competitor to the F-35 and Su-57," Sim Tack, the chief military analyst at Force Analysis and a global fellow at Stratfor, previously told Business Insider. Unlike the F-35, Dassault's next-generation fighter is likely to have two engines and therefore much more thrust, Tack said. "In terms of capabilities, the focus will probably be on stealth technology, and integration with information systems," Tack said, such as "sharing information between aircraft, possibly commanding drones, etc." Story continues Tack added that it was up for debate whether this aircraft would be a fifth- or sixth-generation fighter. See Also: Patrick Ho bribes The South China Morning Post reports that former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho has been found guilty of millions of dollars in bribes. A populist politician, a Harvard grad, a musician, a leading eye surgeon and husband to one of Taiwan's most glamorous actors, Patrick Ho led a rich, extraordinary life that in many ways reflected the turbulence and opportunity of post-colonial Hong Kong. The South China Morning Post reports that the flamboyant former Hong Kong minister Patrick Ho Chi-ping has been found guilty, by a federal jury in New York, of offering millions of dollars in bribes to African officials. Ho, a central figure for more than 25 years in Hong Kong politics, arts, and high society, was charged on "one count of conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), four counts of violating the FCPA, one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering and one count of committing international money laundering," according to the US Department of Justice seven of the eight counts of bribery and money laundering brought against him. The bribes occurred on behalf Chinese state-run conglomerate CEFC China Energy over access to oil rights in Chad and Uganda. He was charged with paying $2 million cash bribes to the President of Chad, and according to evidence presented at the trial arranged to have payments of $500,000 transfer ed to officials in Uganda. Ho was acquitted of the Chad money-laundering charge, but convicted on all others by a jury that only deliberated for a few hours on Wednesday afternoon, New York time, according to the Post. A high-profile politician, musician, Harvard graduate, ophthalmologist, and arts lover, he married Sibelle Hu a famous Taiwan-born actress, and led a rich, extraordinary life that in lots of ways reflected the turbulence of post-colonial Hong Kong. Already a noted eye surgeon, according to the Post, it is commonly thought that Ho got his leg up into Hong Kong politics after performing surgery on top Chinese Communist Party leaders. Ho moved up the political ladder quickly, emerging as the city-state's Home Affairs minister in 2002, a role he kept for almost five years through to 2007. Ho assumed a highly visible role in Hong Kong's desperate days during the SARS crisis, when over 200 people died from the mysterious virus that gripped China, and most particularly Hong Kong. Story continues He moved to the US to pursue a career as a surgeon, but threw himself into his other passion, music, where he became a noted violinist. Following his life in politics, Ho took over as a deputy secretary general in a think tank financed by CEFC. "According to evidence presented at trial, Ho was involved in two bribery schemes to pay top officials of Chad and Uganda in exchange for business advantages for CEFC China, a Shanghai-based multibillion-dollar conglomerate that operates internationally in multiple sectors, including oil, gas, and banking," the DOJ explained in a press release. "At the center of both schemes was Ho, the head of a nongovernmental organization based in Hong Kong and Arlington, Virginia, the China Energy Fund Committee (the 'CEFC NGO'), which held 'Special Consultative Status' with the United Nations (UN) Economic and Social Council. CEFC NGO was funded by CEFC China." He was arrested at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York in November 2017 and has been held since then. His trial lasted seven days, and Ho will be sentenced on March 14, 2019, where and could face up to five years for each count of bribery and 20 years in jail for each charge of money laundering. NOW WATCH: This fish was sold for $1.8 million here's why bluefin tuna is so expensive See Also: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released footage on December 4 that they said showed a Hezbollah operative inside an attack tunnel dug from Lebanon into Israel. The footage shows two people walking towards the camera; they are scared off by what appears to be a small explosion. The Times of Israel, citing an IDF spokesperson, said that the video was filmed by a small Israeli military robot on December 4, shortly before the army announced that the tunnel would be destroyed as part of Operation Northern Shield. According to the IDF, Operation Northern Shield is intended to expose and neutralize cross-border attack tunnels that are being dug by Hezbollah from Lebanon to Israel. Credit: IDF via Storyful Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of Chinas Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday, Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said. Mr McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide further details. A profile of Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is displayed on a computer at a store in Beijing, China (Ng Han Guan/AP) The ban was sought by Meng, who has a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that US authorities are investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. Huawei issued a statement saying Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained on behalf of the United States of America to face unspecified charges in New York. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng, the statement said. Huawei said it complies with all laws and rules where it operates, including export controls and sanctions of the United Nations, the US and European Union. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said her human rights were violated and demanded her immediate release. At the request of the US side, the Canadian side arrested a Chinese citizen not violating any American or Canadian law. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim, the statement said. A US Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that US authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. Story continues A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Ms Hua said in April, We hope the US will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the US business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp from exporting US technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. The Duchess of Cambridge looked stunning as she arrived at the RAF base in Cyprus to honour military personnel serving overseas during Christmas. We loved the mother-of-three's latest look - an olive green blazer by Smythe with wide lapels and statement button detail at the cuffs, a pair of classic trousers which cost 130 from Jigsaw and a simple white T-shirt. To complete her look she added a smart buckled belt and a pair of olive green suede shoes with a matching L.K.Bennett bag - let's not forget she's the Queen of matching. The royal wore her sumptuous brunette hair pulled away from her face and wore subtle makeup. Prince William and Kate met with men and women separated from their loved ones over the festive period as they took part in operations against Islamic State (IS). kate-middleton-trousers We loved Kate's latest look as she arrived in Cyprus Despite having a late night at Buckingham Palace the night before - Kate looked super fresh and glowing. Dressed to the nines on Tuesday evening, she opted for a stunning baby blue floor length-dress which featured a tulle overlay with incredible silver embellishments. She accessorised with a stunning pair of pearl earrings which were previously owned by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. However, despite her impeccable sartorial choice, it was her diamond tiara that stole the show - the Lover's Knot. Loading the player... Earlier that day, we saw the royal couple host a Christmas party for families from RAF Coningsby and RAF Marham who have a relative deployed abroad - including Cyprus. MORE: All the times the Duchess of Cambridge has worn a tiara The Duchess looked remarkably festive in a black cashmere cardigan which she teamed with a red checked pleated skirt by one of her favourite designers Emilia Wickstead. During the event, Kate told the invited wives, partners, grandparents and children: "Not only are we grateful for you coming here to join our party, but also for the sacrifices you make on a daily basis on behalf of the nation." READ: Kate Middleton wears the most festive outfit ever at Kensington Palace Despite Kim Jong Uns pledge to reduce his countrys nuclear capabilities, activity has been seen at bases Satellite images have picked up activity at a North Korean missile base. The new satellite images suggest that North Korea has expanded an unidentified long-range missile base along the mountainous interior of the country, according to CNNs Zachary Cohen. Last month, images revealed that North Korea had been working to improve 16 hidden ballistic missile bases, despite halting moves on dismantling a major site in order to appease the US. Although the construction does not technically violate any agreement between the U.S. and South Korea, it could be seen as evidence that numerous sites remain active. The images appear to show that Yeongjeo-dong missile base and another, previously undiscovered, nearby site remain active. North Korea has expanded a key long-range missile base in the months since a summit between the countrys leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, according to satellite images published by CNN on Wednesday. This could lead President Donald Trumps administration to conclude that Pyongyang has failed to live up to its vow. Satellite images show that the base remains active. Moreover, in the past year North Korea has significantly expanded a nearby facility that appears to be another missile base, said researchers at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. Whatever Kim says about his desire for denuclearisation, North Korea continues to produce and deploy nuclear armed missiles. In October, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Kim Jong-Un in Pyongyang to verify that the Punggye-ri nuclear test site had been irreversibly dismantled. The satellite images, obtained by CNN, imply that Kim Jong-Un has done little to keep his promise of denuclearisation.https://www.yahoo.com/south-korea-releases-footage-north-045407848.html?format=embedion=GB&lang=en-GB&site=news&expType=wordpressrelatedvideo Student protesters in Toulouse, France, took to the streets for the fourth day in a row on Thursday, December 6, clashing with police and even assaulting a journalist, according to the citys mayor. According to France Bleu, between 2,000 and 3,000 students initially gathered at Universite Jean-Jaures to protest change to the Baccalaureat on Thursday. Violence began when a portion of those assembled marched towards Saint Cyprien, near the city center. As they marched, protesters smashed bus stops, set fires, and threw projectiles at police, Toulouses Depeche du Midi reported. In one instance, a protester confronted a journalist, assaulting him and destroying his camera. Toulouse Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc condemned the violence, saying todays protesters arrived with the sole goal of causing chaos. Security forces have responded to the escalation, firing tear gas and working to control and disperse the crowds. Footage recorded near Pont Neuf shows a group of police officers carrying riot shields advancing down a narrow street towards protesters. Shouts and bangs could be heard and a column of smoke is visible in the distance. In another clip, police formed a line and launched tear gas into a square. Credit: @ro0main via Storyful Evaluation of the pre-election environment of the 2018 presidential runoff Based on the outcome of the October 28, 2018 presidential election, President of Georgia had to be determined through a runoff election since none of the presidential candidates were able to secure over 50% of votes in the first round. The two candidates with most votes compete in the runoff the Georgian Dream (GD) endorsed independent presidential candidate Salome Zourabichvili and the United National Movement (UNM) candidate Grigol Vashadze endorsed by united opposition under the name of Power in Unity. Presidential candidate Davit Bakradze European Georgia, and the Georgian Republican Party have also publicly endorsed Grigol Vashadze. Salome Zourabichvili has been endorsed by the Alliance of Patriots of Georgia.Compared to the first round, the pre-election period of the presidential runoff was even more polarized and its campaign was distinctively more negative, as manifested in statements made by candidates and their supporters through media, election advertisement and aggressive campaigns on social media.During the pre-election period of the runoff, major TV companies were highly polarized. Debates between the presidential candidates were not held before the second round and therefore, voters lacked opportunity to see or hear opinions and thematic discussions about the platforms of the candidates. Instead, during the pre-election period public witnessed extreme polarization of political groups supporting the presidential candidates, confrontation, aggressive rhetoric and active use of hate speech.Immediately after the first round, individual representatives of the ruling party made alarming statements and prognoses about threats of civil war and possible destabilization in case of the win of the opposition candidate, while the UNM representatives announced that following the runoff, if GrigolVashadze wins, the Georgian Dream government will be over.In the election campaign before the runoff, several public movements with the aim of campaigning against the UNM presidential candidate were created and have become active. This creates suspicions that they are making donations in favor of the independent presidential candidate Salome Zurabishvili. Pre-election messages of some of these groups are markedly negative and aggressive.During this period, smear campaign against NGOs and their leadership using social media still continued to be active and was aimed at discrediting them.Unlike the pre-election campaign of the first round of the presidential election, when almost no acts of physical confrontation and violence happened, during the pre-election period of the runoff numerous cases of physical confrontation took place. After the first round, an alarming incident occurred in Akhalkalaki, when family members and supporters of Akhalkalaki majoritarian MP attacked opposition activists at the office of the united opposition. Most violent incidents targeted opposition party activists and supporters, and in one case a person was physically assaulted for not voting for Grigol Vashadze. Notably, on November 21, head of Grigol Vashadzes campaign office in Oni, Nodar Burdiladze was stabbed three times in his stomach area late at night in Oni. According to the Ministry of Interior Affairs, Burdiladze was stabbed for an everyday issue, which the united opposition has vehemently denied. Instead, they claim that he was stabbed on political motive.During the pre-election period of the runoff, instances of intimidation of voters became widespread and alarming. Observers of the organizations reported that employees of municipal public institutions, private sector employees, socially vulnerable voters and voters with previous conviction experienced pressure. These individuals were mostly urged to vote for Salome Zourabichvili or they received threats because of their support to GrigolVashadze. Employees of municipal budgetary organizations told observers that they were threatened with dismissal. In isolated cases, the organizations detected instances of dismissal on possible political grounds.During the pre-election campaign of the presidential runoff, threats were made against the GD endorsed presidential candidate Salome Zourabichvili and her family. In particular, they received death threats through text messages.During the pre-election period of the second round, number of possible vote buying incidents also grew. The decision of the Government of Georgia to waive nearly GEL 1.5 billion worth of financial obligations for 600,000 people, with the aim of garnering voter support, was unprecedented. The program was unveiled on November 19. According to the announcement, with the involvement of the state, Cartu Foundation will write off debts of other financial institutions not exceeding 2,000 Georgian Laris for certain citizens within the period of December 15-31. Additionally, observers of the organizations in different municipalities reported that people were offered money in exchange for voting for Salome Zourabichvili and in some cases people that are perceived as supporters of Grigol Vashadze are offered money for their ID cards. At the same time, observers of the organizations learned about distribution of produce among voters in some municipalities.After the first round of the election, the Government of Georgia and local authorities started to extensively initiate social and infrastructural projects. Initiatives possibly motivated by election were unveiled about increase in salaries, social assistance, provision of housing, launch of infrastructural projects, which were not known before the first round and mostly serve the purpose of improving wellbeing of socially vulnerable citizens.Several days before the second round, observer organizations learned about possible identity document forgery. The organizations urged law enforcement authorities to conduct investigation. The prosecutors office has launched subsequent investigation.Two major television companies were distinctly polarized according to their political preferences. In the beginning of the second round, Imedi TV announced that it would start operating in an emergency mode, against the UNM and Grigol Vashadze, while Rustavi 2 TV manifestly pursues editorial policy in support of Grigol Vashadze and against Salome Zurabishvili.Despite the call of non-governmental organizations not to do so, the Central Election Commission scheduled Election Day for a weekday, on Wednesday, November 28, which was met with criticism. The decision creates obstacles for voters residing abroad to participate in the election because November 28 will be a workday for them. To reduce the very harm that it caused, the CEC, in violation of the Election Code, extended voting until 24:00 at polling stations created abroad.Before the CECs announcement, October 28 was announced as the runoff date by Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze. Prior to that, November 28 was announced as Election Day by two participants of a meeting held by a public movement in support of Salome Zourabichvili in Telavi. These facts possibly indicate that the ruling party and its supporters knew about the date of the election before the CEC officially made the decision.Following the first round, in the period between October 28 and November 19, two electoral subjects garnered donations totaling GEL 3,489,303. Of which, GEL 2,964,704 (85%) went to Salome Zourabichvili, while Grigol Vashadze received GEL 524,599 (15%).Similarly to the first round, State Audit Office (SAO) response to possible violations of political party finance regulations was mainly ineffective. Confirmation of these cases protracted and the outcomes were unknown. SAO issued a report only on November 26, which only covers a few violations. French farmers will carry out a series of strikes next week to protest against increased financial charges on their operations. No specific day has been set, its for the week, Christiane Lambert, head of the main agricultural union told the French news agency AFP. Lambert said that the farmers were not officially joining the yellow vests. They want an apolitical movement, without unions, and I respect that, she said, adding that farmers were facing specific problems. She accused the government of agri-bashing by imposing new regulations such as requiring farmers to declare when they use glyphosate, a weedkiller suspected by some scientists of causing cancer. Farmers feel humiliated, Lambert said. Government to make further concessions? The French government indicated on Wednesday that it was willing to make further concessions to the yellow vest protesters. France has been rocked by protests since November 17 against the rising fuel taxes and the governments pro-business agenda. One of the main demands of the protesters is a repeal of the cutting of the tax on high earners. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux told a radio network on Wednesday that the wealth tax would be evaluated. If something isnt working, were not dumb, well change it. French President Emmanuel Macron had made scrapping the fortune tax one of his key campaign pledges ahead of his election in May 2017, arguing that such levies on the wealthy discouraged job creation and drove entrepreneurs to leave the country. Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced the suspension of the rise in fuel taxes which was scheduled for January 1, for six months. - with AFP Police arrested dozens of suspected mobsters in Europe and South America on Wednesday in a huge international swoop targeting Italy's notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia clan, officials said. Nearly 90 people including high-ranking members of the powerful organised crime syndicate accused of drug trafficking and money laundering were arrested in coordinated raids in six countries, EU justice agency Eurojust said. The "unprecedented" crackdown on the group based in Calabria, southern Italy, came just a day after Italian police arrested the new boss of the separate Sicilian mafia. Hundreds of police took part in Wednesday's operation, seizing four tonnes of cocaine, 120 kilos of ecstasy and two million euros (dollars) in cash across Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Suriname. "Today, we send a clear message to organised crime groups across Europe," Filippo Spiezia, vice president of the EU's judicial agency Eurojust, told reporters in The Hague. "They are not the only ones able to operate across borders; so are Europe's judiciary and law enforcement communities." He said the "unprecedented and extraordinary result", the fruit of a two-year operation, targeted "dangerous members of the 'Ndrangheta family deeply involved in drug trafficking and money laundering". Italian restaurants The 'Ndrangheta -- which derives its meaning from the Greek word for heroism -- is made up of numerous village and family-based clans in Calabria, the rural, mountainous and under-developed "toe" of Italy's boot. Despite intense police attention and frequent arrests, the organisation has continued to extend its reach. It has surpassed Sicily's Cosa Nostra and the Naples-based Camorra in influence thanks to control of the cocaine trade and is the sole mafia organisation to operate on all continents, according to anti-mafia prosecutors. Officials hailed Wednesday's operation -- dubbed "Operation Pollina" -- as a serious blow to the group. Story continues In total 41 people were arrested in Italy, 21 in Germany, 14 in Belgium, five in the Netherlands and two in Luxembourg, with operations still underway, Eurojust said. Italian police said the sweep targeted the 'Ndrangheta and its "projections across South America". Italian anti-mafia prosecutor Federico Cafiero De Raho said the operations would affect the 'Ndrangheta's drug trafficking operations around the world, including Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil. But he warned that it was "just a first step", saying the arrests were "nothing for the 'Ndrangheta, there are thousands of people who should be arrested and billions that should be seized". In Germany, Wednesday's operation focused on restaurants, offices and apartments, mainly in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria region. Dutch prosecutors said the investigation began after they noticed money laundering at two Italian restaurants in the southern Netherlands that showed criminal links with Germany and Calabria, home of the 'Ndrangheta. Using an often family-based network spread out around Europe, drugs would come into the Dutch port of Rotterdam and the Belgian port of Antwerp before being moved around the continent. Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said they had also probed ice cream parlours, adding that together with restaurants "the suspicion is that the mafia organisation is laundering money through these establishments and they are used as a cover for their criminal organisations". He also confirmed that there had been raids in Suriname, a small South American country that was once a Dutch colony. Dutch NOS television said the 'Ndrangheta were mainly active in the Netherlands in drug smuggling through the country's huge flower export market. 'Decisive hit' The Belgian operations were concentrated on the Limburg area, home to many people of Italian descent who moved there after World War II to work in coal mines, Belgian prosecutors said. The European police agency Europol said it was a "decisive hit against one of the most powerful Italian criminal networks in the world". European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, who is Italian, sent "congratulations" to the police forces involved, adding: "Europe fights 'Ndrangheta criminal groups". On Tuesday, Italian police arrested new Cosa Nostra boss Settimino Mineo and dozens of other suspects in Sicily in a major swoop. Jeweller Mineo, 80, was detained with at least 45 others just before he was due to be appointed official heir to notorious mafia boss Toto Riina, who died in prison last year. (AFP) LONDON (AP) Britain's airline regulator is seeking to force Ryanair to pay compensation for flights that were cancelled or delayed by a series of worker strikes after Europe's biggest discount carrier said it wasn't required to pay thousands of claims under European Union rules. The Civil Aviation Authority says it has begun enforcement action against Ryanair after the airline ignored the regulator's ruling that the strikes were not "extraordinary circumstances" as defined by EU rules. Airlines aren't obliged to pay compensation for delays caused by extraordinary events such as bad weather. The regulator also says Wednesday that Ryanair has terminated its agreement with an arbitration service hired to settle disputes over compensation. As a result, anyone who has filed a claim will have to wait until the enforcement action is completed. See Also: HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnamese authorities on Wednesday conducted drills to prevent the spread of African swine fever should there be an outbreak of the disease in the country, as the risks of transmission from neighboring China increase. The highly contagious fever has killed around a million pigs worldwide and recently spread rapidly across China, which has reported 80 cases since early August. In footage shown on state-run Vietnam Television (VTV), officials covered from head to toe in protective clothing were seen taking samples from dead pigs and spraying corpses before burying them in a large pit in the ground. "The fever is only 150 kilometers away from our border, so it's necessary to understand the risk and danger...if it reaches our 27 millions pigs," said Tong Xuan Chinh, vice head of the agriculture ministry's livestock department. Vietnam has more than 27 millions pigs, most of which are consumed domestically, with pork accounting for three quarters of total meat consumption in the Southeast Asian nation of 95 million people, Chinh said. "If this fever infects our pigs, it will be a major hit to the economy, society, environment and food security," Chinh said. He added that authorities were tightly controlling the transportation of pigs and pork products from China and had banned pork products from other infected countries such as Poland and Hungary. Last month, China reported outbreaks of African swine fever in several provinces, including Yunnan, a border province with Vietnam. There is also a danger of the disease spreading into Vietnam through smuggled pigs of unknown origin. Smuggling is a regular occurrence, especially in the northern border provinces with China, the agriculture ministry said last week. Authorities in Vietnam have destroyed 324 pigs and nearly 17 tonnes of pork products that have been smuggled or which do not have clear origins in 63 cases since August, the ministry said in a statement on its website. Story continues (Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Kirsten Donovan) See Also: Talks between Yemens government and rebels, locked in a brutal war for nearly four years, opened on Thursday as tensions remained high despite what the UN envoy called a critical ... Yemens government and rebels doubled down on their rival demands on Thursday, just moments before hard-won consultations opened in Sweden under the auspices of the United Nations. Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, who heads the Saudi-backed governments delegation to the UN-sponsored talks in Sweden, said that his team would follow through with a planned prisoner swap with the Houthi rebels. And the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was ready to play a role in the Yemeni prisoner swap and voiced hope that the deal between the warring sides would build confidence for a political solution to end the war. The ICRC has been asked to play its role as a neutral intermediary and provide technical support...it will be of utmost importance to be able to certify the will of each detainee to be part of the process, Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC regional director for the Middle East, said in a statement. Carboni, speaking earlier to reporters, said that the estimated number of Yemeni detainees varies from 5,000 to 8,000. But al-Yamani refused to compromise on the flashpoint port city of Hodeida, home to Yemens most valuable port. The Houthi militias must withdraw from the city of Hodeida, and its port, and hand it over to the legitimate government, and specifically internal security forces, Yamani said. A Saudi-backed military coalition has for months led an offensive to retake Hodeida, the last rebel stronghold on Yemens Red Sea coast. The move has sparked fears for more than 150,000 civilians trapped in the city as even hospitals were seized by militants. Hodeida is on the agenda at the talks, slated to run for one week. Not on the table are negotiations on a solution to the conflict between the Saudi-backed government of Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and Yemens Huthi rebels, according to Griffiths. Story continues Mass starvation threat One of the most impoverished countries in the world, the Arabian Peninsula state of Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the worlds worst humanitarian crisis, with up to 15 million people facing imminent mass starvation. Half the population of Yemen could become vulnerable to famine if no solution is reached, said the UN envoy Martin Griffiths. The Yemen food security survey revealed that more than 15 million people are currently in crisis or emergency conditions and that this number could rise to 20 million. The talks in Rimbo, Sweden a picturesque village some 60 kilometres (35 miles) north of Stockholm have been months in the making, with the UN sending its special envoy to Sanaa to personally escort the rebel delegation to Sweden. During the coming days we will have a critical opportunity to give momentum to the peace process, Griffiths told reporters as the rival delegations gathered in Sweden. There is a way we can resolve the conflict, Griffiths said, adding that the Security Council was united in its support for a resolution to the conflict. Remember these are consultations. We are not yet beginning the process of negotiations. The meeting marks the first attempt in two years to broker an end to the Yemen conflict, which has killed at least 10,000 people since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the governments fight against the rebels in 2015. (RFI with AFP) Twenty-one cadets from the University of North Georgia (UNG) have been ranked in the top 20 percent of the nation among more than 5,000 Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) cadets assessed by U.S. Army Cadet Command. Cadets are ranked on the national Order of Merit List (OML) by achieving superior grade-point averages, strong performance in the Army physical fitness test, and proving their worth as exceptional leaders in their college ROTC training. The UNG cadets ranked in the top 20 percent in the nation, which earns them the designation of Distinguished Military Graduate (DMG), are: Connor Bane, Christopher Bissett, Hunter Blocher, Arthur Brands, Jasper Bridgeman, Austin Brumby, Henry Crawford, Terry Ellis, Tyler Farney, Drue Hoagland, Matthew Ilao, Evan Myers, Zachary Navara, Dylan Richards, Robert Rogers, Jacob Starrett, Charlotte Walton, Donald Wescoat, David White, Matthew Williams, and Logan Young. Each fall, in conjunction with their branch selections, all Army ROTC seniors across the nation are ranked in the OML. A cadet's positioning on the OML can determine his or her priority in being chosen for the branch or occupational specialty of choice. "We are extremely proud of this tremendous individual accomplishment by these 21 men and women," said Lieutenant Colonel Mark Legaspi, assistant professor of military science and executive officer of the Department of Military Science at UNG. "These cadets will commission into the U.S Army active component or Army National Guard in the coming months, and the designation of Distinguished Military Graduate is an honor that will remain on their record as a significant achievement throughout their military careers. Walton, who is from Flowery Branch, Georgia, will graduate in December with a bachelors degree in political science and commission into the National Guard adjutant general corps. I feel honored to have been selected as a Distinguished Military Graduate, Walton said. I worked hard and sacrificed to do the best that I could, and I consider myself privileged to be able to commission from the University of North Georgia and accomplish the dreams that I have had since I was 7 years old. This December, 27 cadets will commission into the U.S. Army or National Guard in ceremonies at UNG, in addition to more than 200 who have commissioned in the past two years. Riots raging in Paris against fuel taxes turned into an anti-government movement that drove protesters to violent demonstrations looting and setting cars and buildings on fire - according to the Art Newspaper. Their path of destruction began with graffiti defacing one of the most famous monuments in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, and smashing the face of the statue of Marianne, an icon of liberty, equality and fraternity, at the monument. Yahoo quoted French president Emmanuel Macrone as saying that the city looked like a war scene and that he worried about the effect on tourism. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had the same concern, noting that the uprising decimated France's image. Trashing art tributes to the state is a form of protest against the state Vandalizing the Arc de Triomphe is particularly shocking given the historic significance of the shrine. (More about that in a moment). And smashing Marianne, France's symbol of liberty, is tantamount to defacing, say, the Statue of Liberty or America's Marine Corps War Memorial near Arlington, VA. The French war tribute was designed in the image of the Arch of Titus, ancient Rome's testament to that country's focus on victory in war. As historian Hendrik Willem van Loon put it in his 1937 book The Arts, the Romans specialized in triumphant arches to commemorate their wins and they festooned them with concentrates of pictorial information about events during the Emperor's campaigns all in the form of sculpture. The French connection to ancient Rome stands in plain sight The French version of the Arch of Titus honors those who died during the Napoleonic Wars. And the statue of Marianne at the Arc de Triomphe memorialized the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity that arose from the French Revolution. But these values may well be tested by the current unrest among the migrants that flock to the city. Discuss this news on Eunomia As The Guardian reported in May, riot police had to move more than 2,000 people sleeping beneath bridges and on the pavement along canals. Mayor Hidalgo blamed President Macrone for not providing government funding to aid the large influx of people. Current events are nothing new All of which conjures up the 1948 movie classic "Arch of Triumph based on the novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque. It tells the story of Paris before World War II when it was overcrowded with refugees - in that case, to evade deportation by the Nazis. These refugees also lived in the shadows. history, then, keeps repeating itself and if governments don't get better at solving problems, high-minded artworks like Marianne that pay tribute to triumphs may be smashed, too. Yahoo noted that the ruined face of Marianne symbolizes the fury of the Paris protests. Given the White House's mismanagement of illegal immigration, the trashing of the Statue of Liberty is not unthinkable. President Donald Trump was in Argentina to attend the G20 summit and while returning in Air Force One he revealed to reporters that he and Kim Jong-un had a good relationship and were getting along well. He added that he would invite Kim to America at some point in time. The president also revealed his plans to meet the leader of north korea once again in January or February and said that some venues are under consideration. They had interacted for the first time in June in Singapore. The Guardian reports that Donald Trump and Chinese president, Xi Jinping had met at the G20 and both wanted to see a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. The White House said in a statement that both leaders agreed about progress made with respect to North Korea. It is a waiting game The subject of denuclearization of North Korea was a major topic for discussion at the Singapore summit. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un reached an agreement but the progress on that front is not clear. In November, the vice-president, Mike Pence, indicated that Trump would push for a concrete plan that would outline plans for Pyongyang to put an end to its nuclear ambitions. President Trump plans to hold a second summit meeting early next year with Kim Jong-un, even though North Korea has failed to follow through with promises to start dismantling its nuclear weapons program https://t.co/h98IFdKVtk The New York Times (@nytimes) December 4, 2018 Pence has told a section of the media that before the second summit, Pyongyang must draw up a concrete plan vis-a-vis its nuclear assets and their disposal actions. Pence also said that there should not be any relaxation of international sanctions on North Korea until there is total denuclearization. It is important that the hermit kingdom declare its assets in full to build the necessary trust. Trump wants a second summit According to the New York Times, President Donald Trump feels a second summit meeting with Kim Jong-un could provide impetus to the issue of denuclearization. Discuss this news on Eunomia This summit could happen early next year. John R. Bolton, the national security adviser, is of the opinion that another meeting between the two leaders could help the cause because the slow pace is becoming a matter of concern. After the Singapore summit in June, the US president had declared that North Korea was no longer a nuclear threat. However, there are indications that Pyongyang has not abandoned its nuclear programs. It is a fact that North Korea has not conducted any nuclear test since September 2017. Donald Trump views this as a positive sign and feels another meeting will be useful. However, those in the know believe that the country is still in possession of nuclear warheads and might have a ballistic missile that could strike the United States. It is a delicate issue and needs to be handled with kid gloves. The Fralin familys remarkable generosity highlights the growth and success of the VTC Health Sciences and Technology Campus, its important biomedical research, and extraordinary faculty, university President Tim Sands said. This historic and inspiring gift to name the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute will broaden our research profile dramatically and elevate Roanokes ability to compete and thrive in a knowledge-based economy. Private support such as this significantly advances our regional and global impact as we bring together research, medical education, and clinical care through the VTC Academic Health Center. I appreciate that Virginia Tech and the commonwealth have made such a major investment in the City of Roanoke and the region, said long-term Roanoke businessman and philanthropist Heywood Fralin, who is chairman of Medical Facilities of America and a powerful advocate for higher education and economic development. I believe that its the responsibility of everybody to give back to your community and to leave things better than you found them. I hope many others will come forward to support this emerging academic health center, because when it comes to Roanokes future, there is no bigger story. The record gift is in keeping with the Fralin familys legacy of making an impact on Virginia Tech and higher education. Heywood Fralins older brother, the late Horace Fralin, and his wife, Ann, were the namesakes of Virginia Techs Fralin Life Science Institute. Heywood Fralin is a former member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors; a former rector of the board of visitors for his alma mater, the University of Virginia; and the current chair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Heywood Fralin is a tireless champion of education as a means of empowering our states citizens and communities, said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. The Roanoke Valley and all of Virginia have benefitted from his advocacy and philanthropy, and with this gift, he will help solidify the region's leadership on cutting-edge biomedical research and innovation. Nancy Howell Agee is president and CEO of Carilion Clinic, a leading health care organization headquartered in Roanoke. This significant gift to Virginia Tech will improve lives and set the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC on a trajectory for future success, Agee said. Carilion Clinic is dedicated to improving the health and health care for our communities across the commonwealth. The expansion of Virginia Tech in Roanoke and the commitment of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute to tackle the big problems in health care and find solutions will serve as a catalyst to fast-track discoveries that will ultimately benefit our citizens across the commonwealth and beyond. Michael Friedlander is the executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and vice president for health sciences and technology at Virginia Tech. We are adding a world-class building to our health science campus, but it takes even more than that to land high-quality research teams, Friedlander said. We must work hard to retain the exceptional researchers that have been the backbone of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and work even harder to recruit additional leading researchers in the fiercely competitive areas that are the focus of our institute. The Fralin familys support opens up exciting new opportunities for us. Thanks to them, we can retain and recruit the very best researchers and provide the critical facilities and instrumentation to enable their transformative research programs. Construction of a $90 million, 139,000-gross-square-foot Biomedical Research Addition building at the the VTC Health Sciences and Technology Campus is underway, expected to finish in spring 2020. The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the VTC School of Medicine, which became Virginia Techs newest college this past summer, are also located on the campus. The campus economic impact in Virginia was $214 million in 2017 and is projected to more than double, approaching half-a-billion dollars per year, by 2026. Nearly 1,700 people worked at the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in fiscal 2017. The number is expected to rise by 85 percent, to nearly 3,150, by 2026, according to a study by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Services Center for Economic and Policy Studies. Meanwhile, the campuss overall impact will be far greater. The campus is part of the broader Roanoke Innovation Corridor, where start-up companies and other enterprises are emerging as groundbreaking research is translated into real-world applications. Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea said his city is fortunate to have highly engaged partners like Heywood Fralin and Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. Like so many mid-size cities, we were transitioning from an industrial economy to the digital age, Lea said. Today, Roanoke is considered one of the leading digital cities in the nation and has been for a number of years, to the point where it is a model for other cities trying to make that forward transition.The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, the VTC School of Medicine, and Carilion Clinic are big reasons why. Carilion Clinic and Virginia Tech generate high-paying jobs and attract brilliant professionals and students from around the world to our city. The Fralin family gift to Virginia Tech will accelerate the growth in all of these positive trends. Fully realized, the VTC Academic Health Center will draw upon the expanding medical research enterprise at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, the innovative medical education at the VTC School of Medicine, the 21st-century health care delivery and clinical training at Carilion Clinic, and other related health and medical entities to transform the way health care is delivered through a commitment to continuous discovery. By combining the strengths of Virginia Tech and Carilion, the center will advance the quality of health, health care, health education, and significant research that drives economic prosperity to make an impact in the Roanoke community and the world. Congratulations to Virginia Tech, Carilion, and the Fralin family on this wonderful announcement, said U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). The research institute has been transforming a city I love, the Star City of Roanoke, and the entire region. I was proud as governor to work with leaders in Roanoke, at Virginia Tech, and at Carilion to get the ball rolling on expanding Virginia Techs and Carilions presence in Roanoke, and to watch it develop over the years has been remarkable. This generous gift will do wonders for medical research and also the economic development of Roanoke and the New River Valley. Sands said the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute has an entrepreneurial culture that encourages researchers to take discoveries to market. That process is already underway with companies such as Acomhal and BEAM Diagnostics. Our expanding biomedical research portfolio prioritizes research that solves problems, improves lives and serves the public good, Sands said. Our researchers want to see their discoveries make a difference for people and are ready to work with industry and clinical partners to make it happen. They are already spinning off promising businesses in Roanoke, and thanks to the Fralin family, thats going to increase. The record gift comes at time of dramatically increased support, overall, by donors to Virginia Tech, which is fueling major initiatives throughout the university. Virginia Tech has raised $100 million or more in each of the past three fiscal years, including $100.4 million in 2015-16, $162.3 million in 2016-17, and $153.6 million in 2017-18. The universitys fiscal years run from July 1 through June 30. Heywood Fralin described his familys transformational gift as a vote of confidence in Virginia Tech, the research institute that now bears his familys name, and the bright future in store for Roanoke. I look forward to the many discoveries that will emerge as we grow and become a leading academic health center for biomedical research in the commonwealth, Heywood Fralin said. The City of Roanoke will evolve dramatically over the next 25 years. I am excited to be one of many catalysts in this transformation that will create a thriving economy in Southwest Virginia. We will need many more to make this new economy as great as it can be. Written by Albert Raboteau Assault of Rustavi 2 journalists and illegal interference in their professional activities Transparency International Georgia is responding to the fact of the assault and interference in the professional activity of the journalist and operator of Rustavi 2 by the representatives of the movement No to Nazism that is backed by the ruling party Georgian Dream. The incident took place in the office of the movement. According to the video footage disseminated by the broadcaster, the leader of the movement Nana Kakabadze got angry after the Rustavi 2 journalist asked questions about the funding of No to Nazism. Ms. Kakabadze insulted the journalists and other persons physically forced the journalist and operator to leave the office. During the incident, the equipment owned by the broadcaster was also damaged.Collecting information on election issues with the aim of disseminating it to the general public constitutes the matters of the public interest. Consequently, it is regrettable that the journalist and operator of Rustavi 2 were not able to perform their professional activity.Any respondent has the right to refrain from answering uncomfortable and unacceptable questions raised by the media. However, this does not allow respondents to insult or assault journalists.We welcome the fact that an investigation has been launched into this incident. It is essential however that the investigation is conducted in a fast and transparent manner so that society will not have reason to doubt its objectivity. Each person who had interfered with journalists rights to perform their professional activities and caused the damage of their equipment should be held accountable.It is also worth noting that this is not the first time that Rustavi 2 journalists have become subjects of insults and physical violence while performing their work. High officials aggressive rhetoric and insults towards the TV company and its journalists is quite common, which encourages aggression from society against Rustavi 2 journalists. Therefore, it is especially important that this case is given appropriate legal qualification and be investigated quickly.Transparency International Georgia is ready to provide the Rustavi 2 journalist and operator with appropriate legal advice, should they wish for it. past daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 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Nov 15 (25) Nov 14 (17) Nov 13 (21) Nov 12 (18) Nov 11 (9) Nov 10 (15) Nov 09 (9) Nov 08 (9) Nov 07 (12) Nov 06 (8) Nov 05 (4) Oct 29 (1) Oct 01 (1) Jul 29 (1) May 11 (1) Jul 11 (1) Brandon Specktor in Live Science: Youre probably used to hearing Sir David Attenboroughs sonorous, British voice describe the miracles of pufferfish courtship and blooming stink flowers in nature documentaries like Planet Earth and Blue Planet. But today (Dec. 3), the naturalist and filmmaker delivered a far more somber monologue at the United Nations Climate Summit in Katowice, Poland. Right now, were facing a man-made disaster of global scale, Attenborough told delegates from almost 200 nations. Our greatest threat in thousands of years: climate change. If we dont take action, the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. Attenborough was chosen to speak at the summit as part of the U.N.s new peoples seat initiative, which encouraged citizens of the world to share their personal messages and videos explaining how climate change has already affected their lives. Several of these messages were shared as part of Attenboroughs speech today; they included footage of people standing in front of the ashen remains of their homes, which had been incinerated by wildfires. The worlds people have spoken, Attenborough said. Their message is clear. Time is running out. They want you, the decision-makers, to act now. This meeting of the U.N. was convened so that leaders of the world could negotiate ways to turn their pledges made at the 2015 Paris climate accord into a reality. Per the Paris accord, 184 countries agreed to implement emissions-reduction policies to help limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels over the next century. Most of the worlds nations are not on track to meet this goal; in fact, a global temperature rise of 4 degrees C (7.2 degrees F) seems far more likely right now. More here. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus A.Dapkiunas participates in the opening ceremony of International Trade Fair Vietnam EXPO 05-12-2018 On December 5, 2018 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Dapkiunas, participated in the opening ceremony of the 16th International Trade Fair Vietnam EXPO (Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, December 5-8, 2018) as the head of the delegation as an exclusive guest of honour of the exhibition. In his statement the Deputy Minister pointed out that the guest of honour status of the Belarusian National Exhibition is determined by the high level of bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding. A.Dapkiunas also stressed that Vietnam is the top priority partner of the Republic of Belarus in South-East Asia. For reference: More than 50 companies participate in the Belarusian National Exhibition. The exhibition occupies 325 sq.m. The companies represent knowledge-intensive and complex technical products, as well as agricultural products and foodstuffs of the Republic of Belarus. A.Dapkiunas demostrated to the Vietnamese partners Belarusian innovative products and technical achievements. On the same day the Deputy Foreign Minister met the senior executives of leading Vietnamese companies, who graduated from the Belarusian universities. The sides reached an agreement on joint efforts to increase bilateral cooperation in education, science, tourism, investments and trade. During the meeting with the General Director of Mekong Machinery, Tran Minh Tri, A.Dapkiunas noted the importance of the development of the optimal and most effective scheme of selling the Belarusian agricultural machinery in Southeast Asia and stressed the great potential of the new model of small-sized tractor with high build quality and reliability. The Deputy Minister also met the Deputy Chairman of Ho Chi Minh Peoples Committee, Le Thanh Liem. The sides discussed the prospects of supplying Belarusian trucks and buses to Ho Chi Minh city and possible input of the leading Belarusian companies to the development of the citys transport infrastructure. print version Nicholas Delbanco in the New York Journal of Books: Many writers and an increasingly sizable cadre of readers admire John Williamss novel, Stoner, without reservation. Stoner itself is not about drugs; rather, it evokes a character both monumental and flinty. A third-person account of a farm boy who becomes, laboriously, a college professor of English, it celebrates in measured prose the integrity of one whose name (as John Keats wrote for his own epitaph) was writ in water. Both the honorable private man and tarnished public figure are vividly conjured throughout, and the low-seeming stakes of the conflict loom large. With its unsparing analysis of academic office politics, of quiet scholarship and failed romance, Stoner seemsas the title of this new biography of Williams assertsthe perfect novel. That the same author should have next produced Augustusa meticulously researched epistolary study of the Roman Emperorand, previously, Butchers Crossinga tale of coming-of-age in the untamed American westargues a major talent, with several strings to the bow. He was a poet also, and a serious student of English Renaissance poetry, Fulke-Greville in particular. As he told an interviewer in 1966. I try never to repeat myself. . . . Why do it again, if youve done it once? John Williams spent much of his life in relative obscurity, and his early achievements were few. Like the character of Bill Stoner (in part autobiographical, in part based on the critic and poet, J. V. Cunningham) Williams lived with limitations: penury and failing health and scant recognition. More here. An Arizona company is expanding the scope of its recall of raw beef that could be contaminated with salmonella, federal officials said this week. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said a unit of Brazil's JBS meat-processing company is now recalling a total of more than 12 million pounds (5.44 million kilograms) of raw beef that was shipped around the U.S. According to officials, information obtained in three additional cases of sickened patients led to the identification of other ground beef products that weren't part of the initial recall. JBS Tolleson in Arizona already recalled about 7 million pounds (3 million kilograms) of beef in October. Health officials said all the products up for recall have the USDA inspection number EST. 267." "While no products in this expansion have been definitively linked to any illness, we have determined in consultation with USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) that this action is in the best interests of public health, JBS said in a written statement. The products were packaged between late July and September. The USDA said all the potentially tainted products have been removed from retailer stores. But the agency said people still may have products in their freezers that should be thrown away. There were 246 illnesses reported from 25 states as of mid-November, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All of them started between August and mid-October. While 59 people have been hospitalized, no deaths have been reported. Most people recover from salmonella infections without treatment, health officials say. If exposed to the bacteria, people typically get diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever in the first 12 to 72 hours. The symptoms can last up to a week. George H.W. Bush was celebrated with high praise and loving humor Wednesday as the nation bade farewell to the man who was America's 41st president and the last to fight for the U.S. in wartime. Three former presidents looked on at Washington National Cathedral as a fourth George W. Bush eulogized his dad. "To us, the son said of the father, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light." George W. Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost when she was 3 and his mother, Barbara, who died in April. He took comfort in knowing Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again." For all the somber tributes to the late president's public service and strength of character, laughter filled the cathedral time after time. The late president's eulogists son included noted Bush's tendency to tangle his words and show his goofy side. He was the last great-soldier statesman, historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, our shield in dangerous times. But he also said that Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply cracked, Never know. Gotta ask." The congregation, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Bush's life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, President Donald Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts. Meacham also praised Bush's call to volunteerism his 1,000 points of light placing it alongside Abraham Lincoln's call to honor the better angels of our nature in the American rhetorical canon. Meacham called those lines companion verses in America's national hymn." Trump had mocked 1,000 points of light last summer at a rally, saying What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasn't it?" Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney praised Bush as a strong world leader who helped oversee the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union and set the stage for the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, achieved under his successor, Clinton. When enemies not enemies? And why we should be thankful for them? Ivory Lynch could face a second trial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict in his case, which centers on the death of a man he caught breaking into his car. The jury unanimously agreed Lynch was not guilty of second-degree murder, but they were unable to agree on a verdict as to a lesser-included voluntary manslaughter charge. According to Michael Patrick, a spokesman for the 2nd Judicial District Attorneys Office, jurors were split 9 to 3 on voluntary manslaughter, with a majority in favor of conviction. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether they will retry Lynch. Louren Oliveros, the attorney representing Lynch, said she was very happy with the jurys acquittal on the murder charge. We are looking forward to vindicating him on manslaughter as well, if they choose to try this again, she said. Lynch had stepped out of a comedy show in Downtown Albuquerque on a Friday night in September 2017 to get cash out of his SUV, and found the door open, and Ronnie Fernandez standing nearby, according to court documents and his attorney. Lynch kept a loaded gun in his vehicle, and his defense attorneys say Fernandez twice attempted to shoot that gun at Lynch. Lynch then hopped into his SUV and hit and killed Fernandez with the vehicle. What (Fernandez) did was attempt to kill Mr. Lynch, Oliveros said in an interview Wednesday. And in doing that, Mr. Lynch has every right (to act) in self defense and in the defense of others in the vicinity to use deadly force. Prosecutors said that Lynch hit Fernandez hard enough to send him flying down an alleyway and then he crashed his SUV into a building. According to jury instructions, to find Lynch guilty of voluntary manslaughter, the state needed to show that he acted as a result of sufficient provocation and did not act in self-defense or in the defense of others. Immigration. Its a hot-button issue in the United States that causes a great amount of division. Its also the center of a new film, Icebox, which airs at 6 p.m. Friday on HBO. Daniel Sawka, writer and director of the film, took the production to Albuquerque and Espanola in July 2017. The film tells the story of Oscar, played by Anthony Gonzalez, a 12-year-old Honduran boy who is forced to flee his home and seek asylum in the United States, only to find himself trapped in the immigration system. As Oscar attempts to reach his uncle, Manuel, played by Omar Leyva, in Arizona, he is apprehended by Border Patrol agents and placed in the icebox a detention center where he joins scores of other migrant children being held without their families. Faced with a seemingly impenetrable immigration system, Oscar struggles to navigate a path to freedom, with a journalist and his uncle, himself a recent immigrant, as his only lifelines. The narrative and characters in Icebox are inspired by so many personal stories that were told to me through years of research and outreach stories that unfortunately have become all too prevalent in todays world, Sawka said. I cant think of a better partner than HBO Films with which to present this incredibly timely issue. The impetus for Icebox began in 2014, when Sawka was at the American Film Institute. The short was his thesis film. For three years, he worked diligently at making it into a feature film. He also wanted to keep it authentic, which is why the film is in Spanish with English subtitles. It was always written this way, he says. When you try and capture an issue like this, authenticity is a guiding star. With this film, I had to take my time and keep it as real as possible. With the feature film, Sawka was able to expand on Oscars story line including where he comes from. The short film was almost exclusively depicting the inside of the detention center, he said. I could focus on a lot more of the story and really get into what the process is like for someone seeking asylum. One hurdle the production had to overcome was working shorter days. Because Gonzalez was 12 at the time of filming, he could work only eight hours instead of the normal 12-hour day. We filmed for about 22 days, Sawka said. We made it work and really thought out exactly what we were going to shoot. It was a tough schedule, and decisions had to be made. There wasnt a lot of wiggle room. Anthony (Gonzalez) is in every scene, so he carried a big part of the film. Sawka chose New Mexico because it offered the landscapes he needed. In addition, one of the producers on the film had shot a production in the state and raved about it. According to the New Mexico Film Office, the production employed 80 New Mexico crew members and about 500 background actors. It was the perfect place, Sawka said. The cast and crew were amazing at getting everything captured. We wanted to tell the story and were careful about what we captured. The child actors that we hired were all from New Mexico, and they had to pretend they were cold inside the icebox, when in fact, it was very hot and in the middle of summer. It was a great experience for me, and I cant wait to get people talking about this issue. Its been happening for years. My grandparents immigrated here from Ireland. They struggled too. Its a story dear to me. The film had a festival run before HBO Films acquired it for broadcast. I have seldom seen a movie so of the moment its almost reportage, said Len Amato, president HBO Films. Icebox gives viewers not only an opportunity to witness what its like inside these migrant detention centers, but also to feel the emotions of the children, revealing a world that many journalists and citizens have not yet been able to sufficiently penetrate. UpFront is a regular Journal news and opinion column. Comment directly to arts editor Adrian Gomez at 823-3921 or agomez@abqjournal.com. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor. ON TV Icebox, filmed in Albuquerque and Espanola, tells the story of a 12-year-old seeking asylum in the United States. The film airs at 6 p.m. Friday on HBO. Copyright 2018 Albuquerque Journal Its a story that has gripped local attention, sparking protests and outcry. Its also a story that has spread nationally, appearing in The Washington Post and Teen Vogue, among others. An Albuquerque teacher is accused of snipping the end of a Native American students braid in class and calling a Navajo student a bloody Indian. But Albuquerque Public Schools is not providing any details or records from its investigation. In fact, it now will not confirm whether there even is a police record. APS officials will say only that there was an investigation that was turned over to the District Attorneys Office, which determined there were not sufficient grounds to prosecute. The DAs Office says APS did not submit a written report to it. APS Superintendent Raquel Reedy offered an apology on behalf of the district at a contentious school board meeting Wednesday night but did not release any new details. Now, the Public Education Department is opening its own investigation. APS, which has not named the teacher, had said she is no longer working for APS. The district declined to say whether she was fired or resigned. Students, Shannon Johnson the mother of the 17-year-old McKenzie Johnson, who says she was called a bloody Indian, and others have said the teacher is Mary Eastin. Records request denied The Journal sent public records requests to the states largest public school district seeking police reports and any other documentation to learn what APS has officially found out about the incident involving the Cibola High School English teacher, whom the district previously has called highly regarded. APS has refused all requests. On Nov. 2, APS told families a teacher was put on paid leave for a Halloween stunt, saying the teacher said a culturally insensitive remark to one student and snipped the hair of another student. The district assured families that the APS Police Department was investigating. When the Journal asked for a police report, APS cited exemptions on why it would not be released exemptions the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government said do not apply. The law enforcement record(s) you have requested are excepted from release in compliance with the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, APS Custodian of Records Jeannie Chavez said in an email, which cites three exemptions. Gregory Williams, a lawyer with 23 years experience and an officer with NMFOG, said that although there are exemptions in the law that allow certain documents to be withheld, those exemptions are not applicable to police reports. When the Journal asked APS about this, questions arose about whether a police report even exists. Superintendent Raquel Reedy was unsure whether a police report was created. Im not clear if there was or if there wasnt, she said in an interview Tuesday. APS spokeswoman Monica Armenta said there was an internal investigation and an internal affairs report, but she did not say whether an APS police report on the teacher was ever created. There was an internal investigation, the findings were shared with the district attorney, and the decision was made by the DA not to prosecute, Armenta said. The DAs Office clarified Armentas comments later Wednesday with this statement: This behavior is completely unacceptable. However, based on preliminary information it does not appear to meet the necessary elements for criminal prosecution. We will reach out to the relevant agency to request additional information before making a final decision. Williams said the lack of clarity surrounding the police report calls into question APS investigation. You wouldnt go to the lengths of claiming exemptions for a record if the record didnt exist to begin with, so the whole situation calls into question their investigation, he said. Chavez also wrote in an email that the internal investigation documents Armenta referenced are excepted from release as well. Williams disagrees with this, too, stressing that the district should deliver the information. There is no exemption that covers investigative reports, and it should be produced. All the law protects is statements of opinions in that report and that can be redacted but the rest should be provided, he said. The state Public Education Department is now getting involved. PED spokesman Chris Eide said the PED opened an investigation into the Cibola teacher on Wednesday and will ask APS for information. A PED investigation can result in revocation of a teaching license, suspension, a warning or nothing at all. Questions, demands Its been 36 days since the derogatory term and hair cutting on Halloween, but the community still has questions and demands. Armenta has said the Halloween incident occurred while the teacher was conducting a lesson plan while wearing a New Orleans voodoo-like costume and impersonating a book character. At Wednesday nights school board meeting, Reedy said the district is working on cultural sensitivity training. I want to offer a heartfelt apology on behalf of Albuquerque Public Schools, she said. Reedy also said APS is working with local and state professionals to create a training plan. At the meeting, about 30 people signed up to speak during the public comment portion, most of them saying they were outraged by the Cibola incident. Some said Reedys apology was too late. It took more than a whole month for this apology to happen, said Demetrius Johnson, brother of McKenzie Johnson. Johnson said he is still upset over what happened on Halloween. His mother, Shannon Johnson, also spoke to the board, asking for protection for McKenzie, who she says has faced backlash since she has spoken publicly. Two Cibola parents spoke in support of Eastin, saying Eastin had a reputation of raising test scores and focusing on individual kids needs. Both declined to give their names to the Journal. Whats sad is the majority of students who wont get her education, one of the parents said. But their speeches sparked shouts and cursing from the audience. White privilege! Justine Teba yelled. The Carlsbad Municipal Schools community is mourning the death of 14-year-old Sierra Corrales who was killed in a rollover Tuesday afternoon southeast of Carlsbad. It is with heavy hearts that our school community mourns the tragic loss of one our students, said Dr. Gregory Rodriguez, superintendent of the Carlsbad Municipal Schools. Our greatest sympathy and prayers go out to the family and friends of all those impacted by this tragedy. Rodriguez said counselors from Carlsbad High School are assisting students who may need emotional support. Carlsbad High School principal Sean Wootton sent out a memo Tuesday to teachers and staff encouraging students to stay in class and follow classroom procedures and structure as much as possible. Students and family members need to be protected, and we should refrain from sharing information or rumors, including social media messages that could be upsetting to family or students, Wootton wrote. New Mexico State Police Officer Ray Wilson said eight children were passengers in the Chevrolet Tahoe that crashed on Howard Road and was driven by a 14-year-old girl from Carlsbad. Corrales was a passenger in the vehicle and sustained fatal injuries after being ejected. Wilson said she was pronounced dead by the Office of the Medical Investigator at an area hospital. Four of the occupants were uninjured and three were transported to area hospitals, police said. I dont have an update on the medical conditions, Wilson said. Due to Health Insurance Probability and Accounting Act (HIPPA) laws the hospital will not release any information to us. Nor would we be able to release any information if we had it. Wilson said the Tahoe belonged to the 14-year-old drivers mother. Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation. I do not have a timeline for charges, nor would I speculate who would be facing those charges, Wilson said. Alcohol was not believed to be a factor, he said, and it appeared seat belts werent in use. Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com, or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. 2018 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. FARMINGTON Mental health professionals are sharing coping strategies as Aztec Municipal School District employees are taking steps to help survivors and those affected by the Aztec High School shooting on the first anniversary of the traumatic event. Today marks one year since the shooting, during which 17-year-old students Francisco Paco Fernandez and Casey Marquez were killed before the gunman shot and killed himself as law enforcement officials responded to the scene. Psychologists and therapists urged anyone affected by the incident to find someone they trust to speak to about their feelings. Joel Dvoskin, a psychologist at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, said the most important thing to remember is everyone processes trauma differently and could experience grief months or years later. Dvoskin said students should reach out and speak to a parent, a member of their place of worship or faith, or a counselor/therapist about how they are coping with their feelings. Everyone is different. Respecting those differences is really important, Dvoskin said. Local therapists spoke to The Daily Times on Nov. 28 about their response to the shooting and coping strategies for community members. Rick Quevedo, CEO of Desert View Family Counseling, said his office saw an increase in clients following the shooting and leading to the start of the school year this fall. We saw any number of people from students to parents and even some of the staff members, said McKenzie Dunlap, a therapist at Cottonwood Clinical Services. We were able to help them with a lot of their difficulties. Quevedo suggested people avoid things that could trigger an emotional reaction, including avoiding social media and reading news stories about similar incidents that have occurred nationwide. I think its important to validate the kids feelings because there is not right or wrong way to feel, said Ja Nece Avery, truancy court coordinator at Desert View Family Counseling. The therapists spoke about how its OK for secondary victims, who may not have been involved in the shooting, to feel affected by it. Aztec High School staff members have been engaging with students since early September on how they plan to handle the school day today, according to Principal Warman Hall. The day is set to start in the auxiliary gym as students eat breakfast, work on group art projects and talk with first responders who responded to the scene. The kids were really keen on doing something that is focused on life and coming together to support one another, Hall said. Following the morning event, students will have regular classes with shortened periods. The staff plans to be very accommodating of students if they feel the need to be checked out from school, and parents can join students in the auxiliary gym in the morning, Hall said. Safe space lounges will be set up all over campus if students start to feel overwhelmed during the day. Therapists/counselors will on hand to speak to students, and therapy dogs will be stationed to help comfort students or staff members. DENVER A former police officer in Colorado was on duty when he sexually assaulted a woman after offering her a safe ride home, according to charges filed Thursday by Denver prosecutors. Randall Butler, who resigned from the Lakewood Police Department after Denver police began their investigation, was charged with two counts of sexual assault. He has not yet entered a plea. Denver prosecutor Maggie Conboy said the crime had a predatory nature and she asked a judge to set bond at $50,000 during a hearing. The judge agreed with that request but denied Conboys separate call for Butler to be required to wear a GPS monitor if he is released. Butlers attorney Douglas Jewell declined to comment following the brief hearing. Jail records show Butler, 37, was arrested Wednesday and held without bond overnight. Court records reveal the woman said she was stranded in Denver on the night of Nov. 17. She was walking home when Butler pulled up in his patrol car and offered to drive her part of the way. In a report she later filed with police, the woman said Butler dropped her off in a parking lot then asked for her phone number and said, You look like you want to kiss me.' I did not want to, the woman wrote. Thats when I knew I was in trouble. I knew that things were going to get worse and if I didnt do what I was told, he could hurt me. She said Butler then sexually assaulted her. The affidavit involving Butlers arrest refers to Colorados law on sexual assault committed by someone who had supervisory or disciplinary authority over the victim and uses this position of authority to coerce the victim to submit. Court records say Butler would not talk to police but provided a DNA sample on Nov. 21. The records say that before he met with Denver police, Butler told a Lakewood sergeant that the woman kissed him first. Butler said he pushed her away but his impulses got the best of him and they had sex, the records say. In a statement, Lakewood Police Chief Daniel McCasky said Butler was put on administrative leave before resigning. The appalling and inexcusable conduct in no way embodies the Lakewood Police Departments mission, he said. Butler began working for the department in 2013. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they are a victim of a sex crime. About 200 environmental, tribal and community activists protested Wednesday in Santa Fe against the U.S. Bureau of Land Managements latest lease sale for oil and gas development on public lands in New Mexico. The two-day online auction, which began Wednesday and ends today, will award more than 100 parcels of land for development on some 87,000 acres in northwestern and southeastern New Mexico. Demonstrators were protesting the sale of leases in areas around Chaco Culture National Historical Park. PHOENIX Federal prosecutors on Thursday said they will not seek a third trial for a Border Patrol agent who has been acquitted twice after fatally shooting a Mexican teenager across a border fence. A filing in court shows prosecutors say they will no longer pursue the case against Lonnie Swartz, the agent who killed 16-year-old Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez in October 2012. Agent Swartz is relieved and looking forward to moving on with his life without the threat of criminal prosecution hanging over his head, his attorney, Sean Chapman, said in an email to The Associated Press. In April, Swartz was acquitted of second-degree murder, but a jury deadlocked on manslaughter charges. Prosecutors re-tried Swartz on voluntary and involuntary manslaughter charges. They said Swartz lost his cool when he became frustrated at rock-throwers from the Mexican side of the border while on the job. The second trial, which began in October, ended with a not guilty verdict on the involuntary charge, but the jury again deadlocked on voluntary manslaughter. Swartz was the rare agent who was prosecuted for use of force. The shooting, and his indictment three years later, came at a time when the Border Patrol was increasingly under scrutiny for its use of force, especially pertaining to rock-throwers, or people on the Mexican side of the border who throw rocks to distract agents. Swartzs attorney said he was acting in self-defense and following Border Patrol policy when he fired at least 16 shots at Elena Rodriguez through the slats of a border fence dividing Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora. Prosecutors said Elena Rodriguez was throwing rocks at Swartz and other law enforcement officers who were on scene chasing a suspected drug smuggler in an effort to distract them. The boys family still denies that he was involved. They say his killing was not justified. The announcement on Nov. 21 that the jury had found Swartz not guilty on involuntary manslaughter but had deadlocked on voluntary manslaughter was met with protests from activists who marched through downtown and shut down a busy intersection. Despite international sanctions, the exchange of goods on the border between the two nations is once again flourishing. Mainly steel and rare minerals fundamental for the development of the hi-tech industry in China. Seoul (AsiaNews) - International sanctions have not completely abolished trade between China and North Korea. According to Radio Free Asia, after an initial period of cooling between the two nations, the economic exchange would have resumed and is flourishing at the border. The most requested products are North Korean steel and rare earths, minerals fundamental for the development of the hi-tech industry in China. Great attention also to the exchange of foodstuffs, especially seafood and fish caught in the Western Sea. According to the Korea Analysis & Strategy Consultancy, in South Korea, the exchange takes place mainly in the Chinese port city of Dandong but within ships flying the North Korean flag. However, the trade is not unnoticed. An American bipartisan commission has in fact published its annual report for 2018 and also focused on this theme. "China - write members of the US political organism - seems to have relaxed its control over compliance with international sanctions. North Korean workers have returned to work in northeastern China and North Korean companies appear to have received aid from Beijing." Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen announced her resignation Saturday as head of the Democratic Progressive Party after the party suffered a "crushing defeat" in local government elections, a vote with significant implications for the island's relationship with mainland China. The local elections, as well as a failed referendum on whether the island's Olympic athletes would compete under the name "Taiwan," were both seen as bellwether contests for public support on independence. Asia Continents and regions East Asia Elections (by type) Elections and campaigns Government and public administration Local elections Politics Resignations Taiwan Political candidates US Federal elections US Presidential elections Demographic groups Families and children Gays and lesbians LGBT rights Marriage Population and demographics Same-sex marriage and unions Sex and gender issues Societal issues Society Olympics Sports events Referendums China Voters Saturday expressed dissatisfaction with Tsai's harder-line approach to relations with the Beijing government and continued sluggish economic performance. Analysts say that most support the status quo, reaping economic benefits from mainland China without being governed by it. Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally leaned in favor of formal independence from China, compared to Taiwan's other main political party, the Kuomintang, as the Nationalists are known locally. Cross-strait relations have cooled under Tsai's leadership and the Chinese government under President Xi Jinping has become more tenacious in asserting its claim over the island, which Beijing considers a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland. Taiwan's Central News Agency reported Tsai apologized to supporters for the ruling party's "disappointing performance" in a speech at its headquarters, and she took full responsibility for the party's losses. Although she resigned as the party head, Tsai -- the first woman to be elected President of Taiwan -- will serve out the remainder of her term. But the Saturday vote could hamper her chances at winning another term during the next presidential election, scheduled for January 2020. Tsai said while her administration is moving in the right direction, the election results were proof that the Taiwanese people are setting a higher standard for their government. The traditionally pro-independence DPP is expected to undergo a "major reshuffle" soon, Tsai said, to prepare for the challenges ahead. Premier Lai Ching-te echoed Tsai in a Facebook post, saying the election results indicated the public's dissatisfaction with the government's performance. Lai had offered to resign earlier Saturday and take ownership of the party's defeat, but Tsai asked him to stay on as premier to ensure the continuity of the government's policies and initiatives. Tsai was elected President in a landslide victory in January 2016 after a political career mostly as an outsider. She joined the Democratic Progressive Party in 2004 and was its chairwoman by 2008. She lost her first bid for the presidency in 2012 and resigned as the party head before taking the mantle back up in 2014. Tsai is a lawyer by training and studied at National Taiwan University before continuing her studies by earning a master of law degree from Cornell University and then a doctorate from the London School of Economics. Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said on Sunday: "The results reflect Taiwan people's strong wishes to continue enjoying benefits of peaceful cross-strait relations and to keep improving the economy and their livelihood. "We will continue to firmly oppose 'Taiwan independence' forces and their activities and unite the people of Taiwan to take a path of peaceful development in cross-strait relations." Regarding the decision striking down the Olympic name change, Ma said "the result shows the lack of public support for the gambit of using the interest of Taiwan athletes as a wager." Taiwan currently competes using a special Olympic flag and anthem and participates under the name "Chinese Taipei," as decided under a 1979 resolution by the International Olympic Committee. According to Taiwan's Central News Agency, a US State Department spokesperson said in an email to the news agency, "The United States congratulates the people of Taiwan for once again demonstrating the strength of their vibrant democratic system through a successful round of elections." The spokesperson said the United States looks forward to working with both old and new counterparts "to continue our fruitful cooperation on a wide range of issues of mutual concern," CNA said. Despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties, Taiwan remains an important American ally in the region, and the Trump administration has sought closer ties between Washington and Taipei. America's alliance with Taiwan has long been lambasted by officials in Beijing. Decisions on same-sex marriage Also in Saturday referendums, voters in Taiwan opposed changing the current civil law to accommodate same-sex marriage, dealing a heavy blow to the island's LGBT community and its allies. The three referendum questions initiated by groups that opposed marriage equality passed, while those put forth by same-sex marriage advocates did not. For instance, the majority vote was yes on a question that asked, "Do you agree that Civil Code regulations should restrict marriage to being between a man and a woman?" The votes came after Taiwan's high court passed a resolution in May 2017 ruling it was unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage. Taiwan lawmakers had a two-year deadline to enshrine marriage equality into law, but a deadlock gave opponents an opportunity to put the issue to the public in the form of referendum questions. A majority of the island's voters, however, did say "yes" to a referendum question -- also put forth by opponents of marriage equality -- that asked if the legislature should enact a new law to protect the rights and interests of same-sex couples. Men who urinate on public walls were surprised when they read O MardKalAana written on the walls. MY FM, the No.1 station of Jaipur conceptualised this activity to address the widespread challenge civic issue of public urination. Based on the theme of this years blockbuster thriller movie Stree, MY FM ran the campaign that aimed at generating consciousness amongst public to prevent polluting the city and to discontinue urinating on the walls. Through the campaign, the radio network uses fear, the best psychological weapon, to aware the people on this common sanitation problem. The radio channel kicked off the initiative by painting 10 dirtiest walls across Jaipur which were used for urination with the line O MardKalAana. RJs did live shows from these locations and recorded the peoples reaction who assumed it as Stree 2's promotion or that someone is playing a joke. RJs picked up the content on air across all shows highlighting the shaken and horrified reactions of the people. MY FM revealed the truth in five days. Commenting on the initiative, Rahul Namjoshi, Business Head, MY FM, said, O MardKalAana is one of our most ground-breaking and socially relevant campaigns. We have always believed in doing things in a special way and alert people on civic issues which are commonly prevalent. The peril of public urination is common in various cities across the country and needs to be tackled. We are glad that this distinctive and interesting campaign has helped us in dispersing the significance of keeping the environment swachh and stop urinating in public places to the masses. MY FM orchestrated the activity as a psychological weapon that has to be deployed in everyones mind and they did it by creating fear. The motive of the campaign was to spread the message of not urinating in open and use the public washrooms. It is vital to keep the surroundings clean and not to defile public places. Global digital agency Isobar part of Dentsu Aegis Network today announced Prashant Mehta has been appointed to Senior Vice President, Global Head of Delivery, effective immediately. Prashant will be responsible for re-imagining the next generation of Global Delivery Models for the agency, and will leverage the power of Isobars global network to connect talent and drive complex and strategic business transformation projects for clients. Mehta will report to Mike Mulligan, Isobar Global Chief Operating Officer and will be based in Gurgaon, India. Mehta will be the agencys lead architect to design cross-border delivery models across technology, creative and commerce, partnering with Vikalp Tandon, Isobar Global Technology Officer, Ronald Ng, Isobar Chief Creative officer and Shawn Mishra SVP & Global Managing Partner Isobar Commerce. The new delivery model aims to help Isobars teams across 85 offices in 45 markets deliver global integrated platforms and solutions for clients. Mehta will also lead Isobar World Sourcing, the agency offshore initiative built to meet the demands of our clients across time zones. In 2018 Isobar evolved its Isobar World Sourcing Offering in India and focused it on leveraging Commerce Cloud and established a sales, service and marketing cloud offshore team in Vietnam. Mehta has over 22 years experience in the industry globally across leadership roles globally, most recently as Group Vice President, Global Service Line Lead for Data / AI, Systems Integration, Cloud & Media Services at Publicis.Sapient. Mehta has extensive experience in building and scaling organizations that deliver large scale, complex, omni-channel digital transformation programs driving strategic business outcomes for Fortune 500 companies in the Retail , CPG, Financial Services, Auto and Travel / Hospitality industry verticals. Jean Lin, Global CEO, Isobar said, We are delighted to welcome Prashant to the Global Isobar team to lead our Global delivery function. Agile and effective cross-border delivery and locally relevant customer experiences on global platforms, has become one of the biggest strategic challenges when businesses and brands embrace cross-border commerce. Prashants vast experience from consulting to delivery, and deep expertise of the most advanced worldwide technologies, will be critical in ensuring the success of our clients business transformation journeys. Prashant Mehta, Global Head of Delivery, Isobar, said, In todays age, when business are getting transformed and disrupted globally at the speed of light, Isobar has an industry leading proposition to deliver experience led business transformation for our clients in a truly agile way. I am excited to join Isobars Global team to drive complex & strategic Digital transformation programs leveraging the intersection of Creative, Technology & Data / AI powered by Modern software engineering to ensure our clients thrive and commercially succeed in todays experience economy. Isobar is a Salesforce Platinum Cloud Alliance Partner, a Global Alliance Solution Partner for Adobe, a Sitecore Platinum Implementation partner, and an Enterprise Magento Partner, winning Regional and Global Commercial Partner of the year in 2018. Kantar has released its perspective of the major trends that will shape the media landscape for brand owners, agencies and media platforms in 2019. The predictions report outlines 12 key trends that will transform the next year in media. Exploring advances from augmented reality, through gender portrayal to vertical video the 12 predictions are: Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will resolve the integrated online/offline return on marketing investment dilemma. Voice technology will breakthrough in creative planning and the marketing mix. Chinese leadership in social media and social media analytics will be fast-followed by the west. The emergence of the branded experience network will transform media management in to internet of everything management. Brands will start to take the portrayal of women in advertising seriously. Amazon will emerge from the advertising world shadows to make the duopoly a triopoly. Vertical video will lead the way in creativity. The big screen will make a comeback, bigger and better than before. Attitudinal insights combined with predictive modelling will make programmatic buying more agile and accurate. Influencer marketing strategies will pivot to prioritise credibility ahead of reach. GDPR compliance will drive more sophistication in brand data strategies. Augmented Reality (AR) will start to shape both the consumer journey and customer experience. Constant innovation and change in the media landscape continues, but I think the speed of adoption of technologies like artificial intelligence will be surprising. Connected intelligence in all its forms will start to dominate the narrative, as well as new opportunities like voice, said Eric Salama, CEO, Kantar. How we measure media and its effectiveness is evolving quickly, and the industry needs to work together so our clients can understand the impact of their investments. There has never been a more exciting time in marketing. A transformational 12 months in media As per Kantar, 2018 has been another year of change in media, where continued fragmentation of audiences was seen, along with the ever-fierce battle for eyeballs with the growth of Netflix and Amazon. There has been a connected intelligence approach, where syndicated data solutions of all types are being directly integrated with advertisers first party data. Away from the screen, there is a renaissance in audio through the rise of voice activation for consumer applications. As with all new technologies, voice is creating both challenges and opportunities for the research industry. This year, Kantar has started tracking and measuring voice activation and can already see the ways in which it is changing consumer behaviour. The year 2018 will also be remembered for the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) across Europe. From the point of view of a market research organisation, GDPR is one of the best things that could have happened. It has not only put clear blue water in between market research and other data solutions, but also placed a greater emphasis on the provenance of data and transparency for consumers, both of which have always sat at the heart of market research. Yesterday, our nation buried President George H.W. Bush, a World War II hero. Tom Brokaw wrote a book called The Greatest Generation about men like Bush, who served in what my Dad, a WWII Navy vet called "the great 'waah' in his Boston accent. These men and woman catapulted America into the post-war boom years. My father was born in 1922. His granddaughters are part of the sickest generation, their lives shot down by autism. I teach Karate to students beginning at age four. Last week, three kids, 8 years old or so, had a chat about epipens and how to use them. When I was 8 I talked about riding my bike after school and eating Hostess Big Wheels. Today's children face active shooter drills and constant medical interventions for chronic illness. Below, Children's Health Defense discusses the plight of the sickest generation. ### From Robert Kennedy's Children's Health Defense Too Many Sick Children More than 54% of American children are suffering from one or more chronic illnesses, with the late 1980s and early 1990s viewed as the gateway period that launched the decline. Autism, ADHD, asthma and allergies have doubled since that time, with autism now one in 34 children in some regions. Pediatric autoimmune conditions are also on the rise, and the proportion of public school children using special education services is estimated at 13% to 25% of school populations. Mounting evidence indicates environmental toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides and herbicides as the principal culprits, while studies link vaccines and toxic vaccine ingredients to a wide range of adverse health outcomes, including seizures, neurodevelopmental disorders, and infant death. As the medical, public health, and government circles remain silent on the social and economic fallout from these toxic exposures, American children have never been so sick. Our comprehensive white paper, The Sickest Generation: The Facts Behind the Childrens Health Crisis and Why it Needs to End covers these chronic illness and more, along with the causes and the steps you need to take to protect your children now. Read more here and share your own stories of what you see in children around you. 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. Despite mounting criticisms, member of parliament Mohammad Reza Aref a one-time presidential candidate was recently re-elected as the chairman of the Reformists Supreme Council for Policymaking, an appointment that may widen the gaps within the Reformist camp and further diminish its social capital. The council was formed in 2015 with the aim of organizing and mobilizing all Reformist groups. The Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front, which includes most of the Reformist parties, had proposed the formation of the aforementioned council to the camps leader former President Mohammad Khatami leading to the marginalization of a large number of Reformist parties. The 44 members of the Reformists Supreme Council for Policymaking are both representatives of various parties as well as individuals. However, many Reformist parties have refrained from joining the council as they are critical of its structure and chairman. According to critics, the role of parties has been minimized in the council. Rasoul Montajebnia, a senior Reformist figure, stated last year, "We recognized the council for resolving the disagreement that had erupted [within the camp]. This council was not supposed to replace the parties." Moreover, critics argue that those on the council including Aref have not been appointed through a democratic process. Ali Tajernia, a Reformist figure, noted on Oct. 6 that party representatives should replace the individuals. Of note, the individuals on the council are chosen by a committee composed of senior Reformist figures formed by Khatami. As stated by Hassan Assadi Zeidabadi, a young Reformist, Khatami has asked a number of prominent members of the camp including his former Interior Minister Abdollah Nouri and former presidential candidate Mostafa Moein to join the Supreme Council, but they have refused, which may show to what extent the most senior figures of the Reformist current are critical of the council. The council's handling of the 2016 parliamentary elections and 2017 city and village council polls drew criticism from senior Reformists, as the candidates who had been placed on the Reformist tickets werent picked by the council democratically. In this vein, a number of the candidates who were on the Reformist ticket were simultaneously members of the Reformists Supreme Council for Policymaking. Moreover, an undeniable number of Reformists who entered parliament and city councils have been accused of giving concessions to conservatives while forgetting the notions and promises of Reformism. Meanwhile, many are blaming Aref for the internal chaos inside the Reformist current. Aref, who was the Reformist candidate in the 2013 presidential election and withdrew from the race due to pressure from Khatami, has now been re-elected as the chairman of the Reformists Supreme Council for Policymaking. The Reformists have censured him for his "passivity" and his "mismanagement" of the council. Reformist activist Tajernia stated on Oct. 6, "Aref doesnt have the [necessary] experience for political and organizing activities. If I were a member of the Supreme Council, I would have said that to respect public opinion and the existing criticisms, we should not elect Dr. Aref as the chairman." In reaction to the re-election of Aref, Abdullah Momeni, a prominent Reformist, tweeted on Nov. 14, [The re-election of] Aref was the last blow to the bodiless coffin of Reformism." He then called the Supreme Council a "tribe," saying that it paid no attention to the danger of losing its social capital. Furthermore, according to a number of Reformist media outlets, Aref has been accused of appointing individuals to the council who are close to him. Aref has also been slammed for his performance as the head of the Reformist Hope, or Omid, faction in parliament. Prominent political pundit Sadegh Zibakalam stated last year, "In terms of leadership and the Omid faction, the performance of Aref has not been acceptable at all. In terms of being the leader of the Reformists, has he done anything [positive] or has he given an appropriate speech [at parliament]? In addition, Reformist Sazandegi daily took a swipe at Aref on Oct. 9, saying, "A [true] politician is known for his reactions and not his passivity." However, Aref's re-election has been welcomed by hard-liners. Abdullah Ganji, the chief editor of hard-line Javan daily, tweeted on Nov. 17, "That the wise figures of the Reformist [current] prefer Aref to seculars and liberals indicates that the activities of [such] extremists have made the [Reformist current] tired [of them]." Will the Parliament of Reformism replace the Supreme Council? On June 12, 100 Reformist activists wrote an open letter to Khatami asking for the council's members to be changed and for the formation of a "national Reformism institution." The authors of this letter warned that inattention to the existing weaknesses may lead to Khatami's reputation being tarnished, and to Reformists not being able to attract votes in the next elections. As maintained by the letter, the way the Reformist ticket has been arranged for the last two elections demonstrates the "serious weaknesses" of the council. The formation of the council through an "electoral process" and by the people is among the most important demands of the letter's authors. Reformist figures have recently brought up both those demands. The draft of the "parliament of Reformism" has been distributed among the parties of the Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front. In this vein, a number of Reformist parties, including Mardomsalari, have reached a consensus over this plan inside their own party, but the final decision will be made in a session of Council for Coordinating the Reforms Front. Ali Mohammad Namazi, a member of the Reformist Executives of Construction Party, said on Oct. 28, "After the passing of [formation] of the parliament, the Supreme Council's job will come to an end and the current duties of the Supreme Council will be transferred to the parliament." Iranian officials have announced that a special channel to conduct trade with European countries has been established and will be implemented soon in order to facilitate trade while bypassing US sanctions and keeping the Iran nuclear deal alive. Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Irans Atomic Energy Organization and one of the top nuclear negotiators of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) said Dec. 6 at the sidelines of a conference in Iran, For some time, the Europeans have been committed to helping Iran compensate for the damages it has incurred as a result of the JCPOA and to create a mechanism so that Iran can benefit from the economic conditions of the JCPOA. One of the plans recommended is an SPV [Special Purpose Vehicle], which, according to European officials, is being finalized, Salehi said. Given that creating a consensus between 27 members of the European Union is not an easy task, the Europeans have stated that they will put all of their efforts into completing this. He added, Based on the promises the Europeans have given, by the end of the current year, the European package will be operational. Salehi said that one of the ideas being discussed is for Europe to buy all of its oil in Euros rather than dollars. According to Salehi, Europe spends 300 billion euros to buy oil and was purchasing 85% of this figure in dollars. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made similar comments about the SPV to Iranian reporters Dec. 4, saying that the final arrangements of the SPV are being made but are being kept confidential in order to prevent US attempts to thwart their efforts. Since President Donald Trump took office, he has threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal between Iran, the European Union and five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, which caused a number of European banks and businesses to pause or reassess business ties with Iran. As part of the deal, Iran reduced its nuclear capabilities in exchange for sanctions relief. The US officially pulled out of the nuclear deal in May, and the US Treasury has vowed to sanction any country doing business with Iran though so far they have given some temporary exemptions to a few countries. The Europeans who have opposed Trumps decision to pull out of the JCPOA have been attempting to establish an SPV to continue trade with Iran in hopes that Iran will remain in the nuclear deal while continuing to receive the economic benefits of the deal. One step Iran has been trying to take domestically to boost trade is the passing of the bills related to the Financial Action Task Force that supporters say would create transparency in Iranian banking and facilitate trade with Europe. Opponents claim that it would hinder Irans support of regional groups and divulge sensitive financial information. On Dec. 5, Irans parliament passed Article 1 of the CFT (Combatting the Funding of Terrorism) bill. However, it referred Article 2 to the Expediency Council after having disagreed with the Guardian Councils recommendations. Parliament had previously passed the CFT bill in October, but it was rejected by the Guardian Council in November and sent back to parliament for revisions. Pro-boycott groups landed a significant win last week when two police departments announced they were pulling out of a program that sends US police officers to receive training in Israel. The Vermont state police and a local police department in Massachusetts have decided to end their participation in a program that sends US police officers to Israel for counterterrorism training following pressure by groups supportive of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Pro-Israel activists in turn have filed a lawsuit against the city of Durham, North Carolina, over a city council statement that decries militarized policing and mentions Israel. The withdrawals mark a setback for a wide array of programs, sponsored by numerous pro-Israel groups, meant to foster closer ties between US and Israeli law enforcement. Both the Vermont and Northampton police exchanges were part of a program organized by the US-based Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The ADL says it has sent more than 400 high-ranking American officials on these trips since 2004. The pro-boycott activist group Jewish Voice for Peace has spearheaded campaigns against ADL-style police exchange programs nationwide. Opponents of the programs argue that they encourage law enforcement officers to adapt Israels practice of racial profiling in the United States. Opponents have successfully pressured the city of Northampton, Massachusetts, to cancel a planned trip to Israel by its police chief. I have a very direct experience with living in a highly militarized society that is an occupying force of another group of people, Alisa Klein, a Northampton city council member who served in the Israeli military, told Al-Monitor. Sending [our] police chief to receive training from the apparatus that is responsible for human rights and civil rights abuses and essentially ethnocidal practice on Palestinians was just not something that I want to be doing. But the ADL counters that its program provides US law enforcement agencies with training necessary to combat terrorist threats. While we are disappointed in this decision by two police chiefs in our area, we are still immensely proud of our work with law enforcement," Robert Trestan, the ADL New England director, told Al-Monitor in an emailed statement. The weeklong seminar enables participants to study how Israel works to thwart terrorism within its framework as a democratic and multicultural nation. Participants meet with senior officials from both Israeli and Palestinian law enforcement to learn about the challenges that they face and how they overcome them. Although the ADL does not publicize all of the police departments and federal agencies that participate in their training programs, activists with Jewish Voice for Peace routinely file public records requests regarding the program and compile the information on a website titled Deadly Exchange. In addition to the ADL, Jewish Voice for Peace notes that several other Jewish nonprofits facilitate similar police exchanges, including the American Jewish Committee, Birthright Israel, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs and the American Israel Education Foundation, a sister organization of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC. Participants in the program are regular speakers at AIPACs annual policy conference in Washington. The relationship also works in reverse. Lobbying disclosure forms indicate that the Israeli Police Bomb Disposal Unit is lobbying US government agencies for funding. Another organization, the Advanced Security Training Institute (ASTI), exists solely to send local police forces to Israel for counterterrorism training. Last year ASTI also shelled out nearly $16,000 to pay for two separate trips to Israel for former Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., and Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, according to House travel filings reviewed by Al-Monitor. The records note that Franks was invited in his capacity as a member of the Armed Services Committee, the chairman of the Missile Defense Caucus and the hard-right Israel Allies Caucus, while Gohmert was invited in his role as the vice chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Counterterrorism. ASTI did not respond to Al-Monitors requests for comment. Its website notes that police departments can apply for grants from the Department of Homeland Security to participate in the program. In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, helped create a Homeland Security office to promote US-Israeli security cooperation. The Donald Trump administration has also sought to bolster law enforcement ties between the United States and Israel. In June, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen traveled to Israel for the International Homeland Security Forum, a joint US-Israeli initiative that included 15 other countries. During the summit, Nielsen met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. Border security is national security, Nielsen said at the forum. Our Israeli partners know that better than anyone and I was fortunate today to see the incredible work they are doing to keep their territory safe. Trump and Netanyahu have praised each others immigration stances, and Trump came out in favor of racial profiling during the 2016 presidential campaign, citing Israel as an example. And while the ADL is harshly critical of Trump administrations hard-line immigration policies, activists contend that its exchange programs to Israel enable Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US border patrol agents to further crack down on immigrants and refugees. The fact that these trainings are also open to ICE and border patrol opens up this further problem right now under the Trump administration, Rachel Weber, a Jewish Voice for Peace organizer in Massachusetts, told Al-Monitor. You saw US forces shooting tear gas canisters and you had family and children at the border last week. Its really troubling to know that those same forces are training with agencies in Israel that will use snipers with live fire against protesters in Gaza. According to media reports and ADL press releases, ICE and US border patrol agents participated in the training programs at least four times between 2010 and 2016. Local chapters of the Black Lives Matter movement have also objected to the Israel exchange programs, contending that they further encourage police brutality against African Americans. Jewish Voice for Peace and Black Lives Matter Atlanta staged a protest last year demanding that Mayor Kasim Reed stop sending the citys police officers to Israel. And earlier this year, the city council of Durham, North Carolina, issued a nonbinding statement expressing the citys opposition to police exchanges in Israel. The statement opposes international exchanges with any country in which Durham officers receive military-style training, noting that racial profiling and its subsequent harms to communities of color have plagued policing in our nation and in our own community. The International Legal Forum, an Israel-based, anti-BDS nonprofit, has responded with a lawsuit filed by two volunteer Israeli police officers. The ADL denies that its programs contribute to the militarization of US law enforcement agencies. The characterization that the seminar consists of tactical military-style training with the Israeli military is simply wrong, said Trestan. The assertion that American Jewish institutions are responsible for rising levels of police brutality and racism against people of color in the US because of this program is patently false and neither helpful in dealing with the racial challenges facing this country nor in solving the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nonetheless, a 2016 ADL itinerary obtained by Jewish Voice for Peace indicates that US police officers visited Israeli security checkpoints in the occupied West Bank and Gilboa prison, which houses Palestinian prisoners. The itinerary also included meetings with Israeli riot police as well as Alan Moss, the former head of the Shin Bet. However, Weber of Jewish Voice for Peace noted that the stated reason for the Northampton police chiefs canceled trip was to learn about hate crimes and how to stop them. In this country, the people who commit hate crimes against Jewish communities, LGBT communities, against people of color, are white supremacists, said Weber. Why would we send our law enforcement halfway across the world to train about white supremacists here? The ADL also runs a separate program for federal and state law enforcement agencies to use the history of the Holocaust as a springboard for examining law enforcements role in our democracy. That program does not involve Israeli security forces. RAMALLAH, West Bank Palestinians have long sported the checkered black-and-white keffiyeh with pride as a symbol of Palestinian nationalism. This emblem of heritage and rebellion, also used by other countries in the region from Iraq to Turkey has inspired poems, songs, political slogans, cartoons and even high fashion. Finally, the Hebron governorate decided to ensure its place in the Guinness World Records 2019 by creating the largest keffiyeh ever. Next year, the governorate will mobilize both public and private institutions to create a 5,000-square-meter (53,820-square-feet) keffiyeh at its Dura International Stadium, in the presence of a delegation from the Guinness World Records on Nov. 16, National Keffiyeh Day. The first rehearsal to this end was realized this year in Hebron governorate by exhibiting the largest Palestinian keffiyeh of 1,400 square meters (15,070 square feet) at the Yasser Arafat School for Boys in the town of Dura, 11 kilometers (7 miles) southwest of Hebron city, with the participation of several students from nearby schools, on the occasion of Independence and Loyalty Week and National Keffiyeh Day. This event, which was organized by the Directorate of Education in southern Hebron, was a first step to weave the largest keffiyeh in the world, which at 5,000 square meters would be nearly three times as large as the one displayed at the school last month, and set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records. Khaled Abu Sharar, director of the Southern Hebron Education Directorate, told Al-Monitor that they wanted to avoid organizational errors while creating the world's largest keffiyeh next year. In 2019 we will present our people with an event worthy of the keffiyeh symbol by exhibiting the [worlds largest keffiyeh] at the Dura International Stadium, he said. The large keffiyeh was scheduled to be woven this year, but the project's organizers decided to postpone it until next year. We have been in touch with Guinness World Records since last March, but due to the magnitude of the project and in order to avoid failing, we decided to wait until next year so all procedures can be arranged properly. This mini-experiment aimed at allowing us to identify any organizational and technical mistakes so we can correct them, Abu Sharar said. While the Directorate of Education in southern Hebron came up with the idea and will implement and coordinate the execution, various local civil society institutions will also get involved. The giant keffiyeh is to be the joint product of the Hebron governorate, the municipality and local businessmen and institutions, which will collaborate on the financial, technical and logistical tasks involved. The students at the Yasser Arafat School for Boys, along with students from nearby schools, worked for weeks to sew together 1,800 small keffiyehs to create the one that was displayed last month. In 2015, the Ministry of Education decided that Nov. 16 would be National Keffiyeh Day as part of Independence and Loyalty Week, which coincides with both the commemoration of the passing of former President Yasser Arafat on Nov. 11 and the anniversary of Independence Day on Nov. 15. Schools and educational institutions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip celebrate this occasion each year, when students and teachers wear keffiyehs. Sadiq al-Khaddour, spokesman for the Palestinian Ministry of Education, told Al-Monitor that the initiative to create the largest keffiyeh in the world serves to emphasize it as a symbol of the Palestinian peoples identity to fight off Israeli attempts to make it a symbol of theirs. He noted that the 5,000-square-meter keffiyeh would be more carefully woven together than the one that was exhibited last month. Khaddour said that the initiators will take the necessary measures to ensure the success of the event. A number of local companies and institutions which will contribute to this project were contacted so it can be ready by Nov. 16, 2019, he said. For Palestinians, the keffiyeh is a symbol of their resistance, struggle and national identity. Some claim the keffiyeh was first worn by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, and that it was initially the headdress of priests. More recently, the keffiyeh was worn by peasants, presumably to protect them from the sun or to wipe off sweat from their faces while working in the fields. The keffiyeh also called shemagh or hattah became a symbol of the resistance during the 1936 Arab Revolt against the forces of the British Mandate. By the 1960s, it had become a symbol of the PLO and was worn by men and women alike. Yasser Arafat, the leader of the PLO, sported it, as well as Palestinian activist Leila Khaled, the first woman who was part of the team that hijacked an airplane in 1969. Hamza al-Akrabawi, a folklore researcher and storyteller, told Al-Monitor, The keffiyeh was emblematic during the revolution slogans and songs called on people to drop the tarboosh [red, rimless hat] and wear the hattah instead. The keffiyeh also served to help militants conceal their identities. The keffiyeh remained as a symbol of the militant identity of the Palestinians during the first intifada in 1987 and the second intifada in 2000. Young men and women wore them during confrontations with the occupation forces in Palestinian cities, villages and camps, Akrabawi said. Palestinian writers, poets and painters all used the symbol of the keffiyeh in their works. The late poet Mahmoud Darwish wrote in one of his most famous poems, Identity Card: Write down:/ I am an Arab/ Hair coal-black/ Eyes brown/ My distinguishing feature/ On my head a keffiyeh topped by the igal/ And my palms, rough as stone/ Scratch anyone who touches them. Famous Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali documented the keffiyeh as a symbol of Palestinians in hundreds of cartoons, and Syrian artist Burhan Karkutli also used it in many of his drawings about Palestine. More recently, the Palestinians are singing along to Mohammed Assafs song Alleh El keffiyeh, Arabic for "Raise the Keffiyeh up High." Akrabawi noted, The keffiyeh has become a symbol of the Palestinians, and thus those who are in solidarity with the Palestinian cause in the Arab world or abroad wear it. Not everyone has been met with a positive reaction when wearing this headdress. Although various fashion designers, such as luxury brand Givenchy and chain store Zara, have used the keffiyeh without much resistance, the Palestinians were outraged when Israeli designer Yaron Minkowski had Israeli models wear it during Tel Aviv Fashion Week in 2016. Minkowski said that he only aimed to promote coexistence among the two peoples. The record for the world's longest keffiyeh belongs to a 6,552-meter (21,496 feet) chain of scarves laid on the ground of Beirut's Sport City Stadium on May 15, 2010, to form the number 194, signifying the 1948 United Nations resolution that grants Palestinians the right to return to their homes. BAGHDAD As in many places, women who work in law enforcement in Iraq have yet to achieve equality with their male counterparts, but they're making progress. The Rescue Directorate of the Ministry of Interior deployed Nov. 17 a group of policewomen to patrol the streets of Baghdad and monitor the gates of girls schools, colleges, institutes and markets in a bid to combat harassment in public places. That's just one aspect of their jobs. First Lt. Sulaf Kazem Jaber, who works in the Adhamiya Traffic Section, performs her daily job on the street wearing her official uniform. She shared with Al-Monitor how the communitys perception of her work as a policewoman has changed since she began working for the traffic police in 2008. During the first year of my work, my colleagues and I faced many difficulties and were looked down upon. Today, people have become accustomed to our presence on the street and have started treating us with greater respect," she said. "Our [male] colleagues are very considerate of our situation. They exempt us from night guarding missions to help us spend as much time as possible with our children, she added. The Rescue and Traffic Directorates and the Community and Domestic Violence Police work under the umbrella of the Ministry of Interior and include a significant number of women, most of whom are required to patrol the streets. The total number of female civil servants, policewomen and officers working at the Ministry of Interior has reached 12,070, according to ministry sources, who didn't want their names revealed because they're not authorized to make media statements. The Police Academy confirmed the graduation of 158 female police officers between 2011 and 2017 and said that 25 more are to graduate in next July. Of note, women have only been allowed to take part in four of the academys 66 sessions held to date. However, 170 female officers have graduated from the Interior Ministry's Higher Institute for Security and Administrative Development with higher diplomas in security sciences since 2011, and 50 women, including 25 who hold doctorates or master's degrees, are now completing their studies there. These graduates become specialists in areas such as investigation and criminology. Capt. Shaimaa Ali Ibrahim, head of the Women's Division at the Community Police Directorate, was among the first to graduate from the institute in 2011 and is set to be promoted to a higher rank next year. Ibrahim told Al-Monitor that the attitudes of some of her males colleagues are among her greatest challenges, as many men refuse to salute her even though she outranks them. Some males go so far as to defame their female colleagues because the men can't tolerate the idea of having higher-ranking women in the same field. None of the less-senior male colleagues have ever called me 'sir,' she added. Her colleagues aren't the only holdouts. Ibrahim said many civilians, including women, don't accept her work as a policewoman. A lady once came to our directorate to complain about her husband and when I started talking to her, she wouldn't accept that I would be writing up the report and insisted that a male policeman write it instead, Ibrahim said. Ibrahim's director had to comply and drafted the complaint himself. The woman thought that me drafting the report would somehow affect her case. She didn't know that the decision was solely in the hands of the judge, not the person drafting the report, she said. Depending on the case she is dealing with, Ibrahim works with other security agencies of the Interior Ministry, such as the Rescue Directorate, Crime Directorate and Tribal Section of the Community Police. There are cases that require her to visit families and solve domestic problems between siblings or relatives. There are also policewomen who work with nursing homes to get them to look after elderly people with no shelter. In addition to patrols and problem solving, Ibrahim and her Community Police colleagues conduct awareness seminars for girls in schools to warn them of the risks of electronic harassment, threats and cyberextortion and make sure they know the harassment law provisions. The challenges faced by policewomen who patrol the streets vary according to the directorates they work in. Capt. Nasreen Abdul Aima, who works at the Baghdad Police Command and previously served as an investigating officer at the Family Protection Directorate, told Al-Monitor, When I worked as an investigating officer, I used to write reports for battered women who showed up to complain about their husbands. Once husbands were brought in and [they] found out that the report was drafted by a woman and that the investigating officer was also a woman, they took it personally. But today things are starting to change. Abdul Aima is currently in charge of hundreds of women patrolling the streets. She believes there are a lot of cases where policewomen have proved more courageous than their male colleagues. She reached this conclusion when she worked as an investigating officer and had to visit crime scenes. Where there are emergency cases or religious occasions, we are assigned the same tasks as our male colleagues and often are away from our houses for days to guard holy shrines, she said. Abdul Aima is saluted by her colleagues, unlike many other policewomen. They treat me with respect and say that I deserve the salute, which I never asked for. Commitment and professionalism oblige others to respect me, she said. On Oct. 15, Jordan and Syria reopened a vital land border closed since 2015, and almost a month later, on Nov. 19, a Jordanian parliamentary delegation set out for Damascus in what both countries viewed as a major step toward restoring normal relations, which had broken down with the outbreak of the Syrian crisis in 2011. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received the nine-member Lower House delegation, headed by veteran parliamentarian Abdul Karim al-Dughmi, the day they arrived. Speaking to the Jordan Times after the delegations return to Amman on Nov. 25, Dughmi described the visit as a complete success on all fronts, adding that discussions with Assad dealt with restoring Jordanian-Syrian relations to a level as strong as they were before 2011 and with Syrias return to the Arab League. In addition, according to Dughmi, talks with Assad and other Syrian officials covered trade, transport and tourism and the issue of Jordanian prisoners in Syria. We had very brotherly discussions with President Assad, who began by conveying his greetings to His Majesty King Abdullah and all Jordanians, underlining his keenness on fostering strong relations with Jordan, Dughmi was quoted as saying. In an interview with Russias Sputnik news agency in Damascus on Nov. 21, Dughmi said that he had discussed the issue of Jordanians detained in Syria with Assad and Syrian Minister of Justice Hisham al-Shaar. He added that Assad had promised to release and pardon most of the Jordanians being held in Syrian prisons and had asked his visitors for a list of their names. A day later, Jordanian news sites reported that on Assad's orders, Syria had released a Jordanian who had been detained for about a month. One parliamentarian, Qais Zayadin, was quoted by Ammonnews.net as saying that Shaar had told the delegation that reports of Damascus having a list containing thousands of names of Jordanian nationals wanted in Syria had been fabricated. Observers in Amman believe that the parliamentary visit could not have taken place without a nod from high-level officials. It was reported that while the parliamentary delegation was in Damascus, Jordans transport minister, Walid al-Masri, had on Nov. 21 sent an official invitation to his Syrian counterpart there, Ali al-Hmoud, to come to Amman to discuss ways to reactivate the Jordan-Syrian Land Transport Co., whose work was suspended when the border closed. Hmoud's visit to Amman would be the first for a Syrian government official since 2011. The thaw in relations between Jordan and Syria follows in the wake of major military victories by the Syrian army this year, in particular its capture of the southern province of Daraa in July. Russia has been pushing the two sides to reopen their border and facilitate means for the repatriation of Syrian refugees from Jordan. On Dec. 2, Al-Mamlaka TV cited a Russian Defense Ministry report that more than 25,000 Syrian refugees had returned through the Jaber/Nasib border crossing since July. According to statistics compiled by the United Nations, more than 600,000 Syrian refugees are registered in Jordan. Jordanian businessmen are hopeful that reopening the borders will give the stalled Jordanian economy a much-needed boost and provide them opportunities to participate in future reconstruction projects in Syria. Jordan has softened its rhetoric on the Syrian crisis since Russia intervened in the civil war in 2015, with King Abdullah II and senior officials underlining the need for a political solution that guarantees the territorial integrity of the country. On Nov. 23, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi was quoted as saying that reaching a political solution is inevitable and would restore Syrias crucial role in the stability of the region. While most Jordanians welcomed the reopening of the border with Syria, they remain divided over the future of bilateral ties. Writing in Addustour on Nov. 26, political analyst Oraib al-Rantawi pointed to opponents of normalizing ties with Syria, especially among members of Islamist streams in Jordan, who have supported the Syrian uprising. On the other side are pan-Arab leftists, who support the latest overtures toward restoring full relations. Rantawi believes the majority of Jordanians are pragmatists who support a gradual normalization that serves Jordans security, economic and political interests but at the same time do not necessarily support the policies of Damascus. We have relations with many governments whose policies we do not agree with, like Israel for example, Rantawi wrote. What is important is to secure our national goals, and if that means opening slowly to Syria, then why not? Another Addustour columnist, Maher Abu Tair, wrote on Nov. 26 that Jordan will take small steps toward restoring ties with Syria in accordance with Arab, regional and international circumstances. What is important, and as President Assad said, is that we have to look ahead and not to the past, and this is a good message that we should build on, Abu Tair wrote. The Syrian issue is a regional one as well, and we are part of the region, and moving forward is tied to common Arab challenges, such the crisis with Iran. The sudden warmth in bilateral ties may have been triggered in part by possible changes in the regional political climate. On Dec. 2, Al-Jazeera claimed that the United Arab Emirates has opened a back channel to mediate a political reconciliation between Syria and Saudi Arabia. It noted news reports that Abu Dhabi was preparing to reopen its embassy in Damascus. Jordan will be watching these developments as it ponders its next gesture toward Syria. SULAIMANIYAH, Iraqi Kurdistan Region Relations between Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) went frosty when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened the Erbil administration with stopping oil flows and closing the border crossings in the aftermath of the highly controversial Kurdish independence referendum. Where will the KRG sell or send its oil from now on? The valve is in our hands. The minute we turn it off, there is nothing else to do, Erdogan said in September 2017. Ankara did briefly stop the oil flow from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey, but the border crossings have never been closed. Still, the mood between the two sides is still frosty. Turkeys trade with the regions, and consequently the whole of Iraq in general, rapidly fell. Kurds began accusing Turkey of punishing them with hunger. According to Turkeys official figures, the volume of trade between the two countries has regressed to $9 billion from $12 billion over the past five years. According to figures from the Ministry of Trade, exports between January-October 2017 stood at $7.6 billion but fell to $6.7 billion in the same period of 2018. As the KRG was looking for ways to activate its economy, a trade fair was launched in Sulaimaniyah that included the participation of dozens of companies from China to Egypt from different sectors including food, textiles, energy and consultancy firms. Some 100 businesspeople from Turkey attended the fair, which attracted much attention from locals. Yet the goal of the Turkish delegations visit was not just limited to the fair. The Turkish delegation was also mediating between Ankara and Erbil to reactivate trade relations between the two sides. Mehmet Kaya, chairman of the Diyarbakir Trade and Industrial Chamber, said their goal was to restore the relations that had soured after the referendum. Especially after the referendum, Turkey-KRG relations have been going through a process that goes beyond political tensions similar to the crisis Turkey is going through, he told Al-Monitor. Regional governments are doing most of their trade with the KRG and Iraq without intergovernmental initiatives, hence our initiative to visit Sulaimaniyah. Our goal is to upgrade our ruined relations to high levels. The Turkish delegations first step toward achieving their goal was to visit the Sulaimaniyah Chamber of Commerce, where several cooperation agreements were signed between Turkish and Kurdish businesspeople. Kurdish businesspeople are also keen on restoring ties. Yasin Faraj, vice chair of the Sulaimaniyah Commerce and Industrial Chamber, urged Turkey to lift the embargo it had placed on the Sulaimaniyah airport after the referendum. Yes, we have some level of relations with Turkey, but we need stronger relations. We need serious efforts by businessmen and chambers of commerce, he told Al-Monitor. After Sulaimaniyah, the delegation also visited Erbil and Dahuk and signed similar agreements with their counterparts in these provinces. According to Kaya, improvement in the bilateral trade will also pave the way for political reconciliation. Turkey and the KRG have to re-establish a proper political relationship. This is for the benefit of the two sides. Both our officials in Turkey and those here want a resumption of good ties. Iraq, which once was the best buyer of Turkish goods, is now down to 10th place. Turkey doesnt import much from here apart from oil, but we see that almost all Turkish products are exported to the Kurdish region, he said. But can relations between the two sides really be normalized in the foreseeable future? Aso Kerim, a former Iraqi Kurdish parliamentarian, believes the KRGs improving ties with the central government will have positive impacts on its ties with Turkey. After the referendum, relations between the Kurdistan region and Turkey became politically complicated. Kurdish oil was marketed worldwide via Turkey. Commercial activity did not stop. Turkish companies continue to operate in Kurdistan. The number of companies may have reduced a bit, but Kurdistan shops are full of Turkish products. There is still a Turkish consulate in Erbil, but relations have not returned to earlier levels, Kerim told Al-Monitor. There has been a change in Iraq after the recent elections. There is a new prime minister and parliamentary speaker. The Kurds have joined the new government, and their relations are slowly returning to normal. Normalization of ties between the Kurdistan region and the Baghdad government will positively affect influence with Turkey. Meanwhile, some experts dont agree that the referendum had a significant impact on ties between Ankara and Erbil. According to political science professor Kamuran Mantik at Salahuddin University in Erbil, relations between the two are still good. I dont think there is a problem between Turkey and the Kurdistan region. Turkey has already monopolized this region. Moreover, existing commercial and economic relations did not change much after the referendum. Turkey did not close the gates. The only change is political. Kurdish leaders thought Turkey would not react to the referendum, but this didnt happen. Turkey made deals with regional powers and made the referendum useless. Otherwise, existing economic relations continue as always, Mantik told Al-Monitor. The last stop of the Turkish delegation was Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzanis office. Prime Minister Barzani also promised to support the efforts of the Turkish delegation. The Kurdistan region is a priceless market for Turkey. Aside from Arabic shop signs, the provinces are much like any town in Turkey with a great interest in Turkish products. The only impeding factor for the trade ties is political problems. The region is one of the most important spheres of economic competition between Turkey and Iran. Although one may think Iran has the upper hand in the uneasy relations between Turkey and the KRG, the US embargo could change that. President Recep Tayyip Erdogans efforts to convince Russia and Ukraine to resolve their differences diplomatically following their recent naval skirmish in the Kerch Strait has given pro-government circles in Turkey the impression that Ankara is poised to play a mediation role in this crisis. Erdogan also encouraged this impression prior to departing for the G-20 summit in Argentina on Nov. 29. He told reporters that he had discussed the matter with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, and added that they would explore this possibility further with Putin during the G-20 summit. If this mediation were to come about it would enhance Erdogans image at a time when the race for crucial local elections in March is heating up. Nothing would contribute to his image more than a major international success in bringing Russia and Ukraine together. Erdogans generally negative international image improved relatively in September after he mediated a cease-fire settlement for Syrias Idlib province, and prevented an attack on the region by Russian and Syrian forces. UN officials lauded Erdogan for preventing a bloodbath. Any possibility that Ankara could play a mediating role between Moscow and Kiev was, however, stillborn due to a combination of factors. Although it may not appear so at first glance, Turkey has in fact already taken sides in the dispute between its two Black Sea neighbors. Ankara is officially opposed to Moscows illegal annexation of the Crimea in 2014, which it continues to refuse to accept. Ankara also supports the Crimean Tatars, with whom it shares ties of kinship and religion, and has spoken out against Moscows efforts to criminalize Tatar leaders who are also opposed to Russian annexation of the peninsula. Ankara has also been officially supportive of Ukraines territorial integrity, which in this case means opposing ethnic Russian separatism in the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. During an official visit to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev in October 2017 Erdogan was emphatic that Turkey would remain committed to supporting Ukraines sovereignty and its territorial integrity. We have not recognized the illegal annexation of the Crimea and will not do so, Erdogan told a press conference in Kiev. We will keep this topic alive on the international agenda. We believe in the importance of diplomatic and legal steps to overcome the illegal situation in the Crimea and will work in coordination with Ukraine on this subject, he added. He also referred to the situation in the Donbass region. We believe this problem can only be solved within international law and on the basis of Ukraines territorial integrity, Erdogan said. These remain Turkeys official positions today, which the Ukrainian side also likes to emphasize in order to strengthen its hand against Russia. During his visit to Turkey in early November, Poroshenko said Ukrainians felt the reliable presence of our Turkish partners during Ukraines most difficult moments, during attacks by Russia. Such statements undoubtedly raise eyebrows on the Russian side, where nationalist sentiments run high when it comes to the questions of eastern Ukraine and the Crimea. These issues remain non-negotiable for Russia. Ankara has, nevertheless, preferred to remain low-key on the Russian-Ukrainian dispute, only mentioning its official position on occasions when the subject cant be avoided, and ensuring at such times that what it says doesnt antagonize Moscow in a manner that would undermine Turkish-Russian ties. Turkey is increasingly dependent on Russia for a host of reasons, starting with its desire to counterbalance its deteriorating ties with the West, and the situation in Syria, not to mention the growing cooperation between the two countries in the energy and military industry fields. Ankaras cautious stance was revealed again during the recent face-off at the mouth of the Sea of Azov. In a relatively innocuous statement the Turkish Foreign Ministry appeared to be criticizing Russia by calling on unhindered passage into the Azov Sea to be maintained. Nevertheless, it went on to call on both sides to refrain from endangering regional peace and stability, to respect international law, and to act using common sense and restraint to avoid increasing tensions. A day after this statement Erdogan told his parliamentary group in Ankara on Nov. 27 that Turkey wanted to see this dispute resolved by peaceful means, and the Black Sea turned into a sea of peace. At a time when the world is grappling with serious political, economic and military threats, we would be happy to see Russia and Ukraine side by side, rather than facing each other, Erdogan said. Erdogan held separate phone conversations with Poroshenko and Putin on the same day, calling on the two countries to overcome their difference by diplomatic means. News of these conversations was picked up enthusiastically by pro-government circles in Turkey as a sign that Ankara would be mediating between Moscow and Kiev. By that time, though, Moscow had already put a damper on this expectation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters in Paris just as Erdogan was addressing his parliamentary group that Moscow did not need mediation in this crisis, and referred to the situation in the Kerch Strait as a practical matter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov repeated this position a day after Erdogans phone conversations with Putin and Poroshenko. We are thankful to everyone who is willing to help defuse the situation provoked by Ukraine, but we do not think there is a need for any mediation, Peskov told Turkish reporters in Moscow. What compounds Ankaras difficult position in the Russian-Ukrainian dispute is the fact that the Turkish-Russian relationship is increasingly taking on a strategic appearance. This was highlighted once again during the recent groundbreaking ceremony for the TurkStream project, which will carry Russian natural gas to Europe through Turkey. This also provided an example of how Ankara has to engage in diplomatic contortions to maintain good ties with Moscow and Kiev. The Russian side may be unhappy about Ankaras stance on Crimea and Donbass. The Ukrainian side, however, is perhaps unhappier because of projects such as TurkStream, which are designed to circumvent Ukraine. Turkey may laud the strategic ties it is developing with Ukraine in key areas such as military industry, construction and tourism. But it has not held back from entering projects with Russia that will ultimately weaken Ukraines hand against Moscow. Turkeys heart may lie with Ukraine, but its head lies with Russia, according to a Western diplomat based in Ankara. Moscow seems prepared to let Ankaras statements favoring Ukraine go by, because it is concerned with Turkeys actions more than its word. Turkeys actions indicate that its interests with Russia will trump its interests in Ukraine if matters come to a head, the diplomat told Al-Monitor on background because of his sensitive position. Retired Ambassador Selim Kuneralp is among those who say the latest crisis in the dispute between Ukraine and Russia has revealed Ankaras growing dependence on Moscow again. Turkey has effectively surrendered to Russia because of its dispute with the West, Kuneralp told Al-Monitor. It is unable to raise its voice against Russia too much because of this, and only issues statements that Moscow does not take seriously, he added. Kuneralp indicated that the TurkStream project, which is contrary to Ukraines interests, shows the degree to which Ankara in prepared to accept Russias policies, despite the fact that Moscow is rarely supportive of issues that Turkey is sensitive about. Kuneralp pointed to the enthusiastic high-five Putin gave Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Argentina, when Western leaders were in line with Turkey on the need to increase pressure on Saudi Arabia over the Khashoggi murder. Moscows support in Libya for the faction opposed by Ankara, its traditional position favoring the Greek Cypriots, and even its support for the Assad regime in Syria are all examples of the lack of Russian support on subjects of close interest to Turkey, according to Kuneralp. We have surrendered to Russia but are gaining little in return Kuneralp said, indicating that the only way out of this morass ultimately is for Ankara is to return to its traditional Western orientation and the values this entails. ISTANBUL Turkey rejected a US call to discontinue efforts with Russia and Iran to end the war in Syria and called on its Western allies to instead support the process as the regions best chance at quelling the violence. The debate over the so-called Astana peace process, named for the Kazakh capital where leaders from Russia, Iran and Turkey first met to tackle the imbroglio, comes ahead of a visit to Ankara by James Jeffrey, Washingtons special envoy on Syria, to discuss a slate of US-Turkish divisions over Syria. On Monday, Jeffrey called the Astana process rather strange and a stalemate for its failure to make progress on a establishing a constitutional committee for Syria. The US view is, Let's pull the plug on Astana, he said at a briefing in Washington. But Turkey has embraced the initiative, especially since its Western allies have all stepped back from a robust peace effort for Syria. Ankara enjoys warm ties with Moscow and Tehran, despite their backing of President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey is the main supporter of opposition fighters who have sought to topple him. On Wednesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu described Jeffreys remarks as very unfortunate." If we can still talk about a political settlement, it is due to the Astana process, he told reporters at a news conference in Brussels after a NATO meeting. Rather than marginalizing this process or attempting to come up with alternative platforms with small groups we ought to be looking at what we can do within the [Astana process] and how to accelerate it. Cavusoglu said the Astana process is not aimed at replacing United Nations-backed negotiations dubbed the Geneva process. Yet it has largely overshadowed those efforts and sidelined the United States, putting Russia in the drivers seat on Syria. At a handful of summits, the three countries leaders have agreed to de-escalation zones, although Assads forces have since retaken all but Idlib province, Syrias last major rebel stronghold where some three million people are sheltering from the war. Some observers believe it is only a matter of time before the same fate befalls Idlib, however. The Idlib deal froze what will eventually be a terrible, terrible offensive, Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Al-Monitor. The Idlib agreement was not nothing, but it is tenuous and incongruous with Assad who continues to fight a war. Turkey and Russia have embraced the Astana process because it serves their interests, he said. Both actors get something out of each other. Russia has enlisted Turkey in its effort to mitigate the insurgency. Turkey has enlisted Russia in its efforts to freeze the conflict and pressure the Kurds. Turkey is angry over US cooperation with a Syrian Kurdish militia in the fight against Islamic State. Eventually, a process that draws in more members of the international community will prove necessary for any lasting peace in Syria. Jeffrey, who is well regarded in Turkey, where he served as US ambassador until 2010, would like to see the Astana process end in favor of Geneva, Stein said. The US prefers Geneva over Astana. I am not sure anyone has offered a real, tangible process that seriously grapples with the agency of the regime. Every outside actor, in its discussions with polite society, like to pretend a man who killed 500,000-plus people doesnt exist, Stein said. The main focus of Jeffreys meetings, expected to be held on Friday, is to discuss the road map for the Syrian town of Manbij, Cavusoglu said. Washington agreed in May to the plan that foresees the removal of the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) from the town, but Turkey is frustrated with the slow pace. The YPG has proven itself as the US-led coalitions most effective ground force against Islamic State, but has ties with the armed Kurdistan Workers Party, which has waged a three-decade insurgency in Turkey at a cost of 40,000 lives. Turkish and US troops began joint patrols in Manbij last month even as Turkey shelled YPG targets east of the Euphrates River, threatening a confrontation with the 2,000 special forces the United States keeps in the region. Turkey wants the YPG to withdraw from the length of its border and has flushed out Kurdish fighters from other areas in Syria, including the western province of Afrin where thousands of people were killed or displaced. Policy over Syria is part of a web of disagreements between Ankara and Washington that plunged relations between the NATO allies to their worst in decades. The atmosphere has improved since October, when Turkey freed an American pastor after convicting him of having links to a military coup plot that failed to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in 2016. However, a handful of other US citizens remain in custody, as do two Turkish consular workers at US missions, on terror-related charges. Turkey is also nervous about a looming fine from the US Treasury for its state-run Halkbank, accused of helping Iran bypass sanctions. A bank executive is serving a 32-month sentence in the United States for his role in the scheme and Turkey wants him sent home. Separately, US prosecutors are still investigating Trumps former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, on his secret lobbying efforts on behalf of Turkey, according to news reports this week that cited court documents filed by Robert Mueller, the US special counsel investigating links between Russia and President Donald Trumps campaign and business. Mueller recommended Flynn receive little or no prison time for his cooperation in that probe. Flynn was hired by clients with ties to the Turkish government in 2016 to persuade US officials to expel Fethullah Gulen, a Muslim cleric who has lived in Pennsylvania for two decades and who Turkey accuses of masterminding the abortive coup. Investigators found that Flynn had lied about working as a foreign agent for Turkey and being paid $530,000 for his trouble. Trump and Erdogan talked for about an hour at last weeks G-20 meeting, where they discussed Syria as well as the Halkbank case, according to the Turkish leader. Cavusoglu said Trump also raised the issue of the US-led F-35 program with Erdogan, telling him he wants to deliver the fighter jets to Turkey without any problems, despite a report that said Turkey could be barred from the program if it goes ahead with the acquisition of a Russian missile defense system. Bloomberg News cited a summary of the Pentagons report sent to Congress that said Turkey should be given a real alternative that would encourage [it] to walk away from a damaging S-400 acquisition. Congress has made some interventions, but this is a very comprehensive project and Turkey is one of the key actors. It is not easy to just cancel this process; there are economic and legal dimensions [that will] impact on our relations. Therefore, no problems are foreseen, Cavusoglu said. Turkey has spent more than $1.25 billion on the program, the worlds most expensive weapons project, since 2002 and is a producer of critical parts for the jets. But its insistence on buying Russias S-400 system, which is designed to shoot down US planes, may disqualify it from acquiring the jets. The United States is worried that Russia will obtain sensitive F-35 technology if Turkey uses both systems. Iran sought to send a high-level official to Yemen peace talks but was rebuffed by the Donald Trump administration, Al-Monitor has learned. The Iranian Foreign Ministry recently informed Sweden, which is hosting this week's UN-sponsored talks, of its desire to send a senior adviser to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to the shuttle diplomacy between the Houthi rebels and the internationally recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in Stockholm. But the request was denied, according to several Iranian sources, because of US pressure. The State Department would not confirm its role in shutting out Tehran, saying it doesn't detail the contents of its private diplomatic discussions. Neither the Swedish Embassy in Washington nor UN envoy Martin Griffiths responded to requests for comment. But the State Department did suggest the Iranians are not playing a helpful role. If Iran wants to be helpful, the first thing it needs to do is to respect all of the UN arms embargoes and stop providing arms and related materiel and technical assistance, training, financial or other assistance related to military activities to, or for the benefit of, the Houthis, a senior State Department official told Al-Monitor via email. Now is the time to replace conflict with compromise in order to bring peace, prosperity and security to Yemen. The official that the Iranians had in mind is Hossein Jaberi Ansari, who heads Iranian engagement with Syria but has also staked out a role on Yemen. He previously served as deputy foreign minister for Arab and African Affairs before that position was abolished as part of the Iranian Foreign Ministry's restructuring. Last month, Ansari hosted Rashid Khalikov, the UN assistant secretary-general for humanitarian partnerships in the Middle East and Central Asia, for talks on the Yemen crisis in Tehran. Gerald Feierstein, a US ambassador to Yemen under President Barack Obama, said he hadn't heard about this week's events specifically but was told that the Trump administration has made it clear to the UN that it doesn't want Tehran involved in the Yemen talks. That case was forcefully made to Griffiths during his latest visit to Washington earlier this year, said Feierstein, who noted that the UN envoy has not visited Iran in the run-up to the Sweden talks even as he has traveled to Saudi Arabia, Hadi's main ally. I have heard that the Trump administration has basically asked the UN not to engage the Iranians, Feierstein said. Fundamentally, the view inside the administration is that the Iranians would not be helpful. Are they going to encourage the Houthis to take steps to tamp down the fighting? Or are they going to be undermining what Martin Griffiths is trying to accomplish? The retired diplomat, who is now senior vice president at the Middle East Institute in Washington, cautioned that this week's talks are little more than consultations that could pave the way for eventual peace negotiations through confidence-building measures such as the reopening of the Sanaa airport and the release of prisoners on both sides. He said it was on Iran to demonstrate its commitment to ending the Houthi insurgency if it is to be welcomed as a constructive actor. If they want to be included, then they need to say very clearly that they support a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, Feierstein said. If you want to be part of the solution, then you have to be part of the solution. He said the Obama administration went through a similar debate in 2014 over whether to engage with the Iranians on Syria. In the end, Iran was barred from attending peace talks for more than a year. Alabama native William Lee Golden helped the Oak Ridge Boys to honor one of the final requests made by former President George H.W. Bush, singing Amazing Grace today at Bushs funeral in Texas. The country band, long a favorite of the 41st president, performed at a service for Bush at St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston. Golden, born in Brewton, and the rest of the group had a relationship with Bush that dates back to 1983, when they performed on the lawn of the White House when he was vice president. Bush specifically requested that the Oak Ridge Boys sing at his service, band member Richard Sterban told The Tennessean. Were here, sir," Joe Bonsall of the Oak Ridge Boys said at the service. "We told you we would be. And its an honor. The four band members, currently on tour, said theyd recently been traveling with dark suits and ties, to make sure theyd be ready for this solemn duty. Golden, 79, with his long white hair and beard, was a highly visible figure during the performance, adding his harmonies to the rendition of the well-known hymn. BOYS on a PLANE.... Houston Bound... #GeorgeHWBush pic.twitter.com/cSLx6gkmLF The Oak Ridge Boys (@oakridgeboys) December 6, 2018 Country star Reba McEntire also performed at the service in Houston, singing The Lords Prayer." The choir of St. Martins paid tribute to Bush, as well, singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic. The Rev. Russell J. Levenson Jr., whos originally from Birmingham, officiated at the funeral today. Hes a friend of the Bush family and the rector at St. Martins. Bush, who died on Nov. 30 at age 94, was honored on Monday in Washington, D.C., with a ceremony in the Capitol rotunda. Mourners paid their respects there for three days, visiting his flag-draped casket with a military honor guard in attendance. A state funeral was held on Wednesday at Washington National Cathedral. President Donald Trump and three former presidents -- Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter -- were in attendance at that service, along with their spouses. Bushs son, former President George W. Bush, delivered a eulogy for his father. Bushs coffin was set to travel by train this afternoon to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University in College Station. The locomotive pulling the train has a connection to Alabama; it was built by Progress Rail, which is based in Albertville, for Union Pacific. However, Progress Rail has locations throughout the world and the locomotive was not built in Alabama, the company said. Bush will be buried on the grounds of the presidential library, alongside his wife, Barbara Bush, who died in April, and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia in 1953 at age 3. Attorneys for inmates are asking a federal judge to find the Alabama prison system in contempt of a court order to boost prison mental health staffing. Lawyers wrote in a Thursday motion that the Department of Corrections is "woefully short" of required staffing levels. Attorneys for inmates wrote that a court order requires 263 full time equivalent mental-health positions. The state last month informed the court that it could not comply with the order. The state asked the judge to revamp the order to reflect its contract with a care provider and take into account things like service provided with overtime hours and not just "positions filled." U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson last year ruled that psychiatric care was so horrendously inadequate that it created unconstitutional conditions in state prisons. In Alabamas taxpayer-funded Confederate Memorial Park in Chilton County, a library promotes the message that slavery was not the cause of the Civil War. Placards and pamphlets posted on the front of the library explain the basis of that argument, including quotations from President Abraham Lincolns first inaugural address in 1861. The Sons of Confederate Veterans, a private group, runs the library with volunteers in a small building near the entrance to the 102-acre park, spread over rolling, shady hills a short drive off U.S. 31, near Clanton. This years state budget directs more than $600,000 to the park. The money is an annual appropriation from a 1-mill tax initially pledged to support a home for disabled and indigent Confederate soldiers and their wives that operated on the same site until the 1930s. In the 1950s, the Legislature began allocating that money to other purposes, including what is now the Department of Human Resources. Today, the tax that goes to the park is a sliver of a 6.5-mill state property tax. Its 1 percent of 1 mill and goes to the Alabama Historical for maintenance and capital improvements at the park under a law passed by the Legislature in 1975. The state funding of the park recently received attention in a Smithsonian Magazine article about taxpayer funding of Confederate memorials across the South. The article examines another aspect of the ongoing debate about government support and protection of Confederate memorials, statues and flags on taxpayer-owned property. Derryn Moten, professor and chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Alabama State University, said Confederate memorials give a distorted view of history. The issue I have with the Confederacy and the Lost Cause is that people arent truthful, Moten said. Theres no question in my mind that the main purpose for the Souths secession and for the formation of the Confederate States of America was to protect the institution of slavery. And anybody, I believe, who argues to the contrary is just being academically dishonest. Moten points to an 1861 speech by Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens in which Stephens said the cornerstone of the new government rested upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. Theres no gray here, Moten said. Its clear that the Confederate government wanted to continue the institution of slavery. And why wouldnt it? Slavery was the economic bread and butter. The truth, regardless of what the truth is The Confederate Library has about 1,800 books, including reference books about the Confederate and Union armies and alphabetical rosters of Confederate soldiers. Carl Jones of Cullman, state commander of the Alabama Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans, said visitors generally use the materials for genealogy research. Jones said theres a clear justification for why the organization uses the library to promote its interpretation of the Civil Wars cause. Its important to promote the truth regardless of what the truth is, Jones said. I think people have been educated to a degree to where they conflate secession with war. Jones concedes that the preservation of slavery was a reason for the southern states to secede. But he said Lincoln caused the war when he invaded the south largely because the federal government depended on tax revenues and tariffs generated by the southern states. Jones said Lincolns own words, in his first inaugural address in 1861, support the assertion that slavery did not cause the war: I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. In the same speech, Lincoln said he would not oppose a proposed constitutional amendment to protect slavery. In other words, Lincoln was telling the southern states, If you will rejoin the Union, I will give you slavery and I will be in favor of putting it in the Constitution, Jones said. Jones said no reasonable person today can defend the institution of slavery but said its dishonest to judge the actions of people in the 19th century based on todays world view. I dont think pointing out the fact that the war was not fought over slavery diminishes the fact that as 21st century enlightened people we regard slavery as contrary to human liberty, Jones said. No clear threat to funding The debate over the preservation of Confederate monuments rages on across the nation and state. In 2017, Alabama lawmakers passed and Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law the Memorial Preservation Act, which makes it illegal to remove monuments that date back 40 years or more, effectively protecting Confederate statues statewide. ASU professor Moten said that move was more about sending an offensive message than preserving history. This current debate about the protection of monuments and so forth has little to do with the history of the Confederate government or the Civil War, Moten said. This is about, I believe, demonstrating to a certain demographic who is in charge. And its insulting. Its an affront. And people need to own up to this. Confederate Memorial Park was originally the site of the state home for Confederate soldiers who had become disabled or indigent. The last Confederate veteran died in 1934. The facility closed in 1939 when the last of the Confederate widows were moved. Along shady hills and trails, the park includes two cemeteries with the graves of 298 Confederate veterans and 15 wives and widows. Other features are reproduction soldiers barracks, an old post office that served the Mountain Creek community and the old Marbury Methodist Church. The post office and church were moved to the park. Theres a birding trail and picnic pavilions. Park admission is free. Theres a $4 charge to tour the museum. Its filled with Civil War artifacts, narrative panels and a gallery of photos to honor the rank and file soldiers. At least 81,000 Alabamians served in the Confederate army, and at least 20,000, possibly as many as 30,000, lost their lives, according to the museums accounts. The glass cases display and describe the rifles, sabers, bayonets, cannon balls, uniforms, eating utensils and many other artifacts from the 1860s conflict. The museum displays a variety of Confederate flags, including some that were carried on battlefields. Exhibits depict the hardships the war brought to white southerners, including the plight of soldiers who returned to their families with crippling injuries. A narrative panel says that four million slaves lived in the south in 1860 and says that southern leaders warned that emancipation would mean certain economic ruin and probable social chaos. Joshua Rothman, professor and chair of the Department of History at the University of Alabama, said he does not believe state and local governments should fund Confederate memorials. To me the Confederacy was a cause that was pretty explicitly in the defense of slavery, Rothman said. I know that not every soldier was a slaveholder, not every soldier was in the war specifically to defend slavery, but I dont think theres any way to separate the cause of the Confederacy from the defense of slavery. Not to mention that the Confederacy is a cause whose purpose was to break the United States into pieces. And so, personally I dont think thats a cause thats particularly worth valorizing. And if individual people want to do that, thats certainly their prerogative to do. But particularly in a state with a pretty sizable population of people who are descendants of enslaved people, I just dont think its appropriate for them to pay for that. Rep. Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, chairman of the House Ways and Means General Fund Committee, said the state funding for Confederate Memorial State Park has been the source of some controversy. But Clouse said its more about the amount of funding and the fact that other state parks receive far less. A bill proposed in the Legislature in 2012 would have allocated much of the tax that goes to Confederate Memorial Park to Historic Blakely State Park, Fort Gaines, Tannehill Ironworks State Park and the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum. Confederate Memorial Park would still have received an amount estimated at about $120,000. The bill died without a vote in the House of Representatives. It even received the Houses annual Shroud Award, a designation presented in a comical way to signify the deadest bill of the session. Atlanta didnt pay the ransom demanded by hackers that infiltrated the citys computer systems in March, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for North Georgia. Iranian nationals Faramarz Shahi Savandi and Mohammed Mehdi Shah Mansouri were indicted last week in connection to a series of SamSam cyber attacks that hit Atlanta and several other municipalities, hospitals and state agencies this year. The malware attacks crippled networks and, in Atlanta, disrupted city services by infecting some 3,789 municipal computers. The Iranian defendants allegedly used hacking and malware to cause more than $30 million in losses to more than 200 victims, U.S. deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein said at the time of the indictments. According to the indictment, the hackers infiltrated computer systems in 10 states and Canada and then demanded payment. The Atlanta hackers reportedly demanded a ransom of six Bitcoin roughly $25,000 - for keys to unlock the infected computers. The ransom note directed the city to a certain website to pay the fee but, according to U.S. Attorney Byung Pak, the website that purportedly contained the decryption key became inaccessible. The city of Atlanta did not pay the ransom, the U.S. attorneys office said. The attack significantly disrupted city operations and, to date, has costs the city millions of dollars, officials said. In announcing the indictment, officials with the U.S. Department of Justice said its believed the men collected some $6 million in ransom over the years from other targets. A grand jury will hear the criminal cases against the parents of a Madison County baby who, according to prosecutors, starved to death. Madison County District Judge Patty Demos today ruled prosecutors have probable cause for an aggravated child abuse charge against Joshua Foster. Fosters daughter Arianna was 11 months old when she died at their Madison County home Sept. 29. Sheriffs Investigator Crystal Bailey testified that Arianna, who weighed 9 pounds at birth, had gained just one pound during her 11-month life. The investigator described the babys body as extremely frail and highly malnourished. After the hearing, Foster disputed the prosecutions case. My daughter didnt starve, Foster said just before officers led him in shackles from the courtroom. While the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences hasnt yet determined the official cause of Ariannas death, Bailey testified the medical examiner said during autopsy that she believes the death was caused by starvation. Bailey testified about seeing bedsores on Ariannas head. In the 11 months of that childs life, I dont believe that childs been moved out of the bassinet more than a few times, she told the judge. The cases against Foster and Ariannas mother, Porsha Bole, are both being sent to the grand jury for consideration of indictments. Another judge ruled prosecutors have probable cause against Bole at a hearing weeks ago. Foster and Bole have two other children, who were living with them in a mobile home at the corner of Brier Fork and Ready Section roads at the time of Ariannas death. At Boles hearing, Bailey testified that the other two children ages 2 and 3 appeared to be healthy. At todays hearing, Bailey told the judge she had new evidence showing that at least one of the toddlers was underweight and none of the children never saw doctors or received care after birth. Bailey testified that Bole was visiting a methadone clinic each day and taking her children along. Methadone is a prescription drug thats designed to help people kick opioid addiction. In an interview at the sheriffs investigative headquarters, Bole said Arianna had a healthy appetite and ate regularly. But Bailey testified the childs belly was swollen, and her body showed other signs of malnourishment. When questioned about his daughters condition, Foster told investigators he works to provide for the family," and it was Boles responsibility to take care of the children, Bailey testified. Foster and Bole are held in the Madison County jail with bail set at $60,000 each. The judge denied Fosters request today for a bond reduction. Defense Attorney Norman Bradley said Foster grew up and spent his life in Madison County. He said his client was working before he was arrested. Because the living children are in foster care, Bradley said theres no risk of Foster re-offending. Foster poses no threat to the community, Bradley said. Madison County Assistant District Attorney Tim Douthit asked the judge to deny the bond reduction request. Douthit said Foster watched his own child waste away. If the ability to keep your child alive isnt enough to keep you on the straight and narrow, neither is a judges orders to come back to court, Douthit said. Judge Demos said because of the severity of the charge, she wouldnt reduce Fosters bond. If convicted, Foster and Bole each face up to life in prison. Gun-rights advocates like to say, The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun. Some black gun owners, though, are not so sure its a wise idea for them to try to be the good guy and pull out a weapon in public. Twice in the span of 11 days last month, a black man who drew a gun in response to a crime in the U.S. was shot to death by a white police officer after apparently being mistaken for the bad guy. Some African-Americans who are licensed to carry weapons say cases like those make them hesitant to step in to protect others. "I'm not an advocate of open-carry if you're black," said the Rev. Kenn Blanchard, a Second Amendment activist and host of the YouTube program "Black Man With a Gun TV," a gun advocacy show. "We still have racism. ... We still scare people. The psychology of fear, it's bigger than the Second Amendment." The recent shootings of Jemel Roberson and Emantic Bradford Jr. amplified long-held fears that bad things can happen when a black man is seen with a gun. Roberson was working security at a Robbins, Illinois, bar when he was killed Nov. 11 while holding at gunpoint a man involved in a shooting. Witnesses said the officer ordered the 26-year-old Roberson to drop his gun before opening fire. But witnesses also reportedly shouted that Roberson, who had a firearms permit, was a guard. And a fellow guard said Roberson was wearing a knit hat and sweatshirt that were emblazoned "Security." Bradford, 21, was killed Thanksgiving night by an officer responding to a report of gunfire at a shopping mall in Hoover, Alabama. Police initially identified Bradford as the gunman but later backtracked and arrested another suspect. Ben Crump, a lawyer for the dead man's family, said witnesses claimed Bradford was trying to wave people away from the shooting. Crump said Bradford was licensed to carry a weapon but was presumably seen as a threat because he was a black man. The two shootings have brought up some of the same questions about racist assumptions and subconscious fears that were asked after the killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. Trevor Noah, host of "The Daily Show," lamented Bradford's death. "That's what they always say, right? 'The good guy with a gun stops the crime,'" Noah said. "But then if the good guy with a gun turns out to be a black good guy with a gun, they don't get any of the benefits." In some other cases involving black men killed by police: Philando Castile was shot in a car in 2016 in Minnesota, seconds after informing the officer he had a gun. The officer was acquitted of manslaughter. And John Crawford III was shot in a Walmart in Ohio in 2014 while holding a BB gun he had picked up in the sporting goods section. Security footage showed he never pointed it at anyone. According to the advocacy group Mapping Police Violence, 1,147 people were killed by police in 2017, 92 percent of them in shootings. While blacks made up 13 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for 27 percent of those killed by police, 35 percent of those killed by police while unarmed, and 34 percent of those killed while unarmed and not attacking, the organization said. Andre Blount of Tomball, Texas, once pulled out his shotgun to help a neighbor who was being attacked by an armed white man. The police eventually arrived and defused the situation, he said. "For me, being a legally registered owner and having a concealed weapon permit, I feel like I have to be more careful than the next person," Blount said. "Because if not, the only thing anyone sees is a black man with a gun." Blount said he tells younger black gun owners to really consider whether it's worth risking their lives in coming to someone's aid with a weapon. You want your kids to help someone, but you dont want them to be shot trying to help someone, he said. Its a sad thing. All of Alabamas active coal ash ponds are located less than five feet above groundwater aquifers, according to filings from the states utilities, and will have to close permanently in order to comply with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys 2015 coal ash rules. Alabama Power and PowerSouth filed documents last month stating that at all of their operating coal ash ponds, the bottom of the ponds had less than five feet of separation from the uppermost limit of the aquifer, violating one of the conditions under which a coal ash pond could remain in service under the EPA rules. Alabama Power and PowerSouth had already planned to permanently close those ash ponds, but the ponds' proximity to groundwater makes those planned closures mandatory. The 2015 rules imposed five location restrictions on coal ash ponds, saying that the ponds could not be located in fault areas, in seismic impact zones, otherwise unstable areas, wetlands, or locations that have less than five feet of separation from an a q uifer. The ash ponds at the following facilities Alabama Powers Plant Barry in Mobile County, Plant Gorgas in Walker County, Plant Gaston in Shelby County, Plant Miller in Jefferson County and Plant Greene County near Demopolis, met the first four criteria, but did not meet the groundwater requirement. The ash ponds at PowerSouths Charles R. Lowman Power Plant in Leroy also did not meet the groundwater requirement. Alabama Power and PowerSouth were fined a combined $1.5 million by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management earlier this year after submitting groundwater test results that showed elevated concentrations of arsenic, lead, beryllium, and other potentially harmful substances in wells near the ash ponds. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides power to much of northern Alabama, does not have any active coal-burning units left in the state. Alabama Powers Plant Gadsden has already been converted entirely to natural gas and the ash pond closed, so it was not subject to the location restriction rules. Alabama Power is in the process of transitioning all its remaining coal-fired power plants to dry handling and storage of coal ash. Then the ponds will be closed permanently. Alabama Powers focus is safely and permanently closing all ash ponds and communicating our progress to customers and stakeholders, Alabama Power spokesman Michael Sznajderman said. We expect all the ponds to stop receiving ash in the first quarter of 2019. While the ash pond closures are now required, there are two possible methods of closure allowed under EPA rules. Alabama Power and PowerSouth have announced plans to use the method called cover in place, in which the ash is dewatered, compacted into a smaller footprint and covered with a liner to prevent rainwater from entering the ash material. The coal ash would not have a bottom liner, and would remain in the current locations, usually along a river. The ponds were designed to discharge water off the top after the ash material settles to the bottom. Environmental groups argue that the coal ash will continue to pollute groundwater if covered in place and that floods or dam breaches at a covered ash pond could still result in catastrophic spills, like the one in Kingston, Tenn. in 2008 that released a slow-moving wave of coal ash that contaminated rivers and flooded nearby houses. They argue the utilities should choose the more expensive option of excavating the coal ash and moving it to a lined landfill, rather than covering it in place. With confirmed groundwater pollution at every coal ash site throughout Alabama, doubling down on plans to allow this pollution to remain in place forever does nothing to protect Alabama communities, said Keith Johnston, managing attorney of the Southern Environmental Law Centers Birmingham office. As utilities in neighboring states are taking action to excavate their ash, Alabama utilities continue to forgo any meaningful clean-up of these sources of pollution despite these alarming findings. Among the actions cited by environmental groups, Georgia Power announced plans to voluntarily excavate 19 of its 29 coal ash ponds, while in North Carolina, a state law was passed forcing utilities to excavate some coal ash ponds. Other ash ponds in the Tar Heel state are being excavated to comply with a court order after they were shown to be polluting groundwater. In South Carolina, all utilities have now agreed to move their coal ash to lined landfills. In particular, groups like Mobile Baykeeper have highlighted the potential for problems at Plant Barry in Mobile County. The ash pond sits on a bend in the Mobile River in the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, an area sometimes called Americas Amazon, for its rich biodiversity. As suspected, Alabama Powers ash pond at Plant Barry is too close to groundwater, Mobile Baykeeper Casi Callaway said. This data continues to prove that leaving coal ash in the middle of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta will not protect public health, the environment, or our economy. We are counting on Alabama Power to make the best decision for Alabamians, dig up the ash, and move it to a safe, lined landfill away from our rivers. Sznajderman said the companys closure plans involve compacting the coal ash away from the rivers to create additional buffer and constructing additional dike systems and flood protection measures, and that the company has no indication of any effect on any source of drinking water. Alabama Power has operated our ash facilities in a safe and environmentally sound manner for decades and will monitor groundwater around the facility for at least 30 years to ensure ongoing protection of water quality, Sznajderman said. ADEM must sign off on coal ash plans In addition to the $1.5 million fine, an administrative order from ADEM requires Alabama Power and PowerSouth to submit additional plans and testing results to resolve what the department described as "ongoing violation of the [Alabama Water Pollution Control Act] and ADEM Administrative Code related to the ash ponds. ADEM must also approve which method the utilities use to permanently close the ash ponds. ADEM Director Lance LeFleur said the utilities have submitted plans for comprehensive groundwater investigations to thoroughly characterize the nature and extent of the contamination," as required by the order. The investigation will have to include installation of additional monitoring wells and plans to notify local landowners or residents in areas where the groundwater is contaminated. The investigation report is due in May 2019. By February 2019, the company will also have to submit a report evaluating any deficiencies at the facility that may have led to the unpermitted discharge of pollutants into groundwater, and structural evaluations for the ash pond and gypsum pond at the facility. By July 2019, the company is to submit an assessment of corrective measures," (ACM) a plan to remedy the groundwater pollution detected at the site. That assessment is required to include plans for ultimate closure of the pond. The order notes that [i]f the Department determines through its review that the submitted ACM, or dewatering plan, is not sufficient to accomplish compliance with applicable federal and state laws or regulations and with ADEM-issued permits, then a revised ACM or dewatering plan shall be submitted to the Department. ADEM noted in a response to public comments on the administrative order that the best remedy may vary from site to site. The Department expects that the appropriate remedy for each facility will vary, just as circumstances vary from facility to facility, ADEM stated. However, in all cases, the selected remedy for each facility must attain the groundwater protection standards and attain source control objectives. The department also said there is not currently enough information to require the utilities to remove the coal ash. At this time, there is not enough information available to warrant requiring total removal of the CCR material, otherwise known as clean closure, at any particular facility, the department said. After complete investigation and characterization of the site conditions, [Alabama Power and PowerSouth] must develop a corrective measures assessment. Following that, the appropriate remedy for each facility will be selected (subject to ADEM approval) based on those site specific considerations. Sznajderman said the company will meet the requirements laid out by the state. Our commitment is to meet or do better than all environmental standards set by our regulators, Sznajderman said. The company is following the process and timelines set out by the federal and state regulations and will take all necessary actions to comply with the final orders. The city of Homewood is giving the developer of a new downtown hotel and retail project $10 million in incentives to be paid over 20 years. Earlier this week, the Homewood City Council approved the abatement of 75 percent of new lodging tax generated from the new four-star Curio Hotel by Hilton to be constructed on about two and a half acres along 18th Street and 28th Avenue at the former location of Hatfield Auto Parts and Service and Little Professor Bookstore. The former 6,500-square-foot Wolfe Camera store will be redeveloped, said developer Mike Mouron, of Capstone Real Estate Investments. The hotel and 15,000-square-foot retail project will mean a $50 million capital investment in downtown Homewood, said Doug Neil, a consultant with Daniel Communities, who represents the city of Homewood. After its completed, the project will generate about $42 million in additional revenues for the city over 30 years. The incentive is needed, he said, to help facilitate the economic viability of the project and to secure financing. In the deal, Capstone agrees to pay Homewood $400,000 for the vacation of an alley right-of-way, which currently runs through the project site. Homewood Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Meredith Drennen spoke in favor of the project and the incentive during a public hearing before the city council on Monday. She said the development is in line with the strategic plan for Homewood, which included the survey of 500 members of the Homewood business community and other local leaders and residents. Capstone initially submitted design plans for a seven-story Curio Hotel by Hilton in the summer of 2017. The Homewood Planning Commission denied the final design due to concerns over the height of the structure and insufficient parking spaces. Current approved design plans call for a five-story, full-service hotel with 129 rooms and restaurant and bar. The hotel will have an expanded outdoor dining area and a second-floor terrace area with bar and private event space. Mouron said he expects construction on the hotel to be underway by April 2019 with the hotel complete by late 2020. He said he expects much of the demand for the retail space to be from restaurants. Capstone has five years to complete the retail portion of the project under the development agreement with the city of Homewood, he said. Under the terms of the approved development agreement, to satisfy parking requirements, Homewood agreed to allow employees of the hotel and retail stores and the general public to park in the citys below-ground parking deck located at Soho under the Homewood City Hall. The Archdiocese of Mobile released Thursday 29 names of Catholic priests, deacons and brothers who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a child since 1950. The first 12 names are those that were formally part of the Archdiocese of Mobile, while the second list contains 17 names of men and priests who belong to religious orders but were not formally attached to the Archdiocese. In an accompanying letter, Archbishop Thomas Rodi asked for forgiveness from those that had been hurt. The most vulnerable members of the Church, the children, have been grievously hurt by clergy and religious, the very people who should have been trusted to help and not to injure, wrote Archbishop Rodi. In addition, the Church has at times failed to act as it should have to immediately protect children and to promptly remove those who have preyed upon them. To all the people of the Church, and especially to the victims of child sexual abuse by clergy and religious, I ask for your forgiveness. From the depths of my heart, I ask your forgiveness. The names are: List 1. Thomas J Cullen (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1950s. Vernon Dahmen (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: Mid 1970s to early 1980s. Timothy Evans (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1998. Joseph Gill (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: Late 1960s. James A. Havens (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1986. Patrick J. L. Nicholson (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1976. Arthur C. Schrenger (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: Late 1960s to 1982. John Alex Sherlock (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1966-1982. Edward Eugene Smith (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1984. John J. Walton (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1970s. Cordell Lang (DECEASED). Was removed from ministry based upon accusations submitted to the Archdiocese of Mobile. A civil court jury, however, found in his favor. Archdiocesan Deacon Robert L. Nouwen (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE) Convicted of possession of child pornography Date of Misconduct: 2012. List 2. Susai Arul (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1989-1990. Joseph Brown (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1965-1968. Gregory Furjanic (DECEASED) Date of Misconduct: 1987. Robert Grabowski (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1979 John Hardman (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1972-1978 Timothy Keppel (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1977-1981 Anthony Kiel (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1955-1958 Edward Lawler (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1972 Edward A. Leary (DECEASED). Date of Misconduct: 1970-1972 Gerald McMahon (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1967-1970 Robert Michele (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE) Date of Misconduct:1963 Norman Rogge (DECEASED) Date of Misconduct: 1979-1981 John Rutledge (DECEASED) Date of Misconduct: 1968 Barry Ryan (PROHIBITED FROM MINISTRY IN ARCHDIOCESE). Date of Misconduct: 1990s Nelson Ziter (DECEASED) Date of Misconduct: 1974-1979 Brothers (Members of Religious Orders Who Are Not Priests) Nicholas Vic Bendillo (DECEASED) Date of Misconduct: 1964-1989 Ralph McGarry (DECEASED) Date of Misconduct: 1960-1961 Anyone wishing to report an individual not included in these lists, please contact the Office for the Protection of Minors and Adults, 251-434-1559. A judge today dismissed the murder case against one of two men charged in a fatal shooting at a Huntsville motel. Shaquan Hortons murder charge was dismissed after District Judge Patty Demos heard testimony from a Huntsville police investigator. The judge said prosecutors didnt have enough evidence for probable cause that Horton was guilty of murder. Horton, 27, was charged along with his brother Atimothy Pullen in the July 13 shooting death of Ryan Baker. Baker, 40, of Huntsville, was staying at the Budget Inn on University Drive when he was killed. Huntsville police investigator Dave Mullins identified Pullen as the triggerman. The investigator testified that Pullen killed Baker during an attempted robbery and drug-deal that apparently went awry. Horton was connected to the case because he drove Pullen to and from the scene, the authorities said. But, defense attorney Brian Clark argued that prosecutors and police didnt have any evidence to prove Horton knew in advance about the murder or Pullens plan to rob Baker. Because police charged Horton with intentional murder, the judge said they hadnt met their burden of proof. Prosecutors can still take Hortons case to a grand jury for consideration of indictment. Prosecutors could ask the grand jury to charge Horton with felony murder, which doesnt require intent to kill. The case It took weeks for police to identify and charge Horton and Pullen in the motel killing. Surveillance footage from the motel and nearby businesses showed a man get out of a 2017 Hyundai SanteFe and walk to the Budget Inn that day, authorities said. Huntsville police released to the press surveillance photos and asked the public to help identify the man. Mullins testified that after investigators knew the man to be Pullen, they talked to law enforcement in Lincoln County, Tennessee, where the suspect was being held on unrelated charges. Pullen remains in a Tennessee jail. He will be brought back to Huntsville after he has served his time there. In a jail phone call, Pullen talked to his brother Horton. Mullins testified that Horton told Pullen not to say anything about the Huntsville case. Police connected Horton to the case when they found out he had been renting a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe like the one seen on surveillance footage during the time of the killing, Mullins testified. Revocation After Horton was charged in the motel murder, a judge revoked his probation in an unrelated marijuana trafficking case from four years ago. In that case, Horton had been sentenced to 180 months in prison. But, the sentence was suspended, pending Hortons successful completion of probation. On Oct. 17 of this year, Circuit Judge James Smith ordered Horton to serve the 180 months that had previously been suspended. The new murder charge, Judge Smith said, was considered a violation of the terms of Hortons probation in the trafficking case. Because the murder charge has been dismissed, Clark said he will ask the judge to reconsider the revocation. Horton is already appealing the revocation. The Miss America Organization has revoked the licenses of seven state pageants as part of an ongoing dispute between local and national leadership. Last week, the Miss America organization sent termination letters to New Jersey, New York and Florida, the Associated Press reported. Boards in four states Georgia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Tennessee previously received termination letters. In September, Colorados board resigned in protest. The ramifications of the terminations remain unclear. Each board has 10 days to appeal the national decision after which the Miss America Organization can opt to seek new licensees and board members in each state. Officials with the Miss Alabama Organization told AL.com they had no comment on the situation. According to the AP, the letter sent to Florida cites the states organizations default under the agreement, but does not list specific violations. The letter to New Jersey noted its agreement with the parent organization is not being renewed. The Press of New Jersey reported the letter sent to New Jersey asked for information and the reason why the states pageants executive director signed a vote of no confidence letter regarding national leadership in June. The letters reportedly said the state organizations were in breach of contract with MAO and were subject to either review of licensing during a probational period or immediate termination, the Press of New Jersey reported. The most recently notified states include the traditional site of the pageant New Jersey and the home state for the current title holder, former Miss New York Nia Imani Franklin. The termination letters are the latest chapter in a series of controversies that erupted in 2017 when Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989, was named chairman of the national board following a scandal involving offensive emails from the previous CEOs. Regina Hopper joined the pageant as CEO at the same time as Carlson. One of the immediate changes made by Carlson was the elimination of the long-standing swimsuit competition, a move that drew the ire of traditionalists. In July, representatives from 22 state pageants, including Alabama, called for the resignation of Carlson and Hopper over what they categorized as wholesale changes to the competition and a lack of communication with state groups. Fourteen former title holders then launched a petition calling for the leaderships removal. Miss America 2018 Cara Mund later wrote a letter outlining what she described as a rough year that involved her being bullied and marginalized by Carlson and Hopper. The Miss America Organization denied the claims. The investigation into a Huntsville double slaying began with a wandering, barefoot little boy who saw his parents bloodied bodies inside their mobile home, court testimony revealed. The 5-year-old walked up to a woman in the neighborhood to ask if he could go home with her. Mommy and daddy are asleep, the little boy said, according to court testimony. Theyre covered in blood. Minutes later, Huntsville police found the bodies of 22-year-old Shawntia Jackson and 24-year-old Dajun Hardy lying on the floor of their home. Their crying 1-year-old baby was on the couch. Jackson had been shot multiple times in the mouth, stomach, leg and arm, Huntsville police Investigator Julian Johnson testified. Hardy suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, according to police. The shootings happened the night of Sept. 21 at Merrimac Manor mobile home park, off Triana Boulevard. This week, the cases of three capital murder suspects were forwarded to a grand jury for consideration of indictments. Caleb Bruce, Carolyn Phillips and Tyree Castile were in Madison County District Court for preliminary hearings. Judges ruled prosecutors have probable cause for charging all three with a capital crime. The night of the killings, neighbors heard gunshots though none called police at that time and one witness saw a white SUV speed away from the scene after the shooting, Investigator Johnson testified. The investigation It was an anonymous caller who led police to the first suspect. Johnson testified the tipster claimed he overheard people talking about the trailer park shooting. The tipster told the investigator that officers should go talk to Castile, Johnson told the court. It turned out, Johnson testified, that Castile reported a gun stolen the morning after the double slaying. When questioned, Castile initially denied any involvement in the killings, Johnson told the court. Johnson testified he showed Castile a photo of Hardys body, and Castile started telling the story of what happened the night of the killings. Johnson testified Castile led police to the other suspects: Bruce and Phillips. Police found Bruce and Phillips outside her home, standing next to a white Chevy Equinox, which matched a witness description of the vehicle that fled the shooting scene. While all three initially denied any involvement, their eventual stories of that night lined up, the investigator testified. Heres a summary of the testimony, which is based on the suspect interrogations: Castile was having a party that Friday night. Phillips asked if Castile would ride with her and her boyfriend, Bruce, to Merrimac Manor. Bruce wanted to buy marijuana from Hardy. When they arrived at the mobile home park, Bruce asked for Castiles gun. Castile handed over the weapon, and Bruce went inside the trailer. Castile and Phillips waited in the vehicle. They heard popping noises but said they were unsure whether it was gunshots or fireworks; they had music on in the vehicle. When Bruce ran back to the car, he asked Castile to come to the trailer. As the two approached the front door, Castile saw Hardys body. Phillips saw Castile and Bruce run from the scene, so she sped away in her vehicle. She picked up Bruce and Castile at a nearby dollar store. Bruce told police he shot Hardy because he thought the man was reaching for a gun inside the trailer, Johnson testified. Bruce also told the investigator he dropped Castiles gun at the scene, police said. There werent any guns found at the scene, according to Johnson. Bruce told police that after he shot Hardy, Jackson told him she was going to kill him, testimony revealed. Bruce said he started firing at Jackson, Johnson told the judge. Probable cause Because the suspects are charged with capital murder, Madison County Assistant District Attorney Bill Starnes needed to show evidence of intent to kill during the preliminary hearings. Otherwise, the judges would dismiss the cases. Through Johnsons testimony, Starnes pointed to a prior encounter between Bruce and Hardy to establish a possible motive for the fatal shootings. Johnson testified that some weeks before the killings, Bruce said, he was robbed during an attempted drug buy at Hardys home. Castiles defense attorney Joe Lampley argued that prosecutors hadnt presented any evidence to show that Castile was aware of the prior clash or that he knew Bruce planned to kill, rob or otherwise harm Hardy on the night of the killings. Prosecutors said Castile sealed his fate as a complicit accomplice when he reported the gun stolen the next day. District Judge Claude Hundley agreed. He ruled there was probable cause against Bruce and Castile during a Thursday hearing. District Judge Linda Coates ruled in Phillips case on Wednesday. The next step in the case is presentation to a grand jury. The grand jurors will be asked to decide which charges, if any, each of the suspects should face. If the suspects are convicted of capital murder, each faces the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. A well-known former meteorologist is behind bars in Jefferson County, charged with a felony crime. Mark Prater, who in April left his job as chief meteorologist for CBS 42, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail Wednesday just after 3 p.m. According to jail records, Prater is charged with second-degree domestic violence/stalking. His bond is set at $100,000. Prater remained in jail Thursday morning. Trussville police Lt. Phil Dillon said the warrant against Prater was issued on Dec. 4. Trussville and Moody police, along with the St. Clair County Sheriffs Office, arrested Prater at his Moody home. A protection from abuse request was filed against Prater also on Dec. 4. According to that document, the woman said Prater over several days in late November threatened to take her daughter away by going through her father. He also is accused of showing up at the womans house at which time she called the police. He left a note at her door. On Dec. 4, according to the PFA request, Prater called her 17 times and sent her 37 emails that morning. A judge granted the PFA and set a January hearing on the matter. Under Alabama law, a person commits the crime of second-degree domestic violence in the second degree if the person commits second-degree assault, intimidating a witness, burglary, stalking or criminal mischief where the victim is a current or former spouse, parent, child, any person with whom the defendant has a child in common, a present or former household member, or a person who has or had a dating or engagement relationship with the defendant. Second-degree domestic violence is a Class B felony, except the defendant, if convicted, must serve a minimum of six months in jail or prison without probation, parole, good time credits, or any reduction in time for any second or subsequent conviction. Prater left the WIAT staff after spending 10 years with the station. Details surrounding his departure were not made public. Prater, who grew up in Prattville, joined ABC 33/40 when it went on the air in 1996 but left after his contract expired in 2004. He then went to work with Independent News Network out of Davenport, Iowa before returning to Birmingham four years later. The former award-winning television personality in the past had been named Birminghams Best News/Weather anchor on a number of occasions. The Associated Press also named him Alabamas Best Weathercaster in 1999. Investigating claims of impeding justice, seventeen years after the worst attack on the US and ongoing rampant claims of prisoner abuse and torture. Former United States President Barack Obama wanted to close it down. Current US President Donald Trump has vowed to keep the facility open and load it up with bad dudes. We wanted to find out more about what this might mean for the future and to examine claims that a CIA programme of torture and kidnap following the 9/11 atrocities is impeding a quest for justice. 181126102143896 Five men accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks face death penalty trials in military commissions proceedings at a secret multimillion-dollar legal complex at Guantanamo, set up to try captives in the US war on terror. But seventeen years after the worst attack on US soil these cases have yet to be heard. Camp justice On arrival at Guantanamo journalists and NGOs are billeted in tents at Camp Justice. Inside this compound, the legal complex is so secret we couldnt film it, nor reveal its location. Indeed, to make this visit we had to sign a long document agreeing to restrictions. We were accompanied by a military minder at the base who vetted our footage at the end of each day. We could, however, observe legal proceedings under strict conditions, in a specially constructed gallery separated from the court by soundproof glass. To hear what was happening, we watched a monitor on a 40-second delay, designed to prevent any inadvertent leak of classified information. When classified information is discussed, the court is closed to the public. There is no time limit placed on the process, which is geared toward fairness, rather than an arbitrary deadline. US Department of Defence As the week at Camp Justice unfolded, defence lawyers described their frustrations. One of the allegations being that pre-trial hearings have become mired in arguments about what classified information theyre allowed to see. In particular, evidence from the post 9/11 programme of so-called enhanced interrogation. James Connell represents Ammar al-Baluchi, accused of helping to supply funding to the 9/11 hijackers. Connells claim that strict controls on the legal process at Guantanamo are designed to prevent information about torture getting out to the public. The view of Lieutenant Colonel Derek Poteet, a defence lawyer representing the alleged mastermind of 9/11, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed that the US Government was trying to hide so very much leading to an interminable delay in the 9/11 cases coming to trial. 161215090224679 The US Government invites relatives of the victims of 9/11 to attend open sessions of the military court hearings through a ballot system. We spoke to a group who had made the journey to Guantanamo to observe a 30th pre-trial hearing this July. There were a range of opinions, some expressing pride in the process, but there was genuine concern from several about the prospect of the death penalty in the cases. One suggestion that a plea bargain, in exchange for dropping the death penalty, might speed up the proceedings, and lead to closure. For their part, the US Department of Defence told us that they strove to ensure the process is as transparent as possible when balanced with requirements of national security, and that there is no time limit placed on the process, which is geared toward fairness, rather than an arbitrary deadline. The future of Gitmo Away from the secret court, a whistle-stop military tour took us to the exterior of Camp 6 where most remaining prisoners are held. So-called high-value detainees are imprisoned in Camp 7, a prison we werent allowed to film, its location a state secret. Guantanamo Bays Camp 6, where most remaining prisoners continue to be held [Al Jazeera] We tried to elicit information about the future from spokesperson, Commander Anne Leanos. There were hopes, she said, of constructing a new prison, Camp 8 which would update facilities for an ageing high-value detainee population. Given a new direction they were also now preparing for an enduring mission. We asked her what she made of her commander in chiefs stated views that torture works. She said she couldnt comment. The nature of the enduring mission at Guantanamo and President Trumps vow to load it up may remain a matter for the future. But of particular consequence to some still held here is another of President Trumps vows. In January 2017, as president-elect, Trump tweeted that there should be no more releases from GITMO. And this was ominous news for five prisoners, cleared for release under President Obama. Cleared but still jailed We travelled to Morocco to meet the family of one of those men, still held on the US Naval base. Abdul Latif Nassers lawyers say he was sold for a bounty and imprisoned in Guantanamo in 2002. The US said he had links with extremists, but no charges were ever brought. Then, in 2016 his case was heard by a Guantanamo Periodic Review Board, a body containing representatives from six US agencies, including the Department of Defence. They cleared him for release, but after bureaucratic delays, he remains, to this day, imprisoned. Mustafa Nasser, Abdul Latifs Uncle, told us how sixteen years on the family still hope for his return, a home waiting for him in Casablanca. Mustafa Nasser, Abdul Latif Nassers uncle, in Casablanca, Morocco. Abdul Latif Nasser was sold for a bounty and imprisoned in Guantanamo in 2002. He is still imprisoned [Al Jazeera] In London, we met Clive Stafford Smith whose organisation Reprieve has represented 80 prisoners released from Guantanamo. When it comes to those cleared for release, but still jailed under Trump, his contention: Theyre not letting anyone go, for purely political reasons. Torture and the Future The US Department of Defence did not reply to our questions about the process at Guantanamo, whereby prisoners cleared for release, might now be freed. The White House also declined to explain President Trumps views on torture. For critics though, President Trumps stated view that torture works makes it even more vital that warnings are sounded about the future. If you dont know what history is, youll repeat mistakes, says Clive Stafford Smith. We have someone in the White House right now who is liable to repeat any mistake. We need the truth out there. Editors note: The filmmakers with like to thank researcher Manon Joly for her contribution to this documentary. Amman, Jordan A hospital in Jordan is offering amputee war victims from across the region 3D-printed prostheses in an attempt to help patients regain partial functionality of their missing upper limbs. With 3D technology, printed prosthetics are lighter, cheaper and faster to produce than conventional ones. Patients at the hospital say they stopped using their previous devices due to their weight and ineffectiveness in addressing daily-life needs. The Amman-based Doctors Without Borders (known by their French acronym MSF) reconstructive surgery hospital has been operating for over a decade on victims of conflicts suffering from wounds inflicted by bomb blasts, bullets, shrapnel and burns. Patients mostly hail from Gaza, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen, where access to proper treatment and subsequent therapy is limited or costs are too high. Starting as a study two years ago, the 3D project is still in its experimental phase. Patient feedback helps improve the quality of the technology each time a new prosthesis is delivered. The MSF Foundation launched the 3D project in Amman in February last year, and we started to see the first patients two months later, said Pierre Moreau, clinical coordinator for the 3D project. So far, we have delivered 16 printed prosthetics. But our role doesnt stop here. We support patients through a string of occupational therapy sessions to show what they can do with them. The raw material for a printed prosthesis, a type of thermoplastic polyurethane, costs between $20 and $50. The final costs, including case estimation, assessment of the patients needs and printing time, is around $250. Prices of conventional prosthetics vary, with below-elbow prosthetics starting from $200 and reaching up to $2,000. The possibilities of 3D-technology seem limitless. Needing only a scanner and a printer, technicians can potentially print and produce prostheses everywhere, especially in war zones, where prosthetics need to be made in no time and at no cost. The idea is to be able to produce 3D-printed prosthetics in the future in places difficult to access and lacking a sound healthcare system, like in conflict areas. But the way to do it is still under discussion, as it is not always easy to find technicians available in these areas, and printers are still expensive, said Moreau. But new developments in innovative materials and cheaper printers are expected to further push prices down in the near future. Some of the names have been changed on request Ohios state legislature recently passed a bill that criminalised the abortion of a fetus at six weeks, with no exception for rape or incest. So, how can this be legal given the fact that the landmark ruling in the court case of Roe v Wade from 1973, which gave American women the legal right to an abortion, has not been overturned? The world ends not with a bang but with a whimper to paraphrase American poet TS Eliot. As the nations highest court shifts right and, arguably, become more politicised than ever, legal activists and concerned citizens should be particularly attentive to what impending test cases are likely to reach the United States Supreme Court. Given this new judicial landscape, a womans right to choose and, with that, landmark case Roe v Wade is on many peoples minds. However, the reversal of Roe the bang may not be the most immediate threat to womens bodily autonomy. Rather, the undermining of the existing regime of abortion access laws by states the whimper is much more imminent, harmful, and in need of action, as in the case of Ohio. The ability for a woman to have unrestricted access to safe, legal abortion care in the US is integral to the right to choose outlined in Roe v Wade. Before Roe, women faced unwanted pregnancies and sought ways to end them. Women who had means could sometimes access a legal, or at least safe, abortion, but poor women especially poor, young, women of colour had few options beyond carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term or undergoing a dangerous procedure, said Dr Abigail Cutler, an obstetrician-gynecologist at the Yale School of Medicine, in a conversation with the authors. Abortion has always, and will always, be common. The difference is that when abortion is illegal, women die. 170326125731442 This is not unchartered territory. There is an abundance of data that attests to what happens to womens health when access is diminished. For instance, when states restricted Medicaid coverage of abortion services, women faced a 16 percent increased risk of severe maternal conditions such as heart attacks, acute renal failure, eclampsia, sepsis, and shock. Further, studies have found that between six percent and 22 percent of women seeking abortions report intimate partner violence and some cite it as a reason for terminating pregnancies. Study participants described not wanting to expose children to violence and believing that having the baby will tether them to an abusive partner. Understanding the evolution of abortion regulations and subsequent court challenges over the past 45 years is crucial to realising the enormity of the threat of the Supreme Courts new composition. Subsequent to the landmark Roe decision, conservative states and even some liberal ones tried to subvert this right by creating regulations that restrict abortion clinics (requiring them to be affiliated with a hospital located close by), abortion providers (mandating that they have to admit privileges at a nearby medical centre), or women (requiring that they notify their husbands). In effect, these provisions serve as roadblocks to providing access to abortion care services for women. In the decades following Roe v Wade many of these new regulations on women and abortion providers were challenged in court. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania challenged new stipulations to Pennsylvanias abortion control law in 1988 and 1989. The provisions in question required women, if married, to notify their husbands and, if under 18, to obtain parental consent and wait 24 hours before having the procedure done. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court reaffirmed Roe and imposed the new undue burden standard, which forces the question of whether a state abortion regulation imposes a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus attains viability. One shortcoming of this standard is that it typically neglects the collective burden that comes with the accumulation of regulatory obstacles to access (ie facing a multiplicity of travel-related issues, health system navigation issues, limited clinic options, financial issues, and state or clinic restrictions). With this new standard of analysis, the court found that the husband consent requirement was placing an undue burden on a womans right to an abortion and, thus, was struck down. The rest of the provisions being challenged were still upheld because they were able to pass the undue burden test. The undue burden test was further modified by the Supreme Courts decision in the case of Whole Womans Health v Hellerstedt (2016). The court decided that the undue burden test is a form of heightened scrutiny and, in determining whether an abortion regulation burdens a womans right to an abortion, the court also must consider whether the law actually furthers a valid state interest, confers benefits that outweigh burdens, and is based on credible evidence. In doing so, the court shifted the burden of proof to the state to justify the validity of abortion regulations. Hence, states now feel especially empowered to restrict access with this plenary power as long as they provide justification for it. In this light, the slow erosion of abortion access, state by state through test cases that draw on states plenary powers, seems like the more viable strategy for the right; it would be death by 1,000 cuts. These current legal trends towards a more restrictive abortion landscape require much closer monitoring of state legislative agendas and legal cases, so that we can block the passage of such laws before they are enacted, as it is these laws that are shaping lives of women on the ground. Although we fear the overturning of Roe v Wade, it is critical that we remember an equally insidious possibility: that Justice Brett Kavanaughs confirmation invigorates a wave of abortion restrictions that will limit access to high-quality abortion care and thus undermine a womans right to an abortion. Americans must increase proactive state-level advocacy (particularly in red states) and remain vigilant that the Supreme Court not only respects the Roe v Wade ruling but also the subsequent court decisions that outline the standards for judicial review of abortion regulation. Going forward, maintaining womens access to high-quality abortion care will be a legal Medusa, where the most unassuming of snakes could be the most destructive. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Donald Trumps commitment to remain[ing] a steadfast partner of Saudi Arabia, despite the regimes gruesome torture and murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey, is clearly symptomatic of the malignantly self-serving nature of US foreign policy, which has long propped up dictatorships and enabled atrocities around the world for the sake of profit and power. However, many of Trumps most vocal critics on the Saudi file show signs of an equally dangerous pathological condition: a profound historical amnesia that permits some of the most prominent proponents of the US own torturous and murderous policies to now parade as champions of human rights, without any apparent sense of irony. Obama-era CIA Director John Brennan, for instance, has insisted that the US should never turn a blind eye to this sort of inhumanity [referring to the murder of Khashoggi] because this is a nation that remains faithful to its values a curiously self-righteous stance for a man who not only repeatedly turned a blind eye to the inhumanity of past and present CIA practices such as extraordinary rendition, torture, and drone assassination, but actively defended and (in the case of drone use) expanded them. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decried the brutal murder of Khashoggi as completely abhorrent to everything the United States holds dear and stands for in the world. Yet he praised another perpetrator of abhorrent deeds, CIA black site torture prison manager Gina Haspel, as an excellent choice for Director of the CIA. Republican senator and drone war enthusiast Lindsey Graham called Saudis extrajudicial killing of Khashoggi a barbaric act which defied all civilized norms even while maintaining that casualties of US own international norm-defying extrajudicial killing programme got what they deserved. The idea that the US is in a position to hold anyone to account for barbaric acts of extraterritorial violence defies reality. Far from serving as a model to be emulated, the American precedent exemplifies the dangers of lethal state power wielded without adequate restraint. If other states were to claim the broad-based authority that the United States does, to kill people anywhere, anytime, the result would be chaos, UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions Philip Alston presciently warned in 2010. Among the global targets of the USs lethal drone programme which have included first responders at missile strike sites, mourners at funerals, and families celebrating weddings are, allegedly, at least two media workers. In 2017, Al Jazeeras former Islamabad bureau chief Ahmad Zaidan and American media activist Bilal Abdul Kareem filed a lawsuit against the US government, claiming they had been placed on the governments disposition matrix although the absolute secrecy surrounding who is on the extrajudicial kill list, and why, makes it impossible to know for sure. A US court shot down Zaidans case but allowed Abdul Kareems to proceed, rendering it the first legal challenge to the drone programme to make it past the preliminary stage. While Trump may have been the first US president to openly and explicitly declare the media the enemy of the people, the treatment of journalists as a hostile force has been a consistent feature of the USs so-called war on terror. The Pentagons 2015 Law of War Manual stated that journalists may in some instances be considered unprivileged belligerents (enemy fighters without the protections and privileges accorded to lawful combatants), since reporting on military operations can be very similar to collecting intelligence or even spying an apparent licence to target journalists that was only revised because of a sustained outcry from media organisations. The illegal US-led war of aggression on Iraq has been one of the deadliest wars for journalists in modern history. In its first year, it inflict[ed] a proportionally higher number of casualties on journalists than on members of the coalitions armed forces according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. At least 16 journalists and six media workers were killed directly by US fire, including several at checkpoints or near US bases, in most cases without [the US military] accepting responsibility, as the Guardian reported. Often they promised to hold investigations but never released the findings. In addition to dealing out death to journalists with impunity, US powers also made a habit of arresting and jailing them for long periods of time without charge, including journalists working for Reuters, CBS News, and the Associated Press. By early January 2006, Camp Bucca, an American detention centre in southern Iraq, had become the biggest prison for journalists in the Middle East, observed Reporters Without Borders. Journalists were also imprisoned in the detention and torture camps at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. Al Jazeera cameraman Sami Alhaj was held in Guantanamo for more than six years; tellingly, 125 of the 130 interrogations he was put through had nothing to do with the activities of any terror organisation but with the operations of Al Jazeera. While US commentators have rightly called out the farcical nature of Saudi Arabias investigation into the death of Khashoggi, the pretence that the US government has provided anything resembling accountability for its own crimes against journalists and other civilians is equally laughable. None of the senior officials implicated in the Iraq torture scandal, for instance, have ever been prosecuted, and authorities ignored reports of abuse from human rights organisations for six months before they were publicly exposed a fact cited by Saudis Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir in an attempt to rationalise his own countrys delayed response to Khashoggis disappearance. Perversely, punishment has primarily been reserved for those who have dared to call attention to the assault on journalists, rather than those responsible for the assault itself. Chelsea Manning was incarcerated for seven years in a military prison under conditions the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture concluded violated international law, for leaking evidence of US military atrocities including video footage showing US soldiers slaughtering two Reuters journalists and several other Iraqi civilians. In 2005, CNNs chief news executive Eason Jordan was forced to resign because he suggested on a panel discussion that coalition troops were targeting journalists in Iraq. The popular conceit that American values are inherently antithetical to the torture and killing of journalists renders invisible the victims of US torture and killing policies. Propagating such myths in the name of advocating for justice for Jamal Khashoggi only serves to bury the Khashoggi-like skeletons in Americas closet further out of sight. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Legislation seen as a test-case for tech firms, but faces fight in parliaments upper house amid privacy concerns. A bill to force technology firms including Google, Facebook and Apple to give police access to encrypted data was passed by Australias lower house of parliament on Thursday, pushing it closer to becoming a precedent-setting law. The proposal, opposed by the tech giants because Australia is seen as a test case for other nations who want to explore similar rules, faces a sterner test in the upper house where there are concerns about privacy and information security. Under the bill, companies that fail to hand over data linked to suspected illegal activities would face a fine of as much as 10 million Australian dollars ($7.3m) while individuals could face a prison sentence. Earlier in the week, the bill, with some amendments, appeared to have enough support to be passed. But the main opposition Labor party said on Thursday the bill could undermine data security and jeopardise future information sharing with authorities in the United States. A range of stakeholders have said there is a real risk that the new powers could make Australians less safe (by) weakening the encryption that protects national infrastructure, Labors Mark Dreyfus told parliament. Privacy, safety concerns The proposed laws could also scupper cooperation with US authorities because they lack sufficient privacy safeguards, Dreyfus said. Labour voted the bill through the lower house, but was still negotiating with the government on the issue and would debate it in the Senate, he added. Thursday was the last parliamentary sitting day of the year. The next session is in February so the impasse could delay the law for months with an election due by May. The government has said the proposed laws are necessary to counter attacks by armed groups and organised crime, and security agencies would need to seek warrants to access personal data. I will fight to get those encryption laws passed, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra after Dreyfus spoke. I want to see our police have the powers they need to stop terrorists. Technology companies have strongly opposed efforts to create what they see as a back door to users data, an issue underlined by Apples refusal to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a 2015 shooting in California. Representatives of Google, Amazon and Apple did not respond immediately to a request for comment by the Reuters news agency. Hacking risk Apple said in a public submission to legislators that providing access to encrypted data would necessitate weakening the encryption and would increase the risk of hacking. The Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), whose members include Facebook, Apple, Google, Amazon and Twitter, said in a statement that the Australian legislation was out of step with other countries that had strong national security concerns. Several critical issues remain unaddressed in this legislation, most significantly the prospect of introducing systemic weaknesses that could put Australians data security at risk, DIGI said. If the bill does become law, Australia would be one of the first nations to impose broad access requirements on technology companies, but others may follow. The Five Eyes intelligence network, made up of the US, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, have each repeatedly warned national security was at risk because authorities were unable to monitor the communications of suspects. Philip Wilson was the worlds most senior Catholic cleric to be held guilty of concealing child sex abuse. An Australian court has overturned the conviction of a former archbishop who was the worlds most senior Catholic cleric held guilty of concealing child sexual abuse. The court on Thursday said the prosecutors had failed to prove their case against Philip Wilson, 68, beyond a reasonable doubt. Wilson was charged with concealing crimes by late paedophile priest Jim Fletcher in the Hunter region of New South Wales in the 1970s. Wilson was sentenced to 12 months in prison in May, becoming one of the highest-ranked Australian church officials to be convicted of covering up child sex abuse. 181020150529306 There is no proper basis upon which I can rely to reject the evidence of the appellant, Judge Roy Ellis said before he handed down the ruling. The judge noted inconsistencies with the accusers statements regarding an alleged conversation he had with Wilson about the abuse. This court could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the conversation took place at all, Ellis said. Wilson resigned as Archbishop of Adelaide in July after then-Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on the Vatican to sack him. Fletcher was found guilty in 2004 of nine counts of child sexual abuse and died in jail in 2006, following a stroke. Abuse victim Peter Gogarty outside court after attending Wilsons trial [File: Darren Pateman/AP] There was no dispute during the initial trial that Fletcher, who died in custody in 2006, sexually abused an altar boy, with the hearing focused on whether Wilson, then a junior priest, knew about it. Disappointed for good people The prosecution said Wilson was told by two altar boys in 1976 that they had been abused by Fletcher but did nothing about it. It was alleged he subsequently failed to go to the police after Fletcher was arrested in 2004 for abusing another boy. 181122164313619 One of the two altar boy victims, Peter Creigh, was in tears after the judges decision. He was too upset to comment outside court. Creigh had previously agreed to be identified in the media as a victim of child sexual abuse. Another of Fletchers victims who was not involved in the charge against Wilson, Peter Gogarty, said the Catholic Church had shown no genuine contrition for the abuse of children by clerics. Im very disappointed as youd expect. Im disappointed at a personal level but more importantly, Im very disappointed for the other people, good, honest, reliable people, Gogarty told reporters outside court, referring to witnesses in the trial. Abuse scandals rock Catholic church Wilson served as a priest in New South Wales before Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Wollongong in 1996. Five years later he became the Archbishop of Adelaide. The Vatican is under pressure following a string of sexual abuse accusations against clergy in the Americas, Australia and Europe. 181011060123701 Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in October made an apology on behalf of his country for failing to protect thousands of survivors of institutional child abuse. He was responding to a five-year royal commission, ordered by the Australian government after a decade of pressure to investigate widespread allegations across the country. The commission was contacted by more than 15,000 survivors who detailed harrowing allegations of abuse involving churches, orphanages, sporting clubs, youth groups and schools, often dating back decades. Australian Catholic Church leaders vowed in October that the churchs shameful history of child abuse and cover-ups would never be again be repeated. Pope Francis has called for a summit in February on prevention of sex abuse with Catholic Church leaders from around the world. Oil exports were also suspended during the severe weather on Wednesday. Torrential rain has brought much of Libyas second city of Benghazi to a standstill, closing major roads and shutting its airport. Water flooded the passenger terminal and parts of the car park at Benina airport on Wednesday. Osama Alfargany, Benina Aiports vice president, told Reuters news agency that the water came all the way into the passenger halls, which was approximately one to one and a half metres high. The airport took the necessary procedures and halted all flights temporarily as well as taking all safety and security measures including disconnecting the airports power supply, he added. Benghazis Benina airport had only been renovated and reopened in 2017 following a three-year closure during which military forces were fighting armed groups. Oil exports were also suspended during the severe weather on Wednesday, as violent waves made the docking of tankers impossible. The eastern oil ports of Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Brega and Zueitina were still closed on Thursday, Reuters reported. Authorities in eastern Libya announced a two-day holiday on Wednesday, as most public workers were unable to reach their offices. More heavy rain is expected to hit the country on Friday night, but this will mostly affect the west region, including Tripoli. Brexit deal: DUP slams Theresa May over breaking border promises More criticism of the British prime ministers Brexit plan, this time from the party thats supposed to support her. The Global Carbon Project says carbon dioxide emissions resumed growth in 2017 and peak not yet in sight. Global emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide have risen substantially and are expected to hit record levels this year, scientists have projected in a new report. After three years of almost no growth, carbon emissions from fossil fuels and industry are expected to increase by 2.7 percent in 2018, according to an annual report by the Global Carbon Project, an international scientific collaboration of academics, governments and industry that tracks emissions of greenhouse gases. The release of the report on Wednesday comes as envoys from nearly 200 nations meet in Poland for the United Nations annual climate change conference to discuss the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Curbing carbon emissions is the single most important pledge of the famous 2015 agreement, which aims to combat climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius. The World Meteorological Organization said last week that 2018 was on course to be the fourth warmest year on record and pointed out that the 20 warmest years on record have all occurred within the past 22 years. According to Wednesdays report, the world is producing 37.1 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, up from 36.2 billion metric tonnes in 2017. The margin of error is about one percentage point on either side. China produced 27 percent of global emissions last year, followed by the United States with 15 percent, the European Union with 10 percent and India at seven percent. Fossil fuel emissions are estimated to grow this year by 4.7 percent in China, 6.3 percent in India and 2.5 percent in the US and decrease by 0.7 percent in the EU. Action needed Scientists said the calculations put some of the Paris Agreements goals nearly out of reach Andrew Jones of Climate Interactive, which models greenhouse gas emissions and temperatures but was not part of the research, said: this is terrible news. Jens Mattias Clausen, Greenpeaces climate change adviser, said the report underlined the urgent need for action. Theres a lot of politicians who talk about all these things that they want to do, and all the long-term goals and all the strategies that they have, but in terms of action, were just not seeing it, Clausen told the Associated Press news agency on the sidelines of the talks in Polands Katowice. So thats basically what we are asking them to do, just actually be a leader, not just a politician. The report said that Chinas emissions increased with the rise in coal use, which accounts for about 60 percent of the countrys total energy consumption and for 40 percent of climate change linked to greenhouse gas emissions. The emission growth in the US was driven partly by weather, while Indias emissions have continued to rise in line with a booming economy. The US has pledged to pull out of the Paris agreement, but is unlikely to be able to do so before 2020. Other industrialised nations, including China, have vowed to implement the deal taking into account their national circumstances. The Global Carbon Project also warned that despite reaching the highest levels on record, carbon dioxide emissions would probably keep increasing as economies continued to expand. The peak in global emissions is not yet in sight, it said. China has announced it will immediately implement measures agreed under a trade war truce with the United States. The commerce ministrys remarks on Thursday came days after US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who met on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Argentina, agreed to give negotiators 90 days to resolve their trade spat. Few details have been made public about what the two sides will negotiate, a lack of clarity that has unsettled stock markets. China will immediately implement the consensus both sides already reached on agricultural products, energy, autos and other specific items, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a regular press briefing. The two sides will also discuss intellectual property protection, technology cooperation, market access and fair trade, and work hard to reach a consensus, Gao said. But the spokesman did not provide more specific details about what actions China will take. 181206061705235 The White House has said China agreed to buy a very substantial amount of agricultural, energy, industrial and other products to reduce the yawning trade gap. It also would begin buying products from US farmers immediately. The two sides will also negotiate structural changes to forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, cyber intrusions and cyber theft, services and agriculture, according to the White House. For its part, China has said it will import more US products to reduce its trade surplus, but no dollar amount has been publicly discussed. Trump added China would roll back tariffs of 40 percent on cars. It was unclear if Gao was referring to the tariffs in his remarks to reporters. Gaos briefing came hours after the trade detente risked being rattled by the arrest in Canada of a top executive from Chinese telecom giant Huawei at the request of the United States. This year, the Trump administration instigated a trade war on Beijing, imposing tariffs on a total of $250bn of Chinese imports. For its part, China has slapped tariffs on $110bn of US imports. Last month, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which advises many of the worlds richest economies, warned that the global economy had passed its peak and faced a slowdown driven partly by trade disputes. The threat of further escalation in the US-China trade war has loomed large over financial markets and the global economy for much of 2018. Move sets up a possible showdown later this month over President Donald Trumps proposed border wall. US Congress on Thursday approved a two-week stopgap spending bill to avert a government shutdown, setting up a potential showdown over President Donald Trumps proposed border wall later this month. Without action by Congress, funding for several federal agencies, including the Department of Agriculture, State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, had been set to expire this week. The stopgap bill extends funding through December 21. Before the stopgap bill expires, the Republican-led Congress is expected to consider a $450bn bill to fund the departments through the fiscal year that ends next September 30. Trump has demanded $5bn this year as part of his plan to build a wall on the border with Mexico that Democrats argue would be ineffective at keeping out undocumented immigrants and illicit drugs. Instead, Democrats want to continue improving less costly fencing and employing high-tech instruments to detect irregular border crossings. They have agreed to include $1.6bn for additional border security. Let me be clear: the $1.6bn cannot be used to construct any part of President Trumps 30-foot-tall concrete border wall. It can only be used for fencing, using technology currently deployed at the border, and only where the experts say fencing is appropriate and makes sense, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday. Trump has threatened to force a partial government shutdown if Congress does not give him the money he wants for the wall. Canada arrested the CFO of Huawei, but the Chinese tech company has been scrutinised for years for security reasons. On Thursday, Canadian authorities arrested Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer (CFO) of Chinese tech company Huawei. The details of the arrest are still unclear but Meng faces extradition to the United States, according to the Canadian Department of Justice. Following the arrest, both the Chinese embassy, as well as Huawei called for the release of Meng, who is the daughter of the companys founder Ren Zhengfei. Under Rens leadership, Huawei has become one of the biggest telecommunications companies in the world and has established itself as a leading smartphone manufacturer. But Huaweis expansion from its Chinese roots into the rest of the world has sparked concerns among Western governments over the companys close ties to the Chinese authorities, as well as its willingness to export technologies to countries that are under sanction. Canada arrests CFO of Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Over the past couple of years, Huawei has reportedly circumvented sanctions imposed on North Korea and Iran, providing the countries with telecom equipment that can be used for extensive spying on populations, so-called dual use technologies. But the vast majority of criticism has surrounded Huaweis growing influence on global communications in the coming years. The Chinese company will provide technology for 5G wireless internet across the world. Ahead of the rollout of that faster internet technology, several countries have warned against using Chinese hardware because of security concerns, which stem from the Chinese governments use of Huaweis products to spy on people around the world. Huawei has denied all allegations that it might be involved in the collection of intelligence for the Chinese government. So far, four countries have officially said they will not allow Huawei to take part in the 5G trials. United States The US, Chinas biggest competitor both in terms of economy, as well as global intelligence gathering, is afraid that China would have access to sensitive user information, such as location data, and that Chinese technologies could pose a possible threat to critical American infrastructure. To prevent the Chinese telecom company from gaining too much traction in the US, lawmakers have urged wireless carrier AT&T to reconsider potential deals with Huawei. 180603134803816 In 2012, Huawei and ZTE Corp, another Chinese telecom company, were the subjects of an investigation that looked into whether their equipment could pose a threat to US interests. That report by US Congress concluded that Huawei did not fully cooperate with the investigation and was unwilling to explain its relationship with the Chinese government or Chinese Communist Party, while credible evidence exists that it fails to comply with US laws. Since then, the US has been on a mission to prevent its allies from using Huawei technology for critical infrastructure, especially focusing on fellow members of the so-called Five Eyes, a group of five English speaking countries (US, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain) whose intelligence agencies share information on a large scale. The US has also tried to dissuade other countries like Germany from allowing Huawei to provide technologies in the near future. Australia Australia, part of the Five Eyes group, banned Huawei from providing 5G technology in August of this year, but it did not specifically mention Huawei by name. In a statement, the Australian government said companies who are likely to be subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government would no longer be allowed to provide 5G technology, which was clearly directed at the Chinese telecom company. Beijing condemns US over spying on Huawei Currently, Huawei is already providing Australia with its 4G network, but with the introduction of 5G, even more products will be connected to the internet in the near future. Following Australias decision, Huawei said there was no fundamental difference between 4G and 5G architecture and that 5G provides better security for both privacy and security, adding that Australian allegations about security concerns were not based on facts. New Zealand In November, New Zealand announced it would take the same measures as Australia following a request by mobile carrier Spark to use Huawei equipment for its 5G networks. The Government Communications Security Bureau intelligence agency denied that request because 5G technology inherently poses a bigger risk since its mobile internet and mobile phone capabilities are intertwined. I have informed Spark that a significant security risk was identified, GCS Director-General Andrew Hampton said, without going into detail about those risks. Great Britain As the second most important member in the Five Eyes intelligence sharing group, Great Britain has been urged repeatedly by its allies to ban Huawei from its 5G infrastructure. So far the United Kingdom has not officially done so, but its government is debating wether special measures should be taken. Spy Merchants: Spying on dissent through illegal means Earlier this week, head of intelligence agency MI6 said he had his doubts about the telecom company. His comments followed the 2013 Foreign involvement in the Critical National Infrastructure report, when the UK looked at Huawei as part of its critical infrastructure. That report concluded that although no direct evidence was found that Huawei did anything malicious, considerable risks were involved with having the Chinese company be partially responsible for such critical technologies. Ahead of any decision by the UK government, British telecommunication company BT announced on Wednesday it would not use Huawei technologies as the backbone of its soon-to-be-deployed 5G network and that it would be removing Huawei parts from its existing 3G and 4G networks. Canada Another country currently looking at the risk Huaweis technologies could possibly pose is Canada, which has been under pressure from its Five Eyes allies to ban the Chinese company from its 5G infrastructure. According to reports in local media, US lawmakers have been talking to Canadian officials and companies about barring Huawei technology from being implemented in Canadas new 5G network. While Canada has strong telecommunications security safeguards in place, we have serious concerns that such safeguards are inadequate given what the United States and other allies know about Huawei, Senators Mark Warner and Marco Rubio wrote in a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau according to Reuters news agency. However, according to Canadian media, telecom companies so far have not said whether they will ban Huawei equipment. Report: Australia spy plans hacked by Chinese In September, the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) intelligence agency said it had been conducting tests on Huawei equipment for several years to see if they pose any danger to the country. CSE provides advice and guidance to mitigate supply-chain risks in telecommunications infrastructure upon which Canadians rely, including, since 2013, a programme that has been in place to test and evaluate designated equipment and services considered for use on Canadian 3G and 4G networks, including Huawei, the CSE told the Globe and Mail in a statement. Germany Another country that currently uses Huawei technology but has not yet decided on its future is Germany, a key ally of the Five Eyes intelligence group. Last month, senior German officials said they are planning a last-ditch drive to convince the government to consider excluding Chinese firms such as Huawei from building the countrys 5G infrastructure. There is serious concern. If it were up to me we would do what the Australians are doing, one official told Reuters news agency. This push is being led by the foreign and interior ministries after they held talks with their US and Australian counterparts. So far, no decision has been made by Germany, but according to one lawmaker a ban could be on the horizon. But we need to be able to vet individual cases in order to ensure our critical infrastructure is protected. That could lead to the exclusion of Chinese firms from building our 5G infrastructure, Katharina Droege, a Greens lawmaker said following the push to ban Huawei. Japan On Friday, local media reported that the Japanese government would also ban Huawei from future purchases for its upcoming 5G infrastructure. According to Reuters, the change to the internal rules was aimed at increasing security for telecom companies, although neither Huawei nor ZTE would be mentioned specifically in the decision. Japans government declined to comment, but chief government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said the country had been in talks with the US about the issue. Cybersecurity is becoming an important issue in Japan. Well take firm measures looking at it from a variety of perspectives, Suga said. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, the US has communicated its security concerns over 5G equipment manufactured by Huawei to Japan in recent months. Japan is one of several countries who at the moment rely heavily on Huawei hardware for its networks. How we revealed the surveillance worlds illegal trades Italy and India Besides Japan, the US has also voiced its concern over Huawei purchases to Italy, another country that currently uses the Chinese companys products for its mobile internet infrastructure. So far, however, Italy has not made a decision yet over what company will provide the 5G network hardware. In September, Indian media also reported Huawei was banned from participating in 5G trials in the country, but shortly afterwards Huawei and India both said the company had been invited to test its equipment in the second-largest mobile market in the world. Controversial rule that would have allowed only one business licence for each person and location has been dropped. The government of Cuba has announced it will scrap some tough new restrictions on the private sector, which had caused concern among entrepreneurs. Speaking on national television on Wednesday, Labour Minister Margarita Gomez said Havana recognised that the 20 new rules, which were due to take effect on Friday, had created unease among business owners and some of them would be revised. The most controversial rule, which would have allowed only one business licence for each person and location, is among those that have been dropped. In theory, it would have prevented a restaurant from having a separate bar, or a guest house from serving food. A cap that limited restaurants to 50 seats was also lifted. 160215095947647 Instead, the number of guests will be commensurate to the capacity of the establishment, Gomez said, adding that the number of people employed by the private sector had grown from 157,000 in 2010 to 588,000 at the end of October, about 13 percent of the islands working population. Another requirement for every business owner to have a bank account has also been dropped, with some exceptions. The government said the new measures are intended to combat tax evasion and off-the-books employment but it had been feared that, taken together, the rules would have stifled the expansion of the private sector 10 years after it was first legalised in the communist-run country. Increasing freedoms, to an extent The rollback comes as Cubas National Assembly considers revisions to a new constitution, due to be voted on in a public referendum on February 24. The draft seems to offer fresh opportunities to entrepreneurs, by recognising the role of market forces and private enterprise in Cuba for the first time. 181111192818890 However, many of the articles simply codify measures already established by national law following a series of economic reforms by former President Raul Castro, with the state maintaining control of central economic planning. Unfortunately, the proposed constitutional reforms do not constitute any drastic changes in the structure of the Cuban economy, said Carlos Seiglie, a professor of economics at Rutgers University in the United States. Control by the state of resources continues to be the dominant force, with minor concessions to private individuals and co-ops, he told Al Jazeera, adding that state control of the economy remains the main barrier to growth. The Cuban economy grew only 1.1 percent in the first half of 2018, according to AFP news agency. Some entrepreneurs have criticised the new constitution as limiting prospects for financial success [File: Desmond Boylan/Reuters] The Caribbean island is seeking to modernise without democratising, as has been done in Vietnam and China. However, unlike those countries, Cuba remains concerned about the accumulation of private wealth creating an unequal society and so is offering only limited permissions to the private sector. Some business owners have criticised the constitutions prohibition on concentrated wealth as an official ban on being too successful. Havana is also looking outward to shore up the islands creaking economy. In November, President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who took over from Raul Castro in April, embarked on a tour of communist allies including Russia, China and North Korea as well as the United Kingdom, inking several agreements to boost economic ties and investment to the island. Additional reporting by Charlotte Mitchell: @charbrowmitch Ecuadorean President Moreno says theres a path for the Wikileaks founder to leave London embassy if he wants. Ecuadorean President Lenin Moreno said on Thursday that there was a path for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the South American countrys London embassy, where he has lived for six years under asylum, if he so chooses. Assange has claimed that Ecuador is seeking to end his asylum and hand him over to the United States, where prosecutors are preparing to pursue a criminal case against him. Wikileaks has released thousands of classified US military documents, among other disclosures. There is a path for Mr Assange to take the decision to exit into near freedom, Moreno said in a local radio interview. He noted that Assange still faces jail time in the United Kingdom for violating bail terms when he sought asylum to avoid being extradited to Sweden, where authorities wanted to question him as part of a sexual assault investigation. The investigation was later dropped, but Great Britain says he will be arrested if leaves the embassy. Moreno said the sentence for skipping bail would be not long. The UK has told Ecuador that Assanges jail time would not exceed six months and that he would not face extradition to a country where he would face the death penalty. Assange insists British authorities will hand him over to the US. I do not like his presence, but we have to respect his rights Moreno didnt say he would force Assange out, but said the Wikileaks founders legal team is considering its next steps. 181121091032429 I do not like the presence of Mr Assange in the Ecuadorean embassy, but we have been respectful of his human rights and with that respect in mind we think that six years is too long for someone to remain nearly incarcerated in an embassy, Moreno said. Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012 when he was granted asylum while facing allegations of sex crimes in Sweden that he said were a guise to extradite him to the US. But his relations with his hosts have soured to the point that Moreno earlier this year cut off his access to the internet, purportedly for violating the terms of his asylum by speaking out on political matters. Assange, in turn, sued, saying his rights as an Ecuadorian he was granted citizenship last year as part of an apparent attempt to name him a diplomat and ferry him to Russia were being violated. The mounting tensions have drawn Moreno closer to the position of Britain, which for years has said it is barred by law from extraditing suspects to any jurisdiction where they would face capital punishment. But nothing would prevent it from extraditing him to the US if prosecutors there were to pledge not to seek the death penalty. UN envoy Horst Koehler says he expects another round of talks to take place in the first quarter of 2019. The UN envoy for Western Sahara said he believes a peaceful solution to the decades-long conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front is possible. Horst Koehler, a former German president, told reporters in Geneva on Thursday that he was very pleased to announce the delegations committed to engaging further, adding all sides promised to meet again for a similar roundtable in the first quarter of 2019. The talks, which were attended by the foreign ministers of Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and representatives from the Western Saharan Polisario secessionist movement, are the first to take place since 2012. From our discussions, it is clear to me that nobody wins from maintaining the status quo, and it is my firm belief that it lies in the interest of all to resolve this conflict, Koehler said. Moroccos Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita agreed the atmosphere was productive but stressed that in itself was not enough. A good atmosphere should be translated into genuine willthis moment will have an end if theres no political will, Bourita said. Integral part 181107080748154 The disputed Western Sahara region is split by an earth wall with territory east of the structure falling under the control of the Algerian-backed Polisario Front. Spain relinquished control of the territory in 1975. Morocco and Mauritania then stepped in and claimed the territory as their own. Mauritania withdrew its claim to the territory and proceeded to recognise the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1984. Morocco, which controls roughly 90 percent of the territory including its three main towns, insists it is an integral part of the kingdom. A UN-backed 1991 ceasefire plan included a referendum to allow the Sahrawi population to determine their own fate but it never took place. Morocco has offered autonomy to Western Sahara, but Polisario which waged a low-intensity guerrilla war until a ceasefire in 1991 reject this and want a referendum with independence for Western Sahara as one of the options. Self-determination, in Moroccos view, is done by negotiation, Bourita said after the talks. A referendum is not on the agenda. Families torn apart Polisario negotiator Khatry Adouh said the most democratic solution was to let people choose options in a referendum. One of the most contentious issues delaying the vote is the eligibility of voters. The Moroccan government has convinced many of its citizens to relocate to the territory through generous subsidies and tax exemptions. As such, it isnt clear who would partake in any future referendum. 170131084926023 Between 100,000 and 200,000 refugees live in camps near the town of Tindouf in western Algeria, not far from the Moroccan and Western Sahara borders. Considered a non-self-governing territory by the UN, the SADR-run Western Sahara is recognised by 84 states. The territory is also recognised by the African Union, which Morocco rejoined in 2017 after a 33-year absence. For decades, families from the borderlands have been torn apart: there is a highway straddling the frontier but it is shut. So to cross over, people from Western Sahara have to travel hundreds of kilometres to reach an airport for a flight to Casablanca or Algiers and then travel again by road. In a statement, Polisario praised US and African Union support for the UN process. But it criticised the European Union for sustained, illegal and uncompromising efforts to secure trade deals with Morocco, which include the territory of Western Sahara in violation of the rulings of the European Court of Justice. The announcement comes as the UN-backed counterterrorism force, known as the G5 Sahel force, is meeting in Mauritania. The European Union and France have announced 1.3bn euros ($1.5bn) of development funding aimed at combatting armed groups in African Sahel countries, which are struggling with armed groups and lawlessness. The EU has pledged 800m euros to the effort, Neven Mimica, the blocs international cooperation and development commissioner, told a conference in Mauritania on Thursday. France for its part will invest 500m euros to benefit the priorities of the G5 Sahel, added French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. 171102071159524 The alliance, made up of Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Mauritania, has struggled to contain armed groups in the scarcely populated desert area. Traversing Central and West Africa, the Sahel region is a hotbed of lawlessness, insecurity and impoverishment, with many living a permanent state of neglect. Speaking at the opening session of the conference, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz called on the international community to act and invest in development projects. Terrorism, cross-border crime, drug smuggling and lack of security in the Sahel region are attributed to injustice, marginalisation, underdevelopment, absence of education and unemployment among young people, he said. Nigers President Mahamadou Issoufou meanwhile said Sahel countries had received only 18 million of a total 414 million euros previously pledged to support the deployment of G5 Sahel joint force launched last year to fight terrorism in the region. Critics of the initiative say while it is important to fight lawlessness in the region, the lack of economic opportunities for ordinary civilians undermines the groups security mandate. They also argue if Europe wants to curb the flow of migrants, it needs to invest in infrastructure that will serve vulnerable populations who have suffered from an increase in fighting and displacement. Official says more than 40 people also wounded in the attack that targeted a police headquarters in key port city. Four policemen were killed and 42 other people were wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on a police headquarters in Irans southeast on Thursday. The attack occurred in Irans southern port city of Chabahar, state television Press TV reported, quoting security and local officials. State media also reported shooting in the area, home to a Sunni Muslim minority in the largely Shia country, which has long been plagued by violence from both drug smugglers and separatists. Rahmdel Bameri, governor of Sistan-Baluchestan province, said a bomb-filled vehicle was used to target the police station by the suicide attacker. Police stopped the explosive-laden car and started firing at the driver who then set off the explosion near the police headquarters in Chabahar, said Bameri. Images posted online showed thick smoke rising from the sky in the area where the attack took place. # pic.twitter.com/DPopAQ5upN (@Entekhab_News) December 6, 2018 The SITE Intelligence Group reported that Sunni armed group Ansar al-Furqan claimed responsibility for the attack. Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused a foreign power of involvement without naming a specific country. Foreign-backed terrorists kill and wound innocents in Chabahar. As weve made clear in the past, such crimes wont go unpunished, Zarif said on Twitter. Tehran has accused its regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United States of funding armed groups, a charge Riyadh and Washington deny. Foreign-backed terrorists kill & wound innocents in Chabahar. As we've made clear in the past, such crimes wont go unpunished: In 2010, our security services intercepted & captured extremists en route from UAE. Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists & their masters to justice pic.twitter.com/Tij1I7zemx Javad Zarif (@JZarif) December 6, 2018 Suicide bombings are rare in Iran, but armed groups have carried out several attacks on Iranian security forces in the Sistan-Baluchestan province in recent years. Iran has stepped up security in border areas after gunmen in September opened fire on a military parade in Irans southwestern city of Ahvaz, killing 25 people, almost half members of Irans elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. The southeastern port city in Irans Sistan-Baluchestan province is located near the border with Pakistan. The city hosts the operation of a joint port project between Iran and India by the Gulf of Oman. Chabahar Port, which is being developed with funding from India, has been described as Indias golden gateway that will help boost trade links to land-locked Afghanistan and Central Asia, while bypassing its regional rival, Pakistan. The Indian foreign ministry condemned Thursdays despicable terrorist attack. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror, the ministry said. In December 2010, at least 41 people were killed and 90 others were wounded following a suicide attack near a mosque in Chabahar. Another coordinated assault by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group on June 7, 2017, targeted the parliament in Tehran and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 50. Second G5 Sahel donors Conference under way in Mauritania After Brussels, the second conference of G5 Sahel donors and partners is held this Thursday, December 6 in Mauritania. Four humanitarian workers deny accusations they belong to a criminal organisation and were involved in money laundering. Greek authorities have released from pre-trial detention four charity workers, who had been arrested in August for allegedly aiding refugee and migrant smuggling, their lawyer has said. Among the group released on Wednesday was Syrian refugee Sara Mardini, who gained international attention when she and her sister both competitive swimmers reached the Greek island of Lesbos in 2015, swimming for their lives after the inflatable boat they had left Turkey in started taking on water. The four face charges including belonging to a criminal organisation, money laundering, espionage and breaches of immigration laws. They deny any wrongdoing. Mardini started a new life in Germany but later returned to Lesbos, a key point of entry for refugees and migrants trying to reach Europe, to help others arriving there and worked with the Emergency Response Centre International charity. Her arrest on severe criminal charges prompted international concern. Mardinis sister Yusra, now a UNHCR goodwill ambassador, was a member of the refugee team at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics. The charity members lawyer, Haris Petsikas, said all four were released from prison pending their trial after paying bail. He said Mardini and Sean Binder of Germany are free to leave Greece but have no immediate plans to do so. The other two suspects, both Greeks, also paid bail but were forbidden to leave the country. Petsikas said the trial was not expected to start for at least six to eight months. Good sign Greek police claimed the four allegedly facilitated the illegal entry of refugees and migrants to Greece for profit, to raise donations or subsidies for the charity, had advance notification of smuggling boats routes and numbers of passengers and illegally monitored Greek and European coastguard radio traffic. Most refugees and migrants reaching Lesbos by sea make the journey in leaky boats after paying a high price to smuggling gangs. 181114144641204 Petsikas said the four being released from pre-trial detention was a good sign. The evidence that was provided (to authorities) negates the charges, he said. At the height of the influx, some 5,000 refugees and migrants, mostly from war-torn Syria, landed on the islands beaches on a daily basis. Refugees and migrants still continue to make the perilous journey to Europe. On Wednesday, a total of 51 refugees and migrants were rescued off the coast of Turkeys Aegean province of Izmir, coastguard sources told Anadolu news agency. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the motor of the boat broke down at sea. Rights group urges formal request to the UN to push for an international probe into Saudi journalists grisly murder. Turkey should submit a formal request to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to conduct an independent international probe into the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Human Rights Watch said. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has come under increasing scrutiny with many publicly accusing him of complicity in the assassination. An international investigation under the authority of the secretary-general will have the mandate, credibility and stature to press officials, witnesses and suspects in Saudi Arabia to cooperate with requests for facts and information about the murder that occurred in Istanbul on 2 October 2018, the rights group said in a statement on its website on Thursday. The investigation, the statement continued, would cut through attempts intended to protect Saudi officials and muddle the truth. Turkish officials have made public statements in support of such an inquiry, but have yet to formally request one. The Turkish government should make good on its call for an international investigation into Jamal Khashoggis death by formalising it with an official letter to the secretary-general, Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said. A UN investigation has the best chance of pushing Saudi Arabia to provide the needed facts and information about Mohammed bin Salmans precise role in this murder information that is available only from sources in Saudi Arabia, she added. Precedent The oil-rich kingdom has maintained that Prince Mohammed, or MBS as he is also known, had no prior knowledge of the murder. However, after a closed-door briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel earlier this week, top US senators have said there was zero chance MBS wasnt involved in Khashoggis killing. Guterres previously said he would conduct an international inquiry into Khashoggis murder if he received a formal request from the Turkish government. Three prominent experts from the UN Bernard Duhaime, David Kaye and Agnes Callamard have called for an independent and international investigation. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has also repeatedly called for an international probe into the murder. Human Rights Watch said there were precedents for conducting international investigations. In 2008, Pakistan asked former secretary-general Ban Ki-moon to probe the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. Earlier in 2018, Britain resorted to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to confirm the findings of British authorities that a Soviet-made nerve agent was used in the English city of Salisbury against a former Russian spy. Lancet study says Indias average life expectancy would be higher by 1.7 years if air quality was at healthy levels. Indias toxic air has claimed 1.24 million lives in 2017, or 12.5 percent of total deaths recorded in the year, says a study. The study, published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health on Thursday, said more than 51 percent of the people who died because of air pollution were younger than 70. Of the total, about 670,000 died from air pollution in the wider environment and 480,000 from household pollution related to the use of solid cooking fuels. The Indian capital, New Delhi, was most exposed to the tiny particulate matter, known as PM2.5, that can reach deep into the lungs and cause major health problems, the study said. 181203000731963 Some north Indian states closer to New Delhi were almost as bad. The study said the average life expectancy in India in 2017 would have been higher by 1.7 years if air quality was at healthy levels. This wasnt as gloomy as a recent report by the University of Chicago which said prolonged exposure to pollution reduces the life expectancy of an Indian by over four years. The new study said India has a higher proportion of global health loss due to air pollution at 26.2 percent of the worlds total when measured in deaths and disability than its 18.1 percent share of the worlds population. The findings suggest that the impact of air pollution on deaths and life expectancy in India might be lower than previously estimated but this impact is still quite substantial, the study said. The study, conducted by academics and scientists from various institutions in and outside India, was funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Indian government and the Indian Council of Medical Research. Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said India was home to the worlds 14 most polluted cities. A man walks in front of the Indian presidents official residence in New Delhi [Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters] Capital punishment The quality of air in New Delhi the worlds most polluted major city has swung between severe to hazardous levels multiple times in the past two months. On Tuesday, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Indias environment watchdog, slapped the Delhi government with a $3.5m fine for failing to enforce rules to reduce smog. The NGT penalised the capitals administration for its lack of oversight after it emerged that some polluting industries were still burning harmful waste in the open. 181105085836714 The tribunal was hearing a plea from Delhi residents complaining about factories flouting laws as the city tackles the crisis plaguing its 20 million residents every year. Each winter, Delhi chokes through haze so extreme that levels of airborne pollutants routinely eclipse safe limits by more than 30 times. Delhi, which has shut down power plants and banned heavy trucks from the city in a bid to curb smog, has accused other states of not playing their part. In particular, the capital has blamed governments in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana for crop fires that burn every year, sending smoke eastwards. Search and rescue operations under way after F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refueling aircraft collided near Hiroshima. A US Marine died and five others went missing after a refuelling plane and a fighter jet collided midair and crashed into the sea off Japans southwestern coast on Thursday, Japanese and American officials said. Japans defence ministry said on Thursday its maritime forces had so far found two of the seven Marines who were on board the aircraft an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet and a KC-130 Hercules at the time of the incident. Of the two found, one is in fair condition and the other has been declared deceased by competent medical personnel, the US Marine Corps said late Thursday. Earlier, officials said the incident occurred around 2am local time (17:00 GMT Wednesday) about 320km off the Japanese coast. Search and rescue continue Japanese state broadcaster NHK reported that six helicopters and three vessels from the self-defence forces are involved in the search and rescue operations. Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said Japan is working with the US to collect and share information about the crash. The incident is regrettable, but our focus at the moment is on search and rescue, Iwaya said at a news conference. Japan will respond appropriately once the details of the incident are uncovered. US Ambassador William Hagerty thanked Japans military for their search-and-rescue efforts and confirmed the incident occurred during a refuelling exercise. My heart goes out to the families and colleagues of Marines involved in this tragedy, Hagerty said at an event at Waseda University in Tokyo. Safety concerns The crash is the latest in recent series of accidents involving the US military deployed to and near Japan. Last month, a US Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japans southern prefecture of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued safely. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors. US military accidents are a sensitive topic in Japan, particularly for residents of Okinawa, which is home to the bulk of the US presence in the country. A series of emergency landings and parts falling from US military aircraft have highlighted safety concerns. More than 50,000 US troops are based in Japan under the bilateral security pact. The incident adds to a growing list of US military aviation accidents around the world in recent years, prompting hearings in Congress to address the rise. The Military Times reported earlier this year that aviation accidents jumped nearly 40 percent from fiscal years 2013 to 2017. At least 133 service members were killed in those incidents, it said. Congressional leaders have called the rash of accidents a crisis and blamed it on continuous combat operations, deferred modernisation, lack of training and ageing equipment. Myanmar moves to legalise casinos Some casinos already operate under special provisions but changes to law proposed to encourage more tourism and revenue. Despite calls from US President Donald Trump to keep oil flowing, major producers are expected to agree to cut output. The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is expected to agree to cut oil production at a meeting aimed at supporting oil prices. Representatives from some of the worlds top oil producers are due to meet on Thursday in Vienna, following a recent decline in the price of the commodity. Hours before the meeting, US President Donald Trump called on OPEC and its allies to keep oil production high, so that prices remained low for the foreseeable future. Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! said Trump, who has in the past repeatedly accused the cartel of keeping prices artificially high. Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 5, 2018 Production cuts But OPEC and its partners, who account for more than half of the worlds oil output, are planning to throttle production, which could lead to rising oil prices. Saudi Arabias oil minister on Thursday said the US should not try to dictate policy to group. We dont need permission from anyone to cut, Khalid Al-Falih told reporters ahead of the meeting, adding that the US is not in a position to tell us what to do. The oil ministers of Oman and Nigeria said on Wednesday that output would be cut. 181203112510476 By how much oil production will be reduced is unclear, but de facto leader of OPEC Saudi Arabia, the blocs largest oil producing country, reportedly wants to curb output by at least 1.3 million barrels per day, or 1.3 percent of global production. Saudi Arabia is hoping Russia, one of OPECs most important allies, cuts down its production by about 250,000 barrels per day, but Moscow wants to limit its cut to half that amount. OPEC delegates on Thursday said the group would make a planned cut in oil output conditional on the contribution from non-OPEC producer Russia. Five OPEC delegates told Reuters news agency the group was waiting for news from Russia, as Energy Minister Alexander Novak had flown back from Vienna on Wednesday for a possible meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Iran hopes to be exempted from the cuts to keep its economy afloat, as the country faces harsh economic sanctions imposed by the US. We must be excluded from any decision to cut production as long as illegal US sanctions are not lifted, Irans Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Wednesday evening as he arrived in Vienna. US and OPEC The US, not a member of OPEC but a significant oil producer itself, has repeatedly called for oil prices to stay low, with Trump using Twitter several times to make the point. Qatar quits OPEC as Saudis walk tightrope on oil prices In October, the oil price reached a four-year high of $86, but since then the price has dropped again to about $60 per barrel. One issue that might complicate relations between the US and OPEC is the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi by people linked to the government in Riyadh. So far, Trump has supported Saudi Arabias version of the story, which exonerates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MBS, of any involvement in the murder, despite US intelligence agencies allegedly telling Trump the prince was involved. However, analysts at ING told AFP news agency that the US administration could possibly use the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi as leverage. While we believe that President Trump will be reluctant to escalate the situation, the Saudis are likely to choose the wording of any statement with regards to cuts very carefully, ING told AFP. Qatar leaves OPEC The Vienna meeting also comes only days after Qatar announced it would be the first country from the Middle East to withdraw from OPEC, saying it wanted to focus more on gas production. Qatar, which will leave on January 1, played only a small role in the organisation, providing just under two percent of OPECs total output. The country wants to focus more on that natural resource, of which its currently already the worlds biggest exporter with about 30 percent of global production. In September, Qatar announced it would increase its production of natural gas by adding a fourth production line, to raise capacity from the North Field to 110 million tonnes a year. Qatar shares the worlds largest known natural gas field, the North Field, with Iran. With chances of G20 breakthrough always slim, experts say brief truce and restart of negotiations was next best thing. Beijing, China A sense of relief spread across China as President Xi Jinping and his United States counterpart, Donald Trump, agreed over the weekend to a 90-day halt to new tariffs as the worlds two leading economies engage in new negotiations aimed at reaching a broader deal. The smiles and friendly handshakes exchanged between the two leaders on the sidelines of a Group of 20 meeting in Argentina contrasted sharply with the testy exchanges and thinly-veiled animosity that had for months defined the US-China relations amid a bitter tit-for-tat trade dispute. The news of the ceasefire, which will see the US not raise tariffs on $200bn of Chinese goods from 10 to 25 percent on January 1, as previously threatened, as well as prevent a potential retaliation from Beijing, was welcomed by investors in China and beyond. We dodged the next bullet the markets were definitely happy, said Andrew Polk, an economist with Beijing-based consultancy Trivium, citing the yuans strong advances in the immediate aftermath of the truce the Chinese currencys two-day gain of 1.7 percent on Tuesday was its biggest for more than a decade. But immediate joy has since given way to cautious optimism as confusion over what was actually agreed between the two sides led to some gains being lost, added Polk. Renewed duty threats by Trump, who on Tuesday called himself a Tariff Man on Twitter, did not help either. Theres a sense thats there no time to pop the champagne its time to get to work, said Polk. Jacob Parker, vice president of China Operations at the US-China Business Council, agreed. While expressing the US business communitys satisfaction for the truce, he was quick to note that a long road lies ahead. This outcome delays further escalation and gets both sides back on track to find a sustainable long-term solution to the challenges in the relationship, Parker said. But others said the pause itself should not be underestimated. Zhu Feng, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, called the trade thaw an extremely positive development that offers a chance to avert a broader crisis between the two sides. The conflict isnt just about increasing tariffs, but also different ideas and positions taken by China and the US, Zhu said. As the relationship worsens, the result will be more than just a trade war, he added, pointing to the tighter controls on Chinese students heading to the US as an example of deepening hostility. In June, the US State Department curbed visa lengths for Chinese graduates studying aviation, robotics and advanced manufacturing to one year from five, citing national security concerns. Growing negative sentiments between China and the US is the most frightening factor in China-US relations, Zhu said. So the temporary truce is really important to alleviate increasing opposition between the two countries. Shi Yinhong, a professor in Beijings Renmin University, had a more somber outlook. Its not a big deal. If negotiation fails after 90 days, things will get worse, he said. Shi argued that reaching a broader agreement depends on the flexibility of the US side. If Trump is very harsh with his demands, then meeting those demands would mean tremendous changes to Chinas national affairs and industrial policies, Shi said. It will decrease the chance of the Chinese government accepting them. Many analysts see the tight, 90-day negotiating window as short when taking into account the US list of demands, which is believed to include requirements for China to act on issues such as forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers and alleged cyber theft. In a statement last month, the US Trade Representatives office said China was continuing unfair practices, alleging that Beijings IP and technology transfer policies are causing multibillion dollar worth of damages to US companies. It is unreasonable to assume that all challenges in the relationship can be resolved in 90 days, said Parker, adding that setting medium- and long-term targets, as well, is the best way to ensure sustainable engagement between the two sides. Chinese action Despite the persisting scepticism, the Chinese commerce ministry on Wednesday expressed its confidence that an agreement can be reached within the next 90 days. China will start with the implementation of the specific matters in which consensus has been reached, the sooner the better, it said in a statement, without providing more details. 181130130736067 Already, just days after the temporary ceasefire, China has announced a number of significant steps, including a slew of penalties for intellectual property theft that could restrict companies access to borrowing and state-funding. According to Chinas National Development and Reform Commission, the 38 different punishments will be applied to IP violations starting this month. On the trade front, the White House says China has agreed to purchase more agricultural, energy, industrial and other products from the US. Trump also tweeted that China had agreed to reduce and remove tariffs on cars coming into China from the US currently the duties stand at 40 percent. Details on this, however, have been scarce, and Beijing has not confirmed the move. Negative sentiment Whether or not the US and China can transform vague commitments into concrete outcomes over the next 90 days, however, remains unclear. But what is certain, Shi said, is that stakes are high. If an agreement isnt reached, there will be significant losses for China and damage done to both the US and Chinese economy, he says. So far, China has managed to avoid any major economic fallout from the trade war. Ironically, weve so far seen the opposite, said Polk, noting how companies have rushed to pump up orders to beat tariff deadlines. Of course, if we see the 25 percent in tariffs implemented this will turn on its head. Most Chinese exporters say, 10 percent is no big deal, we can eat that. But 25 percent, were going to have a problem with. So far there hasnt been much of a macro impact on China, but we could see one if the tariff hike happens, Polk added. Ultimately, Chinas government doesnt only have businesses to answer to. Trade tensions with the US are taking place against a backdrop of slowing economic growth and lower state revenue. The trade has increased the pressure on Chinas economy, Shi said. And there are psychological impacts, he said, referring to an increasingly worried Chinese population. Its a view echoed by Polk. Already, theres this feeling of domestic uncertainty, policies not working, a hurting private sector and then you throw the trade war on top. Its absolutely more of a very negative sentiment out there. Subodh Kumar Singh was killed when far-right Hindu groups clashed with police in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The killing of a police officer by so-called cow vigilantes, belonging to far-right Hindu groups, has triggered outrage in India. Local media reported on Wednesday that Yogesh Raj, the main suspect behind the violence, is absconding and remains to be arrested. Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was killed on Monday when villagers, many of them members of far-right Hindu groups, clashed with police in Uttar Pradesh states Bulandshahr district, about 100km from the Indian capital, New Delhi. The villagers were protesting the alleged inability of police in Chingrawathi village to stop cow slaughtering, claiming that animal carcasses including of cows were found in the area. A police outpost was torched, while a young man, who was allegedly part of the mob, also died in the rioting. The police officers killing following a cow-slaughter protest was the first-of-its-kind in India, where Muslims and low-caste Dalits have been frequently attacked over the issue in the past. Accused releases video Four men have been arrested so far in connection with the killing of Singh, while more than two dozen people are facing charges, including of rioting and destroying property. Seven Muslims, including two minors aged 11 and 12, were also charged by the police for cow slaughter. A video purportedly showing the moments leading to the killing of the police officer appeared on Wednesday. While police said they were still looking for Raj, from the Hindu right-wing group Bajrang Dal, reports on Wednesday said he had issued a video, claiming innocence and making contradictory statements over the incident. Raj claimed he was not present at Chingrawathi, where the violent protests broke out over the alleged cow slaughter in the nearby Mahaw village of Bulandshahr district. Raj, instead, claimed he was at a police station in Syana, a hamlet near Bulandshahr, where he said he had gone to register a report about the incident. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh police hinted at a conspiracy behind the violence since it occurred as tens of thousands of Muslims gathered for a religious event in Bulandshahr. UP DGP O P Singh: The incident in #Bulandshahr is a big conspiracy. This is not only a law and order issue, how did the cattle carcass reach there? Who brought it, why & under what circumstances? pic.twitter.com/Zs2YQZw4br ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 5, 2018 No word on police officers killing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a hardline Hindu monk known for his anti-Muslim remarks, called a meeting in state capital Lucknow on Tuesday. At the time of the incident, Adityanath was touring the neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh to campaign for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of local assembly elections. An investigation into allegations of cow slaughter was ordered by Adityanath, but local reports said he did not address Singhs killing in the Lucknow meeting. Extraordinary: statement after UP Chief Minister meeting on #Bulandshahr doesnt mention the murdered police inspector even once. Focus almost solely on cow slaughter. pic.twitter.com/olFIgRQVXg Sreenivasan Jain (@SreenivasanJain) December 5, 2018 The UP Chief Minister directed officials for a thorough probe in the incident. Instructions were also issued to take stringent action against people involved in cow slaughter, a senior government official told reporters after the meeting. Adityanath is expected to visit Singhs family on Thursday, Indian news agency ANI reported. A special investigation team has been formed by the Uttar Pradesh government to investigate the cause of the violence. 180722143018303 Meanwhile, the slain officers family has also alleged a police conspiracy and demanded justice for his killing. Singh was part of the team that initially investigated the infamous 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq, a 52-year-old resident of Bisara village, over allegations of cow slaughter in a district neighbouring Bulandshahr. #BulandshahrViolence: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to meet family of Police inspector Subodh Singh in Lucknow tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/yNGCjlWWOr ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 5, 2018 Cow vigilantism Indias Hindu majority regards cows as holy and their slaughter is banned in most Indian states. Hindu vigilantes often roam the roads in northern India to protect cows, frequently resulting in assaults against Indias Muslim population some 14 percent of the countrys 1.3 billion people. 181120160323155 In recent years, there have been a string of deadly attacks on Muslims and low-caste Dalits over cattle slaughter and beef consumption. According to data analytics site India Spend, almost 80 cases of cow-related violence were reported in India between 2012 and 2017. At least 39 people have been killed in such violence since 2014 when the Hindu nationalist BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power. As India heads to crucial elections in the coming months, including the national elections due early next year, many fear such polarising issues will continue to be raised by the Hindu far-right to mobilise voters. Pontiff to become first Catholic Church leader to visit the Gulf region following Emirati crown princes invitation. Pope Francis will make an historic visit to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates in February to attend an interfaith meeting, the Vatican announced on Thursday. The trip, the latest by the pope to a Muslim nation, will take place from February 3 to 5. The Vatican said the pope had accepted an invitation from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi, and the Catholic community there. This visit, like the one to Egypt, shows the fundamental importance the Holy Father gives to inter-religious dialogue, spokesman Greg Burke said. Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter, he added. In the past, Pope Francis visited Arabic-speaking countries such as Lebanon and Egypt. But the visit will be a first in the Gulf region for a leader of the church. The theme of the trip is peace, with a logo featuring a dove carrying an olive branch, suggesting Francis will be making a strong appeal for Christian-Muslim dialogue and peace in the region. World tour The 81-year-old Francis will make the trip just a week after returning home from Panama, where he is due to visit from January 22-27 to participate in the Catholic Churchs World Youth Day rally. In March, Francis will travel to Morocco, while a 2019 trip to Japan is also under consideration. As early as 2016, there had been talk of Pope Francis visit to the UAE following an invitation by its then-Minister for Tolerance Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi in June of that year. The Emirati crown prince also held talks with the popes top diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in September 2016. According to UAE government figures in 2016, there are about 900,000 Christians of various denominations who live in the Gulf country. Many migrant workers from the Philippines and India also identify as Catholics. There are at least 10 Catholic churches spread across the UAEs seven emirates. Hundreds of thousands of Catholics also live in the neighbouring Gulf states of Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, however, prohibits the establishment of a church there. According to the National Catholic Register news website, Christianity has been present in the southern Arabian Gulf since the 6th century. In October, the Vatican also hinted the pope plans to visit North Korea in the coming months. A Rwandan court acquitted Diane Rwigara, a critic of veteran President Paul Kagame, on charges that included inciting insurrection and the forgery of documents. Rwigara, 37, was arrested in September 2017 after her attempt to run in Rwandas presidential election was denied on grounds she allegedly forged the signatures of supporters for her bid. She was also charged with inciting insurrection for comments criticising the government and Kagame in the run-up to the election. She faced 22 years in prison if convicted. 181005174901472 A panel of three judges ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove that Rwigara had personally forged signatures. The court also said Rwigaras criticism of the government in the press was an exercise of her freedom of expression, guaranteed by both the constitution and international law. All charges have been dropped. The court finds that the prosecutions charges were baseless, said presiding judge Xavier Ndahayo. Rwigaras case has drawn global attention as Kagame again faces pressure to give more space to critics in the tightly controlled East African country. This is a testament that all these charges against me and my mother and family members are made up. I am extremely happy and I now have the energy and the zeal to continue my passion of fighting for freedom of expression and human rights in Rwanda, Rwigara told AFP news agency. Freedom of speech Charges were also dropped against Rwigaras mother Adeline, 59, and four others with whom she had exchanged WhatsApp messages accusing the government of killing her husband, Assinapol Rwigara, who died in a car accident in 2015. The family has long said it was an assassination. Assinapol was an influential industrialist who played an important role in financing the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) in the 1990s before later falling out with its leaders. 170804232057882 The court ruled Adeline was merely exercising her right to freedom of speech in a private manner. Diane Rwigara, an outspoken young politician, was an unusual voice of criticism in tightly run Rwanda before the August 2017 election, and had been the victim of a smear campaign when nude pictures, purportedly of her, were shared online. Family targeted Since her arrest, Rwigaras brothers and sister have been interrogated, family assets were forcibly auctioned off to pay off a multimillion-dollar tax claim and a hotel they owned was demolished for allegedly failing to abide by city guidelines. Meanwhile, she and her mother spent more than a year in prison before their release on bail in October. 181005174901472 Kagame has been Rwandas de facto leader since 1994 when his rebel forces invaded and stopped the genocide that killed at least 800,000 mostly ethnic Tutsis and seized power. He became president in 2000, a post he might hold until 2034 thanks to a constitutional amendment made three years ago. Rwanda regularly comes under fire from human rights groups for curbs on freedom of expression, extrajudicial killings, and lack of political freedom. Bipartisan group of senators introduces measure saying Saudi crown prince is complicit in the killing of journalist. Six top US senators from across party lines have introduced a scathing resolution to hold the Saudi crown prince accountable for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi more than two months ago. The proposal, which was introduced on Wednesday, says the Senate has a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder. If approved by the Senate, it would officially condemn Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS, for the killing of Khashoggi in the kingdoms consulate in the Turkish city of Istanbul in October. This resolution without equivocation definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardising our national security interests on multiple fronts, Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator and close ally of President Donald Trump, said in a statement. The move by the US senators came as Istanbuls chief prosecutor filed warrants for the arrest of a top aide to MBS and the deputy head of the kingdoms foreign intelligence on suspicion of planning the killing of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist and a critic of the crown prince. Saudi Arabia has said the crown prince had no prior knowledge of the murder. After offering numerous contradictory explanations, Riyadh later admitted that Khashoggi had been killed inside the consulate and his body dismembered after negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. Yemen war, GCC rift The strongly-worded resolution also holds MBS accountable for alleged atrocities committed during the war in Yemen, which Saudi Arabia entered in 2015 through a massive bombing campaign. 181129172925565 Since then, the US-backed Saudi-UAE alliance has launched more than 18,000 air raids, part of a war which has killed tens of thousands of civilians. The senators urged the kingdom to negotiate directly with representatives of the Houthi rebels to end the war in Yemen. The resolution also called on Saudi Arabia to end a blockade imposed by itself and three other Arab states on Qatar in June last year and seek a political solution in the worst diplomatic rift to have struck the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The bipartisan group of senators also wants the release of blogger Raif Badawi, womens rights activists and other political prisoners held in Saudi Arabia. Destabilising actions Their move came a day after some senators said there is zero chance MBS was not involved in Khashoggis murder following a closed-door briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel. Tuesdays briefing came a week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence James Mattis had told senators that there was no hard evidence MBS was behind the killing and urged senators not to downgrade ties with Saudi Arabia over the incident. The CIA has reportedly assessed, however, that Prince Mohammed ordered the killing of Khashoggi. Trump has repeatedly avoided any assertion that Prince Mohammed was involved in the October 2 killing and said the CIA had feelings the royal was culpable but not a firm conviction. Commenting on the senators resolution, Nabeel Khoury, a former US diplomat and deputy chief of mission in Yemen, said the Senate is starting to see MBS as a destabilising influence. Trump has lost the debate with Congress on what should be done about the Khashoggi murder and while he was out with Mattis and Pompeo arguing about the value of Saudi Arabia, what Congress is telling him is, No one is contesting that, what were contesting is the direction the Saudi policy has taken under MBS, he told Al Jazeera from Washington, DC. They have now linked all the destabilising actions that MBS has taken, starting with Yemen, passing by the Khashoggi murder onto Qatar and even Lebanon. The administration will have to act behind the scenes maybe to pressure Saudi Arabia into some kind of acceptable corrective force or this is going to get worse in the end, Congress, especially the House, controls the purse strings and can eventually force the administrations hands. Britons in Thurrock, which voted to leave the EU, on how they view the negotiations to exit the bloc. Essex, United Kingdom Few places in Britain were as certain as the borough of Thurrock when asked to weigh up the United Kingdoms membership of the European Union in a June 2016 referendum. More than 72 percent of voters in the area, which forms part of the southeastern county of Essex, opted to quit the bloc. Only three other areas registered a higher leave vote. Since the ballot, in which 52 percent of people nationwide voted to leave, British Prime Minister Theresa Mays efforts to manage the departure have been met with intense scrutiny. On Tuesday, parliament is expected to reject the withdrawal agreement she drew up alongside European leaders following months of negotiations. Criticism of the deal across the political spectrum has been sharp. Some argue it would see the UK too tied in with Europe and at the mercy of Brussels decision making. Others say it would mean the UK renounces benefits it currently enjoys as a member of the political and economic bloc, leaving the country isolated and weaker. Ahead of the parliamentary vote, Al Jazeera asked voters in Thurrock for their views on Brexit, and to see if the areas apparent certainty on quitting the EU had been muddied by more than two years of political chaos. Paul Outram, 43, communications technician Another referendum would be a kick in the teeth for the people who voted to leave [David Child/Al Jazeera] I voted to leave because Im fed up with being dictated to by Europe on our laws and them telling us what we can do in our own parliament. I want to take back the power. I dont think we have had the right people leading the discussions and negotiations over Brexit, though. Theresa May should have gone for a harder Brexit, because where we are heading for at the moment is basically a no-mans land, where we wouldnt actually be out-out and still too much controlled by Europe. I dont think we should go with her deal, its too soft and not what we wanted. 181201182945771 Shes not going to get the support of parliament for it but I just hope it doesnt end up in another referendum. That would be a kick in the teeth for the people who voted to leave. We still need a relationship with Europe, yes, but its a two-way thing. People think that we need Europe more than they need us but I think its 50-50, especially with security. For national security and world security, we still need to work with each other. We have always been a great nation and have always survived over hundreds of years, we only joined the EU about 40 years ago so I dont see why our history should be dictated by the last four decades alone when before that we always did all right. Naomi Campbell, 34, social worker I voted to stay in the EU because we know what it is about and what we have already got. For me, there wasnt enough certainty around leaving and what that would mean. There were a lot of questions about leaving that werent answered. From what I understand, this Brexit deal means we arent really coming out of the EU, but I try not to listen to the arguments and after a while when you hear Brexit you just switch off. A Brexit deal with the EU is never going to be perfect, if they let us go with a perfect deal then others will want to leave too, but if the withdrawal agreement is going to benefit us in some way then its fair enough to come out. If its going to leave us in a worse position, though, we might as well stay in. Better the devil you know, right? It would be beneficial to have a second referendum though because when it comes to the government they like to argue amongst themselves and its about their personal agenda and gains sometimes. Besides, now people do actually know what Brexit is about a bit more, we can actually decide whether to go ahead with it or not. I think it would be a slightly different result if it happened. Pritish Patel, 40, newsagent We have problems and issues with immigrants from the EU, thats why I voted to leave [David Child/Al Jazeera] I voted leave to try and get something better for the UK, but now everything has changed. The government hasnt done a bad job, but the problem is they havent thought enough about how Brexit can fix our immigration problems. We have problems and issues with immigrants from the EU, thats why I voted to leave. The government is focusing on everything [in the withdrawal plan], but I want them to focus on immigration laws and crime laws. Parliament has a totally different view of the points to me, though. Moni Sola, 40, healthcare assistant I dont really understand Brexit, I dont see any way its going to favour me, but I do feel that European people are coming into the UK and costing the country lots of money. I feel the politicians deciding on this issue have seen more than we have seen, but they cant really explain it properly because they are worried about being accused of racism. They have their heads on though, they know what theyre doing and should go on with this deal. Jolene Cander, 40, charity shop volunteer If we did have a second referendum a lot more people would vote to remain [David Child/Al Jazeera] I voted to stay in the EU, I thought it would be better than leaving because of all the trade deals we share. I think things will increase in price if we leave and Im concerned about whether we will be able to travel freely throughout Europe still. A lot of the people that voted to leave thought that it would get rid of immigrants and a lot more racism has come out since the referendum because of certain politicians warning that X will happen or Y will happen. But it cant just happen like that, to say right we are leaving, out you go, they have come here for a reason and thats because they cant live in their own country for the most part. The majority will take jobs that English people dont want to do because they are lower-wage jobs, and if they all got thrown out of the country there would be a lot of English people asking why nobody is doing those jobs any more. 181202110224674 This hasnt been fair on Theresa May, it wasnt her that brought this in but shes been left to deal with it and is now getting all the flak for it. Its unlikely that there will be a second vote because once the decision is made, its made, but I think if we did a lot more people would vote to remain. Having a deal signed off on will at least mean this is decided, I dont think it will be better [than remaining] and it will affect a lot of people poorly but I guess we just have to wait and see. Rafael Akinde, 63, security guard I voted out in the referendum. The law of this country is being overridden by EU law and I also dont like the dilution of our identity. I dont want our British nationality to be diluted. I have not been able to go through the deal yet, I will, but I know we can do without Europe. We dont need a second referendum, that would be an insult to our democracy. We should stick by the first result. Without Europe we will survive, Canada survives, New Zealand survives, America survives. These are very strong countries. People who say leaving Europe will be bad for us are telling lies. Even if businesses vacate temporarily, they will come back again. Linda Hort, 32, artist I was not registered to vote in the referendum as I am not a British citizen, despite living here. But in my opinion people who were voting were not necessarily aware of the weight of it and I dont think it was a good idea to ask the public this question, in this way. It was a misleading conversation at various points and the vote was used as a political tool without a full explanation of the economic and other influences it might have on peoples lives. I am understanding of both sides [leave and remain], it did bring up frustrations that are very important for the UK. There are things that people arent happy with and I am completely accepting of that, I feel compassion for everyone, but as a non-UK citizen, I am just living on hold now. The UN special envoy for Yemen urges government and Houthi representatives to work for the future of war-torn nation. Rimbo, Sweden The UNs special envoy has appealed to Yemens warring sides to act now for the future of the country, as representatives from the government and Houthi rebels gathered for UN-sponsored peace talks in Sweden. Yemens future is in the hands of those in this room, Martin Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen said on Thursday in opening remarks at talks aimed at ending more than three years of war. We must act now before we lose control of the future of Yemen, he said. Both parties have called for a de-escalation, which is an important backdrop to these talks. This is a show of serious intent. For only the second time since the conflict began, officials from President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis government and representatives from the Houthi rebel movement joined the talks aimed at discussing ways to end the fighting that has killed an estimated 56,000 people and left a staggering 22 million needing humanitarian assistance. The UN special envoy is seeking to introduce a set of confidence-building measures at the talks in Rimbo, a town around 50km north of the Swedish capital Stockholm, that will eventually pave the way for future negotiations. 181202101535422 I am also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on prisoners, those that have been forcibly detained, Griffiths said. It will allow thousands of families to be reunited. What will we do here and in the coming weeks is to work on the implementation of this. While the warring sides will not meet face-to-face, the confidence-building measures may include negotiating a ceasefire in the port city of Hodeidah, large-scale prisoner swaps, the reopening of Sanaa international airport and the payment of salaries to civil servants in Houthi-held areas. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom said the talks can be an important beginning. It is up to you, the warring parties, to engage in constructive talks with each other and Martin [Griffiths]. What is needed are concessions, compromises and courage, she said. Nonsense But Yemen Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani gave little indication that he was going to offer concessions to his rivals. He rejected a Houthi proposal to form a presidential council without President Hadi as nonsense. They should withdraw from the institutions of the state and hand them back to the legitimate government. Other than that, there will be no peace, he told Al Jazeera. They should respect the will of the international community and surrender their arms and ammunition and missiles. Other than that, there will be no settlement, no solution. Yemens warring sides have arrived for peace talks in Sweden. Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, is sat directly opposite Houthi spokesman, Mohammad Abdul Salam. Both sides have given each other glaring looks. Hopefully the talks will be better than the introductions @AJEnglish pic.twitter.com/ijLHWqkz0k Faisal | (@faisaledroos) December 6, 2018 Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) allowed 50 wounded Houthi rebels to be transferred to neighbouring Oman for medical treatment as part of the confidence-building measures. A Saudi-led coalition of which the UAE is a member has been carrying out a deadly military offensive against the Houthis since March 2015, months after the Iranian-aligned rebels toppled the internationally-backed government of President Hadi. On Tuesday, Yemens government said it agreed to a large-scale prisoner swap with the Houthis, with reports suggesting as many as 2,000 pro-government forces could be exchanged for 1,500 Houthis. We have signed a prisoner swap and we look forward to [implementing] it, the Yemeni foreign minister told Al Jazeera. Mohammad Abdul Salam, the head of the Houthi delegation, told Al Jazeera that the rebels were pleased with the announcement. We have been wanting this from the beginning, and this is a significant step going forward. Peace can only be reached if the Saudis, Emiratis and Iranians stop intervening in Yemen's affairs Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni activist and co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Heading in the right direction The Houthis have told Al Jazeera they are committed to the talks and are willing to hand over the strategic port of Hodeidah to the UN. Hodeidah is a lifeline for humanitarian supplies for the countrys war-wracked population. The rebels have also promised to end all drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in return for the alliance ending its air attacks. Peter Salisbury, a Yemen analyst and consultant at the International Crisis Group, said the talks appeared to be heading in the right direction. The best case scenario is a broad agreement on these confidence-building measures, this includes something positive on Hodeidah that will stave off the battle for the port and city, and an agreement to meet sometime later for future talks. 181130095711884 Following months of deadly battles in the strategic port city, the Saudi-UAE alliance, which backs the Yemeni government, and Iran, which supposedly supports the Houthis, have agreed that there can only be a political solution to the conflict. But early on Thursday, Al Masirah, the Houthis media wing, said warplanes killed at least three women in al-Duraymi city in Hodeidah province. While the process does appear to be moving in the right direction, the odds are in favour of a negative outcome, Salisbury said. If not within the talks, then within the next few weeks. Shortly before the talks were due to commence, the Yemeni government demanded that the rebels fully withdraw from Hodeidah, whereas the Houthis threatened to shut down Sanaa airport unless their demands were met. Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni activist and co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, said: Peace can only be reached if the Saudis, Emiratis and Iranians stop intervening in Yemens affairs. This intervention has harmed Yemen and increased the suffering of ordinary Yemenis, she said. Unless this negative intervention is reduced, Yemenis will not be able to reach a political agreement that preserves the countrys sovereignty. D isagree without bloodshed International pressure to end the war has mounted since the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of the Saudi crown prince, in October by Saudi nationals in the countrys consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Western powers have expressed their anger over the killing, with countries such as Germany and Norway suspending arms exports to Saudi Arabia and senators in the US questioning Washingtons strategic partnership with Riyadh. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced a strongly worded resolution holding Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable for alleged atrocities committed during the Yemen war. Abdul Malik al-Ajri, a member of the Houthi delegation, told Al Jazeera that the rebels were hoping the consultations would eventually lead to an inclusive political dialogue. We are hoping these negotiations will help end the war, al-Ajri said. On Tuesday, Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged the rival sides to embrace dialogue, saying the war had only brought destruction to Yemenis. You should agree and disagree without bloodshed and wars as the people of one home, Ahmed said in a statement. Plan your growth and progress, and keep up with the civilisation that you were once at the forefront of. The warring parties need to put aside their partisan and personal gains and seek good for Yemen and the Yemeni people Hamid Sharaf Ali, Sanaa resident Yemen cant wait Yemen has been torn apart by conflict since 2014, when Houthi rebels, allied with troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, captured large expanses of the country, including the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia led a coalition that launched a massive aerial campaign against the rebels in March 2015, aimed at restoring the Hadis government. Since then, the US has been helping the coalition, which now primarily consists of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with weaponry and logistical support. Until recently, Washington was also refuelling the alliances planes, which were responsible for the more than 18,000 raids carried out on the country. According to the Yemen Data Project, almost one-third of all of those bombing missions struck non-military sites. Residents in the Yemeni capital urged the warring sides to put aside their differences, saying the country had reached a precipice and Yemenis could no longer wait. Hamid Sharaf Ali, a school security guard, told Al Jazeera: The warring parties need to put aside their partisan and personal gains and seek good for Yemen and the Yemeni people. Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani asks Houthis to lay down their arms, something they have previously refused to do. Rimbo, Sweden Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani has sparked anger in his country after he demanded Houthi rebels, who control the capital and large swaths of territory, hand over power to his exiled government. Speaking at the United Nations-sponsored peace talks in the Swedish town of Rimbo, Yamani gave little indication he was going to offer concessions to his adversaries after the first day of peace talks were held in nearly two years. They [the Houthis] should withdraw from the institutions of the state and hand them back to the legitimate government, a defiant Yamani told Al Jazeera. They should respect the will of the international community and surrender their arms, ammunition and missiles. 181205183342348 Officials from President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis government and representatives from the Houthi movement are holding separate closed-door discussions with the UN until December 14 aimed at discussing ways to end the fighting that has killed an estimated 56,000 people. Its [UN Security Council Resolution] 2216 and nothing more, al-Yamani said. Other than that, there will be no settlement, no solution. What we're trying to do is provide a just resolution to this conflict based on resolutions, including UN resolution 2216, which is not out of date Martin Griffiths, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Spat it out The Houthis have previously refused to abide by UN Resolution 2216, which stipulates they withdraw from areas they seized in 2014 and hand over heavy weapons to the government. The rebels have claimed they have a popular mandate to govern Yemen and say Hadi, who was appointed in 2012 to rule the country for an interim period of two years, has lost his legitimacy. When asked by Al Jazeera about a Houthi proposal to replace the presidency with a presidential council, Yamani lashed out, calling the idea nonsense. Residents in the capital criticised Yamanis remarks saying it appeared the government was trying to sabotage negotiations before they could even begin. Mohammad al-Ghabsi, a journalist at the al-Thawra newspaper said: Al-Yamani represents the legitimacy [the Yemeni government] that the Saudi capital has taken in by mobilising armies and the worlds weapons to try and return it to the Yemeni people. But they [Yemenis] have spat it out and thrown it outside their borders, politically and geographically. 181202101535422 He, and others like him, who have similarly thrown themselves in the arms of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, have a prescribed role. He cant overstep the boundaries drawn for him, nor can he read from a different script than the one handed to him. Another resident said it was surprising that Yamani would make such remarks and not focus on his governments inability to return to Aden, where the foreign minister hails from. Hes unable to return to his hometown and knows this well, so how does he think can return to Yemen and take our cities, he said requesting anonymity. Hadi and much of his government have been based in Riyadh since 2015 when the Houthis, in cooperation with troops loyal to Hadis predecessor, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, captured Sanaa and large expanses of the country. Saudi Arabia, along with several other Sunni Arab countries, then intervened in the conflict, launching a massive aerial bombardment campaign aimed at restoring Hadis government. Perceiving the Houthis advance as an Iranian-orchestrated plot to destabilise the region, analysts expected the fighting to last only a few months. But after more than three years of fighting, the violence shows no signs of abating and has cost the coalition billions of dollars and left a staggering 22 million people needing humanitarian assistance. 2216 is not out of date The UNs special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is seeking to introduce a set of confidence-building measures at the talks that will eventually pave the way for future negotiations to end the war. While the opposing sides are not meeting face-to-face, Griffiths wants the parties to negotiate a ceasefire in Hodeidah city, make further agreements on planned prisoner swaps and reopen Sanaa international airport. Griffiths said while the talks were consultations and not yet beginning the process of negotiations, they could bring good news for Hodeidah and for the people of Yemen. 181130095711884 What were trying to do is provide a just resolution to this conflict based on resolutions, including UN resolution 2216, which is not out of date, Griffiths said. It is a part of my mandate. Resolution 2216 calls for an inclusive political solution and thats what were hoping to achieve. The Houthis have told Al Jazeera they are committed to the talks and are willing to hand over the strategic port of Hodeidah to the UN. Hodeidah is a lifeline for humanitarian supplies for the countrys war-wracked population. The other main route in and out of Houthi-held areas is the Sanaa airport, but access has been restricted by the Saudi-led coalition which controls Yemens airspace. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the rebels Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said in a Twitter post that if no deal was reached to reopen the airport, which has been shut since 2016 and suffered repeated air attacks, his movement could close it on the ground to all traffic, including UN flights. The rebels had previously promised to end all drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in return for the alliance ending its air attacks. International pressure to end the war has mounted since the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in October by Saudi nationals in the countrys consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Western powers have expressed their anger over the killing, with countries such as Germany and Norway suspending arms exports to Saudi Arabia and senators in the US questioning Washingtons strategic partnership with Riyadh. On Wednesday, a bipartisan group of Senators introduced a strongly worded resolution holding Prince Mohammed accountable for alleged atrocities committed during the Yemen war. Assange fled to Ecuadors embassy in London in 2012 to avoid extradition to US, but his asylum status was later revoked. After weeks of talking with Special Counsel Robert Mueller about Donald Trump's supposed collusion with Russia, Dr. Jerome Corsi instead filed his own criminal complaint through attorney and former federal prosecutor Larry Klayman on December 3, 2018. We should remember that Klayman already got the prosecution of Cliven Bundy's family and associates thrown out for similar prosecutorial misconduct, working in support of the Bundys' excellent Nevada lawyers as legal strategist. Misconduct by the once-great Department of Justice is all too common. The unethical prosecution of former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens stole a U.S. Senate election from the Republicans in 2008. That earned a tongue-lashing from Judge Emmet G. Sullivan in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on April 7, 2009. But left-wing embeds within the DoJ took the wrong lessons from the Stevens fiasco. They took it as a dry run, practice for stealing the presidential election in 2016. What is the DoJ claiming now? That Jerry Corsi and Roger Stone must have been the conduit for a Russian conspiracy because they "knew" -- after it was widely reported in the news media -- that Wikileaks would release stolen documents that Wikileaks told the entire world way in advance it was going to release. After reading the New York Times and England's Guardian, Corsi and Stone acquired "foreknowledge" of Wikileaks' plans to release even more documents. Perhaps Mueller's "thirteen angry Democrats" -- the true conspiracy theorists -- don't believe anybody reads the Times anymore. So that would be suspicious. Anyone who read the Guardian knew that Wikileaks founder Julian Assange publicly announced that "his organisation is preparing to publish more emails Hillary Clinton sent and received while US secretary of state." In March, 2016, as the Guardian noted, Wikileaks released 50,547 pages of documents from Hillary Clinton's insecure email server. As Secretary of State, Clinton effectively left a Lamborghini with the keys in the car and every spy agency on Earth most certainly helped themselves to all of Hillary's data. On July 22, 2016, Wikileaks released some of the emails from the Democratic National Committee that were stolen from someone physically inside the DNC offices. Assange also publicly announced that he would be releasing DNC emails in batches and timed the first group on July 22, 2016, to harm the Democratic National Convention. Assange hates Hillary Clinton because of Cinton's and President Barack Obama's destructive invasion of Libya in 2011 and Hillary's calls for Assange to be prosecuted. Assange apparently has a thin skin about being arrested. In other words, Assange did not need to be persuaded, bribed, cajoled, or talked into hurting Clinton's presidential campaign. Assange came up with that idea all on his own. Now fast forward to August, 2016. Stone and Corsi reveal in their emails that they have "foreknowledge" in August 2016 of what the entire world already knew in June and July 2016. Basically, Mueller's team is arguing the equivalent of washing my car caused it to rain. Coincidence is not causation. If we went through the emails of journalists we would find similar suggestions from editors or friends. Chasing the story at risk of pulling away from them, hundreds scrambled not to be left in the dust. So "Get to Assange," Roger Stone emailed to his friend. But why "Get to Assange" dated July 25, 2016? If there were a conspiracy for the Russians to physically copy DNC emails on site on July 5, 2016, wouldn't conspirators already be talking before July 5, 2016? Wouldn't they all have each other's burner phone numbers on speed dial many months earlier? Indeed, Zero Hedge discovered that Michael Cohen had no contact information for Russia's government and had to use a general email to try to connect with someone. Corsi's prediction was that Wikileaks' future data dumps would reveal John Podesta's emails Emails stolen from the DNC would have to include emails to and from Podesta as a senior leader of the DNC's most important campaign in 2015 to 2016. Mueller's conspiracy theorists argue that Stone and Corsi had foreknowledge that Assange would "hack" DNC emails. They intentionally confuse when Wikileaks obtained documents and when it released them. On July 5, 2016, a DNC employee or a burglar physically connected an external hard drive to the DNC's computers on site. The data dumps from Wikileaks show that the DNC emails were copied at extraordinarily high speed. "On the evening of July 5, 2016, 1,976 megabytes of data were downloaded from the DNCs server. The operation took 87 seconds. This yields a transfer rate of 22.7 megabytes per second. These statistics are matters of record and essential to disproving the hack theory. No Internet service provider, such as a hacker would have had to use in mid-2016, was capable of downloading data at this speed." And remember: those would be the DNC servers that the DNC refused to allow the Federal Bureau of Investigation to examine. Mueller knows he is investigating a $12 million fairy tale told to Christopher Steele by Russian intelligence agents. Steele's "dossier" was paid for by the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton through Perkins Coie. Steele went to Moscow with $12 million to spend. Clearly, Russia's intelligence services eagerly supplied disinformation. The "dossier" was written, in effect, by Vladimir Putin and his KGB thugs. Russia of course favors chaos and the weakening of the United States, and never favored one candidate over the other. As a result, we are now seeing that Mueller's investigation is the true conspiracy theory. Jonathon Moseley is a Virginia attorney, conservative columnist, former and former co-host on the Conservative Commandos Radio Show. Contact@JonMoseley.com The Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is set to sign the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration at an intergovernmental meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, on December 10, 2018. Few Canadians are aware of what this UN Global Compact represents; even fewer have been consulted, and without any mandate except for a parliamentary majority, Justin Trudeau is committed in signing Canada into an agreement with far-reaching conseque nces -- not only for Canadians. Canada agreeing to abide by the agreement will also have consequences for Americans, as among migrants entering Canada might well be those intending to sneak into the United States across the worlds longest open border. The UN Global Compact spells out, in 34 pages of fine print, requirements for member-states to adopt as policy accommodating unfettered mass migration from the global South to the North. Human migration is as old as human history. But in modern times, especially in the period following the end of the Second World War, resulting in massive dislocation of the European population, settlement of migrants was arranged and conducted by national governments with support of their citizens. The Global Compact, instead, is a UN top-down arrangement to deal with the migration problem turned into the most disruptive global crisis in recent years. This time, the crisis is the result of the massive failure of UN-engineered policies of socio-economic development of post-colonial societies in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. What we have witnessed since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the end of the Cold War in 1992, is a spike in wars, genocide, failed states, and terrorism. These have cumulatively resulted in mass migration as an escape from the collective failure of people in those countries to build and administer an orderly society, despite trillions of aid dollars provided by countries of the North, directly or through the UN agencies. And despite this record of the failure of UN-driven development policies, the UN remains insistent on demanding more of the same in its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Global Compact is a critical part of this agenda, based on the notion that Migration contributes to positive development outcomes. There is little or no evidence of migration from the global South providing for positive development in the developing countries of that global South. Instead, the Global Compact turns migration into a human rights issue and confers rights on migrants that are the same as those of the citizens of the host countries, rights those governments are obliged to respect, protect and fulfil. Any relationship at a minimum has two parties involved. The Global Compact claims for itself a 360-degree vision of international migrationto optimize benefits of migration. But it focuses entirely on the needs and rights of one party, the migrants, without taking into account the rights of the people of host countries, given the mounting evidence of how costly, unsettling and disruptive the invasion of migrants from the global South to the North has been. The so-called Arab Spring of 2011, heralding demands for democracy and overthrow of repressive authoritarian governments, very rapidly turned into Arab nightmare. Civil wars in Libya and Syria, with poorly planned interventions by the UN, became uncontainable and spread anarchy. As central authorities collapsed, internal movements of people turned into a mass migration from the Middle East and North Africa, and joined by people from Central Asia and sub-Saharan Africa as economic migrants, headed for Europe. German Chancellor Angela Merkels invitation in 2015 to Syrian migrants was a detonator of what has now become the migration crisis from the global South to Europe and North America. The current wave of migrants from the Middle East and North Africa might only be the harbinger of an approaching tide gathering force to head north in the near future. It is expected that the African population will double to 2.5 billion by 2050. Africa will remain the poorest continent, and this doubling of population will make it the most crowded continent with a military age cohort of young men ready to march. The trajectory of African migration can only be in one direction: due north. The answer to this ballooning migration crisis came from Angela Merkel in Berlin in the week when the world marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One. In speaking to an audience of German parliamentarians and foreign guests, Merkel said, In this day nation-states must today should today, I say be ready to give up sovereignty. And to whom, we may ask? Since nation-states are obsolete in Merkels view, they should fold up and make way for a world without borders administered by multinational organizations under the authority of the UN. But, ironically, Merkels advice is primarily directed to the long-standing old and stable nation-states of Europe and North America, and not to the newly established post-colonial states of the global South, such as China, India or South Africa. The Global Compact that Justin Trudeau has already committed to sign is one among the many agreements the UN has been pushing in the making of a borderless world, including also the Paris Agreement for climate change and R2P or Responsibility to Protect. The UN needs advanced democracies of the North to become signatories and help finance UN-prepared agreements and treaties as international laws, regardless of the customs and legal traditions of these long existing independent sovereign nation-states. There are, however, a number of developed countries Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Poland, Slovakia, the United States that have indicated they will not sign the Global Compact in Morocco. The Global Compact is also Shariah-compliant, since the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the largest bloc of member-states in the UN. And OIC partnership with the EU in the UN makes for a formidable Red-Green alliance in European and North American politics of the traditional Left joining hands with the Shariah-promoting Islamic organizations, such as the Muslim Brotherhood. In accordance with the OIC demand at the UN, the European Human Rights Court has ruled any criticism or insult of Islam and its prophet is not protected free speech, and it might be penalized under hate speech provisions of criminal codes. Similarly, Justin Trudeaus Liberal parliamentary majority in 2017 adopted motion M-103, which condemns any critical discussion of Islam and Muslims as Islamophobia, and under the hate speech provision of the human rights commissions in Canada might be subject to prosecution. Moreover, the Global Compact requires, in terms of UN-speak a controlled media that abides by the UN norms and censors any critical discussion of UN policies relating to migrants as not ethical. The recently announced hand-out of $600 million to the Canadian media over 5 years by Justin Trudeau is in keeping with with the Global Compacts requirement for a docile media trained in UN-speak to enable the making of a UN-envisioned borderless global order. Justin Trudeaus readiness to sign the Global Compact comes as no surprise, since in his publicly stated view, Canada is a post-nationalist state with no core identity. Hence, in Trudeaus version of Canada, there is no tradition to revere, no sacred values to defend, and no identity or history worth preserving. Justin Trudeau is the poster face of the UN-envisioned borderless world. And into this UN-designed global order for the 21st century Trudeau-led Canada without borders is headed. Graphoc credit: United Nations Salim Mansur teaches at Western University, London, Canada and is the author of The Quran Problem and Islamism (2017). Following weeks of rioting, President Macron backed down on his costly carbon taxes. As in other European countries, the French decided that heavy taxation of fossil fuels, putatively designed to slow global warming, just wasn't worth it. Who cares about an uncertain and distant rise in temperatures when one can't afford to heat one's house this winter, or drive one's car or transport food to market? The French response to carbon taxes was unequivocal, but the left's still not listening, not in France or in the U.S. Some in the Pelosi Congress will almost certainly call for measures similar to California's recently passed bill requiring 100% of electricity to be derived from green fuels by 2045. That's just a carbon tax in disguise, more onerous, actually, than the French measure. Just last month a federal judge temporarily blocked construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, citing the President's failure to take climate change into account. That judge, Brian Morris, was appointed by President Obama in 2013. His ruling would make it more difficult to transport Canadian oil to market. Forcing Canada to ship oil by rail and truck would also increase emissions, but the left doesn't care about that, either. What it cares about is environmental symbolism and the votes and power that come with it. Judge Morris's ruling is based on a familiar argument: fossil fuels release CO2 and thus drive climate change. Therefore, any project that aids fossil fuel production must be stopped. There are two major problems with this argument. First, there is no conclusive evidence that carbon emissions markedly affect global temperatures. Second, most other human activities release carbon into the atmosphere, some to a greater extent than fossil fuels. In order to reduce carbon emissions to near zero, as many environmental groups urge, all human economic development would have to be halted. Judge Morris did not go that far, but zero development seems to be the implication of his ruling. Otherwise, why single out oil and gas? Starting in January, with Pelosi in charge of Congress, we're going to hear a lot more from Obama holdovers and their allies in Congress. And we're going to hear a lot more of the argument that all economic development drives climate change. Leftists want America to be small, passive, and weak, and they see fossil fuel production as the heart of the problem. Without cheap and efficient energy, America's economy cannot thrive, and America's military cannot be supported. The left doesn't want America to thrive, and it doesn't want America to be strong. From their point of view, America is the Great Satan with blood on its hands, and the oil and gas industry is an instrument of evil. The argument that fossil fuels drive climate change is merely a ruse. The real object of the left's attack is American power. As part of the strategy, public opinion must be turned against fossil fuels so as to support government action that hampers growth. With their heartrending images of polar bears supposedly floating out to sea and caribou "endangered" by nearby drilling in ANWR, environmentalists engage in shameless forms of emotional extortion. That sort of extortion may be near the end of its effectiveness, as events in Paris demonstrate. Radical environmentalists have been predicting Armageddon for half a century, and it hasn't happened. U.S. hurricane deaths have declined remarkably from pre-1970 levels, rising ocean levels are manageable (3.4 millimeters per year in 2016), crops have not failed (global grain production reached an all-time high in 2017), and human populations have not declined. Just the opposite: conditions have gotten better in every respect. Global GDP has risen from around one trillion dollars in 1960 to nearly $80 trillion today; living conditions have improved in all but a few dysfunctional or war-torn states; life expectancies are rising (72 years in 2016 versus 48 in 1950). Thoughtful individuals realize that Al Gore's catastrophe simply hasn't come about, and there is no sign of it happening anytime soon. Meanwhile, liberals like Macron think they can impose unlimited taxes in the name of climate change. In reality, the environment seems to be doing just fine. Polar bear populations in the arctic are rising and stand at the highest in 50 years, while Alaskan caribou numbers, after falling for a decade, are now rising again, and dramatically this despite or possibly because of oil and gas drilling and increased human population in their range. Facts like these don't seem to matter to ideologues on the left. The internet is flooded with speculation that polar bears will become extinct by 2050. At least one herd of arctic caribou are deemed "at risk" by a prominent environmental group, a first step toward governmental intervention. Without facts to support their argument, environmentalists turn to speculation as to what might happen in the distant future. On that basis, they demand an end to fossil fuels, industrial development, and even increased human population. (I leave to your imagination just how they would reduce human population.) The response to every perceived threat is generally the same: shut down human activity even if it means hardship for human populations. The left wants us to think it's an either-or case of endangered species versus economic growth. In fact, the notion that shifting from fossil fuels to solar panels will alter the climate of the entire Earth seems far-fetched. Certainly, fossil fuels will at some point be supplanted by cheaper and more efficient sources of energy. At that point, market forces will quickly realign demand without the need of government intervention. Until that time, we should rely on the free market to guide our way to the cheapest and most efficient fuels. Government intervention invariably results in Solyndra-style boondoggles, to the detriment of everyone. Well, almost everyone. It turns out that climate change is big business, and some have done quite well off it. According to E&E News, "several heads of environmental funds made upward of $600,000" as far back as 2012. Among the top 15 nonprofit executive salaries, 11 went to executives at environmental groups (2012 figures). I'm sure many of these are entirely sincere in their support for environmental causes, but those do seem to be large salaries for individuals who urge other Americans to consume less. The World Wildlife Fund is not unusual in this respect. The WWF's website is plastered with appeals for donations "Donate to WWF"; "Thank you for your support"; "Give to WWF's global conservation efforts and select three pairs of socks." Only farther down does one get to the stories: how a dam project could drive the hooded grebe to extinction, stopping illegal wildlife trade in China, protecting Sumatran forests. Environmentalism is big business, but there seems to be little concern for the needs of ordinary human beings. The left believes that it can impose any sort of burden, from Macron's fuel tax to the cap and trade scheme passed under a former Pelosi Congress back in 2009 (the "American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009"), but those paying the taxes have had enough. Just like the French, Americans just want more money in their pockets and greater security, including energy security, for their families. Climate change is near the bottom of the list, as recent polls show. Despite these facts, the environmental extortion continues. What we must do is ignore the heated rhetoric and get on with our lives. I've not noticed much warming this winter. If anything, there has been one week of record-low temperatures after another. Forget the carbon taxes. Use the savings to buy a warm parka. Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011). As migrants stream from Central America, through Mexico, toward the southern U.S. border, media coverage focuses only on plight of poor refugees seeking a better life in America. The health of the refugees is never discussed. Are any of them carrying contagious diseases? If so, how many of them and what are they bringing to the U.S.? The Centers for Disease Control provides the answer. Studies have identified the importance of cross-border movement in the transmission of various diseases, including HIV, measles, pertussis, rubella, rabies, hepatitis A, influenza, tuberculosis, shigellosis, syphilis, Mycobacterium bovis infection, brucellosis, and foodborne diseases, such as infections associated with raw cheese and produce. These are all contagious diseases and relatively uncommon in the U.S. Fox News reports, One-third of migrants in caravan are being treated for health issues including HIV/AIDS, TB, chickenpox, and lice. Apart from the diseases above making a resurgence in the U.S., a new one called acute flaccid myelitis, thought to be caused by a virus, is currently in the news. This is a polio-like illness causing permanent arm and leg weakness in children. Polio has been largely eradicated, but now American children are becoming infected. Could it be related to the tens of thousands of illegal immigrants entering the U.S.? The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons suggests a solution, seemingly obvious except to politicians more interested in scoring political points and damaging President Trump than actually protecting their constituents, the American people. The remedy is simple. In the past, waves of immigrants from Europe were stopped at Ellis Island, medically examined, and quarantined long enough to be sure they were not incubating a contagious disease. Procedures are less rigorous today, and of course those who enter illegally are not screened at all. America, once upon a time, was adept at admitting and processing immigrants with potential contagious diseases. Why not look to our experience a century ago at Ellis Island? One website chronicled this process from the Swedish perspective. Unlike our current porous border where immigrants are welcomed with a red carpet of social welfare benefits, Ellis Island immigration was quite strict. To arrive to New York and Ellis Island didnt mean that you knew if you could stay or not in the new country. In front of them waited strenuous and time-consuming controls. Inspectors boarded the arriving ships checking for, Any contagious diseases such as cholera, plague, typhoid, measles and diphtheria. Those infected wouldnt be allowed off the ship. Next came the medical examination where, The doctors viewed them from above to watch after weakness, heavy breathing (indication of heart problems) and other signs of mental disturbances. Then they went to the eye doctor. They searched for a disease in the eyes called trachoma. This eye disease causes blindness and it can also lead to death. If they had trachoma, The immigrant was sent back home again. Medical screening served a purpose. Not only did it keep contagious diseases out of America, but it also prevented the medical burden caring for immigrants who required hospitalization or treatment. Put simply, If they had other diseases and these were confirmed or if the immigrant was too sick and too weak to manage to work, they were not allowed to enter to the US. What a novel idea. How many other countries allow sick people to immigrate? From one countrys immigration website, People coming to Australia have health checks before entering the country as another way to prevent further infectious diseases. Children didnt get special treatment or consideration as they do now. Sick children from 12 years old or older were sent back by themselves to their home harbor. Children under 12 years old that were not allowed to stay in the US were forced to go back with one parent. Many tears were dropped when the parents should decide which parent that should stay and which parent that should go back with the sick child. So much for the media chorus that Trump is the only president to separate immigrant children from their parents. Those who passed their medical evaluations were not yet home free. Another inspector awaited them who made a determination whether, That the person could take care of himself and fulfill the demands to be able to stay in the US. Another concept that most countries use in evaluating potential immigrants -- self-sufficiency rather than a burden on taxpayers. As one country states on their website, We all expect each other to contribute to and share in Australia's wealth. This is particularly relevant with the recent report that that 63 percent of non-citizens in the U.S. are on welfare, 4.6 million households. Ellis Island scrutiny aimed to prevent this. In addition, inspectors had to weed out the bad apples, They should also determine if the person was a danger to the society. Each inspector had only a few minutes to make their assessment. If there were any hesitations the immigrant had to stay at Ellis Island for further investigation. Another novel concept -- not admitting known criminals or troublemakers. How many other countries have similar restrictions? From the New Zealand immigration website, To show you are of good character, you may need to provide us with police certificates. After passing the multipoint inspection, they were given a landing card. Then they were free to enter America. After approval it was time to leave the island and continue to the final destination. What a simple and logical approach. Despite the technological advances over the past century, sometimes the tried and true ways of the past are still best. Unfortunately, politicians of both parties have no interest in a strong national border or scrutinizing who enters and stays in our country. The open borders elites dont have to live with the consequences of their lax immigration enforcement. Illegal immigrants dont live in their neighborhoods or attend their childrens fancy private schools. Its everyone else who lives with the crime and disease. Ellis Island was from a simpler time but effectively handled immigrants arriving in America. Some say the future proves the past. Why not bring back a successful past process, proven to work, leading to a safer future for America? Time to resurrect some Ellis Island common sense. Brian C Joondeph, MD, MPS, a Denver based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Ruth Graham, in an article published at Slate, demonstrated one of the worst vices of American media. Specifically, she sought to provoke and entertain the audience she writes for by unnecessarily criticizing Sully H.W. Bush, the service dog to George Bush, the 41st president of the United states. As the photo of Sully resting in front of 41's casket reached into every American's home and phone, Ruth felt that her greatest contribution would be to point out that Sully was simply an employee and not a beloved family pet. Furthermore, she sought to do what many in her camp might do: impose a postmodern and deconstructionist interpretation upon a photo. She then imposed the false narrative of a power struggle between a dominant master (who had Parkinson's and needed a service dog to help him function throughout his day) and a helpless creature conscripted into training and forced to help 41. Her rationale? This is what Sully was trained to do as an employee. How does the author try to tidy all of this up? By pointing out the timeline that Sully was with 41 for only about six months, not long enough to be a true beloved pet. Like many who might subscribe to dominant power theories and postmodern techniques, Graham leaves science at the door. Stanley Coren, professor emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and a well respected leader on canine psychology, points out that a dog can grieve, much in the same way a two- to three-year-old human child can grieve. For instance, a child in this age range lacks the cognitive ability to appreciate death. When Uncle Steven passes and a parent explains to Little Johnny that "Uncle Steven has died and is not returning," it is no surprise when Little Johnny will ask when he will see Uncle Steven again. At this point, it would be easy for the deconstructionist to say, "See, just as Little Johnny doesn't understand, so Sully cannot understand." That interpretation would be incomplete. Typically, although children do not understand the ramifications or processes of death, they feel sad, depressed, and confused. Admittedly, they likely don't have the cognitive appreciation for grief, but that does not mean that children are unaffected by the circumstances. Sully, like many other dogs, feels the same way. When Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson's funeral concluded, his black Labrador retriever, Hawkeye, lay in front of his coffin. Likely, Hawkeye felt sad, depressed, and confused, and he waited on Jon to return. Why was Sully lying in front of the casket of 41? According to Graham, "it's a bit demented to project soul-wrenching grief onto a dog's decision to lie down in front of a casket." Well, if we use science, then we will take stock of previous observations and compare similar accounts of dogs with funerals. We will then look at studies or seek out experts like Dr. Coren to see if there is any meaningful correlation. If we don't apply our own confirmation bias, as it seems Graham did in her article, we will find that Sully is doing what many a child with the same cognitive abilities and what other dogs in Sully's situation do. If our society's goal is to entertain ourselves with false criticism, Slate proves this point. However, I am convinced that deep down, the American people aspire to something greater, as in Teddy Roosevelt's speech "The Man in the Arena": there are those in the arena who struggle to achieve something of significance and meaning, and there is the crowd in the seats, criticizing, mocking, and being entertained. Slate authors seem comfortable sitting in the arena. Bush was not a perfect man, who himself stated, "History will point out some of the things I did wrong and some of the things I did right." But the quote that stands out in my mind is, "America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as people have such purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world." Our high moral principles do not eschew science, mock dogs, or act unkindly. California looks like a lost cause for Republicans, given how Democrats clinched the midterm with a series of new laws. Maybe no big deal, given that California has been a solid blue state for something like 20 years. But are Americans aware of the potential for California vote-rigging to come to their states, making them so blue that no conservative will ever be able to win an election? A California political operative, Edward Ring, writing in American Greatness, lays out the coming spectacle: Come to California to see what's going to roll out across America in time to guarantee a progressive landslide in 2020. It may be perfectly legal. But it's so rigged it would make Boss Tweed blush. ... The way they did this was to pass laws designed to rig the system. Three laws in particular combined to stack the deck against Republicans. First came the Motor Voter law. This meant that as soon as any California resident acquired or renewed his driver's license or state ID, he would be registered to vote automatically. Second, the state legislature authorized counties automatically to send absentee ballots to voters, even if they had not requested those ballots. Third, the rules governing ballot custody were changed so that anyone could turn in absentee ballots, not just the actual voter. The opportunities presented by these three laws were fully exploited by Democrats. Ring warns that Democratic legislatures in states that went all blue in the last midterm Democrats picked up six new houses and several governorships were watching California very closely. They want what California has and are likely to pass the three laws California did to seal their permanent power entrenchment: Motor Voter laws that register voters whether they like it or not, absentee ballots mailed to voters whether they like it or not, and ballot-harvesting with no chain of custody by absolutely anyone. Democrats are salivating in other states to put these measures through, Ring notes. They made gains in the last election, with six new legislative houses and several governorships, and now completely control 14 statehouses, including governor and upper and lower houses, so those states are likely to see the same kind of electoral rigging as California, via new laws. Maine is going to get it. Washington is going to get it. Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico are going to get it. So are Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Rhode Island. Some, such as Washington and Colorado, likely already have at least some of it, according to various posts on Twitter. There are 11 more states with partial Democratic control, either through the state Senate or state lower House, or else its governorship. Some, such as Michigan, probably don't have that much to worry about, given that the state elected a moderate Democrat as governor with a Republican legislature. But others could come close, particularly if one house or gubernatorial chair flips, or if a GOP governor either is a RINO or can be muscled. Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Maryland, and Massachusetts are worth watching for the next tier of Democrat moves to rig absolute control. What it shows is that statehouses are important because they set election laws. If the state is run by Democrats, rest assured they will take every advantage to secure absolute power. What's needed now is a concerted Republican counterattack, not to secure absolute power, as the Democrats have done, but to secure free and fair elections from a willing electorate. That's what's in danger now, and Ring warns that it could flip the nation solid blue and roach-motel secure very, very quickly. Ring's piece is well worth reading. Read the whole thing. Image credit: David Wright via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0. The stock market plunged Tuesday, and with futures trading down heavily before the market opens shortly, it looks as though the market will have erased all of the gains in 2018 when trading resumes. The development that seems to have triggered this rebuke to President Trump's boasts about the stock market was an unprecedented event: the arrest in Canada of the chief financial officer (and daughter of the founder) of Chinese electronics giant Huawei, on a warrant from the U.S. over alleged violations of the Iran embargo. David P. Goldman (also known as Spengler), writing in Asia Times, writes of the suspicions that trouble me as well: [N]ever before has the United States attempted the extraterritorial rendition of a foreign citizen Meng [Wangzhou] is a Chinese national in connection with sanctions violations. It has imposed travel and banking restrictions, but seeking an arrest warrant for this is entirely without precedent. The timing was precise: Meng was arrested on December 1, the day that President Trump and his economic team dined with President Xi Jinping and his advisers at the Group of 20 Summit in Buenos Aires. Trump has every interest in striking a deal with China that would enable him to declare some measure of victory in a trade war, and China has shown every indication that it is willing to make concessions to the United States on intellectual property protection, financial market opening and, at least in rhetoric, on industrial policy, while increasing its imports from the United States. The question is: Who ordered the arrest, and why? Goldman sees two general possibilities: that Trump knew about and approved the arrest (despite the probably negative effects on the trade deal he seeks) or that he was not witting. If the latter is the case, it is possible that the intent was to go hard-line on China, weakened by Trump's tariffs, before it becomes too powerful to resist. But the other, much more troubling alternative is that entrenched anti-Trump forces carried out the arrest in order to sabotage the trade deal, and with it the stock market and economy. If Trump's economic miracle reviving the economy from its Obama-induced doldrums turns to ashes with a recession, there likely will be a Democrat inaugurated as the 46th president in 2021. Roger L. Simon at PJ Media sums it up: If Xi doesn't make a deal with Trump on trade, we are almost certainly headed for a recession (or worse) and Donald will be out the door. Goldman analyzes who might have ordered the arrest without Trump's assent (emphasis added): The sanctions regime against Iran is the responsibility of the Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, now directed by Undersecretary of Treasury Sigal Mandelker, a law enforcement veteran who served in the Bush Administration after the 9/11 attacks and advised Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff during the George W. Bush Administration. The Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence is a joint project with the Central Intelligence Agency. Undersecretary Mandelker's predecessor in the position, attorney David Cohen, subsequently became a deputy director of the CIA. There is no way to know if a conspiracy of Trump's enemies is underway to hand the presidency to the Democrats by undoing the economic and stock market gains of the last two years. The 2008 financial crisis worked like a charm. I wish I could rule out an effort to harm the trade deal for political purposes, but I can't. The Israeli ambassador to the U.N. sent a letter to the Security Council asking the UN to "condemn in the strongest possible terms" the construction by the Lebanese terror group Hezb'allah of tunnels into Israel, while holding the Hezb'allah-dominated government of Lebanon "responsible for the dangerous destabilization of the region." The IDF carried out a military operation last week aimed at closing these tunnels that are being funded and constructed by the Iranians' proxy terror group. United with Israel: In his letter, Danon charged that Hezbollah is "advancing an Iranian agenda to turn southern Lebanon into a launching pad for attacks that threaten the lives of innocent Israelis, while endangering Lebanon and its citizens." In light of the violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, Danon wrote that "the Lebanese government must abide by its international commitments and fully implement the abovementioned Security Council resolutions." UNSC Resolution 1701 was passed in 2006 at the conclusion of the Second Lebanon War, demanding a full cessation of hostilities, a withdrawal by Hezbollah to the Blue Line, behind the Litani River, and that the government of Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) deploy their forces in the South. Israel has repeatedly charged that Hezbollah breached the resolution on many occasions. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) is a cruel joke. Hezb'allah has flouted one Security Council resolution from the end of the Lebanese civil war in the 1990s, which demanded that all militias give up their weapons. The second resolution, aimed at preventing Hezb'allah from rearming and threatening Israel, has been honored in the breach. It is believed that up to 50,000 rockets have been smuggled from Iran into Lebanon, giving Hezb'allah the ability to strike anywhere, any city in Israel, with sophisticated missile technology. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton made it clear that we've got Israel's back: US National Security Advisor John Bolton stated that the US "strongly supports Israel's efforts to defend its sovereignty" and called on Hezbollah to stop its tunneling into Israel and "refrain from escalation and violence." "More broadly, we call on Iran and all of its agents to stop their regional aggression and provocation, which pose an unacceptable threat to Israeli and regional security," he added. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for an urgent meeting of the Security Council to discuss the issue. It's not going to happen, of course. Most of the U.N. sides with Hezb'allah in the latter's undeclared war against Israel. But exposing the tunnels shows that Iran, in addition to creating an advanced base in Syria to attack Israel, is looking to step up terrorist attacks against the Jewish state. There is only one possible reason to build those tunnels, and that is to infiltrate Israeli territory with trained Hezb'allah terrorists and attack Israeli citizens. Hezb'allah knows that Israel is not going to allow this situation to go on much longer. The organization is prepared for another war with Israel and are willing to accept massive losses. Their long-term strategy is to wear Israel down with constant pressure, leading to occasional conflicts and terror attacks. It won't end until Iran is decisively dealt with by Israel. For a couple of years, we've heard about reforms in Cuba and all those efforts to expand small businesses on the island. Well, not so fast. It's always tough for a communist regime to change, and this one is no exception. This is from AFP: Ten years after they were first authorized to do business in Cuba, private entrepreneurs will be subjected to tougher restrictions from Friday a move likely to stall their expansion on the communist-ruled island. For Estrella Rivas, who rents out rooms in Havana's Vedado neighborhood, the new rules means she will be unable to offer breakfast to her guests just a place to sleep. "That means less money for me," Rivas says matter-of-factly. So who is going to enforce the new rules on private-sector businesses, which now account for 13 percent of Cuba's workforce, or 592,000 people? "I don't know," replies Rivas. "It seems there will be inspectors questioning the tourists." Since the new measures were published in July in the country's official gazette, setting off a 150-day countdown to implementation that ends Friday, the government has worked overtime to explain them. But those efforts have been to no avail confusion is still the order of the day. For lawyer Julio Antonio Fernandez, it's pretty simple: the new rules will "put significant limits on private business activity." "It's a devastating blow to a lot of people," Fernandez told AFP. Devastating for sure. As Gorbachev learned in the last days of the USSR, reforming a communist state is impossible. The problem is that communist governments create lots of losers and few winners. It's misery for most but delight for the few who were born into the right family or kissed someone's you-know-what. And those winners, the small clan that benefits from the state ownership of everything from sugar to hotels, do not want to give up their "commission checks" or privileges. Private businesses compete with each other. At the same time, they take dollars from the state, or Castro, Inc., as we call it. The article points out that Cuban entrepreneurs are afraid that the regime will get information about their existence from tourists who may report where they are staying. This is because many tourists are staying and spending money in improvised hotels and restaurants in people's homes. Snitching on Cuban entrepreneurs? Maybe another reason to delay your Cuban vacation until Cuba is free from this regime. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Joy Behar got into a heated debate with Meghan McCain during an episode of The View on Monday. The show was intended to remember the life of President George H.W. Bush, who passed away several days ago. However, Behar used the opportunity to criticize and insult President Trump and her co-host, Meghan McCain. Behar's conduct was reprehensible. Her conduct portrayed her as a narcissist who does not respect the American public, her co-hosts, or former president Bush. Behar is no stranger to controversy. Among her many inflammatory remarks, she has publicly asserted that President Trump teaches children to be racists and bullies and that Trump is paving the way for another Adolf Hitler. She has also compared Republicans to "Nazis," asserted that Trump's election was worse for the nation than the September 11 attacks, and opined that the vice president and Christians have a mental disease for having faith in G-d. Notwithstanding the ludicrous and vile nature of these comments, Behar's conduct on Monday hit a new low, not necessarily because of what she said (the American public is accustomed to her bitterness), but when she said it. Specifically, while the country was still mourning the passing of the nation's 41st president, and when her co-hosts on The View were celebrating and discussing the amazing life of former President Bush, Behar chose to attack President Trump for allegedly trying to unravel the Clean Air Act (signed by former President Bush) and everything that former President Obama did. When McCain reminded Behar to focus and honor the life of President Bush, Behar rudely stated, "I don't care what you are interested in. I'm talking, damn it!" After the show, Behar allegedly went a profanity-laced tirade and threatened to quit the show. It is no secret that Behar does not support President Trump's policies, which is her absolute right in a free society. However, there is a time and a place for her to voice her opinions about the current president. Monday was not that time. In a recent Fox News article, NewsBusters managing editor Curtis Houck stated, "Joy Behar's insistence that the Bush tribute center around Trump was a microcosm of the media's permanent obsession with the current president, showing an embarrassing inability to cover stories or pay tribute to people like George H.W. Bush or John McCain without their cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome breaking through." While Houck's observation is well taken, Behar's conduct not only portrayed an embarrassing inability to cover certain stories (without bringing up Trump), but was also disrespectful to President Bush. In a Fox News article, Joe Concha, media reporter from The Hill, summed this up perfectly, stating, "The point of the segment was to honor George H.W. Bush and his extraordinary life and achievements while serving his country in a myriad of ways." "Broaching Trump, like someone needing to reach a daily criticism quota, was a disservice to Bush." Behar's conduct did not sit too well with some viewers, who voiced their discontent on Twitter. Their concerns, in general, had less to do with what she said and more to do with the timing of when she said it. Joy Behar's conduct on Monday was out of line and wrong. Rather than putting her personal opinions about President Trump on the back burner for one day, she took it upon herself to attack the current president at the expense of the former president. America should always come before partisan politics, no matter who is in office. In this case, Behar allowed partisanship to interfere with the celebration of a great American hero. For this, she owes everyone an apology. Mr. Hakim is a political writer and commentator and an attorney. His articles have been published in The Washington Examiner, The Daily Caller, The Federalist, The Western Journal, American Thinker and other online publications. https://thoughtfullyconservative.wordpress.com Twitter: @ThoughtfulGOP Days ago, Marc Lamont Hill, a CNN TV commentator and rock star celebrity professor at Temple University, called for the total destruction of Israel during an address he delivered to the United Nations. In solidarity with Palestinians, he exclaimed that Palestinians should be "free from the river to the sea." This is not a covert dog whistle or code. Rather, it is an overt exhortation to annihilate Israel, as Israel exists from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. His words were ugly and chilling. More chilling was Hill's confidence that such violent hate speech could be spewed openly and fearlessly before a global audience, unaware or uncaring of subsequent retaliation. Thomas Lifson first alerted us to this incident on November 30. CNN, without explanation, immediately terminated Hill's contract. Temple University did not. Instead, the university trotted out the hackneyed coward's defense that while it does not share Hill's views, it supports his constitutional free speech right to say whatever he pleases. Some opponents, desiring Hill's tenure at Temple ended, raised the issue of hate speech. Hill's remarks were surely hate speech, but hate speech alone is not unconstitutional. The legal exceptions to the right of free speech that accurately apply are fighting words, true threat, defamation (libel and slander), and incitement to imminent lawless action. Hill's words, dramatically presented at a "Free Palestine Day," clearly exemplified all of these exceptions. How did we arrive at this ugly situation? Anti-Jewish sentiment, a historical hatred in large parts of the globe, was mostly muted in the United States. After the 1948 creation of the State of Israel (the only Jewish country in the world), Arab countries lost their military war against the fledgling state. Subsequently, they waged a propaganda battle, falsely comparing Israel to Apartheid South Africa in the former's treatment of Palestinians living within its borders. The American left embraced the fallacy and facilitated its success. From this malevolent platform, Boycott, Divestment, and Sanction of Israel, commonly known as BDS, was launched in Ramallah around 2005. Its stated goal is to isolate and pressure Israel; its unpublicized goal is Israel's destruction. Fueled with Arab petrodollars, Middle East studies departments were established in colleges and universities throughout the United States. BDS student organizations followed. Aligned with the plethora of progressive professors on campus, the debate inexorably became one-sided. Today, Jewish students fight for positions on student organizations, for letters of recommendation, and for bringing conservative speakers on campus who support their views. More incredibly, lists have sprung up advising Jewish kids which United States colleges to avoid. After more than a decade of this relentless anti-Jewish and anti-Israel trope, the false beliefs have spread from the campus to the MSM and a growing number of elected Democrats. Moreover, many in the black community who have converted to Islam share these views. Temple University, geographically and demographically, is at the intersection of the conflict. As opposing rallies supporting and denouncing Hill are planned, Temple University has a choice. It can continue to cower behind its false assertion of constitutionality, or it can assert the law, suspend Hill, and fight it out in federal court. If this vile and dangerous speech is not confronted and deemed socially unacceptable, it will further spread and coarsen. CNN is to be applauded for its swift, courageous, and unexpected action. Image: YouTube screen grab via Hannity. Wisconsin Democrats, as well as the nationwide media and liberals across the country, are outraged at what the Republicans are doing in the lame duck session of the state legislature. State GOP lawmakers want to limit early voting, impose work requirements for Medicaid, and prevent the new state A.G. from joining a suit by Democratic-led states on Obamacare. We are told that this is thwarting the "will of the voters." CNN: Nearly a day after the legislature's "extraordinary session" began, the state Senate and Assembly concluded their work, passing a raft of legislation designed to curtail authorities enjoyed by Walker and outgoing Republican Attorney General Brad Schimel. Democrats are expected to challenge a number of the measures in court. There is no indication when Walker will take up the legislation, but pending his approval, Wisconsin is now expected to reduce its number of early voting days, restrict gubernatorial influence over a powerful economic agency Evers sought to disband, and require legislative backing for certain decisions traditionally made by the attorney general and governor a move that would likely block Kaul from pulling the state out of a federal lawsuit against Obamacare. The legislature will also be able to hire its own lawyers to defend state law in court, diminishing the attorney general's power. Evers accused legislators of ignoring the will of the voters. "Wisconsin has never seen anything like this," Evers said in a statement Wednesday. "Power-hungry politicians rushed through sweeping changes to our laws to expand their own power and override the will of the people of Wisconsin who asked for change on November 6th." "Override" voters "who asked for change" at the midterm elections? Why does that sound familiar to me? Oh, wait...that's exactly what Illinois Democrats did to incoming GOP governor Bruce Rauner in 2014. Rauner was elected on the most dramatic reform platform of any Illinois governor in a generation. In this case, the incoming governor sought to curtail the power of the Democratic Legislature and its allies in public unions. Rauner was the clear choice of the voters, winning handily over the sitting Democratic governor, Pat Quinn. So, of course, Illinois Democrats gave Rauner all the support he needed, right? After all, "will of the voter" and all that. That's not exactly how it worked out. Democrats thwarted Rauner at every turn, denying him a budget for two years, challenging his public union reforms, his pension reform every item on Rauner's agenda was blocked. What are the Republicans in Wisconsin doing that's so different? Sure, they are using their power in the lame duck session to effect these changes, but if Governor-Elect Evers doesn't like them, get the new legislature in January to overturn them. Oh, wait...Evers has a problem. You see, the "will of the voters" was also expressed by giving power in the legislature to the Republican Party. The GOP even picked up seats in the state Senate. What about the voters who voted the GOP legislative power? Are they chopped liver? Does their "will" matter? Wisconsin will have divided government in 2019. Evers can stop whining about "power grabs" and start trying to work with a Republican legislature. Otherwise, he is liable to end up like his neighbor, former Illinois governor Bruce Rauner, who was slaughtered at the polls last month. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] One of Samsungs smartphones from its upcoming Galaxy A series has been benchmarked online via Geekbench, where the device has been identified by the model number SM-A505FN, i.e., the Samsung Galaxy A50. The series is expected to be slightly renamed and carry double instead of single digits as a result, but technically the unit discovered in the benchmarking tool will be a direct sequel to the Galaxy A5 (2017) which was released nearly two years ago. The hardware and software have been drastically updated since the previous model, with Geekbench revealing the inclusion of an Exynos 7 Series 9610 chipset coupled with 4GB of RAM, as well as Android 9 Pie on the software side. Background: The Exynos 7 Series 9610 SoC was introduced earlier this year as the worlds first 10nm chipset built on a FinFET process. It features an octa-core architecture and incorporates its own LTE modem providing up to 600Mbps download and 150Mbps upload speeds, as well as 22 MIMO and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. The component is designed for the mid-range smartphone market but so far the chipset has yet to be used in a commercially-available device. This will possibly make the Samsung Galaxy A50 among the first, if not the first smartphone to employ this new silicon. The Samsung Galaxy A series is expected to go through a slight rename and according to trademark applications which emerged earlier this year in Europe, the lineup should also include new Galaxy A10, Galaxy A30, Galaxy A70, and Galaxy A90 models. The Samsung Galaxy A50 might not be the only one from the upcoming series to make use of the Exynos 7 Series 9610 chipset but details regarding the other models are currently missing. Now, the last Samsung Galaxy A5 model was released in January 2017 and since then the series was seemingly discontinued in favor of its spiritual successor, i.e., the Galaxy A6 (2018), which was unveiled in May and brought to the U.S. in September. But as yet there doesnt seem to be a Galaxy A60 in the renamed lineup, and Samsung might re-brand the mid-range smartphone using the A5, or more precisely the A50 suffix, going back to its roots. Regardless, a recent leak suggested that the Samsung Galaxy A50 should launch in variants featuring 64GB and 128GB of storage, and employ a handful of colors including blue, black, pink, silver, and white. Impact: The upcoming lineup will cover the OEMs entire mid-range spectrum and the Galaxy A50 should be positioned right in the middle in terms of both specs and pricing. Reportedly the device wont have a display notch but other models in the series equipped with slightly better components will make the switch to a notched design. The Korean OEM also has another budget-oriented series in the works, referred to by the Galaxy M series, which expected to replace the Galaxy On models traditionally sold online only. Its unclear when the launch of the Samsung Galaxy A50 will take place exactly, but if the coming weeks wont accommodate any official announcements from the OEM then CES in early January or, at the latest, MWC near the beginning of March should be a relatively safe bet. Samsung is seemingly developing a new tablet in the Galaxy A series which is likely to launch in the United States via AT&T, as a new device identified by the model number SM-T387W was discovered recently by 91mobiles at the FCC. The model number strongly suggests that the tablet will be a direct sequel to the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) which was known as the SM-T380 and SM-T385 for the Wi-Fi-only and 4G LTE variants, respectively. Detailed hardware specifications havent been included but the FCC documents show a sketch of the tablet from the back, revealing a single camera unit positioned in the middle, a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack at the top, and a single speaker grille at the bottom. Unlike the 2017 model, the SM-T387W spotted at the FCC seems to be missing an LED flash near the main camera so there is a possibility that Samsung may have taken a few cost-cutting measures for its upcoming mid-range slate. Background: Samsung is one of the most popular Android tablet manufacturers and for the past several years, the OEMs portfolio was focused mainly on two series, namely the high-end Tab S lineups and the more budget-oriented Tab A products. This year, the OEM launched only one device in the latter series, specifically the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 10.5 which was introduced in August in two main variants including Wi-Fi-only and LTE-enabled. The OEM usually launches two new tablets as part of the same series but up until now the 2018 Galaxy Tab A product line saw only the aforementioned 10.5-inch model. But Samsung is seemingly likely to continue the trend established over the past few years and introduce a second variant featuring a smaller display, i.e., the SM-T387W spotted at the FCC. The sketch included in the documents indicates that the device is likely to retain a 16:10 image format and in turn, the display diagonal should clock in at around 8-inches. Whether the resolution will be increased from the previous models 1,280 by 800 pixel count remains to be seen. The FCC documents also reveal the type of connectivity which should be supported by the upcoming model, including WCDMA bands 2, 4, and 5, as well as LTE bands 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 30, and 66. The listed LTE bands indicate that availability should expand across multiple regions including North America, Europe, and Asia, with LTE Band 7 in particular hinting at a possible release in Canada, while the inclusion of LTE Band 30 pretty much confirms Samsungs intentions for launching the slate in the United States through AT&T. Likewise, LTE Band 66 suggests that the tablet should be compatible with other carriers in the United States. Impact: According to a recent DigiTimes Research report, global shipments for Android tablets are in decline and this will continue to be the case next year. Samsung is nevertheless one of the bigger names in the Android tablet scene and its understandable why the OEM would want to maintain its top spot with newer releases. On the other hand, Samsung is also advancing its foldable smartphone technology and so far these types of devices have been designed in a way that allows them to be used as both phones and tablets. The Korean OEM intends to release its first foldable smartphone next year but given the premium price expected to be carried by this new form factor, its unlikely for Samsung to cannibalize its own affordable tablet series in the wake of foldable technology. At least not yet, and as long as there will be a huge price gap between foldable phones and Android tablets. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 (2017) was released in the United States last year for around $230 and the SM-T387W should fit in the same price range, whereas foldable smartphones are likely to shoot well beyond the $1,000 mark. A leaked image of the display panel of the Samsung Galaxy M20 shows that the handset will feature a waterdrop notch above its screen. This leak corroborates with previous rumors which claim that the Galaxy M20 will be the first smartphone from the South Korean tech giant that will include a display notch. The notch contains a small cutout that accommodates the front-facing camera and sensors, and the photograph also shows that the front panel of the device will have thin side and bottom bezels. Furthermore, the latest leak indicates that display of the Galaxy M20 will likely have rounded edges, which gives the device a more premium look over the Galaxy J and Galaxy On devices that it will reportedly replace. Aside from leaking the display panel of the Galaxy M20, the report also provided details about the hardware features of the upcoming entry-level smartphone of Samsung Electronics. Rumors claim that the Galaxy M20 will sport an Exynos 7885 chipset, which contains an octa-core 64-bit CPU running at a maximum clock speed of 2.2GHz. The device will reportedly include 3GB of RAM, while previous reports state that the handset will be available in variants that contain either 32GB or 64GB of internal flash storage. The smartphone is expected to ship with a 6-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,340 by 1,080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 19.5:9. The single front-facing camera will have a resolution of 5-megapixels, while the rear-facing camera will reportedly include a 16-megapixel sensor. According to the recent report, the device will also include a 3,300mAh non-removable battery. Previous reports also mention that the device will ship with Android 8.1 Oreo pre-installed, although Samsungs proprietary skin will likely run on top of Googles operating system. The leak also claims that the Galaxy M20, along with the Galaxy M10, is already in production in the companys manufacturing facilities in India, and it will likely be launched in January 2019. This device is expected to have a price tag of Rs. 17,990, which translates to around $253 at the current exchange rate. Advertisement Background: Samsung will reportedly launch the Galaxy M-series handsets as part of the tech giants efforts to streamline its device offerings and make it easier for consumers to differentiate its handsets. The Galaxy M devices will reportedly replace the Galaxy J series as the companys entry-level smartphone lineup, while the Galaxy A devices will continue as the companys mid-range product offering. It is interesting to note that previous reports suggested that the Galaxy M handsets will sport an LCD display as a way to reduce the production costs of the devices, although the recent leak mentions that the Galaxy M20 will sport an OLED display. Aside from the Galaxy M20 and the Galaxy M10, the company will also reportedly launch the Galaxy M30 within the next few months. The three smartphones will have dual-SIM card slots and the devices will reportedly ship in two color variations, which are blue and dark grey. Impact: The more premium design of the Galaxy M20 shows Samsungs efforts to better compete in the entry-level and mid-range segments of the smartphone market by incorporating design elements commonly found in more expensive products. This design decision, along with the streamlined product offerings, should allow Samsung to regain the market share it lost to Chinese smartphone manufacturers Huawei and Xiaomi. Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York and one of US President Donald Trumps top lawyers, has accused Twitter of conspiracy due to a cybersquatter taking over a URL that he Tweeted as a typo. The URL in question, G20.In, ends in the .in suffix often used for Indian websites and caused Twitters automatic link parsing software to spring into action. Atlanta web designer and Pixel Riot founder Jason Velazquez saw the opportunity for a jab at the modern political world, and bought up the URL, then put an anti-Trump message on the page. Giuliani, seemingly thinking that Twitter was behind this and confused by the fact that the URL parser did not hyperlink a similar typo that did not contain a commonly used domain, sent out a followup Tweet accusing Twitter of being anti-Trump and calling for fairness. Background: Politicians in the Untied States, on the whole, tend to be on the older side, so its not a stretch to logically conclude that most of them would not be terribly tech-savvy. Knowing the cause of this particular gaffe, for instance, requires knowledge of both the somewhat niche concept of cybersquatting, along with knowing that Twitters link parser only picks up on commonly used domain names. The worrisome element here is in Giulianis reaction to the whole affair, instantly assuming that Twitter was to blame and accusing the company of political bias. This attitude toward Silicon Valley and the tech world in general is not hard to find among American lawmakers, and the saga of this Tweet is just further evidence of that. Many big names in the tech world, such as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, have grappled with this perception not just in the digital space and across miles, but sitting face-to-face with lawmakers, judges and more in courtrooms and meeting rooms. Impact: Its commonly known that tech knowledge is not generally a strong suit for American politicians as a group, but that didnt stop swarms of Twitter users from descending upon Giulianis original Tweet and the subsequent reaction to put in their two cents. While the internet at large took a moment from this incident to laugh at what is ultimately the current decades manifestation of a social convention that goes back thousands of years, being the older crowd having less of a grip on newer developments and technologies than the younger crowd, the implications here are no laughing matter. This incident, and similar ones, mark a disturbing trend of the US government trying to regulate and officially comment on technology that it doesnt know much about. That, in turn, could lead to tone-deaf legislation and other political decisions surround the tech world. Big tech is growing more and more integrated with daily life each week, it seems, making this proposition quite worrisome. As of this writing, Giuliani has not taken down the Tweets, the G20.In link is still live with an anti-Trump message and relevant news article links, and Giuliani has yet to comment on the situation on Twitter. The usually Twitter-happy President seemingly also has yet to comment on this situation in any official fashion. Crown Prince Naruhito will ascend to the throne on 1st May next year after the abdication of 84-year-old Akihito. Japan wants to show the strength of its link with the United States. The US president is already expected in the country for the G20 in Osaka, on 28-29 June 2019. Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) The Japanese government is considering inviting US President Donald Trump as a state guest after Crown Prince Naruhitos planned accession on 1st May. This would make the US leader the first foreign guest to meet with the new emperor, this according to Japanese media reports citing government sources. Tokyo will arrange the detailed schedule of Trumps trip with Washington, as he is also expected to visit Japan to attend the Group of 20 summit in Osaka from June 28 to 29 next year, sources said. Japan aims to showw its strong alliance with the United States through Trumps visit, as a state guest typically meets with the Emperor, in addition to holding talks with the prime minister. The US leader paid a visit to Japan in November last year as an official guest, rather than a state guest. His predecessor Barack Obama was invited to Japan as a state guest in April 2014. The 58-year-old Crown Prince will accede to the throne after Emperor Akihito, 84, abdicates on 30 April, bringing to an end the Heisei period after 31 years. The following day, Akihito will take the title of "joko", abbreviation of "daijo tenno", sovereign in retirement. The last emperor to renounce the throne was Kokaku in 1817. Steak lovers across Japan have reason to celebrate. From Friday, they will pay less for a slab of Australian beef at hundreds of outlets run by a major retailer nationwide. Officials at Aeon say they are making the change in anticipation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. The deal takes effect on December 30th. Aeon imports beef from its own ranch in Tasmania. The tariff on chilled beef from Australia is now 29.3 percent. Under the TPP, it will fall to 27.5 percent in the first year. It will continue to decline after that. To promote the change, Aeon introduced the new prices a day early at one store in Tokyo. A cut of sirloin costs 19 percent less in yen terms. Excluding tax, 100 grams sells for about 4 dollars. Aeon Retail's Akira Kenmotsu said, "Over the next 16 years, tariffs on Australian beef will eventually be lowered to 9 percent, so we expect that we'll be able to offer steaks at much more reasonable prices." The revised prices will take effect at roughly 400 Aeon outlets across Japan. Posted on: December 6, 2018 10:52 AM The Chaplain of St Georges Anglican Church in Baghdad, Father Faiz Jerjes, has been recognised by the Iraqi Army for his peace-building efforts. It is the second time in two years that Father Faizs work has been recognised by Iraqi authorities. In December last year the countrys Ministry of Culture named him as one of Iraqs Distinguished Personalities of the Year for his work supporting human rights. Now, he has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to peaceful co-existence in Iraq. Making the award, Lieutenant-General Othman al-Ghanmi, the Iraqi Armys Chief of Staff, applauded Father Faiz for his courage in helping to raise awareness of issues others feared to broach. The award was presented last month (19 November) at Iraqs Joint-Army Staff College. During the presentation, Father Faiz described the history of Christians in Iraq and their spreading of a culture of love and peace. The event was also addressed by the figures from other minority religious groups in Iraq, including the head of the global Mandean community, Sheikh Starr Abdul Jabbar; and an Iraqi Yazidi MP. The presentation was attended by representatives from the Defence Ministry as well as the Dean of the Joint-Army Staff College and students. On Tuesday, the Prince of Wales spoke at a service in Westminster Abbey in London, to praise the work of Christians in the Middle East. The service celebrated their bridge-building role in the region. When the Greeks explored the coasts of the Black Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean around the 6th and 7th centuries BC , they noticed that each people worshiped their own gods and represented them according to their own natural reality. Thus, for example, it was clear that there were no crocodile gods in Italy nor horse gods in Egypt. The realization that this plurality of religious expression adapted to the traditions of each place opened the door to a new cultural relativism. If what had seemed to be eternal and universal truths until then were, in fact, local and impermanent expressions, new questions needed to be asked, such as what the unifying principles were of this enormous diversity that characterizes human life. And starting from this question, the Greeks laid the foundations of philosophy, because they discovered the love of knowledge. At the end of the 6th century and at the beginning of the 5th century BCE, scientific and political thought were born and developed, respectively, in Miletus and Athens. It is, without a doubt, one of the foundational, most splendid moments in human history. Thales predicted for the first time when a solar eclipse would take place. Aristarchus claimed that it was the Sun (and not the Earth) that was at the center of the Solar System. Democritus spoke of the atomic structure of matter. Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of our planet with great precision. The sophists said that humans are "the measure of all things." Socrates established dialogue as the foundation of knowledge. And Aspasia (Pericles partner) directed the cultural policy of Athens and promoted the work of Phidias at the Parthenon. To a great extent, these contributions were made and were the result of a social, political, and scientific context that, with all the limitations of the time, was characterized by space for freedom and pluralism. Freedoms and pluralism that were threatened by Persian imperialism and swept away by Macedonian authoritarianism. Macedonian absolutism (and, later, Romes) led philosophy to largely abandon political, social and scientific reflection and take refuge in the internal psychological sphere of cynics and epicureans. Meanwhile, more or less simultaneously, the first emperor in China's history burned all the Confucian texts and ordered the execution of all the teachers of this philosophical tradition at the end of the 3rd century BC. A few centuries later, religious ultraconservatism destroyed the Alexandria library and led to the death of its director, Hypatia. And, in 529, the bishop of Athens ordered the closure of Platos Academy, after almost a millennium of existence, in the belief that philosophy had nothing new to contribute to the world of knowledge: everything that was needed was already written in the sacred texts of Christianity. Curiously, that same year the first Benedictine monastery in the history of Europe was founded, in a coincidence that provided evidence that cultural activity had changed its headquarters, and left the public squares of the cities to take refuge in the cloisters of monastic centers, constructed, on purpose, as far as possible from urban life. Ultraconservative and totalitarian interpretations are not exclusive to any religious tradition nor to any specific ideology, so none can be vaccinated against them definitively. Thus, for example, Venice was enriched by welcoming all those who fled from a Constantinople about to be conquered by the Turks. And in contrast, about a century later, it became impoverished due to the flight of Jews and Protestants, persecuted by the new Roman Inquisition, which had just forced its entry into that Serene Republic. And, in another example, immortalized by Stefan Zweig in his work Castellio gegen Calvin [The Right to Heresy: Castellio against Calvin], Miguel Servet, persecuted by Catholics, was eventually executed by Calvinists. Even in tolerant Holland, a philosopher despised by Jews, Catholics and Calvinists, was buried in a pit where someone wrote the following epitaph: "Spit on this grave, for here lies Baruch Spinoza." For its part, modern Hispanic absolutism implemented a new Inquisition, burned Bibles translated into Catalan, expelled Jews and Moors, prevented Protestantism from taking root, centralized laws and institutions, and persecuted any sign of internal diversity The interest in diversity and respect for pluralism and the love of freedom had to follow uncertain and sinuous paths in search of new places to take refuge and flourish. States obsessed with uniformity and imposed unity impoverish "their" societies from a material, spiritual, and cultural point of view. And, at the same time, they contribute to drying up the creativity of children and the critical spirit of youth in schools and universities. From this perspective, it can be especially suggestive and relevant to ask how many times repression has been, in fact, a symptom and cause of weakness and decadence. In addition, some other questions may also be inspiring. When the Roman Empire closed its borders to the peaceful immigration of Germanic peoples in the 3rd and 4th centuries, did it consolidate its political power and economic prosperity, or precipitate its disappearance as a state in the 5th century and an unprecedented economic collapse in the Mediterranean world in the 6th century? When China destroyed its ocean fleet in the 15th century, in order not to corrupt itself with contacts with the outside world, did it manage to protect itself, or condemn itself to a very long decay that would last half a millennium? Who became wealthier, the Hispanic monarchy that expelled Jews and Moors, and France who expelled Calvinist Huguenots, or the countries that welcomed them? When Japan closed its borders in the 17th century, did it become stronger or weaker? When the United States established quotas on free immigration and adopted protectionist measures at the beginning of the 20th century, did they lay the foundations for a long period of economic growth and social progress or did they condemn themselves to the worst crisis in their history, known as the Great Depression? I am convinced that a rigorous response to these questions (and to many other issues that appear more or less implicitly in this article) can help us to make useful and courageous decisions, in the current very complex context that we must face. And, therefore, to build a better future for all of us. Especially, if we understand this "us" in the broadest and most generous sense of the word. With this ambition and sustained effort, Catalonia and Barcelona must be an open and welcoming space for diverse knowledge, so as to contribute to a better Europe and a better world. This is the Republican undertaking. Oriol Junqueras, president of Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya, has been in pre-trial detention now for one year and one month. Royal Air Maroc is expected to be implemented into oneworld in mid-2020, when it will start flying alongside some of the biggest and best brands in the airline business. Its regional subsidiary Royal Air Maroc Express will join as a oneworld affiliate member at the same time. From then, the recruits will offer the full range of oneworld customer services and benefits, with the one million plus members of Royal Air Marocs Safar Flyer loyalty programme able to earn and redeem rewards on all oneworld member airlines, and with its top tier members able to use the alliances more than 650 airport lounges worldwide. Until then, it is business as usual for Royal Air Maroc and oneworld and its existing member airlines. While Southern Africas Comair, which flies as a franchisee of British Airways, has been a oneworld affiliate member since the alliance lauched in February 1999, Royal Air Maroc will be oneworlds first full member from Africa the only continent, apart from Antarctica, where the alliance has, until now, had no full member. It will also be the alliances first new full member airline signed since 2012 - although Fiji Airways links to the alliance from today as its first oneworld connect partner, the first new membership platform since the alliance was established. Royal Air Maroc is today the largest unaligned carrier in Africa with a transformational strategy well underway to develop it quickly into a truly global airline and the continents leader in terms of both size and quality. It carried 7.3 million passengers last year on a fleet of 55 aircraft, with a network that currently connects its Casablanca base with 94 destinations in 49 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America, including oneworld hubs Doha, London Heathrow, Madrid, Moscow Domodedovo, New York JFK and Sao Paulo. Its schedule today will add 34 new destinations and 21 countries to the oneworld map, taking the alliances network to 1,069 airports in 178 countries and territories Under its ambitious five-year plan, it plans to expand its fleet significantly, carrying 13 million passengers a year across a global network serving 121 destinations in 68 countries. This will add another 15 destinations and nine countries to the alliance network giving the alliance a total of 1,084 destinations in 187 countries and territories. Three established oneworld member airlines British Airways, Iberia and Qatar Airways currently serve three destinations in Morocco between them: Casablanca, Marrakech and Tangier. oneworld Governing Board Chairman Alan Joyce, Group CEO of Qantas, said: Were pleased to welcome Royal Air Maroc to oneworld. Africa is the last major region where oneworld does not have a full member airline - and has one of the fastest predicted air travel growth rates over the next few decades. Royal Air Maroc will deliver greater value for more customers worldwide as we expand our alliance network to a new region. oneworld CEO Rob Gurney noted: When we unveiled our new membership platform oneworld connect in June, we said that in the future oneworld would target as full members large airlines that have a significant presence in the alliances prime target market, providing connections between the worlds leading business centres. Royal Air Maroc is growing into a truly global airline, with its home base Casablanca to be developed into Africas leading aviation gateway while also consolidating its place as Africas number one financial centre. Royal Air Maroc CEO Abdelhamid Addou said: Royal Air Maroc is excited and honored to have been invited to become oneworlds wings of Africa. We look forward to completing our flight on board speedily and smoothly so that we can offer the services and benefits of the worlds best airline alliance to our customers and across our own network as soon as possible. We will be flying alongside the finest collection of air carriers in the skies, while at the same time making it easier for people all over the world to reach our historic and beautiful part of the world. This undoubtedly represents one of the most significant landmarks in our airlines 60-year history and on our journey to establish Royal Air Maroc as the leading airline of Africa. During the first stage, the centre will be carrying out maintenance and overhaul of Mi-8T and Mi-17-1V helicopters operated by EAF. Future plans include mastering of a Mi-17V-5 type. Within 2015-2018 the Holding Company fitted HFDI with the required equipment and conducted personnel training at the Aviation Training Centre of Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant. Moreover, basing on the audit results of the MRO centre Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant has already issued a statement on the centres readiness to perform helicopter overhaul. One of the key objectives of JSC Russian Helicopters is to organize a system of after-sales support providing first-class service throughout the complete life cycle of Russian-made rotorcraft. The holding intends to continue expanding its global network of authorized service centres. Over the past three years, in cooperation with our partners from HFDI we have performed a tremendous job establishing the MRO centre for Russian-made rotorcraft at the factorys facilities. The Egyptian side is already in process of performing a pilot Mi-8T and Mi-17-1V overhaul upon the results of which we plan to proceed with certification of the centre, announced Igor Chechikov, deputy director general for After-Sales Support of JSC Russian Helicopters. "Egypt is a long-standing and strategically important partner for Rostec. We cooperate in a wide range of areas. At the same time, helicopter industry and after-sales service of equipment are one of the key areas of our cooperation," said Viktor Kladov, Director for international cooperation and regional policy at Rostec. "Certification of the helicopter service centre in Egypt opens up new opportunities for expanding cooperation with local partners." The carrier is re-launching services to Calicut after a period of three and a half years, when the airline stopped services in May 2015 because of runway restrictions of wide body aircraft due to runway re-carpeting. The airline will operate nonstop services from both Jeddah and Riyadh to Calicut on a split schedule four-times-weekly and three-times-weekly, respectively. A widebody Airbus A330-300 in a two-class configuration economy and business will be operated on the route, availing 36 seats in Business Class and 262 seats in Economy Class. The total journey time is approximately five hours and thirty minutes. With the resumption of the Calicut route, Saudia flies to a total of nine points in India: Bangalore, Calicut, Chennai, Cochin, Mumbai, Trivandrum , Delhi, Hyderabad, and Lucknow. On 4 December 2018, the Estonian Centre for Defence Investment (Riigi Kaitseinvesteeringute Keskus) has announced that the U.S. company Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) is the winner of the contest for a contract to supply 16,000 automatic assault rifles to the army. Estonian Defence Forces are currently equipped with two kind of rifles: the Galil (used by the 1st Infantry Brigade) and the AK4 (a licensed G3 clone used by the 2nd Infantry Brigade) (Picture source: Youtube) According to a statement made on 4 December, at the proposal of the Tender Committee, LMT was declared the winner in the tender for the supply of 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm assault rifles for the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) and the countrys other armed structures. Under the planned contract, Estonia will buy some 16,000 firearms with additional equipment for 22 million during the 2019-2021 period. The Estonian military hope to receive the first of the new assault rifles by the 24th February, Estonian Independence Day, 2019. The contract must also include an option for the purchase of additional weapons through 2026. 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. McLeod said the council meant to change the law to allow snowballs, while still prohibiting missiles. "Today's kids need reasons to play outside", he told the town council. The ban on snowball fights is part of a larger ordinance that makes it illegal to throw or shoot stones or missiles at people, animals, buildings, trees, or any other public or private property or vehicles. That is, until Dane came along. Dane Best of Severance, Colorado made his argument at a meeting of the town board Monday night, leading the members to unanimously lift the ban. He delivered a presentation on the subject to a local town board, who backed his message on Monday night. Brooke Best Dane Best will go down in history as the first person to throw a newly legal snowball in Severance. "He wanted to throw it at his little brother, but the mayor said, 'For the first snowball, let's throw it in a grassy area, ' so he tossed it out there", said Brooke Best. Speaking in front of a crowd of residents and media, Best told town trustees that because of the almost 100-year-old ban, which classified snowballs as a type of missile, he couldn't throw a snowball without worrying about breaking the law, or getting into trouble. But Best took aim at the law, enlisting his elementary school classmates to write letters to the board. Dane Best, 9, thought the law was "silly". 'The children of Severance want the opportunity to have a snowball fight like the rest of the world, ' he told the board, according to The Greeley Tribune. Although he faced hard questions from the board-including: "Can we amend this ordinance to say that if you're over 60, no one can throw a snowball at you?"-officials were impressed with the boy's performance and agreed to repeal the ban". "Following that he received a little plaque and a gift card that had to be used to buy a snowball maker", Rietkerk said. According to Mayor McLeod, the "snowball ordinance" had never been enforced and no one had ever been cited for it. "We are proud of him for taking initiative to make some change, no matter how small it may be", Derrick Best, Dane's father, told KCNC. "I thought it was insane", Best told Fox 31 Denver. And Dane may not be stopping at snowballs. He and his family also researched laws in Severance, as he prepared for his presentation. But Dane has a guinea pig, which is technically illegal. 43-year-old John Davidson died earlier this week, from the injuries he sustained after he was dragged by his wifes pickup truck outside their home, in a residential community in Chowchilla, Fresno, California. Though considered a homicide, police are yet to make any arrests.You know what they say: the spouse did it. Lieutenant Jeff Palmer from the Chowchilla Police Department tells ABC30 Action News that John and Amber Davidson were involved in a domestic dispute prior to the incident that killed him. Amber told the police that, during the fight, she got into the pickup truck and he started punching the door, presumably in an attempt to make her get out.She tried to drive away and he latched onto the door, which means she dragged him a few feet with the car, before falling to the ground, she claimed.The strange thing about the story is that Amber never called 911, even though she saw the condition her husband was in after she hit him with the car. In fact, she went and called a male friend who helped her get the husband in the backseat of the car, and then drove with him to another friends house. It was that friend who called the cops.When police arrived, Davidson was still in the backseat, covered in blood and gravely injured. He died at the hospital. Lt. Palmer notes that the wife is cooperating with the investigation, but they are still to determine whether forensic evidence backs up her story.We were told that he fell backwards. And we have to look for the injuries to see are they consistent with a fall backwards or was there something more toward his facial area or falling forward? Lt. Palmer explains.We do not know at this time with the dispute was about. We don't have any witnesses at this time who actually saw the incident occur, he adds. None of the neighbors heard the couple fighting or anything of the moment when she ran him over. AMG HP The most obvious is a set of black alloys which have double rims. This could very well be an aftermarket alloy, as we've seen something similar happening while the GLS was testing a few months back.A few days ago, we saw the GLE 53 Coupe . That's 53, not 63, as the model packs the same 3-liter hybridengine as the CLS 53 . But we're dealing with the big V8 model here, which you can tell both from the design and the throatiness of the quad exhaust.While the 53's body it is similar to the AMG Line, this GLE 63 model has wider fenders, beefy side skirts, lower suspension, and a different front end. This is defined by the Panamerican grille design, which sticks out further, plus larger air intakes which are connected to actual intercoolers, not just pieces of decorative plastic.The only thing that's reminiscent of the older GLE 63, which we saw drag racing only a few days ago, is that D-pillar glass. But the narrow taillights with double triangular designs tell a new story.Likewise, if we were to pop the hood of this thing, we'd find that it now features the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 in place of that 5.5-liter unit. The output is unknown at the moment, but we believe it will be identical to the E63 and E63, which would be about 20more than before. There's also a 639 HP version in the AMG GT 63 S 4-door, but this is not a model that's defined purely by power. Instead, we only have to look at the big AMG logos on the new infotainment system to realize how far the luxury game has come. The Philippine-spec model looks similar to the one that was previewed during the 2018 Kuala Lumpur International Motor Show. With that, it adapts the 'mini-Elantra' design with dramatic curves and sweeps throughout the body. There's the signature Y-shaped grill as seen in the Santa Fe and Kona, along with more aggressive upswept headlights. It's been in Western markets for quite some time already. We even thought it would be a long wait until we got it, but now it's here. Yes, the all-new Hyundai Accent has arrived in the Philippines. Not only that, we are the first country in the ASEAN region to officially get it. A bold character line that strikes through the doors defines its sides. Also, the window line sweeps upwards, and the rood gets a coupe-like profile. As for the rear, it gets slim wraparound tail lights and a rounded off rear bumper. Inside, it's a dramatic change from the soon to be outgoing model. The dashboard layout is similar to that to the Elantra with its T-bar arrangement. Its radio is set higher than before and is flanked by air-conditioning vents. Air-con controls are also set higher, freeing up space in the center console. A thicker-rimmed steering wheel and new multi-information display graphics greet the driver. Standard on all models are rear air-conditioning vents. Two engine options are available in the Philippine-spec Accent. It starts with the familiar 1.4-liter gas engine making 100 PS and 132 Nm of torque. For those hoping for the diesel model, we're glad to report that Hyundai Philippines will continue offering it in the all-new model. Specs are still the same meaning that 1.6-liter CRDI still makes 128 PS and 260 Nm of torque. As for transmission options, it's either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic for the gas models, and a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The 2019 Hyundai Accent is available in six variants, as listed below: Hyundai Accent 1.4 GL M/T (no airbag) Hyundai Accent 1.4 GL A/T (no airbag) Hyundai Accent 1.4 GL M/T (with airbag) Hyundai Accent 1.4 GL A/T (with airbag) Hyundai Accent 1.6 GL CRDI M/T Hyundai Accent 1.6 GL CRDI A/T Final prices have yet to be determined. According to Hyundai Philippines, the 2019 Accent will range from Php 725,000 to Php 1,000,000. Image: Ian Kluft CC BY-SA 4.0 The path is now clear for the proposed closure of San Jose, Californias Reid-Hillview airport (RHV) after a 3-2 vote by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday against accepting further FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funds. In addition to being a designated reliever airport for San Jose International Airport (SJC), RHV is also home to San Jose State Universitys Aviation Department flight operations and numerous aviation businesses. Owing to grant obligations associated with previously accepted AIP funding, the airport must be kept open until 2031. One option being proposed involves the consolidation of RHV operations to San Martin (E16), the other airport operated by the county. AOPA weighed in on the proposal before Tuesdays vote in a letter (PDF) that strongly opposed the relocation of RHV operations and the closure of the airport. The organization called RHV a viable and important community asset, warning that the loss of RHV would move a significant number of the 160,000 operations to SJC likely causing additional congestion and delays in airline operations at SJC. In a report relating to Santa Clara Countys Airport Business Plan Update, the county notes lead emissions as a reason to consider closing RHV, citing a 2008 study by the EPA that ranked the airport 25th out of 3,414 airport facilities across the country for the amount of lead emitted annually. It has also been suggested that the airport land could be used to address the countys need for affordable housing. Other community concerns noted include aircraft noise and plane crashes. An unfolding investigation by election officials into allegations of "concerted fraudulent" absentee mail-in ballots in North Carolina has roiled one of the countrys last unresolved midterm House races, increasing the possibility that a new contest could be ordered. The big picture: The allegations leveled against the campaign of Republican Mark Harris, who holds an unofficial 905-vote lead over his Democratic opponent Dan McCready, run counter to the baseless claims of rampant voter fraud by Democrats often trumpeted by President Trump and other Republican officials. What we know: The investigation by the North Carolina Board of Elections comes after it declined to certify results for the 9th congressional district race last month, citing "claims of numerous irregularities and concerted fraudulent activities related to absentee by-mail ballots." Leslie McCrae Dowless, who worked for Harris' campaign as a contractor, is reportedly at the center of the probe. He has been accused of collecting and filling out hundreds of voters absentee ballots illegal in a state that mandates all absentee ballot envelopes must be signed by two witnesses and dropped off by voters or their close relatives. Reports from WSOC and Popular Information revealed an unusual number of returned ballots in Bladen County signed by the same witnesses. One woman who signed 28 ballots as a witness told WSOC that Dowless paid her $75 to $100 a week to pick up absentee ballots. She said he didnt inform her the practice was illegal. Dowless has denied any wrongdoing, though the AP reports that Bladen's elections board has recorded that he submitted over 500 ballots. An analysis by Catawba College political science professor Michael Bitzer found that McCready won the absentee vote in seven of the eight counties that make up the House seat but not Bladen County. In Bladen, just 19% of accepted absentee mail ballots were cast by Republicans, but Harris still won more than 60% of the accepted absentee mail vote there. Bitzer writes, "Harris would have also received almost all the registered unaffiliated voters and/or some Democratic registered voters to make it to 62 percent of the vote." What they're saying: Incoming House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday that Democrats could refuse to seat Harris until questions in the case are resolved. Under law, the House has the authority to investigate and propose a solution. Meanwhile, Trump and national Republicans have largely remained silent. But Robin Hayes, chair of the North Carolina Republican Party, urged the state election board to certify Harris as the winner "while the investigation continues." What's next: The election board will hold a hearing on the allegations on or before Dec. 21. It could call a new election if it determines that the irregularities have tainted the race's result and cast doubts on its fairness. Go deeper: Angela Merkel is calling it quits as chair of Germanys Christian Democratic Union (CDU), after heading the center-right party for 18 years, and a vote at Fridays party convention in Hamburg will determine the next CDU chair. Why it matters: The victor will be positioned to succeed Merkel as chancellor and influence whether she stays or bows out before her term ends in 2021. Background: Although known for her caution, Merkel has been a shrewd disrupter of the German party system and has moved the CDU to the middle of the political spectrum. Under her watch, Germany has abolished military conscription, accelerated the phaseout of nuclear power, admitted more than a million migrants in 2015, and established a minimum wage. But these changes have led to hand-wringing in the CDU over the loss of conservative positions. Merkels reliance on the other major party, the Social Democrats (SPD), to build three of four coalitions has caused the SPD to free fall in the polls and prompted competition from smaller parties. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has also become the largest opposition party in the federal parliament and holds seats in all of Germanys 16 state legislatures. Three candidates are vying to win a majority of the 1,001 delegate votes. The top two contenders represent two different directions for the party. Known as Merkel 2.0, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK) has Merkels blessing and would stay the course. Friedrich Merz, the chancellors rival from political contests past, would push the party to the right. Merz recently won a key endorsement from elder statesman and former finance minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. In the event of a run-off, the third candidate, current health minister Jens Spahn, may also throw his support to Merz to push him over the finish line. The bottom line: The race between AKK and Merz will be seen as a bellwether of Germanys political future and a test of whether the CDU can ultimately weaken the AfD and strengthen the European Union. If Merz prevails, it would also be harder for Merkel to hang on until the end of her term, because of a potential clash in personalities and Merz's likely eagerness for a snap election while he is still a quasi-fresh face. Sudha David-Wilp is a senior transatlantic fellow and deputy director of the German Marshall Funds Berlin office. The Dow plunged 700 points on Thursday over fear of escalating tensions between the U.S. and China two days after a 799 point dive on Tuesday. Thought bubble: Stocks rallied Monday on hopes that Trump had declared a truce in the trade war with China. But now theyre more than 1,000 points below their level going into the Trump-Xi dinner. News that Huaweis CFO has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the U.S. has markets worried the trade war is still ongoing. She will have a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The ministry added it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng. Ian McLeod, a spokesman for the justice department, refused to say why Meng, who is also the deputy chair of the board of Huawei, is being sought for extradition. We'll update you as this story continues. USA media have reported that the United States is investigating Huawei for potential violations of U.S. sanctions against Iran. Meng is now facing extradition to the United States. Meanwhile unconfirmed reports surfaced in April that the U.S. was investigating Huawei for possibly violating Iran export bans, a scenario that got fellow Chinese firm ZTE into significant trouble earlier this year. A spokesperson from the federal Justice Department said the chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies was arrested. Meng adopted her mother's surname. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Hua said in April, "We hope the USA will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the USA business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win global trade". Separately, the BBC reported that United Kingdom telco BT will not use Huawei's equipment in its 5G mobile network. "The company believes the Canadian and USA legal system will ultimately reach a just conclusion". The arrest comes as the U.S. has brought a number of legal cases against Chinese technology firms, with accusations such as cyber-security theft and violations of USA sanctions against Iran. Several months after Donald Trump signed a bill into law preventing US government agencies from buying certain products from the Chinese electronics manufacturer, Huawei's CFO has been arrested in Canada. BT was also removing Huawei equipment from its existing 3G and 4G networks. Canada, Australia and New Zealand were among the nations to ban the use of Huawei's equipment due to security concerns. GCSB Minister Andrew Little said the decision to turn down the overseas network provider was because the technology was too risky - not because the company is Chinese. The White House is making the case that several big countries are having doubts about the Paris climate deal even as the weekend brought a stark sign of U.S. isolation. Why it matters: The administration's claims of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Russia having second thoughts about the Paris deal came just ahead of a UN summit kicking off in Poland this week focused on implementing the 2015 agreement. Driving the news: The communique from the G20 summit in Argentina endorsed a "full implementation" of the Paris agreement, but the U.S. dissented from that section of the otherwise joint declaration. The intrigue: A senior administration official told reporters in Buenos Aires on Saturday that negotiation of the pro-Paris section was contentious. "[W]hat you're starting to see is you're seeing a little bit of the coalition fraying. Countries like Turkey, like Saudi Arabia, like Russia, might be second-guessing some of that." "I think our message was resonating in the room, because that was the last issue to close, and there were other countries who are thinking long and hard about whether they still wanted to remain committed to that paradigm." The AFP's reporting backs up some of these claims. They cited a French source who said a "certain number of countries" hesitated before confirming their commitment to Paris. It's worth noting that the administration official said China by far the world's biggest carbon emitter was not among the second-guessers. What they're saying: Andrew Light of the non-profit World Resources Institute tells Axios that the weekend events don't signal that the Paris pact is ailing. "I havent been through a single one of these in the last 10 years where there hasnt been some kind of rumor about defections among the parties on their commitment to climate action. Usually, the focus is on the same three: Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey." Light, a State Department climate aide under President Obama, notes that the other 19 countries ultimately agreed to the declaration that calls Paris "irreversible" a term also in last year's G20 communique. "If there was real backsliding going on here, then they could not have reaffirmed such strong language." But, but, but: Robert Stavins, a Harvard expert on climate diplomacy, tells Axios that Trump's intention to abandon Paris has emboldened some other countries. "[T]he White House recognizes that its authoritarian government friends Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia may find it easier to pull back from the Paris Agreement (for which all three were already unenthusiastic, to say the least), given the protective cover for such action given by the authoritarian president of the United States in his 2017 announcement." Threat level: This year's annual UN conference is unfolding amid new strains in global climate diplomacy and fresh signs of the hurdles to sharply cutting global emissions. Brazil, an ecologically vital country with an incoming far-right president, has backed out of hosting next year's UN conference. And global carbon emissions rose for the last two years, ending a three-year hiatus. Go deeper: George H.W. Bush's casket is on its way to Texas aboard Air Force One's Special Air Mission 41, following a moving state funeral at the National Cathedral. What's next: He will lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston until Thursday when the church will host a memorial service in his honor. Bush will be buried at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, alongside his wife, Barbara Bush, who passed away earlier this year, and their daughter, Robin, who passed after battling childhood cancer. The arrest and pending extradition of Huawei chief financial officer Wanzhou Meng for violating Iran sanctions may have quick, dramatic impacts in international politics and global technology sales. Why it matters: The beleaguered Chinese electronics and telecommunications equipment firm is now facing geopolitical crises on two fronts: British BT just barred use of Huawei products in its 5G network. The arrest of Meng, the CFO and daughter of the company's founder, is a calamity on top of an already bad situation. We may have cornered a wounded corporation. "Huawei is one of the Chinese government's pet companies," said James Lewis, director of technology policy at the CSIS think tank and a former Commerce Department official who worked on Chinese high tech policy. "They will retaliate and China will take hostages." "If I was an American tech executive, I wouldn't travel to China this week," Lewis added. Background: Meng was arrested in Canada and will be extradited to the United States. The U.S. has investigated Huawei for export violations since 2016. Huawei denies all charges. In a statement, it wrote, "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. The company believes the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion." The charges echo similar charges against ZTE. Both Chinese companies manufacture tech equipment. ZTE has twice admitted to sending equipment to Iran and North Korea, ultimately settling for a $1 billion fine and organizational changes. Huawei, like ZTE, is often accused by U.S. lawmakers of sabotaging its products to allow Chinese surveillance. Those allegations have led many nations, including the U.S., to bar the firms' equipment from use in telecommunications projects. Ironically, Canada which made the arrest has not banned Huawei equipment. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) celebrated the arrest in an email to Axios and encouraged Canada to reverse course on permitting Huawei wares. "[Huawei] has long posed a serious risk to U.S. national security, and I continue to strongly urge Canada to reconsider Huaweis inclusion in any aspect of its 5G development, introduction, and maintenance," he wrote. Trump's choice for an open Federal Energy Regulatory Commission seat has been confirmed by a 50-49 margin despite a late twist that arrives at an interesting moment in energy politics. Driving the news: West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin unexpectedly opposed Bernard McNamee in a procedural vote yesterday, citing his early 2017 comments recently unearthed by the publication Utility Dive. "After viewing video footage, which I had not previously seen, where Bernard McNamee outright denies the impact that humans are having on our climate, I can no longer support his nomination to be a FERC commissioner." Joe Manchin, in statement Why it matters: The change of heart arrives as some progressive activists are pressing Democratic leaders to block Manchin from becoming the ranking Democrat on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. They say Manchin is too close to the fossil fuel industry, citing his acceptance of campaign contributions. The big question: Whether yesterday's surprise move will affect the internal Democratic caucus politics around Manchin's potential ascension on the committee. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has declined comment on calls to block him. Yes, but: Don't look for activists to end their campaign against Manchin. "A last minute flip on McNamee doesnt erase a career of putting polluters ahead of people. Manchin has the worst climate record of any Democratic Senator," 350.org's Jamie Henn tells Axios. The Sunrise Movement said they still oppose his rise on the panel. Go deeper: Climate politics moves up the Democrats' priority list The forest in Tangier is often the last stop for many migrants from sub-Saharan African countries. The police routinely raids the forest, where migrants are sleeping under the trees, and takes them to the south of the country. Photo: Faras Ghani/Al Jazeera Tangier/Rabat/Casablanca, Morocco Moroccan authorities are using force and committing human rights violations amid efforts to block migrants from crossing into Europe, migrants and rights groups told Al Jazeera. The backdrop: Almost 50,000 of the 54,922 arrivals into Spain this year have been by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 2,000 people have died in the Mediterranean trying to reach the European country, with over 550 of them having departed from Morocco. The numbers would have been far greater if Morocco had not prevented nearly 70,000 attempts to cross into Spain this year, authorities in the North African country say. "Since 2004, we've aborted 500,000 attempts to cross into Europe, mainly via sea, and dismantled around 3,000 networks. We have around 13,000 guards in the north covering around 1,100km. That patrolling is costing Morocco over 200m euros ($228m) annually," Khalid Zerouali, Morocco's border control chief, said. These "preventive measures" include routine police raids to move migrants "Morocco is using these migrants as a pressure card in negotiations with the European Union, says Said Tbel, of the Moroccan Human Rights Association. It takes them to the border cities to put pressure on Europe. When they get what they want, these migrants are moved back south." "I have been taken to the south 10 times," a migrant from Ivory Coast Go deeper... Mark Zuckerberg this year reportedly told Facebook officials that the company is at war. He's right. Facebook is facing a new kind of existential threat, not from competitors, but rather from an adversary who can neither be acquired nor competed against: governments, particularly in Europe. Driving the news: The decision by Damian Collins, a British lawmaker, to publish highly sensitive, unredacted internal Facebook emails is aggressive, uncompromising, and further intensifies the European battleground an arena where Facebook has little to no political support. Facebook has faced such threats domestically, and has responded by hiring attack dogs in D.C. It also has on its side Facebook-friendly senators like New York's Chuck Schumer. Europe has few if any equivalents. It also has on its side Facebook-friendly senators like New York's Chuck Schumer. Europe has few if any equivalents. The emails published by Collins could not be published in the U.S., where they are under a court-ordered seal. But Collins is not subject to U.S. jurisdiction, and happily sent the UK's Serjeant-at-Arms to demand the material. The gambit was legally dubious, but it worked. The lesson, for Zuckerberg: Foreign adversaries do not play by U.S. rules. Facebook was already facing a formidable threat in the form of Margrethe Vestager, the EU's competition commissioner. After all, Facebook already comprises half of a duopoly controlling 75% of the digital advertising market, and it's growing fast. Calls to break it up are being taken increasingly seriously. Internally, Facebook considers itself to be a business, acting as businesses do. Mark Zuckerberg's defense, in large part, boils down to "Running a development platform is expensive," in a world where Facebook needs to make money. (Facebook had $43.7 billion of gross profit in its last four quarters, and $24.4 billion in operating income.) But the company is grappling with a growing trust deficit with its users the people who elect politicians like Damian Collins. Facebook's sheer size and influence over global communication has made governments want to check its power. For example: On January 24, 2013, Twitter launched Vine, a short-form video service it acquired pre-launch. Later that same day, Mark Zuckerberg personally signed off on a scheme to make it impossible for Vine users to find their friends via Facebook. Zuckerberg's explanation for his action is that he "didn't allow developers to use our platform to grow their services virally in a way that creates little value for people on Facebook." In the U.S., such behavior can be defended as healthy, red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalist competition. such behavior can be defended as healthy, red-in-tooth-and-claw capitalist competition. To European eyes, however, it looks more like an anti-competitive attempt to strangle Vine a potential competitor at birth. Don't forget: There's a fundamental difference in how regulators view monopolies (and duopolies) on either side of Atlantic. U.S. antitrust law evaluates monopolies in terms of potential direct harm to consumers, such as rising prices as a result of a firm's dominance. Simply being a monopoly is not illegal. In Europe, regulators act to preserve competition, whether or not there is evidence of direct consumer harm. The bottom line: Mark Zuckerberg signaled his contempt of Europe's governance structures when he refused to appear in front of Collins's committee last month. That snub will not soon be forgotten. Zuckerberg has made an enemy of European lawmakers, which might not be wise. Those lawmakers have a fearsome arsenal. Go deeper: What we learned from the Facebook papers The leaders of 11 political forces running in Armenias snap parliamentary elections faced off late on Wednesday in a televised debate marked by bitter verbal exchanges between Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and the Republican Partys Vigen Sargsian. The ten men and one woman discussed political, economic and security challenges facing the country for three and a half hours. The live debate, the first of its kind in Armenia, was hosted by the Armenian Public Television three days before the elections which Pashinians My Step alliance is widely expected to win. Pashinian and Sargsian repeatedly clashed during the lively discussion, trading recriminations and interrupting each other. The mutual accusations escalated into a shouting match at one point. Nevertheless, the two men shook hands at the end of the debate as did the other participants, including Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian, Dashnaktsutyuns Armen Rustamian and two former Pashinian allies. Pashinian again portrayed the upcoming vote as a final chapter of this springs velvet revolution that toppled Republican Party (HHK) Chairman Serzh Sarkisians government and brought him to power. No vote will be stolen, he said. No vote bribes will be handed out. In his opening remarks, the 43-year-old prime minister called his socioeconomic policies a success, saying that his government has cut some taxes, raised poverty benefits, and lowered mortgage rates for young families. He also claimed to have eliminated systemic corruption. Im sure that more corruption cases will be exposed soon, said Pashinian. Predictably, Sargsian strongly criticized the new governments track record and said the HHK is the only party seriously challenging Pashinian and capable of holding him in check. Armenians, he said, can decide on Sunday whether country will become a one-man dictatorship or have a balanced parliament. The former defense minister, who is also 43, blamed the government for the fact that economic growth in Armenia has slowed since April. He went on to accuse it of poisoning free speech, creating serious threats to Nagorno-Karabakh and damaging Armenias relations with Russia. Citing Pashinians leaked phone calls with the head of Armenias most powerful security agency, Sargsian also claimed that local courts are acting on the premiers orders. If this was really the case, 90 percent of your party would be in jail now, Pashinian shot back. He again accused the former government of having systematically plundered the country. There cannot be a corrupt government in Armenia anymore because the people know now that it can be sorted out within a week, he said, referring to the April-May mass protests. Sargsian, who also faced verbal attacks from several other participants of the debate, countered that Pashinian is sticking to key policy decisions that were made by the HHK government, including Armenias accession to the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union. For 10 years you accused authorities of everything, said Sargsian. Now you refute what opposition leader Pashinian said on a daily basis. Pashinian was then challenged by Rustamian to elaborate on his position on the Karabakh conflict. The Dashnaktsutyun leader seemed unconvinced by the premiers assurances that no peace deal with Azerbaijan can be put into practice without popular approval. He touted his partys hard line on the unresolved conflict and, in particular, its opposition to major territorial concessions to Baku. Meanwhile, Tsarukian, who refrained from criticizing the current or former authorities, was unexpectedly attacked by Edmon Marukian, the leader of the Bright Armenia party that was until recently allied to Pashinian. Marukian questioned the tycoons involvement in politics and said that the latters Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) has accomplished little despite finishing second in the last three parliamentary elections. What have you, Mr. Marukian, accomplished until now except talking? Tsarukian asked after defending his entrepreneurial activities and asserting his desire to be useful to our country. Im a politician, replied Marukian. He reaffirmed Bright Armenias stated goal of being the second largest party in the new Armenian parliament. The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan have held fresh negotiations on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict which they both described as useful. Zohrab Mnatsakanian and Elmar Mammadyarov met in Milan late on Wednesday for a third time in five months. The Armenian Foreign Ministry said afterwards that the two men engaged in a useful exchange of views in the presence of U.S., Russian and French mediators co-chairing the OSCE Minsk Group. I think that the negotiations, which lasted for three hours, were important and useful in terms of better understanding the parties positions, Mammadyarov said, for his part. The Trend news agency also quoted Mammadyarov as saying that he and Mnatsakanian will likely meet again next month. The Armenian Foreign Ministry likewise said the two ministers agreed to continue their meetings soon and thus maintain the current dynamic of the negotiating process. Their latest talks came over two months after Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev briefly spoke with each other on sidelines of a summit of ex-Soviet states held in Tajikistans capital Dushanbe. Pashinian said they agreed to stop ceasefire violations in the conflict zone, including by launching direct communication links. The Minsk Group co-chairs noted a significant drop in such violations after visiting Baku, Stepanakert and Yerevan last month. In a joint statement, they praised the conflicting parties for implementing constructive measures in good faith and voiced support for Aliyevs and Pashinians readiness to continue their dialogue. Visiting Yerevan in late October, U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Washington hopes Pashinian will take decisive steps to help resolve the Karabakh conflict after his likely victory in Armenias December 9 parliamentary elections. Bolton told RFE/RLs Armenian service that there is no better time to try and take decisive action than right after that election. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian hit out at non-Russian members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) on Thursday, saying that they do not seem to be acting like Armenias allies. Armenias has proved, both before and now, the fact of its being a loyal ally. Unfortunately, we cannot say the same thing about all of our CSTO partners, Pashinian said after taking part in a summit in Saint Petersburg of another Russian-led bloc, the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). Therefore, we are telling them: lets clarify our relationships. Are we allies or not? If we are allies then we must honor our [CSTO] obligations, he told members of the Armenian community in Russias second largest city. We do not understand actions that run counter to those obligations, he said. We need to know on whom we can rely and on whom we cant. I am convinced that the CSTO can prevent Azerbaijan from succumbing to a temptation to resolve the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with military methods. So is the CSTO going to use that instrument or not? added Pashinian. The Armenian leader appeared to primarily refer to Belarus, whose long-serving President Alexander Lukashenko has openly opposed the appointment of another Armenian secretary general of the CSTO. Kazakhstans President Nursultan Nazarbayev sided with Lukashenko at a CSTO summit held last month. Both Lukashenko and Nazarbayev maintain warm relations with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Belarus has been a major supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan. Lukashenko made a point of publicly reaffirming his position on the issue of CSTO secretary general at a November 12 meeting with a senior diplomat from Azerbaijan. Pashinian condemned the move, saying that he will demand explanations from the Belarusian as well as Kazakh leaders at the next CSTO summit. The summit was due to take place in Saint Petersburg on Thursday. But it was cancelled due to the CSTO member states continuing failure to reach consensus on the next head of the organization. Russian President Vladimir Putin hosted instead a summit of the EEU, which comprises five of the six ex-Soviet republics making up the CSTO. Pashinian did not mention the CSTO controversy in his opening remarks at the EEU gathering. He stressed instead the trade blocs importance to the Armenian economy. He touted a 15 percent rise in Armenias trade with Russia and the other EEU member states recorded in the first ten months of this year. Armenia is interested in a further deepening of integration processes in the EEU, added Pashinian. Meanwhile, Lukashenko was reported to claim in Saint Petersburg that a representative of Belarus will be named CSTO secretary general after all. We unexpectedly nearly held a session of the CSTO and solved, in principle, the problem of appointing secretary general, the BelTa news agency quoted him as saying. Pashinians press secretary, Arman Yeghoyan, denied the claim. The issue has still not been solved, he told the Interfax news agency. As you know, there was no CSTO meeting. Armenias position on the issue hasnt changed. The CSTO leaders were joined by the presidents of several other ex-Soviet states for a separate meeting held in the Russian city later in the day. Prosperous Armenia Party (BHK) leader Gagik Tsarukian on Thursday criticized as too negative a landmark televised debate between the leaders of 11 Armenian political forces running for parliament. Tsarukian, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and the nine other leaders discussed late on Wednesday political, economic and security challenges facing Armenia for more than three hours. Pashinian clashed with his most vocal opponent, Vigen Sargsian of the former ruling Republican Party (HHK), throughout the live debate hosted by Armenian Public Television. Sargsian was also attacked by some of the other participants. Tsarukian steered clear of the verbal exchanges until he was unexpectedly criticized by Bright Armenia Party leader Edmon Marukian. The tycoon hit back at the latter, defending his involvement in both politics and business. It wasnt to my liking, Tsarukian said of the debate as he campaigned for Sundays parliamentary elections in Gyumri. Every party leader should have presented his views, programs, approaches in detail and said what he would do in concrete spheres. The BHK leader, who hopes to finish second in the elections, said he would have liked to hear more detailed statements from his opponents on how to improve the socioeconomic situation in the country. It looked like each leader wanted to win some dividends at the expense of others, he told reporters. I thought that everyone is going to say how they would go about developing a particular sphere. Campaigning in Gyumri, Tsarukian was again mobbed by scores of impoverished people who handed him letters asking for material or other assistance. All letters will be read and presented to Tsarukian and will get answers after the elections, he said, adding that he cannot help anyone before the polls because that would be deemed vote buying by electoral authorities. The United States is not part of any output-limiting initiative due to its anti-trust legislation and fragmented oil industry. Saudi Arabia sought to persuade Russian Federation on Wednesday to cut oil production substantially with OPEC next year in an attempt to arrest a decline in the price of crude and prevent another global glut. The move would mean reducing production by more than 1 million bpd. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies continued to haggle over the size of potential crude-production cuts in Vienna on Wednesday. Over the past month, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed hopes that OPEC would not cut production, then sent out a thank-you-Saudi Arabia tweet and urged for even lower oil prices, while basically declining to blame Saudi Arabia and its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. OPEC meets on Thursday in Vienna, followed by talks with allies such as Russian Federation on Friday. Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States have been vying for the position of top crude producer in recent years. When President Trump announced his decision to pull the US out of the Iran Nuclear Deal and reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic, many oil producers ramped-up production over fears of the effects the sanctions would have on trading. Oil prices have fallen by nearly a third since October to around $62 per barrel after Saudi Arabia raised production to make up for the drop in Iranian exports. "Hopefully, OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted". Iran is suffering both as a result of lower prices and a decline in its oil exports because of the USA sanctions. However, when oil producers realized the sanctions fell far short of what had been expected, fears of oversupply followed. Trump has backed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite calls from many U.S. politicians to impose stiff sanctions on Riyadh. Trump said on Twitter. On the eve of the OPEC meeting, the senior USA official overseeing sanctions on Iran made a rare foray into the group's home turf, for a discreet Viennese breakfast with the cartel's most powerful member. "They'd like to see lower gasoline prices at the pumps, because that's important for votes in the United States." . The Nopec legislation being discussed by USA lawmakers could make it possible to sue Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members for price fixing. "If Mr. Hook has come to Vienna to apply for USA membership in OPEC, and this is the reason why he meets OPEC members, the request can be reviewed", Zanganeh told SHANA. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Belarus and Azerbaijan are working on proposals for cooperation in the petrochemical industry, Ambassador of Belarus to Azerbaijan Gennady Akhramovich said in an interview with the magazine Vestnik Belneftekhima, Belta reported. He said that for the development of cooperation with Azerbaijan in the petrochemical industry, Belarusian producers need to maintain a constant dialogue and direct personal contacts with partners. The ambassador noted that the Azerbaijani petrochemical market doesnt experience shortage of proposals regarding most of the commodity items, and the competition in the market is quite high. In each niche, brands of the worlds leading manufacturers are presented in various prices, and many exporters simultaneously offer preferential terms of supplies, he said. Under these conditions, Belarusian producers need to carry out the work aimed at increasing the quality characteristics of goods, maintain constant dialogue and direct personal contacts with Azerbaijani partners, be flexible in addressing the supply of products and services. In general, systematic work is required in this area. We are working out mutually beneficial proposals, he said. The diplomat also said that petrochemical production in Belarus and Azerbaijan is one of the priority areas, so cooperation in this sphere is very promising. In his opinion, joint coordinated work of all interested structures is important in this direction. He noted that in recent years, under the concluded contracts and agreements between the specialized companies of the two countries, the value of the oil products sold in foreign markets amounted to hundreds of millions of U.S. dollars. Therefore, we are actively working to further expand the Belarusian-Azerbaijani cooperation in this industry, he said. 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. In January-September 2018, trade turnover between the two countries increased 3.3 times and amounted to $331.5 million compared to the same period of 2017. Azerbaijans trade turnover with Belarus amounted to $175.7 million in January-October 2018, and over $158 million of this value accounted for the import of Belarusian products, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee. Over the year, the trade turnover between the two countries increased by 54.8 percent. Azerbaijans first ever Trade House was opened in Belarusian capital Minsk on May 26, 2017. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Narmina Mammadova The Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technologies, Mohammad Javad Jahromi, said that the next meeting of ministers of Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkey will be held next month in Iran, Report informed. The main topic of discussion will be negotiations on the Trans-Eurasian high-speed information highway project (TASIM), he said. The Iranian minister also spoke about cooperation between the countries in the postal area: "Cooperation in this area has been established, and we intend to develop it. Especially we plan to develop postal and financial services." Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) project that is a major regional initiative aiming at creation of transnational fiber-optic backbone targeting primarily the countries of Eurasia from Western Europe to Eastern Asia. During the Ministers Summit held within the framework of the 14th Azerbaijan International Telecommunication and Information Technologies Exhibition and Conference in November 2008, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and Information Technology put forward the initiative to launch a project on building of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM). A special Baku Declaration to create the Transnational Eurasian Information Super Highway was adopted on November 11, 2008 in Baku. On December 21, 2009, the 64th session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution on Transnational Eurasian Information Super Highway. Co-sponsored by 30 countries and adopted by consensus the resolution acknowledges the role of the Republic of Azerbaijan in coordination of TASIM. Since April 2010, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies has established and funded an Executive Group on TASIM as a vehicle for project implementation. The Executive Group, in cooperation with a team of international consultants, created initial business concept for TASIM and negotiated establishment of TASIM consortium with the leading regional countries and operators. In July 2011 in Gabala, as an outcome of this preparatory work, Azerbaijan hosted The First International Workshop on TASIM, with the participation of leading telecom operators from Azerbaijan, China (China Telecom), Kazakhstan (Kaz TransCom), Russia (Rostelecom), Turkey (Turk Telekom) and European Union (Pantel). A Project Secretariat was established during this meetting and the operators agreed to work towards MOU on establishment of TASIM Consortium. The following workshops on the TASIM project were held in Istanbul on October 2-3, 2011 and on 8-9 March of the next year in Budapest. The negotiations on the terms and conditions of consortium management have been continued and signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement respectively. On 21 December 2012, to speed up the fulfilment of the project, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a new resolution, which contributed to the update of political support of the UN for project TASIM. Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, China, Canada, Germany, India, Georgia, Sweden, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Korea, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Moldova, Pakistan, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, United States and Japan were also involved in supporting the project. Azerbaijan and Iran have had diplomatic relations since 1918. Iran recognized Azerbaijan's independence in 1991, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were established in 1992. Currently, some 450 companies with Iranian capital operate in the country. The trade turnover between the countries hit some $15.77 million in January 2017, while the index of last January stands at $9.56 million. In 2016, Azerbaijans trade turnover with Iran amounted to $210.76 million, which is 70 percent more than in 2015. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Many Latvian companies are interested in cooperation with Azerbaijan, Ambassador of Latvia to Azerbaijan Juris Maklakovs said in an interview with Trend. Noting that the Latvian pharmaceutical companies such as GRIDEX and OLAINFARM were represented in Azerbaijan, the ambassador said they are the largest companies in the country and they will expand their business in Azerbaijan if they receive good business proposals. The ambassador expressed his contentment for the opening of Azerbaijan Trade House in Riga, the Latvian capital, in July and noted that Latvia is currently working to open a similar business venture in Baku. Speaking about the priorities of the cooperation, the ambassador drew attention to the issues of trade and investment, education and science, culture and tourism, transport, information and communication technologies, agriculture, environmental protection and construction. Touching upon the investments, Maklakovs noted that Azerbaijans foreign direct investment in Latvia is $12 million, while Latvian foreign direct investment in Azerbaijan is $1 million. Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Latvia were established in 1994. Trade relations are one of the main directions of bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Latvia. Since last year there have been significant improvements in economic ties between Latvia and Azerbaijan. In January-October 2018, the trade turnover between the countries amounted to $19.45 million, of which $1.62 million accounted for exports from Azerbaijan. The Joint Declaration on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership, signed between the two countries in 2017, has contributed to the ongoing political dialogue, the program of economic cooperation, as well as the interaction in the field of education and culture. Latvia appreciates Azerbaijan's role in a number of energy projects, including TAP and TANAP. Although the indicators on mutual trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Latvia are not high so far, progress achieved in this area can be noted in recent years. This year, Azerbaijan's Trade House was opened in Riga, Latvia, on July 23, aimed at promotion of the Made in Azerbaijan brand in the Latvian market, expansion of the export of Azerbaijani products, organization of sales in Latvia and work coordination in this field. At the time, Memorandums of Understanding on export of Azerbaijani products to Latvia were signed between Kaslar LLC and Bina Aqro LLC and Latvian companies. About 70 types of wine products produced by Azerbaijani companies, 26 varieties of cognac, 10 varieties of vodka, 26 types of tea, 23 types of fruit juices and compotes, more than 70 types of products, including vegetable oils, olives, hazelnuts, fruit and vegetable, textile and cosmetic products, industrial goods, tourism services are presented in the trade house. It should be noted that Latvian textile producers plan to create joint production in Azerbaijan in future to export their products to the CIS markets. Azerbaijan invested $ 164 mln to Latvia, while the latter invested $ 84 million in the economy of Azerbaijan so far. About 40 Latvian companies operate in construction, service, industry, communications, transport, trade, banking and insurance sectors of Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Iran's Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi has called for establishment of strong regional organizations to face the US sanctions during his speech at the Caspian Innovation Conference in Baku. "Establishing regional organizations and developing cooperation with neighbors are the solution to the sanctions," he said, Trend reports citing IRNA. The Iranian IT minister attended the Caspian Innovation Conference alongside his counterparts from Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania, Afghanistan and 14 other countries. "We should follow our path to establish regional organizations to face the US unilateral challenge in the region, especially in IT," he said. "The world is entering a new revolution, the fourth industrial revolution or digital transformation," he added. "Iran has had a successful path in digital transformation and young Iranians have done big moves in developing IT," he said. "We are ready to share our experience in digital transformation with other countries," he said. Caspian Innovation Conference is an annual feature event of the BakuTel International Exhibition and covers different themes, such as Broadband Connectivity, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), E-Services Delivery, ICT-based Startups and Innovative SMEs, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Knowledge-based Manufacturing, Cyber-security Readiness, etc. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova One of the factors that have further enhanced democracy in developed countries in recent years is the launch of the e-government. The "Electronic Government" provides information and e-services to all citizens, legal entities and individuals, foreign citizens and stateless persons living in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan by using state-of-the-art information technologies. An e-government executive group has been established in Azerbaijan, Trend reported. The group was created at an event Development of e-government and transition to digital government: new concept and look into future. The event was attended by representatives of various government agencies working in this area. Chairman of the State Agency for Public Services and Social Innovations under the President of Azerbaijan Ulvi Mehtiyev told reporters that the State Agency prepared an action plan for the transition to e-government and a new concept of e-government. The "Electronic Government" provides information and e-services to all citizens, legal entities and individuals, foreign citizens and stateless persons living in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan by using state-of-the-art information technologies. The formation of e-government in our country is based on the international practice, and a legal framework for its activity was established by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan On the approval of State Program (E-Azerbaijan) for the development of communication and information technologies in Azerbaijan Republic in 2010-2012, and by the Decree on approval of Some measures for provision of electronic services by government agencies dated May 23, 2011. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on March 14 on measures to develop e-government and transition to the digital government. According to the decree, the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations has been charged with the implementation and regulation of a state policy on e-government to improve the management system in this area, strengthen state control and improve the efficiency of the conducted work. The e-government portal is a key tool for supporting work with citizens and enterprises in the public and private sectors. It aims to reduce the number of documents requested from citizens, as different bodies will interact with each other electronically. Launched in 2013, the portal currently offers about 400 e-services through 45 government agencies. Over one million citizens are active users of e-services of the state agencies. Moreover, the e-government portal allows for the provision of e-services to citizens of foreign countries. Earlier, the Automated Payment Utility Service of the state payment portal was integrated into the e-government portal, which made online payment more convenient. In 2017, the e-government portal provided more than 23 million e-services. During this period, Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population is the institution that received most applications (9 341 135) through the "E-government" portal. In addition, more than 26,000 "Electronic Signatures" certificates have been put into operation in 2017. It has been more than 5 years that the electronic signature used in our country which is the confirming element of an electronic document, identifies the identity of the process participant in a virtual space, provides secure and flexible execution of electronic document exchange. Recently, the State Property Committee has put into operation the first official address portal of Azerbaijan, aimed at simplify finding of address, to gather address information in the republic in a virtual center, to achieve electronic management of addresses. It should be noted that Azerbaijan took the 19th place among 28 countries in the world ranking of countries that may shift fully to digital technologies in government already in the coming future, compiled by Business Insider based on the Global Competitiveness Survey published by the World Economic Forum. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Karimkhanov Baku hosted Caspian Innovation Conference for the first time within the framework of 24th Azerbaijan International Telecommunications, Innovation and Technology Exhibition Bakutel 2018 on December 5. The aim of the conference on "Digital Linkage for Sustainable Development" is to reduce the digital divide, as well as revise digital connectivity for foreign investments and provide business efficiency. The event brings together government officials, industry leaders, representatives of international organizations, including managers of the region`s largest mobile telecommunications and satellite operators. The conference, which plays the role of a regional platform mainly focuses on a such topics as "Broadband Connection", "Artificial Intelligence", "The Internet of Things", "Electronic Services", "ICT Based Start-ups and Innovative Entrepreneurship", "Fourth Industrial Revolution" and others. Speaking at the conference, Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies Ramin Guluzade noted that until 2020, the frequency range of 700-800 megahertz in Azerbaijan will be reserved for the needs of LTE mobile communication. Technical work on the matter is already underway. "As in international practice, frequencies will be allocated through auctions, and therefore a package of proposals is being prepared for making appropriate amendments to the legislation. Allocating a low frequency range through an auction will reduce the operators' investment burden, liberalize the telecommunications market and promote the wide-range development of the LTE network," Guluzade said. He informed that the internet access is provided to 80 percent of the country's population and the number of wireless broadband users reaches 73 percent. About 68 percent of Azerbaijani households have computers. He also reminded about Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) initiative and its contribution to regional development and regional cooperation. The aim of the project is to establish a transnational fiber optic line from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, from Western Europe to East Asia, that will eliminate "digital distinction" and open new economic opportunities for landlocked Eurasian countries. Later, Minister of Communications and Information Technologies of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Shahzad Gul Aryobee stated that the Caspian Innovation Conference is of great importance to the business community and the contribution of digital link solutions to citizens, as many countries in Eurasia have no access to the open sea and existing broadband internet highways at present. The minister also talked about the importance and advantages of ASAN service, known as the Azerbaijani brand in the world. Iranian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi noted that this important conference in Baku will reveal the potential of the region. He emphasized that establishing cooperation ties in ICT sphere between Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia and Iran, expansion of innovation applications are of global importance, these four states may also take important steps in organizing startups in the region. He has called for establishment of strong regional organizations to face the U.S. sanctions during his speech. Establishing regional organizations and developing cooperation with neighbors are the solution to the sanctions, he said. Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Mehmet Cahit Turhan mentioned that the conference will contribute to the exchange of experience of companies participating in the ICT sector in the region and globally. This platform will also be instrumental in new cooperation, he added. Vice President of Huawei Gregory Fox said that the Caspian Innovation Conference is a significant contribution to Azerbaijan's cooperation with Huawei. Huawei has been operating in Azerbaijan for 16 years and has 130 employees here. He said that the Caspian Innovation Conference is an important platform for important discussions on ICT. Speaking about the introduction of 5G services, Fox said that 4.1 billion people worldwide will use LTE services by 2020. Also, according to estimates, the number of users using 5G services in 2021 will reach 740 million. At present, this service is tested in 66 countries. Then, the conference continued its work with plenary sessions on "The Role of Broadband Connection in Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities", "Future of Broadband Internet: 5G and Post". Speaking on Future of Broadband Internet: 5G and Post, President of Azercell Telecom LLC, Vahid Mursaliyev informed the conference participants on latest achievements of Azercell in LTE network. The main goal of our strategy is to improve the quality of mobile communication everywhere, to expand 4G networks in the regions, to provide the latest services and new business solutions, and to launch affordable mobile devices supporting high-speed internet, he said. The company's president also shared his views on 5G network's prospects which promises positive innovations such as new standard wireless accessory, high speed, easy access to the internet and coverage, more efficient use of energy, and ultra-low latency (30 times more affordable than 4G) used in M2M and IoT applications, saying that the 5G network will set its position on the market for a certain period of time, not at once and Azercell, in turn, is always ready to introduce new technologies, as an approved innovator in Azerbaijan's communications market. Caspian Innovation Conference is an annual feature event of the BakuTel International Exhibition and covers different themes, such as Broadband Connectivity, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), E-Services Delivery, ICT-based Startups and Innovative SMEs, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Knowledge-based Manufacturing, Cyber-security Readiness, etc. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) sold $654.1 million at currency auctions organized by the Central Bank in November 2018, Trend reports citing the Fund Dec. 6. SOFAZ sold to banks $489.6 million in October. Since the beginning of the year, Azerbaijani banks have bought around $5 billion from the Fund. The Oil Fund will continue the sale of foreign currency through auctions in 2018. The sale of currency is carried out as part of SOFAZ transfers to the state budget of Azerbaijan, which are planned to stand at 10.966 billion manats in 2018. The official rate of manat for the next day is determined on the basis of the weighted average rate under transactions concluded with commercial banks in the interbank currency market and auctions. Auctions are held in the format of one-sided currency sale. (1.7 manats = $1 on Dec. 6) -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The CEO of Azercell Telecom joined the Caspian Innovation Conference organized by the Ministry of Transportation, Communication and High Technologies in the framework of Bakutel exhibition. This year Caspian Innovation Conference was held for the first time as part of the Bakutel-2018, the 24th Azerbaijan International Telecommunications, Innovations and High Technologies Exhibition and Conference in our country. The conference initiated by the Ministry of Transportation, Communication and High Technologies was devoted to Digital Connectivity for Sustainable Development with the view of bridging the digital divide, examining the possibilities of digital connectivity for foreign investment and ensuring business efficiency, has brought together government representatives, industry leaders, officials of regulatory structures and international organizations, including heads of major regional telecommunications and satellite operators. Mr. Vahid Mursaliyev, the CEO of Azercell Telecom LLC, took part as a speaker in the conference aimed to discuss opportunities for effective cooperation between all participants in the ICT sector, as well as challenges in the relevant field. Pointing out the importance of Caspian Innovation Conference which was arranged in the framework of Bakutel, the important technological event in our country, CEO expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Transportation, Communication and High Technologies, the main organizer of the event. Mr. Vahid Mursaliyev mentioned Future of broadband mobile internet 5G and beyond" and informed the participants about the latest achievements of Azercell in LTE network. "Currently, our strategy is aimed at improving the quality of mobile communications everywhere, expanding 4G network in the regions, introducing advanced services and new business solutions, improving subscriber services, providing the market with affordable mobile devices supporting high-speed Internet and so on, which will help our subscribers to make their lives and work easier through mobile technology. I have to note that since the beginning of this year we have made large investments on technology projects and network, CEO reported. He emphasized the fact that Azercells market share has grown by 1%, reaching a total of 49%. The company has become a leader in the number of new customers joining Azercell network and the number of mobile Internet users in the current year. CEO shared his opinions about the perspectives of 5G network with participants. He pointed out that the biggest shift in mobile technology to date is already underway, with infrastructure projects happening across the globe. He noted positive changes which promise a step change in new standard wireless communications higher bandwidth, faster speeds, easy access to the Internet, greater availability and coverage, higher energy efficiency, and crucially, ultra-low latency, (30 times better than 4G) used for mission-critical M2M and IoT applications. With data-hungry technologies like virtual reality and extended reality around the corner, networks need to be able to transport a huge amount of data. It is likely that 5G will prevail during a steady roll-out phase, rather than in one big bang. Azercell as an acknowledged trendsetter of the industry in Azerbaijan always keeps finger on the button to deploy technologies of the future, CEO remarked. Elmir Valizada, Deputy Minister of Transportation, Communication and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Atsuko Okuda, Chief of Information and Communication Technology and Development Section at UN ESCAP, Enriko Albertin, Director of Global Operations for Cisco Country Digitization Acceleration Program, Mehmet Toros, Turk Telecom International Group CEO, Kaan Terzioghlu, CEO of Turkcell LLC, and others joined the event and exchanged opinions on the topic. Remarkably, the topics such as Broadband Connection, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Electronic Services, ICT based startups and innovative entrepreneurship, Fourth Industrial Revolution , Knowledge-Based Manufacturing, Cyber-attack preparation were discussed in the conference. From now on, the Conference is to be traditionally held every year in the framework of Bakutel international exhibition. For more information, please contact [email protected] The leader of the mobile communication industry, the largest taxpayer and the biggest investor of the non-oil sector of Azerbaijan Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile telecom market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory (excluding 20% of the occupied territories) and 99,8% of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, mobile internet services, Metro coverage, 24/7 call centre service, 7 day/week Front Office service, M2M services, one-stop-shopping approach Azercell Express offices, Online Customer Care and Social Media Customer Care services, Mobile Customer Care office, mobile e-signature service ASAN Imza etc. Azercell deployed first 4G LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. --- By Laman Ismayilova Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra will give a concert in Baku. The event will take place at the Azerbaijan State Philharmonic Hall on December 5. The orchestra will be conducted by Peoples Artist of Azerbaijan Rauf Abdullayev and talented Russian violinist Sergey Dogadin, Day.Az reported. It's not the first visit of the Russian musician to Azerbaijan's capital. In 2017, Dogadin performed at the closing of the 9th Mstislav Rostropovich International Festival. Sergey Dogadin made his major debut in 2002 with Vasily Petrenko and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. He successfully performedwith such conductors as Valery Gergiev, Yuri Temirkanov, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Vladimir Spivakov and Manfred Honeck and share the stage with such artists as Elisabeth Leonskaja, David Geringas, Denis Matsuev and Daniil Trifonov. Dogadin has won numerous awards at many international competitions, including the first prize at the Joseph Joachim International Violin Competition in Hanover in 2015, the second prize at the first Shanghai Isaac Stern Violin Competition in 2016, and the first prize at the Singapore International Violin Competition in 2018. Rauf Abdullayev has been artistic director and chief conductor of the Azerbaijan State Symphony Orchestra named after Uzeir Hajibey for many years. Hundreds of music lovers from France, Germany, U.S., Russia, Great Britain, Turkey, Greece, Iraq, Egypt, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Mexico and etc. are familiar with his outstanding performances. Conductor pays special attention to the performance of musical compositions by Azerbaijani composers. Many operas, ballets and symphonies by great national composers were performed for the first time both in Azerbaijan and abroad underhis supervision. He is also the founder and the organizer of classical music festivals such as Music of the 20th Century named after Gara Garayev. Rauf Abdullayev has been awarded state and many other honorary awards and titles during his active and untiring career. Also, during his service as the chief conductor of the Ankara Ballet Theatre and Opera from 1993 to 1997, he was twice awarded the title of the Best Conductor of the Year of Turkey. This year, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed an order on awarding Rauf Abdullayev with the Istiglal Order for great achievements in the development and propaganda of the Azerbaijani musical culture. The concert program will feature works by Hector Berlioz and Pyotr Tchaikovsky. Fantastic Symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz will also sound at the concert. The brilliant composer created a program in the form of a script, with a detailed and vivid description of all the events that were to unfold before the eyes of the public. The symphony has five movements, instead of four as was conventional for symphonies of the time. Each movement depicts an episode in the protagonist's life that is described by Berlioz in the program notes to the 1845 score. Moreover, Concerto for violin and orchestra (D dur, op. 35) by P. I. Tchaikovsky will be presented to the listeners. This work was widely recognized and became an integral part of Russian musical culture. The brilliant virtuosity of the solo instrument part is combined here with genuine symphony, music temperament, brightness and richness of color. The concert consists of three parts including, Allegro Moderato, Canzonetta and Finale Allegro Vivacissimo. The concert starts at 19:00. Tickets can be purchased at all ticket offices of the city and on the website iticket.az. Azerbaijan State Symphonic Orchestra named after Uzeyir Hajibeyli was formed in 1920 being one of the first orchestras in the Soviet Union, at the request of composer Uzeyir after whom it was later named. The orchestra was organized in July, 1920. The first master of the orchestra was an experienced conductor M. I. Chernyakhovski. Authors of many great works of world's music such as G.Mahler, I.Stravinski, C.Debussy, A.Bruckner, J. Brahms and others occupy honorable place in the repertoire of the orchestra. The orchestra is an active participant of "Music of the XX century" organized by R.Abdullayev and "Festival of M.L.Rostropovich" which is held annually. Since 2007 the orchestra has participated in summer festivals In Italy. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova A solemn opening ceremony of the Nutcracker International Television Young Musicians Contest was held at Moscow Philharmonic Society on December 4. The Moscow Academic Philharmonic Orchestra performed at the festival's opening ceremony. The orchestra was conducted by Azerbaijan's Honored Artist Eyyub Guliyev, Day.Az reported. The concert featured masterpieces of classical and modern music. The works of by E. Elgar, M. Ravel, P. Tchaikovsky, J. Brams, N. Paganini, A. Piazzola, A. Dinika, M. Tsfasman, A. Kenfield were presented to the public. Outstanding musicians, members of the jury - David Geringas (Germany / Lithuania), Professor of the Madrid Conservatory Zahar Bron, artistic director of the Zurich Opera Theater Roman Patkolo (Slovakia), Professor of the Nuremberg Music Academy Simon Rubino (Italy), soloist of the Russian National Orchestra Maxim Rubtsov (flute / Russia), as well as bright young musicians, winners of prestigious competitions - Ivan Bessonov (piano / first prize at Eurovision Song Contest), Alexandra Dovgan (first prize at the Grand Piano competition), Darya Vinogradova (harp), Veronika Vinogradova (flute), Andrey Ryazantsev (clarinet), Dmitry Pinchuk (saxophone) received a storm of applause. Besides, the new work by the famous Italian composer Marco Marzi "Echo of Naples", specially written on the occasion of the opening of the music contest was presented to the audience for the first time. The music piece was performed by Paloma So and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra aroused great interest among the public. Eyyub Guliyev, a conductor of Azerbaijan's State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and winner of international competitions, performed together with the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra in the final of the contest. Guliyev graduated from the Baku Music Academy in 2005. In 2005-2008, he studied at the Saint Petersburg State Conservatoire and the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Guliyev is the son of People's Artist, tar (stringed musical instrument) player Ramiz Guliyev. He is the winner of several competitions, including the International Conducting Competition after B. Lyutoslavckiy in Belostok in 2006 and the International Conducting Competition after D. Mitropoulos in Athens in 2008. In 2010, Guliyev won the top award, the Giuseppe Sinopoli prize, at the International Conducting Competition named after Arturo Toscanini in Parma. The Nutcracker, International Television Contest for Young Musicians is an annual music competition, organized by "Russia K" (Rossia-Kultura) state TV channel, branch of the VGTRK. Established in 2000 the contest became a recognized and significant event in the Russian music world. Multimillion audience follows with interest the competition of the participants day after day, and "Russia K" TV channel transmits the Gala Closing concert live. Each year the "Nutcracker" contest unravels new and exciting talents from all over the world and provides young performers with opportunity to showcase their skills on a professional level, as well as exchange experiential knowledge and receive the judgment of eminent professionals. The Nutcracker has earned the reputation as one of the most prestigious music contests for children in Russia. It enjoys close attention of a wide and diverse audience, from professionals to classical music enthusiasts. The contestants perform in front of many millions of viewers, as the auditions are both televised and streamed live on the channels website. Besides, finalists are honored to perform at one of the most prestigious Moscow venues the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall with a symphony orchestra accompaniment. In 2016, the International Television Contest for Young Musicians 'The Nutcracker' became a member of the European Union of Music Competitions for Youth (EMCY). The 19th Nutcracker International Television Young Musicians Contest will run until December 11. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Very useful discussions were held on Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov. He was commenting on the meeting with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs and acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan on 5 December, Trend reports. It was around three hours very important and useful discussions for better understanding of each others position. There was an agreement to continue talks in this format in the upcoming future, most probably next month, said the minister. 00:00 (GMT +4) Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and acting Foreign Minister of Armenia Zohrab Mnatsakanyan are holding a meeting with the mediation of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France and Andrew Schofer of the United States of America) in Milano on December 5, 2018, Trend reports citing a message from Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry on Twitter. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk is also attending the meeting, according to the message. 16:44 (GMT +4) Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov is holding negotiations with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, Trend reports citing a Twitter message from Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry. On the sidelines of 25th Ministerial Council of the OSCE, Foreign Minister #Elmar Mammadyarov is holding negotiations with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk also takes part at the meeting, said the message. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Milan hosted a meeting of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) Bureau, and vice-president of the structure, Azerbaijani MP Azay Guliyev made a speech at this meeting, Trend reports Dec. 6. Guliyev brought to the attention of the Bureau members the initiative put forward by the Azerbaijani side for the exchange on the all for all principle of the persons taken prisoner and hostage, and registered both from the Armenian and from the Azerbaijani side by the International Committee of the Red Cross. This initiative of Azerbaijan is a very humane approach, and there are enough grounds for its support from the OSCE PA, he said. The implementation of this initiative can play a positive role in creating a certain environment of trust between the parties and achieving progress in the peace talks. I believe that the new leadership of Armenia should correctly assess the good intentions of Azerbaijan, and not to miss this unique chance, which can create good conditions for negotiations. Therefore, I urge President of the OSCE PA George Tsereteli and the Bureau members to support this initiative and to leave the matter in the main political agenda of the Assembly. Guliyev reminded that he had sent an official letter to Margareta Kiener Nellen, chairperson of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, to assist in the release of Azerbaijanis Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev who had been held for four years in Armenian captivity, and give assessment to this issue in terms of gross violation of human rights. Tsereteli said that he welcomes the initiative of Azerbaijan, and steps will be taken in this direction. During an operation in July 2014 in the Shaplar village of Azerbaijani Kalbajar district, occupied by Armenia, the Armenian special forces killed an Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, and took hostage two other Azerbaijanis, Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov. A "criminal case" was initiated against them. Afterwards, a "court" sentenced Asgarov to life imprisonment and Guliyev to 22 years in prison. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Azerbaijani Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and the leadership of the ministry who are currently at the front-line zone on the instructions of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, visited foremost units, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on Dec. 6. Hasanov was informed about the operational situation, then the combat readiness of the units was checked. Observing the position of the enemy from the observation post, Hasanov gave corresponding instructions in connection with more efficient organization of service using modern technical means. Hasanov also has met with military personnel working out combat missions at one of the training sites located on the front line, and awarded servicemen who distinguished themselves in service and achieved high results in combat training. The minister also reviewed the logistic support of the units, weapons, and military equipment, including moral-psychological training and social conditions of the military personnel. Then the minister, meeting with local residents in one of the villages in the Aghdam district, talked to them about the organization of the defense of Azerbaijans settlements and ensuring the security of the population. During the talks with the leadership of the ministry, the residents, expressing satisfaction with the conditions created there for the servicemen and the local population, asked the minister to convey their gratitude to the leadership of the country, to Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. Residents stressed that they have high confidence in servicemen, and also noted that the security of settlements located in this area is well ensured. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova So far, about 900,000 electronic visas have been issued to foreigners wishing to visit Azerbaijan, while the most of this amount fell for the citizens of Iran, Elnur Niftaliyev, the Head of the Public Relations Department at the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, said. He said that the top ten includes Islamic Republic of Iran (227,745), Saudi Arabia (68,073), Pakistan (66,755), Turkey (56,546), India (52,759), United Arab Emirates (43,402) Israel (37,949), Turkmenistan (34,044), Great Britain (31,147) and Germany (23,195), Report informed. Niftaliyev noted that starting from May 15, 2018, ASAN visas were issued at the airports with international status under the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev "On improvement of the process of issuing visas to the foreigners and stateless persons at the international airports of the Republic of Azerbaijan". Electronic visa is a document for a single entry, which determines the period of stay in the country up to 30 days. Standard and express electronic visas are available. Electronic visas are issued only to the citizens of the countries, approved by the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan, and stateless persons permanently residing in this country. Also, the ASAN Visa system offers the issuance of group visas to foreign citizens. Group appeals are provided for a minimum of two, a maximum of ten people. Currently, the portal is available in nine languages: English, Russian, French, Spanish, Arabic, Persian, German and Italian. Foreigners and stateless persons, who wish to receive an e-visa, must enter information into the system of "ASAN Visa", and after receipt on acceptance of confirmation pay online a state fee in the amount prescribed by law "On state duty". The system of "ASAN Visa" sends the appeal to the interagency automated retrieval system "Entry-exit and registration". The relevant executive authority verifies the information not later than three days from the time of appeal in "ASAN Viza", checks restriction list of the "Entry-exit and registration". Then a visa is sent to the e-mail address of the contact person. In case of failure the person is also informed. The electronic visas are not stuck in the passport but presented together with the passport while crossing the border check-point. Foreigners and stateless persons may apply for a new e-visa only after they will leave Azerbaijan. Only citizens of 95 countries (or persons residing in these countries) can obtain an electronic visa. The list of countries, which can be found in this link, is approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan applied electronic visa in order to make the process of obtaining the entry documents cheaper and quicker. Today foreigners can obtain electronic visa within three working days via "ASAN VISA" system in three steps (apply, payment and download). Electronic visa is issued to citizens of the country, which are approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan and stateless persons permanently residing in those countries. At present, electronic visas are issued for foreigners and stateless persons through ASAN Visa system at the Baku, Ganja, Gabala and Lankaran international airports. The terms of issuing and using electronic visas through the ASAN Visa system were developed jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This step was taken for the promotion and development of tourism in Azerbaijan. ASAN Visa portal designed to simplify a procedure for issuing visas to foreigners and stateless persons wishing to visit Azerbaijan, as well as to ensure immediacy and transparency of this process, was presented to the public in 2016. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Negotiations on a new bilateral agreement have been held between Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU). The EU delegation at the talks in Baku is headed by the representative of the European Commission for Trade, Petros Sourmelis. Speaking at the meeting with the participation of Azerbaijani and EU officials at the Baku Business Center, Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev underlined that Azerbaijan-EU relations are developing, important documents such as Partnership and Cooperation, Visa and Readmission Agreements, Action Plan under the European Neighborhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership Initiative have been signed. It was noted that Azerbaijan and the EU successfully cooperate in various fields, including in the energy sector. Azerbaijan, as the initiator and active participant of such large projects as Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and the Southern Gas Corridor, is a reliable energy partner of the European Union. The main place in the foreign trade turnover of Azerbaijan is occupied by the countries of the European Union. Stressing that Azerbaijan is interested in continually expanding its cooperation with the European Union, Mustafayev recalled that the new agreement was announced by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the President of the European Union in 2017, noting that negotiations on the agreement are being continued, meetings and video conferences are being organized. The minister noted that the new bilateral Agreement between Azerbaijan and the European Union will be important for the development of relations. Deputy Executive Director for Europe and Central Asia of the European Unions External Relations Service European Union, Luke Devin shared his views on the expansion of relations and the new draft bilateral agreement, stressed that the document would contribute to the development of cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan. Established in 1991, Azerbaijan-European Union relations are based on the EU-Azerbaijan Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 1996 (entered into force in 1999), which is the legal basis of relations, covering many areas from trade to education. The current negotiated agreement would make it possible to take greater account of the common goals and challenges facing the EU and Azerbaijan today, aiming to substitute the agreement of 1996. Azerbaijan wants an agreement based on political equality with the EU. The EU recognizes the need to choose a differentiated approach to its neighbors. This means that Azerbaijan can benefit from the EU's political association and economic integration offerings at its own discretion. The agreement will cover political, sectoral, trade and economic relations including science and education. Political cooperation will be more crucial. In addition, the economic and energy sectors are also essential. The first meeting to discuss the document took place on April 25, 2017. The new agreement envisages for the approximation of Azerbaijan's legislation and procedures to the most important international and trade norms and standards of the EU, which should lead to improved access of Azerbaijani products to the EU markets. The agreement will comply with the principles approved in 2015 in the document of the European Neighborhood Policy and will offer an updated basis for political dialogue and mutually beneficial cooperation between the EU and Azerbaijan. The energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and EU launched with Memorandum of Understanding that signed in 2006. EU supports the energy projects implemented in South Caucasus and interested in supplying Caspian hydrocarbon resources to Europe, as it comprehends diversification of the energy sources necessary to ensure Europe's energy security. It should be reminded that government representatives from all Eastern Partners including Azerbaijan have been invited to attend the 10th Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Annual Assembly that will be held in Tbilisi on 10-12 December. This annual event has been organized every year since 2009, brings together civil society organizations from all six Eastern Partner countries and the EU. The European Union holds the main place in the foreign trade turnover of Azerbaijan. Share of EU countries in Azerbaijan's foreign trade made 42 percent in 2017 and 43.5 percent in the first eight months of 2018. There are more than 1,500 European companies in Azerbaijan. Over the past six years, European countries have invested about $ 16 billion in Azerbaijan's economy. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Narmina Mammadova Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov held a meeting with Attilio Fontana, the president of the Lombardy Region of Italy in the framework of his visit to Milan. Minister Elmar Mammadyarov marked the intensification in the relations between Azerbaijan and Italy over the last years. He recalled the official visit of the Italian President Sergio Mattarella to Azerbaijan in July of this year and negotiations held with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The minister mentioned the opening of the Polymer Plant constructed by the Maire Tecnimont Company in the framework of SOCAR Polymer project within Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park with the participation of both of the Presidents. Speaking about the development strategy of Azerbaijan, priority development directions, regional and globally important projects of Azerbaijan, including the leading role of the country in realization of the Southern Gas Corridor, Mammadyarov invited Attilio Fontana together with the representatives of economic and scientific-academic circles of the region to Azerbaijan in order to get better acquainted with the country and discuss the cooperation opportunities in various fields. The president of the region of Lombardy Attilio Fontana, in turn, said that Azerbaijan has obtained impressive achievements during the last years Taking into account the high level scientific-technological potential of Lombardy, the development of relations between the higher education and scientific research institutions of both sides would be beneficial, he pointed out. Bilateral beneficial cooperation exists in all areas, including the economic area, and Italy is the main trade partner of Azerbaijan. It was underlined that many Italian companies are operating in Azerbaijan, cooperation exists with the biggest Italian companies like Saipem, Eni, Snam, Maire Tecnimont whose headquarters are located in Lombardy, as well as the existence of direct flight between Milan and Baku is important from the point of developing relations between the two states in the sphere of tourism. Taking into account the crucial role that the Lombardy Region plays in economic and cultural life of Italy, certitude was expressed on additional contribution this region would make in further development of Azerbaijan-Italy relations. Diplomatic relations between the two states were established in 1992. Bilateral relations continue to grow and expand in a number of directions. Accompanied by a solid consolidation of the political dialogue, bilateral economic relations have further strengthened following the signing of a Joint Declaration for the establishment of an Italian-Azerbaijani Council for Economic, Industrial and Financial in 2004. Italy, as the main importer of crude oil and oil products from Azerbaijan, has become the largest trading partner of the country. Italy ranks first in terms of its share in the Azerbaijani exports. In 2017, Italy accounted for more than half of trade with the EU countries ($4.7 billion). Baku and Rome are strategic partners in the energy sector. Italy, whose scanty natural resources traditionally make the country dependent on import has been a key partner for Baku. Since 1999, Italy has begun to receive a large part of Azerbaijani oil exported through the Baku - Supsa pipeline and then through the Baku - Jeyhan. This made Italy the number one partner for Azerbaijan and this position is maintained until today. Moreover, Italy supports the development of the Shah Deniz 2 field, with further export of the natural gas from the field to Europe via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Italian business circles in Azerbaijan are making large investments and are taking part in a number of projects of international importance. As many as 95 Italian companies have been registered in Azerbaijan and are contractors in 41 projects. The priority target of Italian investments in Azerbaijan is construction sector. The Italian presence is strengthening in the interior design industry, the hotel infrastructure, the agro-wine division and the banking sector. Currently, the work is underway on development of a draft new agreement on the promotion and protection of investments between Azerbaijan and Italy, a joint action plan providing for cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy, infrastructure, logistics, railway, agro-industrial complex, petrochemical industry and other areas. Azerbaijan remains an extremely interesting market for Italian businessmen. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Laman Ismayilova A delegation led by the First Deputy Head of Ismayilli Executive Power Rovshan Agayev is on a visit to Uzbekistan. Azerbaijani delegation is headed by Azerbaijani Ambassador to Uzbekistan Huseyn Guliyev, Azertag reported. It includes First Deputy Head of Ismayilli Region Executive Power Rovshan Agayev, Director of Azerbaijani Culture Center named after Heydar Aliyev Samir Abbasov, head of Ismayilli Regional Culture Department Elnur Huseynov, chief editor of Ismayilli News Shahmammad Daglaroglu and businessman Azad Aliyev. The delegation was first received by the head of the Fergana region of Uzbekistan, Shukhrat Ganiyev. Addressing the event, Shukhrat Ganiyev stressed the development of cooperation between our countries. He said that during the visit, a contract will be signed between the Ismayilli region and the city of Rishton, which will create a basis for deepening cooperation between our regions. In his speech, Huseyn Guliyev said that relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan are at a high level. "The development of interregional relations plays an important role in further deepening of cooperation between our countries. That's why we are in Fergana today," he said. Ismayilli region is home to the sites of special natural interest and highly picturesque valleys. Located north of the country, Ismayilli was once part of Caucasian Albania the 4th century B.C. Here, on top of the highest mountain lay the ruins of a medieval fortress. Maiden Tower is the most famous and significant historical monument of the area. The tower is located on the top of a steep mountain in the territory of the State Ismailli Reserve. There was an underground tunnel in the tower which led to the Javanshir Fortress. Many different nations and ethnic groups live in Ismayilli. Among them are Lezgins, Russians (malakans), Jews, lahych and hapyts, the descendants of ancient Albans. One of the biggest Molokans villages in Azerbaijan called Ivanovka, founded in 1847 was established by the "Molokan" Russians who sought refuge in Azerbaijan after being ousted from Czarist Russia in the mid-19th century due to protesting Orthodox traditions. They have since lived in peace side by side with Azerbaijanis ever since. The village is famous for its fresh dairy products, tasty fruits and vegetables. The Basgal village of Ismayilli was widely known here as a center of handicrafts and sericulture in the middle ages. To this day, the traditional female headscarf - Kelagayi, which is included in the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity has been manufactured in this village. Ismayilli has a very rich wildlife, hunting tourism has also prospered here. Forests in the area are inhabited by dears, mountain goats, wild boars, bears, wolves, foxes, hares and other animals. Rishton is one of the most famous and oldest centers of ceramics in Uzbekistan. Legend claims that the art is over 800 years old, passed down from generation to generation. The clay can be used without refinement or addition of other types of clay from other regions. The potters extracted various dyes, quartz sand, and fire clay from the surrounding the mountains. The history of producing ceramics here goes back to the seventh century. In the late 19th early 20th centuries. Its clay is suitable for making the whole variety of ceramic goods and the repertoire of ornamental patterns in the Rishton ceramics is one of the richest. Today, over 2,000 craftsmen use both traditional techniques and modern machinery to produce over 5 million items per year. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend BP has managed to achieve significant results in the nationalization of Azerbaijan's energy sector, Gary Jones, BP regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, said at an event on the strategy of nationalizing the oil and gas industry Dec. 5, Trend reports. Jones noted that BP started its activities in Azerbaijan 26 years ago and the company is proud to be involved in all major energy projects in the country. For the five years of the program's implementation, the number of Azerbaijanis working at BP reached 90 percent, which was BPs goal, he said. He noted that the share of local personnel holding top positions in the company increased from 37 percent to 62 percent over the period. The number of women in high positions has doubled, he said, adding that the share of Azerbaijanis working in mid-level positions reached a record high of 95 percent. Jones also praised the Baku Higher Oil School, noting that it trains highly qualified specialists. He stressed that for economic development, it is important to create favorable conditions for a healthy competition. In this regard, he expressed gratitude to Azerbaijans state oil company SOCAR for cooperation. Speaking at the event, Head of the State Migration Service of Azerbaijan Vusal Huseynov also emphasized the high indicators of nationalization in oil and gas companies. He noted that the work carried out in this direction will make it possible to form a new labor market, ensure more effective participation of local specialists in transnational oil and gas companies and increase employment rates. In November 2013, SOCAR and BP signed a protocol on cooperation in nationalization, and in February 2014, SOCAR and the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan signed a corresponding memorandum of cooperation. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Narmina Mammadova From early 2001 and until November 1, 2018, the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) received $137.446 billion as part of the project to develop the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of oil and gas fields in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, SOFAZ told Trend on December 6. In January-October 2018, SOFAZ received $8.96 billion within the ACG project, the source said. Revenues from the sale of gas condensate produced at the Shah Deniz field in January-October 2018, amounted to $ 222 million. In total, since 2007, SOFAZ revenues from gas sales from this field amounted to $ 506 million. The contract for developing the ACG field was signed in 1994 for thirty years and already after three years in 1997 the first oil was extracted from the Chirag platform and produced. Thirteen companies from eight countries (Azerbaijan, the U.S., Great Britain, Russia, Turkey, Norway, Japan, Saudi Arabia) have participated in signing of the "Contract of the Century". A new agreement on the development of the ACG block until 2050 was signed in Baku on September 14, 2017. The new ACG participating interests are as follows: BP - 30.37 percent; AzACG (SOCAR) - 25 percent; Chevron - 9.57 percent; INPEX - 9.31 percent; Statoil - 7.27 percent; ExxonMobil - 6.79 percent; TP - 5.73 percent; ITOCHU - 3.65 percent; ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) - 2.31 percent. SOFAZ was established in 1999 with assets of $271 million. As of the first half of 2018 SOFAZs assets increased by 6.22 percent as compared to early 2018 ($35.806 billion) and amounted to $38.036 billion. Based on SOFAZ's regulations, its funds may be used for the construction and reconstruction of strategically important infrastructure facilities, as well as solving important national problems. The main goals of the State Oil Fund include accumulation of resources and placement of assets abroad in order to minimize the negative effect to the economy, prevention of "Dutch disease" to some extent, promotion of resource accumulation for future generations and support of current social and economic processes in Azerbaijan. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Leman Mammadova Azerbaijans Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov is on a visit to Vienna, Austria on December 4-7 within the 12th meeting of the OPEC-Non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee. Shahbazov met with Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia. The meeting focused on the factors that have led to changes in oil prices in recent years, expectations in short and long-term prospects, the condition and demand on the global oil market. Ministers exchanged views on the proposal to limit the production of price stability and balance. It was noted that the continuation of cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC countries in 2019 is important in terms of oil market regulation. The sides touched upon the issues of cooperation with Azerbaijan within the framework of the Declaration of Cooperation. The opportunities for expanding energy cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan were also reviewed. Saudi Arabia is one of the first countries that signed an energy deal with Azerbaijan. Saudi Arabia participated in the Contract of the Century signed in 1994 in Baku and its Delta-Hess Company had a 2.72 percent share in the contract. In 2012, SOCAR and Soroof International Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Oil and Gas Industry in Azerbaijan. As of January 2018, during the visit of Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov to Saudi Arabia, an agreement was reached to establish a working group between the relevant ministries of the two countries for the development of energy cooperation between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. At that time, it was stated that representative office of Saudi Aramco in Azerbaijan will start operating in the near future. Saudi Arabia's state-owned and private companies invest $ 368 million in Azerbaijan's economy. It should be noted that at the meeting in OPEC + format, the participants discussed the reduction in production by 1.3 million barrels per day. Representatives attending the meeting stated that they are waiting for Russia's position, which is a non-OPEC country of cartel. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has returned to Moscow for consultations. He will officially present Moscow's position at the December 7 meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC ministers. OPEC is committed to achieving and maintaining stability and balance in the market along with ten other non-OPEC member countries through OPEC and the "Partnership Declaration". Azerbaijan has been closely involved in the stabilization of the world oil market and price. Azerbaijan supports the idea of reducing oil production within OPEC+. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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. By Trend OPEC needs to change June 2018 strategy in crude output, Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, and President of the OPEC Conference, said. He made the remarks during the 175th Meeting of the OPEC Conference in Vienna, Austria on December 6, 2018, Trend reports. OPEC ministers announced a deal in June 2018 that will increase oil supplies from the producer group, which has been capping output in order to balance the market and boost prices for the last 18 months. We have witnessed positive progress on removing the inventory overhang, the market has seen further rebalancing and there has been excellent collaboration between OPEC and non-OPEC participants in the Declaration of Cooperation. However, I think we can all recognize that our work is not done, Al Mazrouei noted. He pointed out that today, it is vital to thoroughly examine the potential gap between supply and demand in 2019. As we look forward to 2019, we see a new set of challenges. This includes the general consensus that prospects point to higher supply growth than expected global requirements and there are signs of a potential slowdown in demand. Today, it is vital that we thoroughly examine the potential gap between supply and demand in 2019, and how this might impact inventory levels and the extremely hard won market balance we have achieved over the past two years, noted the UAE energy minister. He went on to add that there is a need to focus joint efforts on maintaining the balanced market achieved in 2018; sustaining the stability; and, ensuring that there is a firm foundation to allow the industry to make the necessary investments to continue to meet expected future oil demand. This will require us to change the strategy we took in June 2018. Thus, it is essential that we look to move ahead with a more permanent relationship with our non-OPEC producers, in order to continuously adapt to ongoing market dynamics, and to help meet the challenges, as well as opportunities, that we will face in the months and years ahead, added Al Mazrouei. OPEC and non-OPEC producers reached an agreement in December 2016 to curtail oil output jointly and ease a global glut after more than two years of low prices. OPEC agreed to slash the output by 1.2 million barrels per day from January 1. Non-OPEC oil producers such as Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Brunei, Equatorial Guinea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Russia, Sudan, and South Sudan agreed to reduce output by 558,000 barrels per day starting from January 1, 2017. OPEC and its partners decided to extend its production cuts till the end of 2018 in Vienna on November 30, as the oil cartel and its allies step up their attempt to end a three-year supply glut that has savaged crude prices and the global energy industry. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Kazakhstan and Croatia have approved a draft law to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion with respect to taxes on income. The agreement was developed on the basis of the model concept of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Such international treaties give guarantees to foreign investors, provide an opportunity to fairly share the right to taxation between the two states. Alikhan Smailov, Kazakh Minister of Finance, introducing the bill said that this agreement has several objectives. First, to strengthen the cooperation of the tax services of both countries, ensuring in the future the exchange of information on all types of taxes. Secondly, to establish an order determining residency, which will be equally used in both states, added Smailov. As he said, the agreement will allow setting marginal rates for such passive incomes as dividends, interest and royalties and provide the legal basis for resolving tax disputes between the two states. The Minister noted that over the past 10 years, trade between the two countries amounted to $ 1.4 billion. The volume of mutual trade between Kazakhstan and Croatia in 2017 increased significantly, reaching $ 317 million, including exports - $ 304 million and imports - $ 13 million. The increase in turnover is due to the growth of Kazakhstan's exports of petroleum products. In 2016, the total turnover amounted to only $38.5 million. The diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Croatia were established in 1992. Export of Kazakh mineral products and energy products to Croatia accounts for about 90 percent of the trade turnover. Moreover, Kazakhstan exports chemical products, textiles and textile products to Croatia. Croatia, in turn, exports products of animal and vegetable origin, food products, chemical products, shoes and clothing products, construction materials, metals and products, machinery and equipment to Kazakhstan. October 20, 2017, marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Croatia. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Qatars withdrawal from OPEC will not risk the cartels goal of decreasing the crude production next year, Ann-Louise Hittle, vice president, macro oils at Wood Mackenzie research and consulting company told Trend. "Qatar has minimal spare capacity so its exit won't affect the volume of oil supply in the market during 2019 or risk OPEC's goal of reducing output next year. However, it does come at a time when OPEC needs to hammer out a deal in the face of market scepticism in the cartels ability to control production," she said. Hittle believes that more positive for OPEC is the statement from President Vladimir Putin in Argentina at the G20 that Russia has agreed to cooperate with OPEC to ensure production restraint during 2019 as needed. She went on to add that rather than being a reaction to the 18-month long regional blockade against it, Qatar's withdrawal is more likely a result of its effort to focus on its place as one of the worlds leading gas producers. "The smaller nations of OPEC have a relatively quiet role in the group's decision making and Qatar may also see that it has less to gain from its membership now that is not involved in the GCC," added Hittle. Lynn Morris-Akinyemi, research analyst, MENA upstream, at Wood Mackenzie, for her part said that the news should not come as a huge surprise. "Qatar is OPECs smallest Middle East oil producer, and the groups fifth smallest producer overall. Its total 2018 oil production is estimated at 600,000-650,000 barrels per day, less than 2 percent of OPECs oil output," she noted. Morris-Akinyemi said went on to add that since lifting the 12-year ban on development of the North Field in April 2017, Qatar unveiled ambitious plans to increase its LNG capacity from 77 million tons per annum to 110 million tons per annum. "This will be achieved via a new four mega-train LNG development, due onstream in 2023. Qatars OPEC exit underlines the countrys aim to maintain its place in the global LNG market." Qatar has announced it will withdraw from OPEC on 1 January 2019, putting an end to its 57-year membership of the producers cartel. Qatar, which said it intends to focus on its gas production, made the announcement ahead of the 6 December OPEC meeting. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Iran carries out export transactions with Iraq and Afghanistan by using rials, chairman of the Iranian Ceramic Producers Syndicate Behnam Azizzadeh said in an interview with the Young Journalists Club (YJC), Trend reported. He said that however, according to the refunds regulations, exporters should return the currency. Azizzadeh added that more than 90 percent of Irans export transactions account for Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The transactions have been carried out by using rials for many years, he said. According to the refund regulations, the exporters must make a commitment to return the currency to the government, Azizzadeh added. However, exporters do not take currency to return it to the government, he said. Azizzadeh added that no company gives foreign currency liabilities, which leads to a decline in Irans export transactions. Last Iranian year (started on March 21, 2017) 375 million cubic meters accounted for ceramic tile production and 100 million cubic meters of which were exported to Iraq and Afghanistan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Kazakh Invest National Company is presently negotiating with about 20 leading Turkish holdings, Managing Director of the company Erik Yakubayev told Trend. The negotiations are aimed at establishing in Kazakhstan the production of canned vegetables, paint and varnish products, sandwich panels, yarn and home textiles, processing of meat products, construction of solar power plants, as well as the opening of a modern clinic and projects in the logistics, chemical, mining and metallurgical industries. It is worth noting that since the beginning of this year, 23 projects with Turkish capital worth $1.5 billion have been in the monitoring system of Kazakh Invest. "For Kazakhstan, the implementation of agreements with Turkish companies will contribute to the development of the non-primary sector of the country's economy, as well as will have a positive socio-economic effect," Yakubayev said. For instance, more than 3,000 jobs will be created in the regions of the country. New plants will appear in Zhambyl, Kyzylorda, Aktobe and Almaty regions in the fields of mining and smelting, production of building materials, agriculture, agricultural chemistry and manufacturing. Since Kazakhstan gained independence, Turkey has invested more than $3 billion in the country. Moreover, Turkey is among the top 10 trade partners of Kazakhstan. Trade turnover between the two countries in 2017 increased by 27 percent and amounted to almost $2 billion. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Armenian political circles are entangled in their own statements and continue to create problems with the activities of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). The CSTO summit, scheduled earlier for December 6 in St. Petersburg, will not take place. Acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters that in a telephone conversation with him, Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested postponing the meeting, considering it necessary first to discuss all the contradictions in a working order, and then get together with the ready-made solution. However, Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov noted that the summit of CSTO countries leaders was cancelled, taking into account the request of Armenia, which is preparing for parliamentary elections. Thus, Valery Semerikov remains the CSTO Secretary General. Speaking about the candidacy of the new Secretary General, Ushakov stressed that "there are several options." Besides, the new CSTO summit is unlikely to be held by the end of 2018 he noted. Ushakovs statement, in fact, puzzled the Armenian authorities on the eve of the elections, putting them in a ridiculous situation. While Pashinyan claims that the summit was cancelled by Putin, the assistant to the president of Russia indicates that the meeting was cancelled at the request of the Armenian side. And something suggests that the latter is precisely the truth. Yerevan hurried up to refute Ushakov. Arman Yegoyan, spokesman for Pashinyan said that Armenia did not address the proposal to postpone the summit of CSTO countries leaders, which was scheduled for December 6. Meanwhile, Armenia is indeed not interested to discuss the issue of the CSTO Secretary General on December 6 because of upcoming December 9 elections. Failure in St. Petersburg could adversely affect the number of mandates collected by the Pashinyan team. And after the meeting in Astana, his rating has been strongly shaken. Probably Nikol Pashinyan understands that the chance to incline the allies to a decision in favor of Armenia is small. The new failure does not promise the crowd leader anything good. For instance, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova called the statements of Arman Egoyan as disturbing both in form and in content. Moreover, she added that words of Assistant to the President of Russia Ushakov do not need confirmation. What is obvious misleading the public becomes for Pashinyan an unshakable tradition. Sooner or later the time will come and Pashinyan pay for his lies used to achieve his goals. His thoughtless steps in foreign policy reduce the chances of Armenia to become a worthy country in the international arena. This may result in the fact that Armenia may lose CSTO membership due to Pashinyans irrational policy. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov Iranian First Vice President Iskhak Jahangiri, speaking of U.S. sanctions on oil exports from Iran, said that Iran had found new buyers and they had already purchased Iranian oil, IRNA reported. Jahangiri did not disclose who the new buyers of Iranian oil were, but he said that Iran is negotiating to sell more oil to China, Russia and Asian countries. U.S. threats to different countries, regarding trade with Iran, are dangerous and impossible, Irans First Vice-President considers. I assure the world that if Iran is deprived of its main source of income, it will not be silent, and will take appropriate measures, he added. Jahangiri stressed that despite the U.S. sanctions, Iran can return its oil exports to the level of November 4, when the U.S. imposed the second round of sanctions against Iran. On November 2, Washington announced that it would grant eight countries permission to buy Iranian oil when imposing sanctions on Tehran from November 5 to 180 days without the possibility of extending this period. On November 4, 2018, the U.S. re-imposed all remaining secondary sanctions on Iran that were previously lifted under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This is the final action required to re-impose Iranian sanctions since President Trump's May 8, 2018 announcement of the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA. The U.S. initially imposed certain sanctions on August 7, 2018. These sanctions imposed on Iran's port operators and shipping and shipbuilding sectors, on petroleum-related transactions with the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO), and the Central Bank of Iran, on transactions by foreign financial institutions (FFIs) with the Central Bank of Iran, on the provision of specialized financial messaging services to the CBI and Iranian financial institutions, on the provision of underwriting services, insurance, or reinsurance and on Iran's energy sector. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Turkeys Izmir province will host the opening of the tourism exhibition Travel Turkey Izmir 2018 Dec. 6, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Turkey. Travel companies from 36 countries will take part in the exhibition, the ministry said. Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Ersoy will attend the opening of the exhibition. The ministry noted that Izmir province is one of the most important tourism centers in the region. During ten months of this year, 83,331 tourists visited Izmir province, which is 2.22 percent more compared to the same period in 2017, the ministry said. In October 2018, 3.8 million tourists visited Turkey, which is 25.48 percent more compared to October 2017, according to the ministry. In January-October 2018, 35,571,419 tourists visited Turkey, which is 22.43 percent more than in January-October 2017, the ministry noted. The ministry said that in October 2018, 1,359,212 tourists visited Turkey's Antalya province, while Istanbul's visitors amounted to 1,230,070 tourists. In January-October 2018, Antalya and Istanbul were visited by 12,008,939 and 11,340,081 tourists, respectively, the ministry added. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Trend Uzbekistan and Ukraine support ensuring mutual access of goods to the markets of the two countries, as well as the formation of predictable trade relations, Trend reports referring to the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine. The statement was made during the phone conversation between Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Stepan Kubiv. Kubiv noted that one of the important tools for establishing a better trade and economic dialogue between Ukraine and Uzbekistan is the restoration of the work of the joint Ukrainian-Uzbek commission of comprehensive cooperation and the earliest possible holding of the next eighth meeting of the commission to jointly discuss the prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. Aripov, in turn, supported the importance of resuming the work of the commission and assured of the absence of restrictions and the resolution of problematic aspects of the mutual supply of goods to the markets of Ukraine and Uzbekistan. In early October, an interdepartmental commission in Ukraine launched an anti-subsidy investigation into the import of passenger cars from Uzbekistan on the basis of a complaint by the Ukrainian Automobile Manufacturers Association Ukravtoprom. It noted that the Uzbek manufacturer could receive subsidies from the government of Uzbekistan, which would create unequal conditions for the Ukrainian automakers. During the investigation, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Ukraine provided official explanations, which had been given in the statement of the Ministry of Economic Development. In turn, Uzbekistan suspended customs clearance of goods from Ukraine without official statement. In particular, it was reported that Uzbekistan has ceased customs-clearing of pharmaceuticals. In addition, on Dec. 1, the National Association of Sugar Producers of Ukraine Ukrtsukor stated that sugar and other goods entering Uzbekistan are not unloaded and are not cleared. As a result, on Dec. 4, Ukraine stopped the anti-subsidy investigation, after which the Ukrainian drugs and pharmaceutical products began to be supplied to Uzbekistan on the same day. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By Abdul Kerimkhanov The Uztextileprom Association and the South Korean Techno Park Geoji Daedzhin will sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the textile industry, Trend reports with reference to the associations press service. A certificate award ceremony will be held for industry professionals who successfully completed an internship in South Korea in November 2018. According to the information, Uztextileprom Association, with the assistance of Geongei Daejin, organizes a business briefing on the implementation of the Uzbek-Korean textile technopark in Tashkent on December 6. Cooperation between the parties enhances both the exchange of experience and the mobilization of additional resources. Technological experience of the Korean side will allow creating a universal textile infrastructure facility. It will become a platform for generating ideas, translating them into products that are competitive in the foreign market, as well as a platform for developing innovative textiles and training personnel in Uzbekistan. In accordance with the resolution of Uzbek President dated February 7, 2017, the construction of the Uzbek-Korean technopark, funded by the South Korean government in the amount of $ 15 million, was started. Technopark will be located in the Yakkasaray district of Tashkent city, where they will train students and young scientists, as well as conduct state and international research programs. Uzbekistan is the main trading partner of the Republic of Korea among the countries of Central Asia. Uzbekistan accounts for over half of the trade turnover of the Republic of Korea with the states of the region. In the January-July 2018, the trade turnover between Uzbekistan and South Korea amounted to $762.4 million. Currently, there are more than 460 enterprises with participation of Korean capital in Uzbekistan (386 joint ventures and 75 enterprises with fully Korean capital). Representative offices of 75 South Korean companies are also accredited in Uzbekistan. These enterprises successfully operate in the oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical, machine-building, electrical and textile industries, information and communication technologies, transport, logistics and tourism. Representative offices of 75 companies of Korea are accredited in Uzbekistan. The main areas of their activity are oil and gas, petrochemical and chemical, mining, engineering, electrical engineering, textile, information and communication technologies, transport and logistics, tourism, production of building materials, as well as processing of agricultural products. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Morocco is taking part in the UN-sponsored Geneva roundtable on the Sahara (Dec.5-6) with a delegation including two top diplomats and three representatives from the Sahara region. Delegates from Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario separatists are also participating in the meeting held at the invitation of UN Personal Envoy for the Sahara Horst Kohler who seeks to relaunch the negotiation process stalled since 2012. The Moroccan delegation combines official diplomacy, local elects and civil society. It includes Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Moroccan permanent representative to the UN Omar Hilale and three Sahrawis. These are Hamdi Ould Errachid, President of the Laayoune-Oued Eddahab region, Ynja El Khattat, President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region (a former member of the Polisario) and Mrs Fatima Adli, a civil society activist & member of the Smara municipal council. These three Sahrawis have been elected in free and democratic elections organized in Moroccos Southern provinces as in the rest of the country. The voters turnout in the Sahara was the highest in the country, according to UN observers. The participation of Ould Errachid, Ynja El Khattat and Fatima Adli in the Geneva meeting along other delegates made the Polisario members feel ill-at-ease because they know very well the separatists plots, dirty games and connivance with the Algerian regime. The presence of the elected Sahrawi trio also sends a strong message that the Polisario secessionists are not the sole and legitimate representatives of Sahrawis. The separatists represent only themselves and their Algerian rulers and seek only to protect their own interests. They have lined up their pockets by embezzling humanitarian assistance donated for the Sahrawis held in the Tindouf camps (Southern Algeria) and want to continue to feed on the conflict. After efforts to settle the more than 40-year long conflict failed and as the prospects of holding a self-determination referendum remain illusive while the situation in the Tindouf camps is on the verge of implosion, voices from inside the Polisario have realized that it is Algeria, which is pulling the strings. They have thus joined Morocco to call for direct dialogue between Rabat and Algiers to put an end to the Sahara conflict. According to some experts, the Polisario leaders must compromise to survive as the option of independence is not viable. They say the separatists will not be able to police a vast territory in a region threatened by smugglers and terrorists. They cite in this regard the case of South Sudan that won independence and then imploded in a struggle for power between warring factions. The only remaining realistic option is the autonomy plan offered by Morocco. It enables the local inhabitants to exercise their right to run their affairs themselves, and to achieve integrated development in a free and stable environment. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Cai Jianjun, former vice president of Baoneng Auto and senior vice president of Qoros Auto, has been confirmed to join AIWAYS as the EV startup's executive vice president, taking charge of the marketing and sales, mobility service as well as intelligent energy businesses, according to some local reports released on December 6. Mr. Cai was educated at the Chongqing University of Technology and got an MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree from the Chongqing University. Before he was employed by Baoneng Auto, he has held senior executive positions at BAIC Motor from October 2015, presiding over the marketing business of the automaker's self-owned brands. On November 29, Cai's new employer AIWAYS unveiled its first volume production model--the U5 and officially announced the opening-up of its MAS (MORE ADAPTABLE STRUCTURE) platform and modular technologies. It is noteworthy that a number of senior executives from such Chinese vehicle startups as Qiantu Motor, Singulato Motors, NIO and XPENG Motors attended the unveiling ceremony. Fu Qiang, CEO of AIWAYS said the attendance of peers may indicate that the relationship among EV startups in China will gradually transfer from the pure competition to competition with cooperation. By sharing the MAS platform and modular technologies, AIWAYS and its partners expect to have their development cost reduced substantially and development period shortened. The Eleventh Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) opened on Wednesday its three-day meeting in the city of Marrakech with the participation of delegates representing all UN member states and Observers. Placed under the theme: Honoring International Commitments to Unlock the Potential of all Migrants for Development, the forum features debates and panels on the contribution of migrants and diaspora to sustainable development, the socioeconomic inclusion of migrants and ways to ensure a safe, dignified and rights-based transit of migrants. Participants are also discussing several issues related to migrants labor rights, fair recruitment, South-South mobility, transferable learning, contemporary drivers of migration, regional mobility to support sustained development, the migrants access to social & health services GFMD, co-chaired by Morocco and Germany, aims at contributing to the United Nations Global Compact on Migration. The Compact is intended to constitute a strong signal of the international community for an enhanced global migration policy. Morocco has become a country of destination rather than a transit country for refugees and migrants. The North African Kingdom launched regularization plans for migrants and refugees, who wish to settle in the country. Morocco has revised its national immigration and asylum strategy to make it in line with the countrys human rights commitment, guaranteeing migrants access to basic services including, education, social housing, and employment. Marrakech will next week host the intergovernmental conference on international migration. The conference, due Dec.10-11, is expected to adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The global compact will be the first, inter-governmentally negotiated agreement, prepared under the auspices of the United Nations, to cover all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner. The Global Compact For Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, was agreed by Member States under the auspices of the UN General Assembly last July, and hailed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a significant achievement. The non-binding Global Compact is grounded in values of State sovereignty, responsibility-sharing, non-discrimination, and human rights. It recognizes that a cooperative approach is needed to optimize the overall benefits of migration, while also mitigating its risks and challenges for individuals and communities in countries of origin, transit and destination. With more than 68 million forcibly on the move today, migrants and refugees have made headlines across the globe in recent years; from the refugee crisis in Europe, to the migrant caravans hailing from Central America and heading to the southern borders of the United States. Besides, the latest data from UN migration agency IOM, shows that so far this year 3,323 people have died or gone missing on migratory routes across the globe, the majority in the Mediterranean Sea, where thousands continue to attempt the crossing to mainland Europe, mainly from Africa and Asia. You can reach Sam Morgen at 661-395-7415 or smorgen@bakersfield.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @smorgenTBC. Morocco is resolved to strengthen its cooperation with the G5-Sahel countries to develop coastal zones and take up the serious security challenges facing the area. The statement was made by the Head of the Moroccan Government, Saad Dine El Othmani, upon arrival Wednesday in Nouakchott to represent Morocco at the coordination conference of the partners and donors of the G5-Sahel group, made up by Mauritania, Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. We are determined to cooperate fully with our brothers in the five countries of the Sahel to develop coastal areas that are facing serious threats affecting the security of the entire region, including that of Morocco, El Othmani told MAP. Morocco will present to the Nouakchott conference its program of action in the Sahel region, he said, outlining that the Kingdoms participation in this conference is underpinned by its commitment to promoting inter-African relations, its key role in the region, and its concern to develop the Sahel region and preserve its stability and security. Othmanis visit to Nouakchott will be an opportunity to discuss with the Mauritanian Prime Minister, Mohmed Salem Ould El Bechir, ways to further promote Moroccan-Mauritanian relations at the economic, social and political levels. The coordination conference, held this Thursday, is attended by several heads of state and government and representatives of donor countries and institutions. It aims to mobilize the necessary funds for the G5 Sahel priority security and development program. Created in February 2014, G5-Sahel aims to coordinate and monitor regional cooperation in development matters, and particularly in the fight against terrorism in the region where armed groups linked to Al Qaeda are active. The five countries of the Group had decided to form a force of 10,000 men to secure the borders and fight terrorism, especially between Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. It also drew up priority investments and structural projects programs to upgrade basic infrastructure (transport, energy, communication and hydraulics), food security and pastoral economy, all components likely to promote security in the region with a 60 million strong population. At a Brussels conference held 9 months ago, funding pledges to the joint G5-Sahel force amounted to 414 million. Banking on these promises, the group set up a trust fund hosted by the Central Bank of Mauritania (BCM). According to an assessment document of its Permanent Secretariat, the group has so far received the contributions of Rwanda, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, to better ensure their security, the group member states will have to make their own contributions. As of 2019, each G5 Sahel state will allocate 13 billion CFA francs a year, or 20 million, to the regional security effort. Thus, the joint force, under the responsibility of General Hanana ould Sidi (Mauritania), and his deputy Omar Bikimo (Chad), will have the necessary resources to address the terrorist threat. At the development level, there is need for resources mobilization at the domestic and international scales, for the implementation of a global portfolio of 40 projects worth nearly 2 billion, of which 13% funding is provided by the member states. The first phase of the Priority Investment Program (PIP), covering the 2019/2021 period, targets the four G5-Sahel strategic axes: governance (81 million), resilience (200 million), security (396 million) and infrastructure (1 billion), according to the assessment document. Update 12/6/18: Kelvin Lee Roy has been sentenced to 80 years in prison for the murder of Alexandria Bertrand. In 2014, he was sentenced to 75 years for the same charge, but that conviction was overturned last year. Previous Reporting 12/5/18: An Orange County jury on Wednesday found Kelvin Lee Roy guilty for the 2014 murder of a 16-year-old Vidor girl. Again. Friends and relatives of the Bertrand family, who filled three rows of the state District Court, gasped in relief when the verdict was read. The eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes. They will begin considering his punishment on Thursday. Roy, 36, of Beaumont was previously convicted of the murder and sentenced to 75 years in prison in late August 2014, months after a vehicle he was driving sheared the right side of the Bertrand familys Honda minivan that February, killing Alexandria Bertrand. Roys case was brought back to court this week following a higher courts order overturning the conviction on the grounds that the trial judge should have instructed the jury to consider a lesser charge of intoxication manslaughter in addition to murder. Bertrand and her mother, April, were en route to buy Valentines Day candy on Feb. 7, 2014, when Roys vehicle jumped the railroad tracks at Main Street and Old U.S. 90 in Vidor and caused Bertrands body to be ejected from the vehicle. Id like to say that Im an optimistic, happy person, April Bertrand testified during the punishment portion of the trial. But this wreck and the loss of my baby girl has altered that. I struggle daily. PREVIOUSLY: Court overturns Beaumont man's murder conviction of Vidor teen Roy, who testified on Wednesday morning, said he was messed up the night of the crash. I dont remember the accident or anything that happened, he said. A blood sample, taken immediately after the accident, found Roy had marijuana, PCP and alcohol in his system. His blood-alcohol content was 0.015, below the legal limit of 0.08, according to a Jefferson County Crime Lab toxicologist. According to Roys testimony, he and then-girlfriend Taralynn Brown were driving to Vidor to pay a man who had previously fixed the brake pads on Browns white Mercury Sable, the same vehicle involved in the incident that killed Bertrand. Just blocks from leaving the mans home, Roy said he lit a dipped cigarette and puffed a couple times. Roy said he began feeling sick, light-headed and a bit dizzy, soon losing consciousness and awareness of his surroundings. He testified that he tried to pull over and asked Brown to take the wheel. Thats the last thing I remember, he said. The next thing Im waking up in jail. Prosecutor Krispen Walker called Roys testimony a fabricated, made-up story and accused him of having selective memory. Noting that his account contradicted Browns version of events, Walker told the jury, His memory benefits him when he needs it to. Brown testified on Tuesday that Roy told her he was going to kill both of us as he mashed on the gas. While the details he recollected were scant, Roy said during cross-examination that he was sure he did not tell Brown he intended to kill her. Defense attorney Ryan Gertz said he believed there was overwhelming evidence that Roy committed manslaughter rather than murder. Were not saying he should walk out of here because he was high on PCP, Gertz said. He questioned whether the state could prove Roy acted with conscious objective or desire to cause serious bodily injury or death. Other than Browns account that Roy threatened to kill both of them, Gertz said the case is just an intoxicated driver that caused the death of other people. Donna Roy Bell, Roys older sister who raised him, testified during the punishment phase she believed Roy just made a mistake. He shouldnt have been driving while on PCP, she said, and he shouldnt have been taking drugs at all. I know she did her job, painted an ugly picture of him, Bell said of Walker. But Kelvin is a kind person. I was told I caused an accident that took a life, Roy said. I feel very bad about it because thats not me normally. I dont wake up daily on a daily basis wanting to kill myself or anybody else. Court testimony showed that Roys past charges and convictions include assault or family violence, felony possession of marijuana and two felony possessions of a controlled substance. phoebe.suy@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/phoebesuy Updated at noon: An estimated 1,200 mourners honored the life of the nation's 41st president, George H.W. Bush, at the state funeral held Thursday morning inside a west Houston church, where the Texas icon's eldest grandson and close friend delivered deeply personal eulogies for the family patriarch and humble cornerstone of American history. In an 80-minute service at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, marked by soaring patriotic hymns and recollections of Bush's faith, speakers described the former president as a "charter member of the Greatest Generation" whose upstanding character guided his heroic military service, accomplished political career and devotion to family. "He possessed the classic virtues of our civilization and of his faith, the same virtues that express what is really best about our country," James A. Baker III, Bush's chief political compatriot and friend of more than 60 years, said during a warm, confident eulogy. "History has shown that few families accomplished as much as his has. His legacy lives on with his children, who have contributed so very much to what makes our nation great." The carefully orchestrated ceremony, held in the same church where his wife of 73 years, Barbara, was memorialized in April following her death, reflected Bush's patriotism, faith and humor. Bush, 94, died on Friday following months of declining health as he dealt with a form of Parkinson's disease. The church's vast choir, accompanied by a brass band, bookended the service with renditions of "America the Beautiful" and "Battle Hymn of the Republic" that rang through the cavernous sanctuary. The church's rector, the Rev. Russell J. Levenson Jr., delivered a homily in which he envisioned the former president arriving in Heaven and receiving "a big old Texas-sized hug from his wife and daughter." Bush's eldest grandson, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, recalled his grandfather's constant dedication to family, exemplified by frequent letters sent to relatives through both the best and rockiest moments. "In our times together, our big, wonderful and competitive family saw the goodness that led to his greatness," said George P. Bush, the only current elected official from the political dynasty. At HoustonChronicle.com: How the United States has changed since George H. W. Bush's presidency Bush's casket, draped with an American flag, sat at the head of the church sanctuary's aisleway throughout the ceremony, with his son and 43rd President George W. Bush sitting closest to it. Bush's five living children and their spouses occupied the front seats during the funeral, while eight grandsons served as honorary pallbearers and six granddaughters read Scripture. Following the funeral, which ended at about 11:20 a.m., former first lady Laura Bush clutched George W. Bush's arm as he stoically watched his father's casket loaded inside a hearse, the sound of trumpets and drums floating over the church. The former president's body and his family members are scheduled to be escorted to the Union Pacific Auto Facility in Spring for transport by train to College Station. A ceremony featuring about 700 to 800 participants, including Texas A&M leaders and Bush Foundation staff members, will be held upon his arrival at about 3:30 p.m. Bush is expected to be buried at about 4:15 p.m. on the grounds of his presidential library alongside Barbara and the couple's daughter, Robin, who died of leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. The burial will be private. HOW TO WATCH: Details on how you can watch the Houston funeral online The first mourners began arriving at St. Martin's Episcopal Church about 8 a.m., making their way through the brick church's archway as an American flag flapped against the gray sky. Inside the chilly church, muted light came through stained-glass windows as organ music and hushed chatter filled the air. In addition to family, many members of Houston royalty were expected in attendance: former Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan, former Rockets center Yao Ming, Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt, Gallery Furniture owner Jim McIngvale, philanthropists Nancy and Rich Kinder, sports franchise owners Drayton McLane and Tilman Fertitta. Several of the state's top political leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Mayor Sylvester Turner, also arrived Thursday morning. Full coverage of George H.W. Bush's death and funeral is at our subscription site, HoustonChronicle.com Thursday's events followed a day of national mourning primarily in Washington, D.C., where former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and George W. Bush joined President Donald Trump for a funeral at the National Cathedral. Bush's namesake son, biographer Jon Meacham and two political allies, former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, each delivered eulogies. Bush's body was flown to Houston after the funeral to lie in repose throughout the night and following morning at St. Martin's. Hundreds of Houstonians lined up outside the church for his arrival, streaming in after the casket's arrival in the early evening. Roads near St. Martin's, located about a half-mile west of Loop 610 off Woodway Drive, are expected to remain closed until 1 p.m. Thursday. Talks at first round table took place in an atmosphere of serious commitment, openness and mutual respect A second round table on the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara will take place in the course of the first quarter of 2019, the UN Secretary-Generals Personal Envoy for the Sahara, Horst Koehler said Thursday evening in Geneva, indicating that all participating delegations in the first round table recognized that cooperation and regional integration, rather than confrontation, were the best way to address the many important challenges facing the region. The delegations agreed that the Personal Envoy would invite them to a second round table in the first quarter of 2019, said Mr. Kohler when reading a statement before the media. At the invitation of Mr Koehler, delegations from Morocco, Algeria, the Polisario and Mauritania participated in a first round table in Geneva on December 5 and 6, in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2440, recalled the statement, read out by the UN envoy. The delegations, the statement said, reported on recent developments, discussed regional issues and discussed next steps in the political process for the Sahara. All delegations recognized that cooperation and regional integration, rather than confrontation, were the best ways to address the many important challenges facing the region, the statement said, noting that all talks took place in an atmosphere of serious commitment, openness and mutual respect. The Moroccan delegation to the round table included Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita; Moroccos Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Omar Hilale; President of the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra region, Sidi Hamdi Ould Errachid; President of the Dakhla-Oued Eddahab region, Ynja Khattat; and civil society activist and member of the City Council of Smara, Mrs. Fatima Adli. Relias Media detailed the potential risk antimicrobial drug resistant organisms could pose to ASCs. Here are the key details to know: 1. Antimicrobial resistance from bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae is on the rise. 2. Jeffrey Silvers, MD, Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health's medical director of quality, infection control, and pharmacy, told Relias Media that as ASCs treat more patients with complicated cases, the risk of antimicrobial drug resistant organisms in patients increases. 3. Dr. Silvers said it's important for surgery centers to have infection control procedures in place to ensure infections aren't spread to patients. 4. Robert G. Sawyer, MD , Kalamazoo-based Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine's chairman of the department of surgery, told Relias Media that ASCs with more orthopedic patients are at increased risk of coming into contact with a patient with MRSA. 5. To help negate risks, surgery centers can evaluate patients for antimicrobial drug resistant organisms by screening for MRSA before surgery. Centers can then stock antibiotics the patient can use after surgery. 6. Following up with patients after surgery to check for surgical site infections can help ASCs document infections and determine if there's an infection control issue at the center. Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston partnered with Korean blockchain startup MediBloc to explore using the blockchain to store and share patient health information, according to CoinDesk. Blockchain describes a permanent and shared ledger of online transactions or exchanges that, unlike a traditional database that is centrally located and maintained by one party, is shared among a network of users. Under its agreement with MediBloc, MGH aims to "explore potentials of blockchain technology to provide secure solutions for health information exchange, integrate healthcare AI applications into the day-to-day clinical workflow, and support [a] data sharing and labeling platform for machine learning model development," Synho Do, PhD, director of the Laboratory of Medical Imaging and Computation, a joint venture of MGH and Boston-based Harvard Medical School, told CoinDesk. MediBloc is developing a blockchain network for storing and sharing patient data as well as a tool to convert hospital data into a universal format. In this way, blockchain could help remove barriers to interoperability. The startup, co-founded by two physicians, has gained notoriety in South Korea, having been tapped for two government-funded projects and eight medical institutions. Google is donating about $115,000 over two years to fund a rural student-run clinic affiliated with the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, The Post and Courier reports. The donation will go toward expense to set up a weekend health clinic in a middle school in St. Stephen, S.C. The new CARES Medical Clinic marks an expansion of an existing site in Mount Pleasant, where free care is given to uninsured patients under the supervision of the medical school's physicians. This is a new type of philanthropy for the search engine giant, according to The Post and Courier. Google, which employs about 400 workers at a nearby data center in Moncks Corner, S.C., traditionally has focused its donations in the area to supporting education efforts. A Google spokesperson confirmed the investment in the CARES Medical Clinic was separate from the company's business interests. "A lot of the work that we do around philanthropic outreach is designed to be helpful," Lilyn Hester, head of Southeast public affairs for Google, told The Post and Courier. "We take the business case out of it." Like many rural communities, St. Stephen is facing a shortage of physicians and basic medical services. There are only two physicians actively practicing in the town, according to data from the state's licensing department reviewed by The Post and Courier. Rockdale, Texas-based Little River Healthcare closed all of its facilities Dec. 4, including two hospitals and several medical clinics. In a letter sent to employees Nov. 30, Little River Healthcare, which entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July, said it would shut down the hospitals and clinics Dec. 7 because it was unable to find new owners for the facilities. The health system ceased operations Dec. 4 "due to unfortunate financial conditions," according to a message on its website. Little River Healthcare is seeking to convert its bankruptcy case to Chapter 7, allowing it to liquidate its assets. In documents filed in the case, the health system claims its lender, Monroe Capital Management, has denied several funding requests, including one totaling $700,000 for the week ended Nov. 30. Monroe Capital Management said it denied the budget requests for several reasons, including the health system's inability to accurately forecast or perform. Little River Healthcare laid off a total of 298 workers when it shut down, a Texas Workforce Commission spokesperson told KWTX. More articles on healthcare finance: Outlook is negative for nonprofit hospital sector, Moody's says CHI's operating loss shrinks to $73M in Q1 10 hospitals seeking CFOs The largest nursing home operator in Texas has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection amid debt of more than $100 million, according to The Dallas Morning News. Dallas-based Senior Care Centers operates more than 100 care facilities in Texas and Louisiana, including 17 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company said the Dec. 4 filing allows it "to address its burdensome debt levels and expensive leases, thereby improving the financial resources available for the communities." Senior Care Centers is committed "to continue caring for residents while the company works to transition certain communities to new operators," the operator said, adding that residents of all its communities would continue to receive high-level care regardless of the operator. The centers' approximately 11,000 employees "will continue to be paid without interruption" as will vendors for all goods and services provided during the bankruptcy process, officials said. The bankruptcy news comes about a year after state regulators announced an investigation into Senior Care Centers for a series of alleged care lapses that occurred during Hurricane Harvey. As part of the investigation, the state cited two Senior Care facilities in Port Arthur, Texas, for not keeping residents safe during and after the hurricane, according to the report. The state reportedly proposed penalties of more than $100,000 against each of the facilities Cypress Glen and Lake Arthur Place in October. The Morning News reported that bankruptcy judges may appoint patient-care ombudsmen to monitor care during the case. Access the full Morning News report here. More articles on healthcare finance: How millennial healthcare revenue cycle professionals feel about their employers Nonprofit hospitals will continue to struggle in 2019, Fitch says Texas hospital bills wrong patient nearly $13K Healthcare organizations are beginning to redesign how they approach IT support, according to a recently released Black Book poll. For its report on health IT support, market research firm Black Book polled more than 4,400 users across a five-month span. Here are eight emerging trends reshaping IT support at healthcare organizations, as highlighted by Black Book and listed in alphabetical order: 1. Artificial intelligence and automation: Just 3 percent of healthcare providers and 5 percent of payers responding to the Black Book survey have launched automated client service strategies, despite AI and automation technologies capturing headlines in 2018. 2. Big data: Healthcare organizations will have to invest in new hardware and network capacity to make sense of the large amounts of data available, as well as hire people with the right skills to draw insights from this information. 3. Blockchain: As healthcare industry players gain more experience with the technology, new innovations will focus on developing blockchain tools that "can be seamlessly integrated with organizations' IT systems to jointly drive the tech support ecosystem," the report states. 4. Client experience: The majority of CIOs 88 percent said they are beginning to re-imagine the role of the support organization in response to technology becoming more critical to patient experience. 5. Cybersecurity: As organizations increasingly adopt internet-connected tools involving the cloud and mobile devices, they must revamp and bolster their approaches to cybersecurity. "Protective measures, systems, policies and protocols must be put into place to prevent unauthorized access at multiple points of entry," the report states. 6. EHR tech support: Over half of hospital respondents 60 percent said their EHR tech support is currently falling short of expectations. Hospital technology managers prefer that their EHR vendor provide tech support, rather than outsource support to a third party. 7. Internet of medical things: The onslaught of connected devices creates the need for a secured, central monitoring station manned with experts that specialize in and research better ways to manage these devices. 8. Patient care enhancements: Eighty-eight percent of clinicians told Black Book patient care delivery is continually impeded by subpar tech support. Ninety percent of CMOs surveyed said multilevel tech support from their EHR vendor will be a top differentiator for their EHR purchasing decisions in 2019. The vendors that scored highest in Black Book's report on technical support were Cerner, Allscripts and Meditech. The majority of respondents on Epic EHRs 84 percent attributed tech support to third party outsourcers, consultants and independent firms. President Ali Bongo Ondimba has left Rabat military hospital for his private residence in the Moroccan capital city where he arrived late last month from Saudi Arabia. The medical team in charge of Ali Bongo on Wednesday allowed him to leave the hospital and continue his recovery at his private residence, according to the Presidents entourage. Monday, the African leader received the visit of King Mohamed VI of Morocco. The 59 year old President has been absent from his country since October after flying to Saudi Arabia. The man who has been in power since 2009 suffered a stroke and was admitted to hospital in Riyadh. The Supreme Court of the African country subsequently temporarily handed the power to the Vice President. The absence of the President from the country and speculations about his health condition have caused a stir in the central African country with many believing the one who was re-elected in 2016 has lost abilities to run the country. However, the photos of King Mohammed VIs visit to the ailing president, the first since Bongos hospitalization in Saudi Arabia for almost a month and his coming to Morocco for convalescence on November 29, put an end to rumors. Several Key officials of the Gabonese government have already joined Ali Bongo in Morocco to work on urgent issues. Washington, D.C.-based George Washington University suspended negotiations over managing a new hospital in Washington in a letter to officials Dec. 5, The Washington Post reports. The letter to city officials obtained by The Washington Post argues that conditions approved by the D.C. Council during a meeting earlier this week "have made [GWU's] continued participation potentially impossible and placed this project in jeopardy." District Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a Dec. 4 statement that while negotiations with GWU have been placed on hold, it does not diminish officials' resolve to build a new hospital, which will likely serve the city's underserved populations. The D.C. Council voted Dec. 4 to require the new hospital to honor union contracts and employ healthcare professionals from the city's existing public hospital. The new hospital would also enter into an agreement with Washington, D.C.-based Howard University to allow medical residents to train at the hospital. Howard officials previously voiced their discontent for GWU's management arrangement for the new hospital. One D.C. Council member who is largely responsible for leading the effort to build the new hospital said Dec. 4 that each of the stipulations would act as a "poison pill" for the potential hospital, the report states. To access the full report, click here. Pottstown (Pa.) Hospital reached a contract agreement with workers after six months at the bargaining table, according to The Mercury. The agreement covers more than 250 workers, including certified nursing assistants, transporters, unit secretaries, service workers and technicians, represented by Service Employee International Union Healthcare Pennsylvania. It includes across-the-board wage increases over the three-year contract term, as well as seniority protections and limits on health insurance costs, according to the report, which cites a press release. Workers at the hospital that is part of West Reading, Pa.-based Tower Health, are reportedly guaranteed wage raises of up to 4 percent annually during the contract, and employees may keep their spouses on the Tower Health insurance plan. This is the first agreement between SEIU-represented workers and Tower Health since Tower Health acquired the hospital last year. More articles on human capital and risk: Nurses at St. Luke's Hospital in Massachusetts vote to unionize Amid unionization push, some Johns Hopkins nurses say poor working conditions jeopardize patient safety Kaiser mental health clinicians to walk off job Dec. 10 Medical organizations have recommended that Missouri hospital physicians decrease their opioid prescriptions, according to St. Louis Public Radio. These organizations include the Missouri Dental Association, Missouri Hospital Association, Missouri State Medical Association, Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons and the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians, all of which contributed new guidelines. "I think three years ago physicians understood at that time we played a role in all this," said Evan Schwarz, president of the states college of emergency physicians, referencing the high number of opioid addicts and opioid-related deaths. "Its our responsibility to limit exposure when we can." Initial opioid prescription guidelines, lasted updated in 2015 and limited to emergency departments, now include all hospital personnel able to prescribe the drugs. Dave Dillon, spokesperson for the Missouri Hospital Association, indicated the importance of extending guidelines to hospitals since emergency room patients often are moved to inpatient hospital rooms once they are treated. "These guidelines arent meant to advocate for illegal analgesia or for undertreating pain," Mr. Schwarz told St. Louis Public Radio."Its to make sure were prescribing responsibly, but providing for physician judgment to do what they think is best for the patient." More articles on opioids: FDA opioid-reduction challenge winners announced China will make fentanyl a controlled substance Some marketplaces on UK's dark web refuse to sell fentanyl Dallas-based Steward Health Care, a private, for-profit hospital operator, plans to reopen the former Florence (Ariz.) Hospital at Anthem, PinalCentral.com reported. Steward operates hospitals in Arizona and eight other states. Steward officials told the Florence City Council it plans to reopen the hospital early next year under the name Florence Hospital, a Campus of Mountain Vista Medical Center, according to the report. The former Florence Hospital at Anthem closed June 18 after entering bankruptcy. Florence Hospital, a Campus of Mountain Vista Medical Center, will include a 24-hour emergency room, Steward officials said. "We plan to provide other specialty services such as pulmonary, nephrology and urology, as well as cardiology services," said Gary Smith, MD, CMO of Steward in Arizona, according to the report. Hospitalists will work at the facility. Patients with more complex needs will receive care at Mesa, Ariz.-based Mountain Vista Medical Center, another facility operated by the company, Steward officials said. More articles on patient flow: Gunman fatally shoots himself, injures at least 2 at U of Kansas Medical Center DC's Providence Hospital will keep ER open, close other acute services Ambulance response times longer in low-income zip codes, study finds Rural hospitals are questioning Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas' use of "strongarm" tactics to negotiate lower rates, according to the Observer. Here are five things to know: 1. Across Texas, BCBS of Texas is sending several rural hospitals low reimbursement rates and then notifying customers about failed contract negotiations when hospitals don't agree to those rates, John Henderson, CEO of the Texas Organization of Community and Rural Hospitals, told the Observer. This often forces hospitals to choose between protecting their bottom line or ensuring patients maintain in-network access to their facility. 2. For example, Keith Butler, the interim CEO of Iraan (Texas) General Hospital, said he received a letter from BCBS the hospital's largest source of revenue in spring 2018 requesting a contract renegotiation. Mr. Butler said the insurer's proposed reimbursement cuts for outpatient clinic visits and emergency room services would have hurt the hospital, which had been bleeding more than $1 million a year since 2017. 3. When Mr. Butler sent BCBS of Texas a counteroffer, he told the Observer the health insurer went quiet for nearly three months. Then, BCBS began notifying customers and hospital employees that a snag in contract negotiations would push Iraan General Hospital out of BCBS of Texas' network. 4. While Mr. Butler ultimately agreed to a slightly better contract than the first offer, he projects the hospital will lose "hundreds of thousands" on laboratory tests alone. The new contract "will take a significant hit on our bottom line," he said. 5. BCBS of Texas has a quarter of the health insurance market in Texas. In a statement to the Observer, the health insurer said it is renegotiating outdated contracts with several rural hospitals. The insurer said the contracts "needed to be updated to include new protections for members and employers." BCBS added it "continues to negotiate in good faith with a group of rural hospitals across the state." For the full Observer article, click here. More articles on payers: Humana shakes up leadership team: 4 things to know Judge calls for another hearing on CVS-Aetna deal: 3 things to know BCBS exec tells Texas business leaders to 'stand with your carrier' As antibiotic resistance continues to climb to dangerously high levels across the globe, new resistance mechanisms are threatening hospitals' capacity to treat common infections. To prevent patients from contracting potentially deadly drug-resistant infections, healthcare leaders are challenged to implement strategies that prioritize accurate diagnostic testing and proper antibiotic use. This article is sponsored by Accelerate Diagnostics. At Becker's Hospital Review 7th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable in Chicago Nov. 12, Michael Osterholm, PhD, director of the center for infectious disease research and policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, discussed several strategies leaders can focus on to curb the effects of antibiotic resistance. "When looking at infectious disease trends, nothing will have as large of a global effect over the next few decades as antimicrobial resistance," Dr. Osterholm said. "Antimicrobial resistance is as much a part of our world as gravity. We've overprescribed and overused antibiotics over the past 100 years, so we shouldn't be surprised today that we're seeing resistance challenges as these microbes evolve to survive." If healthcare institutions do not act now, we may soon cross into a post-antibiotic global era where common infections and minor injuries prove deadly, Dr. Osterholm said. However, if institutions place greater emphasis on strategies to fight this resistance, such as ensuring appropriate antimicrobial therapy and developing robust antibiotic stewardship initiatives, healthcare facilities can ensure patients have better outcomes now and for decades to come. Five key strategies to mitigate the effect of antimicrobial resistance During the presentation, Dr. Osterholm outlined five strategies for healthcare leaders to consider in the fight against antibiotic resistance: 1. Use existing antimicrobials strategically. In recent years, there has been a major reduction in the pipeline for the development of new antibiotics, which means there won't be many new drugs to use in the future, Dr. Osterholm said. "We've had many recent compounds over the past 10 years that initially brought great excitement as new treatments, but were found to be very toxic when put into an animal or human system." The "easy antibiotics," or those most likely to make it to market and successfully treat infections, are gone, he added. "I don't want to say that there won't be new antibiotics developed, but they won't be the savior against antibiotic resistance," Dr. Osterholm said. "We must save the antibiotics we have now and ensure we use them as wisely as possible." 2. Regulate antimicrobial use in animals and humans. "Just like global climate change, if we eliminated all the carbon dioxide emitted by the United States, the rest of the world would still play a key role," Dr. Osterholm said. "Same with antibiotic resistance. One of the biggest challenges we have is how to control and limit antimicrobial use worldwide." In nations that lack standard treatment guidelines, healthcare providers and veterinarians overprescribe antibiotics and patients often overuse them, meaning global policymakers must strengthen antibiotic policies and regulate appropriate use and disposal of quality medicines, according to the World Health Organization. Beyond policy changes, Dr. Osterholm said individual institutions can drive some of the greatest changes in regulating antibiotic use. "Addressing antibiotic resistance will involve decisions made on an institution-by-institution basis, such as ensuring hospitals have the correct antibiotic therapy for each infection determined in their pharmacies and medical practice standards." 3. Advance vaccine development to curb antibiotic use. "The use of vaccines to curb antibiotic use has tremendous potential as an alternative approach to prevent and treat infections of resistant organisms," Dr. Osterholm said. To prevent and control the spread of antibiotic resistance, healthcare leaders can focus on investments in researching and developing new vaccines to prevent common infections. "I predict we will see greater vaccine development in the next few years," Dr. Osterholm added. "If we had vaccines, we wouldn't have to deal with the actual infection and the potential for resistance." 4. Implement faster diagnostic testing. "I imagine anybody would laugh at me if I said, 'I've got this great new pressure cuff for blood pressure you take it and within 24 hours you'll have a reading.' But much of the diagnostic testing we do at the laboratory is like that," Dr. Osterholm explained. However, emerging technology can help providers diagnose infections much faster. For example, Dr. Osterholm discussed technology from Accelerate Diagnostics, which identifies an infection in less than 90 minutes and determines antibiotic susceptibility in less than seven hours. "With an infectious disease, these extra minutes could significantly change patient outcomes," Dr. Osterholm said. "And we're seeing rapid testing becoming much more of a reality a faster and more specific diagnostic result could help bring better outcomes for your patients and your institution." 5. Bolster antibiotic stewardship initiatives. Every healthcare organization should be required to have an active, aggressive and data driven antibiotic stewardship program, Dr. Osterholm said. "If senior leadership isn't involved in developing these programs, they won't succeed." When considering what actions to take around antibiotic stewardship initiatives, Dr. Osterholm recommended leaders tackle the following questions: What are we doing for antibiotic stewardship beyond having monthly meetings? In what ways does our organization support antibiotic stewardship programs? What data do we have on how antibiotic stewardship programs are used at our facility? What do we know about patients' length of stay and how outcomes are being affected by that data? "It is critical that senior leadership is involved in addressing these questions, because institutions can do a great deal on their own to ensure providers are using the correct antibiotics and only using them when needed." Addressing the growing threat of antibiotic resistance As the threat of antibiotic resistance continues to rise worldwide, hospitals and healthcare organizations can help mitigate the threat by prioritizing proper antibiotic use, policy changes to uphold consistent standards for antibiotic use, investments in vaccines, faster diagnostic testing and antibiotic stewardship initiatives. These actions are not only critical for patients and communities in the present-day, but for decades and generations to come. "We are beginning to sit on the cliff edge of a post-antibiotic era," Dr. Osterholm said. "This is not just about a problem today, it's about a problem that our kids and grandkids are going to bear in a very big way." The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on Dec. 5 reported the state's first case of acute flaccid myelitis in 2018. The health department did not disclose personal details about the infected child, but said the case occurred in Wayne County, Mich. As of Dec. 3, the CDC confirmed 134 AFM cases across 33 states, marking an 18-case increase from the week prior. An additional 165 cases are still under investigation, seven of which are in Michigan. Here are 15 key notes from orthopedic and spine device companies in the past week. Medtronic was among the nine Minnesota-based companies to land spots on Drunker Institute's Management Top 250 list. Spineology added Bob Paulson and Phil Soran to its board of directors. Nexxt Spine received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Saxxony Posterior Cervical Thoracic System. Astura Medical received FDA 510(k) clearance for its spinal fixation system. Minimally invasive surgical device company SI-Bone closed its initial public offering of 8.28 million shares of common stock in October. Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak traveled to Israel, along with other senior executives, days after the company announced it would acquire its third Israel-based company. Exparel launched a new patient website with resources for individuals planning to undergo surgery. A judge sided with Zimmer Biomet's decision to not pay a former employee severance. Stryker made significant inroads into the spine market by acquiring K2M for $1.4 billion in late August. Since then, the company has focused on the integration and its growth strategy for the coming years, even as the spine market seems to flatten out. Implanet received CE mark approval for its Jazz Cap System. WishBone Medical acquired Response Ortho. Stryker priced four senior notes offerings, totaling $2.56 billion. LimaCorporate launched the SMR TT Hybrid Glenoid in the U.S. and New Zealand. Osseus Fusion Systems received FDA 510(k) clearance for its Aries 3D-printed titanium spinal implants. In2Bones Global launched the CoLink View Plating System. Stryker and Zimmer Biomet are heading back to the federal appeals court over the scope of damages awarded in an eight-year long patent infringement case, according to Bloomberg Law. Here are five things to know: 1. In December 2010, Stryker sued Zimmer Biomet for allegedly infringing on patents for Stryker's pulsed lavage devices. A jury found Zimmer Biomet infringed on three patents in 2013. Because Zimmer Biomet was found to have willfully infringed, the court awarded Stryker triple the amount in damages and attorneys' fees. 2. Zimmer Biomet was ordered to pay Stryker $248.7 million. However, Zimmer Biomet is arguing the ordered payment is out of proportion to the scope of the infringement. Zimmer Biomet has already paid Stryker $90.2 million. 3. The $248.7 million award is considered one of the largest awards in a patent infringement case. Patent litigators and experts are divided on whether or not Zimmer Biomet will be able to overturn the ruling. 4. According to intellectual property attorney Paul Ainsworth and law professor Timothy Holbrook, the chances the appeals court overturns the ruling are slim. "I'm not sure that the Federal Circuit is going to delve that deeply into the district court's analysis as it's discretionary," Mr. Ainsworth told Bloomberg Law. 5. One the flip side, Michael Hawes, an intellectual property partner, indicated Zimmer Biomet may be able to reduce its obligated payments. "Zimmer is making the argument you have to look at the egregiousness of the conduct from the point of view of when it happened," Mr. Hawes told Bloomberg Law. Oral arguments for the case began Dec. 3. King Mohammed VI has appointed Thursday (Dec.6) human rights activist and diplomat Amina Bouayach as head of the National Council for Human Rights (CNDH) and Ahmed Chaouki Benayaoub as the head of the interministerial delegation for human rights. Amina Bouayach replaces Driss El Yazami, who headed the CNDH since 2011, and Ahmed Chaouki Benayaoub takes over Mahjoub El Hiba as president of the interministerial delegation for human rights, created in April 2011. During the appointment ceremony, the king urged the new president of the CNDH to carry on the efforts to strengthen and enhance the achievements scored by Morocco in the area of human rights, said the Royal Office in a statement. These achievements have gained Morocco the consideration of specialized international and regional institutions and bodies, a fact that magnifies the responsibility of this Council in view of the broad powers it enjoys, the statement said. Mohammed VI also stressed the need for the CNDH to carry out the missions assigned to it, particularly with regard to the national mechanism for the prevention of torture, the national mechanism of recourse for children who are victim of rights abuses as well as the national mechanism for the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, the Royal Office statement added. While appointing Ahmed Chaouki Benayaoub, the Sovereign emphasized the role of this institution in monitoring government policy, particularly in the field of the protection and promotion of human rights. The Sovereign also insisted on the institutions role in ensuring coordination with the ministerial departments and institutions concerned, in addition to monitoring the implementation of relevant international conventions and supervising the elaboration of national reports that are submitted to relevant UN mechanisms. The King urged the new Interministerial Delegate to carry on efforts to preserve the achievements made, to integrate the culture of human rights in national public policies and to strengthen cooperation with relevant stakeholders and organizations, be they governmental or non-governmental. Amina Bouayach, 61, is a recognized human rights activist. She became, in 2006, the first woman elected as president of a major NGO in Morocco, the OMDH. As president of the Moroccan organization for human rights, Amina Bouayach worked on major issues such as torture, refugee rights, womens rights and the abolition of the death penalty. She was elected vice-president then secretary general of the International Federation for Human Rights in 2010 and 2013 respectively. She was awarded the Order of the Throne by King Mohammed VI for her contribution to the 2011 Moroccan Constitution, and in 2015, she was awarded the French Legion of Honor for her integrity and constant involvement for Human Rights. She was appointed ambassador to Sweden in 2016. She has worked closely with the United Nations, the African Union and the Euro-Mediterranean Forum on defenders rights, and freedom of association. Ahmed Chaouki Benayoubn 61, is a lawyer with the Bar of Rabat. He was member of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission (IER) and member of the Advisory Council on Human Rights (2002-2006), where he chaired the working group on the protection of human rights and later on the group in charge of legislation and public policies studies. Chaouki Benayoub was also vice-president of the Moroccan Organization for Human Rights (OMDH) and advisor to the National Observatory for the Rights of the Child. Expert and mentor in mechanisms for the protection and promotion of human rights, he works as a counsellor to several human rights regional and international organizations. Surgeons and physicians from across the country are reacting to an Oct. 7 NRA tweet telling physicians to "stay in their lane," according to WFYI Indianapolis. The American College of Physicians first released a position paper recommending a public health approach to gun violence. The paper called for funding research, criminal background checks for gun purchases and other policy changes. In turn, they claimed physicians would see fewer firearm injuries and deaths. Responding to the paper, the NRA tweeted, "Someone should tell self-important anti-gun doctors to stay in their lane." Physicians then turned to Twitter using the hashtags #ThisIsMyLane and #ThisIsOurLane to express their firsthand views on gun violence. Neurosurgeon Ben Rodgers, MD, is among the physicians responding to the tweet. Dr. Rodgers is a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. In an interview with WFYI Indianapolis, Dr. Rodgers detailed his experience treating patients affected by gun violence. To read the interview, click here. Business leaders from Northern Ireland have returned to Westminster to voice their backing for the draft EU withdrawal agreement ahead of Tuesday's crucial vote by MPs. The visit, which was organised by the Northern Ireland Office, involved meetings between the business groups and MPs from five parties. The groups included Manufacturing NI, the NI Meat Exporters Association, Freight Transport Association NI, Ulster Farmers Union, CBI NI, NI Retail Consortium (NIRC), CO3, the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action and Co Tyrone engineering firm CDE Global. Most of those who travelled were part of the delegation who met with Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street last month. Speaking after the meetings, NIRC director Aodhan Connolly, who represents the major supermarkets here, said: "It was hugely important for both business and civic society to be here in Westminster to meet with politicians of all hues at this crucial time in the Brexit debate. "Political parties must listen to the evidence and vote on the information they have at their disposal. "Retailers can and have explained the disaster scenario of a no-deal Brexit for Northern Ireland businesses and households. This deal is not perfect but it does give clarity, transition and confidence to our industry. "With half the discretionary income of GB households and already higher costs, we cannot afford to absorb the catastrophic cost rises that a cliff edge no deal would bring. He added: "If politicians are to say 'not this deal' then we must hear clear and immediate alternative solutions. The Brexit clock is ticking loudly and Northern Ireland needs certainty." The Northern Ireland delegation also met with Secretary of State Karen Bradley, who has been among the cabinet members trying to rally support for the withdrawal deal. Today, she will announce 700,000 in funding from the government's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund for Co Antrim medical testing company Randox. The funding is to pay for research into technology to enables tests to be manufactured more quickly - which Ms Bradley said would lead to more manufacturing jobs. Yesterday, she said she had been speaking to MPs to explain the benefits of the withdrawal deal. The Government yesterday published the full legal advice it received from Attorney General Geoffrey Cox on the withdrawal deal after MPs found ministers in contempt of Parliament for only providing a legal overview. The advice suggested that the backstop could last "indefinitely" and the UK could not "lawfully exit" without EU agreement. The DUP's deputy leader Nigel Dodds said the full document had vindicated the party's position on the backstop provision within the agreement. Thomas Cook's chairman has snapped up more than 80,000 of shares in the holiday firm after the stock crashed amid concerns over the company's future. Thomas Cook's chairman has snapped up more than 80,000 of shares in the holiday firm after the stock crashed amid concerns over the company's future. According to a regulatory disclosure, Frank Meysman bought 373,000 shares at 0.21p each, amounting to 80,441. The travel giant's shares have tumbled since a profit warning last week - its third this year - and after it also revealed that it swung to a pre-tax loss of 163m compared with a 9m profit the previous year. The company put this down to charges related to flight disruptions, writedowns on money owed by some hotels and transformation costs. It was also hit by delayed demand for its tour holidays due to the heatwave. But Mr Meysman was not the only board member to buy shares on the cheap, with non-executive director Lesley Knox also buying 208,778 shares at a price of 0.22p each, totalling 47,163. Thomas Cook's shares recovered slightly yesterday following the share-buying and positive analyst comments. Brokerage firm Jefferies said Thomas Cook can avoid raising funds to shore up its finances because of its existing financing deals, potential earnings and the prospect of selling a stake in its airline. The company's shares were trading at 28.5p yesterday afternoon, having been worth 48p just over a week ago. Thomas Cook's market cap now stands at about 330m, putting it on course to be relegated from the FTSE 250 index. Patisserie Valerie, which has three outlets in Belfast, has appointed a new interim finance chief as the cakes chain attempts to bounce back from a tumultuous few months. Patisserie Valerie, which has three outlets in Belfast, has appointed a new interim finance chief as the cakes chain attempts to bounce back from a tumultuous few months. The company said Nick Perrin, formerly finance head at veterinary firm CVS, will take up the role while the board searches for a permanent replacement for predecessor Chris Marsh. Mr Marsh was arrested on suspicion of fraud following the discovery of a black hole in Patisserie Valerie's accounts in October, but was later released. He has since left the group but is under investigation by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), which is also probing Grant Thornton's audit of Patisserie Valerie. There are two Patisserie Valerie outlets in Belfast city centre and a third in Forestside Shopping Centre. Boss Steve Francis said Mr Perrin "brings with him the necessary experience to help strengthen the team". RBS said if Britain reaches a deal with the EU the transfer would be more measured (Philip Toscano/PA) Royal Bank of Scotland is to shift 13 billion worth of business to the Netherlands if the UK crashes out of the European Union with no deal. About 30% of the customers for its investment banking unit, NatWest Markets, will move to the lenders new Dutch subsidiary as well as existing transactions by March 4 in the event of a disorderly Brexit. This means around 6 billion of third-party assets and up to 7 billion of liabilities will be transferred in the event of an immediate loss of access to the European single market. The state-controlled bank said if Britain reaches a deal with the EU the transfer would be more measured. During a transition period, the move of non-UK EEA (European Economic Area) customers to NatWest Markets NV may be more gradual and subject to further political developmentsRBS During a transition period, the move of non-UK EEA (European Economic Area) customers to NatWest Markets NV may be more gradual and subject to further political developments, it said. Britain is expected to leave the EU on March 29, but businesses have grown nervous around the uncertainty surrounding Britains departure from the bloc. MPs are set to vote on Prime Minister Theresa Mays EU Withdrawal Agreement on December 11, but this could be voted down and the country could leave the EU without a deal or a transition period. A disorderly Brexit could see banks lose passporting rights that allow direct access to clients in the EU. The news follows reports that 800 billion euros (711 billion) of assets are to move to Frankfurt in preparation for Brexit. Frankfurt Main Finance, the German citys lobby group, previously said 30 out of 37 financial institutions which have applied to the European Central Bank for new licences, or to extend existing ones, have chosen Frankfurt for their European headquarters. Meanwhile, several London-based banks have indicated they will shift jobs to Frankfurt or other financial hubs in Paris and Dublin, which are also vying to take some of Londons business. Ted Baker's under-fire management has received the backing of a top-10 investor amid a harassment scandal involving the retailer's chief executive. Ted Baker's under-fire management has received the backing of a top-10 investor amid a harassment scandal involving the retailer's chief executive. The major shareholder, which declined to be named, said that it remains "supportive of the management team". The investor said: "Ted Baker is a well-established global brand. The share price does not reflect the value of that or the investment that management has put into it. We remain supportive of the management team and will continue to monitor any new information." Ted Baker operates one standalone store in Belfast's Victoria Square Shopping Centre and a concession in House of Fraser. Shares hit a five-year low this week after a petition emerged at the weekend urging the fashion brand to "end harassment" and accusing founder Ray Kelvin of enforcing a "hugging" culture. Ted Baker denied that hugging was "insisted upon". An external investigation will probe the claims, while a committee of non-executive directors has been appointed to oversee the firm's response. The company's stock recovered slightly yesterday after two successive days of decline, boosted by an endorsement from broker Liberum. But HSBC cut its rating on the stock, citing "uncertainty over leadership" and "limited visibility as to when this will be resolved". Shares in the company were 2.7% higher at 1,450p yesterday lunchtime. When Lucy Mecklenburgh first burst on to TV screens on The Only Way Is Essex in 2010, she was unhappy with her body and hated exercise. Frustrated with feeling anxious and out of place in the gym, she turned to personal trainer Cecilia Harris to help whip her into shape and inspire some workout confidence. "I never liked the gym," admits Mecklenburgh (27). "I used to go in and do that thing of just jogging on the running machine for a bit, looking around and then going home." But within weeks of starting her new one-on-one training regime, she was reaping the benefits of better skin, a firmer body, and heaps more energy during the day. "People were noticing that my body had changed, I was working out more and I was posting bits and bobs to my Twitter page," she recalls. "My followers were asking me questions about how I was keeping in shape, so Cecilia and I thought, 'Why don't we just record 30 of our favourite workouts and upload them onto a platform?" Now a self-confessed fitness junkie, Mecklenburgh has built a business empire that most would envy. In a time before Kayla Itsines and Joe Wicks' online workouts reigned supreme, she was one of the first to strike out with a celebrity-led fitness platform. Results With Lucy (www. resultswithlucy.com) offers meal and exercise plans to help women wanting to lose weight, get healthier and improve their fitness. Five years on, it's helping over half a million women all over the country to get into shape - from the comfort of their own homes. With her own fashion boutique, a cool 1.4 million followers on Instagram and a loved up relationship with Corrie star Ryan Thomas, life is looking pretty sweet for the fitness guru. "It's been an amazing and very exciting five years," she says. Anyone who follows Mecklenburgh on Instagram will know that she never looks anything less than perfectly toned - but keeping her enviable physique doesn't come without hard work and sweat. Expand Close Loved up: Lucy with boyfriend Ryan Thomas Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Loved up: Lucy with boyfriend Ryan Thomas "I like to train about four times a week," she explains. "Each session will be around half an hour to an hour, and I try to train in the mornings. "I'm a HIIT girl and half an hour is often long enough for me. I love barre too, I've been doing it for a while now - it's ballet and Pilates mixed together and it's amazing. "You can do it at home with just a chair and a mat, and it's unbelievable. There is nothing that hits your bum and your legs quite like it. I swear by it." Being a fitness influencer involves a certain level of sacrifice (especially when that 6am alarm goes off), but Mecklenburgh has found a nutrition plan that fits with both her training and her social life. "I live by the 80:20 rule, so for me that usually means Monday to Friday afternoon - I'm quite strict. I eat well, make things from scratch and try not to eat any processed food. "I wouldn't eat white bread or white pastas in the week, for instance. I also have to have loads of protein and vegetables," she reveals. "At the weekend, I'm super chilled though and I'll have whatever I want. I love a huge roast dinner with all the trimmings and on a Friday night I'll go out and have an Italian meal with a glass of wine. I've kind of found that balance works for me." While she says she "never" trains on a hangover, the reality star still enjoys a drink in the evening. However, after swapping her stilettos for dumbbells, she developed a healthier outlook on her alcohol intake. "I've educated myself on what I can drink," says Mecklenburgh. "I still go out obviously, but before I would drink rose wine after rose wine and cocktails too. "Now I'll have one cocktail and that's my limit for the night. Then I'll go on to gin and tonic, or vodka, soda and fresh lime. You can drink, but you just need to be careful what your drinking. The sugary cocktails one after the other is definitely a no-no for me." The fitness mogul has been open with her fans about her personal battle with anxiety and confidence issues. Last year, she penned a blog post explaining in raw detail her personal battle with mental health, which is something she says she's still overcoming. "I think that it's something you never completely get rid of, but you learn to deal with it. For me, it was about understanding it," she explains. "It used to get really bad in the evening, because I had so much in my head that I knew I needed to get done that week. I've learnt that if I write it down and put it in the notes on my phone, I can get it all out and prioritise it. "That really helped me. Talking to people is helpful too - don't be upset and don't feel down. Tell someone how you feel." "It was a lot harder for me at 19, when it was all new," admits Mecklenburgh. Twitter was new too, and it was the first time that the public had direct contact with people in the public eye. "Sometimes, [negative comments] would go in and it would hurt you, but I think, as you grow older, you learn to flip it on the other person. "I think: 'Do I sit there and look at anyone I know and post nasty things about people out there?' "I don't know anyone who would do that, so I think the person doing that must be very unhappy. It is tough but it comes with the job and it's just one of those things," she reflects. In terms of the future, she doesn't like to look too far ahead - although she is feeling positive and motivated for what's to come. "I don't make a five-year plan," says Mecklenburgh. "I'm not one of those people who can have them, and then you adapt your life with it. "I think it's quite exciting though. I always try and think positively, because I think good things happen when you do. We've had a lot of success in the UK and I would love to make [Results With Lucy] work worldwide. "If I could tell my younger self anything, it would probably be to worry less. I think it's such a useless thing to do," she adds. "It causes so much stress and so much anxiety. "I'd love to tell my younger self: 'Don't worry, just roll with it. It will be okay in the end.' "I don't like to regret," she adds. "I wouldn't have the businesses that I have today. I honestly believe everything happens for a reason, and I also believe in making the best of situations. "I was given a platform and young people look up to me. I decided to use it to get people active and eating better. I'm really proud of what I've achieved, and I've got a lot to thank Towie for, really. " Results with Lucy is an online fitness, nutrition and health platform. For more information and to find out how to sign up to an all access 10-day free trial, visit www.resultswithlucy.com Family gathering: the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge alongside the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Christmas Day church service last year You know the old saying? You can choose your friends but you can't choose your family? In the case of in-laws it's more complex still. Somebody else in the family gets to choose them. To put it another way, they become part of your own extended family by dint of marriage. Read More Given the chances then, why should in-laws ever get on? The odd thing is that generally they do. I know this from my own experience. I've had four sisters-in-law - two of whom, the best, funniest, loveliest most open-hearted women you'd ever have hoped to meet, died far, far too young. It would be a lie to say my sisters-in-law and I were as close as sisters (although I know that in some families that is the case.) It's a slightly different relationship. And yes, you can see why in the case of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and newcomer Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, it could also be a competitive one. Two beautiful young women (one an actress with a fondness for the spotlight) now both vying for centre-stage? What could possibly go wrong there? One has a television career behind her, the other has the weight of history. One is Hollywood royalty. The other will be Queen. How much truth there is in recent reports of a fractious relationship between the pair we can't know for certain. But on the "no smoke without fire" scale it does seem there is some sort of clash. Meghan is portrayed as overbearing, bossy, demanding. She's said to have left Kate in tears during a bridesmaid dress-fitting for little Charlotte. Other charges are that she gets up at 5am to send emails and she wanted to fumigate Windsor Castle. Or at least spray St George's Chapel with air freshener prior to her wedding. Expand Close BPrincess Charlotte with her mum at Meghan and Harrys wedding Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp BPrincess Charlotte with her mum at Meghan and Harrys wedding What Meghan wants, Meghan gets, Prince Harry is reported to have said. Words that will surely haunt them both. Teary-eyed Kate would seem to have emerged from all this the victim. But since she's also being described by royal insiders as a "steel marshmallow" (the description was first used about the Queen Mother during the abdication saga) she may not be quite the pushover this makes her appear. Maybe she gave as good as she got? And what of the brothers, William and Harry? We've always known they were close, not just because royal "sources" told us but because we could see it in pictures and footage of the pair. Their bond was obvious. Even when Kate came along... Meghan has changed the dynamic - but maybe that's just inevitable. Even a bit overstated. Much has been written about Harry and Meghan's proposed house-move away from Kensington to Frogmore which is all of about 25 minutes down the road. The way some commentators have reacted you'd think the pair of them were heading for Outer Mongolia. The unusual thing here isn't that Harry and his new wife have decided to relocate. It's that in his mid-30s he's still been living next door to his brother. Not all extended families live in a family "compound." And I think we're all the better for it. But Meghan moving a bit out of Kensington is unlikely to call a halt to what is being portrayed anyway, as the rivalry between her and Kate. It is going to take more than just a few smiley group appearances - and an end to those damaging "leaks" from "insiders". The tabloids and gossip mags are salivating at the thought of further ructions in the House of Windsor. Two beautiful, titled young women supposedly at each other's throats? This is red-top manna from heaven. Even Dear Deirdre has offered advice. On television meanwhile, Piers Morgan, a man known to drop the odd name or several hundred, describes how he was 'ghosted' - let go as a friend by Meghan as soon as she met Harry. The inference being that Piers was no longer of use to her... I do feel sorry for Meghan. She's pregnant and she's far from home with only her mother and Harry for support. She doesn't seem to have a whole lot of friends. Her own dysfunctional family famously did her no favours in the run-up to her big day. But maybe if she'd tried to get along a bit better with them...? Kate, meanwhile, as the longer-established member of the royal firm should perhaps dry her eyes and offer a bit more guidance. Even if it's thrown back in her face. Sisters-in-law don't have to be best mates. But as Diana and Fergie showed, they can get along and give each other real support. Meanwhile, what of the two men at the centre of this rift? What have they been doing to smooth things over? The problem for William and Harry is that as with any other family spat, once outsiders start chirping in - and stirring it - people understandably get their backs up even more. Here, it's not just the neighbours gossiping about your nearest and dearest. Everybody's pitching in. It must be tricky. But it's the poor old Queen I feel for most. At her age, the last thing she needs is another annus horribilis - another animus horribilis. This week in Westminster, the Prime Minister and I have been working hard to explain why the Brexit deal is in the national interest. In Northern Ireland, and in my own constituency in Staffordshire Moorlands, I consistently hear that what people want is for the government to get on with it and deliver a deal that makes sure we leave the EU in an orderly way and allows the people of Northern Ireland to take full advantage of the opportunities ahead. One of this government's achievements was the publication a year ago of our Industrial Strategy. This puts the whole of the United Kingdom in prime position to seize new opportunities as we leave the EU. As we establish our new relationship with Europe, the Industrial Strategy will help us to build the foundations behind our withdrawal agreement. Our prosperity and ability to build a strong economy is dependent on how we encourage innovation, develop high quality jobs and skills, and support businesses throughout the UK to thrive and grow. Northern Ireland has a world-leading reputation in key sectors, including construction and automotive, as well as future industries such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber security and life sciences. The Industrial Strategy has led to specific partnerships between the government and these industries, which will help these major employers in Northern Ireland face the future outside the EU with confidence. Today I am pleased to announce, with the Business Secretary Greg Clark, 700,000 of funding from the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund for the County Antrim-based life sciences company Randox. This will pay for the research and development of cutting-edge technology to enable diagnostic tools to be manufactured more quickly and effectively. Eventually, this will lead to more manufacturing jobs as a result. Northern Ireland is also benefiting from UK-wide funding programmes under the Industrial Strategy, including Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon who have successfully bid for 2.4m and Belfast for 11.5m as some of the 13 areas benefiting from the 95m Full Fibre Networks Challenge fund, designed to increase connectivity across the UK. The UK has a strong economy, with eight straight years of economic growth, over 3 million more people in jobs, and higher employment and lower unemployment in every region and nation of the UK - we should be proud of this. We are open and enterprising, founded on invention, innovation and competition. In Northern Ireland, employment levels are almost at a record high, and the UK government is determined to build on this progress. We are at the forefront of scientific invention because we embrace change and use regulation to stimulate an environment for creativity. We have globally admired universities and research institutions, such as Queen's and Ulster University, because we have nurtured our intellectual powerhouses with public investment. And we have a deserved reputation for being a dependable and confident place to do business because we have high standards, clear regulation and great partnerships. The UK's businesses can take on the world because they have access to a skilled workforce and modern infrastructure, and Northern Ireland is an important and growing part of that. The Prime Minister, the rest of our Cabinet colleagues and I will continue working to secure the best Brexit deal for the whole of the UK. At the same time we are delivering our long-term plan to support businesses throughout the UK to thrive and grow. Building on the great strides the Industrial Strategy has already taken so that after we leave the EU, our businesses and institutions are in the best possible position to build on our strengths and lead the world. Karen Bradley MP is Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Unionists have been at each other's throats over the Stormont stalemate, the cash-for-ash scandal and a myriad of other matters. But yesterday they united in cementing their absolute opposition to Theresa May's Brexit deal following the publication of the Attorney General's legal advice. Arlene Foster, Robin Swann and Jim Allister were, for once, singing from the same hymn sheet. Unlike the pro-Remain parties, there was no joint press conference. But in separate statements, the DUP, the Ulster Unionists and the TUV insisted that no unionist worth their salt could sign up to the deal and called for the backstop to be binned. Sometimes, a secret document doesn't live up to the speculation. This was not such an occasion. Geoffrey Cox's advice set off alarm bells in even moderate unionist circles. No wonder the Government wanted to keep it under wraps. It said the whole of the UK would form a single customs territory with the EU, but Northern Ireland and Britain would be there on different legal terms. Only Northern Ireland would be legally part of the customs union, following the full EU customs code. The European Court of Justice would continue to have jurisdiction over its compliance with those rules. DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: "Goods passing from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will be subject to a declaration process. "Northern Ireland will remain in the single market for goods and the EU's customs regime, and will be required to apply and comply with the relevant rules and standards, (opening) up regulatory divergence in the future." Britain would be "essentially treated as a third country by Northern Ireland for goods passing from GB into NI". The DUP is livid that despite all Mrs May's pledges, economic and trade barriers would be erected within the UK - something it branded "unacceptable and economically mad". The legal advice said the backstop could continue indefinitely and that the drafting didn't provide for a mechanism that is likely to allow the UK to exit lawfully. Despite promises to the contrary from Mrs May and Secretary of State Karen Bradley, the TUV said Northern Ireland would be "annexed permanently into the EU". The Attorney General's full advice, released yesterday, was "more emphatic and plain than that dressed up for the summary" in the House of Commons on Monday, Mr Allister said. "The trap is clear. All of the UK for now is held in a customs territory with the EU but only Northern Ireland is legally part of the EU Customs Union, where we would stay indefinitely even if GB was released," he added. "This is utterly incompatible with the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK." Mrs May had previously stated the very arrangement that she ended up signing up to would be unacceptable to any UK Prime Minister. Mr Swann said while the Government tried to downplay unionist concerns as recently as last week when he met the Prime Minister and Cabinet Office officials, legal advice reinforcing those fears was actually sitting on their desks. "What was the point in them spending the best part of a year saying that they shared our concerns if all the while they were negotiating a deal that contains everything we were concerned about?" he asked. The UUP leader said Mrs May must stop "flogging this dead deal" and pursue alternatives. But nationalist parties and Alliance want her to do nothing of the sort. Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy said the backstop had been agreed by the Government and the EU, and the Attorney General's advice changed nothing. "It must be maintained and protected. It can't be derailed or undermined by the votes of Brexiteer MPs," he stressed. An SDLP spokesperson added: "There will potentially be minor differences between GB and NI if the backstop is required, but they will be minimal. "This is not a secret, but any divergence is a consequence of Brexit and the extreme version of Brexit that the DUP insisted on pursuing. If the DUP cannot accept this consequence of Brexit, they should do the honourable thing and support a referendum on the deal." Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said nobody should be shocked at the legal advice on the backstop, because "its nature and purpose should have been evident to anyone following the negotiations over the past 18 months". The backstop was needed to protect the Good Friday Agreement and to avoid a hard border, he insisted. Mr Farry didn't see it undermining the Union - it "may create comparative economic advantages for this region", he said. William Barr during his days as George H.W. Bushs Attorney General. Photo: Barry Thumma/AP/REX/Shutterstock During a week in which the media was reconsidering the legacy of the late George H.W. Bush, one of his living legacies, his second and final Attorney General, William P. Barr, suddenly emerged as the most likely selection by Donald Trump to succeed the fired Jeff Sessions, displacing acting attorney general Matt Whitaker if confirmed. Barr was a relatively young 41 when appointed by Bush to succeed Richard Thornburgh in 1991. Now, more than a quarter century later, hes still a couple of years younger than Sessions. Initial scuttlebutt about Barr has naturally focused on hints that hes dropped about the Mueller investigation and related issues. There are a few bread crumbs lying around, as the Washington Post notes: Barr shares at least one of the presidents views on the probe being conducted by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. In 2017, when asked by The Washington Post about political donations made by lawyers on the special counsels team, Barr said prosecutors who make political contributions are identifying fairly strongly with a political party and added: I would have liked to see [Mueller] have more balance on this group. Barr also wrote last year that the administrations decision to fire James B. Comey as FBI director was quite understandable because, in his view, Comey had usurped the power of the attorney general when he publicly announced his recommendation not to charge former secretary of state Hillary Clinton during the investigation of her private email server. Thats not the only pertinent topic on which the AG front-runner appears to be pretty close to the Trumpian party line. He has also urged the Department of Justice to investigate the Uranium One allegations, a complicated bribery scheme involving the Clinton Foundation, a Russian company and the Obama administration, which is a favorite right-wing conspiracy theory. Hes also on record questioning the legitimacy of independent counsels, though to be fair they were operating under much broader legal mandates when he was dealing with them. Still, Barr was confirmed for the same gig unanimously in 1991, and senior Judiciary Committee member Pat Leahy has indicated that he might be able to muster bipartisan support now. If he is nominated, senators need to take a longer look at his record and views. At a time when there is strong bipartisan support in the Senate for criminal-justice reform, its worth noting that as Bushs AG, he was an outspoken advocate for expanded incarceration as a weapon in that eras fight against crime and drugs: He literally wrote the book on mass incarceration -- this DOJ policy brief called "The Case for More Incarceration" came under his tenure and with his enthusiastic recommendation: https://t.co/xqwc3AL0Hf Ames Grawert (@AmesCG) December 6, 2018 Yes, violent crime was still at relatively high levels when he was serving in the Bush administration. But Barr doesnt seem to have evolved much in his views on crime and drugs, judging by an appreciation for Sessionss tenure at Justice that he signed on to, along with fellow conservative former AGs Ed Meese and Michael Mukasey: Sessions took office after the previous administrations policies had undermined police morale, with the spreading Ferguson effect causing officers to shy away from proactive policing out of fear of prosecution He reinstituted the charging practices that had been used against drug dealers before 2008. Thats a reference to Sessionss decision not to defer to the laws and policies of states that had legalized marijuana. Perhaps the only thing worse than an Attorney General who wants to bring back the War on Drugs is bringing back one of its original generals. If you are wondering about Barrs ability to navigate the snake pit of the Trump administration, heres one more tidbit: He began his career with four years at the CIA. And then for what its worth, theres this personal quirk from a 1992 profile: Barr takes his favorite form of relaxation playing the bagpipes seriously. He takes pride in his reputation for veracity, but sometimes risks it claiming, for example, that his wife and three daughters enjoy the pipe-playing. Yikes. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has ruled out the possibility of reopening Brexit negotiations with UK parliamentarians if the Withdrawal Bill is defeated next week. The House of Commons is set to vote on Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal on December 11. Some opponents of the deal have called for it to be renegotiated. Mr Varadkar has said that is "not feasible". Speaking during Taoiseach's Questions in the Dail yesterday, Mr Varadkar ruled out the possibility of talks reopening. "The agreement we have took 18 months to negotiate, is 500 pages long, 28 governments agreed to it," he told the Dail. "The suggestion that somehow if it is defeated, we would somehow find ourselves negotiating with a parliament really is quite unworkable. "To see a parliamentary delegation entering the tunnel to reopen the talks is just not something that is feasible." In response to a question over whether Irish legal advice on the deal should be published, as legal advice to the UK government was published yesterday, Mr Varadkar said it should be privileged. He also said it will be impossible for Northern Ireland to have MEPs in the EU Parliament after Brexit. However, he suggested that there may be a case for having "observers" there, who could contribute to debates that specifically affect Northern Ireland. A furious Nigel Dodds last night indicated the DUP would bring down Theresa May if her Brexit deal is voted through. The Prime Minister's public and private commitments to Northern Ireland "lie in tatters", the DUP deputy leader said. The DUP has set out how it will no longer support Mrs May - who depends on the DUP for her Commons majority - if her Brexit deal, including the controversial Northern Ireland backstop measure, survives. That threat has bolstered Tory resistance to the Withdrawal Agreement, as Tory MPs fear if it goes through in the crunch vote on December 11 it could bring down their government. The mounting problems for Mrs May come after the government was forced to publish legal advice offered to the Cabinet by Attorney General Geoffrey Cox. Writing in today's Belfast Telegraph, Mr Dodds said the legal opinion "is a devastating blow for the Prime Minister" and said the PM's "pledges have now been broken". He added: "A customs and regulatory border is precisely what the government now propose. The Prime Minister's public and private commitments lie in tatters." Between them the Conservatives and DUP have the parliamentary numbers to resist a motion of no confidence. Setting out his position, the DUP's Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said: "We will vote against her plan because it is bad for the United Kingdom, certainly bad for Northern Ireland given the legal advice that we have forced out of the government." Labour has indicated it will table a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister in the wake of a defeat on such a pivotal issue. Last night Mr Dodds encouraged Brexiteers to vote against PM's deal by saying its MPs would support the government in a confidence vote if the deal was rejected. He said if her Brexit deal is defeated it would be "somewhat illogical" - having seen off the Withdrawal Agreement - "to turn around the next day and say 'let's vote the government out'". But he warned there would be "implications" if Mrs May pushed ahead with her plan, telling ITV's Peston: "That's the risk that the Prime Minister is running." Even if there was not an election, the lack of a majority would make it difficult for the Tories to get any legislation through Parliament, including the bill to implement the Brexit deal. The DUP's position was set out to Tory Brexiteers at a meeting of the European Research Group (ERG), led by Jacob Rees-Mogg. Mr Rees-Mogg told the private meeting: "The DUP will support the government in a confidence motion if the Withdrawal Agreement is voted down. But the risk of losing them and having an election is if the Withdrawal Agreement goes through." Sources at the ERG meeting described it as "full and frank" and "candid", with the Chief Whip left in no doubt about what would be required to win over would-be rebels. One potential measure reportedly being floated as a way to win over would-be rebels is a "parliamentary lock" which would give MPs a vote before the Northern Irish backstop is implemented. But Mr Dodds dismissed it, pointing out that "it doesn't have any effect" on the Withdrawal Agreement thrashed out with Brussels which contains the contentious measure. The Attorney General's advice warned the backstop could result in the UK becoming stuck for many years in "protracted and repeating rounds of negotiations" with no lawful power to exit. And it made clear that Brussels could apply to an arbitration panel for Northern Ireland to remain in the EU customs area while the rest of the UK left. Mr Cox found that the protocol setting out the terms of the backstop, which aims to prevent a hard Irish border, "does not provide for a mechanism that is likely to enable the UK lawfully to exit the UK-wide customs union without a subsequent agreement". "This remains the case even if parties are still negotiating many years later and even if the parties believe that talks have clearly broken down and there is no prospect of a future relationship agreement," he added. Under the arrangements, "for regulatory purposes, GB is essentially treated as a third country by NI for goods passing from GB into NI", he said. "This means regulatory checks would have to take place between NI and GB, normally at airports or ports, although the EU now accepts that many of these could be conducted away from the border." And he said that the protocol would "endure indefinitely" under international law until another agreement takes its place. It is understood that EU leaders are prepared to offer Mrs May a lifeline by offering to extend the Article 50 process - and postponing Brexit beyond March - if she asks them to at the two-day summit next week. Earlier, business and civic leaders from Northern Ireland - including Manufacturing NI, NI Meat Exporters Association and the Ulster Farmers' Union - addressed MPs on the deal. Afterwards, the Secretary of State announced 700,000 of funding for the Co Antrim-based life sciences company Randox. She said it will pay for the research and development of cutting-edge technology to enable diagnostic tools to be manufactured more quickly and effectively. "Eventually, this will lead to more manufacturing jobs as a result," she wrote in today's Belfast Telegraph. The husband of a woman whose body was recovered from water following an alleged boating incident in Co Fermanagh is to stand trial for her murder. Stephen McKinney (42), who had been residing in Lifford, but since remanded on bail to an address at Castletown Square, Fintona, is accused of murdering his wife Lu Na. The incident took place near Devenish Island on a date between April 11 and 14 2017. A preliminary investigation (PI) took place last month at Enniskillen Magistrates Court in which some evidence was challenged before District Judge Michael Ranaghan adjourned to consider his findings. Reporting restrictions were imposed banning any coverage of the case at that point. The case yesterday returned and Judge Ranaghan removed the reporting restriction imposed at a previous hearing, following a press challenge through the Lord Chief Justice. He also ruled there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, and the charge of murder was formally put to McKinney. Dressed in black trousers, lilac shirt and mauve sweater he confirmed he understood the charge and declined to call witness or give evidence on his own behalf at this stage. A lawyer appearing for the Public Prosecution Service said there was a case to answer. Judge Ranaghan remanded McKinney on continuing bail of 500 to appear for arraignment at Dungannon Crown Court next month. The couple had married in 2003, living in a number of places before settling in Co Donegal. Aged 35 at the time, the death of Lu Na was initially treated as a tragic accident during a boating trip on Lough Erne. The defendant was adamant he had tried in vain to save her after she fell into the water. Following an intensive investigation during which police obtained statements from marina staff, expert witnesses, work colleagues of the deceased and telecommunications evidence, officers launched a murder inquiry. McKinney was subsequently arrested within days and charged with murder. He was initially refused bail but released by the High Court after a judge ruled the case against McKinney was circumstantial. In outlining his decision, the Judge explained that there was no suggestion he had tendencies toward random violence. At the latest hearing a number of conditions were imposed on McKinney. These include a ban on leaving Northern Ireland and no contact with any witnesses. A former champion amateur boxer has ended his lawsuit over being dropped from Northern Ireland's Commonwealth Games team. Conor Wallace was seeking damages after being deselected from the squad of athletes who competed in Australia in April. But it was confirmed at the High Court today that the 22-year-old Newry fighter has withdrawn his claim. Judgment was entered for the defendant in the action, the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games Council (NICGC). Mr Wallace, a former Ulster light-heavyweight amateur champion, has now turned professional and relocated to Australia. He is also well-known from working with UFC Superstar Conor McGregor at a 2016 training camp in America. He originally went to court in March seeking an order to be reinstated after the Council dropped him from the team who took part in the Gold Coast games. At the time police said they were investigating a complaint against a man from the Newry area. Mr Wallace denies any wrongdoing and has not been arrested or questioned. At a previous hearing his lawyer said he had been confronted by a self-styled vigilante group. A barrister for the council insisted, however, that its actions were at all times based on child protection issues and the police investigation. Despite abandoning legal attempts to be reinstated to the team because a registration deadline had passed, Mr Wallace was due to pursue a claim for damages over his deselection. The case was set to go to trial later this month. But in court today Patrick Lyttle QC, for the Council, confirmed the action was no longer proceeding. "The position is, in effect, the plaintiff is withdrawing his claim," he said. He added that an order for judgment was to be made for his client by consent. In a statement following the outcome, the Council said its decision to drop Mr Wallace was taken in line with safeguarding best practice and with the support and guidance of specialists in the sector. "At the time of deselection, the NICGC stated that the decision was based upon the protection of all parties and was not a determination of Mr Wallace's guilt or innocence in relation to any other matter," the statement continued. "The outcome of this High Court process vindicates the good governance, policies and procedures of the Commonwealth Games Council. "However, questions may now be asked regarding the funding of what we have always believed to be a purely vexatious claim." Primark should pay for security guards at Belfast's burnt-out Bank Buildings as the council's bill is set to reach 300,000 by the end of the month, the city's Deputy Lord Mayor has said. The cordon around the gutted store has been manned 24 hours a day since the August blaze, with six Eventsec security guards working in 12-hour shifts. It was revealed by the BBC in September that the council had been paying the security bill. A total of 129,672 had been paid up until October 28, the figures showed. Deputy Lord Mayor Emmet McDonough-Brown told BBC NI's Talkback show he thinks Primark should foot the bill as "the ratepayers can only bear so much". He said: "I think really, for the ratepayer in Belfast to fund the security of the site, which is in private ownership, is really a stretch too far." Mr McDonough-Brown said the council had initially stepped in because of "the exceptional circumstances of the Primark fire ... rather than waiting for insurers and litigation and liabilities to be established". But SDLP councillor Donal Lyons said: "I think we need to use public money for part of it, but I do think there should be contributions from other stakeholders as well. "If we accept that the building is standing and needs to be restored, once that decision was taken, the site needs to be secured - it is a public safety issue. "We already have a principle of spending money on public safety and health through public health agency, through police and through various other things." The landmark building on Castle Street was gutted by a fire which started on August 28 and raged until August 31. Providing security in the aftermath has raked up a large bill which is set to hit 296,000 by December 31. In a statement, the retailer said: "Primark has insurance in place that covers the incident at Bank Buildings. Any claims against Primark's policy of insurance as a result of the fire will be handled by our insurers directly but it would not be appropriate for us to comment further." On Monday, Argento, McDonald's and Skechers reopened in the city centre, followed by Spar on Tuesday. A new walkway now allows shoppers to walk between Donegall Place and Royal Avenue. Primark will also reopen in Commonwealth House, on Castle Street, on Saturday. A Londonderry teenager stopped and searched repeatedly under anti-terrorism legislation has won High Court permission to challenge the lawfulness of police actions. Lawyers for the 17-year-old claim he may have been harassed because of his political views. The youth, who is not being named because of his age, was granted leave to seek a judicial review in a case taken against the PSNI and Secretary of State. He was allegedly stopped and either questioned or searched eight times between December 2016 and March 2017 - when he was 15. Three of those incidents occurred within a 24-hour period, according to his legal team. They claim police told him during the first search that it was because of the "ongoing terrorist threat in the province". Declarations are being sought that the police actions, under the Justice and Security (NI) Act 2007, are unlawful and in breach of privacy rights. The teenager's lawyers also contend that a code of practice enacted by Parliament to regulate the police conduct does not offer sufficient safeguards to children. As part of their case they want orders compelling the Secretary of State to revise the code, and preventing the PSNI from exercising its powers against the youth until adequate safeguards are in place. His solicitor, Fearghal Shiels of Madden & Finucane, confirmed leave to apply for judicial review was granted at the High Court today. The case is now set to be reviewed again in January. Outside court Mr Shiels said: "We are concerned that our client was harassed due to his political views and because of the company he was in when he was stopped. "However, on one occasion he was stopped whilst he was alone and with no adult present, and searched aggressively by police. "The code of practice regulating police conduct when exercising stop and search powers is insufficient to guarantee the protection of vulnerable children." DUP MP Ian Paisley has said "nothing concentrates the mind like a hanging", in an apparent reference to Theresa May's Brexit withdrawal agreement. Mr Paisley, speaking during the Brexit debate in the House of Commons on Thursday, warned International Trade Secretary Liam Fox that the "gallows are being built" for the Brexit deal. The North Antrim MP said: "It was Samuel Johnson who observed that nothing so concentrates the mind like a hanging. "And as the gallows are being built next Tuesday for this Withdrawal Agreement, can the Secretary of State confirm if there are any discussions taking place about putting this motion off or about altering it in any way, or is the Government fixed on walking towards those gallows?" Dr Fox replied: "The Government will continue to make the case for what it believes is a balanced and reasonable agreement, but of course the Government will want to talk to members, it will want to look to ways to give a reassurance to the House wherever we're able to do that." Mr Paisley included Nazi appeasement in a comparison with the EU as he urged the Conservatives to go back to the drawing board on their Brexit deal. He said: "Some of the huge issues that have driven our nation - whether it's been the corn laws, imperial preference in the 19th century, the appeasement of the Nazis in the 1930s and our relationship with the EU or the EEC in the 1960s - all of those matters were about divisions in the Conservative Party. "It is not about how this side of the House is going to vote on the 11th of December that actually matters but what that side of the House is going to do. "They have a choice - to stuff Northern Ireland into some adjunct of this kingdom and damage this kingdom forever and for generations, or else they can say there is a better way, there is an alternative and we will find it." A former Co Tyrone post officer manager has said that she was wrongly accused by the company of stealing 16k and had to pay it back. Ex sub-postmistress Deidre Connolly (49) is taking part in group legal action against the company. The BBC has reported that Mrs Connolly claimed that a mistake in the company's computer system showed a non-existent shortfall at her Killeter branch. A group of 557 former Post Office staff are taking action against the company over concerns around the integrity of systems and processes. The issues center around the Post Office's Horizon computer system. However, the Post Office firmly deny the claims saying that the system is "successful" and welcomed the opportunity to defend itself against the charges in a number of ongoing and upcoming court cases. Mrs Connolly, who no longer works for the post office, told the BBC that she was shocked when told of the discrepancy. "There was an audit and I was told there was a discrepancy of 16,000," she said. "I was totally shocked - I did not know what had happened or what to do, it was an awful experience. "I was put out of the post office and had to hand the keys back that day - I had to go for interview to a fraud investigator in Omagh. "He asked me did I steal the money, which I did not. Categorically, I did not steal the money." She said that the episode had a large negative impact on her life. "The business was affected - people stopped coming into the shop and business fell away," Mrs Connolly told the BBC. "The debts mounted and we were not able to pay them. We were made bankrupt. Then I took epilepsy. "All I want out of this is to clear my name so that I can hold my head up high and just walk up Killeter Street and not think people are looking at me as the person who took 16,000 out of their local post office, which I didn't." Mrs Connolly's case on technical matters concerning the Horizon system is set to be heard in March 2019. A Post Office spokesperson said that the Horizon computer system was used regularly without any issue. The Post Office is robustly defending its position in the court and welcomes the opportunity to do so. We take these cases extremely seriously and we have worked hard over a number of years to address the issues raised," the spokesperson said. "We have conducted thorough investigations and sought to resolve some of the claims through mediation. Its important to note that the claimants represent a very small proportion of users of our Horizon computer system users since 2000. Our employees and postmasters are important to us and we take our relationships with them very seriously. We have confidence in our network of 11,500 Post Office branches and the systems underpinning it. The Horizon computer system is operated successfully by thousands of employees, postmasters and their staff to process 47 million transactions every week. The aftermath of Geordie Gilmore's murder was "chaotic", a witness to the fatal shooting told a court yesterday. The man was in the front seat of Mr Gilmore's Vauxhall Insignia when it was targeted in a gun attack in the Woodburn area of Carrick on March 13 last year. Three men are on trial charged with murdering the 44-year-old, who died from a catastrophic brain injury, and attempting to murder his two passengers. David McMaw (30), from Starbog Road in Larne, his brother Darren McMaw (33), from Kilgreel Road in Carrick, and 36-year-old Brian McLean, from Valetta Park in Newtownards, deny the charges. The passenger said in evidence at Belfast Crown Court that the shooting of his friend had left him traumatised. Denying Mr Gilmore's death was part of a feud, he also rejected suggestions that he wrongly tried to blame David McMaw and Brian McLean for the shooting. Speaking at the second week of the non-jury trial, Mr Gilmore Snr's front-seat passenger described the murder scene as "chaotic" and said he remembered hearing children and women screaming in the street. The Carrickfergus man, who described himself as a friend of the Gilmore family, confirmed that on the day of the incident he was in the front of Mr Gilmore's Insignia as it drove through the Woodburn estate. The witness said that as the vehicle entered the estate, he saw David 'Dee Dee' McMaw and 'Scotch' Brian McClean at Cherry Walk, with McMaw "smirking". He claimed that as they drove around, he saw McLean "step out of an entryway and look down at the vehicle travelling towards him, which was us", adding that immediately afterwards he saw David McMaw "slightly crouched down behind a wall in the entryway". He continued: "He was pulling down a balaclava over his face, but he appeared to be quite flustered. I noticed in his right hand he had a handgun. That's when I proceeded to shout 'gun, gun, gun'." The witness said Mr Gilmore "started to accelerate" after he shouted the warning, explaining to the prosecution that he saw David McMaw then reach the entrance of the alleyway "as we just got level with him". "I believe then we had just enough time to get past him before he started firing the first shots," he said. "I started hearing the gunshots. I froze in panic and tried to hide behind the seat. Telling the court the Insignia then crashed into the wall of a house, the witness said he initially had difficulty getting out of the vehicle and feared "they were going to try and kill me too". However, he eventually made it out of the car and phoned 999. As he waited for an ambulance, the witness was confronted with scenes of "chaos", with a woman running out of her home screaming after a bullet went through a window. When George Gilmore Junior arrived at the area of the attack, he was in "total disbelief and shock", he added. The witness was then cross-examined by Eilis McDermott QC, representing David McMaw, who asked if he was aware of a feud in the lead-up to Mr Gilmore's death. In response, the man said that although it was "being branded a feud", he didn't agree with that term. However, he conceded the matter could be viewed as a "disagreement going on for a number of months". Asked why he didn't tell police at the scene or during the 999 call who he believed the gunman was, he stressed he had been in a state of shock. When it was suggested to him by Ms McDermott that he heard McMaw's name being mentioned by people at the murder scene, he said he was certain that he saw McMaw. The witness was also asked by Brendan Kelly QC, representing McLean, why he had not mentioned his client's name to the police or emergency services at the time. He said: "My main focus was trying to save a man's life." When asked by Mr Kelly if he had "brought Scotch Brian in to a role ... have you decided to blame him as well?", the witness said that before shots were fired, he saw McLean "looking down the street, I assume ... to scout us." The hearing continues. The Liverpool hotelier behind the George Best Hotel has threatened to withdraw more than 40m worth of investment from Belfast - which could include a major project at Crumlin Road Courthouse. Lawrence Kenwright, chairman of Signature Living, said the relationship between his firm and Belfast City Council had "turned into a living nightmare" since he announced plans to develop three hotels here in 2017. In a letter to Belfast City Council chief executive Suzanne Wylie and Lord Mayor Deirdre Hargey, he wrote: "I was led to believe that it was your dream to not only increase visitor numbers but also lead a business-friendly city that welcomes investment and new development. "Sadly, the dream you talked about during our first interaction at MIPIM (property market exhibition) has now turned into a living nightmare." He also slammed the council for what he alleges is a "system of anti-development", adding: "The behaviour of officers is stifling growth, discouraging inward investment and damaging Belfast and the wider Northern Ireland economy." He also suggested there may be a link between Northern Ireland's economic growth of 1.1% in 2017 and the "attitude of the council towards developers". He added: "Belfast is also falling way behind other major UK cities such as Cardiff and Edinburgh. In the current economic climate and with the uncertainty of Brexit, you have to ask yourselves how many more missed opportunities can Belfast afford?" The letter follows the delayed opening of the 15m George Best Hotel - a joint venture between Signature Living and the family of the Manchester United legend - in the former Scottish Mutual Building on Donegal Square. It was set to launch at the beginning of this month, but officials halted the move after architects from the Department for Communities' Historic Environment Division raised concerns over "unauthorised works" at the landmark building. After a site visit, they claimed that the works taking place "fail to be informed by a conservation-led approach". At the time, Signature Living Group said it was working "proactively" with the council on the progress of the hotel, which is now set to open in early 2019 "pending no further objections". Mr Kenwright said recently that he was already on site at a second Belfast project in Waring Street, which had been earmarked for a summer 2019 opening. In mid-September he said his Lanyon Hotel concept at the former Crumlin Road Courthouse had been approved by planning officials and he was awaiting certification before beginning work. But it now appears that the latter two developments could be at risk should the property developer "continue to experience the problems we have faced to date", according to his letter to the council. He wrote: "As you know we had originally planned to invest 80m into Belfast. Your actions mean we are now going to revise that figure and stay at around 40m... "If we continue to experience the problems we have faced to date, I will have no hesitation in taking our business elsewhere and further expose the inadequacies of your council when it comes to working with businesses who want to make Belfast better." Belfast City Council said it would not be commenting on the letter. It is believed that it is seeking legal advice about some allegations made by Mr Kenwright in it. Mixed messages. Photo: Joe Manchin via YouTube Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia, like most coal-state Democrats, is a friend of coal. Manchins tolerance for the industry is at odds with his partys public commitment to clean energy, however, and that incongruity may soon become newly salient. As Politico reported on Thursday, Manchin is expected to become the Democrats ranking member of the Senates Energy and Natural Resources Committee. That promotion would give him a role in shaping the Senates climate-change policy, even though coal made Manchin a wealthy man. As the New York Times reported in 2011, Manchin earned over $1.3 million from a coal brokerage Enersystems, Inc., in the 19 months before he first entered the U.S. Senate. At the time, Manchin said the income would not influence his votes, and that his earnings were in a blind trust. But as Emily Atkin noted early on Thursday in The New Republic, Manchin has been a pro-coal senator. During his 2010 Senate run, Manchin infamously filmed himself shooting a copy of the cap-and-trade bill, which established a cap on greenhouse emissions. In 2013, Manchin slammed President Barack Obama for allegedly declaring a war on coal via environmental regulatory reforms. After Pope Francis released an encyclical on the need to fight climate change, Manchin responded with a statement about the importance of coal for Americas future, Atkin wrote. Manchin has also earned a mediocre 45 percent lifetime score from the League of Conservation Voters, and while the senator has steadfastly maintained that climate change is real, he also voted in favor of a 2015 resolution of disapproval that would, as Vice put it, nullify the Environmental Protection Agencys Clean Power Plan the first nation-wide limit on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and key climate change policy. But some Senate Democrats arent fazed by Manchins record. He may be the ranking member, but hes part of a team when it comes to issues of climate change, issues of the environment, Senator Cory Booker told Politico. I have a lot of confidence I can work with him to fight for a far more aggressive agenda for dealing with the planetary crisis of global warming. Senator Chris Murphy concurred, telling Politico that Democrats are going to make decisions collectively as a caucus. Environmentalists disagree. Stephen OHanlon, an organizer for the Sunrise Movement, told Bloomberg News that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer needs to make sure the Senate isnt a roadblock to the groups Green New Deal, which recently received the backing of Representative-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a number of other freshman Democrats. Manchin himself appears to be trying to make himself more palatable. Though he previously supported Bernard McNamee, Trumps nominee for an open seat on the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee, as Atkin notes, Manchin has since changed his mind. Manchin attributed his shift to McNamees climate denialism; McNamee, a lawyer, has represented the coal and gas industries. Manchins branding effort likely wont be enough to sway green activists like OHanlon, or their allies in Congress. Senators may view Manchins promotion as a necessary evil, an incentive for Manchin to both stay in the Senate and the Democratic Party, in light of his previous complaints about the culture of the Senate and his partys leftward tilt. But the partys shift is real, if gradual, and the conflict spurred by Manchins promotion may presage battles to come. For a growing number of grassroots activists and elected Democrats, compromise on the issue of climate change is no longer a rote fact of political life. The Government is giving special new powers to two independent watchdogs to protect human rights and equality legislation in Northern Ireland following Brexit, The Detail website has revealed. Niall Carson/PA. The Government is giving special new powers to two independent watchdogs to protect human rights and equality legislation in Northern Ireland following Brexit, The Detail website has revealed. As part of its EU withdrawal deal, the Government has given a commitment to allocate special oversight and enforcement powers to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI). The move is to ensure the protection of civil liberties legislation enshrined under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. It is understood the proposed new legislation will cover anti-discrimination laws, including workers' rights in the public and private sector. It has been welcomed by the NIHRC and the ECNI, which are understood to have submitted business cases for their new roles. However, when The Detail contacted the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), it failed to clarify the nature of the new powers or what financial resources, if any, would be allocated to the watchdogs. Last month, the Government published plans of the proposed Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union, which is being debated by MPs this week, with a vote in Parliament on December 11. An 'explainer' document, which sets out more of the finer details of the exit from the EU, confirms that the Government has agreed to "no diminution" of the rights set out in the Good Friday Agreement, meaning there can be no reduction in the provisions. Crucially, some of these rights are underpinned by sections of EU law that could now be lost. That prompted human rights campaigners to argue that the Government must find another way of protecting these particular rights post-Brexit, and to propose the establishment of a dedicated Bill of Rights. While the Government has said this will be achieved through a "dedicated mechanism", it has yet to clarify what this means. Despite the special oversight powers given to NIHRC and ECNI, The Detail understands that neither will be able to penalise councils, Government departments or private companies that fail to comply with existing human rights and equality legislation post-Brexit. According to experts, they will only be permitted to facilitate a legal challenge by an individual who believes that their human rights or equality safeguards have been breached. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court ruled that NIHRC could only support an individual in bringing a human rights legal court challenge, and not bringing a case as an individual organisation. The proposed new powers, however, are understood to include legislation to enable NIHRC to act on the latter. While the new powers have been hailed by the NIHRC and ECNI as a positive development, both stressed the extent of it still remains unclear. "We will continue to engage in discussions with the UK Government in relation to this. We will be seeking the strongest possible safeguards and developments of equality protections and human rights following the UK's exit from the EU," they said. A NIO spokesman said: "The UK Government has committed to ensuring no diminution of the rights protected in the Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity chapter of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement." However, the NIO has been criticised by Committee on the Administration of Justice spokesman Daniel Holder, who said there was an onus on the Government to set out which new powers and resources would be made available to both bodies. "Although the contribution of the existing commissions has been highlighted, there is a notable lack of detailed information, and there is serious concern that the British Government's current thinking might result in a weak and ineffective approach," Mr Holder explained. While local political parties are understood to have been consulted on the transfer of oversight powers, because of the continued absence of a Stormont Executive, they are not thought to have had any involvement in the decision-making process. Actor James Nesbitt has urged that those severely injured in the Troubles should receive a special pension. (Stefan Rousseau/PA) James Nesbitt has urged that those left severely injured in the Troubles in his native Northern Ireland should receive special pensions. The actor was speaking as he attended the launch of a photographic exhibition featuring 10 men and women who were severely injured during the decades of violence. Nesbitt, who is a patron of victims charity the WAVE Trauma Centre, added his voice to their campaign for a special pension. Expand Close The carnage caused by a bomb explosion in Market Street, Omagh, in 1998, one of the worst incidents of the Troubles. (PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The carnage caused by a bomb explosion in Market Street, Omagh, in 1998, one of the worst incidents of the Troubles. (PA) Speaking at the exhibition at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast on Thursday, Nesbitt said the severely injured deserve financial security to live the rest of their lives in dignity. When you look into the faces of those featured in these powerful images you dont see people looking for sympathy let alone pity, he said. They have moved on but what they will not do is to move aside. All they want is a degree of financial security so that they can live the rest of their lives with as much independence and dignity as possible. I am fully behind them. Nesbitt said that while for many the Troubles are a memory, for the injured it remains the present. All their injuries are life-changing and permanent, he said. Frankly they were not expected to live beyond a few years. But they have surpassed all expectations and survived the predicted prognosis of hard lives and early deaths. And the passage of time has compounded their problems and they suffer increasing physical distress, as a result of deteriorating health and chronic pain. Belfast man Paul Gallagher was just 21 in 1994 when Loyalist gunmen burst into his house and shot him six times. Mr Gallagher had not been their planned target. He now requires a wheelchair and said the injured were simply left to get on with it. We survived, just about, in many cases, but survive we did, he said. Many were unaware of what had happened to them. One minute they were sipping coffee in a restaurant, the next, they were lying in a hospital bed, confused and frightened. We were left to get on with it. To begin the long and winding healing process, physically and emotionally. Mr Gallagher said many survivors felt forgotten, excluded and left behind by society. Something must be done and must be done now. Before it is too late.Paul Gallagher These images are also reminders that something needs to be done to help us continue on our lifes journey, he said. That we were left behind by society, badly treated, left to struggle and many of us fear the present and the future. That is why we have been lobbying for a pension for the severely injured. Something must be done and must be done now. Before it is too late. The seizure of a laptop allegedly led to police recovering nearly 350,000 worth of cannabis, the High Court heard on Thursday. Prosecutors claimed an examination of the computer revealed conversations about supplying drugs to addresses in the greater Ballymena area. Details emerged during a bail application by a father-of-five accused of being a leading figure in a gang sending the consignments. Charles George McFall, 45, of Ballymoney Road in Ballymena, is charged with possessing and conspiracy to supply cannabis. He also faces two counts of concealing criminal property, namely cash. McFall was arrested in June as part of a police inquiry which commenced last year. Crown lawyer Mark Farrell claimed a laptop seized in July 2017 contained "descriptive comments, conversation and traffic" between McFall and a Chinese national co-accused. Exchanged messages led to another suspect being contacted about delivering drugs parcels to a number of addresses, he alleged. Police then seized quantities of drugs and money during raids on properties in Ballymena and other locations. The court was told nearly 350,000 worth of the drugs and just over 77,000 in cash was recovered in total. Mr Farrell said police believe McFall and the Chinese national headed-up the operation, while three other accused allegedly acted as "runners" moving the drugs in the community. Defence counsel Bem Thompson disputed the prosecution assertions about his client's alleged role. "In an operation of this scale one would expect a slightly bigger figure than George McFall of Ballymena," he said. Mr Thompson set out how the accused was seeking release to be with his children. "He would like to get out to spend Christmas with his family," counsel added. It was disclosed during the hearing that a 5,000 surety was being offered to secure bail. Adjourning the application, Mr Justice Horner said it was to give police time to make inquiries and confirm their position about the cash guarantee. Prime Minister Theresa May has signalled that MPs could be given the power to decide whether the UK goes into a controversial Brexit backstop arrangement regarding the Northern Irish border. Mrs May indicated Parliament would choose between triggering the backstop or extending a transition period after the UK formally quits the EU. The move is likely to be seen as a bid to bolster flagging support ahead of a crunch Commons vote on her EU withdrawal deal next Tuesday a showdown the PM made clear she would not postpone. Senior Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, said he would welcome the vote being deferred if no solution could be found to differences within the party over the backstop. Sir Graham told BBC2s Newsnight: I think the most important thing is to have clarity about how we might remove ourselves from a backstop if we were to enter into one in the future. Its having the answer to that question of substance that is most important, not the timing, so if that question can be answered in the course of the next few days then all well and good. If it cant then I certainly would welcome the vote being deferred until such time as we can answer that question. Former prime minister Tony Blair said Mrs May was facing the prospect of hitting a brick wall at speed next Tuesday, and would be better advised to act as facilitator in the search for a Brexit solution which can command the support of a majority of MPs. He predicted that no consensus would be found in the Commons and the issue would have to be put to a second referendum. Asked if Mrs May should pull the December 11 vote, Mr Blair said: Personally, I dont see what the point is in going down to a huge defeat. Chief whip Julian Smith acknowledged he faces an uphill challenge to persuade MPs to back Mrs Mays deal, but insisted that its all to play for. Speaking to ITV News, Mr Smith insisted there was no Plan B ready to be unveiled if the PMs proposals are voted down. There is no plan, no plan for a vote loss, this is the deal, this deal that we are putting on the table, this is the deal that we need to get through Parliament, he said. Asked if Mrs May would survive to the end of the month as PM, Mr Smith said: Confident Theresa May will be the Prime Minister after the meaningful vote and will be the Prime Minister at and after Christmas. In some good news for Mrs May, Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Lloyd announced he was resigning the party whip in order to vote in favour of the PMs deal. Mrs May told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: There will be a choice between, if we get to that point, a choice between going into the backstop and extending the transition period. Now, there are pros and cons of both sides of that. People have a concern of the backstop, that we could be in it indefinitely. But, in the backstop we have no financial obligations, we have no free movement, we have very light level playing field rules with the EU. In the implementation period, we still have to negotiate the terms, but there will be concerns about the fact that they would require, Im sure they would require, some more money to be paid, for example. So there would be arguments on different sides. If it comes to the point where the Government makes, shows, a determination to implement the Withdrawal Agreement with its damaging terms at present, or some future version of it, which is still equally damaging, we will not be supporting the GovernmentDUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson Asked if she would be happy for Parliament to adjudicate on whether to go into the backstop or extend implementation, the PM said: I think people are concerned about the role of the UK in making these decisions. And, the obvious, in terms of the UK, is for it to be Parliament that makes these decisions. The backstop, intended to prevent the return of a hard border in Northern Ireland, is highly controversial as Brexiteer MPs claim it traps the UK into obeying rules set by Brussels without a say over them. The Government says it aims to conclude a comprehensive trade deal with the EU before a backstop arrangement would be needed. Mrs May said that any deal with the EU, such as a Canada-style free trade agreement favoured by some Brexiteers, would also require a backstop arrangement. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Mrs Mays comments came as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) insisted it will withdraw support for her Government if the Prime Minister presses ahead with the Brexit deal with the EU. Asked if the DUP was prepared to precipitate a general election, the partys Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: If it comes to the point where the Government makes, shows, a determination to implement the Withdrawal Agreement with its damaging terms at present, or some future version of it, which is still equally damaging, we will not be supporting the Government. Eastbourne MP Mr Lloyd said in his resignation letter that he had promised his constituents that he would support the deal the PM brought back from the EU and not back calls for a second referendum. He said he would be keeping my word to my town, writing: I appreciate me voting this way and not supporting a Peoples Vote, are counter to the Liberal Democrats formal position. Consequently, I have decided the only honourable thing for me to do is to resign the party whip in Parliament. A Downing Street spokeswoman rejected suggestions that the Withdrawal Agreement could be tweaked ahead of next weeks vote to take account of concerns expressed by MPs. We have been perfectly clear that the Withdrawal Agreement is agreed and final, she said. What they are voting on is what was agreed in the Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration. Number 10 sought to play down the Prime Ministers meeting with a number of Cabinet ministers on Thursday afternoon. Downing Street said there was not a full Cabinet meeting. A source told the Press Association that Mrs May was seeing a few members of Cabinet but it was nothing to get excited about. Meanwhile, The EUs chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier reiterated that the agreement with Mrs May was the only deal on offer. I must say once again, today, calmly and clearly - it is the only and the best possible agreementMichel Barnier In a speech at the European Committee of the Regions, he said: I must say once again, today, calmly and clearly it is the only and the best possible agreement. On the issue of the Irish backstop, Mr Barnier said: It is a legally operational form of insurance that will ensure that we never see the return of a hard border, that we have north-south co-operation on the island of Ireland and that we protect the integrity of the single market. The backstop is not there in order to be used, necessarily. We will do our utmost to avoid ever having to use it. Under the Withdrawal Agreement, the backstop would be introduced if a trade deal had not been agreed by both sides by the time the transition period ends in December 2020. However, the transition period could be extended for a maximum of two more years. All MPs who are members of the Privy Council have been invited to briefings on Thursday by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat on preparations for Brexit, said Number 10. Also invited for briefing were the first ministers of Scotland and Wales and representatives of the Northern Irish parties. And, a European Court of Justice ruling on the reversibility of Article 50 will take place the day before MPs vote on Mrs Mays Brexit deal, the court has announced. Elsewhere, a YouGov poll of more than 20,000 Britons suggested just two parliamentary constituencies would pick the Prime Ministers Brexit deal above staying in the EU or leaving with no deal. People were asked to rank her deal, no deal and remain in order of preference, but only two constituencies put it in first place: Tory-held Broxbourne and Christchurch. Mrs Mays deal was supported by 27% of those surveyed, while remain had 46% and is first preference in 600 constituencies, according to the poll carried out over the past week. But no deal was found to be first choice in 30 seats, with 27% supporting it. Theresa Keightley (72) was last seen at around 4pm on Monday. The mother of the only Northern Irish victim of the devastating tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people in south-east Asia 14 years ago has gone missing. Police are concerned for the safety of Theresa Keightley, from the Cookstown area, who was devastated by the death of her son, Connor, in Thailand in 2004. The PSNI said Mrs Keightley was last seen at around 4pm on Monday, close to the town's Glenavon Hotel. The 72-year-old is described as 4ft 9in tall, of a medium build with short white hair, styled in a bob. A PSNI statement said: "Theresa was last seen wearing a blue puffa jacket, dark jeans and a light coloured scarf. "She was carrying a handbag and using a walking stick. Officers urged anyone with information about the case to contact Magherafelt police on the 101 emergency number, quoting reference 762 4/12/18. Mrs Keightley's daughter, Karina, who went to Thailand to help search for her brother's body, appealed to people to pray for her mother's safe return, writing on Facebook: "Please keep praying really hard." Darina and her sister, Michelle, flew to Thailand just days after the tsunami to hunt for their brother. He hadn't been in touch with his family since sending them a picture of himself beside a Christmas message written in the sand just before the tsunami struck. The sisters, together with an uncle and a cousin, kept in constant contact with Connor's mother and his father, Dermot, back home in Tyrone as the hunt for his remains continued thousands of miles away. The relatives searched hospitals and scanned dozens of pictures of injured people. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs later subsequently on a boat for the family to re-trace the last known movements of Connor, who was as a talented artist. The day before the family was due to return home, his remains were found in a makeshift mortuary in Krabi, a town on the Phi Phi islands. He was identified by his dental records, a tattoo and a distinctive watch that he had been wearing at the time of the disaster. Connor's parents learned of their son's fate in a telephone call from Thailand. Mrs Keightley said at the time that despite going through such a harrowing experience, she had managed to find some peace. "It was heartbreaking, but I was glad that he was found and that he would not be missing for the rest of our lives," the grieving mother explained. Connor's body was returned for burial in Cookstown after a service at the town's Holy Trinity Church. On the tenth anniversary of the deadly tsunami, Connor's relatives gathered for a memorial mass. Mrs Keightley also lit a candle in the window of her home as a memorial to everyone who was affected by the tragedy. Karen Bradley has said she is focused on persuading MPs to back the Prime Ministers Withdrawal Agreement with just days until the crucial vote in the House of Commons. The Northern Ireland Secretary made the comment on a visit to Belfast hours after Theresa May signalled that MPs could be given the power to decide whether the UK goes into a controversial Brexit backstop arrangement regarding the Irish border. Mrs May indicated Parliament would choose between triggering the backstop or extending a transition period after the UK formally quits the EU. The move is likely to be seen as a bid to bolster flagging support ahead of a crunch Commons vote on her EU withdrawal deal next Tuesday a showdown the PM made clear she would not postpone. When asked about this, Mrs Bradley said the whole cabinet are talking to MPs to attempt to address their concerns. We are all working, as cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister, with individual MPs to understand what their concerns are, because we all have had concerns and we have all worked to address those concerns, she said. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley got a sneak peak at the new Primark store in Belfast three months after a major fire at Bank Buildings destroyed the old flagship store. The new Primark in Belfast will open on Saturday. @PA pic.twitter.com/emm6UQjPNt Rebecca Black (@RBlackPA) December 6, 2018 We are all working to understand those concerns and what can be done to mitigate those concerns and to give people comfort around them in the way that we have had comfort around them. But this ultimately comes down to a political decision do you believe the risks of a worse case scenario have been mitigated in order that we can benefit from the rewards of leaving the European Union in an orderly way, in a way that respects the referendum result and gives us that brighter future? On Wednesday a group including business leaders, farmers and representatives from civic society travelled from Northern Ireland to Westminster. Mrs Bradley urged their MPs to listen to their views on the deal. The businesses, the farmers and the civic society who came to Westminster from Northern Ireland yesterday were unanimous in their view that on leaving the European Union we should seize this deal, we should make the most of it and we should look forward to the future, she said. Democratic Unionist representatives have been firmly opposed to the Withdrawal Deal, sparking speculation their confidence and supply deal with the Conservatives is on shaky ground. Expand Close Karen Bradley (centre) tours Belfast city centre with Belfast Council Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie (left) and Belfast Lord Mayor Deirdre Hargey (Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Karen Bradley (centre) tours Belfast city centre with Belfast Council Chief Executive Suzanne Wylie (left) and Belfast Lord Mayor Deirdre Hargey (Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye) Mrs Bradley insisted she continues to work with the DUP as well as the other Northern Ireland parties in her role as Secretary of State. I work very closely with DUP members of parliament and MLAs in my role as Secretary of State as I do with MPs and MLAs from all parties, she said. That is the role of the Secretary of State and I will continue to do that. Mrs Bradley also visited the new Primark store in Belfast city centre which is due to open on Saturday. Primarks former flagship store in the city was destroyed by a major fire in August. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle leave the Crown in Belfast Prince Charles' stepson, Tom Parker Bowles, has raised a glass to three pubs he's named in his top 10 "cosiest" bars here and in Scotland. The establishments selected by the award-winning food and drink writer are among the oldest bars on the island of Ireland. Included in his choices in a magazine survey is the Crosskeys Inn, near Toome, which he said was Ireland's oldest thatched pub - built in 1654 - and which he praised for its live music, peat fires, good Guinness, endless antiques and the occasional eel dinner made from animals caught in nearby Lough Neagh. Mr Parker Bowles advised readers to "settle in for a good session" and said he enjoyed the pub's Irish stew, which costs just 7.95. Next on his list was the Crown Liquor Saloon, on Belfast's Great Victoria Street. Mr Parker Bowles described the establishment as a "glorious Victoria gin palace". He said the bar was a classic that had it all - "elaborate tiling, stained glass, mosaic floor and masses of carved wood". He added: "Despite its size, the Crown somehow manages to remain cosy. "You'll find well-kept cask ales (Nicholson's Pale Ale), and, like in all Nicholson's pubs, decent chops and sausages. "But go for the atmosphere, that is as intoxicating as it is inspiring." His food of choice at the Crown was its scampi and chips, priced at 9.75. Mr Parker Bowles had bittersweet words for his third choice - Kelly's Cellars, on Belfast's Bank Street. "It might not be the most elegant of Belfast's many pubs, but Kelly's Cellars (often known as Smelly Kelly's), is one of the oldest, built in 1720," he wrote. "The walls are whitewashed, the floors uneven, but there's an open fire, good ale and usually a singalong or two. "Plus, it's a famed music venue with an ever-revolving cast of guest bands. For food, the writer opted for the pub's beef stew, costing 3.95. Another food and drink expert, Olly Smith, also chose his personal top spots. Only one Northern Irish pub found its way into his top 10 of bars here and in Scotland. That was White's Tavern in Belfast's Winetavern Street, where drink has been flowing since 1630. "It wasn't that long ago that I swung by after hosting a wine event locally, and the range of bottles behind the bar is impressive, especially if whiskey is your thing," Mr Smith wrote. His top tipple was a large glass of Bushmills Irish Whiskey, priced at 3.70. A south Belfast church will no longer allow a Roma group to use its facilities after claims of exploitation and criminality within the community. Police confirmed they were investigating the issue after the BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show broadcast claims about the exploitation of Roma people in the south Belfast area. The Leadership Team at City Church on University Avenue said that the decision had been taken because one of the leaders of the Roma Church had used the platform to encourage intimidation. "The decision was taken on Monday night by the Leadership team of City Church Belfast - that this Sunday December 9 will be the Roma Church's last Sunday in our building," a statement read. "The main reason being that one of their church leaders used the church platform to encourage intimidation within their own community." Roma community leaders deny all allegations made against them. Speaking earlier this week PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Gary Reid confirmed that police were investigating reports of exploitation and criminality within the Roma community. In early August 2018, Criminal Investigations Branch in Belfast commenced an investigation into exploitation and criminality affecting the Roma community. The investigation was instigated by the contents of a number of social media posts and a number of posters which were erected in public areas in south Belfast in August. This investigation is ongoing and is being conducted in partnership with a number of agencies. We would thank the individuals who have come forward so far and we would appeal to anyone in the community who has concerns about this issue to speak to police by contacting us on the non-emergency number 101. Police officers cordoned off Little May Street in Belfast city centre following a report of a sexual assault on Sunday November 25. A 19-year-old man has been charged with rape, attempted rape and sexual assault after a woman was attacked in Belfast city centre last month. The incident was reported to have happened in Little May Street on November 25. The man is due to appear at Belfast Magistrates' Court on Friday morning. As is normal procedure, all the charges are reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service. Theresa May has been given a stark warning that her premiership could be ended if she ploughs ahead with her Brexit deal. The Democratic Unionist Party, which props up Mrs Mays administration, made clear it would support the Government in a confidence motion if the Brexit deal was rejected by MPs on December 11. But the partys 10 MPs would not back the Prime Minister if her Brexit deal, including the controversial Northern Ireland backstop measure, survives. The DUPs position heaps further pressure on Mrs May ahead of the crunch vote on the Withdrawal Agreement and Political Declaration thrashed out after months of negotiations in Brussels. Confirmation from @NigelDoddsDUP that the @DUPOnline will be voting against this deal but would support the government to get a better deal in the future #Peston pic.twitter.com/DN2LWbdFHX Peston (@itvpeston) December 5, 2018 Labour has indicated it will table a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister in the wake of a defeat on such a pivotal issue for Mrs May. Tory resistance to the Brexit plan could be bolstered by the knowledge that voting down the deal will not necessarily result in the collapse of the Government given the DUPs stance. The DUPs Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said it would be illogical for his party to turn on the Tories if it had already seen off the Brexit deal. The Government has gone to extraordinary lengths in an effort to limit the rebellion next week. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Chief Whip Julian Smith attended a meeting with the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteers in Parliament on Wednesday night and was said to be in listening mode although no concessions were offered to would-be rebels. Meanwhile an ERG source said members of the Privy Council senior MPs and former ministers had been invited to a briefing with the Cabinet Offices Civil Contingencies Secretariat to be told about the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit. The source suggested it was outrageous bollocks and attempting to spook grandees is pure bullshit theatre. The likelihood of defeat, and the further damage that will do to Mrs Mays fragile authority, has led to some Cabinet ministers suggesting the vote should be postponed, The Times reported. Debate on the Brexit agreement will continue in the Commons on Thursday. Meanwhile The Daily Telegraph reported that Brussels could be prepared to discuss extending Article 50 delaying Brexit until after March 29 2019 if the deal is rejected by MPs. The entrenched opposition faced by Mrs May on her own benches was made clear at the ERGs meeting in the Palace of Westminster. Expand Close European Research Group chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg (Victoria Jones/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp European Research Group chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg (Victoria Jones/PA) The groups chairman Jacob Rees-Mogg, who had held talks with Mr Dodds earlier in the day, told the private meeting: The DUP will support the Government in a confidence motion if the Withdrawal Agreement is voted down. But the risk of losing them and having an election is if the Withdrawal Agreement goes through. Sources at the ERG meeting described it as full and frank and candid, with the Chief Whip left in no doubt about what would be required to win over would-be rebels. A Government source said the Whips Office and the Prime Minister would do as much as possible to get support in one of the biggest votes in recent parliamentary history. The source said ministers were looking at all options to secure the vote. But it is understood that no detailed policy proposals were put forward by the Government at the meeting. I dont think a general election at this stage is in the interests of the country. I dont think a second referendum is eitherWestminster leader Nigel Dodds One potential measure reportedly being floated as a way to win over would-be rebels is a parliamentary lock which would give MPs a vote before the Northern Irish backstop is implemented. But a senior Eurosceptic said the ERG had seen no text for any amendment other than those which had already been put down. And Mr Dodds dismissed the parliamentary lock, pointing out that it doesnt have any effect on the Withdrawal Agreement thrashed out with Brussels which contains the contentious measure. On ITVs Peston, Mr Dodds said there would be implications for the Prime Minister if she pressed ahead with the deal. Thats the risk that the Prime Minister is running, he said. On BBCs Newsnight, Mr Dodds added: I dont think a general election at this stage is in the interests of the country. I dont think a second referendum is either. I think Parliament has been given its instructions by the people of the UK as a whole to get on with Brexit. He said that nobody wanted a no-deal Brexit but time had been wasted by the Prime Minister going down a path that she must have known weeks ago couldnt command a majority in Parliament. The irony here speaks for itself. Photo: Hunter Abrams/BFA/REX/Shutterstock Facebook tries really hard to seem like a queer-friendly company when its convenient for Facebook, at any rate. In June 2017, the company rolled out limited-edition reaction emoji in honor of pride month. (Sort of.) This year, it gave users the option to add Came Out as a life event on their timelines. (A weird, but well-intended, function.) Facebook gets a 100 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaigns Corporate Equality Index, the national benchmarking tool on corporate policies and practices pertinent to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. Earlier this year, following an investigation into how young users were being targeted with conversion therapy ads, Facebook announced it would no longer allow such ads on its platform. We do not allow ads that promote gay conversion therapy or that imply personal attributes about people, like their sexual orientation. Which is all to say it seems more than a little off-brand that Facebook donated thousands of dollars during the 2018 election to candidates that backed conversion therapy. The company, according to a report from the Daily Beast, gave $7,000 to Republican Mimi Walters, who lost reelection for state senate in California, and another $2,000 to Republican Darin LaHood, who won election to the Illinois state senate. In 2012, Walters voted against a ban on conversion therapy. LaHood did the same in 2015. (Both bans eventually became law despite their votes.) Conversion therapy, so-called medical treatments to change or fix a persons sexual orientation or gender identity or gender expression, has largely been discredited for being both ineffective and dangerous. Facebook is demonstrating with its ad ban it in no way wants to support this horrible practice. Except in the way that involves financially supporting politicians who are absolutely in favor of bunk science that has deadly consequences for LGBTQ people. And then begging out by saying the company giving money to such candidates isnt an endorsement of their every belief and vote. Which, dont be conned, is exactly what it is. A contribution to a candidate for office does not mean that we agree with every policy or position that candidate may espouse, Facebook told the Daily Beast, via a statement from 2017 on the companys political giving. (Facebook typically makes donations to candidates on both sides of the aisle, $216,000 to Democrats in the 2018 cycle and a comparable $211,500 to Republicans, the Daily Beast reports.) Cant wait for next June when Facebook will almost certainly roll out something flashy and rainbow-branded for Pride. Im sure itll feel genuine as always. Thousands of O2 customers in Northern Ireland have been left without data on Thursday morning due to a technical issue. (Yui Mok/PA) Thousands of O2 customers in Northern Ireland have been left without data on Thursday morning due to a technical issue. Customers have reported being unable to access the internet and other services across the network. The company has 25 million customers across the United Kingdom. An additional seven million customers of Sky, Tesco, Giffgaff, and Lycamobile, which O2 provides services for, are also impacted. The first issues were reported at around 5.30am on Thursday. A spokesperson from the network has said it is investigating a technical fault that has left thousands of mobile customers unable to get online. It has confirmed engineers are working to fix the issue. "We are aware our customers are unable to use data this morning," the company said on its official Twitter account. "Our technical teams are working on the issue with high priority. We are really sorry and working as hard and as fast as we can to fix this." The service status page of the O2 website added that "voice calls are working OK" and apologised for any inconvenience caused. O2 said it would share further updates as soon as they were available. In a further tweet, O2 said the problem was related to a software issue in the system of a third party supplier. "One of our 3rd party suppliers has identified a software issue in their system. Our technical teams are working extremely hard to resolve this," the company said. "We'd encourage you to use Wi-Fi wherever you can and we are really sorry." Three people have been arrested on suspicion of paramilitary activity connected to the INLA after drugs, counterfeit clothing and cigarettes were discovered during a number of searches in Londonderry. (stock photo) Three people have been arrested on suspicion of paramilitary activity connected to the INLA after drugs, counterfeit clothing and cigarettes were discovered during a number of searches in Londonderry. The two men, aged 45 and 60, and a 57-year-old woman, were detained in the city yesterday under the Terrorism Act and taken to Musgrave Street Police Station in Belfast for questioning. A number of searches were carried out in the Galliagh, Buncrana Road and Ballymagroarty areas of Derry in relation to INLA criminality, including the supply of controlled drugs and illicit cigarettes, money laundering and a recent paramilitary style attack which took place on November 14 in the Ballymagroarty area. A quantity of Class A and B drugs were seized from the search in the Galliagh area and a 17-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of possession of the drugs with intent to supply. Quantities of suspected Class C controlled drugs were recovered from the searches in the Ballymagroarty and Buncrana Road areas, along with cash, computers, documentation and phones. This follows a PSNI operation on Tuesday when police supported HM Revenue and Customs officers, who visited 10 shops in the Derry and Strabane areas where approximately 36,000 illicit cigarettes and five kilograms of illicit tobacco were seized. Counterfeit clothing, footwear, DVDs and CDs were also recovered from three of the shops. Meanwhile, a 56-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday by HMRC over the discovery of 19,800 illegal cigarettes from one of the shops in the Galliagh area. He has subsequently been released, pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. Detective Inspector Tom McClure of the PSNI's Organised Crime Unit said the operations show the INLA in Derry and Strabane is heavily involved in a wide range of criminal money-making rackets, including extortion, supply of controlled drugs, counterfeit goods and money laundering. He said: "As well as taking a cut from alleged local drug dealers (known locally as 'pay-to-stay') INLA are also supplying controlled drugs themselves. "We also believe they are heavily involved in the importation and supply of illicit cigarettes into the North West." Two men arrested in connection with the death of a father who was shot while waiting for his son outside a Belfast school have been released without charge. Jim Donegan, 43, was targeted in front of children leaving school on the Glen Road in west Belfast on Tuesday. The married father-of-two was shot in the head as he sat in his Porsche car waiting to collect his teenage son, and died instantly. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said two men, aged 49 and 51, were detained on Wednesday evening following a number of searches in the west Belfast area. Expand Close Emergency services were called to the school (Liam McBurney/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Emergency services were called to the school (Liam McBurney/PA) They were freed on Thursday afternoon. Mr Donegans 13-year-old son is a pupil at St Marys Grammar School, near where the attack happened. More than 1,000 pupils were exiting the school at the time of the attack and teachers shielded the car in which Mr Donegan sat from the view of children. The school is expected to reopen for classes on Thursday. A Co Tyrone town's Christmas tree has been "desecrated" after the names of republican prisoners were hung on it alongside the fairylights and decorations, a unionist councillor has said. Ulster Unionist Derek Hussey has raised concerns over Strabane's tree, located in Abercorn Square, with Derry City and Strabane District Council. He said council workers have approached management over fears of intimidation if they had to remove the tags. "The name tags of republican prisoners have been placed on the corporate council Christmas tree in Strabane," he said. "I fail to see why folk would do this, placing what is essentially a political item on the Christmas tree, which is provided for all people in the town. It does cause concern and discord. "It is totally inappropriate and is a desecration of a Christmas item. With regards to the unionist community, it puts a doubt in people's mind about going into Strabane. "Thankfully in the past council have been able to quite quickly have council workers go ahead and remove them. "This year, however, I am to understand that concerns have been expressed to management as to a fear of intimidation if our council workers were to involve themselves in the removal of the tags. "Naturally one can understand the apprehension around that. On the back of that, management have assured me that they would engage contract workers to come and remove the labels from the tree. "The people who put these tags on have to respect that the tree is for all people, not just to be a billboard for some twisted republican message." Strabane independent councillor Paul Gallagher said it was a long-held tradition for republicans to place the names of their jailed loved ones on the tree. "The names of republican prisoners have gone up on the Christmas tree for as far back as I can remember," he added. "It's been a tradition that you remember prisoners who are incarcerated at this special time, when they are away from their families. "As long as there are political prisoners in Irish prisons then their names will be on the tree in Strabane." In a statement, the Irish Republican Prisoner Welfare Association vowed that the names of the prisoners would not be removed. "For decades, young and old would take to the streets to support and highlight the conditions men and women faced in jails across Ireland and Britain. Today is no different and that is a fact Derek Hussey must face," it said. Yesterday, a spokesperson for Derry and Strabane District Council said: "We are not aware of any specific threat against staff; however council is aware of staff who have expressed concerns in relation to their involvement in what are perceived by some as sensitive matters. "The council will continue to monitor the situation." A full review into Belfast's prestigious Union Theological College (UTC) is being brought forward following a highly critical report, it can be revealed. The 165-year-old institution, which is run by the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, was heavily criticised by an education watchdog as having "the potential to put academic standards at risk". It can now be revealed that UTC - which is already the subject of a separate review by Queen's University, for whom it delivers all undergraduate degree courses in theology - will be subject to a full review by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) "within six to nine months" rather than in 2020. In a just-published report by the QAA, damning criticism about the college potentially putting academic standards at risk occurs no fewer than six times. The QAA monitors standards in higher education institutions across the UK. The watchdog's inspectors looked at a number of aspects of teaching, learning and assessment specifically related to the courses run by the Presbyterian Theological Faculty Ireland (PTFI). A spokesman for UTC said the college had made "significant progress", but conceded "there is still some work to be done" and added: "The college is working fully with the QAA." Rachael Gee, head of assurance at the QAA, said a full review of UTC due in 2020 had been brought forward to 2019 as a result of the latest report, and that the college had been informed. "If any monitoring visit receives an outcome of 'further improvement required', we bring forward the review to between six and nine months to make sure that the provider is meeting the appropriate standards," she explained. "UTC has been told the full review is being brought forward. We confirmed that when we published the report." In the event of a negative full review next year, Ms Gee said: "A direct consequence is that they would be made a legacy Tier Four sponsor, so they would not be able to recruit any more international students." A number of specific failings were mentioned in the QAA's comprehensive assessment carried out in October, which relates to programmes unconnected to Queen's. They include: Incomplete documentation of the academic framework for PTFI programmes and alignment with the framework for higher education qualifications Faculty failure to monitor and review teaching, learning and assessment across all pathways and within all courses and modules. No formal defined mechanism to consider and respond to issues raised by external examiners. UTC said it was continuing to work on improvements. A spokesman added: "We welcome the fact that the QAA said in their report that the college is making progress with continuing to monitor, review and enhance its higher education provision since the October 2017 monitoring visit, but further improvement is required. The areas the college is working on include terms of reference and membership of each of its academic committees, a robust protocol for the appointment of PTFI external examiners, and clear evidence of student involvement in all decisions related to PTFI and the ministry training pathway." UTC has 204 students at present, 173 of whom are studying for theology degrees at Queen's. Another 31 students are preparing to enter the Presbyterian ministry by studying on courses run by the PTFI. The report acknowledges that Queen's "has recently undertaken a review of its relationship with the college in September 2018 and the report of this review is not yet published". There has been speculation, however, that the university intends to sever its links with the historic institution. A spokeswoman for Queen's refused to speculate on any possible split. "The university has received a copy of the QAA educational oversight report and is considering the findings. We have no further comment to make," she said. It is believed that one of the factors in QUB's decision to re-examine its relationship with Union College was the suspension of Professor Laurence Kirkpatrick after comments he made about the ages of his employer's staff. Police at the scene of the shooting on the Glen Road in west Belfast yesterday The sister of a 15-year-old boy who saw Jim Donegan's lifeless body "lying on the ground" moments after he was shot dead in west Belfast said the shocking incident has made her reluctant to come home to Northern Ireland. Law student Anna Burroughs (20) has been living in Dublin for the past two years and had always planned to return home to Lagmore once she graduates. But now the Trinity College student is reconsidering after her younger brother left St Mary's and stumbled upon the bloodied body of 43-year-old father Mr Donegan, who was slain outside the school gates. "My brother had been walking down to the school gates to get his bus home," she said. "He saw the body lying on the ground with some of his teachers huddled around trying to help." Ms Burroughs was left reeling with anger after learning the chilling details and brutal nature of the crime scene her brother had unwittingly walked into. "He seemed really shook up about it last night and hasn't really discussed much more about it," she said. "My first reaction was anger, followed by disappointment. "It's unsettling to think that someone in our community would think it's acceptable to fire a weapon in the vicinity of so many young children." The potential which existed for the assassin's plan to have gone badly wrong - or for the situation to have escalated into something much more catastrophic - was not lost on the former St Dominic's Grammar pupil. "It terrifies me to think what would have happened," she said. But what frightens Anna even more is her fear that cold-blooded murder has been "normalised as another part of life" in Northern Ireland as a result of our troubled history. Ms Burroughs said Tuesday's calculated murder was a reminder that Belfast is a very different place from the "more progressive" city in which she currently resides. "I feel like we are still very focused on the past conflicts and that appears to be holding us back from developing into a prosperous society," she said. "Despite the fact that we have come so far since the Good Friday Agreement, there is still very much a mantra of green vs orange." She was referring to a flurry of tit-for-tat sectarian comments which appeared on social media after the murder, leaving her bitterly disappointed. "Northern Ireland is moving further and further away from an environment that I would want to raise children in," she said. "I love Belfast as a city and there are so many positives about living there, but unfortunately it is undermined by backward thinking individuals. "I definitely want to move back home, but only when I see some form of positive progression." A man who was stuck in traffic at the time of the shooting has also described what he saw unfold next to two bus stops on the very busy road. "Some fella just ran up and shot him," he said. "I went straight over to the car and there he was, dead. "He was covered in blood. Everybody was shaking like a leaf." Ms Burroughs praised the response of teachers and the action taken to ensure counselling is in place when students return today. "Lots of parents have talked about how well they have handled the situation," she said. Laura Donegan at the scene of her husband's murder. The widow of James Donegan, gunned down outside a west Belfast school, has paid a loving tribute to him. Laura Donegan issued a heartfelt statement as part of a family death notice in the Irish News. Read More "Love isn't finding someone you can live with, it's finding someone you can't live without," the tribute read. "Always remembered by his loving family and family circle." The family asked that donations be made to charity Macmillan nurses in lieu of flowers. The couple had been married for two years. Mrs Donegan was seen in a distressed state at the scene of the murder on Tuesday evening. Mr Donegan had been waiting to pick up his 13-year-old son when the killer struck. Mr Donegan (43) was shot several times, dying instantly, outside St Mary's Grammar School on the Glen Road. Also known as Jim and JD, he lived in the Lisburn area with his family. CCTV footage, released by police, shows his killer emerge from Clonelly Drive as he walked towards his target at around 3.10pm. Two men aged 49 and 51 have been arrested in connection with Mr Donegan's murder. Attorney General Geoffrey Cox reacts to the vote that forced the Government to publish his legal advice December is the month associated with gifts, and it is clear from the Attorney General's legal advice that the Prime Minister is prepared to gift our sovereignty to Brussels. Rather than taking back control, under the Prime Minister's Withdrawal Agreement, the United Kingdom would be trapped. The Northern Ireland Protocol, set in international law, could not be exited unilaterally by the United Kingdom. It would continue indefinitely until superseded by another agreement. The Attorney General's legal opinion is a devastating blow for the Prime Minister and those Cabinet ministers who are trying to sell the Withdrawal Agreement as a good deal. The publication of the legal opinion is a clear vindication for those of us who campaigned for it to be published. It is regrettable that we needed to use the Contempt mechanism to secure its publication. It did not need to be this way. Nonetheless, we now fully understand why the Government did not want to publish the Attorney General's legal opinion. It flies in the face of what the Prime Minister told us on February 28 in the House of Commons. She said: "The draft legal text that the Commission has published would, if implemented, undermine the UK common market and threaten the constitutional integrity of the UK by creating a customs and regulatory border down the Irish sea, and no UK Prime Minister could ever agree to it. "I will be making it crystal clear to President Juncker and others that we will never do so." Yet the Attorney General's advice to the Cabinet confirms that the Northern Ireland Protocol would mean very different trading arrangements for Northern Ireland than the rest of the United Kingdom. A customs and regulatory border is precisely what the Government now propose. The Prime Minister's public and private commitments lie in tatters. Of course, it is important to rewind 12 months. It was this week last year when Arlene Foster telephoned the Prime Minister while she was in Brussels and urged her to bin the backstop. We pointed out the folly of the arrangement. We insisted on Paragraph 50 being added to the Joint Report to safeguard frictionless trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Twelve months later, the Withdrawal Agreement has hundreds of detailed legal clauses about the Northern Ireland situation and the backstop, but there is not a single line and not a single word in relation to paragraph 50 of the Joint Report. That provision was inserted specifically to allow that the final say in and decision on any regulatory differences between Great Britain and Northern Ireland should rest with the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. It is deeply regretful that we have received no satisfactory explanation as to why Paragraph 50's commitment has been deleted. Conceding a fallback position to the EU before even starting talks about our final exit arrangements was always a bad idea. Too much time has been spent on negotiating this awful backstop. Even the ministers selling the deal don't like it. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, said on ITV's Peston on November 21: "I don't think this backstop is a good arrangement for our economy. I don't think it is a good arrangement for our Union." So, it's bad for the economy and the Union. And then the Attorney General, the Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox MP, said in the House of Commons on December 2: "It has unattractive and unsatisfactory elements for us. I would have preferred to have seen a unilateral right of termination in the backstop. I would have preferred to have seen a clause that allowed us to exit." The words of the Prime Minister, EU commissioners and Cabinet ministers will come and go. They can be twisted and contorted to mean whatever one wants them to mean, but the legally binding text of the Withdrawal Agreement will remain. Our grandchildren will live with the outworkings of that international agreement. The Withdrawal Agreement will commit Northern Ireland to large swaths of EU single market rules for goods and agri-food. Of course, there are already regulatory differences between GB and NI, but those were set for health reasons by our Parliament or NI Assembly, not because we were in a different single market regime. In such circumstances, our core industries would have their rules set by the European Commission and be subject to the European Court of Justice, yet we would have no say over them. It is utterly unacceptable, to me as a unionist, that Northern Ireland, in trade terms, would treat the rest of the United Kingdom as a third country. The Attorney General has confirmed this as being his legal opinion. We were told by the Prime Minister in her six declarations to the people of Northern Ireland last December that she would ensure that Northern Ireland left the European Union with the rest of the United Kingdom. She assured the public that no part of the United Kingdom would be left in the single market or the customs union and that no part of the UK would be left subject to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. These pledges have now been broken. We want a deal which works for the entire United Kingdom and delivers on the referendum result. We want Parliament to be sovereign for the entire United Kingdom. Rather than go through the process of debating and voting on this flawed deal, the Prime Minister should work for a better deal and bin the backstop. Nigel Dodds is the DUP MP for North Belfast DUP leader Arlene Foster has called for a "fundamental appraisal" of the Northern Ireland Civil Service in further written evidence submitted to the RHI inquiry. Mrs Foster, in evidence published by the RHI inquiry on Thursday, also raised the possibility of extending the Home Civil Service to Northern Ireland. Read More The DUP MLA, who was DETI Minister when the botched green energy scheme started, recently apologised at the DUP conference for the party's role in the scandal, which saw the Northern Ireland taxpayer open to a huge overspend because the scheme paid out more in subsidies than the cost of the fuel, leading to a "burn-to-earn" incentive. Mrs Foster said: "I believe that there is a strong argument for a fundamental appraisal of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. With advances in technology, the increasingly complexity of policies, and the emergence of new approaches within the private sector, there is a need for greater specialism and expertise within the Civil Service. "In my view, there is a case for consideration of extending the Home Civil Service to Northern Ireland." Mrs Foster added that the Department for Energy and Climate Change at Westminster had more than 70 people working on the RHI scheme in England. In Northern Ireland there were just two. "That level of resource is simply not available to a Northern Ireland-specific Civil Service," she said. "There is therefore merit in giving strong consideration to how the expertise and resource available in GB could be extended to cover Northern Ireland." Mrs Foster was asked by an inquiry solicitor if she had been aware of claims that special advisers had sought to delay tariff reductions before her BBC interview with Stephen Nolan in December 2016. Dr Andrew McCormick, a senior civil servant, had told the RHI inquiry that he had raised concerns about special advisers before this point, but during the Nolan Interview, Mrs Foster said she had "no idea" about the claims. In her evidence published on Thursday, she said: "Regardless of when Dr McCormick's belief was communicated to me, I was already aware of the contents of Dr Crawford's emails and would have taken the view that there was insufficient evidence at that time to draw any conclusions about the reasons for delay in the Scheme, hence my reply to Mr Nolan that "I had no idea". Dr Andrew Crawford was special adviser to Mrs Foster during her time as DETI minister and first minister. He has denied he attempted to delay cost controls being implemented into the scheme. A schoolboy alleged to be responsible for an attack on a young Syrian refugee has said he is scared for his life after receiving violent threats. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said he and his family had gone into hiding after a video of the incident was widely shared online. In an interview with English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson, a convicted fraudster whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, the 16-year-old said he was scared for my life, scared for my familys life. He said: My address got put out and there were people turning up at my house in cars, all this type of stuff. We went into hiding because weve had all these threats, rape threats, death threats, he added. In the footage, the 15-year-old victim is thrown to the ground and threatened with drowning at a school in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Expand Close Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield (Danny Lawson/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Almondbury Community School in Huddersfield (Danny Lawson/PA) The alleged perpetrator previously gave The Sun Online a handwritten statement in which he accepted responsibility for his actions, but denied bullying the younger boy. The incident was isolated and came about from an altercation between us earlier that day. The incident was not racial as up to that time we had been on good terms, he said. The footage of the incident at Almondbury Community School provoked outrage and prompted well-wishers to set up an online crowdfunding page for the victim which received 50,000 in donations in the space of a day. Prime Minister Theresa May said the generous public response showed the true spirit of Britain. Shortly after the footage emerged, the victim said he no longer felt safe at school. He told ITV News: I woke up at night and just started crying about this problem. They think Im different different from them. I dont feel safe at school. Sometimes I say to my dad, I dont want to go to school anymore. I was just crying and I didnt do nothing because I respect the school rules. West Yorkshire Police previously said a 16-year-old boy had been interviewed over the attack and reported for summons for an offence of assault ahead of a youth court appearance. Every silver lining has a smog of gray. Photo: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP/Getty Images Two years ago, humanitys chances of averting catastrophic climate change looked slim. A landmark international agreement on reducing greenhouse emissions had been inked but that accord was vague, nonbinding, and already getting flouted. Oil companies were still scouring the Earth for new reserves, developing countries were chasing the American dream of unsustainable sprawl, and the worlds most powerful country had just awarded the only major political party in the industrial world that rejects the scientific consensus on climate change with full control of its national government. And yet, there was one silver lining behind this cloud of gray smog: While humanitys annual output of carbon emissions was wildly unsustainable, it had finally stopped rising: For three straight years, the growth rate of annual carbon emissions had hovered near zero, even as the global economy and population continued to swell. But 2017 put an end to that streak, as emissions crept up by 1.6 percent. And now, a new report suggests that last year wasnt an aberration the three-year plateau was. This year, global carbon emissions are expected to rise by roughly 2.7 percent a rate comparable to a speeding freight train according to new research from the Global Carbon Project, a collective comprised of more than 50 scientific institutions, and a leading authority on carbon pollution. To appreciate the implications of this surge (and the propriety of the scientists locomotive metaphor): In October, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projected that the world was on pace to suffer widespread, climate-induced food shortages by 2040; when one takes 2018s surge in emissions into account, such calamities could plausibly arrive by 2030. In broad-brush terms, the reason for 2018s spike in emissions boils down to this: Humans are developing renewable energy sources and adopting energy-conserving technologies at a fast pace, but were increasing our consumption of fossil fuels even faster. Three-hundred million Indians lacked electricity at the start of 2018, and the Indian government doesnt want them to wait for advances in solar technology before experiencing the miracle of the light switch. So, Indias emissions are expected to increase by (roughly) 6.7 percent this year, as the state ramped up efforts to expand access to electricity. China is investing massive amounts of capital in renewables. But the Communist Party needs unceasing economic growth to safeguard its legitimacy so, it allowed its coal plants to increase production in 2018, for the sake of supporting (yet another) multi-trillion-dollar construction stimulus. Thus, its emissions are expected to swell by (roughly) 4.7 percent this year. Meanwhile, the combination of a growing, global middle class and relatively low gas prices has led the worlds consumers to purchase more cars, and drive them more frequently, across longer distances. In the United States, emissions appear to be up 2.5 percent this year although, there is some reason to think that that spike might be the aberrant result of an unusually cold winter in some parts of the country, and an unusually hot summer in others. Before 2018, American emissions had been in decline for several years (although, some of that dip was a function of the U.S. outsourcing its carbon footprint to other countries). The report comes as representatives from nearly 200 countries gather in Poland to negotiate over the unsettled details of the Paris climate accord. The Trump administration has already undermined the prospects that the summit in Katowice will produce significant progress, by raising objections to the idea that developed countries have a duty to help developing ones finance their transitions away from fossil fuels, and adapt to climate disruptions a core provision of the Paris Agreement. (While Trump has announced Americas intention to exit the agreement, the U.S. cannot formally withdraw until 2020.) The primary goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep global temperatures from rising more than two degrees above preindustrial levels, an objective that will be impossible to achieve unless global carbon emissions enter a rapid decline in the near-term future. The Global Carbon Projects report suggests that global greenhouse emissions are likely to rise again in 2019. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond arrives in Downing Street, London, for a meeting of the Cabinet. Philip Hammond has told MPs it is simply a delusion to think a better Brexit deal can be renegotiated at the 11th hour after warning a no-deal is too awful to contemplate. The Chancellor faced dissent from Tory backbenchers as he warned a no-deal would see the end of frictionless trade, restrictions on EU travelling rights and large tariffs for UK exporters. Vocal Brexiteer Nadine Dorries said the warnings were an extension of project fear but Mr Hammond received backing for his view from the shadow chancellor John McDonnell who said Labour would not countenance a no-deal scenario and pledged the party would work assiduously to avoid it. DUP MP Ian Paisley (North Antrim) later warned the gallows are being built for the Brexit deal as he pressed International Trade Secretary Liam Fox to reveal if the Government is holding talks about postponing the vote or altering its motion. Opening the third day of debate on the deal, Mr Hammond said: I have observed this process at close quarters for two-and-a-half years and Im absolutely clear about one thing, this deal is the best deal to exit the EU that is available or that is going to be available. The idea that theres an option of renegotiating at the 11th hour is simply a delusion. We need to be honest with ourselves, the alternatives to this deal are no deal or no Brexit. Either will leave us a fractured society and a divided nation. Only that compromise can bring us back together after Brexit is delivered, and we should remember the lesson of history, that divided nations are not successful nations, he added. The Chancellor went on to outline the too awful to contemplate no-deal consequences. He said: Ive heard that we have nothing to fear from no-deal: nothing except a cliff-edge Brexit in just four months time, the end of frictionless trade with our biggest export market, restrictions on our citizens travelling in Europe, nothing except being the only developed economy in the world trading with the EU on purely WTO terms with no customs facilitation agreements, no data sharing and protection agreements, no approvals regime to allow our industries to trade with their nearest customers and suppliers. Mr Hammond warned car exporters would face tariffs of 10%, clothing exporters would face 12% and agricultural exporters would face even higher tariffs than that. He said: The fact is our economic and trading relationship with the EU has been built over 45 years and during that time our economies have shaped themselves around each other and become inextricably intertwined, supply chains crisscross borders, work forces draw on talent from across the continent. While new trade partnerships with countries outside the EU undoubtedly offer new and exciting opportunities for UK companies, the analysis the Government published last week is clear that the benefits flowing from new FTAs would not compensate for the loss of EU trade from a no-deal exit, he added. Expand Close (PA Graphics) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp (PA Graphics) Mr McDonnell, opening the debate on behalf of Labour, said Mrs Mays deal would see the people who had suffered the most from austerity suffer even more. He said: If a bad Brexit is forced upon our country and the jobs and economy are not protected, many of our people who have suffered from eight years of austerity will suffer even more. Indeed many of us believe it is the economic failures of the past and the present that helped deliver the Brexit vote. He blamed a lack of investment in infrastructure and industry by the Tory government on the vote to leave the EU, adding: Labour has set out our stall, we stand for change. The SNPs trade spokesman Stewart Hosie later said there was nothing certain in Mrs Mays agreement, he said: In a sense were not taking a decision on an agreement, were taking a decision on a wish list in a political statement some or all of which may come to nought. Every single Brexit model is bad, investment is likely to fall, trade will almost certainly be reduced, barriers will be erected, people will be poorer and productivity will be stifled, he added. As the debated neared its end, the DUPs Mr Paisley said: It was Samuel Johnson who observed that nothing so concentrates the mind like a hanging. And as the gallows are being built next Tuesday for this Withdrawal Agreement, can the Secretary of State confirm if there are any discussions taking place about putting this motion off or about altering it in any way, or is the Government fixed on walking towards those gallows? Tory Cabinet minister Dr Fox replied: The Government will continue to make the case for what it believes is a balanced and reasonable agreement, but of course the Government will want to talk to members, it will want to look to ways to give a reassurance to the House wherever were able to do that. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet members of 31 SQN and other operational personnel in a hangar at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus The Duke of Cambridge has said "thank you" on behalf of the nation to Britain's armed forces serving overseas this Christmas. William's words of praise came as he and wife Kate visited Cyprus for a whirlwind tour of a military base to meet RAF personnel and other UK forces deployed to the Mediterranean island. After meeting air and ground crew from RAF Akrotiri, William praised the efforts of Britain's military. Elsewhere, a meeting with the Queen was so overwhelming for one little boy that he crawled out of the door, shouting "Bye" to amused onlookers. Nine-year-old Nathan Grant was introduced to the Queen as part of her visit to Coram, the UK's oldest children's charity. Based at the site of The Foundling Hospital in London, Coram has been helping vulnerable children since it gained the Royal Charter in 1739. EU and Union flags as the European Court of Justice announces it will deliver its ruling on the Article 50 case on December 10 (Stefan Roussea/PA) The European Court of Justice will deliver its ruling on whether the UK can unilaterally revoke its withdrawal from the EU the day before Tuesdays crunch vote on the Prime Ministers Brexit deal. Mondays ruling will come less than a week after a European Court of Justice (ECJ) Advocate General issued a legal opinion stating that the UK can unilaterally revoke its withdrawal from the EU. Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona rejected the contention that Article 50 only allows the possibility of revocation following a unanimous decision of the European Council. #Brexit: the ruling on the reversibility of #Article50 TEU (case C-621/18 Wightman) will be delivered on 10th December at 9 CET EU Court of Justice (@EUCourtPress) December 6, 2018 The opinion is not binding on the court but campaigners who brought the case said it is considered very influential, and welcomed the news the ruling would be delivered before December 11. SNP MP Joanna Cherry, one of those involved in bringing the case, tweeted: #CJEU will give final judgment in #Article50 case at 8am on Monday morning so our aim of ensuring MPs know revocation is possible before the #MeaningfulVote will be achieved. Thank to all who have supported us #Brexit #PeoplesVote. Campaigners have said if the ECJ rules that the UK can unilaterally revoke Brexit it could give the country the option to stop the clock on leaving the EU as it would give an alternative to the options of the Prime Ministers deal or no-deal. The case was brought forward by a group of Scottish politicians Labour MEPs Catherine Stihler and David Martin, Joanna Cherry MP and Alyn Smith MEP of the SNP, as well as Green MSPs Andy Wightman and Ross Greer, together with lawyer Jolyon Maugham QC, director of the Good Law Project. Their request for the Court of Session to refer the question of whether Article 50 can be unilaterally revoked to the ECJ was initially refused, before that ruling was overturned on appeal. BREAKING NEWS #CJEU will give final judgment in #Article50 case at 8am on Monday morning so our aim of ensuring MPs know revocation is possible before the #MeaningfulVote will be achieved. Thank to all who have supported us #Brexit #PeoplesVote https://t.co/kAhQRX63Wf Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) December 6, 2018 Two attempts by the UK Government, which is contesting the case, to appeal against the referral to the European court were rejected. Mr Maugham said: Im very pleased that the court in Luxembourg has recognised the extreme importance of its answer and its urgency for the parliament. Once the ECJ has delivered its ruling the case will be referred back to the Court of Session in Edinburgh, where judges are expected to frank the decision and declare the European Courts answer to be the law on the matter. A man who was suspected in the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence has admitted being a kingpin in a 4 million drugs plot. Jamie Acourt, 42, from Eltham, south-east London, pleaded guilty at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday over the two-year conspiracy to sell cannabis resin. His 43-year-old brother Neil Acourt has already been jailed for more than six years over the hashish scheme. But Jamie had spent more than two years on the run until his arrest in May, during which he lived in Spain under the alias Simon Alfonzo. Expand Close File pic of a younger Jamie Acourt arriving to give evidence at the public inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence (PA) PA Archive/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp File pic of a younger Jamie Acourt arriving to give evidence at the public inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence (PA) Prosecutors believe both were ringleaders and that they enlisted family members to the scheme that saw drugs transported between London and South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Both Acourts were arrested after the racist stabbing of the black 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence by a gang of white men in Eltham in 1993, but have always denied involvement. Jurors were earlier told of his historic allegation and warned they should consider him solely on the trials evidence. If the judge found they would be unable to do so, or they if they were serving or retired Metropolitan Police officers, they would have been excluded from the jury. Jamie Acourt, appearing in court wearing a man bun and a beard, previously denied the conspiracy to supply a Class B drug between January 2014 and February 2016, but changed his plea following the end of the prosecutions case opening. Expand Close Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Jamie Acourt (Elizabeth Cook/PA) PA Wire/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Jamie Acourt (Elizabeth Cook/PA) The basis of his plea was that it was agreed with the prosecution he was involved in the conspiracy to supply between January 1 2014 and May 2 2015 only. Acourt fled the country after police raided a home he lived in with his partner and their two children in Bexley, south-east London, in February 2016. He was arrested by armed officers as he left a gym in Barcelona on May 4 2018 and extradited back to Britain. His brother had been sentenced to six years and three months imprisonment in February last year over the same conspiracy. Jailing him, judge Recorder Paul Clements suggested one of Neil Acourts problems was that he had heard too much negativity about you and begun to believe the negative publicity about you. The plot, he added, would have kept the people of the Newcastle area in spliffs for many a long day. It involved dozens of 600-mile round trips from London to South Shields, driving drugs up and bringing back cash. Expand Close Stephen Lawrence was murdered by racists in 1993 (Family/PA) Press Association Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stephen Lawrence was murdered by racists in 1993 (Family/PA) A total of seven men have now been convicted or found guilty over the conspiracy. They include the stepfather of Acourts partner, Lee Birks, 57, of Orpington, south-east London, and Neil Acourts 65-year-old father-in-law Jack Vose, of Bexley, south-east London. In 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering Mr Lawrence and jailed for life. Both Acourts were arrested shortly after the murder but neither were convicted. Jamie Acourt, currently of no fixed address, will be sentenced for the drugs charge on Friday. Chabahar, near Irans border with Pakistan on the Sea of Oman, is home to a new port (Katie Collins/PA) A suicide car bomber attacked police headquarters in the south-eastern Iranian port city of Chabahar on Thursday, killing at least two people and wounding 15, state TV reported. No-one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though a semi-official news agency blamed a Sunni jihadi group for the assault. State television broke into its regular broadcast to report the attack as such assaults are rare in the Islamic Republic. Rahmdel Bameri, a provincial official, said a suicide attacker driving a vehicle loaded with explosives drove up to the police headquarters. He said police officers blocked the vehicle and started firing at the driver, who then detonated his explosives. State TV also aired footage of smoke rising over the city. They said two police officers were killed, lowering an initially reported death toll of three without explanation. The semi-official Tasnim news agency, believed to be close to Irans paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, blamed the attack on Ansar al-Furqan, a Sunni jihadi group. Ansar al-Furqan is known to operate in Irans south-eastern Sistan and Baluchistan Province, which sees occasional attacks by Baluch separatists and drug traffickers. A year ago, the group claimed to have blown up an oil pipeline in Irans southern Khuzestan province. Chabahar, near Irans border with Pakistan on the Sea of Oman, is home to a new port recently built and is an economic free zone for the country. The attack comes as Irans economy reels in the wake of the US re-imposing sanctions lifted by Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers. While Iran still complies with the accord, President Donald Trump withdrew the US over the deal in part due to Tehrans ballistic missile programme, its malign behaviour in the Middle East and its support of militant groups like Hezbollah. While rare, Iran has been targeted in recent years by militant attacks. In September, gunmen disguised as soldiers opened fire on a military parade in Ahvaz, killing at least 24 people and wounding more than 60. Arab separatists and the Islamic State group both claimed responsibility for the attack. Irans supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, blamed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for the attack, allegations denied by both countries. A co-ordinated June 2017 Islamic State group attacon parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50. Visitors pay their respects to the flag-draped casket of former president George HW Bush at St Martins Episcopal Church in Houston (Mark Humphrey/AP) George HW Bush, who shaped history as 41st president and patriarch of a family that occupied the White House for a dozen years, is going to his final rest, in Texas. The US said goodbye to him on Wednesday in a funeral service in Washington that offered high praise for the last of the presidents to have fought in the Second World War and a hefty dose of humour about a man once described as a cross between Mister Rogers and John Wayne. After three days of remembrance in Washington, a plane brought Mr Bushs casket for his funerals closing ceremonies in Houston and burial on Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place is alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukaemia aged three. Expand Close The flag-draped casket of former president George HW Bush is carried by a joint services military honour guard at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The flag-draped casket of former president George HW Bush is carried by a joint services military honour guard at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) As a motorcade subsequently carried Mr Bushs remains to the family church, St Martins Episcopal, along a closed interstate, hundreds of people in stopped cars on the other side of the road, took pictures and shot mobile phone video. One driver of a tanker truck climbed atop the hulking vehicle for a better view, and at least 15 firefighters scaled a pair of stopped firetrucks to salute. Upon its arrival at the church, Mr Bushs casket was met by a military band and Houston Democratic mayor Sylvester Turner. Expand Close Members of the clergy pray during the state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Members of the clergy pray during the state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP) In the service at Washington National Cathedral, three former presidents and President Donald Trump looked on as George W Bush eulogised his father as the brightest of a thousand points of light. The national funeral service at the cathedral was a tribute to a president, a patriarch and a faded political era that prized military service and public responsibility. He was a man of such great humility, said Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming. Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, DC, he added pointedly, are not bothered by heavy traffic. Mr Trump sat with his wife, a trio of ex-presidents and their wives, several of the group sharp critics of his presidency and one of them, Hillary Clinton, his 2016 Democratic foe. Apart from courteous nods and some handshakes, there was little interaction between Mr Trump and the others. Expand Close President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump sit with a trio of ex-presidents (Alex Brandon/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump sit with a trio of ex-presidents (Alex Brandon/AP) George W Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost in 1953 and his mother, who died in April. He said he took comfort in knowing Dad is hugging Robin and holding Moms hand again. The family occupied the White House for a dozen years the 41st president defeated after one term, the 43rd serving two. Jeb Bush stepped up to try to extend that run but fell short when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries. The elder Bush was the last great-soldier statesman, historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, our shield in dangerous times. But he took a lighter tone, too, noting that Mr Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply quipped, Never know. Gotta ask. Expand Close Bystanders video the hearse carrying the body of George HW Bush as it travels to St Martin Episcopal Church after returning from Washington DC (Michael Wyke/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bystanders video the hearse carrying the body of George HW Bush as it travels to St Martin Episcopal Church after returning from Washington DC (Michael Wyke/AP) Mr Meacham recounted how comedian Dana Carvey once said the key to doing an impersonation of Bush was Mr Rogers trying to be John Wayne. None of that would be a surprise to Mr Bush. Mr Meacham had read his eulogy to him, said Mr Bushs spokesman Jim McGrath, and Mr Bush responded to it with the crack: Thats a lot about me, Jon. The congregation at the cathedral, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Mr Bushs life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, Mr Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts. Mr Simpson regaled the congregation with stories from his years as Mr Bushs friend in Washington. More seriously, he recalled that when he went through a rough patch in the political game, Mr Bush conspicuously stood by him against the advice of aides. You would have wanted him on your side, he said. Mr Simpson said Mr Bush loved a good joke the richer the better. And he threw his head back and gave that great laugh, but he never, ever could remember a punchline. And I mean never. Expand Close Former president George W Bush touches the casket of his father at the state funeral (Alex Brandon/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former president George W Bush touches the casket of his father at the state funeral (Alex Brandon/AP) George W Bush turned the humour back on the acerbic ex-senator, saying of the late president: He placed great value on a good joke, so he chose Simpson to speak. Mr Meacham praised Mr Bushs call to volunteerism, placing his 1,000 points of light alongside Abraham Lincolns call to honour the better angels of our nature in the American rhetorical canon. Mr Meacham called those lines companion verses in Americas national hymn. Mr Trump had mocked 1,000 points of light last summer at a rally, saying: What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasnt it? A military band played Hail to the Chief as Mr Bushs casket was carried down the steps of the US Capitol, where he had lain in state. Family members looked on as servicemen fired off a cannon salute. Expand Close George W Bush and family members arrive at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp George W Bush and family members arrive at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) His hearse was then driven in a motorcade to the cathedral ceremony, slowing in front of the White House, the route lined with people much of the way, bundled in winter hats and taking photos. Mr Trump tweeted Wednesday that the day marked a celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. Mr Bushs death makes Mr Carter, also 94 but more than 100 days younger, the oldest living ex-president. Following the cathedral service, the hearse and its long motorcade drove to the National Mall to pass by the Second World War Memorial, a nod to the late presidents service as a Navy pilot, then transferred his remains at Joint Base Andrews for the flight home to Texas with members of his family. Authorities said they have arrested the cfo of Chinas Huawei Technologies (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of Chinas Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday, Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said. Mr McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide further details. Expand Close A profile of Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is displayed on a computer at a store in Beijing, China (Ng Han Guan/AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A profile of Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is displayed on a computer at a store in Beijing, China (Ng Han Guan/AP) The ban was sought by Meng, who has a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that US authorities are investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. Huawei issued a statement saying Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained on behalf of the United States of America to face unspecified charges in New York. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng, the statement said. Huawei said it complies with all laws and rules where it operates, including export controls and sanctions of the United Nations, the US and European Union. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said her human rights were violated and demanded her immediate release. At the request of the US side, the Canadian side arrested a Chinese citizen not violating any American or Canadian law. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim, the statement said. A US Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that US authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Ms Hua said in April, We hope the US will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the US business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp from exporting US technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. Opec countries are meeting to find a way to support the falling price of oil, with analysts predicting the cartel will agree to cut production by at least one million barrels per day. Crude prices have been falling since October because countries like the US and Saudi Arabia are producing at high rates and due to fears that weaker economic growth would dampen energy demand. The price of both benchmark US crude and the standard for internationally traded oil fell 22% in November. The oil minister of Saudi Arabia said on Thursday that the country was in favour of a cut of one million barrels a day. I think a million will be adequate personally, Khalid Al-Falih said upon arriving to the meeting in Vienna. He clarified that that would cover production for both Opec countries as well as non-Opec countries, like Russia, which have in recent years been co-ordinating their production limits with the cartel. His Iraqi counterpart, Thamir Ghadhban, said: I am optimistic that the agreement will stabilise the market, will stop the slide in the price [of oil]. Investors did not seem convinced, however, and were pushing the price of oil down sharply again on Thursday, partly due to broader concerns that a trade war between the US and China could escalate and hurt global growth. The fall in the price of oil will be a help to many consumers as well as energy-hungry businesses, and US President Donald Trump has been putting pressure publicly on Opec to not cut production. He tweeted on Wednesday that Hopefully Opec will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! Experts say this weeks meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will influence the price of oil over the coming months. How strongly it does so could depend on Russias contribution, which will be determined in a meeting on Friday. Analysts at Commerzbank estimate that if Russia is willing to step up its production cuts, Opec and non-Opec countries could trim production by a combined 1.3-1.4 million barrels a day. This would be enough to rebalance the oil market next year, they wrote in a note to investors. While Saudi Arabia has indicated it is willing to cut production, its decision may be complicated by President Trumps decision to not sanction the country over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. US Senators say, after a briefing with intelligence services, that they are convinced that Saudis de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was involved in Mr Khashoggis death. Some experts say that gives the US some leverage over the Saudis, though Mr Al-Falih denied that on Thursday. When asked if the Saudis had permission from President Trump to cut production, Mr Al-Falih replied: I dont need permission from any foreign governments. Shireen Mazari, Pakistans human rights minister, said that the 18 were asked to leave for spreading disinformation (B.K. Bangash/AP) Pakistan is kicking out 18 international charities after rejecting their final appeal to stay in the country. The groups are mainly US-based, from Britain and Europe. Another 20 groups are at risk of also being expelled after authorities a few months ago singled out some 38 international aid groups for closure, without any explanation. Umair Hasan, spokesman for Pakistan Humanitarian Foundation, an umbrella representing 15 of the charities, said on Thursday that the move would affect millions of poor Pakistanis and lead to tens of millions of pounds in aid lost. The development is the latest in a systematic crackdown on international organisations in Pakistan, with authorities using every bureaucratic excuse, such as discrepancies in visa and registration documentation, to target them. There is also a perception in Islamabad that the United States and European countries have secretly brought spies into Pakistan under the guise of aid workers. On Thursday, Pakistans human rights minister Shireen Mazari tweeted that the 18 were asked to leave for spreading disinformation. Absolutely incorrect - INGOs denied registration delib spreading disinfo. 80 plus re-registered. 18 denied for non compliance viz what they had defined as their work. They must leave. They need to work within their stated intent which these 18 didn't do! https://t.co/qgvpWfXpQP Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) December 5, 2018 They must leave. They need to work within their stated intent which these 18 didnt do, she said. Umair Hasan said the 18 expelled groups, with the exception of two that are still in court trying to overturn their ousting, have closed their operations in Pakistan. The groups provided everything from education to health care to sanitary and clean water facilities, he said. Many worked in partnership with provincial governments, often supplementing meagre development budgets. Now local officials are being told not to work with these groups, added Hasan. Government people up front will tell you they see the value of their work, but the decision has been taken. A F/A-18 jet at United States Marine Corps air station in Iwakuni, western Japan (Kyodo News via AP) Two American warplanes have crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Japans south-western coast after a midair collision. Rescuers found one of the seven crew members in stable condition while searching for the others, officials said. The US Marine Corps said the crash involved an F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 tanker aircraft. Japans Defence Ministry said the two aircraft carrying seven crew members in total collided and crashed into the sea about 60 miles south of the Muroto Cape on Shikoku island in south-western Japan. Search and rescue operations continue for a KC-130 and an F/A-18 that were involved in a mishap off of the coast of Japan around 2:00 a.m. Dec. 6. The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation. Media can contact @IIIMEF at IIIMEFMEDIA@usmc.mil. U.S. Marines (@USMC) December 5, 2018 Officials said the information was provided by the US side. The Maritime Self-Defence Force, which dispatched aircraft and vessels to join the rescue operation, said Japanese rescuers found one of the crew members in stable condition. Expand Close Japans Coast Guard ship during a search operation off Muroto, Kochi prefecture, south-western Japan (Kyodo News via AP) AP/PA Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Japans Coast Guard ship during a search operation off Muroto, Kochi prefecture, south-western Japan (Kyodo News via AP) No other details were provided. Japanese officials said two crew members were in the F/A-18, and five others in the KC-130. The aircraft are based in the US Marine Corps base in Iwakuni, west of Hiroshima. UPDATE: One of the personnel involved in the mishap is being evaluated by competent medical authorities at @MCASIwakuni. The search and rescue operations continue for the remaining six Marines. U.S. Marines (@USMC) December 6, 2018 The crash is the latest in recent series of accidents involving the US military deployed to and near Japan. Last month, a US Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japans southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued safely. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after take-off, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors. More than 50,000 US troops are based in Japan under the bilateral security pact. Photo: Mason Trinca/Getty Images Its been just over a month since thousands of Googlers around the world walked out of their workplaces in protest of their employers business practices. The organizers of the protest published a list of demands, which included an end to forced arbitration for harassment and discrimination and fixing pay and opportunity equity at Google. (You can read the full list here.) It worked at least in part. CEO Sundar Pichai announced that the company has ended forced arbitration and is creating a more transparent process for sexual harassment investigations. But Pichais announcement didnt address a number of the organizers other demands like placing an employee representative on the Board of Directors or being open about the exit packages paid to those forced out of Google and the few things it did address only technically apply to Googles full-time staff. Which, as any Googler will tell you, grossly ignores a large section of people who work at Google: TVCs, contract workers who account for more than half of the companys employees. TVCs did not receive Pichais note about the policy changes earlier this year because those changes do not apply to them. (TVCs the acronym is short for Temporary, Vendor, and Contract workers as noted by the Tech Workers Coalition, are disproportionately women and people of color.) On Wednesday, a group of TVCs and full-time Googlers published a letter to Pichai on Medium demanding changes to benefit TVCs. Google routinely denies TVCs access to information that is relevant to our jobs and our lives, the letter begins, before explaining that when Nasim Najafi Aghdam attacked YouTubes headquarters (Google owns YouTube) in San Bruno, California in April, the company only sent emergency alert emails to full-time employees. (Aghdam injured four people before ultimately killing herself.) TVCs were not invited to a town hall meeting following the shooting, nor were they invited to a similar meeting held after Novembers walkouts. From Medium: The exclusion of TVCs from important communications and fair treatment is part of a system of institutional racism, sexism, and discrimination. TVCs are disproportionately people from marginalized groups who are treated as less deserving of compensation, opportunities, workplace protections, and respect. We wear different badges from full-time employees, which reinforces this arbitrary and discriminatory separation. Even when were doing the same work as full-time employees, these jobs routinely fail to provide living wages and often offer minimal benefits. This affects not only us, but also our families and communities. The letter ends with two demands. First, that Google put an end to pay and opportunity inequity for TVCs. Second, that the company provide access to company-wide information on the same terms as full-time employees. At the end of November, Googlers, working with Amnesty International, published a different open letter to the company. This one demanded Google stop its work on Project Dragonfly, a search engine designed to comply with Chinas strict censorship laws. When anyone mentions Europe, the focus is almost always on the UK and Brexit. That is true whether it be in day-to-day conversation, on television and radio programmes, or in newspapers. It has been true since the peoples vote in 2016 and it is certainly true today, with Parliament debating Theresa Mays Brexit deal. In contrast to the detailed scrutiny of Brexit and the endless talk about uncertainty, there is very little discussion about the state of the structure we have voted to leave, or the uncertainty surrounding it. Those receive scant attention. The false impression peddled by Europhiles, assisted by a generally compliant media, is that the choice is between uncertainty outside the EU and certainty inside the EU. You would almost think that all was well within the EU, but that is far from the case. In November, 100,000 workers marched through Brussels to protest against austerity measures. Brussels is the capital of Belgium, but it is also the de facto capital of the EU and home to the European Commission. Last week, Belgian police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse protesters, who wore distinctive yellow jackets, and there will be a nationwide strike on December 15. In France, the old political party system went into meltdown and Emmanuel Macron was elected president in May 2017, as leader of a new party, La Republique en Marche. He had an overwhelming mandate but, 18 months later, there are demonstrations on the streets and demands for Macron to resign. Nearly 300,000 people took part in the first demonstration last month, with grievances around rising taxes, rising prices and falling standards of living. Now Macron has had to capitulate to the protesters, with a promise to delay increases in fuel tax and electricity and gas prices. He has bought time, but his problems have only been postponed. Italy has also experienced turmoil, with the general election in March transforming the political landscape. Two parties had dominated Italian politics for 25 years, but together they did not even get one-third of the votes. Instead, voters turned to the Right and to the Left, with the anti-establishment Five Star Movement gaining the largest number of votes and forming a coalition with a Right-wing alliance led by the Northern League. Italy is pushing Europe to the brink of another economic crisis. Those arent my words, but the headline over an article in the thoroughly pro-EU Independent. Uncertainty over the economy was also highlighted in October, when the Moodys credit rating agency warned that Europe remained highly vulnerable to a fresh economic downturn. Meanwhile, Angela Merkel is on the exit route in Germany. In the federal election in 2017, the share of the vote between the Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats was barely above 50%. If we look at recent polls and the results of the Bavarian election, their support is now even lower. During the same period, the AfD became the first far-Right party to enter the Bundestag in more than six decades, taking 94 seats. There has also been a rise in Euroscepticism across the EU. Greece is actually the second most Eurosceptic country in the bloc, after the United Kingdom. The old order is changing fast and there is much uncertainty about the direction of the EU, politically, socially and economically. The truth is that there is instability across Europe and uncertainty within the EU. Meanwhile, the juggernaut of EU integration just keeps on going, with renewed talk of a European army, which would be a major step towards a United States of Europe. Among those who really run the EU, the natural response to any problem, or any issue, including Euroscepticism, is more Europe, more Europe. Their strategy seems to be one of binding countries ever more tightly together with more integration and more centralisation, so that it becomes impossible, rather than merely difficult, to leave the bloc. If you are looking for certainty, that is about the only certainty you will get with the EU. As police yesterday released CCTV footage of the gunman who killed Jim Donegan in west Belfast, the full horror of the appalling crime became apparent. The killer casually strolled along the Glen Road to where his victim was parked in his distinctive car before shooting him several times. While the actual killing was not portrayed, it was clear that the gunman knew the area was packed with schoolchildren just leaving their classrooms. Among those children was the son of the victim, and whatever the background to this murder, no child should ever see his father just after he has been gunned down. That young boy ran screaming back to his school, but the image of his father dead or dying undoubtedly will traumatise his young life for many years to come. As it also will those of the many other pupils who either witnessed the murder or came on the scene immediately afterwards. Those of us who lived through the Troubles became inured to the almost daily death toll, but today's generations used to our imperfect peace are rightly shocked to the core at the violence which visited the Glen Road. The schoolchildren there at the time know nothing of the horror of violence or the subterranean worlds of dissident republicans or feuding gangs - two of the prime suspects in the killings - and we should be glad of that. But it makes explaining what happened so much more difficult. How can those children process the idea that someone can simply walk up to another human being and commit them to eternity in the most brutal fashion? Observers noted that the local community's abhorrence of what happened in their area was more vociferous than on other occasions. They recognise that the only legitimate law and order force is the PSNI and that others who would take the law into their own hands are beyond the Pale. A sickening murder of this nature - the victim was an easy target waiting in an easily recognisable car for his son to come out of school - may be the catalyst for greater public cooperation with the PSNI. The killer apparently did not fear identification, but if eyewitnesses can give the police enough detailed information, he may one day be brought to the justice he deserves. Praise is due to teachers and community workers who worked hard to console parents and pupils in the aftermath of the killing. Without them, the trauma would have been even more widespread. High praise a feather in cap for NI's hospitality industry These are challenging times for the fiercely competitive hospitality industry, and it is a huge boost that four of our local public houses have been singled out for praise by renowned food and drink experts, one of them the step-son of Prince Charles. Tom Parker Bowles picked out three of the province's oldest pubs, The Crown and Kelly's Cellars in Belfast and the Crosskeys Inn near Toome, as among the UK's cosiest. Belfast's White's Tavern was the only one to make the list of Olly Smith's top spots, but these mentions carry enormous weight nationally and internationally and cement Northern Ireland's position as a place to visit. Changed days. Every December 25th Northern Ireland families come together to feast on a plate of festive classics but have you ever wondered how the yuletide meal we love so well made its way onto the table? Here, in association with Lidl, we trace the roots of the Christmas dinner... A mix of revved up staples in substantial portions, the Christmas dinner in Northern Ireland is a marriage of international specialities. Traditionally reparations take place on Christmas eve, with boiled ham to veg prep setting the scene for early morning kitchen activity that culminates with a feast that is typically consumed between 1pm and 4pm. Turkey, ham, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, stuffing and a range of other vegetables are the pillars of the plate. And in recent years some English traditions have worked their way across the Irish sea and onto the dinner plate to add even more variety. From pigs in blankets to cranberry sauce (although it originates in America) and Yorkshire pudding, the evolution of the Christmas dinner concludes with a banquet of enormous proportions. Expand Close Hungarian renaissance medieval dish Getty Images/iStockphoto / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Hungarian renaissance medieval dish Some say the Christmas feast in all its glory can be traced back to Medieval times. Others say it was Queen Victoria who made the meal a proper occasion but delve further into the history of the components that make Christmas dinner the gastronomic affair that it is today and the dish appears to be something of an international amalgamation. Turkey Expand Close Homemade Smoked Turkey Dinner Getty Images/iStockphoto / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Homemade Smoked Turkey Dinner The turkeys origin can be traced back to Mexico. It was first brought to Britain in the early 1500s thanks to a Mr William Strickland. This Yorkshire man bought six of the birds from Native Americans and sold them in England. It was in the late 19th century when Edward VII made it fashionable at Christmas for the middle classes. Before turkey, goose was the former star of the Christmas dinner table with Goose Clubs allowing those on a lower budget to save for the big day. Today the same can be said for Christmas turkey clubs in butchers around the province. Some sources say that even in the 1930s it took a weeks wage to buy a turkey and so it became a luxury until the 1950s. Brussel Sprouts Expand Close Roasted brussel sprouts with bacon Getty Images/iStockphoto / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Roasted brussel sprouts with bacon Members of the brassica family, the mini cabbage is thought to have first grown in Rome. During the 16th century their popularity grew in the likes of Holland and Belgium, the latter being an indication as to how sprouts acquired their modern name. Easy to grow and boasting more vitamin C than an orange, their miniature form is thought to have appealed to the Victorians in the 19th century when they became more popular. It was then when they made their way onto the Christmas dinner plate. Stuffing Expand Close Stuffing Made with Bread and Herbs Getty Images/iStockphoto / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stuffing Made with Bread and Herbs Most families have their own recipe for the traditional meat filling that comprises a mix of meat, cereal, herbs and spices. While its origins are somewhat muddled, it has been noted that the earliest known stuffing recipe featured in a Roman cookbook. Usually stuffed within the turkey or protein of choice, quite often today stuffing is a standalone dish, prepared and cooked separately. Yorkshire Pudding Expand Close Yorkshire puddings Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Yorkshire puddings The first written recipe of the Yorkshire pudding was penned by Hannah Glasse in 1747, who seasoned the batter with grated nutmeg and ginger and cooked it under a joint of "beef, mutton or a loin of veal" as it spit-roasted before the fire. It was Ms Glasse who gave the pudding its prefix and today the perfect culinary addition has made itself a popular element of almost every Sunday roast. Roast Potato Expand Close Seasoned roast potatoes Getty Images/iStockphoto / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Seasoned roast potatoes There are around 5,000 varieties of the humble spud and 3,000 of those are found in the Andes alone. So many believe the origin of the roasted potato can be traced back to South American cuisine. It was the Spanish Inca Conquest that saw the potato make its way to Europe, only really establishing itself here in the 17th century. Queen Victoria, when celebrating the Christmas meal is thought to have opted for mash. Cranberry Sauce Expand Close Cranberry sauce garnished with pieces of orange tangerine peel Getty Images/iStockphoto / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cranberry sauce garnished with pieces of orange tangerine peel One of only a handful of native American fruits, cranberries were toyed with until they became the essential sauce for a festive feast in the 1700s stateside. Its thought then they were mixed with water and sugar and first featured in a recipe book American Cookery by Amelia Simmons in 1796. Food brand Ocean Spray packaged its own version in the 1930s. The condiment first became popular during Thanksgiving. Christmas Pudding Expand Close Christmas Pudding Getty Images/iStockphoto / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Christmas Pudding An English tradition which was also known as prune pudding even thought it is thought to have never included prunes in its makeup, this festive after dinner favourite can, again, trace its roots back to medieval England. The first recipes, however, date a bit later than that - to the 17th century. The bonus, for many, is the puddings high alcohol content which allows it to be created up to one month, or even earlier before the big day. Add a little luxury to your Christmas with Lidl's Deluxe range. From tasty light bites to after dinner treats and everything in between! Visit https://www.lidl-ni.co.uk/en/christmas.htm for more inspiration for your holiday season. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Dongfeng Electric Vehicle Co.,Ltd has been granted a license to operate ride-hailing service business by Wuhan Passenger Transport Taxi Management Office, according to Dongfeng Motor's official WeChat account. A ride-hailing service platform dubbed DFGO operated by Dongfeng Electric Vehicle Co.,Ltd was formally launched online on June 29. The platform has deployed 100 Dongfeng Fengshen E70s in Wuhan and Shiyan of Hubei province for hourly car rental service and started to operate the taxi business on September 20. According to the automaker's planning, the DFGO is expected to operate over 50,000 offline taxis by 2019, radiating countrywide with Hubei province as the core. Aside from Dongfeng Motor, there are a number of Chinese automakers having made layouts in ride-hailing service area by building their own mobility platform or setting up joint venture with partners. Earlier last month, SAIC Group announced its ride-hailing service brand dubbed Xiangdao Chuxing (in Chinese) that provides an overall solution to the ride-hailing business, including technical platforms, fleet operation, vehicle maintenance and financial credit. Daimler Mobility Services GmbH and Geely Group Company, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group's new business subsidiary, claimed on October 24 that they will build a joint venture in China to provide premium ride-hailing services. On September 27, Ford Smart Mobility, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor, and Zotye Automobile Co., Ltd signed the final contract for a 50/50 joint venture which will work on providing tailored intelligent EV mobility solutions for ride-hailing service providers and drivers. Currently, most mainstream OEMs in China have deployed mobility or ride-hailing service business, including BAIC Group, SAIC Motor, Geely, FAW Group, Changan Automobile and Great Wall Motor. Some global automakers like Volkswagen Group, Ford Motor and BMW also highlight China's potential in this domain by partnering with local car makers. A visitor uses his mobile phone at the Huawei stand on the second day of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Photo: LLUIS GENE/AFP/Getty Images News broke late on Wednesday that Meng Wanzhou, CFO of Chinese telecom giant Huawei and daughter Ren Zhengfei, the founder of the company, was arrested by Canadian officials during a stopover in Vancouver in order for Meng to be extradited to the United States. The Department of Justice has so far remained mum about the case, but Republican senator Ben Sasse said the arrest was linked to Huaweis doing business with Iran. Americans are grateful that our Canadian partners have arrested the chief financial officer of a giant Chinese telecom company for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran, he said in a statement on Wednesday evening. Its hard to overstate the size and importance of Huawei both within and outside of China, and how shocking this arrest is. The top-line stat youll read about Huawei (pronounced wah-way) is that it recently surpassed Apple to become the number-two manufacturer of mobile phones in the world, second only to Samsung. But casting Huawei as the Chinese equivalent of Apple understates its reach and importance Huawei also manufacturers a tremendous amount of the equipment used by phone and internet companies, as well as providing IT consulting services both in China and around the globe. Combine Apple, Cisco, and Booz Allen, and then imagine this company working very closely with the U.S. government, and youre getting closer to the true significance of the company to China. Meng, beyond being Huaweis CFO, is seen as the heir apparent to the company. Think what would happen if Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg was arrested by Chinese authorities for unclear reasons, and you start to get a sense of the uncertainty rippling across global markets right now. The Chinese government has demanded that Meng be released. The detention without giving any reason violates a persons human rights, said a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson. We have made solemn representations to Canada and the U.S., demanding that both parties immediately clarify the reasons for the detention, and immediately release the detainee to protect the persons legal rights. There has been very little information provided to Huawei on the specific allegations. Huawei is not aware of any misconduct by Ms. Meng, said Huaweis CEO in a statement posted to WeChat, Chinas most popular communications app. Huawei, along with many other Chinese phone manufacturers and telecom equipment makers, is viewed with significant suspicion by the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, comprised of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. All countries have agreed not to use Huawei while rolling out 5G networks, fearing that the company founded by a former Peoples Liberation Army officer would allow Chinese intelligence operatives to spy on other nations. The U.S. has also banned all governmental agencies from buying or using Huawei phones or equipment. The arrest came shortly after news broke that China and the U.S. had agreed to a 90-day suspension of their ongoing trade war. Stocks of most major chip manufacturers fell after news of the arrest broke, with chipmaker stocks usually serving as a bellwether for investor confidence in U.S.-China relations. As of this morning, that relationship appears very, very rocky. Indonesian military and police officers carry a bag with the body of a construction worker killed by separatist rebels in Papua province, Dec. 6, 2018. Suspected insurgents fired at security forces in Papua who were retrieving bodies of 16 slain construction workers, the military said Thursday, while a rebel spokesman confirmed that they took casualties in launching one of the bloodiest attacks in the province. Soldiers traded shots with the guerrillas, but were unsure if there were injuries on the rebel side during the gunfight that took place Wednesday on Puncak Kabo hill in Nduga regency, local military commander Col. Jonathan Binsar P. Sianipar said. When we were moving 16 bodies to the helicopter landing site, we were fired on by the separatist group, Sianipar said in a statement issued by the militarys regional command. Government forces did not suffer injuries, Sianipar said. In addition, Puncak Kabos thick forest and rough terrain hampered attempts to remove the bodies, he said. On Wednesday afternoon, soldiers and police managed to reach Puncak Kabo, where workers who were building roads and bridges were killed over the weekend, the military said. All the bodies were recovered later in the evening despite difficulties faced by the security forces, regional military chief Maj. Gen. Yosua Pandit Sembiring told reporters. A search was ongoing for several people still missing, he said. Police earlier said that 31 workers and a soldier were killed, but military officials on Thursday were still trying to verify what caused the discrepancy in casualty figures. Biggest attack The West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM), has claimed responsibility for the killings, alleging that the people they killed were soldiers from the militarys engineering detachment, and not civilian workers. Officials said the attack was the worst carried out by separatist rebels in the last 10 years in Papua, located at the far eastern end of Indonesia and one of the archipelagos poorest regions despite its rich natural resources. Eleven civilians and 11 security personnel were killed in 19 cases of armed violence in the province, from 2014 through 2017. Armed with military-grade weapons Egianus Kogoya, the leader of the rebel group claiming the attack, commands around 50 members armed with military-grade weapons, authorities said. Egianus is the son of Silas Kogoya, the TPNPB leader in the 1990s. In a video posted on YouTube, Egianus said that the weapons the group used were seized from Indonesian security forces. Sebby Sembom, a rebel spokesman, confirmed Egianus' claim. We seized all (weapons) from the TNI-Polri (soldiers and police). We killed them and seized their weapons, he told BenarNews. He declined to say how many weapons Egianus group had. Papuan military spokesman Col. Muhamad Aidi acknowledged that Egianus group had dozens of standard-issue military weapons, including rifles. Some of the firearms were seized from soldiers and police, he told reporters, adding that some of their weapons also came from outside the country. The Egianus group is one of the many TPNPB guerrilla factions, mostly operating in Papuas central highlands. The attack carried out by TPNPB had been prepared. We declared a war in early 2018, Sebby told BenarNews in a phone interview. He claimed that during the attack on Dec. 2, no TPNPB member was killed, but several were injured by gunfire. Agreement between insurgents and workers Nathal, a former employee of PT Istaka Karya, a state-owned construction company that builds roads and bridges in Nduga, told reporters there was an agreement last year between construction workers and the rebel group. Under the deal, workers would vacate their camps starting Nov. 24 each year to allow separatists to celebrate their independence day in the area on Dec. 1. At that time in November 2017, an agreement was made that every Nov. 24, the dorms or camps must be vacated because Dec. 1 is their independence day, said Nathal, referring to the insurgents. Im sorry, why were they still in the camp, even though it was clear that the camp had to be vacated starting Nov. 24? said Nathal, who uses only one name, like many in Indonesia. Another worker named Makbul told reporters that a gunfight between rebels and soldiers during an attack, which killed a soldier at a military post on Monday, lasted from 5 a.m. until around 7 p.m. The post was attacked because four people who escaped the shootings (on construction workers) fled to the TNI (military) post, Makbul said. A video seen by BenarNews showed the bodies of the victims lying on a rocky road, while charred heavy equipment, some still burning, could be glimpsed nearby. Communist rebels perform during a cultural show at a New People's Army camp in the southern Philippines, Dec. 26, 2010. The Philippine military said Thursday it would maintain its offensives against communist insurgents and other rebel groups, signaling that a traditional Christmas truce would not take place this year. Officials said the New Peoples Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), was gearing up for a show of force to mark its half century mark on Dec. 26. I have objected to a suspension of offensive military operations. We shall not allow the insurgents to use it to celebrate their 50th anniversary, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters. Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said a ceasefire was useless because communist rebels have not been sincere with the suspension of military operations in the past. Each Christmas both sides declare a unilateral truce to allow rebels and soldiers to spend time with their families, but Arevalo emphasized that the insurgents have persisted with their attacks. They continue with their terroristic and criminal activities, extortion, harassment, etcetera and we do not want to give them the opportunity to gather and mass up to joyfully celebrate their 50th anniversary, Arevalo said. We still give peace a chance especially during Christmas time but this time we see that it is not working to the advantage and best interest of our people. So we are not inclined to go with the declaration of traditional suspension of military operations, he said. Ocampo, Castro are active communists, military spokesman says Arevalo said military and police authorities are standing by their position that Satur Ocampo, a former congressman, and France Castro, a current member of the House of Representatives, are active communist rebels. The two were arrested last week along with several others while allegedly recruiting minors from a tribal community in the town of Talaingod, in the southern province of Davao del Norte. Both had denied the accusation, and have been released, even as the military said it was preparing to file charges against them. This goes to show that the activities of Ocampo and Castro in Talaingod are part of a bigger machinery and scheme involving what the CPP-NPA has dubbed as Lumad Schools, Arevalo said. These schools are at the center of CPP-NPA exploitation of the native Mindanaoans who are being radicalized at a very young age by rebel supporters who pose as concerned teachers. The indoctrination is meant to prepare the youth to become NPA cadre in the future, he said. Exiled communist movement leader Jose Maria Sison, however, said that their negotiating panel would still declare a unilateral ceasefire, but would keep the guns silent unless attacked by government forces. Sison, in a statement from his base in Utrecht, the Netherlands, said the insurgents temporary unilateral ceasefire demonstrates the high morale and self-confidence of the revolutionary forces and people in their all-round strength. Arevalo said it would be up for President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a truce. But all the signs pointed to the presidents increasing aggressiveness against insurgents. Last month, Duterte warned he would form a death squad to counter the rebels sparrow unit, small assassination squads manned by the communists. But the sparrow unit has largely been inactive since the 1980s, when it carried out a string of attacks targeting allegedly corrupt state officials and police officers. The NPA has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for the past five decades. Military estimates placed the NPA strength at more than 5,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country. Arevalo, in updated scorecard figures released this week, said that from January to November this year, 116 NPA rebels had been killed and 172 others arrested. Almost 2,000 firearms had been seized and about 300 rebel encampments were overran, he said. Jeoffrey Maitem from Cotabato City contributed to this report. Marines patrol the Jolo island coast in the southern Philippines while searching for Abu Sayyaf militants, in September 2016. Marines rescued an Indonesian fisherman Thursday on the southern Philippine island of Jolo where Abu Sayyaf militants had held him captive since September, military officials said in a statement. Usman Yusuf escaped from his captors early on Thursday in the village of Bual and was later picked up by members of the Marine Battalion Landing Team who were responding to reports from local villagers. I commend the troops of the Joint Task Force Sulu for their unfaltering conduct of intensified military operations which bear outstanding accomplishments, regional military chief Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega said in statement. Dela Vega said Yusuf was taken to a military hospital in Jolo, where he was reported to be in good condition. On Sept. 11, Abu Sayyaf gunmen intercepted a fishing boat berthed near Gaya island off Semporna district in the nearby Malaysia state of Sabah, kidnapping Yusuf and another Indonesian, taking them to the groups jungle camp on Jolo island, Philippine and Malaysian officials said. Two weeks later, relatives of the men received a ransom demand of nearly U.S. $1 million from a Malay caller who was telephone from the Philippines, Sabah Police Commissioner Omar Mammah told BenarNews. The owner of the boat received a similar ransom demand. Abu Sayyaf history Founded in the early 1990s, Abu Sayyaf is notorious for kidnappings, bombings and beheading in southern Philippines over the past decade. The group was blacklisted by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. It is the smallest, but considered the most brutal, of several armed groups that operate in the restive south. One of its leaders, Isnilon Hapilon, was later named the head of the Islamic State in the southern region. He was killed in October 2017 along with his aides, five months into the siege of the southern city of Marawi. Abu Sayyaf factions in other parts of the south have been blamed for violent acts, including a car bombing on Basilan island that left 11 people dead in July. Eighteen Abu Sayyaf members were charged following the bombing, including Furuji Indama, the known leader of a faction operating on the island. Two years ago, Abu Sayyaf beheaded two Canadian hostages and a German captive after their governments refused to pay ransoms. The group is believed to still be holding three foreigners and three Filipino hostages. Mark Navales in Cotabato, Philippines, and Zam Yusa in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, contributed to this report. Unfair and balanced. Photo: Konstantin Sergeyev/Intelligencer; Photo: Subjug/Getty Images/iStockphoto (TV) For decades now, the Republican Party has been broadcasting its alarm at the dire threat that electoral fraud poses to American democracy. George W. Bush was (ostensibly) so terrified by the notion that a high-stakes U.S. election might one day be decided by illegitimate means, he had his Justice Department launch a five-year investigation into Americas (wholly hypothetical) voter-fraud epidemic. When that investigation produced no evidence of the potential for such an outbreak, Republican state governments insisted that an absence of evidence was not evidence of absence. In their telling, the integrity of American elections was too precious to leave unguarded: If it was so much as possible to imagine fraudulent voters swinging a close race, then the government had an obligation to minimize that risk even if doing so required adopting voter-ID laws that effectively disenfranchised many nonwhite voters, or punishing Americans who unwittingly cast ballots they arent eligible to cast with eight-year prison sentences. Democrats balked at such radical measures. They insisted that the GOPs true aim was to suppress the political participation of young and nonwhite constituencies, out of a tacit recognition that the conservative ideological project was increasingly incompatible with majoritarian rule. Some federal courts endorsed the Democrats interpretation; and a few stray Republicans were, on occasion, caught on tape doing the same. But so long as an official organ of the Republican Party didnt openly declare, We do not actually care about the integrity of elections, but only about insulating our power from popular opposition, objective news outlets had no choice but to give the GOP the benefit the doubt; they were duty bound to tell both sides of the story. But now, the North Carolina GOP has openly declared that it does not actually care about the integrity of elections, only about insulating its power from the Tar Heel States increasingly Democratic electorate. The party conveyed this message by calling on North Carolinas board of elections to certify the results of the congressional race in the states Ninth District despite the fact that an ongoing investigation into alleged election fraud in that race has already produced overwhelming evidence of impropriety. Among other things, scrutiny of that contest has already revealed that: In Bladen County, Leslie McCrae Dowless, a man who was once convicted of fraud and perjury, worked on a get-out-the-vote effort for the Republican candidate Mark Harris. In seven of the districts eight counties, Democratic candidate Dan McCready won the mail-in absentee-ballot vote by no less than 16 points. In Bladen County, however, Harris won such ballots by 24 points (even though Bladen County is not the reddest county in the district). Dowless also ran a get-out-the-vote effort for Harris in Bladen County during the 2018 GOP primary race between Harris and incumbent Robert Pittenger. Harris won the countys mail-in absentee ballots in that race by a margin of 437 to 17 a lopsided result without parallel elsewhere in the state. In the 2016 House primary, Dowless ran a get-out-the-vote effort in Bladen County for a Republican named Todd Johnson. Johnson won that countys mail-in absentee ballots against Harris and Pittenger by a margin of 221 to 4 and 1 even as he lost that race statewide. Typically, about 16 percent of voters who request mail-in ballots do not ultimately return them. In 2018, in Bladen County, that figure was 40 percent; in neighboring Robeson County, it was 60 percent People who worked for Dowlesss effort this fall say that they went door to door collecting mail-in absentee ballots, which they then did not mail, but rather, handed over to Dowless who would then have been free to throw out any he chose to. This is a stunning admission in the #NC09 election controversy by @wsoctvs @JoeBrunoWSOC9 on what one of the harvesters did with the absentee by mail ballots she picked up: #ncpol pic.twitter.com/NtcmJOVnpE Michael Bitzer (@BowTiePolitics) December 3, 2018 This is only a limited sampling of the evidence that Harriss 900-vote victory on November 6 may have been a product of election fraud. And yet, the North Carolina GOP a party that has insisted that the hypothetical threat of mass in-person voter fraud (of which there is still no evidence) justifies the disenfranchisement of thousands of Tar Heel State residents has officially announced that it does not believe that overwhelming evidence of mass election fraud in a House race justifies so much as waiting until an investigation into said fraud is finished before certifying the validity of that elections outcome. In fact, the party is actually telling its donors that, by insisting on a full investigation of Dowlesss alleged acts of fraud (including those committed against a sitting Republican congressman in a GOP primary), the Democrats are effectively stealing the congressional race from Mark Harris. Joe Bruno, of local news station WSOC-TV, obtained the following transcript of a donor-solicitation call that the state GOP has been making in recent days: Hey, it is Dallas Woodhouse. I am actually calling from Chairman Hayess phone. He had to pick up the other line cause we are trying to cobble together additional donations to the state party because we are trying to keep the Democrats from stealing the congressional race from Mark Harris. They are throwing everything against the wall and it is running up expenses for us by the minute. But you know theyll steal it if they can. And the frustrating thing to Chairman Hayes, and I know you as well this is just a test to see if they can steal North Carolina from Donald Trump in 2020. If you can give Chairman Hayes a call, please try to help us. Meanwhile, a few North Carolina Republicans are acknowledging that a GOP operative (ostensibly) committed election fraud in Bladen County and demanding the state make it harder for people to vote, in response. Party operatives allegedly pull off huge election fraud; then the rest of their party uses the headlines generated to demand that voting be harder for everyone. McCrory & Dowless are both looking for the same thingfewer voters. One knows that he can use the law to get there. https://t.co/AVGijqB3vF Taniel (@Taniel) December 6, 2018 Thus, it seems fair to say that the North Carolina GOP has now confessed that all its rhetoric about voter fraud was delivered in bad faith. And the party is on the cusp of going one step farther: Republicans in North Carolinas legislature are preparing to (tacitly) cop to the belief that their party is unlikely to command the support of most eligible voters in the coming years and that they thus must compensate for this disadvantage by manipulating election rules. As HuffPost reports: Republicans in North Carolina are attempting to push through a bill that would ensure their control over voting procedure in election years. The bill would require election boards in every county in the state to be chaired by a member of the political party with the highest number of registered voters in odd-numbered years. During even-numbered years, the boards would be chaired by a member of the party with the second-highest number of registered voters. Were this rule in effect in 2018, the investigation into election fraud in Bladen County might not be happening. Given all this, how should a scrupulously objective mainstream media characterize the North Carolina GOP? As a party that has been accused of using disingenuous concerns about voter fraud as an excuse to disenfranchise minority voters (but which strenuously denies those aspersions) or as a party that indisputably uses disingenuous concerns about voter fraud as an excuse to disenfranchise minority voters? Or, more broadly, as one of two equally legitimate political parties in North Carolina or as the one party in that state that is demonstrably uncommitted to democratic governance? For that matter, how should such an objective media describe a national GOP that hasnt seen fit to condemn any of its North Carolina branchs activities? What about a national GOP that has also spent the past few days abetting anti-majoritarian power grabs in Wisconsin and Michigan? In both of those states, Republicans lost the offices of governor and attorney general last month, but retained control of the state legislature, thanks to district maps they had gerrymandered. Now, in lame-duck sessions, said GOP state legislators have attempted to strip various powers from their states incoming Democratic officials (including the authority to tighten campaign-finance laws, roll back voter-ID laws, and implement nonpartisan redistricting) and transfer them to the state legislature or to other bodies that Republicans control. In Wisconsin, Republicans have defended their usurpation of power in plainly anti-democratic terms. Assembly speaker Robin Vos argued that if the legislature did not deny the popularly elected governor the full authorities of his office, then we are going to have a very liberal governor who is going to enact policies that are in direct contrast to what many of us believe in. State Senate speaker Scott Fitzgerald agreed that elections must not be allowed to negate conservative policy goals, saying, Law written by the legislature and passed by a governor should not be erased based on the political maneuvering of an incoming administration. We must make sure that Wisconsins business environment continues to thrive. Still, one cannot fully appreciate the anti-democratic nature of the Wisconsin GOPs gambit without understanding that is has already immunized its state legislative majority against popular rebuke. On November 6, incoming Democratic governor Tony Evers defeated Scott Walker by one percent, but won a majority of votes in only 36 of 99 Assembly districts the same number of districts that Democratic Assembly candidates won, despite collectively claiming a far higher share of the popular vote than their Republican counterparts. The GOPs position is, thus, that the branch of government that is controlled by a party that did not receive the most votes should enjoy supremacy over the branch of government controlled by a party that did because otherwise, Wisconsin will enact policies that Republicans do not like (or, more precisely, that Republican donors do not like among other things, the state legislature will prevent the incoming attorney general from withdrawing Wisconsin from a lawsuit aimed at eliminating the Affordable Care Acts protections for people with preexisting conditions, a goal that most Republican voters do not support). One might think, then, that (putatively) objective reporting on partisan fighting in Wisconsin would note the state legislatures relative lack of popular legitimacy. One would be wrong: In two articles on the extraordinary session in Wisconsin titled Stung by Election Losses, Republicans in the States Seek a Way to Neutralize Democrats, and Wisconsin Republicans Defiantly Stand Like Bedrock in the Face of Democratic Wins the New York Times never once used the word gerrymandering, nor did it give readers any indication that the fight between the incoming governor and the GOP legislature was, in large part, a fight over whether more authority should be concentrated in an anti-majoritarian body, which gives dramatically more weight to the votes of white Wisconsinites than black ones. Taken in isolation, this oversight might not qualify as troubling. But, as indicated above, the Times failure to note the anti-democratic nature of the Wisconsin GOPs position reflects a broader problem: One of Americas two major parties is steadily abandoning its commitment to the most basic norms of liberal democracy and the mainstream media is obscuring that reality because it refuses to abandon the norms of view-from-nowhere journalism. The Republican Partys recent actions in North Carolina, Michigan, and Wisconsin are not aberrations. For years if not decades, the GOP has been undermining both the formal institutions of democracy (through voter suppression, felon disenfranchisement, and gerrymandering), and eroding the substance of self-government (by campaigning on a combination of appeals to cultural resentment that have no policy content, and flatly dishonest descriptions of its fiscal priorities). By insisting that their tax cuts for the wealthy would not cut taxes on the wealthy and that their plans to weaken protections for people with preexisting conditions would not weaken protections for people with preexisting conditions Republicans have confirmed that they understand their ideological goals are not democratically viable. And by making voter suppression a top legislative priority in (virtually) every state in which they hold power, Republicans have signaled that that they believe that their party would not be politically viable in an America governed by popular sovereignty. The events of the past few days have only made these realities a bit more conspicuous. But the nonpartisan institutions that fancy themselves members of the Fourth Estate have, up to this point, refused to describe the modern Republican Partys relationship to democracy in forthright terms. Still beholden to journalistic conventions established in a less polarized era when the ambition to deliver news to Democrats and Republicans alike was more plausible and less ethically fraught Americas leading newspapers and network news broadcasts have spent much of the Trump era straining to balance out the biases of objective reality. In some instances, this has involved bestowing a bizarre degree of editorial attention on the excesses of the campus left and marginal anarchist activists; in others, its involved drawing unwarranted distinctions between the illiberalism of Donald Trump and that of the broader GOP. To be sure, its far from clear that a genuinely liberal mainstream media that was willing to describe the modern Republican Party as the proto-authoritarian institution that it is would be a more effective defender of American democracy than our current one is. The New York Times could run front-page headlines like, For the Republican Party, Oligarchy Is Desirable every day, and it wouldnt change the fact that our countrys most-watched cable news network and its largest local news conglomerate are propaganda arms of the GOP; or that many of our constitutionally mandated political institutions award disproportionate power to Republican constituencies; or that the Supreme Courts reactionary majority appears poised to abet state-level Republican power grabs and voter suppression efforts for a generation. Still, the Fourth Estate must retain its faith in the relevance of reported truth to American political life, or else forfeit its reason for being. And a fundamental truth about American politics in 2018 is that the Republican Party is no longer disguising its contempt for democracy. The liberal media shouldnt disguise that either. As we all know from our nativity sets, some very special guests attended the birth of the Jesus: wise men from the east, bearing gifts for the newborn king. Compared to the Bibles account of the royal visit, the story we tell is often padded with a bit of extra information. History and tradition have done their part to fill in the details regarding these visitors, including their number, names, and the timing of their arrival. One aspect of the visit that has largely escaped alteration is the list of gifts presented to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. If youre wondering what use an infant would have for these gifts, youre not alone. The primary significance of the gifts lay in their great valuethey were indeed gifts fit for a king. Beyond making it clear that these were great treasures given in an act of worship (Matthew 2:11), Scripture does not directly attach any other symbolic meaning to the gifts. However, without venturing too far off into extrabiblical speculation, its reasonable to draw a few possible inferences from the gifts brought by the wise men. These valuable gifts were clearly intended to honor Jesus, but its possible they carried deeper theological significance as well. The Gift of Gold As was customary for royal visits, the wise men came bearing treasured gifts intended to honor the newborn king. And as it is today, gold was a valued commodity in the ancient world. Among the types of assets listed in the Bible (e.g., precious metals, livestock, servants, gemstones, etc.), accumulation of gold was one of the chief measures of wealth (cf. Genesis 13:2, Ecclesiastes 2:8). Because of its scarcity and immense value, gold was particularly associated with royalty and nobility, as is seen in 1 Kings 10 when the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon bearing great quantities of gold as a gift. By bringing a gift of gold, the wise men showed that they did indeed consider Jesus a king. In addition to underscoring the royalty of Jesus, some have noted that the wise mens gift of gold may have foreshadowed another aspect of Jesus ministry. Under the Old Covenant, the Most Holy Place (also known as the Holy of Holies) was an inner sanctuary within the Temple where the priest would encounter the presence of God and offer a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Likewise, the incarnation of Jesus heralded the presence of GodImmanueland the sacrifice of atonement he would make on behalf of his people when he went to the cross. The wise men may have had this connection in mind because, as described in 1 Kings 6:20-22, the walls of the Most Holy Place and the altar within it were completely overlaid withyou guessed itgold. The Gift of Frankincense Frankincense is an aromatic gum resin that is still widely used in parts of the Middle East and Africa today. It is produced by scraping the bark of certain native species of trees and then harvesting the beads of resin after they have dried. When burned as incense, it creates a strong and beautiful aroma. In the ancient near east, the cost of frankincense precluded it from being used as a common household air freshener. Rather, the burning of frankincense was closely associated with ceremonial worship of a deity. In this way, the inclusion of frankincense as a gift for Jesus may have indicated that the wise men understood that the prophecy of the newborn king carried with it a claim of deity. As with gold, frankincense may also have an implied connection with the Temple worship of the Old Covenant. Burning incense at the altar was a key part of the sacrificial system prescribed by God for use in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Temple itself. According to Exodus 30, however, not just any incense would do. A specific recipe of spices mixed with pure frankincense (v. 34) was to be consecrated as pure and holy (v.35) and was the only incense permitted at the altar. A speculative parallel can be drawn between this and Jesus life as a pure and holy offering to the Lord. The Gift of Myrrh Myrrh is a fragrant spice derived from the sap of a tree native to the Near East. Like frankincense, it can be used as incense, but in the ancient world it also had wider usage as a perfume, anointing oil, and was even imbibed as a medicinal tonic. Most notable with regard to Jesus life, myrrh was a key ingredient in the mixture of spices that were used to prepare bodies for burial (e.g., John 19:39-40). Perhaps the wise men intended this gift as an indication of Jesus humanity and the manner in which he would save his peoplenamely, that he would die for them (cf. Isaiah 53:5). Just like the first two gifts, there is a Temple connection with myrrh as well. Exodus 30 tells us that liquid myrrh was a main ingredient in the anointing oil used to ceremonially prepare the priests, the instruments, the altar, and the Temple itself before sacrifices could be made. Again, parallels to Jesus consecrated life and sacrificial death are immediately noticeable. All three gifts reveal thought-provoking implications that related to Jesus life and ministry. What Did Mary and Joseph Do with the Gifts? Isaiah 60:6 describes the wealth of the nations coming to Gods people through Christ. Mary and Joseph saw a glimpse of this when they received the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And in this case, that wealth was likely used to help the family escape to another nation. Matthew tells us that as soon as the wise men departed, an angel of the Lord came to warn Joseph of Herods rage (Matthew 2:13). Joseph was instructed to take refuge in Egypt, a journey of over 100 miles. For a family of humble means, a trip of this magnitude would be difficult to pull off. Though we dont have a record of such, it is reasonable to think that the valuable gifts Mary and Joseph received from the wise men may have financed the familys flight to Egypt. Now that we know the significance of the gifts brought to baby Jesus, let's dive into the importance of the gift givers. Who Were the Wise Men? Lets look at the Bibles account of these travelers and their quest to meet the prophesied king: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:1-12 [ESV]) With no hint of a backstory, Matthew simply introduces us to the travelers with, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.... But who were these men? The term wise men (also translated as magi) refers to astronomers or astrologers who served in royal courts throughout the ancient near eastern world. Within the Medo-Persian Empire, for example, magi were regarded as valuable advisors due to their knowledge of science, agriculture, and sorcery. Later, during the Babylonian Empire, Daniel encounteredand rescueda group of prominent wise men that had been called upon to interpret the kings dream (Daniel 2:2,24). By the 1st Century AD, magi were more broadly known as men who studied sacred writings and dabbled with occult practices. As evidenced by the account of Simon Magus in Acts 8, such men who practiced magic were contemporaries of Jesus and his disciples in and around Palestine. Though present throughout the region, magi were more commonly associated with the Parthian Empire located to the east of Palestine (present-day Iran). Its possible that the wise men who visited Jesus hailed from this area, which would explain their familiarity with the Old Testament prophesy of the king of the Jews (Matthew 2:2). After the Babylonian captivity, remnants of Jewish culture lingered in that region and its likely that Hebrew Scriptures were among the sacred writings these wise men studied in their pursuit of wisdom. The Nations Shall Come to You The wise men and their gifts may also be seen through the lens of global missions. Israel was never intended to be the stopping point of grace; God called them to be a light for all nations. One of the clearest examples of this picture is found in Isaiah 60, a scene describing an age to come when the nations would be drawn to the glory of Israelnations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:3). The nations would come, but they wouldnt be empty-handed: they shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord (v. 6). In the wise men, we see a microcosm of the greater reality that is to come: one day, people from every tribe, tongue, and nation will come before the throne of Jesus in praise and adoration (Revelation 7:9-10). Though the Bibles account of the wise mens visit is relatively straightforward, it can be viewed from many different angles. Its possible that their gifts were specifically intended to pay homage to Jesus royalty, deity, and humanity. Beyond that, they may have also carried Temple connotations and even a reference to Jesus global mission. Whether or not you want to read deeper theological meaning into them, one thing that is certain is that these were significant gifts intended to show great honor to King Jesus. Scott James serves as an Elder at The Church at Brook Hills. He and his wife, Jaime, have 4 children and live in Birmingham, AL, where he works as a pediatric physician. He is the author of two family worship books (The Expected One: Anticipating All of Jesus in the Advent and Mission Accomplished: A Two-Week Family Easter Devotional) as well as the illustrated children's book The Littlest Watchman. Also by Scott James on Crosswalk: The History and Meaning of the Advent Calendar This article is part of our larger Christmas and Advent resource library centered around the events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ. We hope these articles help you understand the meaning and story behind important Christian holidays and dates and encourage you as you take time to reflect on all that God has done for us through his son Jesus Christ! What is Christmas? Understanding History, Origin and Traditions When Was Jesus Born? History of December 25th The Birth of Jesus: Bible Story and Scripture Verses Christmas Bible Verses & Scripture Story Christmas Prayers Photo credits in order of appearance: Pexels/Tookapic, Unsplash/JackT, Pixabay/xbqs42, Pixabay/Leo_65, Unsplash/GarethHarper, Unsplash/JakubJacobsky, Pexels/InbalMalca It is a dramatic appeal by the Ukrainian admiral to Russias president, Vladimir Putin (66), to release his soldiers. The commander of the Ukrainian naval forces, Igor Voronchenko, wants to go to a Russian prison in place of his sailors if Putin, in return, releases his men. Voronchenko told BILD in the navy headquarters in Odessa: It breaks my heart when I see my soldiers being illegally detained by Russia. I would be willing to go to prison in their place if Putin were to release my 24 men in return. Ten days ago, the Ukrainian soldiers were attacked by Russian forces in the Kerch Strait and subsequently arrested. Recently, they were publicly showcased and are now awaiting a trial. EU heads of government are demanding the immediate release of the Ukrainian soldiers however, so far, they have been unsuccessful. Voronchenko was stationed on Crimea as an admiral in 2014 when the peninsula was annexed by Russia. Back then, Voronchenko had already been held by the Russian army for several days, because he did not want to defect to the Russians. Auch Interessant While Voronchenko is offering himself for an exchange, the mothers of the captured Ukrainian soldiers have started an initiative and want to write a letter to Chancellor Angela Merkel asking her for help. The admiral from Odessa also sees Merkel as a supporter. He told BILD: I am grateful for what Merkel has already done for us. If there is a possibility now and Putin is willing, Im immediately ready for an exchange and to go to a Russian prison. Ukraine Petro Poroshenko We need further sanctions against Putin The Kremlin is once again escalating the conflict with Ukraine. BILD interview with Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko. Kievs Mayor Vitali Klitschko The Wrong Russia-Policy of Germany The reactions to the Russian attack against Ukrainian soldiers on the Sea of Azov show that there are still some in Europe who do no... The admiral thinks that Putin wants to permanently destabilize Ukraine: In 2014, they did not get what Putin actually wanted. This means that providing supplies for Crimea is difficult. Putin will keep trying to hit the nearby regions. This can happen anytime, entirely unexpectedly. The head of the naval forces does not think that NATO vessels that the Ukrainian president is asking for would be able to help in the Sea of Azov. There is the 2003 agreement that any navy vessel from a third country wanting to enter the Sea of Azov requires permission from Ukraine as well as Russia. This means: even if Ukraine wanted this, Russia would not allow it. I think that, by contrast, it would make much more sense to have an increased NATO presence in the Black Sea. For Immediate Release, December 6, 2018 Contact: Wendy Park, (510) 844-7100 x 338, wpark@biologicaldiversity.org Fracking Leases Under Texas Reservoir Threaten Corpus Christi Drinking Water CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas The Trump administration today auctioned off 4,200 acres of public land for fracking beneath Corpus Christis drinking-water supply, a reservoir already threatened by old, leaking wells. Fracking under the Choke Canyon Reservoir risks toxic spills, water contamination and earthquakes that could jeopardize dam stability. Its appalling that federal officials rammed through this dangerous plan without full environmental review and public notice, said Wendy Park, an attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. Theyre willing to risk the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of people to allow short-term profits for a few polluting oil companies. Even one spill would be disastrous for Corpus Christis drinking water. In 2017 the Bureau of Reclamation told city officials it wouldnt lease land beneath the reservoir until a federal study was completed on the potential harm from new fracking technology at Choke Canyon. A Trump administration policy issued in January requires the Bureau of Land Management the agency in charge of oil and gas leasing to offer industry-nominated parcels for lease. In February 2017 conservation groups, including the Center, and the city of Corpus Christi separately protested BLMs plan to issue fracking leases for more than 1,600 acres near and under the reservoir. That plan, like this one, risks polluting the citys drinking water supply and compromising dam integrity with fracking-induced earthquakes. The city did not protest todays sale. The risk of water contamination is frighteningly real, said Park. Its reckless for federal officials to allow fracking at Choke Canyon without the study they said was needed. The Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the dam and surrounding lands, raised concerns about fracking earthquakes in a 2015 protest before the Texas Railroad Commission. The Bureau said that wastewater injection 8 miles away from Choke Canyon Dam could cause earthquakes, with potentially catastrophic impacts, and contaminate the reservoir. Public records obtained by the Center in 2017 revealed six leaking oil and gas wells at Choke Canyon, including five in the reservoir as of June 2017. More fracking could push chemical-laden fluid into old wells, contaminating the water if old wells leak. Bureau of Reclamation records show 330 abandoned wells in and near Choke Canyon. Media Advisory, December 6, 2018 Contacts: Maya Golden-Krasner, Center for Biological Diversity, (213) 785-5402, mgoldenkrasner@biologicaldiversity.org Nalleli Cobo, South Central Youth Leadership Coalition, (562) 388-5646, nallelicobo@gmail.com Ashley Hernandez, Youth for Environmental Justice, (310) 780-7753, ashley@cbecal.org Court to Hear L.A. Youths Challenge to Oil Industrys Retaliatory SLAPP Suit LOS ANGELES Attorneys representing youth groups from South Los Angeles and Wilmington and the Center for Biological Diversity will argue in a California appeals court Friday that an oil-industry lawsuit against the groups is a classic example of a retaliatory strategic lawsuit against public participation a SLAPP suit that is designed to intimidate the groups and violates state law. In 2016 the city of Los Angeles adopted new requirements for drilling applications and settled a lawsuit brought by the groups that alleged a pattern of environmental review violations and racial discrimination in the citys oil-project approvals. The California Independent Petroleum Association then countersued the groups and the city. The oil industry dragged these brave young leaders into a long and burdensome court battle in a shameful attempt to shut them up, said Maya Golden-Krasner, the deputy director of the Center for Biological Diversitys Climate Law Institute. Fossil fuel companies shouldnt get away with using petty and retaliatory legal measures to bully victims of neighborhood drilling. I have always been taught to fight for what I believe, said Nalleli Cobo, of the South Central Youth Leadership Coalition. And I believe that everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or zip code has the right to breathe clean air. I have been dealing with terrible air quality since I was born, and my family has dealt with asthma and other respiratory issues living in Wilmington, said Nizgui Gomez of Youth for Environmental Justice. This is a problem that should have been fixed a long time ago, and were not standing down against this retaliation. What: Oral arguments in an anti-SLAPP motion brought by youth and environmental groups against the California Independent Petroleum Association in the California 2nd District Court of Appeal When: Friday, Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m. Where: California Court of Appeals, Ronald Regan State Building (2nd Floor, North Tower), 300 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 Who: Attorneys for and members of Youth for Environmental Justice, the South Central Youth Leadership Coalition and the Center for Biological Diversity Background In 2015 Youth for Environmental Justice and the South Central Youth Leadership Coalition, joined by the Center for Biological Diversity, sued the city of Los Angeles for rubber-stamping oil projects in communities of color. Both sides reached a settlement in 2016 after the city adopted new requirements for drilling applications to ensure compliance with state environmental review rules and protect vulnerable communities. The California Independent Petroleum Association, which represents hundreds of crude-oil and natural-gas producers and related entities statewide, including oil giants Exxon and Chevron, then countersued the city and groups, arguing that the new requirements raised drillers costs without due process. The groups filed an anti-SLAPP motion, which was denied by the L.A. Superior Court in an unexpected ruling. The Petroleum Association then filed a motion demanding nearly three-quarters of a million dollars in attorneys fees from the city and groups. That motion was also denied by the Superior Court judge. The California 2nd District Court of Appeal will hear oral arguments in appeals of both decisions on Friday. By connecting patients, pharmacists, caregivers, and providers, the PMAS delivers patient care in a decentralized format Based on its recent analysis of the North American medication adherence market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Philips, a global leader in health technology, with the 2018 North American Enabling Technology Leadership Award for creating a connected ecosystem that allows payers and providers to track their patients' health. The Philips Medication Adherence Solution (PMAS) features spencer, an enterprise-grade medication dispenser, which finds special application in managing medication for high acuity and chronic disease patients. With this solution, pharmacists, caregivers, patients, and providers are connected on a single platform, making it a vastly superior solution to mere pill dispensing devices. "The PMAS eases traceability and follow-ups, and supports patients' compliance with treatment protocols. It is designed with a patient-friendly interface, as well as an alert system and connected app that offers timely notifications for pharmacists and clinicians if a patient misses a dose," said Divyaa Ravishankar Industry Principal. "With its remote patient monitoring capability, digital tools, and door-to-door delivery, the company has innovated the caregiving pathway from hospital to home." The World Health Organization (WHO) requires a patient's compliance to be at 80 percent, but the PMAS has an average patient adherence level of 98 percent. Many long-term care centers in the United States use spencer to help elderly and chronically ill patients better manage their health. The solution enables the patient's caregivers to keep close watch on their adherence, as its automated dispensing service is linked to the phone line and issues alerts to caregivers. Additionally, the device can even function during power outages, dispense medication in advance if a patient is scheduled to travel, and set both audio and visual reminders to ensure no doses are missed. Providers contracted by Philips offer PMAS units to their patients at no direct cost, and every spencer-certified pharmacist verifies coverage details before transferring and packaging prescriptions to the device. One of the most significant value-added features in the device is the spencer Assist app, which facilitates information sharing between patients and their family caregivers. It ensures stability and transparency for high-acuity patients and is one of the best tools to monitor patients suffering from opioid addiction. "At an enterprise level, the device can potentially improve the Medicare STAR rating for health systems," noted Ravishankar. "By boosting medication adherence, the PMAS reduces unnecessary hospitalizations and helps all stakeholders save healthcare costs. Its 4x doses per day and provision of a subscription model have positioned it ahead of its competitors and made Philips richly deserving of the 2018 North American Enabling Technology Leadership Award." Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has developed a pioneering technology that not only enhances current products, but also enables the development of new products and applications. The award recognizes the high market acceptance potential of the recipient's technology. Co-hosted by Syngene International, Thermo Fisher and Amgen in Bengaluru Syngene International, a global Contract Research Organization in association with industry leaders, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Amgen Inc., hosted a two -day scientific symposium titled Next Generation Antibody Platforms on December 3rd and 4th in Bengaluru. The symposium was hosted under the aegis of INNO, a platform that aims to facilitate knowledge-sharing among scientists across industry and academia. The 2-day symposium was inaugurated by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, MD, Syngene International Ltd., Jonathan Hunt, CEO, Syngene International Ltd., Philip Tagari, VP Research, Amgen Inc. and Dara Wright, VP Protein & Cell Analysis Unit. Biotherapeutics, particularly antibodies, have become a significant part of Pharma R&D efforts. According to a report by Grand View Research, the global antibody production market is expected to reach a value of USD 22.6 billion by 2025. Increasing demand for therapeutic antibodies is a major factor that drives growth of the market. This has led to many pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies focusing on the development of advanced antibodies for the treatment of chronic diseases such as cancer, rheumatic heart disease, and arthritis. Speaking about the Symposium, Dr. Jayashree Aiyar, Chair of the Symposium and Vice President Discovery Biology, Syngene International Ltd., said, INNO is a great platform for budding scientists in the Pharma and Biotech space to widen their scientific horizon through interacting with global scientific thought leaders. It also provides them an opportunity to showcase their research work. This symposium on antibody research helped promote innovation, facilitate knowledge sharing on cutting-edge technologies and provided an excellent opportunity for budding scientists to interact with distinguished international speakers. The symposium boasted of a list of eminent speakers drawn from the academia and industry. The keynote addresses were delivered by Prof. Sachdev Sidhu from University of Toronto and Dr. Philip Tagari. Some of the eminent speakers included Andreas Menrad from Merck KGaA, Irina Rybina from Boehringer Ingelheim, Dinakar Salunke, Director International Centre for Genetic, Engineering and Biotechnology, Deepa Shankar from Thermo Fisher Scientific amongst others. More than 500 delegates from the industry and academia attended the symposium. Teams of scientists also presented scientific posters showcasing their cutting-edge research in the areas of antibody research. Making nukes relevant again. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images The Trump administrations announcement Tuesday that in 60 days it will pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia shifts the foreign policy landscape in three very big ways. It reopens one of the sorest spots in the U.S.European relationship. It delivers another blow to the global consensus that nuclear weapons should be reduced and never used. And it creates, rather unexpectedly, a new policy front in the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign. The treaty, which bans nuclear-equipped weapons that hit targets between 300 and 3,000 miles from land-based launchers, was signed in 1987 in response to the worst political crisis to hit U.S.European relations up to that time. The trick about missiles with that range is that, launched from the continental U.S., they dont hit Russia; launched from Russia, they dont hit the U.S. Launched from either, they target Europe. They made European countries first-tier targets and raised the specter of a U.S.Soviet nuclear exchange that wrecked Europe but left North America unscathed. As those missiles were developed, and their deployment debated, the detonations at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were less than 40 years past. Cold War tensions remained very high. Opposition to the missiles deployment was strong in the U.S., but paled in comparison to Europes, where it brought millions of people into the streets. Washington worried about breaking NATO; meanwhile, although we didnt know it, Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev was worried about the cost of the arms race breaking Soviet power. When Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan met in Reykjavik in 1986 and pledged to work toward major reductions in nuclear weapons, setting in motion the talks that led to the INF Treaty the next year, they used high-minded rhetoric about nuclear disarmament to achieve practical objectives financial and alliance management, as well as the stability that came from getting rid of weapons that would have had to be launched fast and irrevocably in the event of a crisis. Thirty years later, Americans and Europeans, Republicans and Democrats, agree that Russia is developing weapons that violate the treaty. Moscow, in response, asserts that U.S. launchers in Central Europe break treaty rules as well. But many Europeans and Democrats, and even quietly some Republicans, say that quitting the treaty and especially the effort to develop and deploy currently banned weapons that the administration also previewed this week will land us right back in a transatlantic crisis. The intervening decades have not altered basic geography Europeans want assurances that the U.S. will not treat their homes as an expendable battlefield in a miliatry conflict with Russia. Comments made about the Korean conflict by Senator Lindsey Graham If thousands die, theyre going to die over there. Theyre not going to die here are not reassuring to those already on edge about this question. Although nuclear weapons seemed obsolete to many after the Cold War, in fact three new nuclear states have emerged since the Soviet Union fell apart (India, Pakistan, and North Korea). China has ramped up its arsenal, Russia is modernizing its, and Washington is preparing to do the same. The goal of a world free of nuclear weapons seems much farther away than it did in 1986. This fact has produced both new interest among some countries in obtaining nuclear weapons, and new hostility among nonnuclear countries, which recently negotiated and signed a Ban Treaty aimed squarely at Washington and Moscow. The Trump administration says that it is leaving the treaty because words have to mean something, and Moscow is violating it. But Washingtons words also mean something to the rest of the world. It looks as if congressional Democrats think they mean something to 2020 voters as well. The weeks since the midterms have seen a groundswell of leaders from the Establishment and progressive wings of the party including some presidential hopefuls calling on Trump to stay in the INF Treaty and put the brakes on plans to expand the American nuclear arsenal. The incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Adam Smith, has called for a nuclear weapons policy that reduces the number of weapons and reduces the likelihood of any sort of nuclear conflict. The leading Senate Democrats from the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Intelligence Committees released a letter this week calling on Trump to stay in the INF Treaty. And when Senator Elizabeth Warren gave a foreign policy speech last week that many saw as an opening salvo in a presidential bid, what issue did she pick to crystallize her critique of Trump as both corrupt and reckless? Aggressive spending on new nuclear weapons, while withdrawing from existing arms-control treaties. The last time nuclear weapons played a role in a presidential campaign, George H.W. Bush wasnt just alive, he was a candidate. But every single person who is fantasizing about the Democratic nomination shares the legacy that belongs to Reagan and Bush as well as JFK and every president since that the safest way to deal with the greatest dangers is through international cooperation, and that the freedom to fire off a nuclear weapon of any size at will is no freedom at all. With Russia indicating that it will match Washingtons withdrawal and aim to match it in any new arms race as well as nuclear worries continuing to bubble in North Korea and Iran it looks as if Americans will have lots of opportunity to have that debate between now and November 2020. The Trump International Hotel, Washington, D.C. Photo: ZACH GIBSON/AFP/Getty Images In the first few months after Donald Trump was elected president, lobbyists funded by the Saudi government booked around 500 nights at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., according to the Washington Post. The rooms were largely for U.S. military vets, who appear to have been used as pawns in a scheme to funnel money from the Saudi government to the Trump Organization. This story begins with a group offering vets free trips (funded by the Saudis) to the capital in order to lobby lawmakers in late 2016. The target of their ire was the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), which would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi government. It became law in September of 2016 when Congress overrode Barack Obamas veto and the Saudi lobbying effort began shortly thereafter. The vets, who were told that the bill would allow other countries to charge U.S. troops for crimes committed overseas, stayed in two non-Trump hotels on their first trips to Washington. But then the organizer found an opening at Trumps lavish spot in downtown D.C. Michael Gibson, who helped run the trips on behalf of the Saudis, said this had nothing to do with the regimes trying to curry favor with a new U.S. president. He also said the rooms, which averaged $768 a night at the time, were provided at a discount. The stories the vets tell indicate that those footing the bill were unconcerned about money, though: Each trip included one, and sometimes two, dinners in a Trump hotel banquet room. There was usually an open bar in the room, veterans said, and it was always supposed to end at a certain hour but often, they said, Johns would theatrically declare an extension. Hed be like, You know what, just put it on for another hour! said Scott Bartels, an Army veteran from Wisconsin who went on three trips. The lobbying also seemed to be an afterthought, some of the vets told the Post: [T]hey said they werent given detailed briefings about how the law ought to be amended, or policy briefings to leave behind for legislators to study. The timing also was odd. They returned five times in January and February, when the issue was largely dormant and Washington was distracted by a new presidents inauguration. They were sent, again and again, for dead-end meetings with legislators who had made up their minds. Why spend $270,000 on hotel rooms and food and then execute a shoddy lobbying operation? Maybe because spending the money was the point. Foreign countries understand that they can curry favor with the president by patronizing his businesses, Democratic congressman Adam Schiff, the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told the Post. It presents a real problem, in that it may work. Its not hard to make the case that the Saudi effort to curry favor did work. Trumps first trip abroad as president took him to Saudi Arabia; he publicly sided with the Saudis in a dispute with Qatar; and, most notably, he has refused to stand up to the Saudi regime after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi. For Saudi Arabia, the money spent at Trumps hotel must seem well worth it. Collins is very lonely now. And Trump isnt helping her party in New England. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images With the defeat of Maine U.S. House member Bruce Poliquin (assuming his long-shot legal challenge to ranked-choice voting doesnt succeed), his Senate colleague Susan Collins has the dubious distinction of now being the only Republican in Congress from any of the six New England states. So Democrats hold 32 of 33 Senate and House seats from a region that was once a Republican stronghold. Before New Englands Yankee population began to be rivaled by immigrants from Ireland, Italy, and Quebec (among other places), the Republican Party was generally dominant. Vermont went Republican in every presidential election from 1856 until 1964. Maine contributed Lincolns first vice-president, Hannibal Hamlin; the powerful 19th-century House Speaker Thomas Czar Reed; and 1884 presidential nominee James Blaine. Massachusetts Republicans produced President Calvin Coolidge, the Lodge dynasty, and Ed Brooke, the first African-American to serve in the Senate since Reconstruction. Even more recently, the region was relatively competitive, as former New Hampshire senator Judd Gregg has noted: After 1980, New England had five Republicans in the United States Senate. There were also nine Republican members of the House of Representatives elected from the five [sic] New England states at least one from each state. Collins is up for reelection in 2020, and there is much speculation she might retire; she nearly left the Senate for a gubernatorial run this year. And if she does run, she will have tough sledding, particularly after her decisive vote to confirm Brett Kavanaughs Supreme Court nomination (which quickly produced a crowdsourced fund of $3 million for her future opponent). Aside from progressive anger at Collins, her brand of relatively centrist Republicanism (which used to be the norm for Republicans throughout New England) is out of step with her fellow party members, as represented by her own states fiery conservative governor Paul LePage, who was term-limited this year. At the same time New England Republicans have been all but wiped out in Congress, however, they still hold unlikely governorships in Massachusetts (Charlie Baker) and Vermont (Phil Scott) via old-school moderate candidates who have succeeded in ignoring Donald Trump and the toxic issue positions of their national party and pursuing a mix of social liberalism and fiscal conservatism. Its not an approach thats likely to work as well in congressional elections where its impossible to ignore the president, which is why Susan Collins is unlikely to obtain any partisan company in 2020, even if she survives herself. Chi Is A Form Of Energy Ancient sciences say that Chi is a form of energy that transforms a body into a living being. While a body might possess all the organs capable to function well, it is only after bestowing Chi into it that we can differentiate it as a living being. This sounds similar to the Hindu concept of God bestowing Prana Vayu into a human corpse and bringing it to life. Many Hindu concepts such as the Raja Yoga stress on the belief that Prana is a form of energy. Most Read: What Is Karma? How Does It Work? Chi Determines Mental Strength The amount of energy remains constant, only the forms can be changed; the amount of positive energy in a body determines the alertness and activeness and ensures a powerful functioning inside the body. Similarly, it is said that Chi can be changed, it can be improved such that the capacities of the mind will increase. An increase in the capacity of the mind further makes a weak person stronger, both emotionally as well as mentally. Emphasis On A Happy Heart Good health comes from mental health, which is further related to inner peace and happiness. This inner peace comes when the heart is happy. A happy heart presides where the soul is satisfied. The Hindu concept of a peaceful soul (which is similar to Prana) thus emphasises on a similar concept where spirituality is a path humans are advised to adopt in order to keep all sorrows at bay. It is also related to what Gautam Buddha meant when he said that pains and sufferings come from desires and spirituality is a path which helps one get rid of these misleading desires. PR Newswire BEAVERCREEK, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2018 BEAVERCREEK, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Redwall Technologies, the leading ISV for multi-modal endpoint device security, today announced that the United States Marine Corps has exercised Redwall's Phase 1 option of the Data Integrity and Confidentiality SBIR (N175-105) award. The SBIR program is a highly competitive system that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal R&D projects that have the potential for commercialization. Redwall has been chosen exclusively by the Marine Corps 'Data Security and Resilient Operating System Environment' award to participate in the Phase 1 option of the program with their innovative data security product, Redwall Mobile. Redwall has now been selected as the sole company to continue with the Phase 1 SBIR award aimed at securing communications and data across a multitude of operating systems used by Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM). "We are honored to have been selected for the SBIR Phase 1 option," said John Rosenstengel, Redwall president and CEO. "We have been working on end-point device security for several years and have made a point to do it very differently from our competitors. With Redwall, military units and first responders can use one multiple-persona mobile device for both personal and work use without fear that data will be compromised." The uniqueness of Redwall Mobile resides in securing devices at the kernel, the intermediary code between device hardware and software. This approach is a departure from many competing mobile security tools that operate at the application layer using a "sandbox" methodology to isolate applications and data within the operating system. A secure sandbox, or container, is created where corporate (or government) data and apps reside, while personal data and apps remain intact and unchanged. This dual-persona smartphone security method allows one smartphone to be used for both personal and business use. The issue with the containerized, dual-mode method is the data left in memory on the device that is still accessible in both sandbox and personal-use mode. In this instance, true app/data isolation is not achieved because of the memory leakage. The Redwall Mobile method of hardening the smartphone at the kernel layer creates a purer and completely segmented system with multiple personas for both personal and business use. Redwall Mobile uses cryptographic keys to isolate data and apps for each persona so that when the user changes from one persona to the next, there is no data leakage to memory; it is removed when the user leaves that persona. "Against the increasingly sophisticated attacks and privacy violations on mobile devices and associated services today, it was clear that nothing was working. Someone had to throw the book out and come up with something completely new, so we did that," said Redwall Chief Technology Officer, Eric Uner. "We've already demonstrated resilience against attacks that crush other hardened and 'secure' mobile devices, and the work we're performing for the U.S. Marine Corps pushes this state of the art approach even further." About Redwall Mobile More than just a container or simple switch between work and home profiles, Redwall Mobile features multi-modal personas, each with its own unique apps, data, settings, and encryption keys. The multi-modal feature of Redwall Mobile delivers a cleaner operating environment because it secures the device at the kernel layer, below the application stack. This security architecture allows Redwall to provide customers with any mode of persona that their security policy requires, whereby one BYOD (or CYOD) user can have any number of device personas. Each persona can be built with its own securely isolated apps, data, settings, and authentication requirements that define which processes can access which system features, drivers, files, and networks. With this unique approach, Redwall Mobile puts client organizations in a more proactive posture limiting malicious user and virus activity by halting access to sensitive corporate (or personal) data below the application stack. Because Redwall operates below the application layer, it thwarts even highly-sophisticated kernel and driver exploits. Furthermore, Android devices hardened with Redwall are immune to threats like TowelRoot and KingRoot without the need for patches or updates of any kind, and will defend against future zero-day attacks without the need to push an update. No emergency patching is required in this set-and-forget mode of securing access to data and sensitive IP. Because this technology is firmware-based, it can also be applied to IoT components such as medical instruments, smart appliances, SCADA devices, sensors, and other smart devices. About Redwall Technologies, LLC Redwall Technologies was founded in 2013 by a group of defense and intelligence practitioners who had a common desire to secure mobile points of intrusion into government datacenters. Rather than looking at signatures of viruses already in circulation, Redwall founders developed their product on the premise of what would keep us from hacking into a device? Redwall founders took to the offensive, searching for a means to prevent their own "white-hat" hacker team from compromising a mobile device. This led to their development team building device-hardening tools for smartphones, tablets, and other connected devices such as those in SCADA, CANBus, and similar networks. Redwall's unique, patented technology is typically installed at organizations whose users rely heavily on the highest levels of device performance and availability, while ensuring military-grade security. The prototypical Redwall Technology user is a first responder in a disaster zone or member of a military operations team engaging in matters of national security whose field communications require adapting to fast-changing environments and threat landscapes. For more information on Redwall Technologies, please visit www.redwall.us. Media Contact: Tony Perri Perri Marketing, Inc. Chattanooga, TN USA [email protected] +1-423-212-3127, ext. 1 Related Files redwall_datasheet-v6.pdf View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/redwall-technologies-announces-success-in-the-federal-small-business-innovation-research-sbir-program-with-the-selection-of-the-phase-1-option-funded-by-the-us-marine-corps-300760930.html SOURCE Redwall Technologies, LLC Before it became a brand of brave heretics, the Weekly Standard offered the most sycophantic partisanship. Photo: The Weekly Standard Accounts of the demise of The Weekly Standard magazine (formally announced by its publisher today after weeks of rumors) have typically focused on its very recent opposition to Donald Trump, or its identification with the war-hawk internationalist creed known as neoconservatism, or the erratic punditry of its longtime editor-in-chief William Kristol. From the perspective of the magazines entire 23-year history, though, Id derive a different if parallel story. TWS was born in service to the Republican Party and eventually fell too far out of step with it to survive with a coherent mission. It was no accident that the magazine was founded in 1995, the year the Republican Revolution led by Newt Gingrich arrived in Washington. It proclaimed confidently in its inaugural issue that it intended to both speak for and guide that revolution (the cover featured a cartoon of Newt Gingrich rappelling into Washington firing a machine gun). So from the get-go, TWS was no ideological watchdog keeping a wary distance from the GOP, like its older cousin National Review. It was a straightforward partisan mag. It suffered with the party during its defeats and celebrated with the party during its victories, however dubious (the issue after Bill Clintons impeachment by the House had the cover headline Their Finest Hour). And when its chief figures had a factional impulse, they were careful to couch it in the language of party unity. A good example was a 1999 piece by David Brooks (yes, that David Brooks) casting both John McCain (his and Bill Kristols candidate) and George W. Bush (the candidate of magazine co-founder Fred Barnes) as espousing something he called one nation conservatism. When Bush took office and subsequently adopted McCains aggressive views on spreading democracy by American military might, the Standard could barely contain its excitement, depicting Bush as the liberator of Iraq, a sort of global colossus who had forever consigned antiwar wimps to the ash heap of history. This is the period in which the magazine earned its reputation as the homeland of neocons and as cheerleaders for the Iraq War that neocons in the administration largely designed and guided. The word sycophantic was frequently appropriate for its attitude toward its heroes. As it happens, there was too little dissent over Iraq in the Republican Party at that time to test whether party or principle was more important to the editors and writers at TWS. They were predictably happy that their old flame John McCain won the GOP nomination to succeed Bush, and had no problems with Mitt Romneys highly conventional outlook when he became party leader in 2012. So it was rather abrupt when in May of 2016 Bill Kristol quoted John F. Kennedy as saying Sometimes party loyalty demands too much: I have always voted for the Republican presidential candidate. From Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford to Ronald Reagan (twice) and George H. W. Bush (twice) and Bob Dole, from George W. Bush (twice) to John McCain and Mitt RomneyIve checked the box next to those eight names on all 11 occasions Ive had the chance. About half the time, Ive voted for someone else in the primary. But even in those cases I never hesitated before supporting the Republican nominee in the general election. I regret none of those votes. I believe in retrospect, as I believed at the time, that in every case these men would have pursued policies better for the country than their opponents would have, and I believe now, as I did then, that in almost every case the Republican nominee was also superior to his opponent in terms of character and temperament and judgment. Kristol then said he could support neither Donald Trump nor Hillary Clinton, and called for an entirely futile course of action: [to] [r]ecruit and support an independent candidate. It wasnt Kristols #NeverTrump posture that made him stand out and that so infuriated so many people. Its that he did so from the point of view of the consummate partisan, which implicitly suggested that the Republicans who went along reluctantly or happily with Trump were the true apostates. And as Trump won, took office, and gave conventional Republicans their reward via tax cuts, Supreme Court appointments, higher defense spending, and other policy concessions, Kristol and his comrades stood out even more for not finding a way to keep their mouths shut and close ranks. There are conflicting reports circulating as to whether TWSs closing was primarily attributable to declining readership, conflicts with its current ownership (which is already promoting an expansion of the Washington Examiner, its other conservative journalistic property decidedly less anti-Trump), or some other, undisclosed cause. I have no idea where the truth lies. While not a fan of the magazines often tendentious politics in the past, I do think it has published some intelligent and entertaining writers and perspectives over the years, and a conservative media landscape with no room for TWS is simply making more room for the deranged Breitbart News and the vast, mendacious Fox enterprise. Still, its hard to view the extinction of The Weekly Standard as an injustice. It lived by the sword of reflexive partisanship, and now it dies by the same instrument. This post was updated and republished after The Weekly Standards demise was confirmed by its publisher. iRobot CEO Colin Angle with a Roomba. Photo: iRobot/iRobot In 1990, fresh out of MITs Artificial Intelligence Lab, Colin Angle co-founded iRobot, a company best known for that friendly little robot vacuum the Roomba. In the early years, Roomba was unprofitable, and the majority of iRobots profits actually came in from military and defense contracts. That changed over time, and in 2016 iRobot divested itself its military and defense work to focus on robots for the home. Angle talked to Intelligencer about how he made the decision to divest from military projects, the difficulty in finding a new home for the defense division, and how his decision to focus completely on the Roomba means theres now a robot vacuum that can empty itself. iRobot was founded in 1990. The product that were most known for, the Roomba, came along 12 years after our founding. We knew if we could create a vacuuming robot it would be good, mostly because people kept asking for one. Id introduce myself: Im Colin, Im the CEO for iRobot. And people would literally say, Good to meet you, Colin. When are you gonna build that Rosie the Robot that will clean my floors? The challenge was, we didnt know how to get there at any price point the average person could afford. It was a long journey that involved taking things from everywhere. The original algorithm used by Roomba to make sure it got every part of your room clean was taken from mine-hunting algorithms we had developed for the military. We built robot toys and patented them with Hasbro to learn how to build cheaper electromechanical devices. At the same time, we had started working with the military. One early project we did was building an underwater walking robot that could detect mines in the surf zone. They were our crab robots, so we called them Sebastian and Ursula though Im not sure Ursulas a crab. In 2002, we both launched the Roomba and sent our robots to Afghanistan. The military robots were instantly profitable. They brought in something like $160 million in revenue and funded the company quite effectively. Roomba didnt make any money for a few years, because we had so much to learn on how to manufacture, distribute, and support them. During this time, 100 percent of our profitability was coming from our business in defense with the government. We went public in 2005, and the Roomba and military bots made for interesting bedfellows. Wed always get the question, Why are you doing both? And wed say, Well, because theyre both robots and the synergies between the kinds of robots we build for consumers and the robots that we build for defense are very real. But by 2014 we were starting to face real questions about how valid that was. Over the years, that supplemental military budget went away, so the revenue from the military went from $160 million down to $55 million. Competition in the defense business on the robot side was increasing. The cost of our robots was going to need to come down, the capabilities of the robots would need to continue to improve, and the next steps were getting expensive. We were also seeing similar things with the Roomba, where competition was increasing. We wanted to make Roombas that could really navigate a room, and that required more dollars to be invested. Everything was getting more expensive and harder. We even had issues around the branding of the company. What colors should the company use? Because they have to both be appealing to an average civilian and to someone in the military, with military aims in mind, and those are pretty different consumers. The fact was we were increasingly two companies underneath the same roof, and we were continually making decisions where we had to prioritize one of these business units over the other. But in 2014, we recognized that these were two very different businesses, and we were headed in a direction where we were going to have to choose. We couldnt have had a great business if we invested in both home electronics and defense. Its important to point out how culturally important the defense business had been for our company. One of the things that really drove us was the impact that our robots have had in the world. We used defense tech to explore the Great Pyramid in Giza. We sent a PackBot to map radiation levels after the Fukushima disaster. With the Deepwater Horizon oil well disaster, we sent defense underwater robots to identify these giant subsurface pools of oil that were going to create a long-term ecological disaster. And, of course, during the Gulf War, we saved thousands of lives using the robots to defuse bombs and render IEDs safe. The idea that we could go out and have a real positive, chest-thumping impact on the world by deploying our technology, that was pretty central to why people felt good about being at iRobot. On rational basis, it was obvious that one of these things had to go, and the growth prospects were on the Roomba rocket ship, while the defense business was contracting. And on the emotional side, oddly, how much I cared about the defense side of our business drove me to realize that keeping it was killing it. Wed have these discussions, and then I would go home and really think about what I really wanted to happen. Which is a question I often ask myself when faced with a decision. Our defense side had done so much good in the world, so what I really wanted was for it to survive. So we hired a bank and we spent a year looking for the right place for it, and we just didnt find it. The next time around, there was that an ex-iRobot guy, Sean Bielat, who had worked on the defense side and then went to a private equity firm. He ended up convincing that private equity firm that iRobot should spin out our defense business and relaunch it. That made all kinds of sense. It meant that our defense side would be a startup again, and the new CEO would be a super well-respected ex-iRobot guy. The devil was in the details, and it took about six or eight months to work everything out. Finally, Sean and Tom Frost who was the internal leader of the defense business unit at the time and I jointly announced the deal. That was very emotional, because that was the moment that there was really no going back. I think Tom and Sean realized what it meant to me. Their very sincere message to me was, We will take good care of your baby. They would make this new business not just about maximizing profit, but about maximizing the positive impact on the world. The end game of the divestment coincided with this all-consuming proxy battle with an activist investor. He wanted iRobot to divest from defense, but he really didnt want to hear from us that we were doing that. Some of the romance was stripped out of the experience by fighting this fight against a guy who wanted to replace our board and leadership, just so he could force the company to do something it was already about to do. That honestly was one of the more trying times. Im trying to do the right thing by this company, and someones trying to come in and gut me. It meant broadening my horizons around what is this thing that is iRobot. Its a public company. It has shareholders that havent dedicated their entire lives to the business, nor do they have to, but they have every right to expect to be heard because they took money out of their pocket to be part owners of the company. That is what being a public company is about. I needed to be okay with that and figure out how to embrace that. I had to accept that this journey to build the company that Ive been on for my entire adult life there is no divine right for me to lead it. I think I was rewarded for doing the right thing. Endeavor Robotics, which is what our defense business became, is thriving today. And investors in iRobot looked at the maturity of the leadership, its ability to make difficult decisions, and the overall good management during our proxy battle, and we ultimately won. For us, being able to focus on the home market meant that in 2017, consumer growth quadrupled. We just launched the i7+. You can get a Roomba now and bring it to your home, and it will operate a year without your touching it, because it can empty itself you dont even have to pick it up. If youre in the kitchen and make a mess, you can say, Okay, Google, clean the kitchen. And the robot actually now knows what the kitchen is because of the advancement in navigation technology. Were still very far away from fulfilling the potential that robots have, but we just completely changed vacuuming, and thats pretty cool. If a company is like your kid, selling defense was like sending your kid off to college. Knowing that the people carrying the founding vision forward would do something great. That moment when Sean and Tom said, We got this. We understand why it matters so much, I knew letting go was the right thing to do. If you look back at iRobots trajectory, and say, Gee, what would you do differently if you had to do it over? I think you could come up with a long list of things thatve gotten us to a better place faster. At the same time, I say, If I could travel back in time and do it over, I wouldnt want to. Because one of my most powerful assets was that I had complete ignorance about the size of the challenges that we were facing. Im happy I was youthful and ignorant. GOP representative Mark Harris at a postelection press conference. Photo: David T. Foster III/TNS via Getty Images Republican Mark Harris still hopes that the 116th Congress will seat him as the fairly elected representative for North Carolinas Ninth Congressional District. Harris beat Democrat Dan McCready by 905 votes in November. But on Thursday, amid mounting evidence of electoral fraud in Harriss race, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that Congress might not seat the Republican with the rest of his class. The same day, the executive director of the North Carolina GOP, Dallas Woodhouse, announced that he would support a new election if an ongoing state investigation uncovered firm evidence of fraud. Thats a shift for Woodhouse, who previously dismissed such calls as a Democratic attempt to steal the election from Harris. Hours later, the Washington Post reported that Robert Pittenger, the Republican incumbent Harris defeated in May, had noticed irregularities in the primary results and notified GOP officials at the time. Sources told the Post that the state GOP did little to scrutinize the results, and focused instead on the general election. GOP officials have denied the report. Woodhouses concession comes one day after the editorial board of the Charlotte Observer called for a new election. As the newspaper put it, There may be no way, however, to know how widespread the fraud was, or whether it involved enough ballots to potentially change the outcome of the election a 905-vote victory for Republican Mark Harris over Democrat Dan McCready. But we do know enough. Unless new evidence somehow clears the clouds hanging over this election, the Board of Elections should toss out the 9th District results. Its difficult to fault the papers reasoning. As my colleague Eric Levitz describes, local and national news outlets continue to uncover evidence of electoral fraud committed by an operative hired by Harriss campaign. The Harris campaign stands accused of paying a Bladen County man, Leslie McCrae Dowless Jr., to conduct ballot harvesting on Harriss behalf. One woman told WSOC-TV that Dowless paid her $75 to $100 a week to go around and pick up finished absentee ballots. Wake County district attorney Lorrin Freeman told CNN on Wednesday that many appear to have been destroyed. Dowlesss operation also appears to have targeted African-American voters, many of them elderly a constituency that is typically hostile to Republican candidates. Harris may not be the only Republican to have benefited from Dowlesss work, either. The Raleigh News and Observer reported on Tuesday that Freeman has been investigating possible electoral fraud in Bladen, Brunswick, and Columbus counties since 2016. And The New Yorker reported that Dowless, who was also convicted of insurance fraud in 1992, has been implicated in electoral fraud since 2017, when the owner of a video-sweepstakes operation admitted in a sworn affidavit to helping fund Dowlesss ballot-harvesting efforts on behalf of a Republican candidate for sheriff in 2014. In 2016, Dowless worked for a Republican primary candidate running against Harris and the sitting Republican representative that Harris would later defeat, Robert Pittenger. The same year, The New Yorker continued, Dowless was running to remain the incumbent vice-chairman of Bladen Countys Soil and Water Conservation district board. Amid these reports, North Carolinas former Republican governor, Pat McCrory, told WSOC-TV on Wednesday that hed raised the alarm about Bladen Countys voting irregularities in 2016. Which is true. After McCrory lost to Democratic candidate Roy Cooper in the 2016 gubernatorial race, he immediately complained of electoral fraud. But in a historically ironic twist, McCrory pointed to a Democratic write-in campaign against Dowless to bolster his own claim that fraud had tainted the gubernatorial race. North Carolina Republicans argued that hundreds of ballots submitted in Dowlesss race for the Soil and Water Conservation board seat bore similar handwriting, and thus the results were suspect, even though Dowless won his race for reelection, The New Yorker reported. In other words, McCrory attributed fraud to the Democratic Party. To use a highly technical term of art, North Carolinas Ninth Congressional District appears to be a mess. And it isnt getting any neater as time goes on. State investigators have issued subpoenas to the Harris campaign, and in Congress, Democratic representative Gerry Connolly of Virginia has called for an emergency hearing into the matter. And with even Woodhouse conceding that a new election might be necessary, Harriss chances of occupying a seat in Congress are beginning, ever-so-gradually, to shrink. Pampas at Spartan in Portland. Photo: Currie Person/Spartan Shop Is that pampas grass? Ive asked several salesgirls, at several stores, in the past few weeks. Yes, it always is, but no, its not for sale, because its decoration. So far Ive seen reeds of the tall, wheat-colored feather grass at Cote a Coast on the Bowery, Brother Vellies and Porter James in Greenpoint, and in a pop-up fair in Bushwick. There are also the places I virtually peer into, like Glossiers new Los Angeles showroom, Spartan Shop in Portland (at left), and General Store in Venice, California. Then, when a few stalks of it showed up in photos of the home of Dimes co-founder Sabrina De Sousa, I could really believe that pampas had arrived there it was in a certifiably cool persons home, next to certifiably cool geometric, custom-made furniture. Pampas grass is sort of like a pair of white cowboy boots, says Lisa Przystup, a former florist who still makes occasional arrangements, like this one for hat company Tio y Tia. Its an instant fashion-maker that does all the heavy lifting. Pampas is like an anthurium: visually weirder than a peony or a lily, able to pull off sitting in a vase with nothing else at all. Compared to other plants, though, it has a rustic, almost rewilded quality think Cher Horowitzs feather pen, but bigger and from the desert. The ubiquity of the poofy grass might also speak to another shift: that increasingly urgent desire to use less and reuse what we have. If you bought metal straws this year, and pack a Baggu or fisherman tote when you go shopping, you might like that a pampas lasts forever and and is zero-maintenance, according to De Sousa, whose own arrangement came from Metaflora, the studio that does all of Dimes arrangements. Dried bouquets are getting more popular here in the United States, says Bianca Sparta, whose Portland plant store Colibri supplies Spartan Shop with its pampas. Theyre very popular now in Japan. (Malaysian heiress Chryseis Tan incorporated them at her recent wedding in Kyoto.) Plus, Sparta says, florists are trying to use less of the floral foam that typically holds together arrangements and keeps plants hydrated. Pampas need no water or foam at all. Now the world is going to shit, she says, and we have to stop throwing plastic into the ocean. People are adapting and want a product that dries beautifully. Heres a funny tidbit, said Strategist associate editor Katy Schneider when I told her about this post on pampas grass. When I bought mine, the woman at Stems, Katys local florist, told me theyd last forever if I hair-sprayed them. Even more longevity for the already immortal grass. If you take that advice, might we suggest an eco-friendly hair spray. Pampas grass to buy online Vases for your pampas grass East Fork Large Contour Vase $150 $150 If you prefer a ceramic vase. [Editors note: East Fork has offered our readers a code for holiday shopping use STRATEGIST for 15 percent off until December 31.] $150 at East Fork Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. 32 items in this article 4 items on sale! Photo-Illustration: From the retailers. What do you get for the mom whose taste for the finer things means shes only ever filling her closets and shelves with designer goods? Oftentimes, for nearly impossible-to-please mothers, size doesnt matter but a fancy brand name does. And the nice thing about many fancy brands is that unwrapping their less expensive stuff offers the same thrill as unwrapping any of their pricier things. Below, weve rounded up 33 of the most affordable gifts that are still really thoughtful from the nicest brands, any of which we think would impress the Very Picky Mother (or mother figure) in your life. To help you shop, weve made sure (to the best of our abilities) that everything here, at the time of publication, will ship and arrive in time for the big day. (But as the saying goes, sometimes the right gift is worth waiting for.) Rachel Comey Arc Earrings $104 $104 Or, for the cool mom who skews Brooklyn, a pair of bold but not-too-bold earrings from Rachel Comey that she could wear with just about any outfit. $104 at Shopbop Buy Acne Studios Elmas S Card Case $115 Even for the hippest mom, lots of Acne stuff can be a bit too trendy. But theres something very timeless about this slim Italian-leather cardholder that can be easily slipped into a pocket or fanny pack. $115 at Nordstrom Buy Ganni Off-white & Red Recycled Tech Seasonal Drawstring Pouch $95 $95 If Moms a bag lady who hasnt yet added a tiny one to her collection, this mini-purse from Danish label Ganni will catch as many eyes as three- (or four-) digit styles, while still being functional enough to hold all her essentials on afternoon walks. $95 at SSENSE Buy Hermes Ulysse Mini Plain Notebook Refill $45 $45 This is technically a notebook insert meant to be slipped inside a leather notebook cover. But with a springy green cover stamped with the Hermes seal, we think its impressive enough to use on its own. (Also impressive: finding something for under $50 from Hermes!) The notebooks pages are unlined, allowing for more free-form scribbling, and it comes in a few other colors beyond green, if thats not Moms style. $45 at Hermes Buy Astier De Villatte Small Peggy Incense Holder $63 $63 Mom could use this tiny, most delicate Astier de Villatte vessel to burn that Gucci (or any other) incense, or as a special place to keep sentimental jewelry like her wedding ring. $63 at Catbird Buy Tiffany & Co. Elsa Peretti Heart Box $75 $75 You truly cant go wrong with anything that comes wrapped in a Tiffany-blue package, but we dont know any mom who would refuse this crystal catchall that can hold even more of her baubles. $75 at Tiffany Buy Santa Maria Novella Rosa Scented Wax Tablets $38 $38 These gorgeous rose-scented wax tablets from centuries-old Italian apothecary Santa Maria Novella are decorated with dried rosebuds and would smell amazing hanging in a closet (or anywhere else, for that matter). $38 at Santa Maria Novella Buy Le Creuset Stoneware Salt and Pepper Shakers $28 Le Creuset cookware, like Staub, can also set you back hundreds of dollars, but these splendid salt-and-pepper shakers wont. A bonus: Theyll look adorable when Mom leaves them out on her kitchen counter. $28 at Le Creuset Buy Missoni Home Giacomo Bath Towel $90 $90 Shell love the bright, zig-zag pattern on this (full-size) bath towel from Missoni, which can also double as a decor in her bathroom thanks to its graphic print. $90 at Bloomingdale's Buy Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm From $30 With all the hand-washing shes been doing, Mom will surely appreciate having this rich body balm with almond oil and shea butter around. From $30 at Nordstrom Buy Marc Jacobs Gray The Snapshot Top-Zip Card Holder $95 If Mom needs something more substantial than a card case, this cardholder from Marc Jacobs can accommodate a bit more. It has just the right amount of embellishment to make it stand out and is theoretically large enough to accommodate her vaccination card (among other essentials). $95 at SSENSE Buy Smythson Wafer Notebook $59 $59 A petite, pocket-size notebook with lined, gilt-edged pages and a lambskin cover from English stationer Smythson that Mom can keep with her at all times for whenever the inspiration hits. The brand packages all its stationery in smart blue boxes, so wrapping would be taken care of too. $59 at Smythson Buy Christofle Iriana Highball Glass $90 If shes got a nightly happy-hour ritual, Moms gin fizz will look a lot nicer sipped from this Christofle crystal highball glass. (Bookmark it for Fathers Day, and come June, your parents will have a matching set.) $90 at Gracious Style Buy See by Chloe Green Hana Coin Pouch $100 $100 For the mom who still carries change, a teeny-tiny coin purse from See by Chloe thats just as covetable as its other handbags but costs a fraction of the price. $100 at SSENSE Buy Christian Louboutin Rouge Louboutin Matte Nail Colour $50 $50 Louboutins signature red bottoms now come in a nail polish with packaging that makes the price tag worth it. This particular color, Jamais Assez, was inspired by the designers tallest heel, the Ballerina Ultima. (Although it may be pricey for a polish, $50 is a fraction of the cost of any Louboutin shoe.) $50 at Nordstrom Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Terms & Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is a new site designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best notebook, black T-shirts, fashion-editor-approved jeans, toothbrush, and apartment decor. Note that all prices are subject to change. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission. Two weeks after the Supreme Court accused the debt-ridden Amrapali Group of "hood-winking" it, the top court has gone a step further and called it out as the "the worst kind of cheater" and "a perfect liar" for non-compliance with its orders. But derogatory adjectives are the least of the real estate firm's worries. The apex court on Wednesday also ordered the attachment of all its properties created out of homebuyers' money and asked the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT), Delhi, to auction them. The Group diverted money invested by 46,000 homebuyers in its various projects into building other properties such as a five-star hotel in Greater Noida, malls in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, resorts and an FMCG company, apart from buying land across the country, The Times of India reported. The Group claimed to have invested Rs 411 crore in the 28 attached properties, including four swanky corporate offices, which are now worth Rs 964 crore. In a comprehensive affidavit placed before the Supreme Court, Amrapali Group Chairman and Managing Director Anil Sharma admitted diversion of Rs 2,996 crore to other group companies, due to which the group reportedly faced a financial crisis and, hence, could not complete its housing projects in time, leaving homebuyers in the lurch. The real estate giant is involved in construction of various housing projects including 170 towers in Noida and Greater Noida. According to the daily, the Group said that its 15 companies received Rs 11,573 crore from homebuyers and it raised additional Rs 4,040 crore from financial institutions as well as the Foreign Direct Investment route. It claimed to have invested Rs 10,300 crore in those housing projects. In its latest directive, a bench of Justices Arun Mishra and U.U. Lalit offered the firm's directors and their family members a chance to return homebuyers' money, if they have it, by December 10. However, PTI reported that it also issued notice to Sharma and the Amrapali Group's directors, Chief Financial officer and statutory auditor Anil Mittal, asking them why a criminal case for breach of trust should not be lodged against them. "You [Amrapali Group] are a worst kind of cheater in the world. You have cheated the homebuyers all along and now you want to sell the facilities created for them. The facility area created for the homebuyers is not a charity you have done to them," the bench said after senior advocate Geeta Luthra appearing for the Group suggested that facilities areas in various housing projects - including a nursery school and a nursing home - could be sold by the realty firm to raise funds. Furthermore, perusing the submitted affidavit, which runs into hundreds of pages, the bench pointed out that it failed to outline the money trail of diversion of funds and pinpoint the people who were beneficiaries of the transaction. "We are not getting any idea on how the money was transferred and whether it was approved by Board of Directors," the court said. It also questioned why the Group only revealed fund diversion till March 2015 while investments in the construction of housing projects and other business transactions continued up to 2018. "You are a perfect liar. You are a first degree liar. You have not given specific information what we have asked for in our earlier orders. We are not satisfied with your affidavit and you have only tried to manipulate the things. Despite our nine orders, you have not given specific information about business transactions for period 2015-18," the bench said. The daily added that the forensic auditors appointed by the Supreme Court to probe the financial irregularities of the Group, Ravi Bhatia and Pawan Kumar Aggarwal, also expressed surprise over the submitted documents, adding that they were seeing such documents for the first time in their professional life and not a single figure given by the Group matched bank statements. According to Aggarwal, as per the documents, the promoters did not invest a single rupee in the company - the vast empire appeared to be created entirely out of homebuyers' money. When the top court asked Amrapali Group to disclose the name of the person who had prepared the documents in order to examine him/her, the company initially chose to remain silent but later furnished the names of five persons, including two chartered accountants, who had prepared the report. "You are in trouble now. Enough is enough. We would not spare you. You are manufacturing the data," the bench reportedly said then, giving the Group 24 hours to hand over the raw data files of all the business transactions of the company for the period of 2015-18, including the vouchers, receipt and the required authorisation, to the forensic auditors. On being told that there were suspicions of 'benami' homebuyers who have booked the flat at the paltry sum, the bench directed the forensic auditors to investigate the affairs of the company, to issue a notice owner of the flat and if no response is received then that property should be put on sale. Apart from the 28 properties attached yesterday, the Supreme Court last month had attached the Group's multi-speciality hospital, its bank accounts, certain firms and a "benami" Villa in Goa. It had also restrained the beleaguered company from creating any third party rights for the 86 luxury cars and SUVs purchased using company funds. Edited by Sushmita; With PTI inputs Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/12/2018 (1087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us People waited with the children and families for Holiday Train to arrive in Brandon. (Drew May/ The Brandon Sun) The CP Holiday Train chugged into Brandon last night, bringing Christmas cheer and collecting donations for Samaritan House Ministries food bank. Around 3,500 people waited at the Eighth Street stop for the neon-lit train, braving the cold and a delay from its planned arrival. "What a fabulous way to kick off Christmas," Mayor Rick Chrest told the crowd. "Brandon was founded 136 years ago as a main stop for CP Rail and so were so honoured and proud to have CP Rail bring their holiday train to Brandon year after year." The trains arrival featured a short concert from Terri Clark, Sierra Noble and Kelly Prescott singing mainly Christmas songs. People were packed tight close to the stage, which was lowered from of the train cars, and clustered shoulder to shoulder on the stops platform. John Jackson, executive director of Samaritan House, was presented with a cheque for $8,000 on behalf of the charity while the train was in Brandon, which was more than the $5,000 he estimated prior to its arrival. Attendees were also encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations for the food bank to help feed those in need during the holiday season. Terri Clark performs on the CP Holiday Train stage while stopped in Brandon Tuesday night. She sang a medley of Christmas songs alongside self-penned tunes. (Drew May/ The Brandon Sun) "Id like to say a huge thank you to everybody in the community who brought us money and food, and what CP Rail as done here tonight is to show their leadership on a Canadian stage," Jackson said to the audience at the performance. "(CP Rail) has shown the way to show strength is to give and the way to build community is by giving back." Jackson said Samaritan House hoped to bring in around 1,000 pounds of food for people in Brandon through the fundraiser. He said that they are currently in need of donations of cereal, canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, and other canned meals. "We are reliant on donations, be it food or monetary donations or donation of services, to operate, so anything that brings attention to that is extremely important to us," Jackson said. This is the 20th year the CP Holiday Train has made the journey across Canada and some of the United States. The initiative has raised $14.5 million since 1999 for local food banks where it stops and helped gather 4.3 million pounds of food. The train stopped in Carberry earlier yesterday afternoon and is scheduled to arrive in Virden today at 10:15 a.m. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ For as long as she can remember, Zeel Patel has had a passion for space: the final frontier. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School student Bianca van der Merwe, 15, tries to catch blocks falling from her teams recently built newspaper bridge at the STEM for Girls seminar at Crocus Plains on Wednesday. (Chelsea Kemp/The Brandon Sun) For as long as she can remember, Zeel Patel has had a passion for space: the final frontier. The Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School Grade 12 student hopes to attend the University of Waterloo or the University of Victoria to take Astronomy and Physics to pursue a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). "Looking up at the stars is an adventure," Patel said. "When I was young I used to look up (at the sky) and think Im going to get lost in space." Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School student Bianca van der Merwe, 15, adds the finishing touch to her teams recently built newspaper bridge at the STEM for Girls seminar at Crocus Plains on Wednesday. (Chelsea Kemp/The Brandon Sun) Her ultimate goal is to become an astronaut; a career that would not be possible without a background in STEM. She believes that while we were all born on earth, we were never meant to stay here forever, and that the future is in space. "Becoming an astronaut definitely does require STEM and a masters degree or doctorate in a technological field," Patel said. STEM brings big things together to make anything possible, she added. Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School student Kimberly Serrano, 16, builds material for her teams newspaper bridge at the STEM for Girls seminar at Crocus Plains on Wednesday. (Chelsea Kemp/The Brandon Sun) Hoping to share her passion for STEM with fellow students, Patel has set out to encourage more girls to enter STEM fields when they graduate. Patel, 17, organized a weeklong seminar STEM for Girls at Crocus Plains this week in an effort to get students excited to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. "Theres a push going on to get more girls into STEM," Patel said. "I thought it would be really cool to have something at our own school and bring it to Brandon." Already noticing that there are significantly fewer girls than boys in her science and computer classes, Patel wanted to get girls hooked on STEM. She is currently one of two girls in her Grade 12 physics class; a trend she said continues into university, where fewer women than men are involved in STEM fields. Patel said that traditional gender roles play a role in discouraging them from pursuing certain careers. The hour-long seminars held throughout the week have been open to all girls at the school. Events have included a science workshop featuring a forensics lab hosted by Brandon Universitys Lets Talk Science, a technology workshop hosted by the Crocus physics department, an engineering workshop that included a bridge building workshop, a mathematics workshop exploring the power of math and a STEM wrap-up with guest speakers from the university. Patel said that she hopes to see the seminars carry forward as a tradition at Crocus Plains, and has already recruited two students to carry on the legacy. Crocus Plains career technician Alison Porter said she was excited when Patel brought forward the idea to host STEM for Girls week. The week has proved to be fantastic, Porter said, adding that it has served its purpose by kickstarting a passion for STEM among many of its participants. "Its very hands on," Porter said. "It shows the girls that its not just all theoretical; theres a practical application to what theyll be learning in STEM." ckemp@brandonsun.com Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp A parliamentary committee in Ottawa has invited local addictions treatment advocate Kim Longstreet to speak to its members next week about the impacts of methamphetamine abuse in Brandon as part of an ongoing nationwide study on the drugs impacts. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/12/2018 (1087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Local addictions treatment advocate Kim Longstreet is scheduled to speak to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health on Tuesday as part of its ongoing study of the impacts of methamphetamine abuse in Canada. (Michael Lee/The Brandon Sun) A parliamentary committee in Ottawa has invited local addictions treatment advocate Kim Longstreet to speak to its members next week about the impacts of methamphetamine abuse in Brandon as part of an ongoing nationwide study on the drugs impacts. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Health is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning to discuss meth abuse in Canada for what will be its third day of proceedings on the topic. The committee has already heard from several witnesses during its first two meetings, on Nov. 29 and Dec. 4, including a number of people from the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, the Bear Clan Patrol in Winnipeg and the Manitoba Nurses Union. Longstreet, whose son is addicted to meth, has called for better access to addictions treatment options in Brandon, including a detox centre and options for long-term care. She hosted a town hall on addiction in early October during the most recent municipal election in Brandon and is the founder of a group called the RJ Streetz Foundation, which she named after her son. "I consider it to be quite an honour to be asked and I take the invitation as a way of showing me that everything that has been going on in our community not just by myself with my advocating, but otherwise may be getting recognized," she said. Longstreet said she first heard from the federal committee in mid-October. She was offered the chance to attend the meeting in Ottawa, but opted to speak via teleconference so she can stay closer to home so she could be near her son. Much of her speech will draw from the community impact statement she drafted earlier this year as a response to the sentencing of Leslie Gerald Bisson, the primary target of a major drug investigation called Project Derringer. Although she aims to touch on her own personal experience during her testimony, Longstreet said the advocate in her also wants to address the effect that meth has had on her community as a whole. She has since reached out to people locally for input and said she has received interest from the mayor, police chief, Prairie Mountain Health, the support group Westman Families of Addicts, Canadian Mental Health Association and the Brandon Bear Clan. "It will be all encompassing," she said. "I know those 10 minutes are supposed to be for me and my personal story and I cant do that. I really need people to understand what our communitys been doing and how weve been affected, and what else needs to happen here." At the committees first meeting in November, multiple officials pointed to differing data-collection efforts as affecting the ability to pinpoint the extent of the meth problem in Canada. Addictions Foundation of Manitoba medical director Ginette Poulin, who helped unveil Brandons new Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine Clinic in October, said there are more care beds in Winnipeg for men, even though women appear to be disproportionately using meth, which could result in more child apprehensions by social workers. The federal government is working on a central drug observatory to verify the data that has already been collected. mlee@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press Twitter: @mtaylorlee A Brandon man was arrested Monday afternoon after he allegedly assaulted a woman at his residence. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/12/2018 (1087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us A Brandon man was arrested Monday afternoon after he allegedly assaulted a woman at his residence. Police received a request for a wellbeing check on a woman at a residence in the 1600 block of Stickney Avenue. Officers attended and found the woman with injuries to her arms and face. A 31-year-old man was arrested for domestic assault and lodged at Brandon Correctional Centre to appear in court on Tuesday. The Brandon Sun Mayor Rick Chrests youth-targeted addictions prevention program will mark its debut on Thursday when the city welcomes inspirational award-winning keynote speaker Joe Roberts to Brandons high schools. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us Joe Roberts, founder of The Push for Change, thanks the crowd for joining him during a parade in Brandon last summer. (File) Mayor Rick Chrests youth-targeted addictions prevention program will mark its debut on Thursday when the city welcomes inspirational award-winning keynote speaker Joe Roberts to Brandons high schools. Known as "The Skid Row CEO," Roberts will headline Chrests "N.E.O.: Not Even Once" program, which was created earlier this year to inform students directly about the dangerous consequences of using addictive drugs such as methamphetamine. During the citys budget talks in January, council set aside $25,000 for the program, which Chrest initiated. "City council placed a high priority on funding a mayors initiative to help prevent youth addictions in our community," Chrest said in a news release. "As many Canadian communities are gripped with the consequences of addictive drugs, such as crystal meth, we are dedicated to engage and support any efforts that combat this issue in our city." A homeless drug addict turned entrepreneur, Roberts pushed a shopping cart across Canada to raise awareness and funding to end youth homelessness. Called The Push For Change, Roberts trekked 9,064 km over the course of 17 months, starting in St. Johns on May 1, 2016, and ending his journey in Vancouver on Sept. 29, 2017. He made a stop in Brandon in the spring of 2017 and will be joined by his wife Marie when he returns this week. His work has also been recognized by several city mayors, premiers, the RCMP and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Were very privileged to have Joe and Marie Roberts from The Push for Change return to Brandon to provide Joes story of lived experience as a homeless drug addict and his inspirational message to aid our addictions prevention effort," Chrest said. The city sought out Roberts to headline this weeks events after receiving input from the Brandon School Division, student leaders and local organizations. Chrest made a formal presentation about the program to the BSD board of trustees in March. "I think its an exciting opportunity for students to hear a consistent message in our community from someone like Joe, who is connected the way that he is," BSD Supt. Marc Casavant said. Casavant said the division wanted to be a willing partner with mayor and council on the program, including how to connect with students in that particular age group. "I think that was the big thing. How do we reach out to that age demographic to make a connection with them that as the mayor noted we dont want people to get near this stuff, not even once, because it has the ability to get people addicted to it when they just use it one time." Roberts will visit all three of Brandons high schools over the next couple of days and present a keynote speech Friday morning to Grade 9 students at the Brandon and Area Suicide Prevention Implementation Networks 14th Annual Youth Wellness Day conference at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. "I think ... his Push For Change idea will resonate with the students, that they have the ability and the power to do great things too, and hes doing great things in trying to educate and inform and inspire youth in Brandon, and all across the country," Suicide Prevention Implementation Network chair Jill Brown said. Brown added that she hoped including Roberts in the discussion would encourage youth to also seek out help when they need it. "It just really fit, I think, the discussion about important psycho-social issues and thats what our Youth Wellness Day is about, and we know that in our city, alcohol, drug use, that is an important thing that all of our kids need to be thinking about and being informed." Roberts will end his speaking engagement in Brandon on Friday evening at a free event in the Cultural Resource Centre of the A.R. McDiarmid Civic Complex. The talk will begin at 6 p.m. To register in advance, call 204-729-2257 or email communitydevelopment@brandon.ca. mlee@brandonsun.com Twitter: @mtaylorlee The Pakistan High Commission on Wednesday said it has issued visas to over 220 Indian pilgrims to participate in the 310th birth anniversary celebrations of religious leader Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib, at Sukkur in Pakistan's Sindh province from December 5-16. Under the framework of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year. Shadaram Sahib, who was born in Lahore in 1708, had laid the foundation of Shadani Darbar tirth, a 300-year-old temple, in Pitafi area of Sindh. "The Pakistan High Commission has issued visas to over 220 Hindu pilgrims from India to participate in the 310th birthday celebrations of Shiv Avtari Satguru Sant Shadaram Sahib, at Sukkur, from December 5-16," a release from the High Commission said. Devotees from across the world visit the temple every year. "The issuance of pilgrimage visas is in line with the Government of Pakistan's efforts for promoting visits to religious shrines and people-to-people exchanges," the High Commission said. "It also reflects the commitment of the Pakistan government to faithfully implement the bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines," it said. Last month, Pakistan had given visas to more than 3,800 Sikh pilgrims to visit the country. "Pakistan remains committed to preserving sacred religious places and providing all possible facilitation for the visiting pilgrims of all faiths," the High Commission said. VICTORIA - An all-party committee that oversees the financial management of British Columbia's legislature meets today in the midst of an ongoing mystery that saw the building's top two officials placed on administrative leave amid a police investigation. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Sergeant-at-Arms Gary Lenz, left, and Clerk of the Legislative Assembly Craig James make a statement to media in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday November 26, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ben Nelms VICTORIA - An all-party committee that oversees the financial management of British Columbia's legislature meets today in the midst of an ongoing mystery that saw the building's top two officials placed on administrative leave amid a police investigation. Sergeant-at-arms Gary Lenz and clerk of the house Craig James were escorted from the building by security officials last month after the members of the legislature voted unanimously to place the two officials on administrative due to an ongoing investigation by the RCMP. Lenz and James have denied any wrongdoing and hired legal counsel who has demanded they be permitted to return to their jobs while the investigation continues. Two special prosecutors were appointed on Oct. 1, but the RCMP has not commented beyond stating the investigation involves "the activities of senior staff at the British Columbia legislature." The posted agenda for Thursday's meeting of the eight-member Legislative Assembly Management Committee includes a behind-closed-doors report on an unnamed personnel issue. But among the agenda's items for public discussion is a report from acting legislature clerk Kate Ryan-Lloyd and an opportunity to raise other business topics. Speaker Darryl Plecas is the chair of the committee that also includes the house leaders for the New Democrats, Liberals and the Greens as members. Plecas met with New Democrat house leader Mike Farnworth, Liberal house leader Mary Polak and Green house leader Sonia Furstenau before the legislature voted to place Lenz and James on leave. Plecas, who refused a request by the Opposition Liberals to hold an emergency meeting of the committee last week, has left much of the issue's public comments to his special advisers Alan Mullen and former B.C. attorney general Wally Oppal. Mullen, a former federal prison official who is a personal friend of Plecas, and Oppal both describe the legislature matter as "criminal." But on Wednesday, Plecas mentioned the committee meeting and the turmoil at the legislature during a Christmas function at the legislature hosted by his office. "Do I look like somebody who's worried," he told the gathering during his official welcome. "At the end of the day it's all going to be good." Plecas then offered his guests a Christmas toast. Earlier Wednesday, Polak delivered a letter to the acting clerk's office asking that today's meeting include time to allow committee members to ask questions of the Speaker. "We will not be asking questions on matters related to human resources, the RCMP or the special prosecutors," Polak's letter stated. "However, there are questions about this situation that should be asked and the public deserves their questions answered in a public forum." CALGARY - A jury in a Calgary murder trial has heard how cellphone calls from a man charged in the deaths of a woman and her young daughter led to the discovery of one of the alleged victims. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CALGARY - A jury in a Calgary murder trial has heard how cellphone calls from a man charged in the deaths of a woman and her young daughter led to the discovery of one of the alleged victims. Edward Downey is charged with first-degree murder in the July 2016 deaths of Sara Baillie and her five-year-old child, Taliyah Marsman, and has pleaded not guilty to both counts. Edward Downey is seen in this undated handout photo provided by the Alberta Courts. A jury in a Calgary murder trial has heard how cellphone calls from a man charged in the deaths of a woman and her young daughter led to the discovery of one of the alleged victims.Edward Downey is charged with first-degree murder in the July 2016 deaths of Sara Baillie and her five-year-old child, Taliyah Marsman, and has pleaded not guilty to both counts. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Alberta Courts *MANDATORY CREDIT* Jurors heard Wednesday that Downey and a woman exchanged a number of texts and photos for about three days before his arrest, and that information from those calls was later passed to police. Patricia Pace, who specializes in cellphone analysis for Calgary police, testified that she examined the call records for the number connected to the phone Downey had at the time of his arrest. She said she noticed extensive activity in the area of some cellphone towers east of Calgary near where Taliyah's body was discovered. A map produced from the data helped investigators locate her remains. Pace is expected to continue her testimony today. The jury has previously heard that Taliyah's body was discovered in some bushes on the morning of July 15, 2016. Baillie was found dead in her basement apartment on July 11. She had been bound in duct tape and stuffed inside a laundry hamper in her daughter's closet. The court has also heard both Baillie and Taliyah died of asphyxiation. (CTV Calgary, The Canadian Press) OTTAWA - Canada is planning to send hundreds of election observers to Ukraine to prevent Russian meddling in its March 2019 presidential elections, The Canadian Press has learned. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ukrainian ambassador to Canada Andriy Shevchenko appears at a House of Commons defence committee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Canada is planning to send hundreds of election observers to Ukraine to prevent Russian meddling in its March 2019 presidential elections, The Canadian Press has learned. Government officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, say as many as 500 monitors could be sent in missions run by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe as well as a separate mission organized between Ukraine and Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau announced a $24-million contribution on Thursday to support electoral reforms, gender equality and inclusive governance in Ukraine. Ukraine's ambassador to Canada told The Canadian Press recently that his country is convinced it will face Russian interference in the upcoming presidential ballot. Andriy Shevchenko also says the recent Russian seizure of three Ukrainian ships and their two dozen sailors in the Kerch Strait last month is another attempt to destabilize Ukraine ahead of the election. Freeland, who is at OSCE meetings in Milan, said that Canada is a steadfast partner of Ukraine, and that election missions are key to strengthening democratic institutions. "Canada's commitment to democracy and the sovereignty of Ukraine is unwavering," Freeland said in a statement. The commander of the Canadian Army, Lt.-Gen. Jean-Marc Lanthier, also just returned from a visit to Ukraine, which included time with Canadian troops and meetings with multiple Ukrainian military leaders. Canada wants to help Ukraine "maintain its sovereignty, security and stability," the Department of National Defence said of the trip. A senior official said the number of election observers sent for the March election will depend on what the OSCE asks for. The OSCE monitoring missions are widely considered the gold standard in international election monitoring. They include contributions from multiple countries. Canada's decision to send separate observer missions is unique and has generated controversy over the years, including numerous internal government assessments that found the missions to be either problematic or too expensive. The practice has sparked concerns that successive Liberal and Conservative governments were simply playing politics to win the support of the estimated 1.3 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent. A Liberal government sent the first group of observers in 2004 under the leadership of former prime minister John Turner. The former Conservative government of Stephen Harper contributed Canadians to several more of these "bilateral" missions. "It is considered a best practice for international election monitoring to be organized through multilateral observation missions," Margaret Biggs, the former head of the now defunct Canadian International Development Agency, wrote in an April 2012 memo obtained by The Canadian Press. "Multilateral organizations, such as OSCE/ODIHR in the case of Ukraine, are viewed as the most impartial and trustworthy, and their findings are taken seriously by the host country and the international community." In 2014, the Conservative government sidelined the independent agency Canadem, which had picked the participants for bilateral mission from a roster of qualified recipients, and created a new entity to vet the participants. Now, the government has decided to return to using Canadem to select the observers. "Canada will support Ukraine by committing a significant number of Canadian observers to support both a Canadian bilateral observation mission and, if called upon next year, an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) election observation mission," the government said in a statement on Thursday. MONTREAL - Premiers arrived Thursday for a first ministers' meeting still grumbling about the agenda set by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with one Ontario's Doug Ford threatening to walk out if the program isn't expanded to reflect a host of provincial priorities. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ontario Premier Doug Ford leaves an early morning PC Caucus meeting at the Ontario Legislature in Toronto on Thursday, November 29, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young MONTREAL - Premiers arrived Thursday for a first ministers' meeting still grumbling about the agenda set by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with one Ontario's Doug Ford threatening to walk out if the program isn't expanded to reflect a host of provincial priorities. The tone as they prepared to dine privately with Trudeau on Thursday evening underscored the tensions that seem likely to turn Friday's meeting into the most acrimonious first ministers' gathering in years. Sources close to Ford said he's prepared to walk away from the meeting if it does not include discussion of the federal carbon tax, which Ontario is challenging in court. And when he met Trudeau in person at a downtown hotel for a preliminary meeting Thursday, Ford went right at him. "I'm glad to sit down with you, Justin, and talk about things that matter to the people of Ontario," he said, as the two sat stiffly in arm chairs several feet apart. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley speaks to cabinet members about an 8.7 percent oil production cut to help deal with low prices, in Edmonton on Monday December 3, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson "I'll tell you what matters to the people of Ontario is the job-killing carbon tax." Ontario also wants to talk about finding new jobs for workers affected by General Motors' plans to close a plant in Oshawa next year and "the illegal border-crossers that are costing our province over $200 million," Ford said. Trudeau was generous with Ford, at least overtly, even though federal officials privately expect the premier to do his level best to derail the meeting. "It's a pleasure to welcome Doug here to Quebec, to Montreal, my hometown," he said. "This is an opportunity for us to talk about the issues that matter to Ontarians, to Canadians - economic growth, continuing to work hard to create good jobs for the middle class, creating opportunities for everyone." Trudeau has said he'll discuss anything the premiers want to talk about. But that has not quelled the criticism that the written agenda is too narrowly focused on reduction of interprovincial trade barriers and gives too much time to presentations from several federal ministers. Ford said he was looking forward to Friday's meeting but, after his tete-a-tete with Trudeau, he refused to answer reporters' questions about whether walking away from the table is still an option. A spokeswoman for the premier, Ivana Yelich, said, "We remain hopeful the prime minister will see fit to reflect the concerns of his provincial partners." Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Montreal on Thursday, December 6, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson Ford later sat down with two of his conservative, anti-carbon tax allies Saskatchewan's Scott Moe and New Brunswick's Blaine Higgs. All three continued to criticize Trudeau's agenda. "We don't need to be lectured by his ministers, we need to talk about things that matter for people in each of our provinces," said Ford. Moe and Alberta Premier Rachel Notley are pushing hard for the oil price crisis to be given prime time during the meeting. On that score, Notley predicted she'll have plenty of allies in the room. "There is really no province in the country that doesn't owe Alberta to some degree for their schools, their hospitals, their roads. The fact of the matter is Alberta has to do well for Canada to do well," Notley said before leaving Edmonton. She noted that forecasts for Canada's economic growth are already more muted because of the low price Alberta is getting for its oil in the United States and its inability to move its product to ports for shipment overseas. Notley also said she doesn't want to spend time listening to what the federal government says it is already doing to try to address Alberta's concerns. "It just doesn't make sense ... talking about things that have already happened," she said. "We don't need federal ministers to explain to us what they've already done. We're all capable of reading their press releases." Moe said he also wants to talk about his demand that the feds repeal Bill C-69, legislation to re-write the rules for environmental assessments of energy projects, which is currently stalled in the Senate. Critics, including Moe, maintain the bill would create regulatory hurdles that will scare off investment in energy projects, particularly pipelines. "Tomorrow will be a test to see if our prime minister is listening to working people across the nation," he said. "We have had large job losses in certain industries across this nation and some of that is attributed to some of the federal government's policies, policies such as carbon taxation, policies like C-69 that have essentially shut down conversation about Energy East (pipeline)." Higgs said he was pleased to hear "a lot of common interests" among premiers during a conference call earlier this week. "Unfortunately, a lot of those common interests didn't show up on the agenda." "Whether it be the carbon tax, whether it be the pipeline issue and our stranded (oil and gas) assets in Alberta being devalued at 70 per cent, not acceptable," said Higgs, adding that premiers will insist that Friday's gathering be "a results driven meeting" on those issues. Federal officials have privately conceded that little headway is likely to be made on the official objective of the meeting: knocking down barriers to trade between provinces. With files from Dean Bennett in Edmonton and Shawn Jeffords in Toronto OTTAWA - Wrangling over the agenda doesn't bode well for Friday's first ministers' meeting, which is shaping up as one of the most fractious gatherings of Canada's federal, provincial and territorial leaders in decades. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/12/2018 (1087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responds during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, Dec.5, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Wrangling over the agenda doesn't bode well for Friday's first ministers' meeting, which is shaping up as one of the most fractious gatherings of Canada's federal, provincial and territorial leaders in decades. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is bracing for a barrage of criticism from premiers upset about the federal approach to pipelines, carbon taxation, environmental assessments, GM's Oshawa plant closure in Ontario and the oil price crisis none of which are specifically on the agenda. Meanwhile, federal officials privately concede little headway is likely to be made on the official objective of the Montreal meeting: reducing interprovincial trade barriers. Indeed, the feds are fully expecting the most openly hostile premier Ontario's Doug Ford will do his best to derail the meeting altogether, including potentially storming out of the gathering or possibly even boycotting it outright. Trudeau is scheduled to hold a 30-minute bilateral meeting with Ford on Thursday afternoon. Federal suspicions have been stoked by what insiders say are the hardball games Ford and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe are playing on the agenda, demanding that it be expanded in writing to include the oil price crisis and the planned federal tax on carbon pollution. According to sources familiar with the dispute, who were not authorized to speak publicly, the pair have not been satisfied by the federal response that the agenda already includes a discussion on economic competitiveness a broad topic that Ottawa says will allow premiers to raise all the issues they please. Moe confirmed in an interview Wednesday that there is "some frustration, myself included, with the agenda provided by the prime minister," which includes having several federal ministers address the premiers on their initiatives. He said he intends to raise the oil price crisis, the carbon tax, pipelines and repeal of Bill C-69, which re-writes the rules for environmental assessments of energy projects. "We'd like it in writing, confirm that we're going to discuss those items. But rest assured that the premier of the province of Saskatchewan will bring those items to the floor (regardless)," Moe said, adding that he doesn't intend to leave the meeting early. Even the guest list for a pre-meeting dinner hosted by Trudeau on Thursday evening has become a matter of dispute. The feds proposed that it be a private affair for first ministers only, with a single notetaker present. The premiers demanded that each be allowed to bring one official. This will be the fourth first ministers' meeting Trudeau has hosted since becoming prime minister in 2015. And it's certain to be the most acrimonious. Since first ministers' last met, the prime minister has lost several of his most reliable provincial Liberal allies Ontario's Kathleen Wynne, Quebec's Philippe Couillard and New Brunswick's Brian Gallant. He now faces a phalanx of conservative premiers, four of whom Ford, Moe, Manitoba's Brian Pallister and New Brunswick's Blaine Higgs have joined in court challenges to the federal carbon pricing plan and one of whom Ford has routinely engaged in conflicts with the federal Liberals in general. Alberta's NDP Premier Rachel Notley was initially an ally for Trudeau, supporting him on carbon pricing. But she parted company last summer over the failure to get the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project off the ground and is now crusading for federal help to ease the discount price Alberta is obliged to accept for its oil because it can't get it to tidewater for shipment overseas. She and Moe sent Trudeau a letter this week, asking that the agenda for the first ministers' meeting be revised to include the oil price crisis, which they argued is costing the country $80 million per day. And Notley disparaged the federal government's preferred focus on interprovincial trade barriers. "We tend to have conversations about minor internal trade issues and then when it's my opportunity to talk, I say, 'Well, there's one big internal trade issue that we have about getting our product from one province to another and to other markets and it's actually worth 100 times the value of these other issues,'" she said Tuesday. Trudeau said Wednesday that he looks forward to "talking about anything the premiers want to talk about." "I'm looking forward to a broad range of discussions on whatever it is they have as priorities," he said on his way into the House of Commons. "Including oil, of course. Natural resources are an essential part of our economy. We're going to be talking about that as well." Notley, Moe and a number of other premiers, including Newfoundland and Labrador's Dwight Ball and Nova Scotia's Stephen McNeil, also want to talk about Bill C-69, federal legislation that is currently stalled in the Senate and which would set more stringent rules for environmental assessments of energy projects. Critics maintain it will create more red tape and delays in project approvals that will scare off potential investors. "We are looking for clarity around Bill C-69," Ball said in an interview, adding that it's creating uncertainty in his province's offshore oil and mining industries. "We know that the regulatory regime can be an impediment in attracting investment." In a similar vein, Biggs said he wants to talk about reviving the defunct Energy East pipeline proposal, which TransCanada abandoned last year, citing regulatory hurdles and changed circumstances. Quebec Premier Francois Legault, meanwhile, said he wants to talk about continuing U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and compensation for dairy farmers hurt by the new NAFTA. In a statement Wednesday, he also said he intends to raise Quebec's demand for federal compensation to cover the cost of the influx of irregular asylum seekers and press Ottawa on the "excessive and ever longer" time taken to address Quebec's files. Manitoba's Pallister is among the few premiers who appear to actually want to make progress on knocking down interprovincial trade barriers barriers he said amount to imposing a seven per cent tariff on goods that cross provincial borders. "I think it's time to strike on that," he said Wednesday. That said, Pallister too said the meeting needs to be narrowly focused on a few key economic issues, including the oil price crisis. First ministers are to meet for two hours with Indigenous leaders Friday morning before holing up behind closed doors for some six hours with Trudeau. With files from Ryan McKenna in Regina, Holly McKenzie-Sutter in St. John's and Steve Lambert in Winnipeg. OTTAWA - Hundreds of First Nations chiefs booed Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer on Thursday when the opposition leader told them they will have to wait until his platform is released to see how he differs from former prime minister Stephen Harper. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Leader of the Opposition Andrew Scheer speaks with the media following Question Period in Ottawa, Tuesday December 4, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Hundreds of First Nations chiefs booed Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer on Thursday when the opposition leader told them they will have to wait until his platform is released to see how he differs from former prime minister Stephen Harper. The Assembly of First Nations chiefs were meeting in a downtown Ottawa hotel. During a question-and-answer session with the opposition leader, chiefs asked Scheer how he's different from Harper, with one asking him to name one policy stance he holds that's different from Harper's and another asking how he plans to rebuild trust with First Nations people that "Harper lost." Chief Elaine Johnston of Serpent River First Nation in northern Ontario told Scheer that First Nations people have not had positive relationships with Conservative governments, including the new one in Ontario. "My concern here is when you're talking about the spirit of reconciliation, what are you going to do in that spirit of reconciliation that is going to be different than your predecessors in the Conservative government? I need to hear that because I'm not seeing it. The rhetoric is there, but there has not been positive action," she said. Jessica Jacobs, a councillor for Taan Kwachan Council in Yukon, asked Scheer flatly how he feels about Indigenous people and issues and how he plans to try to fix the relationship between the Conservative party and Indigenous people in Canada. "First two questions were kind of similar ... the differentiation between myself and the previous Conservative government specifically when it comes to policy. So on that I am going to have to ask you to have a little bit of patience for when our platform gets released," Scheer said, and was hit by the wave of boos. Scheer quickly added that Indigenous people will see change. In the last election the Conservatives did not win support from a large majority of First Nations communities and people and he wants to fix that, he said. "Part of that is coming to these kinds of meetings, in a respectful way." But Scheer did suggest his party would seek to protect and promote Indigenous languages, saying he and AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde have already talked about it. That will be part of a whole segment of the Conservative party's election platform, said Scheer, which he vowed would not be crafted only by his inner circle. "I'd be happy to come back at a future time and explain more detailed aspects of what we'll be campaigning on, but it will be a different approach to the Liberals. It will be an approach that's based on getting the relationship right, but also getting results," he said. "You talked about what we're going to do to overcome the relationship challenges that we may have had in the past. It is frustrating for me as a Conservative when I think about the great things that we did do in terms of policies." He said it was a Conservative government that recognized Indigenous rights and extended the vote to First Nations people and a Conservative government appointed the first First Nations senator. He also raised Harper's apology in the House of Commons that acknowledged the legacy of the residential-school system. "So we have these legacies but clearly when you don't have the relationship right ... often tangible results get overlooked or at least get viewed in a different way." Scheer said the big hurdle for the Conservative party is to get that relationship back on track so the party and Indigenous people can work more closely together "in that spirit of trust." "I view Indigenous Canadians as an integral part of our society, proud of their contribution to Canadian history, great deal of respect for all they did pre-Confederation, the way that they have been partners in building this society we have, and I'm very proud to represent a dozen First Nations communities in my own riding," the Saskatchewan MP said. NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Leader Elizabeth May also addressed chiefs Thursday. Singh raised NDP MP Romeo Saganash's private member's bill aimed at ensuring Canada's laws are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, calling it a powerful and transformative piece of legislation. Singh said that while the last three years seem like a "ray of hope" given the 10 years before, half steps are not enough and paternalism toward Indigenous people needs to be abandoned. May said she will advocate for Indigenous people in the next election, saying that Green party candidates want to tell the truth about what's happening to Indigenous people. "I just want you to know I'm here in full solidarity." VANCOUVER - China's embassy in Ottawa is demanding the immediate release of Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer, who was arrested in Vancouver over the weekend and faces possible extradition to the United States. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/12/2018 (1087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A shopper walks past a Huawei store at a shopping mall in Beijing Wednesday, July 4, 2018. The Justice Department says the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies, who is sought for extradition by the United States, has been arrested in Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Mark Schiefelbein VANCOUVER - China's embassy in Ottawa is demanding the immediate release of Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer, who was arrested in Vancouver over the weekend and faces possible extradition to the United States. In a statement posted online Wednesday, the embassy says Wanzhou Meng hasn't violated any U.S. or Canadian laws, and called the arrest a serious violation of human rights. It says China will closely follow the developments on the case and "take all measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens." Meanwhile, a clerk at the B.C. Supreme Court says Meng appeared in court Wednesday and a bail hearing is scheduled for Friday. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod says in an email that Meng was arrested Saturday, but further details cannot be provided because a publication ban is in effect at her request. McLeod says the U.S. is seeking Meng's extradition. A profile of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is displayed on a Huawei computer at a Huawei store in Beijing, China, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested Meng for possible extradition to the United States. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Ng Han Guan It is not known what law is alleged to have been breached in Canada. In a statement, Huawei says Meng is being sought for extradition to face unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York. She was arrested when transferring flights in Canada, Huawei said. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," the statement said. "The company believes the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion." A U.S. Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. authorities were allegedly investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China hoped the U.S. would refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the U.S. business environment and harm its domestic economy. That same month, Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp. from exporting U.S. technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. In its statement on Wednesday, Huawei said the company complies with all laws and regulations in the countries where it operates, including applicable export control, sanction laws and regulations of the United Nations, the United States and the European Union. U.S. President Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. That is widely seen as part of a broader effort by Washington to respond to intensifying competition with Chinese technology industries that Trump says benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. The escalating trade war is threatening world economic growth and has set global investors on edge. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said U.S. and Canadian business executives could face reprisals in China. "That's something we should be watching out for. It's a possibility. China's plays rough," Mulroney told The Associated Press. "It's a prominent member of their society and it's a company that really embodies China's quest for global recognition as a technology power." Mulroney said Canada should be prepared for "sustained fury" from the Chinese and said it will be portrayed in China as Canada kowtowing to Trump. He also said the Iran allegations are very damaging to Huawei and said China will push back hard. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate armed services and banking committees, applauded Canada for the arrest. "Americans are grateful that our Canadian partners have arrested the chief financial officer of a giant Chinese telecom company for (allegedly) breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran," he said. Meng is a prominent member of Chinese society as deputy chairman of the Huawei board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. With files from The Associated Press OTTAWA - Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan pledged Canada's enduring support for Iraq and the war against Islamic State group on Thursday but stopped short of extending Canada's military mission in the region, most of which is set to expire next spring. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Chief of the Defence Staff Jonathan Vance prepares to appear before the Standing Committee on National Defence to speak about operation IMPACT in Iraq, on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan pledged Canada's enduring support for Iraq and the war against Islamic State group on Thursday but stopped short of extending Canada's military mission in the region, most of which is set to expire next spring. Rather, after hosting a meeting with representatives from more than a dozen countries to discuss the future of Iraq and Syria and plot next steps in the effort to destroy ISIL (also known as ISIS), Sajjan said the government continues to weigh Canada's long-term role in the region. "Today, we reaffirmed our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS's own network of foreign terrorist fighters, financing and propaganda," the minister said in a statement after the meeting at a government-owned estate on Meech Lake, near Ottawa. "Moving forward, the coalition's continued collaboration and partnership remains crucial, and the strategic advice and direction provided during this morning's meeting will be essential in shaping our next steps toward winning this fight." The comments came shortly after Canada's top general told a parliamentary committee that while progress has been made in the fight against ISIL, it's still too early to say when Canadian soldiers might no longer be needed in Iraq. Defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance said many of the political, economic and social problems that contributed to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's rise more than four years ago remain. And while ISIL has lost all the territory it once held in Iraq, Vance says ISIL remains a threat and that Canada and its allies must remain on guard against any attempts to re-assert itself. "At some point in the future, I would look forward to being able to provide the advice that Iraq has come far enough and (ISIL) has gone backwards enough that we don't need the military forces there anymore," Vance said. "We're not at that point right now." A recent U.S. Defense Department report that said that ISIL has started to dig roots as an effective insurgent group and that it could take years, if not decades before the Iraqi military can deal with it on its own. Canada earlier this year assumed command of a NATO training mission that includes 250 Canadian troops and whose aim is to train the Iraqi military so that it can ensure security. However, hundreds of other Canadian soldiers not assigned to the training mission have continued to fly transport and refuelling aircraft, collect and analyze intelligence and provide medical assistance to coalition efforts against ISIL, also known as ISIS. Vance also revealed that Canada still has an undisclosed number of special-forces soldiers in Iraq who have been working with Iraqi security forces as the latter hunt down ISIL forces left over from earlier battles. Without an extension, the non-NATO mission is set to expire in March. The question heading into Thursday's meeting at Meech Lake was whether the federal government would opt to keep them in Iraq longer, change the overall mission or begin to withdraw from the country. Sajjan and his co-host, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis, said coming out that they had "reaffirmed our focus on the enduring defeat of ISIS and defined our vision moving forward." Follow @leeberthiaume on Twitter. OTTAWA - Contentious wording in Ottawa's summer-jobs program that required groups to declare themselves supportive of abortion rights to get funding has been dropped, and new rules put in place to appease faith groups and pro-choice advocates who each fuelled a furor over the policy last year. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Employment, Workforce Development and Labour Minister Patricia Hajdu responds to a question during Question Period in the House of Commons Thursday November 22, 2018 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Contentious wording in Ottawa's summer-jobs program that required groups to declare themselves supportive of abortion rights to get funding has been dropped, and new rules put in place to appease faith groups and pro-choice advocates who each fuelled a furor over the policy last year. Instead, the federal Liberals have re-tooled the 2019 version of the Canada Summer Jobs program to require applicants to declare they don't work to infringe on any Canadian's legal rights. The program subsidizes wages for summer workers, to encourage small businesses and non-profits to bring on students and others looking for early experience. Wording on the application for the 2018 version of the program required groups to say neither their core mandates nor the jobs being funded actively worked to undermine constitutional, human and reproductive rights. Informal consultations over the past few months led to the government's decision to change the wording for the 2019 version of the program. "It still achieves the same aim of ensuring that groups that are primarily against human rights, like anti-choice groups, are not going to be eligible for funding still, and it appears to satisfy the concerns of religious groups and churches," said Joyce Arthur, executive director of the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada. More changes have been made to the program's eligibility criteria to disqualify any project or job that tries to restrict a woman's ability to access sexual or reproductive health services, or that won't hire people based on their sex, religion, race, ethnic origin, gender identity or gender expression. Ray Pennings, executive vice-president of Cardus a non-partisan, faith-based think-tank said questions will likely still be raised of the declaration if it simply says groups will follow the law, which all employers are required to do already. "Any employer is subject to human-rights codes," Pennings said. "To have an employer check a box seems a little silly." After the government put the reproductive-rights language in the 2018 application, funding rejections increased 12-fold. Only one of 63 groups flagged to the government as problematic by pro-choice groups received funding. Many faith-based groups refused to the sign the declaration, or submitted alternative wordings because they felt that asserting that they supported reproductive rights as currently expressed in Canadian law went against their religious beliefs. "They felt this was about their values and beliefs and not about the jobs and the performances of the students in particular roles and we took that to heart," Labour Minister Patty Hajdu said in an interview. "We've been working on making sure we do what we intended to do, which is to stand up for the rights of Canadians ... but that we also work closely with faith-based groups and others so that they can see how they themselves would fit into this program." A trio of Conservative critics MPs John Barlow, Ted Falk and Garnett Genuis called on the Liberals to apologize for the older application language that seemed to target the beliefs of faith-based groups. "The withdrawal of the Liberals' attestation is an admission they were wrong, and a desperate attempt at damage control for the prime minister heading into an election year," they said in a shared statement. "Unfortunately, Justin Trudeau cannot be trusted to back away from basing funding decisions on whether or not you hold a certain belief." The change is one of several made to the popular program to be outlined by the end of the week to MPs. Employers can begin to apply later this month. The Liberals are opening the program to any young person aged 15 to 30, no longer requiring them to be students in order to have their positions qualify for funding. A government-struck expert panel called for the change last year, noting non-students often have a hard time finding jobs to build their work histories. Available positions will also be posted on a newly released mobile app that lets users search the federal government's job bank. At the end of the summer, employers and employees will be required to fill out a survey so the government can fine-tune the program. Hajdu said employers will also be required to follow mentorship plans for their workers as part of efforts to ensure only "quality" jobs are funded. The data collected won't be used to screen out employers in subsequent funding years, but to evaluate the program overall, Hajdu said. Follow @jpress on Twitter. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version misspelled Ray Pennings' last name. VANCOUVER - A man who was required to visit a notorious British Columbia prison as part of a "scared straight" program has been awarded $175,000 in damages for a sexual assault that happened during the tour. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VANCOUVER - A man who was required to visit a notorious British Columbia prison as part of a "scared straight" program has been awarded $175,000 in damages for a sexual assault that happened during the tour. The man, only identified by his initials in the judgment, was 14 in the late 1970s when he was placed on probation for breaking and entering. The B.C. Supreme Court decision says as part of his probation he was required to take a tour of the now-closed Oakalla prison and was sexually assaulted after a corrections officer forced him into a cell with five inmates. The man's lawsuit named the British Columbia government and Roderic MacDougall, a former prison guard who was convicted for indecent and sexual assaults against prisoners. Justice Jennifer Duncan ruled the sexual assault took place and the province is liable, but the plaintiff couldn't establish that MacDougall was the officer who facilitated the attack. She awarded the man, who is now 54 years old, $150,000 in damages and $25,000 for the cost of future care, plus his legal costs. "The structure and operation of the youth tour program in 1978 left a great deal to be desired from a modern perspective, to put in mildly," Duncan said in her ruling posted Wednesday. "The officers were left to choose the inmates they felt were appropriate to interact with the youth" said the judge, who noted that the youth could have been exposed to inmates facing sex charges. "The youth were subjected to catcalls and verbal abuse by inmates, but that seemed to depend on whether the youth appeared suitably chastened by the experience. The purpose of the program was, after all, to scare children into disavowing a life of crime." Several successful civil court lawsuits from other prisoners were filed against MacDougall. Indian benchmark indices BSE Sensex and NSE's Nifty 50 fell by over 1.5 per cent on Thursday as investors gave thumbs down to RBI policy stance, ahead of crucial OPEC meeting later today. Adding to it, weak cues from Asian markets also dented investor sentiments. Oil prices extended losses with Brent crude trading 1.82 per cent lower at USD 59.74 per barrel ahead of OPEC meeting outcome. The BSE SENSEX closed 572.28 points, or 1.59 per cent, lower at 35312.13 and the NSE Nifty ended at 10592.6, down by 190.3 points or by 1.76 per cent. In the bearish trading session, Sensex touched intraday high and low of 35707.23 and 35266.76, respectively. The NSE Nifty touched intraday high of 10722.65 and intraday low of 10588.25. The broader markets also declined in line with frontliners, with MIDCAP and SMALLCAP indices falling as much as 1.54 per cent and 1.36 per cent, respectively. All 19 BSE sectoral indices ended in red, with rate sensitive auto and realty stocks declining as much as 2.26 per cent each. The Market breadth, indicating the overall strength of the market, was weak. Out of 2862 shares traded, 818 advanced while 1883 declined and 161 remained unchanged. In the Sensex, 29 out of 30 stocks and in the Nifty, 46 out of 50 stocks ended in the negative terrain. Maruti Suzuki India emerged as top laggards with scrip falling over 4.5 per cent after the auto major said it will hike its car prices from next across various models in January 2019. The stock opened lower at Rs 7,467.00 against the previous day closing price of Rs 7,559.55. Among other stocks across the space, Amara Raja Batteries, Ashok Leyland, Balkrishna Industries, Bharat Forge and Force Motors have hit their respective 52-week lows on the BSE today. Shares of state-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) ended lower ahead of the Cabinet meeting today to consider merger deal. The Cabinet on Thursday will consider the proposal for PFC acquiring entire government stake in REC, which will fetch the government approx Rs 15,000 crore. Snapping three days losing streak, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries gained 1.5 per cent amid bargain hunting after a recent slide. Overseas, Asian stock fell Thursday as arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei turned investors jittery, while uncertainty about President Donald Trump's tariff policies on China also weighed on investors sentiment. Markets in New York were closed overnight for the national day of mourning for former President George H. W. Bush. Edited by Chitranjan Kumar TORONTO - The federal environment minister met with her Ontario counterpart in Toronto on Thursday, where they discussed the province's new plan to address climate change. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ontario Environment Minister Rod Phillips speaks about the government's climate plan during an event at the Cold Creek Conservation Area in Nobleton, Ont., on November 29, 2018. The federal environment minister is set to meet with her Ontario counterpart in Toronto today where they are expected to discuss the province's new plan to address climate change. The Progressive Conservative government's plan, unveiled last week, replaces the cap-and-trade system brought in by the previous Liberal regime and does not put a price on carbon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin TORONTO - The federal environment minister met with her Ontario counterpart in Toronto on Thursday, where they discussed the province's new plan to address climate change. The Progressive Conservative government's plan, unveiled last week, replaces the cap-and-trade system brought in by the previous Liberal regime and does not put a price on carbon. The new plan will use taxpayer dollars to spur private investment in clean technologies and create performance standards for large emitters. Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has urged Ontario to enact a carbon pricing plan, a federal requirement that Premier Doug Ford has consistently pushed back on. Ontario has launched a legal challenge of Ottawa's plan to impose a carbon tax on provinces that don't have their own carbon pricing systems. In addition to meeting with provincial Environment Minister Rod Phillips on Thursday, McKenna also delivered a speech in the city. "We need to work together," McKenna said after the meeting. "I'm not looking for fights. I'm looking to take serious action as Ontarians expect." Their meeting came on the same day that Ford met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, where climate change and the carbon tax was also a talking point. TORONTO - The Ontario government abruptly ended the fall sitting of the legislature a week ahead of schedule on Thursday, after spending weeks fending off criticism from all sides. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. TORONTO - The Ontario government abruptly ended the fall sitting of the legislature a week ahead of schedule on Thursday, after spending weeks fending off criticism from all sides. The Progressive Conservatives did not give an explanation for the decision, which came hours after U.S. regulators rejected a multibillion-dollar merger of Hydro One Ltd. with a U.S. company, citing political interference from the provincial government. "It's been a whirlwind, frankly," NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said of the fall session. "I'm not surprised that the government's leaving early. I think that they know they've made some pretty big mistakes." In recent weeks, Premier Doud Ford and his Tories have also faced mounting criticism over the appointment of a Ford family friend as provincial police commissioner. The appointment of Ronald Taverner, 72, as OPP commissioner has prompted calls for an investigation, although Ford has said he was not involved in the hiring process. The Tories are also grappling with the loss of one of their legislators, Amanda Simard, who left caucus last week in the wake of the government's decision to eliminate the independent office of the French-language services commissioner and scrap a planned French-language university. The government blamed the slashed services on budget shortfalls left by the previous Liberal government, and offered concessions including the creation of a commissioner position within the office of the provincial ombudsman, establishment a Ministry of Francophone Affairs and hiring of a senior policy adviser on francophone affairs in the premier's office. During the fall session, General Motors also announced it would be shuttering its plant in Oshawa, Ont., killing 2,500 jobs. Ford said the closure was a done deal, but vowed to help those affected find new jobs. The session also saw Ford's government table major legislation, including the hotly anticipated climate change plan, which will see the province spend $400 million over four years on a fund that aims to entice companies to invest in initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plan does not, however, put a price on carbon a federal requirement that Ford is fighting in court. Other legislation tabled by the Tories included changes to labour laws that freezed the province's minimum wage at $14 an hour until 2020 and cut two paid personal leave days for workers. The government said those changes would boost job growth in the province. On Thursday, the government introduced a bill aimed at reducing regulations businesses have to comply with. Economic Development Minister Todd Smith said if passed, the Restoring Ontario's Competitiveness Act would cut red tape for business and help create jobs. The legislature is set to resume Feb. 19. TORONTO - Washington State regulators have rejected Hydro One Ltd.'s proposed takeover of Avista Corp., citing political interference in the Ontario utility by its largest shareholder the provincial government. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/12/2018 (1087 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Ontario Premier Doug Ford speaks to media at Queens Park, in Toronto on Monday, Nov. 19, 2018. Washington State regulators say they have denied Hydro One Ltd.'s proposed takeover of Avista Corp. citing political interference in the Ontario utility by the Doug Ford government. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young TORONTO - Washington State regulators have rejected Hydro One Ltd.'s proposed takeover of Avista Corp., citing political interference in the Ontario utility by its largest shareholder the provincial government. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission said late Wednesday that it found the $6.7-billion deal did not protect the U.S. company and its customers from political and financial risks. The U.S. regulator cited Premier Doug Ford's decision to remove the Hydro One CEO, which led to the resignation of the entire board, as evidence that the province was willing to put political interests above those of shareholders. Hydro One's 14-member board resigned after the sudden retirement of chief executive officer Mayo Schmidt, who Ford had labelled "the six-million-dollar man" for his hefty compensation. "Provincial government interference in Hydro One's affairs, the risk of which has been shown by events to be significant, could result in direct or indirect harm to Avista if it were acquired by Hydro One, as proposed," the U.S. regulator stated in its decision. It also said that the Ontario government's actions resulted in credit downgrades and decreased the value of Hydro One and Avista shares. "The province subsequently passed a law limiting the compensation of the company's executives and providing for ongoing involvement by the province in matters typically reserved to executive management and the board of a private company," it said. The commission concluded that Avista's customers "would be no better off with this transaction than they would be without it." Ford had made it clear that he wanted changes, including reduced electricity rates and lower compensation for the Hydro One CEO even though 92 per cent of shareholders other than the province supported the company's executive compensation approach. Getting rid of Schmidt was among Ford's main campaign promises during the spring provincial election that swept his Progressive Conservatives to power. A spokeswoman for Energy Minister Greg Rickford defended the government's decision to make changes to Hydro One's executive. "Our government will always stand up for the largest shareholder of Hydro One, the people of Ontario," Sydney Stonier said in an email late Wednesday. "We are confident that the renewed leadership and direction at Hydro One will make responsible business decisions that are in the best interest of their shareholders." Stonier did not respond to questions about the failed merger, or what steps the government might take next. NDP Environment and Sustainability critic Ian Arthur slammed the Tories, saying the regulator's decision "makes it clear that Doug Ford's political meddling has sent shockwaves through the business community and increased the risk of doing business in Ontario." A number of analysts had predicted that the deal would fall through, saying the heightened potential for political interference could prompt U.S. regulators to hesitate about the takeover. Avista and Hydro One filed a joint application with the commission in September 2017 to approve the proposed merger agreement. Avista would have become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Toronto-based electric transmission and distribution utility, but would maintain its corporate headquarters in Spokane and continue to operate under the same name, management team and employee structure. Hydro One, which is 47 per cent owned by the Ontario government, had assured U.S. regulators that the province would be a passive investor and would not exert political pressure on the company. Schmidt, who earned a $6.2-million salary last year, became a lightning rod for resentment during the election over rising electricity rates in the province. He retired in July, and the company said at the time he would not be entitled to severance, but would instead receive a $400,000 lump sum payment in lieu of all post-retirement benefits. He still stands to earn millions from deferred stock options. Hydro One was partially privatized in November 2015, and by December 2017 the province had sold off 53 per cent of its stake. The former Liberal government said privatization would raise $9 billion to fund transit and infrastructure projects. Privatization was also aimed at driving down costs by spinning it off into the hands of private investors. with files from Shawn Jeffords and Paola Loriggio. Companies in this story: (TSX:H) TORONTO - The mystery that has haunted Rick Brown since he watched the brutal beating of a young friend at an Ontario training school 55 years ago was finally solved this week: James Forbes survived that night. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. James Forbes, 68, stands in his kitchen in London, Ont. on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Geoff Robins TORONTO - The mystery that has haunted Rick Brown since he watched the brutal beating of a young friend at an Ontario training school 55 years ago was finally solved this week: James Forbes survived that night. In fact, at 68 years old, Forbes is living not far from Brown and doing well if still getting over the shock of a call from an officer inquiring after him. "Yeah, I'm alive," Forbes said he told the officer, his voice cracking up. "It brought tears to my eyes." After the call, Forbes said he sat his wife down and told her about his training school days. "She didn't know anything about it because my past was my past," Forbes said. "I just wanted to put this all behind me, eh? because when I mentioned it, nobody believed me." In February, The Canadian Press recounted Brown's harrowing tale of how, as a 10-year-old incarcerated in 1963 at the now-defunct Brookside training school in Cobourg, Ont., he watched a supervisor beat Forbes to a pulp in a dorm one night. Brown, now 65, described how the cracking sound and almost black blood had haunted him ever since. It also left him wondering whether Forbes, whom he never saw again, had actually died that night after being carried away a bloodied mess. The original article turned up a few leads but finding Forbes proved elusive until Cobourg police recently decided to see see if they could determine his fate. The preliminary investigation led to London, Ont., where Forbes and Dolores, his wife of three decades, live. Neither were aware of Brown's futile search or of a pending lawsuit against the training schools. "Alive? What the hell you talking about," Forbes said he responded to the officer. "Then he explained it and I go, 'Wow! You gotta be kidding me.' And he says no." The father of 18 natural and adopted children, Forbes remembers the night of the beating only too well. The supervisor, he said, was a "total nightmare." "If your bed ain't made right and he can't bounce a quarter off of it, you'd do it over again. He made me do my bed about three or four times. I finally got tired of it and said, 'I ain't doing it again.' And he gave me a backhand," Forbes recalls. "I'm only 13 years old, so I kicked him between the legs. He went crazy on me. He put his boots and all that to me. All I can do was roll up in a ball, eh? They carried me out on a stretcher. I woke up three days later." Forbes, who spent three years at the reform school from aged 12 to 15, was then sent to a different part of the facility, which explains why Brown never saw him again. Forbes said he remembers Brown as one of the younger guys he tried to protect. Brown, of Kitchener, Ont., could barely contain his happiness at learning his pal had survived. "I now know what happened to James Forbes that night," Brown said. "I'm elated. Fantastic! Tremendous relief." The two men spoke at length by phone this week and plan to meet soon. "We want everyone to know what they did to us children so long ago," Brown said. Originally from Hamilton, Forbes said the beating left him with a ruptured nerve close to his spine. Sent to Brookside for three yeas as a "way out of control" 12-year-old who had broken into gas stations, he said the experience was terrible. Some days, he says he can barely hold a cup of coffee because he shakes so badly. After his hospitalization, he said he spent 30 days in solitary confinement in a padded cell getting meals through a slit in the door. "It upsets me. It brings back memories," Forbes said. "You don't know half of the stuff that they did." This past week, the Ontario government agreed to allow a lawsuit spearheaded by another training school survivor to go ahead as a class action. The unproven suit alleges the reform schools essentially prisons for children were notorious cesspools of physical, sexual and psychological abuse. Forbes, who worked mostly in janitorial services in London, said his experience was one of the motivations for him and his wife to adopt eight children over the years. "I didn't want the kids to go through what I went through," he said. "Nobody knew about it. It was behind closed doors." Dolores Forbes, 48, said she was equally shocked at learning about the training schools and her husband's experiences. "Now I know why he's got the nerve damage. I can't believe that there's people out there who's done that stuff," she said. "It's disgusting. It's just shocking news." The Cobourg officer involved in tracking Forbes down did not respond to a request to discuss the situation. Irish people are now able to shop online without unjustified geoblocking wherever they are in the EU, according to new rules that came into force this week. Geoblocking is the practice of using territorial licensing restrictions in online and offline transactions of physical goods and the provision of electronic services. It stops customers in one country from accessing websites in other countries. Qudos, which filed for liquidation in Denmark on 27 November, had mostly sold motor insurance policies to Irish customers via agents and brokers, but there were a number of property insurance policies. What is Qudos and whats happened? Qudos Insurance A/S is a Danish insurance company. In October it announced that it would cease writing new business, and last week it was announced that it had entered into solvent liquidation. Why does that matter here in Ireland? Because Qudos has around 50,000 policyholders here in Ireland. Most of these policies are motor, commercial motor, logistics and haulage, and household policies. Ive never heard of Qudos, how do they have so many Irish customers? While it may not be a household name, it is a Danish company regulated by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority and was able to operate here under what is called a freedom of services basis. In a nutshell, that is a provision that allows an insurance provider to underwrite a contract in one European Economic Area country, even if the risk is based in a different country in the EEA. So while Qudos is based in Denmark, and had no presence in Ireland, it would have operated through brokers here. A customer may not be familiar with the name, but their insurance may be with Qudos if their broker sorted a deal with the Danish company. So how do I know if Im a Qudos customer? Check your policy documents or insurance disc. Failing that, give your broker a call and see if they can clarify who they went to for your insurance. I am a Qudos customer - what does this mean for me? If you had a policy that runs for more than a year, your cover ends a year to the day from when the liquidation was announced. Therefore, your policy with Qudos will end either on the expiration date, or November 27 2019 - whichever comes first. However the Central Bank here in Ireland does not believe Qudos customers should wait around for either of those eventualities. It says that based on the uncertainty around the payment of claims, Qudos customers should contact their insurance broker to arrange alternative insurance cover. Insurance Ireland - the body representing insurers - has said brokers should be able to provide Qudos customers with alternative cover which will remain in place until their renewal date at no extra cost, though there may be an administration charge. Hang on, what does the Central Bank mean by uncertainty around the payment of claims? What if I have to make a claim on my insurance? Thats where there is some uncertainty. Claims are not being paid at the moment, while the liquidators get together all the relevant information on the company. Qudos said it expects to have information on that front within one to two weeks. Here in Ireland, it remains to be seen whether outstanding claims will be paid out by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority or the Irish Insurance Regulator. Compiled by Joe Leogue Workers have gone on strike at Tesco in Sligo today, in what could be the start of a nationwide action. Pickets began from 5am at the store on O'Connell Street in the town until the store closes at 11pm. Members of Mandate have downed tools, as they say the company's refused to engage with workers on pay and conditions. Another picket will be held on Friday week, while Carrick-on-Shannon workers will strike on Saturday the 22nd of this month. Divisional Organiser of the union's north-west division, Ciaran Campbell, says they felt Tesco did not address their grievances. And so it begins. Tesco workers on the picket line since 5am demanding their right to trade union representation and calling on management to respect all agreements made by the company. #TogetherWeAreStronger Mandate Trade Union (@MandateTU) December 6, 2018 "We then notified the Workplace Relations Commission in late-September/early-October that we were going off to consult with our members because we felt that these collective grievances were not being dealt with properly," said Mr Campbell. "And also that we felt that the company had stepped out of its own procedures. "As a consequence of that consultative exercise, our members requested that we ballot for industrial action." Tesco Ireland has said that it is disappointed that Mandate proceeded with industrial action at the Sligo store as "this is a local dispute involving local issues that didnt warrant a strike". In a statement this morning, Tesco Ireland said: "The strike breaches the union and the companys agreed procedures for disputes. "Tesco urges Mandate to resume co-operation with the industrial relations processes of the State having rejected a conciliation conference at the Workplace Relations Commission on October 24th regarding the issues in Sligo. "Mandate should call off its other proposed one-day stoppages during this busy time as it is inconveniencing customers in the run up to Christmas and only encouraging cross-border shopping in the North West." Tesco Ireland said that it reamins the only major employer in the food retail sector to recognise Mandate. "Against what remains a very competitive and challenging market place with retail price deflation, sterling weakness and the resumption of cross-border shopping, Tesco this year awarded a 2% pay increase for in-scope colleagues," said Tesco Ireland. "In addition this year we awarded between 2% and 5% bonus meaning most colleagues have received a combined benefit of between 4% and 7% in 2018 alone, as well as having already received a combined 6% of increases since 2015." Digital Desk 100 new jobs are set to be created in Dublin by a cyber security firm. The posts are being created by the US company ReliaQuest which will open its first European office in Leopardstown. The company is basing its Security Operations Centre there, with the workforce consisting of security engineers, analysts and content developers. We chose Dublin for several reasons, including its strong talent, the ease of travel back and forth from our headquarters in the US and around the rest of Europe, and the openness and focus on collaboration fostered by Ireland, says ReliaQuest CEO Brian Murphy. All of these things make Dublin a great place to be. The firm plans to create 100 jobs in the capital over the next three years with Mr Murphy saying that Ireland "is a big part" of their future growth. Earlier this year, ReliaQuest was ranked one of FORTUNE Magazine's Best Workplaces in Technology. ReliaQuests recently completed Security Operations Center in Dublin is off to a fast start hosting students and faculty from the cyber program from Institute of Technology Blanchardstown hours before the official grand opening with IDA Ireland this afterhttps://t.co/GzT6pYu2RV Brian Murphy (@brianmurphyRQ) December 5, 2018 Commenting on the announcement, IDA Irelands CEO Martin Shanahan said, Ireland has become a significant base of international technology and security companies thanks to a growing, well-educated and flexible workforce with a rapidly increasing graduate output. "I am delighted that ReliaQuest chose Ireland to be the location for its international expansion. "As a committed member of the EU, overseas companies increasingly look to Ireland as a base from which to serve its customers in the region. Digital Desk The new norms allowing use of mobile phones for making calls and internet surfing during flights in the Indian airspace could come as early as January, after the Law Ministry gives its concurrence, Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday. The Telecom Ministry is currently awaiting the views of the Law Ministry on in-flight connectivity rules and is hopeful of notifying the norms soon thereafter, Sinha said. "We have sought the permission of Law Ministry, once that comes through...I believe that it will come in week or ten days...then we can start it," Sinha told reporters in Delhi. Asked if the Ministry expects to notify the rules by the start of the new year, the Minister said, he is hopeful that it will be the case. On May 1, the Telecom Commission - the highest policy-making body of Department of Telecom - had cleared a proposal for allowing wider in-flight connectivity that is now available in most of the developed markets. On the issue of whether the coverage should extend to Territorial Waters or Exclusive Economic Zone, a senior official aware of the ongoing discussions said, the Communications Ministry is of the view that the international best practices should be followed. Territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles (around 22 kilometers) from coastal line of the country, while EEZ covers up to 200 nautical miles. "We have said...and the notification hopefully will say that we are aligned on international law on this, which is synced with EEZ. We are trying to fine tune the language," the official said. The government, in the past, had said that it is committed to ensuring the earliest implementation of the in-flight connectivity framework. Full-service carriers, including Air India and Vistara, have welcomed the decision on permitting in-flight connectivity. A separate category of licencees - in-flight service providers - will be created for offering such services, and licence fee for such niche providers will be pegged at Re 1. On the successful launch of India's heaviest satellite GSAT-11 from French Guiana, Sinha said that the move would provide a big boost to data connectivity, especially in the north eastern and hilly states. "It will bring a new revolution in the area of communications, particularly providing a big boost to the Bharat Net program in north eastern and hilly states, where high speed data will be available. We will be able to provide high-speed data connectivity in those areas," the Minister added. GSAT-11, which would boost broadband services in the country, was successfully launched by an Arianespace rocket from the French Guiana in the early hours of Wednesday. Sinha said that he is confident that rural broadband outreach program Bharat Net, would be completed within its scheduled timeline of March 2019. "Bharat Net's first phase was completed last year, and a lot of work for second phase is underway. We will be able to meet the target of March 2019," Sinha said. Calls for the lyrics of Fairytale of New York to be censored this Christmas are proving controversial. The calls emerged because of the use of a gay slur in the popular Pogues Christmas song. Brother Kevin Crowley has been honoured with the Oireachtas Human Dignity Award for his work with the homeless and people in need. He is the fourth recipient of the award which recognises those committed to the promotion of human dignity. A former criminal and the brother of notorious Dublin gangland boss Martin 'The General' Cahill has urged young criminals to reflect on the fact that by entering criminality they are often merely going down a road designed for them. In an honest, deeply personal and wide ranging interview Eddie Cahill - who is now a highly regarded artist - gave a rare insight into how the journey into criminality can often seem pre-ordained. Growing up in Crumlin as one of 13 children Eddie told The Ryan Tubridy Show on RTE Radio 1 how he and his brother were "damaged" by a period spent in the industrial home at Letterfrack and, on release, inevitably drifted into crime. COMING UP: Ryan will be talking to Eddie Cahill, brother of the art heist criminal 'The General', about leaving a life of crime behind to become an artist @RTERadio1 Photo: Alison OReilly pic.twitter.com/mpDtRqLOhL Ryan Tubridy Show (@RyanTubridyShow) December 6, 2018 "The only other alternative was to go on the Dole and sit at home and be called a scrounger for the rest of your life ... and we were never going to do that". "It was a matter of them and us ... this was a life designed for us. They needed prisoners ... and unemployed people and it is not a merit thing ... you are never judged on your merits. "You are judged on where you are from and do you fit. We didn't fit in anywhere." Mr Cahill went on to say it took him some time to realise he was travelling a road that masked the fact he was "broken." "You go through life doing all these things thinking you are John Waye or Jesse James... but at same time you come to realise are just a broken person. "But the minute you commit a crime they won ... we were broken without realising we were broken. It took me an extra 21 years to ... learn that. "The stronger thing to do is never to go down the road they have designed for us." The brother of 'The General' went on to say that while a bullet ultimately ended his brother's life at 45-years-of-age it was knowledge that ultimately saved him. "Knowledge saved me ... I kind of always knew that I was wrong ... I knew this life was not for us and we are not designed for it." Mr Cahill went on to say that he believed that painting gave him an escape from a life of crime and inevitably saved him form prison or death. The former criminal turned artist revealed that he was able to learn his craft while in Portlaoise prison. "I was really searching for a way, a route out where I could just step away and not surrender. Art allowed me to disappear." He is now selling his paintings for up to 10,000 and laughingly revealed that Justice Haughten opened his recent exhibition. "All my friends are now high court judges," he said. Reflecting on those who have been hurt by what he and his brother Martin did he said of course he would have regrets but felt apologies were often just insulting. "If they want an apology and came to me look it .. but how would you find them." "I would have regrets of course but would I apologise? No I don't think so". Eddie Cahill's paintings are on show at the Origin Gallery. Listen to the full interview here The Department of Justice has been accused of failing to keep proper oversight on English language schools as up to 10 Mongolian students face losses of more than 5,000 each in fees paid upfront to a Dublin college. They look unlikely to be refunded after paying the equivalent of almost two years' salary in Mongolia to attend English language courses at Grafton College, which went into liquidation on Monday. The Irish Examiner sent a message to Mr Rehman, the secretary and a director of the company that owns Grafton College, offering him an opportunity to comment or explain the situation. But RTE News reported today that Mr Rehman has told it that the money was spent. Because students from Mongolia need a visa to come here to study, five of the 10 are out of pocket. Another five are awaiting decisions on their applications, but one who paid fees in advance will be able to attend one of the other colleges that is part of a learner protection scheme run by umbrella organisation Marketing English in Ireland (MEI). The recruitment agency in Mongolia which worked to help Grafton College bring students to Dublin told RTE News that the fees of 5,315 are worth almost two years salary, as the typical monthly salary there is 250. MEI chief executive, David OGrady, said his organisation is responsible only for meeting the education requirements if a school closes. But, he said, the Department of Education and the Department of Justice have inspectorates who can go around to schools and ask questions about the running of English language schools. Under their regulations, he said, colleges should have a separate account to hold advance fees of students who need a visa to study in Ireland, and return it to them if they do not get a visa. The Department of Justice has put in place a regulatory scheme. Its not a lack of regulation, its a lack of implementation of the regulations, Mr OGrady said. The Department Justice told the Irish Examiner that if there is any question of alleged misuse of student fees, or other corporate responsibilities, the matter should be reported to gardai or the Director of Corporate Enforcement. The department said its Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) will work with MEI on issues arising from Grafton College's closure, including on those visa-required students who were scheduled to travel to Ireland in the coming weeks to commence their studies. A spokesperson said INIS and officials from the Department of Education and Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) will meet with MEI shortly to discuss the wider issues it has raised. "Educational institutions on the Interim List of Eligible Programmes (ILEP) are subject to random joint inspection, which includes officials from INIS, QQI and the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Grafton College was inspected in February 2018," the Department of Justice said. Almost 40 students from other countries like Brazil, Mexico and Ecuador had also paid fees in advance. But as they do not require a student visa to come to Ireland, they can attend courses at another college under MEIs learner protection scheme, along with the 468 students who were already on courses at Grafton when it closed. Minister of State Mary Mitchell OConnor said it is disgraceful that the colleges 30-plus staff have been left without last months wages so close to Christmas. She was speaking in a Seanad discussion of the situation on Wednesday, during committee stage of a bill that seeks to increase regulation of the sector. The minister has also promised to appoint a mediator to help develop a registered employment agreement that offers greater protections to staff in the English language education sector. Fianna Fail education spokesman, Thomas Byrne, said today that issues facing teachers and students are simply unacceptable. He said the minister needs to urgently clarify what oversights are in place after details emerged of the advance fees being spent on unknown purposes. "We have long prided ourselves on welcoming students from all over the world and for them to be treated in this way is simply shocking. This is an embarrassment for Ireland on the international stage, he said. "There is clearly a need for greater implementation of regulations in relation to fees and supports for teachers and staff, Mr Byrne said. Latest: A former student of John Dowling has said that she is in shock following his death. The 66-year-old teacher was stabbed to death yesterday in Paris on the university campus where he had worked as an English teacher for nearly 20 years. Speaking to Sean O'Rourke this morning, Paris-based journalist Peter Allen said that Mr Dowling had gone out for his lunch and was seen speaking with a former student for a minute or so before the man reportedly stabbed Mr Dowling "13 times". It is not yet known whether the man was previously a student of Mr Dowling's. Mr Allen said that the area was quite busy at the time of the attack. A man in his late 30s was arrested at the scene and remains in custody. Ann Bertrand, a former student of John Dowling's, spoke to Sean O'Rourke this morning. Mr. Dowling was her English teacher in 2010/11. "He was loved by everyone," said Ms Bertrand. He was someone who was simply pleasant to be around. He had an enormous sense of humour. "You could say he was a role model." Ms Bertrand said that he was modest, successful and was loved by everyone both professionally and personally. Recalling her time in Mr Dowling's class, she said that the students would be laughing all the time while they learned. You can listen to the full interview below: Tributes paid to 'passionate' teacher who was stabbed to death in Paris Tributes are being paid to Dublin man John Dowling who was stabbed to death yesterday in Paris. The 66-year-old was attacked on the university campus in the west of the city where he had worked as an English teacher for nearly 20 years. First aid and Police vehicles at the scene the main entrance of the private Leonard-de-Vinci university yesterday. Pic: Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images Editor of news site 'The Local France' Ben McPartland says John was popular among students. "There's the immediate reaction among students and colleagues all who were in shock, we spoke to a couple of students yesterday...John was such a popular teacher. He was well-known, well liked, motivated, passionate - these are all words that were used by students. A man in his late 30s was arrested at the scene and remains in custody. Police are trying to establish a motive for the attack. The fatal attack happened around lunchtime yesterday on the campus of Leonard de Vinci University in the La Defense district. In a statement, the University said the attacker was a former student who had failed to complete his course. The French Higher Education Minister has expressed her condolences to Mr Dowling's family. Police at the scene. Picture: PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images The college says everyone is shocked by the violent death of a teacher who was respected and loved by all. Mr Dowling had been teaching English in the college since 1999 and was thought to be nearing retirement. Counsellors will be on campus today to help staff and students who are still coming to terms with the tragedy. All our thoughts go to the family and friends of the victim of this horrendous attack, Irishman John Dowling https://t.co/uuLd7sXPpY Stephane Crouzat (@stephanecrouzat) December 6, 2018 Mr McPartland says the whole education sector is in shock. "This has gone right up to the minister for education, the government, this is a teacher who has been killed on the job," said Mr McPartland. "The whole education sector is in shock, not just the Irish community, the ex-pat community, the students, the university itself. "This has gone far and wide. There is real shock and worry about what happened." Digital Desk Gardai in Granard are calling for witnesses to a shooting incident in Co Longford. GSOC are investigating the circumstances of the incident, in which a Garda firearm was discharged - killing a dog and leaving one man with minor injuries. Update - December 7, 1.50pm: 66-year-old Fintan Thomas, who was missing from Wexford since November 26, has been located safe and well. December 6 - 3.23pm: Gardai seek help locating missing 66-year-old from Wexford Gardai are seeking the public's help in locating a 66-year-old man missing from Wexford. Fintan Thomas was last seen at John Street, Co Wexford on November 26. He was reported missing to gardai on December 3. Fintan is described as 5'8" with a slim build, brown hair and brown eyes. When last seen Fintan was wearing a beige cowboy hat, black leather jacket and cream trousers. Anyone with information on Fintan's whereabouts is asked to contact gardai in Wexford on 053 916 5200, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any garda station. - Digital Desk The Communications Minister Richard Bruton says social media can sometimes be the playground of extremists. Political parties are meeting today to discuss fake news and regulating online political advertising at an Open Policy Forum. Today's forum will see representatives from industry, academia, political parties, the media, and civil society come together for the first Open Policy Forum on the regulation of online political advertising. It was one of the recommendations of a Government report which looked at the risks to our electoral process. Advertising in the political or electoral sphere and freedom of expression are some of the topics to be broached. Just under 80,000 was spent advertising on Google during the Eighth amendment referendum campaign. Figures released to Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, show the ads led to over 15 million impressions. During the abortion referendum campaign Google banned all ads relating to the Eighth amendment while Facebook restricted them. Speaking at the open policy forum of transparency of online political advertising in Dublin Castle this morning pic.twitter.com/QfAAg14dLX Richard Bruton (@RichardbrutonTD) December 6, 2018 It was amid concers that false information claiming to be unbiased was being fed to the electorate. Today's forum aims to find policy solutions that respect the right to freedom of expression as well as relevant EU law. Communications Minister Richard Bruton says this is one of the negative aspects of social media. "The normal rules of civility often seem to go out the window and they no longer seem to apply," said Minister Bruton. "It can become the playground of extreme and highly motivated people who want to distort and present fake information for the consumption of people who are gullible enough to take it in." Digital Desk Graham Dwyer has won his legal action against the State and the Garda Commissioner over the retention of access of his mobile phone data. Mr Dwyer claimed that data gathered by Gardai from his phone should not have been used in the trial where he was convicted of the murder of Elaine O'Hara. Communication data, including location data, gathered from Dwyers work phone placed the phone at a specific place at a particular time. That data was used to link Dwyer to another mobile phone (referred to as the master phone) that the prosecution said Dwyer acquired and used to contact Ms OHara. Ms OHara used another mobile phone (referred to as the slave phone), which was recovered by gardai. Quick Q&A: 1. Does it mean GDs conviction is overturned? No. Thats a matter for the Court of Appeal. 2. Will the Court of Appeal do so? Probably not. There are exceptions for evidence gathered lawfully at the time, which becomes unlawful due to subsequent legal developments" https://t.co/Cjqd9Nq4J7 TJ McIntyre (@tjmcintyre) December 6, 2018 The garda investigation traced the movements of both phones and the times of contacts between them. Dwyer, who denies killing Ms OHara, claimed the provisions are unconstitutional and breached his rights under the EU Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to privacy. The Cork-born architect was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2015 for the murder of Elaine OHara, whose remains were recovered at a forest at Killakee in the Dublin Mountains in September 2013. Digital Desk PM Modi puts Christian Michel in the middle of political storm to take on Congress On the last day of campaigning in poll-bound Rajasthan, top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Wednesday seized on the extradition of an alleged middleman in a UPA-era defence deal to corner the Congress, which has made a strong bid to oust the saffron party from power in the state. The Congress dubbed the claims of Modi and other BJP leaders, including party chief Amit Shah, as a "smear campaign" against its leadership, claiming that they were "latching" on to Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, as the saffron party was staring at defeats in the ongoing state elections. Michel, a British citizen, was extradited to India on Tuesday night and sent to CBI custody for five days by a Delhi court. At a press conference in Jaipur, Shah asked the Congress to clear its stand on the issue and wondered if the Opposition wanted to save Michel. Later in the day, Modi raised the issue at his rallies, saying his government had brought Michel to India and that the British citizen served politicians and held many secrets. "When he reveals his secrets, things will go very far," he said, adding that it was a big "scam" of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) era. At another rally, the prime minister reminded the people of his promise that his government will not spare the corrupt as he spoke of Michel's extradition to target the Congress. The opposition party, however, accused Modi and his government of weaving a "web of lies" to hoodwink people as the BJP was facing defeats in the state polls. "While the BJP and Prime Minister Modi are seeking fake credit without being subjected to investigation by the CBI for their own complicity and connivance, they are latching on to Christian Michel for launching a smear campaign against opposition leaders," Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters in Hyderabad. He alleged that the statement of Michel's lawyer Rosemary Patrizi Dos Anjos after the former's detention in July had "clearly brought out" that the Modi government and its agencies were forcing him to sign a false confessional statement, naming UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in return for a complete exoneration from any charge whatsoever in the case. Shah asked the Congress to spell out its stand on Michel's extradition. "I want to know whether any middleman should be arrested or not? What does the Opposition want? Does it want to save them," he said. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief was responding to the Opposition's charge that the extradition was a move to divert attention from other issues. The BJP and the Congress are locked in a fierce poll battle in Rajasthan with the former pulling out all the stops to foil the latter's bid to return to power in the state after a gap of five years. The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly will go to polls on December 7 and the outcome will be announced on December 11, along with the results of the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana Assembly elections. Also read: Vijay Mallya says don't link extradition with settlement offer; repeats 'please take the money' Graham Dwyer has won an important legal battle against the State and the Garda Commissioner as part of his bid to overturn his conviction for the murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. Mr Justice Tony O'Connor found the Cork-born architect is entitled to certainly limited declarations concerning provisions of Ireland's data retention laws. The judge stressing the primacy of European law, found that sections of Ireland's retention laws contravene EU law and findings of the European Court of Human Rights. The declarations will be formalised at a later date and will refer to telephony data only. As well as being an important ruling in respect to Dwyer's appeal the State had argued the action also had major implications in relation to the authorities' ability to retain, access and use information generated by mobile phones in the investigation of serious criminal activities. Dwyer, who was not present in court for the ruling, will now use the High Court's findings as part of his appeal against his conviction. However, an appeal by the State defendant's against today's decision is understood to be under consideration. Reacting to the ruling this morning the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, said that the High Court judgement will have to be considered very carefully. "This is a very detailed and lengthy judgment in what is a very complex and dynamic area of the law," said Minister Flanagan. "The Courts judgment will have to be considered very carefully in order to identify exactly what actions are necessary and the advice of the Attorney General will have to be taken in that regard. "It is clear that the current legal framework allowing for access to communications meta-data to combat criminals and terrorists needs to be modernised in light of evolving jurisprudence." In his action Dwyer, who denies killing Ms O'Hara, claimed that data gathered from his phone, under the 2011 Communications (Retention of Data) Act, should not have been used at his 2015 trial before the Central Criminal Court. Elaine O Haras father Frank (right), his partner Sheila Hawkins (middle) and Elaine's brother John (left) at Dublin Central Criminal Court in March 2015. Pic: Collins Court The data, which was generated by Dwyer's work phone, placed the phone at specific places at particular times and dates. That data was used to link Dwyer to another mobile phone the prosecution told the jury during his high profile trial that he acquired and used to contact Ms O'Hara, whom he had an affair with. The use of the data, Dwyer claimed, was unconstitutional and breached his rights under the EU Charter and the European Convention on Human Rights, including his right to privacy. Dwyer's lawyers argued the Act was introduced to give effect to a 2006 EU directive concerning the retention and use of data. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) found in 2014 that the directive was invalid and that position was further strengthened in subsequent rulings by that court in 2016. He claimed the 2011 Act suffers from the same flaws identified by the ECJ. The State opposed his arguments and said Dwyer's application was misconceived and should be dismissed. It also argued that Dwyer cannot escape the fact his application to exclude evidence generated by his mobile telephone from the jury at his 2015 trial was rejected by the judge presiding over his trial. It further argued the laws that allow the authorities to access and utilise retained data, which Dwyer seeks to have struck down, are extremely important in the detection, prevention and investigation of serious crime, including cybercrime, organised crime gangs, murder and terrorism. Evidence in what was a highly complex case which raised points of law that had never been argued before the Irish superior courts commenced in February. File photo While the bulk of evidence and submissions in the case concluded in March the matter was adjourned from time to time to allow for submissions on recent relevant decisions from the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights concerning issues raised in the case. In his ruling the Judge said he was satisfied that the 2011 Act provides for an indiscriminate retention regime. The European Court of Justice , the judge said, had found that such regimes are prohibited under Articles 7 and 8 of the European Charter. The Judge, noting the primacy of EU laws, said the European Court had found that the fighting of serious crime cannot justify the general and indiscriminate retention regime. The Judge added that practices of how Garda apply for and obtain mobile phone data was not enough to satisfy the decisions of the European Courts in regards to access. The judge also held that the declarations could not be prospective only as the State had argued and could not be suspended to allow the legislature time to enact any new law. Dwyer he said is entitled to certain declarations which are to be formally agreed by the parties and will be limited to telephony data and will exclude any effect on the security of the state and the saving of human life. Quick Q&A: 1. Does it mean GDs conviction is overturned? No. Thats a matter for the Court of Appeal. 2. Will the Court of Appeal do so? Probably not. There are exceptions for evidence gathered lawfully at the time, which becomes unlawful due to subsequent legal developments" https://t.co/Cjqd9Nq4J7 TJ McIntyre (@tjmcintyre) December 6, 2018 It was not necessary to consider the constitutionality of the various sections of the 2011 Act because Dwyer had obtained effective relief in the form of certain declarations, the Judge added. However, the Judge said that it did not automatically follow that telephony data retained and accessed contrary to EU law used by the prosecution in Dwyer's trial will lead to the quashing of his conviction. Read more: The conviction of Graham Dwyer and the unravelling of an almost-perfect murder A 63-year-old knife victim attacked at his home died as a result of a stab wound to the neck. Gerard Fortune suffered haemorrhage and shock due to the stab wound inflicted at his home on Rutland Grove in Crumlin, Dublin 12 at around 8pm on August 18 2018. The Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, has said that the High Court judgement in favour of Graham Dwyer will have to be considered very carefully. Minister Flagan was speaking following this afternoon's verdict which saw Mr Justice Tony O'Connor rule that Mr Dwyer is entitled to certainly limited declarations concerning provisions of Ireland's data retention laws. The legal action taken by Mr Dwyer against the State and the Garda Commissioner is part of his bid to overturn his conviction for the murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. "This is a very detailed and lengthy judgment in what is a very complex and dynamic area of the law," said Minister Flanagan. "The Courts judgment will have to be considered very carefully in order to identify exactly what actions are necessary and the advice of the Attorney General will have to be taken in that regard. "It is clear that the current legal framework allowing for access to communications meta-data to combat criminals and terrorists needs to be modernised in light of evolving jurisprudence." Minister Flanagan said that the drafting of a new Data Retention Bill is at an advanced stage and is a priority for the Government. "Many aspects of todays judgement from the High Court are already referenced in the draft Bill and the Attorney Generals advice will be taken regarding further changes." He noted that Mr Dwyer is in separate legal proceedings appealing against his conviction for murder and said that it would not be appropriate for him to make any comment on the case. Update 5.28pm: Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visited Dublin on Thursday and argued against the prospect of a devastating no-deal Brexit. President Michael D Higgins welcomed Mr Khan to his home in Aras an Uachtarain on Thursday morning. Mr Khan congratulated Mr Higgins on his recent re-election before the two discussed a wide range of issues of mutual concern, including climate change, sustainable development, housing, transport and Brexit. London just wouldnt be the city it is without the contribution of the Irish community. Today I made sure @PresidentIRL @MichaelDHiggins knows London is and always will be open to our Irish friends. #LondonIsOpen pic.twitter.com/w6g8Z65NAi Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) December 6, 2018 A statement from the President said Mr Higgins also expressed; sympathies and support for the people of London, who have experienced a number of terrorist attacks in recent years, and the tragedy of Grenfell Towers. After the visit Mr Khan took to social media, saying: London just wouldnt be the city it is without the contribution of the Irish community. Today I made sure President Higgins knows London is and always will be open to our Irish friends. Mr Khan went on to visit the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and met with students of Trinity College where the topic of Brexit was continually raised. The worst possible outcome, which remains a grave concern given the political uncertainty in Westminster, is that the UK leaves the EU with no Brexit deal at all, Mr Khan said in a speech. This would not only be devastating for Londons economy, but would actually hurt businesses and economies across Europe, including here in Dublin, and increase the chance of a hard border on the island of Ireland. In my view, the prospect, the very notion, of a no-deal Brexit must be taken off the table by the British Government. London Calling: @SadiqKhan called in to @merrionstreet today. Great city. Looking forward to return visit. pic.twitter.com/L3pghaNVX0 Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) December 6, 2018 Its just too dangerous to leave as a possibility. Thats why, today, Im calling on Theresa May to withdraw Article 50 if the British Parliament rejects her deal next week, which is looking extremely likely. This move would be the single best way to guarantee that we avoid falling off the cliff edge. It would stop the clock that is ticking down towards a no-deal Brexit, and it would provide the breathing space to decide how we resolve this mess. If the British Prime Minister refuses to take this precautionary step, we would continue heading towards a no-deal Brexit in just a few months. Mr Khan also held talks with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and met Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee in Dublins Government Buildings. Speaking on social media the Taoiseach said he was looking forward to return visit to London after meeting with Mr Khan. - Press Association Earlier: President Higgins and London mayor discuss 'devastating' prospect of no-deal Brexit President Michael D Higgins has held discussions with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who is visiting Dublin. President Higgins thanked him for his work in relation to the celebration of St. Patrick's Day in the British capital. The two men discussed a wide range of issues, including climate change, sustainable development, housing, transport and 'Brexit'. The Brexit process should be halted to allow time for a general election or another referendum if MPs reject Theresa May's deal, Sadiq Khan is urging. Mr Khan is using the visit to Ireland to argue against the prospect of a "devastating" no-deal Brexit. The President welcomed the @MayorofLondon, Mr. Sadiq Khan, to Aras an Uachtarain. The Mayor signed the Distinguished Visitors Book before his formal meeting with the President, in the State Drawing Room.https://t.co/PItltySi1H pic.twitter.com/CsYmdJqGXE President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) December 6, 2018 Mr Khan, a prominent pro-EU campaigner during the 2016 referendum, suggests the UK should withdraw the Article 50 notification which began the countdown to the March 29, 2019 Brexit date to allow more time to "resolve this mess". Speaking in Dublin, he said: "The worst possible outcome - which remains a grave concern given the political uncertainty in Westminster - is that the UK leaves the EU with no Brexit deal at all. "This would not only be devastating for London's economy, but would actually hurt businesses and economies across Europe, including here in Dublin, and increase the chance of a hard border on the island of Ireland. In my view, the prospect, the very notion, of a no-deal Brexit must be taken off the table by the British Government. It's just too dangerous to leave as a possibility. "That's why, today, I'm calling on Theresa May to withdraw Article 50 if the British Parliament rejects her deal next week, which is looking extremely likely. "This move would be the single best way to guarantee that we avoid falling off the cliff edge. "It would stop the clock that is ticking down towards a no-deal Brexit, and it would provide the breathing space to decide how we resolve this mess. "If the British Prime Minister refuses to take this precautionary step - we would continue heading towards a no-deal Brexit in just a few months' time - and would risk us having to explain to future generations why the Government of the day knowingly put our economy, our prosperity and our place on the world stage in such grave peril." PA & Digital Desk Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has made a number of changes to his party's frontbench. Deputy Leader Dara Calleary will become the party's spokesperson on Regional Development, Rural Affairs and the Gaeltacht. TD John Curran will join the frontbench as Spokesperson for National Drug Policy and Urban Affairs. A statement on the changes was been made by Mr Martin this evening. Deputy Martin says urban regeneration and drugs policy has been entirely neglected by this Government. He also says the appointment of the Deputy Leader to the rural affairs portfolio, demonstrates Fianna Fail's determination to hold the Government to account and secure a change in direction. Mr Martin said he was pleased to announce the developments. "John Curran has an immense depth of experience in urban regeneration and drugs policy, and will bring new focus and energy to an issue that has been entirely neglected by this Government," he said. "Meanwhile, the continued decline of rural Ireland and Fine Gael's failure to manage any sort of regional balance in terms of investment and job creation is a pressing national priority. The appointment of our Deputy Leader to this portfolio demonstrates Fianna Fail's determination to hold the Government to account and secure a change in direction. "I wish John and Dara well in their new roles." - Digital Desk A man crushed by a bull at a county Offaly farm died due to head injuries, an inquest has heard. Kieran Byrne from Cadamstown, Kinnity, Co Offaly was rushed to Beaumont Hospital where he died on July 19 2018. An inquest into his death opened at Dublin Coroners Court heard that the man underwent an operation to save his life at Beaumont Hospital but this was unsuccessful. The mans son Jason Byrne gave evidence of the formal identification of his father ahead of a post-mortem examination. Garda David Duffy of Santry Garda Station said he was told by a nurse that Mr Byrne had died at 5pm. An autopsy carried out by Dr Michael Farrell gave the cause of death as severe head injuries. Gardai and the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) are investigating the case. Inspector Thelma Watters applied for an adjournment of the inquest as matters are not yet finalised. The court heard that the HSA is yet to decide whether or not the file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP.) This decision is due to be made in the next two months, the court heard. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest for three months to March 19 2019. People living around Clontarf in Dublin are being asked to report suspicious behaviour following a recent spate of muggings. Clontarf Residents Association says a number of young people have had their phones snatched out of their hands while walking. The Seanad has passed the second stage of the Government's controversial abortion legislation by 27 votes to 3. The Upper House is due to sit on Monday especially to try to pass the Bill's remaining stages in order to enable abortion services to be in place by January 1. Health Minister Simon Harris said the Bill delivers on the will of the Irish people as expressed in last May's referendum, where two-thirds of the electorate voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment: We have our rights and they have their rights so we need to make sure that we pass this legislation in as swift a manner as possible so that we can move forward to a future where any woman facing a crisis pregnancy can be assured that she will be treated with compassion, in a non-judgemental way and will be able to access all of the care that she and perhaps her family need in this country, supported by those who love them." The Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill moved to the Seanad after it passed through the Dail late on Wednesday night, where it was passed by 90 votes to 15 with 12 abstentions. The new law will legalise free access to abortion up to 12 weeks gestation. A number of senators, who are in favour of abortion being legalised, expressed concern at how the 12-week time limit and the three-day waiting period are treated in law. Senator Alice Mary Higgins said: I worry how the 12 -week period may be interpreted. We don't want a situation that intrusive medical practices are happening simply because doctors are worried. Clarity is attached by guidance and good faith." Independent Trinity College Senator, David Norris, said the three-day waiting period is daft and is not needed. He said the legislation is rushed: For an issue as important as this we need proper consideration. He said the decision to use GP practices to handle cases of abortion is a mistake, insisting that dedicated abortion clinics are a much better way to deal with them. He said forcing GP doctors who have objections to abortion to refer women to other doctors is problematic. Senator Norris paid tribute to Ivana Bacik for bravely and courageously championing this issue 30 years ago as a student when it was not a popular topic. In the Seanad, despite repeated requests from supporters of the bill for people not to filibuster, those opposing the proposal criticised attempts to rush it through the Oireachtas. Senator Ronan Mullen said the frightening truth of this bill is that it will end the lives of unborn children: I firmly believe the referendum and this legislation are decisions which will be rued by future generations. It is truly frightening. This legislation does what it says on the tin. It ends lives of unborn children, it is a situation beyond tears." It is a strange world where healthcare involves the deliberate ending of life, it is another example of the banality of evil, he added. He hit out at that fact that 12m a year has been earmarked to fund abortions, saying no other elective procedure is fully funded by the State. TDs also voted down proposed amendments which would seek to set down in law what information a doctor would have to give to a woman before she could access a termination. What next? Q: The Dail has passed the Abortion law, what happens now? A: The bill has been passed by the Seanad. The Upper House will sit especially on Monday to further debate the bill in the hope to pass it in time to allow services commence on January 1. Q: What was the margin of the vote in the Dail? A: The Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill passed by 90 votes to 15 with 12 abstentions. Q: The Seanad passed the bill on Thursday at Second Stage, what was the margin? A: The bill passed second stage in the Seanad by 27 votes to 3. Q: What happens if as expected the Seanad passes the bill? A: The bill will then go to President Michael D Higgins to be signed into law. Q: So what exactly does the bill provide for? A: The bill provides for the legal termination of an unborn baby for up to 12 weeks in all cases where requested and in certain cases beyond that. The bill calls for a 3-day waiting period before it can occur, a measure which has been strongly criticised. GP doctors who have conscientious objections to providing abortion services will not be forced to do so. Q: Will the services be ready in time, given the last-minute passage of the bill? A: Simon Harris has asked the Secretary General of the Department of Health to issue a notification to the deputy director general of the Health Service Executive (HSE) stating the service should be available in all 19 maternity units from the outset and has sought plans from each hospital group to have plans in place for January 1. Mr Harris also confirmed that a plan has been finalised for the provision of the 24/7 Helpline from the same date. The HSE is also providing resources to enable the Irish College of General Practitioners and the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists to invite the WHO to provide one week of sessions on values clarifications in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick. Educational sessions will commence on December 10 and will be made available to all staff who will be providing a termination of pregnancy service from January 1, across community and hospital settings. The Government has been criticised over plans to spend 5 million on diesel buses. Transport Minister Shane Ross says the Government will transition to a green fleet and the use of electric buses, but not until after July 2019. Tributes have been paid to the actor and director Donall Farmer, The Cork native, best known for his role as Glenroes parish priest, Fr Tim Devereux, was also a former Head of Drama at RTE, and one of the founders of the Everyman Palace Theatre. A UCC graduate, Mr Farmer spent time in Britain before returning to his native Cork to teach at the Presentation Brothers, where he had gone to school. I went to work as a teacher in Birmingham. I worked as a pork-pie maker, a goat herd. I worked at anything that would postpone doing a long-avoided MA degree, he told the Cork Examiner in 1984. It was during this spell in Cork, prior to moving to Dublin to join RTE, that Mr Farmer became involved in the Everyman. Denis McSweeney Chair of the Everyman Palace said the theatre learned of Mr Farmers passing with deep regret and offered his family and friends their sympathies. Donall was a member of Everyman Theatre from its foundation, Mr McSweeney said. During his years at UCC, he was involved in drama with John OShea and Prof Sean O Tuama, particularly in the latters Irish language plays. This lead to the founding of Compantas Chorcaighe, which became a constituent part of the Everyman Theatre in the mid-1960s. Donal was a powerful actor who commanded the stage with a fire and an intensity. He memorably played Poor Bitos in Jean Anouilhs play for Everyman at the Little Theatre in Castle St, Cork. His move to Dublin to join the national broadcaster lead to the great career which he enjoyed and the enrichment of theatre and drama life in this country on radio, television and stage. He carried the love of the Irish language with him on his journey and, dare we say, with others, ensured it a salient place in the broadcasters consciousness as well as its constant celebration on the stages of the national theatre. In many ways, we, in Everyman and our audiences, enjoy the legacy of the pioneering foundational work lovingly done by our predecessors, like Donall, in setting this project on its path over fifty years ago. Mr Farmer played Keever in RTEs landmark adaptation of James Plunketts 1913 lockout novel Strumpet City, and appeared in shows such as Remington Steele and Ballykissangel. He also served as a producer on The Riordans - the RTE soap that was the forerunner for Glenroe, for which Mr Farmer will be best remembered by audiences. Mario Rosenstock, who played vet David Hanlon in Glenroe, tweeted that Mr Farmer was a fine actor and terribly nice man. COAS Imran Khan discussed prevailing security situation in country ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa on Wednesday discussed the prevailing security situation in the country. Matters relating to the armed forces and overall security situation were discussed during the meeting, the Prime Minister Office said in a one-line statement on the meeting. A source at the PMO claimed that the talks were wide-ranging and covered the latest sedition cases against Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan leadership, ongoing counterterrorism operations under Raddul Fasaad and challenges on the external front. There was no independent verification of the agenda of the meeting. A day earlier, a military spokesman in a briefing to foreign journalists had said that there had been major progress on the security front. He had told the journalists that security situation in the country had largely improved through successful clearance operations and it was heading towards stability. Gwadar Port serve as gateway for the landlocked Central Asian: Jam Kamal Khan QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has said that Gwadar Port can serve as the gateway for the landlocked Central Asian states by providing them access to maritime routes and a trade corridor for doing business with all countries of the world. According to a statement issued by the Balochistan government, the chief minister was speaking at a meeting of heads of the Regions Forum of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) states in Chelyabinsk city of Russia on Wednesday. Pakistan and China are working together to develop the Gwadar Port to facilitate connectivity, trade and investment in the region and beyond, he added. The SCO comprises eight member states: Pakistan, China, Russia, India, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Four other states have observer status in the organisation. The SCOs major objectives include strengthening mutual confidence and good neighbourly relations, promoting effective cooperation in politics, trade and economy, science and technology, culture, education, energy, transportation, tourism and environmental protection. Prime Minister Imran Khan nominated Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan to represent Balochistan and Pakistan in the forum, while Punjab minister Mian Mohammad Aslam Iqbal, Kamran Khan Bangash, special assistant to the KP chief minister, and Aamir Shoakat, SCO director, accompanied the Pakistani delegation. The chief minister said that in the integrated world, regional organisations such as the SCO played an important role in coordinating actions and polices to ensure security, peace and development in the region. We are highly appreciative of the Russian Federation and Chelyabinsk region for bringing us together at this important platform, he said, adding that we would specially thank Mr Dubrovsky, Governor of Chelyabinsk region, for taking this initiative to host the first meeting of the forum. But, according to a groundbreaking new study by boffins at the International Monetary Fund, higher female labour force participation actually increases male wages. Lady in red: Julie Bishop's now-famous red shoes. Credit:AAP That might seem a bit odd, at first blush. Surely, an increase in the supply of total labour would act to depress wages? Turns out thats only true if you think men and women are perfectly interchangeable in the workplace; in the language of economists, if you think the elasticity of substitution between a female and a male worker is very high. Loading If thats true, and men and women are perfect substitutes for each other, then there is no benefit to having a rising proportion of women in the workforce that could not also be achieved by just having more men in the workforce. But - as much as it raises my feminist hackles to admit - men and women in todays society do tend to exhibit different behaviours. Whether thats nature or nurture, Id tend to fall firmly on the latter. But, at least for the time being, and in todays social setting, as the authors report: Women have been found to be more risk averse, reflecting greater fear of negative outcomes, and to be more averse to competition." Indeed, if you dig deep into complex data sets on relative productivity and gender participation rates across countries, like the boffins at the IMF have, it emerges that men and women are not perfect substitutes at least not in todays society. Women bring new skills to the workplace, they write in the study, 'Economic gains from gender inclusion: New mechanisms, new evidence'. This may reflect social norms and their impact on upbringing, social interactions, as well as differences in risk preferences and response to incentives. Turns out, men and women are complements rather than substitutes in the productive process. We tend to embody different skills that, when combined, make workplaces and economies more productive. This is significant, according to the boffins: As such, there is an economic benefit from diversity that is, from bringing women into the labour force, over and above the benefit resulting from simply having more workers. This hypothesis finds support in the data both cross-country macro data and firm-level data. Loading As a result, the authors find bigger potential gains to society from increasing gender parity than previous studies. The range of estimates for the elasticity of substitution implies that closing the gender gap in labour force participation could increase GDP by between 10 per cent and 80 per cent, depending on the initial value of female labour force participation. Importantly, its not just women who stand to gain, but men too. Why? Well, while its true that a bigger supply of labour would tend to depress wages, the boost to productivity resulting from the fact that men and women turn out to be complementary in the workforce more than offsets this. Our findings ... suggest that greater gender diversity is likely to boost male incomes. This makes discrimination against women in labour markets not only economically inefficient but also directly costly to men. Loading Countries like Ireland, which has seen a large increase in female participation, have enjoyed strong productivity gains. Similarly, productivity has been going backwards in some countries, like Morocco, where female labour force participation has stagnated at 25 per cent. Where does Australia sit in all this? Australias female participation rate now stands at 60.5 per cent, but still lags behind that of men at 71 per cent. This puts us close to the advanced world average. But when it comes to female participation in full-time employment, we are a clear laggard, with a higher proportion of women working two to three days a week. Thats costing us dearly, the reports findings suggest. The key message of this paper ... is that obstacles to women entering the labour force are even more costly than initially thought, and benefits from closing gender gaps are likely to be larger than initially thought. Importantly: These higher gains are preserved even when considering that home production would decline when women work in the market economy. As economies get richer, they naturally shift to become more service-based, and less brawn-based, helping to break down gender barriers. But to the extent they remain, barriers to female labour force participation (which include tax distortions, discrimination, and social/cultural factors) slow this process, reducing output and welfare. Analysts remain optimistic about the future of ASX-listed rare earths miner Lynas Corp, suggesting there may be ways around the onerous conditions put on the renewal of its operating licence in Malaysia. The stock dived as much as 26 per cent on Wednesday after the Malaysian government set the conditions, which include the removal of all 451,000 tonnes of radioactive residue produced by its $1 billion rare earths processing plant since it started operating in 2012. Residents display placards to protest against the construction of the Lynas earth plant in Malaysia's town of Kuantan. Credit:Reuters The Malaysian operating licence, which allows Lynas to process the rare earths there from ore mined in Western Australia, is up for renewal next September. Despite this, UBS has valued Lynas on a "business-as-usual basis" on the grounds that the problems are not insurmountable. Dairy farmers have reacted with fury after the former boss of one-time milk giant Murray Goulburn copped $200,000 in penalties after admitting the company lied about a likely payment to farmers for the 2016 season. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Thursday released a statement saying former Murray Goulburn managing director Gary Helou had agreed to pay $200,000 after admitting he was knowingly involved in the company's "false or misleading claims about the farmgate milk price it expected to pay dairy farmers during the 2015-16 milk season". Former Murray Goulburn chief executive Gary Helou. Credit:Wayne Taylor The maximum penalty for an individual under the Australian Consumer Law is $220,000 per contravention, while companies can face up to $1.1 million per contravention. The ACCC chose not to pursue a penalty against Murray Goulburn because, as a co-operative, the farmers who were harmed by the conduct would have ended up paying the fine. The penalty imposed against Mr Helou reflects his seniority at Murray Goulburn and involvement in misleading representations about the farmgate milk price, ACCC deputy chairman Mick Keogh said. Huawei's rapid ascendancy and perceived threat to the West, is on myriad levels a parable of our times. That's not just because it so perfectly mirrors the rise of China as a whole, together with the country's now pivotal role in the global economy. It is also because it is deeply symbolic of the way Western economies have surrendered their one-time leadership role across vast swathes of industry and technology, substituting short-sighted faith in the power of markets to allocate capital and resource for long-term industrial strategy. Technological leadership and expertise is slipping away, with the likes of Huawei ever more ready to capitalise on Western carelessness. This dates me, I know, but among the biggest names in UK industry when I came into financial journalism were Lord Weinstock of Marconi and GEC fame, Sir John Clark of Plessey and Sir Ernest Harrison of Racal. World-class businesses all at the cutting edge of communications technology, now lost in the mists of time, their intellectual property flogged off, stolen or obsolete, leaving the UK hostage to outsiders to provide the kit that oils the wheels of modern commerce and life. Originally almost wholly stolen from the West, Chinese technology is increasingly home-grown and even superior to Western counterparts, and 5G is a prime case in point; Ericsson, Nokia, and Cisco, the only three effective alternatives are nowhere close either on price or tech. Much the same thing is in danger of happening with electric vehicles and third-generation battery technology. Loading When Donald Trump complains about "Death by China", he's got a point. Western hegemony is under threat as never before. Nor is the threat just an economic one, as MI6's concern demonstrates. Heavy Chinese involvement in communications infrastructure is also a clear security risk, potentially enabling a foreign power to bring the country to its knees and engage in backdoor surveillance. None of this should be taken as criticism of Huawei itself. Led by the inspirational Ren Zhengfei, a former People's Liberation Army officer, Huawei is an impressive entrepreneurial achievement. Entirely owned by its staff, it employs an astonishing 80,000 in research and development alone. At more than $US13 billion ($18 billion) last year, the company's R&D budget is nearly a third as much as Britain's entire R&D expenditure. Few companies are as representative of the new China as Huawei. But do we really want our 5G infrastructure to be supplied by it? Perhaps regrettably, there seem few obvious alternatives. Britain would virtually have to start from scratch to develop competing technologies. It took more than 20 years for Huawei to get to where it is today, and that's with an almost inexhaustible supply of Chinese electrical engineers and software specialists to draw on. That skill set no longer exists on the scale necessary in today's Britain. Playing catch-up is no longer a realistic strategy. Yet if we follow the US and Australia into effectively barring Huawei, we are likely to end up with inferior and more expensive 5G networks, or possibly none at all on the short timescale currently envisaged, putting the UK at a competitive disadvantage. Technological leadership and expertise is slipping away, with the likes of Huawei ever more ready to capitalise on Western carelessness. Two possibilities occur. One is to beef up the current system of vetting Huawei equipment against external influence. Sensitivity about giving the government access to the company's code means that, almost unbelievably, the checks are currently done by Huawei's own employees, albeit British nationals who have been cleared by the security services. Nonetheless, the potential for conflict of interest is obvious. Yet the more important quid pro quo must be to demand much higher levels of inward investment from Huawei, this on the basis that if you cannot beat them, you should join and partner with them instead. Just one employer can lay claim to being among the top five every year on job site Glassdoor's annual ranking of the best places to work in the US - and no, it's not Google. Or Facebook. Or Apple. That badge of honour goes to Bain & Co, which also landed in the top spot for the fourth time this year on the 2019 ranking - the list's 11th year, which was released late on Tuesday. The global management consultancy was lauded by employees for things such as a supportive work environment and its compensation for employees in the reviews that form the basis of the ranking. Last year's No.1, Facebook, slipped to 7th, just ahead of Google. Credit:Dado Ruvic Missing from the top five for the first time since 2010 - though just behind it, and still in the top 10 - were any Silicon Valley heavyweights like Facebook (No. 7, and last year's No. 1) or Google (No. 8, which ranked No. 1 on the 2015 list). In a year when the search giant faced a protest walkout by more than 20,000 employees and the social media platform's leadership has come under a harsh spotlight for its handling of users' personal data and role in the 2016 election, one might assume the decline is a sign of worsening employee morale. But Glassdoor chief economist Andrew Chamberlain says the differences in scores on the list are too slight to make that interpretation based on the ranking's results alone. If you saw fire trucks rushing to the scene of a crash involving a light rail carriage on Thursday - rest assured, disaster did not strike. Canberra Metro and the Emergency Services Agency ran a drill testing the responses of paramedic and fire crews to a fake crash involving a light rail vehicle and a car. Canberra Metro and the ACT Emergency Services Agency staged a car versus light rail vehicle crash to test the responses of firefighters and paramedics. Credit:ACT government The tests - which ran for 2.5 hours - included a series of staged accidents at the intersection of Flemington Road and Mapleton Avenue in Harrison. Police, fire and ambulance crews attended the scene as they would a normal accident. Johannes Vermeer, whose acute eye captured the quiet beauty of Dutch domestic life, was not a prolific artist just 36 paintings are widely acknowledged as his work. Still, anyone who wanted to see them all had to travel far and wide to locations including New York, London, Paris and, currently, Sydney, where one work is on loan to the Art Gallery of New South Wales until now. Johannes Vermeer's "Woman Reading a Letter" is on loan to the Art Gallery of NSW. The Mauritshuis museum in The Hague, which owns what is perhaps Vermeer's best-known masterpiece, "Girl With a Pearl Earring", has teamed up with Google Arts & Culture in Paris to build an augmented-reality app that creates a virtual museum featuring all the artist's works. For the app, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has contributed images of all five of its Vermeer masterpieces, while the National Gallery of Art in Washington and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, each with four, have also given photographs of theirs. Imran Khan address at Alarming Growth in Population in Pakistan 06 December, 2018 Related News Imran Khan distributed loan cheques under Kamyab Jawan Programme PTI govt to face all challenges coming its way: Imran khan More on this View All Top 2021 Accessories We Know You Will Love Types of Casino Payment Methods Tips for Taking Incredible iPhone Travel Photos Best Poker Hands ever played on a Casino Are Slot Developers Important for players? Hand Wash and Toiletries in Pakistan And the Role of DUPAS in Reshaping the Industry Ways that Players Used to Take Advantage of Slot Sites ISLAMABAD: Describing the rule of law as the foundation of a civilized society to move forward and achieve development, Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said democracy and rule of law move in tandem. Speaking at a national symposium titled Alarming Growth in Population in Pakistan, the prime minister hailed the Supreme Court decision in Panama Papers case as a landmark judgment which, he said, laid the foundation for Naya Pakistan. He regretted that rule of law in Pakistan could not be ensured in the past as dictators had been trying to become democrats while democratic leaders became dictators. He said the current period was the start of a best era in which the judiciary was taking up the matters of water scarcity, population control and others which the democratic government should had done. He said it was unfortunate that the democratic governments with their short-term thinking only thought about five years so that they could win the election after their tenures. The establishment of furnace-oil based power generation plants in the country was an example of such short-term thinking, he added. The prime minister recalled that the construction of Mangla and Tarbela dams during the government of Ayub Khan were good examples of long-term planning, adding that with good education system, effective bureaucracy, the country was moving ahead back in the 60s. The prime minister recalled that Kam Bachay Khushhal Ghanara was a good campaign on population control. Alluding to the issue of unprecedented population growth, he maintained that it was inextricably linked to the environmental hazards, food security and loss of greenery. The recent Paris conference on environment had set the alarming bells ringing for the third world countries, especially Pakistan which had been severely affected with the global warming and currently ranked as the seventh most affected country in the world, he added, and stressed that such issues should be taught at the school levels. The prime minister said his government was concentrating on some of the urgent issues confronted by the country, including the economy. All the provincial governments were on board over the population issue as the task forces had been set up. He said the issue required determination as it was half heartedly tackled by the previous regimes. The issue can be effectively addressed if all the stakeholders own it, he emphasized and cited examples of Bangladesh and Iran where ulema played their role from the platform of mosques. The prime minister acknowledged that the legislation was required to do away with the colonial era legal frameworks like CPC and CrPC. His government within the first hundred days had done work in that regard and would soon introduce at least six legal amendments in the parliament over CPC and CrPC, he added. He stressed for revamping of the outdated and obsolete legal provisions and laws. The prime minister on behalf of the whole nation appreciated the chief justice of Pakistan for taking up such human rights issues. He said the Panama Papers case verdict had set the new direction of rule of law in the country as it made a sitting prime minister accountable for the first in the countrys history. He said for the first time, the Capital Development Authority was proceeding with the issue of regularization of a prime ministers residence. Imagining such thing in the past was impossible, he added. The prime minister struck a note of optimism that the country would soon move past the current financial and economic issues as it was immensely gifted with vast potentials. The foreign investors were eager to invest in Pakistan despite knowing the current difficult phase through which the country had been passing, he added. Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar in his speech maintained that the unchecked population growth entailed disastrous consequences which would further shrunk the countrys resources drastically in the coming decades. He requested the prime minister to look into the facts as to why more dams had not been constructed in the last 60 years. He also regretted that there was no water management system in the country and referred to draining of the aquifers by the bottled companies as per year, about 7 billion gallons of underground water was being extracted. He said spread of knowledge and education, besides change in the way of thinking, were imperative for addressing such issues. He said the population growth was the most serious issue as after 30 years the countrys population was projected at 450 million. The chief justice said time had come to bring reforms in the law and increase the number of judges in the country. He said the law dating back to the 19th century was being practiced in the country. To run the country, parliament is the supreme institution, he said, lamenting that eons had passed but legislation was not made. Now the time has come to bring reforms in the law. We will have to increase the number of judges and update the judicial structure, he added, and stressed the need for assistance from the prime minister and parliament in this regard. The judiciary cant bear this burden now that a case is heard for years and years, he said, adding that it was high time to quit the practice of boycotting the parliamentary proceedings. He also called for providing the judiciary tools necessary to fulfill the modern-day requisites. BISP Chairperson Dr Sania Nishtar, former minister Javed Jabbar, John Bangaarts of Population Growth, and renowned religious scholar Maulana Tariq Jameel also spoke on the occasion. Australia's chief scientist, Alan Finkel, has accused universities of setting students up to fail by giving them an "unacceptable" lack of guidance about subject choice in senior high school. Dr Finkel also warned parents that it was cruel to let children give up on maths before they understood the consequences of that decision. His comments come as Sydney University maintained its share of early university preferences in NSW despite insisting on a band four in HSC mathematics for anyone intending to study economics, engineering or science from next year. Chief Scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, says parents are cruel to let children stop studying maths before they understand the ramifications of that decision Credit:Rohan Thomson In a speech delivered to the Mathematical Association of Victoria conference on Friday, Dr Finkel said a failure to insist on prerequisites sent the message that students could "game" the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR). A self-styled spiritual healer who leads a "socially harmful cult" used costly defamation proceedings to inflict pain upon and intimidate a woman who exposed him in online posts and should be ordered to pay the bulk of her legal costs after losing the case, her lawyer has told the NSW Supreme Court. Serge Benhayon, a former Sydney tennis coach who heads the Lismore-based business Universal Medicine, spectacularly lost his defamation case against blogger Esther Rockett in October this year over claims he is "dishonest", a "charlatan who makes fraudulent medical claims", and the leader of a "socially harmful cult". Serge Benhayon outside the Supreme Court during his defamation case against Esther Rockett. Credit:AAP A four-person jury found Ms Rockett, a former Byron Bay-based acupuncturist who was tipped into bankruptcy by legal action linked to Mr Benhayon and his associates, had established a defence of truth to those claims and a host of defamatory meanings pleaded by him, including that he "intentionally indecently touched" her and a number of other clients during treatment sessions. The costly proceedings had been running since 2015 and centred on a series of blog posts and tweets by Ms Rockett starting in November 2014. After a six-week trial the jury has retired to consider its verdict in a case which has featured a cast of murderers behaving badly. One organiser of a contract killing has admitted trying to double-cross another murderer using the services of two about-to-be murderers. On Wednesday the jury of seven women and five men began deliberations on the fates of prisoners Lucky Gattellari and his onetime cell-mate Shayne Hatfield. Lucky Gattellari. Credit:Fairfax The two men have pleaded not guilty to attempting to defraud wealthy property developer Ron Medich, who was facing his own trial for murder. Gattellari, who gave evidence at the trial, admitted he attempted to trap Medich into accepting a bribe or perverting the course of justice. He said that the police were going to be on hand to take the money when Medich offered it. A man has died and a woman has been left seriously injured after two cars crashed into separate south-east Queensland buildings within 80 minutes of each other on Thursday. It is believed the deceased man in his 70s had a medical episode while driving in Coorparoo, where he was assessed by paramedics on scene but not taken to hospital. Emergency services were called to a crash at Coorparoo where a man was in critical condition and a female passenger was taken to hospital. Credit:Anthony Laughton, 4BC A female passenger, believed to be a family member, was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a stable condition. A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics waited for a trapped patient to be freed by firefighters after the vehicle reportedly rolled into a building on Old Cleveland Road and Shakespeare Street about 11.25am. Two children have been taken to the Queensland Children's Hospital in a serious condition after a multi-vehicle crash on the Pacific Motorway in Brisbane's south, which has caused northbound traffic delays. Three adults were also assessed by paramedics on scene. Pacific Motorway traffic in Brisbane's south after a multi-vehicle crash in Queensland. Firefighters were working towards freeing three people with their cutting gear following the incident, involving three cars. Police are urging motorists to avoid the Tanah Merah area as three lanes are closed, about one kilometre northbound of the Paradise Road off ramp. Police have released CCTV vision and a computer-generated image of a man who stalked a Brisbane teenager and made inappropriate comments to her. On two occasions last month, the man lay in wait on the same route and when the 18-year-old girl walked by he approached her and started talking to her. The man, similar to the inset computer-generated image, got out of the hatchback as the teenager walked past. Credit:Queensland Police Service Both incidents took place about 7.45am on Tigress Street in Riverhills in Brisbane's south-west, with the first sometime between November 13 and 15 and the second on November 29. On both occasions, the teenager ended the conservation and walked away. A Queensland custodial officer and a former prison employee have been accused of trafficking drugs after an investigation into allegations staff from a privately operated prison were involved in sourcing and supplying steroids A Brisbane man and two men from Leichardt in Sydney's inner west were charged on Thursday afternoon and expected to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday. The men, including a custodial officer, were charged with drug offences and other serious offences following two raids in Leichardt, and Banyo, in Brisbane's north, by the Crime and Corruption Commission. A 25-year-old Banyo man was charged with trafficking dangerous drugs, possession of a dangerous drug, unlawful possession of weapons, possession of property suspected of being proceeds of an offence and possessing a restricted item. A 26-year-old Leichardt man, who is employed as a custodial officer, has been charged with trafficking dangerous drugs, possession of a dangerous drug and unlawful possession of weapons. Until the five-year study ecologists thought they lived in five locations. The northern bettong now lives in just two locations; the Lamb Range, inland from Cairns, and Mt Spurgeon, further north, in the Mossman hinterland. Northern bettong caught by one of the 585 cameras in the three years of field work. The marsupial has been reduced to live in a 145-square-kilometre area in the forests of Queenslands tropical mountain ranges west of Cairns. The northern bettong is classified as endangered but researchers have suggested they should be classified as critically endangered. The report executive concludes the northern bettong's "meta-population" in the Lamb Range could become extinct within the next 10 years. The Lamb Range is the northern bettong's most stable population. James Cook University lecturer Dr Sandra Abell said the team trapped 188 northern bettongs in the Lamb Range and estimated there was a stable population of about 2500. "The good news is that the tropical bettong is stable in their core habitat," Dr Abell said. "Nevertheless, actual numbers are likely to be at most 2500, which is much lower than the 5000-10,000 estimated in their original 'endangered' status listing with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature," Dr Abell said. Researchers found 77 different species of truffles within the faeces, of the northern bettong, meaning they have a valuable role in regenerating forest trees. Habitat clearing is not the biggest danger to the endangered species. This time it is cats. Feral cats. "An increase in juvenile mortality rate, particularly from predation by feral cats, was the greatest threat to the northern bettongs survival," the study finds. Poor fire burning techniques and feral pigs digging up grasslands in the tall forest understory were also major problems. Wildlife ecologist Caitlin Weatherstone Credit:Stephanie Todd Byron Bay wildlife ecologist Caitlin Weatherstone was one of the principal authors of the five-year study and spent months setting traps and tracking the northern bettong. She said while it was difficult to find the feral cats, the teams researchers believe they were the critical threat to the northern bettong. "Cats are highly intelligent and they are difficult to capture on camera," Ms Weatherstone said. "They smell humans and they just know not to go near cameras," she said. However, feral cats were found at 40 per cent of the 11 crucial locations in the three years of field research during the five-year study. The problem is the small northern bettong, which weighs about one kilogram, is perfect prey for feral cats, she said. "Cats and dogs just love them this size," the ecologist said. Feral cats are the major threat to the northern bettong. Credit:Stephanie Todd. Cattle and feral pigs were also found at 80 per cent of the study areas. The pigs can compete for the truffles and the pigs and cattle also have an impact by altering habitat. Dr Susan Nuske from James Cook University said the role of the northern bettong was irreplaceable in spreading the forest truffles. "By eating so many unique species, the northern bettong plays an irreplaceable role in spreading truffle fungi," Dr Nuske said. "This role is not fulfilled by other fungi-eating mammals in the same forest," she said. "Our analysis suggests that this food web is sensitive to the extinction of mammals like the northern bettong. Some criminals may be eligible for compensation if they were wrongly convicted because of the Informer 3838 scandal, Premier Daniel Andrews says. No one is happy I think to be even contemplating the notion of having to see people walk free, let alone walk free with a compensation cheque, he said. Tony Mokbel, who was a client of Informer 3838. Credit:AAP Mr Andrews told reporters it was becoming increasingly clear that a royal commission was exactly the right thing to do in response to the scandal. He said a royal commission would provide clarity on how many convictions were unsafe and how many people had been affected by the Informer 3838 scandal. Firefighters battle a 40-hectare bushfire in Buninyong, near Ballarat. Credit:Lachlan Bence/Ballarat Courier A raging bushfire that threatened lives and properties in Ballarat on Thursday has been brought under control, but a total fire ban is in place for parts of the state on Friday with the mercury tipped to hit 40 degrees. The first inferno of the summer, which broke out at Buninyong and Scotsburn in the state's west, was brought under control just before 11pm on Friday. About 300 firefighters, fixed-wing tankers and three water bombing helicopters battled the blaze throughout the afternoon and evening. Most of the crews were sent home overnight, with just seven trucks remaining on scene. However, more crews from other regions were expected to provide support on Friday morning. Nawaz Sharif made 25 private foreign trips: Shahzad Akbar ISLAMABAD: .Nawaz Sharif has made 25 private foreign trips during his rule from 2013 to 2018 on taxpayers money of Rs250 million, the prime ministers adviser on accountability, Shahzad Akbar, said at a press conference on Thursday. Mr Akbar, who is also head of the Assets Recovery Unit (ARU), said that of these 25 foreign trips, some were made to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah along with family members and friends. Although Mr Sharif is a rich man, even then he performed Umrah on taxpayers money, he said. The adviser also gave details of misuse of official aircraft for private tours by Mr Sharif, saying his one Umrah trip cost Rs35m. Responding to a question, he said the ARU had completed its investigation into the private foreign visits of the former premier and referred it to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) as a fresh case of misuse of authority. Some other cases of misuse of authority are already being investigated against Nawaz Sharif and it will be the fresh one and will be dealt with separately by NAB, he added. Mr Akbar claimed that under a recently signed agreement on exchange of information about assets of citizens, the Swiss authorities would provide details of Pakistanis assets stashed in Switzerland within the next six weeks. He said the treaty had been pending for the last five years and the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had intentionally ignored it. The adviser alleged that the PML-N rulers had avoided signing the agreement to save their own skin, otherwise details of their assets in Swiss banks could have been exposed. He said the government had information that after the Panama Papers leaks most of the Pakistanis had shifted their money and assets from Switzerland to other countries. As a result, we have sought details of Pakistanis assets of the last five years from Swiss authorities. In reply to a question, Mr Akbar said that details of Swiss bank accounts were also available with the German authorities and, therefore, the German government was also being contacted to get such details. He said the government had also prepared a draft protocol to be signed with the British Virgin Islands (BVI) authorities and expressed the hope that the details of assets of Pakistanis in the United Kingdom would also be shared with the Pakistan government. During Panama Papers leaks investigation, we faced disappointment that the British Virgin Islands did not provide us details of assets of Pakistanis, but once the protocol is signed, the required information will also be received from there, he added. The prime ministers adviser said the protocol would be presented in the federal cabinet which was likely to formally approve initiation of negotiations with the British authorities in its next meeting. The St Kilda foreshore on Christmas Day in 2017. Police will flood the St Kilda foreshore as a two-day heatwave hits the city, coinciding with a new summer booze ban. Violence along the foreshore often spikes in warmer weather, police say, which has prompted the City of Port Phillip council to ban alcohol on the foreshore after a series of alarming attacks in recent weeks. Melburnians will sweat through a scorching couple of days, and a very warm night, with Thursday set to hit 35 degrees and Friday tipped to reach 38 degrees. "Tonight, we have significant resources deployed along the St Kilda foreshore and into the entertainment precincts... we have invested heavily for the next couple of days. It is quite hot," Inspector Jason Kelly told 3AW Radio on Thursday. Three police officers charged with unlawfully assaulting a disability pensioner during a welfare check at his home are to fight allegations they used excessive force. The officers, Brad McLeod, John Patrick Edney and Florian Hilgart, fronted Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday after they were charged by Victorias anti-corruption commission in the wake of The Age publishing footage showing the pensioner, John, pinned down by a group of officers on his front lawn and struck. An image from CCTV showing police pinning pensioner John to the ground. Six officers went to Johns Preston home on September 19 last year on a welfare check after the mans psychologist rang triple zero concerned about his mental health. A CCTV security camera captured John opening his front door to plead with police to leave, having initially refused to open the door. When he pushed aside a policemans hand he was grabbed by police, dragged out and forced to the ground. "I dont have enough people to call for a drought declaration its a small part of the Southern," he said. "In the past 20 years, there was a tiny bit of farmers getting $10,000 to $20,000 (assistance packages) but nothing specific. We havent had any significant drought so we have to rely on our own resources." Mr Griffiths said he sent a long letter to WA Agriculture Minister Alannah McTiernans office, dated November 27, asking for household financial assistance, a drought pilot program and grants to build additional dams for preservation. Ms McTiernans office told WAtoday assistance was available without a drought declaration and pointed to the Farm Household Allowance payments, an income and assets-based financial package. But for farmers like Mr Griffiths, going through the process of proving his income and assets, as well as the time taken to call the hotline, remains troublesome. "After my income was null in 2017, I rung them up, they put me on hold for four hours," he said. "The forms we figured we needed a financial counselor and it was too much of a task. Plus, we feared that our previous years good income would disqualify us." A spokesman at the Federal Department of Agriculture said the payment was a point-in-time system that didn't take into account the previous years income. "The FHA is an uncapped, demand-driven program," he said. "Farmers should not self-assess their eligibility for FHA, with the free Rural Financial Counselling Service able to assist farmers in applying." In terms of application difficulty, the spokesman said the application had been cut by a third and eligibility criteria was at the front. Jeff McTaggart says the drought has hit the community hard right down to schools. Stress levels are at a peak. Credit:Tony Griffiths In the application, net assets cant surpass five million and couples must have a combined income of under $52,000 to receive payouts. However, Jeff McTaggart, a farming contractor whose contracts have halved with the bad crop season, says such assistances dont cross farmers' minds. "I havent looked that far myself. Ill sum it all up when my accounts come in," he said. "You dont want to be the first one to receive a bail-out. Its always pride that gets in the way of business decisions." Mr McTaggart said he and his wife had saved up enough to weather this season's tough spell. Sheeps don't have enough feed in the current drought situation. With the high grain prices, it's becoming difficult for farmers to get an adequate supply without loosing too much. Credit:Tony Griffiths "My wife works at a local school, four days a week so we have a little bit of that extra cheque. Even farmers, in the good years, they have to save anything the tax department doles out," he said. Mr McTaggart has cut down labour costs to only two people and has performed five to six full night shifts himself in the past two weeks to cope. Sheep Producers Australia chief executive Graham Smith said the gap between the governments services and farmers had become an increasing problem. "They need to find new ways to engage farmers better broadband, the ability for us to use mobile phones in low signal, rural areas," he said. "State governments need to work more with farming organisations to indicate whats available. "Sometimes, its better to tell a farming group; farmer-to-farmer would go down a lot better." A spokeswoman for the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said the department was working with groups like Fitzgerald Biosphere to help producers. "The staff provide producer groups with cropping, pasture and livestock technical information to assist producers with decision making in tough times," she said. She said farmers in trouble should enrol in the free five-to-six day Plan, Prepare Workshops to handle seasonal variability. One farming family in Jerramungup has already reached out. Mr Griffiths has indicated interest in attending the workshop too. However Belinda Lay, a farmer in the Country Womans Association WA, said fear of government interest meant more may look towards keeping silent or sourcing non-state grant options. "When you reach out to a government handout, you're on their radar, theyll want to know what you're doing and you can lose your autonomy. At CWA, weve made our $5000 grant application process anonymous," she said. "Farming is quite isolated. Being able to get help without disclosing to everybody is important." Labor MP Emma Husar on Thursday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Labor MP Emma Husar is suing media site BuzzFeed and journalist Alice Workman for publishing what she says were slut-shaming smears that she was not given opportunity to respond to before they went viral. Clearly emotional, Ms Husar gave a personal explanation to Parliament as the sittings came to a close for the year. She did not say whether she would fight the Labor Party to retain endorsement to contest her western Sydney seat at the next election, amid speculation she could also quit and run as an independent. Ms Husar said BuzzFeed had only approached her for a response to 48 questions one minute after the article was published. "I had no chance to refute, nor respond." Federal Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer has accused the Labor Party of running a "protection racket" for union thugs, after the High Court threw out a CFMMEU appeal against a decision to impose maximum fines on the union and its law-breaking official. The militant Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union had sought leave to appeal a full Federal Court decision imposing a maximum $306,000 fine against the union, and $10,200 against the official who abused a site manager while breaching right-of-entry laws. Industrial Relations Minister Kelly O'Dwyer says Labor must distance itself from the militant CFMMEU. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The High Court ordered the CFMMEU to pay the Australian Building and Construction Commissions legal costs of defending the application, which had sought to challenge the penalty imposed on the union and its former Queensland president Dave Hanna. Mr Hanna was found to have breached right of entry laws at a Brisbane construction site, squirting water in the face of the site manager and refusing to leave while firing off obscenities in the 2015 incident, saying: "Take that phone away or I'll f---ing bury it down your throat." Tackling myths about domestic and family violence in the LGBTIQ community will be the focus of a Queensland government campaign. Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Di Farmer said the issue did not discriminate. A state government campaign will target domestic violence among LGBTIQ couples. Credit:Alamy "Research shows that LGBTIQ people suffer domestic and family violence at the same rates, or perhaps even higher, than the broader community," she said. "Research also shows they can experience unique forms of abuse and may be reluctant to seek help." "This is a new day for the Victorian Liberal Party," Mr O'Brien said. "We've got work to do. We were sent a message at the ballot box. We've heard that message and we are going to work to make sure that we are better." The new leader defended some of the policies the opposition took to the election, such as mandatory rehabilitation for drug-addicted youth offenders, and solar panels for state schools, but said the electorate "just didn't know about them". He also said there should be no argument about climate change, only on the best way to deal with it. Lets not have an argument over whether its happening or not, Mr OBrien said. Lets have a contest of good ideas about how we can best address it." He also said Matthew Guy, who led the Victorian Coalition to its heaviest defeat since 2002, would have a place on his front bench if he wanted one. Mr Guy declined to comment on Thursday. Ms McLeish, one of just three Liberal women in the new lower house, said the party had much work to do to reconnect with the community and strengthen its brand. It also needed to work towards greater diversity, she said. Thats not just women. We need to look at other groups as well [that] we need to connect with. Former leader Matthew Guy leaves the Liberal party room on Thursday. Credit:Paul Jeffers Most Liberal MPs who spoke to media on the way into Parliament House on Thursday morning took a view that voters had punished the party for a range of issues, including energy policy, the safe injecting room and federal leadership changes. Tim Smith, the former shadow education minister, said he would reflect personally on his stance against the medically supervised drug injecting room in Richmond. He had always believed putting the centre next to a primary school was unacceptable, but it was clear most voters did not agree, Mr Smith said. Former upper house leader Mary Wooldridge said she had held concerns for some time that the party was leaning too far to the right. Ive always been concerned about the push within the party to head out to the right on so many levels, Ms Wooldridge said. We will win government when we reflect the majority of Victorians views and in that regard we need to have a range of moderate views and good Liberal values. Upper house MP Bernie Finn was less convinced, arguing the campaign, not the partys policies, were the problem. That campaign that we went through was a disgrace, he said. One that, from my experience, and my first campaign was 1974, was the worst campaign Ive ever experienced in terms of communicating with the electorate. He dismissed criticism that the Liberal Party had failed to put enough women in winnable seats, leading to a dearth of female representation in the parliament. If the Labor Party and the Greens want to have more women in the party, what they should have done was not defeated them, Mr Finn said. Former treasurer Michael O'Brien is the Liberals' new leader. Credit:Joe Armao Beijing: Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon is the latest high-profile Western political figure to be befriended by the Chinese billionaire fugitive Guo Wengui. But Guo's record in Australia is a darker story. Guo Wengui, aka Miles Kwok: "The vast majority are in Australia. That's our battlefield." Credit:Screengrab/Voice of America Two weeks ago Bannon and Guo announced in New York they would set up a $US100 million fund to find evidence of corruption and publish accusations in the media, and help victims of the Chinese government. The fund was announced within hours of another $US1.1 billion of Guo's assets being frozen in Hong Kong by the courts. Guo lives in New York and is a member of Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago club. But last year a Melbourne property developer who says he was persecuted by Guo for six years lodged a petition with the White House requesting Guo be deported to China to face justice. A United States Border Patrol agent who confessed to killing four sex workers told investigators he wanted to "clean up the streets" of his Texas border hometown, a prosecutor said on Wednesday while announcing that a grand jury had indicted the man for capital murder. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said he will seek the death penalty for the September slayings and that evidence presented to the grand jury showed Juan David Ortiz killed the women "in a cold, callous and calculating way." Juan David Ortiz, a US Border Patrol supervisor, confessed to killing four women. Credit:Webb County Sheriffs Office "The scheme in this case, from Ortiz's own words, was to clean up the streets of Laredo by targeting this community of individuals who he perceived to be disposable, that no one would miss and that he did not give value to," Alaniz said at a news conference. Alaniz said Ortiz, 35, believed law enforcement didn't do enough to curb sex work, so he was "doing a service" by killing the women. He believed the trips were organised by other veterans, but that puzzled him, because this group spent money like no veterans group he'd ever worked with. There were private hotel rooms, open bars, free dinners. Then, Garcia said, one of the organisers who had been drinking mini-bar champagne mentioned a Saudi prince. Loading "I said, 'Oh, we were just used to give Trump money,' " Garcia said. The Washington firm Qorvis/MSLGroup, which has long represented the Saudi government in the United States, paid the organisers of the "veterans fly-in" trips, according to lobbying disclosure forms. The firm declined to comment. The Saudi Embassy did not respond to questions for this story. Trump hotel executives, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss their clients, said they were unaware at the time that Saudi Arabia was ultimately footing the bill and declined to comment on the rates they offer to guests. The existence of the Saudi-funded stays at Trump's hotel were reported by several news outlets last year. But reviews of emails, agendas and disclosure forms from Saudi lobbyists and interviews in recent months with two dozen veterans provide far more detail about the extent of the trips and the organisers' interactions with veterans than have previously been reported. That reporting showed a total of six trips, during which the groups grew larger after the initial visit and the stays increased over time. The Post estimated that the Saudi government paid for more than 500 nights in Trump hotel rooms, based on planning documents and agendas given to the veterans and conversations with organisers. Loading These transactions have become ammunition for plaintiffs in two lawsuits alleging that Trump violated the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause by taking payments from foreign governments. On Tuesday, the attorneys general in Maryland and the District subpoenaed 13 Trump business entities and 18 competing businesses, largely in search of records of foreign spending at the hotel. Earlier this year, the Trump Organisation donated about $US151,000 to the US Treasury, saying that was its amount of profits from foreign governments, without explaining how it arrived at that number. The Justice Department, defending Trump in the lawsuits, says the Constitution doesn't bar routine business transactions. Next year, the transactions will also face scrutiny from the House's new Democratic majority. Democrats have said they want to understand Trump's business connections with the Saudi government in the aftermath of the killing of Post contributing columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Turkey. "Foreign countries understand that they can curry favour with the President by patronising his businesses," said Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff, who will lead the House Intelligence Committee next year. "It presents a real problem, in that it may work." The White House declined to comment. When these trips began, in late 2016, the Saudi government was on a losing streak in Washington. In late September, Congress had overridden a veto from President Barack Obama and passed a law the Saudis vehemently opposed: the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, called JASTA. The new law, backed by the families of September 11 victims, opened the door to costly litigation alleging that the Saudi government bore some blame. Of the 19 hijackers involved in the attacks, 15 were Saudi citizens. The death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has prompted Democrats to examine Trump's business connections with the Saudi government. Credit:AP In response, the Saudis tried something new. To battle one of America's most revered groups - the September 11 families - they recruited allies from another. They went looking for veterans. "Welcome Home Brother!" wrote Jason Johns, an Army veteran and Wisconsin lobbyist, to several veterans in December 2016, according to identical emails two veterans shared with The Post. Johns invited the veterans, whom he did not know personally, on a trip to "storm the Hill" to lobby against the law. "Lodging at the Trump International Hotel, all expense paid," Johns wrote in the emails. Johns' email signature said he was with "N.M.L.B. Veterans Advocacy Group," which is Johns' law firm in Madison, Wisconsin. According to filings with the Justice Department, Johns was actually making the overtures on behalf of the Saudi government. The Saudis' longtime lobbyist, Qorvis, was paying Gibson, who in turn was paying Johns. The first trip Johns organised, in mid-November 2016, was small and short: about 22 veterans, staying two nights at the Westin in Crystal City, Virginia - on the other side of the Potomac River, separated from Capitol Hill by six kilometres and one big traffic jam. Gibson - who helped organised the trips - said another fly-in was held at the Westin later the same month. Then, on December 2, 2016, Gibson said he was told by Qorvis to organise another visit on very short notice - with the attendees to arrive in just a few days. Gibson said the Westin was booked. So were many other hotels he tried. Loading "I just out of the blue decided, 'Why not call the Trump hotel?'" he said. "I said I was representing a client, a group of veterans... Did they offer any discounts for veterans? And they said yes, they did have availability." They also offered a lower rate, he said. After that trip, Gibson said, Qorvis asked him to schedule more trips for 2017. They didn't tell him to go back to the Trump hotel. But the first trip had gone well. So he did. In all, there were five more trips in January and February, according to documents and interviews. The number of attendees rose to 50 on one trip in late January, and the trips extended to three nights, according to agendas sent to veterans. That also was the clients' call. Gibson said he never told any Trump hotel staff that the Saudis were paying: "I did all this on my corporate credit card for my client, who was Qorvis, and said I was bringing a group of veterans to work on legislation." Veterans who attended these trips said a few things surprised them. One was how good their group seemed to be at spending money. "We've done hundreds of veterans events, and we've stayed in Holiday Inns and eaten Ritz Crackers and lemonade. And we're staying in this hotel that costs $US500 a night," said Dan Cord, a Marine veteran. "I'd never seen anything like this. They were like, 'That's what's so cool! Drink on us.'" Each trip included one, and sometimes two, dinners in a Trump hotel banquet room. There was usually an open bar in the room, veterans said, and it was always supposed to end at a certain hour - but often, they said, Johns would theatrically declare an extension. "He'd be like, 'You know what, just put it on for another hour!'" said Scott Bartels, an Army veteran from Wisconsin who went on three trips. Another surprise, veterans said, was how bad their group seemed to be at lobbying. Veterans said they were told that the new law might cause other countries to retaliate, and might lead to US veterans being prosecuted overseas for what their units had done in war. They were given a few fact sheets - including one with small print at the bottom, reading "This is distributed by Qorvis MSLGROUP on behalf of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia". Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (left) booked out rooms at the Trump Hotel during a March 2018 trip to the US. Credit:AP But they said they weren't given detailed briefings about how the law ought to be amended, or policy briefings to leave behind for legislators to study. The timing also was odd. They returned five times in January and February, when the issue was largely dormant and Washington was distracted by a new president's inauguration. They were sent, again and again, for dead-end meetings with legislators who had made up their minds. "The fourth time I saw Grassley's guy, he was like, 'Hey, what [else] is going on?' We didn't even talk about the bill," said Robert Suesakul, an Army veteran from Iowa, about his fourth visit to the office of Republican Senator Charles Grassley. It had been clear after the first trip that Grassley wasn't interested in amending the bill. "It didn't make sense hitting these guys a fourth time." Another problem: In some cases, congressional staffers confronted them because they knew who was funding these trips. Even if the veterans did not. "We'd walk in there, and they'd go, 'Are you the veterans that are getting bribed?'" Suesakul said. In a phone interview, Johns said it was disappointing to hear veterans say they were "duped" and that he'd always made clear, at the opening night's dinner, that the Saudi government was paying. He said the veterans in attendance were all told that if they didn't like it they could go home. "I said, 'Look, I'm a fellow vet, and I am working with a PR firm here, and Saudi Arabia funded [the trip]'," Johns said. But another organiser, Army veteran Dustin Tinsley, didn't remember Johns telling everyone about the Saudi involvement. He did say he felt veterans should have done their own research or asked. Loading "When I was asked directly, 'Is Saudi Arabia paying for this?' I would say yes, and out of [all of them] not a single one of them said, 'I don't want to be a part of this'," Tinsley said. Several veterans disputed Johns' account, saying they were not told of the source of the funding - or that the news had only slipped out later, after repeated questioning or a strong drink. "One of the guys had a little too much to drink," said Gary Ard, a Navy veteran from Texas, describing an encounter with one of Johns' aides after the aide had been drinking at the Trump hotel. "He kind of raises up his hands, and he says, 'Thank you, Saudi prince!'" Ard quit going after two trips. He said he felt guilty, for having unwittingly gathered political intelligence for a foreign power. "We're taking that heart-to-heart conversation [with legislators], writing it down, and giving it to a group of people whom I don't know," Ard said. "And my fear in that is we're going to create a pool of insight to what congressmen, what senators can be approached, and what their mindset are. And that's completely wrong." Loading The last trip to the Trump hotel was in mid-February 2017, after the first news reports outed Johns as a Saudi contractor. Johns himself said he wasn't sure how much the trips had cost; the bills for the hotel rooms didn't go to him, and he never saw how much the rooms cost. In a filing with the Justice Department - required of US firms working as agents for foreign powers - Qorvis said it had spent $US190,000 on lodging at the Trump hotel, and another $US82,000 on catering and parking. Pakistan knows,no peace in Afghanistan without USA assistance: Lt Gen Kenneth F. McKenzie WASHINGTON: A senior US general has informed Congress that Pakistan knows very clearly there can be no peace in Afghanistan without their assistance and the United States has to make it attractive for them to cooperate. Lt Gen Kenneth F. McKenzie, the next commander of the US Central Command, also said at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday that the death toll of Afghan security forces was unsustainable and thats why a peace deal was needed. Their losses have been very high. They are fighting hard, but their losses are not going to be sustainable unless we correct this problem, Lt Gen McKenzie told the Senate Armed Services Committee. Senator Mazie Keiko Hirono, a Hawaii Democrat, introduced the Pakistan factor in the debate when she asked the general why he believed Pakistan had a role in the Afghan peace process. Are there any indications that Pakistan wishes to play that kind of a role? the senator asked. I do believe that any solution in Afghanistan is going to require the assistance of Pakistan. It has to be a regional solution, not just a solution centred in Afghanistan, Gen McKenzie replied. He said Pakistan would be interested in playing this role because its in Pakistans long-term interests to have a government in Afghanistan that is stable, that they can do business with. But Gen McKenzie also acknowledged that Pakistan has not shown indications, by and large, over the last few years, of being a serious partner in this regard. US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad was meeting Pakistani leaders to find some way forward, he said, noting that it will be hard to reach a settlement without some form of assistance in Pakistan. And you say that Pakistan has still not acknowledged that it has a potential major role to play, Senator Hirono asked. Pakistan knows very clearly that their assistance will be required to reach an end state in Afghanistan. I think the task that we have is to make it attractive to them so that they see that it is in their best interests to do that, Gen McKenzie replied. You use the words like attractive to them that means they will want something from us in return, asked the senator. She also asked if the general believed the Taliban too have a major role in a future setup in Afghanistan. I believe that it does, said Gen McKenzie while responding to her question about Pakistan. The Taliban, he reminded the lawmaker, still had around 60,000 in Afghanistan, compared to a US-led Nato force of about 16,000. Latest News CBA hikes fixed rates for third time in six weeks Third rate rise in just six weeks for major lender as market comes to terms with RBA uncertainty Brokers 'stronger than ever' as trend towards leaving the industry reverses Optimism high in channel going in 2022 as challenges of past year have forced brokers to revisit their careers A new bank competing to be a genuine alternative to the big four has revealed it has completed a number of milestones after it was first announced six months ago. 86 400 was announced in June by Anthony Thomson and Robert Bell. Thomson is the founder and former chairman of the UKs Metro Bank and Atom Bank. It took 18 months of incognito work for the new digital bank to be unveiled to the public. Over the last six months the group has been field testing the product, along with pay systems like Google Pay and Apple Pay across Australia and overseas. 86 400s Core Banking Platform sourced from its Australian banking technology partner, Data Action, has been operational for a number of months. The engine uses data and cloud-based technologies to give customers a single view of their financial world and proactive insights to make the most of their money. Speaking to Australian Broker, Robert Bell said he was excited to work towards the launch and the last few months had only reiterated their belief the digital bank was needed. Bell said, We have had an extremely busy six months. But that will be a continuing trend. We started this journey well before the Royal Commission started. We have always had the belief theres room in the market and said its more important theres more competition in the market, especially with a more digital experience. I think the Royal Commission highlighted the need we originally identified. But we dont get too caught up in the day to day goings on in the Royal Commission because were really focused on our delivering value to our customers. However, Bell said one thing he had taken notice of in the hearings was the discussion over brokers. He added, Its very clear to me if you look at banking over the last ten years the single biggest driver of competition today is the growing importance of mortgage brokers. I think thats the reason some Australians have a better rate on their home loan than they did ten years ago. We see brokers as a critical role as enabling competition. They have already done a good job and were of the view they will continue to do a really good job. We will look to add mortgages within three to six months of the public launch of the product. Our strategy will be a broker lead strategy. Anthony Thomson, Chairman of 86 400: 2019 is going to be an incredible year for 86 400, and the Australian banking industry as a whole. Im looking forward to spending more time here, working with the board as we ramp up towards the launch of our product offering to the public, and speaking to future investors that want to be on this journey with us. By the end of next year, 86 400 will have a number of new investors and shareholders engaging with our mission to give Australians the bank that they deserve. The business is currently fully funded by independent payments leader Cuscal. The business will commence conversations with prospective investors in early 2019, with a view to adding additional shareholders in the second half of 2019. 86 400 now has an 80-person strong team and has added deep industry experience to its Board of Directors including former Westpac, Shinsei Bank in Japan, and CommBank advisor, Akiko Jackson and Belinda Cooney, who spent 23 years at Macquarie Group and is an Advisory Board member for CSIROs Data61. If you're interested in getting early access to 86 400, you can join the list here Sign up for our PoliticsNY newsletter for the latest coverage and to stay informed about the 2021 elections in your district and across NYC This show keeps dancers on their toes! The beloved ballet The Hard Nut a joyfully strange take on The Nutcracker will leap back into the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Dec. 14. The Mark Morris Dance Group debuted the show at BAM in 1992 and has performed it somewhere every holiday season since but the show never gets old, says one of its stars. The show is always different, every single night, said Lauren Grant, who has played the leading role of Marie for 20 years. Its finely choreographed, but there is room to make changes as you go, especially in the party scene. Youre always getting a fresh show, but itll always be the show you know and love. Creator and choreographer Mark Morris used Tchaikovskys classic music, but set his show in an indeterminate 1970s-ish era, opening at a swinging suburban house party. He also restored a then-little known scene from the ballets original inspiration The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffman, in which a Rat Queen promises to restore beauty to a princess if a young man can crack the hard nut with his teeth. Morris said that he wanted to restore some of that storys energy to the ballet. I wanted it to be really interesting and fun and scary and delightful, like the Hoffmann story, said Morris, from his companys headquarters in Fort Greene. Morris also plays a role in his show, playing party host Dr. Stahlbaum and, in a later scene, the King. He dreads the makeup and wig, but said still enjoys working with his fellow dancers each night. Its fun, and Im very close with the gentleman who plays Mrs. Stahlbaum [John Heginbotham], said Morris. Theres a lot of spontaneity, I love that. Over the years, his take on Dr. Stahlbaum has only varied to the degree that physics has required, said Morris. Raising the barre: Lauren Grant, right, has played the role of Marie in The Hard Nut for 20 years, and says that she finds something new in the role each time. Julieta Cervantes Ive tried to make him age gracefully, he laughed. Hes gotten a little kookier. Its not exactly autobiographical, but his knees have gotten worse. Lauren Grant, meanwhile, is eternally youthful in the role of Stahlbaums middle child, Marie. All of the child characters are played by adults, said Morris, because children are terrible at playing children. Grant finds new aspects of her character every year, she said. Ive had over 20 years to grow the role, to become deeply nuanced. Whenever you bring a show back, theres an opportunity to enhance the performance it just gets more vibrant, said the Prospect Heights dancer. The show was seen as subversive when it debuted, with a shocked New York Times review noting in a headline that it had men in tutus, but the show has since become a Brooklyn tradition. Its stood the test of time, said Morris. People who saw it as kids are bringing their own children I love that. Its really becoming a family event. And Morris says that The Hard Nut will continue for as long as audiences keep showing up. This has been a great run, he said. And well keep doing it until something better comes along. The Hard Nut at BAM Howard Gilman [30 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland Place in Fort Greene, (718) 6364100, www.bam.org]. Dec. 1423; ThuFri at 7:30 pm; Sat at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Sun at 3 pm. $25$125. The host with the most: The Hard Nut creator Mark Morris did not always play Dr. Stahlbaum. I used to be the drunk party guest and the beautiful princess, and then I wasnt, he said. I dont know if I was promoted or demoted. Stephanie Berger 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 a beloved holiday tradition, borrowed from the Dutch! Brooklynites flocked to Canarsies Wyckoff House Museum on Saturday for the historical homes annual Saint Nicholas Day bash, which organizers said honors the patron saint of children known as Sinterklaas to the Dutch, and celebrates the holiday traditions of Kings Countys early Dutch settlers. It gives people a taste of wider cultural influences, said Melissa Branfman, the museums executive director. Some 150 locals came out for the festivities, which the hosts based off of Christmas pastimes enjoyed by 17th-century Dutch immigrants to the borough, Branfman said. Activities included crooning traditional old-timey holiday tunes with colonial balladeer Linda Russell, decorating traditional Dutch clogs called klompen, and snacking on Dutch donuts, known as oliebollen. But the real fun began when Sinterklaas rode in on horseback, after which, youngsters got to feed carrots and hay to his trusty horse Schimmel. And after the man of the hour stowed his steed, he read the kids a book about himself called The Bakers Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale, before posing for pictures with them, and then letting the tots sign their names on the naughty and nice lists he keeps in his red book. (Spoiler alert: they all signed the nice list.) Iran's Poorly Paid Teachers on Nationwide Strike for 2nd Day 11/15/18 By Michael Lipin, VOA Iranian teachers have gone on a nationwide strike for a second consecutive day to demand better working conditions for their poorly paid profession, one month after their last mass protest. Photos posted on the Telegram channel of the Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates in Iran (CCTSI) showed elementary and high school teachers staging sit-ins and holding protest signs in and outside their offices in at least 27 Iranian cities Wednesday. In a statement published on Telegram, CCTSI said it was staging its "second round" of strikes since October to pressure the government to carry out educational reforms and end mismanagement. It said teachers also were protesting low wages and perceived violations of the educational rights of students and minorities. Iranian social media users earlier had posted photos of what they said were teachers on strike in at least a dozen cities Tuesday. Images of the previous round of Iranian teacher strikes in mid-October also were shared widely on Persian-language social media platforms. Most of Wednesday's striking teacher photos on the CCTSI Telegram feed were identified as coming from schools in northwestern Iran's predominantly Kurdish regions. The locations included the cities of Saqqez, Marivan, Sanandaj and Divandarreh in Kurdistan province, and the cities of Kermanshah, Eslamabad-e-Gharb and Sarpol Zahab in Kermanshah province. CCTSI also posted photos of what it said were striking teachers in the capital, Tehran, and the cities of Eslamshahr and Baharestan in Tehran province. Other northern Iranian cities identified in the group's photo stream included Sari, Babel, Ghaem Shahr and Juybar in Mazandaran province and Mashhad, Qazvin, Mahabad and Jolfa. Several central Iranian cities appeared among the captions for the striking teacher photos, including Isfahan and Khomeinishahr in Isfahan province and Hamadan, Karaj and Yazd. Southern cities identified in the picture descriptions included Ahvaz and Bushehr and the Fars provincial cities of Shiraz and Kazerun. CCTSI, the umbrella organization for Iranian teachers' unions, said its strike actions were legal and not associated with any domestic or foreign political faction. In a September report, Iran's Human Rights Activist News Agency said Iranian authorities had tightened their grip on labor unions in recent years and had shown a "particular vitriol" toward those representing educators. Three prominent Iranian education activists serving multiyear jails terms for alleged national security offenses at Tehran's Evin prison include Mohammad Habibi, Mahmoud Beheshti Langroodi and Esmail Abdi. This article originated in VOA's Persian Service. Shahed Alavi of VOA's Kurdish Service contributed. About the author: Michael Lipin covers international news for VOA on the web, radio and TV, specializing in the Middle East and East Asia Pacific. Follow him on Twitter @Michael_Lipin 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 government has sold 2.21 per cent stake in state-owned to the which is managed by Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd, according to a regulatory filing. "The of India, acting through the Ministry of Coal...has sold 13,73,11,943 i.e. 2.21 per cent equity shares of Ltd to the AMC," (CIL) said in a filing to BSE Thursday. accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production. "Post-acquisition holding of promoter is 72.92 per cent of equity share capital of the company," the filing said. The company further said the "the off-market sale (is) by the of India through the Ministry of Coal...to Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd, as the asset management company of the mutual fund scheme." ALSO READ: ONGC, Coal India, NTPC among 22 stocks from BSE500 index hit 52-week lows The government has garnered more than Rs 170 billion from the follow-on offer, the biggest-ever fundraising from an exchange-traded fund domestically. The Supreme Court has dismissed an attempt by businessman, Mr Alfred Agbesi Woyome, to have the ongoing legal proceedings in relation to his GH47.2 million debt owed the state moved to the High Court. In a ruling yesterday, the apex court, presided over by a sole justice, Mr Justice Anthony A. Benin, held that it had the power to enforce its judgement and, therefore, surrendering its jurisdiction to the High Court would be unconstitutional. The current legal battle is that the defunct UT Bank, through its receivers, is claiming ownership of two residential properties that the Attorney-General (A-G) says belong to Mr Woyome and, therefore, wants to sell to offset the debt. Objection Lead counsel for Mr Woyome, Mr Osafo Buabeng, had raised an objection challenging the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court to hear and determine the dispute, since it was under the High Court (Civil Procedure Rules, 2004, CI 47). It was counsels argument that hearing the case in the Supreme Court would deny the parties the right to appeal, although CI 47 makes provision for the right of appeal in execution processes. Rather, he said, the case should be moved to the High Court, where the right to appeal in relation to execution process was guaranteed. A-Gs response In his response, a Deputy A-G, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, described Mr Buabengs objection as a red herring and urged the court to overrule it. It was his contention that the current dispute in relation to the ownership of the properties emanated from a Supreme Court judgement in 2014 that ordered Mr Woyome to refund a GH51.2 million judgement debt that was paid to him by the state because it was unconstitutional. In view of that, he argued that the Supreme Court had jurisdiction to hear and determine any dispute that had arisen from its own judgement. Ruling The apex court, in its ruling, upheld the Deputy A-Gs argument and overruled Mr Buabengs objection. According to Mr Justice Benin, although the Supreme Court had adopted CI 47 in enforcing its 2014 judgement, it did not mean the court had to act like a High Court and allow the right of appeal. The legal remedy available to any aggrieved party, the court held, was a review of its decision. It was also the view of the court that under Article 129 Clause 4 of the 1992 Constitution, it had the power to assume any jurisdiction vested in any court established by law. Based on its powers under Article 129 Clause 4, the court said, it could adopt CI 47 to conduct its business without having to surrender its jurisdiction. I overrule the objection as misplaced and misconceived, Mr Justice Benin ruled. Judgment Meanwhile, the court has fixed January 21, 2019 to give its decision on whether or not the defunct UT Bank, through its receivers, had any right to claim the two properties that the A-G wants to sell. The court has, therefore, directed lawyers for all the parties to file their written addresses within two weeks. In another twist, Anator Holdings Limited, a company which the A-G says belongs to Mr Woyome, has laid claim to a quarry in the Eastern Region which the A-G wants to sell to offset the debt. Consequently, lawyers for the company have filed their case at the Supreme Court, arguing that the quarry belongs to the company and not Mr Woyome. The company, therefore, wants the court to stop the A-G from including the quarry in the list of the businessmans properties that she wants to sell. UT twist The UT Bank, in April 2016, claimed ownership of the two properties at Trasacco in Accra when the state attempted to auction them to defray the GH51.2 million the businessman owed the state. The effect of the claim is that the state cannot sell those properties until it is proved that the banks claim is false. Background The Supreme Court, on July 29, 2014, ordered Mr Woyome to refund GH51.2 million to the state on the grounds that he got the money out of unconstitutional and invalid contracts between the state and Waterville Holdings Limited in 2006 for the construction of stadia for CAN 2008. The court held that the contracts upon which Mr Woyome made and received the claim were in contravention of Article 181 (5) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which requires such contracts to be laid before and approved by Parliament. On March 1, 2016, Mr Woyome prayed the court to give him three years to pay back the money but the court declined to grant his wish. He, however, refunded GH4 million in November 2016 and promised to pay the outstanding balance by quarterly installments of GH5 million, commencing April 1, 2017. That did not materialize after the businessman initiated a litany of legal cases at the Supreme Court to support his case, which were all dismissed. Apart from fighting his cases in the country, Mr Woyome also sought relief from the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) based in Paris, France, and the African Court of Justice based in Arusha, Tanzania. In August 2017, the ICC threw out his case on the basis that he failed to properly invoke its jurisdiction. His case at the African Court of Justice is yet to be determined. Source: Graphic.com.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 (NCLT) Thursday dismissed the plea of Ltd to initiate proceedings against RHC Holding, a non-banking financial company promoted by Singh Brothers -- Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh. A two-member principal bench headed by NCLT Justice M M Kumar dismissed the plea of Ltd, which had moved the tribunal to recover Rs 410 million. RHC Holding had contended in this matter that it is a non-banking finance company and thus it could not be brought under IBC code. Earlier in this matter, Japanese drug major had moved NCLT to stay the proceedings against RHC Holding. had said they have a decree to recover money against RHC Holding. The has already granted a status quo over sale of assets by RHC Holding. A tribunal in had passed the award in favour of Daiichi holding that the Singh brothers had concealed information that Indian company was facing probe by the and the Department of Justice, while selling its shares. ALSO READ: HDFC MF settles the 'regulation violation' case with Sebi, pays Rs 37.9 mn The high court on January 31 had upheld the international arbitral award passed in the favour of Daiichi and paved the way for enforcement of the 2016 tribunal award against the brothers who had sold their shares in to Daiichi in 2008 for Rs 95.76 billion. Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd had later acquired from Daiichi. It had, however, said that the award was not enforceable against five minors, who were also shareholders in Ranbaxy, saying they cannot be held guilty of having perpetuated a fraud either themselves or through any agent. Daiichi had moved the high court seeking direction to the brothers to take steps towards paying its Rs 35 billion arbitration award, including depositing the amount. It had also urged the court to attach their assets, which may be used to recover the award. Chief Minister Thursday said that is incomplete without all communities, religions, castes, creed and gender and asked the people the uphold the secular fabric of the country. She compared the country with the human body and said that December 6 is observed in as "Sanhati Dibas" to mark the demolition of in Ayodhya. "Today is 6th December. We observe this day as Sanhati Dibas in #Bangla," Banerjee tweeted. "Just like a human body is incomplete without all organs, is incomplete without all communities, religions, castes, creed and gender. Let us pledge to uphold the secular fabric of India," she added. Today is 6th December. We observe this day as Sanhati Dibas in #Bangla. Just like a human body is incomplete without all organs, is incomplete without all communities, religions, castes, creed and gender. Let us pledge to uphold the secular fabric of India (@MamataOfficial) December 6, 2018 On this day in 1992, the 16th-century in Ayodhya, in was demolished by a large number of 'kar sevaks'. A recent page-one headline in The Hindu read: In Chennai, the hearts beat for foreigners. Another headline announced that in Tamil Nadu, three of four donated hearts go to foreigners, provoking emotive discussions on TV. (Only the fine print in the articles explained that it was actually one out of six). These claims were moderated by the newspaper a little later, but readers probably only remember the original headlines. Not enough Indians for donated hearts? Of organs that are usually donated, kidneys and livers do not go to foreigners, but some hearts and lungs ... The Centre Thursday informed the that the proposed Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here would start functioning 45 months after the formal approval by the The submission was made by the Union Health Ministry in its counter affidavit filed on a PIL filed by K K Ramesh seeking steps to expedite the work for setting up in the district, which had faced a prolonged delay after the project was announced in Union Budget 2015-16. The process of identifying the location by the state government was delayed and in June this year it had proposed five locations. Subsequently, the Centre had announced Thoppur as the site for the premier medical institution. Citing the Centres' response to an RTI query, the petitioner had submitted that the was yet to approve the proposed ALSO READ: Delhi HC stays recruitment to AIIMS over bias against acid attack victims On November 8, a division bench of Justices K K Sasidharan and P D Audhikesavalu had asked the Union Health Secretary to file its reply. In its counter, the health ministry had informed that establishment of in Madurai district was under consideration. ALSO READ: NBCC bags Rs 9.02-billion contract to build AIIMS in Jharkhand's Deoghar The Union finance committee has to first approve it and then the would take it up. Once the cabinet approval was given, the work would be completed in 45 months, it said. 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 warning shot has been fired. The bullet that killed inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr carries a chilling message for every policeman and policewoman across the nation: dont mess with the Hindutva warrior, he is armed with a gun. And this is New India, where impunity has already been granted to one and all for killing any Muslim in the name of protecting the cow. Now, an entitlement is being claimed for meting out mob justice in defence of the cow. The warning is unmistakable: police officers who dare to stand up to the lumpen gau raksha mobs and try ... The night was almost over. Ayodhya was still numb with sleep. Piercing through the quiet, a young sadhu, drenched in sweat, came scampering from Hanumangarhi, a fortress-like Hindu religious establishment housing over five hundred sadhus in Ayodhya. He had been sent to summon Satyendra Das to his guru, Abhiram Das, who seemed to be breathing his last. Those were the early hours of 3 December 1981, and a curtain was coming down over a few forgotten pages of history. Dharam Das, the other disciple who stayed with Abhiram Das in his one-room tenement, the asan in Hanumangarhi, had ... The Cabinet on Thursday gave ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan in the field of healthcare and wellness. It was signed on October 29 this year. The MoC aims to promote projects like developing human resource in the field of acute medicine, surgery and trauma care, establishment of an advanced joint testing laboratory for clinical examination and collaborations among tertiary care centres in both countries. The agreement also focuses on improving infrastructural developments like establishing a centralised management healthcare distribution centre, increasing access to hygienic and affordable toilets, setting up India-Japan "Innovation Hub" and collaborating on getting high-end medical devices. The MoC also eyes research and project-based promotion for health self-management such as "ME-BYO" and Ayurveda and exploring other ideas related to scheme and other health initiatives. "A Joint Committee as a high-level consultative mechanism will be set up to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of this MoC," it said in a statement. The Cabinet also approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Armenia on joint issue of postage stamp which was signed in June this year. According to the MoU, Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications and the National Postal Operator of Armenia mutually agreed to jointly issue postage stamps on India-Armenia: Joint Issue on the theme "Dence". The joint commemorative stamps, which were released in August, depict "Manipuri Dance" of India and "HovArek Dance" of Armenia. The arrest in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and daughter of the founder and CEO, jolted the global business community on Thursday and raised fears that a truce in the US-China trade war could come to a swift end. Meng's arrest came at the behest of US authorities and is connected to an investigation into alleged violations of US trade sanctions, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. China's foreign ministry said neither the United States nor Canada has explained reasons for the arrest. What is ... Iraq needs at least two years to boost the country's gas production to stop importing Iranian gas used to feed its power stations, a senior Iraqi energy official said on Thursday. Hayan Abdul Ghani, head of state-run South Gas Co. (SGC), told reporters that Iraq's gas output is expected to reach 1.3 million cubic feet per day by the end of 2020, an increase of 400 mcf/d from current levels. "Iraq's current production of gas is not enough to meet our power stations' demand and therefore we are still importing gas from Iran. We need at least 24 months ... OPEC has made a planned cut in oil output effectively conditional on the contribution from non-OPEC producer Russia, delegates said on Thursday as the group gathered in Vienna for a meeting aimed at supporting battered oil prices. Five delegates said the group was waiting for news from Russia as Energy Minister Alexander Novak had flown back from Vienna for a possible meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Novak returns to Vienna on Friday for talks between OPEC and its allies, following discussions among OPEC producers on Thursday. "I am optimistic. There will be a ... 91mobiles, India's no. 1 gadget discovery site, has today released its Consumer Insights Study 2.0. The first phase of the release was to understand the issues people face on their smartphones and the features they look out for when making a choice for their next smartphone, while the second phase is focused on understanding brand loyalty and switching preferences. The study aims to understand the inclination of consumers towards the competing smartphone brands that are rapidly evolving in the space. Based on the analysis of responses from over 15,000+ users across the country in the age group of 18-30 years, here's what the 91mobiles Consumer Insights Study 2.0 found out. On value for money and user recommendation Over 90% of OnePlus users rated their smartphones the highest on value, followed by Xiaomi and Honor at 76% each. In terms of the most recommended brands, OnePlus yet again managed to achieve the number 1 position with over 90% users recommending it, followed by Xiaomi at 83%. On the issues smartphone users face On overall service-related issues, it's Honor that leads the way, with just under 13% of its users having to take their phones in for service. The same figure for most other key brands like Xiaomi, Nokia, Apple and Samsung averages around 23%. When it comes to specific issues: Apple stands out amongst the lot with the least camera-related problems followed by Samsung. OnePlus smartphone owners reported the least slowdowns over time with just 6% users facing problems, followed by Apple at 12%. Lenovo fared the worst, with over 40% users reporting slowdowns. OnePlus also fared the best in terms of battery reliability, with just 13% users saying they faced trouble. Apple stands at the other end of the spectrum, with almost 40% users reporting battery-related concerns. On brand loyalty and shifting preferences In terms of understanding consumer loyalty for the brands, the Consumer Insights study has found that OnePlus should be able to retain 60% of its current users when they upgrade to their next phone, whereas Apple and Samsung find their way in the middle with 51% and 42% respectively. Xiaomi enjoys strong customer loyalty as well (54%), but interestingly, 17% of its current users want to migrate to POCO next. In terms of future predictions, Samsung may face a drop in terms of user base, while Xiaomi could continue its upward trend. However, Apple, OnePlus and Nokia stand out as brands likely to show substantial growth in the near future, the study suggested. "Over the last five years, 91mobiles has become India's largest gadget discovery site, enabling consumers to take smarter decisions while buying smartphones. The Consumer Insights Survey 2018 was our attempt to get consumer feedback on how some of the popular smartphones & brands have fared in real-life usage. With over 15,000 respondents, and 200,000 data points, this is perhaps the most authoritative multi-brand survey on consumer satisfaction with the phones they use, and a predictor of which brands are likely to be in the ascendancy," said Nitin Mathur, co-founder of 91mobiles.com. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The British High Commission has asked the for consular access to Christian Michel, sources said on Thursday. Michel is a British citizen and the alleged middleman in the Rs 36 billion deal. The has not responded to the British High Commission's latest request, the sources added. Michel was extradited to from UAE on Tuesday night and a court here on Wednesday remanded him to five-day (CBI) custody. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh appeared for the and asked for a 14-day custody of Michel for a thorough probe. Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph had opposed it and had also moved a bail plea for Michel. The court kept the bail plea pending for next hearing and allowed Michel's counsel one hour each in the morning and evening for consultancy. According to sources, Michel complained of anxiety during questioning by and subsequently, he was given medicine. On Tuesday, the CBI had issued a statement saying: "Wanted fugitive criminal James who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in in Case is being extradited by UAE Authorities to Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by Incharge Director/CBI M. Nageswara Rao. A team lead by A. Sai Manohar, Joint Director/CBI has been to for the purpose." The Rs 36 billion VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks. According to the charge sheet filed in a court two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations. CBI had filed charge sheet in a trial court on September 1, 2017 against Christian and 11 other accused persons. The trial court took cognizance of the offences on October 11, 2017. CBI's request for extradition was forwarded to the UAE authorities on March 19, last year through diplomatic channels. Extradition proceedings were held before UAE Court against Christian on the extradition request of CBI. Vide order dated November 19, 2018, the Court of upheld the lower court decision for possibility of extraditing Christian to Indian authorities. Accordingly, Christian was extradited to face legal proceedings. Leaders of Odisha's ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will meet all and regional parties to discuss the 33 per cent reservation for women in the Parliament and State Assemblies. The decision comes after a meeting was held on Wednesday by party chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with senior leaders of the party. Specific leaders have been given the responsibility to meet specific parties. The said leaders will request various parties to support the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state assemblies. BJD leaders will meet top leaders of seven and 15 regional parties, including Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, Nationalist Congress Party, Trinamool Congress, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Bahujan Samaj Party, Aam Aadmi Party, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Indian Lok Dal, Janata Dal (Secular), Janata Dal (United), National Conference, People's Democratic Party, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Shiromani Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, Telugu Desam Party, Samajwadi Party and Telangana Rashtra Samithi. On Tuesday, Patnaik had requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate the move to ensure one-third reservation for women in Parliament and State Legislatures in November. In 2011, the Odisha Government enhanced the reservation for women in Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies to 50 per cent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A gay social networking app, Blued, today launched Episode 2 of web series 'Still About Section 377' Season 2 on their app. In association with production house Dancing Shiva, this GBTQ based series is live on Blued App and later will be published on YouTube. Mumbai-based fashion photographer, writer and director, Amit Khanna launched the Episode 1 of the series in September this year and received a tremendous response from audiences, geared up with more episodes. The Blued app aims to strengthen and spread awareness about the LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex) community by associating with platforms that cater to masses for a broader outreach. Blued's recent campaign, #whatsnext377 has focused onto bring the change in society and drive people from LGBTQ community to further fight for the actual rights i.e equal civil partnership laws that are applicable to a heterosexual couple. Amit Khanna who plays the central protagonist along with other cast members Gulshan Nain, Ankit Bhatia, Mustafa Shaikh, Yash Yogi, Gunjan Malhotra and Gaurav Mishra. The crux of this season revolves around an urban gay couple who land up in a village in order to convince one of the partners family to accept them. The journey flows here with various emotions - funny, happy, sad and set of highs and lows. "LGBTQI community has faced harshness multiple times from the society. With the abolishment of Section 377, this community is and should be looked upon as equals with laws similar to a heterosexual couple. At Blued, we celebrate these different orientations. We are glad to have partnered with Amit for his web series, 'Still about Section 377' to help raise the community's united opinion, educate those who still don't accept the community and drive away the stigma of being a homosexual," said Yu Jun - Country Manager, Blued India. "Through our recent campaign, we allow people to come forward, stand together and celebrate their sexuality in a democratic country like India," added Yu Jun. Speaking at the event, Amit Khanna said, "Love is a beautiful emotion which must be expressed freely and not be restricted on the basis of gender. Our series 'Still about section 377' season 2 highlights the issues LGBTQ community go through in India on a daily basis. The web-series is the first of its kind, revolutionary series that highlights the transgender issues." "Associating with Blued App, will give our series the unity and a voice this community needs especially in India and more importantly, the support that we can gather from the international communities to help us in educating those with a stigma of homosexuality," added Khanna. The web series 'Still about section 377' Season 2 is an important content for the world as it aims to break prejudices and brings in light the reality of the LGBTQ community. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bombay High Court in Panaji on Thursday directed Goa Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma to file an affidavit on the status of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's health by December 7. On December 4, the court had directed Sharma to file the affidavit on December 5, however, the Chief Secretary sought an adjournment in the matter. The case will come up for hearing again on December 11. "The Bombay High Court in Panaji directed Goa Chief Secretary to file an affidavit on the status of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's health by December 7, after the state government once again sought an adjournment in the matter," lawyer for the petitioner Rohit Bras D'Sa told ANI. On October 28, Goa's Health Minister Vishwajit Rane revealed that Parrikar was suffering from pancreatic cancer. The Goa Chief Minister was discharged from Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on October 14 after undergoing treatment. Earlier, the Congress claimed that Goa is facing leadership crisis due to Parrikar's ill health. For long, the party has also been demanding that they should be allowed to form the government in the state. Considering the health of Parrikar, Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik had earlier said that the leadership in Goa will have to be changed today or tomorrow. "Change (of leadership in Goa) will have to be done today or tomorrow. It is a requirement. You know the Chief Minister's health is not good. But he (Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar) is still working in this condition," Naik said on November 9. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met with the family of inspector Subodh Singh, who was recently killed in Bulandshahr violence which was triggered by rumours of alleged cow slaughtering in the vicinity. The Chief Minister met the bereaved family at his residence located on Lucknow's Kalidas Marg. Following the gruesome incident, Adityanath had announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for Singh's wife, Rs 10 lakh for his parents and a government job for a member of his family. On December 3, Subodh Kumar was killed in the violence, which took place after the carcasses of 25 cattle were found in the forests close to a police post, with the locals alleging that those carcasses were of the cows, which were slaughtered illegally. A local youth was also killed in the violence. According to sources, the post-mortem examination conducted on Subodh Kumar confirmed gunshot injury by a .32 mm bore bullet on his head. Till now, four people have been arrested in connection with the killing of the police officer. "Law and order is usually good here but the police were kept in dark about the Islamic congregation that happened here, which caused chaos. This is the cause of this violence," said Bhola Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bulandshahr. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bid to increase healthcare coverage for the common people, the union government has decided to allow non-Insured Persons (IPs) to avail medical services from the underutilised ESIC hospitals after paying nominal user charges. The ESI Corporation during its 176th meeting held on Wednesday decided to allow non-IPs to avail medical services from its underutilised ESIC hospitals after levying user charges at a subsidised cost of Rs. 10 for OPD consultation and at 25% of CGHS package rates for admitted patients. It was also decided to provide medicines on actual rate initially for one year on pilot basis. "It will immensely help common people get the quality medical care at very low cost. Besides, it will ensure full utilisation of resources of hospital for people's cause," a press release from Union Ministry of Labour said. Already recruitment has begun to fill 5200 posts in ESIC's various categories like Social Security Officer, Insurance Medical Officer Grade-II, Junior Engineers, Teaching Faculty, Paramedical and Nursing Cadre, UDC and Steno etc. To meet the shortage of specialist and super specialist doctors in some of the ESIC Hospitals, the ESIC has approved hiring of full-time contractual specialists and super specialists in the department of Anaesthesia, Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics, Gynaecology, Orthopedics, Cardiology, Nephrology and Medical Oncology through open tenders. Meanwhile, keeping in view the rise in the Floor Level Minimum Wages to Rs 176, it was decided in the meeting to enhance the exemption limit for payment of employees' share of contribution from Rs. 137 to Rs. 176. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Firmly opposing the arrest of Huawei's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhouis in Vancouver at the request of the United States, the Chinese embassy in Ottawa has urged Canada to release the officer. "At the request of the US side, the Canadian side arrested a Chinese citizen not violating any American or Canadian law. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim," Xinhua quoted a spokesperson of the Chinese embassy saying in a statement. The spokesperson further said that the Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side and urged them to immediately "correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Meng." "We will closely follow the development of the issue and take all measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens," the spokesperson added. Huawei, on Thursday, denied any wrongdoing by its CFO Meng and stated, "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng. The company believes the Canadian and US legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion. Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU." Meng, who has been sought for extradition by the United States, was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, CNN reported citing Canadian Justice Department spokesperson Ian McLeod. A bail hearing has been set for Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi to discuss the arrangements for the upcoming Kumbh Mela festival to be held in Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad). The 45-day festival will start from January 15, 2019. Millions of Hindu devotees attend the mela with the belief that taking a dip in the waters of the holy river will cleanse them of their sins. The Chief Minister also discussed the preparations for upcoming 'Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas' which will be held in Varanasi in January with the Indian diaspora and will provide them with the opportunity to participate in 'Kumbha Snan' and also attend the Republic Day parade in the Capital. Organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in association with the Uttar Pradesh government, the theme of the 15th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is "Role of Indian Diaspora in building a New India". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday said that the Congress was rattled after the extradition of AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel and the family in the party is getting sleepless nights. Addressing a press conference here, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "The Congress is rattled after the extradition of Christian Michel. They sent their team to save Michel. Congress' Aljo Joseph appeared for him in Court, they later went through the charade of removing him. The family in Congress is getting sleepless nights." Patra alleged that other than Aljo Joseph, there are two other lawyers of Michel - Vishnu Shankar who is the son of a Kerala Congress leader and Sriram Parakkat who has been a Students' Union of India (NSUI) member. "All three have worked under big Congress lawyers like Salman Khurshid and Kapil Sibal," he added. The British High Commission has asked the Indian government for consular access to Michel, sources said on Thursday. India has also received a request for consular access and is examining the matter. Earlier on Wednesday, government sources revealed that the Indian government is ready to provide consular access to the United Kingdom High Commission for Christian Michel. The government sources had said, "We are ready to provide consular access to the UK High Commission for Christian Michel. We have no objections. However, the UK High Commission has not yet approached the Ministry of External Affairs for this. Due process will have to be followed. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will have no objections." Michel, a British citizen and the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland deal, was extradited to Delhi from UAE on Tuesday night and a court here on Wednesday remanded him to five-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh appeared for the CBI and asked for a 14-day custody of Michel for a thorough probe. Michel's counsel Joseph had opposed it and had also moved a bail plea for Michel. The court kept the bail plea pending for next hearing and allowed Michel's counsel one hour each in the morning and evening for consultancy. According to CBI sources, Michel complained of anxiety during questioning by CBI and subsequently, he was given medicine. The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks. According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed in a court two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations. CBI had filed charge sheet in a trial court on September 1, 2017, against Christian and 11 other accused persons. The trial court took cognizance of the offences on October 11, 2017. CBI's request for extradition was forwarded to the UAE authorities on March 19, last year through diplomatic channels. Extradition proceedings were held before UAE Court against Christian on the extradition request of CBI. Vide order dated November 19, 2018, the Court of Dubai upheld the lower court decision for possibility of extraditing Christian to Indian authorities. Accordingly, Christian was extradited to face legal proceedings. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mother of a four-year-old girl has lodged a complaint alleging that her daughter was 'inappropriately touched' in school. A case was registered under Section 6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) at Ranhola police station on Wednesday. An investigation in the matter is underway. "Mother of a 4-year-old girl has complained that her daughter was inappropriately touched by another 4-year-old student or any other person in school. Case registered under Section 6 of POCSO at Ranhola station yesterday. Probe underway," said Seju P Kuruvilla, DCP, Outer District (Delhi). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A minor student here allegedly committed suicide after being scolded by her teacher. The class 7 student, a resident of Delhi's Inderpuri area, wrote a suicide note on her hand. According to her parents, it was not the first time that the teacher scolded the deceased. An investigation in the matter is underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sansan, Inc., the parent company of the Eight app, Japan's leading card organizer and professional social networking platform has raised approx. Rs. 186 crores (USD 26.43 million) in Series-E funding, taking funding to date to approx. Rs. 7,050 crores (USD 100 million). Sansan's Series E investment was led by Japan Post Capital, T. Rowe Price, SBI Investment, and DCM Ventures. The additional funding will help Sansan deliver on its new mission: "Turning encounters into innovation." The company aims to accelerate its development of innovative technologies centered around maximizing the utility of cards. Eight is Japan's largest professional social networking platform. The app has well over 2 million registered users. The Eight app uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven technologies to accurately digitize users' cards and helps connect users with their business contacts through a social media framework that transforms business cards into actionable business connections. Having launched in India late last year, the app already has good number of downloads and is slowly expanding its on-ground presence in major cities, starting from Mumbai. "Professional social networking is gaining momentum in the world", says Edward Senju, Executive Producer of Eight. He added, "Our vision is to build an innovative global product that enables people to grow their encounters and businesses along with it. With the upcoming trend of building business communities and offline networking gaining more importance again, we aim to bring innovation to help people engage professionally and efficiently. "We are thrilled to receive this new round of funding, which will enable us to work better on our new mission, 'Turning Encounters into Innovation'. The intersection of communication and technology is rapidly evolving, and we are excited to have investors putting their trust in our work," he added. Overview of Funding Companies SBI Investment SBI Investment is a subsidiary of SBI Holdings that actively engages in venture capital investment in growth fields. The company participated in this round of funding through the AI & Blockchain fund it manages. Japan Post Capital Japan Post Capital is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan Post, which primarily focuses on investing. The firm supports the growth of Japanese venture businesses through the network and brand power of the Japan Post Group and invests in companies with high growth potential. T. Rowe Price T. Rowe Price is an independent asset management company based in Maryland, USA. The firm manages assets totaling over USD 1 trillion and currently does business in 16 countries worldwide. It manages Japanese stocks through its representative office in Japan. DCM Ventures DCM is a venture capital firm with over USD 4 billion invested in early and mid-stage startups with an innovative approach. The firm supports entrepreneurs through practical management advice, global business network and funding. Funding Overview As a cloud-based contact management service for businesses, Sansan converts business cards lying dormant within companies into actionable data. While proprietary OCR software is used to instantly digitize each card, actual staff also check each and every card to confirm accuracy. This gives Sansan an unrivalled accuracy rate of 99.9%. Apart from Eight, Sansan also offers a B2B service which is deployed in over 7,000 companies globally, mostly large businesses, and it has achieved a status as must-have business infrastructure for its clients. With this Series-E round of funding, Sansan will accelerate its business growth to fulfill the new mission of 'turning encounters into innovation' via the combination of new data science, machine learning, and associated technologies. This latest round of funding takes the cumulative total of capital to approximately 11.4 billion yen (approximately Rs. 707 crore). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Huawei's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Meng Wanzhou is facing extradition to the United States following her arrest in Canada. Also known as Sabrina Meng and Cathy Meng, Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, CNN reported citing Canadian Justice Department spokesperson Ian McLeod. Wanzhou, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, also serves as the deputy chairperson of the tech giants' board. A statement from McLeod stated that Wanzhou "is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday". The spokesperson further stated that the Canadian Justice Department cannot divulge any information related to the case as a judge granted Wanzhou a publication ban. The judge prohibited both the police and prosecutors from revealing information about the case. However, a spokesperson for Huawei said Wanzhou was held by Canadian authorities at the behest of the United States while transferring flights, adding that the company is unaware of any "wrongdoing" on Wanzhou's behalf. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. The company believes the Canadian and US legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion. Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU," the spokesperson said. In April, the Wall Street Journal had reported that the US Justice Department was probing Huawei for possible violations of US sanctions on Iran. The Chinese tech company, which primarily sells smartphones and telecommunication equipment, has been under pressure in a number of countries, including the US, with officials issuing warnings of possible national security risks from Huawei products. The US suspects the Chinese government of spying on Americans using Huawei's technology. In May, the Pentagon had directed stores close to a military base not to sell smartphones made by Huawei and their rivals ZTE, with top officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigatoion (FBI), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA) and the Defence Intelligence Agency telling a Senate committee in February that smartphones from those firms were a security threat to Americans. However, last month, Huawei had responded to those allegations by saying that their products are trusted in 170 countries and by 46 of the world's 50 biggest telecommunication firms. "If a government's behavior extends beyond its jurisdiction, such activity should not be encouraged. Huawei firmly believes that our partners and customers will make the right choice based on their own judgment and experience of working with Huawei," the tech giant had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday as she accused the party of "lying in the name of Hindu." While addressing a gathering in Purba Medinipur, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) Chief said: "In Assam, names of 40 lakh people were removed from voter lists, out of them 23 lakhs are Hindu Bengalis. People who are lying in the name of Hindu should know and keep this in mind." On November 16, Mamata had urged the citizens of Assam to continue agitating against the draft list and extended support on behalf of the TMC to those who would oppose the draft. "In NRC, genuine voters were taken out, Assamese, Biharis, Bengalis, and Biharis have been forcefully removed. Just imagine that your mother's name is there, but your father's name is not there. Your son's name is mentioned, but there is no mention of your daughter. I urge that there should be no divisions over this," she had said. Furthermore, Mamata had alleged that the BJP was a "history changer, name changer, note changer, and institution changer, but not game changer", due to which, "the country is in danger." Banerjee also said that all the opposition parties would come together to dethrone the BJP in the upcoming general elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Thursday voiced strong objection to Pakistan's move to change the status of Gilgit Baltistan and asked it to immediately end the illegal occupation of these areas along with rest of Jammu and Kashmir under its control. The comments by External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar came in the wake of reports that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had called a Cabinet meeting to discuss various proposals, including the one to change the status of Gilgit Baltistan. "Any attempt by Pakistan to change the legal status has no basis whatsoever. We call upon Pakistan to vacate all occupied territories," Kumar said at a press briefing here. Gilgit Baltistan is a part of Jammu and Kashmir annexed by Pakistan in 1947. "Our statement and position on Gilgit Baltistan has been very consistent and clear. We have said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has been and will remain a part of India," Kumar added. Gilgit Baltistan has witnessed regular protests by activists over alleged human rights violations by the Pakistani authorities in the region. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Residents of Morab village, located around 30 kilometres away from Hubli, have refused to drink water from a lake after a suspected HIV-positive woman allegedly committed suicide by jumping into it a week ago. Unable to reassure the locals, authorities are now draining the 36-acre lake and planning to refill it with water from the Malaprabha canal. The body of the woman was found on November 29, after which word spread that the water has been contaminated. Villagers refused to drink the water and insisted that the gram panchayat and Navalgund taluk administration drain the lake. Authorities first told villagers that they would test the water, but no one relented. Left with no other option, officials have now deployed 20 siphon tubes with four motors to pump out the water. However, Dr Prabhu Biradar, Chief Medical Officer, Hubli-Dharwad City Municipal Corporation told ANI, "After the patient with suspected HIV committed suicide, people of the village have demanded to remove water from the lake. This is totally unscientific as HIV doesn't spread through water" Morab Lake is the biggest in the Navalgund taluk in north Karnataka and is the only source of drinking water. Villagers now trek about 3 kilometres to the Malaprabha canal to fetch water. Gram panchayat member Laxman Patil said, "We still have to drain 60 per cent of the lake and need at least five days to empty it. There is another problem, the taluk administration wants us to finish the task by December 6 as the Malaprabha right canal will be closed after December 8, and we have to fill the lake. We at least need a week to empty and fill the lake. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Karnataka Water Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday called for finding an amicable solution to the long pending Cauvery water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu. "The Government of Karnataka desires to have an amicable solution to the issue of Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water project," Shivakumar stated in the letter written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami. "You (TN Chief Minister) are aware that the river Cauvery is the lifeline of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and is very sacred for the people of both the states. Governments and people of both the states desire to have a permanent solution on the issues pertaining to Cauvery. In this regard, I wish to bring to your notice that the Government of Karnataka desires to have an amicable solution to the issue of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water project," he stated in the letter. In his letter, the 56-year-old Karnataka Water Minister further stated, "This project will also help in regulating the releases in such a judicious manner that the excess water during good monsoon is not allowed to flow from the Mettur dam into the sea unnecessarily as has happened during the current year." "It appears that some misconceptions about the proposed project have occurred in the minds of the Government of people of Tamil Nadu, though the actual reality of the project is different," the letter reads. Shivakumar urged Tamil Nadu to present the project details of the Cauvery river water and also hold a discussion on the same at a convenient time. This water dispute dates back to the 1970s and has its origin in two agreements signed between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore in 1892 and 1924 in which it was decided to divide the river water between the two states, which lapsed in 1974. Tamil Nadu then asked the Congress-ruled government at the Centre to form a tribunal to look into the diversion of water and ensure that it gets its due share. When the Centre did not pay heed to Tamil Nadu's demand, it approached the Supreme Court, which, in May 1990, ordered the creation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. In its later order, the apex court had pronounced that Karnataka is given an additional 14.75 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of the river water while 177.25 TMC of water be released for Tamil Nadu. The allocation of Karnataka which used to be 270 TMC has been increased to 284.75 TMC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In order to create awareness about cyber safety among school children, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday wrote to various ministries to circulate a handbook on cyber safety to all the schools run by them. According to an official, MHA has asked the Railways, Defence and Human Resource Development Ministries to circulate the handbook to all the schools under their domain. The Ministry has made a handbook for Adolescents/Students on Cyber Safety, for children above the age of 13, who are susceptible to getting exposed to cyberspace with limited understanding of cyber threats and safeguards. The purpose of the handbook is to provide an overview of various cyber threats that can impact children and discuss safeguards that can help in preventing cyber crimes. It also warns students against fake news or hoax messages which spread like wildfire and create law and order problem which may even lead to causing loss of lives in some cases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Member of Parliament (MP) Savitribai Phule on Thursday resigned from the party accusing it of dividing the society and not doing enough on the issue of reservation. Phule was elected from the Baharaich Lok Sabha constituency in 2014 elections and won for the first time from this reserved seat. Following her resignation from the BJP, she alleged: "Remembering the Babri Masjid demolition of December 6, 1992, I am resigning today as I am hurt by the attempts of BJP to create divisions in the society. Since past many years, I have been running campaigns for the protection of reservation. I have been hearing that the reservation will be curtailed and the Constitution will be amended. I have been demanding for the full implementation of reservation." She has also alleged that her voice was also not heard in the party as she belonged to Scheduled Caste community. "Being a Dalit MP, my voice was not being heard and I was being ignored. I am resigning from the party," she said. She accused the BJP government of defending those who bring harm to the minorities and reserved communities. Speaking to ANI, she said: "I am a social worker and I am fighting for the rights of Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Schedule Tribes (ST). I have made sacrifices for this section throughout my life and will go to any limit to raise their voice. I am starting with a campaign for the implementation of India's Constitution from December 23." Two days back on December 4, she had commented that rather than focusing on the construction of Ram Temple, the central government should think about the Constitution of India and make all castes equal. She had also claimed that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit, but a slave of the 'Manuwadi' people. She sprung to limelight in May this year after she said that Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a 'maha purush' who had contributed to the country's independence. Later in the same month, she also said that SCs, STs and Other Backward Castes will lose their rights in the country, the day reservation comes to an end. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India's Minister of Defence Nirmala Sitharaman arrived in Honolulu for the second leg of her official visit to the United States of America (USA), where she is scheduled to hold meetings with the Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDO-PACOM), Admiral Philip S Davidson. She is currently on an official six-day visit to the USA from December 2 to December 7 at the invitation of the US Secretary of Defence James N Mattis. She met Mattis at the Pentagon on December 3, before which she was accorded the Armed Forces Enhanced Honours Cordon welcome. Discussions were held on the growing partnership between India and US in the defence sphere during their meeting, according to an official press release. She was also hosted by Mattis for a dinner on December 3. "Views were also exchanged on a broad range of bilateral and international issues of mutual interest. The Ministers reviewed ongoing initiatives to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and USA," the official statement further mentioned. Honolulu is the headquarters of the US Pacific Command (PACOM) which was recently renamed as INDO-PACOM. Sitharaman will visit the Joint Base Pearl Harbour Hickam in the coming days, where she is scheduled to board a US Guided Missile Destroyer and will be briefed on INDO-PACOM activities, apart from meeting Commander Davidson. She is accompanied by the US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster during her official trip. "Such an honor to accompany Minister @NSitharaman on her official visit to the US. Excellent meetings with #SecDef Mattis at the #Pentagon & at the Defense Innovation Unit @DIU_x in #California. Great to be strengthening #USIndiaDefense partnership," Juster tweeted on December 6 (IST). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Texas Congressman Ted Poe has hit hard on Pakistan for obstructing justice to victims of Mumbai terror attack ten years after the incident. In an article dedicated to 10th anniversary of 26/11 attacks in which 166 people were killed, Poe said, "We still mourn the loss of so many innocent lives, including six Americans. But justice for this awful attack has yet to be served. The one obstacle: Pakistan." "Pakistan is already well known for helping give birth to the Taliban and providing safe haven for international terrorists like Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda's central leadership. But Pakistan has held a cozy relationship with terrorists that predates September 11, 2001 and undoubtedly continues to this day. The Mumbai attack and Pakistan's response provide amble evidence," he wrote. The Mumbai attackers, all Pakistani citizens, belong to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He also said that the outfit (LeT)- which is designated as a terrorist group by the United States, European Union, India, and the United Nations--does not act without approval and support from Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI). "The LeT and ISI have been joined at the hip since the 1980s, first working together to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan, then in fighting India in Kashmir. After 9/11, when LeT was found to be closely working with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, including training and sheltering senior al-Qaeda leaders like Abu Zubaydah, Pakistan claimed to have outlawed the terror group. But it never arrested LeT's leader, Hafiz Saeed, and the group was allowed to continue operating under its supposed charity wing, Jamaat ud Dawa," Poe added. He further said that Pakistan's true policy towards LeT became clear after the Mumbai attack, when multiple ISI officers were specifically implicated in organizing and supporting the 2008 assault. "Pakistani investigators have even admitted that LeT was responsible for the attack and that it had been planned and prepared for at LeT training camps within Pakistan. But the Pakistani government refused to cooperate in India's investigation and only temporarily took action against LeT, briefly closing their offices and dismissing charges against the group's leader. Today, LeT and Hafiz Saeed are actively involved in Pakistani under the Jamaat ud Dawa front and inciting new generations of violent extremists", said the U.S. Congressman. He said that ten years after the Mumbai massacre Pakistan's status as a "counterterrorism partner'' is an absolute joke. "Thousands of terrorists use Pakistan as a base to fundraise, recruit, and train for their ongoing war against India, America, Afghanistan, and the wider world. Terrorism is Pakistan's foreign policy. It is time we stop subsidising it with American's tax dollars," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A special court of Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday issued a production warrant against Aasiya Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda, and Naheeda Nasreen of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, a banned terrorist organisation, after taking cognisance of recent charge sheet on terror charges against them. The NIA court has issued the production warrant against the three accused women for December 12. The production warrant is an order issued by a criminal court of law to produce a person before the court in connection with criminal proceedings pending against him. In the charge sheet, the NIA has accused the three women of allegedly engaging in anti-India activities and making attempts to incite the general populace of Kashmir for an armed rebellion against the Indian Government with aid and assistance of terrorist organisations based in neighbouring Pakistan. The probe agency also established that the chief of Dukhtaran-e-Millat Andrabi was in close contact with global terrorist and Mumbai 26/11 mastermind Hafeez Mohammad Saeed. The NIA also told the court that they were allegedly running a social media campaign to gain support from Pakistani establishments including terrorist entities. The three accused were arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir Police in April this year and the case was later transferred to the Investigation Agency (NIA) in July for further investigation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has bagged three out of the five posts in the central panel of the Patna University Students' Union (PUSU), while the remaining two seats were won by the student wing of the Janata Dal (United). Mohit Prakash from Janata Dal (United) won the post of president, Anjana Singh from ABVP won the post of vice-president, Manikant Mani and Raja Ravi from ABVP won the post of Chief Secretary and Joint Secretary, respectively, and Kumar Satyam from Janata Dal (United) was been elected as the treasurer. The polls have been in the limelight after the vice president of Janata Dal (United) student wing Prashant Kishor was attacked on campus. Kishor was at the University to meet its Vice-Chancellor Rash Bihari Prasad Singh on Tuesday when a group of students surrounded his car while he was returning from the meeting and vandalised the vehicle. After being attacked on campus, Kishor hit out at the ABVP saying they will not be able to get over with the fear of losing the PUSU elections by attacking him. The BJP, which is in alliance with the Janata Dal (United) in Bihar, had accused Kishor of trying to influence the elections in the University. On December 2, four leaders of the BJP, without naming anybody, had said: "Some people related to media, advertising, and event management are trying to influence the student union election and nobody has till now raised any objection to it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rajasthan, the land of deserts, is all geared up for Friday's poll to the 199 assembly seats out of 200 with a major battle in show between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress. The tug of war with a total of 2, 274 candidates in the fray will begin at 8 am and continue till 5 pm. Elections will take place at 51,667 polling stations where 4,74,79,402 people are eligible to cast vote. Alwar constituency polling has been countermanded following the death of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. The fight is to win a target of at least 101 seats to achieve majority mark in the intense polling between the two parties. In 2013 assembly elections, BJP won the mandate with 163 seats while Congress was reduced to 21 seats. Contrast it to 2008 elections, when the Congress won 96 seats, a gain of 40 seats over 2003 polls and the BJP plummeted to 78, down by 42 seats from the previous assembly polls. This year, Vasundhara Raje, the state's incumbent chief minister, is facing a tough fight from the Congress which has not left out any moment to tear into the state government over its various initiatives. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in his over 10 rallies across the state, has targeted the central government over MGNREGA, demonetisation, the farmers' crisis, lack of employment and press freedom. On the one hand, Congress has kept its card close to the heart as far as chief ministerial candidate is concerned despite Rajasthan Congress president Sachin Pilot and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot are reportedly considered the main contenders. On the other hand, BJP is pinning its hopes on Raje. In different rallies in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah have hailed Raje for her work and criticised Congress and its leaders for favouring the Gandhi family. Besides Raje who is contesting from Jhalrapatan, other top contenders include state Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria from Udaipur, another Minister Rajendra Rathore from Churu, state party president Ashok Parnami from Adarsh Nagar and Anita Bhadel from Ajmer South. On the other hand, Congress has former MP Rameshwar Lal Dudi from Nokha, Sachin Pilot from Tonk, Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpur and former Rajasthan minister Hemaram Choudhary from Gudha Malani. Elaborating the arrangements made for the elections, Director General of Police OP Gehlotra said, "We had started preparations for the polls from June this year. I can confirm that Rajasthan elections will be held impartially and peacefully. Since June, we have taken into custody 2,11,869 warranties. We registered 3,695 cases under Arms Act and arrested 3,653 criminals and recovered 4,156 arms. In a record, we have taken into custody 10,07,467 litres illicit liquor from across the state. During this exercise, as many as10, 209 criminals were arrested." "On the basis of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, we have seized 55,000 kgs of different types of drugs. In the same, we registered 1,005 cases and arrested 1,374 people. We have ensured complete security at all the polling booths across the state. At the 7,791 sensitive polling booths, paramilitary forces have been deployed. In total, 1,44,941 constables, head-constables, ASI will be on duty under the supervision of around 1,500 senior officials. As many as 640 companies of paramilitary forces will be there," Gehlotra added. The counting of votes will be held on December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Thursday said that the Ram 'bhakts' (devotees) will construct Ram temple in Ayodhya when they become more powerful as "Mughal emperor Babur demolished Ram temple when he was powerful." "When Babur was powerful, he demolished Ram temple and built a mosque there. He didn't do this in accordance with any law. When Ram 'bhakts' became powerful, they demolished the mosque. Half of the work was done that day. The rest of the work will be done when they become more powerful," Vij tweeted. The Babri Masjid, built by Mughal emperor Babur in 1528 in Ayodhya was on December 6, 1992, pulled down allegedly by a group of Hindu activists, who claimed that the mosque was constructed after demolishing a Ram temple. On October 29, the Supreme Court had adjourned the hearing in Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit till January 2019 to fix the next hearing date in the matter, challenging the Allahabad High Court ruling of 2010. The Allahabad High Court in its 2010 verdict had suggested the division of the disputed land in Ayodhya among all the three parties-Nirmohi Akhara, Sunni Waqf Board and Ram Lalla. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) North Korea has expanded a long-range missile base situated in the hilly interiors of the nation, new satellite images have confirmed. The images have also confirmed the existence of a previously unknown site. The images, exclusively obtained by CNN, add weight to the argument that the recent talks of denuclearisation with the United States have not deterred North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's resolve to mass produce nuclear warheads. The satellite imagery provides proof that the Yeongjeo-dong base, along with the previously unknown site, is still active and has been regularly upgraded, highlighting the gap between what was promised during the denuclearisation talks, which have been held for almost five months, and the ground reality. Researchers at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey told CNN that while the Yeongjeo-dong base has been known to US authorities, the new satellite images show evidence of construction on a facility approximately eleven kilometres away that was not previously known. "Satellite images show that the base remains active. Moreover, in the past year North Korea has significantly expanded a nearby facility that appears to be another missile base," a report stated, adding that it is not confirmed whether the two sites are separate or if one of them is subordinate to the other. North Korea was constructing a huge underground facility in 2017, with the images confirming the construction was still underway as of August 2018. "Construction on the previously unidentified site has continued even after the Singapore Summit. Whatever Kim says about his desire for denuclearisation, North Korea continues to produce and deploy nuclear-armed missiles," Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey told CNN. Lewis and his colleague David Schmerler said that the site's location makes it a prime candidate to receive the country's latest long-range missiles, ones that can carry nuclear weapons and can hit a target in the US mainland. "We watch North Korea very closely. We continue to support the diplomatic process. We will not discuss matters of intelligence," Pentagon's spokesperson Lt. Col. Chris Logan said. Although North Korea is not in violation of any agreement with South Korea or the US, the confirmation of another active missile site comes amid a disgruntled President Donald Trump-led Administration, members of which have often accused the country of not having held up their end of the bargain. National Security Adviser John Bolton has urged President Donald Trump to hold a second summit with Kim as he believes that "they have not lived up to the commitments so far". He further stated that Washington D. C. will press for a second meeting after the turn of the year, hinting at a possible summit by January or February, adding that the US will not lift the economic sanctions on the country until after the second meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the decision of Puducherry Lieutenant Governor (LG) Kiran Bedi to nominate three Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) to the Assembly. The apex court opined that the "LG has the power to nominate". The decision comes after the Congress party challenged the decision saying that Bedi should have consulted the ruling party before the nomination of the three legislators. Swaminathan, K. G. Shankar and V. Selvaganapathy were nominated by Bedi to the Assembly last year. The nominations were later challenged in the Madras High Court by MLA Dhanalakshmi Narayan, who claimed that the decision was taken without consulting Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy. However, the high court, on March 22, upheld the appointment of the three MLAs, declaring the nominations to be valid. Despite high court's order, the MLAs were barred from entering the Assembly premises on March 26. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker Sean Penn was recently spotted outside Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul as he is reportedly shooting for a documentary based on the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The 58-year-old was accompanied by a crew of 10, including bodyguards, reports Al Jazeera. According to local media reports, Penn will also have meetings with Khashoggi's fiancee Hatice Cengiz and a few others who were close to the journalist. Washington Post columnist, Khashoggi - an outspoken critic of Saudi Arabia's crown prince - went missing on October 2, after stepping into the Saudi consulate in Turkey's Istanbul to collect documents that would allow him to marry fiancee Hatice Cengiz, who was waiting outside the consulate. Cengiz raised an alarm after Khashoggi failed to re-emerge from the Saudi consulate. A few weeks after the October 2 incident, Saudi Arabia accepted the fact that the group of 15 Saudi agents were behind the murder of the former Washington Post journalist, leading to an international furore. Actions have been taken against the Saudi nationals who have been arrested by the Kingdom's authorities for their alleged involvement in the killing of Khashoggi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior politician Sharad Yadav sparked a controversy after he said that Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje should take rest as she has gained weight. Later while clarifying his remarks, Yadav said that it was a mere 'joke' and his intentions were not to hurt the Bharatiya Janata Party leader. "Give rest to Vasundhara. She looks too tired and has gained too much weight. Earlier she was slim. She is our Madhya Pradesh's daughter (Vasundhara ko aaram do, bahut thak gayi hain, bahut moti ho gayi hain, pehle patli thi. Humare Madhya Pradesh ki beti hai)," Yadav said on Thursday here while addressing a rally. However, Yadav on Thursday clarified while talking to ANI that his comment was meant to be a joke. "It was a joke. I have known her for a long time. It was in no manner a derogatory remark. I didn't say it to hurt her. When I met her then also I told her that she is gaining weight," he said. Meanwhile, Yadav has criticised the BJP for "create tensions between the people." When asked about the Bulandshahr violence, Yadav said, "Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad people are responsible for what happened in Bulandshr. Now the government is trying to save them. They are trying to create tensions between the people. They have lynched the judiciary. First, they do all this and then say that strict actions will be taken. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is saying nothing about the death of the police inspector, he is rather talking about cows." Police inspector Subodh Kumar was killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr on December 3 after carcasses of allegedly 25 cattle were found in the forests close to a police post, with cow vigilantes alleging that those were the remains of cows slaughtered illegally. A local youth was also killed in the violence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on petitions filed by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and NGO Common Cause challenging the Central Government's decision to send him on leave and divesting him of all responsibilities. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice KM Joseph reserved the order after hearing the arguments of Verma, Union Government, Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), Common Cause, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and others who were party in the case. During the hearing, while confronting questions over Centre's sudden decision to send CBI Director Verma on leave, CVC told the Apex Court that "extraordinary situations sometimes need extraordinary remedies". Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, representing CVC in the case, made the argument while backing the Commission's decision. The Solicitor General's remark came after the Chief Justice questioned Mehta why didn't the CVC consult the Selection Committee before taking a decision in haste. "Government has to be fair. What was the difficulty in consulting the Selection Committee before divesting Alok Verma of his power? The essence of every government action should be to adopt the best course," CJI Ranjan Gogoi said while questioning Mehta. The CJI also raised questions over the timing of the order and said: "Fight between the two senior most CBI officers did not emerge overnight. You had tolerated since July, it is not something that required immediate action as the circumstances were culminating for a long time...So why did the government take immediate steps to divest the CBI Director Alok Verma of his powers without consulting the Selection Committee?" asked the bench. In response, Mehta replied that it was not a transfer as Verma is still the CBI director which is why the consent of Selection Committee was not required. Mehta added that the CVC took cognizance of the emergent situation owing to which they made an interim arrangement. Further pressing on the exceptional nature of the situation, Mehta said: "Extraordinary situation arose, CVC order was passed impartially. Two senior most officers were fighting and investigating cases against each other, instead of probing serious cases. CVC's inaction would have been a dereliction of duty." The CVC's superintendence over CBI encompasses surprise, extraordinary situations, Mehta said, adding that "situations may arise which is not provided in law and authority has to address surprise situations. The CVC will become toothless if it doesn't act." Attorney General K.K. Venugopal appearing for the DoPT told the bench that government was well within its jurisdiction to send both officers (Verma and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana) on leave by divesting them of their powers. Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Asthana, told the bench that the issue relating to suspension, departmental enquiry and dismissal lie within the sole domain of Central Government. During the hearing, senior advocate Fali Nariman, appearing for Verma apprised the bench that in all circumstances the CVC and Centre should have consulted the Selection Committee. "Transfer includes divesting of functions and not just transfer from one place to another," he added. Verma had registered FIR against Asthana and this was the reason for the Central government (DoPT) to divest him of his powers and functions, Nariman contended. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for NGO Common Cause, told the court that there was a dichotomy in arguments of Centre and CVC with regard to superintendence power over the CBI. He said that the CVC has power of superintendence only with regard to cases under Prevention of Corruption Act and CVC cannot replace the Director of CBI. Dave also questioned the timing of the transfer. "Why was the CBI Director removed at 2 am in the midnight," Dave argued. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, who had filed plea against Centre's and CVC decision of sending Verma on leave, argued that government does not have the power to remove or transfer the CBI Director. "Transfer amounts to a public casting of doubt on the CBI Director. Approval of Selection Committee for transfer is a ring fence to protect CBI Director from executive influence, without this, the office will be in jeopardy," Sibal said. Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Deputy Superintendent of Police A.K. Bassi, who was transferred to Port Blair, argued that the very core of the issue is the autonomy of the CBI. "The DoPT order removed the CBI Director before a fixed tenure of two years. No matter what you call it, effectively it is a removal," Dhavan said. During the Wednesday's hearing of the case, Attorney General Venugopal had defended the Centre's decision over sending Verma on leave and said that the dispute between Verma and Asthana was tarnishing the reputation of the institution. He had added that both the top officials of the investigating agency were "fighting like Kilkenny cats". The top court was hearing a petition filed by Verma against the Central Government's order to send him on leave in view of the corruption allegations levelled against him. The Central Government had recently sent Verma and his deputy Asthana on leave after both levelled allegations of accepting bribes against each other. However, the CBI on October 25 informed that Verma and Asthana would continue to retain their posts as CBI Director and Special Director, respectively. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's counsel Vikas Pahwa and public prosecutor on Thursday opposed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy's application seeking direction to the Delhi Police to produce vigilance inquiry report conducted after Sunanda Pushkar's death and to allow him to assist the prosecution in the case. After concluding the arguments in the matter, the Patiala House Court has reserved its order on Swamy's application on December 10. Tharoor's counsel has filed the application under Section 207 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) seeking direction for reconciling of the data stored in three hard disks submitted by the Delhi Police in the court. The hard disks, which have more than 900 GB of data, were filed in the court in the form of Folder F. Folder F comprises numerous CDs, pen drives, hard disks, memory sticks etc. The data stored in these three hard disks was prepared in July 2018. During the court proceedings, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) allowed the application and directed the investigating officer to sit with the counsels and start the process of reconciliation from today itself. Tharoor's counsel Pahwa challenged the locus standi of Swamy saying that he is a stranger to the proceedings and cannot be permitted to participate in the criminal trial in any manner. He also cited numerous judgements of the apex court and Delhi High Court in support of this argument. The Special Public Prosecutor also vehemently objected to the application saying that the Delhi Police does not want any assistance from Swamy. However, Swamy argued that the charge sheet against Tharoor in Pushkar's death is incomplete and against the interest of justice. After the prolonged hearing, Swamy said that he will not press his prayer for assisting the prosecution but insisted that his plea seeking the vigilance enquiry report should be allowed so that the same can be considered by the court during the framing of charges. This plea was also opposed by Tharoor's advocate on the ground that this prayer amounts to directing further investigation under Section 173(8) of CrPC, which is not permissible in law particularly when the court has already taken cognisance in the case. Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a Delhi hotel on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as their house was undergoing renovation. Tharoor was summoned by the court in June this year, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him. The Congress leader was charged under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He, however, dismissed the charge sheet terming it "preposterous". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Liquor baron Vijay Mallya on Thursday reiterated his wish to repay banks completely in a bid to end the narrative of him having "stolen" money from various lenders. A day after Mallya requested banks to accept money from him, the 62-year-old, once again, refuted reports of any connection between his proposed settlement offer and the upcoming ruling in a UK court with regard to his request to block his extradition to India. "Respectfully to all commentators, I cannot understand how my extradition decision or the recent extradition from Dubai and my settlement offer are linked in any way. Wherever I am physically,my appeal is "Please take the money". I want to stop the narrative that I stole money," he tweeted. On Wednesday, the liquor baron, while refuting all allegations levelled against him, offered to pay back the full amount of the principal loan he owed to multiple banks. "The Airlines struggled financially partly because of high ATF prices. Kingfisher was a fab airline that faced the highest ever crude prices of $ 140/barrel. Losses mounted and that's where Banks money went. I have offered to repay 100 % of the Principal amount to them. Please take it," he had tweeted. "For three decades running India's largest alcoholic beverage group, we contributed thousands of crores to the State exchequers. Kingfisher Airlines also contributed handsomely to the States. Sad loss of the finest Airline but still I offer to pay Banks so no loss. Please take it," read another tweet. Last month, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had rejected Mallya's plea seeking a stay on hearing of Enforcement Directorate's (ED) application to declare him a fugitive. The decision from the judicature came after five parties, including a family member of Mallya, sought court dossiers with regard to the ED seeking to get Mallya declared a fugitive economic offender under the new law. Mallya is facing money-laundering charges in the United Kingdom after India initiated extradition proceedings against him. Both ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have filed several cases for alleged loan default against him. The liquor baron is residing in the UK from the past two years. His extradition case is reportedly in its final stage at London's Westminster Magistrates' Court, which is expected to deliver its ruling by the year-end. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As battle lines are drawn for assembly elections in Telangana scheduled on Friday, security has been beefed up across the youngest state in the country. This is the second time the state is going to assembly polls since it was formed in June 2014. Telangana legislative assembly was dissolved in September, more than 10 months before the expiry of its term, giving way to the early elections. Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh. In the first assembly poll, incumbent caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won 63 seats out of 119 with a vote share of 34 per cent. The party gradually won over legislators from other parties, primarily Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and eventually its share of seats went up to 90. The state is witnessing a three-cornered fight between TRS, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the grand alliance of the Congress, TDP, Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Telangana Jana Samithi, all vying for the majority of seats. All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is also contesting polls at several assembly seats. As part of the security arrangement, 30, 000 state police personnel and 18, 000 security forces from other states along with 290 companies of Central Armed Forces have been pressed on election duty in the state. For smooth and peaceful conduct of poll, over 1.6 lakh poll personnel have been deployed in the state. There are over 2 crore 80 lakh voters who would be exercising their franchise in tomorrow's elections. The Election Commission has created 33,000 polling stations spread across 31 districts of the state. As many as 4.57 lakh divyangs or differently abled individuals will also exercise their franchise on December 7. A total of 1821 candidates including 135 women are in the fray. Polling will begin at 8 am and continue till 5 pm tomorrow. Dhana Kishore, Commissioner, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), told ANI that at every polling station sufficient ballot units are being arranged to avoid any inconvenience. The exercise of distribution of election ballots started early Thursday morning for 15 polling stations in Hyderabad. "There are around 260 polling stations in Hyderabad region and each polling station will have one EVM and one VVPAT machines. EVMs are highly secured machinery. Already two training programmes have been organised for the officers and a third training programme is scheduled for Thursday. After the training, the officers will reach their polling stations," said Kishore. The administration has also made an online training video and has circulated it through WhatsApp for election officials. GHMC Commissioner also informed that 98.67 per cent voters slips of the region have been distributed and the remaining voter slips will be kept with the returning officer. It has been informed that the persons, with valid government ID proof, can vote, despite not having received the voter slip in advance, if their name is displayed in the voter's list. While the vote will be cast in the state on December 7, the counting will be done on December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tata Communications will be watched. UROS Group, a global innovator in turnkey Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and smart connectivity, is collaborating with Tata Communications, a leading digital infrastructure provider, to support the deployment of IoT and smart city solutions across large commercial and public sector organisations globally. This collaboration will leverage the latest technologies and industry resources of both companies. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 5 December 2018. Power Grid Corporation of India has been declared as the successful bidder under tariff based competitive bidding to establish transmission system for evacuation of power from 2 x 660 MW Jawaharpur Thermal Power Project and construction of 400 kV substation at Firozabad along with associated transmission lines' on build, own operate and maintain (BOOM) basis. The project is an intra-state transmission system of Uttar Pradesh and comprises 765kV, 400kV, 220kV and 132kV lines apart from establishing a new 400/220/132 kV Substation at Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh. The Letter of Intent (LoI) has been received on 5 December 2018. This is the first intra state transmission system project won by Power Grid Corporation of India under tariff based competitive bidding. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 5 December 2018. Sagar Cements said its board approved a proposal to invest a sum of Rs 150 crore in Satguru Cement (SCPL), Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to set-up a green field cement manufacturing plant of 1 million ton capacity along with waste heat recovery power plant at a total cost of Rs 426 crore. SCL will be holding 65% in the equity share capital of SCPL on completion of the above projects. Further, the board also approved a proposal to invest a sum of Rs 108 crore in Jajpur Cements (JCPL), Jajpur, Odisha in a phased manner to acquire 100% shareholding in it and to set-up through it a green field grinding unit of 1.5 million ton capacity in Jajpur at a total cost of Rs 308.10 crore. This investment is subject to approval from the Government of Odisha and other regulatory authorities as may be required. Barring unforeseen circumstances, both the above projects are being planned to be completed by 31 March 2021. The company added that the setting-up of a cement manufacturing facility in Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh and a grinding unit in Jajpur, Odisha as proposed above would enable the company to extend its market presence in the newer areas of central and eastern parts of the country, with attractive margins and mitigate its current regions specific risks. To fund the above investments and to meet its other general corporate purposes, the board has also approved of a proposal to issue 31,00,000 convertible warrants at a price not below Rs 725 each on a preferential basis to the entities belonging to promoter and non-promoter groups. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 5 December 2018. Kirloskar Industries will be watched. With respect to news titled "Srikrishna finds Kirloskar promoter group guilty of insider trading," Kirloskar Industries clarified to the bourses after market hours yesterday, 5 December 2018, that the article refers to purchase of shares of KBL by the company in 2010. The company purchased shares of KBL after seeking necessary pre-clearances and making necessary disclosures in accordance with the then applicable laws. The firm does not believe that Sebi is conducting any investigation in the matter against the company. Perusal of Sebi website does not suggest that Sebi has initiated any inquiry or investigation nor are any orders passed against the company in this matter. Lemon Tree Hotels announced the opening of hotel under brand name 'Lemon Tree Premier' on Connaught Road, Pune. This is its second owned hotel in the city. The hotel has 201 rooms with a multi cuisine coffee shop, bar, spa, pool, fitness center, banquet spaces including a conference room. With opening of this hotel, the company presently operate 52 hotels including managed properties across 31 cities in India. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 5 December 2018. Elecon Engineering Co announced that its board will meet on 10 December 2018 to consider issuing non-convertible debentures upto Rs 150 crore on private placement basis. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 5 December 2018. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripoli, Dec 6 (IANS/AKI) At least 12 people died after a rubber boat which spent more than 10 days at sea capsized off Misrata, Libya, the UN migration agency has said, urging search and rescue operations to be stepped up in the Mediterranean. Ten survivors were rescued and returned to Libya where they were treated by medical staff from the International Organisation for Migration, the UN agency said on Wednesday. Three other passengers from the boat remain missing, according to IOM. "The survivors were all suffering from complete dehydration and exhaustion after being stranded at sea for days," said IOM physician Mohamed Abughalia. "People suffered from trauma, severe malnutrition and burns sustained from the boat's engine fuel." Four people in need of emergency medical care were transferred to a private hospital in Tripoli, IOM said. Six others were moved to detention centres tun by Libyan authorities, where IOM continues to provide medical care and adequate assistance including mental health and psychosocial support to the survivors. "We continue to advocate for alternatives to detention for migrants returned to Libyan shores, specifically for those most vulnerable," said IOM Libya Chief of Mission Othman Belbeisi. Belbeisi also expressed concern about the lack of search and rescue operations off Libya as the weather worsens with the onset of winter. "The absence of mechanisms to better manage returns coupled with reduced search and rescue capacity at sea is making the crossing increasingly dangerous for migrants. "There are is a higher probability of dying at sea now than one year ago. This is not acceptable," he said. Saving lives at sea should be the number one priority, and search and rescue operations clearly need to be reinforced," Belbeisi said. The Sea Watch, Proactiva Open Arms and Mediterranean NGOs announced on Friday that they were launching a joint rescue operation for migrants off Libya's coast. Supported by a reconnaissance aircraft, the fleet will carry out joint search and rescue in the central Mediterranean and document human rights violations, the charities said, accusing European Union countries of shirking their international legal obligations towards migrants. "We do not want to live in a Europe that has turned its maritime border into a mass grave as a deterrent and has its Libyan bouncers do the dirty work," said mission chief Johannes Bayer. "As long as the EU lets people drown in the Mediterranean, we will continue to go to sea." The Sea-Watch 3 rescue vessel had been unlawfully detained in Malta for four months, Seawatch stated. The last migrant rescue ship operating in the Mediterranean, the Acquarius, chartered by the Doctors without Borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee charities, has been stuck in Marseille's since Manama in September revoked the right to fly its flag, allegedly following a request from Italy's far-right, anti-establishment government. --IANS/AKI pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghanistan's Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) on Thursday invalidated all votes cast during the parliamentary elections in Kabul constituency due to the widespread charges of irregularities and fraud recorded in the voting. "The votes cast in the Kabul province on October 20-21 are invalidated under the directions of the election law," IECC spokesman Ali Reza Rohani said at a press conference here. The spokesman said they received 2,767 complaints in Kabul regarding "election irregularities, fraud, electoral crimes and violations of the election law by the Election Commission", Efe news reported. There are documents and proof that support the accuracy of the claims, which if true threaten the "fairness and transparency of the process", Rohani said, adding that the materials of at least 73 polling stations were moved from their original sites for the sake of fraud. "The decision was taken after all complaints regarding voting were assessed and handled one by one and the problems and challenges in the process were professionally assessed and analyzed by the commission," said IECC Chairman Abdul Azizi Ariaey. All votes in Kabul have been annulled and the election will be conducted again in the province, he added. Kabul accounts for more than a quarter of the 4 million votes around cast around the country and holds 33 of the 250 seats in Parliament. The IECC suspended at least five employees of the Election Commission over the issue and fined them $1,300 each. The suspended officials included Ahmad Shah Zamanzai, head of the secretariat of the IEC, and Awla Rahman Rodwal, provincial chief of the poll body for Kabul. The charges against these and other IEC employees will be investigated and decided on later. The primary results of the parliamentary elections of more than half of the country's 33 provinces were announced over the past two weeks. The remaining results will be revealed over the coming days, officials said. The results for Kabul were scheduled to be announced on December 1 but were delayed for weeks due to technical difficulties and recounts, before being invalidated by the IECC. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Thursday met visiting US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, discussing the latest efforts for a political solution to the conflict in the country. During the meeting, Khalilzad briefed Ghani on his tours to the countries in the region, focusing on peace and reconciliation of Afghanistan, the palace said in a statement cited by Xinhua news agency. According to the statement, Ghani said that joint peace efforts would help Afghans to achieve a lasting peace and put an end to the long war and crisis. The meeting was attended by government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. Khalilzad, leading a delegation, arrived in Afghanistan after visiting Pakistan where he met the country's top leadership. Khalilzad held three-day talks with the Taliban political representatives in Qatar last month. He will travel to Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar during his 18-day tour till December 20. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bid to meet Montreal Metro and Mumbai Metro orders for trains, Alstom India will be doubling its capacity at its plant in Sri City in Andhra Pradesh, near here, said a top company official on Thursday. Alain Spohr, Managing Director for India and South Asia, Alstom, told reporters that the company has bagged orders for 10 more metro trains from Chennai Metro, and is looking at sourcing stainless steel from domestic suppliers. "We will be doubling our capacity by setting up a new line that could manufacture 22 cars per month. We are also studying the feasibility for rolling out trains made of aluminium." He was here to flag off the last of the 22 trains for Sydney Metro. According to Spohr, the Montreal Metro and Mumbai Metro orders will be executed from 2019 onwards. Both the orders involved supplying about 500 cars. Currently, the plant has a capacity to make about 240 cars per annum. Spohr said the company is looking at the feasibility of making aluminium trains for the Indian market as there is sufficient capacities for the group in other parts of the world. He said two more trains will be supplied for Kochi Metro from December 2018 onwards. On the local content in trains, he said nearly 70 per cent is localised and efforts are on to increase the same. "India is a major manufacturing and engineering centre for Alstom," Ling Fang, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific, said. Asked about the status of the electric locomotive engine plant in Madhepura in Bihar, Spohr said the assembling of six or seven locomotives has begun. The electric locomotive project is a joint venture with Indian Railways to make 800 units. Alstom is also executing signalling and power supply systems for the 343-km section on World Bank funded Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor. --IANS vj/oeb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The magisterial inquiry into the Amritsar train tragedy that claimed 61 lives has held that the Dusshera event organised by a ruling Punjab Congress leader was held "without permission" and "without undertaking required safety and security measures". Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday "ordered stern action against all those found responsible for the Amritsar train mishap, after the magisterial probe found the gateman of the railway crossing at Jaura Phatak and the organisers of the event accountable for various acts of omissions and commissions leading to the unfortunate tragedy". The inquiry report stated that "the organisers were not having any approval/permission required for holding this event of Dussehra celebration including 'Ravan Dahan' at Dhobi Ghat and they held the event in an illegal manner, compromising the safety and security of spectators' life". The inquiry report observed that while the spectators "committed the mistake" of watching the event from rail tracks, "the organisers held this event without any permission and without undertaking required safety and security measures". The report blamed the police and the Municipal Corporation for their "failure to enforce the law and showing unwanted generosity". The report stated that "key rail employees failed to take safety and security measures even after having full knowledge of presence of a large number of people on and around the rail tracks". The magisterial inquiry into the incident, which claimed 61 lives on Dussehra day (Oct 19), was conducted by the Divisional Commissioner, Jalandhar, B. Purushartha, on the orders of the Chief Minister. The inquiry revealed an alarming situation so far as regulation and supervision of an event at a public place/government land was concerned, a Punjab government spokesperson said here. "Everyone concerned with organization, regulation and supervision of the event under inquiry committed omissions and commissions including dereliction of statutory duties," the report observed. "It is true that such omissions/commissions/dereliction of duties have not been done for the first time (but) in this event it combined with the blunders committed on the part of key rail employees and a ripe situation for occurrence of this accident was created." The comprehensive report submitted to the Punjab government last month "examined all the aspects related to the tragedy". It was based on interviews with all the people affected and various officials. The inquiry concluded that the, gateman of Jaura Phatak, Gate No. 27, Amit Singh, had not only failed in discharging his statutory duties but also committed a blunder in not taking appropriate safety and security measures which could have easily prevented this accident. "He is one of those key railway employees whose blunder has resulted into this accident," the report said. The report also blamed the gateman of another gate (No. 26) for his failure. "It is also evident that gateman of Railways Level Crossing, Gate No. 26, Nirmal Singh, also failed discharging his statutory duties by his late reaction in informing Gateman of Jaura Phatak, Gate No. 27. He came to know about this gathering on rail tracks at around 5.30 p.m., but informed Amit Singh at around 6.40-6.45 p.m. He did not inform the concerned Station Master and kept giving all right signals to approaching trains. Therefore, he is also responsible for committing this blunder. "It is also evident that the organisers conducted this event without taking adequate precautions/measures to ensure safety and security of the people gathered to watch Dussehra celebration and Ravan Dahan," it added. Blaming the organisers for failure to inform the railways, the report said: "The organisers neither informed the railways nor took any precautions and safety measures to stop people from watching the celebrations from rail tracks". "A simple information could have resulted into issuance of a caution order by the Railways for controlled and alerted movement of trains in this rail section and other security measures which could have easily prevented this accident," it observed. The inquiry made it clear that Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the wife of the Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who attended the function as a Chief Guest, had "no role in organising the event". The report said that had the organisers been sensitive to the safety and security of the people watching the Dussehra celebrations and taken the simple action of putting a view cutter of 10-12 feet height along the boundary wall separating the ground and rail tracks, the accident could have been prevented. The probe indicted Saurabh Madan Mithoo, the son of Congress councillor in Amritsar and a close political aide of the Sidhu couple, and officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation, local administration, police and railway authorities for lapses that led to the tragedy. Mithoo was the main organiser of the Dusshera event while Navjot Kaur was the chief guest. A separate inquiry into the train tragedy conducted by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety had blamed "negligence" of the people who were standing on the railway track for the incident. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Virsa Singh Valtoha said on Thursday that they had predicted earlier that the Sidhu couple would get a clean chit in the magisterial probe. The probe commissioner submitted his 300-page report to the Punjab Home Department on November 21. Over 150 people were examined during the probe. Opposition leaders and locals alleged that Navjot Kaur, a former legislator, fled the scene after the train killings. --IANS js/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Punjab cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's wife Navjot Kaur has been given a clean chit in a Punjab government-appointed magisterial probe into the Amritsar train tragedy on Dusshera evening in which 60 people died, sources said here on Thursday. The probe, conducted by Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner B. Purushartha, has indicted Saurabh Madan Mithoo, the son of Congress councillor in Amritsar and a close political aide of the Sidhu couple, and officials of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation, local administration, police and railway authorities for lapses that led to the tragedy. The officials have been blamed for giving permissions without ensuring safety while railway officials have been blamed for allowing the speeding train to move on the tracks without bothering about people crowding on the tracks. The report has been sent to Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for further action. Over 60 people were injured in the tragedy when a diesel multiple unit (DMU) train mowed them down on a railway track near Joda Phatak in Amritsar on October 19 while they were watching the burning of a Ravana effigy. A separate inquiry into the train tragedy conducted by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety had blamed "negligence" of the people, who were standing on the railway track, for the incident. Mithoo was the main organiser of the Dusshera event while Navjot Kaur was the chief guest. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Virsa Singh Valtoha said on Thursday that they had predicted earlier that the Sidhu couple would get a clean chit in the magisterial probe. The probe commissioner submitted his 300-page report to the Punjab Home Department on November 21. Over 150 people were examined during the probe. Sidhu and his wife were both summoned by the one-man probe commission. However, Sidhu, who was present in Amritsar on November 2 when he was summoned, failed to turn up and said he was not in Punjab from October 16 to 20 and could not give any "inputs". Opposition leaders and locals alleged that Navjot Kaur, a former legislator, fled the scene after the train killings. There were allegations that the event was organised without mandatory permissions, which had to be given by the municipal corporation which falls under the local government department headed by Sidhu. --IANS js/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bollywood celebrities are in for a different kind of makeover. The vanity van body -- All Camper Van Owners Association -- has decided to go in for an indefinite "non-cooperation movement" from December 10 against what its members called were "exorbitant taxes". The strike will leave 250 vanity vans idle, around 500 workers of such vans without a job and a halt in shoots, which, in turn, is likely to hit over 5,000 workers who earn daily wages, according to a statement issued by the Association. The Association said the strike was being called against the Maharashtra government's rule which charges tax from each van at the rate of Rs 1.25 lakh per annum. This is equivalent to tax charged on 5,000 square metres. "How does the government claim to say one-nation-one-tax? We are nowhere close to the same. Nowhere in India is tax charged on any vehicles on square-metre basis. This is happening only in Maharashtra for vanity vans," said Ketan Rawal, President of the Association. He said that in other states, tax on vanity vans is no more than Rs 12,000 per year, or in some cases, a lifetime tax of Rs 1 lakh. The Central Government Vahaan 4.0 policy shows tax of vanity van to be Rs 12,000 per year, but this is not accepted by the Maharashtra RTO. In Gujarat, the tax is Rs 57,725 for 10 years, while in Delhi it's charged on the weight of vehicle. In Telangana and Rajasthan the amount is Rs 12,000 per year while Tripura charges a one-time tax of Rs 68,175. "Due to such high taxation by Maharashtra government, we are on the verge of closing down our business," Rawal added. According to the statement from the Association, members had also complained that the service tax department was "harassing the van owners" since February 2018 to pay service tax of 14 per cent. Ashutosh Desai, General Secretary, of the Association said that senior officials had threatened to seal the vans unless service tax for the last five years was paid. --IANS rb/hs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The British High Commission on Thursday sought consular access to Christian Michel, who was extradited from the United Arab Emirates. The CBI said it had received the request. The agency said Michel was being questioned "round the clock". "The CBI has a lot of material to confront him (Michel)," an official source said. Michel is a British national who was wanted for his role in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case. On Wednesday, a Delhi court sent him to five days custody of CBI. Michel is also under medical observation. --IANS rak-mak/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The casket with the remains of former US President George H.W. Bush has been brought to the Ellington Field military base in Houston, Texas, to receive a final tribute from his family and friends on Thursday. The Mass will take place at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, where he and his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush who died in April, attended service regularly, Efe news reported. After the private service, the casket of 41st US President will be transferred to his final resting place via a train whose locomotive was named "Bush 4141", specifically to honour his life. The journey of this train will end in the town of College Station, Texas, 160 km from Houston, where he will be buried in his presidential library with his wife and daughter Robin, who died at age 3 from leukemia. Bush Sr's casket was flown to Texas from Washington, where a state funeral took place on Wednesday with an emotional ceremony held at the National Cathedral, attended by political leaders and royals from around the world. US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania sat in the front row of the church alongside former Democratic Presidents Barack Obama (2009-2017), Bill Clinton (1993-2001) and Jimmy Carter (1977- 1981), who attended the homily with their wives, Michelle, Hillary and Rosalynn, respectively. Former President George W. Bush (2001-2009), visibly moved, described his father as a man of "optimistic" character and said that what he liked to do most was to laugh, "especially at himself". "In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame. He accepted that failure is part of living a full life," said the Republican in an apparent reference to the defeat his father suffered in the 1992 elections, which prevented him from serving a second term. The patriarch of the Bush family was a war pilot during World War II, congressman, Ambassador to the UN, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Vice-President in the administration of Ronald Reagan between 1981 and 1989 and ended his four-decade political career to become a President (1989-1993), from where he led the end of the Cold War. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the country's first Agriculture Export Policy with an aim to double farmers' income and agricultural export to $60 billion by 2022, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said. "This is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of doubling farmers income by 2022. In less than one year, we have raised our agricultural export to $37 billion from $30 billion and we are sure to double it to $60 billion by 2022," Prabhu told reporters. "Today, only three products -- rice, marine products and meat -- constitute about 52 per cent of our agricultural exports. Therefore we need to diversify and will work on that. We will promote organic, ethnic and indigenous products in a substantive manner," he said. Leaving out some primary farm products like onion based on domestic needs (to be reviewed from time to time), all export restrictions on organic and processed agricultural products will be removed by the government, the Minister said. "The government has come out with a comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy aimed at doubling the agricultural exports and integrating Indian farmers and agricultural products with the global value chains," an official statement said. The Cabinet also approved the proposal for establishment of monitoring framework at Centre with Commerce as the nodal department with representation from various line ministries and departments, agencies and representatives of concerned state governments to oversee the implementation of Agriculture Export Policy. Objectives of the policy include reaching $100 billion export target in the next few years with a stable trade policy regime, diversify export basket and destinations, and boost high value and value added agricultural exports with focus on perishables. It also aims to promote novel, indigenous, organic, ethnic, traditional and non-traditional agri product exports, provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and to deal with sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues. The government has planned clusters for exportable agri products in consultation with states and has drawn a list of agricultural products that will be promoted as exports from the country under the Brand India tag. This will entail an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore, Prabhu said. --IANS mgu/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Central government has instructed the Central Board of Secondary (CBSE) to lay stress on "descriptive and objective knowledge" to upgrade the quality of education, Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development Satya Pal Singh said here on Thursday. "CBSE has been instructed to make the examination pattern so as to test the descriptive and objective knowledge of the candidates. This was done after discussing with all members of the state boards to bring parity in the system," Singh said. He was speaking at a session on higher organised by Merchants' Chamber of Commerce & Industry in the context of students scoring 100 per cent marks in board examinations. The Minister gave the example of students seeking admission in the Delhi University. The quality of is not clear as some states give 98 per cent or 85 per cent and there is a huge disparity. So, the Central government is trying to make a comparison, take out a ratio and move ahead with the admissions, he said. Calling for a forward-looking approach in framing educational policies, Singh said: "Scientists are talking about fourth industrial revolution, Internet of Things, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence... Are we preparing our children for these? Innovation and creativity have to be ensured at the school level, it can't just crop up at the college level." In order to awaken curiosity in school children, "Atal Tinkering Labs" was started in almost 3,000 schools of different states. It is not a matter of employability, it is to see the next generation is well prepared to receive, understand and adopt the new technologies, Singh said. He pointed out that access to higher education is around 25.2 per cent in India. For this, the government is building new schools and colleges to end social and regional imbalance. "We are ready to give 100 per cent funds to states for making Central universities, provided they give us land for free. Priority will be given to those states that do not have a Central university." Singh described school education as the foundation of higher education quality. "In our educational policy, we are trying to address the no-detention policy till Class 10 started by the previous (UPA) government. We tried to make Class 10 board examination compulsory but education is mainly a state subject," he said. President of MCCI, Vishal Jhajharia referred to a NASSCOM-McKinsey Report "Perspective 2020: Transform Business, Transform India", which said that only 26 per cent of Indian engineering graduates were employable. In this context, the Minister said: "We are seeing how academic and industry interface can be improved. This year we have made it compulsory for engineering students to go for internships every year for almost a month. This will give them hands-on experience which will make them employable." --IANS bnd/ssp/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China on Thursday demanded the immediate release of Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of tech giant Huawei, whose arrest could escalate into a major diplomatic incident. Calling Meng's detention a "rights abuse", Beijing urged both Ottawa and Washington to clarify their reasons for the action. She was arrested in Vancouver on Saturday and faces extradition to the US. The row threatens to drive a further rift between the US and China even as they begin three months of negotiations aimed at de-escalating their bruising trade war. Canada confirmed Meng's detention on Wednesday night. Details of the arrest were not released but the US has been investigating Huawei over possible violation of sanctions against Iran, reports say. She was provisionally detained by the Canadian Authorities on behalf of the US, when she was transferring flights in Canada, the BBC reported. US stock futures and Asian shares tumbled after Meng's arrest. Fearing that a US-China trade war truce was becoming unattainable, Europe's main stock indices slumped to their lowest point since December 2016 in morning trading. Also, indexes across Asia dropped sharply following the arrest. "The detention without giving any reason violates a person's human rights," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang. "We have made solemn representations to Canada and the US, demanding that both parties immediately clarify the reasons for the detention, and immediately release the detainee to protect the person's legal rights." He added that China had been providing consular assistance to Meng since learning of her arrest. Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa also lodged its protest over the arrest. Huawei denied any wrongdoing by its corporate CFO Meng. She has sought a publication ban on the details of the arrest, which has been granted by the courts. Therefore, the company said it had little information about the charges and was "not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng". The tech giant said in a statement that "the company complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates". A court hearing has been set for Friday, according to Canada's Justice Department. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chinese embassy here has asked Canada to release Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, who has been arrested in Vancouver at the request of US authorities. Huawei on Thursday denied any wrongdoing by its corporate, Xinhua news agency reported. Meng was provisionally detained by the Canadian authorities on behalf of the US, when she was transferring flight in Canada, according to a statement. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harms the human rights of the victim," said a Chinese embassy statement. "The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Meng Wanzhou. "We will closely follow the development of the issue and take all measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens," it added. Huawei said the company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng. Its statement said it complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU. --IANS in/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Climate consciousness across the globe is on the rise, but there is still a considerable gap between countries' preparedness for climate change and the actual measures, a UN report said on Thursday. "A considerable gap between countries' preparedness for climate change and the actual measures that should be put in place to prepare communities for a future of increasing climate risks," the fourth UN Adaptation Gap Report said. The report came as world leaders gathered in this Polish city for the annual UN climate negotiations (COP24). Low and middle-income countries have shown consistent progress in bridging the gap in adaptive capacity, it said. The research particularly underscores a growing divide between the estimated annual costs of adaptation and the actual global investments in resilience measures, drawing a distinct connection between our adaptation to climate change and sustainable development that results in healthy communities and thriving economies, according to the UN. Climate change will have a significant impact on human health over the next few decades, and while progress has been made in reducing climate-change related diseases and injuries, current adaptation efforts are by no means sufficient to minimize future health impact of a changing climate, it said. The study highlighted that unless adaptation efforts were strengthened considerably, heat and extreme event-related morbidity and mortality will continue to rise. Despite voicing considerable concern on the divergence between the global goals on adaptation and actual action being taken at the national level, the report shined a positive light on the growth in national laws and policies that address adaptation. Studies show that at least 162 countries explicitly address adaptation at a national level, through a total of 110 laws and 330 policies. Looking at the commitment countries made as part of the Paris Agreement, only 40 developing countries have quantifiable adaptation targets in their current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), while 49 include quantifiable targets in their national laws and policies, according to the report. The study said that low and middle-income countries showed consistent progress. But it added that without signs of acceleration, catching up with wealthier countries to bridge the gap in adaptive capacity will take many decades under current rates of improvement. According to the report, political will, necessary financial resources to implement important actions related to climate resilient health systems, early warning systems and a broader development agenda aimed at reducing vulnerability to climate-sensitive health risks were needed to narrow the adaptation gap in health. --IANS vg/soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress cannot defeat the BJP in elections with "soft Hindutva tactics", the CPI-M has warned. "If the Congress thinks it can defeat the BJP by ... soft Hindutva tactics, it is mistaken," said an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy". The Communist Party of India-Marxist said the elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan saw the Congress conduct a campaign which was a pale echo of the Hindutva platforms in some respects. "The attempt to prove that the Congress was genuinely more Hindu than the BJP witnessed a flurry of temple visits by Rahul Gandhi in the three states; the manifesto of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh talked of 'gaushalas', commercial sale of 'gau mutra' and building a 'Ram Van Gaman Path Yatra'. "In Rajasthan, the manifesto promised the setting up of an education board to propagate Vedic values. In the campaign, there was a palpable reluctance to speak out against the lynchings of Muslims like the killing of Pehlu Khan," the editorial said. Nevertheless, the BJP will face electoral reverses in these three states "because the people have voted on issues such as jobs, farmers' distress, lack of basic amenities and corruption", the CPI-M said. It said that various mass struggles offering a secular and democratic alternative "alone can counter the BJP-RSS gameplan and effectively foil it". "The mobilisation of the working people ... and the numerous struggles and movements taking place around the country stand in stark contrast to the communal mobilisation being undertaken on the Ram temple issue at Ayodhya." --IANS mr/soni (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Customs administrations of 21 countries from South Asia, West Asia and Asia Pacific stressed on sharing data and intelligence in real-time to counter organised cross-border crime, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. "During the two day meeting, there was special emphasis on sharing of data and intelligence between different customs administrations... All the participating countries agreed to co-operate closely and counter the organised cross-border crime," it said. The decision was an outcome of a two-day event organised on December 4-5 to conclude the Regional Customs Enforcement Meeting (RCEM) and to observe the 61st Foundation Day of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). "Extensive discussions were held regarding mutual strategy to counter organised crime related to drugs, precious metals and stones, money laundering and black economy," it said. Apart from the 21 countries, representatives from World Customs Organisation (WCO), Interpol, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific (RILO AP) attended the meeting. The DRI gave a presentation on "Data Exchange to Control Illicit Trade", highlighting the need, benefit and challenges for effective exchange of customs data and proposed a four-stage model. It also spoke on "Drug Trafficking, Smuggling and Organised Financial Crime". While the Mauritius delegate laid great emphasis on sharing of information and intelligence on real-time basis, the Australian delegate elaborated on "Passenger Profiling and Targeting Capability" and explained their layered approach in profiling. Interpol outlined major steps taken in recent times to promote police-customs co-operation and the WCO outlined the strategy and operations against drugs and NPS trafficking, the statement said. Iran gave a presentation on various kinds of narcotics seizures made by them, while the UNODC (South Asia) gave a brief overview of the mandate of UNODC which includes combating, apart from drugs and organised crime, terrorism, smuggling and corruption. --IANS mgu/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi Court on Thursday reserved order on the application of BJP MP Subramanian Swamy seeking to conduct prosecution in a case against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, accused of abetment to suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal said he will deliver order on the Swamy's plea on December 10. In his plea, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament has sought to assist the court and to bring on record the Delhi Police's Vigilance Report on tampering of evidence in the case for framing of additional charges. Tharoor's counsel and Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa opposed his plea, while Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said that third party should not interfere in the case as it is a criminal trial and the matter is between the Delhi Police and the accused person. On May 14, police chargesheeted Tharoor under sections 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to abetment to suicide and cruelty to wife. Pushkar, 51, died under mysterious circumstances in a hotel room in south Delhi on January 17, 2014, days after she alleged that Tharoor was having an affair with a Pakistani journalist. --IANS akk/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Following orders from Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, the Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) on Thursday appointed Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)'s "Koshish" to conduct social audit of all shelter homes for women and girls in Delhi. Koshish has earlier conducted similar audits in several states, including Bihar, that brought to light the Muzaffarpur shelter home horror. The decision came after nine minor girls reportedly went missing from a shelter home in the national capital on Monday. "Koshish team is visiting all the shelter homes in Delhi and auditing them on various aspects which shall include infrastructure, facilities provided, training programmes and attitude of staff, and rehabilitation and restoration efforts, among others," the DCW said in a statement. An agreement has been reached between the DCW and Koshish, wherein the Koshish team shall inform the Commission immediately in case any instances of abuse are discovered in the homes. In a meeting with Sisodia on Thursday, DCW chief Swati Maliwal stated that a pilot social audit of shelter homes had been initiated by the Commission in September and "a report is being submitted to the government". Sisodia, on the other hand, said that the Delhi government is "keen to overhaul and improve the functioning of all the shelter homes and has therefore invited an external agency" to examine the status and issues of homes in a non-partisan manner. --IANS sd/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Relentless humiliation and rebuke from her science teacher over the last couple of months forced a Class 7 student here to commit suicide by hanging herself, police said on Thursday. Daisy Rathore, 12, who hanged herself from a ceiling fan at her home on December 1, ensured that her tormentor was punished, as she wrote the teacher's name on her palms and hands and also the reason for her extreme step. "We are waiting for the autopsy report and recording statements of victim's friends and classmates. We will take strict action against the culprit," Joint Commissioner of Police Madhup Tiwari told IANS on Thursday. "On her palms and hands she wrote that she did not want to go to school anymore. She apologised to her mother and grandmother and said she was going to meet Lord Krishna," he added. She was last seen alive by her mother Kamal Rathore who saw her before leaving for the Tis Hazari Court, where she is an advocate. Around 4 p.m., when the mother returned, she discovered her daughter's lifeless body, a police officer said. A suicide note was also recovered. A resident of Inderpuri, the teenager had complained of relentless humiliation at her science teacher's hands. "My daughter complained the same teacher rebuked her everyday. It was the same teacher who rebuked and humiliated her on Friday for 10 minutes before her class teacher in the biology lab. "She had cried in the school bathroom following the episode," Kamal Rathore told IANS. "She had been insisting that I change her school but I did not know the extent of the crisis. I had not realised how extreme it has been and that she would commit suicide," she said. "Her science teacher used to rebuke her on trivial issues," the mother added. The mother broke down before a few reporters on Thursday as she narrated the incident. "I was planning to take her out on her birthday this December 20. But now she has left us. I should have changed her school." Kamal Rathore has been a single mother, since her husband passed away some eight years ago. Apparently, the tormented student had told some of her friends that she would commit suicide and would not meet them again. The school management has set up an internal committee to probe the incident and will submit its report to the Delhi Police. --IANS sp/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Thursday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the closure of the Central Potato Research Station (CPRS) in Ooty will have detrimental impact on potato farmers. In a letter to Modi, Palaniswami referred to reports that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) had decided to close down the CPRS. "If this research station is closed, farmers of Tamil Nadu and other southern states of India have to depend on the Potato Research Station at Jalandhar, Punjab, which is located far away, to access disease free planting materials, which in turn will increase the cost of cultivation. Moreover, the varieties of North India are not suitable for Southern hills," Palaniswami added. --IANS vj/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi University has refused to share the attendance details of its administrative officials, including the Vice Chancellor, saying the information was not in "public interest" and would amount to "invasion of privacy". This, when Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) teachers, who are on a warpath against the administration, have been warned that their leave would not be approved if they do not mark their attendance. The tussle began a year ago when attendance details of the non-teaching staff of the Delhi University, which includes the Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Deputy Registrar, Assistant Registrar and others were sought under the Right to Information (RTI) Act by a person who declined to be identified. "It appears that the information sought by the applicant is personal in nature as far as the particular official is concerned and it would cause unwarranted invasion into the privacy of an individual. It does not appear that any larger public interest would be served by disclosure of this information in the public domain," the varsity's Public Information Officer (PIO) said quoting section 8(1)(j) of the(RTI) Act. The university's First Appellate Authority, which heard the case in September, concurred with the decision. It said that section 8 allows the PIO to withhold information in case he or she deems it as causing "unwarranted invasion of the privacy" of the individual. The section quoted says information may be denied "which relates to personal information, the disclosure of which has not relationship to any public activity or interest, or which would cause unwarranted invasion of the privacy of the individual." The denial of information gains importance in the light of ongoing tiff between the JNU varsity and its teachers, who have been refusing to sign the attendance register, terming it as restrictive to their "academic freedom". If teachers stand to lose their leave for not conforming to rules, the administrative staff -- at least in the DU -- enjoys relative opacity when it comes to accountability on their absence from office, the RTI applicant, contended. Attendance of students is sometimes given out by universities to name and shame them into coming for classes. Deputy Registrar Sudhir Sharma, who is the first appellate authority at the university, could not be reached by IANS, despite several attempts. (Vishal Narayan can be contacted at vishal.n@ians.in) --IANS vn/vm/hs (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dry cell batteries maker Eveready Industries India Ltd (EIIL) on Thursday said it has entered into an agreement with Alwarpet Properties for sale of its land in Chennai for Rs 100 crore to reduce debt. The land belonged to a battery manufacturing facility over the last five decades. The factory became economically unviable on account to high standing costs and overheads, which led to it becoming idle for some time. The land, therefore, became surplus to the company's needs, it said in a statement. "The sale transaction will help reduce debts of the Company and further improve the balance sheet. The closure of the factory, in any case, is positive to the profitability of the business on account of cost savings," Managing Director Amritanshu Khaitan said. --IANS bdc/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was trampled to death by a herd of elephants in Jharkhands Jamtara district on Thursday. According to police, a herd of 22 elephants reached Nurgi village from Dhanbad district. The victim, Rustam Mia, had gone to answer nature's call. The elephants chased him and trampled him to death. The forest department officials reached the spot and took the body. The man's family was given a cheque of Rs 25,000 on Thursday. The Jharkhand government gives Rs 1 lakh compensation to people killed by elephants. Of this, Rs 25,000 is handed over instantly and the rest is given after completion of official formalities. In Jharkhand, more than 800 people have been trampled to death by elephants since 2000. --IANS ns/mr/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former Bihar Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi on Thursday said he would convert to Buddhism if the Dalits continue to face insult, humiliation and torture due to the age-old caste system. These days torture and suppression against Dalits are increasing across the country, including Bihar, and this is a matter of serious concern for the Dalits, Manjhi said. "I am ready to follow path of Babasaheb Ambedkar and will convert to Buddhism, along with his followers," said Manjhi, coming from the Mushahar community that derives its name from the practice of eating rats after usually hunting for them in paddy fields. In Bihar, Mushahars are still treated as untouchables and they are the most backward community among the Dalits. Manjhi's HAM is part of the Grand Alliance of Lalu Prasad's Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress in Bihar. --IANS ik/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Former senior Indian diplomat Preeti Saran has been elected unopposed to an Asia Pacific seat on the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) of the UN. The UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected the recently-retired External Affairs Ministry Secretary (East) by acclamation on Wednesday to the 18-member committee of experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR). Saran will begin her four-year term on January 1, after another former Indian diplomat, Chandrashekhar Dasgupta, completes his third term on the CESCR at the end of this year. After Saran's election, India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin tweeted: "Thanks to all our friends for electing by acclamation India's candidate Amb. Preeti Saran..." Members of the CESCR serve in their personal capacities as experts and do not represent their countries even though they may have been nominated by their own nation. India was elected in October to the UN Human Rights Council, where the representation is by countries and not individuals. It received 188 votes in the 193-member General Assembly, the highest number polled by any of the contestants. When the rotating elections for the nine members to start their terms next year on the CESCR was held in April, Heisoo Shin of South Korea was re-elected but the Asia Pacific region did not have a nominee for the second seat leading to the postponement of the election for it. While any country from the Asian Pacific group was free to put up a candidate for that seat, none did deferring to India, according to diplomatic sources. In November, India nominated Saran, who had retired from the foreign service in September, and her nomination was circulated to UN members by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on November 23, paving the the way for Wednesday's delayed election. Saran's election will add a woman to the CESCR, which has been criticised for having only five women on the 18-member panel. An international NGO, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which monitors the CESCR, commented earlier in 2018, "Unfortunately the gender balance on the Committee remains poor." "States should be very concerned by this gender imbalance on a UN human rights treaty body, particularly given the Committee's mandate to monitor implementation of States obligations to ensure the equal right of men and women to the enjoyment of all economic, social and cultural rights," it said. CESCR was set up in 1985 by the ECOSOC to monitor on its behalf the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which has been ratified by 169 countries. Countries that are parties to the covenant are required to submit reports to the CESCR every five years on how they protect those rights. The CECSR meets in Geneva for four weeks every year. The other Asian member is Shiqiu Chen of China, whose term ends in 2022. During her 36-year diplomatic career, Saran had also served as the ambassador to Vietnam and was a minister and a counsellor at India's mission to the UN in Geneva. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) --IANS al/in (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of defending British national Christian Michel in a CBI court in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case and described removal of his counsel Aljo K. Joseph from the party as "drama". "Besides Joseph, there are two other lawyers of Christian Michel. They are Vishnu Shankar who is the son of a Kerala Congress leader and Sriram Parakkat who has been an NSUI member. All three have worked under big Congress lawyers like Salman Khurshid and Kapil Sibal," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Spokesperson Sambit Patra told a press conference. He said the Congress is completely "rattled" after the extradition of Michel and have sent their team to defend Michel in the court. "The extended hand of Congress is protecting Michel. This is not a self goal but a calculated move by the Congress to protect Michel," he said. The BJP leader said the Congress' move was a signal to the probe agencies that the party stands "rock solid" behind Christian Michel. Calling the removal of Joseph from the party as a "drama", Patra claimed the top Congress leaders were having sleepless nights after Michel was extradited from Dubai. "The Congress went to the shroud of removing Joseph from the party. This is the real face of the Congress. While there is a family within the Congress which is having sleepless nights, the same family has appointed its own pointsman to defend Michel," he said. He said the Congress has done such "drama" in the past by removing Mani Shankar Aiyer and Sandeep Dixit. The Congress expelled Joseph on Wednesday after a controversy erupted over his representation in the AgustaWestland chopper deal case. "Later they were promoted to senior posts in the party. Sibal appeared in the Ram temple case and withdrew from it after a controversy. In Kerala lottery case, Abhishek Manu Singhvi earlier appeared and later withdrew himself. But in the case of Joseph, they did not ask him to withdraw from the case. Instead, they removed him from the party which is nothing less than a drama," he said. Sandeep Dikshit, however said that Patra's claim was a blatant lie. "No such thing happened. I give him 24 hours to apologize or else I will send a legal notice," he said. --IANS bns/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facebook has a zero tolerance approach for child exploitation images, said a top executive from the social networking giant here on Thursday. She added that we have to be much more responsible on digital media for the sake of young children. "Young people are developing digital literacy at an increasingly young age, which means we have to be much more responsible on the digital media for the young children," Shelley Thakral, Head of Policy Programmes (India, South Asia, and Central Asia), Facebook, said. "We have online safety experts from NGOs from all across the world, and we have zero tolerance to images that show exploitation of children," she added. Thakral was speaking at the three-day 'Plan For Every Child 2018 - Girls Get Equal' national conference, organised by non-profit Plan India in partnership with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. In November, the social media giant was slammed by human rights activists for failing to remove a post in which a South Sudanese man auctioned his 17-year-old daughter to the highest bidder as a child bride. As per media reports, at least five men, including the region's deputy general, participated in the bidding of the teenager. A man with eight other wives won the bid and paid the girl's father 500 cows, two luxury cars, two bikes, a boat, mobile phones and $10,000 in cash. Facebook was also accused of encouraging grooming by offering teenage girls middle-aged men as 'friend suggestions'. Teenage girls, as young as 13-year-olds, who join the social network are given upto 300 suggestions for who they can add as friends, some of which include middle-aged men who are topless in their profile photos. However, Facebook said that was not a typical experience for teenagers signing up for the service and that it has safeguards built into its recommendation system. "At Facebook, we are going great lengths to do everything to listen to our community and to be adaptive," Thakral said. "Our goal is to ensure that everyone has the right to express themselves. We need to be able to provide them the right privacy and security," she stressed. The conference that began Wednesday, saw experts from diverse backgrounds deliberate on systems strengthening child protection as a critical factor in the governance of any country. The workshops and sessions brought out children's experiences and perceptions of safety at home, school and community. --IANS rt/oeb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 10-member central team has started a three-day tour of the drought-hit regions of Maharashtra, spending barely a couple of minutes at various locations, raising the hackles of farmers and activists. The visit, dubbed a 'flying survey' by locals, started on Wednesday and has covered some of the worst-hit areas of Jalgaon, Sangli, Jalna, Parbhani, Solapur and its surroundings. On Friday, it shall cover parts of parched Vidarbha. "However, owing to the language barriers, they barely interact with the farmers anxiously who wait for them for hours, cursorily glance around and get back into their air-conditioned vehicles," locals told mediapersons. On an average, the central team managed to cover a grueling 300 km daily, or roughly 1,000 km during the three-day tour, to verify the government's claims on the drought situation. Many farmers were piqued that the central officials barely discussed the burning issues of drought, shortage of water for drinking, cattle and irrigation, besides shortage of fodder for farm animals. Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Samiti (VNSS) Chairman Kishore Tiwari said though the state government had demanded Rs 7,000 crore as immediate drought relief from the Centre, the grave question of crop failure had not yet been taken up. "The relief sought is for insufficient or failed monsoon. But the real crisis is lurking elsewhere in the form of crop failure of cotton and pulse farmers in large parts of the worst-hit Vidarbha and Marathwada. This has increased the spate of farmland suicides in recent months and the situation could worsen in coming months," Tiwari told IANS. Tiwari lashed out at the central team for conducting its crucial survey as a "emere formality" and demanded that state officials who understand the local language should accompany such teams for a meaningful interaction. Even before the monsoon bowed out this year with an estimated average of 77 percent rains (in the state), the government was compelled to declare drought in 151 talukas spread across 26 districts in end-October and sought urgent central assistance. --IANS qn/MR (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Australian court on Thursday overturned former Archbishop of Australia Philip Wilson's conviction for covering up cases of child sexual abuse to protect the Church. The judge also revoked his one-year sentence which he had been serving in home detention, Efe news reported. Wilson, 68, became the world's most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of covering up sexual abuse when his trial ended in May. A police investigation earlier this year found Wilson guilty of covering up sexual abuse of two altar boys by priest James Fletcher in the 1970s. Fletcher was convicted of the abuse in 2004 and died in prison two years later. At the earlier trial, Magistrate Robert Stone said Wilson had stayed silent about the abuse out of a desire to protect the Church's reputation. He then avoided jail after his conviction and was serving home detention. Wilson later launched an appeal during which Newcastle District Court judge Roy Ellis was asked to consider whether prosecutors had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Wilson had failed to report allegations against Fletcher after the priest had been charged. Ellis upheld Wilson's appeal on Thursday and quashed the sentence given by a lower court, the report said. The judge said prosecutors were unable to prove beyond reasonable doubt the culpability of the accused and called the former archbishop an "honest and consistent witness". "There is no proper basis on which I can rely to reject the evidence of (Father Wilson)," Ellis said, according to national broadcaster ABC. Wilson had said during the trial that he did not remember the victims complaining to him about the abuse. The prosecutors, who had also filed a petition for Wilson to be transferred to a prison, did not comment whether they would challenge the verdict. Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse reported that the Catholic Church received complaints from 4,500 people for alleged abuses committed by some 1,880 priests between 1980 and 2015. On July 30, Pope Francis had accepted Wilson's resignation as the Archbishop of Adelaide. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aires Rodrigues, a Goa-based lawyer-cum-activist, has alleged harassment by the BJP-led government after the Crime Branch on Thursday issued summons to him to appear in connection with a criminal complaint filed in 2016 alleging that he is a Portuguese and so could not practice in an Indian court. Rodrigues had led a public protest to the private residence of ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar demanding the latter's resignation on grounds of ill-health. The summons have been issued in connection with a FIR under sections 177 (false information), 181 (false statement on oath), 419 (cheating by impersonation) and 420 (cheating) IPC and Section 14 of the Foreigners act filed by a Calvert Gonsalves in 2016 who alleged that Rodrigues had availed of Portuguese citizenship and therefore should be barred from appearing in Indian courts as an advocate. He also sought criminal action against the lawyer. Rodrigues told reporters that in 2016, soon after the registration of FIR, he had submitted a detailed response to the Crime Branch and that a summons issued to him after a gap of two years "reeked of dubiousness and harassment". Rodrigues has been critical of the functioning of the Parrikar-led coalition government. A senior official attached to the Crime Branch said: "There is no external pressure on our probe." --IANS maya/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google has announced its newly-released Chrome 71, the latest version of its web browser, is now rolling out for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems (OS), which aims to keep deceptive websites off. The latest version of Google's browser was in the works over the past few months and has just left the beta programme. "The Chrome team is delighted to announce the promotion of Chrome 71 to the stable channel for Windows, Mac and Linux. This will roll out over the coming days/weeks. "Chrome 71.0.3578.80 contains a number of fixes and improvements -- a list of changes is available in the log. Watch out for upcoming Chrome and Chromium blog posts about new features and big efforts delivered in 71," the tech giant wrote in a blog post late on Tuesday. In the new version, users would be warned when a site appears to be hiding the real costs and terms for a transaction. With Chrome 71, experiences on websites that fall under Google's definition of abusive would be filtered. These include web experiences that are not just limited to ads, such as auto-redirects that happen without any action from a user or trick-to-click experiences like a warning notification that actually leads to an ad or another website's landing page, according to The Verge. Former Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday. In a letter addressed to PDP President and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, Drabu said he had not been associating with party affairs for some time now. He said since he had won elections on PDP ticket, he thought it morally incorrect to resign as long as the state Assembly was intact. "Now that it is (Assembly) over, I am hereby resigning from the PDP," Drabu said in his letter. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Thursday voiced strong opposition to Pakistan's reported move to declare Gilgit-Baltistan as that country's fifth province. "We have said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has been and will remain a part of India," External Affairs Ministry Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question at a media briefing here. "Any attempt by Pakistan to change the legal status has no basis whatsoever," Kumar said. "We call upon Pakistan to vacate all occupied territories." Gilgit-Baltistan is a part of Jammu and Kashmir, but Pakistan illegally occupied it after Partition in 1947. Islamabad later divided the region into two parts - Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. According to reports, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has approved a proposal to alter the region's status to that of an interim province in principle. --IANS ab/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.) Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that India gave a "political colour" to his gesture of opening the Kartarpur border and called it "unfortunate". Pakistan opened the Kartarpur border in November to facilitate visa-free pilgrimage by Indian Sikhs to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara, where Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life. "Unfortunately, India portrayed it as us seeking political advantage. During my swearing-in ceremony when Navjot Singh Sidhu visited we had discussed this," Khan was quoted as saying by Dawn while he was addressing the Cabinet. "... the Indian media has given Kartarpur (border opening) a political colour, as if we did this to gain some sort of political mileage. This is not true. We did it because it is part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's manifesto." Khan performed the groundbreaking ceremony on November 28 to develop the Kartarpur Corridor to link Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in India with Kartarpur gurdwara in the presence of Indian Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hardeep Puri and Congress party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. "I am glad that the government pressed for the opening of the corridor. If someone's religious sites are in Pakistan then we should facilitate them. We are not doing anything new, these things were part of our manifesto," said Khan. The leader added that the Sikh community responded very positively to the effort. "It (Kartarpur) is to them what Medina is to us," Khan said, adding that he was hopeful that "India will also respond positively". --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Russia will build missiles if US leaves treaty - News in English 06/12/2018 Russia will develop missiles banned under a Cold War agreement if the US exits the pact, President Vladimir Putin has warned. VOH The Indian and Chinese militaries will be engaged in a joint military exercise that will involve tactical level operations in an international counter insurgency environment, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday. The annual Exercise Hand-in-Hand will commence on December 11 and go on till December 23 at Chengdu in China. The exercise is conducted annually as part of military diplomacy and interaction between the armies of India and China. "The aim of the exercise is to build and promote close relations between armies of both the countries and to enhance the ability of joint exercise commander to take military contingents of both nations under command," an official release said. "The exercise will involve tactical level operations in an international counter insurgency and counter terrorist environment under UN mandate," it added. Troops from the Indian side have been selected from 11 SIKHLI of Indian Army while troops from a unit of Tibetan military district will be taking part. --IANS mak/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Global software major Infosys on Thursday said it had opened a technology-cum-innovation hub at Hartford in Connecticut state in the US to work for its clients in the region. "The Hartford hub will help us to work closely with our clients in the region and serve as the global hub for our InsurTech and HealthTech efforts," said the city-based IT firm in a statement here. InsurTechAis, a portmanteau (combination) of insurance and technology, derived from fintech, a hybrid term for financial technology where IT is used to deliver financial services. Similarly, HealthTech is the use of technology like databases, applications, mobiles and wearables to improve delivery, payment and consumption. As part of its May 2, 2017 strategic decision to hire 10,000 Americans by 2023 to bridge the IT skills gap in the US, the $11 billion firm has recruited about 7,000 of them during the last 18 months across the country. The hiring of Americans is seen as a fallout of US President Donald Trump's executive order on H1-B visas in April 2017 as clients in North America contribute about 60 per cent of the company's software export revenue annually. The hub will have Living Labs for the future of insurance, healthcare and manufacturing. It will also help organizations learn through making and bring expertise in technologies like blockchain, extended reality and cognitive capabilities with design thinking, agile and DevOps. As a systems development methodology to combine software coding with IT operations, DevOps shortens the development lifecycle while delivering features, fixes and updates in alignment with business objectives. "The Hartford technology and innovation hub is an important milestone in our efforts to help American enterprises revitalise their core businesses," said Infosys Chief Operating Officer U.B. Pravin Rao on the occasion. The new hub, along with the company's five other hubs across the US, will help to collaborate with its clients for developing cross-functional digital solutions to their business needs. Creating potential for about 1,000 jobs at Hartford, the software behemoth has become a corporate partner to the city and the state (Connecticut). "Joined by our partners in the government, academia and business, the hub will enable our clients in the region to go for rapid digitization in diverse sectors such as insurance, healthcare and manufacturing," said Infosys President Ravi Kumar in the statement. The company's other five hubs are at Indianapolis in Indiana, Raleigh in North Carolina, Richardson in Texas, Phonex in Arizona and Providence in Rhode island. "As we have a world-class workforce and education system, employers have started to take notice. The capital region (Hartford) has seen several employers make their presence in the past year, while incubators have popped up to support our technology industry," said Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy. By collaborating with clients and developing academic partnerships to foster talent, Infosys is addressing business challenges while transforming Hartford into a tech hub and a destination for the techies of the future. "From InsurTech to advanced manufacturing to digital health, as Hartford is building momentum, Infosys will be a part of the innovation system to partner with local academia for training our students and create jobs for them," said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. The company is also setting up its US Education Centre at Indianapolis in mid-west Indiana state to prepare its American employees for the tech jobs. The first phase of the centre is expected to be completed by 2020. --IANS fb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will dedicate the first 50 housing units built for displaced Rohingya people during the course of his three-day state visit to Myanmar from December 11, a senior official said on Thursday. Briefing the media here, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said that India signed a development programme for Rakhine State in Myanmar late last year which was designed to assist the Myanmar government in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for return of displaced persons. "Two hundred and fifty units were planned for the first phase and by virtual means, President of India will be dedicating the first 50 units to the Myanmar side," Gokhale said. "It is something that has been appreciated not just by the government of Myanmar but also by the UN and other agencies." Over 730,000 Rohingyas, who are not recognised as citizens by Myanmar, have sought refuge in Bangladesh since August 2017, following a military campaign against the minority community in western Rakhine state. Giving details of the President's programme, Gokhale said that after reaching Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw late on December 10 evening, Kovind will be accorded a ceremonial welcome on December 11 which will be followed by delegation-level talks with Myanmar President U Win Myint, a meeting with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and signing of agreements. On December 12, Kovind will visit the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education (ACARE) and the Rice Biopark. "These are both government of India projects funded by grants," Gokhale said. At the ACARE, Kovind will also launch a mobile app for agriculture technology. After completing these engagements, Kovind will leave for Yangon where he will lay a wreath at the Martyrs' Memorial which is also the resting place of Gen Aung San who was Aung San Suu Kyi's father. The President will also visit the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and attend a community reception to be hosted by the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar. On December 13, Kovind will visit the Shri Kali Temple in Yangon and the mausoleum of the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar. He will also inaugurate the "Enterprise India" exhibition being organised by Indian industry body CII to showcase Indian manufacturing capabilities and industrial technology. Later in the day, the President will visit the Dhamma Joti Vipassana Mediation Centre. Kovind will return to India on December 14. Press Secretary to the President Ashok Malik said that this will be Kovind's last state visit this year and also the first state visit to a country with which India shares a land border. The President will be accompanied by a three-member delegation comprising Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, Lok Sabha MP from Assam Ram Prasad Sarma, and Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur K. Bhabananda Singh. "All three members of this delegation are parliamentarians from the states of Northeast," Malik said. "This is a recognition of the fact that the development of the Northeast is inter-linked with the development of Myanmar and our relationship with Myanmar," he said. "It is a tribute to the government's Act East Policy and and the centrality of the Northeast in that." India has been increasing its engagements with Southeast Asia under New Delhi's Act East Policy. India is also a key development aid partner of Myanmar and is working on some major infrastructure projects in that country, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and the Kaladan multimodal transport project connecting Sittwe port with Mizoram. "In the past three years, political, economic and defence ties with Myanmar have grown rapidly," a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry earlier regrading Kovind's visit said. It stated that Kovind's visit was expected to maintain the momentum generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Myanmar in September 2017 and the visit of Suu Kyi to New Delhi in January 2018 for the India-Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Commemorative Summit. Myanmar is the only Asean member state with which India is linked via land and sea. --IANS ab/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Thursday said that it was not the work of a political party to construct a temple or mosque. A member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), he said that his party opposed the Bharatiya Janata Party's bid to raise the Ayodhya temple issue. Kushwaha was expected to announce his party's future ties with the NDA on Thursday in Motihari but he chose to target the BJP's Ram temple agenda for the first time publicly. "Mandir banana political party ka kaam nahi hai," Kushwaha told his party leaders and workers. He said the BJP was raising the temple issue for political gains. This was an attempt to divert the attention of the people from real issues rekated to education, health, employment and development. The RLSP would oppose to BJP's move to polarise the society on the issue of Ram temple, he said. "RLSP is not against the construction of a temple but it should be constructed as per the law of the land." --IANS ik/mr/vsc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Left-leaning political parties in the French National Assembly on Thursday announced they were set to subject the government to a vote of no confidence over its handling of the so-called "Yellow Jackets" crisis -- consisting of widespread social protests that rocked the country in recent weeks. The protesters as part of the "Yellow Jackets" movement had taken to streets against rising gas prices and taxes on polluting forms of transport. Three people died in the unrest that continued for the past three weekends. The first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, said that the parliamentary move had the backing of the progressive-populist party La France Insoumise and of the Communist Party, Efe news reported. Faure said that three parties were seeking to earn the support of other groups for the no-trust motion, which will be introduced in the lower chamber on Monday. As it stands, the vote has very slim chances of prospering due to the comfortable absolute majority enjoyed by the ruling party, the centre-right La Republique En Marche of President Emmanuel Macron. The Socialist leader, conscious of this fact, rhetorically asked: "What is this good for?" "It's good for proving that another way is possible," he added. "There's a common goal: making the tax system more just." Lawmakers will cast their definitive votes at least 48 hours after the motion's introduction on Monday and subsequent parliamentary debate. "We can clearly see that there's a government that is heading straight towards the wall and is still maintaining the same political logic," said Ugo Bernalicis, an Assembly member for La France Insoumise. "It is our collective responsibility to stop this and make sure we change the government, and therefore our politics," he said. According to the left-wing lawmaker, if politicians fail to confront the ongoing social discontent, "chaos will come". He therefore defended acting through institutional means in the French Parliament. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Calling the Ram temple a vote bank politics of the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday said all political parties should respect the judiciary and let it do its job over the Ayodhya dispute. Speaking to IANS, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said all political parties should welcome whatever verdict the Supreme Court gives on the dragging row. "Whatever be the verdict, it should be welcomed by the Congress, BJP, AAP, Sunni Waqf Board and also the Ram Lalla party. The AAP will respect the verdict and so should others," he said. In 1992 on this day, a large crowd demolished a 16th-century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya and quickly set up a makeshift temple at the spot. Hindu groups want to build a grand temple at the site. The matter is now in the Supreme Court, which in October deferred the Ayodhya hearing to January 2019 citing that the issue was not a priority for it. Sanjay Singh attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for using the temple issue as a vote bank. "Ram Temple is vote bank politics for BJP. They don't care about Lord Rama. For past 25 years, they are shouting about building a temple, but are not announcing the dates as to when they will build a temple." The BJP, Sanjay Singh said, follows the Supreme court in selectively. "They claim to care about women's right by following the court's orders on Triple Talaq, but not on Sabarimala... You have to follow the court's order in full and with all respect," he added. --IANS nks/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Film: "Mortal Engines"; Director: Christian Rivers; Cast: Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Hugo Weaving, Jihae, Ronan Raftery, Leila George, Patrick Malahide, Stephen Lang,Frankie Adams, Colin Salmon, Caren Pistorius and Kee Chan; Rating: **** There is an interesting trend in the science fiction genre. Over the last few years, we have seen the genre used not only to examine the power of space travel or a post-apocalyptic future, but as a way to address common humanity more than futuristic adventure stories. Joining films like "Interstellar", "The Dark Tower", "Mad Max Road Fury" and "Arrival", is director Christian Rivers' ambitious and moving "Mortal Engines", a film that is about a painfully dangerous and unforgettable adventure story of surprises, set in the third millennium in a dark and utterly original world fuelled by Municipal Darwinism and betrayal. The narrative begins on an exciting note. On a dark, blustery afternoon while skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster and hungrier cities preying in the Great Hunting Ground, the great traction city of London, spots a small mining town called Salthook and chases it across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea, in order to dismantle (or eat) it, as resource for survival. While the Lord Mayor of London has a sinister plan, an attempted assassination on Thaddeus Valentine, the Head Historian and adored famous archaeologist of London, brings to fore the masked assassin and Tom Natsworthy a lowly third-class apprentice who gets into her way. Racing after the fleeing girl, Tom is shocked to see the hideously scarred face behind the mask. And before she would jump down into the waste chute which is considered death, she reveals, "Look at what your Valentine did to me! Ask him! Ask him what he did to Hester Shaw!" Minutes later, still in disbelief, Tom finds himself tumbling down the same chute and stranded in the Out-Country, a sea of mud scored by the huge caterpillar tracks of cities like the one now steaming off over the horizon. How both, Tom and Hester bond and fend for themselves, forms the crux of the tale. Hera Hilmar gives a confident and affecting performance as Hester Shaw, the disfigured, fugitive assassin with a personal vendetta against Thaddeus. So does Robert Sheehan as Tom Natsworthy. The duo is aptly supported by Hugo Weaving as Thaddeus Valentine, Leila George D'Onofrio as Thaddeus's daughter Katherine, Ronan Raftery as the apprentice engineer Bevis Pod whom Katherine befriends, Stephen Lang as Shrike the last of the undead battalion who raised Hester and Jihae as Anna Fang the pilot and leader of the Anti-Traction League, a resistance group banding against the moving cities devouring Earth's resources. The film is technically spectacular with brilliant set pieces and futuristic space crafts designed by Dan Hennah. Simon Raby's cinematography captures the entire proceeding astutely. The live action drama meshes seamlessly with the graphic and computer generated effects. His imagery is fluid, unlike the choppy blockbuster cinematography that we're used to seeing in sci-fi. Unfortunately, the 3D effects don't add any value to the viewing experience. The visuals are accompanied by Junkie XL's compositions that are essential to every emotional beat of the film, defining the air of tension in the first half of the film and the moving undercurrents of the final act. Overall, "Mortal Engines" is an exciting, action-packed and engrossing drama that will keep you hooked till the last frame. --IANS troy/rb/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Led by President Ram Nath Kovind, the nation on Thursday paid tribute to the architect of the Indian Constitution, Bharat Ratna Babasaheb B.R. Ambedkar, on his 63rd death anniversary. Kovind, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid floral tributes to the Dalit icon at a function in Parliament House Lawns here. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, along with MPs and Ministers, also paid their homage to the Father of the Indian Constitution, who championed the causes of Dalits, women and labourers. "He championed the cause of marginalised and strove for creating a casteless society. We will be paying a real tribute to Baba Sahebji by establishing a truly egalitarian society and by upholding values and ethics in public life," tweeted Naidu. Modi shared an audio highlighting the works and contribution of Ambedkar on Twitter along with his message . "Those who forget history do not make history," tweeted Congress President Rahul Gandhi paying his respects. "Today, we honour a man whose legacy lives in the form of our Constitution. He fought for a just and equal society and left behind him an idea that we will always continue to uphold. "B.R Ambedkar was the embodiment of respect, dignity and equality," the Congress tweeted. In her message, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said: "His contribution in framing India's Constitution will forever be remembered by the generations to come." Ambedkar died on this day in 1956 and the day is observed as "Mahaparinirvan Diwas" every year. --IANS and/in/vm (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oil prices have extended losses as US President Donald Trump once again tried to dampen OPEC's efforts to tackle falling oil prices amid market expectations on further output cut. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" Trump said on Twitter on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The West Texas Intermediate for January delivery decreased $0.36 to settle at $52.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for January delivery decreased $0.52 to close at $61.56 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. The remarks came just a day prior to OPEC's meeting in Vienna, piling pressure on the Saudi-led cartel, Russia and other non-member nations over potential global oil policy-making. Moscow has shown willingness to cooperate with OPEC to cut oil production. Russia's oil giant Lukoil said it's ready to cut production if the upcoming meeting results in a deal to prop up prices, the company's CEO Vagit Alekperov told reporters, according to TASS news agency. Yet he said such a reduction could be done "only gradually," due to the adverse weather conditions in Western Siberia. "The reduction should be smooth, just like last year," Alekperov was quoted as saying. --IANS pgh/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP-led coalition government in Goa is being run by ailing Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar's personal assistants, state Congress president Girish Chodankar said on Thursday, as the Opposition party launched a statewide Jan Akrosh campaign demanding the resignation of the former Defence Minister on health grounds. "Parrikar's PAs and assistants are running the government and are dictating terms to ministers and other senior government officials. There is a complete failure of the administrative machinery in the state, Chodankar said at a function in North Goa's Pernem sub district where the campaign was launched on Thursday. "The Congress in Goa has been demanding a full time Chief Minister for the last several months. We have met the Governor (Mridula Sinha) on six occasions. The Congress also organised a 'Century Without CM' campaign to protest the 100-day absence of Manohar Parrikar (from office)." Chodankar also alleged large-scale corruption in the functioning of the government, especially conversion of land tracts for commercial development. Parrikar is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and 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 in October 2018 and has not attended any official meeting or function outside his private residence. The Opposition, as well as ruling coalition allies have been demanding the resignation of the Chief Minister, claiming that the administration has come to a standstill due to Parrikar's absence. The Panaji Bench of the Bombay High Court is hearing a petition seeking to know the health status of the chief minister. -- IANS maya/oeb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A day after a lawyer with the Patna High Court was shot dead by motorcycle-borne criminals here, police on Thursday said his wife and in-laws were behind the killing. Jitendar Kumar was shot on Wednesday in Rajeev Nagar locality, killing him instantly. Claiming the victim's wife and in-laws were behind his murder, Deputy Inspector General Rajesh Kumar said the killing was a result of a dispute over property and land. Four persons, including his wife, have been detained for interrogation. Inspector General of Police N.H. Khan has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the crime. --IANS ik/mag/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rome, Dec 6 (IANS/AKI) Rattan Lal, a distinguished university professor of soil science at the Ohio State University, has won the Glinka World Soil Prize 2018 in a ceremony at the Rome headquarters of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for his outstanding contribution to sustainable soil management. Lal, the President of the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS), was recognised on the World Soil Day on Wednesday for his outstanding contribution to sustainable soil management and the protection of soil resources. The Glinka World Soil Prize, named after the pioneering Russian scientist Konstantin D. Glinka, is considered the highest honour in the soil science profession. Lal was born in Gujranwala in West Punjab, Pakistan, and his family came to India as refugees in 1948. He studied in India and later came to the US to work on his doctorate in soils, which he completed in 1968. He has been listed among the World's Most Influential Scientific Minds (2012) and among the top one per cent of all researchers in agriculture. His scientific work has notably contributed to soil organic carbon restoration and improvement of soil structure but also played a major role in converting science into policy and decision-making, the FAO said. This year the Russian Federation approved the financial contribution of $2 million to support the activities of the Global Soil Partnership in its second phase (2018-20). The first World Soil Day Award was on Wednesday given to Practical Action Bangladesh for organizing the best World Soil Day celebration in 2017. The new FAO-established award is funded by Thailand. --IANS/AKI soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fourteen builders, six sub registrars, including current District Revenue Officer (DRO) of Gurugram, were booked by Manesar Police in Haryana for fraud and cheating in land registration procedure, misappropriation of government funds and misuse of power under Prevention of Corruption Act, police said on Thursday. Those who have been booked under the same sections also included five registry clerks and four computer operators. The case was registered following an order by one of Gurugram's Sessions Court. Realtor Vatika Ltd and thirteen other builders having registered office at Devika Towers in New Delhi's Nehru Place area were also the accused. "Sub Registrars Hariom Attri, Pankaj Setia, K.S. Dhaka, Balraj Singh, Lalit Gupta and Ranvijay (joint Sub Registrar) then posted at Manesar tehsil and five registry clerks and four computer operators, including a woman employee, were booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under Prevention of Corruption Act 1988," read the FIR. Attri is currently posted at Municipal Corporation of Gurugram's (MCG) DRO. Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh told IANS: "Since the matter is sub-judice and police is investigating the matter, revenue department will proceed further as per the outcome of case." The court of Judicial Magistrate 1st class (JMIC) Naveen Kumar on December 1 passed the order to file a criminal complaint against all the accused at Manesar Police Station. All the accused, posted at Manesar tehsil between 2009 and 2013, committed the crime at the behest of the builders. Ramesh Yadav, a Right To Information (RTI) activist and resident of Manesar village, approached the court after police did not register a First Information Report (FIR) even after an Assistant Commissioner of Police accepted in his probe that the officials and builders were guilty under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The matter came to light after the accused registered various plots in Sihi village here in sector 83 and 84. "Builders and revenue officials showed the plots in Sihi village outside MCG during the land registration and after the registration, authorities again put the registered plot under the MCG jurisdiction," complainant Yadav said. Sihi village falls under the jurisdiction of the MCG. "Registration fee under the MCG area was seven per cent while outside the MCG was five per cent. The accused did a scam of over Rs 5 crore 9 lakh," the complainant said. "We demand an enquiry by Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the scam," Yadav, retired Indian Air Force officer, told IANS. "I have approached Gurugram Commissioner of Police K.K. Rao fearing threat to me and my family," he said. Yadav has been one of the key office bearer of 'Adhikar', a group of RTI activists and whistle blowers. "Our team members have been thrashed twice during the last one year for obtaining facts through RTI," complainant Yadav said. --IANS pradeep/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Director Rohena Geras "Sir" will be releasing later this month in France and Germany. The film, starring Tillotama Shome, Vivek Gomber and Geetanjali Kulkarni, will release in about 90-100 screens in France on December 26 and another 100-110 in Germany on December 20. "Sir", which has won five audience awards at film festivals in France, the US, Netherlands and Germany, has been sold for a theatrical release in over 20 countries. "This week, I travel to eight cities in Germany in four days, then it's Florence to open the River To River Festival," Gera said in a statement. "We will have covered 12 cities in France before the release. But also to the US, Switzerland, Italy... It is quite literally a crazy journey. But also a dream come true. Now all I want is to have the film seen widely in India," added the director. Didier Lacourt, Director of Distribution of Diaphana, said: "After the excellent reception in Cannes and at various festivals where the film won each time the Audience Award, we wanted an ambitious release for 'Sir' -- Rohena Gera's first film." "Prestigious Media will support the film with advertising inserts, Les Inrocks, Telerama, France Culture, Mademoizelle ... as well as many associations close to India and the status of women. "After 'Devdas' we released in 2002, it is for Diaphana the second major release of an Indian film to which we want to give as much visibility as possible so that the film meets the widest audience possible." --IANS nn/rb/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Rome, Dec 6 (IANS/AKI) The EU's Sophia migrant search and rescue mission in the Mediterranean will end when its current mandate expires at the end of the month if there is no change to the rules of the mission - which currently lands all rescued migrants in Italian ports, Deputy Premier and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said. "We remain unwilling to accept landing procedures that involve dockings only in Italian ports," Salvini told a Schengen committee hearing on Wednesday. "There is no significant progress currently in negotiations despite our request to change the rules of engagement," he said. "Unless there is convergence on our positions, we do not consider it opportune to continue the mission," underlined Salvini, who heads Italy's far-right League party. Since becoming Interior Minister in June, Salvini has taken a tough line on migration and has closed Italian ports to NGO and other ships carrying out rescues in Mediterranean rescues amid a sharp fall in crossings and arrivals and a spike in migrant death rates. Hundreds of boat migrants including women and minors have been stranded in the sea for days amid several tense standoffs as Salvini refused to allow them to disembark unless other EU states agreed to take them in. --IANS/AKI mr/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RP Sanjiv Goenka Group is expecting to clock an annualised revenue of Rs 1,000 crore from its FMCG business by June next year, an official said on Thursday. "Monthly turnover from FMCG business is around Rs 50 crore and I think, we should be at Rs 70 crore by March and Rs 90 crore by June," Group's Chairman Sanjiv Goenka told reporters here. He said the "annualised revenue" is expected to be Rs 1,000 crore by June from the current annualised turnover of Rs 600 crore. "We started exporting our products to Dubai, Singapore, Oman and Qatar," he added. The group entered the FMCG space with the brand "Too Yumm!" and according to him, the brand, in the span of 17 months, is 3.5 per cent of the western snacks market already. The Kolkata-headquartered company had acquired E-Vita brand. Goenka said the group is hoping to get Rs 10 crore on a monthly basis from the newly-introduced "Karare". The group's FMCG company -- Guilfree Industries -- is sourcing products from four locations across the country and has its own two manufacturing plants at Rajkot and Hyderabad. He said the company is setting up a new plant with a capacity of 40,000 tonne per annum in Telangana at an investment of Rs 247 crore and the facility is expected to commence in the second-half of 2020. --IANS bdc/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a jolt to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh, Lok Sabha member Savitri Phule resigned from the party on Thursday accusing it of trying to divide the society. "I am a social worker. I work for Dalits. The BJP is doing nothing for Dalit reservation," the saffron-robed politician from Bahraich said on the sidelines of an event to mark the death anniversary of B.R. Amedkar here. She said that while she had quit the BJP, she would continue to be a Lok Sabha member till the end of her tenure. The 37-year-old has been working at cross-purposes with her party for the last one year, many a times openly flouting the party line. Last week, she also took exception to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remarks that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and asked if that was the case, why Dalits were not made priests in all Hanuman temples. A leader of Dalits, Phule has demanded that instead of a Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the BJP should construct a temple of Lord Buddha there. Soon after her resignation was announced, Uttar Pradesh cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, leader of a BJP ally, said this was the beginning of a revolt in the BJP. He said: "There are many MPs and MLAs who are not happy with the style of functioning of the state government, Wait and watch... more such events will happen." --IANS md/mr/vsc (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on a plea by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and NGO Common Cause challenging the government's decision to divest him of his charges, asking if the government action was "proportionate" to the allegation against him. The day-long hearing saw the bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice K.M. Joseph expressing the opinion that it would have been better for the government to consult the Selection Committee before it acted on Verma. "It is better to consult the Selection Committee than not consulting it. The essence of every government action is what is best in the interest of administration," the Chief Justice observed. But Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued: "CVC (Chief Vigilance Commissioner) could not have been a mute spectator to all that was going on. Two top CBI officers instead of doing their work were investigating each other. CVC is answerable to the President, Parliament and the judiciary as well if it had not acted." While CJI Gogoi suggested that the better course could have been to consult the Selection Committee, Justice Joseph questioned the proportionality of the government action: "You acted against Alok Verma on the basis of the complaint by Rakesh Asthana. There was nothing against him. We are asking if the action was proportionate..." The hearing saw CJI Gogoi asking senior counsel Fali Nariman: "If necessity arises, can this court appoint a person to act as CBI Director?" "I think it can in exercise of its inherent powers," said Nariman, who is respresenting Alok Verma. As Mehta contested Nariman equating divesting Verma of his powers and functions with his transfer, the Chief Justice Gogoi observed: "Mr. Mehta, Fali Nariman equating divesting CBI Director Alok Verma with transfer should not be taken literally. What was happening since July? It was not something that happened overnight. What was the difficulty in consulting the Selection Committee?" Nariman, too, in the course of his rejoinder arguments, said that the use of word "transfer" to describe the divesting CBI Director of his powers and functions should not be viewed in the context of service jurisprudence of shifting a person from one post to another post. He said that the use of word "transfer" to describe divesting of Verma of his powers and functions have to be seen in its context. Mocking at the Centre's argument that Verma continues to be the CBI Director, Nariman said: "You may call me CBI Director. I may put it on my visiting card. I am not CBI Director more than what I am. What are we (referring to Attorney General's arguments) talking about - house, car, pay and perks? I am divested of powers which are invested in another person." Senior counsel Kapil Sibal appearing for leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Malikarjun Kharge said that it was incumbent upon the government to have approached the Selection Committee, place facts before it and had sought its approval for Verma's transfer. He said that it was only after transferring Verma out of the CBI that the government could have invoked disciplinary proceedings against him and taken consequent action. Sibal said that any other course would give government unregulated powers to divest CBI Director of his powers and functions. He said that any other course would jeopardise the independence of the office of CBI Director. Appearing for CBI officer A.K. Bassi, senior counsel Rajeev Dhavan told the court that the "principle of autonomy" of the investigating agency was at the core of the top court judgment in Vineet Narain case and writ large on the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act. Bassi was investigating allegations of corruption against Special Director Rakesh Asthana and has now been transferred to Port Blair. Dhavan said that the power that the government was asserting over the investigating agency, including that of hire and fire, "must yield to the principle of autonomy". He said that the provision of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act had to be read in totality and not in pieces as in disjointed reading of the Act, "we will miss the point (principle of autonomy)". Appearing for the NGO Common Cause, senior counsel Dushyant Dave referred to the position taken by the CVC on the complaint against Asthana by Verma where the Vigilance Commission had said that it could not act on the complaint unless there was proven misconduct. He said the CVC should have applied same criteria for Verma while dealing with Asthana's complaint against the CBI Director. "CVC has to be scrupulously objective. It can't take different positions in different cases," Dave told the bench. --IANS pk/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Indian soldier was killed on Thursday as the Pakistan Army resorted to "unprovoked" firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district. Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said the Pakistanis violated the 2003 ceasefire in Machil sector, starting at 10.45 a.m. The Pakistanis used automatics and mortar shells. A civilian house was damaged in the Pakistan shelling in Kamalkote area. "Our troops retaliated effectively and strongly. One of our soldiers was martyred in the Pakistani firing," he said. Two soldiers were injured on Wednesday in Pakistani firing in Uri sector of Baramulla district. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Leading Indian IT services provider Sonata Software on Thursday said it acquired Australia-based Scalable Data Systems for an unspecified amount to hardsell Microsoft Dynamics 365 product. "Scalable acquisition will enable us to be a digital transformation partner of choice for customers in retail, distribution, manufacturing and travel sectors across Australia," said the city-based Sonata in a statement here. The Brisbane-based Scalable has been providing business solutions, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 software product, in the Australian market over the past 25 years for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications. Scalable has sold Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O (finance and operations) solutions to leading clients in manufacturing and wholesale and distribution. "Scalable brings value in terms of Microsoft Dynamics capabilities and resources to us, besides additional IP (intellectual property) and geographical reach," Sonata Chief Executive Srikar Reddy said in the statement. Sonata also enables platform-based digital transformation for enterprises to create businesses that are connected, open, intelligent and scalable. "Sonata is a leader in the Microsoft Dynamics space and has a track record of acquiring and nurturing firms for fuelling growth. The acquisition will give us an additional capability in the Microsoft tech stack and address larger opportunities in the market," Scalable Chief Executive Brett Crew said. Sonata acquired the US-based IBIS Dynamics 365 partner in 2015 and has an IP brick and click for retail, modern distribution and manufacturing industries. The commodity IP from Scalable has extended Sonata's supply chain capabilities focused on manufacturing and distribution industries. --IANS fb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Guwahati: A hardcore militant belonging to banned outfit NSCN (K) in a gun fight with Assam Rifles troops in Arunachal Pradeshs Tirap district on Thursday. Based on intelligence input about presence of a militant group at Longkai village in Tirap district, the troops of Assam Rifles had launched operation at the remote area. When the troops reached the area, the militant group started fire upon the security personnel and heavy rounds of bullet were exchanged from both sides. Kohima based Defence PRO Colonel Chiranjeet Konwar said that, one militant died on spot and huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered from the area. Security personnel had recovered two AK-56 rifles, one Lathod launcher and large quantity of ammunition from the area. Other militants of the group had managed to flee from the area. Assam Rifles troops have launched operation in the nearby areas to nab the fled militants. Leading Indian IT services provider Sonata Software on Thursday said it acquired Australia-based Scalable Data Systems for Rs 28 crore (Australian dollar 5.5 million) to hardsell Microsoft Dynamics 365 product. "We signed an agreement to acquire Scalable for an enterprise value of Australian dollar 5.5 million (Rs 28 crore) subject to adjustment on account of working capital and debt," a company spokesman told IANS here. "The acquisition will enable Scalable to become a digital transformation partner of choice for customers in retail, distribution, manufacturing and travel sectors across Australia," said the company in a statement. The Brisbane-based Scalable has been providing business solutions, including Microsoft Dynamics 365 software product, in the Australian market over the past 25 years for enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) applications. Scalable has sold Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O (finance and operations) solutions to leading clients in manufacturing and wholesale and distribution. "Scalable brings value in terms of Microsoft Dynamics capabilities and resources to us, besides additional IP (intellectual property) and geographical reach," Sonata Chief Executive Srikar Reddy said on the occasion. Sonata also enables platform-based digital transformation for enterprises to create businesses that are connected, open, intelligent and scalable. "Sonata is a leader in the Microsoft Dynamics space and has a track record of acquiring and nurturing firms for fuelling growth. The acquisition will give us an additional capability in the Microsoft tech stack and address larger opportunities in the market," Scalable Chief Executive Brett Crew said. Sonata acquired the US-based IBIS Dynamics 365 partner in October 2015 and has an IP brick and click for retail, modern distribution and manufacturing industries. The commodity IP from Scalable has also extended Sonata's supply chain capabilities focused on manufacturing and distribution industries. --IANS fb/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In her recent book, "What Gandhi Didn't See: Being Indian In South Africa", author Zainab Priya Dala looks back from the vantage point of her own personal history -- a fourth-generation South African-Indian of mixed lineage -- and recalls that, as a child, she was hesitant about accepting her Indian identity, but contends that she has now come to terms with it. She has shared memories of her growing up in South Africa in the 1980s -- a time of the State of Emergency, the atrocious Tricameral System advocated and supported by many South African-Indians, and the heightened efforts to have Nelson Mandela released from prison and finally usher in a democratic government. "The largest challenge I think I faced was negotiating the apparent and false safety of being an Indian rather than a Black child, and watching many of my community accept the Tricameral System, which was a means devised by the ruling White government to give a place in Parliament to Indians," Dala, who has written two previous novels and has won accolades for her short stories, told IANS in an email from Durban in South Africa. She said she could see that the Indian community were being given more privileges and access to basic human needs as compared to the Black community, and this unfairness went against her formative ideas of democracy. "It irked me that many Indian people benefited and lapped up these handouts and enriched themselves on a false sense of fairness. I felt that we were betraying Nelson Mandela by our complicit acceptance of this better life, and when he was released, I hoped that the playing fields would be leveled. But, the further challenge then came for me when I saw that unfairness seemed to again rear its head in that, again, every Indian was being painted with the same brush and looked at by the Black community as opportunists and sell-outs," she recalled. She goes on to mention in her book that the truth is "I am South African", explaining that she relates more to a Black woman than a woman from India. But then she also states that all race groups in the country are now searching for their defining roots. She said South African-Indians today are very mutable, according to the environment. They have always managed to maintain a cultural identity that is strongly Indian, and with that comes religion. She explained that most South African-Indians have held onto their religious beliefs, but in doing so they have also appropriated the language and culture of the Afrikaner, the Blacks and all others in between. Dala, who lived and worked in Dublin and has now moved to Durban, said the defining roots of South African-Indians remain in religion and cultural practices, but that is only when they are in their own communities and families. "When we are out there in social situations and workplaces, we have developed this ability to be chameleons, and fit ourselves into the melting pot that is contemporary South African society. But... in their own communities and homes, (they) are deeply Indian in their lives and practices. It's like we have these two lives, and we are constantly weaving in and out of these two worlds," she added. Dala contends in the book that the Indian diaspora in South Africa has come full circle and, in the last 10 years, more and more people are eager to know where they came from. "I think after South Africa became a democracy and issues of colour were removed from the table, people began to finally look at themselves and possibly felt safer to ask the questions of their lineage. They felt more freedom to find out about where they came from instead of hiding it all away, and pretending to be White," she said, in response to a question on the ongoing churn. She said that trade has become a factor in this new wave of people connecting to India and hailed the Indian government as well as the BRICS grouping, which have set up opportunities for people in both India and South Africa for business. These have led to more frequent flights to India, and tours to India are being publicised. She also said that the surge of Bollywood made it "cool" for South African-Indians to identify themselves as Indians. "What Gandhi Didn't See: Being Indian In South Africa" is published by Speaking Tiger and is priced at Rs 499. (Saket Suman can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in) --IANS ss/vm/sac (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Over 28 million people are eligible to vote in Telangana which will elect a new Assembly on Friday. Political fortunes of 1,821 candidates will be decided in 119 constituencies in the first full-fledged election in India's youngest state. Election authorities have made elaborate arrangements for a smooth conduct of the polling process in 32,815 polling stations. A total of 280,747,22 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. They include 1,41,56,182 men and 1,39,05,811 women. The electorate also include 10,038 service voters and 249 overseas Indian electors. Serilingampalli constituency in Greater has over 575,000 voters, the highest in the state, while Bhadrachalam in Khammam district has least voters - 137,000. According to Telangana's Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar, polling will be held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in 106 constituencies while in 13 Left Wing Extremism affected constituencies polling will conclude at 4 p.m. Over 50,000 security personnel including 18,860 drafted from neighbouring states and central forces were deployed as part of the massive security arrangements. As the Communist Party of India-Maoist has given a call for boycott of elections, the police heightened the vigil in areas bordering and Over 150,000 polling personnel were on duty to conduct the polling process. As many as 55,329 Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and 39,763 control units will be used. For the first time, Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) were being installed across the state. After a voter casts his vote on EVM, VVPAT attached to the machine will display for seven seconds the choice made by the voter. The elections are expected to be a close contest between the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is contesting all seats on its own, and the Congress-led People's Front. The opposition alliance also includes Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is contesting all seats on its own, is the third force in some constituencies. The Bahujan Left Front (BLD) led by the Communist Party of India-Marxist and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are also contesting a majority of the seats. The All Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is contesting eight seats in TRS had opted for dissolution of Assembly in September, eight months before its term was to end. Due to the presence of independents and TRS and rebels in some segments, the contest has become multi-cornered. Officials said they were keeping a close watch to stop distribution of cash, liquor or gifts among people by political parties or candidates. Over Rs.1.10 billion cash and over 500,000 litres of liquor seized across the state over last one month. Liquor shops across the state were shut down on Wednesday evening when campaigning ended. They will reopen only after completion of polling. Orders prohibiting bulk SMSs of political nature will also remain in force during the period. (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 government is organising a one-day start-up conference in Goa on Friday for budding entrepreneurs to tap global funding, an official statement said. The annual Start-up India Venture Capital Summit in Goa is being organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Goa government, said a Union Commerce Ministry statement here. With the theme of "Mobilizing Global Capital for Innovation in India", the event will showcase the Indian start-up opportunity for funds from around the world, it said. "The summit aims to attract more global capital into the country. The event will enable a dialogue between government and experienced venture capital fund managers on ways to further promote the start-up ecosystem in India," it added. Noting that the Goa government is focused on building a vibrant start-up ecosystem in the state, the statement said that over 150 participants are expected to attend the event from around 100 funds in the US, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, among others. At an event here last week, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said that the government has been taking several steps to promote the start-up ecosystem in the country. He said the Ministry is working on a policy to provide mentorship to start-ups, discussing with the regulator on reducing the regulatory burden, as well as meeting with global funds for providing funding support to start-ups. --IANS bc/mag/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday accused the BJP of killing those who oppose the saffron party, irrespective of their religion, while allowing people who support it to live. "BJP's message is clear. Those willing to become BJP's slaves will be allowed to live -- be it Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian or from any other religion. And those opposing it will be murdered," Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi. Kejriwal's reaction came on a news which claimed that the Hindu Yuva Vahini had offered Rs 1 crore bounty on Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu's head for allegedly insulting Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. --IANS nks/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb will be one of the star campaigners for the BJP in West Bengal starting Friday, a party official said here on Thursday. BJP's Tripura spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee said as Deb is the only Bengali Chief Minister of the BJP in the country and as under his leadership the 25 years of the Left regime was crushed in Tripura, he would be a "star campaigner" of the party in the upcoming General Elections. "Deb already campaigned for the party in Kerala, Karnataka, Gujarat and Mizoram. During Lok Sabha elections, he would campaign for BJP in all the eight Northeastern states and a few other big states, besides Bengal," he said. BJP sources said the central and West Bengal leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted Deb to address at least 20 rallies in Bengal in December and January. Tripura Chief Minister's OSD (Officer on Special Duty) Sanjay Mishra said that Deb would attend both official and party programmes during his stay in West Bengal. He said the Tripura Chief Minister would address all the three rallies on December 7, 9 and 14. Ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha polls, the BJP is all set to embark on its high profile "rath yatra" (chariot campaign) from Friday in Cooch Behar. BJP national President Amit Shah will launch the campaign named "Save Democracy Rally" on December 7, then from Kakdwip in the south 24 Parganas district on December 9 and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. Party sources here said that besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, many top leaders of the saffron party including Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Chief Ministers Raman Singh, Yogi Adityanath, besides Uma Bharati and Giriraj Singh would also participate in the week-long high voltage campaign. "Due to the Chief Minister's hectic official pre-scheduled programmes, he might not attend 20 rallies in Bengal as desired by the central leaderships but efforts are on to make him address at least 10 public gatherings," the sources said. Deb, 47, is also the President of the BJP's Tripura Pradesh Committee. In Delhi, the BJP hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, saying despite court has been reprimanding continuously, she was busy in appeasement "The dictatorship of Mamata Banerjee is extremely clear. Her policy of appeasement has gone to the extent that every time she bans a rally of RSS or BJP she has been reprimanded," BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra tod a press conference. "Despite the fact that court has been speaking against her, Mamata Banerjee does not learn lessons because she is busy with of appeasement," he said. --IANS sc-bns/vsc/sed (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.) Two Border Security Force (BSF) troopers were critically injured on Thursday in Pakistani firing on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district. Police sources said the incident took place in Sunderbani sector. "Pakistan forces targeted two forward locations of the LoC manned by the BSF and Army. Two BSF troopers were injured. They have been shifted to a hospital," an official said. Earlier, a soldier was killed in Pakistan firing in Machil sector in Kupwara district. The Pakistan Army also violated ceasefire in the Uri sector of LoC on Thursday, triggering an Indian retaliation. --IANS sq/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday said the warring parties in the Arab country had reached an agreement on the exchange of prisoners. Griffiths' announcement came at the beginning of the Yemeni peace negotiations outside of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, in a renewed attempt by the UN to end nearly four years of civil war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine. Representatives of the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, flew to Sweden on Wednesday while UN special envoy Martin Griffiths accompanied the Iranian-backed Houthis to Stockholm. "I am also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, detainees, the missing, the forcibly detained and individuals placed under house arrest," Griffiths said at a press conference. "It will allow thousands of families to be reunited and it is product of very effective, active work from both delegations." Griffiths hoped the peace talks would result in the resumption of the political process in Yemen. The peace negotiations in the small Swedish town of Rimbo -- located 60 km to the north of Stockholm -- were the first to be carried out in over two years. The Houthis -- rebels belonging to an armed movement that adheres to the Zaidi current of Islam who launched an insurgency against the Yemeni government in 2011 -- did not attend the last round of talks, convened by the UN in September in Geneva. During that time the rebels reportedly said they were unable or unwilling to travel by air due to concerns that the Saudi-led military coalition would interfere with their flight. Thursday's peace talks occurred during a time of fighting between Yemen government-supporting coalition forces to take the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, the main point of entry for food and medicine for Yemen's population. Yemeni government representative Abdullah al-Alimi tweeted earlier that the talks were "a true opportunity for peace". The head of the Houthi delegation, Mohammed Abdelsalam, vowed to "spare no effort to make a success of the talks" but also warned rebel fighters to remain "vigilant against any attempt at a military escalation". The Arab country has been locked in a political and military crisis since popular regional uprisings began in 2011, with the Houthis taking control of Yemen's capital Sana'a in September 2014, a move that spurred Saudi Arabia to go to war against the Houthis in 2015 with the support of the United Arab Emirates and other key Saudi allies. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paris, Dec 6 (IANS/AKI) Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay has deplored the killing of journalists Raed Fares and Hamoud Jneed in Syria's rebel-held northern Idlib province last month, urging that their killers be brought to justice. "I condemn the murder of Raed Fares and Hamoud Jneed," said Azoulay, referring to their assassination in Kafranbel on November 23. "Fares and Jneed were deeply committed journalists who remained dedicated to informing the public at great risk to themselves over the years," she said. "I call on the local authorities to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to justice, an essential step to improve the safety of journalists working in the area." Unidentified gunmen killed Fares and Jneed shortly after they left Radio Fresh, where both worked. Fares, one of Syria's most prominent broadcast journalists and civil society activists, was the founder of Radio Fresh for which Jneed worked as a photographer. Fares survived an assassination attempt in 2014 and barely escaped with his life. He was arrested by Al Qaeda, kidnapped and tortured, before being released. --IANS/AKI mr/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Thursday described as unfortunate Pakistan's attempt to politicise the issue of opening of the Kartarpur corridor for Sikh pilgrims. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said that the opening of the corridor was a fulfillment of a long-pending demand of the Sikh community. "It was unfortunate that Pakistan has attempted to politicize a religious issue related to the sentiments of the Sikh community," he said. "We hope that Pakistan will take all necessary steps to implement their announcements." Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan performed the groundbreaking ceremony on November 28 to develop the Kartarpur corridor to link Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in India with Kartarpur gurdwara in the presence of Indian Ministers. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi later said that Khan had bowled India a "googly" by taking the initiative of opening the Kartarpur border. His jibe came after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj ruled out any dialogue with Pakistan, saying talks and terror cannot go together. Sushma Swaraj said that Qureshi's remarks exposed that Pakistan had no respect for the Sikh sentiments and it was doing it all for politics. --IANS ab/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kathmand, Nepal: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Baskota has alleged the media for portraying the government wrongly by disseminating misleading information. Organizing a press conference on Thursday organized at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology Minister Banskota, who is also the spokesperson of the Nepal government, lashed out at the media accusing them of twisting the truth. During the media conference, he categorically criticized the media for twisting the news regarding the speech delivered by the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during the Asia Pacific Summit 2018. Following its decision to acquire Arysta LifeScience, global crop protection products firm UPL on Thursday announced a new leadership of the merged entity with the new executive team to be led by the company's global CEO Jai Shroff. A company release said that Vikram Shroff will be the Executive Director of the consolidated organisation which will be strategically organised in seven regions in different parts of the world. In July this year, UPL had announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary UPL Corp had signed a definitive agreement with Platform Specialty Products Corporation to acquire Arysta LifeScience Inc. and its subsidiaries. The release said that the appointments will be effective upon the completion of the proposed transaction, which is expected early 2019, and the completion of the proposed transaction is subject to obtaining regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. UPL said on Thursday that Arysta LifeScience President Diego Casanello will take over as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the crop protection business of New UPL. Ajit Premnath, who is currently COO of crop protection, will assume the role of Business Mentor, Crop Protection, "focusing on mentoring Casanello to take over the COO role", the statement said. It also said that the current COO (Global Strategy Innovation) Carlos Pellicer will now be the COO Integration, Global Strategy and Special Growth Initiatives. Listed in India, UPL Ltd had a market capitalisation of $5.3 billion as on October 31, 2018. For 2018-19, the company reported operating revenue of $2.7 billion and earning before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $543 million. --IANS ps-bc/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two American Marines were rescued from the ocean while another five remained missing after two US military jets collided mid-air during manoeuvres off the coast of Japan on Thursday, officials said. "The US Marine Corps confirms that two Marines have been found. One is in fair condition and the other is being transported to a local hospital for evaluation," the Marine Corps said in a statement cited by Efe news. "The search and rescue operations continue for the remaining five US Marines," it added. The accident took place around 2 a.m. about 320 km off the coast of western Japan, when a FA-18 Hornet fighter jet and a KC-130 Hercules transport plane, which had taken off from the Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, collided while "conducting routine training and aerial refuelling", according to the statement. It was believed that five crew were on board the KC-130 and two on the F/A-18 at the time of the crash, US defence officials told CNN. The circumstances surrounding the accident were being investigated. The US 7th Fleet was carrying out search and rescue efforts with assistance from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force and the Japanese Coast Guard. Thursday's accident came two weeks after another US FA-18 fighter jet crashed into the sea off Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, in the southwest of Japan, after taking off from the USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, but there were no casualties. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Six members of the US Navy are missing after two military aircraft collided off the west coast of Japan, the US Armed Forces deployed in the Asian country reported on Thursday. One of the seven crew members involved in the accident was rescued and was "being evaluated by the competent authorities" at the Japanese air base in Iwakuni, while "search and rescue operations continue for the remaining six marines", the US Marine Corps Base Camp Butler reported on social networks. "The collision occurred around 2 a.m. on December 6 between an FA-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 tanker plane which came from the Iwakuni airfield and were conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred," according to the statement cited by CNN. The crash happened 200 miles off the coast of Iwakuni, Japan. There were five personnel on the KC-130 and two on the FA-18, said US defence officials. Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya said that the rescued Marine was one of the two crew members who were travelling aboard the fighter jet and that his state of health "was stable". He said that Japan sent several aircraft and three ships to help with the search and rescue efforts. Thursday's accident came two weeks after another US FA-18 fighter jet crashed into the sea off Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, in the southwest of Japan, after taking off from the USS Ronald Reagan nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, but there were no casualties. --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bipartisan group of US senators have introduced a resolution saying that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was "complicit" in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The mainly symbolic resolution was introduced on Wednesday and came amid unrest among US lawmakers over President Donald Trump administration's response to the killing of the Washington Post columnist. Khashoggi, a supporter-turned-critic of the Saudi Crown Prince, went missing on October 2 after entering the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul for collecting documents in order to marry his Turkish fiancee Hatice Cengiz. After initially saying the journalist had left the consulate alive, weeks later the Saudi administration admitted he was killed there and blamed a "rogue" team. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the Saudi Crown Prince's involvement in Khashoggi killing. The resolution said the Senate believed the Saudi Crown Prince "was in control of security forces" during the killing and "based on evidence and analysis made available to this institution, has a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi", the Hill newspaper reported. The measure was introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham, Dianne Feinstein, Marco Rubio, Ed Markey, Todd Young and Christopher Coons. The resolution was non-binding, but if approved, would put the Senate on the record saying the Crown Prince was responsible for Khashoggi's slaying inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in early October. The resolution also urged the Trump administration and the international community to "hold all parties, including Mohammed bin Salman, involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi accountable". "I believe it's vitally important to US national security interests to make a definitive statement about the brutal murder of an American resident -- Khashoggi -- who has three American citizen children," Graham said in a statement. The resolution came one day after the Central Intelligence Agency Director briefed senators in a closed-door meeting about the journalist's killing. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will hold talks in Washington on Thursday to discuss North Korea's denuclearization among other issues, it was announced here. During the talks, Kang and Pompeo will discuss issues of mutual concern, including a joint strategy on North Korea, according to South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk. Kang is on a visit to the US as the head of the South Korean delegation to attend the funeral of former US President George H.W. Bush, Yonhap news agency reported. This will be the first meeting between Kang and Pompeo in the last two months. The previous meeting took place in Seoul on October 7. The top diplomats were expected to exchange views on an apparent stalemate in the dialogue with Pyongyang, the possibility of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's Seoul visit and his second summit with US President Donald Trump. Trump on Sunday had said he planned to hold a second summit with Kim that could take place in January or February and three places were being considered for the meeting. However, lack of progress in the denuclearization talks because of the absence of a roadmap in the agreement signed by the two leaders in Singapore in June prolonged any decision on the second summit. The US has demanded that Pyongyang take substantial steps towards denuclearization while the latter has asked for security guarantees before it signs any peace agreement. --IANS soni/sed (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has launched yet another verbal attack against Catholic bishops, calling them useless and saying they should be killed, according to the transcription of one of his speeches released by the presidential office on Thursday. More than 85 per cent of the country's population is Catholic. "These bishops of yours, kill them. These b*****ds are useless. All they do is criticize," Duterte said in a part tagalog, part English speech in Manila on Wednesday night. At a later event, he called the Catholic church "the most hypocritical institution in the entire Philippines" and claimed that "90 per cent" of priests were gay, Efe news reported. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) refused to comment. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo later defended Duterte's remarks, saying they should not be taken literally as they had only been used for dramatic effect. Two weeks ago, the President insulted Catholic bishops and priests, saying Filipinos should not go to church to pay for "idiots". Days earlier, Duterte accused Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David -- one of his most vocal critics -- of stealing church donations. The bishop responded by calling the leader a "very sick man". The conflict between Duterte and the Catholic Church goes back to February 2017, when the CBCP criticized the President's violent anti-drugs campaign, calling it a "reign of terror". Duterte retaliated by calling them "s**s of b*****s". --IANS soni/ (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Christian Bale's "Vice", a biographical comedy-drama on former Vice President Dick Cheney's career, has bagged a maximum of six nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards, with "The Favourite", "Green Book" and "A Star Is Born" coming close on the heels with five nominations each. The 2019 Golden Globes nominations were announced on Thursday by The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the organisation behind the award gala, reports usatoday.com. Adam McKay's biopic of Cheney got nods for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for Christian Bale as the former Vice President, Best Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for Amy Adams as wife Lynne Cheney, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for Sam Rockwell as President George W. Bush. Adams, who also nabbed a TV drama actress nomination for "Sharp Objects", is pitted against Claire Foy ("First Man"), Regina King ("If Beale Street Could Talk") and "The Favourite" co-stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz. In the supporting actor category, Mahershala Ali ("Green Book"), Timothee Chalamet ("Beautiful Boy"), Adam Driver ("BlacKkKlansman") and Richard E. Grant ("Can You Ever Forgive Me?") got the nods with Rockwell. McKay is also in the race to win Best Director - Motion Picture trophy. "Vice" will face off in the musical comedy category against "The Favourite", "Green Book", "Mary Poppins Returns, and "Crazy Rich Asians". Best drama will be a match between "A Star is Born", "If Beale Street Could Talk", "BlackKklansman", "Black Panther" and "Bohemian Rhapsody", reports usatoday.com. In the other major film categories, Lady Gaga ("A Star Is Born") is in the race to pick up Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama award. She is pitted against Glenn Close ("The Wife"), Melissa McCarthy ("Can You Ever Forgive Me"), Nicole Kidman ("Destroyer") and Rosamund Pike ("A Private War"). Gaga also was named in the original song category for "Shallow" from "A Star Is Born". In the best dramatic actor category, Bradley Cooper ("A Star Is Born") takes on Rami Malek ("Bohemian Rhapsody"), Lucas Hedges ("Boy Erased"), John David Washington ("BlacKkKlansman") and Willem Dafoe ("At Eternity's Gate"). Cooper, a first-time director for "A Star Is Born", also picked up a Best Director nomination. "The Favourite" star Olivia Colman got nominated in lead actress in a comedy/ musical, joining Emily Blunt ("Mary Poppins Returns"), Elsie Fisher ("Eighth Grade"), Charlize Theron ("Tully") and Constance Wu ("Crazy Rich Asians"). In the field of lead actor in a comedy or musical along with Bale are Lin-Manuel Miranda ("Mary Poppins Returns"), Viggo Mortensen ("Green Book"), Robert Redford ("The Old Man & the Gun") and John C. Reilly ("Stan & Ollie"). "Roma", a family drama by Alfonso Cuaron that is being released by Netflix, picked up a nod for Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language, besides nominations for its direction and screenplay. The nominees for Best Animated film were: "Incredibles 2", "Isle of Dogs", "Mirai", "Ralph Breaks the Internet" and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse". On the television front, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" -- a limited series about the fashion designer's brutal murder -- was picked up four nominations. "Barry", "The Kominsky Method" and "Homecoming" scored three nominations, as did "Sharp Objects", "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel", and "A Very English Scandal". The 76th annual Golden Globes will be held here on January 6. --IANS sug/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Peace talks between the Yemeni government delegation and Houthi rebels will begin on Thursday in Sweden aiming to end nearly four years of civil war in the Middle-Eastern country. A UN team will work alongside delegations from both sides rebels at Johannesbergs castle outside Stockholm to enable talks expected to last a week, the BBC reported. Representatives of the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, flew to Sweden on Wednesday while UN special envoy Martin Griffiths accompanied the Iranian-backed Houthis to Stockholm. Officials said the talks would be informal, through working groups. "On some issues it will make sense for the two sides to sit together, on others they will discuss in separate groups," the BBC reported citing officials. The civil war in Yemen has caused the world's worst humanitarian crisis in recent times. Thousands of people died in fighting and millions were pushed to the brink of starvation. Talks are taking place for the first time since 2016. The last attempt at a negotiated peace collapsed in September when the Houthis failed to show up in Geneva. The UN, according to reports, hopes to come up with a framework for talks on what a future political solution in Yemen will look like. Yemeni government representative Abdullah al-Alimi had earlier tweeted that the talks were "a true opportunity for peace". The head of the Houthi delegation, Mohammed Abdelsalam, vowed to "spare no effort to make a success of the talks" but also warned rebel fighters to remain "vigilant against any attempt at a military escalation". Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in early 2015, when the Houthis seized control of much of the west of the country and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee abroad. The UAE, Saudi Arabia and seven other Arab states intervened in an attempt to restore the government after being alarmed by the rise of a group they saw as an Iranian proxy. At least 6,660 civilians have been killed and 10,560 injured in the fighting, according to the UN. Thousands more civilians died from preventable causes, including malnutrition, disease and poor health. --IANS soni/mr (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In the backdrop of violence in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, here. Although what transpired between them was not officially communicated, sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the Chief Minister invited the Prime Minister for the "Ardh-Kumbh" to be held in Allahabad beginning next month. Sources also said that Yogi briefed the Prime Minister about the recent violence in Bulandshahr in which Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was killed by a mob. Earlier in the day, family members of the killed Police Inspector met the Chief Minister in Lucknow. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family and assured them of justice in the case. Besides, assuring them all help, Adityanath said his government would not only take full responsibility of their education loans but would also give a government job to one of the family members. The Inspector was hit by a stone and then shot dead in a violence on Monday which erupted after cow vigilantes blocked a main road alleging cow slaughter. A civilian was also killed in the violence. --IANS bns/nir (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) This refers to the editorial Not without purpose (December 4). It has rightly been pointed out that meetings that took place on the sidelines of the G20 in Buenos Aires summit resulted in some tangible gains. Temporary truce between the US and China in the ongoing trade war and signing of successor treaty of the North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta) were two positive developments that would comfort the world. Both these events bear the imprints of US President Donald Trump and show that he is setting the agenda in world trade, at least for now. India too used ... KATHMANDU, Dec 6: President Bidya Devi Bhandari returned home today after participating in the 24th conference of the state parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) held in Katowice of Poland. Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli welcomed President Bhandari at the VVIP bay of the Tribhuvan International Airport upon her arrival. The Deputy Prime Minister, the government ministers, high government officials and chiefs of security bodies were among those present at the VVIP bay to receive the Head-of-the-State. A contingent of the Nepalese Army presented a 21-gun salute to the President on the occasion. The President made a special address to the inaugural session of the COP24 which commenced on December 2 and conclude on December 14. At a news conference organized at the airport, Minister for Forests and Environment Shankti Bahadur Basnet, who was in the Presidents entourage, shared about the major points the Head-of-the-State brought to the worlds attention in the climate change conference. According to him, in the conferences inaugural session the President viewed that although Nepal has made a big contribution to controlling global temperature, the Nepali were paying the penalty for the wrong they had never done. She stated that Nepal is a least developed country comprising the mountains, hills and the Tarai flatland. It is suffering from the adverse impact of climate change. Although it is a low-carbon emitting country, it is suffering from the problem of melting glaciers, the snow-capped Himalayas were turning rocky and devoid of snow cover and the possibility of glacier melting has increased. Nepal will continue to promote renewable energy and electric mobility. The Government of Nepal plans to develop and implement model project on climate change as well as design and implement adaptation and mitigation action plans, the President mentioned in her statement in the inaugural session. In course of her visit, President Bhandari and the president of the United Nations General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa held courtesy meeting. Similarly, the President had bilateral talks with her Polish counterpart Andrzej Duda, according to Minister Basnet. Around 14 million street lights would be replaced with energy efficient LED lamps by June 2019, state-owned EESL said Thursday. Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), which has distributed 31 core power efficient LED bulbs, is now working on intelligent lighting systems, which would be more energy efficient, it said in a statement. "Under UJALA more than 31 core LED bulbs have been distributed to the consumers in India, and by June 2019 we expect almost 14 million street lights in the urban-local bodies across the country to be replaced with efficient LED lights," said EESL General Manager Venkatesh Dwivedi. He further said: "We see a potential for another 2 crore street lights in the country which will mainly target rural segment, national highways, court authorities, railways and the army segment of the business." "Next step would be the intelligent lighting systems which will help us deliver 5-10 per cent energy efficiency from these LED street lights," he said while inaugurating LED Expo 2018 here. Around 41 companies are showcasing LED lighting solutions at the expo. According to Dwivedi, the government also plans to roll out smart meters across the country. "A procurement of 1 crore smart meters has already been done with the implementation of this in 4 states. Being a part of the smart city concept, smart meters and smart lights are complimentary to each other helping us deliver various other services," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An estimated 800,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations there. At a Congressional hearing here, Scott Busby, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at the Bureau of the Human Right Democracy and Labor, alleged that was supporting similar repressive moves by other authoritarian regimes across the globe. "The assesses that since April 2017, Chinese authorities have indefinitely detained at least 800,000, and possibly more than 2 million, Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minorities in internment camps," he said. Testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Busby said reports suggested that most of those detained were not being charged, and their families had little or no information about their whereabouts. At first, denied the existence of such camps, but as public reports have emerged, Chinese authorities now assert that they are "vocational education centres", which glosses over the fact that many renowned Uyghur intellectuals and retired professionals are also detained in these camps, he said. Former detainees, who have reached safety, have spoken of relentless indoctrination and harsh conditions for example, praying and other religious practices are forbidden. "The apparent goal is to force detainees to renounce Islam and embrace the Chinese Communist Party," Busby said. Life outside the internment camps is not much better, he noted. Neighbourhoods have entry and exit checkpoints manned by armed police. Families have been forced to accept Chinese officials into their homes for extended home-stays. Thousands of mosques have been shuttered or destroyed, while some turned into communist propaganda centres, Busby alleged. "Unfortunately, fleeing is not enough to escape the long arms of the government. has routinely pressured other countries to return Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minority groups, which has often proven successful," he told the lawmakers. Even when such individuals reach safety, China continues to harass and intimidate them. China's repression of minority groups does not end in Xinjiang, he said. Its policies have spread hundreds of miles away, for instance to the Hui Muslim communities. Tibetans also face continued repression and pervasive surveillance. The Tibetan Autonomous Region was the testing ground for many of the techniques now used in Xinjiang, Busby claimed. Senator Cory Gardner said the so-called authoritarian closing under had resulted in an unprecedented and intensifying crackdown on civil society, ethnic minorities and religious freedom in China. "The news of mass concentration camps for Uyghur Muslims and the Xinjiang Autonomous Province has shocked the conscience. And this necessitates a serious response from the and the community," he said. Senator Ed Markey said it was pretty clear that there was a systematic effort by the Chinese government, not just within China, but also around the world, to back those policies which are most repressive and which allow for a compromise of human rights. Senator said reports indicated that a million Han Chinese have been recruited to forcibly occupy homes of Uyghurs so that those not in detention camps, are having Han Chinese placed in their homes to ensure there isn't a Quran visible and they don't pray during the day. Senator Marco Rubio rued the silence of the Muslim world in the face of the forced internment of hundreds of thousands of Muslims Uyghurs. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An estimated 800,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the Trump administration has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations in the Communist nation's Xinjiang province. The situation in resource-rich Xinjiang has been restive as the native Muslim Uighurs have been resisting increasing settlements of majority Han Chinese from other provinces. China appears to have set up a series of secret internment camps used to lock up hundreds of thousands of ethnic Chinese Muslims, whose existence has long been denied by authorities. At a Congressional hearing, Scott Busby, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at the Bureau of the Human Right Democracy and Labour, alleged that Beijing was supporting similar repressive moves by other authoritarian regimes across the globe. "The US government assesses that since April 2017, Chinese authorities have indefinitely detained at least 800,000, and possibly more than 2 million, Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minorities in the internment camps," he said. Testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Busby said reports suggested that most of those detained were not being charged, and their families had little or no information about their whereabouts. At first, China denied the existence of such camps, but as public reports have emerged, Chinese authorities now assert that they are "vocational education centres", which glosses over the fact that many renowned Uighur intellectuals and retired professionals are also detained in these camps, he said. Former detainees, who have reached safety, have spoken of relentless indoctrination and harsh conditions for example, praying and other religious practices are forbidden. "The apparent goal is to force detainees to renounce Islam and embrace the Chinese Communist Party," Busby said. Life outside the internment camps is not much better, he noted. Neighbourhoods have entry and exit checkpoints manned by armed police. Families have been forced to accept Chinese officials into their homes for extended home-stays. Thousands of mosques have been shuttered or destroyed, while some turned into communist propaganda centres, Busby alleged. "Unfortunately, fleeing China is not enough to escape the long arms of the government. China has routinely pressured other countries to return Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minority groups, which has often proven successful," he told the lawmakers. Even when such individuals reach safely, China continues to harass and intimidate them. China's repression of minority groups does not end in Xinjiang, he said. Its policies have spread hundreds of miles away, for instance to the Hui Muslim communities. Tibetans also face continued repression and pervasive surveillance. The Tibetan Autonomous Region was the testing ground for many of the techniques now used in Xinjiang, Busby claimed. Senator Cory Gardner said the so-called authoritarian closing under President Xi Jinping has resulted in an unprecedented and intensifying crackdown on civil society, ethnic minorities and religious freedom in China. "The of mass concentration camps for Uighur Muslims and the Xinjiang Autonomous Province has shocked the conscience. And this necessitates a serious response from the United States and the international community," he said. Senator Ed Markey said it was pretty clear that there was a systematic effort by the Chinese government, not just within China, but also around the world, to back those policies which are most repressive and which allow for a compromise of human rights. Senator Tim Kaine said reports indicated that a million Han Chinese have been recruited to forcibly occupy homes of Uighurs so that those not in detention camps, are having Han Chinese placed in their homes to ensure there isn't a Quran visible and they don't pray during the day. Senator Marco Rubio rued the silence of the Muslim world in the face of the forced internment of hundreds of thousands of Muslims Uighurs in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Trump administration separated 81 migrant children from their families at the US-Mexico border since the June executive order that stopped the general practice amid a crackdown on illegal crossings, according to government data obtained by The Associated Press. Despite the order and a federal judge's later ruling, immigration officials are allowed to separate a child from a parent in certain cases serious criminal charges against a parent, concerns over the health and welfare of a child or medical concerns. Those caveats were in place before the zero-tolerance policy that prompted the earlier separations at the border. The government decides whether a child fits into the areas of concern, worrying advocates of the families and immigrant rights groups that are afraid parents are being falsely labeled as criminals. From June 21, the day after President Donald Trump's order, through Tuesday, 76 adults were separated from the children, according to the data. Of those, 51 were criminally prosecuted 31 with criminal histories and 20 for other, unspecified reasons, according to the data. Nine were hospitalized, 10 had gang affiliations and four had extraditable warrants, according to the immigration data. Two were separated because of prior immigration violations and orders of removal, according to the data. "The welfare of children in our custody is paramount," said Katie Waldman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees US immigration enforcement. "As we have already said and the numbers show: Separations are rare. While there was a brief increase during zero tolerance as more adults were prosecuted, the numbers have returned to their prior levels." At its height over the summer, more than 2,400 children were separated. The practice sparked global outrage from politicians, humanitarians and religious groups who called it cruel and callous. Images of weeping children and anguished, confused parents were splashed across newspapers and television. A federal judge hearing a lawsuit brought by a mother who had been separated from her child barred further separations and ordered the government to reunite the families. But the judge, Dana Sabraw, left the caveats in place and gave the option to challenge further separations on an individual basis. American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt, who sued on behalf of the mother, said he hoped the judge would order the government to alert them to any new separations, because right now the attorneys don't know about them and therefore can't challenge them. "We are very concerned the government may be separating families based on vague allegations of criminal history," Gelernt said. According to the government data, from April 19 through Sept. 30, 170 family units were separated because they were not found to be related that included 197 adults and 139 minors. That could include grandparents or other relatives if there was no proof of relationship. Other separations were because the child was not a minor, the data showed. During the budget year 2017, which began in October 2016 and ended in September 2017, 1,065 family units were separated, which usually means a child and a parent 46 due to fraud and 1,019 due to medical or security concerns, according to data. Waldman said the data showed "unequivocally that smugglers, human traffickers, and nefarious actors are attempting to use hundreds of children to exploit our immigration laws in hopes of gaining entry to the United States." Thousands of migrants have come up from Central America in recent weeks as part of caravans. Trump, a Republican, used his national security powers to put in place regulations that denied asylum to anyone caught crossing illegally, but a judge has halted that change as a lawsuit progresses. The zero-tolerance policy over the summer was meant in part to deter families from illegally crossing the border. Trump administration officials say the large increase in the number of Central American families coming between ports of entry has vastly strained the system. But the policy and what it would mean for parents caught some federal agencies off guard. There was no system in place to track parents along with their children, in part because after 72 hours children are turned over to a different agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, which has been tasked with caring for them. An October report by Homeland Security's watchdog found immigration officials were not prepared to manage the consequences of the policy. The resulting confusion along the border led to misinformation among separated parents who did not know why they had been taken from their children or how to reach them, longer detention for children at border facilities meant for short-term stays and difficulty in identifying and reuniting families. Backlogs at ports of entry may have pushed some into illegally crossing the U.S-Mexico border, the report found. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi-based journalist Abhijit Iyer Mitra was Thursday released from the Odisha jail after he was granted bail by two courts in Konark and Bhubaneswar. The freedom for Abhijit came a day after the Orissa High Court granted him bail yesterday. He was released from judicial custody after 44 days. Abhijit was granted conditional bail by the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Konark in Puri district and the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar, in Khurda district earlier in the day. Both the courts granted bail to Abhijit with a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each and on condition that he would never resort to anti-Odisha remarks in the future. The Orissa High Court, while granting bail to Abhijit on Monday, had ruled that the two lower courts can grant bail to him on conditions. Abhijit was arrested on October 23 on the basis of two FIRs filed against his name for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against Odisha, its people, Konark Temple and Lord Jagannath. Abhijit left for the Biju Patnaik International Airport from the Capital Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment since Sunday. The Odisha government on December 4 had accepted the appeal of Abhijit and decided not to accord sanction of his prosecution. Abhijit was admitted to the Capital Hospital here on December 2 after he complained of acute stomach ache. Abhijit's advocate Nikhil Mehera said that his client would proceed to Chennai to meet his mother. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Come December 11, Congress leader Sachin Pilot will be hoping to not just celebrate a Congress win in Rajasthan, but also sport a 'safa', a traditional turban, after four years. The Rajasthan Congress chief had pledged in 2014 to not wear the traditional headgear till the party returns to power in the state. Pilot exuded confidence that the Congress will form the government in Rajasthan and he will wear the 'safa' once again after the results for assembly polls, scheduled to be held on Friday, are announced on December 11. "After the party suffered a major defeat in 2014, I pledged to not wear a 'safa' till it returns to power. I decided to give up wearing the 'safa', which I love wearing as a symbol of culture," he told PTI Wednesday when asked about his resolution. Pilot said people gifted him 'safas' on several occasions while he was campaigning for the assembly polls. Instead of wearing them, he said, he would put them down after touching them to his forehead. "I am quite hopeful that people's blessings will make sure that the Congress wins the elections and I will be able to wear the 'safa' once again," he said. The 41-year-old Congress leader is contesting the state poll for the first time from Muslim-dominated Tonk constituency. He is pitted against BJP candidate Yoonus Khan. Pilot has been a former MP from Dausa and then from Ajmer. The Congress had faced a drubbing in the state in 2013 assembly polls and 2014 Lok Sabha elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Air India has suspended two pilots after the Boeing plane that was flying from the national capital to Hong Kong "descended rapidly" on October 20, according to an airline official. The incident happened when the Boeing 787-8 aircraft -- carrying 207 people, including 10 crew members -- was approaching the Hong Kong International Airport. A senior Air India official said two pilots were suspended on the same day of the incident. During approach at the airport, the aircraft "descended rapidly and deviated significantly from the normal glide path triggering a Ground Proximity Warning System alert", as per a preliminary report prepared by Hong Kong's Transport and Housing Bureau. The crew recovered the aircraft at about 200 feet above mean sea level before performing a go-around and later landed "uneventfully"on the second approach, the report said. Hong Kong's Air Accident Investigation Authority is probing the serious incident. "The investigation team is conducting detailed analysis of the data and information collected in order to determine the circumstances and causes of this serious incident. "During the course of the investigation, should any safety recommendation be necessary, it will be promulgated immediately," the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A magisterial probe into the Amritsar train tragedy in which around 60 people died, has apparently given a "clean chit" to Navjot Kaur Sidhu, wife of Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was the chief guest at the Dussehra event. Jalandhar Divisional Commissioner B Purushartha-- appointed the special executive magistrate by the government to probe the accident-- indicted the son of a Congress councillor, who organised the event as well as officials of Amritsar district administration, municipal corporation, railways and local police, official sources said. The crowd was watching the burning of a Ravana effigy near Joda Phatak on October 19 when they were mowed down by a passing train. A 300-page report of magisterial probe into the accident was submitted to the Punjab Home Secretary last month. The report stressed that Saurabh Mithu Madan, son of the Congress councillor and a close aide of the Sidhus, should have ensured safety of people at the venue, official sources said. The report also blamed Amritsar administration and municipality officials over safety measures and permission given for holding the event. The role of railways also came under the scanner for giving the green signal to a fast train despite the presence of a huge crowd on the tracks. The Home department has put up the file pertaining to the report before Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for further action. Notably, an inquiry conducted by the Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety into this incident had blamed "negligence" of people, standing on the railway track, for the tragic incident. Meanwhile, Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota is conducting a separate inquiry into the accident to fix responsibility. The statements of over 150 people including railway officials and Navjot Kaur Sidhu were recorded by Purushartha, while Navjot Singh Sidhu, who had questioned the Railways for giving clean chit to loco-pilot of the train, had submitted his statement in writing. Opposition Akali Dal had earlier rejected the institution of the magisterial probe and sought registration of case against Navjot Kaur Sidhu and the event organiser, claiming that she allegedly left the venue without bothering about the victims. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 26th anniversary of demolition of Babri Mosque passed off peacefully in Uttar Pradesh Thursday with Hindu and Muslim organisations observing the day as "shaurya diwas" and "black day" respectively. While the VHP and Bajrang Dal burst crackers and resolved to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, Muslim outfits held protests to express grief over the incident. In Ayodhya, Mahant Suresh Das of Digambar Akhara said Ram temple is the biggest issue in front of the country. "There are three courts -lower courts, high court and Supreme Court - but the people's court is above these three courts. We must go to the peoples court, and convince the public for construction of Ram temple," he said, while addressing the 'Shaurya Sankalp Sabha'. Muslim organisations observed the day as 'Yaum E Gham' (day of sorrow) and a protest demonstration was held in Lucknow, Convenor of Babri Masjid Action Committee, Zafaryab Jilani said. There are reports of protests being held in Kerala, Hyderabad and Maharashtra, Jilani said. A member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Khalid Rashid Firangimahli, handed over a memoradum to the District Magistrate of Lucknow addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on behalf of the board demanding justice in the case, Jilani said. In Gorakhpur, the prant sanyojak of Bajrang dal, Purnendu, said: "We can't have more patience and the Government should pass a law in Parliament for the construction of Ram temple at the birth place of Lord Ram in Ayodhya. "The Hindu community is depressed after hearing that Ram temple is not among the priorities in front of court," he said in a statement. On the other hand , Gorakhpur unit of AIMIM, observed the day as black day with a banner carrying the picture of Asaduddin Owaisi, Bheem Rao Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh, and staged a sit-in at the district magistrate's office and gave a memorandum addressed to President of India. We demanded arrest of the accused in Babri Masjid demolition and reconstruction of the mosque in the memorandum, the All India Majis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) spokesperson, Imran said. The state Home deparment said the day passed off peacefully with no incident being reported from anywhere. Elaborate security arrangements had been made for the day in view of plans of both Hindu and Muslim organisations to organise special programmes on the anniversary. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Early Morning Toledo House Fire Claims One The fatal blaze is still under investigation. (TOLEDO, Ore.) - This morning at 4:12 am, the Toledo Fire Department was dispatched to a house fire at 26 Tom Jack Road in Toledo. They were assisted by teams from Newport, Depoe Bay, and Siletz Fire Departments, as well as the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office. Once the fire was suppressed, one deceased adult was located. The deceased has been identified as Betty Sue Mcgregor, 84, of Toledo, Oregon. The Lincoln County Fire Investigation Team was deployed and is working to determine the cause of the blaze, which is still under investigation. No foul play is suspected at this time. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Maleri Cates at 541-265-0670. Source: Lincoln Co. Sheriff's Office _________________________________________ An Army soldier was killed in firing by Pakistani troops on Thursday, while a BSF jawan lost his life in a sniper attack along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. Pakistani troops breached the ceasefire in the Macchil sector in Kupwara district at 10.45 am. One soldier was killed in the firing, an Army official said. "Our troops retaliated in adequate measure to the Pakistani aggression," he added. The officials also said a BSF jawan was killed and another injured in sniper fire from across the LoC in the Sunderbani sector. They said the incident occurred at the Rakhee post in the evening. The sector is manned by the troops of the 126th battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF). While a bullet hit Constable P Biswas on the left shoulder, Constable Mansa Ram suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh, they said. The two jawans were evacuated in a helicopter to the nearest medical facility, but Biswas succumbed to injuries, they added. The condition of the other jawan is stable, the officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Thursday termed as "unacceptable" the death of nearly 15,000 people in road accidents caused by potholes in the last five years and said the number was probably more than those killed on the border or by terrorists. This indicates that authorities concerned are not maintaining the roads properly, a bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said. "It is unacceptable that such a large number of death takes place on roads due to potholes," said the bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta. The bench perused a report filed by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, headed by former apex court judge Justice K S Radhakrishnan, which said 14,926 persons had died in road accidents due to potholes from 2013 to 2017 across the country. "It is almost 15,000 deaths in five years, probably more that those killed on border or by terrorists," the bench said, adding, "These are government figures". The bench asked the Centre to file their response on the committee's report after consulting all state governments and posted the matter for hearing in January. Advocate Gaurav Agarwal, assisting the court as an amicus curiae in the matter, said the committee has filed a report on the issue following the apex court's direction and consulted all the states. He said the data on death in such accidents was based on the figures of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The bench observed that many authorities like the municipal corporations, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), concessionaires working with them or the state road departments would be responsible for these deaths as they were not maintaining the roads. Referring to the number of deaths, the bench said, "This is absolutely a very high number and indicates that concerned authorities whether they are municipal corporations, state governments, NHAI and others are not maintaining the roads". The bench also observed that no compensation was paid to the victim's family in such cases and legal representatives of the deceased have to "live with the unforeseen tragedy due to lack of concern shown by the authorities". It said no data was available before it about the number of persons injured in road accidents due to potholes and it was clear that "number of injured will be much much higher than the number of deaths". The apex court had in July termed as "frightening" the number of deaths in accident caused due to potholes on roads across the country and had observed that number of fatalities in such incidents was more than those in terror attacks. While hearing a matter related to road safety in India, the bench had also said that persons who have lost their lives as a result of accidents caused due to potholes should be entitled to compensation. It had asked the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety to look into this "very serious issue" and file a report before it. The court is also dealing with issue of compensation paid to the victims of hit-and-run and road accidents. It had also raised the issue of deaths in accidents due to potholes on roads, particularly in Mumbai, and said that according to reports there were around 4,000 potholes in Mumbai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shares across Asia plunged Thursday, with technology firms in Hong Kong and Shanghai battered after the arrest of a top executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei that has also fuelled fears about the recent China-US trade deal. As Donald Trump and Xi Jinping's tariffs ceasefire last weekend -- which sparked a one-day rally -- fades to a distant memory, investors are back in selling mood as they fret over a range of issues including the state of the world economy, oil prices and Brexit. The chances of trade peace between the US and China took a blow Thursday as it emerged Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou had been held in Canada and faces extradition to the United States over alleged Iran sanctions breaches by the firm. Meng is also the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. The company had been investigated by US intelligence, who deemed it a national security threat. However, the arrest drew a swift response from China, which said it "firmly opposes and strongly protests" the move, adding it had urged Canada and the US to "immediately correct the wrongdoing". The sent shudders through Hong Kong and Shanghai markets, where tech firms were hammered. Hong Kong-listed ZTE, which was subject to a US banning order earlier his year over security fears before that was reduced to a massive fine, was almost five per cent down. Market heavyweight Tencent was two per cent lower and AAC Technologies was five per cent off. And in Shanghai, Wingtech Technology was four per cent down, Raisecome Technology sank 2.8 per cent and Fujian Raynen Technology lost 2.6 per cent. Taipei-listed tech firms were also hurt. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company lost 2.2 per cent and Hong Hai Precision was 2.7 per cent lower. There were also losses for other tech firms in the region, with Sony down three per cent in Tokyo and Samsung almost two per cent lower. The sector was already under pressure from concerns about future growth and following a surge in recent years. "This headline is quite significant as the US government is attempting to persuade allies to stop using Huawei equipment due to security fears," said Stephen Innes, head of Asia-Pacific trade at OANDA. "Recall that over 100 Chinese companies traded limit down (last month) when broke the US urged allies to blacklist Huawei?" On broader markets Hong Kong was down more than two per cent while Shanghai lost more than one per cent and Tokyo shed 1.8 per cent by the break. Taipei was two per cent off, while Manila and Jakarta also took a hit. Sydney fell 0.5 per cent, Singapore gave up 1.2 per cent and Seoul was one per cent lower. "This is what you call playing hard ball," said Michael Every, head of Asia financial markets research at Rabobank in Hong Kong. "China is already asking for her release, as can be expected, but if the charges are serious, don't expect the US to blink." Oil prices extended losses ahead of the weekend's meeting of OPEC and non-OPEC production giants, with investors unsure about how much and for how long they plan to reduce output. The commodity has come under selling pressure, having soared Monday and Tuesday, owing to uncertainty about the reduction plans while Trump has called on OPEC to lift output to keep prices low. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lt Governor Kiran Bedi Thursday hailed the Supreme Court verdict upholding the nomination of three BJP members to the Puducherry Assembly. Hours after the court ruling, Bedi said she was "exceedingly grateful and happy" to see the judgment passed by the Supreme court validating nomination of the three MLAs to Puducherry Assembly by the Union Government as per law. "We thank the three MLAs for their forbearance as they had gone through many unpleasant situations, sometimes highly disrespectful, to finally achieve this judgment today," she said adding "in the end law has prevailed." The MLAs also welcomed the apex court order. Bedi had administered the oath of office to the three members, V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathi, in her chamber on July 4, 2017, but the territorial assembly speaker V Vaithilingam declined to recongise them as MLAs and had cancelled their nomination. The issue had then intensified the rift between Bedi and the Congress government with the latter assailing her action as unconstitutional and contended that the Centre had 'unilaterally' nominated the MLAs without consulting the territorial government. Challenging the speakers' action, the three MLAs moved the Madras High Court, which upheld their nomination. Later, the Congress leaders filed an appeal in the Supreme Court, which Thursday upheld the Centre's decision nominating the three. A bench of justices A K Sikri, Ashok Bhushan and SA Abdul Nazeer said, "We uphold the impugned judgment of the Madras High Court". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya Thursday said the BJP accorded the highest priority to an agreement between parties for building the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He also hit out at ally Shiv Sena for the remarks of his chief,saying no one can confine Ram Lalla in jail, he said in a telephonic interview with PTI. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, during his two-day visit to Ayodhya last month, had said that when he visited the place where Lord Ram was seated, it looked like he was going to a jail. "...I am a product of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. No one can confine Ram Lalla in jail, and no one can stop the construction of the temple. The allegations levelled by (Uddhav) Thackeray ji are devoid of truth. Ram Lalla is 'anaadi anant' (eternal and unending), and it is impossible to confine him in jail," he said. "The BJP is in favour of the Ram temple's construction as per a judgement of the Supreme Court or through mutual agreement (among parties). And if both the options are exhausted, then the legislative route must be explored. The BJP accords highest priority to an agreement for paving the way for construction of the temple," Maurya said. Maurya said the demolition of the disputed structure was not a subject of debate. He said the struggle of the karsewaks has been etched in golden letters. "The people of the country know that it was the VHP, which struggled and fought for Ram Janmabhoomi," he said. Asked if the UP government had any plans for the family members of karsewaks who had died in firing in 1990, the BJP leader said, "Every devotee of Lord Ram and I stand firmly with the families of the karsewaks, who were sprayed with bullets in November 1990 during the SP regime. However, there is no such proposal under the consideration of the (state) government." He said if there was no road in the village of a deceased karsewak, they would be built. Maurya said Lord Ram devotees did not have any animosity with the Muslims. "In fact, it is the rival political parties which practice Muslim appeasement and vitiate the peaceful atmosphere," he said. He claimed that people of the country have identified those opposing the construction of Ram temple and said for the BJP, the temple was not linked with elections and was a matter of faith and devotion. The deputy chief minister said a mosque, mausoleum, memorial and monument in the name of Mughal emperor Babur was impossible. "The so-called supporter of Babri mosque must know that no one can remove Ram Lalla from his current place," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Several BJP leaders made a fresh pitch for construction of a Ram temple, while Left parties and the TMC called for upholding the country's secular fabric on the 26th anniversary of the Babri mosque demolition on Thursday, even as the day passed off peacefully in Uttar Pradesh. The Congress, which is making a determined bid to highlight its pro-Hindu credentials, maintained a studied silence on the matter. Union minister Uma Bharti, a leading figure of the Ram Mandir movement, "appealed" to Congress president Rahul Gandhi to support the construction of the temple to "honour" his holy thread and Dattatreya Brahmin lineage. She was referring to the claims of Congress leaders that Gandhi was a "janeu-dhari" (sacred thread-wearing) Hindu. Recently, at a religious ceremony, the Congress president was referred to as a Dattatreya Brahmin. Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, a bitter critic of the BJP, tweeted: "Just like a human body is incomplete without all organs, India is incomplete without all communities, religions, castes, creed and gender. Let us pledge to uphold the secular fabric of India (sic)." Left parties took out a march in the national capital with CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury accusing the ruling BJP and the RSS of working to "destroy" the country's secular fabric. CPI national general secretary D Raja alleged that the RSS, VHP and other affiliates of the Sangh Parivar were bent on "changing the secular character" of the country. In Haryana, state minister Anil Vij claimed Mughal emperor Babar "demolished" the Ram temple and built a mosque in Ayodhya on the basis of the power he wielded and now "Ram bhakts will have to remove the blot". The Babri Mosque demolition anniversary passed off peacefully in Uttar Pradesh with Hindu and Muslim organisations observing the day as "shaurya diwas" and "black day" respectively. While the VHP and Bajrang Dal burst crackers and resolved to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya, Muslim outfits held protests to express grief over the incident. In Ayodhya, seers offered prayers and sought divine intervention for early construction of the Ram temple. Mahant Suresh Das of Digambar Akhara said Ram temple is the biggest issue confronting the country. Muslim organisations observed the day as 'Yaum-e-Gham' (day of sorrow) and staged a protest in Lucknow, Convenor of Babri Masjid Action Committee Zafaryab Jilani said. The main litigant in the Ayodhya case, Iqbal Ansari, said: We are observing the anniversary for the last 26 years. Now, it (the wait) must end and a peaceful solution must be found with the efforts of the prime minister." Another litigant, Haji Mahboob, said, We are ready for talks over the Ayodhya dispute, but before that, the anarchy of saffron forces must be controlled. A member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, Khalid Rashid Firangimahli, handed over a memoradum to the District Magistrate of Lucknow addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on behalf of the board demanding justice in the case. In Gorakhpur, the 'prant sanyojak' of the Bajrang Dal, Purnendu, said: "We can't have any more patience and the government should pass a law in Parliament for the construction of Ram temple." The Gorakhpur unit of the AIMIM observed the day as 'black day' with a banner carrying the picture of party MP from Hyderabad Asaduddin Owaisi, Bheem Rao Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh, and staged a sit-in at the district magistrate's office and gave a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind. The state Home department said the day passed off peacefully with no incident being reported from anywhere. Elaborate security arrangements had been made for the day in view of plans of both Hindu and Muslim organisations to organise special programmes on the anniversary. Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said the BJP accorded the highest priority to an agreement between the warring parties for building a Ram temple in Ayodhya. "The BJP is in favour of Ram temple's construction either by a judgement of the Supreme Court or through mutual agreement (among parties). And if both the options are exhausted, then the legislative route must be explored. The BJP accords highest priority to an agreement for paving the way for construction of the temple," Maurya said. UP MLA Sangeet Som, known for making controversial statements, said the temple will be constructed before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and called for unity among Hindus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Thursday said the BJP linking it with Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, on the basis of an "expelled lawyer" is a case of the "pot calling the kettle black". Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said if the BJP can link his party to Michel on the basis of a lawyer then the ruling party should answer about Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's family members taking fees from PNB scam accused Mehul Choksi, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad representing businessman Subrata Roy and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje giving an affidavit in favour of Lalit Modi in London. He also said the BJP must give an answer on Jaitley representing stock broker Ketan Parekh and giving advice to Dow Chemicals in the Bhopal gas tragedy case. "BJP leader Arun Jaitley was caught red-handed with the same lawyer nexus for helping Mehul Choksi and admitted the nexus when he had to refund the fee, thinking it will do a face saving exercise," Shergill claimed. Earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, to a question about lawyer kin of some top BJP leaders appearing for those accused of corruption, said they did not only recuse themselves but also returned the fee paid to them. The Congress had charged that Jaitley's daughter and son-in-law, both lawyers, received a retainership from Choksi. However, Jaitley's son-in-law had issued a statement saying that his law firm had returned the retainership the moment they came to know that the company was involved in a scam. On Wednesday, the Congress expelled Youth Congress leader and lawyer Aljo K Joseph from the party after he appeared in a court here for Michel, who was extradited from Dubai on Tuesday for allegedly being the middleman in the UPA era Rs 3,600 crore VVIP helicopter deal. On Patra's allegation that all three lawyers, who appeared for Michel in court, had links with the Congress, Shergill said the other two lawyers, apart from Joseph, were not the office bearers of the Indian National Congress Party in any capacity or with any affiliated body. He alleged that the BJP is a "one stop shop which provides full service to fraudsters and scamsters by acting as their advisors, lawyers, boarding pass agents, ticket agents, establishing in London agents, and police protection agents". "The BJP linking the Congress party with AgustaWestland on the basis of an expelled Congress lawyer is a classic case of pot calling the kettle black," he said. "BJP is the advocate of runaways," Shergill claimed. The Congress leader asked whether the CBI will investigate the "BJP-CBI nexus" of quid pro quo of "accommodating, welcoming" Agusta into India. "Will the CBI investigate, no they will not investigate because the CBI is behaving like a remote-controlled hawk of the Narendra Modi government. CBI has become the comfort bureau of investigation of the Bhartiya Janata Party," Shergill alleged. Why for the past four-and-a-half-years CBI has not investigated the angle of BJP "aggressively promoting" AgustaWestland and its parent company, Finmeccanica, despite them being on the radar of suspicion, he asked. British businessman Michel was sent to CBI custody for five days by a Delhi court on Wednesday, a day after he was extradited to India from the UAE. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) East Delhi MP Maheish Girri has sanctioned Rs 2 crore to the EDMC for procuring e-carts for garbage collection from areas in the municipal corporation. In a letter to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) commissioner, the BJP MP has recommended purchase of 100 battery-operated vehicles. "This will enable the EDMC, which has been grappling with funds crisis, in improvising the door-to-door garbage collection," Girri said. He has requested the municipal commissioner to provide technical, financial and administrative approval to his recommendation as per guidelines of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati today hit out at the BJP, alleging that after dividing people on caste lines, it was now segregating deities for votes. Referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath's recent claim that lord Hanuman was a "Dalit", she said the top leadership of the BJP has "stooped to such a level for votes that they are not even sparing the deities". She alleged while the common man and farmers are suffering under the BJP rule, the party is talking of constructing a temple in Ayodhya, ignoring its primary responsibility of governance as enshrined in the Constitution. Addressing a gathering of party functionaries at an event to mark the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, she said following Adityanath's statement, people have been demanding that Dalits be appointed as priests in Hanuman temples. "First they divided people on the lines of caste, now they are dividing even the deities ... People need to vigilant against them," she told the gathering, according to a statement issued by her party. Hanuman was a forest dweller, a Dalit and deprived, the UP CM had said recently during an election rally in Rajasthan. Mayawati claimed that the government is trying to destroy all constitutional institutions that help the Dalits and the downtrodden get their rights. She said while the government claims that it will double the farmers' income by 2021, the farming community is worried about its immediate future and is reeling under crop loss and debt. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Thursday decided to put on hold its party president Amit Shah's proposed rally and Rath Yatra in Coochbehar on Friday, saying it will wait for the final order from the Calcutta High Court, which will hear an appeal from the saffron party the same day. Party general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said that BJP is a "responsible political party" and it will obey the court order. "Our entire preparation for the Rath Yatra program is complete. Amit Shah is also ready to come tomorrow," he told a press conference. The decision was taken after the HC refused permission to hold the Rath Yatra on the grounds that it might cause communal tension. The party's appeal for a division bench hearing on Thursday itself was turned down by Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta. He said the hearing would take place on Friday. Earlier, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh had said that the party will go ahead with Friday's rally but would put on hold the the Rath Yatra, which is being touted as its biggest political campaign in West Bengal. The court order prompted the BJP top brass to hold an emergency meeting here to chalk out the party's strategy. The single bench judge Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty had also ruled that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9. Vijayvargiya said the party has decided to move the division bench of the Calcutta High Court to challenge the single bench order. He along with party national general secretary Arvind Menon, state BJP leader Mukul Roy and Ghosh in consultation with top leaders in Delhi sat for an emergency meeting to decide the next course of action. "We have a plan B ... Let's wait for the court's verdict in division bench," Roy said without elaborating. "If the government says that it can't maintain law and order if we take out Rath Yatra, then I think Governor's Rule should be immediately imposed in the state," he added. There was disappointment in the BJP camp after the of the HC order reached it. Massive arrangements were made for the Rath Yatra, which the party claimed would be a "game changer" in West Bengal "We have been working hard for the Rath Yatra campaign in the district braving all odds created by TMC," said Chinu Kundu, local BJP leader and owner of the land where the rally was scheduled to take place tomorrow. Party workers from nearby districts have already arrived in Coochbehar to take part in the programme and were left downcast. Hundreds of BJP Yuva Morcha members have been the guarding the venue and the podium for the last two nights. A poster war between BJP and the ruling TMC is visible across the state. While the BJP has put up posters on the Rath Yatra programme and welcoming Shah, the TMC has posters saying "Only Lord Madan Mohan can ride the Rath and BJP's Rath Yatra program is an attempt to ignite communal tensions". The Madan Mohan Temple in the town, which was once the capital of the princely state of Coochbehar, is one of the biggest temples of the district. Shah was to kickstart the campaign titled 'Save Democracy Rally'. The campaign was scheduled to begin from Coochbehar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in the south 24 Parganas district on December 9 and from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Noted lawyer and (BJP) on Thursday approached a with a joint application to end a pending suit relating to his expulsion from the Jethmalani had filed the suit against the for expelling him in 2013. He had also sought Rs 5 million in damages. The and 95-year-old Jethmalani said in the joint plea that a decree be passed in terms of amicable settlement between them as BJP has expressed "regret" over the senior lawyer's expulsion from the party. The application is likely to come up for hearing on Friday before Additional District Judge Sumit Dass. The plea said "during the pendency of the suit the of Defendant no. 1 party along with the General Secretary of Defendant no. 1 party Bhupender Yadav called upon the plaintiff (Jethmalani). "During the said meeting the and the General Secretary expressed their sincere regret at the expulsion of the plaintiff vide the order dated May 28, 2013 passed by the Parliamentary Board of Defendant no. 1." The joint plea was filed through advocate Ashish Dixit, representing Jethmalani, and Manik Dogra, appearing for the BJP. It said Shah and Yadav acknowledged the contribution of Jethmalani to the party and that he has been the founding of BJP and has worked tirelessly towards its growth. It said pursuant to the meeting, the party through its general secretary has issued a letter on November 3, asserting the facts stated in the application. "The plaintiff acknowledges the gracious conduct of Amit Shah, President of Defendant no. 1 and Bhupender Yadav, General Secretary of Defendant no. 1. "It is submitted that the parties have amicably settled the lis before this court and therefore have filed the present joint application seeking passing of decree in view of the letter dated November 3...," the application said. Earlier in 2013, the BJP had expelled him from the primary membership of the party for six years for breach of discipline. A bomb attack on a police command post killed at least three people in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, state media reported. The television said several people were also wounded in the "terrorist attack." The official IRNA agency said it was a car bombing. Sistan-Baluchistan province, where the bombing hit, has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and jihadists carrying out cross-border attacks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday met the family members of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh who was killed in the Bulandshahr violence and assured them of justice and strict action against the culprits. The chief minister met Singh's wife and two sons at his Kalidas Marg residence here, an official spokesman said. "The CM has given assurance to the victim's family that they will remain like a family and there would not any disturbance in their studies," UP DGP OP Singh, who was also present there, told reporters. He said Adityanath had decided that the government would pay off the education loan that the family had taken. "The chief minister has assured us that he will remain with us in this difficult time and ensure justice for us. He said strict action will be taken against those involved," the victim's son Shrey Singh said. Adityanath had declared Monday a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife, Rs 10 lakh for the parents and a government job for a member of his family. The inspector was also an Investigating Officer (IO) in the 2015 Akhlaq lynching case. Singh and a 20-year-old man were killed in mob violence triggered by alleged slaughter of cows in Bulandshahr. The chief minister had ordered a thorough probe and issued directions to take strict action against those involved in the alleged cow slaughter in the western UP district. Adityanath had held a late night meeting here Tuesday with the chief secretary, the DGP, the principal secretary (home) and the additional director general of police (intelligence). The chief minister had also drawn flak from opposition parties for attending a laser show in Gorakhpur when the violence broke out in Bulandshahr Monday. An official spokesman said the chief minister was of the view that the incident "is part of a bigger conspiracy, and hence all those directly or indirectly related to cow slaughter should be arrested in a time-bound manner". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) will assist the Special Investigating Team probing the Bulandshahr violence in which two people, including a police officer, were killed on Monday. The STF is assisting the SIT constituted by the government to probe the incident of cow slaughter and the subsequent violence, Inspector General (Crime) S K Bhagat told reporters here. The four-member SIT led by Inspector General, Meerut, is going through the footage of the incident to zero in on the culprits, he said. To a question on Yogesh Raj, believed to be the main accused, the IG said that his name figures in the FIR and the SIT would ascertain his role in the violence. The IG said it appears that the police officer, Subodh Kumar, and the youth had died of injuries caused by .32 mm bullets, but whether those were fired from the same weapon would be known only after the report from the forensic lab is received. Singh and a 20 year-old man were killed in the mob violence triggered by alleged slaughter of cows in Bulandshahr. The chief minister had ordered a thorough probe and issued directions to take strict action against those involved in the alleged cow slaughter in the western UP district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Thursday met the family members of the inspector killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr, hours before a meeting with Narendra Modi in which the matter was expected to come up. Modi reached Delhi in the evening and went straight to meet the prime minister. But there was no immediate official word on what transpired at the meeting. Earlier in the day, the state government announced that a road and a college will be named after the inspector who was killed in Monday's mob violence over alleged cow slaughter. A 20-year-old man, Sumit Kumar, also died when the mob clashed with policemen after some carcasses were found in the fields. "The chief minister has assured us that he will remain with us in this difficult time and will ensure justice for us. He said strict action will be taken against those involved," the victim's elder son Shreya Singh said. After the four arrests announced on Tuesday, there have been no further arrests in connection with the mob violence. But two of the absconding men local leaders from the Bajrang Dal and the BJP have appeared on social media, claiming innocence. A four-member special investigation team headed by Inspector General, Meerut, is leading the probe into the violence and the alleged cow slaughter which triggered it. The state's Special Task Force (STF) will assist the team, police said. Earlier, the inspector's younger son Abhishek pleaded against violence over religion. "My father is dead, tomorrow it can be some IG or a minister, he told a channel hours before the meeting with Adityanath. The chief minister met Singh's wife and the two sons at his Kalidas Marg residence in Lucknow, an official spokesman said. UP Director General of Police O P Singh, who was also present at the meeting, said Adityanath assured the family that education and house loans taken by them would be paid off by the government. Uttar Pradesh minister Atul Garg later said the loans amounted to Rs 25-30 lakh. Garg said the Jaithara-Kuraoli road leading to his village in Etah would be renamed after the inspector. "A college will also be named after Singh to recognise and remember his courage," he said. The DGP said, "We in the police force are like family. Besides an extraordinary pension, we have also offered a job. But the sons are studying and we have left it to their discretion as they may like to continue with their education," he said. While the elder son is preparing for the civil services, the younger one is pursuing law, he said. Adityanath had Monday declared compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife, Rs 10 lakh for the parents and a government job for a family member of the inspector, who was the initial investigating officer in the 2015 Akhlaq lynching case. Mohammed Akhlaq was killed then over rumours about beef consumption. Meanwhile, in a video that surfaced Thursday, local BJP leader Shikhar Agarwal, who is also named in the FIR, is heard blaming the slain police inspector for the violence which erupted around a police post. Agarwal, who is BJP's Syana unit youth wing president, claimed it was the inspector who created tension by stopping him and others from taking some carcasses to the Chingrawathi police post for filing an FIR over the alleged cow slaughter. Earlier, on Wednesday, a man identifying himself as Yogesh Raj, the convenor of Bajrang Dal's Bulandshahr unit, had put out a video message, claiming innocence. Yet another video appeared to suggest that Sumit Kumar may have been part of the mob which attacked policemen, and not a bystander who got killed in the violence as earlier believed. But controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som said there was nothing wrong with giving his family the compensation announced earlier, when Dadri victim Akhlaq's kin could be given government aid. Sumit Kumar figures among the 27 people named in the FIR registered by police after the violence. The Yogi Adityanath government continued to face flak from the opposition. CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged the state administration was shielding the accused and harassing the innocent. An editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' also referred to the violence, saying soldiers and policemen do not have any religion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) George H.W. Bush, who shaped history as 41st president and patriarch of a family that occupied the White House for a dozen years, is going to his final rest Thursday in Texas. More than 11,000 people paid their respects to Bush as his casket lay in repose all night at a Houston church where his family worshipped. Some visitors waited for hours to pay tribute to Bush, who will be buried Thursday following a funeral at St. Martin's Episcopal Church. The country said goodbye to him Wednesday in a national funeral service that offered high praise for the last of the presidents to have fought in World War II and a hefty dose of humor about a man once described as a cross between Mister Rogers and John Wayne. After three days of remembrance in Washington, a plane brought Bush's casket for his funeral's closing ceremonies in Houston and burial Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place is alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukemia at age 3. In the service at Washington National Cathedral, three former presidents and President Donald Trump looked on as George W Bush eulogized his father as "the brightest of a thousand points of light." The cathedral service was a tribute to a president, a patriarch and a faded political era that prized military service and public responsibility. It was laced with indirect comparisons to Trump but was not consumed by them, as speakers focused on Bush's public life and character with plenty of cracks about his goofy side, too. "He was a man of such great humility," said Alan Simpson, former Republican senator from Wyoming. Those who travel "the high road of humility in Washington, D.C.," he added pointedly, "are not bothered by heavy traffic." Trump sat with his wife, a trio of ex-presidents and their wives, several of them sharp critics of his presidency and one of them, Hillary Clinton, his 2016 Democratic foe. Apart from courteous nods and some handshakes, there was little interaction between Trump and the others. George W Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost in 1953 his mother, who died in April. He took comfort in knowing "Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again." It was a family that occupied the White House for a dozen years the 41st president defeated after one term, the 43rd serving two. Jeb Bush stepped up to try to extend that run but fell short when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries. The elder Bush was "the last great-soldier statesman," historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, "our shield" in dangerous times. But he also said that Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply cracked, "Never know. Gotta ask." Meacham recounted how comedian Dana Carvey once said the key to doing an impersonation of Bush was "Mister Rogers trying to be John Wayne." None of those words would be a surprise to Bush. Meacham read his eulogy to him, said Bush spokesman Jim McGrath, and Bush responded to it with the crack: "That's a lot about me, Jon." The congregation at the cathedral, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Bush's life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts. Simpson regaled the congregation with stories from his years as Bush's friend in Washington. More seriously, he recalled that when he went through a rough patch in the political game, Bush conspicuously stood by him against the advice of aides. "You would have wanted him on your side," he said. Simpson said Bush "loved a good joke the richer the better. And he threw his head back and gave that great laugh, but he never, ever could remember a punchline. And I mean never." George W. Bush turned the humor back on the acerbic ex-senator, saying of the late president: "He placed great value on a good joke, so he chose Simpson to speak." Meacham praised Bush's call to volunteerism his "1,000 points of light" placing it alongside Abraham Lincoln's call to honor "the better angels of our nature" in the American rhetorical canon. Meacham called those lines "companion verses in America's national hymn." Trump had mocked "1,000 points of light" last summer at a rally, saying "What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasn't it?" Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney praised Bush as a strong world leader who helped oversee the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union and helped bring about the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, signed into law by his successor, Clinton. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) George H W Bush was to be laid to rest Thursday, concluding a four-day tribute to the 41st president that saw America briefly set aside its political divisions. After a state funeral Wednesday in Washington that was attended by the country's five living presidents and foreign dignitaries, Bush's flag-draped coffin was flown to Houston. He will lie in repose at St Martin's Episcopal Church, where the Bushes worshipped for decades, until he is buried. Bush will be interred at his presidential library in College Station next to his wife Barbara, who died in April, and their daughter Robin who died of leukemia at age three. At the memorial service President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania shared a front row pew in the National Cathedral with past presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives as an honour guard brought Bush's casket into the prayer hall. Former president George W Bush tapped the casket twice when he walked up to deliver a rousing eulogy, fighting through tears as he sang the praises of his father and predecessor as commander-in-chief, who died Friday at age 94. "He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage, and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country," Bush said. "He was born with just two settings -- full throttle, then sleep," he said. "To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light," he said in a reference to his father's signature call to volunteerism. Wednesday's funeral capped a national homage that saw Bush lie in state in the US Capitol rotunda, where thousands paid respects to a statesman who steered the nation through turbulent times including the end of the Cold War -- and in a style dramatically different to the current president. Since Bush's death, Trump has traded his usual provocative posture for one of solemnity, tweeting before the service about "a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life." "He will be missed!" Trump wrote. At the funeral, Trump and his Democratic predecessors appeared locked in an uneasy truce. Trump arrived and shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. But his greetings stopped there, and the body language turned cold as he failed to acknowledge Hillary Clinton, his defeated Democratic rival in 2016. Clinton stared straight ahead and the two made no eye contact. It was a marked contrast when Bush Jr arrived minutes later and shook hands with the current and past presidents and their wives -- and handed Michelle Obama a piece of candy, as he did during the memorial service for senator John McCain in the same cathedral in September. Bells tolled while the casket was carried down the aisle, as dignitaries including Britain's Prince Charles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Polish president Lech Walesa, and former US vice presidents and cabinet officials looked on. Bush was a decorated World War II aviator who nearly died when he was shot down on a bombing mission. He served as a congressman, envoy to China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and vice president to Ronald Reagan before winning the White House. Trump's ascendancy to the head of the Republican Party saw him exchange vitriolic attacks with the Bushes, notably slamming the presidential son's 2003 invasion of Iraq and mocking candidate Jeb Bush during the Republican primaries. Bush Sr meanwhile branded Trump a "blowhard," and revealed he did not vote for him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its ex-post facto approval to the signing of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and the Kanagawa Prefectural Government of Japan in the field of healthcare and wellness. The activities between the two sides will start after the receipt of copy of the signed MoC. The initiatives taken between the two countries will be as per the terms of reference of the MoC signed and will be a continuing process till the MoC remains in operation, an official statement said. The MoC, will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional systems of medicine. This will be of immense importance to both the countries. There are no additional financial implications involved. The financial resources necessary to conduct research, training courses, conferences or meetings and deputations of experts will be met from the existing allocated budget and existing plan schemes of Ministry of AYUSH. The bilateral relations between India and Japan have a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural ties. Having a background of strong traditional medicine, there is a growing interest towards ayurveda and yoga in Japan, the statement stated. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Cabinet Thursday approved the Shahpurkandi dam project on the Ravi river in Punjab, a move that will help arrest India's share of water flowing into Pakistan, a statement said. For this, a central assistance of Rs 485.38 crore -- for irrigation component -- would be provided over five years from 2018-19 to 2022-23. The Indus Waters Treaty was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960 for sharing of Indus waters. According to the Treaty, India got the full rights for utilisation of waters of the three eastern rivers -- Ravi, Beas and Satluj. "Some of the water of the Ravi river at present is going waste through the Madhopur Headworks downstream to Pakistan.Implementation of the project would minimise such wastage of water," the statement said. In September, the Punjab and the Jammu and Kashmir governments signed an agreement to resume works on the Rs 2,793-crore Shahpurkandi project. Though the work on the project began in 2013, it was halted due to certain issues raised by J-K. The Punjab government also submitted a revised cost estimate of Rs 2,793.54 crore and requested the Centre to include the project in the prioritised list of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)/Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) projects. The project, when implemented, will enable the up-stream Ranjit Sagar Dam project power station to act as a peaking station, besides having its own generation capacity of 206 MW and irrigation benefit of 37,173-hectare to Punjab and J-K. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seeking to double agricultural export to USD 60 billion by 2022, the Union Cabinet Thursday approved a maiden export policy for the farm sector that imposes no restrictions on export of all organic and processed products. However, export policy for primary agricultural products, like onion, would reviewed periodically on a case-to-case basis depending on price-supply situation, said Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu after the Cabinet meet. "The policy aims at doubling agricultural shipments to over USD 60 billion by 2022," he said, adding that achieving the target was "doable". He said the farm exports have grown by 20 per cent in a year. Agricultural exports are currently estimated at USD 30 billion. Prabhu said there was a time when India used to import agricultural products, but now it is exporting in a big way. He rued India had no export policy for agri products despite a major producer. Prabhu said the first ever 'Agriculture Export Policy, 2018' would help the government in achieving the target of doubling farmers' income. The policy aims to boost exports of agriculture commodities such as tea, coffee and rice and increase the country's share in global agri-trade. The policy would focus on all aspects of agricultural exports including modernising infrastructure, standardisation of products, streamlining regulations, curtailing knee-jerk decisions, and focusing on research and development activities. It will also seek to remove all kinds of export restrictions on organic products, the minister added. The implementation of the policy will have an estimated financial implication of over Rs 1,400 crore. As per an official release, the objective of the policy is to diversify export basket, destinations and boost high value and value added agricultural exports. It will also provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and deal with sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues. Other objectives of the policy is to strive to double India's share in world agri exports by integrating with global value chain at the earliest and enable farmers to get benefit of export opportunities in overseas market. Prabhu said the policy has arrived at after consultation with state governments. He said states have also agreed to remove 'mandi tax' and reforms in Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) norms. To operationalise the policy, the government would focus on creating agri clusters, promote value added shipments, attract private investment and infrastructure development. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Thursday approved a revised model Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the (FIU-IND) and its counterpart foreign Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) for exchange of information. The revised Model MoU was drafted based on Egmont Group Secretariat revised Model MoU 2014, said an official release. The core functions of FIU-IND in relation to foreign FIUs include screening and processing requests from FIUs, disseminating information to foreign FIUs, establishing and maintaining relationship with foreign FIUs, and facilitating, administering and negotiating MoUs with foreign FIUs. Most of the foreign FIUs require an MoU to be signed for sharing of information with them. The Cabinet also gave its ex-post facto approval to the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between and for cooperation in the Postal field. The Cabinet was apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between and on joint issue of postage stamp, said another release. The MoU was signed in June, 2018. The Calcutta High Court on Thursday said it cannot give permission at this stage for the BJP rally in Coochbehar, scheduled to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah on Friday, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event on the grounds that it might cause communal tension. The court directed that superintendents of police of all districts in West Bengal will file a report by December 21 to it on the holding of 'rath yatra' rallies by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after hearing all the district presidents of the party. Directing that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty observed that the prayer of BJP for permission to hold the 'rath yarta' cannot be granted at this stage. The BJP was scheduled to hold three 'rath yatras' that will start from different parts and traverse all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies. It had moved the court seeking a direction to the state government for giving permission for its rallies after its applications allegedly went unanswered, The BJP campaign was scheduled to begin from Cooch Behar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. State advocate general Kishore Dutta told the court that the Cooch Behar superintendent of police refused permission for the BJP president's rath yatra from Friday. The state government submitted that it might cause communal tension in the district. Dutta said the district has a history of communal issues and that there was information that some "communal provocators" and rowdy elements had become active there. The SP's refusal letter also noted that several top BJP leaders would come to Coochbehar, as also people from other states, stating that these may affect the communally sensitive district. The refusal of permission was an administrative decision in view of the ground situation, the AG said, adding that "details of apprehension" cannot be spelt out in open court due to their sensitive nature and he can submit these to the court in a sealed cover, if directed. The BJP told the court that it will hold peaceful rallies. Asked by the judge as to who will take responsibility if anything untoward happens, BJP counsel Anindya Mitra submitted that the party will hold a peaceful rally, but it was the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. Mitra submitted that the Constitution guarantees the right to hold political programmes. He said that assumption of untoward situation cannot be a ground for refusal. When the judge asked if he was agreeable to deferment, the BJP counsel answered in the negative and said that the party had started preparations for long and had approached the administration for permission in October. He submitted that "it is only now that they have refused permission after sitting on the applications for long." The advocate general also opposed the BJP filing a supplementary affidavit opposing the refusal of permission, saying it can either come with a fresh petition or an amendment to his petition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies, who is facing extradition to the United States. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Wednesday that Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday. He said Meng is sought for extradition by the US. McLeod says as there is a publication ban in effect and he could not provide any further details. The ban was sought by Meng, who has a bail hearing Friday. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that U.S. authorities are investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CBI continued to question for the second day Thursday Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the graft-tainted Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal during the UPA rule, officials said. They said the team asked him to corroborate various contracts he had signed with Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland and the payments received from these companies. Michel, 57, is under constant medical observation with a team deployed to monitor his health parameters, they said. He was given normal Indian food from the CBI canteen as per his nutritional requirements, they said. The agency is maintaining in letter and spirit the orders and procedures of custodial interrogation, they said, adding that he was given enough time to sleep and relax tonight. The CBI has also received request for consular access to Michel from the British High Commission through the External Affairs Ministry which is under process, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said. The officials said there are a lot of documents which the agency had received from the Italian authorities which were probing the matter earlier, besides the material collected by it during the searches. A lot of material needs corroboration and his questioning will also fill gaps in money trail of bribe amount, they said. The sources refused to comment if Michel was cooperating, but said he is answering the queries of the investigating team. The agency has alleged that Michel has evaded any probe in the matter which puts him on a different pedestal than Guido Haschke -- another middleman -- who faced trial in Italy and entered in plea bargain. The CBI had filed a charge sheet against him in September last year. He was extradited from Dubai after clearance from the UAE government and is in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) till December 10. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, apart from Italian Guido Haschke (US and Italian nationality) and Carlo Gerosa (Swiss and Italian nationality). It was alleged that he had entered into a criminal conspiracy with co-accused persons, which included then IAF chief SP Tyagi and his family members, and the public servants had abused their official positions by reducing service ceiling of the VVIPs helicopter from 6,000 m to 4,500 m. The reduction in ceiling made AgustaWestland eligible for contract worth 556.262 million Euros, which was awarded to it by the Defence Ministry on February 08, 2010, for procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters. 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 securing the deal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court, which is hearing CBI Director Alok Verma's plea against the Centre's decision to divest him of powers and send him on leave, on Thursday said the essence of government action must be in the interest of the institution. A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said Attorney General K K Venugopal told it that circumstances culminating in the situation started in July. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Vigilance Commission, referred to apex court judgements and laws governing the CBI. The apex court said it was not that the fight between the CBI director and Special Director Rakesh Asthana emerged overnight, forcing the govt to divest the director of powers without consulting the Selection Committee. The CBI director and the special director were fighting like "kilkenny cats", exposing the country's premier investigating agency to "public ridicule", the government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday while justifying the decision to divest Verma of his duties. Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal also told the top court that the government was well "within its right to intervene" and send both officers on leave by divesting them of their powers. The top law officer asserted that "only the God knows where and how this fight between the two top officers would have ended" if the government would not have taken the action which was aimed at restoring the public faith in the CBI. The court was hearing pleas of Verma, who is challenging the Centre's decision against him, and NGO Common Cause, seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into allegations of corruption against various CBI officials, including Asthana. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Extraordinary situations need extraordinary remedies, the told the on Thursday during the hearing of Director Alok Verma's plea against the Centre's decision to divest him of powers and send him on leave. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CVC, referred to apex court judgements and laws governing the and said the Commission's superintendence (over the CBI) encompasses "surprise, extraordinary situations". A bench headed by said Attorney General K K Venugopal told it that circumstances culminating in the situation started in July. "Essence of the government action must be in the interest of the institution," the bench said. The top court said it was not that the fight between the director and Special Director emerged overnight, forcing the government to divest the director of powers without consulting the Selection Committee. It further said the government has to be "fair" and asked what the difficulty was in consulting the Selection Committee before divesting the CBI director of his power. "The essence of every government action should be to adopt the best course," the top court said. The also asked the CVC what prompted them to take such an action since it was not something that happened overnight. Mehta told the court that the top officers of the CBI, "instead of investigating cases, were investigating cases against each other". He said the jurisdiction vested in CVC to inquire or else it would have been guilty of dereliction of duty. If it did not act, it would be answerable to the president of India and the Supreme Court, he added. He said the reference for inquiry against the CBI director has been sent to him by the government. "CVC started probe but Verma did not give documents for months", Mehta said. The court was hearing the pleas of Verma, who is challenging the Centre's decision against him, and the NGO Common Cause, seeking a court-monitored SIT probe into allegations of corruption against various CBI officials, including Asthana. The chief financial officer of China's global telecommunications giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Friday, triggering a strong protest by Beijing, which called for her immediate release. Meng Wanzhou's detention comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials, who deemed the company a national security threat. Meng "was arrested in Vancouver on December 1," a statement by Canada's ministry of justice said. "She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday." The ministry added it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that US Department of Justice had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by Huawei. The New York Times meanwhile said that the company had been subpoenaed by the Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions. China's embassy in Ottawa issued a swift reaction to the news, calling for Meng's release. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim," the diplomatic mission said in a statement. "The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Ms Meng Wanzhou." Huawei added it was unaware of any wrongdoing and was in compliance with all applicable laws. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng (Wanzhou)," it said. Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. But despite global success, its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage. Over the summer, Australia also barred Huawei from providing 5G technology for wireless networks in the country over espionage fears. New Zealand followed suit in November, but said the issue was a technological one. In June, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported that US lawmakers warned the Canadian government that Huawei posed a major cybersecurity risk. Despite being essentially barred from the critical US market, Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world's number two smartphone maker in the second quarter of this year and has market leader Samsung in its sights. Meng's arrest comes as Ottawa and Beijing have been engaged in exploratory talks on a free trade agreement for the past two years, which would be the first deal of its kind between China and a western country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) China plans to operate five aircraft carriers in the near future, including two nuclear-powered ones that would be launched around 2025, according to Chinese military experts. A late entrant into aircraft carrier led naval battleship formations, China launched its first aircraft carrier 'Liaoning' in 2012, which was a refit of the former Soviet vessel bought from Ukraine. India has been operating aircraft carriers since 1961. Though Liaoning was operationalised and led trial expeditions into the Taiwan Straits, it was widely regarded as an experimental vessel used for mastering technologies, especially to operate the newly built J-15 planes from its deck. Subsequently, China launched its domestically-built second aircraft carrier and commissioned it for sea trials last year. The yet to be named ship is expected to be put into service by 2020. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will have five aircraft carriers in the near future, country's officials media reported, adding that country's third aircraft carrier is currently being built in Shanghai. China needs at least five aircraft carriers to fulfill the strategic shifts, state-run Global Times quoted Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, as saying. Wang Yunfei, a naval expert and retired PLA Navy officer, said that China needs six aircraft carriers to ensure enough carriers are on active duty while the others are undergoing maintenance. China will develop two nuclear-powered carriers, Wang told the daily. Japan recently announced plans to convert 27,000-ton Izumo-class helicopter destroyers into aircraft carriers, sparking concerns in China. Reacting to the reports, Song said that Japan's move means a fundamental change in the vessels rather than a simple boost to their combat capabilities. "The China threat theory is merely an excuse for Japan to do what it wants," Song said. Officials say the rapid acquisition of aircraft carriers by China is of concerns to India too, as the Indian Navy, which is operating aircraft carriers since 1961, is currently operating only INS Vikaramaditya. The home-made INS Vikrant expected to launch sea trials in 2020. China is in a hurry to acquire the aircraft carriers as it rapidly expanded the navy coupled with the acquisition of naval bases aboard to back up its growing influence abroad, especially in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea (SCS). China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan in the South China Sea, and with Japan in the East China Sea. Both the areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. They are also vital to global trade. China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area. The US has been conducting regular patrols in the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation in the area where Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. It has already operationalised its base at Djibouti in the Indian Ocean and acquired Sri Lanka's Hambantota port on a debt swap. China is developing the Pakistan's deep water Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea. Early this month, China clinched a deal to build a multi-billion dollar port at the strategically important Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, located in the Bay of Bengal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India this month with an aim to boost cooperation between the two countries. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said Wang will be in India as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a recent meeting, decided that the foreign ministers of the two countries should meet. Sources said Wang will be in India around December 20. Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina on November 30. In the meeting, they concurred that there had been a "perceptible improvement" in bilateral ties after their Wuhan summit and both sides are optimistic that 2019 would be an even better year for India-China relations. They also discussed joint efforts to further enhance mutual trust and friendship between the two neighbours. "This visit of the Chinese Foreign Minister is taking place following a meeting between the Prime Minister and President Xi... At that meeting, it was decided that the two foreign ministers should meet," Kumar said. On Tuesday, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held talks here with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou and reviewed the progress made in the bilateral ties since the Wuhan summit between Modi and Xi. In their informal summit in Chinese city of Wuhan in April, Modi and Xi decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications so that they can build trust and understanding. The informal summit had taken place seven months after the Doklam standoff. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day face-off in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The impasse ended on August 28. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A class 7 student allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her house in west Delhi's Inderpuri area, police said Thursday. Her mother suspects that the girl might have taken the extreme step because she was scolded by a school teacher. However, the police said an investigation was underway for ascertaining the reason. The girl committed suicide at her house Saturday when her mother, who is advocate, had gone to court, a senior police officer said. A suicide note was recovered from the spot, he said. Meanwhile, the school management in its statement said they are fully cooperating with the investigating authority and were also conducting an internal inquiry. "As of now we are not at liberty to disclose any details which may jeopardise the police investigation of the case," the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ecuador's president said Thursday that conditions have been met for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to leave the country's embassy in London, which would end a more than six-year-long standoff with British authorities. "The way has been cleared for Mr Assange to take the decision to leave in near-liberty," President Lenin Moreno told reporters. It was not immediately clear what Moreno meant by "near-liberty." He did say that Britain had guaranteed that the Australian would not be extradited to any country where his life is in danger. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP on Thursday accused the Congress of defending Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, while the opposition party hit back, saying it is a case of the "pot calling the kettle black". Two days after Michel was extradited from Dubai, the BJP said the development has rattled the Congress and that its "extended hand" is defending the alleged middleman to protect "the family", in an obvious reference to the Gandhis. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said all three lawyers, including Youth Congress functionary Aljo K Joseph, who appeared for Michel in a court, had links with the Congress. Countering the charge, the Congress said the BJP linking it with Michel on the basis of an "expelled lawyer" is a case of the "pot calling the kettle black". Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said if the BJP can link his party to Michel on the basis of a lawyer then the ruling party should answer about Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's family members "taking fees" from PNB scam accused Mehul Choksi, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad representing businessman Subrata Roy and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje giving an affidavit in favour of Lalit Modi in London. He also said the BJP must give an answer on Jaitley representing stock broker Ketan Parekh and giving advice to Dow Chemicals in the Bhopal gas tragedy case in the past. Joseph appeared as Michel's lawyer on Wednesday, prompting the BJP to attack the opposition party which expelled him within hours. Patra said the Congress may have expelled him but he remains a lawyer for the accused as "10 Janpath", a reference to the residence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, wants its own people to be in touch with Michel. Besides Joseph, one of the lawyers defending Michel is a member of the Congress' youth wing while the father of another is a party member, Patra claimed at a press conference. "Isn't this too much of an coincidence? Isn't the extended hand of the Congress working to protect the family?" he asked, alleging that it is a clever move by the party to ensure that Michel is protected. On Patra's allegation that all three lawyers, who appeared for Michel in court, had links with the Congress, Shergill said the other two lawyers, apart from Joseph, were not office bearers of the Indian National Congress Party in any capacity or with any affiliated body. Meanwhile, the External Affairs Ministry said it was examining a request by the British High Commission for consular access to Michel. "We have received a request from the UK High Commission seeking consular access. The matter at this point of time is being examined within the ministry," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told reporters. Michel is undergoing interrogation by the CBI, a day after he was sent to a five-day custody of the probe agency. The BJP has used the extradition of Michel to India to hit out at the Congress as it has often alleged that some leaders of the opposition party were involved in corruption in the VVIP chopper deal. "The Gandhi family is having sleepless nights following the extradition," Patra said. "Entire Congress party is out to defend him (Michel)," Patra told reporters, claiming that the opposition party has sent out the message that it was standing like a rock with the accused. To a question about lawyer kin of some top BJP leaders appearing for those accused of corruption, Patra said that they not only recused themselves but also returned the fee paid to them. It showed the clean conscience of BJP leaders while the Congress is "married to corruption", he said. Michel was brought to India from Dubai Tuesday night following his extradition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The extradition of Christian Michel has rattled the Congress, the BJP claimed on Thursday, alleging that the opposition party's "extended hand" is defending the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal to protect "the family" from the fallout of the investigation. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said all three lawyers, including Youth Congress functionary Aijo K Joseph, who appeared for Michel in a court had links with the Congress. He also dismissed the party's decision to Joseph as a charade and drama. Joseph appeared as Michel's lawyer on Wednesday, prompting the BJP to attack the opposition party which sacked him within hours. Patra said the Congress may have expelled him but he remains a lawyer for the accused as "10 Janpath", the residence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, wants its own people to be in touch with Michel. Besides Joseph, one of the lawyers defending Michel is a member of the Congress' youth wing while the father of another is a party member, Patra claimed at a press conference. "Isn't this too much of an coincidence? Isn't the extended hand of the Congress was working to protect the family?" he asked, adding that it is a clever move by the party to ensure that Michel is protected. He said the Congress had earlier also acted against its leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyar and Sandeep Dikshit but "promoted" them later. The Congress suspended Aiyar in December last year for his "neech" jibe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The suspension was revoked in August this year. It has, however, never taken any disciplinary action against Dikshit and Patra did not specify what he was referring to. The BJP has used the extradition of Michel to India to hit out at the Congress as it has often alleged that some leaders of the opposition party were involved in corruption in the VVIP chopper deal. The Gandhi family is having sleepless nights following the extradition, Patra said. "Entire Congress party is out to defend him (Michel)," Patra told reporters, claiming that the opposition party has sent out the message that it was standing like a rock with the accused. To a question about lawyer kin of some top BJP leaders appearing for those accused of corruption, Patra said they did not only recuse themselves but also returned the fee paid to them. It showed the clean conscience of BJP leaders while the Congress is "married to corruption", he said. Michel, the alleged middleman in the politically-sensitive Rs 3,600 crore UPA era deal, was brought to India from Dubai Tuesday night following his extradition. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to constitute a special bench to hear the BJP's plea for permission to hold Rath Yatra in Coochbehar on Friday after the party failed to get relief from a single bench, party lawyer Phiroze Edulji said. Lawyers for the BJP went to the chamber of Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and prayed for constitution of a special bench as the normal court hours had ended for the day, Edulji said. The chief justice, while refusing a hearing on Thursday evening itself, asked the BJP lawyers to move the appeal before the court on Friday morning at 10.30 am, he said. Earlier in the day, the HC said it cannot give permission at this stage for the BJP rally in Coochbehar, scheduled to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah on Friday, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event on the grounds that it might cause communal tension. A single bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty observed that security arrangements at such a huge scale cannot be made within such short time. The judge had also ruled that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9. Immediately after the order was passed at the end of the court hours, the BJP lawyers went to the chief justice's chamber and prayed for constitution of a special bench to hear its appeal in the evening. Shah was scheduled to kickstart the party's 'Save Democracy Rally', comprising three rath yatras, in the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three people, including a police officer, were arrested for allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh from a jeweller here in Maharashtra, a senior Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official said Thursday. Assistant police inspector Sunil Wagh (34) had through another person, identified as Mahesh Patil (36), allegedly made a demand of Rs 10 lakh from the jeweller to save him from action in a criminal case, Thane ACB's inspector Seema Adnaik said. The jeweller lodged a complaint with the ACB, which laid a trap Wednesday evening in Dombivali town here and caught one Prakash Darji (36) while accepting Rs 1 lakh as first instalment of the bribe amount on behalf of Wagh, she said. Based on information provided by Darji, Wagh and Patil were also nabbed, police said. The accused were subsequently arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An accountability court in Pakistan on Thursday sent PML-N President and Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif to jail on eight-day judicial remand in connection with his alleged role in a housing scheme scam. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had taken Shahbaz, the younger brother of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, into custody on October 5 in the Rs 14 billion Ashiana-i-Iqbal housing project scam. He is accused of allegedly cancelling the contract of a successful bidder in the scheme and awarding the same to his favourite firm. He was also arrested by the NAB in the Ramzan Sugar Mills case. Amidst protests by Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) workers, Shahbaz was produced before the accountability court in Lahore for a hearing in the scam and the NAB requested extension to his remand for another 15 days. Seeking the extension his remand, NAB prosecutor Waris Ali Janjua argued that the probe in another case was underway and the agency needs his custody for another 15 days for interrogation. He said NAB had received information that Shahbaz had "benami accounts" in which a sum of Rs 5 billion had been transferred. Shahbaz's counsel Amjad Pervez said his client's finances from 2011 to 2017 were clearly stated in the records of his tax return and no "dubious transaction" was detected. The accountability court judge Syed Najmul Hasan then refused to further extend Shahbaz's remand and sent him to Kot Lakhpat jail till December 13. Meanwhile, several PML-N workers suffered minor injuries and about a dozen were arrested when they clashed with police outside the court when Shahbaz was being produced before the judge. The PML-N workers gathered outside the court to protest against the NAB and the Imran Khan government. They clashed with police while trying to enter the court premises, following which police resorted to baton charge and arrested over a dozen PML-N workers, officials said. Reacting to baton charge, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Auranzeb termed the police action as "fascist" and said "the people of Pakistan today saw the true colour of the Imran Khan government." She said the party workers had come to see their leader but the police baton-charged them and dragged them to their vans. She said police arrested over a dozen PML-N workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Delhi court has taken cognisance of a charge sheet filed against pro-Pakistani separatist and Dukhtaran-e-Millat head Aasiya Andrabi and two of her associates for allegedly "waging war" against the country by spreading hate speeches using Internet platforms and collecting funds for terror activities. Special Judge Poonam Bamba also issued production warrants for Andrabi, Sofi Fehmeeda and Naheeda Nasreen, who are lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody. The court directed the jail authorities to produce the three accused before it on December 12, when they will be handed over a copy of the charge sheet and annexed documents. The three were arrested by the Jammu and Kashmir police in April and the case was later transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in July. According to the NIA, Andrabi, Fehmeeda and Nasreen were using various social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and TV channels including some in Pakistan to spread "insurrectionary imputations and hateful messages and speeches against India". It had said the Dukhtaran-E-Millat, a banned terrorist organisation, through Andrabi and others openly advocates secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India and its merger with Pakistan through violent means. The agency had said the organisation was 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 terrorist organizations based in Pakistan. The NIA had said the investigation has established that Andrabi, as the chief of Dukhtaran-E-Millat, used social media and other platforms to abet waging of war against the Government of India. "She is spreading seditious and insurrectionary imputations against the Government of India. She is promoting ill-will and enmity between different communities in India on religious grounds. "Investigation has also established that she has close contacts with designated global terrorist Hafeez Mohammad Saeed who is the head of Jamaat-ud-Dawah and Lashkar-e-Taiba, internationally designated terrorist organizations that are based in Pakistan," it had alleged. The NIA had levelled similar charges against Fehmeeda, personal secretary to Andrabi, and Dukhtaran-E-Millat's general secretary Nasreen. They have collected funds to carry out terrorist activities of Dukhtaran-E-Millat and have used public platforms to incite Kashmiri youths to rise in armed rebellion against the government with the objective of securing cessation of Kashmir from India and its merger with Pakistan, it had alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Faced with liquidity crunch, realtors' apex body CREDAI Thursday sought one-time restructuring of loans provided to the sector as well as a dedicated fund for the completion of stalled housing projects. It also demanded reduction in the GST rate for under-construction homes at 8 per cent from the current 12 per cent, besides single-window clearance for projects. These demands were made by the association at it's second edition of the New India Summit in Mysore, Karnataka. Over 1000-member developers and experts from the real estate sector from across the country attended the event. The summit was inaugurated by Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ananth Kumar Hegde. "In view of real estate being subject to both GST and stamp duties, there is a case that the rate of GST on real estate, which stands at 12 per cent, needs to be reduced to 8 per cent across all segments and not just for houses of up to 60 square metres," CREDAI said in a statement. The current land abatement rate of 33 per cent is also not adequate in case of metros where land costs up to 70 per cent of the total cost of the unit, it added. CREDAI pointed out that lack of implementation of single window clearance in Indian realty space is a major reason for delay in projects. The fast track approval will resolve critical operational issues in the industry and could also reduce real estate prices substantially. On liquidity crunch, Credai said: "Demonetisation, Real Estate Regulation Act and GST have cast the heavy burden of multiple transitions on the real estate sector. The NBFC crisis has resulted in a liquidity crunch for the Indian real estate sector with even loans that have been sanctioned facing difficulties in disbursement." It recommended a one-time restructuring of all real estate loans to enable the sector to emerge successfully from the multiple transitions. "Last mile funding for stalled projects through setting up of 'Stressed Assets Reconstruction Fund' for real estate has become a necessity to ensure delivery of housing units to consumers," CREDAI said. On the growth potential of emerging cities, CREDAI President Jaxay Shah said the future of the Indian economy lies in these emerging regions, with Mysore being a testament to this belief owing to its rapid economic growth in the past few years. CREDAI Chairman Getamber Anand said there is no doubt about the need for new urban centres to take the mantle for India's economic growth from the metro cities and put themselves on the map. President elect, Satish Magar said this year's summit in Mysore has built on the tremendous success of the inaugural event in Nagpur. Established in 1999, The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Association of India is the apex body for private real estate developers in India, representing over 12,000 developers through 23 states and 204 city chapters across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Thursday expressed concern over 14,926 people being killed in road accidents due to potholes in last five years and termed it "unacceptable". A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said the large number of deaths caused due to potholes across the country was "probably more than those killed on border or by the terrorists". The bench, also comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta, said the number of deaths from 2013 to 2017 in accidents due to potholes indicated that the authorities concerned were not maintaining the roads. The bench sought a response from the Centre on a report filed by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, headed by former apex court judge K S Radhakrishnan, on the number of deaths due to potholes in India. The top court had on July 20 expressed its concern over the deaths and observed that the number fatalities due to such accidents was more than those in terror attacks. Terming the situation as frightening, the top court had asked the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety to look into the matter. The bench had also said that people who have lost their lives as a result of accidents due to potholes should be entitled to compensation. It was a matter of common knowledge that a large number of people have died in such accidents and authorities, who were supposed to maintain the roads, were not doing their duty properly, the bench had said. Referring to media reports, the top court had said, "So many people are dying in the country due to accidents caused by potholes on roads. Reports say that more people have died due to accident caused by potholes than the deaths in terrorists attacks". It had asked the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety to look into this "very serious issue" and file a report within two weeks. The apex court had also said that the committee should give recommendations as the issue was a part of road safety. The matter had cropped up before the bench when it was hearing an issue related to road safety across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Why should we pass only Delhi centric orders", the Supreme Court said Thursday while hearing the Delhi government's plea seeking direction to Haryana for releasing the Yamuna water to the national capital. The concept of water conservation must be followed instead of demanding it from the neighbouring state, said a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur, Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta. When Delhi government's counsel said people were facing severe water shortage here due to "political loggerhead" between Delhi and Haryana, the bench said, "otherwise, the people of Haryana will suffer". The counsel said that as of today, Delhi was asking less water from Haryana as the earlier demand was above 1,600 cusecs but now it is around 1,390 cusecs. When the lawyer referred to population growth in Delhi, the bench said, "The answer to this is water conservation and not water generation". Justice Hemant Gupta observed: "I have seen that in Delhi, water is being showered on plants to clean them. Is it not water wastage." The bench then referred to the petition filed by one S D Sinha in 1992 in the matter and said, "this kind of surrogate litigation is very, very dangerous". The observation by the bench assumes significance as the Delhi government's application was filed in the main writ petition by Sinha. Delhi government's counsel, while clarifying that both the states were party to the petition filed by Sinha, said they would withdraw their application and take appropriate steps. The bench disposed of the petition filed by Sinha saying it was not inclined to continue with it. The apex court had in May slammed the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) for not doing their job about distribution of river water among the beneficiary states. UYRB was set up by the Centre in 1995, with one of its main functions being to regulate and supply water from all storages and barrages till the Okhla barrage in Delhi, in accordance with the agreements between the governments of the six basin states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ARLINGTON, Va. The search continues for five Marines whose KC-130 Hercules transport/refueling aircraft collided Dec. 6 with a Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet strike fighter over the Pacific Ocean. The two Marines in the F/A-18D apparently ejected; one was rescued in fair condition, the other was recovered and declared dead, III Marine Expeditionary Force said in a Dec. 6 release. The search-and-rescue operations continue for the remaining five U.S. Marines who were aboard the KC-130 Hercules and F/A-18 Hornet involved in a mishap about 200 miles off the coast of Japan around 2:00 a.m. Dec. 6, the release said. The aircraft were conducting routine training and aerial refueling was a part of the training; as to what was taking place when the mishap occurred, that is under investigation. Forces from the U.S. Navy and Japan are assisting in the search. U.S. 7th Fleet is supporting ongoing search-and-rescue efforts with a Navy P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft flying out of Kadena Air Force Base, along with assistance from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Japanese Coast Guard, the release said. The Marine Corps has not yet released the names and units of the seven personnel involved. Marine Aircraft Group 11, headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, includes one F/A-18D squadron, Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 242, and one KC-130J Super Hercules squadron, Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152. The loss of the KC-130J would be the first J-model lost by the Marine Corps. The KC-130J entered service in 2004. More than 50 have been delivered to the Marine Corps. Denim brand Mufti on Thursday said it is eyeing a revenue of Rs 1000 crore in the next three years, backed by its expansion in the footwear segment. It is also looking at ramping up its distributional network for its footwear to 500 stores, including multi brand outlets, its stand-alone stores and its existing network of retailers in the coming year, from 100 stores at present, the brand said in a statement. "With the current estimated size of Rs 34,400 crore, the footwear segment is expected to grow over Rs 55,400 crore in the coming five years. The expansion into the footwear segment is a part of the company's vision of becoming a Rs 1000 crore brand in the coming three years," Mufti founder and managing director Kamal Khushlani said adding that it will begin to expand into newer categories. ****************** MCX Clearing Corp joins Asian securities depository assn ACG * Multi Commodity Exchange Clearing Corporation (MCXCCL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX), on Thursday said it has become a member of The Asia-Pacific Central Securities Depository Group. The Asia-Pacific Central Securities Depository Group (ACG) incorporated in 1997, is an association of securities depositories and clearing organisations in the Asia Pacific region to facilitate information exchange, to promote mutual assistance among members and efficiency and cost effectiveness in clearing, settlement and depository services. Currently, the ACG acts as a regional alliance and its membership structure includes 34 depositories and clearing organisations from 24 member countries across Asia. "Becoming a member of ACG marks an important development, especially in the light of MCXCCL being the first clearing corporation in the commodity derivatives market in India to have recently commenced its operations. It is in line with our strategy to support a vibrant commodity market in India. Moreover, it is a step towards our integration with global financial markets and reflects our commitment to implementing the highest standards of international best practices," MCXCCL managing director and chief executive officer Narendra Ahlawat said. ******************** Nagpur Patanjali Food Park to begin ops in March 2019 * Nagpur: The Patanjali Food Park in (Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport) Mihan, Nagpur is expected to begin operations in March 2019. The first unit of the 234 acre food park has a capacity to process 800 tonne of oranges per day, and will also process 600 tonne of amla and 400 tonne of other tropical fruits per day, a senior company executive told PTI. The official further said that the plant will generate zero waste. It will also also produce byproductslike orange peel oil, dehydrated orange peels and vegetables. Advanced technology would be used for the processing and manufacturing of food products, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Writer-director Vinta Nanda, who has accused actor Alok Nath of rape and sexual harassment, says she now "desperately" wants to get back to normal life. Nanda gave an account of the alleged sexual assault in a Facebook post on October 8, soon after actor Tanushree Dutta's complaint of harassment against Nana Patekar fuelled India's #MeToo movement. The director said she got the courage to call out Nath after she realised it was for the first time that men in Bollywood were standing up for women. "My trigger obviously was the atmosphere, there was an enabling environment. I was very certain I will be heard and supported because the movement had gathered momentum, started by Tanushree. I give her all the credit in the Bollywood space, as she took on very big people. "When I saw that the industry was supporting her, CINTAA was coming out openly and speaking for her... It was the first time in Bollywood where I saw men stand up and speak for women," Nanda said on Wednesday. She was speaking at a panel discussion on #MeToo at the Mumbai Curtain Raiser of the Zee Jaipur Literature Festival, which will run from January 24 to January 28. Nanda said she "went to sleep" after writing about the alleged sexual harassment on social media and woke up to realise that things will never be the same. "For me, it was over. I had held back for so many years. I was relieved but I had given sleepless nights to everyone, including my family. By the time I woke up, from my building to the office building, there were media vans parked all over the place. "I woke up to the fact that 'ok now I've done it'. Now I have to live up to it. That's what I am doing until today. I am trying desperately to get back to normal life now. This is the last panel I'm saying 'yes' to because I just have to get back to normal life now," she added. Last month, Mumbai Police registered a rape case against Nath following Nanda's complaint. He has been booked under Indian Penal Code's Section 376 (rape). Nath has refuted the allegations and filed a civil suit against Nanda and is seeking Re 1 as damages for alleged defamation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The commerce and industry ministry is organising a day-long startup India centre capital summit in Goa Thursday with an aim to attract global capital into the country. In a statement, the ministry said that the theme of the summit is 'Mobilizing Global Capital for Innovation in India.' "The event will showcase the Indian startup opportunity for funds from around the world. The summit aims to attract more global capital into the country," it said. The event will enable a dialogue between government and experienced venture capital fund managers on ways to further promote the startup ecosystem in India. It said that the focus of the summit is on the huge return-generating potential of India's vast and diverse market monetised through cutting-edge technologies and supported by investor-friendly regulations. The key objectives will be to showcase the India opportunity, increase capital flow for Indian startups and further promote ease of doing business. It added that over 150 participants are expected to attend. It will bring together government officials, domestic and international startups, global fund managers and India's vibrant entrepreneurial community on one platform. Participation is expected from around 100 funds from countries like the US, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. India has the world's third-largest startup base with more than 14,000 recognised startups. More than 8,200 startups were recognised by the ministry in 2018 alone, leading to the creation of more than 89,000 new jobs this year, taking the total job creation contribution of recognised startups to 1,41,775. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court has directed a lower court to make an endeavour to pronounce by July 15 next year its verdict in a matter relating to alleged tampering of documents during the trial of the main case in the 1997 Uphaar cinema fire tragedy. Justice Anu Malhotra also directed the trial court to fix at least three dates of hearing per week in the matter and sought a status report of the proceedings there by February 18 next year. "... the trial court is directed to fix at least three dates of hearing in the matter per week and is called upon to endeavour to complete the trial in the proceedings with pronouncement of judgement by July 15, 2019," the high court said. The high court, which had earlier directed the lower court to decide the case by November 30, took into account a status report filed by the trial judge in which it had stated about the heavy pendency in its court. The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at the Patiala House court here mentioned in the status report that there were 49 prosecution witnesses in the case and 37 are yet to be examined. Neelam Krishnamoorthy, president of the Association of the Victims of Uphaar Tragedy (AVUT), submitted that at least five dates of hearing be fixed before the trial court as the matter relating to tampering of evidence in the main case, which involved real estate barons Sushil and Gopal Ansal, was very old. The high court also asked the Delhi government and other parties in the case to cooperate in the trial to expedite disposal of the matter. On January 17, the high court had sought details of a case relating to the Uphaar cinema fire tragedy which was being heard by a trial court. This was after the victims' group moved a plea for a speedy trial in the matter. On June 13, 1997, a fire broke out at the theatre during the screening of Bollywood film 'Border', killing 59 people and injuring over 100. On January 31, 2003, a trial court ordered an inquiry after some documents related to the case went missing from the court's record room. After an inquiry, a court employee was dismissed from service. The case is related to the tampering of a judicial file pertaining to a letter written by vice president of Ansal Properties Industries Ltd, V K Nagpal, to the Delhi Fire Services. An FIR was registered in this regard. "It is important to note, that even in the main Uphaar fire tragedy case, the entire trial was concluded within a period of 10 years with the intervention of this court... "However, in the instant case, which arises out tampering with the original court records of the Uphaar fire tragedy case, despite 10 years from the date of registration of FIR, not a single prosecution witness has been able to complete their deposition," the plea by the association said. The Delhi High Court had on May 12 last year upheld a trial court order framing charges of tampering of evidence against Ansals. A magisterial court on May 31, 2014 ordered framing of charges against seven accused for abatement of offence, causing disappearance of evidence, criminal breach of trust by public servant and criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code. Theatre owners Gopal Ansal and his brother Sushil Ansal, Anoop Singh, Prem Prakash Batra, Harswaroop Panwar, Dharamveer Malhotra and Dinesh Chandra Sharma were accused of tampering with evidence in the case, pending since 2006. All the accused have denied the allegations against them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The European Union's flagship plan for a 10,000-strong bloc-wide border and coastguard force in two years exceeds "what is feasible," the EU's Austrian presidency said Thursday. Some EU member states have expressed fears the plan would erode their sovereign right to control national borders while others had concerns about funding a force that the European Commission unveiled in September. "The Commission's target with these fixed figures (of 10,000) by 2020 actually goes beyond the scope of what is feasible," Austria's interior minister Herbert Kickl told reporters. "That is why we are now exploring corresponding compromises," Kickl said without elaborating. "We have nothing to gain from writing 10,000 on paper and then they do not really exist, and that is why the timetable is being extended," Kickl added. He spoke instead of a "gradual buildup" during the next seven-year EU budget from 2021-2027, which is now under negotiation. Austria, which currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, was hosting a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ongoing plans to curb migration. Germany's interior minister Horst Seehofer said: "We will have to discuss how many posts are realistic by 2020. We should not make any utopian promises here." An EU diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity that it is "pretty fair to say" the bloc has abandoned the plan to meet the 10,000 target. "For now it is unrealistic." In September, Jean-Claude Juncker, who heads the Commission, the EU's executive arm, announced the plan to sharply boost the current pan-EU force of 1,300 staff to help individual member states patrol their borders. But a number of member countries were uncomfortable with it, including Juncker's call for 10,000 border guards. Poland, for example, said that funds for the force might mean less money for road and other infrastructure projects. Frontline countries Italy, Greece and Spain expressed fears that border guards recruited from other member countries would erode their national sovereignty if deployed to their territory during a crisis. The beefed-up force has been the flagship of EU efforts to bolster its long maritime and land borders against flows of migrants fleeing war and poverty from the Middle East and Africa. The unlikelihood of meeting the border guard numbers by 2020 is all the more glaring as EU member states have found it easier to bolster borders than agree how to share responsibility for refugees who reach European shores. The EU is trying to boost its defences against future migrant surges after having sharply reduced arrivals since a 2015 peak as a result of cooperation with Turkey and Libya. The last surge, which amounted to Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War II, fuelled divisions across the bloc -- particularly over a plan to relocate tens of thousand of asylum seekers among EU member states. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EU negotiator Michel Barnier said on Thursday that British lawmakers will have their country's future in their hands when they vote next week on the Brexit deal struck with Brussels. British MPs look set in the December 11 vote to reject the accord struck by Prime Minister Theresa May, but Barnier issued a blunt rebuff to Brexit supporters pressing to renegotiate, saying the deal on the table was "the only and best agreement possible". May faces a daunting task to get parliament to approve her deal, which has been roundly rejected by scores of her own MPs and it is far from clear how she will chart a path ahead, with her own job under threat. Barnier, who led two years of talks on the divorce for the EU side, told a committee of regional representatives in Brussels that approval of the withdrawal agreement by the British and European parliaments was "the basis for everything". "If there is no treaty, there is no transition period, nor is there the basis of trust with the British that we need to build the future relationship," Barnier said. "Now is the moment for everyone to take their responsibilities. The British lawmakers will vote on this text and on the future relation in the next few days. It is a vote on which the future of their country depends." May came under fresh attack on Wednesday after the government was forced to publish legal advice on the arrangements for quitting the bloc in March, but Barnier restated the EU's position that reopening talks on the withdrawal agreement was out of the question. "We have reached a balanced agreement which, taking into account the difficult circumstances and the complexity of Brexit, is the only and best agreement possible," Barnier said. A key sticking point for British MPs is the so-called "backstop" plan to avoid post-Brexit border checks with Ireland, with official legal advice suggesting Britain could get indefinitely stuck in a customs arrangement with the EU, having no power to unilaterally withdraw. This is poison to pro-Brexit lawmakers in May's Conservative party who say it would leave Britain forced to follow EU rules forever while having no say in how they were drawn up. A defeat for the prime minister next week could trigger a no-confidence vote leading to an early general election, leaving the Brexit process in chaos. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Batteries firm Eveready Industries India has sold its land in Chennai to an Olympia Group firm for a consideration of Rs 100 crore. "The company has executed an agreement for sale... with Alwarpet Properties Private Ltd (part of the Olympia Group, Chennai), for sale of its land situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, for a consideration of Rs 100 crore," Eveready Industries said in a BSE filing. The sale is expected to be completed within 4-10 months, based on tangible milestones, the company added. Eveready Industries said, for over the last five decades, a battery manufacturing facility was located on the said land. "However, the factory became economically unviable, which led to it becoming idle for some time. This had no impact on the operations of the company," it added. Eveready MD Amritanshu Khaitan said the sale transaction will help reduce debts of the company and further improve the balance sheet. "The closure of the factory, in any case, is positive to the profitability of the business on account of cost savings," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The External Affairs Ministry Thursday said it was examining a request by the British High Commission for seeking consular access to Christian Michel, the British national who was brought here from the UAE two days ago in connection with the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal scam. "We have received a request from the UK High Commission seeking consular access. The matter at this point of time is being examined within the ministry," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar told reporters. He said the government will revert to the British High Commission soon. On Wednesday, the British High Commission sought consular access to Michel, the alleged middleman accused of bribing politicians and officials to swing the chopper deal in Agusta's favour. An official in the High Commission said that the British government was in contact with Michel's family. Michel, 57, was brought to India late Tuesday night following his extradition by the United Arab Emirates in connection with the chopper deal case. A court Wednesday sent him to a five-day custody of the CBI, probing the scam. Asked about Michel's extradition, Kumar said the MEA had received two requests from the CBI and the ED and the requests were forwarded by Indian Mission to the UAE authorities. "After following due process and exhaustion of judicial process, Christian Michel was extradited to India. The matter is being handled by CBI," he said. Michel is one of the three middlemen, being probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Michel has denied the charges. 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. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its charge sheet 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 the "guise of" genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the charge sheet. 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 in the chopper deal, which 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP said on Thursday it expected Union minister Upendra Kushwaha to maintain decorum and sanctity of the alliance and cautioned the RLSP chief against joining hands with "corrupt, casteist and family-based" parties like the Congress and the RJD. The BJP's Bihar unit made the remarks in the light of the barrage of attacks launched by Kushwaha at a rally in East Champaran district earlier in the day on the issues of his party not getting its due in seat-sharing among NDA constituents for the Lok Sabha polls and the saffron party raking up the Ayodhya tangle as a poll plank. "Upendra Kushwaha is a respected minister in the Union government and an NDA ally. So, on moral and ideological grounds, he is expected to maintain decorum and sanctity of the alliance. The BJP has given due space to all its allies, with due respect to their leaders," Bihar BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand said in a statement. "As for terming Ram Mandir as an unnecessary issue, the BJP has been very clear about its ideological stand. Ram Mandir is an emotional issue for 125 crore Indians and the BJP is committed to building the same at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya," he said. Anand added that when Kushwaha entered into an alliance with the BJP, the issue of Ram Mandir was still there. After breaking away from Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumars JD(U) in 2013, Kushwaha went on to float his own outfit and joined the NDA ahead of the Lok Sabha polls the following year. The BJP spokesman also said for the last four-and-a-half years, Kushwaha has always been supporting programmes and policies of the Narendra Modi government. "We cannot say in what context he is making all these statements, he said. Anand said he hopes Kushwaha will continue in the NDA where he is presently the minister of state for HRD, and not join the "corrupt, casteist and family-based parties" of Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav. The RJD and the Congress, which together form the opposition Grand Alliance in the state, have been trying to woo the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP) chief, who has been sulking over the diminution of his standing within the NDA ever since Nitish Kumar returned to the BJP-led coalition last year after walking out of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. The RLSP chief has often made public his unhappiness over the seat-sharing issue for the Lok Sabha polls by criticising the leadership of the BJP and the JD(U) The BJP and the JD(U) offered the RLSP just two seats of the total 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar. Kushwaha had said that the number of seats the party was offered was not respectable and asked the BJP to do a rethink by November 30. RLSP sources had hinted on Wednesday that the party was likely to sever ties with the NDA government and a formal announcement would be made on Thursday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) With an eye on the 2019 general elections, the will reach out to college and class 12 students with activities like quiz contests across all 42 seats in starting January, a party source said. The activities will be of inter-school and inter-college level and will be conducted by party lawmaker and former quiz master Derek O'Brien, the source added. The party, which conducted the competitions last week in Barasat and Jadavpur as a trial, will launch the initiative after January 19 across the state, the source said. O'Brien, Trinamool's Parliamentary party in the Rajya Sabha will conduct the competition along with Diptangshu Chowdhury, the co-convener of the Trinamool's cyber cell and party member Suparno Maitra. Giving a sneak peek into the questions that the contestants will face, the source said that the competition named "Digital Challenge" will cover topics like social media, government schemes, current affairs, Parliament and Bengal. "A few questions on Trinamool and Mamata Banerjee's struggles in her political career will also be there," the source said. The first prize would be a trip to and a chance to visit Parliament, while the runners-up will get to visit the Assembly. "Political parties have to find innovative ways to connect. Young people appreciate when you partner them to help them grow. That's the intention of this first-of-its-kind initiative, O'Brien told when asked about the initiative. The Trinamool will also host a series of talks titled 'Idea of Bengal' on topics like health, pluralism and blackmoney. Former BJP will address the first session of the series which will be held in Kolkata on December 9. (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.) Over a month after the formalin scare forced the Goa government to stop buying fish from other states, the stalemate ended on Thursday with nine trucks from Karnataka bringing fish into the wholesale market at Margao in south Goa. State Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said, the trucks were given entry only after they were found abiding by all the guidelines laid down by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) department. "The import of fish into Goa from neighbouring regions can be permitted only after wholesale fish traders are found adhering to the FDA guidelines," he told reporters on Thursday. The Goa FDA had banned the import of fish from other states on October 29 amid a growing concern over the alleged presence of formalin, a preservative that is believed to be carcinogenic. The FDA had directed the traders to secure a permission from the concerned authorities. Fish from neighbouring regions is brought into the wholesale market at Margao, from where it is distributed to other parts of Goa. "The Goa government will ensure that the wholesale traders follow all the rules and all the stringent measures are in place," the minister said. "The mechanism has been put in place by the FDA to check the food safety standards of fish that is brought into the state," Rane stated. Besides the import, 10 trucks carrying fish also from Goa left for Karnataka without facing any hindrance from the neighbouring state, the minister said. Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumarswamy had recently written to his Goa counterpart Manohar Parrikar requesting him to withdraw the ban imposed on the import of fish in the state. Responding to the letter, Rane had said that the ban would continue till traders comply with the FDA directives. Margao Wholesale Fish Market Association, a body representing fish importers said that they will abide by all the regulations of the FDA. "We will abide my all the regulations of FDA. We are requesting Goans not to politicize the issue of fish. Whatever queries there are about fish that is imported can be answered by the association," president Ibrahim Maulana said. He was referring to the campaign launched by the opposition Congress against the import of fish. Maulana said the FDA should put in place stringent checks at the wholesale fish markets, where it is sold. "The wholesalers will fully cooperate with the State government in ensuring that the quality fish is provided to the Goans," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The recent food poisoning incident in Bageshwar district which claimed four lives and left over 300 people ill after a wedding feast has once again brought to the fore the poor state of primary healthcare services in the hill region of Uttarakhand. Over 370 villagers and invitees who ate at a wedding feast in Baste village of the district fell ill last week showing symptoms of food poisoning. They had to be admitted to hospitals in other districts such as Kapkot, Kanda, Almora, Pithoragarh and Haldwani as the health centres at Bageshwar alone were not able to tackle the situation. Four people, including two children aged five years, died during treatment at different hospitals after the incident which was termed as a coincidence by Uttarkhand Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat. Reacting to his remark, Lalit Pharswan, the former MLA from Kapkot, said, "What is total failure of the medical system is being termed as a coincidence by the minister only to escape responsibility for the ill managed healthcare facilities in remote hill areas." "It was a food poisoning incident of epidemic scale and we were hardly equipped to handle the situation with no ventilators, ICU, CCU facilities and pediatricians in our hospitals in Kanda, Bageshwar and Kapkot," Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Bageshwar district Jagdish Mandal said. "As a result, we had to refer most of the admitted patients to higher centres at Haldwani, Pithoragarh and Almora," the CMO said. All the 12 patients, airlifted to health centres in Haldwani, were saved as they reached there on time, he said. Mandal said 33 posts of doctors against a sanctioned strength of 102 are lying vacant in the district. The relatives of patients, who died at higher centres after being referred to from different PHCs here, alleged lack of medical care at the public heath centres which was the main reason for the deaths. "My wife Nandi Devi (60) was admitted to Berinag primary health centre in the afternoon on November 30, but had to be referred to a higher centre on the same day at 8 pm. She died on December 1 at Haldwani hospital," said Pratap Singh. Some of the discharged patients from Bageshwar district hospital sought readmission on Thursday complaining of stomach pain, said Mohan Singh Mahra from Baste village here. Bageshwar's District Magistrate Ranjana Rajguru said the main hospital here has no physician and pediatric surgeon as both have gone for some training. "The nearest hospital of Berinag in Pithoragarh district had all facilities of first aid and primary treatment. Things went out of grip of the management due to sudden arrival of over 170 patients at a 10-bed hospital," Rajguru said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Forged stamps and documents of Indian and Afghan governments along with literature of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have been recovered during a raid at a printing press in Pakistan's restive northwestern region, according to a media report on Thursday. Police raided the printing press in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Peshawar after acting on a tip-off that clandestine activities were going on at the Yousafzai Printing Press, the Express Tribune reported. "Police recovered forged documents and stamps of Afghan and Indian government besides literature of TTP from a printing press in the old city area of Qissakhwani Bazaar," the paper quoted the Station House Officer (SHO) Muhmamad Noor Khan as saying. Following the raid, police arrested owner of the press Qari Saif Ullah and was under interrogation. "Charges will be framed after initial investigation," police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Preeti Saran, a former senior Indian diplomat, has been elected unopposed to an Asia Pacific seat on the UN's Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). The UN's Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) elected the recently-retired External Affairs Ministry Secretary (East) by acclamation on Wednesday to the 18-member committee of experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR). Saran, 60, will begin her four-year term on January 1. "Thanks to all our friends for electing by acclamation India's candidate Amb. Preeti Saran to @UN Committee on Economic Social & Cultural Rights for 4 year term starting on 1 January 2019," India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin tweeted. Members of the CESCR serve in their personal capacities as experts and do not represent their countries even though they may have been nominated by their own nation. She joined the Indian Foreign Service in August 1982. She has served in Indian missions at Moscow, Dhaka, Cairo, Geneva, Toronto and Vietnam.[19] Saran was the Consul General of India at Toronto and the Indian Ambassador to Vietnam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Preeti Saran, a former senior Indian diplomat, has been elected unopposed to an Asia Pacific seat on the UN's Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). Saran was elected Wednesday to the CESCR for a term beginning on January 1, 2019 and expiring on December 31, 2022. She has been elected by acclamation the 18-member committee of experts that monitors the implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR). "Election by acclamation. Thanks to all our friends for electing by acclamation India's candidate Amb. Preeti Saran to @ Committee on Economic Social & Cultural Rights for 4-year term starting on 1 January 2019," India's to the Syed Akbaruddin tweeted. The Economic and Social Council voted to fill regular and outstanding vacancies in 11 of its subsidiary bodies, including the Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights. Members of the CESCR serve in their personal capacities as experts and do not represent their countries even though they may have been nominated by their own nation. All States parties are obliged to submit regular reports to the committee on how the rights are being implemented. States must report initially within two years of accepting the Covenant and thereafter every five years. The committee examines each report and addresses its concerns and recommendations to the State party in the form of "concluding observations". The committee meets in Geneva and normally holds two sessions per year, consisting of a three-week plenary and a one-week pre-sessional working group. Saran, 60, joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982 and retired in September this year. During her career, she served in Indian missions at Moscow, and Geneva. Saran was also the Consul General of at Toronto and the Indian to On the 62nd death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, Union minister Thaawarchand Gehlot Thursday launched the website of a first-of-its-kind media school to train Dalit and tribal youth in journalism. The media school, Dr Bhim Rao Ramji Ambedkar School Of Media Empowerment (ASME), supported by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), will have its branches in Pune, Assam, Uttarakhand and other regions. The Pune branch will begin shortly. The Social Justice and Empowerment minister said the media school was an effort to encourage the youth belonging to marginalised segments to find their place through the profession of journalism, as he assured every possible cooperation from his ministry. "I urge that journalism and media training be also brought under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal scheme where underprivileged youth get hands-on training in this field like other trades," he said. Inspired by Ambedkar, the school aims to help Dalit and tribal youth join mainstream media as presently their number in media is abysmally low in comparison to their nationwide real population, a statement said. "While media refuses to give them reservation, it is an effort to encourage the youth belonging to these marginalised segments to find their place through the might of pen," it said. "To empower youth belonging to marginalised, deprived and exploited sections of the society so that they may use media as an instrument to bring changes in the society and raise the voice of the voiceless millions," reads the mission of the school as mentioned in its website. The website elaborates on the vision of the school as, "to use media and create an equal and just society. Our pathway is inspired by the vision of Dr B R Ambedkar and Pt Deendyal Upadhyay to achieve this aim in a peaceful and calm manner simultaneously educating and training the youth to serve Mother India". The media school will offer courses in Television Journalism, Radio Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations, Ethical Hacking and Cyber Security, Artificial Intelligence, Digital Marketing, 3 D Animation and Visual Effects and Make up and Hairstyling. Senior BJP leader Tarun Vijay said students belonging to economically marginalised sections of the society will be given 100 per cent fee waiver. The money will be collected through crowd funding and deserving candidates from weaker sections will be given free education, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gold prices Thursday rose by Rs 170 to close at Rs 32,120 per 10 gram at the bullion market in the national capital on increase in demand from local jewellers amid firm trend in the overseas market. Silver rates also inched up by Rs 25 to close at Rs 37,625 per kg on slightly higher demand from industrial units and coin makers. Traders said higher demand during the ongoing wedding season from local jewellers coupled with positive global cues pushed the gold prices upwards. In the national capital, gold of 99.9 per cent and 99.5 per cent purities rose by Rs 170 each to close at 32,120 and Rs 31,970 per 10 gram, respectively. Sovereign gold also moved up by Rs 100 to Rs 24,900 per piece of 8 gram. Globally, gold traded higher at USD 1,238.40 an ounce in New York, while silver was also slightly up at USD 14.39 an ounce. Similarly, silver ready rose by Rs 25 to Rs 37,625 per kg, while weekly-based delivery shot up by Rs 856 to Rs 37,250 per kg. Silver coins, however, held steady at Rs 73,000 for buying and Rs 74,000 for selling of 100 pieces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In a bonanza for government employees, the Cabinet Thursday raised the government's contribution to (NPS) to 14 per cent of basic salary from the current 10 per cent, sources said. Minimum employee contribution will, however, remain at 10 per cent. The Cabinet also approved tax incentives under 80C of the Income Tax Act for employees' contribution to the extent of 10 per cent, they added. Presently, the government and employees contribute 10 per cent of basic salary each to While the minimum employee contribution remains at 10 per cent, the government contribution has been increased from 10 per cent to 14 per cent. The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also allowed government employees to commute 60 per cent of the fund accumulated at the time of retirement, up from 40 per cent at present. ALSO READ: Is the Old Pension System for state government employees a feasible idea? Also, employees will have the option to invest in either fixed income instruments or equities, sources said. As per the Cabinet decision, if the employee decides not to commute any portion of the accumulated fund in at the time of retirement and transfers 100 per cent to annuity scheme, then his pension would be more than 50 per cent of his last drawn pay, sources said. ALSO READ: Forced to fund half their pension by themselves, govt employees up in arms The government did not announce the decision in view of the ensuing polls in Rajasthan Friday. While the government is yet to decide on the date of notification of the new scheme, sources said such changes usually come into effect from the beginning of a financing year, meaning April 1, 2019. This formula for changes in the was worked out by the Ministry based on the recommendation of a government-appointed committee. Putting the Uttarakhand government in the dock over the issue of Lokayukta, opposition on Thursday accused it of shying away from creating the anti-corruption body to save its own skin. Raising the issue vehemently through an adjournment motion in the Uttarakhand Assembly, MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh asked the state government to announce a timeframe for constituting the Lokayukta, a legislation tabled in the House over a year ago. The opposition legislators even left their seats and shouted slogans in front of the Speaker's chair when Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prakash Pant did not give a timeframe for setting up the anti-corruption body. He said the business advisory committee of the Assembly alone could do something about the matter as legislation on the was a property of the House. Hridayesh said the state government was not serious about the as it was steeped in graft and could not stand a scrutiny by the anti-corruption constitutional authority. Alleging that corruption cases continued to come to the surface but were not being properly investigated in the absence of a strong anti-corruption body, Hridayesh said it was being deliberately delayed by the state government. "A government which keeps flaunting its policy of zero tolerance to corruption also says a is not needed. How can the government decide whether a Lokayukta is needed or not. Let the victims of corruption decide it," she said. Referring to a private news channel head being sent to jail for attempting a sting on political and bureaucratic bigwigs, she said it was done under "pressure". "Why would a man be arrested for attempting a sting if there was no corruption in the state?" she asked. Reminding the state government that the select committee to which the Lokayukta bill was referred cleared it more than a year ago, the Leader of Opposition said if the state government was really serious on the issue, it will constitute the body within a month. Vietnam Expo 2018, the 16th of its kind held in HCM City, saw the presence of 750 businesses from 20 countries and territories, introducing electronic and electrical products, industrial machines and spare parts, interior and exterior decorations, along with financial, telecom and e-commerce services, among others. The expo has chosen Belarus as the events country of honour, with nearly 60 Belarusian firms having brought their products to the expo. These are in fields Belarus holds strength in, including farming machines, chemicals and petrochemical products, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages. The Vietnam Expo 2018 is viewed as one of the leading events in attracting businesses of diverse industries. It has established itself as a prestigious trade fair for domestic and foreign enterprises to introduce new products and develop their business network. The number of participating companies has increased by 30 percent with each years expo. Thirty-six percent of visitors to the event are foreigners. Meanwhile, about 300 businesses have participated in the Vietnam Hardware and Hand Tools Expo 2018, up 40 percent from last year. They come from 18 countries and territories such as India, Japan, China, Germany, Italy, and Denmark. Phan The Anh, Deputy Director of the Agency for Southern Affairs at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said that with its positive economic outlook, Vietnam is becoming increasingly attractive to foreign investors, which will generate numerous development opportunities in many sectors. At the same time, supporting industries connect almost all production chains, and they currently benefit from many favourable policies in the country. Therefore, the two exhibitions, scheduled to last through until December 8, will be effective trade promotion channels for both Vietnamese and foreign businesses, he added. Green activists Thursday asked the Centre to set up an empowered authority and expedite the release of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to combat air pollution, after a study said around 12.4 lakh deaths in India were attributable to air pollution last year. activists noted that the study confirms the urgency to take "bold and drastic" steps to clean the air and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make it a mission of national importance. One in eight deaths in India last year was attributable to air pollution, which contributes to more disease burden than tobacco use, a study published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal said while asserting the highest exposure to ultra-fine particulate matter, PM2.5, was in Delhi followed by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Around 12.4 lakh deaths in India last year is attributable to air pollution, it said and termed air pollution as a leading risk factor for deaths in the country where the average life expectancy would have been 1.7 years higher if the pollution levels were less than the minimal level causing health loss. "Lancet study has set alarm bells ringing. Finally, we have the Indian study which emphasises on the fact that approximately 12.4 lakh people die annually due to air pollution and not even a single person breathe air quality below the World Health Organisation safety limit of 10 g/m3, and only 23 per cent people across the country breathe air quality below the Indian standard of 40 g/m3. "The numbers correspond to earlier estimates made by researchers across the world and reported by Greenpeace in the past through our report Airpocalypse," Greenpeace India Senior Campaigner Sunil Dahiya said. He said the numbers only point in one direction that we cannot afford to not act on reducing air pollution in an aggressive time-bound targeted manner. "The cost of our inaction is huge and expands to huge economic loss, welfare loss and morbidity along with 12.4 lakh deaths every year. "The National Clean Air Programme should be released without any further delay incorporating the time-bound pollution reduction targets across sectors with fixed accountability and strong legal backing," said Dahiya. The Ministry has earlier said that the NCAP, which proposes multiple strategies to combat air pollution, will be released this month. The first comprehensive estimates of the impact of air pollution on deaths, health loss and life expectancy reduction in each state of India was done by experts and scientists from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), and Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) along with other Indian collaborators. Jyoti Pande Lavakare, co-founder, Care for Air NGO said air pollution is a silent and invisible killer and it was always known that people were dying a slow death by breathing toxic, polluted air. "Now we have research that is able to give an actual measure of how many years of our lives we are losing by breathing polluted air," Lavakare said. He said the president on November 26 acknowledged that there is a "gap in justice" when a child suffers from asthma caused by pollution and losing years of our lives is an even bigger miscarriage of social justice. "Air pollution exposure is a national health emergency. I entreat our prime minster to make it a mission of national importance and set up an empowered authority to reduce pollution in a measurable and time-bound manner. "There can be no Swachch Bharat without 'swachch hava'. How can we 'Make in India' when we can't even breathe in India?," Lavakare said. Uttar Pradesh, last year, recorded the most 2,60,028 deaths attributable to air pollution, followed by Maharashtra at 1,08,038 and Bihar 96,967, it said. Reecha Upadhyay, campaign director of 'HelpDelhiBreathe' said, "We know pollution harms us and our children and the elderly. This study confirms the urgency to take bold drastic steps to clean our air." Ashutosh Dikshit, CEO of URJA, the apex body of Delhi's resident welfare associations (RWAs) said it is a known fact that air pollution is fatal and the government has this knowledge and they need to act on it. "The government should have taken action on it long back and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has flagged the issues several times. Air pollution is fatal and gradually kills. This fact is proven again and again through these reports," Dikshit said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) RP Sanjiv Goenka Groups FMCG company Guiltfree Industries is aiming to break even in FY20 and clock revenues of Rs 10,000 crore over the next five years, a company official said Thursday. We have a very ambitious plans to reach Rs 10,000 crore turnover in 5 years. Work is on for different things. Turnover would come from a combination of organic and inorganic growth," RP Sanjiv Goenka group chairman Sanjiv Goenka said here. Currently, the monthly turnover of Guiltfree is around Rs 5O crore which owns snack brand 'TooYumm' as well as Apricot Foods, e-Vita brand taken together. Goenka claimed the company controls 3.5 per cent of western India's flavoured snacks market and expects to achieve Rs 1,000 crore turnover of Tooyum and e-Vita by June. It also expects to break even in 2019-20. Guiltfree is exporting its snacks to Dubai, Singapore, Oman and Qatar and there is a demand traction. We will look at the European Union, Malaysia etc. where a host of new launches are awaited, Goenka said. He said the company is setting up a new plant with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes per annum in Telangana at an investment of Rs 247 crore and the facility is expected to commence operations in the second half of 2020. The current capacity is 2,500 tonnes per month across 11 facilities and a bulk of which is outsourced. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused permission to the BJP for holding a 'Rath Yatra' in Coochbehar, which was to be flagged off by the party president Amit Shah on Friday, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event saying it may cause communal tension. The BJP decided to put on hold Shah's proposed rally and the Rath Yatra, saying it will wait for the final order from the high court, which will now hear an appeal by the saffron party on Friday morning. Single bench judge Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9 and observed that the prayer of BJP for permission for it cannot be granted at this stage. Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta told the court that the rally will create communal disharmony and submitted to the judge a report in a sealed cover, which he said delineates apprehensions of disturbance to peace and communal disharmony by intelligence agencies. The court directed superintendents of police of all districts in West Bengal to file a report before the court on holding of Rath Yatras, peremptorily by December 21, after hearing all the district presidents of BJP. Immediately after the order was passed, lawyers for the BJP went to the chamber of Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and prayed for constitution of a special bench for hearing its appeal on Thursday evening as the normal court hours had ended for the day, party lawyer Phiroze Edulji said. The Chief Justice refused to constitute a special bench and asked the BJP lawyers to move the appeal before the court on Friday morning at 10.30 am, he said. The saffron party had scheduled three Rath Yatras in West Bengal which are to pass through all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. In New Delhi, the BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of running a "dictatorship" in the state and alleged her government refused the permission as she was busy playing " of appeasement". The BJP campaign, which the party has named 'Save Democracy Rally' and has projected it as a "game-changer" in Bengal politics, was scheduled to begin from Coochbehar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The BJP told the court the rallies will converge and culminate in Kolkata by January 16. Noting that the rallies will take place for over a month covering all districts, the court asked, "Can the mere undertaking of an advocate that the rallies will be peaceful be enough to allow? "If something happens, who will be responsible?" Justice Chakraborty asked whether it will be possible to make security arrangements within the short time of less than a day. The BJP's counsel said a number of applications had been given to the state authorities from October 29 but it had sat on them only to inform in court on Thursday that permission for the rally at Coochbehar was refused. To this Justice Chakraborty asked the BJP counsel, "If a common man dies today, will your district president be responsible?" The court is concerned about the safety of the people, he said. BJP counsel Anindya Mitra submitted that a division bench of the high court had in January allowed another set of motorcycle rallies by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) after putting certain conditions and prayed that similar order be passed in this case also. Justice Chakraborty said the situation in which the earlier order was passed is not similar and that the BJYM rally was for only seven days. The AG told the court that the Cooch Behar SP has refused permission for the rath yatra. He said the district has a history of communal issues and that there was information that some "communal provocators and rowdy elements have become active" there and expressed apprehension of breach of peace. The SP had said several top BJP leaders would come to Coochbehar, as also people from other states, and this may affect the communally-sensitive district. The AG said the refusal of permission was an administrative decision in view of the ground situation and "details of apprehension" cannot be spelt out in open court due to their sensitive nature. Asked by the judge as to who will take responsibility if anything untoward happens, Mitra submitted that the party will hold a peaceful rally but it was the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. The BJP counsel submitted that the Constitution guarantees the right to hold political programmes and that assumption of untoward situation cannot be a ground for refusal. When the judge asked if he was agreeable to deferment, Mitra answered in negative and said the party had started preparations a long time ago and had approached the administration for permission in October itself. In Coochbehar, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said that BJP is a "responsible political party" and it will obey the court order. "Our entire preparation for the Rath Yatra program is complete. Amit Shah is also ready to come tomorrow," he told a press conference. There was disappointment in the BJP camp after the court order, leaders said, adding massive arrangements were made for the Rath Yatra, which would be a "game changer" in West Bengal (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Delhi High Court has sought response of the Centre on ex-servicemen's plea challenging the difference in Military Service Pay (MSP) amounts according to rank as recommended by the Seventh Pay Commission. A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and Sanjeev Narula issued notice to the ministries of Defence and Finance seeking their stand on the plea by a society representing ex-servicemen which has sought quashing of the Pay Commission's recommendation. The petition, by Voice of Ex-Servicemen Society and three retired Army personnel, has sought parity in the MSP, claiming that the difference in amounts according to rank was "arbitrary, illegal and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution". According to the society, the Armed Forces Commissioned Officers and Military Nursing Staff (MNS) are being granted a higher MSP as compared to other branches and army personnel who are the front line and suffer the most casualties. "The number and ratio of casualties, deaths and other tangible sufferings is far more in the rank of Junior Commissioned Officers, Non Commissioned Officer and other ranks as compared to the commissioned officers due to their exposure in the front line. But to their disadvantage, the MSP is being paid very less to them as compared to the commissioned officers," the petition, filed through advocate Umesh Sharma, has said. It has contended that this difference in MSP was there even in the Sixth Pay Commission's recommendation. "The Sixth Central Pay Commission introduced the distinct and distinguished concept of MSP which was mischievously tilted in the favour of the Armed Forces Commissioned Officers in total disregard of the previous recommendations of CPCs and unmindful of the fact that all rank and cadre is equally exposed to all the hazards with JCOs, NCOs and ORs being in the frontline. "The said component was also incorporated in the pensioner benefits keeping in view the permanent impact on the JCOs, NCOs and ORs and also extended to disabled soldiers, war widows," the plea said. Apart from seeking quashing of the CPC recommendations, the petition has also sought an order declaring that grant of differential MSP was a contravention of the Constitution of India. It has also sought directions to the government to grant equal rate of MSP to all combatant personnel, including JCOs, NCOs and ORs of all the three wings of armed forces. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has called a high-level meeting on December 12 to discuss the problems being faced by farmers in the belt, where operations have come to a halt following a order. Cultivators are facing severe shortage of water for irrigation as rivulets in the belt have almost dried up. However, pits have rainwater but it needs to be pumped out and released in rivulets. Vijai Sardesai has called the meeting at secretariat which will be attended by ministers, the chief secretary, senior officials and MLAs, said a senior agriculture department official. They will discuss the issue of allowing pumping of water from pits and making it available to farmers for irrigation purpose, he said. "Rainwater has got accumulated in mining pits, many of which are below the water table of rivulets in the mining belt in Sattari taluka in North Goa," said the official. He said there is an urgent need to pump out water so that rivulets have a normal flow, allowing irrigation of farms in the mining belt. Haravalem Waterfall, a tourist attraction which is a part of rivulets criss-crossing the mining belt, has been running dry since the last two years. In February, the had quashed 88 mining leases, bringing to a halt excavation and in the belt. The suspension of mining activity also led to a stoppage of pumping of water from pits into rivulets. The meeting is likely to be attended by Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, the MLA from Sankhalim, which falls in the mining belt, Ministers Vinod Palyekar (water resources), Vishwajit Rane (health), Nilesh Cabral (power), Dharmendra Sharma, other officials and MLAs from the mining belt, he said. Thousands of Hindu devotees from across Nepal have thronged in the iconic Pashupatinath temple area from early morning on Thursday to observe the Bala Chaturdashi festival to honour their deceased family members. The festival is the 14th day after the full moon and falls every year in late November or early December. The day is marked in honour of the deceased members of the family where devotees scatter seven different kinds of seeds. In Pashupatinath temple, the devotees observed penance the whole night from Wednesday last night and took holy dips next morning before sowing the seeds. The holy seeds of paddy, maize, wheat, barley and others are sown at Kailash, Gaurighat, Aryaghat, and Guheswori of Pashupati area, and Panchase, Galeshwor and Lord Shiva's shrines across the country. As per the Hindu mythology, one's ancestors will rest in heaven if such seeds are sown in the shrines of the Lord Shiva after lighting the lamps in their memory on the night of Marga Krishna Trayodashi. In order to assist the devotees, the Pashupati Area Development Trust has arranged tents and other basic facilities, said chief of the Trust Dr Pradeep Dhakal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy Thursday paid homage to Dr B R Ambedkar on his 62nd death anniversary here. Ministers, legislators and leaders belonging to different political parties and various outfits championing the cause of the downtrodden garlanded a statue of the leader opposite the Assembly premises. Former chief minister and Opposition Leader N Rangasamy paid tributes to a portrait of Ambedkar at the All India (NR) Congress party office here. (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 paid floral tributes to Bhim Rao Ambedkar on his 62nd death anniversary, at a state-level function organised here Thursday. On the occasion, Thakur said Ambedkar always fought for equal rights of all sections of the society and is a source of inspiration for all. He belonged to a poor family and struggled hard to attain a high position and contributed immensely for betterment of the nation, the chief minister said. State legislators Nand Lal and J R Katwal and Shimla Mayor Kusum Sadrate were among those who paid floral tributes to Ambedkar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The CPI (M) has warned the Congress that it will fail to defeat the BJP in the upcoming general elections if it continues to peddle "soft Hindutva". In an editorial in the latest edition of its mouthpiece, People's Democracy, the CPI (M) has referred to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's "flurry" of temple visits in the poll-bound states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and said that it was a "pale echo of the Hindutva platforms." "The attempt to prove that the Congress was genuinely more Hindu than the BJP witnessed a flurry of temple visits by Rahul Gandhi in the three states... If the Congress thinks it can defeat the BJP by such soft Hindutva tactics, it is mistaken," the editorial said. Highlighting what the CPI (M) considered as Congress' "soft Hindutva", the editorial picked on the party's manifestos in the three states. It said while in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress talked of 'gaushalas' (cow shelters) in every panchayat, commercial sale of 'gaumutra' (cow urine) and building a Ram Van Gaman Path Yatra, in Rajasthan, they promised the setting up of an education board to propagate vedic values. "In the campaign, there was a palpable reluctance to speak out against the lynchings of Muslims like the killing of Pehlu Khan," it alleged. However, the editorial pointed out that the BJP will face electoral reverses in these three states "because the people have voted on issues such as jobs, farmers' distress, lack of basic amenities and corruption". It said various mass struggles offering a secular and democratic alternative "alone can counter the BJP-RSS game plan and effectively foil it". "The mobilisation of the working people ... and the numerous struggles and movements taking place around the country stand in stark contrast to the communal mobilisation being undertaken on the Ram temple issue at Ayodhya," it said. The editorial also stated that people's protests have forced the BJP to fall back on its communal rhetoric and efforts to smear the opposition as anti-national. "The anti-Muslim rhetoric and the Ram temple chorus is not going to help the BJP to stave off the people's anger against their misrule in the three states, nor, will it help gain any new voters in Telangana," it said. The editorial pointed out that the peasant mobilisation is going to be followed by the two-day general strike of the working class of the country called by the Central Trade Unions on January 8 and 9, 2019. "All these streams of struggle are demanding a secular and democratic alternative, which alone can counter the BJP-RSS game plan and effectively foil it," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Army on Thursday hoped that India will respond "positively" to Pakistan's "goodwill gesture" of opening the Kartarpur border for the Sikh pilgrims. On November 28, Khan laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor on the Pakistani side while on November 26, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh laid its foundation stone in Punjab's Gurdaspur. The corridor will connect Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev's final resting place in Pakistan's Kartarpur to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district in India, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the Sikh community. Khan termed it unfortunate that Indian media gave a political colour to Pakistan's positive gesture of opening the Kartarpur border. Addressing the Cabinet, Khan said: "Unfortunately the Indian media has given Kartarpur (border opening) a political colour, as if we did this to gain some sort of political mileage... This is not true. We did it because it is part of (the ruling) Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's manifesto," he said. "We have religious sites that are important for Hindus and Buddhists; we should open them up and facilitate the people," Khan said, without explaining. The Sikh community has responded very positively to the effort to open the Kartarpur border, he said. "It is to them (Sikhs) what Madinah is to us Muslims. We hope that India will also respond positively in return," the Prime Minister said. In a separate press conference in Rawalpindi, Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor of army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Pakistan has taken several positive initiatives for peace with India, and the latest one was the groundbreaking of the Kartarpur corridor. He, however, regretted that the initiative was negatively presented in India, but hoped that India will "positively respond to this goodwill gesture". Ghafoor said that the corridor will be constructed in six months after which 4,000 Sikh pilgrims will be able to visit daily. "It will be a one-way corridor from the Indian side to Kartarpur, and the Sikh pilgrims will remain restricted to Kartarpur," the officer added. Ghafoor also raised concern over the increasing ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary allegedly by the Indian forces, saying 55 civilians have been killed in cross-border aggression this year the highest in history. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The visit aims at surveying black pepper area, productivity, quality as well as production method in the province and helping businesses to determine the crop's development potential in the province and the country also. That provides a chance for Vietnamese firms to connect with foreign partners to learn about pepper standards and demand in the world market and have suitable direction in production and trading. By NONG NGAN Translated by Hai Mien India has signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil it imports from the Persian Gulf nation in rupees, sources in know of the development said. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed following the US letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic state on November 5. Sources said Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC). Half of these funds would be earmarked for settling payments for exports of Indian goods to Iran, they said. Under US sanctions, India can export foodgrains, medicines and medical devices to Iran. India had won the exemption after it agreed to cut imports and escrow payments. Under the 180-day exemption, India is allowed to import a maximum of 300,000 barrels a day of crude oil. This compares to an average daily import of about 560,000 barrels this year. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, has since then restricted its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonne or 15 million tonne in a year (300,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonne (452,000 barrels per day) bought in 2017-18 financial year, sources said. Two of its refiners -- Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) -- bought 1.25 million tonne of oil from Iran in November and December. India, the world's third biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80 per cent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 per cent of total needs. US President Donald Trump in May withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, re-imposing economic sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation. Some sanctions took effect from August 6, while those affecting the oil and banking sectors will start from November 5. Prior to this, India paid its third largest oil supplier in euros using European banking channels. These channels got blocked from November. During the first round of sanctions when EU joined the US in imposing financial restrictions, India initially used a Turkish bank to pay Iran for the oil it bought. Beginning February 2013, India paid 45 per cent of the oil import bill in rupees while keeping the remainder pending till the opening of payment routes. It began clearing the dues in 2015 when the restrictions were eased. Sources said New Delhi may export goods, including wheat, soybean meal and consumer products, to Iran during the exemption period. Iran was the India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but Western sanctions over the Persian Gulf nation's suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the seventh spot in the subsequent years. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, India bought 11 million tonne and 10.95 million tonne crude, respectively from Iran. Sourcing from Iran increased to 12.7 million tonne in 2015-16, giving it the sixth spot. In the following year, the Iranian supplies jumped to 27.2 million tonne to catapult it to the third spot. Iranian oil is a lucrative buy for refiners as the Persian Gulf nation provides 60 days of credit for purchases, terms not available from suppliers of substitute crudes -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria and the US. Besides blocking of banking channels from November, shipping firms are unwilling to transport Iranian oil. To get around this, Iran is using its own ships to transport crude to India. Its insurance companies are also providing insurance cover for such shipments, sources added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- Indigo Partners ("Indigo") and WOW air ("WOW") initiated diligence meetings this week in Reykjavik as the initial steps to a potential Indigo investment after the signing of a term sheet last week. A team from Indigo Partners spent the last two days with WOW air management to review the business and opportunities of the airline going forward. The overall process is progressing and both parties are working to finalize the investment. Issues remaining include WOW's planned network development, vendor contracts including aircraft leases and certain waivers from WOW's bondholders. "These have been two very good days with detailed discussions around WOW's current business and how we would envision it going forward. WOW air has a dedicated team and a strong brand that has significant potential," said Bill Franke, Managing Partner of Indigo Partners. "We are very pleased with the visit from Indigo Partners and it's clear that we can learn a lot from Bill Franke and his team on how to build a successful low cost airline. I don't think we can find a better and more experienced partner to bring WOW air to the next level," said Skuli Mogensen, CEO and founder of WOW air. WOW is advised in this transaction by Plane View Partners LLC, the U.S. air transportation advisory firm. About Indigo Partners Indigo Partners is a private equity firm established by W. A. Franke in 2003 to pursue acquisitions and strategic investments in the air transportation and related industries. The firm was a lead investor in Tiger Airways based in Singapore and Spirit Airlines based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and maintains lead investments in Wizz Air Holdings, Plc, a ULCC with multiple bases in Central and Eastern Europe; Frontier Airlines, a ULCC based in Denver; Volaris Airlines, a ULCC based in Mexico City; and JetSMART, a ULCC based in Chile. Indigo is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. About WOW air WOW air is a happy low-fare, long-haul airline based in Iceland with a young, low emission fleet. The airline was founded in November 2011 and currently serves 25 destinations across Europe and North America. WOW air is committed to providing the cheapest flights to and from Iceland and across the Atlantic while providing a memorable service all the way. For more information, please visit https://wowair.us/about-us. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Does the CBI Director have such protection that neither the Centre nor the CVC can touch him for his any action during the fixed tenure of two years? This question arose on Thursday in the Supreme Court which was hearing the petitions filed by CBI Director Alok Verma and others challenging the Centre's decision to divest him of all powers and sending him on leave along with Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Both have levelled allegations of corruption against each other. When senior advocates Fali Nariman and Dushyant Dave, appearing for Verma and an NGO, Common Cause respectively, argued that neither the Centre nor the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had any power to take disciplinary action against the CBI Director, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked: "Will that not make CBI Director virtually untouchable? Is that what Parliament intended?" "Does the fixed tenure of CBI Director supersede all rules and makes him untouchable?", asked the bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph. These questions cropped up while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CVC, was justifying the action taken against the CBI chief. Though Verma, according to the Centre remains the CBI Director, Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha appearing for the CBI, submitted that there was no need to go to the Selection Committee before taking disciplinary action against Verma. Nariman and others opposing the Centre's decision took the stand that action against the CBI chief can be taken only by the high-level panel, comprising the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition and the Chief Justice of India, involved in the selection process. The hearing also saw Asthana's counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi taking the stance that a direction be passed to take the CVC enquiry report against Verma to its logical conclusion. Rohatgi, who was Attorney General before K K Venugopal, told the apex court that Asthana was a whistle-blower in the case, but was painted by the government with the same brush and sought a direction to the Centre that it should take the CVC's preliminary inquiry against Verma to a logical end. "My assumption is that the CVC report is adverse in part to the gentleman (Verma). The Central government should take this report to logiocal end," Rohatgi said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, referred to the legal provisions and said that on these allegations the government could have come to the selection committee and asked the panel to "please transfer Verma". "Please don't give this handle to the Government to suspend or divest of power any CBI authority. This will affect the independence of the CBI and will render the Vineet Narain judgment toothless," Sibal told the bench. He argued that a 'transfer' actually amounts to a public casting of doubt on the CBI Director. "That's why legislature has drawn a ring fence around transfer by introducing the prior approval of the panel." Further, he said CVC's powers of supervision over CBI extend to corruption cases alone and that is the extent of the CVC Act. When Nariman was asked by the Bench "If the situation arises, can the court appoint a CBI Director, he said: "Yes, in its inherent powers, it can." When Sibal concluded his arguments, Dave in a lighter vein, said "Mr Sibal says he won't want to exercise this power when he is the Home Minister". Sibal was quick to respond, "As if I am not already in enough troubles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The issue of Indian employees of the IL&FS in Ethiopia should be resolved very soon, the Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday. The Ethiopian police have taken into custody three Indian IL&FS officials, even as five Indian employees continue to be in captivity of the unpaid staff in the African nation. Asked about the three Indian officials taken into custody, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "We are closely coordinating with IL&FS both here and in Ethiopia. We are also in touch with local government authorities. My sense is that we should be able to resolve this matter very soon." IL&FS had 15 Indian employees in Ethiopia, seven of whom were held captive by the local staff. Of the seven, two were released last week on medical ground. The three employees, out of the eight employees who were not held captive, were taken into custody. On the seven Indians abducted in Afghanistan, Kumar said: "We do remain engaged with Afghan authorities. We are making all efforts to ensure the early and safe release of all the people who have been kidnapped. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pankaj Tripathi says his dream of working towards the interest of the youth of Bihar will soon be realised now that the actor has been appointed the State Icon by the government. The actor, who has garnered acclaim and popularity through stellar performances in "Newton", Stree" and most recent web series "Mirzapur", has been named the face of his home state by the Election Commission of India (ECI). "In a democracy, voting is a huge and most important right of a common man. Whatever changes a common man wants to bring in the country he can bring it through the process of voting. "Today's youth have a very wrong notion considering the voting day as a holiday in the calendar. They should not think that way and should come forward in huge numbers to vote, increase the voting percentage," Tripathi said in a statement. The actor, who hails from Bihar's Gopalganj, said he will try his best to abide by the responsibility bestowed upon him. "I come from a very common family background in a small village and getting an opportunity from home state to represent the state for an important and sensitive work is an honour for me and my family. "I'll try to work with sincerity and abide with the responsibility conferred upon me by the Election Commission of India. It was my dream and wish to work in the interest of youth and in public domain which is soon going to be realised." Tripathi also has Bihar Samman to his credit. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cash-crunched has sought a soft financing of $350 million from its investment partner Etihad Airways, as it continues to hold discussions with the latter to offload additional stake in the carrier, an airline source said Thursday. The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad had come to the rescue of the Naresh Goyal-controlled airline during the earlier downturn too. In 2013, it had acquired 24 per cent stake in for Rs 20.6 billion, besides extending low-interest loan of $150 million as well as purchasing 50.1 per cent stake in its loyalty programme JetPrivilege. " has sought $350 million soft loan from Etihad even as its discussions with the the Gulf carrier continue for selling additional stake," the source privy to development told PTI. The Middle-Eastern airline has, however, offered to finance as much as $200 million, the source said. "A final decision on the proposal is yet to be taken," the source added. When contacted, both Jet Airways and Etihad refused to comment on the deal. "Etihad does not comment on rumour or speculation," an spokesperson said in an e-mail response to PTI. A Jet Airways spokesperson also said that the carrier does not comment on "speculation" in line with its policy. With three back-to-back quarterly losses and a net debt of Rs 8.52 billion as on September 30, the airline is working on ways to raise funds and reduce costs. Last month, Jet Airways chief executive officer Vinay Dube had said the airline was in active discussions with various investors to secure sustainable financing. The company's scrip ended the day 3.03 per cent lower at Rs 278.20 apiece on the BSE, against 1.59 per cent decline in the benchmark. Pakistan said Thursday that the "core issue" of Kashmir with India will not be put on the back burner after Islamabad opened the Kartarpur border for Sikh pilgrims. Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that the corridor would be completed before the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev next year. On November 28, Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the corridor on the Pakistani side while on November 26, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh laid its foundation stone in Punjab's Gurdaspur. The corridor will connect Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev's final resting place in Pakistan's Kartarpur to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district in India, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the Sikh community. Faisal said that the Kashmir issue will not be put on the back burner due to the Kartarpur border opening. "With regards to Jammu and Kashmir dispute, if there is any idea in the mind of anybody that due to Kartarpur or any other reason, the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute will be put on the back burner, it is misplaced," he said. "The decision of opening of the Kartarpur corridor was made in good faith and to facilitate the Sikh community to visit their one of the holiest places," he said, adding it will not impact the Kashmir issue. On November 28, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that there will be no dialogue with Pakistan unless it desists from terrorist activities against India. She said the Kartarpur corridor initiative was not linked to the dialogue process with Pakistan. Faisal said the Kashmir issue would be resolved according to UN resolutions and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. He said that the bilateral dialogue can move forward only if India was ready for it. "We can only move forward if India remains steadfast. India's reluctance in reciprocating to Pakistan's proposal is the biggest hurdle in normalisation of relations between the two countries," Faisal said. He said that Prime Minister Khan in his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi had outlined a comprehensive way forward for resolving all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Sir Creek, Siachen, people-to-people contacts, trade and religious tourism. "Regrettably, India agreed to our proposal one day, only to renege on their commitment the next day," he said. Faisal said that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed Pakistan that the map shown by China Global Television Network portrays Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory and was therefore shown in white, while the maps of Pakistan and India were in brown. "This map is in accordance with the approved maps used by the Chinese government and the United Nations. They further said that their position on Jammu and Kashmir and maps has never changed," the FO spokesperson said. On the issue of US President Donald Trump's letter to Prime Minister Khan seeking assistance on the Afghan issue, he said that it vindicates Pakistan's considered position that it can only be solved through negotiations. "Pakistan has always advocated political settlement to end the war in Afghanistan," he said, asserting Pakistan' commitment to play a facilitative role in bringing peace in the neighbouring country. He also termed the letter as a good omen for melting the ice in relations with the US that could lead to the beginning of meaningful interactions. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kerala, which was hit by massive floods in August, will be given Rs 30.48 billion as an additional assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), officials said. Besides, Rs 5.39 billion will be given to cyclone-hit Andhra Pradesh and Rs 1.31 billion to Nagaland, which was also hit by floods. A High-Level Committee, headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Thursday approved the additional assistance of Rs 30.48 billion to Kerala, Rs 1.31 billion to Nagaland and Rs 5.39 billion to Andhra Pradesh, a home ministry spokesperson said. The had sought Rs 47 billion as compensation from the central government for the damage caused by the floods, which was termed as the worst in a century. At least 488 people died in Kerala due to the rains and floods this monsoon, which hit 14 districts of the state. The meeting of the Committee was held to consider the additional central assistance to Kerala, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh, which were affected by floods, landslides and cyclone 'Titli', respectively. Those who attended the meeting include Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior officers of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance and Agriculture. In case of any natural calamity beyond the coping capacity of a state, the state government submits a detailed memorandum indicating sector-wise details of damage and requirement of funds for relief operations of immediate nature, another official said. As per the existing guidelines, the central government sends an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) for an on-the-spot assessment of damage and additional requirement of funds. The IMCT report is considered by the Sub-Committee of National Executive Committee (SC-NEC) headed by the Union home secretary in conformity with the norms and then by a high-level committee, chaired by the home minister for approving the quantum of additional assistance from the The financial mechanism to meet the rescue and relief expenditure during any notified disaster event is governed by guidelines pertaining to State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the official said. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has extended greetings to people of the state on the eve of the Armed Forces Flag Day. Exhorting people to come out with voluntary donations for the Flag Day Fund to mark the occasion on December 7, Khattar said the money would be utilised for the rehabilitation of families of soldiers martyred in wars, serving soldiers and ex-servicemen and welfare of their dependents. He said the Armed Forces Flag Day is observed to recall and show respect to the supreme sacrifices made by soldiers for the sake of the country. "It is an important occasion to express our gratitude to the martyrs and show solidarity with the armed forces," he said in a message. "We cannot pay back the kind of sacrifices and services rendered by our soldiers, but by giving them respect and providing them with better facilities, we can do our duty," Khattar said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) : Korean carmaker Kia Motors Thursday said production of its made-in-India cars would begin in the second half of 2019. Once the construction of its unit in Penukonda in Anantapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh is over, the company would produce approximately three lakh cars annually, said a press statement. The company handed over its best-selling electric cars Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid and Niro EV to the Andhra Pradesh government, the statement said. Chief Minister of the state N Chandrababu Naidu received the cars from managing director and chief executive officer of Kia Motors India Kookhyun Shim, it said. Kia Motors signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government to collaborate on 'Partnership for Future Eco-Mobility, the statement said. Under the pact, it said, Kia would partner with the government to develop local electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, including vehicle-charging stations. One such station was opened on the premises of the Secretariat at Velagapudi on the occasion, the statement said. The company also planned to offer 16 electrified vehicles by 2025, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At the reception, chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong appreciated Lottes investment in Vietnam in general and HCMC in particular. Last year, the group signed an investment cooperation worth US$1 billion in Eco Smart City project at Thu Thiem new urban area. That will be a key project standing for the cooperation between HCMC and Lotte. According to Mr. Shin Dong Bin, so far the group has attracted 2,000 Vietnamese workers. Its invesment capital in Vietnam has totaled VND40 trillion (US$1.72 billion). Some big projects are being implemented in Hanoi and HCMC. Lotte has pledged to apply advanced and environmentally friendly technologies in its projects in Vietnam. Since 2011, Lotte has continuously hosted Vietnamese Goods Fair in South Korea to introduce Vietnamese products to Korean consumers. The group has paid attention to talent development, invested in some startup projects in Vietnam and organized a scholarship fund to assist good disadvantageous students. In the groups next five years plan, Lotte will invest about US$44 billion in potential markets in Southeast Asia including Vietnam. Of the total investment capital, chemical and construction will account for 40 percent, retail 25 percent, tourism and service 25 percent and food 10 percent. By THUY HAI Translated by Hai Mien Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar has sought an appointment with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami to discuss the proposed Mekedatu project and reach an amicable solution. "The government desires to have an amicable solution. Itappears that some misconceptions about the proposed project have occurred in government's and Tamil Nadu people's mind though actual reality of the project is different," he said in a letter to Palaniswami. "In view of this, I hereby seek your appointment to present the project details and also have discussion as indicated above at your convenient time," he added. Shivakumar said the project would help in regulatingjudicious release of water so that excess water is not allowedto flow from the Mettur dam into the sea needlessly as has hadhappened this year. Shivakumar, who also spoke to reporters, said the project was being considered for the state's power needs, not for irrigation. He also urged Tamil Nadu not to politicise the issue. The Central Water Commission recently allowed Karnataka to prepare a Detailed Project Report for the construction of a balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project at Mekedatu across the Cauvery, which has been opposed by both the ruling AIADMK and DMK. The Supreme Court Wednesday has agreed to hear next week aplea of Tamil Nadu government against the nod granted toKarnataka for preparing the DPR. Political parties in Tamil Nadu contend that if the dam was permitted, it would affect Tamil Nadu farmers who depend on Cauvery waters for irrigation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ending the suspense, the Congress-JD(S) coalition in has announced that the cabinet would be expanded on December 22. The decision was taken by the coordination committee of the coalition that met here Wednesday under the chairmanship of former chief minister and JD(S) supremo were consulted before deciding the date, told reporters here after the over two-hour-long meeting of the committee. Six members from the Congress and two from the JD(S) would be inducted, he said, adding that it was also decided to appoint MLAs as heads of corporations and boards on the same day. There has been growing clamour among the MLAs, especially those from the Congress, for expansion of the cabinet at the earliest, with a few openly expressing discontent over the delay. This will be the second expansion of Kumaraswamy's cabinet, the current strength of which is 26. The Congress and the JD(S) came to power in May after the state assembly elections threw up a fractured verdict. After the first expansion in June, there was discontent among the Congress's ministerial aspirants. The second cabinet expansion was expected to take place in October, but it was put off. said then the plan was to expand the cabinet on December 9, but as the legislature session commences on December 10 in the northern district of Belagavi, the expansion was deferred. It would be done a day after the conclusion of the session on December 21, he said. The former chief minister, who is also the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), said the coordination committee also decided to appoint a few MLAs from both the parties as parliamentary secretaries to ministers. Under the agreement reached during the formation of the coalition in May, the chairmanship of 20 boards and corporations will go to Congress and 10 to JD(S). Kumaraswamy, his deputy G Parameshwara, Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal and JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali, among others, attended the coordination committee meeting. Siddaramaiah said measures for smooth functioning of the government and speedy resolution of issues raised by MLAs concerning developmental work in their respective constituencies were also discussed at the meeting. A few MLAs, especially those from the Congress, have reportedly conveyed their unhappiness to the party leadership about the functioning of the government and against a few JD(S) ministers, including Kumaraswamy's brother and PWD Minister H D Revanna. Siddaramaiah dismissed reports about disgruntled Congress MLAs led by Satish Jarkiholi planning to join hands with the BJP. None of the Congress MLAs will leave the party and such information is only media speculation, he said. The Congress leader asserted that the coalition was solid and the BJP's dream of a successful 'Operation Lotus' will only remain a dream. Siddaramaiah said the coalition would remain stable throughout its five-year tenure. He also claimed that the BJP will be defeated in the ongoing assembly elections in five states. Echoing Siddaramaiah's statement, JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali said the coalition government would complete its term. He alleged that media reports about trouble in the Congress-JD(S) combine were sponsored by the BJP. Sri Lankan Parliament will take up a motion to express confidence in ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe next week, officials said Thursday, as the political crisis following his controversial sacking by the President intensified. The motion has been listed for which no dates have been fixed, parliamentary officials said. Parliament meets next on December 12 and the day's business is to be determined on the same day. If there is no firm indication, it will be taken up on that day, they said. Sri Lanka is going through a major political crisis since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena, in a controversial move, removed Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place. The President on Wednesday said that the current political crisis will not drag on beyond a week even as a war of words between him and Wickremesinghe intensified. On Monday, a lower court temporarily barred Rajapaksa from performing his duties after which he filed an appeal before the Supreme Court. The interim ruling was a major blow to both President Sirisena and Rajapaksa. Sirisena, after sacking Wickremesinghe on October 26, dissolved Parliament and called for a snap election on January 5. However, the Supreme Court overturned his decision and halted the preparations for snap polls. Sirisena said that he has always taken decisions in the best interest of the country and the people. In his strongest yet statement against the president, United National Party (UNP) leader Wickremesinghe on Tuesday said the United National Front (UNF) was prepared to face elections and they are "not afraid of elections." The ousted premier also urged the President not to "be like Hitler and some of the other dictators who used the referendum". Sirisena has said in the past that Wickremesinghe is a stubborn, headstrong person who was following far right wing neo-liberal policies. As many as 122 parliamentarians of Wickeremesinghe's UNP, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Tamil National Alliance last month filed a petition in the Court of Appeal challenging Rajapaksa's authority as the prime minister. Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa both claim to be the prime ministers with the former claiming that his dismissal is invalid because he still holds a majority in the 225-member Parliament. Prior to the crisis, Wickramasinghe's UNP had the backing of 106 parliamentarians while Rajapaksa and Sirisena combine had 95 seats. Rajapaksa has, so far, failed to prove his majority in Parliament. The President has said that due to sharp personal differences with Wickremesinghe, he would not reappoint him as the Prime Minister. However, Wickremesinghe's UNP claims that Sirisena will be left with no choice as he would be the man who will command the confidence in the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Norwegian police said Thursday they had defused a potentially devastating letter bomb that had been sent to a police station, a rare incident in the tranquil Scandinavian country. The Ski police station, located southeast of Oslo, was evacuated early Wednesday after an employee alerted superiors to a suspicious package. It turned out to contain a homemade bomb primed to explode when the package was opened. "A real bomb that could, and was designed to, harm people," police commissioner Steven Hasseldal told reporters. "This is a very serious crime. We consider it an attack against the police that could have caused a lot of damage," he said. A bomb disposal unit defused the device. Police said they had no suspects at this stage. This type of incident is extremely rare in Norway, where police are generally respected and where officers are usually unarmed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The (BJP) is considering fielding Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit-Nene from the Pune constituency in the 2019 general elections, party sources said. In June this year, chief had met the actor at her residence in Mumbai during his party's 'Sampark for Samarthan' (Contact for Support) programme and briefed her on the achievements of the Narendra Modi government. A senior state leader told PTI Thursday that her name has been shortlisted for the Pune seat. "The party is seriously considering giving candidature to Madhuri Dixit in the 2019 general elections. We think the Pune constituency will be better for her," he said. "The party is in the process of finalising the list of probables for several Lok Sabha seats and Dixit's name has been shortlisted for the Pune Lok Sabha constituency...she is being seriously considered for it," the leader said. The 51-year-old actor has featured in many Bollywood films, including "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!", "Dil To Pagal Hai", "Saajan" and "Devdas". In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the had snatched the Pune Lok Sabha seat from the Congress, with Anil Shirole winning by a margin of over three lakh votes. On the plans to field the actor, a senior BJP functionary said, "Such tactics were implemented by Narendra Modi in Gujarat when he became the chief minister for the first time. He changed all the candidates in local bodies election and the party reaped benefits of that decision." "As fresh faces were introduced, there was nothing to criticise them with. It left the opposition shocked and the BJP won maximum seats and retained power," he said. According to the leader, a similar experiment was also successfully carried out in Delhi local bodies polls in 2017, where all the sitting councillors were denied tickets. The BJP won the seats and retained the control, he said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday paid tribute to Dr Babasaheb B R Ambedkar on his death anniversary and hailed his contribution in framing the countrys Constitution. She said that his contributions in framing the Constitution will be remembered by future generations. "Respectful tribute to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his death anniversary. His contribution in framing Indias Constitution will forever be remembered by the generations to come," Banerjee tweeted. Ambedkar was not only a jurist, an economist but also a politician and a social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination of Dalits, women and labourers. Ambedkar passed away on this day in 1956. The day is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Karnataka government Thursday asserted that the proposed Mekedatu project was the "right" of the state and its "lifetime dream" but sought to reach out to Tamil Nadu, which is strongly opposed to the scheme. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy held consultations with his predecessors and former water resource ministers on irrigation schemes, even as the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed an unanimous resolution urging the Centre to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for a detailed project report for its proposed dam across the Cauvery at Mekedattu. "It is the right of our state, we don't want tofight or have misunderstanding with anyone on this issue. It is a balancing reservoir, there is no question of us misusing it," Karnataka water resources minister D K Shivakumar told reporters here after the meeting. "We request them (Tamil Nadu), they are like our brothers, we are friends.. we have to share this water... we don't want to fight with them," he said in response to a question about Tamil Nadu rejecting the state's request for talks to clear doubts on the project. The meeting was attended by former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar, and former water resource ministers Allam Veerabadhrappa, K S Eshwarappa, H K Patil, M B Patil, Basavaraj Bommai, also technical and legal experts. A specially convened session of the Tamil Nadu assembly Thursday passed the resolution moved by chief minister K Palaniswami, asking the Union Ministry of Water Resources "to immediately order the Central Water Commission to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for preparing the DPR (detailed project report)." The previous Siddaramaiah government had decided to implement the Rs 5,912 crore Mekedatu Multipurpose (drinking and power) project, which involves building a balancing reservoir with a capacity of about 66 tmcft, near Kanakapura in Ramanagaram district. The minister said the state government was preparing the DPR and was taking all necessary steps to protect the interest of the state in accordance with law. "With utmost humility I appeal that both of us (Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) should work together in protecting the interest of our people," Shivakumar said. He noted that that the "key" to release water to Tamil Nadu according to the Cauvery verdict was with the Cauvery Management Board and not with the Karnataka government. "There will be no question of us misusing things in anyway...so, going to the Supreme Court against the project or bringing political pressure is not lawful," he said. He said he along with a team of officials would visit the site of the project Friday. Shivakumar made it clear that there was no scope to explore possibility forirrigation in the area, which is the main contention of Tamil Nadu. He said "there are about 4,996 hectares of land that comeunder the proposed project area. Out of that 280 hecatares is revenueland, about 500 or 600 acres of farmers land may be there." The minister said, Karnataka was ready to make presentation on the project to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues, and the state government has also appealed to the Centre to call a meeting of both states to sort out the issue. Shivakumar said he had written to Palaniswami and said there was no meaning in "unnecessarily objecting to the project. The project was being done within our state and with our money and without violating the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Cauvery dispute." In his letter, Shivakumar said, "The government desires to have an amicable solution. It appears that some misconceptions about the proposed project have occurred in government's and Tamil Nadu people's mind though actual reality of the project is different." In view of Tamil Nadu approaching the Supreme Court for stay on the permission given by the Central Water Commission to Karnataka to go ahead with the DPR, the state government has instructed its legal team to take all necessary steps to lawfully protect the interest of the state. Shivakumar said Tamil Nadu would get "95 per cent benefit" from the project, while Karnataka would benefit by generating electricity. Shivakumar said, he was "shocked" that Tamil Nadu has convened a special assembly session on the issue. He also said the state government was taking all necessary steps with regard to Krishna and Mahadayi water issues to protect the state's interest. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of miscreants allegedly ran away with an AK-47 rifle of a Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawan in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, a senior police officer said Thursday. Two RPF personnel were injured in the incident which took place near Badnagar, about 50 km from here, said Ujjain Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Atulkar. RPF jawans on patrol duty along the railway track in Sundarbad area spotted about ten persons loitering about and asked them to stop, the SP said. "The miscreants pelted stones at them, in which two jawans sustained minor injuries. The AK-47 rifle of one of them fell down. It had 20 rounds loaded," Atulkar said. The miscreants took the rifle and ran away, he said. Police had cordoned off the area and were searching for the culprits, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) German car giant Volkswagen said Thursday it is looking for three billion euros ($3.8 billion) in new savings to help fund its pivot towards electric vehicles, adding that it could not rule out job cuts. Without more savings, profitability at VW's historic own-brand cars division "will not be enough to be completely ready for the future," said Arno Antlitz, chief financial officer at the unit, adding "enormous investments" were needed. The belt-tightening drive comes on top of a programme launched in 2017 that has already found 2.2 billion euros of savings, the group said. Added together, the schemes should allow the unit to achieve a profit margin of "at least six percent" by 2022, three years earlier than planned and up from the four to five percent it aims for in 2020. After admitting in 2015 to manipulating millions of diesel vehicles worldwide to appear less polluting in regulatory tests, Volkswagen hopes to leave its "dieselgate" scandal behind with a massive electrification programme. The sprawling 12-brand group said in mid-November it would invest 44 billion euros by 2023 to speed up the transition away from internal combustion engines -- including 11 billion euros at the core VW brand alone. Costs have been slashed by reducing the number of variants of each car, increasing productivity at the group's plants and "optimising raw materials costs". The group provided no estimates of the impact its new savings drive would have on jobs, but "further cuts to staffing will be inevitable," a senior manager told business daily Handelsblatt. "There are opportunities for cuts in administration," finance chief Antlitz said, on top of the 21,000 job cuts worldwide by 2020 already planned for the VW own-brand division. Germany's vital car industry has fallen behind on electric cars compared with foreign competitors, only taking the technology more seriously since the dieselgate scandal erupted. Emissions cheating has so far cost VW 28 billion euros and sent sales of diesel vehicles plummeting in Germany and further afield. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The mystery surrounding the identity of a woman caregiver, who died in Israel last month after allegedly entering the country on a forged Indian passport, was resolved with her Nepalese parents coming forward to claim her body. Jamuna Thapa entered Israel as Neha Sharma on the Indian passport number L637541 issued in Merabil in Assam's Udalguri district. She was brought to Samson Assuta Ashdod Hospital in an unconscious state after an asthma attack on November 22 and was declared brain dead on November 26. A hospital document that sought "permission that her organs be donated to help those in need" has led to some controversy over the role and handling of the case by the hospital for which the health ministry is said to have "admitted that the hospital was at fault" in the whole episode for not following the laid down procedures. The Indian embassy in Tel Aviv swung into action the moment the of the death of an Indian national was brought to its attention. The hospital officials realised that they had not followed procedures properly by not bringing the issue to the notice of Indian authorities as the caregiver was registered as an Indian national. The search for the family of the Indian passport holder turned into a multi-layered mystery over her actual citizenship after her residential status could not be confirmed. Now her father, Pushkar Raj Thapa, has submitted an affidavit with other documentary evidence to establish her real identity as Jamuna Thapa, a resident of Nepal's Biratnagar. Her Nepali Passport No 06428396, issued on April 16, 2013 shows her date of birth as June 15, 1975. The photos on her Indian and Nepali passports look identical. A certified relationship certificate issued by Biratnagar Sub-Metropolitan City Office identifies Jamuna Thapa as daughter of Pushkar Raj and Tirtha Kumari Thapa, and sister of Bharat Thapa. Nepalese authorities in Israel have sought cooperation of the Indian Embassy requesting for an NOC (No Objection Certificate) to allow repatriation of the dead body of Jamuna Thapa to Nepal They have sent an affidavit along with copies of her Nepali citizenship card, Nepali passport, relationship certificate from Biratnagar Sub-Metropolitan City Office and an apology for the use of Indian passport. A Nepali official in Israel told PTI that the "documentary evidence and our own checks shows that she was a Nepali national from Biratnagar". Sources here said that Jamuna Thapa's parents have told authorities that she was in a bad marriage back home and obtained an Indian passport to escape to Israel for better prospects five years ago. It is not clear as to how she managed to obtain an Indian passport. It seems that she was even illegally employed in Israel for the past two years, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Attending the Vietnam Reform and Development Forum (VRDF) 2018 held in Hanoi on December 5, PM Phuc said that Vietnam was lifted from one of the worlds largest recipients of foreign aid to a middle-income country. It has proactively integrated into the global economy and always stands ready to share experience in settling global issues. However, Vietnam still runs grave risk of being left behind and falling into the middle-income trap. Despite concerted efforts to remove the three bottlenecks of mechanism, infrastructure, and human resources quality which bar economic development, the outcomes are a far cry from the Governments expectations. In fact, they have not yet met the requirements of economic development, the PM underlined. He expressed his hope that partners and sponsors will continue their support for Vietnam so that the country can grow beyond the middle-income trap in the context of increasing globalisation. Touching on the human resources issue, PM Phuc said that the Government is looking for effective measures to build a high-quality workforce serving sustainable growth as labourers are billed as the key to future success. Smart and digital infrastructure will be paid due attention to improve the capacity of connecting economic resources, he noted. At the forum, PM Phuc laid stress on promoting innovation and the application of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, as well as strengthening the private economic sector; detailing that they are important driving forces for domestic economic growth in the next decade as they can help to improve the competitive edge of the nation. The VRDF is an alternative to the Vietnam Development Forum (VDF), which was formerly known as the Consultative Group (CG) meeting and more recently the Vietnam Development Partnership Forum (VFPF). The first Vietnamese CG meeting was held in Paris in 1993 and since 1999 it has been held in Vietnam, co-chaired by the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the World Banks Vietnam branch. Instead of serving as a platform for discussion between the Vietnamese Government and donor agencies on development policies, the VRDF gathers international experts who come to share their experience and offer recommendations to the Vietnamese Government. The forum is expected to devise specific proposals for the Governments reform policies. Vietnamnews Narcissists are more likely to not support democracies and believe that countries would be better run by strong leaders or the military, a study has found. Researchers from the University of Kent in the UK suggest that narcissists tend to feel entitled and superior to others, which results in lower tolerance of diverse political opinions. In contrast, people who take a positive, non-defensive self-view and trust others are more likely to show support for democracy, the study found. The study, published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, consisted of two parts that analysed the relationship between different types of self-evaluation -- narcissism and self-esteem -- and support for democracy in the US and Poland. The team set out to understand the psychological mechanisms driving support for democracy. They built on previous research which demonstrated that basic personality traits can predict broader opinions about the organisation of the social world. "The jury is out on whether the new generations are becoming more narcissistic than previous ones, but it is important to monitor how societal changes can affect the self," said Aleksandra Cichocka, from University of Kent in the UK. "We need to make sure we are not fostering feelings of entitlement or expectations of special treatment," said Cichocka. "In the end, these processes may have important implications for our social and political attitudes," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Thursday dismissed HDFC Ltd's insolvency plea against RHC Holding, observing that the non-banking financial company does not come under the purview of the IBC Code. A two-member principal bench headed by NCLT President Justice M M Kumar dismissed the plea of HDFC Ltd, which had moved the tribunal to recover an amount of Rs 41 crore. RHC Holding, promoted by Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan, had taken a loan of Rs 200 crore from HDFC in April 2016. RHC Holding had paid the interest for the first quarter on time but later started defaulting on it. According to HDFC, even after adjusting the proceeds from the sales of the pledged share, a substantial amount of Rs 41.09 crore remained due. To recover the remaining amount, HDFC filed a insolvency plea against RHC Holding before NCLT. Subsequently, Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo had moved NCLT to stay the insolvency proceedings against RHC Holding. The tribunal Thursday observed that RHC Holding was a non-banking finance company as per the certificate of registration issued by the banking regulator RBI. "Respondent company being a non-banking finance company remain outside the purview of the code (Insolvency and Bankrutcy Code)," NCLT said. With RHC Holding "having excluded from the definition of the corporate person, the present application filed under section 7 of the code against a financial service provider is not maintainable". Daiichi Sankyo had claimed "a decree to recover money against RHC Holding". The Delhi High Court has already granted a status quo over sale of assets by RHC Holding. A tribunal in Singapore had passed the award in favour of Daiichi holding that the Singh brothers had concealed information that Indian company Ranbaxy was facing probe by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Justice, while selling its shares. The high court on January 31 had upheld the international arbitral award passed in the favour of Daiichi and paved the way for enforcement of the 2016 tribunal award against the brothers who had sold their shares in Ranbaxy to Daiichi in 2008 for Rs 9,576.1 crore. Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd had later acquired Ranbaxy from Daiichi. It had, however, said that the award was not enforceable against five minors, who were also shareholders in Ranbaxy, saying they cannot be held guilty of having perpetuated a fraud either themselves or through any agent. Daiichi had moved the high court seeking direction to the brothers to take steps towards paying its Rs 3,500 crore arbitration award, including depositing the amount. It had also urged the court to attach their assets, which may be used to recover the award. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri Thursday emphasised on the need to create an environment in the national capital where people respect and value public art. At the second round-table discussion on 'Public Art Policy, Guidelines and Master Plan for Delhi', he cited the example of the newly built skywalk at ITO and vandalising of nuts and blots at Signature Bridge and emphasised on the need for behavioural change in developing public art. "People have a choice to run a risk of getting runover by crossing the roads or taking the skywalk. Behavioural change or the desire to use the skywalk is little slower than what I expected," Puri said. The Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs said public art guidelines should be continuous and open-ended process so that newly learnt things could be added on to it. "We need to jointly facilitate an environment where people respect and value the art in public places," he said. Highlighting the features of the final draft of public art guidelines, Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) chairman P S N Rao said it would be implemented after a notification is issued by the government. The guidelines define public art is a artwork in any media that has been planned and executed with the intention of being staged in the physical public domain. The final draft guidelines provide for a three-member panel of art advisors to advise DUAC in matters concerning public art. Any person or entity interested in developing public art in Delhi can submit a proposal in a DUAC format to the local bodies concerned. The DUAC, after receiving such proposals through the local bodies, will consult its public art advisors and accord permission within three weeks, the draft guideline states. Attending the round-table meeting, noted artist Jatin Das said there were no culture or art policies of the government at the national level and advocated promotion of various art forms including visual arts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The main challenger to President Muhammadu Buhari in next year's election has advised Nigerians against selling their votes as concerns persist over possible electoral fraud at the landmark polls. Atiku Abubakar, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed Buhari's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had offered cash inducements to voters. "This is what the APC is doing. They are buying PVCs (permanent voter cards). They will come to you and give you 10 naira, 20 naira, 50 naira to buy your PVC," he told supporters. "They are buying your future," he was quoted as saying in local media after a campaign rally in the central city of Ilorin on Wednesday. There was no immediate response from the APC but civil society groups, local and foreign observers have previously voiced concerns about leading parties offering cash for votes. The practice of using PVCs bought from voters to rig elections was said to have been widespread during recent governorship polls in the southwestern states of Ekiti and Osun, both won by the APC. In Ekiti, both the APC and the PDP were accused of offering voters 3,000 to 5,000 naira (USD8-13, 7-12 euros). During the PDP presidential primaries in October, some candidates, including Abubakar, were accused of offering financial inducements to delegates. Abubakar, a former vice president to Olusegun Obasanjo between 1999 and 2007 who used to run the country's customs service, has also been accused of widespread corruption. He denies the allegations and has challenged his detractors to produce concrete proof. Buhari, 75, was elected in 2015 on promises to tackle endemic corruption, end Boko Haram's deadly Islamist insurgency and boost the economy. He is hoping for a second term of office but Abubakar, 72, said: "In terms of corruption, Nigeria is worse off today than we were in 2014. "In terms of economy, we are the poorest country in the world today. In terms of insecurity, we are the most insecure than at any other time in history. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court Thursday that it had demolished fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi's illegal bungalow built along the beach at Alibaug in adjoining Raigad district. Government counsel advocate P B Kakade also told a bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M S Karnik that it had served demolition notices to another 58 private properties in the area constructed in violation of the state's rules and coastal zone norms. He made the submissions in compliance with a previous order of the bench whereby, it had directed the government to submit details of all actions taken, and pending litigation concerning the illegal private constructions along the beaches in Alibaug, a coastal town popular with weekend tourists. ALSO READ: I-T report red-flagged Nirav Modi, Choksi dealings months before PNB scam The state filed an affidavit in the court stating Modi's illegal bungalow was demolished on December 5. It also said 58 other properties were served with the demolition notice on December 4, and their owners asked to raze all illegal structures within a week's time. In the affidavit, the state submitted that the owners of around 61 such illegal private structures had managed to get stay orders on demolition from local civil courts. However, it was planning to initiate legal action to get the stay orders lifted, the government submitted. The bench took note of the state's submissions and scheduled the matter for further hearing on December 20. The bench was hearing a petition filed by an activist, Surendra Dhavale. The plea had sought that the court direct the authorities to demolish all unauthorised constructions "within the low and high tide areas" in several villages in Alibaug. As per the petition, such constructions had been carried out in violation of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority rules and the state's land laws. As per the plea, there are around 175 such private residences in CRZ areas in villages such as Varsoli, Sasvane, Kolgaon and Dokvade, among others, belonging to several "wealthy persons, including Modi, and several businessmen and film actors". Nirav Modi, a key accused in the $2 billion Bank fraud case, has fled the country. The Sanatan Sanstha Thursday said none of the 12 accused arrested in the Maharashtra arms haul case was its member as claimed by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) in its charge-sheet filed in a special court here. A spokesman of the Goa-based right-wing outfit refuted all the charges made against the organisation in the ATS document filed Wednesday in the special NIA court presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Vinod Padalkar. Sanatan Sanstha national spokesman Chetan Rajhans said the outfit had full faith in the Indian judicial system and it will fight the accusations tooth and nail. In its charge-sheet, the ATS had said all the 12 accused were members of organisations such as the Sanathan Sanstha, (its affiliate) 'Hindu Janajagruti Samiti' and similar other smaller outfits, and motivated to establish a 'Hindu Rashtra'. "They had drawn their motivation of making efforts towards establishment of so-called Hindu Rashtra as explained in the Marathi book 'Kshatra Dharma Sadhana', published by Sanathan Sanstha," the ATS had told the court. However, Rajhans countered the charges. "ATS has alleged that members of Sanatan Sanstha, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and other similar organisations have been arrested (in the arms haul case). "We have already clarified that nobody out of the arrested accused is a seeker of Sanatan Sanstha," Rajhans said in a statement. He said the press note issued by the ATS about the charge-sheet filed in the case was "extremely ridiculous and defective and deserves to be protested". "If the press note is so defective, one can very well imagine how the actual charge-sheet must be full of mistakes," the Sanstha spokesman said. "Vaibhav Raut, Sudhanva Gondhalekar, Shrikant Pangarkar and Avinash Pawar (all accused in the case) have their own independent organisations and they had intermittently participated in the programmes or agitations about unity of Hindus held by Sanstha," he said. He claimed the Sanatan Sanstha's holy text 'Kshatra Dharma Sadhana' does not mention the word 'Hindu Rashtra'. "Therefore, to say that they were inspired with the objective of 'Hindu Rashtra' by reading the book is totally false," Rajhans said. The Sanstha spokesman said they have only seen the ATS press note and not its charge-sheet. "However, we have not received the actual charge-sheet. We will give a detailed response only after going through the charge-sheet," he said. The case relates to seizure of arms and ammunition in August this year during raids conducted by the ATS at Nallasopara, Pune and some other parts of the state. The seized haul included 23 live country-made bombs, 15 pistols, 10 pistol barrels, six pistol magazines, three partially made pistol magazines and half a dozen pistol slides, the anti-terror agency had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The final report of the National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA) fact-finding committee has raised questions over the way 'man-eater' tigress Avni was killed in Maharashtra last month. The committee said there was no operational coordination among veterinary professionals and the team which killed the tigress on November 2 in Yavatmal and that the dart for tranquilizing the feline was fired unauthorisedly. It also said the veterinary drugs were handled by unauthorised person during the operation, in which sharp-shooter Asghar Ali Khan had shot the tigress. The state government has been under fire over the death of the tigress, officially known as T1, who was believed to have turned a man-eater and killed 13 people in the last two years in Yavatmal. The killing of the tigress also led to an outrage among animal lovers and wildlife organisations. The two-member committee, comprising retired additional principal conservator of forests O P Kaler and NGO Wildlife Trust of India's deputy director Jose Louies, was constituted on November 8 to probe the tigress' killing. The report was submitted by the committee to member secretary, NTCA, on November 28. The committee in its report stated that the forest department took creditable efforts for tracking, camera trapping and DNA analysis to identify the suspected animal and placed trap cages to capture T1 alive. "However, there was no operational coordination among veterinary professionals and the team which killed T-1," it said. Also, forester Mukhbir Sheikh was authorised only to identify the tigress or her cubs. The dart fired by Sheikh was used approximately 56 hours after being prepared by a veterinarian expert, who had advised Sheikh to use the dart in his presence and within 24 hours, the report said. "Neither Mukhbir Sheikh or Asghar Ali Khan cared for the expert's advice," the report said, adding that the dart was fired at T1 without adequate preparedness and the NTCA's standard operating procedure was not followed. It said the dart was fired from approximately 12.8 m distance when T1 was on its natural path crossing a road, probably moving towards a nullah (drain). The tigress continued movement after darting on its natural path while snarling and growling at the team probably because of disturbance due to the dart, moving vehicle and light. "Within three to five seconds, Asghar Ali Khan took one of the guns and shot at T1 from the moving vehicle in sitting position. T1 was stunned by the impact and died on the spot," the report said. The report said evidences collated from the site, videos taken soon after the incident and recreation of events strongly support these observations. "In view of the facts emerging out from the provisional postmortem report, the firing in self-defence is doubtful," it said. The report findings further state that the weapon used by Asghar Ali Khan to fire at T1 was licensed in the name of his father Shafat Ali Khan, who was not present with the team that shot the tigress. Asghar Ali Khan has not produced any authorisation from his father to use the gun in his absence, and he used the "unauthorised weapon" to eliminate T1, the report said. Besides, the delegation of powers vested under Section 11(1) (a) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 by the Chief Wildlife Warden to CCF (T) and authorisation of person by CCF (T), Yavatmal to capture or eliminate tiger (Schedule I species) is violation of Section 5 (2) of the said Act. The ballistic report, forensic report and other lab reports along with final postmortem report are necessary evidences to further corroborate the findings of the report, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Odisha Police is planning to send a team to West Bengal to verify claims of religious conversion being carried out by an NGO at one of its shelter home in the neighbouring state. The NGO is in the following allegations of sexual harassment at one of its facility at Beltikiri in Dhenkanal district of Odisha. The incident had sparked statewide outcry and three persons, including the managing director of the NGO, Fayaz Rahman, were arrested in connection with the case. "We have got some indication that religious conversion of inmates was being undertaken at the NGO's shelter home at Salgadia in West Bengal. The district police have sought permission of higher officials to visit West Bengal in this connection," Dhenkanal Superintendent of Police, Santosh Nayak, told PTI over phone. The SP's remark that religious conversion of inmates might be taking place at a shelter home run by the NGO in West Bengal, was based on information provided by Rahman during his two-day police remand, police sources said. The two-day police remand of Rahman ended Wednesday and a local POCSO court extended the MD's police remand by another two days from 5 pm Wednesday. Rahman and two others were arrested by the police last week on charge of sexual abuse of minor children at the shelter home in Dhenkanal distsrict. Referring to the video clippings of 'Duban' (a ritual performed for conversion to Christianity) being telecast on the electronic media, the SP said that the rituals shown in the video were not performed at any shelter home in Odisha. "The police have received indication that it was instead performed by the NGO at its shelter home at Salgadia in West Bengal. To ascertain the veracity of the incident, a team will be sent to the neighbouring state," he said. Stating that the NGO, "Good India", was not registered in Odisha, the SP said, "The NGO, was registered in West Bengal under the Bengal Society Registration Act. It had not been able to produce any document regarding its registration in Odisha." The SP also informed that the police had verified the documents of the NGO regarding central registration for overseas funding. They also checked other documents related to the utilisation certificate, the audit report and the filing of Income Tax returns. The NGO receives overseas fund to the tune of Rs 15 crore to Rs 16 crore every year and utilises the money for maintenance of shelter homes, construction of new homes and purchase of land to set up its infrastructure, the SP said. The SP said the annual audit report about collection of fund received from local and overseas sources and the expenditure of the NGO is prepared by a chartered accountant firm in Kolkata. Replying to a question, the SP said the statement of the inmates of the shelter home in Dhenkanal have been recorded in the presence of the District Magistrate as evidence. There is enough evidence that the children were subjected to sexual abuse at the shelter home in Odisha, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Oil stocks Thursday fell up to 3 per cent amid expectation of production cuts by Russia and OPEC. Shares of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) tumbled 2.94 per cent, ONGC declined 2.47 per cent and Reliance Industries fell 2.72 per cent. Among others, Bharat Petroleum Corporation dipped 1.22 per cent and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation dropped 0.71 per cent. OPEC members began a two-day meeting Thursday to decide about the production policy. According to market analysts, shares of oil companies declined on expectation of production cuts by Russia and OPEC besides weakening of the rupee. "Investors are closely watching the meeting between the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other top oil-producing countries," said BNP Paribas Mutual Fund's Senior Fund Manager-Equities, Abhijeet Dey. As per reports, OPEC is looking for a sufficient reduction in oil production to help recover tumbling crude prices. Led by losses in these stocks, the BSE Oil and Gas Index dropped by 1.70 per cent. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [December 06, 2018] UJET Named "Hot Vendor" by Aragon Research in Intelligent Contact Center UJET, Inc., the company that makes it simple for any company to provide intuitive, modern support, today announced it has been included in the list of "Hot Vendors" in the Hot Vendor in Intelligent Contact Center, 20181 report by Aragon Research, Inc. "We believe our inclusion in the Hot Vendor report by Aragon Research underscores our continued innovation, the success we afford our customers and the enhanced visibility we provide call center professionals," said Anand Janefalkar, CEO and founder of UJET. "For today's customers, exceptional support means fast access to personalized, efficient service by phone, live chat and mobile app. Our platform powers faster, more efficient interactions by enabling end users to verify their identity and share photos, screenshots and texts with support agents using a smart phone and provides contact center managers the visibility and flexibility to optimize operations in real time." Aragon Research asserts that traditional communication methods are not enough to meet the needs of the diital enterprise and support its continued growth. UJET is responding to this trend by enabling enterprises to modernize their contact center and accelerate business results and improve customer satisfaction. UJET is an innovation leader in cloud contact center software committed to optimizing customer communications at every touch point: phone, web, and app. UJET built its platform on an open, distributed cloud architecture to deliver enterprise-grade reliability, security, scaling capacity and compliance. The UJET platform uses artificial intelligence to deliver accurate wait time estimates and deep data integration to provide comprehensive, actionable insights that help businesses provide exceptional customer support experiences that drive higher CSAT scores. Tweet this: .@UJETco named Hot Vendor by @AragonResearch #IntelligentContactCenter https://ujet.co/newsroom/ Aragon Research Disclaimer Aragon Research does not endorse vendors, or their products or services that are referenced in its research publications, and does not advise users to select those vendors that are rated the highest. Aragon Research publications consist of the opinions of Aragon Research and Advisory Services organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Aragon Research provides its research publications and the information contained in them "AS IS," without warranty of any kind. 1 Aragon Research "Hot Vendors in Intelligent Contact Center, 2018" by Nicole Speciale, September 2018. About UJET UJET is a modern cloud contact center software company with leading innovation in smartphone-era customer support on the web, phone, and mobile apps. The UJET platform delights end-users with any time, anywhere access and simple smartphone functionality and elevates agent performance through context-aware solutions for voice, chat, image, video, and text. The UJET platform is enterprise grade in its global reliability, security, and scaling capacity and is SOC2 Type II and HIPAA compliant. UJET is trusted by customer-centric, innovative enterprises, including Nest, Instacart, Postmates, Atom Tickets, and Noon Home to automate contact center processes and provide superior experiences that drive higher customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.getujet.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005064/en/ [ Back To SIP Trunking Home's Homepage ] Oil cartel OPEC will consider views of world leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represent the voice of major consuming nations, with seriousness before taking a decision on cutting output to support falling prices, Saudi oil minister Khalid Al Falih said Thursday. India is the world's third largest oil consuming nation, which is more than 80 per cent dependent on imports to meet its energy needs. Led by Modi, it has been very strongly making a case for oil producers' cartel OPEC to price crude at reasonable and responsible rates. Speaking to reporters at the meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), he said: "We take the views of Prime Minister Narendra Modi seriously who (like US President Donald Trump) is equally vocal about the issue. We just met him in Buenos Aires (during G20 summit) and privately he made those points very very strongly that he does care for Indian consumers and is very serious about it. I have also seen him at three times at various energy events in India where he was very vocal." He was replying to a question on US President's expectations from OPEC meeting. "Well, President Trump is the president of the largest consuming country in the globe -- 21 million (barrels), I believe, or thereabouts. That's 20 per cent of global markets if not more. And the consumer in the US, just like the consumer in France, just like the consumer in India, just like the consumer in Saudi Arabia, wants affordable energy. "So, he (Trump) has every right to wish for affordability of energy for the citizens of the United States and he is very vocal using his favourite communication tool which is Twitter and we hear him and we take his views seriously," he said. Ahead of the meeting, Trump in a tweeted had hoped that OPEC will keep oil flowing and not take decisions that would lead to higher oil prices. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!," he had said. Consuming nations are part of OPEC deliberations even when they are not physically present in the meeting room, the Saudi oil minister said. "And the fact that President Trump tweets about it and reminds us, I think, is a healthy thing and we take it as one input factor but at the end of the day our most important guiding principle is to bring supply and demand into balance and we don't think the US will benefit from an over-supply market for an extended period of time where investment flows stop and the fantastic growth in US shale is brought to a halt in the way it happened in 2015-2016," he said. OPEC Thursday delayed a decision on production until it meets with other producers on Friday. Following this, crude oil prices traded sharply lower. Growing concerns that oil producers won't reach an agreement to aggressively reduce production has also weighed on prices. West Texas Intermediate crude for January delivery lost USD 2.30, or 4.4 per cent, to USD 50.59 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Members of OPEC concluded their meeting in Vienna, without deciding on output-cut figures. It plans to debate output figures with non-OPEC producers during their meeting Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress-led opposition UDF Thursday staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly dissatisfied over the government's assurance to make necessary amendments to a controversial circular, which allegedly gags the media. Demanding a discussion and withdrawal of the circular, the Opposition tore away copies of the order of the home department and walked out. A recent circular issued by the department had put in place a set of guidelines regarding media's interaction with the chief minister, cabinet ministers and celebrities within the Secretariat and in other public places. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala questioned the motive of the department, which issued the circular on a subject which apparently comes under the Information and Public Relations Department (I&PRD). "This circular is a draconian one. This is against the freedom of the press. The government must hold discussions with the opposition and media associations. How can a state like Kerala regulate the media?" he said. However, Industries Minister E P Jayarajan, who replied to the adjournment motion in the absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said the circular had been "misinterpreted" and there were no restrictions on the media. "The Left parties have always fought for press freedom. When media was being attacked by the Sangh Parivar forces, it was the Left parties who were in the forefront to defend the media," he said. The minister pointed out that the Left government was not going to curtail the media freedom and would make necessary amendments in the circular. He said the matter had been brought up by the Opposition as they were facing a dearth of issues to be raised against the state government. Congress MLA K C Joseph, who moved the motion, sought a discussion and said the circular was "unfortunate". He said the chief minister was behind the restrictions on media and it was the present government which had ended the custom of press briefing after the weekly cabinet meetings. "Why is the home secretary issuing a circular and interfering in the functioning of the I&PRD? This order must be withdrawn," Joseph said. The LDF government, however, was not in a mood to allow the discussion without the chief minister in the House and told the opposition that it will consider the motion for discussion later. The dissatisfied opposition leaders then tore the circular and staged a walkout. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Pakistani-origin councillor in the UK sent a photo of a topless woman to a group of women during a meeting, prompting the opposition Labour party to suspend him for what he called an "honest mistake", media reports said Thursday. Sheffield City councillor Mohammad Maroof posted the image on a WhatsApp group named 'Mums United', BBC reported. As the group's founder Sahira Irshad presented a petition on knife crime, he sent the picture to the group, it said. Maroof, who said that he was "very embarrassed" and has apologised for what he described was an "honest mistake", has been suspended by the Labour council pending an investigation, the report said. He said he was trying to attach a video of Irshad speaking at the meeting and instead accidentally attached the unsolicited image, which he received earlier in the day, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. He claimed that he asked for it to be deleted "within seconds" of sending it. "This is my private phone and I receive so many things that my WhatsApp has been set up to automatically save everything in my phone's photo file. "Somebody sent me this photo, it may have come in the morning, and it went into my phone's file," Maroof said. He represents Nether Edge and Sharrow Ward which includes the districts of Brincliffe, Carter Knowle, Nether Edge, Sharrow Vale, and most of Banner Cross, and is one of the 28 electoral wards in the City of Sheffield, England. "I tried to send the group a video and by mistake I pressed the wrong photo. As soon as I realised, I asked for it to be deleted as I couldn't delete it myself. It was only there for a second," Maroof said in his defence. He said that he has sent an apology to the group chat. "I sincerely apologise. I had no intention to do such a thing and to cause such disruption. I have a lot of respect for the group," he said. A member of the group, on condition of anonymity, said it was "absolutely disgraceful". Council leader Julie Dore said it was "a very serious matter" and his suspension was immediate "until we have ascertained the details". Maroof, who was educated in Pakistan and the UK, said the WhatsApp group was set up to empower women, the report added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ahead of a key meeting with the (FATF), is yet to address a critical deficiency in its legal regime that could hamper its capacity to seize properties of terrorist groups and can land it on the anti- watchdog's blacklist, according to a media report. Currently placed on the Paris-based FATF'S 'grey list', has been scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti- and terrorist financing regulations by the FATF, a measure that officials here fear could further hurt its economy. A team of experts from FATF's Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) is scheduled to visit in the first week of January to assess the progress made by it on an action plan agreed in June to address global concerns. The Express Tribune quoting sources in the ministry of finance said that the problem has arisen because of conflicting positions that Pakistan took before the FATF in earlier meetings about its legal regimes with regard to the freezing real estate assets of proscribed organisations. The conflicting position suggests incompetence of the team that negotiated with the FATF, but the government is trying to address the issue before the upcoming face-to-face' meeting of ICRG, according to the paper. Finance Minister Asad Umar has held numerous meetings on the implementation status of the 27-point action plan of the FATF, said the sources. Out of these 27 actions, Pakistan is required to deliver on 10 points by January 2019. The sources said at least two action points are directly related to the issue of seizure of real estate assets of proscribed organisations. But the authorities are hopeful that all the 10 action plans will be completed well before the time. One of the outstanding issues is the right legal regime to freeze immovable assets of terror outfits. One view was that Pakistan can fulfill this obligation under the Act of 1948. But the other view was that the government may have to amend this law to cover some of the deficiencies. In order to address the legal lacuna, the government may have to promulgate an ordinance as it lacks majority in the upper house of the parliament With effect from June this year, the FATF has placed Pakistan on the grey list of the countries that have deficiencies in their legal regime meant to combat and terror financing. The country will have to deliver on all the 27 points by September next year. In case it fails, Pakistan can be blacklisted, which carries serious financial implications. Pakistan will have to technically comply to demonstrate a comprehensive legal obligation to implement recommendation on targeted financial sanctions without delay, both asset freezing and ongoing prohibitions to provide funds and financial services", the report said. This must include powers to take control of the funds or other assets and prevent the raising and moving of funds by the UN-designated persons, it said. By January 2019, Pakistan will also have to demonstrate effective implementation of targeted financial sanctions against the assets of the UNSC designated persons and entities and their affiliates. These include Da'ish, Al Qaida, Falahi Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), Jamaat-ud-Dawa, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohmmad, Haqqani Network and persons affiliated with the Pakistan is kicking out 18 international charities after rejecting their final appeal to stay in the country, a move that an aid group spokesman said Thursday would affect millions of desperately poor Pakistanis and lead to tens of millions of aid dollars lost. The majority of the shuttered aid groups are U.S.-based, while the rest are from Britain and the European Union, according to a government list seen by The Associated Press. Another 20 groups are at risk of also being expelled after authorities a few months ago singled out some 38 international aid groups for closure, without any explanation. The development is the latest in a systematic crackdown on international organizations in Pakistan, with authorities using every bureaucratic excuse, such as discrepancies in visa and registration documentation, to target the organizations. There is also a perception in Islamabad that the United States and European countries have secretly brought spies into Pakistan under the guise of aid workers. On Thursday, Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari tweeted that the 18 were asked to leave for spreading disinformation. "They must leave. They need to work within their stated intent which these 18 didn't do," she said. Umair Hasan, spokesman for the Pakistan Humanitarian Foundation an umbrella representing 15 of the charities said those charities alone help 11 million poor Pakistanis and contribute more than $130 million in assistance. "No organization has been given a clear reason for the denial of its registration renewal applications," Hasan said. Pakistan and its security forces are still stinging from a 2011 covert operation that involved a Pakistani doctor, an aid group and a vaccination scam to identify Osama bin Laden's home, aiding U.S. Navy Seals who tracked and later killed him. Islamabad says the United States never notified it of the daring nighttime raid in the Pakistani garrison city of Abbottabad just a few miles from Pakistan's top military academy in advance and that the mission that nabbed bin Laden invaded its sovereignty. Many believe the sweeping crackdown on aid groups is the fallout from the CIA sting operation in which Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi, posing as an international aid worker, used a fake hepatitis vaccination program to try to get DNA samples from bin Laden's family as a means of pinpointing his location. Afridi was subsequently arrested and remains in jail in northwestern Pakistan. Washington has repeatedly demanded his release. The crackdown "simply marks the latest chapter in an ongoing effort to push back against foreign NGOs in Pakistan," said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Programs at the Washington-based Wilson Center. "It's hard to overstate the significance of the hunt for bin Laden and the impact it had on Pakistani perceptions of foreign NGOs." Hasan said the 18 expelled groups, with the exception of two that are still in court trying to overturn their ouster, have closed their operations in Pakistan. The groups provided everything from education to health care to sanitary and clean water facilities, he said. Many worked in partnership with provincial governments, often supplementing meager development budgets. Now local officials are being "told not to work with these" groups, added Hasan. "Government people up front will tell you they see the value of their work, but the decision has been taken." Military spokesman Gen. Asif Ghafoor denies any link between the closures of aid groups and the bin Laden operation, insisting they simply did not meet the criteria, though many had operated for decades in Pakistan. Among the US-based organizations are World Vision, Plan International and Catholic Relief Services. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Goa government Thursday sought time from the Bombay High Court to file an affidavit in response to a petition seeking details about the health condition of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Advocate General Dattaprasad Lawande told the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court that since the state chief secretary was abroad on an official trip, the affidavit will be filed on Friday in the HC's registry. The court will hear the matter again on Monday, it said. Justice R M Borde had Tuesday asked the chief secretary to file an affidavit in response to the petition filed by social activist Trajano D'Mello. The activist had sought that the court direct Goa Chief Secretary Dharmendra Sharma to evaluate Parrikar's health by a panel of expert doctors and release a medical report. Parrikar, 62, has been undergoing treatment for a pancreatic ailment at his residence since October 14, when he was discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court by some female law students seeking directions to the Centre and other authorities to permit entry of women into the sanctum sanctorum of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah here. The public interest litigation, which is likely to come up for hearing next week, has claimed that there is a notice put up outside the 'dargah' -- a shrine built over the grave of a religious figure -- clearly stating in English and Hindi that women are not allowed inside. The law students, in their petition, have contended they made several representations to the authorities, including the Delhi Police, but no response was received and therefore, they moved the high court. The plea, filed through advocate Kamlesh Kumar Mishra, has sought directions to the Centre, Delhi government, police and the trust managing the shrine, to frame guidelines for ensuring the entry of women into the dargah and declare the bar on entry of females as "unconstitutional". The petitioners, who are law students from Pune, have contended that when the Supreme Court has allowed females of all ages to go to Sabarimala shrine in Kerala, women in the heart of the national capital were being discriminated against by being prohibited from entering the dargah. According to the petition, the law students came to know of the bar on women's entry at the dargah when they visited the shrine on November 27 to offer prayers. "Nizamuddin Dargah by its very nature is a public place and prohibition of entry of anyone in a public place on the basis of gender is contrary to the framework of the Constitution of India," it said. It also said various other shrines like Ajmer Sharif Dargah and Haji Ali Dargah did not prohibit entry of women. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Ram Nath Kovind will visit Myanmar from December 10 to 14 during which he will hold talks with his counterpart U Win Myint and state counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the Ministry of External Affairs said Thursday. Elaborating on the visit, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said the president and First Lady Savita will reach Nay Pyi Taw on December 10. Kovind will have his first engagement on December 11 during which he will hold talks with U Win Myint and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, he said in a media briefing. Several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit. The president will visit the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education and the Rice Bio-park, both of which have been funded with Indian assistance, on December 12, Gokhale said. Kovind and the First Lady will travel to Yangoon and lay wreath at the Martyrs Mausoleum, where Gen Aung San, father of Aung San Suu Kyi rests, on the same day. They will also visit the Shwedagon Pagoda. The president will also interact with the surviving veterans of the Indian National Army (INA). On December 13, the president will visit the Shri Kali Temple and also the 'mazhar' (shrine) of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor who was exiled to Myanmar and died in Yangoon. Finally, he will visit the Dhamma Joti Vipassana Meditation Centre and inaugurate the 'Enterprise India' exhibitions in which 45 Indian companies are expected to participate. Highlighting the importance of the visit, the foreign secretary said Myanmar was a "close neighbour" and served India as a link to Southeast Asia. In the past three years, political, economic and defence ties with Myanmar have been on upswing with visits of top leaders to the respective countries. The armies and navies of the two countries also participate in bilateral military drills. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Myanmar last year, while Aung San Suu Kyi visited India this January for the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit. Late last year, the two countries had signed the Rakhine State Development Programme, designed to assist the Myanmarese government in Rakhine to build housing infrastructure for the return of the displaced Rohingyas. In the first phase, 250 units have been planned and through virtual means, the president will be handing over the first 50 units, Gokhale said. Responding to a question on the issue of Rohingyas, the official said, "So far as the situation in the Rakhine state is concerned, the Government of India has noted that the governments of Bangladesh and Myanmar have recently reached a bilateral understanding. "Obviously, as the only country which neighbours Bangladesh and Myanmar, we believe it is in our interest and interest of the region that this bilateral interest is implemented as soon as possible and that the displaced persons return to their homeland as soon as possible," he said. According to the UNICEF, as of April 2018, an estimated 6,93,000 Rohingyas have been driven into Bangladesh, of which over half of them are children, after the violence in the Rakhine state. India has over 40,000 Rohingyas. In response to a question on the trilateral highway connecting India-Myanmar-Thailand, Gokhale said a large part of it had been completed by the governments of the three nations. However, key bridges over some rivers and streams are under construction, he said. "It is likely to take time because we are operating in difficult conditions, both geographically and in terms of security in some cases, because of disturbances in parts of Myanmar," Gokhale said. On reports about insurgents from Myanmar coming to the Indian state of Manipur with IEDs and whether this issue will be raised during Kovind's visit, the foreign secretary said these matters are raised by India at all levels--at the local commander's level meeting and the higher level. "This is, of course, a presidential visit and in a presidential visit, only a broad overview normally takes place. The president is not the executive head of the country. We in some manner or the other will express concern," he said. Gokhale added that the governments and armed forces of the two countries have a good understanding and they are able to discuss issues and resolve them. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The LDF government in Kerala Thursday made it clear that the prohibitory orders imposed at the Sabarimala temple cannot be withdrawn now, even as the 'Satyagraha' by three opposition UDF MLAs at the state Assembly against the curbs, entered its fourth day. The lawmakers--V S Sivakumar (Congress), Parakkal Abdullah (Indian Union Muslim League) and N Jayaraj (Kerala Congress-Mani)-- had launched the indefinite 'Satyagraha' on December 3 demanding lifting of prohibitory orders at Sabarimala and providing more facilities to the pilgrims. State Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said in the Assembly that the CPM-led Left Democratic Front government was not adamant in facilitating the entry of young women at the hilltop temple and it would not have been difficult to take thousands of such women there, if it had really wanted. He was replying to a question on the Sabarimala issue raised by independent MLA and Janapaksham leader, P C George. The Left government was bound to implement the September 28 Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the Lord Ayyappa shrine, Surendran said, adding they had no plan to bring out any legislation regarding the entry of women of traditionally barred age group of 10-50 years there. Amid a war of words with opposition members, Surendran informed the House that Section 144 imposed at Sannidhanam (the temple complex) and the premises was not against devotees, but to regulate "anti-socials" who attempted to indulge in violence. Referring to the incidents of alleged violence unleashed by the right-wing activists in the garb of protesting against the implementation of the verdict, the minister said the "RSS had run riot in Sabarimala" and the restrictions were to ensure that such incidents were not repeated. "Pilgrims have not faced any hardship due to the invoking of Section 144 so far. It is not against devotees, but only to regulate anti-socials. There is no way to withdraw the prohibitory orders now," Surendran said. He rejected the UDF charge that the government had interfered in the functioning and powers of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body which manages the Lord Ayyappa shrine. Regarding the controversy over awarding the 'annadanam' (free meal) contract at Sabarimala to an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) outfit, he said cutting across political lines, several individuals and outfits had been contributing rice and provisions for the scheme. "The TDB cannot take into account while accepting rice for annadanam," he said. The minister also reiterated the government's stand that the 'tantri' (hereditary head priest) of the Sabarimala temple was one among over 6,000 employees of the TDB. "The tantri can act only in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Board," Surendran added. Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala sought Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan's intervention to end the United Democratic Front MLA's 'Satyagraha', for which the latter gave assurance. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Members of various Muslim outfits staged demonstrations here on the 26th anniversary of Babri mosque demolition Thursday. Clad in black shirts, nearly 1,000 workers of TMMK and SDPI held protests in different places, police said. Over 400 activists of Manithaneya Jananayaka Katchi were detained when they attempted to proceed towards the city airport to lay siege to it demanding re-construction of the mosque at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, they said. Meanwhile, 37 workers of fringe Hindu outfits were arrested for observing the occasion as 'Victory Day' at different places in the city. The mosque was demolished on December 6, 1992 by 'karsevaks' who had converged as part of a movement by the BJP and Hindu outfits for construction of a temple dedicated to Lord Ram at the disputed site. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Regular Press Conference on December 6, 2018 2018/12/06 Q: According to reports, after the Canadian government arrested Ms. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Canada has issued a statement about this. Can you tell us whether the Chinese side has summoned the Canadian Ambassador to lodge representations in Beijing? A: The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with and made clear its solemn position to the Canadian side and the US side respectively on this matter, demanding them to immediately clarify the reason for the detention and release the detainee, and earnestly protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of the person involved. Q: Whether the detention of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, might affect the ongoing trade negotiations between China and the US? A: Like I said just now, the Chinese side has made clear its stern position to the Canadian side and the US side respectively on this matter, demanding them to immediately clarify the reason for the detention and release the detainee, and earnestly protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of the person involved. With regard to the trade talks between China and the US mentioned by you, I have kept stressing in the past few days that China and the US should follow the consensus reached by the two heads of state to step up consultations and reach a mutually beneficial agreement at an early date. Q: Regarding the detention of Huawei's chief financial officer, when was the Chinese side notified of that? It is learned that she was detained on December 1, the day when the China-US leaders' meeting was held. Did the two sides talk about this during the meeting? A: On your first question, I cannot talk about the specifics of this case here. What I can tell you is that after learning about the relevant situation, the Chinese side immediately provided consular assistance to the person concerned and lodged stern representations with the Canadian side and the US side, demanding them to immediately clarify the reason for the detention and release the detainee, and earnestly protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of the person involved. On your second question, both China and the US have issued the readouts on the China-US summit. I may refer you to that. Q: Sources familiar with the situation say that the Chinese intelligence services are suspected of involvement in the hacking of the US hotel group Marriot. Do you have any comment on this? A: I am not aware of the situation you mentioned. China firmly opposes all forms of cyber attack and cracks down on it in accordance with the law. If offered evidence, the relevant Chinese departments will carry out investigations according to the law. We firmly object to making groundless accusations on the issue of cyber security. We all know that cyber security is a global issue that bears on the shared interests of all countries. China is one of the major victims of threats to cyber security including cyber hacking. But China is also a staunch supporter of cyber security and has been in close cooperation with all sides on combating cyber crimes. We maintain that the international community should engage in dialogue and cooperation to address cyber security threats and uphold shared interests on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. Q: Such corporate executives as Meng Wanzhou could be found guilty in Canada for being in breach of sanctions the US has imposed on Iran. What is your comment? A: As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has been faithfully and strictly implementing all the resolutions adopted by the Security Council. Meanwhile, we oppose the imposition of unilateral sanctions by certain country outside the framework of the Security Council. This position is consistent and clear-cut. In addition, according to my information, Huawei has issued a statement on this, which stressed that it abides by all the applicable laws and regulations of the countries where it operates. I would refer you to that. Q: The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Canada in his statement said that Meng Wanzhou had not violated any Canadian or American law. Can you tell us what the basis of that statement is? A: Like I said just now, the Chinese side has made clear its stern position to the Canadian side and the US side respectively on this case, demanding them to immediately clarify the reason for the detention and release the detainee, and earnestly protect the legal and legitimate rights and interests of the person involved. Meanwhile, I believe you have also noted that Huawei has issued a statement on this. I may refer you to that. Q: The Chinese side has not actually got a full explanation from the Canadian side as to why Meng Wanzhou was detained. Is that right? A: The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with and made clear its stern position to the Canadian side and the US side respectively on this matter, demanding them to immediately clarify the reason for the detention and release the detainee. According to my information, neither the US nor Canada has made any clarification on the reason for the detention so far. Q: Does China view this case as a legal and criminal matter or a political matter? A: The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with and made clear its stern position to the Canadian side and the US side respectively on this matter, demanding them to immediately clarify the reason for the detention and release the detainee. Q: The Chinese Embassy in Canada said that the detention of Meng Wanzhou had seriously harmed her human rights, but the Canadian side said that she was detained under Canadian law. Why did the Chinese side say that her detention seriously harmed her human rights? A: According to my information, the Chinese Consulate-General in Vancouver immediately provided consular assistance to the person concerned. The Chinese side demands the Canadian side to earnestly ensure Chinese citizens' security, humanitarian treatment and legal rights and interests. Detaining the person involved without providing explicit reason certainly harms her human rights. In addition, like I said just now, neither the US nor Canada has made any clarification on the reason for the detention so far. Q: President Xi Jinping has just concluded his state visit to Portugal, during which the Chinese and Portuguese leaders witnessed the signing of the MOU between the two governments on jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative. Could you offer more information on that? A: Portugal is an important link connecting the overland and maritime passages of the Silk Road, presenting natural advantages to the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Portugal. Portugal has been actively supporting and participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. The signing of the MOU between the two countries on jointly advancing the Belt and Road Initiative signals that new steps have been taken by the two sides to move forward cooperation under the Belt and Road framework. This will deliver tangible benefits to the two countries and peoples. China will hold the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in April 2019. During this visit, President Xi Jinping extended his invitation to Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa to attend the forum and pay a state visit to China. President Rebelo de Sousa gladly accepted this invitation. Now with the signing of the MOU, China and Portugal will strengthen synergy between respective development strategies, expand bilateral trade and two-way investment, continuously optimize and upgrade bilateral cooperation, jointly explore third markets, and forge new growth drivers for cooperation so that more practical outcomes could be achieved in China and Portugal's joint efforts to advance the Belt and Road Initiative and strong vitality will be injected into the China-Portugal Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Meanwhile, we will seek to further align the Belt and Road Initiative with the EU's Eurasian connectivity strategy to drive forward cooperation between Asian and European countries and break new grounds for the regional and world economic growth. Q: According to reports, on December 5, delegations from the Yemeni government and the Houthis arrived in Sweden. Peace talks are expected to start very soon, which would be the first face-to-face talks between the two warring parties in Yemen since 2015. What is your comment? A: China welcomes the peace talks in Sweden on the Yemen issue and commends the positive efforts made by Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen and other relevant parties. We hope that all parties in Yemen could prioritize the interests of their nation and people, seize the "window of opportunity" they have now, engage in dialogues in a practical and candid way, and create favorable atmosphere and conditions to restore peace, stability and order in Yemen at an early date. Q: Some media reports have suggested that Meng Wanzhou holds a Canadian as well as a Chinese passport. Can you confirm whether she entered Canada on a Chinese passport? Will that affect the way she is treated as part of the consular case? A: Like I said just now, I cannot talk about the specifics of this case here. Q: Has DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho arrived in Beijing? Will he meet with President Xi Jinping? A: As far as I know, foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho's activities in China are mainly scheduled for tomorrow. Relevant press readouts will be released by the Chinese side after the activities. Please keep following his visit to China. Cheteshwar Pujara's gritty innings was the sole silver lining in yet another ordinary batting display which reduced India to 143 for six at tea on day one of the first Test against Australia here on Thursday. At the break, Pujara was unbeaten on 46, having faced 141 deliveries, while R Ashwin was batting on 5 not out after the session lasting 29 overs. This was after a horrendous shot selection by (37) had left India in the lurch at 86 for five in the 38th over. Post lunch, Rohit and Pujara started off well as they added 45 runs for the fifth wicket. While Pujara was sedate at one end, the former took the lead in scoring as he hit sixes at will. Two came off Pat Cummins (1-31); the first a pull shot that sailed for six and the other a proper cover drive that cleared the ropes comfortably. It seemed that Rohit was intent on digging India out of this hole as he hit Nathan Lyon (2-51) for a six on the second ball of the 38th over. Marcus Harris almost caught it, with the ball barely crossing over the ropes and the umpire took some time to call it a six. That should have been a note of caution for the batsman, but he didn't heed it and skied the very next ball for Harris to take an easy catch in the deep this time. Rishabh Pant (25) too arrived at the crease with intent of attacking the bowling. He scored two fours and a six in the space of a few deliveries, before Pujara asked him to calm down. The duo then added 41 runs for the sixth wicket as India crossed 100 in the 41st over, including five sixes surprisingly. Pant didn't look comfortable though as he was forced to play against his natural game. And it showed when he edged Lyon behind to be dismissed shortly before tea. Earlier, Josh Hazlewood (2-28) reduced India to 56 for four at lunch. The Australian pacers struck regularly with the new Kookaburra ball and made inroads into the Indian top-order that never got going. This was after India won the toss and opted to bat on a warm Adelaide day. Hanuma Vihari was left out as the visitors drafted in Rohit for the number six spot. For Australia, Marcus Harris made his Test debut as announced a day prior. Mitchell Starc (1-30) and Hazelwood began proceedings for Australia, and were on the money straightaway with their lengths. Of the two Indian openers, KL Rahul (2) looked out of sorts against their express pace, and was unsurprisingly dismissed cheaply. He went for an extravagant drive in only the second over and was caught at third slip off Hazlewood. Murali Vijay (11) looked intent on getting a better start and he was watchful. On a couple occasions, he drove the ball to get the score moving but ultimately this led to his dismissal. In the seventh over, Vijay went for a cover drive against Starc and only ended up edging behind. Given the conditions, Kohli then walked out to bat a lot earlier than anticipated. He looked a lot more confident, but an awe-inducing diving catch ended his short stay at the crease. Usman Khawaja dove to his left and held a stunning one-handed catch at gully off Cummins as Kohli was sent back with India reeling at 19-3 in 11 overs. Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane (13) then came together for the fourth wicket, trying to put on a semblance of a partnership. Together they faced 59 balls and put on 22 runs in a bid to keep the scoreboard ticking. Rahane had some difficulty against Lyon who came on to bowl immediately after the drinks' break. The batsman then stepped out to even hit Lyon for a six over long on in his second over. But this didn't work against the pacers, who pushed Indian batsmen back with their perfect length and induced drives thereafter. In the 21st over then, Rahane fell to Hazelwood, the fourth batsman out driving in this morning session, and was caught at second slip. With the 201st anniversary of the Koregaon-Bhima battle set to be observed next month, the Pune Police in Maharashtra are taking all steps to prevent any untoward incident. The 200th anniversary of the battle on January 1 this year was marred by violence, with one person getting killed. To ensure that things do not go out of hand this time, heavy security will be deployed in and around the 'Jay Stambh' (victory pillar), Koregaon-Bhima and other adjoining villages, Superintendent of Police, Pune Rural, Sandip Patil said. He said social media platforms were being monitored to check rumour-mongering and an eye was being kept on anti- social elements. "There will be heavy police bandobast in and around Koregaon-Bhima. The State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) companies, home guards and district administration officials will also be deployed," he said Patil said police deployment for the 201st anniversary of the battle will be at par with the security set up in Pandharpur on 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' or during a Kumbh mela. In the last couple of months, Patil and Pune Collector Naval Kishore Ram visited Koregaon-Bhima, Perne, Sanaswadi, Lonikand and Shikrapur villages in the district. "We have been holding meetings with villagers to ensure that unlike last year, no shops, hotels and other commercial establishments remain shut on the day and visitors are accorded a warm welcome," Patil said. The district administration wants to create a "positive environment" for visitors, he said. This time, no food stall would be allowed to be set up without permission from police or the authorities concerned, Patil said, adding that those organising rallies near the victory pillar will also have to take nod for it. "To ensure no private vehicle reaches near the Jay Stambh, we have decided to keep parking spaces at a distance of 2 km from the venue and provide bus service to ferry visitors to the obelisk from there," he added. Violence had erupted near Koregaon-Bhima on January 1 when Dalit groups were commemorating bicentenary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, in which the British defeated the Peshwas of Maharashtra. The memorial, located at Perne village on Pune- Ahmednagar road, was constructed by the British in the memory of soldiers who died in the battle. Dalit leaders commemorate the British victory as soldiers from the Mahar community were part of the East India Company's forces. The Peshwas were Brahmins, and the victory is seen as a symbol of assertiveness by Dalits. After the incident on January 1, police installed CCTV cameras around the memorial premises and set up a help centre outside its gate. They have also been maintaining a record of contact details of the visitors. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday urged party workers in Rajasthan and Telangana to put all their efforts at their respective polling booths to ensure the party's win in both the states. In his audio message to the workers of Rajasthan, Gandhi told them that they have to defeat the BJP by taking people to the polling booths and make the Congress win. "Put all your effort into your booths to defeat the BJP. The people are standing with you...The government that will be formed will be of poor people and of the weaker sections. It will be a government of farmers, small traders, Dalits, adivasis, backwards, and also your government," he said in the message posted on the Congress' official Twitter handle. In his audio message to the party workers in Telangana, Gandhi said the Congress party realised the "dream of Telangana" for the state's people. "That dream of Telangana has been betrayed for the last five years. KCR (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) ji did not do what he had to. Now your time is coming. Stand at the polling booth and put all your effort to make the Congress win," he said. Voting for the assembly polls in Rajasthan and Telangana will take place on Friday. The results will be declared on December 11. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Union minister Uma Bharti Thursday appealed to Congress president Rahul Gandhi to honour his "Brahmin credentials" by supporting the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhaya. Describing the Congress as "obstructionist" in construction of the temple, Bharti said the party is trying to "disturb" the atmosphere and is playing vote bank on the issue. Bharti's remarks came on the 26th anniversary of the Babri mosque's demolition in Ayodhya by Hindutva activists in 1992. "For the sake of his janeu -- a sacred thread wear by Hindus -- and to honour his credentials, Rahul Gandhi should come forward and support the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhaya. He should convey it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will support ordinance on this issue," Bharti told reporters here. The Congress has described Gandhi-scion as "janeu-dhari Hindu" (one who wears sacred thread). Similarly, last month a priest at Pushkar in Rajasthan said his gotra is Dattatreya Kaul brahmin. Noting all these developments, Bharti said she is hopeful about him on this issue as for the first time the Congress is telling its chief "janeu-dhari" Hindu and Dattaterya Kaul brahmin. "He undertook a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar. His party is saying he is a Lord Shiv devotee, if it is really so then he should support the construction of the temple," she said. Emphasising that the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhaya is a nationalist work, she urged all political leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Communist Party of India (Marxist)General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, to support this noble cause. Bharti, a leading figure of Ram Janmabhoomi movement, has been saying the Ayodhya dispute is of land and not of faith. It has been resolved long back that Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Ram. Terming Hindus as the "most tolerant" people in the world, Bharti had said any talk of constructing a mosque on the periphery of a Ram temple in Ayodhya could make them "intolerant". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Congress on Thursday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against BJP candidate from Tonk Yunus Khan for allegedly violating model code of conduct by holding a press conference. PCC general secretary Sushil Sharma said the party has written a complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner of India and the state's Chief Electoral Officer against Khan who held a press conference on Thursday in violation of the code of conduct as the poll campaign ended at 5 pm on Wednesday. He alleged that slogans were also shouted at the conference. PCC president Sachin Pilot is the Congress candidate from Tonk. Khan was not available for comments. The opposition party has also filed a complaint after an official engaged in election duty in Pali allegedly took five EVM machines to his house instead of the polling booth. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) At a time when entire Rajasthan was abuzz with high-decibel election campaign, a centuries old temple in the Aravallis was witness to footfalls from the who's who of the state's political arena. It is believed that goddess Tripura Sundari posses mystic power to fulfil wishes of success in politics, which draws scores of political bigwigs cutting across party lines. "The number of visitors during elections increase in the temple because candidates from different areas come here to seek blessings for success. There are many political leaders who keep on visiting," Ashok Panchal, president of the committee which manages the temple told PTI. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is a frequent visitor to the temple. She was here during the counting of the 2013 assembly polls and even monitored the results of the 2014 general elections from the shrine. Panchal said that the number of politicians visiting the temple increases after filing of nominations begin. Recently Congress' Ashok Gehlot also visited the temple, which is located at a distance of 516 km from state capital Jaipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the shrine when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. It is believed that this 'Shakti Peeth' had a great prominence during the the rule of emperor Kanishka. As per an inscription of 1483 AD recovered in the area, the word 'tri-urari' (Tripurari) was mentioned, which signifies its existence. Among other high profile devotees, the temple saw visits of Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Congress' Digvijay Singh, former Rajasthan Governor SK Singh and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Haridev Joshi. The idol of Tripura Sundari is made of blackstone and the eighteen-armed goddess is seated on a lion. Erstwhile rulers of Banswara, Dungarpur, Gujarat, Malwa and Marwar were the worshippers of Tripura Sundari. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 38-year-old retired Army jawan was arrested for allegedly firing four rounds in the air from his licensed shotgun here early on Thursday, police said. The incident took place on Saibaba Palkhi Marg near Hotel Sai Kausalya around 1.30 am, they said. "The accused, Pushkaraj Singh, a resident of Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, fired four rounds in the air from his licensed 12-bore shotgun. He was accompanied by his two friends at the time of the incident," police inspector Arvind Mane said. Before that, the accused also threatened some people in a nearby locality, he added. "The shotgun as well as 10 cartridges were recovered from the accused and he was arrested," Mane said, adding that it was being ascertained if Singh had consumed liquor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Railways will run Samanta Express, a special train to mark the 128th birth anniversary of Babasaheb Ambedkar, from April next year covering Buddhist sites in India and Nepal, a senior official said Thursday. The special tourist train would commence its journey on April 14, the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar, from Nagpur, Maharashtra, also known as 'Deekshabhoomi' where he adopted Buddhism with many of his supporters in 1956. During the 12-day tour, chalked out by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the train will cover important places connected to the life of Ambedkar, including his birthplace Mhow (Madhya Pradesh), Mumbai and various other places associated with Buddhism such as Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini in Nepal. It will offer a tour package that will include rail journey, road transfers and sightseeing in buses, accommodation in dharmashala and pure vegetarian food in an all inclusive price of Rs 11,340 per person. The train tour package of 'Samanta Express' will be available for online booking in the tourism website of the IRCTC from December 10, 2018. The tour package can also be booked offline at any of the offices of IRCTC across the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Part of a hill near upmarket Powai area of Mumbai has been grabbed by a builder for a residential project, a Right to Information (RTI) activist claimed Thursday. Police, however, said there seemed to be no substance in the complaint as the builder had necessary permissions. "The hillock on Title Survey Number 101, survey no 38 (part) was found to be being demolished with earthmovers. So I have lodged a complaint with Powai police station Wednesday," said activist Ravindra Tiwari. "I have grown up seeing these hillocks. But now it seems they are being erased to create more land for development," he said. The activist also said that he had written to the state environment ministry to look into the matter and inquire about the permissions given to the builder to carry out construction work on these hillocks which had green cover. When contacted, Anil Pophale, senior police inspector attached to Powai police station, said, "Prima facie I do not find anything dubious as the builder has produced all the permissions. But still we will conduct further probe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Actors Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg have been confirmed to host the 76th Golden Globes Awards. The ceremony, to be held on January 6, will officially kick off the award season in Hollywood. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) announced the hosts on Wednesday. "We're excited to welcome Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg as co-hosts of Hollywood's Party of the Year. Both Golden Globe Award recipients have continually showcased their talents in film and television, and we can't wait to see what their undeniable chemistry will bring to the Golden Globes stage," said HFPA President Meher Tatna in a press release. Oh currently stars in critically-acclaimed drama "Killing Eve", which she also co-executive produces. The actor has won a Globe in Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series category for her performance as Dr Christina Yang in "Grey's Anatomy". Samberg is a two-time Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Golden Globe winner for playing NYPD detective Jake Peralta. Last year, TV presenter Seth Meyers hosted the ceremony. Winners will be voted by the association in 25 categories - 14 in film and 11 in television. Produced by dick clark productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globes will air live on NBC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On international volunteers day, its not just formally organised volunteers that are acknowledged, but also communities. For Samoa, village councils, womens committees and youth groups have long been responsible for doing the bulk of volunteering in their communities, without pay but with great effectiveness. To honour that, Olivier Adam, executive director of United Nations Volunteers (U.N.V) travelled to Samoa from Germany to meet people working on the ground. Tusani Lefaia'ao Reti, matai of Savaia (Lefaga) village said he was pleased to welcome Mr Adam, where several U.N grants have gone to make the coral reef come back to life, and the tourism industry flourish. He spent Tuesday afternoon in the sun with Mr Adam, the U.N.V Asia-Pacific manager Shalina Miah and a contingent of United Nations Volunteers explaining how Savaia village has rallied together to make the most of their environmental asset. The villagers have seen the benefits of the giant clams site and are more inclined to look after it, said Tusani. The Savaia Giant Clams, today an iconic tourist spot embodies the theme of this years volunteers day that volunteerism builds resilient communities. Assistance from the Fisheries Division and Australia Aid, then the Global Environment Fund Small Grants Program (G.E.F-S.G.P), and the Civil Society Support Programme (C.S.S.P) helped rejuvenate the coral reef off the coast of Savaia, and build tourist facilities like step access to the water, and buy kayaks to rent. Were now in a stage where we are fully funded by ourselves, we are using the money the tourists pay. We are not looking for additional funding from anybody except when we have major work, like the swimming pools, said Tusani. The funds, approximately T$1000 per day is banked to the village account and is spent on village wide activities, like repainting their rubbish bins, or putting on their famous Talomua. Weve used the funds to build the fence for the primary school, and repair the womens committee house, and many things we would normally ask villagers to contribute to, and now we are not. That realises itself in countless savings for Savaia residents, who spend less on village contributions and more on their families schooling and basic needs, Tusani said. Since we had this funding from the marine protected area (M.P.A) were not asking the village again to contribute, their contribution now is looking after the MPA. Thats all we are asking them to do, making sure the clams are safe; the clams is what is bringing people into the village. The women do a lot of the pool and steps cleaning, and gathering any rubbish, and the young men guard the M.P.A at night and monitor the late fishermen to ensure no one is stealing the clams. Said Tusani. As well as improved financial resilience, the fishing has improved with the blooming of the coral. Tusani said where fishermen used to have to venture beyond the reef to fish, today then can canoe around the edges of the M.P.A and return with enough to feed dozens. Savaias display of success shows how with good governance, villages can thrive with just enough grant support, Filifilia Iosefa, sub regional coordinator of the G.E.F-S.G.P said. North Korea has expanded a key long-range missile base in the months since a summit between the country's leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, according to satellite images published by CNN on Wednesday. The two men met in Singapore in June and signed a vaguely worded document that pledged to "work toward" the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, though it did not detail specifics on how this would come about. According to CNN, Pyongyang has upgraded the Yeongjeo-dong missile base in North Korea's mountainous interior and has built up another facility that had not previously been publicly identified. Experts told the US network that the site's location made it suitable to host North Korea's newest long-range missiles, including ones that could carry nuclear warheads. In a statement the Pentagon said: "We watch North Korea very closely but we cannot discuss intelligence." Trump said on Saturday that he hoped to organize a second summit with Kim in early 2019. National Security Adviser John Bolton said Tuesday that Trump thinks the North Korean strongman hasn't met the commitments he made at the Singapore summit. US officials insist on the complete, verified and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula before tough sanctions are lifted. But the North has rejected demands for what it calls "unilateral" disarmament, and has instead sought unspecified reciprocal US measures in a gradual process. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) OPEC members and other oil-producing countries may not be able to agree a reduction in output to help shore up plunging prices, Saudi Arabia said on Thursday. "No, I am not confident," Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters after coming out of a meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna. "We're still debating the distribution" of any possible cuts, he added. Iraqi minister Thamir Abbas Al Ghadhban said deliberations would continue on Friday. But he said: "We are hopeful that an agreement can reached." Unusually, the oil cartel had scrapped a planned conference on Thursday at which the members had largely been expected to announce a new reduction in output to stem the recent sharp drop in the price of crude. OPEC's 15 members had been meeting in the Austrian capital on Thursday to decide what action to take, a day after US President Donald Trump took to Twitter to urge them not to cut output. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" said Trump, who has repeatedly accused the cartel of keeping prices artificially high. The group is scheduled to meet again on Friday, this time with other oil-producing countries that are outside the cartel -- notably Russia -- to coordinate a joint policy. Earlier, Saudi oil minister al-Falih had said that a cut of a million barrels per day would be ideal. "Ideally, everyone should join equally. I think that's the fair and equitable solution," he said. OPEC daily output stood at 32.99 million barrels in October, according to the International Energy Agency. Nevertheless, the volume and distribution of the cuts will depend on the participation of Russia, whose energy minister Alexander Novak is only expected in Vienna on Friday. Novak, speaking from Saint Petersburg on Thursday, said that his country was watching closely how the situation was developing. But with Russia heading into winter, "climate conditions" made it "much more difficult (to cut output) than for other countries," he said. Analysts took that as a hint that Russia might only sign up to additional cuts at a later date. The price of a barrel of Brent, the European benchmark, fell four per cent to below USD60 Thursday because the projected reduction of around one million barrels was below what markets had been expecting, said CMC analyst, David Madden. OPEC ministers reacted to Trump's intervention by telling him not to interfere. "We don't need permission from anyone to cut," Saudi minister Al-Falih said. The US "is not in a position to tell us what to do." Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia is in a delicate position, in the wake of the murder of opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump has continued to support the kingdom despite worldwide outrage over the murder but he is at the same time keeping up the pressure for lower prices. Iran, OPEC's third-biggest producer, complained that it was the first time a US president was trying to tell OPEC what to do. "They should know that OPEC is not part of their Secretary of Energy," said its minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh. Iran wants to be exempted from any cuts that are agreed. Given the economic sanctions being reimposed by the United States, the Islamic republic "(won't) join any agreement for cutting production because of the special situation Iran faces," Zanganeh said. Zanganeh said the estimated surplus currently on the market amounted to 1.3-2.4 million barrels per day. Ideally, "the price would be better to stand at USD60-70. That is acceptable for most OPEC countries." Negotiations between OPEC members are fraught, as some feel that Saudi Arabia wields too much clout in setting policy. Iran has accused Saudi Arabia of being in thrall to the US. In a surprise move on Monday, Qatar -- which has been an OPEC member since 1961 -- said it would quit the cartel next month in order to focus on gas production. Doha accounts for only around two per cent of OPEC output but the move caught the headlines given the political overtones. Qatar has been isolated by a group of countries led by Saudi Arabia since June 2017, in the worst political fallout between the energy-rich Gulf powers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Thursday directed a private medical college in Uttarakhand to hand over its land, building and all assets to the state government after its students raised issues of lack of infrastructure and teaching faculty there. A bench headed by Justice R F Nariman passed the order while hearing a petition filed by a group of students, who were admitted to the first year MBBS course in the college. The students have moved the apex court saying as there was lack of infrastructure and faculty, they should be transferred to any other medical college in the state. Deputy advocate general of Uttarakhand Jatinder Kumar Sethi told the bench that the state would be willing to take over the college along with its entire infrastructure and assets, both movable and immovable, so that it could meet the norms of Medical Council of India and affiliate with Dehradun's Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Uttarakhand Medical University. "We direct the college to hand over the land, building and all assets, as stated hereinabove, to the state government forthwith to be completed latest by tomorrow, that is, December 7, 2018," the bench said. "This is only to allay an apprehension raised by Sethi that the management of college should not be given any time to deal with the assets and/or infrastructure, as it exists, as of today," the court said. It made clear that if the university affiliates the institution and Medical Council of India grants requisite permission, the students can sit for first year examination of MBBS course to be conducted by the university. "In pursuance of our order for handing over possession today itself, the Director General of Police, Dehradun, is directed to seal the aforesaid premises forthwith. We make it clear that any litigation qua this college, that may arise in future, can only be made before this court and no other," the court said. The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on December 13. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court Thursday declined urgent hearing on Delhi government's plea challenging NGT's order imposing a fine of Rs 25 crore for their failure to curb the problem of pollution in the city. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had on December 3 asked the AAP government to deposit the fine with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and furnish a performance guarantee of Rs 25 crore with the apex pollution monitoring body to ensure that there is no further lapse in this regard. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph refused urgent hearing on the appeal of the Delhi government. "Forget it (urgent listing). You (government) deposit it (fine)," the bench said. The green panel had said that even after more than four-and-a-half years, the complaint of the aggrieved parties is that the pollution caused by the unregulated handling of plastic continues to remain unabated. The tribunal was hearing pleas filed by Mundka village resident Satish Kumar and Tikri-Kalan native Mahavir Singh alleging pollution caused by burning of plastic, leather, rubber, motor engine oil and other waste materials and continuous operation of illegal industrial units dealing with such articles on agricultural lands in Mundka and Neelwal villages. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Observing that the "essence" of every government action must be in the interest of the institution, the Supreme Court asked the Centre and the CVC what was the "grave exigency" that prompted the "overnight" decision to divest Alok Verma of his powers as CBI Director over his bitter feud with Special Director Rakesh Asthana. The court said this while posing searching questions to the Centre and the Central Vigilance Commission(CVC) for waiting for more than three months to intervene in the feud between Verma and Asthana, who is the probe agency's No.2. "Institutions cannot be allowed to crumble," the court observed while reserving its verdict on the petitions filed by Verma and others challenging the Centre's October 23 decision to divest him of all powers and sending him on leave. "The essence of every government action must be in the interest of the institution and to adopt the best course," said a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. At one stage, the court asked, "Can there be an acting director?" Verma's counsel and senior advocate F S Nariman replied in the affirmative. "Yes", he said. The bench than posed another query as to whether the apex court can appoint anyone to head the CBI for which Nariman responded that it can as it has the powers under the Constitution. The top court reminded the Centre and the CVC that it was not that the fight between Verma and Asthana emerged overnight, forcing the government to divest the director of powers without consulting the Selection Committee comprising the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition and the Chief Justice of India. The court noted that the Attorney General K K Venugopal had submitted that the circumstances culminating in the situation had started in July but the Government action came in October. The Bench, also comprising Justice S K Kaul and K M Joseph, said the government has to be "fair" and asked what the difficulty was in consulting the Selection Committee before divesting the CBI director of his powers. "Nariman's submission is also what is the difficulty in consulting the selection panel. It is better to consult the selection panel. What is the best in the interest of the administration of the institution," the bench said, adding "at the earliest, go to the panel or committee when there is a grave exigency". "Can you see the situation which prompted CVC to take action. It was not overnight. It was happening since July as the Attorney General said." The court made the observations when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was justifying the action of the CVC which entertained the complaint of Asthana that was forwarded by the Cabinet Secretary. Mehta, representing the CVC, said extraordinary situations needed extraordinary remedies and referred to apex court judgements and the laws governing the CBI. He said the Commission's superintendence over the CBI encompassed "surprise, extraordinary situations". Mehta told the court that the top officers of the CBI, "instead of investigating cases, were investigating cases against each other". He said the jurisdiction is vested in the CVC to inquire or else it would have been guilty of dereliction of duty. If it did not act, it would be answerable to the President of India and the Supreme Court, he added. Further, he justified the intervention of the CVC in the tussle between the two officers by saying that "the ongoing fight between them vitiated the official environment in the CBI. It vitiated the environment among CBI officials." When the bench said the power of the CVC is confined to the investigations of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act and referred to the directions issued on October 23, the Solicitor General said the orders were passed in respect of both the officers under extraordinary and emergent situation. He said the justification is also in order as the two senior officers were fighting against each other and "the investigating officers in each cases were raiding each other and FIRs were being filed against each other and it was a surprise situation". Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Asthana, said he was a whistle-blower in the case, but was painted by the government with the same brush and sought a direction to the Centre that it should must take the CVC's preliminary inquiry against Verma to a logical end. "My assumption is that the CVC report is adverse in part to the gentleman (Verma). The Central government should take this report to logical end," Rohatgi said. Nariman said the Centre's order took away all the powers of the CBI Director. "The officer should have powers of Director. Tenure of two years does not mean that Director can have a visiting card with title, but without powers," submitted Nariman, in a reference to the AG's argument that Verma continues to be the agency Director. Nariman repeated his argument that what prevented the Centre to approach the selection committee which could have taken a decision whether to approach the CBI or whatever they might have thought. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for NGO 'Common Cause', said, "If there was any exigency government should have rushed back to selection committee." "Even the all India Service rules do not apply to the CBI Director as he has a fixed tenure," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Centre's decision to nominate three BJP members to Puducherry Assembly last year. The top court dismissed the appeals filed by a Congress MLA and Chief Whip of Congress party K K Lakshminarayanan and S Dhanalakshami against the Madras High Court's March 22 order upholding the nomination of the three MLAs and added that they can also exercise their vote in budget and no-confidence motion against the government. Lt Governor Kiran Bedi had administered the oath of office to the three members, V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapathi, in her chamber on July 4, 2017 after the Centre issued a notification nominating them. But Speaker V Vaithilingam declined to recongise them as MLAs and had cancelled their nomination. Challenging the Speakers' action, the three MLAs had moved the Madras High Court, which upheld their nomination. "We uphold the impugned judgment of the Madras High Court.... In the result, the appeals are dismissed subject to the deletion of recommendations ...," a bench of justices A K Sikri, Ashok Bhushan and SA Abdul Nazeer said Thursday. The HC had recommended that there be a law for clarity in the nomination procedure. The apex court held that Article 239 of the Constitution provides that unless provided by law passed by Parliament, every Union Territory has to be administered by the President through an administrator to be appointed by him, with such designation as he may specify. "Thus, the administrator will be central government when he acts within the scope of the authority given to him under Article 239 of the Constitution," the bench said. It said that no order of the President or central government was brought on the record on the basis of which it can be concluded that with regard to right of a nomination to be exercised by the central government under Section 3(3) of Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, any function has been delegated, authorised or instructed to the administrator. "Thus, in the present case, the definition of central government, as occurring in Section 3(3) of the Act, 1963 has to be read as to mean the President and not the administrator," it said. The bench said that when the Constitution expressly provides that it is Parliament which may provide by law constitution of legislature for the Union Territory, it is the Parliament alone which can provide for constitution of legislative assembly for Union Territory under the Act, 1963. "Section 3 of the Act, does provide for constitution of Legislative Assembly for Union Territory with thirty members to be elected members and three members to be nominated by the central government," it said. The top court said that nomination of MLAs cannot be the business of the government of Puducherry, as law passed by Parliament provides for the constitution of legislative assembly of the Union Territory which also includes nomination. "The section 3 (2) of the Government of Union Territories Act, provides that the total number of seats in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly to be filled by persons chosen by direct election shall be thirty and as per Section 3(3), the Central Government may nominate not more than three persons," the court said. It added that when nomination of MLAs has to be done by the Centre, then there is no occasion for consultation with the council of ministers or the Chief Minister by the administrator. "The nomination in the Legislative Assembly in the Puducherry is to be made by the Central Government by virtue of Article 239A read with Section 3(3) of the Act, 1963. In view of the foregoing discussion, we are of the clear opinion that nomination in the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry is not the Business of the Government of Puducherry. It is a business of Central Government as per Section 3(3) of Act, 1963," the bench said. It said that there is no breach of principles of federalism as argued by the petitioners as the Constitution itself empowers the Parliament to frame law to create a body, which may be partly nominated and partly elected and Section 3 of the Act, 1963. The court said that there are no established practice or convention to the fact that names for nominations to members of the Legislative Assembly has to emanate from Chief Minister and can be made by the Central Government only after concurrence by Chief Minister. The Madras High Court had dismissed the pleas challenging the nominations made by the Central Government in exercise of power under Section 3(3) of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 to the Legislative Assembly of Union Territory of Puducherry. In the 2016 assembly election in Puducherry, Congress bagged fifteen out of thirty seats and with the support of DMK party and one independent candidate formed the government in Puducherry. Lt Governor Kiran Bedi hailed the Supreme Court verdict, saying law has prevailed. "We thank the three MLAs for their forbearance as they had gone through many unpleasant situations, sometimes highly disrespectful, to finally achieve this judgment today," she said adding "in the end law has prevailed." The issue had deepened the rift between Bedi and the Congress government, which had assailed her action as "unconstitutional" and contended that the Centre had "unilaterally" nominated the MLAs without consulting the territorial government. The MLAs also welcomed the apex court order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The standing committee of the SDMC has given its nod to a policy for issuance and renewal of licenses online for household and service industries, the civic body said Thursday. The decision was taken during a meeting of the panel held at the Civic Centre here. "The SDMC's Standing Committee has given its nod to a policy for issuance and renewal of licenses online for household and service industries. The policy had been pending for the last many years," the SDMC said in a statement. The committee's chairperson Shikha Rai said for sanction and renewal of licenses the rules and provisions of the Master Plan of Delhi 2021 will be applicable under which in any sanctioned floor, out of 112 types of household industries, will be allowed over 50 per cent of the area wherein 5 KW electricity connection will have to be sanctioned and up to five workers will be allowed to work there. "Prior to this, up to 2010 only ground floor's 25 per cent area was allowed for setting up a household industry. Henceforth, the same can be established over 50 per cent area in any floor," she was quoted as saying in the statement. It is essential that the owner must reside in the building where a household industry is being set up, the SDMC said. "Pollution-generating household industries will be prohibited. Further, fire-prone material will not be allowed to be stored in the house. For sanction of license it will be essential to have a separate single-phase industrial electricity connection," it said. The license shall be valid for a single financial year which could be then renewed. The household industry will not be allowed in group housing societies but will be given permission in Janta Flats. Rai added that the household industries to be set up under the new policy will create employment opportunities for thousands of persons and pave the way for economic prosperity of a large number of families. For submission of online application one has to submit Rs 1,000 as a processing fee, a proof of identity, ownership of the building and a copy of electricity bill and other required documents, the SDMC said. The 112 types of allowed household industries includes agarbatti-making, medicines other than allopathic, electronic items, sewing machine, typewriter, Atta Chakki, biscuit, candles, sweets, jute products, computer software, UPS, PVC, khadi and handloom, photosetting, pan masala, zardozi and toys manufacturing. Apart from this, nine type of household industries are allowed in village area and admissible industries are plaster of Paris, clay products and wood-carving. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sify Technologies Thursday said it plans to commission a data centre in the city while Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) said it will invest Rs 120 crore in Kolkata in one of its largest single project. Both the announcements were made at 'Infocom 2018' which began on Thursday. Sify has taken 50,000 square feet on lease at the IT park in New Town to set up the data centre, a fast growing revenue stream for the company. We are setting up a 50,000 square feet data centre in Kolkata which will be inaugurated in February. What we as service providers can do is provide the necessary toolsets, said Kamal Nath, CEO, Sify Technologies. He added that steps like setting up data centre and making cloud accessible are essential building blocks for digital transformation for companies. Moreover, recent changes in public policy on data protection regulations in India and domiciling of data in the country of origin are key demand drivers of enterprises looking to use data centres in the country. STPI director general Omkar Rai said that it is making an investment of Rs 120 crore in Kolkata with an eye to expand the scope of delivery of technology services to the east and north eastern parts of the country and boost export from the region. To be set up on a area of around 2 lakh square feet, the project will house a network operating centre and a data centre and offer high speed data communication services to the IT and ITeS industry in Bengal. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar Thursday ruled out the possibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assemblies polls in 2019, but said it could be happen in 2024 if political parties reach a consensus. He added that besides the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, elections to municipal corporations, municipal councils and zilla parishads (ZPs) could also be held simultaneously if there was a consensus among the parties. Mungantiwar is the chairman of the two-member committee set up earlier this year by the Maharashtra government to examine the feasibility of simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and send a report to the Centre. The first meeting of the committee was held on July 31, while the second one was conducted on Wednesday (December 5). Speaking to select journalists here, Mungantiwar said, "There is no plan by the Centre to hold simultaneous elections in 2019. But it can take place in 2024 if political parties reach a consensus. The committee formed on the issue will have to give its suggestions if simultaneous elections could be held in 2024." The state finance minister added that the committee will consider three major factors. "We spend a huge amount of time, money and manpower on conducting polls. It has been noticed that somewhere in a state, there is an election code of conduct in operation for some election. We lose 311 days out of the total 365 days in a year over the code of conduct and the development works are stalled during these days," he said. "Simultaneous polls will save money and give more time for development issues," he said, adding that his department had allocated Rs 36 crore to conduct bypolls in Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seats earlier this year. Mungantiwar said being a part of the committee it was an opportunity for him to study the election process of 193 countries from across the world. He said he could either simply recommend suggestions in one line or give it after conducting an in-depth study of political and democratic systems in the world to conduct polls. "If a sitting legislator dies before completing his tenure his party could either recommend the name of an highly educated or a professional person as a replacement or the Election Commission can select the runner-up candidate from the same constituency. These are some of our thoughts," the BJP leader said. Also, if the Centre concludes about taking simultaneous polls, some state assemblies will need to be dissolved before their tenure and therefore, some states may oppose the decision, he added. "The BJP is in power in more than 90 per cent states. After the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, we will be a majority in Rajya Sabha also. Then, we can take the decision we want to," he said. On whether the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls could be held simultaneously in 2019, he said, "It can happen the day Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray decide to do so. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) / -- ~ Actor-par-genius Rajkummar Rao endorses Singapore based ACTIMAXX ~ Singapore-based active leisure brand ACTIMAXX, rolled out their exciting and stylish new range of chest print t-shirts, today, at an attractive price point. ACTIMAXX offers the perfect range of active wear, super comfortable and high on fashion, true to the brand's promise of 'FEEL FIT'. ACTIMAXX brand is owned by ACTIBRANDS PTE Singapore. ACTIMAXX Manufacturing and Marketing Pvt Ltd. is the Indian strategic partner of ACTIBRANDS PTE. (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/794044/Rajkummar_Rao_endorses_ACTIMAXX.jpg ) Chest printed t-shirts for men has emerged as one of the most trending and preferred youth apparel category for past few years. ACTIMAXX t-shirts are aimed at providing the perfect casual clothing t-shirts with prints inspired by the elements which interest and attract the country's youth. The move essentially showcases ACTIMAXX endeavour to consolidate its market position in the chest print t-shirt category. The ACTIMAXX range of t-shirts are endorsed by ace actor, and National Award Winner, Rajkummar Rao. The association with a maverick actor like Rajkummar serves as a perfect example of the Singapore-based brand's objective to cater to the trend setting Indian Youth with top quality product. Elaborating on the development of the range, Ms. Divya, Brand Director ACTIMAXX, stated, " The Printed t-shirt range is perfect for wearing on multiple occasions, be it campus clothing or casual evening wear category. India's urban youth love to set the new trends in fashion as well as lifestyle. As a brand, ACTIMAXX, fulfils all these desired necessities, in the best way possible." "I am extremely happy with the outcome of the chest print t-shirts as they capture the spirit and attitude of today's youth and their zeal towards life. Since I was personally involved in the designing process, most of the designs are my favourite and we are sure they will also be widely appreciated by the youth," said Rajkummar Rao. The chest print t-shirts range starts from INR 350 onwards. They are made of 100% cotton fabric with prints done by innovative printing technology. The Singapore-based brand aims to bring the active lifestyle wear inspired by the dynamic roles played by the citizens. With, t-shirts imprinted with exciting elements along with the logo and a structured fit, the brand has caught the imagination of the country's youth. The t-shirts come in unique designs, colours and essentially serve as active wear, which can be worn throughout the day. ACTIMAXX is for the 'happy life seekers' who want to be 'FIT FOR LIFE' About ACTIMAXX: ACTIMAXX brand is owned by ACTIBRANDS PTE Singapore and it has a strategic tie up with ACTIMAXX Manufacturing and Marketing Pvt Ltd. in India. ACTIMAXX offers the perfect range of active wear, super comfortable and high on fashion, 'That Makes You Feel Active', like you've got a spring in your step. ACTIMAXX originated with the singular objective of expanding the realm of fitness to include the soul, mind and body fitness. ACTIMAXX's philosophy promotes you to 'Feel Fit' in the mind before it makes your body fit. The brand is being retailed through e-commerce ad distribution channel and is expected to be available in 15000 stores by March 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes The International Monetary Fund (I.M.F.) has cautioned Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi and his administration that Samoa is at high risk of external debt distress. It has also warned that the Government has breached the threshold under the baseline scenario for the present value of the public-and publicly guaranteed (P.P.G) external debt-to-GDP ratio. The warning is contained in an I.M.F. Staff Report for the 2018 Article IV Consultation Debt Sustainability Analysis (D.S.A.), dated 16 April 2018. The updated D.S.A. suggests that Samoa remains at high risk of debt distress, the report reads. Samoas external debt breaches the threshold when the average impact of natural disasters is incorporated into medium- term projections." The government should continue with efforts to boost revenue collection and consolidate public finances, to be better prepared to respond to a future economic shock or natural disaster." Introducing a lower public debt-to-GDP target of 45 percent in the medium term and 40 percent over the longer term would increase fiscal space available to respond to a natural disaster. According to the report, the Government agreed with the D.S.A. findings and assured that it was committed to reducing total public debt. With debt just below the governments target of 50 percent of GDP, the Samoan authorities were open to lowering the debt target further to 45 percent of GDP in the medium-term, and 40 percent of GDP in the longer term, to build fiscal buffers for responding to natural disasters and other shocks, the report says. Questions sent to the Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti, about the issue have not been responded to. To date the Governments total debt stands at $1.1 billion with loans from Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and Japan. The total debt owed to China is $416 million. The debt sustainability analysis report which was approved by Paul Cashin of the I.M.F. and John Panzer from I.D.A. indicates that Samoas external debt breaches the threshold when the average impact of natural disasters is incorporated into medium term projections. Samoas rating for risk of debt distress was revised from moderate to high in the 2017 Article IV Staff Report, due to a change in methodology incorporating the average annual effects of natural disasters on medium-term growth, fiscal and current account balance projections." The long run assumption for the baseline average growth rate was adjusted down to 0.8 percentcompared with a non-disaster potential growth rate of 2.1 percentand the current account deficit was widened by 1.5 percentage points. These adjustments were based on the historical experience in Samoa, as well as the literature on the macroeconomic impact of natural disasters, says the analysis report. Furthermore, the report says that historically the annual average damage and losses incurred after a natural disaster in Samoa have been the highest in the region. The recovery efforts and reconstruction required after the 2009 tsunami and 2012 Cyclone Evan were largely financed by borrowing, pushing total public debt close to 58 percent of GDP in FY2014-2015well above the governments threshold target of 50 percent. The I.M.F. and I.D.A also noted that borrowing costs and the governments risk exposure have increased. Much of Samoas debt is long-term and concessional; however, total debt service requirements have increased from a historical average of around $50 million Samoan Tala to above $60 million. The proportion of total public debt denominated in foreign currency is also high, limiting the potential role for exchange rate movements to facilitate the adjustment of the economy to external shocks. The I.M.F. and I.D.A. points out the contingent liabilities from government guarantees to state-owned enterprises have fallen from around 8.8 percent of G.D.P. in 2015 to an estimated 7.2 percent of G.D.P. in 2016-2017, and are included in the baseline in the public debt sustainability analysis. The guarantees outstanding are mostly with the Development Bank of Samoa 79 percent of total guarantees for a credit line facility channeled from the Central Bank of Samoa through the D.B.S. for rehabilitation and recovery efforts post-Cyclone Evan. The C.B.S. extended another facility to the D.B.S. in 2013/14 in preparation for the 2014 International Conference on Small Island Developing States and continued eligibility for concessional borrowing from Multilateral development banks is assumed for the forecast period to finance the fiscal deficit. The grant element of new loans is 40 percent on average. Six US marines were missing after two American military aircraft crashed on Thursday during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, officials from both countries told AFP. The two planes -- an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker -- were involved in a "mishap about 200 miles off of the coast of Japan around 2:00 am" according to a statement from the US Marines in Japan. A US defence official told AFP that there had been a crash after the plane took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan. A spokesman for Japan's Self-Defence Forces said one of the airmen had been rescued but the immediate fate of the remaining crew members was unclear. The crew member was being assessed by doctors, the Marine statement said, adding that "the search and rescue operations continue for the remaining six." The C-130 was thought to be carrying five servicemen and the F-18 two, said the Japanese official, who added that Japan had scrambled four aircraft and three ships in the search. US media also reported five crew on the C-130 and two on the F-18. "We are thankful for the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force's efforts as they immediately responded in the search and rescue operation," the Marines said. The planes took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan and were "conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred," the statement said. The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation, the military added. The US military has about 50,000 troops stationed in Japan and accidents are not uncommon. In November, a US navy fighter jet crashed into the sea off Japan's southern island of Okinawa and its two crew members were rescued alive. The US military has also experienced difficulties with its Osprey helicopters, with several emergency landings, a deadly crash and a piece of the chopper falling on the grounds of a Japanese school. Those incidents have stoked tensions between close military allies Washington and Tokyo and led to protests against the deployment of Ospreys by residents living near US bases. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A soldier was killed in firing by Pakistani troops on Thursday along the Line of Control (LoC) in Macchil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said. "There was a unprovoked ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Macchil sector in Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir today (Thursday) at 10.45 am," an Army official said. He said one soldier was killed in the Pakistani firing. "Our troops retaliated in adequate measure to the Pakistani aggression," he added. This was the second ceasefire violation along the LoC in Kashmir valley within 24 hours. One soldier was injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Uri sector on Wednesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sterlite Copper's Tuticorin plant closure has led to a spike in prices of phosphoric and sulphuric acids, adversely affecting the downstream chemical and fertilisers industry, a top company official said. The Vedanta-owned company's unit in was closed in May this year following a government order. "In the last six-months, prices of sulphuric acid have shot up from Rs 3000/tonne to Rs 12,000/tonne, a rise of 300 per cent (four fold), and a tonne of phosphoric acid costs Rs 53,000 as compared to Rs 43,000 a tonne six month earlier, a rise of 23 per cent," P Ramnath said. "The plant met 80-90 per cent of demand for sulphuric acid in the country and 15 per cent of the phosphoric acid demand. The closure of our plant has led to a sharp surge in demand, thereby driving up prices," Ramnath added. He said the 4,00,000 tonne per annum plant, which met over 30 per cent of the of India's copper demand, produced sulphuric and phosphoric acids as a by-product which are key raw material for of fertiliser. The copper smelter was producing 1.2 million tonne (MT) of sulphuric acid per annum, half of this was sold on a commercial basis; and 2,30,000 tonne of phosphoric acid every year, Ramnath said. The sharp rise in prices will surely affect the prices of fertilisers which will further affect the farmers as they are the primary consumers of fertilisers, he noted. The government has set a target of doubling the farmers' income, but if the input cost remains high it will affect the profit margin, Ramnath said. He said that the plant's closure is also hurting industries that use copper for a wide variety of products. "Due to the shutdown in the last six months... import of the has seen a surge. While premium on copper has gone up by 10-15 per cent, the import of the has shot up 2.5 times to nearly 30,000 tonne per month," he said. The government had in May ordered permanent closure of Vedanta's unit in the state after 13 people, among protesters demanding its shutdown on environmental concerns, were killed in police firing. A 30-year-old taxi driver was arrested Thursday for allegedly killing another cab driver following a scuffle over the latter's relationship with a woman in northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri, police said. The accused, Yogesh, is a resident of Jahangir Puri and was arrested from Mool Chand Colony in Azadpur, they added. On Tuesday, a 28-year-old taxi driver, Mehtab, was stabbed to death by the accused, a senior police said. Police received a call at around 11 pm on Tuesday that a person with stab injuries was lying near the main gate of Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial (BJRM) Hospital, the officer said. He was declared brought dead by the doctors, the officer said. During inquiry, it was revealed that Mehtab had left home on Tuesday night after he received a call, Aslam Khan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest) said. After sometime, he was found wounded near the second gate of the BJRM hospital. He tried to get to the hospital, but collapsed near the gate, the officer said. Investigations revealed that Mehtab was in relationship with a woman which was objected by her another friend Yogesh, the DCP said. On the day of the incident, the accused had seen her speaking to Mehtab over the phone for a while following which he forced her to call him at gate no.2 of BJRM hospital to meet her, the officer said. When Mehtab arrived there, an altercation broke out between them which was then followed by a scuffle. An enraged Yogesh then stabbed Mehtab with a knife. After stabbing, the accused fled away from the spot in his car along with the woman, the officer added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Telangana assembly polls on December 7 will be a crucial test for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is contesting alone unlike in 2014, to gain a foothold in the southern state ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In 2014, the BJP fought the polls along with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and won five seats out of the 119 at stake. All the five--Uppal, Musheerabad, Amberpet, Goshamahal and LB Nagar constituencies--were in Hyderabad. Although the ruling TRS and the Congress-led grand alliance 'Praja Kutami' which also comprised the TDP, the Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) and the CPI appear to be the main rivals in most of the assembly seats, the BJP is making a determined bid to make its presence felt and increase the seat tally in the country's newest state formed in 2014. Poll analysts said the BJP could also hurt the prospects of the Congress in a few assembly segments. The elections are being mainly fought on local issues with the performance of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government coming under intense scrutiny. TRS got a majority in 2014 riding on the wave of the emotional Telangana sentiment. "BJP has a strong hold in Telangana. Traditionally, our voter share has been high in the Hyderabad region. Definitely, our percentage of votes will increase this time," BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao told PTI. People of Telangana will look to the BJP as a "real alternative" to the TRS both in ideological and political terms, he said, adding any "anti-TRS space" will not be occupied by the Congress. According to a senior BJP functionary, there will be a direct fight between the party and the TRS in constituencies such as Nizamabad (urban), Kalwakurty (Mahabubnagar district), Bhuvanagiri (Nalgonda district) and Mahbubabad (Warangal district). The functionary also said the BJP is making all out efforts to woo the "fence sitters" who may not be inclined to go with the TRS or the Congress-led alliance. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among the top BJP leaders who had campaigned in the state. In the 2014 assembly polls, the BJP and the TDP had a pre-poll alliance and the former contested in 45 seats, out of which it won five. The TDP won 15 seats out of the 72 it fought.(12 of its MLAs, however, switched over to the TRS and one to the Congress later). The TRS came to power winning 63 seats. In 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the TRS won 11 of the 17 seats. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three girls who had gone missing from Navi Mumbai were traced and reunited with their families by police's anti-human trafficking cell (AHTC) under 'Operation Muskan', police said Thursday. A six-year-old girl was reported missing by her father on October 15, 2016. During the investigation, police got to know the man and his wife had separated. They found that the woman had taken the child along with her to another place in Navi Mumbai without informing her husband or police about it, a release issued by the Navi Mumbai police said. The woman was traced to Karave village in Nerul township on December 4 this year and the child was found with her. The minor's father was informed about her well-being, police said. In another case, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped by a man from Nerul on October 12 this year. During the probe, the AHTC traced the girl to Gulbarga in Karnataka and she was reunited with her parents on Monday, the police said. Besides, a 15-year-old girl was allegedly abducted from Rabale area on October 22. The police got a tip-off that the kidnapper had taken the minor to Solapur on the promise of marrying her. In the meantime, the accused got a whiff of police closing-in on him. While he was returning to Navi Mumbai with the girl on November 30, he was caught, the police said. The girl was rescued and reunited with her parents, they added. According to police, the main aim of Operation Muskan is to prevent child trafficking and rescue children from persons who tried to engage them in begging, sexual trade and other anti-social activities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gujarat police on Tuesday arrested three persons including one of the prime accused in connection with the leak of a constable recruitment examination. As the examination scheduled last Sunday was cancelled, a fresh examination will be held on January 6. The number of persons arrested in the case has now reached 11, a police official said. Those arrested Thursday were identified as Yashpal Solanki, Indravadan Parmar and Rajendra Vaghela. Solanki and Vaghela were to appear for the written examination on Sunday, the official said. It was cancelled hours before after the authorities learnt that the paper had been leaked. Indravadan Parmar and some others hatched the conspiracy to obtain the question paper in advance with the help of a Delhi-based gang, said Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda. "Parmar was in contact with this gang which had promised to provide the question paper for money. He and some of his accomplices, who are yet to be arrested, then decided to send some candidates to Delhi to collect the paper," Chavda told reporters. Two days before the examination, around 30 persons, including some candidates, reached Delhi, where the gang provided them the question paper and answers. In return, the gang collected cheques of Rs 5 lakh from each candidate. "Though the gang members asked these candidates not to write down anything and just memorise every question, Solanki managed to write them down on a piece of paper and gave it to Parmar. Parmar passed it to other candidates. He had planned to make money by circulating the question paper," said Chavda. Police have formed several teams to nab the members of this Delhi-based gang, he said. As many as 8.75 lakh candidates were to appear for the examination for 9,700 posts of constable across 2,440 centres. Prior to Thursday's arrests, police had nabbed eight persons including two BJP workers -- Manhar Patel and Mukesh Chaudhary -- in the case. A fresh examination for constable's post would be held on January 6, the state government announced Thursday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Tamil Nadu government Thursday opposed a proposal to close a central potato research centre in the state, saying any such move will affect the interests of potato farmers in entire south India. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the Central Potato Research Station (CPRS) at Muthorai in Udhagamandalam was carrying out research on specific diseases affecting the vegetable and helped farmers address them. "It is understood from media reports that the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has taken a decision to shut down the CPRS, a premier institute," he said in the letter. "This CPRS is the only station in the whole of south India researching on potato cyst nematode and potato early blight, which are major diseases affecting potato cultivation and help the farmers to keep these maladies in check and grow the potato crop profitably," he said. CPRS had released India's first nematode resistant potato variety in 1985, which "is still predominantly grown in many areas across the Nilgiris," he added. The centre was one of the two institutes where potato farmers were getting disease-free seeds, Palaniswami wrote. If the research station was closed, farmers of Tamil Nadu and other southern states have to depend on the Potato Research Station at Jalandhar, Punjab, which was located far away. "Moreover, the (potato) varieties of north India are not suitable for southern hills. In the above circumstances, the closure of the said institute CPRS will have detrimental impact on the interests of potato farmers of this state and entire south India," he said. Potato was being grown in hills in the states of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with the farmers taking it up over 5,500 hectares in the former, the chief minister said. Founded in 1957, CPRS has been serving potato farmers for the past 70 years in coordination with the state government as well as with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) and was equipped with a hi-tech laboratory, seed production and multiplication facilities, he added. He urged Modi to direct the Agriculture Ministry and ICAR not to close the CPRS, Udhagamandalam "in order to safeguard the interests of the potato farmers of this state as well as farmers in other southern states of our country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The contentious Cauvery issue took the centre stage again Thursday with the Tamil Nadu assembly adopting a resolution urging the Union government to withdraw its approval for preparing a DPR on the proposed Mekedatu dam across the river in Karnataka and the upper riparian state asserting that the project was its "right". At the same time, Karnataka sought to reach out to Tamil Nadu, saying it did not want to have a fight or misunderstanding with anyone on the issue, clarifying that Mekedatu was only a balancing reservoir and there was no question of misusing it. While Tamil Nadu opposed the project, saying it was in violation of the final award of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal and the judgement of Supreme Court, and would affect its share of Cauvery water, Karnataka said there was no scope to explore possibility for irrigation in the area of the multipurpose (drinking and power) project. A specially convened sitting of Tamil Nadu assembly adopted an unanimous resolution condemning the Central Water Commission (CWC) for giving the permission to Karnataka for preparing the Detailed Project Report for the reservoir. It urged the Union Water Resources Ministry "to immediately order the CWC to withdraw the permission." The resolution requested the Centre to direct Karnataka not to take up any construction works at Mekedatu or at any other place in the Cauvery basin without the consent of Tamil Nadu and in violation of the final order of the tribunal and the judgement of the apex court. After the CWC on November 22 gave its nod for the DPR, opposition parties in Tamil Nadu have condemned it and staged a protest in Tiruchirappalli in the heart of the Cauvery delta region, claiming that the dam would affect the interest of the state farmers. Chief Minister K Palaniswami, who piloted the resolution, later wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi enclosing a copy of the resolution and its translated version, requesting him to take immediate action and direct the Water Resources Ministry to withdraw the CWC's nod. Tracing the Cauvery dispute between the two states, he said it was due to the "untiring" efforts of late chief minister Jayalalithaa and the intervention of the Supreme Court that the final award of the tribunal was notified. The apex court, in its judgement had affirmed that the upper riparian state shall not take any action so as to affect the scheduled deliveries of water to the lower riparian states," he said in the letter, a copy of which was released to media. Earlier in the assembly, replying to the discussion on the resolution, the chief minister said the Centre's "partisan attitude" on the Cauvey issue was causing anguish. Leader of the Opposition and DMK President M K Stalin wanted the resolution to be condemnatory of the Central government, maintaining that the approval for DPR was against federalism. In Bengaluru, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy held consultations with his predecessors and former water resource ministers on irrigation schemes with the government saying the Mekedatu project was its right and "lifetime dream". "It is the right of our state, we don't want tofight or have misunderstanding with anyone on this issue. It is a balancing reservoir, there is no question of us misusing it," Karnataka water resources minister D K Shivakumar told reporters here after the meeting. Responding to a question about Tamil Nadu rejecting the state's request for talks to clear doubts on the project, he said: "We request them (Tamil Nadu), they are like our brothers, we are friends.. we have to share this water... we don't want to fight with them." The meeting was attended by former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar, and former water resource ministers Allam Veerabadhrappa, K S Eshwarappa, H K Patil, M B Patil, Basavaraj Bommai, also technical and legal experts. The previous Siddaramaiah government had decided to implement the Rs 5,912 crore Mekedatu Multipurpose (drinking and power) project, which involves building a balancing reservoir with a capacity of about 66 tmcft, near Kanakapura in Ramanagaram district. Shivakumar said the state government was preparing the DPR and was taking all necessary steps to protect the interest of the state in accordance with law. "With utmost humility I appeal that both of us (Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) should work together in protecting the interest of our people," he said. The minister said he had written to Palaniswami and said there was no meaning in "unnecessarily objecting to the project. The project was being done within our state and with our money and without violating the judgement of the Supreme Court on the Cauvery dispute." In his letter, Shivakumar said, "The government desires to have an amicable solution.It appears that some misconceptions about the proposed project have occurred in government's and Tamil Nadu people's mind though actual reality of the project is different. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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. The Army has instructed its ground operatives working during disasters to go to the media directly whenever there is need, as such occasions lead to an information vacuum that need to be plugged, Defence Ministry spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand said on Thursday. Speaking at a conference on 'Media and Disaster', Anand said that in recent floods in Kerala the ground operatives were allowed to interact with media without prior permission of the higher ups. In case of a disaster, there is an information vacuum and nobody provides information to the media and the leaked information starts taking round, he said. "There is a need to fill this vacuum. During Kerala Floods, the Army had instructed its ground operatives that they needed no permission to interact with media. "During tragedies now, we have taken this decision that ground operatives may go directly to media whenever it is required," Anand said. The conference hosted by Special Centre for Disaster Management (JNU), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and, Disaster Management Initiatives and Convergence Society (DMICS) was addressed by experts from different fields including media. Training of reporters covering disasters and natural calamities and role of social media in such happenings was emphasised by K G Suresh, director general of Indian Institute of Mass Communication. Citing example of Nepal earthquake where Indian media faced backlash of the locals over its coverage of the tragedy, Suresh underlined significance of respecting sensibilities of the affected people. JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said knowledge and information were saviours during disasters. Media played a crucial role in exchange of information based on the knowledge provided by experts on different aspects of disasters, he said. Senior journalist Laxmi Prasad Pant underscored challenges before journalists by citing the Kedarnath tragedy that struck nine years after he had "predicted" it in 2004 and claimed he faced a police case as well as opposition from different quarters over his report. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Thursday, angering Beijing days into a trade war truce with the US. The detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions violations by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials who deemed the company a national security threat. The arrest stirred tensions just as the United States and China agreed to a ceasefire in their trade spat while negotiators seek a deal within three months. of her detention rippled through stock markets in Asia, particularly Shanghai and Hong Kong, with tech firms among the worst hit. By lunch Shanghai was 1.3 per cent lower while Hong Kong was 2.6 per cent off. "China is working creatively to undermine our national security interests, and the United States and our allies can't sit on the sidelines," US Senator Ben Sasse in a statement linking the arrest to US sanctions against Iran. "Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes it's laundered through many of Beijing's so-called 'private' sector entities that are in bed with (President) Xi (Jinping)'s communist party," he added. Meng was arrested in the western city of Vancouver on December 1, Canada's ministry of justice said in a statement. The ministry said the US is seeking her extradition and she faces a bail hearing on Friday, adding it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng, whose father, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, is a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. The arrest occurred on the same day that US President Donald Trump and Xi struck the trade war truce at a summit in Argentina. China's embassy in Ottawa demanded Meng's release. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim," the embassy said in a statement. "The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Ms Meng Wanzhou." Huawei said it was unaware of any wrongdoing by Meng and was provided "very little information" about the charges. "Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU," the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that US Department of Justice had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by Huawei. The New York Times said the company had been subpoenaed by the Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions. Huawei is not the first Chinese telecoms equipment firm to face the ire of US authorities. Earlier this year, the US imposed a seven-year ban on the sale of crucial US components to Chinese smartphone maker ZTE after finding it had failed to take action against staff who were responsible for violating trade sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The ban nearly killed the Chinese tech company, which said it was forced to cease major operations in May. A month later, Washington and Beijing reached a deal that would strike ZTE from the sanctions list -- just days after China reportedly offered to ramp up purchases of American goods to help cut the yawning trade imbalance with the US. American officials denied any connection between the two. In exchange, ZTE agreed to pay a hefty USD 1 billion fine and put an additional USD 400 million in escrow in case of future violations. It was also ordered to replace its board of directors and retain outside monitors. The case showed that China is highly dependent on imports of US-made semiconductors or computer chips and reinforced Beijing's need to become self-reliant on this key technology. Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. But despite global success, its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage. In May, the Pentagon said that devices from Huawei and ZTE posed an "unacceptable" security risk. Personnel on US military bases are banned from buying equipment manufactured by the Chinese tech firms. Over the summer, Australia barred Huawei from providing 5G technology for wireless networks in the country over espionage fears. New Zealand followed suit in November, but said the issue was a technological one. Britain's largest mobile provider too has joined the global ban on Huawei. On Wednesday, BT announced it was removing Huawei's telecommunications equipment from its 4G cellular network, following a warning from the head of MI6 foreign intelligence service that singled out the Chinese company as a potential security risk. Despite being essentially barred from the critical US market, Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world's number two smartphone maker in the second quarter of this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Thursday sought help from Amul India Ltd for developing dairy industry in the state. A delegation of Amul India, headed by senior dairy expert S T Deshai called on Deb at his office and discussed the prospects of developing the dairy industry and milk-based economy in the state, a press statement said. The chief minister hoped that help from Amul will help in solving unemployment to some extent besides fulfilling the state's demand for milk, it said. Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) is the largest food company marketing milk and milk products under the brand name of Amul. Deb also said his government wants to share experiences in running dairy industry with Amul which has a vast experience in the sector. The CM sought help from Amul to implement his plan of distributing 10,000 cows to farmers in rural Tripura. The state government had last month that it would launch a scheme for distributing 10,000 cows among 5,000 farmers to combat malnutrition and generate employment in the state. Kamal Krishna Majumder, Director of Animal Resources Development Department, said that Tripura produced 1,74,260 metric tonnes of milk in 2017. In April this year, a government notice said that steps would be taken for augmenting milk production at Gomati Milk Cooperative Limited. Deb said, If Tripura become self-reliant in milk production then there will be no need for importing milk from other states and the money of our state will not go outside. I sought Amul India Limited to help in this sector. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two persons were killed and five others injured after a truck rammed into a tractor from behind in Deori tehsil in Gondia district of Maharashtra, police said on Thursday. The accident took place at Bharregaon Phata on NH-6 around 11.30 pm on Wednesday, police said. "The tractor, which was carrying a small harvester machine as well as some people, was going to Sirpurbandh in the district. When it reached Bharregaon Phata, a truck transporting iron pipes to Odisha from Mumbai rammed into the tractor from behind," a police official said. "The tractor overturned due to the impact and its driver and another man travelling in it died on the spot. Five other occupants suffered critical injuries in the incident and they were rushed to the rural hospital in Deori," he added. One of the injured was later shifted to Nagpur for further treatment, police said. The driver of the truck, Babu Janrao Dongre (26), was later arrested, police said, adding that further investigation into the case was on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two residents of Jammu and Kashmir including a minor, allegedly involved in pelting stones at security forces, have been detained in Kutch district of Gujarat, police said Thursday. Altaf Najar(23) and a 16-year-old boy were allegedly involved in attacking security forces, and three FIRs have been registered against them in J&K, said a senior Gujarat police official. Following a tip-off, the two were detained from a guest-house in Bhuj town of the district a few days ago and have been kept under preventive detention till the J&K police take their custody, said the official. One of them is also facing a charge of attempt to murder, the official said, without giving more details. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two US Marine Corps aircraft crashed during a refuelling operation off the coast of Japan, a US defense official told AFP on Wednesday. The planes involved were an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker, the official said. In a statement, the Marine Corps said the planes had taken off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan. Search and rescue operations were underway following a "mishap." The planes "were conducting regularly scheduled training when the mishap occurred," the statement said. US media reported five crew were on the C-130 and two on the F-18. Second Lieutenant Alyssa Morales, a spokeswoman for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing based in Okinawa, told military site Task and Purpose that one of the Marines had been rescued alive, but this could not be immediately confirmed. The US military has about 50,000 troops stationed in Japan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Exporters body FIEO Thursday said the uncooperative attitude of state-owned bankers is hurting exports and it would not be possible to increase shipments without adequate credit support. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Gupta demanded quick resolution of bank credit issues to push the country's exports. "PSU banks officials including MDs, EDs, GMs, AGMs are not accessible to exporters, particularly from the MSME sector. This has tightened the hands of these exporters to take orders as they are not able to discuss issues and challenges with regard to availability and cost of credit to the exports sector," he told reporters here. He added that the efforts of Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is taking several steps to promote exports, would not fructify if banks fail to lend adequate funds to exporters at affordable rates. While the government is pushing the Digital India initiative and paperless transactions, the banks are demanding bundles of documents, collateral and other papers for considering applications even for small loans, he said. "It takes months and months to get these limits approved and in the meantime we lose our orders. The issue needs urgent attention of the government," Gupta added. He said similar problems are being faced with regard to insurance body ECGC, which shows reluctance to extend insurance cover to exporters. "They reject claims on very flimsy grounds. I would urge the Commerce Minister to look at the matter on an urgent basis. If banks and ECGC continue to behave like this, we would not be able to register double digit growth rate in exports," he said. He also made a case for enhancement of duty drawback rates, inclusion of more products like fabrics under export promotion scheme MEIS and extension of the interest equalisation scheme to merchant exporters. Only these measures can help in achieving USD 350 billion exports and recording substantial growth, he added. Referring to the issues concerning trade with China, the FIEO chief said India's exports to China grew by about 17 per cent in the first six months of 2018-19. He further said a sharp decline in exports of copper, ores, minerals and zinc shows that India's exports are moving towards value added products. On trade with Iran, he said India's exports to the country grew by about 22 per cent in the first six months of 2018-19. However, the imposition of sanctions has definitely impacted India's shipments as the three-month window provided by the US government got over in August 2018, he said. "We have been given to understand that UCO Bank is working on necessary modalities to start the rupee payment. This should apply to all exports except those in OFAC list or those under sanctioned entities," he said. Insurance and shipping remain a challenge for exports to Iran as both European and US based insurance/shipping companies are reluctant to take such business, he said. Since most of the courier companies have also boycotted Iran, sending exports documents is also a challenge particularly with the unavailability of SWIFT, he said, adding India Post should look into the opportunity to fill the gap. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US has hinted that it will oppose any move by China to impose its own Dalai Lama on the Tibetan people as Washington believes that the decision to pick the successor to Tibet's current top Buddhist leader should be as per religious traditions and the state has no role in it. China has grown increasingly wary about who will succeed the 14th Dalai Lama, who lives in India on exile. The current Dalai Lama, who is 83, was designated by high priests as the next Dalai Lama when he was just 2. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, when the current Dalai Lama passes away, he will reincarnate as another person. China has maintained that it has the authority to appoint the successor to the 14th Dalai Lama, who is loyal to Beijing. Explaining the Trump administration's stand to lawmakers on Tuesday, Laura Stone, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the US has a clear position that religious decisions should be made by religious organisations, not by political regimes. "The United States has a very clear position that decisions, religious decisions, should be made within religious organisations, that this isn't the role of the state," Stone told the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy during a Congressional hearing. Stone was responding to a question from Senator Cory Gardner. "China has said that they will pick the next Dalai Lama. The Tibetan Policy, actually in 2002, mandated that American officials visit Tibet on a regular basis. I want to get into both of these. If China proceeds and tries to impose a Dalai Lama what will the US response be?" the senator had asked. Gardner said it was clear that this Congress would not recognise a Chinese imposition on the Tibetan people. Stone said the senator asking such a question was an important signal in itself to the Chinese government that this was the kind of issue that the United States was watching very closely and at very senior levels. "I wouldn't want to prejudge exactly how this, a future scenario, would roll out but I would like to lay a marker that that is the clear position of the United States government and, I think, widely supported within the American society, that those are the kinds of decisions that should be made by religious communities on their own and without outside interference," she asserted. In his remarks, Gardner said the crackdown in the Tibet Autonomous Region was intensifying while Beijing continued to refuse negotiations with the Central Tibetan Administration. "Human rights defenders are routinely jailed, tortured, and otherwise deprived of liberty. A genuine freedom of speech and assembly are nonexistent. Corruption and abuse of power are rampant. The judicial system is a tool of the state and the party and not an impartial arbiter of legal disputes," he said. The United State, Stone said, was deeply concerned at the lack of meaningful autonomy for the Chinese people. "We have certainly pressed for the release of detained activists throughout the entire country, but very importantly, on the Tibet plateau and in historical Tibet," she said. The US has been pushing for access to Tibet with the Chinese authorities, Stone said, adding "I know that's an important issue. We do want to work with Congress on that shared goal and we do continue to have very serious concerns about the ability of the Tibetan people to continue to have the ability to express their unique culture, their unique language, and their religious practices." While Beijing views the Dalai Lama as a separatist who seeks to split Tibet from China, the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize laureate says he only seeks greater rights for Tibetans, including religious freedom and autonomy. Senators Gardner and Ed Markey reflected the sentiments of the US Congress, seeking equal access of Americans to China as being done by the US to the Chinese. A legislation is currently being moved in the Congress in this regard. "We need to consider reciprocal access as part of our policy in approach to Tibet and to China and what's being done to address this and to promote our access to Tibet. Do you share the goals of our Reciprocal Act? he asked. In the absence of such a reciprocity, the Act calls for sanctions against Chinese officials. "We certainly share the goals and we do look forward to working with you to figure out how best to achieve those goals," Stone said, confirming that the US government would implement the provisions of the Reciprocal Act if signed into law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Uttarakhand High Court Thursday dismissed a PIL seeking a ban on upcoming movie "Kedarnath" on the plea that it hurts Hindu sentiments. Dismissing the petition, a division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Ramesh Khulbe said a similar controversy surrounding the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's "Padmavat" had made the film a super hit. The court advised the petitioner to approach a high powered committee headed by the Rudraprayag district magistrate with his objections to the movie. The court left it to the discretion of the Rudraprayag DM to take an appropriate decision according to law and order situation in the area. It also advised the counsel of the petitioner not to see the film if he so wished. Set against the backdrop of the 2013 deluge, the film which depicts the love story of a Muslim porter and a Hindu girl on a pilgrimage to Kedarnath releases tomorrow. Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan portray the lead characters in the movie. The petitioner, who had objected to the film due to a variety of reasons including its passionate love scenes and alleged promotion of love jihad, said he was disappointed by the high court's order. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There is huge wastage of food and water at wedding functions in Delhi even as an "unconfirmed report" has stated that three girls recently starved to death here and people continue to face water shortage, the Supreme Court said Thursday seeking to know the government's plan to deal with the issue. Commercial interest of owners of motels and farmhouses, where marriage ceremonies take place, was getting far more importance than the public interest, indicating a "very sorry and sad state of affairs", prima facie loaded in favour of the rich and powerful, the top court observed. A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said it was high time that the authorities concerned with governance of Delhi gave precedence to public interest over commercial interests of owners of motels and farmhouses. The bench, which also comprised Justices Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta, asked Delhi's chief secretary to appear before it on December 11 so that appropriate directions could be passed in this regard. The court, which was hearing a matter related to Blue Sapphire motel here, was informed that there were around 300 marriage halls in Delhi but during the wedding season around 30,000 to 50,000 marriages take place on a single day. The counsel appearing for the motel said they had an underground water tank of one lakh litre capacity and the fire department has told them to increase it to 1.27 lakh litre. "Commercial interest of these motel owners is not above public interest of people of Delhi. If every motel will have one lakh litre water stored with them and people of Delhi are not getting water, then what is to be done," the bench said. "Tell us how much food and water is wasted in these 50,000 marriages here," the bench asked, adding, "You have (municipal) corporations which side with these kind of people (motel owners). That is why we are having so many problems. A balance has to be struck in favour of public interest". The bench referred to a report of July which claimed that three girls had died here due to starvation. When the counsel appearing for municipal corporations said it was "Indian mentality" to have several functions in marriages, the bench said it was much more in northern India, particularly Delhi. "In our view, it is high time that the authorities concerned with governance issues in Delhi give precedence to public interest rather than commercial and financial interest of owners of motels and farmhouses and other similar organizations," it said. The bench said it is a matter of common knowledge that availability of drinking water and availability of food is a "natural human right" and this must be respected by the authorities concerned with governance of Delhi. The court said there were a number of farmhouses and motels in Delhi and one can imagine the amount of water used by them for carrying out their business. "We are mentioning this fact in the context of water shortage in Delhi and an application having been moved in this court today by the NCT of Delhi (in another case) requiring the state of Haryana to release large quantity of water because of shortage of water in Delhi," it said. "That apart, we also find that tons of food is served in these functions including weddings and a large quantity of food goes waste. We are mentioning this in the context of an unconfirmed report that had appeared in one newspaper sometime back that three girls starved to death in Delhi," it said. When the counsel appearing for the motel told the bench about their water storage, the bench asked, "From where are you getting one lakh litre of water? People of Delhi are not getting water due to all this things". "In other words, there is a huge amount of mismanagement of scarce water and wastage of food. Surely, no one can say that this waste is in public interest," the bench said. "The attitude of the state and the authorities under the state including the municipal corporation appears to be in favour of the motels and farmhouse owners much to the detriment of public interest," it said. The court also said that it was talking about the entire motel and farmhouse industries in Delhi which were engaged in hosting functions like marriages. "To further look into the matter and see whether the state is thinking on these lines, we would require the presence of Chief Secretary of Delhi on Tuesday, December 11, so that appropriate directions can be passed. It should be appreciated that money is not everything in life," it said. The bench also observed that since there were hundreds of motels and farmhouses in Delhi, it was virtually impossible for the Delhi Fire Service and other authorities to go on and inspect these premises to see whether laws were being complied with. The issue had cropped up when the court was hearing a matter related to sealing of unauthorised constructions in Delhi. The top court is also seized of the issue related to validity of the Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2006 and subsequent legislations which protect illegal construction from being sealed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh's vehicle was attacked Thursday at Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar district by unidentified miscreants. Ghosh is in the district to take part in the saffron party's 'Rathyatra'. He was attacked when he was on his way to Mathabhanga in the district. "TMC leaders attacked my car and shouted slogans demanding that I should go back. Some of my party workers were injured during the violence. The police were watching merely as mute spectators," he said after the incident at Sitai More in Sitalkuchi. Senior TMC leader Rabindranath Ghosh termed the allegation as baseless and said the attack was a fallout of infighting in BJP. The district police administration said they are looking into the incident. BJP president Amit Shah is scheduled to kickstart the party's 'Save Democracy Rally', comprising three 'Rath Yatras', in the state. BJP has claimed that the Rath Yatra would be a "game changer" in West Bengal and Shah had set a target of winning 22 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, several top BJP leaders and chief ministers such as Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Raman Singh, Yogi Adityanath, Uma Bharati and Giriraj Singh will participate in the campaign. Modi is likely to attend four rallies to give a thrust to the party's campaign in the state ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has refused permission to president Amit Shah's proposed 'rath yatra' from Coochbehar on grounds that it might cause communal tension, the state's advocate general informed the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. Kishore Dutta told the court that the Coochbehar superintendent of police refused permission for the president's from Friday. The state submitted that it might cause communal tension. Asked by the judge who will take responsibility if anything untoward happens, counsel Anindya Mitra submitted it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. The advocate general opposed the BJP filing a supplementary affidavit opposing the refusal of permission, saying it can either come with a fresh petition or an amendment to his petition. The West Bengal government has denied permission to BJP president Amit Shah's proposed 'rath yatra' from Cooch Behar on grounds that it might cause communal tension, the state's advocate general informed the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. Kishore Dutta told the court that the Cooch Behar superintendent of police refused permission for the BJP president's rath yatra from Friday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah is scheduled to kickstart the party's 'Save Democracy Rally', comprising three 'rath yatras', in the state. The state government submitted that it might cause communal tension in the district. Dutta said the district has a history of communal issues and that there was information that some communal provocators and rowdy elements had become active there. The SP's refusal letter also noted that several top BJP leaders would come to Cooch behar, as also people from other states, stating that these may affect the communally sensitive district. Stating that refusal of permission was an administrative decision in view of the ground situation, the AG said that details of apprehension cannot be spelt out in open court due to its sensitive nature and he can submit these to the court in a sealed cover, if directed. The BJP, which moved the court seeking direction to the state government for giving permission for its three rallies, told the bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty that it will hold peaceful yatras. Asked by the judge as to who will take responsibility if anything untoward happens, BJP counsel Anindya Mitra submitted that the party will hold a peaceful rally, but that it was the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. Mitra submitted that the Constitution guarantees the right to hold political programmes. He said that assumption of untoward situation cannot be a ground for refusal. Asked by the judge whether he was agreeable to deferment, the BJP counsel answered in the negative and said that it started preparations for long and had approached the administration for permission in October. He submitted that "it is only now that they have refused permission after sitting on the applications for long." The advocate general also opposed the BJP filing a supplementary affidavit opposing the refusal of permission, saying it can either come with a fresh petition or an amendment to his petition. The BJP campaign is scheduled to begin from Cooch Behar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The United States will suspend its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty unless Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance, the Trump Administration has said. In a conference call with reporters from Moscow on Thursday, US Ambassador to Russia John Huntsman said Russia "must return to full and verifiable compliance". The failure to do so will result in the demise of the INF Treaty, he warned. "But we should be clear. Russia has not shown any indication, so far, that it seeks to return to full compliance," Huntsman said. "The United States is declaring that Russia's ongoing violation of the INF Treaty constitutes a material breach of the treaty. The United States will suspend its obligations under the treaty, effective 60 days from December 4th, which is when Secretary (of State, Mike) Pompeo, just a couple of days ago, laid it out in very clear terms, unless Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance," the Ambassador said. "This also does not mean we are walking away from arms control. We are doing this to preserve the viability and integrity of arms control agreements more broadly. We remain committed to arms control. But we need a reliable partner, and do not have one in Russia on INF or, for that matter, on other treaties that it's violating," Huntsman said. Andrea Thompson, Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said such a decision really demonstrated to all nations, both friend and foe, that the Trump Administration took its arms control treaty seriously. "We've confronted Russia multiple times over the course of the five-plus years and the 30 detailed engagements. And raised it with them. We confronted them with the evidence of the violation, they feigned ignorance," she said. Russia, she alleged, went from denying the missile's existence, to now claiming it is in compliance. "We've exercised patience with this across two administrations. The ambassador mentioned over 30 occasions since 2013. We've raised it at the highest levels in the Putin regime that a failure to return to the status quo would have consequences, and they've continued to violate the treaty," Thompson added. She said the first responsibility of the Trump Administration was to protect the safety and security of the American people, and that promise relied upon a credible military deterrent. "With our INF Treaty, it doesn't bind the likes of China or Iran or North Korea. If we want credible arms control agreements, we've got to demonstrate that our treaties are worth the paper they're written on," she said. Thompson said it was very clear that Russian President Vladimir Putin broke the terms of the INF Treaty. "He's done other violations, which I'm sure we'll talk about," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yemen's government and rebels doubled down on their rival demands Thursday, just moments before hard-won peace talks were due to open in Sweden under the auspices of the United Nations. A top Huthi rebel official threatened Thursday to bar UN planes from using the Yemeni capital's airport unless peace talks in Sweden lead to its full reopening. "If the Yemeni capital's airport is not opened to the Yemeni people in the peace talks in Sweden, I call on the (rebel) political council and government to close the airport for all planes," Mohammed Ali al-Huthi tweeted. The Yemeni government hit back, demanding the rebels withdraw from the flashpoint port city of Hodeida. Yemen's foreign ministry demanded the "coupist militias withdraw fully from the western coast and hand the area over to the legitimate government" via Twitter -- a reference to rebel-held Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port. The Sweden talks mark the first attempt in two years to broker an end to the Yemen conflict, which has killed at least 10,000 people since 2015 and triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Some 14 million people are at imminent risk of starvation in Yemen, according to UN estimates, as a Saudi-led military coalition continues to battle the country's Iran-backed Huthi rebels. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Yemen's government and rebels, locked in a devastating war for years, traded mutual accusations Thursday as they sat down for hard-won talks the United Nations described as "difficult" but "critical". The talks in Sweden are the first in two years in a conflict which has pushed impoverished Yemen to the brink of mass starvation. While the days leading up to the talks looked promising, with the government and rebels agreeing on a prisoner swap deal and the evacuation of wounded insurgents for medical treatment in Oman, the atmosphere between the two sides was tense as the talks opened. Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, who heads the Saudi-backed government's delegation to the UN-sponsored talks, told AFP his team would follow through with a planned prisoner swap with the Huthi rebels. But he refused to compromise on the flashpoint city of Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port. "The Huthi militias must withdraw from the city of Hodeida and its port and hand it over to the legitimate government, and specifically internal security forces," Yamani said. Hamid Issam, a member of the team of Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Sweden, however, dismissed Yamani's role in the talks altogether. "We came here with the intention that these talks would succeed," Issam told AFP. "But it is not up to Khaled al-Yamani... It is up to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. "If they could have taken Hodeida four years ago, they would have. They have not been able to take it, and they will not be able to take it as long as the people of Yemen are fighting." The talks, being held in the picturesque Swedish village of Rimbo, around 60 kilometres north of Stockholm where warring parties have to eat in the same cafeteria, have been months in the making and are slated to run for one week. On the agenda is Hodeida. Not on the table are negotiations on a solution to the conflict between the government of Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, based in southern Yemen, and the northern Huthi rebels, according to UN envoy Martin Griffiths. The Saudi-led military coalition, which includes troops trained by the US and UAE, has for months led an offensive to retake Hodeida, the last rebel stronghold on Yemen's Red Sea coast and the conduit for 90 percent of vital food imports. The move has sparked fears for more than 150,000 civilians trapped in the city as even hospitals were seized by militants. Saudi Arabia and its allies accuse the rebels of smuggling arms from Iran through Hodeida, a charge Tehran denies. More than three years since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's fight against the Huthis, Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis with 14 million people facing starvation amid war as a frail economy crumbles. Griffiths, the UN special envoy for Yemen, said the talks presented a "critical opportunity" but did not amount to negotiations on a full end to the conflict between the Iran-backed Huthi rebels and a rival government alliance led by Saudi Arabia. Speaking on condition of anonymity as Thursday's talks wound down, a UN official said the talks marked "the beginning of difficult work". Griffiths said the UN was willing to step in in Hodeida, an offer the Saudi-led coalition has rejected unless the rebels withdraw completely from Yemen's western coastline. "We'd like to take Hodeida out of the conflict because ... it's the humanitarian pipeline to the rest of the country. "We would like to see that airport open, but it needs to be assessed," he said. "We'd like to see progress on this." The head of the Huthis' political council, Mohammed Ali Huthi, threatened Thursday to bar UN planes from using the Yemeni capital's airport unless the talks led to its full reopening. "Unless the airport is opened to all our wounded and sick... then it will remain closed," said Huthi delegate Issam, referring to demands the rebels be allowed to evacuate more fighters for medical treatment. Sanaa international airport, located in the rebel-held capital, has been largely shut down for years. It has been the target of air raids by the Saudi-led coalition, which also controls Yemeni airspace. International pressure to end the Yemen conflict reached unprecedented heights in recent weeks, as all eyes turned to Saudi Arabia's policies following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Griffiths' plans to host talks in Geneva in September collapsed on the opening day after the rebels refused to leave the Yemeni capital, saying they feared they would not be allowed to return. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Neha Dasgupta and Mayank BhardwajNEW DELHI (Reuters) - China and India may be talking about improving their trade relationship but there is little action to go with the words.According to Indian government officials and representatives of various Indian trade bodies, progress is very slow - and may even be getting slower after last weekend's truce between the United States and China in their trade war. Both India and China have sought to rebuild trust after a armed standoff over a stretch of the Himalayan border last year. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi ... By Yawen Chen and Se Young LeeBEIJING (Reuters) - China on Thursday expressed confidence in striking a trade deal with the United States within their 90-day ceasefire period, praising the recent meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping as highly successful.In Argentina last weekend, Trump and Xi agreed to a truce that delayed the planned Jan. 1 U.S. hike of tariffs to 25 percent from 10 percent on $200 billion of Chinese goods while they negotiate a trade deal."We are very confident in reaching an agreement (with the United States) within the next 90 days," ... By Adam JourdanSHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's embassy in Canada criticised Canada and the United States on Thursday for wrongfully arresting a senior executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and demanded her immediate release.Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, is facing extradition to the United States and her arrest could rekindle tensions between Washington and Beijing only days after they agreed to a ceasefire in a bitter trade war.Meng was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1. Her arrest is related to violations of U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. ... By Sarah Marsh and Nelson AcostaHAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba's government said on Wednesday it was easing new regulations on the Communist-run island's fledgling private sector just two days before they are due to go into effect to take into account the concerns of entrepreneurs and experts.Unease with wealth accumulation and concerns about tax evasion and other illegalities had prompted the government to announce in July tighter controls on the private sector which has flourished in the wake of market reforms eight years ago.But some of the restrictions announced sparked widespread frustration ... By Jonathan Weber(Reuters) - The arrest in Canada of Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and daughter of the founder and CEO, jolted the global business community on Thursday and raised fears that a truce in the U.S.-China trade war could come to a swift end.Meng's arrest came at the behest of U.S. authorities and is connected to an investigation into alleged violations of U.S. trade sanctions, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. China's foreign ministry said neither the United States nor Canada have explained reasons for the arrest.What is ... Canada has arrested Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States, Canada's Department of Justice said on Wednesday. The arrest is related to violations of US sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the violations. Meng Wanzhou, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department ... WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Canada has arrested Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States on suspicion she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday.Meng Wanzhou, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said, according to the Globe and Mail.Representatives of Huawei, one of the world's largest makers ... By Sumita LayekBENGALURU (Reuters) - Rice export prices fell a the second consecutive week in India on a weakening rupee and slow demand, while strict inspections from top consumer China muted exports from Vietnam.India's 5 percent broken parboiled variety was quoted around $364-$368 per tonne this week, from $366-$370 the last week."Prices are down as traders are adjusting to the drop in the rupee. Demand is still weak," said an exporter based at Kakinada in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.The Indian rupee fell nearly 1 percent on Thursday to the lowest level in two weeks, increasing ... By Rajendra JadhavMUMBAI (Reuters) - India's annual cotton output could drop 12 percent to the lowest in nine years as limited rainfall in the top two producing states has slashed crop yields, potentially cutting exports from the world's top producer, industry officials said.Lower cotton shipments from India will allow rivals such as the United States, Brazil and Australia to increase cargoes to key Asian buyers such as China and Pakistan. It may also support global prices that have fallen 16 percent since hitting a four-year peak in June.India could produce 32.5 million bales in the 2018/19 ... By Neha Dasgupta and Mayank BhardwajNEW DELHI (Reuters) - India will import crude oil from Iran using a rupee-based payment mechanism, an industry source involved in discussions told Reuters on Thursday, adding that 50 percent of those payments will be used for exporting items to Tehran.India's state-owned UCO Bank is expected to announce the payment mechanism in the next 10 days, the source said."An agreement had been signed by the Indian and Iranian government on Nov. 2 2018 for oil payment in rupees and 50 percent of those funds had been earmarked for exports," according to an Indian ... NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian government on Thursday approved a plan by one state-owned lender to the power industry, Power Finance Corp to acquire a majority stake in a similar government-controlled lender, REC Ltd, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.The government did not disclose the price of the 52.63 percent stake but based on REC's closing share price on Thursday, it would be worth around 108 billion rupees ($1.52 billion).The sale may allow the government to say that it is getting closer to meeting its target of raising 800 billion rupees through the sale of government stakes in ... By Henning GloysteinSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices dipped on Thursday as stock markets slid and as traders eyed an OPEC meeting expected to result in a supply cut aimed at draining a glut that has pulled down crude by 30 percent since October.International Brent crude oil futures were at $61.35 per barrel at 0747 GMT, down 21 cents, or 0.3 percent from their last close.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $53.17 per barrel, down 28 cents, or 0.5 percent.The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is meeting at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on ... By Devika Krishna KumarNEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil fell nearly 3 percent in choppy trading on Thursday after OPEC and its allies ended a meeting without announcing a decision to cut crude output, and prepared to debate the matter the next day.The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries met in Vienna to decide production policy in coordination with other countries including Russia, Oman and Kazakhstan.OPEC tentatively agreed to cut oil output but was waiting for a commitment from non-OPEC heavyweight Russia before deciding volumes. [nL8N1YB1II]Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak ... By Amanda CooperLONDON (Reuters) - Oil fell in choppy trading on Thursday after OPEC ended a key meeting having made no decision on crude output, as it prepared to debate the matter with other exporters the next day.The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) met in Vienna to decide its production policy in coordination with non-OPEC producers including Russia, Oman and Kazakhstan.An OPEC delegate said the organisation had agreed a tentative deal to cut oil output but had not yet come up with a final figure.Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said earlier that OPEC needed ... Russell Isaac, 90, of Bowie, Maryland. BARCLAY, Md. (December 6, 2018)Maryland State Police have arrested a Prince George's County man who is suspected of raping two minors at an Eastern Shore private school in the late 1960s.Russell Isaac, 90, of Bowie, Maryland, is charged with multiple counts of rape and associated sex offenses. He was arrested Monday morning at his home by troopers from the Maryland State Police Forestville Barrack and is now being held at the Prince George's County Detention Center.The investigation by the Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division, Upper Shore Region began in May 2016 when a female victim came forward and disclosed that in the late 1960's she was a 14-year-old student at the W.C. Moffett School, which was located in the town on Barclay, Maryland in Queen Anne's County and where Isaac was the principal. Through the investigation, a second victim was identified and reported to have also been sexually assaulted by Isaac when she was 15 years old. According to the victims, the sexual assaults occurred at the school between 1966 and 1968.Maryland State Police investigators believe there may be additional victims. Anyone who has information on this case is asked to contact the Centreville Barrack at 410-758-1101.The Maryland State Police Criminal Enforcement Division, Upper Shore Region, is comprised of investigators assigned to the region. The region consists of Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Caroline and Dorchester Counties. Troopers assigned to the unit investigate the most serious and/or time consuming crimes while also providing investigative support to allied agencies in and throughout this area. By Henning GloysteinSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Thursday as stock markets slid, but trading was tepid in the countdown to an OPEC-meeting expected to result in a supply cut aimed at draining a glut that has pulled down crude by 30 percent since October.International Brent crude oil futures were at $61.06 per barrel at 0619 GMT, down 50 cents, or 0.8 percent from their last close.U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $52.29 per barrel, down 60 cents, or 1.1 percent.Traders said oil prices were being weighed down by weak global financial markets, which saw stock ... By Rania El Gamal and Ahmad GhaddarVIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC tentatively agreed an oil-output cut on Thursday but was waiting to hear from non-OPEC heavyweight Russia before deciding the exact volumes for a production reduction aimed at propping up crude prices, two sources from the group said.Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak flew home from Vienna earlier for talks with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Novak returns to the Austrian capital on Friday for discussions among Saudi-led OPEC and the group's allies.The price of crude has fallen almost a third since October but U.S. ... By Rania El Gamal and Ahmad GhaddarVIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC and its allies are working towards cutting oil output by up to 1.5 million barrels per day but could fail to reach a deal if no compromise is found with non-OPEC Russia, the Saudi energy minister said on Thursday.As the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries gathered in Vienna, it awaited news from Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak, who flew home from the Austrian capital earlier for possible talks with President Vladimir Putin. Novak returns to Vienna on Friday for discussions among Saudi-led OPEC and the group's ... By Rania El Gamal, Ahmad Ghaddar and Olesya AstakhovaVIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC tentatively agreed an oil output cut on Thursday but was waiting for a commitment from non-OPEC heavyweight Russia before deciding the exact volumes for a production reduction aimed at propping up crude prices, two sources from the group said.Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak flew home from Vienna earlier for talks with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Novak returns to Austria's capital for discussions among Saudi-led OPEC and the group's allies on Friday.Graphic: Difference in OPEC oil output between ... By Stephen NellisSAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc , the biggest supplier of chips for mobile phones, on Thursday pushed further into the PC market with a line of chips designed to power business machines.Qualcomm's "Snapdragon" processor chips historically have been at the heart of mobile phones like Alphabet Inc's Google Pixel phone and many Samsung Electronics Co Ltd devices.Over the past year, though, Qualcomm adapted its chips to operate PCs running Microsoft Corp's Windows operating system, making those machines start up more quickly and stay connected to the Internet ... By Julie Gordon and Christian ShepherdVANCOUVER/BEIJING (Reuters) - The daughter of Huawei's founder, a top executive at the Chinese technology giant, was arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, stirring up fears it could reignite a Sino-U.S. trade row and roiling global stock markets.The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, 46, who is Huawei Technologies Co Ltd's chief financial officer, threatens to drive a wedge between the United States and China just days after they agreed a 90-day trade war truce in Argentina on Saturday - the day she was detained. Meng's arrest, revealed late ... By Diane Bartz and David ShepardsonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A three-judge appeals court panel on Thursday questioned the U.S. Justice Department's challenge to a lower court approval's of AT&T Inc's $85.4 billion acquisition of Time Warner."Where is the clear error?" U.S. Judge Judith Rogers asked Justice Department attorney Mike Murray, who called the lower court's approval of the deal "myopic.""You have to show that there's a harm to competition," Judge David Sentelle said at another point. "Remember where the burdens are," he added later.Much of the argument at the U.S. Court of Appeals for ... PARIS (Reuters) - European regulators are handling bids from hundreds of British aviation firms for permits allowing them to keep doing business with continental airlines in the event of a disorderly exit from the European Union as planning for a "hard Brexit" intensifies.The head of the European Aviation Safety Agency said it was allowing British repair shops and other firms to make advance applications and avoid a stampede for certification in case Britain leaves the EU on March 29 without a transition deal.The pre-emptive move is the latest evidence of contingency planning for a "no-deal" ... Earlier this morning fugitive liquor baron Vijay Mallya again took to Twitter to reiterate his settlement offer to banks, while denying any links between his offer and the upcoming UK court decision on his extradition case, or for that matter Choppergate scandal accused Christian James Michel's recent extradition from Dubai. "Respectfully to all commentators, I cannot understand how my extradition decision or the recent extradition from Dubai and my settlement offer are linked in any way. Wherever I am physically, my appeal is "Please take the money". I want to stop the narrative that I stole money," Mallya tweeted. Also read: UK High Commission seeks consular access to Christian Michel This follows a flurry of tweets that he posted on Wednesday refuting allegations of being a wilful defaulter and offering to "repay 100% of the Principal amount" that he owes the Indian banks. "Politicians and Media are constantly talking loudly about my being a defaulter who has run away with PSU Bank money. All this is false. Why don't I get fair treatment and the same loud noise about my comprehensive settlement offer before the Karnataka High Court. Sad," read the first of his tweets on the topic yesterday, followed by another Twitter post claiming that "Airlines struggling financially partly becoz of high ATF prices. Kingfisher was a fab airline that faced the highest ever crude prices of $ 140/barrel. Losses mounted and that's where Banks money went. I have offered to repay 100% of the Principal amount to them. Please take it." The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss is fighting extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering allegedly amounting to around Rs 9,000 crore. A ruling in the case is expected at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London on December 10, but the businessman stressed that the extradition issue was a "separate" matter which will take its "own legal course". He further claimed that he has been making "settlement offers since 2016" and has already "placed 14K crores [Rs 14,000 crore] worth of assets in front of Court". "The most important point is public money and I am offering to pay 100 per cent back. I humbly request the banks and government to take it. If payback refused, WHY? (sic)," he questioned in one of his posts on Twitter. He further claimed that he had been running India's largest alcoholic beverage group for three decades and had "contributed thousands of crores to the state exchequers" and Kingfisher Airlines, too, had "contributed handsomely". Given that Mallya's tweets came hours after alleged AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal middleman Christian Michel was brought to India from Dubai - the first successful extradition since India initiated similar proceedings against alleged economic offenders like Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi - sections of the media had played up this link. However, Mallya has hit back with the following tweet: "Please check facts. Extradition and my settlement offer are completely separate. I filed my settlement offer in Court months ago. I want to pay the Banks and stop the rhetoric that I stole money". Edited by Sushmita Choudhury; with PTI inputs The fate of GSK Consumer Healthcare India's (GSKCONS) 3,800 employees hangs in balance three days after Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) acquired it for around $3.8 billion - the biggest deal in the country's consumer sector. With the transaction expected to be closed by end-2019, GlaxoSmithKline's India business is "working out plans to evaluate the performances of its employees to determine who could move to HUL and who could potentially be given severance packages", an official directly aware of the developments told The Economic Times. Significantly, GSK Plc Chief Strategy Officer David Redfern had made it clear that there is no clause requiring HUL to retain all GSKCONS employees at the time the deal was announced. "That will depend on HUL 's merger plans. Once the two businesses come together, it will be for HUL to decide," he had explained. According to GSKCONS' spokesperson, it is business as usual till the deal gets closed, telling the daily that "teams will be formed on both sides to complete the necessary activities between signing and close, and plan the transition, including separation from GSK and integration into HUL". However, the spokesperson did not specifically comment on the topic of employee performance evaluation. HUL, GSK Consumer shares rise 4 pc after boards approve merger GSKCONS is the market leader in the health food drinks (HFD) category, and this deal will give HUL rights to popular brands such as Horlicks, Maltova and Boost, thereby allowing the FMCG leader to expand its portfolio. In fact, according to HUL Chairman and CEO Sanjiv Mehta, the strategic merger will push up the turnover of its foods and refreshments (F&R) business to over Rs 10,000 crore, making the company one of India's largest F&R businesses. And to better manage this foray, industry experts say that HUL will need to leverage GSKCONS' top HR talent. "There could be rationalisation in functions such as distribution or perhaps finance where there could be an overlap," K. Sudarshan, managing director of executive search firm EMA Partners, told the daily. "Since malt beverages is a new category for HUL where it doesn't have the expertise, they will look to retain key talent [from GSKCONS]." However, it is the inevitable overlaps in various support functions, including distribution and marketing, post the strategic merger that has the employees of the snapped-up publicly-listed company worried. After all, HUL, which boasts a huge sales and distribution force, has also entered into a five-year distribution agreement for GSKCONS' over-the-counter products such as Crocin analgesic, Eno antacid, Iodex pain balm and Sensodyne toothpaste, so there is bound to be duplication of workforces. The above products are made in India by GSK Asia, which retains their functions like marketing and R&D. The good news is that the pink slip season is not likely to kick-off any time soon. "For the first one year, after the approvals, we are going to retain the same terms and conditions for the employees. We are a growing business, in need of talent. Obviously, we will have a choice of looking at a larger pool of talent on both sides," Mehta told the daily. "Thereafter, we will have to really talk through where is the rest of the business and where do you take it forward." In a similar vein, HUL chief financial officer Srinivas Phatak had said that the management will revisit the issue of staff integration only after the first year. Read more: Horlicks buy-out could make HUL the biggest Indian food company Unilever likely to trump Nestle in race for GlaxoSmithKline's Horlicks nutrition business GSK Consumer Q2 net profit up 43% at Rs 275 crore A pile of Maryland State Highway Administration compost, made from deer carcasses, manure and wood chips. (Courtesy of Charlie Gischlar/Maryland State Highway Administration) ANNAPOLIS (December 06, 2018)Deer are acting up for mating seasonand while that means more collisions with motorists and more roadkill, for the State Highway Administration, it also means more compost.Spokesman Charlie Gischlar said the administration has been turning dead deer into compost since 2004, when the program started in Carroll County, Maryland. Now, there's a second facility in Frederick County, Maryland, that helps in the effort.The recipe is simpledeer carcasses, manure and wood chips. Let that decompose long enough, and you've got compost.Gary Felton, an associate professor and agricultural extension specialist with the University of Maryland for almost 25 years, said the deer concoction checks all the boxes of a good compostbut it suffers from two major problems."Big bones don't decompose very fast, so you end up with big bones if you don't sift (the compost)," Felton said. "That's a common thing to do, but for the State Highway Administration, that means more money."And the second problem he listed is exactly what you'd imagine: "The concept that people have of 'yuck, that's a dead body.'"The deer compost naturally heats up to temperatures between 130 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit when the microbes in the mix are consuming carbon, Felton said, so the final product is pathogen-free.Even so, Gischlar said, the mix is only used to enrich native wildflowers near roads.Felton, who has advised the administration on their compost, said this year the mix was also extended to growing turf in medians and beside roadsand that even though it was safe to use on all plants, those two projects used up the State Highway Administration's supply of deer compost.There's no one place to find the number of deer struck by motorists in Maryland per year, but administration data shows that between January and October of this year, their workers have responded to 9,800 reports of deer carcasses on state roads.Data from the State Highway Administration showed that its response teams picked up 1,327 deer and animal carcasses between October and December 2015, and 1,807 between October and December 2016. Numbers for 2017 were not available.Representatives for the agency said they were revamping the way they recorded dead animal pickups, which could account for some of the discrepancies between this year's data and that of previous years.Gischlar said the deer that are not composted are either buried or given to outside rendering companies.According to State Farm statistics, American drivers in general had a one in 167 chance ( newsroom.statefarm.com/2018-deer-crashes-down/ ) of hitting a deer, elk, moose or caribou while driving this yearand Marylanders in particular had a one in 138 chance of being in a deer-related collision. The insurance agency says these numbers are slightly down from 2017 statistics.Allan Corman, an administrative assistant for Bowie, Maryland's animal control office, said since October, he's fielded about 15 deer calls. He said many calls are about "potentially injured" deer, which turn out to be fawns that are lying down in people's yards."The fawns are actually taught to stay still, to lay down and stay still," Corman said. "Most of the time 'mom' is within 200 feet of the deer, looking for food."According to Corman, Bowie takes its dead deer to a designated area of the city to naturally decompose.John Simpkins, the owner of Mid-Atlantic Wildlife Control, a company that removes animals from people's private property, said deer removal calls came in two waves that correspond with hunting seasons: September through October, and the weekend after Thanksgiving through the second or third week of December.He said Mid-Atlantic Wildlife Control charges $295 to remove dead deer, because they have to dispose of the carcasses at private animal crematoriums. The Indian Railways, in association with IRCTC, announced the launch of 'Samanta Express' tourist train on Thursday. The special train has been launched to mark the 128th birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, the architect of India's Constitution. Under this initiative, people will get a chance to visit places connected to Ambedkar's life. The tourist train will visit all places connected to the life of Babasaheb Ambedkar, including Mhow (Indore), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Kushinagar (UP), Lumbini (Nepal), Sarnath (Up) and Nagpur (Maharashtra). To travel in the Samanta Express, one has to avail the travel package, which includes all your travel expenses. Passengers will get to travel in sleeper class in the train. They will get vegetarian meal three times a day, including breakfast, lunch and dinner. The railways will arrange for their stay during night time in Dharamshalas. They will get buses for sightseeing. The IRCTC tour manager and tour escorts will guide during sightseeing. The cost for the entire tour package is Rs 11,340 per person. Those availing the package will also get the benefit of travel insurance. Also read: Railways' new decision to benefit women passengers! Here's how The tourist train will start its journey on March 28, 2019, from Nagpur, Maharashtra, where Ambedkar adopted Buddhism with his supporters in 1956. In the next 12 days, the tourist train would cover major places like Mhow in Indore, the birthplace of Ambedkar, and Mumbai, and other places associated with Buddhism such as Bodhgaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar and Lumbini (Nepal). To avail the package, one has to log on to IRCTC website, irctctourism.com, from December 10 onwards. People can also book the travel package by visiting any of the IRCTC offices. Major highlights Having made a killing on the recent Walmart-Flipkart $16 billion deal as well as its partial Ola exit, New York-based hedge fund Tiger Global Management is once again betting on India's startup ecosystem, after a gap of nearly three years. It has just invested in a tech company called Facilio that claims to offer the world's first unified IoT (Internet of Things) and artificial intelligence (AI) driven facilities optimisation software. The Chennai- and Atlanta-based facilities management technology start-up yesterday announced that it had raised $6.4 million (around Rs 45.14 crore) in its Series A funding round, led by Tiger Global and existing investor Accel Partners. "Bringing data-driven efficiencies to building operations and enabling a superior occupant experience is the future of commercial real estate, and Facilio is well positioned to lead this transformation. The company's passion and vision to tackle a universal problem with significant impact and growth potential is highly compelling," Lee Fixel, partner, Tiger Global , said in a statement on Wednesday. "On a global basis, facilities management services and energy spend by buildings each account for more than a trillion dollars. I am optimistic that Facilio can be a true disruptor in this industry." Founded in 2017 by cloud and IoT veterans Prabhu Ramachandran, Rajavel Subramanian, Yogendra Babu and Krishnamoorthi Rangasamy, Facilio offers real-time facilities management to commercial real estate owners, using IoT and AI to predictively optimise operations and sustainability, while providing a superior tenant experience. Within a year of starting commercial product availability, the startup has exhibited strong performance and market penetration across its global territories - Middle East, US, and India. "It is an exciting time for us to have the two heavyweights of the venture capital world backing our idea. The funding will allow us to pursue our expansion and consolidation plans aggressively, while also investing in R&D [research and development] for product innovation. We will be increasing our efforts in our AI and ML [machine learning] capabilities", Ramachandran, Founder & CEO of the company, told The Economic Times. Last year, Facilio had raised over $1 million in initial funding from Accel. The company, which counts SPI Cinemas India, Mazaya Business Avenue Dubai, and Universal Control Innovations USA among its clients, reportedly believes that its IoT and AI-driven solutions can help owners save nearly 30% in operating expenses on their real estate assets. The development comes at a time the Smart Buildings and Facilities Management space is undergoing rapid transformation globally. According to research consultancy Verdantix, the global real estate and building management software market poised to grow to more than $7 billion by 2022. Tiger Global's latest bet is generating considerable interest. After all, it was the Lee Fixel-led fund's confidence in India that had caused other global players to follow suit - it reportedly made over 40 early-stage investments in India after Flipkart. The daily previously reported that the hedge fund was planning to step up investments in India from its mega $3 billion fund called Tiger Global Private Investment Partners XI. It had raised a $2.5 billion fund in November 2015 which focussed on companies in China, Latin America, the US, and the Middle East, but not India. Edited by Sushmita Agarwal Read more: Management changes at Flipkart likely in first quarter of 2019 After Flipkart success, Tiger Global to ramp up investment in India IT bellwether Infosys on Thursday said it has opened Technology and Innovation Hub in Hartford, which will serve as the global Hub for the company's InsurTech and HealthTech efforts. "The company has hired more than 7,000 American workers in the last 18 months as part of its ongoing commitment to accelerate the pace of digital innovation for American enterprises," Infosys said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. The Hartford Hub, located at 225 Asylum Street in the Goodwin Square Building, will help Infosys work more closely with its clients in the region, the company said in the filing. Commenting on the development, Infosys COO U.B. Pravin Rao said, "The inauguration of our Hartford Technology and Innovation Hub is an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to help American enterprises revitalize their core businesses." Rao said that this Hub, along with five other hubs around the country, will help us to seamlessly collaborate with our clients to develop agile, cross-functional digital solutions to today's most pressing business needs. The Bengaluru-based company is already setting up similar hubs in the US - its largest market - and expects to hire 10,000 local workers by 2019. Last month, the IT major announced that it would set up three innovation hubs in Australia and create 1,200 jobs in the country by 2020. Infosys had said this approach provides the company with a strong foundation to meet rising demand for expertise in areas like machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), user experience, cybersecurity, digital platforms, big data and cloud. These are part of Infosys' pronged strategy of focussing on stabilising the company's business in 2018-19, build momentum next year, followed by acceleration in 2020-21. In the bear dominated session, Infosys shares fell 13.25 points, or 1.94 per cent, to close at Rs 668.20 apiece on the BSE. Edited by Chitranjan Kumar I've spent a career studying leadership at close quarters. The first part of my working life was the 17 years I spent with McKinsey and Company the august management consulting firm. There, I had the opportunity to work with many captains of industry and study their leadership at close quarters. For 10 years after that, I worked with another type of leader--thousands of commercial sex workers, mainly women, across six states in India. I was the head of the Bill and Melinda gates Foundation in India, and in charge over saw Avahan, the foundation's India AIDS prevention initiative. Our program grew rapidly to become the world's largest ever privately sponsored HIV prevention program, and was credited with having averted several hundred thousand HIV infections. Working with sex workers intensively in the field, I marvelled at the nuances as well as the incisiveness, of the leadership skills of these highly marginalised women. Through Avahan I have had the opportunity for continuing education in the nuances of leadership. Leadership is the ability of an individual to command his or her circumstances, in such a way that seemingly impossible goals are achieved. What character traits should a leader have to do this? The answer of course depends on which sector they work in, because leadership is contextual. But sex workers and industry captains can indeed be compared, for in their own ways, they are both in business. There are several traits that business leaders of either kind must possess. These include: the ability to assess people; courage in tough circumstances; negotiation skills; versatility of style; sense of larger purpose; ability to inspire. A business leader rarely has all these traits. He may be a great visionary, but a bad executor; inspire people with his sheer passion but be overly tough; a builder of coalitions, but not an ideas person. If all the biographies of Steve Jobs are to be believed, he had an almost contagious, sense of larger purpose, but could be appalling and this aspect of his style, often got him into trouble. Business leaders can sometimes get away with this uneven set of attributes essentially because they work in teams, and they have others to cover for them. A sex worker, in contrast, does not have this luxury, because her world is far more challenging, and she is alone. She must deal with emotional, health and financial crises all the time. There is the constant threat of violence, and her first mission is really to survive. She has no power but must still stay in control. She simply cannot win with one or two shots in her game, she must have the whole repertoire. It's not the kind of leadership that manifests itself in single dramatic events; it is leadership that is happening every day, all the time, part of her life. The leadership of sex workers has too many dimensions to list in an article, but I'll call out three that stand out for me. The first is raw courage. At the time when I worked on Avahan, life for a sex worker was a litany of violence. Almost every day, she faced violence from goons, boyfriends, clients, even the police who were meant to protect her. The violence was often of an extreme kind, including gang-rape and torture. For example, I spoke to Parvati, whose crazed former boyfriend hired goons to have her scarred with acid, and sexually abused, just off Bangalore's MG Road. In Medak, Kamla was raped by five-men on the outskirts of town, even as her two children lay helplessly in the sand. Then, when this kind of horror had reached its zenith, sex workers in many places found that ten of them together could thrash and overpower even the biggest goon, till he begged them to stop. Thus began a campaign of physically fighting back that had ruffians running scared. This in turn led to more organized 'crisis response teams' by groups of sex workers, that mushroomed across the country. To face up to violence when you have no power -indeed to fight back and win-is heroism of the highest order. The second, is advanced negotiation skills. Every day, sometimes several times over, sex workers, had to win one negotiation that was critical, because her life could depend on it. This was the negotiation with the client, to persuade him to have sex using a condom. The methods used included appealing to the client's vanity ('real men these days use condoms'), fears ('I may be HIV positive') or emotional appeal ('think of your children back home'). Or she might ply him with drinks to the point where he passed out, and woke up thinking he had been king. Unlike the businessman who can simply say 'last offer!' she had to win, always. Having come that far, she was not in no position to get up and leave. The third is a sense of humour. But why is that a leadership quality? A sex worker's life is a tough one, and leaders adopt different ways to cope with adversity. A sense of humour is her powerful way of breaking the ice, defusing volatile situations, and winning negotiations. Laughter is also the sex worker's natural way of coping, an attitude that tells life that we refuse to be knocked down by you. I've been coerced into mock marriage ceremonies more than once ('we won't tell your wife!'), with garlands and drums, to tell me that 'we don't take you too seriously, let's talk as equals -we're married after all!' I hung out with sex workers for a decade, earned their trust, and observed their methods, always with awe. Life gets tough for all of us at times. At those times I think of any one of the sex workers I have known and think of how they deal with far worse situations, and it helps me cope. When I worked on Avahan, my friends would ask the question: "Why are you doing this stuff, Ashok? Doesn't it get you down?" The answer, one that I rarely articulated, was that I was constantly learning about life, leadership, and values, from the commercial sex worker. That's what made it such a great journey. The writer is the author of A Stranger Truth: Lessons in Love, Leadership and Courage from India's Sex Workers (Juggernaut Books) The Generation Y (also known as the millennials), born between 1990-2000, is coming of age, and they hold most of the keys to unlock grocery retailers' revenue streams. By 2022, Gen-Y will number over 450 million in India. The millennials will play a big role in India's economic growth, when they enter the workforce and start families. They will occupy more than 47% of India's workforce in the next two years. Globally too Gen-Y has become the biggest and accounts for more than 28% of the 7.4 billion population. While many predict the next generation, the Gen-Z (born after 2000), with entirely different preferences and behaviours, will bring disruption; the real game changer will be Gen-Y. For ages, there have not been many changes in the way grocery retailers managed their business. Even the fairly new grocery e-tailers like Grofers and Big Basket have not understood the market segments well. They have been sinking in investors' funds deeper and deeper into penetrating households and outrun the kirana stores. Amazon and Flipkart are sensing big potential in groceries and have made tentative steps in testing the waters. The Gen-Y - with its size, tech-savvy mindset and sheer purchasing power - is already driving change elsewhere in the world, unlike any other generations before it. Indeed their shopping habits are disrupting the business models of grocery stores. In order to keep up with the pace of change that the Millennials are familiar with (they were born in the era of rapid changes, remember?), retailers in grocery must deliver better shopping experience, much more than their products may offer. In a high-growth developing economy, shopping choices are aplenty. Gen-Y tends to spend less on groceries overall as compared to others. They search for quality food at better value in many more stores than before. They will spend their rupees at places where similar values exist for them. Most importantly for the retailers, they look for places with meals in their minds instead of planning to stock refrigerators for weekly cooking at home. In a recent study involving over 2000 Gen-Y shoppers, as many as 40% do their grocery shopping around a specific recipe or meal while the majority of the earlier generation (Gen-X) tends to stock up for the month in the beginning of the month. (Going by the Amazon Pantry promo, with special discounts in the first three days of every month, do you think they don't want the Gen-Y?) Another insight was that the Gen-Y doesn't frequent grocery shops much, preferring to go online more. For them, quality is more critical than quantity but at the same time they consider themselves as "smart shoppers seeking value" when it comes to grocery shopping. With the hyper proliferation of products, they are increasingly switching between brands and retailers with comparable quality. Brand loyalty is probably not something they stick to, given that most brands offer comparable quality at reasonable value. This perhaps explains why private label products find more acceptance today. Most private label groceries from big retailers offer the same quality at lesser price than big brands from HUL, ITC or P&G do. Further, Gen-Y prefers digital apps or coupons to physical ones when it comes to saving money on purchases. In India, just as in the US, the most populous age group is the 20s. The Gen-Y tends to get married later than their older generation, the Gen-X, but they get into more complex lifestyles when they start their families. It is interesting to note that the single Millennials shop differently than the ones with families. This has big ramifications for retailers when majority of this age group gets married in a couple of years and raise a family. The behaviour of current Millennials with children will provide some indications. What is astonishing is that Gen-Y with families shop almost similarly as Gen-X than one can imagine. It is now apparent why Amazon Pantry has identified the best family segments with its promo. Clearly, life stage, not generation, is a better predictor of future purchase. There are three broad areas where the Gen-Y with children apes Gen-X: Convenience and monthly budget Preference to make cooking and shopping easier Desire to cook more at home While the Gen-Y with children don't have major differences with Gen-X in shopping cart contents or attitude, the subtle differences in what they buy, and how, will help retailers plan better. They can do well by focussing on the following key areas: Revised loyalty programmes: Given their attitude to shopping smart with little/no loyalty to anyone, attracting and retaining Gen-Y with instant discounts, brand advocacy programmes and engaging shopping experiences will be key. Making special discounts at the beginning of the month (as Amazon does) to encourage bulk purchases is one good step. Offer right product mix: They don't like processed food and are willing to pay higher for natural and organic products, unlike other generations. They are happy to look at meal units as is fashionable in the Silicon Valley where ingredients to cook a dish as per recipe will be sold as one unit. Startups like Blue Apron and Goodeggs are thriving on this unique insight by empowering the Millennials to cook healthy meals without much effort. Grocers should look out for those who make frequent but smaller purchases for meals. Convenience is digital: Gen-Y doesn't want to make weekly trips to stores but prefers to get things their way at their time. They shop at all retailers: Amazon, Big Basket or Grofers. Technology is comfortable for them and they save money, time and hassles by shopping online. Making digital shopping more enjoyable will offer an advantage. Community engagement: Communicating louder than the competition in a crowded market is tough. Not only should retailers stand for certain values but also should listen to customers constantly. Engage in community activities locally to start dialogues with consumers at festivals and special occasions. This is a "Blue Ocean" today. (The author is Co-Founder and Chief Evangelist at the non-profit Medici Institute.) After working for four years with MNCs like General Motors and McKinsey & Co, 30-year-old Karan Tanna decided to venture into foods and beverages sector. His start-up Yellow Tie Hospitality is following three-pronged strategy: Bringing international brands to India, developing own brands and investing in promising hospitality brands. Edited excerpts: Business Today: In a market where consumers are spoilt for choice, how do you differentiate yourself? Karan Tanna: I quit Mckinsey to open a restaurant of my own in Ahmedabad called Goodies in early 2012. Within one year, I brought equity in a company called Kutchi King, an organised street food chain. From 2012 to 2015, we grew to 209 outlets, and during that growth I realised that India is second-largest populated country in the world but we don't even have single F&B brand that has made a national mark through franchise. If you look at the US which is one-third of our population, it has more than 300 brands which have more than 100 stores. Historically, all big brands like McDonald's, KFC and Subway have grown through franchise. During Kutchi King, I had made certain mistakes so I decided to sell my stake, and started Yellow Tie Hospitality as India's first restaurant franchise management company. Whatever brand we take under our portfolio, we make sure that they are scalable and sustainable. Our vision is to produce home-grown brands which do not only make national but international mark. We have developed strong back-end capabilities in terms of recruitment, training, R&D, operations and technology. Broaster Chicken was the first international brand under our portfolio which currently has more than 25 stores across India besides that we have over 22 stores of Dhadoom, which is a brand in partnership of chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. Wrapchic is also International brand from the UK. It's a Mexican Burrito with Indian filings. There is no QSR brand in Indian Food which growing so fast as Wrapchic. It has 25 stores in UK only, and has presence in Dubai also. Wrapchic is UK-originated brand and Yellow Tie brought in India. Another international brand is Just Falafel, which is a Dubai-based brand. Recently, we have signed Chachago and Billboard. We have taken a license to opens Billboard bars in India and Chachago is a Taiwanese brand. Dhadoom, Taste of Tadka and BB Jaan are three brands which are developed by us in partnership with celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. Teddys is Yellow Tie's own brand. It's a soft serve brand known for modern day softy flavours of ice cream like bubblegum, and charcoal. Since we had a vision of producing homegrown brand and taking it up to International level, we developed a big infrastructure. Yellow Tie's another vertical of business is incubation of restaurant brands that have potential to grow through franchise. We identify brands that have a proven unit-level economics and the possibility of scaling up due to its friendly menu. We invest in these companies giving them growth capital and our back-end infrastructure support. These brands are led by passionate founders and Yellow Tie plugs in required investments and mentoring to grow these brands. Under this vertical, we have brought majority stake in Umraan and Wok this Way. BT: How many outlets are operated by Yellow Tie Hospitality? Tanna: Yellow Tie Hospitality currently has more than 55 operational outlets and 30 in the pipeline. In the case of Chachago, we are the only Indian company to procure franchise rights for Chachago in India Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the entire Middle- East. It is a huge investment and achievement to get franchise rights for International brands. Every brand under Yellow Tie Hospitality is a unique. Broaster Chicken is the category leader in pressure fried chicken in the casual dining format with alcohol. The chicken is made in a pressure fryer which is patented by the Broaster Company (US). Umraan is known for curries and Biryani from regions of India. Wok this Way is a unique concept - a vegetarian, oriental make-you-own wok concept. Just Falafel is known for Mediterranean food. Each brand has its own strategy. For example, Wrapchic is a mall-based brand that's very urban. BT: Are you also into fine dining space? Tanna: We have fine dining restaurant BB Jaan which is in the Cabbana Resort and Spa, a five-star resort in Jalandhar. It is a high-end Hyderabadi food brand but we see brand expansion in the international market as well. BT: But casual dining is the fastest growing category in the F&B market? Tanna: Fast casual is an emerging category these days. BT: What has been the growth rate of the company? Tanna: We did Rs 5 crore revenues in the second year and in the third year, which was 2017/18, we did Rs 9 crore. In 2018/19, we will do between Rs 14-15 crore of business, and we are profitable from the first year. We work at 20 to 25 per cent EBITDA. BT: What about funding? Tanna: We are a bootstrapped company but we plan to raise fund. We are planning an SME IPO towards the end of the next year. We would like to be listed because it will help in attracting foreign investments. A lot offoreign investors are hesitant to invest in India but this will help in building their confidence in Yellow Tie Hospitality. BT: Where did you get information about international brands and whether there's a market for them in India? Tanna: If we come across a new brand and find it interesting, then we do back-end research about the scope of its growth. For example, I went to London and saw how Wrapchic was serving Indian food in a modern way. Then I saw it online and during that time there were only 10-12 stores of Wrapchic. We come back to India and did research about the awareness of burritos amongst Indians. Will they eat that kind of food? Where it will grow? And finally we found that there is an opportunity, and we spoke to them regarding the franchise of Wrapchic in India and the entire South East Asia. BT: Tell us about the 1,000-outlet target of Yellow Tie Hospitality. Tanna: In 2020, we will be able to achieve this target. If we will have 800 outlets in India then 200 will be in the international market. In 2019, we will start our international expansion. Right now, the company is in the brand acquisition phase. We need to start scaling up the restaurants. This year, we will focus on rolling out the brands. BT: Since you want to establish a food-focused company, you will need to rework your menu often since consumers get bored easily from the menu... Tanna: We have a dedicated team of 12 chefs who always create new recipes in the R&D kitchen. New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Using Bollywood, beer and the charms of its cities Brussels and Bruges, Belgium has upped the number of its tourists from India but wants the graph to rise higher by advancing cooperation in the field of tourism as well as education. What we want to do is to make Belgium better known among Indians. As Indians are travelling more and more, they are visiting many European countries," said Francois Delhaye, Belgiums ambassador to India. The country's capital Brussels may not be as well as known as it deserves to be, Delhaye told PTI. The two countries should concentrate on student exchange besides tourism. In the education sector, we have a growing number of Indians now in Brussels but we want to have more Indian students especially in sciences because Indian students are so good, Delhaye said. According to an estimate, Indian students are enrolled in 18 major universities in Belgium. About 400-600 students register in the KU Leuven each academic year, making them the second largest student community from a non-European community after China in the university in the town of Leuven. Delhaye added that there is already a large Indian presence in Brussels with more than 80 companies there. Belgium is the home to international beer. We recently launched an Indian beer which was brought from Belgium but for the taste of Indians... after a few years it will be probably brewed here in India, he said. Brussels, home of the European Parliament, has long been a pit stop for many tourists from the Indian subcontinent travelling to Netherlands, Germany or France, added Anousjka Schmidt, foreign markets manager, Visit Brussels, the communication agency for tourism in the Brussels-Capital Region. However, the city's many amusement parks, museums, including the one dedicated to the Herges' boy detective Tintin, and delights like Belgian waffles are drawing more people from India for longer stays, she said. She noted that much has changed in the past few years with Belgium opening its doors to Bollywood, handing out easy licenses for film-shooting. A portion of Aamir Khan starrer "PK", which released in 2014, was shot in the picturesque canal city of Bruges. According to statistics portal Statista, the number of outbound trips from India to Europe in 2017 was 27,14,000. In 2017, over 53,000 Indians travelled to Brussels for at least one nights stay, a 25 per cent jump from 2016, said Schmidt. Brussels is growing to become an important go-to destination in all European itineraries. From January to July this year, Indian arrival to Brussels grew by over 14 per cent in comparison with the same period last year. While a significant rise of over 21 per cent in the number of nights spend in Brussels by Indians has been observed, Schmidt said. She said Brussels is promoting 20 different theme, including sports, heritage and gastronomy, in India. We noted that for India, beer is a very important segment, chocolates too, and Belgian waffles, everything that is related to family activities... and shopping is a very important element. We are trying to focus on these important factors and build itineraries accordingly, she said. Schmidt noted that Brussels had a rough period after the terrorist attacks in 2016. However, tourists from India didnt stop from going to Brussels. "Our first mission is to convince people who click a couple of pictures to stay at least one night in Brussels. We want to increase the numbers for sure but it is difficult to say whether we want them to double in the years to come. "From 2016 to 2017, we have seen up to 25 per cent increase, which is an important number. And we want to keep going, she said. PTI SAR MINMIN (Eds: Updates with PM's quotes) Bengaluru, Dec 5 (PTI) India's heaviest satellite GSAT-11, that would boost broadband services in the country, was successfully launched by an Arianespace rocket from French Guiana in the early hours of Wednesday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said. Blasting off from the Ariane Launch Complex in Kourou, a French territory located along the northeastern coast of South America, at 02:07 am (IST), the Ariane-5 vehicle injected the GSAT-11 into orbit in a flawless flight of about 33 minutes. "ISRO's heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11 was successfully launched from the spaceport in French Guiana during the early hours today," the Bengaluru-headquartered Indian space agency said.The ISRO hired Ariane-5 rocket as its own geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle GSLV MK III can only haul satellites that weighs upto 4 tonnes. GSAT-11 has been described as India's "richest space asset" by the ISRO. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the ISRO on the successful launch and called it a "major milestone" for the country's space programme, which would transform the lives of crores of Indians by connecting remote areas. "Congrats to @isro for the successful launch of GSAT-11, which is the heaviest, largest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite of India," he tweeted. "India is proud of our scientists, who keep innovating and setting high standards of scale, achievements and success. Their remarkable work inspires every Indian.@isro," he said in another tweet. After a 30-minute flight, GSAT-11, the 34th communication satellite built by the ISRO, separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The achieved orbit was very close to the intended one, it said. "The heaviest, largest and most powerful satellite ever built by India is successfully launched by Ariane-5," ISRO Chairman K Sivan said at the launch complex, describing GSAT-11 as the "richest space asset"for India. Weighing about 5,854 kg, the next generation "high throughput" communication satellite GSAT-11 is the "heaviest" satellite built by the ISRO and has a designed life span of more than 15 years. GSAT-11, the top-of-the-line communication satellite in ISRO's portfolio, is capable of providing high bandwidth connectivity with speeds of up to 16 gigabytes per second. Post-separation, ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of GSAT-11 and found its health parameters normal, the ISRO said in a statement here. The satellite is initially placed in the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit and will be raised to the Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) through phase-wise orbit-raising manoeuvres in the days ahead, using its on-board propulsion systems. GSAT-11 will be positioned at 74-degree east longitude in the geostationary orbit, the ISRO said, adding that subsequently, the two solar arrays and four antenna reflectors of the satellite will be deployed in orbit. The satellite will be operational after the successful completion of all in-orbit tests. According to the ISRO, GSAT-11 will provide high data rate connectivity to users of Indian mainland and islands through 32 user beams in Ku-band and 8 hub beams in Ka-band. Calling the satellite a forerunner in a series of advanced communications satellites with multi-spot beam antenna coverage over Indian mainland and islands, it said GSAT-11 will play a vital role in providing broadband services across the country and also be a platform to demonstrate new generation applications. GSAT-11 is going to be the "richest space asset" for India, Sivan said. "It is going to provide something like 16 GBPS data link services to the country. It is the third in a series of four satellites aimed achieving the government's ambitious target to provide high data connectivity of 100 GBPS in the country under the Digital India Mission," he added.According to the ISRO, GSAT-11 would provide high data connectivity to users across India, broadband connectivity to gram panchayats under the BharathNet project and support high data rate applications for enterprise network and consumer broadband applications.GSAT-11 was initially planned for launch on May 25, but was rescheduled with the ISRO, citing the need for additional technical checks, recalling it for tests.Sivan thanked Arianespace for making it possible for the ISRO to achieve the launch this year itself.The Ariane-5 vehicle (Flight VA246) also carried GEO-KOMPSAT-2A for the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), along with GSAT-11.The 3,507.20 kg GEO-KOMPSAT-2A is designed to conduct meteorological and space weather monitoring missions.Since the launch of India's APPLE experimental satellite on Ariane Flight L03 in 1981, it has orbited 22 satellites under contracts with the Indian space agency, Arianespace said, adding that two more satellites, GSAT-31 and GSAT-30, were in the order book. The space agency is in the process of developing launchers that can put its heavy spacecrafts to orbit from within the country. PTI KSU RA BN AAR By Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Dec 5 (PTI) Nepal and Bangladesh have agreed to explore opportunities to develop hydropower projects in the Himalayan nation and launch power trading using Indian transmission lines. During the Energy Secretary-level meeting here, the two countries also decided to form a joint technical team to identify potential hydropower projects for development. "The joint team will pick out bankable projects and recommend them to the respective governments," said the official, who attended the meeting. Bangladesh has shown interest in developing hydropower projects in Nepal. The two countries even signed an agreement two years ago to develop a number of hydropower plants capable of generating 1,600 MW. The then commerce minister Romi Gauchan Thakali and his Bangladeshi counterpart Tofail Ahmed signed the pact on the sidelines of the ninth South Asian Economic Summit in October 2016 to execute the 1,110 MW Sunkoshi II and 536 MW Sunkoshi III located on the Sunkoshi River in central Nepal. However, the plan failed to move forward due to lack of intra-ministry coordination. "The joint team will also explore the possibility of executing these two projects along with a few others under bilateral investment," said the official, who attended the meeting. Apart from developing the projects with government-to-government investment, the meeting also discussed the possibility of power trade between the two countries. "The participants discussed using Indian transmission lines to conduct power trade between the two countries," said the official, adding that "the two parties agreed to form a trilateral committee including India to make this possible." The Bangladeshi side also informed the Nepali delegation on the headway made by Dhaka in importing 500 MW of electricity from the 900 MW Upper Karnali Hydropower Project being constructed by an Indian joint venture company. PTI SBP SMJ AKJ SMJSMJ Pune, Dec 5 (PTI) An eight-year-old girl was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital after she developed "paralytic" symptoms, days after she was administered measles and rubella vaccine in her school, her parents said Wednesday.Shweta Kamble's parents said that she complained of uneasiness and shivering Tuesday, three days after she was given the vaccine in her school during a drive launched by the Maharashtra government.Her condition deteriorated further and she was not able to move her limbs, they said.However, doctors said the girl's present condition has nothing to do with the vaccination.After admission in the government-run hospital, she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an illness related to nervous system that weakens the muscles, they said."Shweta was given the vaccination on Saturday at her school in Hadapsar and we were told that there will be minor reactions such as light fever."She was feeling feverish for two days, but we did not panic," Santosh Kamble, the girl's father, said.On Tuesday, she complained of uneasiness and started shivering and was not able to move her limbs, indicting "paralytic" symptoms, he said."We then rushed her to a hospital in Hadapsar from where she was sent to Sassoon Hospital. Since then she is in the ICU and on ventilator support," he added.Dr Ramchandra Hankare, the medical officer (health) at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), however, said the girl's condition has nothing to do with the vaccine she was given in her school.Shweta Kamble had already received doses of measles at nine months and 1.5 years of age, Hankare said."The present condition of the girl has nothing to do with the vaccination as after she was admitted to Sassoon Hospital on Tuesday, the paediatric department of the hospital diagnosed her with Guillain-Barre syndrome," he said.Hankare said the girl is under observation and on life support in the ICU, and a team of doctors is continuously monitoring her condition.Dr Ajay Chandanwale, the dean of Sassoon Hospital, said after the girl was admitted in the ICU, a team of paediatrician probed her case and gave a report that she is suffering from Guillain-Barre syndrome."Currently, the girl is under observation and is being treated and her condition is stable," he said.The government has launched a statewide vaccination drive to protect children in the age group of nine months to 15 years from measles and rubella. PTI SPK RSY DPBDPB BALTIMORE (December 6, 2018)Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today announced that his Consumer Protection Division has settled charges against Maryland Speed LLC (Maryland Speed), an online retailer specializing in the sale of auto parts, and its owner, Branden Farthing.[ See original Story at somd.com/news/headlines/2018/22967.php Charges against Maryland Speed and Farthing were initially brought in September 2018, and alleged that the retailer, based in Hollywood, Maryland, violated the Consumer Protection Act when it accepted payments for parts that it failed to provide to customers and refused to issue refunds. According to the settlement, at least 671 consumers placed orders with Maryland Speed but never received their purchased parts. Although many consumers were able to get refunds by contesting the charges on their credit cards, according to the Consent Order, at least 235 of those consumers are owed refunds totaling at least $220,877.14.The settlement requires Maryland Speed to stop selling parts it cannot provide and to provide the Consumer Protection Division with a $100,000.00 surety bond if it continues doing business in Maryland. The company and Farthing must also return all of the monies they owe to consumers and pay penalties and costs to the Division in the amount of $100,000.00, which may be reduced if full refunds are made to consumers."This case demonstrates exactly why the Maryland Consumer Protection Act is so important," said Attorney General Frosh. "Without the protections of the Act, customers who did not receive purchased goods from Maryland Speed, and were also denied refunds, had little recourse. Affected customers will now be able to obtain some restitution."In making today's announcement, Attorney General Frosh thanked Consumer Protection Division Deputy Chief Philip Ziperman, Administrator Hanna Abrams, and Investigators Chris Waldt and Patrick Tormey for their work on the case.Consumers who are owed refunds from Maryland Speed may call the Consumer Protection hotline at 410-528-8662 or 888-743-0023. Canada has arrested Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States, Canada's Department of Justice said on Wednesday. The arrest is related to violations of U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the violations. Meng Wanzhou, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Huawei confirmed the arrest in a statement and said that it has been provided little information of the charges against Meng, adding that it was "not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng." China's embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for Meng's immediate release. The arrest could drive a wedge between China and the United States just days after President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping held a meeting in Argentina where they agreed to steps to resolve a brewing trade war. U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei, one of the world's largest makers of telecommunications network equipment, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws, sources told Reuters in April. The U.S. Justice Department probe is being run out of the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn, the sources said. The U.S. Justice Department declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn also declined to comment. In January 2013, Reuters reported that a Hong Kong-based firm that attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Iran's largest mobile-phone operator had much closer ties to China's Huawei Technologies than was previously known. The news comes the same day Britain's BT Group said it was removing Huawei's equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. The Huawei statement said Meng, who also has gone by the English names Cathy and Sabrina, was detained when she was transferring flights in Canada. The handset and telecommunications equipment maker said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and U.S. and other regulations. The arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse praised the action and said that it was "for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran." He added: "Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes it's laundered through many of Beijing's so-called 'private' sector entities." U.S. stock futures tumbled, followed by Asian markets, as news of the arrest heightened the sense a major collision was brewing between the world's two largest economic powers, not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. While investors initially greeted the trade ceasefire reached in Argentina with relief, the mood has quickly soured on scepticism that the two sides can reach a substantive deal. Samsung's 10th-anniversary S series smartphones promises to be the most important release not just for the South Korean phone maker but also for the overall smartphone industry. Slow sales and growing number of cheaper phone manufacturers has hurt Samsung in the last couple of years. The Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 Plus and the rumoured foldable Galaxy F have the potential to take the smartphone market by storm and put Samsung back at the top of the heap. Going by several leaks and rumours, Samsung's Galaxy S10 and S10 Plus phones will have an ultra-sonic in-display fingerprint scanner. This is expected to be faster than the existing optical scanners. Rumours also suggest that Samsung is planning to have four different screen sizes i.e. a 5.8-, 6.1-, 6.4- and 6.7-inch Galaxy S phones. The S-series phones may also support 5G and carry a total of six cameras across the front and back. Earlier, at the Samsung Developers Conference (SDC 2018), Samsung had announced four different display designs named Infinity-U, Infinity-V, Infinity-O, and New Infinity. The phone would most likely feature a cut-out in the panel for the front-facing cameras. Meanwhile, Samsung has announced its second 5G handset. This time with AT&T and the company plans to release it in 2019 in the US. The new device will be able to access both 5G mmWave and sub-6 GHz. Earlier, Samsung had announced its first 5G handset for Verizon. Samsung is expected to reveal its Galaxy S-series devices at next year's Mobile World Congress, which usually takes place between 25 and 28 February. Also Read: Google's Allo messaging app to shut down by March 2019 Edited By: Udit Verma Telecom giant Huawei Technologies suffered a new setback in Britain as its equipment got frozen out for use in leading carrier BT Group PLCs core networks, even as the controversial company won a smaller victory with reaffirmation for its products from Portugal. The BT case spotlights a growing tide of concern toward the worlds leading telecom equipment maker in major Western markets, where some suspect that Huawei may have ties to Beijing that could be used for spying something the company denies. But while major countries like the U.S. and Britain are backing away from Huawei, smaller ones like Portugal have yet to voice similar concerns. BTs move also came as an unrelated development saw Huaweis Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou arrested in Canada on suspicion of violating earlier U.S. sanctions banning the sale of American products to Iran. It was unclear if that case was directed at Huawei, or at some of Mengs other relationships. BT said it would remove Huawei equipment from the core of a mobile network it acquired two years ago, bringing it into line with its longstanding policy toward the Chinese vendor. BT has worked with Huawei for more than a decade but avoided using it for the most central parts of its network. That wasnt the case at wireless unit EE, which BT bought from Orange SA and Deutsche Telekom AG in 2016. BT is replacing that units core mobile technology as part of network architecture principles in place since 2006, said a company spokesman by email. The Financial Times first reported the policy on Wednesday. The approach will also be applied in BTs next-generation 5G mobile network, for which it is procuring equipment. Were applying these same principles to our current requests for proposals for 5G core infrastructure. As a result, Huawei have not been included in vendor selection for our 5G core, the spokesman said. Closely-held Huawei has become the focus of growing scrutiny in recent months after the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, whose national security services share intelligence, banned the Shenzhen-based company from providing 5G equipment. The head of Britains foreign intelligence agency MI6 said this week the U.K. must decide whether or not to follow suit. Behind-the-scenes discussions are now also taking place that could result in similar moves in Germany, according to a previous Reuters report. While the U.K. news marked a setback, the tone was more positive in Portugal where a series of new deals were announced following a visit to the country by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Those included an agreement between Huawei and local carrier Altice Portugal to support rapid development of 5G in the country, Huawei announced. The agreement will see the pair explore potential new and innovative applications using 5G technology in a live testing network environment, as Altice Portugal gets set to roll out commercial 5G service next year. The Portuguese carrier said it will use Huawei equipment and software as a natural evolution of the already existing 4G network footprint in Portugal. Reporting by Caixin and Bloomberg Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) By Teng Jing Xuan / Dec 06, 2018 11:15 AM / Finance Coins lost in washing machines and dryers around the world dont actually disappear into a black hole, Austrian police found out recently. In fact, they end up in China. A German man was arrested in Austria after feeding damaged coins into a banks coin deposit machine. Police then found 117 kilograms of euro coins in his car, Austrian newspaper Kurier reported this week. The mans lawyer explained that the man traveled around once a month to China and bought the coins in bulk. How did the coins end up in Asia in the first place? On board imported scrapped washing machines and cars, Kurier said. Once back in Europe, the man used coin deposit machines to transfer them into bank accounts for their face value. He took any damaged coins rejected by machines to German central bank branches as a last resort, Kurier reported. A court in Austria has now confirmed that the man, who was not named, committed no crime by depositing damaged coins. There are no uniform guidelines for this in Europe, the mans lawyer said. (CNN) Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming" has become the best selling book of the year in the United States, surpassing Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" and others. Wolff's "Fire" was a publishing world sensation when it came out in January. To date it has sold 1,008,088 hardcover copies, according to NDP BookScan data. All year long, it was the year's No. 1 political book. Its closest competitor was "Fear," by Bob Woodward, which came out in September and has sold 872,567 hardcover copies to date. But "Becoming" outpaced them both in just a couple of weeks. BookScan shows 1,122,618 hardcover copies of Obama's uplifting memoir have sold since its November 13 release date. That makes it No. 1 for the year. The year's No. 2 book in terms of hardcover sales is "Magnolia Table," a cookbook by TV star Joanna Gaines. "Fire and Fury" now ranks No. 3, followed by Rachel Hollis' self help book "Girl, Wash Your Face" at No. 4 and "Fear" at No. 5. Hardcover sales, however, are just one measurement of a book's success. "Becoming" has also been an ebook and audio book hit. Obama's publisher, Penguin Random House, said Friday that "Becoming" "sold more than 2 million units in all formats and editions in the U.S. and Canada during the first 15 days of its publication." Amazon's sales charts back this up. The website's constantly-updated list of best sellers of 2018 has "Becoming" at No. 1, "Fire and Fury" at No. 2, "Girl, Wash Your Face" at No. 3, and "Fear" at No. 4. The hardcover edition of "Becoming" is now up to six printings, meaning the publisher has had to order more and more copies to keep up with demand. By the end of the sixth printing, there will be 3.4 million copies in print in the U.S. and Canada, well-timed for the holiday book-buying season. Obama has been on a book tour around the country. She also has several stops outside the U.S., where "Becoming" is also a best-seller. She will be speaking at a sold-out event in London on Monday. According to the publishing house, the book has ranked No. 1 on the current best-seller lists in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and numerous other countries. Penguin Random House also has a deal to publish Barack Obama's post-presidential memoir. Click for related stories on SFGN.com SFGN'S 2018 Holiday Gift Guide Book Lovers Check us out on Social Media By Teng Jing Xuan / Dec 06, 2018 06:24 PM / Politics & Law Hundreds of Chinese nationals that China said scammed people while pretending to be public security officials are being deported from Cambodia today. Its the seventh and largest mass repatriation of fraud suspects from Southeast Asia this year, requiring three chartered planes, according to the Ministry of Public Security. Scammers pretending to be Chinese officials have spread across the world in recent years usually in areas with large Chinese communities. In October, three men from Taiwan were arrested in Singapore for impersonating Chinese officials in order to cheat a man of 1.72 million Singapore dollars ($1.25 million) in one of the biggest such scams this year, the Straits Times reported. Police in Vancouver have warned residents about callers using fake caller IDs claiming to be Chinese police officers and demanding money, the Vancouver Sun reported. Support independent journalism from China. Subscribe to Caixin Global. Portugal edged closer to joining the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinas ambitious plan to develop global infrastructure, although it stopped short of a full endorsement as the European Union moved to increase scrutiny of Chinese investment. Chinas President Xi Jinping signed (link in Portuguese) 17 memorandums of understanding with his Portuguese counterpart President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, during a state visit on Tuesday. Among the deals for enhanced cooperation on trade and education, the most eye-catching was an agreement for Portugal to promote the Belt and Road. De Sousa said he supported the project, adding that Portugal is the important junction that links the Silk Road and the maritime Silk Road. The language stopped short of the commitment made by most other countries that have signed memorandums to jointly construct the BRI, RWR Advisory Group said in a note. However, this is still a significant development in Chinas pursuit of BRI support in Western Europe, it added. The hesitancy may have been an acknowledgement of the growing wariness of Chinese investment expressed in recent months by Portugals EU partners such as Germany. A day after Xis Portugal visit, the European Parliament agreed to set up a more rigorous investment screening system under which the European Commission would investigate outside investment into strategic EU infrastructure such as ports, Reuters reported. Chinese companies have become major investors in Portugals infrastructure in recent years. After being one of the countries hardest hit by the 2008 financial crisis, Portugal allowed China State Grid to take a 25% stake in energy operator REN S.A., while major conglomerate Fosun Group is the biggest shareholder in lender Banco Comercial Portugues S.A. In May, Chinese state-owned utility enterprise China Three Gorges Corp. offered 9.1 billion euros ($10.3 billion) to raise its stake in Portuguese peer Energias de Portugal. While the bid was initially rejected by the company for being too low, a larger deal would be Chinas biggest overseas acquisition of the year if approved. Portugals government has also said it will approve plans for the deep-water port of Sines to be integrated into the Belt and Road. Chinese companies already have stakes in Europes three largest ports, in Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg. Such developments have been greeted with alarm in much of Europe, which is concerned over Chinas influence in the blocs trade architecture. Germany has also expressed concerns at the security ramifications of allowing Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to develop the countrys 5G infrastructure. This week in the U.K., one of the European countries most welcoming to Chinese investment, the largest wireless carrier said that it will remove Huawei equipment from its system. But Portugal has moved in the other direction. Yesterday Altice Portugal, the countrys largest phone network, announced a contract with Huawei for the Chinese company to develop its 5G infrastructure over the next year. Given Portugals already strong ties with China, its reticence in fully endorsing the Belt and Road may have been influenced by the Spanish governments announcement during Xis visit a week earlier that it will not be signing on to the initiative. Ahead of the visit AFP cited a senior Spanish official who said that it would be better for his country to work through EU projects for Asia connectivity, rather than bilaterally with China through the BRI. In this context, Portugal may have felt obliged not to be seen to cozy up too much to China, said Hannah Cotillon, a risk analyst with London-based consultancy AKE International. Contact reporter David Kirton (davidkirton@caixin.com) By Teng Jing Xuan / Dec 06, 2018 03:05 PM / Society & Culture Taiwan actor and director Doze Niu has been accused of sexual assault by a woman working on his new film and is currently under investigation, Taiwans Central News Agency reported. Nius accuser was found by doctors to have suffered physical injuries after allegedly being assaulted by Niu, and reported the assault to police on Wednesday, Central News Agency said. Niu, 52, began his career as an actor but earned acclaim as a director after the release of his 2010 gangster film Monga. Nius 2014 film Paradise in Service, set in a military brothel, landed him in trouble when he was given a suspended jail sentence for smuggling a cinematographer onto a naval base. In a "supremely ironic" move, China may even seek to negotiate entry to the TPP-11, says Kevin Rudd. Photo: Bloomberg (AFR) China could be preparing to spring a global compact to drive tariffs to zero, and approach Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members including Australia for access to the grouping, positioning Beijing as a champion for free trade. Thats the view of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who believes Chinas President Xi Jinping may even use next months World Economic Forum summit in Switzerland to launch across-the-board liberalization that would take the world by storm. That indeed could represent a serious new challenge to American leadership, Rudd warned in a speech in New York on Wednesday. A dramatic China pivot on trade would coincide with intense negotiations to meet the basic terms of a 90-day truce between Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump, which has failed to settle financial market jitters amid uncertainty about the details. According to Rudd, who is president of the Asia Society Policy Institute, the ceasefire has bought valuable time for both China and the U.S., but also the broader global economy to avoid an even more dangerous trade deterioration. Irresistible geopolitical opportunity What Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping did in Buenos Aires was buy time. Three months worth in fact, Rudd said, which is good when measured against the alternative, which was a full-blown trade and broader economic war between the two countries starting next month. At last weekends dinner meeting in Argentina, the presidents agreed to suspend a planned hike in tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods to the U.S. from 10% to 25%. Rudd said that by March Trump will have a better handle on whether the U.S. Feds rate hikes have softened his economy helping determine the extent to which the U.S. economy can weather further tariffs if the deal collapses. Chinas leadership will equally benefit from the pause in hostilities, setting the stage for Xi to take a bold trade message to Davos which may include further pledges to allow foreign firms to compete against Chinese companies on an equal footing. We should also not rule out the possibility in 2019 of China pitching any tariff reforms that it is prepared to implement to resolve the U.S. China trade war to the wider international community as well, Rudd said. We should not rule out the possibility, for example, that if China was to undertake something dramatic like a commitment to zero tariffs over time that such a commitment would not just be made on the basis of reciprocal actions by the United States, but by all WTO member states, Rudd said, referring to the World Trade Organization. Indeed, this would represent and almost irresistible geopolitical opportunity for China to champion global free trade and to arrest the global trend towards protectionism that currently threatens the wider global economy, he said. A supremely ironic move In a supremely ironic move, China may even seek to negotiate entry to the TPP-11, which was originally conceived by the Obama Administration as part of pivot to Asia, and which may end up including China but not the U.S. itself, he said. This would comprehensively outflank the United States within the Asia Pacific region, Rudd noted. China, when it sees a political and market opening, can be remarkably fleet-of-foot. The technical negotiations would of course be formidable. But there is already evidence of a softening in traditional Japanese reservations towards possible Chinese accession as evidenced during Prime Minister Abes recent visit to Beijing. Rudd predicts that on foreign policy and security, 2019 will see China increasingly pull its head in. There is already evidence of a normalization in relations with Tokyo, he said, noting a reduction in the frequency of Chinese incursions into the Diaoyudao islands in the East China Sea, which Japan calls the Senkaku islands. China is also seeking to de-escalate tensions with the ASEANs over the South China Sea through an intensification of its negotiation of a code of conduct. Other signs include a de-escalation of tensions with India, a more moderate position on Taiwan and considerably less political fanfare within China about the Belt and Road Initiative. Common to all these adjustments in the year ahead is a general tactical approach that until such time as China is able to finally bed down the fundamentals of its trade, investment, and economic relationship with the United States, it is wise for China to reduce tensions between Beijing and other countries and regions of the world, Rudd said. This story was originally published in The Australian Financial Review. Read more about the China-U.S. trade war. 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. news, latest-news All Christmas lights are special, immediately injecting whimsy and magic into suburban streets, but these ones in Chifley are particularly meaningful. They are the work of 77-year-old Bev Lucas, who is something of a dab hand at Christmas lights, having had her previous efforts in Narrabundah and Ngunnawal featured in The Canberra Times as far back as 1983. Now living at Chifley, Mrs Lucas has put up Christmas lights again at her current home in Salmond Street - she believes the first time they've been decorated so for 67 years. And this time the lights are not only to give pleasure to passers-by - or raise money for charity as she has done in the past - but to send a message to her 73-year-old sister Valma. Because this year will probably be Valma's last Christmas. Valma has a terminal disease and is being cared for at her Mittagong home by their other sister Robyn, 66. The trio used to all live in Mittagong and decorate their homes with Christmas lights. When Bev moved to Canberra, she continued the tradition. "My sister Valma said to me six weeks ago, she would love to do her lights, but that is not possible because of her condition," Mrs Lucas said. "She said, 'This is my last Christmas'. And I said, 'Yes, we know that'. "So I promised I'd do them just for her. And I have." Mrs Lucas said her sister would be thrilled to see the lights featured in The Canberra Times. She intended to frame the images and present them to Valma soon. "She told me, 'When I go down yonder, I'll take them with me'," Mrs Lucas said, through tears. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/203ff8b8-3bbd-4324-bb74-6740c0e55f4a/r0_283_5472_3375_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg whats-on, music-theatre-arts The Kenneth Tyler Collection. National Gallery of Australia. nga.gov.au/internationalprints/tyler/artists/default.cfm. Although the inaugural director of the National Gallery of Australia, James Mollison, will invariably be linked in the popular imagination with spectacular singular purchases, such as Jackson Pollocks Blue poles, Willem de Koonings Woman V and Kazimir Malevichs House under construction, a more important and lasting legacy lay with the establishment of the major heritage collections. He encouraged his friend Gordon Darling to develop an interest in Australian printmaking. Darling subsequently established a generous bequest that has funded the most comprehensive collection of Australian prints in the world, accompanied by an online database, major publications and trained interns. In 1973, Mollison acquired a collection of about 600 prints, proofs and drawings made from 1966 to 1973 at the Ken Tyler print workshops on the West Coast of the US. This collection was subsequently built upon, most notably in 2002, where under director Brian Kennedy a further 4000 items were acquired. This makes it one of the most comprehensive and expensive collections of American printmaking anywhere outside the US. Today the collection stands at about 7400 items many of which are unique, archival and of considerable cultural significance. There are also rich collections of film, candid photography, printing elements and documentation. This collection at the gallery has become a wonderful record of the extraordinary story of artist/printer collaborations in post-war America. A glance at the names of some of the major artists in this collection includes Josef Albers, Anthony Caro, Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler, David Hockney, Ellsworth Kelly, RB Kitaj, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Bruce Nauman, Kenneth Noland, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Edward Ruscha, Richard Serra, Frank Stella and Andy Warhol. Tyler is a genius printer who also possesses an entrepreneurial gift. With a simple philosophy that it takes great artists to make great art, he approached and seduced some of the biggest names in American art to make prints with him. His main vehicle of seduction was his pronouncement yes, it can be done no matter how impractical or megalomania-prone the request from the artist. In the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, under Tyler, American prints grew dramatically in size, in the variety of materials employed, and in price. The humble print changed from a popular democratic medium, accessible to anyone who could afford to rent an apartment in which to hang it, to a cultural artefact requiring a major space for display as well as a major budget. Tyler, through an act of immense generosity, created for the National Gallery of Australia a bequest that has funded Tyler Print Fellowships and Tyler Print Internships for 10 years. He wanted to create a living collection with research, exhibitions and publications. Now that a decade has passed, Tyler, accompanied by his wife Marabeth on a recent visit to Canberra, announced that he has created The Kenneth E Tyler AO and Marabeth Cohen-Tyler Foundation in the US, through the auspices of the NGAs American Friends, with a new, very generous 10-year plan to fund dedicated publications, exhibitions and the development of the Tyler website and social media, curatorial staff positions and support, research and access to the collection. Tylers profound generosity of spirit makes the Tyler Collection at the National Gallery of Australia a major national treasure that is accessible to anyone around the world through a click of the mouse. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/f9edf3d0-2c15-404f-b634-5df6dc22ca7d/r166_0_5839_3205_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, crime ACT Policing are searching for a jewellery thief who stole two rings from a Gungahlin store in October. Police said a man stole two white gold rings from a Marketplace Gunghalin store about 11am on Thursday, October 25. The man was wearing a black T-shirt with a distinctive white skull design on the front, police said. He was described as caucasian in appearance, 160-170 centimetres tall with balding light brown hair. Police ask anyone who may have any information that could help police to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/36c988fe-d98d-4563-a914-1ca9b3b04698/r0_174_422_412_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news The expert panel supporting Mr Fluffy homeowners wants to establish a permanent memorial to the asbestos crisis, which the group's chair says should be remembered among the most significant episodes in Canberra's history. The push came as the ACT government on Thursday published a list of the remaining asbestos-affected homes. The register listed 67 Mr Fluffy properties, 66 of which were still standing. The register has angered owners who chose to remain in their properties. They say the public disclosure of their addresses will draw unwanted attention. Dr Sue Packer, the head of the government's Mr Fluffy community and expert reference group, sympathised with properties owners, saying the "whole situation was horrible". Dr Packer said her group would continue to support owners to ensure their properties were safe to occupy. She said the reference group would discuss the decision to publish the register at a meeting on Friday, along with a proposal to establish a memorial to the Mr Fluffy crisis. The group plans to start community consultation on the idea early next year, which could include memorial plaques outside significant Mr Fluffy locations and museum exhibitions. "This is a fundamental part of our history now and it must be something that is not forgotten," Dr Packer said. "There are so many who have been affected by this. It is not just the current owners, but the people who lived in the houses before them or worked in them." The government published details of all 1023 asbestos-affected homes in 2015, but the register published on Thursday marked the first time the public has been told which properties were bulldozed and which remain standing. Home owners in the remaining properties were sent a letter informing them of the decision in late October. The deputy director-general of the Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, Geoffrey Rutledge, said there was two reasons for the decision. He said it would it allow visitors, particularly tradespeople, to make an informed decision before they entered a Mr Fluffy property. The disclosure could also help remove the stigma attached to homes that had been listed on the 2015 register but had since been razed and replaced. "The thinking behind the register is that the only list that exists for properties is now a few years old," Mr Rutledge said. "A lot of properties on the register have since been knocked-down and rebuilt and people living in the new homes probably don't want an ongoing stigma of being on a Mr Fluffy register." He said the government believed that demolishing the remaining homes was the "only lasting solution to the problem". But he said the ACT wouldn't need to buy back the remaining 67 properties to ensure that happened, with an increasing number of owners choosing to privately fund demolition works. Owners who choose to stay in their properties must have an asbestos management plan to minimise the future risk of exposure to themselves, other occupants or visitors. Of the 67 listed properties, 17 properties do not have such plans, the government says. Twenty-nine homes have either a compliant or partially-compliant plan. Two properties are in the process of being privately demolished. The government owns the other 19 properties, which are vacant and do not require plans. Those properties will soon be demolished. The online register will not disclose which properties have management plans. The government is instead advising people visiting or working at the homes to ask owners to provide details of any contamination. Lorraine Carvalho, who owns Mr Fluffy founder Dirk Jansen's former home in Lyons, was angered by the decision to publish the register. "It's bullshit," she said. "All this is going to do is make us vulnerable to some idiot targeting our properties. Most of the owners are older and this is going to bring a lot of stress and anxiety." Ms Carvalho said owners were already required to provide notification of their Mr Fluffy status, including placing stickers on the properties. "This is just a form of bullying and coercion," she said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/f7dac542-c631-4b51-b27d-3a8ed04af59c/r0_126_3398_2046_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news Clinicians need to be allowed to speak to government directly for ACT's health woes to be fixed, the president of ACT Australian Medical Association says. His comments came after a report released on Thursday showed Canberra's elective surgery and emergency departments' performances had plunged further, with ACT patients among the most likely in the country to be kept waiting for treatment. ACT patients were far more likely to wait more than a year for surgery or for treatment at the emergency department than those in any other jurisdiction The association's ACT president Antonio Di Dio said doctors and nurses on the ground were in the best place to give advice about how to improve Canberra hospitals' emergency department and elective surgery wait times. But he said their advice got lost after it was filtered through layers of bureaucracy. "The government needs to talk directly to people involved - directly to surgeons, directly with emergency department staff and then the government needs to follow up," Dr Di Dio said. "Doctors in hospitals are not allowed to approach ministers. "They should be given a chance to express themselves. "Ministers in good faith get 99 per cent of their information from senior bureaucrats ... but sometimes they actually need to listen to doctors and nurses in hospital." Dr Di Dio said doctors and nurses were hard working and efficient and should not be blamed for the poor data. He said the emergency department woes were largely due to bed block issues. This meant the emergency department was often overfull because patients were not able to be moved to other wards. This can be due to a lack of beds or lack of staff - or both - in other wards in the hospitals. Dr Di Dio said a major reason was infrastructure and services were not keeping up with Canberras rapid population growth. Opposition health spokeswoman Vicki Dunne said the report was "conclusive" proof Canberra had the worst performing hospitals in the country and the situation was deteriorating. Ms Fitzharris needs to stop saying we are heading in the right direction, start admitting there are serious problems, and roll up her sleeves to do something about it," she said. A good place to start would be to fix the toxic culture in the ACTs health system, but Ms Fitzharris data-gathering exercise by the independent review panel simply wont cut it." Mrs Dunne said there was a focus on bureaucracy at the expense of service delivery and she didn't believe splitting the department would make that go away. With a third of the ACTs budget spent on health, and the highest cost of care in the country, this Labor-Greens Government has no excuse for a failing health system," she said. Our hospitals should be structured and resourced to be able to deliver quality health care services. This government has proven comprehensively it simply cannot run an efficient health system for Canberra residents." news, latest-news Prime Minister Scott Morris is fond of referring to the "Canberra bubble" once or twice or three hundred times or so. But Canberra illustrator Michael Ashley nailed that bubble, so to speak, a long time ago. "I created this particular image years ago based partly on the TV show Under the Dome, which in part (I'm sure) was inspired from The Simpsons Movie," Ashley said. "The phrase 'living in a bubble' isn't new, but every now and then, it gets pulled out from the political archives to supposedly appease the masses living outside the bubble. "Granted, there are certain elements of truth and, yes, plenty of places in Australia that do it much tougher than we do. "Still, it's slightly irritating to have politicians use this sound bite to describe the city we live in without being accountable for it." Ashley's work is on-point Canberra and his prints, books and calendars make great Christmas gifts for the Canberra connoisseur. His work will be for sale at the Handmade Christmas Market, which is over three days this weekend, at Exhibition Park in Canberra. The market is on Friday 5pm to 9pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm. Ashley's also sells under his label, Leafy Sea Dragon, at the Old Bus Depot Market in Kingston which is also gearing up for Christmas by opening Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm the next two weekends, December 8-9 and December 15-16. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/79d3855a-1e52-4371-8841-34f1b4b59c00/r0_215_630_571_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Selection panel convener Stephen Stratford says Many of us wanted to know what happened next for the characters in Through the Lonesome Dark longlisted for the 2019 Dublin Literary Award, which is right up there with the Booker. For the sequel, Paddy will be able to research the Turnbull Librarys holding of letters and diaries of Somes Island inmates. A perfect synchronicity of project and residency. news, latest-news The ACT government will refer both of its prospective light rail stage two routes to the federal Environment Minister, keeping both options alive while it waits for a report back from the Commonwealth on the pathway to getting the project approved. The Barr government will decide after next year's federal election whether to pursue its chosen route from Civic to Woden through Barton or go via State Circle to avoid time delays and cost blowouts in getting the project approved. Chief Minister Andrew Barr described State Circle as a "compromise" route, as it sat between two options which were put out for public consultation last year, the Barton route - which cuts through the Parliamentary Triangle - and the more direct Capital Circle route. State Circle was also illuminated as the path of least resistance to getting the green-light for the project, as the alignment is already marked as an inter-town public transport route in the National Capital Plan. However an ACT government spokeswoman said the government would lodge an Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Referral that kept both the Barton and State Circle alignment options open, while at the same time taking a closer look at the latter route. "There are challenges and opportunities in any route option, including the right balance between, for example, patronage, cost, travel time, location of stops, heritage, technical feasibility, planning approvals and connection with other transport options, including the city wide light rail network," the spokeswoman said. "Some of the early issues identified with a State Circle option included the impact on the existing road network, gradients, heritage considerations, and access to employment zones. "These issues associated with the State Circle option are balanced by the potential to achieve significantly speedier Commonwealth approval processes. "This is an important project for the residents of the inner south and Woden, and will create a north-south public transport spine for our city. We want to deliver on this project as soon as possible, and if that means that we need to consider a different route to avoid time-consuming Commonwealth approvals, we will do so." The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act requires ministerial approval on any action that is likely to have a significant impact on areas of national environmental significance. After the referral, the environment minister has 20 days to decide if a formal environmental impact assessment is required. Initial advice to the ACT government suggests a formal assessment will be needed. The ACT government will then prepare a draft environmental impact statement - based on guidelines issued by the Environment Department for the project - which will be released for public comment. A final environmental impact statement will then be assessed by the department, which will provide a recommendation report to the minister. The minister must then decide whether to approve the project within 40 days of receiving the final environmental impact statement. The ACT government is planning on filing a single environmental impact statement to address the requirements of both territory and Commonwealth laws. The territory must then seek a works approval from the National Capital Authority, which requires it to prove the project demonstrates respect for the key elements of the Griffins formally adopted plan for Canberra and contributes positively to the overall composition, symbolism and dignity of the national capital. NCA chief executive Sally Barnes told a federal parliamentary hearing on Thursday the agency was yet to be briefed on the State Circle route. "We're waiting to hear, ready to help and to provide advice on what would be required to move forward on either route," Ms Barnes said. Ms Barnes said a heritage impact assessment of both routes was one of the "key underpinnings" required by the NCA. "Weve had external advice both to the NCA and ... the board that says the documentation thats in the public domain or that weve received so far is insufficient for us to even consider making a decision on either route at this stage," Ms Barnes said. However those heritage assessments are unlikely to take place until the federal government makes its formal response to the joint standing committee report on the parliamentary approvals from October. A spokesman for Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories Sussan Ley said the federal government was still considering the report and was working to release a response "as soon as it is possible to do so". In the meantime, the ACT government spokeswoman said they were still working on elements of the project, including early planning work and business case activities for works on the Woden Bus Interchange and surrounding road network, park and ride facilities and the Yarra Glen roundabout and intersections. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/015285d4-4946-4197-833d-a68e217e5e0f/r0_333_5184_3262_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg news, latest-news A decades-old anomaly in Canberra's planning laws which allowed houses with granny flats out back to be redeveloped into higher density housing is being fixed. However, advocates for the property industry say the decision is confusing as the Barr government looks towards more urban infill, and disadvantages ordinary Canberrans trying to get ahead. The ACT Legislative Assembly held a public hearing into Draft Variation 350, which changes the definition of "single dwelling block" in the Territory Plan, on Wednesday. The variation - which has been in interim effect since May - came in response to problems arising from the redevelopment of certain blocks in Canberra's older suburbs. Local residents had complained that blocks with a house and a granny flat were being redeveloped into multi-unit complexes that didn't fit with the rest of the neighbourhood. These developments were allowed because the residential leases on these blocks do not limit the number of dwellings that can be built. That omission is a hangover from the late 1960s and early 1970s, when two dwellings - one house and one small flat - were allowed to be built on these blocks, so long as the development looked like a single dwelling from the street. The rationale was to improve the available housing stock while keeping the suburb's low-density character. However, this has meant the current definition of "single dwelling block" in the Territory Plan does not apply to these blocks with the extra flat, and some of the rules that govern the development of multi-unit housing don't apply either. Those rules include restrictions on plot ratio, block size requirements, replacement dwellings, the number of dwellings in each building and restrictions on attics and basements. The result has been redevelopments that are not sensitive to the neighbouring blocks and the character of the area, the government said. The variation was designed as an interim measure to prevent further "unconstrained multi-unit redevelopment" occurring in the older established suburbs until a wider review of the ACT's housing options - dubbed the Housing Choices project - is finished. That project is looking at changes that would encourage more people to subdivide blocks in those suburbs, in order to increase density and allow people to age in place. A separate planning strategy released on Wednesday also prioritises urban infill over greenfield development, saying infill would be the source of 70 per cent of Canberra's new homes going forward. Planning committee chair and Greens crossbencher Caroline Le Couteur said it was unclear how many of these blocks were out there, as they were random and scattered across Canberra's older suburbs and the leases were paper-based. Labor backbencher Suzanne Orr questioned whether it was fair that these blocks were able to be developed by virtue of a decades-old planning quirk. But in its submission to the inquiry, the Master Builders Association of the ACT said the draft variation had pre-empted the outcome of the Housing Choices project and resulted in "mixed messages" about the government's housing policies. It said the variation could be considered a denial of natural justice and procedural fairness to applicants who were working to the old rules. "Whilst we understand that the ACT government wished to avoid a situation where they announced their intended changes and then experienced a rush of development applications to avoid being covered by the new requirements, we believe that public and industry stakeholder consultation should have occurred prior to any variations being implemented," the association said. "In our experience, the development applications that are lodged for the established suburbs are not for high-rise developments - which we consider would be excluded already under the Territory Plan requirements - but are typically for the development of medium-scale three to five townhouses. "The developers in these instances are very unlikely to be national corporations and are usually everyday people in the ACT attempting to get ahead, whether it be to invest personally or perhaps establish a self-managed superannuation fund." Planning consultant Nichelle Jackson told the inquiry she had five clients whose plans had been held up by the draft variation. The association said those investors will have to go back to the drawing board or significantly alter their plans to comply with the new rule, at a cost. The Master Builders Association's legal and compliance director Ashlee Berry told the inquiry there needed to be a transition period, where people who proved they'd spent money progressing a development application under the old rules should be considered under them. However the Friends of Hawker Village group - which began lobbying the government to change the rules four years ago, after five two-storey townhouses were approved on a former granny flat block - said that they wanted consistency about how planning rules applied across residential zones. If a block had the same zoning and the same lease as the blocks around it, the same redevelopment rules should apply, representatives Robyn Coghlan and Christine Gingell said. "It was never intended for these particular blocks in any way to be treated differently from the blocks on either side of them," Ms Coghlan said. Planning Minister Mick Gentleman said the premise of the Master Builders Association's argument was incorrect and the Housing Choices project was about getting the right balance between meeting future demand and preserving the existing character of suburbs. "Were encouraging infill providing a mix of dwellings in the best locations and that balance with the character of that area," Mr Gentleman said. /images/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/1d2f3e25-db2b-4b3b-bb6d-45650c81880c/r0_612_2457_2000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg Modified On Dec 06, 2018 04:24 PM By Dhruv for Toyota Camry The new Camry will be brought to India early next year and in all probability will only be available as a hybrid model At the time it was discontinued, the seventh-gen Camry was only available with a hybrid powertrain in India Toyota dealers suggest that the eighth-gen model will be launched in January 2019 New Camry has already been revealed globally New-gen Camry features edgy styling, just all of Toyotas recent cars New Camry will be powered by new petrol and hybrid powertrains. It will be underpinned by Toyotas TNGA platform. Toyota has taken the seventh-gen Camry off its website in India, signalling the fact that the premium sedan has been discontinued in India. The new eighth-gen of the Camry, which has already been revealed globally in 2017, will be brought to India soon. Toyota dealers from New Delhi and Mumbai suggest that it could be launched as early as January 2019. We expect the new Camry to be priced similar to the now-discontinued model. It is based on Toyotas TNGA platform that also supports electrification. The new Camry is available with a 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces 167PS of max power and 199Nm of peak torque. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. A 2.5-litre petrol engine coupled with an 8-speed AT is also available. It churns out 209PS of max power and 250Nm of peak torque. Also on the lineup is a Camry Hybrid powered by the same 2.5-litre petrol engine coupled with an electric motor for a combined output of 211PS. Towards the end of its lifecycle, the seventh-gen Camry was only available as a hybrid variant that was priced at a whopping Rs 37.22 lakh (ex-showroom). In all probability, the new Camry that is set to arrive in India next year will also be a hybrid. It will primarily rival the Honda Accord Hybrid. The Skoda Superb and the Volkswagen Passat, although not hybrids, also fall in the same price bracket. Read More on : Toyota Camry Automatic Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the post of Forest Range Officer. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. The application fee is INR 250 and the exam fee is INR 120. Selected candidates can earn up to INR 84,970 per month. The last date to apply for this government job is Dec 31, 2018. If the applications exceed 25000 entries, an offline screening test will be held on Feb 24, 2019. West Central Railway Recruitment 2018 For 160 Trade Apprentices APPSC Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission Organisation Forest Range Officer Educational Qualification Graduate degree in relevant field Experience Freshers can apply Skills Required Physical fitness Job Location Andhra Pradesh Salary Scale INR 31,460 to INR 84,970 per month Industry Civil services Application Start Date December 10, 2018 Application End Date December 31, 2018 Age Limit: 18 to 28 years Also Read: Indian Army Recruitment 2018 For Soldier - Nursing Assistant How To Apply For APPSC Recruitment 2018 In order to apply for APPSC Recruitment 2018, follow these steps: Step 1: Log on to the APPSC official website. Step 2: Click New Registration. Step 3: The application form will open. Enter your details in the fields provided. Step 4: Upload your photograph and signature. Step 5: Read the declaration and click on the checkbox to agree. Step 6: Click Preview and follow the subsequent pages to complete the registration process. Follow the link - https://psc.ap.gov.in/(S(iupcr5p2ahjo5dyuje4qxxez))/UI/UserManuals/LatestNotifications/10_2018Notification.pdf to read the detailed official notification. State Bank of India (SBI) has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the post of Dean of Studies for State Bank Institute of Leadership, Kolkata. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. Selected candidates can earn up to industry standards. The last date to apply for this government job is Dec 25, 2018. SBI Recruitment 2018: Become A Defence Banking Advisor And Earn Up To INR 1,00,000 SBI Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Dean Organisation State Bank of India Educational Qualification MBA or PhD Experience Desirable Job Responsibilities The Dean of the institute will primarily be the head of Academics. Skills Required Managerial skills Job Location Mumbai Salary Scale Negotiable Industry Banking Application Start Date December 5, 2018 Application End Date December 25, 2018 Age Limit: 40 to 65 years Also Read: SBI Recruitment 2018: Become An Internal Ombudsman And Earn Up To INR 31.5 Lakhs How To Apply For SBI Recruitment 2018 In order to apply for SBI Recruitment 2018, follow these steps: Step 1: Log on to the SBI Careers official website. Step 2: On the home page, against Whats New,click on a link that scrolls. Step 3: The list of notifications will be displayed on the screen. Step 4: Click the link that reads,Recruitment of Dean of Studies for State Bank Institute of Leadership, Kolkata. Step 5: Click on the link to download the application form. Step 6: Save it to your computer and take a printout of it. Step 7: Send the applications to SBI. SBI Recruitment 2018 Application Format And Mailing Address Superscribe on the envelope, "Application for the post of Dean" and send it to: State Bank of India, Central Recruitment & Promotion Department, Corporate Centre, 3rd Floor, Atlanta Building, Nariman Point, Mumbai-400021. Follow the link - https://www.sbi.co.in/webfiles/uploads/files/1543844852349_DEAN_AMENDED_STU.pdf to read the detailed official notification. Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Selection Commission (UPSSSC) has released an employment notification calling out aspirants to apply for the posts of Mandi Inspector Assistant, Junior Assistant, Stenographer, Market Supervisor and Account Clerk. Those interested can check out the eligibility, salary scale, how to apply and the complete details of the government job here. Selected candidates can earn up to level 5 pay matrix. The last date to apply for this government job is Dec 26, 2018. Indian Army Recruitment 2018 For Soldier - Nursing Assistant UPSSSC Recruitment 2018 Vacancy Details CRITERIA DETAILS Name Of The Posts Mandi Inspector Assistant, Junior Assistant, Stenographer, Market Supervisor and Account Clerk Organisation Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Service Selection Commission Educational Qualification Graduate degree in relevant field Experience Freshers can apply Skills Required Technical skills Job Location Uttar Pradesh Salary Scale Level 4 to level 6 pay matrix Industry Civil services Application Start Date December 5, 2018 Application End Date December 26, 2018 Age Limit: 21 to 40 years Also Read: India Post Recruitment 2018: Vacancies Open For 682 GDS At Haryana How To Apply For UPSSSC Recruitment 2018 In order to apply for UPSSSC Recruitment 2018, follow these steps: Step 1: Log on to the UPSSSC official website. Step 2: Click Apply against the relevant post. Step 3: Click Candidate Registration. Step 4: Answer the questions through the drop-down list box. Step 5: Follow the subsequent pages to complete the registration process. Step 6: Log in using your credentials and complete the application process. Follow the link - http://upsssc.gov.in/UploadNotices/ADVT_1317.pdf to read the detailed official notification. The new Kia plant which is being built in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh will be ready to produce electric vehicles of all type. Kia's plans to have 16 electric vehicles in its global line-up by 2025 and the India plant will play a major role in this regard The automaker has hinted that there will be an India specific EV and will be produced here for the domestic market in the future. However, it's launch in the country will depend on the development of the EV ecosystem, going forward. In this regard, Kia today handed over 3 versions of its Niro EV to the Government of AP as part of an MOU that they have signed for shared mobility in the state. The three cars are an EV, PHEV and HEV and have been handed over along with the installation of a charging unit at the Vijayawada Secretariat, where the MOU was signed. Kia will begin operations in India in H2 of 2019 with the production version of the SP concept. This will be a Hyundai Creta , Renault Duster and Nissan Kicks rival and it is expected to be priced in the range of Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 16 lakhs. Kia | Kia SP | SP Photo: The Canadian Press Canopy Growth Tweed facility in Smiths Falls, Ont. Marijuana company Canopy Growth Corp. has signed a deal to buy a German firm that specializes in vaporizer design and manufacturing for about $220 million in cash. Under the deal, Canopy will pay 145 million euros for Storz & Bickel GmbH & Co. KG. Based in in Tuttlingen, Germany, the company designs and manufactures of medically approved vaporizers. Canopy says the German firm has a portfolio of 17 filed patents that will improve its existing vaporizer design operations. Founders Markus Storz and Jurgen Bickel are expected to remain part of the organization. New Zealand is known as the main organization for the trilogy Lord of the Rings, By Peter Jackson. However, for... Sagar Cements announces new investments in plant projects 06 December 2018 Sagar Cements has approved significant investment in both Satguru Cements and Jajpur Cements, which will enable the company to expand its presence in central and eastern India. "The board has approved a proposal to invest a sum of INR1.5bn (US$21.1m) in Satguru Cement Pvt Ltd (SCPL), Indore, to set-up a greenfield cement manufacturing plant of 1Mta capacity along with a waste heat recovery power plant, at a total cost of INR4.26bn. SCL will be holding 65 per cent in the equity share capital of SCPL on completion of the above projects," said Sagar Cements in a statement. Elsewhere, "board has also approved of a proposal to invest a sum of INR1.08bn in Jajpur Cements Pvt Ltd (JCPL), Jajpur, Odisha, in a phased manner to acquire 100 per cent shareholding and to set up, through it, a greenfield grinding unit of 1.5Mta capacity in Jajpur at a total cost of INR3.081bn. This investment is subject to approval from the Government of Odisha and other regulatory authorities as may be required" stated the company. Both projects are expected to be completed by 31 March 2021. Published under Measurements of atmospheric ozone from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite are now being used in daily forecasts of air quality. Launched in October 2017, Copernicus Sentinel-5P - short for Sentinel-5 Precursor - is the first Copernicus satellite dedicated to monitoring our atmosphere. It is part of the fleet of Copernicus Sentinel missions that ESA develops for the European Union's environmental monitoring programme. The satellite carries an advanced multispectral imaging spectrometer called Tropomi. It detects the unique fingerprints of atmospheric gases in different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum to image a wide range of pollutants more accurately and at a higher spatial resolution than ever before. And, sooner than expected, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), which is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Union, is now including near-realtime Sentinel-5P ozone data in their daily analysis and forecast system. Ozone is both good and bad, depending on where it is. High up in the stratosphere, ozone is important because it protects life on Earth from the Sun's harmful rays of ultraviolet radiation. But lower down in the atmosphere, ozone is an air pollutant - the main ingredient of urban smog. It can cause breathing difficulties and also damage vegetation. Before CAMS took the decision to start including the new Copernicus Sentinel-5P ozone data in their forecast system, the data had to be monitored and tested very carefully. Since the data first became available in July, CAMS has been using them in research experiments parallel to their operational system. This allowed any teething problems to be solved. Deemed good, the data were then included passively into the operational system so that differences between the forecast model and actual observations could be calculated. CAMS senior scientist, Antje Inness, explained, "First, a lot of technical work is needed to include new data in the processing chain at ECMWF. "Then the scientific work starts. We monitor the data passively and work with the team at the German Aerospace Centre, DLR, to solve any problems. "Finally, the assimilation of the data can begin, and the data now influence the CAMS forecasts." Head of the service, Vincent-Henri Peuch, added, "Soon after Copernicus Sentinel-5P was launched in late 2017 we started monitoring the total column near-realtime ozone data in research experiments, and since July in our operational system. "This has shown that the data are good quality and we are now starting to use them actively in our system." ESA's mission manager for Copernicus Sentinel-5P, Claus Zehner, noted, "The uptake of these first data products into CAMS is a really important milestone - we couldn't be happier." CAMS is also routinely monitoring the mission's nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide data, which also look promising for uptake in the near future. The Copernicus Sentinel-5P mission not only offers unprecedented accuracy, but also its 2600 km-wide swath allows the entire planet to be mapped every 24 hours. All of the mission's measurements of atmospheric gases and aerosols are 'column data', which means they cover the full depth of the atmosphere. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Lickcreek Speedway has steadily picked up her game since arriving from Indiana and looms the one to beat in Friday nights (Dec. 7) Annette Funicello-Glen Holt Pace at Cal-Expo for owner Jennifer Scarberry and driver-trainer James Kennedy. The three-year-old daughter of Sand Shooter had been racing at Hoosier Park with mixed results while leaving from some difficult posts, but seems to have found a nice home at Cal-Expo. I got her at the beginning of the meet from Jacob Fox, Kennedy related when asked about the distaffer. Shed been making breaks and he told me I had to be careful with her on the first turn. Lickcreek Speedway made a miscue in her first Cal-Expo start on opening night, but has been on her best behaviour in the last two appearances, resulting in a near-miss and then a solid score as the favourite in last weeks Funicello Prep. I made some adjustments after that first start here to her hobbles and her headgear and its been working, James said. I was real happy with the way she finished in her second start and it all came together last week. The plan was to let her settle in on the first turn and then make a move down the backside. She ended up getting parked first-over, but she was real strong and I never even had to pull the earplugs or really ask her for her best. Lickcreek Speedway is one of two performers Kennedy currently has under his care, and he explains thats pretty much the way he likes it. Both horses are owned by friends, and right now I prefer to concentrate on the driving. Completing the field are Dancers Fancy (Mooney Svendsen), Lookslikewemadeit (Nathan Sobey), Sing N Sandi (Dean Magee), Thats How It Goes (Richard Schneider), Rosebuds First (Steve Wiseman), Hot Dandy (Chip Lackey) and Glad To Meet Ya (Luke Plano). The co-featured Open Pace will find Dave Goldschmidt Memorial winner Allymyxsliventexas seeking his fourth straight win at the meet, while the Mares Open finds stablemates Fancy Little Girl and Totally Racy in the spotlight. Dougs Hobby Horse and Silverhill Volo square off in a rematch in the Open Trot. (Cal-Expo) (Editors Note: Dr. Wayne Shearer, 94, is a retired optometrist and retired colonel from the U.S. Air Force Reserve now living in Hixson. In his early 90s, he decided to sit down and write from memory and a few records he still possesses his recollections of going through Army Air Corps pilot training at several bases in the United States during World War II. A lifelong writer, he wanted to pen them as he remembered them happening at the time. He also recreates now-lost letters as best as he recalled writing them and references newspaper articles he collected at the time and still possesses. This is the third in a series of regular excerpts from it.) * * * * * Sept. 16, 1942: Now is the time to leave home for North Georgia (Military) College at Dahlonega. It is sad to leave home, but I am happily looking forward to college life. At the West Point of Georgia, we know that we will not be allowed to go home until Thanksgiving. There are a dozen or so students from Cordele attending. We will know a few people from day one, so off we go to Dahlonega. This is a letter home in the style I would have written them: Sept. 18, 1942 Dear Mother and Dad, I got moved into Barnes Hall. We have quickly found out that the military school is just that. As soon as a freshman hears, Shell be coming around the mountain, sung, he comes to attention. We learned that a freshman was lower than a snakes belly and told to get into the prone position to demonstrate. This has continued and is expected. Your loving son, Wayne Another letter home: Sept. 25, 1942 Dear Mother and Dad, I have now gotten settled in my room with my fellow high school graduate, Whitfield. Were both happy about it. Several of us freshmen from Cordele were placed in advanced English and advanced math classes. Believe it or not, I was one of them! Your loving son, Wayne The Atlanta Journal on Tuesday evening, Oct. 6, 1942, said: MUTUAL AGREEMENT ON ALLIES STRATEGY. This agreement between the Royal Air Force and Army Air Force concerned the RAF to bomb only at night and the AAF during the day. War was on everyones mind, and we knew wed all be serving soon. Oct. 8, 1942: The college academics and military training are tough, but thats what we came for. We have learned to obey the bugle calls, especially Reveille (wake-up), Mess Call (for meals), Assembly (to assemble), Mail Call (letters), Drill Call (form up on drill field), Retreat (lowering of the flag at the end of duty day), Taps (lights out, into bed). Dahlonega is located in the mountains of Northeast Georgia. The mountains are a real treat for us flat-land South Georgia boys! The musical bugle calls seem to roll off the ridges. This phenomenon, especially late at night during the playing of Taps, creates a sadness as the day ended. This sound will stay with me forever! The Atlanta Constitution on Friday morning, Oct. 16, 1942, said: LOWERING OF DRAFT AGE OKAYED BY CONGRESS. Today, the House military committee unanimously approved a bill making 18- and 19-year-olds subject to the draft after adding new safeguards intended to prevent the induction of married men while single men are available for Army service. Oct. 17, 1942: This has become a conversation piece for days among us NGC students as we studied academically and on the drill field learning the left foot from the right. My thoughts are concerning when I should go to Atlanta to take the required exams to be a Naval aviator or Army Air Force pilot. I am going to volunteer and fly for my country! Probably I have gotten the idea from the aviation cadet half-page ads that it may be quicker and easier to qualify for Navy pilot training. I still am thinking about AAF airplanes, though. Why not wait until after Thanksgiving? The Atlanta Journal on Tuesday evening, Nov. 12, 1942, said: BATTLE OF GUADALCANAL. This told about the start of a climactic battle between Japanese and American Naval forces. The war outlook seems to be getting better every day. Guadalcanal is needed for airplane runways. Another letter home: Nov. 15, 1942 Dear Mother and Dad, Hope all is well. I know Dad looks good in his Georgia Home Guard uniform with those master sergeant stripes. Am looking forward to being home for Thanksgiving. Ill be riding home with another students father. Lots of Love, Wayne The Atlanta Journal on Sunday evening, Nov. 22, 1942, said: BATTLE OF STALINGRAD. The battle situation for the German attackers of Stalingrad is desperate due to the Soviet counter attack. Gen. Friedrich Paulus tells Adolf Hitler that the German 6thArmy is surrounded. Nov. 22, 1942: On this Sunday morning, after our mandatory church formations and special Sunday mess hall meal, we all discussed going home Wednesday for our Thanksgiving break. We are quite excited because, after all, we are not allowed to go home except Thanksgiving, Christmas and spring break. At this West Point of Georgia we are kept busy! Nov. 27, 1942: Good to be home for Thanksgiving. Mother and Dad knew this would be my last Thanksgiving holiday at home for awhile. Mother fixed my favorite foods and desserts. My sister, Norma, is almost 12 years old and growing up quickly. I told Dad that I would be allowed part of a Saturday off in December and intended to go with several other students and take the Naval pilot training tests. I do not want to be drafted but desire to fly in the military by volunteering. Dec. 2, 1942: Sunday afternoon came too soon, but I need to be back at Dahlonega for Monday morning classes. Velpoes father picked me up after lunch and went by Ellaville outside Americus to get another student. It was a long ride to the northeast corner of Georgia, where Tennessee, North Carolina and Georgia come together in the Appalachian Mountains. For us South Georgians, it was beautiful! Back to college life to learn as much as we can before going into the military. One of the greatest influences in the life of a North Georgia College cadet is his military training. The cadet learns what is meant by discipline. He learns what spirit means. The squad and company spirit at NGC is one of the most important parts of the military curriculum. Company C (Honor Company this year) is like a family to me! We learn as we Blitz polish our brass insignia that fronti nulla fides (all that glitters is not gold). A high polish must be put on the brass and the shoes. The Atlanta Journal on Saturday evening, Dec. 12, 1942, said: ROMMEL ABANDONS EL AGHEILA. German Gen. Rommel retreats to Tripoli. His final stand may be in Southern Tunisia, as American and British troops are pushing hard to win. Dec. 15, 1942: That was good Sunday morning news several days ago, as our troops are now winning more battles. My plans with several others were to go by bus to Atlanta this Saturday, the 19th; but plans can change quickly. Without notice to us students, an Army Air Force pilot training-testing group arrived on campus. When I found out, I was in morning classes. During lunch in the mess hall, one of my friends, Felix, told me they were going to give the exams again for those who missed the morning sessions, and that today, Dec. 15, was the last day a civilian could qualify for pilot training. He said he qualified and I could, also. Forget about afternoon classes, I cant be held back. As soon as the aviation cadet examining board adjourned after lunch, I was in line. Previously, my folks could not find my birth certificate. The Naval Aviation recruits had said a certified copy of my birth from the family Bible would be acceptable; so armed and with that, high school and college transcripts (including fall quarter grades) and letters of character reference from three prominent Cordele citizens were presented to the board and accepted. We were given test booklets and answer sheets for the Aviation Cadet Qualifying Examination with pencil and paper. Those tests would determine our quickness in following instructions, comprehending directions, reading comprehension, fundamentals of math, mechanical comprehension and leadership potential. These were tough exam questions for 18 year olds. These were multiple choice and machine graded. The maximum time allowed was two hours and I took the full two hours. Without the strict teachers of Cordele High School, I dont think I would have passed those Army Air Corps tests today! One sample questions was: If a man is to help reinforce a bridge, he is to: widen it, strengthen it, destroy it, close it, or replace it. This was followed by some information about military courtesy, and I had to answer questions regarding my interpretation of the meaning of the paragraph. Another question asked if a hangar is 30 feet high and casts a 20-foot shadow, what would be the height of a signal tower that casts a 70-foot shadow during the same time of day. The possible answers were 46 2/3 feet, 140 feet, 210 feet, 23 1/3 feet and 105 feet. Mechanical aptitude was also tested for the potential flyer, and one series of questions showed a cutaway drawing of a fuel pump while testing the student about its actions as a result of certain operations. After the time limit was called, the papers were graded and those who failed were dismissed. Those who were left, including me thankfully, then waited for the medical doctor to give us the physical. I passed again and was immediately sworn into the AAF. These two hurdles are some of many that await me and others in pilot training. But the P-40 is now in my 20/20 sight! Another letter home: Dec. 15, 1942: Dear Mother and Dad, I got sworn into the Army Air Force today. I was told that I would receive my active duty papers in several months and to be more qualified academically to enroll in the winter quarter. Am looking forward next week on Wednesday (Dec. 23) to being home on Christmas break and being with you and sister Norma until returning to NGC on Monday, Jan. 4, 1943. Felix S. of Cordele, a fellow NGC student, passed the AAF tests and was also sworn in today; he was a year ahead of me in high school. Your loving son, Wayne * * * * * To see the previous entry in this series, read here: https://www.chattanoogan.com/ 2018/11/25/380452/Wayne- Shearers-Word-War-II-Memoir. aspx Dr. Wayne Shearer can be contacted at docshearer@epbfi.com Lee University will open its "second century" with the historic opening of its first doctoral program, the Doctor of Nursing Practice, it was announced Wednesday by president Paul Conn. Dr. Conn was joined in the announcement by Vice President Debbie Murray and Sara Campbell, dean of the School of Nursing. We have received approval from the Southern Association Commission on Colleges and initial approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing to take this important step, Dr. Campbell said. "This degree offering is a perfect way for Lee University to kick off our second hundred years," Dr. Conn said. The school has recently concluded a year-long celebration of its Centennial year, since it was founded in Cleveland in 1918. "We have considered offering doctorates in other areas in the past few years, and believe we are now in a good position to design doctoral programs in areas like education, religion, and music. "The rapid growth and excellence of our School of Nursing makes it the first doctoral program which is ready to go." The program will begin teaching its first class of admitted students on Jan. 7, 2019. The DNP can serve as a doctoral program for those nurses already possessing an advanced practice nursing certification or for those nurses in need of an APN program along with the doctoral degree. Students may enter the program with the baccalaureate or masters degree in nursing, according to Dr. Campbell. There are multiple specialty tracks that can be under the umbrella of a DNP program. The first specialty track that Lee will offer is the Family Nurse Practitioner. Dr. Campbell said, "We are ready to offer a doctoral program in nursing that will reflect a standard of excellence and uniqueness, similar to our BSN program. Students in this region and across the nation are seeking doctoral programs that are flexible, but which are also relational and of high quality. We are confident that we will be that kind of program." The Lee School of Nursing first admitted students in 2014 and has rapidly gained recognition as a "state-of-the-art" program, said Dr. Conn. Its first three classes of graduates all achieved 100 percent pass rates in their first try on the national nursing exam (the NCLEX), and dozens of them are already working in hospitals in the area, including Erlanger, Tennova, CHI Memorial, Parkridge, Vanderbilt Medical Center, and numerous other health-care providers. The Lee undergraduate program has achieved full accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. "When we first opened our new School of Nursing building in 2016," Dr. Conn said, "it seemed very big for a start-up program, but we anticipated high demand for our program, and for our graduates as they finished. In both cases, our positive expectations have been exceeded by the rapid growth, in size and reputation, of the School of Nursing." The Lee program now teaches almost 400 nursing majors, and is nearing its full interior build-out of faculty space in its building. The facility features large simulation teaching labs and a multi-million-dollar array of equipment and furnishings. The DNP program is designed to prepare graduates at the highest level of nursing practice, addressing the growing complexity of patient care and health care delivery. The uniquely structured program features innovative experiences such as use of telehealth robots, focus on rural and global populations, and leading disaster response as a healthcare provider. The DNP was designed in contrast to the PhD nursing programs which are traditionally research intensive. For more information about the program or to apply, visit http://www.leeuniversity.edu/dnp/. Authorities captured two burglary suspects in East Ridge on Wednesday. Members of the East Ridge Police Departments Crime Suppression Unit assisted the Catoosa County Sheriffs Department at 1611 Waterhouse St. after a burglary suspects vehicle was observed in the driveway. Police observed the door to the duplex to be standing open and an individual later identified as Daniel Coates was seen. Police announced their presence and gave Coates verbal commands to step out. However, he shut and locked the door to the duplex. Then, Christopher Lee Nation was observed running out of the neighboring duplexs back door. Police gave chase and took Nation into custody after a brief struggle. Police located the second suspect, Coates, hiding in the attic. Police were able to determine that the suspects broke through a ceiling tile and climbed into the attic where they then pushed through to the adjoining residence. When Nation was taken into custody he was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Police said Nation has an extensive criminal history involving thefts and burglaries and is currently a suspect in multiple trailer thefts and burglaries occurring in the Chattanooga and North Georgia area. The vehicle utilized by Nation was a 2000 GMC Jimmy displaying Tennessee Registration 8G9353. Police in local jurisdictions are still investigating possible to connections to other crimes. Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of any stolen property associated with either subject is encouraged to contact law enforcement. Jerome Weidman was a famous author and playwright before he died in 1998 at age 85. He was awarded the Pulitzer for drama in 1960 but Ill be honest, the only way Id ever heard of him was because we shared the same birthday (April 4). Every child growing up back when I did wanted to share their birthday with some celebrity type who was pretty cool so lets say Jerome and I shared some Aires stars together, even if I didnt think he was all that cool. For the most part Jerome was a kid of the city, being born, raised and all else in Manhattan for most of his life forget the constellations -- but Weidman had his moments and one of them came one night when he was invited to a dinner with chamber music to follow. It was there he met the famed Albert Einstein, who was seated to Jeromes left, and the man who gave the world his Theory of Relativity could not miss the fact young Jerome was out of his mind with boredom. You need to know Albert was some 34 years older than Jerome at the time they first met and years later, when Weidman wrote about My Most Unforgettable Character, in Readers Digest, his essay was more about life than music and today is considered one of the beloved magazines Classic stories * * * THE NIGHT I MET EINSTEIN, written by Jerome Weidman for Readers Digest The Night I Met Einstein By Jerome Weidman When I was a very young man, just beginning to make my way, I was invited to dine at the home of a distinguished New York philanthropist. After dinner, our hostess led us to an enormous drawing room. Other guests were pouring in, and my eyes beheld two unnerving sights: Servants were arranging small gilt chairs in long, neat rows; and up front, leaning against the wall, were musical instruments. Apparently I was in for an evening of chamber music. I use the phrase in for because music meant nothing to me. I am almost tone deafonly with great effort can I carry the simplest tune, and serious music was to me no more than an arrangement of noises. So I did what I always did when trapped: I sat down, and when the music started, I fixed my face in what I hoped was an expression of intelligent appreciation, closed my ears from the inside, and submerged myself in my own completely irrelevant thoughts. After a while, becoming aware that the people around me were applauding, I concluded it was safe to unplug my ears. At once I heard a gentle but surprisingly penetrating voice on my right: You are fond of Bach? I knew as much about Bach as I know about nuclear fission. But I did know one of the most famous faces in the world, with the renowned shock of untidy white hair and the ever-present pipe between the teeth. I was sitting next to Albert Einstein. Well, I said uncomfortably and hesitated. I had been asked a casual question. All I had to do was be equally casual in my reply. But I could see from the look in my neighbors extraordinary eyes that their owner was not merely going through the perfunctory duties of elementary politeness. Regardless of what value I placed on my part in the verbal exchange, to this man his part in it mattered very much. Above all, I could feel that this was a man to whom you did not tell a lie, however small. I dont know anything about Bach, I said awkwardly. Ive never heard any of his music. A look of perplexed astonishment washed across Einsteins mobile face. You have never heard Bach? He made it sound as though I had said Id never taken a bath. It isnt that I dont want to like Bach, I replied hastily. Its just that Im tone deaf, or almost tone deaf, and Ive never really heard anybodys music. A look of concern came into the old mans face. Please, he said abruptly. You will come with me? He stood up and took my arm. I stood up. As he led me across that crowded room, I kept my embarrassed glance fixed on the carpet. A rising murmur of puzzled speculation followed us out into the hall. Einstein paid no attention to it. Resolutely, he led me upstairs. He obviously knew the house well. On the floor above, he opened the door into a book-lined study, drew me in, and shut the door. Now, he said with a small, troubled smile. You will tell me, please, how long you have felt this way about music? All my life, I said, feeling awful. I wish you would go back downstairs and listen, Dr. Einstein. The fact that I dont enjoy it doesnt matter. Einstein shook his head and scowled, as though I had introduced an irrelevance. Tell me, please, he said. Is there any kind of music that you do like? Well, I answered, I like songs that have words, and the kind of music where I can follow the tune. He smiled and nodded, obviously pleased. You can give me an example, perhaps? Well, I ventured, almost anything by Bing Crosby. He nodded again, briskly. Good! He went to a corner of the room, opened a phonograph, and started pulling out records. I watched him uneasily. At last, he beamed. Ah! he said. He put the record on, and in a moment, the study was filled with the relaxed, lilting strains of Bing Crosbys When the Blue of the Night Meets the Gold of the Day. Einstein beamed at me and kept time with the stem of his pipe. After three or four phrases, he stopped the phonograph. Now, he said. Will you tell me, please, what you have just heard? The simplest answer seemed to be to sing the lines. I did just that, trying desperately to stay in tune and keep my voice from cracking. The expression on Einsteins face was like the sunrise. You see! he cried with delight when I finished. You do have an ear! I mumbled something about this being one of my favorite songs, something I had heard hundreds of times so that it didnt really prove anything. Nonsense! said Einstein. It proves everything! Do you remember your first arithmetic lesson in school? Suppose, at your very first contact with numbers, your teacher had ordered you to work out a problem in, say, long division or fractions. Could you have done so? No, of course not. Precisely! Einstein made a triumphant wave with his pipe stem. It would have been impossible, and you would have reacted in panic. You would have closed your mind to long division and fractions. As a result, because of that one small mistake by your teacher, it is possible your whole life you would be denied the beauty of long division and fractions. The pipe stem went up and out in another wave. But on your first day, no teacher would be so foolish. He would start you with elementary thingsthen, when you had acquired skill with the simplest problems, he would lead you up to long division and to fractions. So it is with music. Einstein picked up the Bing Crosby record. This simple, charming little song is like simple addition or subtraction. You have mastered it. Now we go on to something more complicated. He found another record and set it going. The golden voice of John McCormack singing The Trumpeter filled the room. After a few lines, Einstein stopped the record. So! he said. You will sing that back to me, please? I didwith a good deal of self-consciousness but with, for me, a surprising degree of accuracy. Einstein stared at me with a look on his face that I had seen only once before in my life: on the face of my father as he listened to me deliver the valedictory address at my high school graduation ceremony. Excellent! Einstein remarked when I finished. Wonderful! Now this! This turned out to be Caruso in what was to me a completely unrecognizable fragment from Cavalleria Rusticana, a one-act opera. Nevertheless, I managed to reproduce an approximation of the sounds the famous tenor had made. Einstein beamed his approval. Caruso was followed by at least a dozen others. I could not shake my feeling of awe over the way this great man, into whose company I had been thrown by chance, was completely preoccupied by what we were doing, as though I were his sole concern. We came at last to recordings of music without words, which I was instructed to reproduce by humming. When I reached for a high note, Einsteins mouth opened, and his head went back as if to help me attain what seemed unattainable. Evidently I came close enough, for he suddenly turned off the phonograph. Now, young man, he said, putting his arm through mine. We are ready for Bach! As we returned to our seats in the drawing room, the players were tuning up for a new selection. Einstein smiled and gave me a reassuring pat on the knee. Just allow yourself to listen, he whispered. That is all. It wasnt really all, of course. Without the effort he had just poured out for a total stranger I would never have heard, as I did that night for the first time in my life, Bachs Sheep May Safely Graze. I have heard it many times since. I dont think I shall ever tire of it. Because I never listen to it alone. I am sitting beside a small, round man with a shock of untidy white hair, a dead pipe clamped between his teeth, and eyes that contain in their extraordinary warmth all the wonder of the world. When the concert was finished, I added my genuine applause to that of the others. Suddenly our hostess confronted us. Im so sorry, Dr. Einstein, she said with an icy glare at me, that you missed so much of the performance. Einstein and I came hastily to our feet. I am sorry too, he said. My young friend here and I, however, were engaged in the greatest activity of which man is capable. She looked puzzled. Really? she said. And what is that? Einstein smiled and put his arm across my shoulders. And he uttered ten words thatfor at least one person who is in his endless debtare his epitaph: Opening up yet another fragment of the frontier of beauty. * * * Jerome Weidman was a novelist, screenwriter, and Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright who died in 1998. He wrote the book for the musical I Can Get It for You Wholesale, which marked Barbra Streisands first Broadway appearance. The Night I Met Einstein first appeared in Readers Digest in November, 1955, and is one of the most requested pieces from the magazines archives. royexum@aol.com Growing up in Dublin, Jack Killeen watched American harness racing on YouTube, passionately followed the careers of such greats as Somebeachsomewhere and Foiled Again, and dreamed of coming to the United States to make his living as a Standardbred driver. The 18-year-old has taken an important step to realizing that dream through a stint as a driver at The Meadows. Killeen will wrap up his first American sojourn Saturday (Dec. 8) at The Meadows when he pilots Stirling Escort from post 6 in race 13. First post is 1:05 p.m. Killeen was introduced to harness racing by his father, a builder who campaigns horses at Dublins Portmarnock Raceway as a hobby. The younger Killeen was inspired enough to complete farrier school and begin work as a blacksmith, picking up drives where he could. The problem: For most of the year, Portmarnock races only on Sundays, hardly enough to support a full-time driver or a full-time blacksmith. I shoe Standardbreds, ponies, Clydesdales everything, he says. Killeen, however, saw an opportunity when he met Heather and Mike Wilder, who were in Dublin this past summer for the annual Vincent Delaney Memorial festival of races. Impressed by the sincerity of the young Irishman, the Wilders agreed to introduce him to The Meadows horsemen if he came to America. Killeen landed in the States in mid-September, found an apartment and began helping horsemen in the mornings. They remembered it, and Killeen soon earned assignments from trainers such as Paul Corey, Kevin Johnson and Sarah Andrews. He has made the most of those limited drives, compiling a highly respectable .268 UDR in 22 starts. He notched his first domestic win in only his sixth start. Even more impressive than his statistics is Killeens poise. An 18-year-old intimidated by the situation could respond by driving too aggressively or too passively. But Killeen operates more like a veteran, leaving when he should, ducking when that seems best, keeping his horses alive for checks. You cant be nervous out there. At least, Im trying not to be nervous, he says. Things are different here. In Ireland, we have half-mile tracks. Here, you have tracks of different sizes, which leads to different driving styles. The slanted starting gate is very different. Though Killeen will return to Dublin on Monday, it isnt lack of drives or homesickness thats prompting the move. Rather, his application for an appropriate visa hasnt been approved yet, so he cant stay longer this time. Im going to miss him terribly; hes become a part of our family, Heather Wilder says. Im hoping hell back by the end of the year, but the visa process is tricky, and it could take longer than that for approval. If his visa doesnt come through, Killeen says he might pursue one for work in Canada, where the red tape may be less thick. But hes targeting Dec. 31 for his return to The Meadows so he can be here for the career finale of one of his YouTube heroes. Id like to see that, Killeen says. I watched Foiled Again for so long, and I finally got to meet him here. On Friday (Dec. 7), The Meadows will celebrate the 27th anniversary of the opening of its Harmar facility with daylong food and beverage specials, giveaways and contests with cash and merchandise prizes. Roger Huston and horsemen Jeremy Indof, Dan Rawlings and Mike Wilder will mingle with fans from 12 noon to 3 p.m. (The Meadows) Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood presented a plaque of appreciation to the Dalton Krispy Kreme on Walnut Avenue, represented by supervisors Darlene Wheeler and Cruz Rodriguez, for the stores support of local law enforcement. Were just most appreciative to the Krispy Kreme here in Dalton for supporting our DARE program, the sheriff said, as they have ever since theyve been open. They have also gone beyond the DARE program and have gone so far as to support our recent departmental Christmas dinner and donated some door prizes. Theyve just jumped right on board supporting law enforcement, and we wanted to recognize them for their support. Deputy Nathan Center (left), one of the DARE instructors, said the store donates several dozen doughnuts to each of the 13 elementary schools as a reward for the students at the annual DARE graduation ceremonies. The DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program aims to help fifth graders make good choices about drugs and envisions a world in which students everywhere are empowered to respect others and choose to lead lives free from violence, substance abuse and other dangerous behaviors. Senator Bill Frist, chairman and founder of the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, announced Thursday a leadership transition at the nonprofit advocacy organization to ensure a decade of progress in Tennessee student achievement is supported and extended far into the future, said officials. Beginning Jan. 1, Executive Chair and CEO Jamie Woodson, who has led the organization since 2011 and during the states historic gains in student achievement, will at her request move into a role as senior adviser to SCORE. Current SCORE President David Mansouri will succeed her as president and CEO. Since our founding, SCORE has always functioned as a highly collaborative team of committed leaders and educators who lean into the challenging but critical work of supporting the continued growth and achievement of all Tennessee students, Senator Frist said. For the past eight years, Jamie Woodson has been a remarkable and innovative leader, not only for our organization but for a broad network of stakeholders in helping create the environment for unprecedented student and school success all across our state. During Ms. Woodsons leadership at SCORE, Tennessee became the fastest-improving state for student achievement, and the organization has been considered a national leader in student-focused policy and advocacy. SCORE increased its initiatives and projects, launching the SCORE Prize, which has celebrated and elevated high-performing schools and districts, creating the Tennessee Educator Fellowship, which has served more than 185 teacher-leaders, supporting the LIFT Education network of student-centered district leaders, and convening stakeholders to explore how to continue advancing student achievement, said officials. Throughout this period, David Mansouri has served as Jamies right hand and has led much of that work, so our board unanimously selected David to succeed Jamie, Senator Frist said. No one is better prepared than David to lead the organization going forward and to help accelerate the work in making Tennessees students the very best in the nation. And in the best of both worlds we are blessed that Jamie will continue to support the organization as senior adviser. In 2011, it was the right time for me to transition my public service responsibilities in the Tennessee State Senate and my role of Senate Speaker Pro Tempore to a new type of service at SCORE totally focused on advancing education and student success in our great state, Ms. Woodson said. And these past eight years have been such a pleasure and so rewarding. Now the timing is right for a new leader who will build on all we have worked so hard to create together and to continue to further SCOREs mission. David Mansouri is the best possible choice as SCOREs next leader. Mr. Mansouri first joined SCORE in 2010 and has since served in multiple roles leading advocacy, communications, and outreach efforts, as well as policy and research. Since 2014, he has served on SCOREs executive team, where he led the implementation of SCOREs strategic plan, directing all programs and initiatives, as well as overseeing the organizations financial and operational efforts. I am so grateful to Senator Frist, Jamie Woodson, and our board of directors for this opportunity to continue to serve Tennessees students, Mr. Mansouri said. Jamie has been my mentor in this work for the last eight years, and I look forward to sustaining the tremendous impact she has led at SCORE. With the many changes in state leadership, this is a great time to take stock of how far weve come, how much work there is still left to do, and to assess how we can accelerate our momentum in education as a state. I am excited to work with our team, and thousands of educators and partners all across our state, in continuing to serve Tennessees students and families. Mr. Mansouri previously worked in political consulting and public relations, providing clients and candidates with public affairs consulting, issue advocacy support, and campaign and communications strategy. Earlier, he worked for the late U.S. Senator Fred Thompson. After attending public schools in Tennessee, Mr. Mansouri earned a BA from Rice University, and later received an MBA with honors from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. He is a founding board member of Nashville Classical Charter School, was a member of the Class IV cohort of Leadership Tennessee, and is currently a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, a fellowship which seeks to strengthen and sustain diverse, high potential leaders who are reimagining public education. Chattanooga State Community College has planned an immediate response to help students displaced by the closing of Virginia College. Affected students may attend an Information Session on Monday, at 5:30 p.m. in the Instructional Materials Center (IMC/Library), room 124. According to Chad Jaynes, manager of technical training, Chattanooga States information sessions are critical to these students who are experiencing the trauma associated with their school closing without warning. Mondays information session will be led by Marsha Barker, director of adult services. Reed Allison, director of financial aid, also will be on hand to answer questions about financial aid. Between now and Monday, students may visit the Federal Student Aid website to learn more about what to do when a school closes. The site provides tips on transferring to another school, obtaining academic transcripts, more about federal student loans, and how to contact your loan servicer for assistance. Visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/about/announcements/closed-school. We want to create a sense of welcome and give students any help they need to continue and/or complete their education, said Mr. Jaynes. Students may sign up for the Dec. 10 information session at www.chattanoogastate.edu/tnreconnect or call (423) 697-3346 with questions. In a case involving first-degree murder committed by a juvenile, the Tennessee Supreme Court has clarified that a defendant convicted of first-degree murder committed on or after July 1, 1995, and sentenced to life in prison becomes eligible for release after serving a minimum of 51 years in prison. Cyntoia Denise Brown, who was 16 at the time, was transferred from juvenile court and tried as an adult in criminal court for the first-degree premeditated murder and first-degree felony murder of Johnny Allen, in addition to another charge. A jury convicted Ms. Brown of the murder charges. The trial judge merged the two murder convictions and sentenced her to life in prison for those convictions. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Ms. Browns murder convictions and life sentence on direct appeal and in collateral proceedings. Ms. Brown subsequently filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee in which she alleged that her mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment constitutes cruel and unusual punishment prohibited under precedent set forth by the Supreme Court of the United States in Miller v. Alabama. The District Court denied relief because theMiller opinion prohibits a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole for juvenile offenders, and Ms. Brown received a life sentence, not a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Ms. Brown appealed that decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The Sixth Circuit requested the Tennessee Supreme Court to answer the question of whether a defendant convicted of first-degree murder committed on or after July 1, 1995, and sentenced to life in prison will become eligible for release and, if so, after how many years of imprisonment. Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 23 permits the Court to answer requests that involve questions of Tennessee law that are determinative of the cause of action and about which there is no controlling Tennessee precedent. In Tuesdays unanimous decision, the Tennessee Supreme Court explained that, under state law, a life sentence is a determinate sentence of 60 years. However, the 60-year sentence can be reduced by up to 15 percent, or 9 years, by earning various sentence credits. Therefore, the Supreme Court concluded that a defendant serving a life sentence for a first-degree murder committed on or after July 1, 1995, may be eligible for release after serving at least 51 years of the sentence. To read the unanimous opinion in Cyntoia Brown v. Carolyn Jordan authored by Justice Roger A. Page, go to the opinions section of TNCourts.gov. Senator Lamar Alexander on Thursday paid tribute on the Senate floor to Senator Bob Corker, saying he is always a man on a mission with little regard of the obstacles in the way. As an example of that, Senator Alexander told the story about how Senator Corker was curious about smuggling supplies from Egypt to Gaza, so he hailed a Jeep, rode to the border, inspected the tunnels, took photographs and showed them to Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when they met that afternoon. The prime minister might have been surprised by Bob Corkers conduct, but none of us who knew Bob Corker were surprised, Senator Alexander said. Senator Alexander, who noted he has known Bob Corker for 25 years, referenced the senators many accomplishments, including his stint as mayor of Chattanooga: Now, he (Corker) would be the first to tell you that Chattanooga was already on a roll -- that a lot of people had a lot to do with Chattanooga's success -- but everybody else will tell you that he was the best, fastest runner to have on the last stage of the relay team because he took what was already beginning to happen in Chattanooga and put it into high gear. Bob laid the groundwork for what eventually attracted Volkswagen to put his North American manufacturing plant there, and to have the country generally regard Chattanooga as one of the most, if not the most, desirable mid-sized cities in America. He also said, Bob was elected to the United States Senate in 2006 he has voted with the majority of Republican senators 85 percent of the time, but he always has been a conservative who prizes results over speeches. Bob and I followed the old rule that Senators Howard Baker and Robert Byrd followed -- I wont surprise you if you wont surprise me. We not only didn't surprise each other, we looked out for each other. We respected each other's work even though we didn't always agree. Our staffers saw that, so they worked the same way, and I'm convinced the people of the state of Tennessee were the beneficiaries of that because when they approached either the Corker staff or the Alexander staff, I think they found that one plus one equals three, not two. Senator Alexander said, Peyton Manning once said that he hoped Bob Corker would serve in the United States Senate until he was 100 years old I think that was really to get people to quit asking Peyton Manning to run for the United States Senate because he knew better than to get involved. While I am looking forward to working with Marsha Blackburn, who is Bob Corkers successor, I will have to admit that I agreed with Peyton Manning. Bob Corker has done as a United States senator what every Tennessean and every American should hope a United States senator would do. He's gotten up early determined to find some way to make the country a little better, talked to anybody on the telephone who he thought knew anything about the issue he cared about, jumped into it with both feet saying exactly what he thought was the right thing to do for the country and usually coming out with a result that did just that. "It's been a privilege to serve with him, and I look forward to watching what has to be one of the best upcoming shows in town, which will be whatever Bob Corker decides to do next. Churches turned into military barracks, people killed: Cameroon Christians cry out Christian Post Contributor | 06 December, 2018 by Stoyan Zaimov Cameroonian Christians are crying out against the ongoing violence in their country, where churches are being converted into military barracks and believers are forced to flee. "We need peace and the United Nations intervention," a Methodist Christian, whose identity wasn't revealed, told Protestant Digital. "Many people die every day, homes and villages are burned, there are famished people and also those who take refuge in Nigeria. We do not have a voice in our country." The violence in question stems from protests in the English-speaking region of the country, where some militant groups have created the self-proclaimed Republic of Ambazonia in opposition to what they say is oppression from the French-speaking side of the country. Hundreds of people have been killed this year, while tens of thousands have been forced to flee as refugees. Some 50 primary and secondary schools and Christian hospitals have been affected, while at least four churches have been converted into military barracks. "The government of Ambazonia, which controls most of the Northwest and Southwest, has placed a group of soldiers in the school until the crisis is resolved," the Methodist Christian said. "There are often shootings between different forces, and a stray bullet can kill a minor." Kidnappings have also been rife. Seventy-nine children were taken by gunmen from a Presbyterian Church school but were returned earlier in November. "They look tired and psychologically tortured," said Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator of the country's Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian school said that it will close due to concerns over safety. "It is unfortunate we have to close the school and send home 700 children," Forba said. "Their security is not assured by the state and armed groups constantly attack and kidnap them." American missionary Charles Wesco was killed late in October when he was caught in "crossfire" between the Cameroon army and English-speaking separatist forces, the U.S. government said. Wesco had only moved to Cameroon with his family, which includes eight children, earlier in October after selling most of his possessions in the U.S., in order to serve as missionaries with the Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana. Read more about Cameroonian Christians on The Christian Post. A new survey found that 63 percent of parents believe that they should have the final say when it comes to opting out of certain parts of public education, including topics they see as morally objectionable or inappropriate. The Prince County Horsemen's Club is holding their semi-annual meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. (AST) at Credit Union Place in Summerside, PEI. Election of directors for 2019 will take place. If anyone is interested in offering their name for election, please contact Kingsley Walsh at 902.432.4121. Representation from the Alberton, O'Leary and Kensington matinee tracks would be appreciated on the board. All paid-up 2018 members are urged to attend as this meeting finds the PCHC at a very transitional time. The PCHC needs participation from horsepeople to ensure its continued success. (PCHC) In 2020, we were the church on our heels. A global pandemic shut down much of our world. But the church has been on the move since it was birthed; it will continue to be on the move until God makes all things new. Edward Long reveals pain of being repeatedly rejected by New Births leaders as fathers successor Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In the nearly two years since the death of Bishop Eddie Long of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Stonecrest, Georgia, the late megachurch preachers eldest child, Edward Long, has quietly dealt with the pain of being repeatedly overlooked as his fathers successor. In a parabolic sermon on Sunday, a day Long described as the toughest Sunday of my life, the minister and elder at New Birth came clean with his congregation. I thought that I was dealing with depression for the past two years because I kept getting looked over and looked over and looked over. Why is it that I get more love from the outside than the inside? But then I read what Jesus said, Long revealed on Facebook. It was a week before the church is expected to welcome controversial Baltimore megachurch Pastor Jamal Bryant as their newest senior pastor on Dec. 9. Bryants appointment begins months after Bishop Stephen A. Davis, who took over leadership of New Birth shortly after Bishop Longs death, resigned from the church in June. This is a tough Sunday for me yall. I just got to be honest with you. Its a tough Sunday because I grew up in this church. Its a tough Sunday because since my father came to this church in 1987, I was 4 years old, Ive been with him throughout. Our family has been with him throughout. I worked in every auxiliary in this ministry. First job was a janitor. So Ive been dealing with your mess for a long time, he quipped as the congregation laughed with him. Long then shared how he reluctantly got into ministry and abandoned a promising career in media and music after his father asked him to help with the church. First of all I never wanted to preach. I just wanted to do music. I just loved the arts. Some get a call like Samuel where you hear the voice of the Lord. ... I literally got a call. Father called me and said, son, I need you. I said, not now. It was approximately 10 years ago in 2008. And I walked away from a syndicated radio show. I walked away from a few deals that were on the table concerning music. I walked away in faith, trusting God that if I turn away from this. You got me. You got me, he said. So when his father died, having spent so much time in ministry and preaching around the world, Long said many expected that he would be the one to fill the role left vacant by his father. In my fathers transition, people have stopped me in the hallways, reached out to me on social media, been traveling a lot, speaking as an itinerant minister all around the globe, literally. And people would share with me that they thought that I would have been named the successor, he said. However, Davis was named as the man for the job. When Davis resigned in June, Longs name was raised again and he said he applied for the job. I applied for the role and I went through the process. Its not easy to stand here today. To be a son in this house. To know what your fathers vision was for this place and to have vision on top of vision to see things move forward and to have to wrestle with certain things. Im standing here as a living epistle, he said. Then church leaders announced late last month that Bryant was chosen from a pool of 138 candidates to lead New Birth. Thomas W. Dortch Jr., an Atlanta businessman and chairman of New Births board, suggested in an earlier report that part of the reason Bryant was chosen for the job was because he had a plan to get the church out of debt. New Births board had asked applicants to come up with solutions to reduce the churchs $31 million debt. He didnt come in talking off the cuff, Dortch said. This is one guy whos an architect for religion. Despite his disappointment with being overlooked for his fathers old job again, however, and past disagreements with Bryant, Long told the congregation that he will pray for him anyhow. I didnt choose Jamal Bryant but a choice was made, so Im not gonna speak against him. ... Im not gonna talk trash about him. Im gonna love on him and pray for him. Some things have happened concerning him, Im just gonna forgive him and love on him. Im gonna do what Jesus commissioned me to do. And Im gonna let the world watch me do it as a living sermon, as a living epistle of how to walk through some tough times and how to handle some tough things because people are watching, Long said. This was the toughest Sunday of my life to stand before you because Im not standing here to appease anybody, Im standing here pushing you to always put your trust and faith in God always. As Im working toward my breakthrough, grab hold. We cant get breakthroughs if we cant lose in truth, because we worship God in spirit and in truth, he added. He noted that some people think they have been dealing with depression but in fact have been dealing with rejection, and said it doesnt matter who chooses or doesnt choose them. God says, you didnt choose me. I chose you, he said. Long then suggested that God might call him to preach beyond New Birth. I got a revelation a few days ago. Every disappointment, you got to understand what it is. Its a dis-appointment is actually an appointment. It simply takes something off the table that lets you know, I actually got something greater for you and better for you, so I disappointed you to appoint you. See I was upset, Im just being honest, I was upset because of a certain position or appointed place. But then the Lord spoke to me and he said, Son, the Earth is the Lords and the fullness thereof. So I can use you here while I send you out there to nations. Dont just be trippin because you didnt get called to Stonecrest, he said. Prince Charles: persecuted Christians proof true faith can resist 'even the most brutal efforts to extinguish it' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Prince Charles recently reflected on the truly remarkable faith of Christians in the Middle East and said their plight demonstrates the extraordinary power of faith to resist even the most brutal efforts to extinguish it. During a special service at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday, the Prince of Wales said that in recent years, hes met a number of Christians who are battling oppression and persecution with such inspiring faith and courage. Time and again I have been deeply humbled and profoundly moved by the extraordinary grace and capacity for forgiveness that I have seen in those who have suffered so much, he said. Charles said that while its one thing to believe in God who forgives; it is quite another to take that example to heart and actually whole-heartedly forgive those who trespass against you. So, in coming together today, we can only give thanks for the truly remarkable strength of the faith with which so many Christians face persecution, and which gives them the courage and the determination to endure, and to overcome, he said. The prince shared that earlier this year, he met with a Dominican Sister from Nineveh who, in 2014, as ISIS extremists advanced on the town of Qaraqosh, got behind the wheel of a minibus crammed full of her fellow Christians, and drove the long and dangerous road to safety. Like the 100,000 other Christians who were forced from the Nineveh Plains by Daesh that year, they left behind the ruins of their homes and churches, and the shattered remnants of their communities, he said. While devastated by her return to Ninevah three years later, the nun and her sisters put their faith in God, Charles said. Churches, schools, orphanages, and businesses are rising from the rubble, and the fabric of that society, which had been so cruelly torn apart, is being gradually repaired, he said, adding that nearly half of those displaced have gone back to rebuild their homes and their communities. This is the most wonderful testament to the resilience of humanity, and to the extraordinary power of faith to resist even the most brutal efforts to extinguish it, Charles declared. The prince encouraged Jews, Muslims, and Christians to peacefully co-exist despite their differing beliefs, adding that history shows its possible to do so. Extremism and division are by no means inevitable, he said. He concluded by reminding attendees that Jesus Himself knew exile, injustice, and suffering, adding: I can only assure you of our steadfast support and most heartfelt prayers as you take forward your works of restoration, justice and healing, so that Gods will might be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. The service at Westminster Abbey was also attended by Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury, previously who warned that Christians in the Middle East are nearing extinction due to ongoing persecution. To live in a country, or a society where a government, or an armed group, or even a minority of people, consider that you should be consigned to oblivion because of your faith in Christ is an experience without parallel, he said during the service. In Iraq, the number of Christians is below 200,000, down from 1.4 million in 2002 and 500,000 in 2013, before ISIS militants destroyed much of the region, according to reports. Many of the remaining Christians in Iraq are displaced, mostly in Irbil in the Kurdistan region, and need assistance to return to their homes and stay in Iraq. Chris Pratt reads Lukes Gospel at Disneyland, reflects on God's love: 'Every one of us is a special creation' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As part of Disneylands Candlelight processional, Chris Pratt reflected on how fatherhood has reminded him of Gods immense love for His children. The "Guardians of the Galaxy" star, who hosted the annual event, spent some time in between Christmas songs to read from the Gospel of Luke and share a few personal experiences with the audience. "Being a parent has really changed my life in so many ways, and one of those ways is to understand truly the love that a father can have for a child," Pratt, who has a 6-year-old son with ex-wife Anna Faris, said. "When I stare at this precious little creation of mine here, and I watch the ways in which he tries to please me, I just feel a love that is so pure, and unending," the actor continued. "The way we love our children, and the more we love our children, the more we will understand the capacity for our Father in Heaven to love us." Amid applause and cheer, Pratt told the audience: "Each and every one of us is a special creation, and He just marvels in the ways that we could try to please Him. That should give us all a great deal of comfort. I know it does for me." The "Jurassic World" actor continued: "This holiday season, let us embrace every one of our tomorrows with hope and love. And through this holiday spirit, may we continue to spread peace and goodwill throughout the world." "Thank you," Pratt concluded, "and Merry Christmas!" Jack Pratt was born nine weeks premature in August 2012 and spent his first few weeks of life in ICU. Pratt previously shared how the ordeal, while terrifying, ultimately brought him closer to God. We were scared for a long time, he said. We prayed a lot. However, the experience restored my faith in God, not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it. The baby was so beautiful to us, and I look back at the photos of him and it must have been jarring for other people to come in and see him, but to us he was so beautiful and perfect. He described the boy as a fighter, adding, Hes so open and theres no fear in him no matter what. He is so charming that my plan is to just let him take care of us as soon as hes old enough. The well-known actor also frequently uses his platform to discuss his Christian faith and how his beliefs impact his life. While accepting the "2018 Generation Award" at the MTV Awards in June, he shared his "Nine Rules for Life, including: Learn to pray. It's easy, and it is so good for your soul. God is real. God loves you. God wants the best for you. Believe that, I do, he said at the time. While accepting the "Choice Summer Movie Actor" award for "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" along with his co-star Bryce Dallas Howard in August, he declared: "I'm so thrilled to be here. ... I want to thank God. I always do that when I'm up on a big platform in front of a bunch of young faces. I say, 'I love God!' That's my thing, I love Him and you should too!" Shroud of Turin mystery: New film being made about supposed burial cloth of Jesus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As the mystery surrounding the Shroud of Turin, believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, continues, one filmmaker said he will be making a new film about it. BAFTA-winning filmmaker David Rolfe, who investigated the shroud in his 1978 documentary, "The Silent Witness," told 200 students at Christ the King Sixth Form College in London that he has hopes of "making a new film which will bring it all up to date. The Shroud, which has been subject to decades of scientific tests and analysis, is a 14.3 x 3.7 foot linen cloth with the front and back imprint of a man with his hands folded. Some believers contest that the cloth was used to wrap Jesus' body after He was crucified. As Rolfe pointed out, the face on the shroud has appeared in Christian imagery at least since the sixth century. The clear inference was that this face that we now all recognize as Jesus was taken from the image on a well-known cloth of that time, the filmmaker argued, according to the Express. This obviously placed the shroud much earlier than the middle ages, which was what had been assumed. The establishment, instead of saying lets investigate it, rubbished it. Three decades passed before it was photographed again in 1938. That prompted medical men to get interested. There were amazing details on the body that looked like wounds of a crucifixion but not as depicted in paintings, with nails going through the palm, Rolfe continued. A French surgeon did some macabre experiments on cadavers in hospital. He discovered that the palms of hands dont carry the weight of the body. The only place that would is the wrist, which is where the wound is on the body in the shroud. In 1988, radiocarbon testing suggested that the shroud was a forgery made sometime between 12601390 AD, but follow-up testing revealed that the fibers tested at the time were from a patch added later on the shroud and not part of the original cloth. In 2017, Institute of Crystallography researchers found traces of blood on the relic, but a study published by the Journal of Forensic Sciences in July suggested that the bloodstains matched that from a standing model, rather than from a crucified man or a facedown corpse. The scientists were looking to determine whether the blood patterns match the crucifixion of a person in a T-shaped or Y-shaped manner, but an experiment on a model found that the boodstains did not match with any pose. Interest in the shroud continues, however, and in March an Italian professor created and unveiled a 3D image of a person based on the imprints in the Shroud, giving insight into what Jesus might have looked like, if the shroud's authenticity is to be believed. "According to our studies, Jesus was a man of extraordinary beauty. Long-limbed, but very robust, he was nearly 5 ft. 11 in. tall, whereas the average height at the time was around 5 ft. 5 in. And he had a regal and majestic expression," said Giulio Fanti, teacher of mechanical and thermal measurements at the University of Padua. "I counted 370 wounds from the flagellation, without taking into account the wounds on his sides, which the Shroud doesn't show because it only enveloped the back and front of the body," Fanti added. "In addition, the three-dimensional reconstruction has made it possible to discover that at the moment of his death, the man of the Shroud sagged down towards the right, because his right shoulder was dislocated so seriously as to injure the nerves." 'VeggieTales' is 'racist,' students claim at Cal State 'whiteness forum' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Is the children's Christian TV series "VeggieTales" racist? Students a one California college claim that the popular show is racist because the villains are vegetables of color while the good characters are white. The College Fix reports that Cal State San Marcos recently held its annual "Whiteness Forum," an event featuring the myriad of ways that white supremacy remains front and center in the U.S. social and political context. The two-hour event featured more than a dozen poster board projects identifying how racism remains prevalent in society, including one display accusing VeggieTales of perpetuating racial stereotypes. Racial minorities were usually depicted as villains, the project argued. They humanize vegetables using stereotypes shown in accents and racial indicators to identify people of color in the show. Many of the villains characterized by race were found to be irredeemable characters. Which is ironic because a popular theme in the Bible is Jesus power of the redemption of Gods children, it continued. The project claimed that when kids see the good white character triumph over the bad person of color character they are taught that white is right and minorities are the source of evil. One student who worked on the project told reporters that the accents of the evil characters tend to sound ethnic, such as Latino, while the good characters sound white. The project concluded that VeggieTales and other like-minded works have made the good messages in the Bible dangerous. In response to the students' accusations, Eric Metaxas, a best-selling author and former "Veggie Tales" writer and narrator, told PJ Media: "All vegetables are part of one race, even though they are of many colors. They are all descended from the same parents the Adam and Eve of vegetables, who foolishly ate a forbidden fruit (irony?) and screwed everything up for all vegetables descended from them. At least Im pretty sure thats the story." According to the event's website, the forum is a result of professor Dreama Moons Communications 454 class titled The Communication of Whiteness. The annual event serves as a showcase of students final projects for the class. Other titles for projects included White Avoidance, Civilized vs. Uncivilized, Kill the Land, Kill the Indian, White Womens Role in White Supremacy, Gun Ownership and Racial Bias," among others. Created in 1993, "VeggieTales" is one of the most popular Christian shows for youth and has sold over 72 million videos and 15 million books around the world. Each episode of the show tells a story based on a biblical text as it relates to modern-day scenarios. The show is narrated by Bob the Tomato, who also serves as the voice of reason for his fellow vegetables. In 2017, the show made its way to Netflix with a fresh version titled VeggieTales in the House and VeggieTales in the City. On his personal blog, VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer frequently speaks out against racism and addresses how the Church should respond to social injustice. Ahead of the 2016 presidential election, he urged Christians to consider how the Church can show minority communities how much we care about them, when so many of us voted for a candidate widely considered whether accurate or not bigoted and xenophobic. Quite of few (though not all) of our minority brothers and sisters are worried that the outcome of this election reveals an America that is becoming a less friendly place for them, he said. We, the Church, need to convince them otherwise. Can Christians celebrate Hanukkah? Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, began Sunday, a holiday which starts on the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev and lasts for eight days. In the Gregorian calendar it begins December 2 and concludes December 10 in 2018. Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Dedication, and while it is not written about in the Old Testament, it was an observance Jesus took part in during his earthly life. "At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon," John 10:22-23 recounts. The holiday is fundamentally about the miracle of God being with the Jewish people during a time of great hardship and persecution, according to Dr. Michael Brown, a Messianic Jewish scholar and host of the Line of Fire, in a 2017 video explaining the meaning of the holiday. Hanukkah was not a biblical holiday per se in the sense that it was ordained by God in the Torah, but it was something regularly celebrated by the time Jesus showed up on the scene. Many Messianic Jews still celebrate Hanukkah as opposed to Christmas, and mark the birth of Jesus at other times in other ways, Brown noted. Historically speaking, the holiday commemorates the acts of the pre-Jesus Jewish Maccabees, who defeated a Syrian army that had left the Jewish temple defiled. The temple had been desecrated with the inclusion of a Hellenistic priest, the sacrifice of non-kosher pigs on the altar, and other practices against Jewish teachings. The Jews had revolted against Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who had ruled over them from 175 to 164 BC and had attempted to outlaw such things as circumcision. As part of Jews rededicating the Temple, part of the ceremony was to light the menorah, but since the golden Menorah had been stolen by the Syrians, the Maccabees fashioned one made of cheaper metal. "When they wanted to light it, they found only a small cruse of pure olive oil bearing the seal of the High Priest Yochanan," Chabad.org, an online orthodox Jewish resource, explains. "It was sufficient to light only for one day. By a miracle of G-d, it continued to burn for eight days, til new oil was made available. That miracle proved that G-d had taken His people under His protection. In memory of this, our sages appointed these eight days for annual thanksgiving and for lighting of candles." David Brickner, executive director of the Messianic Jewish group Jews for Jesus notes that in the month of December he will celebrate both what God did in Jewish history in addition to the coming of the Messiah at Christmas, emphasizing His faithfulness. "Because God keeps His promises, He will save and sustain Israel. Because God keeps His promises, He will save and keep all those who call upon His name through faith in Immanuel, our Messiah Jesus," Brickner wrote. "Because God keeps His promises, He has made each blood-bought believer to be His own Temple, where Immanuel, God with us, has taken up residence. And so because God keeps His promises, please join us in dedicating ourselves anew to live for Him by the power of the Ruach ha Kodesh, the Holy Spirit who burns within us." Christians, that is, Gentile believers in Jesus, should be mindful of the fact that they are not obligated under any law to celebrate any of the Jewish festivals given to Israel in the Torah, Christian apologetics group Got Questions Ministries notes on its website. "But to all true Believers in Jesus Christ, especially those who have a profound appreciation for the Hebraic roots of our Christian faith, celebrating the 'true light' of this world only seeks to glorify our wonderful Lord and Savior." "As Christians, we can celebrate the 'Festival of Lights' as we rededicate our lives to Christ and acknowledge Him as the perfect and true light of this world. As believers, when we celebrate Chanukkah it reminds us of God's wonderful miracles on our behalf. It reminds us of God's protection throughout our lives. It reminds us to remain true to God even when the world around us tries to force us into assimilation." Churches turned into military barracks, people killed: Cameroon Christians cry out Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Cameroonian Christians are crying out against the ongoing violence in their country, where churches are being converted into military barracks and believers are forced to flee. We need peace and the United Nations intervention," a Methodist Christian, whose identity wasn't revealed, told Protestant Digital. Many people die every day, homes and villages are burned, there are famished people and also those who take refuge in Nigeria. We do not have a voice in our country." The violence in question stems from protests in the English-speaking region of the country, where some militant groups have created the self-proclaimed Republic of Ambazonia in opposition to what they say is oppression from the French-speaking side of the country. Hundreds of people have been killed this year, while tens of thousands have been forced to flee as refugees. Some 50 primary and secondary schools and Christian hospitals have been affected, while at least four churches have been converted into military barracks. The government of Ambazonia, which controls most of the Northwest and Southwest, has placed a group of soldiers in the school until the crisis is resolved, the Methodist Christian said. There are often shootings between different forces, and a stray bullet can kill a minor." Kidnappings have also been rife. Seventy-nine children were taken by gunmen from a Presbyterian Church school but were returned earlier in November. "They look tired and psychologically tortured," said Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator of the country's Presbyterian Church. The Presbyterian school said that it will close due to concerns over safety. "It is unfortunate we have to close the school and send home 700 children," Forba said. "Their security is not assured by the state and armed groups constantly attack and kidnap them." American missionary Charles Wesco was killed late in October when he was caught in "crossfire" between the Cameroon army and English-speaking separatist forces, the U.S. government said. Wesco had only moved to Cameroon with his family, which includes eight children, earlier in October after selling most of his possessions in the U.S., in order to serve as missionaries with the Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana. In October, on the occasion of a community bank holiday, Forba declared in a statement: Given what the English-speaking community is going through at this time, we cannot have a celebration while many of God's children are being killed, suffering or living as internal or external refugees. The emphasis should be placed on supplying the Working Fund for the Mission, to allow the church to continue assisting our pastors and brothers displaced by the armed conflict that has brought pain and suffering to many." First ever baby born from dead woman's transplanted womb Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A baby girl was born in Brazil to a mother whose womb was transplanted from a dead woman, which is believed to be the first case of its kind in the world. The Lancet reported that the birth, which is being revealed now by the Hospital das Clinicas at the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine in Brazil, was delivered on Dec. 15, 2017. A 10-hour surgery had been required in September 2016 to transplant the deceased woman's womb to the transplant recipient, who was 32 years old at the time. The mother, who wasn't named, suffered from the rare Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, a condition that affects one in 4,500 women and causes the vagina and uterus to be either absent or underdeveloped. "The results provide proof-of-concept for a new treatment option for absolute uterine factor infertility," wrote co-authors Dr. Dani Ejzenberg, an ob/gyn at the University of Sao Paulo and Hospital das Clinicas in Brazil, and Dr. Wellington Andraus, a transplant surgeon at the Sao Paulo University School of Medicine in the study. There have been previous successful births from a transplanted uterus, the first such recorded in 2014 in Sweden, though those were from a living womb donor. BBC News noted that all 10 previous transplants from a dead donor had all failed. The donor in this case, who wasnt named, was a mother of three in her mid-40s who died from bleeding on the brain. The baby in Brazil was born weighing 6 pounds, and was delivered by cesarean section. She is said to be healthy. "The first uterus transplants from live donors were a medical milestone, creating the possibility of childbirth for many infertile women with access to suitable donors and the needed medical facilities, Ejzenberg said, according to CNN. "However, the need for a live donor is a major limitation as donors are rare, typically being willing and eligible family members or close friends." Dr. Andrew Shennan, a professor of obstetrics at Kings College London, told the Science Media Centre that what is unique is that the uterus (womb) "was without oxygen for eight hours before transplant." Shennan added that the case "opens the possibility of women donating their womb following death, as with many other organs." He suggested that it gives hope to women who are infertile other than only relying on living donors. In February 2016, the first successful uterine transplant patient in the U.S. said that she "prayed to God" that she would be able to get pregnant. "I have prayed that God would allow me the opportunity to experience pregnancy, and here we are at the beginning of that journey," the Texas woman identified only as "Lindsey" said at the time. "I am so thankful to this amazing team of doctors and all the nurses and staff who have worked around the clock to ensure my safety," the patient said, speaking of the team of medical professionals at Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Awana to Launch New US Latino Child Discipleship Network Contact: Katie Martin, 972-267-1111STREAMWOOD, Ill., Dec. 5, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- Awana, a non-profit ministry and the global leader in child discipleship, today announced a new ministry to reach the fastest growing demographic in American Christianity through U.S. Hispanic churches.According to Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, "more than two-thirds of the 52 million-plus Latinos in the U.S. are Catholic, and that number could be cut in half by 2030." It's estimated that over 35 percent of Hispanics in America now consider themselves "born again" Evangelicals.With the new U.S. Latino Child Discipleship Network, Awana is poised to help churches reach and disciple children by forming regional and local networks of churches and Christian leaders who share the same passion and affinity of child discipleship. The ministry anticipates it will have Awana ministries active in over 2,500 Hispanic churches by the year 2023, adding to its more than 54,000 current programs worldwide."As the U.S. Latino Evangelical community continues to grow and thrive, we want to listen and understand, as well as share our child discipleship expertise, in order to empower communities to do the effective work of the ministry," said Awana president, Matt Markins. "This is an audacious, God-sized vision, but it's a vision that causes us to see every child the way Jesus sees them special, unique and valuable. There is no child in the world who is beyond the reach of Jesus, and we want to do more to reach children in the Latino communities in the U.S."Awana is now conducting a national search for a national ministry director, who will head up the U.S. Latino Child Discipleship Network. The national ministry director's primary role will be to identify, develop and form partnerships with networks and/or denominations who share the vision of reaching and discipling children in Jesus' name. This is a decentralized leadership role and will not be required to be based out of their Chicago-land headquarters. As a children's ministry partner, Awana brings 70 years of expertise in casting vision and equipping leaders and volunteers, as well as offering a variety of discipleship solutions and programs."We know that the kids in our churches and communities today will live in a future world that will look very different for Christ followers. Unfortunately, many churches are not preparing for this," said Markins. "Awana is actively equipping leaders who are discipling kids all over the world. We want to share our vision and inspiration by equipping and empowering churches, pastors and leaders in the Hispanic community who share this passion."For more information about the U.S. Latino Child Discipleship Network ministry launch and the national ministry director job posting, please visit Awana.org/Latino About Awana:Awana, a nonprofit 501(c)3, is a global leader in child discipleship that reaches and engages 4.3 million kids each week in 122 countries. As an equipping and resourcing ministry, Awana serves 54,000 churches worldwide and mobilizes over 450,000 leaders and volunteers who are reaching and discipling kids for Christ. For more information, visit www.awana.org Nebraska principal bans all things Christmas, says candy canes symbolize Jesus Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A school district in Nebraska has clarified that a principals recent directives to teachers effectively banning all Christmas and other religious holiday symbols violate school board policy. A lawyer for Elkhorn Public Schools has criticized the guidance given last week to teachers at Manchester Elementary School by Principal Jennifer Sinclair in a response letter sent Monday to lawyers at Liberty Counsel. Sinclairs guidance warned teachers against things such as having Christmas trees in the classroom, putting Christmas symbols on school worksheets, the singing of Christmas carols and the playing of Christmas music. Sinclair advised teachers against having students make Christmas ornaments as gifts and even advised them not to use the colors red and green because of their connection to the Christmas holiday. Also on Sinclaires "not acceptable" list was candy canes, cane-shaped sticks of candy that are often peppermint flavored. Thats Christmas-related, she wrote. Historically, the shape is a J for Jesus. The red is for the blood of Christ, and the white is a symbol of his resurrection. This would also include different colored candy canes. Sinclair based her guidance off of a school district policy that calls for all learning activities, student exhibits and student programs to not endorse or promote any given religion or faith. I know that you all are very kind and conscientious people, Sinclair told the teachers in her guidance. I know all of the things that youd like to do, have done, want to do are coming from such a good place. I come from a place that Christmas and the like are not allowed in schools, as over the years in my educational career, this has evolved into the expectation for all educators. Sinclair suggested that if teachers have any doubt about an activity or decoration they had planned, they should ask themselves What is the clear instructional purpose of this? Does this item or activity promote a certain belief or religious? Sinclair wrote. Liberty Counsel, a national conservative Christian legal nonprofit, raised concern in a letter sent to Superintendent Bary Habrock last Friday. It argued in its letter to Habrock that Sinclair appears to have conflated her own values and preferences with the law. The First Amendment simply does not require the elimination of all Christmas symbols religious and secular in a misguided attempt to be inclusive by eliminating all traditional elements of a federally and state-recognized holiday, the Liberty Counsel letter sent by attorney Richard Mast reads. The effort to comprehensively eliminate Christmas symbols is Orwellian. In response, Liberty Counsel received a Dec. 3 letter from Justin Knight of the law offices of Perry, Guthery, Haase and Gessford, which represents the school district. Please be advised that, after the receiving your letter, the Administration investigated this matter and determined that Principal Sinclairs memorandum did not comply with Board Policy, the letter reads. The Boards applicable policies are lawful on the issue of religion in schools, and all District employees are expected to follow Board Policy at all times. According to Knight, the school district administration has informed staff at Manchester Elementary School that applicable board policy does allow certain Christmas symbols. The administration has vowed to work with the staff to to correct any erroneous communications and clarify any misunderstandings. I trust that the foregoing resolves this matter, Knight wrote in his letter. Although candy canes are found nearly anywhere around Christmastime and are likely to be hung on more than a few Christmas trees, the principals claim that candy canes are inherently Christian and are made in the shape of a J for Jesus is not backed up by evidence or documentation, according to the fact-checking website Snopes. Additionally, Smithsonian.com points out that almost none of the common explanations or myths given for the origin and design of the candy cane are true. New film Breakthrough to highlight the power of the Holy Spirit ft Chrissy Metz from This Is Us Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Devon Franklin, the producer who brought the blockbuster hit "Miracles from Heaven," has released the first trailer for the upcoming film "Breakthrough," which tells the miraculous real-life account of Joyce and John Smith, a mother and son who show the true power of prayer, was released. In the newly released trailer, actress Chrissy Metz (This Is Us) is seen playing the role of Joyce. Please God, send your Holy Spirit to save my son, she emotionally prays as her son, John, played by Marcel Ruiz (One Day at a Time), fights for his life in a hospital bed. "When Joyce Smith's adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope looks lost. Even though John lies lifeless for more than an hour, his mother refuses to lose faith and prays for a miracle. To the astonishment of everyone present, her prayers are answered as John's heart suddenly begins to beat again, defying every expert, every case history, and every scientific prediction. Mere days after the accident, he will walk out of the hospital under his own power, completely healed," the movie's synopsis reads. Another moment in the trailer showcases a conversation between Joyce and her sons doctor where she tells the physician, Be the best for John, let God do the rest. Johns atheist first responder, played by Mike Colter ("Luke Cage), is also seen wrestling with his faith because as he describes it, it was a voice that told him where to find John in the ice cold water after several minutes of no hope. Hillsongs Oceans closes out the trailer, leaving viewers with a sense of hope as the story tells the power of faith. Joining Metz in the cast is Topher Grace, who's mostly known for his role in the comedy series "That '70s Show." He plays Pastor Jason Noble, the man of God who helps the grieving family through the ordeal. The cast also includes Josh Lucas and Hip-hop artist Lecrae. CP attended a set visit in Canada earlier this year, where they shot "Breakthrough" under the direction of veteran TV director Roxann Dawson ("House of Cards," "Scandal," "The Americans," and "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Hollywood Christian producer DeVon Franklin ("Miracles from Heaven") produced the film and was sure to tell the Smiths' story as it happened. The 20th Century Fox movie is based on Joyce Smith's book The Impossible and was adapted for the screen by Grant Nieporte ("Seven Pounds"). Smith's story first made national headlines in 2015, shortly after a bidding war began for the book proposal that was eventually won by Hachette books. Franklin was so moved by the story that he connected the family with a literary agent to help develop the book proposal, which was used as the basis for the film. "Breakthrough" will be released in April 2019. Vatican astronomer responds to claim that God's existence can't be proven Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment While science cannot definitely prove the existence of God, it can showcase indicators of a supreme being, a Vatican astronomer has argued. David Brown, an astronomer with the Vatican Observatory who belongs to the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union, was recently interviewed by the Jesuit publication America magazine. When asked by the publication how he responds to the claim that science cannot prove God, Brown responded by saying that scientific methods cannot prove everything. We have to realize science is a method able to probe and study one slice of the reality of our universe through very precise methods, but by no means does that precise methodology presume to be the definitive word on everything, Brown replied in comments published Monday. the methods of science dont lend themselves to prove, definitely in the sense of mathematical proof, the existence of God in the way we can demonstrate things from an empirical point of view, though what science explains very much for me already reveals a profound beauty suggestive of God. Brown added that he believes the Bible is not written as a science book, with precise language and methods and up-to-date results. The Bible is the inspired Word of God, but written by human beings who had limitations of what they knew of the world when they were writing, continued Brown. They didnt have open to them the mysteries of the universe in their totality. What God revealed to them wasnt so much science as Gods plan of salvation more than anything else. Earlier this year, 11-year-old William Maillis, who graduated from St. Petersburg College in Florida only two years after completing high school, said he wants to become an astrophysicist and prove that God exists. "I want to prove that God does exist through science so that the world can know," Maillis told The Tampa Bay Times in an interview published in July. "Science is a tool for explaining the world. Science doesn't disprove God." The question of whether science can prove, or for that matter disprove, the existence of God has been a debate among many writers, scholars, theologians, and apologists. In 2016, for example, Lutterworth Press published a book by University of Maryland Public Policy professor Robert H. Nelson titled God? Very Probably: Five Rational Ways to Think about the Question of God. This book brings together for the first time such recent diverse contributions from fields such as physics, the philosophy of human consciousness, evolutionary biology, mathematics, the history of religion, and theology, explained its description on Goodreads. Based on such new materials as well as older ones from the 20th century, it develops five rational arguments that point strongly to the (very probable) existence of a god. They do not make use of the scientific method, which is inapplicable to the question of a god. Rather, they are in an older tradition of rational argument dating back at least to the ancient Greeks. 3 teens arrested in murder of pastor's wife: 'Every step in our marriage was about Jesus' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Three teenagers have been arrested in the murder of a Louisiana pastor's wife during a carjacking. The Pastor, David Plessy, told local news station WWL-TV that his wife, Jeannot, was the most beautiful, honest, caring, strong, funniest, loveliest person that I've ever met in my life." She was killed on Thursday after she was ran over by her own vehicle by three teenagers carrying out a carjacking. "I miss my wife," Plessy said. "Every step we took we took together in our marriage was to show the love of Jesus to the people who are hurting, he added, noting that the couple spent their lives preaching the Gospel and helping the hopeless. Fox News reported that the 49-year-old Jeannot Plessy died later on Thursday from blunt force trauma. The teenagers were arrested on Saturday, with 17-year-old Jontrell Robinson charged with second-degree murder and carjacking. Eighteen-year-old Edwin Cottrell was charged with being a principal to second-degree murder and a principal to carjacking, with the same charge also made against a third juvenile, who was not identified. The couple led the outreach ministry Crossover Christian Fellowship, which they founded over a decade ago. Jeannot Plessy was a mother-of-five, and a campaigner against domestic abuse, having undertaken a recent evangelical trip to American Samoa to speak on the issue. The couple had finished a date night on Thursday, with the mother picking up their two pre-teen children at David Plessys daughter's home, when the ambush happened. "From the sketchy details I've gotten, she was carrying in some package and my son-in-law came out to help her along with my son and that's when it happened," David Plessy said. Police noted that Jeannot Plessy was pulled from her car before she was ran over. David Plessy revealed that he and his wife had been in the process of renovating their home. "She always joked that that's the porch where our rocking chairs are going to go, are going to be as we grow old together and look out on all the goodness that God gave us," the husband said. "I'm going to complete the work on the house because it was my wife's dream and her plan." He suggested that his wife would be able to forgive those responsible for her death. "It was an act of selfishness, desperation and that cost us a great deal," he added. "I would think that one inclination would be to scream out for justice and scream out of anger and perhaps that's a stage of my grief that's in front of me. But I know my wife has never failed to forgive anyone who has hurt her." Cottrell and Robinsons bail was set at $600,000 by a judge on Sunday. Pro-life leader accuses Wheaton of demonizing a fellow evangelical' after talk on race and abortion Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Update Appended A black pro-life activist has hit back at the student body leaders of the Christian Wheaton College after a school-wide email positioned that a recent talk of his made students feel "unsafe" on campus. The controversy stemmed from a speech Ryan Bomberger of the The Radiance Foundation delivered at Wheaton called Black Lives Matter, In and Out of the Womb on November 14, which was organized by the Wheaton College Republicans. Student leaders claimed that Bomberger made several comments at the time that deeply troubled members of the community, making many students, staff and faculty of color feel unheard, and unsafe on our campus." The assertion was spread through a campus-wide email sent from student government leadership and the Student Activities Office. Bomberger told OneNewsNow on Tuesday that criticism against him stems from the fact that he is "black, biracial," and "didn't tow the liberal racial line." "The great thing is there is an online version of the talk from Wheaton so it's all recorded, he added, linking to the speech on Facebook. Yet people who opposed me had no problem just completely making up things that were never said distorting things that were said, and Wheaton administration has done nothing to stop these defamatory statements." The Wheaton Record claimed last week that part of the comments that raised concerns revolved around U.S. President Donald Trump and the Ku Klux Klan. Bomberger was asked why, as a black man, he voted for Trump, despite the latter being endorsed by the KKKs former Grand Wizard David Duke, the Wheaton Record said. (Bomberger disputes this. See update below.) Bomberger told the Record that the KKK is "irrelevant today, largely irrelevant." "They are nothing like the KKK of the past. I said they are a clown-outfit organization thats not [as] centralized [as] it used to be, its not the terrorist organization it used to be, [and] it does not have the power that it used to have. I said there are bigger threats to the black community today than the KKK," the pro-life leader explained. Bomberger further posted last week on Facebook a screenshot of his email to Wheaton, where he accuses student body representatives of trying to intentionally mislead students about his speech. "As is typical with 'progressivism,' one needs only to make the claim of offense without allowing people to examine the alleged 'offense.' The Dean of Student Engagement, Steve Ivester, came up to me after the event and praised me for the way in which I approached such heavy issues. But it seems that only some people's opinions matter," he wrote. He later asked: "How are we representing Christ when we demonize a fellow Christian evangelical whose heart is for Christians to better understand the context of driving social issues and take more responsibility for the rhetoric and actions we employ?" Student body president Lauren Rowley insisted, however, that the goal of the email was to acknowledge that there was hurt on our campus, to remind the campus community of our commitment to ethnic diversity and to inform the student body that wed be moving forward with future conversations. Rowley added that the controversy could serve as an opportunity for growth both in the areas of how we talk about race and also how we respect other viewpoints that might differ from our own. A spokesperson for Wheaton College told The Christian Post in a Tuesday email that it's "unfortunate that Mr. Bomberger is having a difference of opinion with some students." "Elected student leaders wrote and sent a message to their student peers regarding Mr. Bombergers recent talk at Wheaton. The Colleges administration did not send any message to students about Mr. Bombergers visit," the spokesperson added. "The fact is, college students are exposed to a variety of ideas, and sometimes they disagree and keep talking to each other about what theyve heard thats a big part of education, in and out of the classroom." The Wheaton College representative disputed Bomberger's claims that he has been ignored by Wheatons administration. "The Radiance Foundation e-mailed a threat to sue three college students, and blind-copied a few College employees. This was followed by a second e-mail, this time addressing several employees, blind-copying a few others. At that point, Wheaton administrators reached out to the Bombergers directly to hear their concerns," Taylor continued, adding that an informal, confidential, off-the-record conversation was scheduled. "Shortly before the call, the Bombergers insisted that a Radiance Foundation board member join, or they would not participate in the conversation," she told CP. Bomberger posted a new article on the Radiance Foundation website on Tuesday, claiming that he is being smeared. As for the off-the-record conversation, he said that Wheaton reps refused to talk at all after the request that a Radiance Board member joins in. "The school administration chose not to pursue a Matthew 18 model of conflict resolution and allowed a fellow evangelical Christian to be slandered and treated like the enemy. They couldve made this a powerful learning opportunity for the entire school," Bomberger positioned. Update, December 5, 2018: After publication Ryan Bomberger contacted The Christian Post to say that 1) he was not just criticizing student leaders but also the school due to the involvement of administrators Peter Hansen and Crystal Cartwright in the Student Activities Office, 2) his email was sent to many administrators, not just a few employees, and "Wheaton is deliberately misleading the public on the fact that administrative officials were part of enabling and approving the letter to be sent out," 3) He was never asked why he voted for Trump during his presentation and one student questioner was under the misimpression that he was an ardent Trump supporter. (For more on what Bomberger said about the KKK, see his blog post here.) 4) Student Body President Lauren Rowley has critiqued the presentation but was not in attendance. 5) There was no lawsuit threat, rather, the wording was, We will pursue a discussion with your schools administration/leadership and our attorneys at which time we will decide whether or not to take legal action against this defamation. 6) Emails (which Bomberger shared with CP) show that Wheaton canceled the off-the-record phone conversation after Bomberger asked, "What is your reservation about having one of our Board members on this off-the-record call?" Which cities have the highest rate of volunteerism? Barna answers Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The evangelical research organization the Barna Group has compiled a list of the top ten cities in the United States with the highest rate of volunteerism. Barna reported Tuesday that the metropolitan area with the highest rate of weekly volunteerism was Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Pennsylvania. The four Pennsylvania localities form what is called a combined statistical area, which the U.S. Census defines as an area consisting of two or more metropolitan areas that share considerable employment interchange. According to Barnas report, 30 percent of respondents from Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York said they volunteered on a weekly basis. Second place went to Green Bay-Appleton, Wisconsin with 28 percent. Rounding out the rest of the top ten was Austin, Texas; Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina, Asheville, North Carolina, and Nashville, Tennessee, each with 27 percent; San Diego, California with 26 percent; the Providence, Rhode Island-New Bedford, Massachusetts CSA with 25 percent; and Salt Lake City, Utah; Birmingham-Anniston-Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and Houston, Texas, each with 24 percent. In our fast-paced world, time is a precious commodity, noted Barna. Perhaps this is why most American adults of all ages believe volunteering is one of the most generous acts possible, even more than financial giving. Data for the report was drawn from a sample space of 76,505 adults conducted over a seven-year period that ended in April 2016, with a sampling error of plus or minus 0.4 percentage points. Last month, several churches observed the annual Bless Friday, a day of volunteering first celebrated in 2010 that takes place the day after Thanksgiving with the intention of countering the commercialism of Black Friday. Bless Friday organizer and founder Chuck Fox told The Christian Post in an interview in November that this year for the first time a Christian-owned business will be joining the churches in their activities. For the first time we are partnering with a Christian owned, small business, RE/MAX Legacy Living. Jemila and Patrick Winsey learned about Bless Friday on November 5, less than three weeks before Bless Friday, and they asked if they could participate, explained Fox. We hope that by beginning their Christmas celebration with service participants will place their focus on Jesus. We especially hope that Bless Friday connects Christmas and service in the minds of children, less Santa and more Jesus. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment For years, left-leaning social activists have been attempting to push hate crimes legislation through Indianas part-time legislature and onto the Governors desk. Much to the chagrin of complicit state media like the Indy Star, which threw away any sense of objectivity on the issue a long time ago, it hasnt happened to this point. But that may be about to change. In late July, when vandals scrawled Nazi graffiti on the walls of a Jewish synagogue in an Indianapolis suburb, Governor Eric Holcomb stumbled all over himself hastily rushing in front of the nearest camera to call on lawmakers to rectify this grievous act by enacting a new statewide hate/bias crimes law. Despite supermajorities in both houses of the state legislature, it is likely that the upcoming session will see Republicans pass a law that they once understood was unnecessary at best, dangerous at worst. Heres why I say that: 1. Hate Crimes laws are, despite having been enacted in a vast majority of states, objectively unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution demands equal protection under the law for all citizens. That means the punishment inflicted on a criminal who kills me is not to be gentler nor harsher than if that criminal killed you. To enhance the penalty for killing one class of people is to provide them more protection under the law, not equal protection. 2. Hate Crimes laws are, despite their fanfare and appeals to emotion, completely unnecessary and in many ways harmful to justice. You need to look no further than Indiana to understand this. Current state law already permits a judge to take into consideration the personal characteristics of a victim that motivated a crime, and then enhance a penalty accordingly. Hate Crimes laws like the one Governor Holcomb proposes, actually limit the ability of a judge to do this. For example, suppose an elderly man wearing a veterans cap was assaulted by Antifa because of his apparent service in the military. Currently, an Indiana judge could enhance the penalty for the attacker due to the specific motivation behind the crime. But since military service is not a protected characteristic under Holcombs proposed hate crimes law its enactment would leave certain groups of victims rendered vulnerable because they failed to make the governments list of favorites. Given these realities, plus the conveniently forgotten reality that no hate crime statute would have prevented the Nazi graffiti at that synagogue, we can fairly surmise that this entire effort is like most progressive causes about symbolism, not substance. Its Governor Holcomb pandering. Thats embarrassing enough. But what is far more concerning to me is that this political grandstanding has received endorsement from the presidents of six of the states leading Christian universities and colleges The University of Notre Dame, Indiana Wesleyan University, Anderson University, Grace College and Seminary, St. Marys College, University of Saint Francis. Not that professing Christian intellectuals cant be duped by smooth-sounding political pitches. It happens. But Christians have been commanded by Christ to exercise discernment in ways the world does not, and the failure to see the underlying, nefarious element to these kinds of legal campaigns is inexcusable. It is no great secret that the loudest promoters of hate crimes laws are often the same social activists who champion so-called non-discrimination laws that include their favorite five words: sexual orientation and gender identity. In states like Indiana, these activists have been unable to convince the legislature to add those words to discrimination statutes given the fact that (1) they dont do anything to prevent discrimination, and (2) they almost always become a legal weapon for progressives to harass, bully, financially intimidate, and exact debilitating punitive fines and punishments on people whose conscience offends their agenda. Jack Phillips in Colorado comes to mind. Thwarted at the front door of discrimination statutes, activists turn to the back door of hate crimes legislation to slip those words into the states law code. Codified as a legal class in one section of the law (hate crimes), it is judicially predictable to see it extrapolated outward to others (non-discrimination). Its the camel nose under the tent, all for no moral or legal good whatsoever. Yet in Indiana, a host of Christian universities have joined the Republican Governor in a move that would limit and deny justice, while simultaneously provide a springboard for future government harassment and censure of Christian citizens. Righteous discernment indeed. Colombia: Pastors facing death threats, assassination attempts by extortionists, kidnappers Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A watchdog group that monitors Christian persecution worldwide reports that large numbers of church leaders in Colombia are being subjected to death threats, and many pastors have already been assassinated. Christian Solidarity Worldwide revealed in a report last week that as much as 12.6 percent of all religious leaders in Bogota have received death threats. The threats are mostly coming from illegal armed groups that carry out extortion and kidnappings, meaning that leftist guerrilla groups, right-wing neo-paramilitary groups and other criminal entities are behind the attacks. One pastor, Martinez Perez of Nueva Filadelfia Church, was assassinated on Sept. 16 outside his home in Antioquia, forcing his wife and five adult children to flee the village in fear. Several others have also been killed in the past decade, CSW pointed out. The fact that human rights violations, including freedom of religion or belief violations, have continued and even worsened in some parts of Colombia despite the signing of the peace agreement two years ago is of grave concern, and indicates the need for the agreement to be fully implemented as soon as possible," said CSWs Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas, referring to a peace treaty between the government and armed groups in November 2016. "We call on the Colombian government to take steps to ensure that FoRB is protected for all Colombians and that those responsible for threats against and attacks on church leaders are held to account for their actions," he added. While most Colombians are Christians and don't face religious freedom issues, the same does not hold true for indigenous communities. "Indigenous people who convert to Christianity are often forcibly displaced from their indigenous communities or excluded from receiving certain benefits by indigenous authorities, generally known as cabildos," the report explained. Thomas said that being able to change one's religion or belief is a fundamental right, and called on the Colombian government to " improve its efforts to protect this fundamental human right for all of its citizens. CSWs report further revealed that the illegal armed groups are diversifying their tactics, with an increase in extortion against churches and their leaders, as well as cases of members of illegal armed groups forcibly residing in pastors homes; this, amid a growing trend of threats and attacks committed by new unidentified armed actors, has led to confusion on the ground and increased fear in the civilian population. The families of religious leaders have also been targeted. One pastor who wasn't named told CSW that on two occasions he has been compelled to pay extortion money as his family has been threatened. The group contacted him by mobile phone, told him the physical location of each member of his family, and said that they were following them. In May 2018 two armed men on a motorbike arrived at the pastors house, threw his wife to the ground and then sped away, CSW said. The pastor believes that this is the groups way of attempting to force him and his family to leave the region. Open Doors USA, another prominent watchdog group, ranks Colombia as the 49th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution. The South American nation and Mexico were the only two countries outside the Middle East, Asia and Africa to make the top 50 list, with the attacks against Christians coming in the form of organized crime and corruption. . Mike Huckabee says America betraying its principles by not helping Asia Bibi, urges Trump to act Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Mike Huckabee has issued a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, urging him to offer Christian mother Asia Bibi and her family asylum in America. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and Southern Baptist pastor, said in an op-ed for Fox News on Sunday that it has been one month since Bibi was acquitted by the Pakistani Supreme Court after spending eight years on death row for blasphemy. Her release from prison sparked widespread protests in Pakistan, with Islamic hardliners demanding that she be put to death for insulting their faith, something which Bibi has denied ever doing. Thankfully, Bibi is being kept in protective custody by the Pakistani government. However, the government has said that they will not stand in the way of Islamic hardliners who are seeking a review of her case, Huckabee wrote. President Trump and his administration have been stalwart and vocal champions for religious freedom across the globe. And in Asia Bibis case, urgent action is needed RIGHT NOW, he added. Huckabee pointed readers to My Faith Votes, the organization seeking to encourage people to vote based on their convictions, and urged them to send a letter to Trump. "While the Netherlands, Britain, and Canada have all been mentioned as possible destinations for the family, the United States has been conspicuous by its absence in these reports," reads the email in part. The United States is without question the safest place of refuge for Asia Bibi and her family. We have a 230-plus year commitment to religious freedom and tolerance. That the United States isnt being mentioned as her ultimate destination is a betrayal of those principles and an abdication of our responsibilities. The My Faith Votes website also allows the email to be sent to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, along with people's representatives in Congress. Huckabee urged Christians to speak up, adding: No person of any faith should ever fear for their life because of sincerely held beliefs. This principle has been cherished throughout Americas history, but we must remain steadfast to fight for this freedom here at home and around the world or else it will vanish. Bruce Allen of Forgotten Missionaries International told Mission Network News on Tuesday that there is much speculation over where in Pakistan Bibi is now. "There was some speculation that she may have immediately left the country after being released from prison. But from what even other countries have said, they have not issued any visas to her," Allen said. "Weve been told that Asia Bibi is in a secure location like a safehouse sort of scenario, but many people inside Pakistan are speculating she is already at a foreign embassy perhaps the Dutch Embassy but of course, there is no confirmation of that," he added. "The Dutch Embassy wouldnt confirm that even if it were true, and many of their staff have been recalled back to the Netherlands as they have reduced the activities that are being offered or the services being offered. Allen further warned that although there is much international attention on the family, visas for asylum are "very difficult to obtain and it can take years for that to happen." USCIRF wants more sanctions to punish Myanmar's abuse of Rohingyas, Christians and others Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom is calling for harsher sanctions to be placed on the Myanmar military and nonstate actors in response to the human rights abuses committed against the Rohingyas, Kachin Christians and other religious minorities. USCIRF announced in a press release Monday that it is calling for the U.S. government and international community to pursue strong policy responses to hold Burmas military, security forces and nonstate actors accountable for severe human rights and religious freedom violations against Burmas Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic communities. Rohingya Muslims and other religious and ethnic groups have suffered terribly at the hands of Burmas military and security forces, with some calling the abuses ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, or even genocide, USCIRF Chair Tenzin Dorjee said in a statement. And yet those responsible for these abuses have largely escaped accountability for their actions. Because of the actions of the Burmese military, over 700,000 Rohingya (mostly Muslim but some Hindu) have fled from their homes in the western Rakhine state into Bangladesh since 2016. In August 2017, the Burmese government launched what researchers say was a pre-planned attack on countless Rohingya communities. In the Kachin state, tens of thousands of Christians have faced similar fates because of attacks on hundreds of civilian villages occurring over the last seven years since the end of a ceasefire between the military and the Kachin Independence Army. Over 130,000 are said to have been displaced inside the Kachin state because the Chinese government will not allow them to cross over the border. Abuses are also being committed against Buddhists and Hindus, as well ethnic populations in Shan and Karen states. USCIRF warns that in some cases, many of these abuses continue to be committed, for decades, largely with impunity. The U.S. government and other international actors have various tools at their disposal, among them targeted sanctions, that they can and should continue to use to bring justice to the perpetrators, Dorjee stated. We must send the message that horrific abuses like these will not be tolerated and will not go unanswered. The U.S. government has already instituted some sanctions against Myanmar military units responsible for the crimes committed against civilian populations in accordance with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act of 2016. The Treasury Department announced in August that it sanctioned four Burmese military and Border Guard Police commanders as well as two Burmese military units that are said to have overseen the crimes in the Rakhine, Kachin and Shan states. Although the U.S. has imposed sanctions on commanders and certain infantry units, it has not imposed broad sanctions on the nation as a whole or its top general Min Aung Hlaing. Others human rights activist groups, such as the The Faith Coalition to Stop Genocide in Burma, have called on President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to declare the Rohingya crisis a genocide and reimpose previous sanctions that they say led to an increase in democratic reforms in Myanmar but were lifted under President Barack Obama in 2016. "I think [the] U.S. needs to take a stronger position. I think comprehensive sanctions is the way to go," Muslim imam Malik Mujahid, chair of the coalition, told The Christian Post earlier this year. "President [Barack] Obama made a major mistake. All human rights organizations didn't want sanctions to be lifted. He lifted them. That gave license to kill to the military and they did. So there is a little bit of blood on President Obama's hands for making unwise decisions and not listening to anybody and worrying about his legacy." A United Nations fact-finding mission issued a report in August recommending that Myanmar military leaders should be investigated for genocidal acts committed against the Rohingyas and crimes against humanity committed against minorities in Kachin and Shan states. Earlier this year, the State Department commissioned the Public International Law and Policy Group to send an investigative team to refugee camps in Bangladesh to hear first-hand accounts from persecuted Rohingyas about the crimes and abuse they faced during the military campaign in 2017. A final report was published in September that was based on over 1,024 interviews with Rohingya refugees who recounted the execution of children, slaughters, dismemberments, beheadings and more. Although the U.S. has yet to label the abuses in Rohingya a genocide, the PILP stated in a recently released legal analysis of its findings that there are reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity, genocide, and war crimes have been committed against the Rohingya in Myanmars northern Rakhine State. The PILP legal analysis was independent of the work that it did for the State Department, a department spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. A common theme across the vast majority of interviews was public, brutal, and symbolic attacks against Rohingya leaders and Islamic symbols, the analysis reads. Typically, the first people to be attacked once the armed forces came into the villages were the village leaders, particularly the religious leaders. Local religious teachers and Rohingya chairmen were mutilated and had their throats slit. In Kachin, Christians faced similar religious ridicule. Gum San Nsang, president of the United States-based international advocacy group Kachin Alliance, recently told CP about how the attacks the Kachins have faced are more than just ethnically motivated. He said there have been cases where military troops have defecated on church altars or desecrated sacred objects. In Catholic Churches, Gum added, troops have destroyed statues of Mary. On Monday, The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum said there was compelling evidence that the Burmese military committed ethnic cleansing, crimes against humanity, and genocide against the Rohingya, the Muslim minority population of Burma. Our analysis concludes there is compelling evidence that Burmese authorities have intentionally sought to destroy the Rohingya people because of their ethnic and religious identity, Naomi Kikoler, deputy director of the museums Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, said in a statement. The Rohingya victims we work with feel abandoned. The world has turned a blind eye to their persecution just as it did for victims of the Holocaust. A resolution was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in September to label the Myanmar militarys actions against Rohingyas a genocide. According to the Faith Coalition to Stop Genocide in Burma, a floor vote on the resolution is scheduled for this week. A declaration of genocide by the U.S. would force the international community to fully investigate the atrocities against the Rohingya and accelerate the repatriation process for the safe and dignified return of the Rohingya to their homeland with their deserved civil rights, Mujahid said in a statement. In October, Bangladesh and Myanmar agreed to begin repatriations of displaced Rohingya back to Myanmar after Myanmar said it would allow over 2,000 to return. However, Rohingya refugees refused last month to leave their refugee camp and return to Myanmar as busses were brought in to transport the refugees back, according to the Wall Street Journal. USCIRF, a congressionally mandated commission, has warned that conditions are not yet safe for Rohingya refugees to return to Myanmar. On Tuesday, the Acton Institute and its Rome office concluded another very successful international conference, Freedom, Virtue and the Good Society: The Dominican Contribution. The 380-person overflow attendance at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (the Angelicum) included participants from the Angelicum itself and other pontifical universities, various religious and missionary orders, diverse sectors of business, non-profits and political leadership, as well as representatives from diplomatic corps to the Holy See. Promoted as a sequel to the equally successful November 2017 conference at the nearby Pontifical Gregorian University on the Jesuit contribution to building up a free and just globalized world, this weeks conference focused on the specifically Dominican tradition in sustaining a more free, virtuous and just society. In a press release, conference speaker and Actons Director of Research, Samuel Gregg, said the Institutes Rome office had gathered leading international scholars to enlighten us on the unique ways in which important Dominicans have contributed to the advancement of freedom, prosperity, and justice in Western societieshelping to establish modern economies, place limits on government power, (and) address the challenge of the French Revolution. Gregg concluded saying that while Dominicans of the past had played key roles, even today (they) remain unappreciated. They boldly unsettled the status quo of their time to advance the Christian foundations of the free society and can still teach us a lot today as we struggle to resolve our own current crises of faith and civil society. During her lead-off lecture, Sr. Catherine Joseph Droste, O.P., vice dean of theology at the Angelicum, spoke about the unique ways in which St. Catherine of Siena promoted a free, virtuous and just society. In her creative and original paper entitled Catherine of Sienas Humanism a.k.a. A Tale of Two Cities, Droste said the great medieval saint and Doctor of the Church demanded virtue and growth in self-knowledge of ecclesial and political leaders, not merely for their own sake, but for the sake of those they serve. Further, Droste said, Catherine demanded that political leaders be fearless rulers of your own city and the city lent to you. The soul with self-knowledge knows how to govern her own city, how to root out inordinate self-love and servile fear which endanger both cities. As (St. Catherine) writes, one will badly possess the loaned city if he does not first govern and rule himself.' Rulers blinded by self-love, St. Catherine says, do not attend to the universal common good, but only to their own good. Fr. Martin Rhonheimer, President of the Austrian Institute of Economics and Social Philosophy, in his talk Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Idea of Limited Government, said that when scholars discuss Aquinas theory of government, they usually focus on his adaption of Aristotles distinction between regal and political rule and his theory of Polity as a regimen commixtum: a form of political organization mixed by monarchic, aristocratic and democratic elements. From this, Rhonheimer said, they conclude that Aquinas fully advocated the idea of limited government. This thesis needs important qualifications in order not to miss the point of modern constitutionalism and to avoid an anachronistic reading of medieval political theories. Rhonheimer elaborated in conclusion, stating: We can say that Aquinas provided some crucial building blocks for modern constitutionalism. This especially includes his idea that government must be limited by law in the sense of thereby becoming government by law so that its orientation towards the common good is guaranteed, and that this presupposed a determined constitutional arrangement in the form of a mixed constitution by monarchic, aristocratic and democratic elements. Another foundation was his theory of natural law as the standard of any human legislation, including a right to resistance. This together with many other pre-modern traditions already mentioned, was the decisive ground on which modern constitutionalism, its idea of rule of law and limited government could eventually be built when the time had come: the time of the struggle against modern absolutism in all its forms. In terms of the lesser known 16th century Dominican Tomas de Mercados views of a more just commercial society the topic of Jay Richardss lecture the Catholic University of Americas Busch School of Business research professor said the Renaissance Spanish Dominican and School of Salamanca scholar wanted business persons to have a set of moral rules to follow. Perhaps inspired by governing rule that guided the social organization of medieval monasteries and convents, Mercado penned Deals of Contracts of Merchants and Traders, commonly referred to as his Manual of business ethics. In the Manual, Mercado treated the moral complexity of infinite types of commercial exchange in market economies, while reducing the ethical decision making to some clear guidelines. Richards quoted Tomas de Mercado, who explained why he wrote such a book: I did not want in this book to be a preacher but a doctor, not rhetorical and elegant but a moral theologian, clear and brief. Thus, I do not write persuading and exhorting what is best and safer, but teaching what is lawful and unlawful [in the moral sense]. In all other areas, each is to be advised by their confessor. And since trade, although it gives occasion for wrongdoing, can, although with difficulty, be lawfully exercised my aim will be to show what intent the merchant should have in his dealings, and what means he must choose, so that he can win his life without losing the future one. Richards went on to say: In his view, the ordinary task of being a merchant is not so much the problem as is the merchants means and private intentions. Fr. Tomass advice for upright living is conventional. The merchant should not lie, perjure, or defraud. He should live modestly rather than ostentatiously. He should avoid greed. . He should seek frequent access to the sacraments, including hearing Mass daily, and, of course, confession. In the afternoons final lecture, Henri-Dominque Lacordaire: A Dominican Faces Modernity by Gregg, much of the moral discussion of a free and just society centered not on how politicians or business persons can be corrupted or corrected, but on how the Churchs clergy and its institutions may become run afoul of its moral mission or at least forced to sacrifice some of their sovereignty and religious freedom to the Almighty State. This is true especially when a subsidized French Church became too comfortable with generous public benefits and payouts. It was a persistent, incorrigible Henri-Dominque Lacordaire who re-established the Dominican order in post-revolutionary France. He wanted the Church to be completely free of the strings attached to State contributions which compromised their liberty to fully teach, preach or act as they wanted. Gregg told the audience: For (this) same reason, Lacordaire believed that Catholic clergy should refuse the state salaries to which they were entitled under law. In 1830, Lacordaire argued that these salaries allowed Catholic clergy to be, preyed upon by our enemies, by those who regard us as hypocrites or as imbeciles, and by those who are persuaded that our life depends on money. Continuing to explain the patron-client relationship much of the French diocesan clergy had developed with their government, Gregg defined Napoleons soft despot strategy with the 19th-century French Catholic Church: At this point, it is worth noting that relations between the Church and the French State were governed during Lacordaires lifetime by the Concordat negotiated by Napoleon and Pius VII in 1801. The Concordat had restored the French churchs unity with Rome. It also acknowledged that questions of faith and morals were outside the States authority. But the Concordat also conceded great control over the Churchs institutional life to the French government. This was not a coincidence. As Napoleon reportedly remarked to his brother Lucien Bonaparte, Skillful conquerors have not got entangled with priests. They can both contain them and use them. The Acton Institutes next Rome conference will take place in the academic year 2019. Stay tuned. Meantime, you may watch their recently concluded Rome conference in its entirety here on LiveStream. You may also follow the conference comments and photos via the hashtag #GreatDominicans. Brexit needs to offer 'hopeful vision' for the nation, says Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury has told peers that Britain's withdrawal from the European Union must be underpinned by hope. In an address to the House of Lords on Wednesday, Archbishop Justin Welby said that even though he was a remainer, he 'fully' accepts the outcome of the 2016 referendum 'which must now be implemented'. Cautioning peers, he said any decisions on Brexit needed to take the long-term consequences into consideration as he urged politicians not to be caught up in 'just the immediate politics'. He said that after reading both the withdrawal agreement and the political declaration it was clear that 'so much is left open' in deciding Britain's future, and its relationships with the European Union and rest of the world. In 'choosing a new path', he said the Brexit process needed to offer hope and reconciliation. 'It must reflect a genuinely hopeful vision for our nation and its place, because there is a hope and global influence, a vision of that, to be grasped in this country with proper leadership,' he said. 'Second, whichever way we go there is a requirement for national reconciliation, for restating what the noble Lord, Lord Sacks, calls core values of civilised discourse, and for ensuring they are lived out.' He continued: 'Reconciliation is an area for civil society, for faith groups, but it is also largely the responsibility of any government,' he said 'It is a process that takes generations and thus will affect not only the current government but subsequent ones.' The Archbishop said that the 'negative impact' of the first referendum on Brexit two years ago made it possible that another referendum could take place but he said this was a 'not immediately preferable choice' and should only happen 'if parliament has failed in its responsibilities'. He went on to warn that Brexit was in danger of having an 'adverse' impact on Britain's economy and increasing levels of poverty and unemployment. 'But the risk we face now is not a decision to leave without an agreement: it is an accidental leaving without an agreement. Something that no single person chooses as their ideal,' he said. 'And if that happens, or even with some of the other options we have, there is a significant danger of adverse economic affect, with a fall in government revenue, rise in unemployment and greater poverty.' He continued: 'It must be the clear policy of this and all future governments, after so many years of austerity borne most often by the poorest, that the burden of the transition to a post-EU economy, if there is a burden, must be carried by those with the broadest shoulders, the wealthiest, and not by further cuts, whether in local services, social care, benefits, the armed forces, climate change budgets, education or others that have lost so much in recent years.' 'Grinch' Scottish shopping centre refuses to display nativity scene because it is 'religiously neutral' A Scottish shopping centre is refusing to display a nativity crib to avoid offending non-Christian customers all while promoting its Christmas market. The Thistles centre, in the central Scottish city of Stirling, said it would not be displaying the traditional nativity because it was 'religiously and politically neutral' and did not think shoppers should be 'subjected to an individual organisation's beliefs'. The nativity crib typically features figurines of Mary, Joseph and the three wise men standing around the baby Jesus in the manger. It is used to explain the story at the heart of Christmas and is a favourite with children. According to The Scottish Sun newspaper, the shopping centre said it will not be reconsidering its decision despite complaints. 'Thistles shopping centre prides itself on being religiously and politically neutral in its behaviour within the local community and with this in mind we do not feel it would be right to agree to host this type of promotion within a shopping centre,' it said. 'Our customers come to enjoy a leisure activity without being subjected to individual organisation's beliefs. 'We will not be willing to reconsider the application any further and hope that this final decision is accepted.' Despite its concerns over religious neutrality, the shopping centre has still put up Christmas decorations and is welcoming locals to shop at its Christmas market. Stephen Kerr, the MP for Stirling who had asked the shopping centre to reconsider, said the decision was 'disappointing'. A disappointing decision by the Thistles Centre. #nativity https://t.co/PLFUvccH4T Stephen Kerr MP (@stephenkerrMP) December 6, 2018 According to The Scottish Sun newspaper, the Catholic Church in Scotland accused the shopping centre of being 'Grinch-like'. A spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh said: 'At this time of year Christmas cribs grace many public squares all across the British Isles, bringing joy to nearly all who encounter them, regardless of their religion. 'It seems just a wee bit, well, Grinch-like for the Thistles Shopping Centre to ban the Christmas crib and, in the true spirit of Christmas, we would certainly ask them to reconsider their decision.' The Church of Scotland was equally critical, with a spokeswoman adding: 'We find it very disappointing that the true meaning of Christmas has been completely lost here. 'When a shopping centre can focus purely on commercialism to the exclusion of the reason for the celebration of Christmas it is a sad day for all of us.' Our Christmas Market opens tomorrow! From 1st November until December 30th, we'll be joined by @Thecraftrdshow to bring you festive treats, handmade crafts and live music The Legion of St Mary's Association said: 'Their reason being that despite heavily promoting Christmas for commercial gain, they 'pride themselves on religious neutrality' and so won't allow a nativity to be present any longer. 'While I understand that no one wants religious or political evangelists in a shopping centre, the request was simply to have a nativity, which would be manned and anyone approaching could ask about it.' Ireland's abortion laws must protect conscientious objection, say bishops As the legalisation of abortion in Ireland reaches the final stages in the Irish Parliament, bishops are urging lawmakers to protect conscientious objection. A bill allowing free and legal abortions in Ireland passed in the Dail on Wednesday night, seven months after Ireland voted to repeal a constitutional ban on terminations. The bill has now moved to the upper house for final debate before being passed into law, which is expected to happen before the Christmas recess. Once it comes into effect, the bill would allow women in Ireland to seek an abortion for any reason up to the 12th week of pregnancy. After that point, abortions would be permitted where there was serious risk to a woman's life or health, or in cases of fatal fetal abnormality. Most of the proposed amendments to the bill were defeated, including one that would have meant health workers with conscientious objections did not have to refer women to other physicians who could perform the procedure. Instead, the bill passed by the Dail allows health workers to refuse to perform an abortion but requires that they refer women to those who do not hold any objections. In response to Wednesday's vote, the Irish Bishops' Conference said it was 'dismayed' by the legislation and called for full protection of conscientious objection. 'Irish society must have respect for the right of conscientious objection for all healthcare professionals and pharmacists. They cannot be forced either to participate in abortion or to refer patients to others for abortion,' it said. The statement continued: 'Women's lives, and the lives of their unborn children, are precious, valued and always deserving of protection. Any law which suggests otherwise would have no moral force. In good conscience it cannot be supported and would have to be resisted.' Prince Charles praises 'inspiring faith' of persecuted Christians The Prince of Wales has paid tribute to the faith and courage of Christians around the world being persecuted for their beliefs. Prince Charles made the comments during a special service at Westminster Abbey to celebrate the contribution of Christians in the Middle East. In his reflection, he spoke of the many Christians he had met over the years 'who, with such inspiring faith and courage, are battling oppression and persecution, or who have fled to escape it'. He also praised their 'extraordinary grace and capacity for forgiveness' in refusing to retaliate against those who have persecuted them. 'It is one thing to believe in God who forgives; it is quite another to take that example to heart and actually to forgive, with the whole heart, "those who trespass against you" so grievously,' he said. 'So, in coming together today, we can only give thanks for the truly remarkable strength of the Faith with which so many Christians face persecution, and which gives them the courage and the determination to endure, and to overcome. 'They are an inspiration to the whole church, and to all people of goodwill.' The Prince of Wales went on to speak of how Christians, Muslims and Jews in parts of the Middle East are supporting one another and living peacefully together. 'Throughout history, in these lands which are the cradle of faith for Jews, Muslims and Christians, communities of different beliefs have shown that it is possible to live side by side as neighbours and friends,' he said. He continued: 'Co-existence and understanding are not just possible, therefore; they are confirmed by hundreds of years of shared experience. Extremism and division are by no means inevitable.' Other special guests at the service included the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the Coptic Orthodox Archbishop of London, Archbishop Angaelos. Archbishop Welby said: 'I am so thankful that His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, has taken the interest and time to give this matter the priority it so crucially deserves at a time when many thousands are suffering displacement, persecution, and some even the tragic loss of loved ones.' Archbishop Angaelos said it was important that churches and governments work together to provide 'tangible and holistic solutions to the immense challenges' faced by persecuted Christians. 'Core to this is also keeping this matter alive and relevant in the eyes, hearts and minds of our global community,' he said. 'We pray, as we continue to come together for those who struggle and suffer, that they are comforted and supported by the grace of God and by our collective interest and action in and for them as individuals and communities.' Companies in Houston need to bring more Hispanic executives into C-suites and board rooms, or risk losing out on a growing market and large source of talent, Hispanic business leaders say. Hundreds of people in Houston's Latino business community gathered Thursday night for the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's "State of Hispanics" event, listening to speakers make the case that businesses particularly in Houston need to integrate a growing and well-qualified pool of Hispanic candidates into their workforces and leadership. Hispanics will become Houston's largest ethnic group by 2020 and represent more than 25 percent of all spending in the region. The demographic group's spending in Houston could top $80 billion by 2022, up from $55 billion today, according to the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Businesses are finally starting to take notice, said Laura Murillo, the president and CEO of the chamber, although she noted the conversation is "long overdue." The chamber has grown as companies seek to connect with the Hispanic community. New members to the chamber include IBM, Citgo Petroleum, and the U.S. Army. "This is a market that one must look at if you're going to succeed," Murillo said. The Houston metropolitan area has more than 9,800 Hispanic owned businesses, accounting for about 11 percent of all businesses in the region, according to a presentation by Julio Arrieta, managing director and chief marketing officer for Lopez Negrete Communications, a Houston advertising agency. About 2.7 million Hispanics live in the Houston metro area, according to projections by the Texas Demographic Center, the state's liaison office to the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanics could be the largest demographic group in the state as early as 2020. Much of this growth will come from people moving here from other states, such as California, Louisiana and New York. "The purchasing power of Hispanics in Houston is huge," said Pablo Pinto, the director of the Center for Public Policy at the University of Houston. Murillo said businesses in Houston could miss opportunities to tap into this market if they don't consider Houston's changing demographics as they make decisions about hiring, promotions and leadership within their own companies. Only 13 of the 275 people who hold board of director positions in a Fortune 500 company based in Houston are Hispanic, according to research presented by the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. That represents just 5 percent of the board seats, even though Hispanics make up 40 percent of Houston's population. "Every time they have a vacancy, we want them to consciously think about us as an expert and a possibility," Murillo said. "At the end of the day, may the best person win, but if we go to the same circle of people, then we've missed an opportunity." Some business executives said they face challenges in finding qualified applicants who speak Spanish because they are in such high demand. Arnold Gacita, CEO of Petra Oil Company, a Houston automotive products and services company, wanted a high-ranking employee who spoke Spanish to work with his Latin American customers, but less than half the people who applied met his requirement to speak Spanish. "You have to pay at a high level to get those people, so it's expensive," Gacita said. As for how corporations could rectify the problem, Gacita, Murillo and others said they need to engage with the Hispanic community all along the career track, from internships to C-suite positions. Fernando Sanchez has lived in Houston his entire life and graduated from Texas Tech University in 2016. He said corporations and educational institutions need to start earlier in recruitment effortsmaking resources available as early as high school. "Definitely more work needs to be done," said Sanchez, an associate relationship manager for Bank of Texas. "Corporations should invest more in mentorship by people who have gone through what you're going through." Murillo said she has seen more corporations expand efforts to diversify their workforce and leadership efforts, but it remains a challenge for Hispanic business leaders to break into top executive positions because of the way most executive committees recruit. Often, executives are chosen based on recommendations by colleagues. If all the colleagues are white men, minorities and women are frequently overlooked, she said. "What we're saying is that we want a holistic approach to integration," said Murillo, who holds a doctorate in education from the University of Houston. "We want to be part of the fabric and not a thread to this blanket." The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of the estimated 9,806 Hispanic-owned businesses in Houston and its members include entrepreneurs, executives, small businesses and Fortune 500 firms. A bizarre-looking Antonov AN-124, a plane with 24 wheels and expertise in carrying oversized cargo, will now be based at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Russian company Volga-Dnepr Group will dedicate one of its 12 Antonov AN-124-100 planes to Houston as it opens an operations base at the airport. The AN-124 is the little brother to the Antonov AN-225 Mriya, the world's largest airplane. The latter is a rare plane to glimpse, but it does occasionally call on Houston. MORE: World's biggest airplane lands at Bush airport In addition to the AN-124, Volga-Dnepr will provide crews, technical support teams and special loading equipment. Konstantin Vekshin, executive president of charter cargo operations for Volga-Dnepr Group, said opening the base was a natural development in its relationship with the airport. "This commitment brings us even closer to our customers geographically and enhances our ability to provide special 'out of the box' solutions which make our customers' lives easier," he said in a statement. "We feel this move will accomplish these goals and enable us to offer more economical and faster services, managed by a team of local experts." The local presence can also help Volga-Dnepr provide support in the aftermath of natural disasters, he said. Its new base comes during a period of cargo growth at Bush Intercontinental, which is on pace to move a record 500,000 metric tons in 2018. The airport had moved 413,472 metric tons of cargo through October, up 19 percent compared with the same 10-month period last year. Ian Wadsworth, chief commercial officer for Houston Airport System, said the strengthened economy and improved energy sector have contributed to this growth in cargo. The small South American nation of Guyana could become the continent's second-largest oil producer thanks to the offshore discoveries made by Exxon Mobil, according to a new report. With a partner in New York-based Hess Corp., Exxon Mobil is focusing on offshore Guyana perhaps more than anywhere else in the world outside of West Texas' booming Permian Basin. A new report from the research firm Wood Mackenzie calls Exxon Mobil's Guyana exploits one of the one of the most impressive exploration campaigns in recent times. RELATED: Exxon Mobil hikes Guyana reserve estimates 25% after new discovery With a population of only about 750,000 people, Guyana is located next to the Venezuela, a previous oil power now in a deep decline from geopolitical and financial instability. The report comes just after Exxon Mobil increased its reserve estimates offshore of Guyana by 25 percent after making a 10th discovery in the region. Exxon is continuing to explore in what's called the deepwater Stabroek block. "With 17 prospects still to drill, Stabroek is writing Guyana's future," stated Luiz Hayum, a Latin American research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, arguing that Guyana could jump past all Latin American and South American countries except Brazil. ACQUIRED: Transocean closes Ocean Rig acquisition "If Venezuela and Mexico fail to address production declines, Guyana could quickly surpass them to number two," Hayum said. Exxon Mobil said its new Pluma-1 well discovery coupled with increased projections from other findings have hiked their reserve estimate from 4 billion barrels of oil equivalent up to 5 billion. The first oil production of 120,000 barrels a day is expected to come online in early 2020 through the Liza Phase 1 development. Liza Phase 2 is expected to start up by mid-2022. Industrial power plants produced snow in Indiana, Kansas and the Cleveland metro area Tuesday as a blast of cold air engulfed the Midwest. Heat and steam from industries near downtown Cleveland enhanced a localized snowband, which satellite and radar imagery showed extending southeastward, steered by northwesterly winds. #Weather #Nerd Moment! Seeing a very localized enhancement of a band of #snow from industries near downtown #Cleveland. The heat and steam from near downtown #CLE is causing localized snow southeastward towards Summit County. Seen from satellite and radar. #OHwx #PAwx #NWS #CLEwx pic.twitter.com/C1Ojwienqq NWS Cleveland (@NWSCLE) December 4, 2018 Dubbed the downtown-Cleveland-enhanced or Cleveland-effect snowband by the local National Weather Servive office, it was seen lowering visibility on some highways in the metro area. A few places picked up minor accumulations of snow. Steam rising from the industrial plants sent warm, moist air into the colder air in the clouds, allowing the snow crystals to form. This is a similar process to how lake-effect snow develops: a warm moisture source rises, and that rising air then cools and condenses into clouds that can generate snowflakes under the right conditions. Parts of northeastern Indiana, including Fort Wayne, also experienced industrial power plant-induced snow Tuesday. The NWS in northern Indiana issued a series of special weather statements warning residents of a band of industrial plant-induced heavy snow. One of the statements noted the snowband had produced periodic heavy snow and visibility as low as a half-mile along U.S. Highway 30 between Fort Wayne and Columbia City, Indiana. An observer near Arcola, Indiana, measured 1.5 inches from this industrial power plant-induced snow. Northwest of Topeka, Kansas, a coal power plant produced snow Tuesday. The steam released from the plant near St. Marys, Kansas, resulted in flurries and light snow across Shawnee County, Kansas, including the city of Topeka. Cold temperatures combined with steam being released from a coal power plant north of St. Marys, KS continues to result in light snow & flurries across .@ShawneeCounty & .@cityoftopeka! #kswx pic.twitter.com/oxa9j2QOhr NWS Topeka (@NWSTopeka) December 4, 2018 Industrial plants also produced snow in Minnesota and Nebraska Monday into Tuesday. The most persistent industrial plant snow on Monday fell in eastern Nebraska, where it even accumulated in some spots. The plume of snow could be seen extending southward from the industrial plants located near Norfolk, Nebraska, in this radar image from Monday. Steam exhaust from those plants continued to produce snow and freezing drizzle Tuesday morning, with winds steering the plume toward Omaha, according to the NWS. A winter weather advisory was even issued by the NWS for Tuesday morning due to the possibility of slick travel conditions in eastern Nebraska and adjacent parts of southwestern Iowa. Check this out. Here is a loop of the snow induced from the plants in Norfolk. This loop starts yesterday at 7am and goes through today at 7am. Watch as the snow finally blows off toward the east around 4am this morning. #newx #iawx pic.twitter.com/u1bxieigIJ NWS Omaha (@NWSOmaha) December 4, 2018 An emergency manager in Madison County, Nebraska, said the plume was producing large snowflakes Monday. Up to 2 inches of accumulation was reported near Leigh, Nebraska, which is about a 30-mile drive southeast of where the plants are located near Norfolk. Minnesota also had light snow associated with an industrial plant on Monday. Satellite imagery showed snowfall triggered by a refinery southeast of the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. A weather observation station southeast of the Twin Cities in Stanton reported light snow for an hour Monday afternoon, according to the NWS. Man-made structures can also create weather! The exhaust plume from a refinery on the southeast side of the Twin Cities created snow, which fell downstream. Stanton Airport (KSYN) reported light snow and reduced visibility from 1:15-2:15pm. #mnwx pic.twitter.com/J9lxAz0xQ7 NWS Twin Cities (@NWSTwinCities) December 3, 2018 Although its not a common sight, industrial plants fueling snowfall does happen from time to time. We documented another case of steam from a mine causing snow to develop in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan last December. Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Nebraska and Minnesota industrial plants have created SNOW! And that is totally rare crazy! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or become a Patron on Patreon / donate through Paypal. Please and thank you [Weather, Extreme Tech, Business Insider] The first memories of school can last a lifetime. The school colors, a giant mascot in the entrance of the campus these things make an impression on young students. Built in 1965, Whitcomb Elementary School, 900 Reseda Drive, Houston, is marking its 50th anniversary, and for alumni, its the people and the traditions they remember most. For Melissa Sherpa, who started first grade at Whitcomb Elementary School in 1971 three years after it opened, it was a custodian named Jesse who left one of the biggest impressions. Jesse, she said, took care of the school while also being a role model to students by his dedication to his work. He was a wonderful man and made it a point to build relationships with all of us, said Sherpa, who didnt know Jesses last name. He loved all the students and we loved him. We respected him and in turn we respected the school. We wanted to take care of it because we knew how hard he worked. Sherpas parents were active members of the PTA and helped build some of the traditions the school still honors. Sherpa began teaching at Whitcomb in 2003 and is now part of those same traditions. I feel so many connections to the school, she said. Whitcomb is very much a community school with a family like atmosphere. I really believe in my heart that the first years of a child's educational path are the most important of all, Sherpa said. In elementary school, we build the foundation for a lifelong learner. The school, which has 654 students, celebrated the anniversary on Dec. 1 with a performance from the Whitcomb fourth-grade choir and the introduction of teachers who were at the campus when it opened in 1968. When voters approved a Clear Creek ISD's $487 million bond in 2017, it included plans for a major renovation of Whitcomb, which is one of seven schools in the district that are at least 50 years old. Set to start in November 2021 and end a year later, this project will renovates the entire campus and brings it up to current learning and safety standards. Chris Cummings has a current attachment to Whitcomb through his two children, who are in kindergarten and first grade, but also through his own memories. Cummings and his twin brother started first grade in 1974. He singles out two teachers who went out of two favorite teachers, Mrs. Newman and Mr. Clark, who went out of their way to work one-on-one with students. Cummings didnt know the teachers first names. But a few of his favorite memories have nothing to do with academics. He has fond memories of the schools track-and-field events has vivid recollections of Whitcomb students gathering outside for flag ceremonies. I dont know if it was an everyday thing, but it seemed like it, he said. Giant Whitney evokes memories And Cummings will never forget Whitney, the seemingly giant giraffe mascot he passed by every day in the schools atrium area. He and his brother were part of the class that helped build Whitney. Cummings said that if his children experience at the school is as positive as his was, they have a good start. I think its vital, he said. Youre establishing the foundation for their education, behavior and emotions to some extent. Over the last 50 years, Whitney, constructed on a wire frame, has had a few makeovers, with several layers of materials like papier mache added for stability and upgrade. Its almost symbolic, the different layers over the years and all the kids that have gone through there, Cummings said. When you walk in, theres that giraffe in the atrium area. So, going in every time there is definitely a sense of nostalgia. yorozco@hcnonline.com Crude dropped the most in almost two weeks amid signals that OPEC, Russia and other aligned oil producers won't curb output enough to erase a supply overhang. Futures in New York declined 2.7 percent on Thursday. Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said in Vienna that he was not confident OPEC and allied oil producers will reach an agreement when the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries meets again with allies on Friday. A proposal for a combined 1 million barrel-a-day cut by OPEC and non-OPEC is being discussed. "There continues to be uncertainty with what OPEC will do," said Brian Kessens, who helps manage $16 billion at Tortoise in Leawood, Kansas. "Right now, it's a market that is assuming the worst." RELATED: Saudis back modest OPEC+ cut to avoid market shock Oil's sell-off also gathered steam as equity markets tanked. The S&P 500 Energy Index fell 3 percent as of 3:16 p.m. in New York, with all but one member lower. Traders are waiting for any signs of a formal deal announcement as producers convene in the Austrian capital. OPEC will meet again on Friday at 9 a.m. in Vienna and will then meet with non-OPEC allies, including Russia, at noon local time, according to delegates. Saudi Arabia and Russia "have a lot to lose" if there is no accord, Oman Oil Minister Mohammed Al Rumhy told reporters. "People were really hoping to hear something closer to 1.3 million barrels a day and we haven't gotten an official announcement yet," said Ashley Petersen, an oil analyst at Stratas Advisors LLC in New York. Given Saudi Arabia's "history of over-compliance, markets are a little bit preemptively disappointed." From HoustonChronicle.com: Reporter's notebook: U.S. oil industry still depends on OPEC West Texas Intermediate for January delivery fell $1.40 to settle at $51.49 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Total volume traded was about 46 percent above the 100-day average. Brent for February settlement tumbled $1.50 to end the session at $60.06 a barrel on London's ICE Futures Europe exchange. The global benchmark crude was at an $8.36 premium to WTI for the same month. Amid ongoing talks in Vienna this week, Trump tweeted on Wednesday saying the world "does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices." Saudi Arabia may not be able to defy Trump's demand for lower prices, after the killing of Jamal Khashoggi unleashed a fusillade of criticism from American lawmakers, leaving the president as one of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's few remaining allies in Washington. Meanwhile, U.S. crude stockpiles fell for the first time since mid September, down 7.32 million barrels last week, as exports jumped to a record, according to data from the Energy Information Administration on Thursday. The U.S. has become a net oil exporter for the first time in 75 years. --With assistance from Tsuyoshi Inajima and Alex Longley. 2018 Bloomberg L.P. Houston-based Tellurian Inc. has struck its first big deal to sell liquefied natural gas from a proposed $15.2 billion export terminal in Louisiana. Tellurian said Thursday its subsidiary has entered a memorandum of understanding with Vitol Inc. to supply 1.5 million tons per year of liquefied gas from its proposed Driftwood LNG export terminal south of Lake Charles, Louisiana. A spokeswoman said the two companies have agreed in principle on the 15-year contract in l but are still ironing out the details of the deal. PREVIOUSLY Charif Souki takes Tellurian LNG company public - HoustonChronicle.com "Tellurian is proud to work with Vitol, who has long been known for its innovation and creativity in the energy commodity markets, to lead LNG market transformation with a long-term LNG sale at the market index," said Tellurian CEO Meg Gentle in a statement. In addition to buying liquefied natural gas through a contract, Vitol also is considering becoming an equity partner in the Tellurian sister company, called Driftwood Holdings. Under the umbrella of Driftwood Holdings, Tellurian and its equity partners are developing the 27.6-million ton terminal as part of an integrated network of upstream and pipeline operations. MEGA PIPELINE NETWORK: LNG firm Tellurian proposes $7 billion in pipelines A company spokesperson said Tellurian is an active talks with 35 other parties to become equity partners in the holding company. If all goes according to plan, Tellurian would complete its permitting and begin construction of the export terminal in the first half of 2019. The terminal would begin operating by 2023. It's one of several LNG export projects popping up along the Gulf Coast as companies look to take advantage of cheap supplies of natural gas. Texas A&M Today Conroe native Amy Sharp will serve as an honorary pallbearer at the burial of President George H.W. Bush in College Station this afternoon. Sharp, the student body president of Texas A&M University, is one of two students to be named as honorary pallbearers at the ceremony and one of 20 pallbearers total. A Friendswood woman has been arrested on a theft charge following a months-long investigation into money reported stolen from the Friendswood High School Mustangs Booster Club. A Galveston County grand jury indicted Kimberly Anne Nemetz, 48, also known as Kimberly Halata, for felony theft on Nov. 29, police said. She was released Dec. 3 on a $20,000 bond, according to a police department Facebook post. Theft of the money was reported in August. Here are some other crimes and incidents reported recently by Friendswood police. Burglary A purse was stolen from a vehicle Dec. 2 in the 200 block of East Heritage Drive, police said. The victim parked her vehicle at 5 p.m. in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church Family Life Center and left her purse under the front passenger seat, according to the report. At 6:50 p.m., she learned her vehicles front passenger-side window was smashed, police said. SHOCKING CRIMES: The crimes that rocked Houston's suburbs in 2018 Theft A ladder was stolen from the side of a trailer Nov. 28 at Hut Mobile Home Park, 110 Woodlawn Drive, police said. Another resident reported the theft of a miter saw and air compressor, according to the report. Fraud A Friendswood resident noted suspicious activity on his Amazon and PayPal accounts and flagged them for fraud, according to a Nov. 26 police report. He canceled the accounts but then received text messages from an unknown person who warned him about the hack and suggested he let the suspect get the items since they were from sources that would refund him, police said. A Friendswood woman discovered 11 fraudulent online purchases made with her debit card after receiving a call from her bank, according to a Nov. 27 police report. A Chase account was created online using a Friendswood residents personal information, according to a Nov. 27 police report. The victim allegedly received a debit card with his name on it in the mail but did not activate it. Two weeks later, he received a bank statement with a negative balance associated with the card, police said. A Walgreens customer told police someone fraudulently picked up her prescription at the 104 E. Parkwood Ave. location, according to a Nov. 27 police report. The suspect was a white female driving a white Ford Mustang, police said. CAUGHT: Area school board member charged with felony theft, perjury A counterfeit $100 bill was passed Nov. 30 at the H-E-B gas station at 701 W. Parkwood Ave., police said. H-E-B employees said this is the second time the same suspect has passed counterfeit money, according to the report. The suspect, who allegedly asked the cashier for change, was described as a black man, 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing 190 pounds. He had a full beard and was wearing a dark ball cap and a purple or blue Texas T-shirt, police said. He was driving a small black or dark gray four-door vehicle with a Texas paper tag 10667H1, according to the report. Assault Police charged a 21-year-old League City man with assault, family violence after he reportedly engaged in a struggle with his stepfather Dec. 2 in the 900 block of High Ridge Circle. The stepfather allegedly insisted the stepson use Uber or stay at the residence due to his level of intoxication. The assault occurred during a struggle over car keys, police said. Police issued a warrant Dec. 2 for the arrest of a Friensdwood man, 51, accused of assaulting his 78-year-old father at the fathers home in the 3700 block of Townes Forest Road. Officers reportedly searched for the suspect throughout the day Dec. 2 but were unable to find him. The suspect faces charges of injury to an elderly person, police said. A Friendswood man, 19, was charged with assault, family violence after he reportedly assaulted his mother Dec. 2 in the 500 block of Avondale Drive, police said. It was the mans second family violence incident in 90 days, according to the report. Criminal mischief Tires were slashed on two vehicles parked in the 200 block of East Castle Harbour Drive, according to a Nov. 27 police report. Narcotics Police charged a Webster man, 27, with possession of a dangerous drug after a traffic stop for an insurance violation Dec. 1 in the 1500 block of East Winding Way. The officer found oxycodone and tiagabine hydrochloride during a vehicle search, police said. Bond was set at $1,500. A Hitchcock man, 24, was charged with possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop for failure to signal a turn Dec. 1 in the 17400 block of Fife Lane, police said. He reportedly had a suspended drivers license and an open container of alcohol on the floorboard. An officer found eight Adderall capsules during a vehicle search, according to the report. SAN LEON: Suspects arrested after authorities discover elaborate indoor marijuana grow house Police charged a Texas City man, 27, with possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop for a license plate violation Dec. 2 in the 100 block of Whispering Pines Avenue. The officer reportedly found a small, hand-rolled marijuana cigarette and three straws containing cocaine residue during a search. Driving while intoxicated Police charged a Baytown man, 24, with DWI after a traffic stop for speeding Nov. 27 in the 3000 block of West Bay Area Boulevard. He failed a field sobriety test and was incapable of providing a breath specimen, police said. A Friendswood man, 57, was charged with DWI and unlawfully carrying weapons after a witness reported a reckless driver Dec. 2 on South Friendswood Drive near Willowick Avenue. Police found the suspect vehicle in the 1400 block of South Friendswood Drive, according to the report. The driver failed a field sobriety test and agreed to provide a breath specimen, police said. Bond was set at $3,000. Police charged a Pearland woman, 43, with DWI and failure to notify an owner upon striking a fixed object after a minor crash Dec. 3 in the 600 block of East Edgewood Drive. She allegedly went over a curb and struck a guardrail. Before officers arrived, a witness reported that the suspect left the scene of the accident on foot with another person, police said. An officer found them in the 100 block of Imperial Drive, according to the report. Police charged the second person, a 37-year-old Houston man, with public intoxication. DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE: HPD arrested 43 on felony DWI charges in October Traffic A Pasadena man, 25, was charged with driving while license invalid Nov. 27 in the 3300 block of FM 528, police said. His vehicle did not have insurance coverage, and he had outstanding warrants in Alvin and Pearland, according to the report. Police charged an Alvin woman, 40, with no insurance Nov. 28 in the 100 block of West Edgewood Drive. Police charged a 34-year-old Alvin man with driving while license invalid after a traffic stop for an insurance violation Nov. 29 in the 3000 block of West Bay Area Boulevard. A Friendswood woman, 33, was charged with following too closely and failure to signal a lane change Dec. 1 in the 300 block of East Parkwood Avenue, police said. Police charged a Deer Park woman, 27, with no drivers license and no insurance Dec. 1 in the 1800 block of FM 528. In River Oaks, one holiday party always shines a little brighter than the rest. And no, it has nothing to do with mega-watt Christmas lights. The Fertitta family's annual Santa's Elves soiree benefits the University of Texas MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, spreading much-needed holiday cheer to pediatric patients. Paige Fertitta helmed hostess duty on Wednesday night, though son Patrick Fertitta made late-night cameo. The Best Dressed hall of famer shone in a winter white frock and spent most of the evening attending to some of the 300 guests who lingered close to the kitchen. The party itself is never the same two years in a row. Richard Flowers and the Events Company like to change the setup to keep things fresh. This year - chilly temperatures be damned - supporters who ventured outdoors were rewarded with heated seating and Mastro's menu favorites. Servers from the Post Oak at Uptown's high-end steakhouse dished mouth-watering portions of "hamburger helper" (elevated by Wagyu beef), paella, jumbo bacon wrapped shrimp and more. The Fertitta's backyard also housed a few special vignettes. Santa Claus and two reindeer posed on a blanket of fresh snow - yes, snow - for photo-framed snapshots that doubled as party swag. And Divisi String's quartet serenaded attendees who gathered around the outdoor fireplace with Top 40 hits. Back inside, the Houston Children's Chorus sang more festive tunes, belting Christmas classics from the grand foyer's staircase under the direction of Stephen Roddy. Later on, that's where Greg Fourticq, one of Santa's Elves four founding chairs, shared how the event has grown in 13 years from an intimate surprise party in honor of his parents' commitment to MD Anderson to the $140,000 raising cocktail shindig that it's become in 2018. Dr. Peter WT Pisters, President of MD Anderson, and Dr. Richard Gorlick, division head and chair of pediatrics at the Children's Cancer Hospital, followed. The duo stressed the need for funds that will directly benefit clinical research to address how solid tumors disproportionately affect children and young adults. Caitlyn Mortus, a pediatric cancer survivor who now works as a nurse at MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, closed the short program by thanking the crowd for their support and generous contributions. Among them, the Houston Galleria tapped luxury retailers to pony up more $25,000 worth of donations for the Giving Tree, including a Tiffany & Co. diamond bracelet. And nearly everyone walked away with a handful of dessert bites and spiked coffee. The Frangelico, Patron XO Cafe, and Kahlua beverage station is one party mainstay that regulars can count on. Private school students from around Houston paid tribute and remembered the legacy of President George H.W. Bush this week at The George and Barbara Bush Center for Scholars and Leaders. President George H.W. Bush died Friday, Nov. 30, at his home in Houston. The remembrance took place throughout the day on Wednesday, Dec. 5, at the center at Houston Christian High School, 2700 W. Sam Houston Parkway South. We are deeply saddened at the loss of one of our country's greatest leaders, said Aliana Peska, executive director of The Bush Center, in a news release. Not only did his lifes service inspire a nation, it transcended politics and brought communities across the world together. We celebrate his life and gladly accept the responsibility of becoming a point of light for our families and students. President Bushs legacy will be carried on here at The Bush Center, and we look forward to sharing his faith and courageous leadership with generations to come. At the remembrance at Houston Christian High School, students signed a condolence book and learned of the historical impact of Bushs service in and out of public office through interactive displays, artifacts and photos provided by the Bush family. WHERE TO WATCH: Bush funeral train The Bush Center is on the campus of Houston Christian High School and is a leadership development center for high school students. The Bushes lent their name to the center six years ago. The Bush Center promotes the development of scholarship and leadership through the cultivation and study of faith and moral guidelines for all ages and we welcome you to explore our site and see how we can partner together to illuminate the world for good. The center boasts the largest collection of President Bush artifacts in Houston. More Information About Houston Christian High School Houston Christian High School is committed to seeing its students become the leaders of the next generation by providing empowering, dynamic education that aligns academics, arts, athletics, and spiritual formation. Home of the prestigious George and Barbara Bush Center for Scholars and Leaders, Houston Christian is an independent, nonprofit day school serving coed students in ninth through twelfth grades from 72 zip codes throughout Houston. See More Collapse George H.W. Bush was the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. He was the 43rd vice president of the United States from 1981 to 1989 under President Ronald Reagan. Bush was born in Milton, Mass. He was the son of a U.S. senator from Connecticut, attended Phillips Academy Andover prep school and served in the military during World War II before attending Yale University. He married Barbara Pierce and the couple headed to Texas, where Bush sold oil field equipment. REMEMBERING A PRESIDENT: George H.W. Bush recalled as 'charter member of the Greatest Generation' He later served as chairman of the Harris County Republican Party in 1963 and as a congressman from 1967 to 1971. He also served as head of the CIA and ambassador to the United Nations prior to serving as vice president and president. Bushs remains will be buried alongside his wife Barbara and daughter Robin on the grounds of his presidential library in College State. rkent@hcnonline.com As the fourth largest city in the nation crime in Houston is undoubtedly high, and the suburbs are not immune to this fact. While inner city crime is sometimes believed to be more violent, several suburban-area crimes that took place in 2018 shocked neighbors and community members. One of the most recent and notable crimes to take place in Houston's suburbs still has the Katy community grieving the deaths of two high school teenage sisters. Sisters Isabella, 15, and Maria Perez, 14, were found shot to death alongside their stepfather inside their home in Katy after a possible murder-suicide in November. Standing near the fence enclosing the Ellington Airport airstrip late Wednesday afternoon, Trawnda Childs was trying to decide where she could get the best view. Childs was one of several hundred people who lined the perimeters of the Ellington complex for a glimpse of the Boeing 747 bringing George H.W. Bush back to Houston for the last time. Some were in tears and some stood with young children they had brought to witness the event. Childs, 49, came to salute a fellow Navy veteran and her former commander. I served two tours in Desert Storm under President Bush, and Im here to pay my respects, she said. Childs remembered how Bushs own World War II service resonated with her when she was in duty overseas. It made me feel more understood, she said. He knew what it was like to serve, and so it was a matter of knowing what we were going through as servicemen and servicewomen and then becoming veterans. Another Navy veteran, David Jenkins, stood on the flatbed of his truck, checking his phone for updates on the trajectory of the plane carrying Bushs casket as it made its way from Washington, D.C., to Houston. I wanted to pay respects to H.W., he said. Glenn Autrey, 45, was at Ellington when Bush son, former president George W. Bush, arrived in the wake of the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. He wanted his friend, Raphael Rivera, to see the remains of the elder Bush land at Ellington. You dont forget something like that, and I wanted him (Rivera) to experience this, Autrey said. Journey from Humble Janette Ellison and her brother, James Araiza, drove from Humble and unfurled a Texas flag on the bed of their truck. Ellison, 31, brought her 5-year old son, and while she fought back tears, she said it wasnt sadness she felt, but a feeling of experiencing a moment bigger than she was. This isnt something that happens every day, so you just hope he remembers it, she said. Cheryl Bond also brought her young children, Bella, 9, and Jude, 7. Ive never had the opportunity to see something like this, and I wanted to show my kids how to be respectful and I think they understand whats going on, she said. We were lucky to have Bush Sr. Pearland resident Felix Harvey, 57, took time away from work to be at Ellington. A good man I believe he was a good man and he did a lot for the country, he said. Harveys friend, Alex Saldana, was a junior at Texas A&M in 1992 when then-President George H.W. Bush delivered and dedicated a piece of the Berlin Wall to the campus. That made an impression on me, and ever since then, Ive been a follower, Saldana said. Durga Sunkara, a physician in Pasadena, held onto a letter of thanks from the 41st president. The letter, dated and signed by Bush, was in response to Sunkaras own letter of gratitude to the Bush family in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. While waiting at Ellington for the plane to land, Janette Ellison was thinking of her father, who taught her that politics shouldnt divide people. The outpouring of affection for Bush, she said, seemed to drive home that message. I am a Democrat, and something like this politics doesnt play a role, Ellison said. Its not about who you are as a Republican or Democrat and how you vote, and its not always black and white. Its just a matter of respecting somebody that did something for your country. I mean, theres a parking lot full of people here and were all coming together just to be here and be part of history. Yorozco@hcnonline.com Music fans in Houston have lost plenty of concert venues over the years due to redevelopment and real estate whims. This week it was revealed that longtime Heights-area rock club Fitzgerald's, sold to a real estate developer earlier in the year, would shutter for good after Dec. 31 ending a decades-long run of rock and roll on White Oak. THEY CAME HERE??: Houston's famous (and infamous) visitors over the decades A series of farewell shows have already been booked. This weekend during Lights in the Heights a handful of Grateful Dead tribute acts will play their last gigs at the two-story venue. The 24th and final 30footFALL Christmas punk rock show is still on for Dec. 25. For years it has been an annual event and family reunion of sorts for Houston punk rockers. No doubt it will find a new home for 2019. WHERE YOU THERE?: The best concerts in Houston history (so far) Party band Skyrocket! will close things out for good on New Year's Eve, according to the venue's calendar. Tickets start at $40 and the show goes until 2 a.m. Opened in 1977, the two-story Fitzgerald's has been a constant part of the Houston music scene story. Over the years acts as diverse as Stevie Ray Vaughan, James Brown, NOFX, Sonic Youth, Bun B, and Mastodon have played the venue. It was a place for local bands to cut their teeth for decades, including most recently The Suffers, Robert Ellis, and many more. SEE A SHOW: Explore Houston's favorite live music venues It's not certain what the future holds for the land under what was known as "Fitz" for generations of Houston music lovers, but the memories will last forever. Fitzgerald's will join other long-gone Houston music venues big and small like Emo's, the Mary Jane's/Walter's one-two punch, Instant Karma, the Sam Houston Coliseum, Liberty Hall, The Abyss, The Vatican, and The Axiom that lit fires in the hearts of Houstonians. 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... A former Conroe ISD bus driver who was arrested on a federal charge of possession of child pornography will be detained pending a trial. Raymond Guzmans initial appearance in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas was last week, but he waived his right to a preliminary hearing in front of Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy Monday. In a separate detention hearing Tuesday, the court determined that Guzman required detainment. Given the strength of the evidence against him, the assumption that he is a danger to the community and the likelihood that he is a flight risk, Guzman was detained awaiting trial. According to the courts written statement, Guzman did not rebut these presumptions at the hearing. RELATED: Former Conroe ISD bus driver arrested on child pornography charge On Nov. 7, Guzman, 31, was booked into Harris County Jail in lieu of a $10,000 bond. He is a Tomball resident who had been living on the same property as his mother and other related children. Harris County Pct. 4 Constables high tech crimes unit worked with the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task force and the FBI to investigate a report of child pornography stemming from Guzmans residence. FBI agent Robert Guerra, who is assigned to FBI Houston Child Exploitation Task Force to investigate criminal violations pertaining to child exploitation and pornography, wrote in an affidavit that Guzmans computers IP address had been connected to searches related to child exploitation material. According to the affidavit, Guzman used peer to peer file sharing to trade digital files depicting child pornography. Guerra discovered this during an undercover session. SPRING: Teen arrested on child pornography charges When confronted and interviewed by agents last month, Guzman admitted to seeking out and downloading child pornography files on the internet. He also stated that he had been doing so since he was 13 years old. Guzman had been hired with CISD in August to drive morning and afternoon bus routes that service The Woodlands High School, McCullough Junior High and Glen Loch Elementary. He was terminated the day of his arrest. In a statement from the district, Communications Director Sarah Blakelock wrote that the constables office has no evidence that any CISD students were victims, in addition to confirming that all district employees must undergo background checks before they are hired. jane.stueckemann@chron.com Free groceries, enough to feed a family of four for a month, will be given away to Montgomery County residents until the food runs out on Saturday at 9 a.m. The Ark Church is setting the table for those in need with over 180,000 pounds of food, blessing families across Montgomery County again this year, The Ark Church stated in an email to The Courier. Through a partnership with the Montgomery County Food Bank once again groceries will be provided on a first come first served basis at the biannual event which is schedule until noon at The Ark Church, at 450 Humble Tank Road in Conroe. Those interested in attending are encouraged to get in line early as food is usually gone by noon. There are non-perishable food staples along with fresh items, such as meat, vegetables, and fruit. No documentation is required; however, general questions may be asked to assess a need of the area, such as whether or not there is an influx of children experiencing hunger in the community. GIVE BACK: Houston area events, organizations that need volunteers during the holidays We believe God has placed us in this community to be a blessing, Community Pastor at The Ark Brandon Johnson said. In scripture, Isaiah 58:10 tells us to Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. We want our community to know that we care about them, not just by our words, but also through our actions. It is an incredible privilege to serve the people in Montgomery County, and we look forward to making a difference in our community. The grocery giveaway is held each Spring and Fall. The Fall event is typically held on Thanksgiving Day, however this year The Ark Church decided to schedule the event in December. The church saw less than 1,000 cars at the 2016 Spring food giveaway. But, following Hurricane Harvey the 2017 Thanksgiving Day Grocery Giveaway fell short of the need despite having 335,000 pounds of food, 125,000 pounds more than the November 2016 event, when it saw at least 1,150 cars. The church reported an average of one to two families per car with an estimated total of 6,000 people in need of the groceries. The cars filled the parking lot and lined down the street, wrapped around the Interstate 45 feeder, and ended at Target on Texas 105. This year, in the Spring, 1,100 cars and at least one individual with a buggy, arrived at the Church which served 300,000 pounds of food and saw 300 more people than the Spring 2017 grocery giveaway and reported over 500 cars on the property. SPRING: Thanksgiving meal from deputies a 'blessing' for many Many of the people who travel to the grocery giveaway events have told The Courier in previous interviews of various challenging financial, health, and socioeconomic circumstances prompting both need and gratitude for the event. While it is hard to narrow down the exact needs aside from Harvey bringing the community members to the outreach event, Spokesperson Andi Peterson said in previous interviews the church coordinators have noticed as schools shut down there are more children in need of food, which is one reason why the Spring and Fall events are held close to school breaks. Each event is supported by an army of about 1,000 volunteers ready to bless the community. For more information about The Ark Church Thanksgiving Grocery Giveaway, call 936-756-1988 or visit thearkchurch.com. For more information about the MCFB food drives, call 936-539-6686 or visit www.mcfoodbank.org. mellsworth@hcnonline.com It was a warm summer night when Dexter Johnson killed Maria Aparece and Huy Ngo. Along with four friends, the brain-damaged, schizophrenic 18-year-old had carjacked the young couple hours earlier, driving them around town to get money before eventually leading them out into the woods and shooting them both in the head - just one of the many brutal crimes prosecutors say Johnson pulled off during his monthlong spree of violence. That was all 12 years ago. On Thursday, on a cool winter morning - over Johnson's angry protestations of his innocence - the now-30-year-old got a date with death. With one appeal still pending in the courts, Judge Denise Collins signed off on a May 2 execution, while the victims' families - who'd filled the benches in the 208th District Court - sobbed and Johnson's family looked to the heavens. READ MORE: 19-year-old convicted in rape-murder "You changed all of our lives for the worse," said Jose Olivares, whose father Jose was killed in Johnson's string of violence. "I know they say you're supposed to forgive, but I can't forgive till you're dead." Ngo's sister wept as she addressed the court, while one of Aparece's family members raised his voice, almost shouting as he promised no pity. Afterward, Johnson - mumbling over the sobs behind him - apologized to the families, even while denying his own guilt. "I do understand their hate, I do understand," he said. "But I never killed nobody." The emotionally-charged court appearance drew prosecutors from earlier in the case, including attorney Brian Wice who served as an appointed pro tem earlier in the appeals process. "This was my first experience as a special prosecutor," he said. "I'd handled over a dozen death penalty appeals and writs and until today I never really had a sense of what the families of the victims are going through and how they may never obtain closure for a loss that can only be described as unspeakable." In the years since he was sent to death row, Johnson has fought his sentence with appeals based on bad lawyering, racial bias, intellectual disability and his long history of schizophrenia and psychotic breaks. "Mr. Johnson has significant brain damage that is at the root of this tragedy, and that same damage has made him unable to help his defense throughout this process," defense attorney Pat McCann said last year. "He has an actual hole in his brain where functional brain matter ought to exist." Thursday's court setting was significantly calmer than the trial that put him on death row more than 10 years ago. Then, two of his relatives collapsed in the hallway, while the mother of his child lay on the floor moaning and breathless after hearing the verdict. At one point he'd refused to come to his own court dates. Later, he hurled a chair across the courtroom. "My son is no murderer," Renee Johnson told the Chronicle at the time. "He didn't have it in his blood." But it took a Harris County jury only two hours to find him guilty of the carjacking, rape, robbery and murder. The night of the June 2006 crimes, Johnson and four accomplices came across the young couple sitting in Aparece's Toyota, where they were chatting outside Ngo's home. Johnson and two others threatened them with a pistol and a shotgun, according to testimony at trial. Then, three of the attackers drove the young couple around Houston in Aparece's car, stealing her cash and credit cards and trying to get money from her bank accounts. Behind them, two other accomplices followed in their own car. Eventually, the violent crew pulled over and, according to trial testimony, Johnson raped Aparece in the backseat. Her boyfriend was forced to listen to it all on his knees as the other attackers taunted him. READ MORE: Harris County death row inmate convicted in 2006 rape-murder denied federal appeal Then, Johnson shot Ngo in the head before slaughtering Aparece. At trial, Johnson's defense team argued that it was someone else who walked the couple into the woods and fired the fatal shot. It took investigators five days to figure out what happened. After a quick guilty verdict, jurors heard testimony about the monthlong crime spree before and after the double slaying. That May, prosecutors said, Johnson killed a 60-year-old man washing his barbecue pit at a local car wash. A few weeks later - the day before the slayings that put him on death row - Johnson and a partner in crime robbed two men standing at a pay phone, killing one after he offered them only a roll of quarters, prosecutors said. In the days that followed, Johnson and his confederates pulled off a string of other robberies,. Then, according to trial testimony, he was potentially involved in the murder of a man inside his car on Annunciation Street. In his appeals since then, Johnson's attorney has focused on arguments alleging that his client lacked the brain functioning to be held to the same standard as adults. Instead, he drew parallels to past court decisions that ban executing juveniles and the intellectually disabled, saying similar reasoning should be applied to Johnson's brain damage. "If you have an actual hole in your brain that you could basically run water through at that point you have to recognize that this is a person who's not fully responsible for what they're doing," McCann said earlier this year. The Lone Star State has executed 12 men this year, and another is scheduled to die next week. Including Johnson, there are five executions scheduled so far for 2019. 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. After being arrested for drunken driving in 2017, Nathan Alexander, 35, paid court fees and attended residential alcohol treatment. Then he learned he would have to pay thousands of dollars in additional surcharges because of the Texas Driver Responsibility Program, which charges fees to drivers who commit certain driving-related infractions. On Wednesday, attorneys from the Austin Community Law Center along with Equal Justice Under Law, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on income bias, sued Texas officials over the DRP, alleging it has trapped Alexander and tens of thousands of vulnerable Texans in a modern day debtors prison. State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, described the DRP as a mean and cruel system, adding he looked forward to reading and supporting the lawsuit. Sometimes it takes a lawsuit for the state to do the right thing, he said. Maybe this is one of those times. The programs fees, which are assessed annually for three years, can range as high as $2,000 a year. That was far more than Alexander could handle, since he was working as a dishwasher while he got back on his feet. Prior to his conviction, he had held down a $70,000-a-year job in construction. Now, a year after his arrest, the fees have prevented him from obtaining a drivers license and have kept him mired in homelessness and blocked his to return to his old profession, despite two job offers. The suit was brought in San Antonio federal court against Gov. Greg Abbott and four top officials at the Texas Department of Public Safety. It seeks a judgment to prevent DPS from issuing or processing drivers license suspensions for unpaid surcharges under the DRP and the reinstatement of licenses previously suspended for failure to pay DRP surcharges. Equal Justice Under Law Executive Director Phil Telfeyan said Texas most impoverished residents particularly are harmed by the system because they often are unaware that they owe additional charges under the DRP. Individuals who cannot pay will often lose their job and their home becoming homeless for a minor ticket that wealthier drivers simply pay and forget, he said, in a news release. The class action lawsuit argues the DRP violates Texans due process rights, unfairly impacts the states poorest residents, and violates their rights to equal protection under the law. It names Abbott, DPS Director Steven McCraw, as well as DPS Chairman Steven Mach; Skylor Hearn, DPS deputy director of Administration and Services; and Amanda Arriaga, division director of the driver license division. Abbotts office declined to comment. Officials with DPS did not respond to a request for comment. Equal Justice Under Law brought the suit on behalf of four plaintiffs: a 75-year-old San Antonio woman, two U.S. Navy veterans and Alexander. In sworn declarations filed with the lawsuit, Alexander and the three other plaintiffs described the hardships caused by the program. Alexander, the homeless plaintiff, had to turn down two jobs that could have paid him $70,000 to $80,000, because the high fees he has yet to finish paying prevent him from being able to drive. I am trying to maintain my sobriety, take responsibility of my life, and move forward as a positive member of society, Alexander wrote. However, the impossible surcharges I have under the DRP make this nearly impossible to do, and I am afraid I will be stuck in poverty indefinitely. Graciela Rodriguez, the 75-year-old woman from San Antonio, was pulled over for driving without insurance in 2010. She eventually was able to pay off the $400 ticket and $100 to have her license reinstated. When she went to renew her license three years ago, however, she learned that she owed DRP fees. Trying to pay off her charges proved a Sisyphean task, she wrote, describing an opaque process with little information about how much she owed or how she could pay it back. Now, she spends five hours a day on buses traveling to and from work, and once had to be rushed to the hospital because she was overheated. Where she once saw her grandkids several times a week, she rarely sees them now. I do not believe I will ever be able to pay off my surcharges and get my license back, she wrote. The 66-page lawsuit is the latest challenge to the DRP, which has come under intense scrutiny since it was implemented in 2003 in a bid by state lawmakers to make Texas roads safer and to make dangerous drivers pay for the harm they cause. The proceeds were supposed to help pay for the states emergency trauma care system, while license suspensions were supposed to help keep dangerous drivers off the roads. Instead, the program has led to an increase of drivers without valid licenses or without insurance traveling on Texas roadways. According to the suit, more than 1.4 million Texans have had their licenses suspended for failure to pay DRP surcharges, many for administrative violations that have nothing to do with traffic safety, such as driving while a license is expired or invalid. The suit also argues that because revenues from the program fund state programs, the DRP creates an incentive for defendants to keep indebted individuals unaware of procedural protections, including relief programs and surcharge reductions, even if those individuals are living in poverty and eligible for such programs as required by state law. And while state law requires DPS waive surcharges for impoverished individuals, it has failed to do that, according to the suit, which argued defendants make no meaningful attempt to comply with those requirements. Criminal justice reform advocates also note that because many of those who run afoul of the DRP are unable to pay assessed surcharges, the program has generated less than half of the revenue anticipated since its inception. The suit also argues that even if plaintiffs try to find a way to pay off their fines in small monthly installment payments, the DRP surcharge suspension still operates as a total ban on all driving in all places at all times until motorists pay off their fines. The suit is the latest from Equal Justice Under Law to hit Texas over how its criminal justice system disproportionately harms the poor. The group was one of several that sued Harris County in a landmark civil rights case, in which a federal judge ruled the countys bail practices discriminated against poor people in violation of the constitution. That case is likely to be settled after the November midterms election, in which a slew Democrats ousted Republican judges opposing the case. While state lawmakers from both political parties agree the DRP is flawed, they failed to repeal it during the last legislative session because they have yet to find a way to replace the tens of millions of dollars the program brings to the state each year for trauma care and to the states general fund. State Rep. James White, R-Hillister, another DRP critic, said he believed the Legislature would address problems with the program in the next legislative session. I dont think this needs to be solved in court, he said. I think it needs to be solved in the house and senate. Civil rights advocates cheered the suit. Keeping your license should not be dependent on your income, said, Natalia Cornelio, Director of the Texas Civil Rights Projects, Criminal Justice Reform Project. Governments should work with people, rather than try to get paid by punishing people and taking away their livelihood. st.john.smith@chron.com twitter.com/stjbs Health inspectors uncovered at least three separate roach infestations at Houston restaurants during inspections from Nov. 26 and Dec. 2. It's relatively common for inspectors to find one or two roaches at restaurants with the most violations. However, the top three restaurants on this week's list all showed signs of widespread roach issues. A Texas Republican responsible for helping craft the party's state platform recently declared himself a white nationalist. In a Facebook post originally discovered by the Texas Observer, Texas GOP Platform Committee Member Ray Myers wrote, "I'm a WHITE NATIONALIST and very Proud of it." Myers' declaration was a response to commentary by CNN's Jim Acosta last week critical of Donald Trump. White nationalism is a resurgent extremist ideology that believes the government should preserve America for the white race. It's unclear whether Myers realizes the difference between white nationalism, associated with individuals like David Duke and Richard Spencer, and nationalism, something Trump recently pledged his support to. Nonetheless, Myers' explanation to the Texas Observer as to why he made the comments make it clear white identity is why he supports the movement. "We're just patriotic Americans, just like anybody else," Myers told the magazine. "I'm a tea party guy and I've got brown and black and American Indians in our tea parties." "... just like Black Lives Matter, white lives matter, too," Myers said. "We're all in the same melting pot. Now why can't we say, as Anglos, that we're proud?" According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a non-profit organization that studies hate groups, white nationalists seek policy goals like ending both legal and illegal non-white immigration, as well as ending multiculturalism. "These racist aspirations are most commonly articulated as the desire to form a white ethnostate a calculated idiom favored by white nationalists in order to obscure the inherent violence of such a radical project," reads an SPLC explainer on white nationalism. "Appeals for the white ethnostate are often disingenuously couched in proclamations of love for members of their own race, rather than hatred for others." Myers is a permanent platform committee member for the Texas GOP. His input helps shape legislative priorities and core values for the Republican Party of Texas. RELATED: Things to know about white nationalists, the hate group targeting Texas colleges Fernando Ramirez is a digital reporter for Chron.com and Houstonchronicle.com. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. Follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email him at Fernando.ramirez@chron.com. Farms run by Japanese Americans once numbered around 200 on the Peninsula. Now, Rancho Palos Verdes will evict the last such farm next summer. A womans lawsuit against the city of Pasadena claims she was demoted last year from a high-ranking police position in retaliation for a sexual harassment investigation she initiated against an officer who is the son of recently retired Police Chief Al Espinoza. In a lawsuit filed Nov. 26 in Harris County 127th District Court, Susan Clifton, described as a 30-year-law enforcement veteran, is seeking monetary damages, saying she lost an assistant police chief position because she prompted an investigation of claims against officer Steven Espinoza. In a written statement on Dec. 5, Al Espinoza said that the claims of retaliation are false and that Cliftons demotion to lieutenant occurred when he became police chief in July 2017 because he wanted his own management team to change the direction of the department. This was explained to Lt. Clifton, however, she apparently believes she is entitled to the position and disagreed with my decision. As far as her being demoted because of my sons investigation is a product of her own imagination and conjecture, and is absolutely false, Espinoza wrote. PAY PARITY: Proposed contract would give Houston police 7 percent raise over two years City spokeswoman Laura Mireles declined to comment on the lawsuit, which also names the police department as a defendant. Cliftons attorney, Andrew E. Lemanski, did not respond to requests for comment by presstime. Steven Espinoza did not immediately return a request for comment. Cliftons lawsuit claims that she initiated an internal investigation in February 2017 into claims that Steven Espinoza sexually harassed another female officer and that the probe resulted in his three-day suspension two months later for violating department policies. Steven Espinoza was the field training officer for the other officer, to whom he made inappropriate sexual comments including that she was going to owe him the performance of a sexual act, the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit claims that in June 2017, the month before he was appointed police chief, Al Espinoza, then a lieutenant in the police department, told Clifton that he had decided to replace her with a male lieutenant and asked her to step down, which she refused. A few days after Mayor Jeff Wagner appointed Espinoza as chief on July 1 of that year, an email with a memo signed by the new chief was sent to all police personnel in the department saying that Clifton was returning to the rank of lieutenant, according to the lawsuit. The suit alleges that Espinoza, who announced his retirement last month effective Nov. 30 after serving as police chief for almost 1 years, had criticized Clifton for initiating the investigation against his son. HFD CHIEF: Pay ballot measure could cause at least 800 layoffs During the course of the investigation Lt. (Al) Espinoza thought shift supervisors should have handled the incident informally and that the incident was no more than cops being cops, the lawsuit claims. According to the lawsuit, the female officer who had been targeted by sexual harassment was fired in August 2017 and a man less-qualified than Clifton was chosen by Espinoza to the assistant chief position but was ultimately rejected for the post by Wagner. But Espinoza wrote that Cliftons demotion related to his desire for his own management team, which is allowed by city ordinance, and that assistant chiefs serve at the pleasure of the Police Chief. He wrote the firing of the female officer was due to job performance and unrelated to the investigation. Espinoza wrote that at the time of the investigation, he was commander over internal affairs and that he recused himself from his sons investigation and never expressed criticism or opposition to it. Lt. Cliftons lawsuit and her allegations have no merit and there is not one scintilla of truthfulness, Espinoza wrote. Steven Espinoza began working for the police department as a police services officer in 2007 and graduated from the Pasadena Police Academy in 2012, according to a Facebook post from the police department. PASADENA: New police unit charged with investigating any allegations against city staff, officials The lawsuit describes Clifton as having been the only assistant chief in the departments history and the only one to ever be demoted. It claims the defendants are negative toward women and says that only 6 percent, or 16, of the departments 256 sworn officers are female. The discrimination and harsh treatment of females at the plaintiffs place of employment is not new, according to the lawsuits complaint. Women are taught to overlook and minimize the discrimination they face. This includes discrimination based on not acting like a proper woman, whether perceived or real. Clifton is seeking monetary damages of more than $100,000 and less than $200,000. Jjones@chron.com Despite the cold and rain, hundreds of mourners huddled under umbrellas converged along the train tracks of Old Town Spring to see the train carrying former President George H.W. Bushs body on the way to College Station, Thursday, Dec. 6. Ofonime Bleess, 32, sat on top of an electric blue Jeep parked on grass behind a metal chain-link fence near Preston Ave. The Jeeps owner, Laura Broiles, 32, had brought Bleess and her daughter, Leah Postell, 7, to see the funeral train. He was a very good man, Postell said. He was kind to everybody. Bleess remembered Bushs role during the fall of the Berlin Wall and his dealings with the Soviet Union. She and Broiles said they wanted to teach Postell about history as they witnessed the train rolling through Spring. Its about respect, Bleess said. A STATESMEN REMEMBERED: George H.W. Bush Postell was not the only young observer for which the occasion would serve as a learning experience. Sisters Myranda, 15, and Charli Uber, 16, left class early from Oak Ridge High School. They said they had live-streamed the funeral in Washington D.C. Its such a big part of history, Charli Uber said. I didnt want to miss my shot. Rachel Vaughn from Spring took her son, Preston, 8 out of school at lunch time to see the train. The trains coming here and its going to be a happy and sad moment, he said as he held a U.S. flag. The train was scheduled to depart from the Union Pacific Railroad Westfield Auto Facility in Spring around 1 p.m., heading northwest to College Station. People had started gathering in Old Town Spring hours before the trains departure, allowing time to reflect on the 41st presidents legacy. Juanita Walker, 54, of Houston, arrived at around 9 a.m. to get a spot near the tracks and brought along a zebra print foldable chair to sit as she waited. EXCLUSIVE: Inside the train carrying George H.W. Bush's casket Walker said what she remembered the most during the Bush presidency was how he dealt with Kuwait. He did what he felt was right at the time, she said. As the funeral train rolled by Old Town Spring, Walker snapped photos and took video. She said she caught a glimpse of the Bush family waving to the crowd from the train. I just wanted to see a part of history, she said. She plans on showing the video and photos to her grandchildren and relatives in Florida. The train reached the Tomball area around 1:40 p.m., but people lined the streets of Stanolind and Hufsmith roads well before it passed through. Older couples held hands in the cold while children waved miniature American flags. Talk of the legacy of a respectable, courteous man traveled through the crowd of poncho-wearing Texans hoping to get a glimpse of the president. Dorothy and Bernard Kaninski laughed while their middle-aged son pushed through the woods to get close to the train tracks, although advised not to by local authorities. The Kaninskis said Bush, along with the kindness and professional quality of his legacy, will be missed. HOUSTON FUNERAL: Sports stars, musicians and celebs bid George H.W. Bush farewell I hate to see him go, Bernard Kaninski said. He was such a strong man. We never know whats waiting up there ahead of us until we find out. Former federal agent Cynthia Parker said she has a personal connection to President Bush due to being active during his presidency. For me, its emotional, Parker said. My husband served both (President) Reagan and Bush so Ive heard stories. Throughout her years of service to the country, Parker said Bush was courteous to everyone he spoke to regardless of position or rank. It didnt matter what color, what creed, what religion, whether you were a waiter or a politician, he respected you, Parker said. For attendee Alex Rodriguez, viewing the train was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How often do you see a presidents funeral procession go by? Rodriguez said. This is history. In our lifetime, how many times could you see this? With her three children in tow, proud mother and Aggie Deborah Phillips had to call a tow truck after her SUV got stuck in mud near the train tracks. But, Phillips didnt seem to mind, considering she had the opportunity to see off President Bush, who shed actually met once before at a Shell Open. President Bush means a lot to our country and our family, Phillips said. Im proud that hes on his way back to College Station. I wanted my daughters to have a piece of this history since they dont know him. RELATED: Thousands line train tracks to watch Bush funeral train to College Station Phillips said her husband was among those waiting for the train at a stop in Magnolia a few miles up the track. As the expected arrival time of the Bush train through Magnolia neared, a palpable energy began to ripple through the crowd that had, by then, grown to cover a mile on each side of the track. Residents along the tracks edge inched closer to secure a spot, the Magnolia Fire Department unfurled an enormous American flag along the railroad and a slow hush came over when the trains light broke through the trees. A cheer erupted at the first horn. Some who had been laughing and joking moments before were brought to tears by the sight of Locomotive 4141, its blue and white regalia holding the flag-draped coffin of the 41st president as the 43rd waved at the gathered. That was amazing, said Magnolia resident Jane Inman. The entire route passing through Montgomery County fell into Commissioner Charlie Rileys Precinct 2. The planning was a whirlwind, he said, but coordinating efforts between the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, the Magnolia Police Department, the Commissioners Office and the Secret Service went smoothly as they planned the event, which drew thousands of visitors. He was a great man, Riley said. I am incredibly honored. The train safely reached College Station, where Bush would be buried, joining his wife and daughter. It was August 2001 when President George Herbert Walker Bush came to Sugar Land to dedicate a high school named after him in the Fort Bend Independent School District. Steve Smelley, who served as trustee in 2001, remembers, We got to converse with the president, had a little bit to eat and took pictures. He also remembers all of them on the auditorium stage at the same time for the official dedication. It was just a very inspiring moment. I had no idea he was such a big man, continued Smelley referring to Bushs height at 6 feet 2 inches. He was such a nice man. He was touched that we named a school after him. He was extremely touched. When Bush spoke to the students, he inspired them to strive for excellence and to be kind to one another, said Smelley. Serving on a school board can be a difficult experience, said Smelley. Days like the dedication made volunteering very rewarding. That was a very rewarding day. Rita Drabek, who also was a trustee in 2001, added it was an honor to have Bush at the school. He returned a few months later, according to Amanda Bubela, Fort Bend ISD director of external communications and media relations, because of an initiative launched by his son George W. Bush, who was president. The president announced in October 2001 the formation of Americas Fund for Afghan Children and asked every American child to contribute $1 to the new relief effort. George H.W. Bush made a special appearance at the school on Oct. 19, 2001 where high school students had raised $818.65 as part of the initiative. Bush wrote a check that matched that amount, said Bubela. This week as part of the tribute to the former president, George H.W. Bush, the school had a photo display and photo arrangement, she said. I can say for everyone at our school that we are proud to be a Bush Bronco because of our schools namesake and the life he led, said Student Council member Valeria Pineda in a news release from the district. Pineda worked with her fellow Student Council members to coordinate week-long activities and tributes to honor Bush. They began the week with a moment of silence and viewing of a video titled, Remembering our Namesake, George H. W. Bush. Students also wrapped ribbon in patriotic colors around outside columns and placed a floral arrangement donated by Flowers by Adela near the dedication wall at the front of the school. We do have JROTC students whove been asked to be present at the arrival ceremony at Ellington Field, added Bubela. Twenty-two of the schools Navy JROTC cadets were among guests to welcome the presidents family when they returned from Washington, D.C., on Air Force One, said the district news release. Student leaders at Bush High School have organized a number of remembrances, including a sock drive as well, Bubela said. A Dec. 4 orchestra concert previously scheduled added a tribute to the former president. Musicians played Rhosymedre by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, and a brief setting of America the Beautiful, arranged by BHS Orchestra director Brian Runnels, according to the news release. Orchestra members also stepped out of their uniform dress code and wore colorful socks in honor of the president, who was a self-proclaimed sock man. karen.zurawski@chron.com Sugar Land police and Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers are seeking the publics help in identifying and locating a suspect in a home break-in. The incident happened Nov. 23 in the 2700 block of Cotton Stock Drive. The thief was captured on surveillance camera, looking straight into the lens, before breaking in. Inside the home were a 15-year-old girl and her 14-year-old brother. According to the Sugar Land Police Department, video cameras showed a vehicle stop in front of the house at 6:45 p.m. A man wearing a Georgia Tech hoodie was seen ringing a doorbell. When no one answered, he walked to the backyard, smashed a backdoor window and entered the house carrying a bag. SHOCKING CRIMES: Crimes that rocked the suburbs in 2018 Upon hearing the noise, the teenage siblings reportedly ran to a closet and hid inside while calling police. After entering the home, the thief realized the house was occupied and quickly ran away. Nothing was taken. Anyone with information is urged to call the Sugar Land Police Department at 281-275-2540 or Fort Bend County Crime Stoppers at 281-342-TIPS (8477). Calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous and could result in a cash reward. rkent@hcnonline.com A 36-year-old Rosenberg man will spend at least the next 15 year of his life behind bars after pleading guilty to intoxication manslaughter in Fort Bend County. Carlos Amescua was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Nov. 28. The sentence was in an agreement with prosecutors after pleading guilty to intoxication manslaughter and 20 years on each of three counts of intoxication assault. The Rosenberg man was indicted for killing a teenager and seriously injuring three others after running a red light while intoxicated last year, according to the District Attorneys Office. According to the Assistant District Attorney Thomas Pfeiffer, Fort Bend County Sheriffs Deputy Ricky Rodriguez was traveling southbound on State Highway 6 at 2:30 a.m. on March 19, 2017. As he approached the intersection of Highway 6 and Vicksburg Boulevard, he witnessed a vehicle collision after a white SUV disregarded a red light. The suspect driver was identified as Carlos Amescua. The DAs office reported that the impact of the collision killed 19-year-old Cayle Symone Simple and badly injured three others. HOUSTON: Police arrest 43 on felony DWI charges Amescuas blood alcohol content was later determined to be .189, more than twice the .08 legal limit in Texas. Amescua has prior alcohol-related convictions for driving while intoxicated and public intoxication as well as several assault cases. Assistant District Attorney Thomas Pfeiffer prosecuted the case. As the holidays approach, it is my hope that people will consider this tragic case before deciding to drive while intoxicated, Pfeiffer said. I think the sentence speaks for itself. Do not drive while intoxicated in Fort Bend County. Amescua was prosecuted in the 458th District Court. Because Amescua has a prior felony conviction for assaulting a public servant, the second-degree felony intoxication manslaughter was enhanced to the first-degree punishment range of 5-99 years or life in prison and a fine up to $10,000. The third-degree felony intoxication assault in this case was also enhanced to a range of 2-20 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Because the court ruled that the defendants car was a deadly weapon, he must serve at least one-half of his sentences before he is eligible for parole. rkent@hcnonline.com A trio of teenagers have been identified after being observed on security footage breaking into cars in Sienna Plantation. According to the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office, deputies took multiple Burglary of a Motor Vehicle reports on Dec. 5. The cases occurred Dec. 4 and into the early morning hours of Dec. 5. The Sheriffs Office reports that more than 20 vehicles had been burglarized. A new culinary solution is on the horizon for homebound senior citizens in north Houston, courtesy of Houston-native chef Shonah Jefferson and French pastry chef and chocolatier Laurent Vals through Madison, Wisconsin-based private chef service Chefs For Seniors. The concept of providing in-home services to seniors, to me, was just a great way to do well by doing good, Jefferson said. As the first two franchise owners in Houston, Jefferson and Vals are starting small Jefferson will be available for seniors in Atascocita, Humble, Kingwood, Spring, Porter, Oak Ridge North and the eastern edge of The Woodlands and Vals will head up operations in the rest of The Woodlands, Conroe, Egypt and Shenandoah. Its a service for which the customer base will only grow as Baby Boomers continue to age, Jefferson said. Founded in Madison, Wisconsin, in 2013 by Nathan Allman and his father, Barrett, a 30-year veteran of the restaurant industry, Chefs For Seniors quickly reached a point of popularity in the diverse, heavily populated capital city that required a staff expansion as well as the beginning of corporate operations in Illinois and Florida. REVEALED: Houston's Top 100 restaurants for 2018 In 2017, the Allmans opened the business up to franchisees in an effort to expand the companys message to markets they were unable to reach previously. We felt it was really important to have local owners, Allman said. So much of what our service is is human-to-human interaction. The service is a simple one starting from $125 per appointment, Chefs For Seniors does it all, from grocery shopping to preparing a weeks worth of meals in customers kitchens catered to their own preferences and needs. Malnutrition is a common problem among older adults, but the malady does not just affect those who suffer from chronic conditions, supressed appeitite and slowing metabolisms for some, malnutrition stems from limited access to healthy food. Jefferson and Vals actively work with the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, the Houston-Galveston Area Agency on Aging and local offices of Texas Health and Human Services to tap into the market of caregivers in the community who might be looking for such a service for their aging loved ones. Seniors in north Houston arent different than seniors anywhere else in the country where we have franchises, Jefferson said. The need is there and its a universal need. GRAB A SLICE: The best places around town to get pie for the holidays Jeffersons career in food dates back to her childhood the University of Texas alumnas father is the owner of East Houston mainstay Jeffs Kitchen, and during a stint in Savannah, Georgia, she honed her skills with private chef lessons, rekindling her love for cooking. Vals culinary career began in the kitchens of Paris, where he specialized in pastries and chocolate, before eventually moving around the United States and landing in The Woodlands in July. Once you start developing a taste for self-employment, it doesnt go away, Vals said. Besides the healthy, custom-made meal plans prepared weekly by Jefferson and Vals, Chefs For Seniors provides companionship to customers who may be isolated. By building relationships with their clients, the chefs can often become a welcome part of their weekly routine. The companionship aspect was a by-product of the service Allman didnt notice in the companys early days, he said. One of his first customers once asked why they didnt interact in their visits. She said, Well, what, you dont talk? Allman said. This service really helps bring some life back into their kitchens. As the only two Chefs For Seniors franchise owners in Houston, Jefferson and Vals are looking to carry on the companys legacy into a new market. That shouldnt be a problem, Allman said. He and his father look at one major qualification in evaluating potential franchisees. Were not looking for world-class chefs, were not even looking for decades of experience, Allman said. What were looking for are folks who have a heart people who are good people. mrincon@chron.com Commuters who utilize The Woodlands Express bus and transit services will see some changes in the near future after The Woodlands Township Board of Directors approved on Wednesday a series of minor changes to service and ticketing. In a series of presentations, Chris LaRue, the townships transit program manager, revisited several issues related to The Woodlands Express bus service that had been lingering for several months before the board, including the debate about how to deal with old paper tickets that are being used as well as discussion and action on several potential route changes. Confusion over paper tickets The township board approved in a 6-1 vote with director John McMullan voting no to amend current policies related to tickets for The Woodlands Express bus service. The issue of what to do with old paper tickets from the previous provider of transit services the Brazos Transit District had come to the attention of transit officials during 2018 as a new ticketing app was being put into use. The bus service was taken over by The Woodlands in 2015 and as part of the process began to issue bus tickets from the township, however passengers of the service before it was taken over by The Woodlands still had an unknown number of paper tickets from the Brazos Transit District which are valid and have no expiration date. As the township moved into its operation of the bus service, a new mobile app created by a company called Masabi was developed and put into use. The app allows riders to make an account and deposit money into an online wallet that allows them to use the app for bus ticketing. Transit officials were hoping to fully switch to the mobile app, however they quickly discovered there is a group of riders who refuse to use the app and also that there were an unknown number of old BTD tickets still in circulation. The issue had been raised by township Director John McMullan, who rides the bus service himself to his job in Houston. Over a series of several meetings in September and October, the issue of the old tickets and the new app were discussed by the township board, but no action was taken. Inprevious meetings, ideas were tossed around including mandating riders use the app only, the cessation of using paper tickets and also a proposal to set an expiration date for old BTD tickets. During Wednesdays meeting, McMullan said he was confused about the issue and asked LaRue, what problem are we trying to solve here? McMullan also said he feels the old, never-expiring tickets should be honored even though they came from the former operator more than three years ago. We failed to anticipate (in 2015) that some day wed invalidate these tickets, McMullan said. I think it would be a terrible decision to invalidate these tickets. Township Board Chairman Gordy Bunch said he agreed with McMullan on not invalidating the old tickets, but admitted the township was financially hoodwinked by officials from Brazos Transit District into taking over a financially troubled operation. Under the approved proposal, the township will continue to sell paper tickets for single round trips, any paper ticket sold by The Woodlands can later be switched and credited into the mobile app by a rider, any tickets previously sold by other entities including the Brazos Transit District and Montgomery County Park and Ride can be credited to the app until June 30, 2019, and all paper tickets no matter which entity sold them will be accepted forever or until there are no more tickets. Although McMullan was happy with the changes, he did not feel the policy changes were acceptable and he voted no on the policy changes. This is a tremendous improvement from where we were in October, but I cant support it as is, McMullan explained. New departure, stop added LaRue later told the board that after extensive studies, input from riders and staff analysis, he was recommending several changes to the transit service. In a 7-0 vote, the boad approved a series of items that LaRue had presented. * A new, six-month pilot departure time of 8 a.m. will be added to the current schedule of buses leaving the Sterling Ridge Park and Ride. The 8 a.m. bus will go to the same locations and stops as other buses from the site and will come at a cost of $14,000 to the township. * A new stop will be added to the bus routes in the Texas Medical Center, with passengers now being able to get on and off the bus at the medical centers dentistry building. * LaRue was authorized to apply to the Federal Transit Administration regional council for permission to run a special bus service from The Woodlands to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. * Authorize LaRue and transit officials to explore with private bus operators the possibility of creating special weekend bus trips to various events in the downtown Houston area, including to Houston Texans games, Houston Astros games and assorted plays or other special events. The directors in their approval also rejected ideas from LaRue including a much more extensive weekend bus schedule on possibly Saturdays and Sundays as well as saying no to a planned survey of riders. Jason Fochtman, Staff photographer / Houston Chronicle Almost 11 months after the issue of the rising number of suicides in The Woodlands was highlighted by The Woodlands Board of Directors Member Ann Snyder, the issue resurfaced on Wednesday, Dec. 5, when fellow board Member John McMullan expressed new concerns over the continued increase in suicides and attempted suicides reported in the township. During the Wednesday meeting, the seven-member township board was set to receive its monthly law enforcement report, which lists among other statistics the number of attempted suicides and suicides in the township on a monthly basis. McMullan asked that the report which is normally part of the townships consent agenda be removed from that portion of the agenda so the topic could be discussed by directors. BRIDGEPORT, CONN. - The manager of a Connecticut cemetery, accused of digging up old graves to reuse them for new burials, has been arrested. Dale LaPrade, was arrested on a warrant charging her with interference with a cemetery. She was released on a written promise to appear in court for Dec. 18. Police say a grave digger told them he had been ordered by LaPrade to throw old bones and caskets away to make room for new graves. LaPrade, manager of Park Cemetery for the past 12 years, was arrested following an intensive investigation by police detectives Kimberly Biehn and Jorge Cintron. Police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said the detectives served two search warrants on the premises and seized financial documents and grave site maps. Detectives worked with a state anthropologist and utilized ground penetrating radar to confirm that grave sites had been disturbed, he said. Detectives Biehn and Cintron were the lead investigators in this case and did a thorough and outstanding job combing through evidence, and preparing a case to ensure that Mrs. LaPrade is no longer involved in daily operations at the cemetery and that the public can be rest assured, that those interred there are treated with dignity and respect, Fitzgerald said. The arrest comes less than a week after Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis ordered LaPrade removed as manager of the cemetery. During a civil court trial, Cintron and Biehn testified that dozens of headstones, some dating to the 1800s, had been moved at Park Cemetery so the newly dead could be buried in plots stacked on old graves. On Sept. 14, the detectives, armed with a search warrant, went to the cemetery. New dirt was put over older graves and new graves were put there, Biehn testified. "There was fresh soil over old headstones and they were in the process of building an access road through the stones," Cintron testified. "In the woods we found old headstones and human bones that had just been thrown around." Cintron said a grave digger told him that he had been ordered by LaPrade to throw old bones and caskets away to make room for new graves. He said when he went into the cemetery office he found records scattered all over the floor. Biehn said when she studied the records against the actual layout of the cemetery, she discovered that dozens of headstones were not with their associated graves. Lisa Burghardt, who worked with a local monument company, told the judge that there have been many occasions in the past five years when the business would install monuments on grave sites assigned by LaPrade only to have family members of the deceased complain later that the monument was on the wrong grave. "It was like a game of musical chairs, we never knew where the graves were, she (LaPrade) would just say, 'Put it over here, it looks like a good spot,' but she wouldn't even know if that was the right grave site," Burghardt said. "We wanted to complain to someone but there was no one to complain to." Once viewed as inevitable, a long-discussed plan to build a $91 million bridge to replace a drawbridge that connects Pelican Island and Galveston is now in limbo. The Pelican Island Bridge replacement, which has been in the works since 2013, had looked to be on the path toward a funding agreement as recently as spring. Then the city of Galveston walked away from the project, questioning the commitment of the Galveston County Navigation District No. 1, which owns and operates the current bridge, to maintain the new structure. Finger-pointing between city officials and the navigation district ensued, and now the future of the bridge proposal is uncertain roughly $26 million short of the necessary funds to build it. Local officials are hoping for a lifeline in the form of an $18 million funding request placed with the Houston-Galveston Area Council. At the heart of the disagreement is the future of the navigation district itself, a small local tax entity with an annual budget of about $2 million whose sole purpose is owning and operating the current Pelican Island Bridge. A district employee now operates a drawbridge that uses a beam or truss deck that can be raised to an incline or vertical position, allowing vessels to pass underneath. Galveston Mayor Jim Yarbrough said the city understands the navigation districts hesitance to commit to owning and operating the new bridge, given that the local sponsor would be primarily responsible for cost overruns. But he added that unless the Texas Department of Transportation agrees to take ownership unlikely, for now it makes sense for the navigation district to continue in that role. I dont want to put the blame on anybody, Yarbrough said. At issue is, whats the navigation districts role in this? Obviously putting money up is part of it. There are some that say they own the current bridge and they ought to be the fiscal agent and they ought to be the local sponsor for a new bridge. And to me, common sense says thats legitimate. Dennis Byrd, the chairman of the navigation district, disagrees. Byrd has concerns about the district becoming the primary local sponsor of the new bridge, reasoning that the proposal a conventional 75-foot span with four lanes, as well as pedestrian and bicycle crossings would no longer require a human operator. The district has committed $10 million toward demolition of the old bridge, which is included in the $91 million estimate. Galveston County and the city of Galveston each pledged $5 million while the Texas Department of Transportation has committed to spending $45 million. The city and the county, they have a larger tax base, Byrd said. Were the smallest tax base out of all three. Were in favor of building a new bridge, we support it, but we dont have the money to do it. That position has put the district at odds with the city. A May meeting attended by city, Galveston County and navigation district officials devolved into a blame game when, according to Byrd, Yarbrough and Galveston City Manager Brian Maxwell walked out of the meeting in frustration that the navigation district would not commit to more funding. They were trying to work out a deal for funding of the new bridge, Byrd said. At that meeting, my board was meeting the next day, and at the meeting there they wanted me to give them an answer that day. I said, I cant give you an answer today, because our board doesnt meet until tomorrow. Thats when Yarbrough and Maxwell said, Well, the navigation districts out. And they got up and walked out the room. Several months later, in September, Maxwell posted a comment on the Galveston County Daily News website, blaming the navigation district for walking away from the project. The original plan had them as the sponsor with the county and city participating to help pay for it along with Texas A&M. They decided they do not wish to participate in a new bridge and want to now do other things, Maxwell wrote. The back and forth irritated Byrd, who noted that the city and county were each putting up less of the local share than the navigation district was. We didnt walk out of the meeting. The mayor and the city manager walked out of the meeting, Byrd said. And nobody ever said anything about coming up with another $5 million to match our $10 million. It kind of left a bad taste in our mouth, to be honest with you. Yarbrough also maintains that the city of Galveston charter prevents it from taking on additional debt without approval from voters, which could hamstring the city from taking on the liability of being the primary local sponsor of the new bridge. Whether the navigation district wants to continue as currently constituted is an open question. Yarbrough acknowledged that the district may have outlived its usefulness. Theyre not gonna own this new facility, they dont want to own this new facility, the Galveston mayor said. That begs the question, you were established to build and maintain a bridge. Now youre saying you dont want to be in the bridge business and were gonna tear down your existing facility once the new facilitys up and running. What do you exist for? When the navigation district was created, it set its geographic boundaries at the old city limits for Galveston, which only went to 103rd street, where the Galveston seawall ends. As a result, the district cannot collect taxes from the islands affluent West End extending to Jamaica Beach or roughly one-third of Galvestons population. The result is a tax base so small that it makes it difficult for the navigation district to endure. The district has spent up to $2 million recently for electrical work on the current bridge, which is on its last legs. TxDOT is also helping to pay for structural maintenance, and has indicated that these repairs will prop up the bridge for another decade. One of the only bridges of its kind in Texas, the Pelican Bay Bridge was built in 1959 at a time when few bascule bridges were constructed. Today, an average of 9,100 vehicles a day pass over the bridge, most carrying commuters to and from the Texas A&M University at Galveston campus on Pelican Island. But once the current bridge expires, the navigation district effectively becomes a shell entity. Yarbrough floated the idea that the city could absorb the navigation district in order to leverage its ability to float bonds for the Port of Galveston, but Byrd wants that decision to be made by the districts taxpayers. Aside from such questions, the future of the bridge proposal is now contingent largely on whether the Houston-Galveston Area Councils Transportation Policy Council and Texas A&M University can help close the funding shortfall. In October, the city of Galveston and Galveston County wrote the council, a regional organization made up of 13 county governments in southeast Texas, appealing for $18 million in federal funds to help build the bridge. The navigation district co-signed the letter. Galveston County Judge Mark Henry recently told the Houston Chronicle that a memorandum of understanding has been drafted that earmarks $18 million from the HGAC as well as $8 million from Texas A&M, which would effectively bridge the projects funding gap. But Alan Clark, the director of transportation planning for HGAC, said that the $18 million is far from a done deal and that the Transportation Policy Council must go through a lengthy process to advance the money, with a final decision not likely until around next March. Working in the bridge proposals favor: Galveston County Commissioner Ken Clark, a supporter of the project, will chair HGACs Transportation Policy Council in the new year. I cant say today that it is certain because that is a decision of our policy council and we havent developed even a preliminary ranking of all the projects weve received, Clark said. I think everybody is generally aware of the importance of the project. Texas A&M officials say they have also not committed to a dollar amount. Bill McClain, a spokesman for Texas A&M at Galveston, said the universitys financial commitment will be based in part on an agreement that the bridge will still be routed around the campus on Pelican Island, instead of through it. The new four-lane bridge would have a higher volume of traffic including more industrial vehicles and there are concerns that the increase in motorists could affect public safety on the campus. Even if funding for a new bridge comes together, the outstanding question of who would take control of maintenance and operations remains unanswered. Most of the projects stakeholders agree that either the city of Galveston or the county navigation district will need to step up. We know how to maintain roads, but we dont really have any bridge capacity here, Yarbrough said. Thats just not our deal. Said the navigation districts Byrd: We cant worry about a new bridge right now. Weve got a 60-year old bridge that were rehabilitating to the best of our ability right now. nick.powell@chron.com Elonda Javette Calhoun, 41, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to two of the four robberies prosecutors said she committed in February and March 2017. But she spent the better part of the past two decades robbing local businesses or serving time for various crimes, according to the Harris County District Attorney. During the 2017 robberies, Calhoun targeted Home Depot, Church's Chicken, Marshall's department store, and Subway each time demanding cashiers put cash in a bag. Maria Lourdres Torres rushed home after work to say goodbye to a president. With the sun setting overhead, Torres, 59, and her son were joined by thousands of Houstonians lined up outside of St. Martins Episcopal Church on Wednesday, where former president George H.W. Bush would lay in repose through the night and into the early morning. While Bush was treated to pomp and circumstance on the national stage earlier in the day at a state funeral in Washington D.C., its at 717 Sage Road where the city that adopted him got a chance to bid a more personal farewell. I want to pay my respects, said Amaury Mercado as he waited to board a bus that would take him to St. Martins. Im here with my son making sure he knows this is what you do, you pay your respects. Mercado, a former Navy petty officer, served under Bushs presidency and said he admired his ideals of respect to all. Jan Robertson, a U.S. history teacher at George Bush High School wearing Christmas themed socks in honor of Bushs affinity for colorful hosiery, echoed Mercados sentiments. She started teaching during Bushs presidency and has kept tabs on the Bush family ever since. Theyre the type of people I wish more people were like, Robertson said. They talked about giving back to society and service. Torres, who lives in Cypress, spent hours waiting for her chance to pay respects. She missed the funeral of Barbara Bush earlier this year, and that motivated her to prepare for the former presidents proceedings. I have so much respect for the Bush family, Torres said. His dedication to the citizenry is why I support him. And theyre from Texas, she added. By the time the hearse carrying the former president pulled into the churchs lot after a trip from Ellington Field, the night chill grew deeper as the Houston sky darkened above the towering Gothic structure. The American and presidential flag waved in a burst of wind as body bearers moved the casket with precision into the church. Trumpets, trombones and drums broke the silence. Rev. Russell J. Levenson Jr., the church's rector, offered prayers at the churchs front doors. Houstonians then proceeded single file through the arched halls and before the flag-draped casket. A boy saluted. A man bowed. A woman leaned against her cane, her head held high. One girl wore a hoodie. One man wore a suit. A family wore puffy jackets. Military members wore their uniforms. Torress 18-year-old Loubert Hernandez plans to enlist in the military soon. Standing before the casket, he gave a salute to the president he respects for having served his country in multiple roles. Torres, in a dark coat, stepped forward, her head bent into her praying hands. Senor, tenlo en tu santo reino. Lord, have him in your holy kingdom. ileana.najarro@chron.com Homeowners in southeast Texas looking for additional relief after Hurricane Harvey may be eligible for a new aid program established through the Texas General Land Office. The land office announced this week that it is accepting applications from residents in 48 counties for the Homeowner Assistance Program, which will help rehabilitate and reconstruct thousands of owner-occupied single-family homes damaged by Harvey in 2017. The agency allocated more then $1 billion in federal Community Development Block Grants for disaster recovery for the program. With more than $1 billion allocated to it, this is the largest single program designed to help rebuild the lives of thousands of Texas families, said George P. Bush, the state land commissioner, in a written statement. Now our focus turns to spreading the word that help is here for those who are still struggling to repair their homes and rebuild their lives. The program represents the largest individual initiative within the $2.7 billion that will be managed by the General Land Office. Congress appropriated a total of $5 billion to Texas for Harvey recovery, with Houston and Harris County receiving a direct allocation of $2.3 billion. Houston and Harris County are not included in the Homeowner Assistance Program. Houstons Housing and Community Development Department plans to launch a Homeowner Reimbursement Program to pay back homeowners for eligible Harvey-related repair expenses. The reimbursement program is part of an overall action plan still awaiting approval from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The 48 counties are divided into six regions, each of which has received a portion of the $1 billion in funding for homeowner assistance, based on need. The HGAC-East/Gulf Coast region, which includes Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Liberty, Montgomery, and Walker counties, received the highest allocation of funding more than $258 million. The General Land Office said that Dickinson, a city in Galveston County that was hit particularly hard during Harvey, has submitted the most completed applications for homeowner assistance in that region. The HGAC-West/Lower Colorado Region (Austin, Colorado, Fort Bend, Matagorda, Waller, Wharton counties) received $218.6 million. The South East Texas region (Hardin, Jefferson, Orange counties) got $205 million. The Deep East Texas region (Jasper, Newton, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Tyler counties) received $127 million. The Coastal Bend region (Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio counties) received $121 million. The Central/Golden Crescent region, (Bastrop, Burleson, Caldwell, Calhoun, Comal, DeWitt, Fayette, Goliad, Gonzales, Grimes, Guadalupe, Jackson, Karnes, Lavaca, Lee, Madison, Milam, Victoria, Washington counties) got $116.8 million. Brittany Eck, a spokeswoman for the General Land Office, said that 1,000 applications have been started across the six regions since Monday, with about 20 percent of those completed. Applicants are being considered on first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants are potentially eligible for assistance within their region if they owned a home, it was damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Harvey, and it was their primary residence, among other eligibility criteria. After a person submits an application, it will take up to two weeks to find out whether he or she meets the criteria to qualify for the program, and longer to determine whether that person will get any assistance. After a homeowner is accepted, construction work should be completed within six months. Interested homeowners can apply for assistance online or in person at regional Homeowner Assistance Program offices serving their area. In addition to a main office in each of the six regions, each county will have at least one application drop-off location or satellite office. nick.powell@chron.com This is not the kindo of candy you want your kids getting their hands on. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stumbled upon 11.7 pounds of methamphetamine last week in Houston after detecting an 'anomaly' in bags of candy from Mexico, according to a news release from the agency. The students didnt hold back. A group of about 20 Jack Yates High School students wearing jeans and sneakers sat on either side of Mayor Sylvester Turner in the schools TV room Wednesday afternoon. Alongside suited-up school and public officials, the Yates campus was one of the Houston schools Turner has visited in response to a letter a Lamar High School student - worried about recent school violence - had written him in November. And with multiple cameras pointed at them, the students boldly outlined their concerns to the Mayor. There are a lot of students here who are creative, but there arent many opportunities for them to be creative, one student said, going on to ask Turner what the city was doing to provide opportunities for students of color to express their skills. Another student dove straight into the topic of violence. Last month, three Lamar students one of them a transfer from Yates were fatally shot. On Nov. 8, two teens were found dead in a River Oaks apartment in an apparent murder-suicide. Just days after, on Nov. 13, Delindsey Mack was gunned down while walking on the sidewalk across a block away from Lamar High School. Theres been a lot of teenage death in recent years A lot of gang-involved people are trying to come together to stop this, said Zachary Stewart, a Yates senior. How closely is the city willing to work with these people? Turner responded without hesitation, Very close. Were not going to solve the problem of gang violence by staying in City Hall, the mayor continued. We cant be afraid to go into the hood and talk to students and adults where they are. For nearly an hour, Turner opened himself up to questions from the students about job opportunities, vocational training, police relations, mentorship programs and battling the negative stereotypes attached to their high school. We want to talk to students to assure them our number one priority is everyone feeling safe at school or around school so you can focus on school, on sports, on band or student council, Turner said. These are good kids, ambitious kids. Students expressed hope and satisfaction with the plans they made with their Mayor behind closed doors to essentially counter violence with opportunity. A lot of things are going to be put in place where people like my little brothers and sisters wont need to fear for their lives anymore when theyre walking down the streets, Stewart said. Others, however, were a little more skeptical. The kids told us they want people to help steer them in the right direction from the problem, people who know what they went through i.e. we saw our first dead body in middle school, Yates board member Jolanda Jones said. Im hopeful the grown ups listen to the kids and we actually implement. It's a basic truth in Houston: If you want a chance at avoiding traffic, you're going to have to pay the price on a tollway. Just how much depends on your route and EZ Tag situation. But a new report from the financial advising website MoneyWise.com suggests Houston-area drivers pay some of the highest tollway rates in the country. DRIVING IN HOUSTON: City's roads, driver's are the country's most deadly Three tollways in the area made the list, including the State Highway 242 connector ramp (No. 9) near The Woodlands, Fort Bend Parkway (No. 4) and the State Highway 249 connector ramp (No. 3) in north Houston The report was released earlier this week using data from the Federal Highway Administration. Several highways in New York, Illinois and Virginia were also highlighted in the study. The three in the Houston area were the only Texas tollways on the list. The SH242 connector ramp was one of the first tolled ramps in the state, according to the MoneyWise report. Despite the $0.48 per mile average, commuters have generally accepted it because of the convenience, the report said. Fort Bend Parkway, a tollway in southwest Houston suburbs that connects Fort Bend and Harris Counties, costs an average of $0.53 per mile. TOLL TROUBLE: Fallout over tolls divides local, state leaders The most expensive tollway is the relatively small ramp in north Houston connecting SH249 to the Sam Houston Tollway. The average cost per mile is $1.11. View the gallery to see the other tollways that made the list. 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 Mexican telenovela actress Daniela Castro has sued Saks & Co. and one of its loss prevention officers over what she contends was a wrongful arrest during a shopping trip in San Antonio. Castro, 52, and her lawyers, Mark Fassold and Alfonso Cabanas of San Antonio, announced the lawsuit at a news conference in Mexico City on Wednesday, less than a week after District Attorney Nico LaHood dismissed a misdemeanor theft charge against her that stemmed from her arrest at Saks OFF 5th on Sept. 28. On ExpressNews.com: Appeals court overturns fraud conviction of Mexican official's wife in money laundering case In a motion dismissing the case on Nov. 29, LaHoods office said it found no probable cause for Castros arrest. In an interview after the dismissal, LaHood said that Castro was a frequent shopper at Saks OFF 5th at the Rim Shopping Center who appeared to pay for items she was accused of stealing. Castro, whose real name is Danielle Stefani Arellano Castro, is one of Mexicos most well-known TV actresses and is married to a grandson of a former Mexican president, Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. She has starred in novelas that include Lo Que La Vida Me Robo (What Life Stole from Me), Me Declaro Culpable (I Plead Guilty), and Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real (Woman, Real Life Cases). Flanked by her lawyers at the news conference, Castro wiped away tears and said the ordeal was the most difficult experience of my life. She chided some media outlets who she said humiliated or crucified her over the false allegations. I am innocent and an injustice was committed, Castro said. I am a mother, who has worked hard 32 years. I have a career that many of you know has been impeccable. I also want to make clear that I am not a kleptomaniac, I am not sick of anything this affected me emotionally more than you can imagine, she said. What hurt me the most was the terrible harm that it caused my family, the harm it did to me, but above all else, the harm it did to my children. On ExpressNews.com: Grand jury indicts San Antonio oil and gas businessman Alfaro, who runs from reporters outside courthouse Castros attorneys also faulted Saks and its loss prevention officer, Dennis Joseph Belmonte, for the way they handled the matter. Saks didnt care, Fassold and Cabanas said. They detained her in an office, handcuffed her...and searched her in front of unknown persons, touching her private parts, under her clothes, and during all this, she cried and said she had paid, but they did not care. The lawyers added that the suit was filed to ensure this does not happen to anyone else. I will take this case in front of jurors and explain to them that no one can take the dignity of a person, Fassold said. You just dont do that. The manager of Saks OFF 5th at The Rim has declined comment. A corporate spokeswoman said the company doesnt comment on pending litigation. Belmonte, who is also named as a defendant, could not be reached for comment. The suit claims Belmonte wrongly accused Castro of stealing clothing items worth up to $700, causing her an unnecessary trip through Bexar Countys criminal justice system. The suit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for dinging Castros reputation, causing emotional distress and for her expenses in having to clear her name. Guillermo Contreras covers federal court and immigration news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland WASHINGTON - George H.W. Bush was remembered for his basic civility Wednesday at a state funeral in the National Cathedral that brought leaders in a city of acrid political divisions together to celebrate a president who presided over the end of the Cold War while urging forward a kinder and gentler United States on the world stage and at home. A sometimes tearful former President George W. Bush, the new patriarch of one of the nations political dynasties, delivered a wrenching tribute under the tall archways of the massive church, recalling his fathers humor, his faith and enduring life lessons about love, loyalty and giving back to the community. He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country, said the 43rd president, who followed his father into the Oval Office by nearly a decade. Your decency, sincerity, and kind soul will stay with us forever, said Bush, his voice cracking. So, through our tears let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man, the best father a son or daughter could have. To applause, Bush returned to his seat in the front row, tapping his fathers casket and accepting a hug from his wife, former First Lady Laura Bush. George W. Bushs was the most emotional tribute in a service marked by remembrances of his fathers accomplishments as a World War II Navy pilot, ambassador, vice president, and finally as a president who saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, ushered in the reunification of Germany, and kicked the Iraqi Army out of Kuwait. Bush largely stuck to the personal. To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light, he said, recalling one of his fathers familiar refrains. Among the most poignant eulogies were those that recounted gestures of kindness and expressions of humility before the great spectacle of history. An imperfect man, he left us a more perfect union, said presidential biographer Jon Meacham. Meacham described Bush as a man who felt the burden of having been spared death after his World War II bomber was shot down in the Pacific, killing two crew members. In a sense, the rest of his life was a perennial effort to prove himself worthy of his salvation on that distant morning, Meacham said. To him, his life was no longer his own. He called Bush, the last president of the World War II generation, Americas last great soldier-statesman, resembling the greatest leaders of the nation. Abraham Lincolns better angels of our nation and George H.W. Bushs Thousand Points of Light are companion verses in Americas national hymn, Meacham said. For Lincoln and Bush both called on us to choose the right over the convenient, to hope rather than to fear and to heed not our worst impulses but our best instincts. Meacham also poked gentle fun at Bushs public persona, defined in part by comedians and the occasional mispoken word. On the primary campaign trail in New Hampshire once, he grabbed the hand of a department store mannequin, asking for votes. When he realized his mistake, he said, "Never know. Gotta ask." You can hear the voice, can't you? As Dana Carvey said, the key to a Bush 41 impersonation is Mr. Rogers trying to be John Wayne. Former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, a longtime friend and political ally, spoke to one of the low-points in Bushs political career, when he broke his no new taxes pledge in an effort to combat rising federal deficits. It was a decision that saw his party turn on him, and likely cost him a second term. He often said that when the really tough choices come, its the country, not me. Its not about Democrats, or Republicans. Its for our country, that I fought for, Simpson recalled. And he was a man of such great humility. Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C., are not bothered by heavy traffic. Simpson also recalled Bush as a lover of jokes, the richer the better - but also as one who could never remember a punch line. So, the punch line for George Herbert Walker Bush is this: You would have wanted him on your side, Simpson said. He never lost his sense of humor. Humor is a universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life. Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who led his country from 1984 to 1993, added another Bush eulogy. Mulroney said that when world leaders worked with Bush, they knew they were dealing with a gentleman, a genuine leader, one that was distinguished, resolute and brave. The presence of President Donald Trump at the service, along with the three other surviving presidents and their spouses, added to a sense of civility in a ceremony providing a nostalgic counterpoint to Washingtons divisions. His invitation by the Bushes appeared to signal a truce between two leading families representing different brands of the Republican Party and political discourse. The ceremony was the first presidential funeral since President Gerald Ford died in 2006. But it resembled in some ways the recent service for the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, another gathering of the Washington establishment to which Trump pointedly was not invited. Trump did not speak at the Bush send-off, a rarity for an official state funeral. Sitting in a front row pew with former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter - all Democrats - Trump often held his arms folded, though he raised his hand to his heart when Bushs casket was carried into and out of the cathedral. Though the president and all the former presidents were accompanied by their wives, Trump did not exchange greetings with former First Lady Hillary Clinton, whom he defeated in the 2016 election. The public also got a chance to pay its respects Wednesday as thousands lined the route of his hearse from the U.S. Capitol, where he had lain in state, to the Washington Cathedral, a distance of about five miles. Along the way, the procession made one last pass by the White House, before his body would be flown back to Texas to be buried by his wife, former First Lady Barbara Bush, who died last April. In Houston, Bushs body was scheduled to lie in repose at St. Martins Episcopal Church, where Houstonians could pay their respects throughout the night before his casket was to be moved to College Station Thursday, where the family would hold a private service on the grounds of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M. Some of the last words of the national service were provided by the Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson, Jr., rector of St. Martins Episcopal Church in Houston, where the Bushes worshiped for the past 50 years Some have said in the last few days that this is the end of an era, Levenson said. But it does not have to be. Perhaps its an invitation to fill the hole that has been left behind. To those who want to honor Bush, Levenson said, follow his example of love: Theres no greater mission on planet earth. My hunch is heaven, as perfect as it must be, just got a bit kinder and gentler. Reporter Bill Lambrecht contributed to this story. keven.diaz@chron.com twitter.com/DiazChron As newly updated election results showed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruzs victory was even tighter than first realized, Democratic-led voter registration groups are saying theyve never felt closer to turning Texas into a true battleground. Cruzs margin of victory fell to just 214,921 votes, according to official results certified by Gov. Greg Abbott this week. That is about 5,000 votes closer than unofficial results showed last month. Cruz won the race 50.9 to 48.3 percent the closet U.S. Senate race in Texas since 1978. While ORourke lost, groups like Battleground Texas say that margin of defeat is nearly four times closer than they thought was even possible and it has them itching to get to work on 2020. We can register that gap, said Oscar Silva, executive director of Battleground Texas, a group that runs an aggressive registration program targeting potential Democratic voters. The state saw twice that number of voters just registered between March and October, and Silva noted that every year 300,000 more Texas high school students come of age to register. He said while many people suggest that 2018 was a one-year blip because of ORourkes campaign, groups like Battleground Texas have been on the ground building an infrastructure that has lasting implications. That is sustainable, he told the American Association of Political Consultants at a conference in Austin on Wednesday. Battleground Texas said its data shows that, during early voting, nearly one out of every 25 voters under age 35 was registered by the group. Silva added that 69 percent of the people the group registered this year were voters of color, helping the electorate to begin to look more like the states overall minority-majority population. Republicans have noticed their work too. In the summer, Gov. Greg Abbotts campaign team used training sessions for volunteers to warn that Harris County and other big metro areas in Texas have been trending toward Democrats, thanks in part to the work of Battleground Texas volunteers. Battleground Texas was first created in 2013 with the help of former campaign operatives who worked for former President Barack Obama. Their mission was to more aggressively register voters in Texas, a place that has a history of making it difficult to register to vote, Silva said. He said the group made gains in voter registration despite Texas laws that he says criminalizes voter registration. In Texas, groups cannot help voters register unless they go through specific training in counties they want to work in. If someone wants to register voters in another of the 254 counties in the state, they must get retrained in that county. And the training sessions vary from county to county. Silva said his group has more than 22,000 people who are certified to register people to vote in Texas. But Texas law requires all of those certifications to expire at the end of the cycle. All of those people must go through a new round of training to start registering voters again. Texas saw record-shattering voter registration since 2014. Since then, Texas saw its voter rolls grow by almost 1.8 million voters. In the four years prior to 2014, Texas added just 756,000 voters. The close margin of victory between Cruz and ORourke is something Cruzs camp had been bracing for. Cruz chief strategist Jeff Roe told a conference of political consultants in Austin this week that in the closing weeks of the campaign, ORourke was surging. Waking up on Election Day, I knew it was going to be close, Roe said. He said the national environment was filled with stories about the Florida pipe-bomber sending packages to CNN and Democratic leaders. And then there were news accounts of the mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Roe said internal polling showed ORourke getting another half point closer for each of the final 10 days of the race. The last 10 days of the campaign was like nothing Ive ever seen, Roe said. ORourke really surged along the I-35 corridor. In the counties from Laredo to the Oklahoma border, ORourke beat Cruz by more than 440,000 votes. Four years earlier, Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn easily carried that corridor by more than 300,000 votes. Over the last 12 days of the campaign, ORourke made at least 25 stops in counties along the corridor, compared to three for Cruz. AUSTIN The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board rejected the latest iteration of a license plate celebrating Confederate soldiers Thursday, dealing a blow to the Sons of Confederate Veterans which has long fought to sponsor a novelty plate. The board voted 5-3 without comment to reject the plate featuring a rebel soldier clad in a gray Confederate uniform carrying a Texas regiments flag, according to Adam Shaivitz, a department spokesman. The plate design did not include a Confederate flag. The plate was sponsored by the Department of Agricultures commissioner, Sid Miller, who has argued Texans should not hide parts of history now considered offensive. The boards decision marks the second time the Sons of Confederate Veterans have failed to create a plate commemorating Confederate soldiers. The group, which claims to have about 3,200 members in Texas, first sought a novelty plate with a Confederate battle flag in 2007. The board rejected that design in 2011, a decision that was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015 underscoring that government agencies are not bound to approving messages they dont want to be associated with. Approximately 380 people weighed-in with the department to support the plate through an online portal, with some writing the imagery preserves the memory of soldiers who fought in the Civil War, according to the Department of Motor vehicles, which omitted commenters names. This allows those that want to support and recognize the history of Texas and their ancestors (things Texans are surely proud of) in a unique way, read one comment. Due to the controversy of the Confederate flag, this plate instead represents a flag of one of the many Texas regiments that fought in the Civil War as a way to remember their service and sacrifice. On HoustonChronicle.com: Plan for new Confederate license plate is backed by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Miller Another 88 people disapproved of the sign, arguing the imagery is a reference to slavery. Do we really need an official, state-sanctioned license plate celebrating a group of people that undertook armed rebellion against the United States in order to defend a system of racial slavery? read another comment provided by the agency. I can't imagine what it would feel like to be a black Texan and see this plate in 2018 to know that my state, supported by my tax dollars, is giving its imprimatur to the glorification of people that believed in going to war to keep my ancestors in a state of bondage. The Texas Bicycle Coalition Education Fund, a nonprofit that benefits from the sales of a God Bless Texas novelty plate, was also against the Confederate plate. The group argued the design is too similar to its own because both feature a flag on the left-hand side. Board members in favor of approving the plate were Robert Barney Barnwell III of Magnolia, Luanne Caraway of Kyle and Gary Painter of Midland. Those who voted against the plate were Chairman Raymond Palacios Jr., Brett Graham of Denison, Kate Hardy of Trophy Club, Paul Scott of Lubbock and Guillermo Memo Trevino of Laredo. Board member John M. Prewitt of Cypress was absent. Texass top elections official, Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, told Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday that he is resigning to return to private law practice. Pablos has been in the position for two years. "With the midterm elections successfully behind us, and the 86th Legislative Session around the corner, I believe this would be a good time to begin the process of transitioning out of my position and passing the baton to the next secretary of state, Pablos said in a statement to the media. Serving Texans as secretary of state has been the opportunity of a lifetime, but I feel the need at this time to turn my attention to my private practice." In addition to overseeing elections, the secretary of state maintains business and commercial records for the state and is a senior adviser and liaison to the governor on Texas border issues and affairs with the Mexican government. Pablos, an attorney who practices business, administrative and international law, previously served as chair of the Texas Racing Commission and had been a Public Utility commissioner. The secretary of state is appointed by the governor but subject to confirmation through the Texas Senate. Pablos received a salary of nearly $133,000 a year. jeremy.wallace@chron.com TeamViewer has announced the opening of its first India office in Mumbai as key driver for its long-term growth initiative in the South Asia region. TeamViewers India office will act as a sales, marketing, and support centre to provide best-in-class remote connectivity solutions for a dynamically growing local user base on the subcontinent with more than 100m installations to date. Oliver Steil, CEO of TeamViewer, said, Opening an office in India is integral part of our APAC growth ambitions with a strong focus on going multi-local to be closer to our existing customers and even better understand the market, client, and partner needs. With our strong commitment to India we aim to address the substantial opportunities of work-style reform and the strong demand from businesses of all sizes for secure remote connectivity solutions at scale. We are very excited to further strengthen our footprint in one of the fastest growing economies in the world that is at the forefront of digital transformation. We aim to support Indias agile SMB, large enterprises and government space through secure and reliable remote access, remote support, and collaboration in one integrated solution, said Konstantin Ebert, Vice President Sales EMEA, APAC, and Global Channels at TeamViewer. Our cutting-edge yet easy-to-deploy solutions address the use-cases of modern organizations looking for the ability to connect anything, anywhere, anytime. TeamViewers solutions could also help the Indian government with its Digital India and Smart Cities programs as their essence is transparency and interconnectedness between government and citizens. With the growth of Indias digital footprint, more and more industries in the country are developing and implementing IoT, AR, and AI innovation. TeamViewer offers best-in-class connectivity enabling our customers to securely tap into these megatrends, said Krunal Patel, TeamViewer Head of Sales India and South Asia. Our channel partner fraternity will play a pivotal role in driving this growth with sector specific solutions. We already have Ingram micro signed up as our first distributor in India and are quickly expanding our existing reseller network. @Technuter.com News Service What is more Texan than pit barbecue, bluebonnets, Friday Night Lights, Whataburger and Willie? If youre a Texan who likes to wrap yourself in the Lone Star flag, wrap your head around this: more ubiquitous than any Texas-shaped tattoo, tortilla chip or waffle is something far less deserving of our Texan pride: Kids without health insurance. Once again, Texas has the largest share of uninsured kids in the nation, accounting for 1 in every 5 in the United States, according to a report from Georgetown Universitys Center for Children and Families. Texas uninsured rate among kids was 10.7 percent in 2017 - more than double the national average of 5 percent. An estimated 835,000 Texas children went without health insurance, an increase of about 80,000 from the year before. No Texan can be proud of this. Yet, after 20 years of ranking at or near the bottom for insured kids, nobody in power seems to care enough to address it. Neither Gov. Greg Abbott nor Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick regardless of their touted pro-life credentials. Nor lawmakers who lead health committees in the Texas Legislature. For all the lip service Abbott gives to pre-K, for all the passion with which Patrick fights for private school vouchers, for all the talk among lawmakers about improving Texas schools, they seem to miss one thing. It doesnt matter how much we invest in public education if we dont invest in public health. Kids need to stay healthy to attend school. They need eyeglasses to see the chalkboard. They need immunizations to protect all of us from disease. Kids with asthma need access to preventative care. Kids with cancer need a fighting chance at survival. Texas was late to embrace the Childrens Health Insurance Program, approved by Congress in 1997, and weve lagged ever since. Now the problem has gotten worse, exacerbated in part by federal policies that have brought progress in other states to a halt, and in some states, backward. For the first time in nearly a decade, the number of uninsured children in the United States increased, according to the Georgetown report. Wed expect the opposite in a time of economic strength when more children are covered by employer-sponsored insurance. But some working families cant afford that option. Many kids rely on government programs, which are increasingly at risk. States such as Texas, where leaders like Abbott refuse to expand Medicaid and have actively worked to thwart the Affordable Care Act, have fared the worst. A new threat comes directly from President Trump: Enrollment in government programs is dropping among immigrants, including those legally here, as xenophobic rhetoric intensifies. Parents whose children are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP fear enrolling them will endanger the familys status. One reason is the Trump administrations so-called public charge rule, which threatens to deny green cards to those who have applied for certain types of government assistance. The troubling rise in uninsured children isnt expected to let up soon. Kids are the canaries in the coal mine because we always have an easier time getting them insured, said Elena Marks, president and CEO of the Episcopal Health Foundation. When you see their numbers dropping, thats really bad news for all of us. It doesnt have to be. It should be a clarion call for conscientious lawmakers who say they care about Texas, and the future of Texas, to act. Depriving children of access to doctors is as senseless as it is immoral. Kids are cheaper to insure because they tend to be healthy. Most Texas Medicaid recipients are children and although lawmakers complain about the cost of the program, the state pays less than half. The biggest barrier that stands in the way of kids and coverage isnt the politicians. Its the average Texans who seem oblivious to the problem. A statewide survey released jointly in June by the Episcopal Health and Kaiser Family Foundations showed only 3 in 10 respondents knew about Texas high uninsured rate. If you dont know it, Marks said, then you cant be ashamed of it. Well, fellow Texan, now you know. Spread the word if your pride is true. Spur your representatives to act. Carry the banner for our Texas children as high as you do our beloved Lone Star. Immigration to Canada is on the rise, despite Quebec's move this week to cut back Ontario among Canadian provinces vying for additional skilled immigrants in 2019 Immigration to Canada is on the rise, despite Quebec's move this week to cut back Ontario among Canadian provinces vying for additional skilled immigrants in 2019 Immigration to Canada is on the rise, despite Quebec's move this week to cut back Pour lire cet article en francais, cliquez ici. Immigration to Canada remains on the rise at both the provincial and federal level, despite a move this week by the province of Quebec to reduce the number of newcomers it will welcome next year. Nationally, the Government of Canada has a target of 330,800 new admissions to Canada for 2019, which is an increase of nearly seven per cent over 2018s target of 310,000. Under the federal governments multi-year immigration levels plan unveiled at the end of October, Canadas target for total admissions to the country through its various economic, family and refugee programs will increase by more than 13 per cent between 2018 and 2021 from 310,000 to 350,000. Quebec says its move to cap immigration at 40,000 new admissions in 2019 a reduction of around 10,000 over this year is meant to ensure that immigrants who are admitted are successfully integrated into the majority French-speaking province and put down roots there. Quebecs decision to reduce immigration, however, runs counter to the trend in most other provinces. Ontario seeks additional PNP allocation Immigration is now the main driver of population and labour force growth in Canada, and many Canadian provinces are actively working to channel more immigrants their way to address a growing need for workers. Take Ontario, for example. Canadas most populous province is vying for an increase in the number of immigrants that it will be allowed to nominate for permanent residence next year through Canadas Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), which enables participating provinces and territories to select immigrants who are a match for local labour market needs. To find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs, fill out a free assessment form. Ontario has confirmed that it is hoping to increase its 2019 nomination allocation to 7,600, which would represent an increase of 1,000 nominations over its 2018 allocation of 6,600 and a 26.7 per cent increase over its original 2017 allocation of 6,000 nominations. Demand for the [Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program] is strong, and the province continues to engage with the federal government on increasing the provinces annual allocation, said Sarah Letersky, Director of Communications for Ontarios Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. Admissions through Canadas PNP reached a record 49,724 in 2017 and its target for 2018 is set at 55,000. The PNP target is projected to rise again in 2019, to 61,000. In an interview with the website Queens Park Briefing, Letersky said the new PNP target is higher than anticipated and the additional 1,000 nominations would allow Ontario to be more responsive and adaptive to broader labour market needs, and provide greater opportunities for Ontario employers seeking to retain international talent. Ontario should know its nomination allocation for 2019 by the end of this month or in early January. Newfoundland, Manitoba also tout immigrations benefits Other examples of provinces were immigration is reported to be on the rise are Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba. In October, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador said applications to the province from prospective immigrants were up by 25 per cent this year over the first 10 months of 2017. The government attributed this increase to the provinces five-year immigration action plan, which aims to increase the number of newcomers to Newfoundland and Labrador to 1,700 per year by 2022. The Government of Manitoba, meanwhile, recently credited the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program for the provinces impressive population growth, which it reports was the fastest among Canadian provinces in the last three years and set a record in 2016. Most of this growth is due to a concerted effort by the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program to use immigration to recruit for labour market and entrepreneurial needs, the government said in a recent report. The MPNP has welcomed 130,000 newcomers to Manitoba since its creation in 1998 and an estimated 13,000 immigrants are projected to arrive in the province next year. The evidence is mounting that if we dont grow this country through immigration its going to hit us hard economically, Manitobas minister in charge of immigration, Ben Rempel, said earlier this year. Its not just nice to do, its essential. To find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration program, fill out a free assessment. 2018 CICNews All Rights Reserved These things hit so fast, Scott Jensen, the news content manager for KTVA in Anchorage, Alaska, says of the moment an earthquake struck his newsroom, last Friday morning. Jensen had been about to send out the morning note about the days slated stories at the five-year-old CBS-affiliated television station when the quake struck, just 7.45 miles north of the city. The only other people around him were meteorologist Jeremy LaGoo and morning anchor John Thompson, who had just gotten off the air. Then the building started shaking and rocking. As a former photojournalist, Jensens first reaction to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake wasnt to find shelter, but to take his phone out and start recording. Im trying to do that, running around the front of the assignment desk, and I hear John yelling at Jeremy and me to get under the desk, he says. And thats when it really started shaking. It was super violent. ICYMI: A student journalist asked her school for records of harassment complaints against teachers. She ended up uncovering a big story. Crouched underneath, Jensen tried to hang on to his standing desk as he watched the newsrooms lights go out, ceiling panels tumble down, and televisions dislodge from the wall. He heard glass panels shatter in the editing bays. Its super loud, he tells CJR. And then everything stops and the alarms are going off. Wow. @nickswannKTVA shot this footage from inside the @ktva building during this mornings quake: pic.twitter.com/yvKF0mHItq Kirsten Swann (@kirsteswann) November 30, 2018 Sign up for CJR 's daily email The earthquake also damaged the buildings roof, windows, and sprinkler system, which resulted in water flooding the newsrooms floors. During a temporary evacuation into the snow and cold, Thompson and Lagoo kept reporting by broadcasting their observations on Facebook Live, as other coworkers navigated clogged roads and began arriving at the station. CBS National picked up the online stream as KTVA staff evacuated the buildinga ten-minute processthen re-entered around 9:30am, to report on the extent of the damage. Chief meteorologist Melissa Frey rushed so quickly to KTVA from her home that she arrived with her two small children, age 8 and 4. She wore her pajamas, snow boots, no makeup, and had her hair in a ponytail. I wouldnt want someone to see me at the grocery store like that, she says, then pauses and laughs. Let alone on live television. Caption: Meteorologists Jeremy LaGoo (left) and Melissa Frey on Facebook Live immediately after the earthquake showing the damage to KTVAs newsroom. Freys outfit may not have been ideal, but her previous experience working in Portland, Oregon, during a 2011 tsunami warning taught her the difference preparation could make. She had recently trained with the Red Cross, pre-made graphics for several different kinds of natural disasters, pre-organized her key contacts, and signed up for alerts from organizations like the National Tsunami Warning Center. Crime and courts reporter Daniella Riveras typical 15-minute commute took three times as long, due to heavy traffic. When she arrived, she found the newsroom in total disarray and a piece of ceiling tile on her desk. Thompson and LaGoo continued to livestream directly to viewers, even while diving back under their desks during dozens of aftershocks and smaller quakes. This isnt too bad, LaGoo remarked while squished next to Thompson. Theres no place Id rather be than here with John. Rivera replied, Im impressed you both both fit. KTVA staff focused on providing essential information, such as school closures, safety advice, power outages, damaged roads and buildings, as well as government responses. Phone lines were down, but data and internet services were still up, which allowed Jensen to coordinate news crews at locations around the city, and KTVAs staff to message each other using Slack. Jensen, who grew up in Anchorage and has lived in the city most of his adult life, says the event on November 30 was the most violent earthquake he had ever experienced. Due to the location of two tectonic plates, earthquakes are common to Alaska. They include a 7.9-magnitude quake in January, a 7.1-magnitude one in 2016, and 15 smaller ones that occurred in the 36 hours before the major one on November 30. After checking in with his family at home, Jensen stopped off at the military surplus store where he picked up 10 boxes of ready-to-eat meals. It was something he learned while working at the King 5 NBC-affiliate station in Seattle, which has its own earthquake preparation plans. You just dont know what youre going to need, he says. Management also provided food and bottled water, both important supplies for a long, non-stop news day. Rivera filed five or six live reports during her shift, and Frey co-anchored at the newsdesk with LaGoo, working ten straight hours. I didnt eat anything until seven oclock, when I had that turkey wrap, she says. Staff spent a few days working in the newsroom with hard hats on while engineers and construction crews repaired the damaged areas, but transferred to the stations Studio B in its building downstairs on Tuesday. Management is aiming for the repairs to be completed in days, not months, but did not announce a specific date for when staff could return. KTVA Ch 11 is moving downstairs to our Studio B while the newsroom is being worked on and repaired. We have made a makeshift newsroom downstairs in our building. We are still giving you guys the latest news. Make sure you tune in 5,6 and 10. #news #ktva #alaska #AlaskaQuake pic.twitter.com/kwdBC2T0ZG Cassie Schirm (@cassieschirmtv) December 6, 2018 For journalists and newsrooms anticipating their own coverage of natural disasters, Rivera highly recommends packing a go-bag with supplies like food, water, painkillers and extra clothes. Never underestimate the power of dry socks, she says. From archives: Meet the journalism student who found out she won a Pulitzer in class Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Karen K. Ho is a freelance business, culture and media reporter, based in New York. She is also a former Delacorte Fellow at CJR. Follow her on Twitter @karenkho. When a British parliamentary committee looking into Facebooks role in misinformation and data privacy seized documents last week from an American businessman involved in a lawsuit with Facebook, the committee threatened to make the files public, even though they were sealed by a California court order. And thats exactly what it did on Wednesday: Damian Collins, the head of the committeeand the man who used a little-known British law to send a Serjeant-at-Arms to the American businessmans hotel room to escort him to the House of Commonspublished more than 200 pages of emails and other documents. The files came from a court case with Six4Three, makers of an app that allowed users to search their friends photos for bathing suit pictures. The details in the documents wont come as a surprise to anyone who has been following Facebook and its various privacy blunders, but it is illuminating to see some of the companys practices exposed in black and white. One of the most contentious revelations revolves around a proposal to update the Facebook app for Android phones so that the social network could read and store the call logs of users. It would then use the data from a users call history, as well as their text messages, to tweak the News Feed algorithm and other features (including the people you might know feature, which recommends other users to friend on the network). An email from a senior Facebook staffer admits this is a pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective, but it appears that the growth team will charge ahead and do it. A subsequent email says the team has figured out that if the app only wants access to the call logs, it could offer a simple click to upgrade option without having to get users to give their permission through a special dialog box. Ashkan Soltani, former chief technology officer for the Federal Trade Commission, pointed out that this kind of behavior may be a breach of the consent decree that Facebook signed with the FTC in 2011, in which it agreed not to engage in certain kinds of behavior. From the British committees viewpoint, one of the more interesting email chains has to do with Facebooks data policies; the committee is investigating the companys behavior in the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the company wrongfully acquired personal data on more than 50 million users that they provided by signing up for a personality quiz app. Facebook has said repeatedly that access to this kind of data was closed off in 2015, but the emails and other documents make it clear that for certain whitelisted companies, access to that data continued (as The Wall Street Journal has reported). The committees preamble to the documents continues: It is not clear that there was any user consent for this, nor how Facebook decided which companies should be whitelisted. In another document, Facebook outlines the restrictions it places on certain companies when it comes to accessing Facebook data. We maintain a small list of strategic competitors that Mark personally reviewed, the document states. Any usage beyond that specified is not permitted without Mark level sign-off. In the case of certain competitors, especially ones that competed with Facebooks pet features (like video), Facebook would terminate virtually all access to user data. It did this in the case of Twitters short-lived Vine video app, for example: in an email to Zuckerberg in 2013, a Facebook product manager says Vine (which had just launched that same day) allowed users to find friends by using the Facebook API. He suggested shutting down Twitters access to this data immediately, and Zuckerberg responded: Yup, go for it. In a response to the documents publication, Zuckerberg pointed out that in the time leading up to the changes to its platform in 2015, the company was driven primarily by a desire to connect people in as many different ways as possible, until it discovered that developers were building shady apps that abused peoples data. Without naming the bikini app company, the Facebook CEO says some of the developers whose apps were kicked off the platform sued in an attempt to reverse the change, but were confident this was the right thing to do and that well win these lawsuits. Whether the published emails will also provide more ammunition for those looking to regulate the social network remains to be seen. Heres more on Facebook and its recent challenges: Self-inflicted wound : Mother Jones looks at the tangled relationship between Facebook and the news and argues that the transformation of Facebook into a tool for demagogues and foreign attackers was facilitated at every step by Facebook itself. looks at the tangled relationship between Facebook and the news and argues that the transformation of Facebook into a tool for demagogues and foreign attackers was facilitated at every step by Facebook itself. Algorithmic gasoline : Ryan Broderick of BuzzFeed News writes about how a change to Facebooks News Feed algorithm, which was re-oriented to focus mostly on local news, arguably helped fuel the recent riots in France. : Ryan Broderick of BuzzFeed News writes about how a change to Facebooks News Feed algorithm, which was re-oriented to focus mostly on local news, arguably helped fuel the recent riots in France. WhatsApp misinfo : Italian law professor Luca Belli says misinformation spread via Facebook-owned WhatsApp played a critical role in helping controversial far-right businessman Jair Bolsonaro win the recent presidential elections in Brazil. : Italian law professor Luca Belli says misinformation spread via Facebook-owned WhatsApp played a critical role in helping controversial far-right businessman Jair Bolsonaro win the recent presidential elections in Brazil. Its complicated : The Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia has published an updated timeline of major developments in the relationship between the major platforms, such as Google and Facebook, and publishers. : The Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia has published an updated timeline of major developments in the relationship between the major platforms, such as Google and Facebook, and publishers. Boiling tension: Week after week of pressure on Facebook from all sides has created an atmosphere of fear and dissent in which some employees are openly talking about the need for changes at the top, Charlie Warzel of BuzzFeed says. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Other notable stories: The European Union announced new measures to fight disinformation, including an increase in the organizations budget for the detection of disinformation and a promise to pressure technology companies to do more about the problem. Vanity Fair media writer Joe Pompeo writes about how a generation of digital media darlings is preparing for a frigid winter, as former stars such as Vice Media, BuzzFeed, and Vox Media are trying to grapple with old-media problems. media writer Joe Pompeo writes about how a generation of digital media darlings is preparing for a frigid winter, as former stars such as Vice Media, BuzzFeed, and Vox Media are trying to grapple with old-media problems. Alexandria Neason explains in CJR why journalists were slow to pick up on what was happening with the US womens gymnastics program, where team doctor Larry Nassar molested more than 200 girls and women over more than three decades. Journalism professor Richard Pendry argues in an essay for Unherd that social media and citizen journalism of the kind practiced by Bellingcat have made it harder for governments and the military to keep things secret. British writer Laurie Penny writes about going on a cruise aimed at cryptocurrency enthusiasts. This is not the Burning Manstyle celebration I was promised. This is a hard-sell pitch session to a captive audience of high-roller crypto investors. The whole place smells of aftershave and insecurity. Most journalists are overwhelmed by information overload, says a new report from the European Journalism Centers News Impact Network, and the result is an increasing rate of burnout and an ongoing scramble for ways of coping. Female war correspondent Janine di Giovanni writes for Harpers about the difficulty of being a foreign correspondent while also wanting to be a mother, as part of a review of the Marie Colvin bio-pic A Private War. about the difficulty of being a foreign correspondent while also wanting to be a mother, as part of a review of the Marie Colvin bio-pic A Private War. A research group in Australia looking at what happens to journalists when they lose their jobs has published a report that says while some have struggled, others saw leaving their jobs as the best thing that could have happened. 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. Charles and David Koch do not like the media. For years, the brothers running one of the largest corporate conglomerates in the world fought back against negative stories with press releases, private investigators, and dedicated fact checking sites, pushing their version of the truth against the headlines made by dogged investigative reporters like Jane Mayer and David Sassoon. In recent years, however, the Koch empire has rebranded itself as a friend of the Fourth Estate, through donations and sponsorships primarily from its nonprofit arms, the Charles Koch Institute and Charles Koch Foundation. As the parent company expanded its media properties by partially bankrolling Merediths acquisition of Time Inc. in 2017 (the company has since sold Time and three other titles) the Charles Koch Foundation donated $80,000 to the American Society of News Editors, funded the Poynter Institutes grant program for college journalists, sponsored Knight Foundation and Gallup surveys, gave money to the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia, and spent $500,000 on the Newseum. In late November, reporting by Sludge, an investigative newsroom on Civils blockchain platform, showed that the two Koch nonprofits had in recent years donated up to 83 percent of the Daily Caller News Foundations operating budget, and made contributions to several center-right and right-wing publications and PR shops. ICYMI: The future of mens magazines, as Jim Nelson leaves GQ The Charles Koch Institute also started the Media and Journalism Fellowship, which combines a J-school-like curriculum (funded by the Institute) with a subsidized salary and job at a participating media organization for accepted fellows (through grants by the Foundation). The fellowship is now in its second year; the first class of roughly 40 fellows graduated in March 2018, and the second group is about two-thirds of the way through the 12-month course. Courses cover the role of the free press in society, libel laws, FOIA knowledge, as well as more technical electives like Reading Social and the Analytics Firehose. Other workshops focus on ethical issues, like identifying biases and a reporters relationships with sources. During the day, fellows work full time at a partner news or media organization, a list that includes Task and Purpose, The Washington Examiner, Reason, Mercury Radio/The Blaze, the Real Clear sites, and a few legacy newsrooms like the Detroit News and the Philadelphia Media Network. It also includes PR shops like Red Edge and creative firms like Emergent Order, whose listed clients also trend conservative and libertarian. Many of these organizations showed up on the Koch nonprofits disclosure forms. (The Daily Caller does not participate in the fellowship.) On Tuesdays, fellows tune into a weekly group video chattypically a two-hour session with a short introduction from an Institute staffer and two or more lectures by regular faculty members or guest speakers. Three times per year, the Institute flies fellows to New York or Washington, DC to meet faculty members. The Institutes media portfolioits stable of grants, partnerships, and fellowshipsis led by Deirdre Hughes, a longtime producer for Lou Dobbs Tonight on both CNN and Fox Business, who most recently headed video for Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Tech. Hughes oversees strategy for the partnerships, as well as serving as the program lead for the media and journalism fellowship. Other listed faculty members include libertarian staples like John Stossel and The Wall Street Journals Jason Riley, as well a Ashley Messenger, a senior associate general counsel at NPR and Rob Wallace, who spent two decades as a senior producer for Barbara Walters on ABC News. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Current and former fellows say that the curriculum takes a nonpartisan stance, focusing on the importance of a free press. Liz Wolfe, a former Koch fellow and current deputy managing editor at The Federalist, says the group spent a lot of time discussing the line between journalism and activism. During her fellowship, she worked as managing editor at Young Voices, a nonprofit public relations organization that trains students and young professionals to write op-eds and provide live commentary in the classical liberal tradition. The majority of Young Voices clients advocate for libertarian and free-market ideals in line with the Kochs. And while she was participating in the program, Wolfe says, at no point did the Institute or its instructors try to influence the work they did at their day jobs. They are authentically libertarian, Wolfe says. I dont get the sense that theres a super strong conservative strain on the program. They understand that you cant and you shouldnt tell journalists what to write and what to think. Wolfe says that the classes often had open discussions of bias in the newsa politically charged topic that owes much of its new fervor to the Trump administration. Julie Mastrine, currently a fellow in the program, works as the marketing coordinator for AllSides, a news aggregation service that organizes headlines based on their publications perceived bias on a left-right spectrum. The Institutes weekly video chats, she says, cover everything about the media business, from marketing to research to journalism. I think overall the program really is meant to inspire critical thinking about the role of the free press, and all of the difficult decisions that that entails, Mastrine says. We get to consider all of the various scenarios that a journalist or someone in the media might find themselves inlots of questions around ethics, standards, that sort of thing. Mastrine says being associated with the Kochs was something I had to think about when she considered applying for the program. But once she began, the Institute won her over. Mastrine says the organization was very transparent about the Kochs reputation in the media and very aware of criticism, something they were trying to be more proactive about. ICYMI: Journalists are rightly suspicious of ad tech. They also depend on it. The fellowships structure is unusual: besides the tuition-free program curriculum, the Koch nonprofits also offer to subsidize each fellows salary for the entire year-long program. It is not, however, a direct payment from the Koch Foundation to the fellow. Instead, the Koch Foundation and participating partner organization make their own arrangement based on the partner organizations budget and needs. Fellows estimate that the average salary is around $50,000 a year. So far, Hughes says that the program has mainly expanded through word of mouth and running into folks, but declined to estimate how many of the programs current partners were approached by the Institute or how many approached the Institute themselves. As the program expands, each participating newsroom will have to decide whether or not what the Institutes offer is worth being associated with the name. Reporters have shone a harsh light on the Kochs record of air, water, and climate pollution as well as on their huge role in subsidizing disinformation on climate change, Jane Mayer, who has reported extensively on the Kochs, tells CJR in an email. Most companies counter such image problems by hiring PR firms, but if the Kochs can cut out the middle men and simply buy the coverage by hiring the reporters, then I guess they figure thats an even better investment. At least one partner, the Philadelphia Media Network, turned down the subsidy. PMNs nonprofit parent company, the Philadelphia Foundation, operates the newsrooms of both the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer, and carefully vets any sources of funding that could conflict with their journalistic duties, according to Executive Editor Stan Wishnowski. Sometimes we get requests from funders who dont really align with what were after, Wishnowski tells CJR. Instead of accepting a stipend, the organization asked to have one of its reporters audit the program this year after it was approached by the Institute. Our idea on this one was, Lets put one of our journalists, a single journalist, in to audit the class and make sure it matches our mission, Wishnowski says. Is it training that will elevate the quality of learning for our journalist? He will decide whether to continue with the program depending on the value of the course. The reporter declined to comment until after the current cohort finishes up, but Wishnowski says that the reporter found the class enriching thus far, and has reported no perceptible political bias. ASNE and others have evidently decided that what theyre getting in return for that favor is worth it, but not without some debate. I would say there was a fairly spirited conversation [among board members] about working with the Koch Foundation because of the reputation [the brothers] have out there, Teri Hayt, ASNEs executive director, told The Washington Post after accepting the Foundations grant earlier this year. Not all the press about them has been good. . . . A couple of people said, Why do this? There is some sensitivity around the Koch name. Its there for a reason. ICYMI: Koch Foundation grants to ASNE, Poynter Correction: A previous version misspelled John Stossels name. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jack Crosbie is a freelance journalist based in New York, who has reported on conflict, technology, food, and sports from several countries. Follow him on Twitter @jscros. A federal jury has convicted a Chicago doctor on fraud charges for billing insurance companies for purported chiropractic manipulations that were never performed, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Illinois reported. Dr. Paul Madison, an anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, owned Watertower SurgiCenter LLC, an outpatient surgical center on North Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The U.S. Attorneys Office reported that from 2005 to 2009, under Dr. Madisons direction, Watertowers billing staff submitted false bills to insurers for manipulation-under-anesthesia of body parts that chiropractors at Watertower had not actually performed. Dr. Madison and others falsified patient records to support the fraudulent health insurance claim forms and submitted the claims to patients insurance companies for payment. Evidence at trial revealed that Dr. Madison disguised Watertowers fraudulent billing by creating false medical and billing records. In at least two instances, Dr. Madison included in the fraudulent billings the names, addresses and dates of birth of patients without their knowledge. The jury in federal court in Chicago convicted Dr. Madison, 65, of Chicago, on all 11 counts against him. The conviction includes six counts of health care fraud, three counts of making false statements in connection with the delivery of health care services, and two counts of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow, Jr., set sentencing for March 25, 2019. Each count of health care fraud is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, while the false statement counts each carry a maximum penalty of five years. Each aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years. The Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. The verdict was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Jeffrey S. Sallet, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labors Office of Inspector General in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward G. Kohler and Jennie Levin. Source: U.S. Attorneys Office AKRON, Ohio - Akron Public Schools and Summa Health System announced on Wednesday they have partnered to create the districts 7th named college & career academy at Buchtel Community Learning Center. The Summa Health Academy of Leadership & Innovation will offer Buchtel students three career tracts from which to choose: As a named sponsor, Summa agrees to devote 1,000 hours of time and talent each year, through mentoring, job shadowing and other programs. Akron schools launched the career-themed academies in 2016. Students enter the Freshman Academy in ninth grade, when they begin thinking about their futures. They explore various career tracts and visit college campuses. As sophomores, they enter their chosen academy, where they are taught in small communities and learn through hands-on experience and specialized training from professionals in the field. As part of Akron's academies model, United Way of Summit County works to facilitate partnerships between the academies and the Greater Akron business community. Akron currently offers 16 academies and more than 50 career tracts at eight high schools. In January, Buchtel will host a career expo with Summa professionals on hand to advise students about the career opportunities available under the tracts, said Rachel Tecca, director of college and career academies. At the Wednesday event, Buchtel Principal Nicole Hughes told attendees, many of whom were students, that education offers choices, and enables students to use their talents. The college and career academies are important, she said, because they recognize students innate potential, while bringing community partners together to share their expertise. It also gives a very important message, she said. That you mean the world to us, and that we are invested in you, our students, our scholars, and not only who you will become, but the generational impact you will have for lifetimes to come. Akrons first academies were established in 2016 at North High School: the Academy of Global Technology and Business, and the Akron Children's Hospital Academy of Health and Human Services. In 2017, the district was named a Ford Next Generation Learning Community. The initiative began in Nashville through support from the Ford Motor Co.s philanthropic arm, the Ford Motor Company Fund. The fund works to turn public high schools across the country into career academies that better prepare students for post-secondary education and/or professional success. In July, the district announced a partnership with Bridgestone Americas with the launch of the East Community Learning Center's Bridgestone Academy of Applied Engineering and Technology. Kent State University partnered with the district to create three academies at Firestone CLC, including the Academy of Advanced Technology and Engineering, the Academy of Design and the Academy of Performing Arts. The district also developed post-secondary partnerships with Stark State College Akron and the University of Akron. To learn more about Akrons college & career academies, visit the website. Want more Akron news? Sign up for cleveland.coms Rubber City Daily, an email newsletter delivered at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. CLEVELAND, Ohio As Brookfield Asset Management prepares to gobble up one of Clevelands best-known companies, the Toronto-based investment giant has handed pink slips to just under a third of Forest City Realty Trust, Inc.s headquarters staff, including executives. Forest City employees and a source familiar with Brookfields plans confirmed the cuts, which started this week. Roughly 75 people in Cleveland, including Forest Citys chief executive officer, chief financial officer and other top brass, are leaving the companys offices at Key Tower as the nearly $7 billion deal closes Friday. Another 35 or so headquarters workers were put on notice this week but have been asked to stay on for three, six or nine months. The staggered layoffs will reduce the real estate companys presence downtown from 350 people today to 240 by late summer of next year. Brookfield expects to maintain a sizable workforce in Cleveland, though, and to hang onto another 100 or so Forest City employees elsewhere in Ohio. A Brookfield spokesman declined to comment publicly on the sale or staffing in advance of the closing. A Forest City spokesman referred all questions to Brookfield. On Nov. 15, Forest Citys shareholders voted to sell the nearly century-old business to a Brookfield real estate investment fund. On Thursday, sources confirmed that the transaction should be complete by the end of the day Friday. The sale will mark the end of an era for the Ratner family, which founded the business in 1920 and gradually ceded control of it in the wake of the Great Recession. It will be a loss of yet another corporate headquarters for Northeast Ohio. And it will sound the death knell for the Forest City name, since the remaining operation simply will be called Brookfield Properties. Brookfield committed earlier this year to retaining workers at Forest Citys apartment complexes, office buildings and other properties across the country. Thats approximately 660 people. And the buyer agreed to maintain wages, bonus targets and comparable benefits for at least one year for non-union employees who survive the sale. Workers set to lose their jobs will be compensated under an enhanced severance plan that Forest Citys board approved after launching a strategic review of the companys options in late 2017. That plan provides for three weeks of pay, plus three additional weeks worth of pay for each year of employment, with a minimum payout of 16 weeks. Executives who are fired will receive much more. David LaRue, the companys president and chief executive officer, is eligible for $12.68 million, more than half of it in cash, since hes being dismissed in connection with the sale. Robert OBrien, the chief financial officer, also is being let go. His golden parachute the compensation promised to an executive if he loses his job due to a merger or takeover is close to $6.5 million, according to a regulatory filing. Duane Bishop, the departing chief operating officer, will receive $7.95 million. Brookfield also is shuffling out Mike Lonsway, Forest Citys executive vice president of planning and point person for investor relations; James Finnerty, senior vice president of tax; treasurer Christopher Clayton; Stephanie Dorsey, executive vice president of strategic initiatives and corporate operations; and longtime spokesman Jeff Linton. The layoffs dont appear to be a wholesale gutting of the company, and they werent large enough to trigger a public-notice requirement with the state. Employees have been told that some executives, including Forest Citys general counsel, head of human resources, chief accounting officer and recently elevated development chief, are staying on. Its unclear what Brookfield will do with excess space at Forest Citys downtown offices, which the company has occupied for less than a year. Forest City signed a lease on seven floors at Key Tower after selling Terminal Tower, its longtime home, for a redevelopment project. Its also too early to say how visible Brookfield will be as part of the business community in Cleveland, where Forest City executives have played outsize roles over the years and where the company typically has contributed millions of dollars annually to notable nonprofits and charitable causes. Beyond Forest City, members of the Ratner, Miller and Shafran families and their heirs still have a hand in philanthropy and real estate in Northeast Ohio, with the Van Aken District project in Shaker Heights as a prime example of the latter. Brookfield does plan to have a significant presence in Cleveland and is committed to being a good corporate citizen, a person familiar with the companys thinking said. A global alternative asset manager, Brookfield ranks among the worlds largest real estate investors. CLEVELAND, Ohio Former Cuyahoga County auditor Frank Russo will wait a little longer to go in front of a federal judge in the hopes of getting his 22-year prison sentence reduced. Russo, 68, cooperated heavily with federal authorities as part of a sprawling probe into corruption in county and local governments. U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi had set a Jan. 3 hearing to determine whether he should get any time shaved off his sentence. However, she announced Thursday that Russos hearing was pushed back to Feb. 21. The U.S. Attorneys Office asked Lioi this week to delay sentencing because Antoinette Bacon, a federal prosecutor who worked on the corruption investigation, could not travel to Ohio on Jan. 3 to attend the sentencing. Bacon is serving as an associate deputy attorney general for the Justice Department in Washington. Russo will also not appear at the Feb. 21 hearing in person, but rather via videoconference. His attorney Roger Synenberg told the judge that appearing on video was Russos preference, according to an order Lioi put out Thursday. Russo admitted that he and his cohorts took more than $1 million in bribes, gifts and trips in exchange for jobs, contracts and political favors. He surrendered to the Federal Bureau of Prisons in November 2012 and is currently housed in a prison with a medical facility in Massachusetts due to several serious and ongoing medical issues, arising complications, and the need for life-saving treatment, according to a court filing from Synenberg. He, along with former county commissioner and Democratic Party Chairman Jimmy Dimora, were major targets of the federal corruption crackdown, which resulted in convictions against dozens of politicians, philanthropists and business people. Russo was a star witness in the 2012 trial against Dimora his long-time political ally and close friend and others. His cooperation allowed him to stay out of prison for nearly two years following his sentencing in December 2010. Dimora is serving a 28-year prison sentence. If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Thursdays crime and courts comments section. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An unidentified carjacker took a Cleveland womans car at gunpoint as she scraped ice off its windshield Monday in the citys Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood. Cleveland police officers found the car just around the corner, after the robber crashed it into a building on East 71st Street near Harvard Avenue, according to police reports. The 21-year-old woman who owns the stolen Ford Focus was not hurt, police reports say. The woman went outside just after 9:30 a.m. to clean snow and ice off her car. She started the car to let it warm. An unknown man wearing a black jacket over a red hooded sweatshirt ran up to her and put a handgun to her head, police reports say. The man demanded her cellphone and the car. The man took the womans purse and knocked her to the ground, police reports say. He then jumped in the Focus and drove away. Officers found the Focus stopped on the sidewalk on East 71st Street near Harvard Avenue. It struck a building before its rear end became caught on a concrete planter on the sidewalk. A neighbor said someone drove the Focus on Clement Avenue, then put the car and reverse and backed onto East 71st Street. The driver lost control of the Focus, which backed onto the sidewalk and into the building, the neighbor said. The driver got out of the Focus and ran away after the crash. The neighbor could not provide a description of the driver. Someone tried to use the womans car shortly after the carjacking at a Sunoco gas station on East 71st Street near Fleet Avenue, police reports say. The Focus was towed so it could be checked for evidence. No arrests have been made in the carjacking, police said. To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments page. PARMA, Ohio -- A Parma man pleaded not guilty after he was charged in connection to a July crash in Parma that killed a Stow man. Dennis Gaydarzhi faces criminal charges of vehicular homicide and negligent assault with a weapon, Parma Municipal Court records show. He also faces traffic violations of driving left of center and failure to give full time and attention. The charges stem from a July 15 crash that killed 32-year-old William Conti. Conti was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle with one passenger on West Ridgewood Drive at State Road about 2 p.m., according to Parma police. Contis motorcycle struck a Volkswagen Jetta, driven by Gaydarzhi, police said. Paramedics took Conti to MetroHealth where he died, police said. Gaydarzhi pleaded not guilty and is expected to appear Dec. 18 in Parma Municipal Court for a pre-trial hearing, court records show. To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comment section. AKRON, Ohio -- Akron police are investigating after Little Caesars pizza restaurants were targeted by robbers three times in less than 12 hours. Investigators believe the same man might be responsible for the first two incidents which took place about 40 minutes apart Tuesday night. A man set off an alarm about 11 p.m. Tuesday after trying to open the back door to the Little Caesars on the 1200 block of Copley Road in West Akron, police said. When employees opened the door, the man armed with a handgun ran toward them. They shut the door and locked it. The man then ran to the drive-thru window, but fled when workers called police. Officers responded about 11:40 p.m. for a call about an armed robbery at the Little Caesars on the 2300 block of East Avenue, in Akrons Kenmore neighborhood, about three miles south of the first incident. A man entered the restaurant and threatened workers with a handgun, police said. He left after workers gave him an unreported amount of cash. The third robbery took place about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the same Little Caesars as the first incident, on the 1200 block of Copley Road, police said. An employee was outside taking out the trash when a man, armed with a handgun, said, Get in! and pointed to the restaurant, according to police. The employee led the man into the restaurant, where he demanded money, police said. He left through the back door with an unreported amount of cash. Police provided a surveillance photo of the man. Anyone with information is asked to call Akron police at 330-375-2490 or the Summit County Crime Stoppers at 330-434-2677. You can also text TIPSCO to 274637. Callers can remain anonymous. To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comment section. CLEVELAND, OhioOhios infant mortality rate fell in 2017 with 42 fewer infant deaths overall than the previous year, according to a report released today by the Ohio Department of Health. Its only the second time since the state started recording these statistics in the 1930s that fewer than 1,000 Ohio babies died (the first time was in 2014). The improvement, which was primarily among babies born to white families, led to an infant mortality rate of 7.2. Infant mortality is calculated as the number of infants who die before reaching a first birthday per 1,000 live births. The news is welcome in a state that routinely falls to the bottom of rankings on the measure, and had before last year seen two years of slight increase in infant deaths. Troubling though, is the unevenness of the gains across racial groups. Sixty fewer white babies died in 2017, but among black families there were 15 more deaths. The infant mortality rate for white babies in Ohio is now 5.3, below the national Healthy People 2020 goal of 6. For black babies the rate is now three times as high, at 15.6, widening the gap between the two. The national infant mortality rate (in 2016) was 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. Nationally the black-white racial disparity is about 2.4 and may be growing. Overall whats driving our infant mortality is prematurity, for both black and white families, said Sandy Oxley, chief of maternal, child and family health at ODH. But black women are impacted by prematurity more than white women. Certainly that is an area of particular focus for us. Oxley emphasized that interventions in the counties with the highest black infant mortality rates only began in the past two years, and that it may take more time to see results. I think were yet to see the fruits of our labor from many of the interventions that our communities have been implementing, she said. Moms health prior to pregnancy is the biggest predictor of outcome, and we certainly have a way to go across the board [in that area]. What remains unclear is whether, and why, medical and hospital-driven interventions such as the use of progesterone to prevent early birth and education on sleep-related deaths are primarily benefiting white women and families. I think the key is reaching the individuals who are most at risk, Oxley said. Sometimes those who are easier to engage... are going to have better outcomes. Its those that we arent engaged with that we really need to reach. Behind prematurity and preterm births, most infant deaths in Ohio (and Cuyahoga County) in 2017 were caused by birth defects and sleep-related deaths. Sleep-related deaths fell for the second consecutive year in 2017 to 67 from a recent high of 90 in 2013. Prematurity-related deaths continued to rise, however. Ohios current state budget dedicates nearly $50 million to improving birth outcomes and addressing racial disparities, and the state will have invested more than $137 million from 2010 through June of 2019 to help combat the problem. The state is also using $7.5 million in federal grants to pay for: Expanded home-visiting programs in 27 counties; Help for the 14 Ohio counties with the highest black infant mortality rates to decrease preterm births and improve birth outcomes. Much of the state's infant mortality investment is happening in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County, as well as eight other metropolitan areas that in 2017 accounted for almost two-thirds of overall deaths and 90 percent of black infant deaths. These include: Butler County; Columbus/Franklin County; Cincinnati/Hamilton County; Toledo/Lucas County; Youngstown/Mahoning County; Dayton/Montgomery County; Canton/Stark County; and Akron/Summit County. Butler, Franklin, Stark and Summit counties saw a decrease in black infant deaths in 2017. Reducing infant mortality, and in particular, the racial disparities that impact it, is hard work," Dr. Arthur James, an OB-GYN and consultant to Cuyahoga Countys First Year Cleveland infant mortality initiative said in a release. Its work that will require policy change in areas such as transportation, health care and housing, among others, he said. If improvements are made in communities through policy changes, those improvements can in turn positively impact things like infant mortality rates. SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Impaired driving, Mayfield Road: A Cleveland man, 30, was arrested for OVI just before midnight Nov. 26 after he crashed his vehicle into a ditch. He was severely intoxicated and had to be taken to the hospital after stating that he wanted officers to shoot and kill him. He was also cited for failure to control and for driving with an expired license. General assistance, Warrensville Center Road: A Walmart employee said Nov. 23 that a 59-year-old customer had invaded his personal space by placing a hand on his shoulder. He said he reacted by shoving the customer away. He asked that the incident be documented should anything further arise. The customer was warned to stay away from the employee if he returned to the store. Theft, Bluestone Road: A resident said Nov. 25 that the temporary license tag was stolen off his vehicle overnight while the vehicle was parked in the driveway. Officers confirmed that the tag had been ripped from the vehicle. The resident could not suggest any possible suspects. Drug possession, Stonehaven Road: Officers checked on an occupied vehicle parked in the roadway Nov. 25 and found a Macedonia man, 27, in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The man lied about his identity and tried to drive away. He was subsequently arrested for resisting arrest and cited for drug charges and found to have no valid driver's license and several outstanding warrants. Theft, Mayfield Road: A woman reported Nov. 26 that her child's iPhone had been stolen from her coat pocket while the girl was attending a sporting event at St. John Lutheran Church. No suspects were identified. Fraud, Stilmore Road: A resident reported Nov. 26 that a total of $89.85 had been fraudulently taken out of her bank account over a span of three months. Domestic violence, Wilmington Road: A woman, 42, and her 18-year-old daughter were arrested at their home Nov. 27 and both charged with domestic violence. Aggravated menacing, Mayfield Road: Officers responded to the Marc's parking lot Nov. 27 for a disturbance between a man and his ex-girlfriend. The incident began when the woman, 21, refused to exit the man's vehicle. She subsequently called her family, and her brother made a threat over the phone to shoot the man. An investigation is pending. Robbery, Monticello Boulevard: A resident reported Nov. 28 that an unknown man had told her that he had been robbed in her driveway the previous day by her 18-year-old son. She said the man said did not report the incident to police and he only identified himself by a nickname. The incident was documented. Property damage, Plainfield Road: A resident reported Nov. 28 that a glass door was found broken at his home. There was no indication of what caused the damage. Theft, Warrensville Center Road: A Walmart employee was arrested at the store Nov. 29. The East Cleveland woman, 27, was suspected of stealing $520.64 worth of merchandise. Counterfeiting, Bayard Road: The staff at Rowland Elementary School reported Nov. 29 that they had recovered two $20 bills, marked replica, from a first-grade student. The principal said the child's parents would be notified. The bills were turned over to police. See more South Euclid news at Cleveland.com/Lyndhurst-south-euclid. If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio A 75-year-old woman was robbed of her purse in the parking lot of a church where she works, police said. The robbery happened about 7:30 a.m. Monday at St. Marys Church on Holmes Avenue in the citys Collinwood neighborhood. The woman told police she arrived at work at the church and saw a man cutting through the lot, police reports say. She got out of her car and was near the churchs entrance when the man ran up to her, grabbed her purse and ran off, police reports say. Cleveland police obtained security footage from the robbery and are asking for the publics help in identifying the man. Its the same church parking lot where St. Marys Pastor Fr. John Kumse was shot at Dec. 11, 2017. In that case, prosecutors said two 16-year-old gang members tried to rob Kumse, who was walking through the parking lot, and shot at him several times at close range as he ran for his life. Kumse was not hit by gunfire, but injured his arm falling down on the ice in the parking lot. Five juveniles are charged as adults with attempted murder in connection with the case. They have all pleaded not guilty and are scheduled for trial Dec. 10. To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comment section. AKRON, Ohio A suspect in one of two robberies at a Rite Aid store in the Kenmore neighborhood last weekend has been arrested, police say. Kenneth Schlegel, 41, of Akron, is being held in the Summit County Jail on a charge of robbery. He was taken into custody Tuesday at his home without incident by the U.S. Marshals Office. At 7 p.m. Friday, police were called to the store when workers spotted a man attempting to hide items under his shirt. A worker confronted the man and asked him to pull up his shirt. He refused, even as items were falling from the shirt, police say. The man tried to punch the worker then tried to escape through the front doors, but they were locked by another worker. The suspect pulled out a steel metal wire and stabbed a worker in the arm, then managed to leave the store through a rear door. The worker was not seriously injured. It was the second robbery at the Rite Aid on Friday. The suspect in a robbery attempt Friday morning was 6-foot to 6-foot-1, 160-170 pounds, 16 to 22 years old and was wearing a black hooded sweat shirt, black pants, light-colored boots and blue latex gloves. No arrests have been reported. To comment on this story please visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page. CLEVELAND, Ohio Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budishs administration said Wednesday that Budish has signed an agreement with the American Correctional Association to advise the county on how to address problems at the countys jails. County spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan said Budish met with the nationally recognized corrections consultants in Washington D.C. and proposes to pay the association $38,500 if County Council approves the agreement. The announcement comes two weeks after the public release of a report in which U.S. Marshals Service investigators documented inhumane treatment of inmates and other problems at the countys downtown jail and two satellite facilities. Earlier on Wednesday, the administration presented cleveland.com with a list detailing other steps the county has taken in response to the marshals report, which was released Nov. 21. The steps include: Juveniles held in the downtown county jail are now getting double portions of food and milk and a night-time. The marshals report found that children were previously not fed enough. Juveniles are now housed separately from adults. Marshals reported that juveniles has been held in areas that were within sight and earshot of adult inmates. Shower curtains have been added to all the showers that inmates use. The jail kitchen has been cleaned, and has adopted a regular cleaning schedule that is being monitored by jail staff. Vermin exterminators are scheduled to target specific areas in the kitchen every two weeks. The marshals found a vermin infestation in food areas. The county bought more than 1,000 food trays to replace old trays that the marshals said were smelly and oozed dirty, moldy water. The county also reported addressing issues not identified by the Marshals Service. They include: Juveniles inmates housed in the downtown jail will receive classes through Cleveland public schools. Renovations at the jail kitchen are underway. A vendor is being sought to run the kitchen. A vendor is being sought to provide food to the jail in instances when the jail kitchen is unable to prepare meals for inmates. The changes listed Wednesday do not address some of the more serious problems identified by the Marshals Services, including denying inmates access to showers and basic hygiene items. Sheriff Cliff Pinkney, who is in charge of the jail, told Cuyahoga County Council members on Tuesday that he expects to finalize the countys plan to address the problems at the jail by early next week. He also said he is awaiting the results of an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction inspection, and waiting to hear how other counties in Ohio staff their jails, to inform the countys plans. AKRON, Ohio A man escaped with cash after using a knife to rob a restaurant Tuesday night in the Firestone neighborhood. Police say the suspect entered Ms. Julies Kitchen at 1809 S. Main St. at about 7:30 p.m., just before closing. A worker was in a back room counting cash when the suspect pulled out a knife and demanded money. The man ran from the restaurant and headed south on South Main Street. Police say the man is 20 to 30 years old, 6-feet tall and 140 to 150 pounds. He was wearing a black hooded sweat shirt with the hood tied around his face over a black scarf. He also was wearing black pants and gloves. Anyone with information is asked to contact Akron police. To comment on this story please visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page. FOREST PARK, Ohio Authorities in southwest Ohio believe a 2-year-old boy could be in danger after he was taken by his non-custodial mother Wednesday night, reports say. Harper Hamm was wearing a green coat, green shirt, jeans and green and gray shoes when he was last seen with his mother, Priscilla Kavanaugh, at about 7 p.m., Fox 28 reports. He has brown hair, hazel eyes and is about 3-feet tall and 27 pounds. Kavanaugh was driving a dark blue 2008 Jeep Compass with an Ohio license plate of GNA7482. She was wearing a blue jean jacket, gray pants and brown UGG boots. WCPO Channel 9 reports that police say Kavanaugh has mental-health issues and has not been taking her medication. Theyre concerned she could be a danger to Harper. Anyone with information can call 911 or the Forest Park Police Department at 513-595-5220. Forest Park is located just north of Cincinnati. To comment on this story please visit Wednesdays crime and courts comments page. WASHINGTON, D.C. - General Motors CEO Mary Barra met with both Ohio's U.S. Senators and more than a half dozen of its House of Representatives members Wednesday as part of an effort to retain jobs at its Lordstown plant, which is slated for closure in March. But Barra wouldn't commit to building upcoming company models at the Ohio facility, telling reporters that the company is focusing on ensuring that employees affected by the layoffs have opportunities to work at the company's plants in Ohio, Michigan and Texas where jobs are available. When asked whether GM owes the region more after taxpayers bailed out the company, Barra said that the company has invested more than $22 billion in the United States since 2009. While it is grateful for the government assistance, Barra said GM needs to focus on being a good corporate citizen and continuing to provide jobs, and vehicles that customers want. "That is what I think is the most responsible thing we can do to thank the American taxpayers for what they did for us," said Barra. Barra said her company will continue to have a strong automotive presence in Ohio, with more than 4,000 workers. She said the Lordstown plant is being idled because of low demand for the Chevrolet Cruze it produces, not through any fault of its workers. "We are in an industry that is transforming faster than I have ever seen in my 38 year career," said Barra. "We're trying to make sure that General Motors is strong and that we're in a leadership position in the technologies like electrification, like autonomous vehicles, like connectivity because that's what customers want, that's where the industry is going. And a strong General Motors is the best way for me to provide and maintain the 90,000 plus jobs we have across the United States." U.S. Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown said they tried to persuade Barra to locate upcoming GM models at the plant, or bring back production from Mexico. Brown said he and Portman would fight to get a decision from GM "quicker, rather than later." "Just as this workforce has stood with General Motors over the years, we expect General Motors to stand with this workforce and give them a chance," said Portman, who said Ohio's congressional delegation is "very disappointed" by the decision to put the Lordstown plant on an "unallocated" status. Portman said he discussed the closure with Governor-elect Mike DeWine, Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta and President Donald Trump. He said Trump is "very committed to keeping this assembly plant in Ohio." "We're trying everything we can to ensure that these workers in Lordstown get the support they deserve now and are able to build another product," Portman said. "We're not asking for charity. What we're asking for is to give the community and workforce the opportunity to once again show what they can do." Niles-area Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan, who met with Barra along with a group of House Republicans from Ohio, said Barra indicated she will decide where new models are built after upcoming negotiations with the United Auto Workers union. "The union contracts will have a lot to do with it," said Ryan. Other Ohio members of Congress who met with Barra included Republicans Dave Joyce of Bainbridge Township, Jim Renacci of Wadsworth, Bob Gibbs of Holmes County, Jim Jordan of Champaign County, Warren Davidson of Miami County, Bill Johnson of Marietta, Bob Latta of Bowling Green, Troy Balderson of Zanesville, Steve Stivers of the Columbus area and Steve Chabot and Brad Wenstrup of the Cincinnati area. CLEVELAND, Ohio A registered sex offender is accused of fatally shooting a Shaker Heights man as he sat in car parked in a driveway. Jared Rainey, 24, is charged with aggravated murder in the Dec. 11, 2017 death of Douglas Clements. Rainey is not in police custody and a warrant was issued Wednesday for his arrest. The shooting happened about 8 p.m. on Dove Avenue near East 106th Street in the citys Union-Miles neighborhood. Clements, 39, was seated in a car with another man when Rainey drove up in an SUV and opened fire, according to police. Clements suffered several gunshots in the chest and later died at MetroHealth. The other man in the car was not injured, according to court records. Rainey in 2013 was sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual conduct with a 12-year-old girl, according to court records. In 2015, Rainey robbed the Key Bank in Cleveland Heights Coventry Village by threatening to shoot the teller and making off with $1,630 that he stuffed in a Looney Toons backpack. He was sentenced to two years in prison. Rainey also has convictions in 2017 for failing to register as a sex offender. He is currently serving a five-year probation sentence after he pleaded guilty in April for illegally possessing a gun in Bedford. To comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comment section. MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Burglary, Ragall Parkway: A woman who was watching her friend's home while the latter was away contacted police Dec. 1 when the home was burglarized. She told police that she had checked the house at 7:55 p.m. Nov. 30 and locked the door. When she returned 20 hours later, she unlocked the front door and found a TV missing and noticed a back door open. She then found jewelry and other items missing and called the owner. A responding officer noted that the rear door was pried open. The owner later gave police a list of stolen items, including rings, gold medallions and other items. She also gave them the names of possible suspects. Warrant, Engle Road: Police went to Days Inn at 1:19 a.m. Dec. 1 regarding a man who had difficulty breathing. They found the man on the floor in the lobby. He was unresponsive and having difficulty breathing. A woman with the man said he had been drinking, but that she did not believe he had taken any drugs that night. The man was administered Narcan and became alert and breathing better. He also insisted that he did not take drugs, only consumed alcohol. He was taken to the hospital. Police found that the man had several warrants for his arrest. Theft, Pearl Road: An employee of Cleveland Liquidation told police Nov. 15 that he went to work and had placed his black bag -- which contained his laptop, charger and mouse -- in the employee room at 10:45 a.m. At about 1:30 p.m., he saw a man go to the back room of the store to use the restrooms. He said the man looked "suspicious." After the man left, he decided to check the break room for his bag, which was now gone. Warrant, Bagley Road: An officer checked the license plate registration of a car at 10:16 p.m. Nov. 30. It showed that the driver had a warrant for his arrest out of Parma. The car pulled into the Red Roof Inn parking lot. The officer stopped it. The motorist gave the officer her driver's license and asked why she was stopped. He told her that the vehicle's owner had an active warrant for his arrest. She was not the owner. A passenger gave police his Social Security number, which showed that he had a warrant for his arrest out of Cuyahoga County. He was arrested. Theft, Lakeview Terrace: A man told police that someone had stolen a package that was delivered to his father's house Dec. 1. He told police that he was alerted about the theft after the boxes were found in a Brook Park neighborhood. A witness said he saw the boxes being thrown from a passing car. The victim had purchased a gimbal stabilizer, which was stolen from one of the boxes, online. He was told by the online company to report the theft in order for the company to investigate and try to have the man reimbursed for his purchase. Warrant, Interstate 71: While investigating a Nov. 28 crash, an officer found that one of the drivers had a warrant for her arrest. She was transported to a location where Garfield Heights police took custody of her. Weaving, Sheldon Road: An officer stopped a car after seeing it weave across the road several times at 12:06 a.m. Nov. 23. The driver said she was weaving due to the passenger, whom she had just picked up at a bar and was taking to her brother's house. She did not explain that statement further. The driver said she had had two beers at her brother's house. The officer administered field sobriety tests, which she failed. She refused a breath test. She was also charged with drunken driving and not wearing a seat belt. Theft, Smith Road: A resident went to the police station Nov. 19 and told an officer that he had driven home Nov. 16, gone inside for about 30 minutes and returned to his car. He then found several items missing from it, including his wife's laptop, related equipment and $6,637 in cash. The man said he had locked his car prior to going inside his home that day. He also said the car's door showed signs of forced entry. The officer was unable to check the car, which was at the man's house. The report was for insurance purposes. Theft of drugs, Pearl Road: Police were contacted Nov. 15 about a theft of prescription drugs at Royal Oak Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. Speeding, Interstate 71: An officer stopped a car on the highway at 2:09 a.m. Nov. 10 for going 80 mph in a 60 mph zone and weaving. The driver said he had had a few drinks at a local bar. The officer gave the suspect field sobriety tests, which he failed. He measured a .224 blood alcohol content level and was arrested. Possession of marijuana, Interstate 71: An officer stopped a car at 9:56 p.m. Nov. 24 that was speeding up to 80 mph on the highway. The driver told him he thought he was going about 75 mph, which was still higher than the 60 mph speed zone. The driver said he did not have his wallet with him. The officer had the man's name, which he checked. The officer smelled marijuana inside the car. The driver said he had a small bag of it under the passenger seat. The officer searched the car due to the suspicion of marijuana and found the bag the man had mentioned. The driver also was cited for speeding and not having his driver's license. SANDWICH, Illinois After 35 years, the hard lesson of Flick still has its doubters. An 11-year-old Illinois boy recently decided to test whether his tongue would stick to a frozen pole, inspired by Flick in the famous scene with a flagpole from A Christmas Story," the popular 1983 holiday movie that was partially filmed in Cleveland. The verdict: Yes, it does. According to the Beacon News, Spencer Cline and his buddy, Cole Leeper, 12, were heading to a sledding hill when they passed a metal pole by a fence. Cline was skeptical his tongue would stick, so he gave it a shot, even without a triple dog dare breach of etiquette from Leeper. Cole thought at first I was messing with him, Spencer tells the Beacon News. I told him no, its really stuck, but he at first couldnt understand what I was saying. When Leeper realized his friend was really stuck, he went to a nearby house to get Spencer some help. Just like in the movie, emergency crews were called to the scene, but by the time they arrived, Spencer had freed himself from the pole. He estimates he was stuck for about seven minutes. It really hurt and I would never do it again, Cline tells ABC News. Israeli street food and two cookbook authors who aim to capture its mystique, will be celebrated in a public program 7 p.m. Thursday, December 13, at the Mandel Jewish Community Center, 26001 South Woodland Road, Beachwood. The authors, James Beard Award-winning Philadelphia chef Michael Solomonov and restaurateur Steven Cook will discuss their book, Israeli Soul: Easy Essential and Delicious, in a program moderated by Doug Katz, chef and owner of Fire Food and Drink. The book has received a long line of praise, including this fall from the New York Times. The evening will also include book signings and light refreshments. Tickets are $25 ($20 for Mandel JCC members). A bundled ticket that includes the book is $36. The public also can buy $200 tickets to an earlier author meet-and-greet event, which includes hors doeuvres, the autographed book, reserved seating and admission to the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritages Israel: Then & Now, special exhibition in which Solomonov is featured. The museum is co-sponsor of the Mandel JCC event. Traditional Israeli street food, according to the events announcement, comprises the spirit and flavors of Israeli cuisine and includes recipes passed on from generation to generation usually only found in tiny eateries, hole-in-the-wall restaurants or market stalls. That may include falafel, shawarma and kabobs, the authors have said in interviews, but it is also interwoven with the history of Judaism and the journey of its people. Solomonov and Cook, business partners, have a small empire of restaurants that started in 2008 with Zahav, a modern Israeli restaurant in Philadelphia. From there, Solomonov won James Beard awards for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic in 2011, and for Outstanding Chef, a national award, in 2017. Their first cookbook, "Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking," won Beard awards in the international cookbook category and for book of the year. Solomonov, who was born in Israel and grew up in Pittsburgh, went on to appear in the film In Search of Israeli Cuisine. Their other restaurants include Federal Donuts, the world's first fried chicken and donut shop; Dizengoff, the hummus restaurant named for one of Tel Aviv's most iconic streets; Abe Fisher, the American-Jewish small restaurant; Goldie, the vegan falafel shop; and the philanthropic venture the Rooster. One hundred percent of Rooster's profits go toward funding the mission of Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative, where Philadelphia's most vulnerable citizens receive food, social services and the hospitality of a well-cooked meal. Read their views on Israeli food. COLUMBUS, Ohio The Ohio General Assembly passed a firearm bill Thursday, but with a removed provision commonly known as stand your ground that had been in the original version of the legislation. House Bill 228 passed the Senate Thursday afternoon largely along party lines, after a committee had heavily amended the bill earlier in the day. Shortly before 7 p.m. in the House, the representatives adopted the Senates version of the bill. This is still a strong Second Amendment bill, even though some things came out of it," bill sponsor Rep. Terry Johnson, a Republican from Scioto County told his colleagues on the House floor as he urged them to accept the Senates changes. The bill now heads to Gov. John Kasich, who had vowed to veto a stand-your-ground measure Its unclear what he will do now that the bill has changed. Stand your ground Current Ohio law states gun owners have a duty to retreat if possible before using self-defense in a life-threatening situation. The provision that was removed would have eliminated that duty. Opponents say stand your ground would give people permission to shoot anyone. The bill doesnt change Ohios castle doctrine, which allows gun owners to use force in their homes or vehicles in self-defense against people who are unlawfully inside. Whats left in the bill? In H.B. 228, the burden of proof in a self-defense shooting shifts. Ohio law requires the gun owner to prove he is innocent, that he was in a situation in which the shooting was lawful and in self-defense. But in the countrys other 49 states, the law specifies that the prosecution has to prove the gun owner broke the law in a self-defense shooting. Supporters of the bill say the change is necessary. But Sen. John Eklund, a Geauga County Republican, hypothetically asked colleagues in the chamber whether, if the other 49 states decided to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge, Ohio should follow. Eklund said he hasnt been provided compelling evidence that the state needs to shift the burden of proof. To be blunt, the committee was sold a bill of goods on this issue, he said, referring to the Senate committee that voted to advance the bill to the Senate floor Thursday morning. Eklund broke from his party and voted against the bill. The bill also would prohibit straw man purchases in which someone purchases a gun on behalf of someone else, which would mirror federal law. Kasich has called for this prohibition. People involved in such transactions can be charged with a third-degree felony. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Time is running out on a controversial bill banning abortions when a fetal heartbeat is detected, raising questions about whether the measure will become Ohio law. On Thursday morning, Ohio Senate Health, Human Services and Medicaid Committee had convened for an expected vote on House Bill 258, which could have advanced the bill to the Senate floor later in the day. But committee chairman Sen. David Burke said there were several amendments and lawmakers needed more time to study them. Ohioans on both sides of the abortion debate had believed H.B. 258 would repeat the journey a similar measure took in 2016: Passage by the Ohio General Assembly, then a veto by Gov. John Kasich. But this year, supporters had hoped that, with even more Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly than two years ago, there would be the votes to override any Kasich veto. Now, that plan is in question. Based on the short timeline that we received the bill from the House, we wanted to make sure people had ample time to testify," said John Fortney, the GOP spokesman in the Senate. The timeline The 132nd General Assembly officially ends Dec. 31, although legislative leadership in the two chambers have said they are likely to end by Dec. 19 or sooner. The first day of the 133rd General Assembly, in which a number of newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in, will be Jan. 7. If lawmakers pass H.B. 258, Gov. John Kasich would get up to 10 days to sign it -- excluding Sundays -- veto it or allow it to become law without his signature. Then lawmakers would have to return to Columbus and override the veto, which requires votes of three-fifths of the members of each chamber. It would be up to the members, obviously, but if it was passed theoretically next week, I think it would come back (for a veto override) before the end of the year," Fortney said. "It would be after Christmas. That may be a tall order, however. During the holidays, some lawmakers travel outside the state, meaning many Republicans may not make it back to Columbus for an override vote. Philosophically, many lawmakers consider veto overrides a tool that must be used sparingly. Therefore, many lawmakers will vote in favor of a bill but later in opposition of a veto override. Ohio Senate President Larry Obhof said Wednesday evening there is a lot of support among members of his caucus for the bill. My anticipation is well pass it at some point, he said. Obhof wouldnt go into details about whether the Senate has the requisite 20 votes necessary for the chamber to override a veto. Well see, whether there is an override, he said. The bill Abortion rights defenders call the bill a six-week ban because a fetal heartbeat can be detected as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. A heartbeat can be detected even before a woman is aware shes pregnant. Supporters of the bill say the legislation is intended to protect human life. Some supporters also hope the bill tests the new makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court. The (bill) will provide the Supreme Court with an opportunity to modify its abortion jurisprudence so that Congress and the states may protect those unborn children who are virtually certain to be born, said David F. Forte in written remarks to the committee on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the committee listened to opponent testimony, including from Ellen Schleckman, a Cleveland native and fourth-year medical student pursuing a career in obstetrics and gynecology. She said the bill would interfere with a doctor giving the best care to patients and will result in fewer physicians wanting to practice in Ohio. I want Ohios fantastic health care systems to recruit talented womens health care physicians from across the country, physicians who will bring our institutions research dollars, find innovative solutions to combat our disparities and provide high quality care to our communities, she said. Sen. Charleta Tavares, who opposed the bill, asked several opponents who testified about state support after a woman delivers a baby. Do you feel the government would be there for them and their children with services they might need housing, employment, substantive services such as Medicaid, etc.? Because we know African Americans and women of color are women who have been painted as welfare queens, she asked one person who testified. Sen. Peggy Lehner, who supports the bill, had a different line of questioning. Do you know how many times the Supreme Court upheld segregation laws before it stuck them down? she asked a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. She later added that she hoped the fate of fetuses in the high court would be as successful for the unborn as it was for the African American. Abortion is currently illegal after around 20 weeks in Ohio. The Ohio General Assembly previously passed and Gov. John Kasich signed the 20-week ban, called the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. It went into effect in March. It prohibits abortions 20 weeks or more after fertilization, or about 22 weeks into a pregnancy as measured by physicians. NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio lawyers are considering filing suit over the 20-week ban, said the organizations spokesman Gabriel Mann. WASHINGTON, D.C. - Voting largely along party lines, the U.S. Senate on Thursday approved Chagrin Falls native Kathleen Kraninger to become the new head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The agency established by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was founded to protect consumers from unfair, deceptive or abusive practices and take action against companies that break the law. Its last director Democrat Richard Cordray left to make an unsuccessful bid for Ohio governor. Kraninger has been a staffer for three congressional committees and held leadership posts at the federal departments of Transportation and Homeland Security. Since 2017, shes been an Office of Management and Budget associate director where she oversaw roughly $250 billion in resources for 37 federal departments and agencies, including the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Kathy Kraninger is unqualified, and has refused to answer questions time and time again. From what we do know about her record, she certainly doesnt sound like someone whod stand with seniors, servicemembers, and students as @CFPB Director. Working families deserve better. pic.twitter.com/QTp42uWqpx Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) December 6, 2018 During college, Kraninger held an internship with her hometown congressman Democrat Sherrod Brown who vocally opposed her nomination when it came before the Senate Banking Committee. At Kraningers confirmation hearing, Brown said she has no experience whatsoever in consumer protection. He also said shes been involved in the management of one disastrous policy after another, as agencies whose budgets she supervised botched the federal response to Puerto Ricos hurricanes and implemented controversial policies like separating immigrant children from their families at the border. We joined 100+ groups in urging senators to reject Kathy Kraninger to lead @CFPB. Kraninger played a central role in administering the inhumane policy of separating thousands of children from their parents. Those responsible for this tragedy deserve to be punished, not promoted. pic.twitter.com/LIxQThRetr The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) November 28, 2018 More than 100 organizations including the NAACP, AFL-CIO and National Organization for Women signed onto a letter that urged the Senate to oppose Kraninger because of her role in the family separation policy. Brown said Kraningers boss at the budgetary agency, former South Carolina congressman Mick Mulvaney, undermined the CFPBs watchdog role and catered to industry since he took temporary control of the consumer agency after Cordrays departure. Brown contends Kraninger would follow in Mulvaneys footsteps. Ohio Republican Senator Rob Portman backed Kraningers nomination. I was impressed with her during our meeting, said a statement from Portman. We had a good conversation about her priorities for the agency and the need to strike the right balance between necessary consumer protection and proper regulation. Business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce supported Kraninger. Read @USChamber letter of support of Kathy Kraninger to be the next Director of the @CFPB https://t.co/4Fyy9iZu3T pic.twitter.com/VJiEJ4weNz Capital Markets (@USChamberCCMC) November 27, 2018 Sample HTML block Since its creation, the Bureau has been beset by managerial shortfalls and has not been a transparent agency, said a letter the groups executive vice president wrote to the banking committee. Ms. Kraningers experience would serve her well as the Director of the Bureau, especially as it aims to be a more transparent and accountable agency. During her confirmation hearing, Kraninger said shes committed to fulfilling the CFPBs mandate to ensure all consumers have access to markets for consumer financial products and services that are fair, transparent, and competitive. As agency chief, she said her priorities will include making its actions transparent and fair, working closely with financial regulators in the states on supervision and enforcement, protecting data in its possession, and being accountable to Congress. Throughout my career, I have focused on implementing common sense solutions to complex problems and delivering real value for the American people, Kraninger told the Banking Committee. While I will not prejudge and cannot predict every decision that will come before me, as director, if confirmed, I can assure you that I will focus solely on serving the American people. Members of Cuyahoga County Council are right to be angry and to demand answers and a new way forward from the administration of County Executive Armond Budish to correct shocking conditions at the County Jail. But talk of reverting to electing a sheriff -- as Council President Dan Brady and Councilman Mike Gallagher did Tuesday night -- is neither wise nor helpful. County voters in their 2009 anti-corruption reform charter switched from an elected to an appointed sheriff subject to legislative confirmation for a reason -- to vest accountability and responsibility clearly and unambiguously in the county executive and the 11-member County Council. Electing the sheriff is also the wrong answer to a jail reform challenge that requires a professional steeped in knowledge about modern jail design -- not a political hack. Nor is electing the sheriff a guarantee of wise stewardship or clear-cut accountability. Quite the reverse, especially in this county that's so dominated by one political party -- where elections can, and did, under the former corrupt Democratic leadership, merely enshrine the party's choices in office, with all that that insider political dealing implied. That ingrained corruption extended to the county's last elected sheriff, convicted felon Gerald McFaul, whose more than 32 years in the sheriff's office ended in disgrace and resignation. Instead, Budish holds the key to a solution - in consultation with County Council and the public. That solution is urgently needed. The U.S. Marshals Service has found "inhumane" conditions at the jail, where seven inmates died in a four-month span earlier this year. The Marshals' report, requested by Budish, painted a deeply disturbing picture of clueless county leadership as a rogue squad of corrections officers mistreated prisoners and withheld food as punishment. One CO is under investigation for possibly contributing to the death of one of the seven inmates. Awaiting a bond hearing or trial should not be a death sentence. But that's today's reality for some at County Jail. No wonder Brady and others on County Council lashed out Tuesday at the lack of a comprehensive plan to fix things from Budish and his team. Yes, Budish needs to act, and act soon. Fortunately, the Budish administration has now taken some important steps to address jail problems, including by seeking to secure outside expertise for a thorough assessment of problems and a comprehensive game plan moving forward. The county revealed Wednesday it's struck a tentative consultancy deal, subject to council approval, with the American Correctional Association (ACA), which was founded in Cincinnati 149 years ago and is now based in Washington, D.C. It describes itself as "the oldest association developed specifically for practitioners in the correctional profession." The county also has moved juveniles at the jail away from the adult population and improved their food while also providing access to schooling and shower curtains in all units, according to a Wednesday statement from the county. The county also has taken steps to clean up the jail kitchen, reported in the Marshals' report to have filthy walls and food trays with a vermin infestation in food preparation areas. County Council still has to approve the proposed $38,500 agreement with the ACA. Any consultant the county hires also needs to be able to do a comprehensive systems analysis of how best to solve the interlocking problems of poor jail design, insufficient staff and inadequate planning for the consequences of adding all of the city of Cleveland's jail inmates. The county's moves Wednesday show it is beginning to take action to address urgent concerns. The best way forward on the jail is not to throw out charter reforms to elect a sheriff, but rather to bring in the experts who know how to fix jails, and who can craft an action plan to correct Cuyahoga County's serious jail deficiencies quickly -- and comprehensively. About our editorials: Editorials express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization. Have something to say about this topic? * Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication. * Email general questions about our editorial board or comments on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com. * Use the comments to share your thoughts. Then, stay informed when readers reply to your comments by using the "Follow" option at the top of the comments, & look for updates via the small blue bell in the lower right as you look at more stories on cleveland.com. School district leaders are sounding the alarm that a Trump administration proposal about the impact of immigrants use of federal benefit programs on their attempts to become permanent residents would place an unfair and significant burden on public education. Heres some background: The issue involves whats known as public charge, which Washington uses to determine if an immigrant seeking to become a permanent U.S. resident is likely to become primarily dependent on the federal government for subsistence. In the past, if immigrants were deemed likely to access programs like Temporary Asisstance for Needy Families and Supplemental Social Security, it could undermine their attempts at permanent residency. However, the Trump administration wants to expand the scope of public charge. Under its proposal, programs like the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (more commonly known as food stamps), Medicaid, Medicare Part D, and some housing programs would also be added to the list. The Trump administration says its plan would ensure that more immigrants seeking to become permanent residents wouldnt burden the federal governments welfare programs. Those seeking to immigrate to the United States must show they can support themselves financially, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said in a statement earlier this year. The department is also seeking comment on whether it should add the Childrens Health Insurance Program (known as CHIP) to the list of programs that would fall under the new rules for public charge. Last month, the Migration Policy Institute, which opposes Trumps proposed rule, estimated that 69 percent of individuals who received permanent legal status from 2012 to 2016 would have had one new negative factor counted against them in their applications for green cards under the proposed change to public charge. We wrote about the issue in October . The Trump administrations proposal includes a carve-out so that those who access school-based Medicaid services wouldnt have it count against them under the revised rules for public charge. (Medicaid is the third-largest source of federal funds for schools.) And its important to remember that simply accessing public benefits wouldnt automatically bar immigrants from becoming permanent residents. The rule also wouldnt apply to undocumented immigrants, who are already ineligible for most forms of public assistance. But a group representing school officials is strongly opposed to the idea. AASA, the School Superintendents Association, says that even with an exception made for school-based Medicaid services, the plan would ultimately create a chilling effect in the immigrant community, leading fewer immigrants and by extension their children to rely on benefits programs in general. Among other things, the group says the plan would make it less likely for the school-age children of these immigrants to enroll in CHIP regardless of whether CHIP is ultimately included in the new DHS public charge rule. Without the support of programs like CHIP, these children would increasingly rely on schools to provide services they might have otherwise received from benefits programs, AASA argues. And children that go without services provided by federal benefit programs could ultimate experience developmental and learning delays. Ultimately, this could lead to less successful educational outcomes for children if schools or Medicaid cannot address the health-care impediments to learning, Daniel Domenech, AASAs executive director, said in the groups comment submitted to the Department of Homeland Security. Nancy Wagner, the superintendent of the River Trails district in Illinois, about 25 miles outside of Chicago, said if more of her children lose their access to food stamps as a result of the Trump administrations plan, the disrict cant make up the difference. The districts summer food programs for children, she noted as an example, dont even run all summer. Wagner said she wasnt sure how many children in her district had parents who could be impacted by the proposal. A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that if the public charge rule goes into effect, Medicaid and CHIP could lose anywhere from 2.1 million to 4.9 million people who are enrolled across the two programs, AASA notes. She compared the chilling effect the proposal would have to raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement a few years ago that, she said, led fewer families in her district to apply for free and reduced-price meals. (Wagner says the district now uses community eligibility, taking the burden off individual families to apply for those meal benefits.) We dont have a community partnership where we can provide kids with a higher level of health care, Wagner said. The pressure it would put on us to provide additional care during school time ... theres no way we could afford that. Its not like theres additional funding coming our way. The window for the public to comment on the proposal closes Dec. 10. Photo: President Donald Trump in 2017 (Andrew Harnik/AP) Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Richwood, TX (77531) Today Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 46F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Mostly clear skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 46F. Winds light and variable. Former President George W. Bush walks past President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former first lady Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter at the state funeral for former President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters For about three hours on Wednesday, official Washington felt like it had "before." Before the Russians tried to steal the 2016 election. Before every budget deadline came wrapped in a shutdown threat. Before FBI agents were made out to be the bad guys, and convicted felons were labeled heroes. Back when you could make lighthearted jokes about powerful people without drawing their public wrath. Back when politicians still liked and respected the journalists who covered them and the authors who wrote books about them. And back when American presidents were still genuinely liked and admired by the leaders of other countries. Wednesday's state funeral for the late President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral both looked and sounded like an episode of "The West Wing," set in an idealized Washington, D.C., of 20 years ago, and not the city that exists today. It was a more innocent time and a more eloquent one. Everywhere during the Bush funeral, there were visceral reminders of what Washington used to be like. And not just in the days before President Donald Trump trampled sacred political norms also before the Great Recession, and before Twitter and the tea party and the 9/11 attacks. For a few hours, party loyalties seemed to melt away. Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas hugged Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, W.Va. Outgoing Republican Sen. Jeff Flake brought his sons up to the front of the chapel to meet former President Barack Obama, a Democrat with whom Flake regularly butted heads during Obama's time in office. President George W. Bush walked over and gave former first lady Michelle Obama a cough drop, after she joked earlier this year about how often the two of them were seated together at official events and how the younger Bush was always generous with the cough drops in his pocket. This warm sense of nostalgia flowed from the pews into the eulogies, where the late president was remembered by his son as a true optimist. "The horizons he saw were genuinely bright and hopeful," said George W. Bush, before recalling how his father had taught him and his siblings "that one can serve with integrity and hold fast to the important values, like faith and family." The late president was also eulogized by his biographer, the historian Jon Meacham, who both praised his courage in combat and noted some of Bush's flaws his insatiable ambition, for example. This shouldn't have seemed strange, for a biographer to eulogize a president. But in an era when the most popular books about the president are embarrassing tell-alls whose releases are marked by threats of lawsuits by the president's own dedicated story-quashing attorney, Meacham's presence was noteworthy and almost quaint. Even the humor, much of which was delivered during a tribute by former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., seemed to belong to a bygone era. Simpson told self-deprecating jokes about his years in Washington, quipping that he had gone from the "social A-list to the Z-list." He also recalled how Bush, his lifelong friend, loved to tell jokes, but "he could never, never remember a punchline. I mean never." "He was a man of such great humility," Simpson said, before joking, "Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C., are not bothered by heavy traffic." To be sure, Washington has never been a hotbed of humility. Still, it's not difficult to make the case that pride is having a major moment in U.S. politics right now. And not just in the United States. Trump's "America First" agenda and populist platform has been a catalyst and an example for nationalist and conservative populist movements around the world, from Italy and Hungary to Brazil and the Philippines. But one place nationalism most certainly didn't appear was at the Bush funeral, where former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney recalled Bush's greatest foreign policy achievements. They were all, to the letter, born of multinational cooperation and underpinned by universal ideals. First the peaceful dismantling of the Soviet Union, then the first Gulf War to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, then the North American Free Trade Agreement. "When George Bush was president of the United States of America, every single head of government in the world knew they were dealing with a true gentleman, a genuine leader one who was distinguished, resolute and brave," Mulroney said. Again, it was difficult to hear Mulroney praise the virtues of multinational coalitions without being reminded of Trump's oft-stated distrust of international organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union. President Donald Trump with first lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and former first lady Hillary Clinton, former President Jimmy Carter and first lady Rosalynn Carter at the state funeral for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush at the Washington National Cathedral. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters All of this went unsaid during the service, of course, as the Bush family projected warmth and openness on one side of the center aisle. On the other, Trump sat stony-faced at the end of a row filled with former presidents and first ladies, nearly all of whom he has personally insulted. Leave it to Simpson, however, to put two of the values Bush exemplified into the context of today's politics. "Hatred corrodes the container it's carried in," he said at the funeral and again shortly afterward, on CNBC. "And humor is the universal solvent against the abrasive elements of life." "They ought to learn this around this joint," Simpson told CNBC. "Life is really not all chaos and 24/7 news. It's called silence and meditation and reflection and, for God's sake, it's clarity. It's not about complexity and confusion. You've got to sort out the crap. It'd be a good thing for them to start doing." Democratic rising star Beto O'Rourke's team has been fielding calls from senior operatives who worked on President Barack Obama's campaign in the pivotal states of Iowa and New Hampshire as the Texas congressman considers running for president in 2020, CNBC has learned. Led by chief of staff David Wysong, O'Rourke's inner circle has been engaging with political players from the states, which hold the earliest contests of the presidential primary season. These people include leaders of Obama's campaign operations in the states, according to multiple people with knowledge of the conversations. While people close to O'Rourke insist that the discussions have not led to any hires, a former senior Obama administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it is clear O'Rourke will have the consultants in place to help guide him if he chooses to make a run for the White House. "This is the phase for someone exploring a presidential campaign in that they're doing everything they can to decide who they may want to run an organization and who they could turn to if he enters the race," the former Obama aide said. O'Rourke is fresh off a surprisingly close defeat at the hands of GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in reliably Republican Texas. He has been credited with lifting fellow Texas Democrats in House races to victory last month as the party flipped about 40 seats to take the majority. O'Rourke broke fundraising records and galvanized young voters in his Senate campaign, a possible indication of the kind of appeal Democrats will need to take on President Donald Trump. Yet, the fact that he lost a statewide race is giving some in the Democratic Party pause about a potential O'Rourke run. "You don't promote a loser," Chicago Mayor and former Obama White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said recently. Read more: Beto O'Rourke's donors and supporters are prodding him to run in 2020 Momentum for a potential O'Rourke 2020 campaign appears to be building, nonetheless. Wysong, the congressman's chief of staff, talked as recently as this week with a former co-chair of Obama's New Hampshire organization, according to a person with direct knowledge of the phone call. According to this person, who declined to be named in this story, the former Obama campaign official reached out to Wysong and offered advice on how to navigate the state if O'Rourke were to jump into the race. "It was a very cordial and preliminary conversation," this person explained. They discussed some of the oddities, as well as the political hurdles, that Democrats face when running for president in New Hampshire, according to people briefed on the matter. In Iowa, O'Rourke's contingent has heard from Troy Price, chairman of the state's Democratic Party. Price served as Obama's Iowa political director during the president's 2012 re-election campaign. Hours after publication, and repeated attempts to contact him, Price on Thursday denied he had heard from anyone on O'Rourke's team. Iowa and New Hampshire are two of the first hurdles for anyone looking to become their party's nominee for president. Obama won the 2008 Iowa caucuses but lost the New Hampshire primary to Hillary Clinton. In 2016, Clinton won Iowa but lost New Hampshire on her way to defeating Sen. Bernie Sanders to become the party's nominee. Wysong referred a CNBC inquiry to O'Rourke's campaign spokesman, Chris Evans, who declined to comment. Presidential buzz for O'Rourke started taking hold while he was on the campaign trail this year, but he responded by saying he wouldn't run. Recently, however, O'Rourke said he is no longer ruling out a presidential bid. The buzz around him has only grown since Election Day. A key New Hampshire Democratic group invited him to the state to meet voters and strategists. Supporters and donors, meanwhile, are encouraging him to run for Senate again in 2020 or set his sights on the White House. A requirement for new homes built in California starting in 2020 to include solar rooftop panels is now formally part of the state's building code. It follows approval Tuesday by the California Building Standards Commission of a plan endorsed in May by a state energy panel. The action by the state building standards commission came in a unanimous 8-0 vote and makes California the first state in the nation to mandate solar-energy installations on most single-family homes as well as multi-family residential buildings up to three stories, including condos and apartment complexes. However, the solar rule has raised concerns the cost to build new homes will soar and further erode home affordability statewide. The solar requirement is expected to add on average about $9,500 to the cost of new houses but is projected to be offset by about $19,000 in energy savings over a 30-year period, according to the California Energy Commission. Back in May, the energy policy and planning agency approved the requirement for solar panels for most new California homes built starting in 2020. "Today's unanimous vote was the culmination of more than two years of work by SEIA, it's partner organizations and of course policy makers in the Golden State," said Sean Gallagher, vice president of state affairs for the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade association of the solar energy industry. "We hope other states will look at what California has done and consider similar policies to encourage clean and low cost solar energy." The state has estimated that solar standards applying to most homes and many commercial structures could save California residents and businesses millions in energy costs. The new standards require solar photovoltaics on new residential single-family buildings and multifamily buildings up to three stories high. "While per capita electricity consumption in the U.S. has increased steadily over the last 40 years, California's per capita consumption has remained flat, due in large measure to building and appliance efficiency standards," California Energy Commission Executive Director Drew Bohan said in remarks Tuesday before the building standards panel in support of the new solar mandate. "The new standards presented today will guide the construction of buildings that will continue to keep costs down, better withstand the impacts of climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions." The approved standards still allow new home construction to continue with some natural gas but the state is pushing to reduce gas need over time and facilitate a shift to high-efficiency electric appliances, such as heat pump water heaters. "These highly energy efficient and solar-powered homes will save families money on their energy bills from the moment they walk through their front door," said Kelly Knutsen, director of technology advancement for the California Solar and Storage Association, an industry trade group. "Homebuyers will also have a solar plus storage option, allowing their home-grown clean energy to work for them day and night." The California Building Industry Association estimates that only 15 to 20 percent of the single-family homes built in California have solar panel installations. At least seven cities in the state, including San Francisco, already have solar mandates of one form or another on new buildings. Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, is facing extradition to the United States and her arrest could rekindle tensions between Washington and Beijing only days after they agreed to a ceasefire in a bitter trade war. China's embassy in Canada criticized Canada and the United States on Thursday for wrongfully arresting a senior executive at Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and demanded her immediate release. Meng was arrested in Canada on Dec. 1. Her arrest is related to violations of U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the violations. The Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Canada said that it resolutely opposes Meng's arrest and demands her immediate release. "The Canadian police, at the request of the United States, arrested a Chinese citizen who had not violated any U.S. or Canadian law," the embassy said in a short statement on its website. "China has already made solemn representations to the United States and Canada, demanding they immediately correct their wrong behaviour and restore Ms Meng Wanzhou's freedom." A court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Meng is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. Huawei is strategically important to China's ambitions in technology from 5G networks to chips. Western governments are increasingly wary of what they say is possible Chinese state involvement in fifth-generation mobile and other communications networks. Huawei has insisted Beijing has no influence over the company. Huawei's smaller rival ZTE Corp had to temporarily halt much of its business earlier this year after the U.S. imposed an export ban on the company related to it illegally shipping U.S.-origin goods to Iran and North Korea. Hackers behind a massive breach at hotel group Marriott International left clues suggesting they were working for a Chinese government intelligence gathering operation, according to sources familiar with the matter. Marriott said last week that a hack that began four years ago had exposed the records of up to 500 million customers in its Starwood hotels reservation system. Private investigators looking into the breach have found hacking tools, techniques and procedures previously used in attacks attributed to Chinese hackers, said three sources who were not authorized to discuss the company's private probe into the attack. That suggests that Chinese hackers may have been behind a campaign designed to collect information for use in Beijing's espionage efforts and not for financial gain, two of the sources said. While China has emerged as the lead suspect in the case, the sources cautioned it was possible somebody else was behind the hack because other parties had access to the same hacking tools, some of which have previously been posted online. Identifying the culprit is further complicated by the fact that investigators suspect multiple hacking groups may have simultaneously been inside Starwood's computer networks since 2014, said one of the sources. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not return requests for comment. If investigators confirm that China was behind the attack, that could complicate already tense relations between Washington and Beijing, amid an ongoing tariff dispute and U.S. accusations of Chinese espionage and the theft of trade secrets. Marriott spokeswoman Connie Kim declined to comment, saying "We've got nothing to share," when asked about involvement of Chinese hackers. Marriott disclosed the hack on Friday, prompting U.S. and UK regulators to quickly launch probes into the case. Compromised customer data included names, passport numbers, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and email addresses. A small percentage of accounts included scrambled payment card data, said Kim. Marriott acquired Starwood in 2016 for $13.6 billion, including the Sheraton, Westin, W Hotels, St. Regis, Aloft, Le Meridien, Tribute, Four Points and Luxury Collection hotel brands, forming the world's largest hotel operator. The hack began in 2014, shortly after an attack on the U.S. government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) compromised sensitive data on tens of millions of employees, including application forms for security clearances. White House National Security advisor John Bolton recently told reporters he believed Beijing was behind the OPM hack, a claim first made by the United States in 2015. Beijing has strongly denied those charges and also refuted charges that it was behind other hacks. Former senior FBI official Robert Anderson told Reuters that the Marriott case looked similar to hacks that the Chinese government was conducting in 2014 as part of its intelligence operations. "Think of the depth of knowledge they could now have about travel habits or who happened to be in a certain city at the same time as another person," said Anderson, who served as FBI executive assistant director until 2015. "It fits with how the Chinese intelligence services think about things. It's all very long range," said Anderson, who was not involved in investigating the Marriott case and is now a principal with Chertoff Group. Michael Sussmann, a former senior Department of Justice official for its computer crimes section, said that the long duration of the campaign was an indicator that the hackers were seeking data for intelligence and not information to use in cyber crime schemes. "One clue pointing to a government attacker is the amount of time the intruders were working quietly inside the network," he said. "Patience is a virtue for spies, but not for criminals trying to steal credit card numbers." FBI representatives could not immediately be reached for comment on the evidence linking the attack to China. A spokesperson said on Friday that the agency was looking into the attack, but declined to elaborate. Correction: This report has been updated to reflect that hackers were in the Starwood network since 2014. Marriott did not acquire Starwood until 2016. Below is the transcript of a CNBC Exclusive interview with Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar Energy Minister. The interview was first broadcast on CNBC on December 6. All references must be sourced to a "CNBC Interview'. Interviewed by CNBC's Hadley Gamble HADLEY GAMBLE (HG): Thank you so much for joining CNBC. I want to kick off with Qatar's decision to leave OPEC. Walk me through the reasons behind that decision. Saad al-Kaabi (SAK): We've been really contemplating this decision for some time now for a few months. We've been looking at the activity we're planning and expanding our gas business and really evaluating the value of us being an opaque as a small producer and how much we're going in the gas business. And that really resulted in us deciding that gas business is our future and our strategy and that's where we're growing. And we didn't see ourselves fitting anymore. HG: And your Excellency, you've been a member of our pack for almost six decades. And today no one really believes it's just about diversification and focusing on the gas. Most people would say this has to do with the rift with Saudi Arabia. What's your response to that? SAK: I'm a new minister that has just been appointed almost a month ago. I have been involved in the oil and gas business for more than 30 years. I have been known as somebody that has worked on the gas business and promoting gas business with my previous bosses if you will and Qatar Petroleum and ex ministers and gas business is really the thing that drives our strategy our growth and everything that we're doing. And as a gas man if you will and I'm looking at the gas business as the most important thing for Qatar in the future of Qatar I thought that that was an important thing. Really focus and just keep driving on the gas business. And I suggested to our leadership that we should exit OPEC. I know people would love to politicize this and they have politicized it and I see media and a lot of people even my country when you look at some of the media have been politicizing this because they don't know really the facts and the fact is the absolute truth is that this has been done on a methodical way of looking at strategy and looking at what's our business going forward. HG: And when you look at the politics of this there is a lot of conversation not just about Qatar but also obviously about Iran about the growing relationship between Saudi Arabia and Russia when it comes to energy markets. How worried are you about what you've seen over the last six to 12 months? SAK: Energy is very important for everybody around the world. It's the most important thing for humankind. I mean we need electricity we need cars. We need transportation of all forms to be a really functioning. So we need a very good energy mix between oil, gas, renewables, nuclear a lot of things that were the people working on of course gas is the oil. A lot of people call it the transition fuel. We believe it's really the destination fuel as the cleanest fossil fuel available to everybody that wants to use fuels. And we see that as the most important element really going forward. Anything else really is something that will be important in the future. But as a percentage of the energy mix if you will gas is going to be dominating the future. I know that a lot of rifts and the political things that are happening around the world are affecting the energy industry and that's quite disturbing in some sense. And I hate to see any restriction of oil and gas movements whether it's political moves, tariffs, additional tariffs. I think we need supply and demand to dominate what will happen to the market, not political influence. HG: So you would say then that the sanctions on Iran are not necessary. SAK: No I don't think the sanctions on Iran as a technocrat speaking now you know looking away from politics. And I think the implications of putting a sanction on Iran and stopping oil flowing from it is not good for the energy business. I think having a free flow of oil and liquids and gas from all countries to all countries and having supply demand dominate that is a much better outcome for humankind around the world. In addition to that I think putting tariffs on LNG whether it's know LNG coming out of the US by China or anybody else is not also beneficial although I'm an LNG supplier and it's good for me as a Qatari LNG competing with U.S. LNG if it is penalized with penalties but I don't think that's good long term because we are also contemplating producing gas from the US and exporting gas from the US in the form of LNG without partners to everyone around the world so I think free flow of all energy is good for the market. If we're looking for better fuel prices for the future, I know that the US is looking for instance for better oil prices. President Trump keeps tweeting regarding oil prices being lower. I think if we make sure that everybody can get their volumes to the market including Iran and that will be serving that purpose. HG: Given what we've seen over the last several months in particular there's a conversation that happened again and again at meetings like this one is OPEC still relevant. What's your take? SAK: I think OPEC is an organization that has reduced in strength if you will with time due to the growth of many producers like the US itself. Russia is a very large producer. So I don't think OPEC looking at the percentage of the market share that it has is as strong as it used to be. HG: Does that mean that we need to look for some other kind of organization a new one perhaps to find that market balance? SAK: I'm not for organizations as again, as a technocrat, I think organizations that have restriction of flow to the market are not something that I endorse. HG: Well not necessarily restricting the flow but certainly trying to balance the market. SAK: I think if you let supply demand work it will balance the market and I think the more the cheapest projects will be able to function and economics will drive projects happening in the market and I think you leave it letting supply and demand work itself out with the energy mix that's going to be available to that there's going to be sufficient to take care of that. HG: And looking specifically to your country what happens next what new markets are you looking toward as you refocus on gas? SAK: For us, we've announced that we're going to grow from 77 million tonnes per annum to 110 million tonnes per annum where we are well on our way and that development where we're in the stage of building material you know tendering for rigs and we're going full steam ahead there. We think that growth in LNG is very important for us in addition to our international growth where we have huge investments that we're going to be making in many countries around the world. We're in Brazil and big exploration blocks, we're in Mexico and Cyprus, in Argentina we are in the US and we are going to grow in a big way in many of these markets and you will see announcements that will come very soon. Some major decisions that we're going to be taking in investments outside the country outside Qatar including the U.S. We are supplying volume into China we're looking at supplying more volume into China as the biggest LNG market obviously and we have very good relationships with buyers in China and selling substantial volume to China currently. We've just recently signed a 22 year deal with China and more to come. HG: I know that you said you're a technocrat but energy is always political. How do you plan to navigate that going forward because some would say that the moves that we've seen from Qatar in the last few days mean that they are withdrawing from that traditional GCC relationship. SAK: You see I am a technocrat and you're right that the energy and politics do work together but it works together geopolitically and making sure that you can get into different countries. You have relationships I have to meet some presidents. I have to go into countries because I'm an international player. I'm also the CEO of QP and QP is really international and we're like any international company ExxonMobil, Shell and so on and so I have to have relationships that I have to deal with politicians and I have to navigate the geopolitics of the business. So there definitely is a part of our business and I think we do it very well. But what I refer to in that discussion is people politicizing the decision that we take in seeing what's best for our country and for our strategy going forward in the energy industry and twisting that around due to the conflict of the blockade that we have against Qatar. We have a very unjust blockade that has been in place for more than a year and a half now from Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. We still do not understand the blockade and I think many people around the world struggle with finding the logic of stopping food, medicine and people crossing borders for what so called a funding of terrorism. When we sign with the US that we're you know an open book policy to review that that specific file together and where the others have not. And then you see the issues that other countries are doing around the world. HG: And final question isn't there some danger when you disengage politically within the energy sphere because we've agreed that all energy is political. Is there a danger when you disengage from organizations like OPEC or potentially the GCC itself. Are you worried about that? SAK: No disengaging from OPEC doesn't mean anything. OPEC is an organization that was put together for basically producers to discuss supply demand and see if they could restrict demand when there isn't any then and add supply when there isn't any then add more supply if they have that supply available. HG: Don't you think you should have a voice there? Given the fluctuations in the volatility we've seen in energy markets globally? SAK: We are a small player and I don't think that our voice counts. HG: Your Excellency thank you so much for joining CNBC. SAK: Thank you END Media Contact: Clarence Chen Communications Manager APAC, CNBC International D: +65 6326 1123 M: +65 9852 8630 clarence.chen@cnbc.com About CNBC CNBC is the leading global broadcaster of live business and financial news and information, reporting directly from the major financial markets around the globe with regional headquarters Singapore, London and New York. The TV channel is available in more than 410 million homes worldwide. CNBC.com is the preeminent financial news source on the web, featuring an unprecedented amount of video, real-time market analysis, web-exclusive live video and analytical financial tools. CNBC is a division of NBCUniversal. For more information, visit www.cnbc.com Iran is refusing to cut its oil production at the latest OPEC meeting, saying it is a "red line" for the Islamic Republic. "It's a red line for Iran to reduce its production, to contribute to a new cut in production. Iran hasn't produced any more oil in the previous months and it's not Iran's responsibility to manage the situation," Bijan Zanganeh, Iran's oil minister, told CNBC's Hadley Gamble Thursday. "It's the responsibility of the countries that have produced more and more and have collapsed the market with more oil and extra oil and Iran has no responsibility for this situation," he added. He repeated, "It's a red line for Iran not to cut one barrel ... Iran should be excluded from any decision." Iran's Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh talks to journalists during a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, November 30, 2016. Heinz-Peter Bader | Reuters Saudi Arabia and Russia increased output in the summer in a bid to prevent prices rising too high ahead of a re-imposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran, which came into effect in November. Zanganeh's comments come as OPEC producers meet in Vienna, Austria, to decide their strategy on oil production amid a renewed slump in oil prices. Non-OPEC producers including Russia will join them on Friday for talks on whether to cut oil output or maintain levels amid the lower price period. Oil prices fell around 4 percent Thursday morning after Saudi Arabia's energy minister said that a cut of 1 million barrels per day would be enough for OPEC and its allied oil producers. Markets were expecting a deeper cut but Russia has signaled it's not keen on reducing output. Iran has repeatedly opposed Saudi Arabia's strategy on cutting production given the pressures its oil industry has been facing in recent years, and with the latest sanctions. US meddling? European stocks cratered on Thursday, amid fears of slowing growth, falling oil prices and a fresh flare-up in tensions between the world's two largest economies. The pan-European Stoxx 600 fell more than 3.3 percent with all and major bourses sectors in negative territory. The index clsoed at 342 points, marking a two year low. It was the worst daily percentage drop for the STOXX 600 since Brexit. Germany's Dax market, when measured on an intra-day basis has closed in bear market territory. 21 percent lower than its high in late January. Market focus is largely attuned to the arrest of a top executive at Chinese tech giant Huawei, amid investor concern that the news could derail progress in U.S.-Sino trade talks. Europe's basic resources stocks with their heavy exposure to China tumbled 4.2 percent during the session. Britain's FTSE 100 index slumped 3.6 percent Thursday, as mining stocks plummeted. London-listed Antofagasta led the sectoral losses, down more than 7 percent. Meanwhile, autos stocks seen as a trade war proxy because of the sector's export-heavy constituent's were also among the worst performers, down more than 4.5 percent. Faurecia and Daimler both dropped more than 6 percent. Tech stocks were also down more than 3 percent on Thursday, following the arrest of Huawei's global chief financial officer in Vancouver on Wednesday. Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder, was arrested by Canadian authorities on December 1, reportedly over the possible violation of sanctions against Iran. She now faces extradition to the United States. Looking at individual stocks, Italy's DiaSorin tumbled toward the bottom of the European benchmark Thursday morning, after Kepler Cheuvreux cut its stock recommendation to "hold" from "buy." Shares of the Milan-listed company fell more than 7 percent on the news. Trade tensions Wanzhou's arrest has sparked concern of a major collision between the U.S. and China, at a time when both economic powers were set to begin three months of negotiations aimed at de-escalating their global trade war. The U.S. and China had agreed to temporarily hold off on imposing additional charges against each other's goods over the weekend. President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping's trade truce prompted global stocks to surge higher at the start of the trading week, but fading optimism over the political deal has since pared equity market gains. U.S. stocks fell sharply on Thursday as continuing fears over U.S.-China trade relations and concern over a possible global economic slowdown kept investors on edge. At the European closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average had dropped 758 points, bringing its two-day losses to 1,500 points as Apple shares fell. The S&P 500 fell 2.8 percent, led by a decline in bank shares like J.P. Morgan Chase, while the Nasdaq Composite also dropped 2.4 percent. The S&P 500 fell back into correction territory, down 10 percent from its 52-week high. Oil slump Kuwait in 2016 was the first Gulf state to reach a Cooperation Arrangement with the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU's diplomatic arm, pledging increased joint work in areas like investment and energy. And European diplomats have cited their support for Kuwait's "Vision 2035", a plan to turn Kuwait into a commercial and financial hub for the northern Gulf. "Opening a new Delegation in Kuwait City will allow us to further step up our political, economic and sectoral engagement. Establishing a permanent presence in the country illustrates that we consider our partnership with the Kuwaiti people a priority." Mogherini described Kuwait as an "important partner" for the EU for "peace, security and prosperity in the country and wider region." The decision comes amid increased cooperation between the EU and the oil-rich monarchy and reflects Kuwait's role as a stabilizing influence in the Middle East, the EU's top diplomat and European Commission Vice President Federica Mogherini said Wednesday. The European Union is opening a new delegation in Kuwait City, its press office announced Wednesday. The delegation will be its third in the Gulf Cooperation Council, joining offices previously established in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. But the move is also strategic for Europe, given its desire to be closer to key negotiations affecting stability in the region. Kuwait and the EU broadly see eye to eye on the issue of the Qatar blockade, launched in 2017 by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. Kuwait, which did not take part in the blockade, maintains smooth relations with Doha and has made several attempts to mediate between Qatar and its Gulf neighbors in attempts to quell the conflict, though so far to no avail. "Kuwait has shown willingness to play a diplomatic role in some of the most complex contexts in the region including Qatar and Yemen," Cinzia Bianco, GCC analyst at London-based Gulf State Analytics, told CNBC Thursday. These are issues that are of high importance to Europe, but in which it lacks significant means to have a real impact, she said. "Therefore, closer coordination with Kuwait for the EU is also a way to stay closer to negotiations on key issues." Kuwait also shares the EU's desire for a stable and economically developed Iraq, and it hosted the International Conference for the reconstruction of Iraq in February of this year. The country of 4 million was the victim of a brutal invasion by Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 1990, but 15 years after his ouster is pledging billions of dollars toward its reconstruction, seeking to prevent further instability that it fears could spill over its borders. Importantly, the country lacks the sectarian agenda often ascribed to regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran, and prides itself on the relative harmony between its Sunni and Shia communities, the latter of which constitutes around 40 percent of its population. "Kuwait regards the tuning down of sectarianism in Iraq and the region as highly beneficial for its own stability and is, to that end, willing to at least have a conversation with Iran," Bianco said. "The EU also regards the tuning down of sectarianism as crucial to stability in the region." Congress passed a measure Thursday to keep the government running for two more weeks, sending it to President Donald Trump for his signature. The legislation, passed by voice vote in both chambers, would fund parts of the government at current levels through Dec. 21 and avert Friday's shutdown deadline. It would give lawmakers more time to hash out an agreement on spending and Trump's demand for $5 billion to fund his proposed border wall. Congress has approved spending bills for five government agencies, such as the Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services. It has to fund seven more, including the Department of Homeland Security, which has emerged as the biggest sticking point as Congress tries to avoid letting funding for those agencies lapse. Trainees check their cell phones and update their family members while waiting at Fort Jackson. The arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on Wednesday reminds that the Chinese tech giant faces allegations of using its devices to spy on Americans. In April, the Pentagon stopped selling mobile phones and modems made by Huawei and ZTE at stores on military bases around the world due to potential security risks. "These devices may pose an unacceptable risk to the department's personnel and mission," wrote Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Dave Eastburn. The Pentagon reaffirmed Thursday that its policy on banning the devices still stands. In February, the Director of National Intelligence alongside the heads of the FBI, CIA, NSA, Defense Intelligence Agency, and National Geospatial Intelligence Agency testified before lawmakers on potential security risks posed by Chinese telecommunication companies. "We're deeply concerned about the risks of allowing any company or entity that is beholden to foreign governments that don't share our values to gain positions of power inside our telecommunications networks," FBI Director Chris Wray told the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. "It provides the capacity to maliciously modify or steal information. And it provides the capacity to conduct undetected espionage," Wray added. Read more: Six top US intelligence chiefs caution against buying Huawei phones Huawei and ZTE have previously denied allegations that their products are used to spy on Americans. Meng, 46, was arrested by Canadian authorities in Vancouver for reported violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran. The arrest renews fears of trade tensions between the U.S. and China and looms over a 90-day truce brokered by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping last week. What's more, the arrest and any potential sanctions on the world's second largest smartphone manufacturer could shake the global tech supply chain. Meanwhile, global chip stocks in Europe and Asia tumbled on Thursday. A man walking past a Huawei P20 smartphone advertisement is reflected in a glass door in front of a Huawei logo, at a shopping mall in Shanghai, China December 6, 2018. Aly Song | Reuters Canadian authorities arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on December 1 in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the U.S., Canada's Department of Justice said Wednesday. The arrest is reportedly related to Huawei's violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Analysts said uncertainty from Huawei and the broader U.S.-China trade relationship weighed on sentiment in the chip sector. Huawei is the world's second biggest smartphone maker by market share, according to research firm International Data Corporation (IDC). "It's no surprise, then, that a potential disruption to its business and supplier relations would impact the outlook for a wide set of silicon vendors," Peter Jarich, head of GSMA Intelligence, a research firm, told CNBC in an email Thursday. Chipmakers that rely on global supply chains have been stuck at the center of the trade war between the U.S. and China. The iShares PHLX Semiconductor ETF surged nearly 3 percent Monday following the announcement of a 90-day cease-fire preventing new tariffs on Chinese and American goods. On Thursday, shares were set to open nearly 3 percent lower as the Huawei news overshadowed optimism about the U.S.-China relationship. "If a cease-fire is just superficial and really we're going to have this wrangling beneath the surfacethat's disingenuous," Grace Peters, executive director of EMEA Equity Strategy at JPMorgan Private Bank, told CNBC Europe's "Squawk Box" Thursday. Fears of slowing economic growth, higher interest rates and waning smartphone demand are also factors weighing on the chip market. Analysts have recently downgraded their forecasts for Apple chip suppliers amid concerns over weaker-than-expected sales of the iPhone XR. Tech giants like Samsung and Huawei are increasingly developing their own chip technology, in part to insulate themselves from global supply chain tensions. Samsung was not immune to negative sentiment on Thursday, however, with shares dropping more than 2 percent. The arrest of Huawei's global chief financial officer in Canada, reportedly related to a violation of U.S. sanctions, will corrode trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing, risk consultancy Eurasia Group said Thursday. "Beijing is likely to react angrily to this latest arrest of a Chinese citizen in a third country for violating U.S. law," Eurasia analysts wrote. In fact, Global Times a hyper-nationalistic tabloid tied to the Chinese Communist Party responded to the arrest by posting on Twitter a statement about trade war escalation it attributed to an expert "close to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce." "China should be fully prepared for an escalation in the #tradewar with the US, as the US will not ease its stance on China, and the recent arrest of the senior executive of #Huawei is a vivid example," said the statement, paired with a photo of opposing fists with Chinese and American flags superimposed upon them. Global times tweet Canada's Department of Justice said on Wednesday the country arrested Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the U.S. The arrest is related to violations of U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters. U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei, one of the world's largest makers of telecommunications network equipment, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws, sources told Reuters in April. The analysts said the Huawei executive's arrest will not derail the start of trade negotiations after U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting last weekend in Argentina saw them agree to first steps to resolve their trade dispute. Still, they acknowledged, the incident involving Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is likely to cloud talks. Add Infosys to a growing list of foreign companies continuing to invest in U.S. jobs amid growing calls from the U.S. administration for tougher immigration policies. Infosys on Wednesday opened a large technology hub in Hartford, Connecticut, where it plans to employ 1,000 Americans by 2022. This is Infosys' third hub in the U.S., following openings in Indiana and North Carolina over the last year. The plan is to open two more hubs in Arizona and Texas. President Ravi Kumar told CNBC that Infosys has made 7,000 new hires across the U.S. with plans to reach 10,000 by the end of 2019. "We are creating new talent that does not exist in the market," Kumar said to CNBC by phone. Infosys is not disclosing how much it is investing in its new innovation centers, but it said it is putting as much as $20,000 into training each undergraduate and new hire in technology skills. "Hiring here [in the U.S.] and training here has been the magic formula," said Kumar. Infosys' expansion comes as corporate executives are dealing with a shortage of highly skilled talent in the U.S. that has pushed major firms to look overseas. The announcement also coincides with the U.S. administration's tougher stance on immigration. In the past two years, Indian IT/outsourcing firms such as Infosys have been criticized by immigration hawks in Washington for taking advantage of the H-1B visa program. Data from 2016 shows that Indians accounted for over 70 percent of H-1B visas. Shares of Infosys are up 25 percent over the past one year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in Jerusalem March 5, 2017. Abir Sultan | Pool | Reuters Israeli forces this week launched a major operation to destroy what the country's government says are Hezbollah tunnels crossing into Israeli territory from Lebanon. Part of what's been dubbed Operation Northern Shield, the operation is a culmination of several years of searching for the Lebanese militant group's underground passageways, which Israel's military has been trying to locate since 2014. Israel says Hezbollah dug the tunnels as a means of attacking civilians if another war erupts between the two countries. But despite the discovery adding new clarity to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's previous warnings of undisclosed security threats, the operation is unlikely to lead to escalation, regional experts say. Rather, many suspect Netanyahu has publicized the operation in order to boost his popularity ahead of elections and divert attention from damning corruption allegations brought against him in recent months and weeks. 'Miscalculations' possible The announcement is significant because while Israel has found numerous tunnels dug by Palestinian militant group Hamas from Gaza, this is the first public revelation of a tunnel 200 meters long and 25 meters deep into Israel built by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. The operations would not be limited to Israeli territory, according to government statements, which described the tunnels as not yet functional but posing an "imminent threat." Hezbollah has not yet made any comment. But while the operation will have political and security implications for both Lebanon and Israel, the situation is unlikely to escalate, experts at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group say. "A major escalation between Israel and Hezbollah remains unlikely and is only slightly affected by the Israeli operation along the border," Eurasia said in an analyst report published Wednesday. "Both Israel and Hezbollah share a strong interest in avoiding conflict." The two sides have amassed significant deterrent capability since the Second Lebanese War in 2006, which saw more than a thousand people killed in the span of a month. Israel estimates that the Shia militant group has accumulated around 150,000 missiles and rockets, which would enable it to incur far more damage on Israeli territory than it could have a decade ago. And Israel has expanded its military doctrine to allow immediately deploying "overwhelming" military force in the event of a conflict with Hezbollah, meaning much more destructive and protracted fighting than in previous years. Israel. Army post on the border with South Lebanon. Mark Hannaford Hezbollah, designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, is considered Lebanon's most powerful political party and militant group and wields heavy influence in the religiously diverse country. Netanyahu, in a statement Monday, called the tunnels a "gross violation" of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war. Lebanese representatives on Wednesday told UN officials that Israel's "consistent infiltration of Lebanese territory and airspace" was an "obvious violation" of that resolution. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri tweeted on Thursday that "developments in the southern Lebanon border are no reason for escalation," adding that his government was committed to UN Resolution 1701. But missteps are entirely possible, said Greg Shapland, an associate fellow at Chatham House and former Middle East analyst for the U.K.'s Foreign Commonwealth Office. "Will the situation escalate? Neither side has an interest in letting it do so but there's always the danger of miscalculation so yes, it could." Political motivations? Jamie Dimon, the chairman and CEO of J. P. Morgan Chase, said Thursday the current market volatility can be attributed to a variety of worries about political risk and oil prices, but the issue "that's probably roiling the market the most is trade." "How bad is it going to get?" Dimon asked during an interview with CNBC's Becky Quick. Dimon said traders, executives and other market watchers are trying to figure that out and are factoring it into their outlooks. The U.S. economy is strong, Dimon said. Companies are hiring, consumers are spending, unemployment is down, he noted. But stocks have been volatile. On Thursday, they fell sharply and then tried to recover some of that ground in the afternoon. As of 2:25 p.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 454 points. The U.S. under the Trump administration has engaged in an escalating trade war with China, though the two sides are talking and set a 90 day time frame from Dec. 1 to get an agreement. Dimon called it a trade "skirmish." But it is forcing business leaders to find new supply lines, rethink investments or hold off on investments. "Those things are just causing uncertainty, which causes volatility." After winning a Golden Globe last year, on Thursday, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" star Rachel Brosnahan snagged another Golden Globe nomination for her starring role in the Amazon series. But the actress reveals her first apartment in New York City was much less marvelous than her character's roomy Upper West Side abode. Brosnahan tells Apartment Therapy that her first apartment, in fact, was a ground-floor unit with two bedrooms and one bath which she shared with three other roommates. The apartment was in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, and at the time, Brosnahan was a student at New York University. "We were on top of each other" she says. "When the first person got up in the morning, everyone was then up. That was tough." She says she paid $1,250 a month for her own room (Manhattan rents are high), while one of the other girls slept in the living room behind a fake wall they had installed, a "glorified closet," she says. The two other girls shared the second bedroom. "It was our first apartment," adds Brosnahan. "We knew way too much about each other." Brosnahan recalls the apartment as being dark (there was only one window) and says there were some unwanted guests: "It was the ground floor so we had lots of critters," she says. Still, it was cozy, she says. "We couldn't afford decorations, so my mother basically gave us a lot of stuff she didn't want anymore that she had sitting in the basement," Brosnahan says. " So I had all these very strange vintage canvases that had been ripped off of their frames. They were all frayed around the edges, which actually looked really cool! They had very strange paintings of creepy women on them." "But I really dug it," she adds. "I also had a couple of vintage clocks. It felt a little bit like 'Alice in Wonderland.'" On the show, Brosnahan, 27, plays Midge Maisel, who lives a sharply different New York City lifestyle. In fact, an Upper West Side apartment in the same building used to shoot Midge's apartment was listed in April for $1.82 million. Brosnahan won a 2018 Golden Globe for her performance as Midge, a 1950s housewife who decides to become a stand-up comic. For the 2019 Golden Globes, she's nominated for best performance by an actress in a television series (musical or comedy), while the show itself is nominated for best television series in the musical or comedy category. Though success is sweet, Brosnahan appreciates the time she spent in that small apartment in Chelsea; she remembers sitting on the couch and the floor with her roommates, talking about "everything and nothing." They would drink coffee together in the mornings, and wine at night. "Looking back on it, it feels kind of romantic," she says. Don't miss: Mindy Kaling reveals how she learned to be confident and why it's key to success Like this story? Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! National Security Advisor John Bolton speaks to reporters as he announces that the U.S. will pull out of a treaty with Iran during a news conference in the White House briefing room in Washington, October 3, 2018. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters National security advisor John Bolton said Thursday "I knew in advance" that giant smartphone maker Huawei's global CFO Meng Wanzhou would be arrested in Vancouver, Canada, at the behest of U.S. authorities but President Donald Trump reportedly was in the dark about the planned bust. Bolton also said in an interview with National Public Radio set to air later Thursday that Huawei is a company that American officials have been concerned about for various reasons. Bolton would not give details of the crime or crimes that U.S. federal prosecutors are alleging against Meng, the 46-year-old daughter of Huawei's founder, Ren Zhengfei, according to a transcript of the interview released by NPR. "I'd rather not get into the specifics of law enforcement matters," said Bolton, who declined to answer whether the arrest was related to sanctions against Iran, as others claimed Thursday. "But we've had enormous concerns for years about the in this country about the practice of Chinese firms to use stolen American intellectual property, to engage in forced technology transfers, and to be used as arms of the Chinese government's objectives in terms of information technology in particular," he said. "So not respecting this particular arrest, but Huawei is one company we've been concerned about," he said. "There are others as well. I think this is going to be a major subject of the negotiations that President Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed to in Buenos Aires." In April, the Pentagon stopped selling phones and modems made by Huawei and another company, ZTE, at stores on U.S. military bases because of possible security risks from the devices. Meng was arrested Saturday, the same day that Trump and Bolton dined with China's leader Xi at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. Asked if Trump knew in advance that Meng's arrest was going to occur, Bolton said, "I don't know the answer to that." The Reuters news agency reported later Thursday, citing a White House official, that Trump had been unaware of the planned arrest at the time of that dinner. "I knew in advance. This is something that we get from the Justice Department," Bolton said. "And these kinds of things happen with some frequency. We certainly don't inform the president on every one of them." When it was pointed out by NPR reporter Steve Inskeep that he would have known during the dinner with Xi that "this arrest was taking place," Bolton replied, "Well, you know there are a lot of things that are pending at any given time." "You don't know exactly what's going to happen in terms of a particular law enforcement action," Bolton said. "That depends on a lot of other circumstances." WASHINGTON -- The justices of the U.S. Supreme Court asked no questions about the president's pardon authority or Robert Mueller on Thursday during oral arguments in a case that experts said could affect the special counsel's Russia probe. The justices heard arguments from Terance Gamble, an Alabama man contesting his dual sentencing by state and federal courts for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. The case concerns the so-called "dual sovereignty" exception to the Constitution's Double Jeopardy clause. Legal experts suggested that overturning the doctrine could increase the president's pardon authority. Experts said before the case was argued that if Gamble was successful, it could hinder state efforts to prosecute Mueller's targets if any receive a pardon for federal offenses. One top Supreme Court lawyer joked to The Washington Post that the case should be called Manafort v. Mueller. But the justices did not raise that issue, focusing largely on whether the case could limit American courts' ability to prosecute offenses that have already been raised in foreign courts. While the 5th Amendment says that no person can be put in jeopardy two times for the "same offence," the Supreme Court has held for at least 150 years that it is permissible for someone to be charged with the same crime by a state and the federal government. Two years ago, Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Clarence Thomas, who sit on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum, suggested that doctrine needed to be revisited. In Terance Gamble v. United States, No. 17-646, the court did just that. As the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service found in an August report, a decision scrapping the dual sovereignty exception could "indirectly strengthen the President's pardon power, by precluding a state from prosecuting an already-pardoned defendant who has gone to trial on an overlapping offense." The president has not ruled out a pardon for his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who was convicted on a slew of financial charges in Virginia over the summer. In September, Manafort pleaded guilty to more federal crimes in Washington. But, if state prosecutors are set on prosecuting Manafort, or any other Trump associate, it's not clear that the case could have that dramatic an impact. That's because in many states, including Virginia and New York, state laws already prevent dual prosecution for the same crime. Legal scholars have also suggested that Mueller has strategically avoided bringing certain charges in order to leave them for the states, should they want to proceed with them. Regardless of its impact on Mueller, the case will be significant for Terance Gamble, who could face three extra years in prison if the court rules against him. In 2015, Gamble, who had been convicted years before on a felony robbery charge, was pulled over by a police officer in Alabama for a broken headlight. That led to the discovery of a pistol in Gamble's vehicle, unlawful for a felon under both state and federal law. Gamble pleaded guilty to a state court in Alabama and was sentenced to a year in prison. Shortly after, a federal court sentenced him to 46 months for the same crime. Gamble contested the second charge on the basis of his protection from facing double jeopardy, but his case was dismissed by a district court, and later his conviction was affirmed by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In its decision, the 11th Circuit found that the "Supreme Court has determined that prosecution in federal and state court for the same conduct does not violate the Double Jeopardy Clause because the state and federal governments are separate sovereigns." Barring a ruling overturning that precedent, Gamble, 29, will not be released from prison until February 2020. After more than an hour of argument it was not clear which side would be able to muster a majority. A ruling is expected by late June. OPEC has reportedly agreed to cut oil production, but the cartel ended its closely-watched meeting on Thursday without specifying how many barrels it would aim to remove from the market. The influential OPEC oil cartel gathered at its headquarters in Vienna, Austria with the aim of reaching an accord over throttling back output. The 15-member organization will hold talks with allied oil-producing nations including Russia on Friday. The much-anticipated meeting comes at a time when the oil market is near the bottom of its worst price plunge since the 2008 financial crisis. Oil prices have crashed around 30 percent over the last two months, ratcheting up the pressure on budgets in oil-exporting countries. Yet Russia's refusal to commit to a production quota and OPEC's failure to hammer out the details of a deal underscore the divisions within the two-year-old alliance, despite consensus that the group needs to take some form of action to boost the market. OPEC has agreed in principle to reduce its output, two sources told Reuters on Thursday. However, OPEC delayed making a decision on how deeply it would cut production until after it meets with Russia on Friday. With few details to offer journalists, OPEC canceled a scheduled press conference. "The fact that they're saying the debate will continue tomorrow emphasizes the disarray," said John Kilduff, founding partner at energy hedge fund Again Capital. Saudi Arabia, OPEC's largest producer, signaled earlier on Thursday that the group may reduce production less than the market expected. Police raids on Deutsche Bank's offices in Frankfurt last week were not the fault of the current management team, according to the firm's chief financial officer (CFO). Two Deutsche Bank staff members are suspected of helping clients set up off-shore businesses to launder money gained from criminal activity. The wrongdoing is alleged to have continued through to 2018 but the bank's financial chief, James von Moltke, told CNBC's Annette Weisbach Thursday that current executives shouldn't shoulder the blame. "To date, we are not aware of any wrongdoing on our part, so we will await the conclusion of the prosecutors," Von Moltke said. James von Moltke, chief financial officer of Deutsche Bank AG, speaks during a fourth quarter results news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, on Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. Andreas Arnold | Bloomberg | Getty Images Following the comments, Deutsche Bank shares pared losses slightly, but remained around 3 percent lower for the session amid a wider sell-off in global markets. The public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt said an evaluation of data from the Panama Papers had triggered suspicion that the bank may have helped customers create offshore companies in tax havens around the world. In 2016 alone, more than 900 customers with a business volume of 311 million euros ($353.6 million) were thought to have been cared for by a Deutsche Bank subsidiary based in the British Virgin Islands, the prosecutor said. Von Moltke rejected the suggestion that Deutsche Bank's present board had been weakened by the raid, adding that the current management team had made "enormous efforts" to improve controls on its system to better understand clients. Shares of the bank slipped heavily following news of the police action and the firm's corporate bond value also fell. Saudi Arabia's energy minister has spoken of the possibility of OPEC oil producers and their non-OPEC partners not reaching a deal over whether to cut oil production this week. Asked how real the risk a "no deal" scenario at the meeting on Thursday, which comes amid another slump in oil prices, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told CNBC's Hadley Gamble: "It's real." Oil prices dropped 4.7 percent Thursday after Al-Falih signaled that the 15-member oil producing group could cut less than expected. Al-Falih said earlier that a cut of 1 million barrels per day would be enough for OPEC and its allied oil producers. Markets had factored in a cut of around 1.2 million to 1.4 million barrels per day. As OPEC's de-facto leader, Saudi Arabia is under pressure to take a lead on stabilizing oil markets but it looked somewhat isolated at the Thursday meeting with non-OPEC partner Russia looking reluctant to agree to a cut. Iran's oil minister also told CNBC that Iran, which is already laboring under U.S. sanctions, will not cut anything. Shortly after President Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, lobbyists funded by Saudi Arabia spent more than $270,000 booking hundreds of hotel rooms at Trump's Washington hotel, according to a new report. The lobbyists paid to send U.S. military veterans to Capitol Hill to push back on a law the Saudis opposed, veterans and organizers told The Washington Post. While the vets were originally sent to hotels in northern Virginia, the lobbyists switched to the Trump International Hotel less than a month after Trump beat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, the Post reported Thursday. Those lobbyists paid for about 500 nights at the hotel in three months, the Post estimated. The White House, the Trump Organization and the Saudi Embassy did not immediately respond to CNBC's requests for comment on the report. The newspaper's report cited documents from the lobbyists and interviews with two dozen veterans. Some of the vets interviewed said they were not told that Saudi Arabia was involved in organizing and funding the trips. One political operative who helped coordinate the trips told the Post that the hotel, located just minutes from the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, was chosen because it offered a discount on its nightly rate at that time of $768, and "had nothing to do" with influencing Trump. The new details about the kingdom's splurge at a Trump property comes amid an ongoing lawsuit backed by nearly 200 members of Congress claiming Trump violated a constitutional ban on political office holders accepting gifts or emoluments from foreign governments. In a June 2017 complaint filed in D.C. federal court, more than two dozen senators and more than 160 House members argued that Trump "has chosen to accept numerous benefits from foreign states without first seeking or obtaining congressional approval" in violation of the Constitution's so-called emoluments clause. Trump stepped down from his leadership role at the Trump Organization before his inauguration in January 2017 but refused to divest his ownership stake. The Trump Organization sent about $151,000 to the U.S. Treasury in 2018 to reimburse the government for the profit it received from foreign governments, but it did not explain how that number was calculated, according to the Post. The Post's report came a day after attorneys general in Maryland and D.C., in a separate emoluments case, sent subpoenas for financial records from more than a dozen Trump business entities. Read the full report from The Washington Post. A release from Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown cites two recent trading scandals, one involving a Republican congressman from New York and another involving former Rep. and one-time Trump administration Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, for inspiring the bill. The measure would ban members of Congress and senior staff from buying or selling individual stocks while in office. Members would also be barred from serving on any corporate boards. Two leading Senate Democrats on Thursday introduced a bill intended to prevent members of Congress from trading stocks in industries tied to their legislative work. "It's way past time to end conflicted trading, in which legislators and top staff trade in stocks while making decisions affecting their value," Merkley said in a statement about the measure, which is called the Ban Conflicted Trading Act. Since Republicans will hold a six-seat majority in the Senate come January, it's unlikely that the bill would get a floor vote, let alone pass through the chamber. However, the measure will likely give Democrats some political ammunition leading into the 2020 election, when Republicans will be defending more Senate seats than Democrats. Brown, meanwhile, has said he is considering running for president. The Merkley-Brown measure follows a similar proposal from fellow Senate Democrat, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Unveiled in August, Warren's bill would ban members of Congress and White House staff from owning individual stocks. Like Brown, Warren is considering a run for president. Under the measure unveiled Thursday, current members could sell their holdings within six months after the bill's passing, and new members could sell holdings within six months of being elected. "Elected officials have access to nonpublic information that can affect individual companies and entire industries," said Brown in a statement. "There must be more accountability and transparency to prevent members from using this information and abusing their positions for personal gain." Earlier this year, Rep. Chris Collins, R-N.Y., was indicted on insider trading charges in August after he allegedly told his son about a failed drug trial at Australian company Innate Immunotherapeutics before it was announced. His son and son's fiancee then sold their shares in the company, avoiding roughly $768,000 in losses, according to prosecutors. Despite the charges, Collins won his bid for re-election in November. Price, meanwhile, left his Trump administration post in September 2017 in the midst of a scandal over his use of charter flights funded by taxpayer dollars. He had also bought shares of Innate while he was in Congress. ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., December 6, 2018 CNBC, First in Business Worldwide, today announced Tiffany Sam Chow has been named Vice President, CNBC Business Development & Strategy. Effective January 2, 2019, Chow will be based out of CNBC Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., reporting to Satpal Brainch, President of CNBC Business News Worldwide. Responsible for leading CNBC's business development strategy across all platforms, Chow will help drive the network's growth by implementing new corporate initiatives, developing strategic partnerships and identifying global investment opportunities for the business. "I could not be more thrilled to welcome Tiffany to the CNBC family," said Brainch. "As CNBC prepares to extend its business portfolio, Tiffany's leadership, critical thinking and proven ability to execute will support us as we identify and launch new and exciting opportunities." Chow brings extensive experience in business development and financial strategy to her new role, having transitioned to CNBC from NBCUniversal International, where she was Vice President, EMEA Business Development based in London. In that role, she led business planning initiatives for investments in several local OTT platforms and digital media assets, as well as the launch of new linear channels. Previously, Chow was Director of Commercial Finance and Strategy for NBCU International Studios, where she led the division's strategic planning for the seven production studios in its overarching portfolio. She also helped launch Heyday Television, the UK-based production label, in a joint venture with David Heyman, notable producer of Gravity and the Harry Potter films. Prior to joining NBCU, Chow worked at Discovery Communications in their Corporate Development team based in London. Earlier, she worked in Mergers & Acquisitions for Time Warner (now WarnerMedia) based in New York. Chow began her career at Morgan Stanley as a Media and Communications investment banking professional, also based in New York. Chow graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a BS in Business Administration at the Walter A. Haas School of Business and a BA in Legal Studies. She also holds an MBA from London Business School. For more information contact: Jennifer Dauble CNBC t: 201.735.4721 m: 201.615.2787 e: jennifer.dauble@nbcuni.com About CNBC: With CNBC in the U.S., CNBC in Asia Pacific, CNBC in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and CNBC World, CNBC is the recognized world leader in business news and provides real-time financial market coverage and business information to 410 million homes worldwide, including more than 90 million households in the United States and Canada. CNBC also provides daily business updates to 400 million households across China. The network's 15 live hours a day of business programming in North America (weekdays from 4:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. ET) is produced at CNBC's global headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., and includes reports from CNBC News bureaus worldwide. CNBC at night features a mix of new reality programming, CNBC's highly successful series produced exclusively for CNBC and a number of distinctive in-house documentaries. CNBC Digital delivers more than 55 million U.S. multi-platform unique visitors each month. CNBC.com provides real-time financial market news and information to CNBC's investor audience. CNBC Make It is a digital destination focused on making you smarter about how you earn, save and spend your money by zeroing in on careers, leadership, entrepreneurship and personal finance. CNBC has a vast portfolio of digital products, offering CNBC content to a variety of platforms such as: CNBC.com; CNBC PRO, a premium service that provides in-depth access to Wall Street; a suite of CNBC mobile apps for iOS and Android devices; Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple Siri voice interfaces; and streaming services including Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Samsung Smart TVs. To learn more, visit https://www.cnbc.com/digital-products/. Members of the media can receive more information about CNBC and its programming on the NBCUniversal Media Village Web site at http://www.nbcumv.com/programming/cnbc. For more information about NBCUniversal, please visit http://www.NBCUniversal.com. Wisconsin's Republican-controlled state legislature passed a sweeping set of bills on Wednesday to limit the power of the newly elected Democratic governor and attorney general, part of a growing trend in state governments also seen in Michigan and North Carolina. Last month, Tony Evers defeated Republican incumbent Scott Walker in the Wisconsin governor's race, and Josh Kaul similarly ousted the Republican incumbent to become attorney general. The state legislature will remain under Republican control. One of the bills passed on Wednesday in the lame duck session would require the governor to get approval from the legislature before changing programs managed by both federal and state governments, such as welfare, the New York Times reported. Another limits the governor's control of the state's main economic development agency, which Evers pledged to disband during the campaign in favor of giving authority to local communities, the paper said. Additionally, the incoming attorney general would not be able to withdraw the state from a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act, which was one of Kaul's campaign promises. Wisconsin's early voting period would also be restricted to just two weeks going forward. Evers denounced the lawmakers as "power-hungry politicians" in a statement. "Wisconsin values of decency, kindness, and finding common ground were pushed aside so a handful of people could desperately usurp and cling to power while hidden away from the very people they represent," he said. In Michigan, Republicans are working to pass similar legislation to limit the incoming government's power. The state elected Democrats to serve as governor, attorney general and secretary of state for the first time in nearly three decades. As part of the proposed bills, the state House of Representatives hopes to delay a planned minimum wage increase and reduce the requirements on companies to provide paid sick leave. Both the Wisconsin and Michigan state legislatures are replicating what occurred in North Carolina after Democrat Roy Cooper was elected governor in 2016. Then, the Republican-controlled state legislature passed a number of bills that reduced the number of Cooper's political appointees and made his cabinet members subject to Senate approval, among other changes. Cooper has been entangled in lawsuits to roll back these changes ever since. Republicans' actions in Wisconsin and Michigan have drawn scores of protesters to the state's capitol buildings and garnered the attention of lawmakers nationwide. "It is disgraceful that Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan, having lost on Nov. 6, are trying to decrease the power of incoming Democratic governors Tony Evers and Gretchen Whitmer and limit future voting," Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., tweeted Monday. "This power-grab is pathetic and must be stopped." The bills in both states, although passed in the legislatures, still need to be signed by the current Republican governors in order to become law. 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. President Donald Trump, right, is greeted by former President George Bush and former first lady Laura Bush outside the Blair House across the street from the White House in Washington on Dec. 4. Colorado Politics is published both in print and online. Our website features subscriber-only news stories daily, designed for public policy arena professionals. Member subscribers also receive the weekly print edition of our award-winning newspaper, containing outstanding features and news stories, in their mailboxes every Saturday. The foreign-policy hardliner said he is returning to head the John Bolton PAC and the John Bolton Super PAC, two organizations he ran before going to work at the White House in early 2018. Jim Brickman will bring his A Joyful Christmas concert to Pikes Peak Center on Thursday. I always like to play a nice combination of hit songs, but also a lot of Christmas music, Brickman says. Its a nice balance of energy and funny and emotional, sort of like a gathering of friends who stopped by to sing a couple of songs and a lot of joyful celebration. Sources David French, Nov. 26 Twitter direct message exchange National Review, Mizzou after the Meltdown, Oct. 25, 2018. Columbia Missourian, MU made sweeping changes at the top after the fall 2015 protests. But it falls short on hiring minority faculty, Nov. 9, 2018. American Council on Education Center for Policy Research and Strategy, Speaking Truth and Acting with Integrity: Confronting Challenges of Campus Racial Climate, 2018. Inside Higher Ed, Missouri 3 Years Later: Lessons Learned, Protests Still Resonate, Sept. 12, 2018. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mizzou has a history of stalled race initiatives, Nov. 15, 2015. University of Missouri Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Columbia Missourian, UM System hires Kevin McDonald as first chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, Mar. 23, 2016. Huffington Post, Mizzou Names First Person To Take Chief Diversity Officer Job, Nov. 10, 2015. United States Census Bureau, Quick Facts, Columbia city, Missouri, 2017. University of Missouri Student Body Profile, Fall 2017 Huffington Post, As People of Color Formerly Employed by Mizzou, We Demand Change, Nov. 17, 2015. Kansas City Star, University of Missouri campus in Columbia hires black faculty at a slow pace, June 4, 2016. The Maneater, Race Relations Committee presents report outlining creation of new committees across UM system, Sept. 16, 2016. MU News Bureau, "MU hires record-breaking number new faculty from underrepresented groups," Sept. 9, 2010. Columbia Missourian, MU committees look to long term in race relations, diversity requirements, Dec. 8, 2015. University of Missouri System Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Audit KBIA, Exam - A Year In Review: Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Missouri, Sept. 23, 2016. University of Missouri Faculty Institute for Inclusive Teaching College of Education Diversity Initiatives Institutional Research & Quality Improvement, Employee Data, up to 2017. Bustle, What Is Concerned Student 1950? The University Of Missouri Peaceful Protests Were Led By A Standout Organization, Nov. 9, 2015. Types of obituaries The Missourian publishes two types of obituaries family obituaries and life stories. A family obituary is the version submitted by a funeral home or family. Please see the submission form for details on cost and deadlines. Family obituaries A life story is a closer look at a person's life and involves a reporter contacting family and friends. Life stories are based on newsworthiness and consent of the family. Life stories. The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form Tablets have gotten more powerful over the years, but even top-tier 2-in-1s like Microsofts Surface Pro and Apples iPad Pro are still a step away from replacing laptops for many business users. They do provide a very attractive alternative to lugging around a notebook on business trips, but these flagship tablets start at anywhere from $650 to $900 and can easily climb to $1,500 or more after you configure them and add in the cost of a keyboard case and stylus. That kind of expense is hard to justify for a device thats secondary to the laptop a business worker needs for everyday use. Thats where smaller second-tier tablets can come in. Apples 9.7-inch iPad and Microsofts new Surface Go for Business carry significantly lower price tags than the iPad Pro and the Surface Pro, yet theyre still powerful, well-built and ready for business. Can they replace a laptop entirely? Not for most people, but neither can their more expensive siblings. And for short trips, they do provide a lighter alternative that lets workers get the job done without overly burdening them with gear. After checking them out on short day trips, I took the sixth-generation iPad and the Surface Go for Business on a business trip to Europe. To see how they compare, I used them for everything from writing documents and running spreadsheets to emailing and showing presentations. To make these tablets road-ready, I equipped each one with a stylus and a keyboard case to make typing easier than using the on-screen keypad. With the Surface Go, I used Microsofts $100 Pen stylus and the $130 snap-on Surface Go Signature Type Cover. With the iPad, I used Apples original Pencil stylus ($99), but for this iPad model, the company doesnt make a cover thats equipped with a keyboard. So, I used Logitechs $100 Slim Folio iPad Keyboard Case, which you can get through Apples online store and at other outlets. While the Surface Go for Business starts at $449, my test machine came in at around $830 with its accessories. The iPad starts at $329, but the model I tested added up to around $760 with accessories. Thats still hundreds of dollars cheaper than the top-flight tablets from Apple and Microsoft with their accessories. Both tablets weigh about a pound on their own and roughly 2 pounds with the case, stylus and AC adapter included about half what most corporate laptops weigh in at. I found that they both hit the Goldilocks sweet spot for business travel: Not too heavy, not too underpowered, and not too expensive. Read on to see which one came out on top in my tests. On October 11, 2017, the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) announced the 2017 Low Carbon Champions Awards. BYD UK the London branch of BYD Auto won the "Low Carbon Heavy Duty Vehicle of the Year Award" and jointly won the "Grand Prix" the top award with Transport for London (TfL) and Go-Ahead London for their partnership in launching Londons first two all-electric bus routes (507 and 521). This award specifically noted BYDs contribution in delivering the vehicles, operational capacity, and infrastructure for the London project. Founded in 1995, BYD engages in IT-related and automobile business for traditional fuel-powered vehicles and new energy vehicles. With 30 production centers established around the globe, BYD is the only vendor that owns both power battery and vehicle technologies in the new energy field. Storage becomes the bottleneck of ERP system BYD is experiencing a period of rapid business development and a proliferation of operational processes. This is generating a large number of concurrent data flows from product sales, spare parts inventory, and after-sales services. The data volume of most manufacturing enterprises' online transaction management systems doubles every two years, and concurrent requests to the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system grow exponentially, leading to high I/O frequencies and long user wait times. This increase in data to be analyzed by the BI system, combined with the shorter timeframe in which data must be processed and reports generated, imposes stringent requirements on data loading and processing speed, as well as system stability. The BI system is a must-have tool for enterprises' manufacturing planning, sales analysis, market trend forecasts, and other important business decision-making. SAP's ERP system lies at the heart of many manufacturing enterprises, and BYD is no different, relying on this system to support its three product lines. At BYD though, rapid service development, a 100 percent staffing increase, and a 10 percent quarterly order increase put a strain on the system. The ERP system simply couldn't handle the required 185,000 Input/output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and 60,000+ concurrent services during peak hours. It was so inefficient, it once took over an hour to query the monthly SAP ERP financial statements. Access performance was so poor, the ERP system could not be used for service development. In one extreme case, a system breakdown even jeopardized production line operations. As a leading global Information and Communications (ICT) solutions provider, Huawei offers end-to-end solutions covering networks, cloud computing, servers, databases, and storage. Trusting this reputation of technological expertise, BYD brought in Huawei to analyze the ERP system's server memory, Central Processing Unit (CPU) utilization, network, and disk response rate. It was from this analysis that Huawei determined that the bottleneck was occurring at the system's storage devices. The ERP production system generated more than 200 GB of data per month, and the live network required a latency as long as 50 ms to input and output read/write data. This meant the system could only handle a few thousand IOPS, far below the 185,000 IOPS required. The need for a system upgrade was clear. The traditional Hard Disk Drive (HDD)-based storage BYD was using simply could not meet the required level of read/write performance. On top of their current problems, BYD forecast even further service growth in the coming years, so they needed to at least double the ERP systems performance, and do so without changing the system architecture. BYD's IT O&M department also needed to be able to smoothly perform the upgrade with minimal impact on services and production operations. Huawei OceanStor Dorado Doubles ERP Performance of BYD Based on these requirements and the analysis results of BYD's live network, Huawei created an OceanStor Dorado all-flash acceleration solution for BYD. In this solution, HDD-based storage was replaced by all-flash storage to expedite read and write I/O and make the ERP and Business Warehouse (BW) systems more efficient. No changes were made to the live network architecture, databases, hosts, ERP software, or O&M, so as to avoid possible risks. To keep the system upgrade from affecting services, the Huawei data migration team provided a set of data mirroring workarounds using host volume management software. Legacy data was also migrated to the OceanStor Dorado All-Flash Storage without affecting ERP services. Upon Huawei's recommendation, BYD retained their development and test systems and Sandbox on the legacy storage system to protect their investment. Huawei Since the deployment of Huawei OceanStor Dorado All-Flash Storage on BYD's ERP, system efficiency has increased 500 percent, and system latency has been cut down to less than 1 ms. With the ERP's query condition design and upper-layer platform, BW system data extraction time is down 66 percent, and Materials Management (MM), Production Planning (PP), Sales and Distribution (SD), and Finance and Cost controlling (FICO) module reporting is more than two times faster than before. Material voucher queries can now be completed in four minutes, instead of the previous 14 minutes. To provide BYD's required capacity and performance, a traditional HDD-based storage system would have needed to be configured with RAID 10 technology and Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS) and Solid-State Drive (SSD) disks, and would have taken up 40U of cabinet space. Huawei OceanStor Dorado All-Flash Storage, on the other hand, uses RAID 6 and an SSD-only configuration, requiring only 20U cabinet space. It involves 50 percent less installation space and O&M labor cost and significantly saves electricity and cooling cost. Over the next three years, Operating Expense (OPEX) will be reduced by an estimated 70 percent, which will have never been possible with traditional storage. After Huawei OceanStor Dorado had run the ERP system continuously for more than six months on BYD's live network, there had already been noticeable improvements in service performance and reductions in maintenance costs. BYD was more than satisfied with this IT system reconstruction. Qiu Yan, CIO of BYD, said, Since its deployment in BYD's core service systems, including our enterprise, distributor, customer relationship, extended warehouse, and business intelligence management systems, Huawei OceanStor Dorado All-Flash Storage has proven to be stable, reliable, and robust. Over the years, these systems have seen a 5-fold boost in efficiency. Wang Hongbo, BYD's information center manager, said, "After replacing our traditional HDD-based storage with Huawei's OceanStor Dorado All-Flash Storage, our ERP BW system applications run faster and performance has more than doubled. In the first month alone, we experienced no disruption in data Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) while we saw at least one disruption every two days with our old system. Data extraction time has shortened from 4.5 hours to 1.5 hours, greatly increasing our report generation and helping our executives make more timely decisions." The ERP system reconstruction project was so successful, BYD chose Huawei's Dorado All-Flash Storage again for its next Document Management System (DMS) and Extended Warehouse Management (EWM) system upgrade. Dorado's superb performance and robust stability again impressed BYD. BYD and Huawei also plan to further cooperate in smart manufacturing for "Made in China 2025". For more information, please visit. Got Fi? Google's unusual wireless service may have shifted its name from Project Fi to Google Fi a while back, but its core proposition has remained relatively constant since the start: Pay only for the data you use, and avoid all the traditional carrier shenanigans. For the right kind of person, Fi can be a real cost-cutter and hassle-saver. And aside from its most prominently promoted perks the seamless network-switching, the public Wi-Fi use, the fee-free roaming and hotspot capabilities, and so on Fi has some pretty interesting out-of-the-way options that can really elevate your experience. Whether you're new to Fi or a Project Fi/Google Fi veteran, take a few minutes to think through these handy hidden features and see if any might be useful to you. They're all there and just waiting to be embraced and generally speaking, they won't cost you an extra dime to use. Google Fi feature No. 1: Free data-only SIMs One of Google Fi's most valuable and broadly untapped benefits is the service's free data-only SIM program. And it doesn't take much to take advantage of it: Just open up the Fi website or app, select "Manage plan," then look for the unassuming little option labeled "Add data-only SIM." Click or tap that, and Fi will walk you through the steps to add a data-only SIM to your account. Google will create the card, activate it, and even ship it to you for the oh-so-affordable price of $0. What then? Why bother? Well, lemme tell ya, you curious caribou: With that data-only SIM in hand, you can effectively turn any other device be it a laptop or tablet with a SIM card slot or even just a dusty old phone into an extension of your main Fi service, provided it's compatible with Fi's networks. Just pop that sucker in wherever you want, and the device will instantly be online and ready for your use. All you'll pay is your same standard $10 per gigabyte rate (or not even that, if you're using one of Fi's newer unlimited plans). And equally important, if you don't use any data in a given month, you won't pay anything; unlike with most other carriers, there are no silly surcharges or fees simply for the "privilege" of having an add-on device. [Get more Googley tips in your inbox every Friday with JR's Android Intelligence newsletter. Exclusive extras await!] Personally, I use the data-only SIM feature to keep a rotating roster of random old phones active and available for different types of use. Sometimes, I carry one with me when I'm traveling (or theoretically traveling, in current-day realities). It then basically acts as a backup device in that scenario: If the day turns long and the battery on my regular phone runs low, I can use the secondary one for getting online, streaming music or videos, creating a hotspot for my laptop, or even staying in touch with family and colleagues via any number of internet-based Android messaging apps all without having to worry about replenishing my primary phone's power. Back in typical times when I was still going to an actual gym, I'd also use the Fi data SIM feature to turn an old phone into a workout phone a device I'd carry with me whilst sweating profusely in that environment. That way, I could listen to music or my favorite casters of pod and even check in on messages without having to fret about dropping the phone or banging it against the exceptionally heavy weights I so clearly lift with vigor. Unlike with your primary phone, you can just throw the device down on the ground in any ol' place and go about your business without a worry in the world. And as an additional bonus, you can set the phone up to have minimal distractions and temptations for stealing away your focus in those purpose-driven moments. But those are just a couple of ideas. Aside from the surrogate phone situation, you could use a data-only SIM for a variety of interesting possibilities creating a functional phone for a kid (and/or parakeet) without having to pay for an extra line, creating a dedicated hotspot device that can beam out mobile data access anywhere without draining your main phone's power, or even creating an always-connected backup phone that you could keep in your car in case your regular one ever gets lost, broken, or otherwise incapacitated. Pretty darn spiffy, I say. Google Fi feature No. 2: An always-on VPN You'd be forgiven for failing to notice, but Google Fi has offered a noteworthy option for subscribers for a couple years now: the ability to have all of your data encrypted via Google's virtual private network, or VPN, all the time no matter where you are or what type of network you're using. Your phone only has to be running 2018's Android 9 release or higher in order to take advantage of it. Fi always encrypts data automatically when the service connects you to a public Wi-Fi network as part of its network-switching setup, but this feature lets you extend that same protection to all of your data mobile network or Wi-Fi, automatic connection or not with just one simple switch. And that, suffice it to say, is significant especially for business users and anyone else concerned about optimal security. Network snooping is one of the most realistic concerns for mobile security these days far more so than that big, bad Android malware monster we hear about so often and having an always-on VPN is the best form of protection to make sure no one's peeking over your virtual shoulder whilst you peck out important missives (or even just scroll through photos of kangaroos while pretending to do important work). Unfortunately, finding a good VPN is easier said than done. Unless you work for a company that provides its own data encryption service, you're left to fend for yourself and mobile VPNs are notoriously difficult to evaluate and tough to maintain confidence in over time. They're also yet another recurring expense to contend with. So, yeah: Having a trustworthy VPN built right into your wireless service is a pretty powerful perk. To fire up the free Fi VPN feature, head into the Fi app on your phone and select "Privacy & security" on the app's main screen. Then just activate the toggle next to "Protect your online activity" and rest easy knowing your mobile transmissions will always be safe from prying eyes. Google Fi feature No. 3: Call forwarding It's easy to forget that Google Fi started out as an extension of Google Voice, in many ways, with a fair number of Voice-inspired features intact. One such feature is call forwarding and it's a handy option that's still around and potentially quite useful on the Fi side. The way it works is simple: You add a number into Fi's forwarding list, and anytime you get a call, it'll ring on both your cell phone and that secondary number so you can answer it wherever you want. Personally, I use this in conjunction with a free Google-associated home office "phone line" I created so that any calls coming into my main number ring the landline-style phone on my desk in addition to ringing my cell phone. The old-school desk phone is more comfy and convenient to talk on, and it doesn't run down my main phone's battery. You could do the same thing with a more traditional office landline, a second cell phone, or even a banana with a cellular connection (which, by the by, is a very impressive thing to own). If call forwarding might make sense in some capacity for you, look for the aptly named "Call forwarding" option under the "Phone Settings" header on the Fi app's main screen and get ready to give your ringing a whole new level of life. Google Fi feature No. 4: Super-effective number blocking Little-known fact: Google Fi has its own system for blocking annoying people from contacting you and the way it works is meaningfully different from the similar-looking system in the typical Android Phone app. When you block a number in the standard Phone app, any calls from the offending party won't ring your phone but instead, the caller will go directly to your voicemail. That means they can still leave a message (which you will receive) and thus can continue to contact you and expect a reply. When you block a number with Google Fi, the person calling gets a generic recording telling them that the number "has been disconnected or is no longer in service." For all effective purposes, you'll appear to have vanished off the face of the earth to said pest. And whether it's an overly aggressive salesperson, an ex, your Uncle Morty with the weird breath, or a wide-mouthed bass who won't take a hint, that's an excellent option to have available. (Oh, and either approach will prevent texts from coming through, too.) To take advantage of Fi's super-shushing power, look for the "Spam & blocked numbers" option in the Fi app, under the "Phone Settings" section on the main screen. Open it and then tap "Manage blocked numbers" to add whatever digits you want into the list. You can even add a description of the number for future reference, if you're feeling particularly loquacious. And if you end up changing your mind later, all you've gotta do is go back to that same spot and tap the "x" alongside the offending number to remove it from the list. Ahh all set. Google Fi feature No. 5: Voicemails as texts Few minor annoyances are more irksome than the antiquated obligation of having to check (gasp!) a voicemail. Heck, most people I know rarely even listen to the things anymore, if they can help it. If you've got important business calls coming into your phone, though, ignoring voicemails entirely probably isn't an advisable option. And while Android's automated voicemail transcription system (via the Google Phone app) goes a long way in making it easier to get the gist of a message without having to, y'know, actually listen to it, Fi has an easily overlooked option that can make the process even more painless. It's a tucked-away setting that'll cause any new voicemail to arrive as a regular ol' text message in whatever messaging app you use. It'll look just like a message from yourself, with a transcription of the voicemail and the number of the (alleged) person who left it. You can still play voicemails back in your Phone app, if you want, but having 'em show up as texts makes the whole system feel more like a part of the regular, contemporary messaging experience. It makes it as convenient as can be to read incoming voice messages and then archive 'em in a single, streamlined place with all of your other messages and, provided you're using Google Messages or another cross-platform messaging app, it also makes it possible to access any such missives from any computer where you're signed in. To activate the option, tap the "Voicemail" option on the Fi app's main screen, then look for the "Voicemails by text" toggle. And there you have it: five fantastic Fi functions for your phone. Figuring out Fi features has never been finer. Farewell for now, friend. (Fin.) Want even more Googley knowledge? Sign up for my weekly newsletter to get next-level tips and insight delivered directly to your inbox. [Android Intelligence videos at Computerworld] Stewart Jackson: The Government has the means to deliver Brexit if it has the will whatever Remainers say in Parliament Stewart Jackson was Conservative MP for Peterborough 2005-17 and was Chief of Staff and Special Advisor to Rt Hon David Davis MP 2017-18. There has understandably been a cacophonous upsurge of often poorly-sourced comment this week in the wake of ultra-Remainer Dominic Grieves efforts to disapply the Standing Orders of the Commons to amend the EU Withdrawal Act 2018 to allow the latter more influence over the steps the Government takes if as seems likely the Prime Ministers unloved EU deal is defeated next week. Its the end of Brexit, or a close an approximation or so it is said. On Tuesday night, a jubilant Labour MP couldnt help braying to me that No Deal was dead. Hes wrong but its complicated. Its certainly the view of many who voted Leave in the EU referendum in 2016 that this is an Establishment stitch up by the Remain-dominated Commons to thwart Brexit using Parliamentary tricks and in so doing, repudiate the decision that millions of people voted for, whereby we took back control of our laws, borders and money. Those, like Nick Boles, George Freeman and Oliver Letwin who are pushing a permanent EEA/EFTA/Norway solution, must explain to their Associations and electors how this equates with the manifesto on which they were all elected last year, which specifically commits our party to respecting the referendum result by leaving the Customs Union and Single Market, ending enormous payments to the EU and stopping free movement. Its puzzling that Boless Norway for Now schtick has morphed into Norway Forever. Grieves Parliamentary stunt with the inevitable connivance of the Speaker is perceived by many MPs to have been an arms-length operation undertaken with the Conservative Whips blessing. It suits their purpose, after all: it shores up the flank of soft Leave Conservatives who whilst knowing that the Prime Ministers deal is an abject humiliation, not authentic Brexit and will in all certainty prolong the Tory civil war on Europe are nevertheless still looking for an excuse to support it. All this should come as no surprise, however. Hardcore Remoaners, who pay lip service to honouring the result of the referendum, were always likely to attack the neutral motion enshrined in s.13 of the EU Withdrawal Act as a vehicle to undermine and destroy Brexit by either positing a second referendum or, more likely, the extension of Article 50. The coincidence of an ECJ legal opinion by the Advocate General of the latters unilateral member state revocability, together with Project Fear hearings by the Treasury Select Committee and dystopian post Brexit projections by the Bank of England and the Treasury is hardly credible. These guys are co-ordinating each choreographed day. Conservative MPs have been told that voting down the Withdrawal Agreement will mean a General Election (it wont), No Deal (not true), an Article 50 pause mechanism (it doesnt exist), or the end of the confidence and supply arrangement with the Democratic Unionists (unlikely but who the Conservative leader and Prime Minister is will nonetheless be imperative). These threats and promises are not cutting through, so the final strategy is threatening some weaker MPs with the bogeyman of no Brexit. In truth, all they have left is what Robbie Gibb has only ever had: the fallacious notion that we run the risk of no Brexit if the Prime Ministers substandard deal is eviscerated. In some respects, its the last shot in Gavin Barwell and Smiths locker. Theyve not moved the dial on polling (YouGov on Wednesday showed a 2:1 ratio of opposition to the Prime Ministers deal (46 per cent to 23 per cent); Associations and activists are on strike and refusing to deliver CCHQ pro-deal propaganda, Conservative MPs are continuing to declare against, and business is lukewarm at best (as evidenced by the CBI e-mail embarrassment). Their last chance to prevent a potential blowout next week is to present the starkest of binary choices: Theresa Mays abysmal deal versus no Brexit. Liam Fox is the latest to gild the lily. Apparently, key legislation like the Fisheries Bill and the Trade Bill, were told contingent on the UKs departure from the EU, is liable to be deluged by wrecking amendments. Really? In fact, none of these Bills are critical to our actual legal departure on 29th March 2019. Indeed, in the case of the Trade Bill a full five months elapsed between Committee and Report Stage (in order to avoid defeats), the Agriculture Bill has passed Second Reading without incident, and the Immigration Bill has yet to see the light of day: the point being that the power of business managers to table and guillotine legislation is hugely significant even in a hung parliament. They do not need to bring any of these Bills forward prior to exit day. I believe that Grieve et al have also scored a pyrrhic victory in showing their hand too soon. Their belief that the will of the House a House which is hopelessly split in any case on a range of post-Brexit options can trump statute law is specious. The notion that the legislature can wrest control of an international treaty negotiation from the Executive is unprecedented, untested, and certainly undesirable. The Commons has fully exercised its powers hitherto by using legislation to pass the EU Referendum Act 2015, the EU (Notification of Withdrawal) Act 2017 and the EU Withdrawal Act 2018, which gave rise to the referendum and the Brexit vote. All were supported in the main with large majorities. The fact is that leaving the EU is a legal reality, by dint of domestic legislation and international treaty obligation. Any effort to stop Brexit can only in practice be at the behest of the Government and the Cabinet with the caveat that of course the Executive can be removed at any time by a successful no confidence motion. In that, Parliament is supreme. We are in totally unchartered constitutional territory, not seen since the stand-off between the Commons and Lords over Lloyd Georges Peoples Budget in 1909, which gave us the Parliament Act 1911, and duly circumscribed the power of the Upper House. In that case, Lloyd George had a strong mandate at the 1906 general election. Today, those who want to see an honest, clean Brexit have a greater mandate that of the biggest plebiscite in British history, and an 85 per cent vote for parties promising to honour the referendum result in last years election. They are the democrats and not the rebels. There is growing evidence that many Conservative supporters are more interested in backing Brexit than their local Tory candidate, and a three per cent swing to Labour would see 44 Conservative MPs lose their seats. MPs who seek to use Parliamentary parlour games, subterfuge and obscure process to cheat the British people out of the result that they in good faith voted for in 2016 will pay a heavy price for the shenanigans, and invite electoral calamity upon themselves and their party from an already jaundiced and cynical electorate. Garvan Walshe is a former national and international security policy adviser for the Conservative Party. He runs TRD Policy Friends and foes have called Frances President Thatcher. The Gilets Jaunes protests are his miners strike. Last Saturday, an organised mob laid waste to Paris, burning cars, vandalising the Arc de Triomphe and engaging in pitched battles, for which they had travelled to Paris equipped, with riot police. They had infiltrated and hijacked a drivers revolt: the original yellow jackets were angry at diesel tax rises and reduced motorway speed limits which they saw as symbols of an urban-based government that imposed the burdens of climate policy without caring for their way of life. The original discontent had caught Paris off-guard, but the violent assault on the capital, and the extremist demands of some of the decentralised movements spokesmen, provide an opportunity for Macron to reset his administration after almost half a year of drift. While the broad group of demonstrators, whose number has been decreasing over the last several weeks, have grievances that are the stuff of ordinary politics, an increasingly radicalised core, egged on by an official opposition dominated by the extreme right Marine Le Pen and extreme left Jean-Luc Melenchon, has turned revolutionary. One Gilets Jaunes spokesman, Christopher Calencon, has even called for Macron to be replaced by a general. When the coal miners presented their first demands for higher pay to Thatcher in 1981, she conceded. The country lacked the reserves of coal to keep the lights on and time to convert power stations to burn oil instead. But she ensured that her Government was better prepared for the next confrontation when it came. Arthur Scargills decision to call a strike without a ballot divided the miners, stripped the strike of considerable legitimacy and weakened their ability to disrupt industry and power generation. Scargill wasnt interested in a policy dispute; he wanted to bring down the democratically elected government of the country. So it is with the violent casseurs and their increasingly radicalised spokesmen. Macron was elected 18 months ago and subsequently won an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly. He has a mandate to reform France and should be given the space to implement his reforms. There is no justification for him to heed calls by Le Pen to resign, or from the centre right leader of the Republicains to put the fuel taxes to a referendum. His personal approval ratings may be low, but so are those of his opponents. With last Saturdays violence, the Gilets Jaunes have converted themselves from political opposition to a revolutionary movement threatening the democratic institutions of the French Republic. There is increasing evidence that they are being egged on by the far right and that what had been a broad based-movement is being narrowed to a hard knot of fanatics. This development, though dangerous, is one that Macron can turn to his advantage. There are two issues here: the ordinary politics of tax policy, and the assault on the Republic. Frances constitution allows them to be dealt with separately. The ordinary politics can and is being dealt with by the Prime Minister. A moratorium on the tax increase buys some time. Macron is right not to concede on the principle. Diesel cars will go the way of coal mines as new and cleaner energy generation technologies are brought into use. But the costs of environmental adjustment fall most heavily on people who live in smaller towns and the countryside who already miss out on the fruits of the urban engines of economic growth. Though many of these people are not natural Macron supporters, French political culture expects them to be taken care of, and a mooted increase in the wealth tax may be the way to show solidarity. The threat to the state, however, is the responsibility of the President, and needs to be met robustly on two levels. The first is a matter of the exploitation of social institutions. In Thatchers time it was labour legislation, which she reformed to limit its use as a tool of political disruption. In our day its social media. It has been casually written that the movement formed on social networks. While such insouciance might have been acceptable before Facebook and Twitter had transformed themselves fully into advertising juggernauts, we now know that their algorithms facilitate radicalising propaganda. They are easily abused to funnel people towards extreme positions by stirring up and capitalising on anger. As a friend from Sao Paolo told me reflecting on Saturdays riots: this feels like what happened in Brazil. The pattern is a standard one: create chaos, paralyse the authorities, and wait for the people to demand a strongman a military man, perhaps to restore order. Three measures are required (with legislation, if French law doesnt permit this already) to disrupt the anger funnel. Social networks should record, and publish in electronically accessible form, the beneficial owner of all advertisements in France. Advertisements themselves should also be made to carry this information. They should be made liable for content that incites violence on their platforms. Germanys NetzDG law provides such mechanisms (though they can be tailored to focus on incitement to violence rather than to operate against hate speech as necessary). Courts should be able to order closed discussion groups on Facebook to provide their content and metadata where there is reason to believe they are being used to incite violence against or threats against the institutions of the republic. The information gleaned should allow for the effective disruption of the anti-republican extremists in the Gilets Jaunes movement. At the same time, Macron needs to get stuck back into the business of politics. He cannot afford the luxury of a De Gaulle-style Jupiterian presidency. Unlike the general, who relied on his personal authority to preside over the crises of decolonisation, Macron is trying to build an ideological reforming movement from the ground up. He needs, in effect, to get back on the domestic campaign trail and make the case, not against the Gilets Jaunes, but for Macronism. He and his deputies in the Assembly need to make themselves available in their constituencies regularly to argue for his governments policies. These occasions wont be glamorous. They will be in the back rooms of bars and restaurants or on plastic chairs in draughty community halls. The chicken will be made of rubber and the coffee vile. But their job isnt just to be legislators. Theyre the peoples deputies and need to live among them. This needs to be complemented by direct and accurate social media output and further use of mainstream media channels. The party needs to build up its network of regional media officials to organise locally-known activists and spokespeople to get the partys message across. When her back was against the wall, Thatcher could always rely on the Daily Telegraph to support her. Its presence gave hope to beleaguered supporters and took up space on the political spectrum, and thus helped define where the centre of opinion lay. Where is Macrons equivalent house journal? Can one be created, bearing in mind technology and the media landscape have changed so it would probably be an online operation? Finally and this is an aspect Thatcher understood well he needs to choose his enemies wisely. A centrist, as the Iron Lady said, apparently quoting Bevan, risks getting run down by traffic in both directions. Macrons situation is more complicated, and defies road-based metaphor. Politics is shifting from its post-1960s phase where economics was more important than culture, to one where cultural questions dominate but dont entirely overwhelm economic ones. The new far right defines itself culturally. Its enemies are not the rich per se, but an urban mobile and educated population who share the characteristics that their predecessors attributed to Jews. Though all this group detest the extreme right, a solid proportion are relatively affluent leftists who still think politics is defined by material inequality and have become disillusioned by Macron. To win them back, his economic reforms need to be accompanied by a rhetorical shift leftwards and a more direct style. One of the more powerful moments of the 2017 campaign was when he visited a factory and started arguing with the workers. They didnt agree with him but they respected the fact that he treated them as grown-ups. If his presidency is to succeed, this is the Macron we need to see. Unionists unite against backstop as Varadkar says no to new talks The leaders of all three of Northern Irelands principle unionist parties the Democratic Unionists, Ulster Unionists, and Traditional Unionist Voice have maintained their lock-step opposition to the backstop this week, according to the Belfast Telegraph. Although there was no joint press conference to mirror that held by Remainers, Arlene Foster, Robin Swann, and Jim Allister made it clear that none of their parties was going to follow Lady Sylvia Hermon the pro-deal independent unionist MP for North Down and fracture the united front. This is electorally significant, as it means that in the event of a snap election the three are much more likely to be able to come to some sort of vote-maximising pact. The prospects of a similar arrangement on the Remain side are slim, because the various pro-EU parties would need Sinn Fein to take their seats in order to include them and have little hope of unseating them otherwise. Robin Swann, the UUP leader, launched a stinging attack on ministers for trying to downplay unionist concerns when he legal advice that was sitting on their desks from the Attorney General tells us we were right to reject this deal. His party campaigned for Remain in 2016, so its rowing in behind the DUP is especially significant. Meanwhile in Dublin, the Irish Taoiseach ruled out the prospect of the European Union re-opening the negotiations if Theresa Mays Withdrawal Agreement was defeated in the House of Commons. Speaking in the Dail, Leo Varadkar specifically criticised the idea that talks could be conducted with a legislature, as opposed to a government: The suggestion that somehow if it is defeated, we would somehow find ourselves negotiating with a parliament really is quite unworkable. To see a parliamentary delegation entering the tunnel to reopen the talks is just not something that is feasible. He also ruled out publishing the Irish Governments own legal advice on the backstop, although it seems unlikely to contradict the Attorney Generals. All this will do nothing to assuage unionist fears, articulated this week by Dr Graham Gudgin of the University of Cambridge, that elements in Ireland view the Withdrawal Agreement as a stepping stone towards a united Ireland. This united unionist front once again puts the spotlight on the 13 Scottish Conservative and Unionist MPs especially in light of Jackson Carlaws tough talk about a pro-Union ticket for the party in the 2021 Holyrood elections. David Mundell has still not explained why he hasnt resigned, as he threatened, over this deals differential treatment for Northern Ireland. Welsh Labour select their next leader this afternoon The three candidates vying to replace Carwyn Jones will find out which of them is Wales next First Minister this afternoon, Wales Online reports. Jones will step down next Tuesday and hand over to whichever of Mark Drakeford, Eluned Morgan, and Vaughan Gething emerges triumphant today. Amongst the inspiring pitches on offer was Drakefords plan to ban smoking (outdoors) in every town and city centre in Wales. The current First Minister has been beset by scandal since the suicide of Carl Sargeant, a former minister whom Jones sacked. An inquiry into his handling of the matter is still ongoing: just last week the presiding coroner rejected a bid by Jones lawyer to consider evidence on the late AMs inappropriate behaviour. Whoever wins will have a few years to get their feet under the table before facing their first electoral challenge, currently scheduled for 2021. At present the Welsh Government holds a narrow majority in the Assembly thanks to the support of Kirsty Williams, its last remaining Liberal Democrat, and Lord Elis-Thomas, who resigned from Plaid Cymru to support the executive and now holds a cabinet brief as an independent AM. Scottish Conservatives attack SNP over tax plans The Scottish Government has been warned against widening the tax gap between Scotland and England in its upcoming budget, the Daily Telegraph reports. The CBI counselled that it would make Scottish firms less competitive by making it harder for them to attract the best talent from elsewhere in the UK, and thus risked economic damage. Murdo Fraser, the Tories Shadow Finance Secretary, echoed these concerns. The Conservatives fear any gap will drive away wealth and investment. However, the IPPR think-tank has warned that the SNP would have to plug a 1 billion hole in their budget if they emulated the tax cuts unveiled by Philip Hammond in the Budget. Derek Mackay, the Finance Secretary, has also signalled his personal opposition to the cuts. It is far from certain that there is or will be a majority in the Commons for the abandonment of Brexit the real aim of the second referendum campaigners. But it is increasingly possible to imagine that there might be, and that this Government would then seek both to postpone the leaving date and to enact just such a referendum. Theresa May is in breach of so many previous positions that for her to follow the impulses of an instinctively pro-Remain Commons would be a logical next step. (Let us not be detained by the thought that if such a move didnt spark a leadership challenge, nothing will ever do.) What seems to drive her now is a primal fear of no deal. Her declaration that no deal is better than a bad deal is being turned on its head. At any rate, our latest survey results are a reminder that any such grandmother of all U-turns would have very serious consequences for the Conservative Party, outside Parliament as well as within in. Nine out of ten party activists are opposed to a second referendum. If Downing Street or CCHQ thinks that these members would all meekly turn out to campaign for the Party in the wake of any push from the leadership for a second referendum, they might want to think again. Certainly, many of them would turn out against Jeremy Corbyn in a general election. But not all. The immediate aftermath of a U-turn would be torn-up membership cards, cancelled subscriptions, less money and fewer boots on the ground. And as both the 2015 and 2017 elections demonstrated positively and negatively in turn having campaigners in the right places counts. Some of these disillusioned Tories might cast around for a new, credible UKIP. Most would simply sit on their hands. Note, too, that backing for a Norwegian-type EEA solution stands at about the same level, in the surveys attempt to find out which Brexit options, if any, make activists hearts beat a bit faster. Object if you will that Canada Plus Plus Plus is not on the table (the Prime Minister snatched it off at Chequers); or that Norway-to-Canada now doesnt seem to be, either (maybe it never was; perhaps it might have got somewhere had May pushed it). The point is to find out what our panel members want. It is just possible to believe that they will warm to any Norway Plus option if it is deliverable, outside Parliament as well as in, which it may not be in the event of a final choice being between it and no deal. But the survey provides no basis for believing so. No Deal is now activists most favoured option of all, it finds, narrowly outscoring even a Canadian-type settlement. Views are hardening as the endgame looms into sight. Testing for Alzheimers disease can be a long, costly, and tiresome process for patients, but researchers from Brigham and Womens Hospital have been working to make the testing process easier on patients. The group has developed a blood test that would evaluate the level of tau -- the leading protein in the brain associated with Alzheimers -- before a patient is even showing signs or symptoms of the disease. A blood test for Alzheimers disease could be administered easily and repeatedly, with patients going to their primary care office rather than having to go into a hospital, said Dr. Dominic Walsh. Ultimately, a blood-based test could replace cerebrospinal fluid testing and/or brain imaging. Our new test has the potential to do just that. Though the test is currently in the testing stages, Dr. Walsh is calling it a transformative breakthrough based on the early results. How it works Tau is a protein in the brain that is most typically associated with Alzheimers. Though tau can develop through a number of different related molecules, the researchers were able to create a model that differentiates between the individual types of tau to ensure that the blood test comes up with the most accurate result. The researchers have conducted two trials so far with participants from Harvards Aging Brain Study and the Institute of Neurology in London. The first group consisted of 65 participants and the second group had 86. Everyone involved in the study donated samples of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, which helped the researchers look at the breakdown of the tau protein and see exactly what was linked to Alzheimers. In both tests, the researchers found one strand of tau -- NT1 -- that was effective in predicting and identifying cases of Alzheimers. The next step for the researchers is to open the test up to larger groups of participants to further test its effectiveness on a wider sample. However, these early results proved to Dr. Walsh and his team that they could be on the right track. Weve made our data and the tools needed to perform our test widely available because we want other research groups to put this to the test, he said. Its important for others to validate our findings so that we can be certain this test will work across different populations. Fighting Alzheimers While this blood test could potentially change the way doctors go about diagnosing Alzheimers, fellow researchers have made strides this year in an effort to better diagnose and treat the disease. In late September, researchers from the Clinical Memory Research Unit at Lund University in Sweden developed a new brain imaging technique that would help doctors make the most accurate Alzheimers diagnoses. The researchers used a PET scan to evaluate the level of tau in the brain by administering a marker for the protein before the test. The researchers found this new test to be more successful than traditional Alzheimers screening methods. If the patient has tau in certain parts of the brain, the marker will detect it, said researcher Oskar Hansson. The result -- whether Alzheimer tau is present or not -- is very clearly visible on the PET images. On the treatment front, researchers found success with a clinical trial for a drug being developed to treat Alzheimers. Amyloid is another protein often found in the brain with Alzheimers, and researchers from Biogen and Eisai worked to develop BAN2401 -- an anti-amyloid drug. Though unsuccessful in initial tests, this new and improved version of the drug was found to slow the progression of Alzheimers in the studys clinical trial. CORNWALL, Ontario Taylor Bergeron, 28, of Cornwall was arrested on Dec. 5, 2018 and charged with the following: Assault with a weapon Robbery Unauthorized possession of a weapon Administer noxious substance Breach of prohibition order Intimidation of a justice system participant It is alleged on Sept. 5, 2018, Taylor Bergeron attended a Montreal Rd. business where he demanded money from a clerk and assaulted her using bear spray. Police were contacted and an investigation ensued. On Dec. 5, 2018, a member of the Cornwall Police Service attended the Cornwall Courthouse as the man was in custody on an unrelated matter (see media release for Dec. 5, 2018). It is alleged during the court proceeding, the man caused a disturbance. He was charged accordingly and remained in custody. The Board of Trustees of the Galveston Wharves announced on Wednesday, December 5 that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Royal Caribbean Cruises setting out the general terms for a new long-term business agreement for the development and operation of a new cruise terminal. The long-term lease negotiations could lead to a 60-year transaction: a 20-year initial term and four 10-year options, according to a press release. The new terminal will cover approximately 200,000 square feet on ten acres of land in the southeast section of the Port known as Pier 10. Improvements to the pier bulkhead and apron will be made to safely accommodate the cruise lines largest vessels. In addition, a staging and loading area, bus and taxi staging areas and substantial parking will be constructed. The new facility is anticipated to open in Fall 2021. This new cruise terminal to be built by Royal Caribbean allows the Port to continue investing in our infrastructure while growing our cruise business exponentially. This partnership will bring both larger class ships as well as more visitors to the City of Galveston and the region, said Port Director/CEO Rodger Rees. This long term lease agreement represents Royal Caribbeans confidence in the Port of Galvestons efficient cruise operations and the ability to attract passengers on its current and future sailings. Galveston is on course for being a global destination for cruising and we are thankful for partners like Royal Caribbean. Over the last 15 years, Royal Caribbean has brought over 2.4 million guests to Galveston driving an economic impact of $65 million each year. The development of a new terminal is crucial to our continued growth and expansion of the brand in the region, said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. We look forward to continuing our outstanding relationship with the Port of Galveston and are excited about our plans for a state-of-the-art facility with a bold new design and technological advancements that will considerably enhance our guest experience. Royal Caribbean currently has two ships that sail out of Galveston, the Liberty of the Seas and the Vision of the Seas. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings today announced a partnership with the Huna Totem Corporation to develop a second cruise pier in Icy Strait Point in Alaska. The pier is scheduled to be completed for the summer 2020 Alaska cruise season and will be built to accommodate Norwegian Cruise Lines Breakaway Plus-class ships, the company said. The partnership will provide Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brands with preferential berthing rights in the popular port destination and allow the Company to increase its calls to Icy Strait Point. Currently Oceania Cruises Regatta, Seven Seas Mariner, Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Joy are scheduled to call on Icy Strait Point in the 2019 season. In addition, the new pier will provide more cruise passengers with access to Icy Straits newly upgraded retail, restaurant and shore excursion amenities, including the worlds largest ZipRider zip line, brown bear viewing platforms, whale watching and fishing excursions, local cultural dances accompanied by oral histories and more. We are thrilled to partner with the Huna Totem Corporation to construct a new pier at Icy Strait Point which will strengthen our presence in the wildly popular Alaska market and provide our guests with a best-in-class experience as they explore the natural beauty and exciting shore excursions of this unique destination, said Howard Sherman, executive vice president of onboard revenue and destination development. This partnership marks the latest step in our ongoing efforts to promote economic development in the area and make a positive economic impact on the Alaska tourism industry. The charge was stark, in the headline of a Nov. 28 article by the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, a Connecticut advocacy group that opposes the power of public employee unions. AFSCME Defies Janus, Tells Members They Cant Leave. That would be unconstitutional, if true, under the Janus v. AFSCME decision handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in June. The 5-4 ruling rocked government unions by allowing any member to stop paying dues, or fees, but still receive the benefits of collective bargaining. The story is a bit more layered than AFSCME Council 4 in Connecticut outright blocking members from quitting. Its the next battleground in the never-ending legal war over what unions can and cant do. AFSCME, like countless other unions across the United States, does allow members to quit but they can only opt out of paying monthly dues during a 30-day window each year, corresponding with the anniversary of each members signing date. Thats illegal and unconstitutional under Janus, the Yankee Institute says. Its legal, fair and prudent financial management, AFSCME union leaders say. Federal lawsuits were filed Nov. 9 in Los Angeles and last Friday in New Mexico over the exit windows by the Liberty Justice Center, the same conservative group that brought the Janus case on behalf of an Illinois worker. Look for a similar lawsuit at a federal court near you, although a spokeswoman for the Liberty Justice Center declined to say Wednesday whether a case is in the works in Connecticut. Case or not, the rhetoric is as nasty as youd expect, precisely as public unions prepare for another round of calls for givebacks in the first budget of Gov.-elect Ned Lamont. Lamont has said he wont seek more blood from the unions, but hes going to need some magic to balance the books without it. There are a lot of workers for Connecticuts government who are poorly served by their union, said Carol Platt Liebau, president of the Yankee Institute. It is now, as clearly stated in Janus, their right to decide whether they are being served by their union, and we believe that if their government union is serving them well, it has no reason to set constraints on their ability to exercise the choice that they are entitled to make. Jody Barr, executive director of AFSCME Council 4, which represents 30,000 state and municipal workers, shot back that this latest attack based on the exit windows amounts to harassment. The exit window applies to employees who signed cards over the last three years as AFSCME prepared for a loss in the Janus case cards that spelled out the yearly exit rules. Its like joining Amazon Prime, he said you cant get the free shipping in December and then quit in January; its an annual membership that allows the union to plan. All theyre trying to do is weaken the voice, Barr said of the Yankee Institute, which has reached out to public employees in Connecticut to make sure they know they can quit without ramifications. Its taking away workers rights and abilities to advocate together and have a single voice Its attacking the middle class. He continued, Why would rich, well-funded groups want to do this? Liebau says the market forces all sorts of companies and organizations, much smaller than AFSCME (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), to adapt to changing customer behavior. The Yankee Institute says its looking out for workers rights against ineffective unions, and at the same time, trying to rein in overly rich pay and benefits packages. That raises a question that Barr asked which is it? Are the unions too ineffective, or too effective? Its both, Liebau said. Making an agreement that helps one group of people to the detriment of our states well-being isnt a benefit to anyone in the long run. Our civil servants...are the ones who would be hurt the most if we were to get to the point where the state couldnt meet its obligations. For now, the numbers are tiny, Barr said. So far, after more than five months, just 72 union members out of the 30,000 have opted out fully. Another 23, he said, are now waiting for their 30-day windows to come around. So the stake is just a rounding error in the multimillion-dollar AFSCME Council 4 budget. Thats all the more reason the union should just let them out, Liebau said. Other unions in Connecticut, including some locals of AFT, for example, also use exit windows. Its a credit to the unions that the issue isnt larger. Generally, when the year shakes out, we will see the unions retain well over 95 percent of their members, in AFSCMEs case, perhaps 97 percent, Barr said. That far more than even union supporters predicted in the days after the decision. More than 1,000 previously unsigned employees have signed cards. The 96 percent of our members that are still paying dues, they are more educated now and they are more united, Barr said. It showed in the last election. We got our members educated about how to vote. Speaking of the elections, the unions say no political activity is financed by regular members dues; that comes from separate, voluntary contributions and in-kind work. And of course, the unions and their supporters have huge power in the state Capitol. As for the case, the Janus decision is mum on exactly how unions must allow members to quit and whether exit windows are legal. Id guess the unions will lose because its about a right, not a commercial transaction such as Amazon membership. But the broader issue is, this latest round is part of a pattern of anti-union attacks thats dividing the two sides widely. I received an email this week from a state worker, whos not alone, who said hed quit if his leadership offered more givebacks. Suddenly, the unions have a financial stake in holding to a hard line. Barr said AFSCME has always answered to the rank-and-file. Im very aware of my role as representing our members and I work for them. The nations first-ever strike by charter school teachers is underway in Chicago , as hundreds of educators protested on the picket lines for a second day on Wednesday. More than 500 teachers, paraprofessionals, and support staff members from the 15-school Acero charter network are fighting for pay raises, smaller class sizes, and more funding for special education services, among other demands. They are members of the Chicago Teachers Unionand part of a small group of unionized charter educators. Just 11.3 percent of charter schools across the country are unionized, according to data from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. Charter schools were in part created to free school leaders from many state and district regulations, including collective bargaining contracts. But teachers unions are making gains in charter school networks , especially as unions fight membership losses stemming from an adverse Supreme Court ruling this summer. Chicago is a major epicenter of this movement, with about a quarter of its 130 charter schools unionized. spoke to Robert Bruno, a professor at the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, about the history of the unionization movement in the Windy City and the implications of the Acero strike. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Walk us through the background of unionization efforts toward charter schools in Chicago. Its relatively recent. It really corresponds to the election in 2010 of the Chicago Teachers Union leadership. The new leadership [including now-CTU president, Jesse Sharkey] had been very critical of the evolution of charters in Chicago. ... Very high on their agenda was really addressing what they saw as the disinvestment in neighborhood schools and the shifting of interests to a corporate, privatized approach in Chicago, and of course, a key piece of that was the charter schools, which had grown significantly in that time. The previous union leadership had always looked at charter schools as something outside their purview, as something they couldnt have any impact on because the law in Illinois prohibited them from being covered under same public-school contracts. They could be unionized as a separate, independent body, but they could not be covered and included in the same collective bargaining agreements. When the new leadership came in, they recognized the limitations of the law, but quickly began to work with an independent union that had ... formed with the support of the Chicago Teachers Union. That support became more and more substantial. As different schools got organized, the CTU provided resources and staff to help the independent charter school union negotiate contracts, and this past summer, the union completed a multi-year process of amending their bylaws, so they could merge with that independent union and be in the position of being actively engaged in the bargaining. Now, were in the first-ever teachers strike at a charter school. What is the significance of that? In 2012, [the CTU] takes 26,000 of their members out on strike successfully for seven days, and theres this enormous public support for doing it. Four years later, they pull off another one-day strike and make further gains in addressing charters and the larger issues around education reform. I think 2012 demonstrated that teachers unions could take a different approach to education. As one management site attorney told me in the book I co-authored , this union is different now. Its not just about the granular nitty-gritty, bread-and-butter labor relations. This union wants to talk about policy, they want to talk about investment, they want to talk about how the school system should be. And thats extraordinary for a labor union. With this charter school strike, you have the teachers union saying this isnt just about labor relations. This isnt just about, Can we negotiate better pay, can we negotiate smaller class sizes, around workload?"although all these things are very real, thats whats agitating and frustrating teachers. But [the union is saying], We want to make clear that the charter school movement in Chicago can no longer operate as this independent, investor-driven operation thats been operating outside of collective bargaining and the voice of teachers. Were going to try to bring this in the fold of the contracts we negotiate. Thats a significant challenge. Thats telling the future mayor, future charter operators, and current ones that if youre going to function here, were going to organize more and more, and when we do, youre not going to be able to pay [charter teachers] less than teachers of similar backgrounds are paid in a neighborhood school. Youre not going to be able to operate outside of the regulatory system. They are signaling to other school districts, theyre saying to other big-city mayors, other teachers unions, this is a different model and you should look at what Chicago is doing. Theyve organized almost twice [the number of charter schools] above the national average. If they successfully win this strikeand so far this union hasnt lost any, at least the way you might evaluate themit really will become a different approach to how teachers unions respond to charters. Its more than just the bread-and-butter of the contracts of 15 schools and 500 teachers. I think its a challenge to the very theoretical underpinnings of charter schools. Looking into your crystal ball, do you think the charter-school unionization movement will spread in other big cities? Its clear that the national teachers unions have begun to invest in organizing charters. Just recently, a virtual charter school in California avoided a strike . My crystal ball is foggy and murky, but I do know there are some important lessons that come out of labor-relations history. One of them is that where workers are able to successfully use collective voice ... it typically signals that you can in fact improve things, you can make things better. Everybody whos now in the industry will say, Well, there are examples of teachers successfully organizing, negotiating contracts, and using direct action, legal strikes, to improve those conditions. And what [the strike] will signal to the small sector of unionized charter schools is that you have power and you can use that successfully, you now have examples of what can be done. And that will improve conditions, which is a good thing. The other important message it communicates is to that large non-unionized charter-school [sector]: Look at how things have gotten better in Chicago for teachers and paraprofessionals. Its not a nirvana, its not heaven, theres still some level of compromise and incremental improvementbut heres an organization that can make things better for you. It can help you fight and win. Youre more likely to join, youre more likely to say, Well, Im not afraid to organize, this union is effective. This strike is not only on behalf of the current members, its that other contingentthe 75 percent [of Chicago charter schools that are not unionized]who are also watching very closely. [The CTUs] ability to organize the other networks would be significantly improved if theyre successful in this strike. Teachers unions have suffered a blow with the Supreme Courts Janus decision , which has made it easier for teachers to leave the unions. Do you think organizing in the charter sector will be the unions solution to membership losses? I think it was something they always should have been looking at, something I think they overlooked. While only a small percentage of students nationwide are going to charter schools, clearly there is an opportunity to organize a group of folks that the teachers unions need to be invested in. And certainly with a decision like Janus that will generate some [membership] loss, along with resources, will compel the union to think, Well, heres an area of growth while we confront the challenge to maintain the status we have in traditional schools. I think there are plenty of incentives and reasons for unions to be organizing in charter schools. But what you see in Chicago would have happened even if Janus had been decided differently. Image: President of the Chicago Teachers Union Jesse Sharkey talks with members of the media as charter school teachers and their supporters walk the picket line outside the Aceros Zizumbo Elementary Charter school on Tuesday. Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via AP BRIDGEPORT Bridgeport Rescue Mission is looking for blanket donations through Dec. 14. Men, women and children from low-income families in the community will be provided with gifts from the Bridgeport Rescue Missions holiday distributions at its main campus and mobile kitchens in mid-December, the organization said. Blanket donations are asked to be twin or queen sizes. They can be dropped off at the donation center, 1069 Connecticut Ave., unit 2B. Donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Were grateful to all the Mission friends who will join together to bring Christmas joy to struggling families here in coastal Fairfield County, said Executive Director Terry Wilcox. Contact Courtney Pandolfi at 203-333-4087, ext. 112, or CPandolfi@BridgeportRescueMission.org for questions regarding blanket donations. Visit www.BridgeportRescueMission.org for more information about the program and services. BRIDGEPORT Emily Byrne already made new law in Connecticut regarding a patients right to keep their medical records private. Now a jury has awarded her more than $850,000 in damages. A Superior Court jury deliberated less than two hours Wednesday before finding the Avery Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology of Westport liable for the emotional damage Byrne suffered when they released her records to a former boyfriend who attempted to blackmail her over the information in them. The jury awarded the psychiatric nurse, who now lives in Vermont, $853,000. With interest, the final judgment against Avery could reach $1.6 million. Bruce Elstein, Byrness lawyer, said it has been a long road for his client, who initially filed suit against the Westport doctors office in 2007. Since then, the case has gone up to the state Supreme Court twice. In January, the states highest court ruled for the first time that patients do have a right to sue medical offices for disclosing their medical information without the patients permission. The case created new law, said Elstein. The Supreme Court ruled a patient has a remedy for breaches of medical responsibility and that never occurred before. Byrne claimed her life had been turned upside down when Avery released her medical records to Andro Mendoza, a man who Byrne claimed is bipolar and who she had secured protective orders against in the past. Byrne was involved in a relationship with Mendoza from May 2004 to September 2004 during which she became pregnant, according to the lawsuit. She eventually gave birth to a baby girl but instructed her doctors at Avery not to release her medical records to Mendoza. In 2005, she moved to Vermont. Two months later, Mendoza filed paternity actions against Byrne in Connecticut and Vermont. A lawyer hired by Mendoza got a court order for Byrnes medical records. They (Avery) decided to turn the medical information over to the court and Mendoza went to the court and got a copy of the records, Elstein said. He decided to use it to extort her. He made demands for joint custody of the child and claimed he would go public with the information. Included in the file was information about assaults that had taken place against Byrne when she was young and that she had previously had an abortion, according to trial testimony. She comes from a religious family and had not told her parents about the abortion. They learned about it from Mendoza. When Byrne rebuffed Mendoza, Elstein said, Mendoza demanded she pay him $375,000 and that he have full custody of their daughter. Elstein said Mendoza eventually was allowed supervised visits with the daughter but only saw the girl for a couple of hours in 2010 through 2012 and has not requested to see her since. During the trial before Judge Thomas Welch, Averys lawyer, James Biondo, admitted to the jury that his client had made a mistake in releasing Byrnes medical records. But he claimed the emotional trauma she says she suffered was the responsibility of Mendoza not the medical group. Mendoza did not attend the trial and could not be reached for comment. They point their finger of blame at everyone else but themselves, Elstein told the jury of Avery. Meanwhile, my client will carry the memory for the rest of her life that her records were released. BRIDGEPORT Ernie Newton was his usual optimistic self leaving state Superior Court in Hartford Wednesday. The state Supreme Court in October ordered a new trial for Newton, who nearly four years earlier was convicted of campaign financing fraud with a sentence of six months in prison. So on Wednesday a judge formalized the justices decision, and now Newton, a Democrat, waits to learn whether the Office of the Chief States Attorney will retry him or drop the case. The next court date is Jan. 23. I didnt get the feeling the state wanted to retry it, Newton, who has been allowed to remain free while appealing his conviction, said afterward. Im hoping it should be all over by then (Jan. 23). But in an interview Thursday morning, Joseph Stawicki, Newtons public defender, detailed just how complicated his clients legal situation is: Its not as simple as that. Stawicki said he did not know how the Chief States Attorney plans to proceed, adding, Personally I think its a waste of our state resources to move forward with a do over to try to successfully convict Newton. This isnt a murder or robbery case, Stawicki said. Its a case involving politics. But Stawicki also noted another problem for Newton that stems from the latters 2005 corruption conviction while a state Senator and his subsequent imprisonment. By Jan. 6, 2015 when a jury found Newton guilty of three of six campaign finance fraud-related charges involving his failed 2012 bid to return to the legislature, Newton had been out of jail for five years. But Newton was still on probation for that 2005 corruption conviction for taking a $5,000 bribe to push through a state grant, diverting $40,682 in campaign contributions to himself and others and failing to report the money on his income tax return. Newtons 2015 conviction violated that probation. More News Judge vacates Newtons campaign fraud conviction Stawicki said that, hypothetically, were the state to now drop its charges against Newton, Thats good news. Unfortunately, he added, it does not make the probation violation go away and Newton could still get hammered in federal court. There has to be some type of resolution that involves the state and federal (law enforcement), Stawicki said. Newton has a different lawyer privage attorney Darnell Crosland handling his federal probation issue. Crosland could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday morning. While attempting a political comeback in 2012, Newtons campaign at that time collected the small contributions needed for him to qualify for $80,550 from Connecticuts so-called clean elections public campaign grants program. He was subsequently accused of submitting five contribution cards of $100 a piece to meet the grant programs threshold that were signed by five people who had not actually given that money. As explained in Octobers Supreme Court ruling, Newtons campaign, faced in 2012 with a $490 shortfall, suddenly received $500 and either on his own or through the assistance of another, (Newton) had approached the five signors and instructed them to sign the ($100 contribution) cards (and) assured them that they would not be required to donate money to the campaign. Newton, following a state investigation, was charged with five counts of illegal practices in campaign financing, two counts of first-degree larceny and one count of witness tampering. On Jan. 16, 2015, a jury found Newton guilty of three of the charges and acquitted him of witness tampering. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on the remaining charges. While his appeal to the state Supreme Court has been pending, Newton successfully ran for Bridgeport City Council representing his East End neighborhood and was hired by the local nonprofit Career Resources Inc. to help clients with criminal records seek employment. Asked Thursday if he shared Newtons optimism that his legal issues will soon be behind him, Stawicki said, You always have to be optimistic until the roof falls in. But Stawicki also noted that the state seems particularly focused on trying to punish Bridgeport politicians. I lived in Bridgeport for a few years and for some reason Bridgeport seems to be a target, Stawicki said. The city does have a reputation for dirty politics thanks to Newton and also Mayor Joe Ganim, whose first administration ended in 2003 with his own corruption conviction. Voters forgave Ganim and re-elected him in 2015. He tried unsuccessfully this year to run for governor, losing the Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. New Hampshire's longtime secretary of state, Bill Gardner, D, narrowly won his bid for a 22nd term on Wednesday, fending off a challenge amid a wave of anger among state legislators over his participation in President Donald Trump's controversial voter fraud commission. At a joint session of the New Hampshire state Senate and House of Representatives, Gardner won 209 votes to Colin Van Ostern's 205, with one lawmaker casting a "scatter" vote for neither candidate. Gardner's win came in the second round of voting; the first round ended in a dramatic standoff, with Gardner taking 208 votes to Van Ostern's 207 - both shy of the majority-plus-one needed for victory. The win means Gardner, 70, will continue serving in the job he has held since 1976. Gardner was greeted with a standing ovation from lawmakers after his win, according to Casey McDermott of New Hampshire Public Radio. "Our state's elections are so unique and so special, and that's why the country pays attention when we're on the national stage. . . . I'd like to ask all of you, particularly the new ones, I'm just down the hall, come in, I welcome any ideas - even modern ideas," Gardner said, NHPR reported. New Hampshire is one of three states where the secretary of state is elected by the legislature. Gardner prompted an outcry among Democrats last year when, as a member of Trump's now-disbanded commission, he gave what some critics viewed as a weak response to accusations that voter fraud may have been committed in the state in 2016. "People are saying . . . there's no fraud, and the others are saying there's a lot of fraud," Gardner said at the time in response to accusations made by the panel's vice chairman, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, regarding college students' use of out-of-state ID cards to vote. "And there might be no fraud; there might be a lot of fraud. But there's no proof!" The panel ultimately found no evidence of voter fraud and was disbanded in January amid mounting legal challenges. But Gardner defended his participation as recently as last month. "I know some may never forgive me for having done that, but it was better that New Hampshire be represented than not," he told reporters. "It's better to be at the table than on the menu." Van Ostern seized on Gardner's participation in the panel, as well as his support for GOP-authored legislation tightening voter registration requirements, in launching his bid against the incumbent. Five former governors - Democrat John Lynch and Republicans Stephen Merrill, Craig Benson, John Sununu and Judd Gregg - took the unusual step of penning a letter last month backing Gardner and hailing his perspective as "one steeped in historical understanding, not partisan allegiance." "As the state's top elections official, the Secretary of State is charged with safeguarding the integrity of the democratic process," they said in the letter. "We have each witnessed Bill Gardner, regardless of the makeup of New Hampshire government, execute these duties with absolute independence and incorruptible motive." The letter prompted a response from Van Ostern, who noted that the secretary of state election was up to the 424 members of the state legislature, rather than governors "from decades past." "Sec Gardner's 42 yrs deserve praise but his actions & judgement in this decade are not what they once were," Van Ostern said in a tweet. "Time for accountable SoS who protects rights & liberties." Gardner is known nationally as the defender of New Hampshire's status as first-in-the-nation primary state. --- The Washingotn Post's John Wagner and David Weigel contributed to this report. In this series, Instagram Icon, Entrepreneur speaks with the individuals behind popular Instagram accounts to find out the secrets of their success. On a weekday afternoon in May 2016, Kyle Finn Dempsey hopped into his black Land Rover, turned on acoustic radio and readied himself for a typical day exploring and photographing western Massachusetts. Dempsey ended up at a camp not far from his home, where he discovered an abandoned A-frame cabin that sparked his imagination. Upon closer inspection, he saw that wood rot plagued most of the interior, but one second-story section -- a small, cozy corner -- had remained pristine. Dempsey knew he could transform the corner into its own magical world, and he dreamed up a scene full of string lights, vinyl records, comfortable blankets and more. He immediately headed home to pick up the items that would make the world in his mind a reality. Dempsey returned soon after with a guitar under his arm, a coffee pot, flannel shirts and a host of other items that could present the forgotten corner as an intimate escape. The entire scene took him over an hour to set up, but he was determined to get every detail of his mental image right -- even if the payoff was just one snap of a camera shutter. At the time, Dempseys Instagram account, @KyleFinnDempsey, had more than 10,000 followers thanks to travel snapshots and other photography projects, but after the A-frame snapshot posted, it blew up. A few months later, he quit his job at a pasta sauce company to focus on Instagram full-time. Today, he has more than 442,000 followers and is known for whimsical shots featuring rustic cabins, cozy nooks, old vehicles, fall foliage and campfires. Dempsey spoke with Entrepreneur about his inspiration, monetization strategy and advice for budding Instagrammers. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Whats your chief inspiration? I have a lot of concepts in my head -- visions of ideal scenes and things like that. I grew up along the river in western Massachusetts, and my whole childhood I would build forts, fires and these little camps. Id build my own little world. I wanted to replicate that feeling -- that adventurous, kind of Huck Finn-esque feeling -- in images that reflected my actual life, whether it be fishing on the side of a river, canoeing, building campfires or just staying in magical places. Through my feed, I wanted to curate an escape for people. Once I realized I could really hone in on this idea, it was like a portal to a different world. How do you find places to transform? After I posted that first A-frame photo, I went out every day that summer, picked a scene from my mind and tried to replicate it as best I could. It didnt take off every time I posted one -- it was a long process of trying a bunch of different things -- but I saw what stuck and pushed those ideas forward. I started near where I lived with a few abandoned places Id found, and when I learned that some of my friends parents had some cabins nearby, I stayed there. Then I went on a few trips that fall and stayed in unique, cool Airbnb listings -- treehouses, log cabins, A-frames and more. Since then, Ive stayed at hundreds of places, and through that, Ive built my dream home in my head, taking little bits and pieces of each place Ive stayed. I dont have any partnerships with Airbnb or anything like that, so I just search for places like anyone else would. For example, Im leaving for Vermont on Wednesday for a Vermont Tourism shoot, and I found a cool Airbnb in the area. You can even just Google log cabin in New England and find lists. To what extent do you monetize the account? Things are changing, but I usually go by $1,000 per hundred thousand followers. On Instagram itself, I do about one ad a month, and now I charge $5,000 for a spot on my feed -- that would be a full-scale one-minute Instagram video and a story post, essentially a mini-campaign. You just dont want to over-promote on your feed -- you dont want your followers to get sick of it, and you also want to be strategic with who you choose to work with because people can see right through something if youre just doing it for money. I want to actually use and stand behind all the products Im promoting, which also helps me create better ads. How busy does this keep you? In a typical month, Im definitely on the move very often -- if I get a week in my house, Im lucky. But I dont travel very far. I spend most of my time in the northeast. Every week, Im usually gone a few days at a time doing something for a client. For example, Ive had a partnership with one client for six months -- a blanket brand -- and I provide them with a photo package and one sponsored post on my feed per month, so Id do two one- or two-day themed photoshoots with them per month. Ive also worked with Land Rover, Samsung, Adobe, Cape Cod potato chips, General Mills, Nature Valley, Highland Park whisky, Samuel Adams beer and others. What made you decide to start prioritizing video on Instagram rather than only still photography? I went to school for advertising, and I see a lot of ads that arent done well strategically. Thats why what Im trying to do moving forward is to stick to video -- its the best way to tell a story, express something and naturally incorporate a product. Ive done one-minute Instagram videos for probably my five most recent ads, and people have responded much more to that. You can charge more for that because its a lot more work and a lot more valuable. In the past, it would cost so much money to get a one-minute commercial in front of 500,000 people. Influencer marketing is really changing the whole scope of modern advertising. What advice would you give others who want to build a brand on the platform? Youve got to find your niche. Youve got to be everything to someone, not something for everyone, and youve got to stick with it and consistently produce. I would say consistency is the biggest thing, and that goes for almost anything you try in life: Keep going, and youre not going to fail if youre that determined. Once you prove youre the top in a category, thats when people notice. Also, you want to be as relatable as possible -- be transparent, be true and communicate with your followers. Build a community and an outlet for people. Be someone they can go to -- if youre there just for the followers, people can feel that, and theyll notice. See below for five of Dempseys favorite posts. Heres a recent stay at a treehouse in Maine. This is a dual-level perspective of a small cabin with a clear roof in Maine. This is a first-person view of driving my 1964 Ford through the back roads during the fall. Heres the original A-frame I set up that exploded on Instagram. Heres an example of a recent video ad. Related: This Instagram Photographer Snaps Gorgeous Photos of Cozy Cabins and Fall Foliage. He Also Charges $5,000 Per Post. Food Network's Molly Yeh Shares How She Built Her Blog Into a Growing Farm-to-Table Empire This Illustrator Is Projected to Make $700,000 This Year, and She Says She Couldn't Have Done It Without Instagram Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Growing a business of any kind is a crazy ride. Its fun and challenging and scary. I know because I was part of a team that did it. Our company grew from 12 employees to 150 in just four years. And thats great. But, mistakes? Weve made a few. OK, we've made a lot. Dont get me wrong: A certain amount of hubris was driving us. Although a recent study said CEO hubris can be harmful to a company, its natural -- and even necessary -- to pursue those big dreams and think about what you can do rather than what you cant. Related: 5 Signs That Youre Overworking Your Employees Still, mistakes are inevitable, and we've had to course-correct many times. As the year wraps up, here's a look at the mistakes we've made over the past few years and the improvements our team has made as a result. My purpose is to help other founders see those same bumps in the road before they themselves encounter them and to learn from some of our hard knocks. 1. Dont abuse peoples commitment. The dark days were in 2015. Because of our desire to stay on top financially, we worked people way too hard, and almost lost some of our best people. We demanded 10-plus-hour workdays of everyone, with no end in sight. Morale crumbled, and no one wanted to work with us. You might think this is a given in startups, but it doesnt have to be. Caring for your people is a better strategy for the long-term health of everyone (and of your business). Amazon has a reputation for having a demanding, fast-paced culture. Although no one can argue with the company's phenomenal success -- just look at the fierce competition that cities and states waged when trying to land the companys second headquarters -- its not for everyone. The median tenure there is just one year. No matter how bad you want it, be mindful that theres a limit to what most of your team members are willing to stomach. Small bits of gratitude go a long way. 2. Dont confuse strong contributors with leaders. In the next phase of growth in 2016, we had to learn about developing leaders. Good individual contributors are not inherently good managers. In fact, they are rarely good leaders. We werent alone in this mistake. In an HBR-reported study of business leadership, 61 percent of executives surveyed said they werent prepared for the challenges they would face as leaders. Clearly, then, developing leaders is important, even though it's a time-intensive project. Our strategy? We learned to pick people we like and to spend a lot of time with them. A lot. This cant be overstated. Only by focusing on your investment in potential leaders can you expect those people to learn to lead your company. 3. Dont delegate culture and training too soon. Assume you will always be the culture driver of your company. In 2017, we made the mistake of delegating our culture to others. We thought the 20 people who loved our culture and were ambassadors for it would ensure the next 80 were on the same page. But they werent. Culture and training are the most important jobs of an entrepreneur. No one carries as much weight as you do, and its vital that you be the articulator of your culture and values. So, dont delegate the job too soon, if ever. The telephone game is real, and messages get changed as they are passed along from leadership to management, as well as from one employee to the next. Insights and nuance also decay as time passes. Your 150th hire will never be as clued in as your first unless you make that a priority. Warby Parker makes training a primary focus, even among senior staffers. Our co-founder Dave Gilboa says that its important for new employees to feel welcome and for senior staff to help guide them on a successful path from the beginning. Related: Six Ways to Create and Build a Successful Company Culture 4. Dont emphasize comfort over productivity. In 2017 and 2018, we made a lot of mistakes. The good news is that we learned from our mistakes of 2015 (overworking our people). The bad news is that we swung too far the other way. We spent a lot of time, money and energy on comfort. Now, my partner and I suffer from "Chris Rock syndrome": As the comedian puts it, My kids are rich -- I have nothing in common with them!" We overdid it by acquiring a great working space, snacks and other luxuries. We trained our employees to feel entitled to creature comforts instead of keeping that stay hungry mentality startups have. Overall, this isn't a bad problem to have, but dialing it down could be good for the organization. Like parents' view of their kids, we didn't, we dont, want life to be hard for our people, so we try to treat them well because of the struggles we went through. Related: The Perfect Work Environment Has To Be One That Does Not Feel Like, Well, Work Still, if you start adjusting the course of your business to meet the demands of every employee, you will lose direction and focus. So, absolutely pay attention to what your team needs in order to be successful, but also be sure to distinguish perceived issues from real ones. As an entrepreneur, youre going to make mistakes. But, as you prep for 2019, think through the mistakes we've made and do everything you can to avoid them. Related: The 4 Biggest Mistakes Companies Make When Scaling Their Business We Grew a Company From 12 to 150 Employees in 4 Years. Here's What We Did Wrong. The 3 Dumbest Business Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make Most Often Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Yemen's warring parties gathered for peace talks in Sweden on Thursday, an achievement in itself that reflects the formidable challenges negotiators face trying to end a conflict that's fueled the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. Last time the United Nations tried to hold peace talks, in Geneva in September, Iran-backed Houthi rebels didn't show up and the effort collapsed. This time, U.N. special envoy Martin Griffiths personally escorted negotiators from the group, which controls the capital, Sana'a, on a plane provided by Kuwait. The meetings in a castle outside Stockholm will be the first since 2016. The delegation of the Saudi Arabia-backed government is led by Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yamani. Expectations weren't high. "The talks in Sweden are preliminary consultations to set the stage for eventual negotiations," according to Peter Salisbury, a consultant at International Crisis Group. "Griffiths hopes that the two sides will agree on some basic confidence-building measures, including prisoner swaps, the reopening of Sana'a airport and perhaps an agreement to stabilize Hodeidah, as well as a broad road map for future talks." The port city of Hodeidah is a crucial aid and imports lifeline that's been under siege from the Saudi-led military coalition backing Yemeni government forces since June. In a press conference, Griffiths was careful not to overstate his chances of success, while noting there was a "need to move urgently" toward a solution. "What I'd like to see is a process of orchestration to reach certain milestones that we can then publish as an agreement," he said Thursday. The delegations have signaled they want a reduction in violence, Griffiths told reporters. Some confidence-building steps have already begun. This week, the sides agreed in principle to a prisoner swap, and 50 wounded rebels were evacuated to Oman for medical treatment. Griffiths might be able to get the two sides to agree on additional measures and "sign up to a broader framework for negotiations with some tweaks, and schedule substantive peace talks in the near future" Salisbury wrote. "But unfortunately, the odds are high that the consultations will break down amid mutual recriminations, as has happened during all previous rounds." The war -- a proxy battle for regional influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran -- has ravaged Yemen, which even before the fighting had been dysfunctional and poor. Thousands of civilians have been killed, and displacement, hunger and sickness are rampant. Three-quarters of the country's 28 million people need aid to stave off hunger and disease, and half of them require it urgently to survive, according to the U.N. Parties to the conflict "are realizing that neither side is going to able to by military means exercise control over the country," U.S. ambassador to Yemen Matthew Tueller said in Stockholm. "They are going to have to find some way of sitting down to reach a power-sharing agreement." Saudi Arabia led a coalition of mainly Sunni-ruled countries into the fighting in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of Yemen's President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. Efforts to end the conflict took on new urgency after the murder of Saudi government critic Jamal Khashoggi in the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. U.S. lawmakers began reassessing the actions of Saudi Arabia's crown prince and some have demanded an end to weapons sales to the kingdom and military cooperation with the Saudis. In late October, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary James Mattis urged the sides to cease fire and sit down for negotiations within 30 days. Give Lindsey Graham credit. When it comes to regime change, at least he is consistent. The Republican senator from South Carolina has supported the removal of dictators from U.S. adversaries such as Iraq and Libya, and now he wants new leadership for a crucial U.S. ally: Saudi Arabia. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman "is a wrecking ball," Graham said at a press conference Tuesday after he and a small group of senators had received a CIA briefing on the October murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "If the Saudi government is going to be in the hands of this man for a long time to come, I find it very difficult to be able to do business because I think he's crazy, I think he's dangerous and he has put this relationship at risk." The pontifications of senators on foreign policy usually don't count for much. Most of the constitutional power is invested in the executive branch. Senators get to advise and consent on treaties, diplomatic nominations and generals, but statecraft is left to the president and his advisers. There is one area, however, in which a single senator can make a very big difference: arms sales. That is exactly what Graham promised Tuesday. He will not support any arms sales to Saudi Arabia, he said, so long as Prince Mohammed remains in charge. Graham also said he will be pressing his colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support a resolution that squarely says MBS, as he is known, is complicit in Khashoggi's murder. This is a big deal. For one, it undermines President Donald Trump's pledge last month not to hold arms sales to Saudi Arabia hostage over the Khashoggi affair. Furthermore, it puts pressure on the State Department to sanction the de facto head of the Saudi state. So much for Graham's early-autumn bromance with Trump during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings. But will it work? Can Graham, and Congress in general, apply enough pressure on Saudi Arabia to persuade the ailing King Salman, MBS's father, to choose another crown prince before he dies? This approach to regime change has not been tried before. The U.S. has dabbled in covert and overt regime change - with adversaries. The U.S. has also supported military coups for its clients, such as South Vietnam. But pressuring an ally to pick a new monarch through suspension of arms sales and congressional censure is new territory. That task is more difficult because of the opacity of the Saudi royal family. It's highly implausible that the U.S. has much influence over it, says Patrick Clawson, the director of research for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. For now, he says, the task should be to get the Saudis to change their behavior in the future instead of dwelling on the past. Also, the time to exert such influence would have been in 2015, when MBS was positioning himself to be the heir. There is an additional problem with Graham's approach. If he forces the State Department to apply what are known as Magnitsky sanctions on MBS, why stop there? Khashoggi's murder was brutal, yet there are other heads of state more deserving of this dishonor than MBS: The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran come to mind. And if the U.S. starts applying sanctions to heads of state, what is to stop other countries from sanctioning the U.S. president? Finally, the Saudis also have leverage of their own. While Graham is correct that the Saudis have joined the American fight against Islamic State and Iran for their own strategic reasons, not as a favor to the U.S., the Saudis can still affect the price of oil. As the world's largest exporter, they can make gasoline more expensive for Americans whenever they wish. The Saudi use of its oil weapon after the U.S. supported Israel in the Yom Kippur War helped caused the infamous gas station lines of the 1970s. All that said, Graham is to be commended for trying to force Saudi Arabia to pay a greater price than the Trump administration has been willing to impose. He's right that America's allies must know that they cannot demolish international norms the way MBS has. Graham also deserves praise for pursuing a more sensible approach to Saudi Arabia than the resolution the Senate will debate next week that would cut off all U.S. support for the war in Yemen. "Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally and the alliance is worth saving," Graham said Tuesday. "But not at all costs." The senator has named his price: the removal of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. What remains to be seen is whether Saudi Arabia is willing to pay it. - - - Lake is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering national security and foreign policy. He was the senior national security correspondent for the Daily Beast and covered national security and intelligence for the Washington Times, the New York Sun and UPI. Qatar's surprise decision to leave OPEC, announced for maximum effect ahead of the organization's meeting this week in Vienna, has inevitably raised questions about whether it might also quit the Gulf Cooperation Council. The GCC's annual summit is Dec. 9 in Riyadh, and a similar announcement would undoubtedly irritate and embarrass Saudi Arabia. Tempting as this might be, the Qataris would do well to stay put. The explanations offered by Qatar for its withdrawal from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries after 57 years could easily - indeed, more convincingly - be used to justify an exit from the GCC. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar's former prime minister, has tweeted that OPEC "is only being used for purposes aimed at harming our national interest." That goes double for the GCC, where two of its six members - Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - are prime movers in the economic blockade of Qatar. (The blockade has been going on for 18 months and counting, and it stems from Saudi accusations that Qatar is destabilizing the region by cozying up to Iran, charges Doha contests.) The inability of the GCC to resolve the dispute has underscored the council's limitations. Qatar may now believe that it has nothing materially to gain from continued membership. But here's the twist: Exiting OPEC, a powerful cartel with a real impact on world affairs, will cost Qatar little, being a minor-league oil producer with little influence on the group's decisions; leaving the GCC, an ineffectual grouping that has little impact on regional affairs, could cost it a lot. If Qatar were to pull out, it would reinforce the Saudi-Emirati claim that the ruling family in Doha is undermining the Arab consensus. Staying in the alliance allows Qatar to signal that it is committed to regional cooperation, putting the onus for ending the blockade on the Saudis and Emiratis. It is always possible that the Saudis and Emiratis will try to beat Qatar to the punch and kick it out of the GCC. But that would require them to convince Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, the three other members, to go along. While Bahrain tends to follow Saudi Arabia in most matters, Kuwait and Oman have chafed at what they regard as Saudi bullying, and they have remained steadfastly neutral on the blockade. (The Kuwaitis have said they'd like to see efforts to resolve the "long-standing Gulf dispute" at the summit next week.) More important, any attempt to expel Qatar would not go down well in Washington. The U.S. regards Arab unity as essential to confronting Iran; President Donald Trump is keen to create an "Arab NATO." To that end, the Trump administration would like the Saudis to improve relations with Qatar, not further the estrangement. Of course, being forced to put up with Qatar in the GCC would irritate the Saudis to no end - reason enough for the Qataris to want to stay. - - - Ghosh is a columnist and member of the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board. He writes on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the Middle East and the wider Islamic world. It was a double celebration for British Army Officer Major Peter Royal who has been at the latest University of Cumbria graduation ceremonies. He was among 1,000 jubilant graduands whose academic achievements were celebrated in nine different ceremonies at Carlisle Cathedral. Norwich-born Peter, who has 23 years service in the British Army, has completed his Royal College of Nursing accredited masters in Advanced Clinical Practice, the only full distance learning MSc course in the UK. Married father-of-three Peter, who lives in Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, was also awarded a prestigious Student Innovation in Practice prize from the universitys Department for Nursing, Health and Professional Practice. He recorded an average of 82 per cent throughout his programme, and scored 100 per cent in his dissertation. Peter, 42, whose Army Nursing career has included deployments to Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, said: Over the last four years Ive been studying the course with the University of Cumbria with a view for me to become an Advanced Nurse Practitioner in the military, which is a relatively new role. Peter was able to demonstrate his advanced skills recently in the Middle East during Exercise Saif Seera3 (SS3), a joint exercise between the armed forces of the UK and Oman. SS3 the UKs largest military exercise for 17 years - involved 5,500 UK military personnel and saw Peter and other members of the Joint Medical Group team up with Oman troops. Leading an Armoured pre-hospital care team, Peter was delivering real life support (Primary Health care and Emergency Care) in remote and austere Omanian desert. It is the first time that the military has utilised the advanced practice role, supporting a battleground in exercise, said Peter, who also holds a regular A&E clinical role with South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Working on the course with the University of Cumbria has been really good. My lifestyle is quite busy so this way of learning has suited me. It is also opening a lot of doors. Im now going to go for an Advanced Nurse Practitioner role, which is a new opportunity in the military. Dr Tilly Reid, advanced practice learning facilitator in the University of Cumbrias Department of Nursing, Health and Professional Practice said: Peter was an excellent student through the whole programme. His dissertation which was a service evaluation of military nurse practitioners was exceptional. The University of Cumbrias flexible distance learning Advanced Clinical Practice course offers nurses and allied health professionals the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in key areas including health assessment, diagnostic reasoning, clinical decision-making and leadership. Russia And Ukraines Crisis Could Escalate Beyond Cyberwar Ukraines president has signed off on orders for limited martial law amid a showdown with Moscow over the seizure of Ukrainian naval vessels and crew, but the next moves by Kiev appeared caught up in internal political wrangling. The crisis, triggered Sunday by the maritime clash in the Black Sea, has brought widespread denunciations of Russia and calls by some leaders in Europe for deeper sanctions on Moscow. But the political fortunes of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have become part of the tensions. The deeply unpopular Poroshenko faces an election next year, and some critics, especially Russian President Vladimir Putin, question whether he is trying use the standoff as a way boost his standing. The martial-law process suggests how political concerns have spilled over into Ukraines response to Russia. Lawmakers and government leaders haggled over the length of the martial law, cutting down Poroshenkos original 60-day proposal to 30 days to prevent possible interference in elections March 31. The conflict in Ukraines eastern provinces has now gone on for more than two years. Since mounting a massive cyber-attack against Estonia in 2007, Russia has invaded Georgia; violated Ukraines territorial integrity in air, sea, land and cyberspace; downed a civilian airliner; became a co-conspirator in Syrias and Irans attacks on civilians in Syria; poisoned former Russian military intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter with a nerve agent; and interfered in elections in the United States and Europe. Cyber Unless it decides to expand its incursion into Ukraine, Russias ability to hurt the Ukrainian government depends on its willingness to leverage airpower, economic power and cyber-power. Of the first of these, Russia has been reticent to carry out direct attacks against Ukraine with either aircraft or ballistic missiles. Given the weakness of the Russian economy, Moscow can offer less and less in terms of coercive economic statecraft. But in the cyber-arena, Russia remains dangerous. As Thomas Rid and others have argued, the prospects for cyber-war are a combination of murky and over-hyped. Nevertheless, Russia has established that it has the capacity to engage in annoying, often disruptive attacks against unfriendly cyber-networks. These attacks cannot destroy the social fabric on their own, but they can certainly prove costly to the targets . Moreover, cyber-attacks continue to carry a degree of deniability that saves Russia from paying the diplomatic costs of aggression. Air Defense In the early days of the Ukrainian Civil War, Kiev tried to leverage its airpower advantage over the rebels by conducting airstrikes and other missions over the disputed eastern provinces. Central governments traditionally have airpower advantages over rebel groups, as the former remain in control of air assets and of the logistical framework necessary to keeping planes in the air. All of this made Russias contribution of surface-to-air missile systems extremely important to maintaining rebel control over the provinces in eastern Ukraine. Russia has reportedly contributed a variety of systems which, in total, have shot down almost twenty Ukrainian aircraft and helicopters. One of these systems also shot down a Malaysian jetliner in the most notable incident of the war . As long as Russia maintains what amounts to an air defense network over the wayward Ukrainian provinces (whether from Russia or from Ukraine itself), Kiev will struggle to defeat the rebels. Little Green Men When Russia seized Crimea , special operators paved the way. Soldiers in unmarked green uniforms formed the spearhead of the invasion force, quickly seizing key installations and cutting the peninsula off from the rest of Ukraine. These highly trained special forces have become one of Russias most effective weapons for keeping its near abroad in line. Russia has developed its special forces with great care, using them in Chechnya, Ukraine, Georgia, Syria, and elsewhere to create facts on the ground, military realities that become difficult for political and diplomatic forces to dislodge. In Crimea, Russian special operators managed to seize the peninsula before confused and distracted Ukrainian forces could react. In the eastern provinces, special operators have helped support and train rebel forces. Defusing and defeating these operators remains an exceedingly difficult task for Kiev. Artillery Over the past few decades the United States has de-emphasised the role of artillery in land combat, instead concentrating on mobile, precision-fires acting in support of mobile forces. Some believe that heavy artillery has become a relic of another age, while others worry that insufficient emphasis on what was once the god of war will leave the US vulnerable to conventional foes. Russia, on the other hand, has continued to put a strong emphasis on the role of artillery fires. The effectiveness of Russian artillery can perhaps be overstated but in Ukraine long-range artillery has played a critical role in allowing Russia to hit Ukrainian forces from the safety of its own borders. Without effective counter-fire options, Ukrainian troops are at the mercy of artillery that they cannot hit back against. Drones Russia was slower than the United States to make drone technology a central focus of warfighting, although it has taken aggressive steps to catch up. In Ukraine, unmanned aerial vehicles have become the most important means through which Russia keeps track of developments on the battlefield. Russian drones rarely, if ever, conduct the kind of targeted strike that has become common from their US counterparts. They also normally do not partake in the prolonged surveillance missions that the United States has invested so much attention in. Rather, Russia uses its drones in close collaboration with fielded forces, to identify and target critical enemy assets, including command centers, logistical centers and concentrations of troops and vehicles. With the information supplied by drones, Russian artillery becomes ever more lethal, especially to thinly protected troops and vehicles. Final Shots Because of Western reticence about transferring lethal arms to Kiev, as well as Ukraines dire economic situation, there is no obvious path to overcoming Russias military advantages along the border. As long as Russia persists in committing men and weapons to Donetsk and Luhansk, Kiev will struggle to restore order, and recapture its territory. Over time, the once-robust Ukrainian defense industry may restore some of the Ukrainian militarys key capabilities. For now, Moscow continues to hold the most important cards. The Washington Post: The Hill: The National interest: You Might Also Read: Russia Will Keep Up Cyber Attacks For Geo-Political Influence Somerset area merchants expect good things on Small Business Saturday Small businesses across Somerset County are hosting events and specials for the annual crowds of Christmas shoppers. 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. At the weekend I took my son to London, and as we walked along the South Bank we gazed across the Thames at the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the most familiar buildings in the country, but not even the best-framed TV shot can capture the grandeur of Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin's Gothic creation. At the time of their redesign, in the late 1830s, Britain was nearing the peak of its imperial power. This was a building fit for giants an arena where statesmen such as Benjamin Disraeli, William Gladstone, Winston Churchill and Clement Attlee did battle in the name of the national interest. Savouring the view (pictured is the Palace of Westminster), I wondered if there had ever been a greater mismatch between a building and its inhabitants Savouring the view, I wondered if there had ever been a greater mismatch between a building and its inhabitants. In five days' time, the successors to Gladstone and Disraeli will vote on perhaps the most important question since World War II. If Theresa May's deal fails, as seems likely given the number of Tory MPs who have said they will vote against it, British politics will be plunged into the greatest uncertainty in our lifetimes. We may crash out of the EU without a deal, with calamitous economic results. Poisonous We could equally see demands for a second Brexit referendum, which would drive a wedge between Remainers and Leavers, inflame our national divisions further and poison our politics for a generation. With Labour planning to trigger a no-confidence vote, there looms the spectre of a government led by Jeremy Corbyn, the most far-Left Labour leader in our history. He is an apologist for terrorism whose policies would hammer the middle classes, destroy investment and inflict debts on our children and grandchildren. Whatever your views of Mrs May's deal, there is no doubt that the stakes could not be higher. I find it incredible that so many of our MPs continue to treat this as an inconsequential game an opportunity for posturing and grandstanding rather than as the most serious political decision in living memory. Theresa May gives a reply to lawmakers during the scheduled Prime Minister's Questions, in the House of Commons on Wednesday And with the clock ticking, I find it equally incredible that on Tuesday they wasted so much time and effort in humiliating Mrs May's Government over constitutional trivialities. Notably, they found ministers in contempt of Parliament for refusing to publish the full legal advice on the Prime Minister's proposed Brexit deal. Did the legal advice tell us anything new? Not really. Will it alter the outcome? No. Was this a sensible way of promoting the national interest? Absolutely not. To anybody outside Westminster, it is obvious that this was merely a shameless exercise in narcissistic self-indulgence. It was a way for Mrs May's critics, both in Labour and, unforgivably, in her own party, to flex their muscles at her expense. Yet it pales in comparison with the shameful farrago of Tory Remainer Dominic Grieve's amendment aimed at stopping a no-deal Brexit which will give Parliament a direct say in what happens if the Commons rejects Mrs May's deal next Tuesday. After it passed, Mr Grieve and his supporters were quick to congratulate themselves on 'taking back control', a dig at the Leave campaign's slogan. But who are they taking back control from? The Government? Or the British people? As regular readers will know, I voted Remain. According to some of my correspondents, that means I should be prohibited from expressing any opinion on this issue, since I have already revealed myself as a traitor to the national cause. Tory Remainer Dominic Grieve's (pictured) amendment will give Parliament a direct say in what happens if the Commons rejects Mrs May's deal next Tuesday But like millions of people who voted Remain, I accept the decision. Britain voted to leave, so we should leave. A second referendum would be a betrayal of democracy. Mr Grieve, however, who loves to pose as the cerebral, oh-so-liberal defender of constitutional propriety against the vulgar masses, does not agree. According to his rather peculiar logic, it would be more democratic to re-run the referendum than to respect it. But has it not occurred to him how the 17.4 million Leave voters would react to being told to vote again by the public-school educated son of a Tory MP, with a fortune worth an estimated 3 million? Does Mr Grieve not care about the poisonous effect this would have on the image of democracy, or the wedge it would drive between the political class and ordinary voters? Calamity As International Trade Secretary Liam Fox remarked, Mr Grieve's amendment will look like an attempt to 'steal Brexit from the British people'. Alas, Mr Grieve has been far from alone in seeing the looming political showdown as an opportunity to polish his principles and play to the gallery. Last week I was appalled by the sight of the former Brexit Secretaries, David Davis and Dominic Raab, smirking with self-congratulatory hilarity on winning The Spectator's 'resignations of the year' award. Brexit Secretaries, David Davis and Dominic Raab won The Spectator's 'resignations of the year' award last week They had a chance to stamp their authority on the negotiations, and they failed. Then, faced with the collapse of their infantile fantasies about how easy it would be to unpick a 40-year political and economic relationship, they ran away. I doubt I am alone in finding it nauseating that while the exhausted Mrs May stands in the Commons day after day, patiently repeating that this is the best deal we can expect to get, these cheap cowards are slapping each other on the back at an awards dinner. Whatever you think of her and no, she's not perfect, just as her deal isn't there is no doubting her sense of duty. By contrast, posturing non-entities such as Mr Grieve and Mr Raab, for ever lecturing us about their principles (and, sadly, bringing great discredit on their shared first name) feel a duty to only themselves. Even now, with less than a week until the vote, with the prospects of a no-confidence vote, a no-deal exit and a Corbyn government growing by the day, these monsters of self-aggrandisement still act as though it is all just a game. I suppose they think they will be all right. And as rich men, no doubt they will. But what about ordinary people whose jobs depend upon our international trading links? What about the democratic damage that would result from telling Leave voters their votes are worthless? And what about the families whose prospects would be shattered by the recession that the Governor of the Bank of England and most business leaders see as the most likely result of No Deal? The irony is that Mrs May has won a much better deal than many, including me, thought possible. Yet in their determination to belittle her and vaunt themselves, our MPs seem determined to throw it away. If they do and if, as I fear, the result is a no-deal Brexit and a Corbyn government I think it would be the greatest self-imposed calamity since the loss of the American colonies in the 1770s and 1780s. Then, as now, legions of MPs put posturing above a compromise that might have averted a devastatingly divisive conflict. They, too, droned pompously on about the tremendous importance of the rights of Parliament, even as the world outside slid towards disaster. Betrayal Then, Britain rapidly recovered. But does anyone really think a rapid recovery is likely if we crash out without a deal, if we spend the next few years re-running the referendum, or if we end up under a quasi-Marxist Corbyn government? As the Mail's poll showed last week, the British people think Mrs May's deal is the best for the country and the economy, and want our politicians to get behind her. Why are MPs so arrogant, so deluded, so self-indulgent, that they won't listen to reason? Their predecessors would have put the national interest first. Why won't they? Advertisement After falling in love in a Costco food court three years ago, California couple Margot Schein and Julian Parris could think of no better place to cement their union. The couple, who are both originally from San Diego, first met on dating website OkCupid three years ago before going on a date to a local Costco store. Their Harry Potter-themed wedding was held on November 29, which was also the couple's third anniversary. A day to remember: A couple from California held their wedding ceremony at their local Costco store in San Diego Special occasion: Margot Schein and Julian Parris, both originally from San Diego, met three years ago on the dating website OkCupid Shared interests: The couple immediately hit it off after discovering that they both equally enjoy shopping at Costco Margot and Julian, who now live in North Carolina, met each other on dating website OkCupid in 2015. According to Today Food, Margot messaged Julian on the website when she saw that he had listed going to Costco as a date idea on his profile. She told the publication: 'We have so much in common, but Costco is the first thing.' After hitting it off online, the pair decided to take things one step further and go on a date. The Costco-lovers decided to meet at their local superstore in San Diego's Mission Valley neighborhood, to which they both brought a shopping list. Reading aloud his wedding vows, Julian said: 'I remember the way we meandered up and down the aisles and how I completely forgot to get most of the things I had on my list because I couldnt take my eyes off of you.' A family affair: The couple were surrounded by a small group of friends and family as well as a number of Costco employees Wizard-wedding: Margot and Julian took a bit of inspiration from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books for their wedding day Expelliarmus! Margot wore a red dress (pictured left) inspired by Harry Potters Gryffindor House colors and held a bouquet of flowers made from pages of the book itself (pictured right) Cheers! The couple enjoyed some food and drinks in the superstore after the ceremony. A bakery-made cake was gifted to the couple by Costco employees The couple's Harry Potter-themed ceremony was held in front of a small group of friends and family last Thursday. Fitting to the theme, Margot wore a long scarlet-colored dress and held a bouquet of flowers made from pages of the Harry Potter novel. Julian wore a Ravenclaw-inspired blue and bronze tie to compliment his deep navy blue suit. During the ceremony, the couple's friend and wedding officiant said: 'Its fitting that these two very practical people should have first met here, brought together by a shared interest in quality discounted goods and inexpensive hotdogs.' Margot, who never thought she would end up getting married, said her wedding day was 'perfect from start to finish'. It's official! The happy couple were given a bottle of campaign, a cake and employee badges that read 'Dr. Parris' and 'Mrs Schein' (pictured) Family fun: The couple posed alongside family members after the supermarket ceremony (pictured) Best day ever! Newly-married Margot said her wedding day was 'perfect from start to finish' She added that the Costco staff were extremely helpful, and they helped make their wedding a day to remember. 'They went above and beyond to create an incredibly beautiful wedding area inside the store. 'They set up chairs for our family and friends and decorated the whole area with rose petals. They were all so invested in our love story.' The Costco workers gifted the happy couple a bakery-made cake and a bottle of campaign. Margot and Julian also received customized Costco name tags that read 'Dr. Parris' and 'Mrs Schein'. Wedding ceremony in aisle five! The couple's friend and wedding officiant said the two were brought together 'by a shared interest in quality discounted goods and inexpensive hotdogs' Catherine Zeta-Jones has offered fans a peek inside her jaw-dropping shoe closet. The actress showed off seven shelves of shoes, each heaving with designer heels of every shape, size and colour, in an Instagram snap, writing: 'A girl can never have too many shoes!' Each row is painstakingly colour coordinated and carefully arranged to show both the front and back of each shoe. The collection, thought to represent just a fraction of Zeta-Jones' entire footwear haul, is estimated to be worth tens of thousands of pounds. Scroll down for video Catherine Zeta-Jones has offered a peek inside her immaculately-organised shoe collection, colour coordinated across seven shelves and thought to be worth around 35,000 Cost of Catherine Zeta-Jones' jaw-dropping shoe collection revealed 1. Christian Louboutin Pigalle Follies 100 spiked pumps: approx 545 2. Christian Louboutin Doracora Patent Heart pumps: approx 495 3. Christian Louboutin Decollete 554 85 suede pumps: 495 4. Manolo Blahnik Hangisi 105 fuchsia satin pumps: 775 5. Saint Laurent Tribute Patent Sandal in Yellow: 600 6. Christian Louboutin Green Suede Flo 100m Peep Toes: approx 595 7. Christian Louboutin Lady Peep Toe: approx 595 8. Christian Louboutin Rafia Daffodile Platform Aztec pumps: approx 665 9. Manolo Blahnik Leopard Print pumps 39: Approx 550 10. Christian Louboutin Pigalle Follies pumps in blue patent: 495 11. Christian Louboutin Pigalle Follies 100 Python Bronte pumps: approx 495 TOTAL: 6,305 Advertisement The 11 clearly identifiable styles amount to 6,305 alone; but with more than 60 pairs visible, the total is likely to be closer to 35,000. The snap has caused quite a stir online with one fan writing: 'I'll take them all!' However the snap may just be tip of the iceberg as the Welsh beauty has previously shared footage of her maze-like walk-in wardrobe featuring several rooms full of accessories and endless clothes of rails. The mother-of-two, 49, has previously shared snaps of her bathroom cupboard with her 1.8 million Instagram followers. Last year she shared her 'face and body essentials' comprising no less than 75 creams and serums. Welsh beauty Catherine Zeta-Jones (pictured in New York last month) has never shied away from sharing glimpses of her domestic life including her fashion and beauty hauls And in 2016 she sent fans wild with a picture of her makeup draw containing piles of luxury beauty products from the likes of Nars, Charlotte Tilbury, Marc Jacobs and Dior. The Entrapment star shares a stunning New York apartment she shares with husband Michael Douglas. Catherine and Michael married in 2000 after two years together, remain one of the golden couples of Hollywood, sharing son Dylan, 18, and daughter Carys, 15. They recently celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary, after marking their joint birthday (25th September). Riverdale star Lili Reinhart posted a series of photos of her posing in underwear and a variety of jackets as she is unveiled as the face of The Mighty Company x Ilaria Urbinati campaign. The 22-year-old actress posted the photos that show Lili wearing two different jackets from the three-piece collection. In the post, Lili explained the purpose behind the fashion collaboration between The Mighty Company x Ilaria Urbinati, saying that 100 per cent of all proceeds will be donated to a charity that helps to stop forced and child marriages. Pretty in pink! 22-year-old Lili Reinhart posed in a variety of different jackets as she was unveiled as the face of luxury jacket company The Mighty Company's latest campaign Inspo: Designers behind the collection wanted to turn the idea of a break up into something more positive, with the aim of 'injecting humor into something natively depressing' Lili is no stranger to working in the world of fashion. Only a few months ago the Ohio-born actress appeared in a H&M campaign, an Aerie campaign and a Bongo campaign. And in her latest fashion venture, Lili modeled for Los Angeles-based The Mighty Company in their new campaign that showcased a variety of funky break up-inspired jackets. The theme of the photo shoot, Jessie Willner of The Mighty Company, said: 'was space cowgirl themed as a tongue-in-cheek embodiment of a wild, independent woman in a galactic setting. 'Ilaria pulled up the September 1995 Rolling Stone cover of Alicia Silverstone and we had to shoot a nod to it. Lili was the perfect front-woman of this because she's this incredibly outspoken champion of women. 'She's not following some set of antiquated rules that accompanies overnight success. She's straightforward about what she believes and speaks out when she sees something wrong, demonstrating to a huge audience of young women that it's okay to be unapologetically yourself,' she added. The 22-year-old actress posted three photos to Instagram on Tuesday, with a caption that read: 'Allow me to introduce to you The Mighty Company. 'I was lucky enough to model their new Break Up collection, where 100 per cent of all proceeds will be donated to Unchained at Last, a nonprofit dedicated to stopping forced and child marriages and helping survivors build their lives.' Strike a pose: The photos see Lili wearing pink, silver (pictured), and black leather jackets that were inspired by the idea of turning a break up into something more positive A great cause: Lili shared three of the photos from the collection to Instagram on Tuesday in a post in which she explained that 100 per cent of the proceeds will be donated to charity Futuristic: Two of the jackets (pictured) display phrases that read 'lost' and 'miss galaxy' that were inspired by break up concepts such as needing space and feeling lost She added: 'Even if you can't buy a jacket, show their page some love and consider donating whatever you can to this life changing charity.' The photographs see Lili posing in the jackets in front of different colored backgrounds in a futuristic, galaxy-like setting. The jackets, some of which have different phrases on their backs including 'Miss Galaxy' and 'Lost', were inspired by the idea of a break up. Each one features planetary and celestial hand-cut elements atop a spectrum of specialty metallic and patent leathers. Explaining the inspiration for the collection, the website reads: 'Over a conversation about break-ups, Urbinati and The Mighty Companys Jessie Willner decided to turn their commiseration into the inspiration for the capsule: injecting humor into something natively depressing, by taking concepts like being lost and needing space and translating them into universe-themed visuals in the jackets. 'Filled with hand-cut elements and satirical phrases atop metallic and patent leathers, the collection communicates the pairs proclivity to a brand of slight irony reserved for a woman in command of her own cosmic fate.' The Mighty Company unveiled the collection, which is now available for purchase exclusively at themightycompany.com, alongside more photos of Lili wearing the jackets. The jackets, of which there are three in total, cost $995 each - 100 per cent of which is directly donated to Unchained at Last. Speaking about the philanthropic aspect of the collection, Jessie said: 'We can pick lust over love, or love over suitability, or designate what our 'type' is, or be very decidedly single. We're seeking with this project to give back to the women it touches one thing we so easily take for granted: Choice.' No break ups over here: Despite Lili modelling for the break up-inspired collection, the theme has nothing to do with her relationship with Cole Sprouse (pictured) Puppy love: Last week, Lili shared a photo of Cole when the pair visited Lili's family in North Carolina for Thanksgiving Designer Ilaria added: 'We realize we are very lucky to have grown up under circumstances wherein we get to make our own choices in our lives: to go after our dreams and the careers we choose, to marry or break up with the partners we choose, to make the decisions we ourselves select. 'So we wanted to help support and empower girls and women who don't have that simple privilege,' she said. And although it looks like Lili has been busy working, it seems she has still made time to relax and have some down time. Lili, known as Betty Cooper in the hit series Riverdale, posted a photo of her beau Cole Sprouse on Instagram last week. The photo that saw Cole sitting with one of Lili's dogs as the couple traveled to North Carolina to visit her family for Thanksgiving. Lili captioned the photo: 'This picture makes me so happy.' The pair, who met while filming the hit series Riverdale, are known to regularly post adorable photos of each other to Instagram with equally heart-warming captions. Whether we like to admit it or not, Australians are big fans of online dating. According to Tinder our nation has earned a place in the top 10 countries using the app, so the team decided to ask a host of singletons what they're looking for in a quality bio. Firstly, if you're craving that lasting connection, it might be worth signing in on Monday nights at 9pm because that is the most popular (and successful) time to be online across the board. Scroll down for video This is how your profile should look based on key words used in the new Tinder survey findings (woman pictured is a stock image) And it's good news for those water babies who enjoy a spot of surfing on the weekends with the relaxing hobby one of the most popular 'tags' to right-swipe for both men and women on Tinder. In terms of professions, ladies rate doctors, people serving in the military, travellers and scholars. Men prefer lifesavers, scholars, models and engineers. For the ladies they also rate doctors, people serving in the military, travellers in general and scholars (stock image) Top picks tags with the most swipe rights for women 1. Surfer 2. Lifesaver 3. Scholar 4. Model 5. Engineer Advertisement Top picks tags with the most swipe rights for men 1. Surfer 2. Doctor 3. Military 4. Traveller 5. Scholar Advertisement Some of the most popular 'celebs' to reference in bios are Harry Potter, Drake, Kanye West, Rihanna, Beyonce, Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian. Interestingly, Harry Potter movies are listed as the most loved show to watch, followed by Seinfield, Game of Thrones, The Bachelor and Breaking Bad. Drake is by far one of the the top most-played artists, with his smash hits 'In My Feelings', 'Nonstop' and 'Nice For What' referenced in the top 10 anthems to talk about with your love match. Most popular terms to use in bio 1. Travel 2. Food 3. Beach 4. Wine 5. Mates 6. Netflix and Chill 7. Horoscope 8. I probably swiped right for your dog Advertisement Most popular food terms to use in bio 1. Wine 2. Beer 3. Pizza 4. Cheese 5. Ice Cream 6. Pasta 7. Tacos 8. Dumplings Advertisement But Ariana Grande is turning heads for the divas with 'God Is A Woman' winning hearts in Australia, the UK, Brazil, Spain and Japan. Any mentions of travel, food like pizza, cheese, ice cream, dumplings and avo toast, and wines like rose or Aperol spritz win hearts across the nation, as do slang terms like 'lit', 'bae' and 'coffee addict'. And while the start of the week is the favourable time to sign in and get swiping, Valentine's Day on February 14 and Splendour in the Grass between July 20-22 saw the highest Tinder activity of the year take place. But Ariana Grande is turning heads for the divas with God Is A Woman winning hearts in Australia, the UK, Brazil, Spain and Japan If you're a big user of emojis it might be best to start embracing dogs - even if you're a cat person - because the puppy image is one of the most used in bio's across the country. But as we're a fun loving group, the laughing emoji, smiley face and beers clinking rank highly on the list too. Finally, the best month to find a match year-round is March, so you have three months to rearrange your bio before the matchmakers strike. When it comes to clothes, novelist Barbara Taylor Bradfords mantra is: buy something expensive and it will last years. And while the wardrobes in Yorkshire-born Barbaras spacious New York apartment are bursting at the seams, theres not a trace of fast fashion here. The collection of designer outfits and one-off creations made for her by a seamstress flown in from Paris some costing nearly 20,000 and decades old is perhaps best described as slow fashion. I dont think of the money. I buy something because I like it, she says. And what she likes, lasts. In fact, BTB, as she likes to be known, rarely sets foot in a department store. Instead, she takes her film producer husband Bob Bradford to designer boutiques, where they choose outfits that are made to measure. Barbara Taylor Bradford (pictured) revealed why she believes in splurging on expensive styles instead of embracing 'fast fashion' - Pictured: Gold coat made by dressmaker from Turkish fabric: Cost: 1,500. Age: Ten years. Worn: Ten times. Cost per wear: 150 She also loves buying exotic fabrics and having them made into one-off outfits, like the gold coat featured on this page. She found the fabric in Istanbul. And when shes gone to this much effort and expense no wonder Barbara expects outfits to last beyond the next few seasons. I do not subscribe to this fashionista idea that clothes should be discarded after five years, says Barbara. Ive got some that go back decades, and have been worn hundreds of times, yet look like they were made for me yesterday. Despite her wealth (the 85-year-old Woman Of Substance novelist is thought to be worth 200 million), shes appalled at todays throwaway culture, with clothing the fastest-growing type of waste in the UK. Last week, it emerged that Britons send 235 million pieces of clothing to landfill each year, and that charity shops are being flooded with low-quality items that cannot be resold. This is because of the trend for fast fashion that means items are so poorly made, they do not last. Barbara says: While, of course, not everyone can afford couture, it seems the other extreme is becoming a very real problem. Perhaps retailers and manufacturers should show some responsibility and find a middle ground making better-quality clothing at a reasonable price. She advises: Save up and buy something expensive. As much as you can afford. Look after it, and you will have it for ever. I have developed this attitude over many years and it works for me. Barbara had 24 Hermes bags on her last count - Pictured: Oscar de la Renta jacket: Cost: 9,000. Age: 18 years. Worn: 180 times including when she collected her OBE. Cost per wear: 50 An ongoing problem for Barbara is finding enough space to store her collection. Five years ago, she downsized from her 13-room Manhattan apartment to a 3.9 million three-bedroom home on Park Avenue. Together, we try to work out how many closets she has. Were close to a dozen when she ushers me through the kitchen and maids quarters to a long room with floor-to-ceiling wardrobes. Probably once a grand-scale pantry, some cupboards do hold crockery but in most its clothes, clothes and more clothes. Then there are the designer handbags 24 Hermes at the last count and just about every other big name, too neatly stacked on shelves. Almost all are presents from her husband, who clearly loves spoiling her. He is also responsible for her spectacular jewellery, bought during 55 years of marriage. In 2013 before they sold their old home to actress Uma Thurman for 8 million Barbara auctioned a third of her collection at Bonhams. One lot, a single diamond ring by David Morris, went for 446,500. In all, the auction raised just under 1 million. But I still have 80 pieces left which I cherish, she says. Barbara says she has about 30 pairs of shoes - pictured: Two-piece evening suit, made by dressmaker: Cost: 1,600. Age: Six years. Worn: Eight times. Cost per wear: 200 Barbara and Bob, who never had children of their own, have decided that their entire estate will be auctioned and the money divided between heirs. She cant put a price on her designer collection. Its worth, to her, is in the memories pieces invoke and the pleasure she gets from them. When I ask if shed ever hidden expensive purchases from her husband she laughs. No, I tell him everything. Hed find out anyway: he does the accounts. Bob is amused by his wifes attraction to shoes. He once joked to a reporter that she owned 2,000 pairs and it became part of the BTB myth. She insists she never owned that many, and now has about 30 but thats after a serious clear-out. Barbara says her love of fashion goes back to her Yorkshire roots. I come from Leeds, where the ready-made clothing industry started in the 1800s, she says. Her first job was at the Yorkshire Evening Post and Barbara remembers saving for good clothes even then scrimping for a C&A beige raincoat, which lasted years. And why change now? So is she ever worried about people noticing she wears the same things again and again? If someone recognises an outfit, Im quite glad, she grins. It shows I am getting value for money and my taste is timeless! Barbara claims she's glad when people recognise that she's worn an item before - pictured: White organza jacket and black trousers from London boutique: Cost: 5,000. Age: Nine years. Worn: 20 times. Cost per wear: 250 Barbaras latest novel, Master Of His Fate (16.99, HarperCollins) is out now. The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now. Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market. In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender. India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex. Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted. But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted? Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner. If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems. I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now. I want more variation in masturbation I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own. If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end. What is sex toys for Indian? Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation. It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms. They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable. Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner. The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner. It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past. In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping. Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order. In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing. Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome. Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own. But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance. More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around. Sextoy situation in India Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years. In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India. Mumbai Kolkata Bangalore Delhi Chennai Hyderabad These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India. In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well. If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too. If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it. What are Sextoys for beginner? Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms. Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy. I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion. I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy. If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma. Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it. Advantages of using sextoy for Indians There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways. Can have stimulating sex Can develop new sexual zones If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern. However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways. You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation. Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever. There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure. This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it. When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems. It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms). For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles [Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou... Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India. Sextoy for beginner men in India So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners. For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men! The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men Masturbator Cock rings Love Doll Sex Lubricants Toys for the prostate Lets check each one in detail. Masturbator The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products. It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands. Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands. They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.) Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much. Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! ! Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa SEXToys India PR (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018 Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood. If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ... [For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien... Cock Ring A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis. It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow. It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber. In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection. Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction. It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it. Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time. Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function. Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy. You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect. [Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat... Love Doll Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex. There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women. Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price. The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true. You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste. There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice. You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls. If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to... Sex lubricants Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules. It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution. Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse. There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent. Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent. If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here. What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many... Toys for the Prostate Another sextoy for men is prostate toys. The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line. Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men. Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men. What is the prostate? The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm. You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus. By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms. Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.) The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation. Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure. sextoy for beinner women in India The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy. The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy. Vibrator. Dildo Electric Masserger Lets check out what each one is in detail. If you want to check out womens toys, click here. [BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm... Vibrators A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator. Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy. It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy. Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women. For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators. Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex. Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself. This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual. Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men. When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons. Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most... Dildo A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis. It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass. A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it. They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well. It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device. A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo. Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands. For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis. This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one. To learn more about dildo, please click here. What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th... Electric Masserger A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores. It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low. Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels. Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation. It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure. For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm. It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out. If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager? To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here. What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th... How to choose a sextoy for Indian Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one. Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points: Does the size fit you (the partner)? Does the size fit you (your partner)? Is the environment able to produce sound without problems? Price range First of all, the choice of size is quite important. Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women. For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage. Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems. Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise. If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level. Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it. Finally, there is the price range. The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest. Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy. Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy? I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance. For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics. If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out. How to buy sextoys in India The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping. For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below. Sextoy is one of them. Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping. SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India. They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry. Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card. To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy. ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal. Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on. Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture. Cautions for Indians using sextoy When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind Keep sex toys clean Watch out for electrical leakage Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone. Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there. It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case. In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness. Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful. If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it. You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly. Summary What did you think? In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India. The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future. As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values. However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health. If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try? Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women. I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it. Queen Letizia of Spain donned a flirty navy frock as she joined husband King Felipe for a concert in Madrid on Wednesday night. Letizia, 46, and Felipe, 50, looked in excellent spirits as they arrived for the event, which was held to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution. The Spanish queen looked radiant in the bold cocktail dress which featured dramatic lace detailing and a plunging neckline that cut down to her waist. Monochrome magic! Queen Letizia of Spain donned a flirty navy frock as she joined husband King Felipe for a concert in Madrid on Wednesday night Radiant: Queen Letizia plumped for a cocktail dress with a dramatic plunging neckline The demure pleated satin A-line skirt balanced out the daring top to create a playful yet elegant look. Keeping with a monochrome theme, the queen accessorised with navy point toe pumps and a navy satin clutch bag. She finished her look with what appeared to be sapphires set on delicate drop earrings. The stylish royal, who shares two daughters with husband King Felipe, wore her brunette locks in large bouncy curls for the evening do. Evening glamour: The Spanish royal wore her brunette locks in big bouncy waves for the event Handsome couple: King Felipe and Queen Letizia were the picture of elegance at the concert Camera ready: The couple stood side-by-side as they posed for photos ahead of the concert She wore slightly heavier make-up than usual, accentuating her natural beauty with bronzer and lashings of dark mascara. This marks an important year for Spain as it celebrates four decades since the constitution was written and has seen the royals marking the milestone with a number of events. In October King Felipe was joined on stage by his eldest daughter and heir to the throne Princess Leonor for a reading of the constitution. Milestone: The concert was held to mark the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution After King Felipe read the law's preamble, the 13-year-old princess confidently read the first of the 169 articles of Spain's Carta Magna. It marked her first time speaking publicly. The constitution was approved by the Spanish Parliament on 31 October 1978. Visiting a nudist beach is something many people - prudish or otherwise - could not imagine doing. But one young woman is urging all women to try one this summer - in order to feel more 'liberated'. Jessa O'Brien, 29, from the Gold Coast, recalled her first experience at a nudist beach on the Great Ocean Road in 2013 - and the joy of 'frolicking' naked with strangers. Jessa O'Brien (pictured), 29, from the Gold Coast, recalled her first experience at a nudist beach on the Great Ocean Road in 2013 - and how it made her feel Jessa explained her first trip to a nudist beach (pictured) happened five years ago, when she and some friends had visited the Great Ocean Road Jessa said she had been sunbathing topless for around four years beforehand, but had never fully gone nude on the beach (pictured nude) 'It was nearing the end of 2013 and a group of friends and I had hired out a house along the Great Ocean Road for New Year's Eve,' Jessa recalled on her blog. 'While the party house boasted an awesome pool, not being big fans of tan lines at the time, my best friend and I were looking to get away and get topless.' Jessa said she had been sunbathing topless for around four years beforehand, but had never fully gone nude on the beach. However, that evening on her New Year's break, she and a couple of friends decided it was time. 'After a walk along Southside Beach, the further down we walked, the less bikini-clad the beachgoers became,' she recalled. 'Destination reached! Off came the tops!'. But with her friend, Jessa (pictured) decided to go naked and said she was quickly greeted 'in such a warm and welcoming manner' The young women quickly stripped down so that they were naked. 'Naked passers by waved and greeted us in such a warm and welcoming manner. I felt right at home,' Jessa explained. 'Whilst we were seemingly the youngest members there, we weren't feeling objectified in the slightest, as some may assume to be the case with a couple of naked 25-year-old females. 'It was so much more liberating than I had anticipated.' 'Whilst we were seemingly the youngest members there, we weren't feeling objectified in the slightest, as some may assume to be the case with a couple of naked 25-year-old females,' she said - Jessa added that it was liberating Looking back, Jessa said this was a 'rather pivotal point on my nudist journey' - she has since gone on to dine naked with a married couple and has also started doing nude yoga Looking back, Jessa said this was a 'rather pivotal point on my nudist journey'. 'While I had been topless sunbaking for the last four or so years prior to this event, this particular experience helped me to appreciate the fact that the nude beach felt like so much more of a judgment-free zone in comparison to your average textile beach. 'It helped me to understand that most genuine nudists do not have some hidden agenda.' The 29-year-old - who now blogs as 'The Nude Blogger' - said if you've never been to a nude beach before, you may assume 'that when you're naked around strangers, you're going to be objectified and sexualised'. 'Well this excursion to the nude beach helped me to appreciate that this isn't necessarily the case.' The 29-year-old said if you've never been to a nude beach before, you may assume 'that when you're naked around strangers, you're going to be objectified and sexualised' 'For me, there's absolutely no turning back!' she exclaimed - recommending all men and women should give it a try She said a 'random, middle-aged naked man did not make two younger females feel uncomfortable or sexualised, even though we were all naked'. 'This was damn refreshing! It also highlighted the fact that nudists are obviously doing something right if they could respectfully co-exist naked amongst one another, despite age, gender, race or size. 'For me, there's absolutely no turning back!'. Jessa recommends that all men and women try a nudist beach, as 'you never know unless you give it a go'. In her time, Jessa has since dined naked with strangers with a married couple, as well as taken up nude yoga classes. To read more from Jessa O'Brien, visit her website here. A viral prankster who likes to torment his girlfriend may have played his most ridiculous trick yet by appearing to rub chilli on her tampon. Brad Holmes, 24, from Southampton, who previously was accused of being abusive by cutting off his girlfriend's ponytail while she slept, shared a video of her horror with 695,000 Facebook fans, which has been viewed 2.2 million times. Jenny Davies, 22, from Portsmouth, was outraged when she realised what he'd done and told him to 'get out of this house', but fans on Facebook questioned whether such a trick could possibly be real. Jenny Davies, 22, from Portsmouth, reacted with horror when her prankster boyfriend Brad Holmes, 24, from Southampton, told her he'd rubbed chilli on her tampon In the new video, Brad is seen in the bathroom with an unwrapped tampon balanced on the side of the bath. 'It's Jen's time of the month so I'm going to play a little trick on her and give her a hot vagina,' he says. 'I'm going to rub this chilli on to this tampon and see what happens. He rubs a cut red chilli on it several times before putting it back in the wrapper and placing it on the shelf behind the toilet. Brad filmed Jen while she was in the bathroom trying to cool down after he apparently rubbed chilli on her tampon Jen claimed her vagina was 'on fire'after the apparent prank Not realising she's being filmed, Jen visits the toilet and a few minutes later she runs downstairs to the sitting room to speak to her grandmother. 'Nan, my vagina's on fire,' she says. She claims placing her hand down her trousers is the only thing that's giving her any relief. But her grandmother tells her: 'Please take your hand out. It looks so rude.' Jen ran downstairs to speak to her grandmother, claiming she was experiencing a burning pain Brad said he was going to rub chilli on Jen's tampon as a joke Brad filmed himself rubbing chilli on the tampon but fans on Facebook didn't believe Brad had really played such an outrageous prank 'It is on fire,' Jen replies. 'My hand is the only thing that's cooling it down. My vagina feels like it's going to fall off.' 'Maybe it's that curry you had last night,' Brad suggests. Her grandmother tells him not to be ridiculous and Jen continues: 'You can feel the heat coming off it.' She goes up to the bathroom to splash herself with cold water. Some of Brad's Facebook followers were horrified by the prank and claimed he had put his girlfriend's health at risk 'It's f****** on fire mate. Why are you recording?' she says. Brad starts laughing and holds up the evidence for her to see. 'What's that? Why have you got a chilli,' she asks. 'I put it on your tampon,' he confesses. Understandably, Jen is furious and slams the bathroom door. She opens it again told deliver an expletive laden rant. Some posters were less concerned by the prank as they were convinced it was fake 'Don't ever come near me again. Get your s*** and get out of this house,' she says, hitting him with a towel. Not for the first time followers of the pair suggested that the prank was a step too far. But it was the first time that it's been suggested that Brad was putting his girlfriend's health at risk. Jordan Sky Finding commented: 'It can actually be extremely dangerous to unseal a tampon and just bash it about like that. Brad is known for tormenting Jenny with practical jokes and commenters on Facebook often accuse him of going too far 'Just by pressing the end of it onto the top of the toilet like that could have picked up a load of gross germs which lead to awful infections in such a sensitive area. 'Not trying to be a killjoy but why risk your girlfriends vaginal health just for a video?' Courtney Jacobs said she didn't find the video funny at all. 'Guys don't understand how much pain girls are in when they are on anyway,' she said. 'So why put her through more pain? If that was my boyfriend he would be straight out.' Lily Jansen said she couldn't understand why Brad felt it was appropriate to expose his girlfriend in such a fashion. This is the first time the unrepentant trickster has been accused of putting his partner's health at risk 'I don't even think this is funny,' she said. 'You're out of order, whether she gave you permission or not. 'If my husband took a video of me washing down there after a prank (which he wouldn't do because of RESPECT) and then to upload it to a social media site, I would get rid of him. 'He would have no respect for me and why would you want other men to see your girlfriend like that. 'You're not funny and you are all common as muck. You both wont last because one day you will take it too far and she will get bored of you. You're in your 20s, time to grow up.' One of Brad's recent pranks saw him cut his girlfriend's hair while she was sleeping The joker was accused of being abusive after he apparently snipped Jen's ponytail as she took a nap However others were less concerned for Jen as they were sure the prank was fake. Stacey Warwick commented: 'This is way too fake, but good acting.' Cassie Heafner agreed because of the unhygienic nature of the prank. 'No telling what the pepper might cause down there. I call fake on this one,' she said. Princess Sofia of Sweden is today celebrating her 34th birthday and to mark the occasion the palace has released a new portrait of the royal. Shared on the official Kungahuset Instagram account the mother-of-two can be seen posing in an elegant new solo shot. Dressed in an elegant cream jumper and black jeans the 34-year-old beams at the camera as she sits on what appears to be a windowsill. Her glossy brunette locks appear to be a slightly darker shade than usual and have also grown in length with the princess wearing her hair loose with a centre parting. Princess Sofia of Sweden has posed for a brand new portrait at the royal palace to mark her 34th birthday today Captioning the image the palace writes: ' I dag fyller Prinsessan Sofia 34 ar, grattis pa fodelsedagen!' which translates to 'Today, Princess Sofia turns 34. Congratulations on your birthday!' The stunning new portrait has already amassed over 15,000 likes after it was shared earlier today with well-wishers commenting with their own birthday messages. The wife of Prince Carl-Phillip is thought to be celebrating her birthday privately with her family in Stockholm today. Carl Phillip, 39, and Sofia celebrated their third wedding anniversary in June after they embarked on an unlikely romance five years earlier. At the time Sofia ne Hellqvist was a model, socialite and reality TV star and met the prince the two ate lunch together with mutual friends in 2010. The mother-of-two is thought to be celebrating the occasion privately with her family. Pictured with husband Prince Carl Philip, and two children Alexander (left) and Gabriel at Princess Adrienne's christening The royal couple celebrated their third wedding anniversary in June after marrying in a lavish Stockholm ceremony (pictured) in 2015 Of their first encounter, the Prince has been quoted as saying: 'We started with a shy greeting and everything followed.' At the time, Sofia was best known in Sweden for her provocative appearances on the cover of men's magazines and her role in the less-than salubrious series Paradise Hotel. But the stunning brunette also studied accounting in New York City and is a certified yoga instructor. At the outset of their romance, Sofia made headlines for her numerous tattoos and raunchy past on the New York party scene (reportedly hanging out with Paris Hilton). Once hailed as Europe's most eligible bachelor, Prince Carl-Philip proposed to his sweetheart in June 2014 after three years of dating. They tied the knot a year in a lavish ceremony at Stockholm's Royal Palace in 2015 and now share two sons, two-year-old Prince Alexander and one-year-old Prince Gabriel. The royal duo are known for their support of charity initiatives against bullying and voluntary work across Africa. A white Instagram influencer has hit back after being accused of 'blackfishing' - a term coined to describe people who pose as black or mixed race on social media with the help of makeup, hair products, and in some cases surgery. Polish-born Aga Brzostowska, 20, who is known as Alicja and describes herself as 'olive skinned', has said she was sent death threats after a photo of her aged 13 went viral, when followers pointed out how different it looked to her current photos. The photos shared on her Instagram account appear to show extreme changes to her appearance commonly attributed to those of black descent - such as darker skin, curvy thighs and hips, and full lips. But the University of Birmingham student, who moved to London from Poland as a baby, has denied accusations of cultural appropriation, arguing that she has not had any surgery and is not 'trying to look black'. The Polish born blogger told the BBC she's 'not "white" white', explaining that while she does use fake tan she's naturally olive skinned, and adding that her lips are not surgically enhanced. Aga Brzostowska, 20, was sent death threats after a photo of her at the age of 13 went viral, when followers noticed extreme changes to her appearance commonly attributed to those of black descent, including darker skin, more shapely thighs and hips, and full lips Alicja was sent death threats after a photo of her at the age of 13 went viral (pictured above), when followers noticed extreme changes to her appearance. She has been accused of having surgery and spray tanning in order to look like a black woman What is 'blackfishing'? A newly coined phrase, 'blackfishing' describes someone who pretends to be black on social media for social or financial gain - using make-up, hairstyles, or even surgery to alter their appearance and adopt characteristics typically associated with women of colour. In November a post on calling out the 'alarming' amount of 'white girls cosplaying as black women on Instagram' was liked nearly 50,000 times on Twitter. It prompted users to flood the thread with before and after snaps revealing drastic changes to certain influencers' appearance. Advertisement Alicja has more than 25,000 followers on Instagram, and has received free clothes and products in exchange for posts - which has seen her accused of 'reaping the benefits without standing up for the rights of ethnic minorities'. Speaking to the BBC this week, Alicja said: 'I've had no surgery, so I can't take off these lips. I can't remove my 'fake bum implants'. I'm not going to stop going to the gym to grow my thighs'. 'I'm not white white,' she added. 'I might be Polish but I'm not white, white. I'm not saying I don't [fake] tan and I just wake up brown. Occasionally I do tan but I don't do it in a malicious way to look black. I don't think about it. 'With things like tanning, I don't think I've done anything in a malicious way,' she added. Alicja revealed that she received over 200 direct messages on Instagram after her pictures went viral on Twitter, some of which even told her to 'kill herself'. 'My captions aren't anything to do with black culture', she added. The Polish influencer, who shared this snap of herself on her Instagram feed, has said she will not style her hair in braids again to avoid causing offence Alicja has more than 25,000 followers on Instagram, receiving free clothes and products, and has been accused of 'reaping the benefits without standing up for the rights of ethnic minorities' 'I've had no surgery, so I can't take off these lips. I can't remove my 'fake bum implants'. I'm not going to stop going to the gym to grow my thighs', she said Speaking in a BBC interview, Alicja revealed that she received over 200 direct messages on Instagram after her pictures went viral on Twitter, some of which even told her to 'kill herself' 'I can't help the fact that I look a certain way. I'm olive skin-toned and when I tan I might go a shade or two darker but it's not dark, dark.' However the furore has made her think twice about her hairstyles, with Alicja, who has turned the comments off an Instagram picture which shows her with braids, admitting she won't get the style again to avoid causing offence. 'I'm not saying colourism doesn't exist and it's not right to use it for financial gain. I'm not saying white privilege doesn't exist but I'm just here to say that the assumptions you're making about me aren't true', she concluded. FEMAIL has contacted Alicja for comment. Aga has previously shared a series of photos form her teenage years on Instagram (pictured), writing: 'Ever since I can remember I was never happy or satisfied with the way I looked, my body went through so many changes from being very chubby to very skinny' Aga has previously posted snaps of her fluctuating weight from her teenage years (pictured), writing: 'I realised that keeping in shape is something I want to do for myself and not to please anyone else, still on my journey to keeping fit but the most important lesson I've learned is training your mind is as important as training your body' The student and Instagram influencer, 20, seen in one of her social media snaps, has denied accusations of 'blackfishing' in a video uploaded to YouTube, and in an interview with the BBC Alicja, who moved to London from Poland as a baby, has said she works with a number of brands thanks to her growing social media following Aga Brzostowska, 20, who is known as Alicja, was sent death threats after a photo of her at the age of 13 went viral, (left) compared to the blogger now (right) 'It's the modern blackface and seen as trendy to be mixed race but they get to shower it off', one follower argued Alicja has more than 25,000 followers on Instagram, receiving free clothes and products, and has been accused of 'reaping the benefits without standing up for the rights of ethnic minorities' Last month Swedish blogger Emma Hallberg, 19, who boasts more than 200,000 followers went viral when she was accused of 'blackface'. After old photos surfaced of Emma which appeared to show her with straight hair and lighter skin, a follower messaged Emma on her Instagram account asking about her heritage. 'Hey Emma is it true you're white...and just posing as a colored person?' the message read. Emma responded: 'Yes I'm white and I've never claimed to be anything else...I'm not "posing" as a colored person as you claim. I've never tried to be or look black. I was born with naturally curly hair and my skin gets very easily tanned in the sun!' Controversial: Swedish influencer Emma Hallberg, 19, (pictured) was accused last week of purposefully spray tanning and altering her hair to look biracial Interesting: Old pictures of Swedish influencer Emma Hallberg, in which the woman has a lighter skin tone and straight hair, recently started to circulate online. Like Polish-born Aga Brzostowska, she has also been accused of 'blackfishing' But this explanation did not appease followers who argued that Emma was trying to appear mixed race, a conversation which quickly went viral. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Emma said: 'It made me sad that some of my natural features are hurting and upsetting people,' she told the news site. 'It also made me upset and scared that I can't look the way I look naturally, without receiving false accusations, hate, and threats. I do not have any specific intentions other than [to] show my passion for makeup and fashion.' Prince William joked that wife Kate was dressed liked a Christmas tree during a visit to a RAF base in Cyprus. The Duke of Cambridge, 36, commented 'My wife's camouflaged against the tree', as they posed for pictures with military personnel at RAF Akrotiri. He went on to quip 'Do you want me to move out of the photo?', in order to let Kate pose by herself. The Duchess of Cambridge, 36, donned a 666 green blazer by Canadian brand Smythe for the visit on Wednesday, along with a pair of 130 navy wide-legged trousers from Jigsaw. Prince William joked that wife Kate was dressed liked a Christmas tree during a visit to a RAF base in Cyprus on Tuesday The Duke of Cambridge, 35, made the joke as he and Kate were posing for pictures with military personnel at RAF Akrotiri (above) She finished off the look with a white silk top underneath, along with a matching olive green clutch bag by LK Bennett and co-ordinating heels. Kate previously wore the chic blazer by the label, which is also one of Meghan's favourites, during her tour of Canada in 2016. She appeared to be taking a leaf out of sister-in-law Meghan by opting for a pair of wide-legged trousers for the engagement, which is one the Duchess of Sussex's signature looks. While Kate has previously worn dark skinny jeans and jeggings on royal engagements, this is believed to be the first time she has ever donned suit trousers during an official royal engagement. Kate was seen giggling as William went on to joke 'Do you want me to move out of the photo?', to let his wife pose by himself William and Kate were visiting servicemen and women at RAF Akrotiri to deliver them presents from their families back at home Both William and Kate looked to be in high spirits as they met with service personnel, delivering them presents from their families back at home. The previous day, they had hosted a party at Kensington Palace for the partners, children and parents of those from RAF Coningsby and RAF Marham, who will be spending Christmas away from home. The proud parents chatted happily about their children, with William telling pilots: 'I told George this morning we were going to see the pilots today, and he said "If you see a helicopter can you take a picture?"' Meanwhile, Kate revealed that Prince Louis, who is seven months old, has already started practising his royal wave. Kate looked chic i a 670 khaki blazer by Smythe and 130 Jigsaw trousers for the engagements in Cyprus The Duchess (pictured arriving at the base with William) finished off the look with a white silk top underneath, along with an olive green clutch bag by LK Bennett and co-ordinating heels Kate seemed to be channeling her sister-in-law's style as she arrived in Cyprus wearing wide-legged trousers, left. Right, Meghan in a similar ensemble in London in September On a walkabout outside the Warrant Officers and Sergeants' Mess, the Duchess chatted to Rhian Davis, who was carrying 10-week-old daughter Dorothy in a sling. Rhian said: 'She asked whether she was sleeping through the night and she told me that Louis is starting to wave.' Kate and William's appearance on Wednesday came amid suggestions of a rift between them and the Sussexes, following the announcement that Meghan and Harry will be moving away from Kensington Palace next year. However, Palace insiders have played down the rumours, and the couples are expected to spend Christmas together at Sandringham later this month. Sophie Wessex got hands on in the kitchen today as she helped to make chapatis at a Gurdwara in London. The Earl and the Countess of Wessex paid a visit to the Southall Sikh place of worship, the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara together on Thursday. Both Prince Edward and Sophie could be seen wearing headscarves and removed their shoes for the occasion as a mark of respect to the Sikh religion. Sophie, 53, looked typically elegant in a pale blue dress for her engagement today which she had paired perfectly with her headscarf. Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex visited Southall's Sikh place of worship, Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara together on Thursday An unexpected accessory came in the form of an iWatch that could be seen peeking out from the sleeve of her dress. The Apple product retails at 399 and acts as a communication, health and fitness tracker. Sophie joins the ranks of royals investing in smart accessories with Prince Harry recently debuting a state-of-the-art titanium sleep and activity tracker from Finland-based company Oura Health. Meanwhile Edward, 54, was suitably dapper in a pin stripe suit coordinating his scarlet tie and pocket square to his headscarf. While there the Countess of Wessex showcased her cookery skills as she helped to prepare chapatis in the kitchen An iWatch, costing around 399, could be seen peeking out from the sleeve of Sophie's dress The lucky royals enjoyed a buffet lunch alongside members of the Gurdwara today The couple appeared to be in good spirits as they took a tour of the historic Gurdwara this morning. The mother-of-two later joined others in the kitchen to help prepare chapatis ahead of lunch. Despite not having an apron to hand Sophie was able to keep her pale dress pristine throughout the process. The Sri Guru Singh Sabha Southall (SGSSS) is the largest Gurdwara organisation outside of India, established in 1950s. Both Prince Edward and Sophie could be seen wearing headscarves and removed their shoes for the occasion as a mark of respect to the Sikh religion Sophie, 53, looked typically elegant in a pale blue dress for her engagement today which she had paired perfectly with her headscarf Both Sophie and Edward removed their shoes as is required of all visitors to the Gurdwara Gurdwara, pronounced Gur-Dwa- raa means the Gurus Door or through the Guru. Sikhs come here to learn how to live a spiritual and moral life and earn Gurus blessings. This particular Gurdwara already had royal links with Prince Charles inaugurating the site back in 2003. Since then many dignitaries such as Former Prime Minister Rt Hon Tony Blair, Archbishop of Canterbury and the leaders of all the Political Parties have visited the Gurdwara. The royal couple were clearly impressed by a performance by a young man at the temple Sophie also explored the Gurdwara's music room where she met with some of the young musicians It's been hailed by critics but a new Hollywood film about the life of American War reporter Marie Colvin has been called 'confusing' and 'not a biopic' by her close friend. A Private War, starring Rosamund Pike and directed by Matthew Heineman, documents the life of Colvin, who filed reports from conflict zones and was killed in Homs, Syria in 2012. Following the film's release in the US, Colvin's close friend and fellow female war correspondent, Janine di Giovanni, has slammed the film for using artistic licence in the way key figures in Colvin's life are portrayed. Writing in Harper's Magazine, di Giovanni says the film is inaccurate in parts and offers a Hollywood spin on Colvin's life. Scroll down for video Rosamund Pike stars as US war reporter Marie Colvin in new film A Private War. However, Colvin's long-time friend and colleague has slammed the movie, saying it's put a Hollywood spin on the journalist's life Colvin was killed in Syria in 2011, just hours after she'd filed a report on the army's shelling of 'a city of cold, starving civilians'. She lost her eye in 2001 after being hit by the Sri Lankan army Author and foreign correspondent Janine di Giovanni has criticised Matthew Heineman's film, saying many of the people in Colvin's life - including her former employees and boyfriend - were portrayed as 'good guys' when in reality they weren't She said Covin's employees at the Sunday Times were not the 'good guys' they're portrayed to be in the film and that many of the characters are merely composites of real people. 'Colvin had many friends in London, but none of them were similar to the Bridget Jonesstyle girlfriend character (portrayed by Nikki Amuka-Bird) in the film. 'Her last boyfriend was not a caring and loving Stanley Tucci but rather a man who gave her immense heartache and distress.' Author and journalist di Giovanni also criticised some basic factual changes including a reference made by Colvin's first husband, Patrick Bishop, to 'heads on sticks' in the opening scene of the film. She writes: There were no 'heads on sticks' in Bosnia, as the character meant to be Colvins first husband, Patrick Bishop, says in one of the opening scenes (heads were on sticks in Chechnya).' The film is the first narrative feature by Matt Heineman and has been well received in the US following its release in early November However, Janine di Giovanni says that while she 'respects' the film paying tribute to her friend, she doesn't want young girls to think that war reporting is glamorous Marie Colvin, 56 at the time of her death, was born in the US but lived in Hammersmith, London, writing for the Sunday Times Colvin, pictured in Chechnya in 1999, lost the sight in her left eye after being struck by the Sri Lankan army in 2011 And Colvin's second husband, Juan Carlos Gumucio, an obviously important figure in her life, is 'erased from the script altogether'. di Giovanni concludes though that she still 'respects' the film for paying testament to the courage and legacy of her friend but adds: 'I just dont want young women to watch it and think that being a war reporter is glamorous'. Colvin became known for her distinctive eye patch and tragically died during a rocket attack in 2012 while covering the civil war in Syria - just hours after telling the world how Bashar al-Assad's army was 'simply shelling a city of cold, starving civilians'. A Private War chronicles her life's work and is adapted from Marie Brenner's 2012 Vanity Fair article Marie Colvin's Private War. Marie's family have since launched legal action against the Syrian government. charging it with arranging her death in 2012. The Prince of Wales has opened up on his favourite films at an event where Hollywood actor Tom Hiddleston described the works of directing greats like Alfred Hitchcock and Sir David Lean as part of Britain's 'national heritage'. Hiddleston, the star of The Night Manager, made his comments during a British Film Institute (BFI) event marking the 40th anniversary of Charles's patronage of the organisation. Charles was joined at the celebration by actor David Oyelowo, famed for his role as Dr Martin Luther King in Selma, who spoke out in favour of the BFI's work nurturing some of the next generation of filmmakers under its academy scheme. After being shown some of the BFI's Peter Sellers collection featuring photographs from the Pink Panther movies, the heir to the throne confessed: 'I have to say whenever I put one of these on it always raises my spirits.' When two worlds collide: The Prince of Wales, left, opened up on his favourite films at an event on Thursday where Hollywood actor Tom Hiddleston, centre, also spoke of his love of film Prince Charles was in high spirits today during a British Film Institute (BFI) event marking the 40th anniversary of his patronage of the organisation at London's Southbank Hiddleston chatted to Charles and said the prince told him he had enjoyed the BBC drama The Night Manager 'very much'. The star, famed for his role as Loki in the Marvel superhero films, added: 'The reason I believe in the BFI is because I believe in film as an art form. 'It began as a physical art form, it's a chemical process, it's capturing life with light.' The BFI has an important collection of Victorian films it has restored and digitised and will make available free online next year, and is home to archives of films, movie scripts, posters and other material central to the history of British cinema. Hiddleston added: 'The prints of early film work that have enabled the art form to become what it's become, light, sound, movement, are preserved by the BFI and without it we would lose it. 'So the silent Hitchcocks, the prints of Lawrence of Arabia, Brief Encounter (by) David Lean, all British film is standing on the shoulders of those titans so the preservation of that material is as important as preserving the work of the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate, it's part of our national heritage.' Blast from the past: As part of his visit today, Charles viewed rare archive footage of his great-great-great grandmother Queen Victoria's final public appearance before her death in 1901 - and viewed one of the UK's few remaining 35mm projection boxes (pictured) Happy anniversary your Highness! Prince Charles cuts a cake during a British Film Institute (BFI) event marking the 40th anniversary of Charles's patronage of the organisation During the visit Charles indulged his passion for the Pink Panther films starring Peter Sellers who was a member of the royal's beloved Goons. He was shown Sellers' script from the Pink Panther Strikes Again with handwritten notes by the comic actor, and promotional material from the movies like photographs and lobby posters. Charles told Nathalie Morris, who oversees the BFI's collection of filmmaker's material, that he had been on the set of one of the Pink Panther films and how the actors had to do '18 takes' as the crew broke down in 'hysterics' they 'all just dissolved into hysteria'. The Prince of Wales looks at archive material of actor Peter Sellers during an official visit to BFI Southbank on December 6. His wife Camilla will today be decorating their Christmas tree Charles arrives at the BFI today. Charles, who has been patron of the BFI for more than 40 years, was visiting its headquarters on London's Southbank - giving his wife the chance to decorate Clarence House The prince also met young filmmakers who have trained with the BFI Academy which has sent aspiring camera operators and directors on apprenticeships with Lucasfilm which makes the latest instalments of the Star Wars movies. After meeting Charles at the reception, Oyelowo said about the help given to young people trying to break into the film industry: 'You need support, you need someone to say 'you're good enough', you need someone to say 'go for it' and you need someone to actually support you to do it and those are all things I think the BFI recognise and are doing.' While Charles carried out engagements south of the river on Thursday, Camilla invited children from two of the charities she supports to help her decorate the tree at the couple's London residence. Charles, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, arrived in a chauffeured vehicle, suited and booted in a navy two-piece. The Prince of Wales was in good spirits at the BFI today. While he carries out engagements south of the river, Camilla has invited children from two of the charities she supports to help her decorate the tree at the couple's London residence today The Prince of Wales is greeted by a BFI official on Thursday. Charles, who recently celebrated his 70th birthday, arrived in a chauffeured vehicle, suited and booted in a navy two-piece As part of his visit today, he viewed rare archive footage of his great-great-great grandmother Queen Victoria's final public appearance before her death in 1901. The prince looked engrossed as he surveyed the archive films as well as more recent material from actor Peter Sellers. He also met with BFI Film Academy students and viewed the newly developed BFI Riverfront during his visit on Thursday. He viewed one of the UK's few remaining 35mm projection boxes and attended a reception on the recently opened BFI Riverfront terrace with actors Hayley Atwell, David Oyelowo OBE and Tom Hiddleston. The BFI is the UK's lead organisation for film, TV and the moving image and a charity governed by Royal Charter. The prince looked engrossed as he surveyed the archive films as well as more recent material from actor Peter Sellers, pictured, with a member of BFI staff Charles points at a picture as he views archive material of actor Peter Sellers. He also met with BFI Film Academy students and viewed the newly developed BFI Riverfront during his visit on Thursday Archive material on display during an official visit by Prince Charles to the BFI today. The Prince of Wales has been patron for more than 40 years and makes regular visits BFI Southbank is the UK's national cinematheque and presents a diverse programme of British and World cinema, including film and TV seasons, new releases and classic cinema, events and debates, premieres and festivals. BFI Film Academy is in its seventh year and runs 52 academies across the UK giving 16-19 year olds an opportunity to learn about filmmaking. The Prince is set for a busy few weeks before heading to Sandringham for a traditional Christmas with the Queen later this month. With three grandchildren, and a fourth on the way, Charles is expected to stay just a stone's throw from his two sons, and their respective families, who are rumoured to be staying at Anmer Hall in Norfolk. During his visit to the British Film Institute today, the Prince of Wales had the chance to meet US actress Hayley Atwell and British actor and producer David Oyelowo OBE, right Prince Charming! US actress Hayley Atwell cracked a smile as she chatted to the Prince of Wales during a brief reception at the BFI after he was shown Victorian archive films Charles chats to a very dapper British actor and producer David Oyelowo OBE, left, during his visit to the BFI on Thursday, of which he has been patron for more than 40 years The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to have enjoyed staying with the Cambridges at Anmer Hall last year, and in particular 'spending quality time with Prince George and Princess Charlotte'. It is unclear whether Meghan's mother Doria Ragland, who is believed to have been invited to spend Christmas with the royals at Sandringham, will also be at Anmer Hall - which is a short drive from the Queen's Norfolk estate where the main festivities will be taking place. Rumours of a rift between the Cambridges and Sussexes have swirled since the news that Harry and Meghan will be moving to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor next year, ahead of the arrival of the first child together next spring. The Spanish royals turned out in force in Madrid today to mark the 40th anniversary of their country's constitution. Queen Letizia, 46, was radiant in a fitted red dress as she joined her husband King Felipe, 50, and their two daughters, Princess Leonor, 13, and Infanta Sofia, 11, to wave to crowds gathered outside the parliament building from a balcony. Letizia's mother-in-law, the former Spanish Queen Sofia, and her husband, the former King Juan Carlos I, also attended, as did the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez. Letizia was snapped greeting her mother-in-law with a kiss on the cheek, suggesting warm relations have resumed following an apparently tense exchange between the pair that was captured on camera at a church service in Majorca on Easter Sunday. Scroll down for video Queen Letizia, 46, was radiant in a fitted red dress as she joined her husband King Felipe, 50, and their two daughters, Princess Leonor, 13, and Infanta Sofia, 11, on Thursday Dressed in a red bespoke Caroline Herrera dress, which she first wore in September, she put on a chic display with daughters Leonor (R) and Sofia (C), who looked adorable in grey checked dresses Letizia showcased her enviable waist in a fitted bespoke red Caroline Herrera dress which she first wore in Septembere, teaming it with a pair of ruby and diamond earrings. Wearing her hair in a sleek low chignon, Letizia completed her look with a touch of bronzer and lipgloss, carrying a red velvet clutch bag. Meanwhile her mother-in-law Sofia looked regal in a burgundy velvet dress adorned with a grand pearl necklace complete with a pear-shaped ruby centre stone. Joining them were former King Juan Carlos I, and King Felipe VI, who looked dapper in sharp suits and vibrant ties. Spain's King Felipe VI, Spain's Queen Letizia and Spain's Princess Leonor and Spain's Princess Sofia attend a celebration marking 40 years of democracy Spain's Queen Letizia and Spain's Princess Leonor looked chic as they left the event Princesses Leonor and Sofia looked sweet in autumnal capes, grey checked dresses and red knee-length socks as they waved at the crowds. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez joined the royal family on the balcony. The family were present to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the referendum in which the Spanish approved the Constitution. The Spanish constitution is the democratic law that rules the country, and was enacted after its approval in a constitutional referendum, the result of the Spanish transition to democracy in 1978. Letizia looked chic in a fitted red dress as she joined husband King Felipe, 50, and their daughters Leonor, 13, and Sofia, 11, on the balcony to wave to onlookers Queen Letizia put on a radiant display in a red ensemble as she greeted mother-in-law Sofia to mark the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution at the parliament in Madrid on Thursday (From L) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, former Queen Sofia of Spain, former King Juan Carlos I, Spanish princess Leonor and princess Sofia, Queen Letizia and King Felipe VI arrive to attend commemorative acts marking the 40th anniversary of the Spanish Constitution at the parliament in Madrid The united front between Letizia and Sofia comes months after a clip emerged in April filmed at the Palma Cathedral in Majorca on Easter Sunday, which appeared to show a very awkward exchange between Letizia and Sofia. Queen Sofia was seen standing outside the church with both arms wrapped around her granddaughters' shoulders, encouraging them to pose for pictures. Letizia then joined the group and was seen trying to stroke eldest daughter Leonor's hair standing in front of the cameras, before Queen Sofia appeared to pull the little girl closer to her. Leonor appeared to then push her grandmother's arm away, before King Felipe interjected. Letizia showcased her enviable waist in a fitted red dress which was cinched in at the middle, teaming it with a pair of ruby and diamond earring Princesses Leonor and Sofia looked sweet in autumnal capes as they waved at the crowds Speaking out following the incident, Letizia's former co-worker Imma Aguilar told El circulo at the time: 'I think they are the images of a mother worried about the image of her daughters. 'I talked to Queen Letizia a while ago, and she is worried and quite desolated by this situation; she is very committed to the care of her daughters, with the protection of their image, she worries who takes photos of them. 'She worries where they come from, who approaches them It's a very motherly reaction.' Aguilar added: 'It's been silly, it's not a serious issue, nothing has happened, it's just a natural gesture.' Queen Letizia is mother to Princesses Leonor, 12, and Sofia, 11, with husband King Felipe, 50, who ascended to the Spanish throne in 2014. Letizia married King Felipe ten years ago at Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena in Madrid. King Felipe ascended the throne following the abdication of his father King Juan Carlos in 2014. Meet the California man who was born with a rare form of dwarfism, married an average-sized woman and last year had his first child who was born 'little' like him. Christian Garcia, 25, was born with acholdroplasia, a rare form of dwarfism that results in short upper arms and thighs. When Christians fiance Jennisser, a woman of 'average size', fell pregnant there was a 50 per cent chance that their baby would be born with the same condition. Happy family: Christian, who suffers with a rare form of dwarfism called acholdroplasia, and his fiance Jennisser (pictured) had their baby in May 2017 Newborn: The couple's baby Camila, 19-months-old, was born with the same rare form of dwarfism as her father Growing up with the rare condition never stopped Christian having confidence and a positive attitude towards life despite being pointed or stared at. He met and subsequently fell in love with his now fiance, Jennisser Gomez, through a mutual friend. The pair welcomed their first daughter Camila, who is now 19-months-old, in May 2017. When Jennisser fell pregnant, they knew there would be a 50/50 chance the child could be born with the rare condition. During an ultrasound appointment it was revealed that their daughter would be born with achondroplasia, and Christian was delighted. Since he was born little he felt like he could use his own personal experiences to pass on to his daughter, who he now says already exhibits his confidence. He said: 'Obviously we knew Camila had a fifty per cent chance of being born with achondroplasia like me because I have it and the other fifty per cent chance that she wouldn't because my fiance Jennisser is of average height. A loving family: Christian said that he was happy to find out that his first baby with fiance Jennisser was going to be born with his condition Tiny tot: The couple knew that there was a 50 per cent chance Camila could be born with acholdroplasia like her father 'The doctors were able to let us know before she was born that she would have achondroplasia through ultrasounds and studies showing that her bones were growing at a slower pace than the average child. 'I felt really happy knowing my daughter was going to be little like me. The reason I say this is because I was born little, and I know the things she will go through. 'But I know that the negative things will toughen her up and keep her strong-minded like me. She might have to go through things a bit different than the average child but Im here to teach her and guide her,' he added. Speaking about growing up with the condition, Christian said: 'Growing up with achondroplasia was not as bad as people may think; I always knew I was different. 'I was aware of the stares and the pointing but never let any of that get to me.' I was very energetic and very positive-minded; I always loved being centre of attention, putting on a show and making people laugh. There were complications here and there but nothing a stepping stool couldn't fix.' Christian said that after initially meeting Jennisser through a friend, he and his now fiance started hanging out together alone, and eventually became boyfriend and girlfriend. 'We were really into each other and saw each other more than friends. So, we got together as boyfriend and girlfriend. 'My fiance Jennisser has always been very supportive in anything that I do since the moment we met. She is a very loving person and doesn't see me for being little. 'She has a huge heart and sees me for who I am,' he added. Support: The family of three (pictured) often campaign for dwarfism awareness Mother-daughter love: Christian said that his fiance Jennisser was never worried about their daughter having acholdroplasia Christian added that Jennisser loves their daughter Camila, and was never nervous of bothered by the fact that their child could be born with the rare form of dwarfism. He said: 'She knew it could happen and was all for it.' There are two forms of restricted growth, also known as dwarfism, which are; proportionate short stature (PSS), a general lack of growth in the body, arms and legs, or disproportionate short stature (DSS), where the arms and legs are particularly short. The rare genetic condition, achondroplasia, is the most common cause of DSS and it isnt always inherited from the family as many children with achondroplasia have parents of average height. Despite his confidence in Camilas future, Cristian says he sometimes worries about people not giving her the chances she deserves because of her condition. 'I am very excited for Camila's future. She is very beautiful and already confident and a very smart girl. I know that she is going to impress the world with all the things she is able to do,' he said. 'She has a very smart mother and a very motivating and inspiring father who will be there for her all along the way. She will impact the world I know it. 'The only thing that worries me is if someone doesnt give her an opportunity at something because of her small appearance. Say cheese: The adorable tot is a 'very beautiful and already confident and a very smart girl', according to Christian Concerned: Despite feeling confident in Camila's abilities, Christian worries that other people may not give her certain opportunities A special day: Camila and her family celebrated her first birthday in May 2018 'Other than that, she will be great because those who do give her opportunities will be very glad they did because of what she will prove she is capable of.' Christian added that with the condition comes some negativity, but that the negative comments usually come from people they don't know well. He said: 'For example; someone sees her and think she is so cute and beautiful (because she truly is) and they say, "Shes going to be tall like mommy", because its kind of hard to tell she has achondroplasia since she's still young. 'Then I tell them that she is not, and they say, "No way, how do you know?" as if its a sickness or something will be wrong with her health or they just cant believe it. These usually come from uneducated people. 'They also question her milestones; like her walking, "Why isn't she walking yet? She should be walking by now". Christian explained that it usually takes longer for children with achondroplasia to walk because their bone structure is smaller, and they don't have enough strength in their legs and hips. Christian said: 'I dont let these comments get to me because I know shes different and will take a bit more time than others - but she will be OK. Ive been through it all and I came out good. 'The advice I would give to someone in the same situation as me is to be confident and look at life positively. He added: 'Everyone has issues and things they have to deal with but its up to us to know how to deal with it. So, make it good.' The Duchess of Cambridge won praise for the tartan skirt and black top she donned for a Kensington Palace Christmas party this week - but it is not the first time the royal has worn the festive combination. Eagle-eyed fans noted Kate, 36, previously stepped out in a strikingly similar ensemble of a red tartan skirt, black boots and fitted black jumper for a day out in London 10 years ago. The throwback snap of fresh-faced Kate, then 26 years old and dating Prince William, emerged on social media this week, with many fans praising her 'timeless' style. 2008: This snap of fresh-faced Kate, then 26 and dating William, emerged on social media this week after she wore a similar outfit on Tuesday. Many fans praised her 'timeless' style 2018: The Duchess of Cambridge won praise when she wore this polished yet festive combination of a 208 cashmere jumper and 1,500 Emilia Wickstead skirt on Tuesday One tweeted: 'Ten years later the taste of the girl has not changed much (maybe only the cost) but she is the same shy, happy and relaxed girl of always.' University graduate Kate donned the outfit the day after her 26th birthday in January 2008. The brunette beauty, who had then recently rekindled her romance with Prince William, was spotted heading out from her London flat after spending the night celebrating with family. Displaying a similar fashion sensibility, Kate wore a sharp black blazer over a fitted black turtleneck jumper. Festive cheer: The Duchess wore the ensemble as she joined William in hosting a Christmas party for RAF families at Kensington Palace on Tuesday Flattering: The midi was longer than the mini she wore in 2008 - but the outfit was largely the same She accessorised with a pair of trendy slouched black suede boots and a brown leather handbag. The noticeable difference between the 2008 and the 2018 outfits is the length of the skirt - with Kate choosing a mini skirt ten years ago and a midi this week. At the time Kate wore her brunette locks loose around her shoulders but opted for a straighter style than her now signature curls. Let it snow! William and Kate strolled through fake snow as they strolled to the palace The 2008 outfit is also likely to have been far more affordable than the 1,500 Emilia Wickstead skirt and 209 black button down cardigan from Scottish cashmere company Brora that Kate wore on Tuesday. The mother-of-three donned the stylish look as she joined Prince William, 36, to host a Christmas party for RAF families at Kensington Palace. The event was supported by The Royal British Legion in recognition of the unique contribution and sacrifices serving personnel and their families make year round, and especially when they are separated during the festive period. Advertisement Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has once again stepped out in style as she and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark were welcomed to Riga, Latvia on Saturday. Mary, 46, braved the chilly Latvian weather and stepped out in an elegant dusty pink coat dress with bead detailing and a matching waist belt. The royal topped the look off with a felted pillbox hat in the same dusty pink hue. The pair were met by Latvia's President Raimonds Vejonis and Latvia's First Lady Iveta Vejone as they participated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument of Freedom. Scroll down for video Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (pictured) is the image of true glamour as she arrives in Riga, Latvia on Saturday She wore her hair in tousled waves and teamed the outfit with neutral accessories, heels and matching pink leather gloves She was accompanied by Latvia's First Lady Iveta Vejone (right) as she was ushered into their welcome ceremony Princess Mary braved the chilly weather and stepped out in an elegant dusty pink coat dress with bead detailing and a matching waist belt Mary topped the look off with a felted pillbox hat in the same dusty pink hue The royal looked stoic as she resembled Jacqueline Lee Kennedy Onassis in her infamous pink suit The Princess opted for simple make-up, with subtle hints of pinks and reds that perfectly accentuated her dress She appeared to not be letting the damp weather dampen her spirits as she was all smiles on her first trip to Latvia Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (mid-left) were welcomed by Latvia's President Raimonds Vejonis (mid-right) and Latvia's First Lady Iveta Vejone as they particpated in a wreath laying ceremony at the Monument of Freedom The royal opted for an elegant black shawl as she stood in silence during the ceremony. Latvia's First Lady Iveta Vejone looked equally glamorous in a stylish black coat dress with ribbon detailing and finishing the look off with a brimmed hat. Mary was seen grinning from ear-to-ear as she met with adoring fans after the ceremony. After proceedings finished, the royal couple then accompanied the president and the first lady to Riga's National Library to attend a book donation for the People's Bookshelf. As the rain stopped, the chill in the air may not have as the Princess opted to cover herself up with an elegant black shawl that draped effortlessly over her frame After the ceremony the Crown Prince and Princess greeted adoring fans who waved flags and grinned as they got up close and personal with the pair The Crown Princess was seen laughing and smiling as she greeted locals Frederik was seen laughing with the President as they made their way through the streets of Riga After the welcome ceremony, the royal couple were then escorted to Riga's National Library In the warmth of the library, the First Lady was able to unveil a baby-blue suit with a Damask print that perfectly suited her platinum blonde pixie-cut. In the warmth of the library, the First Lady was able to unveil a baby-blue suit with a Damask print that perfectly suited her platinum blonde pixie-cut. The royal couple are visiting Latvia to participate in celebrating the country's 100th year anniversary of independence. The whirl-wind two-day tour is focusing on art, design and history of the country. The royals then participated in a book donation for the People's Bookshelf The pair take part in a traditional signing at the National Library, witnessed by the President and First Lady Crown Princess Mary of Denmark signing a guest book in Riga, Latvia. The Danish royals are on an official visit to Latvia Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attend a book donation to the People's Bookshelf in the National Library in Riga The royal's are on a whirl-wind tour of Latvia and is Mary's first ever visit to the country Details of the outfit worn by the Duchess of Sussex yesterday have emerged - some 24 hours after the surprise solo engagement. Pregnant Meghan, 37, made an unannounced visit to King's College London to join academics for a round table discussion on the value of higher education in tackling global issues. Limited photos of the event meant royal fashion fans struggled to identify the chich outfit worn by the Duchess - but they have now been revealed. Pregnant Meghan, 37, made an unannounced visit to King's College London yesterday, pictured. Details of her stylish outfit have emerged 24 hours after the surprise engagement The Duchess wore the 257 ($328) cashmere Cocoon Coat, pictured, by Canadian label Aritzia, a go-to brand she has worn on a number of previous occasions The mother-to-be, who is expecting her first child with Prince Harry next spring, sported a 82 ($105) short-sleeved knit sweater by Hugo Boss for the engagement, pictured The mother-to-be, who is expecting her first child with Prince Harry next spring, sported a 82 ($105) short-sleeved knit sweater by Hugo Boss for the engagement. She teamed the piece with a 257 ($328) pink cashmere coat by Canadian label Aritzia, a go-to brand she has worn on a number of previous occasions. Meghan wore the Cocoon Coat in Myth, a very pale blush pink colour. The coat featured stylish tortoiseshell buttons. The royal kept her accessories to a minimum but appeared to be wearing the $70 (54) 'jamie love ring' from LA-based jeweller Meredith Hahn. Meghan, a passionate proponent of the importance of education, looked ready for business as she sat down with academics for the meeting, jotting down notes in a notebook. Meghan, a passionate proponent of the importance of education, looked ready for business as she sat down with academics for the meeting, jotting down notes in a notebook, pictured Meghan's attendance at the meeting of The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was not publicised ahead of time. The event was publicised after the fact when Laura Hammond, professor of development studies at SOAS University London, tweeted: 'We had an excellent discussion about how research can tackle the problems of slavery and human trafficking. Thanks to HRH Duchess of Sussex for joining us!' Her tweet was shared alongside a photo of Meghan, sitting at the head of a table and looking engaged as another attendee spoke. Meghan wore the Cocoon Coat in Myth, a very pale blush pink colour. The coat featured stylish tortoiseshell buttons, pictured The ACU said the event was an opportunity to explore how higher education can help build a better world. Discussions focused on the role of universities in addressing human trafficking and modern slavery, gender equality and inclusion, peace and reconciliation, and climate change and resilience. The event follows her speech to students at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji in October. Meghan spoke at the time of her struggle to finance her higher education and her 'personal feeling of pride and excitement' when she studied for her degree. She described the education of women and girls in developing countries as 'vital', and called higher education's impact 'incredible, impactful and pivotal'. Queen Maxima was on hand to sprinkle a touch of sparkle at the opening of the new Charity Lotteries office in Amsterdam on Thursday. The Dutch royal, 47, was all smiles as she gamely took part in the ceremony, pouring a watering can full of glitter into a wooden bowl as part of a dance performance. In keeping with her typically eye-catching looks, Maxima turned heads in a quirky gold and blue skirt and hat with a coordinating hat. Queen Maxima opened the new office building of the Charity Lotteries in Amsterdam wearing a striking gold and blue outfit that had a matching hat and jewels The Dutch royal smiled as she made her way into the building to take part in the opening ceremony on Thursday evening Maxima gamely took part in the event as she held up a watering can that poured out glitter in front of the performers Maxima, who is mother to Princess Catharina-Amalia, 14, Princess Alexia, 13, and Princess Ariane, 11, with King Willem, looked regal in the two-piece brocade look. The gold boat-neck top had three-quarter length sleeves that allowed Maxima to show off beautiful additions of a chunky gold bangle on one arm and a delicate glittering bracelet on the opposite. To match the blue skirt the fashionable Queen also donned a sapphire blue pair of earrings and a matching ring, as well as blue heels. Maxima made sure to add blue sapphire rings and earrings to match her skirt and shoes making for a very glamorous entrance The royal appears to have recovered after being forced to cancel a string of engagements - including a scheduled trip to Tanzania - at the start of November with a suspected 'intestinal infection' Argentian-born Queen Maxima has had a busy month of engagements, attending the Erasmus Awards ceremony in Amsterdam, and hosting the Singaporean President and his wife on their trip to the Netherlands before that. That's despite the royal being forced to cancel a string of engagements - including a scheduled trip to Tanzania - at the start of November with a suspected 'intestinal infection'. But Maxima appeared on top form on Thursday, laughing as she took part in the bizarre opening performance. More than 20 years after she married Nik, Cathy Robinson still looks forward to seeing him. They share 'in' jokes and frequently text to swap a bit of banter and catch up on family news. He's one of her favourite people. You would think they have the perfect marriage except Cathy and Nik divorced in 2010. Their 'turbulent' 14-year relationship was beset by rows and break-ups, yet, incredibly, they've emerged from it without any resentment or acrimony. In fact, they see themselves as being divorced to, rather than from, one another, such is the fondness between them. The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, and Prince Andrew (pictured together in 2015 at Royal Ascot), famously still enjoy one another's company It's an endearing term that was also used by the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, in a recent interview, when describing the warm relationship she shares with Prince Andrew, 22 years after their divorce in 1996. Famously, they still enjoy one another's company even holidaying together with their daughters, Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice and were the picture of a happy family at Eugenie's wedding in October. It's a curious arrangement that has fascinated and baffled the British public for years. But Cathy and Nik say they totally understand. Some couples, they say, simply work so much better as friends. 'We took our vows very seriously and never imagined it would end in divorce in fact, we tried really hard to make it work,' says Cathy. Their problems, she says, stemmed from Nik being away for up to nine months at a time with the Navy. 'I was a typical military wife, left at home with our daughter, Rachel, and my three older daughters from my first marriage,' reflects Cathy, 52, who is remarried and lives in Hampshire, where she owns a pre-school. 'He was even away when Rachel was born and, without Skype or FaceTime, the only way we could communicate was with letters. 'I had to be independent when he was away, but he would come home and expect to be my priority, whereas I'd be exhausted from single-parenting and be desperate for some time to myself. It's a curious arrangement that has fascinated and baffled the British public for the 22 years of their divorce (pictured together at their wedding in 1986) 'There were times when we couldn't stand being in the same room as each other and he'd just storm off and sleep on the ship instead of sitting down and talking about it.' Nik, 49, who lives in Buckinghamshire with his second wife, agrees marriage for him and Cathy was difficult: 'I was jealous that the girls got all of Cathy's attention and I also expected to be able to bark out orders at home the way I did when I was at work,' he says. He left the forces in 2012 and is now a butcher. 'Our rows could be explosive. I remember one argument at a dinner party which ended with me flipping the table in anger and the food going all over the floor.' Things finally came to a head in 2009, when Nik came home for Christmas. 'I had joined a gym, and Nik's mother had become suspicious and told Nik she thought I was having an affair, which was categorically untrue,' says Cathy. 'It caused a massive row. On New Year's Eve, we finally admitted defeat and our marriage imploded.' In those early days, as they communicated through lawyers, they couldn't have imagined ever being friends. But the white flag was waved not long after their divorce in 2010, when Nik was promoted and he invited Cathy to accompany him to a Navy ball. More than 20 years after she married Nik (R), Cathy Robinson (L) still looks forward to seeing him. You would think they have the perfect marriage except Cathy and Nik divorced in 2010 'One of my main objectives in striving for promotion while we were still married was that I'd be able to take Cathy to the senior ranks' ball, and just because we'd divorced I saw no reason why I couldn't do that,' Nik says. 'We had a really good time as friends nothing happened. It was a reminder that deep down there was a friendship worth hanging on to.' Nowadays, with both of them remarried, they spend Christmases and birthdays together as one big family, and get on fantastically much better than they ever did as a married couple. It sounds ideal and so easy yet friendly divorces remain the exception, not the rule, as psychotherapist and former family lawyer Charlotte Friedman attests. 'When people first separate, there are such a lot of unresolved feelings that it feels difficult to be friends,' says Charlotte, author of Breaking Upwards: How To Manage The Emotional Impact Of Separation. 'But the idea of being divorced to someone is rather nice. It means you're not entirely separate from someone, you're still connected in some way. If people have to stay in touch with each other as parents, sometimes they can find a way of managing a friendship that can endure.' It's a similar story for Judy and Dave Broadbent, who this week shared a hug and friendly banter over coffee and bacon sandwiches at the home Dave, 55, shares with his second wife, Vikki, a few miles from Judy in East Yorkshire. Though they divorced in 2007 after 20 years of marriage, they are still 'great friends'. They met and married in 1987, several months after Judy's first husband died in a car crash, leaving her with two young children: Tim, now 34, and Kim, 32. Dave, a retired sales director who now owns a payroll company, adopted her two children and they went on to have two more together, Liz, 31, and Jack, 20. To the outside world, they seemed like a happy family of six with a large detached home and a lovely lifestyle, courtesy of Dave's earnings, while Judy, 60, a book editor, took a ten-year career break to raise the children. It's a similar story for Judy and Dave Broadbent (pictured together). Though they divorced in 2007 after 20 years of marriage, they are still 'great friends' So, what went wrong? 'Dave was busy with his career and I was at home with the children, fitting in part-time work when I could,' says Judy. 'I had a growing sense of not wanting to be with him.' Dave concurs that the marriage had become 'stale'. 'It was a mutual decision to split and it was sad, but there was nobody else involved and thankfully it wasn't a messy divorce. 'We split everything 50/50 and shared custody of Jack, who was only nine at the time.' They moved out of the marital home and into new houses at opposite ends of the same town. 'Very quickly, Dave and I would find ourselves sitting and chatting about our lives when we were picking up Jack or dropping him off at each other's houses and still do,' says Judy. 'During the early part of our marriage, he always made me laugh, and once we divorced and the pressure was off, he made me laugh again as friends. 'I love him dearly just not as a husband.' Dave's friendship with Judy has never been an issue for his second wife, Vikki, 40, who doesn't have children of her own. They all went on a family holiday to Florida two years ago to celebrate Jack's 18th birthday, and Judy will spend Christmas Day at Dave and Vikki's with all of their children and grandchildren, just as she has done many times before. Beautician Tracey Eskowitz, 44, and trading director Stephen, 46, have had a similar experience. Eight years after their divorce, they are now the best of friends and Tracey has even grown close to Stephen's second wife, Naomi, 36, with whom he has two children, aged four and one. Tracey met Stephen in February 2003 on a blind date, and they married eight months later in a hotel in West Yorkshire. 'He was fun and self-assured and, after our first date, we spent every weekend together,' says Tracey, who is single and lives in Leeds with their two sons Sammie, 14, and Louie, 11. 'He proposed pretty quickly and we planned to marry in August 2004, but brought it forward when I found out I was pregnant.' For a while, life was rosy. But then, as happens to so many couples after having children, the fault lines began to appear. While Stephen's job took him all over Europe and America, Tracey was at home with Sammie. 'Stephen was exhausted at weekends, while I was fed up with being on my own with our son, and it disintegrated from there,' says Tracey. Four years into their marriage, the resentment between them peaked and they separated briefly but then reunited and had Louie. 'We moved house for a fresh start, but nothing changed and we argued more. Neither of us was happy and I suggested we should split for good.' Stephen agreed. 'We didn't want the kids seeing us constantly at loggerheads because they would suffer, so we did the right thing.' Anyone who observes Rebecca Starr (pictured), 42, and her ex-husband Jackie Smit, 38, laughing together would assume they're a happily married couple Still, Stephen admits he and Tracey only settled into a happy, post-divorce friendship in 2012, a year after he met Naomi. The couple married in 2013 and now the two Eskowitz families' lives are harmoniously intertwined. They spend Christmases and birthdays together, and have holidayed in Menorca albeit in separate apartments for the past two summers. 'Friends think it's weird that we go on holiday together, but Stephen and I are co-parents and the best of friends, plus Naomi and I get along brilliantly,' adds Tracey. 'We go to parents' evenings and the school Christmas shows together. Stephen and Naomi's children call me Auntie Tracey and often come for sleepovers.' Charlotte Friedman says that, handled properly, a friendly relationship is beneficial for everyone. 'If the children see their parents are happy living separately and that they've managed to keep them all together as a family, it's very good for them,' she says. 'It shows them that grown-ups can manage their differences and divorce without it being acrimonious. The children don't feel split between Mum and Dad and can integrate both parents in their minds, which is healthier.' Anyone who observes Rebecca Starr, 42, and her ex-husband Jackie Smit, 38, laughing together as they play in the park with their four-year-old daughter, Meadow, would assume they're a happily married couple. But they, too, are divorced 'best friends'. They met at a martial arts class in London in 2011, and married in June 2014, six weeks after Meadow was born. 'We were both really happy and thought that having a baby would top it all off,' says Rebecca, a database developer. Instead, unprepared for the impact a child would have on their relationship, the marriage began to unravel. 'I was resentful that I'd been left with this child who didn't want to sleep, and even when I went back to work part-time I was still the one doing the childcare and the housework,' she adds. 'Inevitably, our sex-life dwindled, too, and we only did it once in about six months. It didn't matter so much to me as I was shattered from being up at night with our daughter, but it was a big deal to him.' They met at a martial arts class in London in 2011, and married in June 2014, six weeks after Meadow was born (pictured Jackie) Shortly after their first wedding anniversary in June 2015, Jackie, an account director, suggested they should part and Rebecca agreed. They divorced in 2016 and she moved to Shropshire to be closer to her parents, while Jackie bought a house in Surrey. Only then did the bitterness between them start to dissipate. 'Because of the distance, Jackie had to stay at my house when he came to visit Meadow, and once she was in bed, we'd talk about what had gone wrong and began to accept our faults,' says Rebecca. 'He understood the resentment I'd felt and I acknowledged that he'd taken a lot of flak from me.' Two years on, they speak every day and revel in weekends together as a family. 'I knew we'd always be in each other's lives because of Meadow, but Jackie really is my best friend now,' adds Rebecca. 'We spend Christmases together and his sister's getting married in South Africa next February, so I'm hoping to go with him. 'Friends often ask if there's still a spark, but Jackie and I have talked about it and all the romantic inclination has gone.' Though neither of them is with a new partner, they are adamant that when they are, their friendship will endure. 'I've been on a few dates since we separated and always make quick mention of the fact that I'm close friends with my daughter's mother and that that's not going to change,' says Jackie. 'We've promised each other that when either of us does meet someone special, they will have to accept and understand our friendship it's too precious to compromise.' Women could be offered DIY smear test kits in a bid to boost cervical cancer screening coverage. The UK National Screening Committee is considering sending 'self-sample' tests through the post to women who do not respond to invitations for screening at a clinic. Cervical cancer screening in Britain has fallen to an all-time low - with figures last week revealing nearly five million women now overdue for testing. Nearly a third of women ignored their latest invitation and are now at risk because they have gone several years without a smear tests. The UK National Screening Committee is considering sending 'self-sample' tests through the post to women who do not respond to invitations for screening at a clinic A study published in the British Medical Journal found the tests were nearly as accurate as those done in a clinic. And they found women who had missed screening appointments were twice as likely to provide a sample for testing as they were to respond to reminders to come to a clinic. The researchers, from the Belgian Cancer Centre in Brussels, wrote: 'Offering self-sampling kits generally is more effective in reaching under-screened women than sending invitations.' It comes as Theresa May yesterday gave an impassioned plea in the House of Commons for women to get their smear test - saying despite being 'not nice' they could 'save your life'. The Prime Minister stood at the despatch box during the weekly clash of PMQs to make the personal appeal after cervical cancer screening fell to 21-year-low. The team combined the results of 81 previous studies examining the accuracy and uptake of home tests. They found the results of DIY kits were about 10 per cent less effective, and had a higher rate of 'false positives' - meaning women might be incorrectly told they had problems. So the researchers stressed the tests should not replace clinics - but could be used as a back-up for women who do not feel comfortable visiting a doctor. Theresa May (pictured in the Commons today) today gave an impassioned plea in the House of Commons for women to get their smear test - saying despite being 'not nice' they could 'save your life' The Prime Minister stood at the despatch box during the weekly clash of PMQs to make the personal appeal after cervical cancer screening fell to 21-year-low (pictured, the statistics) WHAT IS A SMEAR TEST? A smear test detects abnormal cells on the cervix, which is the entrance to the uterus from the vagina. Removing these cells can prevent cervical cancer. Most test results come back clear, however, one in 20 women show abnormal changes to the cells of their cervix. In some cases, these need to be removed or can become cancerous. Cervical cancer most commonly affects sexually-active women aged between 30 and 45. In the UK, the NHS Cervical Screening Programme invites women aged 25-to-49 for a smear every three years, those aged 50 to 64 every five years, and women over 65 if they have not been screened since 50 or have previously had abnormal results. Women must be registered with a GP to be invited for a test. In the US, tests start when women turn 21 and are carried out every three years until they reach 65. Changes in cervical cells are often caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which can be transmitted during sex. Advertisement Home testing could be made possible by the creation of a more sensitive cervical test which uses a swab to test for the HPV virus. At the moment a smear test involves testing for abnormalities in the cells on the cervix. But the test is currently being changed to test first for the HPV virus, and then following up if the virus is present. This is currently being rolled out across the NHS, and by December 2019 all women in Britain will be able to get it. Around 3,200 British women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and 1,000 die with the disease annually - but rates of the disease are projected to rise nearly 40 per cent in the next 20 years. Experts say another 2,000 women would be killed by the disease every year without the screening programme. The death of reality TV star Jade Goody with cervical cancer in 2009 triggered a spike in the number of women attending screening. But that effect has faltered since, with uptake gradually falling to just 71 per cent last year. Professor Anne Mackie, Public Health England's director of screening, said: 'The independent expert screening committee is currently carrying out a consultation to look at the benefits of self-testing at home for women.' Consultation documents published by the committee say: 'It is proposed that self-sampling as a strategy to address non-attendance for screening requires further study in well organised pilots and research projects.' Robert Music, chief executive of Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, said: 'It's very positive to see further research showing the benefits of HPV self-sampling and hopefully this can help it becoming closer to reality in the UK. 'Self-sampling is a much more accessible test, making it easier for many groups. 'Our recent research found that 80 per cent of women would prefer to self-sample at home, and this number rose to 88 per cent of women who had delayed having a smear test.' WHERE ARE THE AREAS WITH THE LOWEST SCREENING RATES? WOMEN AGED 25 TO 49 Harrow: 56.6% Hammersmith and Fulham: 52.6% West London: 51.0% Camden: 50.3% Central London (Westminster): 48.8% WOMEN AGED 50 TO 64 Liverpool: 70.1% Camden: 69.3% Hammersmith and Fulham: 67.1% West London: 63.4% Central London (Westminster): 62.4% Advertisement Babies are being wrongly diagnosed with milk allergy because of the influence of the baby formula industry, doctors claim. An investigation by the British Medical Journal has revealed prescriptions for specialist formula in Britain have soared six-fold in a decade. Experts say 'overdiagnosis' of cows' milk protein allergy is the only explanation for the rise, warning that the number of babies who suffer from allergies could not possibly have risen so fast. They claim the baby formula industry has a huge influence on the way the issue is dealt with in the NHS. Even the guidelines which set out how milk allergy is diagnosed were funded by the formula industry, they say. An investigation by the British Medical Journal has revealed prescriptions for specialist formula in Britain have soared six-fold in a decade Industry-funded bodies also run allergy training for doctors and nurses - creating further potential for incorrect prescribing. Doctors warned that wrongly diagnosing babies with a milk allergy is harmful, as it discourages mums from breastfeeding. Dr Fiona Godlee, editor-in-chief of the BMJ, said: 'The growth in prevalence of cows' milk protein allergy [CMPA] has all the hallmarks of overdiagnosis fuelled by commercial interests. 'We need tighter diagnostic criteria and guidelines drawn up by experts who are free from financial conflicts of interest.' Between 2006 and 2016, prescriptions of specialist formula milks used to treat milk allergy increased from 105,000 to more than 600,000 a year. NHS spending on these products increased even more - from 8.1million to over 60million annually. Nigel Rollins, of the World Health Organisation's department of maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health said: 'It's reasonable to question whether these increases reflect a true increase in prevalence.' Dr Chris van Tulleken, an infection doctor at University College London Hospital, who carried out the investigation for the BMJ, said: 'The extensive links between the formula industry and the research, guidelines, medical education, and public awareness efforts around CMPA have raised the question of industry-driven overdiagnosis.' He said five of 11 authors of milk allergy guidelines drawn up NHS watchdog NICE in 2011 declared links to the formula industry. International guidelines drawn up in 2007 and 2010 were funded by formula manufacturers. And all five authors of the 2013 Milk Allergy in Primary Care guidance had links to the industry. Dr van Tulleken, who also presents television documentaries, found that the industry runs training courses in NHS hospitals. IS BREAST REALLY BEST? Breast milk contains antibodies passed on from the mother, which boost a baby's immune system and help it fight infections and viruses. There is also evidence that breastfed babies have higher IQs and are less at risk of obesity - because formula milk is higher in fat. Breastfeeding is also deemed beneficial for the mother because it enables her to bond with the newborn. It also enables her to lose weight, as nursing mothers burn up to 500 calories a day extra. Advertisement 'The Allergy Academy, which is sponsored by three infant formula manufacturers, delivers courses on Guy's and St Thomas' premises [in London],' he wrote. 'These are described by the trust as private 'evidence-based training days for healthcare professionals.' Guy's and St Thomas' said it had decided it would 'no longer host events within trust facilities where any infant formula manufacturer is present'. Dr van Tulleken suspects companies are using their specialist formulas as a 'Trojan horse' to create links with doctors for their normal baby formula products, which they are banned from marketing. 'The belief that specialist formulas are exempt from the code may be enabling manufacturers to justify this network of links with clinicians and institutions to pursue a wider agenda,' he wrote. The World Health Orgnisation believes this is having an impact on breastfeeding rates. Larry Grummer Strawn, a technical officer at WHO, said: 'The influence that the formula industry has on young health professionals is likely an important reason for the lukewarm support for breastfeeding that we often encounter.' Professor Anthony Costello, an expert in child health at University College London, added: 'In the UK we have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world.' The industry last night defended its practices, insisting it has a legitimate role to play in research and the education of healthcare professionals. Declan O'Brien, director general of the British Specialist Nutrition Association, whose members include Danone Nutricia, Mead Johnson and Nestle, said: 'We recognise the need to put in place policies to ensure that potential conflicts of interest can be managed and avoided. 'The measures in the Infant Formula Industry Code are in line with the WHO Code, UK regulations, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry code and General Medical Council guidance.' A two-year-old girl who is one of the first children in the UK to be prescribed medical cannabis faces a delay in receiving her treatment. Jorja Emerson's father claims his epileptic daughter cannot yet have the 3,000 three-month supply of cannabis oil because of pharmacy licensing problems. The family, from Northern Ireland, fought for weeks to secure the landmark prescription for a drug called Tilray from a private hospital in London. But they have now been told they face a further delay in obtaining the treatment which they hope will stop her deadly seizures, which can number up to 30 a day. One MP has called the situation an 'assault course of bureaucracy' and even suggested he would travel to Canada himself to get hold of the drugs for her. Two-year old Jorja Emerson is believed to be the first child to be prescribed medical cannabis since the drug was rescheduled in November Robin Emerson with his daughter Jorja, who has been prescribed cannabis oil to help with her potentially life-threatening epileptic seizures, of which she has up to 30 a day Robin Emerson, Jorja's 31-year-old entrepreneur father, said: 'We are letting bureaucracy get in the way of saving children's lives. 'Jorja is entitled to her medication and it's legal. There should be no issue.' She urgently needs the treatment, he added, and currently has a chest infection which is 'setting off her seizures'. He added: 'Anything could happen.' The family started their wait on Tuesday, when they took their daughter's new prescription to a hospital pharmacy to begin the importing process. Jorja became one of around 200 people in the UK who have been prescribed medicinal cannabis since it was legalised on November 1. At the time they were told it would take two weeks to import the cannabis oil from Canada, but Jorja's father now fears the process will take 'weeks or months'. The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed the delay is because the pharmacy didn't check export licensing in Canada, where the drug is coming from. Health Canada has reportedly stopped issuing export certificates for December, meaning the pharmacy is struggling to get the medicine quickly. It is not clear why Health Canada has stopped issuing the certificates or whether there are suppliers in other countries which could ship Tilray to the UK. Pharmacies in the UK do not need new licences to be able to dispense medicinal cannabis, but they must buy the products from a properly licensed supplier. Mr Emerson is paying 3,000 for a three-month supply of cannabis oil for his daughter (the two are pictured together), and will have to fly to London for every repeat prescription Sir Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead and co-chair of a parliamentary group on medical cannabis, has criticised officials' slow movement in Jorja's case. 'Parents like Robin already have more than a head full, coping with the stresses and strains of caring for very sick children,' he said. 'The last thing they need is a long and tortuous process to actually get the medicine that's been prescribed. 'This assault course of bureaucracy needs sorting out once and for all. 'But in the meantime, if this prescription isn't sorted soon I'm minded to ask a small cross party group of MPs led by myself and my co-chair Tonia Antoniazzi to go and get it from Canada and give it to Robin for Jorja.' Sir Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead and co-chair of a parliamentary group on medical cannabis, said the delay to Jorja's case is an 'assault course of bureaucracy' and even suggested going to Canada himself to get the drug if the situation isn't resolved soon Jorja Emerson's father Robin (pictured together) persuaded a neurologist at the private Portland Hospital in London to help his daughter claiming the NHS had 'turned its back' Mr Emerson, who cares for his daughter along with her mother, his ex-partner Carly Emerson, also 31, said the treatment is 'the difference between her living and dying'. Jorja, who is from Dundonald in County Down, Northern Ireland, suffers up to 30 seizures each day. She was born with a rare chromosome disorder, which is not life-threatening but causes developmental delay and, when she was 10 months old, triggered epilepsy. Now any one of Jorja's daily seizures has the potential to kill her, and Irish doctors have even said her condition is terminal. Mr Emerson said he will not leave London until he has obtained Tilray, which will be given in the form of a few drops placed on the tongue twice a day. Jorja (pictured) has now become the first child in the UK to be prescribed medicinal cannabis, but at a cost of 3,000 for a three-month supply. The cannabis oil is administered from a bottle using a syringe, with a few drops placed on the tongue twice a day British law changed on November 1 to allow specialist doctors to prescribe medicines derived from cannabis and containing the chemical THC. THC is the brain-affecting compound in cannabis which makes people high, and is what has made marijuana-based medicines illegal in the past. Despite being legalised, cannabis oil remains medically unlicensed meaning there are no guides for prescribing it and doctors have been reluctant to hand it out. And, so soon after the rule change and with so few people receiving prescriptions, it isn't yet widely available through pharmacies in the UK. The Government spokesman added: 'There are already a range of products that can be supplied and we are working closely with a range of other manufacturers to ensure a wider range is available for specialists to prescribe for their patients.' There are a small number of patients already receiving the treatment following lawful importation, he added. And no Home Office import licences have been refused from appropriately licensed pharmaceutical wholesalers in relation to medical cannabis. He would not comment on the individual case. The cannabidiol (CBD) drug (pictured) will be imported from Canada. Mr Emerson will have to fly to London for every repeat prescription Although not life-threatening, when Jorja (pictured) was ten months old, it triggered epilepsy and now every seizure is potentially deadly Cannabis for medical use was made lawful on November 1, following the high-profile cases of two other young epilepsy sufferers, Alfie Dingley and Billy Caldwell. Those boys' parents were given special permission by the Home Office to import products they had already been using from abroad. Earlier this week, former university lecturer Carly Barton, 32, became the first adult to be prescribed cannabis oil, to alleviate pain caused by fibromyalgia. She used to be a fine art lecturer but developed the chronic pain condition after suffering a stroke in he early twenties. Carly Barton (pictured) is believed to be the first patient in the UK to be prescribed medical cannabis but she had to go to a private doctor and fork out thousands of pounds For years she had used cannabis illegally to relieve the pain, but can now get a three-month supply for 2,500 through a private doctor and a manufacturer in the Netherlands. But because the Home Office has to authorise the delivery, it could be weeks before Ms Barton gets her cannabis. So, she explained, she is having to blow all of her savings on just one prescription before going back to getting it illegally. A man has been left unable to see, walk, speak or breathe unassisted - just days after having the flu vaccine. Shane and his wife Monique Morgan both had the jab on November 2 to help protect their eight-month-old son Briar against the virus. Less than two days later, Mr Morgan started to lose feeling in his arms and legs. After being rushed to Centennial Hills Hospital in Lone Mountain, Nevada, Mr Morgan spent four days on a ventilator in intensive care while baffled doctors tried to uncover what was wrong. He was later diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognises as a 'very rare' side effect to vaccines. Still in hospital, a friend said 'there is no end in sight' and Mr Morgan is facing 'a long recovery'. But medics have urged that Mr Morgan's rare experience should not put people off getting the flu vaccine, which is proven to save lives each winter. Shane Morgan became partially paralysed - unable to see, walk, speak or breathe unassisted - just days after he had the flu vaccine. Mr Morgan is pictured in intensive care at Centennial Hills Hospital in Lone Mountain, Nevada, hooked up to a ventilator Mr Morgan, who is unable to open his left eye, was later diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which the CDC recognises as a 'very rare' side effect to vaccines. He is pictured being visited by his wife Monique and their eight-month-old son Briar in hospital Pictured before the ordeal, Mr Morgan was previously fit and healthy. The couple both got vaccinated on November 2 to help protect Briar and young visiting relatives from the virus. They were looking forward to celebrating their son's first Thanksgiving and Christmas GBS occurs when a person's immune system attacks the nerves that control sensation and movement. This causes progressive paralysis that starts in the feet and moves up through the rest of the body. It affects between 80 and 160 people a week in the US, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated, according to the CDC. Just one or two cases occur for every million flu vaccines given, data suggests. GBS' UK prevalence is unclear, however, the Government states it affects between 0.8 and 1.9 in every 100,000 people a year worldwide. The condition is poorly understood with experts not fully understanding how GBS and the flu jab are linked. The NHS in the UK states the 'benefits of vaccination are likely to outweigh any potential risk', because infections such as flu are more common triggers of the condition. Despite the risk of the side effect being low, the couple are convinced the vaccine caused Mr Morgan's deterioration. Speaking at her husband's bedside, Mrs Morgan said: 'About 36-hours after he got the flu shot he started to get sick.' Once in hospital, Mr Morgan's muscles weakened, leaving him unable to walk or breathe on his own. His speech and vision also became distorted, while his left eye has become 'stuck' shut. The family have vowed none of them will ever get the flu jab again. Mrs Morgan told 3 News Las Vegas: 'He'd take the flu ten to one.' WHAT IS GUILLAIN-BARRE SYNDROME? Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) occurs when the body's immune system attacks its nervous system. It affects around one in 100,000 people in the UK and US. Symptoms usually start with a tingling sensation in the leg, which may spread to the arms and upper body. In severe cases, the person can become paralysed. The condition can be life-threatening if it affects a person's breathing, blood pressure or heart rate. GBS' cause is unknown, but it usually occurs after a viral infection. The NHS states campylobacter infections have been known to trigger GBS. There is no cure. Treatment focuses on restoring the nervous system. Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Advertisement Interrupted by her husband, who can now speak slurred, Mr Morgan added: 'I'd take the flu three times a season than have to do this once in a lifetime.' Friends of the couple have launched a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000 (7,800) to pay for their 'compounding medical expenses'. Writing on the page, they said: 'Shane is a loving husband, father and friend and one of the hardest working people I know. 'They are not the type of people to ask for help. I know this is a difficult time of year for a lot of people but anything helps and is greatly appreciated. 'If you are unable to donate, I ask that you pray for a speedy recovery for Shane so this family can be reunited.' The CDC claims flu vaccines have a 'good safety record', with hundreds of millions of Americans safely having the jab over the past 50 years. Side effects tend to be mild and include pain at the site of the injection, headache, fever, nausea and muscle aches. Although some studies have associated GBS with the flu jab, others have found no link. The CDC also stresses the condition is more common after becoming infected with the virus itself than the vaccine. The NHS and CDC both recommend pregnant women, those over 65, young children, people with an underlying condition such as diabetes or asthma, and those with a weak immune system have the flu jab. Southern Nevada Health District urge Mr Morgan's experience not to put people off getting the flu vaccine, which they stress saves lives. Its chief medical officer Fermin Leguen added the benefit of the jab far outweighs any risks. Elderly people and pregnant women are among the most at risk of dangerous flu complications, which can include pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis and brain inflammation. Flu is also a very common infection in babies and children, who may require hospital treatment, with some even dying from the infection. This comes after news released last month revealed millions of at-risk patients in the UK have yet to get their flu jab this winter because of delivery problems to GP practices. Just 33.8 per cent of over-65s had been vaccinated, compared to 53.7 per cent this time last year, according to a Public Heath England national flu report. Mr Morgan (pictured with Briar in hospital) has said he would rather endure flu 'three times a season than have to do this once in a lifetime'. His speech has returned but is slurred Pictured left in hospital, Mr Briar also has distorted vision. His weak muscles mean he is unable to walk without an aid (seen right). It is unclear when he may be able to go home The statements made during the meeting of the Russian-Armenian "Lazarev Club" are aimed at damaging the existing high level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry told Trend on Dec. 5. The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry was commenting on the first meeting of the Russian-Armenian Lazarev Club held in Yerevan. Reportedly, the Armenian and Russian media outlets covered the first meeting of the Russian-Armenian "Lazarev Club" held on November 30 - December 1, 2018 in Yerevan. "One of the main initiators and organizers of this club, positioning himself as a new format of public diplomacy, is Konstantin Zatulin, who in the current, seventh convocation of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, is the first deputy chairman of the Committee on CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. The organizers invitation of representatives of the illegal regime created in the Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenia, as well as statements of Zatulin, former chairman of the Council of Veterans of the Russian Foreign Ministry, having the rank of extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador Vladimir Kazimirov and Deputy Director of the Institute of CIS Countries headed by Zatulin, Vladimir Yevseyev, and some others voiced during the meeting of the club and containing open attacks against Azerbaijans sovereignty and territorial integrity are aimed at damaging the existing high level of cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia, the ministry said. Moreover, Zatulins statements are not in line with his status as the first deputy chairman of the committee of the State Duma, contradicting the interests of development of cooperation within the CIS," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. Yevseyevs statements are delusional and damage the cooperation within the CIS. Finally, the Lazarev Club meeting contradicts the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries, including Russia, to advance the negotiation process on resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said. The Azerbaijani side, through the embassy in the Russian Federation, expressed its concern about this fact to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the ministry added. 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. A culture of tribalism between surgeons at a scandal-hit heart unit impacted on patient care, according to a new report. Hospital inspectors found staff at St George's Hospital, south-west London, had 'strong' personalities which meant they were unable to work together effectively. A 'toxic feud' between two rival camps was blamed for an increase in patient deaths earlier this year when it was revealed one surgeon was sent a dead animal and a decapitated doll in the post as the row escalated. And the latest inspection found that bullying and harassment between surgical, anesthetic and intensive care teams had a negative impact on the effective running of the unit. A culture of tribalism and hostility impacted on patient care at St George's Hospital, London Staff were even given mediation to try and resolve their issues, but the effects were short-lasting and their 'poor behaviour' soon resumed. Health inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) have now ordered immediate action to improve services at the cardiac surgery unit, whose leadership was described as 'weak'. St George's Hospital's feuding record Health inspectors at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reported issues of weak leadership and internal unrest as part of the problems affecting St George's Hospital cardiac surgery unit. Some felt that there was a persistent toxic atmosphere and a 'dark force' in the unit, the report said. Investigations found the unit had a cardiac surgery mortality rate of 3.7 per cent in recent years, compared with a national average of 2 per cent. It has since improved. The CQC report said problems in the unit go back more than eight years. It said the unit's 'defensive approach' to the death rate was wrong. Temporarily, the most complex surgery cases were diverted to other hospitals - about 100 people were said to be affected. Senior leadership to address the cultural issues between surgeons has not improved the situation, the report said. Marjan Jahangiri, the first female professor of cardiac surgery in Europe, claimed the hospital was more interested in 'cover-ups and petty vendettas than patient welfare'. She believed she was targeted because of 'envy at her success', with a package containing a dead animal and a decapitated doll sent anonymously to her home. Advertisement Staff told CQC inspectors that the cardiac surgical team 'had not worked effectively for several years'. Inspectors wrote: 'Consultants did not work collaboratively, share responsibility or resolve conflict in a constructive and timely manner. 'There were high levels of mistrust amongst clinical colleagues which contributed to the poor culture within the service. 'The culture within the cardiac surgical service did not always encourage openness and honesty and we found that staff did not work together to ensure delivery of high-quality, safe and effective services that put patients at the centre.' Inspectors said they were not assured there was credible and effective leadership or managerial oversight at service, divisional or trust level to address the issues. They conducted a focused inspection of the cardiac surgery unit over three days in August and September after concerns were raised about mortality rates. Previous investigations found the unit had a cardiac surgery mortality rate of 3.7 per cent in recent years, compared with a national average of two per cent. The latest data shows mortality rates have improved since the report was published. In September it was announced that the most complex heart surgery cases at St George's were to be diverted to other hospitals to enable improvements to be made. And hospital bosses said they had asked external regulators to oversee work being done to deal with 'long-standing issues' relating to the cardiac surgical service. The trust has been ordered to make a series of improvements including a call to address cultural issues within the service and to resolve issues over leadership. 'Toxic' feuding between surgeons was blamed for an increase in patients deaths earlier this year at St George's Hospital, London, a report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said CQC's chief inspector of hospitals Professor Ted Baker said: 'Issues such as weak leadership, internal unrest and multiple electronic patient record systems are just some of the problems affecting St George's Hospital cardiac surgery unit.' In August, Marjan Jahangiri, the first female professor of cardiac surgery in Europe, claimed she had been suspended from her post after she blew the whistle over unsafe care and was targeted because of 'envy at her success'. The professor claimed the hospital was 'an environment that appeared to be more interested in cover-ups and petty vendettas than patient welfare'. In April a package containing a dead animal and a decapitated doll was sent anonymously to Professor Jahangiri's home address. She was later reinstated following a court battle. Jacqueline Totterdell, chief executive of St George's, said: 'The service experienced significant challenges earlier this year, and it will be reassuring to the communities we serve that the CQC has confirmed it is safe. 'Of course, this does not change the fact that significant improvements are required - and significant progress has been made since the CQC's visit back in August. 'I am grateful to many of our cardiac surgery staff for the commitment and dedication they have shown - they deserve a huge amount of praise during what was a difficult period for the service.' Young people with deadly meningitis are being mistaken as drunk or high by doctors, health experts have warned. Teenagers are more at risk of contracting the MenW strain because they spend time around lots of new people, who may carry the bacteria responsible. Symptoms of the infection mimic other illnesses such as the flu, food poisoning or intoxication, officials at Public Health England said. The agency's report follows cases where meningitis has been missed, including an 18-year-old boy who died from the infection just hours after being diagnosed with food poisoning. Public health experts suggest doctors are mistaking the symptoms of a deadly strain of meningitis with being 'drunk or high'. The condition can mimic other diseases such as the flu Cases of the MenW form have soared over the past decade in England, from 22 in 2009/10 to 225 in 2016/17. The death rate for most strains of meningococcal meningitis is around five per cent. However, for the more aggressive MenW ST-11 strain, which is striking more people each year, it is 13 per cent and around one in three teenagers who contract it dies. Experts are unsure why teenagers are so prone to carrying the germs - around a quarter - but suspect it is due to living and partying together. Older teenagers and university students are encouraged to get the Men ACWY vaccine to protect themselves against the deadly bacteria. This group is thought to be at a higher risk of infection because they mix closely with lots of new people - some of whom may unknowingly carry the meningococcal bacteria at the back of their noses and throats. THE LIFE-SAVING JAB Government officials added the Men ACWY vaccine onto the national immunisation programme in August 2015. The decision was made because cases of the virulent W strain of the infection have soared in recent years, with 211 infections in 2015/16. Teenagers and university students are encouraged to get the Men ACWY vaccine to protect themselves against the deadly bacteria. This group is thought to be at a higher risk of infection because they mix closely with lots of new people - some of whom may unknowingly carry the bacteria at the back of their noses and throats. Advertisement Vinny Smith, chief executive at Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) said: 'It's a tragedy for a young person to die from a disease if rapid diagnosis and treatment could have offered a chance of survival. 'Patients who are seriously ill with meningococcal disease can be confused or delirious and we often hear stories of young people who are initially thought to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, when in fact they needed urgent medical help to fight an infection.' MenW has different symptoms to other kinds of meningococcal disease. These include mainly gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea and headaches, muscle pain, fever and cold hands and feet. Often these early symptoms come before, or even without, the commonly associated meningitis symptoms of a rash that doesn't blanch under the pressure of a glass, or aversion to light. Mr Smith said: 'The new strain of meningococcal W meningitis and septicaemia (MenW) has been spreading in recent years and often these patients have mainly gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, but without the characteristic non-blanching rash. 'We welcome the publication of this letter which highlights why early recognition of meningococcal disease is absolutely crucial.' The letter by PHE officials, published in the Journal of Infection, details the case of an 18-year-old boy who developed a headache, cold hands and feet, stomach ache and vomiting over a period of two days. A diagnosis of food poisoning was given when the worried parents phoned the out-of-hours doctor. Tragically, the boy died just hours later, and it later became apperent he had had the early signs of septicaemia/sepsis. Only toxicology samples were taken for analysis for drugs and alcohol which meant the cause of death was not found immediately. A drug-related cause of death was suspected because of the age of the person who died. However, when their body was eventually tested for meningitis and septicaemia, meningitis W was confirmed. In 2014, an 18-year-old boy called Ollie Towler-Jones died a shocking eight hours after waking up with a crashing headache and neusea at a festival - typical symptoms for a teenager's hangover. His friends later found him struggling to breathe and unable to move his legs, which were covered in a purple rash. His complexion had turned grey, with purple blotches behind his ears. He died at the medical tent later on, where his mother, Jo, was present. She believed he contracted the confirmed MenW strain whilst on holiday a few months before. She said: The boys were sharing bottles of drink and straws, cigarettes and kissing girls.' Around a quarter of this year's student intake will carry meningococcal bacteria in their noses and throats and it is spread by close contact such as kissing, sneezing or coughing. This compares to one in ten of the general population. Those who recover from meningitis can be left with serious long-term health problems, such as amputation, deafness, blindness, epilepsy and learning difficulties. The letter said that although drug deaths did account for most sudden and unexpected deaths in teenagers and young adults, infections should be considered earlier - and that investigations for infectious diseases should be routinely performed in all fatal cases where the death is not immediately obvious. A cancer patient waved goodbye to his brain tumour after surgeons showed him the mass while he was still lying on the operating table. James Hinnigan, 39, made the unusual request to see his tumour after undergoing pioneering surgery while he was still conscious. A video shows the father-of-two, of Wigan, Greater Manchester, waving goodbye to the tumour and telling it 'don't come back and don't bring any friends'. Mr Hinnigan, who was living in Western Australia when he was diagnosed with stage two glioma in 2015, returned to the UK to take part in a clinical trial at Charing Cross Hospital, London. He then had the operation, which involved removing his tumour via an 'iKnife'. This 'intelligent scalpel' tests tissue as it comes into contact with it and immediately gives information as to whether it is cancerous. Three years on, Mr Hinnigan is tumour-free and feels like he is 'back on his two feet again'. James Hinnigan was filmed during surgery to remove his stage two glioma in 2016. Mr Hinnigan was conscious during most of the operation, with him asking to see the mass once it had been taken out. The footage ends with him waving goodbye to the 'b*****d' Mr Hinnigan is pictured shortly after the surgery with his girlfriend Wendi and their children Rose, now two, and Cameron, four. Wendi was pregnant with Rose at the time of the operation Speaking of the surgery, Mr Hinnigan said: 'I asked to see my brain tumour as I wanted to see what had been causing me so much trouble. 'I got a bit emotional during the video too as I was so grateful that I'd been offered the lifesaving surgery. 'In the clip I can be heard swearing at the tumour before asking it not to come back or to bring any friends. It is strange watching it back as I was in a bit of a daze at the time.' Mr Hinnigan was initially put to sleep while surgeons opened his skull. The maintenance manager was then woken up and encouraged to chat to a nurse to help doctors monitor any damage to his speech. WHAT ARE ASTROCYTOMA TUMOURS? Astrocytomas are the most common type of primary brain tumour within the group of brain tumours called gliomas. Gliomas are brain tumours starting in the glial cells, which are the supporting cells in the nervous system. There are three types of gliomas; astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma and ependymoma. The most common glioma are astrocytomas, which are found in the cells of the brain that support the nerve cells. Gliomas can be low grade (slow growing) or high grade (fast growing), and doctors use these grades to determine what kind of treatment is needed. Source: Cancer Research and The Brain Tumour Charity Advertisement He can be heard counting to 13 and laughing with a nurse, who then asks him to explain paddleboarding. Mr Hinnigan went on to become emotional and tearfully said to the nurse, 'I'm just crying because of what you lot do,' while she dabbed at his eyes with a tissue. Speaking since the operation, he said: 'I find it all fascinating and despite being nervous the nurse really put me at ease.' When the procedure was over, Mr Hinnigan was shown his tumour, which he called a 'decent size' and jokingly referred to it as a 'b*****d'. He then gave it a wave saying 'see you later - don't come back and don't bring any friends'. Mr Hinnigan undergoes check-up scans every six months and is tumour free so far. He was encouraged to chat to a nurse during the surgery to help doctors monitor any damage to his speech. The footage shows them laughing together and discussing paddleboarding Mr Hinnigan is pictured recovering at home in Wigan, Greater Manchester, after the surgery. He is keen to give 'hope to people who are in the same situation he was three years ago' At one point Mr Hinnigan became emotional and told the nurse he was crying 'because of what you lot do'. She can then be seen gently dabbing away his tears. Looking back on it now, Mr Hinnigan says he was in a 'daze' and became overwhelmed because he was so grateful Mr Hinnigan first became unwell while living in Australia with his girlfriend Wendi, who was pregnant at the time with their now two-year-old daughter Rose. He initially thought he was having a stroke when he developed slurred speech, and pins and needles. After being diagnosed with a brain tumour, the couple, who are also parents to four-year-old Cameron, returned to the UK in 2016 when Mr Hinnigan was put forward for the clinical trial by his GP. This made Mr Hinnigan eligible for surgery that used an iKnife and a laser, which enabled his tumour to be removed faster and more accurately. WHAT IS THE iKNIFE? The iKnife or 'intelligent scalpel' helps surgeons distinguish healthy tissue from cancer while carrying out an operation. The scalpel measures the weight of molecules in 'biologically-rich vapour', which is released during surgery. This enables the knife to identify what tissue it is cutting into. Developed by Dr Zoltan Takats, professor of analytical chemistry at Imperial College London, recent research suggests the iKnife has up to 100 per cent accuracy. Published in the British Journal of Cancer, Dr Takats and colleagues revealed the scalpel correctly distinguished between ovarian cancer and normal tissue in pathological samples every time. It also distinguished various other parts of the reproductive system with 93-to-100 per cent accuracy. This helps to ensure cancerous tissue is not left behind, which prompts the need for further treatment. It also enables all of a tumour to be removed in one surgery, while sparing healthy tissue. Trials are testing the iKnife in brain surgery, which would allow the entire tumour to be removed without taking healthy tissue with it. 'If the iKnife can give us an accurate diagnosis during the operation, it could completely change the surgical approach we choose,' Dr David Phelps, Cancer Research UK-funded surgeon at Imperial College London, said. Source: Oncology Nursing News Advertisement 'I was over the moon to be accepted onto the trial and I had surgery in March 2016 with Babar Vaqas, the trial chief investigator, and neurosurgeon Kevin O'Neill who leads the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Imperial College,' he said. 'I consider myself lucky to have been accepted and I hope the trial will help further people down the line. 'The iKnife can identify healthy and diseased tissue in real time without the need for sending biopsies and analysis during the operation. 'They woke me up during the procedure and, by talking to me, the surgeons assessed how much tissue they could remove without damaging my speech. 'To say I was buzzing after the surgery would be an understatement. I felt so lucky to have undergone a successful operation and I couldn't wait to be 100 per cent, get back to work and get on with my life.' Mr Hinnigan shared his surgery video for the first time to showcase the amazing procedure and the work of the Brain Tumour Research charity, which he is fundraising for. Writing on his fundraising page, Mr Hinnigan said: 'Im putting the past behind me but its important to me to give hope to people who are in the same situation I was three years ago. 'The future is still uncertain but there is life after a brain tumour diagnosis and things can get better.' Andrew Pankiw, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research in the north west, added: 'Facing a brain tumour diagnosis can be all the more devastating at Christmas time which is why we're extremely grateful to James for sharing his inspiring story. 'We want to give hope to brain tumour patients and their families this Christmas, and the only hope lies in research. 'We hope people will respond to James' appeal to raise 5,000 this Christmas to help us fund the fight.' Mr Hinnigan is pictured after the surgery, with his children and Wendi, raising money for Brain Tumour Research. He hopes to raise 5,000 for the charity, which filmed his operation A fifth of patients trying to make an appointment with their family GP are left waiting two weeks or more, NHS figures have revealed. Nearly five million patients couldn't see their GP within two weeks in October, with a million of them having to wait a staggering four weeks. Official data also shows more than a million appointments simply go to waste every month because patients don't bother to turn up. NHS Digital figures released yesterday showed patients failed to attend nearly six million consultations in the first five months of 2018. The Royal College of General Practitioners has urged patients to let their GP surgery know 'as soon as possible' if they can't attend their appointment. The shock figures come amid warnings the unprecedented demand and falling GP numbers has left the primary care sector extremely fragile. Shock data released today has shown patients didn't attend nearly six million consultations in the first five months of 2018 In October, 4.9million patients didn't see a doctor until 15 days after first trying to make an appointment, and half of those people waited more than a month. However, the average total for each month was closer to 3.8million. The growing waiting times will pile pressure on the NHS to fix its worsening GP shortage the Government pledged to start hiring 5,000 extra family doctors in 2015 but there are 1,000 fewer GPs now than there were then, The Times reported. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chair of the RCGP, said: 'Today's data also shows that many patients are not attending appointments when they have made them. 'There can be a number of reasons for this, and in some cases a patient not attending an appointment can be an indication that something has gone wrong. 'But this waste of resources is frustrating, and we would urge patients to let us know if they can't attend as soon as possible.' She added that informing the GP surgery would allow over-stretched doctors to 'offer that time to someone else who really needs it'. The NHS figures, collected every month, show around 116million GP appointments were made between January and May. NHS TO OFFER AUSTRALIAN DOCTORS A RELOCATION PACKAGE The NHS will offer Australian doctors a 'relocation package' of up to 18,500 to move to the UK as it tries to hire more GPs to battle a staffing crisis, it was reported in October. The health service will target GPs who previously left the UK for Australia and are looking to return home, as well as Australian GPs who want to live in the UK. NHS England's director of care said the UK was 'pulling out all the stops' as it tries to bring in doctors from a country where training and quality are as high as at home. Doctor recruitment is being widened to Australia after the NHS received applications from more than 1,200 GPs in Europe. NHS England's director of primary care delivery Dominic Hardy said at the time: 'It's no secret the NHS needs to recruit more GPs. 'So it makes sense to head to Australia where doctors' skills, training and high levels of care closely match those of their British counterparts. Advertisement However, statisticians behind the figures believe the true figure is closer to the 130million mark because not all GP practices are included. Of the known appointments made, 5.8million were classed as missed meaning patients don't turn up to around one in 20 consultations. Data showed slightly more than 115million GP appointments were made in the five months between June and October. But the figures have not yet been jotted up to work out the proportion of patients who missed them. However, it is likely to be similar. At the same time as people are missing appointments, millions are have having to wait three weeks to a month or more before they can get an audience with their GP. In total, 10.3 per cent of patients are now waiting three weeks or more to see a doctor, The Telegraph reported. This figure is worse than last year when it was just 9.4 per cent of people. Around four in ten patients manage to get an appointment on the same day they phone the doctor, and two thirds are seen the same week. Frustrated GPs have for years touted the controversial idea of fining patients if they fail to turn up to their appointments. And surveys have shown the majority of Britons support fines for people who miss GP and hospital appointments to boost NHS funding. A proposal to even charge patients 5 in the hope of deterring them from seeing their GP was even put forward to the British Medical Association this summer. Official figures showed in February that 41 per cent of GPs around 10,000 doctors are 50 or over and are expected to quit within the next five to ten years. Many are retiring in their 50s, moving abroad or leaving to work in the private sector, increasing the pressure on those who still work in the sector. HOW MANY GP APPOINTMENTS WERE MISSED IN EACH MONTH? Oct-18 Sep-18 Aug-18 Jul-18 Jun-18 Total count of appointments 27,084,027 21,903,722 21,518,463 22,723,785 22,147,049 Estimated total appointments 29,680,000 24,030,000 23,830,000 25,030,000 24,460,000 Attended UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN Did Not Attend UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN Unknown UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNKNOWN May-18 Apr-18 Mar-18 Feb-18 Jan-18 Total count of appointments 23,178,584 22,102,023 23,437,784 22,256,320 25,331,515 Estimated total appointments 25,690,000 24,570,000 26,190,000 24,890,000 28,350,000 Attended 21,095,537 20,095,474 20,769,159 19,938,289 22,915,637 Did Not Attend 1,125,374 1,090,615 1,218,119 1,147,041 1,241,041 Unknown 957,673 915,934 1,450,506 1,170,990 1,174,837 Record shortages are leaving patients with ever-longer waiting times, and make it far more difficult to see the same GP each time. Despite an NHS a 2.4billion plan to recruit 5,000 extra GPs by 2021 and cut a staff shortage, numbers of family doctors are falling. Fewer young doctors are choosing to specialise as GPs, and are opting for more macho career paths as surgeons or specialists. Pressures faced by doctors also include a rising number of patients, some with multiple complex health conditions. This has led to concerns that the average consultation time of 10 minutes in the UK thought to be the shortest in the developed world - is simply not enough. A mother is warning others about the dangers of baby oil after her toddler son swallowed 'a little bit' and was sent to the ER. Two weeks ago, JennaJoy Ingraham's 19-month-old son Graysen followed his father, Casey, into the bathroom while he was taking a shower. The toddler picked up a bottle of baby oil that was lying on the counter and swallowed a gulp of it. After Graysen became lethargic and unresponsive, the Ingrahams, of Spokane, Washington, rushed their son to the hospital where doctors told them he had swallowed a substance as dangerous as gasoline. JennaJoy shared the terrifying ordeal with PEOPLE and says she wants to warn other mothers and fathers about 'how dangerous an old nursery staple could be'. Graysen Ingraham, 19 months old, of Spokane, Washington, swallowed baby oil from a bottle lying on the counter two weeks ago. His parents thought he swallowed a 'little bit' so they said they weren't concerned. Pictured: JennaJoy with Grayson and Bryten, three, left; and JennaJoy and Casey with Graysen and Bryten Later in the evening, the toddler became acting lethargic and falling in and out of sleep. Poison Control urged the pair to take Graysen to the hospital. Pictured: JennaJoy and Casey with Graysen and Bryten 'When Casey was taking a shower he heard Graysen cough,' JennaJoy, 30, told PEOPLE. 'That's when he looked out and saw Graysen putting the baby oil bottle back on the counter and making a yucky face.' The couple thought their son had only swallowed 'little bit' and therefore didn't think there was cause for concern. Later in the evening, the toddler became acting lethargic, was slow to respond to his parents and falling in and out of sleep. After calling the on-call nurse of their pediatrician, the nurse advised them to call Poison Control. The Poison Control operator advised the parents to take Graysen to the emergency room. 'I was horrifically scared. I was confused,' JennaJoy said. 'I started to panic because I didn't realize [baby oil] was such poison. We put it on our kids, it's specifically made for children.' Baby oil is a hydrocarbon similar to gasoline, lighter fluid, kerosene, motor oil and some kinds of furniture polish, according to the National Capital Poison Center. It is made up of about 98 percent mineral oil and two percent fragrance and can be dangerous if it breathed into the lungs. The Center's website states: 'Poison Control often receives calls about toddlers who drank baby oil...Each child has to be observed very carefully for signs of aspiration, that is, hydrocarbons going down into their lungs.' Hydrocarbon aspiration can cause coughing, choking, and fever. In some cases, it can lead to pneumonia and even death. Doctors told Casey and JennaJoy that baby oil is a hydrocarbon similar to gasoline and lighter fluid and that if it is breathed into the lungs, it can lead to death. Pictured: Casey and JennaJoy with Graysen The toddler recovered and JennaJoy wrote a post on Facebook warning other parents about the danger of the common household item. Pictured: Casey holding Graysen and JennaJoy holding Bryten JennaJoy stayed home with their three-year-old son, Bryten, while Casey took Graysen to the hospital. Tests and X-rays of Graysen's lungs came back healthy, but doctors said there was more danger in swallowing baby oil than the Ingrahams previously believed. 'Doctors said it was the equivalent of you or I drinking gasoline. It could have gotten into his lungs and if it had gotten into his lungs we could have had real problems,' JennaJoy told PEOPLE. 'It wasn't if he ingested it that was the problem, but more if he inhaled it.' After the 24-hour mark had passed, the worst of the danger was over. On Wednesday, JennaJoy took to Facebook to warn other parents about the danger of 'something so many people have laying around their household'. The post was shared more than 121,000 times and has more than 26,000 reactions. JennaJoy told PEOPLE she's since thrown away all the baby oil in the house and plans to research other potential dangers that may be lurking around. 'I really feel the need to spread the word of how dangerous that little bottle all new Mommies get at their baby shower or have next to the bath or changing table actually can be,' she wrote on Facebook. Having a hysterectomy may increase women's risk of developing dementia, according to new research. Undergoing a hysterectomy to remove the uterus triggers menopause. After the surgery, many say they notice a change in their cognition, or 'brain-fog.' Scientists have struggled to establish a clear connection between hysterectomies, menopause and mental function. But the new study, from Arizona State University (ASU), is the first to establish a direct link between the womb and the brain. In experiments with rats, the researchers there found that the removal of the uterus alone - but not the ovaries - may well cause short-term memory and cognition problems. Having a hysterectomy may cause memory loss for the third of American women who have had the procedure, a new study suggests We are in the age of mind-body medicine, where mental health is finally accepted as part and parcel of overall physical health, and the make-up of our guts is acknowledged as influencing our mood. This revelation complicated notions old and new - especially when it comes to women's health. Some mental health issues like depression that were once dismissed as 'hormonal swings' when they affected women are now understood to be more complicated. At the same time, so long as the mechanisms behind changes women notice - such as cognitive problems after menopause - have remained unknown, doctors have hesitated to treat them. Similarly, research has come down on both sides of the debate over whether hormone replacement therapy (HRT) raises risks of dementia or not. Given these related, but sometimes conflicting, bits of knowledge and uncertainty, 'we wanted to investigate and understand whether the uterus itself could impact brain function,' says senior study author Dr Heather Bimonte-Nelson, an ASU psychologist. While the uterus is a crucial part of female anatomy during a woman's reproductive years, the prevailing theory in the scientific community has long been that the organ serves no function after menopause. But the new study, published in the journal, Endocrinology, turns that notion on its head. 'Our novel findings indicate the non-pregnant uterus is not dormant and is in fact linked to brain function,' says Dr Bimonte-Nelson. 'This finding is striking.' Nearly a third of all women in the US have a hysterectomy by age 60 - and some research suggests that most of these are not medically necessary and are done preventatively to treat conditions for which there are less invasive options. So elective surgery may actually be hampering the minds of hundreds of thousands of women a year. It seems that we don't know as much as we believed about the female reproductive system's role in whole-body health - though we're starting to learn. 'There is some research showing that women who underwent hysterectomy but maintained their ovaries had an increased risk for dementia if the surgery occurred before natural menopause,' Dr Bimonte-Nelson says. WHAT IS A HYSTERECTOMY? A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure to remove a woman's uterus. There are three kinds: PARTIAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes two-thirds of the uterus. Removes two-thirds of the uterus. TOTAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes uterus and cervix. Removes uterus and cervix. RADICAL HYSTERECTOMY: Removes uterus, cervix and ovaries. The operation is most commonly performed on women between the ages of 40 and 49. More than 20 million American women have had a hysterectomy, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As women approach menopause, the odds that they will develop one of several serious uterine health conditions increases. Doctors may recommend a hysterectomy as a treatment for: fibroids endometriosis uterine (endometrial) cancer chronic uterine pain or bleeding collapsed uterus In some cases, doctors may suggest a hysterectomy as a preventative measure if a woman has significant warning or early signs of developing one or more of these conditions. When necessary, surgeons may also remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes, if these have also been damaged or are at serious risk of damage. The removal of reproductive organs sends a woman's body into menopause, no matter how old she is. This comes with unpleasant side effects like hot flashes, and many women have to start hormone therapy, taking estrogen to balance out their own hormones. Advertisement But she an her team suspected that the uterus played a role too. So they tested their theory by performing a variety of menopause surgeries on rats. The rats were divided into four groups which had either the uterus and ovaries both removed, one or other, or none at all during a dummy procedure. Six weeks after surgery, the researchers taught them how to navigate a water maze that looked like a sunburst, with eight arms radiating out from a circular center. The maze involved four platforms that the researchers removed when the rats found them. The fewer platforms that remained, the greater the demand was on the rat's memory because they had to recall both where the missing platforms had been, and where there had never been a platform. With two platforms down and two to go, the research team found the rats that had only the uterus removed could not handle the increased memory load. These rats kept returning to places where there had never been a platform, indicating they were unable to remember which arms of the maze led to platforms. The other kinds of surgery did not affect how many mistakes the rats made in the maze. First author Stephanie Koebele, a graduate student, explained: 'The surgical removal of just the uterus had a unique and negative effect on working memory, or how much information the rats were able to manage simultaneously, an effect we saw after the rats learned the rules of the maze.' 'We found that a hysterectomy may impair short-term memory in rats,' Dr Bimonte-Nelson explains. This suggests that the uterus and ovaries are part of a system which communicates with the brain for functions such as cognition. We know they communicate for reproductive functions, but there are also direct connections between the womb and the brain through the body's autonomic nervous system, which coordinates unconscious functions like breathing. But the discovery of this more complicated link to cognition suggests the womb could affect cognitive functions and impact how females age. Dr Bimonte-Nelson said: 'We hope these basic science findings will lead to more attention around how different menopause surgeries might impact the brain and its functioning in women, ultimately impacting their quality of life.' Donna Korol, an associate professor of biology at Syracuse University, New York, who was not part of the study, said its protocol adds weight to the results. She said: 'This experiment tests the role of the uterus in cognitive changes that accompany menopause. 'The researchers use several surgical approaches that are actually used for women who undergo oophorectomy (surgical removal of the ovaries), hysterectomy, or both. This alone is laudable. 'One of the beauties of this experimental design was the sampling of different measures from the same rat, allowing for within-animal comparisons across multiple systems.' The finding could also shed light on why women are twice as likely as men to develop dementia. 'Even though the ovaries were structurally similar across all the groups, the hormones that were produced in the group that received hysterectomy alone resulted in a different hormone profile,' said Koebele. 'Hormones affect both brain and other body systems, and having an altered hormonal profile could impact the trajectory of cognitive ageing and could create different health risks.' Exactly how the altered hormone profile affects cognitive ageing or creates health risks is complicated but is nonetheless very important to study and understand. Dr Bimonte-Nelson said: 'Complicated does not mean impossible.' Her lab is currently testing whether the memory deficit after hysterectomy is reversible with time or is the beginning of a more global memory impairment A nine-year-old Haitian boy has received treatment for a life-threatening tumor thanks to a Christian missionary, a Jewish doctor and a Muslim family. For the past four years, John Olivier - better known as 'Little John' - had been unable to eat, talk or smile due to a growing benign tumor on his jawline. The mass had made his breathing so difficult that doctors in his home country told his father he would die within a year because the tumor was suffocating him. But that all changed after Barclay Stuart, a missionary with Calvary Chapel Brighton church in Colorado, met Little John and learned his story. Stuart told DailyMail.com about the series of 'miracles' that led to Little John's treatment and how - after so many years - he is finally smiling again. 'Little John' Olivier, nine (pictured), from Haiti had a life-threatening tumor removed from his mouth thanks to the help of a Christian missionary, a Jewish doctor and a Muslim family Little John had a benign tumor growing on his jaw for the last four years. The mass had made his breathing difficult and doctors said he would die within a year because his tumor was suffocating him. Pictured: Little John before surgery, left, and an X-ray before surgery, right Stuart first met Little John two years ago when he visited Haiti for a missionary trip, 'He was playing with other kids,' Stuart told DailyMail.com 'I see a huge mass and I saw how totally deformed his jaw was, teeth in the middle of the mouth. My heart was just broken.' Stuart said he was determined to help Little John but that it was pushed to the back of his mind until he visited again in mid-2017. Little John's father told Stuart that the boy only had one year to live before the tumor suffocated him. 'I thought: "How selfish, self-absorbed of me that I made no effort to help him",' he said. 'This time, I cried out to God: "I wanna see the boy healed. I'll do whatever you want do".' While at the Port-au-Prince airport waiting for his flight home, Stuart put his bag down to reserve a table and went to order food at a counter. He watched as a group of strangers came in, couldn't find a place to sit down and moved his bag to take the table. 'I went to go give them a piece of my mind but as I approached them with my tray, I decided to keep my mouth shut,' Stuart said. Barclay Stuart (second from right), missionary with Calvary Chapel Brighton church in Colorado, met Little John (third from right) on two separate encounter and vowed to help him While at the Port-au-Prince airport waiting for his flight home in mid-2017, Stuart (left, with Little John) met oral surgeon Dr Stuart Lieblich (right, with Little John). After seeing the pictures of him, Dr Lieblich agreed to perform the surgery for free Instead, a conversation struck up between Stuart and the group and he learned they were medical missionaries. '[One guy] told me they do OBGYN exams, they have oral surgeons, and as soon as I heard oral surgeon, I perked up,' he said. 'I said: "We have a boy that needs oral surgery and he needs a miracle, and he said well we do miracles."' The group called over Dr Stuart Lieblich, an oral surgeon of Avon Oral Maxillofacial Surgery in Connecticut. After viewing the pictures of Little John, Dr Lieblich and his anesthesiologist agreed to do the surgery for free. Once the hospital's board approved the surgery one to two months later, Stuart and his church got to work putting together flyers and setting up a fundraiser. 'I passed out flyers in Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, anywhere I could,' Stuart said. In the end, the church raised $10,000. Additionally, a Denver-area company anonymously donated surgical devices for the procedure. The road to get Little John to the US didn't come without its hiccups. There was the Haitian doctor that wouldn't sign off on the boy's surgery until his hospital got a CAT scan machine and the embassy that wouldn't approve his visa. Finally, in September, everything was approved. Little John's father, 41-year-old Jean Luckner Olivier, told CBS4 Denver that he had been trying since 2013 to find a solution for his son with no success. When Little John and his father arrived in Connecticut, Adriatik 'Tiko' Adviaj (center), his wife Marjana (right), and their son Enea (left) - a Muslim family - offered to host them for the 12 days they would spend there The church raised $10,000 for the surgery and a Denver-area company anonymously donated surgical devices for the procedure. Pictured: Little John and the medical team On November 21, the surgery was performed and Little John is said to be recovering well 'Without God, we couldn't really do it,' Olivier said through his interpreter Luccone Lucce. '[Little John] feels he is going to have a better life in the future. He wasn't worried.' Stuart said the family flew to Connecticut on November 17 and Little John's surgery was scheduled for November 21. The church had budgeted for a hotel until they learned a Muslim family from Albania wanted to help and offered to host Little John and his father. Adriatik 'Tiko' Adviaj, his wife Marjana, and their son Enea hosted the Oliviers and Stuart for 12 days. 'The Adviaj family embraced us and endured the chaotic intrusion without the slightest hint of inconvenience to them though we knew better,' Stuart said. 'They cared for Little John as if he was their own.' Little John (left) and his father (right) flew with Stuart to Colorado for recovery and to meet the people of Calvary church who started the fundraiser Little John's father said even though he and his son will have to return to Haiti, he feels he has a new American family. Pictured, left to right: Little John's father Jean Olivier, Pastor Paul Boutan of Calvary Chapel Brighton, Little John, and the Oliviers' translator Luccone Lucce Dr Lieblich told Fox News that the surgery consisted of the team removing two-thirds of Little John's lower jaw. Then, they reconstructed the jaw using a bone from his hip. When he gets older, the team plans on adding dental implants. Little John and his father flew with Stuart to Colorado for recovery and to meet the people of Calvary church who started the fundraiser. Stuart told DailyMail.com that Little John is slowly but surely recovering. 'He takes about five steps forward and one step backward,' he said. Stuart said, this Sunday, Olivier will be speaking to the congregation and will end the service with a traditional Christian Creole song. Olivier told CBS4 that even though he and his son will have to return to Haiti, he feels he has a new American family. 'For me, it was a big deal. But, for God, it was nothing,' Olivier said. 'Because, God is great, and can do all things.' Hospitals with well-run volunteer schemes are more likely to be given a top rating by inspectors, the health watchdog has said. Professor Ted Baker, of the Care Quality Commission (CQC), said the presence of trained helpers usually indicates that patients are receiving excellent care. He said volunteering programmes at some hospitals have been so successful they have even helped to boost their rankings to 'outstanding'. The hospital watchdog is backing the Daily Mail's Christmas campaign to drive up the numbers of volunteers in the NHS. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber (pictured above) has said people joining the campaign can really make a difference Last night, the number offering their time to help patients and relieve the strain on doctors and nurses reached 18,611. The numbers consist of 10,867 who have chosen to volunteer for three hours a week plus a further 7,744 who said they will give one day a month for the cause. The Mail's campaign with the charity Helpforce aims to fill important roles such as providing friendship, transport services and cancer counselling. Volunteers will not take the place of doctors and nurses, but have the potential to free up more time for frontline staff to focus on patients' clinical needs. Professor Baker, the chief inspector of hospitals at the CQC, said the voluntary sector was already playing a vital role. Health officials estimate that there are already around 78,000 volunteers working in the NHS, with the additional pledges driven by our campaign set to boost this figure by a quarter. Prospective volunteers can register their interest by filling out a simple form online; they will be matched with an NHS trust, with placements running from the spring, depending on availability and subject to the necessary checks Professor Baker said their important work can make a real difference to hospital performance and should be 'celebrated and encouraged'. He said: 'When the CQC inspect hospitals and assess the quality of care they provide, one of the characteristics that might tell us that a hospital is 'outstanding' is whether they recruit volunteers where required and how well these volunteers are trained and supported in their roles. 'While they can't take the place of trained clinical staff, their help can ease pressure on staff, and improve patient care and experience.' The benefits of volunteers have been documented in a CQC report that highlighted their use at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust. The trust used volunteers to help improve communications with patients so more kept their appointments, making better use of precious NHS resources. Last night, the number offering their time to help patients and relieve the strain on doctors and nurses reached 18,611 Inspectors said the trust 'requires improvement' in December 2014 due to problems in areas including safety, responsiveness, and leadership. But in March last year it jumped up two rankings to 'outstanding' following improvements in engagement with staff and patients. Professor Baker added: 'There are many ways that volunteers can provide practical help to patients, visitors and staff and contribute to helping our NHS be the best it can be their important work should be celebrated and encouraged.' The Mail's volunteer recruitment drive, taking place throughout December, is asking readers to register their interest by filling out a form online. They will then be matched with a local trust to take on roles for a minimum of six months. The campaign has already received the backing of Theresa May and has won the hearts of stars including Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Tom Jones, Sir Cliff Richard and Joanna Lumley. Another nine people have contracted E. coli after eating romaine lettuce, the CDC reveals. That brings the total sickened by the current outbreak to 52, including 19 people hospitalized - two of whom have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome. The agency said they expect more sicknesses to be reported in the next two to three weeks, as they catch up with reports from before Thanksgiving, when they urged Americans to avoid the popular lettuce. No specific source has been identified, but the CDC is advising people to avoid romaine lettuce from northern and central California. People shouldn't eat romaine that doesn't have the label information, the FDA said. For romaine that doesn't come in packaging, grocers and retailers are being asked to post the information by the register. In the current outbreak, 52 have been sickened, including 19 people hospitalized - two of whom have developed a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome Romaine harvesting recently began shifting from California's Central Coast to winter growing areas, primarily Arizona, Florida, Mexico and California's Imperial Valley. Those winter regions weren't yet shipping when the illnesses began. The FDA also noted hydroponically grown romaine and romaine grown in greenhouses aren't implicated in the outbreak. The labeling arrangement was worked out as the produce industry called on the FDA to quickly narrow the scope of its warning so it wouldn't have to waste freshly harvested romaine. An industry group said people can expect to start seeing labels as early as this week. It noted the labels are voluntary, and that it will monitor whether to expand the measure to other leafy greens and produce. The FDA said the industry committed to making the labeling standard for romaine and to consider longer-term labeling options for other leafy greens. Robert Whitaker, chief science officer of the Produce Marketing Association, said labeling for romaine could help limit the scope of future alerts and rebuild public trust after other outbreaks. 'Romaine as a category has had a year that's been unfortunate,' Whitaker said. Even though romaine from the Yuma, Arizona, region is not implicated in the current outbreak, it was blamed for an E. coli outbreak this spring that sickened more than 200 people and killed five. Contaminated irrigation water near a cattle lot was later identified as the likely source. Leafy greens were also blamed for an E. coli outbreak last year. U.S. investigators never specified which salad green might be to blame for those illnesses, which happened around the same time of year as the current outbreak. But officials in Canada identified romaine as a common source of illnesses there. The produce industry is aware the problem is recurring, said Jennifer McEntire of the United Fresh Produce Association. 'To have something repeat in this way, there simply must be some environmental source that persisted,' she said. 'The question now is, can we find it?' Growers and handlers in the region tightened food safety measures after the outbreak this spring, the industry says. Steps include expanding buffer zones between cattle lots and produce fields. But McEntire said it's not known for sure how the romaine became contaminated in the Yuma outbreak. Another possibility, she said, is that winds blew dust from the cattle lot onto produce. McEntire said the industry is considering multiple theories, including whether there is something about romaine that makes it more susceptible to contamination. Compared with iceberg lettuce, she noted its leaves are more open, thus exposing more surface area. Since romaine has a shelf life of about 21 days, health officials said last week they believed contaminated romaine could still be on the market or in people's homes. Food poisoning outbreaks from leafy greens are not unusual. But after a 2006 outbreak linked to spinach, the produce industry took steps it believed would limit large scale outbreaks, said Timothy Lytton, a Georgia State University law professor. The outbreak linked to romaine earlier this year cast doubt on how effective the measures have been, he said. But Lytton also noted the inherent risk of produce, which is grown in open fields and eaten raw. A passenger on a flight from Malaysia has been arrested after reportedly stripping naked to watch porn before attacking a stewardess. Shortly after the Malindo Air flight departed from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, the 20-year-old Bangladeshi took his clothes off and started watching pornography on his laptop, local media reported. The man, a student at a Malaysian university, initially put his clothes back on at the request of cabin crew, the New Straits Times newspaper reported. Shortly after the Malindo Air flight departed from Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, the 20-year-old Bangladeshi took his clothes off and started watching pornography on his laptop, local media reported. Pictured: Photographs that circulated online after the incident But he then tried to hug female crew members while on his way to the toilet, and when his advances were rejected he became aggressive and attacked a stewardess, the paper said. The cabin crew and passengers reportedly managed to subdue him and his hands were tied up with a piece of cloth for the rest of the flight. According to Malaysian website Star Online, the man also masturbated and urinated on his seat. There was no indication as to why he was acting strangely. The airline, a Malaysian subsidiary of an Indonesian company, declined to confirm all the details but said in a statement that a 'disruptive passenger' was tied up on the flight to Dhaka, and was arrested on arrival. It explained: 'The crew on board has followed the standard operating procedure in restraining the passenger from causing further disruption onboard the flight. 'The disruptive passenger was accompanied by Dhaka security team upon arrival and he has been put to jail by the authorities there. The cabin crew and passengers reportedly managed to subdue him and his hands were tied up with a piece of cloth for the rest of the flight 'The airline will continue to stay vigilant to ensure passengers travel soundly.' The Sun Daily, meanwhile, quoted a man claiming to be a passenger on the plane. He explained that the Bangladeshi man stripped naked and watched porn while 'ignoring all those around him'. 'The cabin crew approached him and politely asked him to put on his clothes,' he added. 'He complied with their request. A short while later there was some commotion at the toilet area and it turned out that he was harassing a stewardess.' Autodesk, a global leader in 3D design and engineering software, hosted a major forum in Abu Dhabi where experts discussed the future trends in strategic sectors such as architecture and construction that will shape the UAE capitals majestic skyline. At its annual flagship user event today, Futures Forum, Autodesk welcomed hundreds of architects, designers, engineers and digital artists from around the region to experience the future of making at the Yas Conference Center in Abu Dhabi. The event focused on how future technologies will disrupt and change the way industry experts can showcase their evolving excellence to realize the goals outlined in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 and UAE Vision 2021, said a statement from Autodesk. The first-of-its-kind event in Abu Dhabi comes after a successful inaugural launch held at the IMG Worlds of Adventure last year in Dubai, it added. Some of the topics discussed at the event included robotics, drones, additive manufacturing, reality capture, the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and much more. Emerging technologies like Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) were also highlighted throughout the event via multiple sessions and hands-on experiences. The event, known as the Future of Making globally, has previously featured industry leaders whose endeavours embody the emerging future, including former President of the United States, Barack Obama and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Mohammad Saleh, the regional manager at Autodesk Middle East, said: "As the global population rapidly increases, it is evident we are facing the biggest challenge we have ever seen. There will be almost 9.5 billion people in the world by 2050, an exponential growth that we wont be able to accommodate using todays technologies. We must find different ways to build more with less, at a much faster rate." "I cannot think of a more fitting venue to explore and discover such ground-breaking technologies and innovations than at Yas Marina, most known for the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix a representation of ultimate speed and agility of the most technologically-advanced sport around. As Abu Dhabi speeds off into the future, Autodesk looks forward to being there every step of the way," he stated. In line with Abu Dhabis core commitment to build a sustainable and diversified economy by 2030, Khalfan Alnoainmi, the executive director of Town Planning at Abu Dhabi Municipality, briefed the attendees about upcoming Building Information Modelling initiatives including the launch of BIM e-Submission and BIM e-review systems. These initiatives come as part of the recently launched Zayed Smart City Project, a five-year plan for Smart Cities and Artificial Intelligence, said the statement. The event wrapped up with a closing speech by Naji Atallah, Head of AEC and Manufacturing at Autodesk. "As a nation embraces the same vision for sustainability and future growth as Autodesk, we are quite proud to be a part of the dynamic growth the country has seen in recent decades," stated Atallah. "We look forward to continuously pave the way for Abu Dhabis thriving success and growing economy through supporting entities such as ADM and industry stakeholders to embrace the latest technologies. I would like to thank all our strategic partners and industry specialists for all their collaborative efforts towards making this event a success," he added.-TradeArabia News Service The US State Department has said that the North Korean government used chemical warfare agent VX to assassinate half-brother of Kim Jong-un in Malaysia in 2017 The US State Department has said that the North Korean government used chemical warfare agent VX to assassinate half-brother of Kim Jong-un in Malaysia in 2017 State Department says it has imposed additional sanctions on North Korea over the assassination. An autopsy showed the banned VX nerve agent was found on Kim's face and in his eyes, blood, urine, clothing and bag Jong-Nam was waiting for a flight to Macau at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia on February 13 when two women ran up to him from behind and appeared to spray an unidentified liquid on him. He soon started feeling dizzy, collapsed and died before the ambulance carrying him made it to the hospital. Japanese broadcaster Fuji TV released a CCTV video that captured the attack. The next day, South Korean television broadcaster TV Chosun reported that the two women were North Korean operatives who fled the airport in a taxi. On February 15, South Korean government officials confirmed the death and told the press that North Korea's government had been planning to kill him for the past five years. Kim Jong-Nam is the illegitimate son of deceased North Korea leader Kim Jong-Il and North Korean actress Song Hye Rim. Jong-Nam pent an early part of his childhood living in secret with his mother's relatives in Pyongyang before leaving North Korea to study in top schools in Moscow and Geneva. Doan Thi Huong, 29, from Vietnam and Siti Aisyah, 25, from Indonesia were arrested based on CCTV footage and they are now on trial for his murder. Jong-Nam was waiting for a flight to Macau at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia on February 13 when two women ran up to him from behind and appeared to spray an unidentified liquid on him On February 15, South Korean government officials confirmed the death and told the press that North Korea's government had been planning to kill him for the past five years Jong-nam went into exile shortly after he was arrested in May 2001 at a Tokyo airport for trying to enter the country on a false passport from the Dominican Republic under the under the name 'Pang Xiong' As of 2003, Jong-Nam split his time between Macau, Singapore and China with his six kids. However, even in exile, But even while in exile, Kim Jong Nan gave interviews to European and Japanese press and would occasionally make critical comments about the North Korean government. Some outlets reported that this earned Jong-Nam multiple threats over the years. 'He knew his life was at risk and he was aware his brother was after him,' an anonymous source who knew Kim Jong-Nam for more than 10 years told China Morning Press. In this image made from February 13, 2017, airport closed circuit television video and provided by Fuji Television, Kim Jong Nam, gestures towards his face while talking to airport security and officials at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kim was carrying four diplomatic passports and eight different international currencies when he was attacked Multiple witnesses said they watched in horror as Jong-Nam struggled to breathe. Then his eyes rolled back before he lost consciousness. In little more than an hour, he was dead. He approached an airport information counter to report the assault. Juliana Idris, the first person she spoke to at the counter, said that his hands were shaking a bit. He told her he'd been 'attacked from behind by two women,' with one of them wiping something over his eyes. Idris was one of a number of witnesses to recount the Kim Jong-nam's final moments as the trial began in Malaysia. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has previously referred to Pyongyang's use of chemical weapons. He told reporters in January, 'we know they've been used by the North Koreans.' According to the Pentagon, North Korea probably has a long-standing chemical weapons program with the capability to produce nerve, blister, blood, and choking agents and likely possesses a chemical weapons stockpile that could be used with artillery and ballistic missiles. Jong-nam went into exile shortly after he was arrested in May 2001 at a Tokyo airport for trying to enter the country on a false passport from the Dominican Republic under the under the name 'Pang Xiong' (Pictured, Jong-Nam is escorted by police in Tokyo as he boards a plane upon his deportation from Japan in May 2001) The company behind the 'The Wolf of Wall Street' agreed to pay the United States government $60 million to settle a civil lawsuit that sought to seize assets allegedly bought with money stolen from a Malaysian state fund. The film's producer, Red Granite Pictures, co-founded by the Malaysian prime minister's stepson, announced last September that it had 'reached a settlement in principle' with the U.S. government, but did not reveal any sum at the time. According to a filing in a California court on Wednesday, the company also settled claims against its rights and interests in two other films, 'Daddy's Home' and 'Dumb and Dumber To'. Investigators believe that 1Malaysia Development BHD, or 1MDB, moved money into Red Granite Pictures to finance the 2013 hit The Wolf of Wall Street (pictured) The state fund was set up set up seven years ago by the prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, who is the stepfather of Riza Aziz (left), who founded Red Granite Pictures with Joey McFarland (right) in in 2010 'We are glad to finally put this matter behind us and look forward to refocusing all of our attention back on our film business,' Red Granite said in a statement on the filing. U.S prosecutors, pursuing their biggest kleptocracy asset recovery initiative, had claimed the three films were financed by Red Granite using money misappropriated from 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), a state fund founded in 2009 by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. While Najib has not been the subject of any of the lawsuits, a number of his close associates, including stepson Riza Aziz, have been named by U.S. investigators. Najib and Riza have consistently denied any wrongdoing. The Malaysian prime minister's office did not respond to an emailed request from Reuters for comment. Wednesday's filing said Red Granite would pay the government in three installments: $30 million within 30 days, $20 million within the next 180 days, and the final $10 million within 180 days after that. Red Granite willpay the government in three installments to settle the case DiCaprio, pictured in open white shirt, starred as Jordan Belfort in 'The Wolf of Wall Street'. U.S lawsuits seeking to seize a a $3.2-million Picasso painting, allegedly bought from 1MDB funds and gifted to DiCaprio Film studio Paramount Pictures, which has held profits from 'Daddy's Home' while the case was pending, would release the funds to a government-controlled account. The forfeiture suit was part of a broader U.S. action to seize some $1.7 billion in assets allegedly bought with funds misappropriated from 1MDB. The U.S. prosecutors had asked for the civil forfeiture suits to be put on hold last year while they pursued a criminal investigation. Last week, the Justice Department asked a court to lift the stay so that the settlement could be reached. Under the terms of the settlement, Riza will draw no salary from Red Granite during the payment period, other than what is needed to maintain health insurance coverage. The settlement also stipulates that the payment should not be construed as 'an admission of wrongdoing or liability on the part of Red Granite'. The U.S. lawsuits have also sought to seize a $3.2-million Picasso painting, allegedly bought from 1MDB funds and gifted to Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, the star of The Wolf of Wall Street. DiCaprio has since turned over the painting to U.S. authorities. Shocking video footage seems to show a man pleasuring himself under a blanket while sitting in his seat on a flight. The footage was caught by a stunned fellow passenger and appears to show the man masturbating under a blanket as his eyes are fixed on his phone. The bemused passenger can be heard laughing throughout the 39-second video as he catches the unmistakable hand movements from the row behind. He then directs the camera closer towards the man, who then seems to stop and looking uncomfortable, shifts in his seat while scrolling through his phone. The man appeared to be smartly dressed wearing a business suit as he sat in the empty row on the plane reportedly travelling from Brazil in February. Caught out! The shocking footage shows a man wearing a business suit appearing to be masturbating while sitting in his seat on a plane The shocking incident comes after another passenger was arrested after reportedly stripping naked to watch porn before attacking a stewardess on a flight from Malaysia. The 20-year-old Bangladeshi took his clothes off and started watching pornography on his laptop, local media reported. The student initially put his clothes back on at the request of cabin crew but then became aggressive towards staff and attacked a stewardess. Cabin crew and passengers managed to him to his seat with a piece of cloth for the rest of the flight. The man reportedly also masturbated and urinated on his seat. The student initially put his clothes back on at the request of cabin crew but then became aggressive towards staff and attacked a stewardess The airline, a Malaysian subsidiary of an Indonesian company, declined to confirm all the details but said in a statement that a 'disruptive passenger' was tied up on the flight to Dhaka, and was arrested on arrival. It explained: 'The crew on board has followed the standard operating procedure in restraining the passenger from causing further disruption onboard the flight. 'The disruptive passenger was accompanied by Dhaka security team upon arrival and he has been put to jail by the authorities there. A woman was left hospitalised after drinking a Starbucks drink which was filled with silica gel. The woman, named Hanis, thought she had been crunching on nuts, which she requested to be in her coffee, but when she finished her drink she found the plastic packaging. Sharil Bharin, the brother of Hanis, shared images of the churned up gel beads laced through the takeaway drink online. A woman was left hospitalised after drinking a Starbucks drink which was filled with silica gel (pictured) The woman, named Hanis, thought she had been crunching on nuts, which she requested to be in her coffee, but when she finished her drink she found the plastic packaging (pictured) Mr Bharin found out his sister was taken to hospital following the frightening ordeal in Malaysia when she messaged him through WhatsApp. 'I'm at the hospital, the clinic asked me to seek medical assistance at the hospital instead,' Hanis wrote. The young woman said her blood was tested three times by doctors after she ate the non-toxic beads which were crushed through her drink, Malaysian Digest reported. Silica gel can cause harm to the body when it is consumed as it absorbs moisture. The little beads can absorb 40 per cent of its weight in water meaning they can cause stomach pains, dry eyes and a dry throat if ingested. Starbucks Malaysia responded to the woman's brother on Twitter, saying the 'apologised for the inconvenience'. 'We would definitely take this issue seriously and ensure there is proper action taken,' the coffee giant wrote. 'Can you kind PM (personal message) us your email address and contact details so we can forward this to our management and respond to you immediately.' Sharil Bharin, the brother of Hanis, shared images of the churned up gel beads laced through the takeaway drink online, sparking a response from Starbucks Malaysia (pictured) An Australian mechanical engineer has made the bizarre claim that he has found doomed Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 using Google Earth. Peter McMahon, who has a background in crash investigations, said he used Google Earth to locate the wreckage of the flight which went missing in 2014, The Daily Star reported. According to Mr McMahon's claims, the wreckage of the flight is located 16km south of Round Island, which is 22.5km north of Mauritius, in an area of the ocean that has not been searched before. An Australian mechanical engineer claims to have found doomed Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 using Google Earth, the first picture (above) shows what looks like a plane The second picture shows what looks to be the front end of a plane and the cabin just below the water's surface He took his claims one step further by saying he also believed US officials were refusing to search the area. Four American investigators had been sent to Australia to work on the MH370 case but he believes they are keeping crucial information hidden. 'They have made sure that all information received has been hidden from the public, even our government, but why,' he said. '...(they) do not want it found as its full of bullet holes, finding it will only open another inquiry.' Mr McMahon also made the sensational claim that the wreckage of the plane is full of bullet holes. In one of the two images what looks to be the outline of an aircraft can be seen just below the water's surface while the second picture shows what looks to be the front end of a plane. According to Mr McMahon the wreckage of the flight is located 16km south of Round Island (pictured) which is 22.5km North of Mauritius, an area that has not been searched before The prevailing theory on the whereabouts of the plane (pictured) is that it crash landed in the Indian Ocean about six hours after take off Mr McMahon said he sent the information to the Australian Transport and Safety Bureau (ATSB) and they where unable to rule out completely that it wasn't the missing plane. The prevailing theory on the whereabouts of the plane is that it crash landed in the Indian Ocean about six hours after take off. Radar imaging at the time showed the flight taking a sharp change in course less than 60 minutes after take off before vanishing form radar completely. The flight had 239 passengers on board plus the flight crew. A British man has died in a rock-climbing accident in Malaysia. He reportedly fell while on a climbing route in the Mulu National Park in the south-eastern Malaysian state of Sarawak. The 50-year-old was reportedly on an outcrop known locally as the Pinnacles on March 26 when the accident occurred. A helicopter taking the climber, who was still conscious, to hospital but he later died He was attended by Mulu Park's own search and rescue team, who brought him, still conscious, to a camp that could be reached by helicopter. The Miri Fire and Rescue Department chopper took him to Miri General Hospital in Sarawak, though he was reportedly unconscious by 2am that night. He died the morning after the fall from serious injuries to his head and body. Miri Fire and Rescue boss Chief Superintendent Law Poh Kiong said: 'At about 8.30pm Monday, our Bomba rescuers located him about 2.1 kilometres (1.3 miles) inside the national park. The accident happened in the Mulu National Park in the south-eastern Malaysian state of Sarawak (pictured) 'At that time, he was still conscious and could speak. However, he passed away early this morning.' According to local news website bharian.com he lost his balance when traveling down from the summit he fell at a height of about 5600 feet. The website said a friend with whom he was climbing alerted the authorities. It was not reported where the man came from in the UK, how the accident occurred or who was with him at the time. Malaysian media did not report how much rock-climbing experience he had. He was reported to have been on holiday in Malaysia but it is not known whether any relatives were with him. A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are in contact with the Malaysian authorities about the death of a British national in the Mulu National Park and stand ready to provide consular assistance.' Masterchef star Gregg Wallace has hit back at criticism of his decision to send home Malaysian born contestant Zaleha Nadir Olphin - which has even led to an astonishing attack by the country's Prime Minister. Gregg stated on the show that her chicken rendang was not done properly as the meat's skin was not 'crispy'. However, this led to an astonishing intervention by Malaysia's prime minister Mohammed Najib Tun Razak who posted a photograph of his own version of the dish asking the question 'Does anyone eat chicken rendang 'crispy'? Scroll down for video Gregg Wallace, pictured, defended his decision to send home MasterChef contestant Zaleha Nadir Olphin causing a row which has involved the Malaysian prime minister Gregg, pictured with fellow judge John Torode, right, said there were better chefs on the show Malaysian Prime Minister Mohammed Najib Tun Razak asked on twitter 'who eats chicken rendang 'crispy' following Gregg Wallace's appearance on MasterChef Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain today, presenter Ranvir Singh asked Gregg: 'Would you be popping into any Malaysian restaurants or are you not allowed any more? Whats going on?' He said: 'Oh for crying out loud. The Malaysian prime minister has got involved as well.' Kate Garraway then said: 'Explain what happened please.' He replied: 'I said the skin wasnt crispy. I didnt mean it wasnt fried like fried chicken. What I meant was that it wasnt cooked. It simply wasnt cooked.' Kate replied: 'But you said crispy.' Gregg then said: 'She didnt go out because her skin wasnt crispy. She went out because the other cooks were better.' Foodies in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia took to social media to vent at the critique of the Zaleha Kadir Olpin's traditional and standard method for preparing chicken rendang. 'The skin isn't crispy. It can't be eaten but all the sauce is on the skin I can't eat,' Gregg Wallace complained in an episode of the popular cooking show last week. Judges on MasterChef sparked a backlash after they criticised a Malaysian contestant's chicken rendang for not being crispy Foodies took to social media to vent at the critique of the Zaleha Kadir Olpin's (pictured) traditional and standard method for preparing chicken rendang Ms Olpin, from Bristol, was eliminated from the competition but took to Instagram to vow she'd never stop cooking the traditional way. Her offending rendang was presented as part of Malaysia's national dish, Nasi Lemak, or rice cooked in coconut milk that comes with sides such as peanuts, spicy prawns and rendang. She told the judges that the dish was 'very special' to her and was the first thing her mother cooked for her husband when she brought him home to meet her parents. The judges lavished praise on most of the ingredients but dismissed the non-crispy chicken rendang as a 'mistake.' But online, Southeast Asians furiously pointed out the ignorance of the judges and said the chicken is cooked in curry sauce, not fried, and is never crispy. One of the judges, John Torode, later stirred more controversy online by trying to fuel the ages-old war of words between Malaysians and Indonesians over which country invented rendang. 'The skin isn't crispy. It can't be eaten but all the sauce is on the skin I can't eat,' Gregg Wallace (left, with John Torode) complained in an episode of the popular cooking show last week Online, Southeast Asians furiously pointed out the ignorance of the judges and said the chicken is cooked in curry sauce, not fried, and is never crispy The curry, which originates from West Sumatra in Indonesia, is popular in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and southern Thailand. Victoria Treadell, British High Commissioner to Malaysia, tweeted at the judges: 'Rendang is an iconic Malaysian national dish not to be confused with Indonesian options. 'It can be chicken, lamb or beef. It is never crispy & should also not be confused with the fried chicken sometimes served with Nasi Lemak.' Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak even chipped in, posting a photo of chicken rendang on Twitter and light-heartedly asking whether anyone has ever eaten a crispy chicken curry. Some accused the judges of neo-colonial attitudes and racism. 'Colonised us for more than 100 years for spices but in the end, still having no idea how food works,' one person on Facebook. Others branded the judges 'uncultured swine' in comments under an article on Facebook. Victoria Treadell, British High Commissioner to Malaysia, tweeted at the MasterChef judges Eddie Cheong wrote: 'When Malaysian food gets insulted, the entire [nation] stands up.' Jin Wee wrote: 'As a Malaysian, if I could, I would personally go to the show and rendang their head. 'Uncultured swine, doesn't know variety of cuisine and claims to be Masterchef?' Sujita Sorrian wrote: 'Utter ridiculousness. Crispy chicken rendang? Did the judges think that this was fish and chips? 'Calling themselves 'Chef/Celebrity Chef' when they only know about food from their own culture. 'Shame on them really. Such limited knowledge on cuisine from around the world.' On Instagram, Ms Olpin said she was gutted to be cut from the competition but stands by her cooking method. 'Gutted to be eliminated on #masterchefuk but I stand by my traditional way of cooking Nasi Lemak . Will not change it for the world,' she wrote. In a previous post, she said: 'So proud to have served this and will keep cooking the way my family loves them. No changing to a traditional nations favourite.' A MasterChef spokesman told MailOnline: 'MasterChef has always celebrated international cuisine and on this occasion our judges' comments were relevant to the dish that had been cooked on the show.' 'Gregg wasn't suggesting that the dish should traditionally have crispy skin - he was saying that he couldn't experience the flavours of the dish as it was presented.' The family of an 18-year-old Dutch model who fell 14 feet to her death from a wealthy American's apartment in Kuala Lumpur say she was murdered. Ivana Smit, who had an upcoming role on Belgium's Next Top Model, was found dead, with no clothes on, on the sixth floor of an up-market apartment building on December 7 last year. Malaysian Police classified the tragedy as 'sudden death' meaning it was the result of an accident or suicide. Ivana Smit, who had an upcoming role on Belgium's Next Top Model, was found dead, with no clothes on, on the sixth floor of an up-market apartment building on December 7 last year Ivana's family are now calling for a murder investigation into the teenager's suspicious death But the teenager's family have said they believe she murdered. Fred Agenjo Weinhold, Ivana's uncle, 47, told the Sun: 'She had the world at her feet. We simply don't believe she killed herself or it could have been an accident. 'She promised she would be in Belgium for the Top Model final but she came back in a casket.' The family have now hired ex-Surrey Police detective Mark Williams-Thomas to investigate the model's untimely death. Mr Williams-Thomas, who helped expose Jimmy Savile as a paedophile six years ago, is an award-winning TV investigator. He said that if she had died in the UK he has 'no doubt' this would have been tried as a homicide. He added the lack of blood around her body indicates she may have been dead falling. 'I cannot believe she went over that balcony of her own free will. There's no way this was a suicide and she sustained injuries before her death' he said. Ivana's family have now hired ex-Surrey Police detective Mark Williams-Thomas to investigate the model's untimely death Ivana's father, Marcel Smit, who identified her body said he saw bruises on her neck 'like fingerprints, as if someone had grabbed her there'family The family also requested a second post-mortem for the model. Pathologist Frank van de Goot found Ivana had significant head bruising and multiple bruises on her arms. 'Something happened before she fell from the balcony. Maybe she slipped or maybe someone hit her on the head. Bruises like this one are only possible when the heart is still beating' he said. Pathologist Frank van de Goot found Ivana had significant head bruising and multiple bruises on her arms Police insist there were 'no criminal elements' to the young model's death, but her devastated family has demanded an investigation Her father, Marcel Smit, who identified her body said he saw bruises on her neck 'like fingerprints, as if someone had grabbed her there'. Ivana spent the night with US tycoon Alex Johnson, 44, and his wife Luna, 31. The three are alleged to know each other intimately and are believed to have spent the night in a drug-fuelled sex session. At 5.22am on December 7, cameras in a Kuala Lumpur club show American citizen Alexander Amado Johnson, 45, carrying Ivana in his arms through a hallway. Mr Johnson is the founder of Everus World, a cryptocurrency company based in Kuala Lumpur. At 7.30am, Ivana sent her boyfriend a selfie of herself with Luna. Ivana (pictured) had first moved to Malaysia 13 years ago and lived with her grandfather Fredrik Malaysian Police classified the tragedy as 'sudden death' meaning it was the result of an accident or suicide Lukas Kramer, 21, phoned her at 6.30am on December 7 when he woke to find her not with him. Soon after he said Luna Johnson phoned him to say they were 'chilling' Police believe that around two hours later, at 10am, Ivana plunged from Johnson's 20th-story balcony and landed on a six-story roof. Her body, which was naked, was not found until around 3pm that day. Police have still not found Ivana's shoes or her underwear. She had alcohol and Ecstasy in her system at the time of death, an autopsy found. Mr Van de Goot's second autopsy also found cocaine in Ivana's system. A month before her death, Ivana and the Johnsons had spent the night at a hotel. Luna claims the 18-year-old had told them she was 26. They met again at upmarket nightclub Mantra on the night of her death, they moved on to the late-night 9 Club. They went back to the Johnsons' Capsquare Residence apartment, where, according to Dutch media, a 'drug- fuelled swingers' party' took place. Luna, a mother-of-one later said: 'Ivana was hammered. I kept talking to her as I got my daughter ready for school. Ivana lay down while I took her there.' Luna says she found Ivana in bed with her husband around 8.15am when she returned to the apartment. Her family family have now hired ex-Surrey Police detective Mark Williams-Thomas to investigate the model's untimely death The Dutch teen model fell from a balcony after partying in the apartment of American citizen Alexander Amado Johnson, 45, and his wife Luna (seen together) She said: 'I came over and said, 'OK, now I'm free'. We sat on the sofa and after 20 minutes she put on some music and took off all her clothes. So we went into the bedroom and were intimate.' The couple claim they then fell asleep. At, 6.30am Ivana's German-born boyfriend Lukas Kramer phoned her. He said: 'She sounded all right. She said it had been a long night and she was at her girlfriend's place.' Then, at 7.24am, he received a selfie of Ivana and Luna with the text: 'Chilling at my chick's place.' Mr Kramer said he found the language used in the message suspicious, saying: 'She would have said she was at her girlfriend's place, she never used 'chilling' or 'chicks'.' Her uncle Mr Weinhold said: 'I believe this message was not sent by Ivana. That is not the kind of terminology that she uses. We have never heard her say 'chicks' before or use 'chilling.' Luna claims to have woken up at 1.25pm and discovered Ivana's clothes, shoes, bag and phones were in the lounge. She then fell asleep again and says she did not know of the model's death until 5pm when police knocked on her door to inform her. Ivana was born in the Sittard, in the Netherlands but grew up in Malaysia with her grandparents Hendrik Smit, 78, and Susan, 77 Ivana's grandfather Fredrik Smit, who has lived in Penang, Malaysia, for more than two decades and raised Ivana as a child there, said at the time: 'We cannot believe she fell from level 20 and the body was found at level 6. 'She was found there naked. Where are her shoes and underwear? He added: 'We believe there is a criminal element in Ivana's death. Of course we don't believe the story from the police because they can't give us photographs or a report from the scene. Ivana's father has contacted the Dutch ambassador and Interpol.' Marcel Smit claims Ivana sent her boyfriend a message and selfie at 7.25am before she was found dead around seven hours later at around 2 or 3pm. He told Dutch media: 'At about 10am she would have fallen from the balcony at 20 floors high. How is that possible? It is strange that she was not found until 3pm. 'She is tall, 1.81 meters, but the barrier is also 1.20 meters. Only when you bend over, do you fall off. She did not fall and did not jump either.' Ivana was said to be in an 'intimate relationship' with the Johnsons (pictured) who she spent her final hours with Ivana's family called the footage disturbing after being shown the footage showing the model being carried into a nightclub elevator by Johnson followed by his Indonesian wife, Luna Mr Williams-Thomas said he was 'convinced she was dead before she fell'. 'Something happened in that apartment probably around the time Luna was out taking her daughter to school. 'Perhaps Ivana fell, perhaps she was struck, but she sustained an injury to the head.' Mr Kramer, 21, who works for a shipping company, said: 'It is devastating, very tough and I am just trying to find justice for Ivana. 'The police have told me it was suicide and that's it. They are saying it is a sudden death after she overdosed on drugs and fell from the balcony. Ivana's devastated father claims that police wanted to 'close the case quickly' and that neighbors heard 'shouts and an argument' 'I didn't know the couple she was with at all until it happened. I can't understand what happened. 'She told me on the night that she was going out with some model friends. It was a Wednesday night and I work till 8pm. When I got home she told me she wanted to go out. 'She said she would be out for a couple of hours and have only a couple of drinks. She gave me a hug and said 'I love you' and left. 'I went to the gym for a half-an-hour and went to bed.' He added: 'The next morning I woke up at 6.30 and she was not laying next to me. So I called her up and she picked up right away. She sounded good. She sounded alright. She said it had been a long night and she was at her girlfriend's place. 'She didn't mention anything about this guy Alex. She said she was going to get some rest and sleep. I didn't think anything of it as she had a job that day.' Soon after he received a telephone call from Luna Johnson from Ivana's cell phone who introduced herself and said they were just 'chilling'. Johnson said he was asleep between 10am and 3pm on the day of the death, and his wife reportedly claimed to have been taking their four-year-old daughter to school in the morning He went to work after receiving a selfie of Ivana and Luna which he said appeared to have been taken by Luna on his girlfriend's phone. The message under it said 'Chilling at my chicks place', but Lukas is adamant that he had never heard his girlfriend using the phrase 'chicks' before. 'She would have said she as at her girlfriend's place, never use 'chilling' and 'chicks', he added. The teenager, who had worked in fashion shows for Chanel and other brands, had been partying but reportedly returned to the flat at 5am with the unnamed couple. Her body was discovered that afternoon on a sixth floor balcony with alcohol and drugs found in her blood After returning from work that evening, he saw his girlfriend hadn't returned or checked her 'Whatsapp' messages on her phone. He spoke with her parents in Holland and then received a call from one of Ivana's model friends informing him of the tragedy. The news was confirmed by police when he visited a station. He later joined her parent's when they viewed the teenager's body in hospital. 'I had never known her take drugs, not at all. We went to the gym together and she liked an active, healthy lifestyle. 'She was happy, she was really happy. I cannot accept it was suicide in any way. If you had asked me who was the least (likely) person to commit suicide, then I would have said Ivana for sure. She had a positive attitude all the time.' 'She liked a drink or a beer like anybody else. But nothing like drugs, no wayno way. The Dutch teen model fell from a balcony after partying in the apartment of American citizen Alexander Amado Johnson, 45, and his wife Luna 'I am angry. Why I haven't sen a proper timeline from the police or CCTV from the block of flats. Was there anybody else in the apartment. What happened: It seems like nobody here is caring. It has all gone quiet. The police need to investigate properly.' Lukas revealed he had received bizarre text messages from a friend of the Johnsons after his girlfriend died. One text said: 'She wanted to break up with you. She didn't have nice things to say about you bro.' But Lukas texted back: 'It is all bull****.' Ivana was born in the Sittard, in the Netherlands but grew up in Malaysia with her grandparents Hendrik Smit, 78, and Susan, 77. There she had built a career as a model for the likes of Chanel and other brands. She began her modelling career aged just 13, and by 15 appeared on TV on 'Malaysia Supermodel Search 2014'. She was second runner-up. Israels spy agency Mossad has been accused of assassinating a Palestinian suspected rocket maker in a drive-by shooting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, earlier today. A gunman, who was sitting on the back of a high-powered motorcycle, fired at least ten rounds at the victim, Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, as he walked to dawn prayers on Saturday morning. Al-Batsh was hit at least four times in the head and the chest died immediately in what Malaysian officials believe was a professional hit. Mossad were today accused of assassinating a Palestinian university professor in Kuala Lumpur as he was walking to early morning prayers Men holding up a poster portrait of 35-year-old Palestinian professor and Hamas member Fadi al-Batsh A Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) forensic officer (C) collects evidence at the crime scene where a Palestinian scientist, Fadi al-Batsh, 35, was reportedly assassinated Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim, killing him on the spot The killers were seen lurking around the area for at least 20 minutes awaiting Al-Batshs arrival. Officials are looking through CCTV footage from the area in an effort to identify the killers. Al-Batshs family have accused the Israeli secret service of killing the professor, who was also a member of Hamas. The victim, who was a married father of three had lived in Malaysia for the past ten years. Now his family want his body returned to Jabalia in northern Gaza for burial. Israeli officials refused to comment about the allegations of Mossad involvement in the murder. Malaysian police are currently working on the assumption that al-Batsh was targeted by a foreign intelligence agency, although they are refusing to blame Israel for the hit. Malaysias Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi described al-Batsh as an electrical engineer and an expert in making rockets who had become a liability for a country hostile to Palestine. Al-Batsh was gunned down hours before he was due to fly to Turkey for an international conference, according to Malaysian officials. Palestinians gather in mourning outside the family home of 35-year-old professor and Hamas member Fadi al-Batsh A Royal Malaysian Police forensic officer stands next to a walls with bullet holes as they collect evidence at the crime scene They said the two suspects are believed to have been European and Malaysian security officials are liaising with Interpol in an effort to track down the killers. However, the victims family has no doubt who was responsible for the attack. In a statement released through Hamas, the family said: We accuse the Mossad of being behind the assassination. The Islamist Palestinian movement described al-Batsh as a research scientist who specialised in energy issues. He was described as a martyr. Mohammad al-Batsh, attended his son's funeral ceremony at Jabalia Refugee Camp earlier today. Hamas has described Fadi al-Batsh as a 'martyr' following his murder today Family members gathered at al-Batsh's home in Jabaliya, northern Gaza following his death Members of the Ezz al-Din Al-Qassam brigade provided security outside al Batsh's home in Gaza following his death earlier today. The family has blamed Israel for the assassination The Islamist Palestinian movement said Batsh, a research scientist specialising in energy issues, was one of its members. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said one of the two suspects on a high-powered motorcycle fired 10 shots, four of which hit the lecturer in the head and body. He died on the spot. He added: We believe the lecturer was their target because two other individuals walked by the place earlier unharmed. We will view the recordings of all the CCTV in the area. The Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but has never confirmed such operations. Hamas has accused Mossad of assassinating one of its drone experts - Mohamed Zouari - in Tunisia in 2016, and the spy agency is also believed to have been behind the 2010 murder of top Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh in a Dubai hotel. When contacted later by Reuters, Mazlan declined to comment on reports that the victim was a member of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas or had been targeted by hitmen Kuala Lumpur police chief Mazlan Lazim said two men on a motorcycle fired 10 shots at the 35-year-old victim, killing him on the spot (pictured: Forensic officers at the scene) Mourners for the professor gather in Jabalia in the northern Gaza strip Mr al-Batsh has been described as an expert in electrical engineering and rocket-building (pictured: Forensics at the scene) Malaysian forensic police cordon off the area where a Palestinian scientist was reportedly assassinated Officials in Israel declined to comment. Mr al-Batsh was a lecturer at Universiti Kuala Lumpur, specialising in power engineering, according to the university. A Palestinian in Malaysia who knew Mr al-Batsh told Reuters on condition of anonymity that the victim was also an imam at a mosque close to his residence. In recent weeks, tensions have been running high at the Gaza-Israel border as Palestinians have ramped up protests demanding the right to return to their former homeland. Israel's use of live fire has drawn international criticism but the Israeli government says it is protecting its borders and takes such action when protesters come too close to the border fence. Malaysian police have released photo-fit images of two men who are wanted in connection with the assassination a Palestinian scientist on Saturday. Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh, 35, was struck down in a hail of bullets by motorbike-riding attackers as he walked through Kuala Lumpur to a mosque for dawn prayers. The family of Batsh, a member of Islamist militant group Hamas who was said to be a rocket-making expert, has accused Israel's Mossad spy agency of carrying out the killing, though Israel denied the claims. Malaysian police have released photo-fit images of two men they say are responsible for killing Palestinian rocket scientist Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday Officers revealed the photos alongside an image of the bike the men are suspected of riding when Batsh was killed as he walked to a Mosque for prayers Kuala Lumpur police released photofits of the two suspects, who were seen waiting in the area where Batsh lived before the killing. The pictures show two light-skinned bearded men, one of whom was wearing glasses and a white and black helmet. National police chief Mohamad Fuzi Harun said the suspects wore dark-coloured jackets, were carrying bags and riding a 'high-powered motorcycle'. Fourteen bullets were fired at Batsh during the attack and he suffered 'multiple injuries, including on the head and body', the police chief told reporters. The bullets had been sent for analysis, he added. Batsh was a member of Islamist militant group Hamas who was said to be a rocket-making expert Police also released images of two motorcycles, a BMW and a Kawasaki, one of which was believed to have been ridden by the suspects. Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said at the weekend the suspects were thought to be European and to have ties with a foreign intelligence agency. Mohamad Fuzi said the police were conducting a 'comprehensive' investigation and a hunt had been launched for the pair. 'We can't be sure if the two suspects are still in the country,' he said, urging anyone who might have information to come forward. - Second high-profile assassination - The scientist's widow, Enas al-Batsh, spent two hours at the hospital holding his body Monday. Batsh had three young children and had lived in Malaysia for 10 years. Abdul Rahim Shehab, a friend of the scientist's, said the Palestinian representative in Malaysia was making arrangements for his body to be sent back home for burial. 'Fadi's parents want his body to be buried in Gaza,' he said. Mossad is believed to have assassinated Palestinian militants and scientists in the past, but rarely confirms such operations. In total 14 bullets were fired during the attack, hitting Batsh in the head and body, police said (pictured, bullet holes in a wall near where Batsh died) Enas al-Batsh, Fadi's widow, leaves the forensics wing of the Selayang Hospital in Kuala Lumpur on Monday Batsh's expertise in making weapons could have made him a target - militants in Hamas-ruled Gaza regularly fire rockets at southern Israel, usually without causing casualties. But Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman Sunday denied claims of the Jewish state's involvement, suggesting instead that it was a 'settling of accounts' between factions of a terror group. Tensions between Israel and Gaza are high, with 38 Palestinians killed in four weeks of clashes along the border. It was the second high-profile killing of a foreigner in Malaysia in just over a year. In February 2017 assassins smeared the banned VX nerve agent on the face of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, killing him within minutes. SAE Institute, a leading educator in creative media industries, will host an Open Day on Saturday (December 8) for prospective students and parents at its Dubai campus. The event will give interested students and their parents from across the UAE a chance to explore the institutes facilities, meet with like-minded students, inspiring academics and enrolment advisors, and learn more about the range of creative courses on offer. For students interested in pursuing a career in any creative discipline be it audio, animation, design, film-making or games development our Open Day is an opportunity for them and their families to learn more about our Institute and plan for their future, commented Christina Kallas, head of enrollments and outreach at SAE Dubai. We love meeting people who are interested in our subject area and look forward to getting to know them and answering any questions they have. With over 50 campuses throughout the world, SAE Institute is renowned for delivering outstanding industry-focused education and have set the benchmark for higher education and VET qualification in creative media. The Open Day is free to attend and will run for four hours with registrations commencing at 1 pm. Attendees will also have a chance to speak to current students and faculty members from any of the creative disciplines they are interested in. - TradeArabia News Service A new scan of the Indian Ocean scoured nearly 80,000 square kilometers but failed to find any sign of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 But the company looking for the plane - which has been missing for more than four years - said it remains committed. This comes despite earlier hopes a 25,000-square-kilometer area most likely to contain the missing aircraft had been identified. Ocean Infinity (pictured), the American technology company, scoured nearly 80,000 square kilometers of Indian Ocean bed The private vessel was searching of down plane MH370 (pictured) which vanished in March 8 2014 Ocean Infinity, the American technology company conducting the latest search, said in an update Monday it had scanned up to 1,300 square kilometers per day since launching its mission far off the west coast of Australia in late January. It had searched both inside and outside an area identified by Australian authorities. 'Whilst it's disappointing there has been no sign of MH370 in the Australian Transport Safety Bureau search area and further north, there is still some search time remaining,' Ocean Infinity chief executive officer Oliver Plunkett said in a statement. Malaysia Airlines flight 370 (pictured) vanished en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8 2014 with 239 people on board. Debris from the missing flight have been found in a number of locations with currents carrying them to Africa and Madagascar 'Everyone at Ocean Infinity remains absolutely determined for the remainder of the search.' MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. There were 239 people aboard. No transmissions were received from the aircraft after its first 38 minutes of flight, but it is believed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean based on the drift patterns of crash debris that washed ashore on distant beaches. The governments of Malaysia, China and Australia called off the nearly three-year official search in January 2017. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report on the search conceded authorities were no closer to knowing the reasons for the plane's disappearance or its exact location. An initial multinational search cost Australian, Malaysian and Chinese taxpayers $200million. This piece of aircraft debris was discovered on the island of Pemba, off the coast of Tanzania In January, the Malaysian government pledged to pay Texas-based Ocean Infinity up to $70million if it could find the wreckage or black boxes of the aircraft within 90 days. Ocean Infinity uses up to eight autonomous vehicles capable of operating in depths up to 6,000 meters - and Plunkett had launched the search saying his company had 'a realistic prospect' of finding the aircraft. He said Monday its technology had performed 'exceptionally well,' with 'significant amounts of high quality data' collected. The company's Seabed Constructor research vessel is stopping in the West Australian port of Fremantle, for resupply and crew rotation before returning to the search until it's forced to quit in the southern hemisphere's winter. Plunkett's statement indicated Ocean Infinity's search could be halted before mid-June, due to weather conditions at sea. An AirAsia flight was forced to make an emergency landing after a bird flew into its engine, setting it alight in full view of horrified passengers, a report has revealed. The AirAsia flight D7207 was set to travel from the Gold Coast to Kuala Lumpur on July 3 last year, but disaster struck almost directly after the plane left the tarmac. Some of the 359 passengers on the overnight flight said they heard loud bangs and felt the plane shudder, followed by sparks of fire bursting from the engine. Others on board claimed they feared for their lives and started putting on life jackets in preparation for a crash-landing. A ten-month investigation by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed that the mid-air disaster was the result of a plover colliding with the engine after takeoff. Scroll down for video An AirAsia flight bound for Malaysia was forced to land just an hour into the overnight flight in July last year (pictured on tarmac in Brisbane) The embattled airline said a 'suspected bird strike' to the plane's engine had forced the pilot to make an emergency landing after taking off from the Gold Coast (flight path pictured) 'Other than the evidence of birds, no foreign objects were found with the potential to have resulted in the damage to the engine,' the report stated. The embattled airline said a 'suspected bird strike' to the plane's starboard engine had forced the pilot to land just over an hour into the flight. Details of the frantic mid-air emergency that played out were laid bare in the report. 'The flight crew upgraded the distress phase to a mayday with air traffic control and requested a diversion and approach to runway 01 at Brisbane Airport for an overweight, single engine landing.' A photo of the AirAsia plane's starboard engine appears to show external damage after the emergency landing Passenger Tim Joga, 31, told Fairfax at the time that the plane started 'shuddering' after 'four or five bangs' were heard less than ten minutes into the flight. 'The plane started shuddering then there were a couple of loud bangs and a lot of light,' he said. 'I could see an orange light coming from the windows.' Malissa Siaea was travelling with her husband to Malaysia for their honeymoon when 'fire sparked out of the right-side engine' less than 20 minutes into the flight. 'Then the plane swooped a little bit and started shaking badly,' she told Fairfax. The mid-air horror happened a week after an AirAsia flight was forced to turn back to Perth Airport after an engine failure caused the plane to start shaking violently. The pilot on that plane told passengers to 'say a prayer'. Others on board said they feared for their lives and started putting on life jackets in preparation for a crash-landing In 2017, the ATSB published a research report, which revealed that 480 birdstrikes were reported to have occurred at Gold Coast Airport between 2006 and 2015, which equated to an average of 5.15 birdstrikes per 10,000 movements. 'Most birdstrikes involving large air transport aircraft do not result in damage (about 95 per cent),' the report stated. 'About 10 per cent of birdstrikes involving aircraft with turbofan engines result in the bird being ingested into an engine.' The lapwing was the third most common bird/bat struck by aircraft across Australia in the 10-year period with 868 strikes. About five per cent of those strikes resulted in plane damage. The ATSB determined last year's incident as a 'rare scenario'. 'This event appeared to involve a rare scenario comprising a combination of aircraft and engine speeds, the height of the fan blade at which the birdstrike occurred, and its angle of incidence,' the report states. 'It is extremely unlikely such a scenario would occur on multiple engines simultaneously.' The mid-air horror happened a week after an AirAsia flight was forced to turn back to Perth Airport after an engine failure caused the plane to start shaking violently (pictured) According to the ATSB report, the engine manufacturer has advised that it will review the design of to determine if there is a feasible solution to prevent the loss of a small section of fan blade leading imminently to an engine shutdown. AirAsia advised the ATSB that it had conducted its own internal investigation and that occurrence information will be shared with flight crew in recurrent training programs and used to enhance simulator training exercises. 'This occurrence highlights the importance of effective crew resource management techniques, including cabin crew passing on pertinent information to flight crew, and robust emergency procedures,' the ATSB report concluded. 'Additionally, regular proficiency checks in the simulator, including engine failure scenarios, allow flight crew to respond appropriately in the event of such an occurrence in flight.' AirAsia welcomed the investigation's findings. 'The report underlines the calm, skillful actions of the crew of AirAsia X Flight D7207 in diverting and landing the plane and its guests safely in Brisbane,' a spokesman said. 'Their response was testament to the outstanding safety and training culture we have at AirAsia, and we are pleased the report reflects that.' 'This was an unprecedented incident and, as the report confirms, the crew were well-trained and prepared to manage this rare and unexpected situation.' The discovery of two huge structures on the bottom of the Indian Ocean this week had some hoping Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 had finally been found. But more than four years after the aircraft vanished on March 8, 2014, investigators have had little luck in finding the wreckage of the plane that vanished with 227 passengers on-board. This week's discovery - eventually identified as two 19th century merchant vessels - is just the latest twist in one of the modern world's biggest mysteries. With no clear answers about what happened to MH370 the internet is full of alternate views and theories which vary from the possible, to the flat out ridiculous. Scroll down for video Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 (similar to the plane pictured) disappeared somewhere over the Indian Ocean March 8, 2014 The Boeing 777 aircraft took off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, headed for Beijing, China 'I FOUND IT ON GOOGLE EARTH' Australian engineer Peter McMahon claimed in mid-March he'd found what appeared to be a plane wreckage on Google Earth, in the MH370 search area. After spending years combing an online map of the Indian Ocean, the amateur crash investigator claimed to have found a plan wreckage 'riddled with bullet holes'. Sitting just off the coast of Round Island, north of Mauritius, in an area of ocean that has not been previously searched, Mr McMahon claimed investigators were refusing to dive in the area because they want to 'hide' crucial information. 'They have made sure that all information received has been hidden from the public, even our government, but why?' he said. '... (They) do not want it found as it's full of bullet holes, finding it will only open another inquiry.' WAS MH370 STOLEN? Prior to the plane's disappearance, Captain Zaharie Shah had listed the small island of Diego Garcia - 4700km northwest of Australia - on his flight simulator. Theorists suggested that Capt Shah may have been practicing landing the plane on the island's airstrip, which is controlled by Britain but is home to a US naval base. Suggestions have also been made that the plane may have been stolen by terrorists and hidden in North Pakistan, or even by North Korean dictator Kim Jong un. In a 2014 poll on the MH370 disappearance, five per cent of American respondents said they believed it had been affected by 'alien activities'. Australian engineer Peter McMahon claimed in mid-March he'd found what appeared to be a plane wreckage on Google earth (pictured), in the MH370 search area Authorities combing through the Indian Ocean for remains of missing Malaysia Airlines flight discovered two huge structures (pictured) on the sea floor this week, which they believed may have been the doomed plane The two shipwrecks discovered (pictured) were later identified as 19th century merchant sailing vessels which are believed to have been carrying cargoes of coal CYBER HACKERS TAKEOVER: In the wake of September 11, new technology was designed allowing planes to be controlled remotely in the event of a hijacking. British author Norman Davies claims Boeing's 'Honeywell Un-interruptible Autopilot on board computer' - which was featured on MH370 - could have been hacked and the plane flown to a secret location. 'There are reports that the cargo detailed in the manifest didn't add up,' he told The Sunday Times. 'I don't know what it might have been carrying but it may have been carrying something somebody didn't want to get to China.' In his book Beneath Another Sky: A Global Journey into History, Mr Davis suggested one hacker could have 'kidnapped' the plane before another controlled it remotely. 'The first kidnap was by the Americans, who wanted to stop the plane getting to Beijing and planned to divert it to Diego Garcia [a US naval base in the Indian Ocean], and then somebody hacked it to stop it from getting there,' he claimed. Sheryl Keen (pictured) from Perth, Western Australia, is in possession of 20 items she believes to be debris from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 The most exciting evidence Mrs Keen has come across is a brown slipper (pictured) which she believes is similar to that worn by a woman (right) on MH370 who she's dubbed 'Cinderella' DID THE PILOT COMMIT SUICIDE? Some have claimed that one of the pilots may have deliberately crashed the aircraft in a well-planned suicide. According to this theory, captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah deliberately chose to plunge the plane into an area of the ocean up to 25,000 feet deep, where it would be almost impossible to find. There have been suggestions Shah circled an area of the Indian Ocean just moments before the crash. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott is among those to support this theory, saying in the lead up to the third anniversary of the plane's disappearance he found it 'plausible'. 'I have always said the most plausible scenario was murder-suicide and if this guy wanted to create the world's greatest mystery why wouldn't he have piloted the thing to the very end and gone further south?' Mr Abbott said. Just 12 months after the MH370 disaster a Germanwings flight from Barcelona, Spain to Dusseldorf, Germany, crashed into the French Alps. It was later revealed the crash was orchestrated by co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, who had previously been deemed unfit to work by a doctor over 'suicidal tendancies'. On board the doomed MH370 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing were six Australians. little has been found during the four year search (debris pictured) Thai soldiers carry a piece of debris found in January 2016, believed to have come from MH370 The Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments called off search in January 2017, almost three-years after MH370 disappeared but Ocean Infinity (pictured) continued the search HAVE THEY ALREADY FOUND IT? Earlier this year a search vessel involved in searching for MH370 disappeared for just under three days after turning off its tracking system, sparking conspiracy theories. After more than 80 hours undetected, the vessel suddenly reappeared on the radar. Keen followers of the mystery have suggested that during this time the search boats may have been involved in a cover up, after coming across the wreckage. A MID-AIR EMERGENCY: According to pilot Chris Goodfellow, a serious possibility is that an emergency - such as a fire - left the pilots unable to land the plane. Writing on his Google Plus account, Mr Goodfellow claimed that in the event of a fire or other incident, pilots would have attempted to make it to their closest runway - a 13,000-foot strip on the Malaysian island of Pulau Langkawi - but never made it. 'For me the loss of transponders and communications makes perfect sense if a fire,' Mr Goodfellow wrote. 'In the case of fire the first response is to pull all the main fusses and restore circuits one by one until you have isolated the bad one. 'What I think happened is that they were overcome by smoke and the plane just continued on the heading probably on (autopilot) until either fuel exhaustion or fire destroyed the control surfaces and it crashed.' No transmissions were received from the aircraft after the first 38 minutes of the flight but it is believed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean DID A MYSTERY PASSENGER HIJACK IT? The official manifest of MH370 listed 239 people as missing. But Andre Milne, founder of military technology developer Unicorn Aerospace, says the flight actually had 226 passengers (of which four did not board) and 12 crew - totaling 238 people. He told The Express that the unidentified passenger may have gained control of the plane and flown it to a secret location. 'The extra passenger likely acted in conjunction with larger external operational support to take full command and control of the cockpit of MH370,' Mr Milne claims. A Malaysia Airlines spokesman said a discrepancy on the 'load sheet' hours prior to the plan taking off had occurred, with the actual number onboard 227 people - a dozen less than initially listed. 'The actual figures can differ from that transmitted on the load sheet due to last minute changes,' the spokesperson said. Crews have been searching for the Malaysia Airlines aircraft (stock image) since it vanished more than four years ago but have had little luck in finding any remains Six Australians were on board the doomed flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with any hope of finding survivors long gone. No transmissions were received from the aircraft after the first 38 minutes of the flight but it is believed to have crashed in the far southern Indian Ocean. Ocean Infinity, an American technology company, are the current search crew who have explored 1,300 square kilometres per day since January, hoping to find the plane. The Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments called off the search in January 2017, almost three-years after MH370 disappeared. Mahathir Bin Mohamad has stormed to victory in Malaysia, resulting in the 92-year-old making a political comeback by leading opposition parties to become the countrys new Prime Minister. After a shock poll win, Mahathir Bin Mohamad was sworn in as the worlds oldest elected leader, returning to the position for a second time after previously ruling the country for 22 years. He came out of retirement to take on Prime Minister Najib Razak who was embroiled in a corruption scandal and Kuala Lumpur celebrated with fireworks. But who is Mahathir Bin Mohamad? Mahathir Mohamad seen here celebrating his election win at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May 2018 Who is Mahathir Bin Mohamad? Born July 10, 1925, Mahathir Bin Mohamad is the current Prime Minister of Malaysia after being voted in after the 2018 general election. He is the Parliaments member-elect for the Langkawi constituency in Kedah and also served as leader of the country from 1981 to 2003, before retiring from the post. His career in politics has spanned over 70 years and for most of this time he was part of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which was formed in 1946. Mohamad became a medical doctor before becoming active in the UMNO and entered Parliament in 1964. After serving for a year, he lost his seat and fell out with the Prime Minister at the time, Tunku Abdul Rahman. A supporter seen here waving a flag of the People's Justice Party outside palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia After Abdul Rahmans resignation, Dr Mahathir returned to the UMNO and was promoted to the Cabinet. In 1976, he became Deputy Prime Minister and after the resignation of his predecessor Hussein Onn, Mahathir was sworn in as Prime Minister in 1981. Malaysia went through significant economic growth and industrialisation with Mahathir at the helm, who went on to win five consecutive general elections. He introduced the controversial Internal Security Act in order to detain activists, non-mainstream religious figure and political opponents, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim. Malaysia went through significant economic growth and industrialisation with Mahathir at the helm, who went on to win five consecutive general elections After retiring, Dr Mahathir continued to be involved in politics and was a critic of his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and then, Najib Razak, who would later become his predecessor. In 2016, he quit the UMNO after its support of Razak amid the 1Malaysia Development Berhad scandal and Dr Mahathir formed his own party, the Malaysian United Indigenous Party known as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM). In 2018, he was announced as the Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope) candidate for Prime Minister. He is the first Malaysian PM to not represent the UMNO-Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power since 1957 and the oldest Prime Minister in the world. Mahathir Bin Mohamad is the first Malaysian PM to not represent the UMNO-Barisan Nasional coalition, which has been in power since 1957 and the oldest Prime Minister in the world. Mahathir Bin Mohamad's election win Dr Mahathirs historic win saw the Barisan Nasional coalition ousted from power since independence in 1957 and he took an oath of office before the king, Sultan Muhammed V. Results revealed that his Pakatan Harapan coalition secured a strong 113 seats of the 222 seats available, some of which that have only been held by the government. BN took 79 seats. Dr Mahathir said his coalition would not seek revenge but would restore the rule of law. He also announced a two-day public holiday, adding: But there will be no holidays for the winners. Najib Razak was accused of taking around $700 million from the 1Malaysian Development Berhand, the state investment fund. Najib Razak Despite Najib Razak being a mentee of Mahathirs, the doctor defected from the UMNO and started his own party because of Najibs corruption allegations. Najib was accused of taking around $700 million (520m) from the 1Malaysian Development Berhand, the state investment fund. Although he denied all allegation and has been cleared by Malaysian authorities, the fund is still being investigated by several countries. Malaysia's scandal-ridden former Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife have been barred from leaving the country, shortly after he announced plans for a short holiday. The decision to place him on blacklist comes as the new Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, said there is enough evidence to begin an investigation into allegations against Razak. Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor were due to leave on a private jet on Saturday to Jakarta, fueling rumors he was fleeing the country to escape possible prosecution over a massive corruption scandal involving the 1MDB state fund. His coalition suffered a shocking electoral defeat this week that ended its 60 year-rule, an outcome that saw Malaysia's former authoritarian leader Mahathir become the world's oldest prime minister at the age of 92. Malaysia's former leader Mahathir Mohamad (pictured) has become the world's oldest prime minister as he enters office at the age of 92 Najib Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor have been barred from leaving the country, amid claims he was trying to evade prosecution for a corruption scandal involving the state investment fund Najib's statement on social media didn't say where he was heading to but he said he is committed to 'facilitating a smooth transfer of power.' He apologized for his mistakes and shortcomings and said he intends to continue serving the people. 'I pray that after this divisive period, the country will unite,' he said. The Immigration Department, which had initially said there was no travel blacklist for Najib, later issued a brief statement that Najib and Rosmah 'have just been blacklisted from leaving the country'. Najib responded swiftly by saying he respected the department's ruling and will stay with his family in the country. The former Prime Minister announced on Saturday at he was stepping down with immediate effect as president of the United Malays National Organization as well as chairman of the National Front coalition. Mahathir, who was prime minister between 1981 and 2003, led the opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan, to its first election victory since Malaysian independence in 1957. The aged ex-ruler won an outright parliamentary majority and will be sworn in by the king today. The election result is a political earthquake for the Muslim-majority country, ending the National Front's unbroken 60-year rule. Razak's reputation has been tarnished by corruption scandals, a crackdown on dissent and the imposition of an unpopular sales tax that hurt many of his coalition's poor rural supporters. Many analysts had thought the National Front might lose the popular vote but cling to a majority in parliament due to an electoral system that gave more power to its rural Malay supporters. News of Mahathir's win - previously thought to be an impossibility - sparked euphoria across Malaysia. Outgoing Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak (pictured) of the Barisan National party coalition leaves after addressing the media at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. In a speech he said he would respect the 'verdict of the people' Najib Razak arrives at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur after losing the election to Mahathir 'We are so happy, such a proud day for Malaysia,' David Thaiga, 57, told The Guardian as he celebrated in the street. 'We have been waiting for this for the past 60 years. This is a miracle for us. And even though I was not a fan of Mahathir, I think he was the only one who could have brought this victory.' Sukumira Sekhar lived through Malaysian independence and the following 60 years of rule by the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition. The 84-year-old said: 'I'm so happy I survived to see this. I wish I could jump up and down for joy, but be sure my heart is jumping up and down. I'm so proud of the people of Malaysia, especially the young people and the Malays who swung it.' The result is a rare exception to backsliding on democratic values in Southeast Asia - a region of more than 600 million people where governments of countries including Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines have swung toward harsh authoritarian rule. In a lively news conference peppered with his trademark wisecracks, Mahathir flagged significant changes for Malaysia, which he described as being left in a 'mess' by defeated Prime Minister Najib Razak and the National Front coalition. He criticized a 'fake news' law pushed through parliament by the National Front during the lead-up to the election. Mahathir is being investigated under that law for claiming a plane he was to travel on was sabotaged during the campaign. 'We need to have this government today without delay,' Mahathir said. 'There is a lot of work to be done. You know the mess the country is in and we need to attend to this mess as soon as possible and that means today. So we expect that today, well, I'll be sworn in as prime minister.' Supporters of the incoming government took to the streets of Kuala Lumpur to celebrate their unexpected victory. People stood on roadsides waving the white, blue and red flag of the opposition alliance that triumphed in Wednesday's election. Cars honked their horns as they sped past. Supporters of Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad celebrate outside the National Palace. Some described the victory as a 'miracle' 'I'm so happy,' said Zarini Najibuddin while waving the opposition flag. 'I hope we'll have a better Malaysia now. Malaysia reborn!' But Ibrahim Suffian, co-founder of the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research, said the new government will have to contend with 'enormous forces of inertia and resistance from within the government elites.' 'The bureaucracy and the rest of the government apparatus has never been used to this idea, having been, you know, more than 60 years under the same political party,' he said. Mahathir, prime minister for 22 years until stepping down in 2003, was credited with modernizing Malaysia but was also known as a heavy-handed leader who imprisoned opponents and subjugated the courts. Angered by the graft scandal at state investment fund 1MDB, Mahathir emerged from political retirement and joined the opposition in an attempt to oust Najib, his former protege. The US Justice Department says 3.3billion was looted from 1MBD by associates of Najib between 2009 and 2014, including 517million that landed in Najib's bank account and a 17million pink diamond necklace bought for Najib's wife. He has denied wrongdoing. Mahathir said the new government will not conduct a witch hunt, but Najib will have to face the consequences if he has broken the law. Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asia expert at John Cabot University in Rome, said it was hugely ironic that Mahathir, who damaged Malaysia's democratic institutions with his strong-arm rule, has returned as its political savior. 'It is not just a comeback,' she said. 'It is about making amends about his mistakes and moving Malaysia forward.' Mahathir said the new government would seek the release and full pardon of Anwar Ibrahim, an opposition icon imprisoned on sodomy charges that Anwar and his supporters said were fabricated by the National Front to crush the opposition. Anwar, whose sentence ends on June 8, should be free to participate in politics, he said. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister in the ruling party, was also imprisoned under Mahathir following a power struggle. On the economic front, Mahathir vowed to cancel a goods and service tax imposed since 2015 and said the government could also renegotiate the terms of Chinese loans for infrastructure projects. Mahathir disputed Najib's assertion during a concession speech that Malaysia's king must appoint the new prime minister because no single party has a parliamentary majority, calling it 'confusion.' The constitution, he said, only specifies that the prime minister must represent those with a majority in the legislature. Opposition parties won more than 135 seats in the 222-seat parliament. In his speech, Najib, 64, said he accepted the 'verdict of the people.' The National Front 'will honor the principle of democracy in the parliament,' he said. World renowned aviation experts say the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was a planned and deliberate criminal act. It's been four years since the flight vanished en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014. What happened to the Boeing 777 and 239 people on board, including eight Australians, remains one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries. Scroll down for video Experts believe MH370 pilot captain Zaharie Amad Shah (pictured) 'deliberately' brought down the plane Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 vanished en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur in 2014 with 239 people on board A panel of internationally renowned aviation experts shed new light and revealed chilling discoveries about the flight's final moments on Sunday night's episode of 60 Minutes. They all agreed that the probability of it being an accident was 'one in a trillion' and that pilot captain Zaharie Amad Shah 'deliberately' brought down the plane. 'I think the general public can take comfort in the fact that there is a growing consensus on the plane's final moments,' veteran air crash investigator Larry Vance told the program. He believes the pilot 'was killing himself' and took the aircraft to the most remote place possible so it would 'disappear'. 'Unfortunately, he was [also] killing everybody else on board, and he did it deliberately,' Mr Vance said. Former Australia Transport Safety Bureau head Martin Dolan added: 'This was planned, this was deliberate, and it was done over an extended period of time.' Experts say the pilot (pictured) 'was killing himself' and took the aircraft to the most remote place possible so it would 'disappear' Aviation experts forensically reconstructed the flight's final moments on Sunday night's program of 60 Minutes According to Simon Hardy, a Boeing 777 pilot and instructor, Captain Zaharie avoided detection of the plane by either Malaysian or Thai military radar by flying along the border, crossing in and out of each country's airspace. 'As the aircraft went across Thailand and Malaysia, it runs down the border, which is wiggling underneath, meaning it's going in and out of those two countries, which is where their jurisdictions are,' Mr Hardy said. 'So both of the controllers aren't bothered about this mysterious aircraft. If you were commissioning me to do this operation and try and make a 777 disappear, I would do exactly the same thing. 'As far as I'm concerned, it's very accurate flying because it did the job and we know, as a fact, that the military did not come and intercept the aircraft.' Boeing 777 pilot and instructor Simon Hardy took 60 Minutes inside MH370s final moments through a series of flight simulations. The MH370 pilot captain made an unexplained and strange turn to fly over his hometown of Penang Authorities combing through the Indian Ocean for remains of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have discovered two huge structures (pictured) on the sea floor After reconstructing MH370's actual flight plan, Mr Hardy made a chilling discovery that the captain made an unexplained and strange turn to fly over his hometown of Penang. 'So I spent a long time thinking for this about what this could be, what technical reason is there?,' he said. 'And after two months of thinking about it, I finally got the answer - somebody was looking out the window. It might be a long, emotional goodbye or a short, emotional goodbye to his hometown.' The Australian Transport Bureau's final report shows the moment of the recorded contact with MH370 before it vanished forever (above) Former Australia Transport Safety Bureau head Martin Dolan spearheaded the two- year search for the doomed flight in a search zone covering 120,000 square kilometres of sea. The largest search in aviation history was suspended in January last year. The search area was based on the assumption that MH370 fell out of the sky in a steep, uncontrolled 'death dive'. The assumption was disputed by Mr Hardy and Mr Vance, who believe the plane was ditched in a controlled landing. Mr Vance believes the majority of the aircraft is still intact. 'If we don't end up finding the aircraft in the search area, then the conclusion is that yes, we focused on the wrong set of priorities,' Mr Dolan admitted. But while the panel said finding the missing plane 'isn't necessary', they are confident the wreckage will be discovered. 'When you look at it and you go back into the history of commercial jet aviation, with fare-paying passengers on board, we've always found the plane,' international air-safety expert John Cox said. 'To have one that we can't find is probably aviation's greatest single mystery.' The Malaysian Government struck a deal with exploration firm Ocean Infinity to resume the search in an area north of the original zone, that scientists now believe is the likeliest crash site. The search restarted in January and is expected to end by mid-June. Mr Cox remains hopeful they will find the wreckage. 'If you take history and you look back, it says we'll find it, we always have,' he said. 'So if history is our guide, I remain optimistic.' No sign of the plane was found in a 120,000 square kilometre sea search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history Mr Dolan added: 'There are the families of the 239 people out there that at the moment still do not have an answer to what happened to their loved ones. I'm still passionately committed to finding this aircraft.' Amanda Lawton's parents Bob and Cathy Lawton were on the fateful flight with friends Rodney and Mary Burrows. 'The world needs to know what happened to MH370,' she said. 'How does a Boeing 777 disappear and could this happen again? We need to find our loved ones. We're in so much pain - my sisters, family... it doesn't get any easier.' She pleaded to authorities to not give up and continue searching. 'It has to be found,' Ms Lawton told 60 Minutes. 'We want to know where our loved ones are, their final resting place and what happened The search must go on for that closure. Please don't give up.' The hunt restarted in January, with a research vessel deploying eight high-tech drones to scour the seabed On board the doomed MH370 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing were six Australians and little has been found during the four year search (debris pictured) The Australian, Malaysian and Chinese governments called off search in January 2017, almost three-years after MH370 disappeared but Ocean Infinity (pictured) continued the search Crews have been searching for the Malaysian Airlines aircraft (stock image) since it vanished more than four years ago but have had little luck in finding any remains This is the horrifying moment a teenager was found covered in blood with a knife embedded in her cheek. The unnamed 19-year-old shop assistant had finished work last Tuesday night and was walking to her when a robber confronted her. The man allegedly grabbed the girl's handbag but she resisted. He grappled with her before plunging the kitchen knife into her face and fleeing with her valuables in Bukit Tengah, Malaysia at around 9.30pm. Footage from the scene shows her calmly sitting on a wall with the weapon sticking out just below her right eye while passers-by come to her aid. Police said the girl was still conscious and was rushed to Bukit Mertajam hospital where she was recovering after the attack. The girl could be seen with blood covering the front of her white shirt and the knife sticking out of her cheek In a gruesome video taken at the scene the woman can be seen sitting on the pavement recovering from her wounds A source from the scene told local media that the woman had walked down a 'dark alley' when she was confronted. The said: 'The victim was struggling with the man who had stolen her valuables. The man stabbed the victim's face with a knife then ran away with it still stuck there. 'He escaped and the woman was covered in blood. She was helped by members of the public.' Seberang Perai Central District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner, Mr Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid, confirmed the case and said they were searching for a 'well-built man' who had tried to steal the victim's handbag. He said: 'The victim, who is from Chai Leng Park in Perai, sustained injuries to her abdomen and neck. Her right cheek was also badly injured after the robber stabbed her with a knife.' He said the victim is receiving emergency treatment at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital where officers were waiting to take her statement. He added: 'A check at the scene showed that although the car park is located behind a commercial centre, there are street lights at the scene. 'We are collecting the CCTV recordings near the scene to track down the suspect. We are also looking for eyewitness to assist us in the investigation.' The footage also shows emergency services and horrified onlookers flooding the scene as they scramble to help the teenager The director of a seabed hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Tuesday disagreed with a new book's conclusion that the pilot likely flew the plane beyond the search area to deliberately sink it in unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau believes the airliner mostly likely ran out of fuel and crashed after flying far off course en route from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to Beijing on March 8, 2014. It believes all 239 passengers and crew on board were likely long dead inside a depressurised cabin and cockpit. Search director Peter Foley, who coordinated the search on Malaysia's behalf, was quizzed by a Senate committee on theories in Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance's new book 'MH370: Mystery Solved.' Scroll down for video Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 went missing on March 8, 2014 after going hundreds of miles off course Australian Air Force soldiers taking part in search operations on March 20 two weeks after its disappearance The book argues that two wing flaps found on islands off Africa in 2015 and 2016 point to pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah performing a controlled ditching outside the 46,000 square miles that were scoured by sonar in a $150 million search that ended in January last year. It says Shah's aim was to keep the plane largely intact so it would disappear as completely as possible in the remote southern ocean. Foley, who said he has read the book, pointed to evidence that the plane was not under anyone's control when it hit the water. He said analysis of the satellite transmissions of the flight's final moments showed the jet was in a fast and accelerating descent at the end. Debris from within the plane's interior found washed up on the west coast of the Indian Ocean suggested significant energy on impact, Foley said. 'If it was being controlled at the end, it wasn't very successfully being controlled,' Foley said. 'The flaps weren't deployed,' he added. The book argues that the two recovered flaps show evidence that they had been deployed as the pilot slowed the plane for a gentle landing on water. Foley said an analysis at the bureau's headquarters in Canberra of the second flap found on the island of Pemba, off the coast of Tanzania, in June 2016 determined it was 'probably not deployed.' A Royal Australian Air Force pilot searching for debris using his binoculars in the cabin of his plane But French authorities prevented an Australian analyst from 'doing anything meaningful in terms of analysis' of the first flap found. That flap, known as a flaperon, was found on the French island of Reunion in July 2015. French authorities are holding the flaperon as evidence for a potential criminal prosecution. Foley said his bureau could not conclude that the flaperon had lost its trailing edge because it was deployed when the plane hit the water. While the bureau has not said who had initially flown the plane off course, Foley said 'it's absolutely evident' that someone had, ruling out some mechanical or electrical malfunction. Texas-based technology company Ocean Infinity renewed the search this year on the basis that Malaysia would pay it up $70 million if it could find the wreckage or the plane's black boxes. Foley said he still hopes the search will succeed within weeks. 'If they're not, of course, that would be a great sadness for all of us,' he said. Some experts say the pilot (pictured) 'was killing himself' and took the aircraft to the most remote place possible so it would 'disappear' Boeing 777 pilot and instructor Simon Hardy took 60 Minutes inside MH370's final moments through a series of flight simulations to prove it was not an accident It has previously been claimed that the pilot managed to evade radar for hours to ensure the plane was never found in a pre-meditated murder suicide plot. One panel of experts appearing on talk show 60 minutes agreed that the probability of it being an accident was 'one in a trillion' and that pilot captain Zaharie Amad Shah 'deliberately' brought down the plane. Former Australia Transport Safety Bureau head Martin Dolan said: 'This was planned, this was deliberate, and it was done over an extended period of time.' According to Simon Hardy, a Boeing 777 pilot and instructor, Captain Zaharie avoided detection of the plane by either Malaysian or Thai military radar by flying along the border, crossing in and out of each country's airspace. 'As the aircraft went across Thailand and Malaysia, it runs down the border, which is wiggling underneath, meaning it's going in and out of those two countries, which is where their jurisdictions are,' Mr Hardy said. 'So both of the controllers aren't bothered about this mysterious aircraft. If you were commissioning me to do this operation and try and make a 777 disappear, I would do exactly the same thing. 'As far as I'm concerned, it's very accurate flying because it did the job and we know, as a fact, that the military did not come and intercept the aircraft.' An aviation expert has refuted recent claims made on an Australian television program that the MH370 pilot 'deliberately' brought down the plane in a murder-suicide. The flight vanished en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board. The wreckage has never been found and the search by a U.S. firm will end next Tuesday. A panel of experts features on a recent episode of 60 Minutes said they believe pilot captain Zaharie Amad Shah brought down the plane on purpose. The theories have since been questioned by search director Peter Foley and aviation and travel journalist Christine Negroni. Scroll down for video On a recent 60 Minutes episode, a panel of experts revealed where they thought the pilotZaharie Amad Shah (pictured) brought down the plane Christine Negroni (pictured) described the conclusions as 'preposterous' and 'absurd' Canadian air safety investigator Larry Vance says in his book, 'MH370: Mystery Solved', Mr Shah likely flew the plane beyond the search area to deliberately sink it in unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean. Senior Boeing 777 pilot Simon Hardy also claimed Captain Zaharie avoided detection by either Malaysian or Thai military radar. Panelists said Mr Shah flew over his hometown of Penang for an 'emotional goodbye' before ditching the plane in the Southern Indian Ocean. The theories have since been questioned by search director Peter Foley, who coordinated the search on Malaysia's behalf and renowned aviation author Christine Negroni, who wrote 'The Crash Detectives', a bestseller which details famous air disasters. Boeing 777 pilot and instructor Simon Hardy took 60 Minutes inside MH370s final moments through a series of flight simulations Experts say the pilot (pictured) 'was killing himself' and took the aircraft to the most remote place possible so it would 'disappear' On a post on her website, Ms Negroni was scathing of the recent 60 Minutes episode, where she described the conclusions as 'preposterous' and 'absurd'. 'Ladies and gents, thanks to 60 Minutes, pilots Vance and Hardy are in the cockpit. They've fuelled up with alternative facts and are taking us on a flight to the absurd,' she posted on her website. 'Will we ever return from this remote region of reality? Stay tuned.' She also accused the show of airing 'far-fetched' and 'hokum' details. 'The 60 Minutes' program is the worst sort of journalism; a grinding hour of stitching scraps of information some true, some made up, to create a story that vilifies a pilot and to what end,' Ms Negroni wrote. 'It's hangar talk given lift by Channel 9 which selected panelists who share a common viewpoint as well as a sometimes ill-informed understanding of the facts. News organizations around the world including those whose that should know better have further elevated the preposterous conclusions in the 60 Minutes program by repeating the claims on their own sites.' Negroni claims there is no evidence to back up the alternative theories. 'By contrast, in The Crash Detectives, I suggest that a rapid decompression of the aircraft rendered the pilots partially hypoxia and therefore incapable of making sensible decisions,' she posted. 'One or both of the men on the flight deck then inadvertently flew the aeroplane off course until they succumbed. The plane flew on until it ran out of fuel in the South Indian Ocean.' The MH370 pilot captain made an unexplained and strange turn to fly over his hometown of Penang No sign of the plane was found in a 120,000 square kilometre sea search zone and the Australian-led hunt, the largest in aviation history The hunt restarted in January, with a research vessel deploying eight high-tech drones to scour the seabed Her views were supported by Mr Foley, who was quizzed by a Senate committee on Mr Vance's new book. Foley pointed to evidence that the plane was not under anyone's control when it hit the water. He said analysis of the satellite transmissions of the flight's final moments showed the jet was in a fast and accelerating descent at the end. Debris from within the plane's interior found washed up on the west coast of the Indian Ocean suggested significant energy on impact, Foley said. 'If it was being controlled at the end, it wasn't very successfully being controlled,' Foley said. 'The flaps weren't deployed,' he added. Foley said an analysis at the bureau's headquarters in Canberra of the second flap found on the island of Pemba, off the coast of Tanzania, in June 2016 determined it was 'probably not deployed.' Foley said his bureau could not conclude that the flaperon had lost its trailing edge because it was deployed when the plane hit the water. While the bureau has not said who had initially flown the plane off course, Foley said 'it's absolutely evident' that someone had, ruling out some mechanical or electrical malfunction. Foley said he still hopes the search will succeed 'If they're not, of course, that would be a great sadness for all of us,' he said. A leading expert has rubbished claims that the pilot of the doomed Malaysia Airlines MH370 had been on a suicide mission and deliberately landed the plane in the sea. The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared in March 2014 with 239 mostly Chinese people onboard while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Christine Negroni disproved the theory that pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah had been able to consciously land the plane in the Indian Ocean. A leading expert has claimed the pilot of the doomed Malaysia Airlines MH370 flight intended to kill everyone on board because the planes flaps - which assist with landing - were not extended, disproving suggestions he had intended a soft landing Mrs Negroni pointed to crucial evidence that the wreckage of the Boeing 777's wing flaps - which assist with landing - were retracted at the time of the crash in March 2014. Her comments came in response to claims made by former Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance during at interview on Australia's 60 Minutes Mr Vance claimed that Shah had cruelly attempted to keep the plane in one piece - meaning everybody on board would perish, but he would avoid creating debris that would aid search attempts. He claimed Shah flew off course on a suicide mission and planned to kill himself and the 238 others on the journey from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur. Aviation expert Christine Negroni pointed to crucial evidence that the wreckage of the Boeing 777's wing flaps were retracted at the time of the crash in March 2014 Zaharie Shah (right) flew off course on a suicide mission and planned to kill himself and the 238 others on the journey from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur. Mrs Negroni (left) rubbished recent claims that pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah tried to land the plane in the Indian ocean softly The plane was not under full control when it crash landed - rubbishing a bombshell theory set out by former Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance Mr Vance said: 'He was killing himself; unfortunately, he was killing everybody else on board, and he did it deliberately'. Setting out his argument in his new book MH370: Mystery Solved, Mr Vance suggested Shah wanted to leave as little trace as possible, in a final act of malice. But Ms Negroni has rubbished his conclusions as 'preposterous' and 'absurd' and used the photos to prove her point. In a post on her website following the show, she slammed the 60 minutes for airing what she called 'far-fetched' and 'hokum' theories. Mr Vance claimed during at interview on Australia's 60 Minutes earlier in the month that Shah had cruelly attempted to keep the plane in one piece - meaning everybody on board would perish, but he would avoid creating debris that would aid search attempts This photograph shows the flaps being retracted (left) and when they are extended (right) Setting out his argument in his new book MH370: Mystery Solved, Mr Vance suggested Shah (pictured) wanted to leave as little trace as possible, in a final act of malice 'I don't know what it is about Australia, but despite the lack of any evidence that either pilot was unstable or suicidal, Australian media loves that storyline,' Negroni said. 'By contrast, in The Crash Detectives, I suggest that a rapid decompression of the aircraft rendered the pilots partially hypoxia and therefore incapable of making sensible decisions. 'One or both of the men on the flight deck then inadvertently flew the aeroplane off course until they succumbed. The plane flew on until it ran out of fuel in the South Indian Ocean.' The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is in the process of establishing a state-of-the-art cardiology centre, Humaid Al Qutami, director general of the DHA, has revealed. Giving his opening speech of the World Congress of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Health 2018, Al Qutami said: DHA strives to always be among the leading health organisations that are contributing to the developmental drive witnessed in the medical field. Dubais status, positive role and the citys capabilities have contributed to transforming it into one of the worlds fastest growing cities. Therefore, the DHA is establishing an International Cardiology and Research Centre that aims to become a preferred destination for those looking for quality cardiology treatment. The World Congress of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Health 2018 kicked off on Wednesday at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the patronage and attendance of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council. The congress, which is taking place till December 8, is a global interactive event that aims to promote cardiovascular health by uniting cardiovascular disease specialists with other disciplines to network, share knowledge and build innovative solutions for patients and populations. Dubai won the bid to host the event after competing with countries and cities that include Cape Town, Singapore and Korea. The Cardiac Centre will host a 110-120-bed facility to treat cardiac emergencies, along with inpatient and outpatient services. The centre will be located in the Rashid Medical Complex with easy access to and from the Rashid Medical Complex Emergency and Trauma Centre. The centre will offer a one-stop-shop approach, with an integrated care continuum supported by evidence-based international best practices, with a focus on screening and early detection. It will also emphasise physician access to clinical affiliation, research and technology innovation. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of death across the world. The cardiology department is the second-busiest unit in Rashid Hospital after the Emergency and Trauma Centre. Professor David A Wood, president of the World Heart Organisation, said: Although mortality rates from CVD are falling worldwide the burden of disease, as measured by the number of deaths, is increasing and especially in middle and low-income countries where many of these deaths are premature. The probability of dying after a heart attack is four to five times higher in many middle and low-income countries compared to high-income countries where access to evidence-based life-saving treatments is severely limited. "Our priorities as WHF are secondary prevention for those who are suffering from CVD, primary prevention for those at high risk of developing CVD because of hypertension or other risk factors such as diabetes, and primordial prevention in populations specifically focused on tobacco. Around 4,000 participants representing international organisations and bodies from around the world (such as the World Health Organisation, the European Society of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology, African Heart Network, and Saudi Heart Association) are expected to attend the congress over the course of four days. The congress's agenda includes more than 200 scientific sessions on cardiovascular disease and related diseases such as high cholesterol. Six hundred specialists are expected to take part in the conference where 1,000 scientific papers about the latest achievements and challenges in the field will be shared. The World Congress of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Health 2018 will also provide an interactive programme designed to respond to the needs of professionals. Al Qutami inaugurated the congresss accompanying exhibition following the opening ceremony where 50 exhibitors showcased the latest innovation in cardiology and cardiovascular health. Dr Fahad Baslaib, consultant cardiology and CEO of Rashid Hospital, said the World Congress of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Health is considered the biggest congress specialising in cardiology and cardiovascular health due to the international calibre of specialist adding that that the conference provides an ideal platform for decision-makers in the health field to discuss how to achieve the objective set by the World Health Organisation to reduce the global rate of heart attacks by 2025. - TradeArabia News Service Malaysia Airlines flight 370 has been missing ever since it vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers on board. Four years after the horror flight, relatives of those on board the perished plane are still searching for answers. Voice 370, a group of victims' relatives, have this week called on the Malaysian government to release the full cargo manifest. Danica Weeks (right), the widow of Australian passenger Paul Weeks (left), said she wanted information about more than two tonnes of cargo described as 'radio accessories and chargers' Australian Jennifer Chong, pictured with husband Chong Ling Tan who vanished on MH370, is also a member of Voice 370 Voice 370 has called for an investigation into tracking, search, rescue and recovery efforts (Pictured: Debris believed to be an outboard wing flap belonging to MH370) The call comes after it was announced the physical search for the plane would officially end next week. Danica Weeks, the widow of Australian passenger Paul Weeks, said she wanted information about more than two tonnes of cargo described as 'radio accessories and chargers'. She said the cargo was omitted from the manifest, and victims' relatives wanted transparency. 'It's just incredible that we have a situation where an airline has taken people's money to fly them from one destination to another and we still don't know exactly was in that plane's cargo,' Ms Weeks told News.com.au. 'I mean it's been four years and we have still not seen the full manifest. We still don't know what 'radio accessories' means. We have asked repeatedly for a full list of everything that was on that plane and the airline has been unable to produce that.' In a letter constructed by Voice 370 they called for 'a comprehensive review of all matters related to the disappearance of MH370 an investigation into any possible falsification and or elimination of records'. Voice 370 also called for an investigation into tracking, search, rescue and recovery efforts, the publication reported. The plane's cargo has been at the centre of discussion since it was revealed there were 200kg of lithium batteries on board. The plane's cargo has been at the centre of discussion since it was revealed there were 200kg of lithium batteries on board (Pictured: Australian Transport Safety Bureau working with Malaysian investigators) Malaysia Airlines former CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya revealed the information at a press conference on March 20, 2014. After the cargo manifest was released, there were discrepancies found. The airline later announced the batteries only made up a small fraction of the 2453kg total, and the rest was labelled 'radio accessories and chargers'. Ms Weeks said the discrepancy greatly concerned her and other relatives of those on board. The heartbroken widow said she hoped the new Malaysian government would be more transparent with the investigation. Investigators believe the sport where the lines meet is where MH370 likely entered the southern Indian Ocean off Western Australia New Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said he hoped the mystery would soon be resolved so relatives of those lost could have closure. The director of a seabed hunt for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Tuesday disagreed with a new book's conclusion that the pilot likely flew the plane beyond the search area to deliberately sink it in unexplored depths of the Indian Ocean. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau believed the airliner mostly likely ran out of fuel and crashed after flying far off course. The Bureau believed all 239 passengers and crew on board were likely long dead inside a depressurised cabin and cockpit. An Australian grandmother has been sentenced to death by hanging in Malaysia on drug smuggling charges, but says she was duped into it by an online boyfriend. Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto, 54, from Sydney, was caught with methamphetamine in her bag as she caught a connecting flight to Melbourne in 2014. The grandmother and mother-of-four told officials she was on her way back from Shangahi where she met a U.S. serviceman with whom she had an online romance. She claims she was asked to carry a bag full of clothes, but was unaware it also contained 1.5kg of crystal meth. Exposto was initially found cleared of any wrongdoing but on Thursday an appeals court overturned the verdict and sentenced her to death. Scroll down for video Australian grandmother Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto (white shirt) has been sentenced to death in Malaysia on drug smuggling charges The mother-of-four was caught with 1.5kg of crystal meth in her bag in an Malaysian airport Exposto was initially found cleared of any wrongdoing but on Thrsday an appeals court overturned the verdict and sentenced her to death Exposto's lawyer, Tania Scivetti, said a three-member appeals court 'found there was merit' in the prosecution's appeal, though it didn't say on what grounds. She said Exposto was shocked but calm. 'It's disappointing as there was clear evidence that she was the victim of an Internet romance scam. She was a drug mule,' Scivetti said, adding that they have appealed to Malaysia's top court. Malaysia has a mandatory death sentence for anyone found guilty of carrying more than 50g of a prohibited drug. The prosecution in the appeal argued Exposto had been wilfully blind, that her defence was made up and she had engaged in a 'sly game'. Shafee responded, telling the court that Exposto was an innocent carrier hoodwinked by an internet romance scam. After her acquittal in December last year, Scivetti said Exposto was immediately arrested by immigration officials as her visa has expired. Following the prosecution's appeal, she remained in custody because she couldn't afford to pay bail. Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto, 54, has been sentenced to death by hanging The grandmother and mother-of-four told officials she was on her way back from Shangahi where she met a U.S. serviceman with whom she had an online romance Australian grandmother Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto pictured in court in 2017 Exposto was handcuffed in court where she was consoled by her lawyers and Australian Embassy officials after the verdict. She had claimed she was the victim of a set-up after she was found with the drugs in her bag after arriving on a flight from China in 2014. Exposto's lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, told her Thursday's sentencing was a temporary setback and 'you will win and you will walk away' following a further appeal. He said a new appeal will be lodged in the Federal Court on Friday. 'It's the most shocking decision ever,' Shafee said. Australian Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto arrives at the magistrates court in Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur on January 23, 2015 She had claimed she was the victim of a set-up after she was found with the drugs in her bag after arriving on a flight from China in 2014 (she is pictured in 2015) She claims she was asked to carry a bag full of clothes, but was unaware it also contained 1.5kg of crystal meth 'It's a perverse judgment, no reasons were provided. The High Court judge examined every detail in the evidence and in today's decision they simply reversed the decision without reason and sentenced her to death.' He also said there remains the prospect that the case could become politicised given the return of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to the helm of Malaysian politics. Relations between Australia and Malaysia soured under Mahathir amid the hanging of Australian drug runners Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers in 1986. 'That's a danger because Mahathir still holds a peculiar view of Australia,' Shafee said. In a statement on Thursday evening Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said 'Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people'. She said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would continue to provide full consular assistance to Ms Exposto in Malaysia following the overturning of her acquittal and imposition of the death sentence. Australian national Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto (white shirt) is escorted by Malaysian customs officials as she arrives at the Magistrate Court in Sepang on April 30, 2015 An Australian grandmother sentenced to death by hanging in Malaysia for drug trafficking says she was the victim of a love scam run by a US soldier. Maria Elivra Pinto Exposto, 54, from Sydney's west, was given the death penalty on Thursday after a Malaysian appeals court reversed an earlier acquittal. Ms Exposto's lawyers said they plan to appeal the verdict, but if the challenge is unsuccessful she will become the first Australian executed in Malaysian in 25 years. The grandmother and mother-of-four claimed she was duped by a mystery American who asked her to carry a bag containing 1.5kg of methamphetamine. She said she had fallen for a complex online romance scam that tricked her into believing she was in a two-year-relationship with a 'Captain Daniel Smith'. Scroll down for video Maria Elivra Pinto Exposto (pictured), 54, from Sydney's west, was given the death penalty on Thursday after a Malaysian appeals court reversed an earlier acquittal An Australian grandmother (pictured) sentenced to death by hanging in Malaysia for drug trafficking says she was the victim of a love scam run by a US soldier Ms Exposto voluntarily offered her bags for customs inspection and the drugs were discovered (pictured) 'Smith' allegedly told Ms Exposto he was a Special Forces soldier based in Afghanistan. Ms Exposto said 'Smith' told her he was leaving the military and needed her to pick up his discharge papers and take them to the US embassy in Australia. She said she flew to Shanghai and received a bag from his 'friends' she thought contained the papers and clothes, but had the drugs hidden in the lining. 'He made me feel loved, he made me feel wanted,' Ms Exposto told the previous court hearing, saying the alleged US serviceman would send her photos of himself. 'Smith would sing to me a few times a day and send love poems as well,' she added. Ms Exposto said 'Smith' had also asked to marry her in September 2013 at a time when her relationship with her husband was getting 'a bit sour'. Exposto was initially found cleared of any wrongdoing but on Thursday an appeals court overturned the verdict and sentenced her to death Relations between Australia and Malaysia soured under Mahathir after the hanging of Australian drug runners Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers (pictured) in 1986 She and her husband have since separated, and the couple were planning to divorce before Ms Exposto's arrest. Australians who faced the death penalty in Malaysia 1986 - Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers from Perth hanged for heroin trafficking 1993 - Sydney barman Michael McAuliffe hanged after serving eight years in jail for heroin trafficking 2013 - Dominic Bird, 34, acquitted after being charged with allegedly selling drugs to undercover officer Advertisement Ms Exposto was caught with the drugs in Kuala Lumpur in December 2014, while on her way back from an attempted meeting with 'Smith' in Shanghai. After failing to meet her supposed love interest in Shanghai she ended up being given a bag by a stranger, who asked her to take it to Melbourne. When she arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport to change flights, she mistakenly went through immigration as she was unfamiliar with the airport. She voluntarily offered her bags for customs inspection and the drugs were discovered. Exposto's lawyer, Tania Scivetti, said a three-member appeals court 'found there was merit' in the prosecution's appeal, though it didn't say on what grounds. Ms Exposto's (pictured) lawyers said they plan to appeal the verdict, but if the challenge is unsuccessful she will become the first Australian executed in Malaysian in 25 years The grandmother and mother-of-four (pictured) told officials she was on her way back from Shangahi where she met a US serviceman with whom she had an online romance She said Exposto was shocked but calm. 'It's disappointing as there was clear evidence that she was the victim of an Internet romance scam. She was a drug mule,' Scivetti said Ms Scivetti said the decision will be appealed in Malaysia's top court. Malaysia has a mandatory death sentence for anyone found guilty of carrying more than 50grams of a prohibited drug. The prosecution in the appeal argued Exposto had been wilfully blind, that her defence was made up and she had engaged in a 'sly game'. Australian grandmother Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto pictured in a Malaysian court in 2017 Her lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah responded by telling the court that Exposto was an innocent carrier hoodwinked by an internet romance scam. After her acquittal in December last year, Scivetti said Exposto was immediately arrested by immigration officials as her visa had expired. Following the prosecution's appeal, she remained in custody because she couldn't afford to pay bail. Exposto was handcuffed in court where she was consoled by her lawyers and Australian Embassy officials after the verdict. Shafee Abdullah, told Exposto Thursday's sentencing was a temporary setback and said 'you will win and you will walk away' following a further appeal. Australian Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto arrives at the magistrates court in Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur on January 23, 2015 Ms Exposto (pictured in 2015) claimed she was the victim of a set-up after she was found with the drugs in her bag after arriving on a flight from China in 2014 He said a new appeal will be lodged in the Federal Court on Friday. 'It's the most shocking decision ever,' Shafee said. 'It's a perverse judgment, no reasons were provided. 'The High Court judge examined every detail in the evidence and in today's decision they simply reversed the decision without reason and sentenced her to death.' He also said there remains the prospect that the case could become politicised given the return of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad to the helm of Malaysian politics. Australian national Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto is escorted by Malaysian customs officials as she arrives at the Magistrate Court in Sepang on April 30, 2015 Relations between Australia and Malaysia soured under Mahathir after the hanging of Australian drug runners Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers in 1986. 'That's a danger because Mahathir still holds a peculiar view of Australia,' Shafee said. In a statement on Thursday evening Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said 'Australia opposes the death penalty in all circumstances for all people'. She said the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would continue to provide full consular assistance to Ms Exposto in Malaysia following the overturning of her acquittal and imposition of the death sentence. Ms Exposto (pictured) claims she was asked to carry a bag full of clothes, but was unaware it also contained 1.5kg of crystal meth There are at least 900 people on death row in Malaysia, officials have said, but executions have been rare in recent years. Malaysian lawmakers have voted to amend legislation so that capital punishment is no longer mandatory in drug-trafficking cases. But the changes have not yet come into force as they must be passed by the upper house. Michael McAuliffe was hanged for heroin trafficking in Malaysia in 1993, following Barlow and Chambers - the first Westerners to be executed in the country. In 2013 Dominic Bird, a former truck driver from Perth, was acquitted of drug trafficking charges after he was allegedly caught with 167 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Oleg Vladimirovich Ivannikov has been identified by researchers as the Russian commander in charge of forces in Ukraine at the time MH17 was shot down in July 2014 Russian president Vladimir Putin dismissed claims his country were responsible for shooting down Malaysian Airlines MH17 in Ukraine in 2014. Dutch investigators claimed a Russian missile system was responsible for shooting down the jet. A cabinet spokesman said it was 'possible' the next step would be presenting the case to an international court. Putin, when asked at an economic forum in St Petersburg whether a Russian army missile was involved, said: 'Of course not.' Putin said that Moscow could not fully trust Dutch findings about the incident because Moscow had not been involved in the investigation. The probe has identified the high- ranking Russian military officer who was commanding the Kremlin's forces in Ukraine when MH17 was shot down. Oleg Vladimirovich Ivannikov, who went under the alias Andrey Ivanovich and used the radio call-sign Orion, was in charge when a missile was fired at the passenger jet, researchers at open-source intelligence organisation Bellingcat have revealed. It comes a day after investigators definitively linked the missile fired at the jet to a Russian military unit which was operating in Ukraine at the time. Russia warned that the investigation could not be trusted as it had not been involved in the research. Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for President Putin, said Russia 'absolutely' denies all allegations of involvement. Meanwhile British foreign secretary Boris Johnson said it was time for Russia to 'answer for its actions' over the downing of the passenger jet. All 298 passengers and crew aboard the flight from Amsterdam Schipol airport to Kuala Lumpur were killed when it was hit by the missile in July 2014. Bellingcat, which worked alongside The Insider and McClatchy DC Bureau, said Ivannikov was born in April 1967 in Eastern Germany to a decorated Russian major general. He was educated in Ukraine, studying at the Military Aviation Engineering Academy in Kiev before going to Moscow for postgraduate studies at the 'rocket department' of the Moscow Aviation Institute. Researchers say Ivannikov coordinated and supervised the military activities of Russian militants, pro-Russian separatists and 'private army' contingents from some time in the first half of 2014 until at least early 2015 Ivannikov was identified the day after a separate research team proved for the first time that the missile which destroyed the passenger plane was fired by Kremlin troops Investigators used a serial number found on the side of the BUK missile fired at the plane and linked that to a Russian military unit that was serving in Ukraine at the time Investigators had previously shown that the missile came from Russia, but until yesterday had not been able to prove that it was actually fired by the Kremlin's troops In 2004 he moved to Ossetia, a region of Georgia that Russia contests, where he served as the chairman of the Security Council and Minister of Defense and Emergencies. Ivannikov left Georgia in 2008 and returned to Russia where he studied for a PhD and began publishing articles as a military expert, mainly about Syria and the conflict in Ossetia. He came back to Ukraine some time in first half of 2014 where he coordinated and supervised the activities of Russian militants, pro-Russian separatists and 'private army' contingents. Ivannikov stayed in the country until at least early 2015. Researchers are now working to determine who gave the order to fire at the Malaysia Airlines jet, and how far up the chain of command knowledge of the operation went. Elsewhere on Friday, Dutch and Australian lawmakers said they planned to hold the Russian state legally responsible for downing MH17. More than two thirds of those killed in the blast were Dutch, while 43 Malaysians and 27 Australians also died. 'Holding a country responsible is a complex legal process,' the Dutch cabinet said. Boris Johnson also spoke out, saying: 'The Kremlin believes it can act with impunity. 'The Russian government must now answer for its actions in relation to the downing of MH17. This is an egregious example of the Kremlin's disregard for innocent life.' Ten of the blast victims were British. American also threw its backing behind the legal action against Russia. 'We strongly support the decisions by the Netherlands and Australia to call Russia to account,' State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. 'It is time for Russia to acknowledge its role in the shooting down of MH17 and to cease its callous disinformation campaign.' Investigators used a serial number written on part of the missile which was recovered from the crash site and studied photos of a military convoy to make the link to Moscow. While investigators had known that the missile was Russian made, they had previously not been able to determine if it had been fired by Moscow's forces. 'The downing of flight MH17 caused unimaginable suffering,' said Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok a day after the latest findings from the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the disaster. 'On the basis of the JIT's conclusions, the Netherlands and Australia are now convinced that Russia is responsible for the deployment of the BUK installation that was used to down MH17,' he added. 'The government is now taking the next step by formally holding Russia accountable.' He said the Netherlands and Australia would seek financial damages 'but also compensation in form of cooperation.' The government said state liability was invoked in cases where nations violate international law, but warned it was a 'complex legal process and there are several ways to do this.' 'This is the legal avenue that the Netherlands and Australia have now chosen to pursue,' the statement added. All 298 people on board the flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur were killed, with Dutch and Australians making up two of the largest groups Hit: This graphic shows how the BUK missile hit the passenger jet over Ukraine Parts of the missile had been seen before, but on Thursday investigators displayed parts of the engine casing and exhaust system, including the unique serial number and Russian writing. The missile's serial number and Cyrillic writing - 'Opera Izdelia' and 'Data Sborki 15:13:86' which means 'Device support, Assembly date 15:13:86' - had given the team a 'fingerprint' identifying it and where it was made. Prosecutors showed photos and videos of a truck convoy carrying the system as it crossed the border from Russia to Ukraine. It crossed back several days later with one missile missing. The vehicles had serial numbers and other markings that were unique to the 53rd brigade, an anti-aircraft unit based in the western Russian city of Kursk, they said. Investigators were able to link the missile found in the wreckage with the missile launch system. 'The Buk that was used came from the Russian army, the 53rd brigade,' Chief Dutch Prosecutor Fred Westerbeke said. 'We know that was used, but the people in charge of this Buk, we don't know.' Investigators appealed to the public to come forward and help identify members of the crew who operated the missile and determine how high up the chain of command the order originated. Investigators used footage of a Russia military convoy crossing the border into Ukraine in their evidence, and in particular these markings on the side of a BUK launcher The launcher was seen going into Ukraine before returning several days later with one missile gone. Investigators are now trying to find out who gave the order to fire it Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, rejected the accusations. He said on Friday that Russia has been barred from the investigation and thus can't trust its results. He also charged that Ukraine contributed to the tragedy by failing to ban civilian air traffic over the war zone. Moscow rejected Thursday's accusations as well, saying no such weapon had ever crossed the Russian-Ukrainian border. The Russian foreign ministry denounced what it called an attempt to 'discredit Russia in the eyes of the international community'. But investigators, who painstaking recreated the BUK missile system's route from Kursk across the border into rebel-held eastern Ukraine, said they stood by their findings. The Joint Investigation Team 'has come to the conclusion that the BUK-TELAR that shot down MH17 came from 53rd Anti-aircraft Missile Brigade based in Kursk in Russia,' top Dutch investigator Wilbert Paulissen said. 'The 53rd Brigade forms part of the Russian armed forces,' he told reporters Thursday. Investigation officials have not yet said who actually fired the missile after it arrived in rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, stressing that the investigation continues. Malaysia's new prime minister-elect has announced he is not ruling out further searches for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Anwar Ibrahim, 70, who was pardoned by the king and released from jail just weeks earlier, said there are too many questions that have not been answered on MH370. 'Was it a failure of the system? Was it a failure of those monitoring the system or was it an intention to ignore or cover up?' he told The Australian. What happened to MH370 is one of the world's biggest aviation mysteries. The plane disappeared in March 2014 with 239 on-board while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Anwar Ibrahim (pictured), 70, has announced he is not ruling out further searches for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 MH370 is one of the world's biggest aviation mysteries - after the plane disappeared in March 2014 with 239 on-board while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing Mr Anwar is skeptical about 'discrepancies in the cargo, passenger lists and the government's earlier assertions that the plane flew over the South China Sea Pilot Mr Zaharie Shah (pictured) was flying the aircraft on March 2014 with 239 on-board while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing Mr Ibrahim's comments come after Malaysia's transport minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook implied the current search will be the last for the lost Malaysian Airlines plane. The new government has extended the current search to May 29, Mr Loke told the Australian. Mr Anwar is skeptical about 'discrepancies in the cargo, passenger lists and the government's earlier assertions that the plane flew over the South China Sea instead of the Indian Ocean. 'What was described by authorities and what was in the cargo was totally different,' The prime minister-in-waiting said. Mr Ibrahim also doesn't promote the controversial theory that the plane was hijacked by pilot Zaharie Shah. Mr Anwar said there are too many questions that have not been answered on the MH370 'What was described by authorities and what was in the cargo was totally different,' The prime minister-in-waiting said The new government has extended the current search to May 29, Transport minister Mr Loke said Leading expert Christine Negroni previously rubbished claims that the pilot of the Malaysia Airlines MH370 had been on a suicide mission and deliberately landed the plane in the sea. Mrs Negroni pointed to crucial evidence that the wreckage of the Boeing 777's wing flaps - which assist with landing - were retracted at the time of the crash in March 2014. Her comments came in response to claims made by former Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance during at interview on Australia's 60 Minutes. Mr Vance claimed that the pilot Shah had cruelly attempted to keep the plane in one piece - meaning everybody on board would perish, but he would avoid creating debris that would aid search attempts. He claimed Shah flew off course on a suicide mission and planned to kill himself and the 238 others on the journey from Beijing to Kuala Lumpur. Mr Vance said: 'He was killing himself; unfortunately, he was killing everybody else on board, and he did it deliberately'. Setting out his argument in his new book MH370: Mystery Solved, Mr Vance suggested Shah wanted to leave as little trace as possible, in a final act of malice. Yet Ms Negroni has rubbished his conclusions as 'preposterous' and 'absurd' and used the photos to prove her point. Mrs Negroni (pictured) rubbished recent claims that pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah tried to land the plane in the Indian ocean softly The plane was not under full control when it crash landed - rubbishing a bombshell theory set out by former Canadian air crash investigator Larry Vance In a post on her website following the show, she slammed the 60 minutes for airing theories which she called 'far-fetched'. 'By contrast, in The Crash Detectives, I suggest that a rapid decompression of the aircraft rendered the pilots partially hypoxia and therefore incapable of making sensible decisions. 'One or both of the men on the flight deck then inadvertently flew the aeroplane off course until they succumbed. The plane flew on until it ran out of fuel in the South Indian Ocean.' Mr Vance claimed Shah had attempted to keep the plane in one piece - meaning everybody on board would perish, but he would avoid creating debris that would aid search attempts A woman whose husband was a passenger on flight MH370 has vowed to become the Malaysian Government's 'worst nightmare' if it stops looking for the plane. Australian woman Danica Weeks lost her husband Paul when flight MH370 vanished in 2014. Mrs Weeks said now was not the time for 'closure' as the Malaysian Government suggested, but instead time for the truth, Perth Now reported. Danica Weeks (right) lost her husband Paul (left) when flight MH370 vanished four years ago Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke said on Thursday it was time to end the search for the plane and start moving towards closure. However Mrs Weeks said the Malaysian Government had an 'international responsibility' to help locate the missing plane. 'The International Civil Aviation Organisation ought to bring pressure to bear on Malaysia to honour its responsibilities,' she said. This past Thursday Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke told ABC's South-East Asia correspondent Adam Harvey it was time to end the search for the plane and start moving towards closure (stock image) Mrs Weeks (with husband Paul) said she wanted to meet with Australian officials to ensure the search for the plane continued Mrs Weeks said she wanted to meet with Australian officials to ensure there was enough pressure on the Malaysian Government to do the right thing. 'I am seeking a meeting with the Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to see what can be done.' Mrs Weeks said she hoped private wreck hunters would join the search for MH370 including David Mearns, who famously located HMAS Sydney. Russia's ambassador to Australia has rejected demands from the federal government it pay compensation to the families of the 38 Australian victims of downed plane MH17. Grigory Logvinov has responded to Foreign Minister Julie Bishop's demands after she declared that Australia holds Russia legally responsible for its role in the tragedy. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has since called on Australia to kick Mr Logvinov out of the country if Moscow refuses to apologise, The Australian reported on Tuesday. 'A country can't be complicit in the death of 38 Australians and face no consequences. If the Russians don't apologise, we should expel the Russian ambassador until they do,' Mr Abbott told the publication. Scroll down for video Russia's ambassador to Australia Grigory Logvinov (pictured) has rejected demands from the federal government that pay compensation to the families of the 38 Australian victims killed in the downing of flight MH17 All 298 people on board were killed, including 38 Australians when the MH17 (pictured) was shot down in 2014 The Joint Investigation Team confirmed last Thursday that the MH17 was shot down by a Buk-TELAR missile belonging to the 53rd Brigade of the Russian army. The plane was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down on July 17, 2014. All 298 people on board were killed, including 38 Australians. In response to Mr Abbott's calls to expel diplomats, Ms Bishop said 'further options will be considered in due course', The Australian reported. 'We are discussing Russia's actions with other nations,' Ms Bishop said. An unnamed federal MP told the publication that expelling diplomats would have no impact and that Australia should instead focus on Russian cyber attacks. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbot has since called on Australia to kick Russian ambassador Grigory Logvinov (pictured in March) out of the country if Moscow refuses to apologise The Joint Investigation Team confirmed last week that the MH17 (pictured) was shot down by a Buk-TELAR missile that belonged to the 53rd Brigade of the Russian army. On Sunday, Mr Logvinov rejected the Joint Investigation Team's findings, despite repeatedly expressed our attitude towards the quality of the JIT's work'. 'Despite of everything, all our efforts to commence a serious, solid and professional joint work are rejected out of hand,' he said in a lengthy media statement. 'There is a well-known style, a rough, clumsy algorithm. Dirty provocations are organised, and the guilty side is determined in advance. The so-called 'investigation' is conducted almost completely on the basis of information from social networks and several international non-governmental organisations, which have tainted themselves long ago by fakes, forgeries, primitive fabrications and so on.' Foreign minister Julie Bishop, pictured with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, has demanded that Russia pay compensation to the families of the 38 Australian victims killed in the downing of MH17 The Boeing 777 passenger jet was shot down 100 miles east of Donetsk, Ukraine in July 2014 Mr Logvinov likened investigations of the MH17 flight to the problems surrounding the search for MH370, which vanished several months earlier and is yet to be found. 'It was indicative, that now the attention is focused again on the MH370 disappearance investigation in connection with new expert conclusions, which document possible mistakes of the version, worked out by the international investigation team,' Mr Logvinov said in the statement. 'In this case the Australian authorities do not deny the possibility, that the investigation is going in a wrong direction. However, they do not admit even a hint of such doubts regarding the MH17 tragedy. 'Therefore, we obviously see double standards, which only confirm that we are dealing with preliminary planned provocation, and MH17 passengers, including Australian citizens, are its victims.' Mr Logvinov said Russia will continue to provide assistance so that the truth is established and the true perpetrators are brought to justice. 'However it is time to get rid of the illusion, that someone can speak with us in such a prosecutorial manner and expect that we will resignedly accept these unsubstantiated allegations,' his statement concluded. Byron Bailey, who flew for Emirates out of Dubai for 15 years, claims the missing Malaysian airlines plane could have been found years ago if they listened to pilots A former commercial pilot says flight MH370 hasn't been found because authorities refuse to look in the right place. Byron Bailey, who flew for Emirates out of Dubai for 15 years, claims the missing Malaysian airlines plane could have been found years ago if they listened to pilots. The 'last search' for the plane that disappeared on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board Kuala Lumpur to Beijing ended on Tuesday. Mr Bailey said that search was 1,200km north of where he and other aviators believed the plane was likely ditched by pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah. He called on the Chinese Government, whose country had 138 citizens on board, to fund another search in a 4,000 square kilometre area they believe the plane is in. 'Us pilots, we think we knew right from the get up and go where the aeroplane was,' he told Miranda Devine's podcast. 'If they search there, I think there's a 90 per cent chance they'll find it.' Mr Bailey said it was 'just stupid' to search 1,200km north of where the plane ran out of fuel but the Australian Transport Safety Bureau wouldn't listen. A former commercial pilot says flight MH370 hasn't been found because authorities refuse to look in the right place. He called on the Chinese Government, whose country had 138 citizens on board, to fund another search in a 4,000 square kilometre area they believe the plane is in 'The people doing [the search] don't have any aviation experience... but they have stubbornly refused for four years to search 130km south of where it ran out of fuel,' he said. He claimed Malaysia, which offered $70 million to Texas-based firm Ocean Infinity if it find the plane, of not wanting the wreckage to be found. Pilot Zaharie Shah (pictured) was flying the aircraft on March 2014 with 239 on-board while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing [They realised] this could be a massive liability and political problem if it's proved that the Muslim captain hijacked the airplane,' he said. '[The Australian Government] is being cowardly and sticking its head in the sand... it's a murder of 138 people and they're ignoring that.' Mr Bailey said it was 'about time the Chinese showed some interest' and hoped they would 'step in where we were too cowardly'. Mr Bailey earlier on Tuesday said the plane must have been hijacked because only the pilot could have reprogrammed the plane's course. 'He wanted to hide the aircraft in as remote position as possible. He didn't want bits of debris floating around, he didn't want it to ever be found,' he said. Australia said a four-year search for the missing aircraft had been the largest in aviation history and tested the limits of technology and the capacity of experts and people at sea. But Transport Minister Michael McCormack added there would always be hope of finding the vanished Boeing 777. Mr Bailey said it was 'just stupid' to search 1,200km north of where the plane ran out of fuel but the Australian Transport Safety Bureau wouldn't listen. The plane is pictured over Poland a month before it vanished A girl has her face painted during a Day of Remembrance for MH370 in Kuala Lumpur 'Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the 239 people on board MH370,' Mr McCormack's office said. 'We will always remain hopeful that one day the aircraft will be located.' Malaysia signed a 'no cure, no fee' deal with Ocean Infinity in January to resume the hunt for the plane, a year after the official search in the southern Indian Ocean by Australia, Malaysia and China was called off. No other search is scheduled. Ocean Infinity chef executive Oliver Plunkett said the search would soon end after covering more than 112,000 square kilometers of remote ocean floor - an area more than four times larger than the zone targeted by experts as the most likely crash site. 'I would firstly like to extend the thoughts of everyone at Ocean Infinity to the families of those who have lost loved ones on MH370. Part of our motivation for renewing the search was to try to provide some answers to those affected,' Plunkett said in a statement. 'It is therefore with a heavy heart that we end our current search without having achieved that aim,' he added. The latest search for MH370 is being conducted by U.S. firm Ocean Infinity (pictured), which was offered US$70million if it found the plane during a 90-day search Mr Plunkett said he was pleased to hear the new Malaysian government had made finding the Boeing 777 that vanished with 239 people aboard a priority. 'Whilst clearly the outcome so far is extremely disappointing, as a company, we are truly proud of what we have achieved both in terms of the quality of data we've produced and the speed with which we covered such a vast area,' Plunkett said. 'We sincerely hope that we will be able to again offer our services in the search for MH370 in the future,' he added. Australia, Malaysia and China agreed in 2016 that an official search would only resume if the three countries had credible evidence that identified a specific location for the wreckage. The search area deemed by experts to be the most likely crash site was 9,650 square miles, an area roughly 25% larger than Wales. Pieces of debris have been found as far away as La Reunion (pictured), but the main body of the plane has still not been located Meanwhile, Malaysia's transport minister, Anthony Loke, said a full report into MH370's disappearance would be published in the near future, but he did not give a date. 'I can assure you the final report will be published with full disclosure. There will not be any edits, or anything hidden,' he told reporters late on Monday. Asked whether the report would refer to controversial elements of the MH370 case, he said: 'To me, whatever elements, we will just publish it'. The original search focused on the South China Sea before analysis revealed the plane had made an unexpected turn west and then south. Australia co-ordinated an official search on Malaysia's behalf that scoured 46,000 square miles and cost 200 million Australian dollars (113m) before it ended in 2017. Last year, Australian authorities said the MH370 captain had flown a route on his home simulator six weeks before the disappearance that was 'initially similar' to the course actually taken by the aircraft. The original search focused on the South China Sea before analysis revealed the plane had made an unexpected turn west and then south Peter Foley, who led the Australian Transport Safety Bureau's search efforts, told an Australian Senate hearing 'control inputs' had been made to fly the airliner off course, but he could not say if one of the pilots had done so. Malaysian investigators said in 2015 they had found nothing suspicious in the financial, medical or personal histories of the pilots or crew. Danica Weeks, an Australian resident who lost her husband on Flight 370, urged Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to call on the new Malaysian government to be more transparent about what they knew about the mysterious disappearance. 'There've been so many theories and rumours and we don't know what is true and what isn't,' Ms Weeks told Australian Broadcasting Corp. 'I want Julie Bishop to say to the Malaysian counterparts now: 'what do you have? Where is the investigation at'?' Foley, told an Australian Senate committee hearing last week that he still hoped that Ocean Infinity would be successful. 'If they're not, of course, that would be a great sadness for all of us,' Foley said. The hunt for Flight MH370 may resume if new evidence comes to light, Malaysia's prime minister said Wednesday, as a private search for the plane draws to a close. The Malaysia Airlines jet vanished in March 2014 with 239 people - mostly from China - on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. US exploration firm Ocean Infinity was contracted for a three-month search for the Boeing 777 on a 'no find, no fee basis', which is set to end in the coming days after finding no sign of the wreckage. Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wednesday the search could resume if new evidence comes to light Boeing 777 Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 flies over Polish airspace on February 5, 2014 The private search came after an Australian-led hunt, which covered a vast area of the southern Indian Ocean and was the most expensive in aviation history, was suspended last year. Mahathir Mohamad, who became Malaysia's premier for a second time after a shock election victory, indicated the government had no plans at the moment to resume the hunt. 'We have come to a stage where we cannot keep searching for something we cannot find,' he told a press conference. 'We understand the feelings of the relatives but we cannot allow the search to go on forever.' But he added: 'If we find any new information, we may resume the search.' Ocean Infinity had stood to make up to $70 million if it found the jet or its black boxes. Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke (left) and MH370 Response Team leader Azharuddin Abdul Rahman (right) at a press conference on Wednesday Paper planes bearing solidarity messages for passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 are seen during a memorial event in Kuala Lumpur in March The private US firm scoured over 112,000 square kilometres (43,000 square miles) of seabed. The ship conducting the hunt, Seabed Constructor, was a Norwegian research vessel carrying 65 crew, including two members of the Malaysian navy as the government's representatives. It used eight autonomous drones equipped with sonars and cameras, able to operate at depths up to 6,000 metres (20,000 feet). Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon. James Cameron is convinced he would be able to find the missing MH370 aircraft that crashed and killed 239 people in 2014 with correct equipment. The Oscar-winning Titanic director thinks it's no accident the location of the plane remains a mystery more than four years after it fell from the sky. 'We know more about the surface of Mars or the Moon than we do our deepest oceans. The equipment that I've designed is specifically designed to explore deep and local to an already identified site of scientific interest,' he told news.com.au in Sydney this week. James Cameron (pictured) is convinced that with correct equipment he would be able to find the missing MH370 aircraft that crashed and killed 239 people in 2014 'Once they find a site, I'm a specialist in wreck sites, you give me a wreck site and I know how to explore it, I know how to map it, I know how to use small robotics to go in and analyse it and do the wreck forensics on it,' Mr Cameron said. He believed all efforts to find the missing Malaysian Airlines flight had not yet been exhausted, and said the public had a misconception the entire ocean had been searched. 'I'd love for somebody to throw a few billion (dollars) at that. We'd learn an awful lot about the deep ocean. It's human arrogance to think we know so much about the Earth.' He highlighted how vast the ocean was and how much of it humans still knew nothing about, particularly when it came to deep sea investigations. The Titanic director thinks it's no accident the location of the plane remains a mystery more than four years on from when it fell from the sky (Malaysia Airlines craft pictured) Mr Cameron added it would take 'decades to survey it all' given the hundreds and thousands of square miles that remained unmapped. The public seem to have thrown their support behind Mr Cameron joining the search for the missing aircraft - many certain his skill set could be the answer investigators need. 'Can we just get @JimCameron and his fancy submarine down there to find #MH370?' someone wrote on Twitter. 'They should send James Cameron to find MH370,' another added. 'Surprised @JimCameron hasn't volunteered to help in the search efforts for flight #MH370.' Pieces of debris have been found as far away as La Reunion, but the main body of the plane has still not been located (part of MH370 pictured) Australian Transport Minister Michael McCormack described the search for the missing craft as the largest in aviation history, but said Australia was unlikely to continue being involved. 'It looks as though this will remain a mystery for the time being,' he said. 'We've got to remember the actual plane is about 60m long that's about four times less than the Titanic which they took more than 70 years to find knowing exactly the co-ordinates of where it went down,' he told AAP. 'This is a very deep ocean, this is a large aircraft admittedly, but not that large that it was obviously easily detectable.' Ebrahim K Kanoo, a diversified business conglomerate based in Bahrain, has added Mutlu Battery to its portfolio of solutions of the future of the automotive and industry. Mutlu is one of the companies of the South African group - Metair. The Metair group is one of the worlds leading energy storage solutions companies with innovative and best in class products to support the automotive and industry machinery. The company has been in operation for over 70 years and its products are available in 70 countries across five continents with an estimated 60 million users around the world. The companys main battery plant is located in Istanbul and covers an estimated 206,000 square metres with over 900 employees. Ebrahim K Kanoo chief operations officer Stefan Moench welcomed the Mutlu brand into Bahrain at a ceremony at the Golden Tulip in Manama, said a statement. Moench said: We are proud to announce our partnership with the worlds leading energy storage solutions provider Mutlu. We always seek out the best products in order to provide our customers with reliable, quality products to suit their individual needs, he added. Mutlu export director Ozgur Bekiroglu attended the ceremony and praised Ebrahim K Kanoo and lauded the partnership. Bekiroglu said: Our company has a 2020 vision to dominate the energy storage solutions market and our Bahrain partners at Ebrahim K Kanoo have helped us move one step closer to that goal. The Bahrain market is very healthy and we know of Ebrahim K Kanoos reputation for providing the best products and solutions with a very high standard. This fits perfectly with our global vision and we look forward to providing quality products to the people of the kingdom, Bekiroglu added. Mutlu Battery has won multiple awards and has been certified by some of the top agencies and industries in the world including multiple ISO, TSE and recognitions of their sustainability and eco-friendly plants and products. Currently the company produces automotive and industrial batteries, solar systems, back-up systems, standby systems, charging systems and battery distribution networks. As a main OEM supplier to premium European car manufacturers, Mutlu maintains maximum customer satisfaction level while aiming to improve its OEM success at home and abroad, it stated. TradeArabia News Service The company looking for MH370 will search one more spot before calling off the hunt and returning home. Ocean Infinity has been scouring the ocean since January for the missing Malaysian Airlines plane that vanished on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board. The Malaysian Government, which offered $70 million if it found the Boeing 777 or its black box, on Monday abandoned the search after no success. The latest search for MH370 is being conducted by U.S. firm Ocean Infinity (pictured), which was offered US$70million if it found the plane during a 90-day search Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Wednesday the search could resume if new evidence comes to light But the firm said its Seabed Constructor ship would make one more stop in the southern Indian Ocean on its way back. The last-ditch effort will examine a spot where a Chinese patrol ship detected an ultrasonic pulse in 2014 that could have been from the black box. Ocean Infinity told The Guardian it wanted to check the area out for itself 'before we head to port and bring this search to a close'. The vessel will spend at least two days surveying the area 25 degrees south and 101 degrees east, but still within the original 112,000sqkm search zone. It will use its eight autonomous drones equipped with sonars and cameras, able to operate at depths up to 6,000 metres. The Chinese ship picked up a pulse with a frequency of 37.5kHz, which is the same as emitted from an airline black box. Boeing 777 Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 flies over Polish airspace on February 5, 2014 The private search came after an Australian-led hunt, which covered a vast area of the southern Indian Ocean and was the most expensive in aviation history, was suspended last year. Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad said the government had no plans at the moment to resume the hunt after Ocean Infinity's search ended. 'We have come to a stage where we cannot keep searching for something we cannot find,' he told a press conference. 'We understand the feelings of the relatives but we cannot allow the search to go on forever. If we find any new information, we may resume the search.' Pilots called on the Chinese Government to pick up where the search left off, claiming everyone spent four years searching in the wrong place. Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke (left) and MH370 Response Team leader Azharuddin Abdul Rahman (right) at a press conference on Wednesday Byron Bailey, who flew for Emirates out of Dubai for 15 years, claims the plane could have been found years ago if they listened. He said that search was 1,200km north of where he and other aviators believed the plane was likely ditched by pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah. They should have instead focused on a 4,000sqkm area about 130km south of where the airline ran out of fuel, which he believes the plane is in. 'If they search there, I think there's a 90 per cent chance they'll find it,' he said. A Malaysian mosque has banned tourists after a video of two female visitors in skimpy outfits dancing in front of the Muslim holy site went viral. The video shows the women, dressed in shorts and crop-tops, dancing on a low wall outside the main mosque in the city of Kota Kinabalu, in Borneo Island's Sabah state. Residents and local Muslim groups were incensed by the women's risque moves, and the mosque, which is renowned for its beautiful blue and gold dome and ornate minarets, has now banned all tourists. The nationality of the women in the video, who are of East Asian appearance and believed to be foreigners, is not clear. As the pair dance in the video, an outraged onlooker can be heard saying: 'Why don't they just fall off the wall?' Mosque chairman Jamal Sakaran slammed 'the unacceptable behaviour by foreign tourists' and announced a temporary halt to any tourists visiting the mosque, in order to 'preserve the sanctity of Islam'. State Tourism Minister Christina Liew told The Star newspaper that legal action would not be taken against the pair, as they were likely unaware of the severity of their actions. Causing upset: The video shows two women in short shorts and crop-tops doing a barefoot dance on a wall outside the mosque in Kota Kinabalu, on Borneo Island Ban: After the video went viral, the mosque chairman slammed 'the unacceptable behaviour by foreign tourists' and announced that all tourists would be banned from visiting However, Ms Liew said authorities still wanted to track the women down, in order to explain 'that something they deemed as "fun" was actually disrespectful and not right in Sabah'. Large numbers of tourists - both local and foreign - visit the mosque, often during a brief stop in Kota Kinabalu before heading into the jungles of Sabah to experience the state's abundance of wildlife. Tourists can usually visit mosques in Muslim-majority Malaysia, where most practise a moderate form of Islam, but are advised to wear modest clothing. It is not the first time that foreign visitors have landed in hot water for disrespecting local culture in Sabah. In 2015 four Western tourists pleaded guilty to obscenity charges for taking nude photos on popular peak Mount Kinabalu, an act some in the country blamed for causing a deadly earthquake. Malaysian authorities are investigating the marriage between an 11-year-old Thai girl and a 41-year-old Malaysian Muslim that has sparked public outrage and calls for child brides to be banned. Rubber scrap dealer Che Abdul Karim Che Abdul Hamid secretly married the girl as his third wife in Thailand, and the union became public after one of his wives lodged a complaint with police. Muslim girls under the minimum legal marriage age of 16 can wed with the consent of the Shariah court and their parents. Muslim men in Malaysia can marry four wives. Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has said the marriage was illegal as it had not been approved by the Shariah court. She is meeting officials Monday to discuss the issue, her aide said. Rubber scrap dealer Che Abdul Karim Che Abdul Hamid secretly married the girl as his third wife in Thailand, and the union became public after one of his wives lodged a complaint Photos on social media showed the groom holding the girl's hand after the marriage ceremony. Local media said Che Abdul Karim, who is also an imam in a rural village in northeast Kelantan state, already has two wives and six children aged between 5 and 18. He told Bernama news agency that his marriage was lawful and approved by the girl's parents, who are poor rubber tappers in Malaysia. He has said he will only formalise the marriage in Malaysia when the girl turns 16 and that she will stay with her parents until then. The girl was also quoted as saying by local media that she doesn't understand the fuss over her marriage as she is in love with Che Abdul Karim. Wan Azizah has told local media that officials are investigating if the parents approved the marriage due to poverty. She said an initial investigation showed the girl, who doesn't attend school, was wooed twice and that her mother had told the man the girl was too young and asked for the marriage to be consummated only when she turns 16. Photos on social media showed the groom holding the girl's hand after the marriage ceremony She also said the girl's elder brother was grappling with juvenile problems, adding to the complexity of the issue. 'Paedophilia, child exploitation, child pornography... we must be firm on this as children are our responsibility,' she was quoted as saying. Activists have urged the government to raise the minimum age for marriage to 18. The U.N. children agency called the latest child marriage 'shocking and unacceptable'. The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia expressed concern that allowing child marriage in the name of religion might 'provide cover for paedophiles and child sexual predators.' The National Human Rights Society said government data showed there were as many as 15,000 Malaysian child brides in 2010 and called for laws to criminalize child marriage to protect minors. A man has been deported back to his country after violent and depraved sexually explicit images and videos were found on his phone. The Malaysian national, 43, was expelled from Australia after arriving at Perth International Airport on Wednesday. He was transferred to the Perth Immigration Detention Centre before the Australian Border Force officers deported him on Friday morning. A Malaysian man (above), 43, has been expelled from Australia after having arrived at Perth International Airport on Wednesday The man (above) was transferred to the Perth Immigration Detention Centre before the Australian Border Force officers deported him on Friday morning The videos found on the man's phone were believed to have been of 'extreme depravity and violence', but it is understood they did not contain images of child exploitation. The Border Force cancelled the 43-year-old's tourist visa, who had arrived on a flight from Kuala Lumpur. Australian Border Force regional commander for Western Australia Mark Wilson said there were no images depicting child exploitation found on his phone. 'Visitors to Australia need to be aware that we are constantly on the lookout for this sort of prohibited material and anyone caught engaging in this behaviour risks forfeiting their right to be here,' he said. Four international visitors each week are reportedly being busted trying to smuggle child exploitation material into Australia. The growing problem forced the federal government to take action earlier this year and establish the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation earlier to improve coordination between federal agencies such as the Australian Border Force. ABF officers have seized sexually explicit material from at least three international visitors at Australian airports in the last week. Two were deported back to Malaysia while a 20-year-old Saudi Arabian national will appear in court in September. A 20-year-old Saudi Arabian national (pictured) has been charged after child exploitation material videos were allegedly located in his baggage at Sydney Airport last week The ABF seized 186 items of 'objectionable' material in 2017-18, The Daily Telegraph reported. 'Child exploitation is a global issue, and is not limited to any nationality. Recently we've detected passengers from Malaysia, Sierra Leone, China and India,' ABF Regional Commander for NSW Danielle Yannopoulos told the publication. 'But we also see Australian citizens both arriving and departing with child exploitation material.' A 20-year-old Saudi Arabian national will appear in court in September after child exploitation material videos were allegedly located in his baggage at Sydney Airport last week. The ABF revealed on Saturday that officers stopped the man for a baggage examination after he arrived on a flight from Malaysia on a tourist visa on July 6. The 20-year-old Saudi Arabian national (pictured) was granted strict bail conditions to appear in court in September Officers allegedly found multiple videos containing child exploitation material on two mobile devices and a laptop in his luggage. The man was interviewed and subsequently arrested by ABF officers before he was transferred to Mascot Police Station, where he was charged. He appeared in court via videolink last week, where he was bailed to appear in September. He had to surrender his passport, report to police on a daily basis and live at a western Sydney address as part of the strict bail conditions, The Daily Telegraph reported. A Malaysian man (above), 43, was deported from Australia after having arrived at Perth International Airport on Wednesday On Friday, another man had his tourist visa cancelled and was deported back to Malaysia after violent and depraved sexually explicit images and videos were found on his phone. The Malaysian national, 43, was expelled from Australia after arriving at Perth International Airport on Wednesday. He was transferred to the Perth Immigration Detention Centre before the Australian Border Force officers deported him on Friday morning. The videos found on the man's phone were believed to have been of 'extreme depravity and violence', but it is understood they did not contain images of child exploitation. A second Malaysian was also deported after he was allegedly found with child exploitation material this week. The Malaysian national (pictured) was transferred to the Perth Immigration Detention Centre before the Australian Border Force officers deported him on Friday morning Officers stopped the man, 38, for a baggage examination after he arrived at Melbourne Airport on board an Air Asia flight from Malaysia on an Electronic Travel Authority on July 10. During an examination of his mobile device, officers found two videos and 20 photos containing material deemed to be child exploitation material. His visa was cancelled and he was transferred to Maribyrnong Immigration Detention Centre before he was removed from Australia. The maximum penalty for an individual importing or exporting child exploitation material is $180,000 and/or imprisonment for 10 years. A second Malaysian national, 38, (pictured) was deported after ABF officers found two videos and 20 photos containing material deemed to be child exploitation material at Melbourne Airport this week Commander Yannopoulos said that the ABF will not tolerate the importation of this abhorrent material. 'ABF officers are alert to the threat of this material coming into the country and won't hesitate to take action against anyone found in possession of it,' she said in a statement on Saturday. 'Individuals that view and possess this kind of material are fuelling a global trade in child exploitation that puts vulnerable young people at risk both here and overseas.' People with information about the illicit importation and export of child exploitation material are urged to contact Border Watch at australia.gov.au/borderwatch. It has been nearly a year since the rollout of VAT in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with Bahrain set to join them on January 1, 2019. When the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members signed the Common VAT Agreement of the States of the GCC in 2017, they agreed to implement value-added tax (VAT) at the unified rate of five per cent, but with varying legislative parameters for each country. This was a major step for the GCC region that had in the past levied little tax and relied heavily on oil revenues instead. The move aligns with Bahrains Economic Vision 2030 and is part of the countrys economic diversification plan that aims to reduce budget deficit and develop sectors including finance, real estate, oil and gas, healthcare, education and transport. Further developments in taxation can be expected, with ongoing discussions about the possible introduction of remittance tax, expat tax, corporate tax and transfer pricing across the region. There are fears that VAT will have negative implications for businesses and individuals in Bahrain. However, a broad-based VAT at a low rate is unlikely to dissuade investment in the country or the wider region, whose appeal lies in its strategic geographical location that allows easy access to every market in the Middle East. Preparation is critical because VAT non-compliance could lead to severe penalties, business disruption and potential reputational risk. Companies that have been operating in a largely non-tax environment should start to prepare, analyse the impact of the new tax in detail, assess the internal systems and educate employees on the changes. It all begins with understanding the Bahrain VAT. What is VAT? VAT is an indirect tax on the consumption of goods and services that is charged and collected by a taxable person or entity and remitted to the tax authority. It is commonly misunderstood as a tax on business, which it is not, as the businesses are only tax collectors. How will VAT work? At present, Article 3 of the Bahrain VAT Law provides for a standard VAT rate of five per cent, while certain goods and services may be classified under zero rate or exempt from taxation. For example, supply of vacant land and buildings by way of lease or sale, necessities for people with special needs, and personal luggage and gifts carried by travellers will be exempt from VAT. Some of the goods and services that will be zero-rated in Bahrain include: Oil, gas and oil derivatives Supply and imports of foodstuffs Transport Construction of new buildings Supply and imports of certain medicines and medical equipment Supply and imports of investment gold, silver and platinum with a purity level not less than 99 per cent that is tradeable on the global bullion market (subject to obtaining a certificate) Educational services, as well as the supply of related goods and services to nurseries, pre-schools, primary, secondary and higher education institutions Supply of goods under a customs duty suspension scheme The first supply of gold, silver and platinum after extraction for commercial purposes Supply and import of pearls and precious stones (subject to obtaining a certificate) The introduction of VAT certainly brings an additional layer of challenges for multinational companies, as ERP solutions will need to factor in compliance. However, VAT-compliant accounting software and ERPs enable an easy transition and help businesses manage their VAT returns, invoicing, reporting, adjustments, payments and refunds. What is the tax period, and when should returns be filed? The regulations specify the duration of the tax period, which should not be less than one month. Companies must bear in mind that the deadline for filing the VAT return is the last day of the month following the month in which the tax period ends. They also need to issue their customers tax invoices within 15 days of the end of the month following the supply date. Understanding the tax periods is very important, especially for small and medium businesses, due to the need for efficient cash flow management. Penalties or preparation? To avoid fines, companies will need to be well-informed of the rules and deadlines. If they neglect to register for VAT, they will face penalties up to BD10,000, and failing to provide the tax authority with the required information could incur fines up to BD5,000. Article 63 of the Bahrain VAT Law also stipulates that the following violations can be regarded as tax evasion and could result in imprisonment: Failing to register for VAT within 60 days of the registration deadline Failing to pay VAT within 60 days of the payment deadline Failing to provide a tax invoice Charging VAT on non-taxable items Unrightfully recovering input VAT When it comes to VAT compliance, it is always better to be proactive than reactive. While it is only natural that it will take companies a while to fully comprehend the various impacts of VAT, business leaders would do well to invest in smart solutions that ensure a seamless transition. TradeArabia News Service * Mansoor Sarwar is regional director technical services and pre-sales at Sage Middle East Luxembourg is set make all of its public transport free in a world first, it has emerged. Trains, tram and bus fares will all be lifted from 2020 in the 999 sq mile European nation, under ambitious government proposals. The plan is part of a fresh environmental drive under the administration of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel after his liberal-led coalition secured a narrow victory in an election in October. Policies also include further investment in public services, introducing two new public holidays and legalising recreational use of cannabis. Luxembourg is set make all of its public transport free in a world first, it has emerged. The capital, Luxembourg City (file picture), suffers from chronic traffic congestion The country's capital Luxembourg City, suffers from chronic traffic congestion despite being home to just 110,000. Some 400,000 commuters flock to the city for work while 200,000 from neighbouring cross the border France, Germany and Belgium every day. The free fares plan is the latest step in encouraging citizens to use public transport. There is already free transport for under 20s while secondary school students can use free shuttles between schools and their homes. Currently, commuters pay just 1.78 for two hours of travel - but even this low fare will be scrapped under the plan. The finer details of the proposal are still to be determined - including what to do about first and second-class carriages on trains. Bettel was sworn in for a second term on Wednesday. The foreign policy of the European Union's wealthiest but second smallest state is unlikely to change much, with Jean Asselborn keeping his post as foreign minister while Pierre Gramegna remains finance minister in the new administration. Bettel's Democratic Party, the Socialist Workers Party (LSAP) and the Greens, who have together ruled the Grand Duchy since 2013 signed a new accord until 2023 on Monday and settled ministerial posts on Tuesday. The Christian Social People's Party (CSV) - which was led for 19 years by EU chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker - remained the largest party in parliament, but lost seats, as did the LSAP and the Democratic Party. However, because the Greens gained, the three parties in government have 31 seats in the 60-seat chamber. Joyce and Jerry McLean sifted through twisted metal and broken glass Wednesday on the property where their mobile home once stood, hoping to find precious family possessions that might have survived the devastating California wildfire that leveled Paradise. They were among hundreds of residents who were finally allowed back into neighborhoods on the east side of town a month after the blaze killed at least 85 people and destroyed about 14,000 homes. The couple, dressed in white hazmat suits and wearing leather gloves, searched for his gold wedding band, a Bible that belonged to his great-grandmother and Christmas ornaments made by their son when he was a boy. 'We didn't own expensive things, but we had a lot of memory things,' said Joyce McLean, 73. 'If I can find a little piece of his family or just a little piece of my son, I would be happy.' Hundreds of residents were finally allowed back into neighborhoods on the east side of town a month after the blaze killed at least 85 people Wednesday marked the first time residents of Paradise got a firsthand look at what was left of the town of 27,000 people that was hit the hardest by the blaze Earlier in the day, a long line of cars waited in a cold drizzle at a checkpoint to enter areas where evacuation orders had been lifted. Crews in yellow slickers were still clearing debris from burned homes and removing trees from streets littered with melted plastic trash cans and hollowed vehicles on tireless rims. Some residents have been allowed back into nearby communities in the fire zone, but Wednesday marked the first time residents of Paradise got a firsthand look at what was left of the town of 27,000 people that was hit the hardest by the blaze. More than 50,000 people in Paradise and two neighboring areas were forced to quickly flee the towering, wind-driven flames that charred 240 square miles Authorities said 11 people were still unaccounted for in what was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in at least a century More than 50,000 people in Paradise and two neighboring communities were forced to quickly flee the towering, wind-driven flames that charred 240 square miles (622 square kilometers). Authorities said 11 people were still unaccounted for in what was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in at least a century. Joyce McLean said she had seen photos on social media of her burned home and knew one of the only things that survived was an American flag flying on a pole. 'We lost everything but the clothes on our backs,' she said about their harrowing dash for safety. In their search Wednesday, they found tools that belonged to Jerry McLean's father and a set of souvenir spoons that belonged to Joyce McLean's mother, but there was no sign of the precious items they had hoped to find. The communities will have very limited services for the immediate future, and authorities urged returning residents to bring food, water and fuel for vehicles They were also warned they should not move back into homes until ash and hazardous waste have been cleared and that rain could increase the risk of flash floods and mudslides 'I don't think we're going to find the Bible, not much chance,' said Jerry McLean, 72. Joyce McLean said the thought of returning after the fire had made her nervous and emotional, but she wanted to at least recover the flag. 'I think something was telling us to be there,' she said about the images she saw on social media. 'The only thing that was standing was the flagpole, with the flag still flying, and our welcome sign with our name and address.' The couple is temporarily renting a house in the region, but they plan to again live in Paradise and have already bought a two-bedroom mobile home to replace the one they lost. Homes leveled by the Camp Fire line the Ridgewood Mobile Home Park retirement community in Paradise The communities will have very limited services for the immediate future, and authorities urged returning residents to bring food, water and fuel for vehicles. They were also warned they should not move back into homes until ash and hazardous waste have been cleared and that rain could increase the risk of flash floods and mudslides. The McLeans said they plan to keep searching the rubble for their precious possessions. 'Today was just kind of a come-to-Jesus meeting to see what's here, what's not, mostly not,' Jerry McLean said. Princess Charlotte added an extra royal engagement to her brief public life an unexpected visit to a south London pub to use the loo, MailOnline can reveal. The fourth in line to the throne nipped into The Phoenix in Stockwell to use the ladies after she was caught short while travelling down the notoriously busy A3 trunk road. Regulars and staff were stunned by the visit with one punter joking: 'It just goes to show that the royals are like any other family. When your kid needs to go to the loo, they got to go!' The three-year-old youngster was led into the unassuming local boozer by her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, who held her hand. Princess Charlotte added an extra royal engagement to her brief public life an unexpected visit to a south London pub to use the loo, MailOnline can reveal The fourth in line to the throne nipped into the Phoenix in Stockwell with her mother to use the ladies after she was caught short while travelling down the notoriously busy A3 trunk road Regulars and staff were stunned by the visit with one punter joking: 'It just goes to show that the royals are like any other family. When your kid needs to go to the loo, they got to go!' Princess Charlotte, who attends morning classes at the Willcocks Nursery in Kensington, was wearing black shoes, white tights, blue skirt, with a white blouse and light-blue coat. Her mother was more casually dressed in patterned blue culottes and a navy blue long-sleeve top. A plain-clothed female detective from the Royal Protection Squad had gone into the pub a few minutes ahead of the regal pair to check the toilets. The young princess, whose confidence outshines her shyer older brother, was completely unfazed by the brief visit. Maggie McKinney, a regular at the friendly street corner pub, told MailOnline: 'I was sitting in my usual chair and when I looked up I saw Kate Middleton, I mean the Duchess of Cambridge and her daughter Princess Charlotte. 'The little kiddie just trotted in with her mum, went to the toilet and then trotted out. They could not have been in the pub for more than ten minutes. 'Someone went up to the bar and asked if the wee girl could go to the toilet and then in they came. 'They seem very nice, totally normal. Princess Kate was holding her daughter's hand. Princess Charlotte was just any other little girl.' The three-year-old youngster (pictured with her mother in July 2017) was led into the local boozer by her mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, who held her hand Princess Charlotte (pictured with Prince George at Princess Eugenie's wedding), who attends morning classes at the Willcocks Nursery in Kensington, was wearing black shoes, white tights, blue skirt, with a white blouse and light-blue coat Her mother was more casually dressed in patterned blue culottes and a navy blue long-sleeve top. A plain-clothed female detective from the Royal Protection Squad had gone into the pub a few minutes ahead of the regal pair to check the toilets Widow Maggie, 76, a regular for the past 26 years, added: 'The Phoenix is a lovely little pub, very friendly.' Another regular, who asked not to be named, said: 'I was on my way to the pub when I saw the Duchess of Cambridge getting out of a black Range Rover which was parked on a side road. 'Then her daughter Princess Charlotte got out and they walked to the pub. A man in a suit stood by the side of the car. I couldn't believe it.' Neither the manager of the Phoenix or a spokesman for Backbar Pubs and Bars Ltd which owns the bar would comment on the unofficial visit. But a third regular described how the royal protection officers stayed by the bar to wait for the mother and daughter. 'A plain-clothed woman police officer came in first and checked the toilets,' he said. 'Then the Duchess of Cambridge walked in holding Princess Charlotte's hand. The little girl went to the loo and then they left. 'The police woman sat by the bar while Princess Charlotte and Princess Kate were in the toilet. Maggie McKinney, a regular at the friendly street corner pub, told MailOnline: 'I was sitting in my usual chair and when I looked up I saw Kate Middleton, I mean the Duchess of Cambridge and her daughter Princess Charlotte' Ms McKinney added: 'The little kiddie just trotted in with her mum, went to the toilet and then trotted out. They could not have been in the pub for more than ten minutes. They seem very nice, totally normal' 'The diplomatic protection officer warned customers not to take any pictures so no one got their phones out. 'No one really knew what was going on until one guy recognized Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge. 'They had parked their Range Rover outside. There were other police officers inside. But it was only the female police officer who came inside. 'The pub staff have been told not to tell anyone about it. It was about a quarter to two last Thursday. 'There were only a few of us in the pub at the time. No one noticed to start with, but when Princess Kate came in we started to look up.' A spokeswoman for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge declined to comment about Princess Charlotte's visit to the Phoenix pub when contacted by MailOnline. She said: 'This is not something we will be commenting on.' Princess Charlotte's impromptu visit to the south London pub follows in the footsteps of her grandfather, uncle and a prime minister who both found themselves caught out in a drinking establishment. A third regular described how the royal protection officers stayed by the bar to wait for the mother and daughter The diplomatic protection officer warned customers not to take any pictures so no one got their phones out. A spokeswoman for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge declined to comment Prince Charles was just 14 when he ordered a glass of cherry brandy at the Crown Inn in Stornoway, after giving his security detail the slip during a school excursion to the Isle of Lewis, in Scotland, in 1963. Prince Harry was 17 when he was caught smoking marijuana at the Rattlebone Inn in Sherston, Wiltshire, while he was spending the summer at his father's Highgrove estate in 2001. Former Prime Minister David Cameron left his daughter Nancy, then aged eight, behind at a Plough Inn pub in Cadsden, near his official residence Chequers, where the family were having drinks on a Sunday lunchtime in 2012. Distraught Samantha Cameron returned to get Nancy who had been left on her own for 15 minutes. A judge was forced to delay the sentencing of a man convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend after he was wheeled into court violently shaking and foaming at the mouth. Father-of-one Joseph Merlino III was set to be sentenced in a Virginia Beach court for injecting Ellie Tran, the mother of his three-year-old daughter, with cyanide and killing her in 2017. But he was unresponsive when he arrived in the wheelchair for the hearing on Wednesday and was rocking from side to side, prompting Judge Les Lilley to delay his sentencing until Monday. A jail doctor said Merlino might be suffering from a mental condition caused by stress, the Virginia Pilot reported. Scroll down for video Convicted murderer Joseph Merlino III, 31, was rocking from side to side and foaming at the mouth in a wheel chair on Wednesday, prompting a judge to postpone is sentencing. A jail doctor said Merlino might be suffering from a mental condition caused by stress A jury convicted Merlino (left) of first-degree murder in June for killing Ellie Tran (right) in 2017. He injected her with a fatal dose of cyanide while they were in the midst of a bitter custody battle over their daughter, who was two at the time Prosecutors recommended a life sentence but Judge Les Lilley delayed the sentencing until Monday Prosecutors even asked whether was exaggerating or feigning illness to avoid hearing his fate, which is set to be a life sentence. Merlino was said to have started showing signs that he was sick around 8am, a jail deputy told WTRK. 'This came out of nowhere,' Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Mario Lorello said. 'We didn't find out about it until this morning.' A jury convicted Merlino of first-degree murder in June for killing Vietnam native Tran in 2017. He gave Tran the fatal dose while the pair were locked in a bitter custody battle over their daughter, who was two years old at the time, and while Merlino was messaging a new girlfriend in China. Prosecutors said the legal battle of the child was likely Merlino's motive. Merlino had gone on a hunger strike in jail around two months before his trial began and lost about 40 pounds. The strike ended shortly after the trial, on July 4. Merlino was said to have started showing signs that he was sick around 8am 'This came out of nowhere,' Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Mario Lorello said. 'We didn't find out about it until this morning.' Since then he hadn't shown any signs of problems, officials claimed. He even spoke to WTKR last week, saying he was in good spirits and planned to appeal his murder conviction. 'He hasn't been on meal monitoring for quite some time,' jail spokeswoman Kathy Hieatt added. Merlino attacked the 35-year-old Tran on February 14, 2017, while she was pulling into her driveway. As she was walking to the front door, Merlino grabbed her and injected with cyanide. Tran was declared brain dead a few hours later and died the next day. Security cameras Tran installed because she was scared of Merlino caught his vile act,. She put the devices in place because he had previously tried breaking into her home and terrified her children. Merlino had gone on a hunger strike about two months before his trial began and lost about 40 pounds. The strike ended shortly after the trial did, on July 4. He spoke to a news outlet last week and insisted he was in good spirits Tran's mother said she saw Merlino across the street, just moments after the attack. She also was the one who identified him in the video shown in court. Prosecutors also found that Merlino had used his computer to look up searches related to cyanide, three weeks before his attack. A FBI cryptanalyst also testified about the defendant's use of code in letters to his girlfriend in China. The letters included instructions on how to create a fake web alibi for him. Merlino claimed that he was 150 miles away at the time of the murder. Prosecutors have recommended that he get life in prison when he is sentenced on Monday. A 26-year-old drunk driver broke down in tears as she was sentenced to between 30 years and life in prison for killing six people, including her sister, in a wrong-way crash. 'I ask God every single day to give comfort to those who are hurt by this,' Olivia Carolee Culbreath, 26, told the California court according to KTLA. 'I want people to know I would die a million times over again for any one of you.' 'I'm going to punish myself for the rest of my life,' she continued. 'I was so wrong, and I take full responsibility.' Olivia Culbreath, 26, (left) openly sobs in court as she provides a statement during her sentencing for the 2014 deaths of six people including her own sister Maya (right) Culbreath's red Camaro had collided with the Ford Explorer being driven by Gregorio Mejia-Martinez and carrying his family, killing the four people in the SUV In February of 2014, Culbreath had been drinking before driving at more that 100mph down the wrong way of 60 Freeway in Diamond Bar, California, in her red Camaro. Witnesses said she then collided with a red Ford Explorer carrying a family of four inside, killing everyone, along with her own two passengers. The victims in the Explorer were Gregorio Mejia-Martinez (47), his wife Leticia Ibarra (42), their daughter Jessica Jasmine Mejia (20), and Jessica's grandmother Ester Delgado (80). The crash also included Joel Cortez's Ford Freestyle, though he himself would survive the wreck In Culbreath's car, her older sister Maya Louise Culbreath and friend Kristin Melissa Young, both 24 at the time, died as well. Joel Cortez, a man driving a Ford Freestyle also caught in the crash, survived suffering minor injuries at the time. Culbreath had pleaded no contest to six counts of second-degree murder this year, KTLA reported, and though her blood alcohol content was at .15 percent three hours after the collision, she was not charged with drunken driving. Between 2010 and 2011, the teenager at the time had been convicted of a DUI and had two citations even before the fatal incident to come. After her license was reinstated, she was warned future infractions could result in murder charges, according to NBC Los Angeles. Jared James Chance, 29, has been charged with mutilating a dead body and concealing a death following a police search of his Grand Rapids home A man has been charged in the dismemberment of a woman in his apartment in western Michigan. Police discovered human remains outside a stairway leading to Jared James Chance's apartment and in the basement of the building in Grand Rapids on Sunday. Officers they searched the two-unit building following reports of suspicious activity and found blood inside the 29-year-old's apartment. Sgt. Dan Adams told reporters on Tuesday that the suspect was located inside the building and detained. Chance, who has a criminal record, appeared in court Wednesday charged with mutilating a dead body and concealing a death. He is not charged with killing the woman, whose identity has not been released by authorities. The condition of her body and how long she had been deceased prior to being discovered are also unclear. Chance was not accompanied in court by a lawyer who could comment on the charges. A Grand Rapids detective quoted in The New York Post said Tuesday that 'several areas of blood' were found inside Chance's apartment with 'articles that could have been used to dismember a human body.' Police are now looking into whether the body parts belong to a Kalamazoo-area woman who was traveling to Grand Rapids and was last seen on November 29. The missing woman, 31-year-old Ashley Young, is described as an 'acquaintance' of Chance. Grand Rapids, Michigan, where Chance lived and where his missing 'acquaintance' Ashley Young, 31, was believed to have been heading Young's family met with police detectives on Sunday. They told WWMT that she and Chance had known each other, although it was unclear in what capacity. 'The investigation is still ongoing,' Adams told reporters. 'It's a very sensitive investigation. We ask for the public's patience and support. 'Anyone with information is highly encouraged to contact investigators, or Silent Observer.' Chance was convicted in 2016 of possessing a controlled substance, and years earlier of resisting and obstructing police. A steak restaurant in Queensland got a surprise phone call on Tuesday morning to say that their beloved fake cow, Huey, had been found dumped in a nearby park. Huey is famous in the area for his position outside Cav's Steakhouse on the Gold Coast, but on Monday night, a group of pranksters decided to take off with him in the back of their ute. Fortunately for the owner, the whole incident was captured on CCTV and showed the group who had been partying in the back car park of the restaurant driving off with Huey. Huey the cow is famous for his position outside Cav's Steakhouse on the Gold Coast, but on Monday night, a group of pranksters decided to take off with him in the back of their ute CCTV at Cav's Steakhouse (pictured) captured the incident, and locals have allegedly identified the culprit 'Apparently this guy had put it in the back of his ute and he proceeded to try and put it into his lift, but the cow was a little bit big,' restaurant owner Maree Cavill told 7 News. The manager of the adjoining Cav's Steakhouse Butchery, Russel Jones, received a call on Tuesday morning from someone who recognised Huey. 'He was tipped on his side so we went to pick him back up and put him in the back of the truck..and he's now gone back in the paddock,' he said. Donna from Cav's Steakhouse told Daily Mail Australia Huey was usually padlocked, but they'd been preparing to move him and the other cows outside the restaurant for Christmas. Cav's Steakhouse posted about Huey's kidnap on their Facebook page, and locals quickly became outraged. 'The things people do. I hope they get their just desserts. Glad to hear that Huey is safe,' one person wrote. 'Tw***, Glad he's back. Huey the buey is a legend,' another confirmed. Huey's popularity was evident and many praised his safe return. Manager of the adjoining butchery Russel Jones (right) said a local called him on Tuesday morning to say they'd found Huey in a nearby park. Restaurant owner Maree Cavill (left) said people were 'very protective' of Huey, and is considering going to the police Cav's Steakhouse posted about Huey's kidnap on their Facebook page, and locals quickly became outraged, calling it 'udder-ly ridiculous' 'Those cows have certainly had some adventures over the years...if only they could speak!!' one user wrote. Others saw the funny side, calling it 'udder-ly ridiculous'. Donna said Huey and the other cows have had a few other adventures in their 34 years of existence. 'We have to cable tie all of their decorations when we dress them up now so bits and pieces don't go missing,' she said. The restaurant claims it has identified the culprit and Donna said they have been to police. 'Though it's seen as funny to some people they are really special to us and don't want people harming them,' she said. 'We really appreciated the local's who found Huey and made contact with us.' Advertisement A law firm has shared a photo of its young graduates celebrating being admitted to the bar - but not everything is as it seems. Law firm Simpson Grierson, based in New Zealand, shared the image on its Instagram account on Monday. Eight young lawyers were pictured in the post, but an edit had been made before it was made public. The law firm had edited out champagne glasses being held by some of the graduates in an attempt to minimise any controversy the photo may have caused. Law firm Simpson Grierson shared the image on its Instagram account on Monday, with eight young staff members pictured All of the graduates pictured are older than the legal drinking age limit. Poncho Rivera-Pavon, a human resources consultant in charge of law graduates and summer clerks for Simpson Grierson, said the decision to remove the glasses was made in order to keep the focus on the graduates themselves. 'We're very aware of the media sometimes misconstruing things and making it look like it's all about the young lawyers having a drink at work. 'We wanted to make it all about their admission to the bar and how important it is for them, so we decided to remove the glasses,' he told Newsroom. Mr Rivera-Pavon said recent reports of alleged misconduct at other New Zealand law firms was a factor in their decision to edit the photo. A former human resources manager at the firm, Jo Copeland, said there were no issues regarding alcohol when she worked there. The post was deleted by Simpson Grierson and replaced by a different photo showing the graduates without any editing. The post was deleted by Simpson Grierson and replaced by a different photo showing the graduates without any editing (pictured) Daily Mail Australia has contacted Simpson Grierson for comment. The original post was captioned 'congratulations to our 2018 law graduates'. 'This talented bunch was recently admitted to the bar - keep up the good work team,' it read. A Simpson Grierson spokesman told Stuff the photo was deleted as a result of media attention. The law firm had edited out champagne glasses being held by some of the graduates in an attempt to minimise any controversy the photo may have caused 'We're proud of their achievements and shared the photo externally, taking the champagne glasses out so the focus would be on graduates' awesome milestone and not about them having a drink at a work function,' the spokesman said. 'By doing so we seem to have created the opposite effect, which was certainly not what we intended. We're sorry for any unwanted attention that our graduates received as a result. 'We asked our graduates if they'd prefer the photo to be taken down and replaced with an alternative, and several of them said yes.' As President Trump stood beside former presidents Obama, Clinton, Carter and their wives Wednesday during George H.W. Bush's funeral, all but he and first lady Melania were seen reciting The Apostles' Creed. Trump is now receiving criticism for failing to recite the act of faith, as video shows the front row of presidents and first ladies saying the creed in unison while glancing at their programs where the prayer was printed. Trump, however, remained stone-faced with his program in hand and arms crossed, refusing to look down once for assistance as Melania stood at his side - both silent. Social media users were quick to point out the scene at the Washington National Cathedral, critical of Trump as he ran on the base of being devout evangelical Christian, appealing to many conservatives. Donald and Melania Trump failed to recite The Apostles' Creed during George H.W. Bush's funeral Wednesday, while former presidents Obama, Clinton and Carter did so alongside the first ladies Social Media users pointed out the scene, with some calling Trump a hypocrite for portraying himself as a devout evangelical Christian The Apostles' Creed contains a brief summary of Christian teachings and the life of Jesus, with a note of hope for 'forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting'. It outlines the core Christian beliefs with worshipers repeating 'I believe' in God, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. The funeral program had the creed printed in full, with a note: 'Said by all in unison'. THE APOSTLES' CREED I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. Advertisement The Trumps' decision to opt out of the reciting the creed and singing religious hymns has left many questioning the president's beliefs, or if he knows the creed at all. Trump has identified as Presbyterian in recent years and claims to have attended a church of the same denomination growing up. The First Lady confirmed after her visit to the Vatican with the president in May 2017 that she is Catholic. The Apostles' Creed is said by Presbyterians, shutting down some claims that it is outside of his beliefs. 'This is your ''Christian'' evangelical president,' author and political contributor Keith Boykin wrote. The president's daughter Ivanka Trump even recited the creed, despite having converted to Judaism. 'Striking that all the former Presidents and First Ladies recited the Apostles Creed, but Trump and Melania stood silently and did not,' another Twitter user wrote. 'The creeds are at the heart of historic orthodox Christianity.' Another pointed out that Barack Obama, who has been falsely said to be of Muslim-faith was reciting the Christian creed. 'Are you telling me the so-called ''Muslim'' president knew all the words to the Apostles' Creed, but the ''Christian Conservative'' President, did not?', another wrote on Twitter Others seemed unsure of what to make of the scene, calling Trump's behavior 'curious', 'weird', and 'striking'. Video and photos show the first couple standing silent alongside three former presidents and first ladies as they all recited the creed Social Media users pointed out the scene, with some calling Trump a hypocrite for portraying himself as a devout evangelical Christian One man pointed out that Trump started the 'birther' movement, labeling President Obama a Muslim Another Twitter referred to Trump as the 'evangelical hero' Trump has said he is a Presbyterian and grew up going to a Presbyterian church One woman noted that the Apostles' Creed is recited throughout all Christian denominations The version of the creed used at the service was that of the Episcopal Church. George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara were lifelong members of the Episcopal Church. Although both George W. Bush and Jeb Bush were brought up in the church the 43rd president is a Methodist and the former Florida governor converted to Catholicism, the religion of his wife and children. Seated in order of presidential precedence at the funeral, Trump sat in the first seat in the first row with the first lady beside him. Next to her was former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, and then Bill Clinton with Hillary Clinton beside him and Jimmy Carter with wife Rosalynn. The Trumps slipped out of cathedral after the casket carrying the remains of the late Bush was carried up the aisle of the grand church. The 41st president's casket arrived at St Martin's Episcopal Church in Texas Wednesday night where he will lie in repose overnight. The Apostles' Creed is considered Christianity's most core statemtn, at the heart of the Christian doctrine Adnoc Logistics & Services (Adnoc L&S) and Inpex Corporation, a major oil & gas exploration & production company in Japan, have signed a framework agreement for an LNG bunkering partnership in the UAE. Under the agreement, Adnoc L&S, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adnoc Group, and Inpex will explore opportunities for LNG bunkering in the UAE as well as the potential to jointly expand LNG bunkering activities to cover other regions, including Southeast Asia, reported Emirates news agency Wam. The use of LNG as a fuel on non-LNG carriers is expected to grow significantly as ship owners seek new compliance solutions to meet the 2020 IMOs global sulfur cap. The UAE is strategically located as a major bunkering hub and is a reliable producer and exporter of LNG, through Adnoc LNG. The agreement was signed by Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of Adnoc L&S, and Shigeharu Yajima, SVP Global Energy Marketing Division, Inpex. Captain Al Masabi said: "Adnoc L&S has a long-established history in LNG shipping as well as bunkering operations. Our goal, through this partnership, is to offer safe and efficient LNG fuelling solutions to our customers. With the support of our sister company, Adnoc LNG, as well as our partner, Inpex, we see a significant opportunity to become a major player in the LNG bunker market." Yajima said: "It is our great pleasure to announce that we continue to expand our excellent partnership with Adnoc, building on our long-term relationship in the upstream sector. Adnoc and Inpex share the responsibility, as global energy companies, to provide our customers with a safe and efficient fuel that is compliant to international emissions regulations. "As outlined in Vision 2040, our long-term corporate vision, we will look to develop gas demand in Asia and other growing markets. LNG bunkering will be a key component to the creation of natural gas demand. Inpex aims to become a key player in natural gas development and supply in the Asia and Oceania region during the period until 2040." Adnoc and Inpex have had a strong and well-established partnership since 1973 with Inpexs participation in the Umm Shaif and the Lower Zakum fields, within the former Abu Dhabi Marine Areas (ADMA) concession. Inpex joined in the development of three other offshore oil fields: Upper Zakum field in 1977, Umm Al Dalkh in 1978 and Satah in 1980. In February 2018, Adnoc awarded Inpex a participating interest in the Lower Zakum offshore concession, as well as a 25-year extension of the Satah and Umm Al Dalkh offshore concession. If you are considering giving your local garbage collector or bus driver a Christmas present to show your appreciation you may want to think again. Under new rules, the public sector workers will be banned from accepting gifts from the public. Speaking to 3AW radio ,an official from an inner Melbourne council said that gifts are not supposed to be accepted by workers as the gift giver may expect something in return. Moreland City councillor Oscar Yildiz also said that any gift worth over $50 must be declared and most councils across the country would have similar rules. If you are considering giving your local garbage collector or bus driver a Christmas present you may want to think again as the gifts may be banned under new rules An official from an inner Melbourne council said that gifts are not supposed to be accepted by workers in their employ as the gift giver may expect something in return 'It's not just garbage collectors, but we actually guide all our office not to accept gifts,' Cr Yildiz said. 'The public may feel like they could influence the level of service by giving a gift.' 'How ridiculous,' 3AW Drive host Tom Elliott said. Documents outlining gifts and hospitality guidelines from councils available online generally seem to be in agreement that any gifts of cash are strictly not allowed. Also, gifts to a person who is involved in decision making, such as in the contract procurement process, are also strictly a no-no. Small gifts generally under $50 that are infrequent may be accepted by some councils as long as there is no expectation of favourable treatment. Canada on Saturday arrested Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer, in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the U.S. on suspicion she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran The United States government is set to indict a top executive from Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant, in a move that could increase tensions between the two countries. Canada on Saturday arrested Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's global chief financial officer and the daughter of the firm's founder, in Vancouver. She is now facing extradition to the U.S. on suspicion she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran, the Globe and Mail newspaper reported on Wednesday. Chinas embassy in Canada criticized Canada and the United States for the arrest. It also demanded Meng's immediate release. The Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China in Canada said that it resolutely opposes Mengs arrest and demands her immediate release. 'The Canadian police, at the request of the United States, arrested a Chinese citizen who had not violated any U.S. or Canadian law,' the embassy said in a short statement on its website. 'China has already made solemn representations to the United States and Canada, demanding they immediately correct their wrong behavior and restore Ms Meng Wanzhous freedom.' Meng, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said, according to the Globe and Mail. Representatives of Huawei, one of the world's largest makers of telecommunications network equipment, told The New York Times: 'The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng.' Officials for the Canadian and U.S. Justice Departments did not immediately respond to a request for comment. U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws, sources told Reuters in April. 'Wanzhou Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, a Canadian government spokesperson told The Globe and Mail. 'She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday. 'As there is a publication ban in effect, we cannot provide any further detail at this time. 'The ban was sought by Ms. Meng.' The news comes the same day Britains BT Group said it was removing Huaweis equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. Meng, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei (above), was arrested on Dec. 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday New Zealand and Australia have stopped telecom operators using Huaweis equipment in new 5G networks because they are concerned about possible Chinese government involvement in their communications infrastructure. Huawei, the worlds biggest network equipment maker ahead of Ericsson and Nokia, has said Beijing has no influence over its operations. BT said Huaweis equipment had not been used in the core of its fixed-line network, and it was removing it from the core of the mobile networks it acquired when it bought operator EE. A U.S. judge last month issued an order finding that Chinas ZTE Corp violated probation imposed in March 2017 when the company pleaded guilty for conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping U.S. goods and technology to Iran. ZTE is Chinas second-largest telecommunications equipment maker and relies on U.S. components for its smart phones and networking equipment. The probation violation cited by the judge involves the same conduct the U.S. Department of Commerce penalized in April by imposing a ban on U.S. companies selling goods to ZTE. Last month, the Trump administration launched an unusual lobbying campaign directed at allied foreign governments, asking them to press wireless and internet providers in these countries not to use Huawei equipment, according to The Wall Street Journal. American officials have talked to their counterparts in Germany, Italy, and Japan - countries where Huawei products are widely used. The U.S. is worried about the extent to which Chinese-made equipment is used in the telecommunications sectors of countries that host American military bases. The move has been taken with a greater sense of urgency since internet providers are gearing up to purchase massive amounts of hardware for the much-anticipated 5G upgrade. The advent of 5G promises to make superfast internet connection available to consumers. It is expected to speed up the development of self-driving cars and other technologies that rely on the internet of things. Huawei, which sells telecommunications and computer electronics equipment, is the world's second largest maker of smartphones, behind South Korean giant Samsung. Huawei global headquarters is seen above in Shenzhen, China Huawei, which sells telecommunications and computer electronics equipment, is the world's second largest maker of smartphones, behind South Korean giant Samsung. Huawei overtook Apple earlier this year to move into the No. 2 spot, according to Business Insider. Founded in China more than 30 years ago, Huawei's revenue in 2018 exceeded $100billion for the first time in its history, according to CNBC. Huawei has managed to achieve significant global market share despite the fact that it is largely shut out of the American market. American lawmakers have claimed, without evidence, that Huawei passed sensitive information collected by its equipment to the Chinese government. U.S. telecommunications firms fear that partnering with Huawei by allowing it to sell their smartphones would anger the federal government and jeopardize future contracts. Huawei, for its part, has denied sharing information with the Chinese government, as has ZTE. Britain must throw off its 'snobbery' towards technical courses and realise not everyone has to do a degree, the Education Secretary will warn today. Damian Hinds says routes into trades such as construction are too often seen as 'second class' and only good enough for 'other people's children'. In a speech to business leaders in London, he will attack those who 'revere' academic qualifications over technical ones. The attitude is causing too few youngsters to train in vital practical roles despite wages often being much higher than those of graduate jobs, he believes. Damian Hinds (pictured) says routes into trades such as construction are too often seen as 'second class' and only good enough for 'other people's children' As a result, Britain 'risks being left behind' after Brexit because productivity is well behind other nations such as France. Mr Hinds will also reveal the Government is considering a new raft of degree-level diplomas in lucrative technical areas such as construction, engineering, IT and manufacturing. The courses would be developed with employers and the rigour of the curriculum would put them on an even footing with academic degrees. Mr Hinds will say: 'As a nation I'm afraid we've been technical education snobs. 'We've revered the academic but treated vocational as second class. Why has this been tolerated for so long? I think the reason is the 'OPC' problem. For so many opinion formers, commentators and politicians: vocational courses are for 'other people's children'.' During his speech, Mr Hinds will argue that the default route and measure of success for young people should no longer just be an academic one. Unless Britain drops that mindset it will never close the productivity gap with its European neighbours, an ambition that is more crucial as we leave the EU, he will say. Prime Minister Theresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond at Leeds College of Building in 2017 and seeing some of the work young people are undertaking Germany, France and the US all produce over 25 per cent more per hour than the UK. If Britain matched Germany on productivity it could boost taxes available for public services by tens of billions more a year. Mr Hinds will add: 'We need to make clear to young people, and their parents that a degree is not the only path to a great job. 'I'm clear that the school that gets a young person on to a higher apprenticeship deserves as much praise as when it gets someone to university. 'To be clear, the message here is not don't do a degree. The message is you don't have to do a degree. 'We want young people to acquire the higher qualifications that lead to high-skilled, more rewarding jobs whether through a degree, a higher apprenticeship or higher technical qualifications.' The Government has already created 'T-levels', technical alternatives to A-levels, which will be launched in 2020. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders racked up nearly $300,000 on airfare in October as he flew around the country in the final weeks of the campaign. His spending on private jet travel took him to nine states to boost Democrats in the elections, although some of his efforts took him to key presidential primary states. Among those was a trip to Columbia, S.C., to campaign for Democrat James Smith, who was defeated in his bid for governor. He also campaigned in Iowa and other states. The spending by the campaign, Friends of Bernie Sanders, was revealed on campaign finance reports as a contribution to Apollo jets, local site VtDigger.com reported. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks during a rally for Nevada Democratic candidates at the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts on October 25, 2018 in Las Vegas. His 'This cost covered the entirety of the tour from Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Carolina, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, California, and back to Vermont,' Sanders spokeswoman Arianna Jones told the publication. Sanders also flew to Florida in October to campaign for candidate for governor Andrew Gillum. Sanders also traveled to Iowa, where he backed J.D. Sholten in his effort to topple Republican Steve King, who nevertheless won reelection. Sanders' hefty air fare tab came at a time he was calling climate change the greatest threat to the planet. However, his campaign says he purchases carbon offsets. Sanders' campaign says it purchased carbon offsets for the flights AKRON, OH - MARCH 14: Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders boards his campaign plane after a rally at the Akron Civic Theatre on March 14, 2016 in Akron, OH 'Climate change is the single greatest threat facing our planet. On Nov 6th, we must show up at the polls from coast to coast and stand with candidates who are willing and ready to accelerate our transition to clean energy, and finally put people before the profits of polluters,' Sanders tweeted Oct. 17. 'The campaign purchased carbon offsets from NativeEnergy to support renewable energy projects and invest in carbon reduction projects to balance out the emissions produced on the trip,' Jones told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Sanders' advisor, Jeff Weaver, told the Associated Press this week that if Sanders decides to run for president again, he will have 'a much bigger campaign' if he runs in 2020. Mike Betts reportedly took a 2m bonus on top of his 1.7m salary, pictured here with his wife Julie The fat cat boss of a firm that supplies taxpayer-funded cars to the disabled faced calls to quit last night over claims he was given a secret 2million bonus. Mike Betts, who earns 1.7million a year as chief executive of publicly-funded Motability, came under fire from senior politicians from all sides. Nicky Morgan, a former Conservative Cabinet minister, said: If reports that Mr Betts was awarded a bonus of 2million in addition to his very large salary are correct, clearly he should consider his position. It is hard to see how it could be justified. Another politician threatened to put Motability and Mr Betts on trial and charge them with contempt of Parliament over claims that the full scale of his pay was kept from MPs. The warning was made by Frank Field, who is chairman of the Commons work and pensions committee. His panel conducted a joint inquiry into Motability fat cats pay with Mrs Morgans Treasury committee. He said: If it is correct an undisclosed bonus of 2million is going to Mr Betts, we will need to consider whether to bring Motability back before us for contempt, given that they may not have provided us with full information on salary packages when they appeared before us. We will want to ask Mr Betts to clarify the scale of his earnings and whether the full facts were kept from us. Mr Betts pay was heavily criticised earlier this year in a joint inquiry by Mr Field and Mrs Morgans Commons committees, which called his multi-million pound earnings grotesque. The Daily Mail revealed on Tuesday that the extra 2million is said to have been promised to Mr Betts for his work as head of Motability, a charitable scheme that supplies vehicles to wheelchair users and others in return for part of their benefits. Mr Betts, who lives in a 5million riverside apartment overlooking Tower Bridge in London, earns 11 times more than Theresa May. Insiders say the 2million bonus was agreed five years ago, but has not come to light until now. Chairman Neil Johnson (right) and CEO Mike Betts (left) arrive for Parliamentary select committee hearing into their cash stockpiling at the charitable car scheme for the disabled in March 2018 It is thought that Mr Betts will be entitled to the vast sum, which is not related to his pension, in the near future. The revelation comes after the Mail reported in February the scandal at the heart of Motability, which was set up in 1977 to help disabled people get around by leasing a car, scooter or powered wheelchair. This newspaper revealed how the charity, which gets all its money indirectly from the state purse, is hoarding 2.4billion of public money enough to pay for seven new hospitals or 30 new schools. The then-work and pensions secretary Esther McVey ordered three inquiries as a result of the Mails revelations, including one by the National Audit Office, which is due to be published tomorrow. Last night Labour peer Lord Rooker said: Mr Betts and all the directors should consider their positions. There is no justification for this sort of money being taken for running a public service. Tory MP Nigel Mills, who sits on the Commons public accounts committee, added: I would be very concerned about this enormous bonus, and if it is true then there is only one option which would be to have a wholesale change at the top. My constituents will be horrified that basically a charity boss is getting not only 1.7million in pay but a 2million bonus on top. Motability Operations Ltd offices at Gate House, Southwark Bridge Road in London It would be bad enough for a high-flying banker, but what Mr Betts is running is not a risky business he is getting taxpayers money to run a charitable service for the disabled. Motability, which was founded in 1977, supplies more than 600,000 vehicles. Its customers 58-a-week mobility benefits are paid directly to the company, in return for a new vehicle. Motability gets 2billion a year in disabled benefits and income from the second-hand car market when vehicles are sold after three years. It also receives 750million-a-year tax relief which stops private competition. The firm is owned by Barclays, Lloyds, RBS and HSBC and borrows from them to buy new cars for its fleet. A Motability spokesman has said that full details of Mr Betts pay had been given to MPs, adding: Our reporting of all executive remuneration is fully in line with the Companies Act. Mr Betts received a mauling when he appeared before Mr Fields panel in Parliament nine months ago. Mr Field lambasted him over the large, large, large amount of money going into your pocket, adding: It is an affront to the disabled cars for the disabled is bread and butter stuff. It just needs intelligent book-keeping. There was no mention of a 2million bonus at the time. A prison escapee who tunnelled out of a notorious Bali prison has narrowly avoided being captured at airport customs - claiming it's the 'most nervous' he's been after more than a year on a run. Australian man Shaun Davidson, 35, escaped Kerobokan Prison after digging his way out in June 2017. In cheeky Facebook posts, Davidson updated eager followers on his whereabouts as he continued to hide from authorities. 'Just went through customs got pulled aside for secondary inspection most nervous I've been so far Hahaha still walked free positive vibes only,' Davidson wrote on Facebook early Thursday morning. Scroll down for video Australian man Shaun Davidson (pictured), 35, who tunnelled out of a notorious Bali prison has narrowly avoided being captured at airport customs In cheeky Facebook posts, Davidson updates eager followers on his whereabouts as he continues to hide from authorities The status update was followed by a number of self-satisfied emojis. His legion of followers welcomed the update, one writing: 'Good on you Shaun! Wish we knew where you were!!!!' 'Excellent news! On & On & On We GO! Where he stops. NOBODY KNOWS!' wrote another. In an update on November 15, Davidson told his followers he had arrived in Phuket, Thailand. Davidson checked-in to Phuket, Thailand, in an emoji-laden post to Facebook on November 15 (pictured) Davidson has been on the run after escaping a Balinese prison more than a year ago Only two hours after checking-in, he wrote: 'Sorry don't reply to negativity only good vibes enjoy life.' In status on November 26, Davidson urged Facebook users follow him for updates as he was receiving too many friend requests and was struggling to accept them all. Perth-born Davidson had fewer than three months left on a one-year sentence for passport fraud when he escaped the Balinese jail. He had taunted authorities on social media ever since and in a comment in June he had claimed to be living in Tasmania with plans to travel to Asia later in the year. In an accompanying post soon after the Phuket check-in on November 15, he wrote he only responds to 'good vibes' He fled from the Balinese jail despite only have three months left on a one-year sentence 'Tasmania at the moment but should be moving to Tokyo at the end of the year,' Davidson had written on Facebook. His comment came in reply to speculation surrounding Davidson's whereabouts a year on from the daring jail break. When another person wrote they thought Davidson had not escaped at all but was 'eliminated', Davidson simply replied 'lol'. He and two others fled through a tunnel (pictured). His accomplices were caught soon after Davidson escaped from the Bali jail through a tiny tunnel along with three other inmates, two of whom have been recaptured. Since his daring jailbreak Davidson had used social media to 'check in' at locations including Melbourne, Dubai, Barbados, Singapore, Cuba and the Gold Coast. At one point he even claimed to be back in Indonesia, telling his followers he was there to watch police hunt for him. Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and his allies are taking new steps toward launching a presidential campaign, including interviews with dozens of potential staffers and hiring a pollster and national fundraiser, according to a person close to the Democrat. He's already launched a political action committee that allows him to raise money nationally and hired his 2014 campaign manager, Brad Komar, to run it. Since the PAC was formed in September, Komar has done 80 interviews with possible campaign staffers, the person said. Of those, Hickenlooper, 66, has conducted or participated in 30 interviews. The operation has hired Democratic veteran Anna Greenberg as its pollster and FK & Co. as national fundraisers; it raises money for Democratic senators including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Hickenlooper isn't expected to make a formal decision on running for president until his term ends on Jan. 8. The person close to the governor requested anonymity because Hickenlooper hasn't yet formally launched his campaign. Is he in? John Hickenlooper, governor of Colorado until January 9, is gearing up for a run and expected to announce if he will become an official candidate after leaving office Legacy: Hickenlooper was governor of Colorado when it became the first state to legalize pot, although he opposed the ballot measure which approved the move The moves come as potential presidential contenders step up efforts to get their campaign infrastructures into place. With as many as two dozen possible candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, there is a fierce competition playing out for talent. Hickenlooper's second term in Colorado has been consumed with speculation over a potential presidential run. But he has sounded less ambiguous in recent days. 'We're beyond mulling,' Hickenlooper said in an interview this week. 'I think we're engaging people I've known and trusted and understand some of the subtleties around running for the highest office.' Hickenlooper traveled to battleground states like Florida and Georgia during the final weeks of the midterm elections campaign, as well as the key early voting duo of Iowa and New Hampshire to test his expected 2020 message. At one point he flatly told a New Hampshire waitress he was running for president, only to have to add minutes later that he hadn't formally made a decision and note there were legal issues to saying he was a candidate. It was a typical moment for a notoriously unscripted politician who often quips there's 'no more than five feet between myself and disaster.' His bid would rely on his unorthodox story and quirky personality to cut through the clutter of a packed Democratic presidential primary field. 'I don't think anybody else who's being talked about has been a mayor and a governor and an entrepreneur - not to mention a brewer,' Hickenlooper said in the interview. Hickenlooper was a laid-off oil geologist who struck it rich founding a brewpub in downtown Denver. He parlayed that into a successful run first for Denver mayor and then governor. In his campaigns, Hickenlooper held himself out as a nonpartisan pragmatist who wouldn't run negative ads, instead featuring spots that showed him feeding quarters into overpriced parking meters or jumping out of a plane to promote a ballot measure that expanded the state budget. But there are obvious challenges for an avowedly nonpartisan candidate who spent much of his political career winning the support of Colorado's Republican business leaders. Target: Donald Trump's 2020 election campaign is already under way. The Democratic race is still to begin Despite implementing limits on methane and automobile emissions, Hickenlooper has frustrated some environmentalists with his defense of hydraulic fracturing and the energy industry in general, positions which may put him in a tough spot with a national Democratic primary electorate increasingly agitated about climate change. His no-negative style of campaigning may be jarring for parts of the primary electorate that yearn for a more aggressive candidate to take on President Donald Trump. His base in Colorado allows him to make a pitch as someone who can speak to the heartland, but it means he's distant from the financial centers of Democratic fundraising on the coasts. And though he has several locally high-profile African-American backers in Colorado, he has limited ties to black voters, a key slice of the Democratic primary electorate. Still, Hickenlooper's record in swing-state Colorado was appealing enough to land him on Hillary Clinton's final list of potential running mates in 2016. And his folksy demeanor and unpolished manner may play well in the era of Trump. 'That careful staging, carefully managing to be politically correct and never say anything wrong - that's changed and made it possible for someone like Hickenlooper to shine,' said Alan Salazar, a former Hickenlooper aide and veteran Democratic operative in Colorado. Hickenlooper's moves come as his former chief of staff from City Hall, Sen. Michael Bennet, has started to mull his own bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Bennet and Hickenlooper are still close and advisers to both men insist there's room for two possible Democratic candidates from Colorado. Any campaign will rely heavily on Hickenlooper's record in Colorado, which became the first state to legalize recreational marijuana under his watch, although he opposed the ballot measure permitting that step. It would be based in Denver and sell him as a solution-oriented Democrat who can attract support of all stripes while achieving key liberal goals like expanding Medicaid and gay rights. 'A lot of it will come down to how well we can articulate our vision of making America a place where we fulfill our role on the world stage where every human, every person in the country, has an equal shot, a fair shot at creating their own American dream,' Hickenlooper said. 'That kind of stuff, there's a certain amount of poetry to it - and I'm not much of a poet, but if there wasn't stuff to be learned, how much fun would it be?' Facebook employees are turning on boss Mark Zuckerberg, it was reported last night, as British MPs leaked a trove of documents then accused the company of spying on users' calls and texts and signing secret deals to give access to their data. Former workers described a 'toxic and hostile' atmosphere at the social media giant which has suffered a torrid few years battling data scandals and fake news. Amid the anger, Zuckerberg was forced to defend himself on Wednesday night, saying in a lengthy Facebook post that the company 'never sold anyone's data'. He also denied allegations by Damian Collins, the British MP who leaked the documents, that changes Facebook made to its platform in 2015 were designed to extract money from developers in return for access to data. April 2018: Zuckerberg before a senate committee to testify after it was reported that 87 million Facebook users had their personal information harvested by Cambridge Analytica He wrote: 'We've focused on preventing abusive apps for years, and that was the main purpose of this major platform change starting in 2014. 'In fact, this was the change required to prevent the situation with Cambridge Analytica. 'While we made this change several years ago, if we had only done it a year sooner we could have prevented that situation completely.' Despite his comments, one former senior employee told Buzzfeed News that workers are desperate for a change of leadership. 'People are hoping for a Sundar or Dara moment,' the worker said referring to Uber's new boss Dara Khosrowshahi and Google's chief Sundar Pichai. Another said staff fear being scolded by furious bosses who are 'spouting full-blown anti-media rhetoric, saying that the press is ganging up on Facebook.' The source revealed: 'People now have burner phones to talk shit about the company - not even to reporters, just to other employees.' Damian Collins, the chairman of Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, published secret Facebook documents They said staff are at rock bottom, adding: 'It's the bunker mentality. These people have been under siege for 600 days now. They're getting tired, getting cranky - the only survival strategy is to quit or fully buy in.' A Facebook spokesman last night admitted: 'This a challenging time.' The reports pile even more pressure on Mr Zuckerberg as MP Damian Collins, who is leading an investigation into fake news, yesterday published a 250-page document containing secret emails and private messages between Facebook staff. It revealed Facebook signed deals to give companies such as Netflix and AirBnB special access to user dater and spied on Android users' calls and texts. Facebook stock has plunged in recent months and is set to take a beating when the New York Stock Exchange opens Thursday morning after a hiatus for George H.W. Bush's funeral. Mr Collins used parliamentary privilege to seize the documents - which had been made secret by a US judge - from the founder of US app developer Six4Three, Ted Kramer, who had them as part of a legal case against Facebook. In an extraordinary move when Mr Kramer was passing through London in November, Mr Collins had him escorted to Parliament and threatened to imprison him if he didn't hand them over. The documents reveal: Facebook programmed its android app to see users call and text records in which it admitted was a 'pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective' Facebook aggressively stopped rivals from accessing its users' data to maintain dominance, causing many apps to fail CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally approved a decision to block Twitter's app Vine from accessing users' Facebook friends lists Mr Zuckerberg said he was 'sceptical' that apps with access Facebook users' data would pass data on, as then happened in the Cambridge Analytica scandal Facebook used Onavo app it acquired to spy on users' phone usage, apparently without their knowledge, to identify competitors such as Whatsapp to buy out The messages discuss changes that Facebook made to its site in 2015 which limited apps' access to users' Facebook friends. The app ThisIsYourDigitalLife exploited this feature to get information from millions of Facebook profiles despite only having around 300,000 direct users, which it later sold to political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica. In emails sent ahead of the changes being implemented, Facebook senior staff discussed 'whitelisting' several apps - including Lyft, Tinder, and AirBnB - meaning they would keep full access to friend data. One employee proposed only letting companies who pay a certain amount have access. What do the Facebook emails say? 1. Facebook planned to let its android app read users' call records in which it admitted was a 'pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective' Michael LeBeau (Facebook product manager) wrote on 4 February 2015: 'As you know all the growth team is planning on shipping a permissions update on Android at the end of this month. They are going to include the 'read call log' permission... This is a pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective but it appears that the growth team will charge ahead and do it.' 2. Facebook aggressively stopped rivals from accessing its users' data to maintain dominance, causing many apps to fail. CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally approved a decision to block Twitter's app Vine from accessing users' Facebook friends lists. Justin Osofksy (Facebook vice president) wrote on 24 January 2012: 'Twitter launched Vine today which lets you shoot multiple short video segments to make one single, 6-second video... Unless anyone raises objections, we will shut down their friends API access today. We've prepared reactive PR, and I will let Jana know our decision.' CEO Mark Zuckerberg replied: 'Yup, go for it.' 3. Mr Zuckerberg said he was 'sceptical' that apps with access Facebook users' data would pass this data on, as then happened in the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016 In a 2012 email to Sam Lessin, the company's former VP of Project Management, Mr Zuckerberg wrote: 'I'm generally skeptical that there is as much data leak strategic risk as you think. I agree there is clear risk on the advertiser side, but I haven't figured out how that connects to the rest of the platform. I think we leak info to developers, but I just can't think if any instances where that data has leaked from developer to developer and caused a real issue for us. Do you have examples of this?' 4. Facebook CEOs planned to provide user data to apps which paid Facebook a certain amount Konstantinos Papamiltidas, Facebook's director of platform partnerships, ordered: 'Communicate to all apps that don't spend that those permission[s] will be revoked. 'Communicate to the rest that they need to spend on NEKO [a platform that Facebook uses to sell advertising] $250k a year to maintain access to the data.' Advertisement Konstantinos Papamiltidas, Facebook's director of platform partnerships, said: 'Communicate in one-go to all apps that don't spend that those permission[s] will be revoked. 'Communicate to the rest that they need to spend on NEKO [a platform that Facebook uses to sell advertising] $250k a year to maintain access to the data.' Facebook strongly denied ever selling user data and insisted it only granted these companies 'short term extensions' to preserve user experience. In another email from Mark Zuckerberg himself, sent in 2012, he lays out his vision for how Facebook will generate money in the future, including leveraging developers for access to data. Collins took the decision to publish the documents after Mark Zuckerberg refused to testify directly to the investigation he is leading into fake news He writes: 'I'm getting more on board with locking down some parts of platform, including friends data and potentially email addresses for mobile apps. 'Without limiting distribution or access to friends who use this app, I don't think we have any way to get developers to pay us at all...' In another email, sent around the same time, he discusses charging developers a fee for accessing user data - which he says should 'cost a lot of money' - which they can repay to Facebook by buying their advertising or using their payments service. He writes: 'A basic model could be: Login with Facebook is always free, pushing content to Facebook is always free, reading anything, including friends, costs a lot of money. Perhaps on the order of $0.10/user each year. 'For the money that you owe, you can cover it in any of the following ways: Buy[ing] ads from us in neko or another system. Mark Zuckerberg's statement in full This week a British Parliament committee published some internal Facebook emails, which mostly include internal discussions leading up to changes we made to our developer platform to shut down abusive apps in 2014-2015. Since these emails were only part of our discussions, I want to share some more context around the decisions we made. We launched the Facebook Platform in 2007 with the idea that more apps should be social. For example, your calendar should show your friends' birthdays and your address book should have your friends' photos. Many new companies and great experiences were built on this platform, but at the same time, some developers built shady apps that abused people's data. In 2014, to prevent abusive apps, we announced that we were changing the entire platform to dramatically limit the data apps could access. This change meant that a lot of sketchy apps -- like the quiz app that sold data to Cambridge Analytica -- could no longer operate on our platform. Some of the developers whose sketchy apps were kicked off our platform sued us to reverse the change and give them more access to people's data. We're confident this change was the right thing to do and that we'll win these lawsuits. At the same time as we were focusing on preventing abusive apps, we also faced another issue with our platform -- making it economically sustainable as we transitioned from desktop to mobile. Running a development platform is expensive and we need to support it. Back when the main way people used Facebook was on computers, we supported the platform by showing ads next to developers' apps on our website. But on mobile, Apple's policies prevent us from letting apps run within Facebook and apps take the whole screen anyway, so we needed a new model to support this platform to let people log in and connect with other apps. Like any organization, we had a lot of internal discussion and people raised different ideas. Ultimately, we decided on a model where we continued to provide the developer platform for free and developers could choose to buy ads if they wanted. This model has worked well. Other ideas we considered but decided against included charging developers for usage of our platform, similar to how developers pay to use Amazon AWS or Google Cloud. To be clear, that's different from selling people's data. We've never sold anyone's data. Of course, we don't let everyone develop on our platform. I mentioned above that we blocked a lot of sketchy apps. We also didn't allow developers to use our platform to replicate our functionality or grow their services virally in a way that creates little value for people on Facebook. We restricted a number of these apps, and for others we asked developers to provide easy ways for people to share their content outside of their apps and to Facebook if they wanted. We've focused on preventing abusive apps for years, and that was the main purpose of this major platform change starting in 2014. In fact, this was the change required to prevent the situation with Cambridge Analytica. While we made this change several years ago, if we had only done it a year sooner we could have prevented that situation completely. I understand there is a lot of scrutiny on how we run our systems. That's healthy given the vast number of people who use our services around the world, and it is right that we are constantly asked to explain what we do. But it's also important that the coverage of what we do -- including the explanation of these internal documents -- doesn't misrepresent our actions or motives. This was an important change to protect our community, and it achieved its goal. Advertisement 'Run our ads in your app or website (canvas apps already do this). Use our payments. Sell your items in our Karma store. 'Or if the revenue we get from those doesn't add up to more that the fees you owe us, then you just pay us the fee directly.' Mr Collins, the chairman of Parliament's Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: 'Facebook have clearly entered into whitelisting agreements with certain companies, which meant that after the platform changes in 2014/15 they maintained full access to friends data. 'It is not clear that there was any user consent for this, nor how Facebook decided which companies should be whitelisted or not. 'It is clear that increasing revenues from major app developers was one of the key drivers behind the... changes at Facebook. 'The idea of linking access to friends data to the financial value of the developers relationship with Facebook is a recurring feature of the documents.' Defending his decision to publish the papers, which contravenes a California judge who ruled they should remain a secret, he added that there was a 'considerable public interest'. He said Facebook had failed to give 'straight answers' to his inquiry after Mark Zuckerberg failed to show up to a grand committee featuring politicians from eight countries last week. Where do the Six4Three Facebook papers come from and why is Mr Collins allowed to publish them? The documents seized by Collins and his committee stem from a court case being heard in California between app developer Six4Three and Facebook. Ted Kramer, who owns the developer, launched a suit against Facebook after the tech company restricted to data that one of his apps - Pinkini - could access. The app was designed to identify bikini photos among albums posted by friends on Facebook, and the restrictions effectively killed it. As part of the lawsuit, Kramer accuses Facebook of encouraging developers to build apps based around access to data that it then withdrew. He also alleges that Zuckerberg sold expensive ads to developers in return for long-term access to the data. This form of access was later exploited by Cambridge Analytica in an attempt to affect elections. As part of his case, Kramer got his hands on documents - said to include confidential emails between senior executives, and correspondence with Zuckerberg - apparently showing they knew about issues around the privacy of user data. Facebook fought for months to keep the documents secret, and was ultimately vindicated when a California judge ruled in its favor. But now Collins has published the documents because he is outside of US jurisdiction and protected in his role as a minister heading up an investigation. Advertisement The dossier includes emails written by Mr Zuckerberg himself, as well as hundreds of documents about privileged access to data given by Facebook to certain applications. Mr Collins said: 'I believe there is considerable public interest in releasing these documents. 'They raise important questions about how Facebook treats users data, their policies for working with app developers, and how they exercise their dominant position in the social media market. 'We don't feel we have had straight answers from Facebook on these important issues, which is why we are releasing the documents. 'We need a more public debate about the rights of social media users and the smaller businesses who are required to work with the tech giants. I hope that our committee investigation can stand up for them.' The leak relates to a court case between Facebook, an app developer called Six4Three and its app Pinkini, which allowed users to find bikini photos among images uploaded by their friends. The app was effectively killed when Facebook updated its privacy settings in 2015, and the company is now suing the social media giant. As part of the legal proceedings, Six4Three was handed a trove of documents from Facebook related to its case, but was told to keep them private. They were seized by Collins using an obscure parliamentary rule as a Six4Three executive was passing through London in November. Reacting to the documents being published, a Facebook spokesman said: 'As we've said many times, the documents Six4Three gathered for their baseless case are only part of the story and are presented in a way that is very misleading without additional context. 'We stand by the platform changes we made in 2015 to stop a person from sharing their friends' data with developers. 'Like any business, we had many of internal conversations about the various ways we could build a sustainable business model for our platform. 'But the facts are clear: we've never sold people's data.' Mr Zuckerberg was 'empty chaired' by the grand committee last week after sent executive Richard Allan for the grilling instead. Facebook had demanded the Six4Three papers published today be handed back without being opened by MPs or published. Six4Three managing director Ted Kramer gave the documents to British authorities after being warned he could be banned from leaving the UK if he refused. Mr Zuckerberg was 'empty chaired' by the grand committee last week after sent executive Richard Allan for the grilling instead In an extraordinary sequence of events, he ignored three demands for the emails before being personally served by a Serjeant at Arms and meeting Mr Collins in his Commons office. MPs drew up the 'unprecedented' order to seize the documents after discovering that Mr Kramer was due to visit the UK. Mr Kramer has claimed in court documents he 'panicked' while in the meeting with Mr Collins and his staff, meaning he copied documents from his cloud storage and onto a USB stick. What are the accusations against Facebook? Facebook is facing allegations from all over the world that it has been used to spread 'fake news', interfere with elections, and peddle hate. It is also facing hugely damaging revelations of privacy data breaches among its accounts. Here are some of the controversies it has been embroiled in: 'Fake news' and Russia Facebook has come under the spotlight amid claims that Russian accounts used the platform to spread 'fake news' during the 2016 Brexit referendum. In America, Russians accounts have been accused of using Facebook to harm Hilary Clinton's prospects of being elected over Donald Trump. In the UK, some have claimed that misleading information was used to promote Brexit in the run up to the 2016 referendum. Cambridge Analytica Scandal: The data of around 87 million Facebook users was harvested by the company Cambridge Analytica (CA). It has been claimed CA used the information to assess peoples' personalities and come up with political strategies to sway voters to back Brexit and Donald Trump. Spread of extremism and hate Facebook has been repeatedly criticised for not being quick enough to take extremist content down from its site. Critics have warned that Facebook has become a safe haven for extremists who peddle hate and try to recruit jihadis to kill and maim. Advertisement But after seizing the documents, Mr Collins said: 'Under UK law and parliamentary privilege we can publish papers if we choose to. 'As you know we have asked many questions of Facebook about its policies on sharing user data. 'I believe these documents may contain important information.' In a statement issued after the committee hearing today, Facebook said of the claim that an engineer had flagged concerns about Russians trawling the site for data: 'The engineers who had flagged these initial concerns subsequently looked into this further and found no evidence of specific Russian activity.' Lord Allan has also urged Mr Collins not to reveal the documents. He warned Collins yesterday in an email that the documents are 'sub judice before a court in California' and are 'sealed'. Lord Allan is a Liberal Democrat peer and unlike previous Facebook witnesses at the House of Commons is an expert in Parliament's procedures. He spent eight years as MP for Sheffield Hallam and was succeeded by Nick Clegg, who has since been hired by Facebook since he lost the seat last year. A US judge in California had ordered the files, obtained from Facebook via a legal discovery process, could not be revealed to the public earlier this year. Mr Zuckerberg has repeatedly refused to attend the UK Parliament saying that he has already testified to Congress in the US and before the European Union. 'It is not possible for Mr Zuckerberg to be available to all parliaments,' the firm said. Facebook said after the documents were seized: 'The materials obtained by the DCMS committee are subject to a protective order of the San Mateo Superior Court restricting their disclosure. 'We have asked the DCMS committee to refrain from reviewing them and to return them to counsel or to Facebook. 'We have no further comment.' An Australian town's undrinkable brown and muddy tap water has shocked social media users. A woman posted pictures online of her bath on Wednesday showing filthy water coming out of her taps from her home in Doomadgee, a small Aboriginal settlement in Northern Queensland. She claims the water has been an issue in the area for years but the poor quality hasn't improved despite the Doomadgee water treatment plant being handed millions of dollars for an overhaul in 2010. People have claimed water has been an issue in the area for years, yet nothing has been done The upgrade included a refurbishment of the water treatment plant, upgrades to filter units and new electronics. But that does not appear to have helped residents who have reported that their tap water is still discoloured. Social media users were repulsed by the images shared online and are now calling for the government to step in to help. 'That's disgusting I wouldn't let my pets drink or bathe in that,' one person said. 'Maybe whoever is in charge of your water up there needs to bath there (sic) family in the same water. And most of all i hope they do something about it,' another person said. The Doomadgee water treatment plant was given a million dollar overhaul in 2010 The upgrade was a joint State and Federal Government funded project but still the residents have to put up with filthy tap water. Management of the infrastructure, including the water treatment plant, lay with the Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council. Daily Mail Australia contacted the Doomadgee Aborignial Shire Council, and the office of the Minister for Natural Resources for comment. One US Marine was killed and rescue teams were still searching for five others missing after two Marine Corps planes collided in mid-air and crashed into the sea 200 miles off the coast of Japan because of a 'mishap' during a refueling exercise. Japanese and American officials said they had so far found two of the seven Marines who had been aboard the two aircraft, an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet and a KC-130 Hercules. 'One of the recovered Marines is in fair condition and the other has been declared deceased by competent medical personnel,' a US Marine Corps statement said. The name of the deceased service member has not been released as of early Thursday afternoon. A Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel and US Navy airplane conduct search and rescue operation where two US Marine Corps aircraft have been involved in a dead;y 'mishap' in the skies Two F/A-18 fights jets, similar to the ones pictured, crashed Thursday off the coast of Japan, killing at least one crew member and injuring another. Five others remain missing US and Japanese forces are pictured Thursday searching for five missing crew members President Donald Trump addressed the deadly accident in a tweet, writing: 'My thoughts and prayers are with the @USMC crew members who were involved in a mid-air collision off the coast of Japan. Thank you to @USForcesJapan for their immediate response and rescue efforts. Whatever you need, we are here for you. @IIIMEF' Officials said the crash took place at 2am, after both planes took off from their base in Iwakuni, near Hiroshima in western Japan. Japan's Defense Ministry said the aircraft carrying seven crew members in total collided and crashed into the sea south of the Muroto Cape on Shikoku island in southwestern Japan. 'The incident is regrettable, but our focus at the moment is on search and rescue,' Minister Takeshi Iwaya told a news conference. 'Japan will respond appropriately once the details of the incident are uncovered.' The Maritime Self-Defense Force, which dispatched aircraft and vessels to join in the search operation, said Japanese rescuers found one of the crew members in stable condition shortly after what the Marine Corps labeled a 'mishap.' The second crew member was rescued from the sea 10 hours later and taken to a Red Cross hospital in Tokushima on the island of Shikoku but could not be saved, Major General Yasuko Onouchi, director general of public affairs in Japans Defense Ministry, told The Washington Post. Japanese officials said two crew members were in the F/A-18, and five others in the KC-130. The crash - the cause of which is under investigation - is the latest in recent series of accidents involving the U.S. military deployed to and near Japan. Last month, a US Navy F/A-18 Hornet from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea southwest of Japan's southern island of Okinawa, though its two pilots were rescued safely. President Trump addressed the deadly plane crash in a tweet early Thursday afternoon Rescuers found one of the seven crew members in stable condition while searching for the others, officials said A rescue aircraft plucked the aviators from the water immediately and brought them back to the ship, the Navy's statement said. They were both in good condition and the aircraft carrier has since returned to normal operations, the Navy said. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk also belonging to the Ronald Reagan crashed off the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, causing non-fatal injuries to a dozen sailors. The aircraft carrier participated in a joint exercise known as 'Keen Sword' with Japan and Canada from October 29 to November 8 in waters around Japan and near Guam in the Pacific. Congressional leaders have called the rash of accidents a crisis and blamed it on continuous combat operations, deferred modernization, lack of training and ageing equipment. Last year, 16 service members were killed after a military transport plane crash in rural Mississippi. A military investigation said that the primary cause of that crash was a propeller blade that went into the aircraft's fuselage. The investigation added that the propeller had not received proper maintenance and corrosion had been overlooked. In August 2017, the US Marine Corps ordered its aircraft squadrons to suspend flight operations for 24 hours to review safety of aircraft. US military accidents are a sensitive topic in Japan, particularly for residents of the southern prefecture of Okinawa, home to the bulk of the 50,000 US troops in the country. A series of emergency landings and parts falling from US military aircraft have highlighted safety concerns. In December 2016, the US grounded its MV-22 Osprey aircraft in Japan at the request of Tokyo following a crash southwest of Okinawa. The aircraft has been a lightning rod for opponents to the heavy US military presence on Okinawa, which lies south of the main Japanese island group. When it comes to luxury brands, UAE consumers have tried-and-true favourites. However, new findings reveal a reconfigured landscape of consumer bonding in this highly-visible industry. Amid the luxury categorys average performance in the UAE, Louis Vuitton held its #1 ranking in the industry for the second year running and #16 overall in the UAE in the MBLMs 2018 Brand Intimacy Report. Louis Vuitton is the only luxury brand to make the top 40 overall list. Together Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, Dior, Chanel, Gucci, Cartier, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes and Prada comprised the top 10 luxury brands among UAE consumers, according to the study. Perhaps more surprising, two brands radically shifted position. Hugo Boss jumped from a 12th place in 2017 to displace Chanel as #2. Dior jumped from #8 to #3. Among brands studied, it ranked highest in the nostalgia archetype in the luxury category. The UAE has a complex relationship with the luxury sector, stated William Shintani, managing partner at MBLM. The categorys performance is average in our market, but given the focus on luxury in our daily lives, there are clear opportunities for brands to enhance the strength of their customer bonds and build stronger emotional connections. Brand Intimacy is defined as a new paradigm in marketing, leveraging and strengthening the emotional bonds between people and the brands they use and love. The study reveals that top intimate brands deliver superior results related to revenue and profit growth by creating deeper relationships with their consumers. In this years report, the luxury industry ranked seven out of 15 industries surveyed. The most prevalent archetype the patterns or markers that characterise a brand was identity, which reflects aspirational images or a consumers deeply-held values. This years rankings are the latest findings in eight years of research and analysis related to Brand Intimacy. This years UAE Top 10 Most Intimate Brands (overall) demonstrate the growing dominance of technology and telecommunications as well as automotive emerging as the years top industry. Five of the top 10 brands relate to automotive, aligning with the UAEs car-centric culture. Apple, for the third year in a row, remains in first place and also ranks #1 in MBLMs Mexico and US findings. As a technology & telecommunications brand, Apple and others in this category are strongly linked to enhancement, making users smarter and more connected. Lexus rose to a strong #2 position this year, close to Apples performance, while Mercedes-Benz also improved. Emirates cracked the top 10, in 6th place, demonstrating its strength in building bonds with customers, particularly those 25-34 years old. Demographics offer us a lens to see how intimate relationships are impacted by gender, age and income. In the UAE, men and women seem to form intimate brand relationships relatively equally, with 36 percent of women in the survey having some form of intimacy with brands they use, compared to 33 percent men. Interestingly, 80 percent of the mens top 5 are in automotive, while women have greater variety in their top picks, with apparel representing two of the top 5. Other notable findings in the luxury brands industry report include: Powerhouse luxury brands Hermes and Michael Kors had a surprising dip in performance, dropping six spots each from #3 to #9 and #6 to #12, respectively. Chanel (#4) improved score but not enough to improve or maintain 2017 #2 rank. It scored highest in the Fulfillment, Identity and Enhancement archetypes, and the Bonding stage in the industry. Hermes ranks highest in Ritual, where a brand is ingrained into daily actions. While Gucci ranks highest in Indulgence, delivering moments of pampering or gratification. Gucci ranks highest for male consumers. Overall, the Brand Intimacy Study has revealed that the greater a brands intimacy with consumers, the more consumers are willing to pay and the less they are willing to live without the brand. Methodology During 2017, MBLM conducted an online quantitative survey among 6,000 consumers in the US (3,000), Mexico (2,000), and the UAE (1,000). Participants were respondents who were screened for age (i.e. 18 to 64 years of age) and annual household income ($35,000 or more) in the US and socioeconomic levels in Mexico and the UAE (A, B, and C socioeconomic levels). Quotas were established to ensure that the sample mirrored census data for age, gender, income/socioeconomic level, and region. The survey was designed primarily to understand the extent to which consumers have relationships with brands and the strength of those relationships, from fairly detached to highly intimate. It is important to note that this study provides more than a mere ranking of brand performance and was specifically designed to provide prescriptive guidance to marketers, MBLM said. -TradeArabia News Service Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence has been excused from appearing in a NSW court to face charges over an alleged high-speed stolen car chase with police in 2005. Lawrence, 41, was due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, a fortnight after arriving back in Australia following her release from a Bali prison where she served 13 years' jail for drug smuggling. But her lawyer Drew Hamilton told magistrate Andrew Eckhold that he had contacted the court to have Lawrence excused from attending. Mr Hamilton said there had been 'meaningful discussions' with police over the matter and asked for a four to six-week adjournment until after the Christmas break. Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence has been excused from appearing in a NSW court Lawrence, 41, was due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, a fortnight after arriving back in Australia following her release from a Bali prison Lawrence handed herself in to a Newcastle police station on November 24 to answer outstanding warrants over the alleged high-speed chase with police on March 26, 2005 Mr Eckhold agreed to adjourn the case to January 17 and indicated Lawrence would have to attend on that date if the matter was to be finalised. Lawrence handed herself in to a Newcastle police station on November 24 to answer outstanding warrants over the alleged high-speed chase with police on March 26, 2005. Lawrence was allegedly driving the stolen car with fellow Bali Nine member Matthew Norman. She was caught at Bali airport a month later with 2.7kg of heroin strapped to her body and jailed for 20 years. She served 13 years after being granted sentence reductions. The two ringleaders in the smuggling plan, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed in 2015. Her lawyer Drew Hamilton (pictured) told magistrate Andrew Eckhold that he had contacted the court to have Lawrence excused from attending. Dennis Hutchings (pictured), 77, is facing charges of attempted murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm over the fatal shooting of John-Pat Cunningham, 27, in June 1974 A frail Army veteran who is being prosecuted over the death of a man during the Troubles has suffered a heart attack. Dennis Hutchings, 77, said the stress of the court case had contributed to the potentially life-threatening heart attack. The retired soldier, who is already seriously ill with kidney failure, suffered chest pains while driving with his wife last week. He was treated at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, and discharged after being kept in for five days. Mr Hutchings, a former corporal major with the Life Guards, is facing charges of attempted murder and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm over the fatal shooting of John-Pat Cunningham, 27, in June 1974. It later emerged that Mr Cunningham, who was shot while running from an Army patrol in Co Tyrone, was innocent and had the mental age of a child. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has sparked anger by re-examining every Army killing. The Daily Mail has long campaigned for an end to the hounding of our troops. The great-grandfather said: 'We were driving home after lunch and I felt a tightening in my chest. 'I thought it was indigestion but it was getting worse and worse so I drove to a local hospital. 'Next thing I knew they were putting me in an ambulance. It has been pretty rough. The strain I have been under has definitely contributed to the heart attack. 'But I worry about the other old soldiers who are being pursued. They might not be able to cope with it like I have. 'This ordeal has been terrible for my health. The Government has completely washed its hands of us. We risked our lives for the country and they have thrown us to the lions.' Police in Costa Rica said the murder of a Miami woman found dead this week outside the Airbnb she was staying at was sexually motivated. Director of the country's Judicial Investigation Department, Walter Espinoza, said at a press conference Wednesday his team believes the motive behind the killing of Carla Stefaniak, 36, was 'sexual'. Security guard Bismark Espinosa Martinez, 32, was arrested Tuesday in connection with her mysterious death. The victim's body was found half naked and covered in plastic bags in the back of the San Jose property Monday. Stefaniak told a friend in a FaceTime call last Tuesday - when she vanished - that she was planning to meet up with the guard to ask him to purchase water because it was storming badly. That was the last the friend heard from her before her phone battery died around 9pm. Stefaniak also told her sister-in-law in a text the Airbnb was 'pretty sketchy'. She said it was raining and the power was going out. Police in Costa Rica said the murder of Miami woman Carla Stefaniak (left) found dead this week near the Airbnb she rented out was sexually motivated. Security guard Bismark Espinosa Martinez, 32, (right) was arrested Tuesday in connection with her death Stefaniak had a FaceTime call with a friend and mentioned that she might ask a security guard at the Airbnb to buy her water because it was storming The father of Stefaniak, who went missing while celebrating her 36th birthday in Costa Rica, has identified her body Martinez, a security guard at the villa where Stefaniak was staying, was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the Miami woman's death The father of Stefaniak, who went missing while celebrating her 36th birthday in the country, identified her body late Tuesday. Stefaniak's tearful dad Carlos confirmed after Stefaniak's body was found Monday after she vanished last Tuesday. A posting on the 'Finding Carla' Facebook page set up by her family said Costa Rican authorities had finally allowed her father to view her body. 'Words cannot express the devastation within her family and friends. We want the world to know that we will never forget Carla,' the tribute post read. 'We will never forget the joy she brought into our lives, how much she made us laugh. 'We will always be with her and we know she will always be with us. May god bless her soul.' The listing for the Airbnb is pictured Stefaniak's body was found on Monday half-buried in plastic at the back of the rental property in San Jose, Costa Rica after she vanished last week An autopsy found stab wounds on her arms and neck, while the cause of death was determined to be a blow to the head. Investigators found blood inside the Airbnb where she was staying. Blood is also believed to have been found in his nearby apartment. Authorities said Martinez had been staying next door to Stefaniak and that he gave contradictory statements during questioning. Her family have been on the ground in Costa Rica since she vanished and have been helping local authorities. Stefaniak's father Carlos (above with family friend Greg Zwolinsky) confirmed late Tuesday that the body was that of his daughter. He cried when discussing her killing on GMA alongside family friend Greg Zwolinksy Investigators said blood was found in the Airbnb where Stefaniak had been staying when she vanished last week. Photo courtesy of GMA Authorities said Espinoza Martinez had been staying next door to Stefaniak. Pictured above is another photo of the Airbnb rental. She sent her sister-in-law a text message describing it as 'pretty sketchy' Martinez told Stefaniak's family that he saw her leaving the Airbnb with her luggage at about 5am on November 28 and getting into an unknown car. Her family said it didn't make sense because her flight wasn't until the afternoon and the airport was only 30 minutes away from where she was staying. Espinoza said officials had analyzed surveillance video from the apartment complex. Espinoza said the images in the video also did not align with statements made by the security guard. Stefaniak (right) had been on vacation in Costa Rica with her sister-in-law April Burton (left) to celebrate her 36th birthday. They are pictured together last week Stefaniak had been on vacation in Costa Rica with her sister-in-law April Burton to celebrate her 36th birthday. She was scheduled to fly home alone Wednesday - a day after Burton left Costa Rica. Stefaniak had dropped Burton at the airport and returned their rental car before taking a 30-minute Uber to an Airbnb that she had checked in to for her final night. She had checked into her 1pm flight but never made it to the airport - and never responded to a number of birthday messages from worried family and friends. Hundreds of people have been left fuming after discovering their Christmas presents are sitting undelivered in an Australian Post warehouse. Some customers in Wollongong, south of Sydney, have no idea when they'll receive their orders after Australia Post replaced the delivery contractor for the region, causing chaos. Just three weeks out from Christmas, the government-owned postal corporation have said they're unsure when deliveries will be back on track. One customer who was left confused after one of her deliveries was days late called her local post office in Unanderra for some answers. Some people could go without Christmas presents as thousands of parcels are sitting undelivered in an Australia Post warehouse (stock image) 'The lady that I spoke to said "oh no, it's probably not here because there's thousands of parcels that haven't been delivered,"' Carly Ledgerwood told Daily Mail Australia. 'Australia Post have replaced the delivery contractor (for the region) so there's no one to deliver them.' Ms Ledgerwood asked if it would be possible that she could pick up her parcel as it was being held in a North Wollongong warehouse, but was told there was no public pick-up access. Under the impression her parcel was going to be delivered by Monday, the 34-year-old isn't impressed the postal corporation have failed to update their customers. 'I haven't got a single email or text message at all,' Ms Ledgerwood said. 'It's just before Christmas and there's thousands and thousands of packages that just aren't getting to people.' Hundreds of others are also complaining that they have multiple packages missing and Australia Post are failing to tell them where they are. 'I've been waiting since Tuesday for a delivery. It keeps getting delayed each day,' one user wrote on Facebook. Another woman told Daily Mail Australia heir Australia Post delivery was three days late with the app claiming it was due to 'Christmas Peak'. Some customers have been waiting up to two weeks for their deliveries to be received with many just being alerted their parcels are sitting in North Wollongong. Customers in Wollongong, south of Sydney, are panicking as it's been revealed their parcels have been sitting in the warehouse and are waiting to be delivered (stock image) 'Still waiting for my package its been two weeks. It's been located at North Wollongong for five days and I still didn't receive it,' one woman wrote. Another user was told the chances of ever getting her package was unlikely: 'My parcel hasn't arrived, its been two weeks and auspost are now saying that chances of getting it is slim.' Australia Post said the delays are due to the hiring of a new contractor. While they acknowledge there have been significant delays, the postal corporation insists they've hired more staff to work longer hours in order to fix the issues. 'We have appointed a new contractor to look after Wollongong and Menai parcel deliveries and we are working through the transition to the new arrangements,' An Australia Post spokesperson said. 'While some parcel deliveries may have been delayed during this changeover, we have brought on additional drivers and have been working around the clock to complete all deliveries as quickly as possible - we expect all operations to be back to normal by the weekend.' 'We would like to apologise to those customers whose parcels were delayed, and thank the community for their patience while we on-board the new contractor. Customers with any enquiries about their parcel deliveries are encouraged to contact us on 13 POST or online.' A number of arrests could be made over allegations teachers groomed students for sex at schools on Sydney's northern beaches. Strike Force Southwood is looking into the claims made by former students of schools including Cromer High, where Chris Dawson was once a teacher. Dawson is reportedly not subject to the sexual abuse allegations. In a new The Teacher's Pet podcast following the arrest of Dawson - who has been charged with his wife Lyn's murder - New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said he hopeful alleged victims would get justice. Chris Dawson (pictured) was a teacher at Cromer High School on Sydney's northern beaches when he met Joanne Curtis, who he had an affair with and later married Joanne Curtis, pictured in 2018, was a student at Cromer High School when she met Dawson Ms Curtis (pictured) was 16 when she moved into the Dawson home on the northern beaches He told the podcast how the strike force 'currently running is looking into those matters' raised by students. 'I'm certainly hopeful that any victim that comes forward, even on historic matters, gets justice, our child abuse crime squad are looking into all of those matters,' Commissioner Fuller said. 'I know that people have come forward and we'll continue to investigate those matters with the same passion and vigour that we have since 2015.' In late September it was revealed 40 years of records from the school where Dawson had an affair with teenage student Joanne Curtis had been handed over to police. Ms Curtis was 16 when she moved into the Dawson home, two days after Lyn disappeared. The pair later married but have since divorced. The affair was no secret at Cromer High and neighbours had seen the schoolgirl swimming topless in the family's pool. Cromer, Beacon Hill and The Forest high schools are the three schools on the northern beaches swept up in the strike force investigation. Historical teacher records from the schools were handed to officers following an order from the New South Wales education minister Rob Stokes. Strike Force Southwood was established after former Cromer High School (pictured) students claimed in The Teacher's Pet podcast teachers were having sex with students during the 1980s New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller (centre) said officers are investigating allegations of abuse at three northern beaches schools including Cromer High The strike force was established after former Cromer students claimed in The Teacher's Pet podcast teachers were having sex with students during the 1980s. Mr Stokes reportedly handed down an internal order for staff to track down the historical personnel records so they could be handed over to police. The details handed over to police are understood to include details about performance records and disciplinary action. Robyn Wheeler, who attended Cromer High in the 1980s and was vice-captain of the school, is one former student who has spoken to detectives about the alleged abuse, The Daily Telegraph reported. The 53-year-old told the publication she had met with alleged victims and had provided detectives with the names of 10 teachers. 'At its best it was sexual opportunism it was teachers using their position to have sex with students,' Ms Wheeler said. Teachers also boasted about sleeping with female students and giving them alcohol and drugs before making sexual advances, other students have claimed. Dawson, 70, was arrested by police at the home of his twin brother Paul at Biggera Waters on Queensland's Gold Coast following an investigation into his wife's Lyn's death. He was extradited to New South Wales where he was charged with Lyn's 1982 murder. The plan was to visit the set of the latest David Attenborough series, but my flight to Africa had been delayed. When I arrived, they were all packing up for the night. Thankfully, I was allowed into the VIP enclosure. You might find one or two of the stars hanging around, said the programmes publicity officer. They like to unwind in the lounge after a hard days filming. In a corner of the bar, with their feet up, were two young hippos, swapping tales over a couple of pints. Mind if I join you? I said. The plan was to visit the set of the latest David Attenborough series, but my flight to Africa had been delayed Not at all, old boy, said the first hippo, who had an unexpectedly posh accent. His name was Adrian. It turned out hed spent much of his youth on secondment to Chessington Zoo in Surrey. I didnt set out to upgrade my accent, he said. It just sort of rubbed off on me, as these things do. He told me he was literally exausted, after some pretty gruelling filming. David was desperately keen to film us having a scrap with a lion or a crocodile. I put him in touch with an old lion pal of mine called Geoffrey, whos got a CV as long as your arm, and won an Emmy for his work on Daktari. Geoffreys always popping up on wildlife documentaries, chasing this, that and the other. Producers simply LOVE him. Hell always go that extra mile, is relatively inexpensive and, of course, still devilishly good-looking. Oh, look there he is! Adrian the Hippo waved in the direction of a lion sitting at the bar, nursing a pina colada. In return, the lion blew him a kiss. I never imagined youd be such good pals, I commented. I had seen YouTube footage of a hippo and a lion fighting by the waters edge, and it had all looked very real to me. Dont be daft! said Adrian. Once the cameras are turned off, were all the best of friends! I mean, take a look at them! He pointed towards the far corner of the lounge. A group of hyenas were sharing a laugh with an antelope. Just an hour ago, they were out on location, coming to blows for the cameras, said Adrian the Hippo. But the moment David shouted Cut! they stopped, and were congratulating each other on their performances. Geoffrey the Lion strolled over. I was just telling Craig how much I admired your performance today! said Adrian. And I simply ADORED that very, very slight hesitation you made before leaping on top of me and baring those gorgeous teeth of yours! It ratcheted up the tension quite beautifully! Pure genius! Geoffrey affected indifference at this compliment, but you could tell he was lapping it up. You were marvellous, too, Adrian, he said. You put on that WONDERFUL scared expression of yours its an absolute winner, darling! He turned to me. No one but NO ONE does scared better than Adrian, he added. David Attenborough (pictured above) helped create the new Dynasties programme I moved over to the group of hyenas in the far corner. They were reminiscing about their early work on Wildlife On One. It was all very primitive the lighting was DESPERATELY unsympathetic, and the make-up was as crude as can be one had to get on ones knees and BEG for even the faintest DAB of blusher! Tell me about it! And they barely rehearsed us! David, lovely David, would simply point to the darling little antelope and tell us to improvise first wed have to surround him and then, on cue, wed have to make our trademark funny little noises! One FELT ones way into the part it was all very Method in those days! While the hyenas continued to chuckle, the antelope wiped the fake blood off his fur. I suppose we overdid it, if Im honest but, then again, theres nothing the viewers appreciate more than a proper bloodbath. At this point, I spotted Sir David himself near the entrance, congratulating a crocodile and a wildebeest on the days shoot. You really looked as if you were going for him! he told the crocodile, who laughed appreciatively. In fact, were old mates, the wildebeest chipped in. We first met on the set of Out Of Africa with Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. Do you know Bob? TO BE CONTINUED... Captain Andrew Collins, 54, pleaded not guilty to indecent exposured despite varying witness accounts as to the contrart A United Airlines pilot accused of indecent exposure says he did not willfully expose himself when he stood naked at the window to his 10th-floor hotel room at the Denver International Airport. Captain Andrew Collins, 54, admitted to standing in the window but denied he was purposely parading himself, despite several witness accounts to the contrary. He pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge Wednesday in Denver County Court. A police probable cause statement says Collins 'knowingly and willfully' exposed his genitals to the general public at the Westin Hotel in September. The Virginia man says he did not know people could see him when he opened the curtains to look at the landscape in the window of the 10th floor of his Westin Hotel room at the Denver International Airport. 'We're not disputing the fact that I was standing nude in front of the hotel window,' the 22-year veteran said of the September 20 incident, according to the Denver Post. United Airlines spokeswoman Erin Benson said last month that the pilot had been suspended pending an internal review. A trial has been scheduled for March. A TSA agent informed police that he saw Leesburg, Virginia, man 'touching himself' and waving at him from the 10th floor of the Westin Hotel at the Denver International Airport A TSA agent informed police that he saw Leesburg, Virginia, man 'touching himself' and waving at him but Collins asserted that that wasn't the case.'Some witnesses said I was dancing, gyrating and waving,' he added. 'I'm completely innocent. It's really unfortunate that it happened at all.' 'From this hotel room, you cannot see people going about their business inside the concourse,' lawyer Craig Silverman claimed. 'The concourse windows are tinted green and are opaque and reflective. It's like looking at a green wall or a green mirror' Denver police said that Collins 'knowingly and willfully' exposed himself, reporting that two United employees and a passenger saw the man and gave credible statements as to what he was doing. 'The suspect did open the window to his hotel room, which overlooks the hotel plaza, and in full view of the public did stand in his window fully nude, exposing himself and his genitalia to the general public,' a police report stated. On the day of the incident, Collins shared that he had been awake for more than 30 hours and had been sent to various airports while a severe thunderstorm pummeled the country. He didn't get up until 10.30am, very late for the pilot. 'I was getting ready for a shower and was talking on the phone,' he explained. 'It was a beautiful morning and I opened the curtains to my window. I couldn't see the terminal.' The pilot claimed to have been on the phone for roughly 24 minutes. Soon after, police began pounding on his door and had their guns drawn when he opened. Collins was handcuffed and taken to the airport jail. 'It was a surreal experience, I'll tell you,' he said. Collins has been 'removed from his duties pending an internal review.' Facebook indicates that the man is married to a flight attendant named Jill Babich Craig Silverman, popular talk-show host and lawyer for Collins, said last month that he went to the hotel room where his client had been. 'From this hotel room, you cannot see people going about their business inside the concourse,' Silverman claimed. 'The concourse windows are tinted green and are opaque and reflective. It's like looking at a green wall or a green mirror.' But Silverman did find that from the concourse, people could see inside the hotel. 'From inside the concourse, at that time of the morning, unbeknownst to my client, you can see into the Westin rooms, but the distance is such that you cannot see much other than a human form. My client had a reasonable expectation that no one could see into his window. He was unaware of any people looking at him as he focused on his important phone call while walking around his room,' Silverman said. 'There is zero evidence of any sexual activity demonstrating an intent to arouse or to satisfy the sexual desire of any person.' Collins had been running for president of the Air Line Pilots Association, at the time of the arrest. Once he was arrested, Collins decided to pull his campaign even though there were only three weeks left. 'I shut the campaign down after that,' said Collins. His Facebook profile suggests that that the man is married to a flight attendant named Jill Babich. A British version of a violent American neo-Nazi group has called for Prince Harry to be shot because he is a 'race traitor' for marrying Meghan Markle. The Atomwaffen Division was founded in the US around 2013 with the aim of destroying civilisation in order to build a national socialist state, and has been linked to five murders. Its UK offshoot is known as the Sonnenkrieg Division, which a BBC investigation claims was set up by university student Andrew Dymock. The 21-year-old, who is the son of a dentistry professor from Bath, denies this or any other wrongdoing. The BBC also alleges it had evidence identifying one of the group's key propagandists as Oskar Koczorowski, a 17-year-old from west London. Its investigation found hundreds of messages exchanged between neo-Nazis in Europe and the US over several months. These included key figures in the Atomwaffen Division, which is German for 'atomic weapon'. The group's leader, Brandon Russell, was sentenced to five years in prison earlier this year after police found bomb-making materials in his apartment in Tampa, Florida. Members of the Hitler-loving terrorist group are also known to practice hand-to-hand combat, camping, survival and firearm use skills. The chat logs also provide information on the creation of the Sonnenkrieg Division. One user called 'Blitzy' called Sonnenkrieg 'Atomwaffen with less guns [sic]' and stated in one message 'kill all police officers'. The BBC claims 'Blitzy' is Mr Dymock and that he and Mr Koczorowski were involved in spreading propaganda. One image posted by a member of the group showed Prince Harry with a gun to his head with the outline of a swastika and the caption 'see ya later, race traitor!' Andrew Dymock (left) and Oskar Koczorowski were both named in a BBC investigation as members of the Sonnenkrieg The hateful claim is a regular fixture on far-right forums that are widely accessible to the public. Mr Dymock told the BBC through his lawyer that its allegations were 'wholly incorrect' and he was not a member of any of the groups mentioned. The lawyer said any interest he did have was 'associated with his studies' at university in Wales. Mr Koczorowski appeared at the door of his home in a hoodie emblazoned with the Atomwaffen Division logo. He did not respond to the allegations. The BBC has passed all its findings on to the police. Sonnenkrieg is thought to have 15 members in Britain and Europe, at a maximum. Australian parents are being urged to refrain from encouraging their daughters to play with dolls if they want them to succeed later in life. Curtin University 'feminist academic' Dr Marilyn Metta said toy choices in early childhood would affect girls' future career prospects. 'Limiting girls to traditional girl toys has a direct impact on the under-representation of women in science and technology and engineering,' she told SBS program Is Australia Sexist? Scroll down for video Australian parents are being urged to refrain from encouraging their daughters to play with dolls if they want them to succeed in later life (still from SBS program Is Australia Sexist? Dr Metta, who teaches sociology and anthropology to students in Perth, also suggested parents steer boys away from toy trucks and towards dolls to improve their social prospects as adults. 'Boys have a lot to gain from playing and being exposed to traditionally girls' toys,' she said. 'It gives them the opportunity to develop human skills like relational skills, interacting with people, developing empathy. 'Those skill that are very, very crucial for healthy, emotional development.' Curtin University sociology lecturer Dr Marilyn Metta said toy choices in early childhood would affect girls' future career prospects (pictured are children from SBS's Is Australia Sexist?) Traditional boys' toys helped develop spatial awareness while dolls were regarded as items that helped develop nurturing skills. Dr Metta said gender stereotypes based on toy choices for children had the effect of 'limiting of the skills that they develop'. As part of another experiment on gender roles, SBS dressed boys in girls' clothes and girls in boys' outfits to see what toys adult volunteers would give them to play with. The male volunteers gave a toy dinosaur and a train to girl dressed as a boy while a female volunteer gave a toy tea set to a boy dressed as a girl. Dr Metta describes herself as a 'feminist academic in anthropology and sociology' and on her Curtin University staff profile website. Lobbyists working for Saudi Arabia paid $270,000 to reserve 500 rooms over a period of three months at President Donald Trumps Washington, D.C. hotel just weeks after he won the 2016 election, it has been reported. Lobbyists reserved the rooms at the Trump International Hotel and then offered them to military vets, who were gifted with a free trip to Washington, D.C., according to The Washington Post. The lobbyists then sent the veterans to Capitol Hill to lobby Congress against a law that Saudi Arabia opposed, according to the Post. Qorvis/MSLGroup is a Washington lobbying firm that has represented the Saudis. Records obtained by the Post show that the firm paid for veterans group to fly in to Washington, D.C. But the lobbyists said that they chose Trumps hotel, which was charging an average nightly rate of $768, because it was offering a discount and had rooms available. They deny that it was a way to reward Trump financially. Trumps relationship with the Saudis has drawn scrutiny in recent weeks after he came to the defense of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler believed to have ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Khashoggi, a legal U.S. resident, was believed to have been killed and dismembered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. U.S. intelligence agencies believe the Crown Prince ordered his killing. Khashoggi had written columns critical of the Saudi royal family in The Washington Post. Veterans interviewed by the Post said that they were never told that Saudi Arabia was subsidizing the trips. It made all the sense in the world, when we found out that the Saudis had paid for it, said Navy veteran Henry Garcia. Garcia, a resident of San Antonio, went on three trips that he initially believed were organized by other veterans. Thats why he was surprised to find himself and other vets staying in private rooms with open bars and free dinners. Garcia said one of the organizers who was drinking minibar champagne told him that we were just used to give Trump money. The lobbying firm and the Saudi Embassy declined to comment. An executive who works for Trumps hotel said that they were not aware the rooms were being purchased with Saudi funds. The executive would not say how much the hotel charged per room at the time of the trips. The Post examined trip itineraries provided by veterans groups. It calculated that the Saudi government paid for more than 500 nights in Trumps hotel rooms. The unusual arrangement has prompted two federal lawsuits accusing Trump of violating the Constitutions emoluments clause. The attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia on Tuesday formally demanded financial records from Trumps businesses as part of their lawsuit. The attorneys general issued subpoenas to the Trump Organization Inc, the presidents privately owned real estate company, and related corporate entities. The flurry of subpoenas came one day after U.S. District Judge Peter Messitte in Greenbelt, Maryland, began the cases discovery phase, which allows litigants to demand answers to specific questions and production of sensitive documents. The U.S. Department of Justice, which is defending the president in the litigation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Among other documents, the attorneys general are seeking revenue statements and tax returns from the Trump Organization entities. Ignoring the subpoenas would result in a finding of contempt of court, said George Brown, a professor at Boston College Law School. Royal Air Maroc, the Moroccan national carrier, will join global airline alliance oneworld, to become the third Arab airline member besides Royal Jordanian (a member since 2007) and Qatar Airways (a member since 2013). Royal Air Maroc is expected to be implemented into oneworld in mid-2020, when it will start flying alongside some of the biggest and best brands in the airline business. Its regional subsidiary Royal Air Maroc Express will join as a oneworld affiliate member at the same time. Its election as a oneworld member designate was announced as the chief executives of the alliances 13 current member airlines gathered in New York for their year-end Governing Board meeting, just weeks before the alliance celebrates the 20thanniversary of its launch. From then, the recruits will offer the full range of oneworld customer services and benefits, with the one million plus members of Royal Air Marocs Safar Flyer loyalty programme able to earn and redeem rewards on all oneworld member airlines, and with its top tier members able to use the alliances more than 650 airport lounges worldwide. While Southern Africas Comair, which flies as a franchisee of British Airways, has been a oneworld affiliate member since the alliance launched in February 1999, Royal Air Maroc will be oneworlds first full member from Africa the only continent, apart from Antarctica, where the alliance has, until now, had no full member. It will also be the alliances first new full member airline signed since 2012 - although Fiji Airways links to the alliance from today as its first oneworld connect partner, the first new membership platform since the alliance was established. Royal Air Maroc is today the largest unaligned carrier in Africa with a transformational strategy well underway to develop it quickly into a truly global airline and the continents leader in terms of both size and quality. It carried 7.3 million passengers last year on a fleet of 55 aircraft, with a network that currently connects its Casablanca base with 94 destinations in 49 countries across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North and South America, including oneworld hubs Doha, London Heathrow, Madrid, Moscow Domodedovo, New York JFK and Sao Paulo. Its schedule today will add 34 new destinations and 21 countries to the oneworld map, taking the alliances network to 1,069 airports in 178 countries and territories Under its ambitious five-year plan, it plans to expand its fleet significantly, carrying 13 million passengers a year across a global network serving 121 destinations in 68 countries. This will add another 15 destinations and nine countries to the alliance networkgiving the alliance a total of 1,084 destinations in 187 countries and territories. Three established oneworld member airlines British Airways, Iberia and Qatar Airways currently serve three destinations in Morocco between them: Casablanca, Marrakech and Tangier. TradeArabia News Service High-profile criminal lawyer Brett Galloway (pictured) was allegedly caught drug driving A high-profile criminal lawyer was allegedly caught driving through Sydney's eastern suburbs with methylamphetamine in his system. Brett William Galloway, 58, pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of an illegal drug when his matter was briefly mentioned in the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday. Police allege Galloway was driving a green Mini Cooper sedan along Hargrave Street in Paddington, about 4.40pm on September 28, when he was stopped for a random roadside drug test. The court heard the oral test allegedly recorded a positive reading for methylamphetamine, commonly known as the drug ice. Galloway has been the longtime legal advisor of Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim (right) Galloway's representative - fellow leading lawyer Paul McGirr - entered the not guilty plea on his behalf. He told Daily Mail Australia outside court he would be investigating if the police drug and alcohol testing was targeted at his client. 'Part of the dispute will centre on how random the testing actually was,' Mr McGirr said. 'He passed a breath test and it was nothing to do with his driving manner, so at this stage it's a contested matter.' Galloway has been a longtime legal advisor to Kings Cross identity John Ibrahim. He has also represented Ibrahim's brothers Sam and Fadi, as well Fadi's wife Shayda Bastani who was initially charged with conspiracy to murder before the charge was dropped and dismissed. Galloway was also once called upon to represent disgraced property developer Salim Mehajer who was charged with assaulting a taxi driver. But Galloway later withdrew himself from the matter. He also represented Ibrahim's brother and Fadi (right), as well Fadi's wife Shayda Bastani (left) who was charged with conspiracy to murder before the charge was dropped and dismissed Galloway was also once called upon to represent disgraced property developer Salim Mehajer (pictured) who was charged with assaulting a taxi driver, but later withdrew himself from the matter In 2009, Galloway acted for convicted drug dealer Richard Buttorse, the nephew of media identity Ita Buttrose, when he was charged and later convicted of cocaine possession and supply. Galloway's representative Paul McGirr entered the not guilty plea and outside court told Daily Mail Australia they would be contesting the matter. The matter will return to court for a hearing on March 1. The more English a person feels the more likely they are to believe immigration has had a negative impact on Britain's economy and culture, a new survey has revealed. But despite the survey finding that Scottish National Party voters were the most likely to be positive about the cultural and economic affects of immigration, there was little difference between the overall views of those north and south of the border. The new data is part of the English and Welsh and Scottish attitudes towards immigration report produced by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) and published today. The new data is part of the English and Welsh and Scottish attitudes towards immigration report produced by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) It brings together data from the recent British and Scottish Social Attitudes surveys, conducted by the NatCen and ScotCen during the second half of 2017. It found that the majority of people in both England and Wales and Scotland were more positive about immigration than negative. In Scotland, 46% viewed immigration as good for Britain's economy, while 43% of Scots felt it enriched the country's culture. This was similar to England and Wales where 47% of people thought immigration was good for the economy and 43% that it was good for its culture. However, when NatCen looked at views based on political alliance and national identity, it found that the more English people felt the more likely they were to view immigration negatively. While 43% of respondents who identified as English not British said immigration was bad for the economy, 32% said it had undermined British culture. This compared to 17% and 8% of those who identified as British not English respectively. Leave voters in both regions were much more likely to be negative about the impact of migration. Despite the survey finding that Scottish National Party voters were the most likely to be positive about the cultural and economic affects of immigration, there was little difference between the overall views of those north and south of the border. Undated pic of Edinburgh Report author and senior research fellow at NatCen Sir John Curtice said there did not appear to be any consistent link in Scotland between identity and perceptions of the economic consequences of migration. He added: 'The more English people felt, the more negative their view on immigration. 'The more strongly that someone feels English relative to their sense of being British, the more likely they are to believe that immigration has undermined Britain's culture, and the less likely they are to indicate that immigration has enriched that culture.' However, SNP voters were far more likely to think immigration was a positive - with 57% saying it had enriched British culture and 59% saying it was good for the economy. Sir John said that SNP voters in 2017 holding positive views about migration helped create the impression Scotland as a whole did as well. But he said those Scots who supported other parties were less positive about immigration. Sir John added: 'Consequently, although the balance of opinion about migration is much the same in Scotland as in the rest of Britain, the link between attitudes towards the subject and how people vote at election time is somewhat different north of the border.' A government crackdown on the number of gold-plated oligarchs allowed into the UK will come into effect tomorrow, it has been reported. So-called Tier 1 investor visas allow the super-rich to fast-track their move to the UK in return for millions of pounds of investment into government bonds or British businesses. But as of midnight, the visas will be suspended in a bid to reduce organised crime and money laundering, according to the Times. No new Tier 1 visa applications from foreign investors will be accepted and the granting of visas will be suspended until further notice. Those who have already submitted their applications will have them processed. Russian oligarch and Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich withdrew his golden visa application earlier this year Under future reforms for Tier 1 visas - expected to introduced next year - investors will have to provide audits of their finances which will be regulated UK auditing firms. They will also have to prove they had control of their money for at least two years before they apply for the visa and will not be able to invest in government bonds so more money is directed into British companies. What is a Tier 1 visa? You can apply for a Tier 1 (Investor) visa if you want to invest 2,000,000 or more in the UK and are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. Applicants must also 'be able to prove that the money belongs to either you or your husband, wife, unmarried or same-sex partner.' Applicants can invest 2,000,000 or more in UK government bonds, share capital or loan capital in active and trading UK registered companies, apply to settle after 2 years if you invest 10 million and apply to settle after 3 years if you invest 5 million. Advertisement Last night immigration minister Caroline Nokes said the UK hoped to block foreign investors from abusing the system while helping those that seek to invest in UK companies. She told the Times: The UK will always be open to legitimate and genuine investors who are committed to helping our economy and businesses grow. However, I have been clear that we will not tolerate people who do not play by the rules and seek to abuse the system. That is why I am bringing forward these new measures which will make sure only genuine investors, who intend to support UK businesses, can benefit from our immigration system. It is thought Russian and Chinese citizens make up 60 per cent of the 3,000 foreign investors who have been granted Tier 1 visas in the last ten years. The government crackdown on the number of gold-plated oligarchs is a bid to reduce organised crime and money laundering Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said the UK hoped to block foreign investors from abusing the system The controversial investor passes have been widely condemned by critics who believe they are open to being tainted by the proceeds of corruption and may have led to stolen funds from Russia and China being laundered through Britain. Under the system, oligarchs were able to invest either 2million, 5million or 10million in government bonds or British businesses. In return the Government would allow them to apply for permanent residence in the country for five, three or two years. After that time is up, they can apply for British citizenship, the Times reported. As of midnight, no new applications from foreign investors will be accepted. Those who have already submitted their applications will have them processed. Under future plans which are expected to come into play by next year, investors will have to provide audits of their finances which will be regulated UK auditing firms. They will also have to prove they had control of their money for at least two years before they apply for the visa and will not be able to invest in government bonds so more money is directed into British companies. Karl McLeish, 54, groomed his victims, plying them with alcohol, giving them money and odd jobs as he tried to gain their trust, Liverpool Crown Court heard A depraved pervert raped and sexually assaulted two teenage boys over a 14 year period and forced one of his victims to watch while he engaged in sexual activity with a dog. Karl McLeish groomed his victims, plying them with alcohol, giving them money and odd jobs as he tried to gain their trust, Liverpool Crown Court heard. McLeish now 54, has been jailed for 18 years for the sexual abuse that took place at different locations, some in St Helens, others in London and also Somerset. He still denies the offences, but a jury found him guilty of 13 counts including rape, attempted rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, and sexual touching. In one case, McLeish, from Haydock, in St Helens, engaged in sexual activity with a dog while one of his teenage victims was forced to watch. Judge Anil Murray told McLeish that he went to events around the UK with them, and lavished gifts and treats on them, in a calculated way. He met his first victim, who cannot be named, when he was 16, and gave him booze before touching his penis when on a trip to London. During one rape, the young schoolboy was 'scared and crying, but you just carried on,' said Judge Murray. One of the victims kept the abuse a secret for years because he was scared of any reprisals against him, Martine Snowdon, prosecuting, said. He has since turned to drugs. There were tears in the public gallery when friends and relatives of those abused realised McLeish was to be sentenced to almost two decades in prison. One woman stormed out of court, unable to listen anymore to the shocking details outlined by the prosecution. McLeish's second victim was targeted when he was 14 years old. In one case, McLeish, from Haydock, in St Helens, engaged in sexual activity with a dog while one of his teenage victims was forced to watch Judge Murray told him: 'You were in a position of trust and you groomed him. 'You took him to events around the country, you got him gifts and said you'd give him cigarettes...you showed him pornography...you told him you would batter him if you didn't return.' Judge Murray said his abuse of that victim began with touching over the schoolboy's clothing, but soon turned to rape, with McLeish throwing the teen on the bed and sexually attacking him. The now-adult suffered regular night terrors, and often woke up screaming. He completely lost his trust in people, it was heard, and has once attempted to commit suicide. McLeish, who looked impassive as the case was put before him, showed no emotion as he was led down to the cell. He was a man of previous good character, his barrister Michael Hegarty said, who looked after his mother, who is elderly and unwell. His pre-sentence report concluded McLeish still has 'distorted thinking' towards children as a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) was imposed against him. He must also sign the Sex Offender's Register for life. Judge Murray said the fact that there was a gap of 14 years between the sexual offences demonstrated his sexual offending was 'entrenched.' In Victim Impact Statements, it was heard how the sexual abuse 'devastated' the life of the first victim, causing him to turn to drugs and lose a lot of weight. 'He has been unable to move on from it,' Ms Snowdon said, and he described his life as being 'ruined' because of the offending. The second now-adult male who was sexually attacked still has to sleep with the light on and with his parents sitting in his bedroom until he eventually falls asleep. He wets the bed, Ms Snowdon added, which he finds 'embarrassing', and is in a 'constant state of vigilance at college.' 'He is in constant fear of McLeish coming back. 'He cannot understand why these terrible events happened....he's threatened to take his own life and so his family have to know where he is and that he is safe.' His parents said they were 'living in fear and stress.' Mr Hegarty, representing McLeish, said his client had 'grave concerns' about how his 81-year-old mother would cope while his behind bars. The barrister urged Judge Murray to not impose an extra sentence for the protection of the public. Megyn Kelly is reportedly free to take a new job at any other news outlet as negotiations over her exit from her $69million contract with NBC are closer to being resolved. A source told Variety that Kelly is not expected to be bound by any non-compete restrictions, and can look for employment at other networks. Now, the question remains: where will Kelly go next? MSNBC is no longer an option for Kelly, and according to Variety, CNN, ABC News and CBS News either don't have immediate interest or are not able to find a spot for Kelly. Kelly immediately faced backlash over her blackface remarks in October (above) and she was accused of ignoring the ugly history of minstrel shows and movies in which whites applied blackface to mock blacks as lazy, ignorant or cowardly Now, the question remains: where will Kelly go next? MSNBC is no longer an option for Kelly, and according to Variety, CNN, ABC News and CBS News either don't have immediate interest or are not able to find a spot for Kelly It's also unclear if Kelly will try for a return to Fox News. But Lachlan Murdoch, the executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, said at a conference last month that he's 'very happy with our current lineup on Fox News and we wont be making any changes there'. Negotiations over Kelly's exit from NBC have still not been finalized after more than a month after the scandal over her blackface comments. Kelly reportedly signed to a three-year deal with NBC in 2017, leaving the network to now figure out what kind of severance to offer the host who had a combined $69million contract. It was reported two weeks ago that the host was close to securing a $30million dollar payout from NBC. A source initially told PageSix that the former Today host would sign her exit deal during the last week of November at the earliest. Sources had earlier told DailyMail.com that she had been asking for an additional $10million on top of what was left on her contract. The amount that Kelly will potentially receive from NBC angered several in the media industry who expressed their outrage at the time. 'When my friends get laid off, they get three weeks of severance and a few retweets begging editors to hire them,' Zach Schonfeld tweeted at the time. 'Anyway, congrats to Megyn Kelly for getting $69 million for thinking blackface is fine,' he added. New York Times and Esquire contributor, Maris Kreizman, tweeted at the time: 'I'm feeling sad because I'll never be incompetent and unscrupulous enough to get an 8-figure severance package.' But it was Columbia journalist Bill Grueskin who really put things in perspective. He tweeted that Kelly's payout could also pay for the Texas Tribune's expenses for more than three years. Kelly faced backlash over her blackface remarks and was accused of ignoring the ugly history of minstrel shows in which whites applied blackface to mock blacks Grueskin said that the severance could also take care of Pro Publica's expenses for about 1.3 years. And despite her vile blackface comments on her segment in October, Kelly will still get a significantly sized payout. 'But what is racist?', Kelly said at the time. 'Truly, you do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface at Halloween or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. 'Back when I was a kid, that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character,' Kelly said. She immediately faced backlash over her remarks and she was accused of ignoring the ugly history of minstrel shows and movies in which whites applied blackface to mock blacks as lazy, ignorant or cowardly. Kelly apologized to fellow NBC staffers later in the day and made a tearful apology on her show the following day. The host made her debut as an NBC morning host in September 2017, taking over the 9am slot at Today and saying she wanted viewers 'to have a laugh with us, a smile, sometimes a tear and maybe a little hope to start your day'. She did cooking demonstrations and explored emotional topics. But her blackface comment was perhaps the most controversial statement she had made since joining NBC team, causing the cancellation of her show just 48 hours after the remarks were made. Kelly has been spotted over the last month spending time with friends and family as she celebrated her 48th birthday. Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence is suffering from anxiety and depression, NSW court documents reveal. Lawrence is facing charges over an alleged 2005 high-speed stolen car chase with police. The 41-year-old had been due to appear in Newcastle Local Court on Thursday a fortnight after arriving back in Australia following her release from a Bali prison where she served 13 years in jail for drug smuggling. But her lawyer, Drew Hamilton, told magistrate Andrew Eckhold he had earlier contacted the court to have Lawrence excused from attending. Convicted Bali Nine drug smuggler Renae Lawrence has been excused from appearing in a NSW court Lawrence handed herself in to a Newcastle police station on November 24 to answer outstanding warrants over the alleged high-speed chase with police on March 26, 2005 Lawrence, 41, was due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Thursday, a fortnight after arriving back in Australia following her release from a Bali prison Mr Hamilton said there had been 'meaningful discussions' with police over the matter and he asked for a four- to six-week adjournment until after the Christmas break. Mr Eckhold agreed to adjourn the case to January 17 and indicated Lawrence would have to attend on that date if the matter was to be finalised. After returning to Australia, Lawrence handed herself in to Waratah police station to answer outstanding warrants over the alleged chase with police. Lawrence had been facing charges of car theft, driving unlicensed, exceeding the speed limit by 40 km/h and failing to stop for police before she travelled to Bali in April 2005. Police claim she stole a hatchback at Enfield about 4am on March 26, 2005, and was driving at 130 km/h in a 90 zone at Mooney Mooney before her arrest. Court documents reveal when Senior Constable Luke Williams listed his reasons for releasing Lawrence on bail last month, he argued she was unlikely to receive a custodial sentence over the outstanding charges 'given the accused was just released from custody overseas for a 13-year sentence'. Her lawyer Drew Hamilton (pictured) told magistrate Andrew Eckhold that he had contacted the court to have Lawrence excused from attending. Sen Const Williams also stated Lawrence had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression and was seeking treatment. Lawrence was caught at Bali airport in April 2005 with 2.7 kilograms of heroin strapped to her body and jailed for 20 years. She served 13 years after being granted sentence reductions. The two ringleaders in the smuggling plan, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed in 2015. Military investigators have determined a Marine transporter plane crashed in Mississippi due to shoddy maintenance work undertaken six years earlier - and could have been prevented. The doomed Lockheed KC-130 was flying at 20,000 feet on July 10, 2017, when suddenly, a blade from the left propeller came loose and carved through the body of the plane. The force of impact from the 130 pound propeller colliding with the aircraft was so severe the cockpit was severed from the plane and hurtled towards the ground. Moments later, the fuselage followed and the wreckage of the vessel was strewn over five miles of a soybean field in Greenwood. The jet was transporting personnel and equipment from the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, to Naval Air Field El Centro, California. A witness said some bodies were found more than a mile from the crash site. Scroll down for video The doomed flight climbed to 20,000ft on July 10, 2017, before plummeting to the ground (pictured above) after a propeller severed the plane in two Victims: Top row from left: Staff Sgt. William J. Kundrat, Hospital Corpsman Second Class Ryan Lohrey, Sgt. Joseph J. Murray, Sgt. Dietrich A. Schmieman, Sgt. Talon R. Leach, Sgt. Chad E. Jenson, Staff Sgt. Robert H. Cox, Gunnery Sgt. Mark A. Hopkins, Major Caine M. Goyette, Sgt. Owen J. Lennon, Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Snowden, Sgt. Julian M. Kevianne, Cpt Sean E. Elliott, Gunnery Sgt. Brendan C. Johnson, Cpl. Collin J. Schaaff, Cpl. Daniel Baldassare All 15 Marines and one Navy corpsman aboard the KC-130 aircraft died in the seemingly freak crash. President Donald Trump tweeted after the crash that the 'Marine Plane crash in Mississippi is heartbreaking' as he sent his and Melania's 'deepest condolences to all'. It was originally speculated at the time that the plane - which had ammunition and personal weapons on board - could have exploded in mid-air as the result of on-board fire or ammunition discharge. But a new military report reveals that bad maintenance practices at a Georgia air force base in 2011 are actually to blame. The crashed KC-130 (shown above) was revealed to have corrosion on multiple propellers The report, released on Wednesday, slams 'consistent production errors' at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, citing evidence from the crashed plane that shows employees negligently missed signs of corrosion on the propeller blade during an overhaul of the aircraft. Military officials have known the causes of the crash since the end of last year, and some family members had previously indicated they knew what had happened. In July, Anna Johnson, the window of crew members Gunnery Sgt. Brendan Johnson told The Associated Press: 'Planes don't just fall out of the sky. 'It was a grave mistake, it was an accident that was most likely preventable. 'I don't want their deaths to be in vain. I want something good to come of it.' Fifteen Marines and one Naval soldier were killed in the impact, which saw the wreckage spread across five miles of a soybean field in Jackson, Mississippi. (Pictured: Smoke rising above the trees from the 2017 crash) The report indicates the Air Force has now agreed to adopt the Navy's more demanding overhaul procedures for all propellers. Brigadier General John Kubinec, commander of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, told The Telegraph of Macon that the base expects to restart propeller overhauls early next year. WHAT IS A KC-130 AIRCRAFT? The KC-130 family of transport aircrafts are primarily used by both the the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps. The aircraft is manufactured by Lockheed Martin and is a four-engine propeller-driven plane. It is also sometimes utilized by other branches of the military to transport vehicles, personnel and equipment while also having the capacity to simultaneously refuel two fighter aircraft at 300 gallons per minute. The KC-130J is the latest variant of the planes to be operated by the U.S. Marine Corps, according to Lockheed Martin. 'It is battle-tested and delivers unmatched tanking capabilities delivering fuel to a multitude of platforms, from helicopters to the F-35B Lightning II, the world's most advanced 5th generation multi-role fighter,' according to the Lockheed Martin website. So far, 48 KC-130J planes have been made by Lockheed Martin of the 79 ordered by the military. Advertisement 'When we first heard that work done here in 2011 may have contributed to the mishap, leadership and the (propeller) shop were devastated,' Kubinec said. 'The first thing we did was take action to ensure that processes were in place that this wouldn't happen again. 'That's what our commitment has been since we first heard about it.' The report says a corrosion pit eventually developed into a crack, breaking off from the propeller closest to the fuselage on the left-hand side of the plane. A number of other propeller blades on the four-engine aircraft were also found to have corrosion. Investigators also found a protective coating had been painted over corrosion on some blades from the plane, proving that Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex workers 'failed to detect, remove and repair corrosion infected blades they purported to have overhauled.' The report said inspectors visiting the base were dismayed to find workers relying on memory for how they should conduct propeller maintenance, even though they had laptops with the correct procedures at their work stations. The Air Force doesn't know which technicians inspected the blade in 2011, though, because its previous policy was to dispose of maintenance paperwork after two years. The Lockheed KC-130 was transporting personnel and equipment from the Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina, to Naval Air Field El Centro, California when it crashed just off of Highway 82 in Greenwood, Mississippi Although the Navy had the power to audit work done by the Air Force in Georgia, the report says there's no evidence any audit ever occurred since the Navy handed off the work to the Air Force in 2009. 'It cannot be concluded with any reasonable degree of certainty that the radial crack would or would not have been detected,' investigators wrote. The report says all aboard suffered 'shock, disorientation, inadvertent physical responses, rapid onset of below freezing conditions and near impossible crew communication.' All the men died from blunt force trauma and contusions, investigators found. Despite speculation at the time, the report found 'no evidence of in-flight fire damage or ammunition discharge.' Charlene Thompson, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was arrested on Sunday when she allegedly poured hot grease on a victim during an argument A southwestern Ohio woman pictured in a bizarre mugshot featuring her lengthy yellow eyelashes has been accused of pouring hot grease on a victim during a heated argument. Charlene Thompson, 61, was arrested on Sunday when the incident happened at an apartment complex in Hawaiian Terrace of Mount Airy. The victim has not been identified. Police said when they arrived to the home, the victim was noticeably burned and suffered severe injuries to their arm and back as a result. Police did not release details on what transpired between Thompson and the victim before the grease attack. Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor David Wood said in a court statement Wednesday he would be requesting a high bond. 'Im requesting a high bond as the court is well aware, burns are some of the most devastating, painful, debilitating, long-term injures that someone can suffer,' Wood said. Video courtesy of Fox19Now The incident happened inside an apartment complex at the Hawaiian Terrace in Mount Airy Thompson has been charged with felonious assault. She had been booked to the Hamilton County jail on $15,000 bond. Her court date is set for next Friday. On Thursday, police released a CCTV image of Grace Millane, 22, leaving Sky City, in Auckland's CBD, at around 7.15pm on December 1 (pictured) The brother of a 22-year-old British backpacker who went missing from a hostel in Auckland on Saturday has made an emotional appeal to help find her. Grace Millane, 22, from Essex, landed in Auckland two weeks ago on her first solo travelling trip but has not been seen since she was spotted in a party hostel in the city on Saturday night. On Thursday afternoon her brother Declan Millane spoke to New Zealand TV station The Project NZ in an emotional appearance during which he urged authorities to do everything in their power to 'bring her home'. 'We raised our concerns on Monday 3rd December with local police and the embassy in New Zealand,' he said in an interview. 'They've been nothing but helpful recently. 'But we just urge you to please bring my sister home.' Grace was said to have been in regular contact with her family and friends until Saturday night - the day before her birthday. A CCTV image released by police on Thursday shows her dressed in a casual black dress and trainers, and is the last known sighting of Grace. Declan Millane made an emotional plea to find his sister in a video widely shared on social media After a missing persons report was filed, New Zealand police released the image of Ms Millane at a late night casino in Auckland. She appears to be alone and is wearing a pink wristband - possibly from a club night - and flat trainers, thought to be Converse. Police say they are starting to piece together Ms Millane's last known movements. On Thursday, they released a CCTV image of the backpacker at Sky City, in Auckland's CBD, at around 7.15pm. Detective Inspector Scott Beard said: 'Clearly this is a very stressful time for Graces family and the longer she remains missing the more our concern grows for her safety and wellbeing. Grace was said to have been in regular contact with her family until she went missing on Saturday night The 22-year-old, originally from Essex in south-east England, travelled to Auckland two weeks ago 'It's important that anyone who recognises Grace from this photo or saw her on Saturday night contacts Police immediately.' Ms Millane's father, David Millane, 60, a millionaire property developer, is in the process of flying to New Zealand to help with the search. Ms Millane's roommates at Base Backpackers Hostel, on Queen Street, in the heart of Auckland, said they last saw her on Saturday. Her belongings remain at the hostel. The family said it was 'completely out of character' for Ms Millane to go silent as they would speak with her most days, BBC reported. Ms Millane's brother, Michael, said she had travelled to Peru as part of an organised group for six weeks but had not travelled on her own - until she arrived in New Zealand two weeks ago. 'It was what she wanted - she wanted to see the world,' Mr Millane said. The family said it was 'completely out of character' for Ms Millane to go silent as they would speak with her most days 'We are really, really worried and concerned about Grace. We just want her to get in contact,' he said. Mr Millane said she had two mobile phones with her but they both go straight to voicemail. 'She spoke to someone in the family every day on WhatsApp, Facebook or FaceTime. The contact with us stopped on Thursday. The last contact she had was with her roommate on Saturday morning,' he said. Detective Inspector Beard said Ms Millane's father was expected to arrive on Friday, NZ Herald reported. 'Her family member is coming out - obviously, they're distraught. They're on the other side of the world and they haven't heard from her,' he said. The 22-year-old tourist had reportedly been staying at Base Backpackers on Queen Street in the heart of Auckland A missing persons report was filed on Wednesday morning and police are investigating The distressed family released a plea on social media after Ms Millane had been missing for five days. 'Grace has been missing for five days. She has not returned to her hostel room in Auckland New Zealand,' her older brother Michael Millane wrote on Facebook. Another brother urged people to share the post, adding: 'We haven't heard from my sister since Saturday'. Tony McLeod, British High Commission Wellington consular manager, said the commission was aware of the missing person report. 'We are working with the family in the UK and New Zealand Police in relation to reports of a missing British national in New Zealand,' he said. 'We are unable to make further comment while police are investigating the matter.' Ms Millane (pictured with her brothers) graduated from the University of Lincoln with a Bachelor of Advertising and Marketing in September Ms Millane had previously written on social media. On November 19 she wrote: 'Of course it's raining when I arrive to New Zealand.' In another tweet the day before she went missing she said: 'I think travelling has changed me I just bought some blue jeans.' Ms Millane, who graduated from the University of Lincoln with a Bachelor of Advertising and Marketing in September, saved for her holiday by doing office work at her fathers property development company. She also made money selling paintings which she exhibits on her own website. A heatwave has destroyed millions of dollars worth of mangoes and is set to wipe out one farmer's entire crop. Carl Walker, president of Bowen Gumlu Growers, said some farmers had lost up to 30 per cent of their crops and one may not harvest a single mango this season. 'From what I'm hearing, one grower may not even pick a mango depending on how they get through the next week,' Mr Walker told Daily Mail Australia. North Queensland is in the grips of an intense heatwave with temperatures reaching above 40 degrees in some areas. Scroll down for video A heatwave has destroyed millions of dollars worth of mangoes and is set to wipe out one farmer's entire harvest Bowen Gumlu Growers president Carl Walker (pictured with Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk) told Daily Mail Australia that many farmers had lost 30 per cent of their harvest Cairns managed to record 42 degrees two days in a row, Townsville suffered more than 41 degrees and Mount Stuart rose to more than 45 degrees. 'The heatwave was enormous,' Mr Walker said. 'Depending where you were, temperatures were up to 5 degrees higher, scalding the [mango] trees.' When mangoes are exposed to extreme temperatures they becomes sunburnt and turn brown - just a human skin. The flesh may still be high quality but the fruit's appearance would turn off consumers, Mr Walker said. 'Unfortunately people buy mangoes based on what the skin looks like,' he said. 'It's difficult being a grower. You can have a beautiful product, but might not be able to sell it because of how it looks.' Mango grower John Nucifora said around 15 per cent of his crop had been 'downgraded'. 'The worst case scenario is that 15 per cent have been damaged in some way. 'It doesn't mean you can't pack it, but there is some form of damage.' Mr Nucifora said he anticipated massive loss of profit as a result. 'Certainly any bit of cream that was there is going to be taken.' Mr Walker said repercussions would be felt throughout the industry as farmers lost employees adding that millions would go down the drain. Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA) CEO Robert Gray said that the cost to farmers was unlikely to be passed on to consumers. Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA) CEO Robert Gray said that the cost to farmers was unlikely to be passed on to consumers He said other farmers were picking the fruit earlier because of the warmer weather, and any stock lost during the heat would be replaced with the early harvest. 'We're going to see really good supply of good quality fruit over the next three weeks,' he said. 'Pricing is at good value at the moment.' While the unchanged price tag is good news for consumers, mango grower Peter Le Feuvre told Townsville Bulletin it had been an up and down year for farmers. He had fetched as high as $34 a carton for mangoes at one point, but prices had dropped sharply to production levels of $15 to $20. He said to secure a safe return he pre-sold 55 per cent of his fruit each year at a set price. Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec) and Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau, a division of the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) have teamed up to win bids to host four leading international conferences in Abu Dhabi. All of them being held in the Middle East region for the first time, said an Adnec statement. These wins include the World Congress of Nephrology, the Annual Conference of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD) Congress, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Africa, Europe, Middle East Global Conference, and the XIV World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation (WAPR) World Congress. Saif Saeed Ghobash, Undersecretary, DCT Abu Dhabi, said: Abu Dhabi is now firmly established as a major player on the global events stage, able to excel at hosting the worlds most prominent conferences and exhibitions. Working in partnership with our colleagues at Adnec to secure these conferences for the Emirate is further proof of the great strides we are making in positioning Abu Dhabi as a destination of choice for a whole host of major international organisations. These successes also reinforce our support for local partners, with hotels and DMCs, as well as conference venues, in line to directly benefit from the increase in footfall that will accompany such conferences. Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Group CEO of Adnec, said: These four conferences are of strategic importance as we continue our efforts to position the Emirate as a key global hub for health and education, which are among the sectors identified in the Abu Dhabi vision document as crucial to the Emirates progress and development. We are pleased to collaborate with DCT to host these conferences which will highlight the immense potential of these industries and attract some of the best minds. This move emphasizes our commitment to support the governments efforts towards establishing a knowledge-based and sustainable economy, as outlined in Abu Dhabis vision 2030. Adnec will continue to attract leading conferences and events that promote Abu Dhabis image as a global destination for MICE events, with world-class facilities, he added. The World Congress of Nephrology 2020, organised by the International Society of Nephrology in association with the Emirates Medical Association Nephrology Society, will attract 4,000 delegates from the international nephrology community as well as other healthcare professionals involved in multidisciplinary nephrology care and provide them a global stage to exchange views on a wide variety of topics affecting nephrology and those affected by kidney disease around the world. The ISPAD annual conference, to be held in 2020, represents a significant step to tackle the sharp rise in diabetes and obesity among the Emirates youth. The event will bring together local, regional and international health care professionals, health authority officials, local health organisations and visitors, to discuss ways to improve the treatment of children and families afflicted by diabetes throughout the world. The 2019 International Baccalaureate Conference, organised by the International Baccalaureate Organisation, will provide an opportunity for local, regional and global educational leaders, decision-makers and practitioners from leading schools and universities to discuss best practices, exchange ideas and focus on imparting quality in the education sector. The XIV WAPR World Congress to be held in 2021, organised by the World Association for Psychosocial Rehabilitation in association with the UAE Branch of WAPR, will focus on principles and practices of psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery, to improve individual competencies and introduce environmental changes in order to enhance quality of life. Dr Asma Deeb, chair of the Local Organising Committee for ISPAD, said: This is the first time that the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes will be holding its annual conference in the Middle East. The event will be held at Adnec and organised by ISPADs core PCO and AMC K.I.T. Group GmbH, which has its headquarters in Berlin and a regional office in Abu Dhabi. The city is recognised as a perfect destination with outstanding conference facilities offering a safe and stable environment for international delegates. We are also expecting high attendance from Africa and Asia due to the capitals strategic location and enhanced accessibility. The conference is of strategic importance for the region, as countries in the Middle East represent almost five per cent of ISPADs global membership and attracts as many as 1,500 paediatric diabetologists, endocrinologists and allied health professionals. We look forward to this important congress as a milestone in the healthcare landscape of Abu Dhabi which has been witnessing an alarming rise in diabetes and obesity among its youth and is at the forefront of several campaigns and initiatives aimed at preventing them, Dr Deeb added. The Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the host venue of these congresses, continues to maintain its global position among the preferred venues for hosting conference and events, with its world-class infrastructure, cutting-edge technology and extensive, adaptable space spanning 133,000 sq m, capable of hosting events, exhibitions and congresses of any size or capacity. TradeArabia News Service Hobart was buzzing more than usual as thousands of bees were seen swarming round a road sign. The ominous swarm had escaped from nearby TasTAFE, which offers a course in beekeeping. The bees had latched on to a street sign in Melbourne's CBD on Wednesday and had refused to budge. The City of Hobart was buzzing more than usual as thousands of bees were seen swarming round a road sign The ominous swarm had escaped from nearby TasTAFE, who offer a course in beekeeping Many pedestrians were reluctant to walk close to the sign for fear of being stung. A beekeeper and local VEC Civil Engeneering worker have since attempted to remove the bees in an operation that was not entirely successful, The Mercury reported. The safest thing to do is to leave the bees well alone, Australian Honeybee Industry Council chairman Lindsey Bourke told the publication. Ms Bourke said the bees were unlikely to sting pedestrians at this time of year as they are not behaving territoriality. Social media users were shocked to see the swarm of bees in a popular area of the city. 'Cancelling my plans to go out this Friday then...?' one Facebook user wrote. 'Another reason not to go to Tassie,' said another. Rev. Kenneth Bernard Hendricks poses for his mugshot at the Bureau of Immigration in Manila on Wednesday An American Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting altar boys in a remote central town in the Philippines has been arrested. The Rev. Kenneth Bernard Hendricks, who has been indicted in Ohio for illicit sexual conduct in the Philippines, was arrested in a church in Naval town in the island province of Biliran on Wednesday. An Ohio court had issued a warrant for the arrest of 77-year-old Hendricks, who is from Cincinnati but has been living in the Philippines for 37 years, Bureau of Immigration spokeswoman Dana Sandoval said Thursday. She added adding that the US criminal case stemmed from complaints from the alleged Filipino victims. There was no immediate reaction from the US Embassy, Philippine Catholic Church officials or Hendricks, who was flown to Manila and detained in an immigration detention center. Hendricks looks at documents after being arrested in a church in Naval town in the island province of Biliran, central Philippines The suspect allegedly abused seven victims, who served mostly as altar boys in Naval, in 50 counts of molestation in his residence in a case that's 'both shocking and appalling,' Sandoval said. 'The victims were in his house and the abuses were committed while he was taking a bath with each of them,' Sandoval said by telephone. US authorities provided information about the alleged sexual assaults to the Philippine government, she said. The victims were reportedly warned they would be locked up in jail if they told anyone about the abuses, she said. Philippine immigration authorities say they have arrested Hendricks (pictured on Wednesday) who is accused of sexually assaulting altar boys in a remote central town Hendricks was arrested in a church in Naval town in the island province of Biliran on Wednesday. Pictured, a file photo shows a church in the area 'Several of his victims have come forward with their statements,' Sandoval said. The US Embassy may revoke Hendrick's passport to help Philippine authorities immediately deport the priest, the immigration bureau said in a statement. Hendricks is 'a fugitive from justice that poses a risk to public safety and security,' Sandoval said. 'We will not allow sexual predators to prey on our children. People like him must be kicked out and banned from the Philippines.' Thousands have signed a petition to reopen a popular kebab shop after a petrol station forced closure on the premises. Glenny Kebabs was shut down by Australian fuel giant Caltex on Wednesday after the Melbourne food hot spot refused to comply to their demands. The council had flagged issues with Glenny Kebabs including noise complaints, rubbish, excessive seating, operation outside of permitted hours and large amounts of vehicles parked at the service station, causing safety issues. Caltex issued a notice to the kebab shop to remove chairs, tables and a sheltered space, which would prohibit people from eating on site or even in their cars. Popular food store Glenny Kebabs was fenced and forced to shut down by their tenants Caltex The business was closed due to issues of noise complaints, rubbish and too many parked cars and caused safety concerns The food van business parked near the Springvale Road Caltex was started by kebab enthusiast Asad Syed in November 2016 to give youth a place to go for a 'reasonably priced' late night feed. 'We are temporarily closed,' the business wrote on an Instagram post. 'Unfortunately Caltex doesn't want to cooperate and work in a mutually beneficially [sic] outcome with Glenny Kebabs and the community (only cares about having an empty carpark).' Glenny Kebabs, which attracts 400 customers a day said most of Caltex's 'demanding' and 'unreasonable' requests were fulfilled. 'It's unfair on me, unfair on my staff, unfair on the community,' owner Asad Syed told the Monash Leader. 'It's taking a toll on us. That's my shop my life and my staff are my family. 'Caltex unfortunately doesn't see how important Glenny Kebabs is for the youth, the locals and the community!' A Caltex spokesman told Daily Mail Australia their licensing agreement with the owners was terminated primarily for public safety reasons. 'We've issued four notices to the owners to try and have issues addressed and unfortunately had no change,' said the Caltex spokesman. Caltex said the site on which Glenny Kebabs operates isn't approved for use as a restaurant. Glenny Kebabs, which attracts 400 customers a day said most of Caltex's 'demanding' and 'unreasonable' requests were fulfilled 'A sit-down dining area and large numbers of vehicles parked on a service forecourt create a public safety issue. 'The risk of having uncontrolled vehicle movements around seated patrons and pedestrians was too great of a risk to ignore - the safety of our customers, employees and the public will always come first. 'Glenny Kebabs' failure to comply with the terms of our agreement and council regulations also puts Caltex at risk of breach of its own obligations as a tenant on site.' The fuel store has also demanded the business stop their 'Wednesday Night Chills', which attracts a mass of car enthusiasts who bring their vehicle for a meet up at outside the store and the neighbouring car park. Caltex said the site on which Glenny Kebabs operates isn't approved for use as a restaurant Caltex said they are working with police to manage any ongoing issues as the owners transition operations off the site. 'We genuinely hope the owners can find an appropriate local site that is approved for use as a restaurant,' the spokesman said. The business, which claims to serve about 300 Halal Snack Packs and 150 kebabs a day, has garnered nearly 3000 signatures urging for the store to reopen. 'Don't allow a corporate giant to shut down a small business that's so involved with the local community!' Mr Syed said his customers have arranged a protest on the site. He is seeking an injunction to the lease termination through the tribunal. A hungry KFC customer suddenly suffered a loss of appetite after her late-night order proved largely inedible. Nicole stopped off at the KFC in Tarneit, Victoria, with her boyfriend on Wednesday evening, and posted a photo of her 'pathetic' meal on Facebook a few hours later. In her post, Nicole started off by explaining that she and her boyfriend had been kept waiting at the drive-thru for 25 minutes. Nicole stopped off at the KFC in Tarneit, Victoria with her boyfriend on Wednesday evening, and posted a photo of her disappointing meal on Facebook a few hours later 'They repacked our meals as it was cold since we were sitting in the drive through for 25 minutes which was fine, again we understand and we were grateful,' she said. But when they arrived home, Nicole explains that her main meal was not only incorrect, but missing various ingredients. 'I had ordered a Sweet Chilli Twister and when I opened it...it was a Pepper Mayo twister with only one tender in it,' she wrote. 'It looks absolutely pathetic inside too, barely any lettuce or tomato. I'm actually disgusted!' To add insult to injury, the wrap itself was 'not fresh' and the chips to accompany her meal were 'half-cooked with no salt'. She added that the server at the drive through swore multiple times in the short time they were at the window. The KFC in Tarneit (pictured) repacked their order and after 25 minutes, Nicole and her boyfriend headed home 'I have tried to call the store ad they will not answer my calls to rectify this issue for me so now I have just had some chips as my meal,' she said. 'So thank you very much Tarneit KFC, you have not been kind to us. AT ALL.' KFC commented on Nicole post, saying they were sorry to hear about the experience and requested contact details to follow up with her. Daily Mail Australia has also contacted KFC for comment. Publishing queen and television personality Ita Buttrose says Australia was a nicer place back in the early 1970s despite few women being in charge. The 76-year-old trailblazer recalled being the founding editor of Cleo magazine, which featured nude centrefolds and articles about sex. 'When I started Cleo magazine, I guess we were breaking new ground,' she told the ABC's 7.30 program on Wednesday. Scroll down for video Publishing queen and television personality Ita Buttrose (pictured in her youth) says Australia was a nicer place back in the early 1970s despite few women being in charge 'One could even look back at the early Cleos and say maybe that was quite innocent, the way they wrote about sex and health.' Back in 1972, when Cleo first hit the newsstands, a woman in Australia had never become a federal cabinet minister, let alone prime minister. Buttrose, at the time, was the first woman to edit a mass-circulation magazine and would go on to become, a decade later, the first female editor of a daily, metropolitan newspaper. Despite the media being male-dominated, she regarded Australia 46 years ago as a happy place. The 76-year-old trailblazer (pictured during the early 1970s) recalled being the founding editor of Cleo magazine, which featured nude centrefolds and articles about sex 'It was a nicer world, and so, we were all exploring sex together,' she said. 'You know, you think you're making a difference, but you don't know until you look back.' The woman who left school at 15 to work as a copy girl at The Australian Women's Weekly in Sydney said she thought she would leave work in her early 20s to become a full-time mother, and not have a career. 'I thought, like a lot of girls did at that time, that I'd work for a couple of years and get married and have children. And go home,' she said. The woman who left school at 15 to work as a copy girl at The Australian Women's Weekly said she thought was would leave work in her early 20s to become a full-time mother 'So I did marry and I did have children, but I kept working. And then, at some point, maybe when I was in my 20s, I realised that maybe I could go further than I had ever thought of that maybe, I could go right up to the very top.' When Cleo debuted in 1972, Australian troops were still in Vietnam and the white Australia policy was a year away from being dismantled. Decades later as a television personality, Buttrose entered a war zone of a different nature when fellow Studio 10 co-host Denise Drysdale threw Brussels sprouts at her. She resigned from the Network Ten program in April, four months after that incident in the studio. Hundreds of sailors gathered Wednesday night for a flashlight vigil commemorating their late naval aviator namesake, George H.W. Bush. The US Naval Institute shared incredible footage of the observance that took place on the flight deck. The crew members stood in formation and spelled out GHWB 41 in honor of his initials and number in the US presidential lineup. Bush served in the Navy from 1942 to 1945 during the Second World War. He flew torpedo bombers from the USS San Jacinto during his time in active duty, according to the official website of USS George H.W. Bush. Sailors on the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) held a flashlight vigil on the flight deck of the ship to celebrate the life of the ship's namesake The US Naval Institute shared incredible footage from the observance Wednesday evening The crew members are seen walking into formation to spelout GHWB 41 Long before he was President, Bush was one of the youngest Naval Aviators during World War II. He flew dozens of combat missions and his service brought him to Hampton Roads In September 1944, his plane was 'hit by anti-aircraft fire while making a bombing run over the Bonin Island of Chichi Jima, 600 miles south of Japan.' He website reported: 'Although the plane was afire and severely damaged, he completed his strafing run on the targeted Japanese installation before flying towards sea to bail out. 'Mr. Bush was able to bail out successfully and was rescued by a Navy submarine, the USS Finback. 'Tragically, his two crew members were killed. For his courageous service in the Pacific Theater, Mr. Bush was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals.' In this handout image provided by the U.S. Navy, former President George H.W. Bush walks past a portrait of himself and wife Barbara aboard the aircraft carrier that bears his name, USS George H.W. Bush in July 2010 in the Atlantic Ocean Former President George H.W. Bush escorts former first lady Barbara Bush to the christening ceremony of the USS George H.W. Bush at Northrop Grumman's shipyard in Newport News, Virginia in October 2006 U.S. President George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush and Jeb Bush attend the christening ceremony of the USS George H.W. Bush at Northrop-Grumman's shipyard in Norfolk News, Virginia Earlier Wednesday evening, Bush's casket arrived to the St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Texas where he will lie in repose overnight. The evening music included the opening notes of Hail to the Chief. Among those greeting the motorcade were the citys top two leaders, Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner and Republican County Judge Ed Emmett. Bush's body was flown by Air Force One to Houston's Ellington Air Field following a state funeral service at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC. The same military aircraft, nicknamed Special Air Mission 41 in honor of the 41st president, had taken his body to Washington on Monday to lie in state at the Capitol. Mourners gathered at the airport to pay their respects to Bush as a black hearse waited for the flag-draped casket on the tarmac. While Bush's casket was escorted from the aircraft to the hearse, former President George W. Bush, his wife Laura, and several other family members trailed behind. A motorcade then drove 45 minutes to St. Martin's Episcopal Church where about 1,200 mourners are expected to attend the service at the church on Thursday morning. A convicted killer could be released from jail because he doesn't know where his victim is buried. Father-of-two Gregg Duffy, 37, was beaten to death with a shifting spanner and tyre iron in July 2015 by a group of men. Nelson John Patea was sentenced to eight years prison with parole eligibility on January 11 2019 after pleading guilty to manslaughter in May 2018. Nelson John Patea (pictured) was sentenced to eight years prison with parole eligibility on January 11 2019 after pleading guilty to manslaughter in May 2018 His brother former Bandidos bikie Lionel, who has also been convicted for the murder of his former girlfriend Tara Brown, pleaded guilty to murder and will remain in prison until 2048. In a parole hearing last month, Nelson Patea was asked if he knew what happened to Mr Duffy's body, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. To be granted parole Patea was required to assist authorities to locate Mr Duffy's body. In a statement handed down on Thursday, the parole board decided Patea helped to his best ability. 'The Board is satisfied given that the applicant did not have the capacity to give co-operation in the investigation offence to identify the victim's location,' the parole board said. Patea's lawyer Campbell MacCallum said his client would apply for parole next year. Father-of-two Gregg Duffy (pictured), 37, was beaten to death with a shifting spanner and tyre iron in July 2015 by a group of men 'Extremely pleased with the fair hearing we received from the parole board. They were attentive, thorough and clearly based their decision on all of the information available as opposed to any bias to anyone party,' he said. 'This type of decision raises confidence for inmates caught up in these processes.' Patea's sentencing revealed he was unaware Mr Duffy was killed until the day after the assault. The two brothers, Liam Bliss, Aaron John Crawford and Clinton Stockman, took Mr Duffy to an isolated area where they bashed him, over a row about a cannabis debt. After the brutal bashing Crawford and Stockman set fire to Mr Duffy's body on a remote property in northern NSW. Mr Duffy's body has never been found. A former Catholic Archbishop who was convicted of covering up child sex abuse is now a free man after winning his appeal. Philip Wilson, the former Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, was accused of failing to disclose allegations involving two altar boys made about priest between 2004 and 2006. The 68-year-old was sentenced to six months home detention in May for covering up the claims in January 2017. However, his conviction was quashed on Thursday, with a New South Wales judge ruling in his favour. Philip Wilson, the former Catholic Archbishop of Adelaide, was accused of failing to disclose allegations involving two altar boys made about priest between 2004 and 2006 During the trial Wilson told the court he had no recollection of the allegations being raised to him. On Thursday, Newcastle District Court judge Roy Ellis found there was reasonable doubt the clergyman had ever committed the crime. Judge Ellis said suspicion was not a substitute for proof beyond reasonable doubt. One of the two altar boys, Peter Creigh, was in tears after the judge's decision on Thursday. He was too upset to comment outside court. As the judge left the bench one onlooker called out: 'Bulls*** - that's a disgrace.' Wilson was facing a maximum of two years in jail when he was sentenced on August 14 to spend at least six months at his sister's home before being eligible for parole. He was allowed to watch the judge hand down his decision via video link from a remote location so he didn't have to face the media. Wilson formally resigned as Adelaide's archbishop on July 31, despite having earlier insisted he would not step aside until his appeal case was over. The magistrate who found Wilson guilty rejected claims the clergyman - who is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease - could not remember the two altar boys telling him about the abuse in 1976. Wilson, who had served almost four months in home detention at his sister's home, was allowed to watch the judge hand down his decision via video link from a remote location so he didn't have to face the media The defence claimed Wilson was not guilty because the case was circumstantial and there was no evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the clergyman was told about the abuse, believed it was true or remembered being told about it. During Wilson's two-day appeal last week, prosecutor Helen Roberts urged Judge Ellis to consider how the magistrate had the benefit of watching both Wilson and Mr Creigh - the main witness - during the trial and how he'd raised doubts about the clergyman's credibility before finding him guilty. Mr Stone found Mr Creigh had been a genuine and truthful witness who had no motive to make up the conversation he said he had with Wilson in 1976. But Judge Ellis repeatedly stated during the appeal that Wilson was an intelligent, articulate man who appeared to be doing his best to answer questions put to him during the trial. He said he wasn't bound by the magistrate's conclusion that many of Wilson's answers were 'dissembling and contrived'. When sentencing Wilson to home detention, Mr Stone said the clergyman had shown no remorse or contrition for the cover-up and his primary motive had been to protect the Catholic Church. Former New Jersey Superior Joudge Andrew Napolitano expects Donald Trump Jr to be indicted by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. During an interview with SiriusXM radio on Wednesday, the Fox News legal analyst was asked about Muellers recommendation of no prison time for Michael Flynn. He thinks the investigation is moving closer to the Presidents inner circle, according to Mediaite. When asked if he thought someone close to the President will be indicted, he replied: Yes. I dont know who, but I do know that Donald Jr has told friends he expects to be indicted. Do you expect hed be indicted? Abrams asked Napolitano. Yes, Napolitano replied. Fox News legal analyst Judge Andrew Napolitano expects Donald Trump Jr to be indicted by the office of Special Counsel Robert Mueller Last month, Vanity Fair reported that Don Jr was telling people close to him that he expects to be indicted soon Flynn, the former national security adviser, has given Muellers team substantial assistance in the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections. Both Russia and the Trump campaign have denied any wrongdoing. According to the sentencing memo released on Tuesday, Flynn has also been helping the Special Counsel in other criminal investigations, though details of those were redacted. Napolitano appears frequently on Fox & Friends, the Fox News morning show frequently watched by Donald Trump. Last month, Vanity Fair reported that Don Jr was telling people close to him that he expects to be indicted soon. Napolitano, a lawyer who was appointed New Jersey Superior Court judge before he became a media commentator and professor, said he is not sure if Jared Kushner, the Presidents son-in-law and senior adviser, will also be indicted. In June 2016, Kushner and Don Jr took part in a meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer promising dirt on Hillary Clinton. Don Jr has reportedly gave conflicting accounts of the meeting in statements to Congress and the press. Napolitano was asked Wednesday about Muellers (left) recommendation of no prison time for Michael Flynn (right). Flynn, the former national security adviser, has given 'substantial assistance in the ongoing investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 elections One source speculated to Vanity Fair that Mueller could indict him for lying to investigators about whether he told his father in advance about the Trump Tower meeting. Trump Jr's lawyer, Alan Futerfas, denied the report, saying: 'Don never said any such thing, and there is absolutely no truth to these rumors.' Napolitano told SiriusXM that he does think Jerome Corsi, the radio host and conspiracy theorist, will also face charges related to the Russia investigation. Corsi told Trump adviser Roger Stone about a planned Wikileaks dump of Democratic emails two months before it happened, Mueller's investigators are reported to have found. Corsi is alleged to have told Stone in August 2016 that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was planning two 'very damaging' releases before the presidential election. Napolitano said he believes Jerome Corsi (left), a pro-Trump conspiracy theorist, will also be indicted, though he is not sure about Jared Kushner (right), the President's son-in-law and senior adviser John Dean, the former White House counsel in the Nixon administration, told CNN on Wednesday that he believes both Don Jr and Kushner will be indicted Stone, who worked for Trump during his presidential campaign, is facing claims that he worked with WikiLeaks and right-wing writer Corsi to damage Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. He has denied coordination with WikiLeaks but the latest claims, reported by NBC News, suggest he asked Corsi to get in touch with Assange's organization. Another cable news pundit agrees with Napolitano about Don Jr, though he also thinks Kushner is in trouble. John Dean, the former White House counsel in the Nixon administration, told CNN on Wednesday that he believes both Don Jr and Kushner will be indicted. Hes probably been told by the prosecutors that hes a target, Dean said of the Presidents eldest son. That means that theres - unless youre going to cooperate, theres going to be an indictment very likely following. Hes not been called in front of a grand jury. Thats another sign that hes being treated at arms length. So hes got jeopardy. Dean said that Kushner could face charges for contacts he had with foreign governments during the transition. Kushner, I will be surprised if hes not indicted. I think hes got problems, Dean said. Dean served time in prison after he pleaded guilty to obstructing justice as part of the Nixon White Houses efforts to cover up crimes related to the Watergate scandal. Seventy-seven years after the Japanese launched an infamous surprise assault on Pearl Harbor, members of the US military who died in attack are finally being laid to rest. On December 7, 1941, a fleet of Japanese fighter pilots descended on the US Naval base in Hawaii, and in less than two hours, 2,400 Americans had been killed in the devastating attack. The tragedy at Pearl Harbor would mark the beginning of the US' involvement in the Second World War, but only now, nearly eight decades on, are some of the families bereaved by disaster set to receive closure. In 2015, the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency exhumed nearly 400 sets of remains from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii, after determining advances in forensic science and genealogical help from families could make identifications possible. December 7, 1941 , part of the hull of the capsized USS Oklahoma (right) which suffered the second largest number of casualties of any vessel during the Pearl Harbor. Now, more than 75 years on, some who died are finally being laid to rest in cemeteries across the US For nearly eight decades the remains of soldiers have been kept in unmarked graves (seen above), but a breakthrough in DNA technology means families bereaved by the tragedy will finally get closure. All of the remains examined were found on the USS Oklahoma, which capsized during the attack, and had been buried as unknowns after the war. Altogether, 429 sailors and Marines on the Oklahoma were killed and, only 35 of them were identified in the years immediately after the attack. The Oklahoma had the second-most casualties of the Pearl Harbor attack, with only the USS Arizona suffering more, losing 1,177 men. May 24, 1943, the capsized battleship USS Oklahoma was lifted out of the water at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, and until now only 35 of those on board had been identified As of earlier this month, the agency has identified 186 sailors and Marines from the Oklahoma who were previously unidentified. Slowly, the remains are being sent to be reburied in places like Traer, Iowa, and Ontanogan, Michigan. More of the once anonymous soldiers will be returning home for a proper burial this Friday. On July 27, 2015 (right), military pallbearers escort the exhumed remains of unidentified crew members of the USS Oklahoma killed in the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor that were disinterred from a gravesite at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Three years later (left) soldiers are being identified and finally put to rest in their hometowns A casket containing the remains of U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class Edward Slapikas, a Newport Twp., Pa. native killed while serving aboard the USS Oklahoma in the Japanese attack on Pearl returned home on June 9, 2018 Here's a look at some of those who have either already been reburied this year or who will be interred on the December 7 anniversary: DURELL WADE Wade was born in 1917 in the Hardin Town community of rural Calhoun County, Mississippi. He enlisted in the Navy in 1936 and in 1940 re-enlisted for another two-year tour. His burial in his home state was originally planned for a weekend, when it would be more convenient for people to attend. But because of scheduling conflicts at the North Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery, his family decided the 77th anniversary of the attack would be an appropriate date, even if some people have to take time off, said his nephew, Dr. Lawrence Wade. He was one of the sailor's relatives who provided DNA to help identify him. 'My middle name is his name, Durell. My grandson has that name also,' said the 75-year-old retired psychiatrist from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 'I'd gone through my life not really knowing anything about him, other than I carried his name and he was killed at Pearl Harbor. 'Once this DNA process came along and made it possible to identify his remains, it just made him much more of a real person to me.' Wade's siblings included four older sisters and one older brother, according to a bio prepared by his nephew. The Wade children were educated by two teachers hired by their parents to live in the home and teach them until a community school was built on donated property. Wade had written home in September 1941 that he had just taken promotion tests from Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class to Chief Aviation Machinist Mate. Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 2nd Class Durell Wade's family decided Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, the 77th anniversary of the Japanese attack, would be appropriate for his burial in his home state of Mississippi WILLIAM BRUESEWITZ Renate Starck has been pondering the eulogy she'll give at the funeral for her uncle, Navy Seaman 1st Class William Bruesewitz, on Friday. 'We always have thought of him on Dec. 7,' she said. 'He's already such a big part of that history.' Bruesewitz, of Appleton, Wisconsin, will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. 'It's a real blessing to have him returning and we've chosen Arlington because we feel he's a hero and belongs there,' Starck said. About 50 family members from Wisconsin, Florida, Arkansas and Maryland will attend. 'We were too young to know him but we're old enough that we felt his loss,' Starck said. 'We know some stories. There's this stoicness about things from that time that kept people from talking about things that hurt." Bruesewitz's mother died in childbirth when he was 6 or 7, Starck said. Her father and Bruesewitz were close brothers. Navy Seaman 1st Class William G. Bruesewitz will also be buried on the 77th anniversary WILLIAM KVIDERA Hundreds of people filled a Catholic church in Traer, Iowa, in November for William Kvidera's funeral. The solemn ceremony in his hometown included full military honors, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported . 'It's something like a dream,' his brother, John Kvidera, 91, said. John Kvidera was 14 when he found out about the bombings at Pearl Harbor and remembers huddling around a radio to find out what was going on. The family initially received a telegram saying William, the oldest of six siblings, was missing in action. A telegram in February 1943 notified the family of his death. William Kvidera was buried back in November. His 91-year-old brother described Kvidera's return as 'a dream' ROBERT KIMBALL HOLMES The remains of Marine Pfc. Robert Kimball Holmes were interred in August in his hometown of Salt Lake City. 'It's strange, isn't it, to be here honoring a 19-year-old kid killed 77 years ago,' nephew Bruce Holmes said. Only one person in attendance at the graveside services - another nephew and namesake Bob Holmes - had any personal memories of the Marine, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The younger Bob is now more than four times older as the sailor when he died. He remembers his uncle coming home on leave in the summer of 1941 when he was 6 years old. Bob Holmes recalled talking to a friend of his uncle who served with him on the Oklahoma: 'He said, 'One of the things that I remember most about Bob is that he had this attitude. Not just a Marine attitude, but a Holmes boy attitude - defiance, aggression and don't-mess-with-me.' Buried in Salt Lake City in August, only one person in attendance had a living memory of Robert Holmes LOWELL VALLEY For 20 years, Navy Fireman 2nd Class Lowell Valley's brother worked to identify USS Oklahoma sailors. Now that Valley has been identified and his remains have been returned home to Ontonagon, Michigan, Bob Valley expects his role in helping identify a group of 27 sailors will soon be over. All 27 have been located. Lowell Valley was buried at the Holy Family Catholic cemetery in July, the Iron Mountain Daily News reported. Lowell Valley's remains were found among a pile of 27 others - all of which have now been identified LEON ARICKX More than 76 years after he died, the remains of Navy Seaman 1st Class Leon Arickx were buried amid the cornfields of northern Iowa. Hundreds gathered in July for Arickx's graveside service at Sacred Heart Cemetery outside Osage, Iowa, in the sparsely populated farming region just south of Minnesota, where Arickx grew up. Among them was his niece, Janice Schonrock, who was a baby when Arickx died. 'My family talked about him all that time,' said Schonrock, 77. 'I felt I knew him because everyone talked about him.' Although they didn't have Arickx's remains, his family held a memorial service and placed a grave marker at Sacred Heart Cemetery in 1942. When his remains were finally returned, they were buried at a site not far away. Schonrock said her family appreciates the work it took to identify her uncle, but she believes it's essential to identify as many service members as possible. 'I think we need to honor these people who give their lives to our country and bring them back to their home country where they can be close to family who can honor them,' she said. 'No one should be left behind.' Hundreds attended the funeral of Leon Arickx, in asmall farming region of Minnesota where the Navy seaman grew up. He was laid to rest of July 7 U.S. Navy sailors remove the casket with the remains of Leon Arickx from a hearse at Sacred Heart Cemetery where they will be put to rest in Osage, Iowa A horrifying 911 call reveals the moment a man found the body of his neighbor outside his New Jersey mansion. Boris Volshteyn called 911 to report the fire at the home of his neighbors Keith and Jennifer Caneiro around 12.30pm on November 20. The newly released audio from his 911 call revealed that he also discovered Keith's body on the family's front lawn. 'I see the smoke from behind, it's my neighbors' home behind me,' Volshteyn tells the 911 operator in the recording first reported by the Asbury Park Press. 'Smoke's coming out and there's a person laying down.' Scroll down for video A horrifying 911 call reveals the moment Boris Volshteyn found the body of his neighbor, Keith Caneiro, outside his New Jersey mansion (pictured) Volshteyn called 911 to report the fire at the home of his neighbors Keith and Jennifer Caneiro around 12.30pm on November 26. The newly released audio from his 911 call revealed that he also discovered Keith's body on the family's front lawn Volshteyn is heard saying: 'Oh my God, there's blood here. It's a corpse.' The corpse was that of Keith who had been shot multiple times. Keith's wife, Jennifer was shot and stabbed and their children Sophia and Jesse, 11, were stabbed 'repeatedly'. The family is seen above The operator then asks Volshteyn if he can get a little closer to the person. Moments later Volshteyn is heard saying: 'Oh my God, there's blood here. It's a corpse.' The corpse was that of Keith who had been shot multiple times. 'Somebody is dead here,' Volshteyn tells the operator who then instructs him to get to safety. Last week, Paul Caneiro, was arrested for allegedly murdering his millionaire brother and his family before setting fire to their mansion and his own house. He was charged with killing his younger brother, Keith, 50, his wife and children, Jennifer, 45, Jesse, 11, and eight-year-old Sophia. Caneiro, 51, was said to be his 'usual self' at work the day before the murders in Colts Neck, New Jersey, said David Natelson, the business manager of the pest control company the brothers owned, in an interview with the New York Post. Natelson said that 'Paul was Paul' on November 19, keeping his nose buried in his iPad as usual after coming in to work at Ecostar Pest Management. 'Nothing I saw on Monday was any different than anything I had seen any other day,' he said. Paul Caneiro, 51, pleaded not guilty on Friday to murdering his brother and his family before setting their $1.5million mansion on fire. The 51-year-old looked dazed and emotionless at he sat at Monmouth Superior Court in Ocean Township in New Jersey Keith Caneiro's burned-out mansion is seen on Thursday in Colts Neck, New Jersey. The millionaire was found shot outside his burning mansion with his stabbed wife and children On Friday, Caneiro made his first court appearance to plead not guilty to four counts of murder. Caneiro was limping badly and supported by court officers as he was brought into the packed courtroom at Monmouth Superior Court in Ocean Township shortly before 9.30am. He appeared dazed and emotionless and stared straight ahead as he responded to the judge in monosyllabic 'yes' and 'no' answers. His wife Susan and two adult daughters Marissa, 23, and Katelyn, 26, did not attend the hearing but his lawyers later said that his family were supporting him and had decided it 'better' not to be at the brief detention hearing. In addition to the second degree aggravated arson charge he initially faced, he is now facing four first degree murder charges, another count of aggravated arson, one count of possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and one count of possession of a knife for an unlawful purpose. Each one of the murder charges carries a sentence of between 30 years and life imprisonment. Caneiro's defense attorney Robert A. Honecker entered a plea of not guilty to all charges but consented to his client's continued detention. Honecker did not contest the probable cause at the hearing but said he reserved the right to challenge it at a later date. It is unclear what finally led police to file charges against Paul who has been in custody on aggravated arson charge for more than a week, but they say the killings were 'financially motivated' Paul's wife Susan and two adult daughters Marissa, 23, (second from right) and Katelyn, 26, (left) did not attend the hearing but his lawyers later said that his family were supporting him and had decided it 'better' not to be at the brief detention hearing Prosecutor Christopher Grammicioni did not wish to comment further outside of the courtroom. Outside of court, defense attorneys Honecker and co-counsel Richard B. Ansell made a short statement. 'We understand that Mr Caneiro has been charged with four counts of murder and associated charges of arson. Mr Caneiro maintains his innocence of the charges and he would never engage in conduct that would cause harm to his brother or his family,' Honecker said, adding that they planned to challenge the evidence put forward by the prosecutor's office. Ansell said: 'Mr Caneiro loves his brother, loves his sister-in-law like a sister, loves those children. He would never do anything to harm them.' The attorneys refused to comment when asked who may have targeted the Caneiro family and said that the case was a 'search for the truth'. They also declined to address questions about Caneiro's state of mind. Prosecutors say Paul shot his brother then shot and stabbed Jennifer before 'repeatedly' stabbing his niece and nephew in their mansion in Colts Neck in the early hours of November 20. He then allegedly went to the basement of the home and set a fire that would take hours to get going, returned home and set his own house on fire in an effort to make it appear as though he too had been targeted. 'There were two reasons for the fire at his home,' Montmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni (above) said. 'One was to destroy evidence that he brought back from the Colts Neck crime scene and the other was to create some sort of ruse that his family was targeted' Paul's wife Susan (left) and one of his adult daughters (right) were seen at the property on Wednesday. Last week, they said they would stand by him and believed he was innocent of arson The two houses are 12 miles apart; there were just over seven hours between the two fires It is unclear what finally led police to file charges against Paul Caneiro, but they say the killings were 'financially motivated'. It recently emerged that Keith Caneiro had been talking 'openly' about cutting ties with the business partner brother before he was murdered. The two brothers were business partners who formed their technology company, Square One, together in 1987. TIMELINE OF FIRES AND MURDERS Early hours of Tuesday November 20: Paul Caneiro allegedly shoots his brother Keith outside his home then stabs and shoots Keith's wife Jennifer and stabs their two children inside. He allegedly sets a fire in the basement then leaves 5.01am: A fire is reported at Paul Caneiro's home in Ocean Township. He escapes it with his wife and two adult daughters 12pm: Paul and his family leave the area after staying for hours to talk to police 12.38pm: A fire at Keith Caneiro's home is reported by a landscaper. Once they arrive, police find Keith's body outside, shot at least twice, and his wife and children inside. It takes several hours for them to extinguish the fire November 21: Prosecutors charge Paul with setting the fire at his own home but will not say if he is a suspect in the murders November 24: Paul's wife and daughters say he is innocent of arson and will testify in his favor November 29: Paul is charged with the murders November 30: Paul's court appearance December 2: Funeral for Keith, Jennifer, Jesse and Sophia Advertisement At the time it was called Jay-Martin and specialized in computer installing but it grew in success and size as the internet boomed. Keith started it and brought Paul in as his first hire when he got his first contracts with Citibank and at the Statue of Liberty. According to The New York Times, their decades-long business brotherhood had come under recent tension. Keith, the younger of the two, had been talking about his desire to try something new and was eager to go to work for a larger company as a CIO (Chief Information Officer). Police sources cited by NJ.com also said the business was struggling to stay afloat. 'He would just mention it to everyone. He wanted to try something different,' Ameet Chaudhury, who attended Columbia University with Keith when he returned to obtain an undergraduate history degree in 2014, said. The brothers were raised in Brooklyn with a third brother, Corey. Their father was a Spanish immigrant and they were brought up in a typical 'working class' environment, according to friends. For years, they were by one another's side. Keith was Paul's best man when he got married to his wife Susan in 1991 and Paul was in Keith's wedding party when he married his wife Jennifer. The business in Asbury Park grew and changed its name from Jay-Martin, named in honor of the brothers' middle names, to Square One. At some stage, they also acquired EcoStar Pest Management. Friends and co-workers told the Times that in recent year, Paul was in charge of the pest management business and Keith was left to run the technology business. Paul underwent multiple surgeries around five years ago after getting into a car accident and according to friends it changed his behavior. 'He was frustrated, but not to the point to hurt his family members,' family friend Demetris Potamianos said, emphasizing his disbelief over what Paul now stands accused of. Keith Caneiro (pictured with his wife Jennifer) had been talking 'openly' about cutting ties with the business partner brother before he was murdered The couple's young son and daughter were also found dead in the horrific blaze on Tuesday Heartbreaking tributes to the family were left including some addressed to Sophia and Jesse 'It was Paul and Keith all the time. It was the perfect helpful brother relationship. 'The last thing I can ever picture is Paul doing something like that. Paul was like a father to all of them. Shocking is not the word.' They said the accused was a proud gun owner who had previously revealed his collection of handguns and rifles. '(The fire) wasn't reported until 12.38, what we believed caused the fire to catch on from there is the feeding of oxygen once the house was entered into,' Gramiccioni said at a press conference last week, adding that it was 'the most brutal crime' he had ever seen. 'There were two reasons for the fire at his home,' he went on, explaining why Paul allegedly set the fire at his own house. 'One was to destroy evidence that he brought back from the Colts Neck crime scene and the other was to create some sort of ruse that his family was targeted,' Gramiccioni said. 'The defendant's motive was financial in nature, stemming from their joint business ventures that they owned and operated out of Asbury Park,' he went on, adding there was no evidence that either brother had any link to organized crime. It remains unclear if Paul Caneiro is being cooperative or if he has confessed to any of the crimes. Neighbors previously described Paul as a 'big fish in a small pond' who was enamored' with money but never quite lived up to his younger brother's wealth. A funeral was held for the Caneiro family on Sunday. The trial of a former police officer suspected of being a notorious serial killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 80s could cost taxpayers more than $20 million. A Sacramento County official said Wednesday the county has asked the state to help shoulder the costs for prosecuting Joseph DeAngelo. 'While the current estimate is more than $20 million, it is impossible at this point to accurately estimate all costs. We anticipate the complexities of the case, including 40 years of evidence, to greatly affect the final cost,' said Natasha Drane of the county's office of Governmental Relations and Legislation. Scroll down for video The trial of former cop, Joseph DeAngelo, who is suspected of being a notorious serial killer who terrorized California in the 1970s and 80s, could cost taxpayers more than $20 million. DeAngelo is seen during a court appearance on August 23, 2018 The estimate comes as DeAngelo is scheduled to appear in court Thursday. A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office could not provide details on the hearing in advance, and the public defender's office could not be reached for comment. The $20 million estimate includes the prosecution and defense of DeAngelo, Drane said. He's been represented by a public defender since his arrest in April. DeAngelo, 73, faces 26 counts in six counties, 13 for murder and 13 tied to rapes. The crimes began in 1975 and stopped in 1986. DeAngelo pictured during his time serving as a police officer in Exeter, where he was stationed between 1973 and 1976 DeAngelo, 73, faces 26 counts in six counties, 13 for murder and 13 tied to rapes. The crimes began in 1975 and stopped in 1986 In the decades following, the search for a suspect known by nicknames such as the Golden State Killer and the East Area Rapist frustrated investigators and left victims' families without answers. Finally in early 2018 investigators used DNA and a genealogical website to identify and arrest DeAngelo as the alleged killer. He has not entered a plea. Since the statute of limitations has passed on bringing rape cases, prosecutors charged him with 13 kidnapping-related charges. He is suspected of committing 13 murders and more than 50 rapes. The serial killer would monitor suburban neighborhoods and sneak into homes at night, authorities said. If a couple was home, he would tie up the man, place dishes on his back and threaten to kill both victims if he heard the plates fall onto the floor while he raped the woman. A two-year-old toddler has gone missing with her father in the Home Counties, prompting a huge police search. Antonia Matei is believed to be with her father Alexandru, 39, but was reported missing to Thames Valley Police who have been searching for the pair. The girl was last seen wearing Ugg boots and a blue jacket with a pink and blue butterfly pattern at lunchtime yesterday in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Antonia Matei, two, is believed to be with her father Alexandru, 39, but was reported missing Last night detectives concerned for the pair's safety said they believed Antonia and Mr Matei were with possibly two other people, a man and a woman. Thames Valley Police said Antonia and her father were last seen on Pentewan Gate in the Fishermead area of Milton Keynes at 1.30pm yesterday. A spokesman said: 'Thames Valley Police is appealing for information to find a missing father and daughter, last seen in Milton Keynes. Antonia has a pierced right ear and blond hair. 'When she was last seen, she was wearing a blue jacket with a pink and blue pattern of butterflies, dark blue sallopettes and brown Ugg boots. 'Alexandru is stocky, with short black, greying hair. When he was last seen, he was wearing a dark blue jacket. It is possible that Alexandru and Antonia are with two other adults, possibly a man and a woman.' The duo were last seen on Pentewan Gate in the Fishermead area of Milton Keynes (file picture) Mr Matei has links to Kempston in Bedfordshire, and Detective Chief Inspector Nick Glister appealed for anyone who had seen the little girl or her father to contact them. He said last night: 'I am becoming increasingly concerned about the whereabouts of Alexandru and his two-year-old daughter Antonia, who were last seen this afternoon. 'However, I want to reassure the local community that we are conducting an extensive investigation to find Alexandru and Antonia. 'I am making this public appeal because there might be people out there who have information that can help our enquiries. 'If anyone thinks they have seen Alexandru or Antonia, or have any information as to their whereabouts I would urge them to please contact police immediately.' A jailed Albanian took part in a television interview from his UK prison cell using a smuggled phone, it has emerged. Afrim Imeraj, 35, chatted with the presenter of Without Trace in his homeland. Imeraj is currently on remand and is due to be sentenced for drug smuggling, The Sun reports. During the twenty-five minute show the father-of-two told presenter Odeta Dume he was looking to find his two daughters, Larissa and Clea, who he had been separated from. Odeta Dume spoke with Afrim Imeraj, 35, from his prison cell in London - via Skype Imeraj told Pa Gjurme on Report TV he came to the UK illegally but his wife disappeared with their children soon after. According to Imeraj, their relationship deteriorated shortly after the daughters were born and he was arrested in London on March 23, 2017. 'After six months the conflicts began, that we were not together and that I had the sentence,' he said. It is believed he is in HMP Pentonville. The Skype chat was broadcast on the crime show which has millions of fans. The host finished with: 'Thank you for joining us via Skype. I know it must be hard for you. 'In London it is illegal to have a telephone in jail. So, I would suggest that you switch off your telephone now because you could get punished heavily.' Imeraj is awaiting sentence in HMP Pentonville in London, according to reports. He was looking for his two daughters The prisoner said he expects to be released between May and March, next year. She claimed his mother-in-law had called in to say his girls were in Germany. The problem of phones in prison has sparked a major crackdown by the government as videos mocking the system appear online weekly. The Ministry of Justice is to recruit and train 100 new staff for squads to combat gangs and organised crime inside prisons. Figures show there were 32,559 assaults in the last year to Ocotber on average one every 20 minutes. It is claimed this is fulled by organised gangs in prisons using mobile phones to smuggle drugs and other contraband. Illegal immigrant gang member Walter Antonio Argueta Amaya, of El Salvador, was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years for first-degree murder and 15 years for murder by lynching An illegal immigrant gang member has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the brutal machete slaying of a Virginia man. Walter Antonio Argueta Amaya, 21, is one of four gang members who pleaded guilty to killing 24-year-old Marvin Joel Rivera Guevara, who was hacked to death with a knife in Albemarle County. His badly mutilated body was found in Scottsville in July 2017 after he was said to have disrespected the MS-13 gang of which Amaya, of El Salvador, was a member. Guevara was struck at least 144 times by the machete in an attack so violent and sustained that the handle of the knife broke off from the blade. The Virginia Medical Examiner said he could not be identified by his family and DNA testing had to be used. Victim: Marvin Joel Rivera Guevara's mutilated body was found in Scottsville in July 2017 The group are said to have targeted Marvin after he told a colleague at a Charlottesville restaurant that the mob did not make the rules in America. The MS-13 gang was founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s and is known for using extreme violence to control territory and spread fear, The Daily Progress reports. Its motto is 'mata, roba, viola, control' (Kill, steal, rape, control) and members are known for their distinctive tattoos, according to Newsweek. Jose Luis Escobar-Umana, 23, (left) forced Guevara at gunpoint to walk toward the creek. Juan Carlos Zelaya, 19, (right) pleaded guilty to gang participation and lynching in Guevaras killing in exchange for dropping first-degree murder and abduction charges Court records show Guevara went with another gang member, Juan Carlos Argueta, 19, to meet with women in July 2017. When they arrived at Woolen Mills in in Scottsville they were met by Amaya and two others in the violent group, Jose Luis Escobar-Umana, 23, and Juan Carlos Zelaya, 19. Escobar-Umana is then said to have forced Guevara to walk toward the creek at gunpoint before he was hit by the machete hundreds of times. Amaya, an undocumented immigrant, now faces deportation on his release from prison after Guevara's brutal slaying. If he returns to the US he could serve 50 more years for violating his terms. He was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years for first-degree murder and 15 years for murder by lynching when he appeared before an Albemarle County judge. Escobar-Umana pleaded guilty to the same charges as Amaya while Argueta and Zelaya both pleaded guilty to gang participation and lynching in Guevara's killing. Albemarle County Commonwealth's Attorney Robert Tracci said: 'We need to send the message that gang violence won't be tolerated in Albemarle County.' An All Blacks star has slammed the backlash against a Maori Santa, and called the debate more damaging than the Christmas float itself. Nehe Milner-Skudder shared his views on the issue on social media, and called some of the comments made about the costume 'disrespectful and disgusting'. The float sparked a fierce debate after a large crowd eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of Santa during a Christmas parade on Sunday were left scratching their heads upon laying their eyes on the man sitting in the bright red sleigh. The pot-bellied figure with a large white beard had been replaced by a Maori man wearing a red korowai - a type of cloak. The non-traditional Santa was seen smiling and waving at the crowd at Nelson, on the South Island of New Zealand. Nehe Milner-Skudder shared his view on the 'controversial' issue involving a Maori Santa The non-traditional Santa wore a red korowai and was smiling and waving at the crowd at Nelson 'Man this Maori Santa "issue" is pretty ridiculous and personally I find it stupid that it's created such a frenzy,' Milner-Skudder wrote on his Facebook page. 'The main reason why I disagree with it is because I don't think Maori need to assimilate to Pakeha traditions. 'Santa is a white tradition and we can celebrate it in our own way that suits our culture. 'Conforming or assimilating to another culture is ultimately the reason why Maori culture is not as present in todays [sic] society.' Revellers criticised event organisers for showing a non-traditional Santa, arguing the parade's Santa should have worn the more traditional clothing. Community Arts Works Trust secretary Mark Soper told Stuff the idea behind the Maori Santa was 'bi-culturalism leading multi-culturalism'. 'That's the modern-day reality, we have a multicultural society. One third of Nelsonians are born outside of Nelson,' he said. 'It's also created to entertain and make people feel good, and in Nelson, we're a bit more Wearable Art and adventurous.' Milner-Skudder however had a problem with The AM Show host Duncan Garner who said 'Maoris don't own everything'. 'In saying that, people like Duncan Garner and others who have commented on this matter need to be MINDFUL of the things they say,' Milner-Skudder responded. Milner-Skudder however had a problem with The AM Show host Duncan Garner who said 'Maori's don't own everything' 'You have a platform so you can have an opinion but you don't need to make certain comments. Saying things like "Maori don't own everything" is just disrespectful and disgusting really. 'Of course we don't own everything, it was taken at colonisation and we've failed as a country to truly understand Maori culture and in turn that means we've failed to redress those wrongs. 'Annnnnyway, The reason behind the Santa was multiculturalism, a positive thing, and maybe they got it wrong but you definitely got it wrong with your response. It's people like you that hinder the positive moment. 'I feel like the comments and remarks that have come out have been far more damaging then the Santa himself. 'Anyway the point of this post was just to remind people to be mindful of the things you say... Especially if you have a platform that can easily influence others. 'Ahh little rant for the week... Gonna go find me a Santa suit now.' Fellow All Blacks Ardie Savea, Dane Coles and Victor Vito showed support for Milner-Skudder's post. 'That's the modern-day reality, we have a multicultural society. One third of Nelsonians are born outside of Nelson,' Mr Soper said Seven men have been arrested in Finland accused of repeatedly raping a ten-year-old girl in a grooming case that has shocked the Scandinavian country. The girl has allegedly been subjected to multiple sexual assaults over several months in the suspects' homes in Oulu in northern Finland, police say. The men, aged 20 to 40, have all arrived in Finland as migrants or refugees in recent years, and are thought to have made contact with the victim on social media, local media reports. Shocking: The ten-year-old victim has allegedly been subjected to multiple sexual assaults over several months in the seven suspects' homes 'For young people, meeting a foreign-heritage man [a person whose parents are not Finnish or who themselves are not Finnish] can happen spontaneously, for example during a party,' criminal investigator Markus Kiiskinen of Oulu Police told Ilta-Sanomat. 'Someone could offer them something "nice", like tobacco or alcohol, which can start a nasty chain of events. ' Kiiskinen said that the suspects all knew each other, and that the young victim is not related to any of the alleged rapists. The case has prompted the Oulu Police to issue a warning to the public about 'foreign men' contacting underaged girls on social media. 'The police is urging young girls and parents to be vigilant on social media. Recently, in the Oulu region, there have been incidents where foreign-born, often non-Finnish men have contacted minors online. 'At worst, there contacts have led to serious sexual offenses,' the statement reads adding that parents need to be aware of whom their children spend time with both on- and offline. Warning: The incident has prompted police in Oulu to issue a warning to parents to monitor who their child speaks to on social media Anger: Prime Minister Juha Sipila expressed his shock and anger in a tweet Finland's Prime Minister Juha Sipila took to Twitter to express his shock and anger, writing that 'A sexual offence against a child is an inhumane act, and its wickedness cannot be comprehended.' President Sauli Niinisto branded the crimes an 'evil' which must be fought in an interview with a Finnish newspaper. Oulu is a harbour city in north-west Finland, home to some 202,000 people. Of Finland's population of just over 5.5million, some 321,500 people are born in a foreign country. Compared to neighbouring Sweden, Finland had a low intake of migrants and refugees during the recent European migrant crisis. Last year, 31,797 persons moved to Finland, down from 34,905 in 2016 and 28 746 in 2015. Donald Trump celebrated reaching a 50 per cent approval rating on Thursday night just hours after attending George H.W. Bush's funeral. The jubilant tweet, posted at 10:32pm last night, celebrated the results of the latest survey from Rasmussen Reports - which put him four points ahead of Barack Obama at the same point in his term. The US President, who previously recorded ratings as low as 38 per cent, tweeted 'Working hard, thank you!' alongside a large blue graphic. Scroll down for video Trump looks stern as he sits near his predecessor Barack Obama during George H.W. Bush's state funeral on Wednesday However, critics soon blasted the reliability of the Rasmussen results, which have previously been much more favourable to Trump than other sources. According to the Rasmussen poll, 50 per cent of U.S. Voters approve of President Trump's job performance, while 48 per cent disapprove. The latest figures include 35 per cent who strongly approve of the way Trump is performing and 40 per cent who strongly disapprove. But other polls for the same period by YouGov, Ipsos and Gallup put Trump's rating at between 40 and 43 per cent. While poll website FiveThirtyEight which tracks all polls conducted on the President's approval set his aggregate score at just 42 per cent on Wednesday. Hours after leaving the funeral he posted a celebratory tweet in which he hailed his 50 per cent approval rating Trump is extremely proud of his approval ratings and has previously goaded other world leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, over theirs. After Macron suggested the creation of a European army last month, Trump tweeted that he suffered from a 'very low rating'. 'The problem is that Emmanuel suffers from a very low Approval Rating in France... he was just trying to get to another subject,' Trump said. The news comes as another Rasmussen survey claims 54 per cent of U.S. Voters think Trump is likely to be reelected in 2020. Rasmussen conducts daily surveys via telephone of 500 likely voters, and has a 2.5 per cent margin for error. Earlier on Wednesday Trump was slated after leaving the funeral of 41st President George H.W. Bush early - before the casket had even left the church. A mystery diner at a cafe left an eye-watering $112 tip for the waitresses who served them. The kind-hearted customer bought a relatively modest breakfast at the On Your Mark Cafe in Staten Island, New York. But that didn't stop them leaving the huge tip for the waitresses - all of whom have developmental or intellectual disabilities. A video recorded by cafe manager Nicole Jablonski shows one waitress called Jen pick up the bill and realise how much cash there is. She slowly begins counting out the money, as all her colleagues watch in amazement. As the total keeps growing, they can all hardly contain their delight as she reads out the final amount - $112. Jen, a waitress in On Your Mark cafe, counts the bills and is astounded by the huge total tip Jen celebrates with her colleagues out of shot as they can't believe they get to share out the tip The staff - who all shared in the communal tip - jubilantly give each other high fives. Cafe manager Nicole said: 'Their day was made and so was mine!' The cafe is run by a non-profit organisation On Your Mark, which is dedicated to providing services to children and adults with disabilities. One of six businesses they set up is the cafe in Staten Island, which helps disabled people - many of whom have developmental or intellectual disabilities - find meaningful employment and gain vocational skills. The gratuity totalled $112. It was left for the whole team who share a communal tip jar Joe Gori, the charity's director of employment initiatives, who also helps run the cafe day-to-day, said: 'We receive many visitors to our cafe that get very moved about what we are doing here - and this is how they like to show their appreciation. 'The tip was left for the whole team, as we have a communal tip jar that gets split between all the staff at the end of the day. 'So everyone was rejoicing when they realised such a large tip had been left. 'All we know is the tip was left for exceptional food and service by our waitresses and team.' To find out more about On Your Mark visit: www.onyourmark.org Controversial Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has attacked senior members of the Catholic clergy, calling them 'useless fools' who should be 'killed'. Duterte's strong remarks are believed to have been made in response to the Catholic church's opposition to his government's ongoing war on drugs, which has left thousands dead. According to local reports, Duterte's comments were made during a speech at the presidential palace on Wednesday. Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte attacked high-ranking Catholic clergy, calling them 'useless fools' who should be 'killed' in response to ongoing criticism by the church of his hard-line stance on drugs. According to local media reported that President Duterte accused the Catholic clergy of doing nothing else but criticise, Al Jazeera said. 'These bishops that you guys have, kill them. They are useless fools. All they do is criticise.' Duterte was reportedly giving a speech to local government officials when he began his diatribe against the Catholic Church again, calling it "the most hypocritical institution" and saying his God is different from the one Catholics worship. More intriguing is the fact that Duterte himself is, on paper, a Catholic. It is not the first time that President Duterte has attacked the Catholic church which has alarmed the church's faithful, who make up about 90 percent of the country. The Catholic church has also made their concerns known, following the death of three of its priests since December 2017. However, Duterte has hit back at the church on various occasions about church morality in light of the high-profile international sexual abuse scandals involving priests. It is not the only thing the Filipino president has said which has shocked public opinion with his off-the-cuff remarks - even having to apologise for calling former US President Barack Obama 'a son of a w***e' back in 2016. Earlier in the week, he said he had used marijuana to stay awake, but quickly backtracked on his remarks, stating that he was just joking. However, not everyone found the president's joke very funny, and a local senator challenged Duterte on Thursday to take a drug test to prove it. Rough police estimates suggest that nearly 5,000 suspected drug dealers and users have been killed since Duterte announced his war on drugs, while rights groups say the true toll is at least triple that and may amount to crimes against humanity. Authorities say about 5,000 suspected drug dealers have been killed in the government's war on drugs, however human rights groups say the death toll could be triple this number. A photo of Kian Delos Santos, 17, on top of the hearse during his funeral on August 26, 2017 Duterte and his drug war are backed by many Filipinos fed up with high crime rates and a slow-moving judicial system In November, three Philippine policemen were sentenced to up to 40 years in prison without parole, for murdering Kian Delos Santos, during an anti-narcotics sweep. President Duterte has vowed to pardon authorities involved in the deadly bloody crackdown, but even he refused to defend the 2017 killing in a dank Manila alley. Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo also welcomed the ruling as he gave assurances the president opposed 'intentional killing'. He added: 'It shows that this country has a robust judicial system.' The three police officers accused of killing Delos, 17, during drugs raid were sentenced to up to 40 years in prison. The teenager's death sparked street protests in 2017 and highlighted concerns about police abuse Police said the teenager was a drug courier who fired at them while resisting arrest. However, CCTV footage and witness accounts revealed two of the policemen dragging the unarmed boy moments before he was shot dead. Drug war critics hailed the conviction as an example of justice and accountability, which they said have been rare since Duterte unleashed the campaign to rid the Philippines of narcotics in 2016. Duterte and his drug war are backed by many Filipinos fed up with high crime rates and a slow-moving judicial system. But the death of Santos, as well as of two other Manila teenagers accused of robbing a taxi driver, triggered rare street protests in 2017 and highlighted concerns about police abuse. Uprooted Palestinians are at the heart of the conflict in the M.E Palestinians uprooted by force of arms. Yet faced immense difficulties have survived, kept alive their history and culture, passed keys of family homes in occupied Palestine from one generation to the next. A nine-year-old autistic boy left upset by the number of homeless out in the cold this Christmas decided to fill up boxes with useful items in a heartwarming act. William Harrison was shopping in Liverpool city centre with his grandmother Joan - and decided he wanted to help the homeless and their pets on the streets. So the boy, who attends English Martyrs Primary School in Litherland, Merseyside, asked local pizza shop Dough for some empty boxes - which they gave him for free. William Harrison (right) decided he wanted to help the homeless and their pets in Liverpool His mother Kathy said: 'William and his nanny Joan shopped for items which would be useful - socks, gloves, sweets, mints, tissues, hand gel and lip balms. 'William wrapped the parcels in Christmas paper, wrote Christmas cards and even attached mini crackers to the parcels.' Then, on Sunday, William set off for the city centre once again with his mother, grandmother and a Santa sack full of gifts - as well as dog food and biscuits. His mother explained: 'Because of William's condition, he struggles to make eye contact and sometimes can be a little bit socially awkward. 'However after a little prompting his confidence grew and he was approaching people with his nanny knowing what to say.' William shopped for items such as socks, gloves, sweets, mints, tissues, hand gel and lip balms She added: 'It was definitely emotional seeing William doing this - we were sad that we only had ten parcels and couldn't help everyone - but I am so proud of my son.' It comes after a charity warned Britain's housing crisis will be 'felt across a generation' as the latest figures reveal the scale of children living in homelessness. Shelter urged people to support its appeal to provide families with 'the vital helpline advice and services they need in order to keep their homes over the festive period'. The charity estimates there will be 131,269 homeless children in the UK this Christmas, of whom 9,500 will spend their Christmas in a hostel or B&B. This is the shocking moment a hero shopkeeper was stabbed in the neck twice as he fought off a burglar who tried to raid his store for Buckfast. Zabbiullah Amiri wrestled with William Lauchlan over the counter at his Stop 'N' Shop in Paisley, Renfrewshire, as the thug tried to make off with two bottles of the fortified wine. Lauchlan, 37, plunged a six-inch knife into the neck of the shopkeeper - known as Zabbi - twice during the botched burglary. Zabbiullah Amiri is stabbed twice in the neck as he wrestled with William Lauchlan at his Stop 'N' Shop in Paisley The 32-year-old shopkeeper climbs on top of the counter after catching the thug trying to steal two bottles of Buckfast tonic wine Zabbiullah Amiri - known as Zabbi - is originally from Afghanistan but moved to the UK when he was 15, and set up shop in Scotland in 2014 Lauchlan (pictured) was jailed for 25 months for the attack on July 19 last week at Paisley Sheriff Court But despite his injuries, Zabbi, 32, was able to wrestle the blade from his attacker and restrain him for 10 minutes until police arrived. In the CCTV, Lauchlan's girlfriend can also be seen smacking Zabbi with a shopping bag as she tries to help he partner escape. Lauchlan was jailed for 25 months for the attack on July 19 last week at Paisley Sheriff Court. He was given a further three months for an earlier crime and the judge ordered 12 month supervision upon his release because he's 'a danger to the public'. Lauchlan's girlfriend smacks Zabbi with a shopping bag as she tries to help he partner escape Mr Amiri kept a hold of the burglar and restrained him until police came - despite having blood oozing from his neck wounds Zabbi'a neck wounds have healed now after the shopkeeper was forced to quit work for a month Zabbi, who is originally from Afghanistan but moved to the UK when he was 15, had to take a month off work due to his injuries. He told the Daily Record: 'Without paying the money they were trying to escape but I managed to hold the male and jump the counter. 'While I was jumping the counter he stabbed me twice in the neck with a six-inch knife. 'I managed to get his knife out of his hand and took control over him and took all the items they were trying to steal.' A drug addicted couple used a laser printer to produce counterfeit cash from their home - and then encouraged a seven-year-old child to spend the fake money. Jessica Patricia Rodrigues, 28, and Jade Rodney Adams, 33, pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court on the Gold Coast to a raft of charges including making counterfeit money, possessing counterfeit money and forgery. Magistrate Pamela Dowse sentenced the pair to six months' jail on Thursday before granting immediate parole, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported. Jade Rodrigues (pictured) and her former partner Jade Adams produced counterfeit money when both were addicted to the drug ice Jade Adams (pictured) was found guilty in Southport Court on the Gold Coast of producing counterfeit money The court was told the couple, heavy ice users at the time of their offending, used a laser printer to produce fake $50 notes. On certain counterfeit notes they also used cellophane - but the majority were made from printer paper. When eventually tracked down by police, the couple were nabbed with close to $2,000 in counterfeit cash. The pair then attempted to pass off the fake $50 notes at a number of different shops on the Gold Coast - and were successful in Kmart and Stacks. Jessica Rodrigues (pictured) has since beaten her addiction to ice which saw her produce counterfeit money on a home printer On a handful of occasions Rodrigues' seven-year-old son was asked to use the fake money in retail shops. Rodrigues' lawyer Sam Jackson conceded his client was facing a number of serious charges. 'It wasn't a sophisticated operation they [the counterfeit $50 notes) were printed on paper, using home equipment,' he said. Mr Jackson added Rodrigues is now clean and has started a relationship with another man. Following a 30 day stint behind bars, Adams' lawyer Demi Quadrio said her client is also now drug free. Mohammed Fazal, 32, had been locked up for eight years after police seized 1m of heroin and cocaine he was trading and uncovered a 500,000 cannabis factory. He set up a new crime empire - just two hours after being freed early 'good behaviour' A shameless drug dealer who was jailed for dealing heroin and cocaine set up a new crime empire - just two hours after being freed early for 'good behaviour.' Manchester Crown Court heard, Mohammed Fazal, 32, had been locked up for eight years after police seized 1m of heroin and cocaine he was trading and uncovered a 500,000 cannabis factory. A decision by a parole board, meant he served less than half his stretch and within hours of being let out Fazal met his old underworld contacts and set up a new drug trafficking racket which spanned the North of England and the Midlands. He activated two mobile phones and planned the the ferrying of 13kg of cocaine and heroin worth up to 3m to towns and cities including Manchester, Halifax. West Yorks and Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs. He also enlisted the help of a former cellmate and used a team of couriers and distributors. Fazal also had access to an industrial unit which was used as safehouse for the drugs. Fazal, of Rochdale, Greater Manchester was arrested following an 11 month operation by police who carried out covert surveillance on him and his gang as well as monitoring his phone records. Two hours after his release, Fazal activated two mobile phones and planned the the ferrying of 13kg of cocaine and heroin worth up to 3m to towns and cities including Manchester, Halifax. West Yorks and Stoke-on-Trent, Staffs. Heroin seized from Fazal in 2013 Pictured, Fazal's accomplices, Mohammed Hoque, Abu Khan and Raja Mobeen Khan who were also jailed Nasir Ali, Mudasar Khan and Aneesha Ahmed who help Fazal run his crime empire Ashraful Chowdhury, Adeel Faraz and Aftar Khan were also jailed after assisting Fazal in the drug operation Hafiz Ullah, Simon Worrall and Samirul Choudhury are now behind bars for their role in the drug dealing operation Officers seized 4.5kg of cocaine and 8.5kg of heroin plus 110,000 in cash. Fazal was jailed for 15 years after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supplying heroin and cocaine. Tariq Hussain was jailed for eight years The court heard the father of two had originally been arrested in April 2013 when neighbours became suspicious about a 'potent stench' of marijuana coming from a flat he was linked to in Rochdale. Officers found a large cannabis farm inside with 50 plants harvested with a street value of 43,000 plus 50,000 of heroin and cocaine and drug manufacturing equipment. Later heroin worth up to 1m was found at another property. In November 2013 Fazal was jailed for eight years for possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply. Police said the sentences would 'no doubt serve as a deterrent to anyone else who think they can make money delving in to this abhorrent trade.' But on June 5 2017, Fazal was freed on parole and within hours picked up two encrypted mobile phones, one for daily use and the other to use as a disposable 'burner' to use in drug dealing. Mr Alex Langhorn prosecuting said: 'There were multiple amounts of heroin and cocaine moved around the North West and Midlands. Fazal became the head of the Rochdale crime group and immediately after his release from custody he took on the operation. 'He used his contacts from previous times and also had contacts from another prisoner he was in jail with. 'He was directly overseeing the amount of drugs and it was recorded he made trips with other drug dealers to discuss the continued supply. He delivered two boxes of drugs himself to home addresses.' Pictured, a cannabis farm found when Fazal was arrested in 2013, which had 50 plants harvested with a street value of 43,000 Between June 2017 and May 2018 cocaine and heroin were supplied between Mohammed Fazal's organised crime gang and another dealer in Halifax. Police rounded up the gang after officers searched a house in Rochdale in December 2017 and discovered half a kilo of cocaine as well as heroin. In mitigation for Fazal defence lawyer Robert Smith said: 'He has another side to his character as being a good father. His GP said he suffered a serious bereavement last year that hit him very hard. 'At the time he was in financial difficulties and was being treated for depression. He knows he will receive a substantial sentence for this. He wants to end that cycle of coming to court. He is now a grown man with children and failed to stay out of court. He is a good father and wants to change. He wants to be released from prison while his children are still of a young age.' But detective inspector Lee Griffin from Greater Manchester Police said after the hearing: 'Just hours after his release on license, Fazal decided to continue a life of crime. 'But despite his and his co-conspirators attempts to avoid detection, our officers were soon uncovering significant quantities of drugs and cash that led to his gang's downfall. 'This was a wide-ranging and complex investigation, but thanks to the diligence and professionalism of our specialist officers we have managed to bring down an elaborate drugs conspiracy. 'Drugs blight communities and ruin lives. These prosecutions send a strong message that we will not tolerate criminals attempting to profit from illegality.' Raja Mobeen Khan, 27, Tariq Hussain, 23, Mohammed Hoque, 21, and Mohammed Abu Khan, 27, all of Rochdale were given respective jail terms of ten years, eight years, seven years and seven years and a half years. Zain Ahmed, 24, of Halifax was jailed for seven years. Hafiz Ullah, 34, of Nelson, Lanc, got ten years. All six men admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine. Hafiz Ullah was described as an 'organiser and distributor' plus the 'Lancashire connection'. Nasir Ali, 38, of Burnley, Lancs, Samirul Choudhury, 29, of Rochdale and Aftar Khan, 30, also of Rochdale were given respective jail terms of three years, four years and eight years. All admitted possession of drugs with intent to supply. Ali, a taxi driver, was said to have had 'little relevance' of the scale of the gang's operation. He was described as a 'courier' and 'naive'. Eight other men were also jailed for drugs offences. Fazal fled after his home was raided, but he was arrested in Stranraer, south west Scotland, the court was told. It is a scene that is at the very heart of what Christmas means. But a Nativity display has been banned by shopping centre bosses for fear of offending non-Christian shoppers. Church leaders yesterday condemned the Grinch-like Thistles shopping centre in Stirling for refusing to allow a Nativity scene this Christmas. The Thistles Shopping centre in Stirling is at the centre of a storm over a decision to block the erection of a nativity scene at the popular mall Shoppers at the Thistles shopping centre in Stirling have expressed outrage over a decision to stop church leaders from erecting a nativity scene at the popular mall Outraged shoppers raised the matter with their local MP Stephen Kerr, MP for Stirling Shopping centre bosses flatly declined a request for the traditional display, saying customers did not want to be subjected to individual organisations beliefs. They refused to budge when an MP urged them to reconsider their ban on affiliating with any specific religions or beliefs. Centre management were also accused of double standards by promoting a Christmas Market in the city centre mall. Last night the Catholic Church in Scotland urged the centre to abandon its Grinch-like stance, while the Church of Scotland said it was a sad day for all of us. Members of the Legion of Mary Catholic association complained on Facebook about the ban. Their post said: Despite heavily promoting Christmas for commercial gain, the centre managers pride themselves on religious neutrality so wont allow a Nativity to be present any longer. Religious leaders in Stirling have expressed their disappointment at the lack of a nativity scene Shoppers have expressed their disappointment on the shopping centre's Facebook page It continued: While I understand that no one wants religious or political evangelists in a shopping centre, the request was simply to have a Nativity, which would be manned and anyone approaching could ask about it. A member of the association, Margaret Patterson, complained to Stirling MP, Stephen Kerr, who wrote to the Thistles centre managers asking them to reconsider. They replied: Thistles prides itself on being religiously and politically neutral in its behaviour within the local community. With this in mind we do not feel it would be right to host this type of promotion in a shopping centre. Mr Kerr said: Surely there is room for a simple display that may be of interest to people. I would hope that an application from any faith group would be considered on its own merits. A spokesman for the Catholic Archdiocese of St Andrews & Edinburgh said: It seems Grinch-like for the Thistles shopping centre to ban the Christmas crib and, in the true spirit of Christmas, we would ask them to reconsider. A spokesman for the Church of Scotland said: We find it very disappointing that the true meaning of Christmas has been completely lost here. When a shopping centre can focus purely on commercialism to the exclusion of the reason for the celebration of Christmas it is a sad day for all of us. A spokesman for the Thistles said: While we are sympathetic with the Legion of Marys request to have a Nativity scene, we are unable to accommodate it. As is common among shopping centres, our policy is to support our local community in celebrating the festive season without affiliating with any specific religions or beliefs. The shopping centre have faced criticism over their decision which was been described as 'a political motivated inference that has targeted a Christian religious festival'. One outraged Christian, Sarah Moorehouse told MailOnline: 'The origins of Christmas, is a celebration of Christian orthodoxy through the birth of Jesus. The sacrificial lamb. 'Myself and many Christians are facing reprisals for practicing our faith. Across Europe, our fellow Christians are being tortured, brutalised and murdered. 'Those who profess to being non Christian, atheists or agnostic, could bestow the same tolerance and consideration towards practicing Christians, that we, ourselves show towards them? 'I would like my grandchildren to see the Nativity. We have as much right as any other non Christian religions, to celebrate Christmas in this way. The Nativity is a Christian religious festival and should be acknowledged as such like any other religious festival.' A mental health charity has slammed the online fashion retailer Boohoo for selling festive pyjamas with the slogan 'Obsessive Christmas Disorder'. OCD Action claims the logo 'trivialises' obsessive compulsive disorder and called it an insult to those living with the condition. The disorder affects up to 750,000 Britons and sees those diagnosed carrying out repetitive behaviours and battling intrusive thoughts. The festive set, on sale for 17, has OCD written on the top and 'Obsessive Christmas Disorder' underneath. The word obsessive was written with the O as Rudolph's red nose combined with a pair of antlers. A mental health charity has slammed the online fashion retailer Boohoo for selling festive pyjamas with the slogan 'Obsessive Christmas Disorder' Olivia Bamber, the Youth Service and Communications Manager of OCD Action, said: 'Products which mock or trivialise OCD add to these misconceptions and can stop people who are genuinely affected by the condition seeking help, often due to a fear that they will not be taken seriously. 'It's important that we challenge these trivialising products, even though their intention is not to cause any distress or offense. 'OCD Action welcomes conversations with organisations and is happy to help educate them about how they can contribute positively to people's understanding of this debilitating mental health condition.' Another OCD charity, OCD-UK, has also contacted Boohoo about the item and has been advised that the online retailer will review whether or not to ban it from sale. Twitter users have also brought the pyjama set to Boohoo's attention online with one user posting: 'Hey Boohoo, what's the deal with these pyjamas? OCD is a read, valid mental illness, that effects and can destroy lives. 'It's not something to make jokes about. I know for a fact that there would not be pyjamas with the jokes about depression, bipolar disorder, anorexia etc.' Social media users claim the logo 'trivialises' obsessive compulsive disorder and called it an insult to those living with the condition This incident comes after TK Maxx had to apologise and pull a line of 'OCD' kitchenware after receiving a backlash from campaigners online. The novelty Christmas items were emblazoned with the slogan 'I have O.C.D. * Obsessive Christmas Disorder'. Ashley Fulwood, chief executive of OCD-UK, said this is not the first time they have had to battle offensive products. Ashley said: 'There are two issues - one is that it trivialises it and the second is that it fuels these misconceptions of OCD being something quirky. It fails to recognize that the D in OCD stands for disorder. 'It's not just a case of us being easily offended. People fail to realise how severe it can be. It destroys lives, relationships, careers and sadly we have tragic consequences of people taking their own lives.' A Boohoo spokesman said they are investigating, adding: 'We are aware.' A hero schoolboy who saved his mother from a brutal knifeman rapist has died 19 months after his skull was destroyed fighting off the monster. Vanya Krapivin, 16, came home from school to find neighbour Roman Pronin straddling his screaming, blood-soaked mum. The previously convicted murderer repeatedly attacked Natalia Krapivina, 43, with a knife seeking to force her to have sex with him. Teenager Vanya Krapivin before the brutal attack on him and his mother that ultimately led to his death Surgeons were forced to remove the front of Vanya Krapivin's skull and part of his brain after the brutal attack on him and his mother by would-be rapist Roman Pronin Vanya - then 15 - entered the flat in Severodvinsk, northwest Russia and saw the appalling scene. He picked up a 3kg dumbbell and struck the beast. Pronin, 37, later jailed for 14 years and now facing an additional murder charge after the boy's death, deflected the blow and turned his fury on Vanya. He wrestled the dumbbell from him, and pounded it over his head. Neighbours hearing the commotion called the police while the vicious attacker fled believing both were dead. Vanya and his mother were both found unconscious on the floor in the blood soaked flat. Beast: Knife-wielding rapist Roman Pronin had a previous conviction for murder but was allowed to live in the family's block despite Vanya's mother's objections Mother Natalia Krapivina, 43, had pleaded with authorities not to let convicted murderer Roman Pronin, 37, live in her block. The ordeal drove her to drink and she has faced criticism for not being at her critically-injured son's bedside The boy fell into a coma for nine months while his mother had suffered 27 stab wounds - but her life was saved by her son's bravery. Deeply traumatised from her own experience and her son's savage skull injuries, Natalia was released from hospital a few months later, but only visited her son twice after the horror of the ordeal, according to reports. Her brave son suffered serious brain damage and lost almost all the frontal bone of his skull. Surgeons were forced to remove some of his brain, and a massive fund raising campaign was launched by prominent TV presenter Andrey Malakhov for titanium plates he needed in his skull and other medical expenses. Vanya Krapivin, 16, had been showing signs of recovery, but in October he fell ill with the flu and later died One year later, Vanya showed 'light signs of being conscious' after treatment from top Russian surgeon Leonid Roshal. In June this year he started to recognise his nurse, and ate porridge and mashed food. In July, he went to a rehabilitation centre in Moscow amid renewed hope of improvement. Funds were being raised to send the hero boy to Spain for further recovery. But in October he contracted flu and despite intensive care treatment his condition worsened and he died on Tuesday this week. Tragically, his distraught mother could not cope with her son's condition, blaming herself - even though she was Pronin's victim too. It was revealed that she had pleaded with the authorities before the attack not to allow a released murderer to live in her block close to children. She faced criticism in Russia for not being at Vanya's bedside. Vanya Krapivin was 15 when he saved his mother Natalia from knife-wielding rapist Roman Pronin by hitting him with a dumbbell - and ultiamately paid with his life Natalia sought funds to treat her son and told a TV audience: ' I beg to be pardoned(for not visiting him more frequently). 'And I want to ask you, please, help my son. 'I don't remember what happened that day.' Admitting she had turned to drink after the horrific ordeal she said: 'Everybody now tells me that I am to blame for everything ... 'I am ready to be treated. 'And I want to be with my son.' She has not spoken since Vanya's death. Pronin was jailed for two attempted murders. He will now face a murder charge. A criminal investigation is also underway into why the convicted murderer was allowed to live near children. Western Australia Labor MP Pierre Yang has wept in parliament, saying he's deeply hurt by reports casting doubts on his loyalty to Australia and suggesting he has links to China's Communist Party. News Corp Australia recently reported Mr Yang had not declared to parliament his membership of the Northeast China Federation and the Association of Great China, which are allegedly affiliated with the party. Mr Yang, who migrated to Australia 20 years ago, has since resigned from the organisations, which hold contrary positions to the Commonwealth on issues including China's claim of sovereignty in the South China Sea. WA Labor MP Pierre Yang (left) wept in parliament, saying he's deeply hurt by reports casting doubts on his loyalty to Australia and suggesting he has links to China's Communist Party Mr Yang (pictured right with Premier Mark McGowan left) told parliament that the suggestion he was not totally loyal to Australia was deeply hurtful and asked whether his Australian-born children would also have their allegiance questioned He said he overlooked the memberships, along with his participation in a community centre in his suburb, when filling in his annual return. The upper house MP said he wasn't legally required to disclose them, but believed he should have and apologised to his colleagues. 'I did not seek to hide my membership in these two associations,' Mr Yang said on Thursday. 'I did amend my return.' Mr Yang said he disclosed his membership to one of the groups in his expression of interest for preselection but the other did not exist when he nominated. According to its website, the Northeast China Federation, which was formed in 1972, aims to strengthen the Australia-China relationship over the next ten years. The Association of Great China helps Chinese people integrate, study and develop locally, and contributes to the Chinese community through cultural exchanges and charitable activities. He also insisted he had never been a member of the WA branch of the Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China and did not know why his Chinese name had been listed on its website. Mr Yang, who is a lawyer, said he instructed his counsel to get them to take it down last week. Mr Yang had not declared to parliament his membership of the Northeast China Federation and the Association of Great China, which are allegedly affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party (pictured) He also insisted he had never been a member of the WA branch of the Australian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China and did not know why his Chinese name had been listed on its website (pictured) Earlier on Thursday, News Corp reported that Mr Yang spent time on a Chinese government boat that was part of the search for MH370, citing security experts as saying the vessel was probably conducting spying activities Earlier on Thursday, News Corp reported that Mr Yang spent time on a Chinese government boat that was part of the search for MH370, citing security experts as saying the vessel may have been conducting spying activities. He said that as an Australian Army Reserve member, he was invited to apply for the 49-day deployment and was chosen because he speaks Mandarin. 'I was called up to serve our overseas deployment. I was asked to do a job by the Australian Army as a serviceman, I did that,' Mr Yang told reporters at a recent press conference. Mr Yang said that was there to simply to serve Australia's overseas deployment and he reported only to a representative from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau. Mr Yang spent time on a Chinese government boat that was part of the search for MH370 (pictured) citing security experts as saying the vessel may have been conducting spying activities The suggestion he was not totally loyal to Australia was deeply hurtful, Mr Yang said, and he wept as he asked whether his Australian-born children would also have their allegiance questioned. 'I take my reputation seriously,' he said. 'Australia is my home. My loyalty is to Australia and only to Australia.' Premier Mark McGowan has sprung to Mr Yang's defence, describing the initial news report as an 'attack filled with slur and innuendo'. Andrew Dymock, 21, from Bath, has been arrested on suspicion of terror offences Three men aged from 17 to 21 including a university professor's son were today arrested for terror charges after a neo-Nazi group called for Prince Harry to be shot because he is a 'race traitor'. The men are being investigated over whether they have links to the Sonnenkrieg Division which made the outburst against the Duke of Sussex, who married mixed race Meghan in May. North East Counter Terrorism Unit officers today arrested a 17-year-old from London, an 18-year-old from Portsmouth and a 21-year-old from Bath. The latter is university student Andrew Dymock, the son of a dentistry professor. Police said the arrests this morning were pre-planned, adding that searches were ongoing at properties in all three cities as well as another in Leeds. The arrests in London and Portsmouth were under the Terrorism Act 2006 - specifically section one regarding encouraging terrorism, and section two which is about dissemination of terrorist publications. This poster about Prince Harry was produced by the Sonnenkrieg Division, a British version of a US neo-Nazi group called the Atomwaffen Division Dymock's arrest was under section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 - possession of material likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. The men aged 17 and 21 were also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to inspire racial and religious hatred. Police interviews are taking place in London and Bath. The Sonnenkrieg Division is a UK offshoot of the Atomwaffen Division in the US, founded with the aim of destroying civilisation to build a national socialist state. Violent images posted by the group on social media state 'fill your heart with hate' and glorify the Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik. One image suggests that Prince Harry should be shot for marrying someone of mixed race and exclaims 'See ya later, race traitor'. A further image, showing a female hanging from a noose, states that white women who date non-white men should be killed. Established in 2007, the North East Counter Terrorism Unit is one of five units that forms part of the national counter terrorism network. The widow of a hedge fund executive whose fund lost $50 million in Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme is suing his psychiatrist for failing to prevent his suicide. Annabella Murphy, 42, filed a lawsuit yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court against NYU Langone Professor Aaron Metrikin, who treated her husband Charles Murphy in the nine months leading up to his death. Murphy, 56, ran a hedge fund at Fairfield Greenwich in New York which had invested around $7 billion into Madoffs notorious Ponzi scheme before it was discovered in 2008. His clients lost nearly $50 million. Charles Murphy and Annabella Murphy attend Museum of the City of New York Winter Ball at Cipriani 42nd Street on February 23, 2017. Annabella Murphy is suing her husband's psychiatrist for failing to prevent his March suicide In 2013, Fairfield paid out a settlement of $80 million following a class action lawsuit by its investors. Father-of-four Murphy jumped from one of the top floors of a luxury New York hotel in March last year. 'It's a sad, unfortunate case,' her lawyer David Jaroslawicz told The New York Post. 'He certainly shouldn't have been in a non-institutionalized environment.' In the months before his death, Murphy - who was working at billionaire John Paulson's hedge fund Paulson & Co. - had been on antidepressants, discussed suicide and added his wife to the deed of his townhouse The suit says he previously talked of committing suicide by jumping from that same hotel, and that Dr. Metrikin failed to refer Murphy to specialist, which - it says - could have saved his life. In the months before his death, Murphy - who was working at billionaire John Paulson's hedge fund Paulson & Co. - had been taking antidepressants. He also appeared to have been making arrangements for after his suicide. Five weeks beforehand Murphy made his wife a co-owner of their Upper East Side townhouse, which would make the transfer easier after his death and prevent her having to go through probate. In April this year, Annabella sold the seven story property for $28.5 million - $20 million less than the initial asking price. 'Despite knowing that the decedent had attempted suicide in the past and had advised him of suicidal tendencies, [Metrikin] failed to provide proper medication or to hospitalize decedent,' The New York Post quoted the suit as saying. Father-of-four Murphy was one of the worst affected victims of the Madoff scandal, considered the largest financial fraud in US history Annabella Murphy is seeking unspecified damages to cover funeral and burial costs as well as her husband's 'conscious pain and suffering', the Post reported. Her husband was the third suicide in the fallout from the Madoff scandal, considered the largest financial fraud in US history. It bilked investors of an estimated $65billion when principal and lost interest are counted. Murphy is the third victim of the notorious Ponzi Scheme orchestrated by Bernie Madoff (pictured) to take his own life Rene-Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet took his own life in 2008, after he and his clients lost $1.4 billion to Madoff, who is serving 150 years in a North Carolina prison. William Foxton OBE, an army veteran and UN humanitarian worker, fatally shot himself in 2009 after losing his life savings in the scheme. Finally, Madoff's eldest son Mark, 46, killed himself in December 2010 on the second anniversary of his father's arrest. A high school teacher has been arrested after forcibly cutting a student's hair in class while belting out The Star Spangled Banner. Videos posted on social media showed Margaret Gieszinger cutting off chunks of a student's hair at University Preparatory High School in Visalia, California. College of the Sequoias police responded to the classroom after a receiving a report of child endangerment involving a teacher and a 'pair of scissors', police chief Kevin Mizner told the Visalia Times-Delta. Gieszinger, 52, of Exeter, was later arrested on suspicion of corporal injury to a child with her bail set at $100,000. Videos posted on social media showed Margaret Gieszinger cutting off chunks of a student's hair in class It came after videos posted online showed science teacher Gieszinger chasing students in the classroom while singing the national anthem. In one clip, a male student is seen sitting in a chair at the front of the classroom as Gieszinger cuts off bits of his hair. When the student tries to get up and walk back to his desk, Gieszinger says: 'You're not done.' She is also seen approaching a female student and appearing to grab a chunk of hair to cut. She is also seen approaching a female student and appearing to grab a chunk of hair to cut Other students in the class scream and run out of the room as Gieszinger continues singing Other students in the class scream and run out of the room as Gieszinger continues singing the national anthem, according to the Times-Delta. He incident occurred during Gieszinger's first period chemistry class, KFSN-TV reports. Gieszinger was arrested on suspicion of corporal injury to a child Students said the teacher had come into the classroom with a pair of scissors and informed them that it was hair cut day. 'We think she's going to try to be funny and be like, 'Oh, did you really think I was going to cut his hair?' one student told KFSN. 'But she did cut a hair off, and she started singing The Star Spangled Banner and she was singing it really loudly as she ceremoniously tossed a chunk of hair behind her.' The student, who asked not to be named, said he ran to the school's main office to get help. 'I hope I never have to see her at the school again, because I know for a fact I can never see her as a respectable authority figure in my life,' he added. The student also said that Gieszinger had a similar 'freak out' earlier in the week when she discovered a test was missing. College of the Sequoias police responded to the classroom after a receiving a report of child endangerment involving a teacher and a 'pair of scissors' The Commission of Teacher Credentialing confirmed Gieszinger's credential was suspended in 2007 and 2016, the Times-Delta reported. Each suspension lasted 14 days, but it's unclear why her credentials were suspended on those occasions. A woman who killed her 18-year-old son, stabbing him as they argued at a Perth bus station, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after fighting a murder charge. Tanya Mynette Ugle, 37, was thrown off a bus for disorderly behaviour moments before the attack on Jamahl Jordan Ugle in Fremantle on the afternoon of November 23, 2016. Earlier this week, Ugle stood trial before a judge-alone in the Supreme Court of Western Australia, which heard heard the pair were seen yelling at each other before she walked away, leaving behind the bleeding teen. Tanya Mynette Ugle, 37, was thrown off a bus for disorderly behaviour moments before the attack on Jamahl Jordan Ugle in Fremantle (pictured is a Fremantle bus) A transit officer testified in a written statement that a member of the public alerted him to the injured man, saying 'he needs help'. He said Jamahl was breathing frantically, holding his hand over the puncture wound and saying 'it hurts' before slumping on a bench while Transperth staff applied first aid. The transit officer and a colleague chased Ugle to a nearby shopping centre, where she bought milk, dropping the container when she saw they had caught up with her. She was put in handcuffs until police arrived. Pregnant mother Tanya Mynette Ugle, 37, who killed her 18-year-old son has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after fighting a murder charge (pictured is the Supreme Court of Western Australia) One of the officers said she was swearing and screaming incoherently as they tried to inform her of her rights, was 'clearly drug affected' and claimed her son 'pushed me ... beats me'. A kitchen knife with a bent end was found tucked into her pants. Family members who had gathered around shouted that she was pregnant, and another transit officer said she had an 'early-stage baby bump', estimating she was about half-way through her term. The Director of Public Prosecutions accepted Ugle's guilty plea to manslaughter on Tuesday. She faces a sentencing hearing on Friday. Maureen Whale, pictured, died after she collapsed during a burglary at her home in Barnet, north London on Tuesday evening This is the chilling moment a 'teenage burglary gang' smashed into a pensioner's home before she died while reporting their intrusion to the police. Maureen Whale, 77, was alone at her home in Barnet, north London when the thugs broke into her property. Fearing for her safety, she desperately called the police but collapsed while on the phone. Officers said two men forced their way into Mrs Whale's home while a third kept watch. The gang stole property from her home including her bag. One local resident said he used to go out with the former air hostess during school. The man, who did not wish to be named, said: 'Me and Maureen go way back - we actually used to date in secondary school. 'She was very shy and private, even back then, but wed meet up at the farm with a girl she used to go around with back in the day. 'Maureen was an air hostess - which might seem surprising since she really wasnt the type - but she was nice and polite and she seemed to enjoy it. 'I never really saw her in Barnet more recently, apart from when shed be walking to the supermarket with her shopping trolley. 'Its so sad to hear what happened to her though - for such a quiet person to go in that way.' Police have released CCTV images of the three suspects they wish to talk to in connection with Mrs Whale's death. All three are described as white men in their 20s Two of the gang forced their way into the house while the third kept watch outside All three men had their heads covered and are believed to have been involved in other burglaries in the area earlier that night Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: 'Our enquiries are well underway but we really need the public's help. 'We are aware of moving CCTV footage circulating online we are working to enhance that footage and will release publicly as soon as we can but if you recognise those pictured please get in touch. 'If you live in the area and you have your own CCTV system that may have captured the suspects we urgently need to see it. We are especially interested in anyone who lives in Bells Hill from Trinder Road up to the junction with Lexington Way and the surrounding roads off Bells Hill. Please check and contact us if there is anything at all that raises your suspicions. 'For anyone who does live in those areas, when you came home that evening from 17:00hrs, did you see any vehicles you didn't recognise and didn't belong in the area? One line of enquiry is that the suspects may have had a vehicle to make their escape. 'We are appealing generally for anyone who saw anything suspicious in Bells Hill between around 17:00hrs and 18:00hrs in particular on Tuesday to come forward. After the burglary at Miss Whale's home, the men walked away in the general direction of Lexington Way. I would ask the community in Bells Hill, from Newlands Place to Lexington Way, to check their front gardens and hedges to see if any property has been disposed of. 'We are also really keen to trace two young white lads, aged around 12 and 15, on bikes loitering in the Bells Hill area at that time. They are thought to be local and approached and spoke to the first officers on the scene. They are potentially really important witnesses and I would urge them to get in touch - if you are nervous about contacting police, speak to a teacher, parent or trusted adult but you are not in any trouble. Forensic officers continued their investigations today at the home of Maureen Whale, the 77-year-old pensioner who collapsed and later died following a burglary at her home in Barnet Police, pictured, searched for forensic evidence in an effort to trace the raiders 'We also know from examining CCTV that at 17:52hrs a small four-door hatchback car drove up Bells Hill towards Lexington Way, with the cemetery on its left. The driver travelled directly past our suspects and we would urge him or her to come forward. 'This is an awful incident which has led to the death of a wonderful elderly lady and we really need people to contact us with any piece of information, no matter how small.' Video footage obtained by The Sun has now revealed the shock moment the group of thugs clambered over the fence to her home and entered her property. The three suspects are all white men in their 20s. The first suspect was wearing a black zip-up gillet, white or light coloured long-sleeved top and a black or dark woolly or beanie hat. The second man had a long-sleeve hooded top with two dark patches on the chest or shoulder and the top of the back. He also had dark trousers and light-coloured trainers. The final suspect had a dark long-sleeve hooded top or coat. He may have been wearing a baseball cap underneath and had a light, possibly grey, jogging style bottoms and dark or black trainers. No arrests have been made at this stage but police are asking for the public's assistance to track down the suspects. Chief Superintendent Simon Rose from North West Area said: 'These break-ins and the subsequent death of an elderly woman will no doubt cause concern and alarm to those in the area. 'Locals can expect to see an increased police presence in the area. We are there to help them and support the local community but need their help also. If you live or were passing through Bells Hill flats in Barnet yesterday evening - did you see anything suspicious? Have you got information that could assist police. We need to hear from you urgently to catch those responsible.' Neighbours claimed four homes were targeted by a gang of burglars around the same time yesterday in High Barnet as Murder Squad detectives hunt two men in their 20s. A neighbour said Mrs Whale was 'frail' and a 'lovely lady', who lived at the small house with pebbledashed walls. She said: 'Maureen was targeted because she was so frail, how could they do this to such a lovely lady.' Another added: 'That poor woman lived on her own - I didn't know her but her next door neighbour used to tell me she was vulnerable.' While another criticised police for allowing it to happen, saying: 'They are too busy trying to catch people on their phones or arguing online. 'We want to do something about it but we'd end up in trouble - these sickos went on a rampage.' White flowers had been left on the front doorstep of the house where a crime scene remains in place. The investigation into Mrs Whale's death is being led by the Met's Homicide and Major Crime Command Neighbour Michael Murphy checked his CCTV footage after he saw police officers outside his window and realised something had happened. Footage from the next-door house revealed three teenagers broke into the flats opposite her detached property before standing in the middle of the road 'deciding which would be next.' Neighbour Michael Murphy, 55, who lives with his wife and infant son, said: 'It was horrific to watch the footage back but more to the point, it made me so angry. 'Maureen was born in that house and she wouldn't say boo to a goose - she was a really quiet, lovely lady. 'But I used to see her in the garden trimming her roses - she loved being out there in the summer.' Mr Murphy, who runs a nearby car garage, accidentally triggered his house alarm when he arrived home from work at six o'clock and believed he panicked the thieves inside Mrs Whale's house. He said: 'When they left, they were as calm as the breeze and walked up the street. 'The CCTV showed they stood in the road after coming out of the flats across the road they'd just robbed - as if thinking which house they would do next. 'Then they knocked on Maureen's door - she never answers so they climbed over the fence and broke in. 'When I got home, I saw two kids on bicycles out the front - thinking back, it doesn't take a rocket science to know they were the lookouts. 'Thank God my wife and my ten-most nth-old son were not home.' The house across the street has also been cordoned off by police, with two officers keeping watch of the property. Officers are today searching hedges on Bells Hill Barnet looking for evidence connected to Tuesday's burglary which happened at the time of Mrs Whale's collapse Forensic teams have also searched other buildings on Mrs Whale's street which were targeted by burglars on Tuesday night The burglary comes less than a month after the fatal attack on WWII veteran Peter Gouldstone, 98, who was beaten by raiders who stole his 26-inch Panasonic television set Mr Gouldstone lost his life following the attack at his home in Bounds Green, pictured This burglary is a month after 98-year-old World War II veteran Peter Gouldstone was attacked at his home in Bounds Green, north east London. Raiders beat Mr Gouldstone on November 6 while stealing his 26-inch Panasonic television. He died in the early hours of Friday, November 30. Boris Johnson made a grovelling apology to the Commons today after he was lashed by a standards inquiry for his 'over-casual attitude' to the rules that meant he declared almost 53,000 in outside earnings late. Mr Johnson insisted it was an 'inadvertent' mistake but told MPs he was making a 'full and unreserved apology'. The former foreign secretary insisted he had no intention of misleading the House when he failed to report the earnings inside a 28-day deadline. Most of the payments are for royalties on Mr Johnson's books - the most prominent of which is a biography of Winston Churchill. One was for the first payment he received from the Daily Telegraph for his 275,000 a year column. The inquiry was triggered by a complaint about this payment after he resigned as Foreign Secretary in July. Mr Johnson insisted to an inquiry the breaches of the rules were accidental but the Standards Committee said he took an 'over-casual attitude' and ordered him to apologise. Boris Johnson made a grovelling apology to the Commons today (pictured) after he was lashed by a standards inquiry for his 'over-casual attitude' to parliament's rules The punishment was agreed after the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone said the number of breaches 'suggest a lack of attention to or regard for' Commons rules. Ms Stone concluded four late declarations for nine payments meant the breach was neither 'minor' or 'inadvertent' and passed it to the Standards Committee to decide the punishment. The committee - made up of MPs and lay members - agreed Mr Johnson's mistakes were 'not completely inadvertent' and ruled he must make a humiliating apology in the Commons chamber as punishment. Making his apology, Mr Johnson said he was 'very sorry to say' the payments were recorded late. He said: 'I fully accept that the delay was a breach of the House's rules and although I am grateful to the committee for recognising there was no intention to mislead the House and I was completely transparent, I therefore offer the House a full and unreserved apology.' Sources close to Mr Johnson said he apologised to Ms Stone for the accidental breach in the rules and has put in place 'effective measures' to track the 'unpredictable' royalty payments from his books in future. Mr Johnson has long harboured ambitions to be Tory leader and Prime Minister - and has been the main focus of rumours Brexiteers could oust and replace Theresa May. But his ambitions have long been hampered by years of criticism about things he has written or said. Why has Boris Johnson been ordered to say sorry to MPs? MPs who make money outside of Parliament are required to declare it on the Register of Members' Interests within 28 days. Boris Johnson failed to do this with four declarations - covering nine payments - totalling 52,772.80. One of the payments was his first month's pay as a Telegraph columnist, totalling 22,916.66. The rest were an assortment of royalty payments from Hodder and Stoughton and Harper Collins for his books - the most famous of which is a biography of Winston Churchill (pictured above). Despite his insistence the late registrations were 'inadvertent' because bank statements were late, both the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and the Standards Committee said he had badly broken the rules. The Committee said he must make a point of order in the Commons to apologise. Advertisement And many Tories have been irritated by his colourful personal life - which hit the headlines again in the autumn when it emerged he had been having an affair with a former party staffer. Today's report is a further blow to Mr Johnson's hopes. The criticisms of his 'over-casual attitude' and disorganised office echo those of Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who abandoned support for Mr Johnson's leadership bid in 2016 warnings he was too disorganised to be PM. Following the investigation, the Standards Committee said: 'We agree with the Commissioner that this suggests that the breaches were not completely inadvertent but rather arose from an over-casual attitude towards obeying the rules of the House and a lack of effective organisation within Mr Johnson's office.' The committee said Mr Johnson had been an MP through four parliaments and served as a senior minister - meaning he 'could be expected to understand the rules'. It concluded: 'Mr Johnson breached the rules of the House by failing to register remuneration within the required timetable on nine occasions. 'We recommend that Mr Johnson should make an apology to the House, on a point of order, for this breach of the rules. 'We recommend that in that apology he should address the specific comments we make in this Report, and that he should undertake to ensure that his future registrations of remuneration are made in a timely way. 'We further recommend that the relevant payments be italicised in the Register to indicate that they are late entries.' Mr Johnson (pictured in Covent Gardne last night) has been leading Eurosceptic resistance to Theresa May's deal in Parliament The Standards Committee includes a cross party group of MPs, chaired by Labour's Kate Green. It also has seven 'lay members' who are not politicians to help draw up reports into MPs' behaviour. The committee is responsible for taking investigations by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone and producing reports for Parliament. The Commissioner investigates alleged breaches of the MPs code of conduct. This can include failing to register interests and harassment cases. A man in China has been sentenced to death after murdering a female acquaintance during a fight and then dismembering her body. Chilling surveillance footage has emerged which shows the killer dragging two suitcases out of a lift as he left the woman's home to bury her remains. The suitcases belonged to the 26-year-old victim and were stuffed with her remains which had been cut into 11 pieces, according to a Chinese court. Sun, in black, takes the lift with suitcases stuffed with his victim's remains in Quanzhou, China He drags the suitcases out of the lift as he leaves the building to bury the dismembered body A picture released by Chinese media shows the 26-year-old woman before she was killed The shocking case took place in February in Quanzhou, a city of some eight million people in south-east China's Fujian Province. According to Taihai Net which cited the Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court, the criminal whose surname is Sun met the victim whose surname was Wang when they both worked at a school in Quanzhou between 2014 and 2015. It is said that Sun and Wang contacted each other occasionally afterwards. On the night of February 8 this year, Sun told Wang that he wanted to borrow money and went to Wang's home in the city's Fengze district. A screen grab of a surveillance video released by Taihai Net shows Wang entering her building at around 10:20pm that night, and another CCTV video shows Sun waiting for the lift on his way to Wang's flat at around 10:30pm. Sun stayed the night at Wang's place. The next day, Wang wanted to leave her flat at night, but she was stopped by Sun, who was still staying with her, for unspecified reasons. The court said the two had a physical altercation, and during the fight Sun pushed Wang towards a wall which caused her head to hit the wall hard and sustain injuries. Sun then strangled Wang using his hands and ropes. When Sun realised Wang was dead, he used a kitchen cleaver to dismember her body. He then kept her remains in the flat until February 11. The victim is seen walking into her residential building minutes before Sun comes to meet her Sun calls for a lift in the lobby of Wang's building while going to her home to borrow money The court also claimed that during the three days, Sun bought one iPhone 7 and one iPhone 7 Plus using Wang's e-commerce accounts. He also took money from Wang's bank account. On the evening of February 11, Sun set out to dispose of Wang's remains, which had been cut into 11 pieces. The court said he put the victim's remains into two of her suitcases, and then put her clothes and his criminal tools into a black handbag. Sun also brought with him two phones that belonged to Wang as well as her bank card. After taking the lift to the ground floor with the suitcases and bag, Sun got the iPhone 7 he had ordered from a courier drop-off point in the building's lobby. Sun hired a car to nearby Nan'an city and bought a hoe from a hardware store on the same day. He buried Wang's remains in the bushes next to a railway bridge before throwing the tools into a stream. Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced Sun to death today in an open trial The court claimed that Sun continued to take money from Wang's bank account after burying her remains. He went back to Quanzhou twice on the next two days, and during the time he fetched the iPhone 7 Plus he had bought and withdrew 28,500 yuan (3,240) in cash. Sun later got rid of the two smartphones in an industrial park in Quanzhou. The man was caught by police on February 17 in a residential building in Nan'an. The Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court sentenced Sun to death today at his first trial after finding him guilty of intentional homicide. In a statement, the court said the judge found Sun's method of killing 'particularly cruel' and the consequences of his crime 'particularly serious'. He was also sentenced two years and two months in prison as well as a 20,000 yuan (2,274) fine for theft. It remains unclear as of writing if Sun plans to appeal against the ruling. A fourth woman has come forward to accuse scientist and TV host Neil deGrasse Tyson of sexual assault. Two more allegations against the renowned scientist came to light last week after an original allegation Tyson drugged and raped former classmate Tchiya Amet in 1984. But on Wednesday a fourth sexual assault claim was published by Buzzfeed News from a woman who says Tyson propositioned her at a party in the American Museum of Natural History, New York in 2010. According to the article, the unidentified woman said Tyson, who is director of the museum, 'drunkenly approached her' while 'making sexual jokes and propositioning her to join him alone in his office'. A fourth woman accused Neil deGrasse Tyson (pictured) of sexual harassment on Wednesday just days after two more women joined Tchiya Amet in raising allegations against him In 2014, Tchiya Amet, (left) Katelyn Allers (center) and Ashley Watson (right) have all accused Tyson The accuser, who was at the party with her boyfriend, showed Buzzfeed an email from 2014 in which she described the incident to her own employer in order to shoot down a proposed collaboration with Tyson. Earlier this week Tyson hit back at the first three accusations against him. Tyson, a married father-of-two, and the host of 'Cosmos' on Fox in 2014 and a new edition of the series set to air on National Geographic next year, is to be investigated by FOX and National Geographic Networks after the allegations from two of the women were published by Patheos.com on Thursday. On Saturday night Tyson took to Facebook and Twitter to give his side of the story saying in a statement that although he had 'declined comment on the grounds that serious accusations should not be adjudicated in the press ... clearly I cannot continue to stay silent. So below I offer my account of each accusation.' Celebrity astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson has hit back at accusations that he made unwanted sexual advances against three women over a 30 year period Tyson took to Facebook and Twitter to present an 'account of each accusation' which span from the early 80s to 2018 Tyson goes on to address the allegations from 2009 and 2018. He also references a blog post by a third woman, Tchiya Amet, from her 2014 blog post alleging that Tyson drugged and raped her in 1984. Dr. Katelyn N. Allers, a physics professor at Bucknell University, alleged to Patheos that Tyson 'felt her up' at an after-party following an American Astronomical Society conference in Long Beach, California in 2009. Allers said Tyson began to take keen interest in her tattoo, which depicts the solar system and extends from Allers' arm to her back and collar bone. Allers and Tyson had photos taken together after which Allers alleged Tyson 'grabbed her' proceeding to 'look for Pluto' and followed the tattoo 'into my dress.' In his statement, Tyson tackles the allegations. 'Many in my fan-base can attest, I get almost giddy if I notice you're wearing cosmic bling clothing or jewelry or tattoos that portray the universe, either scientifically or artistically,' he writes. He goes on to say he doesn't 'explicitly remember searching for Pluto ...' but that 'it is surely something I would have done in that situation. As we all know, I have professional history with the demotion of Pluto, which had occurred officially just three years earlier.' Dr. Katelyn N. Allers, a physics professor at Bucknell University, (pictured above) alleges Tyson groped her. Tyson denies the allegation However, he denies groping Allers or searching 'up her dress,' adding it was 'simply a search under the covered part of her shoulder of the sleeveless dress.' Allers said that Tyson's behavior was not severe enough to warrant a complaint about sexual assault but stated it was 'creepy behavior.' Tyson said he didn't know Allers found his behavior creepy and that it wasn't his intent and that he is 'deeply sorry' he made her feel that way. He goes on to say he will be more 'sensitive to people's personal space, even in the midst of my planetary enthusiasm.' A second woman, Ashley Watson, told Patheos that she quit her job as Tyson's assistant after her boss made inappropriate sexual advances toward her in the summer of 2018. Watson said Tyson invited her to his apartment one night after work to 'share a bottle of wine' and 'unwind for a couple of hours.' Watson said she felt pressure to impress her boss so went along. Tyson has hit back at claims of sexual assault and said he remembered the incidents very differently In his statement, Tyson remembers the evening differently. He mentions spending 'upwards of a hundred hours in one-on-one conversation' with Watson covering numerous topics and developing a friendship when she was working as his assistant. Tyson references Watson hugging people on set but said he 'expressly rejected each hug offered frequently during the Production. But in its place I offered a handshake, and on a few occasions, clumsily declared, 'If I hug you I might just want more.' My intent was to express restrained but genuine affection.' Tyson says he invited Watson to have wine and cheese one evening but there was 'no pressure' for her to come along. 'She freely chose to come by for wine & cheese and I was delighted,' he said. Watson says Tyson made suggestive comments during her visit that contained sexual innuendos. He allegedly began talking about human beings needing certain 'releases.' Watson said at one point Tyson engaged in a 'Native American handshake' in which both of them held hands tightly, made eye contact, and felt for each other's pulse. Tyson told Watson that the handshake was a 'spirit connection.' Tyson acknowledges he did offer 'a special handshake,' but that he hadn't touched Watson up until that point. 'You extend your thumb forward during the handshake to feel the other person's vital spirit energy -- the pulse. I've never forgotten that handshake, and I save it in appreciation of people with whom I've developed new friendships,' Tyson wrote. Tyson's Facebook statements ends with an 'overview' in which he states he welcomes an independent investigation by Fox and National Geographic Networks Tyson mentions in his statement that Watson told him afterwards that she felt 'creeped out' by the visit. 'She viewed the invite as an attempt to seduce her, even though she sat across the wine & cheese table from me, and all conversation had been in the same vein as all other conversations we ever had,' Tyson said. 'At that last meeting in my office, I apologized profusely. She accepted the apology. And I assured her that had I known she was uncomfortable, I would have apologized on the spot, ended the evening ... She nonetheless declared it her last day, with only a few days left of production.' Tyson added. The final allegations Tyson addresses in his statement are those from Tchiya Amet, a a musician, teacher and former classmate of Tyson's who studied galactic astronomy in the graduate program at the University of Texas in Austin. Amet wrote a blog post in 2014 in which she accused Tyson of drugging her and rape, which she alleged took place in 1984. 'He offered me a glass of water,' she wrote in 2014. 'I accepted a liquid in a cup made out of a coconut shell. 'I recall coming back to consciousness briefly, then next thing I remember is seeing him in the hallway the next day. 'I have lived in this nightmare for 30 years, and it stops today,' Amet said. Tyson says Tchiya Amet, who was a classmate of Tyson's at the University of Texas in Austin, has a 'false memory' and that he did not drug or rape her Tyson acknowledges in his statement that he had a brief relationship with Amet. 'I remember being intimate only a few times, all at her apartment, but the chemistry wasn't there. So the relationship faded quickly. There was nothing otherwise odd or unusual about this friendship.' He said Amet had dropped out of the graduate program and he'd later ran into her while she was pregnant and he 'wished her well in motherhood and in whatever career path would follow.' Tyson mentions how he read Amet's blog post in 2014 that coincided with his 'visibility-level' taking 'another jump.' 'I read a freshly posted blog accusing me of drugging and raping a woman I did not recognize by either photo or name. Turned out to be the same person who I dated briefly in graduate school. She had changed her name and lived an entire life, married with children, before this accusation,' Tyson said. Tyson goes on in his statement to say what Amet says is 'as though a false memory had been implanted, which, because it never actually happened, had to be remembered as an evening she doesn't remember. Nor does she remember waking up the next morning and going to the office. I kept a record of everything she posted, in case her stories morphed over time. So this is sad, which, for me, defies explanation,' Tyson added. The Facebook statements ends with an 'overview' in which Tyson states he welcomes an independent investigation by Fox and National Geographic Networks. Besides his numerous TV appearances, Tyson is also the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Advertisement An urban explorer claims to have found animal bones hanging from the ceiling of a building on farmer Tony Martin's abandoned farm, next to the home where he infamously shot dead a burglar. Martin, 74, gained notoriety two decades ago when he was jailed for life after shooting 16-year-old Fred Barras at his secluded Norfolk farmhouse in 1999. He was sentenced to life but the conviction was reduced to manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility after the public rallied behind him. His former mansions and farm outbuildings in Emneth Hungate appear to have remained empty for many years with him now living at a different secret address. The explorer found a room with animal bones hanging from pieces of string on the ceiling The discovery was made by a YouTube videographer known as Abandoned World Explorer UK The urban explorer went inside farmer Tony Martin's abandoned property and land in Emneth Hungate Tony Martin (left) killed Fred Barras (right), 16, in 1999 after he found him inside his home Martin, who slept with a loaded shotgun under his bed after a string of burglaries, previously said he feared further break-in if he returned to the house. He was found guilty of murder for killing Barras and wounding accomplice Brendon Fearon, with the jury rejecting his claims of self-defence. Martin, who lived alone at the time of the infamous burglary, and was freed in 2003 and lives once again in Norfolk - this time with friends. But now, a YouTube videographer known as Abandoned World Explorer UK has filmed what he believes to be the eerie house in June while on holiday with friends. The explorer looked at the house on the land, two decades after the infamous incident involving Martin The urban explorer said the scenes were like 'something out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre' Equipment left on the grounds of the home which was investigated by the urban explorer The explorer said he was also interested in classic MK1 Range Rover in the garage of the building Walking around the abandoned house, covered in overgrown plants and grass, he stumbled across the bathroom and found piles of unidentified bones lying around. I don't think I will be going back, I felt so intimidated and scared Abandoned World Explorer UK Continuing upstairs, he found a room which had animal bones hanging from pieces of string on the ceiling with a pile of bones to add to the string lying on the floor. The explorer, who has had more than 50,000 views, said: 'We spotted the house whilst on holiday and decided to explore it without realising whose house it was. 'The bones around the place made the house seem like it was something out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The explorer filmed what he believes to be the land of Martin in June while on holiday with friends The explorer films 'abandoned places all the time' - and realised 'this one seemed a little odd' Martin now lives with friends in Norfolk, away from the property visited by the explorer 'They were hung up like decorations and looking like a spider web. I don't think I will be going back, I felt so intimidated and scared whist we were there. 'To me the most interesting thing I saw was the classic MK1 Range Rover in the garage and the hanging bones. I film abandoned places all the time and realised this one seemed a little odd.' There is no suggestion that Martin was responsible for the animal bones and how they were found. Last month, Martin said he has not ventured inside since the shooting as he prefers to live with his friends because he fears he will react violently if burgled again. Martin (pictured here in April this year) has appealed to overturn his conviction for manslaughter The crime scene is pictured at the property in Emneth Hungate following the shooting in 1999 An interior view in 1999 of the house in disarray, which was visited by the jury during the trial Two police officers stand outside the farmer's Norfolk home following the shooting in 1999 Martin, portrayed in Channel 4 programme The Interrogation by League of Gentleman star Steve Pemberton (left) last month. It also starred Line of Duty's Daniel Mays, 40, as the policeman who interviewed him (right) But Martin also revealed how he found a ladder had been moved from a tree to up against his house and said it was 'evidence' burglars had tried to break in. Martin vows to appeal conviction to 'clear name' Tony Martin has appealed to overturn his conviction, arguing he 'has a right to clear his name'. He killed 16-year-old Fred Barras and wounded his accomplice Brendon Fearon, 29, when he found the pair attempting to burgle his Norfolk farm in 1999. Martin was jailed for life for murder in 2000, sparking a national debate about the rights of householders to defend themselves. But he later had his sentence reduced on appeal to five years for manslaughter after a public outcry and he was released in 2003. The 74-year-old said last month he now wants to quash his conviction for manslaughter before he dies, adding: 'I want freedom for people who are decent.' Mr Martin told the Mirror: 'Your home is your castle, it's about having the courage to be free. I want freedom for people who are decent. I have a right to clear my name - I'm not sure how much longer I've got left to live.' Advertisement He said: 'I put a ladder out the other day. I put it up a tree. When I came back later on, they'd put it up against the house. They'd tried to get in the house.' He revealed the alleged break-in attempt before a Channel 4 dramatisation of the case called The Interrogation, based on transcripts of police interviews with him. Martin told the programme, shown last month: 'I don't want to get locked up. If I'm in the house and somebody comes in the house, I'm going to look after myself.' Asked if he was troubled by the death of Barras, he admitted that he didn't give his victim a second thought because 'what goes around, comes around'. He added: 'When I was his age I lived with my grandparents - I didn't go breaking into bloody houses 16 miles down the road.' Martin also said: 'I've had so much bumph around the years, so much paperwork. 'I try to be compliant and amenable but it doesn't really amount to anything. It's all just bumph, stacks and lorry loads of paper.' He first returned to his home in 2003 after being taken there by a newspaper one week after he was freed from prison after serving two-thirds of a five year sentence. Ministers stepped up no-deal Brexit warnings today, saying it would be 'crazy'. Chancellor Philip Hammond told MPs during the latest stage of debate on Theresa May's deal that he does not 'believe we can afford the economic costs of a no deal Brexit'. Business Secretary Greg Clark today warned that failing to reach agreement with the EU would risk 'destroying' crucial parts of the economy. It is understood that ministers are ready to quit if Mrs May tries to switch to no-deal if she loses the vote on her deal next week. One Cabinet source said it was 'not an acceptable option'. The incendiary warnings came as Mrs May scrambles desperately to save her Brexit deal from what looks like certain defeat next week. She said this morning that killing off her plan could result in no-deal, or no Brexit at all. But Mr Clark is thought to be among a group of ministers who would revolt if there is a danger of a chaotic departure from the bloc. As the government turned up the heat, senior MPs and former ministers on the privy council - who are entrusted with confidential information - were called to the Cabinet Office for briefings on the consequences. Chancellor Philip Hammond told MPs during the latest stage of debate on Theresa May's deal that he does not 'believe we can afford the economic costs of a no deal Brexit' Business Secretary Greg Clark (pictured today) said failing to reach agreement with the EU would risk 'destroying' crucial parts of the economy Brexiteers slammed the sessions at the Civil Contingencies unite as an attempt to 'spook' opponents of Mrs May's plan, and insisted no-one would be fooled by them. But in an interview on Sky News this morning, Mr Clark said crashing out would cause massive damage to manufacturing and trade across the Channel. He said it would 'destroy the foundation of the success of some of our most brilliant industries'. 'It would be crazy to disrupt at a time of great prosperity for some of these industries,' he said. Opening the third day of debate on the deal, Mr Hammond said: 'I have observed this process at close quarters for two-and-a-half years and I'm absolutely clear about one thing, this deal is the best deal to exit the EU that is available or that is going to be available. 'The idea that there's an option of renegotiating at the 11th hour is simply a delusion. 'We need to be honest with ourselves, the alternatives to this deal are no deal or no Brexit. 'Either will leave us a fractured society and a divided nation.' 'Only that compromise can bring us back together after Brexit is delivered, and we should remember the lesson of history, that divided nations are not successful nations,' he added. The Chancellor went on to outline the 'too awful to contemplate' no-deal consequences. He said: 'I've heard that we have nothing to fear from no-deal: nothing except a cliff-edge Brexit in just four months' time, the end of frictionless trade with our biggest export market, restrictions on our citizens travelling in Europe, nothing except being the only developed economy in the world trading with the EU on purely WTO terms with no customs facilitation agreements, no data sharing and protection agreements, no approvals regime to allow our industries to trade with their nearest customers and suppliers.' Mr Hammond warned car exporters would face tariffs of 10 per cent, clothing exporters would face 12 per cent and agricultural exporters would face 'even higher tariffs' than that. He said: 'The fact is our economic and trading relationship with the EU has been built over 45 years and during that time our economies have shaped themselves around each other and become inextricably intertwined, supply chains crisscross borders, work forces draw on talent from across the continent.' 'While new trade partnerships with countries outside the EU undoubtedly offer new and exciting opportunities for UK companies, the analysis the Government published last week is clear that the benefits flowing from new FTAs would not compensate for the loss of EU trade from a no-deal exit', he added. Meanwhile, Thames Water has warned of a no-deal Brexit threat to clean water and confirmed talks with the Government to safeguard supplies. Chief executive Steve Robertson said the group is 'working closely' with the department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as the industry tries to ensure it has enough supplies of chemicals to treat drinking water. He said the ability to stockpile many of the chemicals was limited, as many need to be refrigerated. He stressed there would not be a water shortage, but said the industry was having to take action and might need to call on the Government for back-up support on certain supplies. Mr Robertson said: 'There's no need for panic, but we do need to recognise there's a threat from the point of view of supply of chemicals. 'It may be that we need some support from the Government.' He added that the industry is putting in place no-deal contingency plans by maximising storage of chemicals where possible, with firms also planning to 'mutually support' each other. It comes after reports suggested that Environment Secretary Michael Gove opted to back Theresa May's Brexit deal amid fears over clean water supplies in a no-deal scenario, although he has since given assurances that water will be safe. A senior source on the Tory Eurosceptic ERG group of MPs said the Cabinet Office briefings for MPs were 'outrageous boll***s', warning that attempting to 'spook grandees is pure bullsh** theatre'. Theresa May (pictured in London today) is in the political battle of her life to get her Brexit deal through next Tuesday amid overwhelming opposition EU judges will hand down their crunch ruling on whether Britain can stop Brexit - just 24 hours before MPs will hold their historic vote on Theresa May's deal. The European Court of Justice will decide whether the UK can revoke Article 50 - which starts the clock on the two-year withdrawal process - without the permission of the other 27 member states. Earlier this week, their senior legal adviser Manuel Campos Sanchez-Bordona said he thinks the UK can halt Brexit on its own. If the ECJ agrees, then the explosive ruling would fuel the growing clamour by Remainers to stop Brexit on the eve of the vote. The ruling would mean that if the PM's deal is voted down and the UK decided it wanted to stay in the EU, for example in another referendum, then Brexit could be stopped before the UK's exit on March 29 next year. It comes as Labour today said could delay Brexit by extending Article 50 if they oust the Tories, get into power and take charge of talks. A staggering 104 Tory MPs have indicated they will not back her deal, and if they stick to their guns they will inflict a humiliating defeat on her. There are signs Brussels could be preparing to try to offer the PM a lifeline if she is defeated by delaying Brexit if her deal is voted down. Sources said the EU has put Article 50 on the agenda of next Thursday's EU summit agenda, fueling speculation they could extend talks to give the PM more time amid the chaos which would follow any defeat. May vows to push ahead with Brexit vote despite ministers urging her to call it off to avoid defeat Theresa May today vowed to push ahead with the crunch vote on her Brexit deal despite Cabinet ministers urging her to delay it to avoid a catastrophic defeat. The Prime Minister defied hardening opposition from Tory rebels and the DUP to make another impassioned plea for MPs to get on board with her plan. She warned there is no other option on the table, and killing her proposal off would either end up with the UK crashing out of the EU - or Brexit not happening at all. In interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mrs May said her fear was that 'Parliament in some way frustrates Brexit'. The premier also confirmed that she is looking at ways to sweeten her blueprint for mutinous MPs - suggesting there could be a parliamentary 'lock' on the Irish border backstop arrangements coming into force. Asked repeatedly about calls from senior ministers to put off the Commons showdown on Tuesday, Mrs May said: 'We are in the middle of five days of debate in Parliament which will lead up to a vote on this issue.' Advertisement Mrs May has repeatedly insisted that she will not delay Brexit and that the UK will be leaving the EU on March 29 next year. But Labour's shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald today said they could delay Brexit if they get into power. Jeremy Corbyn and his party have said they will try to force another General Election if the PM's deal is defeated next week. Mr McDonald told Sky News 'I think we could' extend Article 50 for fresh talks with Brussels. He added: 'But look, the clock is ticking, you are absolutely right about that, and Theresa May has put us in this position, where she has just run the clock down and saying it is my way or the highway, which is totally ludicrous. 'If we have to go back to the European Union and say more time is needed, I think we are seeing indications that they are receptive to that notion. So if we are in that situation, that is what we will do.' Pressure is mounting on the PM as she faces the toughest five days of her political career as she scrambles to try to get her Brexit deal passed in the face of overwhelming opposition. Johnny Mercer today became the 104th Tory MP to say that he will not back the deal when it comes to the vote next Tuesday night. But today she vowed to push ahead on her Brexit deal despite Cabinet ministers urging her to delay it to avoid a catastrophic defeat. The Prime Minister defied hardening opposition from Tory rebels and the DUP to make another impassioned plea for MPs to get on board with her plan. She warned there is no other option on the table, and killing her proposal off would either end up with the UK crashing out of the EU - or Brexit not happening at all. In interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mrs May said her fear was that 'Parliament in some way frustrates Brexit'. The premier also confirmed that she is looking at ways to sweeten her blueprint for mutinous MPs - suggesting there could be a parliamentary 'lock' on the Irish border backstop arrangements coming into force. Asked repeatedly about calls from senior ministers to put off the Commons showdown on Tuesday, Mrs May said: 'We are in the middle of five days of debate in Parliament which will lead up to a vote on this issue.' Daigou shoppers clearing shelves of popular baby formula brands are clashing with furious parents who say their children have been forced to go without the product. Behind the chaotic scenes of the baby formula war unfolding around Australia, there are buyers wearing disguises to avoid tin limits, abuse in supermarket aisles, and a network of suburban warehouses delivering the 'white gold' overseas. Daigou is a Chinese term for someone who buys on behalf of someone else and sells at a higher price, with baby formula one of most sought-after products in China. Several videos have emerged of purchasers filling baskets with baby formula and dashing to put the product away before returning in different outfits to buy more. A warehouse in Australia is filled to the brim with baby formula boxes Several videos have emerged of shoppers piling up their baskets with baby formula and dashing to put the product away before returning in a different outfit to purchase more In order to control the demand for baby formula, Coles and Woolworths introduced a two-can limit per customer. Woolworths then changed their limit to eight tins per person but eventually went back to the original two to control the supply and demand. Demand for foreign baby formula products in China has skyrocketed over the last decade, after locally-produced infant formula left six children dead and made more than 300,000 ill in 2008. Each tin would be sold for about $100 in China. But the sales restrictions have not stopped daigous from purchasing formula in big groups, leaving the shelves empty and other mothers in desperate need of the certain formula begging for something to be done. An undercover investigation by A Current Affair uncovered several warehouses packed to the brim with baby formula boxes being prepped to be shipped to China. Demand for foreign baby formula products in China has skyrocketed over the last decade, after locally-produced infant formula left six children dead and made more than 300,000 ill in 2008 The Real Mumma blogger Adele Barbaro told the program that her local supermarket has a two-tin limit but shelves are always empty The Real Mumma blogger Adele Barbaro told the program that her local supermarket has a two-tin limit but shelves are always empty. 'These 20, 25 people, are running in, buying two tins, running around the corner to a lady that's ready to go with shopping trolleys or a man ready to go with the boot open and piling it in,' she said. Last month, pallets of a2 Platinum formula have been stored at a Kennards Self Storage shed at Auburn, in Sydney's west, every morning for the past two months. With each pallet able to hold up more than 120 boxes, the image appeared to show at least 250 boxes of formula being unloaded into the self storage warehouse. A Coles worker also confirmed that people will change their clothes multiple times so the supermarket staff won't recognise them. 'It's gotten to a point I never thought I would see it reach with the lengths people are going to obtain it,' he said. The devastated owners of the Southern California bar where 12 people were killed when an ex-Marine opened fire during Country Night are preparing to host the event for the first time since the rampage. The Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks has been closed since a gunman attacked patrons inside the crowded bar on November 7. Almost a month on, the bar's management is preparing to bring back the popular event, set for December 20. But because the place is not ready to re-open its doors, Country Night will be held at The Canyon Club in nearby Agoura Hills, TMZ reports. The bars owners told the website that The Canyon Club 'graciously allowed us to set up shop and take over Thursday.' Scroll down for video People comfort each other in the early hours of November 8 as they stand near the bar in Thousand Oaks, California, after a gunman opened fire The Canyon Club's doors will open its doors for Country Night at 6pm on December 20. Revelers can take dance lessons at 6.30pm and then enjoy line dancing, drinks and food until closing time. The Borderline Bar and Grill has remained closed since 28-year-old Ian David Long attacked staff and customers on November 7. The owners are planning to open up again, but a date has not yet been set for the re-opening. Late last month, police said Long had more than 150 bullets left to fire but stopped shooting to ambush arriving officers, killing one of them. Investigators also said they still don't know why Long went on the rampage that night. There's no evidence that Long was radicalized or was targeting anyone at the bar, and though Long had previously been a customer there, the owner didn't know him, investigators said. They painted a clearer picture of the chaos that ensued when Long opened fire as a crowd of people mostly in their 20s danced to country music. The Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks has been closed since a gunman attacked patrons inside the crowded bar on November 7 Long threw smoke grenades into the group of revelers, obstructing what they could see. He used a flashlight with a laser sight attached to his .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol as he fired, killing 12 of the 13 people who were struck. He stabbed one of the shooting victims in the neck, though it was unclear why, a coroner's official said. Some people laid on top of friends to protect them as the bullets flew while others frantically busted out the windows of the bar to escape. 'As you can imagine, this was a terrifying experience for everyone who was there,' Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said. 'Confusion and chaos can only begin to adequately describe the situation.' The first two officers to arrive at the scene, sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus and a highway patrolman, saw at least 100 people fleeing the bar and ran into an ambush, Ayub said. Long had gotten into a tactical position and fired on them when they entered, killing Helus, a 29-year veteran of the department who was close to retirement. Messages are left on a wall at a memorial for the victims of the Borderline Bar and Grill shooting Initial reports from survivors spread further confusion. Some of those who were injured in the escape fled to a nearby bar and authorities at first feared that a separate shooting had occurred there. Survivors also gave different descriptions of the shooter, leading officers to believe there was more than one gunman. Long, who was not hit by the officers' gunfire, fatally shot himself. The former machine gunner and Afghanistan war veteran posted on social media during a break in the gunfire that he wondered if people would think he was insane. He had the capability to kill many more than 12 people. Of seven 30-round high-capacity magazines that Long had, five remained unused, Ayub said. Such magazines are illegal to buy and possess in California but can easily be purchased in neighboring states. Ian David Long shot himself after opening fire at the Borderline Bar & Grill last month The mother of one of the victims, Telemachus 'Tel' Orfanos, said she went to the news conference to make sure her son was remembered as more than a statistic. Susan Schmidt-Orfanos said she was putting her energy into working for gun-control measures. Her son had survived the mass shooting last year in Las Vegas before being killed at Borderline. 'There's no place to put my anger,' she said. 'We need to end gun violence so that no other families grieve and are shattered as we are shattered. That's where my rage is going to go.' Investigators have interviewed hundreds of witnesses and gathered bullet casings, surveillance video and other evidence from the scene, as well as seized items from Long's home, including digital media, said Paul Delacourt, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles field office. Most of the evidence taken by the FBI is being analyzed at its lab in Quantico, Virginia. Detectives hope items from the house help them learn why Long carried out the attack and that evidence from the bar better explains how he carried it out. 'There's a process of both interviewing the people and getting the information investigators obtain and consolidating those to develop a timeline, and if we can discover what the motivation was for this attack,' Ventura County sheriff's Capt. Garo Kuredjian said. Their work persisted in spite of a wildfire that erupted just hours after the shooting, forcing some FBI investigators and sheriff's detectives to evacuate. 'They didn't miss a beat,' said Kuredjian. Neighbors have said Long made them uncomfortable and even called 911 on him in April. Responding deputies found Long behaving angrily and irrationally, but a mental health specialist who met with him didn't feel he needed to be hospitalized. Festive cheer appears to have already ran out in towns across Britain as locals have bemoaned the shocking Christmas trees that have been put up across the country. Residents in Birkenhead, Tyldesley, Crosby, Ashington, Compstale, Newry and Muswell Hill have all complained about their town's shoddy attempts at Christmas decorations. Whether it be unconventionally shaped firs or poorly decorated trees, people have been making their feelings known about their town's shortcomings ahead of Christmas day. Residents in Birkenhead have complained about the 'scaffold' Christmas tree put up in the town centre In Birkenhead, residents described the tree a 'waste of space' that looked like 'scaffolding'. The hollow, cone-shaped metal frame with LED lights was installed in the city centre by the Wirral Chamber of Commerce. The tree, with a solitary Christmas present instead of an Angel or Star on the top of the structure, is meant to symbolise a point of pride for the town which has now become a representation of disappointment. Local residents have insisted that the Wirral Chamber should not have bothered putting the tree up. Elderly resident Robert Williams said: 'Is that it? It's a load of b****y rubbish. It's a waste of b****y space. 'I want a Christmas tree to actually look like a Christmas tree. I'm an old man - the young ones might have their own ideas.' Another man, 65, added: 'It's aesthetically appalling. It looks like a piece of scaffolding and they seem to have lost interest when they got to the ballast at the bottom. The Christmas tree in Birkenhead was put up outside the shopping centre in the town A present sits on top of the metal structure, instead of the traditional Angel or star which usually adorns the tree 'And then there's the crash barriers - as though they're going to keep people back from it. 'And the parcel at the top is truly appalling - but wonderfully so. It sort of sums Birkenhead up really.' Lesley Thompson said the 'awful' tree inspired a longing for Birkenhead's Christmases past, which he described as 'spectacular'. The 52-year-old said: 'Awful, isn't it? Says it all doesn't it for Birkenhead now. There's hardly any shops now are there?' A Christmas tree in Tyldesley in Greater Manchester is looking worse for wear as Wigan council have not decorated the tree and left it looking bare Wigan Council were told to decorate around the fencing of the tree but had no plans to add more baubles onto the tree itself This bizarre Christmas tree resembles a pointy mushroom. The tree was spotted in Newry, Northern Ireland Shopper Pauline echoed Peter's views branding the Christmas tree a 'b****y scaffold' while Nicky felt the Chamber of Commerce 'haven't really made any effort'. Not everyone was disppointed with the tree, as local businesses voiced their support of the bespoke design. Kitstop Models & Hobbies, a local business on Grange Road West, love the tree saying: 'Great job done by all. Looks fantastic. Lets make Birkenhead the place to visit. Keep up the good work. Much appreciate.' Farnworth's 'pretend' Christmas tree has come under fire for its cylindrical shape, as opposed to a traditional tree While the tree in Ashington may be large, there does not appear to have been much effort put into decoration as a few lights hang off the side of the tree This tiny Christmas tree appeared on Scartho, Grimsby. At least some effort was made on the decorations. North East Linconshire Council removed the village's beloved but diseased cherry tree this time last year Meanwhile a Christmas tree erected in Tyldesley, Greater Manchester, was labelled the 'worst in the country'. Rebecca Rowland, 36, posted a picture on Twitter of the dowdy tree, decorated with around five baubles and an unremarkable star on the top. In her post, she wrote: 'Tyldesley's 2018 tree. If there's a worse one in the country I'll sit on the top myself.' Wigan Council responded by saying it would be working with traders to decorate the meagre 8ft tree. This tree in Compstall, Stockport, was labelled the 'worst dressed public Christmas tree' by one unhappy Twitter user Council bosses told how it isn't a purpose-bought Christmas tree, it is a living tree, and the reason it looks the way it does is because it hasn't quite finished growing. Resident in Muswell Hill were quick to berate the poor attempt in their leafy London suburb. After the criticism it received over its appearance, the tree was later spruced up with decorations and given new barriers. Advertisement Road workers have been accused of damaging Salisbury Plain, a 6,000-year-old site near Stonehenge where the UK's first hunter-gatherers lived at the end of the Ice Age. Archaeologists fear Highways England caused irreparable damage to the Mesolithic site when engineers monitoring water levels dug an 11.5ft deep bore hole through a prehistoric platform. The alleged damage was done when gauges were being installed to monitor the water table at Blick Mead, a number of tepid springs in the grounds of Amesbury Abbey, in Wiltshire, considered the 'first place in Britain'. There are fears Highways England caused irreparable damage to the Mesolithic site while trying to build a road tunnel to run under Stonehenge. The alleged damage was done when gauges were being installed to monitor the water table at Blick Mead, a number of tepid springs in the grounds of Amesbury Abbey, in Wiltshire, considered the 'first place in Britain' Remnants from the Mesolithic period - from 8000 BC to 2,700 AD - offer scientists vital insights into the way hunter-gatherers lived during the period. Among the finds in recent years is a carefully constructed stone platform on site of an extinct river which could have part of a pathway or jetty, as well as hoof prints of prehistoric cattle, known as aurochs Remnants from the Mesolithic period - from 8000 BC to 2,700 AD - offer scientists vital insights into the way hunter-gatherers lived during the period. However damage to unique site could lower the water table, threatening any archaeology preserved in the waterlogged ground, says David Jacques, professor of archaeology at the University of Buckingham. Among the finds in recent years is a carefully constructed stone platform on site of an extinct river which could have part of a pathway or jetty, as well as hoof prints of prehistoric cattle, known as aurochs. Prof Jacques, who discovered the site 12 years ago, told the Daily Telegraph: 'This is a travesty. We took great care to excavate this stone platform as it was clearly put there to preserve the aurochs' footprint. Stonehenge was built thousands of years before machinery was invented. The heavy rocks weigh upwards of several tonnes each. Some of the stones are believed to have originated from a quarry in Wales, some 140 miles (225km) away from the Wiltshire monument 'It may be that this explains why Stonehenge was built. These monster cows provided food for 300 people so were revered.' Adding: 'There are thousands of years of history lying undisturbed in the water-logged ground. It's a miracle it has survived and would be a disaster if it was lost.' Highways England said: 'We are not aware of any damage being caused to archaeological layers. 'The works have been undertaken in a highly professional manner, with an archaeologist on site and with due care being exercised at all times.' STONEHENGE'S CONSTRUCTION REQUIRED GREAT INGENUITY Stonehenge was built thousands of years before machinery was invented. The heavy rocks weigh upwards of several tonnes each. Some of the stones are believed to have originated from a quarry in Wales, some 140 miles (225km) away from the Wiltshire monument. To do this would have required a high degree of ingenuity, and experts believe the ancient engineers used a pulley system over a shifting conveyor-belt of logs. Historians now think that the ring of stones was built in several different stages, with the first completed around 5,000 years ago by Neolithic Britons who used primitive tools, possibly made from deer antlers. Modern scientists now widely believe that Stonehenge was created by several different tribes over time. After the Neolithic Britons - likely natives of the British Isles - started the construction, it was continued centuries later by their descendants. Over time, the descendants developed a more communal way of life and better tools which helped in the erection of the stones. Bones, tools and other artefacts found on the site seem to support this hypothesis. Advertisement Advertisement Theresa May again vowed to press on with her Brexit plan today, insisting it is the only option on the table that delivers on the result of the EU referendum. But the PM looks to be on track for a catastrophic defeat, with more than a hundred Tory MPs, the DUP, Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems all lined up against her. Minds at Westminster have increasingly been turning to where relations with the EU could end up if Mrs May's deal falls. They range from switching to a Norway-style relationship with the bloc, to defying doom-laden warnings and making a clean break. But the wrangling is set to be fierce, with little sign of a big majority in Parliament for any of the proposed solutions. There are a few endpoints that seem to be the most likely, but how they are arrived at involves mind-bogglingly complex sequences of events. The looming wrangling over Brexit be fierce, with little sign of a big majority in Parliament for any of the proposed solutions Parliament takes control and forces Norway-plus In the wake of a defeat on her deal, Mrs May would have 21 days to bring a new plan to the House of Commons. But an amendment tabled by Tory Remainer rebel Dominic Greive and passed this week has given parliament a platform to start dictating the terms. MPs will be able to spell out potential plans and vote on them - giving a strong indication of where opinion lies. Support is likely to gather around a 'Norway-plus' plan that has long been pushed by Tory backbencher Nick Boles. Former Cabinet ministers Oliver Letwin said this week that he believes there is a majority for that style of relationship, other senior figures such as Nicky Morgan have endorsed it, along with substantial numbers of Labour MPs. A group of Cabinet ministers have been mulling it over as a fallback plan. It would effectively keep the UK in the single market, with a customs bolt-on to avoid a hard Irish border, and backers say it would keep Britain close to the EU while cutting contributions to Brussels. However, critics say it has the drawbacks of keeping free movement, - and tightly limiting the possibilities for doing trade deals elsewhere. The EU is also thought to have concerns about a country the UK's size joining the EEA, while other states in the group might be resistant. If the Norway model was endorsed by the Commons, it would not be binding on the government. But it would have huge political force, and it might be very difficult for ministers to face down the calls. Mrs May is unlikely to be able to put the policy in place as it break her often-stated red lines. In the end, it might need a new government of national unity, perhaps led by a respected cross-party figure, to put the UK on course for Norway-plus - with the prospect of a general election soon afterwards. Government faces down Commons revolt and forces through no deal Mrs May's mantra for more than two years was 'no deal is better than a bad deal'. And while she appears to have abandoned the claim, many Tory Brexiteers insist the government should stick to its guns. They point out that, as Article 50 has been invoked and the Withdrawal Act passed, that is the default legal outcome. The hard Brexiteer argument is that while MPs can pass motions demanding a change in policy, they will not be binding on the government. Instead they say ministers should simply ignore MPs and try to force through a no-deal outcome. However, that kind of constitutional standoff could be incredibly difficult to sustain. The Commons has the nuclear option of passing a no confidence vote in the government and putting the country on course for a general election. Although Eurosceptics claim, it would only require seven of them to switch sides or a larger number to abstain. The government also needs to pass legislation to pave the way for the least chaotic possible no deal, and ministers could expect the Commons equivalent of guerrilla warfare to wreck those efforts. Renegotiate for a Canada-plus deal If the PM goes down in flames, she - or another Tory PM - could try to go back to the EU and ask for a better deal. Brexiteers have been demanding the UK takes a different approach this time, seeking a looser Canada-style arrangement with the EU. The arrangement they want would be a relatively clean break from the EU, with the ability to strike trade agreements elsewhere. But it would fall far short of the low-friction access urged by Labour and large numbers of Tories. However, time would be a major obstacle, with just months until Brexit day. The EU has also insisted it will not unpick the divorce package thrashed out in painstaking negotiations. Mrs May has also pointed out that the Canada model would not solve the Irish border issue, as there would need to be checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic. Eurosceptics dismiss this problem as confected, saying technology and trusted trade schemes can ensure there is no hard border. They also say that the EU would be more willing to compromise if it really believes that the UK would go through with a no-deal exit. Second referendum and UK stays in the EU With Westminster deadlocked, the possibility of asking the public to think again has strong appeal for many MPs. The so-called 'People's Vote' campaign has been pushing hard for another national vote, with cross-party backing. Again, it is difficult to see how Parliament can trigger a referendum itself - but it could heap pressure on the government to the level where one becomes irresistible. One potential route would be for the Commons to vote no confidence in the government - leaving a caretaker Tory PM with a choice between a referendum and a general election if they lose a second confidence vote. The Article 50 process would probably need to be extended to facilitate a referendum, but the EU seems open to that possibility. Furious Brexiteers, including Michael Gove, have warned that Remainers smell an opportunity to reverse the 2016 vote altogether. He said at the weekend that holding a national vote would 'rip the fabric of society' - although he also claimed that Leave would win by more. Some suggest that a referendum could be fought between the option of Mrs May's deal and no deal. However, senior Labour figures appear to have come around to the idea of having Remain on the ballot. Tony Blair openly says a referendum should be a way of cancelling Brexit, and MPs across parties - such as Mr Grieve - regard it as probably the only sustainable way of overturning the 2016 result and staying in the EU. If a ruling from the European court next week goes as expected, Article 50 could then simply be revoked - leaving the UK with the same membership terms as now. May vows she WILL push ahead with crunch vote on Brexit deal despite Cabinet ministers urging her to call it off to avoid catastrophic defeat Theresa May today vowed to push ahead with the crunch vote on her Brexit deal despite Cabinet ministers urging her to delay it to avoid a catastrophic defeat. The Prime Minister defied hardening opposition from Tory rebels and the DUP to make another impassioned plea for MPs to get on board with her plan. She warned there is no other option on the table, and killing her proposal off would either end up with the UK crashing out of the EU - or Brexit not happening at all. In interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mrs May said her fear was that 'Parliament in some way frustrates Brexit'. The premier also confirmed that she is looking at ways to sweeten her blueprint for mutinous MPs - suggesting there could be a parliamentary 'lock' on the Irish border backstop arrangements coming into force. Asked repeatedly about calls from senior ministers to put off the Commons showdown on Tuesday, Mrs May said: 'We are in the middle of five days of debate in Parliament which will lead up to a vote on this issue.' At least three ministers have appealed directly to Prime Minister Theresa May (pictured giving her BBC interview today) in an attempt to postpone next week's Brexit deal vote in Parliament Downing Street said Mrs May was discussing with MPs a 'greater role' for Parliament on the next steps as Britain goes through transition. Pressed what her 'Plan B' is for what happens after what looks like an inevitable disaster, she said: 'That question is for those who want to oppose this deal.' Mrs May made clear that the Withdrawal Agreement she has thrashed out with Brussels is effectively locked in - but insisted she is 'listening' to concerns from MPs. She confirmed the government is considering a range of measures to make the Irish 'backstop' more palatable to her mutinous backbenchers. Proposals include placing a parliamentary 'lock' on the backstop, which would give MPs the final say over whether to enter an arrangement which critics fear could keep the UK trapped in the customs union indefinitely. 'The backstop is not automatic. I'm looking at the role of Parliament in that choice,' Mrs May said. The alternative would be to extend the transition period beyond December 2020 - but the Withdrawal Agreement states that can only last until 2022. After that point the backstop would come into force under the divorce terms. Parliament will get to vote on whether to extend transition in June 2020 or to enter the backstop - subject to a final agreement with the EU - if trade talks are unfinished. After the extended transition ends, the backstop will kick in if there is still no final trade deal. Despite admitting the divorce deal cannot be changed, Mrs May's spokeswoman said: 'She's aware of the strength of feeling and listening to colleagues about how parliament could have a wider say.' A British yachtswoman says she is 'clinging on' in her bunk as she waits for rescue after her boat was smashed up by a monster storm. Susie Goodall had to radio for help after horrendous weather all but wrecked her chances in the solo Golden Globe Race around the world. The 29-year-old is stranded 2,000 miles west of Cape Horn, deep in the Southern Ocean. One of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, it is known for huge swells, rough seas and the threat of icebergs any time of the year. Chilean authorities contacted a ship 480 miles south west of Miss Goodall's position and it is due to reach her in the early hours of Friday morning. In a series of tweets, Miss Goodall, from Falmouth in Cornwall, said: 'This motion is just horrible! Clinging on in my bunk.' British yachtswoman Susie Goodall (pictured) says she is 'clinging on' in her bunk as she waits for rescue after her boat was smashed up by a monster storm A weather map has shown the storm that lashed the area four hours before Miss Goodhall lost her rig Miss Goodall, from Falmouth in Cornwall has posted a series of tweets describing her situation as she awaits rescue In another, she wrote that she was 'In need of a good cuppa tea! But sadly no cooker' and this morning she added: 'That was a looong night'. Today, race organisers said Chilean rescue authorities have tasked the 38,000 ton Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier MV Tian Fu - bound from China to Modran, Argentina - to go to her aid. It is due to reach her position at 5am on Friday. They said she remains 'safe and secure aboard' and is preparing for her rescue by attempting to make her engine work again and readying her lift raft. She may be forced to scramble up a rope ladder when the ship arrives for her evacuation. Organisers said in an updated statement: 'It will still be dark when the MV Tian Fu reaches the scene and the rescue operation is unlikely to commence before daylight. 'It will be for her Captain to decide the best method to transfer Goodall from yacht to ship. This could entail launching the ships own man-overboard vessel, or lowering a cargo net or ladder over the side for her to climb up from the yacht or her liferaft.' Miss Goodall is the youngest competitor and only woman to enter the event, which started in July. It has taken place only once before in 1968 when Sir Robin Knox-Johnston was the sole finisher. She was in 4th place in the non-stop, 30,000-mile race. Falmouth Coastguard picked up a distress signal from her yacht, DHL Starlight, yesterday morning after she was hit by a ferocious storm with 60 knot winds and massive waves. In her last message to race control before her mast was broken, she said: 'Taking a hammering. Wondering what on earth I'm doing out here.' She later told officials: 'I have been dismasted. Thought I had holed the hull because the boat filled with water, but the hull is not holed. The hull is OK. The boat is destroyed. I can't make up a jury rig. The only thing left is the hull and deck which remain intact. Susie Goodall, 29, (pictured) was caught in a massive storm off Cape Horn and had been battling with the elements for 24 hours Susie was said to have been launched across the vessel while below deck and 'knocked out for a while' Susie is currently sailing a Rustler 36 class yacht (pictured) in the DHL Golden Globe round the world race 'We were pitchpoled [rolled end over end] and I was thrown across the cabin and knocked out for a while.' A spokesperson for the race said yesterday they had been in contact with Susie who said she received a concussion, cuts on her hands, and bruises in the incident - but is otherwise okay. An update on the DHL Golden Globe website said: '[She is] now talking to MSOS UK the GGR 24hr telemedicine doctor for advice and check up. 'Weather is moderating a little. Boat huge mess down below. Not in danger for now.' Susie and another competitor were said to have been at the centre of a 'large low pressure storm' Susie waving goodbye to her supporters at the beginning of the race. She had been lying in fourth place when her boat overturned She is relying on doctors advice and is being monitored by the medical teams back in the UK Her boat was in the middle of the Pacific ocean when the incident occurred yesterday morning Susie becomes the fifth Golden Globe Race entrant in this years edition to have abandoned the race due to their boat being dismasted Another post on the website at 10.48am yesterday read: 'Susie is taking the worst of it being close to the center with wind direction and strength going all over the place, causing real challenges for her.' After activating her emergency signal yesterday morning, Susie got back in contact with the Chilean coastguard saying she was 'totally and utterly gutted'. 'Interior total wreck, liferaft ok, nasty head bang as boat pitchpoled. Unbelievably roly now. Totally and utterly gutted.' Race Chairman Don McIntyre said: We are monitoring the situation carefully, speaking to Susie every hour and working with the Chilean Search and rescue authorities on the best course of action to take. We have also informed her family and are keeping them informed. Susie is the fifth Golden Globe Race entrant this year to have abandoned the race due to their boat being dismasted. Miss Goodall is an ocean sailing instructor who took up the sport at the age of three. In the 1968 race, Sir Robin's rivals either retired or sank. But one, Donald Crowhurst, killed himself. The story of his troubled life was the subject of a film, The Mercy, released this year and starring Colin Firth. The Golden Globe race encompasses the three great capes of the Southern Ocean: Chile's Horn, South Africa's Good Hope and Australia's Leeuwin. Facebook shares rebounded after taking a sharp fall on Thursday, a day after a secret trove of documents was leaked. Shares opened around 2.5 per cent down, wiping an estimated $9.5billion off the company's $379billion value, though they rebounded to recover all of the losses by the end of trading, closing up 1.23 per cent for the day. The documents showed Facebook 'aggressively' pursued competitors, used its platform to cripple rivals, and leverage developers for advertising money, setting up conflicts with regulators and politicians around the globe. Stock investment firm Stiefel had downgraded Facebook's shares ahead of markets opening in New York, saying the company has made 'too many adversaries' for its business to thrive. Facebook shares took a pummeling in early trading, opening 2.5 per cent down and wiping around $9.5billion of the company's value Facebook will be hoping to avoid another crash after shares in the company fell by $119billion in a day back in July, marking the single largest fall in market history. Mark Zuckerberg saw $12billion wiped off his value as a result of the plunge. One key issue is how Facebook took 'aggressive positions' against rivals and denied key competitors such as Vine access to its data, which shut down shortly after. The EU is aggressively cracking down on tech monopolies and this summer fined Google a record $5billion for breaching its competition laws. What are the accusations against Facebook? Facebook is facing allegations from all over the world that it has been used to spread 'fake news', interfere with elections, and peddle hate. It is also facing hugely damaging revelations of privacy data breaches among its accounts. Here are some of the controversies it has been embroiled in: 'Fake news' and Russia Facebook has come under the spotlight amid claims that Russian accounts used the platform to spread 'fake news' during the 2016 Brexit referendum. In America, Russians accounts have been accused of using Facebook to harm Hilary Clinton's prospects of being elected over Donald Trump. In the UK, some have claimed that misleading information was used to promote Brexit in the run up to the 2016 referendum. Cambridge Analytica Scandal: The data of around 87 million Facebook users was harvested by the company Cambridge Analytica (CA). It has been claimed CA used the information to assess peoples' personalities and come up with political strategies to sway voters to back Brexit and Donald Trump. Spread of extremism and hate Facebook has been repeatedly criticised for not being quick enough to take extremist content down from its site. Critics have warned that Facebook has become a safe haven for extremists who peddle hate and try to recruit jihadis to kill and maim. Advertisement Regulators found the search engine abused its market dominance with the Android operating system to strong-arm people into using its Chrome browser and apps. Google also banned rivals from selling devices that used operating systems based on Android, which the EU said was in breach of its rules. While the EU has so far been silent on the Facebook leak, regulators are certain to be aware of it and will likely investigate whether the social media giant broke any laws. The documents also revealed that: Facebook planned to grant companies access to user data based on how much advertising they bought, and threatened to cut off access for firms paying under a certain amount Facebook programmed its android app to see users call and text records in which it admitted was a 'pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective' Mr Zuckerberg said he was 'sceptical' that apps with access Facebook users' data would pass data on, as then happened in the Cambridge Analytica scandal Facebook used Onavo app it acquired to spy on users' phone usage, apparently without their knowledge, to identify competitors such as Whatsapp to buy out Politicians digging into the spread of fake news online, led by British MP Damian Collins, who leaked the papers, will now have added reason to go after the company for the way it treated users' data. In choosing to downgrade Facebook's stock from 'buy' to 'hold', warning investors off increasing their holdings in the company, Stiefel told CNBC: 'Facebooks management team has created too many adversaries -- politicians/ regulators, tech leaders, consumers, and employees -- to not experience long-term negative ramifications on its business.' On Wednesday night, former Facebook staff described a 'toxic and hostile' atmosphere at the business. One former senior employee told Buzzfeed News that workers are desperate for a change of leadership. 'People are hoping for a Sundar or Dara moment,' the worker said referring to Uber's new boss Dara Khosrowshahi and Google's chief Sundar Pichai. Another said staff fear being scolded by furious bosses who are 'spouting full-blown anti-media rhetoric, saying that the press is ganging up on Facebook.' Documents showed Facebook used its platform to cripple competitors and leverage developers for advertising money, putting it on a collision-course with regulators What do the Facebook emails say? 1. Facebook planned to let its android app read users' call records in which it admitted was a 'pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective' Michael LeBeau (Facebook product manager) wrote on 4 February 2015: 'As you know all the growth team is planning on shipping a permissions update on Android at the end of this month. They are going to include the 'read call log' permission... This is a pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective but it appears that the growth team will charge ahead and do it.' 2. Facebook aggressively stopped rivals from accessing its users' data to maintain dominance, causing many apps to fail. CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally approved a decision to block Twitter's app Vine from accessing users' Facebook friends lists. Justin Osofksy (Facebook vice president) wrote on 24 January 2012: 'Twitter launched Vine today which lets you shoot multiple short video segments to make one single, 6-second video... Unless anyone raises objections, we will shut down their friends API access today. We've prepared reactive PR, and I will let Jana know our decision.' CEO Mark Zuckerberg replied: 'Yup, go for it.' 3. Mr Zuckerberg said he was 'sceptical' that apps with access Facebook users' data would pass this data on, as then happened in the Cambridge Analytica scandal in 2016 In a 2012 email to Sam Lessin, the company's former VP of Project Management, Mr Zuckerberg wrote: 'I'm generally skeptical that there is as much data leak strategic risk as you think. I agree there is clear risk on the advertiser side, but I haven't figured out how that connects to the rest of the platform. I think we leak info to developers, but I just can't think if any instances where that data has leaked from developer to developer and caused a real issue for us. Do you have examples of this?' 4. Facebook CEOs planned to provide user data to apps which paid Facebook a certain amount Konstantinos Papamiltidas, Facebook's director of platform partnerships, ordered: 'Communicate to all apps that don't spend that those permission[s] will be revoked. 'Communicate to the rest that they need to spend on NEKO [a platform that Facebook uses to sell advertising] $250k a year to maintain access to the data.' Advertisement The source revealed: 'People now have burner phones to talk s*** about the company - not even to reporters, just to other employees.' Politicians from eight world governments investigating the spread of fake news, led by British MP Damian Collins who leaked the papers, will also pile pressure on the company to disclose exactly how it monetises user data. Mr Zuckerberg was 'empty chaired' by the grand committee last week after sent executive Richard Allan for the grilling instead The papers showed that Facebook signed deals to give companies such as Netflix and AirBnB special access to user dater and spied on Android users' calls and texts. Facebook strongly denied ever selling user data and insisted it only granted these companies 'short term extensions' to preserve user experience. Amid the fallout, Zuckerberg was forced to defend himself on Wednesday night, saying in a lengthy Facebook post that the company 'never sold anyone's data'. Where do the Six4Three Facebook papers come from and why is Mr Collins allowed to publish them? The documents seized by Collins and his committee stem from a court case being heard in California between app developer Six4Three and Facebook. Ted Kramer, who owns the developer, launched a suit against Facebook after the tech company restricted to data that one of his apps - Pinkini - could access. The app was designed to identify bikini photos among albums posted by friends on Facebook, and the restrictions effectively killed it. As part of the lawsuit, Kramer accuses Facebook of encouraging developers to build apps based around access to data that it then withdrew. He also alleges that Zuckerberg sold expensive ads to developers in return for long-term access to the data. This form of access was later exploited by Cambridge Analytica in an attempt to affect elections. As part of his case, Kramer got his hands on documents - said to include confidential emails between senior executives, and correspondence with Zuckerberg - apparently showing they knew about issues around the privacy of user data. Facebook fought for months to keep the documents secret, and was ultimately vindicated when a California judge ruled in its favor. But now Collins has published the documents because he is outside of US jurisdiction and protected in his role as a minister heading up an investigation. Advertisement He also denied allegations by Collins that changes Facebook made to its platform in 2015 were designed to extract money from developers in return for access to data. He wrote: 'We've focused on preventing abusive apps for years, and that was the main purpose of this major platform change starting in 2014. 'In fact, this was the change required to prevent the situation with Cambridge Analytica. 'While we made this change several years ago, if we had only done it a year sooner we could have prevented that situation completely.' The leak relates to a court case between Facebook, an app developer called Six4Three and its app Pinkini, which allowed users to find bikini photos among images uploaded by their friends. The app was effectively killed when Facebook updated its privacy settings in 2015, and the company is now suing the social media giant. As part of the legal proceedings, Six4Three was handed a trove of documents from Facebook related to its case, but was told to keep them private. They were seized by Collins using an obscure parliamentary rule as a Six4Three executive was passing through London in November. Reacting to the documents being published, a Facebook spokesman said: 'As we've said many times, the documents Six4Three gathered for their baseless case are only part of the story and are presented in a way that is very misleading without additional context. 'We stand by the platform changes we made in 2015 to stop a person from sharing their friends' data with developers. 'Like any business, we had many of internal conversations about the various ways we could build a sustainable business model for our platform. 'But the facts are clear: we've never sold people's data.' Mr Zuckerberg was 'empty chaired' by the grand committee last week after sent executive Richard Allan for the grilling instead. Facebook had demanded the Six4Three papers published today be handed back without being opened by MPs or published. Six4Three managing director Ted Kramer gave the documents to British authorities after being warned he could be banned from leaving the UK if he refused. A Facebook exchange in which police and a suspect played out a mock-romance beneath the man's own 'wanted' post has gone viral after he initially commented telling them to 'calm down'. When Richland WA Police Department shared an appeal for information on a man named Anthony Akers last week, the last source they expected to come forward was the man himself. But instead 38-year-old Akers commented below the post assuring them he was going to co-operate. Richland Police Department in Washington state shared an appeal for information on 38-year-old Anthony Akers on Facebook on November 28 The polices first post read: 'Wanted Wednesday! Anthony Akers (38) is wanted by the Department of Corrections for Failure to Comply. If you have any information please call 509-628-0333.' In a comment that has so far been liked more than two-and-a-half thousand times, Akers wrote: 'Calm down, I'm going to turn myself in.' However, when he failed to appear after a few days, Richland PA got back in touch. They wrote: 'Hey Anthony! We havent seen you yet. After sharing the appeal for information on Akers, the last source police would have expected to come forward was the man himself 'Our business hours are 8:00am 5:00pm Monday. Of course if you need a ride you can call non-emergency and we will pick you up.' Akers wasted no time in responding with an honest and hilarious explanation as to his absence. He said: 'Thank you, tying up a couple loose ends since I will probably be in there a month. Should be there in the next 48 hours.' The next two days came and went, however, and after one Facebook user inquired as to whether he had shown up, the Police confessed that he had let them down, again. Then things got weird. By way of apology, Akers wrote: 'Dear RPD, its not you, its me. I obviously have commitment issues. I apologize for standing you up, but let me make it up to you.' The two-and-fro exchange lasted a week - with Akers continually promising to turn up at the station and then letting police down 'I will be there no later then lunchtime tomorrow, I know you have no reason to believe me after what i did to you, but I promise that if I dont make it on my own by lunchtime tomorrow I will call for a ride to assist me with my commitment issues. 'Thank you in advance to your response if you are patiently giving me another chance with us, I know i don't deserve it.' 'P.S. Youre beautiful.' I dont know if I need to tell you what happened next, so Ill let this follow-up (still) wanted post do the talking: But by Monday, Akers still had not appeared. The Richland WA Police Department put out another statement, a little more melancholy than the first: 'Morose Monday. Dear Anthony, is it us? Last Wednesday we reached out to you as wanted. You replied and even said you were going to turn yourself in. Finally however, the story got its happy(ish) ending - Akers turned himself in to police and even posted a photo of himself at the station for his 'date' 'We waited, but you didnt show. After you stood us up, we reached out again- this time offering you a ride. You replied and said you needed 48 hours. 'The weekend came and went. We are beginning to think you are not coming. Please call us anytime and we will come to you. 509-628-0333.' Yesterday, after days of waiting and going back and forth, the police finally got their happy ending. Akers even posted a photograph of himself outside the station alongside the note: 'Here for our date sweetheart'. Prince Louis of Luxembourg financial dilemmas were laid bare in a family court judgement yesterday With a rent-free flat in Paris, a 35,000 annual allowance from his parents and up to six holidays a year, one would think that Prince Louis of Luxembourg has it all. But, like many children of wealthy parents, the 32-year-old royal insists he just wants a fulfilling job and to stand on his own two feet. His father, the monarch Grand Duke Henri, was stripped of his powers to approve his country's laws when he refused to wave through a euthanasia bill ten years ago. And a High Court judgement given in London yesterday suggests his third son Louis suffers from a similar sense of powerlessness. Louis has been locked in a bitter court battle with his ex-wife, Princess Tessy, over how much maintenance he should pay for her and their two sons, Princes Gabriel and Noah, who are 12 and 11. A judge ruled that Prince Louis should pay 4,000 for each child, per year, the equivalent of 75-a-week, after finding that Luxembourg's royal family could not be expected to cover the costs of the Prince's break-up. In his lengthy ruling yesterday, Mr Justice MacDonald paints a vivid picture of a Prince with means beyond the dreams of most people, but apparently little control over his own finances. The Prince told of his financial woes to a family judge looking at his divorce from ex-wife Princess Tessy. The couple are pictured, right, on their wedding day in 2006 The judge said the dispute was 'simply a sad case' involving a couple who were determined to marry for love and had been happy before their 'fairytale' soured. Photos the ex-wife posted online showed them enjoying regular trips abroad, and walks on beaches in Majorca The court heard the Prince now lives entirely rent free in a family-owned flat in Paris, in which he and his four siblings have a 'nue-propriete', or joint interest. The flat is serviced by a maid and a cleaner, and his utility bills, television service and health insurance are paid for by his parents, Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. The Grand Duke and Duchess also pay their grandchildren's school fees and their medical insurance, the court heard. To help him along, the Prince is given an annual allowance of 35,000 (40,000) and his accommodation is paid for during the up to six holidays he takes each year. His father also gives him around 250 spending money for each of the jaunts, but the Prince insists he pays for the flights. The Prince previously received an inheritance payout of around 450,000 (510,750) with a possibility of a further 890,000 (1million) in the future, although he disputes whether this would be forthcoming. The Luxembourg royal family cover most of his costs, but Louis (top left) is expected to find a job soon, he told the court His ex-wife, Princess Tessy, described their life together as 'luxurious' with regular holidays to the family's properties around Europe, and They lived together in London in a mews house on this quiet backstreet in Kensington His ex-wife said their married life together had been nothing short of 'luxurious'. 'She stated that the family had spent most of their holidays in family properties in Europe and could stay in such properties rent free with staff at their disposal,' Mr Justice MacDonald said. 'The wife noted that she and the husband had houses bought for them to live in wherever they wished to live and never wanted for funds. 'Passports, driving licences, medical insurance and medical appointments were organised and paid for, as were cars to the airport and flight upgrades. The children's schooling and health costs were also paid for.' But the Prince insisted their lifestyle was 'relatively modest'. In his testimony to court, the Prince said the days of open coffers were coming to an end and he was, in fact, struggling to find work. Since their split, Princess Tessy has gone online, posting photos of her at Dubai hotels The boys live their mother, the court heard, but Tessy has said she is on good terms with her ex The Prince said: 'The custom and indeed the current expectation in my family has been and is that members, save for HRH the former Grand Duke Jean, HRH the Grand Duke, and the Heir Apparent... are financially self-sufficient, I am therefore expected to develop my own earning capacity, and live according to my own means, which I fully intend to do.' The judge described his position, saying: 'His family cannot be, and are not a 'resource' to which he can resort at will, that his family do not intend to treat him more generously than they do his siblings.' The Prince 'expressed an intention to the court to move out of this property and into rented accommodation funded by himself as soon as he is able to afford to do so,' the judge said. But the court heard that, despite having a private pilot's licence, a BA in Communications and a Masters degree in psychology, the Prince, a former Army officer, has failed to bring in much by the way of money. The Princess said they had lived a luxurious lifestyle but the Prince insisted it was 'modest' The judge said: [He] has established a consultancy focusing on directional counselling. He told the court that he continues to undertake training in this regard. The [Prince] however, contends that the consultancy does not yet provide any income.' In the court battle, his wife insisted his claims of lack of means should be treated with a pinch of salt, considering his family could cover the cost of anything the court awarded her. The judge expressed his sadness that the royals 'fairy tale' marriage had turned sour She originally asked for 1.5million to buy a new family home for her and their sons. But judge Mr Justice MacDonald found 'it would be wrong in this case to conclude that the husband's family represent a financial resource on which this court can rely'. He ordered that Prince Louis, who had offered to pay 3,000 child maintenance for each child, should pay 4,000 for each child, per year, the equivalent of 75-a-week. The judge also ordered the princess and children should be given a 'licence to occupy' the former family home in London 'until the youngest child finishes his first degree'. This is the shocking moment a 13-year-old boy is shot six times but survives as he gets a haircut in a barbershop during a social media live stream. The startling scene was recorded by a camera set up to record the haircut for social media in a barber shop in the city of Fortaleza, in the Brazilian state of Ceara. In the video, the teenager can be seen having his hair cut in when the barber suddenly looks to his side and loud gunshots are heard as the teenager squirms in pain, twisting from side to side. The barber glances to his right a moment before the first shot is heard on the horrifying video and the 13-year-old boy (centre) is hit The barber runs away in fear as six shots can be heard ringing out and the teenager is left writhing in pain holding his chest. The gunman runs across the camera and appears to take something from another customer before running away whilst the teenager drops to the ground leaving blood spattered on the barber's chair. Local media report the teenager was shot six times and treated by the Mobile First-Aid Service (SAMU) before being taken to the Doctor Jose Frota Institute hospital to undergo surgery. The gunman, apparently wielding a revolver, runs past the 13-year-old youth he shot moments before and grabs something from another customer before fleeing The victim remains in hospital whilst the barber and another customer were unharmed, according to local media. The Military Police of Ceara told reporters an investigation had been launched and they were searching for the gunman. No arrests have been reported and the investigation is ongoing. No motive has been provided for the crime. A student newspaper editor has been accused of being a 'snowflake' after calling for the word 'faggot' to be bleeped out of Christmas classic Fairytale of New York. London-based Tom Haynes, assistant editor of student paper The Tab, has split social media over his opinion piece on The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's festive hit. In it he claims a line, sung by MacColl, which goes 'you scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot' is a homophobic slur which is just as bad as using the N-word. London-based Tom Haynes, assistant editor of student paper The Tab, has split social media over this opinion piece on The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's festive hit Since 2007 the BBC have bleeped the word from the song, which was first released in 1987, and regularly makes the charts every Christmas. Mr Haynes wrote: 'The faggot line is predictably censored on radio, but that wont stop straight people singing it at the top of their lungs when it comes on in the pub. 'Only when you take a step back does something seem off with that picture in 2018.' He goes on to say that while many people in the LGBT community have reclaimed the word and re-purposed it as a term of endearment, for others it will bring back memories of being bullied because of their sexuality. Predictably, the article attracted dozens of vitriolic comments, some of them homophobic, other pointing out that the word 'faggot' has multiple meanings Mr Haynes added: 'This Christmas, give yourself the gift of not being an arsehole: When Fairytale of New York plays on your next night out, just don't sing one word of it. That's all one word, two syllables. Not too much of a stretch, right?' Predictably, the article attracted dozens of vitriolic comments, some of them homophobic, other pointing out that the word 'faggot' has multiple meanings. Joe Monday wrote: 'Dear Tom Haynes. Stop being the epitome of a millenial snowflake faggot.' The student newspaper editor has been accused of being a 'snowflake' after calling for the word 'faggot' to be bleeped out of Christmas classic Fairytale of New York Rossi Bateman said: 'Loool f*** off the song was written in 1986 Im singing that part of the song EXTRA LOUD NOW.' Other took a different approach. Adam Curtis said: 'People are so sensitive and thats coming from a gay person people can sing it all they want what is wrong with people.' But others agreed with the piece. Emma Louise Lack said: 'It has NEVER been okay to use homophobic slurs in any context, I dont see why it should be suddenly okay just because its in a song? It literally does not harm you or affect your life by removing one word from your vocabulary or omitting that word from the song. If you wouldnt use the n word, dont use the f word.' A shocking video shows a cage crammed full of dogs that are believed to have been stolen from their owners en route to a slaughterhouse in Cambodia. Sound of Animals CEO, Michael Chour, 48, along with his colleague followed the moped for over seven miles as it made its way to a slaughterhouse after spotting the dogs tightly packed into a cage on the back of the bike. The group had been in the area looking for a local slaughterhouse after following the moped but arrived to see the terrible conditions of the premises where the cage of nine dogs had been dropped off to become part of the dog meat trade. The animal rescue group had been in the area looking for a local slaughterhouse after following the moped but arrived to see the terrible conditions of the premises where the cage of nine dogs had been dropped off to become part of the dog meat trade. Rescuers came across a stationary bike, with nine dogs squashed into a tiny cage on the back, they took some pictures, and hid and waited for the driver of the bike to come back before making their move Workers at the slaughterhouse spoke of the violence they used to keep the dogs from trying to escape The dogs, most likely stolen pets, were kept in hot, cramped conditions for hours in a makeshift slaughterhouse Nine dogs crammed into a tiny crate that would have housed just one dog in the UK, appear to have dropped off the back of a moped en route to the slaughterhouse Many of the dogs are injured after being hit with poles as they are transferred into different cages as well as being dehydrated, starved and petrified. Chour said: 'These nine dogs were crammed into a tiny crate that would have housed one dog in the UK. 'They had travelled like this for hours in the blazing sun. They were injured, dehydrated, and petrified. 'They were someones pets, not used to harsh treatment like this. 'We were told that the slaughter of the dogs had finished for the day, and they had their 1000 kg of dog meat to be delivered to Phnom Penh. Sound of Animals CEO, Michael Chour, 48, along with his colleague followed the moped for over seven miles as it made its way to a slaughterhouse after spotting the dogs tightly packed into a cage on the back of the bike Chour said this slaughterhouse was one of the most 'barbaric, sadistic, heartless, evil' place he had ever seen. 'So these nine dogs would be kept in this small cage until the next day, when they would be slaughtered. 'I have been in hundreds of slaughterhouses over the last 15 years, and this one was the most, barbaric, sadistic, heartless, evil place I have seen. 'He already told me he had cut dogs' paws off that day for trying to escape, and does that on a regular basis.' Five dogs that were rescued that day will now live at Chour's blue dream shelter in Thailand Captors would barbarically cut dogs' paws off for trying to escape, something that is practiced on a regular basis Chour and his contact, who had given up working in the dog meat trade to help rescue abused dogs, were looking to locate a renowned slaughterhouse in the area when they spotted the dogs on the back of a moped. He said: 'We were driving around the area looking for trucks, cars and bikes which were carrying dogs, in order to follow them to the slaughterhouse. 'We came across a stationary bike, with nine dogs squashed into a tiny cage on the back. I took some pictures, and hid and waited for the driver of the bike to come back. 'When we arrived at the slaughterhouse, I spoke to the driver of the motorbike. After arriving, Chour was shocked to see the terrible conditions that the dogs were kept in before being butchered, as the animals were beaten with a pole to transfer them into different cages 'This slaughterhouse is so isolated, and so far into the jungle the dog thief spoke freely about what he had been doing, as there was no chance of him being found out. 'He explained that getting dogs in the area, was getting harder and harder, so it was easier for him to go to Siem Reap, another city in Cambodia to steal them. 'It is against the law in Cambodia to steal dogs.' After arriving, Chour was shocked to see the terrible conditions that the dogs were kept in before being butchered, as the animals were beaten with a pole to transfer them into different cages. Chour was able to rescue the pup, affectionately named Lewan, and took her to a local vets where she received treatment for a high fever and pain caused from the crammed conditions Originally from France, Chour said: 'He would not stop hitting this last dog, until she was dead. 'I couldn't take it anymore, I shouted out for the butcher to stop. 'The situation became very tense but I didn't care. 'I had to put my life in the balance, to stop this monstrosity of a butcher hitting her one more time. 'I told him to give me the dog, or I would not be able to control myself.' Chour was able to rescue the pup, affectionately named Lewan, and took her to a local vets where she received treatment for a high fever and pain caused from the crammed conditions. She will now be looked after at Chour's blue dream shelter in Thailand as well as four other dogs that were rescued that day. A church in Massachusetts has sparked controversy by putting the baby Jesus in a cage for its nativity display in a protest against Donald Trump's immigration policy. The remarkable scene has been set up at St Susanna's, Dedham, as a show of solidarity with the illegal immigrants who become separated from their families under harsh border control protocol after crossing into the US. It features not only a caged Christ child representative of an immigrant infant being ripped away from its mother, but also a wall surrounding the wise men, meant to be evocative of the notorious migrant caravan. Thousands of migrants from Central America are currently living in squalid conditions on the Mexican side of the border as they attempt to gain entry to the US. Scroll down for video Images of the controversial display show the baby jesus locked in a cage to represent the current problems on the US-Mexico border According to the pastor at the church the group came up with the idea to try and educate people on the injustices of the world 'We try to take a picture of the world as it is and put it together with a Christmas message,' said Pastor Fr. Stephen Josoma. Pictures taken of the thought-provoking display show the three wise men off to the side and separated by a fence marked 'deportation.' Hanging above the display is a sign that reads, 'Peace on Earth?' The idea for the display came from the Pax Christi group within the church, whose aim is 'to educate the community on matters related to peace and justice issues including war, torture, the environmental degradation of our world'. And the parishioners were quick to defend the display, echoing the sentiment of their reverend by saying 'Jesus was political'. Parishioners at St Susanna were quick to welcome the display by saying 'Jesus was political' Supplies begin to dwindle at volunteer shelters as the number of migrants crossing the US-Mexico boarder continue to soar 'Christ was political, he was hung on a cross for making political statements and bucking authority and that's exactly why he died,' Parishioner Phil Mandeville said. While Pat Ferrone, a member of the Pax Christi committee which came up with the idea for the display, said: 'We're not trying to scandalize anyone. We're trying to reflect back a reality that has to be looked at.' It's the second year the church has courted controversy with its nativity display. In 2017, the nativity scene featured signs showing the locations and death tolls of mass shootings across the country, Government data obtained by the Associated Press on Thursday showed that at least 81 migrant children had been separated from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border since Trump signed an order banning the practice in June. Thousands of migrants have continued to come up from Central America in recent weeks as part of caravans despite Trump's crackdown, however. Trump used his national security powers to put in place regulations that denied asylum to anyone caught crossing illegally, but a judge has halted that change as a lawsuit progresses. The Trump administration has separated 81 migrant children from their families at the U.S.-Mexico border despite issuing an executive order in June to end the practice, according to government data obtained by The Associated Press. In spite of Trump's order and a federal judge's later ruling, immigration officials are allowed to separate a child from a parent in certain cases - for instance, serious criminal charges against a parent, concerns over the health and welfare of a child or medical concerns. Those caveats were in place before the zero-tolerance policy that prompted the earlier separations at the border. Immigrant rights advocates said they are worried that the government gets to decide whether a child fits into those areas of concern, noting that parents could be falsely labeled as criminals. Migrants traveling with children walk up a hill to a waiting U.S. Border Patrol agent just inside San Ysidro, Calif., after climbing over the border wall from Playas de Tijuana, Mexico, Monday, Dec. 3, 2018. Thousands of Central American migrants who traveled with recent caravans want to seek asylum in the United States but face a decision between crossing illegally or waiting months, because the U.S. government only processes a limited number of those cases a day at the San Ysidro border crossing. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell) From June 21, the day after President Donald Trump's order, through Tuesday, 76 adults were separated from the children, according to the data. Of those, 51 were criminally prosecuted - 31 with criminal histories and 20 for other, unspecified reasons, according to the data. Nine were hospitalized, 10 had gang affiliations and four had extraditable warrants, according to the immigration data. Two were separated because of prior immigration violations and orders of removal, according to the data. 'The welfare of children in our custody is paramount,' said Katie Waldman, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. immigration enforcement. 'As we have already said - and the numbers show: Separations are rare. While there was a brief increase during zero tolerance as more adults were prosecuted, the numbers have returned to their prior levels.' We are very concerned the government may be separating families based on vague allegations of criminal history. -Lee Gelernt, ACLU At its height over the summer, more than 2,400 children were separated. The practice sparked global outrage from politicians, humanitarians and religious groups who called it cruel and callous. Images of weeping children and anguished, confused parents were splashed across newspapers and television. A federal judge hearing a lawsuit brought by a mother who had been separated from her child barred further separations and ordered the government to reunite the families. But the judge, Dana Sabraw, left the caveats in place and gave the option to challenge further separations on an individual basis. American Civil Liberties Union attorney Lee Gelernt, who sued on behalf of the mother, said he hoped the judge would order the government to alert them to any new separations, because right now the attorneys don't know about them and therefore can't challenge them. 'We are very concerned the government may be separating families based on vague allegations of criminal history,' Gelernt said. According to the government data, from April 19 - September 30, 170 family units were separated because they were found to not be related - that included 197 adults and 139 minors. That could also include grandparents or other relatives if there was no proof of relationship. Many people fleeing poverty or violence leave their homes in a rush and don't have birth certificates or formal documents with them. Other separations were because the children were not minors, the data showed. During the budget year 2017, which began in October 2016 and ended in September 2017, 1,065 family units were separated, which usually means a child and a parent - 46 due to fraud and 1,019 due to medical or security concerns, according to data. Waldman said the data showed 'unequivocally that smugglers, human traffickers, and nefarious actors are attempting to use hundreds of children to exploit our immigration laws in hopes of gaining entry to the United States.' Separations are rare. While there was a brief increase during zero tolerance as more adults were prosecuted, the numbers have returned to their prior levels. -Katie Waldman, Department of Homeland Security Thousands of migrants have come up from Central America in recent weeks as part of caravans. Trump, a Republican, used his national security powers to put in place regulations that denied asylum to anyone caught crossing illegally, but a judge has halted that change as a lawsuit progresses. The zero tolerance policy over the summer was meant in part to deter families from illegally crossing the border. Trump administration officials say the large increase in the number of Central American families coming between ports of entry has vastly strained the system. But the policy - and what it would mean for parents - caught some federal agencies off guard. There was no system in place to track parents along with their children, in part because after 72 hours children are turned over to a different agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, which has been tasked with caring for them. An October report by Homeland Security's watchdog found immigration officials were not prepared to manage the consequences of the policy. The resulting confusion along the border led to misinformation among separated parents who did not know why they had been taken from their children or how to reach them, longer detention for children at border facilities meant for short-term stays and difficulty in identifying and reuniting families. Backlogs at ports of entry may have pushed some into illegally crossing the U.S-Mexico border, the report found. Authorities in Beijing are now ramping up efforts to remove public signs with poorly translated English ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, state media said. The city-wide correction campaign has been targeting mind-boggling public notices that are marred with spelling and grammatical errors, as well as offensive language, including 'F**k Vegetables' instead of 'Dried Vegetables' on a sign in a supermarket aisle and 'Exit for Racist Park' instead of 'Ethnic Minorities Park' on a highway. Beijing's foreign affairs office has vetted the English translations of more than two million Chinese characters on signs and notices in the capital city since a national standard took effect on December 1 last year, Xinhua news agency reported. A sign read 'Exit for Racist Park' when it meant 'Ethnic Cultural Park' on a highway in Beijing. Authorities are now ramping up efforts to remove public signs with poorly translated English ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to state media The city-wide correction campaign has been targeting mind-boggling public notices that are marred with spelling and grammatical errors, as well as offensive language, including 'F**k Vegetables' instead of 'Dried Vegetables' on a sign in a supermarket aisle (pictured) The unintentionally hilarious notices often include what is otherwise known is Chinglish, where translations can be too literal. Examples include a sign in a washroom telling people to 'Slip Carefully', when it meant to say 'Caution Wet Floor' Zhang Qian, deputy director of the foreign affairs office, called for passing new regulations on signage translations as the city prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics and thousands of visitors. This is especially important for private businesses, where owners often resort to the Internet for quick solutions, forming 'a new citadel for wrong translations', she said. Signs in Beijing's public spaces and restaurants were first thrown into the limelight during the 2008 Olympic Games, when pictures posted by foreigners went viral online. An offensive 'deformed person' sign is seen on the accessible cubicle in a public toilet A sign reminding people to watch their step becomes 'Take care to fall into water' A fire extinguisher manual marred with spelling and grammatical errors seen in Beijing The unintentionally hilarious notices often include what is otherwise known is Chinglish, where translations can be too literal. Examples include a sign in a washroom telling people to 'Slip Carefully', when it meant to say 'Caution Wet Floor'. Another notice on the accessible cubicle read 'deformed person'. A sign reminding people to turn off the tap after washing their hands read: 'Water saving drip form the start.' 'A nice electric shock' instead of warning people against the danger zone A sign reminding people to turn off the tap after washing their hands read: 'Water saving drip form the start' Working with experts and volunteers, the Beijing has vetted notices in the central business district, hotels and other areas frequented by foreigners such as the Forbidden City (pictured) Others stumbled at polysemantic words - words with multiple meanings. Hence, a sign at a grocery store indicating an exit read 'Supermarket Export'. Export and exit share the same word in Chinese. Working with Chinese and foreign experts and volunteers, the Beijing this year has vetted notices in the central business district (CBD), hotels and other areas frequented by foreigners, as well as public venues like schools and hospitals, Xinhua said on Monday. 'Translations of public signs not only help foreigners, but their quality also shapes the image of a city,' said Chen Mingming, executive vice president of the Translators Association of China and advisor to the correction campaign. 'Disposable products' becomes 'A time sex thing' at a supermarket notice in China Others stumbled at polysemantic words. Hence, a sign at a grocery store indicating an exit read 'Supermarket export'. Export and exit share the same word in Chinese The emblem of Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games is unveiled during a ceremony. The international winter multi-sport event is scheduled to take place from February 4 to 20 in 2022 in Beijing and towns in the neighbouring Hubei province At the same time, the government has launched a dedicated website in March this year to encourage locals to help with the campaign. The website also contains lists of government-approved English translations on subjects such as hospitals, restaurants, shopping, and sporting events for reference. The international winter multi-sport event is scheduled to take place from February 4 to 20 in 2022 in Beijing and towns in the neighbouring Hubei province. NHS staff at an under-pressure hospital are being forced to work in a 'toxic' atmosphere where they suffer bullying and racism, a damning new report revealed today. The nine-month probe found consultants bark orders at colleagues, a staff member was berated in a store cupboard and staff were racially abused. Shockingly, one member of staff at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, Hampshire, was treated so badly they cycled in front of a lorry in a bid to take their own life. One third of staff at The Queen Alexandra Hospital in Porstmouth, pictured, reported they encountered bullying while at work as part of a nine-month investigation into the NHS unit Professor Duncan Lewis, who has carried out a number of investigations in NHS Trusts, led the probe after a series of complaints by staff. In his report, he said while bullying was not 'widespread' at the hospital, there was 'often widespread incivility and disrespect between staff members'. The professor added: 'This has to stop. Every employee, regardless of position or status has to behave to standards of common decency.' It was revealed a third of the 1,158 staff surveyed admitted they had suffered bullying or harassment at the hands of a colleague. In one case, a hospital worker told researchers that after being treated badly by a colleague they attempted to take their own life. The staff member said: 'I was feeling particularly low and I purposely cycled in front of a lorry.' While another said they encountered racism at work, being told: 'We grow our own here.' Professor Duncan Lewis, pictured, who led the probe, has made 15 recommendations to detoxify the hospital Researchers also found some staff had 'normalised inappropriate behaviours' with shouting, aggressive behaviour, swearing and victimisation going unsanctioned in some cases. The report said this was down to a culture of blame rather than learning at the hospital, with some departments being described as 'toxic'. Prof Lewis has made 15 recommendations, including ending favouritism as a method of selecting managers and drawing up a contract of respectful behaviour. Medics said if problems with an extremely busy Emergency Department were resolved then the whole trust would be better. One tearful staff member told researchers: 'It is a challenging place to work due to the sheer volume of patients and the constant low-level lack of respect.' Hospital chief executive Mark Cubbon said he accepted the reports findings, but added the behaviours reported had only been within 'pockets of the organisation'. He said just 40 people of the hospitals 7,000 staff had suffered repeated bullying. Mr Cubbon said: 'No member of staff should come to work and experience inappropriate behaviour, so it is clearly disappointing to read the negative experiences reported by some staff. 'We are fully committed to ensuring our organisation is one where staff want to work and are valued for their contribution. 'Work is ongoing across the trust to encourage an open culture which reflects our trust values.' Two former Tesco directors today slammed the Serious Fraud Office after judges threw out a 250million false accounting case against them after a four-year probe that cost taxpayers more than 10million. Chris Bush, the company's UK managing director, and John Scouler, former UK food commercial director, have faced a legal ordeal since 2014 after investigators claimed they made the supermarket's accounts look healthier than they were. But the prosecution case collapsed in London this week when the trial judge found it was 'so weak that it should not be left for a jury's consideration'. After appeal judges cleared the men, Bush said 'serious questions' needed to be raised over the bungling SFO's long-running 10million probe. He added: 'I am now looking forward to getting home and spending Christmas with my family.' The fallout comes amid a series of SFO fiascos including just two months when it lost an appeal to pursue Barclays over a 12billion bailout from Qatar in the financial crisis of 2008, after a five-year probe. Today's news will raise serious questions about the SFO's work and how it took four years to get to this stage. Former Tesco UK managing director Chris Bush (left) leaves Southwark Crown Court in London today after being acquitted of charges of fraud and false accounting Scouler (pictured today) was accused of being aware of income being wrongly included in Tesco's financial records to meet targets and make it look financially healthier than it was Bush lives with his partner Tracy Johns (pictured), 54, in a huge 2.5million mansion Scouler, who lives in St Albans, is a keen sports fan who has played golf at top courses Scouler is a rugby and golf fan who lives with his wife Tanya, 48, in a 1.7million house in St Albans (pictured), while Bush - who has an equestrian loving daughter - has worked around the world for Tesco and has a 2.5million home The pair were cleared of fraud and false accounting in relation to the company's profits being overstated by 250million. Scouler is a rugby and golf fan who lives with his wife Tanya, 48, in a 1.7million house, while Bush - who has an equestrian loving daughter - has worked around the world for Tesco and has a 2.5million home. Tesco's shares plummeted by nearly 12 per cent, wiping 2billion off the share value, when the firm announced in September 2014 that a statement the previous month had overstated profits by about a quarter of a billion pounds. Four-year timeline of the accounting scandal September 2014: Tesco admits issues in UK food business means it is likely to have overstated profits by 250million April 2015: Tesco reports a 6.4billion loss, one of largest in corporate history September 2016: Christopher Bush, 52, managing director of Tesco UK, and John Scouler, 50, UK food commercial director, are charged with one count of fraud by abuse of position and one count of false accounting. This was after they were accused of being aware of income being wrongly included in Tesco's financial records to meet targets and make it look financially healthier than it was. March 2017: Tesco reaches agreement with authorities over scandal as it pays investors 85million in compensation and 129million in fines and costs February 2018: First trial is abandoned, shortly before the jury is due to retire to consider its verdict October 8: Fresh trial begins and is expected to last three months November 25: Trial judge Sir John Royce concludes there is no case against either Bush or Scouler Yesterday: SFO goes to the Court of Appeal regarding the trial's dismissal, but its appeal is then dismissed Today: Jury at Southwark Crown Court are told of the men's acquittal Advertisement Bush and Scouler were accused of being aware that income was being wrongly included in the company's financial records to meet targets. But after intervention by trial judge Sir John Royce, Scouler, 50, of St Albans, Hertfordshire, and Bush, 52, of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, were each cleared of one count of fraud and another of false accounting. During the trial, the jury was told the case was a retrial, and that a third man, former UK finance director Carl Rogberg, is charged with identical offences but was not currently well enough to stand trial. A decision will be made in due course about what action should be taken in relation to Rogberg following the acquittals of Scouler and Bush. The trial of Scouler and Bush, which began on October 8, had been expected to last three months. Informing the jurors of the development, Judge Sir John Royce acknowledged that they had given up more than two months of their lives attending the trial. He said: 'I concluded that, in certain crucial areas, one in particular, that the prosecution's case was so weak that it should not be left for a jury's consideration.' Sir John added that the 'real weakness' was the question of proving knowledge. On entering the courtroom, the judge remarked to prosecutor Sasha Wass QC that it was 'the end of a long saga'. Bush (left), of High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was the UK managing director, while Scouler (right, both seen today), of St Albans, Hertfordshire, was its UK food commercial director The trial was told a third man, former UK finance director Carl Rogberg (pictured in September 2017), is charged with identical offences but was not currently well enough to stand trial Former Tesco bosses Bush (left) and Scouler (right, earlier today) have been cleared of a 250million fraud and false accounting scandal after the case against them collapsed How the Tesco accounting scandal that shocked the City unfolded News of Tesco's accounting scandal sent shockwaves through the City in 2014 and raised serious questions over how a FTSE 100 firm could get away with 'cooking the books'. The grocery giant issued a series of profit warnings in the run up to the September announcement about overstated profits, as the group reeled under the disastrous reign of then-chief executive Philip Clarke. Mr Clarke, who left the retailer just before the scandal, presided over a tumultuous period for Britain's biggest retailer, in which market share slumped as Tesco came under pressure from discount rivals Aldi and Lidl. Tesco issued a series of profit warnings in the run up to the announcement about overstated profits The bombshell disclosure came on September 22, when the company admitted that issues uncovered in its UK food business meant it was likely to have overstated profits by 250 million. The disclosures wiped 2 billion off the supermarket's share price in one day, and the overstatement was later revised up to 326 million. Tesco ordered an immediate review into the errors, undertaken by Deloitte and law firm Freshfields, but the damage had already been done. Tesco suspended eight directors and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) charged three former executives - Carl Rogberg, Chris Bush and John Scouler - with fraud after the black hole was discovered. Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis has tried to move the group on from the scandal To compound matters, the scandal contributed to Tesco's 6.4 billion loss in 2015, one of the largest in corporate history. In 2017, Tesco reached an agreement with authorities over the scandal that saw it pay 85 million in compensation payouts to investors and 129 million in fines and costs. The Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) with the SFO saw the company escape prosecution but book a total hit of 235 million. The agreement came as Britain's financial watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authority, concluded that Tesco had committed market abuse. Although Mr Clarke was spared charges linked to the scandal, Rogberg, Bush and Scouler - the former finance chief, managing director and food commercial head - faced a lengthy court case that eventually began in 2017. They stood accused of being involved in a 'white-collar crime' plot and were charged with fraud by abuse of position and false accounting. After the initial trial collapsed, a retrial date was set for October this year. The jury was told the case was a retrial and that Rogberg was charged with identical offences but was not currently well enough to stand trial. A decision will be made in due course about what action should be taken in relation to Rogberg following the acquittals of Scouler and Bush. News of Tesco's accounting scandal sent shockwaves through the City in 2014 All three maintained their innocence. Dave Lewis, Mr Clarke's successor as Tesco chief executive, has attempted to move the group on from the scandal. He has said the firm is doing everything possible to 'restore trust' after seeing the brand suffer. He said last year: 'What happened was a huge source of regret to all of us at Tesco, but we are a different business now. The decisions over the last years are evident to all and the job now is to keep this momentum. 'I am pleased with how our colleagues have responded and that has allowed us to rebuild the business since 2014. The brand was affected by the announcement back in 2014, that is clear. 'I think everyone will recognise that there is nothing here to be proud of, but I am proud that we faced into it. 'The situation was real and I hope people will respect Tesco for facing a difficult situation and dealing with it in the manner in which it has.' Mr Lewis appeared in court in October, where he told of his 'genuine shock' on learning of the company's overstated profits. Advertisement The judge told the jury that there was a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) between Tesco and the SFO, and as part of that agreement Tesco has agreed to pay a fine of 129 million. Who are the acquitted former Tesco chiefs? John Scouler and Christopher Bush have now been found not guilty of the charges against them. JOHN SCOULER John Scouler is a keen sports fan who has played golf at top courses and posed with celebrities at football matches. He lives with his wife Tanya, 48, in a 1.7million white brick house in Hertfordshire. Originally from Glasgow, he joined Tesco in 2002 and quickly moved up the ranks. He relocated to Hungary in 2007 as commercial director before returning to Britain four years ago and being promoted to the UK board a year later. On his return to the UK, Mr Scouler paid 1.1million for his detached five-bedroom home in St Albans. Mr Scouler is also a rugby and football fan and posted a picture of himself on Twitter with Oasis singer Noel Gallagher at a football game in 2014. He has said his favourite product is Tesco Finest Gavi wine. CHRIS BUSH After joining Tesco in 1982, Chris Bush became a UK store director and then operations director about 15 years ago. Mr Bush, who grew up in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, moved in 2004 to South Korea as operations director before transferring to Malaysia in 2006 to become regional chief executive. Four years later, he was made chief executive for Thailand before being brought back to the UK as managing director in January 2013. He splits his time between a property in Buckinghamshire and a second home in the south of France. In the UK, he watches his daughter ride her pet horse and has been spotted winning big at races. When abroad, he is seen in photographs posing offshore in his sunglasses in front of a seaplane. Mr Bush lives with his partner Tracy Johns, 54, and their daughter Emily, 20, in a huge 2.5million mansion on a private road in a small village. Mr Bush regularly uses the house to entertain, hosting 'Come Dine With Me'-themed parties with friends, which he has boasted of winning. He has said he enjoys travel and spent much of his 34-year career at the supermarket giant working abroad. Advertisement The acquittal of the two men means that neither Tesco nor any of its executives have been successfully prosecuted over one of the biggest corporate scandals in recent history. The deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) Tesco reached with the SFO in 2017 saw it pay 85 million in compensation payouts to investors and 129 million in fines and costs. In total, Tesco took a hit of 235 million as a result of the DPA but avoided a trial. Reacting to the news today, Bush said: 'On November 25, 2018, after considering the entire SFO case, the trial judge Sir John Royce, reached the 'firm conclusion' that there was no case against me, or against John Scouler. 'I am sorry to say that the SFO tried to appeal that decision. 'I am pleased that yesterday the Court of Appeal concluded that the trial judge was right to decide that there was no case to answer and refused the SFO permission to appeal. 'Therefore yesterday, after a four year ordeal, I was acquitted of all charges against me. 'While I am delighted that my innocence has finally been established, it is troubling that Mr Scouler and I were ever charged. 'Put simply, these charges should never have been brought, and serious questions should be asked about the way in which the SFO has conducted this investigation. 'In my view, the SFO wholly failed to investigate this case thoroughly, independently or fairly from the outset. 'I want to thank certain people for their unwavering help and support. 'My amazing family and friends, my brilliant legal team at Hickman and Rose, and also the many people still working in Tesco, from the very top of the organisation down, for their countless messages of support. 'I am now looking forward to getting home and spending Christmas with my family. That is all I wish to say, thank you.' Richard Sallybanks, partner at BCL Solicitors, representing Scouler, added: 'We are delighted that Mr Scouler leaves court today knowing that the judge, having heard the entirety of the prosecution evidence, reached the firm conclusion that he had no case to answer. 'That decision was obviously correct yet the SFO chose to pursue an appeal which was rejected yesterday when the Court of Appeal refused even to grant leave. 'We have long argued that the SFO's prosecution of Mr Scouler was fundamentally flawed, that he should not have been charged and that the SFO should not have proceeded with this trial. 'Mr Scouler has maintained since the outset of this investigation that he was not guilty of fraud and false accounting, and those close to him always knew that to be the case. 'We are simply pleased that, after four years, this has now been confirmed by the Court of Appeal upholding the judge's decision that he should be acquitted of all charges. 'This is a very significant defeat for the SFO - and a notable win for BCL Solicitors and the two ex Tesco directors.' 'Charges should never have been brought': Chris Bush's statement 'On November 25, 2018, after considering the entire SFO case, the trial judge Sir John Royce, reached the 'firm conclusion' that there was no case against me, or against John Scouler. I am sorry to say that the SFO tried to appeal that decision. 'I am pleased that yesterday the Court of Appeal concluded that the trial judge was right to decide that there was no case to answer and refused the SFO permission to appeal. Therefore yesterday, after a four-year ordeal, I was acquitted of all charges against me. While I am delighted that my innocence has finally been established, it is troubling that Mr Scouler and I were ever charged. 'Put simply, these charges should never have been brought, and serious questions should be asked about the way in which the SFO has conducted this investigation. In my view, the SFO wholly failed to investigate this case thoroughly, independently or fairly from the outset. 'I want to thank certain people for their unwavering help and support: my amazing family and friends, my brilliant legal team at Hickman and Rose, and also the many people still working in Tesco, from the very top of the organisation down, for their countless messages of support. I am now looking forward to getting home and spending Christmas with my family.' Advertisement 'A very significant defeat for the SFO' says John Scouler's solicitor Richard Sallybanks, partner at BCL Solicitors, representing Scouler 'We are delighted that Mr Scouler leaves court today knowing that the judge, having heard the entirety of the prosecution evidence, reached the firm conclusion that he had no case to answer. 'That decision was obviously correct yet the SFO chose to pursue an appeal which was rejected yesterday when the Court of Appeal refused even to grant leave. 'We have long argued that the SFO's prosecution of Mr Scouler was fundamentally flawed, that he should not have been charged and that the SFO should not have proceeded with this trial. 'Mr Scouler has maintained since the outset of this investigation that he was not guilty of fraud and false accounting, and those close to him always knew that to be the case. 'We are simply pleased that, after four years, this has now been confirmed by the Court of Appeal upholding the judge's decision that he should be acquitted of all charges. 'This is a very significant defeat for the SFO - and a notable win for BCL Solicitors and the two ex Tesco directors.' Advertisement Embarrassment for Serious Fraud Office as it comes under the spotlight for handling of Tesco bosses case The Serious Fraud Office faced embarrassment today after spending an estimated 10million on its investigation into Tesco and legal fees over two trials. The SFO charged three former executives - Carl Rogberg, Chris Bush and John Scouler - with fraud after the accounting black hole was discovered. But trial judge Sir John Royce said the prosecution case was 'so weak' in some areas that it should not have gone to the jury's consideration. The Serious Fraud Office, based in London, charged three former Tesco executives with fraud The judge said the 'real weakness' was the question of proving knowledge and he brought the trial to a halt after the prosecution presented its case. However, the SFO went to the Court of Appeal regarding the dismissal, but its appeal itself was dismissed with Bush and Scouler acquitted of wrongdoing. After the jury learned of the news today, Bush insisted 'serious questions should be asked about the way in which the SFO has conducted this investigation'. Richard Sallybanks, partner at BCL Solicitors, representing Scouler, said he had 'long argued that the SFO's prosecution of Mr Scouler was fundamentally flawed'. It comes after the SFO lost an appeal in October to pursue Barclays over a 12billion bailout from Qatar during the financial crisis in 2008, after a five-year probe. Sarah Wallace, London head of regulatory and criminal investigations at law firm Irwin Mitchell, said there will be questions over whether the SFO, as both an investigator and a prosecutor, 'have sufficient financial and human resources to investigate highly complex cases to the level required'. She added: 'By agreeing a DPA (deferred prosecution agreement), a company can draw a line under historical events more quickly, and manage their litigation risk, reputation risk and share price. 'This stance can be an effective commercial outcome when there is a huge financial, reputational and human resourcing cost in defending a criminal prosecution where acquittal is not guaranteed. 'However, if more cases against high-profile corporates and CEOs collapse, the SFO will have to rethink their strategy as the big boys and their lawyers may be emboldened and deterred from conceding criminal liability if the prospect of actual criminal conviction is uncertain.' An SFO spokesman told MailOnline: 'The charges in this case met the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors and were properly brought. 'This test was reviewed in advance of the second trial and we were content that there was sufficient evidence to proceed, and that the public interest was met in doing so.' In 2014, the SFO averted a 300million damages claim over its botched investigation into the Tchenguiz brothers, securing a second out-of-court settlement and closing an embarrassing chapter in its history. Property barons Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz, renowned for their champagne-fuelled parties and super yachts, sued the agency over dawn raids on their homes and offices and their high-profile arrests in March 2011 in a case linked to the 2008 collapse of Iceland's Kaupthing bank. But the SFO's handling of the case was labelled as 'incompetent' by a senior judge and the agency offered its 'deep regrets' for its errors. Diane De Marzo, 57, (pictured outside court) says she lent 150,000 to Sonny Ball, 33, to help him find a home for him and his girlfriend after his father died A wealthy property investor's widow who claims she was thrown out of her home 'like a dog' by her stepson has taken him to court. Diane De Marzo, 57, says she lent 150,000 to Sonny Ball, 33, to help him find a home for him and his girlfriend and now wife, Leahann, 33, after his father died. Mrs De Marzo claims the plan was she would share the property with them - but she says Sonny then threw her out of the house in Abbey Wood, Kent. Demanding they sell the house and give her the money back, she now claims she was 'scammed' by Sonny, who she had always considered her 'boy'. 'He said I was like his 'mum' and he threw me out like a dog,' Mrs De Marzo told Central London County Court. 'In my eyes, he was 'my boy'. His dad always believed he would do right by his family.' But Sonny and his now wife say nothing could be further from the truth, that the money was a gift and represented his inheritance from his dad, Michael Ball. Mrs De Marzo has no right to any part of the three-bed 450,000 property as it is theirs alone, said the couple's barrister Lina Mattsson. She had been allowed to stay with them when she was in need, but was 'obsessed' with his father Michael Ball's death to the point she was asked to leave. But Sonny and his now wife Leahann (both pictured outside court) say that the money was a gift and represented his inheritance from his dad, Michael Ball 'They were finding it more and more difficult to live with Mrs De Marzo,' said the barrister. 'She was obsessed with how Michael Ball had died, claiming it was murder or suicide. She talked about the circumstances of his death all the time. 'Sonny was finding it very difficult to cope with the tension at home. He tried to avoid her, staying away. 'The situation was becoming unbearable and, on 23 May 2015, they asked Mrs De Marzo to leave the property.' Ms Mattsson said that it was only after that row that Mrs De Marzo started claiming Sonny had 'stolen her money' and that she had a claim to the house. 'She turned Sonny's younger sisters against him, telling them that he had stolen their money,' she continued The house which is at the centre of a dispute between the Balls and Mrs De Marzo 'She emailed Sonny and Leahann, attaching an accident report with horrible photographs of Sonny's dead father.' But in her evidence, Mrs De Marzo - who has known Sonny since he was five years old - insisted that the money was not a gift. Had she given 150,000 to Sonny, it would have meant less ultimately going to her husband's four other children, three of whom he had with her. 'I need to look after all the children,' she told Judge Simon Monty QC. 'Sonny can't just have 150,000 all to himself.' She said when the property was bought, she had insisted that Sonny and Leahann draw up wills to ensure the 150,000 went back to her if they died first. Her barrister, Piers Hill, said the arrangement had always been that Mrs De Marzo would live in the property with the couple. She paid the broadband bill for a year and funded an extension to the driveway so her car could fit, he said. But Leahann Ball insisted that the 150,000 was Sonny's inheritance and that her step-mother-in-law has no right to the house. 'If she had wanted the property to be jointly owned, then that's what it would have been,' she said. 'We would have gone to buy a house three ways. 'She wanted to see Sonny settled, it was what his dad wanted. By giving him the 150,000, she didn't have to worry about him anymore.' The court heard Mrs De Marzo and Michael Ball moved to Spain in 2006, where Mr Ball owned a string of properties. Sonny initially went with them but returned to England in 2007 and now lives with Leahann in the disputed property in Abbey Wood. His father, who died in a road accident in 2013, owned a large family villa, a rental house and two beachside apartments in southern Spain, plus a flat in Kent. Judge Monty will rule on the case at a later date. An armed robber has been shot dead by cops in Brazil after allegedly stealing from a jewellery store and taking an elderly woman hostage. The dramatic scenes, caught on several eyewitness videos which have been handed into police as evidence, unfolded on Wednesday morning in Valencia city centre, south east Brazil. Images show the tense moment the bandit is surrounded by officers who train their guns on him as he points his weapon at the pensioner's head and drags her with him down a road. The jewellery store robber took bystander Tereza de Jesus Sacramento, 83, hostage as police closed in on him The suspect, who has not been identified, was armed with a loaded .38 calibre revolver, and had reportedly just looted the Barra Joias shop. With his backpack allegedly full of the goods he tried to flee towards a marketplace in a bid to escape. The store owner's screams for help alerted a passing police car and officers reacted quickly, jumping out of their vehicle and pursuing, then surrounding the would be robber as he ran down the main road. Apparently, when he realised he was cornered the thug grabbed hold of 83-year-old Tereza de Jesus Sacramento, who happened to be walking past. He proceeded to use her as a human shield. The revolver-armed gunman tries to drag the elderly woman hostage out into the road behind a park VW Kombi van as police officers train their handguns on him A second officer approaches from the other side of the van as the woman falls in the street, exposing the robber for the fatal shot Horrified onlookers shouted 'let her go', 'think of what you're doing' as the assailant began to edge his way long the pavement still gripping the elderly woman. When he failed to respond to the appeals to surrender others urged officers to 'shoot him'. By this time, the abductor had moved his arm from around the victim's waist, to holding the petrified woman in a brutal neck lock. Footage shows the armed robber, who appears uncertain as to where to go, keeping an eye on the armed officers who are stalking his every move, as he furtively looks for an escape route. Cops said they ordered the kidnapper to let the woman go and to hand himself in along with his weapon, but he reportedly refused to give himself up or release his hostage. The situation was critical, detectives said, because the cornered gangster started to manhandle the frail woman and with the loaded weapon at her head anything could have triggered her fatality. She appears to succumb to his rough treatment and callous demands but is obviously distressed. Suddenly the suspect stops with his victim by a white Volkswagen Kombi and changes direction, walking into the road behind the vehicle. The reason for his decision soon becomes clear. The criminal lies in the street after he was fatally shot by officers to save the elderly woman hostage Loot: The robber grabbed jewellery worth around 8,000 from the shop in a bag, but police were waiting outside when he tried to get away He has spotted another armed officer who is approaching him from the other side but who is hidden from observers because he has been behind the parked cars. As the kidnapper steps off the pavement, the victim stumbles and falls to the ground. Her unexpected collapse gives a split second window of opportunity to the closest officer who suddenly appears around the front of the Kombi having outflanked the alleged hostage taker. The thug bends down to apparently pull the fallen woman up to a standing position, but he is now exposed and a clear target for the armed cops. Although it isn't shown in the video, detectives reported the gunman fired first at officers who shot back in self-defence. The sound of a hail of bullets rings out and subsequent images show the assailant lying on the ground. Tereza de Jesus Sacramento, 83, with police officers after her rescue from the jewellery store robber who took her hostage He died on the spot from his bullet wounds and to cheers, whistles and applause from enraged eye witnesses who supported police taking lethal action to end the crisis. Police chief colonel Antonio Matos of the South Fluminense Police Battalion said to local media: 'Guidance was given to the suspect to release the hostage, give up the weapon and surrender. However he refused to obey and ended up being killed. 'The most important outcome was that (Mrs Sacramento) was saved.' Investigators reported the assailant announced his assault as soon as he entered the shop. While he was loading jewellery into his backpack, the owner ran out of the store and was in the process of calling police when a squad car drove past. The retrieved bag allegedly contained over 40,000 reais (approx. 8,000 / $10,300) worth of the valuable stock. Mrs Sacramento escaped unharmed but received medical attention at the Escola hospital to ensure she was not suffering from shock or at risk of a stroke or heart attack. She is said to be still undergoing medical tests. Colonel Matos praised his officers calling them 'courageous and heroic'. 'They are to be commended because they were willing to risk their lives,' he said. Police reported that the victim will be given support to overcome the psychological trauma and will be called to testify in court at a later date. A terrifying 15-inch zombie knife was seized by police during a stop-and-search in west London. Hillingdon Police posted an image of the weapon on their social media and hailed the success of the seizure, which was made as part of an operation in Ealing Broadway. The force emphasized the effectiveness of their tactics, as they claimed more searches would lead to a reduction of crime and less injured people being rushed to hospital for care. Hillingdon Police posted a photograph of the shocking seizure which they made in Ealing, west London The force used their social media post to talk-up the benefits of stop and search, where they claimed they helped prevent victims and ease the burden on the NHS They tweeted: '#OpWolverine in Ealing Broadway tonight & look what we got.Why would you need to carry a 12 inch bladed Zombie knife? 'Drugs+knives+stop&search=The Cells. Taking this off the streets means less victims, less grief stricken families & less stress on a busy NHS. Stop & Search works!' The blade, longer than a 12 inch ruler, was seized alongside a black sheaf for the weapon and what appeared to be four bags of marijuana. Zombie knives have become one of the weapons of choice for criminals in the capital. The majority of murder investigations in 2018 68 out of 119 have been stabbings. Thirty of these were of boys and young men aged 15-24, mostly black, mostly in the poorer neighbourhoods. The 15-inch blade had a serrated edge at the bottom and holes in the middle of the blade Police have issued a warning to those pursuing knife crimes. They said Crime Scene Investigation specialists are equipped to obtain DNA and fingerprints despite perpetrators best efforts to cover them up. A zombie knife refers to a knife with a serrated edge. It often includes symbols and words that suggest it is used for violent purposes. The knife seizure comes just days after a Daily Mail investigation found the number of murders and knife crimes has soared in the UK. This Summer alone, there were 100 reported killings in Englands capital. New statistics, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed the number of homicides nationwide is up from 630 to 719, with overall recorded crime up by almost 10%. The breakdown revealed a hike in the number of recorded robberies (up 22%), sexual offences (up 18%), vehicle-related theft (up 7%) and burglaries (2%). The statistics of murders in London's capital found 55 happened in public places and 22 were gang-related violence. Knife crimes were up to a staggering 39,332 in the last year - a record high since 2011. An amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 will ban the sale, manufacture, rental or importation of knives often referred to as zombie knives, zombie killer knives and zombie slayer knives. The knives can have cutting blades of up to 25 inches, have a serrated edge and include images or words that glamorise violence. Zombie knives have become increasingly common on the streets of the capital Combat knife discovered during stop and search in Orpington last month Machete discovered on a youth in Greenwich after his friend taunted police for taking a short food break, right. Pictured: Machete seized by Greenwich Gangs Unit from a car in Woolwich dockyard area, left Pictured: Knives uncovered in a stop and search of a car in West Hendon, in the London Borough of Barnet A Zombie knife picked up in Dagenham by the Metropolitan Police Simon Winstone, pictured arriving at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates Court, was jailed for life for murdering Michelle Denise Rosser A killer who claimed his girlfriend's injuries were caused by the pair having sex on the carpet before she was murdered has been jailed for life. Michelle Denise Rosser, 38, was found dead from multiple injuries in the bedroom of her home. Her boyfriend Simon Winstone, 50, denied murder - and told police that cuts to her face were 'friction burns' from having sex on a carpet the night before. Miss Rosser - known as Denise - was found dead in her home having sustained 'multiple catastrophic injuries' to her head and torso. She also sustained injuries to her head, chest and stomach leading to a ruptured kidney and 28 rib fractures. Winstone claimed she either fell down the stairs or was beaten to death by someone else - despite admitting he was asleep in the same room. The jury heard Winstone told police: 'Last time I saw her, she was alive and awake.' But Winstone was convicted on Tuesday, 4th December, 2018, and today was sentenced to life with a minimum of 18 years before he can be considered for parole. It came after evidence from a pathologist showed that Miss Rosser's injuries were consistent with being beaten. DCI Stuart Wales, who led the investigation, said: 'Simon Winstone was convicted on Tuesday for the murder of Michelle Denise Rosser. Miss Rosser (pictured), 38, lost the sight of her right eye in a hammer attack three years before she met Winstone 'Today at Merthyr Crown Court he was sentenced to life in prison and will serve a minimum of 18 years before being considered for parole. 'As was heard in court, Denise suffered unimaginable cruelty at the hands of Winstone, who would assault her behind closed doors and even in public. 'The horrific injuries inflicted upon Denise are among the worst that I and my colleagues have encountered. 'Since his arrest, Winstone has shown no remorse and continues to have a complete disregard for Denise's family whose lives have been devastated by their loved one's murder. 'The bravery and the dignity that her family have displayed throughout this difficult process has been truly humbling and I hope today's outcome will enable them to somehow re-build their lives. 'I would like to thank everybody who played their part in this prosecution, particularly those members of the Bedlinog community who attended court to give evidence they have helped to get justice for Denise and her family by ensuring that Simon Winstone pays for his abhorrent actions with his freedom. 'Denise was murdered in cold blood in her own home and the suffering that she endured fills everybody touched by her tragic death with great sadness. 'South Wales Police encourage people who suffer or suspect domestic violence to come forward. They should never be afraid as support can be provided to change their lives for the better.' Misss Rosser, pictured in her younger years, was found dead at the couple's home in the village of Bedlinog, near Merthyr Tydfil Michael Jones, prosecuting, previously told the court: 'When asked to explain Miss Rosser's facial injuries, Winstone said: 'They were friction burns from the carpet when we were having sex last night.' Mr Jones said the pair had endured a 'turbulent' and 'volatile' relationship. He said: 'Miss Rosser often has black eyes and swollen lips and she always made up excuses - such as falling down the stairs or tripping over the dog.' Merthyr Crown Court heard that neighbours had overheard arguing coming from their house in Bedlinog, near Merthyr Tydfil the day before Miss Rosser's death. Mr Jones said: 'A neighbour saw Miss Rosser and Winstone at the front door arguing and swearing at each other.' Winstone is then said to have slammed the door on his partner, locking her out of her own home. When she returned later in the day, the pair allegedly had another bust up. The court previosuly heard Winstone pushed her so hard that she fell into a bin outside the house before shutting the door again. Neighbours later heard Miss Rosser 'screaming and yelling' in the house. 'At 10 o'clock, the neighbour noticed she couldn't hear anything coming from the house,' said Mr Jones. 'Usually when they argued, they would go all night.' Another neighbour was woken early in the morning the next day by Winstone shouting 'she's gone, she's gone'. When police arrived at the scene he denied murdering Miss Rosser saying: 'I woke up and she was at the bottom of the stairs. I did try and shake her but there was no response. She was blue in the face.' At a later police interview Winstone continued to deny the murder. He claimed that someone else came in and beat Miss Rosser to death as he slept on a sofa in the same room in May last year. Winstone added: 'The front door had not been locked and the lock has been removed.' Miss Rosser had previously survived a brutal hammer attack by three men that had left her blind in her right eye nine years before her murder. Winstone, of Merthyr Tydfil, denied murder but was found guilty at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court after a two-week trial. After the case, Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman Kelly Huggins said: 'Denise Rosser was attacked in her own home, suffering at the hands of the person she lived with. 'Simon Winstone denied he was responsible, but the CPS presented a strong case which included expert medical evidence resulting in his conviction. 'Denise's family and friends have faced this court case with courage and have our thanks for their support. 'Whilst today's outcome cannot take away the hurt and loss felt by them, we hope that it helps them move forward with their lives.' An innocent school tweet accidentally entertained the internet when organisers of a clairvoyant night were forced to cancel. The post by Irvine Royal Academy in Scotland sparked a hilarious response when the community was told the psychic event was called off due to 'unforeseen circumstances'. The Ayrshire school's tweet became a massive hit on social media, being retweeted hundreds of times and attracting more than 2,500 likes, with one user posting: 'Should have seen that coming'. The school - whose motto is 'We Believe in Better' - had scheduled the evening as a fundraiser for a prom night but abandoned it at short notice. A school insider confirmed the local tarot reader Eppie Graham reader had pulled out of the event which was organised by students, forcing them to postpone. The Tweet was liked more than 2,800 times after the internet saw the funny side of the message The event at Irvine Royal Academy had been organised to raise funds for the school's prom The school provoked hilarious responses with the original message - and was pleased people saw the funny side Another insider said: 'The message was put out in a lighthearted way to get across the message that the event was off. 'It was a joke but people are a bit taken aback at the massive response it has received.' Dozens of Twitter users sent replies to the school's message. Gregg McSwiggan wrote: 'Surely those circumstances could have been predicted?' Jonny Lawrie said: 'Saw that one coming.' Andrea Lord added: 'If she/he was a true clairvoyant surely they would have known what was going to arise.' Jane Coomber added: 'Hahaha crystal ball ran out of batteries?' Ms Graham has a five star rating on her Facebook page and frequently appears at events in the area. A spokesman for North Ayrshire Council said: 'We are glad the announcement gave everyone a chuckle.' This is the startling moment a huge bull runs into a crowd and flings a man high into the air before trampling over him during a traditional festival in Spain which left 18 people injured. The startling scene was recorded by an onlooker at the Bou en Corda (Bull on Rope) festival in the town of Ontinyent, in the eastern Spanish region of Valencia, which takes place every year to celebrate the Immaculate Virgin. In the video, the bull, which is tied to a rope being held by a group of revellers, breaks free and charges at a group of onlookers who sprint away. The huge bull catches up with the group and flings one man high into the air with its horns. The bull runs into a crowd and flings a man high into the air before the man landed on the bull's back during a traditional festival in Spain which left 18 injured The revellers try to climb to safety in an effort to avoid being gored by the bull who has already attacked one man, who he has pinned to the ground The man lands on the bull's back before crashing to the ground when the animal turns around and tries to gore the victim with its horns before running over him. The bull sprints towards another group of people as those holding the rope try to reign it in. Local media report the victim's condition is not known but he is not thought to have been seriously injured. During the same event a woman, whose name was not reported, was reportedly left in a serious condition after a bull gored her into a wall. The huge bull catches up with the group after it broke loose from the rope and started running wild in the street, flinging one man high into the air with its horns In the video, the bull, which is tied to a rope being held by a group of revellers, breaks free and charges at a group of onlookers who try to sprint to safety She reportedly smacked her face into the wall and was rushed to the Ontiyent hospital before being transferred to the La Fe hospital in the city of Valencia. The woman is reportedly in a serious condition with injuries to her face, jaw and cheeks. Reports suggest a total of 18 people were injured in the three-day festival, with one male reveller being taken to hospital with broken ribs. In the festival a bull is tied to a rope and left in the middle of the road surrounded by people. A top ten list voted for by the public has revealed what are 'the worst places to live in England'. The tongue and cheek list put together by community website ILiveHere reveals the 'least salubrious dump in this septic isle'. 'Chavvy' Huddersfield topped the list, narrowly beating competition from 'violent' Rotherham and 'self-pity city' Liverpool. Huddersfield (above) topped the list. One local said: one said: 'There's nothing but pound shops and a few coffee shops' Rotherham (left) came second after one respondent commented: 'I stopped going into the town centre. There was no point. I like a pint without violence'. 'Self-pitying' Liverpool (right) came third Rochdale (left) came fourth and was called 'an almost permanent fixture in our top 10' by the website. One voter said the best thing about fifth place Blackpool (right) is 'the M55 out' while another said eighth place Accrington was simply labelled a 'dump' One voter said the best thing about fifth place Blackpool is 'the M55 out' while another labelled eighth place Accrington as a 'dump'. Dover, which took the top spot spot last year in the community poll, dropped to number ten despite the claim 'nobody wants to live here' and that it is a 'dump'. Second and third when to Rotherham and Liverpool respectively, with Bristol, in joint ninth, the only other southern town after the home of the White Cliffs. In a statement, the community website, which pokes fun and places around the UK, said: 'let's get down to business of offending local councillors, dignitaries and meddlesome ratbags plus ruining the trade of slime ball lying estate agents. 'It makes our day when they react to the new Top 10, desperately trying to polish a t*** of a town.' Castleford (left) ranked sixth. One commenter on the website said a trip to 'Cas Vegas' is 'a real eye-opener'. Meanwhile Hull (right), seventh, is a former three-time winner of the Worst Place To Live award Accrington (left) secured the number eight spot as one critic advised simply 'Do not visit this dump'. Bristol (right) came joint ninth after a commenter said it was where 'West Country chavs spew out their own unique interpretation of the English language' Dover, which took the top spot spot last year in the tongue-in-cheek community poll, dropped to number ten despite the claim 'nobody wants to live here' and that it is a 'dump' Voters were asked to include their own opinions of the towns. Top 10 worst towns 1 Huddersfield 2 Rotherham 3 Liverpool 4 Rochdale 5 Blackpool 6 Castleford 7 Hull 8 Accrington 9 Bristol/Blackburn 10 Dover Advertisement Writing about Huddersfield, which had 50 per cent more votes than second place Rotherham, one said: 'There's nothing but pound shops and a few coffee shops. 'It's polluted, unclean and full of idiots. It's a horrible place to live.' Another added: 'Huddersfield - it's a rough, boring, chavvy, c*** hole.' Bristol, thought of by many as a hipster haven, made its first appearance in the list. A voter said: 'Beneath the veneer of textbook overdone hipster pretentiousness is the same Bristol of old, where the West Country chavs spew out their own unique interpretation of the English language.' Rochdale was fourth and described by the website as 'almost permanent fixture in a our Top 10 for a very good reason'. One person said: 'Welcome to the cesspit of the universe, where evolution took a break and spat out this breed of useless slack-jawed yokels with less IQ than a glass of water.' Writing about Liverpool, one person said: 'Don't get me started on their self pitying.' Dover, the only town in the south east on the list, was described as 'one of the biggest dumps' in the region. The website said: 'Dropping from last year's No.1 and cherry on top of the s**t town cup cake, is Dover. 'If you have never been there, the name of the town probably conjures up images of the iconic white cliffs. 'The reality is, Dover is one of the biggest dumps in the South East.' Advertisement These poignant images of children's bedrooms in London lay bare the living conditions of the capital's poorest youngsters. They are part of a new photographic exhibition, Bedrooms of London, at the Foundling Museum in Brunswick Square. The display captures the shocking reality of home life for 700,000 children living below the poverty line. The photographs - captured by Katie Wilson and supported by The Childhood Trust - are accompanied by touching tales of how families cope with such conditions. One picture shows a baby's cot crammed into a tiny bedsit, next to a kitchenette and a cramped sofa bed. Another shows bags of clothes and belongings piled up in a heap in the corner of the room with curtains hanging by a thread. Others reveal how some children are having to share with three and four siblings in tiny rooms. Other children, like baby Jane and her mother Amelie who live in a bedsit at a hostel, struggle to sleep due to parties every night where drug abuse is rife. The exhibition can be seen between February 8 and May 5 next year. Newborn Jane lives in this tiny bedsit at a hostel with her mother, Amelie. There's nowhere safe to cook and they struggle to sleep each night due to nightly parties, late-night rows and chronic substance abuse from their neighbours. Amelie sleeps on a small sofa bed while Jane rests in a cot that barely fits in the room Antousha, five, Gabriela, four, and Moses, one, share this two-bedroom flat with their parents, Beatrice and George. The family receive benefits but neither George nor Beatrice, a trained nurse, can work. They are in debt from court fees and depend on charity support. With no wardrobes or cupboards, piles of clothes and belongings are piled in a heap in the middle of the room Nadine, 17, Crystal, 16, Peter, 15 and Simone, nine, live with their parents in a two-bedroom flat. The children have no privacy as they share two bunk-beds in one room. They spend their leisure time here, between studying and helping their mother to tidy the flat Rory, six, and his sister, Vanessa, two, live in temporary accommodation. Their mother, Zainab, washes their clothes in the shower and stores food on the bathroom shelves. They're all crammed into this tiny room Edward, four, and mother Genevieve live in this strikingly bare one-room hostel, where they have been for nearly a year. They eat, sleep, play and watch TV in their tiny room Nine-month-old Adam sleeps with mother, Emily, and father Martin in this tiny living room. With sister, Patricia, 10, brothers, Bradley, six, and Harry, three, the family of six also eat here as there is nowhere to sit A 15-year-old Dutch girl has be forced into hiding after her invitation to her birthday party went viral and more than 28,000 people said they would like to attend. The teenager had invited her friends to celebrate her big day at her family home in the small village of Katwijk in Cuijk, southeast Netherlands, but within hours the invite was posted on Facebook. The avalanche of RSVPs prompted the town's mayor to issue a statement that 'there would be no party in Katjwik' and warn that police would stop anyone coming to the village 'with the wrong intentions'. Going viral: The teenager had invited a few friends to her birthday party, which was then posted on Facebook and went viral with thousands pledging to attend (stock image) The 15-year-old has now been forced to temporarily leave Katwijk, a small village with just a few hundred residents, after fears her party invite might attract thousands and spark a riot. The teenager's family say her party invitation posted on Snapchat on Tuesday had been 'hijacked' by strangers. An unknown person set up an open Facebook event for a party at the girl's address this Friday, named Project X Katwijk after the American comedy film about a houseparty that gets out of hand. By the time the Facebook event was shut down, it had 8,000 attendees and 20,000 'interested' before it was shut down, Gerlander.nl reports The viral party invitation prompted the mayor in Cuijk, southeast Netherlands, to issue a warning that police would stop anyone coming to the village 'with the wrong intentions' The viral party invitation prompted the teenager to go into hiding, her uncle told a Dutch radio station. Mayor Wim Hillenaar said in a statement: 'Our line is: there is no party in Katwijk and there will be no party in Katwijk. 'I speak on behalf of the community of Cuijk - and in particular the troubled residents of the parish of Katwijk - when I say that our commitment is and remains to ensure that people from outside Cuijk, who come on Friday with wrong intentions, are stopped. ' A woman drew her ex-husband outside his Utah apartment with a message about dropping off cold medicine for their three-year-old twins before she allegedly sneaked inside and shot dead his girlfriend in front of the children. Chelsea Watrous Cook, 32, has been charged with murdering her ex-husband's 26-year-old girlfriend Lisa Vilate Williams in the Salt Lake City apartment on November 25. Cook, a high school heath teacher, allegedly refused to leave the apartment when her ex-husband, Travis Cook, returned from the parking lot. She locked herself in the bathroom as he called 911, according to authorities. Less than a minute later, she walked out and grabbed a gun from her coat and fired the fatal shots. The victim had been decorating a Christmas tree with the three-year-old girls when she was killed. Her ex-husband told the children to run into their rooms and lock the doors, while he pinned his ex-wife to the wall and waited for police to arrive. Lisa Vilate Williams, 26, was shot dead inside a Salt Lake City apartment on Sunday night in front of her boyfriend Travis Cook and his three-year-old twin daughters Cook has been charged with aggravated murder, burglary and violence in the presence of a child. Williams' family has said Cook harassed the victims for months online, on the phone and in person before the shooting. Chelsea Watrous Cook, 32, was arrested on November 25 in Salt Lake City for allegedly shooting dead her ex-husband's girlfriend 'I worried for her safety every day,' her mother, Tawny Williams, said. The victim's sister, Bekah Williams, said she loved children and was so eager to begin Christmas decorating with her boyfriend's twins that she left early from her own family's Thanksgiving celebration in Centennial Park, Arizona. 'I spoke to her an hour or so before it all happened, and she was so excited... to give those kids something happy,' Bekah said. During the six months Williams dated Travis Cook, a colleague at the bank where she was a teller, she had allegedly been targeted by his ex-wife. The harassment started in June and included confrontations at the bank, bullying on Instagram and phone calls made from the high school where Cook worked, according to her family. Bekah Williams said she reported the behavior and use of school phones to the principal at Skyridge High School in Lehi back in August, but nothing was done. Court records show the couple's divorce was finalized in January. Police said Cook came to her ex-husband's Salt Lake City apartment on November 25 to give one of their three-year-old twins cold medicine but refused to leave Her ex-husband Travis told police that Cook sat in a recliner chair near their daughters and watched as he tried to help his injured girlfriend A police report indicates Williams had come up during a previous fight between the former couple the month before she was killed. The report detailed misdemeanor domestic-violence charges filed against Cook. It said the couple had a history of difficult custody exchanges, and on October 16 Cook yelled 'disparaging comments' about Williams during an unrelated fight as her ex-husband tried to pick up the children. Police said that when he prompted one of the children to say they were excited about seeing her, Cook got angry and grabbed the man by the hair, sending him tumbling down the stairs. Williams was not present at the time. Cook pleaded not guilty in the case. School officials also were not aware that Chelsea Cook had been arrested October 16 on suspicion of domestic violence. Ben Rasmussen, director of law and professional practices with the Utah State School Board, said Cook didn't self-report her to superintendents as required. The state also flags arrested teachers though a fingerprint database, but it was a misdemeanor case and her prints weren't flagged for more than a month. The notification came through after her murder arrest. 'It took a lot longer than we would hope,' Rasmussen said. Williams had been dating Travis Cook for six months after meeting at a bank where they both worked. She had allegedly been targeted by his ex-wife prior to her death, her family say At school, meanwhile, Chelsea Cook was an engaging teacher whose class students looked forward to attending, according to KUTV. Details of the domestic violence arrest haven't been made public, but Bekah Williams said it didn't involve her sister. Lisa Williams was reluctant to report Chelsea Cook's behavior to police because she was worried that involving authorities could make the situation harder on the children, her sister said. 'In hindsight, I think the best thing for the kids would have been to call the police every time,' Bekah Williams said. She is at a loss to explain exactly what led to her sister's death given the last conversation between the two women had been encouraging. Chelsea Cook had thanked Williams for picking up the twins at day care. They hadn't had contact in the days before, since she was with her family for the Thanksgiving holiday. Lisa Williams had moved to American Fork, south of Salt Lake City, a few years ago to care for her sister, who was hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening lung ailment. She had stayed after the recovery, living with two of her sisters. A Colorado police officer who shot an armed Vietnam war veteran in his home after he had just killed an intruder who attacked his 11-year-old grandson will not face charges, the District Attorney said Monday. District attorney for Colorado's 17th Judicial District Dave Young said his office has cleared Aurora police Officer Drew Limbaugh of wrongdoing in the July death of Richard 'Gary' Black Jr. Black, 73. Police said that officers believed Black was the intruder and opened fire after he didn't follow a command to drop his gun. It later became apparent that Black had been protecting his wife and young grandson. Richard 'Gary' Black Jr. Black, 73, with his wife Jeanette. Black was shot by police on July 30 in what they say was case of mistaken identity after responding to a 911 call about an intruder at his home On the night of July 30, police responded to multiple 911 calls from Black's home reporting a naked intruder who was trying to drown his 11-year-old grandson, CNN reported. Police heard gunshots as they arrived and entered the property to find Black had just shot and killed the intruder, 26-year-old Dajon Harper. Officers found the young boy and his father in the bathroom next to Harper's dead body. Dajon Harper, 26 who was shot and killed by a decorated Vietnam veteran after he broke into the man's home early Monday, July 30 When Black did not respond to multiple requests to drop his weapon, he himself was shot by Officer Limbaugh in his living room and died from his injuries at University of Colorado Hospital. In a 26-page letter to Aurora Police Department, the DA wrote that there was no evidence that Officer Limbaugh 'engaged in reckless or criminally negligent conduct'. The prosecutor wrote that Limbaugh made a 'split-second decision based upon his assessment of the circumstances surrounding the scene.' The decision to clear the officer of wrongdoing was based on 911 dispatch audio, footage from police body-cameras and witness interviews. The video from Limbaugh's body camera was the 'most critical' piece of evidence Young wrote. The police department on Monday released two body-camera videos of the moments just before Black was killed. Aurora Police Department Chief Nick Metz said in a statement that Limbaugh is currently in a non-enforcement role, but an internal investigation will begin following the DA's letter. Police heard gunshots as they arrived and entered the property to find Black had just shot and killed the intruder, 26-year-old Dajon Harper Officers found the young boy and his father in the bathroom next to Harper's dead body. When Black did not respond to multiple requests to drop his weapon, he himself was shot by Officer Limbaugh 'This was a heartbreaking and tragic incident. Our thoughts and prayers remain with Mr. Black's family and those involved,' Metz added. Black's family said in a statement released by their attorneys that they are 'extremely disappointed' in the decision. 'Mr. Black was a Vietnam veteran who served two tours of duty, earning four separate Bronze Stars for his service, as well as a Purple Heart,' the statement by the Rathod Mohamedbhai law firm says. 'He was a dedicated family man, and his last moments were spent heroically defending his family against intruders in his home. As the District Attorney's report demonstrates, Mr. Black's death was an unnecessary tragedy.' The killing is the second fatal shooting of an armed civilian this summer for which Officer Limbaugh - who joined the department in 2015 - has been cleared. In June, he fired his weapon at a man who, according to Young's letter, pointed a handgun at him and attempted to fire. The weapon was not discharged due to a malfunction. Officer Limbaugh returned from administrative leave in the wake of the June incident just two weeks before he shot Black, CNN reported. The video from Limbaugh's body camera was the 'most critical' piece of evidence for clearing him, the District Attorney Dave Young wrote Young said that Limbaugh was given a psychological assessment, counseling and 'firearms qualification' during his leave. The July 30 incident started when a naked Dajon Harper knocked down the Blacks' door while Black, his wife Jeanette and his 11-year-old grandson were asleep. Harper, who had been at a party across the street, entered the home and dragged the boy into the bathroom in reported attempt to drown him. Jeanette Black called 911 saying the intruder was in the bathroom hurting her grandson, and that there was blood everywhere. The police department on Monday released two body-camera videos of the moments just before Black was killed '(Officers) were confronted by a very, very violent and complex situation, and within two minutes, if that, had to make some very, very critical decisions,' Metz said in August. Young's letter said: 'Officer Limbaugh stated he felt like he had to shoot the man, because it was not an option to "wait and see what happens." He could not recall whether the man pointed the gun at him.' The Black family said in their statement that the body camera footage shows Black wasn't a threat to officers and officers never identified themselves as law enforcement before shooting Black. 'The District Attorney's report selectively emphasizes certain facts in order to justify its conclusion,' the statement reads. A girl aged seven has died following a house fire after a 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson. The blaze tore through a Darlington home on Saturday afternoon, when the youngster was rushed to hospital. But the girl died yesterday and police are continuing to investigate the fire in County Durham. A girl has died aged just seven years old following the fire which tore through this house in County Durham The property in Darlington is pictured after this weekend's fire and police have investigated a 16-year-old on suspicion of arson A Durham Police spokesperson told The Sun: 'A 7-year-old girl has died in hospital following a house fire in Darlington. 'Fire crews, police and an air ambulance were called to Esk Road, at about 1.50pm on Saturday, November 1. A teenager has been arrested as police continue to investigate the fire at this house in Darlington, County Durham A young girl has died five days after fire ripped through this house in County Durham. Police have arrested a boy on suspicion of arson 'The child died in the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, yesterday. A post-mortem is due to be held in the coming days.' Durham Constabulary arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of arson and then released him under investigation. Detective Chief Inspector Traci McNally, said: 'A police investigation is underway. Our thoughts are with the little girl's family and friends following this tragic incident.' It should have been the happiest day of his life, but instead Frederick Connie had to make an impossible choice. His wife Keyvonne Connie had gone into early labor and began hemorrhaging inside their home in Littleton, Colorado. When they rushed to the hospital, doctors told Frederick he had to decide between saving his wife or daughter. Frederick chose what he thought his wife would want him to do. On the same day that he welcomed his baby girl into the world, he lost the love of his life. Colorado father Frederick Connie gained a baby daughter (pictured together) but lost his wife after he had to make a heartbreaking choice last week His wife Keyvonne Connie (pictured), who was seven months pregnant, had gone into early labor and had begun hemorrhaging inside their home in Littleton Keyvonne hadn't been due to give birth until the middle of January. But last Friday she went into early labor, and Frederick knew something was wrong immediately. 'I'm like, "Are you okay?" And I see blood everywhere,' he told KDVR. They rushed to the hospital, where Frederick was asked to make an impossible choice. 'It was either give her the surgery first that may save her life, but you're going to lose your daughter, or your daughter can be saved but there's a chance you might lose your wife,' he recalled. Frederick knew how his wife felt about children, and decided that she should have the emergency C-section to save their daughter. 'I'm glad I made that decision because in the end if Keyvonne probably could have survived, she would have hated me for the rest of my life,' he said. Doctors told Frederick (pictured) they could take his wife into surgery that may save her life, but would lose their child, or they could do an emergency C-section that would save the baby Doctors warned Frederick that the C-section could kill Keyvonne, but he knew she would want him to try and save their child first Keyvonne survived the C-section and was able to see pictures of her baby girl. Just a few minutes later, Frederick lost his wife. 'Literally all of her insides just went all over the bed and floor,' he said. 'They tried [to save her] and her heart couldn't take it. She died before they could even get her to surgery.' Now Frederick has been left to pick up the pieces for the little girl he named Angelique Keyvonne Connie, who he calls 'Pooder' for short. 'I gave her her mom's name,' he said. 'She's going to know her mom. I'll make sure of that.' Pooder is still expected to spend up to a couple of weeks in the hospital, where she is being fed with donated breast milk. The nurses have gifted her clothes and Frederick was even given a room in labor and delivery following the tragic loss of his wife. Now Frederick has been left to pick up the pieces for the little girl named Angelique Keyvonne Connie, who he calls 'Pooder' for short 'I gave her her mom's name,' he said. 'She's going to know her mom. I'll make sure of that' 'I'm the only man to ever have a room in the labor and delivery,' he said. 'The mothers there said it was okay.' Frederick is still learning how to change diapers, but said he plans to be a 'full-time father' to Pooder. 'I'm a foster child myself you know,' he said. 'I don't know my parents real well. For Pooder to have me is a big deal.' Frederick will only begin planning Keyvonne's funeral after his daughter comes home from the hospital. The new father is already struggling with debt and said he will sell all his possessions and sleep in his car if he has to for Pooder. 'I'm financially not okay,' he said. 'This debt is piling up and I have to bury my wife, my daughter coming into the world, it's so high right now.' Frederick is still learning how to change diapers, but plans to be a 'full-time father' to Pooder Pooder is still expected to spend anything from a few more days to a couple of weeks in the hospital, where she is being fed with donated breast milk Frederick's boss has since started a Facebook fundraiser to help him and Pooter that has already raised more than $13,000. Keyvonne's death came just weeks after it was revealed that American women are 50 percent more likely to die in childbirth then their own mothers were. That risk is three to four times higher if the woman is black instead of white, regardless of their income or education. The CDC also found that women in the US are more likely to die from childbirth or other pregnancy-related causes than women in other developed countries. More than 11,000 Texans lined up overnight outside a Houston church to pay their respects to George H.W. Bush ahead of a morning service. Thousands paid their respects to the late Bush as the 41st president lay in repose all night at the St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston where his family worshiped. Some visitors waited for hours Wednesday night to pay tribute to Bush, who will be buried Thursday following a funeral at St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Lines already started forming at the church on Wednesday afternoon before his casket had even arrived from Washington D.C. People lined up at the nearby Second Baptist Church as they went through security and waited for buses to take them to St. Martin's. About 1,200 mourners are expected at the service Thursday morning. Thousands paid their respects to George H.W. Bush as the 41st president lay in repose all night at the St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston where his family worshiped James Baker, Bush's former secretary of state and longtime confidant, will deliver a eulogy. Bush's grandson George P. Bush, who is the Texas land commissioner, will give the other eulogy. The Houston funeral is set to feature music from some of the former president's favorite country music stars. The Oak Ridge Boys will perform 'Amazing Grace' and Reba McEntire will sing 'The Lord's Prayer' at Thursday's services. Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys said Bush had personally requested that the group sing 'Amazing Grace' at his funeral after they first struck up a friendship when Bush was vice president. A special train will then take Bush's casket to the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, where he will be buried at his presidential library next to his wife, Barbara, and their young daughter Robin, who died in 1953. Lines already started forming at a Houston church (above) on Wednesday afternoon before his casket had even arrived from Washington D.C. Some visitors waited for hours on Wednesday night to pay tribute to the 41st president About 1,200 mourners are expected at the service Thursday morning The country said a bid a formal goodbye to Bush on Wednesday in a national funeral service in Washington. The service at Washington National Cathedral included high praise and a hefty dose of humor. As three former presidents and President Donald Trump looked on, former President George W. Bush eulogized his father as 'the brightest of a thousand points of light'. Bush's body was flown by Air Force One to Houston's Ellington Air Field on Wednesday evening following the service. Mourners gathered at the airport to pay their respects to Bush as a black hearse waited for the flag-draped casket on the tarmac. While Bush's casket was escorted from the aircraft to the hearse, several other family members trailed behind. A motorcade then drove 45 minutes to St. Martin's Episcopal Church. This is the heartwarming moment an elderly American tourist is re-united with 10,000 dollars - that he forgot on the backseat of an airport taxi. Jerry Hart, 47, caught the cab to the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, on Tuesday morning but left his small white neck bag on the passenger seat. He was due to catch a flight back to the U.S. but had to cancel when he realised the large sum money was missing - and spent the next few hours working with police to find it. Jerry Hart, 47, (center) lost the enormous amount of cash in the cab of Veeraphol Klamsiri, 57, (right) on Tuesday morning The money was discovered by the cab driver when he was cleaning out his vehicle and he later handed it in Meanwhile, shocked taxi driver Veeraphol Klamsiri, 57, was cleaning his car when he found the cash inside an envelope with '9,800 US Dollars' scrawled on it. Honest Veeraphol reported the find to his local office, who liaised with police for him to drive back to the airport and hand over the money to a very relieved Jerry. Jerry said: 'I'm very happy. I can't believe my luck. I didn't think I would see the money again. 'I've very grateful to the honesty of the taxi driver. I've been to Thailand on holiday a few times before and I've been thinking of moving here to retire. This has made up my mind for me. I'm definitely coming back here to live.' CCTV footage captured the heart-stopping moment the cab drove off from Bangkok airport with the $10,000 in the back Jerry Hart said he was mulling over whether to move to Thailand permanently but the honesty of the cab driver has persuaded him Cabbie Veeraphol said he had picked up one other passenger after Jerry but the small bag had also been undiscovered by that person. It was only when he returned home and was cleaning his car that he noticed the bag had fallen onto the ground and under the front seats. He said: 'I've never seen so much money in my life. I panicked, because I knew that the money belonged to the tourist I had taken to the airport earlier that day. I reported the find to the radio centre then drove back to the airport to meet the police.' Airport boss Kittipong Kittikachorn praised the honest cabbie and his staff for helping Jerry who was in distress at the airport. He said: 'When taxis enter the airport they must return all property of the customer. Tourists can feel safe that their belongings will always be taken care of even if they lose them or forget them.' The military air crew who were investigated after they used a 70-year-old propeller plane to scrawl the outline of a penis using their flight paths will be allowed to keep flying. 'Two Marine Corps aviators were administratively disciplined following the completion of an investigation into the facts and circumstances surrounding an October 23 irregular flight pattern that resulted in an obscene image,' Maj. Josef Patterson, a spokesman with the Marines, told the Marine Corps Times. While specific details of the nature of their punishment is not made available due to the administrative nature of the discipline, it is clear they were at least temporarily relegated to ground support roles. Patterson added that the unnamed aviators would retain their wings and continue to serve. The Marine Corps crew flew over the Salton Sea in Southern California marking out a phallic shaped pattern with their GPS positions. The aviators will be able to keep their wings and continue to serve after being temporarily relegated to ground support roles An investigation was launched after the craft from the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 was spotted marking out the obscene course The October incident involving the aviators, who remain unidentified, was discovered after a flight enthusiast noticed the phallic pattern on the flight tracking software. The Marine Corps T-34C crew flew over a remote area of Southern California marking out a phallic shaped pattern with their GPS positions. This, a year the Navy was forced to apologize for a similar incident when a fighter pilot used his contrails to draw a penis in the sky over Washington. One was visible for miles around and the crew were punished in the wake of outrage. Due to the type of aircraft and prevailing atmospheric conditions, experts say it is extremely unlikely the phallic flight path would have been visible from the ground - because the propeller-driven T-34C would not have left white air trails. Condensed air trails can be created by propellers and engine of craft, but it is thought the plane would have been travelling at too low a height to leave a noticeable trail visible from the ground. The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing was spotted by military air movement trackers using the T-34C aircraft to outline the naughty images over the Salton Sea in Southern California. Aircraft Spots, where users can view live flight paths and which says on its Twitter bio monitors military air movements, picked up the risque flight paths. Users saw the craft from the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101 move in two phallic-shaped patterns around the salt lake near Salton City yesterday. The @AircraftSpots account Tweeted, alongside screenshots of the flight tracker: 'Somebody needs to have a word with the crew of US Navy T-34C 160937 SHUTR91 out of MCAS Miramar.' A second tweet clarified that the pranksters were actually from the Marine Corp. Alongside a another screenshot was written: '160937 belongs to the US Marine Corps VMFAT-101 at MCAS Miramar.' The T-34C aircraft was confirmed as a US Marine Corps plane by a spokesman who spoke with military publication Task and Purpose. Patterson released a statement at the time of the October incident that read: 'A T-34C aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 101, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, flew an irregular flight pattern over the Salton Sea that resembled a phallic image.' The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing was spotted by military air movement trackers using the T-34C propeller aircraft to outline a penis Military movement trackers Aircraft Spots caught the marine crew on their rude trajectory by a Twitter account for flight enthusiasts The craft which drew the phallic outline over California was a T-34C (below) and an investigation was launched 'An investigation to uncover the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing. 'The aircrew's chain of command are committed to maintaining an environment of professionalism, dignity and respect. 'The Marines and Sailors of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing will perform at the highest levels expected of professional war fighters, and uphold our core values of honor, courage and commitment.' The Beechcraft T-34C is an American propeller-driven, single-engine, military trainer aircraft, dating from the 1940s and 50s. Last year a similar incident involving a navy pilot saw a penis drawn in the sky above Okanogan in Washington In November last year the navy was forced to apologize for a similar incident, when a pilot from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island used a plane to do 'penis drawings' in air trails which appeared in the sky above Okanogan, Washington. The pilots were reprimanded and a letter issued to the state's young people read: 'The US Navy owes you, your parents, and your students an apology for the unacceptable obscene contrails that were created by one of my aircraft on Nov. 16. 'I impressed upon them that this immature act was counter to our culture which values treating everyone with dignity and respect.' This is the adorable moment a cat is wrapped up like a present for Christmas and even has a bow put on his head for the second year running. Scooter the British Shorthair cat happily sits on the wrapping paper and looks towards his owner, Anne Holden, as she starts to cut the wrap to size. After a few strokes and chin rubs, Scooter is ready to get settled and lay down for his big moment under the tree at his home on the Gold Coast, eastern Australia. Scooter the cat sits on the wrapping paper under his tree at home on the Gold Coast, Australia Anne moves him into the middle of the paper and gently pulls the sides up, covering the plush three-year-old cat. Scooter's confused face is left peeping out of the front of the wrapping paper as Anne sticks the sides together and says: 'not too tight on the best present ever.' She then tucks his tail in and tapes up the bottom of the cat parcel. She says 'you've got to use high quality paper' before moving onto the front and tucking the paper back behind Scooter's head. Scooter keeps on looking ahead and remains calm throughout the wrapping process, even when his owner covers his paws up. Owner Anne Holden lays him down and gives Scooter a few strokes before starting to wrap Scooter sits still and lets Anne cover his back with the brown and red patterned paper Anne says: 'I think I might know who would like this present... a few million people.' Now fully wrapped, Scooter is span around towards the decorated Christmas tree before his owner places a bow on his head. She gives him a tickle under his cheek but an unimpressed looking Scooter just closes one eye. He then stares straight ahead as his owner wraps a bow around him and straightens out the paper. His adorable little face peeks out of the paper after Anne has taped up the bottom and sides To complete the festive feline look Anne gently places a bow on Scooter's plush head Scooter, who is also known as Puudles, shot to viral fame after he was wrapped up in a similar way for Christmas 2017 and the video was viewed more than 69million times. The cute feline is perched on top of a kitchen counter in his other video and is wrapped in paper with a stocking pattern on. Anne told stuff: 'He's not a small cat he weighs seven kg and is a similar size to the backpack I was wrapping. I just wrapped him up and he purred the whole time.' The father of a North Carolina teen who was kidnapped and killed has been denied a visa to attend his daughter's funeral. Noe Aguilar, the father of Hania Aguilar, 13, was denied because he 'doesn't have enough ties to the country,' according to his attorney, Naimeh Salem. 'To tell you the truth, with past administrations, we never had a problem like this,' Salem, an immigration lawyer based in Texas, told the New York Times. 'With [President Donald Trump's] administration, most everything that is discretionary is getting denied.' An update to a Change.org petition urging approval of a visa for the Guatemalan citizen said the slain teen's grandfather may attend the services in Noe's absence. A mother by the name of Monique Cespedes created the 'Permission for Hanias Father to attend her funeral!' petition, which has gotten more than 50,000 signatures. Her funeral will take place on Saturday in Lumberton. Noe Aguilar, the Guatemalan citizen father of slain North Carolina teen Hania Aguilar (pictured) who was kidnapped and killed in the past month has been denied a visa to attend his daughter's funeral. Hania, 13, is pictured the day before she went missing in Lumberton, North Carolina Cespedes explained in the petition that Noe is currently in Guatemala and needed an expedited visa to make it to the US in time to pay his final respects to his daughter, in person. Noe traveled to the US Embassy in Guatemala City to try to make that happen on Monday, but was unsuccessful, the Times reported. The latest update to the petition, published on Thursday, reiterated what Salem said about his client's situation, and called it 'discrimination.' 'The news is reporting the Humanitarian Visa Noah (sic) Aguilar applied for was denied for lack of supporting documents (basically discrimination ) because he does NOT shave (sic) sufficient ties to his home city, he does not have substantial bank deposits and doesnt own business - and for that reason the Embassy considers him "at risk" of not returning since he literally has Nothing to return to,' Cespedes wrote. 'So since those odds are a far cry since he is indigent he will NOT be able to come here on the Humanitarian Visa to attend his daughters funeral. Now, I have heard rumors that her grandpa will attend in his place. But Im not sure how accurate this information is.' She ended the update with another call for signatures. Noe Aguilar, the father of Hania Aguilar, 13, was denied because he 'doesn't have enough ties to the country,' according to his attorney, Naimeh Salem. A mother by the name of Monique Cespedes created the ' Permission for Hanias Father to attend her funeral! ' petition, which has gotten more than 50,000 signatures Cespedes explained in the petition that Noe is currently in Guatemala and needed an expedited visa to make it to the US in time to pay his final respects to his daughter, in person 'No parent should be denied the right to attend their childs funeral- especially when Hania was a Citizen-born in Tennessee. This petition is to show support for the father coming to attend the arrangements,' Cespedes wrote when first creating the petition. 'Somehow someway the involved agencies should be able to make this work given his family and daughter are victims of a brutal crime that took the life of his daughter!' Police say a man forced the teenager into an SUV and drove off on November 5. Her body was found last week. A $30,000 reward remains in place for information related to the kidnapping. Her family has received a new mobile home about a mile away to help them make a new start. A Florida couple quit their jobs, stole a 40-foot catamaran sailboat and sailed to Cuba for their honeymoon. Aaron Burmeister, 46, and Ashley McNeil, 32, pleaded guilty on November 13 to charges of conspiracy to transport a vessel in foreign commerce after making off with the boat on March 30, the Miami Herald reported. The couple claim that they found the boat in the waters off Little Torch Key and assumed it was abandoned. Already underway, the couple realized the yacht belonged to someone, but wanted to spend their honeymoon in Cuba before returning it, they told authorities. The boat named Kaisosi (above in an older photograph) was moored in the waters off Little Torch Key when Burmeister and McNeil absconded with it and sailed to Cuba But investigators said that both Burmeister and McNeil had quit their jobs and indicated that they did not plan to return to the U.S. They were arrested two days later in the Cuban resort town of Varadero, and spent the next six months in a Cuban jail. In September, they were deported to the U.S. and promptly arrested by federal agents when they arrived at Miami International Airport. Each faces up to five years in prison during a January 7 sentencing in Key West. The government dropped a second charge, transporting a vessel in foreign commerce, which carried a prison term of up to 10 years. The owner said he bought the boat, named Kaisosi, for $350,000 last year. Advertisement Cat memes may be incredibly popular online today but perhaps they've been around longer than you thought. These amusing photographs dating back to the early 1900s could be seen as the original LOLcats. They were taken by Harry Whitter Frees, an American photographer known for taking pictures of posed cats and dogs. The Pennsylvania native became famous for his cutesy shots of kittens, puppies and even rabbits and chickens dressed as people after he started making them from 1905. Their incredible popularity led him to create novelty postcards, magazine spreads and children's books using them. He would borrow puppies and tiny kittens from friends and neighbors and dress them up before snapping them in human situations, complete with people clothes and props. A kitten is seen baking a cake in one snap, hanging up laundry in another and another funny pictures sees the animal bowling. A dog is also seen pulling three kittens along in a cart while another dog plays the cello. And while today, a meme can be born from split-second or even accidental photography, Frees needed far more patience for his photographs and some pictures could take days or even weeks to capture. These amusing photographs could be seen as the original cat memes. This image, captured by Harry Whitter Frees around 1914, shows a kitten wearing a dress and apron standing on a chair stirring the contents of a bowl Harry Whitter Frees, an American photographer known for taking pictures of posed cats and dogs after dressing them up and placing them in human situations. This amusing snap showing the tiny kitten in a dress bowling with tiny wooden pins Frees also created novelty postcards, magazine spreads and children's books based on his photographs of the posed up animals. Pictured here, a cat in a dress hangs up laundry on a washing line Frees got the idea for taking pictures of dressed up animals at a family birthday party. Guests at the party passed around and tried on a paper hat before someone put in on the family cat and Frees snapped a picture - which ended up becoming a very popular postcard. Here, a puppy pulls a toy horse and wagon carrying three kittens Frees used live animals and no trick photographs during his shoots - so needed an extraordinary amount of patience to capture what he intended. here, a puppy plays the cello complete with sheet music Photography back in the early 1900s required subjects to stay still for long periods of time - so taking photographs using live kittens and animals was extremely challenging. Here, Frees needed two kittens to pose for this shot in a tiny replica kitchen The difficult of photographing animals in the 1900s caused Frees so much anxiety that he only worked with them for three months out of the year, according to the Pennsylvania Heritage. Pictured, an adorable shot shows a puppy cuddling a kitten Making his work even more tricky was that Frees could use only about 30 negatives out of every 100. So he spent most of the year recovering from the taxing three months of work. Pictured, tiny puppy works at a sewing machine while an even smaller one sleeps in a tiny bed Frees started photographing posed and dressed up animals in 1905 and they quickly became incredibly popular and his signature style. He later became a staff animal photographer for the Rotograph Company of New York. Pictured, a puppy is weighed on a scale by its parents Early on, Frees simply added a bow or a hat to his four-legged subjects. Years later, his subjects' wardrobes became much fancier. Here, a kitten officiates a wedding between two other kittens dressed as a bride and groom The photographs were popular across the United States, in Europe and New Zealand, according to the Pennsylvania Heritage. They accompanied articles in magazines such as Woman's World, Child's Life and American Magazine. left, a kitten gets a piggy back from a doll and right, two cats share a swing- In a feature in Life magazine in 1937, Frees said his photographic exposures were taken at one-fifth of a second. But kittens were easily distracted by moving objects. 'These unusual photographs of real animals were made possible only by patient, unfailing kindness on the part of the photographer at all times,' Frees said Frees wrote about the difficult of working with his animals in his book Animal Land on the Air. 'Puppies are tractable when rightly understood, but the kitten is the most versatile animal actor, and possesses the greatest variety of appeal,' he wrote Although Frees enjoyed financial success, he didn't have lifelong financial stability. He never married and instead his life to his photography and caring for his parents, the Pennsylvania Heritage reported. Pictured, two kittens with a miniature cannon A senior aide to Sen. Kamala Harris resigned this week after it was revealed he had been part of a $400,000 'gender harassment' lawsuit after repeatedly asking a staffer to crawl under his desk to change his printer paper. Harris was still the attorney general of California at the time the staffer filed suit against Larry Wallace, then the director of the Division of Law Enforcement, in late 2016, although she had already been elected to federal office. She took Wallace with her to the Senate, making him a senior aide in her Sacramento office, because she was not aware of the suit, a spokeswoman for the senator has since said. Larry Wallace, a senior aide to Sen. Kamala Harris, resigned this week after it was revealed he had been part of a $400,000 'gender harassment' lawsuit after repeatedly asking a staffer to crawl under his desk to change his printer paper The Sacremento Bee unearthed the $400,000 settlement this week that had been filed by Wallace's former executive assistant in the attorney general's office. Danielle Hartley accused Wallace of demeaning behavior in the suit filed on Dec. 30, 2016 in California. 'Hartley had concerns she was being harassed and demeaned due to her gender,' the suit stated. She had begun working for Wallace several years prior in 2011, and suit does not say when the harassment began and ended. It alleges that Wallace asked her to change his printer paper or ink on a daily basis and that he refused to move the device to a more convenient location. Harley says he routinely asked her crawl under his desk while he was sitting at it and other male staffers were around, sometimes when she was wearing dresses or skirts. The lawsuit accuses his of behavior that went beyond sexual harassment, arguing that he did not give her 'meaningful tasks' and instead had her running personal errands for him. She says she booked flights for her boss's children and washed his car, and the suit accuses him of intentionally humiliating her in front of her office colleagues. 'Co-workers would make hostile comments to her including, "Are you walking the walk of shame?" the suit says. When she turned to a female supervisor in the office, she said the harassment escalated. She was reportedly investigated by internal affairs for a 'fabricated charge' and told she should 'seek employment elsewhere.' Eventually, she was reassigned to another division several days before Christmas in 2014. She began looking for other unemployment at that time but couldn't locate another job because the 'stress from all of the harassment' and because she was being overlooked for promotions, the suit alleges. The case closed in May of 2017, after Harris' replacement, Xavier Becerra, took office. A $400,000 settlement was offered even though Becerra said that Hartley had 'unreasonably failed to utilize the procedures during the period of time, and after, the alleged harassment or discrimination was occurring.' 'Had Plaintiff taken reasonable effort to utilize these procedures Plaintiffs alleged harm, injury or damages would have been avoided, in whole or in part,' the attorney general said. Hartley signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of the settlement, the Bee reports, and is prohibited from working the Justice Department in California ever again. The case closed in May of 2017, after Harris' replacement, Xavier Becerra, took office Ex-Becerra aide and former California gubernatorial candidate Amanda Renteria says she does not remember the settlement, even though the settlement bears her signature. She joined the attorney general's staff in March of that year, three months after it had been filed. Harris spokeswoman Lilly Adams told The Bee that the freshman senator did not know about the harassment allegations at all. 'We were unaware of this issue and take accusations of harassment extremely seriously. This evening, Mr. Wallace offered his resignation to the senator and she accepted it,' Adams told the newspaper. The 'Me Too' episode comes against the backdrop of a potential 2020 bid by Harris. She said this week that she would make her decision 'over the holiday' after consulting 'with my family.' Harris is widely expected to run, however, after making stops to influential early states and donating money from her warchest to their candidates in the midterm elections. She has led the way on sexual misconduct allegations in the Senate, coming out fiercely against one of her own colleagues, Al Franken, when a woman accused him of inappropriate contact without her consent. A burglar caught on CCTV ransacking a modelling agency office is the spitting image of survival expert Bear Grylls, according to the victims of the break-in. The office of Sapphires Model Management in London was burgled by a man who looked like the survival specialist on November 29. He stole camera and other equipment worth thousands of pounds. But there was a little light relief when the owners put stills from the office CCTV online and were told they should be looking out for former SAS man Grylls. The management of Sapphires Model Management, London posted stills from the office CCTV online and were told they should be looking out for former SAS man Bear Grylls - because the burglar (pictured) looks like him His companion in crime in Great Portland Street, who also made little effort to conceal his face, has been compared to Pob the puppet from the Channel 4 children's show. Finance manager Iain Blank, 37, posted images of the duo online with the caption: 'These two b******s broke into our office Thursday night in London and stole all our camera equipment. 'We are a small business and rely on that equipment. If you have any more information on them please let me know. Retweets appreciated.' The internet was convinced the burglar looks the spitting image of Bear Grylls - and his friend resembles Pob The two men broke into the modelling agency and stole expensive equipment although they barely bothered to cover their faces Online, one man responded with a picture of the famous TV survival expert with the question: 'Is that guy on the left Bear Grylls?' This led to Iain tweeting the former Grylls: 'Good question... @BearGrylls, can you account for your whereabouts on Thursday evening?' Another man joined the online joke posting: 'His silence is speaking volumes, frankly.' The post put out by the agency stunned many people who thought the burglar looked like Bear Grylls Iain joked: 'Having failed to provide an alibi he is still chief suspect in the case.' However, a few users were not convinced the thief looked like Bear Grylls with some sharing pictures of the two dim-witted thieves from Home Alone. One user compared the thief to Matthew Macfadyen, the English Film star known for playing Mr Darcy in the 2005 remake of Pride and Prejudice. Bear Grylls with Gareth Southgate. Mr Grylls is a famous survival expert and former SAS man The other one is believed to look like 'Pob the puppet' although his uncovered face was not so clear Speaking today Iain said: 'I did tweet Bear Grylls asking for his whereabouts for the night but we are still waiting for his alibi, so he still a suspect in this case.' A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police confirmed they were investigating the break-in. Inevitably, references were made to the recent case of a man resembling Friends actor David Schwimmer who is 'Ross' in the show, making off with a case of beer in Blackpool. In late October Blackpool Police shared CCTV stills of a man with a striking resemblance to Friends character Ross Geller on Facebook in an appeal for help. Schwimmer parodied the still of the suspect stealing a crate of beer from a Blackpool restaurant in late October with a hilarious video in a New York grocery shop. The viral appeal led to the suspect's arrest on November 14. Public housing tenants will need to get a job and maintain it before they can move into taxpayer-funded properties under a tough new welfare system. The new program, which is set to be trialled by the New South Wales government in Punchbowl and Towradgi near Wollongong, is designed to stop residents languishing on welfare. Under the tough new guidelines, those on the public housing waitlist - of which there are about 55,000 - will be able to skip the queue if they agree to get a job. Less than a quarter of social housing tenants are employed so the overhaul is designed to not only help people find accommodation but also employment (pictured is public housing in Balmain, Sydney) The new program is designed to stop residents languishing on welfare (pictured is the view from a Sydney public housing unit block) Social Housing Minister Pru Goward told The Daily Telegraph the new and improved program will 'help break the cycle of disadvantage'. Housing tenancy leases will initially be drawn up for a six-moth period and reviewed periodically - with renewal being dependent on the tenant meeting specific goals. Part of the commitment for tenants will include initially finding a job or enroilling in a course and maintaining it for a set period of time. 'This is about equipping tenants with the skills they need to not only obtain a job, but keep it over the longer term and achieve their full potential,' Ms Goward said. It was revealed in April that some of Australia's 'luckiest' public housing tenants pay less than $100 a week for multi-million dollar views (pictured) The minister said she wants to set to a clear expectation that social housing is not for life and, for those who can work, it should serve as a stepping stone to the private rental market. In some social housing developments, such as Northcott housing commission building in Surry Hills, residents pay as low as 20 per cent the normal rate. Less than a quarter of social housing tenants are employed so the overhaul is designed to not only help people find accommodation but also employment. The NSW trial is part of a $42.6 million Opportunity Pathways program, which focuses on helping public tenants work towards entering the workforce. 'We hope through employment and education we can divert people from the need to enter social housing,' Ms Goward said. Housing tenancy leases will initially be drawn up for a six-moth period and reviewed periodically - with renewal being dependent on the tenant meeting specific goals (pictured is a public housing unit in Balmain, Sydney) News of the public housing overhaul comes after it was revealed in April that some of Australia's 'luckiest' public housing tenants pay less than $100 a week for multi-million dollar views. From complete harbour-front positions in Balmain and Manly to glimpses of the world-famous Bondi Beach from bed, each apartment has its own million-dollar view. The tenants pay rent according to their income, which is usually between 20 and 25 percent, and many have been told they will be able to live in their units 'until the end of their natural life'. At the time, tenants in a complex in Balmain, which is run by Bridge Housing and owned by the NSW Housing Department, said 'the rich neighbours want them out'. With the plan to roll out the new public housing program nationwide, many residents may fear their slice of paradise will soon be taken away from them. Harvey Weinstein (pictured in July) has been emailing 'friends' complaining about the past 12 months which he described as 'one hell of a year' and the 'worst nightmare of his life' Harvey Weinstein described the last 12 months as 'one hell of a year' and 'the worst nightmare' of his life in recently leaked emails where he attempted to discredited the NYPD detectives working on his sexual assault case and promised 'there is more to this story'. The emails were obtained by TMZ and published on Thursday. Weinstein's lawyers say he sent them to 'friends' but would not go into further detail. In one, the disgraced movie mogul implored the unknown recipient to read articles about the NYPD's Special Victims Unit, specifically a detective who was removed from his position after it emerged he had told a witness not to come forward with evidence which undermined one of Weinstein's accusers claims. The email read: 'I've had one hell of a year... the worst nightmare of my life. 'As you can see from these articles, the police have played a very difficult role in my investigation. 'All 3 police officers have either been retired, or re-positioned from the SVU. 'The articles are self explanatory, but I'd like to speak to you on the phone if you have some time. 'There is more to this story... I appreciate your confidentiality. HARVEY'S EMAIL 'I've had one hell of a year... the worst nightmare of my life. 'As you can see from these articles, the police have played a very difficult role in my investigation. 'All 3 police officers have either been retired, or re-positioned from the SVU. 'The articles are self explanatory, but I'd like to speak to you on the phone if you have some time. 'There is more to this story... 'I appreciate your confidentiality. 'Have a read of these articles. 'I wish I didn't have to ask, but I'd be very appreciative of your time. 'Best, Harvey.' Advertisement 'Have a read of these articles. I wish I didn't have to ask, but I'd be very appreciative of your time. 'Best, Harvey.' A spokesman for his laywer Benjamin Brafman told DailyMail.com on Thursday that the emails were an 'an attempt to be heard objectively.' 'As more information has been coming out suggesting that many of the original narratives were not entirely precise, combined with the difficulty in this era of getting the actual facts told, Harvey on his own initiative wrote letters to friends of his in an attempt to be heard objectively,' they said. It is unclear who he sent it to or what the articles he linked to were but they were in reference to Detective Nicholas DiGaudio who withheld the testimony of a woman which undermined the allegations of Lucia Evans, an actress who claimed Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004. He told Evans to delete information from her phone before handing it over, according to Weinstein's team, and also advised her that 'less is more' when advising her. Evans was one of the three women whose allegations informed the NYPD indictment against Weinstein. In October, the DA however dropped the charge which related to her after DiGaudio was removed from the case. Deputy Chief Michael Osgood, the SVU commander, was also removed as a result. Evans' claims were among those of two other women who alleged rape and sexual assault against him. Their allegations still stand and Weinstein, who is next due in court on December 20, is facing five counts; first-degree rape, third-degree rape, two counts of predatory assault and one count of a criminal sex act. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 30 years behind bars. At worst, he could be jailed for life. Three NYPD officers including the Special Victims Unit Deputy Chief Michael Osgood (right) were removed over their handling of the Weinstein case, particularly evidence surrounding the allegation of Lucia Evans (left), an actress who said Weinstein forced her into oral sex in 2006. The sexual assault charge which her claim informed was dropped because of the officers' mishandling of the case His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, argued in his motion to dismiss that none of the five remaining charges should stick because the entire case has been tainted. He also claimed to have evidence of exchanges between Weinstein and one of the other alleged victims which showed they had 'loving' interaction after the alleged attacks. The emails to Weinstein's 'friends' coincide with him settling a separate claim with German actress who used the pseudonym 'Emma Loman' in a California court. In August, Loman sued Weinstein over an alleged attack she said happened in Cannes in 2006. She claimed he raped her at Le Majestic Hotel then held her there against her will for an hour. The lawsuit was one of two filed against him which alleged he had engaged in sexual trafficking by luring women to his suite to perform sex acts on him for commercial gain. In a joint filing on Monday, both the actress's lawyers and Weinstein's told the judge they had committed to working on a settlement. Separately, Weinstein is trying to settle allegations by other women in civil court with one sweeping sum which will be set up as a victims fund for the women who have filed civil cases against him. A Chinese mother who reported her son missing turned out to have hidden the child for five days in a plot to test if her husband really cares about them. The 33-year-old woman told her 11-year-old boy to hide in an electric tuk tuk before calling the police last Friday, begging them to help look for her 'missing son'. She then moved the tuk tuk around the town to avoid her child being found. The 11-year-old boy, Huang, was on his way home from school (left) when his mother met him and told him to hide in a tuk tuk, according to police who released the boy's picture (right) Huang's father (pictured) said he would offer 56,800 to anyone who could find his son Police in Yueqing, eastern China, launched a five-day city-wide search for the child. They found him safe and sound on Tuesday night at the village of Yunling before uncovering his mother's secret plan. The woman is currently under police control while further investigation is being carried out. Yueqing police said the mother, identified as Chen, met her son, identified as Huang, on his way home from school at around 6pm last Friday. She told him to stay in her tuk tuk with the food she had prepared and not to come out. Chen then contacted the police at about 7pm, claiming that her son had gone missing on his way home from school. The woman appeared to be extremely anxious after reporting the case together with her husband. Police immediately organised officers to search for the boy. The family live in a rented flat (pictured) in Yueqing, a city in eastern China's Zhejiang province Police launched a five-day city-wide search to look for the boy who was believed to be missing An earlier police statement said officers spent the next few days watching CCTV footage filmed along the roads between the boy's home and school. Policemen also visited the internet cafes, hotels, rented homes and waterways along the route in hope of finding the boy. A social media campaign was launched, led by the police, to enlist help from the public. Local authorities had flyers for the 'missing boy' made and posted them around the city. Chen's husband, who believed that his son had really gone missing, was so worried he reportedly couldn't sleep for four nights. He had posters made with the child's information. In a social media video, he held the post and said he would offer 500,000 yuan (56,800) in cash to anyone who could bring his son back to him. The boy was found by the police at around 10:40pm on Tuesday. He was said to be safe and generally healthy. In a statement from yesterday, the police said the whole event was a plot contrived by the boy's mother as a way to test her husband's love. It is said that the boy's father had been doing business away from home and had conflict with his wife. As a result, the boy's mother deliberately planned the incident to find out if her husband loves her and the child. The police condemned the mother, saying that her behaviour 'had seriously impacted social credibility and social conscience, wasted considerable social resources and disrupting social order'. She is currently under police control and is expected to be penalised. Further police investigation is under way. For President Donald Trump, responding to dozens of questions by Special Counsel Robert Mueller was a burden, his lawyer Rudy Giuliani says adding that it was a 'real job' to remember what happened in 2016. 'Answering those questions was a nightmare,' the former New York mayor told the Atlantic. 'It took him about three weeks to do what would normally take two days,' Giuliani said. Giuliani also indicated it was a challenge for Trump to recall the answers to questions about 2016 a key year for the probe, since it would encompass the time period when any possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russians would have occurred. 'He's got a great memory,' Giuliani told the publication. 'However, basically we were answering questions about 2016, the busiest year of his life. It's a real job to remember.' 'Answering those questions was a nightmare,' former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said of President Donald Trump's responses to special counsel Robert Mueller The comment raises the possibility that Trump in his responses may have on occasion answered that he didn't recall the answers. By one count, Donald Trump Jr. didn't recall 54 things during his congressional testimony. Trump in the past has said he has 'one of the great memories of all time.' Any alleged obstruction of justice, reported to be an area of interest for investigators, would have occurred mostly 2017, when Trump was president and fired FBI director James Comey and former security advisor Mike Flynn. IT WAS A VERY BUSY YEAR: Giuliani said Trump has a 'great memory' but it was a struggle to recall things from 2016, when he was frantically running for president LET'S MEET UP IN PERSON NEXT TIME: Special counsel Robert Mueller could subpoena Trump if he finds his written responses are inadequate but that would provoke a court fight Trump was aghast when he learned former campaign chair Paul Manafort, jailed after his conviction on corruption charges, was being held in solitary confinement But Trump told Fox News in November he was unlikely to respond to questions about obstruction. "I think we've wasted enough time on this witch hunt and the answer is probably, we're finished," he told host Chris Wallace. Giuliani also spoke about the president's view of how former campaign chair Paul Manafort has been treated after Trump refused to take a pardon of Manafort off the table. 'The thing that upsets [the president] the most is the treatment of Manafort,' Giuliani said. After Trump learned Manafort was being held in solitary confinement, according to Giuliani, 'He said to me, 'Don't they realize we're America?' As for any Mueller subpoena if the special counsel isn't satisfied with Trump's responses, 'We're ready to resist that,' Giuliani said. Such a move would almost certainly provoke a court fight. Giuliani also shared other concerns about his client, who regularly rails against Mueller and has made comments about former lawyer Michael Cohen and longtime advisor Roger Stone that seasoned lawyers have said amount to witness tampering. 'I don't think there's anyone in the world that can stop Donald Trump from tweeting,' Giuliani said, 'I've tried.' 'I don't think following his lead is the right thing. He's the client,' Giuliani said. 'The more controlled a person is, the more intelligent they are, the more they can make the decision. But he's just like every other client. He's not more you know, controlled than any other client. In fact, he's a little less.' Officials have been grumbling that the White House has yet to develop a detailed plan for how to counter the possible release of a Mueller report, although new acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, installed by Trump, will have to sign off on its release. 'We would always put together plans with the knowledge that [Trump] wouldn't use them or they'd go off the rails,' a former official told the Atlantic. 'And at this point, with Mueller, they've decided they're not even going to do that.' 'It's like, 'Jesus, take the wheel,' the source said, 'but scarier.' Shocked drivers couldn't believe their eyes when they saw a woman, who is thought to be a fashion blogger, teetering on the edge of Tower Bridge as she took a selfie. The stunt saw the Instagram 'star' use a self-timer camera to photograph her latest fashionable look on the famous central London landmark. She ignored warnings and climbed up onto the side of the bridge wearing a denim mini skirt and thigh-high boots with bare legs. The young woman puts her phone onto the parapet on Tower Bridge in London (left) and poses (right) for the camera But passers-by were left gasping as she edged precariously towards the edge of the parapet - and a deadly 30ft drop onto the bank of the Thames. Two women with a pram walk past the young woman and one of them turns back around to check on the poser, who is flicking her hair for the camera. The selfie-obsessed fashionista can be seen putting her phone down while pushing her hair back and looking at her camera the wall as cars pass. The dangerous stunt is thought to have happened on December 2 on the southern side of the famous bridge, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has now warned people not to take life-risking selfies after the video emerged on Twitter this week. David Walker, leisure safety manager for the charity, warned that people die from similar stunts. He said: 'We understand the temptation to take selfies in tourist spots and scenic areas, but a selfie isn't worth risking your life for. 'If you're high up and climbing, especially in windy weather, there is a strong possibility of falling, and at this time of year water will be at significantly low temperatures, so there is a risk of cold water shock.' She flicks her hair and moves her legs to get the best angles while standing close to the drop The video was posted on Twitter by an eagle-eyed passenger who said they thought the woman was trying to get an amazing Instagram shot of her outfit. They Tweeted: 'The commitment...the danger...the sheer gall... what is your @ please.' Follower Emma Hope Allwood said: 'Oh my God, we need to find her an Instagram husband stat. No more of this risky business.' Hannah Louise said: 'Omg is she using self timer? This is iconic!' Katya Coldheart said: 'I would be worried someone would snatch phone/camera, push me off!' In October a study revealed more than 250 people around the world died while snapping photos of themselves in a six-year period. Researchers analysed news reports of 259 selfie-related deaths in 137 incidents from October 2011 to November 2017. They said there were 93 selfie-related deaths in 2017, a huge increase on the two deaths that occurred in 2013. The number one cause of death was drowning, followed by incidents involving transport, such as taking a selfie in front of an oncoming train, and also falling from a height. In July this year, a British teenager died after falling from the edge of a cliff at a popular whale-watching spot in Australia while taking selfies. India has the highest number of selfie-related deaths, followed by Russia, United States, and Pakistan, according to the study by researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Science. Maiko, pictured posing for his official military portrait, was on his sixth tour of duty A US Army dog has died saving the lives of several rangers during a fierce firefight in Afghanistan. The 7-year-old dog, named Maiko, was attached to to the 75th Ranger Regiment's 2nd Battalion and was killed while assaulting a compound in the country's Nimruz Province on 24 November. According to an unofficial biography leaked online, Maiko, was 'leading Rangers into the breach of a targeted compound' when he was shot by enemy militants. His actions were said to have saved the lives of several US troops as the enemy gave away their positions by firing at Maiko, allowing the Rangers to prevent any further loss of life. 'Maiko's presence and actions inside the building directly caused the enemy to engage him, giving away his position and resulting in the assault force eliminating the threat without injury or loss of life,' the Twitter biography read. 'The actions of Maiko directly saved the life of his handler [Staff Sgt.] Jobe and other Rangers.' Sgt. Leandro Jasso also of the Second Ranger Battalion was also killed during the assault on the compound Sgt. Leandro Jasso, who was assigned to the same unit, was also killed during this engagement. Maiko, a highly trained multi-purpose canine (MPC), was on his sixth tour of duty in Afghanistan and had had several different military handlers. Maiko was born in 2011 in the Netherlands and arrived in the U.S. a year-and-a-half later. The dog was on his sixth deployment to Afghanistan and was 7 years old when the clash occurred, according to Stars and Stripes. Maiko reportedly participated in more than 50 Ranger-led raids involving combatant apprehension, building clearance and improvised explosive device detection. A former Kuwaiti military officer waited five hours in line outside a Houston church just so he could thank and honor George H.W. Bush. Falah Behbehhani was one of thousands to line up at St. Martin's Episcopal Church where the 41st president was lying in repose on Wednesday night. Behbehhani, who was serving in the Kuwait military when Iraq invaded, told KARE11 that he credits the late former president for saving his life. Falah Behbehhani was one of thousands to line up at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston where the 41st president was lying in repose on Wednesday night He said he escaped execution three times after being put in a prison camp by Saddam Hussein's army. Behbehhani said he wanted to thank Bush for liberating Kuwait and essentially freeing him. He bowed in front of Bush's casket inside the church on Wednesday night. 'This is the least I could do for President Bush,' he said. 'It was good chance to say thank you. I wish I did it when he was alive, but at least I could do it now.' Behbehhani (above) said he wanted to thank Bush for freeing him from an Iraqi prison camp and liberating Kuwait after Iraq invaded The country said a bid a formal goodbye to Bush on Wednesday in a national funeral service in Washington at the National Cathedral. Bush's body was flown by Air Force One to Houston's Ellington Air Field on Wednesday evening following the service. Mourners gathered at the airport to pay their respects to Bush as a black hearse waited for the flag-draped casket on the tarmac. While Bush's casket was escorted from the aircraft to the hearse, several other family members trailed behind. A motorcade then drove 45 minutes to St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Some visitors waited for hours Wednesday night to pay tribute to Bush, who will be buried Thursday following a funeral at St. Martin's Episcopal Church. A wanted drug boss has been shot dead after he was cornered by Colombian law enforcement agents in a dawn shootout after his beauty queen girlfriend was trailed by cops to meet him. Authorities had been following former beauty queen Scarlett Duque-Arias, 26, over two months and early on Tuesday swooped on the home of her boyfriend criminal gang leader, Oscar Pachon, in Medellin, as she visited him. Agents with the Anti-Terrorism Special Group barged inside the swanky 21st floor pad of the 58-year-old leader of 'Los Puntillos' in the upscale neighborhood of El Poblado at about 6.30am, sparking a wild gun fight. Oscar Pachon, leader of 'Los Puntillos', a criminal organization in Colombia that produced and distributed cocaine, was killed in a dawn shootout with a team of law enforcement agents inside his home in Medellin on Tuesday. He is seen above during a previous arrest Scarlett Duque-Arias was romantically attached to Oscar Pachon. She is seen above in a Facebook photo Pachon, who was once an apprentice of Pablo Escobar, was wanted for a variety of crimes including drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder. When authorities entered the apartment they surprised the couple and bullets flew across the apartment. 'He fired his Glock gun as soon as he saw the uniformed officers,' an investigator with the judicial police told El Tiempo. El Colombiano reported that Pachon was seriously injured during the early morning gun fight and died before he could be transferred to a hospital. Duque-Arias, who was dating Pachon for five years, was not injured and won't be charged with any crimes. According to the attorney general's office, Pachon settled in Medellin after arriving from the country's Eastern Plains. He sought refuge from 'La Oficina', a criminal syndicate founded in 1993 by Pablo Escobar to protect the Medellin Cartel. In return for the protection, Pachon shared the control of his many of drug routes that transported cocaine from Venezuela and Brazil to the United States and Europe. As the leader of 'Los Puntillos', Pachon rose to power after his former associate Daniel 'El Loco' Barrera was apprehended during a raid in Venezuela in 2012. Insight Crime, a Latin America and Caribbean organized crime think tank, believes that Pachon was responsible for leading authorities to Barrera's capture so that he could keep a stronghold over the drug trade. Agents with the Anti-terrorism Special Group barged inside Pachon's 21st floor pad in the upscale neighborhood sector of El Poblado The former beauty queen had been dating the wanted Colombian drug boss for five years Barrera was extradited to the United States and sentenced to 35 years in jail in July 2016. Colombian authorities jumped on Pachon's trail after the 2013 discovery of a cocaine production laboratory. He finally was arrested in February 2016 but a judged released him in April 2017. At the time of his 2016 apprehension, Pachon told Noticias RCN during a jailhouse interview that the 'government was blind and did not want to see who were the real successors' of Barrera. '[They need to] look at the person well. Have a good look at my profile,' Pachon said. 'I sleep here quieter than in the house because I have my conscience calm and because I know that this will clear up.' Escobar's former stable boy and hitman was remained on the Attorney General's target list after he was arrested and freed a second time. But the Attorney General persisted on trying to nail Pachon and decided to look into some of the irregularities made by the judicial system before Colombian forces ended his cartel reign. A high school teacher banged his student's head against the classroom floor after the teenage boy attacked him because he was told not to use his cellphone during class. Cellphone video showed the moment the teacher at the 'El Nigromante' Preparatory slammed his student's head into the floor in front of the classroom in Mexico's central state of Guanajuato. The Public Education Secretary of Guanajuato suspended the teacher from the school and disqualified him from teaching at any other educational institution, according to ADN 40. The Public Education Secretary's office withheld the names of the student and the teacher. DailyMail contacted the school for comment. A Mexican high school teacher (pictured with black jacket) tussles on the ground with his student after the teenager attacked him An educator at prep school in the central Mexican state of Guanajuato drovehis student's head to the floor The school principal confirmed to Mexican news outlet AM that the unidentified student was the instigator of the shocking event. The 21 second audio-less video captures the teacher using his right elbow to forcefully deliver three blows to the side of the students face as the pair tussled on the floor. ADN 40 reported that the teacher repeatedly asked the distracted student to place his cellphone away but the young boy declined. The student, who according to classmates had been reprimanded by his educator for his disruptive behavior, then insulted the teacher and attacked him. The principal at 'El Nigromante' Preparatory confirms that the student initiated the attack on his teacher A student (front center) separates his teacher during a wild brawl with a fellow classmate (laying on the ground) The teacher fought back, and slammed the teen's head into the floor. A pupil is seen in the video pulling the teacher off his classmate to deescalate the situation. The administrator also added that the video that quickly made its rounds through social media networks was not in its entirety. 'It's deceptive because it's not complete,' Aracely Mancera said. Two hunters had a shock when the deer they had just shot 'dead' jumped out of the back of their pickup truck and ran off in upstate New York. The men, who are accused of hunting illegally, were in for a big surprise when the animal regained consciousness and bolted from their vehicle in the town of Berne. Augustus Stevens Jr, 31, and Nathan Arno, 25, are accused of putting the fallen buck into the truck bed and driving off after shooting it. But a mile down the road the men, from Fort Ann, were faced with a deer that was still alive and suddenly escaped. A state Department of Environmental Conservation officer pictured with the deer A witness had already called Albany County police with reports that hunters had shot the four-pointer from the driver's window. Police say they then found the two with blood on the tailgate, rear bumper and floor mats after the pair had returned to try and find the runaway animal. They say they also found hunting clothing, rifles and spotlights inside the vehicle. The injured deer was later found and had to be put down following the incident on Thanksgiving day. Nathan Arno is accused putting the fallen buck into his truck and driving off after shooting it Augustus Stevens Jr is said to have a warrant pending and a suspended driver's license The Times Union reports cops later found three more deer carcasses in the area which have been linked to the two men. Police say both the hunters both had suspended driving licenses and that the passenger said he had shot a buck that had run in front of the truck. Arno is reported to have had hunting violations in Washington County and an order barring him from having firearms. There was a warrant pending for Stevens from Fort Edwards, according to reports. Arno was faced with a deer that was still alive and suddenly fled when out in Berne It is understood the men were charged for taking big game deer with the aid of a light, shooting within 500 feet of a dwelling. The state Department of Environmental Conservation said they were also ticketed for discharging from a public road, having a loaded gun in a motor vehicle and taking a deer from a motor vehicle. Sheriff Craig Apple said of deer hunting: 'We don't get too much of it.' 'Periodically, we'll get people who come up here to jack deer but it really has subsided over the past few years.' An elderly woman with no family thought she was all alone in the world until she was reunited with the daughter she was told died after birth, nearly 70 years later. Genevieve Purinton, 88, thought she had no family left and lives a quiet life in an assisted living center in North Tampa. Her eight siblings have died and she had no other children after she went through heartbreak in 1949 when she gave birth at the age of 18 and was told the child had died. But it turns out child, born in Gary, Indiana, was very much alive and was given up for adoption and raised in South California. On December 3 88-year-old Genevieve Purinton (left) was reunited with her daughter Connie Moultroup, 69, (right) who she was told died after childbirth, after nearly 70 years apart Connie Moultroup, a massage therapist based in Vermont, spent her whole life looking for her birth mother Purinton, who had no family left and lives in a Florida assisted living home Life-changing: The two were finally connected after Moultroup took an Ancestry DNA test last Christmas 'I asked to see the baby and they said she died, thats all I remember,' Purinton said to NBC. Connie Moultroup, now 69, spent her whole life searching for her birth mother. 'It's been a lifetime of wanting this. I remember being five years old, wishing I could find my mother,' Moultroup, who lives in Vermont, said. Moultroup's adoptive mother passed away when she was just five and her stepmother was abusive, giving her a rough childhood. 'She would fantasize about her mother rescuing her since she was five years old. It's truly her life-long dream,' Moultroup's daughter Bonnie Chase, 50, said. Moultroup was able to trace her mother after Chase bought her an Ancestry DNA kit last Christmas. 'It was just a cool Christmas present and it has completely changed our lives,' Chase said. The kit connected her to a cousin. When they finally met via phone, Moultroup gave her birth mother's name and the relative replied 'oh, that's my aunt...and she's still alive'. Together forever: Now the long-lost mother and daughter are forging a new life together to make up for lost time Moultroup was able to find her mother after her own daughter Bonnie Chase (left) gifted her an Ancestry DNA kit last Christmas Those words changed Moultroup's life and after 69 years of wondering, she was finally able to meet her mother on Monday December 3. The mother and daughter met in an emotional and tearful reunion at the Haley Park Apartments retirement community in Tampa, Florida. 'My mother and I look alike and we ACT alike! Its pretty freaky. We are so much alike!' she gushed upon the surreal meeting. The heart-melting December meeting was the first time the mother and daughter, a massage therapist, met face to face. But they spoke on the phone first on September 8. Purinton received a card in the mail with Moultroup's number. 'It took her a while to call but she finally called,' Moultroup said. When she picked up the phone she heard Purinton say: 'I think I'm your mother.' 'You could've heard a pin drop. I said, "Oh my God,"' Moultroup recalled. 'She wanted to remember if I knew my original name, Margaret Ann Mitch,' she added. And Moultroup indeed remembered. Purinton had a hard life after losing her daughter. She gave birth as a teenager unmarried, scared and alone. She believed the hospital staff that told her her daughter had died and didn't think to ask for a death certificate. Moultroup said: 'Things were different back then.' 'My mother and I look alike and we ACT alike! Its pretty freaky. We are so much alike!' Moultroup gushed Moultroup says their resemblance is uncanny. Her mother Purinton pictured right 30 years ago in 1988 She tells DailyMail.com Purinton was frightened to go home as her mother told her 'your father is going to kill you'. So she never went back. Instead she moved in with her grandmother, graduated high school then moved to Florida from Indiana. 'Didnt know anyone. No job. Just determination,' Moultroup said to DailyMail.com. 'Shes one very determined woman and Im proud as heck to have her genetic makeup in me,' she added. Purinton now not only has a long-lost daughter, she has a granddaughter and great-grandchildren. As for Moultroup's birth father, hes remained out of the picture as he was married at the time of her birth. The women say their miraculous reunion was full of tears and now they're making up for lost time. 'Where to go from here? I guess just keep communication open....like daily....and get to know all about her. Ive just scratched the surface,' Moultroup said. 'We're criers. We just cry a lot. There were a lot of tears and there's been a lot of tears the entire time since then. It's been really amazing,' she added. 'Were thrilled that Ancestry was able to play a part in helping to connect Genevieve Purinton with her daughter after 69 years. We wish her and her family the best, and that this is only the beginning of an enduring relationship,' Jasmin Jimenez, a spokeswoman for AncestryDNA, said to NBC. Christian Maire, a 40-year-old married father-of-two from upstate New York, was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years in prison for partaking in an online child pornography ring dubbed the 'Bored Group' that victimzed more than 100 teenage girls The married father-of-two who was dubbed the mastermind of a sophisticated online child pornography ring called the 'Bored Group' broke down in tears as he was sentenced on Wednesday to 40 years in prison for preying on more than a 100 vulnerable teenage girls for years. Christian Maire, a 40-year-old married father-of-two from Binghamton, New York, learned his fate in US District Court in Detroit after hearing several heart-wrenching victim impact statements from some of the exploited girls and their families. Prosecutors dubbed him the group's ringleader and said that for five years, Maire and eight other handpicked, like-minded online sex predators - some of them family men boasting advanced degrees and impressive computer skills - pretended to be teenage boys in private chatrooms to coerce girls as young as 10 years old to masturbate on camera for the men's sexual gratification. One victim nicknamed 'Princess' was manipulated by 47-year-old IT worker Arthur Simpatico into engaging in a sex act, reported the Detroit News. A socially awkward student who was an elite dancer enrolled at a ballet school and battled anxiety and loneliness was talked into producing more than 60 videos of herself performing sexual acts. A troubled 16-year-old girl from New Orleans was encouraged to cut herself and repeatedly perform sex acts on camera after being blackmailed by the predators, who she said threatened to harm her and her family if she refused to comply, reported the Detroit Free Press. Court records filed in the case described a highly organized group, in which each of the nine members had a specific role to play. Maire, pictured with his daughter, was arrested in 2017 as part of a two-year FBI investigation into the sophisticated online porn cabal, of which he was the alleged ringleader Maire broke down in tears in court while listening to gut-wrenching victim impact statements Some were 'hunters' in charge of luring teenage girls from social media sites like Gifyo, Periscope, YouNow and MyLOL to an unmoderated private chatroom known in court filings as Website A. Maire was the top hunter, along with Jonathan Negroni Rodriguez, 37, of West Hollywood, California, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Wednesday. Others, like 36-year-old Brett Sinta, of North Carolina, and Arthur Simpatico, of Ontario, were 'talkers whose job it was to engage the victims in small talk and gradually persuade them to perform sex acts on web camera. Sinta was sentenced to more than 30 years in prison on Wednesday for his role in the vile venture. Then there were the 'loopers,' who would step in if a girl became suspicious of the men in the chatroom masquerading as teenage boys. 'Loopers' were tasked with convincing reluctant girls to stay in the chatroom. The 'Bored Group' first came together in 2012 and coalesced around Website A after becoming frustrated with monitoring on another social media site. In 2017, FBI agents acting on information obtained two years prior from a Michigan child pornography suspect busted Maires ring. Agents traced IP addresses to identify individual members of the porn ring, including Michal Figura, 36, an IT specialist at the University of Pennsylvania and a married father of two young children, who prosecutors said masturbated to child pornography five nights a week before bedtime. Accomplice Brett Sinta, 36, was one of the 'Bored Group's' nine members tasked with talking troubled teen girls into performing sex acts in private chat rooms The investigation into the criminal enterprise revealed that the Bored Group used a password-protected spreadsheet that included names of victims, links to their social media pages and descriptions of the best ways to manipulate each girl into performing sex acts. Most of the victims identified by investigators were vulnerable girls suffering from eating disorders, engaging in self-harm or having suicidal thoughts. The callous sexual exploitation has left many of the young women shattered and exacerbated their existing mental health problems. The mother of the young dancer wrote in a letter read aloud in court that her daughter missed an entire year of school and was taking medications. Her dance dreams died, the letter stated. This has taken years from her. Years. The victim from New Orleans, now aged 20, told the court that to this day, she cannot bear to use a computer and struggles with anxiety and depression. The mother of a 14-year-old girl who was targeted by the online predator aged 10 said her daughter has had night terrors almost every night and has been struggling at school as a result of the trauma. Thinking back to those days causes me to cry myself to sleep, wondering when the monsters will stop haunting me, another victim told the judge. When given a chance to speak, a sobbing Maire apologized to all of his victims and said he was ashamed of himself. I've shattered so many lives. I never knew I could sink this low, he said. I took advantage of your youth and trust and put my own selfishness above your dignity. The 40-year-old insisted that he was sick and pointed a finger of blame at his addiction to pornography. Pornography led me down a very dark road, he added. If I was here as a parent instead of a defendant, I would be devastated. His accomplice Simpatico also issued an apology, saying that while he did not intend to hurt anyone and that he cannot take back what he had done, he hopes to be a better person in the future. Advisers to Sen. Elizabeth Warren are counseling her to issue a forceful apology for releasing the results of a DNA test that revealed a sliver of American Indian blood in her family tree. Democrats blasted the liberal Massachusetts senator in October for drawing attention to her biggest political liability in the middle of a tense midterm election cycle. Warren's DNA analysis, conducted by a privately hired scientist who is an expert on Native American genomics, showed that her Native American ancestry was between 0.09 percent and 1.5 percent. The low end of that scale equates to 1/1,024th. A landmark study published in 2014 in the American Journal of Human Genetics found that, on average, European-Americans have 0.18 per cent Native American blood twice as much. Advisers to Massaachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren are nudging her to apologize for a DNA testing stunt that established the slimmest of Native American blood in her heritage President Donald Trump has long mocked Warren's claim of being part Cherokee, calling her 'Pocahontas' and licking his chops at the prospect of facing her in 2020 Pocahontas was an Algonqiuan Indian princess who lived from 1595 to 1617 The New York Times reported Thursday that Warren worries she damaged her standing with Native American groups and other liberal blocs, especially minority constituencies, by willingly releasing her DNA results. An announcement about her presidntial ambitions could come in a matter of weeks. But so far Warren doesn't appear worried. 'There have been a lot of thoughtful conversations about this, and I appreciate that,' she tod the Times. 'I believe for everyone in public life that transparency is crucial.' 'I put it out there. Its on the internet for anybody to see,' she said of her DNA test findings. 'People can make of it what they will.' Warren, 69, is a leader on the Democratic Party's far-left edge and a fierce critic of Wall Street whose potential as a Trump-spearing 2020 White House contender forced the long-simmering issue of her family history to the surface. Warren (top right) is part of a growing field of potential Democratic presidential nominees that also includes (from top left) former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Kamala Harris; and (from bottom left) Senator Sherrod Brown, Senator Bernie Sanders, Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg President Donald Trump began calling Warren 'Pocahontas' in the spring of 2016 in order to blunt her attacks as she threatened to become a key surrogate for his presidential rival Hillary Clinton. 'Goofy Elizabeth Warren, sometimes referred to as Pocahontas because she faked the fact she is native American, is a lowlife!' he tweeted as the Republican primary season wrapped up in May 2016. Her ultimate response in October 2018 as Trump continued to taunt her during public rallies made some Democrats raise questions about her political agility. Critics say Warren used a hint of Indian background to justify classifying herself as a minority during her law school teaching career, in order to gain preferential hiring treatment. Law schools at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have disputed that claim. Warren did, however, listed herself for 10 years as a minority in directories maintained by the Association of American Law Schools, beginning in 1986. That period of time stretched from the year before Penn hired her to the year after Harvard Law School lured her away. Trump said of Warren (left) during an October campaign rally in Montana: 'She has so little Indian blood well, she has none that I cannot call her Pocahontas anymore' She told reporters during her first Senate campaign in 2012 that, 'I listed myself in the directory in the hopes that might mean that I would be invited to a luncheon, a group, something that might happen with people who are like I am.' Still, Trump has mocked her for years, calling her 'Pocahontas' and a 'fake Indian.' The New England Historic Genealogical Society reported in 2012 that it had unearthed a 1894 document suggesting Warren's great-great-great-grandmother, O.C. Sarah Smith, was at least partially Native American. It turned out the society had found a family newsletter that described a marriage license application, but hadn't seen that document. The conservative Breitbart News website later tracked down the marriage license and certificate and found that a column on both marked 'race' was left blank. Warren had de-emphasized her Cherokee lineage since winning her Senate seat in 2012, but the president's use of the issue to marginalize her was always expected to become a flashpoint if the two were to go head-to-head in 2020. While Trump's rally crowds eagerly lap up his snarks about 'Pocahontas,' Trump has used the polarizing nickname in at least one cringe-worthy moment at the White House. In November 2017 he slipped it into a speech during an event honoring Navajo 'Code Talkers' who had used their native language as an unbreakable secret code to protect American military communications during World War II. Asked minutes later during a press briefing why the president would use 'offensive' language at such an event, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders shot back: 'I think what most people find offensive is Senator Warren lying about her heritage to advance her career.' A British pilot died a hero saving the lives of four people after taking over the controls of a stricken aircraft and crash landing it on a mountain top after it flew into thick cloud. Experienced David Goodwin, 59, was sat beside his partner Michelle Tilley who was flying the plane which also had her two sisters and her teen nephew on board as passengers. They were returning from a three-day flying safari spotting game in the African bush to attend a funeral service for the mother of the three sisters who recently passed away. David Goodwin, 59, suffered fatal 95 per cent burns pulling partner Michelle Tilley (pictured together), her two sisters and nephew from the blazing wreckage after the crash landing, before leading them three miles through wilderness to a safety The mountain crash site of the Cessna 206 the five had rented from Pretoria's Wonderboom airport for a flying safari Three of the group including David and two of the sisters had travelled to South Africa to meet up with the third sister and her nephew to say a final farewell to their late mum. But as they flew back to the airfield in Pretoria, South Africa, the day before the church service their plane crashed into a mountain side and turned into a blazing fireball. Local pilots believe Michelle had tried to fly underneath the thick rolling clouds using valleys between the mountains in a dangerous race back not to miss the family funeral the next day. The practice is known by pilots as 'scud running' which is flying by what you can see visually and not using instruments but can be very dangerous. The crash landing took place in the mountainous terrain of the Tullach Mohr nature reserve in Mpumalanga province on a flight from Nelspruit to Pretoria's Wonderboom airfield. He led thefour other passengers down the mountain to safety, carrying his partner's sister Half an hour after take off as they approached a mountain range they hit thick cloud and strong winds and rain but as it closed round them they had no way of turning back and had to press on. Much more experienced pilot David, who was not qualified to fly in South Africa, took over the control of the aircraft and pulled back hard and went to full throttle to try and climb to safety. But with incredible bad luck he hit a pine forest near the peak of the 6,305 ft high mountain range and ended up just 50 feet and a matter of seconds from safely clearing the jagged rock summit. Survivors told how the plane was brought to a complete standstill in the tree tops which had slowed it down - and how it then dropped vertically to the forest floor and caught fire. The tail of the Cessna 206 aeroplane bearing the livery of fly-hire firm Bushpilot Adventures Although able to save himself, David undid his safety harness but stayed in his cockpit seat although enveloped in flames to helped all four on board escape before jumping clear. In doing so he suffered 95 per cent burns and his clothes were burned off him but he gathered up the survivors and pulled them away before the plane exploded in a huge ball of flames. He then marched the group in agony nearly 3 miles to a road near Machadodorp in Mpumulanga Province where he waved down a farm truck who summoned the emergency services. Tragically air crash hero Mr Goodwin died from severe burns in hospital the following day despite a desperate battle to save him by surgeons. Wreckage of the ill-fated Cessna 206 single-engine light aircraft smoulders at the crash site three miles from Machadodorp in the centre of northwestern Mpumalanga province Both David and Michelle were fully qualified UK pilots and were skydivers who had completed hundreds of parachute jumps together. David's nephew Jamie told Skydive Mag: 'He angled the plane crash so he would take the most impact then made sure everyone got out of the plane before he did despite being engulfed in flames. 'Regardless of sustaining such terrible burns and being stripped naked by the flames he gave everyone the strength to keep moving and to get away before the craft explode and stayed strong. 'He even carried Michelle's sister who couldn't walk for two to three miles to get to the road. 'He saved the lives of all of her family and took the worst of the damage. He flagged down help and stayed incredibly strong until he knew everyone was safe. Incredible, incredible man. 'Four people owe him their lives and so many more are thankful for that' he said, A burnt-out wheel and melted aluminium skin of the aircraft bears silent witness to the intense heat of the fuel fire David had taken his partner Michelle and her sister Charlene out to South Africa from the UK to meet up with their third sister Tanya Collins to attend the funeral service for their late mother. They decided on taking an air safari with Tanya's son Ryan, 17, to remember and visit some of the mothers favourite places in the African bush. They rented a Cessna 206 from Bushpilot Adventures and took off from Wonderboom Airport in Pretoria and did an air safari via Hoedspruit and Nelspruit before flying back to Pretoria But 50 miles after taking off from Nelspruit on the 300 mile journey back they encountered thick cloud and driving rain and high winds. Fly-hire company Bushpilot Adventures owner Markus paid tribute to Mr Goodwin's courage, skill and good judgment 'Stubborn strength': South African professional pilots said the other passengers would have perished in the flames but for Mr Goodwin's heroism. The owner of the plane from Bushpilot Adventures who would only give his name as Markus spoke to pilot Michelle and one of her sisters in hospital to try and find out what happened. He said they were flying in good visibility and then hit thick cloud and had no way of turning the aircraft round and had to press on. Markus said: 'The more experienced pilot took over and was pulling back on the controls on full power trying to climb as he knew they were in mountains to try and get over the peak. 'He nearly made it - another 50 feet that is how close it was but somehow he brought it to a standstill in the treetops after slowing the forward speed and then it crashed down vertically. 'It hit the forest floor and caught fire and although David was right in the midst of the flames he forcefully pulled everybody else out of the burning aircraft before he got himself out. 'Despite his burns he managed to lead the group down the mountain egging them on until they found an old farm road and he then flagged down a passing truck who called emergency services. 'David, I absolutely salute you. You ultimately sacrificed your life saving the others. 'Without your flying in those final moments and without your stubborn strength to pull everyone out of the burning wreck of the plane far fewer of the occupants would have survived' he said. He revealed Ryan Collins, 17, had been discharged from hospital the next day. A Cessna 206 light aircraft owned by Bushpilot Adventures of the type involved in the crash (stock photo) Michelle is being treated in hospital in Middleburg for non-life threatening injuries and sisters Charlene Tilley and Tanya Collins are recovering in hospital in Witbank from burns and spinal injuries. Mr Kabelo Ledwaba from the SA Civil Aviation Authority said that air accident investigators were on the scene and would not comment further until the investigation was completed Mr Goodwin and partner Michelle are long serving members of the British Parachute Association and he piloted planes that dropped skydivers at his club Peterlee Parachute Centre in Durham. Experienced pilot David had over 1200 flying hours under his belt and his partner Michelle who was also a qualified skydiver had 200 flying hours and was also qualified to fly in South Africa. An inquest docket has been opened following the tragic accident. Mr Goodwin was born in the UK and sisters Michelle and Charlene are UK residents. California has become the first state in the U.S. to mandate that all new homes built in the Golden State must be solar powered, after law makers passed a historic vote on Wednesday. The initiative, which will come into action in 2020, has been passed unanimously by the California Building Standards Commission and will see all homes in the area equipped with more sustainable energy sources. Members of the board declared the move as a 'historical undertaking' that should act as 'a beacon of light' for the rest of the country to follow. Coming as a fulfillment of a 10-year initiative to make the state more reliant on clean renewable energy, the move will bring solar power into mainstream use in a way it has never been before. California will be the first state to adopt the motion, which will see all new homes equipped with solar energy, like this home in Corona, California (pictured on May 3) The move will bring solar power into mainstream use in a way it has never been before, an unprecedented shift members of the board are calling 'historic'. Solar panels are seen above on homes in Scripps Ranch, San Diego Upholding a May 9 vote by the California Energy Commission, the Building Standards Commission's seal of approval made the motion official on December 5. However, despite the rapturous applause the bill's passing was met with, there are some opposed to the new provisions because of the additional costs homeowners will now incur. The solar furnishings add an estimated $10,000 to the cost of building a single-family home including more than $8,400 for installing panels and roughly $1,500 for energy efficiency. The added expenses come at a time when affordable housing in California is already scarce - the state's house prices are already double the national average. The provisions could cost homeowners an additional $10,000, at a time when the state is already facing an affordable housing crisis. Pictured above, employees carry solar panels onto the roof of a home in Lafayette, California, U.S., on Tuesday, May 15 Additional worries were also raised on behalf of the victims of last month's devastating California wildfires, which destroyed more than 10,000 structures and left thousands of families homeless. The concern was that those seeking to rebuild in the wake of the disaster may not be able to afford the additional up-front charges. The committee however stated this wouldn't be an issue. California was decimated by the most deadly wildfires in its history last month, with thousands of homes destroyed and 88 dead (Pictured: firefighters attempt to extinguish a blazing home in Malibu, California on November 9) California homeowners will have the option to either pay the costs up front or sign a 'power purchase agreement,' which pays for the electricity without buying the panels, according to an official with the California Energy Commission. 'The homeowners will be able to save money from the day they walk in the door,' said Kelly Knutsen, technology advancement director for the California Solar & Storage Association, to The Orange County Register. Knutsen added: 'This is a historical policy. California is leading the country in clean energy, clean air and fighting climate change, all while saving consumers money.' Officials also say the 30-year lifespan of the solar panels will offset the utility bills, helping families save up to $500 a year. Kent Sasaki, a structural engineer and one of six commissioners voting for the new energy code, added: 'These provisions really are historic and will be a beacon of light for the rest of the country. '(It's) the beginning of substantial improvement in how we produce energy and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.' A suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder faces jail after he admitted he was at the centre of a multi-million-pound drug dealing gang. Jamie Acourt is expected to be handed a lengthy prison term for the drugs plot tomorrow, becoming the fourth of the original five Stephen Lawrence suspects to be put behind bars. Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted of Stephen's murder in 2012 and jailed for life following a DNA breakthrough. Acourt's brother Neil, who was another Lawrence suspect, was jailed over the same drugs trafficking conspiracy last year. Both Acourt brothers were arrested after the racist stabbing of the black 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence by a gang of white men in Eltham in 1993, but have always denied involvement. Jamie Acourt has admitted being part of a drug-dealing gang after he was extradited from Spain. He is pictured, left, after he was sent back to the UK, and, right, in custody in Barcelona Acourt and his friends fought with crowds after a public inquiry into Stephen's death in 1998 Jamie Acourt initially denied the drugs plot, but suddenly changed his plea to guilty on the second day of the trial today. He and his associates moved cannabis worth 7.4 million between London and the North East between 2014 and 2016. The 42-year-old was arrested in Barcelona earlier this year, where had been living under the name of Simon Alfonzo after going on the run when police investigating the drugs gang raided his Bexley home in February 2016. At Kingston Crown Court yesterday, Judge Peter Lodder QC reminded jurors that Acourt had not been convicted over 18-year-old Stephen's 1993 death. He said: 'The defendant in this case is Jamie Acourt. His name may be familiar to you because it has been alleged that he played a part in the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993. 'He has never been convicted of any offence arising out of the investigation into that death. This trial is solely concerned with the allegation of conspiracy to supply cannabis during the years 2014 to 2016.' But concerns about the jury were unnecessary after Acourt suddenly pleaded guilty today - potentially earning himself a shorter jail term. Jamie's brother Neil (pictured, left, after his arrest in 2016 and, right, after the 1998 public inquiry) also ran the drugs gang and was jailed last year Two original Lawrence suspects, Gary Dobson (left) and David Norris (right), were convicted of murdering Stephen in 2012 and jailed for life after new evidence came to light The Daily Mail named all five suspects beneath the headline 'MURDERERS' in 1997 A fifth Lawrence suspect, market traders son Luke Knight, remains living in south London. He once said in an interview: 'I'm an innocent man. I've done nothing wrong. I'm totally innocent I wasn't even there.' The racist murder that shocked the nation Stephen Lawrence's murder in Eltham sparked outrage in 1993 Acourt and his brother were teenagers when Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993. Two of the other suspects, Gary Dobson and David Norris, were convicted of murder in 2012 and jailed for life following a DNA breakthrough. But the Acourt brothers have never been convicted. At the time of Stephen's death, the Acourts described themselves as the Krays, modelling themselves on the brothers who dominated London's criminal underworld in the 1960s. The gang they were in is believed to have been responsible for a string of violent attacks, invariably featuring knives. Advertisement The Acourt drug gang court case heard yesterday that Jamie Acourt was integral to the 'long-running conspiracy to supply huge quantities' of hashish between London and South Shields. They were rounded up after police carried out a long-running surveillance operation of the gang's activity. But when officers went to Jamie's home in south-east London, he had already vanished. He disappeared to Spain, where he lived in the trendy Diagonal Mar district of Barcelona until he was finally arrested in May this year as he left a gym. Acourt's brother, Neil, was sentenced to six years and three months' imprisonment over the drugs plot in February last year. Describing the gang's structure, prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC said: 'Since the delivery men were taking most of the risks and the defendant and his brother were receiving the money, the prosecution allege that the defendant and his brother must have been the ringleaders. 'That the defendant and his brother were at the heart of what was going on is also apparent from the fact that among the delivery men were the fathers of their respective partners.' Lee Birks, 57, is the stepfather of Jamie Acourt's partner, while Jack Vose, 65, is Neil Court's father-in-law, the prosecutor said. The couriers made the 600 mile round trip to South Shields to deliver drugs, collect money, or both and 34 journeys were made over the two year period. Once the money was collected, it was handed to Jamie or Neil Acourt back in south-east London, the court heard. Another delivery man, Darren Thompson, was arrested in May 2015 as he was about to take delivery of 100 kilos of cannabis worth 200,000. Vose was found with 100 kilos of resin in South Shields on 1 February, 2016, the court heard. Jamie Acourt, pictured after his arrest and in a court sketch from a previous hearing Vose, Birks, Paul Beavers, 51, Thompson, 30, and James Botton, 46, have all been convicted of conspiracy to supply class B drugs and sentenced. Police found the gang had used sophisticated encryption software to send emails and message to each other. At a flat used by the men, police found a box for a Blackberry 9720 phone containing bits of torn up paper. Another Lawrence murder suspect, Luke Knight, remains living in south London. He was not involved in the drugs plot and denies involvement in Stephen's killing On the side of the box was written the letters 'PGP' and 'Comet40.' PGP stands for 'Pretty Good Privacy' and relates to the use of a an encrypted communications platform which enables one person to send an email to another which cannot be read by anyone else and which then could be deleted. The ripped pieces of paper in the box were matched and found to form the letters TYU and the number 123, consistent with the six character code which would unlock the device. Vose, of Bexley, was jailed for four years and nine months. Thompson, of South Shields, was jailed for four years and two months. Beavers, of Newcastle, was jailed for three years and four months. Botton, of Greenwich, was jailed for four years and nine months. Speaking after today's events, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Bedford, said: 'Todays conviction is the culmination of several years of complex investigation by Met detectives. 'Diligent policing work has enabled the team to build a case which has disbanded a drugs network valued around 4 million. Their tenacity has ensured that six members of the drugs network have now faced justice. 'The support provided to our officers by the NCA and the Spanish authorities was invaluable in locating Acourt and extraditing him to the UK and is a great demonstration of how we work with our international partners across international borders to fight crime.' The arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei at the request of US authorities has caused markets to plunge worldwide as tensions between two countries soar. Meng Wanzhou, who is Huawei's chief financial officer and the daughter of the company's billionaire founder, was detained while in transit this week in Vancouver, Canada. News broke on Wednesday that the 46-year-old Meng faces extradition to the U.S. over alleged violations of American sanctions against Iran, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunging more than 700 points on Thursday morning, before the index recovered most of the losses in the afternoon. By the closing bell, the Dow had rebounded on assurances from China that negotiations are proceeding, and the index finished down just 79 points for the day. Asian and European markets were also roiled, as the arrest threatens to derail a recent trade war truce between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, potentially sending the world's two largest economies back into a disruptive tariff battle. Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou (above in 2014) was arrested Saturday in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the U.S. on suspicion that she violated U.S. sanctions against Iran Amid the global market turmoil, a Chinese government spokesman eased investor fears by saying on Thursday that the country's leaders remain 'very confident' that a deal with the U.S. can be reached in the agreed 90-day window. Meng's arrest on Saturday came on the same day that Trump met with Xi on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Argentina, a meeting that produced the 90-day 'cease-fire' in the trade war, with both powers pledging to put a freeze on any new tariffs as negotiations proceed. Analysts say the case against Meng likely proceeded separately within the DOJ from Trump's trade discussions, though it is possible Trump knew about the investigation as he was meeting with Xi. Trump's national security adviser John Bolton said in an interview with NPR that he himself knew in advance of the pending arrest. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that he also knew of the arrest in advance, but that it was the decision of law enforcement authorities and there was no political interference. While the surprise arrest could derail the trade negotiations, it may also provide Trump with a bargaining chip if he decides to intervene in the case, some experts say. Others fear that China could retaliate in kind by taking 'hostages' from the ranks of American business travelers. 'If I was an American tech executive, I wouldn't travel to China this week,' James Lewis, the director of technology policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Axios. Lewis called Huawei 'one of the Chinese government's pet companies' and speculated that the communist country's leaders wouldn't be afraid to 'take hostages.' U.S. authorities have reportedly been probing Huawei since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws. A five-day view of the Dow Jones shows the steep plunge the index took at Thursday's opening By the time markets closed at 4pm EST, the Dow Jones had rebounded. Pictured above is a five-day view of the Dow President Trump (far right) and President XI (far left) agreed to call a truce in their long-running trade dispute at the G20 on Saturday, the same day that Meng was arrested Huawei is one of the world's largest makers of smartphones and telecommunications network equipment, and has been labeled a national security threat by U.S. officials, who have urged allies who host American military bases to ban the use of Huawei products in their communications infrastructure. Meng is the daughter of billionaire company founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said Meng broke no U.S. or Canadian laws and demanded Canada 'immediately correct the mistake' and release her. 'China has already made solemn representations to the United States and Canada, demanding they immediately correct their wrong behavior and restore Ms Meng Wanzhou's freedom,' the embassy said in a brief statement. China's foreign ministry also demanded Canada release Meng. Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters on Thursday that China was in contact with both Canada and the U.S over the case. Geng also said Meng's legal rights must be ensured. Neither Canada or the U.S. had so far responded to China's concerns, he added. The case adds to Beijing's tensions with Washington and threatens to complicate trade talks taking place in the midst a cease-fire in a tariff war over China's technology policy. Meng, who is one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei (above), was arrested on Dec. 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday Asian stock markets tumbled on the news, with the arrest is stoking fears that the world's two biggest economies will not be able to reach a long-standing truce and promote global growth. Markets across Europe also slumped and experts said investors were 'knocked sideways' by Meng's arrest, and fear the Chinese will hit back by stepping up the tit for tat trade war with Washington. Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou. Huawei overtook Apple this year to become the world's second largest maker of smartphones after Samsung Markets in America had already been falling since Tuesday on fears of a U.S. economic slowdown. Meng, one of the vice chairs on the Chinese technology company's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on December 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said, according to the Globe and Mail. The Canadian newspaper said a publication ban sought from the court by Meng prevented it from reporting further details. Representatives of Huawei, one of the world's largest makers of telecommunications network equipment, told The New York Times: 'The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng.' Meanwhile, Britain's BT Group said it was removing Huawei's equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. Huawei, which sells telecommunications and computer electronics equipment, is the world's second largest maker of smartphones, behind South Korean giant Samsung. Huawei global headquarters is seen above in Shenzhen, China New Zealand and Australia have already stopped telecom operators using Huawei's equipment in new 5G networks because they are concerned about possible Chinese government involvement in their communications infrastructure. Huawei, the world's biggest network equipment maker ahead of Ericsson and Nokia, has said Beijing has no influence over its operations. BT said Huawei's equipment had not been used in the core of its fixed-line network, and it was removing it from the core of the mobile networks it acquired when it bought operator EE. A U.S. judge last month issued an order finding that China's ZTE Corp violated probation imposed in March 2017 when the company pleaded guilty for conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions by illegally shipping U.S. goods and technology to Iran. Just yesterday President Trump tweeted about his meeting with President Xi and said he believed he meant every word ZTE is China's second-largest telecommunications equipment maker and relies on U.S. components for its smart phones and networking equipment. The probation violation cited by the judge involves the same conduct the U.S. Department of Commerce penalized in April by imposing a ban on U.S. companies selling goods to ZTE. Last month, the Trump administration launched an unusual lobbying campaign directed at allied foreign governments, asking them to press wireless and internet providers in these countries not to use Huawei equipment, according to The Wall Street Journal. American officials have talked to their counterparts in Germany, Italy, and Japan - countries where Huawei products are widely used. An aerial view of Huawei Global Headquarters on November 29, 2018 in Shenzhen, China The U.S. is worried about the extent to which Chinese-made equipment is used in the telecommunications sectors of countries that host American military bases. The move has been taken with a greater sense of urgency since internet providers are gearing up to purchase massive amounts of hardware for the much-anticipated 5G upgrade. The advent of 5G promises to make superfast internet connection available to consumers. It is expected to speed up the development of self-driving cars and other technologies that rely on the internet of things. Huawei, which sells telecommunications and computer electronics equipment, is the world's second largest maker of smartphones, behind South Korean giant Samsung. Founded in China more than 30 years ago, Huawei's announced revenue is on track to exceeded $100 billion in 2018 for the first time in its history. Huawei has managed to achieve significant global market share despite the fact that it is largely shut out of the American market. American lawmakers have claimed that Huawei passed sensitive information collected by its equipment to the Chinese government. U.S. telecommunications firms fear that partnering with Huawei by allowing it to sell their smartphones would anger the federal government and jeopardize future contracts. Huawei, for its part, has denied sharing information with the Chinese government, as has ZTE. Factory worker Karolina Valantiniene and her husband Saidas Valantinas, who was Viktorija's stepfather pictured outside Wolverhampton Crown Court today The parents of a 14-year-old girl found raped and murdered in a park have told a court neither of them had anything to do with killing the youngster. Factory worker Karolina Valantiniene and her husband Saidas Valantinas, who was Viktorija's stepfather, both called the suggestion, by a defence barrister, that they had been involved 'nonsense'. The couple, who married in 2006, were giving evidence for the prosecution's case for first time at the trial of a 16-year-old boy who stands accused of murdering their daughter, Viktorija Sokolova. Mrs Valantiniene was giving evidence before her spouse, after jurors heard that her husband's semen was found on the underwear the girl had been wearing when she was fatally attacked. Seminal fluid was also found on a pair of white jeans belonging to Viktoria which were found with the knickers, in a bin in the park grounds. Mr Valantinas told jurors he did not know how his DNA came to be on either item of his stepdaughter's clothing. Neither Karolina Valantiniene or her husband Saidas Valantinas are facing any charges in the trial. Viktorija's natural father lives in Ireland and is not implicated in the court case. The boy on trial, who cannot be named because of his age, is accused of rape, murder and sexual penetration of a corpse, after the youngster's body was discovered partially-clothed by a dog walker in the city's West Park on April 12. Viktorija Sokolova, 14, pictured, was found battered to death in a park in Wolverhampton and was allegedly murdered by a boy, 16, she had arranged to meet up with Adam Kane QC, representing the accused, asked Mr Valantinas: 'Is the real reason why your DNA is disposed as it is, on Vikorija's knickers, because you found her in the park and that you sexually assaulted her?' He replied: 'This is nonsense, I deny this completely.' Mr Kane then asked: 'Was the consequence of the sexual assault, that there then followed a violent assault, did you kill her?' The farm labourer replied: 'I did not do this, this is nonsense.' When Mrs Valantiniene was asked by Mr Kane: 'Are you seeking to protect your husband's involvement in the fatal assault on Viktorija?', she replied: 'No, this is nonsense.' When asked 'did you kill your daughter', she replied: 'No.' Then asked if her husband had killed her daughter, she again replied: 'No'. Her mother Karolina (pictured today outside Wolverhampton Crown Court) revealed she gave her daughter a kiss and hug before bed the night before she was killed Jurors at Wolverhampton Crown Court had previously heard the schoolgirl had been subjected to what a prosecutor described as 'horrific' levels of violence. It is alleged the youth used a hammer-like weapon to fracture the victim's skull in a pavilion known as the 'black house', before sexually assaulting her body. The Crown's case is that he used Facebook messenger to arrange to meet the youngster, in the city's West Park, and changed his trousers before leaving the scene. Giving evidence earlier Karolina Valantiniene said she gave her daughter Viktorija Sokolova a hug in bed at home, on the evening of April 10, before heading off to sleep. The following morning, she got up early to work an early shift as a packer in a factory but checked on her sleeping daughter before leaving. It was the last time she saw her alive. The parent also revealed that when left for work at 4am the next day, she checked up on her sleeping daughter Forensics teams examine the area where the girl was bludgeoned to death and her perpetrator had sex with her dead body Giving evidence for the first time on Thursday, the victim's mother told the court her daughter had at one stage been sent to live with her natural father after repeatedly running away from the family home. On the Sunday before she was killed, the girl disappeared again, so Mrs Valantiniene went looking for her. She found her later that night in a children's play area with a former 'boyfriend' and another girl, smoking cannabis. When she asked her daughter to come home, the teenager 'started to shout and scratch' and 'became violent', she told the court. Viktorija had been a 'troubled' child who got in with the wrong crowd, her mother said She managed to elude her mother, but was picked up by the police the next day and placed in a children's home overnight. On Tuesday, April 10, she was brought back to the family home by a social worker, who advised Mrs Valantiniene and Viktorija's stepfather to try and 'communicate' with the girl. Mrs Valantiniene, describing the last contact she had with her daughter, said: 'We were about to go to sleep. 'I came to her room, gave her a hug, and kissed her for the last time.' As she left for work at 4am, on April 11, she added: 'I came to see Viktorija before I left.' There was no more contact between the pair, and after work that evening, when her daughter failed to come home, she called the police and reported her missing. She and her husband, Saidas Valantinas, went to bed and the next morning checked their daughter's bed to find she had not returned. Mrs Valantiniene said it would have been impossible for her daughter to sneak back into the home undetected, as the couple had a burglar alarm and a dead bolt on the inside of the front door. The court heard her body was found with 21 hammer wounds including a spine 'snapped in two'. Pictured are police teams near a lake where her phone was found She later told the jury that following a patch of 'bad' behaviour from her daughter, beginning in summer 2017 when she started hanging around with 'older Eastern European males', she was sent away. Viktorija went to Ireland to live with her natural father in late December 2017, returning to Wolverhampton in February 2018. The move followed an incident on December 15, when Viktorija had gone missing once again, when one of the windows was smashed at the family home. Viktorija was found by a dog walker propped up on a bench at a pavilion in the park, pictured In a phone call to 999 police call handler that day, Mrs Valantiniene said: 'I am scared in my own house, you understand. 'I have a very big problem with my daughter. She is a very troubled child, very troubled. 'She smokes, she sleeps with guys, and she smokes ganja. 'She's drinking and I don't know what to do, because she's a very bad child.' After returning from her break in Ireland, Viktorija appeared to settle down, her mother said, and after starting a new school, their relationship was back to being 'ideal'. But two weeks later, she ran away once again. Tony Blair today said Theresa May should pull next week's crunch Brexit vote rather than 'plunge' ahead and suffer a massive and humiliating defeat. Mrs May has vowed to press ahead despite predictions she could lose the vote by over 100 - a defeat which could deal her premiership a mortal blow. But former Labour leader said there is no point in just running head-on into a defeat and that he would pull the vote if he was still in No10. He also warned that Tory MPs have lost confidence in the PM on Brexit and have decided 'mutiny is wiser than following the officer class into the abyss'. Tony Blair (pictured last month on the BBC) said that Theresa May should pull next week's crunch Brexit vote rather than 'plunge ahead' and suffer a massive and humiliating defeat And the arch Remainer renewed his call for a second Brexit referendum - saying that with MPs bitterly divided over the future the only option is to 'go to the people'. The ex PM made the comments as he made a rare return to Parliament to give a speech to political journalists at a lunch today. Tony Blair lashes calls for the UK to opt for a Norway-style Brexit deal Tony Blair today lashed plans for the UK to opt for a Norway-style Brexit deal. A group of Labour MPs and Tories - including some ministers - want the country to get a Norway plus deal. This would see the UK stay in the single market and customs unions rules, meaning it would have to keep free movement. But speaking at a press gallery lunch today, the former PM was scathing about the prospect of the deal. He Brexit voters would see Norway as a betrayal of the referendum. Shaking his head, he said: 'I hear talk of Norway, no. 'Norway is not going to work. Norway is going to be subject to an even greater degree of attack from people who voted Brexit. 'I remember the words of a senior Norway politician who said "if you want to run the EU stay in the EU, if you want to be run by the EU come and join us by the EEA.' Advertisement He said: 'As to whether Theresa May calls the vote or not, if I were her I would just understand that this is a situation where you are going to have to work out if it is possible for any option to command a majority. 'I don't personally think it is very sensible to just to plunge along and be defeated very heavily. What does that tell you?' Mr Blair said that he has '100 per cent personal sympathy' for Mrs May and the sheer hard work she has put into the talks. But he said she has lost her grip and the confidence of her backbenchers, who have risen up against her in a revolt which threatens to torpedo her Brexit plan. He said: 'As time has gone on, the sense of grip necessary for Government credibility has eroded, and the foot soldiers have eventually concluded that mutiny is a is a wiser than following the officer class into the abyss.' The ex Labour leader said Parliament has risen up and put itself 'in command' of the talks after voting to earlier this week to give the Commons the power to instruct the PM if her deal is defeated next week. He lased the PM's plan and said the only way out of the parliamentary gridlock is to hold another referendum. He added: 'I think it is very hard to look at that Brexit vote and say they mandated Norway. 'I think it is hard to say, though easier to say, that they mandated Canada. 'But one thing is absolutely clear in my view - they didn't mandate a half in half out, where you are not clear what you are doing and you are arguing for a forever and a day through the transition period through an extended transition period and afterward.' Theresa May (pictured today with husband Philip unveiled her official Christmas card today) is facing mounting pressure to pull next week's Brexit deal vote maid warnings she will lose it by 100 or more Environment Secretary Michael Gove (left) and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom (right) were among the ministers at the meeting in No10 today Several Cabinet ministers have urged the PM to pull next week's crunch vote and return to Brussels to try to squeeze more concessions out of the EU. And the PM sparked fevered speculation that she may be about to bow to their pressure after she summoned senior ministers to Downing Street this afternoon. Sir Graham Brady, chair of the powerful Tory backbench 1922 committee, also waded into the row this evening by saying he would 'welcome' a delay to the vote. Mrs May held around an hour of talks with ministers including Philip Hammond, Amber Rudd, Sajid Javid, Liam Fox, David Lidington, David Gauke, Andrea Leadsom, Michael Gove and Stephen Barclay. But afterwards Downing Street confirmed that there is still no prospect of the showdown next Tuesday being called off. Sources told MailOnline the meeting was 'taking stock' of the situation. Earlier, Mrs May struck a defiant tone as she warned there is no other deal on the table, and that killing her proposal off would either end up with the UK crashing out of the EU - or Brexit not happening at all. In interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mrs May said her fear was that 'Parliament in some way frustrates Brexit'. Rhys Miller-Offiong (pictured) befriended women on Facebook and Plenty of Fish and encouraged them to send over naked selfies A rapist who created bogus profiles on social media and dating websites in a revenge porn scheme was jailed for 15 years today. Rhys Miller-Offiong, 24, befriended young women on Facebook and Plenty of Fish and encouraged them to send over naked selfies. He demanded either sex or money from his first victim, who was 17 at the time, before sending compromising pictures to her mother and boyfriend. Miller-Offiong then tricked another woman into sending explicit pictures and videos of herself, before agreeing to meet him on a date in Catford, southeast London. When she arrived, she received a text threatening to distribute the naked images if she did not meet another man first. She then went with the man, who turned out to be Miller-Offiong, to a nearby address where he raped her. The third victim met Miller-Offiong through dating website Plenty of Fish and sent over a real picture of himself. He then began to threaten her and demand she perform a sex act on him, Woolwich Crown Court heard. Miller-Offiong then claimed he was watching her in a series of menacing texts, the court heard. Andrew Hudson, prosecuting, said the victims were 'scared and pressurised' into complying with his demands for money and sexual acts. But eventually Miller-Offiong was traced to the crimes after detectives used his 'digital footprint' to catch him. Miller-Offiong demanded either sex or money from his first victim, 17, before sending compromising pictures to her mother and boyfriend, Woolwich Crown Court (pictured) heard Mr Hudson said he hoped other potential victims of similar 'catfishing' scams will come forward as they will be taken seriously by police. Miller-Offiong, from Catford, admitted blackmail, rape, four charges of distributing indecent images of a child, three of disclosing a private sexual photograph with intent to cause distress, and a charge of committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence. Detective Constable Paul Harakis said: 'Miller-Offiong is a predatory sex offender who has drawn unsuspecting girls into his sexual trap via social media. 'The victims in this case have shown real strength of character and fortitude by both assisting our investigation and providing evidence to the court which left Miller-Offiong with little option than to plead guilty. 'I would like to praise their bravery and courage in coming forward and I hope it gives them some form of closure now that Miller-Offiong is behind bars.' A former award-winning meteorologist once named Alabamas Best Weathercaster has been charged with domestic violence, police say. Mark Prater was arrested at his home in Moody on Wednesday after a woman filed a Protection From Abuse request against him, claiming that he'd been threatening to take her daughter away over a period of several days in late November. According to the filing, Prater called the woman 17 times and sent her 37 emails Tuesday morning before showing up at her home - at which point she called the police. The 49-year-old spent 10 years as chief meteorologist for CBS 42 in Jefferson County before abruptly leaving the job in April. Details of his departure were not made public, according to AL.com. He has been charged with second-degree domestic violence/stalking and his bond has been set at $100,000. Former award-winning Alabama meteorologist Mark Prater has been charged with domestic violence and stalking in Jefferson County after woman claimed he was threatening to take her daughter away. The 49-year-old abruptly left his job as chief meteorologist for CBS 42 in April The woman, whose name has been withheld, was granted the Protection From Abuse and a judge scheduled a January hearing to review it. Her relationship to Prater is unknown. Under Alabama law, second-degree domestic violence involves second-degree assault, intimidating a witness, burglary, stalking or criminal mischief where the victim is a current or former spouse, parent, child, any person with whom the defendant has a child in common, a present or former household member, or a person who has or had a dating or engagement relationship with the defendant. If convicted of the Class B felony, Prater will face a minimum of six months in jail or prison without probation, parole, good time credits, or any reduction in time for any second or subsequent conviction. Prater grew up in Prattville and had been on the air for more than three decades when he left CBS 42 earlier this year. He was named Birmingham's Best News/Weather anchor on a number of occasions, and in 1999 the Associated Press gave him the title of Alabama's Best Weathercaster. After his contract with local station ABC 33/40 expired in 2004, Prater moved to Davenport, Iowa, and worked for Independent News Network for four years before moving back to Birmingham. The son of a peer killed himself hours after his carer ignored a message from his mother pleading for help, an inquest heard today. Rupert Green, 21, the son of Lord Nicholas Monson, hanged himself at his family home in Farnham, Surrey, hours after his mother Karen Green contacted care coordinator Faye Brevitt asking for help. A statement from Mrs Green given to the inquest said she raised the alarm after Rupert had accused her of not believing he was 'the son of God'. The inquest at Woking Coroner's Court heard how Rupert had become psychotic and believed his female roommates at his University of Essex accommodation, where he studied biology, had turned against him and were hacking into his computer. Rupert Green, 21, the son of Lord Nicholas Monson, hanged himself at his family home in Farnham, Surrey Mrs Green said she had 'a strange conversation' with her son on January 18, 2017, the day he hanged himself. She said: 'He said something like, "you're hiding the truth from me". 'I asked what he thought I was hiding from him, I said I was not hiding anything. Rupert's mother raised the alarm with his carer in the hours before his death 'He said, "I'm the son of God and if you don't believe me, there will be blood on your hands." His mother subsequently text Ms Brevitt, who had been looking after Rupert for some ten months, the inquest heard. She said: 'I think I said Rupert warned I would have blood on my hands for not believing he was the son of God.' Mrs Green said she deleted the texts after Rupert's death, but added: 'My phone records confirm the text message was sent, I didn't receive any response.' Rupert believed that 'if he cut his wrists it would prove the truth of his thoughts,' the inquest heard. In the months before his death in January 2017, he had also threatened to kill himself several times and spent three weeks in a mental health unit, the hearing was told yesterday. The 21-year-old hanged himself hours later then spent five days on life support before he died. Lord Nicholas Monson and the mother of his son Rupert, Karen Green, at Woking Coroner's Court It is the second tragedy to hit peer Lord Monson, the 12th Baron Monson, of Burton, Lincolnshire, whose eldest son, Alexander Monson, died in police custody in Kenya in 2012. The inquest heard three days earlier, on January 15, Rupert visited the Safe Haven cafe, in Aldershot, a mental health walk-in centre, but was refused referral to a home treatment team. A nurse at the centre, Diane Evdoka, was told by Vimbai Vhondo, a home treatment nurse, his condition was not serious enough to warrant a referral. But Alison Blofield, a consultant nurse who carried out an independent review into Rupert's death, said he should have been seen. Coroner Anna Crawford asked Ms Blofield: 'A combination of his presentation and what he was saying about harming himself would, in your view, have been sufficient to justify a home treatment assessment on the day?' She replied: 'Yes, most definitely.' The following day, on January 16, Rupert met with consultant psychiatrist Sofia Efstratiou, but he 'didn't express any thoughts about killing himself'. Ms Efstratiou said he was psychotic but it was not diagnosed as 'drug-induced'. Lord Monson has previously blamed his son's condition on his use of skunk cannabis. Ms Efstratiou said: 'In order for somebody to be diagnosed with drug-induced psychosis it's not enough for the person just to say I'm using substances..' She also said records showed he 'denied' using substances during previous check-ups. She said: 'As a result of that at the time of the appointment we rated the risk of using substances as low.' Asked by the coroner if she would do anything differently, she said: 'In that appointment, there were many comments or questions and discussions coming from the mum. 'It would be better for me I think if I had spent some time with Rupert by himself.' The inquest continues. President Donald Trump complained Thursday as George H.W. Bush's family funeral was under way in Texas that his presidential approval rating would be much higher, if not for the neverending Russia probe. Trump claimed he'd be beloved by 75 percent of the country had the investigation into election meddling, which is now controlled by the special counsel, not cast a dark cloud over his first two years in office. 'Without the phony Russia Witch Hunt, and with all that we have accomplished in the last almost two years (Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judges, Military, Vets, etc.) my approval rating would be at 75% rather than the 50% just reported by Rasmussen,' he argued in a tweet. 'Its called Presidential Harassment!' President Donald Trump complained Thursday as former President George H.W. Bush's family funeral was underway in Texas that his approval rating would be much higher, if not for the neverending Russia probe Trump claimed he'd be beloved by 75 percent of the country had the investigation into election meddling, which is now controlled by the special counsel, not stretched over his first two years in office Tweet followed his attorney's revelation that Trump struggled with the written answers he was tasked with answering as part of a deal with the special counsel's office to keep him from being deposed in Mueller's investigation Trump relied on Rasmussen's polling to place his favorability at 50 percent. His approval rating on Thursday in Rasmussen's daily tracking poll was nearly there at 49 percent. In Gallup's weekly tracking poll, however, the president was performing at just 40 percent. His highest rating in the survey that used to be published on a daily basis but moved to a weekly schedule earlier this year is 45 percent, having reached the marker twice since he took office. Trump hit the ceiling the week after he was inaugurated and in June of this year. No other president in modern American history has had as low an approval rating. Furthermore, just two presidents since Lyndon B. Johnson have scored at 75 percent or above in the Gallup poll - George W. Bush and his late father George Bush senior. George H.W. Bush's likeability score hit 89 percent the day he declared an end to the the Persian Gulf War in an Oval Office address on Feb. 28, 1991. His son had an unparalleled 92 percent approval rating the day after he delivered a joint address to Congress following the coordinated terror attack on several sites in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Trump used Rasmussen's polling to place his favorability at this moment at 50 percent. His approval rating on Thursday in Rasmussen's daily tracking poll was 49 percent Just two presidents since Lyndon B. Johnson have scored at 75 percent or above in the Gallup poll - George W. Bush and his late father George Bush senior No other president in modern American history has had as low an approval rating as Trump in the Gallup poll. His current score, the light green line, is 40 percent Even Barack Obama, who was elected to two terms in office, never had an approval rating as high as the one Trump believes he would have, if it weren't for the Russia meddling investigation. His highest score, 69 percent, was also his first week on the job, in January of 2009. Trump's gripes about the Russia probe followed a celebratory tweet on Wednesday evening about his approval rating reaching 50 percent in Rassmussen's latest poll. It also followed his his attorney's revelation that Trump struggled with the written answers he was tasked with answering as part of a deal with the special counsel's office to keep him from being deposed in Mueller's investigation. Trump had claimed that that he easily answered the questions with very little help from his attorneys in days. But Rudy Giuliani claimed it was a 'real job' to remember what happened in 2016. 'Answering those questions was a nightmare,' the former New York mayor told the Atlantic. 'It took him about three weeks to do what would normally take two days,' Giuliani said. Giuliani indicated it was a challenge for Trump to recall the answers to questions about 2016 a key year for the probe, as it would encompass the time period when any possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russians would have occurred. 'He's got a great memory,' Giuliani told the publication. 'However, basically we were answering questions about 2016, the busiest year of his life. It's a real job to remember.' Rudy Giuliani indicated it was a challenge for Trump to recall the answers to questions about 2016 a key year for the probe, as it would encompass the time period when any possible collusion between Trump campaign officials and Russians would have occurred The comment raises the possibility that Trump in his responses may have on occasion answered that he didn't recall what had happened. By one count, Donald Trump Jr. didn't recall 54 things during his congressional testimony, for instance. Trump in the past has said he has 'one of the great memories of all time.' If the special counsel isn't satisfied with Trump's responses, he could issue a subpoena, but Giuliani warned, 'We're ready to resist that.' Such a move would almost certainly provoke a Supreme Court fight. Trump has been daring Mueller to come after him, tweeting about the special counsel or the probe on a near-daily basis. Giuliani suggested he was frustrated with Trump's antics, telling The Atlantic, 'I don't think there's anyone in the world that can stop Donald Trump from tweeting...I've tried.' IT WAS A VERY BUSY YEAR: Giuliani said Trump has a 'great memory' but it was a struggle to recall things from 2016, when he was frantically running for president 'I don't think following his lead is the right thing. He's the client,' Giuliani said. 'The more controlled a person is, the more intelligent they are, the more they can make the decision. But he's just like every other client. He's not more you know, controlled than any other client. In fact, he's a little less.' Officials have been grumbling that the White House has yet to develop a detailed plan for how to counter the possible release of a Mueller report, although new acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker, installed by Trump, will have to sign off on its release. Former officials said that Trump, and not his staff, are the reason that one hasn't come together. 'We would always put together plans with the knowledge that [Trump] wouldn't use them or they'd go off the rails,' a former official told the Atlantic. 'And at this point, with Mueller, they've decided they're not even going to do that.' 'It's like, 'Jesus, take the wheel,' the source said, 'but scarier.' In a toy factory in Heyuan, southeastern China's Guangdong province, hundreds of workers bury their heads in mountains of Disney's Little Mermaid figurines. However, as these workers try to keep up with the Christmas demand, they are found to be working in miserable conditions - excessive and illegal overtime, no holiday or sick pay, and for pay rates as low as 85p an hour, an undercover investigation has revealed. While the Disney Princess Sing & Sparkle Ariel doll retails for 34.99 online, each worker at the Wah Tung factory gets paid less than 1p per doll produced, according to a report published on Thursday by rights groups Solidar Suisse and China Labor Watch. Wah Tung factory in Heyuan, where staff said they worked 175 hours of overtime in a month. An investigation by Solidar Suisse and China Labor Watch has exposed illegally long working hours and low wages for staff at factory making toys for Disney and other toy companies While the Disney Princess Sing & Sparkle Ariel doll retails for 34.99 online, the workers at the Wah Tung factory get paid less than 1p per doll, according to the undercover investigation Workers are found to be working in poor conditions - excessive and illegal overtime, no holiday or sick pay, and for basic pay rates as low as 85p an hour, according to China Labor Watch The investigation, which took place between April and September this year, also revealed various serious labour violations at three other factories that produce toys for Hasbro, Mattel's Fisher Price brand and other international toy companies. The basic pay of 7.5 yuan (85p) is so low that workers have no choice but to work overtime, the report said. Staff at the Heyuan factory said that they worked 175 hours of overtime in a month, with only one day off - nearly five times the legal limit of 36 hours. Both the excessive overtime and lack of rest days are breaches of Chinese labour law and toy industry codes of conduct. A worker assembling a Disney Princess Sing & Sparkle Ariel doll at the Wah Tung factory The investigation, which took place between April and September this year, also revealed various serious labour violations at three other factories that make toys for Hasbro, Mattel's Fisher Price brand and other international toy companies Wah Tung Toy Manufacturing is located in Heyuan, south-east China's Guangdong province At the peak of production, as many as 2,500 of the dolls were rolling off the production line each day, according to the investigation. Various photographs released by China Labor Watch from the assembly lines show exhausted workers asleep or resting during their short breaks. Workers at the Wah Tung factory, as well as those in the other three - Jetta Industries, Lovable Products and Herald Metal & Plastic Works - were not provided with the legally mandated 24 hours of pre-job safety training, the report said. Without the training, many workers were unaware of the toxic chemicals they came into contact with and protective measures to take, nor were they provided with necessary safety equipment. Others were reportedly made to sign blank contracts, which were not explained to them by superiors. They also did not receive a copy of the contracts. Workers resting during their breaks at a Jakks Pacific assembly line at Wah Tung factory Photos released by China Labor Watch show workers asleep or resting during their breaks In addition to low wages and excessive overtime, workers needed to endure sub-standard living conditions. At Wah Tung and Lovable Products, eight to 10 workers were squeezed into tiny dormitories. Many of the showers were not equipped with hot water. The workers were also not protected by a union nor covered by social insurance, the report claimed. Many major toy producers - including Disney and Mattel - are members of the International Council of Toy Industries' Ethical Toy Program (ETP), which sets out industry standards to support the rights and well-being of factory workers. The Wah Tung factory is certified by the ETP, according to The Guardian, which first published the report. Speaking on the factory's behalf, ETP spokesman Mark Robertson said: 'The allegations highlighted from the report contravene ethical toy programme's own requirements on working hours, wages, holiday pay and annual leave. We will work directly with factories to address any issues identified.' Exhausted workers sleep on their desks at the assembly line at one of the four factories A Schleich dragon produced at Lovable Products factory in Dongguan City, Guangdong In addition to low wages and excessive overtime, workers need to endure sub-standard living conditions. At Wah Tung and Lovable Products, eight to 10 workers are squeezed into barren dormitories without hot water in unsanitary showers A spokesman for Disney told The Guardian the company is a member of the ethical toy programme's committed brands plus programme, which it used alongside others 'as part of our responsible sourcing approach'. He referred to a statement from ETP in which the council said it welcomed 'any robust investigation which increases our understanding of working conditions at toy factories'. Mattel said it had no current production in the factories mentioned in the China Labor Watch report. MailOnline has reached out to both companies for further comment. China is one of the world's largest toy maker, producing an estimated 80 per cent of all toys worldwide, according to a report by Hong Kong Trade Development Council. Harry Avis, 20, is on the run and is wanted on recall to prison after breaching the terms of his license A wanted criminal has been taunting police by writing under his own wanted poster: 'I'm not hiding! You just ain't looking good enough.' Harry Avis, 20, is wanted on recall to prison after breaching the terms of his license. Sussex Police are offering 1,000 for any information which leads to his arrest. Avis, who has links to the Brighton area, took just 45 minutes to comment under a post asking for information about his whereabouts. Avis revelled in their post, saying: 'I'm not hiding! You just ain't looking good enough', with laughing emoijs added for extra insult. His remark sparked a back and forth between police and himself on social media. They wrote back: 'Hi Harry. So good to hear from you. Hope you are well. We're good at hide and seek. We've played this game before. 'Fear not, we have the eyes and ears of our lovely Facebook followers who I'm sure will step in to help us.' Avis commented: 'Don't look like they will or you would have me in your custody wouldn't you.' The fugitive's comments went down well with social media users, who praised him as the 'hide and seek champion' while others called him a 'legend'. Sussex Police have used social media in a bid to try and find Harry Avis, who is wanted for breaching his licence The suspect used Facebook to taunt the police, with members of the public also getting involved in the back-and-forth One commenter said: 'Well give me a clue I could do with a thousand pounds' to which Avis replied: 'Well it's sunny with sun loungers'. That sparked another raft of messages from people trying to work out where Avis has been hiding out, with guesses ranging from Tenerife to Blackpool. After a comment that it was 'not sunny in Whitehawk' - a suburb on the outskirts of Brighton near the Marina - Avis said it had 'got boring there'. The suspect is described as white, around 5ft 10in, thin, with brown hair and blue eyes. Detective Inspector Ian Still said: 'We are offering the reward for information which leads to the arrest of Harry Avis. 'We want to hear from anyone who knows where he is or has any information about his whereabouts.' Callous thieves stole hundreds of brand new bikes and helmets that had been meant for needy children this Christmas. Waste Connections, a waste management company in Washington state, raised more than $55,000 to buy around 700 bikes for less-fortunate children. They bikes were being stored in a trailer that was parked at a Walmart store in Vancouver. But on Tuesday, the company's staff discovered thieves had broken in and stolen around 200 bikes, Fox12 reports. Callous thieves broke into a trailer (pictured) in Washington and stole hundreds of bikes meant for needy children Vancouver Police said a sweet sweeper operator interrupted the theft and alerted Walmart employees. They also reported seeing two people parked in a vehicle near the trailer. Cyndi Holloway, of Waste Connections, described the theft as 'heartbreaking to say the least.' She added to Fox12: 'I think it is more heartbreaking that you are taking from the kids. Waste Connections, a waste management company in Washington state, raised more than $55,000 to buy around 700 bikes. Stock photo 'There are little kids throughout Clark County, through different nonprofit organizations that are counting on these bikes. This was the eight year the company had raised funds to build bikes for the less fortunate in Clark County. The project's organizers will be working with Walmart to try and replace the stolen bikes in time for Christmas. This is the moment a gas meter is ripped off the side of a wall leaving a young family and a toddler with croup without heating for more than 48 hours. Kaitlan Walton, 21, from Hamilton, Leicestershire, discovered her heating was not working when she went to turn it on late at night and then realised the entire meter was missing. She said: 'Sunday evening at about eight it was all working fine, but then at about 11 when I went to turn the heating on it wasn't working.' The person tries to get the meter off of the wall (left) before pulling it (right) and walking away In CCTV footage from outside her home a person, who appears to be holding a spanner, can be seen trying to remove the metre and twisting it away from the wall. After only a minute of fiddling with the unit on the footage, they pull it off the wall and quickly walk away. The stay-at-home mum of two said that she called the police but was told there was nothing they could do and that she should contact the gas company. So she rang her gas supplier, British Gas, who told her they couldn't do anything unless they spoke to the police. When she called the Police for the second time she spoke to a different person and this time they gave her an incident number. Kaitlan Walton, 21, said her family was left without heat for days after the meter was taken The theft of the gas meter meant that Ms Walton and her two children, who are 15 month-old and five-years-old, were left freezing for more than two days. Her 15 month-old suffers from croup and was struggling with breathing, making living without heating extremely difficult. 'I don't understand why anyone would do this,' she told Leicestershire Live. Leicestershire Police confirmed that the incident has been reported to them and that they had been in contact with British Gas. A Police spokesperson said: 'Enquiries are being carried out and we have been in contact with British gas. As of yet no arrests have been made.' Frank Ortega Robledo was convicted for sexually abusing a child in 2004 A convicted paedophile has been caught sexually abusing another girl after he made her pregnant aged just 12 - police have revealed. Frank Ortega Robledo, a registered sex offender in the state of Texas, allegedly abused his second victim since the age of five and was only caught when she was forced to go into hospital following a pregnancy. Robledo was arrested on Saturday by officers from the Bexar County Sheriff's Office after a police affidavit alleged he had been abusing the girl since 2011. In the affidavit a BCSO deputy said staff at the Methodist Hospital in San Antonio said she was 32-weeks pregnant when she came in for treatment on November 8, and she named Robledo as the suspect. The papers, filed on Monday with the San Antonio Magistrate, also told how the victim initially recounted her original testimony in an attempt to absolve Robledo because he had allegedly 'threatened to hurt her family'. A week later the girl admitted that her original testimony had been true and she had lied to investigators under forensic interview because she was 'under duress'. The alleged abuse was revealed by the victim during a visit to San Antonio's Methodist Hospital in October (pictured) The young girl later told her mother the defendant warned he would 'hurt her aunt, her mother and sisters' if she ever spoke out. According to the affadivit, the girl was able to tell she was five when he started abusing her because she remembered being in kindergarten at the time. Robledo was released from prison in 2004 and ordered to register as a sex offender for life after a serving a spell behind bars for indecency with a child by sexual contact Robledo was arrested Monday at around 6:45 p.m. and charged with continuous sexual assault of a child, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The newspaper, which obtained and published a copy of the arrest warrant affidavit, reported Robledo's bond was listed at $100,000. 'The juvenile victim stated she cannot remember how many times the defendant has sexually assaulted her but it was multiple incidents,' the arrest warrant affidavit said. The report said investigators believe assaults took place from between August 2011 and March 2018. The European Union's flagship plan for a 10,000-strong bloc-wide border and coastguard force in two years exceeds 'what is feasible,' the EU's Austrian presidency said Thursday. Some EU member states have expressed fears the plan would erode their sovereign right to control national borders while others had concerns about funding a force that the European Commission unveiled in September. 'The Commission's target with these fixed figures (of 10,000) by 2020 actually goes beyond the scope of what is feasible,' Austria's interior minister Herbert Kickl told reporters. The EU's plan for a 10,000-strong bloc-wide border and coastguard force in two years exceeds 'what is feasible,' Austria's interior minister Herbert Kickl said 'That is why we are now exploring corresponding compromises,' Kickl said without elaborating. 'We have nothing to gain from writing 10,000 on paper and then they do not really exist, and that is why the timetable is being extended,' Kickl added. He spoke instead of a 'gradual buildup' during the next seven-year EU budget from 2021-2027, which is now under negotiation. Austria, which currently holds the six-month rotating presidency of the EU, was hosting a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels on Thursday to discuss ongoing plans to curb migration. Germany's interior minister Horst Seehofer said: 'We will have to discuss how many posts are realistic by 2020. We should not make any utopian promises here.' Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl (right) chats with German counterpart Horst Seehofer (L) during an European Interior Minister council in Brussels on Thursday An EU diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity that it is 'pretty fair to say' the bloc has abandoned the plan to meet the 10,000 target. 'For now it is unrealistic.' In September, Jean-Claude Juncker, who heads the Commission, the EU's executive arm, announced the plan to sharply boost the current pan-EU force of 1,300 staff to help individual member states patrol their borders. But a number of member countries were uncomfortable with it, including Juncker's call for 10,000 border guards. Poland, for example, said that funds for the force might mean less money for road and other infrastructure projects. Frontline countries Italy, Greece and Spain expressed fears that border guards recruited from other member countries would erode their national sovereignty if deployed to their territory during a crisis. The beefed-up force has been the flagship of EU efforts to bolster its long maritime and land borders against flows of migrants fleeing war and poverty from the Middle East and Africa. The unlikelihood of meeting the border guard numbers by 2020 is all the more glaring as EU member states have found it easier to bolster borders than agree how to share responsibility for refugees who reach European shores. The EU is trying to boost its defences against future migrant surges after having sharply reduced arrivals since a 2015 peak as a result of cooperation with Turkey and Libya. The last surge, which amounted to Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War II, fuelled divisions across the bloc - particularly over a plan to relocate tens of thousand of asylum seekers among EU member states. A couple of real-life Grinches stole the Salvation Army donation tin outside of a supermarket in Minnesota and it was all caught on camera. Now police are asking for helping identifying the thieves. The Blaine Police Department says the theft happened outside of Cub Foods on Tuesday at 2.30pm. It is unclear how much money was in the kettle when the theft occurred. Police Chief Brian Podany told the local Fox9 that 'Right away when it was referred to us was, we realized we have a Grinch out there- two Grinches.' 'That someone would do that, it's the principle - regardless of how much was in the kettle at the time. Why would someone do this to people? It's just disappointing.' The two Grinches approach the red Salvation Army tin and take bolt-cutters to it One person acts as a lookout while the other works on cutting the tin free from the stand The Salvation Army Bell Ringer did not show up for their shift so the tin was unattended In this shot you can better see the suspect's face as he wrenches the tin free from the stand After they snag the tin they take off running towards their car described as a grey SUV In the surveillance video, two men, trying to hide their faces with their hooded sweatshirts are seen walking up to the kettle. One produces a bolt cutter and uses it to remove the bucket from the stand, while the other appears to be keeping watch. Once they get the kettle loose they snatch it and run off. Surveillance cameras not only captured their faces, they also captured their vehicle. Their car appears to be a grey or silver SUV. The pair faces felony possession of theft tools and damage to property charges. Major Robert Doliber with the Salvation Army said its not common for their tins to be stolen but in this case the bell ringer hadn't show up for his shift when the theft occurred. Doliber added he doesn't believe there much money inside the tin. The Blaine Police Department released a shot of the vehicle the suspects drove off in 'I think they need to think about the people they are stealing from and just have a heart and put a stop to it, turn yourself in,' said Doliber. The Salvation Army assists single mothers, seniors, families with children and those who are at risk of losing their permanent housing. They also assist people who are currently homeless. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Hale at (763)785-6168 or email him at thale@blainemn.gov. Police have released dramatic CCTV of the moment a gang of audacious burglars broke into a historic estate before stealing a diamond-encrusted tiara worth millions. Officers were called after the thieves entered the The Welbeck Estate in Sherwood Forest, Worksop, Nottinghamshire between 9.45pm and 10pm on November 20. During the daring heist, the offenders fled with The Portland Tiara, a 'national treasure' that was commissioned for King Edward VII's coronation. This is the dramatic moment thieves wearing boiler suits broke into The Welbeck Estate in Sherwood Forest, Worksop, Nottinghamshire and cut their way into a room containing a priceless collection of jewellery The thieves escaped in this Audi RS5 Quattro with a number plate KY61 USJ Security footage captured the gang -wearing boiler suits and crash helmets - using power tools and metal bars to break their way into the Portland Collection Gallery. Sparks can be seen flying as they cut their way into the premises before fleeing the scene in a silver Audi RS5 Quattro having also snatched a diamond brooch. Nottinghamshire Police today released the footage and an image of the car, with the registration KY61 USJ, in a bid to track down the suspects. Detective Inspector Gayle Hart said: 'Our enquiries are ongoing and we're making a plea to potential witnesses. 'The suspects were wearing white suits and motorcycle helmets but we're still hoping someone may know who they are and we're urging anyone with any information to get in touch with us. Among the items stolen from the Welbeck Estate was this diamond brooch The Portland tiara, pictured, was also taken in the raid. It is considered one of the 'great historic tiaras of Great Britain' 'We're also urging anyone who has any information about the silver Audi RS5 to contact us. 'Did you see this car in the area around the time of the burglary or have dash-cam footage of it? Did you see anyone in the car? 'We're keen to trace this vehicle's movements preceding the burglary so again we're appealing to anyone who saw it or who has any information to get in touch with us as soon as possible. 'We believe the burglars used specialist diamond cutter-type tools to break through the armoured glass display case. 'If anyone has information about people hiring or sourcing such equipment then we'd urge them to get in touch.' The Portland tiara is considered one of the 'great historic tiaras of Great Britain' after the Duke of Portland commissioned jewellers Cartier to make it in 1902. Richard Edgcumbe, Curator of Jewellery at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, said: 'The Portland Tiara is one of the great historic tiaras of Great Britain. The raiders used specialised equipment to break into the collection 'Since its creation by Cartier in 1902, using diamonds from the historic collections of the Dukes of Portland, it has been recognised as a jewel of supreme importance, a superb design magnificently executed.' The 6th Duke of Portland commissioned Cartier to create the Portland Tiara for his wife, Winifred, Duchess of Portland. She wore it to the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII. The Duchess was one of four pall-bearers at Queen Alexandra's anointing. The centre-piece of the tiara is the Portland Diamond, which dates from the 19th century. It is flanked by two diamond drops and other pendant diamonds, all set in gold and silver. The brooch is composed of diamond clusters that previously stood at the apex of the tiara. These gems can be seen on the tiara in a painting of Duchess Winifred at the anointing of Queen Alexandra. James Lewis, of Bamfords auctioneers in Derby, said previously: 'It could be worth millions - but it is such a well-known piece it can't come up for public sale. 'The most horrendous thought is it could be something called a "breaker", where the diamonds are taken out and sold individually.' A Utah couple has been arrested for carrying out a yearlong sexual affair with a girl when she was 14 and 15 years old. Michael Mahoney, 57, and Christina Mahoney, 33, were arrested on Monday and charged with two counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and five counts of third-degree unlawful sexual activity with a minor. According to court documents, the abuse began in November 2017 when Michael put his hand down the then-14-year-old's pants. The sexual activity continued from March until November of this year with the couple engaging in various acts with the victim both together and individually at an address in Grantsville. Michael Mahoney, 57, and Christina Mahoney, 33, have been arrested for engaging in sexual activity with a girl when she was 14 and 15 years old over a period of several months between November 2017 and November 2018, according to authorities in Tooele County, Utah Both suspects reportedly disclosed details about their sexual contact with the girl after they were read their rights. Court records say the married couple contacted the girl via FaceTime while she was in a bathroom at school and they were performing a sex act. Christina allegedly referred to herself as the watch out while the victim and her husband were engaged in sexual activity. Michael is said to have exchanged explicit text messages, photos and videos with the teen and was allegedly in the possession of two videos of her. Records indicate he and the girl discussed having sex during text conversations. Christina is facing an additional three charges for violating a protective order filed by the girl and her mother last month. According to a probable cause statement, Christina violated the order more 52 times between November 12 and November 23 by sending the girl text messages. 'The conversations ranged from sexual to Christina telling the minor she did not like her parents and could kill them,' documents state. The statement also claims Christina texted the teenagers mother six times, threatening to 'take her out'. The Mahoneys are scheduled to appear in Tooele County court on December 10. Two 15-year-old schoolboys have been charged with murder after they allegedly shot a 33-year-old man dead inside his home. Blake Dickey and Hunter Hill were arrested on Tuesday after police were called to a home in Morganton, Georgia, to reports of a shooting. When they arrived they found Justin McKinney dead and 35-year-old Anna Franklin wounded. She was taken to hospital for treatment. Blake Dickey (left) and Hunter Hill (right), both aged 15, were charged with murder Tuesday after 33-year-old Justin McKinney was shot dead inside his home in Georgia Officers then tracked Dickey and Hill to the local high school, Fox5 reports, where they showed up that morning as if nothing had happened. Police told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that Dickey an Hill are friends and knew the victim. Investigators added that there was no sign of forced entry at the home but refused to divulge a motive, saying that is still under investigation. Local Carley Sisson told WSBTV: It's terrifying to know that happened around here.' Jennifer Woodards added: 'It's sad. They're so young.' Ecuador's president says the UK has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London. The WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum at the embassy since 2012. 'The way has been cleared for Mr Assange to take the decision to leave in near-liberty,' President Lenin Moreno told reporters on Thursday. It was not immediately clear what Mr Moreno meant by 'near-liberty.' He did say that Britain had guaranteed that the Australian would not be extradited to any country where his life is in danger. Mr Moreno said his government had received written assurances from the UK government that they not to extradite Mr Assange to any country where he would face the death penalty. Scroll down for video Ecuador's president says the UK has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange (pictured) to leave his government's embassy in London He did not say he would force Mr Assange out, but said Mr Assange's legal team is considering its next steps. MailOnline has contacted the Home Office for comment. Mr Assange has long maintained the he faces charges under seal in the US for revealing highly sensitive government information on his website. While the exact charges against Assange remain unclear, WikiLeaks has served as a vehicle for release of thousands of classified US military and diplomatic cables. President Lenin Moreno (pictured in May) said the UK has provided sufficient guarantees for Julian Assange to leave his government's embassy in London WikiLeaks' role in releasing emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee in 2016 has also been under scrutiny as special counsel Robert Mueller has investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election and whether the campaign of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump was involved. And while Mr Assange remains protected in the Ecuadorian embassy, there have been indications that officials in that country are losing patience with him. They recently placed restrictions on his use of the embassy, including a requirement that he clean up after his cat. A day after George H.W. Bush was honored as a statesman in Washington, his grandson and namesake George P. Bush spoke about the family man who loved fishing and adventures with loved ones and preached a life of service. George P. Bush, who is Texas land commissioner, spoke in personal terms about the impression his grandfather made on the Bush grandchildren, recounting stories form the ancestral home in Kennebunkport, Maine. The son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also spoke of the credo of service that the late president instilled in his children and grandchildren, who make up one of the nation's enduring political dynasties. George P. Bush recalled images of his grandfather 'fly fishing off the rocks in Maine, talking up where the Bluefish were running' at the family compound. George P. Bush spoke about his grandfather's impact on the Bush family at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston As testament to how much his grandfather valued family, George P. noted that he began a 1988 book released around his run for president with a letter to his grandson. 'P, the letter read: "I've been thinking about it a lot the most fun was the big rock boat. Climbing out on it, watching you and Noelle playing on it,"' he said, recalling the time he and his grandfather a naval officer like he would later become. Noelle Bush is another granddaughter that was part of the sprawling Bush clan. 'Near the end of summer, when the moon was full, the tides were high, there was that special day when it almost seemed like the boats was real,' the grandson told mourners gathered in Houston for the Bush funeral service. 'In those few words my grandpa said more about his life than I could tell you,' he added. George P. Bush, the son of Jeb Bush, said his grandfather considered his own military service equal to his own, even though later generations couldn't match his heroism Then-Republican VP candidate George Bush (bottom R) w. granddaughter Noelle (bottom L), wife Barbara (C), and son Jeb (top R) w. his son George (top L) disembarking fr. plane Portrait of the President George H.W. Bush family in the White House, Washington DC, January 21, 1989. George P. Bush spoke of the importance of family to his late grandfather He recalled tales from the family compound in Kennebunkport. From left to right (without children); Neil and Sharon Bush, George W. Bush and wife Laura, Barbara and George Bush, Margaret and Marvin, Bobby Koch and Dorothy, Jeb and Columba He spoke as the late president's flag-draped coffin faced the altar in St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Then he regaled the crowd with other stories, including his well known affection for horse shoes. But George P. shared details that few knew: how he would engage in trash talking banter, saying 'power outage if your horse shoe was short' and 'Woodrow Wilson if youre long and your shoe hit the wooden backstop.' George P. Bush embraces former President George W. Bush after giving a eulogy for former President George H.W. Bush during a funeral service at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, in Houston George P., who has long been considered a potential heir to the Bush political legacy, spoke of how his grandfather cherished service, and considered his own military heroism on par with that of those who couldn't hope to tell of exploits of ditching their aircraft in the cold Pacific after being shot down by the Japanese. 'Our service never compared to his, yet we could never convince him of that,' he said. 'He left a simple yet profound legacy to his children to his grandchildren and to his country: service,' he said of the former lawmaker, diplomat, top spy, vice president, and president. 'The fulfillment of a complete life cannot be achieved without service to others,' he said, speaking of his father's credo. 'It is the honor of a lifetime to share your name,' he said, in words directed to his late grandfather. George P. concluded his speech with emotional words, although he kept his composure in a way that President George W. Bush and longtime friend James Baker were unable to do with his final words. 'The heavy hand of time has claimed the life of my gams,' he said. 'Yes, George Herbert Walker Bush is the most gracious, the most decent most humble man that I will ever know. And it's the honor of a lifetime to share his name. God bless you, Gampy. Until we meet again. Maybe out on that rock boat we built together,' he said. Hundreds of thousands of expat pensioners could flood back into Britain if there is a no deal Brexit, putting a strain on hospitals, government officials today warned. The Brexit department admitted there will be 'uncertainty' for Britons living in the EU if the country crashes out of the bloc. It said that if expats decide to pack their bags and return to the UK they could place an extra strain on hospitals, schools and housing. According to the Office for National Statistics, nearly 800,000 Britons live in the EU, and a quarter of them - 207,300 - are 65 or over. While some 59,600 of these expats are 15 years-old or younger, meaning they will need to be found school places if they return to the UK. A policy paper released by the Brexit department today said these returnees will be entitled to housing, schooling and welfare payments like any other British citizen. Hundreds of thousands of expat pensioners could flood back into Britain, putting a big strain on hospitals, government officials have today warned (file pic) It states: 'If, however, UK nationals were unable to continue to live their lives as they do now in a 'no deal' scenario and returned to the UK to live, there are a number of steps the Government would consider to address concerns that have been raised. 'We understand that access to healthcare is vital and can confirm that UK nationals who returned to the UK permanently in a 'no deal' scenario would have access to NHS-funded healthcare on the same basis as UK nationals already living here. 'They would also be able to register to vote in local and national elections.' The paper adds: 'We recognise that an issue raised by UK nationals is their ability to access to benefits and housing quickly on return to the UK. 'Arrangements will be made to ensure continuity of payments for those who return and are already in receipt of UK state pension or other UK benefits while living in the EU. 'We are considering how support could be offered to returning UK nationals where new claims are made and will set out further details in due course. 'UK nationals will continue to be able to access education in the UK and details on where to find information on how to apply and any current eligibility criteria are provided below.' There are already concerns that Britain's schools and hospitals are overstretched and the paper will fuel fears that an extra burden may be looming. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran MP, who is a campaigner for the anti Brexit group Best for Britain, said: 'Europe is facing a Brexit exodus because as Brexit starts to bite, more and more Brits will selling up and come back home. 'This threatens to collapse an already creaking NHS and break schools that are already stuffed to bursting. 'DExEU are sitting there and doing nothing to prepare our public services for a potential massive strain on our public services.' The warning comes as Theresa May's Brexit plan is engulfed in turmoil just five days before the crunch vote on her deal. A staggering 104 Tories have said they will not back her divorce deal, and if they all stick to their guns they will inflict a humiliating defeat and could send her premiership crashing down. Several Cabinet ministers have pleaded with her to pull the vote amid fears she could lose by over 100 votes. Theresa May (pictured outside No10 tonight turning the Christmas tree lights on) is scrambling to try to get her Brexit deal through the Commons in the face of overwhelming opposition Sir Graham Brady, chair of the powerful Tory backbench 1922 committee, also waded into the row this evening by saying he would 'welcome' a delay to the vote. Mrs May gathered her senior Cabinet minsters for emergency talks at Number Ten tonight as she scrambles to try to reverse her fortunes and avoid defeat. But the PM has vowed to press ahead with the Brexit showdown despite staring down the barrel of catastrophic defeat. Mrs May struck a defiant tone on BBC Radio 4 this morning as she warned there is no other deal on the table. And she said that killing her proposal off would either end up with the UK crashing out of the EU - or Brexit not happening at all. The premier also confirmed that she is looking at ways to sweeten her blueprint for mutinous MPs - suggesting there could be a parliamentary 'lock' on the Irish border backstop arrangements coming into force. Asked repeatedly about calls from senior ministers to put off the Commons showdown on Tuesday, Mrs May said: 'We are in the middle of five days of debate in Parliament which will lead up to a vote on this issue.' The restaurant also erected a board of his pictures in his memory The heartbroken co-workers of an over 10-year Waffle House employee who tragically died in a car crash while on his way have started a fundraiser to buy Christmas gifts for his kids. Single father Bryan Sims was driving to work on November 25, three days after Thanksgiving, when he got into a fatal car crash in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Now his co-workers are raising money and asking customers for donations to make sure his two young daughters - two-year-old Charm and five-year-old Janelle - have a Christmas celebration. The co-workers of Alabama Waffle House employee Bryan Sims, who was tragically killed in a car crash three days after Thanksgiving, are raising money to buy his daughters Christmas gifts Single father Sims died on November 25 after getting into a fatal car crash. He leaves behind his two young daughters Charm, two, and Janelle, five 'He's a really great guy, hard worker. He worked two jobs,' Unit Manager Wanda Church said to ABC. She's worked with Sims for over a decade at the fast-food chain and fondly recalls his last words to her: 'Mama! I missed you!' Sims worked hard to provide for his family by working two jobs. 'Since they're part of our family, we would do it for our brother or sister. So why shouldn't we do it for our fellow associates?' Church said on raising money for Sim's daughters. Customer Sonya McDaniel said Sims was beloved by the restaurant staff and locals. 'When he'd come in, he'd kinda be smirking a little. And I'd say, "Nope, you can't come in you're not smiling today," and he'd get a big smile,' she said. His heartbroken Waffle House coworkers have set up this board in his honor. He worked at Waffle House for over a decade The board was decorated with pictures of Sims doting on his young daughters He was killed on November 25 as he was driving to work at this Tusaloosa County Waffle House Now his co-workers are accepting small donations from customers for the beloved Sims to give his daughters, above, Christmas gifts this holiday season Sim's mother Marcie Sims shared this heartbroken post earlier this week. She said she's overwhelmed with the community support for Sims' children 'He was just so sweet and everybody loved him,' she added. The community has been overwhelmingly supportive of Sims' family following the horrific car accident. 'They're just so sad for the little girls losing their Daddy, especially at Christmas. It's a horrible time for any tragedy and it breaks their heart,' McDaniel said. 'Usually all you see is the hands going into their pocketbook and donating,' she added. Sim's mother Marcie Sims says she's absolutely overwhelmed with the outpouring of community support. It's not clear how much the restaurant has raised. An unarmed U.S. Air Force plane with American and international observers flew a special flight over Ukraine Thursday in a show of solidarity after Russia's Ukraine naval confrontation last month. In a statement, the Pentagon called it an 'extraordinary' flight under the Open Skies Treaty to reaffirm its commitment to the country after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval vessels off Crimea. The Ukraine requested the flight under the treaty that is an international accord giving each member country the right to conduct, and the obligation to accept, unarmed military observation flights. 'Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukrainian naval vessels in the Black Sea near the Kerch Strait is a dangerous escalation in a pattern of increasingly provocative and threatening activity,' the Pentagon said in a statement. OC-135 observation aircraft (pictured) with U.S., Canadian, German, French, British, Romanian and Ukrainian observers aboard did an 'extraordinary' observation mission over the Ukraine following Russia's attack on three Ukrainian ships in Crimea A view of the Nikopol and Berdyansk artillery boats detained by the Russian Federal Security Service in the Kerch Strait incident for violation of the Russian border along with another ship of the Ukrainian Navy on November 25 'The United States seeks a better relationship with Russia, but this cannot happen while its unlawful and destabilizing actions continue in Ukraine and elsewhere.' The purpose of the flight is in part to promote transparency in military activities. Normally these flights are arranged well in advance. But the treaty also permits 'extraordinary,' or extra, flights if two participating members agree. In this case, the Ukrainian military requested a flight and the U.S. agreed to conduct it over an uncontested portion of Ukraine territory, according to Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman. Pahon said this was the first 'extraordinary' Open Skies flight since 2014 in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea. On November 25, Russia and Ukraine had a naval clash near Kerch Strait. Since then, Washington has sought to show its support for Ukraine while condemning Russian actions. 'The timing of this flight is intended to reaffirm U.S. commitment to Ukraine and other partner nations,' the Pentagon said. On November 25, Russia and Ukraine had a naval clash near Kerch Strait. Since then, Washington has sought to show its support for Ukraine Pahon said the plane that was flown over Ukraine on Thursday was an OC-135 observation aircraft with U.S., Canadian, German, French, British, Romanian and Ukrainian observers aboard. He said the flight was requested by the arms control directorate of the Ukrainian General Staff. Pahon said the plane had 17-member crew from the 55th Wing based at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska. It flew from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to Ramstein air base in Germany on November 30 and flew over Ukraine on Thursday, he said. Photos and video released by the Weld County District Attorney show the clothing that Shanann Watts was wearing when she was murdered by her husband and then dumped in a shallow grave. An officer with the Frederick Police Department is seen bringing the clothes and a sheet into the station from the crime scene, and then examining them before placing the items in a locker. The evidence pictures later show that Shanann was buried in a pair of underwear and bra as well as a short-sleeved shirt that was different than the one she was seen wearing in her final photo. That photo was taken just before Shanann took off on her flight home to Colorado, where she had been hoping to start working to rebuild her relationship with Watts. Scroll down for video Evidence: The shirt (above), bra and underwear Shanann Watts was buried in are shared in new video and photos that were entered into evidence in the case Loyal tpo the end: Shanann had just returned from a work trip when she was murdered, and was looking to rebuild her relationship with her husband (Watts underwear above) Final resting place: Within hours of her return, Chris Watts had murdered his wife and their unborn son and buried them in a shallow grave Wrapped up: He confessed to murdering Shanann around the same time that her shallow grave was discovered in a Colorado oil field (The sheet Shanann was found in above) There are still a number of questions regarding Watts' motive in the case. It is known that the relationship between the murderer's parents and his family prior to their murders was non-existent according to investigation documents obtained by DaiyMail.com. In a lengthy text message sent exactly one week before she was murdered, Shanann detailed what had led to the end of her fraught relationship between Cindy and Ronnie Watts. Shanann wrote on August 4 that Cindy and Ronnie had cut off her and the girls because of her fury when she learned that they were serving ice cream with peanut chips in to to their children, despite Cece having a nut allergy. The couple subsequently blocked Shanann on Facebook and did not attend or even call their granddaughter on her birthday. At the same time, Shanann's own mother revealed that Watts' parents did not even attend their son's wedding to her daughter. The tension between Shanann and her in-laws reached a boiling point while she was in North Carolina for four weeks without Chris, who was working and enjoying time with his mistress back in Colorado. Celeste and Bella were at their grandparents one evening during that vacation when Cindy served ice cream - that allegedly contained peanut chips. 'You should call your dad and tell him you did not appreciate your mom putting your daughter at risk today, nor do you like that she teased our girls,' wrote Shanann to her husband in a text that day. 'You should also say you don't appreciate her saying they have to learn they can't always get what they want! They are 2 and 4!' Watts sided with his wife in his response, writing: 'l will call him and tell him what I think about this. lt's not f***ing cool at all because it is the kids. I will set this right.' Things later soured however when Watts arrived in North Carolina, and his parents opted not to attend Celete's third birthday party. It was too much for Shanann, and she went after her husband in a lengthy text. Clothing: The photos and video were obtained by DailyMail.com after filing a request under the Colorado Open Records Act Keeping track: There are still a number of questions regarding Watts' motive in the case Location: The grave was located approximately 100 yards from the oil tanks where Watts disposed of the bodies of his two daughters (above) New home: Chris Watts was moved from the Weld County Jail to the Colorado Department of Corrections on Monday (Watts mugshot on Monday left and in August on right) 'Truth came out last night. l didn't create no dagger between you and your dad. That was done by your mom and your dad and I won't change a thing,' wrote Shannan. 'My daughter's life is way more important and you better believe I wanted to say a whole lot more than I did, but I was being the bigger person and protecting Bella. 'l didn't tell your dad not to come to party. l didn't tell him not to text, or call your daughter, on her birthday. I didn't tell him to start acting like he only has two grandkids instead of 4. I didn't block your family on [Facebook], he did. Myself and your kids have nothing to say to them. They do. 'They owe your kids their life. Your parent's home isn't a safe zone. Your mom isn't safe! 'You can let them tell you what you want, but I didn't tell anyone to stop loving your kids, or stop acting like it. He did that not me. 'You can believe I created this dagger, but I didn't do that. I stood up for our kids, I advocated and protected our children. I don't ever want to hear "l'm sorry I killed your kid because I was stupid." That would kill me. 'These kids are my world and I have to protect them from the evil of the world. I shouldn't have to protect them from evil family. Our kids deserve the same love and attention the other kids get, nothing less. 'l'm not accepting l'm sorry from your mom, because she doesn't mean it and she knew what she was doing. I made it very clear not to eat it around Celeste, because she doesn't understand, way before that happened. 'She's evil and willing to risk your daughter's life just to get under my skin. You and your dad are no different if you are ok with her behavior. 'There's nothing wrong with me and l'm not crazy. I just love my kids way too much.' That was just the first half of the message, with Shanann then going into the issues in their own relationship. 'From the day I left you never said I missed you before I said it. Something changed when I left. You may be happier alone and that's fine. You can be alone! 'This pregnancy, you have failed to acknowledge it, or to acknowledge how l'm feeling. The first trimester is the scariest and most dangerous yet we can lose this baby at any point till delivery. 'l'm not going to be treated this way for having the balls to protect our family and kids. I should get a gold f***ing medal for handling it the way I did, because I had a lot of choice words l wanted to say to her and your dad for his stupidity 'No one stands up to your mom and your dad for that. He's just as guilty by not doing anything. I have nothing to do with him stop sharing memories of his grandkids. What does that have to do with me? 'They are f***ing with our kids feelings and that l'm not ok with. I am their mother and I will protect them. I have enough to worry about with the world out there, l'm not going to worry about family. l will just remove it.' The report notes that this was the end of the first message, which was sent at 3:30 in the morning. There was soon another message from Shanann soon after that read: 'l also don't control what you do. lf you want to go hang out with your parents today, by all means do so, but without us. Don't put it on me why you can't go. You are your own person.' Watts in his initial response seem to be in agreement with his wife. 'These kids mean the world to me and always will. Yes, my mom truly screwed up in a huge way, more than a huge way. I don't know what I would've done if something happened to CeCe,' he wrote. 'These kiddos are the light of my life and seeing their sweet, incredible smiles and playfulness makes me smile every day. l'm sorry for the way l've been acting, it's just been in my head and I haven't been right at all.' Shanann continued on in her attack in a subsequent message, writing: 'I protected our daughter from their stupidity. They created that and you belong with them thinking otherwise. I didn't tell your dad to remove himself from the kid's life... I did and do not deserve to be treated the way you have. l defended our daughter.' Watts again tried to console his wife and defend his parents. 'Yes you protected our daughter and l thank you for that a million times a million. I don't think they are innocent in any of this. They do want to be in the kids' life and l'm not sure they even know how to right now,' wrote Watts. 'They should've swallowed whatever they needed to and came to Cece's Birthday Party and called her and shouldn't have blocked all social media contact with them. I don't care what they do with us, just as long as they love and respect the kids. l'm not use to not having a relationship with my dad. I should've just called him before it got to this point where it got in my head I didn't and that's my fault.' There was a different version of events however from what one Watts' friends told investiugators. He said that Cindy called him crying after her fight with Shanann and that Watts told him not to worry because he was done with Shanann. That friend also said that Watts and his mother were 'sweet hearted people.' Brian Bates, 47, was arrested after an alleged incident with a brush in a doctor's bathroom A serial public masturbator named Mr Bates has been hospitalized after an alleged incident with a brush in a New Jersey doctor's bathroom. Awkwardly named Brian Bates, from New York, is accused of pleasuring himself in front of women at a Paramus doctors office. Police say the 47-year-old was caught also 'attempting to penetrate his anus with the handle of the toilet bowl scrubber'. Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg told nj.com: 'Upon police arrival, officers found Bates in the bathroom with the door open while masturbating and simultaneously attempting to penetrate his anus with the handle of the toilet bowl scrubber. 'This act was witnessed by several adult females who were in the office.' Bates, who has been charged with criminal open lewdness, was taken to New Bridge Medical Center for evaluation. Police say he has a history of exposing himself and a string of arrests going back to 1997 for similar incidents. In February 1998 cops said he was seen exposing himself by eight, nine, and 11-year-old children at a Barnes & Noble. The alleged incident is said to have occurred at a Paramus doctors office in New Jersey They say a few months earlier, in December 1997, he was seen masturbating at the bookstore by two women. And in October 1997 cops say he exposed himself to a little girl, four, at the same store. He pleaded guilty to a lewdness charge in 1998 and served a year of probation, court records show. A female Spanish language teacher at an Alabama high school charged with having sex with a male student had the alleged encounter on school grounds, according to an arrest affidavit Natasha Patronsky, 24, turned herself in to police in Montgomery on November 28 and was arrested on a charge of engaging in a sexual act with a student under the age of 19. The arrest document filed in the case alleges that Patronsky had sex with the 18-year-old victim on the Sidney Lanier High School campus between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on November 8. Natasha Patrnosky, 24, a Spanish teacher from Alabama (pictured left in her mugshot), has been charged with engaging in a sexual act with a 18-year-old student on school grounds Classes at the school let out at 2.45pm every day. 'On above date and time, the victim stated he and the suspect had sexual intercourse at the listed location,' the affidavit obtained by Montgomery Advertiser read. Police launched an investigation into Patronsky on November 16, and she resigned her position at the school four days later. Patronsky was in her first year of teaching high school, having been hired by the local school district in early August. She was booked into the county jail last Wednesday and released the same day after posting $7,500 bond. her next court appearance is scheduled for December 14. The charge against the young educator carries a sentence of two to 20 years in prison. Patronsky was a first-year teacher at Sidney Lanier High School in Montgomery, Alabama; she resigned her position on November 20 We are shocked to hear of this allegation. We support law enforcement in their work to get to the truth in this matter, the school districts spokesperson said in a statement. Any person found guilty of putting a childs safety at risk, should be punished to the full extent of the law. According to her cached Instagram page, Patronsky graduated two years ago from the University of South Alabama, where she majored in global studies and Spanish. Her first job out of college was teaching second grade at an international school in Panama, as Heavy.com first reported. The 24-year-old identified herself online as a Christian. A three-month-old baby was dumped naked on a balcony in freezing temperatures by her Russian mother because she 'pi***d her off'. Elizaveta Klimova, who is in her mid-twenties, left her crying daughter outside before taking photos and sending them to her ex-husband and the baby's father, Aleksandr Potryasov, 28. Ms Klimova wrote to her ex: 'Come and look at her for the last time. I f******g locked her on the balcony. Maybe she f*****g getting cold. She f*****g pissed me off.' Elizaveta Klimova, who is in her mid-twenties, left her crying daughter outside before taking photos and sending them to her ex-husband and the baby's father, Aleksandr Potryasov, 28. These photos were taken in October The startling pictures, which Klimova's ex made public by sharing them online, show the three-month-old baby crying while lying in a basket. He told local media: 'I posted the pictures to deprive my ex-wife of parental rights. After the pictures, I am afraid of what she is capable of doing to my daughter. 'I am tired of thinking that she might freeze the child to death or throw her away in the street.' Mr Potryasov said he is not able to take care of his daughter as he 'is working too much'. Ms Klimova wrote to her ex: 'Come and look at her for the last time. I f******g locked her on the balcony. Maybe she f*****g getting cold. She f*****g pissed me off.' She is seen in an undated photo After the pictures became public, Ms Klimova accused Mr Potryasov of 'leaving her alone with the baby without money'. According to Ms Klimova's neighbours, her ex left soon after their daughters birth and moved to the neighbouring town of Volsk. The former spouses had a tense relationship that became even worse after their divorce, according to reports. Police checked the pictures after they were posted online and the story became public. A police spokesperson said: 'After checking the people involved, the police found out that the pictures were taken in October this year. The baby was examined by medics and her health condition is normal. 'The mother was charged with failure of parental responsibilities and fined.' Temperatures in Balakovo in can drop to below freezing in October, which is when the incident happened. Former Secretary of State James Baker has remembered his friend George H.W. Bush as having had 'the courage of a warrior but the greater courage of a peacemaker'. Baker delivered an emotional eulogy at Bush's funeral at the St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston on Thursday just one day after breaking down during the national service in Washington. The 41st president's longtime friend and confidant said he had been 'my friend and he's been my role model'. Former Secretary of State James Baker choked up as he delivered an emotional eulogy at his friend George H.W. Bush's funeral in Houston on Thursday Baker served Bush as White House chief of staff and secretary of state. He began his eulogy with an apology. Using the nickname 'Jefe', which is Spanish for 'boss', Baker said he was going to brag about Bush - even though the humble former president hated boasted. Tilting his head up, Baker told Bush that he was 'about to do something you always hated and that your mother always told you not to do: brag about yourself.' He went on to say that Bush never gloated when the Berlin wall fell and that he was without a doubt 'America's greatest one-term president' in history. Baker was embraced by his friend's son George W. Bush on Thursday after delivering an emotional eulogy at St. Martin's Episcopal Church Baker remembered his friend George H.W. Bush as having had 'the courage of a warrior but the greater courage of a peacemaker' 'My hope is that in remembering the life of George Herbert Walker Bush and in honoring his accomplishments, we will see that we are really praising what is best about our nation. The nation he dearly loved and whose values he embodied,' he said. In praising his humility after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Baker said Bush understood that humility toward a fallen adversary 'is the very best path'. 'He was not considered a skilled speaker but his deeds were quite elegant,' Baker said. Choking up, the man Bush called 'Bake' ended with a hat-tip to William Butler Yeats. 'Our glory, George was to have had you as our president and as such a friend,' he said. Baker also broke down on Wednesday when Russell Levenson Jr. was recounting Bush's final hours. Levenson told of how Baker had rubbed Bush's feet for 30 minutes to comfort him. 'There had been wonderful hugs and kind words throughout the day... Toward the end, we were sitting on the sofa and he whispered to me, 'you know, that man changed my life'," he told the mourners. Baker was seen weeping as he listed to Levenson speak. No10 suffered fresh Brexit embarrassment today after footage emerged of the chief whip being snubbed by a Tory rebel he is desperately trying to persuade to back the PM's deal. In an extraordinary move, Julian Smith invited ITV News to follow him around for a week as he tried - and failed - to persuade MPs to back the PM in next week's crunch vote. But in a toe-curling clip, the chief whip asked Tory MP Philip Davies if he would support the deal only to have the Tory backbencher reply 'no'. Mr Davies blasted the PM's deal and said No10 could only win his support if Mrs May went back to Brussels to get more concessions from the EU. Tory party bosses were slammed for allowing the camera crew to film the scenes - with one ex Tory aide branding the stunt a 'monumentally bad idea'. In a cringe inducing exchange filmed in a parliamentary office, Mr Davies said: 'It's the people against Parliament at the moment and the government should be on the side of the people.' In an extraordinary move, Julian Smith invited ITV News to follow him around for a week as he tried - and failed - to persuade MPs to back the PM in next week's crunch vote. But in a toe-curling clip, the chief whip asked Tory MP Philip Davies if he would support the deal only to have the Tory backbencher reply 'no' Mr Smith ploughed ahead, saying: 'We are with this deal - and we have to get your support for it next Tuesday. So how do we resolve this by Tuesday? Because we need to get you...' But Mr Davies, the MP for Shipley and a serial rebel, rebuffed the pleas, saying: 'I'm not sure you can. 'I don't really see any alternative but for the Prime Minister to go back to the EU and saying we need something in here. 'Because at the moment we have got a sittaion wheer it is easier to leave the EU than it is to leave this construct that we are putting together. 'This is all about taking back control, and we are going to be in something that we can't control.' He added: 'I always agreed with the Prime Minister that no deal is better than a bad deal, and to my mind this is a bad deal.' The embarrassing exchange offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the work done by the whips - who are the enforcers of party discipline. Their work - to persuade or pressure MPs to fall into line and back the Government - is usually shrouded in secrecy. As her Brexit plans faced fresh turmoil tonight, the PM continued with her seasonal duties by tuning on the Downing Street Christmas lights and leading guests in a rendition of O' Come All Ye Faithful outside No 10 tonight (pictured, the PM tonight) But Number Ten were today slammed by former No10 aides and Tory advisers for allowing the camera crews to follow the whip around as one of the most important parliamentary votes in decades looms. Chris White, a former special adviser to William Hague, tweeted: 'The Chief Whip, in the middle of the most important vote the PM has faced in her premiership, has allowed a TV crew in to film the inner workings of the whips office. 'This is a monumentally bad idea. 'Firstly, it's a distraction. I was involved in the filming of the Michael Cockerell documentary Inside the Commons in 2014/15. It took ages - film crews asking for reshoots, the team ensuring nothing sensitive is said on camera that could be misconstrued. 'Secondly, the Chief Whip needs to be focusing on improving the numbers. 'Every moment of the whips time needs to be speaking to MPs, getting them onside, not doing interviews with journalists.' Number Ten declined to comment to MailOnline. Bodycam footage has emerged showing the arrest of a suspect who was high on methamphetamine and died after struggling with police. Reenal Prasad, 24, was arrested on June 2 in Santa Ana, California, and fell unconscious as eight officers attempted to restrain him. He was declared brain dead 11 days later. A report last month from the Orange County District Attorney's Office cleared the police of any wrongdoing, finding that the officers did not act with malice, nor neglect their duty to get Prasad medical care as soon as reasonably possible. Prasad's cause of death was found to be a heart attack due to acute drug intoxication. The incident unfolded at about 2.01pm, when a woman called 911 to report a man running back and forth in the middle of the street, and approaching people acting strangely. A family member said of Prasad (above) that he was 'a happy young man, full of life and a devoted father to his two-year-old baby girl' Officers made contact with Prasad as he walked in the middle of the street on June 2 The officers arrived at the scene and made contact with Prasad as he walked in the middle of the street, the footage shows. Prasad had a history of arrests and convictions on domestic violence and drug charges, records show. Between January and July of 2016, he was arrested six times in Southern California for being under the influence of meth. Bodycam footage shows Santa Ana Police Officers Joshua Park and Kevin Bell approach Prasad, who appears dazed but cooperative at first. At the officers' urging, he sits on the curb, where they handcuff him and search him for any weapons. 'I'm scared, don't hurt me please,' Prasad blurts out as they search him. When Bell explains they are just checking for weapons, Prasad replies 'I have no weapons, please don't hurt me, please.' The officers ask Prasad if he has recently used meth, which he denies at first. They tell him that he appears to be under the influence of the drug, however, and place him in the back of Park's patrol car. When they ask him again about the drug, he says he has used it, but refuses to say when. Police suspected he was under the influence of meth and detained him At first, Prasad was calm in the back of the patrol car, as officers checked his background and found he had an open warrant for violating a protective order Suddenly, Prasad began flailing and screaming in the back of the patrol car At 2.35pm, handcuffed and alone in the back seat of the car, Prasad abruptly screams 'Ow, ouch, what the f*** man!' Prasad flails in the back of the car wildly as Park tells him to calm down. After a minute of wild thrashing, Prasad abruptly stops. The officers discovered Prasad had an open warrant for violating an order of protection, and transported him to the detention center. During the two-minute trip, though not caught directly on video, Prasad bashes his head against the plexiglass and steel divider in the car, opening a cut on his forehead. At the detention center, Park and Bell pull Prasad from the car and, aware of his violent response in the car, decide to hobble his feet. Prasad lies calmly on the ground for a second but then begins screaming and flailing once again. At the detention center, Park and Bell pull Prasad from the back of Park's patrol car Due to his violence inside the car, the officers pull him to the ground to put hobbles on him Bleeding from a cut on his forehead from bashing his head inside the car, Prasad again begins screaming and flailing as the officers tell him to relax Hobbles are placed on Prasad, as well as a spit hood. The struggle continues at multiple officers join in to help subdue Prasad, and a registered nurse from the detention center stands by to assist once he is under control. Officers bring out a restraint chair, and after several minutes of struggling, Prasad is secured in it. Almost as soon as he is secured, Prasad becomes unresponsive. The nurse asks if he can hear him, and Prasad says nothing. The officers wheel him into the shade. The nurse check for a pulse and not finding one, directs the officers to remove Prasad from the restraint chair. Police and the nurse begin administering aid, and paramedics arrive minutes later. After receiving drugs, Prasad's circulation re-started at 3.10pm - roughly 19 minutes after his pulse stopped. Wearing a spit hood that is bloodied from the cut on his head, Prasad is placed in a restraint chair by eight officers who struggle to hold him down Suddenly, Prasad goes limp and and nurse asks him if he can hear him, but he says nothing Medics arrive minutes later and are able to restore Prasad's heartbeat, but not in time to prevent brain death. The cause of death was ruled a drug overdose At the hospital, Prasad was placed on a ventilator but did not recover consciousness. He was declared brain dead on June 13 and taken off of life support. An autopsy found no internal or external trauma other than the superficial cut on Prasad's forhead, and determined that he died of a heart attack brought on by acute drug intoxication. Tests found that he had meth, marijuana and opiates in his systems at the time of his death. A family member said of Prasad that he was 'a happy young man, full of life and a devoted father to his two-year-old baby girl.' An autopsy on a body believed to be that of British killer whale trainer Amy Gerard has proved inconclusive. Forensic experts failed to find the cause of death or establish the identity of the woman pulled out of the sea off Tenerife near the spot where Ms Gerard, 28, disappeared Thursday 29 November after leaving an Irish pub. The state the body was in after days in the water is thought to have hindered the post-mortem. Ahead of the autospy, which took place on Wednesday morning, December 6, police said that 'all lines of inquiry' remained open in the ongoing investigation into Ms Gerard's disappearance. Amy Gerard (pictured above) has been missing since Thursday 29 November The body was discovered in the sea opposite the lighthouse in the city of Puerto de la Cruz where Amy, 28, lived DNA tests will confirm if the body is hers, although investigators have not specified how long they will take to come back. A police source added: 'Assuming the dead woman is Amy which is probably the case, all lines of inquiry remain open, including the line of investigation of gender violence, the line of investigation of an accidental death, the line of investigation of a violent crime such as a mugging and the line of investigation of the death being the result of a suicide. 'All these lines of inquiry remain open.' A police spokesperson confirmed that the body of a woman had been found University-educated Ms Gerard, originally from Grimsby, Lincolnshire, disappeared shortly after midnight on Thursday 29 November, after leaving the Molly Malone pub in Puerto de la Cruz where she had been at a friend's birthday. She was filmed just before she vanished looking happy and relaxed as she danced in a circle alongside German boyfriend Dennis Kissling to the Pogues song Fairytale of New York. Ms Gerard and Mr Kissling, who were colleagues at Tenerife marine theme park Loro Parque, went their separate ways after leaving the pub. Mohter Julie, 59, and sister Chloe, 30, flew to Tenerife with Chloe's fiance after learning of her disappearance. Amy Gerrard (pictured above) was filmed before she left the Irish pub in and looked relaxed The Lucie Blackman Trust, set up by the family of Lucie Blackman after she was killed in Tokyo by a millionaire Japanese businessman, also revealed it was assisting Miss Gerrard's loved ones. Her disappearance was described as totally 'out of character' by family and friends, with work colleagues insisting she had given no indication anything might be worrying her. Police were also told Ms Gerard, who was estranged from her personal trainer husband Ryan Docherty who is currently back in the UK, was not a big drinker and had not looked inebriated or tipsy when she left the pub. The spot where the body was found is thought to be along the route she would have taken to walk back to her home near Loro Parque from Molly Malone. Kathy Hill was told to take down her Ebenezer Scrooge phrase 'Bah Humbug' from her apartment balcony A California woman has been scorned by her new neighbors in Florida and warned of a huge backlash against her because of a holiday display they didn't like. Kathy Hill temporarily moved into a high-rise condo a few weeks ago but has already gotten into trouble after those living around her complained about the 'Bah Humbug' phrase lit up outside her apartment. Spelling the famous words of Ebenezer Scrooge in lights did not go down well with fellow residents at the Marina Grande twin apartments on Holly Hill at the weekend. Hill allegedly received a text massage from her landlady reading: 'Get it down now. The front desk is getting calls and emails from very upset tenants. You have made absolutely no friends ... the entire two towers is coming (un)glued over it all.' The matter was apparently so serious the tenant was warned not to park her car in the designated spot for her apartment and to 'be prepared for major, massive retaliation'. The 700-resident towers that boast views of the Halifax River, beach and the Atlantic Ocean do not allow such festivities, Laurie Borasky-Gigliotti reportedly explained to her tenant. 'You aren't supposed to put up lights, let alone "Bah humbug",' Borasky-Gigliotti said according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. 'They showed incredibly bad judgment. I have no idea what they were thinking.' According the publication, the dramatic reaction may have been because the Daytona Boat Parade increased it's exposure after the lights were hung either Friday or Saturday. However it's reported the position of the apartment isn't so visible from the nearby Seabreeze Boulevard bridge. The woman was scorned by her Marina Grande twin apartment neighbors in a high-rise on Holly Hill in Florida. Owner Laurie Borasky-Gigliotti told her to remove the balcony lights Hill explained that phrase made famous by the 1843 Charles Dickins novel A Christmas Carol is a sentimental one for her. It reminds her of growing up in California where a similar sign was displayed over a vista overlooking the valley in her Diamond Hill neighborhood. In the Dickens story, Scrooge uses the phrase because he sees Christmas as an excuse to drain people of their money but eventually learns the true meaning is about generosity. Hill sees it as a reminder that anyone can change their way of thinking but perhaps not her Halifax neighbors. Now Hill has turned off the lights, and says she didn't mean to offend anyone. Luckily her permanent home is in Oklahoma. 'Maybe I'm just a fish out of water,' she said. 'Maybe this is California humor, just joking around. ... I don't know. I don't know Florida.' An illegal immigrant is accused of killing his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend when she broke up with him after repeatedly texting and calling her to meet. Guatemalan Bryan Cordero-Castro, 20, is charged with first degree murder after Madison Wells was stabbed to death outside a New Jersey home. Tragic Madison and Cordero-Castro had been in a relationship for 10 months before her death but the schoolgirl had recently broken up with him. Prosecutors allege Cordero-Castro, who was living in the US without authorization, did not handle the break up well. Scroll down for video Madison Wells' ex boyfriend Bryan Cordero-Castro is accused of her murder after the pair split Cordero-Castro is pictured in court. He has been charged with first degree murder after Wells was stabbed to death outside a New Jersey home Prosecutors allege Cordero-Castro, who was living in the US without authorization, did not handle the break up well He is accused of constantly contacting his ex in the nine-hour period leading up to her death. Cordero-Castro is said to have tracked her down to a Long Branch home where Madison finally agreed to speak with him. Authorities say a 'few minutes after going outside, Madison stumbled back into the house and collapsed on the floor from the stab wounds to her chest'. Emergency crews raced to the scene where they found the teenager badly injured in the living room. She was pronounced dead shortly before midnight at the Monmouth Medical Center shortly on September 8. Video courtesy: CBS New York Madison's dad Edward Wells Jr described his daughter as 'charismatic and outgoing'. He said: 'She loved to cook. She had a beautiful smile and was very charismatic and outgoing. 'She was the type of a person who would draw you in with a smiling face.' USA Today reports Cordero-Castro was arrested at his cousin's home and later tried to escape police custody. Cordero-Castro also faces charges of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, third-degree attempted escape and fourth-degree stalking. He has been held without bail since his arrest and if found guilty of murder he faces a sentence of 30 years to life in prison. The FDNY's most senior uniformed member, Chief of Department James Leonard, has been pulled from duty following accusations of mistreatment by the department's highest-ranking woman. Leonard was removed from his post on Thursday after a meeting with top brass at FDNY's headquarters in Brooklyn, a department source tells DailyMail.com. First Deputy Commissioner Laura Kavanagh lodged a complaint with FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro against Leonard. While the exact nature of the allegation is unclear, it had to do with insulting language and inappropriate behavior by Leonard. Top ranking FDNY's Chief of Department James Leonard (left) was pulled from duty after allegations made by second highest ranking civilian First Deputy Commissioner Laura Kavanagh over his inappropriate behavior and insulting language In happier times? Kavanagh pictured with New York 1 anchor Cheryl Wills and Leonard in February shortly after Kavanagh was promoted to her current post 'While a review is conducted by the city's Law Department concerning allegations of inappropriate behavior, Chief James Leonard has been relieved of his duties as Chief of Department effective today and placed on modified assignment,' the Deputy Commissioner Public Information Frank Gribbon said in a statement. In the meantime 'Chief of Operations John Sudnik is serving as Acting Chief of Department,' the statement concluded. While it was not clear when the inappropriate behavior and insulting comments were made or their specific nature, Leonard's removal does not come as a surprise to those familiar with him. A source adds that Leonard's reputation proceeded him, and it wasn't just women that took issue with his treatment of them. Civilians and uniformed members alike were not spared from Leonard's sharp tongue. The Chief of Department is the FDNY's highest-ranking uniformed member just beneath FDNY Commissioner Nigro's position. Leonard was appointed to Chief of the Department in 2014 and joined the FDNY in 1979. He led Greenwich Village's Battalion 2 during the horrific events of 9/11. Kavanagh is relatively new to the department in comparison, joining the FDNY in 2014 as the Assistant Commissioner of External Affairs. She was promoted to First Deputy Commissioner, the second highest-ranking civilian post under Nigro in January of 2018. Alex Masterton, 19, was celebrating his A-level results at the Barcelona club where temperatures soared to 116F A former Grammar school student celebrating his A-level results died in the 'unbearable heat' of a 16-hour rave after taking some pills. Alex Masterton, 19, who attended King Edward V Grammar School in Louth, Lincolnshire, died at a club in Barcelona in July 2017 while celebrating with school friends. Despite the sweltering heat in the rave, water was expensive, with a 100ml bottle costing four euros. He had been due to study Biomedical Sciences at Newcastle University in September 2017. An inquest into his death concluded it was due to 'misadventure' after he took an unnamed substance, thought to be ecstasy, at the event at Elrow club. At the time of the tragedy, a friend told a Spanish newspaper that Alex had taken pills but the public inquest did not confirm what they were. Full toxicology results have been collated by the court and were used by coroner Paul Kelly to reach his conclusion - though he did not name the substance. Spanish media reported that Alex, of North Thoresby, near Grimsby, had taken ecstasy at the rave on the night he died at the sweltering club with temperatures soaring to 116F. Alex was believed to have been part of a group of 13 boys who had been on the trip to Spain and spent a week in the resort of Salou. Alex died in the 'unbearable heat' of a 16-hour rave after taking some pills, which are believed to have been ecstasy Alex was believed to have been part of a group of 13 boys who had been on the trip to Spain and spent a week in the resort of Salou They had stayed together in three rented chalets at an apartment complex. A friend told Barcelona news-site Cronica Global : 'The club was in the middle of nowhere. The water was expensive, four euros for a 100ml bottle. 'You had to wait 15 minutes to drink the amount of people that were there. The heat was unbearable. No one spoke English. 'We knew that Alex had taken pills. At one point, he collapsed inside the room.' Authorities in California have seized at least $600,000 in cash, drugs, multiple guns and even a rocket launcher in a huge raid that saw them bring down a wide scale drug operation. Four men from San Jose were arrested last week for their alleged roles in the criminal organization that saw them set up a fake computer company to ship drugs countrywide. Authorities said the group's ringleader, Anthony Le, and his accomplices Barry Phan, Jose Garcia and Alejandro Garcia, allegedly made more than $1 million a year selling drugs. Authorities in San Jose, California seized at least $600,000 in cash, drugs, multiple guns and even a rocket launcher in a huge raid last week The San Jose Police Department revealed details of the huge bust and the subsequent arrests on Wednesday following a two-year investigation. More than 800 pounds of marijuana, illegal anabolic steroids, five ounces of concentrated hash oil, cocaine, Xanax bars, ecstasy, three handguns and a rocket launcher were seized in the raids. A number of bank accounts were also frozen and $600,000 was seized. Police said the group rented space and acted as computer and electronic companies in parts of San Jose and Sunnyvale. Anthony Le, Barry Phan, Jose Garcia and Alejandro Garcia were all arrested last week in San Jose for their roles in the alleged drug operation They then allegedly would ask freight companies to ship what they claimed were computer parts across the country to New York, Maryland and Tennessee. The group would vacuum pack the drugs into boxes to be shipped, according to police. The men who were arrested were booked into Santa Clara County Jail on various charges, including manufacturing and transporting of narcotics and possession of illegal weapons. William Barr, former U.S. attorney general William Barr, who served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, has emerged as a top contender for that job in President Donald Trump's Cabinet, two people familiar with the president's selection process said Thursday. The appointment of a new attorney general would come at a precarious time as special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, which the department oversees, is showing signs of entering its final stages. Trump is 'very seriously considering' Barr, said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because no decision has been announced, adding that Barr is 'someone very much on the president's mind.' The other person characterized Barr as 'the leading contender.' Trump has been known to change his mind on key personnel decisions before announcing them. Barr was attorney general between 1991 and 1993, serving in the Justice Department at the same as Mueller did. Barr later worked as a corporate general counsel and is currently at a prominent international law firm. President Donald Trump is said to be close to nominating Barr to return to the Justice Department for a second stint as attorney general Barr ran the DOJ between 1991 and 1993, serving in the department at the same as Robert Mueller did If confirmed by the Senate, Barr would succeed Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was forced out by Trump in November and who infuriated the president by stepping aside from the Russia investigation. Sessions' decision helped set in motion Mueller's appointment. Trump has elevated Sessions' chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, to acting attorney general. Democrats would presumably want reassurances that Barr, who as attorney general would be in position to oversee Mueller's investigation, would not do anything to interfere with the probe. An attorney general opposed to the investigation could theoretically move to cut funding or block certain investigative steps. But depending on how long the confirmation process takes, it is not clear how much of the investigation would remain by the time a new attorney general takes office. Trump dismissed AG Jeff Sessions 30 days ago, creating a vacuum in the department at a time when Robert Mueller's Russia probe is heating up Sessions's chief of staff, Matt Whitaker, is serving as acting AG but has become a lightning rod because of his business ventures before he joined the Trump administration 'What I have said, without mentioning Mr. Barr I've said, the best thing the administration can do is to get somebody who had majority support from Republicans and Democrats alike for attorney general. Those are the best attorneys general,' said Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which would hold hearings on a nominee. Barr, he said, could fit that bill. Still, while in private practice, Barr has occasionally weighed in on hot-button investigative matters in ways that could prompt concerns among Democrats. He told The New York Times in November 2017, in a story about Sessions directing his prosecutors to look into actions related to Trump rival Hillary Clinton, that 'there is nothing inherently wrong about a president calling for an investigation' though Barr also said one should not be opened just because a president wants it. The late President George H.W. Bush's expansive state funeral ceremonies this week have cast his presidency in a new, more favorable light, opening the door for his former senior aides to share in his image-rehabilitation He said there was more basis to investigate a uranium deal approved while Clinton was secretary of state in the Obama administration than potential collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign. 'To the extent it is not pursuing these matters, the department is abdicating its responsibility,' Barr told the newspaper. He also wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post in May 2017 defending Trump's decision to fire former FBI Director James Comey, one of the actions Mueller has been examining for possible obstruction of justice. Barr has been on a White House short list of contenders for several weeks, said a person with knowledge of internal discussions who was not authorized to speak publicly. But some inside the White House were concerned that Barr was too aligned with establishment GOP forces. The white New York City police officer accused in the chokehold death of an unarmed black man in 2014 will face an NYPD disciplinary trial next May after a judge denied his request to delay it until July 2019. Daniel Pantaleo's job status will be assessed nearly five years after Eric Garner's pleas for law enforcement to be gentle as he cried 'I can't breathe', just prior to a deadline to file civil rights charges in a federal case. It was confirmed Thursday as the union supported Pantaleo and insisted poor health was to blame for father-of-six Garner, 43, passing away as he was held on the ground that day. Scroll down for videos Daniel Pantaleo (right) accused in the 2014 chokehold death of unarmed black man Eric Garner (left) will face an NYPD disciplinary trial next May it was announced Thursday The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused in part by compression of his neck from a chokehold. Garner suffered from asthma and was reported dead at the hospital after suffering a heart attack. Since the incident, the suspect has been limited to desk duty and had his gun and badge removed but Garner's last words have become a rallying cry against police brutality. The trial will start May 13 and could take about two weeks despite Pantaleo's lawyer trying to delay the department trial a couple more months, which would be when time runs out for federal prosecutors to file civil rights charges against him. A grand jury previously declined to indict Pantaleo in December 2014. The police watchdog agency prosecuting the disciplinary case, the Civilian Complaint Review Board, is seeking transcripts of that proceeding. If his is convicted in the May 2019 case, his punishment could be anything from losing vacation days to being fired from the NYPD. Five years ago Eric Garner's pleas of 'I can't breathe' became a rallying cry against police brutality as he was filmed dying on the floor during a Staten Island arrest over cigarettes Pantaleo is charged with reckless use of a chokehold and intentional use of a chokehold in Garner's death in Staten Island. He could be heard on an amateur video telling those around him how he had trouble breathing after officers stopped him for selling untaxed cigarettes and handled him forcefully. Pantaleo placed him in an apparent chokehold, which is banned under police department policy, but the defense denies he did. Pantaleo's lawyer, Stuart London, said the officer used a takedown move taught by the police department. He claimed his client will be vindicated. After a brief hearing, his Patrolmen's Benevolent Association union issued a statement blaming Garner for resisting arrest and suggesting his 350-pound frame and poor health was behind his death. Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch spoke during a news conference He attacked Garner's health, saying it was so poor that it was 'highly likely' he would've died running away even if he did manage to escape police They said the officer used 'the least amount of force necessary' and that Garner's autopsy showed his windpipe, which could possibly be crushed in a chokehold, was intact A protester holds a sing outside of police headquarters, Thursday in New York They said the officer used 'the least amount of force necessary' and that Garner's autopsy showed his windpipe, which could possibly be crushed in a chokehold, was intact. 'This case demonstrates the danger that is inherent in prejudging incidents absent of all the information that must be considered in order to come to a truthful and accurate conclusion,' union president Patrick Lynch said in a statement Thursday. He attacked Garner's health, saying it was so poor that it was 'highly likely' he would've died running away even if he did manage to escape police. 'The exertion and stress would have overcome his already seriously ill body and would have resulted in his death,' he claimed. Pantaleo, wearing a dark suit, didn't speak during the brief hearing at police headquarters and lingered in the trial room with his head down as a crowd, including Garner's relatives, emptied out. 'I felt sort of numb being in the same space as my son's murderer,' said Garner's mother, Gwen Carr. Gwen Carr (center) mother of Eric Garner, stood with Rev. Al Sharpton (right) during a news conference outside of New York Police headquarters Thursday in New York Gwen Carr said she 'felt sort of numb being in the same space as my son's murderer' Sharpton said 'Justice delayed is justice denied' during the appearance on Thuraday She wants the police department to fire Pantaleo and others who were involved in her son's arrest. Garner's family was paid $5.9million in a civil suit settlement in 2015. The NYPD decided in July to go forward with disciplinary proceedings, saying it was running out of patience with the federal government's indecision about whether to bring a criminal case. The Justice Department said it already told the NYPD last spring that it could go forward. Police Commissioner James O'Neill, who has the final say on officer discipline, said Tuesday: 'We want to get this done.' The statute of limitations ends July 18, 2019. Reverend Al Sharpton stood with activists while speaking during a news conference outside of New York Police headquarters and said: 'Justice delayed is justice denied.' Three people have been arrested after a woman was found shot dead and burned inside a tent near a racecourse. The body of Maddison Parrott, 29, was found inside a tent at the Geelong Showgrounds in Victoria about 2am on Tuesday. Police believe she was shot dead and then her body was burned. She was working as a store manager at Platypus Shoes until almost a year ago and was a 'much-loved' member of the community, the Geelong Advertiser reported. Ms Parrott had an 'acrimonious' split with her husband according to a source, and another said she had struggled since the break-up. A man who was also camping at the site said he saw two men setting up the tent which he said was a 'glamping-style set up'. Scroll down for video The body of Maddison Parrott, 29, was found inside a tent at the Geelong Showgrounds in Victoria about 2am on Tuesday morning Two men and a woman were arrested in Greystanes, Sydney, on Thursday by heavily armed officers from the NSW Police's tactical unit in relation to the suspected murder of Ms Parrott. Paramedics treated the three at the scene as they were injured during the arrests. They were later taken to a police station in Sydney. A neighbour told 7 News that the arrests were 'a bit scary'. 'We got the guns over the fence and stuff like that. They were being pretty serious,' the neighbour said. Charges are yet to be laid as authorities seek extradition of the trio to Victoria, a Victoria Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia. Former work colleagues of Ms Parrott had been spoken to by Victoria Police Emergency services were called to the fire at the Breakwater Road camping grounds near Geelong Racecourse shortly before 2am on Tuesday Victoria Police homicide detectives are travelling to New South Wales to further investigate after the arrests were made. Former work colleagues of Ms Parrott have been spoken to by Victoria Police. The arrested trio are expected to face court on Friday. Paul King, who was camping at the same site as Ms Parrott, said he saw two men setting up her tent. Other campers said it looked like a 'circus tent with a high peak and low walls'. President Donald Trump will meet next week with Democratic leaders to hash out a deal that could prevent a partial government shutdown four days before Christmas. The meeting with Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrats in their respective chambers, was delayed from this week after the passing of George H.W. Bush. It has been rescheduled for 11:30 am on Tuesday, a source familiar with the talks confirmed. Legislators in the House and the Senate passed a short-term bill to keep the engines running beyond Friday, when federal funding for some agencies was scheduled to run out. The Senate approved the delay by a voice vote on Thursday, following in the footsteps of the House, which had passed the measure hours before. Trump is expected to sign it prior to a Friday deadline to avert a fiscal plunge. Trump has signaled that he'll go to great lengths to get the funding he desires for his border wall, having repeatedly threatened to close the nation's southern border. President Donald Trump will meet next Tuesday with Democratic leaders to hash out a deal that could prevent a partial government shutdown four days before Christmas The meeting with Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrats in their respective chambers, delayed from this week after the passing of George H.W. Bush Schumer and Pelosi are refusing to wrangle votes for any agreement that provides funding for Trump's border wall, however. The best that Trump can hope for, Schumer says, is $1.6 billion in spending that he could put toward fencing and could not be used for any other type of border barrier. He says Trump could otherwise accept a continuing resolution that appropriates $1.3 billion toward border security spending for the current fiscal year. If he doesn't want a shutdown, those are his only options. Trump told Democrats they could fund his wall or grapple with a shut down of the border on Monday morning as he picked a immigration fight, despite the late president Bush's passing. He took another swat at the opposing party on Tuesday in a tweet that claimed $25 billion in border security spending could be erased if they would only spend $5 billion on completing his border structure. It's not just Democrats in the Senate who are uncomfortable with satiating Trump's border wall hunger. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican, told CQ this week that she's not convinced Trump's wall is necessary. 'I haven't heard anything other than that's what the president wants,' she stated. GOP leaders were not expected to attend the negotiating session with Trump at the White House next week, leaving the president to do his own bidding. A House Republican source told DailyMail.com that the caucus would support the measure that is already a part of the lower chamber's Homeland Security appropriations bill. 'How members in the Senate vote is entirely up to them,' the person said. Pelosi forcefully slapped down a proposal on Thursday to bring more of her members into the fold by trading the border wall for illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children. 'They're two different subjects,' she said. 'I think what we can do, that makes sense, is to pass six bills where the members of the Appropriations Committee have come to terms. You heard me say it over and over, left to their own devices, the appropriators can come to a good conclusion, and then have a [continuing resolution] only for Homeland Security as we go forward. And that's pretty much what our position is now.' In the Senate, the president needs nine Democrats to cross party lines, assuming every Republican lends their support to his border wall demand, in order to overcome a filibuster. His antics have not spooked Schumer, who last week said that Trump was free to throw a 'temper tantrum' and force a shut down if he wants, although he would advise against it. Trump pressured Democrats to fund his wall or grapple with a shut down of the border on Monday morning as he revived his immigration demands, despite the former president's passing As Bush's body was headed to Washington to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol, the sitting president whacked Democrats and put new pressure on legislators to give him the $5 billion he needs to complete the structure It was assumed on Thursday afternoon that Trump would accept lawmakers' decision to push off a spending fight until the last day on the legislative calendar before the Christmas holiday. The White House had not released a statement on the legislation, though, as dusk settled over the nation's capital. Trump had signaled over the weekend that he was willing to sign a two-week federal budget extension to allow Congress to honor the life of former President George H.W. Bush without the distraction of an impending partial government shutdown. As Bush's body was headed to Washington to lie in state in the U.S. Capitol, the sitting president whacked Democrats and put new pressure on legislators to give him the $5 billion he needs to complete the structure. 'We would save Billions of Dollars if the Democrats would give us the votes to build the Wall. Either way, people will NOT be allowed into our Country illegally! We will close the entire Southern Border if necessary. Also, STOP THE DRUGS!' the president aid. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on the way back from the G20 summit in Argentina, Trump revealed that lawmakers asked him after Bush's death late Friday for a longer window of time to hammer out their differences. 'If they come to me, which they already have, and they said, "You know, Mr. President",' Trump mused, before adding, 'I would absolutely consider it and probably give it.' Many federal agencies will run out of money on Friday at midnight, unless Congress and the White House agree on a path forward. The appetite for a political fight over spending was lacking in Washington this week with Bush arriving and departing on special air mission for a National Cathedral ceremony and Capitol Rotunda wake. He will be laid to rest on Thursday evening in Texas, his home state. Trump said Saturday that lawmakers have asked him for a longer window of time to hammer out their budget differences, in light of President George H.W. Bush's death late Friday Many federal agencies will run out of money on Friday at midnight unless Congress and the White House agree on a path forward; the president says he's willing to let funding lapse in order to stand tough on border security issues The 41st president of the United States, George H.W. Bush died Friday night at age 94; he's pictured with his wife Barbara last year in Houston Trump and Congress had both been bracing for the fallout from a shutdown. House Democrats are in no mood to be generous, as they'll take over control of the chamber in January and will have more leverage to get what they want. In the Senate, where spending bills require the assent of 60 lawmakers in order to move forward, Democrats are in wait-and-see mode. Schumer dared Trump last Thursday to 'throw a temper tantrum and shut down some departments and agencies over Christmas' at his own expense. A proposal in Washington for a possible 'wall-for-DACA' deal, where the president would agree to package $5 billion in wall funding with a plan to give legal status to more than 1 million people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, died on Thursday with Pelosi's firm rejection of the possible package. Trump last year formally invalidated the Obama-era program that spared that large group of non-citizens from deportation, but court rulings have tied his hands and the temporary amnesty has continued. Republicans fear being blamed for a future shutdown, and they are feeling pressure to finalize a budget agreement before Christmas. The next Congress will likely convene at noon on January 3, at which point Democrats will have more negotiating power. The president wants $5 billion for border wall construction between the U.S. and Mexico The president has said he's more than willing to let funding for his cabinet agencies expire, calling it a political winner for the GOP. 'We need border security in this country, and if that means a shutdown I would totally be willing to shut it down,' he said last Wednesday. 'And I think it's a really bad issue for the Democrats.' A top Australian astronomer has debunked a warning by a Dutch 'mystic' that the position of the planets could lead to a devastating earthquake over Christmas. With thousands of followers on his YouTube channel and a regularly updated website, Frank Hoogerbeets' online presence gives the impression he is a bona fide seismologist. But despite referring to more orthodox research like the history of particular fault lines, Mr Hoogerbeets' focus on his Solar System Geometry Index (SSGI) has raised eyebrows. Scroll down for video A top Australian astronomer has debunked a warning by Dutch researcher Frank Hoogerbeets the position of the planets could lead to a devastating earthquake over Christmas He said an earthquake measuring somewhere between the 'high seven to eight magnitude' is likely to occur between 21-25 December. The Dutchman claims to have used three years of careful observations to prove 'planetary geometry in the solar system clearly tends to cause a seismic increase'. But top geologist Bryan Gaensler, a former Young Australian of the Year ranked at number three on Ranker's list of top Australian astronomers, said Mr Hoogerbeets' theory had no merit. The Dutchman claims to have used three years of careful observations to prove 'planetary geometry in the Solar System clearly tends to cause a seismic increase' Professor Gaensler told Daily Mail Australia: 'It's pretty simple - planetary alignment doesn't have any impact on earthquakes.' In one of Mr Hoogerbeets' videos, the planets are described as 'energised' but if that is referring to gravitational pull Professor Gaensler said the impact would be minimal. He added: 'There is more gravitational pull from an aeroplane.' Seismology Professor Won-Young Kim from Columbia University in the US added the small four-day time frame Mr Hoogerbeets had given for the quake meant there was just a one in 15 chance of him being right. Professor Kim added there was a possibility the planets could have an impact, but it would be extremely difficult to prove. The Australian academic's rubbishing of Mr Hoogerbeet's theory follows a similarly dismissive response by a popular American astronomer to the Dutchman's prediction of the planets causing a 9.8 earthquake in 2015. But top geologist Bryan Gaensler, a former Young Australian of the Year listed at number three on Ranker's top Australian astronomers, said Mr Hoogerbeets' theory had no merit (pictured Mr Hoogerbeets' warning on his website www.ditrianum.org) Having watched the researcher's videos and examined the science, Professor Plait said 'Let me be clear: No, it wont. It can't'. He also backed up Professor Gaensler's comment on the minimal impact of the planet's gravitational field. Professor Plait said: 'The maximum combined gravity of all the planets under ideal conditions is still far less than the gravitational influence of the moon on the Earth, and the moon at very best has an extremely weak influence on earthquakes.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Hoogerberts for comment. An earthquake rating at 8 on the Richter scale would be even more powerful than the 6.9 quake that levelled much of Lombok, Indonesia in August (pictured) Nearly half (45 percent) of all American adults have an immediate family member who has been incarcerated, according to a new report. That amounts to roughly 113 million people who have been touched by mass incarceration in the United States, according to the survey of 4,041 Americans. The research was done by FWD.us, a non-profit established by American business and tech leaders advocating for criminal justice and immigration reform, in partnership with Cornell University. Right now, an estimated 6.5 million Americans have an immediate family member in jail or prison. And U.S. jail and prison populations have swelled to four times what they were in 1980, with about 1.5 million people in state and federal prisons on any given day in America. 'The way we've been incarcerating folks affects everyone regardless of your race, your political party, your religion,' said Carlton Miller, a senior associate with FWD.us. 'This issue has metastasized and truly impacted everyday normal Americans.' This chart illustrates which how many Americans have had each kind of family member in jail or prison. According to a survey by FWD.us, siblings are the most common family member Miller is one of those Americans. His brother has been incarcerated in Louisiana State Penitentiary since 1998 and faces roughly another 40 years in prison before being released. The experience has motivated him to pursue a career in law and criminal justice reform. 'I've seen the impact that (mass incarceration) has on a family,' he told DailyMail.com. 'My mom lost a son, I lost a brother and my nieces and nephews have lost a father.' And Miller is not alone: the study also found that one in seven U.S. adults has had an immediate family member incarcerated for at least one year and one in 34 have seen a family member locked up for 10 years or more. The impact is felt disproportionately in communities of color: African Americans are 50 percent more likely than white people to have had a family member incarcerated, and three times more likely to have someone in prison for more than a year. In addition, Latino adults are 70 percent more likely than white people to have had an immediate family member in jail or prison for more than a year. Poor people are also disproportionately affected, with those making less than $25,000 a year 61 percent more likely than those earning $100,000 or more to have had a family member land in prison or jail. However, the study found that people from different political parties are incarcerated at similar rates, with 43 percent of Republicans, 45 percent of Democrats and 48 percent of Independents reporting that they have a family member who has been incarcerated. This chart illustrates the proportion of each race that has had a family member incarcerated for anywhere from one day to more than a year This chart illustrates the proportion of Americans in each income bracket who have had a family member in jail for at least one day or longer than a year The study comes as Congress is weighing major criminal justice reform legislation that has support from both parties and President Trump. The proposal passed in the House but hasn't been brought to the floor for a vote in the Senate. Beyond the numbers, Miller said the survey reveals a grim reality that 'undermines America's potential and America's promise' by removing breadwinners from households, dividing families and isolating children from the people who should be there for them. Even people incarcerated for short periods of time can lose their jobs, miss rent or mortgage payments and fall behind on child support. The effect ricochets across families, punishing more than the individual serving time, Miller said. 'It affects you mentally,' Miller said. 'It affects a person's ability to truly have that family unit there that provides the upbringing that a child may need to survive in America.' For Miller and his family, it's been devastating. 'It's very hard,' he said. 'It was hard - on my birthday, which was about a month ago, my brother told me, "It hurts every year having to tell you happy birthday over a phone, and having to hear my voice come on after an automated message says this is a call from Louisiana State Penitentiary and you have only 15 minutes to talk to me."' Professor David Runciman said the British voting system was weighted against the young because older people yield far more votes, a problem made worse by an ageing population. Undated photo Children as young as six should be able to vote in general elections to tackle age bias in society, Cambridge University's head of politics has said. Professor David Runciman said the British voting system was weighted against the young because older people yield far more votes, a problem made worse by an ageing population. Discussing the issue on his podcast, Talking Politics, he claimed lowering the voting age to 16 was not radical enough. 'I would lower the voting age to six, not 16, and I'm serious about that,' he said. 'I would want people who vote to be able to read, so I would exclude reception. 'The old thing about voting for people like you wouldn't happen, 9-year-olds aren't going to elect 9-year-olds to Parliament and even if they did they'd be outvoted. 'What's the worst that could happen? At least it would be exciting, it would make elections more fun. ' Prof Runciman said the system of only allowing voting at 18 but having no cut-off point at the other end left young people vastly outnumbered. He did not suggest stripping older people of their votes but said including young children was necessary to correct the structural imbalance. 'It is never going to happen in a million years but as a way of capturing just how structurally unbalanced our democracies have become, seriously, why not? Why not six-year-olds?' he asked. Prof Runciman claimed young voters were 'triply discriminated against' in the current political system. 'Young people are not represented in their parliaments, and they are losing in their electorates, he said. 'If you are in your 20s, you are not represented in your parliament, you keep losing elections and you are expected to care about the future, the environment, the unborn... it is your job as a young person to somehow take up causes that old people are a little bit long in the tooth to worry about.' The academic said Jeremy Corbyn could have become Prime Minister if 16-year-olds had the vote in the last election. He admitted it was possible this would have swung the Brexit vote but thought this was unlikely. A Turkish official says Sean Penn is in Turkey working on a documentary about the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Turkey's president, said Thursday that the two-time Oscar winner interviewed him in Ankara as part of his 'preliminary preparations' for the documentary before leaving for Istanbul where he was due to meet with Khashoggi's Turkish fiancee. The 58-year-old Hollywood actor has been in Turkey working on the death of the Washington Post columnist who was critical of the Saudi crown prince. Khashoggi was killed by Saudi agents on October 2 after arriving to handle routine paperwork. Aktay, who was a friend of Khashoggi's, was the first to alert authorities that the journalist had disappeared inside the consulate. Turkish media showed Penn filming in front of the consulate building Wednesday. Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, says he was interview by Sean Penn( pictured in Ankara, Turkey on Wednesday) Penn seen near Saudi Arabia's consulate building, in Istanbul where he is working on a documentary on Jamal Khashoggi's murder Several lawmakers in the United States believe the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ordered Khashoggi's murder A bipartisan group of US senators are introducing a measure that says Saudi Arabia's crown prince is 'complicit' in the killing of Khashoggi. The resolution is largely symbolic, but it registers the Senate's unrest with the killing and the Trump administration's response. It's among several measures being considered after a closed CIA briefing on Capitol Hill. Introduced by a top ally of President Donald Trump, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, and by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, the resolution says the Senate 'has a high level of confidence' that the crown prince 'was complicit in the murder.' Khashoggi was killed at the Saudi consulate in Turkey after arriving for routine paperwork in preparation to marry his Turkish fiancee. The U.S. resident was critical of the Saudi regime. The actor's last project ended disastrously for his leading star. The Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker was seen working with a film crew in the Turkish city on Wednesday He met with the world's most wanted drug lord, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman in the jungles of Sineola while he was on the run from Mexican and American authorities. Within hours of Rolling Stone magazine publishing Penn's piece on El Chapo the Sinaloa cartel leader was detained by Mexican marines. Supposedly the entire 'clandestine horror show' - as Penn put it - was part of a research project to develop a Netflix-style drama about Guzman and his prison break. Though Penn insists he went to extreme lengths to hide the meeting from authorities, the details have sparked widespread speculation that he was in fact tapped by the CIA to locate the fugitive criminal - just as screenwriters were enlisted to make Argo to free US hostages in Iran in 1979. A 'cheerful and happy' binman was killed by his lorry in an horrific accident during his team's morning rounds. Father-of-five Paul Abbott, 59, was collecting waste in Northolt, north-west London on Tuesday when he was hit by the lorry. He reportedly died a hero after pushing a colleague out of the way of the vehicle before he was struck. The cause of the accident will be addressed in an inquest. Shattered friends tonight told MailOnline Mr Abbott was a 'hard worker who loved his family with all his heart.' Father-of-five Paul Abbott (pictured), 59, was collecting waste in Northolt, north-west London on Tuesday when he was hit by the lorry The cause of the accident will be addressed in an inquest. Pictured is the scene in Northolt Mr Abbott was a QPR fan and a member of his local Conservative club. Pictured is the scene in Northolt Mr Abbott was a QPR fan and a member of his local Conservative club. Simon Scott, a former colleague, said: 'He was such a top lad, a cheerful and happy chap who loved his job. May you rest in peace.' A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said officers were appealing for any witnesses to the incident to contact them. 'Police were called to Priors Field, Northolt at 7.27am on Tuesday following reports of a collision,' the spokesman said. 'Officers and crews from the London Ambulance Service attended and found a refuse lorry had been in collision with Mr Abbott, one of the lorry crew. 'Mr Abbott was treated at the scene by paramedics but died in an ambulance on the way to hospital. A post mortem examination is due to take place later. 'The driver of the lorry stopped at the scene and is assisting police with their inquiries. No arrests have been made.' Shattered friends tonight told MailOnline Mr Abbott was a 'hard worker who loved his family with all his heart.' Pictured: The scene Simon Scott, a former colleague, said: 'He was such a top lad, a cheerful and happy chap who loved his job. May you rest in peace.' Pictured: The scene Neil Bush's ex-wife Sharon spent the day having lunch with her girlfriends as the nation mourned her former father-in-law on Wednesday at a state funeral where her two daughters gave readings. Sharon, who was married to Neil between 1980 and 2003, shared a photograph of her day out on Instagram, writing alongside it: 'Blondes just want to have fun... 'Ladies lunch with the fabulous Anne and Cynthia.' She was with Anne Hearst, of the Hearst publishing family, and Lady Gaga's mother Cynthia Germanotta. She added the hashtag 'god bless friends'. On Thursday, she proudly shared a photograph taken at the state funeral of her daughters Lauren and Ashley at the pulpit. Sharon Bush (right) shared this photograph of herself with Anne Hearst (center) and Lady Gaga's mother Cynthia Germanotta (left) at a lunch on Wednesday during her former father-in-law George H.W. Bush's state funeral Sharon captioned the image cheerfully as she posted it on Instagram Striking a more somber tone, she captioned that picture: 'My girls Lauren and Ashley reading scriptures at their grandfathers funeral. So proud of them. May he RIP.' Pierce, Neil and Sharon's son, was one of the honorary pallbearers at George H.W.'s funeral in Houston, Texas, on Thursday. After the former president's death last week, Sharon shared a sweet photograph of Laura reading to him from a book about his life with former first lady Barbara Bush. In the photograph, George H.W. is smiling contently in his chair, dressed in pajamas and with a blanket draped over him, while Ashley focused on the book. 'This is a very sweet picture of my Ashley reading to her grandfather a few months ago. May he rest in peace,' Sharon wrote of it. She later shared this photograph of her daughters, Ashley and Lauren Bush Lauren, speaking at Wednesday's service When George H.W. Bush died last Friday, Sharon shared this sweet photograph of her daughter Ashley reading to him from a book about his life with her late grandmother Barbara Neil and Sharon divorced acrimoniously in 2003 amid rumors of infidelity, paternity doubts and voodoo. Sharon spoke to reporters willingly about the break-up whereas Neil kept quiet. She claimed that in 2002, Neil emailed her to tell her he no longer wanted to be married to her. He then announced his relationship with Maria Andrews, his current wife, who he had met because she was working for his mother, Barbara Bush. During their bitter court battle, Sharon asked a judge to order a paternity test for Maria Andrews' son, Thomas Alexander Andrews, who was two at the time. Thomas's father, Maria's ex-husband Robert Andrews, sued Sharon for $950,000 for defamation. A paternity test was done and Robert was proven to be the father. They settled their dispute in 2004 but the terms of their agreement have never been made public. Sharon was married to Neil Bush between 1980 and 2003. They are shown, left, with daughter Lauren in 1984. He divorced her for Maria Andrews, seen with him right at the service in Washington DC on Wednesday Neil, Lauren, Ashley and Sharon are pictured together in 2001, two years before their divorce In 2002, Sharon demanded a paternity test for Maria's youngest son, Alexander Andrews, who was two at the time. Sharon claimed Neil was the father. A test was done and proved that he was not the father. Alexander's real father, Maria's ex-husband Robert Andrews, sued Sharon for defamation. Alexander is very much part of the Bush clan along with his brother and sister. He is shown, far left, with his mother at the White House on Tuesday night Neil and Maria got married in 2004, a year after his divorce from Sharon was finalized. In the course of it, Sharon publicly criticized him for offering her $1,000 a month to live on, insisting that it was not enough. He later offered $30,000-a-year plus $750-a-month for each of their two youngest children at the time. Sordid details of his disloyalty to her were also revealed including that he would receive women who simply 'knocked on his hotel door' to have sex with him during business trips to Hong Kong and Thailand for years before he and Sharon parted ways. He said he did not know if the women were prostitutes but that they never asked him for money and he never paid them. 'Mr. Bush, you have to admit it's a pretty remarkable thing for a man just to go to a hotel room door and open it and have a woman standing there and have sex with her,' asked Sharon's lawyer during the deposition, to which Neil replied: 'It was very unusual.' In 2006, Sharon became engaged to Chinese billionaire Gerry Tsai. He died in 2008 after suing her to give back the $434,000 engagement ring he gave her when they broke up He was hired at the time by Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation, a Chinese company which paid him $10,000 for every board meeting he attended and gave him $2million of stock over two years despite him having no expertise in their field. The 11-carat canary diamond which Sharon refused to give back In those same depositions, he described his marriage to Sharon as 'loveless' with 'no affection'and 'very little sexual activity over the past 10 or 12 years.' During the early years of his brother's presidency and his campaign, he was accused of taking vast sums of money, sometimes up to $1million, to meet with foreign businessmen. Sharon moved on from her split with Neil to Chinese billionaire Gerry Tsai. The pair became engaged in 2006 but their romance fell apart in 2008. He then sued her to give back the 11-carat canary diamond engagement ring that he had given her but she refused to hand it over. Tsai died in 2008 without getting the $434,000 ring back. The Manhattan nanny on trial for allegedly shoving a baby wipe inside the throat of her employers' baby son, leaving him gasping for air, took the witness stand in her own defense Thursday, tearfully telling the jury she did nothing to harm the child. Marianne Benjamin-Williams, 47, insisted that she did all she could to save the then-two-month-old Maxwell Bluetreich after he threw up during a feeding and began making wheezing noises on the afternoon of May 18, 2017, inside the Manhattan apartment of his parents, Dr Salomon Blutreich and Meredith Sondler-Bazar, and 14-month-old sister. I said, Maxy, stay with me! she quoted herself as telling the baby. Nanny Marianne Benjamin-Williams tearfully told a Manhattan jury on Thursday that she never harmed two-month-old Maxwell Bluetreich and instead tried to save him The 47-year-old Israeli native is on trial for allegedly trying to choke the infant by shoving a baby wipe down his throat Maxwell, pictured above with his older sister, was saved by hospital doctors after his near-death experience in May 2017 During her emotional testimony, the nanny said she called the infant's investment banker mother, asking her to call 911 so that she could focus her attention on baby Maxwell because she feared he was near death, as the New York Daily News first reported. She said she poured water on the babys face and slapped him in an attempt to revive him. Benjamin-Williams claimed she performed the Heimlich maneuver for babies by slapping the two-month-old on his back, then put her finger in his month to check for any foreign objects obstructing his airway. On a related note, the nanny claimed that the deep scratches later discovered by doctors in the child's mouth, which caused heavy bleeding and required stitches, were from her fingernails. But the prosecution argued that the injuries to Maxwell's tongue were inflicted by a hard object the defendant allegedly wielded to shove the wet wipe down the baby's windpipe. The caretaker told the court the baby boy threw up during a feeding and began making wheezing noises, so she performed the Heimlich maneuver on him and poured water on his face Prosecutors painted the defendant as a liar who altered her identification documents, inclduing her Israel passport, to make herself seem 10 younger than her real age Her doctored driver's license shows her date of birth at 1981, even though Benjamin-Williams is actually 47 years old The nanny's old Craiglist ad offering her services as a bilingual nanny is seen on the screen in court during Benjamin-Williams' trial Thursday Benjamin-Williams is charged with attempted murder and related counts, including assault, strangulation, reckless endangerment, possession of a forged instrument and endangering the welfare of a child, to which she has pleaded not guilty. Baby Maxwell was saved by hospital surgeons who removed a 'balled-up baby wipe' from the child's throat, after emergency responders found him bleeding from the mouth and struggling for air. Doctors said the wipe was stuck so far down his throat it wasn't visible at first. The nanny's defense lawyers have suggested that the wipe may have been inhaled by the baby, or inserted into his mouth by his older sister. Maxwell was saved by hospital surgeons who removed a 'balled-up baby wipe' from the child's throat The nanny said she accidentally scratched the inside of the baby's mouth while sweeping for foreign objects with her fingers The nanny's defense lawyers have suggested that the wipe may have been inhaled by the baby or inserted into his mouth by his older sister Prosecutors claimed that Benjamin-Williams tried to choke the baby because she was frustrated with his fussiness and was unhappy with her pay. I never tried to kill Maxy. I never harmed Maxy, the caretaker said from the stand on Thursday, later telling the court that looking after Maxwell and his sister was the best part of her day. 'I used to look forward to going to work,' she said. While Benjamin-Williams and her defense team sought to portray her as a hard worker who was dedicated to her employers' children, prosecutors painted her as a disgruntled employee and a liar who altered her identification documents to make herself seem 10 younger than her real age, and who gave Maxwell's parents fake references and a bogus home address. Williams was hired by a Manhattan doctor, Dr. Salomon Blutreich (pictured on the left in court) and his investment-banker wife, Meredith Sondler-Bazar (pictured right) The Israeli native also falsely claimed to have advanced degrees from Columbia University and the University of London. Benjamin-Williams conceded that she gave the family fake names and phone numbers of previous employers, but justified the falsehoods by saying that she was desperate to find work. Australia has passed unprecedented laws to scrap end-to-end WhatsApp encryption, meaning the Australian government will soon have the authority to snoop on your messages. The updated security laws were passed in the Senate on Thursday after Labor backed down on their stance at the last minute. Authorities will have access to previously secure messages before Christmas thanks to laws which are being rushed out during the festive season amid terrorism fears. Australia has passed unprecedented laws to scrap end-to-end WhatsApp encryption (stock image) WhatsApp has up until this point been secured with end-to-end encryption meaning the app and third parties could not read or listen to the content WhatsApp has up until this point been secured with end-to-end encryption meaning the app and third parties could not read or listen to the content. Australia has become the first country in the world to ditch the messaging app's encryption. The new spying powers are limited to only 'serious offences' such as preventing terrorism and tackling organised crime in Australia, according to Attorney-General Christian Porter. Australia's national security was at the forefront of the debate, with Mr Porter telling the lower house the new laws are necessary to prevent terror events. Mr Porter also said police and national security agencies will still require a warrant to access the encrypted messages. Attorney-General Christian Porter accused Mr Dreyfus in parliament of dragging the chain For the changes to go through Parliament quickly, Labor was required to back the laws Under the new powers, companies will be required to build a new function to help police access the suspects' data, or risk a fine for not doing so. Who is allowed to spy on you? Australian Secret Intelligence Organisation Australian Secret Intelligence Service Australian Signals Directorate Australian Federal Police Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity Australian Crime Commission State Police Advertisement They could be asked to install software or a modifying service on the suspects' device, and provide technical information such as the source code. The suspect would not even know if they're being spied on because the company cannot tell anyone. The powers will extend beyond terrorism, to state and territory police forces who cover a broad range of serious offenses. Labor condemned the 200-page bill as being too broad and confusing. 'What does that mean? No ordinary person can understand it, and no lawyer can understand it,' shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said. After initially rejecting the proposed laws, the opposition gave in over fears of terrorism threats to Australia over the Christmas period. The laws were the subject of fiery debate in Parliament earlier in the week, with Energy Minister Angus Taylor accusing Labor of 'running a protection racket for terrorists' by refusing to rush through the laws. Prime Minister Scott Morrison insisted on Thursday the move was in the best interest of Australia's national security and denied he was playing political games to distract from a different vote of removing asylum-seeking children from Nauru. 'Let the scale fall from your eyes. This is not about politics, this is about Australia's national security,' he told reporters. WhatsApp is used in an estimated 95 per cent of serious criminal activity. 'What does that mean? No ordinary person can understand it, and no lawyer can understand it,' shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said Advertisement Rain fell down on the Bush family at the end of their patriarch's funeral in Houston on Thursday, the final day of events to commemorate the 41st president. But Bush's eldest sons, George W Bush and Jeb, were undaunted by the drops as they proudly stood and watched while a military honor guard carried their father's casket to the train that would take him to his final resting place. George W Bush and Jeb, flanked by their wives Barbara and Columba, stood in front of their families as the honor guard walked past with Bush's flag-covered coffin. As the drops slowed, the rest of family put theirs away and were uncovered as they watched the guard pass by. Scroll down for video George H.W. Bush's eldest sons George W Bush and Jeb, were undaunted by the rain as they proudly stood and watched as their father's casket was carried to the train that would take him to his final resting place George W Bush and Jeb, flanked by their wives Barbara and Columba, stood in front of their families as the honor guard walked past with Bush's flag-covered coffin The light raindrops were clearly still falling as the casket transfer began on Thursday afternoon The rain finally stopped as the guard took the casket out of the president's hearse which had traveled from St Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston But as the rain began to fall everyone opened big black umbrellas - everyone except George W Bush and Jeb. The pair remained stoic, placing their hands over their hearts as they paid their respects to their father as America the Beautiful played. Jeb even ignored the umbrella that was already in his hand. Bush's coffin was taken into the train's sixth car, a converted baggage hauler that has been fitted with transparent sides to allow mourners lining the tracks to view the coffin. The locomotive carrying his body, which was painted to resemble Air Force One, was originally commissioned by Union Pacific for the opening of an exhibit at Bush's presidential library titled 'Trains: Tracks of the Iron Horse'. But as the rain began to fall everyone opened big black umbrellas - everyone except George W Bush and Jeb The pair remained stoic as they watched their father's casket make the journey to the train After a member of the joint services military honor guard gave Bush's casket one final salute, the Bush family members put their hands down. George W Bush and his wife Laura then began walking to the train, followed by Jeb and Columba and the rest of the family. The motorcade arrived in College Station around 4pm and took Bush to his presidential library at the university. He was laid to rest in a private ceremony next to his wife, Barbara, who died in April, and his daughter Robin, who died at age three in 1953. Bush Senior's casket was taken to the train by a military honor guard on Thursday afternoon Bush's coffin was taken into the train's sixth car, a converted baggage hauler that has been fitted with transparent sides to allow mourners lining the tracks views of Bush's coffin The 70-mile journey took the Bush family through five small Texas towns. Thousands lined the route of the special funeral train to say their final goodbyes to Bush, a gesture that touched his eldest son. George W Bush posted a photo on Instagram that showed him waving to the crowd standing out in the rain to pay tribute to his father. 'Thank you for making 41's last ride so special,' he wrote in the short but sweet caption. Thousands lined the route of the special funeral train to save their final goodbyes to Bush, a gesture that touched his eldest son Bush's funeral train was the eighth in U.S. history and the first since Dwight D. Eisenhower's body traveled from the National Cathedral in Washington through seven states to his Kansas hometown of Abilene 49 years ago. Abraham Lincoln's funeral train was the first in 1865. Robert F. Kennedy was never president, but he was running for the White House when he was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968. RFK's body was later transported to New York City for a funeral Mass and then taken by private train to Washington for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Barnaby Joyce has called for the ban on politicians hiring family members to work for them to be lifted. Mr Joyce resigned as deputy prime minister and leader of the Nationals after details of his affair with his former press secretary Vikki Campion were revealed. The couple share a son, Sebastian, who was born this year after Joyce split with his wife Natalie. Mr Joyce, 51, said he regretted not going home more to visit Natalie while the couple were still together. Former Deputy Prime Minister Joyce was demoted to the backbench after details of his affair with Nationals press secretary Vikki Campion were revealed. Pictured: Mr Joyce, Ms Campion and baby Sebastian Mr Joyce, 51, said he regretted not going home more to visit Natalie (pictured) while the couple were still together 'One of the mistakes Tony Abbott made was this sort of restriction on partners' travel or (your) wife working for you,' he told the Courier-Mail. '(Your partner) is probably one of the best persons working for you because she more than anyone understands your diary, understands kids' birthdays, anniversaries. Understands all the things you've got to be part of if you want to stay married. 'The only way you can give true support to a relationship is allow people to be together as much as they possibly can. And that's not unusual.' Mr Joyce said he now tells his colleagues to visit their families and 'go home' as much as they can. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he won't be making any changes to the rules introduced by Tony Abbott (pictured) in 2013 Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he won't be making any changes to the rules introduced by Mr Abbott in 2013. 'No, we won't change it. No changes,' he told The Today Show on Friday. Mr Morrison admitted it was tough for politicians to be away from their loved ones but he planned on sticking to the rule. Mr Morrison (pictured) admitted it was tough for politicians to be away from their loved ones but he planned on sticking to the rule President Trump acknowledged the 'horrific tragedy' at a synagogue on Thursday as he led a Hanukkah celebration at the White House five weeks after a deadly attack on Jewish Americans. 'Fourteen 11 Jewish Americans were brutally murdered in a sinister anti-Semitic attack on the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh,' the president said, stopping to correct himself after an attendee made him aware that he'd incorrectly stated the death toll. The president noted that he and Melania visited Pittsburgh to pay their respects. Trump said congregants 'were incredible people, the way they stood up so bravely, so proudly' and defended their faith. 'In the aftermath of that wicked assault, we reaffirmed our solemn duty to confront anti-Semitism everywhere it occurs,' Trump declared. 'We must stamp out this vile hatred from the world.' President Trump acknowledged the 'horrific tragedy' at a synagogue on Thursday as he led a Hanukkah celebration at the White House five weeks after a deadly attack on Jewish Americans Melania Trump and Donald Trump enter the East Room of the White House for the celebration SHOUT OUT FOR JARED: Trump mentioned Kushner and told attendees, 'I'm sure none of you have ever heard that name before' Melania Trump greets guests as she appears with President Trump at the Hanukkah reception Trump's kept promises to Israel led to chants of 'Four More Years!' even though Trump has a potential six years in office before him Trump said that the Jewish people have suffered 'unthinkable repression' and endured 'horrific violence' and yet they continue to thrive. 'Thrived like few, that I can tell you,' the president stated. 'Thrived.' He welcomed eight Holocaust survivors to the White House in his address, playfully saying of one of the women, 'She looks so young.' She told him off mic that 'she's not' as he teased that she is 'young at heart.' He promised to protect the Jewish nation from the threat posed by Iran and reminded them that he had followed through on a promise to move the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. 'It was a horrible, horrible deal. It should have never been made,' he said of the Iran nuclear deal that he abandoned this year. 'And imposed the toughest ever sanctions. We sanctioned Iran, I guess, like no one has ever been sanctioned before.' Trump asserted, 'We must never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear bomb. We cannot let the worlds leading sponsor of terror, a country that chants "death to America" and threatens Israel all of the time with annihilation and constantly screams out death to Israel to possess the deadliest weapon on Earth. We will not allow that to happen.' The kept promise led to chants of 'Four More Years!' even though Trump has a potential six years in office before him. 'That is actually six more,' he said, echoing an audience member who made the point. 'I've actually never heard four more years that's an interesting one. We'll go for six, and then well all be in very good shape.' The president's address was enthusiastically received, especially by one attendee standing near Trump who shrieked throughout the president's remarks. Although it was a celebration of the Jewish faith, it was also a solemn occasion at times as Trump remembered the fallen, including the 11 Jewish Americans who were massacred at their Pennsylvania synagogue. Tree of Life hosted a public lighting of its Hanukkah menorah in Pittsburgh on Sunday evening that doubled as a memorial service. 'To me, it's a simple message: The light is the message,' Rabbi Jeffrey Myers said as he stood in front of a makeshift memorial for the 11 victims of the October massacre. Myers was leading the Shabbat ceremony at Tree of Life when the Oct. 27 shooting occurred. Nearly 500 people gathered outside the house of worship to honor the dead and celebrate the beginning of Hanukkah on Sunday evening. 'We are practicing our Jewish faith publicly and proudly,' Stephen Cohen, co-president of New Light synagogue, said at the menorah lighting ceremony. Tree of Life hosted a public lighting of its Hanukkah menorah in Pittsburgh on Sunday evening Trump was hosting two ceremonies at the White House on the fifth night of Hanukkah, the first of which included a menorah lighting. The White House's annual celebration was delayed as the nation grieved former President George H.W. Bush, who was on his way by locomotive to his final resting place on Thursday night. Trump paid tribute to Bush at the Hanukkah celebration at the White House, calling him a 'wonderful man' and an 'American patriot.' He said the state funeral he attended for Bush on Wednesday at the National Cathedral was a 'beautiful tribute' to the ex-president who died at the age of 94 on Friday. 'We will always remember this great statesman,' the sitting president said. 'He really was very special.' A British military bunker fan was shot at and arrested after repeatedly trying to break into a Swedish naval base he claimed to believe was abandoned. The suspect is named in court documents seen by MailOnline as Max Leonard, 33. He was arrested with an unnamed Belgian man as they both tried to enter Musko Naval Base just south of Stockholm on Tuesday. It is not clear whether Mr Leonard was a resident in Sweden or a tourist, but court documents record he needed the services of a translator at the prison he was taken to in the suburb of Flemmingsberg. The suspect is named in court documents seen by MailOnline as Max Leonard, 33. He was arrested with an unnamed Belgian man as they both tried to enter Musko Naval Base just south of Stockholm on Tuesday (pictured) Senior Public Prosecutor Hans-Jorgen Hanstrom told Local.se the men tried to enter the base on more than one occasion between November 30 and December 2. The Belgian man was in his thirties and also had an interest in military bunkers, it is claimed. According to Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter, the suspects insisted they were visiting the base as part of their interest in naval bunkers and thought it was abandoned. They had to walk past several warning signs to get in and were greeted with several warning shots fired by a guard. Lawyer Lars Hurtig, who was representing one of the men, said his client denied the charges against him. Musko Naval Base just south of Stockholm on Tuesday in a vintage photo from the 1950s 'Personally, I think this is a heavy-handed overreaction and something has been set in motion that is rather ridiculous,' he said. Musko Naval Base is an underground facility that was built in 1950 after the evacuation of 1.5million tonnes of rock. It used to be Sweden's main east coast maritime base, but this was moved to further south to the town of Karlskrona in 2004. The facility is still home to a civilian dockyard which sometimes repairs military ships. It is also the home of Sweden's maritime intelligence agency. A Pennsylvania couple has been accused of killing their 10-month-old daughter who died after ingesting fentanyl in April. Upper Darby police have charged 31-year-old Joseph Milano and 34-year-old Lauren Semanyk with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. According to the Delaware County Times, their daughter, Angelina, ingested fentanyl and her parents allegedly waited six hours before calling 911. Pennsylvania couple 31-year-old Joseph Milano (left) and 34-year-old Lauren Semanyk (right), have been charged with murder after their 10-month-old baby girl died after ingesting their fentanyl. Their daughter, Angelina (pictured), ingested fentanyl and her parents allegedly waited six hours before calling 911 Police say they were called to the scene on April 16 and found Milano on the sidewalk in front of the house, shouting that the baby was not breathing. Milano initially told police that Angelina had drowned in the bathtub during a bath. Officers then instructed Milano back inside the home where responding Officer William Sides administered CPR on the baby. An affidavit says that 'Sides noticed that Angelina had no pulse, and her skin was grey and pale. Angelina was cold to the touch, her skin was dry, and her diaper was dry'. Paramedics responded and rushed the baby to Delaware County Memorial Hospital. Angelina later died and the medical examiner ruled the death as a homicide due to ingestion of fentanyl. Milano (pictured with Semanyk) initially told police that Angelina had drowned in the bathtub during a bath. But the autopsy showed that no water was found in Angelina's lungs According to the newspaper, fentanyl analog 3-methylfentanyl was found in the child's system, which is one of the strongest and lethal forms of the drug. Police said the couple initially reported that their daughter had drowned, but the autopsy showed that no water was found in Angelina's lungs. During interviews with detectives, Milano said he saw the baby in her bedroom with a straw in her mouth that had an 'off-white powdery residue' on it, possibly heroin and OxyCodone. That's when he claimed he put the child in the bathtub and walked out for just a few minutes. When he returned, the baby had slid under water, according to the Delaware County Times. When the autopsy results were released, Milano was already serving time at the Delaware County Jail for pleading guilty to use/possession of drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license stemming from an August 9 incident Semanyk turned herself into authorities. She is currently at the Delaware County Jail. Both are being held without bail following their arraignments, No attorney information is available in online court documents. Tony Martin was jailed for life for murder at Norwich Crown Court in April 2000 Tony Martin killed Fred Barras, 16, and wounded accomplice Brendon Fearon, 29, with his unlicensed shotgun after he found them late at night inside his home in August 1999. He was jailed for life for murder at Norwich Crown Court in April 2000, but later had his sentence reduced to five years for manslaughter. He appealed against his conviction, claiming that his account was not properly put forward at his trial. It was also revealed that he had Asperger's Syndrome. Fearon, who admitted conspiring to burgle Bleak House, accompanied by Fred Barras, was jailed for three years at Norwich Crown Court in 2000 and was released in August the following year. Mr Martin's case provoked a national debate about the measures homeowners can take to defend their property. The farmer, who is known for his eccentric behaviour, was finally released in 2003, but never returned to live in his derelict detached home on his 300 acres of land at Bleak House Farm. Instead he is thought to have spent the last 12 years sleeping in his car and at the homes of friends. Mr Martin has often spoken about how householders should have the right to protect themselves. Climate change and political uncertainty have raised concerns among those weighing up buying a ski property in the Alps. But that is not deterring the world's wealthy from paying high prices to secure their own Alpine home, with the cost of Europe's most expensive ski resort for property, Val dIsere, on a par with prime central London. The celebrated resort of Val dIsere remains the most expensive place in the Alps with an average property price of 20,600 per square metre, the equivalent of 18,400. With new infrastructure projects - including more than 100 new lifts being opened this season - and a new focus on wellbeing to attract millennials, resorts are finding ways to stay relevant to property investors, a new report suggests. The Savills ski report 2018-2019 claimed that the investment made into ski resorts in the Alps is helping to maintain property prices. Val dIsere remains the most expensive place in the Alps to buy a luxury chalet, with values showing price per square metre This luxury six-bed house for sale in the French Alps ski resort of Val dIsere is on the market for 13million, the equivalent of 11.6million The only ski location to top Val dIsere is the US resort of Aspen, in Colorado, where values have reached an average of 21,500 per square metre - the equivalent of 19,183. The Swiss Alps resorts of Verbier and Gstaad, along with the French Alps resort of Courchevel also feature in the top 10 of most expensive resorts in the world, according to Savills. The rankings move around a little for ultra-prime properties with Val dIsere dropping to fourth place in the Savills price index. It means that a luxury detached chalet in the area that has been newly furnished, and covers 400 sq m with seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and a spa would cost 12million, the equivalent of 10,705,500. Aspen is top of the ultra-prime rankings, followed by St Moritz and Courchevel 1850. In its research, Savills defined 'prime' as those properties valued at more than 700,000 - the equivalent of 624,015 - while ultra-prime are the top 20 to 30 per cent of prime properties in each resort. The 11.6million chalet in Val dIsere comes with an indoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi The luxury Val dIsere chalet also has a spacious and well-equipped gym Are you a skier or a snowboarder? There is a boot room with plenty of space for equipment Sophie Chick, director of Savills World Research, said: 'Although overall visitor numbers ticked marginally upwards last year, ski resorts must continue to adapt to attract more tourists and investors.' She explained that luxury hotels and developments with apartments for sale are incorporating five-star wellness facilities along with vegan eating options to help boost visitor numbers. 'Food is playing an important part with hotels and ski operators offering 'clean' or vegan menus as visitors look for more than the traditional cheese heavy Savoie-style dishes,' she said. St Moritz in Switzerland continues to be popular among those looking to buy a luxury chalet At the same time, infrastructure is being improved, with reduced transfer times created by the likes of a new train station at Le Chable that directly connects Verbier to Geneva. And more than 100 new ski lifts are set to open in the Alps in the 2018 to 2019 season. This includes La Rosiere in France, which is opening two new chairlifts and six kilometres of new pistes for this season. Savills has revealed the average prices of luxury properties in ski resorts around the world This four-bed apartment in the French ski resort of Courchevel 1850 is for sale for 3,485,274 The four-bed apartment in Courchevel 1850 is on the top floor and has a modern fireplace Last season saw some of the heaviest snow fall for years in the Alps, but weather patterns are changing and snowfall is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Ms Chick added: 'The unpredictable weather continues to add to the challenges faced by the winter-sports industry. 'But with challenges comes innovation, resorts are finding ways to stay relevant in the face of a changing global landscape. 'There are new lifts, hotels, festivals, sporting events and more to broaden the appeal of ski resorts to a wider demographic and to create year-round destination.' Those looking for a luxury chalet int he Alps will hope for plenty of entertaining space Perhaps the most immediate concern for British buyers is the ability to buy in Austria following Brexit. Only an EU citizen can buy residential property in Austria without setting a commercial structure. It comes on the back of regulation already in place in Switzerland, which includes restrictions on the number of second homes that may be bought by foreigners - no more than 1,500 a year. Switzerland also has a restriction on the number of second homes that can be built - no more than 20 per cent of the stock in a district. Reindeer in the Arctic, along with the herders who rely on them for income, have already begun to feel the effects of climate change. The indigenous Sami people in Sweden say abnormal temperature fluctuations in the region have disrupted this years migration, according to NBC News. Snow plays a key role in reindeer migration, and is crucial for herders ability to track their movement but without snow, theyve been forced to postpone their activities. Scroll down for video Reindeer in the Arctic, along with the herders who rely on them for income, have already begun to feel the effects of climate change. File photo It isnt just warm temperatures throwing a wrench in their plans this year, local herders say. Instead, the region has experienced fluctuations above and below freezing so far, causing an unusual cycle of freezing and thawing. While the Sami people typically corral reindeer over a two-week period in November, this years weather has gotten in the way. Something is really wrong with nature, 37-year-old herder Niila Inga told NBC. I cant ask my father what to do now because he hasnt seen this; it hasnt happened during his lifetime. Reindeer herders gather the animals and kill them for meat during September, leaving the remaining reindeer to graze in the area until winter migration, according to NBC. When the time comes for the reindeer to move, the herders follow them on snowmobiles. But, without snow, theres no way for them to do that. Swedens unusual weather comes as the World Meteorological Organization revealed 2018 will be among the hottest years on record. Snow plays a key role in reindeer migration, and is crucial for herders ability to track their movement but without snow, theyve been forced to postpone their activities. File photo According to the new WMO report, this year will sit at number four. The findings also mean that 'the past four years - 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 - are also the four warmest years in the series, the report says. Experts warn well likely fall short of warming targets. HOW IS GLOBAL WARMING AFFECTING GLACIAL RETREAT? Global warming is causing the temperatures all around the world to increase. This is particularly prominent at latitudes nearer the poles. Rising temperatures, permafrost, glaciers and ice sheets are all struggling to stay in tact in the face of the warmer climate. As temperatures have risen to more than a degree above pre-industrial levels, ice continues melt. For example, melting ice on the Greenland ice sheet is producing 'meltwater lakes', which then contribute further to the melting. This positive feedback loop is also found on glaciers atop mountains. Many of these have been frozen since the last ice age and researchers are seeing considerable retreat. Some animal and plant species rely heavily on the cold conditions that the glaciers provide and are migrating to higher altitudes to find suitable habitat. This is putting severe strain on the ecosystems as more animals and more species are living in an ever-shrinking region. On top of the environmental pressure, the lack of ice on mountains is vastly increasing the risks of landslides and volcanic eruptions. The phenomena is found in several mountain ranges around the world. It has also been seen in regions of Antarctica. Advertisement And, the Arctic is often hardest hit by climate changes. Greenhouse gas concentrations are once again at record levels and if the current trend continues we may see temperature increases 3-5C by the end of the century, said WMO Secretary-General Patteri Taalas. If we exploit all known fossil fuel resources, the temperature rise will be considerably higher, he said. It is worth repeating once again that we are the first generation to fully understand climate change and the last generation to be able to do something about it. As Facebook battle new scandals every day, employees are revolting - and the firm has dropped dramatically from its top spot on Glassdoor's annual list of the best places to work. After ranking No. 1 last year, Facebook now ranks seventh, dropping from a 4.6 to 4.5 award score out of a perfect 5. Zoom Video Communications supplanted Facebook as the top seat in the tech category. Scroll down for video CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifying before a combined Senate Judiciary and Commerce committee hearing: After ranking No. 1 last year, Facebook now ranks seventh, dropping from a 4.6 to 4.5 award score out of a perfect 5. THE TOP TEN FIRMS TO WORK AT 1. Bain & Company - 4.6 2. Zoom Video Communications - 4.6 3. In-N-Out Burger - 4.5 4. Procore Technologies - 4.5 5. Boston Consulting Group - 4.5 6. LinkedIn - 4.5 7. Facebook - 4.5 8. Google - 4.4 9. lululemon - 4.4 10. Southwest Airlines - 4.4 Source: Glassdoor Advertisement It comes as, according to a new Buzzfeed investigation, staff are at rock bottom. 'It's otherwise rational, sane people who're in Mark's orbit spouting full-blown anti-media rhetoric, saying that the press is ganging up on Facebook,' a former senior employee told BuzzFeed News. 'It's the bunker mentality. These people have been under siege for 600 days now. They're getting tired, getting cranky the only survival strategy is to quit or fully buy in.' According to Buzzfeed, employees posting on anonymous app Blind have even compared Zuckerberg to Hitler, responding to claims the Facebook founder should be allowed to run the company the way he wants. 'Funny, Hitler's followers said something similar. We all know how that went,' one user replied. Facebook has been struggling with a seemingly neverending series of major flaws, from privacy issues to election meddling. Its senior management, in particular Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, have come under fire. In America, Russians accounts have been accused of using Facebook to harm Hilary Clinton's prospects of being elected over Donald Trump. In the UK, some have claimed that misleading information was used to promote Brexit in the run up to the 2016 referendum. Facebook's senior management, in particular Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, pictured, have come under fire. It is also facing hugely damaging revelations of privacy data breaches among its accounts. In the latest disaster, it was revealed Facebook signed deals to give companies such as Netflix and AirBnB special access to user dater, a huge dossier of secret emails revealed today. MP Damian Collins used parliamentary privilege to seize the documents from the founder of US app developer Six4Three who had them as part of a legal case against Facebook. In an extraordinary move when founder Ted Kramer was passing through London in November, Mr Collins had him escorted to Parliament and threatened to imprison him if he didn't hand them over. He promptly did so. FACEBOOK'S SLEW OF SCANDALS Facebook is facing allegations from all over the work that it has been used to spread 'fake news', interfere with elections, and peddle hate. It is also facing hugely damaging revelations of privacy data breaches among its accounts. Here are some of the controversies it has been embroiled in: 'Fake news' and Russia Facebook has come under the spotlight amid claims that Russian accounts used the platform to spread 'fake news' during the 2016 Brexit referendum. In America, Russians accounts have been accused of using Facebook to harm Hilary Clinton's prospects of being elected over Donald Trump. In the UK, some have claimed that misleading information was used to promote Brexit in the run up to the 2016 referendum. Cambridge Analytica Scandal: The data of around 87 million Facebook users was harvested by the company Cambridge Analytica (CA). It has been claimed CA used the information to assess peoples' personalities and come up with political strategies to sway voters to back Brexit and Donald Trump. Spread of extremism and hate Facebook has been repeatedly criticised for not being quick enough to take extremist content down from its site. Critics have warned that Facebook has become a safe haven for extremists who peddle hate and try to recruit jihadis to kill and maim. Advertisement The trove of emails and private messages - which a US judge had ordered to be kept secret - reveal how Facebook let companies have special access to user data if they spent big on advertising. As Facebook battle new scandals every day, employees are revolting - and the firm has dropped dramatically from its top spot in Glassdoor's annual list of the best places to work THE BEST TECH FIRMS TO WORK AT Zoom Video Communications supplanted Facebook as the top seat in the tech category. Google dropped three spots, landing at eighth place with an award score of 4.4. Amazon still hasn't made it onto the list since Glassdoor first began publishing it in 2009, and this year, Amazon had a score of 4.1, just outside of the top 100. Apple moved up from No. 84 to 71, though it maintained the same score of 4.3. Microsoft moved up from No. 39 to 34 although its award score dropped from 4.4 to 4.3. Advertisement Another former senior employee noted a growing sense of paranoia among current employees. 'Now, people now have burner phones to talk shit about the company not even to reporters, just to other employees,' they told BuzzFeed News. Some former workers have been empowered to bypass the press altogether and speak openly about their situations. Last month, Mark S. Luckie, a strategic partner manager for global influencers who quit in November, posted a 2,500-word memo that he had previously sent internally at the company to his personal Facebook to highlight what he saw as the company's 'black people problem.' 'In some buildings, there are more 'Black Lives Matter' posters than there are actual black people,' Luckie wrote, adding that 'Black employees are commonly told 'I didn't know black people worked at Facebook.' That post later mysteriously disappeared from Facebook after being flagged for violating the social network's 'community standards' before it was later restored. At 68, she is an inspiration to mothers everywhere. Wisdom the the Laysan albatross, the world's oldest known breeding bird, has laid another egg. Almost every year for the past six decades, Wisdom has laid an egg on Midway Atoll, an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Now, staff at Midway have confirmed she has done it again. 'She first appeared back at her traditional nest site on November 29 and biologists on Midway have confirmed that she has laid an egg,' the reserve said. Scroll down for video At 68-years-old, the world's oldest known breeding bird, an albatross named Wisdom (pictured), has laid another egg. Wisdom was first spotted incubating an egg at the same nesting site her and her mate, Akeakamai, user each year on Midway Atoll, an island in the Hawaiian archipelago It takes seven months to incubate an albatross egg and raise the resulting chick until it can fend for itself, and during that time Wisdom and her partner Akeakamai (pictured above) take turns caring for their offspring and foraging for food ALBATROSS FACTS An albatross has an average wingspan of 11ft. They spend most of their days out at sea and spend hours gliding on headwinds. The ancestral Hawaiian name for the bird is moli, which means a bone tattoo needle which was made from the bone of an albatross. The bird was famously mentioned in Samuel Taylor Coleridge's epic poem 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' where the mariner shot an albatross, which was considered a sign of good luck. As punishment, the mariner was forced to wear the dead albatross across his neck. Advertisement Should her latest egg with her longtime lover, Akeakamai, hatch, fledge and take to the open sea, it will be her 37th. 'Midway Atoll's habitat doesn't just contain millions of birds, it contains countless generations and families of albatrosses' said Kelly Goodale, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge Biologist. 'If you can imagine when Wisdom returns home she is likely surrounded by what were once her chicks and potentially their chicks. What a family reunion!' It takes nearly seven months to incubate the egg and raise a chick to fledge - when young birds develop wing feather's that are large enough for flight. During that time, Wisdom and Akeakamai, like all albatross parents, take turns incubating the egg or caring for the chick, while the other partner forages for food at sea. Albatross and other seabirds show high nest fidelity behaviors - which means they return to the same nesting site each year. They start to return from sea to breed in late October, and by the end of November almost every available nesting space on the atoll is claimed by a breeding pair. Wisdom spends 90% of her life at sea where she soars over the ocean for days on end and rests on the waves to feed on squid and fish eggs. Like all albatross, she returns nearly every year to the place she was born. Oceanographer Dr Sylvia Earl pictured with Wisdom. Scientists have been tracking the bird since the 1950s - since which time she has flown more than three million miles Layan albatrosses are monogamous animals, laying usually just one egg every other year - which is why Wisdom's fertility and pattern of laying an egg almost every year is so remarkable. Wisdom was first banded as an adult in 1956, and although she is at least 68 years old, she is still laying eggs and raising chicks. Wisdom was tagged by scientists in 1956 when she was about five years old. Since then, she's given birth to about 41 chicks and has flown more than three million miles. Wisdom laid the egg at a nesting site at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (shown) in the North Pacific, about 1,200 miles (1,930 km) northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii Experts at the US Fish and Wildlife Service claim Wisdom is the oldest bird they know of in the organisation's 90-year history. The refuge is home to the world's largest colony of albatross - where nearly 70 per cent of the world's Laysan albatross and almost 40 per cent of Black-footed albatross live. Refuge manager Dan Clark said: 'She provides to the world valuable information about the longevity of these beautiful creatures. 'In the case of Wisdom, she has logged literally millions of miles over the Pacific Ocean in her lifetime to find enough fish eggs and squid to feed herself and multiple chicks, allowing us the opportunity to measure the health of our oceans which sustain albatross as well as ourselves.' A proud mother (again): wisdom pictured with her latest egg this week Laysan albatrosses breed on the Hawaiian islands of Oahu, at Kaena Point, and on Kauai, at Kilauea Point. About 99.7 per cent of the bird's population of 2.5 million live in the northwestern Hawaiian islands. Their feeding grounds are off the west coast of North America, including the Gulf of Alaska, and they spend their first three to five years constantly flying, never touching land. Scientists believe they even sleep while flying over the ocean. It's official: money doesn't buy you happiness. Even millionaires think genuine pleasure is out of reach, despite their fortune - and can only be achieved through even greater wealth. Moreover, many believe they'd need at least double their net worth to be content. Researchers at Harvard Business School quizzed 2,000 millionaires for the study, which is considered to be the first of its kind to focus solely on this level of wealth. How much is enough? A quarter of millionaires worth $1.5 million (1.18 million) said that they'd need eleven times more money to be perfectly happy, despite their wealth (stock image) Professor Michael Norton, who led the research, asked subjects - the wealthiest clients of an investment bank - to rank their happiness on a scale of one to ten. He then asked them to specify what net worth would be required for them to reach optimum levels of contentment. 'Basically everyone says [theyd need] two or three times as much [money],' Professor Norton told The Atlantic magazine. Specifically, a quarter of millionaires worth $1.5 million (1.18 million) said they'd need eleven times more money to be perfectly happy, while one quarter said they would need six times as much. Another quarter said they would need twice as much money to finally be happy. Interestingly, this 'did not differ by wealth' and the perceived need that more money equates to more happiness was expressed even by those with a net worth of more than $7.6million (6 million). 'Our results suggest that the curve does not fully flatten out,' Professor Norton added. Similarly, millionaires with wealth of more than 6 million were found to be happier than those with about 1 million, but this only provided 'modestly greater well-being', the study said. However, those who earned their fortune were happier than those who merely inherited it, suggesting that accomplishing goals is key to satisfaction. The full results of the study were published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Researchers at Harvard Business School quizzed 2,000 millionaires for the study, which is considered the first of its kind (stock image) Previous research has suggested that money-related happiness plateaus beyond 60,000 per year, but according to some experts, the hunger for limitless wealth is real. Jeffrey Winters, a political science professor at Northwestern University, based in Evanston, Illinois, told The Times: 'Every billionaire Ive spoken to, and Ive spoken to quite a number of them, is extremely excited by each additional increment of money they make.' It comes just a few months after scientists found that social mobility is partially written into our genes, essentially determining whether we're high-flyers or high-earners. A study of more than 20,000 people in the UK, US and New Zealand found those with certain genetic variations earned more money, had better careers and got further in education. Regardless of which class they came from, their genes could help them do better in life than their parents before them. A team of researchers from Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, undertook a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on more than 20,000 individuals from Britain, New Zealand, and the United States who were followed from childhood into adulthood. The GWAS looked for thousands of tiny changes in genetic code in the individuals that previous studies have linked with success at school. Unsurprisingly, they found that men and women with genes for education - or high polygenic scores - did better academically. But the same genes also helped make someone upwardly mobile. Those with a high polygenic score did better in terms of education, occupation, and wealth, compared with their parents and siblings, regardless of the individuals' familial social class as children. Lead author Dr Daniel Belsky, from the Department of Population Health Sciences at Duke University, said: Findings from these analyses show that education-linked genetics may provide clues to biological processes in human development that influence success in school, at work, and in the accumulation of wealth across life. UCL could rename buildings honouring the father of eugenics Victorian scientist Sir Francis Galton in a bid to 'decolonise' the university. Galton, who coined the phrase 'nature versus nurture', left his personal collection to the university when he died in 1911 and also funded the UK's first chair of eugenics at the institution. However, students and staff have demanded the Victorian scientist have his name removed from the lecture theatre and laboratory named after him. UCL is accused of having a 'deeply troubling' history of eugenics research and earlier this year it was found conferences in eugenics were being run in secret on campus. The university has now launched an investigation into its historical links with this area of study. It is being led by Dr Iyiola Solanke who is professor of discrimination and EU law at the University of Leeds. However, other academics have argued that Galton was one of the greatest thinkers of all time and linking him with the Nazis is 'an horrific sentimentalist slur.' It follows similar case in Oxford surrounding the statue of Cecil Rhodes, a racist mining magnate and the founder of Rhodesia, at the university's Oriel building. Scroll down for video UCL could rename buildings honouring the father of eugenics Victorian scientist Sir Francis Galton in a bid to 'decolonise' the university. Pictured is the building that houses the lecture theatre named after Galton Before the atrocities of Nazi Germany, eugenics - the system of measuring human traits, seeking out the desirable ones and cutting out the undesirable ones - was once practised the world over. In the decades following the 1859 publication of Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species', a veritable craze for eugenics spread through Britain, the United States and Europe. In 1907, the Eugenics Education Society was founded in Britain to campaign for sterilisation and marriage restrictions for the weak to prevent the degeneration of Britain's population. A year later, Sir James Crichton-Brown, giving evidence before the 1908 Royal Commission on the Care and Control of the Feeble-Minded, recommended the compulsory sterilisation of those with learning disabilities and mental illness - an act that Sir Winston Churchill supported. Sir Francis Galton - a cousin of Charles Darwin - became obsessed with Origin of Species and coined the term 'Eugenics' in 1883. He was said to be particularly gripped by the first chapter on animal breeding, entitled 'Variation under Domestication'. Much of his work was devoted to exploring variation in human populations and was the first to question whether human ability was hereditary. He believed that breeding humans with superior mental and physical traits was essential to the well-being of society as a whole, writing 'Eugenics is the science which deals with all influences which improve the inborn qualities of a race; also with those which develop them to the utmost advantage.' Galton was knighted for his scientific contributions and his writings played a key role in launching the eugenics movement in the UK and America. He left his personal endowment to the university and in the decades after the Galton laboratory continued to lead research on eugenics. Galton (pictured), who coined the phrase 'nature versus nurture', left his personal collection to the university and also funded the UK's first chair of eugenics at the institution The investigation is being led by Dr Iyiola Solanke, a professor in the School of Law at the University of Leeds. It follows similar controversy in Oxford surrounding the statue of Cecil Rhodes The laboratory was established in 1904 and became part of the biology department in 1996. Other notable academics who took the chair include Professor Karl Pearson, who saw the war against 'inferior races' as a part of human evolution. Ronald Fisher, who took over the chair between 1933 and 1943 was described as 'the greatest of Darwin's successors' and was a strong supporter of eugenics throughout his life. Mahmud Rahman community officer for UCL told the Guardian: 'UCL's history in relation to eugenics is deeply troubling for us and our members'. Others scientists have stressed that Galton was one of the greatest thinkers of all time, working in a specific cultural context. Niall McCrae, a senior lecturer in mental health nursing at King's College London said: 'You've got to understand the figure in the context of the time in which he was working. 'To link him with the Nazis is an horrific sentimentalist slur.' UCL's president, Professor Michael Arthur said: 'We both hear and recognise the sensitivities around eugenics particularly surrounding the work of Francis Galton and we look forward to receiving the panel's recommendations'. The committee's first meeting was on Friday 23rd November and the investigation is due to complete by the end of July 2019. It is being led by Dr Iyiola Solanke, a professor in the School of Law at the University of Leeds where she holds the Chair in EU Law and Social Justice. Her research focuses on discrimination law and EU Law and last year she wrote a book called Discrimination as Stigma. WHO WAS SIR FRANCIS GALTON AND WHAT DID HE DO? Sir Francis Galton was born in 1822 and during his life wrote more than 340 papers and books on a range of subjects. He was a polymath and made important contributions in many fields, including meteorology, statistics, pyschology, biology and criminology. Galton was knighted in 1909 for his scientific contributions and his writings played a key role in launching the eugenics movement in the UK and America. He was the general secretory for the British Association for the Advancement of Science between 1863 and 1867; president of the Geographical section in 1867 to 1872 and president of the Anthropological section in 1877 to 1885. In 2016, a Chicago-based engineer, Libb Thims, ranked the 40 smartest people to make an impact on the world. Galton was ranked number 26. His work on Eugenics Sir Francis Galton was born in 1822 and during his life wrote more than 340 papers and books on a range of subjects Galton - a cousin of Charles Darwin -became obsessed with Origin of Species and coined the term 'Eugenics' in 1883. He was said to be particularly gripped by the first chapter on animal breeding, entitled 'Variation under Domestication'. Much of his work was devoted to exploring variation in human populations and was the first to question whether human ability was hereditary. He believed that breeding humans with superior mental and physical traits was essential to the well-being of society as a whole, writing 'Eugenics is the science which deals with all influences which improve the inborn qualities of a race; also with those which develop them to the utmost advantage.' In 1869 he wrote Hereditory Genius which was the first social scientific attempt to study genuis and greatness. In 1873 he wrote a controversial letter to The Times, arguing that the Chinese should immigrate to Africa and displace the suposedly inferior black population. He also founded psychometrics - the science of measureing mental faculties, differential psychology and the hypothesis of personality. In an effort to reach a wider audience, Galton worked on a novel called Kantsaywhere in 1920. In it he described a utopia organised by eugenic religion where smarter humans were encouraged to breed. His neice burned most of the unpublished novel, but parts of it were published by online by UCL. Galton's other work Galton (pictured right) was married for 43 years but did not have any children Galton is not only remembered for his work on eugenics. He invented the modern weather map and proposed a theory of anticyclones. On 1 April 1875 The Times published the first weather map made by Galton that showed the weather from the previous day. This is now a standard feature in newspapers worldwide. He was the first person to suggest fingerprints could be used to catch criminals. Galton wrote three books on the probability of two people having the same fingerprints and devised a classification system that survives to the day. He classified fingerprints into eight categories: 1: plain arch, 2: tented arch, 3: simple loop, 4: central pocket loop, 5: double loop, 6: lateral pocket loop, 7: plain whorl, and 8: accidental. He also conducted research on the power of prayer, concluding that it had no effect on the lifes of those people prayed for. He was the first to propose the idea of synaesthesia. He even looked into the science behind making the perfect tea and invented the Galton Whistle for testing differential hearing ability. His personal life Galton was born in a large house in the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham. He was Charles Darwin's half-cousin and they shared the common grandparent Erasmus Darwin. The Galton family were Quaker gun-manufacturers and bankers. Galton was a child prodigy - he could read at two and by five he knew Greek and Latin. By the age of six he was reading Shakespear for pleasure. He studied mathematics at the University of Cambridge from 1840 to 1844. In January 1853 he met Louisa Jane Butler (18221897) and they married in August of that year. They were married for 43 years but did not have any children. Advertisement A spokesperson said the investigation would 'provide recommendations as to what UCL's current position should be on the teaching, dissemination and study of eugenics, as well as its inherent link to modern day racism'. UCL President and Provost Professor Michael Arthur said: 'UCL has decided to hold this inquiry to ensure that the university's historical links to eugenics is properly examined. 'It is clear that this issue causes significant concern among many members of our community. 'We both hear and recognise the sensitivities around eugenics particularly surrounding the work of Francis Galton and we look forward to receiving the panel's recommendations.' Scientists raised questions about whether the investigation would really engender change. Pratik Chakrabarti, professor of the history of science, technology and medicine at Manchester University told the Guardian: 'I feel just having a go at Galton or the eugenic past of UCL is not terribly effective, unless we link these questions to what is happening with the great class and race divide in our society'. Galton was a polymath who made important contributions in many fields, including meteorology, statistics, psychology, biology and criminology. He lived in Knightsbridge Galton was a polymath who made important contributions in many fields, including meteorology, statistics, psychology, biology and criminology. He was the general secretory for the British Association for the Advancement of Science between 1863 and 1867; president of the Geographical section in 1867 to 1872 and president of the Anthropological section in 1877 to 1885. In 2016, a Chicago-based engineer, Libb Thims, ranked the 40 smartest people to make an impact on the world. Galton was ranked number 26. He was the first person to suggest fingerprints could be used to catch criminals. He also invented the modern weather map and proposed a theory of anticyclones. This investigation comes off the back of another investigation into eugenics launched in January. UCL (pictured) currently has two buildings named after the father of eugenics Victorian scientist Sir Francis Galton. Galton, who coined the phrase 'nature versus nurture', left his personal collection to the university and also funded the UK's first chair of eugenics WHAT ARE UCL'S LINKS WITH EUGENICS? UCL currently has two buildings named after the father of eugenics Victorian scientist Sir Francis Galton. Galton, who coined the phrase 'nature versus nurture', left his personal collection to the university and also funded the UK's first chair of eugenics. The Galton laboratory was established in 1904 and became part of the biology department in 1996. Professor Karl Pearson, a professor of Applied Mathematics, took the chair between 1911 and 1933. He was a proponant of social Darwinism and saw the war against 'inferior races' as a part of human evolution. In 1925, he created the Annals of Eugenics. Ronald Fisher, who took over the chair between 1933 and 1943. was described as 'the greatest of Darwin's successors' and was a strong supporter of eugenics throughout his life. He believed different human groups differ profoundly 'in their innate capacity for intellectual and emotional development'. Back in January of this year, the university launched an investigation into a 'secretive conference' on campus which featured speakers with controversial views about race and gender. The annual conference, which was first held in 2014, is alleged to have included speakers who have written about people in some countries having on average a higher IQ than those in others. It was hosted by an honorary UCL senior lecturer, Professor James Thompson, who taught psychology for 32 years and for the last decade has worked as a consultant psychologist. The London Conference on Intelligence (LCI) had used UCL's insignia on a number of its publications, and within the conference's logo on its official YouTube channel. According to promotional material for the 2016 conference, it featured a talk by Richard Lynn, professor emeritus at the University of Ulster. Professor Lynn has written controversial works highlighting what he said were differences in average intelligence between men and women, as well as different nations. In 1994, he was criticised for accepting 33,000 of research money from The Pioneer Fund, which has also funded a controversial lobby group called American Immigration Reform. One speaker at the LCI was Emil Kirkegaard, who gave a talk in 2015 about how far 'genomic race' is associated with cognitive ability. UCL suspended further bookings. A spokesperson said: 'We are an institution that is committed to free speech but also to combating racism and sexism in all forms.' Advertisement The investigation was looking into a 'secretive conference' on campus which featured speakers with controversial views about race and gender. The annual conference, which was first held in 2014, is alleged to have included speakers who have written about people in some countries having on average a higher IQ than those in others. It was hosted by an honorary UCL senior lecturer, Professor James Thompson, who taught psychology for 32 years and for the last decade has worked as a consultant psychologist. Toby Young, who was then head of the government's New Schools Network, stepped down after it was revealed he had attended three conferences in May of last year. The London Conference on Intelligence (LCI) had used UCL's insignia on a number of its publications, and within the conference's logo on its official YouTube channel. One speaker at the LCI was Emil Kirkegaard, who gave a talk in 2015 about how far 'genomic race' is associated with cognitive ability. UCL suspended further bookings. A spokesperson said: 'We are an institution that is committed to free speech but also to combatting racism and sexism in all forms.' The current debate at UCL is one that has been voiced on other university campuses across the country. The 2016 Rhodes Must Fall movement campaigned to remove a statue of the 19th Century imperialist from Oriel College. The 19th century mining magnate Cecil Rhodes was a student at Oxford and a member of Oriel College in the 1870s. Born in 1853, the vicar's son became one of the era's most famous imperialists, with Rhodesia - now Zimbabwe and Zambia - named after him. In 1892 he restricted the African vote to those with wealth and qualifications, and in 1894 he assigned an area for exclusively African development effectively a native reserve. The current debate at UCL is one that has been voiced on other university campuses across the country. The 2016 Rhodes Must Fall movement campaigned to remove a statue of the 19th Century imperialist from Oriel College WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF EUGENICS? Before the atrocities of Nazi Germany, eugenics - the system of measuring human traits, seeking out the desirable ones and cutting out the undesirable ones - was once practised the world over. In the decades following the 1859 publication of Charles Darwin's 'On the Origin of Species', a veritable craze for eugenics spread through Britain, the United States and Europe. Advocates of eugenics made significant advances during the early twentieth century - and claimed that 'undesirable' genetic traits such as dwarfism, deafness and even minor defects like a cleft palate needed to be wiped out of the gene pool. Scientists would measure the human skulls of felons in an effort to eradicate criminality - whilst other eugenic proponents suggested simply cutting out entire groups of people because of the colour of their skin. The first sterilisation law - which stopped certain categories of disabled people from having children - was passed in Indiana, USA in 1907. This was twenty-six years before a similar law was introduced by the Nazis in Germany in 1933. In fact, in their sterilisation propaganda, the Nazis pointed to the precedent set by America. In 1907, the Eugenics Education Society was founded in Britain to campaign for sterilisation and marriage restrictions for the weak to prevent the degeneration of Britain's population. A year later, Sir James Crichton-Brown, giving evidence before the 1908 Royal Commission on the Care and Control of the Feeble-Minded, recommended the compulsory sterilisation of those with learning disabilities and mental illness - an act that Sir Winston Churchill supported. Then in 1931, Labour MP Archibald Church proposed a bill for the compulsory sterilisation of certain categories of 'mental patient' in Parliament. Although such legislation was never actually passed in Britain, this did not prevent many sterilisations being carried out under various forms of coercion. Meanwhile from 1907 in the United States, men, women and children who were deemed 'insane, idiotic, imbecile, feebleminded or epileptic' were forcibly sterilised, often without being informed of what was being done to them. By 1938, 33 American states permitted the forced sterilisation of women with learning disabilities and 29 American states had passed compulsory sterilisation laws covering people who were thought to have genetic conditions. Laws in America also restricted the right of certain disabled people to marry. Sometimes, however, things went even further. A mental institution in Illinois euthanized its patients by deliberately infecting them with tuberculosis, an act they justified as a mercy killing that cut the weak link in the human race. Other countries which passed similar sterilisation laws in the 1920s and 30s included Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland. After these kinds of ideas took root in Nazi Germany and sparked the horrors of the Holocaust, eugenics turned into a dirty word. With the dark conclusion of its philosophy exposed before the world, it became difficult to justify forced sterilization as a tool for the greater good. All legislation was eventually repealed in the 1940s - and history was then subtly rewritten, with eugenics discussed as something that the Germans did and from which the rest of the world could wash its hands clean. Advertisement He left vast sums of money to the university, and a scholarship programme in his name has so far been awarded to more than 8,000 overseas students. A small but vocal group of protesters led by Ntokozo Qwabe, who himself benefited from the Rhodes scholarship, argued that the statue should be toppled because the imperialist was a racist. The governing body of the college ruled out taking the controversial statue down, after it was claimed that 1.5million of gifts had already been cancelled and Oriel could miss out on more money if it bowed to the campaign to remove it. Mr Qwabe wrote on his Facebook page: 'The decision by Oriel College to unilaterally reverse its public commitments on Rhodes, without any consultation, basically reminds us that black lives are cheap at Oxford.' It came amid similar controversy in Bristol surrounding the statue of Edward Colston, who transported around 80,000 slaves from Africa to the Caribbean and America. Colston, a divisive figure among city residents, played a key role in the Royal Africa Company, which turned the buying and shipping of slaves into an industrial-scale practice in the 17th Century. A statue honouring Colston was erected in Bristol in 1895 with a plaque reading: 'Erected by citizens of Bristol as a memorial of one of the most virtuous and wise sons of their city.' Bristol City Council has now submitted an application to add a second plaque explaining the instrumental role he played in the slave trade after the statue was repeatedly targeted by protesters over its representation of history. It is the latest move by the city to dissociate themselves from Colston, with venues and schools having previously removed his name from their titles. Seabirds are at risk due to the competition they face from the fishing industry for food, a new study has claimed. There has been a 70 per cent decline in seabird populations over seven decades due to a combination of the fishing industry, pollution and habitat destruction. Scientists from the University of Aberdeen looked at two timeframes - 1970 to 1989 and 1990 to 2010. They assessed the degree of competition seabirds faced for their favourite foods - species such as anchovy, sardines, mackerel, squid, krill and crustaceans. The team then estimated the annual consumption of these species for 276 different types of seabird species. They based this on population counts and models, which they compared to annual catches by fishing boats recorded in the Sea Around Us world database. Scroll down for video Loss: Experts said there has been a 70 per cent decline in seabird populations over seven decades due to a combination of the fishing industry, pollution and habitat destruction Experts found that the total annual seabird consumption decreased from 70 to 57 millions of tonnes between 1970 to 1990 and 1990 to 2010. Annual fishery catches increased from 59 to 65 million tonnes over the same period. Dr Aurore Ponchon, who co-led the study, said: 'Our research shows, that despite the decline of the world seabird community between 1970 to 1989 and 1990 to 2010, competition with fisheries remained sustained. 'This competition was even enhanced in almost half the oceans. This enhanced competition. 'In addition to other factors such as pollution, predation by invasive species on chicks, the destruction and changes in their habitat by human activities and environmental changes caused by climate change, puts seabirds at risk, making them the most threatened bird group, with a 70 per cent decline over the past seven decades. 'This study calls for an improved management of the world's fisheries to alleviate competition pressure on seabird populations.' The study, published in Current Biology, also involved scientists from the University of British Columbia and the French National Centre for scientific research. Decreasing: The scientists found that the total annual seabird consumption decreased from 70 to 57 millions of tonnes between 1970-1990 and 1990-2010 The findings come just weeks after a shock report found the percentage of seabirds with plastic in their stomach has increased to 90 per cent from 5 per cent in 1960. Plastic pollution is one of the worst ways man is adversely affecting the environment. Global wildlife populations have fallen by 60 per cent since 1970 as humans overuse natural resources, driving climate change and pollution. Only a quarter of the worlds land area is free from the impacts of human activity and by 2050 that will have fallen to just a tenth, the Living Planet Report 2018 says. From hedgehogs and puffins to elephants, rhinos, polar bears and orangutans, wildlife is declining driven by habitat loss, poaching, pollution and higher temperatures, according to the report by the Zoological Society of London and the WWF. WHAT ARE MICROPLASTICS AND HOW DO THEY GET INTO OUR WATERWAYS? Microplastics are plastic particles measuring less than five millimetres (0.2 inches). They have hit the headlines over recent years, as improper disposal has resulted in tonnes of waste making its way into the ocean. Each year, tonnes of plastic waste fails to get recycled and dealt with correctly, which can mean they end up in marine ecosystems. Although it's unclear exactly how they end up in the water, microplastics may enter through simple everyday wear and tear of clothing and carpets. Tumble dryers may also be a source, particularly if they have a vent to the open air. Plastics don't break down for thousands of years and it is estimated that there are already millions of items of plastic waste in the oceans. This number is expected to rise. Studies have also revealed 700,000 plastic fibres could be released into the atmosphere with every washing machine cycle. Current water systems are unable to effectively filter out all microplastic contamination, due to the varying size of particles. The amount of plastic rubbish in the world's oceans will outweigh fish by 2050 unless the world takes drastic action to further recycle, a report released in 2016 revealed. More than 80 per cent of the world's tap water is contaminated with plastic, research published in September 2017 revealed. The US has the highest contamination rate at 93 per cent, followed by Lebanon and India, experts from the University of Minnesota found. France, Germany and the UK have the lowest levels, however, they still come in at 72 per cent. Overall, 83 per cent of water samples from dozens of nations around the world contain microplastics. Scientists warn microplastics are so small they could penetrate organs. Bottled water may not be a safer alternative, as scientists have found contaminated samples. Creatures of all shapes and sizes have been found to have consumed the plastics, whether directly or indirectly. Previous research has also revealed microplastics absorb toxic chemicals, which are then released in the gut of animals. Advertisement Populations of more than 4,000 species of mammals, reptiles, birds, fish and amphibians have declined by an average of 60 per cent between 1970 and 2014. Among the alarming findings was work from the Commonwealth and Scientific Research Organisation which showed that of 186 species of seabirds 90 per cent have plastic in their stomachs, a figure projected to rise to 99 per cent by 2050. Species which live in fresh water habitats, such as frogs and river fish, have seen global population falls of 83 per cent. Tropical areas have experienced the worst declines, with an 89 per cent fall in populations monitored in Latin America and the Caribbean since 1970. Marco Lambertini, director general of the WWF, said: Our planet is at a crossroads and we have the opportunity to decide the path ahead. The astonishing decline in wildlife populations is a grim reminder and perhaps the ultimate indicator of the pressure we exert on the planet. Human children are notorious for getting all sorts of strange objects stuck up their noses but, it seems young seals are now gunning for the crown, too. A photo shared by the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program has revealed the hilariously unfortunate predicament of a juvenile seal with a spotted eel lodged in its nostril. And, its not even the first time theyve seen this happen. Baffled researchers have no idea how the seal (or the eel) found itself in this slippery situation, though they suspect it has something to do with the way the mammals hunt. Scroll down for video A photo shared by the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program has revealed the hilariously unfortunate predicament of a juvenile seal with a spotted eel lodged in its nostril. Researchers say it's been seen three or four times in the last 40 years, though no one knows how it happens After spotting the bizarre pairing at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands this past summer, researchers quickly acted to relieve the seal of its discomfort. Unfortunately, the eel's fate wasnt as lucky. According to the team with the Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, the strange phenomenon has been seen a handful of times in the past each with the same outcome. We have reported on this phenomenon before which was first noted a few years back, the team wrote in a Facebook post. We have now found juvenile seals with eels stuck in their noses on multiple occasions. In all cases the eel was successfully removed and the seals were fine. The eels, however, did not make it. In an elaborated post on the NOAA Fisheries website, the experts say seals with an eel jammed up their nose have been seen three of four times over the last 40 years. And, the phenomenon has only popped up recently. We don't know if this is just some strange statistical anomaly or something we will see more of in the future, the NOAA post notes. Seals may be prone to this type of problem because of the way they hunt, the experts say. Or, it could simply be a case of swallowed food coming back up through the wrong pipe. Researchers recorded a record number of seal pups born on the main Hawaiian islands this year. It's refreshing news for the endangered species, which is one of just two Hawaiian monk seal species in existence ENDANGERED HAWAIIAN MONK SEALS SEE RECORD BIRTHS According to the NOAA Fisheries, researchers recorded a record number of pups born to the endangered Hawaiian monk seals on the main Hawaiian islands in 2018. So far this year, the experts say 30 pups have been born in the region. Mom RK13 and female pup were tagged at Mahaulepu Beach earlier this year This is up significantly from the previous record set in 2013, when 21 pups were born. The refreshing news comes as researchers work to protect the endangered species, which is one of just two species of monk seal still in existence. Given the challenges these seals are already facing, the NOAA is keeping quiet about where exactly the pups have been born, and is asking the public to please keep away if they come across one of these pairs. 'By not specifying pup locations in our social media posts, we can help keep disturbance to a minimum,' NOAA revealed in a recent update. 'If you come across a Hawaiian monk seal mom and pup, please stay quiet and enjoy them from a distance, remaining behind any signs or barriers that might be present.' Advertisement Either way, all can agree it doesnt look comfortable. Hawaiian monk seals forage by shoving their mouth and nose into the crevasses of coral reefs, under rocks, or into the sand, the NOAA team explains. They are looking for prey that likes to hide, like eels. This may be a case of an eel that was cornered trying to defend itself or escape. Alternatively, the seal could have swallowed the eel and regurgitated it so that the eel came out the wrong way. But, the researchers note, we might not ever know. A new weapon in the fight to protect species from extinction has been launched, in the form of a a NASA space laser satellite that will monitor Earth's forests. Gedi - pronounced Jedi, a reference to Star Wars - will use lidar technology as it soars over the dark and light side of the planet. The device, which is the size of a fridge, will help scientists understand why forests are declining and experts hope this will help them reverse the trend. By working out the spread and density of tropical and temperate forests, scientists can work out which habitats and therefore species are most at risk. A NASA space laser satellite that is the size of a fridge will map and monitor Earth's forests to protect at risk species from extinction. Pictured is GEDI's Optical Bench (OB) being lowered carefully into the GEDI box structure NASA launched the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) aboard a SpaceX rocket. GEDI will attach to the International Space Station where it will soar over the Earth at 17,150 miles per hour (27,600 mph). Led by the University of Maryland in collaboration with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, GEDI has the highest resolution and densest sampling of any lidar ever put in orbit. Measurements of the height of foliage, branches, trees and shrubs below its path will yield new insights into how forests are storing or releasing carbon, scientists say. 'We'd like to be able to understand what the role of forests are,' said Principal Investigator Ralph Dubayah of the University of Maryland, College Park. 'We want to know how much carbon is being stored in trees because if we cut those trees down, that's a potential source of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.' The GEDI mission is designed to help researchers locate those sources and stores of carbon, according to NASA. Scientists know how much carbon is going into the atmosphere, but are much less certain about where and in what quantities carbon is being absorbed, said Laura Duncanson, a research assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. Earth's oceans and forests take up atmospheric carbon but scientists want to investigate which forests are taking in the most, or if those forests will continue to do so through time. Gedi - pronounced Jedi, a reference to Star Wars - will use lidar technology as it soars over the dark and light side of the planet Earth's oceans and forests take up atmospheric carbon, but scientists want to investigate which forests are taking in the most, or if those forests will continue to do so (stock image) GEDI will help unravel this mystery by providing the first highly detailed forest carbon stock map, pinpointing in fine detail where the Earth's most carbon-rich forests are. 'To effectively manage forests toward mitigating climate change, we need to know how much carbon they store and how that's distributed spatially, and that's what GEDI will give us,' Dr Duncanson said. 'We can't know how much carbon is released to the atmosphere through deforestation and forest degradation until we know how much is already there; GEDI will collect new data and fill this big, critical carbon knowledge gap.' GEDI's lidar instrument sends laser pulses down to Earth, where they penetrate forests below the station's orbit at temperate and tropical latitudes. The laser beams ricochet off the first thing they hit, which can be a leaf atop a dense canopy, a protruding branch, or the ground from which the forest emerges. The energy returned to the GEDI telescope on the International Space Station will provide an intricate three-dimensional map of forest canopies. GEDI's lidar instrument sends laser pulses down to Earth, where they penetrate forests below the station's orbit at temperate and tropical latitudes 'We can send out a little pulse of light and it travels down, reflects off the surface, and comes back,' said Bryan Blair, GEDI instrument scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and deputy principal investigator. 'We can see and measure how tall the tree is and we can actually see how dense are the foliage and branches as we go down.' The GEDI team is replicating that function using a laser, which is also made of light. However, GEDI is a very specific wavelength that allows scientists to filter out any other type of light, Dr Blair explained. 'We just provide our own light source,' he said. 'It reflects off all the leaves, then the branches, and eventually the ground.' LiDAR remote sensing technology allows archaeologists to hunt for sites of interest from a distance LiDAR (light detection and ranging) is a remote sensing technology that measures distance by shooting a laser at a target and analysing the light that is reflected back. The technology was developed in the early 1960s and uses laser imaging with radar technology that can calculate distances. It was first used in meteorology to measure clouds by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The term lidar is a portmanteau of 'light and 'radar.' Lidar uses ultraviolet, visible, or near infrared light to image objects and can be used with a wide range of targets, including non-metallic objects, rocks, rain, chemical compounds, aerosols, clouds and even single molecules. A narrow laser beam can be used to map physical features with very high resolution. This new technique allowed researchers to map outlines of what they describe as dozens of newly discovered Maya cities hidden under thick jungle foliage centuries after they were abandoned by their original inhabitants. Aircraft with a Lidar scanner produced three-dimensional maps of the surface by using light in the form of pulsed laser linked to a GPS system. The technology helped researchers discover sites much faster than using traditional archaeological methods. Advertisement A comprehensive 3D map of canopy height and structure helps scientists determine the height and the mass of trees. A tall, broad tree will store more carbon than a short one. Trees, when dried, are composed of approximately 50 per cent carbon, which would be released into the atmosphere if a tree was cut down and burned. Mature forests are vital to maintaining stored carbon within their trunks, but young, rapidly-growing trees generally take in atmospheric carbon at a much higher rate. 'We want to measure how much carbon is in the forest, which is related to how tall the trees are, how big around they are, how many branches there are, how many leaves there are, and how big the roots are,' Dr Blair said. GEDI floods a dense canopy with laser light pulses that bounce back after making contact with an object. The end result is a comprehensive view of the density all the way down to the ground. 'We'll be able to inform models of biodiversity, including patterns of species richness and specific habitat requirements of threatened and endangered species.' said Scott Goetz, deputy principal investigator and professor at Northern Arizona University. 'If we're better able to map where those habitats are using GEDI canopy structure data combined with other satellite data, it will help with the conservation of those species and forests harbouring high biodiversity.' Black Death devastated Europe in the 14th century but scientists have now found the deadly bacteria has been around for thousands of years. Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, has been found in the remains of a 20-year-old Stone Age woman who died 4,900 years ago in Sweden. Scientists now believe that farmers that lived 4,500 years ago may have also been killed by the 'Black Death' after it spread to the provinces from rapidly growing civilisations. This is the oldest trace of the deadly bacteria ever found and scientists say it could rewrite the history of ancient Europeans. They say the dawn of the Bronze Age and trading of excess goods may have facilitated the the spread of the plague to different regions and into Europe. Scroll down for video This image shows the remains of a 20-year old woman from around 4,900 ago. She was likely killed by the first plague pandemic. She was one of the victims of a plague pandemic that likely lead to the decline of the Neolithic societies in Europe, scientists claim Previously it was believed invaders from Asia brought plague with them but the new findings suggest a breakout occurred far before these colonists arrived. A team of French, Swedish and Danish researchers identified a new strain of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague. Senior author Associate Professor Simon Rasmussen, at the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen, explained: 'Plague is maybe one of the deadliest bacteria that has ever existed for humans. 'And if you think of the word 'plague,' it can mean this infection by Y. pestis, but because of the trauma plague has caused in our history, it's also come to refer more generally to any epidemic. 'The kind of analyses we do here let us go back through time and look at how this pathogen that's had such a huge effect on us evolved.' The evolution of the plague was mapped through genetic data from ancient humans, and sequencing modern plague strains. Genes that make the pneumonic plague deadly were found in the Swedish remains. Traces of it were also found in the remains of another person at the site and it is believed the woman did die from the disease. By comparing it to other strains, the researchers were able to determine that it's also the most basal, meaning that it's the closest strain we have to the genetic origin of Y. pestis. It likely diverged from other strains around 5,700 years ago and the plague that was common in the Bronze Age and the plague that is the ancestor of the strains in existence today diverged 5,300 and 5,100 years ago, respectively. This suggests that there were multiple strains of plague in existence at the end of the Neolithic period, according to the researchers. Professor Rasmussen added the finding offers a new theory about how plague spreads. Massive human migrations from the Eurasian steppe down into Europe are known to have occurred around 5,000 years ago. But how these cultures were able to displace the Neolithic farming culture present in Europe at the time is still debated. Previous researchers suggested the invaders brought the plague with them, wiping out the large settlements of Stone Age farmers when they arrived. The Black Death in the 1340s was one of the deadliest outbreaks of disease in human history. Pictured: a mass grave uncovered at the site of a 14th-century monastery in Lincolnshire The strain of plague in the Swedish woman diverged from the rest of Y. pestis 5,700 years ago and likely evolved before migrations and when Neolithic European settlements were already starting to collapse. Mega-settlements of up to 20,000 inhabitants were becoming common in Europe, which made job specialisation, new technology, and trade possible. Professor Rasmussen explained: 'These mega-settlements were the largest settlements in Europe at that time, ten times bigger than anything else. 'They had people, animals, and stored food close together, and, likely, very poor sanitation. 'That's the textbook example of what you need to evolve new pathogens. We think our data fit. 'If plague evolved in the mega-settlements, then when people started dying from it, the settlements would have been abandoned and destroyed. 'This is exactly what was observed in these settlements after 5,500 years ago. 'Plague would also have started migrating along all the trade routes made possible by wheeled transport, which had rapidly expanded throughout Europe in this period.' The plague then spread out from big settlements to smaller communities where the woman was found. Researchers have not yet identified the plague in individuals from the mega-settlements where it may have evolved. THE CAUSE BEHIND EUROPE'S BUBONIC PLAGUES The plague, caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was the cause of some of the world's deadliest pandemics, including the Justinian Plague, the Black Death, and the major epidemics that swept through China in the late 1800s. The disease continues to affect populations around the world today. The Black Death of 1348 famously killed half of the people in London within 18 months, with bodies piled five-deep in mass graves. When the Great Plague of 1665 hit, a fifth of people in London died, with victims shut in their homes and a red cross painted on the door with the words 'Lord have mercy upon us'. The pandemic spread from Europe through the 14th and 19th centuries - thought to come from fleas which fed on infected rats before biting humans and passing the bacteria to them. But modern experts challenge the dominant view that rats caused the incurable disease. Experts point out that rats were not that common in northern Europe, which was hit equally hard by plague as the rest of Europe, and that the plague spread faster than humans might have been exposed to their fleas. Most people would have had their own fleas and lice, when the plague arrived in Europe in 1346, because they bathed much less often. Advertisement Professor Rasmussen said: 'We haven't really found the smoking gun, but it's partly because we haven't looked yet. 'And we'd really like to do that, because if we could find plague in those settlements, that would be strong support for this theory. 'We often think that these superpathogens have always been around, but that's not the case. 'Plague evolved from an organism that was relatively harmless. More recently, the same thing happened with smallpox, malaria, Ebola, and Zika. 'This process is very dynamic - and it keeps happening. 'I think it's really interesting to try to understand how we go from something harmless to something extremely virulent.' The study was published in the journal Cell. MoviePass is trying to win back its angry customers once again. Starting January 1st, 2019, the beleaguered e-ticketing company will give MoviePass users three subscription plans to choose from. However, the plans are more expensive than previous MoviePass offerings and the film selections may depend on where you live. Scroll down for video MoviePass is trying to win back its angry customers once again. Starting January 1st, 2019, the beleaguered e-ticketing company will offer users three different subscription plans The first plan, called 'Select,' ranges from $10 to $15 and lets users watch three movies per month. MoviePass will announce the available titles a week ahead of time and users are excluded from seeing films during their opening weekends. They're also limited to 2D movies, plus monthly rates may be cheaper depending on where you live - users in NYC and LA are expected to pay higher rates. The second tier, 'All Access,' costs $15 to $20 - again, depending on where you live. 'All Access' subscribers can see any three movies they want, except for those that are in 3D. The top tier, called 'Red Carpet,' ranges between $20 to $25 per month. Users have access to three movies per month, but one of them can be IMAX, 3D or any other large-format screening. The three plans are 'Select,' 'All Access' and 'Red Carpet.' They're more expensive than previous MoviePass subscription services, with the entry level plan starting at $10 to $15 So, the plans are becoming more expensive, and they're still limited to three films per month that can be watched at participating MoviePass theaters. Additionally, the plan pricing fluctuates depending on where users' live, so plans are going to be cheaper if you live in South Dakota vs. if you live in New York. It comes as MoviePass has experienced a difficult year, with many expecting the company to reach bankruptcy, as consumers flocked the service in frustration. 'We have a lot to prove to our constituents,' Mitch Lowe, MoviePass's chairman, told Variety. 'We don't just have to prove ourselves to our members, we also have to prove ourselves to the investment community, our employees, and our partners. 'We believe we're doing everything that we possibly can to deliver a great service and we're in the process of fixing all the things that went wrong.' MoviePass believes that the new subscription structure will help it 'break even' and get it on the path toward a more stable financial future, Variety explained. Earlier this year, it was reported that MoviePass parent company Helios & Matheson had just $15.5 million in the bank. In July, MoviePass temporarily went out of service after the company ran out of money, forcing it to borrow an emergency $5 million loan from a hedge fund. Since then, Helios & Matheson has forced MoviePass to become a standalone company amid its financial troubles, as Helios faces a fraud investigation by the New York Attorney General, over claims that it misled investors. MoviePass first launched in 2016, charging customers $9.95 per month, which enabled them to watch one movie a day. Scientists have revealed the first vaccine for insects, and hope it could help save the honeybee. Called PrimeBEE, it is designed to protect bees from American foulbrood, a bacterial disease that has been wiping out entire colonies. The vaccine, which is edible, 'protects bees from diseases while protecting global food production,' the university said. Scroll down for video Called PrimeBEE, it is designed to protect bees from American foulbrood, a bacterial disease that has been wiping out entire colonies. Pictured, a colony of honeybees at the United States Department of Agriculture's Bee Research Laboratory WHAT IS AMERICAN FOULBROOD? American foulbrood (AFB) is a fatal bacterial disease of honey bee brood caused by the spore forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. Heavy infections can affect most of the brood, severely weakening the colony and eventually killing it. The disease is not able to be cured, meaning that destruction of infected colonies and hives or irradiation of infected material is the only way to manage AFB. Although AFB is not highly contagious, bacterial spores can easily be spread between hives and apiaries through beekeeping practices such as through the exchange of equipment and movement of infected combs. AFB spores can remain viable for over 50 years and are very resistant to freezing and high temperatures. Advertisement 'Pollinators falling ill and dying is a serious threat to the global food economy, said Dalial Freitak, a University of Helsinki scientist who developed the vaccine. 'Even a slight improvement in their life has vast significance on a global scale,' he said. The goal is to protect the bees against American foulbrood, a bacterial disease caused by the spore-forming Paenibacillus larvae. The vaccine, which is still in development, is groundbreaking as the insects immune systems do not contain antibodies, so traditional vaccines don't work. 'Now we've discovered the mechanism to show that you can actually vaccinate them. 'You can transfer a signal from one generation to another,' Freitak said. The disease is the 'most widespread and destructive of the bee brood diseases,' the university added. To distribute the vaccine, scientists place a sugar patty in the hive, which the queen then eats over the course of about a week. Once ingested, the pathogens in the patty are then passed into the queen's eggs, 'where they work as inducers for future immune responses,' American foulbrood (AFB) is a fatal bacterial disease of honey bee brood caused by the spore forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. Heavy infections can affect most of the brood, severely weakening the colony and eventually killing it. The disease is not able to be cured, meaning that destruction of infected colonies and hives or irradiation of infected material is the only way to manage AFB. Although AFB is not highly contagious, bacterial spores can easily be spread between hives and apiaries through beekeeping practices such as through the exchange of equipment and movement of infected combs. AFB spores can remain viable for over 50 years and are very resistant to freezing and high temperatures. Advertisement Once strewn with white flowers and crammed with dozens of journalists, the room where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged one of their famed 1969 bed-ins is now part of a smart hotel suite, costing up to $1,900 (1,490) a night. MailOnline Travel was given a private tour of the swanky pad, located on the 17th floor of the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in central downtown Montreal. The suite comprises of four adjoining rooms (1738, 1740, 1742 and 1744) knocked into one, and historical artefacts from the hotel vaults reveal what John and Yoko got up to during their seven-day stunt promoting peace, including dining on turtle soup and greeting hundreds of fans each day. Once strewn with white flowers and crammed with dozens of journalists, the room where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged one of their famed 1969 bed-ins is now part of a smart hotel suite, costing up to $1,900 (1,490) a night. MailOnline was given a private tour of the swanky pad, located on the 17th floor of the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth in central downtown Montreal John and Yoko were the most talked-about visitors in Montreal when they chose to hold their Bed-In for Peace in suite 1742 of Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel in 1969. During the worldwide media event, the couple gave up to 150 interviews every day These artefacts, such as room service orders and housekeeping records, are on display in the suite (now labelled room 1742), giving it an almost museum-like feel. Along with turtle soup, one room service order sheet reveals that the couple also tucked into a 'broiled filet of sole' along with and 'jam, marmalade and lots of honey and butter' for breakfast. They also ordered 'their own special bread'. For lunch, orders included fried natural brown rice, 'English fish and chips', grilled halibut and 'lots of vegetables'. For dinner, along with turtle soup, other delicacies included sirloin steak, lamb chops and fish. This was followed by rice pudding and 'two-colour jello' for dessert with 'lots of tea'. The records note that liqueurs were for the guests only as John and Yoko abstained from drinking alcoholic beverages throughout their stay. An entry in the housekeeping book dated May 26, 1969 reveals how the 'corridor and suite were very dirty and littered with flower petals' during John and Yoko's stay and the cleaner had to 'vacuum three to four times a day, since John Lennon threw flower petals into the air'. A cabinet in a separate living features artefacts from the 1969 bed-in, with explanations of what guests are looking at One of the bathrooms in the suite features snazzy tiling and a TV screen built into the mirror There is another bedroom, meaning the suite can accommodate up to four guests It was only in the 1980s, after Lennon's death, that the hotel began to take steps to redo the suite and in 1989 it was officially named the John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite The entry adds that on their day of departure, the housekeepers only had an hour to put the suite straight before the next guests arrived and that John and Yoko were 'asked several times to leave'. It was only in the 1980s, after Lennon's death, that the hotel began to take steps to redo the four rooms and join them together. In 1989 it was officially named the John Lennon & Yoko Ono Suite. Joanne Papineau, a spokesperson from the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth, explained that today the suite front door is one of the most photographed parts of the hotel, with fans flocking from all over the world. She revealed that the suite - which was given a revamp recently as part of a hotel-wide makeover costing more than $100million (78 million) - has welcomed celebrities and presidents from all over the world. The spacious pad consists of a main living room, where John and Yoko staged their bed-in (which doubled as their honeymoon), a lounge/dining area and a kitchen. There is then a separate living room and another bedroom, meaning the suite can accommodate up to four guests. If you pick up a rotary telephone in the living room, John's voice can be heard on the other end of the line, explaining his commitment to peace (left), while there is artwork strewn across the place, inspired by the bed-in (right) The dining area features a mini bar station and there are photographs from the bed-in adorning the wall Papineau said that the furnishings and artwork around the suite were inspired by their travels, with a 'mix of east and west'. There are also lots of knick-knacks to entertain guests. For instance, if you pick up a rotary telephone in the living room, John's voice can be heard on the other end of the line, explaining his commitment to peace, which was the purpose behind his bedroom lock-in. There is also a music player which plays Give Peace a Chance, the peace-inspired anthem the couple recorded during their stay. Papineau added that John and Yoko turned up to the hotel with more than 50 suitcases but no one was sure what they'd packed because they stayed in white pyjamas for the duration of their stay. During the event, the newlywed couple gave up to 150 interviews every day. Along with turtle soup, one room service order sheet reveals that the couple also tucked into a 'broiled filet of sole' along with and 'jam, marmalade and lots of honey and butter' for breakfast. They also ordered 'their own special bread' An entry in the housekeeping book dated May 26 1969 reveals how the 'corridor and suite were very dirty and littered with flower petals' during John and Yoko's stay and the cleaner had to 'vacuum three to four times a day, since John Lennon threw flower petals into the air' A photograph of the 1969 bed-in hangs on the wall of the suite, showing John and Yoko giving interviews to press while wearing white pyjamas Their second bed-in after the first in Amsterdam was planned to take place in New York, but John was not allowed into the United States because of his 1968 cannabis conviction. Instead the couple held the event in the Bahamas at the Sheraton Oceanus Hotel, flying there on May 24, 1969, but after spending one night in the heat, they decided to move to Montreal. A modern, downtown Montreal hotel, The Queen Elizabeth Fairmont has 950 rooms and suites, a health club, spa and indoor pool. Hotel management describe it as within walking distance of an arrange of boutiques, restaurants, cafes, sport stadiums and cultural attractions. In 2010, Montreal unveiled a commemorative artwork in Mount Royal Park commemorating the famous bed-in. The work by Linda Covit and Marie-Claude Seguin is entitled 'Give Peace a Chance' and features the words 'give peace a chance' in forty languages. The couple recorded the peace-inspired anthem Give Peace a Chance during their stay Dreams do come true, just ask actor Jason Momoa. The Aquaman star is set to realize a lifelong goal when he hosts Saturday Night Live for the first time this weekend. And on Wednesday, the Hawaiian native, 39, shared the first official promo for the show as he enjoyed a little down time with his wife Lisa Bonet and their kids in New York City. Cool cat: Jason Momoa, 39, stepped out of his NYC hotel with his family in tow as he prepares to host Saturday Night Live this weekend Always one to have a unique sense of style, the actor stepped out of his hotel with his family in tow dressed in tan work pants, a black t-shirt and a Shearling trimmed jacket to help keep warm. He added a vintage leather Bowler hat over his long dark brown tresses and tucked his pants inside his untied leather boots. Wife Lisa Bonet was right behind him with their two kids - 11-year old daughter Lola Momoa and nine-year old son Nakoa-Wolf Momoa. Family support: Momoa's wife, Lisa Bonet, and their two kids have been with the Aquaman star in New York while he rehearses for Saturday Night Live Keeping with her trademark bohemian style, the 51-year old Cosby Show star wore black velvet pants with a black and white patterned coat. She opted to wear her hood over her long dark tresses and a pair of dark sunglasses as she attended to the kids once they hit the bustling street. The entire family have been staying in Manhattan in recent days while Momoa rehearses his skits for Saturday Night Live. Going strong: The couple first met in 2005, and were legally married in October 2017 Earlier in the afternoon, the Justice League star shared a teaser video for the show on his Instagram. 'My first promo everyone watch this Saturday @nbcsnl SNL,' he wrote in the caption, with the hashtags: #Cheeeehuuuuuuu #manthephones #theresnotimebennett #magicmikexxl aloha j.' Momoa has been out in force promoting his upcoming DC Extended Universe superhero film Aquaman, which hits theaters in the US December 21. Netflix said Wednesday that Narcos: Mexico will be brought back for a second season just weeks after its premiere on the streaming service. The spin-off, starring Diego Luna and Michael Pena, was initially intended to be the fourth season of Narcos, but was subsequently branched off as a standalone series to focus on the genesis of Mexico's illegal drug trade. Luna played 1980s Mexican drug lord 'El Padrino' Felix Gallardo, while Pena portrayed DEA agent Kiki Camarena who was tortured and killed in the last two episodes of season one of Narcos: Mexico. Returning: Netflix said Wednesday that Narcos: Mexico, which starred Diego Luna (L) and Michael Pena during season one, will be brought back for a second season Its parent program, Narcos, was focused on Colombian cocaine cartels, and Pablo Escobar's ascent to power. International interest in the series has been a standout among Netflix originals, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The renewal was announced just weeks after the initial season of Narcos: Mexico began streaming on November 16. It came amid the conclusion of two of the service's most prominent draws as House Of Cards ended last month, and Orange Is The New Black is slated to end early next year. The series' showrunner, Eric Newman, told THR last month, 'Narcos is the greatest and most satisfying professional endeavor of my life ... I will do this as long as they'll let me do it.' Closer look: The story follows Camarena's brave actions in service of the DEA Newman told the outlet that 'to write and creatively steer this show for now four seasons, it would be unique even if I hadn't been a movie producer for the first 20 years of my career. 'It's a strange transition, but man, I love it,' he said, adding, 'I will do this as long as they'll let me do it.' The show's first season followed the drug trade in Mexico in the 1980s, with 'El Padrino' Felix Gallardo, played by Luna, at the head of the Guadalajara Cartel, with Mexican-born DEA agent Camarena, portrayed by Pena, investigating him. The cast of the period drama is rounded out by Alyssa Diaz, Joaquin Cosio, Matt Letscher, Aaron Staton and Tenoch Huerta. She made a small cameo in Ariana Grande's record-breaking music video for her track, Thank U, Next. But it appears as though Kris Jenner ensures everyone knows how important she was playing the mom in the clip. Taking to Twitter on Wednesday, daughter Kim Kardashian revealed that the 63-year-old was pulling out her one liner during an important business meeting. Thank U, Next! Kim Kardashian revealed on Wednesday that Kris Jenner was really 'milking' her small cameo in the Ariana Grande music video for Thank U, Next - even bringing up her one-liner in 'huge meetings' 'I'm in a huge meeting and my mom just said "thank you, next" to everyone. She's really milking this guys,' Kim wrote with a laughing/crying face emoji. And the news seemed to have made Ariana Grande's day, replying: 'omg. i'm beaming.' Kris made her first cameo in the music video at 1 minute 30 - playing the role of Regina George's 'cool mom' from Mean Girls. Happy days: And the news seemed to have made Ariana Grande's day, replying: 'omg. i'm beaming' As Ariana and her friends performed for the Winter talent show, Kris' character was seen in a pink tracksuit filming the entire performance on her camcorder. The momager's role was a mimic of Amy Poehler's character in the 2004 film. She later returned at the end of the film with the last words: 'thank you, next, b**ch'. She's a cool mom! The momager's role was a mimic of Amy Poehler's character in the 2004 film Casting Kris in the role, Ariana later tweeted: 'today's dilemma: i want to make @krisjenner saying 'thank u, next, b**ch'' my text tone but i don't know how. sos.' The video that has received over 120 million views since its debut last Friday is Ariana's first number one single. The 25-year-old revealed on Twitter over the weekend that the idea for the smash track came after a few glasses of champagne. She loves Kris: Casting Kris in the role, Ariana later tweeted: 'today's dilemma: i want to make @krisjenner saying 'thank u, next, b**ch'' my text tone but i don't know how. sos' Her rise to fame: She later returned at the end of the film with the last words: 'thank you, next, b**ch' 'Well 'twas a pretty rough day in nyc. my friends took me to tiffany's. we had too much champagne. i bought us all rings,' she began. 'it was very insane and funny & on the way back to the stu nkomza was like "b**ch, this gotta be a song lol". so we wrote it that afternoon.' In the new music video to Thank U, Next - which is now the most-viewed YouTube video in the first day after coming out - eagle-eyed fans can catch a glimpse of a car with a license plate reading: '7 RINGS'. Inspiration: 'Well 'twas a pretty rough day in nyc. my friends took me to tiffany's. we had too much champagne. i bought us all rings,' she began The rings represent her and her friends that got diamonds that day at Tiffany's. They include: Courtney Chipolone, Alexa Luria, Tayla Parx, Njomza and Kim 'Kaydence' Krysiuk. Victoria and Tayla are among the people with writing credits to the track. She's also confirmed that the intro of the Thank U, Next music video is from her upcoming single, 7 Rings. Since that day, Ariana has also given the same rings to her mom Joan and Nonna Marjorie. Although releasing her fourth studio album, Sweetener, over the summer, the 25-year-old has revealed her fifth album, Thank U, Next isn't far off. So far tracks: Thank U, Next, Needy, Imagine, NASA, and 7 Rings have been confirmed. She was arrested last month for domestic battery against her 90 Day Fiance Colt Johnson. And on Wednesday it emerged that Brazilian Larissa Dos Santos Lima has been secretly married to her American beau since June. The reality show couple applied for a marriage license on June 11, 2018, RadarOnline reported, and Clark County Court records confirm they legally tied the knot on June 24. Wed: 90 Day Fiance stars Colt Johnson and Larissa Dos Santos Lima are secretly married. The reality star couple tied the knot on June 24 in Nevada, RadarOnline reported Wednesday The two, who star on season six of TLC's 90 Day Fiance, met via social media. They met face to face for the first time in Mexico and Colt proposed just a few days afterwards. On November 10, Larissa was taken into custody in Nevada after being arrested for domestic violence. But whatever the issues, it seems the couple have resolved the situation as they shared via social media on Tuesday they've adopted another kitty to join the three cats they already have. Expanding their family: Colt and his Brazilian wife shared via social media on Tuesday they've adopted another kitty to join the three cats they already have Larissa's brush with the law came after she posted a series of troubling social media messages, changing her Instagram username to @helpmeimwithoutphone. According to InTouch, the spat with Colt began after he asked her to downplay their relationship on social media to sync with their storyline on the TLC show. She then wrote on her Instagram profile: 'HE TURNED OFF ... HIDE MY PHONE ... HELP ME ... HE WANTS TO CALL THE POLICE HELP ME.' Colt later described what had happened in a string of Instagram Stories messages that he subsequently deleted, according to the outlet. 'Larissa was arrested this afternoon. She suffers from high anxiety and several depression. She overreacted to problems that do not exist,' he said. He continued: 'Not long after her cry was posted, the police came and knocked down the front door. They drew their guns at me and handcuffed me.' Johnson said that authorities 'decided to arrest Larissa' after speaking with both parties, clarifying that 'no one was hurt and I did not press charges against my wife.' He said that state law required an arrest to be made 'since [he and Larissa] are in a domestic partnership.' According to court records obtained by E! News, it was Larissa's second arrest for domestic violence. She was previously arrested earlier this year but the charges have since been dismissed. Gina Stewart's social media posts have earned her the title 'The World's Hottest Grandma'. But the 48-year-old risked being banned from Instagram on Thursday when she revealed a little too much during a beach photo shoot. Posing near her apartment in Surfers Paradise, the mother-of-four appeared to break the website's anti-nudity policy by wearing a fishnet dress. Scroll down for video Has the World's Hottest Grandma gone too far? Gina Stewart risked an Instagram ban on Thursday after stripping down for a beach photo shoot in Surfers Paradise Gina, who hails from Queensland, was not wearing a bikini or bra underneath her barely-there dress. As a result her nipples were partially visible, which is a 'community guidelines' violation that could see her banned from Instagram. She captioned the photos: 'Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality is.' Naughty! Gina was not wearing a bikini or bra underneath her fishnet dress. As a result her nipples were partially visible, which could be a violation of Instagram's community guidelines 'Today's photo shoot at the Surfers Paradise Beach where you will more than likely spot a celebrity or one of your favourite social media influencers,' she added. In the past, some of Gina's photos have been deleted by Instagram for being too suggestive. After one of her snaps was removed earlier this year, she told Daily Mail Australia: 'Yes, Instagram removed it because it did not comply with their guidelines.' Famous: Gina's social media posts have earned her the title 'The World's Hottest Grandma' According to Instagram's terms and conditions, 'photos [and] videos that show sexual intercourse, genitals, and close-ups of fully-nude buttocks' are not allowed. Images that feature exposed female nipples are also frequently removed. There has been some resistance to this censorship, however, with feminists claiming it is sexist because male nipples are allowed to be shown. It was revealed on Tuesday that former America's Next Top Model contestant Jael Strauss, 34, had lost her life to stage IV breast cancer. And now host Tyra Banks has taken to social media to send her love. Taking to Twitter, the 45-year-old referred to the beauty as a 'fun-loving' girl with a 'beautiful-soul'. 'A beautiful soul': Tyra Banks spoke out about the death of America's Next Top Model star Jael Strauss on Wednesday, calling her 'a beautiful soul' after she died on Tuesday from stage IV breast cancer 'Top Model has lost a beautiful soul. We will all remember Jael and her fun-loving spirit and beautiful soul,' she wrote. Jael passed away on Tuesday after learning about her diagnosis only two months ago, TMZ reported. The star began chemotherapy after her diagnosis but had decided to stop the treatment by Halloween and entered hospice care by Thanksgiving. RIP: Former America's Next Top Model contestant Jael Strauss passed away at the age of 34 on Tuesday Jael sadly passed away on Tuesday at 11am after being unconscious for a few days, the outlet reported. Her family stopped allowing visitors after she lost consciousness and she allegedly took a turn for the worse on Monday night. Her family said in a statement to TMZ: 'The one blessing was that we were able to show her how loved she was before she passed. She brought so much light to people.' Jael wrote on her Facebook page after going into hospice care late last month: 'First night in hospice. So many things I never knew about life. Or death. So many things.' She revealed the heartbreaking cancer diagnosis two days after she found out. Sad news: The star began chemotherapy after her diagnosis but had decided to stop the treatment by Halloween and entered hospice care by Thanksgiving. She is pictured in 2007 amid her ANTM stint Devastating news: Jael sadly passed away on Tuesday at 11am after being unconscious for a few days, the outlet reported She wrote on October 4: 'I was going to write some long thing but some of you guys deserve to know, On October 2nd I was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. It has aggressively spread throughout my body and is incurable.' Jael had explained: 'With treatment it may prolong my life longer than the "few months" doctors said I could make it.' She ended the Facebook post with: 'I don't want to die. I need another one of those miracles that I got back in 2013.' Bunny love: 'Animal therapy,' she shared on Ocotber 19 along with a photo of a giant rabbit - just two weeks before deciding to stop her treatment Unbroken: Posting a video getting her head shaved on October 15 Jael wrote: 'My cancer can't grow as fast as my LOVE. Thankful for the masses of support, we are unstoppable' Declining health: Looking gaunt on October 23, she shared an image of her 'port', a device used to deliver chemo and other medicine straight into the system She continued to use social media to update fans, sharing images from her journey on Instagram. Posting a video getting her head shaved on October 15 Jael wrote: 'My cancer can't grow as fast as my LOVE. Thankful for the masses of support, we are unstoppable.' 'Animal therapy,' she shared on Ocotber 19 along with a photo of a giant rabbit. Looking gaunt on October 23, she shared an image of her 'port', a device used to deliver chemo and other medicine straight into the system. 'Port life,' she captioned the photo along with the hashtag '#fuckcancer.' An angel: Jael revealed the heartbreaking cancer diagnosis two days after she found out In a Go Fund Me page her friends Melissa Lebet, Cody Haynes and Sarah Covey set up in October to help her cover her treatments, they wrote: 'At the end of September, Jael became very sick and diagnosed with aggressive Stage IV Rapidly Progressive Metastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer.' The statement continued on the Go Fund Me page: 'It has metastasized and spread beyond the breast tissue. She has just begun chemo, but we do no know how things will play out. What we do know is that Jael is putting all of her energy and drive into fighting this insidious disease and can use as much support and love as possible.' Her pals explained that because she is in so much pain she cannot work and will be let go from her job and lose her health insurance. Rest in peace: In a Go Fund Me page her friends Melissa Lebet, Cody Haynes and Sarah Covey set up in October to help her cover her treatments, they wrote: 'At the end of September, Jael became very sick and diagnosed with aggressive Stage IV Rapidly Progressive Metastatic Inflammatory Breast Cancer' They held a benefit on Saturday, October 13 in Austin, Texas to help raise money for her treatments. Jael was a contestant on America's Next Top Model season eight in 2007; she had placed in sixth place while on the show at the age of 22. After the show, she struggled with drug addiction before turning her life around after appearing on a 2012 episode of Dr. Phil. She celebrated five years sobriety in August of this year. 11 years ago: Jael as a contestant on America's Next Top Model season eight in 2007, where she had placed in sixth place at the age of 22 Jael wrote on August 16 about reaching the milestone: 'Today I have 5 years sober. Good God! I know a few things to be true: Miracles are real. Recovery is possible for everyone no matter how far gone you think you are.' Adding: 'We are never too broken to be put back together. Service work feels better than the greatest high. Sobriety makes you weird not normal and I'd be dead if it weren't for all the love and forgiveness I've been showered with by my friends and my family.' Jael concluded the post with: 'Thank you to anyone that's ever let me sponsor them. Thank you to my partner Cody Bear for showing me what real love is like. Thank you to all my beautiful family (blood and extended). Because of this gift I have no friends, only family. Love you all! Keep up the good fight.' She's married to one of Australia's hottest actors, Chris Hemsworth. But Elsa Pataky gets very intimate with another hunky man in her new Netflix series Tidelands. And the 41-year-old Spanish siren told OK! magazine that her sex scenes with co-star Marco Pigossi are essential to the story line. 'You have to show that': Elsa Pataky says the steamy sex scenes in Netflix's upcoming series Tidelands are necessary to the story line 'Part of the story is the sexuality of these Tidelanders,' she told the publication. 'It's their power. It's really important, and the fact that they don't care about their bodies, you have to show that.' Elsa plays queen of the half-human, half-sirens Adrielle Cuthbert, and shares a number of steamy moments with Cuthbert. In June, she was seen smooching Brazilian heartthrob Marco at the beach. Siren: Elsa plays queen of the half-human, half-sirens Adrielle Cuthbert The racy scene, which showed the mother-of-three in character being lifted up by Marco's character Dylan, made headlines around the world. In real life Elsa is, of course, happily married to Marvel star Chris. The couple have three children - India, six, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, four. Happy couple: In real life Elsa is, of course, happily married to Marvel star Chris. The couple have three children - India, six, and twin boys Tristan and Sasha, four Raunchy! Elsa's character Adrielle isn't afraid of getting hot and heavy with several of the male characters Tidelands is the first Netflix original series to come out of Australia. The television series features a stellar Australian cast, including Charlotte Best, known for Home And Away, and Madeleine Madden from the 2018 Picnic At Hanging Rock. Tidelands premieres on Netflix on December 14. Rod Stewart's wife Penny Lancaster cut a glamorous figure in a stylish fur-lined ivory coat on Wednesday, as the happy couple led stars at a festive bash in London's Annabel's club. The 47-year-old former model put on a stylish display in the coat with a fashionably faux fur collar, as she joined her 73-year-old spouse leaving the bash in the heart of London's Mayfair. The couple were joined by numerous other stars arriving for the part, including Elizabeth Hurley, Ronan and Storm Keating, and Simon Le Bon's wife Yasmin. Beaming: Rod Stewart's wife Penny Lancaster cut a glamorous figure in a stylish fur-lined ivory coat on Wednesday, as they led stars leading a festive bash in London's Annabel's club Penny was showing off her chic fashion sense as she wrapped up against the chilly December climes, teaming a cosy cream jumper with a taupe silk midi skirt. The mother-of-two then covered up with a cream-coloured coat with a cosy matching faux fur collar, adding some extra sparkle with silver heels. Carrying her essentials in a small silver clutch, Penny finished her ensemble with with her blonde tresses in voluminous waves. Nice and warm: Penny, 47, was showing off her chic fashion sense as she wrapped up against the chilly December climes, teaming a cosy cream jumper with a taupe silk midi skirt Looking sharp: Meanwhile Rod, 73, was dapper in a black suit and trench coat, but added a quirky twist with red and leopard print brogue shoes Happy: The music legend looked to be in good spirits as he arrived for the star-studded party Loved-up: The couple - who have been married since 2007 and have two children - were the picture of happiness as they arrived for the evening In love: Penny finished off her chic outfit with a cream coat and matching fur collar, and some added sparkle in the form of silver sequinned heels Meanwhile Rod was putting on a dapper display in a simple black suit and trench coat, but added a quirky twist in the form of red and leopard print brogues. He and Penny were joined at the bash by an equally glamorous Elizabeth Hurley, who looked far younger than her years in a sequinned blazer and leather leggings combo. The 53-year-old actress teamed the ensemble with towering snakeskin heels, with her glossy brunette tresses styled into effortless waves, And never one to shy away from a dramatic makeup look Elizabeth, sported a heavy smoky eye and full lashes, accentuating her pout with a slick of nude lipgloss. Statement: He and Penny were joined at the bash by an equally glamorous Elizabeth Hurley, who looked far younger than her years in a sequinned blazer and leather leggings combo On point: The 53-year-old actress teamed the ensemble with towering snakeskin heels, with her glossy brunette tresses styled into effortless waves Out and about: And never one to shy away from a dramatic makeup look Elizabeth, sported a heavy smoky eye and full lashes, accentuating her pout with a slick of nude lipgloss Loving it: She led the bevvy of stars making their way into the famous club for the evening Also the picture of wedded bliss were Ronan Keating and his wife Storm, who made their way into the club hand-in-hand. The Irish Boyzone superstar was looking dapper in all-black suit, as he took a break from preparations for the band's farewell anniversary tour which will commence early next year. Meanwhile Storm looking nothing short of sensational as she arrived in a semi-sheer black high-necked blouse, highlighting her curves with a black pencil skirt. With her blonde hair styled into loose waves she sported a gorgeous bronzed complexion with a matching smoky eye, as she made her way into the event with her husband of three years. Happy: Also the picture of wedded bliss were Ronan Keating and his wife Storm, who made their way into the club hand-in-hand Busy: The Irish Boyzone superstar was looking dapper in all-black suit, as he took a break from preparations for the band's farewell anniversary tour Jaw-dropping: Meanwhile Storm looking nothing short of sensational as she arrived in a semi-sheer black high-necked blouse, highlighting her curves with a black pencil skirt Pretty: With her blonde hair styled into loose waves she sported a gorgeous bronzed complexion with a matching smoky eye Also among the stars in attendance was Simon Le Bon's wife of 33 years Yasmin, who went for a casual ensemble, teaming a multicoloured striped jumper with a peach sequinned skirt, The 54-year-old former model added some extra glamour to her look with green gem earrings, carrying a thick faux fur coat as she headed inside. Other stars seen making their way into the club, included American rap star Usher, and Elton John's husband David Furnish. Dressed to impress: Also among the stars in attendance was Simon Le Bon's wife of 33 years Yasmin, who went for a casual ensemble Great look: The 54-year-old former model added some extra glamour to her look with green gem earrings, carrying a thick faux fur coat as she headed inside Suave: Usher was also seen making his way into the club, going for a statement monochrome checked jumper Star-studded: Elton John's husband David Furnish also made his arrival Shimmering siren: Tamara Beckwith caught the eye in her glistening lilac dress as she strutted through the streets after the event Keep going! Ronan Keating made a low-key departure all-in-black Fur-ever fashionable: Yasmin Le Bon kept warm in faux fur caramel-coloured coat when she left the star-studded venue Friends alum Jennifer Aniston rocked a snug pair of black leather pants in Hollywood to pre-tape her appearance on Wednesday night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! The 49-year-old Golden Globe winner paired her edgy trousers with dark purple combat boots, a simple black T-shirt, and a maxi-peacoat selected by stylist Ryan Hastings. Hairstylist Chris McMillan coiffed the San Fernando Valley native's signature flaxen locks for her 10th appearance on the ABC late night show, which also features guests Chris Elliott and Rita Ora. Coming soon! Friends alum Jennifer Aniston rocked a snug pair of black leather pants in Hollywood to pre-tape her appearance on Wednesday night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! Jennifer also prominently held up a bottle of Glaceau SmartWater, the Coca-Cola-owned mineral water company she's been brand ambassador for since 2007. Coincidentally, Aniston's estranged second husband Justin Theroux had just appeared on Kimmel Tuesday night where he said he sometimes gets mistaken for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media. In February, TMZ discovered that the acting couple's 2015 wedding at their shared Bel-Air mansion might not have been technically legal, and therefore no formal divorce is needed in their case. When Extra asked the Emirates Airline spokesmodel about 'seeking treatment' after separating from the 47-year-old SAG Award nominee a year ago, she cracked: 'I've been in therapy for years.' Waving: The 49-year-old Golden Globe winner paired her edgy trousers with dark purple combat boots, a simple black T-shirt, and a maxi-peacoat selected by stylist Ryan Hastings Big smile: Hairstylist Chris McMillan coiffed the San Fernando Valley native's signature flaxen locks for her 10th appearance on the ABC late night show Always repping: Jennifer also prominently held up a bottle of Glaceau SmartWater, the Coca-Cola-owned mineral water company she's been brand ambassador for since 2007 Diva moment: Jen and her female companion were shielded from the rain by their own personal umbrella handler outside the studio Jennifer drew inspiration from her estranged mother Nancy Dow to play superficial ex-beauty queen Rosie Dickson in Anne Fletcher's Texas teen pageant dramedy Dumplin, which starts streaming this Friday on Netflix. 'My mom and I always had sort of a push and pull relationship,' Aniston told Extra. 'She was a model and was raised during a time when her parental support wasn't very strong, if any, so she was doing the best that she could do to teach me what she was taught... 'I really connected to that in the movie. There was that relationship...I felt a lot of empathy toward Rosie...she was just doing the best she could.' 24 hours earlier: Coincidentally, Aniston's estranged second husband Justin Theroux had just appeared on Kimmel Tuesday night where he said he sometimes gets mistaken for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on social media No divorce needed? In February, TMZ discovered that the acting couple's 2015 wedding at their shared Bel-Air mansion might not have been technically legal When Extra asked the Emirates spokesmodel about 'seeking treatment' after separating from the 47-year-old SAG Award nominee a year ago, she cracked: 'I've been in therapy for years' Country legend Dolly Parton contributed music to the flick - based on Julie Murphy's 2010 YA novel - which also features Danielle Macdonald, Odeya Rush, Kathy Najimy, Luke Benward, and Sam Pancake. The Emmy winner hadn't seen the former model and actress - who penned an unflattering 1999 tell-all book about her famous daughter - since Nancy suffered a stroke in 2011 and then passed away in 2016. Netflix's 130M subscribers will also be thrilled to hear the streaming giant paid a reported $100M to continue licensing reruns of NBC's long-running sitcom Friends, in which Jennifer played Rachel Green. Starts streaming Friday on Netflix! Jennifer drew inspiration from her estranged mother Nancy Dow to play superficial ex-beauty queen Rosie Dickson in Anne Fletcher's Texas teen pageant dramedy Dumplin 'My mom and I always had sort of a push and pull relationship': Aniston hadn't seen Nancy since she suffered a stroke in 2011 and then passed away in 2016 (pictured in 1999) Anna Heinrich sent her legion of social media fans into a meltdown on Thursday after posting a picture of herself wearing a bikini. In the photograph, the former Bachelor star is seen posing under a cabana in a red and white striped swimsuit to mark her last day in Byron Bay. At first glance it appeared to be a standard swimsuit selfie, until fans read the confusing caption 'Spot the dots. Do you only see stripes?' Scroll down for video Can you tell what's different about Anna Heinrich's bikini? Fans of The Bachelor star have gone into a meltdown after she posted this photo of herself in a bikini with the caption 'Spot the dots. Do you only see stripes?' Her cryptic caption challenged her followers, even her husband Tim Robards, who commented 'What kind of crazy person comes up with that caption?' Anna's older sister Andrea was also left confused, asking her sibling, 'where are the polka dots?' Spotted! Her cryptic caption challenged her followers. After many of her fans shared their guesses in the comment section, one follower finally hit the nail on the head after they simply commented 'Necklace?' Another fan asked, 'Are the stripes made up of tiny polka dots...? This kind of thing can keep people up at night!' After many of her fans shared their guesses in the comment section, one follower finally hit the nail on the head. After they simply commented 'Necklace?', the criminal lawyer gave a thumbs up in reply. Wedding day shenanigans: This week Anna and Tim were guests at Pia Muehlenbeck and Kane Vato's Byron Bay nuptials This week Anna and Tim were guests at Pia Muehlenbeck and Kane Vato's Byron Bay nuptials. The reality TV couple happily stuck by the strict dress code - 'light' and 'earthy' tones. Meanwhile, Tim and Anna's relationship appears to be going from strength to strength as they recently purchased a new home in Sydney's affluent suburb of Rose Bay. The couple, who tied the knot in a lavish Italian wedding in June, recently settled on a three-bedroom harbourside pad, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph. Armenia holds early parliamentary elections on December 8th. Post-revolutionary euphoria still makes acting Premier Pashinian popular. It also explains the date of holding the early elections as any hesitation in legitimization of power can lead to raising questions on the work done by the revolutionary government. A shadow of the previous Armenian authorities will be hanging over the new power for a long time. It is reflected in the social group which used to live more comfortable and ignore corruptness of the authorities and low living standards of the population. Thus, the elections should be held as soon as possible to prevent restoration of the Karabakh clans power. Nevertheless, Pashinians political alliance called My Step is thought to be a leader in the election race. Moreover, Civil Contract, a highly popular party, is included into My Step Alliance. It makes other political parties fight either for the second place or for getting to the parliament somehow. As not much time left for election campaigning, newcomers of the Armenian political system failed to promote themselves. So the elections are an opportunity to make a statement for such parties as National Progress, Christian and Peoples Renaissance, and Citizens Decision. However, the upcoming elections will primarily legitimate Nikol Pashinians power. In Armenia, people traditionally vote for personalities rather than for a political program. So, the key fighting will take place between representatives of the Republican Party of Armenia and Pashinian who is criticized for absence of a clear position on Karabakh settlement. The fact that a personality plays the biggest role is explained by the lack of creativity and new ideas among all political actors of Armenia. Armenian voters dont understand why they need to vote for a party and rely on personal skills of its leader. Pashinian sent his son to service on the line of contact in Nagorny Karabakh and the fact affected positively his popularity and election campaign. There will be no competition between political programs and ideologies in the elections. The majority of the alliances members are unknown for the population. My Step, Civil Contract are political platforms which still have no ideology, certain vision on the countrys development and relevant programs. Its too early to say that Civil Contract is able to hold power strongly the party is still in the process of establishing. Purity of the election process and coping with violations and falsifications of the elections results are top-of-the-agenda for Armenia. Various violating and falsifying schemes were used as far back as the 1990s in presidency of Levon Ter Petrosyan (I mean the parliamentary elections in 1995 and the presidential elections in 1996). However, falsification of elections results widely spread under Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyans presidencies. They incorporated these schemes into the election system. Political parties which have rejected participation in the elections, even though they have been thought to be permanent participants of all election campaigns, are the strict opposition to Sargsyan. They all think inside the box and fail to adjust to the new political reality. They are unable to attract voters with well-thought election campaigning. Thus, we can say that such parties as Armenian All-National Movement, the Communist Party, and Heritage dont know how to change their strategies to overcome the current semi-margin position. Advertisement Amal Clooney accused President Trump of giving the 'green light' to autocratic regimes who jail and kill journalists after he named the American press the 'enemy of the people'. She made the accusation in a blistering speech at the United Nations Correspondents Association Awards in New York Wednesday night, where she said reporters around the world are 'under attack' from autocratic regimes including in North Korea, the Philippines, Hungary, Turkey, and Brazil. She added: 'The U.S. President has given such regimes a green light and labeled the press in this country the "enemy of the people". 'And of course two months ago a Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, walked into a consulate in Istanbul and was brutally tortured to death.' Amal Clooney and George Clooney attended the United Nations Correspondents Association Awards in New York on Wednesday night, where she gave a speech on the threats faced by journalists Amal told the audience that journalists are 'under attack' from autocratic regimes around the world and accused Trump of emboldening them by branding the American Press 'enemies of the people Watched by husband George, Amal picked out the examples of North Korea, the Philippines, Hungary and Turkey for persecuting reporters, while also bringing up the Saudi killing of Jamal Khashoggi Amal dressed to impress as she was being honored as 2018's Global Citizen of the Year on Wednesday She also spoke about the jailing of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were imprisoned for seven years in Myanmar after covering the killings of the Rohingya Saudi Arabia has confessed to killing Khashoggi in a pre-meditated attack, but has denied its Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved. She also spoke about the jailing of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were imprisoned for seven years in Myanmar after covering the killings of the Rohingya religious minority. They were jailed alongside a policeman, who testified that the men were set up by authorities. Trump leveled sanctions against a small number of Saudi officials believed to be directly involved in Khashoggi's killing, but refused to take further action against the Arab kingdom, citing a $110billion arms deal as the reason. But Senators have taken a different view, and voted in the majority to debate the future of America's backing for Saudi Arabia's war against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. A group of Senators met with CIA Director Gina Haspel, who traveled to Istanbul to help investigate Khashoggi's killing, on Tuesday and came away convinced that Bin Salman must have known about the murder. Lindsay Graham, who has often clashed with Trump in the past but warmed to him recently, said afterward: 'There's not a smoking gun. There's a smoking saw," referring to reports that Saudi agents used a bone saw to dismember Khashoggi after he was killed. Graham added that 'you have to be willfully blind' not to conclude that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the crown prince's command. Amal was appointed to her first UN commission in 2013 and has taken on a number of high profile international cases in her career as a civil rights lawyer, activist and humanitarian Amal made quite the impression in a gauzy blue and white number with a plunging neckline George brought along mom Nina Bruce Warren while Amal escorted his father Nick into the affair Amal (above at UN Headquarters in 2017) was appointed to her first UN commission in 2013 The annual UN Correspondents Awards, which is in its 70th year, said it honors the 'best media coverage of the United Nations and UN agencies.' Amal was being honored as 2018's Global Citizen of the Year. She was appointed to her first UN commission in 2013 and has taken on a number of high profile international cases in her career as a civil rights lawyer. Actor Adrian Grenier was also set to be honored at the 2018 UNCA Global Advocate of the Year at the event. Also Wednesday, a justice foundation created by the power couple announced the global initiative TrialWatch. The purpose of the initiative is to monitor court trials where there is a risk of abuse and to rank countries' judicial systems. TrialWatch will work with the Columbia University Law School and the American Bar Association to train an international network of court monitors, including non-lawyers, whose reports will be used by legal experts to grade trials according to international standards. Amal said of the announcement: 'Today, courts all over the world are used as tools of oppression. 'Governments get away too easily with imprisoning opposition figures, silencing critics and persecuting vulnerable groups through the courts. Trial monitoring will shine a light on these abuses.' Fans were sent into overdrive following news that the Spice Girls will be reuniting, with the girlband going on to sell out a 13-date tour. And amid preparations for their reunion, Mel B has reportedly confirmed that the Spice Girls are 'in talks' to land a headlining slot at Glastonbury Festival 2019, following wide-spread speculation. Scary Spice dropped further hints that the band could make an appearance on the Pyramid Stage next year, as she revealed to Jessie Ware's podcast Table Manners, they are currently in conversation with Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis. Surprise addition? Mel B has reportedly confirmed that the Spice Girls are 'in talks' to land a headlining slot at Glastonbury Festival 2019, following wide-spread speculation She told fellow singer Jessie: 'Glastonbury. It's been talked about.' Although, Mel couldn't resist pointing out that the Spice Girls pop background isn't to the usual tastes of the annual festival, as she added: 'But we're so pop and it's so cool... that'll be funny to me.' She pointed out that if the girls do get to headline Glastonbury, it would be for Mel C, as she claimed: 'I think Mel C would really appreciate us doing that - she's the cool one. She's the cool Indie chick.' Glastonbury officials are yet to confirm whether the Spice Girls will appear, but the festival has seen an array of artists perform during its coveted legend spot, held on the final day on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm. Scary Spice dropped further hints that the band could make an appearance on the Pyramid Stage next year, as she told The Sun: 'Glastonbury. It's been talked about.' Out of place? Although, Mel couldn't resist pointing out the Spice Girls pop background isn't to the usual tastes of the festival, adding: 'But we're so pop and it's so cool - that'll be funny to me' Over the years, it has seen the likes of musical icons Tom Jones, Dolly Parton, Shirley Bassey, Lionel Richie and Neil Diamond take to the stage to delight festival-goers. Spice Girls may not be the first band that comes to mind when you think of Glastonbury, but some would argue that the girls' monumental success over the years could make them eligible for such a performance - with their hits likely to bring a real feel-good factor to Glastonbury. Mel B's hints that the girls could storm the stage at Glasto next year come after festival founder Michael teased 2019's headliners will be 'two or three acts that have never played before' at the three-day extravaganza. One of the headliners for next year's festival has already been named, with Stormzy confirming his headlining slot at Glastonbury in November. Interesting choice: Spice Girls may not be the first band that comes to mind when you think of Glasto, but some would argue the girls' monumental success could make them eligible Something different: The festival has seen an array of artists perform during its coveted legend spot over the years, including the likes of Tom Jones, Dolly Parton and Lionel Richie (above) Exciting: One of the headliners for next year's festival has already been named, with Stormzy confirming his headlining slot at Glastonbury in November A poster for the Glastonbury Free Press spotted in a Streatham branch of Oxfam showed the news that the rapper would follow in the the footsteps of superstars including Adele, Ed Sheeran and Beyonce, along with bands such as the Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Kasabian and Muse. Stormzy confirmed his headlining spot on Instagram as he re-posted an image of the Glastonbury poster and added alongside it: THE HEADLINE ACT - GLASTONBURY 2019. well lets be f**king having ya then.' Other stars who have been rumoured to make an appearance include Madonna, ABBA, Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney. Widespread rumours: Other stars who have been rumoured to make an appearance include Madonna, ABBA, Kylie Minogue and Paul McCartney Reunion! Meanwhile, the Spice Girls are gearing up for their reunion tour Spice World - 2019 Tour that hits the road in May next year without Victoria Beckham (above) Meanwhile, the Spice Girls are gearing up for their reunion tour Spice World - 2019 Tour that hits the road in May next year - conveniently coming to a close on 15 June at London's Wembley Stadium just two weeks before Glastonbury takes place at the end of June. Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner will come together as a four-piece next year - originally announcing a six-date tour before bumping it up to 13 due to 'phenomenal fan demand'. Victoria Beckham has chosen not to reunite with the girls, choosing to focus on her fashion business instead, but has said she will 'definitely' go and see the girls in action at their show. In an interview with Extra at the People's Choice Awards last month, Victoria insisted she will 'absolutely' be watching, as she explained: 'I have so much going on with my business and my family. I think the girls are going to do a great job! I'm really excited for them, they have great plans.' In demand: Mel B, Mel C, Emma Bunton and Geri Horner will come together as a four-piece - originally announcing a six-date tour before bumping it up to 13 due to 'phenomenal demand' History: The band split in 2000, two years after Geri announced her departure from the band - later reuniting in 2007 and performing at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony Asked if she will be going to see the show, Victoria replied: 'Absolutely! I am very, very excited for them.' The Spice Girls shot to fame in the early '90s and found themselves at the top of the charts in 37 countries with their debut single Wannabe, released in 1996. The band split in 2000, two years after Geri announced her departure from the band. They later reunited in 2007, delighting fans with their The Return Of The Spice Girls world tour, before performing at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony. Following that show-stopping performance, speculation had been rife that the girls would re-form once more, with rumours reaching fever pitch in 2016 - as it marked 20 years since the release of the girls' first single. She's a fan: Mel B joked that if the Spice Girls do perform at Glastonbury it will be for Mel C as she joked, 'I think Mel C would really appreciate us doing that - she's the cool one' It's a Beautiful Day in fact it's been a beautiful year for U2. The Irish foursome have been named the world's highest earning musicians for 2018 by Forbes, having netted a staggering $118million. 'The immortal Irish rockers' Joshua Tree Tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album of the same name grossed $316 million, as some 2.7 million fans turned out to make it last year's most lucrative outing,' the site explained. Beautiful Day: U2 have been named the world's highest earning musicians for 2018 by Forbes, having netted a staggering $118million They managed to beat out Coldplay, who snagged second place with a not-too-shabby $115.5million. The band's A Head Full Of Dreams Tour grossed more than half a billion dollars in its two-year, five-continent run, putting it behind only U2's 360 Tour and The Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang Tour on the all-time list. However, while U2 have to divide their cash four ways, and Coldplay five ways, the world third highest earning musician Ed Sheeran got to keep his $110million all to himself. At just 27-years-old, his billions of song streamings made him the highest earning solo artist of the year. Second: They managed to beat out Coldplay, who snagged second place with a not-too-shabby $115.5million Solo: However, while U2 have to divide their cash four ways, and Coldplay five ways, the world third highest earning musician Ed Sheeran got to keep his $110million all to himself Bruno Mars slotted into fourth place with his $100m, while Katy Perry's $83m put her in number five, the highest rank of any female artist on the list. In fact it was one-time rival Taylor Swift who was her nearest competitor onle place behind her, having earned just $3million less. However her hugely-popular Reputation tour was only getting started when the Forbes figures deadline of June 1 arrived. Not bad: Katy Perry's $83m put her in number five, the highest rank of any female artist on the list Close one: In fact it was one-time rival Taylor Swift who was her nearest competitor onle place behind her, having earned just $3million less Married: Jay-Z was in seventh with $76.5million, while his wife Beyonce last year's number two languished in 11th with a paltry $60million; of course the Carter's combined earnings for the year been considered they would have reigned well above all else with $135.5million Jay-Z was in seventh with $76.5million, while his wife Beyonce last year's number two languished in 11th with a paltry $60million; of course the Carter's combined earnings for the year been considered they would have reigned well above all else with $135.5million. The rest of the top ten was rounded out by Guns N' Roses ($71 million), Roger Waters ($68 million) and last year's number one P Diddy ($64million). Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd, Pink, Lady Gaga and Calvin Harris all made the top twenty, while Drake, JLo, and The Chainsmokers were all top thirty. Despite earning more than $30million last year, the likes of Rihanna nor Dr. Dre could crack the top thirty. Almost: Despite earning more than $30million last year, the likes of Rihanna could crack the top thirty With their wedding just days away, Karl Stefanovic and Jasmine Yarbrough's family members have been descending on Mexico ahead of the ceremony. And the latest guests to arrive include the Channel Nine star's teenage daughter, Ava, and the Mara & Mine founder's younger sister, Jade. Both Ava and Jade took to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon to share photos of themselves after arriving at San Jose del Cabo. Here comes the bridal party! Jasmine Yarbrough's sister Jade and Karl Stefanovic's daughter Ava are the latest guests to arrive in Mexico ahead of the couple's weekend wedding In Jade's photo, the sister-of-the-bride poses while sitting on a wall. It's believed the picture was taken at the One&Only Palmilla resort, where the couple will exchange vows on December 8. Jade wears a longsleeve striped shirt, a fedora hat, sunglasses and flat shoes. 'Si, senorita MX,' she captioned the photo. Hola! Both Ava and Jade (pictured) took to Instagram on Wednesday afternoon to share photos of themselves after arriving at San Jose del Cabo Daddy's big day! Taking to her Instagram Story, Ava shared this footage of herself at the beach Taking to her Instagram Story, Ava also shared footage of herself at the beach. The video, which showed a glimpse of the ocean in front of her, was tagged: 'Cabo San Lucas, Baja California...' Ava, 13, is Karl's daughter with his ex-wife, Cassandra Thorburn. The former couple also share two sons together, Jackson, 19, and River, 12. Sister act: Jade and Jasmine (pictured together_ are extremely close, and the younger sister is a member of the bridal party Karl and Jasmine arrived in Mexico on Tuesday ahead of their wedding, which takes place at the five-star One&Only Palmilla resort. Their guest list reportedly includes around 60 people, ranging from family members to well-known public figures. The wedding will be a three-day affair, with the couple - who are already legally married in Australia - sparing no expense. For many Australian actors, cracking the Hollywood scene is the akin to reaching pinnacle of their industry. And it's no secret that the feat is a difficult one to master, with stories of homelessness, financial woes and brutal rejections among those told by actors who have given it a shot. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at the AACTAs in Sydney on Wednesday night, former Home and Away stars Todd Lasance and Lincoln Lewis added to the chorus of stars sharing their tough experiences. Broke, homeless and auditioning for people who won't even look them in the eye: Former Home And Away stars reveal the 'cutthroat' and 'insane' reality of trying to crack Hollywood (Pictured: former Home and Away stars Todd Lasance and Lincoln Lewis at the AACTAs in Sydney on Wednesday night) 'It's insane. It is,' Todd, who played Aden Jefferies on Home and Away from 2005 to 2010, said. He admitted that it can be easy to fall into financial strife while trying to get work - something he's particularly wary of now that he has a two-year-old daughter. Todd added there's no room for mistakes, explaining: 'You can't go over and stuff around because it's so cutthroat. You have tens of thousands of people lining up for these roles.' When asked if US auditions are as brutal as their reputations, Todd didn't hesitate when responding: 'Oh my god, yes!' He added: 'They're terrible. I've been to auditions where they haven't even looked up. They've got a camera rolling and they're like 'Yep, alright, start when you're ready. Great. Thanks. See ya.' And that's it. 'Sometimes over there it feels like just a cattle call but that's the market. You've got one chance, one take or you're out.' 'They're terrible. I've been to auditions where they haven't even looked up': Todd (pictured right with Lincoln in their Home and Away days) admitted Hollywood auditions are brutal Todd's former Home and Away co-star Lincoln Lewis - who played Geoff Campbell from 2007 to 2010 - recalled similar experiences. 'Sometimes they just look so unimpressed. It's almost like they've already found who they want and you're just the next number in there,' Lincoln told Daily Mail. Despite being well known in Australia, Lincoln admitted it's often hard to even be seen by casting directors in the States. 'He hasn't done anything in America. I don't want to see him': Lincoln echoed similar sentiments, revealing how hard it is to get auditions despite having starred on one of Australia's most famous shows 'I think my agents were trying for, I think a month, to get me an audition and they were like 'I don't want to see him. I don't know him. He hasn't done anything in America. I don't want to see him.'' Lincoln revealed. Although Lincoln was eventually granted an audition and ultimately won the role, he then faced another common Hollywood hurdle - instability. The pilot wasn't picked up for TV and Lincoln lost the job that it took seven auditions to score. Hollywood hell: It's not the first time Aussie actors have shared stories of the tough industry, with Rhiannon Fish (pictured) confessing to the Daily Telegraph: 'I have seen LA break people' Struggling to survive: Meanwhile Axle Whitehead (pictured on Home and Away) previously told The Daily Telegraph he resorted to working in a dive bar for 'eight bucks an hour' It's not the first time Aussie actors have returned from Tinseltown with tales of trouble. In May 2017, another Summer Bay alum, Rhiannon Fish, confessed to the Daily Telegraph: 'I have seen LA break people.' Ex-Neighbours star Daniel Macpherson and his Packed To The Rafters star wife Zoe Ventoura, told OK! magazine last year that they were homeless at one point while trying to crack the US market. Axle Whitehead faced similar financial stress when he headed over after a stint on Home and Away and later revealed he was forced to slog it out in a dive bar for 'eight bucks an hour' as he tried to survive. What better thing to wear after a light shower? Sofia Richie looked cosy in a bathrobe-style coat as she stepped out with a pal in Malibu on Wednesday. The 20-year-old shirked off the rain as the duo headed to grab lunch at upmarket eatery Nobu. Toasty: Sofia Richie looked cosy in a bathrobe-style coat as she stepped out with a pal in Malibu on Wednesday Sofia paired the fuzzy navy almost-full-length piece with white trainers and light grey sweatpants. She flashed her toned tummy in a black crossover crop top. Carrying her phone in her hand, the daughter of Lionel Richie shouldered a vute black box purse. The model finished her casual ensemble in shades and a bright red beanie. Casual: Sofia paired the fuzzy navy almost-full-length piece with white trainers and light grey sweatpants Not present for the outing was Sofia's boyfriend of over a year, Scott Disick. The 35-year-old reality star shares three children with eldest Kardashian sister Kourtney, including eight-year-old Mason, six-year-old Penelope, and three-year-old Reign. But after their split in 2015, 'The Lord' meandered his way through various flings until he settled on Richie, who is almost 16 years his junior. Scott and Sophia have not been seen together for two and a half weeks, when they were spotted in Calabasas with his son Mason on November 18. The night before, Sofia and Kourtney both attended at the same party at the Street Dreams Gala in West Hollywood. Elsa Pataky stars as a supernatural seductress in the highly-anticipated Netflix show Tidelands, which premieres on December 14. And a thrilling preview for the upcoming season proves that Elsa's character Adrielle Cuthbert is both beautiful and dangerous. In an exclusive trailer, the Spanish actress displays superhuman strength during a fight scene. Tidelands EXCLUSIVE: Elsa Pataky displays superhuman strength in thrilling trailer for Australia's first ever Netflix original series The eight-part series centres around the mysterious appearance of a body that washes ashore in the small fishing village of Orphelin Bay. Elsa plays Adrielle, the 'darkly enigmatic' leader of a group of siren-human hybrids. In the new promo, her character fights with Augie Mcteer (Aaron Jakubenko) and throws him across the room. Exciting new project: Also in the exclusive footage, Elsa (pictured) and her fellow cast members showed a glimpse behind the scenes of Tidelands Also in the exclusive footage, Elsa and her fellow cast members showed a glimpse behind the scenes of Tidelands. They also playfully debated whether they would prefer to be a human or a Tidelander. Elsa claimed she'd definitely be a Tidelander, saying: 'There's something amazing to be able to live for such a long time and not get old.' Tidelands will have its world premiere on Sunday, December 9 at Brisbane's GOMA. The cast will then attend the Sydney premiere on Monday, December 10 at Bennelong Point overlooking the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. The screening and Q&A session with the cast are currently open to the public, who can RSVP here. Tickets are limited. Coming soon! Tidelands will have its world premiere on Sunday, December 9 in Brisbane Major launch: The cast will then attend the Sydney premiere on Monday, December 10 at Bennelong Point overlooking the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House In an interview with Vogue in March, Elsa revealed how convenient it had been to film the series in Australia. 'For me it's great, I shoot in Brisbane which is close to my house, so I can take the kids to school, and then go to work, it's so convenient,' she said. Elsa married Thor star Chris Hemsworth, 34, in late 2010, and the couple share three children: daughter India Rose, six, and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, four. The pair, who were previously based in Los Angeles, now enjoy a blissfully relaxed life in Byron Bay on Australia's east coast. Tidelands - the first Australian original series for Netflix - debuts on December 14 Love Island Australia star Cassidy McGill raised eyebrows are sharing a seemingly innocent bikini selfie to Instagram this week. Fans were left baffled by the 23-year-old's left arm and she explained the 'dodgy' limb in the caption. In the photo, she wears a barely-there purple two-piece and is sitting on rocks with her arms propping her up. Scroll down for video Can you spot what's wrong with this photo? Love Island Australia's Cassidy McGill explains the surprising reason behind her 'dodgy looking arm' in a bikini selfie However, the blonde beauty's left arm appears overly twisted and in the caption, she revealed that she is double jointed. 'Fun fact about me: I have double-jointed elbows, hence the dodgy looking arm,' she captioned. Cassidy's revelation comes after she recently put on a glamorous display at the ARIA awards. All glammed up: Cassidy's revelation comes after she recently put on a glamorous display at the ARIA awards She took full advantage of the complimentary booze, sharing several clips of herself guzzling from a glass of champagne during the show. The blonde beauty also appeared starstruck at one point after noticing techno producer Fisher sitting nearby in the audience. 'HOLY F**K,' Cassidy captioned a photo she took of Fisher without his knowledge. Enjoying the night: She took full advantage of the complimentary booze, sharing several clips of herself guzzling from a glass of champagne during the show Fan girl moment: 'HOLY F**K,' Cassidy captioned a photo she took of techno producer Fisher without his knowledge (left) and eventually plucked up the courage to ask for a selfie, which she later shared to Instagram alongside the caption: 'MY LIFE IS MADE I'M DONE' (right) She eventually plucked up the courage to ask for a selfie, which she later shared to Instagram alongside the caption: 'MY LIFE IS MADE I'M DONE.' However her evening later took an unexpected turn when she was unable to pay for her McDonald's meal on the ride home. 'Taxi driver paid for my Maccas because I didn't have my card,' she told her social media followers. Julianne Moore wore a long peek-a-boo dress on Wednesday to the 13th annual L'Oreal Women of Worth Awards in New York City. The 58-year-old actress was joined at the event at The Pierre Hotel with her husband Bart Freundlich, 48. The Oscar-winning actress donned a black and teal dress with front cutouts. Awards ceremony: Julianne Moore attended the L'Oreal Women of Worth Awards on Wednesday in New York City Julianne accessorized with long green dangling earrings and a large sparkling ring. Bart looked dapper in a dark blue suit and sky blue dress shirt sans tie. Julianne during the awards ceremony met up with honoree Betty Mohlenbrock, 78, who founded San Diego-based Reading Legacies. The L'Oreal Women of Worth Awards honored 10 women who have volunteered their time to improve their communities. Cute couple: Bart Freundlich escorted his wife Julianne to the event at The Pierre Hotel Julianne can next be seen in the upcoming drama After The Wedding based on the 2006 Danish film of the same name by co-writer and director Susanne Bier, 58. Bart is directing the film starring Julianne along with Michelle Williams, Billy Crudup and Abby Quinn. The film tells the story of Isabel, played by Michelle, who runs an orphanage in Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, in India. Oscar winner: The 58-year-old Oscar-winning actress can next be seen in After The Wedding directed by her husband Bart She travels to New York to meet with Theresa, played by Julianne, the wealthy woman who is her benefactress. The original movie starred Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, 53, in the role being played by Julianne in the new version. After The Wedding will premiere on January 24 at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Julianne won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in the 2014 drama Still Alice. Her ex-husband Karl Stefanovic is set to marry Jasmine Yarbrough in Mexico on Saturday. And it seems Cassandra Thorburn is keen to stay away from the spotlight, as she heads to Melbourne to stay with friends. The former journalist, 47, was seen at Sydney Airport on Thursday, looking strained as she made her way through the terminal. Is everything okay? Cassandra Thorburn looked strained while flying out of Sydney Airport on Thursday - as her ex-husband Karl Stefanovic prepares to marry Jasmine Yarbrough Cassandra appeared deep in thought as she dragged along her suitcase and carried a black handbag on her arm. She dressed casually in denim jeans and a longsleeve jumper, and her accessories consisted of a wristwatch and earrings. The mother-of-three is understood to be heading interstate to stay with friends. Solace: The mother-of-three is understood to be heading interstate to stay with friends Looking for support? Cassandra appeared deep in thought as she waited in the terminal Cassandra shares three children with Karl: Jackson, 19, Ava, 13 and 12-year-old River. The couple split acrimoniously in late 2016 after 21 years of marriage. The kids will be attending their father's wedding to Mara & Mine shoe designer Jasmine on Saturday. In fact, they have already flown to Mexico via Los Angeles ahead of the ceremony. Airport chic: She dressed casually in denim jeans and a longsleeve jumper, and her accessories consisted of a wristwatch and earrings For many months, there was much speculation about whether eldest son Jackson would be attending his father's wedding. Unconfirmed reports suggested he was 'boycotting' the ceremony due to the bitterness of his parents' divorce Rumours of animosity between father and son intensified in April when Jackson changed his Instagram handle from 'Jackson Stefanovic' to 'Jackson Thorburn'. Packing light: Cassandra dragged along her suitcase and carried a black handbag on her arm Single mum: Cassandra shares three children with Karl: Jackson, 19, Ava, 13 and River, 12 Cassandra herself has previously claimed that Jackson struggled to cope with her and Karl's divorce. In an interview with Woman's Day last year, she described Karl as 'dead to me', but admitted their three children still had a relationship with their father. Karl was quick to move on after separating from Cassandra, and was already dating Jasmine, 34, by the end of 2016. Supportive: The Stefanovic children will be attending their father's wedding to Jasmine on Saturday. In fact, they have already flown to Mexico via Los Angeles ahead of the ceremony No love lost: In an interview with Woman's Day last year, Cassandra described Karl as 'dead to me', but admitted her three children still had a relationship with their father In February 2017, Karl was pictured kissing the former model on a Sydney Harbour cruise, which marked their first public sighting as a couple. One year later, Jasmine stepped out wearing a diamond engagement ring. Shortly afterwards, she confirmed the Today host had proposed. Addressing his relationship earlier this year, Karl said: 'When Jasmine came into my life, I had no thoughts of new love or the future, but we are happy and grateful we found each other. 'We are yet to work out when we will get married, but probably later this year. We are both very happy.' Flying solo: Karl was quick to move on after separating from Cassandra in mid 2016, and was already dating Jasmine by the end of that year In March, Karl and Jasmine exchanged vows during a commitment ceremony held at a $13million mansion in Sydney's exclusive Palm Beach. This weekend will be Karl and Jasmine's 'official' wedding, although they are already legally married in Australia after signing the required documentation. The pair will tie the knot in a picturesque chapel at the One&Only Palmilla Resort, where they'll also be staying. Despite the ongoing U.S. sanctions on Iran, India continues to be one of the chief importers of Iranian oil. Indeed, the state owned petrochemical corporation Indian Oil is set to import up to 9 million barrels of Iranian oil in December. That is more than 20 percent of current Iranian oil exports. Radio Farda reports in its article Despite Sanctions, India Manages To Import Iranian Oil that the Indian government was given a conditional and temporary waiver from the Washington to continue importing Iranian oil, if it commits to reducing these imports gradually. But India has difficulties meeting its domestic demand for oil as it imports 80% of its oil. Indeed, despite the countrys plans to reduce the amount of oil imported from Iran by 20%, the Indian government has also announced that it will carry out all payments in Indian rupees. This will help the Indian government avoid potential sanctions, which would target transactions in U.S. dollars, an approach used by India during previous sanctions against Iran and Iranian oil. While imports of Iranian oil by Asian countries such as China, Japan or South Korea, have hit a five-year low in October, Indian imports of Iranian oil fell by only 0.2 percent. This can be partly explained by incentives offered by Iran to India, including almost free shipping and extended credit. However, it could also be argued that this is largely due to the waivers. India has provided assistance and investments of over 2 billion dollars to Afghanistan since the US-led intervention in 2001. This has helped sustain the U.S. backed Kabul government; a reality that Washington appreciates. The latest Indian investment went to the Iranian port of Chabahar, a key supply route to Afghanistan. While the development of Chabahar and the larger establishment of an infrastructural trade corridor is the result of a tripartite agreement between Afghanistan, India and Iran, it can only help Afghanistan economically, which is important for the countrys stabilization. According to John J. Sullivan, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, the American South Asia strategy underscores our ongoing support of Afghanistan's economic growth and development as well as our close partnership with India. With that in mind, one can argue that the US policy towards both Afghanistan and India necessitated the waiver. By continuing the purchase of Iranian oil using rupees, Iran can continue trading with India, which remains one of its key trading partners. According to the CIA Factbook, over 15.% of Iranian exports, mainly crude oil, are sold to India. Similarly, by conducting all oil transactions in Indian rupees, Iran will be able to continue importing Indian goods, maintaining its trade links to the country. In this sense, India continues with its policy of not recognizing unilateral sanctions that are not imposed by the United Nations, despite waivers by Washington. Nevertheless, by turning to the Indian rupee as a sole currency used in oil transactions, India showcases a strategy which may be employed by other countries seeking to maintain ties with Iran. In this sense, it is surprising that China, a key oil importer in the global market, has decreased oil imports from Iran by 64% in October to 247,200 barrels per day. Indeed, China was not only given a waiver by the U.S., it also previously pushed its own currency, as a substitute to the U.S. dollar. Despite this, the two Chinese energy giants Sinopec Group and China National Petroleum Corp have both refused to place orders of Iranian oil for November, largely due to the fear of potential US sanctions. With that in mind, Indias current effort to maintain a balance between the demands of the United States and its trade relations with Iran seems to be successful. However, it remains unclear whether India will follow through with the conditions of the waiver and decrease its reliance on Iranian oil, or it will turn to its own currency as a method of mitigating the effects of U.S. sanctions. Jim Beam celebrated the 85th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition with a party in Chicago this Wednesday evening. And the festivities would not have been complete without a visit from the company's ad queen - none other than Mila Kunis herself. The Ukraine-born 35-year-old modeled a boxy navy and scarlet Jim Beam sweater as she posed at a white table with an on-brand drink. Cheers: Jim Beam celebrated the 85th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition with a party in Chicago this Wednesday evening, and their ad queen Mila Kunis was in attendance She raised a glass with Jim Beam's 7th generation master distiller Fred Noe over a bottle of the company's limited edition Repeal Batch. Jim Beam began life as Old Jake Beam Sour Mash in 1795, when Jacob Beam began selling the Kentucky bourbon by the barrel, according to the Jim Beam website. Prohibition was imposed in 1920 with the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and was not withdrawn until the 21st Amendment in 1933. Having a ball: The Ukraine-born 35-year-old modeled a boxy navy and scarlet Jim Beam sweater as she posed at a white table with an on-brand drink Bootlegging thrived in that span of time - with Chicago, the site of Jim Beam's bash this Wednesday, being a particularly notorious hotbed of the trade. A bloody rivalry seethed during Prohibition between Chicago bootleggers Dean O'Bannion and Johnny 'The Fox' Torrio, the latter of whom eventually handed the reins of his outfit over to none other than Al Capone. 'In 1924 Dion OBannion of Chicago was snatched to glory in a bronze casket with silver drop sides; nothing was proved against Capone, although OBannions friends betrayed their suspicion by firing more than 2,000 shots into Capones abode in Cicero,' reported Vanity Fair in a 1931 piece called Capone, King Of Crime. Celebration: She raised a glass with Jim Beam's 7th generation master distiller Fred Noe over a bottle of the company's limited edition Repeal Batch History: Jim Beam began life as Old Jake Beam Sour Mash in 1795, when Jacob Beam began selling the Kentucky bourbon by the barrel, according to the Jim Beam website The pre-Prohibition Old Tub distillery reopened as the Jim Beam Distillery under Colonel James B. Beam in 1933 after the 21st Amendment was adopted. The Colonel's daughter Margaret eventually wound up with the married name Noe, and the current master distiller Fred Noe is her grandson. Mila has been doing Jim Beam ads since 2014, the year before she married Ashton Kutcher, with whom she shares two children - Wyatt, four, and Dimitri, two. Teen stars Maddie Ziegler and Larsen Thompson joined forces to promote the Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance Wednesday. The pair posed for photos at a pop-up newsstand in New York City. Both Thompson, 18, and Ziegler, 16, found fame as dancers and models at an early age and are branching out into acting too. Photo call: Teen stars Maddie Ziegler and Larsen Thompson joined forces to promote the Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance Wednesday Ziegler, who turned her appearance on reality show Dance Moms into a career, wore a casual black pantsuit with white piping for the photo shoot. The Sia collaborator added a long-sleeved black-and-white cropped top and chunky soled white shoes. Her long blonde hair was loose and worn with a slightly off-center parting, and she was made up with heavy black eye-liner and red lip color. She flashed her belly button as she held a large perfume bottle and stood against a faux graffiti-covered wall. Teamed up: The pair posed for photos at a pop-up newsstand in New York City Former reality star: Ziegler, who turned her appearance on reality show Dance Moms into a career, wore a casual black pantsuit with white piping for the photo shoot On trend: The 16-year-old Sia collaborator added a long-sleeved black-and-white cropped top and chunky soled white shoes Floral fragrance: Her long blonde hair was loose and worn with a slightly off-center parting, and she was made up with heavy black eye-liner and red lip color Thompson wore a black knit beanie pulled down over her long red hair that fell in loose curls towards her waist. She had on a t-shirt and rocked black mascara and dark red lipstick. The Southern California native has carved out a career as a model and as a backup dancer for some top pop stars appearing in music videos for Katy Perry and Pink. Relaxed: Thompson, 18, wore a black knit beanie pulled down over her long red hair that fell in loose curls towards her waist. She had on a t-shirt and rocked black mascara and red lipstick Model moves: Ziegler flashed her belly button as she posed against a faux graffiti-covered wall He was Hollywood's most eligible bachelor for many years. And Jennifer Aniston has admitted seeing George Clooney now as a dad is 'amazing'. The 49-year-old actress was chatting to Ellen on Thursday about how her friend is now the proud parent of one-year-old twins Ella and Alexander. 'Anything can happen': Jennifer Aniston told Ellen on Thursday it was 'amazing' to see pal George Clooney with children 'It's amazing to see him with children,' she told the host. 'That's what we talked about: that anything can happen.' When pressed on how old her friend's children were, she sheepishly admitted: 'I don't know.' But laughing, she guessed pretty close when she said: 'Maybe a little over a year? Maybe?' In fact, the ER star's babies whom he shares with wife of four years Amal Alamuddin turn exactly one-an-a-half years old on Thursday. Life's full of surprises: 'It's amazing to see him with children,' she told the host. 'That's what we talked about: that anything can happen' Dad: The ER star's babies whom he shares with wife of four years Amal Alamuddin turn exactly one-an-a-half years old on Thursday (pictured at the United Nations Correspondence Association dinner in New York on Wednesday) During the interview Jen had only good things to say about her other famous friends, including Bono, whom she described as 'so nice, he's just a lovely decent man.' She continued: 'There's something about Steve Carell that everybody loves deeply; you cant not just love Steve Carell 'Dramatic beautiful actor, that movie Beautiful Boy is just stunning, he is fabulous, such a range of emotion,' she gushed. Whoops! When pressed on how old her friend's children were, she sheepishly admitted: 'I don't know' The big one: The Friend's alum, who turns 50 in February, was informed by Ellen that she intended hosting her birthday party as an hour special show dedicated to her The Friend's alum, who turns 50 in February, was informed by Ellen that she intended hosting her birthday party as an hour special show dedicated to her. 'Is it greedy of me to say "and then we go to your house and have an afterparty?"' Jen begged to audience screams. 'I love that you all think you're going to be here,' Ellen chuckled back at them. Anistion's latest film Dumplin streams on Netflix from Thursday. She was receiving a top honour at the United Nations Correspondents Association Awards in New York City. And Amal Clooney celebrated with her proud family on Wednesday night, as she was accompanied by her proud husband George and his parents Nick and Nina. Amal looked stunning in a plunging blue and white gown as she arrived at Cipriani 42nd on the arm of her dapper father-in-law Nick. Family affair: Amal Clooney arrived on the arm of her father-in-law Nick Clooney for the United Nations Correspondents Association Awards in New York City on Wednesday night Amal's semi-sheer voile frock teased her long legs as it got swept up in the wind, also revealing a pair of colour-coordinated navy shoes. The human rights attorney and mother of two kept her accessories at a minimum, opting for a simple snap clutch and a stunning pair of earrings which colour coordinated with her dress. Adding some Hollywood glamour, Amal swept her hair to the side and styled it in full-bodied curls and completed her look with a glam dash of red lipstick. Proud: The human rights attorney was also joined by actor husband George and his mother Nina as she was honoured as 2018's Global Citizen of the Year at the prestigious event Dressed to impress: Amal looked stunning in a plunging blue and white gown as she arrived at Cipriani 42nd on the arm of her dapper father-in-law She walked into the soiree on the arm of George's father Nick, who was dressed in a classic tuxedo. George, meanwhile, escorted mum Nina Bruce Warren into the affair. He looked dapper in suit with a bow tie. A beaming Nina wowed in a glittering black top and trousers with a dazzling diamond necklace as she prepared to celebrate with her daughter-in-law. Stunning: Amal's semi-sheer voile frock was accessorised with dazzling earrings and a clutch What a night: Later as she left the dinner, Amal held hands with her proud husband, who was dressed in a classic tuxedo Leading the way: George guided his wife through the crowd of photographers outside the famous Cipriani 42nd street Amal was honoured as 2018's Global Citizen of the Year at the prestigious event. The annual UN Correspondents Awards, which is in its 70th year, honours the 'best media coverage of the United Nations and UN agencies.' Amal was appointed to her first UN commission in 2013 and has taken on a number of high profile international cases in her career as a civil rights lawyer, activist and humanitarian. Wow factor: Amal looked incredible in her strappy gown, which featured a plunging front Top award: The annual UN Correspondents Awards, which is in its 70th year, honours the 'best media coverage of the United Nations and UN agencies' Honoured for her work: Amal was named the 2018's Global Citizen of the Year at the prestigious event Amal spoke at the event about Jamal Khashoggi, 59, the journalist murdered in Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. Actor Adrian Grenier was also set to be honoured at the 2018 UNCA Global Advocate of the Year at the event. Amal enjoys a close relationship with her in-laws, who George has revealed were there when the couple first met. Her night: Hollywood star George let his wife shine at the prestigious event Calling it a night: A beaming Amal was led out by her husband after the dinner Say cheese: The couple posed for photos outside before heading home with their family A mutual friend bought Amal to the actor's house when his parents happened to be visiting and as George told Letterman it was love at first sight. 'The funniest thing was my mom and dad were visiting, so my parents were there, and we just talked and we stayed up all night talking.' 'And then, you know, I got her email address 'cause she was going to send me some pictures of my parents and then, we started writing and I didn't really, I didn't know if she wanted to go out with me,' he recalled earlier this year. Using her platform: Amal spoke at the event about Jamal Khashoggi, 59, the journalist murdered in Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 Attorney: Amal was appointed to her first UN commission in 2013 and has taken on a number of high profile cases in her career as a civil rights lawyer, activist and humanitarian All about her: George has spoken extensively in the past about his pride over Amal's work Emily Blunt revealed it was 'an utterly moving day' when Dick Van Dyke returned to the world of Mary Poppins, after first appearing in the Disney classic in 1964. The actress, 35, was blown away by the veteran actor, 92, who takes on the role of Mr Dawes Jr, after playing Bert and Mr Dawes Sr in the original. Speaking to the Radio Times on Thursday, she said of the actor's cameo: 'Rob Marshall (the film's director) is not really a crier, but he couldnt even speak, couldnt even say cut after Dicks monologue. Iconic: Emily Blunt revealed Dick Van Dyke's cameo in Mary Poppins Returns was 'utterly moving'... as the movie's director says casting her was 'fastest decision of all' 'It was so beautiful. The guy is 92 and he got up on a desk and he tap-danced! Lin [Manuel Miranda, who plays lamplighter Jack] and I were supposed to be there to offer him help, but he was batting away our hands. What an icon.' The movie takes place 25 years after the original and is set in 1930s London, as it follows Mary Poppins (played by Blunt) as she returns to the Banks siblings, Jane (Emily Mortimer) and Michael (Ben Whishaw), following a family tragedy. It wasn't just Dick Van Dyke's return to the franchise that had the director feeling emotional, as Rob admitted that 'choosing Emily for Mary Poppins was the fastest decision of all.' Blown away: Speaking about the 92-year-old actor's cameo as Mr Dawes Jr, she said: 'Rob Marshall (the film's director) is not really a crier, but he couldnt even speak' Iconic role: Dick Van Dyke played Bert (pictured, top left in 1964) and Mr Dawes Sr in the original film alongside Julie Andrews The pair had previously worked together on Into The Woods, and, of her casting, he explained: 'To me there was no film without her. 'Its the cornerstone, and the demands are huge: you have to find someone who can play many layers, who can be stern and reserved, is enigmatic and underneath all that there has to be warmth, humour and a childlike sensibility.' The film also boasts a stellar supporting cast including the likes of Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and Colin Firth, and it is set to be a hit upon its release later this month. Dream team: Rob admitted 'choosing Emily for Mary Poppins was the fastest decision of all' after the pair had previously worked together on Into The Woods Discussing making a sequel to the children's classic, Rob said it was 'thrilling and scary at the same time' but that he was convinced he had to make it. He admitted: 'To follow in the footsteps of a film that iconic is a high bar. But honestly, I felt that if anyone was to do it, I wanted it to be me. 'I wanted to protect and honour the original, while still creating a completely new musical.' Emily confessed to Harper's Bazaar magazine last month that she didn't watch the original version of Mary Poppins after landing the titular role in the sequel. Remaking a classic: Rob added that he thought 'there was no film without her', and admitted that he felt he had to make the sequel even if the idea was 'thrilling and scary at the same time' The actress revealed that she didn't want to feel 'intimidated' by Julie Andrew's iconic portrayal so that she could instead put her own stamp on things. She wasn't able to fully distance herself from the Disney classic, however, as she did watch the film in her childhood. Emily admitted: 'Even though Id seen the film as a child, I decided not to watch it when prepping.' Mary Poppins Returns is set to be released in cinemas in the US on December 19, and in the UK on December 21. She recently admitted she's 'happy again' after embarking on a new romance with Crystal Palace boss Steve Parish, four years after her split from Dominic Cotton. And while she's in the throes of love, Susanna Reid has admitted she doesn't believe in walking down the aisle on Thursday's edition of Good Morning Britain. The ITV presenter, 47, joked she 'comes out in hives' at the thought of marriage during a discussion about the Four Weddings and a Funeral reunion for Red Nose Day 2019. Honest: Susanna Reid admitted she doesn't believe in walking down the aisle on Thursday's edition of Good Morning Britain amid her new romance with Crystal Palace boss Steve Parish The cast of the iconic 1994 movie are reuniting for a short film in aid of the fundraising event. And while the former BBC presenter appeared excited for the upcoming film, she admitted she 'doesn't believe in weddings' when co-host Ben Shephard asked her whether she'd attend a wedding as a bride. Showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold joked: 'Might get myself in there as a wedding guest.' New beau: The ITV presenter, 47, joked she 'comes out in hives' at the thought of marriage during a discussion about the Four Weddings and a Funeral reunion for Red Nose Day 2019 (pictured with Steve, 53, in August) Chiming in, Ben, 43, questioned Susanna: 'Why not as a bride?'. Former Strictly star Susanna, who previously credited her beliefs in marriage to a choppy childhood following her parents divorce, said: 'I don't believe in weddings. 'Oh it's just acting? Phew! That makes me come out in hives, the idea of getting married', she added. Candid: The former BBC host admitted she 'doesn't believe in weddings' when co-host Ben Shephard asked her whether she'd attend a wedding as a bride Excited: Showbiz correspondent Richard Arnold (pictured far right) joked: 'Might get myself in there as a wedding guest' (also with Kate Garraway, far left) Earlier this week, the presenter broke her silence on her romance with the chairman, 53, as she said that she is 'happy' to have developed a romantic relationship following a long-standing friendship between the pair. She added that they were able to have a little time together, getting to know one another properly before their relationship became public, reports the Sun. Susanna first met Steve in New York while she was covering the American election for Good Morning Britain with her co-host Piers Morgan. Susanna separated from her journalist Dominic, 51, in 2014, after being with him since 1998, and following her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. More celebrations: The cast of iconic 1994 film Four Weddings and a Funeral are reuniting for a short film follow-up in aid of the fundraising event Having fun: She recently admitted she's 'happy again' after embarking on a new romance with Steve (pictured together on Sunday) Shes been a single mother to sons Sam, 16, Finn, 14, and Jack, 13 since splitting with her ex after 16 years together. Her relationship was rumoured to have been put under strain after the BBC moved her former breakfast show to Media City in Salford in 2012. There were then cries of the Strictly curse when they announced their split soon after Susannas gloriously frisky performance in a 2013 runner-up turn with pro dancer Kevin Clifton (she denied the dance show had anything to do with it). Today, she and Dominic are good friends and fairly relaxed parents to their sons, who she describes as pretty chilled guys.' They play on-screen lovers in the historical film, Mary Queen Of Scots. And Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden have reportedly struck up a romance after falling for another on set, with others working on the movie said to have had no idea they were together until a screening of the movie in New York on Tuesday. The LadyBird actress, 24, and the 28-year-old actor put on a cosy display at the afterparty at Tavern on the Green, according to Page Six. It must be love: Saoirse Ronan and Jack Lowden have reportedly struck up a romance after falling for another on set of their film Mary Queen Of Scots A source told the publication: 'We don't know when they got together, we only found out on Tuesday night when they rolled up together -but they seem very happy and sweet.' 'Jack was following her all over. He even followed her to the bathroom and was waiting outside for her. They were very close.' The pair were joined at the bash by Saoirse's mother Monica, but the group had to cut short their celebrations as the actress had to fly back to the set of Little Women. Chemistry: They play on-screen lovers in the historical film, with Saoirse starring as the eponymous character Secret: Their co-stars were said to have had no idea they were together until the premiere in New York on Tuesday pictured with [L-R] Ismael Cruz Cordova, Margot Robbie, Josie Rourke Loved-up: A source told the publication: 'We don't know when they got together, we only found out on Tuesday night when they rolled up together -but they seem very happy and sweet.' MailOnline has contacted Saoirse's and Jack's representatives for comment. Before they started shooting the film, Jack said he was excited to work with the 'Brooklyn' actress. He gushed: 'She's lovely. I can't wait for that it's going to be fun.' Saoirse was previously believed to be dating the Dunkirk actor's brother Calum, a ballet dancer, after they met at the BAFTAs earlier this year, but she has been increasingly spotted with Jack in recent months, including on a vacation to the Dominican Republic. Linked: Saoirse was previously believed to be dating the Dunkirk actor's brother Calum, a ballet dancer, after they met at the BAFTAs earlier this year The Lovely Bones actress has previously admitted she isn't very good at dating because she doesn't know what to do. She said: 'I don't know how to date ... I don't date, I'm not into the whole, "Let's go out for dinner". Saoirse Ronan was gifted the role of Mary Queen Of Scots six years ago, aged 18. Directors came and went, but it wasnt until Josie Rourke was signed to direct the film that everything clicked into place. Leading lady: The talented actress was gifted the role of Mary Queen Of Scots six years ago, aged 18 I didnt have the measure of Mary when I was 18, Ronan told the MailOnline. By the time we were filming, Id grown up enough to understand Marys strengths, doubts and fears. The film stars Saoirse as the eponymous character and Margot Robbie as her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, and chronicles the 1569 conflict between their two countries. Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn, David Tennant, and Guy Pearce also star. The young actress gives an outstanding portrayal of a monarch whose reputation, according to Rourke, has been unfairly rubbished. She enjoyed a whirlwind romance with British actor Tom Hiddleston back in 2016, before splitting after less than three months together. And as Taylor Swift enjoyed a rare public outing with beau Joe Alwyn in New York City on Wednesday, she was served with a reminder of her fleeting past romance in the form of a lookalike team member. As the duo arrived at the 28-year-old Bad Blood hitmaker's apartment, they were ushered in by a minder who bore a striking resemblance to The Night Manager actor Tom, 37. Is that you Tom? As Taylor Swift enjoyed a rare public outing with beau Joe Alwyn in New York City on Wednesday, she was served with a reminder of ex Tom Hiddleston in the form of a lookalike team member With his coiffed golden locks and dapper dress sense, the bodyguard was the spitting image of English gent Tom, as he calmly escorted the couple in. Taylor didn't seem too bothered by the resemblance as she made a chic entrance into her home, clad in a gun-metal grey coat, worn over a black sequin studded dress. She layered up in the Big Apple chill with a pair of black tights and added height to her statuesque frame with a pair of leather ankle boots. The Favourite actor, Joe, 27, looked sharp in a black belted coat with with matching trousers and shoes. Happier times: She enjoyed a whirlwind romance with British actor Tom back in 2016, before splitting after less than three months together (pictured in LA in July 2016) Uncanny: With his coiffed golden locks and dapper dress sense, the bodyguard was the spitting image of English gent Tom, as he calmly escorted the couple in The pair have been dating since May 2017, although have only been spotted together a handful of times. This was in stark contrast to Taylor's short-lived fling with Tom, with the pair not shying away from showing off their romance with lots of public outings. The couple got together shortly after Taylor's split from Calvin Harris after first meeting at the Met Gala in May 2016 , and during the first few weeks of their romance they travelled around the world together. They even took the huge step of meeting one another's parents, with Taylor jetting to the UK to spend time with Tom's mother in Suffolk, while he went to her adopted home town of Nashville. Home time: Taylor didn't seem too bothered by the resemblance as she made a chic entrance into her home, clad in a gun-metal grey coat, worn over a black sequin studded dress Taylor and Tom also spent time in Italy, Australia and across the US - memorably spending July 4 with friends in Rhode Island. There Tom was seen frolicking in the surf wearing a 'I (heart) T.S' tank top, with the pair also posing for a couple's photoshoot on a terrace with famous pals Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. In July, Tom insisted that their relationship wasn't a 'showmance' when talking toThe Hollywood Reporter. 'The truth is that Taylor Swift and I are together, and we're very happy,' he said. 'That's the truth. It's not a publicity stunt.' Former fling: The couple got together shortly after Taylor's split from Calvin Harris after first meeting at the Met Gala in May 2016 , and during the first few weeks of their romance they travelled around the world together (pictured in Suffolk in June 2016) Difference: In stark contrast to Joe and Taylor's private romance, the former couple weren't shy about packing on the PDA (pictured in Italy in 2016) Despite this outpouring of emotion, the couple called it quits in September amid claims that Taylor felt 'uncomfortable' with the actor's desire to be 'so public' about their romance. The short-lived relationship followed Taylor's split from Scottish DJ Calvin Harris in June 2016 after 15 months together. In September 2018, Joe spoke about his low-key yet blossoming romance with Taylor. 'I think we have been successfully very private and that has now sunk in for people but I really prefer to talk about work,' he told British Vogue in a new interview for the magazine's October issue. Anne Hegerty shocked fans on Thursday's edition of This Morning, as she was interviewed live from Australia after being evicted from the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! jungle. Weighing in on her thoughts about who could win the show and how she felt heavily depressed at some points, fans were more distracted by The Chase star's drastic weight loss. Giving her theory on it, Anne, 60, said: 'The trouble is really is that theres no salt... and about a week ago my digestive system just said, "Im sorry, Im not having anymore rice without beans" because it was just going straight through! Slimmed down: Anne Hegerty shocked fans on Thursday's edition of This Morning, as she was interviewed live from Australia after being evicted from the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! jungle [pictured R in January and L on Thursday] 'So since then Ive not had just rice on its own. Im sorry! It is what it is!' The camp mates are famously provided measly rations of rice and beans on the show, with the celebrities known to drop weight over the course of the three-week series. Fans watching took to Twitter to post: 'Would love to know how much weight she lost in there. Thank you for teaching the ignorant more about Autism Anne. I think you did amazingly!' Someone else typed: 'I like her, she's done so well and lost loads of weight too. Well done Anne!' Slimline Anne: Fans watching took to Twitter to post, 'Would love to know how much weight she lost in there. Thank you for teaching the ignorant more about Autism Anne. I think you did amazingly' Fasting: 'The trouble is really is that theres no salt... and about a week ago my digestive system just said, "Im sorry, Im not having anymore rice without beans" because it was just going straight through,' she explained 'Awh u can see Anne lost weight.. That's it I'm eating rice and beans from now on!' a third posted. Another posted: 'Can we talk about the clear visible weight loss on @anne_hegerty?' This years stars had reportedly already lost a staggering four stone after a week on basic rations. According to The Sun some of the camp mates were already seeing the results of the legendary 'jungle diet,' with Harry Redknapp and Nick Knowles among the biggest losers. Transformed: This year's stars have reportedly already lost a staggering four stone after a week on basic rations. Emily Atack eagerly celebrated her weight loss, as she gushed that she'll 'have a bit of room' when she returns to the UK to indulge over the festive season Rice is(n't) nice: The camp mates are famously provided measly rations of rice and beans on the show, with the celebrity's known to drop weight over the course of the three-week series What a difference three weeks makes: 'Im sort of getting to grips with it Ive been slowly easing myself back into social media! But my brother who met me when I came out of camp, he was telling me that social media has apparently gone bonkers, but bonkers in a good way,' Anne said Emily Atack eagerly celebrated her weight loss, as she gushed that she'll 'have a bit of room' when she returns to the UK to indulge over the festive season. The source said: 'We believe between them the campmates have lost around four stone. What the celebs are eating is very healthy, from veg to meat protein and fish and that is absorbed quickly by the body. 'The weight loss doesnt do any permanent damage, and most pile it back on within three weeks, especially in the build-up to Christmas. 'The celebs see it as a detox, although at the time its very difficult as they have nothing to distract from the hunger.' Debrief: Anne went on to tell This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes, 'I was technically expecting everything that happened, but I hadnt really properly imagined it to myself and when we went into Snake Rock I just got more and more depressed' As she was: While all camp mates have dropped weight, Anne's slimmer frame has shocked viewers Anne went on to tell This Morning hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes: 'I was technically expecting everything that happened, but I hadnt really properly imagined it to myself and when we went into Snake Rock I just got more and more depressed. 'I thought "Oh no, no, no, no, what was I thinking? I cant possibly handle this"... not just the hunger, just the sheer discomfort and how difficult and hard everything was how hard it was just to keep yourself clean. And I was kind of in shock for several days. 'What Ive been surprised by is how incredibly lovely and nice all my camp mates were, they were just superb. I couldnt possibly have coped without them. I would have walked out the first morning in Snake Rock! Day 1: Anne is pictured with Fleur East, the day they were driven off into the jungle On what shes learnt about herself since during the experience, Anne said: 'Ive learnt that Im far more of a wimp than I thought I was going to be! Im really utterly pathetic I thought I was just pathetic about spiders, but Im pathetic about any kind of wriggly invertebrate. If you drop mealworms into my bra then yes, Im going to go in complete meltdown' 'But they were just so extraordinarily supportive and kept saying, "Just give it a few more hours" and, "have a spoonful or rice and beans, youll feel better". [They] encouraged me along and to take one step at a time. They were utterly fantastic.' On speaking with production about her feelings, Anne confessed: 'Yes [along with camp mates] they said "take it easy", "let's just get through the next few hours", then "let's just get through the next day, have one more night in here and see how you feel"... and it gradually began to feel like something I could continue to do. 'And then when I got into main camp, everyone was just so lovely. John Barrowman came running up with his arms open, and Nick [Knowles] gave me a hug and then his pillow - which Id been sleeping on ever since and its filthy with wood smoke and everything! 'But I woke up in main camp on that Wednesday morning for the first timing thinking, "Now I can imagine staying here until I get voted off and imagine not walking off".' Glam: Anne [pictured in September] said, 'What Ive been surprised by is how incredibly lovely and nice all my camp mates were, they were just superb. I couldnt possibly have coped without them. I would have walked out the first morning in Snake Rock!' Anne expressed how she was only just finding out how much the public loved her in camp, nearly a day after leaving. She said: 'Im sort of getting to grips with it Ive been slowly easing myself back into social media! But my brother who met me when I came out of camp, he was telling me that social media has apparently gone bonkers, but bonkers in a good way.' When Phillip mentioned the boy, Joseph, who appeared on This Morning and wrote Anne a letter about how inspirational she is, Anne smiled, saying: 'My brother showed me the video clip! Its absolutely delightful and I want to write back to him.' When asked if she was disappointed to have left so close to the end, Anne replied: 'No I wanted to be voted off to put it brutally! I was having the most brilliant time, but what was brilliant about it was my camp mates and you know, I will see them again. I adore them all and were all going to keep in touch.' The Chase is on: Anne, 60, is known for her 'Miss Trunchbull-esque' quiz-master persona, The Governess and lasted 19 days on the endurance reality show She added: 'Am I glad I did it? Yes, I am. Im glad to have done it. Its been an extraordinary experience and a learning curve, but most importantly Ive made ten fantastic friends' When Rochelle asked what it was like to have a hot shower again, Anne smiled: 'A hot shower with my own toiletries. To be able to change into clean underwear and clean clothes - oh it was lovely! I was met by Rita [Simons] when I came out and the first thing she said was, "You smell!" So it was really nice to have a shower!' On what shes learnt about herself since during the experience, Anne said: 'Ive learnt that Im far more of a wimp than I thought I was going to be! Im really utterly pathetic I thought I was just pathetic about spiders, but Im pathetic about any kind of wriggly invertebrate. If you drop mealworms into my bra then yes, Im going to go in complete meltdown!' Being less tough on herself, she added: 'Ive learnt that either I can get along with people better than I thought I could or more probably it was an exceptionally nice year full of lovely people.' Champ: Being less tough on herself, she said, 'Ive learnt that either I can get along with people better than I thought I could or more probably it was an exceptionally nice year full of lovely people' When Phillip asked if this has softened The Chases The Governess, Anne said: 'Not as The Governess, no - The Governess will continue to be utterly brutal, but yeah, Anne Hegerty is a bit of a wimp and a bottler!' She added: 'Am I glad I did it? Yes, I am. Im glad to have done it. Its been an extraordinary experience and a learning curve, but most importantly Ive made ten fantastic friends.' On who she thinks will win, Anne replied: 'Id like to think Nick, because Nick is just the best. Its probably in practise going to be Harry! Harry is lovely to, hes just hilarious.' This Morning weekdays, 10.30AM on ITV. Katya Jones and choreographer husband Neil Jones will not feature the forthcoming Strictly Come Dancing tour, just one week after former contestant Seann Walsh was 'banned' from taking part. The professional dancers have been overlooked after Katyas drunken kiss with celebrity partner Walsh overshadowed the sixteenth series of the long-running show, which comes to an end in December. The moment, captured by an onlooker as they left a London pub, sparked a wave of criticism for married Jones and Walsh, who was at the time involved in a five-year relationship with actress Rebecca Humphries. Overlooked: Katya Jones and choreographer husband Neil Jones will not feature the forthcoming Strictly Come Dancing tour, just one week after former contestant Seann Walsh was banned from taking part The dance partnership was eliminated from the show three weeks after their kiss came to light, and neither party will now play a part in the UK wide tour usually a money-spinner for participating celebrities and dancers. The official line-up will see show favourites Stacey Dooley, Ashley Roberts, Dr. Ranj Singh, Lauren Steadman, Joe Sugg, Graeme Swann and Faye Tozer take part in the 19 date roadshow from January 18, 2019. The seven celebrities are to be paired with their respective dance partners from the current series - Aljaz Skorjanec, Pasha Kovalev, Janette Manrara, AJ Pritchard, Dianne Buswell, Karen Clifton and Giovanni Pernice. Starting in Birmingham, the forthcoming tour will take in shows across Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Glasgow and Nottingham before coming to an end with two shows in London between the 7th and 8th of February. Naughty: The professional dancers have been overlooked after Katyas drunken kiss with celebrity partner Walsh overshadowed the sixteenth series of the long-running show, which comes to an end in December Strictly bosses had previously been accused of having 'double standards' after 'banning' Walsh from the show's live tour. However, some fans - taking to Twitter one week before the line-up was officially confirmed - questioned why Katya was still potentially set to appear, claiming she too 'should be axed.' One questioned: '@bbcstrictly why has seann been banned from the tour, yet katya hasn't? #takestwo2tango #doublestandards.' While another wrote: 'I'm not a fan of Seann Walsh but why has he been dropped from the Strictly tour but Katya Jones hasnt? seems a tad unfair to me (sic). 'Surely she can't do it then either considering she was the one that was actually married. Shouldn't she be axed then?' It would appear they now have their wish. 'Double standards': Fans - taking to Twitter one week before the line-up was officially confirmed - questioned why Katya was still potentially set to appear on tour after Walsh was banned It's understood that Seann's controversial kiss with Katya cost him his place on the tour because the 'cheating' doesn't fit the 'family-friendly' brand of the BBC series. An insider told The Sun: 'The Strictly tour is a really wholesome, family-fun event. It's all about good, clean fun and we don't think a man who snogs married women in the street fits that image.' Walsh has since denied any wrongdoing after breaking his silence during a stand-up show at Londons Comedy Store. The comedian appeared to show no remorse as he revealed his relationship was 'coming to an end anyways' and he 'didn't think he had actually done anything wrong.' Awkward: Reports have claimed Seann has been 'banned' from Strictly's live tour after kissing married dancer Katya because 'cheating doesn't fit the show's clean image' Despite admitting he 'f****d up', he said: 'I will tell you this and we will stop talking about it. But look, I dont really need to explain myself but I will anyway. 'I was coming towards the end of my relationship, I was getting on with this girl. You spend a lot of time with your dance partner on the show and we went for a drink and one thing led to the other. 'Most of you have seen the result,' he continued before adding: 'I actually started to think to myself, "Hang on, have I actually done anything that wrong?"' No thanks: It is claimed Seann's controversial kiss with Katya has cost him his place on the tour because the 'cheater' doesn't fit the 'family-friendly' brand, according to The Sun After the kiss came to light, Walsh was publicly dumped by his ex-girlfriend online in a scathing statement in which she revealed she had left the star and took their beloved cat Winston. The controversial pictures of the kiss also tested Katya and Neil's marriage, but the pair have seemed keen to prove the scandal hadn't ruined their romance - with Neil choosing to remain silent on the scandal. The married couple were recently seen putting on an overly-loved-up display at the Macmillan's charity gala; yet insiders have suggested things aren't so rosy behind closed doors. A source told The Mirror: 'Things were clearly very awkward between them. They were avoiding each other whenever they were off-camera and Katya seemed like she was a completely different person when she wasn't with Neil. Controversial: The Strictly Come Dancing duo faced a huge backlash after the pair were spotted locking lips on a booze-fueled night out in London What's the truth? Married Katya and Neil put on an overly-loved-up display at the Macmillan's charity gala; yet insiders have suggested things aren't so rosy behind closed doors 'Katya was laughing and joking with all the other pros but whenever she was with Neil she was stone-faced. Neil also seemed reluctant to speak to his wife and was more interested in having fun with the rest of the crew.' The above was supposedly the case while the pair were shooting a dance routine for Strictly recently and it appears Katya's other half has reason to worry again, as she is set to reunite with Seann for the Strictly final. The pair are said to be dancing together once more for the finale in couple of weeks time, according to The Sun. A source told the publication: 'Neil will be gutted as when Seann was voted off the show, he was glad to see the back of him. 'Since he went, the atmosphere backstage has improved and Neil has been visibly happier Things are back on track in his marriage - so hell be gutted when Seann is back on set.' Looking good: Katya cut a trendy figure as she emerged in London Stylish: The star made a statement in racy thigh-high boots and leather shorts Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammad Hashim al-Ani in a Wednesday meeting with Irans Ambassador to Baghdad Iraj Masjedi expressed hope that Tehran and Baghdad would boost their trade and economic relations, reaffirming the Iraqi governments commitment to develop trade with Iran. Mohammad Hashim al-Ani, referred to the upcoming visit by Irans Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade Reza Rahmani to his country, voiced his eagerness to talk discuss development of bilateral relations in the economic, investment and trade fields. FARS News Agency reports in its article Iraq after Deeper Economic Ties with Iran that the Iraqi minister expressed hope that the two neighbors would boost their trades and economic relations. Referring to the US unilateral sanctions on Iran, the Iraqi official reiterated his respective governments support to the Islamic Republic, saying Iraq will not abandon Iran under pressure. asjedi, for his part, expressed gratitude toward Iraq for making every effort to deepen relations with Tehran, saying, the Iranian private sector is ready to broaden the scope of its activities and cooperation with Iraqi partners in different economic sectors. Earlier in mid-November, Advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Hossein Amir Abdollahian hailed efforts to reconstruct the Iran-Iraq relations after the fall of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, saying that the Islamic Republic managed the developments in the relations between Tehran and Baghdad, turning Iraq from an actual enemy to a strategic ally. The former deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs added that many attempts have been made to disrupt strong relations between Iran and Iraq, which were manifested during Arbaeen procession, when Iraqi people warmly welcomed Iranians. Referring to the visit of Iraq's President Barham Salih and his accompanying entourage to Iran, Amir-Abdollahian said "President Salih has a long-standing friendship with Iran and a great understanding of the nature of ties between the two countries; he has also been among the people who have always been successful in developing and consolidating relations between the two countries since the fall of Saddam Hussein." The most important message of the Iraqi President Barham Salih's vsit to Iran was that Iraqi government and people appreciate the support of the Islamic Republic of Iran in years, he noted. Touching upon the US war in Iraq, he said "Americans arrived in Iraq in 2003 with long-term plans, aiming to bring more than 170,000 military troops to the country and use vast energy and oil resources." "The Americans had come to stay in Iraq, not to leave the country, but the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran and our advice to Iraqi friends was to maintain the sweet taste of independence and free themselves from the tyrany of Americans," he added. Iran and Iraq enjoy very close ties in the post-Saddam era and early in September, Advisor to the Iranian Parliament Speaker Hossein Amir Abdollahian underlined that Tehran and Baghdad enjoy strategic relations, blaming foreign hands for the recent unrest and attack on Iran's consulate in Basra. There are clear traces of the complicity of foreign agents of the regions warmongers in the incident of arson attack on the consulate of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Basra, Amir Abdollahian wrote on his twitter page. In a related front, earlier in October, President Salih voiced his country's willingness to broaden bilateral relations with Iran in different fields, and said it is in Baghdad's best interests to have friendly and stable ties with Iran. "Iran is a neighboring country and our interest lies in having good and stable relations with Iran, Barham Salih told reporters during a visit to Kuwait. The Iraqi president pointed to age-old relations between Baghdad and Tehran, and said, "There are vast areas that the two countries can increase their cooperation." Iran is currently Iraq's top trade partner, with an annual turnover standing at about $12 billion. Foodstuff, livestock, construction materials and plastic products constitute the bulk of Irans exports to Iraq where Iranian vehicles and food items are a ubiquitous sight. Iran and Iraq have also been exchanging oil through a swap deal under which crude from the Kirkuk field in northern Iraq is shipped by truck to Iran, which uses it in its refineries and delivers the same amount of oil to Iraqs southern ports. Priyanka Chopra has landed on the January 2019 cover of Vogue. The cover image was finally released on Thursday morning after several inside images were given out days before. This comes just after she tied the knot in India with Nick Jonas in a lavish wedding that included elephants, horses, a sword and 250 guests. She did it: Priyanka Chopra has landed on the cover of Vogue. The cover image was finally released on Thursday morning after several inside images were given out days before The TV and movie actress looked stunning in a low-cut satin dress that made the most of her chest. The dress appeared to be belted with a wife leopard print belt. Her hair was pulled back and she had on deep red lipstick. The overall image seemed to be tinted gold. And the cover line was about finding 'the man of her dreams.' On Monday two new images of the power couple from the shoot by Annie Liebovitz were shared. The images evoked Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. Smoldering: In a new photos by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue magazine, Chopra and Nick Jonas evoke Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights Priyanka, 36, went barefoot in a simple off white gown with the straps sliding off her shoulders as she lay across her man's lap on a heath. In another photo, the couple cuddled up on their feet, with Priyanka tugging at the neckline of Nick's tee while he slipped a hand inside the back of her dress. They held their wedding functions at the sumptuous Umaid Bhawan palace in Jodhpur over the weekend, beginning on Friday with a Christian service officiated by Nick's pastor father Paul Jonas and ending Sunday with a Hindu ceremony. The couple arrived in New Delhi Monday for their Tuesday reception in the capital, where their guest list is rumored to include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Priyanka was wearing her choora - her ceremonial bangles - as well as her sindhoor, a streak of vermilion along the part in her hair indicating she is a married woman. Sensuous: In another photo, the couple cuddle up on their feet, with Priyanka tugging at the neckline of Nick's tee while he slips a hand inside the back of her dress Photos and videos have been steadily going public from their Vogue feature, including a clip of Nick serenading Priyanka with his 2016 song Close. In their joint Vogue profile, Nick recalls sliding into Priyanka's DMs in September 2016 to ask her out. She wrote: My team can read this. Why dont you just text me.' Their texts were 'friendly with an eye toward flirtation' for months until the next year's Vanity Fair Oscars party, where he says he was so overcome by the sight of her that he went down 'on one knee - this is in front of a bunch of people - and I say: "Youre real. Where have you been all my life?" Like, loud.' They met for a drink at Manhattan's swank Carlyle Hotel and she invited him up to her apartment - innocently, since her mother Madhu was there. International couple: They are the stars of Vogue's new January cover, and have been profiled about their romance in the iconic fashion magazine Still, she was slightly miffed that all she got out of him was a 'back pat,' though as Nick argued: 'Your mom was in the house! I thought it was a respectful first night.' Shortly thereafter, they walked the 2017 Met Gala for Ralph Lauren - the designer Priyanka wore for her Christian wedding Friday. After the 'back pat' date, a year elapsed before they finally wound up in each other's company again, with the occasion being the 2018 Met Gala this May. Their relationship from that point moved rapidly into a proposal this July on a trip to Crete that was ostensibly for Priyanka's birthday. The wedding look: Their wedding portrait landed on the cover of People magazine 'I got down on one knee, again, and I said: Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me? No joke - she took about 45 seconds. Forty-five seconds of silence,' Nick told Vogue, adding that he eventually told Priyanka: 'Im going to put this ring on your finger now unless you have any objections.' Nick shut down a Tiffany's to buy her ring, after which Priyanka had her bridal shower at the Blue Box Cafe at the flagship Tiffany & Co. on New York's Fifth Avenue. The couple's Christian nuptials played host to an 18-foot cake made by personal chefs the groom brought over from Kuwait and Dubai, according to Filmfare. Out and about: Nick and Priyanka (wearing Cinq a Sept pants) are seen arriving at the Mumbai airport early on December 6 Busy newlyweds: Instead of a honeymoon they went to the Bumble launch party in New Delhi this week in New Delhi Priyanka and Nick's Hindu festivities reportedly featured a 40-foot floral canopy called a mandap, and the bride and groom took an elephant ride around the venue. Nick had a Baaraat - a procession in which the groom arrives at his wedding on a horse, surrounded by his dancing loved ones and a live band. According to the Bombay Times, Priyanka wore an outfit by the highly regarded designer Sabyasachi Mukherji, who was glimpsed arriving in Jodhpur on Friday. The Hindu marriage was sealed with a ceremony called Saath Phere, in which the bride and groom walk around a fire seven times to represent seven marital vows. After the Christian ceremony on Friday came a chockablock Saturday, with the Mehendi during the day followed by a Sangeet at night. Glamour: According to the Bollywood gossip site PinkVilla , Priyanka attended her Mehendi in a gown by the duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla Luxury: At the Mehendi, Nick's mother Denise Jonas presented her with a $79,500 pair of Van Cleef And Arpels Snowflake earrings, the Bombay Times claimed Typically held the day before the wedding, the Mehendi is when the bride, as well as female guests at the wedding, have henna tattoos applied to their hands. Priyanka attended her Mehendi and Sangeet in couture by the duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, acclaimed for their work in such Hindi movies as Devdas. At the Mehendi, Nick's mother Denise Jonas presented her with a $79,500 pair of Van Cleef And Arpels Snowflake earrings, the Bombay Times claimed. Hours later at the Sangeet, the bride danced to her own film songs before her movie star cousin Parineeti Chopra and some friends acted out the story of her life and relationship with her groom, according to a report in the Bombay Times. Having a ball: Hours later at the Sangeet, the bride danced to her own film songs before her movie star cousin Parineeti Chopra and some friends acted out the story of her life Spot Sophie Turner: Both sides of the family hit the stage for the dance numbers, as seen in Priyanka's Instagram album of the Sangeet The Sangeet attendees arrived to the sight of staff and Kalbeliya tribal dancers carrying torches and modeling the local dress of Rajasthan. Saturday's festivities concluded with a massive fireworks show outside Umaid Bhawan, which was captured on photo and video from a distance. Priyanka and Nick's functions happened to fall on the same weekend as the star-studded Bombay reception of Bollywood film star couple Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, who wore Sabyasachi to their wedding at Lake Como last month. The celebrities at Deepika and Ranveer's reception included Kareena Kapoor and her husband Saif Ali Khan, whose ancestral home is another formerly royal residence, the Pataudi Palace designed by British architect Robert Tor Russell. Family act: The bride and her mother Madhu Chopra danced into the sangeet to Ram Chahe Leela Chahe from the 2013 romantic tragedy Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela Glorious: Saturday's festivities concluded with a massive fireworks show outside Umaid Bhawan, which was captured on photo and video from a distance The famous guests at Priyanka's wedding functions include The Only Way Is Essex alumna Jasmin Walia, Armie Hammer's wife Elizabeth Chambers and the Ambanis. Nick's brothers Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas and Frankie Jonas were also in attendance, as was Joe's fiancee, Game Of Thrones star Sophie Turner. Though Priyanka has posted photos of the Mehendi and Sangeet to Instagram, the actual wedding photos have yet to publicly materialize. History: Built during the British Raj for the ruling family of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan's name means 'Umaid's Mansion,' a nod to Umaid Singh, the Maharajah of Jodhpur from 1918 to 1947 Jose Villa, whose credits include Tamera Mowry's nuptials and those of Instagram founder Kevin Systrom, snapped Priyanka's wedding pictures and revealed on his Insta Stories that they will appear in an unnamed magazine on an unspecified date. Built during the British Raj for the ruling family of the princely state of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawan's name means 'Umaid's Mansion,' a nod to Umaid Singh, who was Maharajah of Jodhpur from 1918 until his death two months before independence. Indian royalty was abolished under Indira Gandhi's government in the 1970s and the palace became a hotel, since when it has reportedly played host to Mick Jagger and been the site of a Sting concert. It joins several other Indian palaces in this respect, including the 18th century Lake Palace in Udaipur, now a fashionable spot for weddings and honeymoons. She's set to release her new fitness DVD, Fit As Ferne, just in time for the festive season on Christmas Eve. And Ferne McCann kept up with her busy schedule as she left London's ITV studios following her appearance on This Morning on Thursday. The former TOWIE star, 28, displayed her sartorial flair as she sported a green ribbed top, which slashed at her slender midsection. Busy bee: Ferne McCann kept up with her busy schedule as she left London's ITV studios following her appearance on This Morning on Thursday Adding a touch of glamour into her look, the TV personality was clad in a racy leather skater skirt, featuring a buckle belt. The reality star showcased her lean legs in sheer tights and boosted her height in a pair of stiletto boots. Ferne, who gave birth to daughter Sunday in September last year, styled her blonde tresses into loose waves and opted for heavy strokes of pink-toned make-up. Alongside Georgia Toffolo, the blonde is currently This Morning's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! showbiz correspondent. Working it! The former TOWIE star, 28, displayed her sartorial flair as she sported a green ribbed top, which slashed at her slender midsection Standing out: Adding a touch of glamour into her look, the TV personality was clad in a racy leather skater skirt, featuring a buckle belt The mother-of-one confirmed First Time Mum would be returning to ITVBe in an interview with OK! magazine in October. 'It will be back in the new year, which Im so excited about. Its still going to be the three part mini series,' she said. As well as her various reality show projects, Ferne also has a cosmetics range with Poundland, which has been a huge success since its release earlier this year. Standing tall: The reality star showcased her lean legs in sheer tights and boosted her height in a pair of stiletto boots Stunning: Ferne, who gave birth to daughter Sunday in September last year, styled her blonde tresses into loose waves and opted for heavy strokes of pink-toned make-up Ferne recently sparked romance rumours with Love Island millionaire Charlie Brake after they were spotted putting on a cosy display at the The Beauty Awards with OK! magazine. Insisting nothing has happened yet, she told the publication: 'There was definitely some flirting going on but I dont know whats going to happen in the future, or if well go on a date.' 'Hes very handsome and a nice guy', she added of the posh star, who recently split from his fellow Islander Ellie Brown. She was the picture of glamour as she attended the 2019 Pirelli Calendar launch gala at HangarBicocca in Milan earlier this week. And Gigi Hadid proved she's just as stunning dolled up to the nines as low-key as she jetted out of Malpensa Airport, Italy, on Thursday morning. The model, 23, looked effortlessly chic as she strutted through the terminal in a burnt orange wool coat, which ensured she kept warm for her flight home to the US. Low-key: Gigi Hadid proved she's just as stunning dolled up to the nines as low-key as she jetted out of Malpensa Airport, Italy, on Thursday morning Mixing comfort with her typical style sense, the blonde teamed her outerwear with snug grey joggers and a turtleneck jumper. The catwalk queen nailed sporty chic as she strolled along the airport in a pair of white hi-top trainers. Gigi swept her light tresses into a tousled bun to reveal her radiant make-up free complexion, tied in with trendy skinny Alain Mikli sunglasses. Natural beauty: The model, 23, looked effortlessly chic as she strutted through the terminal in a burnt orange wool coat, which ensured she kept warm for her flight home to the US Off she goes: Mixing comfort with her typical style sense, the blonde teamed her outerwear with snug grey joggers and a turtleneck jumper Walk this way: The catwalk queen nailed sporty chic as she strolled along the airport in a pair of white hi-top trainers Earlier that week, the half Dutch-half Palestinian model attended the launch of the 2019 Pirelli Calender, in which she stars in. Photographer Albert Watson explained that the 2019 calendar tells a photographic tale of the aspirations of four women and their determination to achieve their goals, each one pursuing her own dreams and passions. Gigi portrays a character who has recently separated from her partner, lives alone in a glass tower and has Alexander Wang as her only friend and confidant. Luxury: The star appeared to fly out in style as she lined up at Emirates' First Class Platinum entrance ahead of her flight Greetings: The older sister of fellow model Bella Hadid looked in great spirits as she greeted a pal with a hug Less is more: Gigi swept her light tresses into a tousled bun to reveal her radiant make-up free complexion, tied in with trendy skinny Alain Mikli sunglasses All about the details: The Los Angeles native injected glamour into her look with a patterned blue by Chanel He said: 'I think there's a degree of angst in these images. With Gigi Hadid's character, I wanted to convey the sense of a woman thinking about her future, but also showing her in a situation of loneliness. 'We see her thinking about where she is going to go in life, what she will be doing tomorrow. 'I wanted it to be much more minimalistic than the other women and settings I photographed.' Home sweet home: Gigi was seen arriving back at her New York apartment after her trans-Atlantic flight Ready to relax: The star looked pleased to be back home following her travels In 2016, Pierelli broke the mould with their calendar, famously shunning supermodels in favour of 'women of achievement,' and in its 2017 edition, Pirelli once again opted for a similar theme, celebrating 'natural beauty and femininity' by showcasing some of Hollywood's most glamorous and mature stars. 2018 saw the Italian tire company feature an all-black cast in its cult almanac for the first time since 1987, and now, the 2019 calendar tells a photographic tale of the aspirations of four women and their determination to achieve their goals, each one pursuing her own dreams and passions. The 2019 Pirelli 'Dreaming' Calendar, now in its forty-sixth edition, was shot by Albert Watson in April in Miami and New York. The outfit was typically chic as Susanna Reid made her latest exit from ITV studios on Thursday, but the presenter let herself down by accidentally forgetting to remove the stickers from her stiletto shoes. The 47-year old caught the eye in a snakeskin print dress while making her way out of the studio following another early start on behalf of daily breakfast show Good Morning Britain. With a cinched waistline, the knee-length emerald green outfit proved to be a stylish addition to Susannas bulging wardrobe, and she clearly approved of her latest look as she ventured outside. Looking good: The outfit was typically chic as Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid made her latest exit from ITV studios on Thursday However she was clearly oblivious to the price tags still attached to the bottoms off her glossy heels, an unintentional faux-pas but one that did not go unnoticed by sharp-eyed onlookers. Accentuating her features with deft touches of make-up, Susanna appeared fresh faced and cheerful during her latest appearance, and little wonder. The star has abstained from alcohol for an impressive two months as she attempts to lose weight after her doctor warned she was at the top end of the BMI. Awkward: However she was clearly oblivious to the price tags still attached to the bottoms off her glossy heels Susanna recently took to Twitter to reveal her new lifestyle is fun, insisting social events can still be enjoyable without alcohol. Celebrating her achievement while referencing co-host Piers Morgan's constant bantering, she wro: '100 days without a hangover! Believe me, you can still have fun without alcohol, despite what your co-workers might say.' In true Piers fashion, the ITV star poked fun at her alcohol-free lifestyle, as he responded: 'Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz' (sic). Striking: The presenter caught the eye in a snakeskin print dress while making her way out of the studio following another early start on behalf of daily breakfast show Good Morning Britain However the brunette, who is currently in a relationship with Crystal Palace boss Steve Parish, admitted she still misses 'letting my hair down' with alcohol. During a recent interview with the Is It Just Me? podcast, she said: 'When you cut alcohol out that is an easy couple of pounds. As you get older your memory is affected. I just thought "alcohol is not great for your memory."' She added: 'I really miss it. When you are in a big social group and the shots come out, I miss letting my hair down.' She's pleased: Accentuating her features with deft touches of make-up, Susanna appeared fresh faced and cheerful during her latest appearance, and little wonder - the star has abstained from alcohol for an impressive two months The presenter recently broke her silence on her romance with Crystal Palace chairman Parish, 53, revealing she is 'happy' to have developed a romantic relationship following a long-standing friendship with the businessman. Susanna first met Steve in New York while she was covering the American election for Good Morning Britain with co-host Piers. She separated from her journalist Dominic, 51, in 2014, after being with him since 1998, and following her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. Chip Gaines is the January cover star for Cowboys & Indians Magazine. The HGTV alum opened up to the outlet about the end of his massive hit show Fixer Upper, which co-starred his wife Joanna Gaines, and said that he felt 'caged.' Despite breaking the hearts of their enormous legion of fans, the couple decided to call it quits on their home improvement juggernaut at the height of its success. Fixer Upper: Chip Gaines gave a candid interview about feeling 'trapped' at the end of Fixer Upper in the January issue of Cowboys & Indians The subscription based magazine shared a sneak peek of Chip's cover on Instagram and described their sitdown with the Texan as a 'wide ranging interview.' 'TV was a funny thing for me,' Chip said in the interview. 'I'm an authentic, sincere person,' he went on to explain. 'So, as long as things are natural and organic, I'm in my element.' The series, which premiered in 2013 on HGTV to unprecedented success, came to a halt earlier this year. Moving on: Chip and wife Joanna starred in the hit HGTV series, which premiered in 2013 on to unprecedented success, and abruptly called it quits this year The renovation guru admitted that the first few years of the show were 'some of the best' in his life. 'But, the more staged something becomes, or the more required something becomes, it boxes me up,' Chip told Cowboys & Indians. He added, 'And I felt like toward the end of the Fixer Upper journey, I felt caged, trapped.' Fans were crestfallen when their favorite home improvement couple decided to take demo-day to the whole series in season five. 'Jo and I couldn't figure it out,' he said. Revealing: 'And I felt like toward the end of the Fixer Upper journey, I felt caged, trapped,' he said; seen in 2017 'I mean, why? You're getting to have all this fun, right? But it's like if I put a camera in your face and said, "Hey, say something funny." Or if I put a camera in your face and said, "Hey, be smart."' Chip said that he 'just struggled with that environment. Especially at the end of it.' Joanna, 40, and Chip massively expanded their Waco empire both in an out of Texas. The couple have created a shopping destination, a bakery, a bed and breakfast, a home goods line for Target and authored three books. Success! Recently the couple expanded their empire with a shopping destination, a bakery, a bed and breakfast in Waco, a home goods line for Target and authored three books Plus the duo share five children: newborn Crew who recently joined older siblings, Duke, 12, Drake, 13, Ella, 12, and Emmie, eight. 'The last two years, not that we don't look back on them fondly, but they were more of a job,' he explained in his cover story. 'So, something about breaking out of that has been liberating. Jo and I are both just kinda giddy, just like, "Man, what's the future look like and what's the next step?"' Wow: The couple, who welcomed a new child this year will also embark on their own network on with HGTV parent company Discovery He continued: 'Because we're both business people, and that's fundamentally who we are.' The pair will soon have their own television network. 'We're excited to share that we are currently in the early stages of talking with Discovery about a lifestyle-focused media network for Magnolia,' a Magnolia spokesperson recently told People. He has just bagged himself a Golden Globe nomination for his work in A Very English Scandal. And Hugh Grant, 58, couldn't resist making a very cheeky joke about his sex scene with his co-star with Ben Whishaw, as he celebrated his recognition for Best Actor on Thursday. The British actor, who took on the role of gay MP Jeremy Thorpe in the acclaimed BBC drama, tweeted: 'Very, very kind of the Hollywood Foreign Press. Am opening a jumbo jar of Vaseline in celebration.' Happy days: Hugh Grant, 58, made a VERY cheeky joke about his sex scene with his co-star with Ben Whishaw, as he celebrated his Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor on Thursday 'Jar of Vaseline': The British actor, who took on the role of gay MP Jeremy Thorpe in the acclaimed BBC drama A Very English Scandal, referenced the saucy scene The three-part drama tells the story of Liberal Party member Jeremy Thorpe, who fell from grace after he was put on trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder in connection to an attempted hit on his ex-lover, Norman Scott - played by Ben. And Hugh noted the love-making scene in particular, where his character suggests applying Vaseline as lubrication, as he celebrated the exciting recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press. Speaking of the racy scene a few months earlier, Hugh admitted that while his father Captain James Murrary Grant, 89, supported him with the venture - he wasn't too keen on seeing the scene. Plot: The three-part drama tells the story of Liberal Party member Jeremy Thorpe, who fell from grace after he was put on trial for conspiracy and incitement to murder in connection to an attempted hit on his ex-lover, Norman Scott - played by Ben Cheeky: Hugh noted the scene in particular, where his character suggests applying Vaseline as lubrication, as he celebrated the exciting recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press Hugh told the Edinburgh Television Festival: 'My father had been very supportive and I go to see him every Sunday night and that first Sunday night it was broadcast he said "isnt your poof film on tonight?" hes ex military, you see. 'And hes 89. And I said "yes, Dad" and he said we should watch it, I have got a television set upstairs and we should go up and dust it off and watch it. And we did. 'Hes very loyal, he said Im determined to support you always. And we got as far as the Vaseline and he said: "I really am quite tired, I might go to bed",' he revealed. Meanwhile, Jeremy, who was MP for North Devon from 1959 to 1979 and leader of the Liberal Party between 1967 and 1976, was later acquitted on all charges. 'I might go to bed': Hugh admitted that while his father Captain James Murrary Grant, 89, (L) supported him with the venture - he wasn't too keen on seeing the sex scene Despite his acquittal, the high-profile trial marked the end of his political career. He passed away in 2014, aged 85. In one scene for the show shot last autumn, Hugh was spotted popping open a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne on set with co-star Patricia Hodge. The Miranda actress plays Thorpe's mother, Ursula, in the three-part programme. The series also features Monica Dolan, Jason Watkins and Adrian Scarborough and is written by former Doctor Who writer Russell T. Davies. Acclaimed: A Very English Scandal is poised to enjoy international success with Amazon already snapping up the rights to air the drama in the US A Very English Scandal is poised to enjoy international success with Amazon already snapping up the rights to air the drama in the US. Hugh is making a huge comeback to the small screen since he starred in comedy television series The Nanny in 1996. The actor is best known for his stellar acting career in major Hollywood movies from Bridget Jones Diary to Notting Hill. He first gained experience in television throughout the 1980s on shows including The Detective and Jenny's War. She sent fans into overdrive with her All I Want For Christmas You Is Tour last year. And bringing it back to Europe for the 2018 festive season, Mariah Carey exuded glamour as she touched down in Paris with her twin children Moroccan and Monroe. The singing sensation, 48, looked sensational in chic shades while pictured with her brood arriving to the Plaza Athenee hotel on Thursday. All eyes on her: Mariah Carey exuded glamour as she stepped out in Paris with her twin children Moroccan and Monroe, seven, on Wednesday Mariah cut a stylish figure in an all-black ensemble that paired together dark jeans and a complementing tee underneath a statement furry jacket. The star's statement outerwear cinched in at the waist and featured leather strap detailing and made sure to add a glamorous touch to Mariah's outfit choice, with the beauty standing tall in a pair of stiletto leather boots. She wore her lightened locks in a sleek braid styled to one side and accessorised her getup with huge gold hoop earrings and over-sized shades. Mariah was accompanied by her seven-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe, whom she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon. Show-stopper: The singing sensation, 48, commanded attention as she arrived at her hotel with her brood in a statement furry coat and chic shades They were clad in Ugg-style boots and quilted jackets as they battled the chillier temperatures in France's capital, with Monroe seen clutching onto her famous mother's hand as they exited their plush tour bus. Speaking about motherhood earlier this year, Mariah, who insists she is a 'hands-on mum', revealed she loves watching her son and daughter grow up. She told People magazine: 'It's just a great time to see them and watch them as evolve as people.' Sharing an insight into family life, the vocal talent revealed that the twins are starting to embark on chores, as she claimed: 'They're learning to do things for themselves a little more. Delight! Mariah cut a stylish figure in an all-black ensemble that paired together dark jeans and a complementing tee underneath her glamorous outerwear Mother-of-two: Mariah was accompanied by her seven-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe, whom she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon Keeping warm: The youngsters were clad in Ugg-style boots and quilted jackets as they battled the chillier temperatures in France's capital 'They have nannies and people who help them, so of course they can start to think that's normal, but it's not - they need to learn how to do things for themselves. 'The other day Rocky [Moroccan] gave me a piece of paper that had "My Chores List" and all the things he had done. Then he was like, "You know, we need some money for that!"' Mariah and Nick welcomed their twins in 2011 - three years after they married in the Bahamas. Sweet: Mariah's daughter Monroe was seen clutching onto her famous mother's hand Proud mum: Speaking about motherhood earlier this year, Mariah, who insists she is a 'hands-on mum', revealed she loves watching her son and daughter grow up Parenting duties: She told People magazine: 'It's just a great time to see them and watch them as evolve as people' Rapper Nick initially met Mariah on the set of her music video for track Bye Bye and were together for six years, before they announced their separation in 2014 and their divorce was subsequently finalised two years later. She went on to date Australian billionaire James Packer and the pair were engaged for 10-months before splitting. Mariah is now in a relationship with dancer Bryan Tanaka, 35 - the duo originally met over 10 years ago in 2006 when he was a backup dancer during her Adventures of Mimi Tour. Preparing to hit the stage: Mariah is set to perform in Paris at the AccorHotels Arena on Friday night, before heading to London to bring her festive show to London's 02 on December 11 Busy: She is in the midst of a residency at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas with her The Butterfly Returns show and is currently embarking on her All I Want For Christmas Is You across Europe She is in the midst of a residency at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas with her The Butterfly Returns show and is currently embarking on her All I Want For Christmas Is You across Europe. Mariah is set to perform in Paris at the AccorHotels Arena on Friday night, before heading to London to bring her festive show to London's 02 on December 11, before performing in Leeds and Nottingham. The diva remains the best-selling female artist of all time with more than 200 million albums sold to date and eighteen US Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles, more than any solo artist in history. The superstar is synonymous with Christmas thanks to her #1 timeless classic, All I Want For Christmas Is You. The holiday smash hit, which she wrote and produced early in her career, is the annual bestselling holiday single, hitting #1 on Billboard's Holiday Digital Songs, Holiday Hot 100 and Holiday Streaming Songs charts. Mariah's holiday opus, Merry Christmas is the perennial bestselling global holiday album, having sold over 14 million copies worldwide to date. The new poster from the Shazam! movie was released on Thursday. In the colorful image Zachary Levi is seen making a bubble with his pink bubble gum as he holds onto his cell phone while leaning against a wall. The tag line is, 'Just say the word.' Shazam! is scheduled to hit theaters on April 5, 2019. NEW! The new poster from the Shazam! movie was released on Thursday. In the colorful image Zachary Levi is seen making a bubble with his pink bubble gum as he holds onto his cell phone while leaning against a wall. The tag line is, 'Just say the word' The 38-year-old actor is the star of the upcoming DC Comics film directed by David F. Sandberg. The synopsis reads: 'Billy Batson is a streetwise 14-year-old who can magically transform into the adult superhero Shazam simply by shouting out one word. 'His newfound powers soon get put to the test when he squares off against the evil Dr. Thaddeus Sivana.' Shazam! also features Mark Strong, Jack Dylan Grazer, Grace Fulton, Ian Chen, Jovan Armand, Faithe Herman, Cooper Andrews, Marta Milans and Djimon Hounsou as supporting characters. Film set: Here is a look at part of the trailer for the film which is due out in April It will be the first film version of the character since the 1941 serial Adventures of Captain Marvel (the character's original name) and will be the first full-length feature film centered around the character. Levi is best known for his voice work as dashing thief Flynn Rider with Mandy Moore on the 2010 hit Disney movie Tangled. They sang the duet I See The Light for the film. He has returned to voice Rider again in a Disney Channel television series based on the film in 2017. She's become an international star thanks to her incredibly chic fashion sense. And Victoria Beckham was once again putting on a stylish display on Thursday, as she took to social media to share a snap of her sartorial red dress and matching jacket. The 42-year-old fashion designer gushed about her wardrobe choice in the snap as she rocked the smart pillarbox red midi dress with a matching jacket draped over her shoulders. On point: Victoria Beckham was once again putting on a stylish display on Thursday, as she took to social media to share a snap of her sartorial red dress and matching jacket In the snap, Victoria told fans about her incredibly daring fashion choice as she teamed the red ensemble with lilac heels, pulling her brunette tresses into a sleek updo. She wrote in the caption: 'Wrong in a good way loving my lilac show!!' followed by a message to fans as to where they could purchase the footwear. While she separately added: 'When I heard about @Sothebys plans for The Female Triumphant, I knew immediately I wanted to partner with them again! These masterworks were created by strong, powerful women, in the same way that I'm hoping to empower women through my collections. 'I'm so excited top have the chance to offer this incredible and unique opportunity for people to view the works in #VBDoverSt, my flagship store. The exhibition will be on show from today 6th of December until Sunday 9th of December. Details: The 42-year-old fashion designer gushed about her wardrobe choice in the snap as she rocked the smart pillarbox red midi dress with a matching jacket draped over her shoulders Double act: It comes after Victoria was seen parting up a storm with her younger siblings, Louise and Christian Adams, at the Haig Club House Party 'Be sure to visit 36 Dover Street, London this week to view these pieces in person! Wearing my #VBPreSS19 red midi dress and lilac Eva pump. X VB #VBxOMP #SothebysMasters.' Victoria has never been shy of promoting her array of fashionable looks on social media, having become a fashion designing magnate with her own high-end line. It comes after Victoria was seen parting up a storm with her younger siblings, Louise and Christian Adams, at the Haig Club House Party held at Laylow members' club in London's Notting Hill on Monday night. Stepping out to support her husband, David, the mother-of-four cosied up to her sister, 42, and her brother, who is rarely seen in public, in sweet snaps posted to her Instagram stories. Sharing a sweet picture with Louise, Victoria wrote: 'Kisses to a very special person, I love u so much @louiseadams xxx fun night out! x,' while adding: 'Fun night! Love u @christianadams_79' along with a selfie of her and Christian. Looking sensational in her casually chic ensemble, the fashion designer paired together a sheer turtle-neck blouse, that teased a look at her black lingerie underneath. Victoria wore her brunette locks pinned back and left the front sections of her mane down to softly frame her face. Siblings: Stepping out to support her husband, David, the fashion designer, 44, also cosied up to her brother Christian, who is rarely seen out in public Dressing to impress, Louise looked equally stylish in an all-black ensemble and nude court heels, while Christian sported a formal blue shirt. Adding some glitz to her ensemble, Louise sported a silver necklace that included a large 'L' initial pendant around her neck and finished off her look with glamorous make-up. The siblings turned out to support Victoria's husband of nearly 20 years, David, who was being paid to party as he is a brand ambassador for whiskey company Haig Club. Family affair: The siblings turned out to support Victoria's husband of nearly 20 years David, who was being paid to party as he is a brand ambassador for whiskey company Haig Club Earlier this year it was revealed that Louise had to close down her Hertfordshire clothing store Hidden Closet as she is 'too busy with her four children' and struggled to find a third party to take over running the shop. Louise followed in her pop star-turned-designer sister's fashion footsteps when she launched the store in Hoddesdon in November 2016, with items in the shop starting at just a few pounds and ranging up to around 60. An insider told MailOnline: 'They are closing it down as her and friend that she opened it with are too busy with their kids . 'They tried out a couple of people to run it on their behalf but as I understand that didnt work out'. Kylie Jenner looked stunning in new images for Adidas that were shared on Thursday. The Kylie Cosmetics mogul wore track clothes as she got out of a luxury car and also sat down on a floor. The photos have been released just as the 21-year-old siren broke her silence on the photo hoax that showed an image of a man who looked just like her beau Travis Scott with a sexy woman. Top style: Kylie Jenner looked stunning in new images for Adidas that were shared on Thursday Luxury car lover: Here the reality TV staple was seen getting out of what looked to be a pink car The image went vital but was a hoax. On Wednesday, YouTuber Christian Adam - a 20-year-old who lives in the Bahamas - admitted that he was behind a mysterious blurry photo that surfaced on social media Monday. On Wednesday the daughter of Kris Jenner took to Instagram stories to express her concern for such a mean spirited move. 'Idk if this is really a social experiment to some people but you're messing with real people, real relationships, real family,' she said in a post. Red-y to go! And then she was seen in a matching track suit with black-and-white shoes Blonde lady: The pinup wore her very blonde locks in a sleek ponytail Hood up for a checkup: She sat in her car as if she was having issues with the automobile Then she quickly deleted it. The message also said, 'I'm happy my relationship is strong because this is getting out of hand. The internet scares me sometimes for real.' Her sisters Kim and Khloe Kardashian said they were disgusted with the prank. 'I hate that I am bringing attention to this but this is absolutely disgusting that you would find this funny to mess with Travis & Kylie who just started a family together,' Kim, 38, tweeted Wednesday. Brakes on: The photos have been released just as the 21-year-old siren broke her silence on the photo hoax that showed an image of a man who looked just like her beau Travis Scott with a sexy woman Together they have daughter Stormi. 'This is really damaging to relationships, families and is just so wrong!' the mother-of-three said. Khloe, 34, added, 'People are absolutely disgusting! The mind games this would do to somebody That is so completely not OK! This person should be so ashamed of themselves! What filth.' Get a job! The image went vital but was a hoax. On Wednesday, YouTuber Christian Adam - a 20-year-old who lives in the Bahamas - admitted that he was behind a mysterious blurry photo that surfaced on social media Monday On Monday, Scott, 26, wrote on his Instagram Stories, 'Trolls always wanna create some fake s*** to destroy real love. GOING OVER BOARD TO MAKE S*** LOOK LIKE IS NOT IS EVIL.' 'I hate acknowledging s***. But quit try to take joy from s*** that's good. I pray god blocks out all evil,' Scott continued. Scott, added, 'Shaking my f***ing head.' Her move: On Wednesday the daughter of Kris Jenner took to Instagram stories to express her concern for such a mean spirited move. 'Idk if this is really a social experiment to some people but you're messing with real people, real relationships, real family,' she said in a post He got mad: On Monday, Scott, 26, wrote on his Instagram Stories, 'Trolls always wanna create some fake s*** to destroy real love. GOING OVER BOARD TO MAKE S*** LOOK LIKE IS NOT IS EVIL.' Seen with Kylie on November 28 Adam had to admit that the photo was staged. 'That photo that you see of Travis Scott allegedly cheating on his significant other Kylie Jenner was completely staged,' Adam said. 'The goal of this video is not to hurt anybody's relationship, but it's to see how gullible is the internet.' Don't mess with Kim! Kim was not pleased: 'I hate that I am bringing attention to this but this is absolutely disgusting that you would find this funny to mess with Travis & Kylie who just started a family together,' Kim, 38, tweeted Wednesday The video included the disclaimer, 'This video was NOT made to intentionally hurt Travis Scott, Kylie Jenner or the entire Kardashian family in ANY way shape or form.' Adam seems intent on stirring the pot and making his fame last. 'Let me ask this: Are the Kardashians really mad at me? Or, mad at the HUGE media outlets for picking up a story and running with it saying its Travis Scott?' the YouTuber said in an interview Thursday with InTouch. And proving he was more interested in defending himself that acknowledging the hurt he caused he said, 'When I created that video I made it with a message. I stand by that. When I took that photo and put it out there, I NEVER once said it was Travis Scott. The picture was originally posted with NO caption. The world spun it and said it was him. Thereproving my point. Dear world, stop believing everything you see online. Khloe took out her claws: Khloe, 34, added, 'People are absolutely disgusting! The mind games this would do to somebody That is so completely not OK! This person should be so ashamed of themselves! What filth' French President Emmanuel Macron offered the hope that he would transform his countrys politics in two fundamental ways. His sweeping election victory last year seemed to offer a centrist answer to the populist movements of the far left and right that threaten to tear France apart. And once in office, he vowed not to repeat the performance of past presidents who backed away from badly needed economic reforms in the face of strikes and street protests. The Washington Post reports in its article Frances yellow vests protests could weaken one of Europes few internationalist leaders that by Tuesday, those achievements seemed almost out of reach. A diffuse movement of protesters, organized on the Internet and without clear leadership, had shaken France with three weekends of demonstrations and Mr. Macron, whose approval rating has fallen below 30 percent, announced a retreat from one of his reforms, a rise in fuel taxes. The extremist leaders whom Mr. Macron defeated 19 months ago were racing to exploit the popular anger. And a European state that seemed to offer a counterpoint to the turn toward nationalism in much of the democratic West was looking as fragile and conflicted as many of its neighbors. Mr. Macron had previously ridden out more conventional strikes and protests against tough reform measures, including changes in labor laws. But his government appeared flummoxed and unnerved by the yellow vests movement, named for the distinctive safety garb the protesters wear. The protests center of gravity was in the countryside, where drivers were infuriated by a tax increase that added the equivalent of about 30 cents to an already high price of more than $6 per gallon of diesel fuel. But the past three weekends saw large and increasingly violent demonstrations in Paris and other cities, leading to hundreds of arrests and injuries. The president may have felt he had no choice but to offer a concession: The government said the fuel increases would be suspended for six months. But that seemed unlikely to demobilize the yellow vests, some of whom say they are seeking to force Mr. Macron from office. That, too, is improbable; the presidents term extends to 2022, and there is no constitutional mechanism for removing him from office. What does seem likely, unfortunately, is the weakening of one of the relatively few European leaders still standing firmly behind internationalist principles. Mr. Macron has been a leading voice for measures to control climate change and has tried to defend multilateralism from the assaults of President Trump. The danger is not just that Mr. Macrons efforts to revitalize Frances economy and political system will stall; it is also that his failure will open the door to disastrous alternatives, such as the quasi-fascist Marine Le Pen or the far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon, who between them captured about 40 percent of the first-round votes for president. Mr. Macron must find ways to address a central problem that Western democracies now face: the bitter disenchantment of those who feel left behind by rapid technological change and economic dislocation. While theres no clear road map, retreating from needed reforms is not the solution. She has a huge weekend ahead of her. And Sylvia Jeffreys already looked exhausted as she jetted out of Los Angeles to Mexico on Thursday to attend her brother-in-law Karl Stefanovic's wedding to Jasmine Yarbrough. The Today show newsreader and her husband and Karl's brother, Peter, flew to Cabo with Karl's youngest son River, 12, who the Channel Nine TV host shares with his ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn. Exhausted already, Sylvia? Karl Stefanovic's brother Peter and sister-in-law looked tired as they jetted out of LA for Today show host's Cabo wedding with his son River, 12, on Thursday As they prepared to catch a connecting flight, the couple looked weary after flying from Australia. Sylvia cut a casual figure for her flight in jeans, a white T-shirt and a black blazer, going makeup free for the long-haul travel. Peter was also low-key in a red checkered shirt as he dutifully held River's Harry Potter bag. Long-haul: As they prepared to catch a connecting flight, the couple looked weary after flying from Australia Feeling sleepy? At one point Sylvia rested her head on her husband's shoulder as they waited in line to board their flight Doting uncle: Peter was also low-key in a red checkered shirt as he dutifully held River's Harry Potter bag At one point Sylvia rested her head on her husband's shoulder as they waited in line to board their flight. The pair are joining the likes of Richard Wilkins, his son Christian Wilkins, Karl's best friend Steve Marshall and his manager Sharon Finnigan at the wedding. Karl, 44, and shoe designer Jasmine, 34, will tie the knot at the luxurious One&Only Palmilla resort this weekend. Not long now! Karl, 44, and shoe designer Jasmine, 34, will tie the knot at the luxurious One&Only Palmilla resort this weekend The wedding will be a three-day affair, with the couple - who are already legally married in Australia - sparing no expense. It is believed they have booked two villas, one which costs approximately $11,600 per night, and another priced at around $15,000 per night. In February this year, Karl confirmed he proposed to Jasmine. He split with ex-wife Cassandra in 2016 after 21 years of marriage. They share custody of three children: Jackson, River and Ava. She has been wowing with her red carpet looks at the Marrakech International Film Festival. But making sure to fit in some sightseeing during her trip to the Moroccan city, Blanca Blanco cut a glamorous figure while enjoying an outing to a local souk. Soaking up the country's culture, the actress, 37, stunned in a chic red satin dress and silk cream scarf she wrapped around her head and neck. Soaking up the culture: Blanca Blanco cut a glamorous figure while enjoying an outing to a local souk, as she embarked on a spot of sightseeing during her trip to Marrakech Experiencing the vibrant markets Marrakech has to offer, Blanca was seen perusing through the many stalls on offer, posing up a storm as she did so. The beauty wowed in a stylish pillar-box red dress that comprised of multiple sheer layers and fell down to her feet. She paired her frock with nude court heels and wore her brunette locks pinned back loosely from her face. Blanca covered up with a delicately patterned scarf and accessorised her ensemble with statement earrings. The actress, 37, stunned in a chic red satin dress and silk cream scarf she wrapped around her head and neck, as she embraced the local culture Beauty: Blanca covered up with a delicately patterned scarf and accessorised her ensemble with statement earrings She favoured a minimal make-up look for her outing, that enhanced her natural features and came complete with bronzed cheekbones and a tinted pink lip. Blanca posed with a bent leg as she stopped by a lantern stall, full of intricately designed ornaments, as well as climbing onto a scooter for one more fun-filled shot. She is currently in Marrakech to attend the International Film Festival hosted in the city - appearing at the event overseas just weeks after losing her home in the Californian wildfires. Despite the heartache of losing her home, Blanca has appeared in high spirits. Her Malibu home was lost in the Woolsey Fire that hit California - destroying most of her possessions. The star managed to save a few things, including her college diploma, some painting and a director-style chair with her name on the back. Blanca was allowed to return home for the first time a couple of weeks ago and speaking to DailyMail.com shared her frustration of not being allowed to enter the premises even though there were looters everywhere. Fun-filled outing: Experiencing the vibrant markets Marrakech has to offer, Blanca was seen perusing through the many stalls on offer, posing up a storm as she did so Prior to re-gaining entry to her home, Blanca said: 'We are hoping to be allowed back to Malibu so we can see our place and get closure. I have some hope maybe I show up and some family pictures aren't burnt.' She added that looters have been ' an issue' in her neighbourhood, adding: 'Insurance mentioned we got hit hard in our neighborhood and they are talking rebuilding too - that is hard to digest.' Blanca, who's been with actor John Savage, 69, since 2008, recalled how she had just minutes to pack up before fleeing the fire. She had to wake John who was sleeping and managed to save the couple's pet rabbit, Star, before reaching safety. She revealed that she is now thinking of moving away from Malibu after feeling 'trapped' and 'claustrophobic' while trying to escape the fire. 'I'm not sure I want to live in Malibu again. We are considering living in Beverly Hills or Brentwood,' she claimed. Smile! The star, who is in Marrakech for the International Film Festival, was seen climbing onto a scooter for one more fun-filled shot during her trip 'John and I have moved to three hotels since Malibu. It's stressful but lots of hotels do not have long stay since many evacuees are renting. Hotels are increasing [their] prices since [the] fires so that is a shame.' Blanca continued: 'For me, I have been having a hard time sleeping and having nightmares. Finally in the last two days I slept four hours straight. Stress level is high but I work everyday on reminding myself how lucky I am to be alive and John too and our bunny.' 'I am aware I can be happy or sad during this situation but I choose happy. Being optimistic will help me get through these stages,' she insisted. 'I want to focus on the solution rather than the problem. It is okay to rebuild [our] life. We all do it since life is not linear. 'John is in good spirits too. His positive attitude is motivating. His stress level is high but every day he works on himself too to maintain calm and being proactive.' Blanca added: 'We are both going to be looking for more work. We are not taking time off from this, we will continue with our schedule as planned and of course with self care being our priority.' They had a bitter falling out after she claimed he 'duped' her into appearing on his Showtime series Who Is America? But Sacha Baron Cohen has invited Sarah Palin to be his guest to the Golden Globes on January 6, after he was nominated for Best Actor In A TV Series, Comedy. Thanking the Hollywood Foreign Press for his nomination, he added the cheeky invite, to the former Vice President hopeful, who has previously labelled him 'sick' and 'evil'. Sacha Baron Cohen invites Sarah Palin to be his date to the Golden Globes... after she called him 'sick' and 'evil' for nominated show Who Is America? Ready for Hollywood? 'Ms Palin, despite being cut from the show, I hope you will accept my invitation to be my date for the ceremony,' said Cohen, in a statement 'Ms Palin, despite being cut from the show, I hope you will accept my invitation to be my date for the ceremony,' said Baron Cohen, in a statement given to Deadline. He added: 'I appreciate the Hollywood Foreign Press for recognizing me, which luckily is something that none of the guests on the show did. This is such a special honour for me as the HFPA are always among the first to really appreciate my ever evolving humour. 'I am humbled to be recognised among such a wonderful group of nominees, all of whom I admire. This show was a labour of love for over two years. It is a shame they overlooked the amazing performances by the rest of the cast, particularly Dick Cheney and Roy Moore.' Baron Cohen was a surprise nominee for his provocative network show which embarrassed U.S. politicians by duping them with a fake persona played by the comedian. Palin's segment was cut after the former Alaska governor accused Baron Cohen of 'heavily disguising himself' as a disabled U.S. veteran in a wheelchair. Palin called Baron Cohen 'sick' and 'evil,' on GMA as she revealed how she eventually stormed out of the interview when he claimed Chelsea Clinton had undergone a 'government funded sex change.' 'It just got worse and worse and worse as the minutes went on in this bizarre, really embarrassing, humiliating interview,' said Palin of her sit-down with Baron Cohen last November. 'It mocked middle class Americans. It mocked our values. It mocked the disabled and it just got worse and worse.' Controversial: Baron Cohen was a surprise nominee for his provocative network show which embarrassed U.S. politicians by duping them with a fake persona played by the comedian Cut: The former Alaska governor accused Baron Cohen of 'heavily disguising himself' as a disabled U.S. veteran in a wheelchair, in character as Billy Wayne Ruddick Showtime released a statement in response to Palin's claims. In it the network pointed out that Baron Cohen in character as Dr Ruddick never stated he was disabled, and instead had admitted he 'used a mobility scooter to conserve his energy.' They added: 'Baron Cohen never presented himself as a veteran of the U.S. military to former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin during the booking process or during the filming of her interview, and contrary to her claims he did not appear in a wheelchair. 'In both the interview with Governor Palin and the interview with Senator Sanders, he did not wear military apparel of any kind.' Ready to party: Baron Cohen, who disguises himself for his interviews But Palin hit back, saying: 'In Sacha Baron Cohen's letter to me last week he *admits* he identified himself as having served, wrote Palin. 'He sat in an electronic wheelchair during the interview.' She went on to state: 'I'd offer to any members of the media inquiring to contact his production team - however they all lied about their names, their backgrounds and their contact information. This same team separated me from my daughter and my phone for this "interview".' Palin closed out by writing: 'And to Sacha - suck it up, cupcake. If you are gonna dish it out, better learn to take it.' Their co-stars Dani Dyer and Jack Fincham have parted ways after six months of dating - much to everyone's shock. And the Love Island girls were blissfully unaware of the news, partying the night away at the Boohoo Celebrity Christmas Night Out, hosted at Menagerie Restaurant in Manchester on Wednesday. Ellie Brown and Kendall Rae Knight were leading the glamour at the event, cosying up together in sexy silver dresses. Stunning in silver: Love Island's Kendall Rae Knight and Ellie Brown were partying the night away at the Boohoo Celebrity Christmas Night Out, hosted at Menagerie Restaurant in Manchester on Wednesday Stepping out in style: The Newcastle born beauty looked chic in a metallic dress and a white shaggy coat Ellie showed off her petite figure and ample cleavage in a glittering minidress with a plunging neckline. She stuck to the metallic theme with a pair of strappy heels and a pair of dangly earrings. Kendall was also looking her best, showing off her long legs in a thigh-skimming sparkling dress. Girls' night out: The stars were putting on a glamorous display as they hit the town together Glittering display: Ellie showed off her petite figure and ample cleavage in a glittering minidress with a plunging neckline, while Kendall opted for a most modest look Hot metal: Kaz Crossley joined the girls at the bash, going without her beau Josh Denzel for the evening Kaz Crossley joined the girls at the bash, going without her beau Josh Denzel for the evening. The make-up artist put her curves on display in a shimmery bodycon dress with a low-cut neckline. Also in attendance was Love Island turned TOWIE star Kady McDermott, who was rocking a printed skirt and a black poloneck. Putting in an appearance: Gabby Allen was rocking a bronze jumpsuit with caped sleeves New look: Geordie Shore's Sophie Kasaei embraced a darker hairdo and a deep tan Pictures or it didn't happen: Kaz (left) and Gabby (right) took some sizzling selfies Leggy lady: Former Love Island star Kady McDermott showed off her legs in a checked mini The girls partied up a storm at the dinner, letting loose over food and cocktails. Ellie has been keeping quiet about her love life of late, having been linked to Joey Essex following her split from co-star Charlie Brake. The blonde bombshell recently appeared to confirm her romance with the former TOWIE star after posting a picture of the pair locking lips online. Living it up: The girls partied up a storm at the dinner, letting loose over food and cocktails Social media sensations: The reality stars ensured the whole evening was captured on camera Representing the Geordies: Holly Hagan and Sophie Kasaei joined forces at the bash Group shot: The girls all posed together at the bash - Kaz Crossley, Kendall Rae Knight, Darby Ward, Taylor Ward, Sophie Kasaei, Kady McDermott, Gabby Allen, Holly Hagan, Mettisse Campbell, Mariam Musa and Ellie Brown (from left to right) Hands up! Kendall got into the swing of things with a ribbon party accessory Stunning: Darby Ward displayed her tanned legs in a pair of silk shorts Sharing a video online earlier this month, the pair locked lips after Ellie said: 'Absolutely smashed it! I'm very proud', in reference to a project he was working on. The new romance comes a few months after Ellie was left heartbroken by her Love Island co-star Charlie Brake earlier this year. Despite her romance with Joey, insiders claimed Ellie was also finding another TOWIE connection after she locked lips with Pete Wicks at the ITV gala at London's Royal Festival Hall last month. Mad for metallics: The beauties were embracing the trend of the season Terrific trio: The Love Island gals got better acquainted at the party Bill Shorten says Labor is making Australia safer with amendments and improvements to the federal government's proposed national security laws. Prime Minister Scott Morrison accused Labor of playing political games on encryption and border security laws, describing Mr Shorten as a "clear and present threat" to Australia's security. Mr Shorten didn't agree. "I've cooperated with three different Liberal prime ministers over the last five years to improve, amend and pass 15 sets of national security legislation," he said in a statement on Thursday. "That important work is continuing in the parliament today." Labor is pushing to amend laws that will allow police and intelligence agencies to look at encrypted messages. On Wednesday night, the Liberal chair of the Joint Security and Intelligence Committee praised Labor members for the bipartisan way they contributed to national security laws. "I'm disappointed by the prime minister's behaviour today but I won't be distracted," Mr Shorten said. "I've always taken the view that when it comes to keeping Australians safe, we are all in this together. "I urge the prime minister to stop playing politics and start showing some leadership." WA Labor MP Pierre Yang says he's deeply hurt by reports casting doubts on his loyalty to Australia and suggesting he has links to China's Communist Party. News Ltd recently reported Mr Yang had not declared to parliament his membership of two organisations allegedly affiliated with the Chinese communist party, the Northeast China Federation and the Association of Great China. Mr Yang, who migrated to Australia 20 years ago, then resigned from the organisations, which hold contrary positions to the Commonwealth on issues including China's claim of sovereignty in the South China Sea. Mr Yang said he overlooked the memberships, along with his participation in a community centre in his home suburb, and insists he supports the Australian government's positions, including freedom of navigation. "I am a beneficiary of this country's democratic system," he told 6PR radio. "This is my home. It hurts me when I'm accused to not have absolute loyalty to Australia." Premier Mark McGowan has sprung to Mr Yang's defence, saying membership disclosures were discretionary and the report was an "attack filled with slur and innuendo". On Thursday, News Ltd reported that Mr Yang spent time on a Chinese government vessel that was part of the search for MH370, citing security experts as saying the vessel was probably conducting spying activities. Mr Yang said that as an Australian Army Reserve member, he was invited to apply for the 49-day deployment and was chosen because he speaks Mandarin. "I served my fellow Australians," Mr Yang told the broadcaster. "It was my dream to serve the country overseas and I thought it was a badge of honour. "My loyalty is to Australia and no-one else." He wept as he asked whether his Australian-born children would also have their loyalty questioned. "As a parent, it tears my heart." Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie expressed concern about the death toll among Afghan security forces at a confirming hearing in Washington Tuesday NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern on Wednesday about the high casualties among Afghan security forces, after a senior US general warned the death toll was becoming unsustainable. Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie has warned that unless recruiting and training improve, local forces will not overcome the current casualty rate. McKenzie has been nominated to lead US military's Central Command, which oversees the Afghan war. Last month, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said nearly 30,000 local forces had been killed since they took over responsibility for security in the war torn country from NATO in 2015 -- far more than previously acknowledged. Speaking after talks with NATO ministers, Stoltenberg said the issue had been a priority when he visited Afghanistan recently with senior military leaders and steps were being taken to address the problem. "I share the concern about the high casualty rates, but the consequence of that is not to reduce our presence but to make sure we provide support to enable them to increase their capabilities and their resilience even more," Stoltenberg told reporters in Brussels. McKenzie told the US Senate Armed Services Committee at his nomination hearing Tuesday that Afghan forces were still unable to effectively withstand the Taliban, who have made steady gains in recent years and now number about 60,000 in Afghanistan. But Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani insisted that despite the losses, his country's forces' resolve and appetite for the fight remain undimmed. "We do have casualties, but as far as the determination and resolve of the Afghan security forces is concerned, be assured they are very resilient in defending their territory and their people against terrorist attacks," he said. - Killer blast - With the conflict mired in stalemate 17 years after the US-led invasion in the wake of the 9/11 attacks ousted the Taliban from power, Western powers are stepping up efforts to push negotiations. As calls grow for talks with the Taliban, the deadly attacks have continued in Afghanistan such as last week's blast in Kabul that killed 10 people President Donald Trump and many US lawmakers are growing frustrated with a succession of generals promising that things may soon turn a corner and angered over the $45 billion or so America still pays annually for its involvement in Afghanistan. After talks in Brussels, foreign ministers from countries taking part in NATO's Resolute Support mission renewed a call for direct talks between the Taliban and the government. Last week, Ghani announced a 12-strong team for prospective talks but the optimism for peace has been tempered by continuing attacks, including a blast outside a British security firm in Kabul that killed 10 people last week. Stoltenberg warned that as all sides seek to press their advantage on the battlefield in the run-up to talks, the security situation "may become worse before it becomes better". NATO has around 16,000 troops in Afghanistan to train, advise and assist local forces. The Golden Globe nominations are the starting gun in the race for the Oscars Hollywood's annual carnival of awards shows begins Thursday with the nominations for the Golden Globes -- the starting gun in the race for the Oscars. The announcements, which come a week before the influential Screen Actors Guild nominations, are the first major bellwether of momentum going into the Academy Awards, which take place in February. Awards analysis website Gold Derby predicts that music romance reboot "A Star Is Born" and "If Beale Street Could Talk" -- a tale of black love adapted from a James Baldwin novel -- will top the nominations with nine each. "A Star Is Born" stars Bradley Cooper, who also directed the film, and Lady Gaga, who are also expected to pick up nominations for their portrayal of an aging rocker and the young ingenue who unite on stage and in life. "A Star Is Born should dominate with nominations at the Globes and Oscars," Gold Derby managing director Chris Beachum told AFP. "Beale Street" -- the latest film from Barry Jenkins, who directed the best picture Oscar-winning "Moonlight" -- tells the story of a young black couple in love in 1970s Harlem, and the obstacles in their path. Lady Gaga (L) and Bradley Cooper -- seen at the London premiere of "A Star is Born" in September 2018 -- are seen as near-certain Golden Globe nominees Beyond the frontrunners, a slew of biopics are in the mix -- "First Man," the intimate recounting of Neil Armstrong's moon landing; Dick Cheney film "Vice"; and "Bohemian Rhapsody," about Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman," the true story of a black police officer who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan with the help of a white partner, is also expected to receive recognition in the drama categories. Another theme this season is the ravages of addiction, with "Beautiful Boy" star Timothee Chalamet -- an Oscar and Globe nominee for "Call Me By Your Name" (2017), tipped to earn a nod for playing a meth addict. - A wealth of options - US actor Rami Malek -- seen at the world premiere of "Bohemian Rhapsody" at Wembley Arena in north London in October 2018 -- could grab a Globe nomination for his portrayal of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury Last year, Tinseltown was looking to turn the page on the Harvey Weinstein scandal that engulfed the world of showbiz. This year, the focus is squarely on the films. The Golden Globes feature separate awards for dramas and musicals/comedies -- meaning more nominations, and a chance for Oscar voters to consider a wider range of performances before they get their ballots. The members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, who vote on the winners, also have a tendency to honor the unexpected. "A Star Is Born" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" will compete in the drama categories, seeking to firmly establish their position before the Oscars. "Roma," the latest from Alfonso Cuaron, is eligible in the foreign film category, but the Mexican filmmaker ("Gravity") could get the nod for best director. In the musical/comedy categories, the frontrunner is -- appropriately enough -- "The Favourite." The offbeat tale of royal deception and lust stars a powerhouse trio of actresses -- Olivia Colman as Queen Anne, and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone as the women vying for her attentions. (L-R) Actresses Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Emma Stone are earning Golden Globes and Oscar buzz for their work in "The Favourite," a bawdy of life in the royal court of Queen Anne (Colman) "Olivia Colman delivers the most shocking screen turn that's generating the most 'serious' buzz in Hollywood," writes Gold Derby founder Tom O'Neil. "Beware: The queen approaches!" Another top prospect is "Green Book," an offbeat comedy about a black classical pianist in 1960s America who hires an Italian-American bouncer as his driver for a tour of the racially divided South. Oscar winner Mahershala Ali and Viggo Mortenson are both expected to earn nominations. Summer rom-com success "Crazy Rich Asians" and anticipated Disney sequel "Mary Poppins Returns" will also compete in these categories. "The HFPA members generally love musicals, so also watch for big numbers for 'Mary Poppins Returns'." Beachum said. - New faces in TV race - US actress Julia Roberts could earn a Globes nod for her star turn in Amazon series "Homecoming" -- her first starring role in a regular television series The Globes also honor the best in television -- it can feel a bit redundant after the Emmys in September, with many of the nominees mimicking the past Emmy field. They also can look ahead to programs that aired too late for Emmys contention, like the dark HBO mini-series "Sharp Objects," Amazon drama "Homecoming" starring Julia Roberts, and Netflix's offbeat "Maniac" with Stone and Jonah Hill. Of course, familiar top dramas like "The Handmaid's Tale," "The Americans" and "This Is Us" will also be recognized. Thursday's nominations will be presented before dawn in California by actors Leslie Mann ("Welcome to Marwen"), Terry Crews ("Brooklyn Nine-Nine"), Danai Gurira ("Black Panther") and Christian Slater ("Mr Robot"). The 76th Golden Globes take place on Sunday, January 6 in Beverly Hills. The Oscar nominations come after the Globes this year, on January 22. Hosting the gala will be actress Sandra Oh, who could score a nomination herself for acclaimed TV drama "Killing Eve," and comedian Andy Samberg, organizers announced Wednesday. The NZDF has played a major part in helping Pacific island nations such as Vanuatu following devastating cyclones blamed on man-made global warming The New Zealand Defence Force identified climate change as one of its biggest security challenges Thursday, warning that responding to global warming will increasingly stretch its resources. The NZDF said the impact of climate change in the neighbouring Pacific islands promised to be so extreme that providing humanitarian assistance could limit its ability to perform its traditional defence roles. "With the intensifying impacts of climate change... New Zealand may be faced with concurrent operational commitments, which could stretch resources and reduce readiness for other requirements," it said in a report examining climate's impact on the military. The NZDF has already played a major part in helping Pacific island nations such as Vanuatu and Fiji following devastating cyclones blamed on man-made global warming. The report said problems in the Pacific would only worsen, bringing the potential for food and water shortages, land disputes arising from climate migration and more violent storm disasters. "When the effects of climate change intersect with a complex array of environmental and social issues, they can be a significant contributor to both low-level and more violent conflict," it said. "The security implications of climate change are further magnified in areas dealing with weak governance or corruption." Climate Change Minister James Shaw said the military's role was changing. "More and more, their battles seem to be about fighting the aftermath of extreme weather events, which fewer and fewer people these days are trying to argue are not part of the impact of climate change," he said. New Zealand has lifted its presence in the Pacific this year, partly in response to China's growing role in the region, which Wellington sees as falling within its sphere of influence. The NZDF report did not mention China directly but warned "some states could look to use assistance in climate change disaster adaptation... as a way to increase influence". It said the NZDF's operations in the Pacific arising from climate change could enhance New Zealand's reputation in the region. "Working with Pacific island countries on climate change, including in the security sphere, is an opportunity to learn lessons from each other while further strengthening strategic partnerships," it said. Malaysia is battling to clamp down on rife trafficking through its borders of the ant-eating mammals, whose scales are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine Malaysia on Thursday torched nearly three tonnes of seized scales of endangered pangolins worth $9 million in a bid to deter illegal wildlife trafficking from Africa. The Southeast Asian nation is battling to clamp down on rife trafficking through its borders of the ant-eating mammals, whose scales are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine. "Such a huge seizure and torching of it is definitely a blow to smuggling syndicates," Abdul Kadir Abu Hashim, the director-general of the Wildlife and National Parks Department told AFP. Some 3,000 pangolins would have been killed to obtain the 2.8 tonnes (2,800 kilograms) of scales, Abdul Kadir estimated. The scales were confiscated by customs officials at Malaysia's Port Klang between May and September 2017. The animal parts arrived in three different shipments from Ghana and Cameroon, and had false local addresses, officials said. "Forensic examination of the scales showed that it is from the African species," said Abdul Kadir. Endangered pangolins The scales were incinerated at a private waste disposal plant in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Seized pangolin scales are usually meant for foreign markets including China and Vietnam, where raw pangolin scales are sold for large profits in traditional Chinese medicine. Last year Malaysia torched eight tonnes of pangolin scales, Abdul Kadir said, adding that wild pangolins in Malaysia have become a rare sight due to rampant hunting and deforestation. Pangolins are also heavily poached for their meat which is considered a delicacy while products obtained from the animal are thought to increase blood circulation and lactation. On November 29th, Azerbaijani and Russian painter, theater artist, teacher, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Arts, People's Artist of the USSR, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the USSR State Prize and the State Prize of the Russian Federation Tahir Salakhov celebrated his 90th anniversary. Vestnik Kavkaza spoke with the daughter of the painter Aidan Salakhova, who is an artist, sculptor, gallery owner, and a public figure, teacher, professor, academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. - President of Russia Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO Mehriban Aliyeva sent congratulations to Tahir Salahov. He was honored at the Russian Academy of Arts. And how did you celebrate the holiday in the family circle? - We celebrated at the Academy, and afterward father, his wife, Azerbaijani ambassador to Russia, Polad Bulbul oglu, with his wife and I went to dinner at my father's favorite Chinese restaurant. Dad did not want to celebrate with a lot of people. I remember that on one of his birthdays, I worked in Italy, and he said: "Do not come, the main thing is work." - We know your father as a classic, master of a painting of the world scale. And what kind of person is he? What are his interests and hobbies besides painting? - He is all about creativity. But he loves traveling and cooks amazingly. - What is his speciality? - A mutton piti soup and baked lamb jiz byz. He is the best cook I know. - What artists of the past or contemporary artists became patterns of inspiration for him? - I can not name specific artists, not to offend others. He has many preferences. - Does he still work? - Of course. Every morning, starting from 11-12 am and up to 3 pm, he works. This time is inviolable. - How does he work? Is this a slow and thoughtful process? Are the works born quickly? - This is a slow and thoughtful process. First, a detailed sketch is made, usually watercolors from nature, then sketches, then watercolor of the exact sketch, then the composition is set, and then everything is transferred to the canvas. That is the main creative process - the creation of a composition in sketches. His sketch is always absolutely accurate and corresponds to the painting. If you look at his development of portraits of Rostropovich, Shostakovich, you will see that there was a long preparatory work, and then only there was a transition to a large format. But when he goes to the canvas, everything is already decided with the mathematical precision. - What kind of relationship has developed between you - as between father and daughter, or as between two creators? Can you call yourself his student? - We have three kinds of relationships. He treats me like a daughter, as a very little girl, I may say; as a student and as a colleague. These three phases of communication alternate. - Do you argue like the colleagues? - I listen to him because he is always right. - Which of his paintings is your favorite? - For you, humanity!" - Has his attitude to this picture changed, or since the moment of its creation, he perceives it the same way? - I can say about my feelings. The first time I saw this picture, when I was about six or seven years old, in the Azerbaijan National Museum in Baku. At that time I usually saw his works in his workshop. I remember well the picture "Women of Absheron." And For you, humanity!" I saw in the museum. It was of a huge format. Then I acquired it not as my fathers work, but as a museums masterpiece that had a great effect on me. This picture was not similar to the ones I saw in the workshop. The second time I saw it in Baku in the early 2000s. Then I went to the museum and asked where For you, humanity! was located. I was told that it was on the attic of the museum behind bars, since such a large canvas of this format does not fit anywhere. I went there and saw that it was not restored, there were holes in the painting. Then I promised myself that I would do everything to help the museum to restore this work. Ten years ago, when we were preparing daddy's exhibition for his 80th anniversary in The Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, we received sponsorship money, which the Safarovs family kindly provided us. With this money, we restored all the works of Tahir Salahov, which were in the collection of the Azerbaijan Museum. By the 80th anniversary, I also did a solo exhibition of my father in my gallery at Winzavod. I believe that this was the best exhibition in my gallery because nothing was represented on it except this amazing work. Seeing such a picture at the Winzavod among youth exhibitions, people were afraid to come close to it, and looked from a certain distance, like on Mona Lisa. This piece is very strong. - Can it be called the main work of your father? - I think yes. - Let's talk about the picture Aidan. Do you recognize yourself on it? - Yes. I was born into a family of artists, and my sister and I were forced to pose for mom and dad. I can not say that it was our favorite pastime because getting a small child to sit still for two or three hours is very difficult. There was an internal protest. And now, when I am forced to pose even just in front of the camera, I have internal resistance. This is a complex of the artists children. I remember that it was very hot to sit in this coat. I was swinging on the horse all the time. I do not know how he painted, because I did not obey, all the time I was in motion. But he caught the moment. - How is it to be a prototype of one of the most replicable images? - I remember that in my childhood I was annoyed when people said about me: Oh, this is the girl on the horse. But now its nice to come to the Tretyakov Gallery and take a selfie against the background of this portrait. - Your father is one of the main artists of the USSR. Did he define himself somehow in the national paradigm? Does he feel like an Azerbaijani artist or a Russian? - We were all born in the USSR, we all felt (I still feel) as people born in a single space where there were no borders. Therefore, Dad has such a feeling - out of the boundaries. - And do you identify yourself that way? - Yes. - Is an agave, which often appeared in the pictures of your father, planted by your grandmother, still growing in your country house? - Yes. Dad loves agaves, we have a lot of them. - Is he a religious person? - Artists are the people who believe in art. This is the main religion of artists. At the same time, through creativity, there is respect for all religions that exist. If you got into the history of art, your work remained in eternity, it means that you went to heaven. If you do not get into the history of art, then you are in hell. I am an atheist. - Tair Teymurovich once said about his work: "This is a long and painful process, after which you feel a sense of happiness." Do you agree with this statement? - Of course. Creativity, any creation of a work is an agonizing process, where every line is painstakingly crafted, thought out. During the creation of works, doubts and sufferings overwhelm an artist. This is not visible to the audience, but an artist understands. - Your fathers art is of a so-called severe style. Has his style influenced you in any way? - Of course. His school influenced me. We, his students, became the followers of his work, his style. This is a clear line, the color of the sky, the color of the earth on the Absheron landscapes. In Azerbaijan, there is a special kind of sunlight, such an illumination, which is shown on daddys landscapes. In Italy, for example, there is another lighting, and in Azerbaijan - absolutely clear lines and contrasts, the extraordinary clarity of these strict lines, the edges of houses, architecture. - The childhood of Tahir Teymurovich was overshadowed by the story of his father, repressed for a false accusation. How did he manage to live with it? - Yes, it is a serious injury. A very complex topic. He always believed in his father, believed that he was not guilty of anything. I think this faith saved him. - An artist should be in opposition to the government, not only the state but to the power of trends, ideas? Or is an artist a person who forms them? - The artist must be independent and internally free. If you are opposed to something, you are not free, you are contained. The inner freedom allows us to be objective, adequate and correctly perceive reality. Dad, like any interesting artist, has his own world, his own independence. His work is perceived by young people and those in power because it does not depend on anything. He has inner freedom. Plus, the incredible trait he gave me is love for other artists, for other people's creativity, respect for any work, whether it is pleasant or not. He always respects the work of the artists, he is interested in them. The circle of artists is so envious, competitive. A competition also puts you in a framework of dependence. But dad never competed with anyone internally, so there is love for other artists and freedom in him. - Tahir Salahov has always been considered a bridge between East and West, Russia and Azerbaijan. Do you consider yourself his successor? - Yes. Dad puts himself above all borders and thinks globally without noticing boundaries. The territory of art is a single field. Now there are exhibitions of Russian art, Azerbaijani, German - this is absolute nonsense, because art cannot be divided into nationalities or countries. - What is the secret Tahir Salakhovs longevity? - He eats properly. For breakfast, cottage cheese or yogurt. His lunch is heavy because Azerbaijani food is very rich with calories. He drinks kefir for dinner. In fact, many artists live long. They have no time to get sick because they need to paint pictures, they always have a lot of plans. I think dad will create a lot of works in the future. A portrait in support of former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn is seen on a billboard in a Beirut street following his arrest for alleged financial misconduct on November 19 Lebanese woke up to bright billboards of ousted Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn posted around Beirut on Thursday, in the latest show of support for the detained businessman of Lebanese origin. The Brazil-born entrepreneur is feted in Lebanon as a model of international success, and many were shocked by his arrest in Japan last month over alleged financial misconduct. "We are all Carlos Ghosn," the digital billboards declared, under a large mosaic portrait of the 64-year-old tycoon, who is currently held in a Japanese prison. Dany Kamal, managing partner at the Lebanese advertising firm that put them up, said the 18 billboards were a "personal initiative" as he was an acquaintance of Ghosn. "It's just a campaign against injustice," he told AFP. "Until proven otherwise, Carlos is not guilty." Ghosn spent his childhood years in Lebanon, and has regularly travelled back and forth to the tiny Mediterranean country. The Lebanese authorities have repeatedly honoured him, and in 2017 Ghosn's portrait even appeared on a postal stamp. Several Lebanese officials have expressed solidarity with Ghosn since his arrest on November 19, even as he denies allegations that he underreported his pay by millions of dollars. "A Lebanese phoenix will not be scorched by a Japanese sun," Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk declared. Last month, Foreign Minister Gibran Bassil received the Japanese ambassador Matahiro Yamaguchi to enquire about the circumstances of Ghosn's arrest and the conditions of his detention, the ministry said. Ghosn faces an array of claims involving hiding money and benefits he received while chairman of Nissan and head of an alliance between the Japanese firm, Mitsubishi Motors and France's Renault. While Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan have removed Ghosn, he remains chairman and CEO of Renault. On social media, some in Lebanon have clamoured that Ghosn is innocent while others have seen his arrest as an example of better accountability in other countries. "May all the gangs of thieves in Lebanon meet the same fate," one Lebanese social media user wrote online. A fighter from the Syrian Democratic Forces attends the funeral of a comrade killed in the town of Hajin during battles against the Islamic State (IS) group, in the northeastern city of Qamishli on December 3, 2018 US-backed Syrian fighters have broken into an eastern holdout of the Islamic State group on the Iraqi border, a commander and a monitor said Thursday, months into an anti-jihadist offensive. A Kurdish-led alliance, backed by air strikes of the US-led coalition, has been battling to oust IS from the pocket in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor since September. But the Syrian Democratic Forces suffered a series of setbacks, including due to a vicious fightback by jihadists and bad weather that impeded visibility. On Thursday, an SDF commander said the alliance had managed to break into the pocket and wrest part of its main town from IS. "Heavy clashes are ongoing inside the town of Hajin, after our forces advanced inside and started to control some of its neighbourhoods," Redur Khalil told AFP. The SDF opened up humanitarian corridors out of the beleaguered pocket, allowing more than 1,000 civilians -- mostly woman and children -- to flee from Hajin in the past few days. Khalil accused IS of using civilians as human shields, and said the corridors would remain open. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the SDF launched an attack on Tuesday and than dozens of families had managed to flee. The attack was backed by the heaviest shelling and air strikes by the US-led coalition since the start of the offensive on the Hajin pocket on September 10, Observatory chief Rami Abdelrahman said. Since Tuesday, 34 jihadists including three suicide bombers, and 17 SDF fighters have been killed in the fighting, the Observatory said. In almost three months of battle, more than 820 jihadists and more than 480 US-backed fighters have been killed, the monitor says. More than 300 civilians have been killed in that period, its says, though the coalition has repeatedly said it did not target non-combatants. IS overran large parts of Syria and neighbouring Iraq in 2014, declaring a "caliphate" across territories it controlled. But various offensives in both countries have routed the jihadists from most of that land, crushing their dreams of statehood. In Syria, the jihadists retain a presence in the vast Badia desert that stretches to the Iraqi border, as well as the pocket under attack around Hajin. "The liberation of Hajin will not signify the end of IS," Khalil said, warning it would retain sleeper cells. "Operations to expel them will still last a long time." LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AP) - Gabon's government has broadcast new images of its ailing head of state, President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in his second public appearance since his hospitalization in Saudi Arabia in October and transfer to Morocco last week for convalescence. The broadcast late Tuesday shows the 59-year-old, seated in profile, receiving a Gabonese delegation. Prime Minister Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet spoke upon his return, saying Bongo is conscious and sees and speaks well. He said leaders were reassured by the visit. Vice President Pierre Claver Maganga Moussavou said they are ruling out any article on vacancy of power. Gabon's government has said Bongo suffered dizziness, but some media reports suggested he'd had a stroke. Bongo has ruled the oil-rich Central African nation since 2009, assuming power in a contested election after his father's death. CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) - Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai (mah-LAH'-lah YOO'-suhf-zeye) is being honored by Harvard University for her work promoting girls' education. Harvard's Kennedy School says Yousafzai will be awarded the 2018 Gleitsman Award at a ceremony Thursday. Yousafzai became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 when she was recognized for her global work supporting schooling for all children. As a teen in Pakistan, she survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban. She later founded the nonprofit Malala Fund to support her work. Harvard officials say her story has inspired a generation of boys and girls to follow in her footsteps. Now 21, Yousafzai is a student at Oxford University in England. FILE - In this July 9, 2018 file photo, Pakistan's Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai speaks during a meeting with women who campaign for education and children's and women's rights in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Yousafzai is being honored by Harvard University for her work promoting girls' education. Harvard's Kennedy School says Yousafzai will be awarded the 2018 Gleitsman Award at a ceremony Thursday, Dec. 6. (AP Photo/Nelson Antoine, File) The Gleitsman Award provides $125,000 for activism that has improved quality of life around the world. BEIJING (AP) - China on Thursday demanded that Canada release an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei who was arrested in a case that compounds tensions with the U.S. and threatens to complicate trade talks. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Ltd., faces possible extradition to the United States, according to Canadian authorities. The Globe and Mail newspaper, citing law enforcement sources, said she is suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran. Huawei, the biggest global supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns. Under President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, Washington has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology. The U.S. sees Huawei and smaller Chinese tech suppliers as possible fronts for spying and as commercial competitors. The Trump administration says they benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. The timing of the arrest is awkward following the announcement of a U.S.-Chinese cease-fire in a trade war that has its roots in Beijing's technology policy. Meng was detained in Vancouver on Saturday, the day Trump and Xi Jinping met in Argentina and announced their deal. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton told NPR that he knew of the pending arrest in advance. He declined to talk about the specifics of the case and said he didn't know if Trump knew about before it happened but added that there has been enormous concern about the practice of Chinese firms like Huawei allegedly using stolen U.S. intellectual property. He said that would be a major subject of negotiations with China. Pedestrians walk past a Huawei retail shop in Beijing Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. China on Thursday demanded Canada release a Huawei Technologies executive who was arrested in a case that adds to technology tensions with Washington and threatens to complicate trade talks. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was given a few days advance notice of the intention of Canadian authorities to arrest her but said it was the decision of law enforcement and there was no political interference. "I can assure everyone that we are a country of an independent judiciary and the appropriate authorities took the decisions in this case without any political involvement or interference," Trudeau said. He also said he could not comment further because of a publication ban. A spokesman for Canada's justice department said Meng requested the ban and the department could not comment further. Stock markets tumbled on the news, fearing renewed U.S.-Chinese tensions that threaten global economic growth. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 2.5 percent and the DAX in Germany sank 1.8 percent. A Chinese government statement said Meng broke no U.S. or Canadian laws and demanded Canada "immediately correct the mistake" and release her. Beijing asked Washington and Ottawa to explain the reason for Meng's arrest, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang. He said arresting her without that violated her human rights. But the Ministry of Commerce signaled that Beijing wants to avoid disrupting progress toward settling a dispute with Washington over technology policy that has led them to raise tariffs on billions of dollars of each other's goods. China is confident they can reach a trade deal during the 90 days that Trump agreed to suspend U.S. tariff hikes, said a ministry spokesman, Gao Feng. Trump's tariff hikes on Chinese imports stemmed from complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. But U.S. officials also worry more broadly that Chinese plans for state-led creation of Chinese champions in robotics, artificial intelligence and other fields might erode U.S. industrial leadership. "The United States is stepping up containment of China in all respects," said Zhu Feng, an international relations expert at Nanjing University. He said targeting Huawei, one of its most successful companies, "will trigger anti-U.S. sentiment." "The incident could turn out to be a breaking point," Zhu said. Last month, New Zealand blocked a mobile phone company from using Huawei equipment, saying it posed a "significant network security risk." The company was banned in August from working on Australia's fifth-generation network. On Wednesday, British phone carrier BT said it was removing Huawei equipment from the core of its mobile phone networks. It said Huawei still is a supplier of other equipment and a "valued innovation partner." The Wall Street Journal reported this year U.S. authorities are investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. The Chinese government appealed to Washington to avoid any steps that might damage business confidence. Huawei's biggest Chinese rival, ZTE Corp., was nearly driven out of business this year when Washington barred it from buying U.S. technology over exports to North Korea and Iran. Trump restored access after ZTE agreed to pay a $1 billion fine, replace its executive team and embed a U.S.-chosen compliance team in the company. Huawei is regarded as far stronger commercially than ZTE. Based in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, Huawei has the biggest research and development budget of any Chinese company and a vast portfolio of patents, making it less dependent on American suppliers. Its growing smartphone brand is among the top three global suppliers behind Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc. by number of handsets sold. Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained "on behalf of the United States of America" to face unspecified charges in New York, according to a Huawei statement. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," the statement said. A U.S. Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. Huawei said it complies with all laws and rules where it operates, including export controls and sanctions of the U.N., the U.S. and European Union. Meng's arrest also threatened to inflame disagreements over Iran and Trump's decision to break with other governments and re-impose sanctions over the country's nuclear development. Geng, the foreign ministry spokesman, said China objects to unilateral sanctions outside the United Nations. China has said it will continue to do business with Iran despite the possible threat of U.S. penalties. Meng is a prominent member of China's business world as deputy chairman of Huawei's board and the daughter of its founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese military engineer. Despite that, her arrest is unlikely to derail trade talks, said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "I think too much is at stake for Xi Jinping. He desperately wants a settlement," said Lam. Longer term, however, the case will reinforce official Chinese urgency about developing domestic technology suppliers to reduce reliance on the United States, said Lam. Trump has "pulled out all the stops" to hamper Chinese ambitions to challenge the U.S. as a technology leader, Lam said. That includes imposing limits on visas for Chinese students to study science and technology. "If the Chinese need further convincing, this case would show them beyond doubt Trump's commitment," said Lam. Gordon Houlden, director of the China Institute at the University of Alberta, said Canada and the U.S. have an extradition treaty and Canada has obligations that not even the prime minister can change. "The prime minister cannot call up the judge and say 'please free this person.' Short of abrogating the treaty, this will roll on," Houlden said. "This is a really tough one for Canada. Our hands are largely tied by the extradition treaty." David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said U.S. and Canadian business executives could face reprisals in China. "That's something we should be watching out for. It's a possibility. China plays rough," Mulroney said. "It's a prominent member of their society and it's a company that really embodies China's quest for global recognition as a technology power." ___ Gillies reported from Toronto. AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed. In this undated photo released by Huawei, Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is seen in a portrait photo. China on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, demanded Canada release the Huawei Technologies executive who was arrested in a case that adds to technology tensions with Washington and threatens to complicate trade talks. (Huawei via AP) Foreigners look at a Huawei computer at a Huawei store in Beijing, China, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) FILE - In this July 4, 2018, file photo, a shopper walks past a Huawei store at a shopping mall in Beijing. Canadian authorities said Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE - In this July 4, 2018, file photo, the Huawei logo is seen at a Huawei store at a shopping mall in Beijing. Canadian authorities said Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday, Dec. 2.(AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File) FILE - In this March 13, 2018, file photo, a Huawei employee looks up as he walks toward the company's headquarters in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong Province. Canadian authorities said Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. (AP Photo/Dake Kang, File) RIMBO, Sweden (AP) - Yemen's warring sides agreed to a broad prisoner swap Thursday, sitting down in the same room together for the first time in years at U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Sweden aimed at halting a catastrophic war that has brought the country to the brink of famine. Hopes were high that the talks wouldn't deteriorate into further violence as in the past, and that the prisoner exchange would be an important first step toward building confidence between highly distrustful adversaries. The 3-year-old conflict pits the internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, against Shiite rebels known as Houthis, who took the capital of Sanaa in 2014. The Saudis intervened the following year. U.N. envoy Martin Griffiths said the two sides have signaled they are serious about de-escalating the fighting through calls they've made in recent weeks, and urged them to work to further reduce the violence in the Arab world's poorest nation, scene of massive civilian suffering. "I'm also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, detainees, the missing, the forcibly detained and individuals placed under house arrest," Griffiths said from the venue. "It will allow thousands of families to be reunited, and it is product of very effective, active work from both delegations." The international Red Cross said it would oversee the prisoner exchange, which is expected to take weeks. An exterior view of Johannesberg Castle, in Rimbo, 50km north of Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday Dec. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/David Keyton) The talks in the Swedish town of Rimbo, north of Stockholm, aim to set up "a framework for negotiations" on a future peace agreement, Griffiths said, calling the coming days a milestone nonetheless and urging the parties "to work in good faith ... to deliver a message of peace." The fighting in Yemen has generated the world's worst humanitarian crisis and claimed at least 10,000 lives, with experts estimating a much higher toll. The Saudi-led group has conducted thousands of airstrikes, hitting schools, hospitals and wedding parties in what critics call reckless bombardment. The Houthis have, for their part, fired long-range missiles into Saudi Arabia and targeted vessels in the Red Sea. Both sides stand accused of war crimes. U.N. officials, however, have sought to downplay expectations from the talks, saying they don't foresee rapid progress toward a political settlement but hope for at least minor steps that would help to address Yemen's worsening humanitarian crisis and prepare a framework for further negotiations. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the talks and urged the parties to make progress on the agenda outlined by Griffiths, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York. The U.N. chief appealed to the warring parties "to continue the de-escalation of (the key port city of) Hodeida and explore other measures to mitigate the life-threatening economic and humanitarian situation," Dujarric said. Some Yemeni voices on both sides fired off last-minute demands, sniping commentary and finger-pointing, while combat continued on the ground in some areas. Fighting raged in the central city of Taiz, long a contested battleground, where residents were hopeful yet highly skeptical they had much to look forward to amid the poverty. "We here in Taiz have been three years without salaries, and still we are here in the street, looking for an income," said local Faisal al-Asali from a street cafe. Griffiths said the talks would address several main points mentioned by both sides: broader prisoner exchanges, the release of funds to the central bank to pay civil servants in rebel-controlled territory, a possible handover of the port at Hodeida to the U.N., and rebel calls to lift the coalition's blockade of Sanaa airport to commercial traffic. "I believe that we can also here in the coming days find solutions on specific issues that will improve cooperation and reduce suffering," he said. Both the internationally recognized government, which is backed by the U.S.-sponsored Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels say they are striving for peace. The Houthi delegation arrived in Stockholm late Tuesday, accompanied by Griffiths. The government delegation and the head of the rebel delegation travelled to Sweden on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the U.N. food agency said Thursday it is planning to rapidly scale up food distribution to help another 4 million people in Yemen over the next two months, more than a 50-percent increase in the number reached now - if access can be maintained in the war-stricken country. World Food Program spokesman Herve Verhoosel said the "ambitious undertaking" finalizes plans in the works in recent months to reach 12 million people with food and nutritional supplements through January, up from between 7-8 million now. The target population includes some 3 million women and children who need special support to prevent malnutrition. Verhoosel said the rollout will require "safe, immediate and unimpeded access for food and other vital supplies." Twenty million people, or 70 percent, of Yemenis are "food insecure," U.N Humanitarian Coordinator Lisa Grande said, meaning they do not have reliable access to sufficient amounts of nutritious food. Sweden's foreign minister who opened the talks, Margot Wallstrom, wished the Yemen adversaries strength to find "compromise and courage" as they embark on the difficult task ahead. "Now it is up to you, the Yemini parties," she said. "You have the command of your future." ___ Rohan reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. FILE - In this Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015, file photo, a worker looks at a chocolate factory destroyed by a Saudi-led airstrike in Sanaa, Yemen. Envoys from Yemen's warring parties are headed to Sweden for another round of peace talks to stop the three-year-old war, but with few incentives to compromise, expectations are low for little more than improving a faltering de-escalation.(AP Photo/Hani Mohammed, File) Sweden's Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, left, and U.N. envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths attends the opening press conference of the Yemen peace talks, at Johannesberg castle, Rimbo, Sweden, Thursday Dec. 6, 2018. Yemen's warring parties will meet in Sweden this week for another attempt at talks aimed at halting their catastrophic 3-year-old war, but there are few incentives for major compromises, and the focus is likely to be on firming up a shaky de-escalation. (Stina Stjernkvist/TT News Agency via AP) FILE - This Feb. 13, 2018, file, photo shows photographs of severely malnourished infants hung on wall in the administrative office at the Aden Hospital, in Yemen. Envoys from Yemen's warring parties are headed to Sweden for another round of peace talks to stop the three-year-old war, but with few incentives to compromise, expectations are low for little more than improving a faltering de-escalation. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File) In this Nov. 16, 2018 photo a woman waits with a a child to be screened at the Aslem maternal hospital, Yemen. The U.N. food agency said Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 it is planning to rapidly scale up food distribution to help another 4 million people in Yemen over the next two months, more than a 50-percent increase in the number reached now, if access can be maintained in the poor, war-stricken country. (Marco Frattini/WFP via AP) Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, left, arrives with the Yemen delegates for the opening press conference of the Yemen peace talks, at Johannesberg castle, Rimbo, Sweden, Thursday Dec. 6, 2018. Yemen's warring parties will meet in Sweden this week for another attempt at talks aimed at halting their catastrophic 3-year-old war, but there are few incentives for major compromises, and the focus is likely to be on firming up a shaky de-escalation. (Stina Stjernkvist/TT News Agency via AP) An exterior view of Johannesberg Castle, in Rimbo, 50km north of Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday Dec. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/David Keyton) An exterior view of Johannesberg Castle, in Rimbo, 50km north of Stockholm, Sweden, Tuesday Dec. 4, 2018. (AP Photo/David Keyton) FILE - In this Feb. 13, 2018, file photo, Ahmed Rashid Mokbel, a severely malnourished 7-month-old Yemeni boy, is given formula by his mother at the Al-Sadaqa Hospital in Aden, Yemen. Envoys from Yemen's warring parties are headed to Sweden for another round of peace talks to stop the three-year-old war, but with few incentives to compromise, expectations are low for little more than improving a faltering de-escalation. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty, File) This Nov. 16, 2018 photo shows food distribution by the WFP in Aslem, Yemen. The U.N. food agency said Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 it is planning to rapidly scale up food distribution to help another 4 million people in Yemen over the next two months, more than a 50-percent increase in the number reached now, if access can be maintained in the poor, war-stricken country". (Marco Frattini/WFP via AP) MOSCOW (AP) - Russia's highest court has upheld a land swap deal in the North Caucasus which caused large-scale protests. Thousands of people rallied for days earlier this year after the leaders of the provinces of Ingushetia and Chechnya signed the agreement to exchange unpopulated plots of agricultural land. The deal and the secretive manner in which it was adopted fueled a popular view that authorities had betrayed their interests. The Russian Constitutional Court on Thursday overruled a decision by Ingushetia's high court which ruled in October to invalidate the deal. The Constitutional Court said that the leaders of the two provinces had the right to sign the deal without putting it up for a referendum vote, contrary to what the Ingush court had argued. ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Protesters in Athens set up a massive burning barricade and pelted riot police with firebombs and rocks Thursday on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, a death that sparked Greece's worst riots in decades. The violence broke out in the Exarchia district of the Greek capital, where 15-year-old Alexis Grigoropoulos was shot dead on Dec. 6, 2008, and which anarchists have adopted as a stronghold. Protesters set a car alight and hurled rocks, Molotov cocktails and fireworks at lines of Greek riot police, who responded with tear gas and water cannon. Police said 35 people were detained in Athens, while three were injured, including two policemen. The clashes broke out after a peaceful march by about 1,700 people through central Athens. Another gathering was planned later Thursday night at the spot where Grigoropoulos died. An earlier midday Athens march by about 700 people also degenerated into violence, with police firing tear gas at hooded youths who were throwing objects and smashing bus stops. Authorities deployed about 2,500 police and a helicopter Thursday for the Athens marches and shut down the main subway station at the central Syntagma Square. Riot police use stun grenade during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) In the northern city of Thessaloniki, protesters set up barricades in the streets and hurled Molotov cocktails at police, who responded with stun grenades and tear gas. The running clashes went on for hours, and vandals also set fires at two subway construction sites. There was a lull in the violence during a peaceful evening protest in Thessaloniki but riots continued later. At least 15 people were detained. Grigoropoulos had been on a night out with friends in Exarchia when he was killed as a policeman fired his gun following an altercation. The policeman later said he had not aimed at the teen but he was killed by a ricochet. The ensuing two-week outburst of violence in 2008 spread to cities across Greece as youths smashed and looted stores, burned buildings and cars and set up flaming street barricades. The policeman, Epaminondas Korkoneas, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. His appeals trial is ongoing. The second policeman present was sentenced to 10 years in prison and was granted conditional release several years ago. ___ Kantouris reported from Thessaloniki, Greece. Nicholas Paphitis in Athens contributed. Protesters use fireworks against riot police during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A petrol bomb explodes in from of riot police during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A man wears a mask inside a shop as riot police stand outside during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A police water canon operates during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Firefighters try to extinguish a fire at a building during clashes in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(Dimitris Tosidis/InTime News via AP) Protesters use fireworks against riot police during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Riot police try to avoid petrol bombs in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 after a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. Demonstrators in Greece threw firebombs and pelted police with rocks Thursday as marches on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager degenerated into violence. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Riot police stand on a road during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A police water canon operates during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Hooded youths throw fireworks against riot police during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Hooded youths use laser sticks against riot police as a car is on fire in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 after a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. Demonstrators in Greece threw firebombs and pelted police with rocks Thursday as marches on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager degenerated into violence. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Riot police operates during clashes in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. New protest marches were underway in Greece Thursday evening on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager, hours after violent initial demonstrations where masked youths attacked police with firebombs and stones.(AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A hooded youth prepares to throw a petrol bomb at riot police in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 during a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. School and university students marched in various towns of the country to mark the tenth anniversary of a fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) Riot police try to avoid petrol bombs in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 after a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. Demonstrators in Greece threw firebombs and pelted police with rocks Thursday as marches on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager degenerated into violence. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) A hooded youth kicks a tear gas canister in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 during a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. School and university students marched in various towns of the country to mark the tenth anniversary of a fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Giannis Papanikos) Police in riot gear stand guard as it rains in central Syntagma square near a tree being prepared for Christmas during a rally marking ten years since the killing of a 15-year old student, in Athens, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. Demonstrators clashed with riot police in Athens and the country's second largest city of Thessaloniki on Thursday during the first of a series of events to mark the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager that sparked Greece's most extensive riots in decades. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Riot police detain a protester in Athens, on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 during a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. Hundreds of school and university students march through the streets of the Greek capital to mark the tenth anniversary of a fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Hooded youths throw petrol bombs at riot police in the Athens neighborhood of Exarchia, a haven for extreme leftists and anarchists, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 after a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. Demonstrators in Greece threw firebombs and pelted police with rocks Thursday as marches on the 10th anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager degenerated into violence. (AP Photo/Yorgos Karahalis) Hooded youths gesture at riot police in Athens, on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 during a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. Hundreds of school and university students march through the streets of the Greek capital to mark the tenth anniversary of a fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) Riot police guard in Athens, on Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 during a rally commemorating the killing of a 15-year old student back in 2008. Hundreds of school and university students march through the streets of the Greek capital to mark the tenth anniversary of a fatal police shooting of a teenager in Athens that sparked the worst rioting Greece had seen in decades. (AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris) VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis plans to visit the United Arab Emirates in February to push for Christian-Muslim dialogue and peace in the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula. The Feb. 3-5 trip to Abu Dhabi centers around an interfaith meeting, the Vatican said Thursday. Francis will also have the chance to meet with political leaders as well as the UAE's Catholic community, which is made up almost exclusively of foreign workers. It's the latest trip to be announced in what is shaping up to be one of Francis' busiest years for foreign travel, with trips to Central America, North Africa and now the Gulf confirmed, and ones to Asia and East Africa under consideration. While Francis has visited other Muslim-majority nations, including Egypt, Turkey and Jordan, the UAE trip will mark the first pastoral visit by a pope to the Arabian Peninsula. Pope Paul VI visited Iran in 1970. The theme of the UAE trip is peace, with the logo featuring a dove carrying an olive branch. Vatican spokesman Greg Burke noted that the trip, like one last year to Egypt, shows the importance Francis places on inter-religious dialogue. Pope Francis, flanked by Vatican Prefect of the Pontifical Household, Archbishop Georg Ganswein, delivers his message during a weekly general audience, in the Pope Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) "Pope Francis visiting the Arab world is a perfect example of the culture of encounter," Burke said in a statement. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai and the UAE's vice president and prime minister, welcomed news of the pope's visit. The visit "will strengthen our ties and understanding of each other, enhance interfaith dialogue and help us to work together to maintain and build peace among the nations of the world," he tweeted. Francis, who turns 82 this month, will make the trip just a week after returning home from Panama, where he is due to visit Jan. 22-27 to participate in the Catholic Church's World Youth Day rally. In March, Francis is due to travel to Morocco, while a 2019 trip to Japan is also under consideration. The cardinal from Madagascar has said Francis is expected to visit next year. ___ Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed. BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he spoke on Thursday with both Serbian and Kosovo leaders about Kosovo's plan to form a regular army, a move that has been strongly contested by Serbia and the alliance. A statement from Kosovo's government said Ramush Haradinaj assured Stoltenberg the transition from the Kosovo Security Force into a regular army would be done in close cooperation with NATO. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said in a statement that he expressed concern about Kosovo's plan because it represents "a danger" for the "survival" of the Serb minority in Kosovo and that it could jeopardize regional stability and peace. Stoltenberg said in a statement that both Serbian and Kosovo officials should "show calm and restraint, and avoid any provocative statements or actions." He said he had warned Haradinaj that NATO would "examine the level of our engagement with the Kosovo Security Force.?" "I stressed that such a move is ill-timed, goes against the advice of many NATO allies, and can have negative repercussions on Kosovo's prospects for Euro-Atlantic integration," Stoltenberg said. In this photo taken on Sept. 9, 2018, soldiers of NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR take a break by the side of the road in the village of Kosterc, Kosovo. Serbia's prime minister warned on Wednesday that the formation of a Kosovo army could trigger Serbia's armed intervention in the former province - the bluntest warning so far amid escalating tensions in the Balkans. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) Stoltenberg reminded Belgrade and Pristina that dialogue remains "the only way to bring durable peace and stability to the region," adding that NATO is committed to the security and stability of Kosovo. Serbia has warned the formation of a Kosovo army could trigger an armed intervention. Kosovo's parliament will vote Dec. 14 on the creation of a regular army. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a move that Serbia doesn't recognize. In this photo taken on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, Serbian Army soldiers perform during rehearsal exercise in Batajnica, military airport near Belgrade, Serbia. Serbia's prime minister warned on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 that the formation of a Kosovo army could trigger Serbia's armed intervention in the former province - the bluntest warning so far amid escalating tensions in the Balkans. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) In this photo taken March 22, 2018, members of Kosovo Security Force (KSF) line up for the flag raising ceremony inside the barracks in the southern part of the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica, Kosovo. Serbia's prime minister warned on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018 that the formation of a Kosovo army could trigger Serbia's armed intervention in the former province - the bluntest warning so far amid escalating tensions in the Balkans. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu) Armenian Ambassador to the Netherlands Tigran Balayan held a meeting with Advisor to the Dutch Prime Minister on foreign policy and defense issues David Van Vel, the Armenian Foreign Ministry's press service reported. Van Vel highlighted friendly nature of the relationship and the tendency of their development. Ambassador Balayan, in turn, said that Armenia and the Netherlands have experience of effective cooperation, and one of the goals of his mission is to stimulate trade and economic relations. He also announced Yerevan's intention to hold the upcoming elections at the highest level, in accordance with European standards. The parties also discussed a number of issues of bilateral relations and the international agenda, News.am reported. QUITO, Ecuador (AP) - Ecuador's president has ramped up pressure on Julian Assange to leave his country's embassy in London, saying that Britain had provided sufficient guarantees that the WikiLeaks founder won't be extradited to face the death penalty abroad. Lenin Moreno's comments in a radio interview Thursday suggest that months of quiet diplomacy between the U.K. and Ecuador to resolve Assange's situation is bearing fruit at a time when questions are swirling about the former Australian hacker's legal fate in the U.S. "The road is clear for Mr. Assange to take the decision to leave," Moreno said, referring to written assurances he said he had received from Britain. Moreno didn't say he would force Assange out, but said the activist's legal team is considering its next steps. Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy since 2012, when he was granted asylum while facing allegations of sex crimes in Sweden that he said were a guise to extradite him to the U.S. But his relations with his hosts have soured to the point that Moreno earlier this year cut off his access to the internet, purportedly for violating the terms of his asylum by speaking out on political matters. FILE - In this May 24, 2018 file photo, Ecuador's President Lenin Moreno delivers his first, annual state-of-the-nation address inside the National Assembly in Quito, Ecuador. Moreno said in a radio interview Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018, that Britain has provided sufficient guarantees for Assange to leave his government's embassy in London, where the WikiLeaks founder has been living under asylum since 2012. (AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa, File) Assange in turn sued, saying his rights as an Ecuadorian - he was granted citizenship last year as part of an apparent attempt to name him a diplomat and ferry him to Russia - were being violated. The mounting tensions has drawn Moreno closer to the position of Britain, which for years has said it is barred by law from extraditing suspects to any jurisdiction where they would face capital punishment. But nothing is preventing it from extraditing him to the U.S. if prosecutors there were to pledge not to seek the death penalty. Assange has long maintained the he faces charges under seal in the U.S for revealing highly sensitive government information on his website. Those fears were heightened when U.S prosecutors last month mistakenly referenced criminal charges against him in an unrelated case. The Associated Press and other outlets have reported that Assange is indeed facing unspecified charges under seal, but prosecutors have so far provided no official confirmation. ___ Goodman reported from Bogota, Colombia. AP Writer Raphael Satter contributed to this report from London A driver is in a critical condition in hospital and another is seriously injured after a two-vehicle crash on a country road. The crash happened on the A93 Aberdeen to Braemar road about half a mile west of Kincardine ONeil, near Dess Home farm at about 4.50pm on Wednesday. Police said the vehicles involved were a blue Suzuki Swift car and a white Renault Kangoo van. The drivers of both vehicles were taken by ambulance to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary with serious injuries. Police Scotland are investigating a two vehicle collision that occurred on the A93 Aberdeen to Braemar road approximately half a mile west of Kincardine O'Neil, near Dess Home farm, Aberdeenshire, about 1650 hours on Wednesday 5 December 2018.https://t.co/MPukDZJgmF North East Police (@NorthEPolice) December 6, 2018 The 52-year-old driver of the Suzuki remains in a critical condition. Police are appealing for information about the crash in Aberdeenshire. Police have appealed for information about the crash (Joe Giddens/PA) Sergeant Peter Henderson of the Road Policing Department said: Our thoughts at this time are with those involved and their families. An investigation into the collision is under way and we have already spoken to a number of witnesses. In order to help establish the cause of the collision I would urge anyone who saw either vehicle prior to the collision or the collision itself and who has not already come forward to get in touch. Likewise if any motorists believe they may have dashcam footage which could assist our inquiries I appeal to them to come forward. Anyone with information can contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800555111 in confidence, quoting incident number PS-20181105-2500. A terrorist attack has killed at least three people and wounded several others in the south-eastern port city of Chabahar, Iranian state television says. It reported there were sounds of explosions and shooting in the city on Thursday. Details were sketchy as the situation was still developing. Chabahar, near Irans border with Pakistan on the Sea of Oman, is home to a new port recently built and is an economic free zone for the country. State authorities did not identify who was behind the attack. No militant group immediately claimed responsibility. State authorities did not identify who was behind the attack (Katie Collins/PA) State television broke into its regular broadcast to report the attack, as such assaults are rare in the Islamic Republic. Rahmdel Bameri, a provincial official, said a suicide attacker driving a vehicle loaded with explosives drove up to the police headquarters. He said police officers blocked the vehicle and started firing at the driver, who then detonated his explosives. State TV also showed footage of smoke rising over the city. The attack comes as Irans economy reels in the wake of the US re-imposing sanctions lifted by Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers. While Iran still complies with the accord, President Donald Trump withdrew the US over the deal in part due to Tehrans ballistic missile programme, its malign behaviour in the Middle East and its support of militant groups like Hezbollah. While rare, Iran has been targeted in recent years by militant attacks. In September, gunmen disguised as soldiers opened fire on a military parade in Ahvaz, killing and wounding dozens. Arab separatists and the Islamic State group both claimed responsibility for the attack. On June 7, 2017 another co-ordinated Islamic State group attack on parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50. A man who was suspected in the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence has admitted being a kingpin in a 4 million drugs plot. Jamie Acourt, 42, from Eltham, south-east London, pleaded guilty at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday over the two-year conspiracy to sell cannabis resin. His 43-year-old brother Neil Acourt has already been jailed for more than six years over the hashish scheme. But Jamie had spent more than two years on the run until his arrest in May, during which he lived in Spain under the alias Simon Alfonzo. File pic of a younger Jamie Acourt arriving to give evidence at the public inquiry into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence (PA) Prosecutors believe both were ringleaders and that they enlisted family members to the scheme that saw drugs transported between London and South Shields, Tyne and Wear. Both Acourts were arrested after the racist stabbing of the black 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence by a gang of white men in Eltham in 1993, but have always denied involvement. Jurors were earlier told of his historic allegation and warned they should consider him solely on the trials evidence. If the judge found they would be unable to do so, or they if they were serving or retired Metropolitan Police officers, they would have been excluded from the jury. Jamie Acourt, appearing in court wearing a man bun and a beard, previously denied the conspiracy to supply a Class B drug between January 2014 and February 2016, but changed his plea following the end of the prosecutions case opening. Court artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Jamie Acourt (Elizabeth Cook/PA) The basis of his plea was that it was agreed with the prosecution he was involved in the conspiracy to supply between January 1 2014 and May 2 2015 only. Acourt fled the country after police raided a home he lived in with his partner and their two children in Bexley, south-east London, in February 2016. He was arrested by armed officers as he left a gym in Barcelona on May 4 2018 and extradited back to Britain. His brother had been sentenced to six years and three months imprisonment in February last year over the same conspiracy. Jailing him, judge Recorder Paul Clements suggested one of Neil Acourts problems was that he had heard too much negativity about you and begun to believe the negative publicity about you. The plot, he added, would have kept the people of the Newcastle area in spliffs for many a long day. It involved dozens of 600-mile round trips from London to South Shields, driving drugs up and bringing back cash. Stephen Lawrence was murdered by racists in 1993 (Family/PA) A total of seven men have now been convicted or found guilty over the conspiracy. They include the stepfather of Acourts partner, Lee Birks, 57, of Orpington, south-east London, and Neil Acourts 65-year-old father-in-law Jack Vose, of Bexley, south-east London. In 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris were convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering Mr Lawrence and jailed for life. Both Acourts were arrested shortly after the murder but neither were convicted. Jamie Acourt, currently of no fixed address, will be sentenced for the drugs charge on Friday. Trust in the monarchy is the most decisive factor for the stability of 50 years of diplomatic relationship between both nations. Still, New Delhi must exercise caution Demonstrating deep ties between the two countries, Vijay Keshav Gokhale was on his third visit to Bhutan from November 18 to 20, following the installation of the third elected Government in Thimphu in October after multi-party democracy was introduced in the young Constitutional monarchy in 2007. In a bicameral system, the lower House has 47 seats and the upper House has 25 seats with 20 members directly elected and five nominated by the King. The upper House, also called the House of Review (HOR), is not composed of elders alone but consists of talented and young members, like Justin Gurung, who was elected in 2008. According to Article 11 (Section 2) of the Constitution, matters of security, sovereignty and interests of the country will be reviewed by it. The Motor Vehicles Agreement of 2016, which was enacted in the 2014 Saarc Charter at Kathmandu and passed by the lower House, was rejected by the HOR. Each election has produced a new Government led by a different party. The new Government formed by the Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) is led by the popular surgeon Prime Minister Lotay Tshering. During the elections, foreign policy Doklam and China were non-issues. Development was the only issue. DNT wishes to diversify the economy moving beyond hydropower which has made it highly indebted to India. Tshering has said his party will be guided by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (K5) and there will be no change in relations with India. But it does want to reduce dependence on India. Gokhale met K5 and his father, (K4) Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the architect of modern Bhutan. He even invited Tshering to India on behalf of Prime Minister Modi, which was accepted by him for later this month due to the Ides of November, an inauspicious period which has delayed the sitting of the Parliament too. Gokhale, who played a key role in defusing the Doklam stand-off and creating the environment for Wuhan, is an old China hand, conscious of the sensitivities of Indias smaller neighbours. In Thimphu, he said India attaches highest priority to further expanding its unique ties of friendship and cooperation based on priorities of the Royal Government of Bhutan. He also assured the Government that India would support the 12th Five Year plan, which is a top priority of the Tshering Government. For the 11th Plan, India gave Rs 4,500 crore plus another Rs 50 crore as an economic stimulus. DNT had pledged to fulfil 25 of its commitments to its people within 120 days. Some of these are removing five per cent voucher tax, free lunch in all schools, free access to online data, instituting a Fourth Pay Commission, protection farmers crops and so on. A flagship project unique to Bhutan is Gross National Happiness, a K4 brainchild which is uplinked with the 12th Plan and aligned with the Governments 25 pledges. Former President Pranab Mukherjee spoke in New Delhi about rising economies and the receding happiness syndrome while discussing the World Happiness Index. The GNH concept is a work in progress and according to the GNH Planning Commission, the trick is to find out who is unhappy, where are they and what is the reason, the mission being to achieve Always Happy Bhutan. Although DNTs election manifesto referred to narrowing the gap (inequality) between the developed West and the less developed East, its Vision 2045 Document is modestly ambitious. Happily, the North-South divide originating from the alleged expulsion of 100,000 Bhupalese (Bhutanese of Nepali origin) in the early 1990s is no longer an issue with the present generation of the Bhupalese who are well integrated. Their Nepali identity is protected with no discrimination. Some 100,000 Bhupalese enjoy equal freedom and privileges that the Bhutanese do to make the reconciliation complete. But the South still votes for Bhupalese candidates. The exodus of the 1990s got linked with illegal immigrants and southern insurgency which called for a multi-party democracy. The Sikkim story, too, was enmeshed with this forgotten but unfortunate chapter of Bhutanese history. According to a former member of the HOR, the Bhutanese attitude towards India changed further positively after Doklam; though some younger nationals did not like Indian interference even as a majority was unaware of the stand-off on their soil. Some Bhutanese want to settle the border issue with China though 24 rounds of border talks three more than India-China border talks have yielded no results. The 25th round was to be held last year but could not be scheduled due to Doklam. It could happen in what is left of this year. The Chinese have been for long, offering to swap 500 sq km of disputed territory in the north with 89 sq km of strategically valuable Doklam. A reflection of the positive change in India-Bhutan relations was the renegotiation of the Treaty of Perpetual Peace and Friendship of 1949 in its new incarnation of 2007, where the clause Bhutan will be guided by India in its external relations, was removed and replaced by cooperating closely on issues relating to national interest, including neither country allowing use of territory harmful to national security and interests of the other. Not many Bhutanese are aware of this Treaty. There is no undercurrent of anti-India sentiment; though on social media, some youth resent over-dependence on India. Of the 432,000 registered voters, 400,000 have Facebook accounts. Tshering has warned to take action against anonymous writers causing disharmony in society . This has become the DNTs 26th pledge. India and Bhutans border disputes (only two countries with which China has not settled the boundary question) with China are intertwined. The two tri-junctions in the East and West involving India, China and Bhutan have not been determined, The China-Bhutan border dispute has deep security implications for India. The Doklam bowl, where the face-off took place last year, lies in the crucial Chumbi valley where the Chinese have been attempting to occupy the Jampheri Ridge, which overlooks the Siliguri corridor. They have been also trying to build a road to the disputed tri-junction. China is keen that Bhutan desegregates its border dispute from Indias. Doklam was an attempt to present a fait accompli. Fifty years of India-Bhutan relations, which are based on a sound foundation, is being celebrated this year. Trust in monarchy is the most decisive factor for the stability of these relations. Just how important Bhutan is for India was highlighted by Prime Minister Modi making his first foreign visit to Bhutan. Still New Delhi has to be extra sensitive to Thimphus heartbeat. (The writer is a retired Major General of the Indian Army and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the revamped Integrated Defence Staff) The right to free speech and expression gives every citizen the right to criticise the courts as well as the judges but does not in any way encourage contempt Last month, the Supreme Court set aside a contempt order, which was passed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court almost half a year ago, sentencing a lawyer to one-month imprisonment for his contemptuous act of unfairly criticising a High Court judge on Facebook. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had initiated a suo motu contempt case against advocate Maneesh Vashistha for his post on Facebook, where he stated that a judgment passed by one of the judges of the High Court was not a speaking order and that a better decision could have been written by a magistrate. Further, he complained that the judge had not uploaded the order even a week after its pronouncement and that this must have happened because he might not have understood what was to be written therein. The setting aside of the High Courts order by the apex court raises an interesting question: Where do we draw the line between free speech criticism and talks that question the authority of the court and contempt? To understand the abovementioned question, let us take a look into the very rationale behind the existence of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 (hereafter referred to as the Act 1971). Why does the judiciary, which is the protector of freedom of speech and expression, create an exception for its own criticism? As it turns out, the judiciary allows for a legitimate criticism of the institution but an unfair comment that unduly lowers or scandalises the authority of the court is a strict no-no. The reason for the same, as has been reiterated in a number of judgements, is to safeguard public interest that would have otherwise been adversely affected by such a comment. Not only would such a comment diminish the authority of the court but would also erode public confidence in the institution of justice. Apart from the truth, which is a defence that has been inserted after an amendment to the Act 1971 in 2006, the foremost shield is the right to genuine criticism. It has been time and again held by the Supreme Court that the right to free speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution includes the right to fair criticism, and the judiciary, like any other organ or institution of the state, does not enjoy immunity from being fairly criticised in the course of its functioning. This freedom to criticise the judiciary includes the right to criticise the judgements of the courts. Usually, the test employed by the court for contempt proceedings relates to the erosion of public confidence. Though wordings of the test would seemingly make it appear as fairly a simple one, practically speaking, its application is very complicated. What are the criteria to decide whether a comment denigrates public confidence in the judiciary? Even this question is not so pressing. The real problem arises when a distinction has to be made between a personal attack on a judge in his/her individual capacity which might fall under the category of defamation and one that is made on the office of the judge, which tends to interfere with the course of justice and is hence a wrong done to the public. While initially, the courts held both the aforementioned cases in two different watertight compartments, with time, the distinction became blurred. In the case, DC Saxena vs Chief Justice of India, the top court had held that a defamatory statement against a judge would constitute contempt when the comment is of such a gravity that erodes public confidence in the system. This test is one that has been formulated on baseless grounds. It is but natural that a statement that tends to raise serious allegations against any judge (even in his/her own individual capacity), can logically be extended as an attack on the judicial institution. Freedom of speech and expression is an essential right that the makers of the Constitution gifted to the citizens of this country so as to protect the very institution of democracy. Across the globe, the right to free speech is seen as something that is sacrosanct for the effective functioning of a healthy democracy. It is only when a person is provided with a platform to express himself that truth emerges. This is not to suggest that any imputation, that is not reasonably justifiable or is not rational or sober and is made unfairly, should not be punished. Checks and balances must exist in a way that our pristine institutions of justice are not polluted by those who do not want our democracy to function properly. Perhaps this can be best explained through a quote by the Supreme Court in the contempt case against Arundhati Roy, which it borrowed from the US Supreme Court judge, Justice Frankfurter in the Pennekamp vs Florida case: If men, including judges and journalists, were angels, there would be no problems of contempt of court. Angelic judges would be undisturbed by extraneous influences and angelic journalists would not seek to influence them. The power to punish for contempt, as a means of safeguarding judges in deciding on behalf of the community as impartially as is given to a lot of men to decide, is not a privilege accorded to judges. The power to punish for contempt of court is a safeguard not for judges as persons but for the function which they exercise. At present, the judiciary is the only wing of the Government that has not received flak of the people for being an ineffective and corrupt organ of the state. Even today, the phrase: I will see you in court not only portrays the intention of the person to fight for his/her cause but also exhibits the confidence reposed by the people of this country in the judiciary as the ultimate place where one can find justice. In the light of this perception, judges of various courts must be more open and friendly to criticism. Even if an unscrupulous person tries to launch an attack on a judge, he/she should first distinguish whether the criticism is personal or professional. If the latter seems to be more probable, then surely a case of contempt should be instituted. The court in such a situation has to be very mindful because invoking contempt jurisdiction at the drop of a hat will in turn lower respect for the judiciary in the eyes of the people and, therefore, defeat the very purpose for which the Act was established. (Raghav Pandey is Assistant Professor of Law and Neelabh Bist is a fourth-year student of Law at the Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai) Chief Operations Officer of the Royal Bhutan Army Lt. Gen. Batoo Tshering met Army Chief Bipin Rawat Thursday during which they discussed issues of mutual interest, officials said. Tshering also laid a wreath at Amar Jawan Jyoti here. India and Bhutan share robust defence ties. Earlier this year, Rawat, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval visited Bhutan and held a meeting with officials of the neighbouring country regarding the increasing flexing of China's military muscle at the eastern border. CBI Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana were fighting like "kilkenny cats", exposing the country's premier investigating agency to "public ridicule", the Government told the Supreme Court on Wednesday while justifying the decision to divest Verma of his duties. Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal also told the bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that the Government was well "within its right to intervene" and send both officers on leave by divesting them of their powers. The top law officer also asserted that "only the God knows where and how this fight between the two top officers would have ended" if the government would not have taken the action which was aimed at restoring the public faith in the CBI. "The Government was watching with amazement. The two top most officers were fighting like kilkenny cats...Dispute between the CBI Director and Special Director was pulling down integrity and respect of premier institution," Venugopal told the bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph. "fight like a Kilkenny cat" refers to an old Irish story about two cats who fought to the death and ate each other up such that only their tails were left. It is often used figuratively of two people who are vehemently opposed in attitudes or opinions to the extent that they will never agree and will spark fire off each other whenever they meet. The AG further submitted that the two top officers, Verma and Asthana, were "fighting against each other and went public which exposed CBI to public ridicule." Referring to media reports, he said that their public fight gave print and electronic media "a field day". "It was the duty of the Government to ensure that confidence of public in this premier institution is restored," he said. The AG also rebutted the submission of Verma that the selection panel comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and the Chief Justice should have been consulted before divesting of his powers. The selection panel's job was to select the candidate for appointment as the CBI Director and the central government, being the appointing authority, was well within its right to take action in view of prevailing "extraordinary and unprecedented" situation in CBI, the AG said. Reacting to Verma's submissions and allegations that the Government has not taken any independent decision and only relied upon the order of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in sending him on leave, the AG referred to provisions of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act and the CVC Act to say that the CVC and the Centre have the power of superintendence over CBI. He also read Department of Personnel and Training order against Verma and Asthana and said "the dispute between the CBI Director and the Special Director was pulling down the the respect and integrity of the institution which got eroded." The officers should have settled the fight "in-house" and rather, they went public with it leading to a situation where "news channels and the news papers had a field day," he said, adding that the government should have acted in July itself when their fight first time became public. He said that common public and the courts have "faith" in the CBI and due to the fight, the reputation of the premier agency had eroded and hampered. Replying to Justice Joseph's query that how the government came to know that the officers have gone public with their fight and asked whether there was any press conference held by them, Venugopal referred to the media reports, and said that he can produce relevant materials to this effect. The law officer then opposed the submission of Verma that sending him on leave amounted to his transfer and hence, the government cannot tamper with the apex court verdict which guarantees two years fixed tenure to the CBI chief. "If anybody asks today, who is the CBI Director. The answer is -- Alok Verma. He is getting the same salary, perks and perquisites and having same designation. He is staying in his same official residence here," he said. The law officer referred to previous judgements and said that there was "no limitation and inhibition" on the power of the Centre, which decided to divest Verma of his powers and asked someone else to perform the duties of the CBI head. In response to a query of the bench whether the CBI chief can still supervise the graft cases cases lodged under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the law officer said that he cannot do this at the moment. "The government was compelled to intervene. Though, it could have done so in July itself," he said, adding, "there were large number of allegations. The government's worry was that CBI was becoming a subject matter of public ridicule. We had to prevent this... The government had to act keeping in mind the totality of facts. Totality required action." Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CVC, commenced his arguments by referring to legal provisions relating to the vigilance panel. The court would now resume hearing tomorrow on pleas of Verma, who is challenging the Centre's decision against him, and NGO 'Common Cause' seeking court-monitored SIT probe into allegations of corruption against various CBI officials, including Asthana. The Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused permission for the much-touted BJP rath yatra to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah from North Bengal district of Cooch Behar on December 7. The HC asked BJPs senior counsel Anindya Mitra as to who would take responsibility if any untoward incident happens and wondered why the petitioners had approached the court so late when it was almost impossible to assess the law and order scenario in the given political situation. The BJP had earlier petitioned the court seeking hearing on an urgent basis for the permission for the yatra as the offices of Home Secretary, DGP and Superintendents of Police had failed to respond to its letters seeking permission. While the BJP leadership said they would prefer an appeal and acted accordingly Chief Justice Debashis Kar Gupta refused to hear an appeal abruptly and directed the party to mention the matter at 10.30 am on Friday. Agusta fixer evasive during grilling, his driver to be quizzed The CBI will soon confront the driver of Agusta- Westland VVIP chopper deal middleman Christian Michel, Narayan Bahadur, with the British national to ascertain the contacts and addresses visited by the deal fixer during his stay in the national Capital. The driver, along with Michel, could even be physically taken to all the places where the middleman frequented during his visits to India. Michel is being questioned intensively by CBI sleuths in connection with the helicopter deal scam but he has been evasive to questions so far, agency sources said. Michel had allegedly travelled over a dozen times to Delhi in the years preceding the negotiations for the deal and subsequent conclusion in 2010. Michels driver in Delhi was Bahadur. Sources in the agency said that CBIs prime focus is to question Michel and later issue summons to other accused linked to the case including former IAF chief SP Tyagi, his cousins and Gautam Khaitan of IDS Infotech and others. Sources said Michel is being confronted with documents running into 1.5 lakh pages. Michel entered into as many as 12 contracts with Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland and Westland Helicopters UK through two of his firms namely Global Trade and Commerce Ltd London and Global Services FZE, Dubai, UAE to legitimise the illicit commission on the procurement of VVIP helicopters by Ministry of Defence, India. An amount of Euro 42.27million (Rs 295 crore approximately) was paid by the Finmeccanica Group to the firms of Michel as kickbacks without undertaking any work against the receipt of such amount, the CBI said. Michel was a frequent visitor to India and was operating as a middleman for defence procurements through a wide network of sources in the IAF and MoD at different levels including retired and serving IAF officials. During his stay in India, Bahadur used to take him to places to visit his contacts. Bahadur was earlier questioned by Enforcement Directorate during which he had said that he used to receive money from Michels firms. Sources said Michel is being questioned round the clock minus reasonable duration of sleep. He is under medical observation during the CBI custody. The CBI has received a request for consular access to Michel by the British High Commission through the Ministry of External Affairs. We are examining the request and necessary action will be taken thereafter, an official said. MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, We have received a request from the UK High Commission seeking consular access. The matter at this point of time is being examined within the Ministry. Kumar said the Government will revert to the British High Commission soon. Sources said consular access is generally provided to nationals of friendly countries. Michel, 57, was brought to India late Tuesday night following his extradition by the United Arab Emirates in connection with the case being probed by both CBI and ED. A designated court on Wednesday sent him to five-day custody of the CBI. He will be produced on December 10 before the court. Meanwhile, emboldened by the extradition of Michel, the CBI is all set to send Joint Director of CBI Special Investigation Team (SIT) A Sai Manohar to London to assist the proceedings in a court there for the extradition of controversial businessman Vijay Mallya. The final hearing of extradition petition of Mallya is scheduled for December 10. Manohar led a team of four officials to Dubai to bring Michel to India. The European Commission Vice President for the Energy Union Maros Sefcovic and Ukraine's Minister for Foreign Affairs Pavlo Klimkin held a bilateral meeting in Brussels yesterday. The meeting was focused on the ongoing trilateral talks with Russia and Ukraine on the long-term transit of gas to Europe and the unbundling of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine. According to the European Commission's statement, both sides have expressed their intention to hold a next trilateral meeting at the political level in the beginning of 2019. The meeting will possibly be preceded by a technical meeting involving experts, the statement added. Court questions grave exigency for Govts overnight decision to divest Verma of powers Does the CBI Director have such protection that neither the Centre nor the CVC can touch him for any of his actions during the fixed tenure of two years? At the same time, observing that the essence of every Government action must be in the interest of the institution, the SC asked the Centre and the CVC what was the grave exigency that prompted the overnight decision to divest Alok Verma of his powers as CBI Director over his bitter feud with Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Institutions cannot be allowed to crumble, the court observed while reserving its verdict on the petitions filed by Verma and others challenging the Centres October 23 decision to divest him of all powers and sending him on leave. However, the SC questioned, Does the fixed tenure of CBI Director supersede all rules and makes him untouchable? This question arose on Thursday in the Supreme Court which was hearing the petitions filed by CBI Director Alok Verma and others challenging the Centres decision to divest him of all powers and sending him on leave along with Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Both have levelled allegations of corruption against each other. When senior advocates Fali Nariman and Dushyant Dave, appearing for Verma and an NGO, Common Cause respectively, argued that neither the Centre nor the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had any power to take disciplinary action against the CBI Director, a Bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked: Will that not make CBI Director virtually untouchable? Is that what Parliament intended? These questions cropped up while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CVC, was justifying the action taken against the CBI chief. Though Verma, according to the Centre remains the CBI Director, Additional Solicitor General PS Narasimha appearing for the CBI, submitted that there was no need to go to the Selection Committee before taking disciplinary action against Verma. Nariman and others opposing the Centres decision took the stand that action against the CBI chief can be taken only by the high-level panel, comprising the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India, involved in the selection process. The hearing also saw Asthanas counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi taking the stance that a direction be passed to take the CVC enquiry report against Verma to its logical conclusion. Rohatgi, who was Attorney General before K K Venugopal, told the apex court that Asthana was a whistle-blower in the case, but was painted by the government with the same brush and sought a direction to the Centre that it should take the CVCs preliminary inquiry against Verma to a logical end. My assumption is that the CVC report is adverse in part to the gentleman (Verma). The Central government should take this report to logiocal end, Rohatgi said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, referred to the legal provisions and said that on these allegations the Government could have come to the selection committee and asked the panel to please transfer Verma. Please dont give this handle to the Government to suspend or divest of power any CBI authority. This will affect the independence of the CBI and will render the Vineet Narain judgment toothless, Sibal told the bench. He argued that a transfer actually amounts to a public casting of doubt on the CBI Director. Thats why legislature has drawn a ring fence around transfer by introducing the prior approval of the panel. Further, he said CVCs powers of supervision over CBI extend to corruption cases alone and that is the extent of the CVC Act. When Nariman was asked by the Bench If the situation arises, can the court appoint a CBI Director, he said: Yes, in its inherent powers, it can. When Sibal concluded his arguments, Dave in a lighter vein, said Mr Sibal says he wont want to exercise this power when he is the Home Minister. Sibal was quick to respond, As if I am not already in enough troubles. The transformation plan of Chandni Chowk will damage the flood plain of the canal area built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan and designed by his beloved daughter Princess Jahan Aara, believe many traders living in the area for ages. Since the plan was made public, traders are fighting against the concretisation of the area as they feel the present development plan leaves no scope for revival of the Mughal era canal which was covered by the British in 1910. Importantly, as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, no pakka construction will take place on the water body area. The traders have written to Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to intervene and issue orders to stop the development work. Fancy construction will erase the essence of the Mughal era, particularly this seventeenth century road which is 1.3 kilometre, connecting historic Red Fort to Fatehpuri Mosque built by Shahjans wife Fateh-un-Nisa and named after her. An Old Delhi trader told The Pioneer, from the time of Mughals till date, it is one of the busiest markets in the country. There are centuries old buildings situated in that particular stretch Gurdwara Sis Ganj, Sunehri Masjid, Digambar Jain temple, Gauri Shankar Mandir and Fatehpuri Masjid and markets like Nai Sadak and Dariba Kalan, said the trader. It is true that with time, the area has witnessed changes, traffic is one problem but with planned parking, the problem can be resolved, said another trader. Meanwhile, BJP leaders leading Old Traders Association urged the revival of Mughal era canal and its beautified development as done in Bhopal, Ahmedabad, London and Venice. We have sent a copy of letter and urged him to postpone the inauguration proposed for December 7, 2018 for time bound hearing of public suggestions and modifications, said a BJP worker. BJP leaders have also sent the letters to Union Ministers Dr Harsvardhan and Vijay Goel and Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari urging them to intervene and examine the possibility of Centres intervention in the matter, like in the case of smart cities development. The Old Traders Association is opposing the plan because it is difficult to restrict the entry of motorised vehicles in the area as this will impact on their trade, sale and income. We have never been involved in the plan- making process. The plans were solely designed by civic officers and other people involved from the Shahajanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC). they just sit in air - conditioned room and design the plan, said Azad Goel of the Old Traders Association. The transformation Old Delhi plan is about the shifting of utilities on road between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Old mosque. The work has been started on the direction of the Delhi High Court. The reconstruction has evoked strong reaction from the Old Traders of the area who said they will fight it out to preserve the outlook of the Walled City. This much touted re-development will take away the glory of the Shajahanabad, they added. A two-day national conference on recent trends in research in applied sciences with interdisciplinary approach began in Daltonganj today. State governments Higher, Technical Education & Skill Development department Ranchi has sponsored the event. The conference has been organized by department of Physics in collaboration with department of Botany GLA College under Nilamber Pitambar University. There has been a couple of national conferences under this NP university in the recent past here where despite national tag the conferences held in the past looked not beyond that of the State level but this national conference right at its inaugural day looks all set to be a national one as here came Dr G S Singh from Roorkee, Dr S K Mandal from University of Delhi, Dr Nitin Chattopadhaya ( Jadhavpur university Kolkata, Dr Amit K Bardhan FMS, University of Delhi, Dr Rama Shankar Eriteria, Africa, Dr P P Ghoshal Botanist BSI Kolkata and others, said a university official. NPUs departments of Physics and Botany almost laid a red carpet for the eminent scholars who came here to attend the conference. The arrangement in the town hall was spick and span except for a 2 minute failure of power supply when Dr G S Singh was at the mike. NPUs senior teacher Sanjiv Singh regretted this inconvenience. Ex VC of NPU Firoz Ahmad too graced the occasion. The chairman of this national conference Dr S N Singh vice chancellor of NP University said, This national conference will pave way for research works here. There is this trend to teach and teach only. Research gets a back seat. We have begun to award PhDs now. Such conferences will energize students and teachers to go for research. Asked as to what benefit society will have from this kind of national conference on applied sciences VC Singh said, It is an age of powerful data storage. It is an age of transmission of information. There is big data analytics going on. All these are the slices of applied sciences. Sources said although this national conference was of Physics and Botany in strict sense but here interdisciplinary co operation like English department, Economics department, Hindi department and other departments was too visible and evident. In speeches given by Chattopadhya, Singh and Ahmad the stress was for quality teaching to promote research but the speakers knew well the ground reality is that one teacher holds the department! Abstractsof the conference was released on this occasion. The Delhi Police has arrested two women involved in more than four cases of theft in national Capital. The women arrested are part of a gang in which 25-30 women from Madhya Pradesh came together to Delhi and fammed to different areas in groups of 2-3 to execute theft. These women used to reside under flyovers or low lying areas for 10-15 days and then go back to their villages after committing thefts. They have been identified as Sanjo (32) and Shabana (20) both residents of district Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh. According to Devendra Arya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), South west district, on October 15, a theft case was registered in Delhi Cantt police station regarding theft of two diamond bangles and a ring. Acting on the complaint, several CCTV cameras were scanned in the area which helped police team to trace down an auto-rickshaw who later on told about the accused women. On his instance both the women were caught and two diamond bangles and a ring worth Rs 6 lakh were recovered from their possession. During interrogation both confessed to the crime and their involvement in previous theft cases, said the DCP. Explaining their modus operandi the DCP said that this is a gang of 25-30 women, who come together to Delhi and further dissemble to different areas in groups of 2-3 to execute theft cases. These women hire autos for a full day and then go to busy market places and malls to steal from handbags of women. Through auto they operate their whole operations. They reside under the flyover or local colonies for the 10-15 days they come for stealing and then return back to their village. They keep jewellery and cash with them and throw away documents and cards in letter boxes, said the DCP. Sprouts an Akriti Pre-school has been ranked as the best foundation school of the city. Two other schools including New Dimension School, Koh-e-Fiza branch and Jack and Jill pre-school has been ranked second and third best schools of the city.EducationWorld in association with the Delhi-based market research and opinion polls company Centre for Forecasting and Research Pvt. Ltd (C fore) today released its ninth annual EducationWorld India Preschool Rankings 2018-19 survey in 14 cities which rates and ranks 530 preschools for youngest children countrywide. To eliminate apples-with-orange type comparisons, standalone proprietary and franchised preschools (aka pre-primaries) in four metros and 6 cities are ranked separately, whereas in remaining 6 tier-2 cities, there is a single category. Moreover, for the first time, the most well-managed anganwadis in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are also ranked with the objective of presenting them as models for other governmentrun pre-primaries.A national sample of 8,245 respondents comprising parents with preschool children, principals and teachers were interviewed by over 100 field staff of C fore and rated and ranked.There are 10 parameters on which the schools are marked. The parameters include competence of teachers, Teacher welfare, Infrastructure, Individual attention to students, Value for money, Leadership or management quality, Parental involvement, Innovative teaching, Safety and hygiene, Special needs education. Every respondent was shown a list of pre-selected list of preschools in her city and asked to rate the schools that they were sufficiently aware of on a ten-point scale against ten parameters of early childhood and educational excellence. Schools assessed by less than 30 persons were not considered for ranking. The score awarded under each parameter by sample respondents was totaled to rank preschools in the selected 16 cities.All parameters are given equal weightage except competence of teachers which is given double weight, says PremchandPalety, the founder- CEO of C fore. Iran will not discuss its OPEC quota as long as it is under sanctions, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said, speaking after the session of the OPEC-Non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) in Vienna According to him, Iran should be excluded from any decision on output quotas in the future until the U.S. sanctions are lifted. The minister did not specify the Iran's current level of production as he said it might serve as a pretext for the U.S. to extert pressure on Tehran. "If they [the U.S.] want to exert pressure on Iran through OPEC, this is unprofessional, and I want to add that OPEC is not part of the U.S. Department of Energy, so it does not need instructions from the U.S. on what to do," TASS cited Zanganeh as saying. The JMMC meeting was held in Vienna yesterday. The participants agreed to recommend OPEC members to cut output in the first half of 2019. Production will be cut by around 1 mln barrels per day. Ministers of OPEC countries will consider the recommendation on Thursday, non-OPEC states - on Friday. After hurling vitriol at the Bharatiya Janata Party brass, Member of Parliament from Bahraich, Savitribai Phule, resigned from the primary membership of the party on Thursday, saying that the BJP government was anti-Dalit and was trying to muzzle democratic voices within and outside the party. The BJP is trying to change the Indian Constitution. There is a concerted attempt to withdraw reservation benefits. Today, the BJP is not working for the welfare of bahujan. Hence, there is no point in remaining in the party. However, I clarify here that I am quitting the BJP and not the Lok Sabha, Phule said in Lucknow on Thursday. Now, I have nothing to do with the BJP. I was ignored because I am a Dalit. There is an attempt to withdraw reservation for Dalits and backwards. I opposed this government policy and was hence ignored, Phule said. For the past one year or so, the MP from Bahraich has been critical of the BJP think-tank and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Of late, she had stopped taking part in party programmes, saying that the party was anti-Dalit and wanted to change the Constitution. The Prime Minister calls himself a chowkidar but it is ironical that people are looting the countrys resources under the chowkidars nose. The Prime Minister had promised that he will bring (back) black money and everyone will get Rs 15 lakh. Instead, people close to the Prime Minister looted banks and fled the county, Phule said in an oblique reference to Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, who are facing bank fraud charges. The MP from Bahraich said that instead of carrying out development, public money was being used for construction of mandir and statues. The BJP is spreading hatred in the name of religion and therefore Muslims are scared. This is against the spirit of Indian Constitution which talks about secularism, she said. I am resigning (from BJP) on the death anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar as manuwadi mindset is being promoted and the RSS, VHP and BJP are hurting the sentiments of Dalits and Muslims by creating a 1992-like situation. They are playing divisive politics with the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in mind, she said. What can you say about a party whose Chief Minister calls Lord Hanuman a Dalit. This reflects the manuwadi tendency of BJP leaders, who want to run the country by Manusmriti and not by the Constitution, Phule said. The MP from Bahraich declared that she would launch an agitation from December 23 wherein she would raise issues concerning Dalits. They are suffering. There is no one to raise their voice. Till date, they have been used as vote bank. Now I will be the voice of Dalits, she said. Piqued by the slow empanelment of doctors of both government and private sectors in the Ayushman Bharat national health protection scheme, Chief Secretary Anup Chandra Pandey has asked Health department brass to expedite the process so that people could benefit from it at the earliest. The government is committed to providing better health care to the poor and therefore the ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched. Under this scheme, 1.18 crore families or six crore people would be extended benefit and get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh. This scheme can work if there is enough empanelment of doctors. But the speed (of empanelment) seems to be very slow, Pandey said during a review meeting held in Lucknow on Thursday. The Chief Secretary said that empanelment of doctors of both government and private sector was very slow. Speed up the system so that over 2000 health and wellness centres could be made functional across the state by the end of January, 2019, he said. These wellness centres would provide high quality treatment to people above 30 years of age for five main diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and three types of cancer. In the review meeting, Pandey also monitored the progress in power revenue collection, construction of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and women empowerment projects. In another meeting, the Chief Secretary asked district officials to ensure that government land freed from land mafia was not encroached again. He directed the anti-land mafia task force to free government land around highways and canals from encroachment. If the case is pending in court, it should be pursued and the details should be uploaded on the portal, he instructed. Pandey said that districts like Jaunpur, Deoria, Sitapur, Gonda and Prayagraj were the worst performers. He asked the district magistrates of these districts to improve working within 15 days. Office of Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Thursday imparted training to all the 27 district electoral officers, deputy district electoral officers and returning officers from all 90 State Assembly constituencies in the auditorium of new Circuit House here on the different aspects of counting process. Training was imparted for the counting scheduled on December 11. The final round of training for all the officers and employees will be held on December 10. State Chief Electoral Officer Subrat Sahoo and trainers answered the queries raised by the participating officials on the occasion. In the opening session of the training, CEO Subrat Sahoo appreciated all the district collectors and returning officers along with all officials and employees deputed for polling for conducting the polls in two phases in Chhattisgarh peacefully. Chhattisgarh has become the lone state where no re-polling will take place as per the Election Commission of India, he said. Sahoo said that in Chhattisgarh ,electors participated with much enthusiasm in casting their vote. It was made possible through a team effort. The CEO also gave away the certificates to all the officials having cleared the examination of Certification Course cum Training organised by Election Commission of India for the first time in Chhattisgarh as part of Assembly Election 2018. Those having cleared the examination were deputed for the election related works. It was organised for the Returning Officers and Assistant Returning Officers. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met the family members of slain Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Lucknow on Thursday and assured them strict action against the assailants who stoked violence in Bulandshahr that left the cop and a youth dead on Monday. The slain cops son Shrey Kumar Singh said that the Chief Minister assured justice to them. Yogi ji said that strict action will be taken against the culprits and they will not be spared at any cost, Shrey Singh told reporters after the meeting with the Chief Minister at his 5, Kalidas Marg official residence here on Thursday morning. A government spokesman said that the Chief Minister assured the family that a road and a college would be named after the martyred inspector. The Chief Minister also assured them that the state government would take care of the education of both sons of the slain inspector and also repay a house loan of Rs 30 lakh. Singhs elder son Abhishek is preparing for Civil Services examination while the younger one is pursuing a law course. The government has already announced extra-ordinary pension for the family, Rs 40 lakh to the widow of the deceased inspector and Rs 10 lakh to the cops parents. As the cops parents have passed away, this amount will also be given to his wife, the government spokesman said. During the meeting with the Chief Minister, the martyred cops widow, Rashmi, revealed that Singh had arrested three people on charges of cow slaughter and that night he had got a call from a local MLA. As he was in the washroom, I told him about the call later, she said, hinting at a possible link between that call and the violence that took place later. Minister of State for Food and Civil Supplies, Atul Garg, who is also in-charge of Etah district to which the Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh belonged, addressed the media along with Director General of Police OP Singh here on Thursday. The Chief Minister has assured the family that education of children and house loan will be taken care of by the government. Besides, a college will also be named after Inspector Singh, Garg said. The DGP said, We in the police force are like a family. Besides an extraordinary pension, we have also offered a job to a kin of the slain cop. But since the sons are studying, we have left it to their discretion. India is the fourth highest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, accounting for 7 per cent of global emissions in 2017, a study said Wednesday. The top four emitters in 2017, which covered 58 per cent of global emissions, were China (27 per cent), the US (15 per cent), the European Union (10 per cent) and India (7 per cent), according to the projection by the Global Carbon Project. The rest of the world contributed 41 per cent last year, it said. India's emissions look set to continue their strong growth by an average of 6.3 per cent in 2018, with growth across all fuels coal (7.1pc), oil (2.9pc) and gas (6.0pc), the study said. The top 10 emitters were China, the US, the EU, India, Russia, Japan, Germany, Iran, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. The study also said that the Indian emissions were projected to grow 2 per cent in 2017, compared to 6 per cent per year averaged over the previous decade, due to significant government interventions in the economy. In India, emissions are expected to grow by a solid 6.3 per cent in 2018, pushed by strong economic growth of around 8 per cent per year. "Coal is still the mainstay of the Indian economy, and as in China, it will be a challenge for solar and wind to displace coal, given the strong growth in energy use," it said. It also said that although global coal use is still 3 per cent lower than its historical high, it is expected to grow in 2018, driven by growth in energy consumption in China and India. The emissions in the rest of the world -- remaining 41 per cent of global emissions -- are expected to grow by 1.8 per cent in 2018. This group is of mainly developing countries and the five countries contributing most to the growth in this grouping in the last decade are Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Iraq and South Korea, the study said. China, India and the European Union are setting the pace. These regions represent 40 per cent of global carbon emissions. They are set to achieve more than what they agreed in the first round of Paris Agreement in 2015. Their leaders can step up and announce even bolder programmes at the UN summit in September, 2019, to review the commitments made during Paris Agreement, it said. The study said that while China and India still rely heavily on coal, the US and the EU are slowly decarbonising. India can continue to deploy solar farms, leveraging its leadership of the International Solar Alliance to displace coal and clean up its smog-choked cities. By 2020, India can announce its own fossil-fuel exit strategy and a target date for its peak CO2 emissions, the study said. The study warned that the global emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels and industry are projected to rise for the second consecutive year in 2018, by more than 2 per cent to a new record, mainly due to sustained growth in oil and gas use. The US has hinted that it will oppose any move by China to impose its own Dalai Lama on the Tibetan people as Washington believes that the decision to pick the successor to Tibet's current top Buddhist leader should be as per religious traditions and the state has no role in it. China has grown increasingly wary about who will succeed the 14th Dalai Lama, who lives in India on exile. The current Dalai Lama, who is 83, was designated by high priests as the next Dalai Lama when he was just 2. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, when the current Dalai Lama passes away, he will reincarnate as another person. China has maintained that it has the authority to appoint the successor to the 14th Dalai Lama, who is loyal to Beijing. Explaining the Trump administration's stand to lawmakers on Tuesday, Laura Stone, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said the US has a clear position that religious decisions should be made by religious organisations, not by political regimes. "The United States has a very clear position that decisions, religious decisions, should be made within religious organisations, that this isn't the role of the state," Stone told the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy during a Congressional hearing. Stone was responding to a question from Senator Cory Gardner. "China has said that they will pick the next Dalai Lama. The Tibetan Policy, actually in 2002, mandated that American officials visit Tibet on a regular basis. I want to get into both of these. If China proceeds and tries to impose a Dalai Lama what will the US response be?" the senator had asked. Gardner said it was clear that this Congress would not recognise a Chinese imposition on the Tibetan people. Stone said the senator asking such a question was an important signal in itself to the Chinese government that this was the kind of issue that the United States was watching very closely and at very senior levels. China on Thursday demanded the immediate release of Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of tech giant Huawei, whose arrest could escalate into a major diplomatic incident. Calling Meng's detention a "rights abuse", Beijing urged both Ottawa and Washington to clarify their reasons for the action. She was arrested in Vancouver on Saturday and faces extradition to the US. The row threatens to drive a further rift between the US and China even as they begin three months of negotiations aimed at de-escalating their bruising trade war. Canada confirmed Meng's detention on Wednesday night. Details of the arrest were not released but the US has been investigating Huawei over possible violation of sanctions against Iran, reports say. She was provisionally detained by the Canadian Authorities on behalf of the US, when she was transferring flights in Canada, the BBC reported. US stock futures and Asian shares tumbled after Meng's arrest. UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday said the warring parties in the Arab country had reached an agreement on the exchange of prisoners. Griffiths' announcement came at the beginning of the Yemeni peace negotiations outside of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, in a renewed attempt by the UN to end nearly four years of civil war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine. Representatives of the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, flew to Sweden on Wednesday while UN special envoy Martin Griffiths accompanied the Iranian-backed Houthis to Stockholm. "I am also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, detainees, the missing, the forcibly detained and individuals placed under house arrest," Griffiths said at a press conference. "It will allow thousands of families to be reunited and it is product of very effective, active work from both delegations." Griffiths hoped the peace talks would result in the resumption of the political process in Yemen. The peace negotiations in the small Swedish town of Rimbo located 60 km to the north of Stockholm were the first to be carried out in over two years. The Houthis rebels belonging to an armed movement that adheres to the Zaidi current of Islam who launched an insurgency against the Yemeni government in 2011 - did not attend the last round of talks, convened by the UN in September in Geneva. IANS Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has held a meeting with Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Thomas Greminger today on the sidelines of a meeting of the OSCE Ministerial Council. The minister and the secretary general welcomed each other, and after that the meeting continued without the media. Last time, Lavrov and Greminger met on November 2 in Moscow to discuss security provision in Europe and the situation in Ukraine, TASS recalls. 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 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 BT Group plc provides communications services worldwide. Its Consumer segment sells telephones, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi extenders through high street retailers, online BT Shop, and Website BT.com; and offers home phone, copper and fiber broadband, TV, and mobile services in various packages. The company's EE segment offers 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile network services; broadband, fixed-voice, and TV services; and postpaid and prepaid plans, and emergency services network. This segment also sells 4G mobile phones, tablets, connected devices, and mobile broadband devices from various manufacturers. Its Business and Public Sector segment provides fixed voice, mobility, fiber and connectivity, and networked IT services to retailers, utilities, public sector, healthcare, sports, construction, finance, and educational sectors. The company's Global Services segment offers business communications and ICT services comprising BT Connect, BT Security, BT One, BT Contact, BT Compute, BT Advise, and BT for financial markets. This segment serves approximately 5,500 customers in 180 countries. Its Wholesale and Ventures segment enables communications providers and other organizations to provide fixed or mobile phone services. Its ventures provide mass-market services, such as directory enquiries and payphones; and enterprise services comprising BT Fleet and BT Redcare. This segment also provides broadband and Ethernet, voice, hosted communication, mobile virtual network operator, managed solutions, machine-to-machine, roaming, and media services. The company's Openreach segment engages in the provision of services over the local access network; and installation and maintenance of fiber and copper communications networks that connect homes and businesses. The company was formerly known as Newgate Telecommunications Limited and changed its name to BT Group plc in September 2001. BT Group plc was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Read More Centrica plc operates as an integrated energy company in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway, North America, and internationally. The company operates through British Gas, Energy Marketing & Trading, Centrica Business Solutions, Bord GAis Energy, and Upstream segments. It supplies gas and electricity to residential customers, as well as offers energy-related services; and generates power from combined cycle gas turbines and nuclear assets. The company also provides installation, repair, and maintenance services for domestic central heating, plumbing and drains, home electrical, and gas and kitchen appliances; and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, as well as offers breakdown services. In addition, it is involved in the procurement, trading, and optimization of energy; procurement and sale of LNG; and supplies energy efficiency solutions and technologies to residential customers. Further, the company produces and processes gas and oil; develops new fields to maintain reserves; constructs, owns, and exploits infrastructure; and engages in the social enterprise investment fund activities. Additionally, it provides vehicle leasing, commercial, and insurance services, as well as energy management products and services; and operates a gas storage and franchise network. The company was formerly known as Yieldtop plc and changed its name to Centrica plc in December 1996. Centrica plc was incorporated in 1995 and is based in Windsor, the United Kingdom. Read More Gildan Activewear Inc. manufactures and sells various apparel products in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It provides various activewear products, including T-shirts, fleece tops and bottoms, and sport shirts under the Gildan, Gildan Performance, Gildan Hammer, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Anvil by Gildan, Alstyle, Prim + Preux, and GoldToe brands. The company also offers hosiery products comprising athletic; dress; and casual, liner, therapeutic, and workwear socks, as well as sheer panty hoses, tights, and leggings under the brands of Gildan, Under Armour, GoldToe, PowerSox, GT a GoldToe Brand, Silver Toe, Signature Gold by Goldtoe, Peds, MediPeds, Kushyfoot, Therapy Plus, All Pro, Secret, Silks, Secret Silky, and American Apparel. In addition, it provides men's and boys' underwear products, and ladies panties under the Gildan and Gildan Platinum brand names; and ladies' shapewear, intimates, and accessories under the Secret and Secret Silky brands. The company sells its products to wholesale distributors, screen printers, or embellishers, as well as to retailers and consumer brand companies. The company was formerly known as Textiles Gildan Inc. and changed its name to Gildan Activewear Inc. in March 1995. Gildan Activewear Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Read More 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. iShares Currency Hedged MSCI Japan ETF's stock was trading at $26.57 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, HEWJ shares have increased by 46.5% and is now trading at $38.93. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. The decision on raising retirement age in Russia since 2019 was the most challenging one for Russian authorities over the past decades, but it was made for a long-term perspective, Russia's Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an interview with Russian TV channels. According to the PM, such decisions cannot be reviewed often. "Its evident that this decision is aimed at a long-term perspective," Medvedev said, noting that last time the decisions on the pension age in the country were made nearly 70 years ago. Medvedev recalled that the decision on raising the retirement age was a compromise solution. For women this will be an increase by five years instead of eight, as initially proposed, and certain groups of citizens will continue receiving social benefits, TASS reported. The Prime Minister said that the country's leadership did not doubt that the reform will cause negative reaction, but one cannot base decisions on likes and dislikes in this sphere, as it may result in grave consequences. "If we do only everything we like in the economy, we will most likely turn into a backward and very weak country," he stressed. The vice-rector of the Academy of Labour and Social Relations Alexander Safonov, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, the government would not have had to take such an unpopular step if Russia had achieved high rates of economic growth. "If the economic growth rate was at an adequate level, about 5%, then the federal budget revenues would be enough to implement the necessary strategy to increase pensions. But since economic growth rates are a more complex thing than just changing the retirement age, in this regard, at the current stage, the government chose an easier way," he said. The first results of the pension reform will be announced next year. If unemployment creeps up, it will indicate that they have not thought through enough the sequence of steps and the consequences of raising the retirement age," Safonov explained. The head of the Department of Management Graduate School (VSHGU) at RANEPA, Ilya Bykovnikov, in turn, agreed that the government has chosen to make simplest choice. "Perhaps, there were other ways, but they would have given a longer result than this one-time, albeit a difficult decision related to raising the retirement age. That is, the choice was in favor of reform, which gives an almost instant result. It is still difficult to say what the practical results will be. Most recently, changes to the law were made, when the president changed the age threshold for women, and it is unclear how effective the reform will be," he said. Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 3 signed a law on the pension reform. The law stipulates raising the pension age by five years from 60 to 65 for men and from 55 to 60 for women. The gradual pension age hike will begin from 2019. The transition period will last until 2028. 6 hours ago Black Friday is back but it's not what it used to be NEW YORK (AP) On this year's Black Friday, things almost seem normal. Malls and stores report decent-sized crowds, if not the floods of people that used to fight over the latest toys Read Article Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cannot accept donations from wealthy businessmen to fund his legal defense against bribery allegations, a committee appointed by State Comptroller Joseph Shapira decided Wednesday, The Jerusalem Post reported. Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit pointed out that the committee did not say that no public official could receive donations for their legal defense in any circumstance, but that the specific facts in Netanyahus case precluded such action. The prime minister had wanted to accept donations from his cousin, businessman Natan Milikovsky, and businessman Spencer Partridge. As a rule, this is not the kind of issue that is justified under the circumstances of the case and is appropriate from a public perspective, a document published on behalf of the committee explained. Legal expenses arising from a criminal investigation, which includes a suspicion of criminal acts in connection with various financiers, should not be carried out by financiers, the document said. 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 Genworth Financial, Inc. is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of insurance, wealth management, investment and financial solutions. It operates through the following segments: U.S. Mortgage Insurance, Australia Mortgage Insurance, U.S. Life Insurance, and Runoff. The U.S. Mortgage Insurance segment offers mortgage insurance products predominantly insuring prime-based, individually underwritten residential mortgage loans. The Australia Mortgage Insurance segment offers flow mortgage insurance and selectively provides bulk mortgage insurance that aids in the sale of mortgages to the capital markets and helps lenders manage capital and risk. The U.S. Life Insurance segment offers long-term care insurance products as well as service traditional life insurance and fixed annuity products in the United States. The Runoff segment includes the results of non-strategic products which are no longer actively sold but continue to service its existing blocks of business. Its non-strategic products primarily include variable annuity, variable life insurance, institutional, corporate-owned life insurance and other accident and health insurance products. The company was fo Read More American Water Works Co., Inc. engages in the provision of complementary water and wastewater services. It operates through the following segments: Regulated Businesses; Market-Based Businesses; and Other. The Regulated Businesses segment provides water and wastewater services to customers. The Market-Based Businesses segment is responsible for Military Services Group, Contract Operations Group, Homeowner Services Group, and Keystone Operations. The Other segment includes corporate costs that are not allocated to the Company's operating segments, eliminations of inter-segment transactions, fair value adjustments and associated income and deductions related to the acquisitions that have not been allocated to the operating segments for evaluation of performance and allocation of resource purposes. The company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Camden, NJ. Read More Anixter International Inc., through its subsidiary, Anixter Inc., distributes enterprise cabling and security solutions, electrical and electronic wire and cable solutions, and utility power solutions worldwide. The company operates through Network & Security Solutions (NSS), Electrical & Electronic Solutions (EES), and Utility Power Solutions (UPS) segments. The NSS segment offers copper and fiber optic cable and connectivity, access control, video surveillance, intrusion and fire/life safety, cabinet, power, cable management, wireless, professional audio/video, voice and networking switches, and other ancillary products for the technology, finance, transportation, education, government, healthcare, and retail industries, as well as telecommunications service providers. The EES Solutions segment provides electrical and electronic wires and cables, shipboard cables, support and supply products, low-voltage and instrumentation cables, industrial communication and control products, security cables, connectors, industrial Ethernet switches, and voice and data cables to the commercial and industrial, and original equipment manufacturer markets. The UPS segment supplies electrical transmission and distribution products, power plant maintenance, repair and operations supplies, and smart-grid products, as well as arranges materials management and procurement outsourcing for the power generation and transmission, and electricity distribution industries. The company serves contractors, installers, system integrators, value-added resellers, architects, engineers, and wholesale distributors in various industries, including manufacturing, resource extraction, telecommunications, Internet service providers, finance, education, healthcare, retail, transportation, utilities, and defense, as well as government customers. The company was formerly known as Itel Corporation. Anixter International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Glenview, Illinois. Read More Oil prices plunged anew this morning amid a closely watched OPEC gathering in Vienna, where major producers have yet to reach an agreement on anticipated output cuts, according to an official. WTI crude for January delivery lost 5% to $50.23 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Global benchmark February Brent crude fell 5.2% to $58.36 a barrel. The selloff extends a rocky stretch for oil markets over the past few weeks. Concerns about rising global crude supply, combined with anxieties about the health of global economic growth - and its implications for oil demand - have sent crude prices sharply down, MarketWatch reported. OPEC and its partner producers, are gathering in Vienna to debate an output deal. The cartel is under pressure to support prices, which have fallen by more than 30% since reaching multiyear highs in October. Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih said there was no agreement yet on production cuts. He said a cut of 1 million barrels a day would be sufficient to balance the market, but all options were on the table. Axel Springer SE operates as a publishing company primarily in Europe and the United States. The company operates through three segments: Classifieds Media, News Media, and Marketing Media. The Classifieds Media segment operates a portfolio of online classified portals in the areas of real estate, jobs, cars, and general. This segment operates SeLoger, Immoweb, and Immowelt/Immonet real estate portals; Totaljobs, Jobsite, and Saongroup job portals; meinestadt.de, a regional portal; and car and general classified ad portals, including LaCentrale and Yad2. The News Media segment offers newspapers primarily under the BILD and WELT brands in Berlin, as well as the FAKT name in Poland; automotive, computer, and sports magazines under the AUTO BILD, COMPUTER BILD, and SPORT BILD brand names; and a tabloid under the BLIKK name in Hungary. This segment also operates Internet portals, such as Onet.pl and azet.sk; profession.hu, a job portal; WELT, a news channel; BILD.de, a news and entertainment portal; WELT.de, a news portal; Upday, a mobile news portal; businessinsider.com; and Autobild.de, a digital appearances of the magazine. Its digital offerings also comprise analytics, studies, and digital market data for companies and institutions. The Marketing Media segment provides advertising services on performance or reach based marketing. The company distributes its print media primarily through press wholesale companies, station book trade, and press import companies; and digital products principally through its webpages or download platforms, including the app stores of Apple and Google. Axel Springer SE was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. 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.. Over 1 ton of heroin was seized in the eastern Turkish province of Erzincan, the governorship said. According to the governor's office, anti-drug squads stopped a long-rig trailer truck en route from Istanbul to Van along the Erzincan-Erzurum highway on suspicion. A total of 1 ton and 271 kilos of heroin hidden inside frozen animal oil was found in the truck, Erzincan Governor Ali Arslantas said. Praising the successful police operation, Arslantas said operations targeting drug dealers have been ongoing without interruption. Three people inside the truck were arrested on drug trafficking charges, Anadolu Agency reported. The following companies are subsidiares of Abbott Laboratories: 3A Nutrition (Vietnam) Company Limited, ABON Biopharm (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., AGA Medical Belgium, AGA Medical Corporation, AGA Medical Holdings Inc., ALR Holdings, AML Medical LLC, APK Advanced Medical Technologies LLC, ATS Bermuda Holdings Limited, ATS Laboratories Inc., Abbott, Abbott (Jiaxing) Nutrition Co. Ltd., Abbott (UK) Finance Limited, Abbott (UK) Holdings Limited, Abbott AG, Abbott Asia Holdings Limited, Abbott Asia Investments Limited, Abbott Australasia Holdings Limited, Abbott Australasia Pty Ltd, Abbott B.V., Abbott Bahamas Overseas Businesses Corporation, Abbott Belgian Investments, Abbott Bermuda Holding Ltd., Abbott Biologicals B.V., Abbott Biologicals LLC, Abbott Bulgaria Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Capital India Limited, Abbott Cardiovascular Inc., Abbott Cardiovascular Systems Inc., Abbott Delaware LLC, Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Abbott Diabetes Care Limited, Abbott Diabetes Care Sales Corporation, Abbott Diagnostics GmbH, Abbott Diagnostics International Ltd., Abbott Diagnostics Technologies AS, Abbott Doral Investments S.L., Abbott Equity Holdings Unlimited, Abbott Equity Investments LLC, Abbott Established Products Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Finance Company SA, Abbott Financial Holdings SRL, Abbott France S.A.S., Abbott Fund Tanzania Limited, Abbott Gesellschaft m.b.H., Abbott GmbH & Co. KG, Abbott Health Products LLC, Abbott Healthcare (Puerto Rico) Ltd., Abbott Healthcare B.V., Abbott Healthcare Costa Rica S.A., Abbott Healthcare LLC, Abbott Healthcare Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Healthcare Private Limited, Abbott Healthcare Products B.V., Abbott Healthcare Products Ltd, Abbott Holding (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding GmbH, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited, Abbott Holding Subsidiary (Gibraltar) Limited Luxembourg S.C.S., Abbott Holdings B.V., Abbott Holdings LLC, Abbott Holdings Limited, Abbott Holdings Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Hungary Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Iberian Investments (2) Limited, Abbott Iberian Investments Limited, Abbott India Limited, Abbott Informatics Asia Pacific Limited, Abbott Informatics Canada Inc, Abbott Informatics Corporation, Abbott Informatics Europe Limited, Abbott Informatics France, Abbott Informatics Germany GmbH, Abbott Informatics Netherlands B.V., Abbott Informatics Singapore Pte. Limited, Abbott Informatics Spain S.A., Abbott Informatics Technologies Ltd, Abbott International Corporation, Abbott International Enterprises Ltd., Abbott International Holdings Limited, Abbott International LLC, Abbott International Luxembourg S.ar.l., Abbott Investments Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Ireland, Abbott Ireland Financing Designated Activity Company, Abbott Ireland Limited, Abbott Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Abbott Knoll Investments B.V., Abbott Korea Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Bangladesh) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco (Dos) SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Chile) Holdco SpA, Abbott Laboratories (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Laboratories (Mozambique) Limitada, Abbott Laboratories (Pakistan) Limited, Abbott Laboratories (Philippines), Abbott Laboratories (Puerto Rico) Incorporated, Abbott Laboratories (Singapore) Private Limited, Abbott Laboratories A/S, Abbott Laboratories Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Abbott Laboratories B.V., Abbott Laboratories C.A., Abbott Laboratories Finance B.V., Abbott Laboratories GmbH, Abbott Laboratories Inc., Abbott Laboratories International LLC, Abbott Laboratories Ireland Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited, Abbott Laboratories Limited - Laboratoires Abbott Limitee, Abbott Laboratories NZ Limited, Abbott Laboratories Pacific Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Poland Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Laboratories Products B.V., Abbott Laboratories Residential Development Fund Inc., Abbott Laboratories S.A., Abbott Laboratories SA, Abbott Laboratories Services Corp., Abbott Laboratories Slovakia s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Laboratories Trustee Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories Uruguay S.A., Abbott Laboratories Vascular Enterprises, Abbott Laboratories d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories de Chile Limitada, Abbott Laboratories de Colombia S.A., Abbott Laboratories de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Abbott Laboratories druzba za farmacijo in diagnostiko d.o.o., Abbott Laboratories s.r.o., Abbott Laboratories(Hellas) Societe Anonyme, Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios S.A., Abbott Laboratorios del Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Abbott Laboratuarlari Ithalat Ihracat ve Ticaret Ltd.Sti, Abbott Laboratorios Lda, Abbott Laboratorios do Brasil Ltda., Abbott Limited Egypt LLC, Abbott Logistics B.V., Abbott Management GmbH, Abbott Management LLC, Abbott Manufacturing Singapore Private Limited, Abbott Mature Products International Unlimited Company, Abbott Mature Products Management Limited, Abbott Medical (Hong Kong) Limited, Abbott Medical (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Abbott Medical (Portugal) Distribuicao de Produtos Medicos Lda, Abbott Medical (Schweiz) AG, Abbott Medical (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Abbott Medical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Australia Pty. Ltd., Abbott Medical Austria Ges.m.b.H., Abbott Medical Balkan d.o.o. Beograd (Novi Beograd), Abbott Medical Belgium, Abbott Medical Canada Inc./ Medicale Abbott Canada Inc., Abbott Medical Danmark A/S, Abbott Medical Devices Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Espana S.A., Abbott Medical Estonia OU, Abbott Medical Finland Oy, Abbott Medical France SAS, Abbott Medical GmbH, Abbott Medical Hellas Limited Liability Trading Company, Abbott Medical Ireland Limited, Abbott Medical Italia S.p.A., Abbott Medical Japan Co. Ltd., Abbott Medical Korea Limited, Abbott Medical Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag, Abbott Medical Laboratories LTD, Abbott Medical Nederland B.V., Abbott Medical New Zealand Limited, Abbott Medical Norway AS, Abbott Medical Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Medical Sweden AB, Abbott Medical Taiwan Co., Abbott Medical U.K. Limited, Abbott Medical spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia, Abbott Middle East S.A.R.L., Abbott Molecular Inc., Abbott Morocco SARL, Abbott Nederland C.V., Abbott Nederland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Netherlands Investments B.V., Abbott Norge AS, Abbott Nutrition Limited, Abbott Nutrition Manufacturing Inc., Abbott Operations Singapore Pte. Ltd., Abbott Operations Uruguay S.R.L., Abbott Overseas Cyprus Limited, Abbott Overseas Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Overseas S.A., Abbott Oy, Abbott Point of Care Canada Limited, Abbott Point of Care Inc., Abbott Poland Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Procurement LLC, Abbott Products (Philippines) Inc., Abbott Products (Spain) S.L., Abbott Products Algerie EURL, Abbott Products B.V., Abbott Products Distribution SAS, Abbott Products Egypt LLC, Abbott Products Limited, Abbott Products Limited Liability Company, Abbott Products Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Products Operations AG, Abbott Products Operations LLC, Abbott Products Romania S.R.L., Abbott Products Tunisie S.A.R.L., Abbott Products Unlimited Company, Abbott Resources Inc., Abbott Resources International Inc., Abbott S.r.l., Abbott Saudi Arabia Trading Company, Abbott Scandinavia Aktiebolag, Abbott Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, Abbott South Africa Luxembourg S.a r.l., Abbott Strategic Opportunities Limited, Abbott Trading Company Inc., Abbott Universal LLC, Abbott Vascular Devices (2) Limited, Abbott Vascular Devices Limited, Abbott Vascular Inc., Abbott Vascular Instruments Deutschland GmbH, Abbott Vascular International, Abbott Vascular Japan Co. Ltd, Abbott Vascular Limitada, Abbott Vascular Netherlands B.V., Abbott Vascular Solutions Inc., Abbott Ventures Inc., Abbott West Indies Limited, Abbott drustvo sa ogranicenom odgovornoscu za trgovinu i usluge, Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc., Alere, Alere (Shanghai) Diagnostics Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Healthcare Management Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Medical Sales Co. Ltd., Alere (Shanghai) Technology Co. Ltd., Alere A/S, Alere AB, Alere AS, Alere AS Holdings Limited, Alere BBI Holdings Limited, Alere Bangladesh Limited, Alere China Co. Ltd., Alere Colombia S.A., Alere Connect LLC, Alere Connected Health Limited, Alere Connected Health Ltd., Alere Diagnostics GmbH, Alere DoA Holding GmbH, Alere GmbH, Alere GmbH (Austria), Alere GmbH (Germany), Alere HK Holdings Ltd., Alere Health B.V., Alere Health BVBA, Alere Health Corp., Alere Health Sdn Bhd, Alere Health Services B.V., Alere Healthcare (Pty) Limited, Alere Healthcare Connections Limited, Alere Healthcare Inc., Alere Healthcare Nigeria Limited, Alere Healthcare S.L., Alere Holdco Inc., Alere Holding GmbH, Alere Holdings Bermuda Limited, Alere Holdings Pty Limited, Alere Home Monitoring Inc., Alere Inc., Alere Informatics Inc., Alere International Holding Corp., Alere International Limited, Alere Lda, Alere Limited, Alere Limited (New Zealand), Alere Medical BVBA, Alere Medical Co. Ltd., Alere Medical Pakistan (Private) Limited, Alere Medical Private Limited, Alere North America LLC, Alere Oy Ab, Alere Philippines Inc., Alere Phoenix ACQ Inc., Alere Pte Ltd, Alere S.A., Alere S.r.l., Alere S/A, Alere SAS, Alere San Diego Inc., Alere Scarborough Inc., Alere Spain S.L., Alere Switzerland GmbH, Alere Technologies GmbH, Alere Technologies Holdings Limited, Alere Technologies Limited, Alere Toxicology AB, Alere Toxicology Inc., Alere Toxicology S.r.l., Alere Toxicology Services Inc., Alere Toxicology plc, Alere UK Holdings Limited, Alere UK Subco Limited, Alere ULC, Alere US Holdings LLC, Alere s.r.o., Alisoc Investment & Co, Amedica Biotech Inc., Ameditech Inc., American Generics S.A.S., American Medical Supplies Inc., American Pharmacist Inc., Antares S.A., Apica Cardiovascular Limited, Aquagestion Capacitacion S.A., Aquagestion S.A., Arriva Medical LLC, Arriva Medical Philippines Inc., Arvis Investments Limited, Atlas Farmaceutica S.A., Avee Laboratories Inc., Axis-Shield AD III AS, Axis-Shield AD IV AS, Axis-Shield AS, Axis-Shield Diagnostics Limited, Axis-Shield Ltd., BBI Animal Health Limited, BBI Diagnostics Group 2 Public Limited Company, Banco de Vida S.A., Bioabsorbable Vascular Solutions Inc., Bioalgae S.A., Biohealth LLC, Biosite Incorporated, Bosque Bonito S.A., Branan Medical Corporation, Brandex Europe C.V., British Colloids Limited, CFR Chile S.A., CFR Interamericas EL Salvador Sociedad Anonima de Capital Variable, CFR Interamericas Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, CFR Interamericas Panama S.A., CFR Pharmaceuticals, California Property Holdings III LLC, CardioMEMS LLC, Caripharm Inc., Cephea Valve Technologies, Cephea Valve Technologies Inc., Colibri Medical Aktiebolag, Comercializadora y Distribuidora CFR Interamericas Honduras S.A., Concateno South Limited, Concateno UK Limited, Consorcio Tecnologico en Biomedicina Clinico-Molecular S.A., Continuum Services LLC, Cozart Limited, Dextech S.A., Diagnostik Nord GmbH, Distribuciones Uquifa S.A.S., Domesco Medical Import-Export Joint-Stock Corporation, Duphar International Research B.V., Endocardial Solutions, Epocal (US) Inc, Esprit de Vie S.A., European Chemicals & Co, European Drug Testing Service EDTS AB, European Services S.A., Evalve Inc., Evalve International Inc., FARMINDUSTRIA S.A., Fada Pharma Paraguay Sociedad Anonima, Fadapharma del Ecuador S.A., Farmaceutica Mont Blanc S.L., Farmacologia Em Aquicultura Veterinaria Ltda., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV Ecuador S.A., Farmacologia en Aquacultura Veterinaria FAV S.A., Fernwood Investment S.A., First Check Diagnostics LLC, Focus Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Forensics Limited, Forestcreek Overseas S.A., Fournier Pharma Corp., Fournier Pharma GmbH, Fournier Pharmaceuticals Limited, Framed B.V., Gabmed GmbH, Garden Hills LLC, Global Analytical Development LLC, Globapharm & CO LP, Glomed Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Golnorth Investments S.A., Gynocare Limited, Gynopharm Sociedad Anonima, Gynopharm de Centroamerica S.A., Gynopharm de Venezuela C.A., Hi-Tronics Designs Inc., IDEV Technologies Inc., IG Innovations Limited, IMTC Finance B.V., IMTC Holdings B.V., IMTC Technologies Inc., Ibis Biosciences LLC, Igloo Zone Chile S.A., Igloo Zone S.L., Inmobiliaria Naknek S.A.C., Innovacon Inc., Instant Tech Subsidiary Acquisition Inc., Instant Technologies Inc., Instituto de Criopreservacion de Chile S.A., Integrated Vascular Systems Inc., Inverness Canadian Acquisition Corporation, Inverness Medical (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Australia Pty Ltd., Inverness Medical Innovations Hong Kong Limited, Inverness Medical Innovations SK LLC, Inverness Medical Investments LLC, Inverness Medical LLC, Inverness Medical Shimla Private Limited, Inversiones K2 SpA, Inversiones Komodo S.R.L., Ionian Technologies LLC, Irvine Biomedical Inc., Kalila Medical, Kangshenyunga S.A., Knoll UK Investments Unlimited, LLC VeroInPharm, Laboratoires Fournier S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano Lafrancol S.A.S., Laboratorio Franco Colombiano del Ecuador S.A., Laboratorio Internacional Argentino S.A., Laboratorio Synthesis S.A.S., Laboratorios Lafi Limitada, Laboratorios Naturmedik S.A.S., Laboratorios Pauly Pharmaceutical S.A.S., Laboratorios Recalcine S.A., Laboratorios Transpharm S.A., Laboratory Specialists of America Inc., Lafrancol Dominicana S.A.S., Lafrancol Guatemala S.A. Sociedad Anonima, Lafrancol Internacional S.A.S, Lafrancol Peru S.R.L, Lake Forest Investments LLC, Lightlab Imaging Inc., Limited Liability Company Abbott Laboratories, Limited Liability Company Abbott Ukraine, Limited Liability Company VEROPHARM, Lung Fung Hong (China) Limited, Mansbridge Pharmaceuticals Limited, MediGuide LLC, MediGuide Ltd., Medscreen Holdings Limited, Metropolitana Farmaceutica S.A., Midwest Properties LLC, Murex Argentina S.A., Murex Biotech Limited, Murex Biotech South Africa, Murex Diagnostics Inc., Murex Diagnostics International Inc., Natural Supplement Association LLC, Negocios Denia Sociedad Anonima, Neosalud S.A.C., Nether Pharma N.P. C.V., NeuroTherm LLC, Normann Pharma-Handels GmbH, North Shore Properties Inc., Novamedi S.A., Novasalud.com S.A., Nutravida S.A., OJSC Voronezhkhimpharm, Omnilab Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OptiMedica, Orgenics France SAS, Orgenics International Holdings B.V., Orgenics Ltd., PBM-Selfcare LLC, PDD II LLC, PDD LLC, PT Alere Health, PT. Abbott Indonesia, PT. Abbott Products Indonesia, Pacesetter Inc., Pantech (RF) (PTY) LTD, Pembrooke Occupational Health Inc., Penagos S.A., Pharma International Sociedad Anonima, Pharmaceutical Technologies (Pharmatech) S.A., Pharmatech Boliviana S.A., Polygon Labs S.A., Quality Assured Services Inc., RF Medical Holdings LLC, RTL Holdings Inc., Ramses Business Corp., Recben Xenerics Farmaceutica Limitada, Redwood Toxicology Laboratory Inc., Rich Horizons International Limited, SC VEROPHARM, SJ Medical Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., SJM International Inc., SJM Thunder Holding Company, SPDH Inc., Saboya Enterprises Corporation, Salviac Limited, Scanax AS, Sealing Solutions Inc., Selfcare Technology Inc., Shandong Abbott Dairy Product Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Medical Devices Science and Technology Co. Ltd., Shanghai Abbott Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Shanghai Si Fa Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Sinensix & Co., Spinal Modulation LLC, St. Jude Medical, St. Jude Medical AB, St. Jude Medical ATG Inc., St. Jude Medical Argentina S.A., St. Jude Medical Asia Pacific Holdings GK, St. Jude Medical Atrial Fibrillation Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Brasil Ltda., St. Jude Medical Business Services Inc., St. Jude Medical Cardiology Division Inc., St. Jude Medical Colombia Ltda., St. Jude Medical Coordination Center, St. Jude Medical Costa Rica Limitada, St. Jude Medical Europe Inc., St. Jude Medical Export Ges.m.b.H., St. Jude Medical GVA Sarl, St. Jude Medical Holdings B.V., St. Jude Medical India Private Limited, St. Jude Medical International Holding, St. Jude Medical LLC, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings II, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings NT, St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings SMI S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Luxembourg Holdings TC S.a r.l., St. Jude Medical Mexico Business Services S. de R.L. de C.V., St. Jude Medical Middle East DMCC, St. Jude Medical Operations (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., St. Jude Medical Puerto Rico LLC, St. Jude Medical S.C. Inc., St. Jude Medical Systems AB, St. Jude Medical Turkey Medikal Urunler Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Standard Diagnostics Inc., Standing Stone LLC, Swan-Myers Incorporated, TC1 LLC, Tendyne Holdings Inc., Tendyne Medical Inc., Thoratec Delaware LLC, Thoratec Europe Limited, Thoratec LLC, Thoratec Switzerland GmbH, Tobal Products Incorporated, Topera GmbH in Liquidation, Topera Inc., Tremora S.A., Tuenir S.A., TwistDx, UAB Abbott Laboratories, UAB Abbott Medical Lithuania, Union-Madison Realty Company Inc., Unipath Limited (dba Alere International/aka Cranfield), Unipath Management Limited, Unipath Pension Trustee Limited, Veropharm, Veropharm Limited Liability Partnership, Vida Cell Inversiones S.A., Vida Cell S.A., Vivalsol, W&R Pharma Handels GmbH, Western Pharmaceuticals S.A., X Technologies Inc., Yissum Holding Limited, ZonePerfect Nutrition Company, eScreen Canada ULC, eScreen Inc., ( ), and Abbott Laboratories Baltics. 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 JPMorgan BetaBuilders Europe ETF's stock was trading at $20.28 on March 11th, 2020 when COVID-19 reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization. Since then, BBEU shares have increased by 182.0% and is now trading at $57.18. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Russias Constitutional Court has held that an agreement on the administrative border between two North Caucasus republics Ingushetia and Chechnya complies with the countrys Constitution, Russian Constitutional Court Chairman Valery Zorkin said. The Constitutional Court of Russia heard the application of Ingushetias head Yunus-bek Yevkurov, seeking to review the agreement for its compliance with the countrys Constitution on November 27. Yevkurov also asked the court to examine actions of the Ingushetia Republics Constitutional Court declaring the agreement unconstitutional. The matter was examined on a fast-track basis upon a request of Ingushetias head, Rapsi reported. "A referendum in Ingushetia is not necessary for the establishment of borders with the neighbouring republic," Zorkin said. Chechnya's Moscow-backed strongman Ramzan Kadyrov praised the ruling, saying he was "grateful" to judges and that the issue had been "put to rest". During the hearings in court, the Federation Council member Andrey Klishas said that the Ingushetia Republics court exceeded its authority as it was considering the agreement that had taken effect. However, in accordance with the republican law, it could hear only non-operational documents. The agreement was signed by the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov and the head of Ingushetia Yunus-bek Yevkurov on September 26. On October 4, the agreement was ratified by the Ingush Parliament. The document became effective in mid-October. Later in Octoer, Ingushetias Constitutional Court ruled the agreement was inconsistent with the Constitution of the Republic of Ingushetia and said that a referendum had to take in place in the republic in order for the border swap to be legally approved. According to the agreement, a new border would facilitate further integration of regional economies and improve economic and social cooperation. A senior scientist of the RAS Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Ahmet Yarlykapov, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that we should expect that the protests in Ingushetia will continue, despite the decision of the Russian Constitutional Court. The protests did not stop even when the Ingush Republic Constitutional Court decided to cancel the border agreement. The protest movement in Ingushetia may take some other form besides mass demonstrations, but it will definitely continue. The decision of the Russian Constitutional Court will surely not satisfy those who participate in this protest movement," he explained. In addition, there are other territorial problems in the North Cacasus Federal District. Even at the official level, it does not close the territorial issue in the North Caucasus, for example, the Prigorodny district issue, which, according to some residents of Ingushetia, was unfairly given to North Ossetia, and so on, Ahmet Yarlykapov warned. Consort Medical plc operates as a one-stop developer and manufacturer of drugs and premium drug delivery devices. It operates through two divisions, Bespak and Aesica. The company provides various life improving treatments to patients across worldwide through the design, development, and manufacture of medical devices for inhaled, injectable, nasal, and ocular drug delivery, as well as point of care diagnostics products. It also develops, formulates, and manufactures active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dose drugs. Consort Medical plc was incorporated in 1946 and is headquartered in Hemel Hempstead, the United Kingdom. Read More The following companies are subsidiares of CVS Health: @Credentials Inc., ACS ACQCO CORP., ADMINCO Inc., AE Fourteen Incorporated, AHP Holdings Inc., AMC - Tennessee LLC, APS Acquisition LLC, ASCO HealthCare LLC, ASI Wings LLC, AUSHC Holdings Inc., Accendo Insurance Company, Accordant Health Services L.L.C., Active Health Management Inc., Administrative Enterprises Inc., AdvancePCS SpecialtyRx LLC, AdvanceRx.com L.L.C., Advanced Care Scripts Inc., Aetna, Aetna (Beijing) Enterprise Management Services Co. Ltd., Aetna (Shanghai) Enterprise Services Co. Ltd., Aetna ACO Holdings Inc., Aetna Asset Advisors LLC, Aetna Behavioral Health LLC, Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health Inc., Aetna Better Health of California Inc., Aetna Better Health of Florida Inc., Aetna Better Health of Kansas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Better Health of Missouri LLC, Aetna Better Health of Nevada Inc., Aetna Better Health of North Carolina Inc., Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma Inc., Aetna Better Health of Texas Inc., Aetna Better Health of Washington Inc., Aetna Capital Management LLC, Aetna Card Solutions LLC, Aetna Corporate Services LLC, Aetna Dental Inc., Aetna Dental of California Inc., Aetna Financial Holdings LLC, Aetna Florida Inc., Aetna Global Benefits (Asia Pacific) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bahamas) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Bermuda) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Europe) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits (Middle East) LLC, Aetna Global Benefits (Singapore) PTE. LTD., Aetna Global Benefits (UK) Limited, Aetna Global Benefits Limited (DIFC UAE), Aetna Global Holdings Limited, Aetna Health Holdings LLC, Aetna Health Inc., Aetna Health Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, Aetna Health Insurance Company, Aetna Health Insurance Company of Europe DAC, Aetna Health Management LLC, Aetna Health and Life Insurance Company, Aetna Health of California Inc., Aetna Health of Iowa Inc., Aetna Health of Michigan Inc., Aetna Health of Ohio Inc., Aetna Health of Utah Inc., Aetna HealthAssurance Pennsylvania Inc., Aetna Holdco (UK) Limited, Aetna Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Inc., Aetna Insurance (Hong Kong) Limite, Aetna Insurance (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Aetna Insurance Company Limited, Aetna Integrated Informatics Inc., Aetna International Inc., Aetna Ireland Inc., Aetna Korea Ltd., Aetna Life & Casualty (Bermuda) Ltd., Aetna Life Assignment Company, Aetna Life Insurance Company, Aetna Medicaid Administrators LLC, Aetna Multi-Strategy 1099 Fund LLC, Aetna Network Services LLC, Aetna Partners Diversified Fund LLC, Aetna Pharmacy Management Services LLC, Aetna Resources LLC, Aetna Risk Assurance Company of Connecticut Inc., Aetna Rx Home Delivery LLC, Aetna Services (Thailand) Limited, Aetna Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Aetna Student Health Agency Inc., Aetna Ventures LLC, Aetna Workers Comp Access LLC, Alabama CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Alaska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Allina Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, American Continental Insurance Company, American Drug Stores Delaware L.L.C., American Health Holding Inc., Arbor Drugs, Arizona CVS Stores L.L.C., Arkansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Badger Acquisition LLC, Badger Acquisition of Kentucky LLC, Badger Acquisition of Minnesota LLC, Badger Acquisition of Ohio LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Company, Banner Health and Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Banner Health and Aetna Health Plan Inc., Beauty Holdings L.L.C., Best Care LTC Acquisition Company LLC, Busse CVS L.L.C., CCI Foreign S.a R.L. (R.C.S. Luxembourg), CCRx Holdings LLC, CCRx of North Carolina LLC, CHP Acquisition LLC, CP Acquisition LLC, CVS 2948 Henderson L.L.C., CVS 3268 Gilbert L.L.C., CVS 3745 Peoria L.L.C., CVS AL Distribution L.L.C., CVS AOC Corporation, CVS AOC Services L.L.C., CVS Albany L.L.C., CVS Bellmore Avenue L.L.C., CVS Care Concierge LLC, CVS Caremark Advanced Technology Pharmacy L.L.C., CVS Caremark Indemnity Ltd., CVS Caremark Part D Services L.L.C., CVS Caremark TN SUTA LLC, CVS Foreign Inc., CVS Gilbert 3272 L.L.C., CVS Health Solutions LLC, CVS Indiana L.L.C., CVS International L.L.C., CVS Kidney Care Advanced Technologies LLC, CVS Kidney Care Health Services LLC, CVS Kidney Care Home Dialysis LLC, CVS Kidney Care LLC, CVS Manchester NH L.L.C., CVS Media Exchange LLC, CVS Michigan L.L.C., CVS Orlando FL Distribution L.L.C., CVS PA Distribution L.L.C., CVS PR Center Inc., CVS Pharmacy Inc., CVS RS Arizona L.L.C., CVS Rx Services Inc., CVS SC Distribution L.L.C., CVS State Capital L.L.C., CVS TN Distribution L.L.C., CVS Transportation L.L.C., CVS Vero FL Distribution L.L.C., Campos Medical Pharmacy LLC, Canal Place LLC, Care Pharmaceutical Services LP, CareCenter Pharmacy L.L.C., Carefree Insurance Services Inc., Caremark Arizona Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Arizona Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark California Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Florida Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Florida Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Hawaii Mail Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Hawaii Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark IPA L.L.C., Caremark Illinois Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Illinois Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Irving Resource Center LLC, Caremark Kansas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark L.L.C., Caremark Logistics LLC, Caremark Louisiana Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Maryland Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Massachusetts Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Michigan Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Minnesota Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark New Jersey Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark North Carolina Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ohio Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Pennsylvania Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark PhC L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico L.L.C., Caremark Puerto Rico Specialty Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Redlands Pharmacy L.L.C., Caremark Repack LLC, Caremark Rx L.L.C., Caremark Tennessee Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Mail Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Texas Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Caremark Ulysses Holding Corp., Caremark Washington Specialty Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Alabama Mail Pharmacy LLC, CaremarkPCS Health L.L.C., CaremarkPCS L.L.C., Central Rx Services LLC, Claims Administration Corp., Cofinity Inc., Compscript LLC, Connecticut CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Continental Life Insurance Company of Brentwood Tennessee, Continuing Care Rx LLC, Coram Alternate Site Services Inc., Coram Clinical Trials Inc., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Alabama, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater D.C., Coram Healthcare Corporation of Greater New York, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Indiana, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Massachusetts, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Mississippi, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Nevada, Coram Healthcare Corporation of North Texas, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Northern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern California, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Southern Florida, Coram Healthcare Corporation of Utah, Coram LLC, Coram Rx LLC, Coram Specialty Infusion, Coram Specialty Infusion Services L.L.C., Coventry Consumer Advantage Inc., Coventry Health Care National Accounts Inc., Coventry Health Care National Network Inc., Coventry Health Care Workers Compensation Inc., Coventry Health Care of Illinois Inc., Coventry Health Care of Kansas Inc., Coventry Health Care of Missouri Inc., Coventry Health Care of Nebraska Inc., Coventry Health Care of Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Care of West Virginia Inc., Coventry Health Plan of Florida Inc., Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company, Coventry HealthCare Management Corporation, Coventry Prescription Management Services Inc., Coventry Rehabilitation Services Inc., Coventry Transplant Network Inc., D & R Pharmaceutical Services LLC, D.A.W. LLC, Delaware CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Delaware Physicians Care Incorporated, Digital eHealth LLC, District of Columbia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., E.T.B. INC., Echo Merger Sub Inc., Eckerd Corporation of Florida Inc., Employee Assistance Services LLC, Enloe Drugs LLC, Enterprise Patient Safety Organization LLC, EntrustRX, Evergreen Pharmaceutical LLC, Evergreen Pharmaceutical of California Inc., Express Pharmacy Services of PA L.L.C., FOCUS HealthCare Management Inc., First Health Group Corp., First Health Life & Health Insurance Company, First Script Network Services Inc., Florida Health Plan Administrators LLC, Garfield Beach CVS L.L.C., Generation Health L.L.C., Geneva Woods Health Services LLC, Geneva Woods LTC Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Management LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Alaska LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Washington LLC, Geneva Woods Pharmacy Wyoming LLC, Geneva Woods Retail Pharmacy LLC, Georgia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., German Dobson CVS L.L.C., Goodhealth Worldwide (Asia) Limited, Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) Limited, Goodyear CVS L.L.C., Grand St. Paul CVS L.L.C., Grandview Pharmacy LLC, Group Dental Service Inc., Group Dental Service of Maryland Inc., Health Care Management Co. Ltd., Health Data & Management Solutions Inc., Health Re Inc., Health and Human Resource Center Inc., HealthAssuance Pennsylvania Inc., Healthagen LLC, Highland Park CVS L.L.C., Holiday CVS L.L.C., Home Care Pharmacy LLC, Home Pharmacy Services LLC, Hook-SupeRx L.L.C., Horizon Behavioral Services LLC, Idaho CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., IlliniCare Health, Indian Health Organisation Private Limited, Innovation Health Holdings LLC, Innovation Health Insurance Company, Innovation Health Plan Inc., Interlock Pharmacy Systems LLC, Iowa CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., JHC Acquisition LLC, Kansas CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Kentucky CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., LCPS Acquisition LLC, Langsam Health Services LLC, Lo-Med Prescription Services LLC, Lobos Acquisition LLC, Longs Drug Stores, Longs Drug Stores California L.L.C., Louisiana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., MHHP Acquisition Company LLC, MHNet Life and Health Insurance Company, MHNet Specialty Services LLC, MHNet of Florida Inc., Managed Care Coordinators Inc., Managed Healthcare LLC, Martin Health Services LLC, Maryland CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Med World Acquisition Corp., Medical Arts Health Care LLC, Medical Examinations of New York P.C., Melville Realty Company Inc., MemberHealth LLC, Mental Health Associates Inc., Mental Health Network of New York IPA Inc., Meritain Health Inc., Merwin Long Term Care LLC, MetraComp Inc., Minor Health Enterprise Co Ltd., MinuteClinic, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Alabama L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Arizona LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Florida LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Georgia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Hawaii L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Illinois LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Kentucky L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Louisiana L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maine L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Maryland LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Massachusetts LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Nebraska L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Hampshire L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of New Mexico L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Ohio LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oklahoma LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Oregon LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Pennsylvania LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Rhode Island LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of South Carolina L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Texas LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Utah L.L.C., MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Virginia LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Washington LLC, MinuteClinic Diagnostic of Wisconsin L.L.C., MinuteClinic L.L.C., MinuteClinic Online Diagnostic Services LLC, MinuteClinic Physician Practice of Texas, MinuteClinic Telehealth Services LLC, Mississippi CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Missouri CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Montana CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NCS Healthcare LLC, NCS Healthcare of Illinois LLC, NCS Healthcare of Iowa LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kansas LLC, NCS Healthcare of Kentucky Inc. (Oh, NCS Healthcare of Montana LLC, NCS Healthcare of New Mexico LLC, NCS Healthcare of Ohio LLC, NCS Healthcare of South Carolina LLC, NCS Healthcare of Tennessee LLC, NCS Healthcare of Wisconsin LLC, NIV Acquisition LLC, Navarro Discount Pharmacy, Nebraska CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., NeighborCare Holdings Inc., NeighborCare Inc., NeighborCare Pharmacy Services Inc., NeighborCare Services Corporation, NeighborCare of Indiana LLC, NeighborCare of Virginia LLC, New Jersey CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Niagara Re Inc., North Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., North Shore Pharmacy Services LLC, NovoLogix LLC, OCR Services LLC, Ocean Acquisition Sub L.L.C., Ohio CVS Stores L.L.C., Oklahoma CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Omnicare, Omnicare Holding Company, Omnicare Inc., Omnicare Indiana Partnership Holding Company LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania East LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of Pennsylvania West LLC, Omnicare Pharmacies of the Great Plains Holding LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy and Supply Services LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of Tennessee LLC, Omnicare Pharmacy of the Midwest LLC, Omnicare Property Management LLC, Omnicare of Nebraska LLC, Omnicare of Nevada LLC, Omnicare of New York LLC, Oregon CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., PE Holdings LLC, PHPSNE Parent Corporation, PP Acquisition Company LLC, PRN Pharmaceutical Services LP, PT Aetna Management Consulting, Pamplona Saude e Beleza LTDA, Part D Holding Company L.L.C., PayFlex Holdings Inc., PayFlex Systems USA Inc., Pennsylvania CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Performax Inc., Pharmacy Associates of Glenn Falls LLC, Pharmacy Consultants LLC, Phoenix Data Solutions LLC, Precision Benefit Services Inc., Prime Net Inc., ProCare Pharmacy Direct L.L.C., ProCare Pharmacy L.L.C., Prodigy Health Group Inc., Professional Risk Management Inc., Pt. Aetna Global Benefits Indonesia, Puerto Rico CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Red Oak Sourcing LLC, Resources for Living LLC, Rhode Island CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Roeschens Healthcare LLC, RxAmerica, Schaller Anderson Medical Administrators Incorporated, Scrip World LLC, Sheffield Avenue CVS L.L.C., Shore Pharmaceutical Providers LLC, Silverscript Insurance Company, Soma Intimates, South Carolina CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., South Wabash CVS L.L.C., Specialized Pharmacy Services LLC, Spinnaker Bidco Limited, Spinnaker Topco Limited, Stadtlander Drug Company, Stadtlander Pharmacy, Sterling Healthcare Services LLC, Superior Care Pharmacy LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Administrative Services LLC, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Company, Sutter Health and Aetna Insurance Holding Company LLC, T2 Medical Inc., TCPI Acquisition LLC, TargetPharmacy, Tennessee CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Company, Texas Health + Aetna Health Insurance Holding Company LLC, Texas Health + Aetna Health Plan Inc., The Vasquez Group Inc., Thomas Phoenix CVS L.L.C., Three Forks Apothecary LLC, U.S Healthcare Holdings LLC, U.S. Healthcare Properties Inc., UAC Holding Inc., UC Acquisition LLC, UNI-Care Health Services of Maine LLC, Universal American - Medicare Part D Business, Utah CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., VAPS Acquisition Company LLC, Value Health Care Services LLC, Vermont CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Virtual Home Healthcare L.L.C., Warm Springs Road CVS L.L.C., Washington CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Washington Lamb CVS L.L.C., Weber Medical Systems LLC, Wellpartner LLC, West Virginia CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Westhaven Services Co LLC, Williamson Drug Company LLC, Wisconsin CVS Pharmacy L.L.C., Woodward Detroit CVS L.L.C., Work and Family Benefits Inc., ZS Acquisition Company LLC, Zinc Health Services LLC, Zinc Health Ventures LLC, bSwift LLC, and iTriage LLC. The United Kingdom and some other Western countries seek to use Kievs provocation in the Kerch Strait to stir up anti-Russian rhetoric, a press officer at the Russian Embassy in London said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the Ukrainian provocation in the Black Sea, as well as the general situation in the region, continues to be used by a number of Western countries, including the UK, to stir up anti-Russian rhetoric. The details of the incident, most notably the blatant and deliberate violation of the territorial waters of the Russian Federation by the Ukrainian ships, are ignored by the UK government," the statement reads. "The Ukrainians rejected an offer of pilotage and were treacherously heading into the Kerch Strait from the south. Two officers of the Ukrainian security service present aboard one of the ships, later admitted they had a special task to act the way they did," the statement added.. "London contributes to Kievs aggressive attitude by announcing the deployment of additional contingents of military instructors to Ukraine and, according to the BBC, groups of military propagandists from the British 77th Brigade," TASS cited the press officer as saying. The Russian embassy also expressed regret "that Kievs confrontational policy, which contradicts regional and international security interests, is supported by the UK Conservative Government, which uses every opportunity, however absurd, to maintain pressure on Russia." Turkey plans to hold a tender for the construction of a 45-km shipping canal running parallel to the Bosphorus, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting of his AK Party in Ankara. The Kanal Istanbul has been delayed too much. We will hold a tender for it in 2019 and start the process, Reuters cited Erdogan as saying. Earlier this year, Erdogan had said his government would not consider news investments, casting doubt on the $16 billion plan. Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada voted not to prolong the 1997 Russia-Ukraine Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership after it terminates on April 1, 2019. A total of 277 parliamentarians out of 450 supported the move. Earlier, Ukrainian lawmakers from the ultra-nationalist Svoboda party introduced a bill demanding that Ukraine's bilateral agreements with Russia be annulled since the Verkhovna Rada was considering ending the 1997 Russia-Ukraine Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership. The decision has been made after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko submitted to the Rada a bill to terminate the treaty on 3 December, which is a key document governing bilateral relations, Sputnik recalls. Moscow received a note from Kiev about the non-extension of the Russia-Ukraine Friendship Treaty in September. Lukoil CEO Vagit Alekperov said that the company is ready to cut oil production if Russia agrees to do this as part of the OPEC + deal. According to him, Lukoil can cut production only gradually, because harsh weather conditions in Western Siberia hamper this. "We have one limitation - the weather conditions in Western Siberia. Therefore, the ministrys instruction cannot be implemented right away. But, of course we can do it gradually," TASS cited Lukoil CEO as saying. He also said that his company believes that if OPEC+ decides to cut oil production Russia should be given the opportunity to do it gradually. "The reduction should be smooth, just like last year," Alekperov added. The meeting of the OPEC-Non-OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) was held in Vienna yesterday. The participants agreed to recommend OPEC members to cut output in the first half of 2019. Production will be cut by around 1 mln barrels per day. Ministers of OPEC countries will consider the recommendation on Thursday, non-OPEC states - on Friday. Georgia's president elect Salome Zurabishvili explained why the inauguration ceremony will be held in Telavi. She said that it was her idea for the ceremony to be held in Telavi. "There are two reasons. First is that during my election campaign I promised the popularization of Georgia regions and the second is that Telavi residents did not vote for me and with this decision I want to show that I will be the president of each Georgian citizen-those who voted or did not vote for me, Agenda.ge cited Zurabishvili as saying. Head of the Georgian government administration Kakha Kakhishvili will chair the commission tasked to organise the ceremony. He noted that the existing decree which specifies the procedures for the inauguration ceremony was issued in 2001 and the document is no longer relevant. Kakhishvili added that a new decree is being drafted in the government administration which will establish the procedure for the ceremony. The following companies are subsidiares of Sealed Air: A.P.S. (Holdings) Limited, AFP Trading (China) Co. Ltd., AFPTOH LTD, APS Automated Packaging Systems GmbH & Co. KG, APS Verwaltungs-GmbH, Air Ride Pallets Hong Kong Limited, Austin Foam Plastics Inc. (dba AFP Inc.), Automated Packaging Systems, Automated Packaging Systems Asia Holding Company Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Comerciale Importacao do Brasil Ltda., Automated Packaging Systems Europe, Automated Packaging Systems LLC, Automated Packaging Systems Limited, Automated Packaging Systems Southeast Asia Co. Ltd., B+ Equipment, B+ Equipment SAS, Beacon Holdings LLC, Biosphere Industries, BluPack (New Zealand), Blue Dot Packaging Pty Ltd., Cactus (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Cryovac (Malaysia) SDN. 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Ltd., Sealed Air Japan G.K., Sealed Air LLC, Sealed Air Limited (Ireland), Sealed Air Limited (UK), Sealed Air Luxembourg (I) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg (II) S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Sealed Air Management Holding Verwaltungs GmbH, Sealed Air Multiflex GmbH, Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) I B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands (Holdings) II B.V., Sealed Air Netherlands Holdings V B.V., Sealed Air Norge AS, Sealed Air OY, Sealed Air Packaging (India) Private Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Sealed Air Packaging (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sealed Air Packaging LLC, Sealed Air Packaging Materials (India) LLP, Sealed Air Packaging S.L.U., Sealed Air Peru S.A.C., Sealed Air Polska Sp. Zoo, Sealed Air Pty Limited, Sealed Air S.A S., Sealed Air S.r.l., Sealed Air South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Sealed Air Svenska AB, Sealed Air Taiwan Limited, Sealed Air UK Limited Partnership, Sealed Air US Holdings (Thailand) LLC, Sealed Air Uruguay S.A., Sealed Air Verpackungen GmbH, Sealed Air de Mexico Operations S. de RL. de C.V., Sealed Air de Venezuela S.A., Sealed Air s.r.o., Shanklin Corp, Shanklin Corporation, TTS-Ciptec, TXAFP Asia Pacific Ltd., TXAFP GP LLC, and Trigon Industries. Members of the Russian Academy of Science Presidium greeted Tahir Salahov with applause at yesterdays meeting. The artist was born in Baku 90 years ago on November 29th. He went to Azim Azimzade School of Art in a postwar period. In 1957, he graduated from Surikov University. He is an outstanding maestro of our time. His name and his works are a part of the world history of art. Each year on December 6, people from across Canada mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. The day commemorates the tragic loss of 14 young women at the hands of a gunman at L'Ecole Polytechnique engineering school in Montreal nearly 30 years ago. Students in Dalhousies Women in Engineering (WiE) society will be holding a memorial in the John Lindsay Sr. Design Commons in the Richard Murray Design Building on Sexton Campus Thursday starting at 5 p.m. Lauren Boudreau, a fifth-year student and current president of WiE, says the half-hour vigil will focus specifically on the victims and honouring their memory. On December 6, 1989, 14 women at Ecole Polytechnique were killed in the hate crime. The shooter claimed to be fighting feminism by targeting females studying to be engineers. The WiE event will begin with a brief introduction and a quick description of the event before candles representing each victim will be blown out at 5:10 p.m., symbolizing their deaths. Lauren says the vigil will aim to honour the memory of the victims by spurring on new action. Were looking at how we as women in engineering and as students and members of the community can take what happened and develop actions from it, she says. Not so silent Not far away at the Halifax Central Library, another vigil will get underway at 5:15 p.m. Organized annually by Womens Community Space a virtual partnership between members of the Dalhousie Legal Aid service and the YWCA the Not-So-Silent vigil is a community-focused event. The memorial begins outside the library's front entrance at 5:15 pm with a candlelight vigil before people are welcomed inside to Paul O'Regan Hall for a few speeches, refreshments, music and a screening of the 2009 film Polytechnique. (Note: the film contains potentially upsetting scenes, so viewer discretion is advised). Justine Lucas, a Dal law student and co-chair of the Dalhousie Feminist Legal Association who has been involved in helping organize this years vigil, says the goal of the event is to provide a forum for speaking out and taking action to bring an end to gender-based violence. And, as usual, the vigil portion of the event will end in a dramatic fashion. "We call it the Not-So-Silent vigil because we end it with a scream, she says. Its just sort of a catharsis moment and then we expand the topic to the general women's issues. Speeches at this years event will cover issues such as domestic violence and missing and murdered Indigenous women. Attendance is free and all are welcome. - 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." New Delhi: Air passengers may be allowed to make mobile calls and surf the internet during flights in the Indian airspace, possibly from next month, once the law ministry gives its views and approval to the proposal, telecom minister Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday. The telecom ministry is awaiting the views of the law ministry on in-flight connectivity rules and is hopeful of notifying the norms soon thereafter, Sinha said. We have sought the permission of law ministry, once that comes through... I believe that it will come in a week or 10 days...then we can start it, Sinha told reporters. Asked if the ministry expects to notify the rules at the beginning of the New Year, the minister said he is hopeful of doing so. On May 1, the Telecom Commission the highest policy-making body of the Department of Telecom had cleared a proposal for allowing wider in-flight connectivity that is now available in most of the developed markets. Asked whether the coverage should extend to territorial waters or exclusive economic zones (EEZ), a senior DoT official said the communications ministry is of the view that international best practices should be followed. Territorial waters extend up to 12 nautical miles (around 22 km) from coastal line of the country, while EEZ covers up to 200 nautical miles. We have said...and the notification hopefully will say that we are aligned on international law on this, which is synced with EEZ. We are trying to fine tune the language, the official said. The government has, in the past, said that it is committed to ensuring the earliest implementation of the in-flight connectivity framework. Full-service carriers, including Air India and Vistara, have welcomed the decision on permitting in-flight connectivity. A separate category of licensees in-flight service providers will be created for offering such services, and licence fee for such niche providers will be pegged at Rs 1. On the successful launch of Indias heaviest satellite GSAT-11 from French Guiana, Sinha said that the move would provide a big boost to data connectivity, especially in the north eastern and hilly states. Despite being an avid book reader, Kriti Sanon is unable to read books recently and the reason for it is her busy schedule. The actress loves reading books and has a wide collection of them ranging from various genres. Kriti often picks up books that interest her whenever she comes across them. The actress even picks books from the airport while travelling and adds them to her collection. She has also received books as gifts from her loved ones. Recently, the director of her debut film Sabbir Khan had gifted her book called 'Love Story'. She also had put a post thanking him for the lovely gesture. Also, Warda Nadiadwala the wife of Sajid Nadiadwala who's the producer of her next film Housefull 4, gifted her books. But since then the actress is busy juggling with the multiple projects at the hour. She's hasn't been able to read any of them. Kriti had the busiest year shooting multiple projects in 2018. The actress shot for Arjun Patiala, Housefull 4, Luka Chuppi and is currently shooting for her next film 'Panipat' which is a period drama for which she's taking Marathi classes. 2019 will again keep her busy with promotions and four releases back to back. Mumbai: A recent article in New York Times The Cut, has drawn widespread flak for its take on Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' relationship. The website published a bizarre article with the headline Is Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonass Love for Real?. After much criticism, The Cut has now deleted the controversial article. Also Read | Priyanka Chopra as 'power girl' fought many a career battle on her way to be top According to the report in Hindustan Times, Priyanka has responded to the article saying she did not want to react to such random things. She told the daily, I dont even want to react or comment. Its not even in my stratosphere. Im in a happy place at this moment. These kind of random things cant disturb it. The earlier version of the article read, Priyanka: She is a modern-day scam artist, in my opinion. Thats right: Nicholas Jonas married into a fraudulent relationship against his will this past Saturday, December the 1st, and Ill tell you why I think so. The article also spoke of Priyanka and Nicks lavish wedding as it read, Priyanka and Nick are finding ways for their love make them money circumventing the methods used by the celebrities of yore, who stuck to selling their wedding or baby photos to magazines. Also Read | Priyanka Chopra faces flak for celebratory firework at her wedding Priyanka's brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Joe Jonas and Game of Thrones star, Sophie Turner condemned the article. Taking to Twitter, Joe wrote: This is disgusting. @TheCut should be ashamed to have someone write such evil words. What Nick & Pri have is Beautiful Love. Thank u, Next. This is disgusting. @TheCut should be ashamed to have someone write such evil words. What Nick & Pri have is Beautiful Love. Thank u, Next. https://t.co/G3hvXmhm9O J O E J O N A S (@joejonas) December 5, 2018 Sophie too wrote: This is wildly inappropriate and totally disgusting. Very disappointed that The Cut would give anyone a platform to spew such bull**t. This is wildly inappropriate and totally disgusting. Very disappointed that The Cut would give anyone a platform to spew such bullshit. https://t.co/iYKaifKJP6 Sophie Turner (@SophieT) December 5, 2018 The website, a part of New York magazine, deleted the article the next morning with an apology. Upon further editorial review, we found this story did not meet our standards, the editorial note now reads. Weve removed it and apologize. An earlier story about Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas did not meet our standards. We've removed it and apologize https://t.co/DkcOatMV2z The Cut (@TheCut) December 5, 2018 Meanwhile, Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas got married in a lavish wedding ceremony at the glittering Umaid Bhavan Palace in Jodhpur. Apomorphine drug is available both as injections and infusion pump, which provides relief to the Parkinson patients within a couple of minutes, compared with other treatments that take over 30 minutes. (Representational Images) Bengaluru: Here is some good news for Parkinsons disease patients. So far they could avail two therapeutic treatment options - the traditional oral treatment or deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery, which is very expensive. However, a new type of medication Apomorphine was launched in Bengaluru by Vikram Hospitals on Thursday. This drug is available both as injections and infusion pump, which provides relief to the Parkinson patients within a couple of minutes, compared with other treatments that take over 30 minutes. This will be initially distributed in the country by Vikram Hospitals and then made available in selected centres across the country. Dr Shivam Om Mittal, Parkinsons Disease & Movement Disorders Specialist at Vikram Hospitals, said, At present, the prevalence of Parkinsons disease in India is around 300-400 out of a population of 100,000, which is expected to be more than double by 2030. He said though majority of the patients are above 50 years of age, of late it is also affecting the young. 'If BJP comes to power in Telangana, then the BJP will work towards renaming Karimnagar into Karipuram and respect your sentiments,' Yogi Adityanath said. (Photo: Twitter | @myogiadityanath) Hyderabad: Campaigning for the BJP in Telangana for the December 7 assembly elections, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has promised that his party will change the name of Karimnagar district if it voted to power in the state. Adityanath also said that if BJP comes to power it will rename Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar. Addressing election rallies in Karimnagar district and Bodhan town of Nizamabad district, Adityanath said: If BJP comes to power in Telangana, then the BJP will work towards renaming Karimnagar into Karipuram and respect your sentiments. If the BJP government is formed, then Hyderabads name will be changed to Bhagyanagar on similar lines you have seen in Uttar Pradeshwe have renamed Faizabad as Ayodhya and Allahabad to Prayagraj only BJP can do this workbecause it is only the BJP which respects your culture, tradition, heritage and your ancestors and wants to take 'Bharat ki vyavastha' (Indias setup) forward," he said. The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has changed the name of Allahabad to Prayagraj, Faizabad to Ayodhya and Mughalsarai Junction to Pt Deen Dhayal Upadhyay junction. Addressing the rally, Adityanath on Wednesday alleged that the policy of appeasing people was responsible for terrorism and Naxal problems in the country, and asserted that only BJP could firmly deal with these issues. "The BJP will resolve the Naxal issue and act sternly against the anti-India activities of the ISI (Pakistan's spy agency Inter Services Intelligence) to ensure security for every citizen," the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said. "I have come here to tell you to that only the BJP can effectively tackle Naxals and deal with ISI activities with an iron hand and ensure security for every citizen of the country. Hence I have come to seek your support for the BJP," he said. He said the fight against terrorism, Naxalism, anarchy and poverty should be fought by entire country and not one individual. He accused the K Chandrashekar Rao-led government of betraying the people of Telangana for the last four-and-a-half years and alleged that prior to this (in undivided Andhra Pradesh), the Congress and the TDP had exploited them. Had the previous governments worked honestly, then the standard of living of the public would have improved a lot. Be it the Congress, the TDP, the TRS or the MIM, all these parties had exploited the people of Telangana and did not do any work for public interest, he claimed. "Had these people (Congress, TDP, TRS) taken the development work forward, provided employment to the youth, worked for farmers' welfare and put elaborate security arrangements in place, then Karimnagar would not have marched towards becoming a hub of ISI activities," he asserted. "MIM which wants to encroach in your Bodhan... They will all be seen running away and their whereabouts will not be known. BJP will smash their "Dangai mansube" (rowdy design) and will expose them," he said addressing a rally in Bodhan town. Adityanath said there was a need to expose and reject those indulging in anti-India activities, have a 'rowdy mentality' and block development. The 119-member Telangana Assembly will go to the polls on December 7 and the results will be announced on December 11. Christian Michel is a British citizen and the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland deal. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: The British High Commission has asked the Indian government for consular access to Christian Michel, sources said on Thursday. Michel is a British citizen and the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland deal. ANI sources said that the Indian Government has received the request of consular access from British High Commission for Christian Michel, and is examining the matter. Michel was extradited to Delhi from UAE on Tuesday night and a court in the national capital on Wednesday remanded him to five-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh appeared for the CBI and asked for 14-day custody of Michel for a thorough probe. Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph had opposed it and had also moved a bail plea for Michel. The court kept the bail plea pending for next hearing and allowed Michel's counsel one hour each in the morning and evening for consultancy. According to CBI sources, Michel complained of anxiety during questioning by CBI and subsequently, he was given medicine. Also Read: Christian Michel had anxiety attack upon reaching CBI office: report On Tuesday, the CBI had issued a statement saying: "Wanted fugitive criminal Christian Michel James who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in India in AgustaWestland Case is being extradited by UAE Authorities to India. Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by Incharge Director/CBI M. Nageswara Rao. A team lead by A Sai Manohar, Joint Director/CBI has been to Dubai for the purpose." The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks. According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed in a court two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations. CBI had filed charge sheet in a trial court on September 1, 2017 against Christian and 11 other accused persons. The trial court took cognisance of the offences on October 11, 2017. CBI's request for extradition was forwarded to the UAE authorities on March 19, last year through diplomatic channels. Extradition proceedings were held before UAE Court against Christian on the extradition request of CBI. Vide order dated November 19, 2018, the Court of Dubai upheld the lower court decision for possibility of extraditing Christian to Indian authorities. Accordingly, Christian was extradited to face legal proceedings. After two hours of sleep, Christian Michel was again questioned by officials of the Special Investigation Team of the CBI. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, was grilled by the CBI after he reached India and slept barely for two hours, sources said on Wednesday. 57-year-old Michel, who was extradited from Dubai on India's request, had an anxiety attack upon reaching the CBI headquarters in wee hours and doctors were called to attend to him. After treatment, he was questioned about the money trail and identification of documents in the multi-crore rupee deal, sources said. He was allowed to sleep for two hours between 4 am and 6 am on Wednesday before being given breakfast. After 6 am, he was again questioned by officials of the Special Investigation Team of the CBI, they said. Once his extradition was cleared by the UAE government, Michel was flown to India along with a CBI team led by Joint Director Sai Manohar. He landed at 22:35 pm on Tuesday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from where he was taken into CBI custody after completion of formalities. Escorted by a small convoy of police cars and bikes, he was taken to the CBI headquarters' lockup at the ground floor of the imposing 11-floor steel and glass building where he reached around 1:20 am on Wednesday. He was taken to the Patiala House court around 4 pm on Wednesday which sent him to five days CBI custody. The CBI wants to question him to confront him with certain documents and confidential material which he allegedly had sent to his masters in Italy through fax, the agency claimed. It also wants to know how the money, Euro 42.27 million, which was received by Michel's companies from Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland, was distributed further to establish money trail of alleged bribes paid to swing the Rs 3,600 crore 12-helicopter deal for VVIP flights, it said. The agency has alleged that Michel has evaded any probe in the matter which puts him on a different pedestal than Guido Haschke -- another middleman -- who faced trial in Italy and entered in plea bargain. The CBI had filed a charge sheet against him in September last year. "An open non-bailable arrest warrant dated September 24, 2015, was issued by the special judge, CBI cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi," CBI's spokesperson said. On the basis of this warrant, a Red Corner Notice was issued by the Interpol which led to his arrest in Dubai in February 2017, he said. Michel was behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent to custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. After the courts cleared his extradition, the UAE government ordered him to be taken to India rejecting his plea that he was a British citizen. It was alleged that he had entered into a criminal conspiracy with co-accused persons, which included the then IAF chief SP Tyagi and his family members, and the public servants had abused their official positions by reducing service ceiling of the VVIPs helicopter from 6,000 m to 4,500 m. The reduction in ceiling made AgustaWestland eligible for contract worth 556.262 million Euros, which was awarded to it by the Defence Ministry on February 08, 2010, for procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters. 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 is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. 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. 'We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack,' the Ministry of External Affairs said. (Photo: ANI | Twitter) New Delhi: India Thursday strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Chabahar in Iran. "We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack," the Ministry of External Affairs said. It said India condemned the "despicable terror" attack. At least two people were killed and several wounded outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar when a suicide bomber blew up a car. Read: Bomb kills 3 in Iran's Chabahar, injures several: report "We wish speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror," an MEA statement said. There has been unease within Upendra Kushwaha camp after BJP president Amit Shah in October announced that his party would contest on an equal number of seats with JD(U) in Bihar. (Photo: File | PTI) Valmiki Nagar (Bihar): Unhappy over being sidelined by the BJP in Bihar RLSP Chief Upendra Kushwaha is likely to clear his stand on leaving the NDA during his partys rally on December 6 in Motihari. Kushwaha who was in West Champarans Valmikinagar for his partys brainstorming session on Wednesday created a flutter by saying that the BJP has been using the temple issue to polarize its voters ahead of 2019 general elections. There has been unease within Upendra Kushwaha camp after BJP president Amit Shah in October announced that his party would contest on an equal number of seats with JD(U) in Bihar. Sources said Ram Vilas Paswans LJP may get the remaining seats if RLSP plans to quit the NDA. Kushwaha has also been targeting the BJP leadership after he failed in meeting BJP President Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Upendra Kushwaha had earlier served BJP with a deadline of November 30 to resolve the issue of seat sharing with NDA partners. Talking to reporters on the sidelines of his meeting with party leaders, Upendra Kushwaha said: A decision to uproot Bihar government has already been taken. I will sit with party leaders again in the evening to discuss whether to remain with NDA or not. A final announcement regarding the issue will be made on Thursday in Motihari. Sources said a section in RLSP including partys working president Nagmani is in favour of quitting NDA. There is also a buzz that few senior RLSP leaders have been in touch with opposition leader Sharad Yadav who wants Kushwaha to join Mahagathbandhan. Bihar unit of the BJP has been functioning as the B team of Nitish Kumar. RLSPs alliance has been with BJP and LJP and not with JD(U). Nitish Kumar boat in Bihar is going to sink this time. Anything further regarding the issue will be announced on Thursday in Motihari. Upendra Kushwaha said in Valmikinagar. Last month, Upendra Kushwaha had alleged that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was trying to split his party by luring his MLAs. Ever since the body surfaced, no one turned up to fetch water. The villagers unanimously decided to empty the lake. (Photo: ANI) Bengaluru: A village in Hubballi district of Karnataka is emptying a lake after a woman reportedly infected with the Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) allegedly committed suicide by jumping into it last week, according to authorities. Afraid they would contract HIV/AIDS if they used its water, villagers at Morab, about 30 km from Hubballi, informed authorities they would not use it till fresh water was filled. The woman lived on the banks of the lake spread over 25 acres. Villagers alleged that she was suffering from HIV. Locals used to draw water from the lake. "Three days after her disappearance on November 29, her body surfaced. It was decomposed, bloated... villagers decided not to use the water until fresh water was filled in the lake," panchayat development officer (PDO) B Nagaraja Kumar said. Ever since the body surfaced, no one turned up to fetch water, Kumar said, adding that the villagers unanimously decided to empty the lake. A former village panchayat member Ravi Kagadal told PTI that the villagers were afraid of contracting HIV/AIDS. Soon after learning about the incident, district panchayat chief executive officer Dr B Satheesha rushed to the spot and tried to convince villagers that HIV never spread the way they thought. He even tried to persuade the villagers not to waste water like that but the villagers remained adamant. District authorities have decided to distribute water from Mallaprabha river, a tributary of the Krishna river, among villagers for the time being. "District authorities have agreed to fill the lake by December 20. There will be no water crisis till then," the PDO said. Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the final stage of infection with HIV, according to medical officials. Kolkata: The Calcutta high court on Thursday said it cannot give permission at this stage for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally in Cooch Behar, scheduled to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah on Friday, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event on the grounds that it might cause communal tension. The court directed that superintendents of police of all districts in West Bengal will file a report by December 21 to it on the holding of rath yatra rallies by the BJP, after hearing all the district presidents of the party. Directing that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9, Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty observed that the prayer of BJP for permission to hold the rath yarta cannot be granted at this stage. The BJP was scheduled to hold three rath yatras that will start from different parts and traverse all the 42 Lok Sabha constituencies. It had moved the court seeking a direction to the state government for giving permission for its rallies after its applications allegedly went unanswered. The BJP campaign was scheduled to begin from Cooch Behar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. State advocate general Kishore Dutta told the court that the Cooch Behar superintendent of police refused permission for the BJP presidents rath yatra from Friday. The state government submitted that it might cause communal tension in the district. Mr Dutta said the district has a history of communal issues and that there was information that some communal provocators and rowdy elements had become active there. The SPs refusal letter also noted that several top BJP leaders would come to Cooch Behar, as also people from other states, stating that these may affect the communally sensitive district. However, items such as petroleum and petrochemical products, automobiles, steel, precious metals and graphite are not allowed to be exported to Tehran. New Delhi: In a breakthrough, India has signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil imports in rupees, industry sources said on Thursday. On Tuesday, India had signed a currency pact with the UAE that allows both countries to conduct trade in their own currencies eliminating a benchmark currency like the US dollar. According to sources, Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC). Around 50 per cent of these funds would be used for exporting items to Tehran. Asked why only 50 per cent had been earmarked for exports, industry sources said, It will be difficult for India to export items for even 50 per cent of the funds. Under US sanctions, India will be allowed to export farm commodities, food, medicines, and medical devices to Iran. However, items such as petroleum and petrochemical products, automobiles, steel, precious metals and graphite are not allowed to be exported to Tehran. Oil payments are being made in rupees only as against earlier arrangements where there was a ratio of 45 per cent rupees and 55 per cent euros, said sources. Indias UCO Bank is expected to announce the payment mechanism in the next 10 days. The MoU was signed following the US letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on Nov. 5. Russian and Chinese shipping companies were pitching to facilitate India-Iran trade. FIEO president Ganesh Kumar Gupta said on Thursday that Indias exports to Iran grew by about 22 per cent in first six months of 2018-19. However, the imposition of sanction has definitely impacted Indias exports as three months window provided by the US got over in August, 2018, he said. Mr Gupta said that in past six months, India has shown good growth in export of cereals, meat, paper, pharmaceuticals, made-ups, auto-components, electrical machinery and equipment, glass and glassware among others. However, exports of iron and steel, article of iron and steel, copper, plastic and plastic products, essential oils, inorganic chemicals, man-made staple fibre, apparels suffered during the first six months of the fiscal. We have been given to understand that UCO bank is working on necessary modalities to start the rupee payment. This should apply to all exports except those in OFAC list, said Mr Gupta. Mumbai: There is buzz that the Bharatiya Janata Party is considering fielding Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit Nene from the Pune Lok Sabha constituency for the general elections. The party has reportedly done an internal survey related to candidates for various seats. In that survey, Ms Dixit Nene's name has received the highest response in the Pune Lok Sabha constituency, which is an entirely urban seat. The BJP is considering not repeating some Members of Parliament in the current election considering their poor performance as MPs and with regards to the party's organizational work. One such parliamentarian is Anil Shirole, an incumbent MP from Pune. So, the party is considering a few names for his seat. Ms Dixit Nene, a Bollywood legend, is famous in Maharashtra and a source of Marathi pride. Her name was included as a possible BJP candidate for the Pune seat. Sources said that Ms Dixit Nene has received a tremendous response from women of all age groups as well as young voters. BJPs national president Amit Shah had recently paid the actor a visit at her home during his Jan Sampark Abhiyan. Chennai: Contending that the DMK supported the TN Assembly resolution on Mekedatu as the issue related to the livelihood of the people of Tamil Nadu, DMK president MK Stalin said the resolution should have condemned the Centre and not stop by condemning the Central Water Commission (CWC) so as to make it full-fledged. We requested (the State government) that the resolution should condemn the Central government too and not just the CWC, which gave its nod to Karnataka to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Mekedatu project. As of now, the resolution urges the Centre to intervene. I expressed my opinion that if the resolution had to be a full-fledged condemnation, and be much more effective, it should condemn the Centre also. But my request was not accepted, Mr. Stalin, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said. Nevertheless, the DMK had supported the resolution, rising above politics and differences in party ideologies, as it concerned the livelihood issue of the delta farmers, he told reporters after participating in the special session of the Assembly on Mekedatu. The DMK president said he had wanted the Assembly session to extend to tomorrow to discuss about issues pertaining to distribution of funds and release of funds by the centre for the cyclone Gaja-affected. But this was also not accepted by the government or Assembly Speaker. We strongly condemn this stand of the government, he said. On Thursday evening, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution urging the Union Water Resources Ministry to direct the CWC to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for preparing a DPR for its proposed dam at Mekedattu. The nearly two-hour long special sitting witnessed some noisy scenes when the Treasury benches and the DMK sparred after the latter's deputy leader Durai Murugan said the contribution of their late leader M. Karunanidhi did not find a mention in CM Edappadi K. Palaniswamis reply to the discussion. Speaker P. Dhanapal allowed the resolution for voting and it was unanimously adopted by a voice vote. Earlier, Mr. Stalin said the State should have obtained an injunction against building a dam at Mekedatu from the Supreme Court and sought to know why the AIADMK government did not press for appointment of a full-time head for CMB. Presently, the Union Water Resources Minister is also the head of the CMB, he said. The DMK leader said as head of the ministry he had accorded sanction but as the CMB chief the same person had said a dam cannot be built without the nod of the board. Congress Legislature Party leader K. R. Ramasamy who said his party supported the resolution in the interest of farmers, slammed the BJP government at the Centre for giving the nod to Karnataka. AMMK leader T. T. V. Dhinakaran and IUML too supported the resolution. Phule has been attacking the BJP and its governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged indifference to the concerns of Scheduled Castes. (Photo: ANI/Twitter) Lucknow: BJP MP Savitribai Phule resigned from the primary membership of the party on Thursday, saying the party was playing divisive politics and was misusing money to construct temples and statues. Ms Phule said at a press conference that she has resigned from primary membership of BJP on the death anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar. I have left the BJP because its governments are unleashing a great conspiracy against Dalits and their rights. I will now hold a mega rally in Lucknow on January 23 and make some disclosures, she said. Ms Phule has been critical of her party over several issues, particularly on those related to Dalits. A day ago , she had targeted Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over his comments on the caste of Lord Hanuman. If Mr Adityanath rea-lly loves Dalits then he should love them more than he loves Lord Hanuman. Has he ever embraced any Dalit? He might have been eating out dinner at Dalit households, but the cook was not Dalit. There are assembly polls and they dont have any issue left so they are terming Hanuman as Dalit. They just want to take Dalit votes but now Dalits, backwards and tribals in the country have understood their drama, she said. Hyderabad: Let us live like proud Hyderabadis, KCRs government will give you everything. This was one of the tamest thing said in the just-concluded election campaign. There were few pleasant moments in the campaign, much of which was dominated by bitter attacks on rivals. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi returned to Telangana four years after the state was created. She said, I feel happy like a mother seeing her children after many years. I know the challenges we had to face in creating Telangana as a separate state. The interests of the people of Telangana & Andhra Pradesh were at our heart. I promised the people of Telangana that the government that will stand with every section of the society and will represent the people of the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi caught many by surprise when he greeted the public at LB stadium in Telugu. Namaskar to the people of Telangana who came all the way hoping for a change in governance. The city of Hyderabad is close to my heart. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patelji is my inspiration, he was the man who freed Hyderabad. If it wasn't for Patelji I would not have this freedom to speak in Hyderabad. I congratulate all the Telugu people here who added value to the city's image, Mr Modi said. The Prime Minister addressed the state as mere Telangana. Hyderabad: Name-calling of opponents was the hallmark of the campaigning for the Assembly elections in Telangana. The jibes at opponents sometimes exceeded the bounds of decency and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao himself began this trend of abusing political rivals, which was quickly adopted by the latter who replied in kind. Derogatory words used to describe opponents were battebaaz, liar, chor, joker, betrayer, thieves, looters, bewakoof, Alibaba aur 40 chor, mental, Chandramukhi, mayakutami, Joseph Goebbels, dwarf, and the like. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the MIMs Owaisi brothers tried to outdo each other in the battle of insults further lowering the tone and tenor of the campaign. Here's a look at who said what as the state votes tomorrow: Caretaker CM K. Chand-rashekar Rao made statements like Oo ante case, uchcha posthe case (they are filing cases even for urinating), and Okatiki, rentiki povalanna Delhi permission kaalave (they need Delhi's permission even to urinate). Chembadka pothe vaasa-na lekunda chestharu (they promise to keep your asses clean after you finish defecating). He also used words like sanka naakadam (licking the armpit), Durmargugu, Rakshasudu, Thoo. Neeyavva, Mee Bathuku Cheda, Meeru Nasanamai Ponu, Na bondha Kutami" At one point he seemed to be denigrating the people of the country and TS when he said they were not mature enough to take the right decision as far as exercising their vote was concerned and selecting the right candidate at Adilabad. He also called people attending his public address at Alampur, bewakoof and even termed their excitement as brainless. Prime Minister Modi, Mr Rao said, has a Hindu-Muslim disease. He told D.K. Aruna of Congress, You better keep your tongue in control before I reveal hard facts about you to the people. Caretaker minister T. Harish Rao threatened violence like many others from different political parties. If such mindless talk (by the opposition) continues like this, we will cut off your tongue, let me warn you, he said after Mr Vanteru Prathap Reddy claimed during a campaign meeting in Gajwel that Mr Harish Rao was in touch with him. At the Mudiraju Ashirwada Sabha in Siddipet, Mr Harish Rao said, Eenadu Telangana pragati ni adgu adgu na addukuntuna KCR kavala (Do you want KCR who is stopping the development of Telangana at every step?) Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy called Mr Chandrasekhar Rao battebaaz and dhokebaaz. He said in Hyderabadi dialect, a habitual liar and cheater is called a battebaaz and the term perfectly fits Mr Rao as he has cheated all sections of society during his four-and-a-half year regime. Caretaker minister K.T. Rama Rao called Congress leaders spineless. He said the TRS would enter Andhra Pradesh to politically finish off (Chief Minister Chandrababu) Naidu. Mr Chandrababu wants to make Ms Nanda-muri Suhasini a scapegoat and later wants to restrict her brothers, he said. Not to be left behind, Congress leader A. Revanth Reddy was equally insulting. After being released by the police this week after his dramatic nigh-time arrest, he said, Can KTR twirl his moustache? He doesnt even have a moustache. We dont even know if you are woman or belong to other gender. Retorting to the allegation of the TRS that the Prajakutami CM is sealed cover CM, Mr Revanth Reddy said, If Mahakutami candidate is sealed cover CM, isnt it better than your cheap liquor CM? Even if Harish beheads himself and gives his head to KCR, he would say that it is a watermelon. KCR kallu thagina kothi (KCR is like a monkey that has consumed toddy), he said. AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu by mistake asked people to vote out the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections while campaigning for Ms Suhaisini in Kukatpally. He asked people to vote for the TD, then said, Congress will lose and corrected himself saying BJP will lose, a slip of the tongue no doubt occasioned by the many years when the TD and Congress were bitter enemies. Actor Balakrishna campaigning for the TD, said Telangana people who didn't even know the spelling of IT were taught the definition of IT by Chandrababu Naidu. The actor has become quite the favourite due to his hugely popular rendering of the patriotic number Saare Jahaan Se Achcha. TD finance minister Etala Rajender addressing a gathering at Huzurabad resorted to body shaming his Congress rival Padi Koushik Reddy, when he said, Will you people vote if a person (Koushik) has good height, weight and moustache? Koushik, cousin of TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, in turn called the finance minister a dwarf, and said, I am like 6-feet bullet and you are not even 4 feet. During a road show at Nirmal, caretaker minister Indrakaran Reddy mistakenly asked people to vote for the Congress: Cheyi gurthuke mana vote (vote for the hand symbol). He repeated this twice before correcting himself and tried to cover up his gaffe by saying, I wanted to say lift your hand but ended up saying vote for hand symbol. Communist Party of India national secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy addressing an election meeting along with Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday, compared Mr Raos mouth to a public toilet. Mr Adityanath harping on his favourite theme said, If BJP comes to power in Telangaa, Owaisi will have to flee from Telangana just the way the Nizam was forced to flee from Hyderabad. Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM said of the UP chief minister, You are zero in history and if you cannot read then ask somebody who can. In the same vein BJP leader Raja Singh said that if the BJP comes to power in Telangana it would ensure that all those who dont chant Bharat mata ki jai and Vande Mataram would be kicked out of India. Congress leader Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy said in Nalgonda that after he wins the election he would strip and beat the people who did not vote for him. Like other promises made to voters, this one is likely to remain unfulfilled. For the first Assembly elections of Telangana state, polling will be held on Friday from 7 am to 5 pm. Hyderabad: Some 2.80 crore voters will decide who among the two main contenders the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), or the Congress-led Peoples Front will form the next government in Telangana state. For the first Assembly elections of Telangana state, polling will be held on Friday from 7 am to 5 pm. For 13 Assembly constituencies the polling will be held from 7 am to 4 pm in view of the security problem. Some 1,821 candidates are contesting 119 Assembly constituencies. The TRS is contesting all 119 seats and the BJP is contesting 118 seats. Among the alliance parties, the Congress is contesting 99 seats, the Telugu Desam, 13, the Telangana Jana Samiti, eight, and the Communist Party of India (CPI), three. Malkajgiri Assembly constituency has the most number of candidates (42) and Bansuwada the least at just six. In 25 Assembly constituencies up to 15 candidates are contesting. In 78 constituencies, 16 to 31 candidates are battling it out and 16 constituencies have more than 32 candidates in the fray. The main fight is between the ruling TRS and the Congress-led Peoples Front. In some constituencies the BJP and the Bahujan Left Front (BLF) led by the CPM are giving a fight to the TRS and Front candidates. In these constituencies the BJP and BLF may change the fate of the TRS and Front candidates. 2019, like 2014, will be another presidential election year. Not since 1971, when the Congress Party fought with Indira Gandhi as its only face and only reason, will India see such a personality-focused election. Her campaign call then was I say Garibi Hatao and they only say Indira Hatao! Narendra Modi now cannily implies just that. He says when he promises development his opponents only chant Modi Hatao. I can see this becoming the 2019 campaign theme Modi kehta desh badao, aur wo sirf kahtein Modi hatao. He will paint his opponents as a bunch of power hungry and out of work and corrupt politicians who have come together just to usurp the gaddi in New Delhi. He may be right. So far Mr Modi has not allowed them to define who he really is. Just as corrupt as them but determined to redefine India within the walls of Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva. This is the Hindi concocted by the East India Company; the Brahminical Hinduism that led to the crisis of character that allowed every other sundry adventurer carve out a realm; and the Hindutva defined by V.D. Savarkar the three essentials of which are the three untruths of a common nation (rashtra), a common race and a common culture/civilisation (sanskriti). Clearly this election is not just about development. It is about the soul of India. At stake in 2019 is what kind of an India will we become? India was conceived by its founding fathers to be a state of many nations united by a shared vision and a Constitution that enshrined equality, liberty and justice to all. It envisaged a nation united by a shared vision of the future and not divided by the rancour of the past. The nationalist movement was not just a struggle to expel the English from India but a struggle to create a new and modern India, which will be a beacon of hope for a new world. It envisaged an India where egalitarian ideals mesh with unfettered individual freedoms that will catalyse a long dormant creativity into a nation that will fulfil most aspirations in some measure rather than for in excess just a few. It was an India that would internalise all its past history into one common and seamless narrative. In this conception the majestic Meenakshi temple of Madurai, the magical caves of Ajanta, the beauty of the Taj Mahal and the lost hopes of Fatehpur Sikri, and the imperial grandeur of Raisina Hill will all be seen by Indians as their common wealth and shared history. So far the Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva vision of India has been largely confined to the Hindi-speaking Indo-Gangetic plains, whose history too, if seen in isolation, has been quite different from the rest of the country. But they are our largest and most dominant minority. Their area ranges from Bihar to Rajasthan, from Haryana to Madhya Pradesh, and the two Devanagari states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. This is the heart, lungs and belly of India. These are the fields where the seeds of this new nationhood have been sown and for the past two decades have been reaped for political profit. But now the landlord is very different. It is no longer the avuncular political conservatism of Atal Behari Vajpayee and L.K. Advani, using the rightist nationalist fringe to be discarded after use. Now the lunatic fringe is astride the BJP. The 2018 elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, where the BJP has deep roots and enjoyed power, and where the usual anti-incumbency should be kicking in, has been diluted by Mr Modis unhistorical stridency. These states have traditionally had a bipolar polity divided between the BJP and the Congress. This latest contest has now been largely transformed into a contest between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. It is only in Rajasthan that the local Congress leadership of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Pradesh Congress Committee president Sachin Pilot has been seen as leading the charge against Vasundhara Rajes personalised misrule and failure to provide for a state regularly ravaged by drought and stricken by backwardness. However in Madhya Pradesh, the warring leaders of the Congress in the state have not been able to cut a coherent image of them as being able to do better than Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath have largely been confined within their regions and limitations. Digvijay Singh, hitherto the tallest Congress leader in the state, is nowhere to be seen in the heat and dust of campaigning. It can be said that the only thing working for the Congress in Madhya Pradesh is the anti-incumbency sentiments inevitable in a system that cannot please all. Chhattisgarh was created to be a state where the adivasis would have a voice in the government and benefit from the states largesse. This has not been so. Both the Congress and the BJP represent the same traditions of the ruthless exploitation of the natural resources of the adivasi homelands. The local differences are mostly about power and pelf. These three states account for 65 Lok Sabha seats. The Congress only holds seven seats in the three. The 58 seats the BJP holds here, along with the 72 it holds in Uttar Pradesh form the bedrock of its majority in Parliament. It is the pulverisation of the Congress in these four states that resulted in the national dominance of a party that enjoys only 31 per cent of the national popular vote. If the Congress does better by winning one of the two big states, it could be interpreted as a major blow to Mr Modis re-election prospects in 2019. On the other hand with the diminution of the BJP state satraps, Mr Modi might fully assert himself and enforce the Hindi, Hindu and Hindutva regimen of the BJP, with the cow and temple as its leitmotifs. Telangana is the gateway to the Deccan. The new state witnesses another largely bipolar elections, between the charisma of K. Chandrashekar Rao and his reckless populism, and the faceless leaders of the Congress, now increasingly seen as marching behind Telugu Desam Party supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu. Ironically, Mr Naidu is the leader of the junior party in the Congress-dominated alliance called the Mahakutami. Till a few days ago it seemed that anti-incumbency buttressed by unhappiness over the unabashed one-family rule by the Kalvakuntla family was going to drown the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. But KCR, the astute politician he is, helped by the somewhat lacklustre and maladroit Congress state leadership, has turned it into a KCR versus NCN, and hence once again a TRS versus TDP contest. One should not be surprised if the TRS turns the table on the Congress and proves the opinion polls wrong. The implications of this are interesting and fraught with possibilities. By winning Telangana, the TRS will strike a major blow to any claims Mr Gandhi might have to being the tallest Opposition leader in the country. KCR will also ensure that no major political alternative to Mr Modis narrow and virulent nationalism emerges with the Congress as its main phalanx. As somebody famously said all politics is local. The TDP can afford to ally with the Congress because in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress is just an appendage to it, and not a rival. KCR might then once again make an effort to forge a non-Congress national alternative to the BJP. If the Congress wins in Telangana and even one of the two big Hindi states, the mar of the Bimaru states, it will be a major blow to the leadership of Mr Modi. Telangana will help the Congress line up the two non-Congress states in the south, with a major base in the north. By all accounts the Congress will fare considerably better in the Hindi states in 2019 than it did in 2014. In UP, the BJP won 42.3 per cent in 2014, but it slid down to 39.6 per cent in 2017. In both states the two other main contenders, the Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party together polled more than the BJP, with 44 per cent each time. Now they are together. The BJP, electrified by Mr Modis incendiary leadership, won 72 of the 75 UP Lok Sabha seats in 2014. What will be the attrition when the BSP and the SP combine against it? I think there will be attrition in the Hindi belt. If it is substantial, we might see the return of the avuncular political conservatism of the Vajpayee years with a new BJP leader. If it is total, Mr Modi and Amit Shah will be subject to many trials. Before uterus transplants became possible, the only options to have a child were adoption or surrogacy. A woman in Brazil who received a womb transplanted from a deceased donor has given birth to a baby girl in the first successful case of its kind, doctors reported. The case, published in The Lancet medical journal, involved connecting veins from the donor uterus with the recipients veins, as well as linking arteries, ligaments and vaginal canals. It comes after 10 previously known cases of uterus transplants from deceased donors - in the United States, the Czech Republic and Turkey - failed to produce a live birth. The girl born in the Brazilian case was delivered via caesarean section at 35 weeks and three days, and weighed 2,550 grams (nearly 6 lbs), the case study said. Dani Ejzenberg, a doctor at Brazils Sao Paulo University hospital who led the research, said the transplant - carried out in September 2016 when the recipient was 32 - shows the technique is feasible and could offer women with uterine infertility access to a larger pool of potential donors. The current norm for receiving a womb transplant is that the organ would come from a live family member willing to donate it. The numbers of people willing and committed to donate organs upon their own deaths are far larger than those of live donors, offering a much wider potential donor population, Ejzenberg said in a statement about the results. She added, however, that the outcomes and effects of womb donations from live and deceased donors have yet to be compared, and said the technique could still be refined and optimized. The first baby born after a live donor womb transplant was in Sweden in 2013. Scientists have so far reported a total of 39 procedures of this kind, resulting in 11 live births. Experts estimate that infertility affects around 10 to 15 per cent of couples of reproductive age worldwide. Of this group, around one in 500 women have uterine problems. Before uterus transplants became possible, the only options to have a child were adoption or surrogacy. In the Brazilian case, the recipient had been born without a uterus due to a condition called Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome. The donor was 45 and died of a stroke. Five months after the transplant, Ejzenbergs team wrote, the uterus showed no signs of rejection, ultrasound scans were normal, and the recipient was having regular menstruation. The womans previously fertilized and frozen eggs were implanted after seven months and 10 days later she was confirmed pregnant. At seven months and 20 days - when the case study report was submitted to The Lancet - the baby girl was continuing to breastfeed and weighed 7.2 kg (16 lb). Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The United States believes that the decision on picking the next Dalai Lama should be as per Tibet's religious traditions and that it is not a role of the state, a top Trump administration official has told lawmakers. (Photo: File | AP) Washington: The United States believes that the decision on picking the next Dalai Lama should be as per Tibet's religious traditions and that it is not a role of the state, a top Trump administration official has told lawmakers, hinting that it will oppose any move by China to impose its own Dalai Lama. "The United States has a very clear position that religious decisions should be made within religious organisations and that this isn't the role of the state," Laura Stone, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy during a Congressional hearing. Stone was responding to a question from Senator Cory Gardner. "China has said that they will pick the next Dalai Lama. The Tibetan Policy, actually in 2002, mandated that American officials visit Tibet on a regular basis. I want to get into both of these. If China proceeds and tries to impose a Dalai Lama what will the US response be?" the senator had asked. Gardner said it was clear that this Congress would not recognise a Chinese imposition. Stone said the senator asking such a question was an important signal in itself to the Chinese government that this was the kind of issue that the United States was watching very closely and at very senior levels. "I wouldn't want to prejudge exactly how this, a future scenario, would roll out but I would like to lay a marker that that is the clear position of the United States government and, I think, widely supported within the American society, that those are the kinds of decisions that should be made by religious communities on their own and without outside interference," she asserted. In his remarks, Gardner said the crackdown in the Tibet Autonomous Region was intensifying while Beijing continued to refuse negotiations with the Central Tibetan Administration. "Human rights defenders are routinely jailed, tortured, and otherwise deprived of liberty. A genuine freedom of speech and assembly are nonexistent. Corruption and abuse of power are rampant. The judicial system is a tool of the state and the party and not an impartial arbiter of legal disputes," he said. The United State, Stone said, was deeply concerned at the lack of meaningful autonomy for the Chinese people. "We have certainly pressed for the release of detained activists throughout the entire country, but very importantly, on the Tibet plateau and in historical Tibet," she said. The US has been pushing for access to Tibet with the Chinese authorities, Stone said, adding "I know that's an important issue. We do want to work with Congress on that shared goal and we do continue to have very serious concerns about the ability of the Tibetan people to continue to have the ability to express their unique culture, their unique language, and their religious practices. Senators Gardner and Ed Markey reflected the sentiments of the US Congress, seeking equal access of Americans to China as being done by the US to the Chinese. A legislation is currently being moved in the Congress in this regard. "We need to consider reciprocal access as part of our policy in approach to Tibet and to China and what's being done to address this and to promote our access to Tibet. Do you share the goals of our Reciprocal Act? he asked. In the absence of such a reciprocity, the Act calls for sanctions against Chinese officials. "We certainly share the goals and we do look forward to working with you to figure out how best to achieve those goals," Stone said, confirming that the US government would implement the provisions of the Reciprocal Act if signed into law. Anxiety attack upon arrival at the CBI and intense questioning throughout night this was how suspected middleman in AgustaWestland, Christian Michel, spent his first 24 hours in CBI's custody since his extradition from Dubai. He barely slept for two hours on early Wednesday morning since his landing at 10:35 pm on Tuesday night as the CBI sleuths kept on questioning him before producing him at a special CBI court. Sources said that Michel had an anxiety attack soon after he was brought to the CBI headquarters in New Delhi and doctors were called in. After treatment, sources said, he was questioned during the night. He was allowed to sleep for two hours between 4 am and 6 am on Wednesday. The CBI investigators continued their questioning during the day to ascertain the money trail and identification of documents in the multi-crore-rupee deal. Sources said after landing in the airport, he was taken to CBI headquarters around 1:20 am on Wednesday after completing the procedures. He was flown to India along with a CBI team led by Joint Director Sai Manohar. "An open non-bailable arrest warrant dated September 24, 2015, was issued by the special judge, CBI cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi. On the basis of this warrant, a Red Corner Notice was issued by the Interpol which led to his arrest in Dubai in February 2017," a CBI spokesperson said. Sources said that Michel could provide them with vital clues on the missing link in the money trail. In the court too where it sought his custody, the CBI had said his interrogation was needed to understand how the money he received was used to bribe officials and politicians to swing the deal in AgustaWestland's favour. H D Kumaraswamys Cabinet will be expanded on December 22, soon after the winter session in Belagavi ends, said former chief minister and coalition coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah on Wednesday. Soon after the meeting at the Kumara Krupa guest house, Siddaramaiah said the coalition partners had also decided to make appointments to 30 boards and corporations. While 20 posts will be accorded to Congress MLAs, 10 JD(S) MLAs will be given the remaining 10 posts. The chairpersons to the boards and corporations will be named in phases. Siddaramaiah said his party had decided to fill all six vacancies in the 34-member Cabinet. He said the names will be finalised after consultations with party chief Rahul Gandhi. The meeting, which was attended by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge K C Venugopal, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and JD(S) leader and committee convenor Danish Ali, is taking place after a gap of three months, amid fears of yet another attempt by the BJP to destabilise the coalition government. Siddaramaiah also said the leaders had taken a decision to appoint six parliamentary secretaries. Conceding that there has been disgruntlement among aspirants vying for Cabinet berths, Siddaramaiah, however, said none of his MLAs would quit the party. Nobody will resign. No MLA, including Satish Jarkiholi, will quit the Congress. Also, just because his brother Ramesh Jarkiholi hasn't been attending the Cabinet meetings, it doesnt mean that he too will quit." Both Congress and JD(S) parties are intact. The BJP leaders are daydreaming. Because they were successful once, they are under the impression that Operation Lotus will be a success again, he added. On Union Minister Prakash Javadekars political earthquake in Karnataka remarks, both Siddaramaiah and Ali said that the BJP will be part of a political earthquake once results to the Assembly elections being held in five states are announced. Siddaramaiah also said that complaints by Congress MLAs that they are being sidelined by JD(S) leaders, especially by PWD Minister H D Revanna, too were discussed. He said all their grievances will be addressed shortly. The Congress legislature party meeting, which was scheduled to be held on December 8, has been postponed. The CLP meeting will be held in Belagavi. Kumaraswamy too told reporters that there were differences of opinion between the JD(S) and the Congress leaders. He said that he had informed Rahul about the date of the Cabinet expansion (over the phone) and that the Congress leader had given his consent. Dhanur masa No sooner did Siddaramaiah announce the date of the Cabinet expansion, than there were murmurs in the JD(S) camp that JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda or his son Revanna will not give a green signal for the expansion on December 22, as the day falls on the inauspicious dhanur masa period (December 15 to January 14). Speculations were rife that the expansion will take place only after Sankranti. Chris Stewart, Utahs 2nd District representative to Congress, hit a wrong note this week when he seemed to downplay the seriousness of the murder of a journalist, which the CIA now says was directly ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He wasnt wrong when he said the United States needs to cultivate allies and do business with countries that dont live up to our standards for human rights and basic liberties. Heavens, we have a long history of that, dating at least to when the U.S. teamed up with communists in the Soviet Union to defeat the Nazis, and proceeding through the Cold War and beyond 9/11. Saudi Arabia, remember, was home to 15 of the terrorists who attacked the nation that day, and the involvement of operatives within their government remains an open question. But he was terribly wrong to equate the deaths of many journalists worldwide at the hands of terrorists, local thugs and even murky government agents with what happened to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. The difference goes to the heart of who we are as a people. The CIA says it has found convincing evidence the crown prince ordered Khashoggis death. Several senators on both sides of the political aisle left a closed-door briefing this week convinced of this, as well, vowing to make the Saudis pay. President Trump, however, has said he will do nothing, and Stewart told CNNs Brianna Keilar, Journalists disappear all over. Twenty journalists have been killed in Mexico. You dont think it happens in Turkey and China? Of course it does. And yet we have to have a relationship with these individuals or with these countries. I spent much of Wednesday, an admittedly busy day in Washington, trying to get a clarification from Stewart. Late in the afternoon, his office sent me this statement: We cannot brush aside the murder of any journalist and I have always said that those who are responsible for the murder of Mr. Khashoggi should be held responsible, it said. As the leader of the free world, we have to accomplish two goals; defend human rights while also attempting to maintain important relationships with key allies that we hope will help us bring stability to critical parts of the world. We should always strive to do both. Frankly, thats much better. It at least leaves open the possibility of some sort of punishment for the crown prince, the head of a complicated nation virtually crawling with princes. But it doesnt get to the heart of why the United States has to treat this crime as something extraordinarily unacceptable. The United States weakens its strength abroad if it tacitly accepts a blatant violation of one of it own bedrock principles of liberty even for the sake of a strategic alliance. That is especially true if a head of state deliberately orders the offense. Its wrong because, as any police officer will tell you, ignoring a crime inevitably leads to more of it, and we already have too many journalists dying because they just want to uncover the truth about power. For the record, the Committee to Protect Journalists has cataloged 48 journalist deaths worldwide so far in 2018. Journalists die each year in the pursuit of truth without causing international incidents. And yet each of their deaths diminishes the cause of liberty and human rights in the world. Each allows official corruption or criminal power to continue unchecked abuses. That is why it becomes so important when evidence links such a crime to a head of state. But it also is important because President Trump has called the media an enemy of the people. History has repeatedly shown that most often it is the state, or rather the ambitious state, that is the true enemy of the people. I believe thats one reason the Founding Fathers devised a constitutional system that limits the expansion of state power and the ability of any one person to wield that power. And so the U.S. cannot afford to send the message that quashing dissent and criticism through murder is OK. Years ago, I sat in a room at the State Department in Washington with a few other opinion writers. Top officials, including Gen. Colin Powell, who then was secretary of state, were briefing us not long after 9/11. Some of us kept pressing them on why the United States seemed to overlook human rights abuses among its allies, especially Saudi Arabia. The answer we got was simple. The United States has to deal with the world as it finds it, not wait to form alliances until other nations conform to our ideals. Stewart is right. The U.S. should strive to both maintain relationships and defend human rights. Thats often a difficult tightrope. But downplaying horrendous high-level crimes by our friends sends a disturbing, and hopefully incorrect, message about what we value most. Priyanka Chopra, Nick Jonas' Wedding Cake Inspired Trolls On Twitter, Users As If It's On Airbnb? Nick Jonas reportedly flew in chefs to prepare the 18-foot wedding cake for his and Priyanka Chopras wedding. The extravagant cake has at least six layers, and the couple cut it with a knife that the internet is saying looks more like a sword. People.com shared several exclusive pictures from Priyanka and Nicks Jodhpur wedding celebrations, one of which showed the cake. According to People, Nick flew in chefs from Kuwait and Dubai to prepare the cake. Filmfare reports that the chefs visited several Indian restaurants to curate the menu, which also included Rajasthani dishes. View this post on Instagram Wedding cake #priyankachopra #nickjonas A post shared by Priyanka Chopra-Pedia (@priyankapedia) on Dec 4, 2018 at 10:16am PST The cake was cut after the couple exchanged vows at their first wedding ceremony, held in accordance with Christian traditions. They had a second ceremony, in accordance with Hindu traditions, a day later. A three-minute fireworks show took place while they cut the cake, after which they had their first dance, to Roberta Flacks First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. Glimpses from the ceremonies have been shared online by People.com. Every girl dreams of being a princess on her wedding day, Priyanka said in the magazines cover story. But I never had a plan about what I wanted it to be. Like her 75-foot veil, the wedding cake, too, has inspired jokes online. One person on Twitter wondered if it was available to rent on Airbnb. One person asked the couple for a slice, because obviously there was some left over. I wonder if I can rent out Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' wedding cake on AirBnB. JK! As if I could afford a night's stay in that house. pic.twitter.com/ywHn58bWZP Hanna "Noble Warrior Hero" Flint (@HannaFlint) December 4, 2018 I get it Nick Jonas + Priyanka Chopra got married. (Ive seen the hundreds of photos.) But I honestly just want to see photos of their wedding cake. Really, where they at? Amina Ahmad (@aminaahmad) December 4, 2018 i know you still got cake left @priyankachopra send me some sis furniturewala (@kalindivdw) December 4, 2018 I aspire to be as half as extra as Priyanka Chopra who had two weddings in one, a 75 foot veil at the Christian wedding, and an 18 foot tall cake made by chefs all over the world (including Dubai)... Im fucking SHOOK mehak (@vivalaziam) December 4, 2018 The couple hosted a reception party in New Delhi on Tuesday, which was attended by PM Narendra Modi and their families. Samsung is reportedly looking to merge its Galaxy J, On and C series into one consolidated Galaxy M series. We have already read a lot of reports on the Samsung Galaxy M10 phone but a report now says that Samsung is working on another M-Series device called Galaxy M20. 91mobiles claims that it got its hands on a display panel that belongs to the smartphone in question. The panel shows that the Galaxy M20 will have a waterdrop notch, which is not among the various notch designs that the South Korean tech company showcased at its annual developers conference. The image shows that the panel has curves on the sides. There is a thick chin and the notch houses a single camera. The Waterdrop notch was first introduced in India by Oppo in its F9 and F9 Pro devices but when Samsung showcased the Infinity O, Infinity U, Infinity V, and New Infinity type displays, it did not talk about a Waterdrop notch. The Samsung Galaxy M20 smartphone is reported to be powered by a mid-range Exynos 7885 SoC coupled with a 3GB RAM. The smartphone is expected to ship with 32GB onboard storage which could be expanded via a MicroSD card. According to a Geekbench listing, this processor will have eight cores and 1.6GHz clock speed, and an Antutu listing says that the smartphone will run on Android 8.1 Oreo. Reportedly, Samsung has already started the mass production of the Galaxy M20 and Galaxy M10 smartphones at its Noida factory and the smartphones may launch in the first quarter of 2019. The device may have a 6-inch SuperAMOLED display with 1080x2340 pixels. It could sport a 16MP primary camera with LED Flash and a 5MP front shooter. The smartphone could be powered by a 3300 mAh battery. Subscriber content preview By MICHAEL LIEDTKE AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO Google's self-driving car spinoff is finally ready to try to profit from its nearly decade-old technology. Waymo is introducing a small-scale ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area that will include a human behind the wheel in case the robotic vehicles malfunction. . . . Subscriber content preview OLYMPIA (AP) Washington state regulators have denied the proposed $5.3 billion sale of Spokane, Washington-based Avista Corp. to a Canadian utility. The Utilities and Transportation Commission said in Wednesday's order that the proposed merger with Toronto-based Hydro One Ltd. doesn't adequately protect Avista or the utility's customers from political or financial risk. . . . Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 05, 2018 | WESTERN KENTUCKY By West Kentucky Star Staff Dec. 05, 2018 | 04:39 PM | WESTERN KENTUCKY Crews from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet are pre-treating roads since weather forecasts are calling for a mixture of sleet and snow this weekend. After it is sprayed, the brine dries to leave a fine powder of salt on the pavement. It becomes activated during the early hours of a snow and ice event, which can keep driving conditions a little better during that time. The brine also keeps snow and ice from bonding to the road, which helps when snow plows begin their work. Crews will start brine spraying activities on C Snow and Ice Routes, then move to B routes and A routes. The less-traveled routes are sprayed first since they have less traffic, which can wear the salt off the road. A routes, which are Interstates, US Highways, and other more heavily traveled routes, are treated last so more remains on them when winter weather begins. Drivers should use appropriate caution when they see spray trucks over the next two days. When on I-24 and I-69, the Supertanker and sprayer should be running near normal highway speeds. First blow to Brexit deal as parliament passes contempt motion The Theresa May government suffered a severe blow on Tuesday when it lost a parliamentary vote on legal advice it received on the Brexit deal agreed with EU leaders last month. A motion moved by opposition Labour Party accusing the government of contempt of parliament by failing to publish the legal advice it received on Britains exit from the European union was passed with 311 MPs in favour and 293 against. The opposition believes the advice will reveal Attorney General Geoffrey Cox's misgivings about the Brexit agreement. "This House has now spoken and it's of huge constitutional and political significance. It is, I think unprecedented for this House to find government ministers in contempt," Labour's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer said. The government, however, agreed to publish the "final and full" advice. The voting delayed a speech by Prime Minister Theresa May at the start of five days of debate on the deal before a final vote on 11 December which the government is widely expected to lose. May will address parliament later today as well. The seizure of initiative by Parliament on Tuesday night is considered as repatriation of power long held by political parties on the power of promises and bluff in public. Now the House of Commons is taking back control where Mays fragile administration is suffering successive defeats. Perhaps the more significant legislative event might prove to be the vote for Dominic Grieves amendment. Grieve, a former attorney general, now a leading pro-European Tory backbencher, won a concession asserting that the provisions of standing order 24B should not apply to any motion pursuant to section 13 of the 2018 European Union (withdrawal) Act. This amendment beefs up the power of the Commons in the event that Mays deal is beaten and the government cannot get another deal through Parliament. But it does altogether eliminate the risk of a Brexit without a deal. Sensex ends 572 points lower, Nifty holds 10,600; Maruti Suzuki, RIL, Yes Bank top losers Market at close: Benchmark indices remained under pressure throughout the session with Nifty ended just above 10,600 level, while Sensex lost 570 points. The Sensex was down 572.28 points at 35,312.13, while Nifty was down 181.70 points at 10,601.20. About 745 shares have advanced, 1778 shares declined, and 150 shares are unchanged. Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Yes Bank, Reliance Industries and Adani Ports are the major losers on the Sensex. Capital Infusion Allahabad Bank said board of directors approved raising equity capital by an amount aggregating upto around Rs 3,054 crore through preferential issue of equity shares to the Government of India (President of India) against their capital infusion of around Rs 3,054 crore in the bank. All Sectoral Indices In The Red All sectoral indices traded in the red in afternoon with Nifty Bank, Auto, FMCG, Financial Service, FMCG, Metal and Realty falling 1-2 percent. In the Sensex, 29 out of 30 stocks and in the Nifty, 46 out of 50 stocks traded in the red. Market Update: Benchmark indices extended losses ahead of crucial OPEC meeting later today and state elections exit poll due on Friday evening. The 30-share BSE Sensex was down 507.48 points or 1.41 percent at 35,376.93 and the 50-share NSE Nifty fell 166.90 points or 1.55 percent to 10,616 due to broadbased selling. The broader markets also fell in line with frontliners as the Nifty Midcap and Smallcap indices slipped 1.5 percent each. About three shares declined for every share rising on the BSE. Market Update: Benchmark indices recovered from the day's low points with Nifty hovering around 10,700 level. Sun Pharma, Bajaj Auto, NTPC, Power Grid and TCS are the top gainers on the Sensex. At 13:23 hrs IST, the Sensex is down 255.43 points or 0.71% at 35628.98, while Nifty is down 89.30 points or 0.83% at 10693.60. About 652 shares have advanced, 1609 shares declined, and 110 shares are unchanged. Manappuram Finance board meeting on Dec 11: A meeting of the financial resources and management committee of the board of directors of Manappuram Finance will be held on December 11, 2018 to consider and approve the issuance of the private placement of unrated, unlisted, secured, redeemable non-convertible debentures. Aurobindo Pharma extends losses: Aurobindo Pharma shares fell 5.6 percent intraday Thursday on top of 3 percent loss seen in previous session after a media report indicated that the company named in a lawsuit for selling adulterated irbesartan products. Buzzing: Share price of Spice Mobility was down 1.7 percent intraday Thursday after CFO resignation. Madhusudan Venkatachary tendered his resignation as chief financial officer (CFO) of the company due to personal reasons. The company proposes to hold a board meeting on December 7, 2018, to consider the appointment of new CFO of the company. Buzzing: General Insurance Corporation of India shares fell over a percent in morning on Thursday after global investment firm HSBC slashed price target to Rs 400 from Rs 421 earlier. "The stock trades at 1.9x Mar-19 estimated price-to-book value (1.8x Mar-20 estimated) for a normalised return on equity of 14.2 percent," the research house said while reiterating buy call on the insurance company. Market Update: Equity benchmarks have extended their losses, with the Sensex falling over 350 points, while the Nifty is well below 10,700. The Sensex is down 359.66 points or 1.00% at 35524.75, and the Nifty down 120.80 points or 1.12% at 10662.10. The market breadth is negative as 388 shares advanced, against a decline of 1295 shares, while 71 shares were unchanged. Selling is visible across all sectors, with maximum pain visible among metals, automobiles and consumption names. Financials are trading in the red as well. Sun Pharma and Power Grid were the top gainers, while Vedanta, Maruti Suzuki, and Tech Mahindra lost the most. OIL ahead of OPEC Meet: Oil prices dipped on Thursday in tepid trading ahead of a meeting by producer group OPEC that is expected to result in a supply cut aimed at draining a glut that has pulled down crude prices by 30 percent since October. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $52.57 per barrel at 0109 GMT, down 32 cents, or 0.6 percent, from their last close. International Brent crude oil futures were down 17 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $61.39 per barrel. Market opens: It is a weak start for the market on Thursday as Nifty slipped below 10,750 level. At 09:17 hrs IST, the Sensex is down 199.23 points at 35,685.18, while Nifty down 64.60 points at 10,718.30. About 183 shares have advanced, 538 shares declined, and 27 shares are unchanged. OMC stocks are trading weak, JSW Steel, Yes Bank, Cipla, DLF, PFC, HDFC, IndusInd Bank are among other losers. Infosys, REC, Jet Airways and Sun Pharma are trading higher. Market at pre-opening: Benchmark indices are flat in the pre-opening session with Nifty is around 10,750. At 09:01 hrs IST, the Sensex is up 20.30 points or 0.06% at 35904.71, and Nifty is down 32.50 points or 0.30% at 10750.40. Shares of HDFC are trading lower in the pre-opening trade, while REC is trading higher ahead of Cabinet meeting. Asia trades lower: US stock futures tumbled on Thursday and Asian markets followed after Canadian authorities arrested a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies, fanning fears of further tensions between China and the United States. SGX Nifty: Trends on SGX Nifty indicate a negative opening for the broader index in India, a fall of 91.50 points or 0.84 percent. Nifty futures were trading around 10,742-level on the Singaporean Exchange. Iran warns Opec against indecision on output cut If the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and other oil producers fail to reach an agreement on production cuts, crude oil prices could fall as low as $40 a barrel, Iran has warned. Iran, one of Opecs biggest oil producers, but handicapped by repeated sanctions on its economy, has warned the if the Opec, at its meeting later this week fails to arrive at a deal to cut oil production and rebalance the market, oil prices could nosedive, hitting cartel members budgets. In an interview with Bloomberg, Irans OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili has warned that if the group failed to reach an agreement on a sizeable cut of around 1.4 million bpd as is being suggested, it would send oil prices plunging to $40 a barrel. Iran is disappointed at Opec-non-Opec cartel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia for driving up production to gain from lower Iranian oil output following the IS sanctions. While Irans oil exports have dropped by some 1 million bpd, they are likely still holding onto above 1 million bpd, Iran hopes to continue pumping oil under a US waiver for eight of its customers, including India and China. Iran has said it will not take part in any cuts while US sanctions on its oil are in place. Meanwhile, Gulf oil producer Qatar also announced on Monday that it would be quitting Opec by 1 January as it focuses on natural gas, although it would attend the current (6-7 December) Opec meeting in Vienna. Iran also said that a higher price of oil is not an insignificant argument for many of the cartel members who cant balance their budgets at $60 a barrel. Meanwhile, India is reported to be working on a rupee payment mechanism for oil imports from Iran as this can be used payments for exporting items to Tehran. State-owned UCO Bank is expected to announce the payment mechanism in the next 10 days, reports quoting source said. Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair will host the first of three festive performances by Donegals intergenerational choir Ceol le Cheile on Sunday next. The choir, which celebrated its debut in July this year, has grown from strength to strength with 120 members performing under the direction of professional choral director Veronica McCarron. The choir has been practising their Christmas repertoire for a number of weeks now says Mairead Cranley, Donegal County Council, who is facilitating the choir and says that the choir is very excited about the upcoming performances. We are delighted with the huge interest in the choir and following our successful performance in October we have been inundated with requests to perform in other locations so we are doing these special festive performances in different parts of the county. Other performances include St Marys Church Stranorlar on Tuesday, December 18 and in Glenswilly GAA Hall on Friday, December 21. However, Mairead explains that it is not just about the singing saying the choir is made up of older people, children and young people, male and female from all walks of life in Donegal and making friends and socialising is every bit as important as the singing. It has been great to see relationships blossoming between both generations and seeing their confidence grow. The most important part of this project is the social side of it, this is where all the different stories are shared and friendships are made so the tea breaks are always very welcome during a rehearsal with Veronica McCarron. We have been very fortunate to have Choral Director Veronica McCarron working with us on this project. Veronicas professional conducting included voice training, breathing techniques, elocution lessons, choreography and building the confidence to sing in front of others, explains Mairead. In October the Choir recruited new members up to a total 120 members and they have since being practising their Christmas repertoire in weekly rehearsals. Ceol le Cheile was conceived as part of the Donegal Age Friendly Programme with the aim of promoting social inclusion and developing stronger relationships between older people, children and young people. The project is funded by Healthy Ireland, Donegal County Council, Local Links Bus, Creative Ireland with valuable support from Letterkenny Institute of Technology. Performances Performances will take place on Sunday, December 9 in the Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair at 5pm and tickets can be booked at 074 95 32687. Tuesday, December 18 in St Marys Church Stranorlar starting at 7pm and the final performance is on Friday, December 21 in the Glenswilly GAA hall at 7pm. To book tickets to these performances call Paul Duddy 087 174 0285 or Paddy Devine 087 223 7724. Brexit has led to a downturn in consumer confidence across the island of Ireland, according to results from a new survey conducted by 3GEM on behalf of RSM, seeking the views of 1,000 people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Findings show that over 60% of people in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland anticipate that Brexit will have a negative impact on the economy, however levels of consumer confidence and views on how it will impact on personal incomes vary greatly between the two jurisdictions and among age groups. Economic Confidence People in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are equally pessimistic about the impact of Brexit on the economy, with 65% of those surveyed in the Republic of Ireland and 63% of those in Northern Ireland agreeing. The level of concern was largely equal amongst the different age groups, with the exception of older people (73+) with only 30% of older people in Northern Ireland being worried, in comparison with 63% in the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, it is Millennials (aged 24 -37) and Generation Z (38 53) that are the most concerned about the effect of Brexit. Disposable Income The report also demonstrates different attitudes towards the effects of Brexit on disposable income across the two jurisdictions. In Northern Ireland, 43% of consumers in Northern Ireland expect Brexit to have a strong impact on their disposable spending, compared with just 26% of consumers in the Republic of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, younger generations are more concerned about Brexit than older generations, but the opposite occurs in the Republic. In Northern Ireland, only 10% of those surveyed aged 73+ anticipate that Brexit will have a strong impact on their disposable income compared with 38% in the Republic. In contrast, 42% of Millennials in the North strongly believe that Brexit will impact their disposable income compared with 22% of Millennials in the Republic of Ireland. Overall, in Northern Ireland it is people in Belfast that say Brexit will have the biggest impact on their disposable spending. In the Republic of Ireland, concerns are felt more strongly in non-urban areas, and strongest in Connacht followed by Ulster. Cross-Border Shopping Approximately a quarter of people from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland currently travel across the border at least a couple of times a year. People in the Republic cross the border more frequently than those in the North for groceries and clothes, and home and electric goods, while people in Northern Ireland cross the border more often than those in the Republic of Ireland for petrol. While the strength of the Euro against the Sterling over the past two years has made cross-border shopping more appealing, there is evidence that a hard border could impact on this. 59% of respondents from the Republic of Ireland say they are less likely to engage in cross-border shopping if theres a hard border while 47% of respondents from Northern Ireland say they are less likely to shop over the border in the Republic of Ireland. Tourism In addition to cross-border shopping, the survey results indicate that cross-border tourism will also be affected by Brexit. 46% of people in the Republic of Ireland agree that they are less likely to visit Northern Ireland after Brexit. By contrast, only 27% of consumers in Northern Ireland agree with the statement that they are less likely to visit the Republic after Brexit, and 43% disagreeing which indicates that the Republic of Ireland looks set to remain an attractive holiday option for those in Northern Ireland irrespective of Brexit 72% of those surveyed form Tyrone said they are likely to plan a cross border holiday, while Millennials and those in Dublin were most likely to agree that they are less likely to visit Northern Ireland post-Brexit. Commentary This report indicates that consumers in Northern Ireland are feeling the strain of Brexit more than their counterparts in the Republic, especially younger people. Consumers in Northern Ireland believe that Brexit could have a major impact on income, and this is being felt more by younger generations than older people. "Over the next 12 months, retailers will need to work harder to encourage consumers to part with their money. In our experience this uncertainty is somewhat mirrored amongst businesses. In RSM Ireland, weve witnessed a significant increase in contact and referrals from UK-based firms looking for advice and support on how to set up in Ireland. Many are holding off on making a final decision until the outcome of the UK vote next week, but in the meantime plans and investment in either jurisdiction run the risk of being paralysed, said Aine Farrelly, Management Consulting Partner and Chief Operating Officer, RSM Ireland. Richard Gardiner, RSMs Managing Partner in Belfast commented: Given both the economic uncertainty of Brexit and the political uncertainty with the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly, it is no surprise that there is anxiety amongst consumers. Interestingly, it is Millennials in Northern Ireland that are expressing the greatest concern when it comes to their disposable income, and younger consumers in the Republic that are less likely to visit Northern Ireland which could apply greater pressure on the retail, leisure and tourism sectors locally. As consumers increasingly seek out social media worthy experiences, investing in novel in-store experiences and excellent customer service could be key to driving future footfall. About RSM Ireland RSM Ireland is the 8th largest accounting and advisory firm in Ireland. Established in 1987, it is the biggest first-generation accounting firm in Ireland, and is one of the fastest growing firms serving the midmarket. RSM Ireland employs 150 professionals across 3 locations Ranelagh, Dublin (HQ); Birr Co Offaly, and Portlaoise in Co Laois. It was named Practice of the Year and Large practice of the Year in the 2018 Irish Accountancy Awards. About RSM UK RSM UK merged with the RSM practice in Northern Ireland in 2017, and at the same time acquired the Northern Ireland consulting business, PACEC Limited, enhancing its UK reach. All 70 staff from RSM Northern Ireland and PACEC Limited will joined RSM UK - bringing the total headcount to almost 4,000.The Belfast office of RSM UK is a well-established firm with over 25 years experience in audit, tax, and consulting in Ireland and the UK. Fr John Joe Mc Brearty a man of great faith and tradition who never forgot his roots in Bogagh, Carrick - a lifelong labourer in the fields God chose for him. Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher Leas Cheann Comhairle of Dail Eireann has expressed his sincerest sympathy to the Mc Brearty Family and the St Joseph Fathers Community on the recent sudden death of Fr John Joe Mc Brearty of Gulf Port , Mississippi, USA and formerly a native of Bogagh ,Carrick. He said: "I had the great pleasure of meeting Fr John Joe on many occasions and I knew him very well, he was a member of an extremely well respected Kilcar family." Father John Joe McBrearty is predeceased by his sisters Brigid, Anna , Mena and Mary and by his brothers Tommy, James and Hugh Benedict. He is also survived by sister-in law, Evelyn Mc Brearty of Bogagh, Carrick and his three nieces, Noleen and Carmel Donegal Town and Rosemary from Hastings. Immigrated to Chicago Father John Joe Mc Brearty was born in Bogagh, Carrick, County Donegal, Ireland on March 23, 1931 to parents James and Sarah (nee Brown). After receiving his primary education in Ireland, he immigrated to Chicago, IL and worked there for four years. In 1958, he felt a vocation call to study for the priesthood with the St. Josephs Society of the Sacred Heart, and entered Epiphany Apostolic College in Newburgh, New York. Upon completion of his studies which involved Fr John taking a full degree in a shorter period than normal, he continued through the novitiate year and then priestly formation at St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, DC. On June 1, 1968, he was ordained a Josephite priest by Patrick Cardinal O Boyle in Holy Comforter/St. Cyprian Church in Washington. Associate Pastor Fr. Johns first two priestly years were spent as an associate pastor at St. Vincent De Paul parish in Washington, DC. Six years after this assignment he served as associate pastor at Church of the Epiphany parish in New Orleans. He returned in 1974 to minister for three years as associate in Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Washington, DC. Fr. John Mc Brearty received his first assignment as pastor in 1977, to Immaculate Conception parish in Lebeau, LA. After a brief stay he was assigned to Houston, TX, to pastor Our Lady Star of the Sea Church. Four years later he did a two-year pastorate at Prince of Peace parish in Mobile, AL, followed by a six-year pastoral ministry at St. Francis of Assisi Church at Breaux Bridge, LA. In 1986 he served for one year at St. Joseph parish in Wilmington, DE, as pastor. Mississippi During the next sixteen years, Fr. Mc Brearty served as pastor at Sacred Heart, Raywood, TX (3 years), St. Joseph, Alexandria, VA (5 years) and St. Augustine, New Roads, LA (8 years). He recently completed a full and extensive renovation of the 80-year-old parish church at Gulfport, Mississippi. The church was only newly dedicated just five weeks ago, when he successfully witnessed the labours of his hard work with the reopening of the church. His heart never forgot home "Earlier this year in August, I attended the celebration of his Golden Jubilee of his Ordination in St Carthas Church , Kilcar, when the entire community gathered to celebrate the occasion with their native son. Each year in August Fr John made his return to Bogagh to stay with his late brother James and Evelyn, his Donegal roots were always strong and his heart never forgot the land that first nurtured it," Deputy Gallagher said. A champion for the poor Throughout his entire priestly vocation Fr Mc Brearty worked with the poor and disadvantaged, he championed the underprivileged and the less well off. He provided assistance and help to those who most needed it and who more often than not never received a helping a hand from either state or community. He was an innovator and an extremely hard worker retirement for him was never on the agenda, as he worked till the last minute God granted him on this earth. The Funeral Mass for Fr. Mc Brearty took place in his beloved St. Therese of Lisieux Church, Gulf Port on Thursday, December 6, 2018. A Mass of Christian Burial was later held on Friday, December 7, 2018 at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana a place where he chose himself to rest eternally. Eternal rest grant onto your servant Fr John Joe Mc Brearty your earthly work is now completed, your good deeds go before and your legacy will be forever known amongst those you served well. Rest easy my good friend, reunited with those you loved dearly and that have gone before you. Keeton Nance 19 clicked on the title page of a well-known environmental science journal in his inbox and excitedly scanned the text. He spotted a familiar name Assistant Professor of Chemistry David Griffith then his own, along with students Reid Milstead 18, Kulananalu Tarnas 16, Kira Egelhofer 15. Nance was looking at the first draft of an 11-page research paper he and the others co-authored the culmination of years of work. I was ecstatic, he says. I felt really proud of my contribution and that of my co-authors, and I felt really lucky to have had the opportunity to publish. On Sept. 13, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts published their paper, titled Photochemical degradation of halogenated estrogens under natural solar irradiance, and featured the title inside its front cover alongside artwork by Eurydice Chen 19. Griffith says, "At Willamette, undergraduates play a more central role in the research overall from conducting experiments to data analysis and presenting information at conferences and can interact more directly with faculty than they can at larger institutions." The students benefited in other ways, too. National Public Radio featured their research Nov. 2 during a segment for PRIs environment podcast, Living on Earth, and Nance last month presented his research at the Murdock College Science Research Conference in Vancouver, Washington. Research with an impact Over the past few years, Griffiths students have been studying halogenated estrogen, a form of the hormone created during the chlorine disinfection stage at treatment plants, with the help of a $325,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Scientists are concerned about the impact of estrogen on the environment. Even small amounts of it can disrupt the growth and development of aquatic organisms, causing some male fish to develop ovaries and little is known of its impact on humans. For the research paper, students focused on how quickly this form of estrogen degrades under sunlight to better understand the overall impact of estrogen contamination. On sunny days last summer, students set tubes holding different types of halogenated estrogen on the roof of Collins Hall then measured the amount of the hormone over time. Students discovered halogenated estrogen degrades more quickly in the sun, which means that exposing it to solar rays could ameliorate its rapid formation during the waste treatment disinfection process. Their research has great potential beyond possibly shaping how wastewater facilities treat water in the future. Griffith says it also sheds light on the behavior of a range of other pharmaceuticals and contaminants that share similar structural features with estrogens. Several natural and manufactured chemicals, including ones found in microwavable dishes, Tylenol and some types of detergents, possess the same feature that make estrogens susceptible to degradation by sunlight. So, sunlight can also cause a quicker degradation of these chemicals when they turn up in wastewater. Research at Willamette opens doors to students' future. Experiments Nance conducted last summer through the universitys Science Collaborative Research Program, similar to his work for Griffiths grant, made him eligible for the Murdock conference and others. Setting up experiments, struggling with setbacks, presenting at conferences and publishing articles is paramount in scientific careers, he says, so it is really useful to get a taste of what graduate school and a career in academia might be like before we even start applying to grad schools. Australians are wasting valuable hours battling outdated technology, unproductive workflows and meetings. This is costing employers more than they realise, new research into Australian business productivity has revealed. Nitro, surveyed more than 1,000 Australian office workers to better understand the productivity challenges faced by employees and consequently, steps employers can take to increase their return on employee investment. Theres nothing more deflating than getting into the office early to smash out some work before a hectic day of meetings, only to realize you cant work on a file you need to update because you dont have the right software, Nitro Vice President of APAC Michael Helder said. The five key reasons for low workplace productivity are: outdated processes, policies and workflows poor management or leadership negative workplace culture outdated tools or technology insufficient training Office workers cited lack of access to software or technological tools to complete a task (28%) and being unable to read a poorly scanned or photocopied document (21%) as common productivity pain points. Faced with a calendar full of meetings they wish they could reduce (43%), more than a quarter of workers now say the most productive part of their day is before (21%) or after (4%) office hours. 70% of all workers said lack of proper training across the board was responsible for much of the loss in productivity. Previous Nitro research shows the average knowledge worker loses four hours a week on paper-based admin challenges alone. For an employee on a $80k annual salary, employers are pouring more than $8,000 a year down the productivity drain, Helder said. The report found Gen X and Boomer employees were twice as likely to feel neglected by their employers when it comes to training or investment in the latest technologies, compared to 18-25 year-olds. Key research findings: Women were 70% more likely to view insufficient training as a reason for being less productive at work (women, 43% and men, 30%) Australians working in the public sector were the most likely to have their computer crash at work (55%) Senior management (67%) were more likely to find outdated processes, policies and technology more cumbersome than those in mid-level positions, a group that placed the highest emphasis on poor management or leadership (60%). C-suite employees ranked standardising digital tools and technology such as eSignatures the most important at 63% (Photo: Peter Kenny)Globe sculpture viewed from the United Nations in Geneva, 2018 Discrimination, restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief, and religiously motivated violence are on the rise and the World Evangelical Alliance is taking it to the United Nations in Geneva. These has become, and have always been, the norm in the life and witness of the Church in most parts of the world today WEA said in a statement on Dec. 5. The organization which prides itself as a voice for over 600 million evangelical Christians in the world said it is responding to the ever-increasing threats to religious liberty. "Inspired by Proverbs 31:8-9, the WEA Geneva Liaison Office began to actively engage the United Nations Human Rights mechanisms in 2012 in defense of human rights, and predominately, the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief," said WEA. The aim of the office is to foster structural changes in countries where our national Evangelical Alliances work, to strengthen the rule of law, to advance the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief, and ultimately, to enable an environment for a more vibrant Christian witness. The Geneva-based World Council of Churches which represents mainly many hundreds of millions of Anglicans, Orthodox Christians and Protestants globally as well as some Evangelicals and Pentecostals has long been viewed as the Christian body engaging with the United Nations along with the Vatican. WEA said that now its Geneva Liaison Office has a team of three members. They are Albert Hengelaar, Advocacy Officer, from the Netherlands, Michael Mutzner, WEA United Nations representative in Geneva, from Switzerland, and Wissam al-Saliby, Advocacy Officer, from Lebanon. WHY IS A UN PRESENCE IMPORTANT? "As surprising as it may seem, the WEA Geneva Liaison Office is the only evangelical representative body advocating for religious freedom on behalf of the more than 600 million evangelicals at the UN in Geneva," said WEA's statement. "And regularly, States that persecute or discriminate against religious minorities have to defend their human rights record at the UN's Human Rights Council. By relaying the voices of national Evangelical Alliances, the WEA has a unique contribution to bring to the conversation." WEA cited Wissam al-Saliby reflecting on what evangelical engagement with the United Nations means when it comes to advocacy for religious freedom. He explained how WEA's voice can be of influence in this "unique context." The main tool available is to submit reports to various Geneva-based UN Human Rights mechanisms including the regular Human Rights Council sessions, the Universal Periodic Review, the Human Rights Committee and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. These reports would relay the information provided by WEA member Alliances and have long been used by Christian groups such as the Vatican, the WCC and the Lutheran World Federation. WEA cited examples of reports submitted in 2018: Malaysia: Freedom of Religion or Belief and the Safety of the Christian Minority, addressing the use of the word "Allah" by Christians, the wellbeing and safety of all religious workers, and rising hostility against Christians Bhutan: Freedom of Religion or Belief, addresses ongoing criminalization of religious "coercion or inducement," the registration of religious organizations and discrimination against Christians Central African Republic: Action in Support of National Reconciliation and Respect for Human Rights, submitted jointly with a host of partners, in French Sri Lanka: Persistence of Religiously Motivated Violence, Intimidation, and Discrimination, submitted jointly with the National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka Algeria: Freedom of Religion or Belief submitted jointly with the Protestant Church of Algeria and other partners, and addressing namely Churches and protestant institutions shut down by the government and the trials and arrests of Christian leaders since November 2017 Sudan: Ongoing Imprisonment and Intimidation of Church Leaders, Confiscation and Destruction of Church Property, submitted jointly with Middle East Concern, and addressing recent demolition of church properties, unlawful confiscation and sale of church properties, and the arrest and harassment of church leaders. To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020. Mexico City, Dec 6 (efe-epa).- Mexico's Profepa environmental protection agency said Thursday that authorities confiscated a Siberian tiger cub from a restaurant in this capital. Profepa inspectors went to the restaurant in Mexico City's Iztapalapa borough based on a tip and found a female cub "between 4 and 5 months old with a mild case of hypocalcemia (calcium deficiency)," the agency said in a statement. The tiger is receiving medical treatment, Profepa said. Inspectors took charge of the cub after determining that the owners did not have the necessary authorizations to keep the exotic animal as a pet. Siberian tigers, the world's largest felines, are found only in the forests of southeast Russia, near the Chinese border. The species is listed in Appendix 1 to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Relacionados Las empresas de Zaragoza que mas facturan In 2015 cyber security researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek hacked and gained control of a Jeep Cherokee through the internet. Fortunately it was a white hat attack, but it proved that modern vehicles can be extremely vulnerable to hacker attack. Since then the subject of security has been a major topic at big automotive conferences. Germanys BSI (Federal Office for Information Security) spoke as follows in its magazine of 2018/01: While attacks on automotive electronics in the past were primarily for the purpose of car theft, developments in recent years show that meanwhile the potential for attack is going a lot further. A number of other attacks on automotive systems have been published that illustrate the threat to networked vehicles. It was demonstrated, for example, that driving functionality could be penetrated through poorly secured infotainment modules in vehicles by an internet connection. Certain smartphone apps also proved to be vulnerable that control functions like opening doors or to call up driving information. The article continues, In the automated and networked driving strategy of the Federal Government it is explicitly pointed out that clear IT security standards are needed, especially in vehicle approval. The BSI is actively cooperating with the BMVI (Federal Ministry of Traffic and Digital Infrastructure) on devising appropriate criteria, and on the future focus of cyber security in road traffic. The subject of security seems to have arrived proper in Germany. But what does it look like in other regions? Yes, no, yes and no Bjorn Steurich, project manager for automotive cyber security in the ATV division of Infineon Technologies, currently sees differences not so much between individual regions as between various OEMs in the regions. Because OEMs are likely to set different priorities when it comes to how critical the various attack scenarios are (e.g. motor tuning, theft statistics). But meanwhile the majority of carmakers have installed central security functions, and are working on an integral security approach for future vehicle generations. Todd Slack, strategic marketing manager for automotive security products in the secure products group of Microchip, has also experienced that there are many common security targets in all regions. But he has also found that the roadmaps and strategies for introducing security can be very different. Worldwide there seems to be an infinite number of syndicates, best-practice directives, standards and specifications. Still, theres no documentation that could simply be adopted by all OEMs. So we see that they select extracts from these extensive documents, and ultimately create their own cyber security specifications. Here they were intent on upscaling their existing architectures with as little curtailment as possible. Slack: We see North America and Europe leading when it comes to requirements for a secure boot implementation. That applies in particular to control units that are of critical functional security, and to message authentication in a CAN network. The last point has to do with upgrading from CAN 2.0 to CAN-FD, which in these regions will come with the 2021 model year. OEMs and tier #1 suppliers in Japan and South Korea are much more careful, reckons Slack, when it is a matter of changes to existing architectures. The companies in these regions would first closely observe the security strategies in Europe and North America. That is also because the introduction of CAN-FD in Japan and South Korea comes much later. Relevante Anbieter Dr Ulrich Giese, Renesas Electronics Europe: I think that, without exception, all connected automobiles regardless of class and what they cost must be made secure. This October, a previously unknown name shined in the eBird alerts in Serbia: Raphael Nussbaumer. He made a whirlwind tour of some of the best birding areas in the country, from the Karajukica Bunari peat bog in the extreme southwest (by the border with Montenegro) all the way to the Slano Kopovo Crane Sanctuary in the northeast. Quite a few rarely visited spots and rarely seen birds landed in our inboxes, which prompted me to ask Raphael more about his tour and how he prepared it without asking any local birder for advice. It turned out Raphael Nussbaumer is a keen ornithologist who just completed his PhD in Lausanne (Switzerland). He enjoys combining his passion for birds with computer science background to model nocturnal bird migration. Here is how he prepared for his tour of Serbia: Guest-author: Raphael Nussbaumer Have you ever felt this strange excitement when setting foot in a new country you are visiting for a birdwatching trip? Everything is new, and even the pigeons or sparrows flying around the airport make an exciting first for your country list. This was the feeling I had last October, when we travelled to Serbia with my wife for a week. Although it wasnt the optimal period (most migrants already gone and wintering birds not there yet), we were looking forward to discovering a new and less birded region of Europe. Personally, I love exploring new hotspots and discovering new or unusual species when visiting a country. But what I like above all is going on a well-organized trip where I know where to go and what to look for in each place. One option is to be guided by a local birder, but despite its many advantages, for me it removes all the fun of the discovery. So how do I prepare a detailed plan of my trip? Ill present the general approach I use for my trips and give examples from my trip to Serbia. To make it easier, I divided my preparation into 4 stages: Stage 1 Exploring This phase is to familiarize with the species that can be seen. Search for species (or subspecies) endemic to the area visited. This is usually easily found on Google. There was none in Serbia. Search for my target species (i.e. those I havent seen in my life, or in the country). eBird is a definite must to keep your list up to date, with many useful tools such as target ebird.org/targets. In my case, I had one easy and three more difficult ( Syrian Woodpecker , Imperial Eagle , Great Bustard and Saker Falcon ). , , and ). Search for local special. I usually scroll through the barchart list of the country (ebird.org/barchart?r=RS&yr=all&m=). I had roughly 10-20 species for Serbia including species such as Ferruginous Duck, Hazel Grouse, Griffon Vulture and Spoonbill. Hazel Grouse was one of the target local special species. In the first few minutes of our early morning walk, we were already happy to hear their high pitch song, before we saw this one wandering on the path just a few meters in front of us! It strutted around for a few minutes for us to admire it, before heading back in the bush: great start to the day! We then enjoyed seeing large numbers of hawfinches, jays, nutcrackers, thrushes, chaffinches and tits (S49309185). Stage 2 Detailing Here, the main goal is to have precise information about the birds of the list of phase 1. I usually go through this phase for each species listed in phase 1, with more effort on the first two groups (endemic and target). Find where to find them, and how likely/easy they are to find (during the dates of visit if migrants). This can be easily done by looking at the barchart and distribution map (ebird.org/barchart?r=RS&yr=all&m=) on eBird. I probably looked at the map distribution of ~100 species and noted precise locations for ~20. Explore their song/call, preferred habitat, potential similar species and ID features (www.xeno-canto.org, ebird.org/quiz, ebird.org/media/catalog). In case of rare/difficult/localized bird, search for external sources (e.g. research papers). The ping call of Bearded Tits are always a delight to hear. Thanks to my research on eBird, I was expecting to find them there, but it was still a great surprise to see so many and hear them so well! The mapping exercise works particularly well with birds confined to a specific habitat (Baranda fish farm S49396968 and Pecena slatina S49396887). Stage 3 Mapping. Based on the knowledge gained in phase 2, I map the main hotspots to visit to maximize my chances to see these species. Depending on how many of these species and their rarity, on the map I write more or less comment on which species to see. At this point, I also open a bit my search to more general landmarks of the country. This corresponds to places which might not have particularly rare birds but are worth visiting for various reasons: number of bird (e.g. ducks), IBA, particularly nice landscape/habitat, or scenery For this, I usually Google keyword such as birding Serbia and explore the results (e.g. www.birdwatchserbia.rs, www.10000birds.com/tag/serbia). Sometimes reports of previous visits can provide detailed information (www.cloudbirders.com/tripreport). Finally, I also check social media and rare bird networks to have more up-to-date information and add locations if relevant. Here is my final map for Serbia: https://drive.google.com/open?id=17IVRFMkF8_wkH4wfS-oFyU0JbGq518gn&usp=sharing Penduline Tits were impressively common, with more than 23 individuals recorded during the week, 14 of them in a single group in Centa fish farm (Vojvodina) S49396841. Stage 4 Wrapping up In this last stage, I like going through the exact planning in some detail. Group locations on the map by day trips (estimate duration based on distance to cover and traveling time by car). This depends on your accommodation plan too. Depending on your planning you might have to remove or add certain ones. Explore each hotspot intensively to note each hide, viewpoint, type of road, access road and barrier, etc Export to my Google map to Maps.me to have all the pins offline on my phone. Another local special I was happy to see: my first Eurasian Jackdaws of the soemmerringii sub-species, identified by their white semi-collar (S49318856). A few tips for Serbia: My favorite part of birding in Serbia was the raw nature of most of the hotspots. If youre tired of well-maintained bird reserves or parks, youll enjoy exploring hotspots such as Pestersko polje, Paljuvi Reservoir, Centa Fish Farm, and Beljarica was also good fun. Roads are generally in good condition, but there are a lot of roadworks and traffic. We greatly underestimated the traffic on our arrival, and it took us nearly 8 hours to drive from Belgrade to Uvac Nature Reserve (whereas wed initially planned 4!). Friday afternoon is clearly not a good time to be driving in Belgrade! There is not much data online about birds of Serbia (no atlas, no distribution map) and there was still quite a big gap in October on eBird (eg. Imperial Eagle still in Fruska Gora National Park? [No, it is locally extinct in the park]) Many hotspots on eBird are general hotspots (middle of a lake) and dont give the exact watchpoint, entrance etc. I tried to give tips and recommendations in my eBird checklists for those interested. The Great Grey Shrike is another fairly common species seen several times in our trip. This one was even singing! This species is sadly declining in Western Europe, the last breeders disappeared these last few weeks and we only get occasional winter visitors; Centa fish farm (S49396841). Long gone from my country of residence (Switzerland) and close to disappear from where I originally come from (Alsace, France), I was particularly happy to encounter a singing Crested Lark while driving near Fruska gora NPNeradin, Vojvodina, S49367224. Very large flocks of Corn Buntings were contacted in Centa fish farm (S49396841). Some of my highlights: A Whiskered Tern was found at Sakule fish farm (Jer Lake) (S49396977) was found at Sakule fish farm (Jer Lake) (S49396977) Two Red-necked Grebes at Belo jezero (Lukino Selo)(S49396986) at Belo jezero (Lukino Selo)(S49396986) A White-fronted Goose at Pestersko poljeKarajukica Bunari (S49318648) at Pestersko poljeKarajukica Bunari (S49318648) A Moustached Warbler at Baranda fish farm (S49396968) Including 5-7 Black-throated Divers, 1 single Caspian Gull, 33 Curlews, 47 Ferruginous Ducks, 12 Pintails, 1 Black Stork, several White-tailed Eagles, Syrian Woodpecker, Redwing, Sombre Tit and many others Actor De Niro calls for action on Khashoggi's murder US senators introduced a resolution that would hold bin Salman accountable for Khashoggi's murder Hollywood star Robert De Niro has called for doing "something" regarding the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. "ITS UNACCEPTABLE" "I am upset about what happened to Khashoggi," De Niro told reporters on the sidelines of the Morocco-based 17th Marrakech International Film Festival. That was not good, unacceptable, and something has to be done about it," he said. Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist, and columnist for The Washington Post went missing after entering the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in early October. After initially saying he had left the consulate alive, Saudi Arabia admitted weeks later that he was killed there, blaming his death on a group of rogue Saudi operatives. On Wednesday, a group of U.S. senators defied the White House and introduced a resolution that would hold Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman accountable for the journalists murder. Boko Haram attacks kill 8 soldiers in NE Nigeria A counter-attack by Nigerian troops leaves more than 10 Boko Haram militants dead, according to local media. At least eight Nigerian soldiers were killed in recent Boko Haram raids on some military positions in northeastern Nigeria, the local media reported on Wednesday. The Nigerian daily Punch quoted the army spokesman Sani Usman as saying that more than 10 Boko Haram militants were killed in clashes between the troops and the militants in Kangarwa, Malumfatori and Arge areas of northeast Borno State and Buni Gari town of Yobe State between Saturday and Monday. 10 TERRORISTS WERE KILLED It is not true that Boko Haram is holding any area, the spokesman was quoted as saying, refuting reports that the militants are now holding territories. Indeed, eight of our gallant troops paid the supreme price, while over 10 Boko Haram terrorists were killed by the troops during the encounter at Buni Gari. Rising militants attacks in the region have led the critics to question the government's narrative that it has decimated the insurgents, while it is also encouraging neighboring nations and development partners to join it to turn the heat on the terrorists. Last week, President Muhammadu Buhari met his colleagues from across the Lake Chad region to draw up fresh strategies to end the crisis. Philippines deports Catholic priest wanted for sex crimes Philippine law enforcement agents have arrested a 77-year-old American Catholic priest on a warrant for sex crimes issued by a court in the United States, spokeswoman for immigration authorities said. Kenneth Bernard Hendricks is to be deported after Wednesdays arrest at his home in Naval on the remote central island of Biliran, where he has been a priest for 37 years, following complaints from dozens of children, she added. We will not allow sexual predators to prey on our children, the spokeswoman, Dana Krizia Sandoval, said in a statement. Hendricks was flown back to Manila, the capital, where the U.S. embassy is taking steps to enable his deportation to face charges in the U.S. state of Ohio, she added. I am sad leaving this town, a handcuffed Hendricks told television after the arrest, but he made no mention of the case. The church suspended Hendricks from his priestly duties after opening a formal inquiry more than a month ago, said Father John Estina of the Catholic diocese in Biliran, adding that it had cooperated with civil authorities. Troops to interfere Yellow Vests protests in France The French government says it fears major violence in Paris as the "Yellow Vests" protest movement shows little sign of easing. Despite capitulating this week over plans for fuel taxes that inspired the nationwide revolt, President Emmanuel Macron has struggled to quell the anger that led to the worst street unrest in central Paris since 1968. Rioters torched cars, shattered windows, looted shops and sprayed and anti-Macron graffiti across some of Pariss most affluent districts, even defacing the Arc de Triomphe. Scores of people were hurt and hundreds arrested in battles with police. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced late on Wednesday that he was scrapping the fuel-tax increases planned for 2019, having announced a six-month suspension the day before, in a desperate bid to defuse the worst crisis of Macrons presidency. The Elysee official said intelligence suggested that some protesters would come to the capital to vandalize and to kill. "EXCEPTIONAL RESOURCES WILL BE DEPLOYED" The threat of more violence poses a security nightmare for the authorities, who make a distinction between peaceful Yellow Vest protesters and violent groups, anarchists and looters from the deprived suburbs who they say have infiltrated the movement. Saturday's planned rally of the yellow vests looks set to go ahead. Recent protests have turned violent, causing millions of euros in damage. Speaking before the French Senate, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said "exceptional resources" would be deployed on Saturday in addition to of 65,000 police officers. Dec 6, 2018 | By Cameron A breakthrough out of Washington State University will enable wearable glucose monitoring systems thanks to 3D printed glucose electrochemical biosensor thats flexible. For the millions of people suffering from diabetes, the painful finger pricks of constant glucose testing are yet another inconvenience. There are continuous glucose monitoring devices available but they are quite expensive and require that a sensor be embedded into the skin thats held in place by an adhesive. Biosensors that can accurately measure glucose levels in sweat as its excreted by the skin already exist, so the invasiveness and discomfort of finger pricks and embedded sensors are becoming less necessary. Getting those biosensors into a flexible format has been mostly limited to screen printing, a rather toxic and material-hungry process. By using a direct ink writing (DIW) 3D printer, the WSU research team produced a nanoscale material that is electrically conductive and flexible. The precise method uses significantly less material and results in biosensors that are more sensitive than traditional electrodes partly due to improved surface morphology. Arda Gozen and Yuehe Lin, faculty in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, led the project. Gozen believes that the technology can lead to more accessible, customized solutions for diabetics, saying, 3D printing can enable manufacturing of biosensors tailored specifically to individual patients. This can potentially bring down the cost. Lin is hopeful that the younger generation can avoid the sting of outdated medicine, commenting, Our 3D printed glucose sensor will be used as a wearable sensor for replacing painful finger pricking. Since this is a noninvasive, needleless technique for glucose monitoring, it will be easier for childrens glucose monitoring. Theyre now working to integrate the biosensor into a packaged, wearable device for long-term glucose monitoring. The design could be as simple as a strap around the wrist that wirelessly connects to a smartphone for indicating and tracking glucose levels. 3D printing offers a high degree of customization and can generate patches of biosensing fabric in any shape. Eventually, as the technology to integrate power sources into flexible materials is further developed, biosensors will be inside clothing, measuring much more than just glucose. Activity trackers and health monitoring systems will all come together in a smart T-shirt that can be worn while working out as well as on sick days to generate diagnostics at regular intervals, automatically uploaded to the doctors office. Such is the 3D printed future. Posted in 3D Printing Application Maybe you also like: Treatment with a low dose of tamoxifen (5 mg per day) halved the risk of disease recurrence and new disease for women who had been treated with surgery following a diagnosis of breast intraepithelial neoplasia compared with placebo, and it did not cause more serious adverse events, according to data from the randomized, phase III TAM-01 clinical trial presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held Dec. 4-8. "Breast intraepithelial neoplasia is a term for a group of noninvasive conditions in which abnormal cells are found in the breast, including ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS), and atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH)," said Andrea De Censi, MD, director of the medical oncology unit at the National Hospital E.O. Ospedali Galliera - S.C. Oncologia Medica in Genoa, Italy. "These conditions significantly increase a woman's risk for invasive breast cancer. Because they are often driven by the hormone estrogen, treatment commonly includes five years of tamoxifen, given at 20 mg per day, after surgery and, if needed, radiotherapy. "Unfortunately, tamoxifen is associated with an increased risk of endometrial cancer and of venous thromboembolism, and can cause menopausal symptoms that lead to treatment discontinuation," continued De Censi. "Our data show that in a randomized trial, low-dose tamoxifen was effective at reducing the risk of breast cancer development and recurrence for women with DCIS, LCIS, and ADH, and it did not cause significant serious adverse events or any increase in menopausal symptoms. Therefore, we strongly believe that these data are practice-changing." De Censi and colleagues randomized 500 women with DCIS, LCIS, and ADH who had been treated with surgery and, if needed, radiotherapy to either low-dose tamoxifen or placebo. Treatment continued for three years and patients were seen by the research team every six months and had a mammogram annually. After a median follow-up of 5.1 years, 14 of the 253 (5.5 percent) patients in the low-dose tamoxifen arm and 28 of the 247 (11.3 percent) patients in the placebo arm had disease recurrence or new disease. These data led the researchers to calculate that low-dose tamoxifen reduced the risk of recurrence or new disease by 52 percent. Among the patients who had a recurrence or new disease in the opposite breast, three of the 14 in the low-dose tamoxifen arm had invasive breast cancer and 11 had breast intraepithelial neoplasia. In the placebo arm, 10 had invasive breast cancer and 18 had breast intraepithelial neoplasia. There were 12 serious adverse events among the patients in the low-dose tamoxifen arm and 16 among those in the placebo arm. There was one case of endometrial cancer among the patients in the low-dose tamoxifen arm and none among those in the placebo arm. There was one venous thromboembolism in the tamoxifen arm and one pulmonary embolism in the placebo arm. There were no significant differences between the two arms in reporting of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and pain during intercourse. "When we compare our low-dose tamoxifen data with results from the NSABP B-24 and NSABP-P1 trials of tamoxifen given at 20 mg per day, we see comparable risk reduction and significantly reduced serious adverse events, respectively," said De Censi. "We would have liked to do a trial comparing the two doses of tamoxifen, but the cost of such a trial was prohibitive given that we had a limited budget because our funding was from nonprofits and the government." According to De Censi, the main limitation of the study is that treatment adherence was only 64.8 percent and 60.7 percent in the tamoxifen and placebo arms, respectively. He also said that if compliance to treatment had been higher, he would have expected to see a greater benefit of tamoxifen. De Censi also mentioned that currently, tamoxifen is only available in 10 mg tablets but that prior studies conducted by the researchers have shown that 10 mg every other day are as effective as 5 mg per day at reducing recurrence. ### This study was supported by the Italian Ministry of Health, the Italian Association for Cancer Research, and the Italian League Against Cancer. De Censi declares institutional funding from Indena SpA, Roche, Pfizer, Janssen, Novartis, Sanofi Aventis, Quintiles, Gilead, and MacroGenics. Paleontologists from Russia have described a new dinosaur, the Volgatitan. Seven of its vertebrae, which had remained in the ground for about 130 million years, were found on the banks of the Volga, not far from the village of Slantsevy Rudnik, five kilometers from Ulyanovsk. The study has been published in the latest issue of Biological Communications. The Volgatitan belongs to the group of sauropods - giant herbivorous dinosaurs with a long neck and tail, who lived on Earth about 200 to 65 million years ago. Weighing around 17 tons, the ancient reptile from the banks of the Volga was not the largest among its relatives. The scientists described it from seven caudal vertebrae. The bones belonged to an adult dinosaur which is manifested by neural arches (parts of the vertebrae protecting the nerves and blood vessels), which completely merged with the bodies of the vertebrae. The remains of the dinosaur were discovered near the village of Slantsevy Rudnik. This is where, in 1982, Vladimir Efimov discovered three large vertebrae that had fallen out of a high cliff. Later, in 1984-1987, three nodules of limestone fell off, which contained the remaining vertebrae. In his works, the head of the Undorovsky Paleontology Museum called the unusual finds "giant vertebrae of unknown taxonomic affiliation". "In the early 1990s, Vladimir Efimov showed photographs of the bones to Lev Nesov, a well-known Leningrad paleontologist," recollected Alexander Averianov. Lev Nesov thought that the vertebrae belonged to sauropods, giant herbivorous dinosaurs. In 1997, Vladimir Efimov published a preliminary note about this find in the Paleontological Journal. He referred to the vertebrae as a sauropod of the Brachiosauridae family. Last July, I finally managed to visit him in Undory and study the bones, and also managed to determine that they belonged to the new taxon of titanosaurs." The dinosaur received a scientific name - Volgatitan simbirskiensis. It comes from the Volga River and the city of Simbirsk (currently, Ulyanovsk). Titans are ancient Greek gods known for their large size. Therefore, according to a paleontological tradition, this word is used in many scientific names of sauropods from the group of titanosaurs. It is also part of the name of the group. Today, along with the Volgatitan from Russia, 12 valid dinosaur taxa have already been described. There are only three sauropods among them: Tengrisaurus starkovi, Sibirotitan astrosacralis and Volgatitan simbirskiensis. The first two are the first sauropods in Russia, which were also studied by St Petersburg University scientists in 2017. According to Aleksandr Averianov, the description of dinosaur taxa in recent years has become possible due to the progress in understanding the anatomy and phylogeny of dinosaurs. In addition, the Russian sauropod allowed scientists to learn more about how these species of ancient reptiles had lived and developed. "Previously, it was believed that the evolution of titanosaurs took place mainly in South America with some taxa moving into North America, Europe and Asia only in the Late Cretaceous," explained the St Petersburg University professor. In Asia, representatives of a broader group of titanosauriform, such as the recently described Siberian titanium, dominated in the early Cretaceous. However, the recent description of the Tengrisaurus from the Early Cretaceous of Transbaikal Region and the finding of the Volgatitan indicate that titanosaurs in the Early Cretaceous were distributed much more widely; and, perhaps, important stages of their evolution took place in Eastern Europe and Asia." ### By age 60, one in three American women have had a hysterectomy. Though hysterectomy is a prevalent and routine surgery, the removal of the uterus before natural menopause might actually be problematic for cognitive processes like memory. Researchers in the Arizona State University Department of Psychology have found rats that underwent the surgical removal of the uterus with ovaries left intact had a memory deficit, suggesting the uterus might have functions beyond reproduction. The study will be published on December 6 in Endocrinology. A dormant and useless organ? Endocrinology textbooks used in medical and graduate schools describe the uterus as having the sole function of accommodating and supporting a fetus or as a useless organ outside of reproduction. But, there is mounting evidence from research in animals and people suggesting otherwise. The uterus and ovaries communicate for reproductive functions, but there are also direct connections between the uterus and the brain through the body's autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system coordinates unconscious functions like breathing and digestion. The lesser understood uterine-brain connections could affect cognitive functions and impact how females age. "There is some research showing that women who underwent hysterectomy but maintained their ovaries had an increased risk for dementia if the surgery occurred before natural menopause. This finding is striking," said Heather Bimonte-Nelson, professor of psychology and senior author on the paper. "We wanted to investigate and understand whether the uterus itself could impact brain function." The research team used female rats to systematically test the role of the uterus and ovaries in learning and memory. The rats were divided into four groups based on the type of menopause surgical intervention. The three experimental groups were: removal of the uterus with ovaries left intact, removal of the ovaries with uterus left intact and removal of both the uterus and ovaries. The fourth group underwent a sham surgery in which no reproductive organs were removed. Six weeks after surgery, the researchers taught the four groups of rats how to navigate a maze. Once all the rats had learned this task, the researchers tested the memory capacity of the rats. The team also looked at the reproductive organs and hormones. "This experiment tests the role of the uterus in cognitive changes that accompany menopause. The researchers use several surgical approaches that are actually used for women who undergo oophorectomy, hysterectomy, or both. This alone is laudable," said Donna Korol, an associate professor of biology at Syracuse University who was not part of the study. "One of the beauties of this experimental design was the sampling of different measures from the same rat, allowing for within-animal comparisons across multiple systems." A rodent version of the card game "concentration" During the memory testing, the rats navigated a water maze that looked like a sunburst, with eight arms radiating out from a circular center. There were submerged platforms at the end of some of the arms, and the rats had to swim to locate a hidden platform. In the beginning of the experiment, the researchers placed four platforms for the rats to find. After a rat found a platform, the researcher removed it for the rest of the day. The rat then restarted the maze, searching for the remaining platforms while having to remember both where previous platforms had been and which arms had always been empty. With two platforms down and two to go, the research team found the rats that had only the uterus removed could not handle the increased memory load. These rats kept returning to places where there had never been a platform, indicating they were unable to remember which arms of the maze led to platforms. The other kinds of surgery did not affect how many mistakes the rats made in the maze. The rats that underwent the removal of just the ovaries or the removal of the ovaries plus the uterus navigated similar to the group that had the sham surgery. "The surgical removal of just the uterus had a unique and negative effect on working memory, or how much information the rats were able to manage simultaneously, an effect we saw after the rats learned the rules of the maze" said Stephanie Koebele, ASU psychology graduate student and first author on the paper. A hormonal jigsaw puzzle At the end of the study, the researchers looked at the size, shape and structure of the ovaries in all the groups. The ovaries of the hysterectomy-only group were indistinguishable from the ovaries of the sham surgery group, which maintained their ovaries and uterus. The research team also measured the amounts of different hormones in the blood, like progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. Hormones are chemicals made by the body that regulate organs and body systems and send information. The hormone levels in the hysterectomy-only group were different from the sham surgery group, even though both of these groups still had ovaries. "Even though the ovaries were structurally similar across all the groups, the hormones that were produced in the group that received hysterectomy alone resulted in a different hormone profile," said Koebele, who has a fellowship from the National Institute on Aging for her doctoral research. "Hormones affect both brain and other body systems, and having an altered hormonal profile could impact the trajectory of cognitive aging and could create different health risks." Exactly how the altered hormone profile affects cognitive aging or creates health risks is complicated but is nonetheless very important to study and understand. "Complicated does not mean impossible," said Bimonte-Nelson, who directs ASU's Behavioral Neuroscience of Memory and Aging lab. Her lab is currently testing whether the memory deficit after hysterectomy is reversible with time or is the beginning of a more global memory impairment. ### ASU psychology undergraduate students Justin Palmer, Bryanna Hadder, Ryan Melikian, Carly Fox and Isabel Strouse also contributed to the study. Dale DeNardo, associate professor in the ASU School of Life Sciences, along with Christina George, Emily Daunis, Adrianna Nimer, Loretta Mayer and Cheryl Dyer of SenesTech, were also part of the research team. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (AG028084, P30AG019610, 1F31AG056110), the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS14-052688), the Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium and the ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Office of Knowledge Enterprise Development and Department of Psychology. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official views of the National Institutes of Health, the Arizona Department of Health Services or ASU. The Arizona State University Department of Psychology operates at the intersection of the mind, brain and behavior and includes internationally-renown scientists who work to unravel many of the mysteries and challenges of human behavior. ASU Psychology is dedicated to engaging bold scientific enterprise, developing innovative psychological methods, and integrating students into the excitement of psychological discovery in both the classroom and the laboratory. A team of researchers from France, Sweden, and Denmark have identified a new strain of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, in DNA extracted from 5,000-year-old human remains. Their analyses, publishing December 6 in the journal Cell, suggest that this strain is the closest ever identified to the genetic origin of plague. Their work also suggests that plague may have been spread among Neolithic European settlements by traders, contributing to the settlements' decline at the dawn of the Bronze Age. "Plague is maybe one of the deadliest bacteria that has ever existed for humans. And if you think of the word 'plague,' it can mean this infection by Y. pestis, but because of the trauma plague has caused in our history, it's also come to refer more generally to any epidemic. The kind of analyses we do here let us go back through time and look at how this pathogen that's had such a huge effect on us evolved," says senior author Simon Rasmussen (@simonrasmu), a metagenomics researcher at the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen. To better understand the evolutionary history of the plague, Rasmussen and his colleagues trawled through publicly available genetic data from ancient humans, screening for sequences similar to more modern plague strains. They found a strain they had never seen before in the genetic material of a 20-year-old woman who died approximately 5,000 years ago in Sweden. The strain had the same genes that make the pneumonic plague deadly today and traces of it were also found in another individual at the same grave site--suggesting that the young woman did likely die of the disease. This strain of the plague is the oldest that's ever been discovered. But what makes it particularly interesting is that, by comparing it to other strains, the researchers were able to determine that it's also the most basal--meaning that it's the closest strain we have to the genetic origin of Y. pestis. It likely diverged from other strains around 5,700 years ago, while the plague that was common in the Bronze Age and the plague that is the ancestor of the strains in existence today diverged 5,300 and 5,100 years ago, respectively. This suggests that there were multiple strains of plague in existence at the end of the Neolithic period. Rasmussen also believes that this finding offers a new theory about how plague spreads. Massive human migrations from the Eurasian steppe down into Europe are known to have occurred around 5,000 years ago, but how these cultures were able to displace the Neolithic farming culture that was present in Europe at the time is still debated. Previous researchers have suggested that the invaders brought the plague with them, wiping out the large settlements of Stone Age farmers when they arrived. But if the strain of plague the researchers found in the Swedish woman diverged from the rest of Y. pestis 5,700 years ago, that means it likely evolved before these migrations began and around the time that the Neolithic European settlements were already starting to collapse. At the time, mega-settlements of 10,000-20,000 inhabitants were becoming common in Europe, which made job specialization, new technology, and trade possible. But they also may have been the breeding ground for plague. "These mega-settlements were the largest settlements in Europe at that time, ten times bigger than anything else. They had people, animals, and stored food close together, and, likely, very poor sanitation. That's the textbook example of what you need to evolve new pathogens," says Rasmussen. "We think our data fit. If plague evolved in the mega-settlements, then when people started dying from it, the settlements would have been abandoned and destroyed. This is exactly what was observed in these settlements after 5,500 years ago. Plague would also have started migrating along all the trade routes made possible by wheeled transport, which had rapidly expanded throughout Europe in this period," he says. Eventually, he suggests, the plague would have arrived through these trade interactions at the small settlement in Sweden where the woman his team studied lived. Rasmussen argues that the woman's own DNA also provides further evidence for this theory--she isn't genetically related to the people who invaded Europe from the Eurasian steppe, supporting the idea that this strain of plague arrived before the mass migrations did. The archaeology also supports this hypothesis, as there were still no signs of the invaders by the time she died. Of course, there are some limitations to what the data from this study can tell us. Most importantly, the researchers have not yet identified the plague in individuals from the mega-settlements where it may have evolved. "We haven't really found the smoking gun, but it's partly because we haven't looked yet. And we'd really like to do that, because if we could find plague in those settlements, that would be strong support for this theory," says Rasmussen. Regardless, he believes that this study is a step toward understanding how plague--and other pathogens--became deadly. "We often think that these superpathogens have always been around, but that's not the case," he says. "Plague evolved from an organism that was relatively harmless. More recently, the same thing happened with smallpox, malaria, Ebola, and Zika. This process is very dynamic--and it keeps happening. I think it's really interesting to try to understand how we go from something harmless to something extremely virulent." ### This research was supported by the Carlsberg Foundation, The Lundbeck Foundation, The Danish National Research Foundation, the IHU Mediterranee Infection, Marseille, France, the French Government under the Investissements d'avenir program, the Region Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur, the European funding FEDER PRIMI, and the A*MIDEX Foundation. Cell, Rascoven et al.: "Emergence and spread of basal lineages of Y. pestis during the Neolithic decline" https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(18)31464-8 Cell (@CellCellPress), the flagship journal of Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that publishes findings of unusual significance in any area of experimental biology, including but not limited to cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, virology and microbiology, cancer, human genetics, systems biology, signaling, and disease mechanisms and therapeutics. Visit: http://www.cell.com/cell. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is quite possibly the most studied organism on the planet. Fruit flies are also quite familiar residents in many of our kitchens, attracted as they are to the fruit bowl. But how do the flies live in the wild? Surprisingly little is known. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on December 6 on their studies of fruit flies living in their ancestral forests of Zimbabwe offer new clues into how the flies live in the wild. The story centers on the African marula fruit, which has a thick rind surrounding sugary pulp, similar to D. melanogaster's modern-day favorite of citrus. Their discoveries also help to explain how the fruit flies might first have been domesticated. "The flies in your kitchen fruit bowl are the direct ancestors of a group of flies that lived on marula in a distant forest," says Marcus Stensmyr (@MarcusStensmyr) of Lund University in Sweden. "Some 10,000 years ago, these flies moved in with their human neighbors, and their offspring then colonized the world. That's pretty cool!" Prior to the new study, D. melanogaster had never been observed from undisturbed wilderness. So, researchers led by Stensmyr and first author Suzan Mansourian set out to find the ancestral African home of this important model organism. Using traps, they managed to locate wild flies in forests of Southern-Central Africa. Traps places in the vicinity of marula fruit trees quickly filled up with fruit flies. Traps placed in other parts of the forest collected little to no Drosophila. The researchers also showed that the fruit flies preferred marula fruits over citrus, a well-known favorite of theirs in other parts of the world. When in season, "the flies are solely found with a single host fruit, marula," Stensmyr says. In fact, the researchers found that D. melanogaster from other parts of the world still prefer marula over citrus, despite the fact that they've surely never seen it before. The flies are attracted to the main chemicals released by marula, which activate odorant receptors known to influence their selection of good spots to lay eggs. One of the reasons the new discovery is especially intriguing is that marula fruit is not only of importance to flies. The fruit also has long-standing cultural significance to San people, who live in the region. Archeological excavations of the caves where the San tribe lived during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene have uncovered enormous quantities of walnut-sized marula stones, which contain the seeds of the fruit. At least 24 million marula stones have been recovered from a single cave, the researchers note. "The San evidently spent considerable time collecting and processing marula, which would have been the staple food item during many months of the year," the researchers write. "Thus, just like D. melanogaster, these San tribes appear to have been seasonal specialists on marula as well." They propose that this may explain how fruit flies first came to live among humans, attracted to them by the scent of marula. Once inside the caves, the flies would surely have benefitted from protection from predators and bad weather. Over time, the researchers suggest, the cave flies adapted, becoming more willing to enter dark enclosures and increasingly tolerant of ethanol. "The fly has always been considered an opportunist and generalist, feeding and breeding in all manners of fruit," Stensmyr says. "In its native environment, however, the flies show a quite specialized lifestyle, being only found with marula fruit." Stensmyr says they'll now go back to the forests of Africa, to "really figure out what the flies are doing in their native habitat." ### Work in the Stensmyr lab is funded by the Crafoord Foundation, Carl-Tryggers Foundation, and the Swedish Research Council. The Pool lab acknowledges funding from the NIH. Current Biology, Mansourian et al.: "Wild African Drosophila melanogaster Are Seasonal Specialists on Marula Fruit" https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)31362-9 Current Biology (@CurrentBiology), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: http://www.cell.com/current-biology. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com. Tokyo, Japan -- Babies younger than 6 months of age do not recognize their mothers watching their mobile phones. Babies recognize a face from profile view after 6 months of age. Longitudinally testing 14 babies every month during the first 3 to 8 months of life, scientists at Chuo University and other institutions first identified developmental changes in babies with regard to the ability to recognize a face from frontal and profile views. Adults and children easily recognize faces from both the frontal and profile views, whereas newborn babies do not. To investigate the age when we are able to recognize the face regardless of view change, they measured a baby's brain activity while the baby viewed frontal and profile views of the face using non-invasive near-infrared spectroscopy. "The brain activity of babies tells us if they recognize a face," explains Dr. Hiroko Ichikawa from Tokyo University of Science, "because babies' hemodynamic responses in the right occipitotemporal area increase when they are viewing a face. In this study, we found that hemodynamic responses to profile faces were weak at 3 months of age, but increased more during the period from 3 to 8 months of age compared with those of frontal faces. Linear regression analysis showed that around 5.5 months of age, babies gradually recognize the profile face." In 2009, two age groups of babies, 5 and 8 months, had already been tested by Assistant Professor Emi Nakato at Ehime Prefectural University of Health Sciences. She remarked, "Then I had an idea to test the babies from 3 to 8 months of age longitudinally and reveal the developmental course of the neural mechanism related to face recognition during infancy. Actually, we started the study with more babies, but not a few babies we had to give up. Anyway, we greatly appreciate the babies and their families who attended the study patiently every month during the first 3 to 8 months of life." Team leader Professor Masami K. Yamaguchi at Chuo University emphasized the individual differences among babies. "It is normal that every baby varies in their development in the aspects of speed and time" said Yamaguchi. "We successfully illustrated the individual differences among babies by such a longitudinal study. It cost us a lot; however, it brought us a significant achievement." Professor Ryusuke Kakigi of the National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, elaborated on the significance of the findings. "Lately mobile phones have become popular, and we are aware of it every moment" Kakigi said. "Mothers caring for their babies are no exception. However, younger babies do not recognize the face in profile. When we communicate with younger babies, we should look straight at the babies' faces." ### The findings are discussed in NeuroImage (available online on Dec. 5, 2018). This study was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, "Face perception and recognition" (JP20119002 to MKY and JP23119708 to MO) from MEXT KAKENHI, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, "Construction of the face-body studies in transcultural conditions" (JP17H06343 to MKY), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, "Sparse modeling" (JP25120009 to MO and 26120529 to HI), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) (JP24500334 to EN) from JSPS KAKENHI, Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) (JP17K12735 to YI), and Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research by JSPS Research Fellowships for Young Scientists (JP24-7809 to HI). UPTON, NY--Scientists mapping out the quantum characteristics of superconductors--materials that conduct electricity with no energy loss--have entered a new regime. Using newly connected tools named OASIS at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, they've uncovered previously inaccessible details of the "phase diagram" of one of the most commonly studied "high-temperature" superconductors. The newly mapped data includes signals of what happens when superconductivity vanishes. "In terms of superconductivity, this may sound bad, but if you study some phenomenon, it is always good to be able to approach it from its origin," said Brookhaven physicist Tonica Valla, who led the study just published in the journal Nature Communications. "If you have a chance to see how superconductivity disappears, that in turn might give insight into what causes superconductivity in the first place." Unlocking the secrets of superconductivity holds great promise in addressing energy challenges. Materials able to carry current over long distances with no loss would revolutionize power transmission, eliminate the need for cooling computer-packed data centers, and lead to new forms of energy storage, for example. The hitch is that, at present, most known superconductors, even the "high-temperature" varieties, must themselves be kept super cold to perform their current-carrying magic. So, scientists have been trying to understand the key characteristics that cause superconductivity in these materials with the goal of discovering or creating new materials that can operate at temperatures more practical for these everyday applications. The Brookhaven team was studying a well-known high-temperature superconductor made of layers that include bismuth-oxide, strontium-oxide, calcium, and copper-oxide (abbreviated as BSCCO). Cleaving crystals of this material creates pristine bismuth-oxide surfaces. When they analyzed the electronic structure of the pristine cleaved surface, they saw telltale signs of superconductivity at a transition temperature (Tc) of 94 Kelvin (-179 degrees Celsius)--the highest temperature at which superconductivity sets in for this well-studied material. The team then heated samples in ozone (O3) and found that they could achieve high doping levels and explore previously unexplored portions of this material's phase diagram, which is a map-like graph showing how the material changes its properties at different temperatures under different conditions (similar to the way you can map out the temperature and pressure coordinates at which liquid water freezes when it is cooled, or changes to steam when heated). In this case, the variable the scientists were interested in was how many charge vacancies, or "holes," were added, or "doped" into the material by the exposure to ozone. Holes facilitate the flow of current by giving the charges (electrons) somewhere to go. "For this material, if you start with the crystal of 'parent' compound, which is an insulator (meaning no conductivity), the introduction of holes results in superconductivity," Valla said. As more holes are added, the superconductivity gets stronger and at higher temperatures up to a maximum at 94 Kelvin, he explained. "Then, with more holes, the material becomes 'over-doped,' and Tc goes down--for this material, to 50 K. "Until this study, nothing past that point was known because we couldn't get crystals doped above that level. But our new data takes us to a point of doping way beyond the previous limit, to a point where Tc is not measurable." Said Valla, "That means we can now explore the entire dome-shaped curve of superconductivity in this material, which is something that nobody has been able to do before." The team created samples heated in a vacuum (to produce underdoped material) and in ozone (to make overdoped samples) and plotted points along the entire superconducting dome. They discovered some interesting characteristics in the previously unexplored "far side" of the phase diagram. "What we saw is that things become much simpler," Valla said. Some of the quirkier characteristics that exist on the well-explored side of the map and complicate scientists' understanding of high-temperature superconductivity--things like a "pseudogap" in the electronic signature, and variations in particle spin and charge densities--disappear on the overdoped far side of the dome. "This side of the phase diagram is somewhat like what we expect to see in more conventional superconductivity," Valla said, referring to the oldest known metal-based superconductors. "When superconductivity is free of these other things that complicate the picture, then what is left is superconductivity that perhaps is not that unconventional," he added. "We still might not know its origin, but on this side of the phase diagram, it looks like something that theory can handle more easily, and it gives you a simpler way of looking at the problem to try to understand what is going on." ### SIDEBAR: Combination of Uniquely Connected Tools The tools scientists used in this study are part of a suite of three that Brookhaven Lab has built named OASIS to explore materials such as high-temperature superconductors. The idea is to connect the tools with ultra-high vacuum sample-transfer lines so scientists can create and study samples using multiple techniques without ever exposing the experimental materials to the atmosphere (and all its potentially "contaminating" substances, including oxygen). OASIS is a tool that connects sample preparation capabilities of oxide molecular beam epitaxy (OMBE) synthesis with electronic structure characterization tools: angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and spectroscopic imaging-scanning tunneling microscopy (SI-STM). In this case, the scientists used ARPES to examine the samples' electronic structure. ARPES uses light to measure "electronic excitations" in the sample. These measurements provide a sort of electronic fingerprint that describes the energy and movement of electrons and how they interact with other types of excitations--say, distortions or vibrations in the crystal lattice, variations in temperature, or imperfections or impurities. After studying pristine samples, the scientists transported them via vacuum tube to an OMBE machine where they could anneal (heat) the crystals under a steady stream of ozone. The connected tools allow the scientists to transfer samples back and forth to study the material both before and after heating in both a vacuum and ozone to create both the underdoped and overdoped samples needed to map out the phase diagram. In this paper, the spectroscopic imaging-scanning tunneling microscope (SI-STM) connected to the previously mentioned ARPES and OMBE modules was not employed. A complementary SI-STM study of the BSCCO samples is currently ongoing. Brookhaven National Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov. Follow @BrookhavenLab on Twitter or find us on Facebook. One of ten national laboratories overseen and primarily funded by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Brookhaven National Laboratory conducts research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, as well as in energy technologies and national security. Brookhaven Lab also builds and operates major scientific facilities available to university, industry and government researchers. Brookhaven is operated and managed for DOE's Office of Science by Brookhaven Science Associates, a limited-liability company founded by the Research Foundation for the State University of New York on behalf of Stony Brook University, the largest academic user of Laboratory facilities, and Battelle, a nonprofit applied science and technology organization. RELATED LINKS: Scientific paper: "Phase diagram of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+ revisited. Media contacts: Karen McNulty Walsh, 631-344-8350, or Peter Genzer, 631-344-3174 Philadelphia, December 6, 2018 People who experience childhood maltreatment frequently have perturbations in their brain architecture, regardless of whether they develop psychiatric symptoms, but a study in Biological Psychiatry found additional alterations in people who dont develop symptoms. The study, by researchers at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, suggests that the additional changes may help compensate for the effects of maltreatment. The findings shed light on the mystery of why some children are susceptible to the effects of maltreatmentwhich is a major risk factor for psychiatric complications including anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicideand others are resilient. These are important findings as they provide a radically new perspective on resilience. Maltreated individuals without psychiatric symptoms are not unaffected or immune. Rather, they have additional brain changes that enable them to effectively compensate, said lead author Kyoko Ohashi, PhD. Dr. Ohashi and colleagues created models of brain networks in 342 young adults, over half of whom had experienced maltreatment as a child, by tracing pathways of connections throughout the brain. We found that susceptible and resilient emerging adults with childhood maltreatment had the same abnormalities in brain network organization. Interestingly, resilient individuals had additional abnormalities in specific brain regions that reduced their susceptibility to different types of psychiatric symptoms, and this information was able to reliably predict whether individuals were not maltreated or were susceptible or resilient, said Dr. Ohashi. These additional abnormalities in resilient adults appeared to decrease the efficiency of information transfer in brain regions likely altered by maltreatment and that are involved in psychiatric symptoms, like pain, stress, depression, and anxiety. This study highlights that resilience is an active process that is associated with its own alterations in brain function over and above the negative effects of stress. The observation that the illness-related network changes are present in the resilient individuals may help to explain why some individuals have periods of both vulnerability and resilience after traumatic stress exposure, said John Krystal, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. We wonder whether these additional changes in connectivity are the causes, consequences, or both causes and consequences of resilience, continued Dr. Krystal. The study cant definitively say if the additional resilience-related alterations are present prior to stress or emerge following stress exposure. But, the findings give researchers an idea of how to help susceptible people develop resilience. These findings are intriguing because they introduce an entirely new possibility. Previously, we assumed that effective treatments would need to work by reversing some of the effects of maltreatment on brain development. These findings suggest that treatment might work instead by moving the brain organization of susceptible individuals more into line with the more effectively compensated brain organization of resilient individuals, said Dr. Ohashi. ### Notes for editors The article is "Susceptibility or Resilience to Maltreatment Can Be Explained by Specific Differences in Brain Network Architecture," by Kyoko Ohashi, Carl M. Anderson, Elizabeth A. Bolger, Alaptagin Khan, Cynthia E. McGreenery, Martin H. Teicher. It appears in Biological Psychiatry, published by Elsevier. Copies of this paper are available to credentialed journalists upon request; please contact Rhiannon Bugno at Biol.Psych@UTSouthwestern.edu or +1 214 648 0880. Journalists wishing to interview the authors may contact Martin Teicher, MD, PhD, at mteicher@mclean.harvard.edu or +1 617 855 2955. The authors affiliations and disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available in the article. John H. Krystal, MD, is Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, Chief of Psychiatry at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and a research psychiatrist at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. His disclosures of financial and conflicts of interests are available here. About Biological Psychiatry Biological Psychiatry is the official journal of the Society of Biological Psychiatry, whose purpose is to promote excellence in scientific research and education in fields that investigate the nature, causes, mechanisms and treatments of disorders of thought, emotion, or behavior. In accord with this mission, this peer-reviewed, rapid-publication, international journal publishes both basic and clinical contributions from all disciplines and research areas relevant to the pathophysiology and treatment of major psychiatric disorders. The journal publishes novel results of original research which represent an important new lead or significant impact on the field, particularly those addressing genetic and environmental risk factors, neural circuitry and neurochemistry, and important new therapeutic approaches. Reviews and commentaries that focus on topics of current research and interest are also encouraged. Biological Psychiatry is one of the most selective and highly cited journals in the field of psychiatric neuroscience. It is ranked 6th out of 142 Psychiatry titles and 9th out of 261 Neurosciences titles in the Journal Citations Reports published by Clarivate Analytics. The 2017 Impact Factor score for Biological Psychiatry is 11.982. http://www.sobp.org/journal About Elsevier Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science and improve performance for the benefit of humanity. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support and professional education, including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell, more than 38,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy. Elsevier is part of RELX Group, a global provider of information and analytics for professionals and business customers across industries. http://www.elsevier.com Rhiannon Bugno, Editorial OffieBiological Psychiatry+1 214 648 0880 MNF stand firm on agreement to purchase Business from IAB Sydney, Dec 6, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - On 8 October 2018, MNF Group Ltd ( ASX:MNF ) ( FRA:M2S ) announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire the Wholesale and Enablement Business from Inabox Group Ltd (IAB).In response to a proposal to make an off-market takeover bid for IAB from the SB&G Consortium (SB&G), MNF Group simplified and improved its transaction terms and entered into an agreement to reflect this on 23 November 2018.A revised takeover proposal was made by SB&G on 4 December 2018, and further information was provided by them on 5 December 2018 in response to questions from the IAB Board.Having reviewed the details in the revised SB&G proposal, the MNF Board's opinion remains that completion of the MNF agreement still provides more value, more certainty and significantly less risk to IAB shareholders than the revised SB&G proposal. The IAB Board has announced a clear timeframe and mechanism for payments to shareholders in relation to the MNF agreement.MNF considers the revised SB&G proposal is currently incomplete and contains a high degree of complexity and execution risk. The revised SB&G proposal is dependent on future actions and events which are not within the control of SB&G. If those events do not occur as SB&G have described, all or some IAB shareholders could be stranded with their shareholding in IAB diluted.In summary, MNF considers its agreement as superior for the following reasons:- The MNF agreement is a complete and binding sale & purchase agreement for the Wholesale and Enablement Business of Inabox Group, which is only conditional on shareholder approval at the upcoming General Meeting on Friday 7 December 2018.- The MNF agreement is fully funded by MNF using its debt facility.- MNF is ready to complete the purchase within 3 business days of IAB shareholders approving the transaction at the General Meeting.- The MNF agreement does not require IAB to breach its banking covenants, nor require any further consideration from IAB's bank or ASIC and does not require IAB to convene further shareholder meetings (other than to distribute capital).- If the MNF transaction is approved at the General Meeting, IAB will not need to raise further capital before the end of December which the IAB Board has indicated would otherwise be required.- The MNF agreement allows the IAB Board to pay a fully franked dividend from the profits generated by the sale of the business, which is consistent with Australian tax legislation.- MNF has a proven track record and reputation for successfully completing many acquisitions over the past 10 years.As a result of our analysis of the current circumstances, the MNF Board intends to stand firm on its current agreement and does not intend to increase or improve its offer.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. Pathologists at Houston Methodist developed a real-time website to track flu cases, just in time to assist physicians, the CDC and patients for the fall 2018 flu season. The up-to-date information on flu.houstonmethodist.org contains flu epidemiology data covering Houston Methodist's eight-hospital system. In a Nov. 30 journal article in Open Forum Infectious Diseases, the Houston Methodist researchers explained how they began developing the website in 2017 when the greater Houston area experienced a major increase in flu cases. The website actively reported on influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and rhinovirus/enterovirus, as well as several other pathogens. Physicians frequently request influenza test results to help make informed decisions on how to treat patients in clinic. The website's real-time data helped physicians to treat patients in a timely fashion during the 2017 epidemic. Typically, clinicians and hospitals rely on information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That data can be at least a week old, so physicians are often faced with outdated information. Anyone with internet access can log onto the website, including those using mobile devices. Viewers can filter information by date intervals (past eight weeks, past year, since 2015) as well as the various pathogens. Public health officials and the general public can also benefit from monitoring possible flu outbreaks as well as have more awareness of flu activity in the area. While this research paper focused on flu data specific to the Houston Methodist hospital system, possible future applications may including epidemiology data for other infectious diseases. ### For more information about Houston Methodist, visit houstonmethodist.org. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. For more information: Real-time Communication With Health Care Providers through an Online Respiratory Pathogen Laboratory Report. Open Forum Infectious Diseases https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofy322 (Online Nov. 30, 2018). P. Christensen, R. Olsen, K. Perez, P. Cernoch, and S.W. Long. Although relatively rare in the United States, and accounting for fewer than 5 percent of tuberculosis cases worldwide, TB of the brain--or tuberculosis meningitis (TBM)--is often deadly, always hard to treat, and a particular threat to young children. It may leave survivors with lifelong brain damage. Now, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have used PET scans, a rabbit model and a specially tagged version of the TB drug rifampin to advance physicians' understanding of this disease by showing precisely how little rifampin ever reaches the sites of TB infection in the brain. "Really precise information has never been easy to come by for how much rifampin gets to any given patient where it's needed," says corresponding author Sanjay Jain, M.D., professor of pediatrics, radiology and international health at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "We've been able to use technology to find that long-needed information about this very troubling disease." Jain, along with lead authors Elizabeth Tucker, M.D., assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, and Alvaro Ordonez, M.D., research associate, pediatric infectious diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as well as other Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland colleagues, published their findings Dec. 5 in Science Translational Medicine. Tuberculosis, which mostly infects the lungs, sickens more than 10 million people around the world each year, causes more than 1 million deaths and costs the global economy billions of dollars, according to the World Health Organization. TBM, caused when Mycobacterium tuberculosis infects brain tissue and the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, is considered the most lethal and disabling form of TB. Children under the age of 5, and those with chronic diseases--notably diabetes and HIV--are mostly likely to develop TBM. Like all TB diseases, TBM is treated with a combination of drugs, including isoniazid, rifampin and pyrazinamide, taken for a year. However, even with treatment, over half of patients die or have significant neurological injury lasting a lifetime, especially young children. In the new study, Johns Hopkins researchers engineered a version of rifampin with a charged particle--called a positron--attached to the drug ([11C]rifampin) that allowed them to follow its movement throughout the body using PET (positron emission tomography) scans. Because TBM symptoms are similar among rabbits and humans, the researchers created an experimentally infected colony of rabbits with TBM, injected them with the tagged drug and tracked levels of the tagged [11C]rifampin throughout the rabbits' brains over six weeks. PET scans revealed that after two weeks of treatment, the penetration of [11C]rifampin into TBM brain lesions significantly decreased, from 32 percent to only 11 percent of the levels of the drug noted in the blood. Significantly, they say, the decrease was not reflected in samples of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) taken from the rabbits, despite that CSF is currently used as a standard proxy for determining drug and infection levels in people. "Until now, when treating patients, we've relied on a needle biopsy," says Tucker. "We've assumed that what's happening at the tip of the needle at one time point in a sample is what's happening throughout the affected organ." The new results in the rabbit model, she says, suggest that it's not that simple, at least in the animals. The penetration of rifampin varied among TBM lesions even within a single animal, and changed over the course of the long treatment timeline. The researchers also gave the tagged version of the drug to 10 adult human TB patients already receiving rifampin therapy. The patients were scanned at the Johns Hopkins PET Center in Baltimore, and these studies were performed under Food and Drug Administration guidelines for new PET tracers. One of the patients, a 24-year-old female, had TBM. Similar to the results in rabbits, a PET scan showed that penetration of the drug into the patient's brain lesions was limited to less than 5 percent. The findings, the researchers say, help advance understanding of why current drug treatments for TBM may not be as effective. And they say the PET approach offers a potential way to optimize the treatment of TBM, to ensure that enough drug is reaching the infected lesions. "If further research in animals and humans confirms that rifampin and other anti-TB drugs penetrate differently into their brains," says Ordonez, "we foresee that imaging can help us figure out the concentration of drug needed and tailor the dose for individual patients." The team also expects that the rabbit model of TBM can be used to answer key questions about the disease and its treatment, including what baseline levels of antibiotics are required to penetrate brain lesions more fully. "We used to think we could just give a drug and patients should get better," says Jain. "Now, we have tools to measure the nuances that make a difference. PET could be used to study other antibiotics and also allow precision medicine approaches in resource-rich settings, such as the U.S. for other serious infections including MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)." ### VIDEO: Research Conversations | New Tuberculosis Meningitis Treatment Other authors on the paper include Brittaney Ritchie, Mariah Klunk, Richa Sharma, Yong Chang, Julian Sanchez-Bautista, Sarah Frey, Martin Lodge, Steven Rowe, Daniel Holt, William Mathews, Robert Dannals, Carlos Pardo-Villamizar and Sujatha Kannan of Johns Hopkins, Beatriz Guglieri-Lopez, Joga Gobburu and Vijay Ivaturi of the University of Maryland, and Charles Peloquin of the University of Florida. This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health (R01-EB020539, R01-HL131829, R01-HD069562, K12-HD047349), a Stimulating and Advancing ACCM Research (StAAR) grant from the Johns Hopkins Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins All Children's Foundation Institutional Research Grant Program. COI: Sanjay Jain received consulting fees from Mediso Medical Imaging Systems, unrelated to this work. No other conflicts of interest were disclosed. LSTM's Professor Joseph Valadez is senior author on a new study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which outlines proposals for a more accurate estimator of health data. Timely and robust data about a population's health plays an essential role in planning and managing health systems and policies. For decades health information records in low to middle income countries were fragmented and paper-based, but now are rapidly moving to electronic systems. The main electronic system supported by international communities, in 60 countries on four continents, is the District Health Information System-2 (DHIS2). However, LSTM's team of researchers have shown that this is not as accurate as it needed to be, especially as the world moves towards universal health coverage and a global health agenda that leaves no one behind. Professor Valadez said: "Countries with the highest burden of infectious disease invariably have the least well-developed health systems. Good intervention coverage is essential to reduce the infectious disease burden. The recurrent health information coming from health facility registries is critical for managing the health system, but it has limitations. It is not representative of the population's health as it reports the health behaviour of people who attend the clinics. None of these administrative based systems have a measure of their own accuracy, as a result, health system managers and policy-makers cannot judge their own risk when using the information." The published study, which is the result of work funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in India, and carried out jointly with Professor Pagano of Harvard University, and LSTM's Dr. Caroline Jeffery, describes a system whereby health systems researchers, decision-makers and policy-makers can measure the error in any estimates in the data by combining Health Information System (HIS) data with probability surveys to generate a hybrid estimator. The hybrid prevalence estimate can be used to validate and then, if necessary, moderate HIS administrative estimates of coverage. The team carried out household surveys in Benin and Madagascar during the administration of two intervention coverages as part of Child Health Day, the results of which were combined with HIS data to provide an estimator with its own measure of accuracy as well as the accuracy of the HIS data. This allowed for more accurate health information than utilising source data alone. Professor Valadez continued: "Here we provide a simple and new statistic to combine national recurrent health information databases, with basic localised survey data to provide a more accurate assessment of an intervention's coverage on which actions can be based to drive down the burden of disease. Our new method also produces for the first time, a measure of the error in recurrent health system data." The team recommend that estimators generated should be incorporated into the DHIS2 to appraise data quality and guide decision-makers in their use of HIS data, and that it be rolled out globally with the DHIS2. ### A booklet, in Swahili and English, could help teachers in Tanzania improve conditions for pupils with albinism in their schools. It has been written by Lancaster University academic Dr Charlotte Baker in collaboration with a team from the Albinism in Afri A booklet, in Swahili and English, could help teachers in Tanzania improve conditions for pupils with albinism in their schools. It has been written by Lancaster University academic Dr Charlotte Baker in collaboration with a team from the Albinism in Africa network founded by Dr Baker in 2014 with funding from the Wellcome Trust. The guide attempts to dispel many of the myths and perceptions surrounding albinism, to ensure that young people with this genetic condition have access to education and that their classrooms are accessible. Children with albinism are often excluded from education and, even when they are educated, they often face challenges in the school and classroom setting that range from physical barriers to learning, a lack of awareness of how to accommodate their low vision, and a set of myths and stereotypes that can make them a target of their peers. The booklet, also available as a pdf, will offer guidance to teachers on how to deal with offensive language and behavior and the stereotyping of children with albinism which often has profound consequences. It will also offer practical advice to teachers as to how best to support the children - simple things such as wearing hats outside and sitting at the front of the classroom near the board and away from bright direct light to help with their low vision. The guide, a pilot, will also offer advice to head teachers to support teachers in their quest for a positive learning environment and understanding. It will initially be distributed to schools throughout Tanzania through the Standing Voice vision programme and, later, revised for distribution to teachers in other African countries where there are significant numbers of children with albinism. Doris Mbura, a teacher who took part in a focus group to support the development of the booklet, said "These children are the teachers and doctors of tomorrow. With this support they can be the best." ### The booklet production team includes Dr Patricia Lund (Coventry) and Dr Gareth Dart (Worcester), as well as the UK and Tanzania-based NGO Standing Voice and the Canadian NGO Under the Same Sun, which both promote the wellbeing of people with albinism through education and advocacy. The team's work on the booklet has been supported by the UN Independent Expert on the Enjoyment of Human Rights by Persons with Albinism, Ikponwosa Ero. The model proposed by Russian scientists serves to improve the quality and efficiency of sophisticated microelectronic equipment operation in extreme conditions of outer space and to reduce its cost The main trend in the development of hardware components for digital and analog electronic equipment is to reduce the size of the active regions of diode and transistor structures. This can be achieved by improving the performance characteristics of micro- and nanoelectronics devices (increasing their speed and memory, increasing operating frequencies and power, noise reduction, etc.) while keeping production costs at the same level or even reducing them. Similar processes (with a certain time lag) also take place in the development of specialized hardware elements designed for use in space systems. The ionizing radiation in outer space adversely affects electronic devices, resulting in reduced service life and sudden failures or malfunctions. Mathematical modeling of the response of such elements to the effects of ionizing radiation from outer space reduces the amount of testing, which eventually reduces the time and overall cost of developing micro- and nanoelectronics devices. However, analytical and simple numerical models based on linear superposition of radiation effects often fail in case of modern microwave semiconductor devices with submicron active regions, where the dynamics of physical processes is complex and non-linear. The motion of charge carriers - electrons and holes - in semiconductor devices manufactured according to outdated topological standards with specifications for hundreds of nanometers (for comparison, the topological standards of modern processors are 10 nm) is a diffusion-drift process, that is, a slow displacement under the action of an electric field against chaotic scattering on various inhomogeneities. In this case, the system is in a locally equilibrium state, and its description is possible from the standpoint of classical statistical physics and thermodynamics. On the contrary, particle transport in submicron semiconductor devices is quasiballistic, i.e. their motion is mostly directional, and the increase in the velocity of particles in the electric field is interrupted by sparse scattering. In this case, the system is in a deep nonequilibrium state and its thermodynamic parameters (such as the temperature of the electron-hole plasma) remain, strictly speaking, undetermined. Traditional models of charge carrier transport are based on local-equilibrium diffusion-drift or quasi-hydrodynamic approximations formulated more than half a century ago. However, when the size of the active region of modern semiconductor structures is reduced to the energy and momentum relaxation length of the electron-hole plasma (20 ... 50 nm for Si and GaAs under normal conditions) and the flight time through the active region is reduced to duration of the order of the energy and momentum relaxation time of electron-hole plasma (0.1 ... 0.2 ps for Si and GaAs under normal conditions), the condition of locality is violated, which leads to an increase in the error when calculating the characteristics of the elements. Analysis of the submicron structures' response to the effects of ionizing radiation from outer space additionally requires taking into account the heterogeneity of ionization and defect formation, as well as the stochastic nature of the interaction of radiation and particles with matter. As a result, the model of gradual degradation of the macroscopic characteristics of a semiconductor becomes inapplicable. Therefore, for submicron structures, the probabilistic model of sudden radiation failures becomes preferable. According to Alexander Puzanov, Associate Professor at the UNN Department of Quantum Radiophysics and Electronics, researchers from Lobachevsky University together with their colleagues from the Institute of Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences have proposed a diffusion-drift model in a locally non-equilibrium approximation for analyzing the excitation relaxation in an electron-hole plasma under the influence of heavy charged particles from outer space or of laser radiation that imitates them. "It was shown that the locally nonequilibrium model has a wider application range for describing fast relaxation processes, in particular, it accurately takes into account the ballistic velocity of charge carriers, which is necessary to calculate the current flowing in semiconductor structures when they are exposed to heavy charged particles from outer space. It can also be used to determine the probability of failure and malfunction of micro- and nanoelectronics devices," notes Alexander Puzanov. Currently, work is underway to develop the locally nonequilibrium model of carrier transport in the following areas: formulation of a locally nonequilibrium quasi-hydrodynamic model; calculation of the characteristics of submillimeter frequency multipliers based on Schottky diodes; verification of the model by comparing simulation results with experimental data. ### Results of the study were published in the journal Semiconductors: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S1063782618110209 AUGUSTA, Ga. (Dec. 6, 2018) - For the first time, scientists have described the body's natural mechanism for temporarily protecting the powerhouses of kidney cells when injury or disease means they aren't getting enough blood or oxygen. Powerhouses, called mitochondria, which provide fuel for our cells, start to fragment, likely as one of the first steps in the kidney cell damage and death that often result from an acute kidney injury, says Dr. Zheng Dong, cellular biologist in the Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Dong and his colleagues appear to have delineated the natural mitochondrial protection pathway in kidney cells and say it's a logical therapeutic target for treating acute kidney injury. "We know there is a natural protective mechanism. Maybe we need to upregulate it," says Dong, also a senior research career scientist and director of research development at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta. Dong is senior author of the study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. In fact, drugs that target at least one key part of the pathway already have been studied in patients experiencing anemia - a deficiency in the red blood cells that carry oxygen - because of chronic kidney disease. The scientists started by examining a large number of microRNAs, small RNAs known to regulate gene expression. They found one, microRNA-668, consistently elevated in both patients with an acute kidney injury as well as animal models of the condition, which is common in patients in intensive care, particularly older patients. Mitochondrial fission and fusion are polar opposites but their balance is key to a healthy cell powerhouse. They are governed by two distinct classes of proteins, which emerging evidence suggests are regulated by microRNAs. Proteins like mitochondrial Protein 18 KDa, or MTP18, for example, have already been implicated in powerhouse fission, at least in periods of stress. The MCG scientists and their collaborators have now confirmed it's a direct target of microRNA-668. But the pathway has at least one earlier point of action: hypoxia-inducible factor-1, or HIF-1, a transcription factor that increases when oxygen levels decrease to help cells adjust by controlling expression of genes that can protect them. They found that ischemic acute kidney injury induces HIF-1, which upregulates microRNA-668, which suppresses MTP18 and the result is kidney cell protection. One key discovery was an HIF-1 binding site on the gene that promotes microRNA-668, and the related finding that too little HIF-1 reduced the expression of microRNA-668. "The microRNA-668 gene is a new targeted gene for HIF-1, which may help explain some of HIF-1's protective function," Dong says. When scientists restricted microRNA-668, more kidney cells died. Conversely, giving a mimic of microRNA-668 - to increase its presence - protected kidney cells. More microRNA-668 also meant less MTP18 and vice versa. "We don't know what MTP18 does normally, but now we know what it does when stressed," Dong says. "It induces fragmentation of the mitochondria." They've shown that increased levels of microRNA-668 can prevent most of that damage so the cell can keep functioning ideally until blood and oxygen are restored. "This is like a temporary mechanism for cell survival," Dong says. One way physicians might one day improve the odds for mitochondrial and kidney survival, may be a class of drugs called PHD inhibitors, which have already been studied in chronic kidney disease. PHD - prolyl hydroxylase - is a protein that induces the degradation of protective HIF-1 and Dong suspects PHD inhibitors could benefit patients with acute kidney injury as well. A microRNA-668 mimic, similar to that used in the studies, might one day be another option. Right now there aren't any targeted therapies for acute kidney injury, says Dong, rather supportive therapies like hydration, possible short-term dialysis and addressing the injury cause. With an acute kidney injury, kidney function deteriorates in a few hours or days. It can result from a literal blow to the kidney, in a fall or car accident, or from dehydration in an overzealous student athlete. In the face of general good health, most patients recover fully and quickly, Dong says. However, acute kidney injury mostly occurs in people who already have another medical problem like diabetes. In fact, most are in the hospital when it happens, with problems like bleeding or shock, failure of other organs like the heart, even an overdose of over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories for problems like a cold or flu, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Dong's lab was the first to show that as a class of molecules, microRNAs could play an important role in reducing acute kidney injury. They reported in 2010 that deletion of a key enzyme for microRNA production from kidney tubules made mice resistant to ischemia-induced acute kidney injury, suggesting an important destructive role for at least some microRNAs. Subsequent work by Dong and colleagues led to identification of specific microRNAs with significant changes in expression in the face of ischemic acute kidney injury. Those studies found some microRNAs definitely promote fission but others seem to help protect kidney cells. Just what microRNA-668 does has been largely unknown other than another recent report implicating it in protecting human breast cancer cells from radiation therapy. ### Dr. Qingqing Wei, assistant professor in the MCG Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, is a co-corresponding author on the study. Dong is also a Regents' Professor and Leon Henri Charbonnier Endowed Chair in Cellular Biology and Anatomy at MCG. Collaborators and coauthors Drs. Haipeng Sun, Shuwei Song and Changlin Mei in the Department of Nephrology at Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China, provided patient samples, including kidney biopsies, urine and blood, and analyzed them for the study. The research was supported by the American Heart Association, National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Click to see the full study https://www.jci.org/articles/view/121859. Team of RI-MUHC researchers discover new disease and its genetic cause in Quebec patient as 'Bubble Boy' symptoms discovered in adults for first time A team from the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) led by Dr. Donald Vinh, the RI's so-called "Dr. House" because of his research into rare diseases, has discovered a new human disease and the gene responsible for it, paving the way for the proper diagnosis of patients globally and the development of new therapies. Their findings are published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Dr. Vinh has coined this new disease 'combined immunoficiency' or 'CID,' and the gene responsible for it 'ICOSLG'. The disease is characterized by a weakened immune system and, because the body's ability to fight off infections is crippled, patients are susceptible to recurrent life-threatening infections such as pneumonias and debilitating infections, such as progressive warts. New disease that affects the immune system "This discovery will help patients who have escaped diagnosis - to now - be correctly diagnosed. By doing so, patients could benefit from aggressive monitoring of potential complications and earlier implementation of tailored therapies," explains Dr. Vinh, a researcher from the Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program of the RI-MUHC and an associate professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases at McGill University. "Pinpointing this gene, will also help scientists identify who else in the family is at risk, including newborn babies before they become sick." Gene with a link to Chromosome 21 The scientist says the knock-on from this discovery is the glimpse into whether it causes the immune deficiency reported in Down syndrome, which occurs as these individuals get older. "This gene is on Chromosome 21 and it turns out that Down syndrome's patients, who have three Chromosomes of 21 (instead of the usual two), have a similar problem with their immune system. We're looking to see if this causes the immune deficiency reported in adults with Down's syndrome," says Dr. Vinh, whose study of genetic defects of the immune system has fueled his "medical detective" reputation. A patient with similar symptoms to the "Bubble Boy" Dr. Vinh's discovery originated with the medical investigation of a 36-year-old male patient who had endured recurrent sinusitis and pneumonias, yeast infections and viral infections since childhood. Researchers used a state-of-the-art technique called 'Whole Exome Sequencing' inside Dr. Vinh's laboratory to evaluate the patient's genes and perform sophisticated analysis of his genes compared to that of his family members, to identify the abnormal gene that was responsible for his disease. "At the clinical level, previous evaluations did not look at all his symptoms in their entirety as one disease but as individual and unrelated problems. But once you start putting the abnormalities together, you see our patient's case was similar to that of the "Bubble Boy," which was the most severe form. Our patient's disease is in the same family of conditions but because he was an adult, nobody thought to explore this possibility," says Dr. Vinh, who explains the "Bubble Boy" name was given to a young child in the Seventies who was forced to live in a sterile bubble from birth due to his severely weakened immune system. "Once we related our patient to the Bubble Boy's disease, which we know is genetic, we discovered this new gene," says Dr. Vinh, who collaborated with Dr. Andre Veillette, the Director of the IRCM Molecular Oncology Research Unit at the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) in the study. "We are so relieved to finally receive a diagnosis, after so many years of doctors not knowing what was wrong with me, and with the research providing the potential for eventual treatment for me. And knowing that our children are not affected is a major comfort," says the French-Canadian patient, who resides in Eastern Quebec with his wife and two young children. Dr. Vinh has already received numerous requests from physicians around the world to test patients who may have the same medical condition diagnosed in his own patient, providing hope for both patients and their families. ### About the study 'Loss of human ICOSL results in combined immunodeficiency' was written by Lucie Roussel, Marija Landekic, Makan Golizeh, Christina Gavino, Ming-Chao Zhong, Jun Chen, Denis Faubert, Alexis Blanchet-Cohen, Luc Dansereau, Marc-Antoine Parent, Sonia Marin, Julia Luo, Catherine Le, Melanie Langelier, Irah L. King, Maziar Divangahi, William D. Foulkes, Donald C. Vinh. Funding La Fondation du Grand Defi Pierre Lavoie; Fonds de Recherche du Quebec - Sante (FRQS); RI-MUHC (Merck Sharpe & Dohme award); Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR); FDN-143338; Bristol-Myers Squibb; McGill University; CSL Behring Canada. About the RI-MUHC The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) is a world-renowned biomedical and healthcare research centre. The Institute, which is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine of McGill University, is the research arm of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) - an academic health centre located in Montreal, Canada, that has a mandate to focus on complex care within its community. The RI-MUHC supports over 460 researchers and close to 1,300 research trainees devoted to a broad spectrum of fundamental, clinical and health outcomes research at the Glen and the Montreal General Hospital sites of the MUHC. Its research facilities offer a dynamic multidisciplinary environment that fosters collaboration and leverages discovery aimed at improving the health of individual patients across their lifespan. The RI-MUHC is supported in part by the Fonds de recherche du Quebec - Sante (FRQS). rimuhc.ca Media contact Paul Logothetis Tel: 514-934-1934 ext.34319 Cel: 514-210-6376 Paul.Logothetis@muhc.mcgill.ca Julie Robert Communications Coordinator - Research McGill University Health Centre Cel: 514-971-4747 Julie.Robert@muhc.mcgill.ca December 6, 2018: ORCID is pleased to announce the launch of an open letter in support of the use of ORCID identifiers (iDs) in the grant application and reporting process. Nine funding bodies around the world have signed the letter -- and are inviting others to join them -- to indicate their support for "the use of ORCID iDs in our grant application and/or reporting workflows and our commitment to implementing ORCID in accordance with best practice guidelines for funders." The launch signatories also support the ORBIT (ORCID Reducing Burden and Improving Transparency) project, intended to develop and test practical uses of identifiers in funder grant management systems through a Funder Working Group and a series of pathfinder projects. These initiatives, which also involve the adoption and use of other identifiers, including for grants, organizations, and publications, will enable an open infrastructure that supports open research. In the order in which they appear on the letter, the nine launch signatories are: Klement Tockner, Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Gerhard Moolman, National Research Foundation, South Africa Bodo Stern, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, US Robert Kiley, Wellcome Trust, UK John-Arne Rttingen, Research Council of Norway Concepta McManus, CAPES, Brazil Alexander Thomson, The Royal Society, UK Mark Walport, UK Research and Innovation Michael Hill, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) Robert Kiley, Head of Open Research at the Wellcome Trust and an ORCID Board member commented: "Wellcome is delighted to support this important initiative. We have been using ORCID in our funding workflows since 2015 to help to reduce the administrative burden on our grant applicants and improve the quality of data for evaluating our funding schemes." In a blog post about ORCID at the Swiss National Science Foundation, another launch signatory, Michael Hill, Deputy Head of Strategy Support for SNSF, wrote: "With signing the ORCID funder Open Letter, which is officially launched today, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) commits to expand the integration of ORCID across our systems and in accordance with the best practice guidelines for funders. We encourage other funders to join us in this initiative, for the benefit of our researchers and our organizations alike." For ORCID, Laure Haak, Executive DIrector, said: "The use of persistent identifiers for grantees, the funder, and the grant, is fundamental to open research. We are pleased to be working with funders to improve access to funding information and enable connections with researchers and their published data and works. Together, we can help create the open information infrastructure needed to foster innovation, increase transparency, and improve recognition for researchers' contributions." ### For more information about -- or to sign -- the open letter, please see https://orcid.org/organizations/funders/open-letter. For more information about the use of ORCID in funding workflows, please see https://orcid.org/content/orcid-funding-organizations. About ORCID (https://orcid.org): ORCID's vision is a world where all who participate in research and innovation, from imagining to building and managing, are uniquely identified and connected to their contributions across disciplines, and borders, and time. ORCID provides an identifier for individuals to use with their name as they engage in research and innovation activities. We provide open tools that enable transparent and trustworthy connections between researchers, their contributions, and affiliations. We provide this service to help people find information and to simplify reporting and analysis. As biometric systems -- technologies which measure biological information to identify a person -- continue to advance, their potential impact on health care capabilities surge. Via tools such as fingerprint recognition, face recognition, iris and retina recognition, and vein recognition, health care workers are provided with increasingly sophisticated ways to monitor patients. Researchers from Penn State and Johns Hopkin University are working to develop additional capabilities by capturing vital signs of patients in resource-constrained environments with a device most Americans use every day -- a cellphone camera. Funded by an initial $100,000 pilot grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the project, "Non-Contact Estimation of Biomarkers in Resource-Constrained Environments," uses cellphone camera and computer vision techniques to capture patients' vital signs at distances of up to four feet away -- a critical distance needed for highly contagious diseases like Ebola or tuberculosis. Led by Conrad Tucker, associate professor of engineering design and industrial engineering at Penn State, the mobile application will register natural head and body movements, distinguish between different skin tones and lighting conditions, and capture vital signs such as an individual's pulse rate. Collaborators at Johns Hopkins include Dr. William Checkley, associate professor of medicine and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Non Communicable Diseases Research and Training, and his team of researchers. Jeffrey Gray, professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins, played an instrumental role in connecting the Penn State and Johns Hopkins teams. "Our mobile-based application seeks to expand beyond a 'wellness app' classification by the FDA, to an FDA-approved tool that can be used by patients and healthcare officials for measuring vitals at a distance and in varying environments and populations all across the globe," Tucker said. "This pilot grant is a first step towards this goal, as it will enable the team to evaluate the technology that we've developed in real-world settings involving hardware, environmental and societal constraints." To test the proposed application in real-world situations, Tucker and doctoral student Sakthi Prakash will travel to India and Sierra Leone in December 2018 and March 2019. Testing locations were selected due to the team's hands-on experience in these countries, along with the opportunity to engage with a diverse group of individuals to test in varying environmental conditions. Penn State faculty members Soundar Kumara, Allen E. Pearce and Allen M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering, and M. Jeya Chandra, professor emeritus in industrial engineering, have helped the team forge new collaborations in India. University of Illinois faculty member Paul McNamara, associate professor of agricultural and consumer economics, helped the team achieve similar collaborations through his established stakeholder network in Sierra Leone. Initial findings will be presented to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in early 2019. A return trip to India and Sierra Leone will take place in summer 2019 to collect additional data. Pilot results are expected to be released after the return trip. The team has tested the application's functionality on the Xiaomi Redmi 6 and the Samsung Galaxy J7 Prime, cellphones that are typically used in these countries, due to their relative affordability and availability in these areas. "It's one thing to demonstrate the feasibility of an algorithm in a controlled environment in a research lab. It's another thing for technology to function as intended in the field, where researchers have less control of the human and environmental factors," Tucker said. "This will be an excellent opportunity to integrate user-centered design, concepts that form the foundation for many of the engineering design courses that are taught in SEDTAPP here at Penn State." ### On Nov. 26, Tucker traveled to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle to meet with a program manager from the foundation and members of the team to demo the mobile app that the team has developed and to discuss the team's plan of action for their upcoming international travel. To follow research efforts, findings and method validation, visit http://www.videovitals.org. Researchers at RIT are developing an improved visual tracking system that can more accurately locate and follow moving objects under surveillance. Using deep learning, an artificial intelligence technology, the system could generate more reliable readings of moving objects--even of those objects become obscured or change patterns and direction. Andreas Savakis, a professor of computer engineering, is developing the technology through advanced adaptive visual tracking algorithms for aerial platforms, a three-year, $250,000 project funded by the Department of the Air Force's Materials Command/Systems and Technology. It is one of several inter-related projects that use deep learning to refine the computing algorithms and visual tools needed to follow object movements and understand activities. Although many systems have the ability to recognize and classify various objects, it is essential to track them under variations in illumination or appearance to re-acquire them when they are occluded by other objects, said Savakis. This research has potential applications in autonomous navigation, drones, traffic monitoring, safety and security, disaster response and human-computer interaction. Some challenges to current imaging technology and the need for improvements rise from objects seeming to change size and appearance because of distance and perspective, or lighting which can produce different colorings of objects. Researchers will be training the system to understand each of these distinct aspects by leveraging the power of deep neural networks and visual tracking algorithms. "We'll be able to learn more about the objects as we track them," Savakis explained. His team will produce a prototype tracking system, building upon earlier research conducted on video analytics. Systems are supplied with this type of data to build a knowledgebase and distinguish the variety of visual imagery a computing system is asked to detect and track, most being complex scenes that are continually changing. ### Speedcast Announces CFIUS Approval for Globecomm Acquisition London, Dec 6, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Speedcast International Limited ( ASX:SDA ) ( FRA:7SC ) ( OTCMKTS:SPPDF ), the world's most trusted provider of remote communication and IT solutions, announced today that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has completed its review of the company's previously announced transaction with Globecomm Systems Inc.Based upon its review, CFIUS has determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the acquisition. Speedcast expects to complete the transaction in December 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. Speedcast will issue a further announcement when completion of the acquisition and associated financing occurs.About Speedcast International Ltd Speedcast International Ltd (ASX:SDA) is the world's most trusted communications and IT services provider, delivering critical communications solutions to the Maritime, Energy, Mining, Media, Telecom, Cruise, NGO, Government, and Enterprise sectors. With more satellite capacity than any other provider, Speedcast enables faster, seamless pole-to-pole coverage from a global hybrid satellite, fiber, cellular, microwave, MPLS, and IP transport network with direct access to public cloud platforms. The company also integrates differentiated technology offerings that provide smarter ways to communicate and distribute content, manage network and remote operations, protect and secure investments, and improve the crew and guest experience. With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 3,200 customers in over 140 countries. Learn more at www.speedcast.com. It's easy to make bubbles, but try making hundreds of thousands of them a minute - all the same size. Rice University engineers can do that and much more. Rice chemical and biomolecular engineer Sibani Lisa Biswal and lead author and graduate student Daniel Vecchiolla have created a microfluidic device that pumps out more than 15,000 microscopic bubbles a second and can be tuned to make them in one, two or three distinct sizes. The work featured on the cover of the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Soft Matter enables customizable, "wet" foams in small amounts for applications that include chemical and biological studies. The best part is that the bubbles themselves do the hard part. A movie that demonstrates the mechanism shows elongated bubbles shooting through a tube into an input channel. Each arrow-like bubble moves with enough force to split the bubble ahead of it, but the arrow remains intact. It takes its place between the new "daughter" bubbles and becomes a "wall" that holds the next bubble in place for splitting. In that way, only every other bubble entering the expansion splits from the inter-bubble forces. Vecchiolla described the process as "metronomic," the tick being a bubble splitting and the tock a bubble that remains whole. When the input is centered and all the other parameters - the type of liquid, its viscosity, the flow rate and the width of the channel - are right, the device fills with large bubbles in the middle and two ranks of identical, smaller bubbles along the edges. When the input is offset, the stream produces bubbles in three sizes. "There's interest in using monodisperse bubbles for material applications and miniaturized reactors, so there's been a lot of studies about the generation of uniformly sized gas bubbles," Biswal said. "But there have been very few that looked at using neighboring bubbles to create these daughter bubbles. We're able to generate well-ordered foam systems and control the size distribution." Recent alumna Vidya Giri helped create the microfluidic channels, which are about one-twentieth of an inch wide with a feeder channel of about 70 microns. Biswal is an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and of materials science and nanoengineering. The National Science Foundation supported the research. ### Read the abstract at https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/sm/c8sm01285g#!divAbstract. Related materials: Foam favorable for oil extraction: http://news.rice.edu/2014/08/12/foam-favorable-for-oil-extraction-2/ Clues to foam formation could help find oil: http://news.rice.edu/2013/10/07/clues-to-foam-formation-could-help-find-oil-2/ Biswal Lab: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~biswalab/Biswal_Research_Group/Welcome.html Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: https://chbe.rice.edu Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering: https://msne.rice.edu George R. Brown School of Engineering: https://engineering.rice.edu Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of Architecture, Business, Continuing Studies, Engineering, Humanities, Music, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 3,962 undergraduates and 3,027 graduate students, Rice's undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction and No. 2 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. To read "What they're saying about Rice," go to http://tinyurl.com/RiceUniversityoverview. The electromagnetic and optical nonlinear effects provide an important platform in a broad spectrum of technologies including high harmonic generation, sum and difference frequency conversions, self-focusing, optical solitons, and multi-photon absorption. When illuminated by high light intensity, the material properties are modified depending on the applied electromagnetic field amplitudes, and the nonlinear process is greatly enhanced during the interaction between light and materials, giving rise to spectral components at new frequencies. Although tremendous advances for nonlinear manipulations have been achieved in recent years, the overall efficiency of the frequency conversion still remains very low. Metamaterials, which are usually constituted by spatially distributed periodic or non-periodic array of subwavelength resonators, have been demonstrated as a powerful tool to alter the responses of incident electromagnetic waves. By optimizing the element geometries and their spatial alignments, the metamaterials are easy to create highly customizable properties that can be exploited in a wide variety of applications like super-resolution imaging, optical cloaking, and novel antennas. The nonlinear characteristics of metamaterials have displayed emerging potentials for frequency conversions owing to the induced local fields around the resonators. However, the conversion ratio is not satisfactory especially under the excitation of small signals. In a new paper published in the Beijing-based National Science Review, scientists at the State Key Laboratory of Millimeter Waves in Nanjing, China, the National Mobil Communication Research Laboratory in Nanjing, China, and the Photonics Initiative, Advanced Science Research Center in New York, US, present the latest advances in the nonlinear harmonic manipulation with a programmable time-domain digital coding metasurface. They find that the metasurface with time varying reflectivity can respond to the excitation carrier nonlinearly in a strong way, with the harmonic intensity dependent on the digital coding sequence of the reflection amplitude and phase. These scientists summarize the details of the theory and design method of the metasurface, and the future application of this technology. "Inspired by space-domain digital coding metasurfaces, we employ complex modulation strategies to tailor the wave-matter interactions and frequency spectrum simultaneously, in which the discrete reflection phase states of the metasurface are controlled by the digital coding sequence. We demonstrate that strong nonlinear processes are enabled by the temporal modulation of incident waves on the metasurface with accurate controls of both amplitude and phase distributions for all harmonics." The metasurface is composed of periodic coding elements loaded with varactor diodes. "Driven by different combinations of output voltages from a field programmable gate array (FPGA), our metasurface can implement many functions by controlling the time-domain digital coding states," they state. "As an example of applications, we explore the implementation of a new binary frequency-shift keying (BFSK) wireless communication system, which highly simplifies the classical heterodyne architectures for wireless network systems. In the proposed BFSK system, the two basic carrier frequencies are synthesized directly via the metasurface, without using complicated analog-digital converter and microwave filters, mixers, and amplifiers, showing great advantages in terms of simplicity and efficiency," they add. "The proposed concept and method pave a way for simplified and compact communication and radar systems for a wide frequency range, from acoustic to microwaves and optics," the scientists forecast. The calculated spectral intensities of the output harmonics under different PM modulations. (a-b), 1-bit PM coding 01010101... with the length of the coding sequence M=2 and the reflection period T=1s. (c-d), 2-bit PM coding 00-01-00-01-... with M=2 and T=1s. (e-f), 2-bit PM coding 00-01-10-11-... with M=4 and T=2s. g-h, 2-bit PM coding 11-10-01-00-... with M=4 and T=2s. ### This research received funding from the National Key Research and Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the 111 project. See the article: Jie Zhao, Xi Yang, Jun Yan Dai, Qiang Cheng, Xiang Li, Ning Hua Qi, Jun Chen Ke, Guo Dong Bai, Shuo Liu, Shi Jin, Andrea Alu, and Tie Jun Cui Programmable time-domain digital coding metasurface for nonlinear harmonic manipulation and new wireless communication systems Natl Sci Rev (November 2018) nwy135 https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwy135 The National Science Review is the first comprehensive scholarly journal released in English in China that is aimed at linking the country's rapidly advancing community of scientists with the global frontiers of science and technology. The journal also aims to shine a worldwide spotlight on scientific research advances across China. Exposure to emerging contaminants, even at extremely low doses, can cause adverse health effects for humans, including endocrine disruption which can lead to developmental malformations, interference with reproduction, increased cancer risk and disturbances in the immune and nervous system functions. These emerging contaminants include pharmaceuticals and personal care products, hormones, perfluorinated alkyls and volatile organics, and they may pose a threat to both the environment and human health. Several presentations at the 2018 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting will examine occurrence, estimation of risk and the threat to human health posed by these contaminants in wastewater. The presence of hormones and pharmaceuticals in groundwater used for drinking poses a potential threat to human health. Laura Bexfield's presentation, "Hormones and pharmaceuticals in groundwater used as a source of drinking water across the United States," explores the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project study which analyzed samples from 1,091 groundwater sites across the U.S. for 21 hormones and 103 pharmaceuticals. The assessment found at least one hormone or pharmaceutical in untreated groundwater at six percent of 844 sites representing the resource used for public supply, and at 11 percent of 247 sites representing the resource used for domestic supply. While the impact on public health is likely minimal based on comparisons of measured concentrations to health benchmarks, individuals who receive their drinking water from domestic wells or wells completed in fractured rocks have a higher chance of exposure. The presence of chemicals and drugs also poses a threat to our ecosystem as these substances continue to taint natural ponds and creeks. Stormwater best management practices employ the use of retention/detention ponds, commonly known as stormwater catchment basins (SCBs), to capture runoff and its pollutants. This can result in very high contaminant concentrations in sediments that impact the ecological function of the ponds. Vinka Oyandel-Craver, University of Rhode Island, along with Laura Schifman and Varun Kasaraneni, examined the level of contaminants in five ponds along the I-95 corridor in Rhode Island. Their study, "PAH contaminant accumulation in stormwater catchment basins: New implications for management guidelines," analyzed lead, zinc and chromium levels in the ponds proposes new methods for managing these levels. Neha Sunger, Ph.D., West Chester University, analyzed the presence of chemicals and drugs in the Brandywine Creek in her study, "Method development for determination of codeine, fluoxetine and acetaminophen in Brandywine creek watershed." The chemicals sprayed onto field to help crops grow, and the medicines people throw out or flush down the drain eventually get mixed in nearby rivers and streams. The methods used in Sunger's study will help researchers detect compounds in low concentrations in water sources nationwide. These studies will be presented during The Many Faces of Emergency and Legacy Contaminants: Collecting, Interpreting, and Acting on Water Data symposium on Tuesday, Dec. 4 from 3:30-5:10 p.m. and the Understanding the Ecological and Health Risks Associated with Trace Organics in the Environment symposium on Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 3:30-5:10 p.m. at the 2018 SRA Annual Meeting at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans, Louisiana. ### **Roxolana Kashuba, Ph.D., Exponent, Laura M. Bexfield, U.S. Geological Survey, and Christopher Greene, Minnesota Department of Health, will be available for media interviews at the 2018 SRA Annual Meeting. Please contact Melanie Preve at melanie@bigvoicecomm.com for all interview requests. About SRA The Society for Risk Analysis is a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, scholarly, international society that provides an open forum for all those interested in risk analysis. SRA was established in 1980 and has published Risk Analysis: An International Journal, the leading scholarly journal in the field, continuously since 1981. For more information, visit http://www.sra.org. The letter was announced at a press conference at COP24, the U.N. climate talks here. It calls on insurance companies to refrain from insuring the project -- and Adani as a whole, so long as they are proceeding with the Carmichael mine -- in light of its potential climate, social, and broader environmental impacts. It asks them to respond by Friday, December 14, after which the coalition will make public the commitments it has received. The Carmichael coal mine is arguably the most environmentally and socially contentious project in Australias history. The project consists of a major thermal coal mine and an approximately 200 km long rail line. Coal burned over the approved lifetime of the mine would produce 4.6 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to more than eight years of Australias annual greenhouse gas emissions. Developing the mine would open up the huge reserves of Queenslands Galilee Basin to exploitation. The rail line would transport the coal to an export terminal on the Great Barrier Reef. The resultant dredging and ship traffic poses threatens irreversible damage to one of the worlds most biodiverse ecosystems, a global treasure that is under protection as a World Heritage Site. In addition to being a carbon and environmental disaster, the mine would be built on the lands of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners, who continue to oppose the project. Adani has tried to raise bank financing, but 37 global financial institutions, including all Australias major banks, have publicly rejected any involvement. On November 29, the company announced plans to self-finance the entirety of the Carmichael mine and rail line, a US$1.5 billion project. This leaves insurance as a critical missing piece of financial support for the project. Seven leading insurers have already announced that they will not insure new coal mines and plants: Swiss Re; Generali; Zurich; Allianz; AXA; SCOR; and Munich Re. However, many major companies continue to insure new coal projects, including U.S. insurers AIG, Berkshire Hathaway, Chubb and Liberty Mutual, Australian insurers QBE and Suncorp, the Talanx subsidiary HDI, and the reinsurer Hannover Re. And the seven insurers who have pledged not to insure new coal projects have not all committed to withdrawing cover for the infrastructure they rely on, such as rail links. The companies written to are Suncorp Group and QBE insurance in Australia; Hamilton Insurance Group in Bermuda; AXA and SCOR in France; Allianz, Hannover Re, HDI and Munich Re in Germany; Generali in Italy; Sompo and Tokio Marine in Japan; Mapfre in Spain; Chubb, Swiss Re and Zurich in Switzerland; Beazley, Canopius, Chaucer, CNA Hardy, Lloyd's, and insurance broker Marsh in the United Kingdom; and AIG, Axis Capital, Berkshire Hathaway, FM Global, Great American Insurance Group, Liberty Mutual, the Markel Corporation, Starr, and W.R. Berkley in the United States. The letter has been coordinated by Australian NGO Market Forces, US NGO Rainforest Action Network, and the international Unfriend Coal campaign, with Greenpeace, Japan Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society, Re:Common and urgewald. The 73 signatories also include 350.org, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Divest Invest, and Friends of the Earth International. Announcing the letter at todays press conference at COP24, Toby Thorpe, a grassroots leader with the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, said: The worlds insurers must follow the banks lead and publicly rule out any insurance services for the mines construction and operation. Young people across Australia are watching. More than 15,000 youth walked out of school last week, demanding that governments take action on climate change and oppose the dangerous Adani mine. Julien Vincent, executive director of Market Forces, said: Insurance companies are facing an existential threat from climate change, so they should be lining up to rule out support for a project that would open up one of the worlds largest untapped coal reserves. With Adani claiming to fund the Carmichael project itself, it could be the decision of a major insurer that decides whether this climate-wrecking project goes ahead. Lucie Pinson, European coordinator of the Unfriend Coal campaign, said: Adanis plans show contempt for the Paris Agreement and its goal of limiting global warming to 1.5C, but they cannot go ahead without insurance. It is time for insurers to put their money where their mouth is and publicly rule out providing any services for the Carmichael carbon bomb. Patrick McCully, climate and energy program director of Rainforest Action Network, said: It is outrageous that major US insurers such as AIG, Chubb and Liberty Mutual continue to ignore the progress being made by their European peers in phasing out support for coal. We can wave goodbye to the chances of staying under 1.5C if the US insurers treat the European insurers retreat from coal as an opportunity for them to ramp up business and insure projects like Adani. Newborns with vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, a team of Australian and Danish researchers has reported. The discovery could help prevent some cases of the disease by treating vitamin D deficiency during the earliest stages of life. The study, led by Professor John McGrath from The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia and Aarhus University in Denmark, found newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a 44 per cent increased risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults compared to those with normal vitamin D levels. "Schizophrenia is a group of poorly understood brain disorders characterised by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and cognitive impairment," he said. "As the developing foetus is totally reliant on the mother's vitamin D stores, our findings suggest that ensuring pregnant women have adequate levels of vitamin D may result in the prevention of some schizophrenia cases, in a manner comparable to the role folate supplementation has played in the prevention of spina bifida." Professor McGrath, of UQ's Queensland Brain Institute, said the study, which was based on 2602 individuals, confirmed a previous study he led that also found an association between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of schizophrenia. The team made the discovery by analysing vitamin D concentration in blood samples taken from Danish newborns between 1981 and 2000 who went on to develop schizophrenia as young adults. The researchers compared the samples to those of people matched by sex and date of birth who had not developed schizophrenia. Professor McGrath said schizophrenia is associated with many different risk factors, both genetic and environmental, but the research suggested that neonatal vitamin D deficiency could possibly account for about eight per cent of schizophrenia cases in Denmark. "Much of the attention in schizophrenia research has been focused on modifiable factors early in life with the goal of reducing the burden of this disease," he said. "Previous research identified an increased risk of schizophrenia associated with being born in winter or spring and living in a high-latitude country, such as Denmark. "We hypothesised that low vitamin D levels in pregnant women due to a lack of sun exposure during winter months might underlie this risk, and investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of schizophrenia." Professor McGrath said that although Australia had more bright sunshine compared to Denmark, vitamin D deficiency could still be found in pregnant women in Australia because of our lifestyle and sun-safe behaviour. Professor McGrath, who holds a prestigious Niels Bohr Professorship at Aarhus University, also led a 2016 Dutch study that found a link between prenatal vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of childhood autism traits. "The next step is to conduct randomised clinical trials of vitamin D supplements in pregnant women who are vitamin D deficient, in order to examine the impact on child brain development and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia." ### The research was published in Scientific Reports and was supported by organisations including Australia's National Health and Medical Research Centre, the Danish National Research Foundation, The University of Queensland, the Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research, the Lundbeck Foundation, and the European Research Council. Findings by USC and other universities contradict claims by the Trump administration, which aims to roll back fuel economy standards Scholars from USC and other leading universities conclude that rules on the books to increase fuel economy for passenger vehicles will do more good than harm, contradicting claims by the Trump administration as it seeks to roll back fuel economy standards. In a research paper that scrutinizes the cost-benefit methods used by federal officials to justify rolling back the regulations, the researchers conclude the government analysis is flawed and that it departs from accepted protocols. They found the analysis overlooked 6 million used cars, wiping out benefits estimated at least $112 billion. The research findings, which are reported in Science today and will be presented to automakers and policymakers at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris this week, are significant because they reflect best practices identified by leading, independent economists and engineers. The findings are also consistent with previous assessments showing that benefits for fuel-efficient vehicles outweigh costs. And the benefits accrue as blue skies, better health and fewer greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to global warming. Antonio Bento, a professor of public policy and economics at the USC Price School of Public Policy and director of the nascent USC Center for Sustainability Solutions, said the study represents a "rapid assessment policy response" to the controversial regulatory proposal, which is undergoing federal rulemaking. "It appears federal officials cherry-picked data to support a predetermined conclusion that the clean-car standards will lead to too many highway deaths," said Bento, the study's lead author. "We do not support that conclusion and the data does not support that conclusion." The Trump administration's attempt to freeze fuel-economy standards for cars and light-duty trucks has sparked conflict with California and other states. Critics say the regulatory freeze is difficult to justify on economic, legal or environmental grounds. But the new study goes a step further, suggesting the shortcomings in the government's economic analysis are so egregious they seem like a deliberate attempt to manipulate statistics and mislead people. Ironically, Bento occupies a special position in the controversy: He is the economist most often cited in the documents the EPA used to make its case for the regulatory relaxation. He is among a group of interdisciplinary scholars from leading universities who participated in the study, including experts from USC, Carnegie Mellon, Yale, the University of California and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, among others. In 2007, Congress adopted laws to require corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) to increase to 35 mpg by 2020. The CAFE standards govern fuel economy across the U.S. fleet of passenger cars and light trucks. The U.S. EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) set fuel economy gains between 27 mpg and 55 mpg between 2012 and 2025. A midterm review conducted in 2016 affirmed the benefits exceeded the costs and the measures would be technologically feasible. But this year under the Trump administration, the federal agencies reversed course, proposing rules to freeze CAFE standards at 2021 levels through 2025. Federal officials argue that forcing automakers to achieve an average of 54 mpg in seven years would lead to cars that are too expensive, thus forcing people to keep too many old vehicles that are less safe. The federal government also seeks to revoke California's long-standing authority to set its own, more stringent tailpipe standards and limit other states from following suit. Gov. Jerry Brown has vowed to fight the proposed rollback. But the researchers were puzzled by the policy reversal, prompting them to conduct an independent assessment of the government's economic analysis used to justify the change. The authors are among the world's top experts in environmental economics and climate change, including the study of fuel economy standards. Their study describes a pattern of selective fact-picking and distortion throughout the government's analysis. It finds that the 2018 analysis contains adjustments to a prior review of 2016, but nonetheless it is "our conclusion that the 2018 [federal] analysis has fundamental flaws and inconsistencies and is at odds with basic economic theory and empirical studies ... our summary judgment is that the changes in the 2018 NPRM [notice of proposed rulemaking] are on balance misleading." Specifically, the study cited two key changes in the 2018 document that deviate from standard cost-benefit protocols. First, the scientists say the economic analysis mistakenly concludes that relaxation of the rule will shrink the vehicle fleet by 6 million cars by 2029, which greatly skews the bottom line. It also flies in the face of economic principles because, the economists argue, only more stringent standards -- not fewer -- would increase costs for cleaner, new vehicles, and as prices for new and used vehicles increase, fleet size would diminish -- not the other way around. The revision "is simply inconsistent with basic economic theory," the study finds. By miscalculating the size of the auto fleet, the researchers say the report underestimates vehicle miles traveled, gasoline consumption, GHG emissions and traffic fatalities. A correct estimate of fatalities alone represents a $90.7 billion savings, which the federal proposal omits. Second, the researchers applied the generally accepted global -- rather than domestic -- social cost of carbon as a criterion to value GHG emissions reductions. That change, plus the revision for the number of vehicles, closes 63 percent of the difference between negative costs and the break-even point for the CAFE standards -- a positive net gain of at least $112 billion dollars, the study shows. Costs can also be reduced by technology innovation, including improvements to internal combustion engines, automotive materials and design and wider use of zero-emissions vehicles, the study finds. Finally, the researchers describe how the government deviated from "preferred protocol" developed in another study that Bento published in the American Economic Review in 2009, and commonly used in cost-benefit analyses, including externalities such as energy security, air pollution, gasoline prices, GHG emissions and traffic congestion. Failing to account for those variables overestimates the cost of the regulation while underestimating benefits, the researchers found. "It's doubtful these miscalculations were inadvertent," Bento said. "These are not mistakes, rather these are deliberate downsizing of benefits and inflating costs." The study represents an important precedent for the emerging USC Center for Sustainability Solutions, said Bento, who has a courtesy faculty appointment at the USC Dornsife School of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "Rapid assessment exercises like this one, as well as direct dialogue with stakeholders, will become signature activities of our new USC Center for Sustainability Solutions," Bento said. He added the study will help promote dialogue when he presents it to the OECD meeting this week. ### Bento was joined on the study by Kenneth Gillingham of Yale University, Mark R. Jacobsen of UC San Diego, Christopher R. Knittel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Benjamin Leard and Virginia McConnell of Resources for the Future, Joshua Linn of the University of Maryland, David Rapson of UC Davis, James M. Sallee of UC Berkeley, Arthur A. van Benthem of the University of Pennsylvania and Kate S. Whitefoot of Carnegie Mellon University. Bento, Gillingham, Jacobsen, Knittel, Sallee and Van Benthem are also affiliated with the National Bureau of Economic Research. Even healthy people who don't suffer from a cardiovascular disease are prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, if they meet certain risk criteria. However, for years the use of statins for primary prevention has been hotly debated among experts. "Ultimately, this measure helps to prevent heart attacks or strokes in only a few cases. But all people who take statins are at risk of experiencing the side effects," says Milo Puhan, professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Zurich. No systematic studies for guidelines When deciding whether to prescribe statins to a patient, doctors use a number of risk factors such as cholesterol level, BMI and smoking to determine the likelihood of a person suffering a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. If this figure reaches or exceeds 10%, many medical guidelines recommend the use of statins; however, some guidelines put this number at 7.5%, whereas a Swiss association of general practitioners only suggests doing so from 20%. If these guidelines, most of which are drawn up by cardiology organizations, are to be believed, more than one third of all people between the age of 40 and 75 would have to take statins as a preventive measure - in other words, hundreds of millions of people around the world. According to Puhan, however, these guidelines were drawn up without properly taking into account the unwanted side effects, such as muscle pain, cataracts, liver defects or diabetes. "The thresholds set by experts aren't based on any systematic studies." Weighing up benefits and harmful effects Striking a good balance between the benefits and the harmful side effects is therefore one of the great challenges of developing improved guidelines for preventive statin use. This is why Prof. Milo Puhan and his team at the Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute of UZH have now for the first time carried out a comprehensive statistical modeling study. The researchers systematically compiled all data from specialist literature that documents the benefits and side effects of the preventive use of statins. To include the view of patients in their model, they also performed a survey among healthy people about the significance of heart attacks, strokes and certain side effects. Using this information, the scientists determined new thresholds for men and women across different age groups between 40 and 75. They also compared the benefits and unwanted side effects of four widely used statin preparations. Recommendation given to too many people "Our study shows that today statins are recommended far too often," says Puhan about the study's findings. According to his estimates, the newly set thresholds could cut the number of people who are given a recommendation to take statins by half. The benefits of cholesterol-lowering drugs have been greatly exaggerated particularly when it comes to senior citizens: For the 70 to 75 age group, the study's model put the threshold at approx. 21% - in other words, the benefits of statins outweigh the harm from potential side effects of statins only if there's a 21% risk or higher that a person will suffer a heart attack or a stroke in the next 10 years. For men and women aged 40 to 45, the threshold is slightly lower, at 14% and 17% respectively. The researchers also noted that two of the four examined statin preparations, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin, had a significantly better balance of benefits and harms than the other two (simvastatin und pravastatin). Considering the study's findings, Puhan recommends that all people concerned should discuss their individual risk for cardiovascular disease as well as possible side effects with their doctors before deciding whether to take statins as a preventive measure. ### this news is not available 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. In the 55 days before the launch around 31,000 people visited the ScamSmart website at an average of 562 per day. In the 55 days after the launch this rose five-fold (462%) to more than 173,000 people - an average of 3,145 per day and the equivalent of one every 27 seconds. Additionally, over 370 pensions holders were warned about an unauthorised firm after using the Warning List, an online tool that helps consumers check a list of firms operating without authorisation. The two regulators are urging all pension holders to be on their guard against pension scams as new research suggests that half (52%) of 45-65 year olds with a pension do not think they are likely be targeted by a pension scam. The most common reasons given were that they are too savvy to be scammed (21%) or that they didnt have enough money saved in their pension (18%). Victims of pension scams last year lost an average of 91,000 each to fraudsters. They reported receiving cold-calls, offers of free pension reviews and promises that they would get high rates of return - all of which are key warning signs of scams. Research from the FCA estimates over 10 million UK adults received an unsolicited pension offer in just one year. The Treasury has laid regulations that will ban pension cold calling early in 2019. The FCA and TPR are urging the public to be ScamSmart with their pension and always check who theyre dealing with. The regulators recommend four simple steps to protect yourself from pension scams: Reject unexpected pension offers whether made online, on social media or over the phone. Check who youre dealing with before changing your pension arrangements - check the FCA Register or call the FCA contact centre on 0800 111 6768 to see if the firm you are dealing with is authorised by the FCA. Dont be rushed or pressured into making any decision about your pension. Consider getting impartial information and advice. If you think youve been a victim of a pension scam, report it. Visit fca.org.uk/scamsmart to find out more. Mark Steward, the FCAs Executive Director of Enforcement and Market Oversight, said: Our research shows that many pension holders believe they are too savvy to be scammed. But pension scams are often very sophisticated and difficult to spot. Scammers will target people from all walks of life and with any size pension. The best way to protect yourself is to always check the FCA Register to make sure that anyone offering you pension advice or any other financial service is authorised by the FCA. Nicola Parish, TPRs Executive Director of Frontline Regulation, said: The dramatic increase in the number of people visiting ScamSmart for information is very encouraging but this is not the end of the campaign. Every pension holder is a potential scam victim so its vital that we continue spreading the word about scammers and how they operate to prevent more people handing over their funds to criminals. Guy Opperman, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion, said: Pension scams are devastating for people and can rob them of the retirement they planned. Raising awareness of how these heartless criminals operate is key to tackling fraud, and the response to this campaign is encouraging. I would urge savers to always exercise caution and seek independent guidance or advice before making important financial decisions - free, impartial guidance is available from Pension Wise or The Pensions Advisory Service. The FCA and TPR are part of Project Bloom, a multi-agency taskforce which is working to combat pension scams. The taskforce includes the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, the Serious Fraud Office, City of London Police, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, The Pensions Advisory Service and the National Crime Agency. Wednesday, December 5, 2018 Two Natural Burial Plots Awarded to Kay Ohmberger of Albuquerque The 2018 Before I Die New Mexico Festival, with events in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Belen, NM, was a resounding success. A total of 685 people participated in 32 free or low-cost events to prompt death discussions and planning ahead. Festival events included Death Cafes, workshops, movies, speakers, parties, panel discussions, and field trips to cemeteries, a crematory, the Office of the Medical Investigator and casket manufacturers. The Festival took place October 30 to November 4, 2018. The first Before I Die Festival in New Mexico took place in Albuquerque during October 2017, drawing 600 participants. Every Festival participant was eligible to enter a drawing to win a pair of burial plots at La Puerta Natural Burial Ground. The winner is Kay Ohmberger of Albuquerque, who attended the panel discussion, Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews,." at Tractor Brewings Wells Park location. La Puerta, located 15 miles southeast of Belen, is New Mexicos first Green Burial Council-certified cemetery. Their website is www.NaturalBurialNewMexico.com. Videos of Festival panel discussions are available on YouTube and online at www.BeforeIDieNM.com. In addition to Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews,." panels included Downsizing While Keeping Your Family Legacy." and discussions at the Festival Symposium. Symposium topics included Green Burial in New Mexico,." Near Death Experiences and End-of-Life Visions,." Financial, Legal and Digital Assets Related to Death,." How to Reach a Gentle Death in New Mexico,." and a panel discussion with three Albuquerque funeral directors. In addition to the Festival participants, hundreds more learned about Before I Die New Mexico at the popular Marigold Parade in Albuquerque. At this annual event, people dress in costumes and wear calavera (skull) makeup for Day of the Dead celebrations. Festival coordinator Gail Rubin connected with parade attendees by wheeling a mini-float based on a casket built by Fathers Building Futures. She distributed materials from Festival sponsors about planning ahead on end-of-life issues. Based on encouraging feedback from Festival attendees, a third annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival is being planned for the first week of November 2019. A portion of sponsor fees were donated to the festivals charitable partner Fathers Building Futures. This nonprofit social enterprise provides jobs and skills to previously incarcerated parents, reducing recidivism. They build pine caskets that are kosher for Jewish burial and fine wood cremation urns in their woodworking shop. The Before I Die NM Festival was made possible by these sponsors: Partners were La Puerta Natural Burial Ground, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of New Mexico, Guild Cinema, Berardinelli Family Funeral Service, Childrens Grief Center of New Mexico, Compassion & Choices NM Action Team, Daniels Family Funeral Services, and LifeIZShort.com. Learn more about the Before I Die New Mexico Festival by calling event coordinator Gail Rubin at 505-265-7215 or visiting the website, www.BeforeIDieNM.com. Share this: David Jacobson is a professional speaker on leadership, team building, humor and health and overcoming trauma. He is the former Chief of Social Work of the Phoenix VA where he assisted in improving their mental health system. He also is the former Social Work Manager at University Medical Center who worked with the patients and families of trauma's including the tragic shooting event in Tucson that happened at his hospital January 8th, 2011. For over 30 years David, has provided his expertise on leadership, humor and health related topics to audiences around the country and served on the Board of Directors of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. He has been featured internationally by various media outlets, including magazines, journals and television from London to Seoul, Korea. He is the award winning author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Humorous People." David Jacobson suffered many losses early in his life including a diagnosis with a severe form of arthritis at 22 in 1980. Since then, he has become a living example that you can accomplish anything if you truly believe in yourself. Through his years of struggling with chronic pain, he developed humor techniques that got him through the hard times. He now teaches these skills to audiences around the country in his keynotes and workshops which as entertaining as they are educational. His many honors include a "President's Award" from Flashnet Marketing, Inc. , A Lifetime Achievement Award and a "National Hero Overcoming Arthritis" award by the Arthritis Foundation National Office for completing a 50 mile unicycle ride at a fund raising event and the Wayne Washburn Memorial Award which reads as follows "We all need someone or something to inspire us to bring out our best. You are that someone" For the past twenty years, Mr. Jacobson has worked as a hospital administrator in addition to his writing, speaking career. He is currently the Director of Behavioral Health Case Management at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson. Thursday, December 6, 2018 During your working days, there was probably no time for extended travel and adventure. Ideally, most retires will be travelling on a fixed budget. This means that you have to come up with ways to stretch your travel dollars. The good news is that with more time on your hands, it becomes easier to spend less on travel and adventure while striking off your bucket list travel destinations. Retirees can apply some of the strategies deployed by youthful backpackers to cut travel cost without sacrificing on comfort. Some of these strategies include; making use of travel rewards and taking longer travel period than a normal vacation. It is recommended that you start your travels soon after retirement in order to take advantage of your good health and energy. Here are ways to optimize your travel during retirement. Slow Travel Slow travel is one of the most logical methods of travel for retirees. Ideally, slow travel requires more time but is less costly. Instead of taking trips with tight itineraries, slow travel allows you to soak in every detail and eccentricities at very destination. Extended stay also means lower transport and accommodation expenses. This will ultimately increase the value of your travel dollar. Slow travel also gives you an opportunity to learn about your travel destination such as where locals eat. In the process, you might even make a few friends. This makes your trip more rewarding and whenever you feel like you have had enough, move onto the next destination. RVing Using recreational vehicles is an amazing way of driving around the major parks and cities that make this country so unique and beautiful. RVs allow you to travel in your preferred style since they are available in a wide range of comforts. However, your choice of RV will be determined by your budget. The downside of RVs is that they require a significant amount of upfront charges. However, renting an RV over an extended period of time reduces the cost of travel as accommodation becomes less expensive each day. The good thing about RVs is that you will enjoy the journey as much as you enjoy the destinations. There are RV campsites and facilities spread across different parts of the U.S to cater for road warriors. Extended City Visits Have you ever asked yourself how it would be if you were living in Buenos Aires or Copenhagen? It is now possible to book for extended stay in some of the major cities in the world through services such as Airbnb. Instead of booking yourself into a hotel, Airbnb hosts offer discounts to long-term visitors in order to reduce maintenance cost and avoid unnecessary vacancies. If you are planning to stick around for a while, consider taking language classes so that you can blend in as a local. However, make sure you are aware of the visa limitations rules in the country which you have booked your extended stay. Train Travel Train travel is a scenic way of exploring the globe for retirees. The most exciting and convenient journeys are in Europe and Asia. These journeys can be optimized with the right rail routes to give you an amazing travel experience. Eurail for example is a conglomerate of rail systems passing through 28 different countries. Trans-Siberian Railways is another classic train route that travels overland from St. Petersburg, Russia to Beijing, China. Using the Trans-Siberian route, you can schedule a visit at Lake Ulaanbaatar or Baikal, Mongolia to maximize your travel experience. Book Multiple Tours When you are flying a great distance to one of the destinations on your bucket list, booking multiple tours will maximize the value of your flight costs. The idea here is to fly to a global hub destination from where you can launch your tours to different parts of the world. Cities such as Paris, France and Bangkok, Thailand are excellent launching point from where you can tour different cities and neighboring countries. Toolkit to Help you AirBnB TripAdvisor Booking Are there other ways that you can optimize your travel during retirement? If you have additional strategies to maximize your travel experience, let us know in the comments section. If you have any questions, turn to our finance forum here. Share this: Related U.S. crude oil production is at historic highs, and more of the black gold is finding its way to tankers along the Texas Gulf Coast and into the global market. At the beginning of the year, Sean Strawbridge, 52, became CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi, one of the hot spots of U.S. oil exports. Hes emerged as a leading proponent for investing in new oil docks and loading infrastructure to allow for higher volumes of U.S. oil to flow to destinations across the world. U.S. oil exports have averaged 1.8 million barrels a day through August. Under Strawbridges leadership, the port is building its own oil export terminal on land owned by the port 2 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico. The project, on Harbor Island, which could cost about $1 billion, would allow for very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, to dock and load their holds before sailing to far-flung markets. The port and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are also widening and deepening the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, a $360 million project decades in the making. The work will provide for two-way tanker traffic in the channel and allow larger ships to reach the port. Now Playing: At the beginning of 2018, Sean Strawbridge, 52, became CEO of the Port of Corpus Christi, one of the hot spots of U.S. oil exports. Hes emerged as a leading proponent for investing in new crude oil docks and loading infrastructure to allow for higher volumes of U.S. oil to flow to destinations across the world. Video: San Antonio Express-News Following are excerpts from a recent interview with Strawbridge. Q: Theres a race right now along the Texas Gulf Coast to build the first oil export terminal that can handle very large crude carriers. Who do you think is going to win? A: Im sure for the investor community, its difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. We have the good fortune of being very close to the continental shelf. Deep water is just a couple of miles from the entrance to the ship channel. And so for us to be able to go deeper and bring that deep water to the safe harbor, to the terminals, is much more economically feasible and realistic. Q: Youve raised concerns with Swiss commodity trader Trafiguras plans to build an offshore crude oil loading terminal near Corpus Christi. Why? A: The great state of Texas has invested billions of dollars in its coastal infrastructure in its ports, its harbors, its navigable channels. Its got 18 port authorities and six deep-draft ports. Its got a huge inter-coastal infrastructure. All of that has been done under the collaborative construct of state agencies and the local port authorities and local municipalities. What Trafigura is proposing is a circumvention of that conventional construct, which from our standpoint is very concerning. They have dusted off an obscure, arcane federal statute that was enacted at another time, back in the early 70s for another purpose. What it does is it essentially puts all the oversight with the federal government. The reason why they (want to build) out in federal waters is not to get to deep water, because were close to the shelf here. We can get deep water in state waters. Its to try and fast-track their permitting process using the statute that they believe is a loophole. With their track record in environmental violations globally, we just think that weve got a better idea, and were hopeful that Trafigura recognizes that and decides that theyre not going to continue to pursue that. If they dont come to that decision on their own, Im sure that Gov. Abbott will recognize those risks, and he wouldnt want to put the citizens of the great state of Texas he wouldnt want to risk their livelihood. We learn that from the Deepwater Horizon. We dont want a repeat of that if we dont have to. Q: The port has been working on a lot of projects an ethane steam cracker joint venture between Exxon Mobil and SABIC, Cheniere Energys liquid natural gas export facility, your own proposed crude oil export terminal on Harbor Island. What does all this development mean for the port? A: You know, I like to say to the industry that, Come to the Port Corpus Christi cause we are open for business. I am trying to, and I think my staff is doing a good job of really making us a shining example of government that works, at a time when we so rarely have an opportunity to say that. Q: There has been resistance to some of these projects. Citizens in Portland have protested against the Exxon Mobil and SABIC joint venture, while residents in Port Aransas have voiced their own concerns over the plans for Harbor Island. Whats your reaction to the people who are concerned about these developments? A: Theres always going to be people who have concerns. So the important thing, as a Port Authority and a public agency, is transparency. At the end of the day, what weve got to do is make sure that theres no ambiguity about what our intentions are, about how we want to go about our developments, and how our customers are going to go about their operations. And we also have to keep an open mind. Minds are like parachutes, right? They work better when theyre open. So when there are voices of concern, thats different than voices of opposition. Voices of concern are people who really want to better understand before they can form an opinion. They want more facts. They want more information. Voices of opposition have already taken a position without knowing all the facts. Theres always going to be voices of opposition in any development, particularly developments that are going to have to do with fossil fuels. Were not going to change that constituencys core values. In fact, thats not what were trying to do is change anybodys core values. Were trying to align our values and our commitment to doing things in a responsible, sustainable way with what the community wants. The commerce and environmental sustainability and stewardship those are not mutually exclusive disciplines. Weve got to constantly earn the trust of the local and regional communities, and the best way to do that is give them a seat at the table, listen to what their concerns are, answer all the questions that we can possibly answer. Q: What if concerned residents hear all the information and then become opponents? A: With a certain constituency, theyre not going to agree with everything that the port is doing. All we can do is continue to make that commitment for making sure that quality of life, and that ecosystem, is protected as well as continuing to drive economic prosperity. Look, at the end of the day, without economic prosperity, nothing else happens. rdruzin@express-news.net twitter.com/druz_journo Note: This is a full Taste Test review, with a star rating based on multiple visits. To find the soul of Southern cooking, peel away the exaggerated accents, the bouffant butterbombs and the fried-green-everything. Show equal respect for vegetables and fat, for meat and acidity, for technique and creativity. And for gawds sake, dont hang flour sacks and washboards on the walls. Thats Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar: Southern cooking with the yall factor removed. Meadow took over the former home of Jason Dadys Tre Enoteca this summer, a soaring space framed in reclaimed wood with gabled rustic flair set against cool grays and blues. For the husband-and-wife team of owners PJ and Lindsey Edwards, it was a homecoming of sorts. They met in this building eight years ago, when both of them were working for Dady in what was then Bin 555. Their careers took them on paths that led to Meadow with fateful momentum. PJ Edwards cooked at chef Sean Brocks celebrated Southern restaurant McCradys in South Carolina, then the Texas-focused spots Chicon and Gardner in Austin. Lindsey Edwards was Dadys general manager, most recently at the ambitious chophouse Range. On ExpressNews.com: Recipe: Meadows Pickled Green Beans Meadow Neighborhood Eatery + Bar ** 555 W. Bitters Road at The Alley, 210-481-4214, meadowsantonio.com Quick bite: Progressive Southern cooking in a retro-modern setting Hit: Fried chicken, creamed corn fritters, grilled rib-eye Miss: Pork meatballs, 10-vegetable salad Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; brunch 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday Price range: Appetizers, $4-$13; salads and vegetables, $8-$10; small plates, $9-$14; entrees, $13-$32; desserts, $8-$9; brunch, $3-$16 Alcohol: Wine, cocktails and beer **** Superior. Can compete nationally. *** Excellent. One of the best restaurants in the city. ** Very good. A standout restaurant of its kind. * Good. A restaurant that we recommend. (no stars) We cannot recommend this restaurant at this time. Express-News dining critics pay for all meals. See More Collapse After years of working for other people, theyve gathered a young staff of their own to execute a concise, appropriate wine and cocktail program, an energetic if not always polished service experience and a menu that can handle a pork belly biscuit or a big steakhouse rib-eye with equal grace. That steak proved to be emblematic of the Meadow experience: good sourcing, smart composition, solid value. Local beef from Dean & Peeler Meatworks in Poth, seared to an ideal medium-rare, cut by the kitchen in precise lines, served with a cache of roasted butternut squash and sweet peppers. A well-spent $32 for a fully composed dinner. The South found its voice in openers like crunchy corn fritters with hearts of molten cream corn, a jar of housemade pickles green beans, cucumbers and green tomatoes and stout cornbread with little Mason jars of pimento cheese and honeyed lard that spread like butter. Each one added a cultivated twist to the Southern canon, especially the pickles, the acidity accelerators missing in so much heavy Southern food. Pickled peppers brought sweetness and spark to a dish of shrimp with fat creamer peas and cabbage. Pickled collard stems lent texture and bite to greens that raised a high-five to a plate of fried chicken. Yes, fried chicken, because a Southern departure doesnt mean leaving it all behind. You take what works, and this spicy, crunchy, juicy yardbird works. Biscuits work, too. One day with beef tongue, another day with pork belly and for brunch with sausage gravy. Meadow rotates whats inside, but the outside was a consistent golden brown with a pillowy layered flake and a generous schmear of pepper jelly. A biscuits a small thing, but it highlighted a big thing: seeing that my party was splitting most of our food, the kitchen cut that little circle into fours, each piece with its own wooden stake to keep it together. The Southern staple hoppin John black-eyed peas and rice, dressed for dinner laid a comforting base for striped bass cooked clean and fresh with an amber crust. The South even crept into the realm of avocado toast, but it subbed salty country ham with smoked mayo for the green stuff. The result has the simple joy of a ham sandwich with the self-satisfaction of one-upping a millennial trope. A fair swath of the menu doesnt bother aligning with Meadows Southern compass. Doesnt matter, because good food doesnt care which way its facing. There will always be a place for a fat cheeseburger with big mustard swagger, a proper steak tartare with fresh raw beef and layers of flavor and a caramelized cabbage pancake with crispy pork belly and a fried egg. Theres even a pizza with pork and mushrooms, because why let a perfectly good pizza oven go to waste? On ExpressNews.com: Review: 3 stars for Clementine in Castle Hills A few of the rogues did what rogues do: They went wrong. Glossy pork meatballs had an herb profile like hand soap and hard knobs of pasta cowered under a blanket of shaved cheese with an incongruous base of turnips and greens. Other dishes went too far with the farm-to-table thing, thrown together like a market basket without a unifying, transformative core element. A 10-vegetable salad was just that, an under-dressed tangle of good intentions, as was a monochromatic salad of Bibb lettuce, turnips and apples. Even gorgeous beets with a Peter Max psychedelic swirl couldnt invigorate a sedate pile of orange slices and puffed grain. Two vegetable plates survived the farmers market massacre. One was a simple grilled broccoli with a creamy bearnaise and pecans. Another was more complex, with roasted carrots carved in ribbons and columns over a base of mushroom-pecan duxelles and fat oyster mushrooms. Southern food is having a hot moment in San Antonio. Some of it will shake out to its stereotypical corners or fade away altogether. Meadows prospects remain strong, because while its accents might trend toward the South, its also fluent in the universal language of good food. Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read more of his stories on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking TOKYO - An aerial disaster involving a fighter jet and a refueling plane has prompted a scramble to find five missing Marines, with a sixth Marine declared dead and a seventh rescued safely from waters off the coast of Japan, Japanese and American officials said Thursday. Japan's Defense Ministry said its maritime forces found two Marines, both of whom were transferred to Japan to receive medical care. It has dispatched planes and ships to continue the search and rescue effort, alongside Japan's coast guard and the U.S. military. "We plan to keep at it all through the night," Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of the Japan Self-Defense Forces' Joint Staff, said at a news conference. The U.S. Marine Corps initially said a "mishap" took place at 2 a.m. local time during routine training about 200 miles off the Japanese coast involving an F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet and a KC-130 Hercules plane. "The aircraft were conducting routine training, and aerial refueling was a part of the training," the Marine Corps said in a statement. "As to what was taking place when the mishap occurred, that is under investigation." The first Marine was found soon after the incident and taken back to his base at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan, where he has received medical care and is in "fair" condition, the Marines said. The second was picked up at 12:13 p.m., more than 10 hours after the crash, and was taken onboard a Japanese naval vessel before being transferred to a Red Cross hospital in Tokushima on the island of Shikoku, said Maj. Gen. Yasuko Onouchi, director general of public affairs in Japan's Defense Ministry. A Marine official said one of those Marines was later declared deceased. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation and its rapidly evolving nature. It was not clear Thursday whether the recovered Marines were in the F/A-18 or the KC-130. In a tweet, U.S. Ambassador William Hagerty applauded Japan and U.S. forces for their "immediate highly integrated response." The Marines also expressed their appreciation for Japan's efforts and those of the U.S. 7th Fleet, which has been flying Navy P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance Aircraft out of Kadena Air Base on the island of Okinawa. The incident appears likely to add to concerns within Japan about accidents involving the U.S. military. The planes took off from Iwakuni, one of the biggest U.S. air bases in East Asia, which sits on the southeastern tip of Japan's main island of Honshu, about 25 miles from Hiroshima. It hosts around 15,000 personnel, with U.S. Marines alongside units of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force. The mayor of Iwakuni, Yoshihiko Fukuda, called on the U.S. military to suspend flights until the causes of the accident became clear, especially after another crash involving a Hornet in the Philippine Sea south of Japan last month. Fukuda told the local assembly that Iwakuni's commanding officer, Col. Richard Fuerst, had called him on Thursday morning "I first expressed our regret for the accident that has happened. And we talked about our hope that the crew would be rescued as soon as possible," he said, according to his office. "And I called on the commander to hold off aircraft operations until the cause of the accident becomes clear, because people are increasingly worried about it." Last month, a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan crashed into the sea south of Okinawa. Its two pilots were rescued safely by the carrier. In mid-October, a MH-60 Seahawk helicopter from the Ronald Reagan also crashed into the Philippine Sea shortly after takeoff, injuring a dozen sailors. A F-15C Eagle Jet from the Kadena air base in Okinawa crashed into the sea in June, and its was pilot rescued. "We would like urge the Japanese government and the U.S. military to investigate the cause of the accident and take measures thoroughly to keep such accidents from happening again," Fukuda added. Concerns about accidents are even sharper on the island of Okinawa, which hosts about half of the 54,000 U.S. troops stationed in the country, including many Marines and the largest U.S. Air Force base in the Asia-Pacific region at Kadena. "The incident is regrettable, but our focus at the moment is on search and rescue," Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a news conference, according to news agencies. "Japan will respond appropriately once the details of the incident are uncovered." But the concerns about U.S. military aviation accidents are not unique to Japan, and a growing list of accidents around the world has prompted congressional hearings and talk of a crisis. In April, the Military Times reported that accidents involving all of the military's manned fighter, bomber, helicopter and cargo warplanes rose nearly 40 percent from fiscal years 2013 to 2017, and doubled for some aircraft including the F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets. At least 133 service members were killed over that time period, the Military Times's investigation found. The report blamed massive congressional budget cuts imposed in 2013, intensified by nonstop deployments of warplanes and their crews, an exodus of maintenance personnel and deep cuts to pilots' flight-training hours. "My heart goes out to the families and colleagues of Marines involved in this tragedy," Hagerty, the ambassador, said at an event at Waseda University in Tokyo, according to the Reuters news agency. "They risk their lives every day to protect Japan and to protect this region, and sometimes they pay the greatest costs. So I want to emphasize this security alliance that we have is critical, and it is moving forward to the right direction," he said. - - - The Washington Post's Akiko Kashiwagi in Japan and Dan Lamothe in Washington contributed to this report. Locomotive 4141 can pull 1 million pounds across most of America with ease, but its biggest job will be a 70-mile trip Thursday from Spring to College Station to take President George H.W. Bush to his last stop. Bush, who died Friday, will be interred on the grounds of his presidential library in College Station on Thursday following services in Washington and Houston. It is the historic trip he will take to his final resting place that is generating a lot public attention as a last-chance opportunity to honor Bush in a very Bush way. A train is special, and special to this president, said David Jones, CEO of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation. The train, moving about 30 mph, will pass through Pinehurst, Magnolia and Navasota, with each expecting to draw large crowds. The procession will be capped by a special locomotive. The 4141 engine is unlike any other in the Union Pacific fleet because it is decked out in shades of blue rather than the companys famous armor yellow color scheme. The 4141 mimics the colors of Bushs Air Force One, with a dark blue nose over a baby blue belly, capped across most of the midsection by white. Just below the operators is the seal of Bushs presidential library. Safety First Crowds are expected to gather in many places along the funeral train route, with officials sounding the alarm for safety. Heres some tips to keep in mind when near the tracks for the procession, or anytime. Only cross railroad tracks at designated crossings. Designated crossings are marked by a sign, lights or a gate. Look both ways before crossing railroad tracks. Remember, trains can come from either direction at any time. Keep a safe distance between you and the tracks when a train approaches. Trains are three feet wider than the rails. Avoid distractions, including loud music, texting or talking on cellphones. Look up and listen for train horns. Source: Union Pacific Railroad The engines call numbers are a nod to Bush, the nations 41st president. At its debut for a 2005 event at the presidential library, Bush climbed into the cab with UP officials to learn the inner workings of the behemoth that would bear his name. His endless curiosity, something observers said informed him as chief executive, soon took over. Can I take this for drive? retired UP car and locomotive engineering director Mike Iden recalled Bush saying. Can I run it? His name, after all, was on the side. So, train operators allowed him to take the reins for a couple miles after a light training session. Of course, our engineer was directly behind him, Iden said. Bush had a lifelong connection to railroads in some form, making a funeral train a fitting part of his procession. He was not a train fanatic, collecting trinkets and studying timetables, but trains and the train industry was woven into Bushs American experience. His father was business partners with Union Pacific executives. A northerner by birth, Bush no doubt crisscrossed New England by passenger train as a youth. He got on a train when he went into military service. Then he settled in Houston, a city that for decades marked itself as a transportation hub where 17 railroads meet the sea. A train figures prominently in the citys seal. When he hit the campaign trail in the Southeast and Midwest in his unsuccessful 1992 re-election bid, Bush who by this time had plenty of frequent flier miles aboard Air Force One chose to strike out by train, in a repainted CSX engine with the presidential seal and Spirit of America splashed across the side. This train trip is fantastic, Bush was quoted at the time. You get outside of that Beltway, you take your case to genuine Americans. Along his journey from son of a senator to president, Bush also befriended industry officials like his father. So, it was no surprise to some when, as officials debated how to shuttle dignitaries from Houston to College Station for the Bush Library groundbreaking in 1994, the president told someone to call his friend, former U.S. Transportation Secretary Drew Lewis, then-chairman of UP, and ask for a train. Within two minutes, Drew Lewis was on the phone, said Jones, who oversees the Bush legacy via the library. Within an hour, they had train cars lined up. A heavy task A heavy task By Monday, Bushs final train idled at Union Pacifics Westfield yard, which typically handles the shuffling of new automobiles to and from trains. Security was tighter than usual as officials made final preparations. Engine 4141 sat at the head of the line, ready to go. Every now and then, regulation of the trains air pressure for braking and mechanics of the 4,300 horsepower engine fired a hiss into the air, followed by a deep rumble. The train, which operated cargo routes throughout UPs 23-state region, has been in storage since 2012, awaiting its special trip. Along with another engine, the Bush locomotive will pull 11 railcars, mostly dining or lounge cars where family and friends will ride to College Station. Two of the cars, the City of Portland and City of San Francisco, feature domes, giving riders a 360-degree view of the scene from the rails. Black drapes will adorn the American flag baggage car that will carry Bushs remains. Officials said the loading doors will be opened for the trip, which is expected to take about two and a half hours. It allows people to be a part of it much easier and be a part of the actual procession, said Genevieve Keeney, president of the National Museum of Funeral History, located in Houston. It is a way, I believe, to allow his legacy and the people who supported him and loved him as a president and as a person to be a part of it on a bigger scale. Bush will be the first president since Dwight D. Eisenhower to have a funeral train. The practice was far more common in an era when presidents traveled by train and ship. Prior to 1944, presidents traveled only by train. Air Force One did not become a common term until Eisenhowers presidency. Trains were their Air Force One, Keeney said. The term POTUS shorthand for President of the United States comes from the call sign for President Benjamin Harrisons train in 1891. The most famous use of a funeral train is President Abraham Lincoln. A modified railcar meant for his travels never carried Lincoln alive, finished shortly before his assassination. The railcar instead carried Lincolns body back to Illinois, with the route lined for miles by mourners. A Houston Police officer takes a photo of the Union Pacific 4141 George Bush 41 Locomotive as it is prepared for service on Dec. 3. UP 4141 will pull Union Pacific's passenger rail cars and the bagage car The Council Bluffs, which will carry former President George H.W. Bush's remains to College Station for burial. less A Houston Police officer takes a photo of the Union Pacific 4141 George Bush 41 Locomotive as it is prepared for service on Dec. 3. UP 4141 will pull Union Pacific's passenger rail cars and the bagage car The ... more Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Photo: Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer Image 1 of / 14 Caption Close Last ride a fitting end for Bush funeral procession 1 / 14 Back to Gallery Historic procession When Franklin Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Ga., where he often vacationed, his body was returned to the Capitol by train. Again, people lined the tracks in small towns to show their respects. Historic procession A similar outpouring is expected as Bush makes his way through tiny Texas towns, many like Navasota, that owe their existence to the railroad. The train offers a chance for people to pay their respects, though police will cordon off some areas along the tracks for security purposes. Trains were something that appealed to Bush because of the big idea, Jones said. He appreciated that industry had the initiative to expand across the continent and bolster business. In the quarter century since the end of his presidency, Bush has taken on an image as statesman exemplar, cut of the same mold of men who campaigned by train in a different era. It will be a very historic day, Jones said. To have him in these final moments to arrive by train to the gravesite is very special. It also comes with a bittersweet realization of a trip not taken. In the past few years, Bush became interested in plans for high speed rail in Texas. It started as something he would speak about with friends, including a young woman from the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, who went to work on the private project. Then Bushs friend Drayton McLane took a bigger role in the company. Bush would call and ask for updates on the progress. At one point, he told the young woman working for the company to reserve a seat. I want you tell them I want to be on that first train, Jones said Bush told the woman a few years ago. She politely explained to Bush, then around 91, that the trains were not planned to run until 2023. He looked at her and said, So whats your point? dug.begley@chron.com twitter.com/DugBegley Bulldozers are expected to soon plow through the protected habitat of the National Butterfly Center along the Rio Grande to clear the way for President Trumps border wall, which got a green light from the Supreme Court this week. Hundreds of thousands of butterflies flit through the centers 100-acre sanctuary in Mission. But 70 percent of the land will eventually be on the other side the wall, said Marianna Wright, the executive director. Just like farmers get crop yield in acres and inches, we get butterflies based on what we have planted in acres and inches, Wright said. So having a wide swath of our property bulldozed is going to negatively impact the volume of the species and diversity of the species. The wall could be up to three stories tall, with 18-foot steel beams, called bollards, rising from a concrete base. Construction through the refuge could start in February. The high court let stand an appeals ruling that lets the administration bypass 28 federal laws, mostly to protect the environment, to build the wall in the Rio Grande Valley. The Animal Legal Defense Fund and two other organizations had sued the government. Some of the laws that were waived include the Endangered Species Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Environmental activists argue the wall could lead to the extinction of endangered species such as the ocelot, contamination of drinking water and destruction of indigenous historical sites. The border wall and the border region is an area of tremendous biodiversity and wildlife, said Tony Eliseuson, a senior staff attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund. Its a very rich environmental area, and this border wall will have a devastating impact on both the environment and many, many species. By refusing to hear the case, the Supreme Court upheld a February ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel of San Diego in favor of the government. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson said in an October notice that the flow of undocumented immigrants and drugs along the border demonstrated an acute and immediate need for a wall. The immigration reform act of 1996 and a 2005 update, the Real ID Act, grants the government broad powers to waive federal laws to expedite construction projects on the U.S.-Mexico border. The butterfly center sued the government after contract workers appeared unannounced on its property in July 2017. Chainsaws in hand, they began clearing out protected habitat where the border wall was planned. That is criminal. And unconstitutional, Wright said. Surveying began before Congress approved $1.6 billion for 100 miles of new and replacement fencing, with 33 of those miles in the Rio Grande Valley. The Senate has locked in another $1.6 billion for the next fiscal year, though Trump is asking for at least $5 billion and has threatened a partial government shutdown if Congress rejects the funding. U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela managed to exclude the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge from the current wall budget. He said it was devastating that the wall will cut through the butterfly center, the historic La Lomita Chapel and Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park and possibly dozens of family cemeteries. "All those areas, with the 2018 funding thats already been passed, are going to be horribly affected, Vela said. Were on the verge of giving Trump his third down payment on his $25 billion border wall, he said. Its death by a thousand cuts and were not getting any immigration relief in return. Sen. Ted Cruz and three other Republican senators introduced a bill this week to fully fund the $25 billion, which Democrats are likely to block. In two environmental policy statements posted online, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said that it will consider environmental factors on projects and comply with applicable environmental laws. The U.S.-Mexico border, which spans nearly 2,000 miles, has about 650 miles of existing fencing. By waiving requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Trump administration will also be skipping over an analysis of the potential environmental impacts of the wall. The federally regulated analysis also typically offers ways to lessen the harm of projects. Its a lot harder to clean up after the fact than prevent it in the first place, Eliseuson said. Congress made that decision when it passed the Endangered Species Act that it was important to protect wildlife because it has tremendous value to us as a society, he said. By waiving (the act) to build this wall, the Trump administration is gutting that really important congressional decision. Other laws being waived for this construction include the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act and the Clean Air Act. We have a president who purports to be all about law and order, and he and the Supreme Court are now supporting the waiver of all laws that get in the way of his agenda, Wright said. That should be an affront to all Americans. sfosterfrau@express-news.net | @SilviaElenaFF Mexican telenovela actress Daniela Castro has sued Saks & Co. and one of its loss prevention officers over what she contends was a wrongful arrest during a shopping trip in San Antonio. Castro, 52, and her lawyers, Mark Fassold and Alfonso Cabanas of San Antonio, announced the lawsuit at a news conference in Mexico City on Wednesday, less than a week after District Attorney Nico LaHood dismissed a misdemeanor theft charge against her that stemmed from her arrest at Saks OFF 5th on Sept. 28. On ExpressNews.com: Bexar DA dismisses theft charge against telenovela star In a motion dismissing the case on Nov. 29, LaHoods office said it found no probable cause for Castros arrest. In an interview after the dismissal, LaHood said that Castro was a frequent shopper at Saks OFF 5th at the Rim Shopping Center who appeared to pay for items she was accused of stealing. Castro, whose real name is Danielle Stefani Arellano Castro, is one of Mexicos most well-known TV actresses and is married to a grandson of a former Mexican president, Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. She has starred in novelas that include Lo Que La Vida Me Robo (What Life Stole from Me), Me Declaro Culpable (I Plead Guilty), and Mujer, Casos de la Vida Real (Woman, Real Life Cases). Flanked by her lawyers at the news conference, Castro wiped away tears and said the ordeal was the most difficult experience of my life. She chided some media outlets who she said humiliated or crucified her over the false allegations. I am innocent and an injustice was committed, Castro said. I am a mother, who has worked hard 32 years. I have a career that many of you know has been impeccable. I also want to make clear that I am not a kleptomaniac, I am not sick of anything this affected me emotionally more than you can imagine, she said. What hurt me the most was the terrible harm that it caused my family, the harm it did to me, but above all else, the harm it did to my children. On ExpressNews.com: SAPD charges famed telenovela villain with theft Castros attorneys also faulted Saks and its loss prevention officer, Dennis Joseph Belmonte, for the way they handled the matter. Saks didnt care, Fassold and Cabanas said. They detained her in an office, handcuffed her...and searched her in front of unknown persons, touching her private parts, under her clothes, and during all this, she cried and said she had paid, but they did not care. The lawyers added that the suit was filed to ensure this does not happen to anyone else. I will take this case in front of jurors and explain to them that no one can take the dignity of a person, Fassold said. You just dont do that. The manager of Saks OFF 5th at The Rim has declined comment. A corporate spokeswoman said the company doesnt comment on pending litigation. Belmonte, who is also named as a defendant, could not be reached for comment. The suit claims Belmonte wrongly accused Castro of stealing clothing items worth up to $700, causing her an unnecessary trip through Bexar Countys criminal justice system. The suit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for dinging Castros reputation, causing emotional distress and for her expenses in having to clear her name. Guillermo Contreras covers federal court and immigration news in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | gcontreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland Initially, City Manager Sheryl Sculleys decision to retire was seen as a boon to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who had been trapped between anti-Sculley public sentiment and strong support for her in the business community. Now, a week after Sculleys announcement, its clear Nirenberg has emerged from the Sculley-centered political tumult of recent months in a weakened position heading into the 2019 mayors race. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, a political veteran who traditionally has supported the re-election of incumbent mayors and who had been seen as a backer of Nirenbergs, is taking a wait-and-see approach. I want to see who all the candidates are first before I make a final decision, Wolff said in an interview. Theres been a lot of names bandied around. I dont know yet what the picks will be, so I dont really know. And you never know somebody could pop up at the last minute. Among those mentioned as possible candidates are City Councilman Rey Saldana, developer and philanthropist Gordon Hartman and banking executive Eddie Aldrete. Hartman and Aldrete said they do not intend to challenge Nirenberg. Saldana, a friend and ally of the mayors, appears to be leaving his options open. He will be forced out of his council seat next year by term limits. Last Friday, the day after Sculley dropped her bombshell, Saldana was asked whether he would run for mayor. Twenty-four hours ago, I knew the answer to that, he said. I dont know now. Councilman Greg Brockhouse, who is expected to challenge Nirenberg in the May election, is spinning Sculleys retirement announcement to his own advantage. It initially seemed her departure could be a momentum-killer for Brockhouse, because he no longer would be able to use her to attack Nirenberg. But now, Brockhouse and the city firefighters union are pointing to Sculleys departure which they long had sought as a major victory in their drive to oust Nirenberg. Brockhouse has taken to saying that he never planned to focus on the city manager; that a campaign with a melt down Sheryl Sculley approach has proven ineffective in the past. If that worked, wed have Mayor Manuel Medina, he said, referring to Medinas 2017 failed bid for the office. It doesnt work, Brockhouse said. So when I run, or if I run, it wouldnt have been an anti-Sculley campaign. Blood in the water Nirenbergs troubles are rooted in a bitter dispute between the city and the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association over taxpayer-funded health benefits and other contract terms. At Sculleys urging, the city filed suit against the union, seeking to invalidate an evergreen clause in its contract that leaves most provisions of the agreement intact even after it has formally expired. The citys suit failed in the courts. It also infuriated union leaders and their president, Chris Steele, who turned to scorched-earth tactics in their battle with the city. The union began gathering signatures on petitions seeking to amend the city charter in three ways. One amendment would lower the threshold for challenging City Council decisions by public referendum. Another would give the union unilateral authority to take contract disputes to binding arbitration. The third amendment aimed squarely at the city managers office. It proposed a cap on the salary and tenure of future city managers. The proposal came to be seen as a referendum on Sculley, although it would not apply to her. In campaigning for the amendments, the union depicted Sculley as power-hungry and her compensation a $475,000 base salary, plus an annual performance bonus of up to $100,000 as grossly excessive. Although Nirenberg, business leaders and elected officials campaigned vigorously against the amendments, voters approved two of them those affecting the city manager and binding arbitration for the firefighters. The third amendment was defeated. Although some business leaders admire Nirenberg for standing behind Sculley, others view him as politically wounded by the outcome. There continues to be this vacuum, said a business leader who asked to remain anonymous in order to speak candidly. And people are still searching for some white knight to ride up and run for mayor and run for council seats. The financial terms of Sculleys contract expire at the end of the year, creating a predicament for Nirenberg had Sculley wanted to stay in office. If the council had extended her contract, Nirenberg likely would have faced the wrath of voters. But the business community, which funded the $2 million Go Vote No campaign against the amendments, wanted Sculleys contract extended, despite the public vote of no confidence. By announcing her retirement after 13 years in the position, Sculley seemed to take some pressure off the mayor. Now, some fault Nirenberg for not persuading her to announce her retirement earlier, before her conflict with the firefighters grew into an all-out political war. And there are those who say he should get her to leave now, rather than have her remain through the May elections. Sculley has said she will stay on the job through June 30 if necessary to ensure a smooth transition. In a one-on-one race between Brockhouse and Nirenberg, conventional wisdom has it that the business community would side with Nirenberg. Still, the mayors relationship with business leaders has been tenuous. The business community backed then-Mayor Ivy Taylor over Nirenberg in the 2017 election. Hes taken heat for the citys decision made behind closed doors not to make a bid for the 2020 Republican National Convention. Most recently, Nirenberg and the council have been in the business communitys crosshairs for approving an ordinance mandating paid sick leave for private-sector employees in San Antonio. The Saldana factor Saldana long has been seen as a mayoral contender, but has done little in his final term on council to set himself apart from Nirenbergs agenda. He has made it known, however, that hes loath to see Brockhouse in the mayors office and would consider a mayoral bid if it would prevent that from happening. Despite having no announced political plans, Saldana has continued to amass cash. As of July, he reported more than $140,000 in the bank, compared to $167,624 for Nirenberg. Brockhouse reported $15,516. A Farewell fundraiser for Saldana is scheduled to be held at the Pearl next Thursday. Youve got to ask why hes having a fundraiser, one business leader said. Its for a future effort, obviously. Listen to the people Another factor in Nirenbergs future is the Texas Organizing Project, a grassroots organization that has emerged as a powerful player in local politics. The group was behind the successful push for mandatory paid sick leave and its supporters knocked on tens of thousands of doors during the November election, campaigning against two of the charter amendments. Its unclear whether the group will play a role in the mayors race, but its not something Nirenberg cares to test. His relationship with the organizing project may depend on how he moves forward in replacing Sculley. In no way are we celebrating City Manager Sculleys departure, said the projects executive director, Michelle Tremillo. We remain focused on addressing the frustrations the overwhelming majority of San Antonio voters expressed in this election. Our city government is not working for the majority of us, and the next person to hold this position needs to be responsive to our entire community. The mayor and council have an opportunity to restore faith in our city government by co-creating a process with the community to hire and evaluate the next city manager. Or they can operate as usual and see how voters respond in May. Whos not playing Speculation on who might challenge Nirenberg likely will continue until 5 p.m. Feb. 15, the filing deadline for candidates. Hartman and Aldrete insist they wont darken the city clerks doorway. I have no desire to run for mayor and I will not be running for mayor, said Hartman, who served as treasurer for the Go Vote No campaign. Aldrete said he prefers to help San Antonio through his civic work. Ive had quite a few people ask me (to run), he said. I can tell you, emphatically, that Im not running for mayor. Josh Baugh is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbaugh@express-news.net | Twitter: @jbaugh The Republican strategist who engineered the defeat of Democrat Beto ORourke in 2018 is convinced the El Paso Congressman should run for president. Jeff Roe, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruzs chief strategist, told a conference of political consultants in Austin that ORourke has a hot hand and should strike while he has it. You dont get that very often, Roe told the American Association of Political Consultants audience. If you have a hot hand, take it. Roe, who also worked on Cruzs 2016 presidential campaign, said if Democrats are looking for a charismatic standard bearer, ORourke has buckets full of it. He would win Iowa, Roe said of the Iowa Caucus, which is the first presidential primary contest in 2020. ORourke declared late in his U.S. Senate campaign that he would not run for president in 2020 no matter whether he won or lost the Senate race. But late last month at an El Paso town hall meeting with constituents, ORourke appeared to change that position. Asked if he will run for president, ORourke didnt say no or yes. Instead, ORourke said he would sit down with his wife Amy to talk about what they should do next. The Washington Post reported that ORourke recently met with former President Barack Obama. And Obama has praised ORourke in a podcast called The Axe Files that is hosted by his former strategist David Axelrod. What I liked most about his race was that it didnt feel constantly poll-tested, Obama said of ORourkes campaign. It felt as if he based his statements and his positions on what he believed. And that, youd like to think, is normally how things work. Sadly, its not. Roe, who lives in Houston, said that behind the scenes the U.S. Senate campaign went through big momentum swings. In early September, he said their polling showed them with just a 2 point lead. But later that month the margin grew back to 12 points. Then as early voting started, the numbers began to close again. Cruz won by less than 3 percentage points. Roe said early on in the campaign he could tell ORourke was going to be a serious challenge because he seemed carefree, less cautious and had an outsider appeal. jeremy.wallace@chron.com All the leaders assembled at the Group of 20 meeting in Buenos Aires committed their nations to the fight against climate change, except one President Donald Trump, of course. But pay him no mind. As the proverb says, The dogs bark but the caravan moves on. We dont have to wait for history to prove how utterly, stupidly wrong Trump is on this existential issue. Current events are making the point. We have baked ourselves into an era of superlatives the rainiest storms, worst floods, deadliest fires, most punishing heat waves. The hottest years on record. The highest levels of atmospheric carbon in thousands of centuries. Leaders of the world, you must lead, the British naturalist David Attenborough said Monday. If we dont take action, the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon. Attenborough was speaking at a key United Nations conference in Katowice, Poland, where diplomats and scientists from around the world will spend the next two weeks working on a concrete plan for meeting the goals of the landmark 2015 Paris agreement. The aim is to sharply reduce carbon emissions, limiting human-induced global warming to noncatastrophic levels. No one has time for Trumps foolishness. The U.N.s annual Emissions Gap Report, released last week, showed that worldwide greenhouse gas emissions grew by 1.2 percent last year after remaining roughly stable for the preceding three years. Emissions need to begin falling, and rapidly, if we are to meet the original Paris target of keeping the increase in average temperature to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) by the end of the century. And the target is moving. A report earlier this year from the U.N.-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, reflecting the latest scientific analysis and consensus, warned that current goal is not ambitious enough. To avoid doing serious harm to the planet and ourselves, we really should limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), which would require rapid and drastic action. As we go about our daily lives leaving our toasty homes every morning and driving our cars to climate-controlled office buildings, where we work in front of computers all day, before driving home at night, on brightly illuminated streets, to fire up our microwave ovens and watch our big-screen television sets the idea of radical change in our energy use seems daunting. But the consequences of a warming world are no longer theoretical. They are here, they are doing great harm to humans and the environment, and they are getting worse. It would be much better if the government of the worlds greatest economic and scientific power were leading the fight against this collective threat. One of Trumps first consequential acts as president, however, was announcing his intention to withdraw from the Paris accord. But while the United States may not be participating in the Paris process now, it cannot formally leave the pact until November 2020 when, one hopes, voters will be electing a saner, more responsible president. Meanwhile, state and local governments, universities and the private sector are actively working toward the clean-energy future that is mandatory if we are to avert disaster. According to Americas Pledge, an initiative founded by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and California Gov. Jerry Brown, current commitments and market forces are expected to reduce U.S. emissions to 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger spoke Monday at the U.N. climate conference in Poland. Every time you talk about America, youre right when you say that our leadership in Washington is a little bit backwards, he said. But youre wrong when you say that America dropped out of the Paris agreement. Because if you look a little bit beyond Washington ... you will see all the extraordinary work that is going on (at the) state and city level in America. It is far from assured that the world will succeed in reaching the emissions targets that scientists say are advisable. But it is clear that Trumps know-nothing stance has not wrecked the Paris agreement process and perhaps has even strengthened commitment to it. According to a Monmouth University poll released last week, about 8 in 10 Americans now believe in climate change and a majority recognize it as a very serious problem. One ignoramus cannot stem this tide. eugenerobinson@washpost.com NEWS FLASH Croatia's two busiest airports - Zagreb and Split - saw their passenger numbers increase in November, while Dubrovnik's figures slumped as it continues with the overhaul of its runway which has restricted traffic somewhat. Zagreb Airport handled 234.075 passengers during the month, representing an increase of 5.1%. The number of aircraft operations grew 4.7% to 3.223. During the January - November period, Zagreb Airport welcomed 3.121.445 travellers through its doors, up 8.1% on last year. So far in 2018, it added an extra 235.080 passengers compared to 2017. The airport anticipates welcoming some 3.4 million travellers in 2018, which would result in an almost 10% increase on last year. Month PAX Change (%) JAN 191.276 13.3 FEB 170.658 10.3 MAR 223.642 16.2 APR 253.853 5.7 MAY 300.676 11.8 JUN 331.533 6.6 JUL 379.193 7.9 AUG 372.590 7.2 SEP 345.770 4.5 OCT 318.074 6.9 NOV 234.075 5.1 Split Airport welcomed 54.856 passengers through its doors, representing an increase of 38.7%. The airport has already overtaken its 2017 end-of-year result and handled its record third-millionth traveller of the year in October. Overall, during the elapsed eleven months, Split saw 3.079.995 passengers, up 10.7%. Month PAX Change (%) JAN 33.699 10.8 FEB 30.629 28.0 MAR 53.165 57.2 APR 124.352 0.9 MAY 304.135 18.1 JUN 474.646 17.6 JUL 695.506 5.9 AUG 627.846 5.7 SEP 455.595 8.2 OCT 225.170 13.6 NOV 54.856 38.7 Dubrovnik Airport's growth momentum ended as it handled just 26.615 passengers. The figure represents a decrease of 21.9% on the same month last year. Overall, the airport registered 2.516.173 travellers through its doors by the end of November, up 9.5%. Dubrovnik's growth will continue to slow in the coming months as the airport carries out the second phase of its runway overhaul, which will somewhat restrict traffic and capacity. Several airlines, including British Airways, Turkish Airlines and Vueling, have scheduled fewer flights this winter when compared to last. Officials from Dubrovnik and Split airports have said they are perplexed by Ryanair's recent announcement that it will launch flights to the two cities next year. The airline has avoided Croatia's two busiest coastal airports due to high costs. However, both said they have not held talks with Europe's largest airline. On Monday, Ryanair announced it would introduce four weekly flights from Dublin to both Dubrovnik and Split next June and has put tickets on sale for the two routes. The carrier noted "Ryanair is pleased to announce another two new summer routes from Dublin to Dubrovnik and Split, our newest airports, which will operate from June, as part of our expanded Dublin 2019 summer schedule". The Deputy Director of Airport Operations in Dubrovnik, Josip Paljatak, said, "We are surprised by Ryanair's announcement that it will launch flights to Dubrovnik next year. We have not been given any formal notice of these flights and neither have we signed a slots agreement or handling agreement with them". The General Manager of Split Airport, Luksa Novak, noted, "Our representatives took part at the IATA Slot Conference in Madrid in mid-November but no contact was made with Ryanair. We did receive word that they have made some plans to fly to Split but none of them have been confirmed by the airport. Split Airport must approve all services". Ryanair has not commented on these latest development and continues to sell tickets for the two routes. Last month, the carrier told EX-YU Aviation News, "Ryanair has held positive discussions with the Croatian Minister for Tourism regarding longer term traffic growth and route development at its existing Croatian airports as well as potential new airports like Zagreb and Split". Furthermore, it noted it was in discussion with the Croatian National Tourist Board. "Ryanair is currently in discussions with the Minister and the Croatian National Tourist Board to deliver traffic growth of c. 50% and introduce up to eight new routes to Zadar in summer 2019. These routes will operate from other Ryanair bases as its seasonal Zadar base will not reopen in summer 2019", the company said. It added, "Ryanair has already announced four of these routes (to Cologne, Hamburg, Nuremburg and Prague) and looks forward to announcing the remaining new routes once successful negotiations with the Minister and the Tourism board have been completed". NEWS FLASH Skopje Airport yesterday handled its two-millionth passenger in 2018, marking the first time it has managed to achieve such a milestone in a single year. The traveller arrived on a Qatar Airways flight from Doha. The General Manager of TAV Macedonia, which manages the country's two international airports, Alper Ersoy, said, "I congratulate our two-millionth passenger and wish her an unforgettable journey to Doha, for which we have created a special travel package with our partners Qatar Airways, and our sister companies BTA, ATU and TAV MOS. At the same time, I would like to say thank you to all passengers who have chosen Skopje Airport for their business and leisure travels". He added, "Reaching two million passengers in one year is an impressive achievement for all of us, and on behalf of our company, I would like to address our gratitude to all industry stakeholders, such as the Ministry of Transport and Communications, CAA, M-NAV, the Ministry of Interior, customs, airlines and tour-operators, for their cooperation in order to celebrate yet another milestone. I would like to also use this perfect occasion to say thank you to our staff for their commitment to always provide the best possible services to our guests, to keep customer satisfaction levels at the highest level, and to encourage them to continue with their good job to work towards our goal of once again becoming the best airport in Europe". A Ridgefield digital security innovator is relocating its headquarters to Danbury, after its biggest year yet providing services to the military and federal agencies, among other customers. Owl Cyber Defense Solutions will be located at 42 Old Ridgebury Road on the west side of Danbury, with the company having occupied a comparatively small office in Ridgefield at 38A Grove St. It is one of two significant digital industry innovators at the modest complex in Ridgefield along with r4 Technologies, developing artificial intelligence for the retail sector and other industries. Separately on Thursday, r4 announced a joint research effort with Cornell University. Owl Cyber Defenses new space can accommodate 120 people, according to Maria Douich, an Owl Cyber Defense marketing communications manager, with the company having 80 employees today. Known until last year as Owl Computing Technologies, under CEO Mike Timan, Owl Cyber Defense sells data diodes that ensure data can flow only one way in a network, eliminating points of entry that could allow intruders to infiltrate a network and stopping hackers or insiders from transferring information. The Owl moniker is derived from an acronym for the phrase one-way link. Marking its 20th anniversary this year, Owl Cyber Defense has more than 2,000 installations of its technology in the field today, including with the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps; federal intelligence agencies; and commercial customers like banks and power plants. Boston-based General Electric is among the corporations using Owl Cyber Defenses systems to monitor the performance of electric turbines it sells through its GE Power division based in Atlanta. Hackers continue to sting corporations with debilitating intrusions. Marriott International disclosed last week that personal information was exposed for many as 500 million members of its Starwood Preferred Guest program, with Starwood having been based in Stamford prior to its sale two years ago to Bethesda, Md.-based Marriott. We provide the next best thing to an air gap, Timan told Cyber Defense TV in a July interview, referencing the term for the absence of a connection between a computer and the internet. Unlike a firewall where you are relying primarily on software to protect your networks, our solution provides hardware enforcement of the one-way data flow. You cannot alter the hardware and it cant be circumvented by software attack. In the Owl Cyber Defense system, tandem cards are designed to communicate only with each other, with the source card having no way to receive data and the destination card having no way to send it. That sets up a one-way flow of information and prevents any software-based attacks. Owl Cyber Defense indicates its systems have a perfect record maintaining operability in the field. Owl founder Ronald Mraz left the company last year after its sale to DC Capital Partners, and has since been a lecturer on computer science and electrical engineering at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London and the State University of New York at Albany. Includes prior reporting by Paul Schott. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman A judge on Wednesday vacated Ernie Newton's 2015 conviction for campaign finance fraud, according to the Hartford Courant. The judges action to vacate the sentence was expected. On Oct. 12, the state Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision, ordered a new trial for Newton. Newtons current legal troubles originated with his failed attempt in 2012 to return to the state Legislature. Newtons campaign at that time was collecting the small contributions needed for him to qualify for $80,550 from Connecticuts so-called clean elections public campaign grants program. He was accused of submitting five contribution cards of $100 a piece to meet the grant programs threshold that were signed by five people who had not actually given that money. As explained the Supreme Court ruling, faced in 2012 with a $490 shortfall, Newtons campaign suddenly received $500 and either on his own or through the assistance of another, (Newton) had approached the five signors and instructed them to sign the ($100 contribution) cards (and) assured them that they would not be required to donate money to the campaign. Newton is charged with first-degree larceny and campaign finance fraud. The state accuses Newton, 62, of having five campaign workers sign contribution forms saying they each gave $100 to his senate campaign in 2012, although they did not actually donate any money. The aim, the state claims, was to reach a $15,000 threshold necessary for the campaign to qualify for $85,550 in matching funds through the state's public financing program. On Jan. 16, 2015, a jury found Newton guilty of three of the charges and acquitted him of witness tampering. Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on the remaining charges. Newtons attorneys appealed to the Supreme Court and argued, according to the justices ruling, that the trial court improperly failed to instruct the jury that, in order to find him guilty of an illegal campaign financing practice, it must find that he (Newton) acted with the specific intent to violate campaign financing laws by making a payment to a campaign in another persons name. The Supreme Court concluded, it was reasonably possible that the jury was misled ... and the defendant was entitled to a new trial. Newton is represented by public defender Joseph Stawicki. The Courant reported Stawicki met Wednesday with prosecutor Kevin Shay and Hartford Superior Court Judge Laura F. Baldini before entering Newtons not guilty plea during the hearing. Stawicki said he is working to resolve the case short of trial. BRIDGEPORT Not all horrors fade with time. Its been 12 years since Richard Roszkowski fatally shot Holly Flannery, her 9-year-old daughter, Kylie, and Good Samaritan Thomas Gaudet on a city street. But as she sat in the back of the courtroom Thursday morning waiting for Roszkowski to be resentenced from death to life without the possibility of release, Eileen Gaudet sobbed. Living without my son ... has left me with emptiness in my heart and soul that nothing will ever fill, the Milford woman said previously in a statement to the court. As parents, we question why? Who appointed Richard Roszkowski as executioner to do what he did? The now 51-year-old Roszkowski, the last man sentenced to death in the state and now the last one of 11 death-row inmates to be resentenced to life, claimed Thursday that he now has remorse for what he did. Your honor, I am very remorseful for what happened that specific day, he told Superior Court Judge John Blawie. I cant change what happened. I cant remember what happened that day but it was never my intention to kill anyone and I am truly sorry. Blawie lamented that his hands were tied by the ruling of the state Supreme Court overturning the death penalty in 2012, and subsequent law eliminating it passed by the General Assembly. No doubt this is a decision the surviving victims of this triple homicide disagree with, but it is one that reflects that we are a nation of laws, not of men, and the law has changed, the judge said. He then vacated the death sentence and replaced it with consecutive life terms without the possibility of release. It was one of the worst crimes in the citys history. On the morning of Sept. 7, 2006, Holly Flannery was trying to get her daughter, still in pajamas, ready for her first day at Thomas Hooker School when there was a knock at the door of her small North End ranch-style home. Roszkowski, a former neighbor who had bummed cigarettes from Flannery, ended up car-jacking the mother and daughter at gunpoint from their home, and forcing Holly Flannery to drive him to a rooming house on Seaview Avenue, according to the evidence and testimony presented by prosecutors C. Robert Satti Jr. and Margaret Kelley. Once there, he shot and killed Gaudet who had never met Flannery grabbed the woman in a headlock and shot her in the head as she screamed, Not in front of my daughter. Witnesses described at trial how Roszkowski then chased the girl who ran in silver-and-white flip flops and shot her in the back. As she lay on her back on the sidewalk, Roszkowski calmly walked up to her and shot her twice in the head. Shou-Cheng Zhang, a Shanghai-born Chinese-American physicist at Stanford University, who graduated from Fudan University in Shanghai, died at age 55 on Saturday, Digital Horizon Capital said in an email on Thursday. Shou-Cheng Zhang, Shanghai-born Chinese-American physicist at Stanford University, attends the 2016-2017 You Bring Charm to the World Award Ceremony held at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, 31 March 2017. [Photo:IC] He was identified as one of the top candidates for the Nobel Prize by Thomson Reuters in 2014. He was elected as a member of the National Academy of Science of the United States in 2015. He was also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Family members of Zhang did not disclose the cause of death. The email. [Chinadaily] Zhang was a co-founder of Digital Horizon Capital, a Delaware registered, Silicon Valley-based venture capital fund, promoting education, innovation and entrepreneurship. The fund is operating as normal. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF's stock was trading at $25.60 on March 11th, 2020 when Coronavirus (COVID-19) reached pandemic status according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, EWU shares have increased by 25.3% and is now trading at $32.08. View which stocks have been most impacted by COVID-19. Continental Building Products Inc (NYSE:CBPX) released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November, 12th. The construction company reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the Zacks' consensus estimate of $0.38 by $0.01. The construction company earned $127.40 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.16 million. Continental Building Products had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 18.84% and a net margin of 12.12%. Continental Building Products's revenue for the quarter was down 2.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.51 EPS. View Continental Building Products' earnings history. Concord Green Energy Holdings Ltd, formerly Solar Alliance Energy, Inc is a Canada-based solar sales and marketing company. The Company focuses on residential solar installations. The Company operates in the United States, Ireland and Canada. The Company markets, sells and installs residential rooftop solar systems primarily in the San Diego, California market. The Company has developed over 360 megawatts of renewable energy projects and subsequently sold them to utilities or large independent power producers, and has installed over 2,000 residential solar systems in southern California. The Company offers solar programs for every homeowner from ownership to buy electricity. The Company's subsidiaries include Solar Alliance of America, Inc. (Solar Alliance) and Finavera Renewables (Ireland) Limited. Read More Bank Hapoalim BM engages in the provision of private and corporate banking services. It operates through the following segments: Retail, Corporate, and International Activities. The Retail Activity segment operates in Private Banking, Small Businesses, and Housing Loans. Private Banking provides a range of banking services and financial products, including investment advisory services. Small Businesses provides a variety of banking services to business customers. Housing Loans is providing credit services for housing to customers of retail activity. The Corporate Activity segment operates in Commercial and Business sectors. Business sector provides financial services to large corporations in Israel and abroad. The International Activity segment operates in Financial Management and Adjustments. Financial Management is responsible for the management of the bank's sources and uses, for the bank's nostro activity, for the activity of the transaction rooms (foreign currency and securities), for provident fund management companies services and for the provision of operating services to financial asset managers, and securities management services for all bank customers. Adjustments includ Read More The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o, Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, Automatik Grundstucksverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Automatik Plastics Machinery (Taiwan) Ltd., BSC Filters Limited, Background2 Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression BV, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., DSR BZ Holdings LLC, Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover CR spol s r.o., Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International Ventures Tunisia S.a.r.l., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty. Ltd., Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty. Ltd., Em-tec, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Gala Kunststoff-und Kautschukmaschinen GmbH, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Hydronova Australia-NZ Pty Ltd, Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag Automatik GmbH, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty Ltd, Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn Bhd, Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A.U, Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Mouvex, Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International (UK) Ltd., OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OPW Engineered Systems Inc., OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW France, OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Iberia Sociedad Limitada, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, RAV Equipos Espana S.L., RAV France, Ravaglioli Deutschland GmbH, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod SAS, Revod Singapore Holdings Pte. 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The most popular of all Ohio hunting seasons, the annual week-long, gun season for deer, has come and gone, leaving many of us empty freezer folks with just the two-day bonus season on Dec. 15-16, to enjoy, as well as a four-day muzzle loading statewide hunt Jan. 5-8, 2019, to harvest a share of venison roasts, chops, and burger. Bad weather challenged opening day deer hunters, most of who tested their rain gear for much of the day and suffered from heavy winds all day. The results were less than spectacular with just 13,614 deer checked. Compared to last years opening day tally of 22,366, one might say that last weeks much-anticipated opener was a wash-out. Rain and wind always anchor deer since they depend on their hearing and scenting ability to stay safe. Thus deer movement was extremely limited. I find it interesting that Ohio deer hunters have shown a rapidly growing interest in hunting with rifles of certain calibers that have only recently been added to the allowed list of firearms. Recently, meaning just since the 2014 hunting season. Last year, 10 percent of deer killed during the gun season were taken by rifle. Keep mind that the permitted rifles are not the high-powered, long-range rifles allowed in less-populated states and regions, but are limited to straight wall cartridge calibers, many of which are simply handgun calibers. In my opinion, the move to a rifle instead of the traditional shotgun/inline muzzleloaders weve used for decades is simply an excuse to purchase another gun. That may sound limp, but thats the way it is. And yes, I am now holding a brand new, really cool single shot .44 mag. and I am quite sure that it will not improve my ability to kill a deer one iota. My old Ithaca, purchased in 1961 for a well-earned $96, is still as good at taking deer as it ever was, but this new Henry carbine called my name and I responded. Its shiny and new. I liken it to fishing lures. I have a lot of them, certainly many more than I need. But every year there are new colors, new shapes, and even new wiggles. New lures now look more like real fish than real fish do. A knowledgeable manufacture once told me that, in all reality, if you could purchase only lures that were white in color with a red nose or a dot, that they would be all any angler would need. So maybe fish arent impressed with the new colors, shapes and wiggles, but fishermen are and thats who buys them. So there. Vendors wanted Amanda Suffecool, director of the REALIZE firearms awareness coalition, is accepting applications from vendors who would like to participate in the organizations annual spring Preppers Ball March 9. Just a few years old, this event continues to attract a wide variety of people who share an interest in self-dependency and learning basic to advanced skills of survival. Contact Suffecool at 330-993-7080 or REALIZEfac.com. Trap shooting Interested in trying your skills at trap shooting? Try the Copley Trap Range at 1665 Jacoby Road on Saturdays from 9-3 p.m. The open event features NRA certified instructors, rental shotguns, and proper ammunition. Go to Copleytrap.com. The Edinburg Sportsmens Club holds open trap shoots every Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at 7261 Tallmadge Road, just east of Edinburg. These weekly shoots are just practice events and ideal for beginners or experienced shooters. Shooters will need their own shotgun and ammo. Go to edinburgsportsmens.webs.com. Related Content LEXINGTON, Ky. Fruit and vegetable producers will find timely information to help their enterprises at the 2019 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference Jan. 7-8 at Lexingtons Embassy Suites Hotel. Preconference sessions Jan. 6 will begin with a vegetable roundtable discussion from 6:30-7:30 p.m., and a tree and small fruit roundtable from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Participants may choose from several concurrent sessions with topics that include farmers markets, small fruit production, vegetable production, tree fruit production, high tunnel production, marketing and business management, organic production, the Grape and Wine Short Course and updates on Produce Best Practices Training and the Food Safety Modernization Act. In addition to UK Extension associates and specialists, speakers will include Bruce Bordelon, Extension viticulturist from Purdue University; Carl Cantaluppi, retired North Carolina extension agent and East Coast asparagus expert; Maria Peterson, filtration media specialist at Scott Laboratories, Petaluma, California; Celeste Welty, The Ohio State University Extension entomologist; and Annette Wszelaki, vegetable extension specialist at the University of Tennessee. An exhibitor/grower luncheon will be offered on Jan. 7, with an optional wine tasting that evening. The luncheon on Jan. 8 will feature Kentucky Proud products. Participants will be able to explore exhibits on both days during the trade show. The conference is a joint meeting of the Kentucky State Horticulture Society, the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association, the Organic Association of Kentucky, the Kentucky Wineries Association, and the Kentucky Horticulture Council, in cooperation with the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Kentucky State University and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Conference preregistration is $40 per person, while registration after Dec. 14 or at the door is $60. Registration includes a one-year membership in the Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association, Kentucky State Horticulture Society or the Organic Association of Kentucky and entry to the Grape and Wine Short Course. The conference program and registration information are available online at http://www.uky.edu/hort/node/1985. (Check back for updates from throughout the Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting. Scroll down for a slide show from the opening day awards luncheon.) COLUMBUS The Ohio Farm Bureau Federation kicked off its centennial celebration during the 2018 annual meeting, which opened today at the Columbus Convention Center. The Ohio Farm Bureau was founded Jan. 27, 1919, on the campus of Ohio State University. Many county Farm Bureaus were formed prior to the state federations creation. The year-long commemoration includes a new logo that is rooted in the early logo, a book tracing the organizations history, promotional clothing and gift items with the new logo, and a free concert with Chase Bryant Dec. 7 at the convention center, free to members only. OFBF 100th anniversary activities planned throughout the year include: Launching a new Centennial beer from North High Brewing, a Farm Bureau group member. Placing a new historic marker on Ohio State Universitys campus that commemorates our founding on Jan. 27, 1919. Painting our vintage inspired Centennial logo on Ohio barns across the state. A special Centennial exhibit at the 2019 Ohio State Fair. Throwback Thursday history highlights on social media. A limited release Centennial wine from The Winery at Wolf Creek. More than 340 voting delegates were present on opening day. The fact that were here, celebrating 100 years, is a really big deal, and you are a part of that, OFBF President Frank Burkett told the delegates and members during his address. Farm Bureaus success is because of our people. Prior to the official start of the policy development session, members honored 2018 Discussion Meet winner Annie Specht, Outstanding Young Farmers, Nick and Brandi Anderson, and Excellence in Agriculture winners Adam and jess Campbell. Two longtime volunteers were also honored with the organizations Distinguished Service Awards: Dennis Heyob, Hamilton County, and Charles Lausin, Geauga County. The late Alfred DiVencenzo was received the Cooperative/Agriculture Educator Award, and James Bachmann received the Ezra C. Anstaett Heritage Award. ofbf-boyert copy Medina County's Mike Boyert welcomes members to the annual meeting. < > < > 1 View ofbf-boyert copy Medina County's Mike Boyert welcomes members to the annual meeting. 2 View ofbf-group-shot copy More than 350 delegates and staff of the Ohio Farm Bureau joined for a group photo, celebrating the start of their centennial year. 3 View Drake anthem Columbiana County's Megan Drake sang the national anthem to open the official delegate session. 4 View ofbf logo the Ohio Farm Bureau celebrates its 100th year in 2019. 5 View ofbf-campbells Ohio Farm Bureau's 2018 Excellence in Agriculture winners Jess and Adam Campbell. 6 View ofbf-cocoran Current Nationwide board chairman Tim Corcoran, former Ohio Farm Bureau Federation president, told the delegates at the Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting Dec. 6, You set the bar high for all other farm organizations. 7 View ofbf-dsa Ohio Farm Bureau, Susan Crowell, Ohio, centennial, Ohio farm, OFBF, AFBF 8 View ofbf-lausin-dsa Charles Lausin of Geauga County, received the Ohio Farm Bureaus Distinguished Service Award. Also pictured are OFBF Executive Vice President Adam Sharp (left) and president, Frank Burkett. 9 View ofbf-sharp-burkett Ohio Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Adam Sharp (left) and President Frank Burkett, at the Ohio Farm Bureau annual meeting in 2018. 10 View ofbf-YAP committee The OFBF state Young Ag Professionals Committee. 11 View Barnhouse Artist Dave Barnhouse signs a commemorative print available during the OFBF centennial celebration. WEST SALEM, Ohio On Nov. 7, the Northwestern FFA traveled to Norwayne to participate in the district food science career development event. Members competing were Valaire Imhoff, Leeanna Ruegg, Clair Vaughan, and Haley Wilson. The team was second in the contest, and will be participating at the state contest. Four members were recently selected to win free FFA Jackets. Ari Borton, Jameson Holtz, Kara McKay, and Janna Ours were the selected members. These members, along with 107 other first-year FFA members from the state, were elected based on an application. This year, the jackets given to the Northwestern FFA Members were donated by Joe Hoerst, and Roger Wright. On Nov. 20, members competed in the sub-district parliamentary procedure contest and district job interview contest held at Smithville High School. Northwestern had a novice and a varsity team compete in the parliamentary procedure contest. The novice team of Jayden Berry, Ari Borton, Avery Garver (chairman), Jameson Holtz, Dugan McLaughlin (chairman), Kade Tegtmeier, Hanna Wilson and Carissa Winland placed first in the sub-district and advanced to districts on Dec. 3, at Northwestern High School. The varsity team consisted of Austin Beegle, Valerie Imhoff (secretary), Cody Morrow, Jordan Melegari, Riley Stull, and Brock Tegtmeier (chairman) with Alex Borton, Craig Wellert, Cole Wharton, and Haley Wilson as the teams alternates. The team placed first overall and will compete in the district contest Dec. 3. The chapter also had four members compete in the district job interview contest. Members were senior, Cody Morrow; junior, Leeanna Ruegg; sophomore, Valerie Imhoff; and freshman, Jadeyn Berry. Cody, Leeanna, and Jadeyn placed second in their divisions and Valerie earned third in her division. MILLERSBURG, Ohio On Nov. 20, the West Holmes FFA sent two officers to attend the annual Holmes Soil and Water Conservation District banquet at Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek. The officers were Jayme Pennell and Rebecca Sprang. The SWCD board of supervisors conducted the annual meeting. The new supervisors were elected. After the dinner, farm tour essay winners were brought up to the stage and given prizes. This years topic was creative nonfiction. Then Hiland and West Holmes FFA recognized the individuals that won the poster contest. Each school had three different winners. For West Holmes, Aiden Noe placed third, Saige Krownapple placed second, and in first place we had Devin Miller earn first place. The poster contest revolved around the stations at the farm tour, as well as the West Holmes FFA Farm Safety Presentation. The evening continued with the retirement of supervisors, and concluded with a thanks to all of those who help support the conservation of Holmes County. On Nov. 27, the chapter sent members to Hillsdale High School to compete in the parliamentary procedure contest. The senior team consisted of President Chasidy Schmucker, Secretary Natasha Averbukh, Megan Brannon, Anna Irwin, Laura Irwin, Kylie Ramirez, and Maddie Stitzlein. They placed second, and will proceed to districts on Dec. 4. The junior team consisted of Cora Crilow, Ally Ogi, Abby Waers, Julia Miller, Kyle Mowery, and Samantha Kendall. They placed second overall and will also advance to the district contest at Wynford. CRESTON, Ohio Norwayne FFA held its ninth annual fall benefit Nov. 17 at Norwayne High School. The benefit this year was for Noelle Wingate. Noelle is a third-grader at Norwayne Elementary School and enjoys My Little Pony and princesses. She started her medical journey at three months old, when she was diagnosed with biliary atresia and the cure was to get a liver transplant. She waited 19 short hours for a liver that was available for her body. Today, she is at risk of getting other diseases such as cancer, but for now, she is healthy. When sickness hits, such as a cold or flu, it hits hard for Noelle. This year our chapter raised over $20,000 for Noelle and her family to be able to pay off some medical expenses. At the benefit we had a live auction, dinner, volleyball tournament, and silent auction to raise money. EDON, Ohio Five members of the Edon FFA chapter competed in the sub-district job interview career development event on Nov. 7. The job interview contest is designed for FFA members to practice and demonstrate the skills needed in seeking employment in all areas of agriculture. Students complete a resume, cover letter, job application, interview with judges, and compose a follow-up letter. In division one, Emma Howard placed third; in division two, Addison Harding placed second and Paige Briner placed third; in division three, Arianna Howard placed third; and in division four, Taylor Brown placed second. Addison and Taylor qualified for the district competition on Nov. 13, where they placed third and ninth respectively. The Edon FFA was represented at the sub-district parliamentary procedure contest Nov. 19, by a novice and advanced team, and both placed first. Members on the novice team were Gage Winebernner, Olivia Mitchell, Kerrin Towers, Carlie Kiess, Heavenlee Owens, Trenton Arnold, Breanna Heinze, and Drew Gallehue. Members of the Advanced team were Aidan Muehlfeld, Addison Harding, Alea Brandt, Tatum Schaffter, Connor Skiles, and Shane Zulch. The advanced team also competed at the district level on Nov. 26, where they placed fourth. JEROMESVILLE, Ohio On Nov. 14, 36 members of the Hillsdale FFA received their greenhand and chapter degrees. The ceremony took place at 7:30 p.m and was led by the officer team. The guest speaker was Mallary Caudill, Ohios State FFA Sentinel. The ceremony consisted of the recognition of all members who attained the requirements necessary to receive the greenhand and chapter degrees. During the ceremony, the members received pins and a certificate saying that they had met all the requirements needed to acquire their degree. Jesse Zimmerman was awarded FFA member of the month. The chapter recognized Christopher Hammond, for winning the FFA jacket, for being the first greenhand member to memorize the entire FFA Creed. The Hillsdale FFA officer team held its annual pie action. All of the proceeds from the auction go towards the Senior FFA Scholarship fund. The chapter raised $1,410. CHILLICOTHE, Ohio Fourteen members of the Zane Trace FFA chapter recently attended the Ohio FFA State Officer Leadership Night held at Amanda Clearcreek High School Nov. 14. During the event, members were led in four different activities that encouraged them to work together in teams and interact with the nearly 300 other FFA members in attendance. Lessons in communication and successful teamwork were emphasized. After the lessons members enjoyed dinner provided by the Amanda Clearcreek FFA. On Nov. 16, five members of the Zane Trace food science class traveled to Ohio State University to meet with Dr. Monica Giusti, Dr. Luis Rodriguez-Saona and Greg Sigurdson, doctorate student in food science. The students presented the three faculty members with their research proposals that related to food science issues and received guidance on how to conduct their experiments. The students were excited to learn that the topics they had chosen, which included the possibility of sourcing protein from insects; testing natural food coloring agents and examining the impact of soil type on soybean nutrient value were all related to current trends in food science. The students had the opportunity to tour the lab areas in the food science building and learn how various instruments such as a colorimeter, spectrophotometer and rotary evaporator are used to analyze food. The Chelsea Pensioners have kicked off their annual dairy celebrations with the Ceremony of the Christmas Cheeses. British cheesemakers donated over 270kg of the finest cheeses from around the UK for the event. Donations included cheddar, stilton, brie and red Leicester, with this years ceremonial cheese a giant 24kg of Montgomery Cheddar, donated by J A E Montgomery Ltd. Dairy UK, which organises the event for the Chelsea Pensioners, pointed to the enduring popularity of cheese, citing figures showing that more than nine out of ten UK households purchase cheese. With 2018 marking the centenary of the Armistice, tribute was paid to the brave men and women who have given their lives in conflict, and those who have fought in every conflict since WW1 to ensure freedom. Dairy UK Chair, Paul Vernon, who attended the event, highlighted the historic role cheddar rations played in providing important nutrients to soldiers. Cutting of the cheese The traditional cutting of the ceremonial cheese was carried out this year by Chelsea Pensioner Alan Goddard. Alan enlisted at Southampton on the 13th March 1961, joining the Grenadier Guards and serving with the 2nd Battalion before retiring in 1983. Alan saw service in Hong Kong, Belize, British Guyana and completed four separate tours of Northern Ireland. He finished his career with a UN tour in Cyprus and was discharged in 1983, having been promoted to the rank of Sergeant and served 22 years. On leaving the Army, Alan worked both as a security driver and as a security guard, before his retirement in 2005, aged 65. Alan joined the Royal Hospital as a Chelsea Pensioner in September 2009. Alan said: I feel very pleased to have been chosen to cut the cheese at this years ceremony and to be a part of a Royal Hospital tradition that dates back to its opening in 1692. Thanks to the generosity of Dairy UK in continuing this tradition, my fellow Chelsea Pensioners and I can enjoy these delicious cheeses over the festive period! Farmers need clarity on what the future farming landscape will look like to allow future investment, the NFU said at its Business Symposium. Early indicators of the NFUs Confidence Survey results reinforce the need for Government to provide certainty so farmers are able to effectively plan for the future. It comes as the Prime Minister prepares to sell her Brexit deal to MPs, who will vote whether to accept or reject the terms of Brexit on Tuesday 11 December. It has to be backed by a majority of MPs if it is to come into force. However, it has been reported that the EU could be prepared to discuss extending Article 50 - delaying Brexit until after 29 March - if May's deal was rejected by MPs. Such political uncertainty was highlighted at the NFU's annual Business Symposium, which brings together business professionals and farmers to address the political realities influencing the future of British farming. 'Lack of confidence' NFU Deputy President Guy Smith, who opened the event and chaired the panel session, said there is a "worrying lack of confidence" amongst the union's membership. Mr Smith said: This is already acting as a barrier to future investment, which not only impacts farming businesses but policy makers, advisers, banks and other stakeholders. If we are to become a productive and resilient sector after Brexit a sector which produces quality and affordable food for the nation and delivers for the environment Government must provide clarity on our future after Brexit to allow farmers to plan for it. If we are to continue this important contribution to the national economy alongside our food production and environmental responsibilities, farmers must be able to invest and make the necessary productivity gains in a post-Brexit landscape, he said. Major afforestation plans by the Welsh Government could drive 1,400 farming families off the land, Welsh farmers have warned. New proposals aimed at tackling emissions include 66,000 hectares of additional tree planting at a rate of 2-4,000 hectares per year on land. Ninety percent of this is suggested to come from afforestation, with 10% taking the form of agro-forestry. Afforestation is the establishment of a forest or stand of trees in an area where there was no previous tree cover. It comes as the National Assembly are expected to vote on Welsh Government Climate Change (Wales) Regulations which will make targets to reduce emissions by 27% by 2020; 45% by 2030 and 67% by 2040 legally binding. But NFU Cymru has warned afforestation plans could drive Welsh farming families off their land. NFU Cymru Rural Affairs Board Chair, Hedd Pugh said: To put Welsh Governments current proposals into context, the average farm size in Wales is 48 hectares. To achieve afforestation on the scale proposed would require the complete afforestation of some 1,400 farms in Wales. That is the removal of 1,400 farming families from the land, all of whom make a valuable contribution to their local economy, rural communities and the Welsh language. 'Appropriate balance' NFU Cymru said the burden of decarbonisation should not fall unequally on Waless rural and farming communities. Welsh Government is expected to publish its first Low Carbon Delivery Plan next March, following consultation over the summer setting out its proposals for each sector on the low carbon pathway. The consultation contained proposals for power, transport, buildings, agriculture, land use and forestry industries, as well as the public sector and waste. Mr Pugh added: It is vital before moving forward, that Welsh Government undertakes a full assessment of the impact on the farming families affected, our rural communities and language, the economy and the environment In the absence of a full regulatory impact assessment, we remain wholly unconvinced that Welsh Government is seeking to strike an appropriate balance between decarbonisation and meeting wider economic, environmental, social and cultural objectives. A new export deal between the UK and India will be worth over 6m over the next five years, it has been announced. Sheep meat from the UK will soon be heading to India for the first time. The agreement, which covers a wide range of sheep meat cuts, is another boost for farmers and producers in the UK with sheep meat exports already worth 386 million internationally. Government agencies along with red meat levies inspected and negotiated the deal. Whilst the Indian market for sheep meat is considered small, there is potential future growth due to the country's booming population and rising middle class. It follows news of a similar deal struck earlier this year which will see UK lamb head to Saudi Arabia, which could be worth 25 million over the next five years. The UK will also export dairy and seed potatoes to China in new export deals announced this year. The UK currently exports dairy products worth 1.7 billion worth per year. BVD levels in Northern Ireland have fallen by over 25 percent in individual animals and over 33 percent in herds since March 2016. An announcement by Animal Health and Welfare NI (AHWNI) shows the positive progress farmers are making in the battle against Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD). BVD is a highly contagious viral infection of cattle which causes a range of clinical problems. The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) says farmers are to be commended for their efforts to reduce BVD in herds. UFU deputy president, David Brown said: The majority of farmers are taking action against BVD. While there has been a significant reduction in the levels of this costly disease, we must not become complacent. There is still work to be done if we are to successfully eradicate it. However, current figures suggest that 40 per cent of BVD positive animals are still not culled within five weeks of getting a positive result. Mr Brown says this is a concern and likely to delay eradication plans: By not culling these animals immediately farmers risk spreading the disease to healthy cattle in their own herd and neighbouring herds. These persistently infected (PI) animals shed enormous amounts of the BVD virus. Identification and prompt removal is the key to disease control and eradication, he said. 'Major benefits' The UFU says there are "major benefits" to be gained from the eradication of BVD, such as lower production costs, increased feed conversion, decreased need for antimicrobials, and improved animal health and welfare. As the level of virus in the country continues to decrease, it becomes increasingly important that farmers test their animals, remove infected ones immediately, and follow good biosecurity protocols, such as, scrutiny and isolation of bought in animals. "Farmers may also want to consider vaccination to protect healthy stock, said Mr Brown. The UFU continues to work with AHWNI and other industry partners on eradication plans for the disease. There is a collective push to see the introduction of new legislation that would discourage the retention of PI cattle. Waitrose pledges to increase price it pays for pigs The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Cops Confirm He's Gone Astray A cop from the Oshiwara police station told Mid Day, "There was no one at his house to accept the summons letter issued to him last week,". And a source told Mumbai tabloid, "His [Nath's] version is equally important in the case. Last week, we had issued summons to him so that the next level of investigation in the Vinita Nanda case can be initiated but he was not at home. We don't know where he is!" Alok's Counsel Speaks Up Revealing the reason behind his missing, Alok Nath's counsel said, "The summons was issued but was not served as Nath is not in Mumbai. He will return to the city this week and will definitely visit Oshiwara police station. He is in touch with me. I have not read the contents of the summons". He's Defending Himself Still Seems like the sanskaari babuji isn't ready to accept the accusations made against him. He told Aaj Tak "In the current situation, if a woman accuses a man, no one will consider listening to a man's version so it's useless to react. I have known her. I would not like to comment on it. She has the right to put forward her thoughts. Right now, I am trying to come to terms with the whole thing. Will comment later." All Vinita Wants Is Justice Vinita Nanda on the other hand is only trying to seek justice. She says she holds no revenge against him. While talking to IANS she said, "Let me know that no other woman would be violated by you the way I was. All I see right now is an attitude of defiance and shamelessness. If that's the way it is going to be, then I'll see my fight for justice to the end,". On Saturday (December 1, 2018) television czarina Ekta Kapoor,who is known for shows such as Kasautii Zindagi Kay 2, Naagin and several web series went through an extremely unpleasant incident. Following that, she decided to lodge a police complaint at the Juhu Police station in Mumbai. If you're wondering what happened to her, the television producer was robbed of a huge sum! What comes across more shocking is the people that are suspected! A source told Mid Day, "On Saturday, when she lifted her bag, it felt lighter. On counting the cash, she realised that Rs 60,000 was missing. She approached the Juhu police station and filed a complaint." Assistant commissioner of police, Dattatray Pandurang Bhargude further confirmed the news. He issued a statement saying, "It could be the handiwork of someone working in her Juhu bungalow. The accused will be arrested soon." It has been also been reported that a few people who work at Ekta's residence have been suspected. Another source said, "The addresses and bank account details of the five suspects have been taken on record. We will scan these details to find out whether the stolen cash has been deposited in any of these accounts. Or, whether they have given the cash to any of their relatives." MOST READ : Kasautii Zindagi Kay 2: Latest Promo Hints At A SHOCKING Twist; Naveen Tries To Kill Anurag! Well, isn't that something shocking? Meanwhile, Ekta has been extremely busy on the professional front. Her web series Beautiful But Broken, which was released recently, has received brilliant reviews. She is currently held up with her forthcoming web series Apaharan. Her another television show Kasautii Zindagi Kay 2 also seems to be working on surprising the fas with a major twist. Star Plus released a new promo of the show hinting at the same. As far as the fans of Telugu cinema are concerned, Savitri is a name that well and truly needs no introduction at all. The powerhouse performer was an inseparable part of Tollywood during its 'golden era'. Mahanati was held in high regard because of her elegant screen presence, mesmerising screen presence, powerful dialogue delivery and remarkable range as an actor. She also worked with some of the top heroes of her time, right from ANR to Gemini Ganesan, and proved her mettle. Today(December 6, 2018), on the occasion of her 85th birth anniversary several fans took to Twitter and remembered her contribution to the film world. They hailed her performances and described her as a source of inspiration for all concerned. Here are the top tweets... " SAVITRI " Legendary name of all times in d southIndian film field is still alive in the heart of her fans though she was No more In The world.!! Respectively Wishing One of the greatest Actress Savitri Very Happy birthday #Savitri #Mahanati#HBDLegendSavitri pic.twitter.com/8Nv3yVlDoj Arjun Shyam (@ThatikondaShyam) December 6, 2018 Remembering our one of south indian legendary actress #Mahanati #Savitri garu on her Birth Anniversary!! #HBDLegendSavitri garu (06Dec 1933 - 26Dec 1981) pic.twitter.com/SkDyHEE9rl Ranga Babu (@Rangababugaddam) December 6, 2018 Savitri was born on December 6, 1933 in Guntur. Hailing from a Telugu family, she played her first lead role in the 1952 release Pelli Chesi Choodu and added a new dimension to her life. In the following years, she went on to act in several classics such as Devadasu, Missiamma and Paarthaal Pasi Theerum to name a few. Her other prominent films include Karnan, Chivaraku Migiledi and Navarathri. She shared great on-screen chemistry with Gemini(in Tamil films) and ANR(in Tollywood films). After being a force to be reckoned with, she passed away at the age of 45 under unfortunate circumstances. Earlier this year, her biopic Mahanati hit the screens and became a success. In it, Keerthy Suresh played the great actress and delivered a stunning performance. Nithya Menen will play Savitri in the NTR biopic. - Updated efficacy and safety results presented from ongoing phase 1/2 study with U3-1402, an investigational and potential first-in-class HER3-targeting antibody drug conjugate (ADC), in patients with heavily pretreated HER3-positive metastatic breast cancer - Preliminary efficacy data demonstrated a 42.9 percent confirmed overall response rate and a 90.5 percent disease control rate at a median follow-up time of 10.5 months - No therapies are specifically approved for HER3-expressing breast cancer, and findings with U3-1402 continue to support the portability of Daiichi Sankyo's proprietary DXd and linker ADC technology TOKYO and MUNICH and BASKING RIDGE, N.J., Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited (hereafter, Daiichi Sankyo) announced that updated efficacy and safety results from the ongoing phase 1/2 study of U3-1402, an investigational and potential first-in-class HER3-targeting antibody drug conjugate (ADC), in 42 heavily pretreated patients with HER3-positive metastatic breast cancer were presented during a Spotlight Session at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). Updated efficacy data for 42 evaluable patients who received U3-1402 in dose levels between 1.6 mg/kg to 8.0 mg/kg in the dose escalation and dose finding parts of the study showed a confirmed overall response rate of 42.9 percent (18/42 patients) and a disease control rate of 90.5 percent (38/42 patients) at a median follow-up time of 10.5 months. A median duration of response was not reached (range: 2.8, 13.8+). The median progression-free survival was 8.3 months (range: 1.2, 16.8+). Efficacy was observed in all molecular subtypes. A total of 21 patients remain on treatment at the time of data cut-off on November 6, 2018. "These results offer preliminary evidence of U3-1402 activity in HER3-positive metastatic breast cancer and further study is warranted," said Norikazu Masuda, MD, PhD, National Hospital Organization, Osaka National Hospital, Osaka, Japan, and an investigator for the trial. "The initial efficacy and safety data suggest that a HER3-targeting agent such as U3-1402 could provide a new treatment approach for patients with HER3-expressing metastatic breast cancer, who are in need of additional options to manage their disease." Updated safety results were also reported. With a median exposure to treatment of 7.6 months, U3-1402 showed a manageable safety profile. The most common adverse events (=30 percent, any grade) included nausea (85.7 percent), thrombocytopenia (71.4 percent), decreased appetite (66.7 percent), neutropenia (64.3 percent), leukopenia (59.5 percent), vomiting (54.8 percent), AST increased (47.6 percent), ALT increased (45.2 percent), anemia (38.1 percent), stomatitis (35.7 percent) and diarrhea (31.0 percent). The most common adverse events Grade =3 (>10 percent of patients) were thrombocytopenia (35.7 percent), neutropenia (28.6 percent), leukopenia (21.4 percent), anemia (16.7 percent) and ALT increased (11.9 percent). Fourteen (14) patients (33.3 percent) experienced serious adverse events regardless of causality, and seven (7) patients (16.7 percent) experienced serious adverse events that were treatment-related. One (1) patient experienced an adverse event leading to treatment discontinuation (2.4 percent), and there were no adverse events leading to death. "We are encouraged by these preliminary findings with U3-1402, particularly because there are no therapies specifically approved for HER3-expressing breast cancer," said Kouichi Akahane, PhD, MBA, Executive Officer, Head of Oncology Function, R&D Division, Daiichi Sankyo. "Additionally, these findings continue to build evidence that supports the portability of Daiichi Sankyo's proprietary DXd and linker ADC technology to other targets such as HER3." About the Phase 1 Study In this three-part, open-label global phase 1/2 study, U3-1402 is given as an intravenous infusion every three weeks. The first part of the study (dose escalation) assessed the safety, tolerability and maximum tolerated dose of U3-1402 in HER3-positive (defined as IHC [immunohistochemistry] 2+/3+) metastatic breast cancer patients who are refractory or intolerant to standard treatment or for whom no standard treatment is available. A maximum tolerated dose has not been reached. Based on preliminary results, dose levels of 4.8 mg/kg and 6.4 mg/kg are being further evaluated. The second part of the study (dose finding) is assessing the safety and efficacy of U3-1402 and determining the recommended phase 2 dose in HER3-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who have received six or fewer prior chemotherapy regimens. The third part of the study (phase 2) is assessing the safety and efficacy of the recommended dose of U3-1402 in HER3-positive metastatic breast cancer patients who have received six or fewer prior chemotherapy regimens. The study is currently enrolling patients in Japan and the U.S. For more information about this study, please visit ClinicalTrials.gov. About HER3-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer HER3 is a member of the human epidermal growth factor receptor family of tyrosine kinase receptors, which are associated with aberrant cell growth.1 HER3 is overexpressed in several types of solid tumors including breast cancer.2 HER3 overexpression has been independently associated with a poorer prognosis and reduced survival for patients with invasive breast cancer.1 A wide range of incidence of HER3 overexpression has been reported in breast cancer, depending on the screening method and published series.1 There are currently no targeted therapies approved specifically for HER3-expressing breast cancer or any HER3-expressing cancer. About U3-1402 Part of the investigational ADC Franchise of the Daiichi Sankyo Cancer Enterprise, U3-1402 is an investigational and potential first-in-class HER3-targeting ADC. ADCs are targeted cancer medicines that deliver cytotoxic chemotherapy ("payload") to cancer cells via a linker attached to a monoclonal antibody that binds to a specific target expressed on cancer cells. Designed using Daiichi Sankyo's proprietary ADC technology, U3-1402 is comprised of a human anti-HER3 antibody attached to a novel topoisomerase I inhibitor payload by a tetrapeptide-based linker. It is designed to target and deliver chemotherapy inside cancer cells and reduce systemic exposure to the cytotoxic payload (or chemotherapy) compared to the way chemotherapy is commonly delivered. U3-1402 is currently being evaluated in two clinical studies, including the phase 1/2 study for HER3-expressing metastatic or unresectable breast cancer in Japan and the U.S., and a phase 1 study for metastatic or unresectable EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the U.S. U3-1402 is an investigational agent that has not been approved for any indication in any country. Safety and efficacy have not been established. About Daiichi Sankyo Cancer Enterprise The mission of Daiichi Sankyo Cancer Enterprise is to leverage our world-class, innovative science and push beyond traditional thinking to create meaningful treatments for patients with cancer. We are dedicated to transforming science into value for patients, and this sense of obligation informs everything we do. Anchored by three pillars including our investigational Antibody Drug Conjugate Franchise, Acute Myeloid Leukemia Franchise and Breakthrough Science, we aim to deliver seven distinct new molecular entities over eight years during 2018 to 2025. Our powerful research engines include two laboratories for biologic/immuno-oncology and small molecules in Japan, and Plexxikon Inc., our small molecule structure-guided R&D center in Berkeley, CA. Compounds in pivotal stage development include: [fam-] trastuzumab deruxtecan, an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) for HER2 expressing breast, gastric and other cancers; quizartinib, an oral selective FLT3 inhibitor, for newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory FLT3-ITD acute myeloid leukemia (AML); and pexidartinib, an oral CSF1R inhibitor, for tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT). For more information, please visit: www.DSCancerEnterprise.com . About Daiichi Sankyo Daiichi Sankyo Group is dedicated to the creation and supply of innovative pharmaceutical products to address diversified, unmet medical needs of patients in both mature and emerging markets. With over 100 years of scientific expertise and a presence in more than 20 countries, Daiichi Sankyo and its 15,000 employees around the world draw upon a rich legacy of innovation and a robust pipeline of promising new medicines to help people. In addition to a strong portfolio of medicines for hypertension and thrombotic disorders, under the Group's 2025 Vision to become a "Global Pharma Innovator with Competitive Advantage in Oncology," Daiichi Sankyo research and development is primarily focused on bringing forth novel therapies in oncology, including immuno-oncology, with additional focus on new horizon areas, such as pain management, neurodegenerative diseases, heart and kidney diseases, and other rare diseases. For more information, please visit: www.daiichisankyo.com. Contact Jennifer Brennan Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. jbrennan2@dsi.com +1 908 992 6631 (office) +1 201 709 9309 (mobile) References 1 Chiu C, et al. Annals of Surgery. 2010;251(6):1107-1116. 2 Ocana et al. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2013 Feb 20;105(4):266-73. December 2018 QZT/18/0018 Director Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, Accepts Donation on Behalf of Cedars-Sinai's World-Class Cancer Facility LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / December 5, 2018 / Private investment executive and CEO Phillip Sarofim recently made an undisclosed donation to Cedars-Sinai Cancer. The gift was accepted by Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, director of the center, on behalf of the world-class cancer facility. (L-R): Phillip Sarofim, Partner, Trousdale Ventures and Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, Director of the Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center 'We are deeply appreciative of the generous donation made to Cedars-Sinai Cancer, a facility committed to finding breakthroughs in cancer research and providing compassionate, personalized care to individuals with cancer,' said Theodorescu, PHASE ONE Foundation Distinguished Chair at Cedars-Sinai. 'As a result of Phillip's support-and the support of caring individuals like him-Cedars-Sinai will be home to our expanding roster of physician-scientists focused on pioneering new treatments.' Sarofim said that donating to Cedars-Sinai Cancer was a perfect fit for his philanthropic efforts. 'I was incredibly taken by the Cedars-Sinai cancer center, an extraordinary facility that will further cement Los Angeles as a major, national medical hub and serve as a true beacon of hope to the world,' Sarofim said. Cedars-Sinai has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report's 'Best Hospitals 2018-19' as one of the 10 best hospitals in the U.S. Additionally, it ranked No. 3 in California and No. 2 in the Los Angeles metro area. Leading physicians and scientists worldwide are attracted to Cedars-Sinai Cancer, where they pioneer groundbreaking cancer medicine. Led by Dr. Theodorescu, the extraordinary team at the cancer center continues to define new possibilities in cancer research, diagnosis and treatment---showcasing why the center remains a top destination for patients looking for the best in cutting-edge cancer care. On the global stage, the cancer center is synonymous with innovation and excellence offering critical answers and vital hope to cancer patients and their families in our community and beyond. Research initiatives span three major interdisciplinary programs: Cancer Biology, Translational Oncology and Cancer Prevention and Genetics, which intersect with a vibrant, networked clinical trials infrastructure across the Los Angeles metro area. About Phillip Sarofim: Sarofim is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Trousdale Ventures, LLC (https://trousdalevc.com/), a privately held investment firm owned and managed by partners Phillip Sarofim and Brian Grigsby. Its portfolio encompasses a variety of companies involved in technology, IT management, food manufacturing, lifestyle consumer and child development products. A stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma survivor, Sarofim is committed to supporting cancer research through a number of distinguished medical facilities, as well as organizations dedicated to funding operations for those in need. CONTACTS: Steve Syatt SSA Public Relations steve@ssapr.com (818) 223-1022 SOURCE: SSA Public Relations View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/529831/Private-Investment-Executive-and-Equity-Firm-CEO-Phillip-Sarofim-Donates-To-Cedars-Sinai-Cancer Kuros reports publication of MagnetOs data demonstrating equivalence to autologous bone in spinal fusion Study should further enhance competitive positioning of MagnetOs Sheep animal model is one of the most relevant preclinical model and believed to be predictive of outcomes in humans 12-week fusion rate with MagnetOs granules & putty 92% & 83% versus autograft 75% Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland, December 6, 2018 -Kuros Biosciences (SIX: KURN) today announced the publication of data from a clinically-relevant preclinical model comparing MagnetOs with autologous bone in instrumented posterolateral spinal fusion in sheep. Utilizing multiple assessments for fusion, the study concluded that MagnetOs is a suitable alternative to autograft when used as a standalone graft. The publication, which is entitled "Biphasic calcium phosphate with submicron surface topography in an Ovine model of instrumented posterolateral spinal fusion" was included in the December issue JOR Spine, an open-access Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) (https://www.ors.org/) journal. Joost de Bruijn, Chief Executive Officer of Kuros, said: "This latest study demonstrates early bone healing and physiologically-appropriate graft resorption for MagnetOs in this clinically-relevant model of posterolateral spinal fusion and adds to the growing body of evidence proving that MagnetOs is a reliable alternative to autologous bone graft." Professor Bill Walsh, University of New South Wales, Australia, who was principal investigator of the study said: "I've investigated many of the leading synthetic bone grafts in this model and, in my experience, MagnetOs leads to the most compelling fusion outcomes of all the grafts I've tested." About the study MagnetOs Granules and MagnetOs Putty were implanted standalone and compared to autograft bone. Twenty-five adult, female Merino sheep underwent posterolateral spinal fusion at L2-3 and L4-5 levels with instrumentation. After 6, 12, and 26 weeks, outcomes were evaluated by manual palpation, range of motion testing, micro-computed tomography, histology and histomorphometry. Fusion assessment by manual palpation 12 weeks after implantation revealed 100% fusion rates in all treatment groups. Similarly, the three treatment groups showed a statistically significant decrease in lateral bending at the fusion levels at 12 weeks and 26 weeks compared to the 6-week time-point, which further confirmed spinal fusion. No significant differences in range of motion were observed between the treatment groups at any of the time-points investigated. Histological assessment at 12 weeks showed fusion rates of 75%, 92%, and 83% for autograft, MagnetOs Granules and MagnetOs Putty, respectively. The fusion rates were further increased 26 weeks post-implantation. Similar trends of bone growth were observed by histomorphometry. Citation https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jsp2.1039 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jsp2.1039) For further information, please contact: Kuros Biosciences AG Media & Investors Michael Grau Hans Herklots Chief Financial Officer LifeSci Advisors Tel +41 44 733 47 47 +41 79 598 7149 michael.grau@kurosbio.com hherklots@lifesciadvisors.com About MagnetOs MagnetOs promotes local bone formation equivalent to current gold standard, autograft. A substantial number of clinically relevant and predictive studies have demonstrated its equivalence to the current gold standard (patient's own bone, which may not be available in sufficient quantities and/or involves morbidity, costs and pain associated with its harvesting from another healthy site of the patient's body). MagnetOs is a bone graft comprising biphasic calcium phosphate with an advanced submicron surface topography that directs bone formation after implantation. With its unique submicron surface topography, MagnetOs preferentially directs early wound healing toward the bone-forming pathway, resulting in an osteoinductive claim in Europe. MagnetOs is available as granules and as a putty formulation. US indications statement MagnetOs is an implant intended to fill bony voids or gaps of the skeletal system, i.e., posterolateral spine. MagnetOs must be used with autograft as a bone graft extender in the posterolateral spine. These osseous defects may be surgically created or the result of traumatic injury to the bone and are not intrinsic to the stability of the bony structure. EU indications statement MagnetOs is intended for use as bone void filler for voids and gaps that are not intrinsic to the stability of the bony structure. MagnetOs is indicated for use in the treatment of surgically created osseous defects or osseous defects resulting from traumatic injury to the bone. MagnetOs is intended to be packed into bony voids or gaps of the skeletal system (i.e. extremities, spine, cranial, mandible, maxilla and pelvis) and may be combined with autogenous bone. MagnetOs should not be used to treat large defects that in the surgeon's opinion would fail to heal spontaneously. In load bearing situations, MagnetOs is to be used in conjunction with internal or external fixation devices. About Kuros Biosciences AG Kuros Biosciences (SIX:KURN) is focused on the development of innovative products for bone regeneration and is located in Schlieren (Zurich), Switzerland and Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Visitwww.kurosbio.com (http://www.kurosbio.com)for additional information on Kuros, its people, science and product pipeline. Forward Looking Statements This media release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You are urged to consider statements that include the words "will" or "expect" or the negative of those words or other similar words to be uncertain and forward-looking. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements include scientific, business, economic and financial factors, Against the background of these uncertainties, readers should not rely on forward-looking statements. The Company assumes no responsibility for updating forward-looking statements or adapting them to future events or developments. Capital increase without preferential subscription rights to the benefit of certain categories of investors Regulatory News: Biom'up (Paris:BUP) (the "Company"), a specialist in surgical hemostasis, announces the success of its private placement financing of 7.67 million through a capital increase by the issuance of new shares without preferential subscription rights for the benefit of a category of beneficiaries (the "Offering"). The Company sold 1,597,332 new shares at a price of 4.80 per share, representing a discount of approx. 2% to the closing share price on December 5, 2018 (4.90 per share). The Offering represents 12.61% of the Company's existing share capital. The net proceeds of the Offering will allow the Company to finance the continuation and ramp up of clinical development for HEMOBLASTTM Bellows in abdominoplasty surgery, knee surgery and spinal surgery, the continuing expenditures for the construction of the new production plant near the existing site, and the ongoing efforts relating to the HEMOBLAST Bellows commercialization in the United States and Europe (sales force deployment, ramping up efforts devoted to marketing and training practitioners) along with the Company's ordinary operating activities. Etienne Binant, Biom'up's Chief Executive Officer, commented: I would like to sincerely thank all the investors who made this raise a success and in particular Arbevel et Athyrium who are once again demonstrating their trust in the Company. In the context of challenging financial market conditions, being able to execute such a transaction further testifies to investor confidence in our positioning and business model. These funds will now reinforce our cash position and allow us to continue the clinical development of HEMOBLAST Bellows and its commercialization, as well as associated means of production Structure of the Offering The new shares (the "New Shares") offered in connection with this capital increase, without preferential subscription rights to the benefit of categories of investors, have been offered within the framework set by the 5th resolution of the extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of June 5, 2018, in compliance with article L. 225-138 of the French commercial code (the "Capital Increase These categories include notably one or more companies or French or foreign investment funds who customarily invest, or have invested more than 1 million during the 36 months preceding the date of the issue in question, in the life sciences or health technology sector. The transaction has been implemented by the CEO acting upon subdelegation from the Company's Board of Directors on December 5 2018 and having set the subscription price for the new shares at 4.80 per share, representing a discount of approx. 2% to the closing share price on December 5, 2018 (4.90 per share). The price of the Offering complies with the terms of the 5th resolution of the extraordinary general meeting of the shareholders of June 5, 2018, as well as the provisions of article L. 225-138 of the French commercial code. With the 2 million invested in the Offering by Financiere Arbevel, acting on behalf of the UCITS and investment mandates that it manages, and the 5 million invested in the Offering by Athyrium Capital Management L.P., fund manager of the shareholder investment fund of the Company, the shareholding base of the Company is now as follows: On a non-diluted basis On a fully diluted basis * Shareholders Before Capital Increase After Capital Increase Before Capital Increase After Capital Increase Shares % of capital and voting rights Shares % of capital and voting rights Shares % of capital and voting rights Shares % of capital and voting rights Concert Bpifrance 3,115,548 24.59% 3,115,548 21.83% 3,115,548 22.12% 3,115,548 19.73% incl. Bpifrance Participations 1,967,006 15.52% 1,967,006 13.78% 1,967,006 13.97% 1,967,006 12.46% incl. Bpifrance Investissement (InnoBio) 1,148,542 9.06% 1,148,542 8.05% 1,148,542 8.16% 1,148,542 7.27% Gimv 1,206,272 9.52% 1,206,272 8.45% 1,206,272 8.57% 1,206,272 7.64% Lundbeckfond Ventures 1,043,687 8.24% 1,043,687 7.31% 1,043,687 7.41% 1,043,687 6.61% Sham Innovation Sante 587,661 4.64% 587,661 4.12% 587,661 4.17% 587,661 3.72% Sub-total historical financial shareholders ** 5,953,168 46.98% 5,953,168 41.72% 5,953,168 42.27% 5,953,168 37.70% Sub-total various historical shareholders 1,161,703 9.17% 1,161,703 8.14% 1,161,703 8.25% 1,161,703 7.36% Financiere Arbevel 846,089 6.68% 1,262,755 8.85% 846,089 6.01% 1,262,755 8.00% Invesco 691,429 5.46% 691,429 4.85% 691,429 4.91% 691,429 4.38% Athyrium 181,818 1.43% 1,223,484 8.57% 481,818 3.42% 1,223,484 9.65% Sub-total other financial investors 1,719,336 13.57% 3,177 668 22.27% 2,019,336 14.34% 3,477,668 22.02% Sub-total founders and executive officers 390,174 3.08% 390,174 2.73% 648,065 4.60% 648,065 4.10% Sub-total various shareholders 106,334 0.84% 106,334 0.75% 179,444 1.27% 179,444 1.14% Float 3,341,346 26.37% 3,480,346 24.39% 3,341,346 23.73% 3,480,346 22.04% incl. treasury shares 14,783 0,12% 14,783 0.10% 14,783 0.10% 14,783 0.09% Kreos 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 147,320 1.05% 257,812 1.63% Founders' warrants (BSPCE) 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 30,052 0.21% 30,052 0.19% Restricted stock units (AGA) 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 138,675 0.98% 138,675 0.88% Warrants (BSA) 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 45,000 0.32% 45,000 0.28% Stock-options 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 418,705 2.97% 418,705 2.65% Sub-total other dilutive instruments 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 632,432 4.49% 632,432 4.01% TOTAL 12,672,061 100.00% 14,269,393 100% 14,082,814 100.00% 15,790,638 100.00% If all the BSA warrants, BSPCE warrants and stock options outstanding are exercised and all the AGA are fully vested on the date of the present press release, including BSA warrants attached to the first tranche of the bond financing agreement entered into with Athyrium Capital Management L.P in March 2018 potentially resulting in the issuance of a maximum amount of 300,000 new shares of the Company as from January 1, 2019. ** Including the shares not subject to the lock-up commitment taken in the context of the Company's IPO and running until December 31, 2018. The New Shares whose admission to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris has been requested will be ordinary shares of the Company, subscribed for and paid up in full, and reserved and allocated to investors meeting the above characteristics. These shares have been subject to an offering consisting of (i) a "book-building" process in the European Economic Area (the "EEA") under the derogation provided for by Article 3.2 of the 2003/71/EC Directive of the European Parliament and Council dated November 4, 2003 (as amended), and (ii) a private placement outside the EEA in accordance with the rules of each country concerned, and in particular outside of the United States by virtue of Regulation S of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and in the United States by virtue of an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act to Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs) as defined by Rule 144A of the U.S. Securities Act. In accordance with articles 211-3 and 212-5 of the general rules of the AMF, neither the Offering nor the admission of the New Shares to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris are subject to a prospectus having been granted clearance by the AMF. Settlement and admission to trading on the regulated market of Euronext Paris of the New Shares are scheduled for December 10, 2018. Placement of the New Shares has been assured by Bryan Garnier Co acting as placement agent Preferential subscription rights The issue of New Shares has been made without preferential subscription rights to the benefit of categories of investors in compliance with the provisions of article L. 225-138 of the French Commercial Code. In this context, at the general meeting of June 5, 2018 (5th resolution) the Company's shareholders decided to waive their preferential subscription rights to the benefit of investors meeting the above characteristics. Availability of the registration document and the interim financial report Detailed information about Biom'up, notably relating to its business, results, outlook and the corresponding risk factors is provided in the Company's registration document for 2017, filed with the AMF on May 28, 2018 (No. R.18-043), and in the interim financial report for the six-month period ended June 30, 2018 which may be consulted along with other regulated information and all press releases of the Company at the Biom'up website (www.biomup.com). About HEMOBLAST HEMOBLAST Bellows is a hemostatic product to control bleeding in a broad range of surgical procedures, such as cardiac surgery, general surgery, and orthopedic surgery, etc. Biom'up conducted a successful clinical trial in the United States with 412 patients admitted to cardio-thoracic, abdominal or orthopedic (lower limb) surgeries which met all of its primary and secondary endpoints. Given the compelling preliminary results (93% effectiveness at 6 minutes, compared with 74% for the control arm), the Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) unanimously recommended to stop the study after an interim analysis of the data, which allowed the company to accelerate the submission of its filing for premarket approval (PMA) to regulatory authorities in June 2017. After obtaining expedited FDA approval for HEMOBLAST Bellows in December 2017, 7 months ahead of original plan, Biom'up's efforts are focused on industrial and commercial activities and the recruitment of sales and marketing teams in the U.S. to prepare the planned commercial roll-out of our lead product in the United States. On July 12, 2018, Biom'up obtained CE Marking for its HEMOBLAST Bellows Laparoscopic Applicator designed to deliver the HEMOBLAST Bellows powder in minimally-invasive procedures. This has opened the way for the Company in a new market segment representing approximately 500,000 surgeries per year in Europe. In addition, on July 2, 2018 the Company filed a PMA supplement to obtain approval for HEMOBLAST Bellows for all laparoscopic surgical procedures in the United States. About Biom'up Founded in 2005 and based in the Lyon suburb of Saint-Priest (France), Biom'up designs hemostatic products based on patented biopolymers that aim to simplify surgical procedures in numerous specialties (spine, cardiothoracic, general, orthopedic, plastic) and give patients a better quality of life. Since its creation, Biom'up has benefited from the support of prominent European investors such as Bpifrance, Innobio, Gimv, Lundbeckfond, Merieux Participation, SHAM and ACG, as well as all the company's managers, who have invested 2 million in equity. Biom'up successfully completed its IPO on Euronext Paris, raising 42.5 million in October 2017. This has been followed by a 16 million capital increase in February 2018 and a 25 million bond financing agreement with Athyrium Opportunities III Acquisition LP, a US fund specializing in innovative companies in the healthcare sector, in March 2018. Warning This document and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or purchase, or the solicitation of an offer to sell or purchase, securities of Company. No disclosures or other any information relating to the issue of Company's shares may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction where a registration or approval is required. No formalities have been or will be undertaken in any jurisdiction outside France where such measures would be required. The offering or subscription of the shares may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. The Company assumes no responsibility for any violation of such restrictions by any person. This document does not constitute and shall not be construed as constituting a public offer or offer to purchase nor a solicitation to the public in connection with a public offering. The distribution of this document may in certain countries be governed by specific regulations. Any persons in possession of this document should seek advice on and comply with any local restrictions. This announcement is an advertisement and does not constitute a prospectus within the meaning of Prospectus Directive (as defined below), to the extent such Directive has been transposed in each of the Member States of the European Economic Area. With regard to Member States of the European Economic Area (including France) (the "Member States") that have transposed the Prospectus Directive, no action has been taken or will be taken to make an offer to the public of the securities requiring a publication of a prospectus in one of the Member States. As a result, the securities of the Company may not and will not be offered in any Member State other than France, except in accordance with the exemptions set forth in Article 3 of the Prospectus Directive. For the purposes of this provision, an "offer to the public" in relation to the new or existing shares of the Company in any Member State means the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the securities to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the securities, as modified, if applicable, by the Member State. "Prospectus Directive" herein refers to the Directive 2003/71/EC (as amended, including by Directive 2010/73/EC), and any relevant transposition measure in the Member State. This document may not be distributed, directly or indirectly in the United States of America. This document is neither an offer of securities for sale nor the solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in the United States of America or any other jurisdiction where such offer may be restricted. The securities of the Company may not be offered or sold in the United States of America absent registration or an exemption from registration under the US Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("US Securities Act"). The securities of the Company have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and the Company does not intend to make a public offer of its securities in the United States of America. In the United Kingdom, distribution of this document (referring to any form of communications) is subject to restrictions provided for by article 21 (restrictions relating to "financial promotion" of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (" FSMA"). This document is distributed to, and is directed only at persons who are (i) investment professionals under Article 19(5) of the FSMA (Financial Promotion Order) 2005 (the "Order") as amended, (ii) persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order and (iii) any person to which this document may be legally transmitted (all persons mentioned in (i), (ii) and (iii) together being referred to as "Relevant Persons". This document must not be acted on or relied on in the United Kingdom by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment to which this document relates may be proposed to or engaged in the United Kingdom only with Relevant Persons. By receiving this document, you must notify the Company that you are among the categories of persons mentioned above. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN OR SOUTH AFRICA View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181205005939/en/ Contacts: Biom'up Chief Financial Officer Jean-Yves Quentel investisseurs@biomup.com +33 4 86 57 36 10 MC Services AG International Investor and Public Relations Anne Hennecke anne.hennecke@mc-services.eu +49 211 529252-22 Alize RP Investor Relations Caroline Carmagnol biomup@alizerp.com +33 6 64 18 99 59 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2018) - Fremont Gold Ltd. (TSXV: FRE) (FSE: FR2) (OTC Pink: USTDF) ("Fremont" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's previously announced $1.0 million financing (the "Offering"), see the news release dated November 13, 2018, was oversubscribed and that Fremont raised $1,230,590 through the issuance of 8,789,930 units ("Units") at a price of $0.14 per Unit. Officers and directors of Fremont subscribed for a total of 1,708,500 common shares for gross proceeds of $239,190, or approximately 19% of the Offering. Net proceeds will be used to undertake further drilling at Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon projects located in the Gold Bar District in Eureka County, Nevada, and for general working capital. "Our plans to drill Gold Bar and Gold Canyon were well received by the marketplace and enabled us to raise more than the $1.0 million that we were originally seeking," said Blaine Monaghan, CEO of Fremont. "Permitting is currently underway and we expect to be drilling in early 2019. Drilling at Gold Bar will be focused on identifying an extension to the historic Gold Bar mine, while drilling at Gold Canyon will be focused on further defining a mineralized zone identified in the Company's 2018 drill program." Gold Bar and Gold Canyon Projects Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon projects are both former mines in the Gold Bar District in Eureka County, Nevada, an active mining district within the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend. The district contains several Carlin-style sediment-hosted gold deposits, including McEwen Mining Inc.'s ("McEwen") Gold Bar project, which is scheduled to begin production in early 2019(1). Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon projects are adjacent (west) and immediately north of McEwen's Gold Bar project. While McEwen's project and Fremont's project share the same name, the historic Gold Bar mine is held by Fremont. McEwen's project comprises four of the five satellite pits to the historic Gold Bar mine, whereas Fremont controls the remaining satellite pit, Gold Canyon. Fremont's Gold Bar project encompasses the historic Gold Bar mine, which produced 286,354 ounces of gold from 1986 to 1994(2), and the Millsite deposit, which hosts a historic resource of 147,000 ounces of gold (1.62 Mt @ 2.57 g/t gold)(2,3). Millsite is believed to be a faulted offset of the historic Gold Bar mine and is located to the northwest of the open pit. Fremont recently completed a soil sampling program based on a new structural interpretation and identified coincident gold and mercury geochemical anomalies to the southeast of the historic Gold Bar mine. This new interpretation and data suggest that gold mineralization related to the historic Gold Bar mine may extend to the southeast (see news release dated October 30, 2018). Part of the Offering proceeds will be used to drill test these anomalies. Drilling is expected to commence in early 2019 immediately upon completion of permitting. Gold Canyon is adjacent to and directly northwest of McEwen's project, approximately 800 metres from McEwen's Gold Ridge deposit. Gold Canyon produced approximately 41,000 ounces of gold from 1990-1994(2) and a stockpile of previously mined ore still exists at site. Drilling undertaken by Fremont earlier this year intercepted a previously unrecognized mineralized zone approximately 60 metres below the pit floor (see news release dated July 25, 2018). Part of the Offering proceeds will be used to further define this zone. The Units Each Unit is comprised of a common share of the Company and one-half of one transferable share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant ("Warrant") entitles the holder to purchase one common share at a purchase price of $0.20 per for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. The Warrants are subject to an accelerator provision whereby if, over a period of 15 consecutive trading days between December 5, 2018 and the expiry of the Warrants, the daily volume weighted average trading price of the Company's common shares exceeds $0.30, the Company may give written notice (via news release) that the Warrants will expire on the 30th day following the provision of notice. Officers and directors of Fremont subscribed for a total of 1,708,500 common shares for gross proceeds of $239,190. The participation of officers and directors of Fremont in the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The transaction is exempt from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and the minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) on the basis that the fair market value of the officers' and directors' participation is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days in advance of the closing of the Offering as contemplated by the related party transaction requirements under MI 61-101 as the insider participation was only recently confirmed. Fremont paid a finder's fee equivalent to 6% on certain of the proceeds raised in connection with the Offering. Total finder's fees amount to $39,198. All common shares issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, pursuant to which they may not be sold or transferred until April 6, 2019. About Fremont Gold Fremont's mine-finding management team has assembled a portfolio of high-quality gold projects in Nevada with the goal of making a new discovery. Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon are past producing gold mines adjacent to McEwen's Gold Bar project, where mine construction is underway. Other projects include North Carlin, Goldrun, Hurricane, and Roberts Creek. We are aligned with our shareholders: Insiders own approximately 25% of Fremont. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Blaine Monaghan" CEO Telephone: +1 604-676-5664 Email: blaine@fremontgold.net www.fremontgold.net 1McEwen's website 2 Internal report, Atlas Precious Metals, Mines, December 13, 1995, prepared by Pincock, Allen & Holt 3 The Company has not verified these historical resources and is not treating these historical estimates as current mineral resources 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 Certain statements and information contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are referred to collectively as "forward-looking statements". The United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "seek", "expect", "anticipate", "budget", "plan", "estimate", "continue", "forecast", "intend", "believe", "predict", "potential", "target", "may", "could", "would", "might", "will", "hope", "will be", "expected" and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements in this and other press releases include but are not limited to statements and information regarding the use of proceeds and the focus and timing of the drilling programs at the Company's projects. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Fremont undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. IMC Exploration Group Plc ("IMC" or the "Company); Update on Drilling Programme Drilling Programme IMC Exploration Group Plc announces that a drilling programme has commenced on PL 2551 in Co. Wexford, Ireland. This is a highly prospective licence for gold mineralisation. There are many occurrences of gold in panned concentrates, gold in soils, gold in deep overburden, gold in mineralised float and gold in bedrock. The IMC Directors believe that this current drilling programme will complement the work already carried out by IMC that significantly upgraded the gold potential of this licence. It is considered that there is strong support for the presence of a zone of major gold mineralisation trending NE to ENE. Dublin, 4th March 2018 The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for this announcement. Latin American low-cost airline chooses Boxever as its personalisation partner Boxever, the market-leading personalisation platform, today announces its partnership with Viva Air, Latin America's leading low-cost airline will use Boxever's Customer Data Platform and next-generation decisioning engine to help centralise its data and drive personalised experiences for its customers. The partnership comes at a time of growth and expansion for Viva Air. The airline has been in business for six years, transporting more than 16.8 million customers across Colombia and Peru. Recently the low-cost carrier opened the first innovation laboratory in the aviation and tourism sector in Latin America Viva Air Labs which is dedicated to advancing aviation technology through partnerships with universities, government entities and local tech companies. Off the back of this growth and innovation focus, Viva Air has selected Boxever to help keep the customer at the heart of its business. Boxever's market-leading technology will help the airline to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with its customers and transform the customer experience throughout the passenger journey, driving more revenues. "We are very excited to work with Boxever as it is in line with our brand transformation where we are working on improving our clients' experience from start to finish. This platform will help us transform the way we interact with our current customers and it will help us to bring more in the future ", commented Aurelius Noell, Commercial Vice President of Viva Air. Dave O'Flanagan, CEO of Boxever, said: "We're really excited about working with Viva Air Group to transform how it engages its customers. We are proud to work with an airline so committed to customer experience, and look forward to seeing the value our market-leading personalisation technology powered by data and AI will bring to Viva Air customers." - Ends - About Boxever Boxever is a personalisation platform that uses data and AI to make every customer interaction smarter. It connects all your customer, product and operational data, putting your customer at the centre of your business and enabling true one-to-one personalisation. This results in lower acquisition costs, accelerated conversion rates, improved customer engagement and higher lifetime value. Using artificial intelligence, it acts as the "brain" within your customer-tech ecosystem, taking in all data about the customer, deciding what should happen next and executing that action through the most appropriate channels in real time, as it happens. Today, leading brands from across the globe including Emirates, Air New Zealand, Cebu Pacific, Brussels Airlines and Aer Lingus rely on Boxever to help acquire, convert and retain customers. The company is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Learn more at www.boxever.com or follow us on Twitter @Boxever. About Viva Air Viva Air is the leading group of low cost airlines in Latin America. It is currently headquartered in Colombia and Peru, with a network of domestic and international flights. It began operations in 2012 in Colombia and in 2017 in Peru, changing and revolutionizing the way of flying with low prices. With the recent purchase of 50 new aircraft Airbus 320, 15 CEO (current engine option) and 35 NEO (new engine option), the group plans to expand its model throughout the region. Viva Air has all the experience and support of Irelandia Aviation, leading developer of low cost airlines in the world, led by Declan Ryan and his team, one of the founders of Ryanair. Irelandia has successfully developed 6 airlines using this model to date, which are: Ryanair in Europe, Tiger Airways in Asia, Allegiant in the United States, VivaAerobus in Mexico, Viva Air Colombia and Viva Air Peru. These airlines combined add a fleet of more than 500 aircraft and have transported more than 1 billion passengers. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005311/en/ Contacts: Diana Byrne VP Marketing, Boxever +353 87 1276697 diana.byrne@boxever.com Manuela Bedoya Jefe de Comunicaciones, Viva Air +57 314 6820178 manuela.bedoya@vivaair.com In recognition of the cognitive decline associated with even mild hearing loss, Hidden Hearing is donating 3 for every hearing test undertaken in December to their charity of choice, Alzheimer's Research UK, one of the UK's leading Alzheimer's research charities. "We would encourage everyone over the age of 55 to get their hearing tested regularly," says Hidden Hearing's audiologist, Farah Kiani. "As well as simply being able to enjoy life to the full, maintaining good hearing is one of the ways that people can help themselves in reducing their personal risk of developing dementia Already this year, Hidden Hearing's audiologists have carried out over 105,000 hearing tests, free of charge, and as part of the Campaign for Better Hearing, has awarded hearing devices to individuals nominated for the Give Back initiative. Over 34 lucky recipients have already received new hearing aids, with a total value of more than 180,000 over the course of 2018. "This has been one of our most rewarding initiatives," says Claire Foster, marketing director of Hidden Hearing. "Listening to the customers when they have been fitted with their new devices is really heart-warming. To hear how Jeff was able to hear his new born baby for the first time and to learn that Mr Lishman had been able to join his local ukulele band again, has been really motivating for our hearing centres up and down the country." She adds, "We believe people are at the heart of our business, not just customers but our staff too and we're proud to have received the Employer of The Year at Investors in People Awards November 2018." Dr Hilary Jones, TV doctor and health broadcaster supports the campaign and knows how important hearing is, especially at times like Christmas when the family gets together. "Not being able to hear properly can be extremely isolating," he says. "Making sure you are able to take part fully in family situations can literally be as simple as going to get your hearing tested hearing is intrinsically linked to so many areas of life, and our health. Latest research shows that by ignoring a potential hearing problem, we not only risk missing out on life's important moments, we also increase the risk of dementia, diabetes and depression. It's important to take early action and a regular hearing check is key to ensure good hearing health." "Protecting hearing can only be a good thing", says Dr Laura Phipps from Alzheimer's Research UK. "The link between hearing loss and dementia is a new area of focus as we search for ways of protecting the memories that make up our Magic Moments. Just as dementia research aims to help people stay connected to their world, so can looking after your hearing." Hidden Hearing will donate 3 to Alzheimer's Research UK for every hearing test given during the month of December. For more information on hearing loss or to book a free hearing test near you, visit www.hiddenhearing.co.uk 2018 Winners: some of the people who have been awarded free hearing devices as part of Hidden Hearing's Campaign for Better Hearing Give Back Campaign. To see more winners, visit www.campaignforbetterhearing.co.uk Darren Young, 38, from Preston David Markee, 75, from Croydon Ellen Mckay, 64, from Kinross Gillian Evans, 57, from Shrewsbury James Lishman. 87, from Pickering Jeff Alcock, 46, from East Sussex -ENDS- Background: Hidden Hearing is a high-street hearing specialist with over 50 years' experience in hearing healthcare. Hidden Hearing is dedicated to providing the highest standard of care across their national network of 263 UK centres, providing free hearing tests, advice and information on the latest hearing technology. More than 300,000 people in the UK are helped each year by Hidden Hearing. To find your nearest hearing centre or to book a free hearing screen call 0800 037 2060 or visit www.hiddenhearing.co.uk Treating hearing loss early is important for several reasons: Problems with hearing may lead to social isolation or depression, both of which have also been linked to a higher dementia risk. Some researchers have suggested that the mental effort needed to cope with hearing loss may leave less 'cognitive reserve', which is thought to help people withstand damage to the brain caused by diseases like Alzheimer's for longer. Staying socially active and engaged may help lower the risk of dementia. Difficulties with hearing could be a barrier to this, so it's important for hearing loss to be treated to help people stay socially connected. For people who have dementia, hearing loss may compound any confusion and communication difficulties they may be experiencing as a result of their dementia View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005318/en/ Contacts: Media enquiries: Anna Ramsey 020 8995 5832 anna@ROADCommunications.co.uk sarah@ROADCommunications.co.uk. GENEVA, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Andreas Balsiger Betts joins along with Olivier Goarnisson to expand the firm's capabilities and establish the first global life sciences practice serving all language areas of Switzerland Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Andreas Balsiger Betts, the former Head of Legal Affairs at Swissmedic, will join the firm as a senior advisor in Switzerland, and that Olivier Goarnisson, the former Director of Medical Affairs Operations Europe and a lawyer at a global pharmaceutical company, has joined the life sciences practice in Switzerland as counsel. Their arrival signals the expansion of Sidley's life sciences capabilities to serve all language areas of Switzerland, strengthening the firm's position as a foremost provider of life sciences legal services in Europe and globally. Andreas Balsiger Betts previously served as the Head of Legal Affairs and Member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products. In this capacity, he had a leading role in drafting the complete revision of the Swiss Federal Act on Therapeutic Products and its ordinances, which will come into force in 2019. He represented Swissmedic in all the Swiss parliamentary committee meetings in this context as well as in all meetings with EU member state agency counterparts. At Sidley, he will advise on regulatory matters in the life sciences industry. Olivier Goarnisson combines an in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical legal framework in both Switzerland and the EU with direct insight into the challenges facing in-house lawyers. He possesses dual qualification as a lawyer and medical doctor, and will focus his practice on matters related to clinical trials, non-interventional studies, pharmacovigilance, marketing authorizations, market access, data protection, and compliance and enforcement. "Andreas's arrival initiates our effort to provide the first comprehensive global life sciences legal practice in Switzerland, offering a deep, three-continent perspective to established global companies, to the emerging biotechnology sector, and to the many global life sciences companies that call Switzerland home," said Scott Bass, leader of Sidley's global Life Sciences practice. "Andreas is highly recognized in the Swiss life sciences industry for his in-depth knowledge of the regulatory environment. His insights into Swiss institutions will significantly bolster our ability to offer global solutions to local challenges for clients in the life sciences sector. We are very happy that Olivier also joins our firm, bringing his experience in a wide range of matters related to life sciences regulatory law, specifically in the pharmaceutical industry." In his role as Head of Legal Affairs and Member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, Andreas Balsiger Betts acquired a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the current legal framework, as well as extensive knowledge of the Swiss legislative processes on the parliamentary and executive levels. He was in charge of establishing and maintaining legal guidance for Swissmedic's policies, procedures and practice, both on the strategic and the day-to-day level. With his division of specialized prosecutors, Andreas was also responsible for law enforcement initiatives within the remit of Swissmedic. Under his guidance, his team represented Swissmedic in all court cases regarding administrative and penal decisions taken by the agency, against claims of liability and in freedom of information inquiries. Olivier Goarnisson oversaw his company's execution of post-authorization studies and related interactions with regulatory authorities. He also oversaw programs through which the company provided support for academic research in Europe. In this role, he ensured compliance of the company's academic support programs with anti-corruption and pharmacovigilance requirements. He also helped the company manage intellectual property and product liability risks that may arise from involvement in academic research. Before moving in-house, Olivier worked for six years as a lawyer in Sidley's Brussels office, where he honed his skills in advising on regulatory law, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance and data protection issues affecting clients in the life sciences industry. Andreas Balsiger Betts and Olivier Goarnisson are the latest additions to the firm's multidisciplinary and integrated global network of lawyers focused on serving clients in the life sciences sector. With 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw. For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and our headquarters are Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, +1-212-839-5300; One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, +1-312-853-7000; and 1501 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, +1-202-736-8000. Contact: Kellie Mullins Director, Public Relations +1-312-456-8716 kmullins@sidley.com DETROIT, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new research report on Automotive Leaf Spring Aftermarket by Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, LCV, M&HCV, and Others), by Spring Type (Parabolic Leaf Spring and Multi-Leaf Spring), by Location Type (Front Suspension and Rear Suspension), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of World) Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/660595/Stratview_Research_Logo.jpg ) This market report, from Stratview Research, studies leaf spring aftermarket in the global automotive industry over the trend and forecast period of 2013 to 2018 and 2019 to 2024, respectively. The report provides detailed insights on the market dynamics to enable informed business decision making and growth strategy formulation based on the opportunities present in the market. Automotive Leaf Spring Aftermarket: Research Highlights Leaf spring is one of the oldest suspension components and is still being preferred in most of the LCVs and MHCVs. Over the eons, the automotive industry has witnessed a remarkable transition in the leaf spring technology, material, style, design, etc. There are countless styles of leaf-spring suspension available worldwide featuring different mounting points, shapes, and sizes. Leaf spring has to be replaced frequently, generally in 9-12 months, due to the damages like sag, break, and crack, caused by several factors including uneven road and excess load in vehicles. As per Stratview Research, the global automotive leaf spring aftermarket is likely to witness a healthy growth rate over the next five years to reach an estimated value of US$ 1,998.8 million in 2024. Increasing automotive fleet size is the key driver of the leaf spring aftermarket in the automotive industry. Organic growth in automobile production, owing to increasing disposable income and growing urbanization, is also imprinting a positive impact on the future demand for leaf springs in the aftermarket segment. Click here to browse the detailed TOC of the report The author of the report cited that M&HCV is expected to remain the growth engine of the market during the forecast period, owing to a higher penetration of leaf springs in the MHCV segment. Also, there is a more frequent replacement of leaf springs in the vehicle type due to carrying higher loads. Based on the spring type, the aftermarket is segmented as parabolic leaf spring and multi-leaf spring.Multi-leaf spring is expected to remain the dominant spring type in the aftermarket during the forecast period, whereas parabolic leaf spring is expected to experience higher growth during the same period. Register here for a free sample of the detailed report As per the study, rear suspension is expected to remain the most dominant segment during the forecast period. High penetration of leaf spring in the rear suspension of LCV, M&HCV, and trailers drives a higher replacement demand for leaf springs. Both front and rear leaf suspension are expected to experience similar growth rates with a marginal difference over the next five years. In terms of regions, Asia-Pacific is expected to remain the largest leaf spring aftermarket during the forecast period, owing to an increased vehicle production and growing fleet size, which, in turn, is driving the demand for leaf springs in the region over the next five years. The region is likely to experience an impressive growth during the same period. China and India are the growth engines of the Asia-Pacific's aftermarket for leaf springs. The global automotive leaf spring aftermarket is highly fragmented with the presence of many global as well as regional players as against the OE market for leaf springs which is relatively consolidated. The key automotive leaf spring suppliers for the aftermarket are Hendrickson International, NHK Springs Co., Ltd., Jamna Auto Industries, Rassini, and Dongfeng Motor Suspension Spring Co., Ltd. These companies are also present in the OE segment. Development of low-cost leaf springs and formation of strategic alliances with OEMs are the key strategies adopted by the major players to gain a competitive edge in the market. Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis Market trend and forecast analysis Market segment trend and forecast Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities Emerging trends Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players Key success factors This report studies leaf spring aftermarket in the global automotive industry and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the four ways in which the market is segmented: Automotive Leaf Spring Aftermarket, By Vehicle Type Passenger Car (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Light Commercial Vehicle (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Medium- & Heavy-Duty Commercial Vehicle (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Other Vehicles (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Aftermarket, By Spring Type Parabolic Leaf Spring (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) , , , and RoW) Multi-Leaf Spring (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Aftermarket, By Location Type Front Suspension (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) , , , and RoW) Rear Suspension (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Automotive Leaf Spring Aftermarket, By Region North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico ) Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , The UK, Italy , Russia , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China , Japan , India , South Korea , and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil , Argentina , and Others) Stratview Research has several high value market reports in the global automotive industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: Click Here for Other Reports from Stratview Research in the Automotive Industry Some of our other related premium reports in the automotive industry: Automotive Leaf Spring Marketby Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light-Duty Commercial Vehicle, Medium- & Heavy-Duty Vehicle, and Others), by Spring Type (Parabolic Leaf Spring and Multi-Leaf Spring), by Material Type (Metal Leaf Springs and Composite Leaf Springs), by Location Type (Front Suspension and Rear Suspension), by Manufacturing Process Type (Shot Peening, HP-RTM, and Others), by End-User Type (OE and Aftermarket), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2019-2024 Automotive Composite Leaf Springs Marketby Vehicle Type (Passenger Car, Light Commercial Vehicle, Medium- & Heavy-Duty Vehicle, and Others), by Installation Type (Transversal and Longitudinal), by Location Type (Front and Rear), by Manufacturing Process Type (Compression Molding, High-Pressure Resin Transfer Molding, and Prepreg Layup), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2018-2023 About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. For enquiries, Contact: Stratview Research E-mail: sales@stratviewresearch.com Direct: +1-313-307-4176 SpendEdge, a well-known procurement intelligence solution provider, has announced the completion of their latest financial risk assessment study for a construction industry company. The client is one of the largest construction firms, with over 50,000+ employees working on various projects around the world. With increasing material costs and dwindling talent pools, construction industry companies are grappling with serious challenges. The client realized the need to stay prepared to act quickly to the rising challenges and unexpected financial risks. Moreover, by leveraging a financial risk assessment strategy, the company wanted to forecast potential problem areas and avoid losing capital in the case a risk occurred. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005274/en/ Financial risk assessment study for a construction industry company (Graphic: Business Wire) Financial risk analysis looks at a company's problems it could potentially encounter in daily operations. When changes in financial markets, legal liabilities, or even manmade disasters occur, business operations can be disrupted. Thus, proactively managing the business and financial risks will help you sustain business growth. Request a free demo see for yourself why we're the preferred partner for leading Fortune 500 companies when it comes to financial risk assessment and procurement intelligence solutions. According to the procurement experts at SpendEdge, "By leveraging a financial risk assessment strategy, businesses can optimize the amount of risk it handles with its financial interests With the help of SpendEdge's financial risk assessment strategy, the construction industry client was able to identify, measure, monitor and mitigate risks to their financial status. This helped them to forecast potential problem areas and predict opportunities to act quickly and stay ahead of the financial market trend. Moreover, by leveraging a financial risk assessment strategy, the client was able to make adjustments to their marketing and promotional campaigns, which subsequently resulted in revenue growth. To know more about the complete scope of this engagement and the real benefits of financial risk assessment solution for businesses, request a proposal SpendEdge's financial risk assessment engagement helped the client to: Measure potential outcomes of a risk and avoid capital loss Develop a customized financial risk assessment template To know more about the financial risk assessment strategies followed by different firms, Talk to an analyst The financial risk assessment engagement also offered predictive insights on: Preventing risks and developing cost-cutting strategies to mitigate the damage caused by revenue losses Making smart business decisions and avoiding financial issues Read the complete article to know more: https://www.spendedge.com/casestudy/financial-risk-assessment-construction-industry-company Are you interested in purchasing procurement reports? Our subscription platform, SpendEdge Insights, provides ready-to-use procurement market 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/20181206005274/en/ Contacts: SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager US: +1 630 984 7340 UK: +44 148 459 9299 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us News release from Vestas Wind Systems A/S Aarhus, 06 December 2018 Confirming the largest MW project to date in the company's history, MHI Vestas will supply 100 V164-9.5 MW turbines for the 950 MW project to be installed in Scotland's Moray Firth. The project references Vestas Wind Systems A/S' company announcement No. 30/2018 . MHI Vestas Offshore Wind celebrated financial close today with Moray East for the 950 MW Moray East Offshore Wind Farm as the offshore wind turbine manufacturer signed a firm turbine supply order. The order includes a 15-year service agreement. Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) Limited, known as Moray East, is a 950 MW offshore wind project 22km from the coast of Scotland, which in 2017 won a Contract for Difference (CfD) from the UK Government to supply electricity at 57.50/MWhr, representing a significant cost reduction compared with similar projects under construction today (typically 140/MWhr). Project Director for Moray East, Oscar Diaz, said, "Moray East is a landmark project for the offshore wind industry, delivering sustainable, renewable generation at a highly competitive power price. The project will bring new opportunities to areas including Fraserburgh, where we have announced the windfarm's operations and maintenance base will be located, and in the Cromarty Firth, where the port was last week selected as the pre-assembly port". "We look forward to working with MHI Vestas, particularly in Fraserburgh and in Invergordon, where we have ongoing plans for local supply chain engagement." MHI Vestas Offshore Wind CEO, Philippe Kavafyan, said, "We are pleased that Moray East has reached financial close. With the signing of the firm order, we can accelerate preparations for our company's largest MW project to date. Installing the world's most powerful commercial turbine, the V164-9.5 MW, in Moray Firth means more local, clean energy jobs in Scotland and across the UK, including our most recent expansion of blade production on the Isle of Wight". In May, Moray East announced Fraserburgh as the preferred Operations and Maintenance port for the project and only last week, the Port of Cromarty Firth was selected as the pre-assembly harbour, sending a strong signal that the project is progressing on schedule. The news from MHI Vestas Offshore Wind comes on the heels of its recent announcement that the company's blade factory on the Isle of Wight received a second blade mould and is in the process of hiring 380 new, direct jobs to keep pace with growing demand. For more information, please contact: Michael Morris MHI Vestas Offshore Wind Mail: mijmo@mhivestasoffshore.com Tel: +45 8844 8950 Anders Riis Director, Vestas Mail: ANPRR@vestas.comANPRR Tel: +45 4181 3922 About MHI Vestas Offshore Wind MHI Vestas Offshore Wind is a joint venture between Vestas Wind Systems A/S 50% and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries or follow @MHIVestas on Twitter. About Moray East Offshore Windfarm Limited Moray Offshore Windfarm East is a joint venture company owned by EDP Renewables (43.3 pc) and ENGIE (23.3pc) and Diamond Green Limited (DGL) (33.4pc). In 2017, the project was awarded a 57.50/MWhr contract for Difference (CfD) by the UK Government. Project Timeline 2010 - project development commenced when development rights were won in the UK's 3rd round of offshore wind licencing. The Moray Firth Zone (Zone 1) was split into two, to enable Moray East to be developed ahead of Moray West, as there were constraints in the west of the zone. (Constraints in the west eased, and development of Moray West commenced in 2016). 2014 - planning consent was awarded by the Scottish Government (offshore works) and Aberdeenshire Council (onshore works) 2017 - A 950 MW Contract for Difference (CfD) was won in the UK Government's 2nd competitive CfD auction. The CfD provides a contract for electricity for 15 years at 57.50/MWhr. Project Statistics Capacity: 950 MW Location: UK, 22km from North East coast Turbines: V164-9.5 MW Power for average requirements of ca. 950, 000 UK homes About Vestas Vestas is the energy industry's global partner on sustainable energy solutions. We design, manufacture, install, and service wind turbines across the globe, and with 97 GW of wind turbines in 79 countries, we have installed more wind power than anyone else. Through our industry-leading smart data capabilities and unparalleled 83 GW of wind turbines under service, we use data to interpret, forecast, and exploit wind resources and deliver best-in-class wind power solutions. Together with our customers, Vestas' more than 24,400 employees are bringing the world sustainable energy solutions to power a bright future. For updated Vestas photographs and videos, please visit our media images page on: https://www.vestas.com/en/media/images . We invite you to learn more about Vestas by visiting our website at www.vestas.com and following us on our social media channels: www.twitter.com/vestas (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) (http://www.twitter.com/vestas) www.linkedin.com/company/vestas (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) (http://www.linkedin.com/company/vestas) www.facebook.com/vestas (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) (http://www.facebook.com/vestas) www.instagram.com/vestas (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) (http://www.instagram.com/vestas) www.youtube.com/vestas (http://www.youtube.com/vestas) Attachment 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. Half of management teams lack awareness about BPC despite increased attacks Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, today revealed that 43 percent of surveyed organizations have been impacted by a Business Process Compromise (BPC). Despite a high incidence of these types of attacks, 50 percent of management teams still don't know what these attacks are or how their business would be impacted if they were victimized. In a BPC attack, criminals look for loopholes in business processes, vulnerable systems and susceptible practices. Once a weakness has been identified, a part of the process is altered to benefit the attacker, without the enterprise or its client detecting the change. If victimized by this type of attack, 85 percent of businesses would be limited from offering at least one of their business lines. "We're seeing more cybercriminals playing the long game for greater reward," said Rik Ferguson, vice president of security research for Trend Micro. "In a BPC attack, they could be lurking in a company's infrastructure for months or years, monitoring processes and building up a detailed picture of how it operates. From there they can insert themselves into critical processes, undetected and without human interaction. For example, they might re-route valuable goods to a new address, or change printer settings to steal confidential information as was the case in the well-known Bangladeshi Bank heist." Global security teams are not ignoring this risk, with 72 percent of respondents stating that BPC is a priority when developing and implementing their organization's cybersecurity strategy. However, the lack of management awareness around this problem creates a cybersecurity knowledge gap that could leave organizations vulnerable to attack as businesses strive to transform and automate core processes to increase efficiency and competitivenessi The most common way for cybercriminals to infiltrate corporate networks is through a Business Email Compromise (BEC). This is a type of scam that targets email accounts of high-level employees related to finance or involved with wire transfer payments, either spoofing or compromising them through keyloggers or phishing attacks. In Trend Micro's survey, 61 percent of organizations said they could not afford to lose money from a BEC attack. However, according to the FBI, global losses due to BEC attacks continue to rise, reaching $12 billion earlier this year. Ferguson continued: "To protect against all forms of BPC attacks, business and IT leaders must work together to put cybersecurity first and avoid potentially devastating losses. Companies need protection beyond perimeter controls, extending to detect unusual activity within processes if attackers breach the network. This includes locking down access to mission critical systems, file integrity monitoring, and intrusion prevention to stop lateral movement within a network." For more information on BPC and BEC attacks, read this Trend Micro Research report. About Trend Micro Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 6,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world's most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro enables organizations to secure their journey to the cloud. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com. Research methodology Research carried out by Opinium, commissioned by Trend Micro. Online survey among 1,125 IT decision-makers responsible for cybersecurity across the UK, US, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, France, Netherlands, Poland, Belgium and Czech Republic. i https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/05/30/1514183/0/en/Robotic-Process-Automation-Market-to-Grow-at-36-2-CAGR-till-2023-P-S-Market-Research.html View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005023/en/ Contacts: Erin Johnson media_relations@trendmicro.com trendmicro@redconsultancy.com JACKSON CENTER, PA / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2018 / Premier Biomedical, Inc (OTC: BIEI) a research based publicly traded biomedical company has signed a sales and distribution agreement with CBD Hemp Distributing Company, a newly formed company part of a conglomerate. The company, whose members have an extensive network of sales contacts in the retail pharmaceutical and pain management medical industry, will have exclusive distribution rights to Premier Biomedical's topical pain relief products in four Northeastern States of the U.S. This move augments the growing number of regional sales representatives and local distributors Premier Biomedical has scattered throughout the country. Ralph Blundo and Ron Patrick, principals in CBD HEMP DISTRIBUTING COMPANY are excited about the opportunity to distribute the high quality CBD products designed by Premier Biomedical. "The CBD industry is in its infancy with unlimited potential. By signing this distribution agreement with Premier Biomedical we are partnering with a leader in the development of CBD Hemp products. We are looking forward to a long, healthy business relationship." William A. Hartman, President and CEO of Premier Biomedical stated, 'The experience and expertise in distribution to retail pharmacies and medical pain relief outlets is the reason Premier decided to partner with CBD Hemp Distributing Company. We see this as a way to get our products into the hands of more people suffering from pain in order to combat the use of dangerous opioid medication.' Opioids are responsible for nearly 100 deaths per day. Experts project this figure could go as high as 250 deaths per day, if steps are not taken to reduce the spread of opioid use. Testimonies from people who were able to reduce or eliminate their intake of opioid pain killers through use of Premier Biomedical's topical pain relief products can be reviewed at the company's website at www.painreliefmeds.com. For more information please contact: William A. Hartman President and CEOPremier Biomedical Inc.814-786-8849w.hartman@premierbiomedical.comwww.premierbiomedical.com/www.painreliefmeds.comCBD Hemp Distributing Company is a new company that was formed for the sole purpose of delivering high quality CBD products to the medical and pharmaceutical professional marketplace. The two principals of the company, Ralph Blundo and Ron Patrick, have a proven history of success in this market and have a firm understanding of the distribution chain needed to establish a new product line in it.Premier Biomedical, Inc. (OTC: BIEI) is a research-based publicly traded company that intends to discover and develop medical treatments for a wide range of diseases in humans. Premier has obtained, via exclusive license agreements, the technology behind three granted US Patents, multiple pending provisional patents. Founded in 2010, Premier has partnered with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). In 2016, the company began developing a line of all-natural pain relief products which they began selling in early 2017 to address the rising opioid addiction problem. The company's R&D efforts are centered in El Paso, TX, and their business offices are in Western Pennsylvania. The Company is a fully-reporting issuer whose common stock trades on the OTC marketplace maintained by OTC Markets Group, Inc. under the ticker symbol "BIEI." For more information please visit our website: http://www.premierbiomedical.com/.Certain statements contained herein are 'forward-looking statements' (as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Premier Biomedical, Inc. cautions that statements, and assumptions made in this news release constitute forward-looking statements and makes no guarantee of future performance. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the time statements are made. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates made by management. Actual results could differ materially from current projections or implied results. Premier Biomedical, Inc. undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this news release. SOURCE: Premier Biomedical, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/529826/Premier-Biomedical-Signs-Agreement-With-CBD-HEMP-Distributing-Company-to-Distribute-Premiers-Topical-Pain-Relief-Products-In-Four-Northeastern-States Imperial Minerals Plc - Notice of AGM 6 December 2018 Imperial Minerals Plc ("Imperial" or the "Company") Notice of Annual General Meeting Imperial is pleased to announce that the Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the offices of Shakespeare Martineau, 6th Floor, 60 Gracechurch Street, London, EC3V 0HR on Friday 28thDecember 2018 at 11.00 a.m. Notice of the Annual General Meeting can be found at the following link: https://www.nexexchange.com/member'securityid=1024283 The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the contents of this announcement. For further information please contact: Imperial Minerals plc Michael Langoulant +44 7899 249990 Peterhouse Capital Limited Guy Miller and Mark Anwyl +44 (0)20 7220 9796 PORTLAND, Oregon, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Increased need to boost efficiency of employees, rise in adoption of BYOD across various industry verticals, enhancement in data security, and numerous benefits offered by these solutions are expected to drive the growth of the global client virtualization market Allied Market Research published a report, titled, Client Virtualization Market by Type (Desktop Virtualization, Application Virtualization, and Presentation Virtualization), Organization Size (Large Enterprises, and SMBs), and Industry Vertical (IT &Telecom, Construction & Manufacturing, BFSI, Healthcare, Public Sector, Retail, Education, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018-2025. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the key winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market share & share, key segments, and competitive landscape. According to the report, the global client virtualization market garnered $4.22 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $10.11 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 11.80% from 2018 to 2025. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg ) Increase in need to boost efficiency of employees, rise in adoption of BYOD across various industry verticals, enhancement in data security, and numerous benefits offered by these solutions such as enhanced data security, better desktop management, and increase in cost-savings associated with client virtualization solutions drive the growth of the industry. All these factors collectively provide opportunities for the market players in future. However, performance and compatibility issues of client virtualization solutions hinder the market growth. Request Sample Report at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/3212 SMBs segment to be lucrative through 2025 Among the organization size, the SMBs segment accounted for nearly 60% of the total market share in 2017 and would continue its dominance through 2025, registering the fastest CAGR of 13.50% from 2018 to 2025. This is because SMBs are moving towards client virtualization to provide computing to their workforce and keeping costs down at the same time, particularly in a tough economy where having a full-time IT staff is a luxury. The large enterprises segment would grow at a steady rate during the forecast period. Desktop virtualization: the highest revenue contributor, application virtualization: the fastest growing Among the types, the desktop virtualization segment contributed more than half of the total market share in 2017 and would maintain its lion's share throughout the forecast period. Desktop virtualization provide significant benefits in improving productivity and reducing costs. However, the application virtualization segment is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of 14.50% from 2018 to 2025. This is attributed to the increased adoption of application virtualization due to its numerous benefits such as ease of maintenance, greater portability, and simpler deployment across several versions of Windows OS. The other type explored in the research is presentation virtualization. For Purchase Enquiry:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/3212 Healthcare segment to witness the fastest growth The healthcare segment would grow at the fastest CAGR of 16.70% during the forecast period. This is due to the surge in demand for client virtualization solutions in the healthcare sector to meet the unique challenges associated with the increasing need to shift from paper-based operations to electronic records and augmented demand for safeguarding patient information. However, the IT & telecom segment generated the highest market share of 23% in 2017 and is expected to remain dominant throughout the forecast period. The desktop virtualization solution is widely used by IT & telecom organizations to create an agile IT infrastructure which complement their business imperatives. Moreover, increased need for reducing IT infrastructure costs among these organizations drive the market growth. The study also analyzes construction & manufacturing, BFSI, public sector, retail, education, and other industry verticals. North America to remain dominant, Asia-Pacific to achieve the fastest growth North America contributed nearly half of the total market share in 2017 and is anticipated to continue its dominance during the forecast period. The main reason behind this growth is the growing demand for faster and more reliable computing solutions in North America which is resulting in the growth of desktop virtualization solutions in the region. Moreover, enhanced security and simplified management process of client virtualization are other factors driving the market growth in the region. However, Asia-Pacific would grow at the fastest CAGR of 15.80% from 2018 to 2025, owing to rise in BYOD solutions and need of better desktop management among the organizations in developing countries in the region. The other regions analyzed in the study are Europe and LAMEA (Latin America, Middle East, and Africa). Industry Frontrunners The key market players analyzed in the report include Cisco Systems, Inc., Citrix Systems, Inc., Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., IBM Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Parallels Inc., Red Hat, Inc., Toshiba Corporation, and VMware, Inc. These companies have implemented various strategies including expansions, mergers & acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures, collaborations, and others to gain a stronghold in the industry. Access KNOWLEDGE TREE (Premium on-demand, subscription-based pricing model) at:https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/knowledgetree Knowledge tree is a cloud-based intelligence platform that offers more than 2,000 selective, off-the-shelf reports on niche markets to enable our clients gain deep insights on the latest trends, dynamic technologies, and emerging application areas. Similar Reports: Virtual Router Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2018 - 2025 Virtual Training and Simulation Market - Global Oppo r tunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2016 - 2022 About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry. Contact: David Correa 5933 NE Win Sivers Drive #205, Portland, OR 97220 United States USA/Canada (Toll Free): +1-800-792-5285, +1-503-894-6022, +1-503-446-1141 UK: +44-845-528-1300 Hong Kong: +852-301-84916 India (Pune): +91-20-66346060 Fax: +1(855)550-5975 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2018) - Maritime Resources Corp. (TSXV: MAE) ("Maritime") is pleased to announce the start of the Company's initial drill program on the Whisker gold project which is located approximately 10 kilometres from the Hammerdown gold deposit on the Green Bay Property in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Whisker Valley drill program will focus on a gold vein system that was trenched and channel sampled in the fall of 2017. Results from that program showed continuous gold values in individual veins that occur in a zone that has been traced at surface for over 200 metres strike length. Individual channel sample results from the veins were documented in a series of news releases by Maritime Resources available on the Company's website (www.maritimeresourcescorp.com). The Company subsequently completed a detailed IP Survey in early 2018 that was designed to test the depth potential of the known vein system as well as search for extensions to the east and west ends of the veins. The IP Geophysical Survey provided a coincident chargeability response with the Whisker Gold Vein system and extended the footprint of the mineralized zone to a potential 500 metres strike length (See NR #18-23, September 26th, 2018). The gold veins carry disseminated pyrite and base metals sulphides which appear to provide the IP response. Other anomalies identified in this survey have yet to be investigated. (see map, below) PLAN MAP SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF VEINS AND IP ANOMALIES (along with first 3 drill holes) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4548/41483_9a73357de467dbb9_003full.jpg The initial drill program will consist of approximately 1000 metres of drilling. The first 3 holes are planned below the trench areas to test the depth extent and identify structures hosting the gold vein system. At this point little is known about the structures controlling the veins that have variable dip and strike orientations. The drilling contract has been awarded to local contractor Springdale Forest Resources Inc. Maritime would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for approving the Whisker Valley Project under it's JEA mineral incentive program. Stock Option Grant Maritime also announces that, in accordance with the Company's stock option plan, it will grant new and existing directors, officers, employees and consultants incentive stock options to purchase up to an aggregate of up to 4,805,000 common shares exercisable on or before December 6, 2023 at a price of $0.11 per share. About Maritime Resources Corp: Maritime Resources holds 100% of the Green Bay Property, located near Springdale, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The property hosts the past producing Hammerdown gold mine and the Orion gold deposit separated by a 1.5 km distance that sits within an overall strike length of 4000 metres. As well the Lochinvar base metals/precious metals deposit sits to the north east end of the Rumbullion deposit. Based on the Company's March 2017 PFS, the Hammerdown mine is expected to produce approximately 180,000 ounces over a 5 year life at a cash cost of $558 CDN with an all in cost (including capital, sustaining capital and operating cost) of $955 CDN per ounce of gold. Total estimated upfront capital is $35M CDN, and the project has a pre-tax NPV 8% = $72M CDN with an IRR of 47% based on a toll milling arrangement at the nearby Nugget Pond Mill. The after tax NPV 8% = $44M CDN with an IRR = 35% based on a $1250/oz gold price. Bernard H. Kahlert, P.Eng. is the Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this release. Further information on the Green Bay Gold Property can be found on our website at www.maritimeresourcescorp.com along with the NI43-101 compliant Technical Report and Prefeasibility Report filed on SEDAR. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Doug Fulcher President, CEO For further information, please call: Doug Fulcher Telephone: (604) 336-7322 info@maritimeresourcescorp.com The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this press release, other than purely historical information, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in resource exploration and development. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements Caution Regarding Forward Looking Statements: Certain information included in this press release, including information relating to future financial or operating performance and other statements that express the expectations of management or estimates of future performance constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding copper, gold and silver forecasts, the financial strength of the Company, estimates regarding timing of future development and production and statements concerning possible expansion opportunities for the Company. Where the Company expresses or implies an expectation or belief as to future events or results, such expectation or belief are based on assumptions made in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. Such assumptions include, without limitation, the price of and anticipated costs of recovery of, copper concentrate, gold and silver, the presence of and continuity of such minerals at modeled grades and values, the capacities of various machinery and equipment, the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices, mineral recovery rates, and others. However, forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, interpretation and implications of drilling and geophysical results; estimates regarding timing of future capital expenditures and costs towards profitable commercial operations. Other factors that could cause actual results, developments or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, among others, increases/decreases in production; volatility in metals prices and demand; currency fluctuations; cash operating margins; cash operating cost per pound sold; costs per ton of ore; variances in ore grade or recovery rates from those assumed in mining plans; reserves and/or resources; the ability to successfully integrate acquired assets; operational risks inherent in mining or development activities and legislative factors relating to prices, taxes, royalties, land use, title and permits, importing and exporting of minerals and environmental protection. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements and the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements contained herein are made as at the date hereof and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or revise any such forward-looking statements or any forward-looking statements contained in any other documents whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable security law. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2018) - U3O8 Corp. (TSX: UWE) (OTCQB: UWEFF) ("U3O8 Corp." or the "Company") is pleased to report initial results of test work on the extraction of uranium and vanadium from almost a metric tonne of mineralized gravel from the wholly-owned Laguna Salada deposit in Argentina. The test work has been designed, and results monitored, by Mr. David Marsh, director of U3O8 Corp. whom, as former General Manager - Technical Project Development at Paladin Energy, was intimately involved in the design, construction and operation of two uranium production plants in Africa. This work represents a complete overhaul of the preliminary economic assessment ("PEA") carried out by Tenova Mining and Minerals (Australia) Pty Ltd. in 2014. Mr. Marsh, with his vast practical experience, reviewed the PEA and felt that there was room for improvement and simplification of the flowsheet and processing plant design, resulting in potential to reduce estimated capital costs ("capex") and operating costs ("opex"). David Marsh commented, "I am delighted with the initial results from our test work on Laguna Salada gravel. The work program was designed to test ways of reducing estimated production costs by simplifying the former PEA process flow sheet. Our first step was to optimize the washing of the fine, uranium-vanadium - bearing material off the barren pebbles. The test results show that "scrubbing" the gravel for 5 minutes produces similar results as scrubbing for the 15 minutes modelled in the PEA. This two-thirds reduction in processing time could potentially reduce the cost of the associated equipment which was estimated at US$6.2 million in the PEA." "Our second step aimed to extract more of the uranium and vanadium contained in the gravel, and this proved successful with vanadium recovery increasing by 23%, and uranium marginally by 2%, over the PEA." The original Laguna Salada PEA reported life-of-mine cash costs of approximately US$22 per pound of uranium, net of vanadium, and a net present value of US$55 million at a 7.5% discount rate, with a US$136 million capital cost. A PEA is preliminary in nature and includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the results of the PEA assessment will be realized. Next Steps: There are two main components to ongoing metallurgical test work: Continued simplification of the Laguna Salada process flow sheet: The life-of-mine operating cost, including royalties due to the State, were estimated at US$22 per pound of uranium, net of vanadium, in the PEA. Approximately 40% of this cost estimate is related to the management of sulphate (gypsum) that is present in the gravel, that competes with uranium and vanadium for the reagents used to leach the metals. So, finding a more cost-effective way of dealing with the sulphate is a priority in driving down production cost estimates. Alternative ways of controlling sulphate levels were examined and these results will be reported shortly; The PEA modelled the processing of uranium and vanadium that was concentrated in very fine-grained (<0.075 millimetre ("mm")) powder that proved to be relatively costly to process since excess water had to be squeezed from it in filter presses that are not only expensive, but are costly to operate. The PEA design included six filter presses at a cost of US$2.1 million per unit. The current work tested a much coarser (0.85mm grain size) uranium-vanadium - bearing component of the gravel from which excess water should drain much more readily, thereby likely reducing the number of filter presses required. Results of this work are also expected shortly; Test work is now planned for the uranium/vanadium separation and refining processes where there is further potential to reduce capex and opex. More efficient and proven processes and equipment successfully employed elsewhere on similar types of uranium/vanadium mineralized bodies will be tested and the expectation is that they will prove every bit as efficient with the Laguna Salada material; and Initial metallurgical test work is being done on unconsolidated sand and gravel samples from the relatively high-grade channels discovered beneath the layer of gravel on which the PEA was based. This will provide the first data as to how efficiently uranium and vanadium can be extracted from the channel fill. Results are expected in early January. Technical Details of Test Work: 1. Bulk Sample Approximately 950 kilograms of gravel was excavated from within three metres of surface from five locations within the resource footprint in the Guanaco sector of the Laguna Salada Deposit. Guanaco contains 94% of the total Laguna Salada resource tonnage (an Indicated and Inferred resource) and 87% of the contained Uranium. The material was bagged and shipped to Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation ("ANSTO") in Australia. The sample was homogenized prior to commencing the test work. 2. Test Work Aimed at Simplifying the Process Flow Sheet Scrubbing at Laguna Salada refers to removal of fine uranium-vanadium - bearing powder that coats barren pebbles in the gravel. The scrubbed material was then screened to separate the pebbles from the fine component into which most of the uranium and vanadium is concentrated. The flowsheet generated for the PEA involved a gravel-scrubbing process followed by screens and cyclones to separate the extremely fine (0.075mm) material from the gravel, along with two stages of filtration ahead of the uranium/vanadium leach circuit. David Marsh commented, "There is scope to simplify the process flowsheet making the future plant easier to operate." The recent work at ANSTO suggests that this circuit can be greatly simplified as follows: Refining of the scrubbing process has reduced the residence time in the scrubbers from 15 minutes to only 5 minutes which will make the equipment smaller, cheaper and easier to operate as well as making the units more mobile; Changing the cut-point after scrubbing to a 0.85mm screen separates the coarse, pebbly component of the gravel that constitutes 77% of its mass, from the <0.85mm material that represents 23% of the gravel's mass. Although using the <0.85mm material involves processing almost three times the volume of material contemplated in the PEA, the size of the downstream equipment would increase only marginally because of the shorter residence time in each component of the equipment. Subsequent filtration and dewatering processes are likely to be simpler and should result in an overall cost reduction and improved process efficiencies (filtration results will be reported on shortly); The <0.85mm material contains 89% of the original gravel's uranium compared with 85% in the <0.075mm material modelled in the PEA. Alkaline leach extracted 94% of the contained uranium versus a marginally better 95% in the test work incorporated in the PEA. Overall, 84.5% of the gravel's uranium was extracted from the 0.85mm material, compared with 82.5% in the PEA - an increase of 2%. 46% of the gravel's vanadium was concentrated into the <0.85mm component against 29% in the 0.075mm component used in the PEA model. Alkaline leach at ANSTO extracted 55% of the vanadium, lower than the 71% extraction used in the PEA. However, processing of the coarser 0.85mm material still led to a better vanadium recovery: 25% of the gravel's vanadium was recovered from the 0.85mm material against 21% for the 0.075mm material used in the PEA - an increase of 23%; Table 1.Summary of beneficiation and alkaline leach tests on <0.85mm material from a bulk sample of gravel from the Guanaco sector of the Laguna Salada Deposit. Study % of gravel's mass in fine-screened component Uranium Vanadium % of metal in fine-grained component of gravel % of metal extracted by alkaline leach % overall extraction % of metal in fine-grained component of gravel % of metal extracted by alkaline leach % overall extraction PEA 9% 85% 95% 82.5% 29% 71% 21% Bulk sample 23% 89% 94% 84.5% 46% 55% 25% Difference 260% 2% 23% 3. Alkaline Leach The alkaline leach was done at a temperature of 80 degrees Celsius (175 degrees Fahrenheit) for 8 hours and maximum extraction of 94% was achieved after 6 hours. Technical Information & Cautionary Note The technical report referred to in this press release is entitled: September 18, 2014 technical report: "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Laguna Salada Uranium Vanadium Deposit, Chubut Province, Argentina."The report is available on www.sedar.com and www.u3o8corp.com. Dr. Richard Spencer, P.Geo., CGeol., President and CEO of U3O8 Corp. and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical information in this news release relating to the Laguna Salada Deposit and the related PEA. About U3O8 Corp. U3O8 Corp. is focused on exploration and development of deposits of uranium and battery commodities in South America. Battery commodities that occur with uranium resources include vanadium, nickel, zinc and phosphate. The Company's mineral resources estimates were made in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, and are contained in the following deposits: Laguna Salada Deposit, Argentina - a PEA shows that this near surface, free-digging uranium-vanadium deposit has low production-cost potential; and - a PEA shows that this near surface, free-digging uranium-vanadium deposit has low production-cost potential; and Berlin Deposit, Colombia - a PEA shows that Berlin also has low-cost uranium production potential due to revenue that would be generated from by-products of phosphate, vanadium, nickel, rare earths (yttrium and neodymium) and other metals that occur within the deposit. Additional Information Information on U3O8 Corp., its resources and technical reports are available at www.u3o8corp.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Follow U3O8 Corp. on Facebook: www.facebook.com/u3o8corp, Twitter: www.twitter.com/u3o8corp and YouTube: www.youtube.com/u3o8corp. For further information, please contact: Carolina Diaz at carolina@u3o8corp.com or phone (416) 868-1491 or Richard Spencer, President & CEO, U3O8 Corp., Tel: (647) 292-0225 richard@u3o8corp.com Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward looking statements" related with the development plans, economic potential and growth targets of U3O8 Corp's projects. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intensions for the future, and include, but not limited to, statements with respect to: (a) the low-cost and near-term development of Laguna Salada, (b) the Laguna Salada and Berlin PEAs, (c) the potential of the Kurupung district in Guyana and (d) the price and market for uranium. These statements are based on assumptions, including that: (i) actual results of our exploration, resource goals, metallurgical testing, economic studies and development activities will continue to be positive and proceed as planned, and assumptions in the Laguna Salada and Berlin PEAs prove to be accurate, (ii) requisite regulatory and governmental approvals will be received on a timely basis on terms acceptable to U3O8 Corp., (iii) economic, political and industry market conditions will be favourable, and (iv) financial markets and the market for uranium will improve for junior resource companies in the short-term. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in such statements, including, but not limited to: (1) changes in general economic and financial market conditions, (2) changes in demand and prices for minerals, (3) the Company's ability to establish appropriate joint venture partnerships, (4) litigation, regulatory, and legislative developments, dependence on regulatory approvals, and changes in environmental compliance requirements, community support and the political and economic climate, (5) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with exploration results, resource estimates, potential resource growth, future metallurgical test results, changes in project parameters as plans evolve, (6) competitive developments, (7) availability of future financing, (8) exploration risks, and other factors beyond the control of U3O8 Corp. including those factors set out in the "Risk Factors" in our Annual Information Form available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. U3O8 Corp. assumes no obligation to update such information, except as may be required by law. For more information on the above-noted PEAs, refer to the September 18, 2014 technical report titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Laguna Salada Uranium-Vanadium Deposit, Chubut Province, Argentina" and the January 18, 2013 technical report titled "U3O8 Corp. Preliminary Economic Assessment on the Berlin Deposit, Colombia." VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the global Fiber Drums market in its published report, titled "Fiber Drums Market: Global Industry Analysis 2013 - 2017 and Opportunity Assessment 2018 - 2027." In terms of revenue, the global Fiber Drums market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period, owing to numerous factors, about which FMI offers thorough insights and forecasts in this report. The Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) fiber drums market is expected to remain in the leading position during the forecast period. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/677274/Future_Market_Insights_Logo.jpg ) Fiber drums are used for storing and shipping of a variety of products including food products and flavourings, dye and colorants, adhesives, rolled sheet material as well as various hazardous chemicals. Fiber drums are a cost-effective alternative to more expensive plastic and steel drums or barrels. Fiber drums are also eco-friendly and recyclable in nature. They are sturdy and can hold a great deal of weight in either liquid or solid form. Fiber drums fulfil a wide range of packaging requirements in industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, agro, and food processing. Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-6853 In the report, FMI suggests that the chemical segment in end-use industry is expected to play a key role in the growth of the fiber drums market during the forecast period. Fiber drums are expected to witness substantial growth in many emerging countries owing to the rise in demand of fiber drums in the retail sector. The chemical segment in the fiber drums includes glue, dyestuff, and colourants. Research also suggests that the food and agro-allied segment in the end-use industry is anticipated to have positive potential in the growth of the fiber drums market. The growth is mainly attributed to the contributions of countries like India, China, and ASEAN countries in the APEJ region. Manufacturers are adopting fiber drums as they reduce the manufacturing costs and increase efficiency. North America is expected to have high potential growth, considering that most of the manufacturing sector has been captured by the chemical segment in fiber drums. The growth in intercontinental trade of fertilizers and chemicals is anticipated to boost the growth of the global fiber drums market. China is expected to be at the forefront, spearheading the growth of the Asian fiber drums market during the forecast period. According to the research by FMI, the fiber drums market has witnessed rapid growth in the past couple of decades due to a steady rise in the end-use industry. However, fluctuation in plywood or Kraft paper prices may affect the fiber drums market globally. The growing retail sector and increasing use of high capacity drums are some of the key drivers for the growth of the global fiber drums market. Budding demand in end-use applications such as chemical, food and agro-allied industries is also escalating the market. Fiber drums are required to meet certain high-quality international shipping standards. Hence, both hazardous and non-hazardous materials can be transported through them. Preview Analysis of Fiber Drums Market Segmented by (Closure Type - Metal Closure, Plastic Closure & Fiber Closure; Capacity - Below 25 Gallons, 25-50 Gallons, 50-75 Gallons & Above 75 Gallons; End Use - Chemical Industry, Food & Agro-allied Industry, Pharmaceutical Industry, Building & Construction Industry & Others;) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2018-2027: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/fiber-drums-market The key players in the fiber drums market are focusing on enhancing their production capacity, both by establishing new production facilities and by modifying existing sites. The key motive is to have a global presence through acquisitions, collaboration, or exports. The manufacturers of fiber drums are likely to eye the lucrative regions of APEJ in the coming years. Growing industrialization in the emerging countries is expected to be the fundamental driving force behind the growth in demand for fiber drums. Key players considered in the report on fiber drums market include Grief Inc., C.L.Smith, Mauser Group B.V., TPL Plastech Ltd., Industrial Container Services, Three Rivers Packaging Inc., Milford Barrel Co. Inc., Orlando Drum and Containers Corporation, Enviro-Pak Inc., Sonoco Product Company, Fibrestar Drums Limited, Great Western Containers and Patrick J. Kelly Drums, Inc. Many unrecognized and local players are expected to contribute to the global fiber drums market in 2018-2027. For more information, send an e-mail to press@futuremarketinsights.com Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customized insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-6853 More fromPackaging Market Intelligence: Folding Gluing Machines Market Segmented by (Machine - Automatic & Semi-automatic; Fold Type - Straight Line Box, Pocket Fold Box, Crash Lock Box & Multi Corner Box ; Machine Output - Up to 100 m /min, 100 to 200 m /min, 200 to 300 m /min, Above 300 m /min; Sheet Size - 500 mm, 800 mm, 1100 mm & 1200 mm; End Use - Food(Dairy Products, Dry Foods & Snacks, Fresh Produce, Frozen & Chilled), Beverages(Alcoholic & Non Alcoholic),Personal Care & Cosmetics, Electrical & Electronics"Automotive, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals & Other Consumer Goods;) https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/folding-gluing-machines-market Segmented by (Machine - Automatic & Semi-automatic; Fold Type - Straight Line Box, Pocket Fold Box, Crash Lock Box & ; Machine Output - Up to /min, 100 to /min, 200 to /min, Above /min; Sheet Size - 500 mm, 800 mm, 1100 mm & 1200 mm; End Use - Food(Dairy Products, Dry Foods & Snacks, Fresh Produce, Frozen & Chilled), Beverages(Alcoholic & Non Alcoholic),Personal Care & Cosmetics, Electrical & Electronics"Automotive, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals & Other Consumer Goods;) https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/folding-gluing-machines-market Foil Labels Market Segmented By Technology Foil - Track & trace technology, Bar code tracking, Thermal transfer labels: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/foil-labels-market Segmented By Technology Foil - Track & trace technology, Bar code tracking, Thermal transfer labels: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/foil-labels-market Free Standing Display Units Market Segmented By Materials Type - Paper display, Plastic display, Plass display, Metal display, and others; By Shape - square, rectangular and customized; By Film Thickness - Thick, Semi thick, and Customized: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/free-standing-display-units-market About Us Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends. Browse MorePackaging Insights Contact Us 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 T (UK): + 44(0)20-7692-8790 Sales:sales@futuremarketinsights.com Press Office: Press@futuremarketinsights.com FMI Blog: https://www.fmiblog.com/ Website: https:http://www.futuremarketinsights.com FirstGroup plc 6 December 2018 Director/PDMR Shareholding Save As Your Earn ("SAYE") Plan Grant of Option FirstGroup plc (the "Company") announces that Jimmy Groombridge, Group Employee Director, has joined the Company's SAYE Plan contributing 80 per month from his net salary. As a result, he has been granted today an option over 4,114 ordinary shares of 5 pence each in the Company at an option price of 70 pence. The Group Employee Director was able to participate in the FirstGroup SAYE Plan on exactly the same terms as all eligible employees. The related savings contract will commence on 1 February 2019 and the options will become exercisable from 1 February 2022. The notification below, made in accordance with the requirements of the EU Market Abuse Regulation, provides further detail. In addition, the information below is provided in accordance with the requirements of the Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rule (DGTR) 6.2.2AR: Legal Entity Identifier: 549300DEJZCPWA4HKM93 Classification as per DGTR 6 Annex 1R: 2.2 Enquiries Sarah Steadman Share Schemes and Company Secretarial Assistant 020 7725 2731 Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2018 / Kapuskasing Gold Corp. (TSX-V: KAP) ("Kapuskasing") and Ubique Minerals Limited (UBQ) ("Ubique") announce that they have signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") which contemplates Kapuskasing granting Ubique an option to earn a 55% or greater interest in Kapuskasing's Daniel's Harbour Zinc property in western Newfoundland. The property comprises 42 claim units covering an aggregate area of 1,326 hectares, adjoining Ubique's Daniel's Harbour property to its west and making for a contiguous property area of more than 4,000 hectares. The LOI provides the companies with a short time frame in which to complete due diligence and a definitive agreement. Pursuant to the LOI, Ubique could exercise the option by making the work and payment commitments as follows: On the date of signing of the definitive agreement, $10,000 cash and 500,000 shares of Ubique; Prior to March 9, 2019, a minimum work expenditure of $12,000 and file an assessment report; Prior to September 15, 2019, a minimum work expenditure of $100,000 inclusive of the $12,000 above; Prior to the 1 year anniversary from the definitive agreement date, $10,000 in cash and an additional 300,000 common shares of Ubique; Prior to February 28, 2020, make a minimum additional work expenditure of $200,000; Prior to the 2 year anniversary from the definitive agreement date issue an additional 200,000 common shares of Ubique; Prior to February 28, 2021, a minimum additional work expenditure of $300,000, of which expenditures will include any payments and commitments needed to be made to the underlying vendors of the optioned property; Upon Ubique having made the above expenditures and payments; Ubique will have earned a 55% interest in the property. Ubique will be granted the option to earn an additional 15% interest in the property by spending an additional $400,000 on exploration and paying the underlying vendors a cash payment of $40,000 as required by the underlying agreement with the vendors. Upon UBQ earning either a 55% or 70% interest in the property, the companies will form a joint venture to continue exploration, or KAP may elect to grant UBQ the right to earn an additional 5% interest in the property for every additional work expenditure of $100,000 to a limit of 95% ownership by UBQ, at which time the agreement provides for KAP's interest to be converted to a 2% Net Smelter Royalty ("NSR"). UBQ will then have the right to buy back 1.75% of the NSR for $2,000,000. The underlying vendors are entitled to a NSR of 3% of which 2% may be repurchased for $2,000,000. In addition, the underlying vendors are entitled to a bonus payment in the event that the Operator delineates a National Instrument 43-101 compliant resource of a minimum of 5,000,000 tonnes of ore with a grade of at least 7% zinc. Mr. Garry Clark P.Geo, (Exploration Manager and a director of the Company) a Qualified Person ("QP") as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the technical content of this release. On behalf of the Board of Directors Kapuskasing Gold Corp. Jonathan Armes President & CEO Phone 1 (416) 708-0243 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws and regulations, including statements regarding the future activities of the Company. Forward looking statements reflect the current beliefs and expectations of management and are identified by the use of words including "will", "anticipates", "expected to", "plans", "planned" and other similar words. Actual results may differ significantly. The achievement of the results expressed in forward-looking statements is subject to a number of risks, including those described in the Company's management discussion and analysis as filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon forward-looking statements. SOURCE: Kapuskasing Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/529839/Kapuskasing-Gold-Corp-and-Ubique-Minerals-Inc-Sign-Letter-of-Intent-for-Ubique-to-Option-Daniels-Harbour-Zinc-Property-Newfoundland Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2018) - Fintech incubator and blockchain development company, APPx Group Holdings, Inc. (CSE: APPX) (FSE: APO) (the "Company" or "APPx"), announced they have been working closely with Scalar Decisions Inc. ("Scalar") to complete testing and compliance reviews for CatchCoin, their augmented reality rewards platform where participating brick and mortar retailers, mall owners, and event venues get measurable foot traffic at their locations with a great return on investment (ROI). Scalar performed penetration testing for the CatchCoin platform's web application, REST API, iOS application, and Android application. Scalar, ranked as the #1 Canadian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Security Company on Branham Group's annual Branham300 listing five years running, also performed application source code compliance reviews and application architecture reviews for both Android and iOS. The CatchCoin platform will give retailers and other businesses and events providers control over when and to whom their ads are served. The platform has an ad-scheduling feature, which advertisers can use to attract customers to their locations during downtimes in order to boost potential revenue by increasing foot-traffic and promoting high-margin merchandise while maximizing staff productivity. The users will benefit from real cash rewards they receive for visiting the locations of participating businesses. Their reward can be boosted by making a purchase - all of these details can be defined and adjusted within the CatchCoin Location Portal by advertisers any time as they see fit. Kyle Maglio, VP of Product Development at APPx, said, "CatchCoin isn't just a loyalty or reward points app, it is a real-money rewards app. Our clients put real money in, our users get real money out, and it's paramount to us that the platform is secure end-to-end. As a geolocation-based app, the need for security is doubly important-to prevent spoofing and to ensure clients and customers have a safe, secure and seamless experience. We chose to work with Scalar because they are the best, and they have proven that with their work on CatchCoin. Going forward, we plan to engage Scalar for upcoming projects in our Fintech division." "Scalar is so excited about the amazing innovation happening at APPx, and equally as proud to have worked on CatchCoin. This app will change the landscape of online rewards," says Theo Van Wyk, Chief Security Architect at Scalar. "Our team is excited to have contributed to a framework that supports a safe and secure platform, that users will be confident to transact with." For more information about APPx Group Holdings, Inc. and its projects, visit www.appxgroup.com or follow on Twitter @AppxGroupInc . Learn more about CatchCoin at www.catchcoin.com. About APPx Group Holdings, Inc. APPx Group Holdings, Inc. is a Fintech incubator that offers technology-based business solutions. Our growing partnership network allows us to service a wide range of markets: advertising, blockchain, crypto, fintech, and telecommunications products and services. With our strong reach, we're constantly adding to, and enhancing, our portfolio. We strive to be industry leaders, creating innovations engineered from the ground up by our diverse culture of talent. APPx delivers sustained value by strategically solving our customers' immediate and long-term needs, helping them reach their goals on a global scale. Contact: APPx Group Holdings, Inc. Rahim Mohamed, CEO RM@appxgroup.com (833) 777-APPX Jay Ruckenstein, President jay@appxgroup.com (833) 777-APPX About Scalar Scalar is Canada's leading IT solutions provider, focused on security, infrastructure, and cloud. Founded in 2004, Scalar is headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria. Scalar was recently named one of Canada's Best Managed Companies, named to CRN's 2018 Solution Provider 500 List, and listed on the Growth 500 for the ninth year running. In addition, Scalar was deemed a major player in the IDC MarketScape for Canadian managed security service providers and ranked the #1 ICT security company on the 2014 -2018 editions of the Branham 300. For further details, visit www.scalar.ca or follow Scalar on Twitter, @scalardecisions. Forward-looking Information This news release includes forward-looking information that is subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although APPx believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking information are based on reasonable assumptions, such information is not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information. These factors include, among others, the risks associated with the failure to execute any of APPx's current or anticipated projects or transactions. Although management of APPx has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be 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, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information APPx does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. Led by Insight Venture Partners, funding to accelerate global growth and product innovation LeanIX, the leading provider of Software-as-a-Service solutions in Enterprise Architecture (EA) Management, today announced that it has closed $30 million in Series C funding, led by Insight Venture Partners. Previous investors DTCP (Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners), Capnamic Ventures, and Iris Capital also participated in the round. The closing brings LeanIX's total funding to nearly $40 million since its founding in 2012. Insight Venture Partners Principal, Teddie Wardi, will join the LeanIX board of directors. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005173/en/ The LeanIX team at their German headquarters. (Photo: Business Wire) The investment, which will be used to accelerate growth in the U.S. and fuel continued product innovation, comes amidst a period of record growth for LeanIX. Founded in 2012 by Andre Christ and Jorg Beyer, the company quickly solidified its position as the next-generation EA management solution not just limited to IT architecture experts but enabling IT transparency and collaboration across the business. In 2018, LeanIX achieved several major milestones, including doubling its global customer base, expanding operations in Boston, and growing its global headcount with the appointment of several senior-level executives. This year the company continued to set new standards: as the first EA tool with a certified integration with ServiceNow, it eliminates data silos and automates data capturing. The new LeanIX Store turns the application into an extensible platform in which customers and partners can build and distribute best practice apps such as reports. Most recently, LeanIX was recognized as the 10th fastest-growing company in Germany on the Deloitte 2018 Technology Fast 50 list. "Today's enterprises face data overload, overwhelmed by archaic IT landscapes that cripple productivity and business opportunity. Organizations need clear, actionable insights, and more than ever, enterprises are opting for IT modernization and demanding innovative EA tools," said Andre Christ, CEO, and co-founder of LeanIX. "Together with our investors, we aim to become the category leader for EA in modern technology business management. While Agile, DevOps and Cloud are becoming mainstream in enterprises, we provide the best technology for a successful adoption and continuous management." "For businesses today, effective enterprise architecture management is critical for driving digital transformation, and requires robust tools that enable collaboration and agility," said Teddie Wardi, Principal at Insight Venture Partners. "LeanIX is a pioneer in the space of next-generation EA tools, achieved staggering growth over the last year, and is the trusted partner for some of today's largest and most complex organizations. We look forward to supporting its continued growth and success as one of the world's leading software solutions for the modernization of IT architectures." Today, LeanIX helps organizations efficiently manage and optimize their Enterprise Architecture, providing a Software-as-a-Service to reduce IT complexity, ensuring IT compliance and enabling business growth. Use cases include application rationalization, technology risk management and cloud transformation which the company offers to some of today's most respected brands including Adidas, DHL, Merck, and Santander, with strategic partnerships with Deloitte, ServiceNow, and PwC, among others. To learn more about LeanIX, please visit www.leanix.net. About LeanIX LeanIX offers a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application for Enterprise Architecture (EA), which enables organizations to make faster, data-driven decisions. Hundreds of global brands such as Adidas, DHL, Merck, Vodafone, and Zalando use the LeanIX software to increase transparency, visibility and drive real-time efficiencies. LeanIX addresses IT's critical need to ensure high-quality, real-time data is accessible to the people who need it. Use cases include application rationalization, technology risk management, and the shift from monolithic architectures to microservices. LeanIX was founded in 2012 by Jorg Beyer and Andre Christ. The company is headquartered in Bonn, Germany, with offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Houston, Texas. To learn more about LeanIX, visit www.leanix.net or @leanix_net on Twitter. About Insight Venture Partners Insight Venture Partners is a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology and software companies that are driving transformative change in their industries. Founded in 1995, Insight currently has over $20 billion of assets under management and has cumulatively invested in more than 300 companies worldwide. Our mission is to find, fund, and work successfully with visionary executives, providing them with practical, hands-on growth expertise to foster long-term success. Across our people and our portfolio, we encourage a culture around a core belief: growth equals opportunity. For more information on Insight and all its investments, visit www.insightpartners.com or follow us on Twitter @insightpartners. About DTCP DTCP is an investment management group with c. $1.6 billion assets under management and advisory from Deutsche Telekom and other institutional investors, and a portfolio of over 60 companies. The group provides venture and growth capital, special situation investments, and advisory services to the technology, media and telecommunication sectors. It operates and invests in Europe, the US and Israel. To learn more about DTCP, visit https://www.telekom-capital.com or @TelekomCapital on Twitter. About Capnamic Ventures Capnamic Ventures is a venture capital firm from Berlin/Cologne doing early-stage investments in outstanding teams in Germany/Austria/Switzerland. The team's expertise includes 70+ investments, 30+ successful trade sales, and 13+ IPOs as well as broad professional experience across various industries and functions. Capnamic unites institutional and corporate investors thus offering its portfolio companies a unique network of sparring partners and customers. The firm's general partners are Jorg Binnenbrucker, Olaf Jacobi, and Christian Siegele. To learn more about our team and the founders we work with, visit www.capnamic.com or follow us on Twitter @Capnamic. About Iris Capital Iris Capital is a European venture capital funds' manager specialized in the digital economy. It fuels entrepreneurs at various stages of maturity, from early-stage to growth equity. With its deep sector specialization and extensive experience acquired over 30+ years, as well as the backing of its corporate sponsors, Iris Capital provides active support to its portfolio companies, through its presence in Paris, Berlin, San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Dubai. IrisNext, Iris Capital's new fund, is sponsored by industry leaders and investors such as Orange, Publicis, Valeo, Bpifrance and BRED Banque Populaire. Iris Capital investments include, among others, companies such as Adjust, Braincube, Careem, Exotec Solutions, Happy Car, Jedox, Kyriba, Open-Xchange, Mojio, Netatmo, reBuy, Scality, Searchmetrics, Shift Technology, Studitemps, Talend and unu motors. For more information, visit www.iriscapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005173/en/ Contacts: Sonia Segal-Smith Kickstand Communications leanix@meetkickstand.com (857) 263-3392 Focus on Female Founders Program Provides Resources to Help Women Entrepreneurs Address Untapped Growth Opportunities in the Beverage Alcohol Space and Adjacent Categories VICTOR, N.Y., Dec. 06, 2018and Vivify Beverages . "Our Focus on Female Founders program reinforces our commitment to supporting the advancement of women within our company, within our industry, and in our local communities," said Mallika Monteiro, chief growth officer, Constellation Brands. "This program is designed to make meaningful investments in female-founded and female-led businesses doing disruptive and innovative work across beverage alcohol. Broadening our focus on this critical demographic will drive incremental growth for our business, enhance our relevance, deepen our consumer knowledge base, and broaden our pipeline of ideas and talent." Women-led businesses are the fastest growing segment of entrepreneurship in the U.S.1 and generate two times the revenue per dollar versus the average non-women-owned businesses2, yet only two percent of venture capital funding went to female-led companies in 20173. The Focus on Female Founders program supports emerging brands and technologies that are in or adjacent to the beverage alcohol space. Interested companies must be founded and/or led by women. In addition to an infusion of capital, funding recipients will have access to Constellation's experienced staff and hands-on mentors; brand-building, supply chain, governance and finance expertise; strong relationships with distributors and retail partners; and a community of fellow women entrepreneurs who can share knowledge and offer support. "Women are an underrepresented demographic in the beverage alcohol industry and we are committed to doing our part to help change this," said Bill Newlands, president and chief operating officer, and incoming chief executive officer, Constellation Brands. "As consumer demographics, needs and choices continue to evolve, we believe the focus and point of view that women-led businesses bring to the table will help drive transformative innovation and accelerated growth for our business and, more importantly, for the beverage alcohol space at-large. And we are very excited to jump-start this effort with two fantastic companies, Austin Cocktails and Vivify." Co-founders and sisters Jill Burns and Kelly Gasink established Austin Cocktails, an Austin, Texas based bottled cocktail company, in 2012 using family recipes that originated with their grandfather, Fred. "We've worked hard to get where we are, and we're thrilled to have an investment from Constellation Brands to help us continue on our growth journey," said Burns. "Constellation Brands' reach, scale and influence will help take Austin Cocktails to a whole new level." "With the funding and the added resources that Constellation Brands has offered, we believe the opportunities in front of us are endless," said Gasink. Today, Austin Cocktails offers five bottled cocktails - Cucumber Vodka Mojito, Ruby Red Cocktail, Perfect Bergamot Orange Margarita, Peppered Maple Blood Orange Bourbon Cocktail and New School Gin Mule - that are made with premium spirits and fine, natural ingredients. Funds have also been invested in Vivify Beverages, makers of innovative, premium alcohol beverage products that bring consumers "better for you," flavorful options that fulfill unmet consumer needs in the beer aisle. The company's first two products, Bravazzi Hard Italian Soda and Itz Spritz, a gluten- free, alcohol spritzer, are already gaining traction in markets across the country. "Constellation Brands thinks like we do. They are focused on what is coming next, not on what has worked in the past," said Sarah Ross, co-founder and vice president of marketing and innovation, Vivify. "We know we can leverage their investment in us and their expertise to keep our momentum going." Vivify's leadership team of industry veterans - including Ross; Anne Ellis, co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing; and Bob Walkenhorst, co-founder and chief executive officer - will work closely with Constellation Brands to capture new consumers and market share and to ignite growth. The Focus on Female Founders application and evaluation process aligns with Constellation's ventures strategy of investing in emerging, unique and distinctive brands. Constellation Brands Ventures continues to look for brands that have a point of differentiation in the market; companies that want to welcome Constellation Ventures as an active minority investor; organizations looking to grow beyond their current markets; and entrepreneurs who want to grow their business with the support of Constellation's investment, mentorship and involvement. Terms of the Austin Cocktails and Vivify Beverages transactions have not been disclosed. 1According to the U.S. Small Business Administration 2According to June 2018 BCG Why Women-Owned Startups Are a Better Bet 3According to data from Pitchbook, an M&A, private equity, and VC database. About Constellation Brands Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Canada. Constellation is the No. 3 beer company in the U.S. with high-end, iconic imported brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra and Pacifico. The company's beer portfolio also includes Ballast Point, one of the most awarded craft brewers in the U.S., and Funky Buddha Brewery. In addition, Constellation is the world leader in premium wine, selling great brands that people love, including Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Mark West, Black Box, Ruffino and The Prisoner. The company's premium spirits brands include SVEDKA Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila and High West Whiskey. Based in Victor, N.Y., the company believes that industry leadership involves a commitment to brand building, our trade partners, the environment, our investors and to consumers around the world who choose our products when celebrating big moments or enjoying quiet ones. Founded in 1945, Constellation has grown to become a significant player in the beverage alcohol industry with more than 100 brands in its portfolio; about 40 wineries, breweries and distilleries; and approximately 10,000 talented employees. We express our company vision: to elevate life with every glass raised. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrands and visit www.cbrands.com . Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. The words "expect," "intend," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These statements may relate to business strategy, future operations, prospects, plans and objectives of management, as well as information concerning expected actions of third parties. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and should not be construed in any manner as a guarantee that such actions will in fact occur or will occur on the timetable contemplated hereby. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and Constellation Brands undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition to risks and uncertainties associated with ordinary business operations, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, including other factors and uncertainties disclosed from time-to-time in Constellation Brands, Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 28, 2018 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended August 31, 2018, which could cause actual future performance to differ from current expectations. The global airborne light detection and ranging system market is expected to post a CAGR of nearly 16% during the period 2018-2022, according to the latest market research report by Technavio This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005488/en/ Technavio has released a new market research report on the global airborne light detection and ranging system market for the period 2018-2022. (Graphic: Business Wire) A key factor driving the growth of the market is the application of remote sensing technologies for disaster management. Disasters often act as a catalyst for the adoption of new and emerging technologies. Given the growing need for quick collection of vital information for disaster management, emerging remote sensing technologies such as LiDAR have become critical in assessing potential hazards in a comprehensive manner. A LiDAR can be topographic, bathymetric or both. Topographic LiDAR systems deploy a pulsed laser to measure and record three-dimensional information on the earth's surface, while a bathymetric LiDAR records similar information on the seafloor or riverbed. This market research report on the global airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system market 2018-2022 also provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook during the forecast period. Technavio classifies an emerging trend as a major factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing In this report, Technavio highlights the increased popularity of UAV as one of the key emerging trends in the global airborne light detection and ranging system market: Global airborne light detection and ranging system market: Increased popularity of UAV In European countries, security concerns and diverse geopolitical tensions have driven them to reorient their defense efforts, ranging from involvement in distant conflicts to coping with intensifying homeland and border security challenges. This has enhanced the need for advanced UAVs as they are able to safely integrate into civilian airspace and provide the technological capabilities required to effectively perform complex homeland and border security missions. "In sectors such as the media, facilities management, and agriculture and construction industries, high number of UAVs are being deployed. Drones offer plenty of applications where slight modifications to the system enable excellent service. For example, in the media industry, UAVs are used for aerial photography and videography. The facilities management industry uses UAVs for pest control in high-rise buildings. While oil companies deploy UAVs to inspect off-shore oil rigs and pipelines," says a senior analyst at Technavio for research on aerospace. Global airborne light detection and ranging system market: Segmentation analysis This market research report segments the global airborne light detection and ranging system market by mount types (UAV mounted LiDAR and fixed and rotor-wing mounted LiDAR) and geographical regions (APAC, EMEA, and the Americas). The Americas led the market in 2017 with a market share of over 53%. This region is expected to dominate the market through 2022, however, there will be a decrease in its market share by nearly 4%. Looking for more information on this market? Request a free sample report Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Market Landscape Market ecosystem Market characteristics Market segmentation analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market size and forecast Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation Geographical Segmentation Regional comparison Key leading countries Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 10,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005488/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2018) - Peekaboo Beans Inc (CSE: BEAN) (OTCQB: PBBSF) ("Peekaboo Beans" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has achieved $219,120 in revenue from Black Friday 2018, a 246% increase over the same holiday in 2017. This major increase in revenue is largely due to the Company's recent shift in focus towards omnichannel retailing. The new revenue model unveiled earlier this quarter, emphasizes the importance of social media in the current retail climate. The Company's firm target audience of millennial parents are directed instantly to the various outlets to shop the brand, including Peekaboo Beans website, social retailers and the holiday Pop-Up store. Traci Costa, Founder, President and CEO of Peekaboo Beans, commented, "This massive increase in revenue over last year's Black Friday is a huge indicator of the success of our new business model. Our Black Friday sales were largely driven through online orders, which correlates to the research we have done regarding the way our target audience is shopping. The efforts we have made to update our business model are being rewarded, and we are eager to continue this success." Peekaboo Beans Pop-Up shop located at Tsawwassen Mills will be open until January 31, 2019. To shop online, visit: www.peekaboobeans.com. About Peekaboo Beans Inc. Peekaboo Beans is a children's apparel brand with a focus on environmentally responsible clothes that are intentionally designed to inspire play. Through an omni-channel approach, Peekaboo Beans engages sellers through social platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, as well as online retailers, to maximize revenue and build brand loyalty. The Company works to promote a playful lifestyle for children by designing comfortable clothes that are built to last. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Peekaboo Beans Inc. Ms. Traci Costa, President and CEO (604) 279-2326 For more information, please contact the Company at: BEAN@kincommunications.com 1-866-604-6730 Reader Advisory This news release may contain statements which constitute "forward-looking information", including statements regarding the plans, intentions, beliefs and current expectations of the Company, its directors, or its officers with respect to the future business activities of the Company. The words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, or its management, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future business activities and involve risks and uncertainties, and that the Company's future business activities may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, successes of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. UK Mortgages Limited (a closed-ended investment company incorporated in Guernsey with registration number 60440) LEI Number: 549300388LT7VTHCIT59 (The "Company") 6 december 2018 RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At the Annual General Meeting of the Company held today, all Ordinary Resolutions set out in the Annual General Meeting Notice sent to Shareholders dated 6 November 2018 were duly passed. Details of the proxy voting results which should be read along side the Notice are noted below: Ordinary Resolution For Discretion (voted in favour) Against Abstain 1 147,075,560 0 0 0 2 140,395,301 0 6,680,259 0 3 140,395,301 0 6,680,259 0 4 140,395,301 0 0 6,680,259 5 147,075,560 0 0 0 6 147,075,560 0 0 0 7 147,075,560 0 0 0 8 147,075,560 0 0 0 9 147,075,560 0 0 0 10 147,075,560 0 0 0 11 147,075,560 0 0 0 12 147,075,560 0 0 0 13 147,075,560 0 0 0 Note -A vote withheld is not a vote in law and has not been counted in the votes for and against a resolution. The Extraordinary Resolutions were as follows: Extraordinary Resolution 14 (147,075,560 in favour / 0 against / 0 withheld) IT WAS RESOLVED THAT, in substitution of all existing powers, (but in addition to any power conferred on them by Ordinary Resolutions 11 and 12 above), the Directors be and are authorised generally and unconditionally in accordance with Article 6.7 of the Articles to exercise all powers of the Company to issue equity securities (as defined in Article 6.1.1 of the Articles) for cash as if the members' pre-emption rights contained in Article 6.2 of the Articles did not apply to any such issue pursuant to the general authority conferred on them by the Ordinary Resolutions numbered 11 and 12 above (as varied from time to time by the Company in general meeting): a) pursuant to an offer of equity securities open for acceptance for a period fixed by the Directors where the equity securities respectively attributable to the interests of holders of Ordinary Shares are proportionate (as nearly as may be) to the respective numbers of Ordinary Shares held by them but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements in connection with the issue as the Directors may consider necessary, appropriate or expedient to deal with equity securities representing fractional entitlements or to deal with legal or practical problems arising in any overseas territory, the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange, or any other matter whatsoever; and b) provided that (otherwise than pursuant to sub-paragraph (a) above) this power shall be limited to the allotment of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal value equal to 10 per cent. of the total number of shares in issue in the Company at the date of the passing of this Extraordinary Resolution, and provided further that (i) the number of equity securities to which this power applies shall be reduced from time to time by the number of treasury shares which are sold pursuant to any power conferred on the Directors by Ordinary Resolution 13 above and (ii) no issue of equity securities shall be made under this power which would result in Ordinary Shares being issued at a price which is less than the net asset value per Ordinary Share as at the latest practicable date before such allotment of equity securities as determined by the Directors in their reasonable discretion, and such power hereby conferred shall expire on whichever is the earlier of: (i) the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2019; or (ii) the date 15 months after the date on which this Extraordinary Resolution is passed (unless renewed, varied or revoked by the Company prior to that date) save that the Company may, before such expiry, make offers or agreements which would or might require equity securities to be issued after such expiry and the Directors may issue equity securities in pursuance to such offers or agreements as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired. Extraordinary Resolution 15 (137,388,291 in favour / 9,687,269 against / 0 withheld) IT WAS RESOLVED THAT, conditional on Extraordinary Resolution 14 above having been passed, in substitution of all existing powers (but in addition to any power conferred on them by Ordinary Resolutions 11 and 12 above and in addition to and without prejudice to the power granted by Extraordinary Resolution 14 above), the Directors be and are authorised generally and unconditionally in accordance with Article 6.7 of the Articles to exercise all powers of the Company to issue equity securities (as defined in Article 6.1.1 of the Articles) for cash as if the members' pre-emption rights contained in Article 6.2 of the Articles did not apply to any such issue pursuant to the general authority conferred on them by the Ordinary Resolutions numbered 11 and 12 above (as varied from time to time by the Company in general meeting): a) pursuant to an offer of equity securities open for acceptance for a period fixed by the Directors where the equity securities respectively attributable to the interests of holders of Ordinary Shares are proportionate (as nearly as may be) to the respective numbers of Ordinary Shares held by them but subject to such exclusions or other arrangements in connection with the issue as the Directors may consider necessary, appropriate or expedient to deal with equity securities representing fractional entitlements or to deal with legal or practical problems arising in any overseas territory, the requirements of any regulatory body or stock exchange, or any other matter whatsoever; and b) provided that (otherwise than pursuant to sub-paragraph (a) above) this power shall be limited to the allotment of an additional number of equity securities up to an aggregate nominal value equal to 10 per cent. of the total number of shares in issue in the Company at the date of the passing of this extraordinary resolution, and provided further that (i) the number of equity securities to which this power applies shall be reduced from time to time by the number of treasury shares which are sold pursuant to any power conferred on the Directors by Ordinary Resolution 13 above and (ii) no issue of equity securities shall be made under this power which would result in Ordinary Shares being issued at a price which is less than the net asset value per Ordinary Share as at the latest practicable date before such allotment of equity securities as determined by the Directors in their reasonable discretion, and such power hereby conferred shall expire on whichever is the earlier of: (i) the conclusion of the annual general meeting of the Company to be held in 2019; or (ii) the date 15 months after the date on which this extraordinary resolution is passed (unless renewed, varied or revoked by the Company prior to that date) save that the Company may, before such expiry, make offers or agreements which would or might require equity securities to be issued after such expiry and the Directors may issue equity securities in pursuance to such offers or agreements as if the authority conferred hereby had not expired. Enquiries: Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited The Company Secretary Trafalgar Court Les Banques St Peter Port Guernsey GY1 3QL Tel: 01481 745001 END 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"). With the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. Karelian Diamond Resources plc ("Karelian Diamonds" or "the Company") 6 December 2018 POSITIVE DRILLING RESULTS - FINLAND RIIHIVAARA KIMBERLITE FURTHER EVIDENCE OF DIAMONDIFEROUS POTENTIAL INDICATED BY DRILLING Karelian Diamond Resources plc ("Karelian Diamonds") (AIM: KDR), the diamond exploration and development company focused on Finland, is pleased to announce positive drilling results from its Riihivaara Kimberlite discovery in the Kuhmo region of Eastern Finland. The objective of the programme was designed to intersect kimberlite at a deeper level in bedrock where previous pitting had discovered a kimberlite near surface. The drilling was also to provide additional kimberlite for geological studies and micro-diamond test work. Within this announcement the Company's technical team have also provided further explanatory notes to explain the technical elements of this release and this can be found below the Chairman's comments. Furthermore, at the bottom of this announcement is a "Company Background" section detailing the strategic approach of the Company and the progress achieved to date. Highlights: The drilling programme has successfully intersected kimberlite at a deeper level and has also shown that the body dips circa 50 to the NE; Drilling provided Kimberlite material for scanning electron microscopy ("SEM") and thin section studies at the Geological Survey of Finland ("GTK") laboratories which have indicated diamondiferous potential; Kimberlite core was collected which has been used in geological studies to ascertain the type of kimberlite - it is an Orangeite ( a Group II Kimberlite) and it has provided material as part of a bigger programme to test for micro-diamonds; SEM studies of the Riihivaara Kimberlite drill core confirm it is Orangeite (Group II Kimberlite); Diamondiferous potential indicated by thin section and SEM studies; and G10 garnet grain shows that the Kimberlite includes mantle material. This release has been approved by Kevin McNulty PGeo, who is a member of the Company's technical staff and holds a BSc/MSc in Geology and Remote Sensing, in accordance with the guidance note for Mining, Oil & Gas Companies issued by the London Stock Exchange in respect of AIM Companies, which outlines standards of disclosure for mineral projects. Dr. Hugh O'Brien, Kimberlite specialist with the GTK commented: "Finding such a grain ("a G10") in a thin section indicates there is likely a significant mantle content in this rock type and it is a good indication of a significant mantle carrying capacity of the magma. If the underlying mantle contains diamonds, the kimberlite may be diamondiferous." Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman, Karelian Diamond Resources plc commented: "These results enhance our understanding of the Riihivaara Kimberlite and the potential of this Kimberlite to be diamondiferous and of the overall diamond potential of the Kuhmo region of Finland. As such the results today are a significant step forward for the project, its technical team and generally for the Company. As a result we are pushing ahead and the next step is to collect enough material for a substantial micro-diamond sample and demonstrate that the sample holds diamonds. Further information in this regard will follow." FURTHER DRILL PROGRAMME INFORMATION Kimberlite intersected by drilling on its Riihivaara Kimberlite discovery where previous pitting had discovered a Kimberlite on surface. Thin sections and SEM studies of the Kimberlite material confirmed it as an Olivine bearing, mica-rich Orangeite (Group II Kimberlite) with mantle-derived xenocrysts. Good indications of a significant mantle carrying capacity of the magma reported. Should this mantle contain diamonds, the Kimberlite may be diamondiferous. Pyrope xenocryst which was observed in thin section and analysed by SEM plots as a G10 garnet grain demonstrating that the Kimberlite includes mantle material. A total of 56.2 metres were drilled through six short inclined holes, varying in depth from 5.50m to 14.30m , of which three intersected Kimberlite. The Kimberlite consists of a dyke 1- 2m wide at surface. The drilling indicates that the dyke dips circa 50 to the NE. The drill hole intersections were as follows: KDR 18-06/2 intersected 0.35m of Kimberlite from the base of the glacial till overburden at 4.00m . The total hole depth was 7.60m . This hole intersected the dyke margin. KDR 18-06/4 intersected 4.10m of Kimberlite from the base of the glacial till overburden at 6.20m . The total hole depth was 13.10m . KDR 18-06/6 intersected 5.50m of Kimberlite from the base of the glacial till overburden at 6.00m . The total hole depth was 14.30m . Further exploration of the Riihivaara kimberlite body is planned to extend the kimberlite and acquire material for micro-diamond analysis. ORANGEITE (GROUP II KIMBERLITE) Orangeite (Group II Kimberlite) is a potentially diamondiferous host rock. The name Orangeite comes from its first discovery near the Orange River in what was then the Orange Free State in South Africa. Best known example of mined Orangeite is the major Finsch diamond mine 165km west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province in South Africa. SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY ("SEM") Scanning electron microscopy "SEM" gives the major element compositional data of the mineral grains. These mineral grains (Garnets, Chromite's and Ilmenites) are more common and more easily found than diamonds. We look at this specifically for Garnets where we plot Cr 2 O 3 weighted % verses CaO weighted % where you want high values in Cr 2 O 3 and low values in CaO as these garnets form within the Mantle at the same pressures and temperatures as diamonds.Chromite's we look at Cr 2 O 3 weighted % verses MgO weighted % where you want high values in both. We also look at Cr 2 O 3 weighted % verses TiO 2 weighted % in Chromite's. THIN SECTION STUDIES Most minerals are transparent when examined in sufficiently thin slices. Mineralogists and petrologists make use of such slices to study the optical properties of minerals. This enables the identification of these minerals (Garnets, Chromite's and Ilmenites etc.) and rock type. These minerals can them be analysed using equipment like the Scanning electron microscopy "SEM" to give their major element compositional data. MANTLE MATERIAL A kimberlite (hot fluid rock like a mini volcano) acts like a conveyor to carry / transport diamonds in peridotite and eclogitic xenoliths from deep in the earth up to surface. Gem-sized diamonds only crystallize at depths of around 140-150 km or greater. This area is referred to as the mantle (depending on the geotherm). Where the mantle has been stable over billions of years, there is the right balance of heat, pressure, and low oxygen conditions for carbon to exist as diamond.Peridotite and eclogitic xenoliths carry other minerals like garnets and chromite's also form within the Mantle at the same pressures and temperatures as diamonds. Four of the six major kimberlite indicator minerals (KIMs) used in diamond exploration, Cr-pyrope garnet, Cr-diopside, chromite and Mg-olivine (forsterite), are mainly xenocrysts derived from disaggregation of peridotite xenoliths, as are diamonds. We know the detailed chemistry of these minerals (garnets and chromite's) by the analysis of these minerals that are present as inclusions in diamonds. This enables us to know if they were formed at the same heat, pressure, and low oxygen conditions for carbon to exist as diamond. Therefore having certain types of mantle material can show that the kimberlite collected material from the same depths as diamonds. For further information please contact : Karelian Diamond Resources plc Tel: +353-1-479-6180 Professor Richard Conroy, Chairman Allenby Capital Limited(Nomad) Tel: +44-20-3328-5656 Nick Athanas/Nick Harriss Brandon Hill Capital Limited (Broker) Tel: +44-20-3463-5000 Jonathan Evans Lothbury Financial Services Tel: +44-20-3290-0707 Michael Padley Hall Communications Tel: +353-1-660-9377 Don Hall www.kareliandiamondresources.com KARELIAN DIAMOND RESOURCES - COMPANY BACKGROUND: The diamond prospectivity of the Karelian Craton, which lies across Northern Finland and Russia, has been demonstrated by the discovery of two major diamond deposits, Lomonosov and the Grib pipe, in the Russian section of the Craton. Both are now in production as world class diamond mines. The primary business interest and objective of the Company's diamond project in Finland is the discovery of one or more similar sized diamond deposits in the Finnish sector of the Karelian Craton. To that end the Company initiated a diamond exploration programme in Finland which has led to the discovery of a diamond in till, together with two new kimberlite bodies Riihivaara and Anomaly 5, in the Kuhmo region of eastern Finland. Kimberlite bodies often occur in clusters and the Company has identified a further sixteen kimberlite indicator anomalies in the same area, suggesting that the Kuhmo Region could ultimately host a significant number of Kimberlite bodies. The Company has also acquired exploration rights over the Seitaperakimberlite body, in the Kuhmo region, and has demonstrated that it is 6.9 Ha in size,the largest diamondiferous kimberlite in Finland, and comparable to the Lomonosov diamond deposit in both size and geological characteristics. The Company has also acquired the Lahtojoki diamond deposit in Kuopio - Kaavi region of Finland together with a mining concession over the deposit in the belief that the deposit has the potential to become a profitable low strip ratio open pit diamond mine. A PEA conducted by the Company on the Lahtojoki deposit has been positive both technically and financially. A +1mm recoverable grade of 39.7 Carats Per Hundred Tonnes (cpht) is indicated and high quality stones have been observed within the diamonds recovered to date. In addition, adjacent to the Lahtojoki Deposit, kimberlite boulders have been discovered, which are of a different form of kimberlite to that found in Lahtojoki. The Company is therefore following up the source of these boulders to identify an as yet undiscovered kimberlite, which could add further to the technical and financial attractiveness of the Lahtojoki deposit. The Company and Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration Limited ("Rio Tinto") concluded a Confidentiality Agreement (with Back in Rights) in July 2010. Under the agreement, Rio Tinto have disclosed to the Company confidential information and physical geological samples relating to exploration in Finland for the purpose of the Company considering that information in relation to Karelian Diamond Resource's potential and existing exploration programmes in Finland. In consideration of Rio Tinto disclosing the confidential information to it, Karelian Diamonds has agreed that Rio Tinto will have the option to earn a 51 per cent, interest in any project identified by Karelian Diamonds in Finland by Rio Tinto paying the direct cash expenditures incurred in developing the project subject to the following conditions: For diamond projects the option will be triggered if Karelian Diamonds completes 10 tons or more bulk sampling for diamond exploration; and for all other minerals the option will be triggered if Karelian Diamonds discovers a resource with an in situ value that is equal to or greater than the in situ value of 3 million ounces of gold in a JORC compliant resource calculation. Karelian Diamonds has signed an amendment letter to extend this Confidentiality Agreement (with Back in Rights) with Rio Tinto until 30 June 2020. Deliveries of Four A321neo and Two A330neo Aircraft to Support Portugal Flag Carrier's Fleet Growth CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited ("CDB Leasing"), today announced that the company began delivery of a fleet of six Airbus aircraft to Portugal's leading airline, TAP Air Portugal ("TAP"). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005553/en/ CDB Aviation has begun delivery of a fleet of six Airbus aircraft, including four A321neos and two A330neos, to TAP Air Portugal. The companies' teams celebrated delivery of the first A321neo during a ceremony held at the Airbus Delivery Center in Hamburg; representing CDB Aviation (L-R): Jamie White, Contracts Manager; Rebekah Dalton, Vice President Procurement; Michael Culhane, Senior Vice President New Aircraft; and Daniel Cunningham, Vice President Commercial, and representing TAP (L-R): Joao Delgado, Fleet Planning and Contracts; Andre Seabra Simoes, Fleet Planning and Contracts; Joana Palmeiro, Fleet Planning and Contracts; and Joao Espirito Santo, Legal Department. (Photo: Business Wire) The first aircraft delivered to the carrier in November is a new Airbus A321neo, which is part of a lease agreement for a total of four aircraft of the type. The second A321neo is expected to deliver by year-end, with the remaining two aircraft slated for arrival in 2019. In addition, in April 2018, CDB Aviation and TAP entered into a purchase and leaseback agreement for two Airbus A330-900neo aircraft. The two widebodies are expected to deliver in the second quarter of 2019. "This aircraft delivery supports our important partnership between CDB Aviation and one of the world's leading airlines, TAP," said CDB Aviation Chief Commercial Officer Patrick Hannigan. "The addition of these narrowbody and widebody aircraft will support the carrier's vision of accelerated capacity growth, enabling the airline to launch new routes. We look forward to building our ongoing close relationship with TAP, delivering supportive financing solutions to aid its growth in the years ahead." Hannigan added: "TAP is among many airlines in CDB Aviation's rapidly expanding global customer network who benefit from our company's fast-evolving and industry-leading, full-service platform. Today, CDB Aviation boasts an in-demand portfolio and a strong orderbook for the latest generation aircraft, capable of meeting diverse customer needs and providing attractive near-term delivery positions." About TAP Air Portugal TAP is Portugal's leading airline, and member of Star Alliance, the global airline alliance to offer customers worldwide reach, since 2005. In operation since 1945, TAP celebrated 70 years on March 14, 2015, and has completed its privatization process in 2015, with the Atlantic Gateway Group now as new private shareholders of its share capital. TAP hub in Lisbon is a key European gateway at the crossroads of Africa, North, Central and South America, where TAP stands out as the international leading carrier in operation to Brazil. The company's network currently comprises 83 destinations in 35 countries worldwide. TAP currently operates about 2,500 weekly flights in average on a modern fleet of 70 Airbus aircraft and 21 aircraft in TAP Express livery, operating in the company's regional network, adding up to a 91 aircraft fleet in the whole. Within the vast restructure program currently going across the company as the outcome of its privatization process, TAP has announced its Network restructure, its medium and long haul fleet renewal program as of 2017 and the retrofit of the fleet currently in operation as well as the launch of the new branded product TAP Express, which replaced PGA and operates a new fleet of 21 ATR 72 and Embraer 190. In the pursuit of its customer focused policy, TAP continuously strives to deliver safe, reliable and upgraded products services, tailored to meet customers' expectations. Retaining the Portuguese character of the Company's brand and quality service as the basic concept has been the main driver of TAP strategy in most recent years. Recognized and awarded as the Europe's Leading Airline to Africa as well as Europe's Leading Airline to South America by the World Travel Awards in 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014, the company was also awarded as the WTA World's Leading Airline to Africa in 2011, 2012 and 2018 and the WTA World's Leading Airline to South America in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2018, while the company's In-flight magazine UP also received the WTA award as Europe's Leading In-flight Magazine in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and World's Leading In-flight Magazine in 2018. Voted Best Airline in Europe in 2011, 2012, 2013 and again in 2015 by the Global Traveler, USA, the company was also honored by UNESCO and by the International Union of Geological Sciences with the IYPE "Planet Earth Award 2010", in the category of "Most Innovative Sustainable Product". TAP was also voted Best Airline by Conde Nast Traveller Magazine in 2010 and Best Portuguese Tourism Company by the specialized magazine Marketeer, in 2011. www.tapairportugal.com About CDB Aviation CDB Aviation is a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited ("CDB Leasing") a 34-year-old Chinese leasing company that is backed mainly by the China Development Bank. China Development Bank is under the direct jurisdiction of the State Council of China and is the world's largest development finance institution. It is also the largest Chinese bank for foreign investment and financing cooperation, long-term lending and bond issuance, enjoying Chinese sovereign credit rating. CDB Leasing is the only leasing arm of the China Development Bank and a leading company in China's leasing industry that has been engaged in aircraft, infrastructure, ship, commercial vehicle and construction machinery leasing and enjoys a Chinese sovereign credit rating. It took an important step in July 2016 to globalize and marketize its business listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX STOCK CODE: 1606). www.CDBAviation.aero View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005553/en/ Contacts: Media contact: Paul Thibeau Paul.THIBEAU@CDBAviation.aero; +1 612 594 9844 LONDON, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FTSE 100 companies on course to miss government diversity targets Britain's leading companies will struggle to meet a government-backed target that all FTSE 100 boards should have at least one ethnic minority member by 2021, according to the latest authoritative research from Green Park. On current rates of progress - one extra company each year - the top listed companies will not meet the target set by Sir John Parker until 2066. The London-based executive recruitment firm, which recruits hundreds of trade staff for the government, says that if Britain is to make a success of Brexit, top firms need to present a face to the world that reflects modern, multi-ethnic Britain and the emerging markets into which they want to expand. Moreover, the report's authors conclude, any reduction in the flow of talent from Europe without a corresponding expansion of diverse British talent will inflate the pay of senior leaders in top UK companies significantly. Green Park's fifth report into diversity at the top levels of FTSE 100 companies shows little change in the ethnocultural composition of boards over the last five years. The annual survey of the 10,000 most senior leaders in the UK's biggest companies reveals that efforts to improve leadership diversity are paying some dividends - but only if you're female, and mostly if you're white. Prospects for an increase in minority representation appear to be limited by a decline in BAME representation in the leadership pipeline. Green Park's analysis reveals that almost half (48) of FTSE 100 companies still have no non-white board or executive committee members. Although there has been an overall 1.7% percentage point rise in BAME representation over the last year, the number of companies with no minority board and executive committee members is down only marginally on the figure of five years ago (53). Stripping out Non-Executive Directors, two-thirds (67) of Britain's companies still have an all-white leadership team, an increase on the 65 in Green Park's first report. At the most senior level of corporate leadership - Chair, CEO and CFO - 96.7% of individuals are white and 92.4% male. Women hold just 23 roles out of 302, with the number of CFOs dropping from 12 to 10 and Chair and CEO positions each increasing by one; while BAME executives only account for five CEO, three CFO and two Chair positions. The prospects for change at senior level remain poor. Ethnocultural diversity in the Top 100 roles, just below Director level, has stalled at 10.6% over the last year. Female representation on boards has continued to increase steadily, with women now making up more than a quarter of board members (26.3%), although the majority of these women are in Non-Executive Director roles (38.9%) rather than Executive Director roles (21.8%). In contrast to the fall in numbers of ethnic minority individuals in the Top 100 leadership pipeline, the number of women has risen to 28.8% up 1.6% percentage points from 2017. Green Park's Leadership 10,000 report also highlights wide variations in both ethnic and gender diversity across the different sectors. Nine out of the 15 sectors analysed show a decrease in the ethnocultural diversity in their Top 100 pipelines. In Telecoms, the proportion of BAME executives in the Top 100 has fallen by 16 percentage points since last year, while the transport sector has a total absence of ethnic minority board members and just 4.9% in Top 100 roles. Media (44.5%) and retail (40.6%) have the highest female representation at Top 100 level, while the lowest sectors are industrials (17.5%) and construction and property (20%). Green Park's CEO and co-founder, Raj Tulsiani, said: "The corporate pipeline is slowly adding women to the mainstream - but largely still only white women; and the pipeline marked "black men" remains resolutely empty. As a result, overall progress is stalling, and in practice it may mean that we risk failing to hit the Parker target." "Whilst most organisations understand the commercial and reputational impact a lack of diversity can bring, now is a crucial time to take pragmatic and sustainable steps to build a strong pipeline of future leaders." Trevor Phillips, Chair of Green Park, added: "This news could not have come at a worse moment. Whatever happens after Brexit, if our companies are to compete on the world stage for the growing markets in Africa, Asia and the Americas, they cannot go around the world with a leadership that looks like a throwback to the pre-Windrush, colonial era. "When we first decided to collect this data we assumed that we would, over time, be charting a more or less steady rise in female and minority participation in the top leadership of FTSE 100 companies as the broad logic of diversity kicked in. This latest survey shows that the message has yet to ping into the inboxes of UK Plc's leaders - especially the chairs of the main boards and their nominations committees. "Britain still has to have a serious and courageous conversation about race and ethnicity. At a time when our country needs to show a modern, global face to the world, declining ethnic diversity in our business leadership looks like a spectacular own goal. The UK needs fresh thought and innovation if it is to meet the challenges ahead." Link to the Leadership 10,000 report:http://bit.ly/2AYuzyH Link to the press release on Green Park's website:http://bit.ly/2RFx3ZS Mark Ogle OH Communications +44-077-899-81561 mark@ohcommunications.co.uk Cruise line curates 122 local tours for guests to visit locals' homes, farms, workplaces, markets and studios across the world Today, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the world's leading luxury cruise line, announces two shore excursion innovations designed to offer luxury travelers the most bespoke experiences in destinations around the world: Go Local Tours and Regent Choice small group tours This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005377/en/ Regent Seven Seas Cruises' Go Local Tours lets guests experience the world through the eyes of those who live in the community and discover the best of a favorite destination, such as exploring a local market in Barcelona. (Photo: Business Wire) "Our guests' desire to learn about the people, cultures and natural wonders of our world is the inspiration behind Go Local Tours," Regent Seven Seas Cruises President and CEO Jason Montague said. "Their fascination for immersive exploration, and the fact that many guests return to some of the same ports they've visited before and are looking for distinct authentic, one-of-a-kind experiences, led to our groundbreaking approach to elevate luxury travel shore excursions. These local experiences will be exceptional." Go Local Tours. Regent Seven Seas Cruises guests will enjoy a more direct way to experience the culture of a destination through Go Local Tours. Now, guests can spend a day at a family-owned goat farm in the countryside of Andalusia to learn the generations-old way of making cheese, or discover the joy of fishing with the residents of Portofino, or observe skilled artists in their studios in Palma de Mallorca. Guests will experience the world through the eyes of those who live in the community and discover the best of a favorite destination. The cruise line worked for seven months to curate 122 small local experiences for guests, nearly 50 of which are included in its FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions. Go Local Tours are available on 2019 Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages, along with 2019 voyages calling on Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay. Examples of Go Local Tours include: Spain Visit the mountain village of Alfarnate, located in the province of Malaga in Andalusia. Here, a local guide escorts guests through the village shops to introduce them to the local artisans. The next stop is the nearby town of Alfarnatejo, to an ancient, restored house, where guests enjoy a glass of local wine before a host escorts guests to their own home for a traditional Spanish lunch and an introduction to Spain's gastronomical culture. Finland Guests will experience the unique and beautiful sights of central Helsinki. The day starts with a visit to the most popular food market, Kauppahalli, to observe and taste the variety of local fish, meat, and cheeses. Next, guests take a local tram toward Kamppi Center to visit the two most famous Finnish supermarkets before touring the underground Central Bus Station, which connects Helsinki with the surrounding towns. One more level under the ground, guests will take a Metro to the Hakaniemi Market Hall for a tour. Following a typical Finnish snack, the tour ends with a relaxing walk through Kaivopuisto Park, the oldest and best-known park in Helsinki. Greece Visit the Monastery of Agia Irini south of Heraklion and close to the traditional village of Kroussonas. The Monastery serves as a nunnery and is amongst the oldest in Crete. At the completion of the guided visit the nuns will offer guests traditional hand-made sweets. In the village of Kroussonas guests will visit the traditional Cretan boot maker, Stivania, and tour the oldest bakery in the village. A host will introduce guests to traditional Cretan music accompanied by a lesson in folk dances such as the Ballos. The demonstration will also show how families prepare cheese and make Cretan cheese pies. Afterward, guests are treated to olive oil and wine tastings, and a demonstration in Cretan weaving. A traditional Cretan lunch will be served at the end of the tour. Regent Choice small group tours. In 2009, Regent Seven Seas Cruises elevated the luxury cruise industry by introducing FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions, an innovation which demonstrated the tremendous value Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers with one all-inclusive voyage price. Regent Choice small group tours are smaller versions of the cruise line's existing popular FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions and Regent Choice tours. Hosting no more than 16 guests, for a subsidized, supplementary fee Regent Choice small group tours allow for more personal destination engagement with a knowledgeable guide. These excursions are curated to provide additional ways to engage luxury travelers' interests and passions, from food and wine to art and architecture, and include access to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. About 250 excursions on 2019 Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages will be offered as Regent Choice small group tours. "Imagine the intimacy of you and only 15 others in your small group walking through the beautiful sites in Dubrovnik, observing the historic town's unique marble-paved squares, tall houses, steep-cobbled streets and fountains as you engage in conversations with a local guide. Small group tours allow for deeper, more meaningful conversations, interactions and explorations during many of our most popular tours," Montague said. Visit www.RSSC.com, call 1.844.4REGENT (1.844.876.8745) or contact a professional travel advisor to inquire about specific Regent Seven Seas Cruises voyages. Learn more about Go Local Tours and Regent Choice small group tours on Regent Seven Seas Cruises' shore excursions webpage. Regent Seven Seas Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises is the world's most inclusive luxury experience with a modern, five-ship fleet that visits more than 450 iconic and immersive destinations around the world. The cruise line's fares include all-suite accommodations, round-trip business-class air on intercontinental flights from U.S. and Canada, the largest collection of free, unlimited shore excursions, unlimited internet access, highly personalized service, exquisite cuisine, fine wines and spirits, prepaid gratuities, ground transfers, and one-night, pre-cruise hotel package for guests staying in Concierge-level suites and higher. The spacious and intimate ships have a capacity of up to 750 guests. Seven Seas Mariner's 2018 dry-dock refurbishment concluded the cruise line's $125 million refurbishment program to elevate the fleet's elegance to the standard set by Seven Seas Explorer, the most luxurious ship ever built. In early 2020, Regent will perfect luxury with the launch of Seven Seas SplendorTM. For the latest news, please visit www.RSSC.com/news; like the line's Facebook page; and follow @RegentCruises on Twitter. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is a brand of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH), a leading global cruise company which also operates the Norwegian Cruise Line and Oceania Cruises brands. With a combined fleet of 26 ships with approximately 54,400 berths, these brands offer itineraries to more than 450 destinations worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005377/en/ Contacts: Joe Chabus (305) 514-3912 or JChabus@RSSC.com ROYAL DUTCH SHELL PLC THIRD QUARTER 2018 EURO AND GBP EQUIVALENT DIVIDEND PAYMENTS The Hague, December 6, 2018 - The Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc ("RDS") today announced the pounds sterling and euro equivalent dividend payments in respect of the third quarter 2018 interim dividend, which was announced on November 1, 2018 at US$0.47 per A ordinary share ("A Share") and B ordinary share ("B Share"). Dividends on A Shares will be paid, by default, in euro at the rate of 0.4124 per A Share. Holders of A Shares who have validly submitted pounds sterling currency elections by November 30, 2018 will be entitled to a dividend of 36.77p per A Share. Dividends on B Shares will be paid, by default, in pounds sterling at the rate of 36.77p per B Share. Holders of B Shares who have validly submitted euro currency elections by November 30, 2018 will be entitled to a dividend of 0.4124 per B Share. This dividend will be payable on December 19, 2018 to those members whose names were on the Register of Members on November 16, 2018. Taxation - cash dividend Cash dividends on A Shares will be subject to the deduction of Dutch dividend withholding tax at the rate of 15%, which may be reduced in certain circumstances. Non-Dutch resident shareholders, depending on their particular circumstances, may be entitled to a full or partial refund of Dutch dividend withholding tax. If you are uncertain as to the tax treatment of any dividends you should consult your own tax advisor. Royal Dutch Shell plc ENQUIRIES: Investor Relations: Europe + 31 (0) 70 377 4540 North America +1 832 337 2034 Media: International +44 (0) 207 934 5550 Americas +1 832 337 4355 CAUTIONARY NOTE The companies in which Royal Dutch Shell plc directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this announcement "Shell", "Shell group" and "Royal Dutch Shell" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" are also used to refer to Royal Dutch Shell plc and its subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. These terms are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular entity or entities. ''Subsidiaries'', "Shell subsidiaries" and "Shell companies" as used in this announcement refer to entities over which Royal Dutch Shell plc either directly or indirectly has control. Entities and unincorporated arrangements over which Shell has joint control are generally referred to as "joint ventures" and "joint operations", respectively. Entities over which Shell has significant influence but neither control nor joint control are referred to as "associates". The term "Shell interest" is used for convenience to indicate the direct and/or indirect ownership interest held by Shell in an entity or unincorporated joint arrangement, after exclusion of all third-party interest. This announcement contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) concerning the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of Royal Dutch Shell. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on management's current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning the potential exposure of Royal Dutch Shell to market risks and statements expressing management's expectations, beliefs, estimates, forecasts, projections and assumptions. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as "aim", "ambition', ''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''could'', ''estimate'', ''expect'', ''goals'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''objectives'', ''outlook'', ''plan'', ''probably'', ''project'', ''risks'', "schedule", ''seek'', ''should'', ''target'', ''will'' and similar terms and phrases. There are a number of factors that could affect the future operations of Royal Dutch Shell and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements included in this announcement, including (without limitation): (a) price fluctuations in crude oil and natural gas; (b) changes in demand for Shell's products; (c) currency fluctuations; (d) drilling and production results; (e) reserves estimates; (f) loss of market share and industry competition; (g) environmental and physical risks; (h) risks associated with the identification of suitable potential acquisition properties and targets, and successful negotiation and completion of such transactions; (i) the risk of doing business in developing countries and countries subject to international sanctions; (j) legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments including regulatory measures addressing climate change; (k) economic and financial market conditions in various countries and regions; (l) political risks, including the risks of expropriation and renegotiation of the terms of contracts with governmental entities, delays or advancements in the approval of projects and delays in the reimbursement for shared costs; and (m) changes in trading conditions. No assurance is provided that future dividend payments will match or exceed previous dividend payments. All forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional risk factors that may affect future results are contained in Royal Dutch Shell's Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017 (available at www.shell.com/investor and www.sec.gov ). These risk factors also expressly qualify all forward-looking statements contained in this announcement and should be considered by the reader. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement, December 6, 2018. Neither Royal Dutch Shell plc nor any of its subsidiaries undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or other information. In light of these risks, results could differ materially from those stated, implied or inferred from the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement. This announcement may contain references to Shell's website. These references are for the readers' convenience only. Shell is not incorporating by reference any information posted on www.shell.com. We may have used certain terms, such as resources, in this announcement that the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) strictly prohibits us from including in our filings with the SEC. U.S. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 20-F, File No 1-32575, available on the SEC website www.sec.gov. LEI number of Royal Dutch Shell plc: 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70 Lyon, December 6, 2018 - 6.00 pm. Visiativ Group, publisher and integrator of innovative software platforms, is listed on Euronext Growth (ISIN code: FR0004029478 - ticker: ALVIV). Following the start of exclusive negotiations announced on 15 November 2018, Visiativ has closed the acquisition of a majority stake in Dimensions Group, holding of Design Solutions, a reseller of SOLIDWORKS solutions and 3D printers in the Benelux region. This will now enable Visiativ to support SOLIDWORKS customers in seven countries (France, Switzerland, Morocco, UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg). Visiativ has acquired 82.5% of the share capital of Dimensions Group, holding company for: Design Solutions BV , SOLIDWORKS reseller in the Netherlands; , SOLIDWORKS reseller in the Netherlands; Design Solutions BVBA , SOLIDWORKS reseller in Belgium and Luxembourg; , SOLIDWORKS reseller in Belgium and Luxembourg; Layertec, reseller of 3D printers for the Benelux market. These three companies will be consolidated as of 1 December 2018. Mr Arnaud Kooij will retain a 17.5% stake in Dimensions Group, besides continuing to perform his existing operating duties. Dimensions Group posts annual revenues of around 10 million, with significant growth and double-digit profit margins. Recurring revenue is over 60%. The Group has around 30 employees and a portfolio of over 2,000 customers. Dimensions Group's key accounts include ABB, Marel, Ampelmann, Rademaker and VDL. This acquisition will enable the Visiativ group to step up growth in shared business lines (SOLIDWORKS Integration and Rapid Manufacturing/3D Printing) as well as developing its two other divisions, Software and Innovation & Digital Transformation Consulting. Visiativ Chairman and CEO Laurent Fiard made the following comments: "We are delighted to welcome the arrival of a new dynamic team within the Visiativ Group. We are confident that joining forces will step up Dimensions Group's growth thanks to Visiativ's broad value proposition centred on innovation and digital transformation in these three countries. This acquisition is a major step towards achieving the Next100 strategic plan aimed at generating revenues of 200 million by 2020." Dimensions Group CEO Arnaud Kooij said: "For 20 years, we have strived to place innovation and the digital transformation of our customers at the heart of our strategy. The backing of a key player sharing the same aim is exciting because it will allow us to bring yet more value to our customers." Next financial release: FY 2018 revenues: 31 January 2019, after close of trading. About Visiativ Integrator of innovative software solutions, Visiativ steps up the digital transformation of companies via its collaborative and social business platform and innovation consultancy offer. Working with mid-caps since its foundation in 1987, the Visiativ Group posted 2017 revenues of 124m and boasts a diverse portfolio of over 16,000 customers. Covering every economic sector in France and with operations in international (Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Luxembourg, Morocco, the Netherlands, UK, USA and Switzerland), Visiativ has nearly 900 employees. The Visiativ share (ISIN code FR0004029478, ALVIV) is listed on Euronext Growth Paris. The share is eligible for the PEA and PEA-PME personal equity plans and FCPI/FIP investments funds, thanks to its status as an "innovative business" recognised by Bpifrance. For further information, visit www.visiativ.com CONTACT VISIATIV Eleonore DUFOUR Communications Officer Tel.: +33 (0)4 78 87 29 29 eleonore.dufour@visiativ.com INVESTOR / MEDIA RELATIONS ACTUS Theo MARTIN / Serena BONI Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 75 / +33 (0)4 72 18 04 92 tmartin@actus.fr / sboni@actus.fr ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-56223-visiativ-pr-dimensions-group-20181206-en-vdef.pdf BRIARCLIFF MANOR, New York, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of the world's top management researchers will gather at an Academy of Management (AOM) Specialized Conference in Tel Aviv on December 17-19, 2018. The researchers, from universities around the world, will discuss their cutting-edge findings about start-ups, as well as the challenges entrepreneurs face in growing their businesses. Nearly 200 research papers will be presented at this cross-disciplinary conference, covering a variety of topics, including: How companies can protect themselves from digital piracy The consequences of appointing external CEOs When diversity on top management teams can cause problems The three-day conference, "From Start-up to Scale-up: Coping with Organizational Challenges in a Volatile Business Environment," will also feature professional development workshops, panel discussions, and a moderated debate featuring leaders from business and innovation policy. Conference keynote speakers include Rajshree Agarwal (University of Maryland), Kathleen Eisenhardt (Stanford University), and Michael Tushman (Harvard University). "We are pleased to bring the research of the world's top scholars to bear on real-world business concerns," said AOM President Carol T. Kulik of the University of South Australia. "As our new series of specialized conferences continues, we look forward to creating more of these opportunities." Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and Tel Aviv University will jointly host this unique Academy of Management Specialized Conference. About AOM The Academy of Management is the largest global association devoted to management and organization research, with 20,000 members from more than 120 countries. Founded in 1936, AOM publishes six top-rated journals with the most authoritative and diverse management research findings. For more information, visit www.aom.org. Media Contact Primary: Anat, Hi end Ventures - P.R. anat@hi-endventures.com Secondary: Kerry Lange, Reputation Partners press@aom.org Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/648601/Academy_of_Management_Logo.jpg EB-5 Regional Center Program Extended Until December 21, 2018 JUPITER, Florida, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Immigration Fund Reports: The federal government has taken steps to extend the operations of the U.S. government until December 21, 2018. These measures would therefore extend the current EB-5 Regional Center program without changes until December 21, 2018. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/794960/American_Flag_USIF.jpg Presently, the EB-5 Regional Center program was supposed to expire this Friday, December 7th at midnight. Due to the death of former president George H.W. Bush and the State Funeral in his honor, lawmakers have decided to delay this deadline to December 21st. The Future of EB-5 The House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate will have to vote on the seven appropriations bills, which includes extending the EB-5 program into 2019, as one omnibus. Over the past several years, EB-5 has experienced short extension periods, keeping the program's position in continual limbo. If the program goes through legislative changes for a more permanent resolution, the modifications to the program could be drastic. "The two-week extension offered by Congress will provide a critical opportunity for investors to move forward and file their I-526 petition with USCIS, before USCIS finalizes new regulations or Congress considers legislation to reform the EB-5 program, both of which would increase the minimum EB-5 investment threshold," said Ignacio Donoso, a partner at Donoso Law, a nationally recognized law firm specializing in immigration. It has been contemplated by many that the program could see an increase to the minimum investment levels from $800,000 to $1,800,000. Though the final investment figure has yet to be agreed upon, one thing that can be agreed upon is that an increase in the investment amount will soon occur. Currently the program allows foreign investors to invest a minimum of $500,000 in a an EB-5 project in the United States. Stephen Yale-Loehr, an attorney at Ithaca, N.Y.-based Miller Mayer LLP, and an immigration law professor at Cornell Law School, "predicts that congress will extend EB-5 again without any changesmaybe in the spring everybody can agree on a reform package that Congress can enact". U.S. Immigration Fund will continue to monitor this story closely and provide additional updates as they arise. About U.S. Immigration Fund USIF is America's leading EB-5 Regional Center operator with world-renowned investment opportunities from New York City to California and 6,000 clients from across the globe. With approved Regional Centers located in the world's most thriving cities, USIF provides worthwhile opportunities for foreign investors and their families to obtain permanent U.S. residency through the EB-5 Program. These initiatives enjoy full government support as they stimulate the economy, generate at least ten jobs per investment, and promote community development while providing access to green cards for foreign investors and their families. Contact: U.S Immigration Fund 115 Front Street suite 300, Jupiter, FL 33477 (561) 799-1883 publicrelations@usifund.com ROLLING MEADOWS, Illinois, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced the acquisition of Boston Marks Insurance NZ in New Zealand, BMG Aviation in Australia and the book of business of Boston Marks Insurance Brokers in the United Kingdom; all part of the Boston Marks Group. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 1985 as an independent insurance and reinsurance broker for the aviation sector, Boston Marks Group today offers retail property/casualty brokerage services to a broad range of government, commercial and private aviation and aerospace clients from offices in Auckland and Papakura in New Zealand; Gold Coast, Queensland and Perth, Western Australia in Australia; and London, England. Pat McLaughlan and his associates in New Zealand will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Carl O'Shea, New Zealand CEO. Damian Hooper and his associates in Australia will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Paul Harvey, Managing Director of Specialisms.Phil Stafford and colleagues will join Gallagher's London office under the direction of Mark Walters, Executive Director, Aviation. "Boston Marks' highly specialized offerings significantly expand our international brokerage capabilities in the aviation sector, in particular in the Australian and New Zealand markets," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO. "I am very excited to welcome Pat, Damian, Phil and their associates to our growing Gallagher family of professionals." "Boston Marks is a great fit for Gallagher; they have fantastic people and are a strong global player in the specialist aviation insurance market. Gallagher has a history of growth in the specialist sectors and Boston Marks will contribute meaningful to our global aviation capabilities," said Steve Lockwood, Managing Director of Gallagher Australia and New Zealand. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 35 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants. Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Linda J. Collins VP - Investor Relations VP - Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ ray_iardella@ajg.com 630-285-4009/ linda_collins@ajg.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/597229/Arthur_J_Gallagher_Logo.jpg The European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) released new standards to address the disparities in newborn care Preterm birth is one of the leading causes for neonatal mortality in Europe 1 Nutritional care is a critical component of treating preterm neonates to optimize outcomes Baxter International Inc. (NYSE:BAX), a global leader in clinical nutrition, is collaborating with the European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) to raise awareness for the new EFCNI standards that address the disparities in newborn care in Europe. EFCNI released the new European Standards of Care for Newborn Health last week. These comprehensive standards provide research-backed protocols for key elements of care, from birth to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay to follow-up care. The standards are essential because preterm birth is one of the leading causes for neonatal mortality in Europe and accounts for more than half of all infant deaths.1 Worldwide, more than 15 million infants are born preterm annually. 1 Preterm babies, and those born with illnesses, have special feeding requirements during their hospital stays and after discharge. The standards include several recommendations to help neonatologists improve the nutritional care for preterm infants, including that NICUs establish and implement site-specific nutrition guidelines. The goal is to ensure that preterm infants receive adequate nutrients to promote proper development and that clinicians monitor growth consistently. The guidelines also outline that parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (PN) be started on the first day after birth, usually using standard solutions, such as premix solutions, and continued until sufficient enteral feeding is established. "As an innovator in clinical nutrition therapy, we are proud to support and partner with EFCNI to raise awareness for better treatment standards for the most vulnerable patient populations," said Jorge Vasseur, general manager of Baxter's Clinical Nutrition business. "We will continue our efforts to raise awareness on best practices for treating preterm infants, while providing innovative nutritional therapies for neonates." Baxter's Numeta G13E is the only licensed, triple-chamber PN product available to treat preterm infants (born before 37 weeks of gestation) who are at high risk for infection and malnutrition in the early hours and days of their lives. Premature infants are not usually able to "suck and swallow" milk like full-term infants, and rely entirely on PN to grow and develop. The data released at the ISPOR Europe conference in Barcelona last month projects that increasing use of standardized triple-chamber PN products like Numeta G13E compared to other PN preparation methods can help preterm neonates by substantially reducing the risk of blood stream infections, compounding errors and resource burdens associated with prematurity. About Baxter Every day, millions of patients and caregivers rely on Baxter's leading portfolio of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products. For more than 85 years, we've been operating at the critical intersection where innovations that save and sustain lives meet the healthcare providers that make it happen. With products, technologies and therapies available in more than 100 countries, Baxter's employees worldwide are now building upon the company's rich heritage of medical breakthroughs to advance the next generation of transformative healthcare innovations. To learn more, visit www.baxter.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. IMPORTANT RISK INFORMATION The general contraindications for administering Numeta as an activated two-chamber container system (with the lipid chamber inactivated for intravenous infusion) are as follows: hypersensitivity to egg, soy or peanut proteins, or to any of the active substances, excipients or components of the container; congenital abnormality of the amino acid metabolism; pathologically elevated plasma concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and/or phosphorous; severe hyperglycemia; and concomitant treatment with ceftriaxone in newborns (<= 28 days of age), even if separate infusion lines are used. The addition of lipids (administering Numeta as an activated three-chamber container system for intravenous emulsion) is contraindicated in the following additional clinical situations: severe hyperlipidemia and severe disorders of lipid metabolism characterized by hypertriglyceridemia. Refer to the Numeta product label for full prescribing information. This release includes forward-looking statements concerning Numeta G13E, including potential benefits associated with its use. The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; product quality, manufacturing or supply, or patient safety issues; changes in law and regulations; and other risks identified in Baxter's most recent filing on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on Baxter's website. Baxter does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. Baxter and Numeta G13E are registered trademarks of Baxter International Inc. 1 Althabe F, Howson CP, Kinney M, Lawn J, World Health Organization. Born too soon: the global action report on preterm birth. 2012. Available from: www.who.int/pmnch/media/news/2012/201204_borntoosoon-report.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005940/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Beth Mueller, (224) 948-5353 media@baxter.com Investor Contact Clare Trachtman, (224) 948-3085 Partnership enables companies to accelerate innovation for next-generation automotive services KIRKLAND, Wash. and AMSTERDAM - INRIX, the world leader in connected car services and mobility analytics, and HERE Technologies, a global leader in mapping and location services, today announced a partnership to deliver industry-leading services and products. INRIX will leverage map content from HERE in more than 50 countries, with the specific goal of increasing connected services coverage and quality in the automotive sector. The companies are also exploring further collaboration opportunities, including utilizing their respective data and platform capabilities for the creation and delivery of new data services to move mobility forward around the world. As the location data experts, HERE is dedicated to providing the most complete, up-to-date and accurate maps in the industry, reinforcing the emphasis INRIX puts on quality, coverage and innovation of its new product offerings. "Partnering with HERE allows us to offer best-in-class mobility solutions to public and private sector customers worldwide," said Bryan Mistele, president and CEO of INRIX. "Our shared vision of quality, coverage and new product innovation is the cornerstone of our partnership, and I'm excited to see where this relationship will go." "HERE and INRIX are a great match," said Edzard Overbeek, CEO of HERE Technologies. "Both companies believe in the power of open platforms and partner ecosystems to accelerate innovation and build the mobility services of the future. We look forward to exploring the possibilities together with INRIX." Every day, HERE processes millions of changes to its map, drawing on the data it gathers from passenger and commercial vehicles, a community of map editors, its own fleet of LiDAR-equipped mapping cars, and satellite and aerial imagery. HERE uses a mix of people power, advanced data processing and machine learning to turn all that data into maps with hundreds of attributes, including addresses, road signs, and turn and roadway restrictions such as weight limits and relative road heights, for all major markets. Most major automotive brands, as well as many of the world's biggest enterprises, rely on the HERE location platform. INRIX collects billions of anonymous data points every day from a diverse set of sources, including connected vehicles, cities, DOTs, road weather conditions, journalistic incidents, social media, parking, mobile and other IoT devices. With information on nearly 90 percent of the world's roads across over 80 countries, INRIX is the preferred provider of driving and mobility intelligence for leading automakers, transportation agencies and enterprises, including Audi, BMW, Ford, IBM, REMAX, Subway T-Mobile, Waze and more than 120 city, national and state government agencies such as the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, Highways England, the City of Copenhagen and RTA Dubai. HERE and INRIX_image (http://hugin.info/171640/R/2228191/874983.jpg) INRIX is the global leader in connected car services and mobility analytics. Leveraging big data and the cloud, INRIX delivers comprehensive services and innovative solutions to help move people, cities and businesses forward. Our partners are automakers, governments, retailers, insurance agencies, advertisers and dozens of other industries that can benefit from understanding how people and vehicles move Learn more at INRIX.com.HERE, the Open Location Platform company, enables people, businesses and cities to harness the power of location. By making sense of the world through the lens of location we empower our customers to achieve better outcomes - from helping a city manage its infrastructure or a business optimize its assets to guiding drivers to their destination safely. To learn more about HERE, including our new generation of cloud-based location platform services, visit https://360.here.com and https://www.here.com.INRIXMark Burfeind(425) 284-3825mark.burfeind@inrix.comKasey Farrar(312) - 340-4978kasey.farrar@here.com The authorities in Beijing have told coal traders and utilities they want imports for the whole year to be similar to the 279 million tonnes in 2017. Launceston, Australia: Its not shaping up as a merry Christmas for coal exporters to Asia as the regions top buyers, China and India, pull back from the recent trend of strong imports. The Chinese authorities appear to be making good on a commitment to try and limit the countrys imports of the polluting fuel to levels the same as 2017. The restrictions have led to a sharp drop in the daily import of coal so far in December, according to vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Refinitiv. Seaborne imports in the first five days of the month stood at 1.5 million tonnes, or a daily rate of just 300,000 tonnes. This compares to total seaborne imports of 226.2 million tonnes in the first 11 months of 2018, a daily rate of about 677,000 tonnes. The authorities in Beijing have told coal traders and utilities they want imports for the whole year to be similar to the 279 million tonnes in 2017. This is likely going to be a challenge since customs data showed imports for the first 10 months of the year were 252 million tonnes, up 11 percent from the same period in 2017. With vessel-tracking data pointing to November seaborne imports of about 18.3 million tonnes, this would in theory leave only about 9 million tonnes available for December. At the rate of imports for the first five days of December, this may just be possible, as it suggests about 9.3 million tonnes for the month as a whole. However, the ship-tracking data doesnt cover overland imports, mainly from neighbouring Mongolia, meaning its likely that 2018 imports will probably exceed those of 2017. But the sharp reduction in imports so far in December shows Beijings message to the industry is being heeded. India slows imports India, the second-largest coal importer behind China, also appears to be cutting back in December, with a mere 755,535 tonnes discharged in the first five days, a paltry daily rate of 151,107 tonnes. The daily rate of imports for the first 11 months of the year was 534,000 tonnes, according to the Refinitiv data. The lower imports so far in December are at odds with recent developments in India, as utilities and steel makers have resorted to buying more from overseas to overcome domestic transport bottlenecks. Its possible that Indias December imports will be boosted by arrivals from Indonesia, given that it takes about two weeks to sail from the coal-producing region of Kalimantan to Indias west coast. Indeed, the vessel-tracking data shows 10.7 million tonnes of coal is likely to be imported by India in December, a figure certain to increase as more cargoes from Indonesia are fixed. However, even if the number does rise in coming days, its likely December will be below the 17.3 million tonnes imported in November and the 17.9 million in October. The weaker imports by both China and India are being reflected in coal prices in Australia and Indonesia, the worlds two largest exporters. Benchmark thermal coal at Australias Newcastle port, as assessed by Argus Media, rose slightly in the week to 2 December to $97.94 a tonne. This was up from the seven-month low of $97.50 a tonne in the week to 25 November, but also 18.2 percent below the 7-1/2 year high of $119.74 reached in late July. Indonesian thermal coal with an energy rating of 4,200 kilocalories per kilogram has fared even worse than its higher-quality Australian counterpart, dropping to $28.85 a tonne on the week to 30 November. This is down 43 percent from its seven-year high, and is the lowest price since July 2016, according to pricing agency Argus Media. If there is a positive for coal exporters its that the lower prices should act as a boost for Indias imports from Indonesia, and Chinas restrictions may lead to pent-up demand in the early months of 2019. Lower cotton shipments from India will allow rivals such as the United States, Brazil and Australia to increase cargoes to key Asian buyers such as China and Pakistan. Mumbai: Indias annual cotton output could drop 12 percent to the lowest in nine years as limited rainfall in the top two producing states has slashed crop yields, potentially cutting exports from the worlds top producer, industry officials said. Lower cotton shipments from India will allow rivals such as the United States, Brazil and Australia to increase cargoes to key Asian buyers such as China and Pakistan. It may also support global prices that have fallen 16 percent since hitting a four-year peak in June. India could produce 32.5 million bales in the 2018/19 marketing year that began on 1 October the lowest since 2009/10 as farmers in the western states of Gujarat and Maharashtra are reporting poor yields, said Chirag Patel, chief executive at major exporter Jaydeep Cotton Fibres Pvt Ltd. Rains in Gujarat and Maharashtra, which account for more than half of Indias cotton production, were nearly a quarter below normal during the June-September monsoon season. Many farmers had to uproot plants after first cotton picking. There wont be a second or third picking like every year, Patel said. India produced 37 million bales in 2017/18 and was expected to harvest 36.1 million bales this year, according to the state-run Cotton Advisory Board. Despite higher prices, supplies are not picking up. The crop is lower than estimated, Patel said. New season cotton supplies usually start from October and peak in November and December. But spot supply in the past two months only reached around 7 million bales compared to 10 million bales a year ago, said Atul Ganatra, president of the Cotton Association of India (CAI). Pink bollworms also hit plantation in Maharashtra, he said. Indian farmers have adopted genetically-modified seeds known as Bt cotton that are resistant to bollworms, but it hasnt stopped the infestations. Pink bollworms consume the fibre and seeds inside a cotton plants boll, or fruit, and yields fall. Limited surplus In June, traders were expecting India to export as much as 10 million bales amid strong demand from China due to the trade dispute between Beijing and Washington. But smaller crop size will limit surplus for overseas sales and lift local prices, said Arun Sekhsaria, managing director of exporter DD Cotton. We could export 5 to 6 million bales. Export demand is likely to pick up in coming months as Indian cotton is cheaper than other origins, Sekhsaria said. Indian cotton is being offered around 84 to 85 cents per lb, cost and freight, to buyers in Bangladesh and Vietnam, versus around 90 cents for those from the United Sates and Brazil, dealers said. In the current season, traders have contracted to export around 2.5 million bales and have shipped around 1 million bales, said Ganatra of CAI. The cash-strapped Air India has been struggling to cut its costs and explore ways to enhance revenues for bringing down the debt burden. Debt-laden Air India may turn to the Centre for financial help in the wake of non-availability of short-term debt worth Rs 500 crore from various banks, said media report. If the state-run Air India's plan to raise the money from banks is successful, the airline will utilise the proceeds to meet its working capital requirements and service the interest on outstanding loans, reported Mint. The loan should materialise in the coming fortnight or so. If the short-term loan doesnt come through, we will wait for the (equity) infusion from the government, which will happen during the winter session of Parliament, an Air India official, requesting anonymity, was quoted as saying by Mint. The cash-strapped Air India has been struggling to cut its costs and explore ways to enhance revenues for bringing down the debt burden. The national carrier is also trying to raise funds to meet its capital requirements. Earlier on Monday, an official said that the government expected to mop up about Rs 9,000 crore by selling off land and real estate properties of Air India. The sale of land, building and other realty assets is part of the government's plan to trim the Rs 55,000 crore debt burden of Air India as this will make the airline competitive and fetch a better valuation when the government plans strategic sale of national carrier again. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley-headed ministerial panel had last week approved transferring Rs 29,000 crore debt to a special purpose vehicle (SPV) Air India Asset Holding Company. The funds raised through sale of the properties would be used to reduce the Rs 29,000 crore debt, held in the SPV. "We are looking to raise about Rs 9,000 crore from sale of land and property assets of Air India. These include Airlines House in Bombay, realty property in Delhi's Vasant Vihar and land in Baba Kharak Singh Marg, next to Connaught Place," an official told PTI. Last week the ministerial panel on Air India disinvestment had cleared strategic sale of Air India ground handling subsidiary Air India Air Transport Services Limited (AIATSL). The proceeds from sale of AIATSL will also be used to reduce the debt held in the SPV. AIATSL earned Rs 61.66 crore profit in financial year 2016-17. "We are going step by step to reduce the debt of Air India. When we hit the markets again with strategic sale of Air India, potential investors will find it lucrative to purchase the carrier. These are all steps towards sale of Air India," the official added. The national carrier had in September invited bids to sell its properties located across India. The airline had put up for sale 28 flats in Mumbai, seven flats in Ahmedabad, and two flats and an office space in Pune, besides several other properties across the country. The government had originally proposed to offload 76 percent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players. However, the stake sale failed to attract any bidders when the bidding process got completed on 31 May. In June, the ministerial panel decided not to go ahead with Air India stake sale in an election year. It was decided to make Air India competitive by way of cutting down debt and raising resources by selling land assets and other subsidiaries. With PTI inputs The government had launched its flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) scheme on 25 June, 2015, with an aim to provide affordable housing for all by 2022. Mumbai: To meet its ambitious target of constructing one crore houses in urban areas by 2022, the government will have to raise around Rs 1 lakh crore over the next three years, according to rating agency Crisil. The government had launched its flagship Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-U) scheme on 25 June, 2015, with an aim to provide affordable housing for all by 2022. The rating agency noted that as of 26 November, although 63 lakh houses had been sanctioned, only 12 lakh have been constructed, while 23 lakh are under construction. Among states, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu together accounted for 55 percent share of the sanctions, it said. The government aims to sanction 75 lakh houses and construct 30 lakh of them by the close of FY19, it added. The government needs to contribute Rs 1.5 lakh crore in seven years through 2022, at an average Rs 1.5 lakh per house, however, Crisil said only 22 percent of this, or Rs 32,500 crore, has been disbursed so far. "Our calculations show the government will have to garner around Rs 1 lakh crore over the next three years to achieve the target of building one crore houses. This is going to be a tall task given the current fiscal arithmetic," said Prasad Koparkar, senior director, Crisil Research. The agency noted that for extra-budgetary resources, the government has already initiated fund-raising (in the form of bonds) through entities such as the Housing and Urban Development Corporation. "As these are typically bonds with 10 years of maturity, with interest and principal repayment to be managed through future budgetary announcements, the provisions in future budgets would be a key monitorable," it said. Crisil pointed out that the PMAY-U scheme also faces headwinds such as unavailability of land in prime areas, low participation of private developers on account of brand dilution, bidding mechanism, stringent cost and time schedules resulting in low yields and increasing construction cost due to absence of bulk sourcing of materials. Crisil Research director Rahul Prithiani said one crore houses would mean an opportunity for over Rs 2 lakh crore of home loans, and incremental consumption of 80-100 million tonne of cement and 10-15 million tonne of steel. The construction opportunity is of around four billion square feet over the life of PMAY-U, he said, adding all that would translate into 9-10 crore incremental jobs over the execution period, without factoring in some repetitive jobs continuing after the completion of a project. Uday Kotak has said that IL&FS has to be rehabilitated through the sale of verticals or assets or through a combination of both. Our income tax law allows a tax relief for the rescueran amalgamated company can not only take over the assets and liabilities of the amalgamating company but also its accumulated losses provided it takes over all the assets and liabilities without cherry-picking. Many companies have in the past come to grief by falling into the trap of mindless amalgamation with a myopic and blinkered eye on losses to save on future income tax. After all, what has motorcycles got to do with cement? There is no synergy for a cement company when it acquires a motorcycle division along with the cement division of the amalgamating company. Yet, this is what the income tax law insistedif you want to take over the losses of a diversified company, you have to acquire both the divisions, cement as well as motorcycle though only the cement division would be of use to a cement manufacturer. The income tax law quickly realised that this dogged insistence on either all or none approach was counterproductive and relented to allow demerger to confer the same tax benefits on business reorganisation. In a demerger, the cement division of the amalgamating company would be hived off, i.e. converted into a separate company and then amalgamated with the suitor interested only in cement. Thus, the acquirer would have inherited the cement assets and liabilities as well as the accumulated cement losses. The government is struggling to privatise Air India because it had been trying to sell it as a going concern, i.e. on an as-is-where-is basis, as it were. Thus the buyer has to acquire it as a package including all aircraft, employees, buildings, etc. Many experts have wondered why the government cannot sell the prime buildings especially the one in Mumbais Nariman Point to a realtor who would pay a lot more for it than an airline company in an amalgamation or acquisition of controlling interest. Likewise, why not sell the aircraft to airline companies one by one or enblock it in lots to realise the maximum. An airline company acquiring Air India would give short shrift to its envious real estate. Uday Kotak, the man entrusted with the unenviable role of knight in shining armor to rehabilitate the beleaguered IL&FS with mindboggling outstanding liabilities of Rs 91,000 crore, has been quick to read the writing on the wall. Kotak and his fellow directors on the board of IL&FS, tasked with turning around the company through reorganisation a la Satyam Computers Ltd in 2008, have told the NCLT that it is not possible to address the woes of IL& FS through the top-down approach, i.e. addressing all of the ailments of the company and its myriad and labyrinthine subsidiaries numbering a whopping 348. Kotak has said that IL&FS has to be rehabilitated through the sale of verticals or assets or through a combination of both. He has rightly said it is impossible to infuse funds into IL&FS which is what would be required if the top-down approach were to be followed. Rehabilitation as a going concern is passe. Now a quick turnaround postulates picking up the best suitors for each one of the verticals or assets or subsidiaries. Neither a takeover of all the activities of the holding company IL&FS, which had spread itself thin by a single entity, is possible nor can the company find the necessary resources by way of capital infusion in order to nurse itself and its subsidiaries back to health. The new board of the IL&FS group, therefore, said it will soon initiate the process to divest its stake in IL&FS Education, IL&FS Technologies, ONGC Tripura Power Company, and IL&FS Paradip Refinery Water. This is the way forward. It has already put two of its subsidiaries on the blockIL&FS Securities Services (ISSL), and ISSL Settlement and Transaction Services (ISTSL), and a few renewal energy assets. Kotak and his team deserve a pat on their back for their pragmatic thinking and quick action without going in for an expensive bailout. Group level resolution is a mirage. Kotak and his team have done well not to chase that mirage. (The writer is a senior columnist and tweets @smurlidharan) The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed following the US letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic state on 5 November. India will import crude oil from Iran using a rupee-based payment mechanism, an industry source told Reuters on Thursday, adding that 50 percent of those payments will be used for exporting items to Tehran. The United States last month re-imposed sanctions on Irans oil exports to punish Tehran for its involvement in several Middle Eastern conflicts. Accordingly, India has signed an agreement with Iran to pay for crude oil it imports from the Persian Gulf nation in rupees, sources in know of the development said. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed following the US letting India and seven other nations to keep buying Iranian oil despite sanctions were reimposed on the Islamic state on 5 November. Sources said Indian refiners will make rupee payments in a UCO Bank account of the National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC). Half of these funds would be earmarked for settling payments for exports of Indian goods to Iran, they said. Under US sanctions, India can export foodgrains, medicines and medical devices to Iran. India had won the exemption after it agreed to cut imports and escrow payments. Under the 180-day exemption, India is allowed to import a maximum of 300,000 barrels a day of crude oil. This compares to an average daily import of about 560,000 barrels this year. India, which is the second biggest purchaser of Iranian oil after China, has since then restricted its monthly purchase to 1.25 million tonne or 15 million tonne in a year (300,000 barrels per day), down from 22.6 million tonne (452,000 barrels per day) bought in 2017-18 financial year, sources said. Two of its refiners Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) bought 1.25 million tonne of oil from Iran in November and December. India, the world's third biggest oil consumer, meets more than 80 percent of its oil needs through imports. Iran is its third largest supplier after Iraq and Saudi Arabia and meets about 10 percent of total needs. US President Donald Trump in May withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, re-imposing economic sanctions on the Persian Gulf nation. Some sanctions took effect from 6 August, while those affecting the oil and banking sectors will start from 5 November. Prior to this, India paid its third largest oil supplier in euros using European banking channels. These channels got blocked from November. During the first round of sanctions when EU joined the US in imposing financial restrictions, India initially used a Turkish bank to pay Iran for the oil it bought. Beginning February 2013, India paid 45 percent of the oil import bill in rupees while keeping the remainder pending till the opening of payment routes. It began clearing the dues in 2015 when the restrictions were eased. Sources said New Delhi may export goods, including wheat, soybean meal and consumer products, to Iran during the exemption period. Iran was the India's second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till 2010-11 but Western sanctions over the Persian Gulf nation's suspected nuclear programme relegated it to the seventh spot in the subsequent years. In 2013-14 and 2014-15, India bought 11 million tonne and 10.95 million tonne crude, respectively from Iran. Sourcing from Iran increased to 12.7 million tonne in 2015-16, giving it the sixth spot. In the following year, the Iranian supplies jumped to 27.2 million tonne to catapult it to the third spot. Iranian oil is a lucrative buy for refiners as the Persian Gulf nation provides 60 days of credit for purchases, terms not available from suppliers of substitute crude Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria and the US. Besides blocking of banking channels from November, shipping firms are unwilling to transport Iranian oil. To get around this, Iran is using its own ships to transport crude to India. Its insurance companies are also providing insurance cover for such shipments, sources added. With inputs from agencies Cash crunched Jet Airways has sought a soft financing of $350 million from its investment partner Etihad Airways, as it continues to hold discussions with the latter to offload additional stake in the carrier Mumbai: Cash crunched Jet Airways has sought a soft financing of $350 million from its investment partner Etihad Airways, as it continues to hold discussions with the latter to offload additional stake in the carrier, an airline source said on Thursday. The Abu Dhabi-based Etihad had come to the rescue of the Naresh Goyal-controlled airline during the earlier downturn too. In 2013, it had acquired 24 percent stake in Jet Airways for Rs 2,060 crore, besides extending the low-interest loan of $150 million as well as purchasing 50.1 percent stake in its loyalty programme JetPrivilege. "Jet Airways has sought $350 million soft loan from Etihad even as its discussions with the Gulf carrier continue for selling the additional stake," the source privy to the development said. The Middle-Eastern airline has, however, offered to finance as much as $200 million, the source said. "A final decision on the proposal is yet to be taken," the source added. When contacted, both Jet Airways and Etihad refused to comment on the deal. "Etihad does not comment on rumour or speculation," an Etihad Airways spokesperson said in an e-mail response. A Jet Airways spokesperson also said that the carrier does not comment on "speculation" in line with its policy. With three back-to-back quarterly losses and a net debt of Rs 8,052 crore as on 30 September, the airline is working on ways to raise funds and reduce costs. Last month, Jet Airways chief executive officer Vinay Dube had said the airline was in active discussions with various investors to secure sustainable financing. The company's scrip ended the day 3.03 percent lower at Rs 278.20 apiece on the BSE, against 1.59 percent decline in the benchmark. The future of transformative technology and its impacts on the workforce present India with complex challenges. Indias job market is undergoing a tech-tonic shift and those who want to avoid a future shock must pick up new tricks of their trade. Thats because as the country prepares itself for the fourth industrial revolution, its goals for growth and development are rapidly transforming. Technological disruption can reshape Indias employment landscape entirely, and for the better. The automation of repetitive tasks and potentially life-threatening jobs, time optimisation, maximising productivity, creation of digital platforms for online access to job opportunities, and formalising informal operations are a few of the possibilities the future holds. It is crucial for India to embrace these technological opportunities to shape a more inclusive future of work. The Future of Work in India: Inclusion, Growth and Transformation report by the Observer Research Foundation and the World Economic Forum sheds light on the future of transformative technology and its impacts on work in India. ORF and WEF collaboratively conducted a survey of 774 companies across four industries. The research reveals five key insights about the future of work in India: 1. Companies expect technological change to lead to job creation, not job loss Despite prevalent concerns that disruptive technologies will lead to job displacement, the potential for technology-driven job creation in India is immense. Companies view their future with a great sense of optimism, with 25 percent of respondents viewing technological adoption as the trend most likely to have positive impacts on their businesses in the next five years. Thirty-three percent of the surveyed companies reported a need to increase their number of workers resulting from the adoption of new technologies over the past five years, as compared to the 19 percent that saw a decrease in their workforce because of this. Companies anticipate this trend continuing in the medium-term. The greatest job growth in the last five years was in customer service, sales, IT support and accounting and auditing. Companies expectations for the next five years point towards continued job creation and positive impacts of technology and digitisation on job growth. 2. Companies recognise the potential of new technologies Companies see the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and additive manufacturing. Nearly 64 percent of companies not currently using IoT say that it is likely or very likely that they will introduce aspects of it in the next five years. Similarly, 52 percent of companies plan to use big data, and 47 percent to introduce machine learning in the next five years. The main driver of adoption was not to cut costs, but rather 39 percent of surveyed companies report having introduced new technologies and machinery to improve output quality, and 35 percent to expand into new markets. When asked about their use of new digital tools and/or services, 43 percent introduced them to attract new customers, and 34 percent to comply with government regulations. While expectations are high, the current use of some technologies and digital tools remain limited. Just 5 percent of companies use encryption technologies, for example. 41 percent use digital tax and GST systems, and just 25 percent make sales online. Companies in India acknowledge the necessity of introducing new technologies but report facing barriers to adopting them. Nearly 34 percent of companies report a lack of know-how among their workers, and 24 percent the lack of investment capital as the main barriers to adoption. 3. The adoption of new technologies will lead to changing skill requirements Thirty-three per cent of companies reported that the introduction of new technologies or digital tools resulted in a need for new skills among their workers. They also expect that this will continue in the next five years. In order to address existing and expected skill gaps resulting from the introduction of new technology and digital tools, companies are primarily looking internally. Nearly 84 percent of companies report that in order to address future gaps, they will re-train their existing employees, and will require their employees to learn new skills on the job. While re-training of workers will be crucial, it is doubtful that having workers learn on-the-job will be sufficient, especially in the face of rapidly changing technology. 4. The gender gap is widening, not narrowing Companies are hiring, just not women. Over 22,000 workers were hired in the five fastest growing job roles in the last five years. Just 26 percent of those new hires were women. At present, 71 percent of surveyed companies have fewer than 10 percent female workers, while 30 percent have none. Only a shocking 2.4 percent of companies have workforces that is half or more female. Looking to the future, just 11 percent of companies report that they are seeking to hire more women. This is compared with 36 percent of employers who reported having a preference for hiring male employees. In addition to employer biases for hiring men, other biases such as marital status, age, and family background are barriers for women, who are seeking desirable jobs. These findings are far from promising but are an important indicator of the current and recent trends in female labour force participation. These findings challenge the predominant assumption that female labour participation has been increasing. Dedicated efforts on the part of the private and public sectors will be vital in bringing more women into the paid economy. India cant afford to miss this opportunity. 5. There is a pressing need for a policy environment that guarantees worker protections while accommodating flexibility for companies In the face of technological change, flexibility and a nimble workforce may be essential for companies to effectively adjust. Twenty-four percent of companies reported hiring contract workers individuals hired through a third party. Approximately 20 percent of all employees of the 774 surveyed firms were contract workers. Companies stated that the reduction of labour costs, an uncertain business environment and workload, and inflexible labour regulations are the main reasons for engaging contractual rather than permanent workers. Similarly, companies are warming to the idea of freelancers, with 20 percent of companies hiring at least one freelance worker in the last year. In this context, the need for safeguarding worker rights and protection is even more crucial. At present, the provisions for worker protections and benefits are insufficient: Only 37 percent of companies provide their employees with paid annual leave, 36 percent provide paid sick leave to employees, worryingly these numbers are just 15 percent and 16 percent respectively for contractual workers. As the relationship between workers and employers becomes increasingly precarious, social security will need to be linked to individuals rather than to employers. At the same time, the types of protections and benefits provided by employers will need to be adapted to the digital and changing nature of work. Conclusion The future of transformative technology and its impacts on the workforce present India with complex challenges. These challenges can be seen as a unique opportunity for the country to capitalise on its vast resources and to chart a desirable path forward. Given Indias distinct socio-economic and cultural context, it should strive towards creating an inclusive, just and progressive environment for its labour force to flourish. While steps are being taken in the right direction, India still has a long way to go. The future of work is hopeful, and presents innumerable opportunities for positive change. These possibilities include creating desirable new jobs for the nations growing workforce, preparing individuals with the required know-how and skills for landing these desirable jobs, bringing more women into the paid economy and reimagining worker protections, benefits and security to better suit the current and future employment landscape. The time for leveraging these opportunities is now. (The writers are with the Observer Research Foundation) DGCA is monitoring on a daily basis the performance of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft apart from putting in place various measures to ensure there are no safety issues with these planes Aviation watchdog DGCA has asked Jet Airways and SpiceJet to land their Boeing 737 Max at the nearest suitable airport in it shows any problem with its system. The DGCA is monitoring on a daily basis the performance of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft apart from putting in place various measures to ensure there are no safety issues with these planes being operated in India, a senior official said Wednesday. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has been keeping a close watch on Boeing 737 MAX aircraft -- operated by Jet Airways and SpiceJet -- in the wake of such a plane crashing in Indonesia in October. Currently, there are 10 Boeing 737 MAX planes that are operating in the country. Apart from daily monitoring, the airlines have been asked to immediately report any "abnormal" issues related to the plane's Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), the regulatory official said. MCAS is a kind of stall-recovery system that is used in Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and generally alerts the pilot in case there is stalling of the plane or fall in speed, among others. The official also made it clear that so far there has been no issues with these planes operating in the country. While so far the Max in India have not given any cause for concern, we have asked the two airlines to report about any issue with MCAS on their Max to us and we are doing a daily monitoring, the official was quoted as saying by The Times of India. The airlines have also been asked to keep a record of steps carried out with respect to MCAS and land at the nearest airport if they come across any issues with the system while flying, DGCA officials said. According to them, a training module is also being developed for pilots operating the MAX planes. In case, issues with MCAS have been noticed and later rectified, then that particular MAX aircraft would have to take a "verification flight" before that plane is brought back into normal operations, the officials said. One of the DGCA officials said the measures have been decided upon after discussions with the airlines concerned. Following the crash of a MAX plane operated by Indonesia's Lion Air in October, the US watchdog Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing had issued advisories. Later, in November, the DGCA asked Jet Airways and SpiceJet to take corrective action to address possible issues with their Boeing 737 MAX planes that could lead to "significant altitude loss" of the aircraft. "Both the documents (advisories) address erroneous high 'angle of attack' (AOA) sensor input and corrective action for the same as it has potential for repeated nose-down trim commands of horizontal stabiliser," a senior DGCA official said in November. With PTI inputs The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Thursday dismissed the plea of HDFC Ltd to initiate insolvency proceedings against RHC Holding, a non-banking financial company promoted by Singh brothers -- Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh. New Delhi: The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on Thursday dismissed the plea of HDFC Ltd to initiate insolvency proceedings against RHC Holding, a non-banking financial company promoted by Singh brothers -- Malvinder Mohan Singh and Shivinder Mohan Singh. A two-member principal bench headed by NCLT President Justice M M Kumar dismissed the plea of HDFC Ltd, which had moved the tribunal to recover Rs 41 crore. RHC Holding had contended in this matter that it is a non-banking finance company and thus it could not be brought under IBC code. Earlier in this matter, Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo had moved NCLT to stay the insolvency proceedings against RHC Holding. Daiichi Sankyo had said they have a decree to recover money against RHC Holding. The Delhi High Court has already granted a status quo over the sale of assets by RHC Holding. A tribunal in Singapore had passed the award in favour of Daiichi holding that the Singh brothers had concealed information that Indian company Ranbaxy was facing a probe by the US Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Justice, while selling its shares. The high court on 31 January had upheld the international arbitral award passed in the favour of Daiichi and paved the way for enforcement of the 2016 tribunal award against the brothers who had sold their shares in Ranbaxy to Daiichi in 2008 for Rs 9,576.1 crore. Sun Pharmaceuticals Ltd had later acquired Ranbaxy from Daiichi. It had, however, said that the award was not enforceable against five minors, who were also shareholders in Ranbaxy, saying they cannot be held guilty of having perpetuated a fraud either themselves or through any agent. Daiichi had moved the high court seeking direction to the brothers to take steps towards paying its Rs 3,500 crore arbitration award, including depositing the amount. It had also urged the court to attach their assets, which may be used to recover the award. The current political landscape and consequently the publics thought processes are dead against Mallya's antics of making promises and then not following through on them Vijay Mallya has tweeted again, making the offer to repay the principal to the lenders of Kingfisher Airlines. Is Mallya serious or are these just familiar shenanigans in view of impending judgement in respect of his extradition a few days hence? First thing first. Twitter is not the medium to settle dues as high as Rs 9,000 crore, with the entities who lent the moolah to Mallya when he was in dire need. If Mallya is serious, he should engage with the lenders directly. To use Don Vito Corleones words, Mallya should make an offer which they [lenders] cannot refuse. Mallya knows very well he is in deep muck. Most likely, the liquor baron has the resources, hidden all across the globe, as per the press reports. He should come up with a workable proposition. Merely stating that he is willing to pay the principal does not cut any ice with people who put the good money on the table as per his asking. Least, to my mind, they will expect the amount outstanding against Mallya's companies on the date his account became non-performing assets (NPA). Particularly so, in the current opprobrium against the bank loan defaulters amongst whom Mallya has a big profile. An extravagant and flamboyant lifestyle has adversely compounded the moulding of public opinion against the former chief of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The current political landscape and consequently the publics thought processes are dead against Mallya's antics of making promises and then not following through on them. Finance minister Arun Jaitley has publicly stated this fact. Kingfisher Airlines' case is so overtly politicised that Mallya's salvation will lie only in a rock-solid credible repayment offer. Otherwise, the banks will turn away. The liquor baron's fate is further compromised as there are back to back elections in India. Mallya's friends and benefactors in high places are in no position to risk their fortunes for saving his empire. Kingfisher Airlines might be a case of genuine and legitimate business failure. But Mallya has not helped his position by stealthily slipping out of the country. Mind it, he has been holding the exalted office of a member of the highest law-making body of this nation, Rajya Sabha, the ethics panel of which found Mallya's conduct unbecoming of its constituent. The former Kingfisher boss has been accused of money laundering and diversion of as much as Rs 4,000 crore to tax heavens. The Enforcement Directorate has already attached his Indian assets and courts have declared him a proclaimed offender under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in April 2016 revoked Mallya's Indian passport. In 2017, his name first appeared in Panama Papers and then in Paradise Papers. The erstwhile generous lenders have declared Mallya a willful defaulter. The statements given out by Mallya, till the UK courts turned stance against his extradition pleadings, were nothing but defiant. The Indian courts were accused of bias by proclaiming that the United Breweries chairman will not be getting a fair trial in India. So much so that Mallya denied any liability towards the lenders. He tried every trick, in the book and out of it, to stall the course of legal resolution of his dues in India as well as in the UK. However, one good thing came out of his pleadings in the UK courts. The image of Indian jails has been elevated to a level where the top profile fugitives can be housed comfortably. Apparently, nothing has worked. Mallya is still on bail in the UK in relation with the accusation of fraud by the Indian authorities. It is hoped that his recent tweets are reflective of a genuine desire to conclude this saga. He tweeted Please take the money. I want to stop the narrative that I stole money. Only mitigation for Mallya now is to offer an acceptable resolution plan for Kingfisher Airlines' dues. Mallya might be able to rebuild his lost empire after emerging from the current imbroglio. (The author is a former executive with SBI) Azevedo welcomed the commitment by the Group of 20 over the weekend in Buenos Aires to reform the WTO to better preside over the modern trading system, saying the 'system can be better.' Washington: All countries will lose in a global trade war, the head of the world's trade referee warned in a speech on Wednesday. Under attack from US president Donald Trump, the head of the World Trade Organisation, Roberto Azevedo, acknowledged that reforms are needed, but rejected criticism that trade is the main cause of job losses. Azevedo welcomed the commitment by the Group of 20 over the weekend in Buenos Aires to reform the WTO to better preside over the modern trading system, saying the "system can be better." But as the Trump administration has aggressively imposed punitive tariffs on trading partners, especially on China, with the goal of reducing the US trade deficit, Azevedo said that "we have to get away from the idea that trade is a zero-sum proposition." "It is not. Everyone can benefit," he said in a speech to the National Foreign Trade Council. He welcomed the US-China truce reached in Buenos Aires, and the commitment to reach a deal to defuse the conflict between the world's two biggest economies. The alternative of escalating the trade conflict would undermine the global economic recovery, he said. The "outcome in all simulations is that trade and economic growth will slow down and that all countries, without exceptions, will lose out in a global trade war," Azevedo said. That is a warning the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also has issued. Azevedo acknowledged the growing anxiety in a changing economy, but stressed that most of the job losses are due to technological change, rather than trade. Trade is "an engine of growth, productivity, innovation, job creation," he said. The Trump administration has blocked the workings of the WTO dispute arbitration system. Azevedo again flagged the dangers of that path, saying it could undermine the WTO. But he said that after the agreement by the G20, "I believe that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to renew the trading system." Abhijit was arrested on 23 October on the basis of two FIRs filed against his name for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against Odisha, its people, Konark Temple and Lord Jagannath. Bhubaneswar: Delhi-based journalist Abhijit Iyer-Mitra was Thursday released from the Odisha jail after he was granted bail by two courts in Konark and Bhubaneswar. The freedom for Abhijit came a day after the Orissa High Court granted him bail Wednesday. He was released from judicial custody after 44 days. Earlier on Thursday, Abhijit was granted conditional bail by the Court of the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) at Konark in Puri district and the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM), Bhubaneswar, in Khurda district. Both the courts granted bail to Abhijit with a personal bond of Rs 20,000 each and on condition that he would never resort to anti-Odisha remarks in the future. The Orissa High Court, while granting bail to the journalist on Monday, had ruled that the two lower courts can grant bail to him on conditions. Abhijit was arrested on 23 October on the basis of two FIRs filed against his name for allegedly passing derogatory remarks against Odisha, its people, Konark Temple and Lord Jagannath. Abhijit left for the Biju Patnaik International Airport from the Capital Hospital, where he was undergoing treatment since Sunday. The Odisha government on 4 December had accepted the appeal of Abhijit and decided not to accord sanction of his prosecution. He was admitted to the Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar on 2 December after he complained of acute stomach pain. Abhijit's advocate Nikhil Mehera said that his client would proceed to Chennai to meet his mother. An army jawan and a BSF soldier were killed in two separate incidents of ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara and Rajouri districts on Thursday. An army jawan and a BSF soldier were killed in two separate incidents of ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara and Rajouri districts on Thursday. The first incident took place in the Machil sector in Kupwara. In Rajouri's Sunderbani, firing from across the LoC resulted in two BSF jawans being injured, out of whom one succumbed later. The Indian and Pakistani armies traded heavy fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri (Baramulla district) and Machil on Thursday, according to sources. The deceased army soldier has been identified as Gunner Rajesh Kumar, while the BSF jawan has been identified as constable P Biswas. This comes a day after two Indian soldiers were injured during another ceasefire violation in Uri sector. Speaking to Hindustan Times, Colonel Rajesh Kalia, Srinagar-based army spokesperson, said, "Cease Fire Violation (CFV) by Pakistan in Machil sector of Kupwara district at 10.45 am today. Own troops retaliated strongly. One soldier was martyred in enemy fire. The Pakistan Army had used automatics and mortars to target Indian positions on the LoC in Kamalkote area of Uri sector late on Wednesday. Karnataka Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao took to Twitter and slammed the Narendra Modi-led NDA government for ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir. Ceasefire violations..gone up. Defence and police personnel deaths..gone up. Civilians death..gone up. @narendramodi your #JammuAndKashmir policy is in shambles and #Pakistan doesnt give a damn about your empty rhetoric. https://t.co/rWvojcRySY Dinesh Gundu Rao (@dineshgrao) December 6, 2018 With inputs from agencies Officials at the NRC secretariat are in no doubt that the home department is passing the buck since it had failed to begin the exercise in time. Collection of biometric details of people left out of the NRC in Assam which the government had committed in the standard operating procedure (SOP) is yet to commence although the filing of claims and objections would be over on 15 December. Clause 9 of the SOP says that the exercise would be conducted by the state government in collaboration with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the agency tasked with implementing the Aadhaar project. The onus is on the state home department to conduct the exercise but it has not initiated the process so far on the alibi that guidelines have not been framed by the NRC secretariat. The guidelines (from NRC secretariat) have to come first. The SOP does not say when the biometric details have to be collected, said LS Changsan, principal secretary in the Assam home department. It will be done during the final disposal of claims and objections. It is not yet certain when the final disposal of claims and objections would begin. So far only 8.1 lakh people have filed claims and inclusion of 230 names have been objected to which have belied the expectation of the government and civil society groups in the state. Lack of awareness is the prime reason cited for the low turnout. Some officials said that an affidavit would be placed before the Supreme Court asking for an extension of the deadline for claims and objections. The home department would be able to create the infrastructure for collecting biometric details only if the court accepts the plea for extension of the deadline. The first draft of the NRC for Assam was published on the intervening night of 31 December and 1 January as per the apex courts direction. The names of as many as 40,70,707 people have been deleted from the list. Of these, 37,59,630 names have been rejected and the remaining 2,48,077 have been kept on hold. Biometrics involves recording body measurements such as fingerprint or iris scans to identify people. The plan submitted by the government which was incorporated in the SOP said that the biometric details of people who file claims and objections in the NRC would be distinctive and separate. Aadhaar would be issued to people whose names figure in the final NRC in the same manner as it is applicable to legal residents in the rest of the country. And in case a person already has Aadhaar who has filed a claim or whose inclusion in the NRC has been objected upon, his Aadhaar number will be obtained. For the exercise, machines would have to be installed at the Seva Kendras where the claims and objections would be heard. There were reports earlier that plans had been firmed up to procure them from UIDAI. Another official, however, claimed that no communication has taken place with UIDAI on the machines that would have to be set-up for the exercise. Officials at the NRC secretariat are in no doubt that the home department is passing the buck since it had failed to begin the exercise in time. The SOP says explicitly that it is the responsibility of the state government to collect the biometric data. There is no need for any guidelines from the NRC Secretariat for the process to begin. Only the officials at the Seva Kendras would have to be shown how the scanning is done, an official said. Biometric data is considered necessary to keep track of the immigrants who migrate to other states. The common assumption among security agencies is that the 4 million people who have been left out of the NRC include a large chunk of illegal immigrants and also genuine citizens. In all probability, immigrants would migrate to other states, settle down with a fictitious identity and remain untraceable. Some officials also believe that large numbers of immigrants may not approach the NRC for the filing of claims since the legacy data cannot be changed. So far the government has not been able to devise any policy to keep a tab on the movement of illegal immigrants. As such, there is no precise estimate of their numbers in the country with the UPA and NDA governments claiming different figures. On 16 November 2016, Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju informed Parliament that there were around 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants staying in India without valid travel documents. He admitted that it was not possible to have accurate data of such immigrants living in various parts of the country. Rijiju's statement came more than a decade after the UPA government revealed a figure of 12 million Bangladeshi immigrants in the country. The author is a senior journalist in Guwahati and author of Rendezvous With Rebels: Journey to Meet Indias Most Wanted Men. Ayodhya is back in the news because Uddhav Thackeray went there on 24 November. Editor's note: This article was originally published on 6 December, 2018. It is being republished in light of the CJI Ranjan Gogoi-led Supreme Court bench being slated to deliver the verdict in the Ayodhya land dispute case on Saturday at 10.30 am. On 25 November, I was sharing an auto rickshaw en route Virar station. It was a Sunday. The driver had a passenger seated next to him, to whom he was describing the strong desire of Hindus for a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya. Just imagine! Ten lakh people came on to the streets of Ayodhya demanding the temple be built, he said. Uddhav Thackeray was accompanied by lakhs of people from Maharashtra. We were driving past posters in this Mumbai suburb showing Thackeray against a background of Lord Rama, with the slogan Har Hindu ki yahi pukaar, pehle mandir phir sarkaar (It is every Hindus demand that the temple be constructed before a government is formed) prominently displayed on them. I leaned forward and said, Ten lakh people, isnt that an exaggeration? The driver turned to look at me, wondering who was this aunty challenging his WhatsApp-acquired information. Im asking because Im from Faizabad, I said. He was mollified. Im from Pratapgarh, myself, he replied. While the remaining moments of the auto ride did not yield any further comments or controversy, I was left wondering at the power of propaganda in the present day: when a WhatsApp message can mobilise a mob of a few thousand in minutes and a gathering of a few thousand can be reported as ten lakh or even a million strong. Follow all the live updates in the Ayodhya case here My memories of Ayodhya are inevitably centred around my own journey of faith. The steps going up to Hanuman Garhi, that I climbed often, the daily spectacle of Anavarat Ramlila at the Tulsi Smarak Bhavan where I saw many groups perform, all represented moments of great joy. I walked among thousands in the chilly night-time November conditions, for the parikrama or paikarma as it is called by Ayodhya locals. This circumambulation of the holy sites of Ayodhya by pilgrims is an annual ritual that people complete in a 24-hour period, many walking all night long. Stumbling along village roads, resting on hay laid alongside the bank of a pond, I remember worrying about the absolute lack of facilities and transport. What if someone were to fall seriously ill during this walk? No doctors or ambulances were visible. The seva booths at various points looked unmanned and deserted. If this was a celebration of peoples faith, where were the practical amenities that would help sustain them during the parikrama? I had no answers then, as now, for many of the experiences I lived and observed in Ayodhya. It was my attachment to the place and its people that led me to write Portraits from Ayodhya: Living Indias Contradictions. I was trying to explore life beyond the headlines, and the months I spent listening to all 25 subjects featured in my book, as well as many other residents who offered comments and views gave me much to think about my faith, my people and my country. Today, Ayodhya is back in the news because Uddhav went there on 24 November and said he is attempting to wake the Kumbhakarna or sleeping demon represented by the BJP governments at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh. It is making headlines because the Ram Mandir is being evoked in election campaigns in five different states, and a 221-metre statue of Lord Rama is being planned and promised on the banks of the Sarayu. It is awash, once more, across all TV channels as the site of competitive Hindutva. Thackerays slogan of pehle mandir phir sarkaar really clicked among the people and threw the RSS-BJP-VHP into a panic, said Gaurav Tiwari, Ayodhya resident and Indian National Congress worker. It was because of this panic that they hurriedly called a dharma sabha at Ayodhya on 25 November. If they had allowed Thackeray to hog all the media attention, it would have been disastrous. The panic in the prime minister and chief minister's camps could also have been because a local sadhu, Swami Paramhans Das, mahant of the Tapaswi Chhawni went on a fast-unto-death in October 2018 demanding that the Centre pass a law for construction of the Ram Mandir and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Ayodhya and announce the date of its construction. After this, Pravin Togadia came to Ayodhya and announced that he would soon be launching a political party that would fight the Lok Sabha elections and build the Ram Mandir within three months of coming to power. Tiwari is sceptical about the 221-metre statue announced by Yogi Adityanath. Where is the space for this on the banks of the Sarayu? he asked. It flows all the way to Ballia. Let them point to a place in Ayodhya where such a statue can be built, and then we can take it seriously, he says. In the midst of all this grandstanding, life goes on in Ayodhya. As far as development goes, nothing has changed since Nagar Nigam Ayodhya became the governing municipal corporation for both Faizabad and Ayodhya towns nearly a year ago. If anything, things are going downhill, and the monkey menace has become very severe, said write and poet RD Anand. He was voicing such concerns to me because I spent a year trying to campaign for mini-sanctuaries for monkeys in Ayodhya and Faizabad towns. He also pointed out an important facet of life for many of us post-2014. There is disquiet in many hearts about the renaming of Faizabad as Ayodhya. But people have been divided so much into ever-narrowing notions of identity that conversation on these matters has been frozen even among family members and friends. How can any popular resistance be organised against any of these measures without unity? His words brought home what Ayodhya represents for me most of all. I see it as the failure to oppose what is manifestly ugly and harmful to us all. More than two decades after trained youth pulled down the Babri Masjid and threw our Republic into turmoil, we have failed, as Indian citizens and believing Hindus in protesting what takes place in the name of faith around us today. If we are unable to say out loud that todays protectors of the cow are destroyers of our faith, then indeed, Hindu khatre mein hain. 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! Amid reports of shortage of medicines in civic hospitals and dispensaries, the health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up a committee to inquire into it. Mumbai: Amid reports of shortage of medicines in civic hospitals and dispensaries, the health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has set up a committee to inquire into it. The department formed the committee taking cognisance of the complaints by several patients and their relatives about the unavailability of medicines at the civic-run hospitals. Even the doctors attending to the patients have reported to their heads about the unavailability of medicines, insulin, anti-biotics and injections since the last few weeks. "A committee has been set up to inquire into this," additional municipal commissioner Idzes Kundan said on Wednesday. According to some reports, the stock of several medicines, including injections, was not adequate in the civic hospitals and doctors were directing the patients to private medical stores. To a query whether medicines stocked in civic hospitals were sold outside illegally by insiders, a senior doctor from the KEM Hospital said boxes of medicines in civic hospitals are labelled as 'Only for BMC Hospital' and therefore there are slight chances of they being sold in the open market. "There is a possibility that we are failing to procure the medicines well in advance," he said. According to him, the committee will find out whether more number of patients getting admitted into the hospitals was one of the reasons behind this. The BMC has five medical colleges- KEM, Sion, Nair, Nair Dental and RN Cooper- and 16 peripheral hospitals apart from five specialised hospitals for TB, leprosy, ENT etc. Another civic official said that the three-member committee would submit its report within two weeks. Till then, we are focusing on procuring additional medicines, as one company has already failed to deliver the medicines to our hospitals," official said. Located just over 20 kilometre from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, the Bogibeel bridge will connect Dibrugarh in Assam to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh. It has three lane roads on top and a double line rail below Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest rail-cum-road connecting the north and south banks of the turbulent Brahmaputra in the eastern parts of Assam, on Christmas Day. The 4.6-kilometre-long structure will be the fourth rail-road bridge on the Brahmaputra river in Assam, the others being the Saraighat Bridge, Naranarayan Setu and the New Saraighat Bridge. Bogibeel's inauguration comes a year after Modi inaugurated the country's longest bridge, the Dhola-Sadiya, over the Lohit river in 2017. Former prime minister HD Deve Gowda had laid the foundation stone for the Bogibeel Bridge in January 1997, but work on the project began only in April 2002 when former prime Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the construction. Originally scheduled to be inaugurated in 2009, the project had missed several deadlines over the years. Initially estimated to cost Rs 3,230.02 crore, the Bogibeel Bridge was finally built with Rs 4,857 crore. The escalation was attributed to an increase in its length to almost 5 kilometres against the initial 4.94 kilometres proposed. It includes the main bridge, dykes on the north and south banks, road network of 30 kilometres, rail network of 74 kilometres and six new railway stations. I shot this beautiful aerial view of India's longest Road- cum- Rail Bogibeel bridge of 4.94 km, connecting Assam with Arunachal Pradesh. A milestone for India and a landmark for North-East. @PiyushGoyal ji is regularly monitoring it under the guidance of @narendramodi ji. pic.twitter.com/IKF5dzPj3z Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) December 4, 2018 The superstructure of the bridge was built by the joint venture of Hindustan Construction Company (, Germany-based DSD Brouckenbau and VNR Infrastructure. HCC had earlier claimed that a total of 70,000 metric tonnes of steel would be used to complete the superstructure, which will be equivalent to 10 Eiffel Towers. It is also the country's only bridge to have fully welded steel-concrete composite girders. The total length of welding to be carried out is about 12,800 kilometres, equivalent to circling around the moon 1.5 times. One of the stiffest challenges during its construction was to construct guide bunds on the wild river within four to five months a year because of the monsoon and that floods in the season, a senior official of the North East Frontier Railway had said. Another problem was the transportation of concrete across the river channels of 600-metre to 900-metre width from both the banks. Historic Day for Railways: In a milestone event, the 1st freight train ran on Bogibeel Bridge, India's longest road-cum-rail bridge with a phenomenal stretch of 4.94 kilometres, connecting Assam with Arunachal Pradesh & opening the doors to enhanced connectivity in the North-East pic.twitter.com/bH97RODDSf Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) December 2, 2018 There are 42 sub-structures, or piers, in the bridge, which were constructed by Gammon India. Connectivity boost Located just over 20 kilometres from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, the Bogibeel Bridge will connect Dibrugarh in Assam to Kulajan in Dhemaji district, which will make commuting to Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh easy. It has a three-lane road on the upper level and a broad gauge, double-line railway track on the lower level. The bridge is 32 metres above the water level of the Brahmaputra and fashioned on a bridge linking Sweden and Denmark. While the journey from Dibrugarh to Delhi currently takes more than 37 hours, the new bridge is likely to reduce the commute by three hours. Speaking to The Economic Times, Chief Public Relations Officer of North East Frontier Railway, S Lahiri, said the primary objective was to provide railway connectivity between lesser developed districts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the river's north and south banks. The rail line will be linked to Chowalkhowa, which is 5.83 kilometres from Dibrugarh, on the south bank and between Sisi Borgaon and Sirpani on the north bank. Lahiri added that the bridge will provide direct access to the districts of upper Assam from the rest of the country through the north bank without "having to take the tortuous" route through Guwahati in the south bank. Explaining further, Mahender Singh, chief engineer (construction) of the Bogibeel project, said, "Now, to go from Dibrugarh to Arunachal Pradesh by train, one has to go via Guwahati with a more than 500-kilometre detour. With this bridge, the journey will be less than 100 kilometres." The first trial train journey on the Bogibeel Bridge was conducted from Dhamalgaon Railway Station in Dibrugarh to Tangani Railway Station in Dhemaji on 22 October. On 2 December, the North East Frontier Railway piloted the first freight train. Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal tweeted a video of the first loaded freight train. What's in a name? Even before the much-touted inauguration of the bridge, Bogibeel has been mired in controversy because of its name. A large number of people belonging to the Chutia community staged massive protests in Golaghat district on 17 November in the state, demanding that the bridge be renamed after Chutia dynasty queen Sati Sadhini. Speaking to The Sentinel, secretary of the Chutia Students' Union, Mohen Bora had said, Every government has ignored the problems of the community and failed to honour our forefathers. The state government should show respect by naming the Bogibeel Bridge as Biranga Sadhani Setu, he said. Local North Eastern dailies have reported that in 1962, Dibrugarh Nagarik Sangha had first first raised the demand to construct a bridge to connect Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, reports India Today. Earlier. too, BJP MLA from Dibrugarh, Prasanta Phukan, had proposed to have the bridge named after Vajpayee since it was the former prime minister who had inaugurated its construction. Enhance defence logistics along China border India and China share a nearly 4,000-kilometre-long border, with almost 75 percent in Arunachal Pradesh. Bogibeel is part of infrastructure projects India has planned to improve logistics along the border in Arunachal Pradesh. This includes the construction of a trans-Arunachal highway on the north bank of the Brahmaputra as well as new road and rail links over the mighty river and its major tributaries such as the Dibang, Lohit, Subansiri and Kameng. Till now, rail and road link to Arunachal Pradesh is through three Assam bridges Jogighopa in Bongaigaon district, Saraighat near Guwahati and Kolia-Bhomora between Sonitpur and Nagaon. The other alternative is crossing by ferry, but it is not suitable for heavy cargo and during the six months of monsoons between May and October when ferry services often remain disrupted. With inputs from agencies It has been widely reported that Modi will inaugurate the around Rs 4,800-crore bridge on 25 December. Called Bogibeel, or white wetland, its to be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Christmas gift to the nation and Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in particular: Indias longest road-cum-rail bridge over the Brahmaputra. All that is very good, but the Bogibeel bridge appears to be bogged down in land rate issues even before Modi has cut the ribbon above the subcontinents mightiest stream. There is a dispute on the rates for certain land plots acquired to build the Bogibeel bridge, said a top central official familiar with the issue. So, in all probability, we may have to grant higher rates to claim the land. We have called a meeting to resolve the issue and decide the rate. The official stressed that the issue is minor, and it cannot hinder the plans. That meeting will take place on 10 December. Meanwhile, goods trains have started their trial runs on the bridge. It has been widely reported that Modi will inaugurate the around Rs 4,800-crore bridge on 25 December. At 4.94 kilometres in length, the bridge connecting Dibrugarh on the south bank of the Brahmaputra with Dhemaji in the north, along the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh, is touted to be the second longest rail-cum-road bridge in Asia. The superlative nature of this construction comes from a policy reversal on not developing critical infrastructure in areas close to the Chinese border. India has also started building all-weather roads linking border areas in the North East. The plans for a rail-cum-road bridge near Bogibeel first found mention in the Assam Accord, signed in 1985. Work on the bridge started in 2002, and it has taken 16 years to near completion. The bridge, closely modelled on the 7.8-kilometre Oresund bridge that connects Sweden and Finland across the Oresand strait, will be a huge force multiplier for the Indian military in case of a possible face-off with China. Designed to withstand up to 80 tonnes of weight, even the heaviest of Indian tanks the Arjun MK II main battle tank will be able to easily cross the huge river. It also enables rapid insertion of men and material in the likely battle zone. The bridge will effectively cater to Indias three-pronged aim of ushering greater connectivity for trade and prosperity, ensure socio-economic development and growth of backward regions, and enhance military preparedness and capability in the northeastern region, which shares a long and largely un-demarcated border with China. On 26 May, 2017, the longest bridge in India, the 9.1-kilometre Dhola-Sadiya bridge over the Lohit (a tributary of the Brahmaputra) was opened to the public. The bridge is built to withstand up to 60 tonnes of weight. Across the northern border, China has built 11 bridges across the Yarlung Tsangpo, as the Brahmaputra is known in Tibet. Ambedkar saw conversion to Buddhism as the means to break age-old caste barriers, repudiate oppressive Hindu dogmas and reignite self-esteem among the untouchables in India. To remember Bhimrao Ambedkar only as the maker of India's Constitution is perhaps injustice to his memory. It is to ignore an entire school of thought propagated and embodied by him, that is vehemently against the deeply-entrenched caste order in the society. And to mark his 'Mahaparinirvan' (death anniversary) on 6 December, each year hundreds of his followers descend on the streets of Mumbai to march all the way till Ambedkar memorial in Dadar. For many of his Dalit followers, the day marks the passing away of their emancipator, who fought for their rights in a caste-ridden society. The passing away of Ambedkar on 6 December 1956, at an age of 65, came as a blow for the nascent Dalit Buddhist movement. Just two months before he died due to complications arising out of diabetes, Ambedkar and nearly 5,00,000 of his followers converted to Buddhism at a public ceremony in Nagpur. Ambedkar saw conversion to Buddhism as the means to break age-old caste barriers, repudiate oppressive Hindu dogmas and reignite self-esteem among the untouchables in India. "I solemnly assure you that I will not die a Hindu," Ambedkar said at the 1935 Yeola Conference of Depressed Classes, announcing his intent to convert to another religion in his lifetime. In the same meeting, he urged his supporters to follow his footsteps. "You have nothing to lose except your chains and everything to gain by changing your religion," he is reported to have said. He believed that millions of untouchables would remain in the never-ending cycle of low-status, degradation and economic humiliation till they remain bound by the system governed by high caste Hindus. But why did he choose Buddhism over other religions? The answer lies in Ambedkars deep interest in Buddhism, which he first developed in the early 1920s, and his relatively unknown but significant career as an anthropologist. This is not to say that Ambedkar did not consider converting to any other religion. In June 1936, Ambedkar began exploring the possibility of converting to Sikhism. According to Ambedkars biographer Dhananjay Keer, he had the blessing of Sankaracharya Kurtakoti and the leaders of Hindu Mahasabha. For three months, Ambedkar's close aides had meetings with the leaders of the Sikh community but nothing concrete came out of it. According to LR Bally, Ambedkar changed his mind after hearing of atrocities against Scheduled Caste Sikhs at the hands of the Jat community. However, the fear of Ambedkar becoming the leader of the Sikh community with the support of six crore Scheduled Caste converts may have also prompted the upper caste Sikh political leadership to dissuade him, opined theologian Kapur Singh. While this theory is popular due to its plausibility, it is not considered credible in academic circles. He reportedly also explored Jainism but considered its tenant of 'ahimsa' extreme and impractical in real world. On the other hand, he termed Gautama Buddha's 'ahimsa' a way of life more than a non-negotiable rule. The two Abrahamic religions Christianity and Islam were considered very briefly but rejected. Ambedkar felt Christianity in India co-opted casteism while the church failed to do enough to help the depressed classes. Ambedkars views on Islam, on the other hand, have been controversial and construed by people with diverse political agenda. Ambedkar finally settled for Buddhism, announcing his intention in May 1950. That same year, his intentions became clearer when he gave a lecture on the rise and fall of Buddhism at Young Buddhists Conference in Colombo. For a mass leader like Ambedkar, political considerations along with spiritual inspiration played a role in opting for Buddhism. According to a 2003 paper on Ambedkar, Buddhism, as one of the least followed religions in India, offered the perfect platform for marginalised classes to get a unique identity, while expecting only a mild opposition from caste Hindus. However, over the course of his life, Ambedkar read and wrote extensively on Buddhism. Often under-appreciated as an anthropologist, Ambedkar, in his 1948 book The Untouchables: Who they Were and Why they Became Untouchables, traced the history of untouchables and the decline of Buddhism. According to him, Mahars (his community) were originally warriors practising Buddhism. But when Brahmins began asserting their dominance against Buddhist, his community along with several others were deemed untouchables. Thus, for Ambedkar, converting to Buddhism was not only a return to his original roots but also a protest against the dominance of Brahmanical Hinduism. Ambedkar rationalised his decision with the following statement: I regard the Buddha's Dhamma (Buddhism) to be the best. No religion can be compared to it. If a modern man who knows science must have a religion, the only religion he can have is the Religion of the Buddha. Yet, even after converting to Buddhism along with his followers, he didnt stay long to steer the movement of Dalit self-respect. After his death, the nascent movement faltered amid infighting and lack of direction. According to JV Pawar, one of the founders of the Dalit Panthers, many top leaders of the movement were co-opted by the Congress party to the dismay of many core supporters. As the Congress played crook, Pawar wrote in his book Dalit Panthers: An authoritative history, the divide between Dalit leaders and the community widened. Despite the rise of the Dalit Panthers in the 70s, the Ambedkarite movement remained limited to Maharashtra and a few pockets of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. With Dalit Panthers itself splitting into several factions, Ambedkarite movement had to wait till the late 1980s for a revival. Two men were instrumental in reigniting interest in Ambedkar and his movement: BSP founder Kanshi Ram and former prime minister of India VP Singh. Singh can be credited for posthumously honouring him with the Bharat Ratna and making his literature widely available across India. Kanshi Ram, on the other hand, was responsible for the first successful political mobilisation of Dalits in India. In his initial days, as social scientist Badri Narayan noted in a 2009 article, Kanshi Ram credited Ambedkar for planting the seed of Dalit movement in India. Perhaps, Kanshi Rams contribution towards Ambedkarite movement was best summarised by Lal Krishna Advani. "People had almost forgotten Dr Ambedkar, but it goes to the credit of Kanshi Ramji that the great leader was brought to the centre of Indian political scene," he said after the BSP founders death. Ambedkar is now one of the many important figures in Indias political discourse. With the BJP building a pantheon of anti-Congress leaders, Ambedkar fits the bill quite well. His antipathy towards the Nehru-led Congress coupled with some of his purported remarks on the Muslim community as claimed by the Sangh now makes him a mascot of the BJP. For a man who fought all his life against upper caste domination, the BJP, traditionally a party representing the interests of upper caste Hindus, doesnt miss a single opportunity to honour Ambedkar. One may wonder what Ambedkar would think if he were to be alive today. While political appropriation of Ambedkar continues, a new movement seems to be rising across India. This one is being led by younger voices, many of whom are products of the post-reform era. But one pertinent question remains: Is it time for the community to re-imagine Ambedkars clarion call of "Educate, Agitate, Organize?" The recent mob violence in Bulandshahr that took the lives of a police officer and a villager, is threatening to take an ugly communal turn. Bulandshahr: The recent mob violence in Bulandshahr that took the lives of a police officer and a villager, is threatening to take an ugly communal turn. Six Bajrang Dal workers reportedly barged into the home of a Muslim family that had been booked by the police on the cow slaughter complaint lodged by the outfit on Tuesday. Parveen Begum, 34, wife of Sarfuddin Hussain, one of those named in the FIR, said six people had forcibly entered their home in the Naya Bans area at around 6 pm on 5 December. They came after the arrival of a reporter who was interviewing us regarding my husbands name in the FIR, said Praveen Begum. Only women and children were present in the house. The women family members asked them to leave. But they stood silently gazing at everyone for about five minutes, and before leaving, told us not to speak to the media, otherwise they would see us again ("dekh lenge"). Parveen Begum added that the intruders asked her to keep their house locked. Nafessa, Sarfuddins aunt who also lives in the same area, said that she had seen a reporter at Parveen's house. She added, I went there out of curiosity. After the reporter left, I saw a group of 5 to 6 people entering their house. They had parked their cars behind the house. After they came out, they were gazing in anger, she said. Sarfuddins daughter, Arshi, 15, also said that while coming home from her tuition at that time, she saw 5-6 cars with Bajrang Dal flags on them. I saw a group of 5-6 people coming out of our house and going back in their cars. There were around 4-5 cars which had other men around in them. The Hussain family informed the Nagar Palika chairman about this and will be lodging an official police complaint. Meanwhile, Yogesh, the prime accused in the FIR relating to the mob violence, was absconding till the time of writing, according to the police. However, Bajrang Dal's Uttar Pradesh general secretary Balraj Dungar said that he had surrendered to the police on Wednesday, 5 December. Yogesh had informed the police that on 30 November, 31 cows were slaughtered in Bulandshahr villages, said Dungar. But the police did not do anything. This angered the public and sparked violence, and a policeman was killed when people were protesting against the illegal cow slaughter. It needs to be mentioned that a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) worker, Shikhar Agarwal, held a meeting with the Bajrang Dal workers on 2 December in Syana. Agarwal, who belongs to Jawahar Gunj in Syana, is also one of the 27 accused named in the FIR relating to the mob violence. In a video that he released on Wednesday, Agarwal accused the late SHO of Syana police station, Subodh Kumar Singh, of instigating the riot in order to avoid the registration of a case of cow slaughter. "We filled the remains of gau mata in a tractor trolly and were bringing it to Chingrawati police station when Subodh Kumar Singh stopped us and told us to bury the carcass right there. We told him that this tractor has to go in front of the people, and after a long argument with him, we proceeded towards the station." Agarwal says in the video that he met deputy District Collector Avinash Chandra Maurya and told him that Subodh Kumar Singh had threatened to shoot him or anyone who proceeds with the tractor. He also accused the slain SHO of flaring communal divide in Syana by saying that Singh "colluded with Muslims to hurt women of our community." "I trust the Yogi government will hold a fair inquiry in this case, and I should be hanged if I am guilty, or let free if I am not." Yogesh, now in his mid twenties, loves to be called a Ram bhakt, and has apparently been an active member of Bajrang Dal since the age of 16 and is at present district coordinator of the Bajrang Dal in Bulandshahr, according to Balraj Dungar. A law student in DAV College in Bulandshahr, Yogesh had developed a reputation of being vocal on the issues of Hindutva, cow slaughter and his rantings against Muslims. On 29 October he, along with other Bajrang Dal workers, had protested against alleged cow slaughter on the outskirts of Surajpur Makhaina village in Bulandshahr and even got an FIR registered in this connection against two Muslim residents Laddan and Rifaqat. The Anoopshahr police, where this case has been lodged, said investigation is still on and no one has yet been arrested. In his latest complaint, Yogesh claimed illegal cow slaughter happened during the three-day Tablighi Ijtema (an Islamic congregation) from 1-3 November. Habib Rehman, also a resident of Naya Bans said, Yogesh often shows disaffection with the Muslim community. He has held many rallies in which he raises slogans like agar Bharat mein rehna hai toh Jai Shree Ram bolna padega (If you want to live in India, then you have to chant Jai Shree Ram). Yogesh has also complained about the loudspeaker in the mosque, said Shamim Khan, another Naya Bans resident. The police banned our loudspeaker in May 2017 after several of his complaints." Mohammad Hussain, a cloth trader and resident of Naya Bans, added, Yogeshs request to turn off the loudspeaker was turned down many times by my brother Sarfuddin, who was the manager of the mosque. The loudspeaker was finally turned off when Yogesh claimed that the mosque is a madrassa and hence, cannot use loudspeakers. Meanwhile, Inspector General (Crime) SK Bhagat told the media on Wednesday that preliminary investigation suggests that the carcass was at least two days old, though firm conclusions can be drawn only after getting the forensic report. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met the wife and son of slain inspector Subodh Kumar Singh on 6 December. (The authors are freelance writers and members of 101Reporters.com) Shivakumar urged Tamil Nadu to present the project details of the Cauvery river water and also hold a discussion on the same at a convenient time. Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Karnataka Water Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday called for finding an amicable solution to the long pending Cauvery water sharing dispute with Tamil Nadu. "The Government of Karnataka desires to have an amicable solution to the issue of Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water project," Shivakumar stated in the letter written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami. "You (TN Chief Minister) are aware that the river Cauvery is the lifeline of both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and is very sacred for the people of both the states. Governments and people of both the states desire to have a permanent solution on the issues pertaining to Cauvery. In this regard, I wish to bring to your notice that the Government of Karnataka desires to have an amicable solution to the issue of the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water project," he stated in the letter. In his letter, the 56-year-old Karnataka Water Minister further stated, "This project will also help in regulating the releases in such a judicious manner that the excess water during good monsoon is not allowed to flow from the Mettur dam into the sea unnecessarily as has happened during the current year." "It appears that some misconceptions about the proposed project have occurred in the minds of the Government of people of , though the actual reality of the project is different," the letter reads. Shivakumar urged Tamil Nadu to present the project details of the Cauvery river water and also hold a discussion on the same at a convenient time. This water dispute dates back to the 1970s and has its origin in two agreements signed between the erstwhile Madras Presidency and the Princely State of Mysore in 1892 and 1924 in which it was decided to divide the river water between the two states, which lapsed in 1974. Tamil Nadu then asked the Congress-ruled government at the Centre to form a tribunal to look into the diversion of water and ensure that it gets its due share. When the Centre did not pay heed to Tamil Nadu's demand, it approached the Supreme Court, which, in May 1990, ordered the creation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal. In its later order, the apex court had pronounced that Karnataka is given an additional 14.75 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of the river water while 177.25 TMC of water be released for Tamil Nadu. The allocation of Karnataka which used to be 270 TMC has been increased to 284.75 TMC. AgustaWestland investigation: Although Tyagi had publicly denied any relationship with Christian Michel immediately after the scam surfaced in 2012. Informed government sources said Michel will also be confronted with another document that was signed jointly by him and another middleman Guido Haschke. New Delhi: Was it merely a coincidence that Rajiv Tyagi, cousin of former Air Force Chief SP Tyagi and Sonya Mehra, director in Christian Michel firm, boarded the same Air India flight Number AI 332 on 15 May, 2012?What were the business dealings that prompted another key figure Gautam Khaitan to make 52 trips to Dubai, base of Christian Michel, between 2004 to 2013? How did he manage to procure confidential documents related to Indian defence deals? These, among many others, are the three are vital questions for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to establish the linkages of now arrested British middleman along with other players in the VVIP chopper scam. According to sources, Michel would soon be confronted with documentary evidence to unearth deep rooted conspiracy and to identify his accomplices including the Indian Air Force officials, bureaucrats and politicians who allegedly influenced the deal in favor of AgustaWestland. Although Tyagi, who has been charged by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case, had publicly denied any relationship with Michel immediately after the scam surfaced in 2012. Informed government sources said Michel will also be confronted with another document that was signed jointly by him and another middleman Guido Haschke detailing alleged payoffs in India. The CBI has claimed that Michel was pursuing the VVIP chopper deal at different levels with the help of a wide network in India and abroad. The agency also claimed that Michel was giving misleading information in media to divert attention from his role in the scam. Although, he had admitted of having a working relationship with Haschke, Michel had claimed the relationship went sour in 2008 over some payment issue. The evidence, sources claimed, however suggests that Michel and Haschke were in Delhi together after the deal was signed with AgustaWestland to buy 12 AW-101 helicopters. They would also like to confront Michel with evidence that links Michel associate Christine Spliid with Tyagi brothers. Sources said they have certain documents to prove that they were working together. Sources said they have gathered crucial evidence to puncture the claims made by the accused persons in the case that they had no contacts or relationship with each other. After AgustaWestland scam started making headlines, sources claimed that a meeting was held in Delhi on 20 May, 2012 and subsequently two meetings were held in July in Dubai and Zurich where key Indian and foreign middlemen Haschke and Carlo Gerosa were present. The INTERPOL has issued red corner notice against Haschke and Gerosa and the CBI is making efforts to bring them to India for sustained interrogation. Both had floated a company Aeromatrix Info Solutions Private Limited in 2009 and used it as a money laundering channel to transfer a portion of kickbacks received from AgustaWestland. Haschkes two other companys in Tunisia Gordian Services SARL and IDS Tunisia were floated with an intent to channelize funds to India. Five false invoices worth 5,40,612 were raised by IDS India to IDS. In 2008, sixteen invoices worth 9,77,263 were issued by IDS India and shown as liabilities by IDS Tunisia. By the time deal was signed in 2010, amount in invoices to show liabilities were significantly raised from few lakhs in 2007-8 to 6.1 million in 2010. "Some key players are likely to be summoned again after the questioning of Michel to be confronted with his revelations. Tyagi brothers had denied any dealing with Khaitan also but we have gathered evidence to contradict the assertion and conclusive prove to establish they were in touch with each other on coinciding with developments related to chopped deal, said the sources. It is learnt that the CBI is likely to grill Michel regarding his relationship with at least seven private defence companies as well to ascertain their possible role into the chopper deal including a company based in Chennai and Offset India Solutions Private Limited owned by fugitive Sanjay Bhandari. The Indian Government has not responded to the British High Commission's latest request, the sources added. Michel was extradited to Delhi from UAE on Tuesday night and a court here on Wednesday remanded him to five-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody. New Delhi: The British High Commission has asked the Indian government for consular access to Christian Michel, sources said on Thursday. Michel is a British citizen and the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland deal. The Indian Government has not responded to the British High Commission's latest request, the sources added. Michel was extradited to Delhi from UAE on Tuesday night and a court here on Wednesday remanded him to five-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh appeared for the CBI and asked for a 14-day custody of Michel for a thorough probe. Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph had opposed it and had also moved a bail plea for Michel. The court kept the bail plea pending for next hearing and allowed Michel's counsel one hour each in the morning and evening for consultancy. According to CBI sources, Michel complained of anxiety during questioning by CBI and subsequently, he was given medicine. On Tuesday, the CBI had issued a statement saying: "Wanted fugitive criminal Christian Michel James who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in India in AgustaWestland Case is being extradited by UAE Authorities to India. Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by Incharge Director/CBI M. Nageswara Rao. A team lead by A. Sai Manohar, Joint Director/CBI has been to Dubai for the purpose." The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks. According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed in a court two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations. CBI had filed charge sheet in a trial court on September 1, 2017 against Christian and 11 other accused persons. The trial court took cognizance of the offences on 11 October, 2017. CBI's request for extradition was forwarded to the UAE authorities on March 19, last year through diplomatic channels. Extradition proceedings were held before UAE Court against Christian on the extradition request of CBI. Vide order dated November 19, 2018, the Court of Dubai upheld the lower court decision for possibility of extraditing Christian to Indian authorities. Accordingly, Christian was extradited to face legal proceedings. The businessman, a British national, was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on Tuesday night. Michel, who was the alleged middleman in the graft-tainted AgustaWestland chopper deal during the UPA rule, was sent to five-day CBI custody by a special CBI court in New Delhi, a day after he was extradited from the UAE. London: The UK government on Wednesday said it has sought urgent information from India on the circumstances surrounding the detention and extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case, who is facing allegations of bribery. The businessman, a British national, was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on Tuesday night. Michel, who was the alleged middleman in the graft-tainted AgustaWestland chopper deal during the UPA rule, was sent to five-day CBI custody by a special CBI court in New Delhi, a day after he was extradited from the UAE. "Our staff continue to support the family of a British man following his detention in the UAE," said a spokesperson for the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). "We are in contact with his family and the Emirati authorities regarding his case, and are urgently seeking information from the Indian authorities on his circumstances," the spokesperson said. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. Michel has denied all charges and alleged that the CBI wants him to take the names of the Gandhi family, a claim which had been refuted by the central probe agency. CBI prosecutor DP Singh said in court that Michel was required for custodial interrogation to unearth the "deep rooted conspiracy" and the money trail in the case. His custody was required to identify Michel's accomplices including the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials, bureaucrats and politicians, who were influenced or were instrumental in changing the decisions, which made Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland eligible to participate in the bidding process and to ultimately secure the deal, Singh argued. India has since scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks by it for securing the deal. The deal, initialled in 2010, was scrapped on 1 January, 2014. In the court, the special judge was informed by the CBI that its investigation showed Michel had entered into 12 contracts through two of his firms M/s Global Trade and Commerce Ltd, London and M/s Global Services FZE, Dubai, UAE, with M/s Finmeccanica, M/s AgustaWestland, M/s Westland Helicopters, UK and others. The British High Commission in New Delhi has also sought consular access to Michel. 6 December, 2018: AugstaWestland middleman Christian Michel to be quizzed by CBI during for five days; SIT to submit report on Bulandshahr violence today; security hightened in Ayodhya ahead of Babri Masjid demolition anniversary; here are the top stories for the day. Christian Michel in five-day CBI custody Extradited AgustaWestland deal middleman Christian Michel was sent to a five day CBI custody where he will be questioned on links in India. The CBI in its remand application submitted that it wants to confront Michel with other accused, to find out who from the Indian Air Force and Ministry of Defence leaked sensitive information and confidential documents to foreigners. The probe would also seek to find out who in the political circles was in the know-how of the Rs 3,600-crore VVIP chopper deal scam. CBI also mentioned that through Michel's interrogation it wants to unearth the "deep-rooted conspiracy" and the money trail connected with the alleged scam. Michel, a national of the United Kingdom, will again be produced in the court on 10 December. Previous developments in the case In June 2016, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its chargesheet filed against Michel had alleged that he received 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland. According to the chargesheet, the money was nothing but "kickbacks" paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopters deal in favour of the firm in the "guise of" genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country. Later, on 1 September 2017, the CBI filed a chargesheet in the case in which Michel was named as one of the accused. Besides him, the agency also named in the chargesheet former IAF chief SP Tyagi and retired Air Marshal JS Gujral along with eight others, including five foreign nationals and the Anglo-Italian multinational firm AgustaWestland. Others named in the chargesheet include Tyagi's cousin Sanjeev alias Julie, advocate Gautam Khaitan, alleged European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Guido Haschke, former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and former Finmeccanica Chairman Giuseppe Orsi. Bulandshahr violence: SIT to submit report, Yogi Adityanath to meet slain cop's family The Special Investigation Team constituted to investigate into Monday's Bulandshahr violence will submit its report to the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday. The violence, reportedly sparked by cow slaughter, had led to the killing of Inspector Subodh Singh and a civilian youth. However, the prime accused in the case, Yogesh Raj who is associated with the right-wing group Bajrang Dal is still at large and instead released a video to claim his innocence in the case. Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will meet the family of the late officer on Thursday. Adityanath on Wednesday night had ordered strict action against cow slaughter, unlawful trade in cattle and illegal slaughterhouses, saying that the district magistrate and other senior police officials of a district will be held personally responsible for any lapse. He also directed district magistrates and senior officials to send weekly reports and ordered divisional commissioners and zonal IGs/DIGs to review the implementation of his instructions, PTI reported The incident On Monday, a mob of some 400 people, including right-wing activists, violently rampaged through the Chingrawathi village apparently after cow carcasses were found strewn in a jungle nearby. The police have arrested four people in connection with the violence. Nearly 90 people have been made accused in the case and 27 of them have been named so far. Babri Masjid demolition anniversary today On the 26th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Hindu outfits have planned major programmes. While The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal will mark the day as 'Shaurya Diwas' (day of bravery) and 'Vijay Diwas' (day of victory) and have asked the people to light earthen lamps and raise a chorus for construction of a Ram temple, Muslim outfits have said they will observe 'Yaum-e-Gham' (day of sorrow) and 'Yaum-e-Syah' (black day). The VHP spokesperson in Ayodhya, Sharad Sharma, told PTI that Hindu organisations are likely "to organise a number of religious programmes so that a grand temple of Lord Ram is built". "Special prayers for Goddess Saraswati (the goddess of learning) are to be held so that the people, especially politicians do not hinder the construction of a Ram temple, besides hawans seeking to get rid of all obstructions. Tributes will also be paid to the innocent karsewaks who faced bullets and lost their lives," he said. Mahant Ramdas of Nirmohi Akhara said that "the day would be celebrated like Diwali and hawans would be held at Karsewakpuram". Whereas, the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC) has called on the people to observe the day peacefully and hold special prayers for the early resolution of the dispute. The BMAC said it will send memoranda to the prime minister and the Uttar Pradesh chief minister requesting them to ensure status quo at Ayodhya demolition site as per Supreme Court orders. The state president of Indian Union Muslim League said, We will observe this day as Black Day. Even the Supreme Court has termed the demolition of Babri Masjid as a matter of national shame". Security tightened in Ayodhya Hundreds of security personnel were deployed on the streets of Ayodhya as authorities kept a tight vigil especially in the wake of saffron outfits raising the pitch over the sensitive Ram temple issue on Babri Masjid demolition anniversary. The UP Police on Wednesday arrested four activists of Hindu Samaj Party from Ram Janambhoomi police station area apprehending trouble from them at the disputed site on Thursday. So far eight people have been taken into custody this week, including Mahant of Tapaswi Chawni temple - Paramhans Das, who had threatened to commit self-immolation for the construction of Ram temple on 6 December. On the same day, Rangam Krishna Maharaj and Rajesh Mani Tripathi of Naraini Sena were taken into custody over a planned protest. Over 2,500 police personnel, besides Rapid Action Force and paramilitary CRPF, have been deployed as part of multi-layered security in Ayodhya including in and around the disputed site and several parts of Hanumangarhi area of the city, officials said. Despite the visible security presence, it was business as usual in the temple town as pilgrims moved in and around the Hanumangarhi area and most of the eateries and shops were open. The Ayodhya dispute The Babri mosque was demolished on 6 December, 1992 by kar sevaks who had converged as part of a movement by the BJP and Hindu outfits for Ram temple at the disputed site. The Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit is pending in the Supreme Court, which will decide the schedule of hearing in January. Fourteen appeals have been filed in the apex court against a high court judgment, delivered in four civil suits, that the 2.77 acre land be partitioned equally among three parties the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla. After the Supreme Court refused an early hearing, Hindu outfits have been demanding that the government bring in an ordinance for construction of the Ram temple. Karnataka chief minister calls for an all-party meeting to discuss Mahadayi river water dispute An all-party meeting will be chaired by Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the way forward in the Mahadayi river water dispute with former chief ministers and water resources ministers to discuss the states water disputes and irrigation projects. Whereas, on Tuesday, Kumaraswamy had also asked MPs from the state to stand together against any opposition by neighbouring Tamil Nadu to the Mekedatu project across the Cauvery river during the winter session of Parliament. Tamil Nadu has demanded that the Centre withdraw its permission to Karnataka for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a proposed balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project at Mekedatu across the Cauvery river. India vs Australia: Visitors struggling at 56/4 at lunch on Day 1 India were off to a nightmarish start after opting to bat first in the opening Test at Adelaide, as the top-order crumbled against the quality Australian pace attack to reach 56/4 at lunch on Day 1. Skipper Virat Kohli was dismissed for 3, thanks to a sharp catch by Usman Khawaja at gully. Josh Hazlewood grabbed a couple of wickets for himself, with Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins getting a dismissal each. Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara were unbeaten on 15 and 11 respectively at the end of the first session. Follow live updates on Day 1 of the first Test here. Sensex tumbles, global markets see weakness amid US-China trade war fears Benchmark equity indices fell for the second straight day on Wednesday as the RBI left the repo rate unchanged while global markets suffered a sell-off as concerns over the US-China trade war resurfaced. The BSE Sensex tumbled 249.90 points, or 0.69 percent, to close at 35,884.41. Similarly, the broader NSE Nifty fell 84.55 points, or 0.74 percent, to end at 10,784.95. The fall in domestic equities was led by metal, pharma, auto and banking stocks. Weakness in the rupee against the US dollar also weighed on domestic stocks. The local unit fell 11 paise to Rs 70.60 against the US dollar intra-day. Internal documents reveal how Facebook executives make deals for data British lawmaker Damian Collin on Wednesday released a 250-page cache of Facebook documents that were earlier deemed as confidential, revealing how executives at the highest levels of the company, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, made crucial decisions on handling user data. Facebook has said and continues to stand by its stance that the company does not sell access to its users data, and nothing in the documents directly point to the fact that they do. However, the documents do give us a peek into how a social media giant like Facebook makes decisions about deals surrounding user data access. Bombay HC dismisses plea by Jiah Khan's mother to retrieve her BBM chats The Bombay High Court on Wednesday dismissed an application filed by late actor Jiah Khan's mother Rabia, seeking retrieval of messages her daughter and her actor-boyfriend Sooraj Pancholi exchanged on Blackberry messenger. Pancholi has been charged with abetting Khan's suicide. According to the Central Bureau of Investigation, Khan, best known for her performance in film Nishabd starring Amitabh Bachchan, was found hanging at her residence here on 3 June, 2013. In her application filed before the court, Rabia had sought to bring on record as evidence the details of the Blackberry messenger chats exchanged between her daughter and Pancholi. On Wednesday, justice Mridula Bhatkar, however, rejected Rabia's request. While dismissing the plea, justice Bhatkar said the request made by Rabia was "not feasible under the law". There is an interesting chapter in renowned Hindi author Kamleshwars novel Kitne Pakistan in which several important historical figures are brought to court, put into the witness box and asked to narrate their version of history where Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, is testifying on the Ayodhya dispute. There is an interesting chapter in renowned Hindi author Kamleshwars novel Kitne Pakistan in which several important historical figures are brought to court, put into the witness box and asked to narrate their version of history where Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, is testifying on the Ayodhya dispute. Exhumed from his grave, Babur looks unhappy and tired. The dialogue between the emperor and the court goes thus: The court: You are the main culprit of this entire dispute had you not destroyed the temple in Ayodhya, these issues would not have bothered the whole country... Babur: I swear in the name of Allah, the almighty, that I did not destroy any temple. Nor did I ever build a mosque in my name. History is witness that Islam was present in this mulk when I came to Hindustan. Ibrahim Lodi, who I defeated, was a Muslim. Was he not? The court: So what is the story behind the demolition of Ram temple and Babri mosque? Babur: The capital of my empire was Agra, which is in close proximity with Mathura, the birthplace of Hindu god Krishna. Now think, if I were to destroy a Hindu temple, would I not begin with Lord Krishnas temple in Mathura? Why would I need to march more than a hundred miles to Ayodhya to destroy a temple in Lord Ramas birthplace? The court: But the chronicles before the court say you demolished the temple in 1528. You ordered your deputy Mir Baki to build a mosque there. Why are the pages of your diary missing from 3 April, 1528, to 17 September, 1528? Babur: What can I tell you about the missing pages? The court: You must. Because it has been placed before the court that you were hunting in the upper grounds of Ayodhya on 2 April. According to Baburnama, you were presiding over your court in Agra on 18 September, 1528. Where were you between these two dates? English gazetteer HR Neville mentions that in the summers on 1528 you reached Ayodhya, you stayed there for a week and ordered demolition of the ancient Ram temple and built a mosque there. It was named as Babri mosque. Babur: This is a complete lie. For all these years in my grave, I have been watching what is happening in my country. Everything was fine till 1849 or 1850, but after the 1857 revolt, British rule changed its policies. Here, Anton Fuhrer, late director of Archeological Survey of India who is also present, pitches in: Anton Fuhrer: He is correct. The British government changed its policies and it was decided to create a rift between the Hindu and the Muslim community, who revolted unitedly in 1857. It was under this policy, Ibrahim Lodis Inscription on Babri mosque was dismantled. My translation of that inscription was also in the files of Archeological Survey of India. No one thought to delete it. What they forgot to remove though were the pages of Baburnama that provide the evidence that Babur went to Awadh but not Ayodhya and after that, the rulers and Neville at their behest prepared the Faizabad Gazette and maliciously noted that Babur stayed in Ayodhya for one week and destroyed the Ram Mandir. While this is how Kitne Pakistan presents the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute, historians are divided on the subject and offer divergent, often contrarian, views. Professor Neetu Singh in her book Faizabad: Cultural Gazetteer, said after taking over the reins from Lodi, Babur moved to Gwalior. He handed over charge of Awadh to his deputy Mir Baki Tashkandi who, she claims, built the mosque. Eminent historian Irfan Habib in Medieval Ayodhya (Oudh), Down to the Mughal Occupation, wrote: Babur did not enter Ayodhya the year when the mosque was built. After his victory at Panipat, Babur began to take steps to bring the eastern provinces under his control and sent off his eldest son Humayun towards Jaunpur and Ghazipur. He appointed Shaikh Bayazid governor of Awadh. However, Bayazids rebellious disposition invited the attention of Babur who encamped two or three kurohs (about 5 to 8 miles) from Awadh (Ayodhya) on 28 March, 1528. His troops drove away Bayazid from the bank of Saru (Sarayu) opposite Ayodhya. Babur does not mention his own entry into Ayodhya and though he remained in the vicinity, it is possible that he did not enter the town. Former IPS officer Kishore Kunal in his book Ayodhya Revisited wrote that in 1813, when the inscription at the mosque was tampered with, a narrative was building that Mir Baki built the mosque on Baburs instruction. The mandir was not destroyed in 1528, but was demolished in 1660 by Fidayi Khan, the governor appointed by Aurangzeb. KM Pandey, the 1986 Faizabad district judge who ordered the locks of the disputed site opened, wrote in his book Voice of Conscience: The inscriptions on the stones inside and outside the mandir proved that Babur visited Ayodhya, demolished the mandir and constructed the mosque using the same material. British author John Leyden, who translated the memoirs of Babur, wrote in his book Memoirs of Zehir-ed-din Muhammad Baber, Emperor of Hindustan, 1819: Babur encamped near Ayodhya on 28 March, 1528. William Erskine, in two volumes of his book A History of India under the Two First Sovereigns of the House of Taimur, Baber, and Humayun, 1854, wrote, Babur remained in Ayodhya for a fortnight and was involved in building activities. A five-member team from a French investigation agency on Wednesday arrived in Kochi to interrogate an alleged Islamic State terror operative in connection with the 2015 Paris blasts, and held discussions with the NIA, which will facilitate the three-day questioning session at a jail in Kerala. Kochi: A five-member team from a French investigation agency on Wednesday arrived in Kochi to interrogate an alleged Islamic State terror operative in connection with the 2015 Paris blasts, and held discussions with the NIA, which will facilitate the three-day questioning session at a jail in Kerala. The team from the French anti-terror agency will be in Kerala till Friday to interrogate Subahani Haja Moideen, a resident of Thodupuzha, at the Central jail in Thrissur district. "The five-member team from a French anti-terror investigation agency met us at Kochi today," a top National Investigation Agency (NIA) official told PTI. He said the team arrived in the country after an NIA court in Kochi granted them permission to interrogate Subahani, currently lodged in Viyyur Central jail. "They will visit Thrissur and meet the accused Subahani at Viyyur Central Prison, as permitted by the court, from 5 to 7 December," the official said. The NIA probe revealed that Subahani knew the terrorists who carried out the attack inside a theatre in Paris in 2015, killing over 100 people, but has feigned ignorance about the plot. He was arrested from Tamil Nadu in 2016 in a crackdown by the NIA with the help of central security agencies and other state police, foiling designs of Islamic State operatives to target some judges of Kerala and foreign tourists visiting the coastal state. Subahani, picked up from Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, was radicalised and recruited into the terror outfit through social media platforms. He left India for Istanbul from Chennai in April 2015 on the pretext of performing the Umrah-Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca. After reaching Istanbul, he had crossed over with other people from Pakistan and Afghanistan to Iraqi territory under control of the terrorists, officials said. New Delhi considers the port in Chabahar, which lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran, very crucial for its strategic interest in the region. New Delhi: India on Thursday strongly condemned the "despicable" terrorist attack in the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar and said the perpetrators of the crime must be brought to justice expeditiously. India is developing the Chabahar port along with Iran and Afghanistan. New Delhi considers the port in Chabahar, which lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran, very crucial for its strategic interest in the region. Chabahar city is around 100 kilometres from Iran's border with Pakistan. "India strongly condemns today's despicable terrorist attack in Chabahar, Iran. We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. At least two people were killed and many more injured in the terror attack outside police headquarters in Chabahar. "We wish a speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror," the MEA said. The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries. The port is being considered crucial for trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to India. An external member of the JNU Court on Wednesday accused the JNUTA and JNUSU of feeding misinformation to media and thus bringing down the image of the varsity in the society at large. New Delhi: An external member of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Court on Wednesday accused the JNUTA and JNUSU of feeding misinformation to media and thus bringing down the image of the varsity in the society at large. The JNU Court is the supreme statutory body of the university which meets once in a year and the Chancellor of the university presides over this meeting. Dr VK Saraswat, the Chancellor of JNU also advised the concerned faculty and students against rushing to the media and making "unfounded statements" that ruin the prestige of the university, the varsity said in a statement. The Chancellor underlined that demand for democracy should be made with responsibility and accountability in actions, it said. One of the external members of the JNU Court stated the teachers and the students unions are feeding misinformation to media and social media and thus bringing down the image of the university in the society at large, said the varsity's registrar Pramod Kumar. When disciplinary action is taken against violation of rules, it is depicted as illegal punitive measures, the member said. Without an iota of evidence, allegations are made by JNUTA that financial irregularities are being made by administration, whereas there is transparency on all financial matters and the expenditures are regularly audited by the CAG, the member said. The JNU Court also expressed displeasure about some teachers not following the attendance rules of the university, Kumar said. The Court expressed its dismay over teachers and students associations blatantly violating the JNU rules and defying even the order of the Delhi High Court which prohibit holding protests of all kinds, including hunger strike, demonstrations and sit-ins within one hundred meters of the administration building and academic complexes, he said. The JNU Teachers' Association (JNUTA) held a 24-hour long hunger strike last week and demanded the withdrawal of "arbitrary circulars" pertaining to rescheduling of the Academic Calendar and Compliance of Faculty Attendance. The JNU court was informed that the Golden Jubilee celebrations of JNU would start on 12 January, 2019 with the installation of Swami Vivekananda statue. It was made clear that no university funds are used for the statue. JNUTA had submitted a memorandum to the JNU Court before the meeting alleging illegality of the various circulars issued by the JNU administration. The circulars were aimed towards threatening the teaching community and placing the well-established and proven system of accountability existing in the JNU teaching-learning process, the teachers association said. JNUTA said there was hardly any discussion and deliberation in the Court meeting on any of the agenda items. "Several faculty members, especially women faculty members present at the JNU Court meeting, and the JNUTA President were subjected to personal humiliation by the Vice Chancellor. When faculty members got up to ask questions on the agenda items, before they could even speak, the Vice Chancellor ridiculed them before other members of the Court," the JNUTA alleged. Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson for the MEA, on Thursday said it was 'unfortunate' that Pakistan was trying to politicise the proposal to open the Kartarpur corridor. Raveesh Kumar, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, on Thursday said it was "unfortunate" that Pakistan was trying to politicise the proposal to open the Kartarpur corridor. "With respect to the Kartarpur corridor, we see it as a fulfillment of a long-pending demand of the Sikh community. It is unfortunate that Pakistan tried to politicise an issue which is a matter of faith for people. We hope that Pakistan fulfills all its commitments regarding the corridor," Kumar said. On the extradition of Christian Michel to India, Kumar said this was an example of co-operation between UAE and India, and that the matter is now being handled by the CBI. Last week, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj reacted strongly to the statement of her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi that Prime Minister Imran Khan bowled a "googly" to ensure the Indian government's presence at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor. Let me explain to you that we were not trapped by your 'googlies'. Our two Sikh Ministers went to Kartarpur Sahib to offer prayers in the Holy Gurudwara. /2 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) December 1, 2018 India was represented at the events by Union ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Hardeep Singh Puri. On Thursday, Qureshi said the opening of the Kartarpur border was a "big achievement" of Imran's government, which completed the first 100 days in office after winning the general elections in Pakistan. "Imran delivered a googly and India sent two ministers to Pakistan," he said. Qureshi noted that it was the same Indian government had said it will not engage with Pakistan. He said a meeting with Indian counterpart Swaraj was fixed on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last year but, it was cancelled by India. Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan is located across the river Ravi, about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine. It was established by Guru Nanak in 1522. The corridor will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur. With inputs from PTI The intelligence reports have suggested that Musa could be disguised as a Sikh and wearing a turban. He is the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind chief and is said to be aligned with a global terror group. Chandigarh: Security agencies have been put on high alert in Bathinda and Ferozepur districts of Punjab on Thursday following intelligence reports that Kashmiri terrorist Zakir Musa could be hiding in the area. The intelligence reports have suggested that Musa could be disguised as a Sikh and wearing a turban. He is the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind chief and is said to be aligned with a global terror group. Army troopers, Punjab Police and other para-military were stationed in and around important places like the Bathinda railway station and checking was being carried out since early Thursday. Security agencies have put up posters carrying photographs of Musa, including one of him disguised as a Sikh, at various places to make the public aware in both districts. Posters of Musa had earlier been put up in the frontier districts of Gurdaspur and Amritsar in November following similar reports that he could be hiding in Punjab. Musa, who heads the terrorist outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), a cell of Al-Qaeda, in Kashmir Valley, is said to be well-acquainted with places and people in Punjab. He was a student in an educational institution in Punjab's Mohali district, adjoining Chandigarh, from 2010 to 2013 before joining the militant ranks. He had succeeded Burhan Wani as the chief of the terrorist organisation Hizbul Mujahideen following Wani's death in an encounter with security forces in Kashmir in July 2016. Punjab Police officials said here that the high alert had been sounded to nab the terrorist. In recent weeks, the Punjab Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police have busted modules, including engineering students, who had carried out terror activities in Punjab. In June this year, BJP chief Amit Shah had met the actor at her residence in Mumbai during his party's 'Sampark for Samarthan' (Contact for Support) programme and briefed her on the achievements of the Narendra Modi government. Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is considering fielding Bollywood actor Madhuri Dixit-Nene from the Pune Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 general elections, party sources said. In June this year, BJP chief Amit Shah had met the actor at her residence in Mumbai during his party's 'Sampark for Samarthan' (Contact for Support) programme and briefed her on the achievements of the Narendra Modi government. A senior state BJP leader told PTI on Thursday that her name has been shortlisted for the Pune Lok Sabha seat."The party is seriously considering giving candidature to Madhuri Dixit in the 2019 general elections. We think the Pune Lok Sabha constituency will be better for her," he said. "The party is in the process of finalising the list of probables for several Lok Sabha seats and Dixit's name has been shortlisted for the Pune Lok Sabha constituency...she is being seriously considered for it," the leader said. The 51-year-old actor has featured in many Bollywood films, including "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!", "Dil To Pagal Hai", "Saajan" and "Devdas". In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had snatched the Pune Lok Sabha seat from the Congress, with Anil Shirole winning by a margin of over three lakh votes. On the plans to field the actor, a senior BJP functionary said, "Such tactics were implemented by Narendra Modi in Gujarat when he became the chief minister for the first time. He changed all the candidates in local bodies election and the party reaped benefits of that decision." "As fresh faces were introduced, there was nothing to criticise them with. It left the opposition shocked and the BJP won maximum seats and retained power," he said. According to the leader, a similar experiment was also successfully carried out in Delhi local bodies polls in 2017, where all the sitting councillors were denied tickets. The BJP won the seats and retained the control, he said. The Babri Masjid demolition itself did not apparently leave a mark on film although the subsequent riots did, notably in Mani Ratnams Bombay (1995) Today, 6 December 2018, marks the 26th anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Masjid by a large group of Hindu Kar Sevaks. While the normal course in writing about the event is only to regard it as a black day in Indian history, my own inclination is to wonder if more cannot be made of it, even if it is speculative. 1991 was a key year for India economically and politically because it marked the transition of India from its socialist moorings to a more market-friendly future, and a question that comes to ones mind today is whether the two happenings about a year apart cannot be connected. At that time no association could be made, but social and economic processes are usually related. My proposal is that the Hindi film can become useful here since it has consistently registered public anxieties and expectations with regard to socio-political happenings, and the economic liberalisation of 1991 transformed it pointing to a change in the mindset of the public. The Babri Masjid demolition itself did not apparently leave a mark on film although the subsequent riots did, notably in Mani Ratnams Bombay (1995); still, a change in the public mindset can initiate disparate processes, seemingly unconnected. If one was to characterise the mainstream Hindi film before 1991, one could say that it was marked by a strong element of social concern: virtually every film identified with the powerless against the powerful, the poor against the rich and it was granted that social conflict was widely prevalent. Agneepath (1990), one of the films of the period still recollected, continued with the same angry young man formula made popular by Amitabh Bachchan in which a boy from a poor family rises to prominence in an unjust world and rights the wrongs done to his family by someone powerful. Although the economic liberalisation was heralded in 1991, it took several years for the Hindi film to transform itself in accordance with public feelings, which had to become known. The regime of social concern continued in films like Damini (1993), in which the daughter-in-law from a rich business family sides with the maid who has been raped by her brother-in-law, and assists in sending her conniving in-laws to jail. Perhaps few comparisons would be more startling than the one between Damini and Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994) in their portrayals of the rich, and the latter film may be taken to be the first to register the neo-liberal era. Once it was publicly understood that the grand narrative of Indian history had seen a paradigm shift in 1991, Hindi cinema swiftly shed its earlier social concerns. In HAHK, the poor are installed as servants of the rich with the proviso that the rich are mindful of their well-being. HAHK is a landmark film but the aspect one finds repellent is the discourse that a class dependent on the charity and goodwill of another in the social hierarchy is only the natural order. Where social conflict was (rightly) seen as inevitable earlier HAHK banished the notion from film narrative. Film narratives took different courses from then on but none of them admitted it back as indispensable. Films like 1942: A Love story (1994) and Border (1997) took recourse to patriotism conflict only with external agencies like colonial Britain and Pakistan while gangster films like Satya (1998) replaced conflict between social categories like classes with unbridled social Darwinism. Where conflict between social categories implied an eventual equilibrium materializing (through the resolution), these new films tended to see the ultimate submission of weak to the strong as the only resolution. Whatever discourse the Hindi films of the period furthered may be taken to be only a reflection of the way people saw economic liberalisation. Economic liberalisation was a measure to get rid of the license raj but it was probably misrepresented as a withdrawal. The state may pull out of areas in which it has needlessly invested (like the hotel industry and various unviable public sector enterprises) but its strong presence is necessary as regulator and enforcer. A misunderstanding by the public of what liberalization meant is suggested by a key film of the period Baazigar (1993) in which the heads of two business families (played by Shah Rukh Khan and Dalip Thahil) battle it out with lethal weapons, while the police watch from a distance, as if declining to intervene. The result of the misinterpretation was the sharp weakening of the state after 1991. Since then, even public figures have been calling for more withdrawals by the state, deeming these as essential to the nation. Business managers frequently celebrate the preference of the poor for private education and healthcare. This piece pertains primarily to how the forces of Hindutva conducted themselves after the economic liberalisation of 1991, which was to take their earlier tendencies to a head. There had been communal violence throughout the 1980s but there was a new aggression in 1992. Hinduism is not an aggressive religion since it has tended to look inward rather than outward; Hindu systems of thought have been preoccupied with how to live in the world rather than remake it least of all in accordance with Hindu belief. Hindu social practice has insisted on hierarchy rather than equality but it has also relied on a code of ethics (dharma) by which people at different levels have collaborated, traditionally content with their station. People of different jatis have their own origin myths that have enabled them to take pride in what they are, regardless of their position in the hierarchy. Whether this is right can be questioned, but it has still led to an enviable level of social stability. But my proposition here is that the social equilibrium brought about by the notion of dharma had a political counterpart in Nehruvian socialism as publicly understood (and reflected in the mainstream Hindi film). Dharma (an ethical notion infusing people of all religions) is perhaps too complex to be left to the public to act upon and the state therefore became arbiter; under socialism the state was considered essentially just, regardless of its inefficiency and the lacunae in its functioning. In 1980s Hindi cinema (Tezaab, Pratighaat), the law is weak but nonetheless well-meaning. The crisis in Damini, one recollects, is resolved when the law triumphs despite official collusion. With the perceived withdrawal of the state from the public space after 1991, the conclusion of socialism and the end to equilibrium, I propose, the importance attached to dharma as a relevant notion also weakened. Rather than groups negotiating with each other, they also began to seek victory. While the BJPs more hard-line stance may have been inaugurated when LK Advani began his Rath Yatra in September 1990 and its popularity was growing (its Lok Sabha tally increased from 85 in 1989 to 120 in 1991), the newly aggressive forces let loose by liberalisation may have transformed the polity. That the aggression is not only confined to jingoistic and communal forces (Gadar: Ek Prem Katha) is suggested by Hindi films that defend dishonesty in pursuing enterprise (Bunty Aur Babli), assassination as a means of cleansing government (Rang De Basanti), and amorality and self-interest as natural in the socio-political order (Kaminey, Raajneeti). The new patriotism subsequently let loose is also different from the old kind and can justify the murder of innocents (Raazi). Economic liberalisation could perhaps have been presented very differently to the public but it unwittingly created a milieu where aggression was turned loose, where the codes of dharma were weakened. The no holds barred electioneering in which the basest falsehoods and invective are not disallowed is only the natural consequence of this process as are the political animosities in the public space. When Narendra Modi assumed Prime Ministership it seemed to some people that he would set about strengthening the state, and the demonetisation of 2016 could (charitably) have also been regarded thus. But none of this led very far; to all appearances the Prime Minister has been overcome by the forces of disorder/adharma to which he currently seems not unaccommodating. Instead of promising to make India a global power, 2019 is a reversion back to cows, statues and temples; still, rather than blame his party primarily, I would see this as the long term consequence of 1991, of which the demolition of the Babri Masjid was perhaps only the earliest violent manifestation. MK Raghavendra is a film scholar and author of seven books including The Oxford India Short Introduction to Bollywood (2016). He is deeply interested in social, political and cultural issues in India, an interest that informs his books on film. Whistleblower Rahul Sharma, who filed a case of corruption against a close relative of Arvind Kejriwal, filed a case in the Delhi High Court seeking police protection. Whistleblower Rahul Sharma, who filed a case of corruption against a close relative of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, on Wednesday filed a case in the Delhi High Court seeking police protection, claiming threat to his life and his family. He also alleged the Delhi police was callous in dealing with his application for security. "Soon after I filed the case of fraud against Surendra Bansal, the brother in law of Arvind Kejriwal, I received a number of threat calls asking me to withdraw the case. I informed the deputy commissioner of police of Economic Offences Wing, but received no security. On 21 May last year, I was shot at by a group of unknown gunmen and barely scraped through, suffering severe injuries. The Delhi Police did not take this incident into consideration to provide me security, he told Firstpost. Even when the Delhi Police had to furnish a report on my threat perception in Ministry of Home Affairs, the incident of attack on me was not considered. Rather, it misled the Ministry of Home Affairs to believe that there was no threat to my life, he added. Sharma mentioned that only after the court ordered a fresh threat perception report, he was informed by the Deputy Commissioner, Special Cell Delhi Police, last month that he would be provided security only on the day on which he attends the court proceedings. I have to travel across various states. So providing security only when I have to attend court is not enough, as there may be more attacks on me in the future, he said. Sharma, who heads the NGO Roads Anti-Corruption, sought 24-hour protection from the police. The NGO filed a case against Surendra Bansal in January 2017, who, according to the case, indulged in financial irregularities in a project of drain construction under the Public Works Department. The Anti-Corruption branch arrested Bansal's son Vinay in May 2018. Bansal passed away before the inquiry began. Special Commissioner of Police Arvind Deep had confirmed his arrest and said, He was a partner at the firm along with his father. In the PWD scam case, their company had submitted bills for purchasing materials for construction work. Our investigation revealed there are no such firms. The bills were fake. Sharma had been demanding that the role of the Delhi chief minister should also be investigated as he suspected that the firm acquired the contract by undue means. What we are demanding is that the role of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should been enquired into. Until and unless the officers of the department are not interrogated, the truth behind the scam will never be revealed. The said work was allotted 46 percent below the estimated rate. How and where can a company get building materials 46 percent below the market rate? he said. Soon after Vinays arrest, AAP had hurriedly called a press conference claiming that the case was politically motivated and the agency was used to malign the name of Kejriwal. A Delhi government release said, "Vinays father Late Surendra Bansal ran a company which worked with PWD since several years. The company of Mr Bansal was awarded a work of constructing a drain by the PWD. The drain was constructed by the company. Third party certification of the construction was done by IIT Roorkee. PWD also handed over completion certificate to the company." The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on the pleas filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and NGO Common Cause challenging the decision of the Central government to send Verma on leave. The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on the pleas filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and NGO Common Cause challenging the decision of the Central government to send Verma on leave. The apex court rapped the Centre over the exigency shown in sending Verma on leave without consulting the Selection Committee. However, Verma's counsel Fali Nariman argued that in this case, the word "transfer" may not necessarily mean a transfer from one place to another but would also include the divestment of powers, as done in the petitioner's case. Meanwhile, State counsel KK Venugopal argued that "if the matter would have been placed before the committee, then the committee would have said that 'this is not a transfer, so why should it be placed before us'," stating that it was a "highly artificial argument" (by Verma) to say that this was a transfer. Meanwhile, senior advocate Dushyant Dave submitted his rejoinder on behalf of Common Cause. Dave cited the Supreme Court order whereby the court had quashed the Kerala Government's order removing DGP TP Senkumar before the expiration of his fixed tenure. "If you have any grievance, rush to the committee. There was no exigency. The government waited for more than two years and acted overnight to prevent something," he remarked. He then mentioned how the CVC has adopted two standards for the two side-stepped CBI top officers. He said that the Section 4B of the DSPE Act overrides all other rules pertaining to service rules of CBI director. CVC cannot have two different approaches to the same issue as the CVC Act doesn't give it the power to override the CBI director. "The CVC rubbished the allegations against Asthana at the time of his appointment and said they can't be acted upon unless proved. But in the case of Verma, they acted promptly, without waiting for allegations to be proved," Dave noted in the court. In Wednesdays hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had commenced his arguments on behalf of the CVC while senior Counsel Dave, Fali Nariman, Kapil Sibal and Rajeev Dhavan had argued against the governments decision to send Verma on leave. Venugopal had also argued to defend the States decision to send Verma on leave in front of a three-judge bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice KM Joseph. However, on Thursday after Mehta resumed his submissions in the case, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi asked the Centre's counsel that what was the difficulty in consulting the Selection Committee and what prompted the overnight decision to send Verma and CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana on leave after their feud came out in public. Mehta asked in court that whether a person who is a member of the Indian Police Service (IPS) and eligible for being the director of the CBI, ceases to be outside the scope of All India Services Act. "Neither under the Police Act nor under the DSPE Act was a person eligible for being a CBI director conceived to be not governed by rules applicable to the police," Mehta mentioned. "A person continues to be part of IPS despite his or her induction into the CBI," he submitted. However, CJI Gogoi remarked that the idea of the two-year tenure for the CBI director was to "give them some permanence". Gogoi said that the argument by Verma is that any action which would divest him of his powers would need the approval of the Selection Committee. Mehta replied that in this case, an emergent action was necessary. "There are answers and I will provide them," he said in the top court. Here, Gogoi agreed that Verma, of course, continues to be a part of the IPS despite his current role with the CBI. Here, Mehta reiterated that Verma was not transferred but only sent on leave signifying the act to be a temporary arrangement in nature. "Transfer would mean change in place of employment from one place to another and it would be a permanent act," he stated. Gogoi quipped, "Your argument is conditions of service means conditions of service with respect to his retirement." "And transfer and posting," Mehta responded. "Suppose, an officer taking a bribe is caught on camera and needs to be suspended immediately, then that power is retained by the Central government," Mehta submitted. He then made submissions on the superintendence of CVC over CBI. While reading out Section 8 of the CVC Act, Mehta submitted: "Nobody is a sovereign within a sovereign. Situations may arise when Legislature has not provided for a situation. I (CVC) would have been guilty of dereliction of duty if I had not acted." However, reacting to his argument the CJI said, "Even if we are to accept your argument that the government action was necessary in view of an infight, why have you not approached the Selection Committee till date regarding the divestment of Verma's charges. You are saying that the situation was going on since last July. What prompted the overnight decision on 23 October? Why not wait for a few more months? What is the difficulty in consulting the Selection Committee." Pulling up the government for not approaching the committee before deciding to sendin Verma on leave, the CJI asked the government as to why it couldn't be "completely fair". "Better to consult the committee than not consult it at all," the CJI said. Thereafter, senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, stood up to argue for Asthana but the CJI asked him about the requirement of hearing Asthana in the matter. "We are only on the jurisdiction of Centre in divesting the charges of the CBI director", the CJI said. However, Rohatgi insisted on hearing for Asthana and argued that as per his assumption, the report of the CVC is adverse to Alok Verma and thus the central government has all the powers to take action. The suspension, departmental enquiry and dismissal still lie within the sole domain of the Centre, Rohatgi argued. Post this, Verma's counsel Fali S Nariman filed a rejoinder while submitting for the petitioner. Nariman said that in all circumstances the government must consult the Statutory Committee and laid stress on how a transfer, in this case, doesn't mean transfer in service jurisprudence as transfer doesn't only mean from one place to another,... it includes divesting of powers and functions. "The power of superintendent is a general power. Even if it is assumed that the CVC has it, it still overrides with the special provisions regarding the CBI director," Nariman noted. The CJI at this point asked Nariman if the court can appoint an acting director if exigency arises? "Yes. Supreme Court has all the powers," Nariman replied. The responsibility of the CBI director has been transferred to acting director. It is a transfer. The issue is about "continue to hold office", not continue to be on the post. Verma has been divested of charges. He has been replaced by Nageshwar Rao. This amounts to transfer," Nariman submitted. "There can't be an acting CJI, likewise, there can't be an acting CBI director", he remarked. In reference to Mehta's argument that Verma continues to be the CBI director, Nariman raised a strong objection saying, "The officer should have powers of a director. A tenure of two years does not mean that the director can have a visiting card with title, but without powers." Nariman also pointed out in the court that the CBI director registered a FIR against Asthana within his jurisdiction. "Registration of FIR against Asthana was the reason for the DoPT to divest Verma of his powers and functions," he said. Whereas, Additional Solicitor general (ASG) PS Narasimha, who appeared for the CBI, said: "Even if Section 4 (2) of the Act is not there, the Central government will retain the power except on three things - appointment, transfer and a minimum tenure of two years, citing the rules under the All India Services Act relating to posting of officers. "As per Rule 7, an officer may be transferred before the minimum prescribed tenure only on the recommendation of a committee; however it applies only to transfer simpliciter, Narasimha concluded. Thereafter, as the hearing resumed post lunch, senior advocate Rajeev Dhawan who is the counsel for transferred CBI officer AK Bassi addressed the court on the issue of autonomy of CBI in his capacity as the officer of the court. "The whole exercise has turned CBI upside down. No matter what you call it, effectively it is a removal," Dhawan said stating that the autonomy of CBI is at the core of the issue. "Action against Verma violates the principle of proportionality. Power has to be exercised with least possible invasion," he submitted. Representing Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, senior advocate Kapil Sibal began his rejoinder by saying that the CVC Act only deals with cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act. But CBI investigates many more cases like the Aarushi-Hemarj double murder case and cases of terrorism. Here Gogoi quipped to add, "And cases we direct." "The approval of the Selection Committee for transfer is a ring fence to protect the CBI Director from executive influence. Without this, the office will be in jeopardy. Otherwise, it will be like giving unbridled power to the Centre," Sibal said. "Section 4(2) of DSPE Act is not the repository of power to divest CBI Director of his powers," Sibal mentioned. After Sibal, Dave took over and read out the Supreme Court's judgment in the Vineet Narain case. The Parliament went beyond what the Supreme Court had suggested in the Vineet Narain case with regard to the composition of the selection committee and roped in the prime minister, the leader of Opposition and the CJI, Dave cited. Dave also cited the Supreme Court order whereby court had quashed the Kerala Government order removing DGP TP Senkumar before the expiration of his fixed tenure, whose judgement was authored by Justice Madan B Lokur. "My submission is that the government becomes functus officio after appointment under Section 4(B)," Dave told the court. Gogoi held that unlike the chief vigilance commissioner, and vigilance commissioners, the office of the CBI director hasn't been given any special protection except a fixed tenure and transfer with the consent of the appointment committee as the court reserved its orders on petitions of Alok Verma and Common Cause. In October, the Court had ordered that the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) inquiry initiated against Verma be completed within two weeks under the supervision of Justice (Retd.) AK Patnaik, to find out if there is a prima facie case made out against Verma. On 16 November, the Bench of CJI Gogoi and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph had directed that a copy of the CVC report be served on Alok Verma so that he can respond to it. Alok Verma submitted his response to the CVC report in a sealed cover on 19 November. With inputs from Bar and Bench, Live Law and the Leaflet Shikhar Agarwal, who is one of the accused in the Bulandshahr violence case, has released a video in which he is seen blaming slain Uttar Pradesh police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh for the alleged cow slaughter violence in the district. Shikhar Agarwal, who is one of the accused in the Bulandshahr violence case, has released a video in which he is seen blaming slain Uttar Pradesh police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh for the alleged cow slaughter violence in the district. The video surfaced as chief minister Yogi Adityanath met with Singh's family in Lucknow. Adityanath declared a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family. However, Singh's sister said, "We do not want money. The chief minister only keeps saying 'cow, cow, cow'." Agarwal, in the video, claims that it was Singh who created tension in the public over the dead cow carcasses after stopping Agarwal and his aides from taking them to the Chingrawathi police station to file an FIR over the alleged cow slaughter. In the video, Agarwal claims that Singh threatened to kill him and his aides and he later conveyed the same to ADG Avinash Chandra Maurya. He also says that Singh was present at the site of the incident throughout and was not called-in later, as the Uttar Pradesh Police has claimed. Follow the LIVE UPDATES in Subodh Kumar Singh's murder case here Agarwal has also accused Singh of being "corrupt" and "siding with the Muslim community" to perpetuate attack on cows (which he refers to as "mothers" in the video). On Wednesday, local Bajrang Dal activist Yogesh Raj, who is the suspected conspirator behind Monday's mob violence in Bulandshahr had also released a video statement claiming innocence. In the undated video doing rounds on social media, Yogesh claimed that the death of the police inspector and civilian and the protests in Bulandshahr were different incidents that occurred at different locations, and that he had no connection with the death of Singh, a Station House Officer of the Siyana Police Station, in any way. Both Agarwal and Shah are among those booked for inciting violence and resorting to vandalism in Bulandshahr on Monday allegedly over cow slaughter. They were named in an FIR lodged by the Uttar Pradesh Police against at least 80 people. However, so far, the police has arrested only four suspects in connection with the violence and murders. The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the violence in Bulandshahr and the circumstances that led to the clashes and also to identify the perpetrators and groups involved. The state government said it was also focusing on uncovering a possible "political conspiracy" behind leaving out animal carcasses in a state where the practice is banned and the slaughter of a cow remains a highly emotive issue. The violent clashes between the police and villagers of Mahaw ensued on Monday after an alleged case of illegal cow slaughter resulted in the death of the 47-year-old police inspector and a 21-year-old civilian. Telangana's caretaker chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) told the Assembly in March that the state's debts stood at Rs 1.42 trillion. The results of the Telangana Assembly election will be known on Tuesday, and exit polls have largely predicted that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will return to power. India's youngest state is under a huge burden of public debt. Telangana's caretaker chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) told the Assembly in March that the state's debt stood at Rs 1.42 trillion. The Opposition parties, however, claimed during the poll campaign that this was Rs 2.5 trillion. This, however, has not stopped the ruling party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) from making even grander poll promises than in 2014. For example, the government is spending Rs 130 billion a year on pensions alone but with all the main parties promising to hike the pension amount, it is estimated that the allocation will have to be doubled. The ruling party also assured that financial assistance to farmers as input subsidy under 'Rythu Bandhu' scheme will be increased from Rs 8,000 per acre per year to Rs 10,000. Perhaps the TRS is making such tall poll promises despite the climbing public debt because it is under fire from not just the Opposition but also from a section of the people for not fulfilling most of the promises made in 2014. KCR in 2014 had promised to transform Telangana into Bangaru Telangana (golden Telangana), the most farmer-friendly state in India. Agriculture provides a livelihood, as IndiaSpend had reported, to more than 55.5 percent of the states population. But four-and-a-half years since it won statehood, Telangana faces acute farm distress, with 2,190 farmers having committed suicide more than one every day according to data from the state governments police department. Telangana had the third-highest farmer suicides in the country after Maharashtra and Karnataka in 2015. Among other promises, Rythu Bandhu, a Rs 12,000 crore scheme, gives Rs 8,000 per acre (in two equal instalments) as input support to farmers. Rythu Bima, a life insurance scheme, provides compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the family on a farmers death, irrespective of the cause. But both these schemes can only be availed of by farmers who have land titles reflected in government records. A large category of farmers tenant farmers, women farmers without titles, Podu farmers who have been farming on forest lands for many years without titles, those farming on endowment lands as tenants and Scheduled Tribes who have not received titles under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) are excluded. A large section of farmers also say that the money offered is also inadequate. Livemint also reported that many farmers across Telangana were complaining that the farm loan waivers of up to Rs 1 lakh that was promised by TRS either never came or they did not benefit from it. Another major promise that remained unfulfilled was the issue of employment. While KCR had promised to create 1,00,000 jobs, according to a report titled Unemployment in India A statistical profile prepared by the Bombay Stock Exchange and Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Telangana had the third-highest level of unemployment among graduates in the country. KCR had also promised providing 2,00,000 double bedroom houses for the poor. "I have applied for a two-bedroom house to the state government four times, but nothing has come of it. Last election, I voted for Telangana, but I dont know this time," Livemint quoted B Nagaiah, a native of Ramachandragudem village in Nalgonda district, as saying. India Today had further reported that some of the other 2014 poll promises which KCR had not fulfilled included granting three acres to poor Dalit families, setting up 21 'super specialty' hospitals in the 21 new districts, and opening 100-bedded hospitals in each Assembly segment. Some other promises which remained largely on paper and had not been implemented included 12 percent reservation for Muslims, free education from kindergarten to post-graduation, rejuvenating the Musi river and cleaning the Hussainsagar lake in Hyderabad. Of course, it's not all grim. The Telangana government began supplying 24/7 free power to farmers since 1 January this year. This move had also been praised by eminent agriculture scientist MS Swaminathan. The TRS government's 'free saree distribution scheme' has boosted production since last one year, giving a fillip to the power loom industry in the Sircilla constituency. Overall, however, TRS clearly failed to fulfill many of its promises made in 2014. It remains to be seen how this will impact the Assembly election results. With inputs from agencies Bulandshahr: While on the surface, what occurred in Bulandshahr's Syana on 3 December seems straightforward enraged over purported cow slaughter, Hindu outfits engaged in violence and clashed with police ground reports suggest several knots need to be untangled before conclusions can be drawn. The clash between the police and those protesting the discovery of the alleged cow carcasses in Chingrawati village led to deaths of Uttar Pradesh Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and 21-year-old Sumit, from Syana. Both died of gunshot injuries. Syana Police registered two FIRs: one with regard to cow slaughter, in which seven accused have been named, and another regarding the mob violence, in which 27 youth and 50 to 60 unknown persons are included. According to the villagers in Chingrawati, the crowd which gathered on 3 December was made up of outsiders. Most were not from this area. We have always maintained good relations with the police, said Girija Kumar, a resident of Chingrawati. The carcass was found on the field of Raj Kumar, a former village pradhan. His wife Preeti said he saw the flesh some of it hanging and some of it on the ground on the morning of 3 December and immediately called the police. After the police arrived, officials told us to not to publicise (the finding). The villagers and police reached an agreement to bury it, she said. Preeti added that before the police could act, Bajrang Dal workers arrived. They argued with the police and wanted to publicise the incident. They then placed the flesh on a trolley and went to Chingrawati Police Station, she added. Kumar disappeared in the aftermath of the violence. His wife claimed around 20 policemen turned up at their home Tuesday night. "They smashed our car, broke our fridge and damaged several other items. They also threatened us, saying my husband has to surrender or else," Preeti said. Suspecting a conspiracy behind the incident, the Uttar Pradesh Police Wednesday said the carcass recovered in the fields of Chingrawati was at least two days old. However, Altaf Ansar, an inspector at Syana Police Station, said it cannot be confirmed yet if the flesh was two days old or not or even if was cows or buffalos. It has been sent to Forensic Sciences Laboratory in Mathura for analysis, he added. Police arrest minors Uttar Pradesh Police arrested four persons in connection with the cow slaughter case: Sajid, Sarfuddin, Banne and Asif and Sarfuddin. However, only Sarfuddin was named in the FIR lodged at the Syana Police Station on the complaint of Bajarang Dal district coordinator Yogesh Raj. Raj has been named as accused in the other FIR relating to mob violence in Syana. The FIR in the cow slaughter case mentions that Sudaif Chaudhary, Sajid, Parvez, Sarfuddin, Anas, Sharafat and Iliyas were slaughtering the cow, when Yogesh and his friends strolled into the nearby jungle on Tuesday morning. However, Tehsildar Rajkumar Bhaskar, the first administrative officer to reach the spot, said that "dead cow meat was hanging in a sugarcane field like clothes on a hanger", adding that looked like old meat. Bhaskar further said the news of cow carcass found in the field spread like wildfire and within no time, members of right-wing Hindu outfits started an agitation and loaded the carcass on a tractor trolley. The agitators took the tractor to Chingrawati Police Station and tried to block the Garh Mukhteshwar-Bulandshahr Highway. As police tried to disperse them, the protesters turned violent and torched several vehicles. Among the seven accused named in the cow slaughter FIR, two are children aged 11 and 12. Yaseen, a labourer who is differently-abled, the father of Sajid, said the police came looking for his son and nephew (Anas) to their Naya Bas home. We were asked to come to police station. I went there with my son and nephew and the officials were shocked to see they were children. We sat there for two to three hours before they told us to leave, said Yaseen. Sarfuddin said he was volunteering at Tableeghi Ijtema, the three-day Islamic event that went on in Bulandshahr between 1 and 3 December. Sarfuddins brother Mohammed Hussain said he is a committee member at Marqas Masjid in Syana. They told him to go and help organise the Istafa event. He left on 30 November and was there until 4 December, when he returned in the evening, Hussain said. On Thursday, Vishwa Hindu Parishads Sudarshan Chakra, who holds the post of Sangathan Prant Mantri, addressing a press conference in Bulandshahr, said the Hindu outfit stands with Yogesh. He also claimed incidents of cow slaughter are occurring under Yogi Adityanath's regime. The police failed to stop it and more than 240 cows have been slaughtered in the past six months in Bulandshahr, he alleged. Authors are freelance writers and members of 101Reporters.com Lynching is not merely an ordinary murder. Mob lynching, unlike murder, are done not to just attack the victim but to also send a broader social message that certain actions will be met with violent retribution. In the wake of the brutal murder of Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Bulandshahr, Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje said that lynching is like murder should be looked at like a crime. Raje, however, clarified that it ought not to be looked at as a special matter. This is where the chief minister's comments get problematic. Lynching is not merely an ordinary murder. Mob lynching, unlike murder, are done not to just attack the victim but to also send a broader social message that certain actions will be met with violent retribution. It is a form of vigilante justice that has no place in a civilised society. Lynching shocks the collective conscience of a society for they are not merely in violation of the law, they are done with stark impunity to the law as it stands. The Supreme Court in July released guidelines to the states on how to tackle the problem of mob lynching and also suggested that the Centre bring in a strict anti-lynching law. In its July judgment on mob violence and lynching the Supreme Court had this to say when it recommended that Parliament create a separate offence for lynching. It said, "We think it appropriate to recommend to the legislature, that is, the Parliament, to create a separate offence for lynching and provide adequate punishment for the same. We have said so as a special law in this field would instil a sense of fear for law amongst the people who involve themselves in such kinds of activities. There can be no trace of doubt that fear of law and veneration for the command of law constitute the foundation of a civilized society." But how would such a law work in practice? After offences against the State, murder, under India's Penal Code, is the most heinous crime which may result in the death penalty. Therefore, even if participants of mob violence are charged with murder instead of under an anti-lynching law, they will be looking at pretty much the same penalty. What special laws can do, however, is change the way an anti-lynching provision can be administered. The laws can provide for preventive detention, preventive externment and can also criminalise acts that are associated with lynching such as the spreading of false rumours and the stoking of communal passions. A classic example would be the SC/ST Atrocities Act which creates several classes of offences. In practice many of those offences also find root in the Indian Penal Code which is quite comprehensive when it comes to dealing with crime. However, the procedures under the Atrocities Act make the law far more stringent and create a deterrent effect. While it may be easy for the chief minister to brush of acts of lynching as only being acts amounting to murder, the Supreme Court and common sense tell us otherwise. A police station inspector in Nagpur's Sadar, SS Bonde, said a complaint had been received from a woman constable against ACB Superintendent of Police PR Patil. Nagpur: A woman police personnel Tuesday filed a molestation case against a senior Anti-Corruption Bureau official in Nagpur, police said. Sadar police station inspector SS Bonde said a complaint had been received from a woman constable against ACB Superintendent of Police PR Patil. A case had been registered under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC, he said. Bonde, however, refused to divulge further details of the complaint. Patil could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts. The family of Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was murdered by a mob in a case of alleged cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, met with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his residence on Thursday. The family of Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was murdered by a violent mob in a case of alleged cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr district, met with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his residence on Thursday. On Tuesday, Adityanath declared a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family. However, Singh's sister said, "We do not want money. The chief minister only keeps saying 'cow, cow, cow'." #Lucknow: Family of Inspector Subodh Singh met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and UP DGP OP Singh at CM residence. #BulandshahrViolence pic.twitter.com/orQCqVAsUn ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 6, 2018 Speaking to the media after the meeting concluded, Uttar Pradesh DGP OP Singh said that Adityanath has assured Singh's family that justice will be done. "A high level probe has also been ordered," the top cop told the media. Even as the family was promised justice, it is important to note that the prime accused in the case, who are linked to right wing groups, are still at large and busy releasing video statements claiming their innocence. One of the accused Yogesh Raj released his video on Wednesday, while Shikhar Agarwal released his video on Thursday. The DGP's press conference did not mention the efforts undertaken by the state government to apprehend the accused neither did he discuss how far the investigation has progressed. The SHO's family had alleged that Singh was killed because he worked on the Dadri case. Singh's wife said, "He worked with utter honesty and took all the responsibility on himself. This is not the first incident, he had bullet injuries twice before. But now nobody is giving him justice." Shrey Pratap Singh, son of Police inspector Subodh Singh: We met the Chief Minister and he has assured us that we will get justice #BulandshahrViolence pic.twitter.com/ezL2MBqTAy ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 6, 2018 On Monday, Singh was shot dead by a mob which turned violent over an alleged case of cow slaughter near Chingrawati village, under the Siana police station limits. Singh was the station house officer (SHO) at the Siana police station. The mob, which was comprised of members of various Hindu groups and locals, brought an animal's remains to the police station and demanded action against the culprits. They also raised slogans against the police administration and blocked the Bulandshahr-Garh highway. Singh was associated with the Dadri lynching case from 28 September, 2015 to 9 November, 2015. According to reports, he was instrumental in the arrest of the accused, but was later transferred to Varanasi and the chargesheet of the case was filed by another officer. The incident has caused an uproar, with several politicians and sections of the media condemning chief minister and demanding action against the perpetrators of the crime. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday evening is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the backdrop of cow-related violence in Bulandshahr on 3 December. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday evening is slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the backdrop of cow-related violence in Bulandshahr on 3 December. Two people, including policeman Subodh Kumar Singh, were killed in the violence. The chief minister has faced flak from Opposition parties for attending a laser show in Gorakhpur when the violence broke out in Bulandshahr on Monday. The Opposition said such incidents are part of attempts to incite communal unrest in the society ahead of polls. Three days after the incident, the prime accused in the case, who are linked to right-wing groups, are still at large and have been releasing video statements claiming their innocence. One of the accused Yogesh Raj released his video on Wednesday, while Shikhar Agarwal released his video on Thursday. Adityanath announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for the family of Singh, but the family does not appear to have been assuaged. Singh's sister was quoted as saying, "We do not want money. The chief minister only keeps saying 'cow, cow, cow'." The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a Special Investigation Team to look into the violence in Bulandshahr and the circumstances that led to the clashes and also to identify the perpetrators and groups involved. The state government said it was also focusing on uncovering a possible "political conspiracy" behind leaving out animal carcasses in a state where the practice is banned and the slaughter of a cow remains a highly emotive issue. With inputs from PTI Praveen Jain meets me in the corridor of the Press Club in Delhi. It is a place overrun by bearded, grey-haired men, ripe with opinion and experience. A young face, it seems, would naturally assume the shape of a question mark here. Having just arrived after appearing for an interview with a television channel, Jain appears relaxed, as if he has found home footing. Twenty-six years ago, though he was in unreliable, unpredictable territory. I reached Ayodhya on the morning of the 4 December. My editor Vinod Mehta wanted me to get as close as possible to what was happening. We covered the press conferences in the evening that day. But even then, most reporters on the ground thought it was a political gimmick, a stunt to draw attention and nothing more. I knew they were serious, he says. On the morning of the 6 December, two days after Jain, then working for the Pioneer newspaper, had stepped on the soil in Ayodhya, the Babri Masjid was demolished and perhaps with it the idea of a secular India. On the eve of the demolition the kar sevaks organised a rehearsal. Men with tools like hammers, bars etc had gathered. If you look at some of my photographs, there are masked men orchestrating the training. Clearly, there were engineering or technical brains involved in the process. Not just an assault of manpower, but a well-planned, mapped process that says a lot about the planning involved in it. The masjid could not have been brought down without technical supervision, Jain says. Only a couple of photographers, Jain says, were allowed to view the rehearsal up close. He himself was accorded access courtesy a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader. Up until a point, it all seemed a carefully staged spectacle of propaganda until it got real. Jain remembers how he and most of his peers suddenly became the focus of everyones attention. When the kar sevaks got out of hand, the first people they tried to attack were the journalists present, especially photographers. We ran, literally ran to save our lives. It was clear they did not want any evidence to survive. The feeling that I had had when I arrived in Ayodhya had come true. Though nobody had believed me at first, he says. Of the collusion of the local police Jain says They were themselves chanting slogans in the name of Ram. Nobody would have helped us. We would have further endangered ourselves had we gone to the local police. In one of Jains photos, a policeman stands alongside kar sevaks armed with hammers and iron bars, his hand raised, unreservedly in support. A day after he escaped Ayodhya unharmed, Jain returned, this time in a guise. I wore the saffron band and pretended to be a member of the VHP when I returned on 7 December. I went to the roof of a house opposite the masjid and saw it had been flattened. The dome had come down. Only a technical drill could have brought the huge dome to its knees. It was a humbling sight," he recounts. In the years since the demolition, a number of cases at various courts have sought photojournalists present on the ground on the 6 of December to depose. While some have receded into oblivion, others have chosen to stay away from the potentially poisonous corners of this political bout. Some, like the Express photographer who accompanied Jain on the tour, have even passed away. There is neither hope, nor the will, Jain says, for a resolution. The whole point of Ayodhya is to keep it alive. In the three decades since, half the people who were either witness or could have deposed have passed away. Soon the rest, including the culprits will as well, he says. Jain, who has appeared in court a number of times, and not just for the Ayodhya case, is unhesitatingly vocal about the corruption in the system. Perhaps the other photographers dont speak because there is a lot of harassment in these cases. It has been done to me on so many occasions. The defence lawyers ask inane questions like where is the proof that I ever travelled to the site, or they discredit my very presence in the place or the fact that I was ever even a photojournalist. All of that despite the fact that I have these photographs with me. After a point it gets to you, the pressure, even the humiliation, he says. Is there hope for a resolution or some culprits to be brought to justice? Smiling, Jain says, As long as there is political mileage in the issue, the rocks in Ayodhya will be carved and given the shape of something meaningful, promising. On the ground, nobody, including the Hindu priests, believes that anything is ever going to happen, inside the courts, or outside it. Does it worry Jain to speak so freely yet remain unshaken by the prospect of unknown forces converging on him? Jo karna hoga karenge. Kya kar sakte hain, he says, with a smirk that underlines the existential crisis that is now the regular taste of Delhis air. All photos courtesy @ Praveen Jain Aljo Joseph has now become a part of the history of the Youth Congress, but not before creating history of sorts for the Indian National Congress. Aljo Joseph has now become a part of the history of the Youth Congress, but not before creating history of sorts for the Indian National Congress. His decision to appear as counsel to the middleman accused in the VVIP AgustaWestland chopper scam, Christian Michel, may have been taken in a personal capacity, but the fact that till Wednesday evening, he was heading the legal cell of the Youth Congress which till recently functioned under the direct command of Rahul Gandhi eventually ended up handing bags full of ammunition to the BJP to launch a blistering attack on the Congress leadership. It does not matter that in a damage control exercise, the Congress promptly expelled Joseph from the party, and it does not matter that the lawyer-politician Joseph clarified that he distinguished between political and professional matters, and appearing for Michel was a professional matter for him. The fact remains that public perception around the issue had already been built. In the age of hyperactive social media, digital media and 24x7 broadcast media, news travels fast and a public debate is instantaneously unleashed. Joseph claimed that he got "the brief" from one of his contacts in Dubai. By doing so, he further exposed the vulnerability of the Congress leadership, the Gandhi family and leaders close to it. The way this case has progressed since the time a possible bribery revelation was made an Italian court passing judgments, a panicked reaction by the then UPA government in 2013 and early 2014 and a Dubai court ordering the extradition of Cristian Michel, resulting in his arrival in New Delhi and a city court sentencing him to five days of CBI custody for interrogation has established that prima facie there was a bribery case. The bribe-giver is now known, the names of bribe-takers have to be established by investigative agencies and proven in the court of law. The case has similarities with the Bofors case, in which although nothing was proved in a court of law against the Gandhi family, public perception around the family's close links with payoffs remains alive. Consider the following: In March 2013, the then defence minister AK Antony had admitted that bribes were paid to swing the VVIP helicopter deal in favour of AgustaWestland. The CBI was asked to investigate the case. By the end of the year, an under-pressure UPA government cancelled the Rs 3,600-crore deal to supply 12 helicopters. Former Air Force chief SP Tyagi was one of the accused. The key question remained unanswered: Was Tyagi able to swing the deal in favour of AgustaWestland on his own or he was acting at the behest of or in collusion with someone at the top of the UPA's political leadership? Diary entries showed money transferred besides the money paid to bureaucracy and Tyagis to one "AP" and also to the "Family". So far nobody has any idea about whether "Family" meant the Gandhi family and whether "AP" meant Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel. These entries could mean any family and anyone with the initials AP, but the suspicion (as in the Bofors case) that top Congress leaders may have had a role to play, has been damaging for the party. The 225-page judgment delivered by the Milan Court of Appeal in April 2016, in which Sonia was referred to as a "main driving force" was highly embarrassing for the Congress. The court had overturned the lower court's order and sentenced Finmeccanicas former chief Giuseppe Orsi to four-and-a-half years in jail and former CEO of Finmeccanica's helicopter subsidiary AgustaWestland Bruno Spagnolini to four years for false accounting and corruption in the Rs 3,600-crore-plus deal to sell 12 VVIP choppers to India. Securing the extradition of a British national from a third country, the UAE, is indeed a big achievement for the Narendra Modi government. It was reflective of the resolve and political will of the government to bring him to India. The government pitched it successfully on multiple fronts with the official establishment in Dubai, legal, political and diplomatic. The prime accused in the Bofors case, Ottavio Quattrocchi, could never be brought to India and so, the Michel extradition sets a new benchmark. The political sensitivities in the case, for Congress and the BJP, albeit for different reasons are very high. Under the circumstances, Joseph's appearance in a court to defend Michel was laden with varied implications. The BJP couldn't let go the opportunity to link Jospeh, Michel and the Congress' first family. The BJP argument may have lacked merit, but it was sustainable political rhetoric. The fact that the Congress leadership promptly swung in action, expelling Jospeh is indicative of the tension and panic in the main Opposition party's ranks. Joseph appears not to have learnt any lessons from Kapil Sibal whose appearance in the Supreme Court in December 2017 for a Muslim group to argue that the court should not hurry in hearing the Ramjanambhoomi site dispute case and that the hearing be postponed till July 2019 (after the Lok Sabha election and formation of next government) continues to embarrass the Congress. Sibal has since distanced himself from the Ram temple case, but Joseph has yet to express any such decision vis-a-vis the Michel case. Expelled Congress leader Aljo Joseph is not the first lawyer linked to the Congress to have embarrassed the party by advocating controversial clients like AgustaWestland middleman Christen Michel and embracing complicated issues A few days ago, Congress president Rahul Gandhi complained to voters in Rajasthan that the "Kumbhakarna Lift Scheme" sanctioned by the Congress government was stalled by Vasundhara Raje. The malapropism he meant former minister Kumbharam Arya was perhaps a Freudian slip. For, like Kumbhakarna who slept for six months, the Congress partys collective brain appears to be in deep slumber. Take the curious case of Christian Michel and his attorney Aljo Joseph as the latest example of the partys brain freeze. First, in the middle of an important round of elections, Joseph, a youth Congress office-bearer, appeared as a lawyer for the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland deal case. Then, embarrassed by the self-goal, the Congress terminated Josephs primary membership of the party. Every person who understands Indian politics knows Michels importance, especially in an election year. In notes purportedly written by him, Michel has allegedly named UPA politicians whom he bribed to clinch the chopper deal as a middleman. Since he was extradited by the Indian government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been promising that Michel is a raazdar (confidante) who will sing against the naamdars (the Gandhi family). A Congress office-bearer representing a middleman accused of paying bribes to the Congress top brass is nothing short of political hara-kiri. Even a layperson would have known that given Michel's controversial background, considering the current political milieu and the reputations at stake, it would be imprudent to have the Congress linked to the middleman in any way. So, what was Joseph thinking before signing up as Michels lawyer? For a moment, let us buy Josephs argument that he appeared for Michel in his personal capacity, not as a representative of the Congress. In that case, how does the Congress find such political dimwits to occupy offices of importance in the party? How does a person unaware of the ramifications of being seen in a middlemans corner for his alma mater get to head the legal cell of Congress's youth wing? The entire episode puts a question mark over the political acumen of the lawyer and his patrons in the Congress. If its critics are now insinuating that Joseph was sent to Michels rescue less as a lawyer and more as a "messenger", it has only itself to blame. This is not the first time lawyers linked to the Congress have embarrassed the party by advocating controversial clients and embracing complicated issues. A year ago, Kapil Sibal shot the party in the foot when he argued that hearing on the Ayodhya dispute should be deferred till the next Lok Sabha election. He proffered this argument bang in the middle of the Gujarat Assembly election, giving the BJP an opportunity to raise the Ram Mandir controversy during the polls, and forcing the Congress to dissociate itself from his statement. Before that, Sibal had embarrassed the party by opposing the proposed ban on triple talaq with some outrageous arguments. Prior to that, the former Union minister had represented the Trinamool Congress in the Saradha scam while his party chief was trying to stitch an alliance with Left parties in West Bengal. Not just that, Congress leaders had defended Asaram Bapu and Anurag Thakur, making the party squirm. The point is: The Congress just cant stop its legal luminaries from embarrassing the party. They keep taking legal positions that hurt the partys political interest. But, for some reason, like Kumbhakarna, the Congress continues to be in slumber over the impact of this duplicitous behaviour where its lawyers run with the Michels and hunt with the Thakurs and the Asarams. Joseph has been sacked from the party. The Congress said it was not consulted by Joseph before he decided to represent Michel. Joseph has also argued that he signed up as Michels lawyer on a professional capacity, and not as a politician. His role had nothing to do with his party or political leanings. But the damage has already been done. With the ammo handed over to it on a platter, the BJP will launch a relentless attack on the Congress and the Gandhis on the eve of polling in Rajasthan and Telangana. Josephs ouster from the Congress, of course, smacks of double standards. While many before him have gotten away with the argument that their professional life is different from politics, the young lawyer has been mercilessly booted out. This could have happened only because of two reasons. One, Joseph is a political nobody and is thus expendable. Two, when the fire threatens to singe the Gandhis, the Congress acts in a tearing hurry. Perhaps, the Kumbhakarna in the party stirs into action only when the dynasty is under attack. Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan alleged it was because of the BJP-Shiv Sena government's 'wrong policies' that the farmers in Maharashtra are suffering and the agrarian crisis had deepened. Mumbai: The BJP is a "cancer" India has developed and the party will "destroy" the country unless it is rooted out in the 2019 general polls, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said on Wednesday. He alleged it was because of the BJP-Shiv Sena government's "wrong policies" that the farmers in Maharashtra are suffering and the agrarian crisis had deepened. The Lok Sabha MP from Nanded also hit out at the Shiv Sena, saying it has been "helpless for power" and charged the party with politicising the Ram temple issue for it has no performance to show to seek votes. The former chief minister also termed Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's recent Ayodhya visit as a "publicity stunt". "The BJP is a cancer the country has contracted. The country will be destroyed if this cancer is not rooted out in the upcoming (general) polls," Chavan said at a rally in Morshi, Amravati district. The rally was organised as part of the fourth leg of the 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' the Congress has taken out in the Vidarbha region. Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Ashish Dua, ex-state minister Naseem Khan and others took part in the rally. Attacking the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation in the state, Chavan said it has been over a year since the government announced a farm loan waiver, but farmers have not yet benefited from it. He said the drought-like situation in the state has turned grave and that the government has "not started taking steps to combat it". Claiming farmers are committing suicides daily in Maharashtra, Chavan alleged the BJP chief minister had failed in governing the state. "The BJP is trying to win elections using money...but the people will show the BJP its place defeating it in the elections," he said. Speaking on the occasion, Prithviraj Chavan alleged the country's economy was in peril under the BJP's watch. "The decision of demonetisation has ruined industries and caused rise in unemployment. Since the government lacks financial, they are increasing taxes to loot the people," he said. The opposition party has covered parts of Western Maharashtra, Marathwada and North Maharashtra regions in the previous three rounds of the yatra. Politics is never short of outrageous comments by leaders. For Telangana, BJP's T Raja Singh, contesting from Goshamahal constituency, fulfilled this role. Theres less than a day to go for the Telangana Assembly elections, and it would suffice to say that its been a whirlwind of a journey of alliances coming together, campaigning, a slew of accusations and a whole lot of poll promises. Amid all the chaos, there were a few of what one could call lighter moments, and some bizzare aspects. Lets start with a mix of the two descriptions. Politics is never short of outrageous comments by leaders. For Telangana, BJP's T Raja Singh, contesting from Goshamahal constituency, fulfilled this role. Known to make controversial remarks, Singh, this time, took aim at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisis brother Akbaruddin. While speaking to India Today, Singh challenged the Chandrayangutta MLA to a street fight and said he would not stop fighting him till his severed head is under his foot". Before this, the BJP leader made it to the news when he said incidents of lynching will continue in India unless cow gets status of 'rashtra mata' and a law is introduced against the animals slaughter. He had also once sparked controversy by saying illegal Bangladeshis in Assam must be shot if they refuse to leave. Another surprising moment in the run-up to the Telangana elections was when revolutionary poet and balladeer Gaddar shared the stage with Congress president Rahul Gandhi and also held Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu in a bear hug in Khammam on 28 November. This raised eyebrows as Gaddar has been known to strongly oppose Naidus strategy against Naxals. It may have been surprising when Hindutva hardliner and Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath was announced as one of the BJPs star campaigners for Telangana, given his limited clout in the region, but it wasnt surprising in the slightest but was rather greatly amusing when he announced a plan to rename yet another city this time, Hyderabad. On the heels of his renaming spree in his own state, Adityanath, during election rallies in Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts, announced that the BJP will rename Karimnagar "Karipuram" and Hyderabad Bhagyanagar if voted to power. What prompted him to believe that voters want these rechristenings, only the yogi knows. Superstition is not new to India. And such beliefs do tend to make themselves known even more in times of stress. The Telangana elections is one such time for candidates when they are resorting to practices they believe will help them secure a victory. Caretaker chief minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao visited a small temple in a remote village in Siddipet district before filing his nomination papers. He has been following this practice since 1985, when he visited the temple before filing his nominations then and ultimately won a great majority. Similarly, senior Congress leader and Suryapet seat candidate Ramreddy Damodar Reddy is believed to always carry a leather bag while filing his nomination papers, something he, too, has been doing since 1985 as believes the bag brings him good luck. Like KCR and Ramreddy, caretaker Telangana minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy places his faith in an Ambassador, his favourite to ride in while heading to file nomination papers. Regardless of who says what, who fights whom, who believes in what and who suddenly has a change of heart about someone they despised, the outcome of the Telangana votes lies in the hands of the voters alone. Well know on 11 December. The Congress-JDS coalition in Karnataka on Wednesday announced that the HD Kumaraswamy cabinet would be expanded on 22 December. The decision was taken by the coordination committee of the coalition that met under the chairmanship of former chief minister Siddaramaiah. Bengaluru: Ending the suspense, the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka on Wednesday announced that the HD Kumaraswamy cabinet would be expanded on 22 December. The decision was taken by the coordination committee of the coalition that met under the chairmanship of former chief minister Siddaramaiah. Congress president Rahul Gandhi and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda were consulted before deciding the date, Siddaramiah told reporters here after the over two-hour-long meeting of the committee. Six members from the Congress and two from JD(S) would be inducted, he said adding it was also decided to appoint MLAs as heads of corporations and boards on the same day. There has been growing clamour among the MLAs, especially those from the Congress, for expansion of the cabinet at the earliest, with a few openly expressing their discontent over the delay. This will be the second expansion of Kumaraswamy's ministry, who currently heads the 26-member cabinet. After the first expansion in June, discontent among the Congress ministerial aspirants surfaced, giving birth pangs to the coalition ministry formed in a post-poll pact after the May assembly elections threw up a hung verdict. The cabinet was expected to be expanded in October itself but had been put off. Siddaramaiah said the plan was to expand the cabinet on 9 December, but as the legislature session commences on 10 December in the northern district of Belagavi, the date had been deferred. It would be expanded a day after the conclusion of the session on 21 December. The former chief minister, who is also the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) said the coordination the committee also decided to appoint a few MLAs from both partner parties as Parliamentary Secretaries to Ministers. Under the agreement reached during the formation of the coalition in May last, the chairmanship of 20 boards and corporations will go to Congress and 10 to JD(S). Chief Minister Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali were the others who attended the coordination committee meeting. Siddaramaiah said measures for the smooth functioning of the government and the speedy resolution of issues raised by MLAs concerning developmental work in their respective constituencies were also discussed at the meeting. A few MLAs, especially those from the Congress, have reportedly conveyed their unhappiness to the party leadership about the functioning of the government against a few JD(S) Ministers, including Kumaraswamys brother and PWD Minister HD Revanna. Rubbishing reports about disgruntled MLAs under the leadership of Satish Jarkiholi of Congress planning to join hands with the BJP, Siddarmaiah pointed to Jarkiholi himself denying them. None of the Congress MLAs will leave the party, and such information was only a speculation in the media, he said. Congress and JD(S) parties are totally intact, BJP is only daydreaming about success through operation lotus, but they will not succeed, it is not possible, their dream will remain a dream, he said. The coalition government was stable and would remain so for its full tenure, Siddaramaiah said as he predicted BJPs defeat in the assembly elections in the five states. Echoing Siddaramaiah's statement, JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali said the coalition government would last its full five-year terms. He also termed reports about trouble in the coalition in sections of media as BJP sponsored. 'The postal ballots found at Home Guards office should have been delivered to service voters, who are posted outside. It appears that they had not been given to the jawans. This should be investigated,' MP Congress Election Affairs Wing in-charge JP Dhanopia said. Bhopal: The Congress on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission, seeking a probe into the blank postal ballots found unclaimed at the state police's Home Guard office. The poll watchdog, meanwhile, said action has been initiated against three Home Guard personnel for "dereliction of duty" in this connection. "We have complained to the EC about Tuesday's incident in which unclaimed ballot papers were found in the Home Guard office near the State Police Headquarters. We have also complained about the lack of security of EVMs kept in the strongrooms across the state," MP Congress Election Affairs Wing in-charge JP Dhanopia said. He added that his party also requested the EC to provide details of the EVMs replaced during the polling. Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh were held on 28 November. The Congress has raised doubts over the security of EVMs, which contain the votes cast to elect a 230-member Assembly in the state. "The postal ballots found at Home Guards office should have been delivered to service voters, who are posted outside. It appears that they had not been given to the jawans. This should be investigated," Dhanopia said. Reacting to the incident, the poll commission's public relations officer said in a press release that the postman had delivered 124 postal ballots sealed in envelopes to an assistant sub inspector at the Home Guards office, instead of delivering them separately to the persons to whom these envelopes were addressed. But the officer and employees did not deliver them to the persons concerned. Three polled postal ballots were found there, it said. As per the EC release, following an investigation into the incident by the Director General of Police and Bhopal District Collector, action was initiated against an Assistant Sub Inspector, a constable and a sainik of Home Guard for dereliction of duty. These ballots are being distributed now, the release added. Meanwhile, Congress's media cell chairperson Shobha Oza held a press conference, where she displayed one of the purported blank ballot papers and alleged that the Home Guard officials distributed the ballot papers to the jawans only on Wednesday. She claimed that these postal ballots were dispatched by the EC on 29 November, a day after the polling. Oza alleged that the postal ballots were not distributed to the jawans of Home Guards on time so several of them may fail to exercise their franchise. Reacting to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's allegation that the Congress was raising a hue and cry over the EVMs out of fear, Oza said it was a matter of surprise that the BJP and the CM had no objection about the EVMs reaching 48 hours late to the strongrooms. Former chief minister and MNF chief Zoramthanga told PTI in an interview that his party and the BJP can never be allies in the hill state because of the saffron party's Hindutva politics. Aizawl: Mizo National Front, a constituent of the BJP-led NEDA, dismissed saffron party chief Amit Shah's remarks that the party will rule India for the next 50 years if it wins the 2019 general elections, saying he is not a God and the prediction is an exaggeration. The principal opposition party in Mizoram is, however, confident that the Congress or the UPA will not come to power at the Centre in the next year's general elections. Former chief minister and MNF chief Zoramthanga told PTI in an interview that his party and the BJP can never be allies in the hill state because of the saffron party's Hindutva politics. "I doubt. He (Shah) is not a God. He cannot predict that in politics. Even Modi cannot predict that. That is his wishful thinking. Nobody can predict that," he said, when asked about Shah's claim of BJP ruling for the next 50 years. The Congress is not coming to power again in 2019 at the Centre and nobody can predict how many decades it will take to form the next government, the veteran politician from the north-east said. "For decades, he (Shah) may predict that Congress will not come to power. But to predict for 50 years or 100 years, it is rather an exaggeration," Zoramthanga said. In September, Shah had said at the BJP's National Executive meet that the party will win the 2019 elections because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hard work and then no one can dethrone it for the next 50 years. Talking about the relations between the MNF and the BJP, the two-time chief minister said he was completely against the BJP as far as the ideology and other things are concerned. "Because we are Christians. They want to promote the Hindutva. We cannot be together as far as these things are concerned. We have a different ideology. "But as far as the country is concerned, the NDA is better than the UPA and that is why we joined them at the Centre. But ideologically, the MNF and the BJP are poles apart. The BJP knows it very well," he said. In the recently held Assembly elections in Mizoram, the MNF contested alone against the ruling Congress and the BJP. Both the Congress and the MNF contested in all the 40 constituencies, while the BJP fought in 39 seats. The Congress has been in power in Mizoram since 2008 and is eyeing a third consecutive term. In the 2013 elections, the Congress had won 34 seats, while the MNF got five and Mizoram People's Conference one. Mizoram went to polls on November 28 and counting of votes will be taken up on 11 December. The Telangana government has gained some goodwill among the unorganised sector by introducing the Aasara pension scheme, through which the state provides Rs 1,000 per month to toddy tappers and weavers, and financial assistance to beedi workers. Nizamabad: This section, made up of beedi workers, toddy tappers, weavers, construction labourers, daily wagers and domestic workers in both rural and urban areas, may just make or break the fortunes of the ruling TRS and Opposition Congress with elections set to take place in less than 24 hours. "Unorganised sector workers will play a huge role in the election as they comprise over 70 percent of the work force and around 80 percent of the state's voting population," says Sashwath Shankar, regional coordinator of the All India Unorganised Workers Congress (AIUWC). No surprises then that both parties have been focusing on the sector and are touting the schemes they have run to gain goodwill and votes. TRS bonanza The TRS government has gained some goodwill among the unorganised sector by introducing the Aasara pension scheme, through which the state provides Rs 1,000 per month to toddy tappers and weavers, and financial assistance to beedi workers. The Telangana government also provides aid to widows, single women, the physically challenged, HIV patients and Filaria patients under the project. With 4,08,618 beedi workers, 62,510 toddy tappers and 37,093 weavers, among others, covered under Aasara until October 2018, the total number of beneficiaries has reached 39,36,503. The Aasara scheme wasnt part of the ruling party's poll promises but was started later and is estimated to cost the state exchequer Rs 50 crore every month. Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced at a recent meeting that the pension amount would be increased if his party is voted to power again. "Has anyone considered the problems of the beedi workers? They lived their lives without any support. No one has given Rs 1,000 as pension and we have done that," the chief minister told the public at a meeting in Nizamabad, a district that has the maximum beneficiaries under the scheme 96,557 beedi workers, for instance who are quite happy with the dole. "Earlier, it was difficult for us to earn a living with the beedi-rolling work as we were getting less income and no support from the government. But now I get a pension of Rs 1,000 per month which helps meet my daily needs," says Fatima, from the state's Bodhan district, rolling beedis in her house, adding, "After the TRS introduced the pension, other parties are promising it as well, but we support KCR as he has promised to double the pension this time." Congress largesse Like the TRS, the Congress has also sets its sights on the unorganised sector. While pushing its own dole, the party is busy finding loopholes in the TRS scheme, pointing out that Aasara pension is not reaching all of the unorganised workers. "While giving the pension to beedi workers, they have put forth the condition that only those who had a Provident Fund number on or before 28 February, 2014 are eligible for the money. So new PF-holders are not getting any pension," alleges B Ganga Shankar, Congress MP from Bodhan constituency in Nizamabad, who has promised "to provide pension to all-PF" and that the amount will be increased to Rs 2,000. The state Congress has also started its own project workshops for labourers and farmers to educate them on their rights. The initiative is part of the AIUWC, started by party chief Rahul Gandhi to bring all unorganised workers under one umbrella so that their problems get articulated through the partys platform. "We have reached slums and villages, conducted workshops to educate the workers about labour laws and assist them with legal issues. Through the Street Vendors Act and Construction Workers Act, the Congress is reaching out to the marginalised sections. No other party has such a team for informal workers and people are happy there is someone to stand by them," says Shankar. While Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that the TRS government was late in clearing payments to workers under the MGNREGA, other party leaders alleged that KCR had neglected many sections of the unorganised workforce. "For the Bathukamma festival, he distributed around 50 lakh sarees. While weavers in Telangana are struggling with meagre incomes and a lack of work, KCR procured the sarees from Gujarats Surat instead of providing work to weavers in his own state," Shankar says. For the unorganised sector, the Congress manifesto promises largesse such as increased wages for beedi workers and health insurance of Rs five lakh for labourers. The party plans to recognise mechanical labourers in the unorganised sector and extend to them the benefits being given to construction labourers. Minimum wages have been assured for mechanics, establishment of a Transport Workers Welfare Board, and protection of rights of workers employed in commercial institutions, corporate houses and shops as per the labour laws. Vote bank's discontentment Not all of the informal sector workers are happy, despite the aggressive wooing by both parties. Many remain pessimistic about their future. "No party will make a difference in my life. I have to sell vegetables the whole day on this street to earn a living and take care of my family. I dont have time to be bothered about these political parties," says G Jaheel, a street vendor in the Goshmahal constituency. On KCR's Aasara scheme, manual labourer T Kondalu, digging a pipeline in front of a hotel in Bodhan town, weighs in: "We don't get work on every day of the year, so we have to stay idle. We don't get any pension or support from the government like beedi workers and weavers do. All we get is a call from KCR asking whether we are getting our pension." Latha, a beedi worker, agrees. While cutting beedi leaves along with a group of women outside her house in Bodhan, she says, "I have been rolling beedis for a long time, but I dont get pension like my neighbours do, despite having all the necessary documents." One toddy tapper from the constituency seemed self-sufficient, though. While the state gives pension to those aged 50, he insists, "I do not get pension as the government gives the money only to those who are above 55 years of age," and adds, "We have formed a group and have bought land to tap, prepare and sell toddy. I make a good living without any support from the Telangana government." The author is a freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters Among the default casualties of the internet shutdown are cab aggregators, food-delivery platforms and other local e-commerce and mobile-based firms. Jaipur: Rajasthan a state often associated with valour and pride was hit by a series of violent clashes and protests, especially with internet shutdowns affecting the bottom line of online ventures, during Chief Minister Vasundhara Rajes tenure. According to the Bureau of Police Research and Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, the Congress-led Rajasthan witnessed about 7,820 cases of agitation between 2009 and 2012. This number shot up to 13,824 between 2013 and 2016. (Follow live updates on Rajasthan Assembly Election here). National Crime Records Bureau statistics show that in 2014, 2015, and 2016, Rajasthan was the state with the highest number of cases of unlawful assembly under Sections 143, 144, and 145 of the Indian Penal Code. More than 11,700 such incidents were reported between 2014-16. The numbers are expected to swell further for the 2017-2018 period, which saw the Dalit-SC/STs protests, Padmaavat protests and farmers agitation. Political analysts say Chief Minister Vasundhara Rajes inaccessibility and her inability to move things are a major cause of distress. In a democracy, whoever is in power needs to provide the basic opportunity of hearing. When the doors are shut all the time, then people will come out, protest, and organise bandhs, said Narayan Bareth, a Jaipur-based senior journalist and political analyst. He cited the death of former MLA Gurusharan Chabra, who died while fasting for the prohibition of liquor even as the state refused to heed him. He further pointed out that even during farmers massive protest in Sikar, the government waited for more than 10 days to invite them for a dialogue. He said this approach of the government is not a good example of democracy. According to a recent report on digital blackouts, published by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, Rajasthan stands second in imposing the highest number of internet shutdowns in the country, following strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir. The total number of ordered internet shutdowns in Rajasthan during 2016 and 2017 cost the state $89.92 million, the report stated. It mentioned how internet shutdown cost an online jewellery store half of its business and affected a Jaipur-based e-tailer of apparels in multiple ways. Not only did the shutdown cut this company off from prospective customers but also threw a spanner in its communication with designers and delivery team. The report explained how small businesses have come to heavily rely on WhatsApp for coordination and how unplugging this lifeline affects them. Among the default casualties of the internet shutdown are cab aggregators, food-delivery platforms and other local e-commerce and mobile-based firms. An area sales manager of a food-delivery app who requested to identify neither him nor his company said they witness 8-15 percent loss in transaction volume every time there is an embargo on the internet. He said its usually on weekends when food delivery platforms get more business but it was mostly on Sundays that internet was suspended in Rajasthan this year. He said his firm must have lost about 15,000 orders on every weekend when internet was snapped. He called this a major blow to their bottom line. He added that many daily-wage employees rely on companies such as theirs for their bread and butter, earning about Rs 300-400 a day. He said every day of internet shutdown means their 2,000-strong delivery team remains unpaid. Rishabh Jain, co-founder of Qriyo, an app that helps students find home tutors, said the B2C business gets affected no matter what the government says. He underlined that right from enquiry, demand and supply, every step in their service delivery requires customers to use their mobile phone. He said every hour of internet shutdown costs them business. He said they have incurred 10-15% loss in the months the state saw the suspension of mobile internet. Gaurav Parashar, co-founder of online tutorial platform ExamBazaar, said if internet in Rajasthan is down, the state-based users of the website will be unable to access the information, thereby causing the company a loss of about 10 percent. Further, he said if they are unable to update their website, it erodes their brand value. Despite the 2017 Supreme Court directive, which allows internet shutdowns in case of public emergencies or matters of national security, the Rajasthan government resorted to a complete internet blockade even during government examinations to avoid leaking of question papers. You cannot bomb a city to catch a terrorist. There are other ways to spread rumours except for the internet. Though digital blackouts contain spreading of rumours, it also eliminates access to basic services like banking, electricity and power. Ultimately problems will be faced by end users, said Ajay Data, CEO of Data Infosys, a Jaipur-based IT company. Widespread impact Apart from the ban on the internet, violent agitations have also been taking a toll on the states economic output. The high-pitched protests against Bollywood movie Padmaavat, violence and vandalism by the Gurjars for quota in government jobs and higher education institutes, the bandh by Dalits that caused deaths and loss of property and farmers massive protest are just a few of the recent major demonstrations that have thrown life out of gear in Indias largest state. Often, arson accompanies these agitations. Vehicles are torched, railway tracks damaged, buildings pelted with stones and people killed. Shopkeepers in affected areas do not do business until normalcy returns, the involuntary day off affecting their balance sheet. Aslam Khan, manager of an apparel store in Jaipur, said their outlet doesnt function on the days of the bandh. He said this results in a loss of as much as 20 percent in a month, depending on the number of days the bandh is enforced. Anil Kumar, managing director of a Jaipur-based BPO, said his employees were attacked en route office during the Dalits protest in April. Commenting on the impact of such protests, Lakshminarayan Nathuramka, a senior economist from Rajasthan said, that all agitations are anti-growth. He said they cause huge economic losses and affect the construction industry and development-related work in particular. Nathuramka said that the Planning Commission was dissolved four years ago and that now there is no government authority at the central level to monitor the impact of bandhs and agitations. The author is a Jaipur - based freelance writer and a member of 101Reporters.com. Click here for live updates on Rajasthan Assembly Elections After a high-decibel campaigning, Rajasthan is all set to elect a new state Assembly, voting which will take place on Friday. As many as 2,274 candidates including 187 women are in the fray for 199 out of the 200 assembly constituencies in the state. After a high-decibel campaigning, Rajasthan is all set to elect a new state Assembly, voting which will take place on Friday. As many as 2,274 candidates including 187 women are in the fray for 199 out of the 200 assembly constituencies in the state. According to election officials, polling will take place from 8 am to 5 pm on 7 December in 199 constituencies. The election in Alwar district's Ramgarh constituency has been postponed due to the death of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Laxman Singh. According to the State Election Commission, there are 4,77,89,815 voters in the state among whom, 2,28,28,018 are female and 2,49,61,560 male voters. There are 1,16,944 service voters whereas 15 NRI electors and 222 third gender electors in the state. Counting will take place on 11 December for Rajasthan and four other states Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram, taking part in this round of Assembly elections. Elaborate security arrangements have also been made to ensure free and fair polls in the 51,965 polling stations in the state. According to sources, at least 650 companies have been called from outside. Additionally, 134 CRPF companies, 110 BSF companies, 103 CISF companies, 42 ITBP companies, 41 SSB companies and 45 companies of the RPF have been employed to maintain decorum during polling. Polls likely to bipolar between BJP, Congress Both the BJP and the Congress are locked in a tough fight in Rajasthan, which has not voted the same party to power for more than one term in the last 20 years. The contest is largely bipolar between the BJP and Congress in about 130 seats. A triangular contest may emerge in about 50 other seats, where rebel candidates from both the parties are in the fray, refusing to step down in favour of the official nominees. There are 830 independent candidates as well. The BJP is contesting on all seats while the Congress has left five seats for its allies. The BSP has fielded 190 candidates, the CPM 28 and the CPI 16. In the current House, the BJP has 160 seats and the Congress 25. Unemployment allowance, loan waiver among poll promises The BJP and the Congress, over the course of their campaigns in the state, sparred over corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's caste and Congress president Rahul Gandhi's dynasty'. The campaigning ended in Rajasthan on Wednesday and saw Modi and Rahul taking digs at each other over Bharat Mata ki Jai slogans. Modi addressed two rallies Wednesday, taking his total in the state to 12. BJP president Amit Shah said at a press conference in Jaipur on Wednesday that the party held 15 roadshows and 222 big meetings. Rahul Gandhi addressed nine public meetings. In the BJP-ruled state, electioneering brought up issues like farmers' problems, corruption, and jobs for the youth. Both parties promised an unemployment allowance to the educated youth. The BJP promised 50 lakh jobs in the private sector in the next five years in Rajasthan, whereas 30,000 jobs will be given in the government sector every year. The Congress promised a loan waiver for farmers. Key candidates Incumbent chief minister Vasundhara Raje is contesting from her Jhalrapatan constituency, facing BJP veteran Jaswant Singh's son Manvendra Singh who has defected to the Congress. She is the BJP's chief ministerial nominee. In Tonk, Sachin Pilot is up against Rajasthan transport minister and BJP candidate Yoonus Khan are in the contest. Khan is the only Muslim candidate fielded by the party. Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot is fighting for Sardarpura seat. Jat leader Hanuman Beniwal has become a concern for both the parties, after founding the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party and fielding 58 candidates. He is eyeing the Jat vote in Shekhawati and Marwar regions and has used a helicopter to address more than 15 election rallies. Other prominent candidates from Congress include famous Jat leader Rameshwar Lal Dudi who is contesting from Nokha, senior Congress leader and former state revenue minister Hemaram Choudhary from Gudha Malani, state vice-president Mahendra Jeet Singh Malviya from Bagidora, former state home minister Shanti Dhariwal from Kota. From BJP, also in the fray are state heavyweights like state rural development minister Rajendra Rathore from Churu, Jaipur mayor Ashok Parnami from Adarsh Nagar, state women and child welfare minister Anita Bhadel from Ajmer South, and state home minister Gulab Chand Kataria from Udaipur. Bahujan Samajwadi Party's 5-time MP and 2-time MLA, Lakshman Singh Chaudhary is contesting from Ramgarh. Bitter campaigning comes to an end During campaigning for the Rajasthan Assembly polls, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath and several other Union ministers campaigned in the state, which the Bharatiya Janata Party is fighting to retain. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje crisscrossed Rajasthan traveling by road and air and addressing at least five meetings a day during the 58-day Rajasthan Gaurav Yatra, which started in August. The Congress also fielded its state unit chief Sachin Pilot and former chief minister Ashok Gehlot in the campaign for the closely contested election. If the party wins, one of them could be the chief minister. Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati also campaigned in the state. The campaign season was filled with controversies. Former Union minister and Congress candidate for the Nathdwara seat CP Joshi triggered a row over a casteist remark against Modi. The prime minister was quick to raise the issue at his rallies, asking people, Will you vote on the basis of my caste? He insisted that development was the BJP's mantra. Modi repeatedly called Rahul Gandhi a naamdar (dynast), taking digs at the four generations of the Nehru-Gandhi family, claiming they neglected development. The surgical strike against Pakistan was also an election theme at BJP meetings, while the Congress often raised alleged corruption in the Rafale military aircraft deal. Modi, in turn, talked about rampant corruption during the Congress tenure. On the last day of electioneering, both Modi and BJP president Amit Shah highlighted the extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged mastermind in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, while campaigning against Congress. The 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' slogan became an issue after Gandhi said Modi should instead begin his rallies with salutations to industrialists. The Congress faced embarrassment over a video of Bikaner West candidate BD Kalla, who is purportedly seen stopping his supporters chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai', and then the party workers shout Sonia Gandhi ki Jai'. Click here to read more about the key candidates for the state polls Click here for more information on key regions that will impact the polls. With inputs from PTI As Rajasthan continues to be plagued by a devastating agrarian crisis, drinking water shortage, unemployment, and community divide, it remains to be seen who the state votes into power. As Rajasthan continues to be plagued by a devastating agrarian crisis, drinking water shortage, unemployment, and community divide, the poll results on 11 December, will finally show who the state has elected to power. All eyes are on the BJP and Congress ahead of the state's Assembly election results. Already, exit poll results for the Rajasthan Assembly Election 2018 have predicted a clear majority for Congress on Friday, the day polling ended for the state. As the state gears up for the Rajasthan Election Result 2018 on 11 December, here is a detailed look at some of the key issues in the state: Farmers' woes Farmers issues are most prominent in the state including loan waivers, crop prices, and cow vigilantism particularly in the arid Shekhawati region. Much like neighbouring Gujarat, ahead of polls, farmers' issues were expected to play a major role in the voting preferences of the rural regions. If agrarian discontent translates to anger against the ruling party, it will worry the BJP. After farmers launched a protest in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, the agitation soon spread to Rajasthan as farmers sought, among other things, higher minimum support price and loan waivers. However, the state government in September announced a Rs 60,000 crore farm loan waiver, which may douse some of the anger. Anti-incumbency Anti-incumbency is also on the rise, which has reflected in opinion polls. Many have suggested a loss for the ruling BJP, citing failure to address the farmers grievances and unemployment. According to reports, 48 percent of the region wants the government to change, whereas 41 percent support the ruling BJP. There is anti-incumbency against the Vasundhara Raje government. All sections of the society, including farmers, youngsters, Brahmins, Rajputs, SCs, and Muslims are unhappy with the government for not delivering on promises, Congress leader Rajendra Chaudhary had said. Hate crimes Rajasthan has also made headlines because of hate crimes and politics of polarisation. The political campaign during the 29 January bypolls in Alwar also provide a sign of things to come. The Congress had in January filed a complaint with the Election Commission after BJP Jaswant Yadav told a rally, "If you are a Hindu, vote for the BJP. Muslims will go with the Congress." A Facebook post by BJP MLA from Alwar had on 2 January stated that Muslims are having more children to outnumber Hindus and take over the country. Caste Caste considerations will also impact the elections to a great extent. Jats and Meenas both comprising about 10 percent of the population are numerically significant communities in the state. Several of the communities in the state have been antagonistic to each other in the past. For instance, in 2009, the tribal Meena community had resented the demand for reservation of the Gujjars, and had demanded that they should be included in the Scheduled Tribes category, as an article in Mint states. Similarly, historically, there was antagonism between Jats and Rajputs, due to the latter's feudal past, as this Firstpost article states. In the early decades after independence, Jats gravitated towards the Congress while the Rajputs voted for opposition parties. However, the 'feudal' perception holds relatively lesser influence now, according to the article. The Congress' decision to make Ashok Gehlot who belongs to the Mali community the chief minister instead of Jat leader Paras Ram Maderna also did not go down well with the community. In recent elections, their vote has swung both ways, even as the community has largely voted as a block. Religion In tandem with caste, religious politics will also be in the limelight. Muslims constitute 9.07 percent of the population, and hold particular power to alter the vote share in Tonk. It has been suggested that to appease the Muslims in Tonk, the BJP has fielded its only Muslim candidate Yoonus Khan. On a similar note, the Congress has fielded Sachin Pilot to appease the extensive Gujjar community in the region as well. Water scarcity, unemployment and connectivity The state also faces a lot of other issues, such as unemployment, and lack of industries. The state has limited railway links, despite there being a demand for years. According to reports, drinking water scarcity is also quite severe in the state. Particularly, Tonk city and the villages in the district get drinking water supply on alternate days for a few hours. "Most days, we get brackish water in supply," News18 quoted one resident as saying. "Drinking water comes on every other day and lasts for an hour at the maximum," he added. With inputs from PTI Follow all the latest updates from the Telangana Elections here Follow all the latest updates from the Mizoram Elections here Follow all the latest updates from the Chhattisgarh Elections here Follow all the latest updates from the Madhya Pradesh Elections here Follow all the latest updates from the Rajasthan Elections here Follow Firstpost's coverage of the 2018 Vidhan Sabha Elections here Savitribai Phule, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh has resigned from the party, and has claimed that the BJP "is trying to create divisions in society." Phule has long been critical of the party's leadership. The Dalit leader said her objective was to get the Constitution implemented in letter and spirit. She said she will launch an agitation to champion the cause of Dalits from 23 December, adding that the country needs a Constitution, not a temple. Phule has recently been in the limelight for saying that Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and a slave of manuwadi people". She had also targeted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his comments on the caste of Hanuman. During a poll rally in Malakheda of Alwar district, Adityanath had said, "Lord Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west." Phule had then questioned Adityanath and asked whether he ever embraced Dalits. If he (Adityanath) really loves Dalits then he should love them more than he loves Lord Hanuman. Has he ever embraced any Dalit? He might have been eating dinner at Dalit households, but the cook was not Dalit. There are Assembly polls and they dont have any issue left, so they are terming Hanuman Ji as Dalit. They just want to take Dalit votes but now Dalits, backwards and tribals of the country has now understood their dhong, Phule had also criticised the party regarding the Ram temple issue. Phule said the BJP was raking up the matter as it had no other issues. The country does not need a temple. Will it end unemployment and other problems of Dalits and backwards? The temple will benefit Brahmins, who are only 3 percent. The money offered in temples is used by them for their gains, she said. We want rights given to us in the Constitution. Hamko adhikar chahiya warna kursi khali karo [Give us our rights or leave the government], she said. Phule had earlier raised questions on BJP leaders dining at the houses of Dalits and had termed the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah, "a mahapurush" (great personality), causing embarrassment to her party. The Shiv Sena said while Adityanath sought to rename Hyderabad, he had 'failed to address the basic issues in his state'. Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Thursday hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over violence in Bulandshahr, saying he is busy renaming cities but has failed to address the basic issues in his state. Soldiers and policemen do not have any religion. Similarly, those in power should only focus on fulfilling their responsibilities, the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'. Raising the Ram temple issue once again, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party asked when the shrine would be constructed. A police inspector and a 20-year-old man were killed on Monday, when a mob of some 400 people fought pitched battles with police in Siyana area of Bulandshahr district, apparently after right-wing activists were angered by the discovery of cow carcasses strewn in a nearby jungle. Taking a dim view of the violence, the Sena said, "Riots are taking place during Yogi's rule. A policeman lost his life in the violence over cow meat. Soldiers and police officials do not have any religion. Similarly, those in power should only follow their responsibilities." The party also lashed out at Adityanath over his remarks that if the BJP comes to power in Telangana, it would work towards respecting people's sentiments by renaming Hyderabad as Bhagyanagar. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister made the remarks on Wednesday. The Shiv Sena said while Adityanath sought to rename Hyderabad, he had "failed to address the basic issues in his state". "The question before him (Adityanath) relates to history, while he is giving answers related to geography. The question is not when Hyderabad will become Bhagyanagar but when will the Ram temple be constructed," the Sena publication said. The party also attacked Adityanath over his recent remarks at a rally in poll-bound Telangana that Owaisi would have to "run away" from Hyderabad, just like the Nizam, if the BJP came to power in the state. "If the BJP is inclined towards wiping out legacies of Nizams and Babar (Mughal king), when will Aurangabad and Osmanabad in Maharashtra be renamed as Sambhaji Nagar and Dharashiv, respectively?" it asked. It also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues, saying they have "shut shop" and are busy campaigning for elections and making tall promises. Among the key promises parties made in Telangana are farm loan waivers, jobs, allowances for unemployed youth and various welfare measures. All eyes are now on Rajasthan and Telangana, the last two states that go to the polls this year. Campaigning for the elections has ended in the two states, where Assembly elections will be held in a single phase on Friday, 7 December. Telangana was an unexpected addition to the list of states where the Vidhan Sabha elections were scheduled for this year. It was necessitated after now caretaker chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao dissolved the Assembly and called for early polls. Over the course of campaigning, the focus of the contesting political parties the BJP, Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) became clear, which was further cemented with the release of the election manifestos. Among the key promises parties made are farm loan waivers, jobs, allowances for unemployed youth and various welfare measures. There is not much that distinguishes the poll promises that various parties have made. But the one poll promise the KCR-led party has made that stands out from the rest is 12 percent reservation for the Muslim community. The Assembly had passed a resolution on the same and is now awaiting the Centres approval to bring the quota into effect. In addition to this, the TRS has vowed to continue the farm loan waiver scheme it had implemented in 2014 when it came to power, waiving Rs 1 lakh off every loan. This differs from the Congress and BJPs promise of waiving Rs 2 lakh of farmers loans if voted to power. For farmers, the TRS manifesto also mentions a promise to increase aid from Rs 8,000 per acre to Rs 10,000 under the Rythu Bandhu welfare scheme. The Congress and TDP have assured farmers annual investment support of Rs 10,000 per year, per crop and additional Minimum Support Price for major crops. Not one to be left behind, in the BJP manifesto, the party has promised that every farmer will get a free borewells, or a well, or a free pump set. It announced that if voted to power, it will construct barrages at 13 points across the Godavari river. Since the election season began, there has been a lot said about the lack of jobs for youth, and this is one key issue political parties have paid attention to. To calm the restless youth and to try to win their votes, of course the prime contesting parties have all promised an unemployment allowance to the young generation, in addition to the promise of jobs. The Congress and TDP which are contesting the polls in alliance along with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Telugu Jan Samithi (TJS) have announced an allowance of Rs 3,000 per month to the youth as well as the creation of one lakh jobs. Similarly, the TRS announced a similar unemployment assistance of Rs 3,016 per month and the BJP, Rs 3,166. The pink party has also promised to increase all kinds of of Aasara pensions from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,016. This was a welfare scheme the TRS government had introduced for the elderly, widows, Goud community, Elephantiasis and AIDS patients, the differently abled and beedi workers. For the differently abled, the TRS, in its manifesto, said the pension will be enhanced from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,016. In housing, too, the parties attempted to outdo each other in their manifestos. The TDP has promised a house and financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh as well as a job to the families of the 1,200 people who died in the Telangana movement. The party led by N Chandrababu Naidu has also assured Rs 5 lakh support to those building homes in their land as part of housing-for-all scheme. The TRS could not complete its earlier promise of building two lakh houses for the poor. In its manifesto this time, the party has modified the scheme, promising Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh to those who build a home on their own plots. One can only wait till the next elections to gauge the extent to which the party voted to power fulfils the promises it made in its manifesto. Telangana is set for Assembly polls on Friday with the Congress-led alliance challenging the ruling TRS, and the BJP seeking to make it a triangular contest. After a high-voltage campaign that saw a war of words among contending parties, Telangana is set for Assembly polls on Friday with the Congress-led alliance challenging the ruling TRS, and the BJP seeking to make it a triangular contest. More than 1.50 lakh polling officials, including reserve staff, are in the process of giving final touches to make the election to the 119-member House a smooth affair. Over 2.80 crore people are eligible to exercise their franchise in the State, which has a total of 32,815 polling stations across. Congress has struck an understanding with Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) to form the Mahakutami alliance. TDP fought the last election in alliance with BJP. Important candidates The key candidates whose fortunes are at stake in this election include Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Uttam Kumar Reddy and Akbaruddin Owaisi. KCR, the caretaker chief minister had quit TDP to float the TRS and revive the movement for Telangana state in 2001. At that time, KCR was not a very popular leader, but he proved a huge crowd-puller and single-handedly made 'Jai Telangana' a house-hold slogan. Uttam Kumar Reddy, the Telangana Congress chief, is seeking re-election from Huzurnagar constituency. In the previous election, Reddy had won the seat by a margin of 23,924 votes over his nearest TRS rival. Akbaruddin Owaisi, brother of All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, is contesting from AIMIM stronghold Chandrayangutta constituency. Owaisi has been elected to the Assembly in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 from the constituency. Campaign faces While KCR was without doubt the star campaigner for TRS, the Congress and the BJP fielded their bigwigs for campaigning which turned out to be a shrill one. For the Congress, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the party president Rahul Gandhi addressed election rallies. Rahul also addressed a joint meetings with TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. The BJP relied on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party president Amit Shah. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath also campaigned extensively in Telangana. Key constituencies Gajwel is the Assembly constituency from where K Chandrashekar Rao has filed his nomination. The Congress has pitted Vanteru Pratap Reddy against him. Khanapur, the largest of the ten constituencies in Adilabad, will witness a three-way contest. It is also ones of the places where the long-brewing Adivasi-Lambada conflict is likely to impact the results of the election. Another interesting constituency to watch will be Serlingampally. As a number of people from outside the state have settled in this constituency, the conflict between locals and migrants may play a part in the political scenario in the constituency. Security arrangements Polling will start at 7 am and end at 5 pm, while in 13 constituencies which were classified as Left Wing Extremist-affected, polling ends one hour before (4 pm). As many as 446 flying squads are in operation in the state to swing into action if any irregularity is reported during the elections and 448 static surveillance teams would also keep a watch on the situation and would wait in wings to take action, Kumar said. Besides, 224 video-surveillance teams and 133 video-viewing teams have been pressed into service. There are 126 assistant expenditure observers and 123 accounting teams. With inputs from PTI Swami Paripoornananda is touted to be the BJPs chief ministerial candidate in Telangana, and such reports have led to comparisons with Yogi Adityanath. When the Rajinikanth-starrer film Kaala released in early June, not many may have predicted that it would indirectly be a cause of political upheaval in Telangana. However, a controversy over the Ramayana following the film brought the spotlight on Hindu religious leader Swami Paripoornananda: who is now the face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state. As noted in this article in The Quint, after a fierce public debate emerged over the films allusions to characters from the Ramayana, film critic Kathi Mahesh remarked during a television debate that Sita may have been happier if she had lived with Ravana, and not Rama. In response to this, Paripoornananda filed a case against Mahesh, while VHP and Bajrang Dal members protested outside the Jubilee Hills Police Station in Hyderabad. Due to this, Paripoornananda and Mahesh were externed from Hyderabad for six months, but the agitation catapulted the former, who had been politically active earlier as well, into being something of a mascot for Hindutva politics in the state. Later, the Hyderabad High Court issued an interim stay on Paripoornanandas externment. The BJP launched a major agitation opposing the action against Paripoornananda, and even sought the intervention of Governor ESL Narasimhan over the issue. Soon, speculation began that the seer may join the saffron party and, sure enough, he did so on 1 November. BJP chief Amit Shah said his induction would infuse new energy into the party and boost its election prospects in Telangana. Paripoornananda is touted to be the BJPs chief ministerial candidate in Telangana, and such reports have led to comparisons with another saffron-robed seer: Yogi Adityanath. However, in an interview to Firstpost, Paripoornananda sought to play down such comparisons, saying that Adityanath has been a five-time Member of Parliament (MP) and had taken over the responsibility of the Gorakhpur constituency from a young age. Nevertheless, much like the Uttar Pradesh chief minister (who is the mahant of the Gorakhnath math), Paripoornananda is the head of the religious organisation organisation Sri Peetham. He also heads the Hindu Vahini, while Adityanath had founded the Hindu Yuva Vahini, which many described as a militia. Members of the Hindu Vahini have been accused of involvement in numerous acts of violence, including pelting stones at the convoy of AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi. Hindutva politics during the campaign Notwithstanding the induction of Paripoornananda, the BJP may have little room for polarisation on religious lines in Telangana compared to Uttar Pradesh. As this article in The News Minute points out, while Paripoornananda has been taking care of the hardcore Hindutva aspect of the campaign, most other party leaders have not been adopting the same tone. The article argues that this may be because any loss to the ruling TRS in Telangana would mean a gain for the Congress, the BJPs chief rival at the national level. Indeed, the BJP on its own is not a major force in the state. In the previous election in 2014, the BJP had won just five seats out of 119 in the Telangana region. An article in Mint quoted a senior BJP functionary as saying that realistically, the party expects to win 12 to 15 seats this time. With such a tally, the BJP can hope to have a say in government formation in case of a hung Assembly. The BJP is presently restricted to Hyderabad, as all its five MLAs are from the capital citys constituencies of Uppal, Musheerabad, Amberpet, Goshamahal and LB Nagar. The city is also the home ground of the AIMIM, and thus, there is a greater possibility of votes being polarised along religious lines. A recent instance of this was the war of words between Yogi Adityanath and Asaduddin Owaisi. When the former said that the AIMIM chief will have to flee Telangana like the Nizam was forced to flee Hyderabad, the latter asked if a person will be forced to leave the country merely for criticising the BJP and RSS. The Nizam of Hyderabad is the BJPs historical villain of choice for the Telangana election, and the partys leaders have made repeated references to the erstwhile ruler on the campaign trail. Paripoornananda has referred to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and the TRS as Nizam multiple times. Amit Shah in a recent rally also slammed KCR for not celebrating Hyderabad Liberation Day, alleging that it was afraid of the AIMIM and Asaduddin Owaisi. As part of its Hindutva pitch, the BJP also targeted the Congress, and recently made the (factually incorrect) claim that the Congress promised free electricity to mosques and churches, but not to temples in its manifesto. Shah also slammed the TRS governments poll promise to give 12 percent reservation for minorities, saying that the Constitution does not provide for quotas on the basis of religion. He accused both the Congress and TRS of engaging in minority appeasement. Upendra Kushwaha is still a part of the NDA, but for all practical purposes, in a recent speech, he announced his exit from the ruling dispensation. At the end of his three-day party convention, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief and Union minister of state for human resource development Upendra Kushwaha portrayed himself as Lord Krishna and the BJP led by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah as Kauravas, in a battle for political dignity. Kushwaha is still a part of the NDA, but for all practical purposes, at the end of his speech which went for over an hour-and-a-half, he announced his exit from the ruling dispensation. To ensure that his message reaches the leaders of the coalition, particularly Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar, he held a public rally at Motihari, which was attended by a few thousand people. He ended his speech by reciting lines from famed Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkars Krishna ki Chetawani, describing a dialogue between Krishna and Duryodhan: De do kewal panch gram, rakho apni dharti tamam.Hit vachan nahi tune mana, maitri ka mulya nahi pahchana, to le main bhi ab jata hoon, antim sankalp sunata hoon, yachna nahi ab ran hoga sangharsh bada bhisan hoga, jiwan hai ya ki maran hoga. (The request was to give us just a small patch of land, and keep your vast swathes of the earth/You did not hear the well-meaning words, and did not recognise the value of friendship/I, too, will go now, and announce my final resolution/Now, the approach will be one of battle, not supplication; the fight will be an intense one/There will either be life or death.) After the rally, a close aide of Kushwaha told Firstpost, He has said what he had to say. It is clear that nothing is left in the NDA for him. He has all but exited the ruling coalition. On 10 December, he may make the final announcement about quitting from the government and the NDA. The announcement is likely to be made in Delhi. It is also being said that before he officially separates from the NDA next week, he may have a meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi to make the occasion grand and headline-worthy. The mahagathbandhan, or grand coalition, in Bihar against the Modi-Nitish combine for parliamentary elections would then take a new shape and would include Congress, RJD, RLSP, Hindustani Awam Morcha and Left Front. This would be a strong coalition on paper. But even if all of them come together, the mahagathbandhan may not pose a formidable challenge to the BJP-JD(U)-LJP combine. Bihar has 40 Lok Sabha seats, and in the last parliamentary elections, the NDA had won 31 seats (BJP 22, LJP 6 and RLSP 3). In 2014, when the BJP had offered three seats to Kushwaha, it was believed that the RLSP had been given seats disproportionate to its actual strength. However, the BJP was then in a difficult situation Nitish Kumar had abruptly exited the NDA over Narendra Modi being made the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP, and the saffron party was not sure of its strength in the state. Amid the Modi wave, all three candidates of the RLSP, as also all six candidates of of the LJP, had won the elections. Later, an RLSP MP revolted against the party, due to which the party's strength in Parliament was reduced to two. Kushwaha became a minister of state. In Bihar, the BJP had polled 29.40 percent of votes, LJP got 6.40, RLSP got 3 percent, JD(U) got 15.80 percent, RJD got 20.10 percent and Congress got 8.40 percent. Nitish Kumar had fought that election on his own. The combined vote share of the BJP, JD(U) and LJP from 2014 was over 50 percent. If the parties retain this vote share, the alliance has the potential to sweep the polls in Bihar. In the Bihar Assembly elections which took place after the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP's vote share was slightly higher than that during the parliamentary election in Bihar 29.9 percent. The party was then up against the JD(U)-RJD-Congress combine. The RLSP, which contested 23 seats, could win only two. The two MLAs who had won from the RLSP have since deserted their parent party and are now looking to switch over to the JD(U)/BJP. In the current seat-sharing formula as discussed between Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar and subsequently between Amit Shah and Ram Vilas Paswan, the BJP and JD(U) were to contest an equal number (17) of seats each, four would be allocated to the LJP (plus one Rajya Sabha seat from a BJP-ruled state to Paswan), and two to the RLSP, if it remained with the NDA. All the parties were expected to agree to contest fewer seats than last time. However, an overambitious Kushwaha mistook the 2014 Modi wave as his own support base, and has been dreaming of becoming the Bihar chief minister and a kingmaker in national politics. He has publicly met expelled JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to pressurise Amit Shah to yield to his demand for three seats in the 2014 parliamentary polls. The BJP chief didnt respond to his 30 November deadline. For now, neither Shah nor Nitish kumar are likely to respond to Kushwaha's challenge, encapsulated in the line, "the approach will be one of battle, not supplication." They may wait for people to respond to his threat in May 2019. Dilip Ghosh was in the district to take part in the BJP's Rath Yatra. He was attacked when he was on his way to Mathabhanga in the Cooch Behar district. Cooch Behar (West Bengal): West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh's vehicle was attacked Thursday at Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar district by unidentified miscreants and the party blamed the ruling TMC for the incident. Ghosh was in the district to take part in the saffron party's Rath Yatra. He was attacked when he was on his way to Mathabhanga in the district. "TMC leaders attacked my car and shouted slogans demanding that I should go back. Some of my party workers were injured during the violence. The police were watching merely as mute spectators," he said after the incident at Sitai More in Sitalkuchi. The district police administration said they are looking into the incident. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, secretary Rahul Sinha and senior BJP leader Mukul Roy, who were in Cooch Behar in connection with the Rath Yatra criticised the state administration and the ruling TMC for attacking leaders of Opposition parties in the state. They also took part in a torch rally in New Cooch Behar town as a mark of protest. "Democracy is under threat in Bengal. Innocent people are being killed and tortured just because they are supporting BJP. The TMC government should immediately resign," Vijayvargiya said. Senior TMC leader Rabindranath Ghosh termed the allegation as baseless and said the attack was a fallout of infighting in the BJP. Meanwhile, the BJP has put on hold the party's 'Save Democracy Rally', comprising three Rath Yatras, following Calcutta High Court's refusal to grant permission for it. BJP's request to Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta for constitution of a special bench for hearing its appeal on Thursday evening as the normal court hours had ended for the day was also turned down. BJP lawyer Phiroze Edulji said the chief justice has asked the BJP lawyers to move the appeal before the court on Friday morning at 10.30 am. The High Court said it cannot give permission at this stage for the BJP rally in Cooch Behar, scheduled to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah on Friday, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event on the grounds that it might cause communal tension. BJP had claimed that the Rath Yatra would be a "game changer" in West Bengal politics and Shah had set a target of winning 22 out of 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The campaign was scheduled to begin from Cooch Behar district in the north on 7 December, from Kakdwip in the south 24 Parganas district on 9 December and from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on 14 December. Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, several top BJP leaders and ministers such as Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Raman Singh, Yogi Adityanath, Uma Bharati and Giriraj Singh were scheduled to participate in the campaign. Modi is likely to attend four rallies to give a thrust to the party's campaign in the state ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The BJD, headed by Naveen Patnaik, deliberated on the party's strategy for intensifying its campaign seeking 33 percent reservations for women in Parliament and state Assemblies. Bhubaneswar: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha has decided to consult 22 political parties, including the Congress and the BJP, as part of its effort to build consensus on the Women's Reservation Bill, pending in Parliament. The BJD, headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, resolved at a meeting Wednesday that its delegates would meet leaders of seven national parties and 15 regional parties in this regard, party leaders said. The meeting deliberated on the party's strategy for intensifying its campaign seeking 33 percent reservations for women in Parliament and state Assemblies. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan criticised the BJD's move, dubbing it as an "eyewash". A release issued by the party listing the names of BJD representatives, including MPs, who would meet representatives of various parties, did not mention Patnaik's name. The development came a day after Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate steps to pass the Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament. Though the Women's Reservation Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha in 2010, it could not be passed in the Lok Sabha. The legislation lapsed following the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha in 2014. The Odisha Assembly on 20 November had unanimously passed a resolution seeking reservation of one-third seats for women in Parliament and state Assemblies. BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said, besides the Congress and BJP, ruling party leaders will meet representatives of the Trinamool Congress, the BSP, the CPI, the CPM and the NCP. They will also meet the leaders of 15 regional parties the AAP, the AIADMK, the DMK, the INLD, the JD(S), the JD(U), the National Conference, the PDP, the JMM, the RJD, the SAD, the Shiv Sena, the SP, the TDP and the TRS, Mishra said. The Odisha government had raised the reservation for women in panchayats and urban local bodies to 50 percent from 33 percent in 2011. tech2 News Staff Following the Supreme Court judgment back in September, which upheld the validity of the Aadhaar system, the government is now reportedly in the last stages of finalising a proposal to amend the Aadhaar Act. The move will give all citizens the option to opt out of the Aadhaar system letting them withdraw their Aadhaar number, which also includes removing connected biometrics and collected data. As reported by The Hindu, a senior official said that The initial proposal was prepared by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It submitted that once a child turns 18, he/she will be given six months to decide if he/she wants to withdraw, While the earlier proposal was limited to a particular group, the Law Ministry recommended that all citizens should be given an option to withdraw. Those wanting to opt out of Aadhaar need not rejoice just yet. This is because the proposal will in all probability only benefit those who do not have a PAN card or do not require a new PAN card. As for those who have a PAN card, it will still have to be linked with Aadhaar as per the Supreme Court's decision. The proposal will soon be sent to the Cabinet. Apart from allowing withdrawal from Aadhaar, the proposal seeks to appoint an officer to take charge and decide on whether a person's Aadhaar data needs to be disclosed in matters concerning national security. Reuters The European Unions executive proposed on 5 December spending more money to counter fake news on the Internet, establishing an early warning system to alert governments and pushing tech companies do more to stop disinformation before next years EU elections. The European Commissions plan, which must be agreed by EU leaders, is part of an attempt to stop what the United States, NATO and the EU say are Russian attempts to undermine Western democracies with disinformation campaigns that sow division. Russia has repeatedly denied any such actions. There is strong evidence pointing to Russia as a primary source of disinformation in Europe. Disinformation is part of Russias military doctrine and part of a strategy to divide and weaken the West, said Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip. Before elections to the European Parliament in May 2019, the Commission wants to see tech giants such as Facebook and Google agree to step up efforts to remove misleading or illegal content. That would include incitement to hatred, extremism and the online sale of counterfeit products. With a code of practice that commits online platforms and advertisers to take steps to keep fake news from being both uploaded and disseminated, the Commission wants messages automatically spread by machines, or bots, labeled as such. The proposal will also seek to develop a more powerful section to monitor and flag Russian misinformation, raising the budget of the EUs foreign service EEAS for this to 5 million euros ($5.7 million) from 1.9 million in 2018. That is far less than the billions of dollars that NATO and the EU say Russia spends on disinformation, but Western governments are wary of any strategy that could be construed as indoctrination. Russia has invested in a state-of-the-art media organization with hundreds of journalists abroad intended to wean the world off what it calls aggressive Western propaganda - dubbing it, with echoes of the Cold War, Sputnik. It is also now very active on the internet, in social media such as Twitter. A third step for the EU would be to create a rapid alert mechanism to warn governments, so they can fend off developing disinformation campaigns. Facebook has stepped up fact-checking to counter fake news and is working on lowering the ranking of such disinformation to making it less visible. It still faces criticism that it is too slow to close rogue accounts. Facebook disclosed last year that Russians with fake names used the social network to try to influence U.S. voters in the months before and after the 2016 election, writing about inflammatory subjects, setting up events and buying ads. The Associated Press Internal Facebook documents released by a UK parliamentary committee offer the clearest evidence yet that the social network has used its enormous trove of user data as a competitive weapon, often in ways designed to keep its users in the dark. Parliament's media committee accused Facebook on 5 December of cutting special deals with some app developers to give them more access to data, while icing out others that it viewed as potential rivals. In other documents, company executives discussed how they were keeping the company's collection and exploitation of user data from its users. That included quietly collecting the call records and text messages of users of phones that run on Google's Android operating system without asking their permission. The UK committee released more than 200 pages of documents on the tech giant's internal discussions about the value of users' personal information. While they mostly cover the period between 2012 and 2015 the first three years after Facebook went public they offer a rare glimpse into the company's inner workings and the extent to which it used people's data to make money while publicly vowing to protect their privacy. The company's critics said the new revelations reinforced their concerns over what users actually know about how Facebook treats their data. "These kinds of schemes are exactly why companies must be required to disclose exactly how they are collecting and sharing our data, with stiff penalties for companies that lie about it," Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said in a statement. Facebook called the documents misleading and said the information they contain is "only part of the story." "Like any business, we had many internal conversations about the various ways we could build a sustainable business model for our platform," the company said in a statement. "But the facts are clear: We've never sold people's data." In a Facebook post , company CEO Mark Zuckerberg sought to put the documents in context. "Of course, we don't let everyone develop on our platform," he wrote. "We blocked a lot of sketchy apps. We also didn't allow developers to use our platform to replicate our functionality or grow their services virally in a way that creates little value for people on Facebook." The UK committee seized the documents from app developer Six4Three, maker of a now-defunct bikini-picture search app. Six4Three acquired the files as part of a US lawsuit that accuses Facebook of deceptive, anti-competitive business practices. The documents remain under court seal in the US. In a summary of key issues pertaining to the documents, the committee said Facebook "whitelisted," or made exceptions for companies such as Airbnb and Netflix, that gave them continued access to users' "friends" even after the tech giant announced changes in 2015 to end the practice. "Facebook have clearly entered into whitelisting agreements with certain companies, which meant that after the platform changes in 2014/15 they maintained full access to friends data," the committee said in a statement. "It is not clear that there was any user consent for this, nor how Facebook decided which companies should be whitelisted or not." The documents "raise important questions about how Facebook treats users' data, their policies for working with app developers, and how they exercise their dominant position in the social media market," said committee chair Damian Collins. "We don't feel we have had straight answers from Facebook on these important issues, which is why we are releasing the documents." The cache includes emails from Zuckerberg and other key members of his staff. The emails show Zuckerberg and other executives scheming to leverage user data to favor companies not considered to be threats and to identify potential acquisitions. Collins said the emails raise important issues, particularly around the use of the data of Facebook users. "The idea of linking access to friends' data to the financial value of the developers' relationship with Facebook is a recurring feature of the documents," Collins said. The committee's summary said Facebook collected data about the mobile apps its users favored to help it decide which companies to acquire. It also said Facebook knew that an update to its Android mobile app phone system which allowed the Facebook app to hoover up user call logs and text messages would be controversial. "To mitigate any bad PR, Facebook planned to make it as hard as possible for users to know that this was one of the underlying features of the upgrade of their app," the summary said. In a post on 5 December, Facebook continued to stand by its stance that the feature was "is opt in for users and we ask for people's permission before enabling." The Android data collection practice was unearthed in April as the Cambridge Analytica scandal roiled Facebook. The data mining firm, employed by the 2016 Trump campaign, exploited lax Facebook data-sharing policies to obtain data on millions of users without their consent. Facebook executives clearly understand the material is valuable. An unsigned memo setting policy for a system upgrade known as "Platform 3.0" laid out a case for shutting out any app developer who could be construed as a competitor. "There are a small number of developers whom no amount of sharing to FB or monetary value can justify giving them access to Platform," the memo said. "These developers do not want to participate in the ecosystem we have created, but rather build their own ecosystem at the expense of our users, other developers and, of course, us. That is something that we will not allow." The documents also suggest Facebook would jealously safeguard its interests. In a January 2013 email exchange, Zuckerberg signed off on cutting access to Twitter's Vine video-producing app, which had allowed users to find their friends on Vine by pulling in data from Facebook. "Unless anyone raises objections," Facebook Vice President Justin Osofsky wrote, the company would cut Vine's access to users' friend networks. "We're prepared reactive PR." "Yup, go for it," Zuckerberg replied. The documents also suggest robust internal discussions about linking data to revenue. "There's a big question on where we get the revenue from," Zuckerberg said in one email. "Do we make it easy for (developers) to use our payments/ad network but not require them? Do we require them? Do we just charge a (revenue) share directly and let (developers) who use them get a credit against what they owe us? It's not at all clear to me here that we have a model that will actually make us the revenue we want at scale." Nimish Sawant Last week, UK parliamentary body reprimanded Facebook for not doing anything despite knowing for a fact about the Russian involvement from 2014. British parliamentarian Damian Collins (who is also the chair of the DCMS committee) had said that he would go through the secret email cache which the UK had obtained from a US app maker (which is fighting a case against Facebook) before publishing it. The UK parliament has finally released the cache which has over 200 pages of internal emails. The released cache gives us an insight into the kind of internal discussions that took place in Facebook when it came to the policies concerning user data, privacy, the company's handling of its rivals, permissions feature and much more. These documents, obtained from the app maker Six4Three, are under seal in US courts and Facebook had tried hard to dismiss these documents as a one-sided biased representation of facts. Facebook maintained in its blog post that the set of documents only told one side of the story and that Facebook stood by the platform changes that were made in 2014/15 which prevented people from sharing friends' data with developers. Facebook reiterated that it has never sold user data. "The extensions we granted at that time were short-term and only used to prevent people from losing access to specific functions as developers update their apps. Pikinis (the app made by Six4Three) didnt receive an extension, and they went to court," said the Facebook blog post trying to show Six4Three's email cache as a biased and untrue account of things. Now that the documents are out, here are some of the important findings that were shone a light on. Whitelisting agreements with companies Facebook had disabled full access to data of your friends back in 2014/15, but it was observed that some companies were whitelisted and still had access to friends data. There is no clarity on which companies Facebook had drawn these whitelisting agreements with or if any user consent was sought before sharing their data. To highlight the point, an email interaction between a dating app Badoo and Facebooks director of developer platforms and programs, Konstantinos Papamiltiadis was presented in the report by Collins. The gist of the interaction which took place between September 2014 and January 2015 was thus: Badoo wrote to Facebook on how removing friends permissions would be detrimental to the success of its app and why friends data was important. Facebook responded that Badoo would get access to a 'Hashed Anon All Friends API' which would give Badoo complete access to friends data. By February 2015, Badoo was whitelisted. Similarly, cab-hailing app Lyft, hospitality app Airbnb, video-streaming app Netflix, were also whitelisted for 'All Mutual Friends' access. This meant that users using Facebook logins for these apps were in effect handing over not just their data, but that of their Facebook friends as well to these companies. Facebook Response: According to Facebook, friends' list was different from friends' data. Facebook said that in 2014/15 it changed its platform to prevent app developers from accessing your friends' data. In some cases, apps could not even request your friend list unless your friend was also using that same app. "In some situations, when necessary, we allowed developers to access a list of the users friends. This was not friends private information but a list of your friends (name and profile pic). Whitelists are also common practice when testing new features and functionality with a limited set of partners before rolling out the feature more broadly," said Facebook. Value of friends data was directly linked to the ad spend of the developer on Facebook If an app developer was earning Facebook a boatload of cash, then there was a high chance of that company having access to valued friends data. Elaborating on this aspect, the document mentions an email interaction between Facebook execs on letting the Royal Bank of Canada access to friends data provided it got into an extended API agreement with Facebook. One section of the email interaction clearly stated that apps which did not spend would have their permissions revoked. From email about slides prepared for talk to DevOps at 11 am on 19 September 2013 "Key points: 1/ Find out what other apps like Refresh are out that we dont want to share data with and figure out if they spend on NEKO. Communicate in one-go to all apps that dont spend that those permission will be revoked. Communicate to the rest that they need to spend on NEKO $250k a year to maintain access to the data. Data access was subject to advertising spend on Facebook. Facebook Response: Facebook said that its developer platform was free to use, so there was no question of charging devs. Facebook claims that the email cache cherrypicks the part about developers having to buy advertising. "We ultimately settled on a model where developers did not need to purchase advertising to access APIs and we continued to provide the developer platform for free," said Facebook. Facebook against competitor apps such as Vine Facebook wasn't very courteous to any app that was regarded as a rival and took an aggressive stance against them, in some cases denying them any access to user data which led to the failure of that app's business. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg personally have a green signal of going ahead with shutting down friends API access to Vine, which was owned by rival Twitter. Here's an email interaction between the vice president of Global Operations and Media Partnerships, Justin Osofsky and Zuckerberg pertaining to Vine. Justin Osofsky Twitter launched Vine today which lets you shoot multiple short video segments to make one single, 6-second video. As part of their NUX, you can find friends via FB. Unless anyone raises objections, we will shut down their friends API access today. Weve prepared reactive PR, and I will let Jana know our decision." MZ (Mark Zuckerberg) "Yup, go for it" We all know that Vine was eventually shut down by Twitter. Facebook Response: Facebook said that it had decided early on that it would restrict apps that were built on top of Facebook and that replicated its core functionality. Facebook went on to say that this feature is an industry practice seen with YouTube, Twitter, Snap and Apple. But it looks like Facebook wants to change this policy. "As part of our ongoing review, we have decided that we will remove this out-of-date policy so that our platform remains as open as possible. We think this is the right thing to do as platforms and technology develop and grow," said Facebook. This seemed strange as Facebook did not have anything remotely close to Vine, when it was out. Unless it copied that feature and then decided to block Vine for having a similar feature. Facebook used Onavo VPN app for spying on mobile apps usage data Facebook-owned Onavo which was advertised as a VPN app was in fact used to spy on and conduct global surveys of mobile app usage by customers and that too without their knowledge. According to Collins, this data was used by Facebook to see who had downloaded how many apps and how often were they used. This knowledge was used to acquire apps which would be a threat to Facebook. Guess which app acquisition was a result of this global survey? It was none other than the $19 bn worth WhatsApp. Facebook relied so heavily on data gleaned from Onavo, that it used it to compile industry updates presentations showing the reach and probably trajectory of different social media apps. There are graphs showing user growth and data related to Vine, Path, messaging apps in the US and more. One graph even shows how many messages per day were sent on WhatsApp as opposed to Facebook. Facebook Response: Facebook maintained that users were sufficiently informed before-hand on the kind of information the app collects and how it is used by Facebook. People have the option to opt-out from the Settings menu, after which their data wouldn't be used for anything other than to improve and develop Onavo products and services. "Websites and apps have used tools like Onavo for market research services for years. We use Onavo, App Annie, comScore, and publicly available tools to help us understand the market and improve all our services," said Facebook. Facebook app collected call and message logs on Android devices Facebook app on Android collected data on record of calls and text sent by a user. Facebook even went to the extent of making it difficult for the users to know that this was a part of the underlying feature of the app update on Android. In an email interaction on 4 February 2015, a Facebook executive Michael LeBeau spoke about the Facebook Growth Team going ahead with a 'read call log' permission on an Android update which would trigger a dialog box prompting users to accept the new update. "This is a pretty high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective but it appears that the Growth Team will charge ahead and do it," said LeBeau to which he got a response that the growth team would explore options which would let app upgrade without users getting the permissions dialog box enlisting the changelog. In simple terms, this means that if I had the Facebook app on my Android device in 2015, the app update would effectively give Facebook a log of all the calls I made and SMSes I sent. And I would not be told about these app permissions changes as the permissions dialog wouldn't show up when I was updating the app. Facebook response: Facebook maintains that this was an opt-in feature on its Android app where user permission was explicitly sought. It justified that this data was used to make better suggestions for people to call in Messenger and rank contact lists in Messenger and Facebook Lite. "With this feature, we asked for permission inside the Facebook Messenger app, and this was a discussion about how our decision to launch this opt-in feature would interact with the Android operating systems own permission screens. This was not a discussion about avoiding asking people for permission," said Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg's response to email leaks Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg also put out his response to the UK parliamentary committee's release of the email stash. "I understand there is a lot of scrutiny on how we run our systems. That's healthy given the vast number of people who use our services around the world, and it is right that we are constantly asked to explain what we do. But it's also important that the coverage of what we do including the explanation of these internal documents doesn't misrepresent our actions or motives. This was an important change to protect our community, and it achieved its goal," said Zuckerberg. Collins said the emails raise important issues, particularly around the use of the data of Facebook users. "The idea of linking access to friends' data to the financial value of the developers' relationship with Facebook is a recurring feature of the documents," Collins said. Facebook's arguments and Zuckerberg's response seems quite weak, even with their claims of the email cache being one-sided. When you have Facebook executives and Zuckerberg himself giving a go-ahead on shutting down access to rival apps, discussions within the Facebook team about charging app developers in exchange for access to user data, Facebook cheekily trying to evade Android app update permissions, and much more, things don't really add up. And it does not help matters when Facebook gives reactions like "we will remove this out-of-date policy so that our platform remains as open as possible," after being called out. In Facebook's PR disaster notebook, this email cache published by the UK Parliamentary committee is yet another addition. Reuters Canada has arrested Chinese telecoms giant Huaweis global chief financial officer in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States, Canadas Department of Justice said on Wednesday. The arrest is related to violations of US sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the violations. Sources told Reuters in April that US authorities have been probing Huawei, one of the worlds largest makers of telecommunications network equipment, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping US-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of US export and sanctions laws. Meng Wanzhou, who is one of the vice chairs on the companys board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on 1 December and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Huawei confirmed the arrest in a statement and said that it has been provided little information of the charges, adding that it was not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. Chinas embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for Mengs immediate release. The arrest could drive a wedge between China and the United States just days after President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping held a meeting in Argentina where they agreed to steps to resolve a trade war. The sources said in April the US Justice Department probe is being run out of the US attorneys office in Brooklyn. The US Justice Department on Wednesday declined to comment. A spokesman for the US attorneys office in Brooklyn also declined to comment. The probe of Huawei is similar to one that threatened the survival of Chinas ZTE Corp, which pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran. Earlier this year, the United States banned American firms from selling parts and software to ZTE, which then paid $1 billion this summer as part of a deal to get the ban lifted. In January 2013, Reuters reported that Hong Kong-based Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Irans largest mobile-phone operator, had much closer ties to Huawei than previously known. Meng, who also has gone by the English names Cathy and Sabrina, served on the board of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009, according to Skycom records filed with Hong Kongs Companies Registry. Several other past and present Skycom directors appear to have connections to Huawei. The news about the arrest comes the same day Britains BT Group said it was removing Huaweis equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. The handset and telecommunications equipment maker said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and US and other regulations. The Huawei statement said Meng was detained when she was transferring flights in Canada. Her arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. US Senator Ben Sasse praised the action and said that it was for breaking US sanctions against Iran. He added: Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes its laundered through many of Beijings so-called private sector entities. US stock futures and Asian shares tumbled as news of the arrest heightened the sense a major collision was brewing between the worlds two largest economic powers, not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. While investors initially greeted the trade ceasefire that was agreed in Argentina with relief, the mood has quickly soured on skepticism that the two sides can reach a substantive deal. S&P500 e-mini futures were down almost 2 percent at one point in thin Asian morning trade on Thursday. Reuters Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has filed a defamation suit against a financial adviser and blogger who shared an article on his Facebook page, Lees spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The defendant, Leong Sze Hian, said on his Facebook page he had merely shared the article from a Malaysian online news media about Lee and Malaysias 1MDB state fund without adding any comments or changing the content. He said he was bewildered to receive a letter subsequently from lawyers asserting that posting the article was malicious and damaged the reputation of Prime Minister Lee. I reject all these allegations categorically, he said. The legal action comes weeks after the Singapore government demanded Facebook remove a separate post by an Australia-based blogger about Singapores banks and 1MDB, which it said was false and malicious. Facebook rejected that demand, prompting the Singapore government to say the social media giant could not be relied on to filter false information. Lees press secretary, Chang Li Lin, confirmed the prime minister had initiated legal proceedings against Leong for defamation and the matter was in the hands of Lees lawyers. Mr. Lee reserves the right to take legal action against other parties who similarly defame him, Chang told Reuters. Leong, a frequent commentator and critic of government policies, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. But on his Facebook page, he said he had complied with a government request to remove the post, adding it was grossly inaccurate to say he had made a post which was defamatory of the Prime Minister. This article related to the 1MDB saga. I did not add any comments or embellish the article, Leong said on Facebook. 1MDB is the subject of money-laundering probes in at least six countries, including the United States, Singapore and Malaysia. Reuters Britains BT Group said on Wednesday it was removing Huawei Technologies equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. New Zealand and Australia have stopped telecom operators using Huaweis equipment in new 5G networks because they are concerned about possible Chinese government involvement in their communications infrastructure. Huawei, the worlds biggest network equipment maker ahead of Ericsson and Nokia, has said Beijing has no influence over its operations. BT said Huaweis equipment had not been used in the core of its fixed-line network, and it was removing it from the core of the mobile networks it acquired when it bought operator EE. It said the process was to bring the EE networks into line with the rest of its business rather than a change of policy. In 2016, following the acquisition of EE, we began a process to remove Huawei equipment from the core of our 3G and 4G networks, as part of network architecture principles in place since 2006, a BT spokesman said. He said the company would apply the same principles to its next-generation mobile networks. As a result, Huawei have not been included in vendor selection for our 5G core, he said. Huawei remains an important equipment provider outside the core network, and a valued innovation partner, he added. The chief of Britains foreign intelligence services said this week that 5G reliance on Chinese technology was something Britain needed to discuss. Huawei has been in Britain for more than 17 years, with its equipment checked and monitored by a special company laboratory overseen by government and intelligence operators. Huawei said it had been working with BT for almost 15 years, and since the beginning of its partnership, BT had been operating on a principle of different vendors for different layers of its network. This is a normal and expected activity, which we understand and fully support, it said in a statement. It said it began working with EE in 2012, and had supplied the mobile operators with 3G and 4G network solutions, including core network equipment. We have never had a cyber security-related incident, it said. Huawei has a robust cyber security assurance system and a proven track record. Dinesh C Sharma The history of elementary particle physics and cosmic rays in India is replete with references to the work done by great men like Homi Jehangir Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, M G K Menon. It also tells of pioneering research conducted at places like the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai and the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad. However, few Indians would know about the work and contribution of Bibha Chowdhuri (1913- 1991), who not only worked with Bhabha and Sarabhai at TIFR and PRL, respectively, but also in the laboratory of Nobel-winning physicist P M S Blackett, an advisor to Prime Minister Nehru on matters relating to organizing scientific research in newly independent India. Chowdhuri was also part of the proton-decay experiment conducted in the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) under the leadership of M G K Menon. During her long career in physics spanning decades, Chowdhuri published several research papers in international journals including the venerated Nature. She remained a life-long researcher, and the last paper co-authored by her was published in the Indian Journal of Physics in 1990 a year before she passed away. Despite working with some of the leading lights of the physics fraternity in India and abroad, Chowdhuri remains an unsung hero of Indian science. She was not elected to fellowship of any of the three celebrated science academies in Indian nor named for any major prize. Was it a classic case of gender discrimination? A new book, 'A jewel unearthed: Bibha Chowdhuri', by leading science historians Rajinder Singh and Suprakash C Roy, has sought to answer just this question. Here, gender discrimination means that she was not elected as member of any of the three science academies though her work was of high quality. Chowdhuris name does not figure anywhere in the writing on cosmic particle research done at KGF, Dr Rajinder Singh, who teaches at the University of Oldenburg in Germany, told India Science Wire in an interview. His earlier work has included books on C V Raman, in which he has busted the myth that Raman did his Nobel-winning work in a poorly-funded laboratory. On Chowdhuris nomination to membership of science academies, Singh said every year hundreds of persons are nominated and the academies generally do not publish this information. So, it is difficult to say if she was nominated and her name was rejected but the fact is that she was not made a Fellow. The book quotes studies to point out that only 3.3 percent of Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) in physics were women till 2012. A book on Indian women scientists featuring 100 of them from Victorian to present times, published by the Bangalore-based Indian Academy of Sciences, did not include Chowdhuri. She was the only girl student in her M Sc (Physics) class of 24 in the batch of 1934-36 in the physics department of Calcutta University. After her post-graduation, she joined the department for doing research under D M Bose, who was the Palit Professor of Physics. Bose later moved to the Bose Institute as its director, taking several of his research students including Bibha Chowdhuri. At the Bose Institute, Chowdhuri worked on the discovery of mesons using photographic plates and published three consecutive papers in Nature, along with D M Bose, between 1938 and 1942. She could not continue the work further due to the shortage of sensitive emulsion plates during the war years. It was perhaps due to this that she chose to go to the University of Manchester for her Ph D. She joined in 1945 the cosmic ray research laboratory of P M S Blackett, who won the physics Nobel four years later. Her doctoral thesis was on extensive air showers associated with penetrating particles. Since Bhabha was working in the same field of cosmic rays, he made enquiries on her with one of Chowdhuris thesis examiners, finally recruiting her to join TIFR. She was the first woman researcher to do so in 1949, and remained there till 1957. M G K Menon and Yash Pal were her contemporaries at TIFR where she was involved in finding several types of k-mesons using nuclear emulsion stacks interspersed with brass plates. She also participated in the international conference on elementary particle held at Pisa in Italy in 1955, along with colleagues from TIFR. Chowdhuri was involved in the KGF project right from the beginning in 1960, and after moving to PRL she proposed another experiment at Mount Abu in Rajasthan. She wanted to study radio frequency emissions associated with extensive air showers. But after the death of PRL Director Sarabhai, the direction of research programme changed and PRL did not permit her to take up the experiment, says the book. After this, she took voluntary retirement and moved back to academic and research work in Calcutta. Whether she was refused due recognition at PRL also? We have no definite answer regarding her being overlooked for promotion etc, but there is indirect evidence of discrimination, said Rajinder Singh. The larger question the book asks is how Indian physicists M N Saha, S N Bose, H J Bhabha, Sarabhai interacted with women scientists. The fact is that Bhabha did not regard Bhibha Chowdhuri as a first-class physicist. C V Raman had been criticized in 1930s as he was not willing to take woman students in Indian Institute of Science. Indo-Asian News Service The country's first solar-wind hybrid auction conducted by the state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has yielded the lowest highly competitive tariff of less than Rs 2.70 per unit, the government said on Wednesday. Addressing the 54th SKOCH Summit here, Union New and Renewable Energy Secretary Anand Kumar said the government has also embarked on the development of non-conventional renewable energy sources, while the first round of auctions for floating solar projects had also successfully discovered tariffs as low as Rs 3.22 per unit. "The first bidding for hybrid solar-cum-wind projects has been successfully held and a tariff of Rs 2.67 per unit has emerged as the lowest one," he said. Kumar also said that having made a global commitment that, 40 percent of India's electric capacity would come from non-fossil fuels by 2030, the country is well on course to install 175 gigawat (GW) of renewable capacity by 2022. "We have already installed 73.35 GW, projects worth 21.5 GW are under various stages of implementation and projects amounting to another 25 GW are under various stages of bidding," he added. Kollegala Sharma Plant scientists have sounded an alarm over a new weed that has been spotted in parts of Karnataka. The plant, identified as Ethulia gracilis Delile, is growing wildly as a weed in several places of Belagavi district of Karnataka and may have come from Africa. It was first collected near Nipani- Chikodi road in the late monsoon of 2017. During subsequent visits, researchers spotted it in Mahalingpur, Mudhol and Jamkhandi Taluks of Bagalkot district also. There are good chances of this weed spreading to other parts of the country like other noxious weeds like Parthenium and Lantana, fear researchers from the Department of Botany, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, who have conducted the study. The research findings have been published in the journal Current Science. It does not affect any specific crop, but is growing in the cultivated fields of drier parts of Karnataka, adversely affecting on the growth of many crops just like other weeds such as Parthenium, Vernonia, Tridax, Chromolaena, Jagdissh Dalavi, who was involved in the identification of the new weed, told India Science Wire. In a casual look, the weed can be mistaken with Vernonia cinereal, another commonly found weed, except that the seeds of Ethulia are without the parachute mechanism which helps in seed dispersal. The weed belongs to a widespread family of decorative plants called Asteraceae. It grows to about two feet height with very sharp leaves and an inflorescence at the top. It was discovered during a survey in the dry fields of Belagavi district of Karnataka. The possibility of it spreading fast is greater because plants of the Asteraceae family are highly evolved among the flower-bearing plants, produce a large number of seeds which can disperse far and wide. They are also resistant to diseases, insect pests and are repulsive to grazing animals. Their tremendous ability to reproduce makes them highly invasive weeds So far it has been reported only from Karnataka. There are some possibilities of occurrence of this species in similar habitats. Only two other species of Ethulia have been found in India, and that too in the North Eastern region. But the new weed Ethulia gracilis is much different from them and resembles a plant growing in Africa. How this weed came into India is a serious issue because it is a native of Africa. India has imported Cajanus and some other crops from Africa, and there are chances of mixing of some seeds of this weed with those, felt Dalvi. At present, there is no specific herbicide or weedicide for the Ethulia gracilis. Besides Jagadish Dalavi, the research team included Sneha Bramhadande, Chirag Narayankar, Suraj Patil and Shrirang Yadav. The locomotive was painted to resemble Air Force One, but George HW Bush joked that if it had been around during his presidency, he may have preferred to ride the rails rather than take to the skies. Austin: The locomotive was painted to resemble Air Force One, but George HW Bush joked that if it had been around during his presidency, he may have preferred to ride the rails rather than take to the skies. I might have left Air Force One behind, Bush quipped during the 2005 unveiling of 4141, a blue and gray locomotive commissioned in honour of the 41st president and unveiled at Texas A&M University. On Thursday, that same 4,300-horsepower machine will carry Bushs casket, along with relatives and close friends, for around 113 kilometres. The journey through five small Texas towns was expected to take about two and a half hours. It will deliver the casket from suburban Houston to College Station. There, a motorcade will take Bush to his presidential library at the university, where he will be laid to rest at a private ceremony next to his wife, Barbara, who died in April, and his daughter Robin, who died at age 3 in 1953. The trains sixth car, a converted baggage hauler called Council Bluffs, has been fitted with transparent sides to allow mourners lining the tracks on Thursday views of Bushs flag draped coffin. It will be the eighth funeral train in US history and the first since Dwight D Eisenhowers body travelled from the National Cathedral in Washington through seven states to his Kansas hometown of Abilene 49 years ago. Abraham Lincolns funeral train was the first, in 1865. Robert F Kennedy was never president, but he was running for the White House when he was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968. His body was later transported to New York City for a funeral Mass and then taken by private train to Washington for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. Thousands of mourners lined the tracks for the 200-plus-mile journey. Union Pacific originally commissioned the Bush locomotive for the opening of an exhibit at his presidential library titled Trains: Tracks of the Iron Horse. It was one of the few times the company has painted a locomotive any colour other than its traditional yellow. After a brief training session during 4141s unveiling 13 years ago, Bush took the engineers seat and helped take the locomotive for a 2-mile excursion. We just rode on the railroads all the time, and Ive never forgotten it, Bush said at the time, recalling how he took trains, and often slept on them, during trips as a child with his family. He also called the locomotive the Air Force One of railroads. Bush, who died last week at his Houston home at age 94, was eulogized on Wednesday at a funeral service at the National Cathedral. By evening, his casket was at St Martins Episcopal Church in Houston. The funeral train has been part of the official planning for his death for years, Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said. Union Pacific was contacted by federal officials in early 2009 and asked, at Bushs request, about providing a funeral train at some point, company spokesman Tom Lange said. We said, Of course and also we have this locomotive that we would want to have obviously be part of it, Lange said. He noted that trains were the mode of transportation that first carried Bush to his service as a naval aviator in World War II and back home again. Eisenhower was the last president to travel by train regularly. A key reason was his wife, Mamie, who hated to fly. During the 1952 campaign, Eisenhower travelled more than 51,000 miles and made 252 stops. And while he often flew, his wife rode the train the whole time, Union Pacific said. Still, when Bush beat Democrat Michael Dukakis and won the presidency in 1988, both candidates used trains to make some campaign stops. Bush also occasionally travelled by train in 1992, when he was defeated by Democrat Bill Clinton, including making Midwest stops aboard a train dubbed The Spirit of America. The Nobel Prize-winning scientist, Albert Einstein, then 74, wrote the one-and-a-half page note to German philosopher Eric Gutkind in response to one of his works New York: A handwritten letter by Albert Einstein in which he grapples with the concept of religion has sold for nearly $2.9 million smashing predictions. Written in 1954, the so-called "God letter" was expected to fetch $1.5 million at Christie's Rockefeller Center auction. The Nobel Prize-winning scientist, then 74, wrote the one-and-a-half page note to German philosopher Eric Gutkind in response to one of his works. It is seen as a key statement in the debate between science and religion. "This remarkably candid, private letter was written a year before Einstein's death and remains the most fully articulated expression of his religious and philosophical views," a statement from Christie's said. It fetched almost double the auction house's predicted price of up to $1.5 million. In the letter, written in his native German, Einstein takes issue with the belief in God. "The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses," he writes. "The Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends." It continues: "No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can [for me] change anything about this." The physicist also muses on his own Jewish identity, writing that it is "like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition". "The Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and in whose mentality I feel profoundly anchored, still for me does not have any different kind of dignity from all other peoples," he writes. It is not the first time Einstein's letters have been put up for auction. In 2017, a note written to an Italian chemistry student who had refused to meet him sold for $6,100. It was sold alongside a number of other letters from Einstein, including a 1928 note that went for $103,000, in which he set out his thoughts for his third stage of the theory of relativity. In 2017 again, a note in which he gave advice on happy living sold for $1.56 million in Jerusalem. Composed of a single sentence, it reads: "A calm and humble life will bring more happiness than the pursuit of success and the constant restlessness that comes with it." Three former presidents looked on at Washington National Cathedral as a fourth George W Bush eulogised his father George HW Bush. 'To us,' the son said of the father, 'he was the brightest of a thousand points of light.' Washington: George HW Bush was celebrated with high praise and loving humour Wednesday as the nation bid farewell to the man who was America's 41st president and the last to fight for the US in wartime. Three former presidents looked on at Washington National Cathedral as a fourth George W Bush eulogised his dad. "To us," the son said of the father, " he was the brightest of a thousand points of light." George W Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost when she was 3 and his mother, Barbara, who died in April. He took comfort in knowing "Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again." For all the sombre tributes to the late president's public service and strength of character, laughter filled the cathedral time after time. The late president's eulogists son included noted Bush's tendency to tangle his words and show his goofy side. He was "the last great-soldier statesman," historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, "our shield" in dangerous times. But he also said that Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply cracked, "Never know. Gotta ask." After the service, the hearse and a long procession of cars headed for Joint Base Andrews and the flight to Texas but first down to the National Mall to pass by the World War II Memorial. The congregation at the cathedral, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Bush's life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, President Donald Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts. Meacham also praised Bush's call to volunteerism his "1,000 points of light" placing it alongside Abraham Lincoln's call to honour "the better angels of our nature" in the American rhetorical canon. Meacham called those lines "companion verses in America's national hymn." Trump had mocked "1,000 points of light" last summer at a rally, saying "What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasn't it?" Former Canadian prime minister Brian Mulroney praised Bush as a strong world leader who helped oversee the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union and set the stage for the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, achieved under his successor, Clinton. With Trump, a NAFTA critic, seated in the front row, Mulroney hailed the "largest and richest free trade area in the history of the world." The three countries have agreed on a revised trade agreement pushed by Trump. Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming, regaled the congregation with stories from his years as Bush's friend in Washington. More seriously, he recalled that when he went through a rough patch in the political game, Bush conspicuously stood by him against the advice of aides. "You would have wanted him on your side," he said. The national funeral service capped three days of remembrance in Washington before Bush's remains return to Texas on Wednesday for burial Thursday. He died Friday at age 94. Bush will lie in repose at Saint Martin's Episcopal Church before burial at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place will be alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukaemia in 1953. On Wednesday morning, a military band played "Hail to the Chief" as Bush's casket was carried down the steps of the US Capitol, where he had lain in state. Family members looked on as servicemen fired off a cannon salute. His hearse was then driven in a motorcade to the cathedral ceremony, slowing in front of the White House. Bush's route was lined with people much of the way, bundled in winter hats and taking photos. Waiting for his arrival inside, Trump shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who greeted him by saying "Good morning." Trump did not shake hands with Bill and Hillary Clinton, who looked straight ahead. Bill Clinton and Mrs Obama smiled and chatted as music played. Carter was seated silently next to Hillary Clinton in the cavernous cathedral. Obama cracked up laughing at someone's quip. Vice President Mike Pence shook Carter's hand. Trump tweeted Wednesday that the day marked "a celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life." Trump and his wife took their seats after the others, briefly greeting the Obamas seated next to them. On Tuesday, soldiers, citizens in wheelchairs and long lines of others on foot wound through the Capitol Rotunda to view Bush's casket and honour a president whose legacy included World War military service and a landmark law affirming the rights of the disabled. Former Senator Bob Dole, a compatriot in war, peace and political struggle, steadied himself out of his wheelchair and saluted his old friend and one-time rival. Trump ordered the federal government closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning. Flags on public buildings are flying at half-staff for 30 days. As at notable moments in his life, Bush brought together Republicans and Democrats in his death, and not only the VIPs. BEIJING (Reuters) - The summit between President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Argentina was 'friendly and candid' and would help to avoid further trade tensions, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Thursday, but offered no new details on the talks. The two leaders held high stakes discussions on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires last week and agreed to a ceasefire in their trade war BEIJING (Reuters) - The summit between President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Argentina was "friendly and candid" and would help to avoid further trade tensions, a senior Chinese diplomat said on Thursday, but offered no new details on the talks. The two leaders held high stakes discussions on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires last week and agreed to a ceasefire in their trade war. State Councillor Wang Yi, the Chinese government's top diplomat, said the talks about trade frictions had been extremely positive and constructive, helping reach a consensus that worked for both China and the United States. Xi and Trump had "deep exchanges in a friendly and candid atmosphere", setting the direction for an appropriate resolution to the problems between the two countries, Wang said, in a statement carried on the foreign ministry's website. "The two sides agreed to jointly promote Sino-U.S. relations based on coordination, cooperation and stability, and promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields in the two countries to achieve even more results," he added. "The discussions on economic and trade issues between the two sides were very positive and constructive, and reached a principled consensus." That consensus included preventing trade frictions from spreading, returning to dialogue to resolve issues, and a joint goal of cooperation to benefit the global economy, Wang said. "All of these help to safeguard China's legitimate interests, and are also in the interests of the United States, and even more are in line with the expectations of the international community," he added. The two countries have hit each other with tit-for-tariffs on goods worth hundreds of billions of dollars in sectors from automobiles to agriculture and energy, stymying trade and redrawing global supply chains. The United States has levied additional duties of between 10 percent and 25 percent on $250 billion of Chinese goods this year as punishment for what it calls China's unfair trade practices. China has responded with its own tariffs. But as part of the truce agreed to by Xi and Trump, the United States will not raise tariffs further on Jan. 1, so further talks can take place. Wang said the facts will prove that the common interests between China and the United States are greater than our differences, and cooperation needs to be greater than friction. However he offered no new details on what China had agreed to with the United States. China expressed confidence on Wednesday that it can reach a trade deal with the United States, a sentiment echoed by Trump a day after he warned of more tariffs if the two sides could not resolve their differences. The White House has said China had committed to start buying more American products and lifting tariff and non-tariff barriers immediately, while beginning talks on structural changes with respect to forced technology transfers and intellectual property protection. China's Commerce Ministry is due to hold its weekly news briefing later on Thursday, where it could offer more details on China's understanding of what had been agreed to. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Adam Jourdan in Shanghai; Editing by Michael Perry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. The chief financial officer of China's global telecommunications giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Friday, triggering a strong protest by Beijing, which called for her immediate release. Ottawa: The chief financial officer of China's global telecommunications giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Friday, triggering a strong protest by Beijing, which called for her immediate release. Meng Wanzhou's detention comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials, who deemed the company a national security threat. Meng "was arrested in Vancouver on 1 December," a statement by Canada's ministry of justice said. "She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday." The ministry added it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that US Department of Justice had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by Huawei. The New York Times meanwhile said that the company had been subpoenaed by the Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions. China's embassy in Ottawa issued a swift reaction to the news, calling for Meng's release. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim," the diplomatic mission said in a statement. "The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Ms Meng Wanzhou." Huawei added it was unaware of any wrongdoing and was in compliance with all applicable laws. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng (Wanzhou)," it said. Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. But despite global success, its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage. Over the summer, Australia also barred Huawei from providing 5G technology for wireless networks in the country over espionage fears. New Zealand followed suit in November, but said the issue was a technological one. In June, Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper reported that US lawmakers warned the Canadian government that Huawei posed a major cybersecurity risk. Despite being essentially barred from the critical US market, Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world's number two smartphone maker in the second quarter of this year and has market leader Samsung in its sights. Meng's arrest comes as Ottawa and Beijing have been engaged in exploratory talks on a free trade agreement for the past two years, which would be the first deal of its kind between China and a western country. By Peter Maushagen BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments that refuse to host refugees could instead pay to be excused from the bloc's system of sharing out migrants, France and Germany proposed on Thursday as they sought to end a long-running EU feud over migration. The move reflects impatience with progress on reforming EU asylum rules ahead of EU parliament elections in May, diplomats said. It aims to narrow gaps between states in central Europe who fear such changes could encourage more migrants, and those such as Italy, where many asylum-seekers reach Europe and which, under current rules, are responsible for accommodating them. By Peter Maushagen BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union governments that refuse to host refugees could instead pay to be excused from the bloc's system of sharing out migrants, France and Germany proposed on Thursday as they sought to end a long-running EU feud over migration. The move reflects impatience with progress on reforming EU asylum rules ahead of EU parliament elections in May, diplomats said. It aims to narrow gaps between states in central Europe who fear such changes could encourage more migrants, and those such as Italy, where many asylum-seekers reach Europe and which, under current rules, are responsible for accommodating them. According to a document circulated to EU interior ministers in Brussels and seen by Reuters, initial host countries would have responsibility for about eight years -- less than the 10 years previously proposed by Berlin, which has taken in the bulk of people who first arrived in Europe in Greece or Italy. And in a further concession to Rome, there should be a special rule for people arriving after being rescued at sea -- Italy's populist government has been refusing to let rescue ships dock at its ports to avoid having to deal with them. Governments would still be obliged to take asylum-seekers from other EU states, but exceptions could be made if countries made "alternative measures of solidarity". That EU language is code for paying into the EU budget or paying towards development projects in Africa, diplomats said, and seeks to end divisions between EU states such as Germany, which are willing to take in refugees, and eastern countries such as Hungary, who reject granting asylum. Mediterranean arrivals of migrants and refugees are below 100,000 people so far this year, according to U.N. data, but the 2015 influx that caught the bloc unprepared has hardened southern and eastern EU governments against migration. The document said the European Union would need a proper mechanism to avoid a situation in which all EU governments opted to pay their way out of any hosting responsibilities and would set an eight-year period for any arrangements. European Parliament President Antonio Tajani said in October more development money for Africa could be an acceptable compromise for eastern, formerly communist EU states that are refusing entry to refugees, mainly from Muslim countries. Germany, France and the Netherlands had previously demanded solidarity from all EU states, but now appear more open to others buying out of the refugee distribution scheme, which was first set out by the European Commission in a series of proposals 2015. Any political agreement is likely to take time, diplomats said, not least because Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the eurosceptic Italian government have built their political image on anti-immigration policies. (Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald; Writing by Robin Emmott; Editing by Alison Williams) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Michel Rose and Jean-Baptiste Vey PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron's government is dropping further fuel-tax hikes in next year's budget in the face of protests across France over living costs, his prime minister said on Wednesday, a day after announcing their suspension for six months. The Macron administration is struggling to defuse the anger driving the 'yellow vest' protests, as it reels from the worst riots seen in central Paris in five decades last Saturday. 'The government is ready for dialogue and is showing it because this tax increase has been dropped from the 2019 budget bill,' Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told the lower house of parliament By Michel Rose and Jean-Baptiste Vey PARIS (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron's government is dropping further fuel-tax hikes in next year's budget in the face of protests across France over living costs, his prime minister said on Wednesday, a day after announcing their suspension for six months. The Macron administration is struggling to defuse the anger driving the "yellow vest" protests, as it reels from the worst riots seen in central Paris in five decades last Saturday. "The government is ready for dialogue and is showing it because this tax increase has been dropped from the 2019 budget bill," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe told the lower house of parliament. The concession was the latest attempt to quell the worst crisis of Macron's presidency after announcing the six-month suspension only the day before. His government indicated earlier that it could also amend a wealth tax that Macron shrank last year to cover only real estate assets, earning him criticism as the "president of the rich". A Macron aide denied that any eventual revision of the wealth tax would represent a major climb-down by Macron, a pro-business former investment banker, adding that the president remained committed to his reform drive. Government spokesman Benjamin Grivet said all tax-related policies needed to be periodically evaluated and, if deemed not to be working, should be changed. He said the wealth tax could be reassessed in the autumn of 2019. "If a measure that we have taken, which is costing the public money, turns out not to be working, if it's not going well, we're not stupid - we would change it," Griveaux told RTL radio. The unrest over the squeeze on household budgets comes as OECD data showed that France has become the most highly taxed country in the developed world, surpassing even high-tax Denmark. Griveaux later told a weekly news conference that Macron had called on all political parties, trade unions and business leaders to press the need for calm. Student protests and planned trade union strikes in the energy and port sectors next week nonetheless underscored the risk of contagion. And with little sign its concessions are calming protesters' nerves, the government is also preparing for a new round of possible violence on Saturday. "I want to tell the thugs, we will stand up to them and won't give an inch," Philippe told lawmakers. Security sources said the government was considering using troops currently used on anti-terrorism patrols to protect public buildings. U-TURN The "yellow vest" movement - so-called because of the high-vis jackets worn by protesters - began with the aim of highlighting the squeeze on household budgets caused by fuel taxes but morphed into a broader, sometimes-violent rebellion against 40-year-old Macron. His administration's shift on fuel tax came after rioters ran amok in central Paris, torching cars, looting boutiques vandalising cafes and private residences and cafes in affluent neighbourhoods. Philippe earlier said the six-month suspension to the carbon-tax would be used to examine other measures to bolster household spending power. It marked the first major U-turn by Macron in his 18-months in office, at a time polls show that barely one in five French people think he is doing a good job. Nearly seven out of eight people told pollsters that the measures did not satisfy the movement's demands, according to an Elabe survey for BFM TV. The poll also found that although 82 percent were against the violence seen last Saturday, 72 percent supported the "gilets jaunes" movement. U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to mock Macron over the policy shift, which could make it harder for France to meet its CO2 emissions reduction target, a core element of the Paris climate agreement of 2015. "I am glad that my friend @EmmanuelMacron and the protestors in Paris have agreed with the conclusion I reached two years ago," Trump tweeted late on Tuesday, as U.N. climate talks take place in Poland on how to enforce global action. "The Paris Agreement is fatally flawed because it raises the price of energy for responsible countries while whitewashing some of the worst polluters." Adding to Macron's difficulties, college students are agitating and the hardline CGT trade union on Wednesday called for strikes in the energy industry and at ports on Dec. 13. Meanwhile, Total said a rising number of its filling stations were running dry as a result of "yellow vest" road blocks. ($1 = 0.8814 euros) (Additional reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Richard Lough, Sophie Louet, Myriam Rivet, Emmanuel Jarry and Leigh Thomas; Writing by Luke baker, Richard Lough and Leigh Thomas; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alison Williams) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Liz Hampton HOUSTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush's family took center stage at his funeral at a Houston church on Thursday, with grandsons who knew him better as 'Gampy' serving as honorary pallbearers and his granddaughters reading from the Bible. By Liz Hampton HOUSTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush's family took center stage at his funeral at a Houston church on Thursday, with grandsons who knew him better as "Gampy" serving as honorary pallbearers and his granddaughters reading from the Bible. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, died last week in Texas at age 94. His remains were flown to Texas on Wednesday evening after a state funeral at Washington's National Cathedral attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, the four living former U.S. presidents and foreign leaders. The service began at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, where Bush worshipped for more than 50 years, with more than 1,000 attendees singing "America the Beautiful." The flag-draped casket was carried in soon after. George P. Bush, son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and one of the former president's 17 grandchildren, reminisced about fly fishing and sharing Blue Bell Creameries ice cream, a well-known Texas brand, as a child with the man he called "Gampy." James Baker, who served as Bush's secretary of state and was a longtime friend, eulogized the former president as a peacemaker and "a truly beautiful human being." "He was not considered a skilled speaker, but his deeds were quite eloquent and he demonstrated their eloquence by carving them into the hard granite of history," Baker said, his voice cracking at moments, summarizing Bush's accomplishments in foreign policy. Mourners laughed as Baker recalled how Bush would let him know a conversation was over: "'Baker, if you're so smart, why am I president and you're not?'" Country music star Reba McEntire was due to be among the musical performers at the service. Following the funeral at St. Martin's, a train will carry his remains about 80 miles (130 km) northwest to College Station, Texas, where he will be laid to rest at his presidential library. The train is a Union Pacific Corp locomotive, numbered 4141 and bearing the name "George Bush 41" on the side that has been in service since 2005. Bush, who narrowly escaped death as a naval aviator who was shot down by Japanese forces over the Pacific Ocean in World War Two, will be buried with military honors, including a flyover by 21 aircraft from the U.S. Navy. Bush was president from 1989 to 1993, navigating the collapse of the Soviet Union and expelling former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's forces from oil-rich Kuwait. He supported the passage of the American with Disabilities Act, a major civil rights law protecting disabled people from discrimination. A patrician figure, Bush was voted out of office in part for failing to connect with ordinary Americans during an economic recession. He has also been criticized for supporting tough drug laws that led to the disproportionate incarceration of black people, as well as what activists call an insufficient response to the AIDS epidemic when he was in power during some of its deadliest years. But many tributes in recent days have focused on the former Republican president as a man of integrity and kindness who represented an earlier era of civility in American politics. That image has been burnished in recent years by the divisiveness and anger in the United States that accompanied the rise of President Donald Trump. (Reporting by Liz Hampton in Houston; Additional reporting by Gary McWilliams in Houston, Steve Holland in Washington, D.C., and Jonathan Allen in New York; Writing by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles and Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Scott Malone and Frances Kerry) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Orhan Coskun ANKARA (Reuters) - Istanbul's chief prosecutor has filed warrants for the arrest of a top aide to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and the deputy head of its foreign intelligence on suspicion of planning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, two Turkish officials said on Wednesday. The prosecutor's office has concluded there is 'strong suspicion' that Saud al-Qahtani and General Ahmed al-Asiri, both removed from their positions in October, were among the planners of Khashoggi's Oct. By Orhan Coskun ANKARA (Reuters) - Istanbul's chief prosecutor has filed warrants for the arrest of a top aide to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler and the deputy head of its foreign intelligence on suspicion of planning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, two Turkish officials said on Wednesday. The prosecutor's office has concluded there is "strong suspicion" that Saud al-Qahtani and General Ahmed al-Asiri, both removed from their positions in October, were among the planners of Khashoggi's Oct. 2 killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the officials said. The move comes a day after senior U.S. senators said they were more certain than ever that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the killing, citing a CIA briefing. A group of the U.S. senators introduced a resolution on Wednesday urging the U.S. government to hold the crown prince accountable for a number of actions, including the Khashoggi killing and contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday called for an international investigation. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pushed to keep international attention on the murder - the order for which he says came from the highest levels of the Saudi government - even as U.S. President Donald Trump has said Washington should not take action that would undermine its relationship with the kingdom. "The prosecution's move to issue arrest warrants for Asiri and Qahtani reflects the view that the Saudi authorities won't take formal action against those individuals," one of the Turkish officials said. "The international community seems to doubt Saudi Arabia's commitment to prosecute this heinous crime. By extraditing all suspects to Turkey, where Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered, the Saudi authorities could address those concerns," the official said. Erdogan has said the order for Khashoggi's killing probably did not come from King Salman, putting the spotlight instead on Salman's heir and de facto ruler Prince Mohammed. Saudi Arabia has said the prince had no prior knowledge of the murder. After offering numerous contradictory explanations, Riyadh later said Khashoggi had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. 'WILFULLY BLIND' Making some of their strongest accusations so far, both U.S. Republicans and Democrats said they want to pass legislation to send a message to Saudi Arabia that the United States condemns the death of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist. "You have to be wilfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organised by people under the command of MbS," Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters after the meeting with Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel, referring to the crown prince by his initials. Graham, who was one of the sponsors of Wednesday's U.S. Senate resolution and has become one of the president's most vocal allies, said there may not be a "smoking gun," but that there was a "smoking saw," a reference to a bone saw that investigators said was used to cut up Khashoggi's body. Trump and some of his fellow Republicans have argued that Washington should not take action that would risk its relationship with Riyadh, which is viewed as an important counterweight to Iran in the Middle East. Erdogan has said that solving the Khashoggi killing would also be in the interest of the Saudi monarchy. The United States last month imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials for their role in the killing. Among those sanctioned were Qahtani, who was formerly a top aide to the crown prince. Qahtani had tried to lure Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia after he moved to Washington a year ago fearing reprisals for his views, according to people close to the journalist and the government. But Asiri, the former deputy head of foreign intelligence, was not on the sanctions list. Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has said Asiri was the one who ordered the operation to repatriate - but not kill - Khashoggi. (Writing by Dominic Evans and David Dolan; Editing by Toby Chopra, Jon Boyle and Chris Reese) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. Tehran: A suicide bomber killed at least two people and wounded many more outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, according to a revised official toll. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. "This terrorist act led to the martyrdom of two members of the police force," the province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, told state television. Chabahar city governor Rahmdel Bameri said earlier that four people were killed and many more wounded when the bomber blew up a car, but later revised the death toll to two. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," Bameri told state television. Many nearby shop owners and civilian passers-by, including women and children, were severely wounded, he added. Chabahar lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border and is home to a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the two countries. The number of assailants was not immediately clear. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," Marashi said without elaborating on how many assailants took part. Chabahar has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman and with Indian assistance Iran has been developing it as a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan. By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators, bent on punishing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said on Thursday they want to vote next week to penalize Riyadh, but struggled to agree on how best to do so. Despite President Donald Trump's desire to maintain close ties to Saudi Arabia, several of his fellow Republicans have joined Democrats in blaming the crown prince for Khashoggi's death and backing legislation to respond by ending U.S By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators, bent on punishing Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, said on Thursday they want to vote next week to penalize Riyadh, but struggled to agree on how best to do so. Despite President Donald Trump's desire to maintain close ties to Saudi Arabia, several of his fellow Republicans have joined Democrats in blaming the crown prince for Khashoggi's death and backing legislation to respond by ending U.S. support for the Saudi-led war effort in Yemen, imposing new sanctions and stopping weapons sales. Five Republican and Democratic senators met behind closed doors on Thursday morning to discuss how to move ahead, saying afterward they had not yet come up with a compromise that could win enough bipartisan support to pass the Senate. The senators' lack of agreement contrasted with their harsh words on Tuesday against the crown prince, the de facto ruler of the kingdom who has denied knowledge of the operation that killed Khashoggi on Oct. 2 in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. A briefing by Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel for senators on Tuesday hardened their resolve to act against the prince known as MbS, who has the support of Trump. There are three different measures making their way through the Senate: a war powers resolution ending any U.S. involvement in the Yemen conflict, legislation imposing a broad clampdown on Saudi Arabia, including ending arms sales and levying new sanctions; and a nonbinding resolution targeting the crown prince. The Senate is expected to vote on the war powers resolution next week, but lawmakers have not yet agreed on how, or whether, it should be amended. Some have questioned whether the resolution is even legal, and others said they want a response to Khashoggi's death but agree with the Trump administration that Washington should continue to back the Saudis as an essential counterweight to Iran. Saudi Arabia is leading a campaign in Yemen against the Houthis, Shi'ite Muslim fighters that Yemen's neighbors view as agents of Iran. The war has killed more than 10,000 people and created the world's most urgent humanitarian crisis. DEFYING TRUMP Fourteen Republicans, who hold a slim majority in the Senate and rarely break from the president, have already defied Trump and voted with Democrats in favor of moving ahead with the war powers resolution. But to become law, the resolution would not just have to pass the Senate this month, but also must pass the House of Representatives and be signed by Trump, neither of which is expected this year. However, backers said Senate passage alone would still be an important step. "A vote on the resolution is a very tough message to Saudi Arabia that the relationship is changing. And you can interpret that as a message on the Yemen war, but you can also interpret that as a message on Khashoggi," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, a co-sponsor, told reporters. It was not immediately clear whether the broader legislation would come up for a Senate vote before lawmakers go home for the year and a new Congress is seated in January, or whether some provisions might be added to the war powers measure. Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who is retiring this month, said he hoped to hold a hearing early next week on the broader legislation. Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the most vocal critics of Saudi Arabia who is close to Trump, introduced the bipartisan, but nonbinding, Senate resolution on Thursday. That measure is intended to hold the Saudi crown prince "accountable" for contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, a blockade of Qatar, the jailing of dissidents and Khashoggi's death. Graham said he supported the idea of stopping U.S. aid for the war in Yemen, but thought the war powers resolution was not constitutional. Many lawmakers have been calling for months for an end to U.S. refueling of Saudi jets that bomb Yemen, often killing civilians. But the murder of Khashoggi, a U.S. resident and Washington Post columnist, added to frustration with the kingdom and prompted even stronger demands for a shift in relations. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jonathan Oatis) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. An estimated 800,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the Trump Administration has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations there. Washington: An estimated 800,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the Trump Administration has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations there. At a Congressional hearing in Washington, Scott Busby, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at the Bureau of the Human Right Democracy and Labor, alleged that Beijing was supporting similar repressive moves by other authoritarian regimes across the globe. "The US government assesses that since April 2017, Chinese authorities have indefinitely detained at least 800,000, and possibly more than 2 million, Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minorities in internment camps," he said. Testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Busby said reports suggested that most of those detained were not being charged, and their families had little or no information about their whereabouts. At first, China denied the existence of such camps, but as public reports have emerged, Chinese authorities now assert that they are "vocational education centres", which glosses over the fact that many renowned Uyghur intellectuals and retired professionals are also detained in these camps, he said. Former detainees, who have reached safety, have spoken of relentless indoctrination and harsh conditions for example, praying and other religious practices are forbidden. "The apparent goal is to force detainees to renounce Islam and embrace the Chinese Communist Party," Busby said. Life outside the internment camps is not much better, he noted. Neighbourhoods have entry and exit checkpoints manned by armed police. Families have been forced to accept Chinese officials into their homes for extended home-stays. Thousands of mosques have been shuttered or destroyed, while some turned into communist propaganda centres, Busby alleged. "Unfortunately, fleeing China is not enough to escape the long arms of the government. China has routinely pressured other countries to return Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minority groups, which has often proven successful," he told the lawmakers. Even when such individuals reach safety, China continues to harass and intimidate them. China's repression of minority groups does not end in Xinjiang, he said. Its policies have spread hundreds of miles away, for instance to the Hui Muslim communities. Tibetans also face continued repression and pervasive surveillance. The Tibetan Autonomous Region was the testing ground for many of the techniques now used in Xinjiang, Busby claimed. Senator Cory Gardner said the so-called authoritarian closing under President Xi Jinping had resulted in an unprecedented and intensifying crackdown on civil society, ethnic minorities and religious freedom in China. "The news of mass concentration camps for Uyghur Muslims and the Xinjiang Autonomous Province has shocked the conscience. And this necessitates a serious response from the United States and the international community," he said. Senator Ed Markey said it was pretty clear that there was a systematic effort by the Chinese government, not just within China, but also around the world, to back those policies which are most repressive and which allow for a compromise of human rights. Senator Tim Kaine said reports indicated that a million Han Chinese have been recruited to forcibly occupy homes of Uyghurs so that those not in detention camps, are having Han Chinese placed in their homes to ensure there isn't a Quran visible and they don't pray during the day. Senator Marco Rubio rued the silence of the Muslim world in the face of the forced internment of hundreds of thousands of Muslims Uyghurs. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit 2018 has announced that its next flagship will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform. The company will release a commercial 5G smartphone with carrier network EE in the UK in 2019. OnePlus also mentioned that it is in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies on 5G development since 2017. In October 2018, OnePlus achieved another breakthrough in 5G research, by releasing the first 5G tweet. Both the companies, together have made significant strides in designing a device ready for 5G integration and commercialization in 2019. Pete Lau said at the event: OnePlus only makes flagship smartphones, and we believe that the Snapdragon 855 is the best and only choice. We are thrilled by its powerful performance and 5G capabilities. OnePlus will continue to bring its users the best technology and the best user experience possible. Alex Katouzian, senior vice president and general manager, mobile, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc The smart wearable market in India has shipped a total of 102,000 units in Q3 2018, according to IDC. This also marks the first quarter where wearable market crossed 100,000 units shipment in the country. The overall India wearables market saw a 17% year-over-year (YoY) growth in the third quarter as vendors shipped a total of 897,000 units in the country. However, the overall shipments declined 11% from the previous quarter largely because of the double-digit decline in the basic wearables. July and August remain flat in terms of new shipments, September did observe a recovery as vendors started gearing up for the online festival sales. As expected, Xiaomi topped the segment for the 5th consecutive quarter with 41% market share in Q3 2018. However, the shipments witnessed a decline of 20% quarter-over-quarter, but it saw a healthy growth of 77% in this quarter when compared to the same time a year ago. The newly launched Mi Band 3 helped the company. GOQii continues to hold the 2nd position with a healthy 47% YoY growth and 19% market share in Q3 2018. It remains the leading player in the commercial segment, as two-thirds of its shipments fall under the enterprises corporate wellness program. Titan phased out its older models and launched Fastracks Reflex 2.0 in the Q3 2018. It helped the brand to get a healthy 70% sequential growth in its overall shipments. Samsung returned to the top five wearable companies in India. It replaced Fitbit as the 4th largest wearables company as its shipments got tripled compared to the previous quarter. Samsung bundled Gear Sport and Galaxy Watch with the launch of Samsung Note 9 and offered them at a discounted price which helped the brand to get a strong momentum in this quarter. Fossil retained to fifth place in Q3 2018. Its shipments witnessed a strong triple-digit sequential growth as Q Explorist Gen 3 recorded healthy shipments in this quarter. Commenting on the growth of smart wearables, Jaipal Singh, Associate Research Manager, Client Devices, IDC India states said: It is too early to say that the India wearables market has started moving towards the smart wearables. However, vendors have started analyzing the big pricing gaps between the basic and smart wearables. He further adds, While vendors need to identify a new pricing sweet spot for smartwatches, the next challenge is to address the positioning of watches which is still seen as a vanity product in India. Also, many vendors havent explored the kid segment which can be a volume driver for this category as they are more comfortable with technology and new products. Source A software issue on Ericsson is said to be causing millions of mobile phone users around unable to use their smartphones. Japanese smartphone users on the SoftBank network and British customers on O2 are facing network outage as the 4G network crashed around 5 am local time in the UK. The O2 mobile network is said it was working with the supplier to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and other telecoms companies around the world had also suffered outages. The issue is related to Ericsson equipment. which is also a supplier to SoftBank in Japan. O2 has over 32 million customers on its network including Tesco Mobile and GiffGaff. O2 in a statement said: One of our global suppliers has identified a global software issue in the system. Large parts of SoftBanks mobile network also remained out of operation across central Japan on Thursday. In a statement on its website, SoftBank apologised to customers and said that it was examining the cause of the problem. The outage struck less than two weeks before a scheduled initial public offering for SoftBanks mobile business. Source By continuing to browse our site you agree to our Privacy & Cookie Policy. > Privacy & Cookie Policy I Agree General Electric (NYSE:GE) and Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) were both founded over 100 years ago. Each is facing headwinds today, but over time they have both proven themselves to be survivors. However, one of these iconic stocks is in a much better position than the other right now. Here's what you need to know to make the choice between GE and Coca-Cola. An industrial-size turnaround General Electric's troubles date back to Jack Welch, which might sound like heresy to some. But under his leadership, the industrial conglomerate allowed its finance arm to spread from supporting customer purchases into other, far riskier (in hindsight) areas of finance, like home loans. When the financial crisis hit, pushing the United States into a deep recession between 2007 and 2009, the finance arm turned into a massive trouble spot, which Welch's successor, Jeffrey Immelt, was left to handle. Asset sales, writedowns, a dividend cut, and a government bailout were all part of the equation. It appeared that Immelt had streamlined GE around its core industrial business, which the CEO started to bolster via acquisitions like Alstom's power business and a majority stake in energy-focused Baker Hughes, a GE Company. Despite the acquisition activity, financial results weren't improving as expected, and in something of a surprise move, Immelt was replaced in 2017 with John Flannery, a longtime company insider. Like his predecessor, Flannery was left with the unfortunate task of reporting that GE was in worse shape than investors thought. The solution was, again, to shed businesses, take writedowns, and cut the dividend. After about a year, the board decided that Flannery wasn't moving quickly enough and replaced him with outsider Lawrence Culp. Bringing in an outsider is a major departure from past practices and suggests that the board thinks big changes are needed. Culp had a long and successful history running Danaher and was a GE board member. The general consensus is that he was a good choice. Culp's first step was to report that GE was in worse shape than investors thought. He followed with a plan to sell assets and take one-time charges, and reduced the dividend to a token $0.01 per share per quarter. The stock has lost more than 70% of its value over the last five years and the price is now lower than it was during the worst of the 2007-2009 recession. Investors are worried that some of the moves Culp is making, such as selling a portion of its Baker Hughes, a GE Company stake, hint that things could be even worse than they appear. In fact, Culp has noted that fixing the balance sheet is a key priority. With long-term debt making up around 75% of the capital structure, that's not surprising. But it is an especially troubling figure for a company operating in the cyclical industrial industry, particularly since the economy seems to be at a high point. General Electric still has important industrial businesses with huge global footprints. A turnaround isn't impossible, but getting from where the company is today to a point where it can start to grow again is likely to be a long process. GE, for all its past glories, is a turnaround story that's only appropriate for more aggressive investors. Most should probably avoid the stock. On sounder footing That is why Coca-Cola is a better option today, though maybe not a great buy, either. This iconic beverage company is facing headwinds, notably including slowing demand for carbonated beverages. It's even seeing a pushback on the government level, with soda taxes popping up in a number of areas to stem consumption of sugary drinks. These are not small issues for a company that's still heavily reliant on soda sales. In fact, Coca-Cola's stock has been a laggard, up only around 21% over the past five years while the S&P 500 gained roughly 48%. That said, Coca-Cola has been adjusting with the times. It has branched out beyond its core soda business, recently buying a European coffee brand, dipping its toes into the alcohol space (after exiting it many years ago), and even holding discussions with a cannabis company. There's always the risk that these moves don't work out, but the company clearly isn't sitting still and allowing the world to pass it by. Perhaps more importantly, Coca-Cola appears financially healthy. Although the top line has been falling, the company should have plenty of leeway to make the adjustments noted above. Indeed, while net income has been relatively weak, gross margin and operating margin remain robust, helping to keep the company solidly in the black. And it sells small products to lots of end customers on a regular basis, which gives its business a solid underpinning even though the top-line has been under pressure. Compared to GE, Coca-Cola appears to be in a much better position to adjust its business. That said, interested investors will want to keep an eye on its balance sheet. Long-term debt makes up nearly two-thirds of the company's capital structure. That's not outlandish when you consider its business, but such a high level of leverage could become a constraint over time if its efforts to expand into new areas don't work out as planned. Still, compared to GE, Coca-Cola's effort to get growth back on track is based on a much stronger financial foundation. Weighing the pros and cons The choice between GE and Coca-Cola really boils down to balancing risk and reward. General Electric could turn out to be a highly profitable investment, but only if the latest turnaround effort pans out as hoped. And even then, a business recovery is likely many years away. GE is a high-risk turnaround play today that most investors should avoid. Coca-Cola is also facing some headwinds, but they aren't nearly as substantial. And the beverage company's business tends to be resilient over time, which will allow it more leeway to adjust to changing consumer tastes. It is already making notable moves in this regard. That said, when considering risk versus reward, most investors will probably want to wait until Coca-Cola gets the top line heading higher again. So while Coke is likely a better option than GE today, it's still not a great long-term investment opportunity. Nobody understood our relationship least of all us. It was, admittedly, odd. I like you, the first President Bush wrote me once, after he was out of office. Please dont tell anyone. In decades of correspondence, he tried to figure out why we stayed in touch, beginning one note Darn you Maureen Dowd and mischievously observing in another, Sometimes I found it better around my family to go Maureen who? At times, typing on what he called my little IBM, he signed off Con afecto, GB, or if I was writing critically about his sons, Con Afecto, still, just barely though! gb. Or Love scratched out and replaced with the handwritten rebuke, not quite there yet. I come from a line of Irish maids who worked for the first families of America, the Mellons and the Gores, wealthy, aristocratic families like the Bushes. George Herbert Walker Bush, known by his childhood nickname of Poppy, was cared for by maids and chauffeured to kindergarten at Greenwich Country Day School. His idea of cursing like a sailor entailed unleashing a string of epithets like Golly! Darn! and Oh, shoot! Student protesters clash with police in Marseille Rubbish bins and cars in flames (ANSAmed) - PARIS, DECEMBER 6 - Violent clashes took place between students on strike and police in Marseille on Thursday. The students set rubbish bins on fire in the Old Port area and near the Saint-Charles train station. Some cars were tipped over and set on fire in front of Victor Hugo high school near the train station.(ANSAmed). (ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL - The Turkish top appeals court has acquitted a woman who stabbed to death her husband while he was trying to rape her for ''exercising her right to legitimate defense'' in a sentence described by local media as historic. The case dates back to 2014 when in the southern province of Antalya, Slihan S- killed Ozgir E. at their home. After stabbing him, the woman immediately called for an ambulance and tried to block the hemorrhage caused by the wounds but her husband died as he was being taken to the hospital. She was sentenced to life in prison by a court of first instance while and appeals court later reduced the term to 16 years. She has now been acquitted by the top appeals court. As in similar incidents, the story caught the attention of the public opinion in Turkey, where violence against women is a particularly alarming phenomenon. According to the Platform against femicides, at least 340 women have been killed since the start of the year. (ANSAmed) (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, DECEMBER 6 - Some 1,000 Syrian refugees in Lebanon returned Thursday to Syria, according to reports published by Lebanese news agency Nna and Syria's government agency Sana. The sources said that some 1,000 Syrian civilians, who were ''hosted'' in Lebanon when the war started in Syria in 2011, went back through the crossings of Dabbusiye, Zamarani and Jdeidet Yabus. Since 2011, some 1,000 Syrian refugees were registered by the UN in Lebanon, a country with a population of a little less than four million residents. Lebanese authorities have for years said that the Syrian ''temporary guests'' were the main cause of the socio-economic crisis and an increase in crime rates. For the past six months, the Lebanese and Syrian governments, which have traditionally had more than cordial relations, agreed on a plan for the gradual return of Syrian refugees, with the support of Hezbollah, the pro-Iranian militia allied to the Syrian regime and an integral part of Lebanese institutions. From June until today, tens of thousands of Syrian refugees have returned to Syria. According to the UN there are still over 950,000 residing in Lebanon. (ANSAmed) Moto G7 FCC listing reveals RAM and storage details News oi-Abhinaya Prabhu Though there are a few more months for the announcement of the Moto G7 lineup, rumors seem not to cease. Motorola has been launching mid-range smartphones in the G series since the past few years. The lineup is quite popular and has garnered success to the brand. Next year, the company is speculated to be working on the refreshed G series models belonging to the G7 lineup. We have already come across quite a few rumors and speculations regarding these upcoming Motorola smartphones. Now, the FCC listing of these phones has emerged online revealing a few details regarding the memory capacity. Moto G7 FCC listing As per a report by 91mobiles citing the FCC documents, Moto G7 will arrive in two storage configurations - one with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM and the other with 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM. The FCC listing shows that the device will arrive with the model number Motorola XT1962 and come in varying configurations depending on the market. It is said that the device will be launched with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage space in India, Asia Pacific and other emerging markets. On the other hand, the 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM variant is said to be launched in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and Europe. In addition to these, the 3GB + 64GB variant will be made available in Latin America and the 3GB + 32GB and 64GB variants will be heading to North America. Other details of Moto G7 Besides the storage aspects, the FCC listing also mentions that the smartphone will support NFC in select markets. It is believed to feature a dual camera module at its rear and dual band WiFi support. The battery output is rated to be 5V, 3A or 9V, 2A or 12V, 1.5A. The models of the device to be launched in North America and Latin America are to carry the model numbers XT1962-1 and XT1962-4. The other markets are said to get the device with the model numbers XT1962-5 and XT1962-6. Moto G7 launch date We can expect Motorola to showcase the Moto G7 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 tech show in February 2019. The G7 phones are expected to have an almost similar design as the yesteryear models but a waterdrop notch is likely to be present to house the front camera. For now, it is speculated that the device will have an octa-core Snapdragon 632 SoC, 3000mAh battery and 6.24-inch FHD+ display. We have also come reports that the Moto G7 Power and G7 Play are in the making with the former likely to have a 5000mAh battery. 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 Samsung Galaxy S10+ leaked image renders suggests four rear cameras News oi-Sandeep Sarkar The Galaxy S10+ Ice Blue color variant has been shared in the image renders and the device offers a gradient color pattern at the side panels. Samsung is prepping up to bring its next flagship the Galaxy S10 lineup by next year. The upcoming flagship Samsung Galaxy S10 is tipped to come in four different variants including three premium and one low-end variant. Recently, a leaked screen protector image of the Galaxy S10+ was spotted online. The leaked image of the protective film suggests that the smartphone will have a display hole which will accommodate the dual-front cameras on the device. Well, it appears that the rumor mill doesn't just stop here and the Galaxy S10+ has now been spotted via 360-degree video renders shared by 91mobiles and @OnLeaks. The latest renders shed some insight on the imaging capabilities and design of the Galaxy S10+ smartphone. Samsung is expected to use an Infinity-O display panel on the Galaxy S10 lineup of smartphones. The display on the Galaxy S10 series will have a pill-shaped in-display hole which will house the dual font cameras. The latest leaked image renders of the Galaxy S10+ shows the narrow bezels around the display of the device, the chin at the bottom is also comparatively smaller. The display comes with curved edges. This means that the device will offer a maximum screen surface and will be optimum for media consumptions. The image renders further reiterates the 'pill-shaped' camera hole at the front panel. The dual front cameras are placed at the top right corner of the display. The Galaxy S10+ image renders also shows the antenna lines covering the sides, top and bottom panel of the smartphone. The SIM card tray is placed at the top, whereas, the USB Type-C port for charging and data transfers, a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio output and the speaker grille is placed at the bottom of the device. As for the camera setup, the rear panel comprises of a four-lens camera module which is stacked horizontally. While the lenses placed at either side are said to carry a wide angle aperture, the lenses placed at the middle are expected to be depth-sensing and telephoto sensors. The front camera is already tipped to be a dual-lens setup. This means that the Galaxy S10+ will feature six cameras in total. The Galaxy S10+ Ice Blue color variant has been shared in the image renders and the device offers a gradient color pattern at the side panels. While the left panel of the device houses the volume rockers and the power key, the right panel has the Bixby button. Image Source 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 Yemen: accord formalized to exchange prisoners At opening of talks between loyalists and Houthis in Sweden (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, DECEMBER 6 - The United Nations on Thursday formalized an agreement for the exchange of prisoners between Yemen's pro-Saudi loyalist forces and Houthi insurgents close to Iran, at the opening of peace talks in Sweden. Sources with the Houthis and the pro-Saudi government based in Aden have recently said that thousands of prisoners will be exchanged after the UN-mediated meetings. (ANSAmed) U.S. District Judge Brian Morris ruled on Nov. 28 that TransCanada can continue to do preliminary work on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline while his order blocking the construction is still in effect. On Nov. 28, TransCanada attorneys argued Judge Morris should clarify or amend his ruling for the injunction to include applying to finalizing contracts, purchase materials, conduct land surveys and discuss federal permits. The company wants to continue preparing so pipeline construction could start as early as mid-February. On Nov. 8, Judge Morris had blocked TransCanadas permit to continue building and making plans for the pipeline, which will route to northern Phillips and Valley County. At that time, the Judge had ruled the Trump administration had not fully considered the environmental effects of the pipeline and ordered a new review. After over a year of negotiations, President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, signed a deal to implement USMCA and replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. In order for the deal to go into full effect, all three legislative bodies need to approve the agreement, which Trump states he will put pressure on Congress to get it approved. The USMCA will account for more than $1.2 trillion in trade and will include changes to automakers, labor and environmental standards, intellectual property protections and some digital trade provisions. One big change is U.S farmers will gain more access to the Canadian dairy market, which was a sticking point for Trump. Canada will provide access for United States products including fluid milk, cream, butter, skim milk powder, cheese and other dairy products. Canada will also provide new access for United States chicken and eggs while also increasing its access for turkey. Under this agreement, all other tariffs on agricultural products traded between the United States and Mexico will remain at zero. Canada has also agreed to grade imports of United States wheat in a manner no less favorable than it accords Canadian wheat and to not require a country of origin statement on its quality grade or inspection certificate. Canada and the United States also agreed to discuss issues related to seed regulatory systems. Mexico and the United States also agreed that grading standards and services will be non-discriminatory for all agricultural goods and will establish conversations to discuss grading and quality trade-related matters. Another big change is automobiles must have 75 percent of their components manufactured in Mexico, the U.S. or Canada to qualify for zero tariffs. This percentage is up from 62.5 percent under NAFTA. Labor provisions will also be included with 40 to 45 percent of automobile parts have to be made by workers who earn at least $16 an hour by 2023. Mexico has agreed to pass laws giving workers the right to union representation, extending labor protections to migrant workers and protecting women from discrimination. The countries can also sanction one another for labor violations. I will be formally terminating NAFTA shortly, said Trump to reporters on Air Force One on his way back from the G20 summit in Argentina, which was held this past weekend. If the President follows through, leaders will have six months to ratify the new deal. However, Congress isnt so sure about approving the new agreement. The new wage requirement is certainly a bonus for autoworkers, but members of Congress remain unsure the provisions would be enforceable. The work is not done yet, Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown stated. I understand the President said its final. The President needs to talk to Congress on this. Its not only Democrats who are unsure of the agreement, as Republicans are also doubtful. Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Tooney said he would support it with a few tweaks that move it in the direction of a more pro-trade agreement. Before finalizing the agreement, Congress can suggest small changes to be made without having Mexico, Canada and the United States go back to the negotiation process. Analysts close to the situation say Congress will wait for an economic impact study from the United States International Trade Commission before voting. The commission has 105 days or until mid-March to release the report. If no deal is reached, the treaty would become void and result in restrictive trade, which will have negative consequents on both industry and agriculture. Anthony R. D. Curley, 71, of Nashua, Mont., passed away Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, in Glasgow, Mont. Family will receive friends on Friday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. at Bell Mortuary. Burial with military honors will take place on Saturday, Dec. 8, at 10 a.m., at the Nashua Cemetery. A Requiem Mass will be held following the burial at The Monastery in Nashua, with The Most Reverend Abbott Martin Andrew officiating. He was born July 1, 1947, in Fort Wayne, Ind., to Mr. Edmund Curley and Mary Eileen Pope. He received his early education in Pasadena, Calif., graduating from Pasadena Academy High School. He attended several colleges including receiving a Masters Degree from Point Loma Nazarene as well as Doctorate in Sacred Theology. He was a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, from which he retired. He was a survivor of the Vietnam War. He was called by God to become the founder and Bishop of The Benedictine Community of Saint Anthony. He is preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by three children, Martin A. Pritchard-Curley, Elizabeth Hahn and Matthew Curley. Slovak PM Says Russian Diplomat Expelled For Spying December 05, 2018 Slovakia has expelled a Russian diplomat as an alleged spy. Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini announced on December 5 that the diplomat was expelled in late November after information provided by military intelligence indicated he was working as a spy. Pellegrini did not name the expelled diplomat but said the Russian man had been declared persona non grata "for engaging in intelligence activities against Slovakia and NATO." "We expelled him on November 22 and he left Slovakia within 48 hours," Pellegrini told journalists in Bratislava, adding that man's spying activities contravened the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. There was no immediate reaction from Russia about Pellegrini's remarks. Slovakia is a member of NATO and the European Union. Based on reporting by Reuters, SME, etrend.sk, and TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/slovak-pm-says-russian- diplomat-expelled-for-spying/29639128.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 Slovakia Expels Russian Diplomat Allegedly Engaged in Espionage - Reports Sputnik News 13:11 05.12.2018(updated 14:12 05.12.2018) This is not the first time European states have accused Russia of espionage. Earlier, the Austrian government announced on 9 November that they had launched an investigation into a 70-year-old retired colonel, suspected of working for Russian intelligence since the 1990s. Moscow has denied the allegations, calling them baseless. Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini announced on 5 December that the country expelled a Russian diplomat over information received from the country's military intelligence service that the envoy was engaged in espionage, the Slovak media outlet Dennik reported. "We expelled him on 22 November and he left Slovakia within 48 hours", Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini said. The prime minister added that the diplomat, who was working in the military attache department of the Russian Embassy, had spied against the "interests of the Slovak Republic and NATO". Pellegrini said that the expulsion went smoothly and in accordance with diplomatic norms. The Slovak Embassy in Moscow refused to comment on reports about the Russian diplomat's expulsion from the country and advised to address the Foreign Ministry with regard to the issue. The ministry's spokesman also declined to comment on the incident. The Russian Embassy in Slovakia announced that it is studying information about the expulsion of its diplomat. Russian intelligence has declined to comment on the matter. Earlier, Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz announced on 9 November 2018 that the country suspects a 70-year-old retired colonel of spying for Moscow since the 1990s, but failed to present any evidence proving that. At the same time, Austria decided not to expel any Russian diplomats over the case. Russia denied Vienna's accusations and slammed its approach to resolving the issue, scolding it for resorting to "megaphone diplomacy". Moscow urged Vienna to use conventional diplomatic channels in such cases. Slovakia is the only country from the Visegrad Group (Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary), who refused to expel Russian diplomats in solidarity with other European states over Moscow's alleged involvement in the Skripals' poisoning. Instead, Bratislava only summoned the Russian ambassador for a meeting. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address by Lucky Cleveland! Since Nov. 18, residents and visitors to the Cleveland Museum of Art have been able to see six tapestries, woven in the mid 1570s, that have been under wraps, locked away, almost ever since then. For some 100 years, at least, theyve been in the store rooms of the Uffizi Galery and before that in the Palazzo Vecchio Medici store rooms. They are the Valois tapestries, commissioned by Catherine de Medici after her husband, Francois I, died and left her queen mother and regent (for a while). Catherine, of course, knew how to use art to project powerand the weavings commemorate the court festivals she staged to project the power of Frances ruling family. Over the years, they had faded, been damaged by bugs, and tarnishedtheyre laden with gold and silver threadsby time. But in recent years, the American-based Friends of the Uffizi Gallery (sister to the Italian organization) stepped in to fund the conservation of the tapestries. When they (well, six of eight) were ready to be shown, Cleveland director William Griswold asked Uffizi director Eike Schmidt for them, and he got them. The Cleveland museum gathered related art workssuch as hard-stone objects collected by Catherine and portraits of her, her son Henri II, and other paintingsand mounted an exhibition called Renaissance Splendor: Catherine de Medicis Valois Tapestries. I reviewed the exhibition for The Wall Street Journal, and it was published in yesterdays paper. Here are a few excerpts: In each one, life-size kings, princes, princesses and courtiers occupy a corner of the foreground. Based on drawings by court portraitist Francois Clouet and artists in his circle, many of these characters make eye contact with the viewer. Its as if they are inviting visitors into the grand scenes taking place behind them, which use drawings by Antoine Caron and written records of the magnificences as inspiration. SoIn Whale, a marvelous mechanical sea monster, with unlikely spouts, a pug nose and whiskers more suited to a catfish, noses up to a barge where a tiny Catherine, dressed in black widows garb, is watching the show. And in Elephant, soldiers secure the mechanical animal, festooned with feathers, which carries a crowd of clamoring soldiers at war with a group below. the tapestries are busy with charming details that will draw in even casual visitors. To name just a few: the cute chateau in Fontainebleau set amid make-believe mountains; the sun-kissed allee in Polish Ambassadors; the amusing mermaids afloat on a turtle in Whale. The borders, meanwhile, are beautifully laden flowers and plants, interspersed with fish, monkeys, deer and other animalseven a tiny snail in the lower border of Tournament. Ill post a two of them here (from the CMA)Whale and Elephant and hope you will see the show if you can. Houthis: Only political solution can end war in Yemen IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 5, IRNA -- A senior Houthi leader says his group hopes upcoming peace talks in Sweden will end the war in Yemen and lead to an 'inclusive political dialogue'. Abdul Malik al-Ajri told Al Jazeera that the Houthis are hoping to discuss a range of issues at the talks, including the drafting of a new constitution and the decentralization of power. 'We are hoping these negotiations will help end the war,' al-Ajri said. 'We will be calling for the land, sea and air blockade imposed on Yemen [by Saudi Arabia and the UAE] to be lifted, and for restrictions on goods entering the country to be lifted.' Saudi Arabia has led a coalition fighting against the Houthis since March 2015, months after they toppled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's government. According to the UN, the planned 'consultations', which could start on either Wednesday or Thursday, will be attended by the main 'parties to the conflict' - even as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who play a leading role in the war, and Iran, which supposedly backs the Houthis, are not invited. However, all three countries, which have considerable leverage over the opposing sides, have said they support the UN's initiative to end the war, al-Ajri said. The Special UN Envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffith, has been hoping to get both sides to agree to a 'framework' that 'establishes the principles and parameters for UN-led, inclusive Yemeni negotiations to end the war, and restart a political transition'. 'Yemen is a small and simple country. It is culturally homogenous and there are no ethnic or cultural divisions,' al-Ajri said. 'We hope to engage in an inclusive political dialogue that will lead to a new transitional process." 'Yemen's need for federalism is so that it can overcome one center of power and the country's wealth can be distributed fairly among everyone.' 8072**2050 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ansarullah Spokesman: Yemen to spare no efforts for peace talks success IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Dec 5, IRNA -- Yemeni delegation will spare no efforts for the peace talks success and end of war and blockade, Yemen's Ansarullah movement spokesman said in a message. According to Yemeni media 'Al-Masirah', Mohammad Abdul Salam wrote on his Twitter account that Yemeni army and the popular committees should also be vigilant of the aggressors' attacks. Earlier, Spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that the enemy has resumed its attacks on Baqim, Albuqa and Razih districts, adding that their attempts failed. Meanwhile, a senior member of Ansarullah movement's Political Council Mohammad al-Bakhiti said conditions are good for the Yemeni delegations' trip to Sweden. The Yemeni peace talks are supposed to get underway in Stockholm, Sweden on Thursday. The intra-Yemeni talks which were earlier supposed to be held on September 6 postponed due to Saudis' sabotage. The first round of the Yemeni peace talks were held on December 2015 in Geneva but the meeting brought no results. Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in a message expressed Iran's support for the intra-Yemeni talks to resolve crisis. "Iran supports the upcoming intra-Yemeni talks in Sweden. All sides should enter constructive and responsible engagement to end the crisis in #Yemen. The world has historic responsibility to back dialogue incl by halting arming of aggressors," he tweeted on Monday. The Iranian foreign ministry has offered the country's support for the upcoming Yemen talks in Sweden, calling on all Yemeni sides to have a "constructive and responsible" engagement in the Stockholm talks with the goal of putting an end to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched a devastating military campaign against Yemen in March 2015, with the aim of bringing the government of Mansour Hadi back to power and crushing the country's Houthi Ansarullah Movement. Some 16,000 Yemenis have been killed and thousands more injured since the onset of the Saudi-led aggression. The assaults of the Saudi-led coalition forces have failed to stop the Yemenis from resisting the aggression. 9376**1771 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Foreign Ministers conclude two-day meeting in Brussels NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation 05 Dec. 2018 NATO Foreign Ministers concluded two days of meetings in Brussels on Wednesday (5 December 2018), focused on issues including the INF Treaty, the Sea of Azov, the Western Balkans, Afghanistan, and the Alliance's new training mission in Iraq. At the conclusion of the meeting, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted that Foreign Ministers will next meet in Washington in April 2019, marking 70 years since the Alliance's founding. He added that Allied leaders will also meet later next year. On Tuesday, NATO Foreign Ministers agreed that Russia has developed and fielded a new ground-launched cruise missile system the SSC-8, or 9M729 which violates the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. Allies expressed firm commitment to preserving effective international arms control, and agreed to keep the fielding of the Russian missiles under close review. Secretary General Stoltenberg said: "Russia now has a last chance to come back into compliance with the INF Treaty, but we must also start to prepare for a world without the Treaty." Foreign Ministers also met with their colleagues from Georgia and Ukraine. They stressed the Alliance's strong political and practical support for both countries, especially in the face of continuing aggressive actions from Russia. They expressed particular concern about Russia's actions near the Sea of Azov, and called on Moscow to release the Ukrainian sailors and ships seized in late November. Allies agreed to keep working to prepare Georgia for NATO membership, and welcomed the country's significant progress on reforms. They also recognized Ukraine's aspirations to join the Alliance, and encouraged Kyiv to continue on the path of reform. Later on Tuesday, ministers met to address NATO's response to challenges from the Middle East and North Africa. They welcomed that NATO's new training mission in Iraq has now begun work. The mission will help local forces stabilize the country, and tackle terrorism at its root. On Wednesday, Allies discussed the situation in the Western Balkans, including Skopje's progress towards NATO membership. Foreign Ministers also agreed to continue supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina. Should the country choose to take the step, NATO is now ready to accept Sarajevo's first Annual National Programme: a cooperation tool covering political, economic and defence reform. Ministers also discussed the situation in Kosovo. Following the meeting, the Secretary General expressed concerns about plans to transform the Kosovo Security Force into an army, calling the step "ill-timed" and a complicating factor in the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina. The ministerial concluded with a meeting of all nations contributing to NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Nations reaffirmed their commitment to Afghanistan's long-term security and stability, and to an Afghan-led and owned peace process. Following the meeting, Secretary General Stoltenberg called on the Taliban to lay down arms and come to the negotiating table. He further called on the Afghan authorities to address shortcomings in their election process ahead of next year's presidential vote. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran raps US envoy's meetings with OPEC members as 'unprofessional, meddlesome' Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 10:19PM Iranian oil minister has lashed out at US special representative for Iran Brian Hook over his "meddlesome" meetings with members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna, asserting that OPEC is an independent body that does not take orders from the US. Bijan Namdar Zanganeh made the remarks in reaction to Hook's Wednesday meeting with Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih one day before OPEC's 175th meeting in Vienna. "If Mr. Hook has come to Vienna to apply for US membership in OPEC, and this is the reason why he meets OPEC members, the request can be reviewed," Zanganeh told SHANA. Otherwise, he added, the US official has adopted an unprofessional, naive, and meddlesome approach. "OPEC is an independent organization, not a part of the US Department of Energy to take orders from Washington," said Zanganeh, who has left Tehran for Vienna to attend the OPEC summit on Thursday and Friday. Hook's meeting with the Saudi minister came as Riyadh has indicated a need for steep reductions in output from January but has come under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has urged Saudis to refrain from output cuts in order to keep oil prices low. OPEC members will meet on Thursday and hold talks with allies such as Russia on Friday. The meetings are expected to be focused on a deal to reduce output, but Iran's OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardabili believes an agreement is unlikely to be reached. Ardabili says any meaningful cuts in production must be made by the countries which have pumped above their quotas in breach of a 2007 deal between OPEC and non-OPEC oil producers. The deal is monitored by the Joint OPEC/Non-OPEC Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC), which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and Russia. Ardabili said the committee has unilaterally allowed certain members to produce above their quotas since May despite being "obliged to inform other OPEC members of any change in production and secure their consensus." Despite the Iranian official's remarks, Kuwait's oil ministry said on its Twitter account on Wednesday that a long-term cooperation agreement is expected to be signed between OPEC and non-OPEC countries. The possible deal will come after some OPEC and non-OPEC members motivated by an urge to get a better market share sharply increased their oil production, which led to a $30 drop in oil prices from their highest point. The production surge took place in the run-up to Trump's pledge to sanction Iran's oil sector on Nov. 4 and later decide to give waivers to some customers. Major producers such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the UAE and Kuwait pounced on the occasion to produce as much oil as they could, anticipating a steep drop in Iran's exports which did not happen. The move has frustrated many producers, prompting Qatar to announce that it was quitting OPEC to focus on gas in a swipe at Saudi Arabia. So far, OPEC members have lost $9 billion in total against $2.7 billion earned by the producers which have increased their production, he said. Iran is suffering both as a result of lower prices and a decline in its oil exports because of the US sanctions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Egyptian court gives life sentence to Muslim Brotherhood leaders Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 06:53PM A court in Egypt has sentenced to life in prison Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie, his deputy Khairat al-Shater, and four others over their alleged role in violence at the time of the ouster of the first democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Judicial sources said the court issued the ruling on Wednesday as part of a retrial over violence between Brotherhood supporters and opponents near the Brotherhood headquarters in the capital Cairo back in 2013. The rulings are the latest among several trials and retrials of Badie and other senior leaders of the Brotherhood that ruled the African country before the military, led by incumbent President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, ousted Morsi following mass protests in 2013. The court on Wednesday sentenced Badie, Shater and four others to life in prison over violence between Brotherhood supporters and opponents near the headquarters, but acquitted former Parliament Speaker Saad al-Katatny along with a former minister, two prominent Brotherhood figures and two others. All of the defendants have the right to appeal one final time before the Court of Cassation, Egypt's highest civilian court. The public prosecution may also appeal the acquittals or the life prison terms that two defendants got instead of death penalty. The defendants faced charges of inciting violence against the protesters in front of the Brotherhood headquarters, aggravated battery and possession of firearms. Authorities had referred 18 defendants, including five who remain at large, to trial in the case and a ruling was issued in 2015. In January 2016, the Court of Cassation ordered the latest retrial after it accepted 13 defendants' appeals. Mohamed Mahdi Akef, the former chairman of the Brotherhood, was among the defendants and died before receiving a sentence. Also on Wednesday, two security sources and a judicial source said Egyptian authorities detained Ahmed Suleiman, a justice minister under Morsi, at his home in Minya governorate on Tuesday. Suleiman was later transferred to Cairo and is being investigated for belonging to a banned group, according to the security sources. The former minister had censured the arrest and trial of Brotherhood leaders after Morsi was overthrown. Rights groups in Egypt and across the world have recorded cases of irregularities in the trials of political prisoners in the country. They say the army's clampdown on the supporters of Morsi has led to the death of some 1,500 people and the arrest of 22,000 others, including 200 people who have been sentenced to death in mass trials. The Sisi administration has outlawed the Brotherhood, which is Egypt's oldest opposition movement. The group operated under strict measures during the rule of longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak, who was himself removed from power following an uprising in 2011. Morsi had been sentenced to death on charges of corruption, escaping from prison and inciting violence before the Court of Cassation overturned that ruling in November last year and ordered a retrial. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Israel launches air balloon with spy camera over southern Lebanon village Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 06:29PM The Israeli military has reportedly launched an air balloon with surveillance cameras from one of its military positions over a village in Lebanon's southern province of Nabatieh in light of a recent operation Israel has undertaken to block what it claims are tunnels Hezbollah resistance movement has dug into occupied territories. Lebanon's official National News Agency (NNA) reported on Wednesday that Israeli forces flew the balloon over Meiss Ej Jabal village in the Marjeyoun district of the province. The report added that Israeli troops have also installed a surveillance camera on the outskirts of Kafar Kila village near the cement separation wall between Lebanon and occupied lands. Local sources, requesting not to be named, said the camera was pointed at Lebanese territories. Berri: Israel gave no proof of Hezbollah border tunnels Meanwhile, Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri says the Israeli regime has failed to provide any evidence for alleged tunnels dug from Lebanon into occupied territories by Hezbollah resistance fighters. "The Israelis did not present any information" at the meeting with the Lebanese army and the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, a statement from Berri's office said. Berri further noted that Lebanon had asked for geographic coordinates but received none. "This (Israeli accusation) is not based on any real facts at all," Ali Bazzi, a lawmaker from Berri's Amal Movement cited him as saying after a meeting. Furthermore, Lebanon's Foreign Ministry is going to submit a complaint to the United Nations about "repeated Israeli violations," according to a report published by NNA. The developments came only a day after the Israeli military announced an operation against what it said were Hezbollah infiltration tunnels. Also on Wednesday, Russia called on Israel to uphold United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 in the wake of its recent military activities near the border with Lebanon. Speaking at a press briefing, Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Moscow hopes that no actions will be in conflict with the resolution, which ended the 2006 Israeli aggression against Lebanon and calls on the Israeli regime to respect Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Lebanese military has stated that it is prepared for any developments on the border with Israel, making efforts together with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to maintain stability in the area. "Everything is calm and peaceful on the Lebanese side [of the border]. The situation is under full control. The army units deployed in the area are fulfilling their tasks in coordination with the UNIFIL in order to prevent any provocation and maintain stability in the southern region. The army was ready for any emergency situations," the military announced in a statement. The Lebanese army added that it remained in contact both with Israel and Hezbollah, calling on them to use all the mechanisms to de-escalate tensions and prevent any confrontation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Qatar could give Saudi more headache after leaving OPEC: Bloomberg Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 06:25PM Qatar's surprise decision to leave the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) might be just a taste of things to come, as some analysts suggest the tiny Persian Gulf country plans to irritate Saudi Arabia even more by leaving the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC). Qatar waited until Monday to announce its departure from OPEC, a move that guaranteed maximum effect ahead of the organization's meeting this week in Vienna. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, Qatar's former prime minister, said in a tweet that staying in OPEC was pointless because "It is just being used for purposes that harm our national interest." Now, Bloomberg argues that the reason provided is far more applicable to the [P]GCC, among the members of which are Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- the two countries spearheading a multi-country blockade against Doha. Saudi Arabia has already extended an invitation to Qatari leaders to attend the council's annual summit, which is due to be held in Riyadh on December 9. According to Bloomberg columnist Bobby Ghosh, a similar announcement by Doha ahead of the summit "would undoubtedly irritate and embarrass Saudi Arabia." The Saudi-led blockade against Qatar has been going on for 18 months over claims by Riyadh and its allies -- the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt -- that Qatar is destabilizing the region by supporting terrorism, allegations that Doha contests. The six-member [P]GCC's inability to resolve the row shows how limited its powers are, Ghosh writes, arguing that Qatar "may now believe that it has nothing materially to gain from continued membership." However, there are differences between the OPEC and the [P]GCC that Doha needs to take into account. Describing OPEC as a "powerful cartel with a real impact on world affairs," Ghosh argues that as the group's only 11th biggest oil producer with little influence in the decision making process, Qatar stands to lose almost nothing by quitting. It's a different story with the [P]GCC, "an ineffectual grouping that has little impact on regional affairs," Ghosh says. "If Qatar were to pull out, it would reinforce the Saudi-Emirati claim that the ruling family in Doha is undermining the Arab consensus," he writes. "Staying in the alliance allows Qatar to signal that it is committed to regional cooperation, putting the onus for ending the blockade on the Saudis and Emiratis." There is also the possibility that Riyadh and Abu Dhabi will try to kick Qatar out of the council, in which case it will be in Doha's best interest to beat them to the punch by leaving voluntarily. The decision might have an impact on Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, the other three [P]GCC members. While Bahrain tends to follow Saudi Arabia's lead in most issues, Kuwait and Oman have had a history of speaking up against "Saudi bullying." On its way out, Qatar might have a chance to convince Oman and Kuwait to drop out as well, specially since both countries have remained neutral on the blockade. Another reason that might keep Saudis and Emiratis from expelling Qatar is the possibility of a harsh reaction from the United States. Washington has long regarded Arab unity as "essential to confronting Iran," Ghosh warns. Breaking up the [P]GCC by either side would be detrimental to US President Donald Trump's plans to create an "Arab NATO," an anti-Iran frontier that will also serve Israel's interests. "To that end, the Trump administration would like the Saudis to improve relations with Qatar, not further the estrangement," the author argues. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Report sheds light on extent of US military presence in Africa Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 10:45AM A United States military briefing shows Washington runs 34 bases across Africa, contrary to the Pentagon's insistence that it maintains a modest presence across the continent. The 2018 briefing by the US African Command (AFRICOM)'s science adviser Peter E. Teil, titled Strategic Posture, was exposed by The Intercept in early December. The news website obtained the documents via the Freedom of Information Act. The documents, the report said, offer "a unique window onto the sprawling network of US military outposts in Africa, including previously undisclosed or unconfirmed sites in hotspots like Libya, Niger, and Somalia." In the briefing, Teil presented a map of the US military's constellation of the bases, which names 14 forward operating sites (FOSes) and cooperative security locations (CSLs) besides providing country-specific locales for 20 contingency locations. 'Three theaters' The website quoted Adam Moore, an assistant professor of geography at the University of California, as saying that the positioning of the bases suggested that the US military presence had been organized around three theaters throughout the continent. "The Horn of Africa Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya; Libya; and the Sahel Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso," said Moore, adding that the US only maintained one base in the south. Lowdown - Djibouti is home to the "crown jewel" of the bases, Camp Lemonnier, the US hub for operations targeting Yemen and Somalia. - Libya is shown housing three unnamed and previously unreported contingency locations near its coastline, although President Donald Trump said last year that he saw no US military role there. - Cameroon accommodates two more contingency bases. - The 2018 map also notes the existence of a CSL in Chad's capital, N'Djamena. - There are two contingency locations in neighboring Mali. - Tunisia hosts another contingency site. - Only one base lies in the far south of the continent: A CSL in Botswana's capital, Gaborone. "It is getting harder for the US military to plausibly claim that it has a 'light footprint' in Africa. In just the past five years, it has established what is perhaps the largest drone complex in the world in Djibouti Chabelley which is involved in wars on two continents, Yemen, and Somalia," Moore said. The expert also noted that the US was building an even larger drone base in the city of Agadez in central Niger. Earlier in the year, Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the AFRICOM commander, told the House Armed Services Committee, "US Africa Command's posture plan is designed to secure strategic access to key locations on a continent characterized by vast distances and limited infrastructure." "Our posture network allows forward staging of forces to provide operational flexibility and timely response," he added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN chief pushes for constructive Western Sahara talks Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 10:31AM UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on all parties meeting to discuss the long-running Western Sahara dispute this week in Geneva to be constructive and avoid imposing preconditions for formal talks. In a Tuesday statement released by his spokesperson, Guterres "urges all to engage in good faith, without preconditions and in a constructive spirit in the discussions," which were due to begin on Wednesday with the participation of representative of Morocco, the Polisario Front, Algeria, and Mauritania, along with a UN envoy. The UN chief further expressed his backing for the UN envoy, former German president Horst Koehler, who is seeking to revive talks to resolve the prolonged Western Sahara conflict. The two-day roundtable talks are aimed at relaunching negotiations on the persisting dispute that have been stalled since 2012 as the UN has repeatedly failed to broker a settlement in Western Sahara, where Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Movement fought for control from 1975 to 1991. A UN peacekeeping mission has been dispatched to the contested area since 1991 to monitor a ceasefire and organize a referendum on the status of Western Sahara, though the objective never materialized. While Morocco maintains that any negotiation over the territory should focus on its proposal for autonomy, the Polisario insists that the status of Western Sahara must be determined by holding a referendum on independence. The UN Security Council (UNSC) has pressed to relaunch the talks while pointing out that the UN mission there, MINURSO, should not remain if the parties are unwilling to seek a settlement. The UNSC also voted in October to extend the mission for six months, setting a deadline for progress in a renewed push for a settlement. The latest UN report on Western Sahara cited accounts of "serious human rights violations" committed by Moroccan police, such as arbitrary arrests, and the ill-treatment and torture of those pushing for self-determination. The evaluation, which came last month, also referred to reports of "excessive surveillance operations" targeting journalists and human rights campaigners. It additionally highlighted the Polisario's de facto authority over the Tindouf camps and concerns over rights abuses there. The North African territory sits on the western edge of the vast Sahara desert, stretching along about 1,000 kilometers of Atlantic coastline. Bordering Morocco to the north, Algeria to the east, and Mauritania to the south and southeast, it sits atop large reserves of phosphate and has rich offshore fisheries. After Spain withdrew from the then-colonized territory in 1975, Morocco moved in, claiming that it was an integral part of the kingdom. It was opposed by the Polisario Front, which resorted to an armed struggle to fight for independence. The dispute was referred to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which ruled in favor of self-determination. In November 1975, however, nearly 350,000 Moroccans took part in the so-called Green March to the border to press the kingdom's claim. In February 1976, the Polisario Front proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), with the support of allies, including Algeria and Cuba. The SADR is a member of the African Union but controls only 20 percent of its territory, mostly empty desert. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Qatari monarch receives Saudi Arabian King Salman's invitation to [P]GCC summit Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 02:33AM Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has received a written invitation from Saudi Arabia's King Salman to participate in the upcoming [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC) summit, which is set to take place in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh later this month. The official Qatar News Agency said in a tweet the monarch had got "an invitation from the King of Saudi Arabia" for the meeting, but it did not say whether Sheikh Tamim would travel to Saudi Arabia. The Arabic language Al Aan online newspaper, citing diplomatic sources, reported last week that Secretary General of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Latif bin Rashid al-Zayani was going to visit Doha to invite the Qatari emir to attend the the 39th annual summit of the regional grouping. Last month, Kuwait's Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled al-Jarallah confirmed that all six GCC countries would be attending the annual summit of the council, which is set to take place on December 9. Jarallah said the summit could present a "hope to resolve the [Persian] Gulf crisis and solve the differences." The report came as a surprise since Saudi Arabia, along with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, has been embroiled in a diplomatic and trade boycott against Qatar for a year and a half. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt all cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 last year, after officially accusing it of "sponsoring terrorism." The administration of the Saudi-backed and former Yemeni president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Libya, the Maldives, Djibouti, Senegal and the Comoros later joined the camp in ending diplomatic ties with Doha. Jordan downgraded its diplomatic relations as well. Qatar's Foreign Ministry later announced that the decision to cut diplomatic ties was unjustified and based on false claims and assumptions. On June 9, 2017, Qatar strongly dismissed allegations of supporting terrorism after the Saudi regime and its allies blacklisted dozens of individuals and entities purportedly associated with Doha. Later that month, Saudi Arabia and its allies released a 13-point list of demands, including the closure of Al Jazeera television network and downgrade of relations with Iran, in return for the normalization of diplomatic relations with Doha. The document containing the demands by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain also asked Qatar to sever all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement. Qatar rejected the demands as "unreasonable." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin: Russia Opposes Destruction of INF Treaty, But Will React in Proper Manner Sputnik News 14:33 05.12.2018(updated 15:24 05.12.2018) Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Moscow is against the destruction of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, but would respond accordingly if it happens. His comments come a day after the US said it would withdraw from the treaty if Russia does not return to full compliance. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the United States had decided to leave the accord long before the public announcement and used alleged violations by Russia as a pretext to do it. "This means that the decision has long been made, but it has been made sneakily. They thought we wouldn't notice this, but this is already in the Pentagon's budget the creation of these missiles. But only after did they announce publicly that they were leaving", Putin said. "As the next step, they started to think whom they could shuffle the blame onto. Well, to say 'Russia is to blame' is the easiest and the most habitual thing for an ordinary Western person. This is not true, we are against the destruction of the treaty, but if it happens, we will react accordingly", he added. The president agreed that many other countries are still developing intermediate and short-range missiles, while Russia and the US had limited themselves under the INF Treaty. At the same time, he added that if Washington believes that it should have such weapons, Moscow will follow suit. ""This is true. Many other countries, perhaps, already a dozen of countries, are producing such weapons, while Russia and the United States have restrained themselves bilaterally. I believe our US partners think that now the situation has changed to such an extent that the United States should have such weapons as well. What answer will we provide? A simple one: then we'll do it as well", Putin said. He further recalled that the US had unilaterally withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty back in 2002, which was one of the key agreements in international security. "And they still had the audacity, they have withdrawn from the treaty calmly without referring to anything. They just pulled out from the treaty, and called it a day. In fact, this is exactly what is happening now, but now they reflect on whom they could shuffle the blame onto for this step, which I believe is ill-considered", Putin told reporters. On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Washington would withdraw from the INF Treaty within 60 days unless Russia returns to full compliance with the accord. In October, President Donald Trump announced his intention to leave the treaty over Russia's alleged violations. Russia has consistently denied any violations of the agreement, saying that the US knows very well that Moscow was abiding by the provisions of the treaty. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NATO Manipulates Facts to Disguise US Withdrawal From INF - Kremlin Sputnik News 12:36 05.12.2018(updated 14:05 05.12.2018) On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that Washington will suspend its compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty within 60 days "unless Russia returns to full and verifiable compliance". "Indeed, we have seen statements from various sides, a statement from the NATO leadership, the North Atlantic Alliance. Certainly, it's about escalating the situation, it's largely about manipulating the facts to camouflage the true goals to get the United States of America out of the INF Treaty", Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday. The statement comes amid recent clashes on the issue between Moscow and Washington because the US decided to suspend its compliance, claiming that Russia was "in material breach of the treaty". Moscow, in turn, has denied those accusations, stressing the US itself is undermining the agreement. The INF Treaty was signed in 1987 by the then head of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev and then US President Ronald Reagan. The leaders agreed to destroy all cruise or ground-launched ballistic missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 kilometres (310 and 3,400 miles). Nord Stream-2 Politicization Risks Peskov also addressed the political issues around the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline project. "The risks associated with the politicization of the Nord Stream, the risks associated with blatant manifestations of unfair competition from third countries in relation to the Nord Stream, exist. We see them well and are aware of this," he stressed. The $10.9 billion pipeline, expected to become operational in 2019, aims to build the delivery capacity of up to 55 billion cubic meters of additional Russian natural gas to Germany via the Baltic Sea. The project has encountered opposition from a number of European countries, including Ukraine, which profits from gas transit from Russia to Europe, while Washington has urged the EU to abandon it in favour of American LNG. Reaction to Kerch Strait Incident The presidential spokesman repeated that the destiny of the Ukranian sailors, detained by the Russian Border Guards in Kerch Strait would be decided by a court, and Kremlin would not intervene in legal procedure despite the criticism from abroad. "The voiced criticism and so on this is not a reason for Russia to give up the procedures prescribed by law for violators of the state border. These procedures are carried out and will continue to be carried out," Peskov told reporters when asked about the possibility of imposition of sanctions on Russia and the Nord Stream-2 project. He noted that Moscow would likely study Kiev's proposals on exchanging the detained Ukrainian sailors if it received such proposals, but it was not sure about Kiev's response. On November 25, Ukraine's Berdyansk and Nikopol gunboats and the Yany Kapu tugboat illegally crossed the Russian maritime border as they sailed toward the Kerch Strait, the entrance to the Sea of Azov. The Ukrainian vessels and their 24 crew members were arrested by Russia after failing to respond to a demand to stop. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the incident was a provocation prepared as a pretext to introduce martial law in Ukraine ahead of the presidential election. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Putin Threatens to Build Nuclear Missiles if US Does the Same By Henry Ridgwell, Wayne Lee December 05, 2018 Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday his country would start developing intermediate-range nuclear missiles if the United States leaves a key arms agreement and begins developing the weapons as well. Putin told Russian news agencies that a U.S. withdrawal from the treaty would mean Washington has concluded it "has to have these weapons" and that Moscow "will do the same." U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told NATO ministers in Brussels Tuesday it will begin the six-month process of withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 60 days if Moscow does not regain compliance with the treaty. Pompeo accused Russia of deploying "multiple battalions of the SSC-8 missiles," a land-based, intermediate-range Cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Moscow has denied deploying such weapon systems. "It makes no sense for the United States to remain in a treaty that constrains our ability to respond to Russia's violations. Russia has reversed the trajectory of diminishing nuclear risk in Europe," Pompeo told reporters in Brussels. The 1987 INF treaty, negotiated by then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, eliminated all nuclear missiles with a range between 500 and 5,500 kilometers, reducing the ability to launch a nuclear strike at short notice. NATO allies have voiced concern over the U.S. threat to withdraw, fearing a new arms race in Europe; however, NATO foreign ministers agreed Tuesday to formally declare Russia in "material breach" of the treaty. Pompeo delivered a pointed message to European allies, says Jonathan Eyal, international director at the Royal United Services Institute in London. "Instead of complaining all the time about the United States walking away from the treaty, the Europeans should spend a bit of time looking at why the United States is withdrawing from the treaty," he said. "No European state has contradicted the American position. That intelligence information indicates a Russian gross violation of that treaty. So I think the American argument would be, 'Let us get together and convey a strict message to Moscow that if it wants the treaty saved, it will have to make a concession and it will have to abide by the treaty,'" Eyal told VOA. Meanwhile, in Brussels Tuesday, during a separate speech hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Pompeo dismissed claims that the United States was withdrawing from the international stage under President Donald Trump's "America First" policy. "In the finest traditions of our great democracy, we are rallying the noble nations to build a new liberal order that prevents war and achieves greater prosperity," Pompeo said. He added that President Donald Trump was reshaping the global system based on nation states, not multilateral institutions. "We are acting to preserve, protect, and advance an open, just, transparent and free world of sovereign states," Secretary Pompeo told the audience of diplomats and government officials. He took aim at the European Union and said Britain's decision to quit the bloc was evidence that supranational organizations were not working. A spokesperson for the European Commission said Pompeo was "one of those people who come to Brussels and coin an opinion without knowing how our system works." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN wants international probe into 'awful' Khashoggi murder Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 03:16PM With more than two months into the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has stressed the necessity of an international investigation to identify those responsible for the "awful" murder at the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul. Speaking at a news conference in Switzerland on Wednesday, marking the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Bachelet said the international probe was needed to determine what really happened and identify those "responsible for that awful killing." Khashoggi, a one-time royal insider who had been critical of the crown prince recently, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate on October 2. After weeks of denials of involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, the Riyadh regime eventually acknowledged the "premeditated" murder, but has vehemently sought to distance the heir to the throne from the case. Also on Wednesday, Turkey urged Riyadh to be transparent with the international community about the probe into his murder. "Until now, we have patiently requested information about the investigations in Saudi Arabia but unfortunately we haven't received any information. Saudi Arabia always asks for information from us. It's their right. We always share information (with them) but Saudi Arabia needs to be transparent with us and with the international community," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at a news conference in Brussels, Belgium. "They need to share the findings of these investigations but instead we see contradictory statements," he added. "If there is an impasse, which is an issue we have been seriously contemplating about and talking about with our colleagues these days, we will not hesitate to call for an international investigation." A Turkish prosecutor issued arrest warrants on Wednesday for two Saudi nationals close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the brutal murder. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey files arrest warrants for Saudi crown prince allies over Khashoggi murder Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 11:05AM A Turkish prosecutor has issued arrest warrants for two Saudi nationals close to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the brutal murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's office said on Wednesday that there is "strong suspicion" that Ahmed al-Asiri and Saud al-Qahtani were "among the planners" of Khashoggi's assassination inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in early October. A Turkish official told Reuters that the fresh move "reflects the view that the Saudi authorities won't take formal action against those individuals." He also stressed that the wording of the warrants appeared to indicate that more arrests could be sought. Major General Assiri, the deputy chief of Saudi Arabia's intelligence, and Qahtani, in charge of media affairs at the royal court, were among five high-ranking Saudi officials who were dismissed last month over the murder case. According to Khashoggi's friends, Qahtani, who is believed to have overseen the journalist's murder, had previously tried to persuade him to return to the kingdom, even offering him the prospect of a government job. The Washington Post columnist, however, had declined the offer amid worries that it could be a trap. In a tweet in August 2017, Qahtani had said, "I don't do anything from my own head without an order. I am an employee and executer to my king and my crown prince." Khashoggi, a one-time royal insider who had been critical of the crown prince recently, was killed after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2. After weeks of denials of any involvement in Khashoggi's disappearance, the Riyadh regime eventually acknowledged the "premeditated" murder, but has vehemently sought to distance the heir to the throne from the case. A Saudi prosecutor said Khashoggi's body had been dismembered, removed from the diplomatic mission and handed to an unidentified "local cooperator." The CIA is said to have concluded that bin Salman had "probably ordered" the murder. A highly-classified CIA assessment, seen by The Wall Street Journal, said the Saudi crown prince had sent at least 11 messages to Qahtani in the hours surrounding the journalist's killing. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Crown Prince Knew About Khashoggi Murder, Yet to Test US-Saudi Ties - Senator Sputnik News 19:00 05.12.2018(updated 19:02 05.12.2018) WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman knew about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and will continue to test the limits of the US-Saudi relationship and as long as the United States does not take any measures, US Senator Marco Rubio said in a TV interview on Wednesday. "What we know about this murder leaves you with no doubt that the crown prince, at a minimum, knew about it, condoned it and perhaps, at worst, was actually involved in directing it," Rubio told CNN. "And here's why we know that he has absolute control in Saudi Arabia, he basically governs the country at this point as the crown prince." Rubio added that he considers US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' refusal to publicly acknowledge the crown prince's involvement in Khashoggi's murder as an attempt to preserve the importance of the Saudi-US alliance. "But alliances have limits, and the crown prince will continue to test the limits of this alliance," Rubio said. "There are all sorts of things that we can do to make clear that this can't continue to happen. Otherwise, he's going to get more reckless. He's going to, frankly, pull us into a war someday with his recklessness." Last month, a CIA leak to several news outlets revealed the agency concluded with high confidence that the Khashoggi murder was ordered by the Saudi crown prince. However, Trump said CIA did not have any definitive answer on whether the crown prince had been aware of the murder. Saudi Arabia initially denied any knowledge of Khashoggi's whereabouts, but later admitted that he was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul before his body was dismembered. On October 26, the Saudi prosecutor general acknowledged that Khashoggi's murder was premeditated. However, Riyadh maintains that the killing had nothing to do with the Saudi royal family and described the killing as a rogue operation. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey Issues Arrest Warrants For 2 Saudis Over Khashoggi's Murder - Reports Sputnik News 13:34 05.12.2018 The two Saudis held high posts in the kingdom, but were sacked after Riyadh announced that Jamal Khashoggi had been killed in a "rogue operation". Saudi Arabia insists that no members of the royal family were connected to the crime. The Turkish Haber Turk TV channel reported that the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has issued arrest warrants for two Saudi citizens Ahmad Asiri, a former deputy head of Saudi intelligence and Saud al-Qahtani, a former media consultant for the crown prince. According to the TV channel, the Turkish attorney general suspects that the two orchestrated the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. It remains unclear whether Turkish prosecutors have found any new evidence that led them to believe that Asiri and al-Qahtani were responsible for the murder. Following the investigation into the disappearance of the Washington Post columnist, Turkish prosecutors announced that a group of Saudi citizens had arrived in Istanbul with the objective to kill the Saudi journalist. Riyadh denounced those in the group as being "rogue agents" who voluntarily murdered Khashoggi not under orders from the government. Saudi Arabia stressed that no members of the royal family, including the crown prince, were responsible for the killing. Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul on 2 October, 2018. His body was allegedly dismembered and has still not been found. At first Riyadh denied having any knowledge about Khashoggi's fate, but later announced that he had indeed been murdered inside the consulate in a "rogue operation". Following an investigation, the Saudi Prosecutor's Office announced that it had ordered the arrest of 22 citizens reportedly responsible for planning the murder. 11 of them have already been charged, with 5 facing the death penalty. On the same day that Riyadh announced the arrests, several high level officials, including Ahmad Asiri, a deputy head of Saudi intelligence, and Saud al-Qahtani, a media consultant for the crown prince, were removed from their positions. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daesh terrorists executing local residents in Syria's Dayr al-Zawr, top UN official warns Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 02:41PM United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has warned against the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria's troubled eastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, saying that Daesh Takfiri terrorists are putting local residents to death. Speaking to a news conference in the Swiss city of Geneva on Wednesday, Bachelet voiced deep concern for 7,000 civilians, whom she said had been caught between Daesh militants preventing them from evacuating Dayr al-Zawr, located 450 kilometers northeast of the capital Damascus, and US-led coalition airstrikes. "We also have reports of Daesh executing people perceived as cooperating with SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) or other parties to the conflict," she said. The high-ranking UN official went on to say that civilians in Dayr al-Zawr province are being used as "pawns and bargaining chips" in the conflict. Syrian army forces foil militant infiltration attempt in Latakia Meanwhile, Syrian government troops have thwarted an attempt by a group of foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants to sneak into Kinsabba town in the country's western coastal province of Latakia. Syria's official news agency SANA reported that army soldiers engaged in a fierce exchange of gunfire with the Takfiris, leaving scores of them killed and injured. A military source, requesting not to be named, said the slain militants hailed from Ain al-Haour area, situated only five kilometers north of Kinsabba, and were planning to attack a military position. Syrian army uncovers militant weapons cache in Idlib Separately, Syrian government forces have discovered considerable amounts of munitions and highly explosive materials from militant hideouts in Tell Silmo village of the northwestern province of Idlib. Elsewhere in the southwestern province of Dara'a, Syrian troops found weapons belonging to Taqkfiri militants in Nasib village. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At Least 5 People Killed as US-Led Coalition Pounds Syria's Hajin - Reports Sputnik News 23:20 05.12.2018(updated 23:35 05.12.2018) DAMASCUS (Sputnik) - At least five civilians were killed in US-led coalition airstrikes on the city of Hajin in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province on Wednesday, the Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported. "Five people were killed and several others were wounded as a result of airstrikes by the planes of the international coalition on the city of Hajin in the east of Deir ez-Zor," SANA said. The US-led coalition regularly carries out airstrikes in the Syrian eastern province of Deir ez-Zor. Syrian media often accuse the coalition of killing civilians and using weapons, prohibited by the international treaties, while the coalition refutes the accusations. In November, media reported that 26 civilians, including women and children, were killed in an airstrike by the coalition on the city of Hajin. The US-led coalition of more than 70 countries is conducting military operations against the Daesh in Syria and Iraq. The coalition's operations in Iraq are conducted in cooperation with the Iraqi government, but those in Syria are not authorized by the government of President Bashar Assad or the United Nations Security Council. Meanwhile, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) said in a press release on Wednesday that the coalition carried out 90 strikes last week, while detected 45 strikes conducted by other actors. In Syria, all strikes were carried out near Hajin and destroyed supply routes, vehicles, fighting positions, as well as tunnels and buildings, the release said. Since 2011, Syria has been suffering from a military conflict exacerbated by the activities of terror groups that brought the country to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe. Daesh (ISIL/ISIS/Islamic State), a terrorist group banned in Russia and a number of other countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ex-president Ma envisions peaceful, democratic unification with China ROC Central News Agency 2018/12/05 18:33:06 Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Former President Ma Ying-jeou () said Wednesday that any unification between Taiwan and China must be peaceful and democratic, and that his recent "three noes" proposal is in line with the terms of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Constitution. "If Taiwan and China are to be united, it must be through a peaceful and democratic process and on a gradual basis," Ma said at a seminar hosted by Soochow University, warning that "haste makes waste." Asked why he made the "three noes" proposal -- which marked a departure from his previous "no unification, no independence and no use of force" stance regarding cross-Taiwan Strait ties when he served as president between 2008 and 2016 -- Ma said the proposal was raised because of the changing relationship between the two sides. Ma said he put forth the "three noes" proposal -- no ruling out the possibility of unification with China, no support for Taiwan independence and no use of force -- to allow Taiwan's people to "gain a deeper understanding of these issues and have a decisive say in our own future." According to the former president, "no ruling out the possibility of Taiwan's unification with China" means that it could or could not happen and is a goal without a set timetable that is outlined in the Constitution, pending a host of conditions and timing. "If unification does not take place via peaceful and democratic means, Taiwan's people will not accept it," he stressed. Ma came out with his "three noes" proposal at a Nov. 9 seminar marking the three-year anniversary of his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping () in Singapore in 2015. The question of whether it would be good for Taiwan to unite with China is open for discussion, he went on, adding that it would be best for Taiwan society to make a decision on the matter once it has forged a consensus following full and mature discussions. Ma also suggested that President Tsai Ing-wen () should revert to the "1992 consensus" to address the current stalemate in cross-strait ties, given that it has served as the political basis for the two sides to conduct engagements. The so-called consensus reached by China and the administration led by the then-ruling Kuomintang (KMT) in 1992 was a tacit understanding that there is only "one China," with each side free to interpret what that means. Tsai of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party has refused to recognize the existence of the consensus since coming to power in 2016, bringing cross-strait ties to a low ebb and prompting China to put the squeeze on Taiwan internationally. (By Lee Shu-hua and Flor Wang) Enditem/J NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Taiwan Expected to Adjust Its Hands-Off Stance Toward China after Elections By Ralph Jennings December 05, 2018 Taiwan is expected to adjust its largely hands-off stance toward political rival China by 2020, following losses for the ruling party in local elections last month, while still holding a middle ground between independence and unification. The government of President Tsai Ing-wen may take a slightly more accommodating stance toward China, some analysts believe, possibly by focusing on economic relations over politics. Conversely, some say, the government could swing further toward Washington to resist China. Tsai faces pressure to do something palpable before the Taiwan presidential race of 2020. China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, but the island is self-ruled and 83 percent of Taiwanese like it that way, according to government figures. Tsai, elected in 2016, rejects Beijing's dialogue condition that both sides see themselves as part of a single China, and Beijing responded by cutting off talks. "For the next stage, ahead of the presidential election, I think the roles of Beijing and Washington will be stronger than before, therefore whether it's the Democratic Progressive Party or President Tsai, it's required that you make some policy adjustments," said Andy Chang, China studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan. Decisions in Taipei can quickly thaw or chill China-Taiwan relations, which have raised military tension multiple times over the past seven decades. Unhappy with Tsai, the globally powerful Chinese government periodically flies military aircraft near Taiwan and squelches Taiwanese foreign diplomacy. The two sides have been separately ruled since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when the losing Nationalists fled to Taiwan and rebased their government. Voters link China, economy Elections of mayors and county magistrates in Taiwan November 24 had little to do with China policy, Tsai said last week. But some voters equate today's China-Taiwan stalemate with dips in local tourism and trouble exporting agricultural products. A China-Taiwan dialogue could produce agreements that open Taiwan further to the $12 trillion-plus Chinese economy. Election results handed 15 of Taiwan's 22 top local seats to candidates from the opposition Nationalist Party, which today advocates closer China relations including a resumption of the dialogue that its government carried out before 2016. Tsai will stick to her overall China stance, despite elections, because she has sunk so much time already into straddling the line between keeping distance from Beijing without declaring formal independence, scholars believe. Independence would be a red line for China. Tsai is eligible for reelection in 2020, likely against an opposition candidate who openly backs stronger China ties. "If Tsai makes a change, then her most basic currency is gone," said Huang Kwei-bo, vice dean of the international affairs college at National Chengchi University in Taipei. Economic cooperation Ruling party mayors and magistrates have expressed willingness to work with the new Nationalist mayor of the southern city Kaohsiung on developing local tourism for people from China. On Tuesday, the domestic China Times website quoted Taiwan's chief China policymaker stressing local economic development and "a bit less discussion of politics." Those moves may herald a "softened tone" toward Beijing's dialogue condition, said Lin Chong-pin, a retired strategic studies professor in Taiwan. Kinder language may follow, he said. "(It's) probably a softened tone toward the one-China policy or Taiwanese sovereignty, whatever," Lin said. "There are many ways of going around. She could express openness toward a one future China or a one historic cultural China." Resisting Beijing via Washington Decisions in Washington and Beijing will inevitably affect China policy in Taipei, Chang said. China, for example, rolled out a list of relaxed rules earlier this year to lure Taiwanese over for work and study. The U.S. government periodically offers arms sales and sends high-level officials to Taipei. Taiwanese generally prefer a "pro-U.S." policy over a "pro-China" one, Chang said, and that view will establish direction for Tsai. Taiwan-U.S. relations have leapt ahead this year with supportive legislation in Washington and occasional passage of U.S. navy ships near the island. China disapproves but has taken little counter-action as it struggles with Washington over trade. Leaders in Taipei will reference public opinion to chart any new China policy, said Chiu Chui-cheng, deputy minister with the government's Mainland Affairs Council. "The government will respect the ideas and suggestions from all circles and do reviews on a rolling basis to enforce related Taiwan-mainland China ties, together maintaining the status quo of peace in the Taiwan Strait," Chiu said. China may give Taiwan a break from the diplomatic and military pressure of the past two years as it waits for Tsai to take stock of the November elections, Huang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UK being trapped by Irish backstop, Brexit legal advice warns Iran Press TV Wed Dec 5, 2018 04:20PM A UK government document on legal aspects of a European Union withdrawal agreement shows the so-called backstop clause of the Brexit deal could trap Britain in years of negotiations with the EU after Brexit. The legal advice published on Wednesday, after the parliament forced the government to do so, showed that the backstop, meant to avoid a hard border between Ireland and UK province of Northern Ireland after Brexit, could lead to "protracted and repeated rounds of negotiations" after Britain's withdrawal from the EU. UK Prime Minister Theresa May had refused to release details of the legal advice compiled by attorney general Geoffrey Cox, saying it would not be in the interests of the public to access the full document. However, the main opposition Labour Party won a motion on Tuesday which sought to show whether the government had been in contempt of the House of Commons by refusing to publish the text. The Labour insisted it was necessary for lawmakers to know the full legal aspects of May's Brexit deal with the EU before they are going to vote on the agreement on December 11. Cox conceded in the six-page document released by the government that Britain could be trapped indefinitely in the backstop, saying the clause will "endure" even if negotiations between the two sides for reaching a mutual trade consensus for the post-Brexit time broke down. "In international law, the protocol would endure indefinitely until a superseding arrangement took its place," said the document. The backstop was a main bone of contention in talks between May and the EU over the past two years. The EU insists it should be able to include Northern Ireland in its customs union and move the border to the Irish Sea until a mechanism is found for bilateral trade. Critics say the clause would undermine UK's sovereignty as it effectively separates Northern Ireland from the mainland Britain. Both London and the EU have indicated the deal they finalized last month in Brussels is the only option possible and Brexit should happen on March 29, 2019 regardless of the decision adopted by the British parliament. However, the ITV said in a Wednesday report that May was seeking to negotiate an amendment to backstop in a bid to win more support for her Brexit deal in the parliament. The report said the amendment would mean that British lawmakers should approve a government request for entering backstop if there is a need to trigger the clause at the end of the two-year transition period that follows Brexit. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU To Sanction Nine People Over Ukraine Separatist Vote By Rikard Jozwiak December 05, 2018 BRUSSELS -- The European Union is now expected to add nine individuals allegedly involved in the organization of last month's elections in the areas controlled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine to its sanctions list, according to sources in Brussels. The bloc's ambassadors agreed to the move on December 5, several EU sources familiar with the matter who could not speak on the record told RFE/RL. The sources said only five people were initially expected to be added to the list but several countries led by Poland called for another four individuals to be included. The bloc's foreign ministers are due to agree to the move when they meet in the Belgian capital early next week. The nine individuals would join 155 other people from Russia and Ukraine who are currently subject to EU asset freezes and travel bans. The bloc has also frozen the assets of 44 entities from both countries since Moscow's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014 and its support for separatists in a conflict that has killed more than 10,300 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. Kyiv and its international backers, including the European Union and the United States, have denounced the November 11 polls in the areas held by the separatists in the Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk regions as a sham. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/eu-to-sanction-nine- people-over-ukraine-separatist -vote/29639596.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 Poroshenko: Meeting To Form Independent Ukrainian Church Set For December 15 By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service December 05, 2018 KYIV -- President Petro Poroshenko says senior figures from Orthodox Christian communities in Ukraine will meet on December 15 in a bid to form a new, unified, independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church. Speaking on December 5, Poroshenko said that the "unity gathering" will be held at St. Sophia's Cathedral and attended by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople. The meeting could be crucial step in years of efforts to create a church in Ukraine that is independent of Moscow and has the imprimatur of Bartholomew, the "first among equals" in the global Eastern Orthodox faith. Announcing an event he said was "long-awaited" and "important for the whole country," Poroshenko said those gathered would determine the status of "our new church" and elect a leader. It is also expected to adopt a charter. According to Poroshenko, Bartholomew will present the church with a tomos, a decree granting it independence -- known in church parlance as autocephaly. Bartholomew announced the decision to recognize Ukraine's request for an autocephalous church in October. The announcement by Bartholomew, who is considered the leader of the 300-million-strong worldwide Orthodox community, came amid deepening tension over efforts by Ukrainian Orthodox churches to formally break away from Russia's orbit. It also prompted the Russian Orthodox Church to announce days later that it was ending its relationship with the Ecumenical Patriarchate in protest. Ukraine currently has three main Orthodox denominations: the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, which remained subordinate to Russia after the breakup of the Soviet Union, and two breakaway entities -- the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate, led by Filaret, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, led by Metropolitan Makariy. The developments have added to tensions between Kyiv and Moscow, already high since Russia's 2014 seizure of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine between government forces and Moscow-backed separatists. Ukrainian police searched churches of the Moscow Patriarchate and the homes of affiliated priests in several cities earlier this week, saying the measures were related to a criminal investigation on suspicion of inciting hatred and violence. Representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate will not attend the December 15 gathering, a spokesman said. "Our stance has not changed," said Archbishop Kliment, asserting that "the creation of the Ukrainian autocephalous church does not meet canonical norms." The Ecumenical Patriarchate is based in Istanbul, the former Constantinople -- once the capital of the Byzantine Empire before the Ottoman Muslim conquest of 1453. With reporting by gordon.ua, UNIAN, AP, and TASS Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/poroshenko- meeting-to-form-independent-ukrainian-church- set-for-december-15/29639206.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 Ukraine Security Agency Blames Attempted Cyberattack On Russia By RFE/RL December 05, 2018 Ukraine's security agency said it has thwarted a massive cyberattack and blamed Russia for the attempted attack that targeted the country's court system. The Security Service of Ukraine said in a statement December 4 that hackers used falsified accounting documents to target computers of the country's judiciary system. The service, known as the SBU, said the alleged hacking was "massive" but provided no detail about the extent, timing, or severity of the hacks. Ukraine has been hit regularly by major cyberattacks and hacking attempts since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and Russian-backed militants launched a war in eastern regions that has killed more than 10,000 people. In December 2015, the country's electrical grid was targeted with coordinated cyberattacks that caused major disruptions in power supplies. The SBU blamed Russia. However, U.S. government agencies, who later pinpointed the intrusions, stopped short of blaming Moscow. Private researchers, however, blamed a Russian hacking group that is believed to have links to Russian security agencies. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-cyberattack -thwarted/29638290.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 Kiev Deploying Offensive Forces to Donbass, Military Actions Possible - Moscow Sputnik News 11:38 05.12.2018(updated 12:32 05.12.2018) MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Kiev is deploying major offensive components to Donbass, with reports about preparations by the Ukrainian Armed Forces for military actions emerging, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated. "Unfortunately, over the past few days, information about the Ukrainian Armed Forces' active preparations for possible military actions in Donbass has been emerging more often Against the backdrop of the media hype caused by Kiev's attempts to draw the international community's attention to its own provocation in the Kerch Strait region, which is being portrayed as Russian aggressive actions, considerable offensive components are being deployed to the region, which then are being relocated along the entire contact line", Zakharova told reporters. Russia does not exclude the possibility of provocations by the Ukrainian security forces in Donbass, including with the use of chemical toxic substances, according to Zakharova. The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman has also commented on the imposition of martial law in several Ukrainian regions that is reportedly an excuse for Kiev to stage a new provocation in Donbass. "Martial law serves to camouflage the Poroshenko regime's intention of staging a new provocation in Donbass", Zakharova told a briefing, adding that Moscow does not rule out that Kiev might start new provocations in the region with the use of toxic substances. Moscow calls on the OSCE monitoring mission to intensify observational activities in the Donbass region, she said. "We will not impose any restrictive measures against Ukrainian citizens that are in Russia or plan to visit it", Zakharova added. The statements come after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree to impose martial law in a number of Ukrainian regions, following an incident when three Ukrainian ships illegally entered Russian territorial waters near the Kerch Strait. The ships were seized by Russia after failing to react to legal demands to abandon their dangerous manoeuvres. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Don't Need Jagan Acknowledgment, Says Pawan Power star and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan has started considering himself a big force to reckon with the Andhra Pradesh politics and throwing barbs at his opponents. On Thursday, Pawan took strong exception to YSR Congress party leader and Rajya Sabha MP V Vijay Sai Reddys comments that Jagan and his party would not acknowledge Jana Sena as a rival political party and Pawan Kalyan as a leader. I dont care whether Jagan acknowledges Jana Sena or me. I dont even need Jagans acknowledgement as a leader. People have recognized me as a leader. Just with one call of mine, lakhs of people took part in Jana Sena kavaathu at Dowleshwaram. That is more than enough to prove my popularity, Pawan said. He criticized that the YSRC president and his party MLAs had stopped bothering about the peoples problems. They never go to the assembly and raise the peoples issues there. They cant pull up the government for its inefficiency, the Jana Sena chief said. Pawan said he had been getting requests from almost all the districts that he should contest from their respective places. I will take a decision as to where I should contest from in January or February, he clarified. Click Here for Latest Direct-to-OTT Releases (List Updates Daily) Nara Rohith's Facebook Election Campaign Telangana is going to polls this Friday (December 7). Actor Nara Rohith didnt participate in election campaign all these days but he is now posting on Facebook asking people to vote for TDP and Maha Kutami. Nara Rohith also urged voters in Kukatpally constituency to vote for Nandamuri Suhasini who is contesting here on TDP Ticket. He is doing this online campaign when official campaigning has ended yesterday as per the rules of Election Commission. He even went a step ahead and asked people to put an end to ruling TRSs opportunistic politics (whatever that means). No actor would dare to talk against a ruling party but he is going all out on social media. Nara Rohith is son of Nara Rammurthy Naidu, brother of Telugu Desam president Nara Chandrababu Naidu. His recent film was Veera Bhoga Vasantha Rayalu. Click Here for Latest Direct-to-OTT Releases (List Updates Daily) Google would like us to think of its messaging strategy as a work in progress. What its progressing towards, I dont know. Amongst all the changes, additions, mergers, and rebranding its series of messaging apps have gone through over the past few years, Google has done little to simplify or streamline its strategy. And with the latest moves, we may have fewer apps than ever, but the message has never been more muddled. In a blog post Wednesday night, Google confirmed rumors that classic Hangouts and Allo are going away, which comes as no surprise. Google already announced that Hangouts would be splitting into two new apps, Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet, and Allo has been on pause since April as Google re-evaluated the purpose of the two-year-old app. But with less comes more confusion. Eight months later, we have a new Allo-less strategy thats no clearer than it was when the app launched in 2016. Got the message? The reality of it is that Allo was pretty much doomed from the start. Its not that it was a bad app or even a bad concept, but the majority of Android users either didnt know or didnt care that it existed. Even if it hadnt been a superfluous addition to the many default Android messaging apps, a raft of privacy issues, confusion, compatibility, and usability issues kept it from becoming all it could be. However, its not all for naught. Google has gradually been working most of Allos best features into Android Messages, so the spirit of of the service is still alive. Greenbot Allo was once going to be the centerpiece of Googles messaging strategy. While Allos demiseofficially set for March 2019has been relatively quick, Hangouts has gone through more iterations than I can list here. What started as a smart combination of Google Voice and Google+s messaging ambitions, Hangouts was supposed to be the ultimate place to, well, hang out. Like iMessage, Hangouts used a proprietary protocol to allow non-SMS instant messaging, and over countless updates, it added and/or removed various features, including group video chats, voice calls, broadcasts, and texts. If you dont understand or remember any of that, dont worry, its pretty much all going away. Google new strategy consists of just four apps now: Messages Duo Hangouts Meet Hangouts Chat But whats supposed to be a move toward a simpler communications experience is anything but. Heres how the new lineup breaks down now: Messages is basically the new Allo (read: stickers and GIFs) without the Google Assistant integration and instant messaging capabilities, a.k.a. the two features that actually made Allo worth using. Duo is for one-on-one video calls. Hangouts Meet is also for video calls, but geared at groups and meetings. Hangouts Chat is for Slack-style instant messaging. Google If Duo allows group calls, will Google remame it Quatro? But wait, theres more: Chat is also what Google calls the RCS portion of Messagesthe protocol that is supposed to deliver iMessage-style non-SMS messagingbut it may or may not work with your carrier or phone. Hangouts Chat cant send SMS messages. Despite the name, the lead Duo engineer promised group calling earlier this year and dives into the code suggest Google is indeed working on it. And while Hangouts Chat is limited to G Suite business customers at the moment, at some point it will be available to former Hangouts users. And of course, classic Hangouts will still work for however long Google feels like supporting it. So even if you overlook the fact that the apps that sound like theyre a pre-millennial social network are actually for professionals, youve still got two pairs of apps that basically do the same thing. (Or maybe three, since we have no idea how or if Google Voicewhich also does calls and texts but not video callsfits into all this.) Too many moving parts When you dive into the integration with Googles other services, it devolves even further. When you select a person into Contacts, the options for texting and video calling are Messages and Duo, respectively, but in Gmail, Hangout is the first messaging option, which takes you to the classic Hangouts app, assuming you have it installed. None of it is clear or logical. And Im not really sure what Google is trying to accomplish with this latest change. Im on board with Allo being sunsetted, especially since Google had basically stopped paying any attention to it, but why do business apps and consumer apps need to be separate when they essentially do the same thing? And why does there need to be two of each app? Why not integrate the best parts of Duo, Messages, Allo, and Hangouts into one app, and focus on business-style communication in another? Ryan Whitwam/IDG Messages is still waiting for carriers to implement RCS. And most of all, why is Google abandoning its own instant message service in Allo and Hangouts for a carrier-driven ball of confusion in RCS? A decade in, one of the best iPhone features is still the ability to instantly chat with other iPhone users using iMessage no matter where you are or what your connection is, something Hangouts and Allo were supposed to deliver. Now, were basically stuck waiting for carriers. And even of they do all get on board, youll still need the right phone for it to work. A simple fix While the blog post makes it seem like this is the final revision to its messaging strategy, we know better than to believe that. There are still seven separate Google apps for messaging, at least one of which will be shut down this time next year. And even if Google does succeed in whittling them down to four, where does that leave us? Heres my solution: 1. Make Messages the hub. Googles Android texting app is clearly the one app that wont be going anywhere, so make that the center for all things consumer. That includes IM, video calls, texts, and RCS chats. There neednt be any delineation between apps and service when I want to contact someone. Just open Messages on the phone or the web, tap on a name, and start typing. The system should be smart enough to know what system the person on the other end has and select the best one without any configuration needed. 2. Rename Hangouts to Messages for Business. If Google wants to keep a service tied to G Suite for business customers, Hangouts is the wrong brand. Theres too much baggage attached to it, and besides, it doesnt really sound like a professional app. Messages for Business doesnt exactly roll off the tongue, but its clear and keeps with the Messages brand. Michael Simon/IDG Messages is the closes thing we have to a fully realized Google messaging app. 3. Dump Duo and Meet as separate apps. With tight integration with Messages and Messages for Business, there neednt be separate apps for video calling. Just make Messages a one-stop shop for all communication. 4. Do it next year. Google has a habit of waiting until people get comfortable with a new app or service, then letting it languish for a few years, and finally killing it. Thats probably whats going to happen to the new Hangouts once Google either gets bored with it or realizes that not enough people are using it. So make the change now. Of course, none of these things will happen. Google will continue to carry several messaging apps, and sometime in 2020 there will be another blog post explaining what the next step is and why this time its so much better than before. That is, if we dont get a few new apps along the way. This story, "How Google can clean up its messaging mess after Allo's shutdown" was originally published by PCWorld . Nova Scotia-based Elcora Advanced Materials Corp. has been awarded a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)-ENGAGE grant with Dr. Heather Andreas, an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Dalhousie University. The project will focus on studying Elcoras high-quality graphene as an electrode material for supercapacitors. Dr. Andreas has worked on carbon-based supercapacitors (SCs) for more than 14 years. The supercapacitor market is forecast to reach US$2.18 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 20.7% between 2016 and 2022. Factors such as high storage capabilities, need for power conservation, high performance supercapacitors for consumer and automotive applications, and additional capabilities such as moisture resistance, light weight and low equivalent series resistance are key drivers for supercapacitor market. Elcora is a producer of high-quality carbon materialsspecifically graphite and grapheneand has identified supercapacitors (SCs) as an important future application for graphite materials. In SCs, the charge is stored on a carbon electrodemeaning SC performance is incredibly sensitive to the carbons morphology, chemistry, reactivity/stability and impurities. A common misconception is that carbon is a simple material and all carbons behave similarly; however, carbon is incredibly complex and subtle changes in the pore size, structure, degree of graphitization, surface area, chemical environment, etc. can strongly impact carbon performance. To understand graphenes SC applicability requires knowledge of all these parameters and vitally how these parameters impact the performance. Dr. Andreas is suited to study and optimize Elcoras graphite-based products for supercapacitor applications. This announcement is great news for Elcora. The funding allows Elcora to collaborate with one of the worlds top researchers in how to understand and optimize graphene/graphite for supercapacitor applications. We expect to demonstrate that Elcoras graphene and graphite-based products are ideally suited for supercapacitor applications. This research may help Elcora secure supply agreements for its high-quality graphene and graphite-based products. Troy Grant, CEO, Elcora Elcora was founded in 2011 and has been structured to become a vertically integrated graphite & graphene company. Elcora processes, refines, and produces both graphite & graphene. As part of the vertical integration strategy Elcora is securing high-grade graphite and graphene precursor graphite from operations in Sri Lanka and other countries which are already in production. Elcora has developed a cost-effective process to make high-quality graphite, graphite products and graphene that are commercially scalable. Engage Grants are designed to give innovative companies that operate from a Canadian base access to the knowledge, expertise and capabilities available at Canadian universities and colleges. These grants are intended to foster the development of new research partnerships by supporting short-term research and development projects aimed at addressing a company-specific problem. Following an Engage Grant, applicants may apply for follow-on support for an additional six months of related research activity through an Engage Plus grant, in order to further developments from an ongoing or recently completed Engage Grant project, or to continue the project while seeking longer-term support (through, for example, a Collaborative Research and Development Grant [CRD] or an Applied Research and Development Grant [ARD]). MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A. has paid $630,625 in penalties to the California Air Resources Board for violating the Ocean-Going Vessel At-Berth regulation. The violations were discovered during a routine audit of the companys 2014 visits to the Port of Oakland and the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The investigation by CARB revealed more than 2,500 violations for both the Oakland and LA/LB fleets for failing to reduce auxiliary engine power generation by at least 50% and for exceeding limits for auxiliary engine run time as required by the At-Berth regulation. Adopted in 2007, the At-Berth Regulation was designed to reduce emissions from diesel auxiliary engines on container ships, passenger ships and refrigerated-cargo ships while berthing at a California port. Vessel operators can either turn off auxiliary engines and connect to grid-based shore power, or use alternative technologies to achieve equivalent emission reductions while in port. The regulation ultimately requires a fleet operator to reduce at-berth oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) and particulate matter (PM) emissions from its vessels auxiliary engines in port by at least 80% by 2020. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, MSC is one of the largest worldwide container shipping companies. MSC cooperated with the investigation and subsequently converted its California fleets to include 100% shore power-equipped vessels, and has had no further violations of the At-Berth regulation. The fine was paid to the California Air Pollution Control Fund to support air pollution research, and the company agreed to comply with all requirements of the regulation. United as one: Members of the Wyoming All-State Marching Band make their way down the parade route in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. Courtesy photo Playing an instrument is what allowed 13 Green River students to make their way across the country to perform in front of massive crowds and see national landmarks and monuments. Members of the Green River High School band who are also members of the Wyoming All-State Marching Band recently made their way to New York and Pennsylvania. "My students had the opportunity to play with other high-school musicians from around the state and represent the state of Wyoming on a national level," GRHS band director Quinn Kalinski said. "This opportunity was quite physically and musically demanding for them and they did fantastic," Kalinski said. According to Kalinski, any high- school Wyoming band student can join the WASMB by completing a simple process. He said those who were interested in joining the band needed to fill out an application form on the WASMB's website. GRHS band member Cherylann Moritz said there wasn't even an audition process. All she had to do was get information from the director and make payments for the trip. Moritz, a junior and flute player, said the band usually forms every other year and had she known about it her freshman year she would have joined that year. Kalinksi said during the summer, the WASMB members are required to attend a band camp and march in several Wyoming parades. These parades are a way for the band to prepare for the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. Moritz said she received the music in April or May and it was her responsibility to learn it prior to attending the camp where members from across the state got together to learn how to move as one like a marching band should. After the summer, the band remained inactive until it was time to march in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade. Over the Thanksgiving break, the WASMB members gathered and traveled to New York and Pennsylvania. "In addition to marching in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade, they were able to watch and support the other bands from various groups," Kalinski said. "They also had a chance to see a different part of the world made up of rick culture with a ton of history all around both cities." While on the trip the to New York and Pennsylvania, the band members saw the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 memorial and the One World Observatory. They also had the opportunity to see the Rockettes at the Radio City Auditorium and Aladdin on Broadway. In Philadelphia, the group took a double-decker bus tour around the city and saw Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Moritz said the 9/11 memorial was something that stood out to her. She also enjoyed seeing the Rockettes live. For Travis Kloepper, GRHS trumpet player, his favorite part of the trip was seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. "My most memorable part was seeing all the different types of people in New York," Kloepper said. "I learned that the Eastern part of the U.S. is very different." As for the actual marching in the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade, both Kloepper and Moritz said it wasn't that much different than any other parade. Moritz did notice all the cameras at the end of the one turn and the band wanted to make sure they were flawless in that part. The Green River High School Students who joined the Wyoming All-State Marching Band this year were Tanner Adam, Nina Dodd, Brad Eveatt, Haylie Gavin, Ashlie Gold, Adeline Hoskins, Dalin Kurth, Dade Lucero, Mourgen Lenling, Alexander Shafe, Mia Worrell, Cherylann Moritz and Travis Kloepper. Courtesy photo Kloepper said marching in the cold weather was a challenge with his trumpet because it just didn't like the cold. "I liked the entire thing. Just the experience," Moritz said. She said she would recommend to other band members to join the WASMB because it truly is a unique experience. "This was such an important opportunity for them because they represented the state of Wyoming in a fantastic manner and were able to create music with fellow students their age from all around the state," Kalinski said. "Many of the students were able to make new friends from other schools and resulted in all coming together to help celebrate in a day of thanks." "I joined the WASMB so I could represent Wyoming," Kloepper said. "I could not be more proud of them and the rest of the WASMB," Kalinski said. The GRHS students who join the WASMB were Tanner Adam, Nina Dodd, Brad Eveatt, Haylie Gavin, Ashlie Gold, Adeline Hoskins, Dalin Kurth, Dade Lucero, Mourgen Lenling, Alexander Shafe, Mia Worrell, Moritz and Kloepper. Three streets have still not had improvements completed to them that are covered by the sixth-penny sales tax and one resident wanted to know why. During the Green River City Council meeting last night, questions arose from Green River resident Kevin Kinney as to just how much money the city still had of the 6th-penny tax and why certain improvements hadnt been made yet. Finance director Chris Meats addressed these questions saying the city has about $3 million of the 6th-penny tax that will be used to improve Knotty Pine and N. 5th E. As for the carry-over amount, Meats said its been estimated to be around $200,000, but thats a rough estimate and they wont have the final number until April. He said it may also change due to some sales-tax litigation going on. Kinney had asked why the money wasnt being used on Second South to help purchase Christmas lights for the street and a barrier wall between the rail yard and Second South not only for aesthetics, but to act as a sound barrier. I would question the legality of using the money for other projects before we finish that. And Id like to see the prints looked at, Kinney said. Meats said the 6th-penny tax money has to go to those needs specified in the ballot initiative. The initiative didnt include lights or the wall. He said in the request the city specified the money would go to sidewalk-and-street improvements, which includes infrastructure, streets, sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements. He said also listed on the ballot initiative was the number of projects and which streets would be completed. Public works director Mark Westenskow said East Teton Boulevard, a portion of Apache, Wind River, Locust, one block on N. 4th E., Second South, a portion of Hitching Post, a portion of Evans, Knotty Pine, a portion of Railroad Avenue, and half a block of N. 5th E, where the streets listed on ballot initiative. Of those the last three are on schedule for construction in the coming year, Westenskow said. The rest of them have been completed. Back in 2003, the Second South project at one point did have screening walls as one of the elements of the project, however it and some other aspects werent completed, while others were, Westenskow said. It has to go for those needs, Meats said. Meats said Kinney had asked him if lights would fall under the request, but Meats told him he felt that would stretch the limitations of ballot initiative so it wont be done. As for the wall, Meats said it wasnt part of the initiative and they are no drawings. Westenskow said no walls were included in drawings from 2014 to now. Other questions addressed Kinney also asked questions as to where residents are supposed to dispose of tires and live Christmas trees. Westenskow said residents can dispose of their trees at the transfer station. As for the tires, Wyoming Waste Systems has to deal with the tire market that is here. He said the number of tires generated when the city was collecting them wasnt enough for Liberty Tire or other companies to work with the city and provide it trailers to dispose of them. All the information was turned over to Wyoming Waste and they will see the same numbers that the city did, he said. As the number of clouds, endpoints and applications that businesses are managing continues to grow, its creating new challenges for service providers and enterprises. The risks associated with provisioning devices and services across multiple clouds and sharing data between multiple parties are massive: security, direct costs for equipment and infrastructure, downtime due to productivity losses, personnel costs, etc. These can mount up and lead to increased inefficiencies. Dispersive Networks is out to simplify all the cross-connects and enable service providers to embed security in private networks that can be built on the public Internet. The company claims these networks are more secure and resilient than SD-WANs, VPNs, and MPLS networks, but dont diminish performance. I care about the end-user experience, said Ed Wood, newly named CEO of Dispersive Networks. He succeeds former CEO Richard Harrison, who is now the companys chief operating officer. Wood joined the company after 23 years at Accenture (News - Alert) in the Communications, Media and Technology Group. His experience across the transformation of networks covers everything from PSTN to soft switching, fixed to mobile, 2G to 4G LTE (News - Alert) (and soon 5G). For the 12 years before joining Dispersive, Wood focused on carrier digital transformation, helping the worlds largest service providers move up the stack to higher value services, including cloud-hosted ones. Driven by hugely popular services like Salesforce.com (News - Alert), enterprises made the move to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and began transforming to digital to serve customers with their own web and mobile applications. The challenge with everything-as-a-service happens when theres a poor user experience, Wood explained. Expectations are off the chart today, and the productivity of end users is based on their connectivity to applications. With multiple applications, IT and OT teams are charged with connecting to multiple clouds with multiple networks, layering on multiple network and application access security policies. And they must do all this while keeping their budgets in line. Wood was sold on Dispersive after working with the company to bring the technology to Accentures service provider customers charged with providing connectivity and bandwidth to mission-critical enterprises. Most urgent is the need to take advantage of the cloud and data-sharing apps through APIs and platforms without adding complexity and cost. For example, in the electric energy market this would involve managing monitoring and securing the grid. The lifeblood of virtually any organization is reliable and ultra-secure networked applications and systems. They need industrial-grade communications and computing power while simplifying operations. In this multi-cloud world, we realized they needed something much better than SD-WAN, which has been useful in the transition but ultimately more complex and expensive than promised. Woods point about improving how organizations connect multiple clouds AWS, Microsoft Azure, IBM (News - Alert), plus other public, private and hybrid versions was recently validated by an annual survey. Earlier this year, RightScale published its annual State of the Cloud Survey. The firm polled nearly 1,000 technology decision-makers at small to large companies across a range of industries. The survey indicated that enterprise cloud spending will grow rapidly during the next year, yet 35 percent of cloud spending is wasted. As a result, optimizing cloud costs is the top initiative for cloud users in 2018, said Michael Crandell, CEO of RightScale. Multi-cloud continues to be the preferred strategy for enterprises, with companies reporting that they use nearly five different clouds on average. With this multi-cloud approach, Azure is now nipping at AWS heels and, in fact, is in a dead heat with AWS among enterprises that are just beginning their cloud adoption. Wood says service providers can now offer enterprises programmable networking that connects multiple clouds more securely and harmoniously. Just as IT, OT or DevOps spin up VMs, they can spin up networks, explained Wood. This is not a prediction. Its our reality today, with one of the worlds largest network service providers using Dispersives technology to present a means for their customers to design, deploy, manage and flex their networks. This technology potential to disrupt legacy virtual networking services is substantial. I believe so deeply in this that I made a career move after over two decades working with the greatest companies in the world. The RightScale survey also reported that the two top cloud challenges in 2018 were security and spend, in that order. Security is a challenge for 77 percent of respondents, with 29 percent seeing it as a significant challenge. There will be no successful networking technology in the future that does not bake security into the management of sessions and events, Wood said. This is amplified by the growth in public cloud. Its a challenge Amazon, Microsoft, VMware, IBM and other companies are fortunately addressing. We give their customers a tool to connect and scale secure connectivity with software. The timing of this tool is opportune given the rise of public cloud adoption. AWS increased cloud adoption from 57 percent in 2017 to 64 percent this year. Over the same period, Azure increased from 34 to 45 percent; Google (News - Alert) Cloud increased from 15 to 18 percent; IBM Cloud increased from eight to 10 percent; VMware Cloud on AWS had a healthy eight percent share; Oracle increased from three to six percent, and Alibaba Cloud surfaced with two percent adoption. The other side of cloud is the innovation in applications, Wood observed. IoT is a great example. However, cloud-based IoT is very difficult to do without a secure, scalable network that extends to the very edge and into the devices with embedded, encrypted software. While Dispersives software works for any application and with any access network protocol, I get most excited about IoT, especially industrial IoT in mission-critical areas. Combining Dispersives programmable networking with Azures IoT cloud is a natural same for all cloud providers who see the massive value being created in the world of hyperconnected things and people. Beyond IoT, the growth of enterprise cloud computing and communications continues. So do the ways the cloud is being consumed: SaaS, Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), Security-as-a-Service and, most recently, Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) and Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS). All these need to work for the end user while not compromising the enterprises systems or data. When you think about whats happened with VoIP and you add voice-activated assistants, AI for voice including large contact center and healthcare systems you see the attack surface growing, Wood said. When service providers bring programmable networking to their own networks and their customers, they can design super-secure, high-performance individual private networks without having to hire a staff of engineers. The service providers are layering on the consumption applications, allowing an authorized individual to log in user name and password and start building private networks. These networks can connect clouds in the U.S., Europe and Asia with private routes that are nearly impossible to attack, Wood continued. The implications are positively disruptive. Dispersive board chairman Steve Shane said Woods ability to foresee market implications was one reason he was chosen to be the new CEO. Another was Woods having already worked extensively with the company while at Accenture. Ed has worked closely with our team over the last few years and demonstrated that he is both a thought leader and visionary, Shane explained. We have already benefited from his help articulating our value proposition, defining our market strategy, and launching joint customer initiatives enabled by Dispersives programmable networking and brought to market with Accenture. In his new role, Ed will have an opportunity to strengthen this partnership, accelerate our growth in new verticals and enable more customers to benefit from our solutions. Wood said he was honored and proud to join such an accomplished team. Programmable networking has the potential to transform almost every critical industry vertical, he continued. Energy, healthcare, financial services, government and a whole range of sectors demand highly secure but elastic and fluid networking at the lowest possible cost. Were going beyond the standard approach to networking to enable our partners to create unique and differentiated solutions that serve specific vertical industries. Its an exciting time in networking, Wood added. Dispersive has the ability to make innovation and transformation a reality for organizations across the globe. Edited by Maurice Nagle Its desperate attempts to raise funds failed miserably eventually leading to its closure. Tata group termed its talks with Jet for acquiring a majority stake as preliminary after remaining silent for a few weeks. New Delhi: Etihad could come to rescue of ailing Jet Airways and have jointly begun talks with creditors to get easier terms on loan repayment. The Abu Dhabi-based carrier, currently, holds 24 per cent in Jet and may raise its current equity holding taking it upto 49 per cent, the highest permissible limit for foreign airlines. The airlines are taking to banks on cash flow and business plan, said an industry executive. The development points to deteriorating financial health of Jet Airways which has been forced to withdraw dozens of flights to contain losses. It also reminds of crisis in 2012 that forced Vijay Mallya-run Kingfisher Airlines out of business. Days before going belly up, Kingfisher Airlines was cancelling dozens of flights as it did not have cash to buy even fuel and disburse staff salaries. Its desperate attempts to raise funds failed miserably eventually leading to its closure. Jet Airways has also been finding it tough to pay salaries of its staff and owe as much as $400 million to lessors and vendors. It too is facing the wrath of pilots for non-payment of their salaries. Jet Airways has been in spotlight in recent days with speculation of promoter Naresh Goyal holding discussions with prospective investors such as Tata Group, Etihad Airways PJSC and a consortium of Air France-KLM and Delta Air Lines. But none of them has so far progressed beyond talks. Last month, Tata group termed its talks with Jet for acquiring a majority stake as preliminary after remaining silent for a few weeks. Developers have their sights on a spring debut for a 165,000-square-foot senior and assisted living community that is taking form in Shelton. For the past year, Maryland-based Brightview Senior Living Facility has been building its second Connecticut facility on Beard Sawmill Road, which will add 161 units of senior housing to the city by mid-June. The four-story complex, which is visible from Route 8, is joining Brightviews Norwalk community and several other developments meeting the rising demand for housing for the areas aging population. Everybody is projecting that the senior population is growing exponentially, there is a lot of building in the exact area, said Terry Jackson, executive director of the Brightview Shelton. Our target markets and our demographics of depositors and interest is definitely geographically becoming a smaller circle, but there are more and more people. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 575,000 Connecticut residents were age 65 and older in 2016, making up roughly 16 percent of the population. Thats a three percentage point increase from 2000, when about 13 percent of people in the state were 65 and older. Brightview operates 36 facilities in the Northeast from Virginia to Massachusetts. The privately owned company opened its first Connecticut facility in Norwalk in 2016. The addition of Brightviews new Shelton facility aligns with a growing number of senior and assisted living companies making their way to Fairfield County. Connecticut-based Maplewood Senior Living is also expected to debut its new 93,000-square-foot facility in Fairfield in the spring, making seven locations statewide. The company has locations in Bethel, Darien, East Norwalk, Newtown and Orange while also expanding into Massachusetts, New York and Ohio. Like Brightview, the state also attracted developers from beyond state lines like Benchmark Senior Living of Massachusetts, which just added 88 units of housing in Fairfield this fall. Leasing of Brightview Sheltons units has been ongoing since June and the new facility has already received more than 290 applications, Jackson said. Roughly 90 percent of the applications, according to Jackson, have been from seniors looking for independent housing. That market segment has clearly raised their hand, Jackson said. That independent living marketplace is definitely feeling like theyve been ignored. The facility will have 87 independent living units, 48 assisted living units and 26 memory care apartments for people with dementia such as Alzheimers disease. The building will be three to four stories, have both one- and two-bedroom units, outdoor courtyards, 125 parking spaces and one driveway on Beard Sawmill Road. The buildings farmhouse-type architectural design is intended to reflect the location, formerly part of the neighboring farm. The community also features a dining room, pub and cafe, as well as other leisure and recreation amenities. There is a huge commitment to having our residents lead as vibrant lives as possible and getting them out to activities on the independent living side, Jackson said. Jordan.grice@hearstmediact.com The concept of auctioning celebrity experiences for charity is not new -- we know that walking the red carpet with Bradley Cooper or getting on stage with Beyonce can raise thousands of dollars for nonprofits. That's why, early on at Charitybuzz, our entire business was focused on celebrities. It made sense -- of course, that formula works well. But, how many charities actually have those celebrity relationships? Related: 8 Hugely Successful People Who Didn't Graduate College Central to our mission is to continuously identify more ways to help more organizations -- so we weren't going to settle. We embrace an entrepreneurial state of mind ourselves, working every single day for new ways to use the technology and platform we were building. That passion led to the discovery of a new breed of celebrity: successful entrepreneurs. So, what is it that makes entrepreneurs so valuable? They're in demand. Look no further than Twitter: Richard Branson has 12.4 million followers. Mark Cuban has 7.8 million. Legendary media mogul Oprah has a whopping 41.8 million followers. People want to hear what entrepreneurs have to say. Everyone wants to be the next Bill Gates. An up-and-coming tech innovator would give anything for a one-on-one meeting with Jeff Bezos. (Or $3.3 million for lunch with Warren Buffett if we're getting specific). Business experiences sell better than any other category on our site. Related: Why Entrepreneurs Are the Athletes of the 21st Century They give us hope. Entrepreneurs have a certain allure that sets them apart. Don't we all want to hear about Richard Branson's attempts at selling Christmas trees and parrots before he came into success? Or Steve Wozniak's college expulsion for sending prank messages through the school's computer system, before he joined forces with Steve Jobs? Paul Mitchell and Patron tequila co-founder John Paul DeJoria was homeless more than once before bringing his entrepreneurial vision to life. George Soros survived the Nazi occupation of Hungary before escaping to London and eventually finding success through banking. The rags-to-riches stories of tenacity humanize these business luminaries and remind us that we all have to start somewhere. They offer a wealth of relevant knowledge. Entrepreneurs are inherently valuable. They have unique experience and skills that are exceptionally beneficial to those earlier on in their enterprising journeys. Getting just 20 minutes with someone like Lori Greiner can open more doors and be more helpful to an aspiring entrepreneur than a full semester in business school in some cases. People gravitate toward success, and the entrepreneurs we're talking about epitomize the type of upward mobility and achievement that is so attractive to those following in their footsteps. Related: How 5 Entrepreneurs With Household Names Turned Failing Businesses Into Successes They're philanthropic. Like many Hollywood celebrities, entrepreneurs are grateful for their success and have a desire to give back. A new report shows that entrepreneurs give 50 percent more annually to charity compared to others, and are far more likely to volunteer. Sixty-four percent of entrepreneurs surveyed by HSBC believe they have a duty to make positive social and economic impact on society. This philanthropic inclination helps raise business leaders' profiles through media coverage, charity events and other positive associations. Even if entrepreneurs' charitable motivations are purely to do good, they must admit the "cause halo" doesn't hurt. Entrepreneurs are special -- from the renowned idols who've become celebrities in their own right, to the up-and-comers troubleshooting their own way to success. Thinking of entrepreneurs as celebrities opens up new opportunities to leverage their unique value. Related: How This Haitian Designer Ascended the Ranks of the Fashion World to Win Its Most Prestigious Award How Magic Johnson and Hulk Hogan's Agent Fell So Far 3 Energy-Draining Habits That Undermine Your Health and Waste Your Money Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Flowers are currently the most valuable part of a hemp plant, but the rest of the plant is largely wasted. It doesnt have to be but since the crop has been illegal since 1937, the capacity to process hemp stalks into useful materials, aside from CBD, is not yet available. Most of the hemp plant is underutilized and wasted today in the U.S., said Carl Lehrburg of PureHemp Technology in Fort Lupton, Colo. Related: Hemp Clears Legislative Hurdle and Is Poised to Be Legalized Legalization of industrial hemp seems certain in the coming weeks as the 2018 Farm Bill moves through Congress. Presuming it passes as now written, U.S. farmers will soon be planting fields of hemp to meet rising demand for CBD oil and hemp-based foods such as hemp milk and hemp protein. Hemp processing is a big gap in the supply chain. Lehrburg doesnt mince words. Consumers are demanding more hemp- and bio-based products, so the real constipation in the supply chain is with all the capital on the sidelines or chasing low-hanging fruit [like CBD production], while ignoring the real opportunities to advance the bio-economy, he said. PureHemp Technology is working to close that gap by developing traditional hemp stalk processing equipment that separates long and short fibers from the tough stem for processing into pulp, sugars and lignins, a process called "decorticating." The valuable raw materials in the stalk are the real gold, Lehrburg said. Industrial hemp, a variety of cannabis that contains under 0.3 percent of the psychoactive compound THC that gives marijuana its potency, grows well in most soils with few chemical fertilizers or pesticides, furiously absorbing carbon from the atmosphere from germination to harvest, when its real versatility shines. Hemp is a renewable source for an array of valuable and sustainable products ranging from foods and clothing to rope, auto bodies and 3D printing filament. That versatility and the low-impact farming needed to yield a hemp crop has motivated passionate hemp legalization advocates for decades. The cultivation of hemp of any kind was outlawed in 1937 (though the ban was suspended during World War II). Hemp imports were legalized in 1997 to supply a steadily growing U.S. market for hemp hearts, hemp milk, hemp protein powders, hemp-based cosmetics and extracted oils, as well as clothes, textiles and sustainable bioplastics. Related: The Next Big Thing in 'Green' Packaging Is Hemp Bioplastic The 2014 Farm Bill took a step towards domestic cultivation by making it legal for states to allow industrial hemp pilot programs. While 40 states did so to some degree, only 15 states grew hemp in 2016, with four more joining their number in 2017. Colorado led the pack with 9,700 acres of hemp in cultivation, followed by Oregon with 3,469 acres, Kentucky with 3,271, and North Dakota with 3,020. New York and Minnesota are the only other states with more than 1,000 acres of hemp under cultivation, according to the advocacy group Vote Hemp. Acreage devoted to hemp will almost certainly expand rapidly in coming years. The 2018 Farm Bill that will soon be voted on by the House and Senate includes the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, which will remove hemp and its products, such as CBD oil, from the purview of the Controlled Substances Act, legalizing cultivation in all 50 states. The biggest proponent of hemp legalization is Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Farmers in Kentucky, where hemp was a major commodity crop for centuries beginning before the Revolutionary War, sold $16 million worth of hemp in 2016. As cultivation takes off across the country, processing capacity will need to keep up and stay close, geographically speaking. Hemp has to be dried and processed near where it is grown or else the transportation costs eat too deeply into profits. And farmers who go into grain cultivation need food-grade processing. Even those who grow for the CBD market acknowledge that decortication of stalks would benefit them if they could access it. Leighton Rice, co-owner of Humble Hemp Farmers in Ortana, Pennsylvania, was specialized in fruit trees but got into that states industrial hemp pilot program at the urging of a friend in Nevada. Now he is in the middle of harvesting his first crop, a little over six acres of hemp. It wasnt too difficult or expensive to get a license, he said of the process that he went through in January. The hemp seed he planted is bred to be high in CBD, so the flowers are his main harvest Rice is already getting calls asking to pre-buy the flowers but the stalks have nowhere to go. If youre asking is there enough [fiber] processing capacity in the Mid-Atlantic, the answer is no, Rice said. Even though his main crop is not fiber, he recognizes that the quantity of stalk left after the flowers are harvested is not insignificant. But, he says, we dont have an outlet for it. Until the processing capacity for stalks is ready and waiting for hemp harvests, what PureHemps Lehrburg calls the real gold, valuable raw material for everything from protein powder to plastic will most likely be thrown away. Related: The Next Big Cannabis Opportunity? Mills to Process Industrial Hemp. Hemp Clears Legislative Hurdle and Is Poised to Be Legalized The Next Big Thing in 'Green' Packaging Is Hemp Bioplastic Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved The OTAs normally charge commissions ranging from 12 to 15 per cent from the hotels on the bookings made by them. The exorbitant commissions have been adversely impacting revenues, business and the livelihood of hoteliers. Chennai: Some of the top online travel agents are following business practices that are leading to predatory pricing and market distortions, hospitality industry body Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) has alleged. In the letters written to leading over the top application players such as MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and Oyo, FHRAI has urged to solve the issue amicably, failing of which they threatened to organise nationwide protests. According to FHRAI, one of the biggest concerns is that after securing discounted rates from a hotel, the over the top applications (OTAs) further discount it on their online platforms without the hotels consent. This damages the hotels reputation, and also simultaneously distorts the market scenario. Ironically, the OTAs have a clause in their agreement that forbids hotels from discounting their own rates but are themselves free to do so. This disparity is not just unfair but is clearly intentional and is done with the objective of market cannibalization, said Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, VP FHRAI & President Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI). The OTAs normally charge commissions ranging from 12 to 15 per cent from the hotels on the bookings made by them. But MakeMyTrip and Goibibo are charging commissions ranging from 20 to 40 per cent. The exorbitant commissions have been adversely impacting revenues, business and the livelihood of hoteliers. Over and above the high commission rates charged to the hotel, the OTAs offer enormous discount from their own end. This has rendered hotels helpless, left with no choice but to conduct business in a self-defeating atmosphere, said Mr Kohli. Usually hotels allocate a share of their rooms for OTAs. Different pricing for rooms sold by them and the OTAs have been hurting the business. FHRAI also has alleged that OTAs are legitimising the unlicensed accommodation providers by promoting them on their sites and apps whilst disrupting the business of the organised hotels. Last month Samsung unveiled a new color version for the Galaxy Note9: First Snow White. It made its debut in Taiwan and so far hasn't been announced for any other markets, but that's going to change real soon. That is, if we go by the teaser below, which Samsung's arm in India posted on Twitter. A warm welcome for the coolest colour of the year! Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/ypkwUzX7uN Samsung Mobile India (@SamsungMobileIN) December 5, 2018 So it looks like the subcontinent may be the next area to receive a touch of white for the company's latest flagship smartphone. Unfortunately there aren't any more details at the moment regarding when to expect it to drop, or whether you'll have multiple options when it comes to storage. First Snow White is the fifth colorway for the Note9, following Metallic Copper, Lavender Purple, Ocean Blue, and Midnight Black - which have been out since the phone's launch. Via If youve been trying to access Allo today, you probably were upset to find that an outage wasnt letting messages go through and Google Assistant, which first launched on Allo, was not working either. Following a report from 9to5Google about Google Allo's possible fate, Google released a blog post about the future of Allo, Duo, and Android Messages. We want every single Android device to have a great default messaging experience. Weve been working closely with the mobile industry to upgrade SMS so that people around the world can more easily enjoy group chats, share high-res photos, and get read receipts on any Android device. Allo hasnt been receiving attention from Google because several months ago, Google shifted development from Allo and Duo to focus on improving the Android Messages app going all in with RCS (Rich Service Communications), which is set to be the true successor to the outdated SMS (Short Message Service) default messaging service on Android. In parallel, we built Google Allo, a smart messaging app, to help you get more done in your chats and express yourself more easily. - Given Messages continued momentum, weve decided to stop supporting Allo to focus on Messages. The last time Allo was updated on Android is January and the app has already shown signs of aging with bugs and Google Drive restore is borked. With so much competition for instant messaging apps available like Facebook, Telegram, WhatsApp, WeChat, and Line just to name a few, it doesnt make sense for Google to pursue Allos success when Android Chat and RCS is just around the corner. Allo will continue to work through March 2019 and until then, youll be able to export all of your existing conversation history from the appWe've learned a lot from Allo, particularly whats possible when you incorporate machine learning features, like the Google Assistant, into messaging. As Google has done with previous platforms and services, it starts them up to learn the ins and outs until eventually Google applies what it learned from the failed product into a new one. In this case, many of Allos features were ported to Android Messages, the default SMS and soon-to-be RCS client on Android phones. Source 1 | Source 2 On Wednesday, Canadian authorities arrested Wanzhou Meng Huaweis CFO and daughter of the co-founder of Huawei, Ren Zhengfei while she was switching flights in Vancouver. This was done at the request of United States law enforcement. She is alleged by the Eastern District of New York to evading sanctions against Iran. Also today, the CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service) director warned Canadians about state-sponsored espionage with 5G networks that are currently in development with both Telus and Bell. Rogers has been holding 5G test trials with Ericcson. This is all happening not long after New Zealand and Australia have agreed to ban carriers from purchasing Huaweis telecom equipment due to safety concerns. Following the arrest, Huawei Global provided a statement to Mobile Syrup regarding the current situation. Recently, our corporate CFO, Ms. Meng Wanzhou, was provisionally detained by the Canadian Authorities on behalf of the United States of America, which seeks the extradition of Ms. Meng Wanzhou to face unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York, when she was transferring flights in Canada. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. The company believes the Canadian and US legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion. Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU. ZTE was banned from the US this year for violating the basis of sanctions against Iran until Trump and the Chinese government were able to reach a deal. Should something escalate with Ms. Mengs arrest, will China want to make another deal with President Trump? Source 1 | Source 2 The latest market analysis shows Huawei gained ground in smartphone sales on Samsung during the past quarter. One of the reasons is the Chinese manufacturer releases a massive amount of devices to serve every possible price segment. If you want a cheaper midranger with a fingerprint scanner on the back, you can go for the Enjoy 9 Plus (better known as Huawei Y9 2019). But if you dont want that sensor, Huawei is working on a slightly cheaper option called Enjoy 9 that's just went by TENAA. Huawei Enjoy 9 The specs of the phone look pretty basic - a 6.6 LCD with HD+ resolution and waterdrop notch. The CPU frequency is listed as 1.8 GHz, so we might be looking at a Snapdragon 632, used in another affordable Huawei handset - Honor 8C. The phone will have two RAM and storage options - 3/4 GB and 32/64 GB, respectively, with microSD slot on board as part of the hybrid SIM tray. The dual camera on the back is 13 MP + 2 MP, the secondary likely a depth sensor for portrait photos, while the selfie shooter is listed as 8 MP. Huawei Y9 2019 is going to have a little brother The Enjoy/Y series are known with their massive batteries and the Enjoy 9, listed under DUB-TL00 and DUB-AL00, will have a power cell with at least 3,900 mAh capacity. The phone will come with EMUI 8.1 based on Android Oreo. Launch date should be around the corner and were eagerly awaiting to see what the global moniker of this phone would be, since the Enjoy name is seen only in China. Source 1 Source 2 (both in Chinese) OnePlus has stated its goal to be among the first to launch a 5G phone. That will happen in partnership with EE the UK carrier will be the first in the world to offer OnePlus 5G phone. This should also be Europe's first 5G phone. But CEO Pete Lau has warned that the 5G model will cost $200 to $300 more than the 4G phone (OnePlus is working on two models in parallel). Back to EE, the carrier will flip the switch on its 5G networks in London, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester first. Ten more cities will get 5G coverage in 2019. EE expects these first 1,500 5G sites to carry as much as 25% of all data across its network even though they will cover only 15% of the UKs population. The OnePlus 5G phone will use the sub-6GHz technology that is being rolled out by EE. It offers wider coverage, but not the blazing speeds of mmWave 5G that AT&T and Verizon are launching in the US. Another warning from Lau: supporting the 5G flavors of multiple carriers will be even trickier than it is for 4G. This means that it will be a while before a 5G phone from OnePlus arrives in the US. Apparently, the need to use multiple antennas for mmWave is making the design really hard. Lau says It appears impossible to make a nice-looking flagship device, for now. There was another announcement from the Qualcomm gathering: the next OnePlus flagship will be the first to feature the Snapdragon 855. It's not quite clear if this refers to the 5G phone or not. Either way, this will be a first for OnePlus, but will not be the first phone in the world to use the Snapdragon 855 (as the slide above implies). Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3 China Mobile is having its annual Partner Conference in Beijing. Xiaomi is one of the companies attending the event, and it took the chance to demo its Mi Mix 3 smartphone with 5G connectivity and Snapdragon X50 modem. The device was showcased with accompanying specs label, that along with the usual specs, revealed a Snapdragon 855 chipset. According to Xiaomi, the Mi Mix 3 5G combines the new Qualcomm chipset and its next-gen modem with some in-house antenna switching technologies to reach download speeds of 2 Gbps. During the demo, the phone quickly connected to the 5G network, browsed some web pages and played videos. The new phone will share the same body, and likely the rest of its internals with the regular Mi Mix 3, unveiled last month - slider mechanism, massive screen-to-body ratio, a fingerprint scanner on the back panel, its top-notch night mode and 960 fps video recording. Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G demo from last month Xiaomi told the audience at the Partner Conference that early development began back in 2016, while the final architecture was decided in 2017. Back in September Lin Bin posted on Weibo the first device running 5G in the company test lab. Xiaomi will partner China Mobile in the pre-commercial tests in China and will launch the phone in Europe in Q1 2019. Source (in Chinese) | Via Xiaomi Redmi 5 Plus arrived in India as Xiaomi Redmi Note 5, but it never managed to reach the same popularity as the Redmi Note 4. That was mostly because the Chinese company also introduced the Redmi Note 5 Pro with dual cameras and better specs for a rather modest premium. That's why it's no surprise that Xiaomi has finally discontinued the Redmi Note 5 in India and is pulling the device out of the market. The phone is delisted from Mi.com and all major online and offline retailers. The price of the Redmi Note 5 was INR9,999 or INR11,999, depending on the memory variants. That's also very close to the newly unveiled Xiaomi Redmi 6 Pro making the outgoing phone even more redundant. Via The Indian government is also upbeat on 5G deployment in the country with Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha. The company will have the first flagship smartphone to feature the Snapdragon 855 that will be rolled out next year. (Photo: ANI) Hawaii: Chinese handset maker OnePlus will join the growing roster of handset makers rolling out their 5G smartphones with a flagship device next year, featuring the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 mobile platform. Speaking at the Snapdragon Tech Summit here, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said the company will have the first flagship smartphone to feature the Snapdragon 855 that will be rolled out next year in Europe in partnership with telecom operator, EE. Lau did not share any more details of the planned device, but said "we know that the 855 is the most powerful chipset, it is definitely the one and only choice for our phone". However, it remains to be seen whether the 5G handset will make its way to India, which is a key market for OnePlus. 5G services -- which promise to bring in faster data speeds for users -- are expected to be rolled out in the US, parts of Europe, South Korea, China and Australia in 2019. In India, such a rollout would happen after spectrum auction. While the Indian government is yet to announce a specific timeline, the industry wants spectrum auction to be held in the later part of 2019. The Indian government is also upbeat on 5G deployment in the country with Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha recently saying that India "cannot afford to miss the 5G bus". Apart from higher internet speed, the advent of the fifth generation of wireless system or 5G will also enable massive internet of things (IoT) deployment that would significantly impact sectors like manufacturing, retail, education and healthcare, among others. Samsung had on Tuesday said it expects to bring its first flagship 5G smartphone to the US in the first half of 2019 that will use the Snapdragon 855 mobile platform with the 5G X50 modem. Lau said OnePlus has also been collaborating with Qualcomm for 5G since 2017. "We are thrilled by its powerful performance and 5G capabilities. OnePlus will continue to bring its users the best technology and the best user experience possible," he added. Citing a report by research firm Counterpoint, Lau said OnePlus held a 30 per cent share in the premium category (Rs 30,000 and above) in India during the July-September 2018 quarter, taking the top spot for two consecutive quarters ahead of rivals, Samsung and Apple. He pointed out that including OnePlus, the premium smartphone market in India grew by 44 per cent in the first half of 2018. However, minus OnePlus numbers, the premium segment shrunk by 12 per cent, reflecting the strong growth being seen by the brand, he added. OnePlus has recently launched its OnePlus 6T handset in India -- a key market for the company. In August, Lau had said India accounted for about one-third of OnePlus' revenues last year and is set to become the second home ground for the company. Haiti - Politic : Announcement of a possible agreement between Haiti and Cuba on water management Tuesday, back from his mini tour to Mexico in Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-26281-icihaiti-mexico-jovenel-moise-met-with-the-haitian-community.html where he met with his Cuban counterpart, Miguel Diaz-Canel, President Jovenel Moise announced that he would soon sign a cooperation agreement with Cuba for the control and management of surface water, within the framework of the expansion of collaboration between the two countries. Recall that in addition to the presence of more than 600 Cuban health specialists in Haiti, Cuba also works in the country in the construction of dams and micro-dams that will provide water to the population, agriculture and agriculture. electricity production https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24870-icihaiti-education-scholarships-for-a-masters-degree-in-hydraulics-in-cuba.html . Cuba is also involved in the education sector with the literacy program "Yo, si puedo" and "Aprann" which have enabled 448,000 Haitian citizens to overcome illiteracy. On the other hand, since 1999, Cuban specialists in freshwater fish farming have been in the Artibonite department and are working on the development of aquaculture for the food of the populations. Finally, Cuba has also contributed to the strengthening of meteorological surveillance, thanks to the transfer of computer technologies to improve the monitoring and forecasting of events. This is how the Hydro Meteorological Unit of Haiti (UHM) now has a numerical model to predict the likely course of a hurricane over a period of 48 and 72 hours. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-26281-icihaiti-mexico-jovenel-moise-met-with-the-haitian-community.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26303-haiti-mexico-jovenel-moise-receives-the-grievances-of-the-haitian-diaspora.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-24870-icihaiti-education-scholarships-for-a-masters-degree-in-hydraulics-in-cuba.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-24264-haiti-politic-official-inauguration-of-dam-works-on-the-marion-river.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22357-haiti-politics-towards-a-cooperation-with-cuba-in-the-construction-of-dams.html SL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - FLASH : RFI et l'AUF launch the 1st Edition of the Young Writing Prize Following the Francophonie Summit in Armenia last October, the opening of a prize honoring French-speaking students was announced. Radio France International (RFI) and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) are launching the 1st edition of the Young Writing Prize (December 3 to February 5), whose jury will be presided over by the Haitian writer Yanick Lahens, who currently holds the Chair of Francophone Worlds at the College de France. All students studying at one of the AUF's establishments and anyone aged between 18 and 29 may submit a literary work of up to 15,000 characters (including spaces). This one must start with the following incipit : "Toute histoire commence un jour, quelque part" (words extracted from the book "Les exiles meurent aussi damour" of Abnousse Shalmani, Edited by Grasset) If these words inspire you, then your keyboards, The works will be selected, on the one hand by the readerst and on the other by the jury composed of 5 to 6 jurors with a particular attachment to the Francophonie. Works must be submitted online from December 3, 2018 to January 13, 2019 at this address : www.short-edition.com/fr/prix/jeunes-ecritures-2019/participer/jeunes-ecritures-2019-nouvelles/mon-oeuvre Rules : www.short-edition.com/fr/prix/jeunes-ecritures-2019/reglement The final will take place from January 22 to February 5 during which 30 works will be chosen by the editorial team and 10 works will be chosen by votes of Internet users Le Palmares will be unveiled on February 5, 2019 at 17:00 will include several works selected by the editorial team and 1 work chosen by the vote of Internet users Laureates will enjoy a Parisian experience of cultural and literary experiences. This awards ceremony will take place on March 20th as part of the Journee de la francophonie ! Master the art of writing a short story ... writing workshops online : Thanks to the 5 "webinars" of writing workshops that are proposed to you, discover the different springs of the brief narrative in order to put them into practice to write a short story. From examples taken from contemporary literature, the training aims to give you the tools to write, short, short, short and more. Each webinar will address an essential point of storytelling writing. Discover the 5 sessions and register : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMBOeFD6vpYSkmf-jtagHZA1cOvzYLAUsv-PhYIgcmfm3I3w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1 HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Chile : A Haitian pursues his employer for 271 million pesos Dominique Melvin (27) a Haitian resident in Chile, victim of an industrial accident suing his employer, the company Serfocom for 271 million pesos ( 400,000 US dollars)... The accident occurred on November 16 in Los Angeles, in the Nunble area, more specifically in the premises of Serfocom company specializing in forestry services and construction. Dominique Melvin claims that the company would not have given him the necessary instructions to safely operate a conveyor that amputated him in the accident four finger. Reacting to the accident, the employer offered the Haitian worker compensation of 500,000 pesos ( 743.25 dollars) and return tickets to Haiti. This offer, described as "ridiculous" by Melvin , led him, with the help of a lawyer specialized in labor law, to bring an action for damages for occupational injuries, against the company Serfocom, before the second court of labor of Los Angeles. Melvin would seek in his lawsuit the payment of 140 million pesos ( 208,110 dollars) for moral damages and 131 million pesos for loss of earnings ( 195,219 dollars). S/ HaitiLibre Published on 2018/12/05 | Source "The Last Empress" decreased slightly but was not unseated from its throne. Advertisement According to Nielsen Korea nationwide, the SBS drama "The Last Empress" rated 6.1% and 9.3%. This is 1.5% less than the previous episode but the drama is still in the lead. Oh Sunny (Jang Nara) was looking forward to her first night with Lee Hyeok (Shin Sung-rok), but he stood her up and disappointed her. MBC "Children of Nobody" rated 4.6% and 5.5% while KBS 2TV "Feel Good To Die" rated 2.5% and 2.8%. Press release The final results are in at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Havre check station for the 2018 hunting season. The check station was open for eight weeks; from Oct. 6 the open of general antelope through Nov. 25 the end of the deer/elk general season. Overall, both hunter numbers and most big-game harvest increased from last year, with mule deer numbers being the highest in more than 10 years. Biologists gather a lot of valuable information and biological data on game animals brought through check stations, in addition to sampling for Chronic Wasting Disease this year. FWP appreciates all hunters cooperation in this effort. Note that the harvest data described below includes only animals that were brought through the Havre check station and is only a partial representation of the region-wide harvest. Hunter numbers at 1,945 were up 8 percent from 2017, and 17 percent above the recent average. Hunter numbers and harvest were below average during the upland bird and antelope seasons, but they rebounded during the general big game season, said Havre-area biologist Scott Hemmer, who manages the station. Weather conditions this year were not a major obstacle to hunter participation or success. And hunter success for big game was good, especially for mule deer. The most noteworthy statistic this year was the high number of mule deer checked, Hemmer said. Mule deer brought through the check station totaled 713 for the year, which was up 8 percent from last year and 46 percent above the long-term average. The total mule deer harvest numbers were the highest seen since 2007, and the second-most in over 20 years. For the year, 142 white-tails were brought by the station, which is 19 percent higher than 2017, but still 10 percent below the long-term average. Hunters reported seeing increasing white-tailed deer numbers this year and enjoyed the opportunity to harvest a white-tailed doe with both the one-thousand region-wide 699-00 licenses, in addition to the unlimited single-region B tags, Hemmer said. Antelope, whose general season ended on Nov. 11, were 26 percent below 2017 and 78 percent below the long-term average. 63 antelope were brought by the check station this year. There were some minor reductions in antelope quotas this year that may have contributed to the lower antelope numbers, but hunter numbers were also down in districts where no quota changes occurred, Hemmer said. For the year, 48 elk were brought by the check station, which is one elk more than last years number and 20 percent more than the long-term average. Upland bird harvest this year was down. For the eight weeks that the check station was open, the pheasant harvest of 424 birds is below last year by -17 percent and the long-term average by-49 percent. Sharp-tailed grouse at 47 birds harvested was about half of last years total, and well below the long-term average. Hungarian partridge harvest at 19 birds is well below last years numbers and the long-term average. The lower upland bird numbers is likely due to the impact of drought conditions in the summer of 2017 along with the hard winter of 2017-18, Hemmer said. Bird hunters focusing on good habitats were still getting into some birds, but most bird hunters reported that this was a tough year for upland bird hunting. Overall, it appeared to be a good season for hunters this year, Hemmer said. We sure appreciate and enjoy visiting with the hunters that come by the check station, and its great to see the smile on their face after a successful hunt. 2018 Havre Check Station Harvest Summary Total Percent change from 2017 Percent change from long-term average Antelope 63 -26 percent -78 percent Mule Deer 713 8 percent 46 percent White-tailed Deer 142 19 percent -10 percent Elk 48 2 percent 20 percent Pheasant 424 -17 percent -49 percent Sharp-tailed Grouse 47 -44 percent -64 percent Hungarian Partridge 19 -60 percent -71 percent Ducks 71 16 percent 30 percent Hunters 1945 8 percent 17 percent Angela Murri, playing Line, gets in the ear of Rachel Dean, playing Captain Hook, during a rehearsal of the Montana Actor's Theater production of a panto of "Peter Pan" Wednesday. Along with acting, Dean choreographed the show as well. Montana Actors Theatre is ready to perform its latest holiday pantomime production with Peter Pan opening this weekend at the Little Theater in Cowan Hall on Montana State University-Northerns campus. The play is directed by Valerie Guyant, Ph.D., and is the third play to be performed as a pantomime, or panto, by MAT. The first panto that MAT did, two years ago, was Hansel and Gretel, and it was a big success, Guyant said. The following year MAT produced Robin Hood as a panto, which was another hit. A panto is a British Christmas tradition, Guyant said, and is designed for kids and families. A panto goes against traditional theater norms by encouraging audience participation. A lot of what we call breaking the fourth wall, she said, which means that the actors themselves will ask the audience to do things. Like, they get to shout at the actors, and theres candy, and theres a lot of over-the-top silliness to it. Some specific things that are just standard for pantos. Another aspect of the MAT production, following a panto tradition of gender changing, is that the male, lead character is portrayed by a high-school aged girl while the older, female role thats some sort of caretaker is often played by an adult male, Guyant said. Theres some cross-dressing going on and its intended (as) part of the tradition, she added. Pantos are half farce and half fairy tale or, as Guyant said, Monty Python meets a fairy tale, mixes together and comes out with something. Guyant said Peter Pan isnt a fairy tale in the traditional sense, but some scholars consider it a modern fairy tale. Most theaters put on Christmas-themed plays such as Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, but, Guyant said, MAT decided three years ago to try something different while still keeping the theme of Christmas. Sitting through, like, A Christmas Carol, when youre 5 is not easy. Going to a panto is way more fun, she added. Guyant said she has directed four plays for MAT and this is the first play she has directed this year. Guyant, an English literature professor for Montana State University-Northern, has been with MAT for three years. She moved from Wisconsin specifically for the teaching job she said. She started in MAT as a volunteer, first as a way to be able to attend the MAT productions for free because the cost of moving was so expensive. This has been the biggest cast Guyant has worked with in her time with MAT, she said. She also had to work with kids ranging in age from 9 years old to high school and college. One of the things I tried to do was keep it light and fun, she said. Guyant said one of things that she learned about directing a panto is that it is OK to re-use a gag in the script if the audience thinks it is funny. Guyant added that she has enjoyed watching the growth of first-time actors through the production of the play. Watching them develop into having more of a stage presence has been, probably, the coolest part of the whole thing, she said. She said she has also enjoyed the audience laughing at jokes or gags that the actors have come up with. Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry Rachel David gives a thumbs up as she begins to fly while playing Peter Pan Wednesday in Montana State University-Northern's Little Theatre. Actors dressed in black lifted their fellow actors from behind to simulate flying. Auditions for Peter Pan started in mid-October and rehearsals started near the end of October, Guyant said. While she considers Halloween her favorite time of year, Guyant said, she enjoys Christmas time, as well, and would love to direct another panto in the future. I cant emphasize enough that this is meant to be a family show, she said. That means the young kids are going to have a great time. The parents are going to laugh at different jokes than the kids will. Peter Pan opens Friday at 8 p.m. and with showings scheduled at 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Showings are also scheduled for Friday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 15, at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 21, at 8 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 23, at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 23, at 2 p.m. The doors and backstage lounge open a half hour before the shows. Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for students, seniors and military, and $5 for children K-8. Other workers on site were able to lift the conduit to minimise the first victims injuries, according to Gavin Fuller of Queensland Ambulance. The workers could have been killed, said CFMEU official Scott Vink. CFMEU is a trade union for the construction, mining, and other similar sectors. Those working at the development site are now worried, however, that the same type of cabling would be used in the high-rise building. They are probably going to have to check all of that to make sure that there are no problems with the bolts that were holding up that tray because this is a very serious incident, Vink said. Graham Cottam, managing director of contractor Multiplex, said the project team acted quickly during the emergency. We have notified other relevant authorities including Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, he said. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) president Ganesh Kumar Gupta said that the bank credit issue of exporters are yet to be resolved. Exporters had complained that the banks are reluctant to lend them after Nirav Modi defrauded PNB of Rs 11,500 crore. (Representational image) New Delhi: Exporters on Thursday complained of being choked of credit due to reluctance of the banks to lend them despite government efforts to ease cash crunch. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) president Ganesh Kumar Gupta said that the bank credit issue of exporters are yet to be resolved. PSU banks officials including MDs, EDs, GMs, AGMs are not accessible to exporters particularly from the MSME sector. This has tightened the hands of these exporters to take orders, said Mr Gupta. He said that exporters are not able to discuss issues and challenges with regard to availability and cost of credit to the exports sector. Commerce minister Suresh Prabhu is taking several steps to promote exports. But it would not fructify if banks would not lend to exporters smoothly and at affordable rates, said Mr Gupta. Exporters had complained that the banks are reluctant to lend them after Nirav Modi defrauded PNB of Rs 11,500 crore. Exporters had said that if one person had committed fraud that doesnt mean that everyone should be looked at with suspicion. On one hand, the government is pushing digital India initiative and paperless transactions, these banks demand bundles of documents, collateral and other papers for considering our applications for smaller limit (`1 to 5 crore) of loan, he said. Mr Gupta complained that it takes months and months to get these limits approved and in the mean time exporters loose their orders. The issue needs urgent attention of the government, he said. Mr Gupta said that temporary truce between China and US is good for world economy and trade as it has reduced the uncertainties which will help in further growth of global trade. The existing tariff on a large number of products provide opportunity to other countries in their exports to US and China, he said. Last month jewellery exporters too had complained that tighter lending will hinder any recovery in overseas sales this year, stoking fears that buyers will shift to rivals China and Thailand. After the Nirav Modi fraud came into light, RBI banned short-term financing in foreign currency to limit the damage to the financial system hitting them. Grand jury indicts co-worker for murder, rape in Pisgah Inn case ASHEVILLE A federal grand jury issed an indictment Wednesday adding sexual assault charges to a previous murder charge against a 21-year-old Asheville man accused of killing his Pisgah Inn coworker on a Blue Ridge Parkway trail last summer. The superseding criminal bill of indictment charges Derek Shawn Pendergraft with one count of first degree murder and two counts of aggravated sexual abuse resulting in the death of his Pisgah Inn co-worker, Sara Ellis, Andrew Murray, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina, announced. Pendergraft was previously charged with second-degree murder. According to allegations contained in the new indictment and other court documents, Pendergraft, who worked at the Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway, reported that his co-worker, Sara Ellis, was missing after the two of them went on a hike on July 24. Court documents allege that when initially interviewed by investigators, Pendergraft said that he and Ellis got off work shortly after 4 p.m., and decided to go for a hike on an unnamed trail near the employee housing area of the Pisgah Inn. Pendergraft said then shortly after starting their hike it began to rain, and the victim decided to return to the housing area while Pendergraft continued to hike. Court documents allege that Pendergraft stated that on his way back, upon reaching the point where he last saw the victim, Pendergraft spotted the victims umbrella and hat lying on the ground. Pendergraft informed the management staff at the Pisgah Inn that the victim was missing. Rangers and first responders searched the area and located the victims body lying off an embankment, near a trail, within the boundary of the Blue Ridge Parkway, in Transylvania County. According to allegations contained in court documents, on the evening of July 25, the manager of the Pisgah Inn contacted law enforcement and advised that Pendergraft was in her office and had made statements regarding the death of Ellis. Law enforcement arrived at the Pisgah Inn, interviewed Pendergraft, and arrested him shortly thereafter in connection with the victims murder. Pendergraft is currently in federal custody. His court hearing on the new charges was held Friday at the federal courthouse in Asheville. The penalty for first degree murder is life in prison or death. The aggravated sexual abuse resulting in death charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or death. The indictment includes a Notice of Special Sentencing Factors which could permit the United States to seek the death penalty. The Department of Justice has not yet announced whether it will seek the death penalty. In announcing the indictment, Murray thanked the National Park Service, the FBI, the SBI, the Transylvania County Sheriff's Office, the Haywood County Sheriffs Office, and the Cruso Fire Department for their work in the case. The Government has been criticised over plans to spend 5m on diesel buses, with accusations that it has reneged on commitments to address environmental concerns. Transport Minister Shane Ross said it was "very regrettable" that buses ordered and due to be delivered in the coming months would not be more environmentally friendly. He said the Government is transitioning to a green fleet and the use of electric buses but it will only stop purchasing diesel buses after July 2019. He said he did not know how many buses would be delivered as part of a 5m spend before next July but confirmed new buses bought before then will be diesel. Fianna Fail TD Robert Troy said the move means Ireland is leaving itself "wide open" to EU fines for failing to meet environmental targets. "We haven't a hope of meeting our 2020 environmental targets," he added. Expand Close Shane Ross said diesel bus purchases will end in July. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Dublin / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Shane Ross said diesel bus purchases will end in July. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Dublin Contract Mr Ross said the Government was tied to purchasing the diesel vehicles as part of a contract previously signed with a supplier. He added they were intended to be the last diesel buses bought for public transport. The minister also responded to the idea of public bus routes being put out to tender. It comes after the National Transport Authority proposed that up to 10pc of routes currently operated by Bus Eireann be put out to tender. Mr Ross denied that this will lead to the privatisation of public transport services. He said no public assets will be transferred to private operators if they are successful in bidding to run buses on routes currently operated by Bus Eireann. He added that the tender would not damage Bus Eireann or Dublin Bus and will benefit customers. "A tendering process is taking place and Bus Eireann and Dublin Bus are tendering for the routes as well," Mr Ross said. "The objective is not privatisation but to introduce more competition into the market to benefit the consumer." Sinn Fein TD Imelda Munster said allowing the routes to be run by private operators will make State-owned Bus Eireann less profitable. "Bus Eireann can apply for the tender and they may or may not get it. When they don't get it they straight away see a reduction in revenue," she said. "Every time a tender goes out you are weakening the national bus service." A drunk driver from Dublin who killed two women after an alcohol and drugs binge has said he would do anything to take back what he did. Friends Kiara Baird (19) and Maria Wallace (38) died when Dermot Dowd lost control of his car outside Ballybofey, Co Donegal, on September 21, 2016. Dowd (24) initially tried to claim that Ms Wallace, a mother-of-three, was driving the Citroen C3 car which crashed at Glenfin Road. He later admitted drinking for hours in a local bar with the two women before getting behind the wheel. Ms Baird died at the scene while Ms Wallace died a short time later in hospital after both had been thrown out of the car during the horrific crash. Jailed Dowd pleaded guilty before Letterkenny Circuit Court to dangerous driving causing death and last February he was jailed for five years and banned from driving for 15 years by Judge John Aylmer. Dowd again appeared at Letterkenny Courthouse yesterday to face the relatives of the dead women during the victims' inquests. The Dubliner, of Donegal Road, Ballybofey, told how he met Ms Wallace and Ms Baird at Bonner's Bar in Ballybofey earlier that morning. Both women were drinking and he said he drank a number of pints, as well as vodka and whiskey. He also said that he had some cannabis and that everyone was in good form. They decided to go to Ms Wallace's house and the women asked Dowd to drive the Citroen car as they did not want to. They called into the local Centra supermarket, where they purchased two crates of Budweiser beer. Dowd said that none of the three were wearing seat belts while in the car. He then said he slowed up toward a bend while on the way to Ms Wallace's house but the car started to slide and then he suddenly heard a bang. He said he looked around, the women were gone and that it had all happened so quickly. "I'm sorry and I would do anything to change what happened," he added. Garda Michelle Kelly said she had been on patrol in the area at the time and was flagged down by another driver. When she arrived at the scene, she saw two young women lying on the ground parallel to each other and a man kneeling down holding one of them. She said Ms Baird had a substantial amount of blood coming from her nose and was not breathing. Gardai delivered CPR, as well as chest compressions, and they eventually got a defibrillator but did not deliver a shock. Ms Baird was pronounced dead at the scene a short time later. Ms Wallace was taken from the scene by ambulance but was pronounced dead at Letterkenny University Hospital. Garda forensic collision investigator Gerry McCauley said he could not give an exact speed at which the car was travelling but confirmed it was "considerably over the speed limit". He said the car hit a lamp post and was thrown 33 metres into the lay-by of a nearby yard. Pathology reports for both women said their deaths were due to head injuries as a result of a road traffic accident. Coroner Dr Denis McCauley offered his sympathy and said it was simply "an awful tragedy". Ms Baird's mother, Tracey Baird, addressed the court and said she wanted to thank Dowd for staying with her daughter after the accident. "After the accident, there were a lot of horrible rumours, especially about Mr Dowd, and today we got a few answers. Thank you for that," she said. "We now realise he helped Kiara in her last hours and we want to thank him for holding her and being there." AgustaWestland middleman remanded to probe agencys custody. New Delhi: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman chargesheeted and extradited to India in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland copter deals kickback case, will be interrogated by the CBI for five days after a Delhi court on Wednesday accepted the probe agencys request seeking his custody. Though the probe agency had sought Mr Michels custody for 14 days, special CBI judge Arvind Kumar permitted his questioning only for five days. The probe agency said it wants to confront him with evidence and unearth the deep-rooted conspiracy and money trail in the scam. Mr Michel, 57, who is a citizen of the United Kingdom, was brought to India late Tuesday night following his extradition by the UAE. On Wednesday, he was presented in court, following overnight questioning. Sources said that Mr Michel was subjected to intense questioning after he reached India and slept for barely two hours. Doctors were called to attend to him after he suffered an anxiety attack, they added. While seeking his custody, the CBI told the court that his custody is required to identify his accomplices, including IAF officials, bureaucrats and politicians, who were influenced or instrumental in changing the decisions which made Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland eligible to participate in the biding process and ultimately bagged the contract for 12 AW-101 helicopters. The CBI said that investigations has revealed that Mr Michel had entered into 12 contracts through two of his firms Global Trade and Commerce Ltd, London, and Global Services FZE, Dubai with Finmec-canica, Agusta-Westland, Westland Helicopters and others. Meanwhile, the British high commission in Delhi sought consular access to Mr Michel. We are in contact with his family and the Emirati authorities regarding his case, and are urgently seeking information from the Indian authorities on his circumstances, said a spokesperson of the high commission. Earlier, Mr Michels lawyers moved a bail application on his behalf but the court did not give any specific date for hearing the plea. In a related development, Aljo K. Joseph, one of Mr Michels two lawyers, was expelled by the Congress from its youth organisation after the BJP sought to link the alleged middleman to the Congress. Suresh Nakhua, a spokesperson of the Mumbai BJP unit, had said that Mr Joseph was a Youth Congress functionary, evoking sharp reactions from various quarters. Following criticism, the Congress expelled Mr Joseph from the party and said, in a statement, Mr Joseph appeared in his personal capacity. He did not consult the Youth Congress before appearing in the case. The IYC does not endorse such actions. The IYC has removed Mr Joseph from IYCs legal department and expelled him from the party with immediate effect. A tight security blanket was thrown around the Patiala House court complex hours before Mr Michel was produced by the CBI before the special judge. Around 15-20 personnel of the CRPF and 30 Delhi Police officials had been deputed in the court complex, said a police official. Mr Michel had landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on a Gulfstream jet at 10.35 pm on Tuesday night after which he was arrested by the CBI in connection with the case. He is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. 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. On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanicas British subsidiary AgustaWestland amid allegations of wrongdoings and payment of kickbacks to the tune of `423 crore by it for securing the deal. Agusta had denied the allegations. The ED in its charge sheet filed against Mr Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received about `225 crore in kickbacks from AgustaWestland. The ED investigation found that remittances made by Mr 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 in the chopper deal. The CBI on September 1, 2017, had filed a charge sheet in the case in which Mr Michel was named as one of the accused. Former IAF chief S.P. Tyagi was also chargesheeted by the CBI along with nine others in connection with a bribery case. Mr Tyagi (73) is the first chief of the Indian Air Force to be chargesheeted in a corruption or a criminal case by the CBI and he has denied all charges against him. Besides him, the agency has also chargesheeted retired Air Marshal J.S. Gujral along with eight others, including five foreign nationals, in the chargesheet. Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland is also one of the accused. Others named in the chargesheet are Mr Tyagis cousin Sanjeev alias Julie, lawyer Gautam Khaitan, alleged European middlemen Carlo Gerosa, Christian Michel, Guido Haschke, former AgustaWestland CEO Bruno Spagnolini and former Finmeccanica Chairman Giuseppe Orsi. They have been chargesheeted for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the IPC in the case relating to alleged bribery of `450 crore. Mr Tyagi, who had retired in 2007, his cousin Sanjeev Tyagi and lawyer Gautam Khaitan were arrested on December 9 last year by the CBI in the case. These accused are currently on bail. Ntite Nyangwile is charged with multiple counts of theft A man accused of stealing more than 3,500 in rent supplement and social welfare payments has been sent for trial. Ntite Nyangwile (51) is also charged with making a number of false or misleading statements to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The accused, of Buirg An Ri Glen, Lucan, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court charged with multiple counts of theft. The estimated amount of money stolen is more than 3,800. It relates to rent supplement payments and social welfare payments which the accused allegedly received on various dates between 2005 and 2017. Mr Nyangwile is also charged with knowingly making a false or misleading statement. Evidence These false statements were allegedly made to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection on dates between 2008 and 2012. State solicitor Michelle Sheeran said that the book of evidence was ready and had been served on the accused. He goes forward to the next sittings of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on charges one to 26, inclusive, in the book of evidence. Judge David McHugh gave Mr Nyangwile the formal alibi caution. Defence solicitor Julianne Hayden said Mr Nyangwile was not working, and the judge assigned Ms Hayden and one junior counsel on free legal aid. Gardai said there was no objection to Mr Nyangwile being sent for trial on the same bail terms. Judge McHugh ordered that a video copy of an interview which gardai conducted with the accused be furnished to his legal team. Mr Nyangwile has not yet indicated a plea to the charges. The net is closing in on the south inner city thug who gardai believe was the actual trigger man in the gruesome 2016 murder of David 'Daithi' Douglas by the Kinahan cartel. Sources have revealed that the cartel is no longer providing funds for the on-the-run hitman, who is suspected of being mostly based in the UK since he fled the country in the aftermath of the murder. "Gardai are hopeful that he will finally be arrested in the coming months, and it should be easier now that his funds have run out," a senior source said. "A European Arrest Warrant is in place for this individual and when it is executed he will be the fourth person to be brought before the courts in relation to this murder." Runner The revelations emerged as cartel "foot soldier" Nathan Foley (20), of Rosary Road, Maryland, yesterday appeared at a sentencing hearing at the Special Criminal court. Expand Close Fat Freddie Thompson was jailed for his role in the killing / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fat Freddie Thompson was jailed for his role in the killing Evidence was given that he was a "runner" and a "foot soldier" for the criminal organisation and was friendly with a teenage associate of one of the main organisers. Foley admitted last month to participating in or contributing to activity intending to facilitate the commission by a criminal organisation or any of its members of a serious offence, namely the murder of Mr Douglas at Bridgefoot Street in Dublin 8 between July 1 and July 4, 2016. Mr Douglas (55) was shot six times as he took a meal break at the counter in his partner's shop, Shoestown, on Bridgefoot Street in the south inner city, on the afternoon of July 1, 2016. Frederick 'Fat Freddie' Thompson (37), of Loreto Road, Maryland, Dublin 8, was found guilty of Mr Douglas's murder in August this year and sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment. It has emerged that Foley was working directly for 'Fat Freddie', having been recruited by a close teenage associate of the mobster. Last month, Gareth Brophy (24), of no fixed abode but originally from the south inner city, was charged with the murder of Mr Douglas and remanded in custody. However, sources said that the manhunt in relation to a fourth suspect in the case is very much "alive and ongoing". Foley will be sentenced on January 25 in relation to his role in the Douglas murder, which is part of a major investigation being carried out by Kevin Street gardai. The offence to which he has pleaded guilty is contrary to organised crime legislation brought in by Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. The maximum sentence for the offence is 15 years in prison. Foley has 32 previous convictions, which include possession of a mobile phone in prison, criminal damage and public order offences. He was sentenced to three years in prison for having 8,000 of cocaine in June 2016 and will serve this sentence until March 26 next year. Foley has been held in the so-called "cartel wing" of Mountjoy Prison where he has mainly associated with other foot soldiers. He has also regularly updated his Facebook account over the past year despite spending that time on remand over the Douglas murder. One image, posted from his jail cell, shows what appears to be a cannabis joint, while he also posted a number of images of himself standing in front of his cell door. Yesterday's sentencing hearing heard that Foley drove one of the cars used in planning the murder and was involved in setting the getaway cars on fire. The court heard that Foley was a friend of Thompson's teenage associate and that "his societal connections with the principal actor in the drama" was how he became involved in serious organised crime. Foley drove one of the four cars used during the murder of Mr Douglas. He also scouted around the area before the murder, put a petrol can into the Mercedes getaway car, which was burnt out after the murder, and bought two phones which were later found in that car. He dropped the gunman and Thompson off at a restaurant in Dublin city centre later that night and afterwards joined them there. Yesterday, Mr Justice Tony Hunt commented that Foley might not have been the general but was perhaps more a "foot soldier out at the front line", adding that he was performing an important task and there was no getting away from that. Earlier, Detective Sergeant Paul Murphy summarised the facts of the case. Planning Under cross-examination, Paul Greene SC put it to Det Sgt Murphy that his client's role was as a facilitator and he was not in the "front rank of planning and strategising". The witness replied that Foley was not the main instigator but he certainly had a main role in partaking in the event, agreeing that he had played an active role on the day and at times afterwards. "He certainly would have been a runner for the main organiser in the particular organisation," said Det Sgt Murphy. Mr Greene put it to the witness that one psychiatrist had given evidence that Foley had a mental disability and this could be seen from the "limited tasks" undertaken by his client in this event, such as parking up the getaway car with a lack of skill and leaving the parking ticket in the car. "You're suggesting he made simple mistakes. Everyone made mistakes, not just Mr Foley," replied the witness. Mr Justice Hunt interjected, saying: "Not a great level of competence was made here." Forensic officers begin combing the scene at the university. Photo: Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images An Irishman working as an English teacher in Paris has been stabbed to death, allegedly by a former student. The man was last night named as 66-year-old John Dowling, who had previously taught in Dublin. He was stabbed a number of times outside the Pole Universitaire Leonard-de-Vinci, in the Hauts-de-Seine area, yesterday. It is understood that Mr Dowling was close to retirement after 20 years' teaching service. Assistance The French news service Le Monde said French police had detained the suspected killer of the academic. Expand Close The university where Mr Dowling was stabbed to death. Photo: AFP/Getty / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The university where Mr Dowling was stabbed to death. Photo: AFP/Getty "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance," a spokesman confirmed to the Herald. The suspect who was detained has been described as a 37-year-old former student at the Leonard da Vinci university, which is situated in the business district of La Defence in the French capital. The former student is understood to have been born in Pakistan. Sebastien Tran, a director at the university, said he believed the student was "dissatisfied" at his exclusion from the university in 2017, but added that he had not been seen as a particular threat. "We are very surprised and upset," Mr Tran added. The university director general, Pascal Brouaye, spoke to reporters after the incident. "It's an incident which has stricken our entire community," Mr Brouaye said. "This is a language teacher who gave 20 years' service here and who was well-liked by everyone." Tribute Mr Dowling had previously taught at the Emerald Cultural Institute in Rathgar, Dublin, where colleagues last night paid tribute to him. He has been described as an "inspiring" man. "It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the death of our beloved friend and colleague John Dowling. "We will all miss him more than words can say," a Facebook post read. "John was one of the kindest, nicest and personable people you could ever meet with a smile and kind word for everyone." "He is a great loss to us all," another user said. Inspiring A former student of Mr Dowling said: "John was my teacher at that same university in Paris during my exchange. "What an inspiring man he was." The French college where John worked said it would be offering assistance to staff and students who required counselling following the traumatic incident yesterday. France has recently seen a spate of violent protests by students angry about the cost of attending university. The mayor of Frejus, a small town in the south of France, yesterday said the incident was an example of tensions "worsening". "Support to his loved ones and colleagues," he said. One of the 11 patients who suffered a delayed diagnosis due to a hospital's X-ray and scan failures was unaware they had lung cancer for a year-and-a-half. The shocking revelation emerged yesterday in a report from a review of thousands of patient checks overseen by a locum radiologist at University Hospital Kerry. The patient is one of four who have since died. The extent of the delay suffered by the patients whose cancer was not diagnosed has been revealed for the first time. The delay was seven weeks in the case of another deceased patient, who had a rectal tumour which was not found in a CT scan. A third patient died after their pancreatic cancer was not found for six weeks. The fourth patient also passed away after a pelvic X-ray did not pick up that their cancer had spread to the bone. The delay had a serious impact on the health of all the patients, six of whom had lung cancer. The locum radiologist no longer works at the hospital. The investigation was called for in September 2017 after three patients were discovered to have cancer only after they came back to the hospital in July and August. They had been given the all-clear weeks earlier. Four more patients returned to the hospital in the autumn, complaining of ongoing symptoms. They received the devastating news that they were victims of delayed diagnosis and had been given incorrect results. The look-back, which discovered three more cases of missed cancer, involved 46,234 images - CT scans, ultrasound scans and chest X-rays. Substantial It found a substantial rate of unreported clinically significant findings requiring clinical review to determine if patients should be recalled for imaging. In total, 1,789 radiology reports were reviewed. Some 422 patients were identified for recall. Of those, 59 patients required further clinical follow-up or investigations and tens were referred to other hospitals. The review said the radiologist had a high volume of work. Indian Govt has received request of consular access from British High Commission for Michel, and is examining the matter. Christian Michel is a British citizen and the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland deal. (Photo: ANI) New Delhi: The British High Commission has asked the Indian government for consular access to Christian Michel, sources said on Thursday. Michel is a British citizen and the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600 crore AgustaWestland deal. ANI sources in the Indian Government said that the government has received the request of consular access from British High Commission for Christian Michel, and is examining the matter. Michel was extradited to Delhi from UAE on Tuesday night and a court in the national capital on Wednesday remanded him to five-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody. During the hearing, Special Public Prosecutor Advocate DP Singh appeared for the CBI and asked for 14-day custody of Michel for a thorough probe. Michel's counsel Aljo K Joseph had opposed it and had also moved a bail plea for Michel. The court kept the bail plea pending for next hearing and allowed Michel's counsel one hour each in the morning and evening for consultancy. According to CBI sources, Michel complained of anxiety during questioning by CBI and subsequently, he was given medicine. Also Read: Christian Michel slept only for 2 hours, interrogated overnight by CBI On Tuesday, the CBI had issued a statement saying: "Wanted fugitive criminal Christian Michel James who has been avoiding criminal proceedings in India in AgustaWestland Case is being extradited by UAE Authorities to India. Under the guidance of Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor (NSA), the entire operation is being coordinated by Incharge Director/CBI M. Nageswara Rao. A team lead by A Sai Manohar, Joint Director/CBI has been to Dubai for the purpose." The Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VIP helicopter deal, finalised during the previous government of Manmohan Singh, had got mired in allegations of kickbacks. According to the Enforcement Directorate charge sheet filed in a court two years back, Michel had received kickbacks to the tune of 30 million Euros from AgustaWestland for the deal involving a purchase of 12 VIP helicopters. The deal, signed in 2007, was scrapped in 2013 following the bribery allegations. CBI had filed charge sheet in a trial court on September 1, 2017 against Christian and 11 other accused persons. The trial court took cognisance of the offences on October 11, 2017. CBI's request for extradition was forwarded to the UAE authorities on March 19, last year through diplomatic channels. Extradition proceedings were held before UAE Court against Christian on the extradition request of CBI. Vide order dated November 19, 2018, the Court of Dubai upheld the lower court decision for possibility of extraditing Christian to Indian authorities. Accordingly, Christian was extradited to face legal proceedings. In a related development, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the UP chief secretary and DGP and has sought a report. Lucknow: UP DGP O.P. Singh said on Wednesday that the clashes in Bulandshahr were a major conspiracy and a reverse probe had begun to unearth the same. The violence in Bulandshahr on Monday had claimed two lives, including one of the inspector, and the latters family had claimed that he was killed because he had investigated the Dadri lynching case of 2015. We have started a reverse investigation to get to the bottom of this conspiracy. This is not a mere law and order issue. How did the cow carcass reach the field? Who brought it here, why and under what circumstances? These are major questions that need an answer, he said. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal activist Yogesh Raj, who is the main accused in the mob violence in Bulandshahr, has release a video statement on the social media, claiming innocence. In the undated video doing rounds on social media on Wednesday, Yogesh claims that the death of the police inspector and civilian and the protests in Bulandshahr were different incidents that occurred at different locations, and that he had no connection with the death of Subodh Kumar Singh, Station House Officer of Siyana Police Station, in any way. Mujhe bhagwan pe pura bharosa hai ki mera naam saaf nikal ke aayega, he is heard saying in the video. In a related development, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the UP chief secretary and DGP and has sought a report. UP CM had announced compensation of Rs 40L for Singh's wife, Rs 10L for his parents and a government job for a member of his family. The Chief Minister met the bereaved family at his residence located on Lucknow's Kalidas Marg. (Photo: ANI) Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met with the family of inspector Subodh Singh, who was recently killed in Bulandshahr violence which was triggered by rumours of alleged cow slaughtering in the vicinity. The Chief Minister met the bereaved family at his residence located on Lucknow's Kalidas Marg. Following the gruesome incident, Adityanath had announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for Singh's wife, Rs 10 lakh for his parents and a government job for a member of his family. On December 3, Subodh Kumar was killed in the violence, which took place after the carcasses of 25 cattle were found in the forests close to a police post, with the locals alleging that those carcasses were of the cows, which were slaughtered illegally. A local youth was also killed in the violence. According to sources, the post-mortem examination conducted on Subodh Kumar confirmed gunshot injury by a .32 mm bore bullet on his head. Till now, four people have been arrested in connection with the killing of the police officer. Shrey Pratap Singh, son of Police inspector Subodh Singh said, "We met the Chief Minister and he has assured us that we will get justice." Law and order is usually good here but the police were kept in dark about the Islamic congregation that happened here, which caused chaos. This is the cause of this violence," said Bhola Singh, Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Bulandshahr. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) A lawmaker from the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives on Thursday called on Senator Panfilo Lacson to reveal details about the "pork barrel" or discretionary funds allegedly inserted by senators in the proposed 2019 national budget. This amid Lacson's claims that multibillion pesos worth of pork barrel funds were inserted by some congressmen in the 3.575 trillion budget for next year. READ: Lacson bares P130 billion in 'pork funds' hidden in 2019 budget "We hope that Senator Lacson will be thorough para mapakita 'yung extent ng pork barrel insertion," ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said. Tinio said the insertion of pork barrel funds in the budget bill is normal in the House, with several lawmakers allegedly getting their own allocation. "Hindi lang naman sa kongreso o House of Representatives nangyayari yan. Sa Senate din nagkakaroon ng mas malaking insertions," he said. But this year, Tinio said the Makabayan bloc was unable to scrutinize the pork barrel funds in the General Appropriations Bill since they were not given copies of the measure as it was approved on third reading. "Hindi dini-debate o dini-discuss sa plenaryo yung mga insertions na yan. It's not PDAF, but it's still pork barrel," he said. Tinio said he was not surprised by Lacson's expose about the 2.4 billion in pork barrel funds purportedly earmarked for the district of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Lacson, during the plenary debates on the national appropriation Wednesday, maintained that congressmen realigned items in the proposed budget amounting to 56.7 billion to their respective districts. He said a congressman supposedly received 1.9 billion worth of projects while a congresswoman got 2.4 billion, 500 million of which went to farm-to-market roads. Lacson did not identify the congresswoman, but he said some of the farm-to-market road projects are located in Lubao and Porac, Pampanga. Both municipalities are part of Pampanga's second district represented by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The Supreme Court in 2013 declared as unconstitutional the Priority Development Assistance Fund, or more commonly known as the pork barrel. CNN Philippines' correspondent Joyce Ilas and digital producer Robert Vergara contributed to this report. If the government had not done so, God only knows where and how this fight would end, Mr Venugopal said. New Delhi: CBI director Alok Verma and his deputy and special director Rakesh Asthana were fighting like kilkenny cats, exp-osing the countrys premier investigating agen-cy to public ridicule, the government told the Supreme Court on Wedn-esday while justifying its decision to divest both officials of their duties. They were fighting like Kilkenny cats, which created an unprecedented situation. The government was watching all this with amazement till it became absolutely essential to step in, attorney-general K.K. Venugopal told a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi. The Centres main aim was to restore confidence of the public in the premier institution, Mr Venugopal told the bench which also comprised Justices S.K. Kaul and K.M. Joseph. If the government had not done so, God only knows where and how this fight would end, Mr Venugopal said. Following a brief submission by solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), the apex court posted the matter for Thursday. The court on November 29 had said that it would first consider whether the Centre had the power to divest the CBI director of his duties. Mr Verma and Mr Asthana were stripped of their powers and sent on leave following a bitter feud. The two-year tenure of Mr Verma ends on January 31, 2019. He has challenged the Centres decision to divest him of his duties. His lawyer Fali S. Nariman has argued that the governments order had no basis as the CBI director can be removed only with the approval of a committee that also includes the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India. But the attorney-general argued on Wednesday that the Centre is the appointing authority of the CBI director and has the power of superintendence over the agency. The case is centered on corruption charges levelled by two top officers against each other. Parts of the Tri-State could see first snow of the season Washington County, the Eastern Panhandle and Franklin County, Pa., is expected to see its first dusting of snow Saturday night into Sunday morning. Christian Michel was allowed to sleep for two hours between 4 am and 6 am on Wednesday before being given breakfast. After two hours of sleep, Christian Michel was again questioned by officials of the Special Investigation Team of the CBI. (Photo: PTI) New Delhi: Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland helicopter deal, was grilled by the CBI after he reached India and slept barely for two hours, sources said on Wednesday. 57-year-old Michel, who was extradited from Dubai on India's request, had an anxiety attack upon reaching the CBI headquarters in wee hours and doctors were called to attend to him. After treatment, he was questioned about the money trail and identification of documents in the multi-crore rupee deal, sources said. He was allowed to sleep for two hours between 4 am and 6 am on Wednesday before being given breakfast. After 6 am, he was again questioned by officials of the Special Investigation Team of the CBI, they said. Once his extradition was cleared by the UAE government, Michel was flown to India along with a CBI team led by Joint Director Sai Manohar. He landed at 22:35 pm on Tuesday at the Indira Gandhi International Airport from where he was taken into CBI custody after completion of formalities. Escorted by a small convoy of police cars and bikes, he was taken to the CBI headquarters' lockup at the ground floor of the imposing 11-floor steel and glass building where he reached around 1:20 am on Wednesday. He was taken to the Patiala House court around 4 pm on Wednesday which sent him to five days CBI custody. The CBI wants to question him to confront him with certain documents and confidential material which he allegedly had sent to his masters in Italy through fax, the agency claimed. It also wants to know how the money, Euro 42.27 million, which was received by Michel's companies from Finmeccanica and AgustaWestland, was distributed further to establish money trail of alleged bribes paid to swing the Rs 3,600 crore 12-helicopter deal for VVIP flights, it said. The agency has alleged that Michel has evaded any probe in the matter which puts him on a different pedestal than Guido Haschke -- another middleman -- who faced trial in Italy and entered in plea bargain. The CBI had filed a charge sheet against him in September last year. "An open non-bailable arrest warrant dated September 24, 2015, was issued by the special judge, CBI cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi," CBI's spokesperson said. On the basis of this warrant, a Red Corner Notice was issued by the Interpol which led to his arrest in Dubai in February 2017, he said. Michel was behind bars in Dubai since he was arrested and sent to custody pending the legal and judicial procedure in the UAE. After the courts cleared his extradition, the UAE government ordered him to be taken to India rejecting his plea that he was a British citizen. It was alleged that he had entered into a criminal conspiracy with co-accused persons, which included the then IAF chief SP Tyagi and his family members, and the public servants had abused their official positions by reducing service ceiling of the VVIPs helicopter from 6,000 m to 4,500 m. The reduction in ceiling made AgustaWestland eligible for contract worth 556.262 million Euros, which was awarded to it by the Defence Ministry on February 08, 2010, for procurement of 12 VVIP helicopters. 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 is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. 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. Even the sister of Michel had come out and reiterated the coercions to falsely name Oppn leaders as a ticket of exoneration of her brother, he said. New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for latching on to Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland copter deal who was extradited to India from Dubai, for a smear campaign agai-nst Opposition leaders and attempting to extract a confessional statement naming UPA chief Sonia Gandhi. Congress chief spokes-person Randeep Surjewa-la alleged that a stateme-nt made by Mr Michels advocate Rosemary Patr-izi Dos Anjos after his detention in July had cl-early brought out that the Modi government and its agencies were forcing him to sign a false confessional statement naming MrsSonia Gandhi in return for complete exoneration in the case. Even the sister of Mr Michel had come out and reiterated the coercions to falsely name Opposition leaders as a ticket of exoneration of her brother, he said. Mr Surjewala claimed that never before in the history of India has a Prime Minister been found complicit in gaining false evidence against Opposition leaders to seek revenge. Farooq said that the people want answers for all those fanciful promises that the party made. Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and president of National Conference (NC) Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said that the positive approach of Pakistans leadership towards resolving long pending issues with India has rekindled a new hope and the same argues well with the people of the state. Mr Abdullah while speaking at the annual day celebrations of Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, coinciding with the birth anniversary of his fath-er and legendary leader Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, said that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans recent avowals on India-Pakistan bonhomie has created the hope that a day will come when the people of J&K will live in a free atmosphere. I foresee a time when my colleagues, friends and family members mo-ve around without security. It is perhaps for that day, God has kept me going. I wish that day co-mes when the two South Asian neighbours live in camaraderie, he said. Expressing his dismay over what he said is the attack on the secular visage of India, he said, Many powers that are inimical to the secular character of India are making bigoted attempts to polarise the people on religious lines to garner support. This I believe is dangerous for a country like India which belongs to all. While criticising the performance of the BJP government at the Centre, he said that the people want answers for all those fanciful promises that the party made. People cannot forget the ordeal that they had to undergo due to demonetisation. Small business men and small enterprise holders too are at the receiving end due to the promulgation of GST, he said. The NC leader turning to domestic issues of J&K asserted that only democratically elected governments will advance the cause of development and will work for the socio-economic emancipation of the underprivileged. I look forward to elections for the State Assembly at an earliest. Only a popular government can mitigate the mounting woes of the people. And it is the duty of people to elect honest people to the legislature, he said. Later while talking to the media persons, he said that there are forces that wanted to encroach upon the working autonomy of J&K Bank. I fervidly trounced those efforts during my tenure as chief minister and we will continue to protect it, he said. Rajasthan, which was being written off by political pundits, is now seen as the state witnessing a close contest between the BJP and the Congress. BJP president Amit Shah during an election campaign in Ajmer on Wednesday ahead of the December 7 Rajasthan Assembly elections. (Photo: PTI) Jaipur: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the charge and BJP chief Amit Shah and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje making a final pitch for votes, the party appears to be upbeat about its performance in the poll-bound state. Rajasthan, which was being written off by political pundits, is now seen as the state witnessing a close contest between the BJP and the Congress. Sources stated that the party is confident that Mr Modis 13 rallies across the state and Mr Shah reaching out to the cadres will help tilt voters towards the saffron party. The BJP is also hopeful that Ms Rajes appeal amongst women voters will ensure a better performance for it on Dec. 7, when the state goes to vote. Sources pointed out that Mr Shah and Ms Raje have reached out to every district of the state in their quest for victory. Speaking to this newspaper, the BJPs Rajasthan election in-charge Prakash Javadekar said that the party will definitely come back with a comfortable majority. We have made several strategic experiments in Rajasthan and are hopeful that these will bear fruit by the state electing the Vasundhara Raje government, Mr Javadekar said. Mr Shah reached out to the partys cadre across the state and tried to placate and motivate them to work towards the partys success. Sources stated that contrary to the BJPs earlier assessment of hopeless Rajasthan, the party now feels that it has a fighting chance in the state. Another star campaigner for the party who is credited with the partys changed prospects in the state is Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath who has been reaching out to the partys core Hindu vote base and has been attracting vast crowds. Polarisation of votes and consolidation of Hindu votes is definitely going to help us in this election, said a senior leader of the party. The BJP is also hopeful that the Congress internal factionalism between the Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot camps is going to help it in securing more seats than was being expected before. Another factor that the BJP is banking on are the minor political players like Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharat Vahini Party of Ghanshyam Tiwari and some powerful Independent candidates who could eat into the Congress votes. The Rajasthan Assembly has 200 seats. The state is an important asset for the BJP as it had won all its 25 Lok Sabha seats in 2014 polls. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi has picked on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not holding a press conference during his tenure of over 1,000 days and suggested he should try addressing reporters as it is fun to be asked questions. Gandhi also tagged photographs from his press conference in Hyderabad on Wednesday to put his point across. Dear Mr Modi, Now that campaigning is over, hope you can spare some time for your part-time job as PM. Btw its been 1,654 days since u became PM. Still no press conference? he tweeted on Wednesday. Some pics from our Hyderabad PC today. Try one someday, its fun having questions thrown at you! Follow exit polls live: Surveys give BJP advantage in tight race in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh The tweet was retweeted 6,900 times and liked by more than 29,000 people since Gandhi posted it on late on Wednesday. The Congress president routinely addresses the Prime Minister as Dear Mr Modi or take a jibe at his Bharatiya Janata Party government and his policies. His Twitter following is only 7.9 million and Modi has 44.6 million followers. The Prime Minister is the second most followed head of state on the platform after US president Donald Trump. A man hailing from Punjabs Garhshankar was shot dead in Philippines, where he was staying for the past nine years, on Wednesday. Sanjiv Kumar (30), of Ghago Guru village, was collecting payments in Mangagoy market in the countrys capital Manila, when an unidentified assailant opened fire. Three bullets pierced through Sanjivs head and he died on the spot. His father, Ram Lubhaya said the family was informed about the incident by their younger son, Gurdip Kumar, who is also in the Philippines, on Wednesday night. My younger son was told about Sanjivs murder by a person of Punjab origin based in Manila who had identified his body. He said the body had been kept in a hospital, said Lubhaya. Lubhaya said Sanjiv was staying in Manila for the past nine years and had gotten married there. He is survived by his wife, a five-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. Gurdip had migrated to the Philippines two months ago and was staying with Sanjiv. Lubhaya, who is a vendor and a former sarpanch, said he did not have the resources to bring back the body for last rites. It involves huge expenses, he said. Sanjiv had met with an accident in 2011 and I had spent a lot on his treatment. My wife died of cancer a year-and-a-half ago. Im not in a position to bear the expenses now, he said. I want to bring my grandchildren back but dont know if it will be possible, he rued. ICSE (Class 10) examinees will now have their marks for English language and literature, history and civics, geography and science mentioned separately in their marksheets. Till last year, only subjectwise marks were mentioned in the mark sheet. This new change will come into effect from the examination year 2019, said Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary at the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), in a press release on Wednesday. Further, ICSE and ISC students will be able to appear for a compartment examination in only one subject. The examination will be held in the month of July each year and the results will be declared in August. Timetable for ICSE and ISC exams 2019 has been uploaded on the councils website, the council informed in a communique. From the examination year 2021 onwards, for the subject literature (English paper 2) at the ICSE and ISC levels, all candidates will be required to compulsorily study the prescribed Shakespeares play, prose (short stories) and poetry. In addition, new subjects are being introduced too. For ICSE, group 1 history, civics and geography (Thailand), this subject may be offered mainly for candidates of Thai nationality. The candidates will have a choice to either study history, civics and geography or history, civics and geography (Thailand). For ISC students, subjects of hospitality management and legal studies will be introduced. To bring about an upward mobility, the council will be tweaking the syllabus and questions of certain major subjects in Class 9 and 10 to align with curriculum of classes 6 to 8. From the academic year 2019, training program will be mandatory for teachers on various major subjects at the elementary, ICSE and ISC levels. A woman has alleged her four-year-old daughter was sexually molested by a classmate of the same age or some other person at a private school in outer Delhis Ranhola area on Wednesday, police said on Thursday. The allegations were followed by the womans neighbours ransacking and vandalising the school on Thursday morning, Seju P Kuruvilla, deputy commissioner of police (outer), said. Police are yet to identify the suspect but have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The childs mother approached the Ranhola police station yesterday (Wednesday) to complain that her four-year-old daughter was touched inappropriately by another child of the same age or someone else at the private school. We are investigating, Kuruvilla said. A similar case was reported in November last year from a private school in Dwarka in which a four-year-old boy was booked for sexually assaulting his classmate with his finger and a pencil. Forty three days after his arrest over allegedly insulting Odia sentiments and tradition in his tweets, Delhi-based defence analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra on Thursday walked out of jail free after a court in Konark granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs 20,000 and an assurance that he wont make any distasteful remarks in future. Iyer-Mitra, who was behind bars since October 23 over his tweets on 12th century Jagannath temple and 13th century Sun temple since September this year, was granted bail by Orissa High Court on Wednesday after the Odisha Government decided not to accord sanction of his prosecution and withdraw all cases against him. Iyer-Mitra was hospitalised on Sunday following acute pain in his stomach. Soon after his release, Abhijit will head to Chennai to meet his mother VS Chandralekha, Tamil Nadus first Woman collector and a close associate of Subramanian Swamy. The withdrawal of the cases came after he petitioned to the Odisha chief secretary seeking withdrawal of sanction to prosecute him under Section 196 of the CrPC in the 2 cases citing lack of intent or malice. "In addition to my apology to the Odisha assembly, I have unreservedly and unconditionally apologized for my words and actions that may have unintentionally hurt the sentiments of the people of Odisha, the Chief Minister and any others," he wrote. Last month, the Assembly pardoned him after he begged apology. In September this year, Iyer-Mitra landed in a doghouse after he flew in a chopper with former BJD MP Baijayant Jay Panda over waters of Chilika lake. He became a collateral victim of fight between the CM and his bete noire Baijayant Panda, when he went to the Sun temple at Konark in Puri district and posted a video blog on Twitter in which he said the temple was a humple(a slang for sex). An FIR was lodged at Konark police station, but Iyer-Mitra managed to secure bail from a metropolitan court in Delhi in September. However, his ordeal began when he passed some offensive remarks against MLAs of the State leading to breach of privilege motion. He landed in further trouble when a second FIR was lodged against him by a one Manoranjan Swain of Bhubaneswar over an year-old tweet of him ridiculing Odisha and Jagannath temple. In a tweet dated November 16, 2017, he wrote "Odisha was discovered by Bengali explorers, who called it OriShala!!! And it was named Orissa. Iyer-Mitra was arrested and sent to judicial custody after being booked under sections 294, 295-A, 506, 500, 153-A of IPC and 67 IT Act on Sept 20 for allegedly making offensive remarks that could cause communal disturbances. Soon after he landed in jail, he stopped eating. Though his arrest was condemned by several intellectuals as well as Amnesty India, the government did not move till his health deteriorated on Sunday leading to his hospitalisation. On October 22, 1990, Rajiv Tuli, then a final-year student of B. Com (Hons) at Delhi University, left for Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. His mother sent him off with a tilak on his forehead and the family braced for the prospect of not seeing their son again. Tuli, then 20, was one of kar sevaks (volunteers) who dreamt of demolishing the disputed 16th century Babri Masjid and building a temple to Lord Ram on the site they believe marks the birthplace of the Hindu deity. We were aware of the dangers, there was a hostile government [led by Mulayam Singh Yadav] ruling Uttar Pradesh and we knew anything could happen. But we knew we had to go, no fear or government could stop us, Tuli said. On October 30 and November 2, 1990, 16 people were killed in clashes as police opened fire in Ayodhya. Two years later, a mob of kar sevaks succeeded in razing the mosque. That was exactly 26 years ago on December 6, 1992. Now a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary, Tuli, who runs a manufacturing business, is one of the faces behind a renewed Ram temple movement part of an army of professionals who believe the cause is key to asserting their Hindu identity. Read: 26 years on, Ayodhya residents recall the horrors of 1992 tragedy If Tulis reasons for joining the Ram temple campaign were fostered by his familys connection with the RSS, one young lawyer who is now part of a team that is fighting a legal battle for the temple in a court of law grew up in a family that he says were supporters of the Congress. The lawyer, who wants to remain anonymous, says it was a rebuke from a teacher at a premier institute in Mumbai that sent him on the journey to reclaim Lord Rams birthplace. I remember sitting in the cyber lab and watching the interview of one of the lawyers supporting the temple when one of my teachers passed by and abused me, my caste, and my religion. That is when I realised that while it is important to build the temple in Ayodhya because it is the birthplace of Lord Ram, it is even more important to build it there to prove a point and rub salt on the wounds of these Hindu-hating liberals, he says. Hindu identity, cultural connections and religiosity form the axis on which the Ram temple movement now spins. Members of the RSS and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad claim that the campaign in its current avatar has more young people from a cross-section of society, most of whose families were not linked to Hindu organisations. These people find a cultural connection with the movement, says Rajya Sabha member Rakesh Sinha, who likens the Ram temple movement to the freedom struggle. The youth has accepted that this is the birthplace of Lord Ram and Babar was an aggressor. There are scientific studies and reports from the Archeological Survey of India to prove that there was a temple at the site where a mosque later came up, he says. Historian Shireen Moosvi says she is sceptical about these records. She says the ASI report that is often quoted by the RSS functionaries has been torn to shreds by academics over discrepancies. Read: Vishwa Hindu Parishad to observe Shaurya Diwas in Ayodhya on December 6 In 2003, ASI told the Allahabad high court that there was evidence of a temple having existed under a mosque. That building was an example of upcoming Mughal architecture, it had nothing to do with a temple. All this is being done to misuse religion for political purposes, she said. For Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi alumnus Bharat Sharma, not having a temple at the site believed to be birthplace of Ram is yet another example of the suppression of the Hindu identity. He says the anger stems partly from the limits imposed on Hindu festivities and traditions. There is anger over issues such as the cracker ban on Diwali, Jallikattu [bull-taming sport in Tamil Nadu], the tampering of traditions at Sabarimala. The identity of this nation is Hindu, the original copy of the Constitution has Hindu imagery, but the population of Hindus is falling. This movement is about asserting our Hindu identity, he says. Is he motivated by RSS? The 43-year-old, who runs a manufacturing business, says he isnt. Political opponents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) say the attempted revival of the Ram temple movement is an attempt to polarise the electorate ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. They allege that the BJP uses the temple issue as a prop to sway voters. Shahid Siddiqui, a former member of the Rajya Sabha and a journalist, says the renewed temple movement is a planned political move by the BJP. The fact that they kept quiet for four-and-a-half years is not accidental. They had planned to bring it up just ahead of the 2019 elections. And if the BJP cannot pass a law in Parliament, they will tell people to vote them back with a majority so that they can construct the temple. BJP knows their economic policies will pay them no dividends; of late there is no mention of Achchhe Din [good days], he said. Read: Ayodhya admin takes preventive steps to ensure calm on Babri anniversary on Dec 6 In October, the Supreme Court turned down requests for an early hearing in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute and said the top court will decide the course of hearings in the first week of January. BJP president Amit Shah recently told a TV channel: Had it been our way, the case would have been settled and the Ram temple been constructed in Ayodhya. He claimed that the party has always been in favour of the courts hearing the Ayodhya case on a priority basis, but the Congress has been delaying the case. Jawaharlal Nehru University sociologist SS Jodhka said: This mobilisation is part of the larger Hindutva cause. A section of the upper caste Hindus has always had an inclination for Hindutva ideology, and some of them have a sense of belief that democracy has affected them negatively. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said: People are accosting the BJP government on unfulfilled promises on jobs, rural distress, corruption, demonetisation and the sad state of the economy. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi thinks he can take refuge behind emotive issues and escape these valid questions. He also knows he will not succeed. The hydrogen cylinder blast at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, lab which left one researcher dead and three others injured could have led to a higher toll had it taken place just 15 minutes later. The four people from the team had come back earlier from lunch to celebrate the admission of one of them into the University of Texas to pursue his masters, IISc security officer MR Chandrashekar said. If the cylinder had burst just a little later, everyone else who works in the lab, about 40 people, would have been present inside. While Manoj K was killed in the blast, Karthik Shenoy, Naresh Kumar and Atulya Uday Kumar were seriously injured. The Laboratory for Hypersonic and Shock Wave Research, where the accident took place, is the largest of its kind in the world. We are working on cutting edge technology here since shockwaves are applied in a variety of industries. We have also had a tie-up with the ONGC since 2014, to see how our technology can help in oil exploration, said Professor G. Jagadeesh, Department of Aerospace Engineering, at the IISc. Professor Jagadeesh along with his colleague Professor KPJ Reddy had setup Super Wave Technology Private Limited which is engaged in research in the area of shockwaves and its applications in various fields. All four injured engineers worked for this company, which had earlier developed shockwave induced drug delivery patches for vaccines, insulin and antibiotics. For the ONGC, they are coming up with an alternative for hydraulic fracking. Earlier on Thursday, forensic science examiners from Karnataka Police examined the scene of the accident. The cause of the accident is yet to be determined. They are still looking into it but the cause is still unknown, said Chandrashekar. We are determined to take all necessary measures so such an incident does not occur again. This is the first time in the institutes history that something like this has happened. Meanwhile, a statement from the Ramaiah Memorial Hospital, where the three injured are admitted, said that all three are critical but stable. Savitribai Phule, BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh resigned from the party on Thursday , saying BJP was trying to divide society, reports ANI. This comes two days after she took on the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his comment on Hanumans caste. Yogi Adityanath had said at a poll rally in Malakheda of Alwar district, Rajasthan, that Bajrang Bali was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit, who worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west.. Phule had reacted by saying if Lord Hanuman was a Dalit as claimed by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, then Dalits should be appointed as pujaris in the all the Hanuman temples across the country. Hanuman always stood by Lord Ram but then why did Ram award him a tail and blackened his face? The MP from Bharaich had also alleged that Lord Hanuman was a slave of Manuwadi people. When asked about the Ram temple issue, which is pending in the Supreme Court, Phule said the BJP is raking up the matter as it has no other issues. The country does not need a temple. Will it end unemployment and other problems of Dalits and backwards? The temple will benefit Brahmins, who are only 3 per cent. The money offered in temples are used by them for their gains and make our community (Dalit) their slave, she said. We want rights given to us in the constitution, the BJP MP said, adding that Hamko adhikar chahiya warna kursi khali karo (Give us our rights or leave the government). Phule had earlier raised questions on BJP leaders dining at the houses of Dalits and had termed the founder of Pakistan Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a mahapurush (great personality), causing embarrassment to her party. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to let British high commission officials meet Christian Michel soon, Indian officials said on Thursday. The British request for consular access to Michel, the alleged middleman in the AugustaWestland helicopter deal,is being considered, CBI officers said. Michel, 57, arrived in New Delhi shortly before midnight on Tuesday following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates, renewing the focus on the alleged 3,600-crore deal for 12 AgustaWestland helicopters signed and scrapped by the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The deal has now turned into the subject of a political fight between the opposition party and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We have received a request for consular access to Michel sought by the British high commission here. Depending upon his interrogation schedule, we will work out a date and time for it, said an agency official who asked not to be named. A CBI spokesperson confirmed that the request for consular access was being examined. A foreign ministry spokesperson said India will respond to the British request very soon. Michel was questioned for the second day on Thursday, and the CBI has his custody until at least December 10 before the court looks at its possible extension. Countries routinely seek consular access to their citizens accused of crimes on foreign land under international law, usually to enquire into the well-being of the individuals or if they need legal assistance. According to experts, the consular access and the treatment provided to Michel are likely to have a bearing on Indias pending requests to the UK for extradition of fugitives like Vijay Mallya and Nirav Modi. Michel is an accused and not a convict. He should be treated with all the sensitivity required in this kind of matter and keeping in mind that he is only an accused... The treatment provided to him will impact Indias extradition requests pending in the UK and other countries too, said lawyer AK Wali, who has handled several extradition cases on behalf of the government. A senior advocate said consular access is normally provided unless there is an overweening state interest. Its similar to India asking Pakistan for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, said lawyer Sanjay Hegde, referring to the Indian national sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court n March 2016 on charges of espionage and subversive activities. People familiar with the developments around Michels extradition said the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations did not stipulate a time frame for granting consular access, which would be offered in the case of Michel after the necessary formalities are completed. The paperwork will be examined and Michels consent will also be sought since he must consent to the consular access, said one person, requesting anonymity. Spokespersons for the ruling BJP and the Congress traded allegations over the purported scam for which Michel is being probed. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said all three lawyers, including Youth Congress functionary Aljo K Joseph, who appeared for Michel in court on Wednesday, had links with the Congress. Isnt this too much of a coincidence, Patra asked on Thursday. The Congress said the allegation was a case of the pot calling the kettle black. Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said that if the BJP can link his party to Michel on the basis of a lawyer, the ruling party should answer for instances in which, he alleged, BJP functionaries and family members had acted on behalf of people accused of wrongdoing. Michel is accused of being one of three middlemen who allegedly brokered bribes to help Italy-based Finmeccanica (now Leonardo Group) win the contract for 12 helicopters primarily meant to transport VVIPs. Several parameters in the original tender were allegedly tweaked to swing the deal in favour of Finmeccanica, and several Indians, including former air force chief Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, have been accused of being a part of the conspiracy. All of the accused, including Michel and Tyagi, have denied the allegations. The question of consular access also assumes significance since Michel and his lawyer have alleged that Indian officials wanted him to implicate UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. In an interview with NDTV on Wednesday, Michels Italy-based advocate Rosemary Patrizi said she feared her client could be coerced into delivering a confession. The British High Commission Wednesday sought consular access to Christian Michel, a day after the British national was brought here from the UAE to face allegations of bribery in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland chopper deal, an official said. A spokesperson of the high commission said information has been sought from the Indian authorities urgently on Michels circumstances and that the British government is in contact with his family. Another official of the high commission, who wished not be named, said consular access to Michel has been sought. Our staff continue to support the family of a British man following his detention in the UAE. We are in contact with his family and the Emirati authorities regarding his case, and are urgently seeking information from the Indian authorities on his circumstances, the spokesperson said. Michel, 57, was brought to India late Tuesday night following his extradition by the United Arab Emirates in connection with the chopper deal case. A court Wednesday sent him to a five-day custody of the CBI, probing the scam. He is one of the three middlemen, being probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa. Michel has denied the charges. 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. The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in its charge sheet 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 the guise of genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the charge sheet. 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 in the chopper deal, which led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime. 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 road map of the next course of action will be finalized during Kumbh in Prayagraj next year. The VHP office bearer said another Dharam Sabha was scheduled to be held in Delhi on December 9 in which over five lakh people were likely to turn up. (Photo: Representational Image) Lucknow: The VHP will observe Shaurya Diwas on December 6, the anniversary of Babri Masjid demolition. The VHP is also gearing up to hold programmes for Gita Jayanti on December 18. VHP spokesperson in Ayodhya, Sharad Sharma, said, Shaurya Diwas will be traditionally celebrated. In Ayodhya, the VHP and various Hindu organizations will organize a number of religious programmes, including a hawan with prayers that a grand temple of Lord Ram is built soon. Sarva baadha -mukti hawans will be held. Tributes will also be paid to the innocent kar sevaks who faced bullets and lost their lives. He further said that special prayers for Goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning, would be held so that the people, especially politicians do not create obstacles in Ram temple construction. He said nearly 500 prominent ashrams of the temple town would be lit with ghee lamps and illuminated with electronic lights to celebrate the day. The VHP office bearer said another Dharam Sabha was scheduled to be held in Delhi on December 9 in which over five lakh people were likely to turn up. The VHP spokesman said that on January 31 and February 1, a Dharam Sansad will be held in Prayagraj in which more than 5,000 seers from across the country will participate. Seers from southern states and north-eastern states have been specially invited for this. The Dharam Sansad will debate on various issues, including the Ram temple, cow, river Ganga, and social harmony, he said. The road map of the next course of action will be finalized during Kumbh in Prayagraj next year. Rashtriya Lok Samata Partys Upendra Kushwaha on Thursday launched a scathing attack against both the BJP government at the Centre as well as the Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) government in Bihar. Speaking for more than an hour, Kushwaha criticised the ruling BJP at the Centre and said that political parties should not be building temples, instead they should be building schools to help educate the people of the state. Continuing his demands for better education facilities for the poor of the state, Kushwaha spoke about how the state did not have enough good teachers and how the JD(U) government had ignored his 25-point charter for education of the people of the state. Read: Upendra Kushwaha, Sharad Yadav may merge parties ahead of 2019 elections Kushwaha, who was speaking at a public meeting in Champaran in Bihar, said that he was willing to forgive chief minister Nitish Kumars neech remark. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had, a few weeks ago, referred to Kushwaha as neech aadmi. Kushwaha said on Thursday that he was willing to forgive that remark only if the CM would agree to his demands to help improve the education system in the state. Kushwaha, a protege-turned-rival of CM Nitish Kumar, had set the November 30 deadline for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to finalise its seat-sharing formula between the National Democratic Alliance partners in Bihar. But he did not receive any response. Earlier, the RLSP chief said he made several attempts to meet BJP president Shah, but the latter might have been preoccupied. Now, I am not going to make any effort to meet BJP top leaders except the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in whose cabinet I am a minister, he said. The RLSP fielded four candidates in 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and won three seats. But questions were raised about Kushwahas appeal among his own community after the RLSP lost 21 out of 23 seats it contested in the 2015 assembly elections. Also Read: Upendra Kushwaha may sever ties with NDA Kushwaha has been lately reaching out to other leaders for possible alliances ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. According to sources, he was in talks with expelled Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav over possible merger of their parties. Kushwaha leads the Rashtriya Lok Samta Party (RLSP), and Yadav is the patron of the Loktantrik Janta Dal, which was formed in July. If a new party is born out of the merger of the two outfits, it will also try for understandings, alliances and possibly mergers with other parties outside the state, said a leader on condition of anonymity. Sharad Yadav, too, was in Kumars JD(U), but was expelled from the party last year after he revolted against Nitish Kumars decision to dump Lalus Rashtriya Janata Dal and join hands with BJP. Kushwaha has also reached out to Raju Shetty, a farmer-leader from Maharashtra, who confirmed that the RSLP leader discussed an alliance ahead of the 2019 elections. We share good rapport as we were part of the NDA, said Shetty, who leads the Swabhimani Paksha. He left the BJP-led ruling alliance in 2017, accusing it of cheating farmers on the issue of minimum support price. The RJD, which has held meetings with Kushwaha, indicated that it is ready to contest fewer seats if that allows more space to be created for new partners. Amid the standoff between the state government and protestors at hill temple Sabarimala in Kerala over women entry, the cash-strapped temple board has devised a new way to fill its coffers. It has installed swiping machines (POS) at the shrine. Now devotees who dont have hard cash can swipe and donate money to the temple account directly. The South Indian Bank, official banker of the temple, has installed swiping machines and Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) which runs the temple is making special announcements to make use of digital kanikka (offering). Once swiped, money will go to the kanikka account directly. It is the digital age and it will help devotees. I feel swiping in the name of presiding deity will give more satisfaction to the pilgrims, said TDB president A Padmakumar. The board has also put up boards and makes regular announcements to use this facility. We have installed five POS (point of sale) machines at the hilltop and getting good response from pilgrims. Depositors get a receipt instantly and that make them happy. This facility is only available at the hilltop, said a senior official of the bank adding it is nothing to do with the present crisis born out of the Supreme Court verdict that allowed women of all ages to worship at the shrine. Also read | Children being used as shields in Sabarimala stir: Kerala Minister seeks action TDB officials say it will also help them save counting costs. Every year the TDB appoints many employees on deputation to count the offerings coins, currency and precious metals. There was a big controversy some years ago after counting employees complained that they were not allowed to wear under garments fearing they may stash money in inner wears. The brief discomfort was later lifted after the state human rights commission intervened and directed the board to install hi-tech facilities at counting centres. The temple has been witnessing protests over the verdict which also affected footfall and revenue considerably. The TDB says there is a 60 per cent dip in pilgrims and revenue in first two weeks of the annual pilgrimage season which began on November 17. Last year, 16 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine in first two weeks but this time their numbers came down to seven lakh and revenue also dipped to at least Rs 30 crore. To add to the TDB woes, many religious outfits are carrying out a campaign not to buy aravana, (kheer made of rice, jaggery, ghee and cardamom), the main source of revenue at the temple, and put money in shrine saying the temple board is using pilgrims money to destroy the age-old tradition of the shrine. What really irked them is the position of the TDB which toed the state government decision to implement the September 28 verdict of the Supreme Court which allowed woman all ages to worship at the temple. When hundis (donation boxes) were opened last week, temple authorities were shocked. They got more white papers written Save Sabarimala slogan than currency. Worried TDB is also planning an ad blitz in neighboring states saying pilgrimage to Sabarimala is safe. Read | Prohibitory orders in Sabarimala cant be withdrawn: Kerala govt The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said that the Congress was spending sleepless nights over the extradition of British businessman Christian James Michel, the alleged middleman in the multimillion-dollar AgustaWestland helicopter deal, and sending its lawyers in a bid to protect him. A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought up Michels extradition at a poll rally to target the Congress and warn that secrets will be out, BJP spokesman Sambit Patra cited the political affiliation of the lawyers defending Michel, who has been sent to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody for questioning. Though the Congress had expelled Aljo Joseph from the party and removed him as Youth Congresss legal department national in-charge for representing Michel, Patra dismissed it as a charade. The Congress is rattled after the extradition of Christian Michel. They sent their team to save Michel. Congresss Aljo Joseph appeared for him in court, They later went through the charade of removing him, Patra alleged Claiminng the family in Congress is getting sleepless nights, the BJP leader said, Yesterday, Aljo K Joseph had said somebody had asked me to become Michels lawyer. Who is that somebody? There are only two somebodies in the Congress, rest of them are nobody.... Patra also said that apart from Joseph, Michels lawyers were Vishnu Shankar, who is the son of a Kerala Congress leader and Sriram Parakkat, who has been a member of Congress student wing, the National Students Union of India. All three have worked under top Congress lawyers like Salman Khurshid and Kapil Sibal, he added. He alleged that this was no coincidence but it was the extended hand of 10 Janpath. Noting the three lawyers of the Congress had opposed police remand, Patra said that they will get access to Michel, meeting hims twice in the day. All this was a calculated move by the Congress to ensure Michel is protected, he added. Michel, 57, arrived in India shortly before midnight on Tuesday after being deported from Dubai, bringing back into focus a Rs 3,600-crore deal for 12 AgustaWestland helicopters that was eventually scrapped after allegations emerged that kickbacks had been paid to ensure the contract went to the Italy-based manufacturer Finmeccanica (now known as the Leonardo group). It was both signed and scrapped by the previous Congress-led UPA government. Former Jammu and Kashmir finance minister Haseeb Drabu on Thursday announced his resignation from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Tweeting his resignation letter addressed to party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Drabu said he has been distancing himself from party affairs for some time, though his resignation from his ministerial post and the party two years back had been rejected. Drabu said that since he had won the elections on PDP ticket, he thought it morally incorrect to resign as long as the state assembly was intact. Now that it (Assembly) is over, I am hereby resigning from the PDP, he said in his letter, referring to the dissolution of the Assembly by governor Satya Pal Malik on November 22. Haseeb Drabus tweet: Bidding Adieu to PDP. Another phase of life over. pic.twitter.com/r5YbZoYRYb Haseeb Drabu (@HaseebDrabu) December 6, 2018 The dissolution had come moments after rival groups of political parties staked claims to form the government. Drabu, who had been dropped from the Mehbooba Mufti government in March 2018, months before the PDP-BJP coalition broke down, said he did not agree with the timing and manner of the dissolution of the assembly. It doesnt credit either the democratic system or its custodian participants any glory whatsoever. Drabu also recalled his association with former PDP chief, the late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who had brought him into politics. Working with him made me realise that politics is not the last refuge of scoundrels. Occasionally, people with intellectual integrity, personal honesty and moral courage can also be found here. I was exceptionally lucky to have worked with him, he said. The former minister hoped that when history judges Mufti sahib and his decision to ally with the BJP, it would be done in the context and with the complexity it deserves. He signed off the letter wishing PDP the best. May it contribute to the resolution of the long pending political issue, help in bringing about social order, peace and prosperity in the state. Also read | Who sits next to fax on holiday? J&K governors comeback on Muftis charge The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the decision of Puducherry LG Kiran Bedi to nominate three MLAs to the Assembly. LG has the power to nominate, the court said. The Congress had challenged the decision of LG to nominate MLAs saying she should have consulted the ruling party before nominating them. The case dates back to 2017, when Kiran Bedi ran into a collision course with the elected government of Congresss V Narayansamy by nominating three BJP-affiliated persons as MLAs. While the ruling Congress moved the Madras high court accusing the L-G of bypassing the elected government, besides claiming illegality, Bedi said the nominations were valid as per the Union Territories Act. The nominated MLAs are V Swaminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapthy. The Madras High Court had upheld the LGs decision after which the Supreme Court was moved. In its earlier hearing the Supreme Court refused to stay the Madras high court order, and said the MLAs should be allowed to attend the house. Navjot Kaur Sidhu, the wife of Punjab cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, on Thursday welcomed the magisterial probe clearing her of any responsibility for the Amritsar Dussehra tragedy. If I am called to attend an event and an incident takes place there, then how am I responsible for it? These are attempts to malign the name of Sidhu family, Navjot Kaur told ANI. The former legislator and ex-chief parliamentary secretary was the chief guest at the Dussehra festival near Joda Phatak when the diesel multiple unit train crushed those standing on the railway tracks to watch the Ravan effigys burning. Sixty people lost their lives and an equal number were injured in the tragedy. Opposition leaders and locals alleged that Navjot Kaur fled the scene after the train mowed down the people. There are allegations that the event was organised without mandatory permissions, which had to be given by the municipal corporation which falls under the local government department headed by Sidhu. The main organizer of the event, Saurabh Madan Mithoo, is a close political aide of the Sidhu couple. Senior IAS officer B. Purushartha, who was conducting the inquiry into the tragedy, had asked the Sidhu couple to appear before the commission last month. Liquor baron Vijay Mallya said in a tweet again on Thursday he wants to end the narrative that he stole money from various lenders and asked the banks to take the amount he owes them. Mallya also said there was no link between his proposal to settle the loans and the extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, who was brought back to India on Tuesday. He, however, did not name Michel in the tweet. Respectfully to all commentators, I cannot understand how my extradition decision or the recent extradition from Dubai and my settlement offer are linked in any way. Wherever I am physically,my appeal is Please take the money. I want to stop the narrative that I stole money, the 62-year-old wrote. Mallya had tweeted on Wednesday insisting that he is not a defaulter and repeated his claim that he is ready to repay 100 per cent of the money owed to Indian banks but wondered why his offer made since 2016 has been refused. The businessman is facing extradition from the United Kingdom to India to face charges of financial irregularities running into thousands of crores. Judgement in the high-profile case is due in the Westminster magistrates court on Monday. Mallya fled India in March 2016 even as a debt court in Bengaluru was set to act against him for defaulting on loans issued by several banks led by the state-owned State Bank of India. He is fighting an effort to get him extradited to India on charges of fraud and money laundering. Besides the extradition case, Mallya is also facing recovery action against his assets in the UK brought by 13 Indian banks and another mortgage recovery action by the UBS Bank against his house in central London. Read: Secrets will be out: PM Modi targets Congress on AgustaWestland Questioning the three-month wait by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) before it acted on allegations of corruption against Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Alok Verma, the Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on petitions by Verma and the NGO Common Cause challenging the Centres decision to strip him of his powers and send him on leave in October. Concluding its three-day hearing in the case, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and justices SK Kaul and KM Jospeh remarked: This situation that prompted CVC to take the action [of divesting Verma of his powers as CBI director] did not happen overnight. If you [CVC] could have tolerated it since July, it is not that you were forced to take a decision immediately. On October 23, after an increasingly public feud between Verma and his deputy, Rakesh Asthana, who accused each other of corruption, reached the courts, the CVC, which has jurisdictional oversight of the CBI, divested both of them of their powers and sent them on leave. The Centre told the judges on Wednesday that it had acted well within its jurisdiction and didnt have much of a choice, saying the two officers were fighting like cats. Essence of every government action is to do what is acceptable. If you have two courses of action one acceptable and other more acceptable what stopped the government from taking the more acceptable option, the court said to solicitor general of India Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the CVC. Mehta argued that every all-India service officer is covered by the CVC Act. The commission has the power of superintendence over the officers, Mehta said, asserting that the CBI director was an Indian Police Service officer and the conduct rules for all-India service officers applied to him, too. Suppose a person is caught red handed taking a bribe or misbehaving with a lady, immediate action has to be taken. There needs to be some provision by which CVC can act ,which is not envisaged by the statute, said Mehta. Calling the action against Verma and Asthana correct, the solicitor general submitted that the two officers instead of investigating serious cases were investigating each other, were raiding each other. Jurisdiction to inquire and act against officers is vested in CVC and CVC would have been guilty of dereliction of duty if I would not have acted. I would have been answerable to the President, legislature and even this court. CVC acted in a non-partisan way. Verma has challenged his removal and contended that the action against him amounted to a transfer, which he argued cannot be done without the approval of a high-powered panel headed by the Prime Minister that appoints the CBI director. The leader of the largest party in the Opposition and the CJI are the other members of the committee. Intervening at the fag-end of the arguments by the government, attorney general KK Venugopal dismissed the claim by the petitioner that the government move amounted to his transfer. Its a highly artificial argument that Verma has been transferred, in effect its only a suspension. The authority that has the power to appoint also has the power to suspend or dismiss, submitted Venugopal. Appearing for CBI, additional solicitor general P Narsimha also opposed Vermas contention that he had been effectively transferred. He said a difference existed between a simple transfer and transfer on the grounds of disciplinary action. Moreover, the CVC could act under the powers of supervision vested with it, he said. Insisting that the government action amounted to Vermas transfer, senior advocate Fali Nariman contended: I am a CBI director only on my visiting card. I must continue to hold office and not just [the] post. Transfer doesnt mean transfer in service jurisprudence, it must be seen in its ordinary meaning. If CVC and government orders are seen, all functions (of the CBI director) have been taken away. The government must in all circumstances go to the high-powered committee of the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition and Chief Justice of India for a call on the CBI director, Nariman said. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Common Cause, argued that the CVC had limited powers and could only supervise corruption cases and that it didnt have the authority to divest the CBI director of his powers. There was no immediate reason for acting against Verma. There was a complaint against him in August and three months later, at 2 am in the night, an action is taken against him. They wanted to stop the CBI director from going into something, Dave said. Appearing for Congress Lok Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge, senior advocate Kapil Sibal argued: CVC superintendence over CBI is only in respect to corruption cases. Government could have gone to the committee and said transfer him, there are serious allegations against Verma. When a situation of this nature arises, transfer and apply conduct rules, otherwise you give unregulated power to government, which is opposed to (an) SC judgment. India on Thursday voiced strong opposition to Pakistans reported move to declare Gilgit (Pakistan) as that countrys fifth province. We have said that the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir has been and will remain a part of India, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to a question at a media briefing here. Any attempt by Pakistan to change the legal status has no basis whatsoever, Kumar said. We call upon Pakistan to vacate all occupied territories. Gilgit-Baltistan is a part of Jammu and Kashmir, but Pakistan illegally occupied it after Partition in 1947. Islamabad later divided the region into two parts - Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. According to reports, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has approved a proposal to alter the regions status to that of an interim province in principle. Pro-Khalistan elements in Pakistan have stepped up propaganda targeting visiting Indian pilgrims and backing the so-called Referendum 2020 at religious sites such as Nankana Sahib, which attract thousands of Sikhs from around the world. When Indian pilgrims arrived on November 23 at Gurdwara Janamsthan in Nankana Sahib built on the site where Sikhisms founder Guru Nanak was born they found the grounds of the shrine and buildings festooned with banners and posters on Referendum 2020 and an independent Punjab. The banners featured provocative slogans such as Referendum 2020 will end Indias occupation of Punjab and Referendum 2020 is resistance against Indian occupation of Punjab. Khalistan flags and life-size images of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the terrorist killed during the 1984 military operation against extremists holed up in the Golden Temple, were placed on several buildings. The non-binding referendum on creating a separate nation of Khalistan is being spearheaded by Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), which has announced plans for opening an office in Lahore, SFJs legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannu has said. A statement issued by the external affairs ministry on November 23 expressed grave concern at attempts to incite communal disharmony and intolerance and promote secessionist tendencies during the visit of Indian pilgrims. The Pakistani security establishment keeps very close tabs on all such groups and there is no way SFJ could have gone ahead with these activities without the blessings of Pakistani intelligence agencies, said an Indian official who didnt want to be identified. SFJ launched its campaign in London on August 12. The group plans to hold several events in Pakistan in 2019, coinciding with the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. The group plans to hold a convention in November 2019 either at Kartarpur or at Nankana Sahib. The convention is expected to coincide with the opening of a corridor linking Dera Baba Nanak in India to Kartarpur Gurdwara that will allow Indian pilgrims to go to the shrine without visas. People familiar with the developments said UK-based SFJ activist Sarbjit Banur played a key role in organising the campaign at Nankana Sahib. He was supported by Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee chief Gopal Singh Chawla, whose presence at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Kartarpur corridor on November 28 had raised eyebrows. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Gobind Singh Longowal on Tuesday said his body is not concerned about the Referendum 2020 campaign. He also said he didnt want to comment on SFJs activities. Punjab Police officials said the intelligence wing had, over the past 20 months, busted 10 modules and arrested 30 people allegedly radicalised by SFJ activists to carry out violence activities related to the referendum campaign. SFJ is preying on poor, illiterate and devout Sikh youth from villages and is radicalising them to carry out violence to promote the referendum..., said Punjab director general of police Suresh Arora. Mayawati also claimed that the government is trying to destroy all constitutional institutions that help the dalits. Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Thursday hit out at UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath and charged him with diving people and even Gods and Goddesses on caste lines. In a statement issued on the death anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, Ms Mayawati said that for electoral gains some people had stooped so low as not to spare even Hindu Gods and the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Chief minister Yogi Adityanaths statement that Lord Hanuman belonged to the Dalit community has become a matter of debate throughout the country. It has given rise to the demand that all Hanuman temples should be handed over the dalits and dalit priests should be appointed at Hanuman temples, said Ms Mayawati. After dividing people on caste lines, such politicians are not even sparing Gods and Goddesses for their narrow political benefits, she alleged. Reacting to the statement, Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad had urged dalits to take over Hanuman Temples. Ms Mayawati also claimed that the government is trying to destroy all constitutional institutions that help the dalits. She said while the government claims that it will double the farmers' income by 2021, the farming community is worried about its immediate future. A group of miscreants allegedly ran away with an AK-47 rifle of a Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawan in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh, a senior police officer said on Thursday. Two RPF personnel were injured in the incident which took place near Badnagar, about 50 km from Ujjain, said Ujjain Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Atulkar. RPF jawans on patrol duty along the railway track in Sundarbad area spotted about ten persons loitering about and asked them to stop, the SP said. The miscreants pelted stones at them, in which two jawans sustained minor injuries. The AK-47 rifle of one of them fell down. It had 20 rounds loaded, Atulkar said. The miscreants took the rifle and ran away, he said. Police had cordoned off the area and were searching for the culprits, he added. The National Green Tribunal on Thursday fined the state of Karnataka Rs 50 crore and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the city corporation, taking issue with the states negligence in protecting the lakes of Bengaluru. The citys lakes have hit newspaper headlines over the past few years, first with Bellandur lake, which had caught fire and then with other lakes as well, all of which froth and foam when there is rain. The NGT has also asked the government to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account for the execution of an action plan on the rejuvenation of lakes. It has ordered the setting up of a committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Santosh Hegde, which has been tasked with overseeing the implementation of its order. The committee will also include noted scientist TV Ramachandra, who is a faculty at the Indian Institute of Sciences. Of the fine that the BBMP has been directed to pay the Central Pollution Control Board, Rs 10 crore has to be transferred to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board for providing logistical support to the Hegde committee. Speaking about the order, Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary of the Urban Development Department, said the order copy had not yet been received. However, we will honour the tribunals directions, he said. As regards the rejuvenation of the lakes, these are not things that can be rectified overnight. We face legacy issues where drainage has been flowing into thes lakes for a very long time. We have set about in addressing these issues, Jain said. Meanwhile, the Namma Bengaluru Foundation, an NGO that has been impleaded in the case, said it welcomed the historic order of the NGT. Suresh NR of the foundation said: Our contention that there has been apathy has been upheld by the NGT. We have been crying ourselves hoarse that the authorities must step in and address the issue immediately, but to no avail, he said. Suresh said the state government had set up various committees, which had over the years detailed the various kinds of illegalities that had led to current situation. What action was taken on the three reports that were submitted to the government on the illegal encroachment of lake beds? In fact, last year the government came up with this new concept of dead lakes, he said. However, Suresh said, it was now time to join hands with the Hegde committee and aid it in addressing the issue. The Gautam Buddh Nagar administration Wednesday announced invoking the stringent National Security Act (NSA) against another notorious criminal involved in the sensational killing of a local BJP worker in November last year. Two days ago, the district administration had booked the key conspirator in the case, Arun Yadav, under the NSA. Accused Anil Bhati, 26, who is currently in Kaushambi jail, has been deemed as a threat to security and public order, District Magistrate Brajesh Naraian Singh told reporters in presence of Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Pal Sharma Wednesday. Bhati, who is from Ghaghola village in Greater Noida, has been residing in Patparganj, Delhi, until he was arrested, he said. Local BJP worker Shiv Kumar along with his driver and personal security guard were killed in a shootout in Greater Noida on November 15, 2017. The job was contracted to the Sundar Bhati gang after the conspiracy was hatched by Yadav, the DM said. Bhati, the nephew of gangster Sundar Bhati, played a key role in the killing of Shiv Kumar by providing his shooters for the task, Singh told reporters. A case was registered at the Bisrakh police station against Bhati under Indian Penal Code sections 147, 148, 149, 302, 34, 120B, among others. If Anil Bhati is not detained under section 3(2) of the National Security Act, then it is likely that he would again indulge in such activities and may pose threat to public order. In light of all this, he has been booked under the NSA, Singh said. So far, the stringent NSA has been invoked against five people by the district administration, he added. According to the law, certain provisions of the National Security Act prohibit bail to any person with a view to prevent them from causing any activity prejucial to the security of the state or public order, among others. Congress leader and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu has been advised bed rest for five days after an exhaustive 17-day election campaign, a statement issued by his office said this morning. The exhaustive schedule has injured his vocal chords, the statement said, adding that the Punjab minister has addressed more than 70 back-to-back public meetings. According to the statement, doctors have told Sidhu that he was on the verge of losing his voice and that he has been suggested a complete 3 to 5 day rest. Read more: No question of apology but love the CM: Navjot Singh Sidhu on my captain remark row Sidhu had been in the news for the past few days, first with his Pakistan visit to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Kartarpur corridor and then with his Rahul is my captain remarks. Watch: Gurdwara visit isnt laughter challenge: Minister Hardeep Puri slams Sidhu Sidhus two Pakistan visits hadnt gone down too well in some quarters especially after he was seen hugging Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in a video from his first visit. His second visit had irked many within the party since it came after a grenade attack at a Nirankari samagam on the outskirts of Amritsar. Addressing a press conference in poll-bound Hyderabad last Friday, Sidhu had said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi was his captain and that chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh was an army captain. This hadnt gone down too well within his party with four ministers calling for his resignation. In the statement issued earlier today, Sidhus official spokesperson said that the continuous helicopter and plane travel had had a detrimental effect on the ministers health. The statement said that since Sidhu was on an embolism treatment, he had suffered a DVT (deep vein thrombosis) due to excess air travel some years ago. Read more: Four Punjab ministers want Navjot Singh Sidhu to step down for his comment on CM Amarinder Sidhu has undergone a series of haematology (blood) tests which require sincere evaluation, the statement said. The statement further said that he has gone to an undisclosed location for a complete check up and recovery and is being administered specialised medication, along with breathing exercises and physiotherapy. Denouncing Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshis googly remark over Kartarpur Corridor, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday asserted that Pakistan has attempted to politicise a religious issue related to the sentiments of the Sikh community. Addressing the media, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, I would just like to add that we see the opening of Kartarpur corridor as a fulfillment of long pending demand of the Sikh community. It was unfortunate that Pakistan has attempted to politicise a religious issue related to the sentiments of the Sikh community. On Kartarpur While expressing hope that Pakistan will take all necessary steps to implement their announcements regarding the Kartarpur Corridor, Kumar said, In-principle announcements have been made by us and by the reciprocal announcements by the Pakistan side also have been made. Now the details of how the whole thing has to be worked out are to be discussed. Pakistan has to come true to its announcements on Kartarpur on their side of the border and implement those expeditiously. Qureshi had earlier claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has bowled a googly at India by opening the Kartarpur Corridor. On November 28, Pakistan Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur Corridor along the India-Pakistan border. Once opened, it would allow Sikh pilgrims a direct access to the historic Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Pakistan, where Guru Nanak Dev died in 1539. On Christian Michel External Affairs Ministry (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the Ministry had two requests from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the extradition of Michel from the UAE which were then forwarded to the Indian mission in the Gulf nation. After following due process and exhaustion of judicial process, Christian Michel was extradited to India, Kumar said. The matter is being handled by the CBI. Industry analyses have suggested Indian and other companies have held back on expansion or deferred opening new offices in the UK due to uncertainty over Brexit, but new official figures show investments from India was up 321% in the last year. The figures from the Office for National Statistics show stocks from across Asia have increased by more than 33% in 2017 to 128 billion and stocks from Japan increased by 71% to 78 billion. The greatest growth from any country has come from Indian investors, rising 321% to 8 billion, the department for international trade said. The United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019. Total trade in goods and services (ie exports plus imports) between the UK and India was 19.6 billion in the year to end 2018 Q2, a 20.0% increase from year to end 2017 Q2. In the year to end 2018 Q2, the UK exports to India amounted to 7.9 billion (a 27.9% increase from year to end 2017 Q2) while British imports from India were 11.7 billion (a 15.1% increase from year to end 2017 Q2). This means the UK reported a trade deficit with India of 3.8 billion, compared to a trade deficit of 3.9bn in year to end 2017 Q2, the department said. Of the UK exports to India in the year to end 2018 Q2, 5.2 billion (65.7%) were goods and 2.7 billion (34.3%) were services. Of UK imports from India in the year to end 2018 Q2, 7.8 billion (66.9%) were goods and 3.9 billion (33.1%) were services. In the year to end 2018 Q2, India was the UKs 16th largest trading partner (accounting for 1.5% of total UK trade); 20th largest export market (accounting for 1.2% of all UK exports), and 14th largest import market (accounting for 1.8% of all UK imports) As we prepare to leave the European Union, foreign investors from around the globe are as confident as ever investing in the UK, international trade secretary Liam Fox said. The significant rise in the amount of investment from Asia is evidence that the growing economies are important partners for the UK, relationships which I am committed to developing and deepening, Fox said. Overall, the value of the UKs FDI stocks increased by 12.6% to 1,337 billion in 2017 compared with the previous year. The financial services sector attracted more FDI than any other industry, accounting for 28.8% of the total inward investment, accumulating over 385 billion by the end of 2017. The 26th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition in Ayodhya on Thursday coincides with growing demands by Hindu groups for an ordinance to pave the way for a Ram Temple . The calls for the executive order grew after the Supreme Court declined an early hearing into the Ayodhya land title dispute. Hindu groups have been asking the government to settle the dispute in the temples favour without waiting for the courts verdict. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s fountainhead, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and ally, the Shiv Sena, have been among groups that have been calling for the ordinance. The calls are likely to intensify after the results of the assembly elections in five states are announced on December 11. Hindu saints are holding a meeting in Delhi on December 9 for the temple construction. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was among the first to demand the ordinance. Shiv Sena followed suit as its chief, Uddhav Thackeray, travelled to Ayodhya with his family to remind the BJP that it does not take days or months to ink an ordinance. BJP affiliate, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), held a dharam sabha (religious assembly) in Ayodhya on November 25 and asked Muslims to surrender the land for the temple. At the assembly, Jagadguru Swami Rambhadracharya said the Centre was thinking about bringing the ordinance. He quoted a senior Union minister telling him on November 23, 2018, that the Centre has been unable to take a decision regarding the ordinance in view of the Election Commissions code of conduct for the polls in five state. I feel an ordinance will be brought as they (BJP government) will not betray us, he said. He added the minister asked him to mention the proposed move at this assembly. Bhagwat has also assured me that they [the BJP government] will not lose this opportunity. The temple votaries believe it is now or never as the BJP has majority governments both at the Centre as well as in Uttar Pradesh, where chief minister Yogi Adityanath has been at the forefront of the temple movement. Uttar Pradeshs opposition Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary accused the BJP affiliates of raising the Ayodhya issue repeatedly for political mileage ahead of the 2019 national elections. People are aware of the truth and their intentions and no communal agenda will work in 2019 polls. A soldier was killed in firing by Pakistani army across Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir on Thursday, officials said. They said that Indian and Pakistani armies exchanged fire in Uri (Baramulla district) and Machil (Kupwara district) sectors also prompting the authorities to suspend trade between two parts of Kashmir divided by the LoC. Cease Fire Violation (CFV) by Pakistan in Machil Sector of Kupwara district at around 1045 hours today. Own troops retaliated strongly. One soldier martyred in enemy fire, said Srinagar-based army spokesman, Col Rajesh Kalia. Officials said Pakistani army also violated the ceasefire agreement in Uri sub-divisions Kamalkote area in Baramulla district on Wednesday and Thursday prompting a response from the Indian army. There was exchange of fire on Wednesday, then it happened again during the night and in the morning on Thursday, said sub divisional magistrate (SDM), Uri, Baseer-ul-Haq. The officials said that the two armies exchanged small arms fire amid a few instances of shelling as well. Army has not yet officially commented on the Uri exchange despite requests for the same. Haq said that two soldiers were hospitalized after sustaining injuries on Wednesday while a family was evacuated from a house that was slightly damaged due to shelling on Thursday. There was shelling on Kamalkote border post during the night. An empty shed was damaged in the shelling while as the window panes of a residential house were also damaged. The family living in the house has been shifted, Haq said. Neighbours India and Pakistan, who have fought at-least three wars since 1947, had agreed in 2003 to maintain peace along the border, but violations intensified after bilateral relations plummeted in 2016. The two countries often accuse each other of violations. The movement of trucks part of cross-LoC barter trade between the divided parts of Kashmir through Kaman Post was also suspended on Thursday owing to the exchange of fire. Kamalkote border post is adjacent to Kaman Post, so the deputy commissioner decided to suspend the trade for the day. It may resume on Friday, said Haq. The spike in ceasefire violations have killed dozens and often force thousands of people living along the border to flee their villages. The border exchange of fire also affects the Cross-LoC trade which was started in 2008 after the leadership of India and Pakistan agreed for confidence building measures to ease out relations between the two countries often at odds over Kashmir region. In the year 2017, India accused Pakistan of violating the ceasefire 882 times along the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 31 people. Pakistan on the other hand has accused Indian troops of violating the ceasefire 1300 times leading to killing of its 51 nationals including troops. The Bihar governments attempt to get the bungalow allotted to former deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav vacated was met with a stiff resistance Wednesday from RJD legislators, who staged a sit-in in front of the premises. Ultimately the drive had to be deferred in view of Yadavs appeal in the Patna High Court against the eviction order. Yadav, who returned from New Delhi in the afternoon after the commotion at his 5, Deshratna Marg residence was over, trained his guns at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whom he accused of occupying two government bungalows, besides illegally providing plush accommodations to his political aides and favourites. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasads elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, who has been estranged from his family for some time for lack of support to his decision to seek divorce from his wife of six months, also telephoned a regional news channel, expressing support for his younger brother Tejashwi and terming the eviction drive undemocratic. According to official sources, officials of the district administration and police, armed with the eviction order passed by the building construction department, reached Yadavs 5, Deshratna Marg bungalow in the morning. The department had passed the order after the Patna High Court, on October 6, struck down a petition filed by Yadav in July, wherein he had challenged the governments earlier order to vacate the bungalow, which was allotted to him when he was the deputy chief minister and which he continued to occupy as the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly. About a fortnight ago, Yadav had said he had filed an appeal before a division bench of the high court, challenging the single-judge order, and alleged that the government wanted him to swap accommodations with Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. RJD legislators, including MLC and the partys state president Ram Chandra Purve and MLAs Ejya Yadav, Vijay Prakash and Alok Mehta, staged a dharna in front of the bungalow, which was withdrawn only after the officials retreated upon a written submission by Yadavs lawyer about the appeal filed in the high court. Talking to reporters at the airport, Yadav said, Nitish Kumar should explain why is he occupying two bungalows -- the official residence of the chief minister and the one that was allotted to him as a former chief minister. After stepping down as the chief minister in May, 2014, Kumar had moved to 7, Circular Road and has continued to live in the bungalow even after returning as the chief minister. The bungalow is flanked on either side by 1, Anne Marg -- the chief ministers official residence -- and 5, Deshratna Marg. Yadav also questioned why some senior leaders of the Janata Dal (United), headed by Kumar, were allotted plush accommodations in the state capital, though they were members of the Rajya Sabha. I also do not understand why this insistence on vacating the bungalow in favour of Sushil Kumar Modi. I was not allotted the bungalow after displacing him. He has been living in his current 1, Polo Road bungalow since long, the RJD heir apparent pointed out. Later, at a hurriedly convened press conference, Yadav charged the chief minister with negative politics and ill-will over my living in a house adjacent to his and also accused Kumar of evading questions of the Opposition during the just-concluded Assembly session by not being present. Referring to the controversy that has erupted over the alleged meddling in the Patna University students union polls by JD(U) vice-president Prashant Kishor, Yadav said, Kumar seems to have forgotten that the university is his alma mater. He had learnt the ropes as a student leader under the guidance of my father Lalu Prasad, who was the president of the union. The chief minister should not have muddied his hands in campus politics. And if he is so desperate, then he should have thrown away the veneer of dignity and started campaigning for his partys students wing himself, he added. Congress leader Shashi Tharoors counsel Vikas Pahwa and public prosecutor on Thursday opposed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamys application seeking direction to the Delhi Police to produce vigilance inquiry report conducted after Sunanda Pushkars death and to allow him to assist the prosecution in the case. After concluding the arguments in the matter, the Patiala House Court has reserved its order on Swamys application on December 10. Tharoors counsel has filed the application under Section 207 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) seeking direction for reconciling of the data stored in three hard disks submitted by the Delhi Police in the court. The hard disks, which have more than 900 GB of data, were filed in the court in the form of Folder F. Folder F comprises numerous CDs, pen drives, hard disks, memory sticks etc. The data stored in these three hard disks was prepared in July 2018. Also read | Delhi court asks police to hand over papers to Shashi Tharoor regarding Sunanda Pushkars death During the court proceedings, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) allowed the application and directed the investigating officer to sit with the counsels and start the process of reconciliation from today itself. Tharoors counsel Pahwa challenged the locus standi of Swamy saying that he is a stranger to the proceedings and cannot be permitted to participate in the criminal trial in any manner. He also cited numerous judgements of the apex court and Delhi High Court in support of this argument. The Special Public Prosecutor also vehemently objected to the application saying that the Delhi Police does not want any assistance from Swamy. However, Swamy argued that the charge sheet against Tharoor in Pushkars death is incomplete and against the interest of justice. After the prolonged hearing, Swamy said that he will not press his prayer for assisting the prosecution but insisted that his plea seeking the vigilance enquiry report should be allowed so that the same can be considered by the court during the framing of charges. This plea was also opposed by Tharoors advocate on the ground that this prayer amounts to directing further investigation under Section 173(8) of CrPC, which is not permissible in law particularly when the court has already taken cognisance in the case. Sunanda Pushkar was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a suite of a Delhi hotel on the night of January 17, 2014. The couple was staying in the hotel as their house was undergoing renovation. Tharoor was summoned by the court in June this year, observing there was sufficient ground to proceed against him. The Congress leader was charged under Sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 498A (husband or his relative subjecting a woman to cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He, however, dismissed the charge sheet terming it preposterous. Read | Sunanda Pushkar death case: Email, helps statement part of evidence against Shashi Tharoor Top leaders of DMK, TMC, TDP likely to attend December 10 meeting. New Delhi: With general elections knocking on the doors and Opposition unity remaining elusive, the Congress is leaning towards its former president Sonia Gandhi to keep potential allies in good humour. Mrs Gandhi, who has been famously called the glue that binds the Opposition, will host a meeting of Opposition parties in the capital on December 10 as well as represent the Congress at the unveiling of DMK founder M. Karunanidhis statue in Chennai on December 16. As UPA chairperson, Mrs Gandhi has many times used her personal rapport to win over allies, like she did by sealing a pre-poll pact with Ram Vilas Paswans Lok Janashakti Party in 2003 by just walking into his bunglow one morning. A senior Congress leader said that the UPA chairperson is again trying to use her personal rapport with leaders, including those in the Karunanidhi family, to get a strong Opposition grouping going. And it seems that the results are beginning to show. M.K. Stalin the current DMK chief will attend the December 10 Opposition party meeting which the Congress is anchoring. Last week, Mrs Gandhi held a rally in Telangana, a state whose creation involved her efforts, where her party is fighting the polls in alliance with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). TDP sources told this newspaper that the December 10 meeting is being coordinated by Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the whos who of Opposition leadership is expected to attend. Top leaders like Trinamul Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal are also expected to be present at the meeting, sources said. Union minister and chief of Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) Upendra Kushwaha, who has made clear his intentions of leaving the NDA, might also attend the meeting, sources said. It might be recalled that many senior leaders like Ms Banerjee have expressed reservations over forming any Opposition grouping led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi. Consequently, at earlier such meetings, which had been called by the Congress president, the parties sent junior representatives. The December 10 meeting is being held after a similar initiative by Mr Naidu to hold a meeting of all Opposition parties on November 22 failed. While most parties had sited Assembly elections as the reason for not attending the meet, sources said the problem was deeper as many of these parties were fighting each other in states. Christian Michels extradition to India from Dubai on Tuesday came at the end of at least 36 hours of nerve-wracking developments, with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) chief Anil Dhasmana and Indias ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Navdeep Suri tracking the developments minute-by-minute, and keeping in touch over a secure line. Hindustan Times learns that Indian officials were anxious that nothing goes wrong in the extradition of the alleged middleman in the Rs 3600-crore deal between the Indian Air Force and AgustaWestland for the purchase of helicopters after learning that there was a possibility that the UK Michel is a British citizen which didnt oppose his extradition, may have teams waiting to snatch him and take him back to Britain. The operation was code-named Mission Unicorn. The wait, and the nerves, began on morning of December 3 when Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) joint director Sai Manohar was sent to Dubai after UAE authorities indicated last week that they had all but signed off on Michels extradition to India. To India, Michel was important enough for the Prime Minister to ask Dhasmana and Doval to handle his extradition personally, even if it meant the latter would miss the G20 summit in Buenos Aires on Friday and Saturday. Manohar was part of a four-member CBI team that flew to Dubai in a Gulfstream jet belonging to the Aviation Research Centre (ARC), the air reconnaissance arm of R&AW. India didnt want to take any chances with Michel, 57, who tried to flee UAE dressed as an Arab to a third country in July, but was detained at Dubai airport. Michel was arrested in February 2017, but a court ordered his release on the condition that he would not leave Dubai. India, in March 2017, requested UAE through diplomatic channels that Michel be extradited and its request acquired legal backing when, in September the same year, CBI charged him and 10 others in its case regarding corruption in the helicopter deal. NSA Doval went to Dubai in August to ensure that there was no legal loophole left which could be exploited by Michel. It is only due to cooperation of Dubai justice department and Sheikh Maktoum that India could secure the extradition of Michel, said a senior government official involved in the exercise who asked not to be identified. Dubai ruler Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum also holds the charge of the Prime Minister of the UAE. Indeed, the turning point in New Delhis efforts to extradite Michel to India came this March when Indian maritime forces intercepted, off the coast of Mumbai, a yacht carrying Princess Latifa, the 33-year-old runaway daughter of Sheikh Maktoum, and quietly returned her to the Dubai royal family. The request to intercept the yacht came directly from the Dubai royal family and India decided to accede to it keeping in mind its own strategic interests, said a second Indian government official familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified. Michel boarded the flight to India under UAE custody (he was accompanied by two UAE intelligence officials) at 5.05 pm from Dubai airport and was handed over to CBI at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at around 10.45 pm. On September 2, a lower court in Dubai ruled that despite being a British national, there was a possibility of extraditing Michel to India. On November 19, a high court in Dubai upheld the lower court. Then came the indication late last week that an administrative order would be issued about his extradition. An R&AW officer posted in Dubai was tasked with completing documentary and legal formalities with regard to extradition. Analysts say the extradition of Michel is a huge coup for India, with all credit to PM Modi for diplomatically engaging UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, vice president and PM Maktoum, and the Saudi Arabian kingdom particularly Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman from the day he assumed power in 2014. In August 2015, Modi became first Indian PM to visit UAE after 34 years. The engagement has also been driven by NSA Doval who formed a bond with the Saudi Arabian and UAE rulers over the years. After the Dubai justice department issued the administrative order to extradite Michel, the secure line between the Indian consulate in Dubai, CGO complex (where CBI is based) and Sardar Patel Bhawan was constantly in use. Acting CBI director M Nageswara Rao went home at around 9pm and came back to office at around 10.30 pm and remained there till 1.40 am, when Michel arrived at the agencys headquarters. After the aircraft landed, Michel was handed over to CBI, and the formalities of arrest him were completed. This was followed by a medical check-up. Three CBI officials, Sai Manohar, DySP Anil Yadav and Inspector R Sharma, brought Michel to the CBI HQ. Michel was allowed to sleep for two hours (4 am to 6 am) after reaching CBI headquarters in an agency lock-up. Later, his questioning began in earnest. In the initial round of questioning, Michel told CBI officers that his extradition was illegal. At 4.15pm, Michel was taken to the Patiala House court complex for a remand hearing. He was remanded to CBIs custody for five days. India finally had Michel, who it believes holds the information critical to identify the real beneficiaries of corruption in the chopper deal. A golden visa that allows Indian and other foreign investors to migrate to the UK with at least 2 million is being halted from Friday over concerns over money-laundering and organised crime, official sources in London said on Thursday. Launched in 2008, over 1,000 Tier 1 (Investors visa) have been granted until September 2018, mostly to Russian and Chinese investors, but they also include 76 Indian millionaires (and their 100 dependents) until 2017. The initial investments thresholds were 1 million, 5 million or 10 million, which led to permanent residence in 5, 3 or 2 years respectively, and eventual citizenship. The first threshold was raised to 2 million in 2014, while the other two remain the same. The decision to halt the visa comes following a review into the visa launched in May into applications since 2015, when the rules were tightened in the wake of concerns over foreign dirty money, enabling officials to seek information of source of funds. Immigration minister Caroline Nokes said: The UK will always be open to legitimate and genuine investors who are committed to helping our economy and businesses grow. However, I have been clear that we will not tolerate people who do not play by the rules and seek to abuse the system. That is why I am bringing forward these new measures which will make sure that only genuine investors, who intend to support UK businesses, can benefit from our immigration system. Earlier this year, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich faced delays due to new checks when his Tier 1 (Investors Visa) came up for renewal, prompting renewed accusations between London and Kremlin. Campaign group Transparency International previously expressed concerns about the possibility of money being laundered through the visa route. In a report titled Paradise Lost, it called for steps to ensure that Britain does not become a prime destination for corrupt individuals looking to invest or launder the proceeds of their illicit wealth, enjoy a luxury lifestyle and cleanse their reputations. Britain continues to be an attractive destination and a safe haven for global millionaires due to historical links and benefits of a stable, liquid economy, political stability and being largely free from government interference in private individual assets. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi today. The meeting comes in the backdrop of violence in Bulandshahr that started over alleged cow slaughter and quickly went out of control leaving two people dead, including a police inspector. Not to my knowledge, the meeting was planned, said a government spokesperson when asked if Bulandshahr violence was to be discussed during the meeting. The chief minister is meeting Modi to invite him for various events in the state, including in Gorakhpur, where President is expected be present on December 9 and 10, the spokesperson said. The Yogi government has come under attack from the Opposition for its handling of the violence in Bulandshahr and its aftermath. Yogesh Raj, a Bajrang Dal activist and the main accused in the mob attack, is still on the run but released a video on Wednesday saying he was innocent and was not present at the site. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati blamed the BJP for the violence, saying it was the result of the governments wrong policies. Violence in a district so close to Delhi was proof of BJPs jungle raj (lawlessness) in UP. The fact that now law keepers are also falling prey to this lawlessness is most worrying, she said. Congress blamed Yogi Adityanath for campaigning in poll-bound states instead of looking after the situation in his state. Instead of taking care of his state, Yogi is going to Telangana and spewing venom, Congresss Kapil Sibal said. Defending the state government, Uttar Pradesh BJP general secretary Vijay Pathak said, In Bulandshahr our government has taken quick steps. We cant talk on individual comments. The bigger picture is that the guilty, irrespective of who they are, would be dealt with as per law. The Calcutta High Court on Thursday denied permission to Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) to hold a rath yatra, which was to be flagged off by party president Amit Shah from Cooch Behar on Friday. The High Court ordered that the rath yatra cannot take place till the next date of hearing, January 9, when it would consider reports from the 24 districts through which the rally was to pass. The Calcutta High Court has deferred the rally until the Superintended of Police of respective districts speak to BJP presidents (of those districts) and file a report by December 21, according to news agency ANI. Court has passed order that by 21 Dec the Superintendent of Police of respective districts will speak to district Presidents of BJP & file a report on 9th Jan, before the HC of Calcutta. Till then HC has deferred the rally, Arkho Kumar Naag, State Advocate told ANI. The BJP will be approaching a division bench on Friday morning against Calcutta High Courts order, ANI reported. We will be going to division bench tomorrow morning. We will seek justice that any peaceful democratic movement is permissible under Indian Constitution, West Bengal BJP vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar told ANI. The Mamata Banerjee government told a bench of Calcutta High Court it will not give its approval for the rath yatra . The states advocate general informed a bench of justice Tapabrata Chakraborty on Thursday morning about the decision. In a democratic set up all political parties are at liberty to pursue their programme. The government has no business stopping it, said Dilip Ghosh, president of the BJPs West Bengal unit, before the hearing. If the administration denies us permission, we can also say that we will go ahead with the programme without your consent. The programme will set out and reach its destination. None can prevent it, Ghosh said. Last week, BJP leaders said they will take out their yatra, formally known as Ganatantra Bachao Jatra or rally to save democracy, even if the administration denies it permission. The advocate general said in the court on Wednesday that BJP leaders did not address the letter to the appropriate authority. He also alleged that the content was not clear, Feroze Eduljee, one of the advocates for the BJP, said on Wednesday. The court then remarked that the administration should have guided them to the proper authority and also asked the stand of the government on the matter. The AG said he will inform the court of the decision at the first hour on Thursday, Eduljee said. The lawyers of the saffron party told the court that despite repeated letters, the administration kept ignoring the communication. On November 30, the state unit of the BJP filed a petition seeking direction from the court to the administration to ensure the smooth passage of the programme that is supposed to travel through all the 294 assembly constituencies of the state in more than 40 days. Three raths, air-conditioned buses, will be flagged off from Madan Mohan temple in Cooch Behar on Friday, Kakdwip near the pilgrimage of Ganga Sagar at the confluence of the Hooghly river and the Bay of Bengal on December 9 and temple town of Tarapith on December 14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is supposed to address four public rallies at different points of the yatra in Durgapur, Malda, Srirampur and Krishnagar. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday assured the family of a police inspector killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr that the guilty would not be spared even as a top police officer said that probing the alleged slaughter of cows, which triggered the clashes that also left a 21-year-old man dead, was more important. The comment came just hours after the CM, in a late-night meeting, ordered strict action against cow slaughter, unlawful trade in cattle and illegal slaughterhouses, saying district magistrates and other senior police officials would be held personally responsible for any lapse. Meerut inspector general (IG) of police Ram Singh told news channel NDTV that finding who was behind cow slaughter... the cow conspiracy was a bigger question. The director general of police, OP Singh, has already hinted at a larger conspiracy behind Mondays violence in Bulandshahr. Adityanath also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, but it was not clear whether the Bulandshahr violence was discussed. The police have filed two first information reports one on the mob violence and the other over the alleged cow slaughter. In the first case, 28 people have been named, including the prime suspect, absconding Bajrang Dal office-bearer Yogesh Raj, who has claimed innocence in a video message and said he was not present at the scene of the violence. An initial probe has revealed that both inspector Subodh Kumar Singh and Sumit, a 21-year-old man who goes only by his first name and who was allegedly a part of the rampaging mob, were shot dead with weapons of the same .32mm bore, said a senior police official. Inspector general (crime) SK Bhagat also said Singh and Sumit died of injuries caused by .32 mm bullets, but whether those were fired from the same weapon would be known only after the report from the forensic lab was received. Trouble began late on Sunday night when groups of villagers reported that cow carcasses were lying near Mahaw village. Around 11am the next day, protests against the alleged cow slaughter spun out of control and mobs clashed with security forces and set vehicles and a police post on fire in Bulandshahr, just 130 km from Delhi. Five officials were injured in the scuffle. Bhagat confirmed the carcasses recovered from Mahaw village were found to be nearly two days old during the initial examination. This suggested that the cows were slaughtered on the intervening night of December 1 and 2, he added. The spot report also mentioned that the animals were allegedly slaughtered in the orchards and the fields but it was not clear how the carcasses reached near the village. As Adityanath met Singhs family, a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader ,Shikhar Agarwal, who is also named in the FIR, released a video where he was heard blaming Singh for the violence and claimed that he was never at the spot, an assertion made by Raj in his Wednesday video. Singhs wife Rajni, who had earlier threatened to commit suicide if her husbands killers werent caught, said she was confident of a fair investigation after meeting Adityanath. My husband was a straightforward man and never used to succumb to pressures. He used to receive threats. He used to record the calls. This record has all gone with the mobile missing after his killing, said Rathore. I have informed the chief minister about all this and he has assured us of a fair inquiry, she added. The emergence of a new tribal party may play spoiler in the poll calculations of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress in south Rajasthan. The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) is contesting 11 seats across the state and all four in Dungarpur district in the upcoming December 7 polls. Founded by tribal leader Chhotubhai Vasava in Gujarat in 2017 after he parted ways with Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United), the BTP has expanded to neighbouring Rajasthan. It also has a presence in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Political analysts see the debutant party as a spoiler in the adjoining tribal districts of Dungarpur, Banswara and Pratapgarh in south Rajasthan. Adivasis constitute 73% of Dungarpurs 1.4 million population. While the adivasis are divided among the three parties, the non-tribal vote is expected to play a decisive role in the poll outcome in the district. The BTP is popular among the younger generation, especially students. I think that it might play the role of spoiler in some constituencies. The only drawback right now is that BTP has not been in existence for a long time, said Sanjay Lodha, a professor at Mohanlal Sukhadia University in Udaipur. Velaram Ghogara, head of BTPs Rajasthan unit, said, We will not be the spoilers but winners this time. The tribals are disappointed with all the other parties, which have done nothing for them in the past 70 years. We want to empower the tribals and that is why we decided to contest the elections, he said. In 2013, the BJP had won all four seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes Aspur, Chorasi, Dungarpur and Sagwara in the district, which was till then a Congress bastion. In fact, that year the Congress lost from Dungarpur city for the first time since 1980. They (BTP) have no standing even among the tribals. They have limited impact in this area. We will record a massive victory in all the four seats in Dungarpur, senior Congress leader Tarachand Bhagora said, dismissing the suggestion that the BTP will hurt its chances more than the BJPs. Our vote is intact and BTP will have no impact on us. We will retain all the four seats, BJP functionary Sudarshan Jain said. However, the BJP is facing rebel trouble. The two strong, rebel candidates in the fray are sitting legislators Devendra Katara (Dungarpur) and Anita Katara (Sagwara) who were denied the party ticket this time. The BTPs main demands include implementation of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes, the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition Of Forest Rights) Act, which legally recognises the right of adivasis to protect and manage their lands, besides specific schemes for adivasi students and the revival of adivasi culture. Rajasthan will vote on December 7. The BTPs decision to contest the assembly polls came soon after the Bhil Pradesh Vidyarthi Morcha, the BTPs student wing, swept the elections in all four colleges in Dungarpur in September, defeating both the National Students Union of India (NSUI) of the Congress and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). After the college elections, Ghogara said there were demands from different quarters to contest the assembly polls. So, we approached Chhotubhai. We told him that we should have a separate party that will work for the development of tribals in Rajasthan, he said. But we categorically told Chhotubhai that there was no question of supporting or having an alliance with either the BJP or the Congress. He agreed, Ghogara added. The government also announced that a road leading to the inspectors village in Etah and a college will be named after him. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath meets the family members of Subodh Kumar Singh, the police inspector killed in Bulandshahr violence, at his official residence in Lucknow. (Photo: PTI) Lucknow/New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi in the backdrop of Bulandshahr violence earlier this week in which a police inspector and a 20-year-old villager were killed in clashes over alleged cow slaughter. The meeting came hours after the chief minister met the family of slain inspector Subodh Kumar Singh at hais official Lucknow residence to offer help and assure strict action against the culprits. Though details of the meeting between Mr Modi and Mr Adityanath were not available, sources said that the two leaders discussed the Bulandshahr incident. An official, however, said that the chief minister had gone to invite Mr Modi for various events in the state, including one in Gorakhpur where President Ram Nath Kovind is expected be present on December 9 and 10. Earlier, Mr Adityanath faced Opposition parties ire for delaying his meeting with the inspectors family. A gap of three days between the incident and the chief ministers meeting with the slain cops family had invited criticism on the ground that Mr Adityanath had been paying more attention to cow protection than helping the victims families. The chief minister had also drawn flak for attending a laser show in Gorakhpur when violence broke out in Bulandshahr. The saffron-clad chief minister, who was busy campaigning for the BJP in election-bound Rajasthan since the mob violence on December 3, met the slain inspectors wife Rajni and two sons, Shrey and Abhishek, at his Kalidas Marg residence in Lucknow. During the meeting, the inspectors wife told Mr Adityanath that while handling complaints against cow slaughter her husband used to get threats on phone. My husband was a straightforward man and never used to succumb to pressure. He used to receive threats. He used to record the calls. This record has all gone with his mobile missing since his killing, said Ms Rajni. Inspector Singh was also the investigating officer (IO) in the 2015 Akhlaq lynching case in Dadri. Mr Adityanath consoled the slain inspectors death and assured his family members that the accused would not be spared. Besides announcing a relief of `50 lakh to the inspectors family, Mr Adityanath said that the state government would also pay back the outstanding educational loan of about `30 lakh which the family owes to a bank. Uttar Pradesh director general of police O.P. Singh, who was also present at the meeting, told reporters, The chief minister has given assurance to the victims family that they will remain like a family and there would not be any disturbance in the childrens studies. The government also announced that a road leading to the inspectors village in Etah and a college will be named after him. In a related development, controversial BJP MLA Sangeet Som supported the announcement to pay `10 lakh compensation to the kin of villager Sumit Kumar, 20, who was killed in violence along with the inspector. If the family of Mohammad Akhlaq, who was lynched by a mob in 2015, can get state compensation, what is wrong with the family of Sumit Kumar getting aid, Mr Som said. The announcement to pay compensation to Sumits family raised a storm after some reports alleged that he was among the protesting villagers who attacked the police on Monday. Other reports suggested that he was a bystander at the spot of violence and fell to a bullet fired during the clashes. Meanwhile, a day after a Bajrang Dal activist appeared in a video claiming innocence in the Bulandshahr mob violence, another man wanted by the police surfaced in a similar manner. In the video, local BJP leader Shikhar Agarwal, who is also named in the FIR, is heard blaming slain police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh for the violence which erupted around a police post over alleged cow slaughter. On Monday, a mob of some 400 people, including right-wing activists, violently rampaged through the Chingrawathi village apparently after cow carcasses were found strewn in the jungle nearby. The police has arrested four people in connection with the violence. The Telangana assembly elections can be said to be one of the costliest elections ever held if one were to go by the amount of cash seized by police before the polling is held on Friday. According to Telangana chief electoral officer Rajath Kumar, nearly Rs 137 crore, including Rs 125 crore in cash, has been seized by the police authorities across Telangana state till now, since the announcement of election schedule in the first week of October. This is nearly Rs 50 crore more than the amount seized during the 2014 assembly elections held for the combined Andhra Pradesh. Apart from cash, over 10 lakh litres of liquor was seized across the state over the last one month, besides unaccounted gold and silver ornaments and other material apparently meant for luring voters, he said. Another election official, who preferred anonymity, said, what was seized was not even 10% of what is being spent by the political parties to woo voters. Read: Wont rule Telangana: Chandrababu Naidu on KCRs Andhra rulers warning Almost all political parties have been splurging money heavily to win the keenly contested elections. For the last two days, money has been flowing unabashedly, he said. The candidates have been adopting ingenious ways of transferring money from one part to another. While most of the candidates use hawala routes to transport money through business houses, jewellers and wholesale dealers, others are carrying money discreetly in vehicles, the official said. Two days back, police seized Rs 5.8 crore from a car near Pembarthy checkpost in Jangaon district. The cash was sewn into the seats of the car and during inquiry, it was revealed that the money was meant for distribution among two Congress candidates and a TDP candidate. Similarly, the Hyderabad police busted a hawala money transfer racket and seized Rs 3.13 crore in cash, being taken to Sangareddy. They also seized gold biscuits worth Rs 60 lakh. In another incident, the police arrested a pearl merchant near Charminar, who was supplying hawala money to political leaders by taking 1-10% commission. On Friday too, the police had seized several lakhs of rupees in cash during their search operations in different parts of Telangana. There have been reports that money is being sent to voters even using delivery boys working for various courier companies and food suppliers, the EC official said. Opposition parties of Praja Kutami (Peoples Front) on Thursday alleged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) was distributing money to voters with the help of media outlets run directly and indirectly by the incumbent ruling party in the state. The Prajakutami or Peoples Front also complained to Telanganas Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajat Kumar over the same. In a joint letter, Telangana TDP chief L Ramana, Palla Venkat Reddy from the CPI, G Vidyadhar Reddy from the TJS and V Hanumantha Rao from the Congress alleged that channels promoted directly or indirectly by TRS party have been carrying money in their media vehicles for distributing it to voters. Even ambulances are also being used for the purpose, they alleged. Over 2.8 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 1,821 candidates in 119 constituencies. Election authorities have made elaborate arrangements for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the polling process in 32,815 polling stations. Over 50,000 security personnel including 18,860 drafted from neighbouring states and central forces were deployed as part of the massive security arrangements. It was the most unlikely pairing that defined the Telangana election. On Wednesday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a joint rally where they attacked both PM Narendra Modi and caretaker CM K Chandrasekhar Rao for shattering the dreams people had when Telangana was created five years ago. And thus culminated a journey that had begun with Gandhi and Naidu walking out of the formers house in Delhi to declare they would be allies: the formation of the Maha Kootami (Grand Alliance that also comprises the Communist Party of India and the Telangana Jana Samithi). Together, the two leaders with their allies made the December 7 polls far more competitive than anyone had thought. The incumbent, KCR, as the CM is popularly called, perhaps realises the challenge. After spending the past month criss-crossing the state, he spent the final day of campaign in his own constituency of Gajwel. KCR had decided to dissolve the assembly early. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief had perhaps calculated that with a fragmented opposition, the sheer weight of his own personality, his governance record and party strength, the election would be a walkover, and give him time to play a larger role in 2019. Whether the gamble will pay off will be clear only on December 11. Read more: Vote share of 2014 The Telangana assembly has 119 seats. In 2014,the TRS won 63 seats with a vote share of 34%. But it won over legislators from other parties, primarily Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and eventually grew to 90 seats. The Congress won 24% of the vote share, and TDP then in partnership with BJP won 14%. So by the logic of arithmetic, the Maha Kootami believes that it has the numerical edge. What adds to its confidence is local anti-incumbency. The TRS has repeated most of its legislators. The TRS believes its wide margin gives it enough cushion. Even if there is a slide, the party has to lose over 30 seats to be pushed out of power. It is also banking on the support of the AIMIM, the influential Muslim party of Hyderabad. As the campaign ended, two broad themes became clear - identity, and welfare and jobs. The 2014 election, right after the state was formed, was an emotive one, for a long and cherished demand had just been met. KCR has sought to recreate the same emotions, by both claiming that people should reward those who struggled for statehood and by pointing to Naidus presence as proof that outsiders code for those from Andhra Pradesh want to control Telangana politics. Read more: Win map of 2014 But the Telangana card got partly neutralised by Sonia Gandhis successful speech where she called Telangana her child and Rahul Gandhis repeated assertions that UPA decided to create the state. The second broad theme is welfare. KCR believes a range of concessions and services he has offered to citizens will see the TRS home. The Maha Kootami has upped the ante on welfare too with the Congress alleging KCR did not meet his promises. The Maha Kootami has also claimed that KCR has failed on job creation and instead promised that a lakh young people will be given jobs within a year of it coming to power. As Indias newest state heads to polls, it is this mix of a complex arithmetic and campaign themes that will define the polls. For full coverage on Telangana elections,click here. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a mammoth rally in Hyderabad on Monday evening, he claimed there were five main forces in Telangana - the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the battle is now primarily framed as one between TRS and the Maha Kootami, each of these five actors has a distinct public narrative about what it stands for and its own private motivations. Conversations with political players and informed observers indicate that while this election is a battle for Hyderabad publicly, for each party, the aim is to strengthen its hand in the battle for Delhi. TRS TRS chief and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) has said that he called for early elections because he wants to get over with state polls and focus on creating a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front nationally. This may be true. But what is also true is that the TRSs primary rival in the state is the Congress. And because the Congresss primary rival nationally is the BJP, which is a minor player in Telangana, KCR has a shared political interest with the BJP. This perhaps explains why his party has repeatedly supported the Modi government at the Centre; and why the TRS is one of the potential allies of the future post-2019 National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formation. KCRs manoeuvring space is now even more limited because his arch rival, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, has placed himself firmly as one of the anchors of the anti-BJP alliance nationally. So the election is a high-stakes one for the TRS. Congress The Congresss main claim is that while the TRS government has been marked by family rule and corruption, its own alliance will offer a new template of clean and progressive governance. Privately, four factors are driving the Congress. One, it has felt that despite taking a major political gamble in creating Telangana and destroying its interests in Andhra Pradesh, it was never rewarded. This election is about winning that prize and putting itself in a better position to win the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the state in 2019. Two, it is motivated by a recognition that if the TRS wins, the BJP can count on it as an ally nationally. Three, the Congress is in power on its own in two states (Punjab and Puducherry) and in an alliance in a third state (Karnataka); its prospects in the fourth state where it was in government, Mizoram, is uncertain. If it wins Telangana, it will mark a degree of political revival and it opens up possibilities of greater resource collection. And finally, the Maha Kootami for the Congress - a grand state specific alliance - is also a test of whether the arithmetic of a united opposition can take on an entrenched leader. If it succeeds, expect a similar alliance in the Andhra Pradesh assembly polls next year and more in 2019. Telugu Desam Party For Chandrababu Naidu, whose party is contesting only 13 seats, the Telangana election brings both local and national strands together. The first motivation is political revenge. Naidu has never forgiven his one time protege KCR for going on his own, and eventually carving out the state which came at great cost to Andhra Pradesh. A strong KCR in the neighbouring state is anathema to Naidu. Instead, if he can have a friendly government of which the TDP is a part, Naidu will feel a sense of vindication that he still has a say in how Hyderabad is governed. Also, it is not certain that the TDP will remain in power in Andhra Pradesh next year, given the strong anti-incumbency it confronts. The BJP is also said to be tacitly backing the YSR Congress Party in Andhra. To ensure that Andhra remains safe for him, Naidu wants to weaken both the TRS and BJP here. Nationally, a win will catapult Naidu -- an architect of the Maha Kootami -- as a central player in the anti-BJP front. AIMIM Asaduddin Owaisi has thrown his lot with the TRS: and this gives KCR an advantage because his AIMIM is expected to win around half-a-dozen seats in Hyderabad. If the TRS falls short of a majority, it can then reliably turn to Owaisis legislators. While his rhetoric is sharply directed at the BJP, his main political competition is with the Congress -- for local Muslim support in Hyderabad and Telangana, but also nationally since Owaisi wants to emerge as a Muslim leader across states. The continued national hegemony of the BJP, rather than the return of Congress , suits Owaisi because it gives him a stronger case to suggest to Muslims that they need a party of their own. BJP And finally, for the BJP, the Telangana election is important because locally, it offers the party an opportunity to expand its organisation, build a pool of leaders, and eventually become an important force. But as of now, it remains a minor player. The BJPs main objective is to prevent the victory of its arch rivals in the Maha Kootami. Having the TRS in power means that even if the BJP does not run Telangana, it does not have a hostile force in power. It will also give energy to the opposition nationally and those who wish to have a grand alliance. The BJP is well aware that in its core areas of north, west and central India, there will be a dip in 2019 elections. It will make gains in the east. In the south, it will rely on post-poll allies. The TRS is one such ally. And having it perform well now, and in 2019, at the cost of the Maha Kootami, is the best bet in a situation where the BJP itself cannot win. Bangladesh summoned the Myanmar ambassador on Wednesday to condemn irresponsible remarks made by Myanmars religion minister about Rohingya Muslims, and called for action against him, senior officials at the Bangladesh foreign ministry said. Rohingya Muslims living as refugees in Bangladesh after escaping Myanmar are being brainwashed into marching on the Buddhist-majority nation, Myanmars religion minister Thura Aung Ko said in a video released by the news website NewsWatch. We strongly protest their ministers provocative remarks. It also hurt Muslim sentiments, a senior official in the Bangladesh foreign ministry told Reuters on Thursday. Condemning the comments about marching on Myanmar, he said: We have zero tolerance towards militancy. We have never encouraged radicalism. If you give them citizenship and their property back, they will run for Myanmar. Instead of doing that, you are making provocative statements? This is unfortunate, the official said. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmars Rakhine state in the wake of a brutal army crackdown last August, U.N. agencies say, and are now living in crowded Bangladeshi refugee camps. U.N. investigators have accused Myanmar soldiers of carrying out mass killings, rapes and burning hundreds of villages with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies most of the allegations. When Bangladesh summoned Myanmar ambassador U Lwin Oo, he tried to dilute the comments by saying they were the religion ministers personal opinion, said an official at the Bangladesh foreign ministry who was present at the meeting. But we asked for action against the minister. The religion ministers comments come as both countries have been engaged in negotiations for more than a year to repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar, often blaming each other for delays in the process. The latest plan was scuppered last month after no refugees agreed to return, saying they wouldnt go back unless Myanmar met a series of demands, chiefly granting them citizenship rights. Facebook Inc. wielded user data like a bargaining chip, providing access when that sharing might encourage people to spend more time on the social network -- and imposing strict limits on partners in cases where it saw a potential competitive threat, emails show. A trove of internal correspondence, published online Wednesday by UK lawmakers, provide insight into the ways Facebook executives including chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg treated information posted by users like a commodity that could be harnessed in service of business goals. In early 2013, Twitter Inc. launched the Vine video-sharing service, which drew on a Facebook tool that let Vine users connect to their Facebook friends. Alerted to the possible competitive threat by an engineer who recommended cutting off Vines access to Facebook data, Zuckerberg replied succinctly: Yup, go for it. In other cases Zuckerberg eloquently espoused the value of giving software developers more access to user data in hopes that it would result in applications that, in turn, would encourage people to do more on Facebook. Were trying to enable people to share everything they want, and to do it on Facebook, Zuckerberg wrote in a November 2012 email. Sometimes the best way to enable people to share something is to have a developer build a special purpose app or network for that type of content and to make that app social by having Facebook plug into it. However, that may be good for the world but its not good for us unless people also share back to Facebook and that content increases the value of our network. The emails were released by a committee of UK lawmakers investigating social medias role in the spread of fake news. Damian Collins, head of the committee, alleged that Facebook shut off access to data required by competing apps and conducted global surveys of the usage of mobile apps by customers possibly without their knowledge. He also said that a change to Facebooks Android app policy that resulted in call and message data being recorded was deliberately made difficult for users to know about. He explained his rationale for releasing the emails in a tweet: The emails could increase scrutiny around whether Facebook is a monopoly -- one of Facebooks biggest current political risks. Damien Geradin, a Brussels-based lawyer at Euclid Law, said the refusal of access to Vine data could be seen as a potential refusal to deal with rivals, but you would need to show that Facebook is essential to users and it is not clear it is. Facebook defended its practices in a statement. Like any business, we had many internal conversations about the various ways we could build a sustainable business model for our platform, Facebook said in an emailed statement. Weve never sold peoples data. Collins said last week that he would release the emails and that he was free under UK law to do so. Hed obtained the documents after compelling the founder of US software company Six4Three to hand them over during a business trip to London. Six4Threes founder, Ted Kramer, had obtained them as part of a legal discovery process in a US lawsuit against Facebook that his company has brought against the social network in California. Facebook touted itself as championing privacy four years ago when it decided to restrict outsider developers access to data about its users friends. Zuckerberg in 2012 underestimated how much giving developers access to data could be a risk. I think we leak info to developers, but I just cant think if any instances where that data has leaked from developer to developer and caused a real issue for us, he wrote in one of the emails. This year, he had to testify in front of US Congress on one such instance of a developer sharing user data with Cambridge Analytica, the political consultancy. In one email, dated Feb. 4, 2015, a Facebook engineer said a feature of the Android Facebook app that would continually upload a users call and SMS history would be a high-risk thing to do from a PR perspective. A subsequent email suggests users wouldnt need to be prompted to give permission for this feature to be activated. Kramer was ordered by a judge on Friday to surrender his laptop to a forensic expert after admitting he turned over the documents to the British lawmakers, in violation of a US court order. What has happened here is unconscionable, California Superior Court judge V Raymond Swope said to Kramer and his attorneys during the hearing. Facebook wants the laptop to be evaluated to determine what happened in the UK, to what extent the court order was breached, and how much of its confidential information has been divulged to the committee. Senior Labour MP Veerendra Sharma recalled his roots in Punjab in a forceful speech in the House of Commons to condemn the controversial withdrawal agreement, suggesting that it is the moment we snuffed out hope of his grandchildren and their generation. Participating in the ongoing debate before the crunch vote on December 11, Sharma, who represents Ealing Southall better known as Little India is among a large number of MPs who are opposed to Brexit and will vote against it. This country was built on immigration. I myself came here more than 50 years ago, made a family and a life here, served as a local councillor for over 25 years, and have become a Member of Parliament. But the Prime Ministers plan for Brexit will denude this nation of who it needs most, so I cannot in good faith vote for a deal that leaves my constituents, young and old, without a brighter looking future. Are my grandchildren and all their generation going to look back at this moment and at the Prime Ministers deal, and remember it as the moment we snuffed out their hope, he asked in his speech Sharma is among the Indian-origin MPs who, for different reasons, will vote against the withdrawal agreement. Conservative MP Priti Patel, one of the frontline Brexiters, is opposed to the provisions of the deal secured by Prime Minister Theresa May during tense talks in Brussels. Sharma said: I campaigned for our country to remain in the EU. I believe we are stronger when we work with our neighbours, not when we turn our backs on them. The majority of this House said that leaving the EU would be bad for business, strip protections from workers and leave us isolated in the world. We were not heeded. Many of us here counselled that Article 50 should not have been triggered and that rushing to this momentous step was foolhardy. We were not heeded. We stood in this House and the Prime Minister paid lip service to the requests of honourable members to negotiate to protect key sectors of the economy. We were not heeded. If May will not agree to another referendum, Sharma said it is the appropriate time for her to stand aside and let others show some real leadership. The seven French monks among 19 Catholics murdered in Algeria in the 1990s, and being beatified Saturday, were killed in murky circumstances with damning claims years afterwards casting doubt on the official version. Only the heads of the men, aged between 45 and 82, were ever found after their kidnapping, which came as Algeria was deep in the 1991-2002 civil war between government forces and Islamists that left up to 200,000 people dead. The tragedy inspired the 2010 French film Des Hommes et des Dieux (Of Gods and Men), which won the Cannes film festivals Grand Prix that year. Here is an overview of the mystery of the murdered monks of Tibhirine. Kidnapped from a monastery The Trappist monks lived at the Notre Dame de lAtlas monastery in Tibhirine, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Algiers, outside the town of Medea. On the night of March 26 to 27, 1996, a group of gunmen stormed the monastery and kidnapped the seven Frenchmen. A month later the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA), one of the main insurgent groups at war with the secular government, claimed responsibility. GIA chief Djamel Zitouni said they could be exchanged for jailed insurgents. But on May 23 the GIA announced it had slit the monks throats two days earlier, blaming the French governments refusal to negotiate. The Algerian army said it found their heads on May 30 on a road near Medea. The bodies were never seen again. Questions surface The Algerian government maintained that the massacre was another Islamist crime. However doubts were raised after allegations that the army itself may have been responsible, either through a blunder or to discredit the Islamists. In July 2002 a former Algerian soldier, Abderrahmane Chouchane, said that Zitouni had also been a military agent while running the GIA. Then in December 2002 an ex-member of the Algerian secret services, Abdelkader Tigha, claimed in the French daily Liberation that the military had ordered the abductions using the services of Zitounis group. Annoyed by the obstinate presence of the Trappist monks in a strategic area ... and anxious to secure Frances support for its anti-terrorist campaign, the military decided to kidnap them, Tigha alleged from prison. In 2004 Paris prosecutors opened a formal inquiry. French general Francois Buchwalter, the military attache to Algiers in 1996, told the investigation in 2009 that he had learned that the Algerian military killed the men in error. Buchwalter said an Algerian soldier whose brother took part had told him that military helicopters had opened fire on a militant camp, realising afterwards that they had also killed the monks. The general said the monks heads were removed afterwards to make it look like the work of jihadist rebels. He accused the French authorities of abetting a cover-up. Skulls exhumed In 2014, three years after a formal request, Algeria agreed the skulls, buried at the monastery, could be exhumed for examination in the presence of French magistrates and experts. It however blocked the French team from taking the samples back to Paris. In 2015 the investigators released a report that heaped doubts on the official version by concluding the monks were likely killed several weeks before the date claimed by the GIA. They said the skulls did not show bullet wounds, which would also undermine the claim of an army error, but without the bodies it was hard to make any conclusions on how the men died. Investigators were finally in 2016 able to take samples from the remains to France. Another report released in 2018 made similar conclusions but added that all the skulls showed signs of a post-mortem decapitation, feeding suspicions their beheading may have been staged. Martyrs In January 2018 the Vatican declared that the monks were martyrs for their faith, along with the 12 other slain clergy, including the bishop of Oran, Pierre Claverie, killed in a bombing in 1996. They had been murdered in odium fidei, or out of hatred for the faith, it said, opening the way for their beatification -- the first step on the path to Roman Catholic sainthood. Prime Minister Theresa May said on Thursday that British lawmakers faced a choice ahead of a vote on her Brexit deal: approving her deal or facing an exit with no deal or even the reversal of Brexit. May said she was speaking to lawmakers about giving parliament a bigger role in whether the Northern Irish backstop arrangement would be triggered, though she gave few details. May said some in parliament were trying to frustrate Brexit and that she did not think another referendum on Brexit was the right course. There are three options: one is to leave the European Union with a deal... the other two are that we leave without a deal or that we have no Brexit at all, May told BBC radio. Its clear that there are those in the House of Commons who want to frustrate Brexit... and overturn the vote of the British people and thats not right. May repeatedly sidestepped questions on whether she would delay the Dec. 11 vote but did hint at possible concessions on the Northern Irish backstop. There are questions about how decisions are taken as to whether we go into the backstop, because that isnt an automatic, she said. The question is: do we go into the backstop? Do we extend what I call the implementation period? When asked repeatedly what her Plan B would be if her deal was rejected, she did not directly answer the questions. Gupta pointed that AAPs claim stands exposed as over 13 lakh names have been added to the voter list. NEW DELHI: Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta on Wednesday questioned chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for not taking action against election minister Imran Hussain for misleading on deletion of 30 lakh votes. Mr Gupta alleged that on the one hand, they (AAP) claim 30 lakh votes have been deleted while at all-party meetings held at the Election Commission office, members of AAP maintain a studied silence. Mr Gupta alleged that fearing its defeat in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, AAP is trying to spread hatred and divert attention from the real issues through its venomous politics of religion and caste. Mr Gupta pointed that AAPs claim stands exposed as over 13 lakh names have been added to the voter list, out of which around five lakh votes belong to the Vaish community. Condemning the stand of AAP, Mr Gupta said that at an all-party meeting on August 31 at Delhi CEC office, two AAP members Pankaj Gupta and Dilip Pandey simply kept quiet and didnt raise any question regarding the deletion of voters from the roll. People are aware about the kind of petty politics Mr Kejriwal does. They will never entertain this kind of caste politics and will give a befitting reply to AAP in the polls, Mr Gupta added. B y next summer, you could be the lucky owner of what the developer claims is the first fully-furnished prime London turn-key home to be raffled off for just 10 a ticket. Gatsby Property is giving us all the chance to win a luxurious fully renovated flat valued at 2 million on Exhibition Road, South Kensington. With sellers struggling to shift properties in a more cautious pre-Brexit London market that has pushed transactions down 40 per cent compared to just four years ago, Harry Dee, 27, and Jonny Jackson, 28, co-founders of Gatsby Property, set about investigating alternative ways to sell and buy. "We've been developing properties in prime London for the past five years and have watched the evolution of property raffle sites with interest," said Jackson. Feeling lucky? Harry Dee and Jonny Jackson are raffling some prime property (Gatsby Property/Cadivus) "We felt like there was a real gap in the market at the top end and our aim was to put our money where our mouth is and raffle off one of our own newly-refurbished apartments in one of the capital's most sought-after locations." Tickets can be bought from Gatsby Propertys new luxury property raffle platform, Cadivus (appropriately meaning 'windfall' in Latin) for 10 a pop, the price of a posh Christmas pudding. Dee and Jackson hope other developers and homeowners will follow suit and use Cadivus too. They have already been contacted by a potential seller looking to raffle off his investment flat in Knightsbridge. Entries are due to open as soon as their payment platform is up and running and close on a yet to be confirmed date in June 2019. Statistically, you are roughly 500 times more likely to grab the keys to this two-bedroom, two-bathroom pad than you are to win the EuroMillions lottery. WHAT DO YOU WIN? This stylish turnkey property has been decked out with high-end fixtures and fittings from the designer likes of Camerich and Buster & Punch. The kitchen boasts Fired Earth flooring and Lefroy Brooks taps, for starters. The open-plan living/cooking/dining space has been specially designed to be flooded with natural light, putting "a contemporary spin on what was a very traditionally laid-out apartment" and there's an elegant, modern en suite master bedroom. A hand-crafted living room dresser could house an extensive book collection. The modern home: the South Kensington flat is contemporary in style (Gatsby Property/Cadivus) Found directly opposite the Science Museum, moments from the V&A and Natural History Museum and a short stroll from leafy Hyde Park, youd be hard pushed to find a more cultural location. The Tube will be on your doorstep, too. Stamp duty and legal fees will be paid for you by the developer, along with the first year of service charge (which would ordinarily cost 6,000), council tax and bills. There are 964 years left on the lease. To comply with the UK Gambling Commission's strict set of rules, entrants must answer a simple, London-based question to be entered into the raffle. The winner will be drawn by Promo Veritas, the UK's leading compliance service, using random number generating software. If not enough tickets are sold (a minimum of 300,000, according to the website), you'll get a cash prize instead. Whether you decide to live in the flat, sell it or rent it out mortgage-free will be entirely up to you it'll be yours. IS IT LEGAL? Gatsby Property got advice from gambling lawyers to confirm the competition's legality. Gambling Commission rules say that anyone thinking of "raffling" a property must be sure their scheme counts as a competition rather than "a lottery". Running an unauthorised lottery can lead to a year in jail and a 5,000 fine. Culture and luxury: the hand-crafted dresser0(Gatsby Property/Cadivus) A lottery requires buying tickets and getting lucky. To comply with gambling rules, a property raffle must be a competition requiring some skill on the part of the entrant. This is why all property raffles require entrants to answer a question as well as buy a ticket. The Gambling Commission may take a dim view of a question that is too easy. Usually, there must also be an opportunity to enter for free, so most property raffles allow one free postal entry per person. If the question is deemed difficult enough, this is not necessary. IS THIS THE ONLY PROPERTY RAFFLE? Though the owners say this is the first of its kind, this is by no means the first property raffle. Raffling property has become increasingly popular in the UK over the past year, as homeowners struggle to achieve sale prices as high as they want or need for their homes. However, the owners of a luxurious house on the banks of the river Thames had to offer a cash prize after they failed to sell enough 25 raffle tickets to cover the value of the property. The Gambling Commission, which regulates illegal prize draws, has also intervened in several improperly run property raffles so far this year. W e can't all afford to jet off for some winter sun, but we can all indulge in a spot of window shopping for a home in warmer climes. And, as a report of the most-viewed overseas listings on Rightmove reveals, budget constraints don't restrict our property daydreams. Topping the list this year was the largest private home at a star-studded holiday hideaway on Kunfunadhoo Island in the Maldives. A favourite with the Beckhams, Gordon Ramsay and Liv Tyler, the five-star Soneva resort is 30 minutes by seaplane from Male International airport. 11.4 million: the nine-bedroom villa is in a five-star resort popular with A-list holidaymakers For sale for 11.4 million, through Sphere Estates, this nine-bedroom villa has a swimming pool, sunken dining area and private water slide. There's also a spa, exercise room, sauna and steam rooms, plus expansive terraces around the curved pool with plenty of space for entertaining and relaxing. Its easy to see why some of these jaw-dropping, glamorous properties have attracted so much attention on Rightmove, whether its people just wanting to have a nosy inside some of the mansions or those looking for design inspiration," says Rightmove's property expert Miles Shipside. X Factor fame: Villa Moana is one of Costa del Sol's most luxurious properties, finding fame as Simon Cowell's judges' house filming location in 2010 Second on the list is Villa Moana in Marbella, which first found fame as the location for the X Factor judges' house in 2010 when One Direction were crowned winners. With 180-degree ocean views, the 12-bedroom villa is for sale for 40 million and counts royalty, presidents and celebrities among former guests. Through I Find Marbella. Here are the five most-viewed overseas properties on the property platform: 1) Kunfunadhoo Island, Maldives A nine-bedroom villa with swimming pool, sunken dining area and private water slide. Located on the sunrise side of the island, near Dolphin Beach, with views over the Indian Ocean. 2) Villa Moana, Marbella Simon Cowell's filming location for the judges' houses in 2010 when One Direction shot to fame Villa Moana is one of the Costa del Sol's most luxurious properties. It's a 12-bedroom villa, for sale for 35 million (40 million). 3) West Hollywood, Los Angeles A striking five-bedroom home spanning 8,000sq ft at The Summit, a gated community in Beverly Hills, is for sale for 6.8 million ($8.7 million). Through Chestertons. 4) Monaco For sale for 66 million (75 million), this six-bedroom Art Deco-style apartment overlooks the Port of Monaco. Terraces run along the front and rear of the apartment. It's for sale through Finlay Brewer. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) The Balangiga bells, taken by U.S. troops in 1901 from a church in Eastern Samar, are returning to the Philippines next week, but it took a lot of effort from top-level officials and the lobbying of American veterans to get it back. Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Babe Romualdez told CNN Philippines' The Source on Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte personally told U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis to return the bells to the country during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus meeting in Clark, Pampanga in October 2017. "That was one of the first points that he told Secretary Mattis, at that time, that we would want to see those bells back in the Philippines. And Secretary Mattis very clearly said that we would do everything we can to return those bells," Romualdez said. Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Babe Romualdez: It was a long process to get back the bells | #TheSource https://t.co/sDo55hwVGt pic.twitter.com/h63go7qlmY CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) December 6, 2018 Romualdez said Mattis was at the forefront of the process of returning the bells to the Philippines, which became possible after a 1998 U.S. law barring the return of war articles expired in September 2017. The Filipino diplomat said they had to wait for 90 days after the law expired to allow any appeal to be made against the return of the bells. "In November 9, which was the expiration of the 90-day period, we knew then. We started the ball rolling," he said. Henry Howard, Dennis Wright and Brian Buzzell of the U.S.-Philippines Society were also instrumental in the return of the Balangiga bells as they lobbied U.S. lawmakers to remove the legal barriers against it, Romualdez said. Respect for PH He said the return of the bells by the U.S. is the "right thing to do." The three Balangiga bells would return to the country on December 11 at the Villamor Airbase at around 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. from Okinawa, Japan. Romualdez said a solemn ceremony would be held, where Duterte and U.S. Defense Assistant Secretary Joseph Felter are expected to attend. Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Babe Romualdez: The return of the bells is the right thing to do | #TheSource https://t.co/sDo55hwVGt pic.twitter.com/JG4a2cMjPq CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) December 6, 2018 He added that Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana plans to put the bells on display for public viewing before these are returned to the Balangiga Church. "I think this is very historical and very important for both countries to put closure to it. But more importantly, I think, this is a symbol of the kind of respect, the mutual respect, for our sovereignty as a nation that is being given to us by the United States," Romualdez said. Historians say that one of the bells was used to signal an attack of Filipinos against American troops which killed 48 American soldiers. In retaliation, Americans destroyed the Eastern Samar town and killed thousands of Filipino soldiers and civilians in one of the bloodiest chapters of the Filipino-American War. The bells were then seized by the Americans as war booty. Romualdez said the bells were not even given attention-at one point they were stored in the basement of a building set for demolition in a U.S. air base-until historian Fr. Horacio dela Costa pointed out in 1957 its historical significance. The Philippines has tried several times to get the U.S. to return the bells, but to no avail. Duterte first brought up the seized bells in a 2016 speech, and later called for its return in his 2017 State of the Nation Address. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teddyboy Locsin said in a tweet that Duterte did not want to visit the U.S. until the bells are returned. With the bells' impending journey back to the Philippines, Romualdez said the President could very well pay a visit to the U.S. Teacher reportedly used abusive language, called her characterless. New Delhi: Irked by constant scolding by teacher, a Class 7 student allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself inside her house in West Delhis Inderpuri area. The girl had written a suicide note on one hand. I love you Mummy and Nani on the other. The mother of 12-year-old girl alleged that she might have taken the extreme step because of the repeated scolding by her school teacher who reportedly even used abusive language and called her characterless. The girl allegedly committed suicide at her house on Saturday when her mother, who is an advocate, had gone to court, a senior police officer said. After attending school on Friday, the victim came home crying. When questioned by her mother, she said the teacher scolded her and used abusive language and refused to go to school on Saturday, the deceaseds mother said. She even wanted to get her school changed. The victim did not go to school on Saturday and was at home alone preparing for her mathematics paper, which was scheduled for Monday, mother claimed. When her mother returned home, she found her daughter hanging to a ceiling fan and was rushed to the hospital. I noticed her hands where she had written notes. On the one hand, she wrote, Meri maut ki khabar school ko zarur batana. Bye world and on the other, she wrote, I love you Mummy and Nani. On her wrist, she had written, Lord Krishna, Im coming to you, the victims mother claimed. The emotional mother remembering her daughter said that she was eagerly waiting to celebrate her 13th birthday on December 20. My daughter often complained about her class teacher being very abusive and even humiliated her, she said adding that when she enquired with her friends, they said that her two teachers scolded her and even called her characterless. During the parent-teachers meetings, I was always told that my daughter was very talkative but I never received any other complaints from the school against her, she said. Remembering her daughter, she said that for the last three months, her daughter had been insisting on getting her school changed and she was planning to do that for the next session. She has been studying in this school for the past four years. The school authorities contacted the girls mother after they got to know about the incident, she said. Meanwhile, the school management said they are fully cooperating with the investigating authority and were also conducting an internal inquiry. Additional commissioner of police (west) Sameer Sharma said that her parents have not held any of their daughters teachers responsible for her death. We found that the girl had scribbled on her hand I love you mama.I am coming to you god. However, she did not name anyone in particular. We are probing to ascertain the reason for her death, the additional DCP said. Chaitya Bhoomi is the place of Ambedkars cremation. Residents of Siddharth Nagar pay tribute to Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar by lighting a six-foot-tall candle to mark his 62nd death anniversary at Chembur on Wednesday in Mumbai. (Photo: Rajesh Jadhav) Mumbai: The Railways have made elaborate arrangements to deal with heavy rush of passengers visiting Mumbai on the occasion of the 62nd death anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar, which falls on December 6. Lakhs of followers of the Dalit icon from various parts of the country visit the Chaitya Bhoomi in central Mumbai every year to pay their respects. Chaitya Bhoomi is the place of Ambedkars cremation. Apart from operating extra trains, the Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) have also made elaborate crowd management arrangements to cater to the rush. The CR is operating 14 special long-distance trains and as many extra suburban services, stated a press release issued by Central Railway spokesperson Sunil Udasi. WR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Ravinder Bhakar said various arrangements are being made to ensure hassle-free commute for passengers. Apart from setting up several help desks and directional signage boards at prominent stations, adequate RPF/GRP staff have been deployed to monitor crowd movement at suburban stations, especially at the Foot Over Bridges (FOBs), he said. The CPRO said staffers have been sensitised to deal with the followers coming for the Mahaparinirvan Diwas Thursday. The staffers can guide people as they have all the information regarding timing and transport arrangements to/from the Chaityab-hoomi. Additional ticket booking counters will be operated during Dece-mber 5-7. Train movement will be monitored closely, he said. Appointment 5 December 2018 The recently opened Fenway Hotel, the latest property from Tampa-based Mainsail Lodging & Development, announced today the appointment of Shawn Routten as general manager. Routten is a veteran of Mainsail Lodging & Development. With more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, general manager Shawn Routten recently celebrated his 10-year anniversary with Mainsail Lodging & Development. He began his career with Mainsail as a front desk host at Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center, before working his way up to front office manager. He was later promoted to opening front office manager at the Epicurean Hotel in 2013, where he further distinguished himself and was promoted in 2017 to director of operations. During his time at the Epicurean, Routten played an integral role in the achievement of many awards and recognitions, including Marriott's Best New Hotel of the Year in 2013, Marriott International Hotel of the Year in 2017 and the Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards "Top 10 List of Best Hotels in Florida" for the past several years. Appointment 5 December 2018 The recently opened Fenway Hotel, the latest property from Tampa-based Mainsail Lodging & Development, announced today that Adam Hyatt has been appointed executive chef of HEW Parlor & Chophouse, the Fenway Hotel's signature restaurant. With more than 14 years of culinary experience, Hyatt was most recently chef partner at Tampa's popular Platt Street Borough. Earlier in his career, he was executive chef partner at Roy's Hawaiian Fusion in Jacksonville, where he trained with James Beard award-winning chef Roy Yamaguchi, who remains a close friend and mentor to Hyatt. During his seven years with Roy's, he was also inducted into Best Chefs America (2013). Hyatt has also held various brand development and operations positions at Ciccio Restaurant Group and was sous chef at Mystic Fish in Palm Harbor, Florida. He now directs the culinary team at HEW and is the creative force behind the restaurant's unique breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner menus. Supplier News 5 December 2018 The Hotels Network, an innovative technology company who pioneered the concept of Predictive Personalization, has signed a strategic partnership with Hoteliers.com, the leading provider of booking solutions in the Netherlands. With this new alliance, customers of Hoteliers.com can now choose to implement the Conversion Booster, powered by The Hotels Network. This fully customizable tool enables hotel brands to increase their direct bookings by removing any friction from the booking process and improving the user experience. By showing personalized messages and offers to each user as well as inspiring trust by aggregating content such as positive online review scores, website conversion is increased by an average of 32%. In addition, hoteliers are able to launch campaigns with multiple messages and optimize performance using multivariate or A/B testing directly within the tool. To analyze the effectiveness of the Conversion Booster, the Hotels Network recently ran an A/B test with Papagayo Beach Resort Curacao, a client of Hoteliers.com. The results showed that adding the layer of personalization tools to the brand's website increased direct bookings by 55%. Juanjo Rodriguez, CEO of The Hotels Network, commented, "Today, personalization is a clear priority for the CEOs of the world's leading hotel brands, and it should be the case for all hotels. By leveraging our unique targeting system to dynamically display hyper-relevant content, I am confident that Hoteliers.com clients using the Conversion Booster will see their revenue soar." Patrick Brand, Co-founder of Hoteliers.com, added, "We have been very impressed with the ease of implementation of the tool and the immediate positive results seen in the A/B test. We are delighted to include this valuable new service in our product portfolio and look forward to rolling it out with both our new and existing customers." About Hoteliers.com Established in 2005, Hoteliers.com is one of the first large travel e-commerce companies in The Netherlands. Hoteliers.com offers a variety of services, such as developing responsive hotel websites and providing booking software and marketing services. Their goal is to help hotels to receive more direct and commission-free bookings, and to ultimately achieve better results. For more information, please visit https://company.hoteliers.com/ Supplier News 5 December 2018 PITTSBURGH - Aptech Computer Systems announced that Urgo Hotels & Resorts implemented the Targetvue Budgeting and Forecasting system to standardize budget control processes throughout its portfolio. Urgo provides management for international brands including Marriott and Hilton as well as independent properties across major markets in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Aptech is the leading provider of hospitality business intelligence, budgeting and forecasting, and enterprise hotel accounting software systems. Click here for more on Aptech's products and services. "Urgo wanted better control of its budget processes. Targetvue gives us that control," said Jim Bowne, VP/Corporate Controller, at Urgo Hotels & Resorts. "Targetvue provides us one version of the budget. Each property can make its budget updates and we have a workbook that reflects each property's daily updates. We review and accept the changes at the corporate office, lock the budget, and send to ownership for approval. Targetvue gives Urgo one platform with one budget, not multiple spreadsheet variations." "Targetvue provides an automated forecasting platform that builds on daily updated performance data from property operations. It is a continuous 'pulse meter' that compares actual against plan," said Jill Wilder, Aptech vice president. "This 'living budget' gives operators the ability to plan day by day for the greatest profitability." Urgo also installed Aptech's PVNG Enterprise Hotel Accounting software. "We overhauled our entire financial reporting platform" said Bowne. "Targetvue lets us automatically transfer numbers to our GL so we no longer have to do this manually. This saves us time and eliminates the rekeying of data, which keeps our operation more accurate." Urgo Hotels & Resorts created a custom chart of accounts to incorporate their multiple entities. "Targetvue made our custom chart work," said Bowne. "Aptech made modifications to suit Urgo's operations. The nice thing about Targetvue is that you can refine processes and make changes as the process/company evolves. Our budget process is driven at the property level. The general manager and the team oversees the initial development of the budget. Our corporate team reviews and provides guidance for the property's data and goals." Targetvue went live at Urgo in 4Q 2018. "Many of our entities need data fast and Targetvue helps us stay ahead of the curve to get numbers we need to react timely to changes in operations," Bowne said. "Aptech is customer service oriented. They showed us how to use Targetvue's budgeting system. We expect to implement Targetvue's forecasting capabilities in the near future." About Urgo Hotels & Resorts Urgo Hotels is a Bethesda, Maryland-based hotel company that develops, owns and/or operates 42 distinctive and unique hotels and resorts with an aggregate of more than 4,900 rooms in major markets and resorts in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. The company develops, builds and operates for its own account, and provides third-party management and asset management services. For more information about Urgo Hotels & Resorts, please visit www.urgohotels.com. About Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. Aptech Computer Systems, Inc., based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the only provider of a fully integrated enterprise accounting, business intelligence and planning ecosystem to the hospitality industry. All of its clients are companies like yours, which own or manage hotels. Its solutions help customers at both the corporate and property levels understand their financial and operational data for faster goal achievement. The company is renowned for introducing business intelligence into the hotel industry, and offers a solid resource of hospitality professionals. Aptech is an IBM Software Value Plus partner and Premier Solution Provider, as well as a Prophix Premier Business Partner. Incorporated in 1970, Aptech's state-of-the-art back office, true business intelligence and enterprise planning solutions are 100% hotel specific. Solutions include PVNG, Execuvue and Targetvue. Clients comprise over 3,500 properties - including large chains, multiple-property management companies and single-site hotels. Execuvue is registered to Aptech Computer Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are owned by their respective holders. For more information please visit www.aptech-inc.com. Press Release 6 December 2018 The third cultural tourism conference (3-5 December) organized jointly between the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) concluded today in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants declared their support for cultural tourism as a driver for safeguarding living heritage, catalyzing creativity in cities, and spreading tourism's socioeconomic benefits to all. Advertisements A key conclusion from the conference was the need for a clear and strong link between tourism, culture and local community stakeholders. Cultural tourism policies and strategies must consider the perspectives and interests of local communities, who can also assist governance bodies in balancing tourism development with heritage conservation and safeguarding. Channelling tourism revenues into cultural preservation and community development was identified as a key governance challenge. President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca of Malta addressed the conference at its opening, reinforcing that: "In today's world, tourism diplomacy is becoming more important to foster understanding, and culture is key to achieving this". UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu affirmed tourism's essential role, stating: "Tourism provides a tremendous opportunity to support local economic development, while breaking down barriers between people. Harnessing creativity and technological innovation, as well as safeguarding heritage is essential for promoting responsible and sustainable tourism to support and unify communities for years to come." "Culture is one of the drivers of tourism growth, so protecting cultural heritage and promoting tourism for sustainable development are part of the same equation. That 30-plus ministers from around the world are gathered here proves the place of culture in tourism," said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili opening the event. These sentiments were echoed by Turkey's culture and tourism minister Mehmet Ersoy. "The culture and tourism partnership provides a framework for public-private cooperation, education, investments and sustainability," Minister Ersoy added. In a debate moderated by the BBC's Rajan Datar, the more than 30 ministers present concluded that tourism and culture are indivisible and must work together so that tourism does not suffocate cultural heritage and its benefits for visitors and locals. However, the main challenge is to spread cultural tourism's attractiveness beyond established sites whilst managing large visitor numbers. The first session of the conference focused on cultural tourism's potential to help cities transform into more sustainable and creative environments and destinations. It ended in agreement that the creative and cultural sectors can strengthen and provide innovation in cultural tourism, forging links that turn tourism into a tool to safeguard tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The second day of the event was given over to the twin influence of responsible tourism and technological advances in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. It was agreed that innovation should be strengthened for better management, promotion and preservation of heritage, as well as to make cultural tourism accessible to all. During the event, five leading Turkish tourism companies signed the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, boosting the efforts of Turkish industry leaders to ensure sustainable development of the sector. The 3rd UNWTO/UNESCO World Conference on Tourism and Culture will produce a declaration, to be made available soon, outlining the cross-sector commitment of all participants to reinforcing the tourism and culture partnership as an enabler for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda of the United Nations. The next edition of the conference is scheduled to take place in Kyoto, Japan in 2019. Useful links: Conference website Conference programme Pictures of the event UNWTO Department for Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility External Article 6 December 2018 By the way, Disneyland still has a hotel problem. Advertisements Yes, Disneyland announced in October that it would not go ahead with its previously announced plans to build a fourth hotel at the resort. Disney blamed the City of Anaheim for canceling a promised tax subsidy, while the city said that since Disney moved the site of the project, the deal no longer applied. That political fight seems to be over, but the fact remains that Disney still needs more hotel rooms at its Anaheim resort, as Disneyland and Disney California Adventure continue to grow and attract more fans. All those new visitors coming to see Disney's upcoming Star Wars and Marvel lands will have to stay someplace, right? I am sure that Disneyland's neighbors along Harbor Boulevard appreciate that Disney keeps bringing them so many visitors to fill their hotel rooms at ever-increasing rates, but at some point Disney is going to decide that it wants that money for itself. Because Disney's history shows that the company always does that. Part of the problem with Disneyland's recent hotel proposal was that it seemed designed as much to take advantage of Anaheim's tax deal for luxury hotels as it was to meet the needs of Disneyland visitors. The concept design artwork that Disney released for the hotel looked more like some generic four-star property on the Las Vegas Strip than anything you would find at one of Disney's other theme park resorts around the world. Supplier News 6 December 2018 Go Moment , the world's leading provider of real-time artificial intelligence guest communication solutions for the hospitality industry, today announced that they have welcomed OPUS Vancouver to a rapidly expanding roster of notable clients. Now, following check-in, guests staying at the luxury property are greeted by Go Moment's smartconcierge Ivy , who actively responds to common questions, and personalizes their stay at every touchpoint, enabling guests to communicate with the ease of messaging. The OPUS hotel is the only boutique hotel in Vancouver to receive the coveted Forbes Four-Star rating from 2013 through 2018. They have also been honored for three consecutive years on Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards 2018 Top 25 hotels in Canada and named "Top 5 Trendiest Hotels in the World" by TripAdvisor. Featuring the highly-rated Italian Restaurant La Pentola and fitness center, and known for planning epic excursions for their guests, the upscale property, located in the hip Yaletown neighborhood, remains one of the most popular choices for business and leisure travelers alike. By implementing Ivy, OPUS has already benefited from increased service levels and efficiencies. "Enhancing the experience for our guests has always been a top priority for us, and we are extremely excited to have Ivy as part of our team," explains Nicholas Gandossi, General Manager at the hotel. "We are already getting fantastic feedback from our guests about how much they love their super helpful 'personal' concierge. Through Ivy, our guests learn and seamlessly book exciting outings, dinners, massages, spa appointments in and around Vancouver. Ivy not only created a personalized experience for our guests, but she has developed a personality as a member of our team. People always ask to meet her and thank her for her help!" Powered by advanced technologies including AI, Ivy utilizes text or voice messaging and leverages human expertise and automation to resolve guest requests instantly, freeing up hotel staff to focus on high-value interactions and enhancing the overall guest experience. By leveraging intelligence gained through tens of millions of interactions, Ivy uses exclusive data to understand guest behaviors, ensuring communications are natural and intuitive. The engagements are designed to not only increase revenue per guest stay but also to provide guests up-to-date information on hotel services and activities at their fingertips. "We have worked with many technology products in our 16 years, Go Moment is the most personalized and fun to engage with," adds Gandossi. "The roll-out process was quick and seamless, and the platform, which integrates to our PMS, is completely turn-key, offering us incomparable insights and opportunities to expand our business well into the future." Ivy is also responsible for checking in on guests' satisfaction mid-stay. In the event of a negative response, Ivy passes the issue along to the hotel, allowing for a proactive fix to be made before a negative review comes in. "When OPUS Vancouver first reached out to us, they were seeking a new virtual concierge solution that was innovative, responsive and efficient," said Raj Singh, founder and CEO at Go Moment. "Once we demonstrated Ivy's pioneering guest engagement capabilities and in-depth analytics, their team had the confidence to make the switch. We're thrilled to partner with OPUS and look forward to helping their leading hotel drive higher service, loyalty, sales and ROI." To learn more about Ivy and Go Moment, visit GoMoment.com. About OPUS Vancouver OPUS Vancouver is more than a boutique hotel to stay, it is something to be a part of. Perfectly situated, adjacent to picturesque False Creek waterfront and surrounded by the city's best restaurants and lounges, we're perched in the best location in downtown Vancouver. At OPUS Vancouver we think cookie-cutters are for baking, so we threw ours away when we designed our award-winning 96 room downtown Vancouver boutique hotel. With striking design, personality plus, and a fabulous location, OPUS appeals to savvy travelers who prefer their lodgings with a little more flavor. Check out our virtual tour to see for yourself! About Go Moment Ivy, powered by Go Moment, is the world's first smartconcierge for hotels. Ivy brings together human expertise and machine intelligence in a seamless experience for the guest. Via messaging, Ivy answers routine guest questions like "What's the Wi-Fi password?" in less than one second, reducing calls and disruptions to the hotel staff. Ivy provides conveniences like fulfilling guest requests, booking restaurant reservations, and accessing offers that enhance the guest experience from anywhere, at any time. Ivy has served tens of millions of guests, and she's often recognized in TripAdvisor reviews for providing exceptional service. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a management agreement with ACICO Gulf Real Estate to rebrand Nassima Royal Hotel to voco Dubai, marking the first signing of voco, IHG's new upscale hotel brand, in the Middle East. IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) has signed a management agreement with ACICO Gulf Real Estate to rebrand Nassima Royal Hotel to voco Dubai, marking the first signing of voco, IHG's new upscale hotel brand, in the Middle East. Hosted by IHG's senior leadership team, the Middle East launch was attended by the wider global voco team, including the brand's F&B and design specialists. Globally, IHG launched voco in June 2018 to strengthen IHG's offer in the $40 billion upscale segment, which is expected to grow by a further $20 billion by 2025. In the Middle East, the brand is well suited to both new build and conversion opportunities, focused on high-quality individual and locally-branded hotels. This distinctive brand offers owners the ability to drive higher returns through delivering a compelling guest experience and leveraging IHG's powerful systems. Strategically located on the Sheikh Zayed Road and within 8km of Dubai International Airport, voco Dubai is the perfect destination for guests to explore the city and offers striking views of the skyline. Designed for both business the leisure travellers, the hotel offers 471 rooms that overlook either the vibrant Sheikh Zayed Road, or the Beach. Amenities include a business centre and 1000 sqm of meeting rooms as well as recreational facilities such as an outdoor swimming pool, a gymnasium, and a spa. The hotel also features multiple dining options including an all-day dining, the lobby bar, a pool bar and 3 restaurants. Commenting on the landmark signing, Pascal Gauvin, Managing Director, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said: "IHG has identified significant growth opportunities in upscale hospitality and the signing of voco Dubai is a significant step in this direction. We are excited to partner with the esteemed ACICO Gulf Real Estate, a subsidiary of ACICO Group to debut the brand in the Middle East and are confident that it will be a popular choice amongst travellers visiting Dubai." He added: "The Dubai market is ever-changing and maturing. In the UAE alone, the unbranded accommodation market makes up 60% of the total hospitality sector. As such, we believe that the Emirate now requires a unique offering like voco to cater to mindful and self-determined audiences. voco combines the best of individual high-quality upscale hotels, with the best of IHG. It's a brand that forms the heart of a newly built hotel or celebrates what already makes an existing hotel successful. Most importantly, guests can enjoy the freshness of unique hotels under a name they can trust." Ghassan Alkhaled, CEO and Vice Chairman of ACICO Group added: "We are proud to partner with IHG to open the first voco in the Middle East. Powered by the strength and scale of the IHG system and charm of the newly launched brand, we are confident that voco Dubai will be a great success and a preferred choice for business and leisure travellers looking for an upscale experience." voco, inspired by the meaning 'to invite' or to 'come together' in Latin, promises guests an experience that is reliably different, brought to life through a bold, distinctive identity, informal service style and thoughtful touches along the guests' journey. IHG currently operates 88 hotels across 5 brands in the Middle East, including: InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Staybridge Suites with a further 30 in the development pipeline due to open within the next three to five years**. **Figures as of September 30th, 2018 Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource The petitioner had questioned the setting up of a love story on a holy site like Kedarnath and had also sought a stay on its release. Mumbai: The Bombay high court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed against upc-oming movie Kedarnath. The petitioner had questioned the setting up of a love story on a holy site like Kedarnath and had also sought a stay on its release. Advocate Ramesh Chandra Mishra and Prabhakar Tripathi had filed this petition seeking reassessment of the film by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) on the grounds that the movie would hurt religious sentiments and it promotes love jihad. The petitioners had further claimed that the film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan, would lower the dignity of the eponymous deity. The petitioners stated that shooting a love scene at a place like Kedarnath, which is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus, hurts their religious sentiments. The movie is ba-sed on love story of a Hin-du girl and a Muslim boy. According to the petitioner, the storyline of the film is imaginary and the movie is an untrustworthy story of love between a Hindu Brahmin girl and a Muslim boy connected with the natural disaster of Uttarakhand that took the lives of several Hindu pilgrims. The petitioners had also claimed that the film, set in the backdrop of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, dilutes the gravity of the calamity. After hearing the arguments the division bench of Chief Justice N.H. Patil and Justice M.S. Karnik dismissed it by observing that the public interest litigation opposing the release of this movie was not maintainable. The petitioners had requested the court to stay the release of movie that is slated for release on December 7, until the CBFC clears it again. On the other hand, the Advait Sethna counsel for CBFC had contended befo-re the court that the petition was politically motivated and the certificate for release of the movie was issued after an assessment. He claimed that the board had followed all regulations in granting the certificate for public release of the film. Appearing for the films producers, senior advocate P. Dakhepalkar told the bench that the movie was just a love story that used Kedarnath as its setting. Mr Dakhepalkar also said that the film is a love story between two persons belonging to different classes and faiths. It has no intention of hurting anyone. RevPAR up 3.3 Percent to US$68.93 The U.S. hotel industry reported positive year-over-year results in the three key performance metrics during the week of 25 November through 1 December 2018, according to data from STR. In comparison with the week of 26 November through 2 December 2017, the industry recorded the following: Occupancy: +1.0% to 57.3% Average daily rate (ADR): +2.2% to US$120.23 Revenue per available room (RevPAR): +3.3% to US$68.93 Among the Top 25 Markets, San Diego, California, registered the largest jump in RevPAR (+45.2% to US$116.29), driven primarily by the only double-digit lift in ADR (+30.3% to US$169.53). The market posted the second-highest rise in occupancy (+11.4% to 68.6%). Boston, Massachusetts, experienced the largest increase in occupancy (+11.8% to 72.2%) and the second-largest rise in RevPAR (+19.1% to US$123.53). San Francisco/San Mateo, California, saw the second-largest increase in ADR (+9.7% to US$204.65). Overall, 16 of the Top 25 Markets reported growth in RevPAR for the week. Houston, Texas, reported the steepest declines in each of the three key performance metrics: occupancy (-17.4% to 56.9%), ADR (-6.8% to US$99.64) and RevPAR (-23.1% to US$56.70). Orlando, Florida, experienced the only other double-digit drop in occupancy (-11.9% to 63.6%) and the second-largest decrease in RevPAR (-13.4% to US$72.04). View U.S. weekly hotel performance review STR provides clients from multiple market sectors with premium, global data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights. Founded in 1985, STR maintains a presence in 10 countries around the world with a corporate North American headquarters in Hendersonville, Tennessee, and an international headquarters in London, England. For more information, please visit str.com. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource These insights can help hotel marketers craft data-backed strategies for future holiday seasons. This article originally appeared on Tambourine. With family visits, winter break vacations and remaining PTO days to use up, the October to January timeframe accounts for 27% of travel in the U.S. annually. Thankfully, our friends at ADARA have unveiled their 2018 Holiday Season Travel Trends to simplify the data and provide a bigger picture view of opportunities for hotel marketers during this three-month period. These insights are developed using search and booking data for hotels around the U.S. in 2016 and 2017, which can help hotel marketers craft data-backed strategies for future holiday seasons. Some key takeaways from this years report are outlined here to help hotel marketers make informed marketing decisions: When Are Travelers Searching for Hotels for the Holidays? Last year, 60% of travelers searched hotels for the holiday months during the holiday season, with 25% searching in October, 22% waiting until November and 13% holding off all the way until December. Its during these periods of time when hotel marketers should work closely with their revenue management peers to maximize rates and target the most lucrative guests. Where Are Travelers Checking In? ADARAs reports found that New York City is the top destination for both domestic and international travelers, accounting for almost 14% of all hotel searches in the U.S. Following the Big Apple are warm-weather destinations like Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, San Francisco, Honolulu and Fort Lauderdale, which each account for less than 4% of hotel searches. Where Are Guests Traveling From? To appropriately geo-target hotel marketing campaigns, hotels should have a clear read on where their guests are coming from. According to the report, U.S. hotels primarily have international guests visiting from Toronto, Mexico City, Seoul, Tokyo, and Frankfurt, while major inflows of American guests are arriving from larger cities like New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, and Los Angeles. Leisure or Business? Business and leisure travelers should be approached differently, so data showing the breakdown of each group can be useful for hotel marketers. ADARAs holiday insights revealed a 4% increase in business hotel stays and a 4% decrease in leisure hotel stays from 2016 to 2017. Who Are They Traveling With? Hotel marketers can be even more specific with traveler segments to better tailor marketing strategy for each groups interests and needs. ADARAs insights tell us to emphasize couples, as there was nearly a 12% increase in couples booking hotels during the holiday season, while solo travel bookings decreased by 5.7% and family bookings decreased by 0.2%. How Much Are They Spending? Now is the time for hotel marketers to serve value-driven messaging and hone in on loyal customers because the average daily rate during the holiday season declined from $268 in 2016 to $256 in 2017. The data tells us that American families spend the most during the holidays at $216/night, followed by couples spending an average of $207/night and solo travelers spending an average of $192/night. International travelers help to bring the overall average up with international families spending $333/night, couples spending $259/night and solo travelers spending $221/night. Data that uncovers trends and patterns in travel year-over-year can be enormously helpful for hotels to understand their guests and better tailor their strategy for the holiday season. About Tambourine Tambourine uses technology and creativity to increase revenue for hotels and destinations worldwide. The firm, now in its 34th year, is located in New York City, Carlsbad, and Fort Lauderdale. Please visit: www.Tambourine.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 Expedia.com analyzed thousands of data points this year to identify the top trends in travel for 2018, and the results show that American travelers are increasingly interested in unique and novel experiences. Highlights from the report include the rise of secondary destinations like Chiang Mai, the Azores and Cartagena, and non-traditional lodging options such as tentalows and houseboats. Expedia.com analyzed thousands of data points this year to identify the top trends in travel for 2018, and the results show that American travelers are increasingly interested in unique and novel experiences. Highlights from the report include the rise of secondary destinations like Chiang Mai, the Azores and Cartagena, and non-traditional lodging options such as tentalows and houseboats. In the activities and attractions space, observation decks and architectural landmarks saw the biggest growth, with cooking classes and other culinary experiences close behind. "In this day and age, it's possible to have the exact type of experience and trip you want, whether it's visiting a breathtaking island off Portugal, or staying on a family farm where you can gather your own fresh eggs in the morning," says John Morrey, SVP Brand Expedia. "Being able to meet the needs of every kind of traveler is our driving force at Expedia, and why we strive to make it easy and affordable to find the perfect accommodation for any trip and bundle it with flights or car for even more savings." Read on for more highlights from Expedia's 2018 Year in Review, including trends across destinations, air travel, lodging and activities. 2018: The Year of the Secondary City Expedia crunched flight data from 20181 to determine the destinations seeing the most year-over-year growth, and it was clear that U.S. travelers are venturing beyond the primary tourist stops to seek out the culturally-rich offerings of secondary cities. Here are some of the most noteworthy trending destinations for 2018, all of which saw double- or triple-digit growth from last year: Portugal: Azores It's no secret that Portugal had a major moment in 2018, seeing big boosts in tourism throughout the year. But it wasn't just Lisbon and Porto attracting crowds the Azores also wooed tourists with its dramatic landscapes and world-class diving and hiking. It's no secret that Portugal had a major moment in 2018, seeing big boosts in tourism throughout the year. But it wasn't just Lisbon and Porto attracting crowds the Azores also wooed tourists with its dramatic landscapes and world-class diving and hiking. Thailand: Chiang Mai Chiang Mai, Bangkok's more laid-back and spiritual sibling, is home to hundreds of Buddhist temples, incredible street food and historic festivals. Visit in November to launch a fire lantern during Loi Krathong, or in April to see the city come alive for Songkran. Chiang Mai, Bangkok's more laid-back and spiritual sibling, is home to hundreds of Buddhist temples, incredible street food and historic festivals. Visit in November to launch a fire lantern during Loi Krathong, or in April to see the city come alive for Songkran. United Kingdom: Inverness and Belfast London remains one of the top global destinations in the world, but flight data proves travelers are venturing farther into the UK to Northern Ireland and Scotland. London remains one of the top global destinations in the world, but flight data proves travelers are venturing farther into the UK to Northern Ireland and Scotland. Malta: Valletta For those craving a beautiful Mediterranean getaway without the high prices of the French Riviera or crowds of the Italian coast, Malta could be just the ticket. Its capital city of Valletta, an UNESCO World Heritage site, is surrounded by water and features carefully restored and preserved monuments dating back to the late Renaissance. For those craving a beautiful Mediterranean getaway without the high prices of the French Riviera or crowds of the Italian coast, Malta could be just the ticket. Its capital city of Valletta, an UNESCO World Heritage site, is surrounded by water and features carefully restored and preserved monuments dating back to the late Renaissance. Alaska: Kenai and Kodiak The Emerald Isle of Kodiak, with its immense National Wildlife Refuge, and Kenai's legendary salmon fishing are proof that there's more to Alaska than just Anchorage and Juneau. For visitors looking to experience the best of Alaska, many of the highly-rated cruises will stop at three or four port towns. The Emerald Isle of Kodiak, with its immense National Wildlife Refuge, and Kenai's legendary salmon fishing are proof that there's more to Alaska than just Anchorage and Juneau. For visitors looking to experience the best of Alaska, many of the highly-rated cruises will stop at three or four port towns. Australia: Brisbane and Perth U.S. travelers embarking on the 14+ hour journey to Australia are clearly seeing more than just Sydney's iconic Opera House. Queensland's capital, Brisbane, and Western Australia's Perth both appear on the trending destination list this year. U.S. travelers embarking on the 14+ hour journey to Australia are clearly seeing more than just Sydney's iconic Opera House. Queensland's capital, Brisbane, and Western Australia's Perth both appear on the trending destination list this year. Ecuador: Cuenca Ecuador's capital, Quito, and the Galapagos Islands are both popular tourist destinations, but this year Cuenca saw increased demand. Perhaps word is getting out that its historic city center, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and array of street markets are just as worthy of a visit. Ecuador's capital, Quito, and the Galapagos Islands are both popular tourist destinations, but this year Cuenca saw increased demand. Perhaps word is getting out that its historic city center, an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and array of street markets are just as worthy of a visit. Croatia: Zagreb Zagreb may be Croatia's capital but from a western tourism perspective it's been playing second fiddle to coastal Dubrovnik for a few years now. But U.S. travelers are starting to take notice of Zagreb's urban appeal, lighter crowds and affordable prices. Zagreb may be Croatia's capital but from a western tourism perspective it's been playing second fiddle to coastal Dubrovnik for a few years now. But U.S. travelers are starting to take notice of Zagreb's urban appeal, lighter crowds and affordable prices. Colombia: Cartagena Quite different in terms of climate and personality than the capital city of Bogota, Cartagena is rich in colonial charm. Quite different in terms of climate and personality than the capital city of Bogota, Cartagena is rich in colonial charm. Spain: SevilleFor those looking to experience real Spanish culture, Seville will not disappoint. Less touristy than popular Barcelona, locals would tell you Seville is where to find authentic flamenco and tapas. Alternative accommodations are on the rise While traditional resorts and hotels continue to be a favorite for U.S. travelers, Expedia.com data shows a growing interest in alternative lodging options. Here are some of the fastest-growing accommodation types for 20182: Tentalows (cross between a tent and a bungalow) up 135 percent year-over-year Chalets up 85 percent year-over-year Villas up more than 45 percent year-over-year Agritourism properties up more than 40 percent year-over-year Houseboats up more than 35 percent year-over-year Top trending activities include observation decks and culinary experiences Activities and experiences are increasingly popular as travelers look to personalize and customize their vacations. These are the fastest-growing activity categories in 2018 for the U.S.: Fastest-growing category: Attractions. Observation decks and architectural landmarks are leading the pack, with the Eiffel Tower, Rome's Colosseum, the 360 Chicago Observation Deck and the High Roller Observation Wheel in Las Vegas among the top trending attractions. Runner-up: Tours & Sightseeing. Walking and hop-on-hop-off bus tours remain popular among travelers visiting big cities. Third place: Shopping & Culinary Experiences round out the top categories, as travelers look to get the most out of their destinations and sample local flavors. It's never been easier to browse and book activities on the fly with Expedia's mobile app, which lets travelers sort and filter things to do by proximity, popularity and activity type. Busiest & least busy days to fly Flight data confirms that traveling ahead of the holidays is bound to be hectic. However, the least busy travel days of the year also fall around the holidays: the day after Christmas, Christmas Day and New Year's Day drew the fewest airport crowds. These are the busiest air travel days of the year3: Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day Friday before Christmas Day Friday before Labor Day Want to see more trends? Be sure to head over to Expedia's Viewfinder blog for the rest of the results from the 2018 Year in Review.Based on air travel demand on Expedia.com from January 1, 2018 November 1, 2018 compared to the same timeframe in 2017 2Based on demand on Expedia.com from January 1, 2018 September 30, 2018 compared to the same timeframe in 2017 3Based on air travel demand on Expedia.com from October 31, 2017 November 1, 2018 Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Around 270 hotel-owners in Ahmedabad, capital of the state of Gujarat, are refusing to take bookings from major OTAs like MakeMyTrip and Goibibo, opposing the heavy commissions they charge and the hefty discounts they offer consumers. Excerpt from Quartz India Just days after food-delivery apps faced fire from restaurant owners in southern India, online travel agencies (OTAs) are battling opposition from hoteliers in the western part of the country. Around 270 hotel-owners in Ahmedabad, capital of the state of Gujarat, are refusing to take bookings from major OTAs like MakeMyTrip and Goibibo, opposing the heavy commissions they charge and the hefty discounts they offer consumers. The boycott has been initiated by the Gujarat chapter of the Hotels and Restaurants Association (HRA), the Financial Express newspaper reported. According to HRA, these online booking portals initially charged between 15% and 18% as commission, but the figure has now climbed up to over 40%. The HRA now wants it brought down to 15%. "Initially everyone has to compete but it has to be with fair policies. Now, some players are resorting to arm-twisting of hotels with higher and higher commissions and erratic contract changes," Pankaj Gupta, president of the Tour Operator and Travel Agents Association of Gujarat (TAG), told Quartz. In a statement to Quartz, MakeMyTrip, which acquired Ibibo Group in October 2016, said it is honouring all the bookings on its platform in Ahmedabad as of now. Click here to read complete article at Quartz India. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource Harris Rosen, President and CEO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, will be honored with the Albert E. Koehl Award for Hospitality Marketing. Steve Bartolin, Chairman of The Broadmoor, has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Winthrop W. Grice Award for Public Relations. HSMAI will recognize Rosen and Bartolin at the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala on January 22, 2019, at the New York Marriott Marquis. The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association (HSMAI) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards in marketing and public relations. Harris Rosen, President and CEO, Rosen Hotels & Resorts, will be honored with the Albert E. Koehl Award for Hospitality Marketing. Steve Bartolin, Chairman of The Broadmoor, has been selected as the recipient of the 2018 Winthrop W. Grice Award for Public Relations. HSMAI will recognize Rosen and Bartolin at the Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala on January 22, 2019, at the New York Marriott Marquis. The HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards recognize individuals who have spent a major portion of their careers in the hospitality and travel profession and have contributed to the betterment of the industry in a significant and lasting way, over an extended period of time. HSMAI is proud to recognize Harris and Steve for their dedication to advancing the growth of the global hospitality industry throughout their remarkable careers, said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president and CEO of HSMAI. We look forward to presenting Steve with the Winthrop W. Grice Award for Public Relations Harris with the Albert E. Koehl Award for Hospitality Marketing at this years Adrian Awards. As President and COO of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, Harris Rosen is Floridas largest independent hotelier. Founded in 1974, Rosen Hotels & Resorts currently features a collection of nine Central Florida hotels providing 6,694 guestroomsapproximately six percent of the Central Florida inventory. Rosen was an innovator and renegade in hotel pricing in Orlando in the 1970s and 1980s. He pioneered revenue management and demand-based pricing in a manner that achieved performance premium in a very competitive market. Rosen Hotels & Resorts owns several subsidiaries that create synergy and maximize operational efficiencies, including Millennium Technology Group, a leading provider of quality IT products and telecommunications services for the hospitality industry, and ProvInsure, Rosens insurance agency and risk management consulting company. An impassioned philanthropist, Rosen donated a 20-acre site at the foot of Rosen Shingle Creek and $10 million to the University of Central Florida (UCF) to develop the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. Rosen also funds a $2.5 million dollar scholarship endowment for UCF that is matched by the state of Florida and is funding a planned future expansion of the much acclaimed college. Steve Bartolin served as President and CEO of The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for 24 years. In 2015, Steve was named Chairman of The Broadmoor and its related businesses which include The Ranch at Emerald Valley, Cloud Camp, Seven Falls, The Broadmoor Fishing Camp, The Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway, and Broadmoor Development Company. With the acquisition of Sea Island Resort, he was named President of the newly formed Broadmoor-Sea Island Company. Under Bartolins stewardship, The Broadmoor has been the longest-running consecutive winner of both the prestigious AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards. The resort also received numerous awards for exceptional customer service. Bartolin was named 1997 Resort Executive of the Year and 2005 Colorado Hotelier of the Year, and in 2009, he was inducted into the Colorado Lodging Hall of Fame. He has also been an active member of the AH&LA Resort Committee and played an active role in governmental affairs advocating for the hotel industry. Tables and tickets for the HSMAI Adrian Awards Dinner Reception and Gala are still available for purchase. For additional information on the HSMAI Adrian Awards and the HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Awards, visit www.adrianawards.com. About HSMAI The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners, and is the industrys leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals and their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as HSMAI Digital Marketing Strategy Conference, Adrian Awards, and Revenue Optimization Conference. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is a membership organization comprising more than 5,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at https://www.hsmai.org, www.facebook.com/hsmai, www.twitter.com/hsmai, and www.youtube.com/hsmai1. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Hotel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Hotel News Resource French Montana is doing the most with his charitable moves by funding hospitals in Uganda but it now seems like more attention is needed to his own finances. The Blast is reporting that French is due on a tax bill from 2016 that's over $400K. The publication got its hands on a lien against French (born Karim Kharbouch) filed by the Franchise Tax Board for the State of California. The total amount is said to be $406,952.93 and the amount will grow with interest the longer he doesn't pay. Apparently, if French doesn't pay up soon the Tax Board can go for his assets and seize his property to collect his money. We think it's safe to say French will get his debt settled fast considering his recent successes. In other news surrounding the "Unforgettable" rapper, he recently chatted with GQ's Middle Eastern publication on what immigration means to him. Immigration means everything to me. It means hope, it means faith, it means a voice for the people that come from different places and build a country, he said. Being a kid from Morocco, from Casablanca, and going to the States when I was 13 not knowing English, and all we had was hope. Me being a Muslim kid and now Im on the cover of GQ Middle East." Offset and Cardi B were up against the odds, and probably surpassed even their own expectations "as a couple." And yet, even their marriage was kept secret for the longest time, not until Offset bent to one knee at a Philadelphia concert. Before long, Cardi B and Offset became the cause celebre for a shift in hip-hop's cultural identity - rappers embracing family life. Were Cardi B and Offset trading gender roles by function, or by nature, we may never know? Page Six is reporting that Cardi B and Offset's, although founded on love, become too much of a business proposition as time went by. "They were really together, of course. But, after a while, it was more for business," an insider close to the situation told the publication. "Theyre both very street, and they have smart people who are savvy and made it known that (being together) is a smart business arrangement for everyone." The source added, "Celebrity couples play well. It was a lucrative business arrangement for both of them. Theyre enormous stars. Their relationship was more of a wink-and-nod." Cardi announced the couple's split on Wednesday after reports began to surface implicating Offset on the cusp of a three-way liaison with Cuban Doll and an unnamed woman. Details of Suge Knight's journey is set to be unleashed through a documentary entitled American Dream/American Knightmare. The film is set to offer insight into unexplored territory as it focused on one of Hip Hop's most infamous figures. His enigmatic persona reveals itself in exclusive interviews with the Death Row Records founder in addition to testimonies by his entourage and associates. Tough questions are posed, including one that asks Suge to speak on the speculations of his involvement in 2pac's murder. Watch the trailer below. Jim Smeal/WireImage The documentary's director, Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), commented on the production's intention in bringing Knight's story to the public. "In this documentary which took years of research, production and labor to complete Suge Knight discusses for the first time his complex life in detail. The audience will learn how he built and lost Death Row Records, and his views about the rap music scene. Suge also gives a first-person account and new details about the Las Vegas shooting that took the life of Tupac Shakur and also seriously injured him. This documentary will give viewers more access to Suges story than ever before. This is a cautionary tale of one mans choices and the consequences of his decisions. arrives just months after Knight pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in a 2015 hit-and-run case. The 53-year-old was sentenced to 28 years in prison." American Dream/American Knightmare premieres on December 21, on Showtime at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. Health care and construction will lead above-average job gains in Houston next year as global trade and a robust U.S. economy help lift economic growth in the region, according to a forecast released Wednesday. The Greater Houston Partnership, a business-financed economic development group, projects the Houston metropolitan area will add about 71,000 new jobs next year, slightly above a typical good year, when 60,000 to 65,000 jobs are created. Employment will grow across all sectors next year, led by health care, which is expected to add 9,000 jobs, construction, forecast to add 8,900 jobs, and administrative services, projected to add 7,600 jobs, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. Houston is predicted to end 2019 with 3.2 million payroll jobs, a net increase of more than 600,000 jobs over the past 10 years. Only New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas will have created more jobs over the same period, according to the Partnership. Its time to declare victory, said Patrick Jankowski, an economist and the partnerships senior vice president of research, during a presentation to business leaders. The economy is in the best shape its been since 2013 and 2014. Jankowski said the Houston region has emerged from a collapse in oil prices that began in late 2014 and resulted the worst oil bust in a generation. One in four energy jobs in the region was lost. In the past, such a blow to the energy sector would have devastated the Houston economy, Jankowski said, but this time Houston held up well due in large part to a reduced reliance on oil as its prime economic driver. The annual forecast expects oil prices to continue to play a lesser role in the economy as the city expands global trade. Jankowski and other economists at the partnership view oil as a sort of 'governor' in the Houston economic machine, helping to regulate the rate of growth. When oil prices are low, the local economy will grow at a slower rate; when prices are high Houston will grow at a faster clip. In 2019, the Partnership expects economic growth to continue, but at a slowed rate as oil prices are expected to remain at moderate levels. The Partnership bases its forecast on prices of crude oil averaging $55 per barrel or better over the year. The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimates producers in its district, which includes the prolific Permian Basin, can be profitable at $52 per barrel. The U.S. Energy Department forecasts the United States will produce 1.2 million more barrels per day in 2019 than it did this year. The Energy Department is forecasting crude to average $65 per barrel next year. Oil settled at $52.89 a barrel in New York trading Wednesday. The U.S. economic expansion is now the second longest on record and while it appears that it could slow down, growth is expected to continue, said Ellen Zentner, chief economist and managing director of the Wall Street investment bank Morgan Stanley in a followup presentation. She said the national economy should get an extra boost early next year as the tax overhaul passed at the end of last year delivers record refunds about $62 billion more than last year. About 75 percent of Americans did not adjust their withholding to account for the new tax law, meaning they had too much withheld from their paychecks over the year. Were going to have big consumer spending in the first quarter, she said. I dont see a recession on the horizon. A lot of the extra money in Americans pockets will likely find its way to retailers. In Houston, that will provide an additional jolt to already favorable retail climate, according to the Greater Houston Partnership. The fundamentals that that drive Houston retail jobs, population, income, home construction, access to credit, and consumer confidence are expected to grow in 2019. In turn, the partnership projects that retail sector will create 5,600 jobs next year. Several large projects, valued at several billion dollars, are expected to increase construction jobs in the region. The chemical maker LyondellBasell, for example, recently broke ground on a $2.4 billion petrochemical plant in Channelview. The German company Convestro plans to start construction of a $1.7 billion petrochemical plant in Baytown. McNair Interests, the Houston investment firm created by Bob McNair, the late owner of the Houston Texans, plans to break ground on a $500 million, high-end mixed-use development in the Uptown-Galleria area. The global economic expansion will add more support to the economy of Houston's, which is one of the nations leading trade hubs. Houston has the nation's top port in foreign tonnage, and some 5,000 local companies depend on the sales of goods overseas, according to the partnership. On average, the region's publicly traded firms get 30 percent of their revenue from international sales. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, an international organization with 36 member nations, predicts the global economy wile grow at a slightly slower pace next year, 3.5 percent compared to 3.7 percent in 2018. Kadam said that chopped trees had been found in the area where the fire erupted and there was suspicion that the incident could have been pre-planned. Mumbai: Environment minister Ramdas Kadam has demanded a probe into the massive fire which broke out near Aarey Colony forest in Goregaon. Mr Kadam told The Asian Age that he had written a letter to the home secretary in this connection. Meanwhile, sources in the home department said that the additional chief secretary of the home department, Sunil Porwal, had not received the letter so far. Mr Kadam alleged that there was a nexus between builders and land grabbers in the Aarey area. He visited the forest area of Aarey Colony on Thursday. He also said that before the fire broke out, the trees were cut and he asked for the reason behind felling the trees. Mr Kadam said that chopped trees had been found in the area where the fire erupted and there was suspicion that the incident could have been pre-planned. He also said that trees and shrubs on 150 to 200 acres of land had been charred. The whole area had been fenced with a wall so that no outsiders could enter. So, the question arises how did this fire erupt? I also saw that trees had been purposely chopped off, after which, the fire either erupted by itself or there was some mischief," he said. WASHINGTON - The Senate narrowly confirmed Bernard McNamee, policy director at the Department of Energy and a former top staffer to Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, to sit on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Thursday. McNamee's nomination drew controversy after a 10 month-old video emerged of McNamee, then with the conservative think tank Texas Public Policy Foundation, calling carbon dioxide "not a real pollutant" and railing against renewable energy, saying it "screws up the whole physics of the grid." "There's an organized propaganda campaign against fossil fuels," McNamee said. POLITICAL FIRE: FERC nominee with Texas ties faces tough questions from Senate The Senate approved his confirmation 50-49, after Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., withdrew his support, telling reporters he was concerned about McNamee's stance on climate change. Republicans have defended McNamee, describing the video as a lapse and not representative of how he would serve on FERC, an independent body split between Democrats and Republicans. "Based on the conversations with Mr. McNamee, I think he understands FERC must be an independent agency," Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee said last month. "I will expect that he be fuel neutral and not a champion for one resource over another." McNamee is replacing former FERC Comissioner Robert Powelson and will serve out the remainder of his term, which ends in 2020. Already his confirmation is complicating cases before FERC. Ari Peskoe, Director of the Electricity Law Initiative at Harvard Law School, said he filed a comment with FERC Thursday asking McNamee recuse himself from any cases involving policies he was involved in crafting while at the Energy Department, including Energy Secretary Rick Perry's proposal to raise power rates for coal and nuclear plants. "As a matter of law, he is incapable of being an impartial adjudicator," Peskoe wrote on Twitter. If politics, race and representation informed much of the pop-culture conversation in 2018, it looks like it will continue into 2019 if the nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards, announced Thursday morning, are any indication. The most nominated film was Vice, the satiric drama about the life of former vice-president Dick Cheney starring Christian Bale, which garnered six nods including best motion picture comedy or musical, actor (Bale), director (Adam McKay) and supporting actor for Sam Rockwell who portrays George W. Bush. It opens Christmas Day. The wave of films this year dealing with the lives of African-Americans landed three movies on the list of five best picture drama nominees: Ryan Cooglers Black Panther, Spike Lees BlackKklansman and Barry Jenkins If Beale Street Could Talk. They will be up against two films about music Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born (which you might think should be in the comedy or musical category but not according to Golden Globe logic). Another film based on real life, Green Book, Peter Farrellys feel-good story about the friendship between a black musician and his white driver in the segregated South of the 60s, received five nominations including best picture comedy or musical, director, actor in a comedy or musical (Viggo Mortensen) and supporting actor (Mahershala Ali). Green Book has struggled to attract an audience and this Golden Globe love could bring it some box-office attention. GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS: See the complete list, and complain about the snubs The other films that received five nominations are A Star is Born and the acidic comedy set in 18th century England, The Favourite, starring Emma Stone. Jon Chus Crazy Rich Asians, a groundbreaker in terms of Asian-American imagery in a mainstream Hollywood film, also garnered a best picture comedy or musical nomination as well as a best actress, comedy or musical nod to Constance Wu. The other films in the Comedy or Musical category are The Favourite, Mary Poppins Returns, Vice and Green Book. As most expected, Rami Malek was recognized for his turn as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody in the actor drama list, though John David Washington from BlackKklansman also making the cut was a bit of a surprise. On the TV side, Sandra Oh, star of the thriller Killing Eve, was nominated for best actress drama and her show was nominated for best drama. But there were also some notable omissions. Despite his movie being included for best picture, Coogler himself is missing from the nominees for best director. Widows, the thriller from 12 Years a Slave director Steve McQueen starring Viola Davis, was totally ignored as were such indie favorites as Sorry to Bother You and Blindspotting. John Cho, star of the inventive Searching, wasnt anywhere to be found in the best actor drama field while the South Korean film Burning, a critical favorite, was not included in the foreign-language film category. Alfonso Cuarons Spanish-language Roma, which many observers believe is a given as an Oscar best picture nominee, only received a foreign-language film nomination at the Globes because non-English-language films are not considered for the best picture category. Except for Nadine Labaki in the foreign-language Film category with Capernaum, there were no female film directors nominated this year even though The Rider (Chloe Zhao), Mary Queen of Scots (Josie Rourke) and You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay) are certainly deserving. On the TV side, Donald Glovers Atlanta, which won best musical or comedy TV series last year, is ignored this year though Glover is included in the actor musical or comedy category. But that seems to be the way of the world for television at the Globes where new series always seem to be at an advantage as the likes of Killing Eve, Pose, Barry and Homecoming received recognition in either the drama or comedy/musical categories. The Golden Globe Awards, hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg, air Jan. 6 on NBC. Mourning the loss of their school's namesake, students at Fort Bend ISD's George Bush High School memorialized the passing of the former president during an orchestra concert on Tuesday. Their black uniforms accented by colorful socks in honor of a man known for his colorful sock collection, student musicians performed two selections in Bush's honor: "Rhosymedre" by British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams and a brief setting of "America the Beautiful," arranged by BHS Orchestra Director Brian Runnels. Fort Bend ISD celebrated the opening of George Bush High School in 2001 in Richmond. Then-president Bush attended and spoke during a dedication ceremony hosted by the district. Later that year, he sent a letter of thanks with words of encouragement for the school's teachers. "It is an honor that a school here is Houston bears my name and I am especially pleased that George Bush High School has such highly qualified educators teaching our young people. The teaching profession is one of the most complex and challenging careers of our time," Bush wrote in June 2001. "Not only do you as teachers have the power to instill a passion for learning in your students, you also give them tools and strategies to find lifelong success. You show them a vision for the future is essential; and that with hard work, perseverance and courage dreams can be realized." WHERE TO WATCH: Bush funeral train For students and staff, Bush's legacy still looms large. The week opened with a moment of silence and viewing of a video titled, "Remembering our Namesake, George H. W. Bush." Outside the campus, students wrapped red, white and blue ribbons around the school's columns and placed a floral arrangement donated by Flowers by Adela near the dedication wall at the front of the school. A shrine with a framed copy of the letter stood in the school's entryway along with a large painting of Bush and a collection of vintage photographs. "I can say for everyone at our school that we are proud to be a Bush Bronco because of our school's namesake and the life he led," Student Council member Valeria Pineda said in a district release. On Wednesday, the National Day of Mourning, 22 of the school's Navy JROTC cadets traveled to Ellington Field to take part in the Arrival Ceremony and help welcome the former president's family as they return from Washington, D.C., on Air Force One. GOOD DOG: What's next for Bush 41's service dog Sully? "It's an honor and a privilege to be selected to attend the ceremony," said NJROTC Commanding Officer Aresha Sheikh. "I've never done anything like this before. I get emotional thinking about it." "The students are so deserving of this honor," said BHS Principal Felicia James. "They are about to be part of a historical moment that they will remember always." District officials say later this week members of the Student Council will arrange 41 tea lights down a hallway leading to a tribute table where students can pay their respects. Students will also decorate pillars in the school's Commons with scrolls of President Bush's accomplishments. On Thursday morning, BHS' Fellowship of Christian Athletes will hold a prayer vigil, and on Friday, the activities will conclude with a campus-wide parade that will feature the BHS drumline. knix@hcnonline.com Before this week, the American people had never watched a president stand before the casket of another president who was also his father. They were moments that proved to be as personal as they were historic. As George W. Bush watched the coffin containing the body of George H.W. Bush being carried into Washington National Cathedral Wednesday, his face was a map of pain. The same was true Monday in the Capitol Rotunda, where amid the pomp and the honor guards and the echoing marble, the 43rd president looked like nothing more than a boy crying for his dad. There has long been speculation about the relationship between the first father and son to reach the White House since John Adams and John Quincy Adams two centuries ago. (The younger Adams only learned of the elder's death after his burial.) Historians have scoured the path both Bushes took - Yale, stints flying fighter planes, the oil business and politics - for every sign of rivalry, jealousy and intrafamily psychodrama. Oedipus Tex. But the reality was simpler, historians say, and was visible in George W. Bush's grief, as the 43rd president prepared to eulogize the 41st president. Now Playing: George W. Bush Emotionally Honors His Father, 'a Great and Noble Man,' at State Funeral Video: Time "He gave us unconditional love. And some of us tested it, I might add," said George W. Bush in a "60 Minutes" interview that aired two nights after his father's death. Rather than Greek drama, the Bushes had an ordinary father-son bond that played out in extraordinary settings, these scholars contend. There were good times and bad, periods of distance and rebellion, the pain of loss and the joy of triumph. But whatever the weather, the climate was always loving. "I think it was a tense relationship when George W. was in his sowing-his-wild-oats phase; and that was a pretty long phase," said Jeffrey Engel, director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University, who has interviewed both Bushes. "But by the end, they were peers." Presidential scholar Mark Updegrove spent years talking with the Bushes and those who knew them for his 2017 book on their relationship, "The Last Republicans." Of all the anecdotes he collected, he finds one of the most telling to be a moment of everyday parenting: George and Barbara Bush were walking with their toddler son when little George went into a tantrum, wind-milling blows against his dad. "His father just holds him at bay with a palm against his red forehead and until he tires out," Updegrove said. "And then they just walk. There was a way in which George W. would transgress and his father would have the patience to know that his better angels would eventually take hold." Both presidents resisted any effort to "put them on the couch," but the senior Bush left a rich emotional record in thousands of letters he wrote to family and friends through his life. In them, he makes clear the full play of fatherly emotion toward his often-rambunctious oldest child. "Georgie has grown to be a near-man, talks dirty once in a while and occasionally swears, aged 4 1/2," he wrote to his friend Gerry Bemiss soon after taking his family from Connecticut to Midland, Texas. "He lives in his cowboy clothes." And then when his son was 9 years old: "Georgie aggravates the hell out of me at times (I am sure I do the same to him), but then at times I am so proud of him I could die," he wrote to his father-in-law. "He is out for Little League - so eager. He tries so very hard. It makes me think back to all the times I tried out." In 1953, the boy was old enough to understand that tragedy had come to the family. His younger sister Robin had been sick. The Bushes had taken her to New York for treatment and one day months later, he was thrilled when they returned. "I remember seeing them pull up and thinking I saw my little sister in the back of the car. I remember that as sure as I'm sitting here," he told The Washington Post in a 1999 interview. "I run over to the car, and there's no Robin." She had died of leukemia, a crushing loss that by all accounts brought the Bushes closer together as a couple and a family. Soon after, George H.W. Bush began his political rise that took him from local party boss to Congress, national Republican chairman, U.N. ambassador and head of the C.I.A. His son, meanwhile, fell in line on the father's path to the Ivy League and then back to Texas to look for oil. It was a well-documented stretch of both work and partying for the younger Bush. His drinking produced some public embarrassments-- including one 1985 episode in which he shouted profanity at Wall Street Journal reporter Al Hunt in a Dallas restaurant over a political story that he felt slighted his father, who was then in his second term as vice president. The boozing was worrying his wife, Laura, and, Bush would say later, alcohol "was beginning to crowd out my energies." But Bush Senior's lofty roles also loomed large. "He looked in the mirror and said 'Someday I might embarrass my father,'" his friend Joe O'Neil recounted in Updegrove's book. George W. would quit cold turkey in July 1986. That same month, his father asked him to be a senior adviser in his presidential campaign. "There is not one scintilla of evidence that he ever thought his son was badly wayward," Updegrove said. "The narrative that George W. Bush was the family ne'er-do-well is vastly overblown. "The younger Bush quickly became a full participant in the Bush apparatus, serving as pugnacious gatekeeper during the campaign and an enforcer of sorts in the White House. "If he needed someone fired, it was often W. who did it," said Engel. Father and son had become political partners, even if there was a vast gulf between president and adviser. Remarkably, even that gap would close. Employing all the family assets - from fundraising to friendships - George W. began his own rapid political rise, from the governorship of Texas to, finally, the same Oval Office his dad had occupied. If there was any rivalry in having to share the country's highest title with his son, it didn't show in the giddy, exuberant, detailed letter about George W.'s inauguration that the elder Bush wrote to his friend Hugh Sidey, a Time magazine writer. Friends were suddenly calling him "41." "It's funny after all these years to get a new name; but, hey, what does it matter if your boy is the president of the United States of America so help me God," he wrote. They frequently called each other "Mr. President" when together, according to Engel, a respectful joke open to no father and son but them. History may have gotten its best insight into this remarkable relationship at the very end of it. In his final minutes, George H.W. Bush was on the phone with George W. The last words the 41st president ever spoke were to the 43rd, a four-word epitaph of everything they meant to each other: "I love you, too." The city of Houstons education czar and three well-connected, civically engaged residents plan in the coming weeks to seek control of some long-struggling Houston ISD schools in a bid to improve academic outcomes and help the district stave off major state sanctions tied to chronically low performance at the campuses. State business records show Juliet Stipeche, the director of Mayor Sylvester Turners Office of Education Initiatives, and the three board members have formed the Coalition for Educational Excellence and Equity in Houston, a nonprofit that could partner with HISD to take over campuses under a state law encouraging charter agreements between school districts and private organizations. If an agreement with HISD were struck, the nonprofit envisions assuming control of academics, finances and governance at an undetermined number of schools. The portfolio likely would include four campuses in danger of triggering sanctions either forced campus closures or a state takeover of HISDs locally elected school board if any one of them fails to meet state academic standards in 2019. In exchange, the state would provide an additional $1,800 per student in funding to the nonprofit, and it would grant HISD a two-year reprieve from sanctions if it surrendered control of the four campuses. HISD Interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan and school board members have shown little enthusiasm for such arrangements to date, but they have not precluded the possibility ahead of a state-imposed deadline in early February 2019 to submit any agreements. The arrangements are intended to be temporary, with control over the campuses returned to a school district after a contractually agreed-upon period. Stipeche, who served as an HISD trustee from 2010 to 2015, said the coalition will seek to engage other local civic organizations in providing resources to students who attend schools that often fail to meet state academic standards. The coalition has not yet solidified its educational framework or crafted a proposal for public viewing, Stipeche said. We envision working through a collective-impact approach to lock arms with the community, to reimagine what we can do to support our schools as centers of excellence, equity and innovation, Stipeche said. We are working on finalizing an overview of what we would like to present to the board for their consideration in terms of how we work, what our core values and vision are, and what our building blocks of success are. The coalition includes three founding board members: Trinidad Trini Mendenhall, the co-founder of the grocery chain Fiesta Mart and president of the real estate investment firm Fulton Shopping Center; Stephanie Nellons-Paige, the vice president of external affairs for Texas Central Railway and wife of former HISD superintendent Rod Paige; and Corbin Robertson Jr., CEO and chairman of the mining company Natural Resources Partners. Will HISD act? Despite interest from the coalitions members, it is far from certain they will find a willing partner in HISD. Trustees have not directed Lathan to seek private partnerships, and Lathan has said she believes community members do not want us to enter into a charter school agreement for those four campuses. HISD considered private partnerships at 10 campuses last April, but trustees did not vote on the proposal following backlash from a vocal cadre of community members and questions about the potential partners academic and financial history. I think its worth having a discussion of the full range of options available to us to support schools being successful, HISD Trustee Anne Sung said Wednesday. Whether that means I would vote a certain way on a certain proposal, no promises at all. Turner and other civic leaders have emphasized the importance of better supporting long-struggling HISD campuses while also maintaining local control over the school district. Opponents of private partnerships, however, have argued the agreements represent an inappropriate privatization of public schools in long-neglected neighborhoods. The four long-struggling campuses Highland Heights Elementary School, Henry Middle School, and Kashmere and Wheatley high schools all serve students that are predominantly lower-income and black or Hispanic. Stipeche and several civic leaders in recent months have researched methods for establishing a nonprofit capable of operating campuses. One group traveled to California in June to visit the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, a nonprofit that operates 18 campuses in the nations second-largest school district, and city officials hosted some of the partnerships leaders in September. The organization runs the schools through an agreement that closely mirrors the coalitions potential arrangement with HISD. Engaging the public Coalition members have spoken with some community leaders closely affiliated with the four long-struggling campuses, with plans to engage the public more broadly if conversations with HISD become more serious, Stipeche said. I think that anything new that hasnt been done before has caused people to have some concern about the unknown, Stipeche said. But this provides the opportunity to be transformative and innovative, especially at a time when the district is going through a lot of different challenges. Mendenhall, Nellons-Paige and Robertson each have deep roots in Houston, with lengthy track records of civic activism that make them well-positioned to raise outside funds for the initiative. Mendenhall and Robertson, in particular, boast extensive management and nonprofit governance experience. The well-heeled group, however, has few personal ties to the largely impoverished neighborhoods under consideration for partnerships. None of its members have been educators. The fast-approaching February 2019 deadline also gives the coalition little time to build trust in its vision. Efforts to reach Mendenhall, Nellons-Paige and Robertson were unsuccessful Wednesday evening. Lathan declined to comment for this article through a spokeswoman. HISD trustees have not set any timelines for next steps in considering private partnerships. jacob.carpenter@chron.com twitter.com/chronjacob Fire crews rescued a man trapped in a manhole Wednesday afternoon. The call came in around 3 p.m. near Arthur Storey Park and the West Sam Houston Parkway, near the Beechnut exit. Eleven fire units were dispatched to the scene. Google Houston City Council on Wednesday approved a $200,000 settlement with a man who was injured in 2015 when the car he was riding in hit a loose drain cover. Areza Handoyo, city officials said, was injured when a loose inlet drain cover punched through the floor of the vehicle he was riding in, severing part of his foot. Maria Lourdres Torres rushed home after work to say goodbye to a president. With the sun setting overhead, Torres, 59, and her son were joined by thousands of Houstonians lined up outside of St. Martins Episcopal Church on Wednesday, where former president George H.W. Bush would lay in repose through the night and into the early morning. While Bush was treated to pomp and circumstance on the national stage earlier in the day at a state funeral in Washington D.C., its at 717 Sage Road where the city that adopted him got a chance to bid a more personal farewell. Now Playing: As the U.S. Air Force Band of the West plays, the casket bearing the remains of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by honor guard into St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Bush was escorted from Ellington Field by presidential motorcade to lay in repose at the church overnight before a private funeral on Thursday. Video: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle I want to pay my respects, said Amaury Mercado as he waited to board a bus that would take him to St. Martins. Im here with my son making sure he knows this is what you do, you pay your respects. Mercado, a former Navy petty officer, served under Bushs presidency and said he admired his ideals of respect to all. Jan Robertson, a U.S. history teacher at George Bush High School wearing Christmas themed socks in honor of Bushs affinity for colorful hosiery, echoed Mercados sentiments. She started teaching during Bushs presidency and has kept tabs on the Bush family ever since. Theyre the type of people I wish more people were like, Robertson said. They talked about giving back to society and service. Torres, who lives in Cypress, spent hours waiting for her chance to pay respects. She missed the funeral of Barbara Bush earlier this year, and that motivated her to prepare for the former presidents proceedings. I have so much respect for the Bush family, Torres said. His dedication to the citizenry is why I support him. And theyre from Texas, she added. By the time the hearse carrying the former president pulled into the churchs lot after a trip from Ellington Field, the night chill grew deeper as the Houston sky darkened above the towering Gothic structure. The American and presidential flag waved in a burst of wind as body bearers moved the casket with precision into the church. Trumpets, trombones and drums broke the silence. Rev. Russell J. Levenson Jr., the church's rector, offered prayers at the churchs front doors. Houstonians then proceeded single file through the arched halls and before the flag-draped casket. A boy saluted. A man bowed. A woman leaned against her cane, her head held high. One girl wore a hoodie. One man wore a suit. A family wore puffy jackets. Military members wore their uniforms. Torress 18-year-old Loubert Hernandez plans to enlist in the military soon. Standing before the casket, he gave a salute to the president he respects for having served his country in multiple roles. Torres, in a dark coat, stepped forward, her head bent into her praying hands. Senor, tenlo en tu santo reino. Lord, have him in your holy kingdom. ileana.najarro@chron.com OnePlus has only made flagship smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Series Mobile Platforms. OnePluss next flagship will be among the first to come equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau announced its next flagship will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Mobile Platform at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit 2018. OnePlus is scheduled to be among the first smartphone companies to power its new flagship with this new premium-tier mobile platform to provide customers with unmatched speed, performance, and intelligence for the new decade of wireless experience. OnePlus is the only smartphone company invited to attend and give a speech during Day 2 (855 Day) of the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit. Pete Lau also announced at the event that OnePlus will be the first to release a commercial 5G smartphone with carrier network EE in UK in 2019. EE is the UKs number one mobile network, and was named as the UKs best network for the 5th year in a row by RootMetrics. Since its establishment five years ago, OnePlus has only made flagship smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Series Mobile Platforms. OnePlus recently launched its latest flagship devicethe OnePlus 6T, powered by the Snapdragon 845. The company also partners with T-Mobile to sell OnePlus 6T across 5600 T-Mobile offline stores around the United States. We are proud to work with OnePlus to continue to bring breakthrough mobile experiences to consumers, said Alex Katouzian, senior vice president and general manager, mobile, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Snapdragon 855 is designed to deliver multi-gigabit 5G, industry leading AI and immersive extended reality (XR) ushering in a new decade of wireless experiences to come. OnePlus is well-known for its flagship products and received strong support from its global community through word-of-mouth marketing. The OnePlus community has amassed over 5 million users, most of which are tech enthusiasts from over 196 countries and regions around the world. OnePlus has also been collaborating with Qualcomm Technologies on 5G development since 2017. In October 2018, OnePlus achieved another breakthrough in 5G research, by releasing the first 5G tweet. Together, they have made significant strides in designing a device ready for 5G integration and commercialization in 2019. Pete Lau said at the event, OnePlus only makes flagship smartphones, and we believe that the Snapdragon 855 is the best and only choice. We are thrilled by its powerful performance and 5G capabilities. OnePlus will continue to bring its users the best technology and the best user experience possible. The blue and white Boeing 747 bearing the remains of George H.W. Bush arrived at Ellington Field in Houston shortly before 5 p.m., and was met by a large crowd of family and friends who watched as an honor guard escorted the former president's casket from the aircraft. Bush was transferred to a waiting black hearse, and was escorted from the airport in a presidential motorcade to a St. Martin's Episcopal Church for a public viewing. A private funeral will be held there on Thursday. Earlier, Bush was escorted during a departure ceremony following a state funeral in the National Cathedral one of the half-dozen formal events in the nations capital since Monday. With Bushs family trailing behind, pall bearers carried Bushs casket to the black hearse bearing the presidential seal as a military band played Hail to the Chief. Now Playing: As the U.S. Air Force Band of the West plays, the casket bearing the remains of former President George H.W. Bush is carried by honor guard into St. Martin's Episcopal Church. Bush was escorted from Ellington Field by presidential motorcade to lay in repose at the church overnight before a private funeral on Thursday. Video: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle At 12:20 Houston time, the door to the hearse was closed. Eight minutes later, the motorcade began its journey to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, for another ceremony prior to the flight to Ellington Field in Houston for ongoing events honoring the 41st president. At 12:54, the motorcade bearing the presidents hearse arrived at Joint Base Andrews. On HoustonChronicle.com: Full coverage of former President George H.W. Bush At 1:05, with the president's family looking on, Bush's casket was removed from the hearse, followed by a U.S. Army 21-gun salute. In the departure ceremony, pall bearers representing the branches of the military carried Bush's casket to the plane as a military band played Antonin Dvorak's Goin' Home. The Bush family began boarding the 747 that bears the name Air Force One about five minutes after the 21-gun salute. George W. Bush turned to give a slight wave as he entered the aircraft. The plane began taxiing at 1:23, lifting off 1:26 from the airfield Bush used dozens of times for his return to Texas. People turned out by the thousands to pay their respects during Bushs final trip to the nations capital, where he became a revered global leader as president and, before that, vice president. In Bushs 35 hours lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda, 42,000 people came to pass by the casket. If only the electric chill in the air were an augur of fast-approaching holidays and not the static generated by so many Democratic 2020 presidential hopefuls jockeying for the attention of party leaders and donors. Alas, with 2019 less than a month away, 2020 has already begun, and with it the fashioning of fresh new faces for the Democratic ticket. Among those early front-runners - at least in terms of intraparty enthusiasm - is Beto O'Rourke, the three-time congressman from El Paso, Texas, who recently lost a valiant Senate run against Ted Cruz. For some well-positioned Democrats, O'Rourke - usually mononymously styled as Beto - is already heir apparent to Barack Obama's empty throne. Tall and reedy with an affable air, O'Rourke does seem fit to take up Obama's mantle. But I can't get excited about O'Rourke, though I am from Texas and had hoped as much as anyone for Cruz's defeat. I'm not sure we need another Obama, or another of any Democrat we've had recently: I think the times both call for and allow for a left- populist candidate with uncompromising progressive principles. I don't see that in O'Rourke. There's no denying that what O'Rourke's campaign accomplished was genuinely impressive. With the help of veteran Bernie Sanders organizers, O'Rourke's team built a grass-roots army that put democracy - talking to constituents, listening to their points of view, inviting them to participate in the process not by mass mail but by name - first. People were genuinely inspired by that, and by the very notion that perhaps they could revive a dream that sometimes seems to have died with Barbara Jordan and Ann Richards: turning the Lone Star State blue. And - maybe, someday. AN IN-DEPTH LOOK: Why Beto O'Rourke lost In the meantime, though, we have the national election to think about, and when it comes to national politics, O'Rourke is plainly uninspiring. As Zaid Jilani pointed out at Current Affairs, O'Rourke's congressional voting record signals skepticism about progressive priorities. "While the Democratic base is coalescing around single-payer health care and free college, O'Rourke sponsoredneither House bill," Jilani wrote, "During his time in Congress, he never joined the Congressional Progressive Caucus." Instead, O'Rourke is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a centrist caucus with Clintonian views on health care, education and trade. Where it comes to Medicare- for-all, O'Rourke has been carefully unclear about his stance: A Politico article from July notes that, at least for a time, he had sworn off using the terms "single payer" or "Medicare for all," instead using the less-specific, policy-neutral phrase "universal, guaranteed, high-quality health care for all." His campaign website remains unclear, stating that he aims for achieving universal health-care coverage "whether it be through a single payer system, a dual system, or otherwise." O'Rourke's other progressive-ish policy positions tend to follow along these lines. While some progressives, rallied by talk of a Green New Deal, have argued for higher taxes on oil and gas company profits, fossil fuel lobbyists to be banned from working in the White House and a whole-economy overhaul slotting Americans into jobs producing carbon-neutral infrastructure, O'Rourke's statements on energy have been surprisingly thin. He has called the decision between oil and gas and renewable energy sources "a false choice," and proposes on his campaign website mainly to rejoin the Paris Climate Accords, empower the Environmental Protection Agency and enact energy reform. None of this is to say O'Rourke's policies are the worst there are, or that he couldn't beat President Donald Trump. (I think that practically any Democrat has a good shot at beating Trump, judging by how many Obama-Trump voters in the Midwest seemed perfectly happy to flip back to blue during this year's midterms.) But the primaries aren't even here yet, so there's no need to begin resigning ourselves to policies that are merely better than Republican alternatives. We still have time to pick a politician with a bold, clear, distinctly progressive agenda, and an articulated vision beyond something-better-than-this, the literal translation of hope-change campaigning. Beto is a lot like Obama, true; it's perhaps time for left-leaning Democrats to realize that may not be a good thing. TEXAS TAKE: Download the weekly politics podcast As for me, my cards are always on the table: I wish the Democrats would run a left-populist with sincere, well-attested antipathy toward Wall Street, oil and gas, welfare reform and war, who is willing to fight hard to win Medicare-for-all and drastically reverse our current course on climate change. I would love it if they came from Texas, but I would take one from anywhere. Bruenig is an opinion columnist at The Washington Post. Thats potentially going to get messy for many employers to manage and understand, with new frameworks and old frameworks to apply, said Shieff. Moreover, the Employment Relations Amendment Bill initiates greater compliance responsibility for employers. The result is less bargaining powers of employers and employees, and greater union powers in setting out the conditions and terms of employment. We may begin to see wage bargaining become more complicated. The requirement to bargain over job comparisons means more regulation and compliance for businesses, she said. Thousands of small and large businesses concerned at the disruption the legislation will cause particularly now ahead of Christmas. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is visiting the peninsula to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Seoul Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint Andrew. Those who oppose reunification "do it for personal interests. But nothing should oppose the happiness of a reunited family ". Seoul (AsiaNews) - The reunification of the two Koreas "must be the only purpose worthy of the men of goodwill of this nation. Those who oppose it do so for personal interests. Because there is nothing more beautiful and worthy than a family that is reunited, said the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew, during his visit to South Korea. The Orthodox leader is on the peninsula to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the inauguration of the Orthodox Church of Seoul, dedicated to Saint Andrew. Bartholomew will meet tomorrow with the president of the South, the Catholic Moon Jae-in: "I will offer gratitude and support for his effort to reunify the Korean Peninsula, and express my wishes that the unification take place during his term". The following day, Saturday 8 December, the Patriarch will lead a special prayer service for peace in the church of Saint Andrew. Minister of Culture, Do Jong-hwan, will be present. The peaceful and agreed reunification of the two Koreas "must be the priority of the political and economic leaders of the peninsula. Those who oppose it are moved by concerns, which however regard their economic and political interests and benefits. No benefit of any kind should come before love and happiness of a single (reunited) family ". Mount Greylock Vice Principal Jacob Schutz welcomed the class of 2024 after returning from a year in Afghanistan. Home From Afghanistan, Mount Greylock Vice Principal Settling In Schutz speaks to the young students about personal responsibility and the school climate. He says he's still acclimating to the new school. WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. Mount Greylock Vice Principal Jacob Schutz welcomed the class of 2024 to the middle-high school on Wednesday, even as the Mount Greylock community continued to welcome Schutz back to the United States. Schutz addressed the 120-member class of seventh-graders in a midday meeting in the school's gymnasium, on his third day back after serving a year in the National Guard. "I've been at Mount Greylock for five or six years," he told the 12- and 13-year-olds by way of introduction. "I was gone last year. I was deployed to Afghanistan with a NATO mission. I worked with guys from Britain, Australia, Romania, Czechoslovakia. It was a great experience. "But it's even better to be back." In their own way, the middle schoolers helped Schutz get back into the swing of things. Nobody asked him to talk more about his experiences overseas; they were more interested in asking about the school's policy for handling suspensions from school bus access or how Schutz could help handle congestion in a particular stairwell in the new three-story academic wing. After the meeting, Schutz said he is just getting used to the renovations and additions at the new Mount Greylock himself. "It was weird on a couple of fronts," he said of his feelings on returning to the school on Monday. "On the building front, it was very unfamiliar. I got here a little early, and when I get here, there's not many people here. I had stopped by the night before to drop off a couple of boxes, but I didn't really get to explore the building. It's still unfamiliar. "But as soon as the staff started rolling in and the kids got here, that's familiar. And that's nice. That's normal." Schutz said he is taking a crawl-walk-run approach to the first couple of weeks back on the job. "The first two days was walking around, saying hi, seeing where people are, learning the building," he said. "And then the next phase I'm going to start tomorrow, the walk phase, dealing with more of the things that I normally do: student issues, bus issues. And then the next week, the week after, I'll get back into the run phase and be familiar with everything. "I left myself good notes, an old job description with a checklist for everything I do: homelessness coordinator, court liaison, everything." One item that usually gets checked off about three months sooner each year is a meeting like Wednesday's when Schutz talked about the concepts of personal responsibility and school climate. "It's constant reinforcement," he said. "As you can see, they have tons of energy, so, like anything, you want to keep driving home the points. And we do it with the older kids, too. "But the more we drive home 'The Greylock Way,' eventually, by their high school career, they get it and they start living it, and they're the role models." Schutz is having class meetings this week with all six grades. With the school's youngest class, he talked about the transition from elementary school and the freedom that comes along with it. "We talk about respect for yourself and respect for others," he told the seventh-graders. "You guys get a lot of privileges because we think you can handle it. We think you can handle changing for class on your own and staying on the right side [of the hall], for example. We think you can handle using your cell phone between classes. "As you progress from middle school to high school, you'll get more of those privileges. But you have to handle them responsibly. If you don't, that's where I step in." One of his many roles at the school is that of the disciplinarian. And Schutz agreed that his military service, most recently with NATO's Operation Resolute Support helping train the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, probably helps him fill that role. "I think it gives me a perspective of the strict side," he said. "But my background is in special education, so I think I have the complete opposite perspective as well -- realizing that everyone's unique. Sometimes you do need to be strict, and other times you don't, you need to be more lenient. "What I think I told them in there is what I try to do is be as consistent as possible, knowing that everybody's different. There are certain things that we don't have zero tolerance for, per se, but we don't tolerate, and there are certain consequences that match certain behaviors. But there's always a gray area. That's the art of it, being able to figure out what's best for the kid in that situation and what tone it's going to set with the rest of the students and the school community. "So I think I have perspective on both sides, which helps me kind of meet in the middle." iciHaiti - Security : Another police offcier shot dead Tuesday in the zone of Jerusalem 7, in the slum of Canaan (Croix des Bouquets), David Pierre a police offcier of the 26th promotion of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) was shot by unidentified individuals. The incident occurred while David Pierre, accompanied by a colleague, was supervising construction work on a family property subject to litigation. His colleague managed to flee during the attack and is safe and sound. Several sources (unofficial source) seem to converge on the thesis of an assassination linked to a land conflict. The Justice of the Peace who drew up the statement confirmed that the Procuratorate of Croix des Bouquets had already opened an investigation. SL/ iciHaiti Building island resilience to climate change -- and more December 06,2018 | Source: Scoop Media From a Green Blue Economy perspective, when we speak of resilience, we do not simply imply resilience to climate change although this is an important factor, particularly in the Pacific. When we speak of resilience, we speak of Island or community resilience because a community, when resilient, can better absorb or deal, with a disaster or crisis of any sort, whether climate induced or not, whether natural or man-made. This was part of the message that was disseminated by the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) Secretary General, Francois Martel during a side event held on building national, regional and international partnerships on island resilience held at the Pacific and Koronivia pavilion at COP24. Our focus should be to empower communities and individuals to be able to take care of themselves, their families and those members in their communities who need support in times of crisis and one empowers people through education, health, better communication and energy services, better income, water and food security, keeping safer and cleaner environments, said PIDF Secretary General at the side event. These are development goals. Hence the close link between sustainable development that goes beyond the single SDG 13 and resilience therefore brings together all the SDGs and climate action into a single focus, he further added. The Island Resilience Initiative (IRI) was launched by the President of Palau at the Pacific Island Conference of Leaders and IUCN World Conservation Congress in Hawaii, USA in September 2016 and supported by the President of Marshall Islands and Fijis Minister of Fisheries. In early 2018 PIDF with its partners Precovery Labs and the Global Island Partnership (GLISPA) piloted IRI in three Pacific Island Countries. The initiative led by Precovery Lab, supported by the UNDP-Small Grants Program, focussed on prioritizing SDGs to address local and national reporting on SDGs implementation at the local or community level and island resilience action covering main livelihood securities. Participants of the side event were informed that PIDF with its partners are now looking at building on the outcomes of the pilot projects in Palau, Fiji and Marshall Islands and expand the initiative to other islands in the Pacific and, with PIDF partners, the Caribbean. Lets remember that at the end of the day, people do not really care about agreements or treaties, framework and plans, strategies and great glossy documents that promise a lot but deliver little, what they do care about is that they find the support needed to plan and prepare for climate-induced disasters, to reduce damage to properties and livelihoods and alleviate their conditions during disasters while fostering faster recovery, said Secretary General Martel. Scoop Media Theme(s): Others. Life in prison confirmed in second instance for Mohamed Badie and his deputy Khairat al-Chater. Thier role in the violence that occurred immediately after the overthrow of Morsi upheld. The two defendants can still appeal to the Supreme Court. At least 40 activists, trade unionists and human rights lawyers have been arrested since October. Cairo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - An Egyptian court confirmed yesterday the life sentence for the head of the Muslim Brotherhood Mohamed Badie (pictured) and for his deputy Khairat al-Chater. Behind the sentence of life imprisonment their (presumed) role in the violence that followed the overthrow - by the hands of the army - then President Morsi, one of the leading leaders of the Islamic pro-extremist movement. Badie and Chater had already been sentenced in 2015, in relation to some incidents between supporters and opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood near the headquarters of the movement. The sentence issued yesterday afternoon is not final and the two leaders can appeal to the Supreme Court, the highest judicial instance in Egypt. Four other defendants were sentenced to life imprisonment; instead, Saad al-Katatny, Parliament Speaker under the presidency Morsi, a former minister and two leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood were acquitted. The public prosecutor has indicted 18 people in the context of the judicial case: of these, at least five have escaped capture and one died before the trial. In 2013 the former president Mohamed Morsi, a member of the Brotherhood, was overthrown by the army, in the context of a street revolt: an act that then led to a new vote and the election of former general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi , recently confirmed to a second term. Meanwhile, arrests of activists and members of civil society do not stop in the country. Since last October at least 40 trade unionists, activists and lawyers have been arrested and transported to "unknown places". Many of the arrested persons would have provided humanitarian aid or legal support to the families of political prisoners, who also disappeared after the arrest. by Nirmala Carvalho The appointment was made official on 3 December. In Amravati, the new archbishop promoted social development, support for the marginalised, and transition to organic farming and agricultural reform. Mumbai (AsiaNews) Mgr Elias Gonsalves, the new archbishop of Nagpur, will focus on dialogue as his priority. Speaking to AsiaNews, he said he was humbled about his appointment on Monday because the Archdiocese of Nagpur is an old diocese, with its own rich roots and can be considered a cultural, political and religious centre of India; hence, dialogue will be a priority in this multifaceted diocese. Located in Maharashtra, the archdiocese shares borders with Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. One of the main challenges, Mgr Gonsalves said, is the agrarian crisis. However, he is not new to this kind of challenge because he is from Maharashtra, which was recently hit by a crisis in the agricultural sector. "The most affected region is Vidarbha, especially Yavatmal district, where many farmers have committed suicide". Speaking about the many initiatives he undertook in the Diocese of Amravati, which he led until his recent appointment, he explained that Caritas Indias Centre for Environmental Studies in Social Sector (CESSS) trained farmers to promote sustainable agriculture and natural resources management to boost knowledge and skills. "Through CESSS, the Diocese of Amravati launched initiatives to reform the agricultural sector, encouraging organic farming and the use of natural pesticides from easily available materials from the area. These initiatives are for everyone, without discrimination. Catholics represent only 0.01 per cent of the local population." As the new archbishop of Nagpur, Mgr Gonsalvess pastoral vision and mission will always favour disadvantaged communities and groups. Following the example of Amravati, where we focused on ecology by starting a tree sowing program, I will work to make the Diocese of Nagpur green." Francis will travel to the United Arab Emirates to take part in an international interfaith meeting on "Human Fraternity" from 3 to 5 February 2019. Vatican City (AsiaNews) Pope Francis will travel to Abu Dhabi next year. In reporting the announcement today, the Holy See Press Office said that Francis will visit the United Arab Emirates to take part in the international interfaith meeting on "Human Brotherhood" from 3 to 5 February 2019. The Pope will travel to the Gulf state In response to the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and of the Catholic Church in the United Arab Emirates. This will not be the first visit of a pope in a Muslim or an Arab country. In fact, there are many precedents, from Sudan to Morocco, as well as Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. However, this visit will be the first in a state in the Arabian Peninsula, a region where, with some exceptions, freedom of religion is not respected. (FP) Martin OHanlon, President of CWA media union, an IFJ affiliate, was invited to speak about the rights of journalists to the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights, on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In his statement , delivered on behalf of the IFJ, OHanlon highlighted that freedom of expression and more specifically, freedom of the press, are under serious threat around the globe (...). He pointed out that attacks and threats on journalists and impunity for these crimes are increasing from Saudi Arabia to Russia to Cuba(...) and also across Europe and North America. He recalled senators that journalists Antoine Trepanier and Marie-Maude Denis from Radio-Canada as well as Vice reporter Ben Makuch, were also brought to Canadian justice for just doing their job. Attacks on media are attacks on our democratic systems said President of CWA adding that nine out of 10 cases remain unpunished . To tackle the reign of impunity, OHanlon called on the Senate as well as the Canadian Government, to support the IFJ proposal for an international Convention on the Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals : Such a convention would provide a codification of all international rules that apply to journalists in one instrument, bringing together both human rights and humanitarian law provisions. Journalist unions need to adapt to the digital ecosystem and become inclusive to digital media workers to remain strong and relevant was one of the key messages from the two day workshop of the union leaders and digital media activists from the Asia pacific region. The meeting held in Bangkok on November 3 and 4, explored the growing issues that unions need to address in order to adapt to the changing media industry and to ensure the protection and regulation of digital media. Despite traditional media currently being accepted as the mainstream, digital media is slowly challenging them with it to soon overtake as the new mainstream media. However one of the more pressing issues mentioned in the meeting was how the rise of digital media will result with the introduction of online journalistic by-products to the mainstream, such as fake news which can threaten the existing integrity of the media and journalist profession. Justin Molito, the director of organizing at the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) shared the challenges and experience of organizing digital outlets workers and freelancers in the USA. He said: Organising in the non-traditional spaces is good for social justice and future of the union one of the challenges is being up for the challenge of instant communication and we have to adapt to that rapidfire culture of the digital communication. It was agreed that in order to strengthen unions in Asia, there needs to be greater inclusivity of digital media workers and further adaptation to the digital ecosystem in order to accommodate for the issues that growing digital media will bring. There is also the concern of protecting digital media workers as most are either a freelance or part-time, highlighting again the need to improve unions to accommodate for the changing journalist environment. UNI Apros Director for Youth Michelle Bellino shared the experience of UNI Apro in organizing youths and bringing them to the leadership for labor rights and organizing non-traditional workers through social movement unionism. She said: The digital media workers are mostly part-timers, project and contractual employees as well as freelancers, and we need to ensure that unions are relevant to them and help them. The meeting identified three key issues that unions needs to continue address - press freedom and social unionism; organizing digital media; and issue of professionalism and ethics. The meeting also formulated a series of recommendations: Journalists unions need to adapt to the digital ecosystem and review their membership criteria to organize digital media workers. Journalists unions need to integrate digital platforms into their organizing and campaigning, for stronger and effective advocacy Unions need to devise strategies to support media in fighting mis/disinformation as well as finding the sustainable business model. Skill development programs such as training need to be developed to attract young journalists to unions; to provide organized journalists with new skills in digital storytelling, data journalism, mobile journalism, multimedia and infographics. Unions need to support media organizations in upholding professionalism and professional ethical practices to produce quality journalism works. Unions in the region should exchange information and best practices to broaden perspectives and learn from each others experiences. Unions need to stand up for the rights of the digital media workers and remain vigilant to new information technology laws that are increasingly being used to restrict freedom online. IFJ Asia Pacific acting director Jane Worthington facilitated the meeting in Bangkok and said: Right now, there is a profound change in the journalism profession and industry which is having an equally profound impact on representative journalists unions. Some call it a crisis, others call it a revolution. But what is clear is that the struggle ahead is to adapt services and strategies to a rapidly altering media industry, where employer and employee relations are changing beyond recognition. Unidentified armed men abducted Engineer Zalmay, director and owner of the Enikass radio and television stations, after killing his driver on December 4 at Jalalabad, Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Afghanistan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) in condemning the abduction; and urges the Afghan authorities to urgently act for the safe recovery of Zalmay. Zalmay was kidnapped at 5 pm during a shopping trip. He was taken by a group of armed men who arrived in an armoured vehicle. His driver was shot and taken to hospital where he later died. The police arrived at the area soon after the incident and cordoned off the scene. Enikass is a popular media group in eastern Afghanistan near Pakistani borders where the ISIS, the Taliban and other terrorist groups have an active presence. No group has taken responsibility for the attack. In December 1, 2017, the ISIS attacked the building of the Enikass radio by rocket. AIJA President Rahimullah Samandar said: The AIJA strongly condemns the target attack and calls upon government and security agencies to find and protect Zelmay as soon as possible. The IFJ said: "The IFJ condemns the abduction of Engineer Zalmay, the director and owner of Enikass radio and television in Afghanistan; and killing of his driver. Its unfortunate that such attacks on media continued unabated in Afghanistan despite repeated commitment by the government to provide security to the journalists. The IFJ demands urgent action from the Afghan authority to ensure safe recovery of Zalmay. Noor ul Hassan from Royal News TV was killed and cameraman Sabir was injured on December 3, 2018 in Peshawar of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwest Pakistan. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) in condemning the killing; and demands the urgent action from the authorities to arrest and punish the perpetrators. Two gunmen on a motorcycle opened fire on a moving car in which the journalists were traveling from Peshawar to Hassans hometown Nowshera. The perpetrators were driving a 125cc motorcycle and fired shots from a 9mm pistol and fled the scene. The journalists were taken to a nearby hospital, where Hassan died to his wounds. Sabir is in a critical condition. The police are reviewing the CCTV footage of the incident to identify the killers. No one has been arrested so far. The police are investigating the incident as a target killing. PFUJ President GM Jamali said: The PFUJ strongly condemns the killing of yet another working journalist. We urge the law enforcement authorities to trace the killers and put them behind the bar. The PFUJ has demanded time and again to provide security to the working journalists and provide them a peaceful atmosphere to ensure the freedom of speech and expression but it has not been met. We once again demand the government to ensure safety of the working journalists." IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "The brutal and targeted killing of Noor-ul Hassan in Peshawar is a blatant attempt to silence a critical voice and intimidate the wider media community. The press remains under attack when crimes like this go unpunished, so we call on the Pakistan government and prime minister Imran Khan to take immediate action." In 2018, the IFJ has recorded the killing of five journalists in Pakistan. On December 31, the IFJ will publish its annual Killed List, available on the IFJ website here. In recent days the Arab media report of "first" Coptic Mass in Saudi Arabia. The function celebrated by Bishop Ava Morkos was held in a private house. Activists recall that Riyadh has not made "significant steps" in terms of religious freedom. And cults other than Islam remain prohibited. Riyadh (AsiaNews) Under attack on several fronts for the bloody war in Yemen, with civilian victims, the murder of journalist Jamal Khasshoggi and the repression of pro-human rights activists, the Saudi hereditary prince is opening - in small steps - to freedom religious. Arab media this week published pictures and articles on the "first" - according to the news - Orthodox Coptic Mass celebrated in Saudi Arabia last December 2. A ceremony that, in reality, was held in a private house and was presided over by the Egyptian bishop Ava Morkos, of Shobra El Kheima. The Coptic bishop visited Saudi Arabia at the personal invitation of Mohammed bin Salman, the powerful number two of the kingdom; in the context of the trip, he "brought with him all the objects necessary to celebrate a Mass". The liturgy, repeated over a period of two days, was held at the home of a Copt in the presence of several Christian families in the area. In the context of the visit, Bishop Morkos met the secretary general of the Islamic World League Muhammad bin Abdul Karim, the Egyptian ambassador Osama al-Nugali and prominent Egyptian personalities. At the center of the talks are the ways to strengthen relations between the Coptic Orthodox Church and the leaders of the Saudi kingdom. The activists of International Christian Concern recall that in the last year Mbs met several leading religious leaders. Among others, the Maronite Patriarch, Card Bechara Rai, who visited Riyadh last November. However, beyond these small openings, "there have been no significant steps in terms of religious freedom" for the Saudis and for foreigners in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia has a Christian community, comprising mostly of migrant workers from Asia (India and Philippines above all) and from Egypt. These practise their faith with extreme discretion (news of functions in private homes is not new), in order not to incur the repression of the authorities or the radical Muslim wing. Moreover, in the kingdom there is an absolute Sunni monarchy, governed by a Wahhabi and fundamentalist view of Islam that does not admit any other worship except of Muhammad. Recently in the country there have emerged reports of arrests of activists and torture in prison, once again illustrating that the program of "reforms" wanted by the 33-year-old Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and so much flagged by local media in the context of the Vision 2030 program is illusory and fake. Some reforms have affected womens rights in the social sphere. However, the arrests of senior officials and entrepreneurs, the repression of activists and dissenters, the war in Yemen with civilian victims, even children, and the assassination of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi cast more than a shadow on Mbs . Imperial Valley News Center The Children, the Caravan, and Health Imperial, California - There are three aspects to the caravan: what is shown by the media; what is there to be seen; and what is unseen. The focus is on the innocent children, as in the widely circulated photograph of an obese woman with two children lacking pants or shoes, purportedly fleeing tear gas sprayed by cruel law enforcement agents. They are far from home, in a very dangerous place, in violation of the laws of Mexico. Would Child Protective Services accuse an American citizen of child abuse and neglect, and take the children into foster care? Thousands of migrants are crammed together in Tijuana, many outdoors, and about a third of them are already sick. Without sanitation, outdoors in the rain, many more will become ill. Several cases of tuberculosis, chicken pox, and HIV have already been reported. The unseen travelers also include measles, Chagas disease, hepatitis, and many other dangerous microbes. You can see the lice that serve as vectors of diseases such as typhus if you look closely. Workers in migrant reception centers have spent hours combing nits out of little girls hairbut they could be fired for talking about it. Then theres that mysterious polio-like illnessAFM for acute flaccid myelitisthat has struck hundreds of American children. Some would be in iron lungs if we didnt use a different kind of breathing machine today. AFM was first noted in 2014, just coincidentally in time and space with the dispersal of thousands of Central American children into U.S. schools. More prominent at that time was an outbreak of a deadly respiratory illness that sent hundreds of American children to intensive care units. Both types of symptoms can probably be caused by enterovirus D68, which happens to be endemic in Central America. Any connection? The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says it doesnt know. Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis) afflicts around 8 million people in Central America. An early symptom is to awaken with swelling of the eyelids on one side that persists for weeks. But most dont know they have Chagas until, after many years, it destroys the muscles of their esophagus, colon, or heart. It is carried by the reduviid (kissing) bug, already present in the U.S. Packrats are hosts to these bugs. A high rate of Chagas is being found in dogs in Texas. Many migrants have latent tuberculosis, which can become active at any time. What happens if a case of active tuberculosis is diagnosed in the U.S.? All the patients contacts must be identified, tested, and followed. The persons exposed while the patient was coughing on the bus will be impossible to locate. The patient requires treatment for at least a year, with careful follow-up. How many patients with contagious diseases and their contacts can be effectively followed by U.S. public health departments? Not very manythese agencies are already underfunded and stretched thin. How many patients with active TB can be safely treated in U.S. hospitals? Last time I checked there were only two or three negative-pressure isolation rooms in my city. And what if the disease is resistant to all antibiotics, as is occurring in many countries? In the old days, patients lungs were collapsed by injecting air into the chest to cause a pneumothorax. A patient I cared for at Parkland Hospital in Dallas had a caved-in chest from the removal of several ribs (a thoracoplasty) to keep his lung collapsed permanently. This wont help disseminated TB, such as meningitis. The public health response to contagious diseases, especially deadly untreatable ones, is to make the diagnosis, isolate the patients, and trace the contacts. This means that for migrants we need a positive identification of the person, his country of origin, and his location. But while American citizens are increasingly under surveillance, illegals often disappear without a trace. Public health cant deal with a horde violently storming the border. What the mainstream press doesnt show is that 80 percent of the crowd are men, mostly of military age. The threats they pose to the health of our citizens (and that of other migrants) include violence; sexually transmitted diseases from rape (a large percentage of the women have been molested); and illicit drugs that pour through while Border Patrol agents may be changing diapers. Rep. Ocasio-Cortezs (D-N.Y.) 5,000 case workers wont help, and I doubt that many would volunteer to serve. We need linguists to identify people who are lying on their asylum applicationsobservers from Judicial Watch identified Cuban accents. We need better laboratory facilities and public health surveillance throughout the country. And we need law enforcement to stop illegal entry. Children who were at least warm and dry in Honduras are being used as political pawns and human shields by those determined to trespass in or harm our homeland. We need to protect childrenespecially our own. We need a wall. Imperial Valley News Center Former Nashville Judge Sentenced to Prison for Federal Obstruction and Theft Charges Memphis, Tennessee - A former Davidson County, Tennessee judge was sentenced Friday to 44 months in prison, restitution of $18,000 and a forfeiture of $13,500 for obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and stealing money from an organization receiving federal funds, announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee. Cason Casey Moreland, 61, of Smyrna, Tennessee, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr. The defendant pleaded guilty to five counts of a superseding information on May 24. According to admissions made in connection with Morelands plea agreement, in January 2017, the FBI began investigating whether Moreland solicited sexual favors in exchange for favorable judicial treatment while sitting as a General Sessions Court Judge in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Moreland admitted that in February 2017, he became aware that he was a target of an investigation and took steps to try to obstruct it. Specifically, he devised a scheme to pay a material witness to sign a false affidavit recanting her previous statements, which implicated his criminal conduct in trading judicial favors for sex. He also devised a scheme to have drugs planted in the witnesss car, and then to have her stopped by police, so that she would be arrested and her credibility would be destroyed. Moreland carried out these schemes by using a burner phone registered in the name of Raul Rodriguez and communicating with an individual who subsequently became an informant, working at the direction of the FBI. Moreland also admitted to criminal conduct stemming from his involvement with the General Sessions Drug Treatment Court, a specialized court program designed to provide alternatives to incarceration for certain defendants. The work of the Drug Treatment Court was supported by a nonprofit entity called the Davidson County Drug Court Foundation (the Drug Court Foundation). Although Moreland did not have an official position with the Drug Court Foundation, he admitted that he exercised de facto authority over the Drug Court Foundations operations. In connection with his plea agreement, Moreland admitted that beginning in spring 2016, he began embezzling cash from the Drug Court Foundation by directing the Drug Court Foundations director to deliver to his office envelopes of cash that she had collected from individuals seeking outpatient treatment for substance abuse. Then, in February 2017, after learning of the FBIs investigation, Moreland instructed the Drug Court Foundations director to destroy all documents and records relating to the cash payments that he had embezzled. Finally, in February 2018, at a time when he was on pre-trial release for the original charges, Moreland admitted that he attempted to tamper with a witness by suggesting to the Drug Court Foundations director that she lie to the grand jury investigating his conduct. This case was investigated by the FBIs Nashville Resident Agency of the Memphis Division and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Lauren Bell of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cecil VanDevender of the Middle District of Tennessee. Imperial Valley News Center Former CEO of Technology Company Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Bribery Detroit, Michigan - The former chief executive officer of FutureNet Group Inc., an information technology company, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison followed by one year of supervised release and a fine in the amount of $10,000 for his role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe an official from the City of Detroit to obtain benefits for FutureNet. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Timothy Slater of the FBIs Detroit Division made the announcement. Parimal D. Mehta, 55, of Northville, Michigan, previously pleaded guilty to one count of federal program bribery before U.S. District Judge Robert H. Cleland of the Eastern District of Michigan. According to admissions made in connection with his plea, from 2009 through August 2016, Mehta hand-delivered more than $6,500 to Charles L. Dodd, the former Director of Detroits Office of Departmental Technology Services, including two cash bribes paid in the restroom of a Detroit-area restaurant in 2016. Dodd previously pleaded guilty to bribery and was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Sept. 11, 2018. Mehta admitted that he sought preferential treatment for FutureNet in exchange for the bribes he paid to Dodd. Among other things, Mehta asked Dodd to cause FutureNet to be selected to fill open positions for contract personnel and to implement particular technological projects in various city departments. Mehta also asked Dodd to supply him with confidential information regarding Detroits internal operations, including information regarding Detroits internal budgets for particular technology projects and personnel, which would benefit FutureNet in its dealings with Detroit. The FBIs Detroit Division investigated the case. Deputy Chief Robert J. Heberle and Trial Attorney James I. Pearce of the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section are prosecuting the case. Imperial Valley News Center Colombian National Sentenced to Prison for Participating in Human Smuggling Event that Resulted in the Rape and Murder Miami, Florida - A Colombian national was sentenced to 180 months in prison for his role in a scheme to smuggle illegal aliens from Colombia into the United States, which resulted in the rape of one and the death of two Cuban nationals. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan of the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami Field Office made the announcement. Fredis Valencia Palacios, 30, a Colombian national extradited to the United States in April 2018 to face these charges, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to encourage and induce aliens to come to the Unites States resulting in death as well as three counts of encouraging and inducing aliens to come to the United States resulting in death and placing in jeopardy the lives of any person. Valencia Palacios was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez of the Southern District of Florida, who also ordered him to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. When Valencia Palacios conspired to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States, he launched them on a deadly journey during which one was sexually assaulted and murdered, another also was brutally murdered, and a third was left for dead in the water, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. Todays sentence once again demonstrates the Department of Justices commitment to hold accountable those who violate U.S. immigration laws. The 15-year federal prison sentence imposed today against Fredis Valencia Palacios is a reminder to all that the high seas do not protect criminals from prosecution in the United States, said U.S. Attorney Fajardo Orshan. When human smugglers knowingly plan to violate U.S. immigration laws and expose illegal aliens to grave danger during their arduous journey, the U.S. Attorneys Office, with the assistance of our domestic and foreign law enforcement partners, stand ready to prosecute the offenders on American soil. This case highlights the tragic perils involved with illegal alien smuggling, said HSI Miami Special Agent in Charge Mark Selby. While exploiting human cargo for pure greed, this was a horrific tragedy resulting in sexual assault and two deaths. HSI continues to aggressively target and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that profit from the suffering of individuals. According to the court record, including agreed-upon factual proffers, since 2014, Valencia Palacios, and his co-defendants, including Jhoan Stiven Carreazo Asprilla and Carlos Emilio Ibarguen Palacios, organized and arranged the unlawful smuggling of illegal aliens, transporting them across Colombia toward the Panamanian border, en route to the United States. In 2016, three Cuban nationals arranged with, and paid, the defendants to transport them from Colombia to Panama, as they traveled to the United States, intending to arrive in Miami. On Sep. 7, 2016, during a portion of their journey, the three victims two men and a woman were delivered by Valencia Palacios to a boat captained by his co-defendants to begin their journey to Panama. During the boat trip, the co-defendants pulled a knife and a gun on the victims. One of the co-defendants tied the wrists of the two male passengers and then threw them overboard, anchoring them with rope to the inside of the boat. The surviving male victim reported that he heard the co-defendants sexually assault the female victim before cutting her throat and murdering her. The surviving victim also heard the co-defendants cut the other male victims throat, killing him. While that was happening, the survivor managed to free himself and escape by swimming away. The co-defendants left him for dead. The next day, a local fisherman discovered the survivor, who was subsequently rescued by the Colombian Navy. The survivor directed the Colombian authorities to the place where the murders happened, and the Colombian authorities retrieved the bodies. Their throats and bellies had been cut open and they were tied up together and submerged in the water. The co-defendants were subsequently located and arrested. Carreazo Asprilla and Ibarguen Palacios are scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 4, 2019 before U.S. District Judge Martinez. This case was investigated by HSI Miami, with assistance from the HSI Bogota field office. The Government of Colombia, including the Colombian Office of the Attorney General, provided significant assistance and support during the investigation. The Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs provided significant support with the defendants extradition. The investigation was conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Departments Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dobbins of the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case. Imperial Valley News Center Panamanian-Based Global Law Firms Decades-Long Scheme to Defraud the United States Manhattan, New York - Four individuals have been charged in an indictment unsealed Tuesday in the Southern District of New York with wire fraud, tax fraud, money laundering and other offenses in connection with their alleged roles in a decades-long criminal scheme perpetrated by Mossack Fonseca & Co. (Mossack Fonseca), a Panamanian-based global law firm, and related entities. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman for the Southern District of New York, Chief Don Fort of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Special Agent in Charge Angel M. Melendez of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York made the announcement today. Ramses Owens, 50, a Panamanian citizen; Dirk Brauer, 54, a German citizen; Richard Gaffey, 74, a U.S. citizen, of Medfield, Massachusetts; and Harald Joachim Von Der Goltz, 81, a German citizen, have been charged in an 11-count indictment. Owens, Gaffey and Von Der Goltz are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit tax evasion, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Owens and Brauer have been charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Gaffey and Von Der Goltz are additionally charged with four counts of willful failure to file an FBAR. Von Der Goltz has been additionally charged with two counts of making false statements. Three of the four defendants named in the indictment have been arrested. Brauer, who worked as an investment manager for Mossfon Asset Management, S.A. (Mossfon Asset Management), an asset management company closely affiliated with Mossack Fonseca, was arrested in Paris, France, on Nov. 15. Von Der Goltz, a former U.S. resident and taxpayer, was arrested in London, United Kingdom, on Dec. 3. Gaffey, a U.S.-based accountant, was arrested in Boston, Massachusetts earlier today. Owens, a Panamanian attorney who worked for Mossack Fonseca, remains at large. Law firms, asset managers, and accountants play key roles enabling entry into the global financial system, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The charges announced today demonstrate our commitment to prosecute professionals who facilitate financial crime across international borders and the tax cheats who utilize their services. "As alleged, these defendants went to extraordinary lengths to circumvent U.S. tax laws in order to maintain their wealth and the wealth of their clients, said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Berman. For decades, the defendants, employees and a client of global law firm Mossack Fonseca allegedly shuffled millions of dollars through offshore accounts and created shell companies to hide fortunes. In fact, as alleged, they had a playbook to repatriate un-taxed money into the U.S. banking system. Now, their international tax scheme is over, and these defendants face years in prison for their crimes. The unsealing of this indictment sends a clear message that IRS-CI is actively engaged in international tax enforcement, and more investigations are on the way, said IRS-CI Chief Don Fort. IRS-CI specializes in unraveling these intricate offshore tax schemes and following the money around the globe wherever it may lead. Cases like this help maintain the publics confidence in our tax system by letting them know that we investigate and prosecute those who evade their tax obligation. Today we announce the indictment of four individuals who allegedly defrauded the U.S. government through a large scale, intercontinental money laundering and wire fraud scheme, associated with Mossack Fonseca and its affiliates, said HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel M. Melendez. HSIs El Dorado Task Force, together with the IRS, built a case that uncovered an alleged complex trail of offshore shell corporations and bogus foundations used to disguise the beneficial ownership of huge amounts of money. These efforts reflect the commitment of U.S. law enforcement to follow that trail and apprehend these criminals regardless of where they are in the world. According to the indictment, from at least in or about 2000 through in or about 2017, Owens and Brauer conspired with others to help U.S. taxpayer clients of Mossack Fonseca conceal assets and investments, and the income generated by those assets and investments, from the IRS through fraudulent, deceitful, and dishonest means. To conceal their clients assets and income from the IRS, Owens and Brauer allegedly worked to establish and manage opaque offshore trusts and undeclared bank accounts on behalf of U.S. taxpayers who were clients of Mossack Fonseca. Owens and Brauer allegedly marketed, created, and serviced sham foundations and shell companies formed under the laws of countries such as Panama, Hong Kong, and the British Virgin Islands, to conceal from the IRS and others the ownership by U.S. taxpayers of accounts established at overseas banks, as well as the income generated in those accounts. As structured by Mossack Fonseca, the sham foundations typically owned the shell companies that nominally held the undeclared assets on behalf of the U.S. taxpayer clients of Mossack Fonseca. The names of Mossack Fonsecas clients generally did not appear anywhere on the incorporation paperwork for the sham foundations or related shell companies, although the clients in fact beneficially owned, and had complete access to, the assets of those sham entities and accounts. In furtherance of the scheme, and in exchange for additional fees, Owens and Brauer allegedly provided support to clients who had purchased the sham foundations and related shell companies by providing corporate meeting minutes, resolutions, mail forwarding, and signature services. Moreover, Owens and Brauer are alleged to have purposefully established the bank accounts in locations with strict bank secrecy laws, which impeded the ability of the United States to obtain bank records for the accounts. Owens and Brauer also allegedly instructed U.S. taxpayer clients of Mossack Fonseca about how to repatriate funds to the United States from their offshore bank accounts in a manner designed to keep the undeclared bank accounts concealed. Among other things, Owens and Brauer instructed clients to use debit cards and fictitious sales to repatriate their funds covertly, the indictment alleges. Von Der Goltz was allegedly one of Mossack Fonsecas U.S. taxpayer clients. At all relevant times, Von Der Goltz was a U.S. resident and was subject to U.S. tax laws, which required him to report and pay income tax on worldwide income, including income and capital gains generated in domestic and foreign bank accounts. U.S. citizens, resident aliens, and permanent legal residents with a foreign financial interest in or signatory authority over a foreign financial account worth more than $10,000 are required to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, commonly known as an FBAR, disclosing the account. Von Der Goltz is alleged to have evaded his tax reporting obligations by setting up a series of shell companies and bank accounts, and hiding his beneficial ownership of the shell companies and bank accounts from the IRS. These shell companies and bank accounts allegedly made investments totaling tens of millions of dollars. According to the indictment, Von Der Goltz was assisted in this scheme by Owens and by Gaffey, a partner at a U.S.-based accounting firm. In furtherance of Von Der Goltzs fraudulent scheme, Von Der Goltz, Gaffey, and Owens are alleged to have falsely claimed that Von Der Goltzs elderly mother was the sole beneficial owner of the shell companies and bank accounts at issue because, at all relevant times, she was a Guatemalan citizen and resident, and unlike Von Der Goltz was not a U.S. taxpayer. As alleged in the indictment, Gaffey, in addition to assisting Von Der Goltz evade U.S. income taxes and reporting requirements, also worked closely with Owens to help another U.S. taxpayer client (Client-1) of Mossack Fonseca defraud the IRS. Client-1 allegedly maintained a series of offshore bank accounts, which Mossack Fonseca helped Client-1 conceal from the IRS for years. The indictment further alleges that, upon the advice of Owens and Gaffey, Client-1 covertly repatriated approximately $3 million of Client-1s offshore money to the United States by falsely stating on Client-1s federal tax return that the money represented proceeds from the sale of a company. After Client-1 repatriated approximately $3 million in this manner, approximately $1 million still remained in Client-1s offshore account, the existence of which remained hidden from the IRS. The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The investigation was conducted by IRS-CI and HSI with significant assistance by the Justice Departments Tax Division and the FBI. The Justice Departments Office of International Affairs and law enforcement partners in France and the United Kingdom secured the arrests of the defendants located overseas. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Michael Parker and Parker Tobin of the Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section of the Justice Department and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Paul, Nathan Rehn, Kristy Greenberg and Andrew Adams of the Manhattan U.S. Attorneys Offices Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit and Money Laundering and Transnational Criminal Enterprises Unit, with substantial support from previous co-counsel, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Marie Blaylock of the Western District of Kentucky. Imperial Valley News Center U.S. Soldier Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS Honolulu, Hawaii - Ikaika Erik Kang, 35, a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army formerly stationed at Schofield Barracks, was sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. Kang was sentenced to 240 months on Counts 2, 3 and 4 to run concurrently, and 60 months on Count 1, to run consecutively, for a total of 300 months in prison. As part of his sentence, Kang will serve 20 years of supervised release following his incarceration. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers, U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji M. Price, and Special Agent in Charge Sean L. Kaul of the FBIs Honolulu Field Office announced the sentence. At sentencing, Senior U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway accepted a plea agreement between the United States and Kang, in which Kang had agreed to serve 25 years of imprisonment and a period of at least 20 years of supervised release and up to life. In imposing sentence, Judge Mollway said that Kangs conduct was extremely serious and had the potential to be disastrous. She also noted that the undercover agents gave Kang a number of chances to return the classified information and leave the training, but [he] didnt do that. Kang swore to defend the United States as a member of our military, but betrayed his country by swearing allegiance to ISIS and attempting to provide it material support, said Assistant Attorney General Demers. With the sentence imposed today, he is being held accountable for his betrayal and his crimes. I want to thank all of the agents, analysts and prosecutors who are responsible for this case. Defending our country from terrorism is a core mission of the Department of Justice, said U.S. Attorney Kenji Price. Todays sentence is the result of the hard work and dedication of all of the federal agents and prosecutors who work tirelessly every day to keep our community safe. This is the first case in the State of Hawaii where someone was convicted for providing material support to terrorism, said Special Agent in Charge Kaul. This should serve as reminder that even though we are 2,500 miles from the U.S. Mainland these crimes can and do happen everywhere. I would like to personally thank the United States Attorneys Office, the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section, the United States Army, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Honolulu Police Department, and the entire Joint Terrorism Task Force Community here in Hawaii for bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion. Today, our community is a safer place due to their tireless efforts. According to court documents and information presented in court, Kang became sympathetic to ISIS by at least early 2016. He regularly watched ISIS propaganda videos online, for as long as four to five hours a day, or more. Kang made numerous statements in support of ISIS and expressed a desire to join ISIS. He spoke approvingly and in detail about committing specific acts of violence against others, including by attacking large public gatherings, such as the Honolulu Christmas Parade, and a parade at Schofield Barracks. At the time Kang made these statements, he owned an AR-15-style assault rifle and a pistol, both of which he kept at his residence on Oahu. In late June and early July of 2018, Kang met numerous times with undercover FBI agents who he believed had connections to ISIS. He provided them with sensitive, non-public military documents, some of which were classified at the SECRET level, which he intended that they later provide to ISIS. He also provided them with a commercially-purchased small aerial drone, a military chest rig, and other military-style clothing and gear. Kang then met two additional undercover FBI personnel, one who purported to be a high-ranking ISIS leader, or sheikh, and another who played the role of an ISIS fighter. Kang led them in a two-hour, step-by-step military combatives training session, in order to train the purported ISIS member in hand-to-hand fighting techniques and marksmanship. Kang was given numerous opportunities by the undercover agents to return the classified military documents, and to stop and leave the training, which he did not do. Instead, on July 8, 2017, Kang swore an oath of loyalty, known as bayat, to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in a ceremony conducted by the purported ISIS sheikh. After the ceremony, Kang said that he wanted to get his rifle and go to downtown Honolulu and Waikiki strip and start shooting. Kang was subsequently arrested and taken into custody. The case was investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Honolulu, the FBI, and the U.S. Army, Criminal Investigative Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth M. Sorenson and Marc A. Wallenstein of the District of Hawaii, and Trial Attorney Taryn M. Meeks of the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section. Man Receives 30 Months in Prison for Role in Dog-Fighting Conspiracy Detroit, Michigan - A Western Michigan man was sentenced in federal court to 30 months in prison for his role in a dog fighting conspiracy based in the surrounding counties of Grand Rapids. His sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release. Charles Deon Davis Jr., 34, of Wyoming, Michigan, pleaded guilty in June 2018 to one felony count of conspiracy to sponsor and exhibit a dog in a dog fight and unlawful possession of dogs intended to be used for the purpose of dog fighting, and one felony count of felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. The Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew Byerly Birge of the Western District of Michigan made the announcement. Davis and four co-defendants were indicted in a superseding indictment on April 18, 2018, for one conspiracy count and multiple counts of unlawful possession of animals intended to be used for the purpose of dog fighting. Davis was also indicted in a separate case for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Co-defendant Damiane Buehrer was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment in October 2018. The remaining co-defendants, including Charles Joseph Miller, Kian Maliak Miller, and Jarvis Jason-Roy Askew, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Between at least December 2016 and December 7, 2017, Davis co-owned and operated, with defendant Charles Miller, Stick Wit Me Kennels, for the purposes of breeding, training, conditioning, and developing dogs for participation in dog fighting. Davis kept four dogs for those purposes, which, together with those owned by his co-conspirators, for a total of 37 dogs, were seized by law enforcement as part of the investigation. Davis was also found to possess medication for the purpose of treating dogs for wounds received during dog fighting, as well as equipment for training the dogs, including a break stick, and spring poles. The co-defendants frequently exchanged electronic communications for the purpose of sharing information about training and conditioning dogs for fighting, breeding fighting dogs, contracting for and sponsoring dog fights, collecting forfeited funds when a contracted dog fight resulted in a forfeit, and sharing results of dog fights. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Zell and Hagen Frank, and Senior Trial Attorney Jennifer Blackwell of the Justice Departments Environmental Crimes Section. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Ingham County Animal Control Office. The ASPCA assisted with the care of the dogs seized by federal law enforcement. Jury Convicts Honduran Drug Trafficker of Cocaine Conspiracy Arlington, Virginia - A federal jury in the Eastern District of Virginia convicted a Honduran man yesterday of leading a drug trafficking organization that helped smuggle thousands of kilograms of cocaine into the United States over the last decade. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger for the Eastern District of Virginia, Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott W. Hoernke for the Drug Enforcement Administrations (DEA) Washington Field Division, Assistant Director in Charge Nancy McNamara of the FBIs Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of Virginia State Police, made the announcement. Arnulfo Fagot-Maximo, 57, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine knowing that the cocaine was to be unlawfully imported into the United States following a five-day trial before U.S. District Judge Liam OGrady. Fagot-Maximo had been extradited to the United States following his indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Arnulfo Fagot-Maximo was the leader of a drug trafficking organization based in the La Mosquitia region of the Departamento Gracias a Dios, Honduras. His organization was a critical link between Colombian cocaine suppliers and other major Honduran traffickers. For over a decade, Fagot-Maximo received cocaine from Colombia along the Mosquitia coast by go fast boats, small aircraft, and submersible vessels in quantities ranging from a few hundred to several thousand kilograms per delivery. Most of this cocaine was transferred to the Montes Bobadilla organization in Francia, Honduras, where it was received by other traffickers. Eventually the cocaine was transported by land through Honduras and Guatemala, and it was then delivered to Mexican cartels for importation into the United States. Fagot-Maximo received tens of millions of dollars in U.S. currency for the sale and delivery of this cocaine. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison when sentenced on March 29, 2019. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated by the DEA as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF), Operation Harpoon through DEAs HIDTA Task Force in Annandale Virginia. The OCDETF program is a federal multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that supplies supplemental federal funding to federal and state agencies involved in the identification, investigation, and prosecution of major drug trafficking organizations. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nations illegal drug supply. Assistance in the investigation and prosecution was provided by the U.S. Attorneys Offices for the Southern District of New York, the Middle District of Florida, and the Southern District of Florida, as well as assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Honduran National Police. Trial Attorney Anthony T. Aminoff of the Criminal Divisions Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys James L. Trump and Thomas W. Traxler of the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Divisions Office of International Affairs assisted with the extradition in this matter. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) President Rodrigo Duterte is not letting up on his tirades against the Catholic Church, this time taking a swipe at the writers of the Bible. In a speech Thursday, the President once again called on bishops to stop being hypocrites, mocking them by saying how they acted so pious, but had families on the side. "You know, p***** **a kayo mga g**o kayo. Kung nagtinding ka sa pulpito, tapos sabihin mo ako demonyo, e ano ka? Kung demonyo ako, kayo ano? Religious? You shape up," he said. [Translation: You know, you sons of b******s. When you stand at the pulpit and then call me the devil, what does that make you. If I'm the devil, what are you? Religious? You shape up.] The President however, also had this piece of advice, "Stay with God, pero huwag kayo magpaloko sa religion [but don't be fooled by religion]." Duterte then went on to attack the writers of the Bible, saying what they wrote had little relevance to current times as it was written 3,000 years ago. "You know ang sumuslat ng Bibliya, anak ka ng. That was 3,000 years ago. Anong pakialam ng mga g****g yun sa ating buhay ngayon?" he said. [Translation: Who wrote the Bible, son of a b****. That was 3,000 years ago. What do those idiots have to do with our lives now?] He added, "Nakapagaral ba yun? Mga UP writer ba yun? Three thousand years ago, tapos ngayon binu-b******t tayo." [Translation: Did they study? Are they UP writers? Three thousand years ago and they're b**********g us now.] The President also went on a tirade against a pope whom he said had a child who also then became pope. "The most damning story of the Catholic Church? Alam mo kung sino [You know who]? Yang the popes...Pope Leo XIV. He had an incest sa anak niya mismo, and that the product, or the issue of that incest, ginawa rin nilang pope," he said. However, while there were several Popes in the past named Leo, there was no Pope Leo XIV. The last pope with that name was Pope Leo XIII, who headed the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903. He was also the oldest serving pope, dying at the age of 93. Bangladeshi National Arrested in Houston to Face Charges for a Conspiracy to Bring Aliens into the United States Houston, Texas - A Bangladeshi national residing in Monterrey, Mexico, was arrested yesterday on arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport to face a criminal indictment issued in the Laredo Division of the Southern District of Texas for his role in a scheme to smuggle aliens from Mexico into the United States. Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick of the Southern District of Texas and Special Agent in Charge Shane M. Folden of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio made the announcement. The unsealed indictment alleges that from March 2017 to August 2018, Moktar Hossain, 30, conspired to bring and brought 14 Bangladeshi nationals to the United States at the Texas border in exchange for a fee. Hossain operated out of Monterrey, Mexico, where he maintained a hotel that housed aliens before they were transported to the U.S. border by drivers paid by Hossain. Hossain was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Hanovice Palermo in the Southern District of Texas for his initial appearance. At the hearing, Judge Palermo ordered that Hossain be held pending transfer to Laredo for further criminal proceedings. Protecting our country from illegal immigration and the national security threat it poses is a priority for the Department of Justice, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. The Criminal Division is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners both here and abroad to disrupt the flow of illegal aliens into the United States, and bring those who facilitate their travel to justice. Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in vigorously pursuing members of transnational criminal networks that exploit and endanger the people they smuggle into the United States, said HSI Special Agent in Charge Folden. Smugglers are driven by simple greed with no thought for human compassion. HSI continues to work with our law enforcement partners to maintain the integrity of our border and the safety of our communities. This case is being investigated by HSI Laredo, with assistance from HSI Monterrey, HSI Houston, HSI Calexico, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service. The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Departments Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys James Hepburn and Erin Cox of the Criminal Divisions Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section with assistance from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of Texas. The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Political Operative Convicted of Federal Campaign Finance Crimes in Two Congressional Campaigns Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - A jury sitting in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania convicted longtime political operative Kenneth Smukler, 58, of Villanova, Pennsylvania, Monday on charges of making and concealing illegal campaign contributions in two Congressional primary elections, and of obstructing justice in an investigation by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Departments Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney William M. McSwain for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Todays convictions demonstrate the Department of Justices commitment to ensuring a level playing field in the financing of federal elections, said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski. We will hold accountable those who violate campaign finance and other laws designed to protect the fairness and transparency of our democracy. Smukler was the mastermind of multiple crooked political schemes, said U.S. Attorney McSwain. He showed a true pattern of deception by misusing funds and lying to corrupt the entire political process. The only way to guarantee open and fair elections is to have everyone play by the same rules. Smukler ignored those rules and broke the law so that his candidates could try to win at all costs. We are grateful that the jury saw through his lies and held him accountable for his widespread criminal conduct. The jury found Smukler guilty of conspiracy to violate federal law, making and causing unlawful campaign contributions and causing false statements to the FEC in connection with a 2012 congressional primary campaign in a Philadelphia-area Congressional district. The jury further found Smukler guilty of making and causing unlawful campaign contributions, causing the filing of false reports to the FEC concerning contributions and expenditures, causing false statements to the FEC in connection with a 2014 congressional primary campaign in another Philadelphia-area Congressional district, and obstructing an FEC investigation. In 2012, Smukler engaged in a conspiracy to make a concealed payment of $90,000 to Congressional candidate and former Philadelphia Municipal Judge Jimmie Moore to get Judge Moore to drop out of the primary election race. Smukler, who worked for another candidate, orchestrated the payment of the money through his own companies, a shell company of Judge Moores campaign manager, Carolyn Cavaness, and another campaign consultant, D.A. Jones. Judge Moore, Cavaness, and Jones all have pleaded guilty separately. From 2014 through 2015, Smukler, as a campaign manager, also made, caused, and concealed excess and conduit contributions and engaged in a falsification and obstruction scheme involving a different Congressional candidate. The excess contributions came from associates of Smukler and were funneled through two of Smuklers consulting companies. The conduit contributions were routed through another political consultant and the candidate. The jury found that in or about April 2014, Smukler became aware that the campaign was running out of funds that it could spend on primary election expenses. Smukler nevertheless directed the campaign to continue paying for goods and services associated with the primary election. In or about May 2014, one of Smuklers companies made a $78,750 payment to the campaign that was used to pay for primary election expenses. Smukler falsely told the campaign that this money came from a segregated media account, when in fact the payment was funded by an associate of Smuklers and therefore constituted an illegal campaign contribution. Moreover, after Smuklers candidate lost the primary election, the campaign did not have sufficient funds to repay the contributions that the campaign had received for the general election. To conceal this shortfall, Smukler funneled illegal contributions totaling $150,000 from an associate to the campaign through two of Smuklers consulting companies. Smukler falsely told the campaign that these payments were refunds of money that had been escrowed in Smuklers companies for general election expenses, when, in fact, the money had come not from any such account but from Smuklers associate, and the money could not have been escrowed campaign funds because Smuklers companies had already spent a significant portion of the funds they had received from the campaign. Smukler further caused the campaign to falsely characterize the payments from his companies as refunds in FEC reports and in a letter to the FEC from unwitting campaign counsel, which led the FEC to dismiss a pending complaint against the campaign by another candidate in the primary. The jury also convicted Smukler of making unlawful conduit contributions to the campaign in 2014, through Jones, and again in 2015 through the candidate herself. Judge Jan E. DuBois set sentencing for March 13, 2019. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Richard C. Pilger, Director of the Election Crimes Branch of the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division; Rebecca Moses, Trial Attorney of the Public Integrity Section and by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Gibson of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush mentored countless leaders during his 94 years of life, even his fiercest rivals. During the late president's funeral in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, George W. Bush noted that his father was a mentor to "perhaps the unlikeliest of all, the man who defeated him, Bill Clinton." Other eulogies similarly referenced the 41st U.S. president's penchant for helping others, regardless of whether they were friends, strangers, or political adversaries. "A master of what Franklin Roosevelt called 'the science of human relationships,' he believed that to whom much was given, much is expected," said presidential biographer Jon Meacham. "His life code, as he said, was: Tell the truth, don't blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course." Here are three ways in which Bush was a master of human relationships, as cited during his funeral. 1. Finding the joke Bush was known for his hearty sense of humor, which he maintained through his 90s, and how he could use it at times to defuse awkward or embarrassing situations. While shaking hands on the primary campaign trail in New Hampshire before winning the nomination, Bush mistakenly shook the hand of a department store mannequin. "When he realized his mistake, he said, 'Never know. Gotta ask,'" Meacham said. 2. Putting others first One of the reasons Bush is considered to have lost his bid for reelection had to do with his decision to approve legislation raising U.S. taxes after famously uttering the phrase "Read my lips. No new taxes." Accepting what he once called "a hell of a lot of heat" by going back on his word, Bush did what he felt was best for the U.S. despite knowing it would be potentially disastrous for his own career. "When the really tough choices come, it's the country--not me," former Senator Alan Simpson quoted Bush as saying. "It's not about Democrats or Republicans. It's for our country that I fought." 3. Disavowing hatred For someone who endured seemingly endless criticism from political opponents and members of the media, Bush avoided cynicism at all costs. "He never hated anyone," Simpson said. "He knew what his mother and my mother always knew: Hatred corrodes the container it's carried in." In concluding his remarks Wednesday, George W. Bush noted that his father put relationships above success even in his inaugural address as president. Larry Scott-Walker and Daniel Driffin can rattle off the date they tested positive for HIV as easily as their birthdays. So can Alfonso Mills. In fact, so can most of the 1,000-odd members of the group they run in Atlanta to help gay men living with the virus. But they do not simply remember the date they celebrate it. In an act of empowerment that may initially make little sense to an outsider, many choose to mark the day that altered their lives with reflection and festivity. In the same way many in the LGBT+ community reclaimed the power of slurs such as queer, so too have these men taken control of the day that a generation ago would have meant something much darker. They mark their so-called seroversaries in different ways a drink with friends, or a quiet dinner. A woman they know in New Orleans is this year marking her 25th seroversary with a blow-out bash for more than 100 guests. The name seroversarsy takes its inspiration from several words that have their root in sero, which refers to blood serum. Serology is the scientific study of such serum, while the medical and HIV communities use the word serostatus in relation to whether someone is positive or negative. Once youre a person living with HIV, no amount of shame is going to change it, so celebrate it, says Scott-Walker, 39, one of the groups three co-founders and the man credited with inventing the word. Celebrate the way your life has changed since you were tested. I go to the doctor more than ever. A lot of amazing things have happened to me since I admitted I had HIV. Mills, 27, the groups story telling project manager, added: Mentally, it is so important. Its a complete change in life. By calling it a seroversary, I focus on the point my life changed. The three men gay, black and living with the HIV virus are members of Transforming HIV Resentment into Victories Everlasting Support Services, or Thrive SS. It is one of the organisations supported by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which The Independent and Evening Standard are raising money for this Christmas. Sir Elton and Evgeny Lebedev, the owner of the newspapers, recently heard from groups such as Thrive after travelling to Atlanta, the Georgia city often touted as the shining example of the so-called new south, but which has HIV infection rates comparable to a number of cities in southern Africa. Elton John launches The Independent's AIDSfree campaign In the US today, a gay black man has a 50 per cent chance of being diagnosed as HIV positive. In Atlanta, the figure is closer to 60 per cent. Racism, homophobia, poverty and lack of education about HIV are all contributory factors. Scott-Walker (whose seroversary is 5 June, 2007) says the group, which also has chapters in Washington DC, Oakland, California and Charleston in South Carolina, said Thrive SS was different to many other groups working in the field. Firstly, the members placed their own experiences of being gay, black men living in the south and living with HIV at the heart of the organisation. By doing this, they prioritise the experiences of our community. Secondly, they offer 24/7 online support, unlike many government-supported groups that shut up shop at 5pm. Daniel Driffin, Larry Scott-Walker and Alfonso Mills group stresses authenticity and flexibility (Andrew Buncombe) Then, there is the twist that they allow alcohol at their meetings the third co-founder, Dwain Bridges, describes the atmosphere as being like a fraternity. Core aims of the meetings are flexibility and authenticity. Driffin (19 June, 2008) said the decision to take control of the day they tested positive was because for many, the experience was utterly traumatic. Staff can come across as unsympathetic in that intense, vulnerable moment, many people feel they are being blamed for what happened. Driffin, one of the co-founders, said when he was tested, a nurse pushed a piece of paper across the table to him, saying: You know what that means. He said he refused to show any emotion in front of the nurse and walked out and telephoned a close university friend. It turned out she had just learned she was pregnant something she was not expecting. I said, Ive got one on you I just found out I have HIV. While he was able to share the news with his closest friends, Driffin felt unable to tell his mother for five years. She found out by accident when he posted a public Facebook message that he thought was in a private group. When he saw her three days later, his mother Jeanine offered her support and love. She said: Why did you not tell me before, so that I could have helped? Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Show all 10 1 /10 Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Sir Elton John and Evgeny Lebedev The Independent has launched it's Christmas charity appeal for essential HIV testing around the world with the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Funds raised will pay for those at risk to be able to get tested, and will make sure they have access to the treatment they need. Sir Elton John and Evgeny Lebedev with their HIV test swabs at the Ponce Centre in Atlanta Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Elton John and Andrew Williams Andrew Williams had never heard of the word HIV when he tested positive. It was his mother who had forced him to go to the doctor where he got the diagnosis that he thought was a death sentence. At that time he was in a wheelchair. It was the unbearable itching of his back that finally got him to get medical help but, he discovered, he not only had HIV but diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease. That was two years ago. This week, as the 31-year-old joined Sir Elton John and Evening Standard and The Independent owner Evgeny Lebedev in Atlanta to witness the revolutionary new breakthroughs against the disease at the citys Grady Ponce De Leon Centre, there was no need for a wheelchair. Nor, he now knew, was there any need for fear Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Evgeny Lebedev and Andrew Williams Within two months of starting the latest antiretroviral drugs, the virus in his body had become undetectable in his blood. Not only is he now healthy, partly due to the drugs and partly due to the healthy lifestyle adopted for his other illnesses, but he can virtually not pass the infection to other people. He feels, he says, reborn. I have a reason to live, he explained, and that is to help people who were like me and to show youre going to be OK. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation It was a message so stark in its optimism that it reduced Sir Elton to tears. He knows first-hand the realities of what, in the past, an HIV diagnosis can mean. When he started his Elton John AIDS Foundation in the US in 1992, it was because his friends were dying and he wanted to do what he could, anything that he could, to help. When we set up the Elton John AIDS Foundation we were delivering meals to peoples doors, he said. [The stigma meant] they would not go outside. We have come a long way. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation But part of the reason for his tears was not only happiness at Andrews story. It was also the knowledge that, despite all the advances that have been made, the fight is far from won indeed, in some parts of the world, things are getting worse. Sir Elton John with everyone at the Ponce Centre in Atlanta Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation It is why he and Mr Lebedev had come to Atlanta to mark the first day of our Christmas Appeal, for that city, sadly, is one place where the situation is not only getting worse but, as those at the centre made clear, dramatically so. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Sir Elton John with Vic Mensa at the Ponce Centre Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Sir Elton John with his HIV test swab In Atlanta, one of Americas richest cities and the home of such international corporate giants as Coca-Cola and CNN, if you are a gay black man in 2018 then, unbelievably, you still have a one in two chance of being diagnosed as HIV positive during your lifetime. Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Elton John with the mayor of Atlanta, Keisha Lance Bottoms Jeremy Selwyn Independent campaign with the Elton John AIDS Foundation Elton John talks at the Ponce Centre Jeremy Selwyn Scott-Walker said his husband Derrick had been told by the doctor: I thought we had talked about this, the inference being whether the doctor intended it to be or not that he had somehow done something wrong. Miller (15 September, 2012) got tested by himself. The nurse told him the results had come back positive. He managed to limit his emotions in the clinic to a single tear, before heading outside, feeling stunned. To try to pretend it was just like any other day, he bought a pet turtle. I just did not want to think about it, he said. The group believes that by focusing on the experiences of the people they are trying to help, they can provide an essential network of support. Two years ago, Driffin was invited to speak at a Democrat national convention in Philadelphia. Im living with HIV, and so many others are, he told the audience. Who is most at risk? Young, gay black men. Men like me. In fact, one in two black gay men will be diagnosed in their lifetime if the current rates continue. Im sure black transgender women are more at risk, too. He said to beat the disease, it was essential to to ensure the meaningful involvement of young gay black men at every level. So what do we do to fight HIV/Aids today? he challenged the crowd. As an organiser, as an advocate, as a black man, as a gay man, as a man living with HIV, I ask you: go get tested, and then go vote. Dir; Christian Rivers; Starring: Hugo Weaving, Hera Hilmar, Robert Sheehan, Jihae, Stephen Lang. Cert 12A, 128 mins Mortal Engines, an adaptation of the first of a quartet of fantasy books by Philip Reeve, has been heavily framed in its publicity as the latest brainchild of filmmaking wizard Peter Jackson. Its a small twist of the truth: its actually the directorial debut of his protege Christian Rivers, who has worked closely with Jackson since 1992s Braindead. Rivers, however, has learnt much from his master and, arguably, Mortal Engines could be described as coming from the school of Peter Jackson, in the same way a painting may be attributed to the workshop of Rubens. The foundations are the same: its a vast, densely mythologised world serving as a metaphor for our own, populated by characters of different backgrounds and allegiances, who must come together to battle the evils of mankinds machinery. So far, so Lord of the Rings. However, Mortal Engines is of the dystopian genre, and its post-apocalyptic world has seen London turn carnivorous. More precisely, its now a vast city motorised on wheels, driving across barren landscapes in search of smaller cities to devour and dismantle for resources. We follow Hester (Hera Hilmar), an outcast orphan on the warpath, poised to assassinate the man who murdered her parents, Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving), before shes interrupted by one of his loyal admirers, Tom (Robert Sheehan). After both Hester and Tom are thrown out of the city, their journey back sees Tom who believes cities-devouring-cities equates to civilising learn some hard truths about the world. Taking into account the standard process of Hollywoodisation (Hesters facial scarring is much less severe, for example), its admirable that Mortal Engines hasnt downplayed the books anti-imperialist themes. In a manner thats bound to have one red-faced corner of the internet screaming about social justice warriors, London (and the British Empire it represents) is the villain here. Its a city of gloomy steampunk fashions, mixed with the cold luxury of The Capitol from The Hunger Games, on an endless course of greed and destruction. The heroes, meanwhile, are the Anti-Traction League, a multicultural unit that emphasises cooperation and mutual respect, with a base in the idyllic Shan Guo. However, Reevess book is a dense one when it comes to world building, and Mortal Engines does little to streamline or simplify it for the big screen. Key terms like The Sixty-Minute War and Municipal Darwinism drop like a ton of bricks on the films dialogue. Other moments feel unnecessary in their detail, including the lengthy flashbacks explaining Hesters past with Shrike, an undead soldier fused with machine parts think zombie Terminator. The best films of 2018 (so far) Show all 17 1 /17 The best films of 2018 (so far) The best films of 2018 (so far) The Guardians From its slow-burning beginning, The Guardians develops into an epic melodrama. Its a wartime story in which, for a change, the men are relegated to supporting roles. It follows in a tradition of French rural family sagas like Jean De Florette or Manon Des Sources. The landscapes and the changing seasons play as much of a part in the story as the main characters. The best films of 2018 (so far) Dark River Dark River offers little such consolation. It has some lyrical and delicate moments but the mood is generally overwhelmingly bleak and lugubrious. Incest and abuse dont leave much space for any comic interludes. This is a powerful film with a grinding intensity about it. Light relief it isnt but Dark River still has quite an impact. Alamy The best films of 2018 (so far) Zama Late on in Argentinean director Lucrecia Martels startling, highly original new feature, Zama, a character who has just had both his arms cut off, is advised to shove your stumps in the sand if you dont bleed out, youll survive. Its a grisly, darkly humorous moment in a film that continually surprises us with both its brutality and its lyricism. The Match Factory The best films of 2018 (so far) The Breadwinner The most dispiriting aspect of this otherwise enrapturing Oscar-nominated animated feature is that its storyline still seems so current. The film depicts an Afghan society in which women dont have a face. It is set during the Taliban rule, which lasted from the mid-1990s until late 2001, but this doesnt feel like a period piece. Seventeen years after the Taliban were ousted from power in Afghanistan following the US invasion, the plight of women in the country appears hardly to have improved. GKIDS The best films of 2018 (so far) BlacKkKlansman Spike Lees work sometimes risks sensory overload. He fires off so many different ideas and storytelling styles that audiences can become bamboozled by his scattergun approach. BlacKkKlansman is one of his very best films because the digressions are as entertaining as ever but dont get in the way of the main story. AP The best films of 2018 (so far) Early Man Much of the pleasure in Aardman films has always lain in their gently ironic, Alan Bennett-like humour. They take very exotic characters and subject matter but then deal with them in a matter-of-fact fashion. They make a virtue out of their own relative modesty. Early Man isnt the flashiest animated feature that youll see this year but it is certainly the most likeable. The best films of 2018 (so far) Isle of Dogs Like all of Wes Andersons work, Isle Of Dogs is very stylised, very offbeat and characterised by its extremely dry and often ironic humour. This Japanese-set stop-motion fable is also gorgeous to look at packed full of intricate visual detail. It deals with some weighty themes (ethnic cleansing, fascism and corruption) but does so in an idiosyncratic fashion. The best films of 2018 (so far) Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri Writer-director Martin McDonagh has a host of award-winning plays behind him but his movies havent always lived up to his stage work. This one certainly does. It shares some of the dark and nihilistic humour found in McDonaghs previous film, Seven Psychopaths. The best films of 2018 (so far) A Quiet Place In an era of wearisome poltergeist movies, haunted house stories and torture porn, A Quiet Place is a refreshingly pared-down and very original affair. Director John Krasinski relies on editing, sound effects and off-screen action to crank up the tension. We do see the creatures from time to time, sometimes even in extreme closeup. They are very grotesque, bigger versions of the polyp-like succubus which exploded out of John Hurts stomach in Alien. However, the most terrifying moments here come when the humans are waiting for them to appear, desperately hoping that they wont. Paramount Pictures The best films of 2018 (so far) Lady Bird Lady Bird is one of the best American coming-of-age films since Barry Levinsons Diner. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, it offers an utterly winning mix of humour, poignancy and sharp-eyed social observation. Gerwig approaches her subject matter with the same tenderness and affectionate irony with which the adolescent Lady Bird regards Sacramento. Gerwig also shows Lady Birds heroism as the young heroine strives against the odds to become the very best version of herself she can be. A24 The best films of 2018 (so far) Phantom Thread If Phantom Thread is indeed Daniel Day-Lewiss final film as an actor, he is going out on a wondrously bizarre note. This must be the oddest film in his career, one in which he gives a typically commanding but very idiosyncratic performance. Almost everything here is jarring but generally in a very positive way. The best films of 2018 (so far) First Reformed It is not so long ago that Paul Schrader seemed to be giving up on cinema. The American writer-director (whose credits include Taxi Driver, American Gigolo and Affliction) had taken to making movies like the sour Hollywood satire The Canyons with Lindsay Lohan and the cartoonishly violent Dog Eat Dog, shot cheaply, aimed at a VOD audience. The former had a montage of closed-down movie theatres. In interviews, Schrader struck a gloomy note about the future of the industry. This is why First Reformed is so refreshing. This is not just Schraders best film in a very long while. It is also a re-affirmation of the directors belief in the medium. Rex The best films of 2018 (so far) The Happy Prince Oscar Wilde goes to ruin in Rupert Everetts debut feature as director. Everett also wrote and stars in the film, giving a grandstanding performance as the Irish writer at the end of his life, after his release from prison, where he has been doing hard labour for gross indecency. This is a moving and surprising biopic that squeezes out every last drop of pathos from its subject matter. BBC Films The best films of 2018 (so far) Black Panther Black Panther is not only one of the most entertaining recent superhero films but has an intelligence and a political dimension that such inchoate offerings as Suicide Squad and Justice League completely lacked. It is an action movie which touches on Pan-Africanism and which owes as much to Malcolm X as it does to Batman or Captain America. Marvel Studios/Disney The best films of 2018 (so far) Sicilian Ghost Story Sicilian Ghost Story is a genre-bending affair that combines elements of teen romance, gothic psycho-drama and political thriller. It is loosely based on a true story of a boy called Giuseppe Di Matteo whose father, an ex-member of the Sicilian Mafia, turned grass against his erstwhile associates. The Mafia responded by kidnapping Giuseppe and keeping him in captivity for nearly 800 days. Altitude The best films of 2018 (so far) First Man First Man is all about understated heroism. Its affecting precisely because Armstrong (played with quiet intensity by Ryan Gosling) doesnt feel the continual need to boast about his mission. The film is a tearjerker but a very subtle one. AP The best films of 2018 (so far) Dogman Dogman is one of the best Italian films of recent times, a modern day neo realist fable that bears comparison with the great work of Fellini, Rossellini, De Sica et al. Its main character, the dog groomer Marcello (Marcello Fonte), is a wonderful creation: loveable, vulnerable, seedy and comic all at the same time. Curzon Artificial Eye These ideas arent lacking in imagination, but the film simply cant handle so many vastly different concepts, especially as it attempts to give each its fair due. Thats without even attempting to explain how it manages to sneak in a reference to Minions. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Thanks to its script, written by Lord of the Rings trio Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh, Mortal Engines is character-driven enough not to feel like empty blockbuster fluff, if only the noise of this universe didnt swallow up this cast of relative newcomers (outside of veterans Weaving and Lang). There is one notable exception: South Korean-born musician Jihae, who makes her film acting debut as Anna Fang, who stalks around in a bright red coat wielding a shotgun, dealing out one-liners as much as she does bullets. Nonchalant and elegant like you dream all good revolutionary leaders to be, Anna Fang is impossible not to love, thanks to Jihaes charismatic performance. Jihae as the charasmatic Anna Fang (Universal Pictures) The first Mortal Engines book arrived during a boom of teen fantasy novels that wrapped heavy metaphors in the folds of vast, intricate new worlds, sparked partially by the success of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. The first book in that series, Northern Lights (or The Golden Compass in the US), received its own cinematic adaptation in 2007. However, while that version whittled down the novel to a soulless husk, Mortal Engines has made the nobler attempt here. Yet, in staying so faithful to Reeves world, it soon becomes too heavy a load to bear. Mortal Engines will be released in UK cinemas on 14 December Game of Thrones excitement for the eighth and final season is already reaching fever pitch, and that's without additional hints from cast members. Most fans have assumed that the epic battle we've all been waiting for, between humans and the Army of the Dead, would serve as the grand finale for season eight, and decide the fate of lead characters including Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryan, and Cersei Lannister. However, the actor who portrays the terrifying Night King has revealed that the battle will actually take place in episode three: right in the middle of the six-episode series. "In the third episode of the last season, there is a battle that the creators intended to be a historic moment in television," he told a fan convention in Hungary, as translated by Mashable. "Almost the full episode will be about the battle. It will take about one hour." Given that the great battle will take place halfway through the series, it is certain that enough will take place that the remaining three episodes are required to unpack the aftermath. Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Show all 23 1 /23 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Only Fools and Horses Episodes and original airdates: Christmas Crackers, 28 December 1981 Diamonds are for Heather, 30 December 1982 To Hull and Back, 25 December 1985 A Royal Flush, 25 December 1986 The Frog's Legacy, 25 December 1987 Dates, 25 December 1988 The Jolly Boys' Outing, 25 December 1989 Rodney Come Home, 25 December 1990 Miami Twice: The American, 24 December 1991 Miami Twice: Oh to Be in England, 25 December 1991 Mother Nature's Son, 25 December 1992 Fatal Extraction, 25 December 1993 Heroes and Villains. 26 December 1996 Modern Men, 27 December 1996 Time on Our Hands, 29 December 1996 If They Could See Us Now, 25 December 2001 Strangers on the Shore, 25 December 2002 Sleepless in Peckham, 25 December 2003 BBC Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Porridge Episodes and original airdates: No Way Out, 24 December 1975 The Desperate Hours, 24 December 1976 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Full House Episodes and original airdates: Our Very First Christmas Show, 16 December 1988 A Very Tanner Christmas, 15 December 1992 Arrest Ye Merry Gentlemen, 13 December 1994 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Christmas at Pee Wee's Playhouse Original airdate: 21 December 1988 CBS Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Mr Bean Episode and original airdate: Merry Christmas Mr Bean, 27 December 1992 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Friends Episodes and original airdates: The One with the Monkey, 15 December 1994 The One with Phoebe's Dad, 14 December 1995 The One Where Rachel Quits, 12 December 1996 The One with the Girl from Poughkeepsie, 18 December 1997 The One with the Inappropriate Sister, 17 December 1998 The One with the Routine, 16 December 1999 The One with the Holiday Armadillo, 14 December 2000 The One with the Creepy Holiday Card, 13 December 2001 The One with the Christmas in Tulsa, 12 December 2002 Warner Bros. Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix The Royle Family Episodes and original airdates: Christmas Special, 25 December 1999 Christmas Special, 25 December 2000 The New Sofa, 25 December 2008 BBC Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Arrested Development Episodes and original airdates: In God We Trust, 14 December 2003 Afternoon Delight, 19 December 2004 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Absolutely Fabulous Episode and original airdate: Cold Turkey, 24 December 2003 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix The Office Episodes and original airdates: Christmas Special Part 1, 26 December 2003 Christmas Special Part 2, 27 December 2003 BBC Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Doctor Who Episodes and original airdates: The Christmas Invasion, 25 December 2005 The Runaway Bride, 25 December 2006 Voyage of the Damned, 25 December 2007 The Next Doctor, 25 December 2008 The End of Times: Part 1, 25 December 2009 The End of Times: Part 2, 1 January 2010 A Christmas Carol, 25 December 2011 The Doctor, the Widow and The Wardrobe, 25 December 2012 The Snowmen, 25 December 2012 The Time of the Doctor, 25 December 2013 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Extras Episode and original airdate: Christmas Special, 27 December 2007 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Gavin and Stacey Episode and original airdate: 24 December 2008 BBC Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Outnumbered Episodes and original airdates: The Robbers, 27 December 2009 The Broken Santa, 24 December 2011 BBC Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Miranda Episode and original airdate: The Perfect Christmas, 20 December 2010 BBC Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Peep Show Episode and original airdate: Seasonal Beatings, 24 December 2010 Channel 4 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Call the Midwife Episodes and original airdates: Christmas Special 1, 25 December 2010 Christmas Special 2, 25 December 2013 Christmas Special 3, 25 Decebmer 2014 Christmas Special 4, 25 December 2015 Christmas Special 5, 25 December 2016 Christmas Special 6, 25 December 2017 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Black Mirror Episode and original airdate: White Christmas, 16 December 2014 Channel 4 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix BoJack Horseman Episode and original airdate: Sabrina's Christmas Wish, 19 December 2014 Netflix Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix A Very Murray Christmas Original airdate: 4 December 2015 Netflix Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Fuller House Episode and original airdate: Nutcrackers, 9 December 2016 Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Inside No 9 Episode and original airdate: The Devil of Christmas, 27 December 2016 BBC/Sophie Mutevelian Every old Christmas TV episode on Netflix Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Episode and original airdate: A Midwinter's Tale, 14 December 2018 Dean Buscher/Netflix It's possible that a few temporary alliances will be formed when (if?!) the Night King and his army is defeated, but also likely that Jon Snow, Daenerys and the Lannisters will be fighting one another for the Iron Throne as soon as the battle is over. Game of Thrones season eight is slated to air in April 2019. Brazils heritage as one of the worlds leading countries in the fight against global climate change is being rapidly eroded ahead of right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaros inauguration as president on 1 January, 2019. According to several sources at the UNs 24th Conference on Climate Change in Poland, the South American countrys new administration is already making progress increasingly difficult on many issues, embarrassing the Brazilian negotiating team. Despite hosting the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro which laid the foundations of international efforts to recognise and combat man-made climate change, Brazil announced just before the 2019 summit that it was pulling out of hosting the next one, despite its successful bid. The countrys withdrawal as the host nation for the next summit has also been read as a further move away from action to tackle the causes of climate change under Mr Bolsonaro. Brazil has also seen rising levels of deforestation undermine recent progress and the incoming president plans to remove protection for the Amazon rainforest. Mr Bolsonaro repeatedly said during his campaign he wanted to follow Donald Trumps example and also pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement he has since backtracked on the statements, but his criticism has prompted a fringe event at the climate summit to address the implications if he went ahead. [The withdrawal of the COP nomination] is the first stone he put in the wall of the shame he promises for the environment, said Marcio Astrini, coordinator of public policies for Greenpeace in Brazil, in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais this week. He also pointed out between 2004 and 2014, there was about an 80 per cent reduction of deforestation in the Amazon, but that Mr Bolsonaros campaign promised to remove power from conservationists and change laws regarding land rights for indigenous populations. Its as if [Brazil] was saying that it doesnt want to help with solution, but with the problem, he said. The NGO Climate Action Network, which is reporting on the summit, named Brazil the fossil of the day, after pulling out of hosting the next summit, and said of the country: A so far trusted broker of the Paris Agreement negotiations is about to become one of the worlds climate rogues. This week the group published a story in their newsletter titled: 3 billion reasons to freak out about Brazil, which said Mr Bolsonaro has already embarrassed Brazilian delegates here in Katowice by backtracking on hosting COP25, and detailed the implications of rising deforestation in the country. The organisation said: Deforestation has already increased by 32 per cent between August and November. According to Brazilian scientists, it could climb to mind-boggling 25,000 square kilometres (nearly one Belgium) a year, with resulting emissions of 3 billion tons of CO2. This would be like adding nearly 10 Polands to the atmosphere and a sure blow to any chance of the world staying below 1.5 degrees. Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Show all 25 1 /25 Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators block Westminster Bridge in central London to show anger at government inaction on climate and ecological issues AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges A pro environment protester is arrested by police on Lambeth bridge in London EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Organised by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Organised by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Police with demonstrators on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges A demonstrator is led away by police on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters President-elect Mr Bolsonaro is an avowed climate sceptic who has said he will strip power from government environment agencies, and build a motorway through the Amazon rainforest. His appointment of Ernesto Araujo as foreign minister, who believes climate change is a Marxist tactic to instil fear, stifle the economic growth of western countries and benefit China, has also raised fears. Achala Abeysinghe, principal researcher on climate change at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) told The Independent: It is crucial that Brazil continues to stay committed to the Paris Agreement. From the beginning Brazil has been a leading force in uniting countries behind this agreement and in the fight against climate change. The vast majority of governments recognise that there are many more opportunities gained from green technologies and clean development than in pursuing an outdated path dominated by fossil fuels and forest destruction. Georges Schnyder, president of environmental campaign group Slow Food Brazil, said: If the promises made by president Jair Bolsonaro during his election campaign reduction of environmental protection measures, the end of protected areas and of land reserved for indigenous peoples, reduction of sanctions against environmental crimes were to come true, the consequences would be catastrophic for the world climate. It would be a disaster of global proportions. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Analysts have also suggested climate change denial groups have been emboldened by Mr Bolsonaro and Mr Trumps outspoken scepticism. Rich countries are not pulling their weight in the fight against climate change, and must provide emergency finance to support a global green transition, environmental groups have warned. Presented at a major climate conference in Poland, a new report has compared the amount of money going into tackling global warming to the quantity of CO2 pollution each country emits. The EU, including the UK, and the US are home to most of the planet's wealthiest people, receiving more than half of the global income. At the same time, the poorest half of the world receives less than one tenth of the global total income and generates virtually no emissions. This disparity means the top countries are pumping out several tonnes more CO2 per capita than could be considered their fair share under existing climate targets. Recommended WHO says cut fossil fuels to save lives as climate talks continue Without substantial support from wealthy countries, poorer nations will fall far short of ambitions to cut fossil fuels and the world will not be able to limit warming to the 1.5C increase scientists think is necessary. This independent review was backed by social movements, NGOs, trade unions, faith and other civil society groups from around the world. They also warned that global elites must not pass the burden onto poorer people within rich countries. French president Emmanuel Macron has recently come under fire for pushing through a fuel tax in an effort to cut emissions that critics said would place too much financial stress on ordinary French citizens. A key focus of the COP24 event in the Polish city of Katowice is meant to be ramping up climate finance, specifically the annual $100 billion goal from donor nations to lower-income countries. Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Show all 25 1 /25 Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators block Westminster Bridge in central London to show anger at government inaction on climate and ecological issues AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges A pro environment protester is arrested by police on Lambeth bridge in London EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Organised by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Organised by Extinction Rebellion, the protest is part of many taking place this weekend to bring attention to political inaction on issues of pollution and climate change PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Demonstrators on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Police with demonstrators on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges A demonstrator is led away by police on Blackfriars Bridge PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges PA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges AFP/Getty Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges EPA Extinction rebellion: Climate change protesters block London bridges Reuters The World Bank pledged on the opening day to invest $200bn (157bn) to aid in a green transition for developing nations, but campaigners think more investment needs to come from wealthy nations. Though many poorer countries, particularly island states like Fiji and the Marshall Islands, have been vocal in their commitment to tackling global warming, they lack the capacity to meet global climate targets without support. Todays report says all high emitters, predominantly the US and the EU, will have to do more to close the emissions gap. But they must also assist poorer countries to meet their goals through finance and technology access, said Rachel Kennerley, international climate campaigner for Friends of the Earth. This could, for example, mean sharing patent-free renewable technology. Equity is not a moral luxury, it is a practical necessity in meeting the Paris goals, but climate discussions in Poland this week have so far sidestepped it. Due to the huge quantities of carbon emissions coming from the wealthiest nations, the report found that they cannot possibly meet their full fair shares through domestic action alone. International aid to ensure climate equity will therefore be vital, particularly as poorer nations tend to be most at risk from climate change, including drought and rising sea levels. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Unless there is a fair deal that accounts for the legacy of climate change caused by industrialised developed countries, we will never have a sustainable global strategy, said Brandon Wu, ActionAid USAs director of policy and campaigns. We have to get some trust back into the process, and that starts with rich countries making much stronger commitments to fix the climate crisis that they, and their wealthiest elites, are largely responsible for creating. The UK government has come under fire for using foreign aid money to support fossil fuel developments overseas, including Chinas fracking industry. Critics pointed out that it would be more beneficial to support the renewable energy industry and a green transition in other parts of the world. As we move into winter, the effects of the harsh weather outside and central heating inside, can leave hair feeling dry, lacklustre and in serious need of nourishment. While there are a number of steps you can take in adding hydration back to your locks such as limiting the use of heat and using regular hair masks adding a leave-in conditioning treatment to your routine can really work wonders in repairing and moisturising your tresses. When choosing the right leave-in treatment for you, consider your hair type and hair concern. For those with dry, damaged hair, look for an intensely nourishing serum or cream which will hydrate without weighing down the hair. While, if you suffer with scalp problems or limp roots, look for a treatment that will calm irritation while giving volume. How we tested Weve tested a range of leave-in products that target different hair concerns to help you find the perfect solution. When compiling this line-up, we ensured that all of the products included did not leave a residue on the hair and felt weightless. Read more: The best leave-in conditioners for 2021 are: Best overall Davines oi all in one milk: 16.50, Cultbeauty.co.uk Davines oi all in one milk: 16.50, Cultbeauty.co.uk Best lightweight oil Livingproof frizz vanishing oil: 31, Livingproof.co.uk Livingproof frizz vanishing oil: 31, Livingproof.co.uk Best for volume Grow Gorgeous volume bodifying leave-in serum: 18, Lookfantastic.com Grow Gorgeous volume bodifying leave-in serum: 18, Lookfantastic.com Best for heat protection Bumble and Bumble full potential hair preserving booster spray: 42.91, Amazon.co.uk Bumble and Bumble full potential hair preserving booster spray: 42.91, Amazon.co.uk Best for luxury Oribe supershine light moisturising cream: 54.50, Spacenk.com Oribe supershine light moisturising cream: 54.50, Spacenk.com Best for fine hair Shu Uemura ultimate reset duo hair serum: 33.65, Lookfantastic.com Shu Uemura ultimate reset duo hair serum: 33.65, Lookfantastic.com Best for thick hair KMS moist repair revival creme: 18.50, Lookfantastic.com KMS moist repair revival creme: 18.50, Lookfantastic.com Best cruelty free formula The Body Shop ginger scalp serum: 15, Thebodyshop.com The Body Shop ginger scalp serum: 15, Thebodyshop.com Best to reverse damage Kerastase resistance therepiste serum: 18.90, Lookfantastic.com Davines oi all in one milk, 50ml Best: Overall This hair milk, which comes in the form of a spritz, is extremely lightweight and wont weigh down even the finest hair types. Despite its feather-light feel on the hair, it instantly added moisture back into our dry locks which have been known to suffer under extreme weather changes. The all-in-one formula promises a long list of benefits such as adding body, shine, softness and silkiness to the hair, while detangling, keeping frizz at bay and protecting hair from heat styling. Applied on towel-dried hair before styling, our tester found it lived up to most of its claims. The milk detangled her coarse unruly hair, leaving it feeling moisturised and noticeably less frizzy once blow-dried. We preferred spraying this into the palm of our hands and then running through the hair for more control of where it was going. Once applied, the product is undetectable, leaving no residue or heaviness. The result was healthy-looking manageable hair with great shine. Buy now 16.50 , Cultbeauty.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Livingproof frizz vanishing oil, 50ml Best: Lightweight oil While our tester previously steered clear of hair oils, which can be heavy and make the hair more prone to greasiness, Livingproofs offering is a total game changer. A silky, lightweight oil, this not only banishes frizz, but also vanishes once applied to the hair and feels virtually undetectable. Infused with five different oils, including nourishing jojoba, it visibly moisturises the hair but feels as weightless as a serum. We saw the best results when we applied this on damp hair before drying as it added shine but also kept flyaways and frizz at bay until our next wash day. This also works well applied to the ends of dry hair, instantly making damaged tresses look healthier. An added bonus, this treatment is safe for use on chemically treated and coloured hair. Buy now 31 , Livingproof.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Grow Gorgeous volume bodifying leave-in serum, 150ml Best: For volume If its volume that youre after, then plump for this leave-in serum which gave us the full-bodied hair of our dreams. We found we needed just one pump of this for our whole head, as a little goes a long way. After applying on to damp locks before blow drying, our hair looked visibly lifted and felt bouncy and light. While some volumising products can leave hair feeling a bit dry or less smooth to touch, this kept our lengths and roots feeling hydrated. We think thats thanks to the addition of hyaluronic acid; a hydrating hero ingredient that locks in moisture. Buy now 18 , Lookfantastic.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Bumble and Bumble full potential hair preserving booster spray, 125ml Best: For heat protection Damage from heat styling and colouring can often leave hair prone to breakage and brittleness. Enter Bumble and bumbles booster spray, a treatment that promotes strength and elasticity and aims to reduce hair loss and breakage. Suitable for all hair types, the treatment also contains scalp calming menthol as well as UV absorbers which protect against UV damage. While we did find this treatment difficult to apply at first the spray nozzle shoots out squirts of product as opposed to evenly distributing it we found it worked best when applied to the hands first and then worked into the scalp and hair after washing. Upon blow drying, we noticed an instant lift in volume. A few uses later, our tester found her hair felt stronger and more manageable. Buy now 42.91 , Amazon.co.uk {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Oribe supershine light moisturising cream, 150ml Best: For luxury This moisturising cream adds a luscious shine to the hair and noticeably tames frizz, making blow-drying our hair considerably easier than usual. The cream, which is applied to wet hair before blow-drying, comes in two versions: normal and light. While our tester has relatively thick hair, we preferred the feel of the light version which adds moisture and shine without weighing the hair down. Infused with keratin as well as vitamins A and C, the formula aims to protect the hairs shaft and enhance the hairs natural colour and shine. As it is a cream consistency, we recommend applying while hair is still wet, rather than damp, to ensure the product does not leave any residue once dry. Buy now 54.50 , Spacenk.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Shu Uemura ultimate reset duo hair serum, 30ml Best: For fine hair Taking inspiration from ancient Japanese beauty rituals, this serum is infused with rice extract to hydrate and protect the hair. The result is a creamy serum that nourishes the hair without feeling greasy or heavy once applied. It also incorporates a blend of oils to strengthen hair and prevent future damage. Similarly to other serums in our line-up, this works best on towel-dried hair before styling. Upon first application, we noticed how much shinier and softer our hair looked and felt. If you have fine hair that needs a little extra TLC, this is the leave-in treatment for you. Buy now 33.65 , Feelunique.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} KMS moist repair revival creme, 125ml Best: For thick hair This moisturising hair cream is perfect for thick, coarse hair which suffers from dryness, especially in the winter months. After washing, apply a dime-sized amount to the hands and work it into the palms before distributing it through towel-dried hair. We found a little went a long way with this product. While the cream is intensely moisturising and our hair dries noticeably less frizzy when using this, we recommend avoiding the roots and concentrating the product on the lengths and ends as it can weigh down some hair types. Buy now 18.50 , Lookfantastic.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} The Body Shop ginger scalp serum, 50ml Best: Cruelty free formula The latest addition to The Body Shops ginger-infused hair care range, this serum helps restore balance to the scalp. Formulated to be used in between washes, apply a few drops of this to the scalp in sections on dry hair. Within the first day of using this, our testers usually itchy scalp was less irritated. Within a week, her oily scalp felt fresher and cleaner and hair felt lighter, bouncier and more full-bodied. Buy now 15 , Thebodyshop.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} Kerastase resistance therepiste serum, 30ml Best: To reverse damage For those who regularly use heat to style their hair, this serum acts as both a heat protectant and a treatment to reverse damage, claiming to resurface the structure of the hair. While it may take a few months of regular use to put these claims to the test, we did find that our split ends were less noticeable and the ends of the hair looked and felt well-conditioned with the use of this serum. It is designed for use on thick hair, but we actually found the formula to be quite weightless and think this would also work well for medium hair types. Be sure to apply this to wet hair, avoiding roots, and comb through before drying. Buy now 18.90 , Lookfantastic.com {{#hasItems}} Price comparison {{/hasItems}} {{#items}} {{ merchant }} {{ price }} Buy now {{/items}} {{#hasItems}} {{/hasItems}} 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. Marc Jacobs is launching a new affordably priced label called "The Marc Jacobs." The new label was announced by Womens Wear Daily, which revealed the line will be introduced for pre-fall 2019. According to WWD, which saw an image from the lines new look book, The Marc Jacobs will feature such items as colourful rugby sweaters, corduroy pants, and accessories. Recommended Marc Jacobs proposes to boyfriend with flashmob at restaurant The designer also hired Russian stylist Lotta Volkova to style the look book, which was shot by Hugo Scott. While not much else is currently known about the new democratically priced label, a spokesperson for the brand did tell WWD that more images would be published in May - and that the line is part of a collection that also includes a Runway component. On Instagram, Jacobs acknowledged the existence of the new collection, writing that the image of the line was leaked. "Consider it a taste of things to come," he wrote, before referring to the collections as "fantastic and fresh." Although there has been no confirmation, The Marc Jacobs may resemble the former lower-priced Marc by Marc Jacobs label - which was discontinued in 2015. The announcement of the new brand, which shares the same name as Jacobs Instagram handle, comes after increasing speculation that the designer would leave his namesake brand amidst declining sales. In the beginning of the year, it was announced by Business of Fashion that the LVMH-owned company Jacobs would close its London store, as well as other European brick-and-mortar locations. This year the designer also announced the re-release of the Redux Grunge collection, a collection of 1993 looks that got him fired from Perry Ellis, and a collaboration with Dr Martens to create a range of limited-edition boots. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The Independent has contacted Marc Jacobs for comment. Women in England could be sent DIY smear tests in an effort to increase the number of cervical cancer screenings taking place across the country, under new plans being considered by the Department of Health. Professor Anne Mackie, director of screening at Public Health England said a consultation was currently being carried out to "to look at the benefits of self-testing at home for women". The announcement follows a recent study in the British Medical Journal which revealed that doing doing so could boost the number of people taking smear tests, therefore increasing the possibility of detecting potentially pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in the cervix. DIY smear tests for human papillomavirus (HPV) - the name for a group of viruses that affect the skin and the moist membranes lining your body, including the cervix, anus, mouth and throat - 30 of which can affect the genital area, were also found to be as accurate as screenings conducted by healthcare professionals. The team of researchers from Australia and the US also compared the way in which women responded to being mailed DIY tests and receiving a letter reminding them that their cervical cancer screening is due. They concluded that being offered tests that could be sent in the mail is a constructive method of encouraging women to get tested for cervical cancer. Recommended Michelle Keegan appeals to women to have smear tests following her own "Offering self sampling kits generally is more effective in reaching underscreened women than sending invitations," the study's authors wrote. However, they found that when women had to personally ask for an at-home smear test to be sent to them, this didn't increase the number of responses. The team used research from 56 different studies to draw their conclusions. Last week, Jos Cervical Cancer Trust reported that the number of women attending their regular cervical cancer screenings had fallen to a 21-year low in England, with with just 71.4 per cent of women taken the test down from 72 per cent in 2017 and 73.7 per cent in 2011. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The charity also found that one in four women avoided being tested for cervical cancer at medical clinics due to embarrassment. Chief executive Robert Music said he believed the research demonstrated the benefits of women being offered at-home smear tests in the UK. "It's very positive to see further research showing the benefits of HPV self-sampling and hopefully this can help it becoming closer to reality in the UK," he said. "Self-sampling is a much more accessible test, making it easier for many groups. Our recent research found that 80 per cent of women would prefer to self-sample at home, and this number rose to 88 per cent of women who had delayed having a smear test." Look out, millennial pink, there's a new colour in town, and its vying to take your crown. The bright hue of coral has been named the 2019 colour of the year, having appeared on the runway, in modern makeup looks and across the media as of late. Every year, design company Pantone decides upon its colour of the year by taking cultural trends into account. Pantone's colour of the year for 2019 is "living coral" (Pantone) Having chosen "ultra violet" as its 2018 colour of the year, describing the shade as "dramatically provocative and thoughtful", the company has decided to go for a more vibrant shade with its latest choice. Millennial pink has been a particularly popular colour across fashion and beauty in recent years, with some saying that the trend may have begun with the release of the rose-gold iPhone in 2015. Dakota Fanning at the 40th AFI Life Achievement Award in 2012 (Getty Images) Gen Z yellow closely followed, with celebrities including Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively donning the garish colour. Vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute Laurie Pressman explains the way in which the company chooses a colour that it perceives as a reflection of modern life. Rochelle Humes at the 21st National Television Awards in 2016 (Getty Images) "Colour enhances and influences the way we experience life," she says. "As a shade that affirms life through a dual role of energising and nourishing, Pantone 16-1546 Living Coral reinforces how colours can embody our collective experience and reflect what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time." The press release revealing the choice of "living coral" as Pantone's colour of the year explains how it is "evocative of how coral reefs provide shelter to a diverse kaleidoscope of colour". This highlights today's society's increasing concern over environmental issues, with divers in Australia recently reporting the "devastating" impact that bleaching has had on the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. In celebration of the colour of the year announcement, Pantone's official beauty partner Butter London is launching a collection of makeup products inspired by the shade. With a release date set for January, the range is going to include a three-piece set of nail polishes, a lip gloss and a blush stick, as reported by Allure. "This is indeed one of the best-kept secrets of the year and we take the secret very, very seriously! Everyone who touches the project is sworn to secrecy," says Butter London general manager Julie Campbell with regards to the release of the makeup collection. To commemorate the announcement of its colour of the year, Pantone is launching a range of coral-coloured products including a limited-edition mug, a large and small keychain and a notebook. The Duchess of Sussex has continued to encourage open conversations about gender equality by discussing the subject while making a surprise visit at a London university. On Wednesday 5 December, the duchess ventured to Kings College London for an event held by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). During the visit, the duchess took part in conversations about several topics, including human trafficking, modern slavery, gender equality, peace and climate change. Recommended Meghan Markle reunites with women who inspired Grenfell cookbook Her attendance at the discussions wasnt publicised prior to the event, so her appearance was a surprise for both the students and academics present. We had an excellent discussion about how research can tackle the problems of slavery and human trafficking, tweeted Professor Laura Hammond, of the SOAS University of London. Thanks to HRH Duchess of Sussex for joining us! The aim of the event at Kings College was to explore how higher education can be used to help build a better world, as stated on the ACU website. It was a pleasure to host such a valuable discussion, Kings College London tweeted. Grateful to HRH The Duchess of Sussex for sharing her insights. The event followed the first official speech that the duchess gave to students at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji in October 2018, as part of her royal tour with Prince Harry. During the speech in Fiji, Meghan emphasised the importance of providing education to girls and women, describing higher education as incredible, impactful and pivotal. While in New Zealand in October, she gave a powerful speech that celebrated the 125th anniversary of women winning the right to vote in the country. The achievements of the women in New Zealand who campaigned for their right to vote, and were the first in the world to achieve it, are universally admired, she told the crowd in Wellington, which included New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern. Womens suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness." The probability of the UK remaining in the EU is now 40 per cent, according to economists at JP Morgan. They raised the likelihood of no Brexit from 20 per cent after the European Court of Justices advocate general said earlier this week that the UK could revoke Article 50 without the consent of the other EU states. The pound jumped after the courts opinion was issued, although analysts warned the currency is likely to stay volatile until the government votes on Theresa Mays Brexit agreement next week. The UK now appears to have the option of revoking unilaterally and taking a period of time of its own choosing to decide what happens next, economist Malcolm Barr wrote in a research note. That time could be used to hold a second referendum on terms entirely decided by the UK. Earlier this year, JP Morgan said it was planning to move as many as 4,000 staff out of Britain if no Brexit deal was reached. The bank said its plans for Brexit had gone past the point of no return in September. We are now in full execution mode, Mark Garvin, vice chair of the groups corporate and investment banking arm, said. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events We are in the very advanced phases of execution, in fact. A number of these initiatives are already in flight and in many cases we have passed the point of no return they are happening. Ted Baker boss Ray Kelvin remained silent on a harassment probe as he updated the City on his companys latest sales figures. Founder and chief executive Mr Kelvin has been accused of enforcing a hugging culture at the fashion brand and of asking young female staff to sit on his knee and let him massage their ears. Law firm Herbert Smith Freehills will now carry out an independent external investigation, findings of which will be reported to Ted Bakers non-executive directors. The controversy, along with flagging sales, has sent Ted Bakers shares plunging from 18.26 a week ago to 14.67 on Thursday. Staff members last week set up a petition on campaign website Organise, accusing founder and chief executive Ray Kelvin of inappropriate language and behaviour. The petition also accuses Mr Kelvin, 62, of making sexual innuendos at staff and stroking peoples necks. Sales slipped 0.2 per cent in the 16 weeks to 1 December driven by a 6.5 per cent decline in wholesale revenues. Retail sales were up 2.3 per cent in the period. Ted Baker blamed the disappointing performance on unseasonal weather in its key markets along with a challenging retail environment. Mr Kelvin said: We are pleased with the brand's continued expansion, which is a reflection of the strength of the Ted Baker brand and the design and quality of our collections. The investment in our flexible business model ensures that the Ted customer has multiple channels to engage with the brand and underpins our long-term development. Our global e-commerce business continues to grow well and is complemented by our digital marketing strategy and unique stores that showcase the brand. Workers claim that the company has ignored complaints about harrassment. Their petition alleges: He took off his shirt on one occasion and talked about his sex life. So many people have left the business due to harassment, whether that be verbal, physical or sexual. Two former Tesco bosses have been cleared of all charges in a 280m fraud and false accounting scandal after the case against them collapsed. Chris Bush, former UK managing director, and John Scouler, former UK food commercial director, were cleared by Court of Appeal judges on Wednesday because of a lack of evidence. Judge John Royce told a jury at Southwark Crown Court of the decision on Thursday. Mr Bush and Mr Scouler had been accused by the prosecution of "cooking the books" by failing to correct inaccurate income figures, which were then published to auditors, other employees and the wider market. In August 2014 Britain's largest supermarket chain reported profits of 1.1bn but weeks later revealed to the stock market that the true figure was 250m lower. More than 2bn was wiped off the company's market valuation in the days after the announcement. Tesco later found that profits had actually been inflated by 284m, thank to early recognition of payments and late charging of costs. The company axed PwC as its auditor of 32 years after details of the inaccuracies emerged. Mr Scouler, 50, and Mr Bush, 52, each denied one charge of false accounting and one charge of fraud. The verdict will deal a blow to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) which brought the case against Tesco after a two-year investigation. Responding to the verdict Mr Bush said he was delighted but added: "Put simply, these charges should never have been brought, and serious questions should be asked about the way in which the SFO has conducted this investigation. "In my view, the SFO wholly failed to investigate this case thoroughly, independently or fairly from the outset." Richard Sallybanks, partner at BCL Solicitors, representing Mr Scouler, also criticised the SFO's handling of the case. "We have long argued that the SFO's prosecution of Mr Scouler was fundamentally flawed, that he should not have been charged, and that the SFO should not have proceeded with this trial." Populist claims that migrants heap pressure on the NHS and swamp schools by having more children have been debunked in a major international review which finds they are actually healthier and reproduce less than non-migrants. Stricter anti-immigrant policies, like the UKs hostile environment, actually increase the risks and costs for health systems and reduce GDP, the Commission on Migration and Health claimed. This was particularly true for the UK, where 37 per cent of NHS doctors qualified overseas and migrants accounted for a disproportionate amount of the care workforce - which is currently in the middle of a major staffing crisis. Migrants are healthier and contribute to our economy and the NHS, said Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, the commissions chair from University College London (UCL). There is no evidence that migrants are a drain on the NHS or that they spread infectious disease. Exclusion of migrants in health systems and the increasing negative rhetoric is political and not evidence based. The commissions report includes new research showing the migrant population globally is less likely than the native population to die of heart disease, cancers or injuries. Only deaths from assaults and infectious diseases like pneumonia and HIV were higher in migrants, but there was little evidence of this posing a health risk outside migrant communities. The new report comes after Italian officials used spurious health fears about HIV being transmitted on refugees clothes to seize a rescue ship. The commission also reviewed existing evidence to identify whether there was any grounds to the idea that high birth rates add to pressures on services. In a review of six European countries, including the UK, it found virtually all groups except Turkish migrant women had fewer children than the native population. Professor Abubakar added that the hostile environment introduced under Theresa Mays tenure as home secretary has had direct severe public health and health economic consequences. The measures led to Windrush generation British citizens being denied treatment, or deported midway through being treated, and introduced upfront charges for visitors requiring hospitalisation that has caused some patients to delay cancer treatment. The hostile environment also led to the NHS agreeing to hand over patient information to immigration enforcement officials, a measure which made patients less likely to seek support and may have led to deaths and infections. The commission, led by UCL and the Lancet medical journal, is calling for governments to remove barriers for migrants accessing treatment and help tackle ill health and discrimination. The report involved experts from 13 countries, working over two years, and is published in The Lancet before presenting its recommendations for improving migrant health at a UN meeting on Saturday. Professor Terry McGovern, another of the reports authors from Columbia University, said similar anti-immigrant myths were driving harmful policies in America. Contrary to the current political narrative portraying migrants as disease carriers who are a blight on society, migrants are an essential part of economic stability in the US, said Mr McGovern. Melania Trump says she was 'blindsided' and 'heartbroken' by family separation policy The separation of migrant children from their parents creates long-term psychological damage and is a cruel and unnecessary aspect of US policy. The criminalisation and detention of migrants seeking internationally protected refugee status violates international law, and puts them at greater risk of ill health. Migrants are vital to our wellbeing as a society. A new type of plague extracted from 5,000 year-old human remains may have played a role in wiping out Europes Stone Age farmers. Scientists extracted the ancient bacteria from the genetic material of a 20-year-old woman at a site in Sweden. Not only do they think this sample is the closest thing ever identified to the origin of the infamous disease, the scientists say it may help solve a long-standing prehistoric mystery. Massive migrations from the Eurasian steppes around this time led to a complete replacement of the Neolithic farming communities that had previous inhabited the continent. The fate of the regions original inhabitants has been the sources of much debate. Previously experts have suggested the new arrivals brought the plague with them, wiping out the farmers as the disease moved with its hosts. Recommended Russian Black Death victims reveal plague spread earlier than thought However, the new strain discovered in Sweden appears to have emerged around 5,700 years ago, before these migrations began. This suggests the disease swept the continent earlier, after evolving in the cramped confines of the mega settlements of 10,000-20,000 inhabitants that were being built at this time. "These mega-settlements were the largest settlements in Europe at that time, 10 times bigger than anything else, said Dr Simon Rasmussen, a genomics researcher at the Technical University of Denmark. They had people, animals, and stored food close together, and, likely, very poor sanitation. That's the textbook example of what you need to evolve new pathogens. Science news in pictures Show all 20 1 /20 Science news in pictures Science news in pictures Pluto has 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen Pluto has a 'beating heart' of frozen nitrogen that is doing strange things to its surface, Nasa has found. The mysterious core seems to be the cause of features on its surface that have fascinated scientists since they were spotted by Nasa's New Horizons mission. "Before New Horizons, everyone thought Pluto was going to be a netball - completely flat, almost no diversity," said Tanguy Bertrand, an astrophysicist and planetary scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center and the lead author on the new study. "But it's completely different. It has a lot of different landscapes and we are trying to understand what's going on there." Getty Science news in pictures Over 400 species discovered this year by Natural History Museum The ancient invertabrate worm-like species rhenopyrgus viviani (pictured) is one of over 400 species previously unknown to science that were discovered by experts at the Natural History Museum this year PA Science news in pictures Jackdaws can identify 'dangerous' humans Jackdaws can identify dangerous humans from listening to each others warning calls, scientists say. The highly social birds will also remember that person if they come near their nests again, according to researchers from the University of Exeter. In the study, a person unknown to the wild jackdaws approached their nest. At the same time scientists played a recording of a warning call (threatening) or contact calls (non-threatening). The next time jackdaws saw this same person, the birds that had previously heard the warning call were defensive and returned to their nests more than twice as quickly on average. Getty Science news in pictures Turtle embryos influence sex by shaking The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperatures at which they are incubated. Warm temperatures favour females. But by wiggling around the egg, embryos can find the Goldilocks Zone which means they are able to shield themselves against extreme thermal conditions and produce a balanced sex ratio, according to the new study published in Current Biology journal Ye et al/Current Biology Science news in pictures Elephant poaching rates drop in Africa African elephant poaching rates have dropped by 60 per cent in six years, an international study has found. It is thought the decline could be associated with the ivory trade ban introduced in China in 2017. Reuters Science news in pictures Ancient four-legged whale discovered in Peru Scientists have identified a four-legged creature with webbed feet to be an ancestor of the whale. Fossils unearthed in Peru have led scientists to conclude that the enormous creatures that traverse the planets oceans today are descended from small hoofed ancestors that lived in south Asia 50 million years ago A. Gennari Science news in pictures Animal with transient anus discovered A scientist has stumbled upon a creature with a transient anus that appears only when it is needed, before vanishing completely. Dr Sidney Tamm of the Marine Biological Laboratory could not initially find any trace of an anus on the species. However, as the animal gets full, a pore opens up to dispose of waste Steven G Johnson Science news in pictures Giant bee spotted Feared extinct, the Wallace's Giant bee has been spotted for the first time in nearly 40 years. An international team of conservationists spotted the bee, that is four times the size of a typical honeybee, on an expedition to a group of Indonesian Islands Clay Bolt Science news in pictures New mammal species found inside crocodile Fossilised bones digested by crocodiles have revealed the existence of three new mammal species that roamed the Cayman Islands 300 years ago. The bones belonged to two large rodent species and a small shrew-like animal New Mexico Museum of Natural History Science news in pictures Fabric that changes according to temperature created Scientists at the University of Maryland have created a fabric that adapts to heat, expanding to allow more heat to escape the body when warm and compacting to retain more heat when cold Faye Levine, University of Maryland Science news in pictures Baby mice tears could be used in pest control A study from the University of Tokyo has found that the tears of baby mice cause female mice to be less interested in the sexual advances of males Getty Science news in pictures Final warning to limit "climate catastrophe" The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has issued a report which projects the impact of a rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and warns against a higher increase Getty Science news in pictures Nobel prize for evolution chemists The nobel prize for chemistry has been awarded to three chemists working with evolution. Frances Smith is being awarded the prize for her work on directing the evolution of enzymes, while Gregory Winter and George Smith take the prize for their work on phage display of peptides and antibodies Getty/AFP Science news in pictures Nobel prize for laser physicists The nobel prize for physics has been awarded to three physicists working with lasers. Arthur Ashkin (L) was awarded for his "optical tweezers" which use lasers to grab particles, atoms, viruses and other living cells. Donna Strickland and Gerard Mourou were jointly awarded the prize for developing chirped-pulse amplification of lasers Reuters/AP Science news in pictures Discovery of a new species of dinosaur The Ledumahadi Mafube roamed around 200 million years ago in what is now South Africa. Recently discovered by a team of international scientists, it was the largest land animal of its time, weighing 12 tons and standing at 13 feet. In Sesotho, the South African language of the region in which the dinosaur was discovered, its name means "a giant thunderclap at dawn" Viktor Radermacher / SWNS Science news in pictures Birth of a planet Scientists have witnessed the birth of a planet for the first time ever. This spectacular image from the SPHERE instrument on ESO's Very Large Telescope is the first clear image of a planet caught in the very act of formation around the dwarf star PDS 70. The planet stands clearly out, visible as a bright point to the right of the center of the image, which is blacked out by the coronagraph mask used to block the blinding light of the central star. ESO/A. Muller et al Science news in pictures New human organ discovered that was previously missed by scientists Layers long thought to be dense, connective tissue are actually a series of fluid-filled compartments researchers have termed the interstitium. These compartments are found beneath the skin, as well as lining the gut, lungs, blood vessels and muscles, and join together to form a network supported by a mesh of strong, flexible proteins Getty Science news in pictures Previously unknown society lived in Amazon rainforest before Europeans arrived, say archaeologists Working in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, a team led by archaeologists at the University of Exeter unearthed hundreds of villages hidden in the depths of the rainforest. These excavations included evidence of fortifications and mysterious earthworks called geoglyphs Jose Iriarte Science news in pictures One in 10 people have traces of cocaine or heroin on fingerprints, study finds More than one in 10 people were found to have traces of class A drugs on their fingers by scientists developing a new fingerprint-based drug test. Using sensitive analysis of the chemical composition of sweat, researchers were able to tell the difference between those who had been directly exposed to heroin and cocaine, and those who had encountered it indirectly. Getty Science news in pictures Nasa releases stunning images of Jupiter's great red spot The storm bigger than the Earth, has been swhirling for 350 years. The image's colours have been enhanced after it was sent back to Earth. Pictures by: Tom Momary "We think our data fit. If plague evolved in the mega-settlements, then when people started dying from it, the settlements would have been abandoned and destroyed. As the plague evolved, it would have spread around the continent along newly developed trade routes made possible by wheeled transport. Ultimately, it would have arrived in the northernmost parts of Europe, and the small village in which the woman sampled by this study lived. The plague has devastated Europe for millennia, from outbreaks in the Bronze Age through to the Black Death pandemic that killed up to 60 per cent of the continents population in the Middle Ages. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Dr Rasmussen and his team are trying to track down the earliest strains of plague to emerge, using ancient DNA strands to trace its lineage from the relatively harmless bacteria that preceded it. The strain still in existence today diverged from other varieties around 5,000 years ago, and the 5,700-year-old specimen is likely a closer representation of those implicated in the first outbreaks. Though Dr Rasmussen says they are yet to find a smoking gun for their theory about early mega-settlement outbreaks, they would like to test remains from those sites in order to test the idea. These results were published in the journal Cell. Scientists find graveyard of continents beneath the Antarctic ice The eastern section of Antarctica is buried beneath a thick ice sheet. Some scientists simply assumed that under that cold mass there was nothing more than a frozen tectonic block, a somewhat homogeneous mass that distinguished it from the mixed up geologies of other continents. But with the help of data from a discontinued European satellite, scientists have now found that East Antarctica is in fact a graveyard of continental remnants. They have created stunning 3D maps of the southernmost continents tectonic underworld and found that the ice has been concealing the wreckage of an ancient supercontinents spectacular destruction. The researchers, led by Jorg Ebbing, a geophysicist at Kiel University in Germany, reported their discovery recently in Scientific Reports. The findings relied on data from the Gravity Field and Steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite, which orbited Earth just 155 miles above the surface until late 2013, when it re-entered the atmosphere at the end of its mission. Called the Ferrari of space, this sleek instrument could measure the gravitational fields weaving through Earths crust and mantle. Kate Winter, who studies Antarcticas glaciers at Northumbria University and was not involved in the study, said the GOCE satellite data helped us to piece the supercontinent back together in magnificent detail. GOCEs eye revealed that East Antarctica is a jigsaw puzzle of at least three geological titans named cratonic provinces. Cratons are stable rocky cores of continents that survived hundreds of millions of years of destructive action by Earths plate tectonics. One craton has geological similarities with some of Australias bedrock, while another resembles part of Indias. The third is an amalgamation of pieces of old seafloors. Fausto Ferraccioli, a senior geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey and co-author of the study, said that how and when all these provinces came together to make up East Antarctica as we see it today is still a matter of speculation and debate. The pieces may have been assembled as far back as 1 billion years ago, when the supercontinent Rodinia was built, or as recently as 500 million years ago, when another supercontinent, Gondwana, came together. Either way, what has been found beneath Antarctica is part of what was left after Gondwanas dissolution, around 160 million years ago. A close-up of the northwestern ice-sheet margin in Inglefield Land (SWNS) An asteroid leaves a great depression in Greenland Buried beneath a half mile of snow and ice in Greenland, scientists have uncovered an impact crater large enough to swallow the District of Columbia. The finding suggests that a giant iron asteroid smashed into what is today a glacier during the last ice age, an era known as the Pleistocene Epoch that started 2.6 million years ago. When it ended only 11,700 years ago, megafauna such as sabre-toothed cats had died out while humanity had inherited the Earth. The discovery could lead to insights into the ice age climate, and the effects on it from the eruption of debris that would have resulted from such a cataclysmic collision. This is the first impact crater found beneath one of our planets ice sheets, said Kurt Kjr, a geologist at the Centre for GeoGenetics at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and lead author of the study, published recently in the journal Science Advances. For three days in May 2016, his team flew over the crater in a German aeroplane with an ice-penetrating radar, drawing imaginary grid lines across the surface. John Paden, a radio-glaciologist at the University of Kansas, operated the radar on the flight. Every second it sent 12,000 radio wave pulses down into the ice, reflecting off the ice layers and allowing the team to measure the thickness, structure and age of the ice sheet. The aerial survey confirmed there was a huge pit with an elevated, circular rim and uplifting structures in the centre, all telltale signs of an impact crater. The teams analysis showed that the crater, dubbed Hiawatha, was nearly 1,000 feet deep and 20 miles in diameter, placing it among Earths 25 largest impact craters, although much smaller than the 90-mile crater left by the dino-busting Chicxulub impact. Once you start looking for structures beneath the ice that look like an impact crater, Hiawatha sticks out like a sore thumb, said Joseph MacGregor, a glaciologist at Nasa Goddard Space Flight Centra in Maryland and a co-author of the study. P-74 has not been seen alive since the Woolsey Fire (National Park Service) The mountain lion who couldnt outrun a California wildfire On the morning of 9 November, a wildfire broke out of a small area outside Los Angeles, jumped Highway 101 and ignited the jagged hills of the Santa Monica Mountains. In its path were thousands of homes and residents, and a mountain lion named P-74. It was the last day P-74 was seen alive. While the wildfire, known as the Woolsey Fire, raged through the slopes and canyons over the next two weeks, scorching more than 1,500 buildings and killing three people, park rangers in the Santa Monica Mountains searched for GPS signals from about a dozen mountain lions constantly tracked there. All of them were eventually located alive except for P-74, a roughly one-year-old male and the newest member of the group. Rangers in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, a vast area of trails and parks on federal land overlooking the Pacific Ocean, now confirm that P-74 likely died in the blaze. His GPS collar last sent a signal at 1pm Pacific time on 9 November, but failed to register at the next automatic check-in, at 5pm that same day. Recommended Malibu evacuated as California Woolsey wildfire rages We never got another point after that, Seth Riley, the wildlife branch chief at the recreation area, said. The fire came through that evening in his area. With the help of firefighters, Riley and other park officials searched the seared terrain, including the exact area of P-74s last known location, for any signs that he survived. But they came up with nothing, leading Riley to conclude that P-74 was trapped in the fire and his collar destroyed. No other animals that are tracked by rangers, including coyotes and four bobcats, were believed to have died, he said. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area stretches about 154,000 acres in northwest Los Angeles County. About half of the parks natural area burned, destroying vegetation and small animals that could not outrun the fast-moving fire and smoke, Riley said. The animals that did survive had to flee to the fertile and habitable areas that remain. Park rangers are closely monitoring how they adapt and survive in what is one of the largest urban wildlife areas in the world. Flour beetles produce vastly less sperm in lab tests (Getty/iStock) Sperm production plummeted in some insects after heat waves For years, insect populations have dropped worldwide without a clear explanation. A new paper suggests male infertility is at least one factor behind that decline, as warmer-than-usual temperatures take a disproportionate toll on males of some insect species. After a lab-simulated heat wave, researchers from the University of East Anglia found that male flour beetles produced vastly less sperm. But they also found that the damage was not confined to the males. Sperm inside a females reproductive tract became less viable and the sons of the males that endured the hotter temperature became less fertile, too. Matt Gage, an evolutionary ecologist who led the work published recently in Nature Communications, said he was surprised by the findings, and by how quickly male fertility plummeted. Its long been known that heat can affect sperm quality in mammals. Theres a good reason the testes are outside the body, noted Gage, adding that this keeps the sperm 0.4 to 1.2C cooler than body temperature. But no one had previously looked to see whether coldblooded males were also affected, even though most of life on Earth is coldblooded, he said. And the flour beetles that Gage studied are used to warm environments, living in places that regularly reach 35C. His team simulated a heat wave in their lab, raising temperatures by about 0.7 to 0.11C for five days roughly equivalent to a temperature spike in England last summer, Gage said. After the heat exposure, sperm production in the flour beetles dropped by half, the study showed. A second heat wave nearly sterilised them. We thought they might have hardened to temperature extremes, Gage said. We found the opposite. Females appeared unaffected by the heat themselves. But if they had already been inseminated, their fertility fell by 30 per cent after the heat exposure. This suggests that heat affects not just the manufacture of sperm, but also its later viability, Gage said. The sons of the males who endured the heat wave produced 20 per cent fewer offspring than males that had not undergone that stress. Gage said he is not sure whether the sperm suffered DNA damage from the heat wave that could not be repaired, or if changes on top of the DNA epigenetic changes affected their sons fertility. A small jumping spider nurses her young with milk (Z Chen et al/Science News/YouTube) Drinking this milk could make your skin crawl The act of breastfeeding is so fundamental to being a mammal that we named ourselves after it. (Mammalis translates to of the breasts.) But over time, scientists have discovered that other animals also produce nutrient-rich elixirs to feed their young, including flamingos, cockroaches and male emperor penguins. The latest addition to the cast of organisms that lactate or something like it is a species of jumping spider. Researchers in China have discovered that females of the Toxeus magnus spider secrete a milk-like fluid to feed their offspring. The study, published recently in the journal Science, also found the arachnid mothers continue to provide the fluid, which contains about four times as much protein as cows milk, well after their spawn had become young adults. Although the spiders are not using mammary glands to produce the fluid, and hence are lactating in name only, the findings should prompt scientists to reconsider what they know about nursing and how it evolved, the researchers said. Finding such mammal-like behaviour in a spider, or in any invertebrate for that matter, was a surprise, said Richard Corlett, a conservation biologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an author of the study. Jumping spiders are the single largest group of spiders in the world, with more than 5,000 species and a presence on nearly every continent. The tiny T magnus, also known as the black ant mimicking jumper, looks like an ant, walks like an ant and even waves its front legs in the air like a pair of antennas. The study came about after the lead author, Zhanqi Chen, also of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, noticed that young T magnus seemed slow to leave the breeding nest, suggesting the mothers were providing some sort of extended child care. Looking closer, they found that during the first week, the mother was depositing droplets of fluid from her underside onto the nest that the hatchlings would come to drink. After the first week, the offspring would drink the fluid directly from the mothers body. The researchers found that the mother continued to provide the fluid even after her young began leaving the nest to forage at about 20 days old. The suckling finally ceased at 40 days. The extended nursing may be an evolutionary response to the creatures tiny size and vulnerability. New York Times Spectacular video shows a SpaceX rocket plunging to Earth and smashing into the sea. The mission was a success for the most part: the capsule carried by the rocket made it all the way to the International Space Station and dropped off important cargo to the floating lab. But the first stage that flew it there dropped back down with the intention of landing safely on Earth, something it has done successfully more than 30 times. This time around the booster ran into problems as it fell back down to Earth. The feed was cut as SpaceX seemed to realise the attempted landing was going to fail. But new video shows that moment, as the rocket crashes back down to the ground, missing the platform it was supposed to land on and instead crashing into the sea. 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 SpaceX nonetheless hopes to recover the rocket and the company has already worked out the cause of the problem, according to boss Elon Musk. "Grid fin hydraulic pump stalled, so Falcon landed just out to sea," he wrote on Twitter. "Appears to be undamaged & is transmitting data. Recovery ship dispatched." And the rocket used its engines to stabilise itself enough that it could land safely in the sea, ready to be picked back up. "Engines stabilized rocket spin just in time, enabling an intact landing in water!" Mr Musk tweeted. "Ships en route to rescue Falcon." The former chief superintendent of South Yorkshire Police is to stand trial for the manslaughter of 95 fans at Hillsborough after an attempt to halt the case failed. David Duckenfield, match commander on the day of the disaster, will face a trial next month after a judge rejected an application to stay the prosecution. He faces 95 charges of gross negligence manslaughter following the crush which killed Liverpool fans in the terrace pens in Sheffield on 15 April, 1989. Under the law at the time, there can be no prosecution for the death of the 96th victim, Tony Bland, as he died more than a year and a day after he was injured at Liverpools FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest. Mr Duckenfield, 73, is due to stand trial on 14 January next year alongside former Sheffield Wednesday club secretary Graham Mackrell, 68, who is charged with stadium safety certificate and health and safety offences. Ben Myers QC, defending Mr Duckenfield, made an application to stay the prosecution at Preston Crown Court on Thursday but it was refused by judge Sir Peter Openshaw. Earlier this year, the Crown Prosecution Service successfully applied to lift a bar, imposed in 2000, on further legal action against the former senior police officer. Three other defendants are scheduled to go on trial in September 2019. Retired officers Donald Denton, 80, and Alan Foster, 71, and retired solicitor Peter Metcalf, 68, are charged with intending to pervert the course of justice. Counter-terrorism police are investigating the British offshoot of a violent American neo-Nazi group which called for Prince Harrys assassination and claimed he is a race traitor for marrying Meghan Markle. The group, known as Sonnenkrieg Division, posted a picture of the prince with a gun to his head featuring a swastika and the caption: See ya later, race traitor! A BBC investigation obtained hundreds of messages sent by extremists on an online gaming server over several months, including messages sent by senior members of the Atomwaffen Division, an American neo-Nazi group linked to five murders. A spokesperson for the North East Counter Terrorism Unit said: "We are aware of the BBC coverage last night around Sonnenkreig Division and enquiries are ongoing." Atomwaffen, which means atomic weapons in German, celebrates Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson while promoting a dystopian ideology called the universal order. A poster of Prince Harry with a gun to his head features the Sonnenkrieg Division logo It has called for the overthrow of the US government through the use of terrorism and guerilla warfare in order to establish a national socialist state. The group is also known to have trained in firearms and hand-to-hand combat. It is estimated to have between 24 and 80 members. Messages from the gaming server discuss the creation of the Sonnenkrieg Division, with one user describing it as full on Universal Order and atomwaffen with less guns. In another exchange, he said kill all police officers and suggested they should be raped to death. Wisconsin school investigated after students perform Nazi salute 'for junior prom photo' The BBC said it would share its evidence with the police. Refugees in the UK are being driven into almost inevitable destitution as the roll-out of universal credit fails to work with the current asylum system, a major charity has warned. The British Red Cross said the governments flagship welfare reform was leaving newly recognised refugees facing an inescapable trap of destitution and indignity as the built-in payment delay is longer than the period they are given to leave asylum accommodation and apply for mainstream benefits. The Home Office currently gives new refugees only 28 days to vacate asylum accommodation, known as the move-on period. Universal credit meanwhile has an inbuilt delay of 35 days between an application being submitted and the first payment. The charity is urging the government to extend the move-on period for refugees from 28 days to 56 days, so that refugees are given the chance they need to build a life in Britain and contribute to society. Alex Fraser, director of refugee support at British Red Cross, said: The design of our current asylum system, and its incompatibility with universal credit, leaves newly recognised refugees facing an almost inescapable trap of destitution and indignity instead of a positive journey towards integration and independence. The warning marks the latest in a string of concerns about the new benefit system. A recent report revealed that people with disabilities and other vulnerabilities had been driven to severe hardship and anxiety - and sometimes suicidal thoughts after their support was docked. Last week a report warned the universal credit system was leaving claimants dependent on charities for their food and putting them into rent arrears. Southwark Council said radical steps should be taken by ministers to fix the problems. A government spokesperson said it was committed to supporting refugees and asylum seekers and that it would carefully consider the recommendations of the report. We want to ensure the move to universal credit is as smooth as possible and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Home Office are working together to ensure necessary benefits can be claimed promptly," the spokesperson said. We are working on a number of initiatives to secure better outcomes for refugees within the 28-day move on period. And we welcome the reports findings that the majority of refugees find accommodation through local authorities after asylum support ends. Boris Johnson has apologised in parliament over the late declaration of more than 52,000 of outside earnings. The ex-foreign secretary was rebuked by the Committee on Standards for breaching strict rules to inform the Commons authorities within 28 days about payments received outside of his work as an MP. Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone, had previously found the breach was neither inadvertent nor minor due to the amount of money and Mr Johnsons failure to meet the deadline regarding nine payments. Most of the declarations relate to royalties from Mr Johnsons books, which cover subjects from Sir Winston Churchill to the Roman Empire. He has already accepted that he accidentally broke the rules. Ms Stone said: Although Mr Johnson has told me that the late registrations were inadvertent, the fact that the late registrations had happened on four separate occasions and involved nine payments, suggests a lack of attention to, or regard for, the Houses requirements rather than oversight or inadvertent error. She added: The total amount of money involved represented a significant proportion of the annual parliamentary salary. On the other hand, the individual payments were made irregularly and, as Mr Johnson has pointed out, their timing was not closely linked to recent hours of work. Having made five late registrations in December 2017, Mr Johnson did not take steps to avoid a recurrence until I initiated an inquiry in October 2018. The steps Mr Johnson has since taken appear sufficient to avoid a recurrence and he has expressed a willingness to adopt additional measures if they prove necessary. Mr Johnson apologised as soon as this matter was drawn to his attention and he has co-operated fully and promptly with my enquiries. After the commissioner passed on her findings to the cross-party Committee on Standards to come up with appropriate sanctions, the leading Brexiteer was subsequently ordered to make an apology in the Commons over the blunder. The committee said that Mr Johnson had not intended to deceive the House or the general public about the level of his remuneration, while criticising his over-casual attitude to the rules. Its report said: The committee concluded that Mr Johnson breached the rules of the House by failing to register remuneration within the required timetable on nine occasions. In considering the appropriate sanction it took into account what it considered to be aggravating and mitigating factors, and recommended that Mr Johnson make an apology to the House on a point of order. 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" Making his apology, Mr Johnson told MPs: The Committee on Standards has today published a report on nine payments, mainly unexpected foreign royalties, which I am very sorry to say were recorded late on the register of Members interests. I fully accept that the delay was a breach of the Houses rules and, though Im grateful to the committee for recognising that there was no intention to mislead the House and that I had been completely transparent, I therefore offer the House a full and unreserved apology. Mr Johnson has previously come under fire for failing to ask the ministerial watchdog for permission to take on a job writing a lucrative column for The Daily Telegraph. Theresa Mays long-time rival who was being paid 275,000 for his columns before becoming a minister had his first article published only weeks after resigning from government, despite rules saying he should have waited three months. The prime minister is trying to sell her Brexit deal to doubting Conservative MPs by offering them a parliamentary lock on the bit they dont like, the backstop. Lets remind ourselves what the backstop is and why they dont like it. Its a legally binding guarantee to keep an open border in Ireland after we leave the EU. Tory MPs dont like it because we cant get out of it except by signing a permanent trade deal that guarantees the same thing. Even Jeremy Corbyn has criticised it because we have no way out of it except with the agreement of the EU. Theresa Mays under-fire Brexit deal is the preferred option in only two parliamentary constituencies, while some 600 seats would support remaining in the EU first, a stark poll has shown. The YouGov survey found that Tory-held constituencies, Broxbourne and Christchurch, were the only ones favouring Ms Mays blueprint, while 30 seats chose a no-deal Brexit as the best outcome. The prime minister is engaged in a frantic push to sell her deal to sceptical MPs and the public, ahead of a crunch vote on Tuesday which could threaten her leadership and her government. After a flurry of media appearances to appeal to the public, Ms May also signalled that parliament could be given the power to decide whether the UK goes into a controversial Irish backstop, as a last-ditch effort to win over wavering MPs. Pollsters asked more than 20,900 people in Britain to rank Ms Mays deal, no deal and remaining in the EU in order of preference, revealing the overwhelming majority of constituencies would put remaining in the EU as their first choice. Staying in the EU gains 46 per cent of national support, while Ms Mays deal and no deal were level on 27 per cent each, the poll found. The YouGov survey pointed to the fact that Ms Mays deal appears to suffer from being everyones second choice, failing to curry favour among either Remain or Leave voters. The figures do change, however, when you look at results that would come through the alternative vote system, which allows people to put down a second preference. In that instance, 276 seats would back remain, 176 would back Ms Mays deal and 180 would back no deal. Under a condorcet system which would see voters rank all options in order of preference, Ms Mays deal has the backing of 370 constituencies while remain has the backing of 262. The poll comes as Ms May faced pressure to delay the so-called meaningful vote on Tuesday over the prospect of a devastating defeat at the hands of Tory rebels and her DUP allies. Senior Conservative MP Sir Graham Brady, who chairs the backbench 1922 committee, said he would welcome the 11 December meaningful vote being deferred if no solution could be found to differences within the party over the backstop. He told Newsnight: I think the most important thing is to have clarity about how we might remove ourselves from a backstop. Its having the answer to that question of substance that is most important, not the timing, so if that question can be answered in the course of the next few days then all well and good. If it cant then I certainly would welcome the vote being deferred. 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" Former Labour prime minister Tony Blair also suggested the vote should be delayed as the PM is facing the prospect of hitting a brick wall at speed. He said: Personally, I dont see what the point is in going down to a huge defeat. However, Ms May has rejected pleas from cabinet ministers to defer the vote, saying: What I am doing is leading up to a vote on Tuesday. Theresa May will push ahead with the crunch Brexit vote despite pleas from senior ministers to delay the clash to head off near-certain defeat. The prime minister was grilled over whether she could pull next weeks meaningful vote in the face of opposition from all sides, to give whips more time to win over wavering MPs or to reach out to Brussels for further concessions. Cabinet ministers such as Amber Rudd, Sajid Javid and Gavin Williamson have reportedly urged Ms May to delay the Commons showdown on Tuesday - and her DUP allies have stepped up threats to bring down the government if the deal goes ahead. Ms May told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We are in the middle of five days of debate in parliament, which will lead up to a vote on this issue." The prime minister has stepped up efforts to sell her Brexit deal ahead of Tuesday's vote, with intensive efforts to win over Tory rebels, including the prospect of a "parliamentary lock" that gives MPs a vote before the Irish backstop is applied. She acknowledged MPs were worried about the plan, telling Today: "I recognise that there are those concerns. Any deal, any agreement, any arrangement that we came to with the European Union would involve a backstop. "So, people talk about, 'let's have a Norway, or let's have a Canada', everything involves a backstop." Ms May said she was in talks with MPs about how parliament "can have a role going into that and coming out" of the backstop, an controversial insurance policy to prevent a hard border in Northern Ireland. Asked whether the MPs would be given a separate vote on the backstop, the prime minister said: "The backstop is an integral part of the [Brexit deal], but the backstop would be integral part of any withdrawal agreement and of any deal that was negotiated with the European Union." She refused to say if she had a plan B in case her deal was voted down, adding: "That question is not for me, that question is for those who say that they want to oppose this deal." The prime minister also signalled that MPs could decide whether the UK went into a backstop or extended the transition period. It comes as the DUP restated their opposition to deal, saying they would bring down the government if Ms May's deal was approved. Asked directly if they would precipitate an election, Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson said: "If it comes to the point where the government makes, shows, a determination to implement the withdrawal agreement with its damaging terms at present, or some future version of it, which is still equally damaging, we will not be supporting the government." 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" He threatened to end the confidence and supply agreement where his MPs prop up Ms May's government over the deal, which the DUP believe separate Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom. "If they [the government] renege on those promises now, or in the future, we always have that leverage," he said. Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg told the European Research Group on Wednesday that the DUP had assured him they would support the government in a confidence motion if, and only if, the Brexit deal is voted down. Chief Whip Julian Smith also attended the meeting, where he was said to be in "listening" mode, although no concessions were offered to would-be rebels. The European Court of Justice will formally rule on whether Britain can unilaterally cancel Brexit ahead of the MPs vote on Theresa May's deal next week. The EU's top court confirmed it will deliver its judgment at 8am UK time on Monday with the landmark Commons vote scheduled for the next day. Campaigners had asked the ECJ to rule on whether Article 50, which legally started the Brexit process, can be revoked by the country that triggered it. The text of the treaty clause is unclear and subject to dispute. The ruling will come after the court's top legal advisor, the EU advocate general, recommended this week that the UK be given the power to revoke Article 50 without the consent of the EU's other member states. If the recommendation is followed, as the advocate general's suggestions usually are, then an accidental no-deal Brexit would effectively be taken off the table, as the Government could stop it in any circumstances. The UK Government's lawyers had argued that the case was hypothetical and should not be ruled on. The Government itself has been trying to use the threat of a no-deal to scare remain-leaning MPs into backing Theresa May's withdrawal agreement a weapon this ruling would severely blunt. Lawyers acting for the European Council and European Commission argued that the UK should not be able to unilaterally revoke the clause because it would allow wayward member states to cause trouble by invoking Article 50 with no intention of leaving. But the advocate general said that as member states were sovereign countries they could still reverse commitments in international treaties before they were enacted. The ruling on Monday will represent one of the fastest judgments ever issued by the ECJ. The process, which normally takes months or even years, has been sped up because of the time-sensitive and high-profile nature of the case. A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Show all 65 1 /65 A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit An estimated 700,000 people marched through London to demand a final say on the withdrawal agreement Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Red smoke from a canister hangs in the air as around 100,000 demonstrators march through London during a People's Vote anti-brexit demonstration savings banners and placards Anti-Brexit People's Vote March for the Future in London Rex A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Mayor of London Sadiq Khan takes part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Protesters wearing final Say shirts and holding placards Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit MP Chuka Umunna (left) and MP Vince Cable (right) as MP Anna Soubry (centre) addresses Anti-Brexit campaigners at a rally after the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A Peoples Vote march attendee calls for a Final Say Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators with banners 'We're with EU' during the People's Vote March for the Future in London, Britain, 20 October 2018. Reports state that the 'March for the Future' is to be led by a column of young people and call for a Peopleas Vote on the Brexit deal. After marching through central London, there will be a rally on stage in Parliament Square, including speeches from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. EPA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Protesters at Londons march for the future in October The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Editor of The Independent Christian Broughton speaks to demonstrators in Parliament Sqaure after they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A poster at the March for the Future in October The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 campaigner wrapped in EU flag Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators pass Trafalgar Square as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators wave Union and European flags and hold up placards as they pass Trafalgar Square, taking part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A demonstrator holds a message during a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators take part in the 'People's Vote March for the Future,' in central London, Britain, 20 October 2018. Reports state that the 'March for the Future' is to be led by a column of young people and call for a Peopleas Vote on the Brexit deal. After marching through central London, there will be a rally on stage in Parliament Square, including speeches from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan EPA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A protester brandishes an Independent t-shirt during the Brexit March Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Tens of thousands of people take part in People's Vote March for the Future in central London. The march organised by the People's Vote campaign is led by young people calling for a People's Vote on the Brexit deal Rex A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum PA On Tuesday MPs voted to put themselves in the driving seat in the PM's deal is voted down on Tuesday, amending legislation to ensure that they will get a vote on what to do next. Government lawyers have already conceded that it is parliament rather than ministers that has the power to instruct a withdrawal of Article 50 an assertion they made in a submission to the live case on revocation. Theresa May is to deploy 30 ministers around the UK on Friday in a last-ditch attempt to convince MPs to vote for her Brexit deal. Senior cabinet ministers including Philip Hammond and Matt Hancock, the health secretary, are among those who will make another late push to garner support for Mrs Mays withdrawal agreement ahead of Tuesdays vote. They will visit a Chertsey school and Portsmouth hospital respectively, while Cabinet Office minister David Lidington, Mrs Mays de facto deputy, will meet small business leaders in Belfast and Scotland secretary David Mundell will speak to employers in Glasgow. Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay, meanwhile, will visit engineering companies in Peterborough and the East Midlands. Mrs May said: We have delivered a deal that honours the vote of the British people. Ive been speaking to factory workers in Scotland, farmers in Wales and people right across the country, answering their questions about the deal and our future. Overwhelmingly, the message Ive heard is that people want us to get on with it. And thats why its important that ministers are out speaking with communities across the UK today about how the deal works for them. It came as Tory backbenchers tabled an amendment to the meaningful vote designed to give Parliament a say over the implementation of a backstop in Northern Ireland. Hugo Swire, a former Northern Ireland minister, tabled the amendment along with Bob Neill and Richard Graham. It would add provisions for the Commons to approve the governments proposed approach, including whether or not an extension to the implementation period should be pursued; and parliamentary approval of the commencement of the powers implementing the Northern Ireland backstop. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 20 November 2021 Police officers monitor as climate change activists sit down and block traffic during a protest action in solidarity with activists from the Insulate Britain group who received prison terms for blocking roads, on Lambeth Bridge in central London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 19 November 2021 A giant installation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson made from recycled clothing goes on display at Manchester Central, as part of Manchester Art Fair, in a 'wake-up call for the Prime Minister to tackle textile waste' PA UK news in pictures 18 November 2021 The scene at a recycling centre in Stert, near Devizes in Wiltshire after a large blaze was brought under control. The fire broke out on Wednesday night the fire service has said and local residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut due to large amounts of smoke PA UK news in pictures 17 November 2021 The sun rises over South Shields Lighthouse, on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 16 November 2021 ancer Maithili Vijayakumar at the launch of 2021 Diwali celebrations at St Andrew Square in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 15 November 2021 Forensic officers work outside Liverpool Women's Hospital, following a car blast, in Liverpool Reuters UK news in pictures 14 November 2021 Wreaths by the Cenotaph after the Remembrance Sunday service in Whitehall, London PA UK news in pictures 13 November 2021 Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of detainee Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is ending his hunger strike in central London after almost three weeks. Ratcliffe has spent 21 days camped outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London without food. He began his demonstration on 24 October after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran, saying his family was caught in a dispute between two states PA UK news in pictures 12 November 2021 Peter Green protesting outside the Cop26 gates during the official final day of the Cop26 summit in Glasgow. PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2021 Seagulls fly around the statue entitled 'Tommy', a first World War soldier by artist Ray Lonsdale at dawn in Seaham, Britain Reuters UK news in pictures 10 November 2021 Climate activists dressed as characters inspired by the Netflix series Squid Game protest as they ask Samsung to go 100% renewable energy, outside the venue for COP26 in Glasgow Reuters UK news in pictures 9 November 2021 A deer statue silhouetted at Loch Faskally in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 8 November 2021 Sunrise over St Mary's Lighthouse at Whitley Bay on the North East coast of England PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2021 Activists from Friends of the Earth during a demonstration calling for an end to all new oil and gas projects in the North Sea outside the UK Government's Cop26 hub during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2021 Protesters take part in a rally organised by the Cop26 Coalition in Glasgow demanding global climate justice PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2021 Final touches are made to a life sized Sir David Attenborough cake surrounded by animals as part of a display created by a group of cake artists during Cake International at NEC Birmingham PA UK news in pictures 4 November 2021 A spectacular display of the Northern Lights seen over Derwentwater, near Keswick in the Lake District PA UK news in pictures 3 November 2021 Police and demonstrators at a Extinction Rebellion protest on Buchanan Street, during the Cop26 summit in Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 2 November 2021 A person walks along the Basingstoke canal near to Dogmersfield in Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 1 November 2021 Sir David Attenborough delivers a speech during Cop26 in Glasgow Reuters UK news in pictures 31 October 2021 Extinction Rebellion activists protest in Edinburgh as the Cop26 conference begins in Glasgow Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2021 First Minister Nicola Sturgeon with Mapuche leader and Minga Indigena Lead Coordinator Claflin Lafkenche (right) alongside indigenous delegates at a ceremonial gathering at the Tramway in Glasgow in a symbolic gesture to mark a unified demand for climate justice PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2021 Ocean Rebellion put on a display of puking oil heads ahead of climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow EPA UK news in pictures 28 October 2021 A man dressed as Santa Claus outside Selfridges in London as the department store unveils its Christmas windows on Oxford Street PA UK news in pictures 27 October 2021 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak during a visit to Fourpure Brewery in Bermondsey, London, after the chancellor announced a cut to beer taxes in his budget PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2021 Activist Steve Bray demonstrates with a toilet outside the gates of Downing Street, after MPs voted in Parliament against the Environment Bill, allowing companies to pump raw sewage into UK rivers and seas, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 October 2021 Second World War veteran James White, 96, at the opening of the Edinburgh Garden of Remembrance, marking the start of the remembrance period PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2021 Richard Ratcliffe holds up a photo of his wife Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as he protests outside the Foreign Office while on hunger strike, part of an effort to lobby the UK foreign secretary to bring his wife home from detention in Iran Getty UK news in pictures 23 October 2021 Partner of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, Stella Morris and Editor in Chief of WikiLeaks Kristinn Hrafnsson attend a protest ahead of the appeal hearing over Assange's extradition, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 22 October 2021 Palace Gardener Justine Howlett adds the finishing touches to pumpkins bearing the face of Henry VIII and his wives, at Hampton Court Palace. PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2021 Flooded fields near Lingfield in Surrey, after southern England was hit overnight by heavy rain and strong winds from Storm Aurore moving in from France PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2021 A wing surfer enjoys the strong winds as they surf in the sea off of Hayling Island in Hampshire PA UK news in pictures 19 October 2021 Actor Jude Law holds hands with Little Amal, a 3.5-metre-tall puppet of a nine-year-old Syrian girl, as it arrives in Folkestone, Kent, as part of the Handspring Puppet Company's 'The Walk' PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2021 A view over Southend-on-Sea in Essex, which is set to become a city in tribute to Sir David Amess MP, who spent years campaigning for the change Getty UK news in pictures 17 October 2021 Members of the Essex Bangladeshi Welfare Association pay their respects by floral tributes laid at the scene where Sir David Amess MP was killed at Belfairs Methodist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea Reuters UK news in pictures 16 October 2021 Boris Johnson, Sir Keir Starmer, Priti Patel and Lindsay Hoyle pay respects to Sir David Amess at Belfairs Methodist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea, the site of his death EPA UK news in pictures 15 October 2021 A person lays flowers at the scene near the Belfairs Methodist Church in Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, where Conservative MP Sir David Amess has died after he was stabbed several times at a constituency surgery. A man has been arrested and officers are not looking for anyone else PA UK news in pictures 14 October 2021 A red deer stag during rutting season in Bushy Park, Richmond, south west London, which is home to over 300 red and fallow deer PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2021 Police officers detain a man as Insulate Britain activists block a roundabout at a junction on the M25 motorway during a protest in Thurrock Reuters UK news in pictures 12 October 2021 The aerial climate installation by Swiss artivist Dan Acher 'We Are Watching' is unveiled at Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2021 A young girl is helped by a Border Force officer as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, following a small boat incident in the Channel. PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2021 People walk past a life-size sculpture of British singer John Lennon entitled "Imagine", by sculptor Lawrence Holofcener, displayed to mark what would have been the 81st birthday for the former member of the Beatles in Carnaby Street Reuters UK news in pictures 8 October 2021 WW II veteran, 96-year-old Lorna Cockayne, who served in the Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS), popularly and officially known as the Wrens, as a Bletchley Park codebreaker, poses for a photograph with the Legion d'honneur after receiving it during a ceremony at the Pear at Parley in Ferndown, Bournemouth PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2021 British comedian Jo Brand poses with cut-out silhouettes representing women outside the Metropolitan Police headquarters New Scotland Yard, to highlight violence against women by male police officers or former police officers AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 6 October 2021 A protester, wearing a mask of Johnson, holds a sign reading Question it all on the final day of the Tory conference Getty UK news in pictures 5 October 2021 Members of Insulate Britain outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, before a hearing over the injunction banning the environmental activists from blocking the M25 PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2021 A delegate passes a street cleaner on the second day of the annual Conservative Party Conference being held at the Manchester Central convention centre AFP via Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2021 Margaret Thatcher-themed mugs for sale at the annual Conservative Party conference in Manchester EPA UK news in pictures 2 October 2021 A couple make their way through a flooded underpass in Bristol as a yellow weather warning for rain and wind is issued for parts of the UK Tom Wren/SWNS UK news in pictures 1 October 2021 A driver talks to members of the media after passing his HGV (Heavy Goods Vehicle) driving test at National Driving Centre in Croydon, south London AFP via Getty Images Mr Graham, who sits on the Exiting the EU Committee, told the Press Association that it had been clear for some time that the backstop was and remains the thing that gives colleagues the most concern. He said: What we are trying to achieve is something that gets a lot of support from colleagues and that the government, we hope, will take forward because it will make a real difference to the vote. However, DUP leader Arlene Foster, whose party opposes Ms May's deal, warned that the amendment would not be enough, tweeting: "Domestic legislative tinkering won't cut it. "The legally binding international withdrawal treaty would remain fundamentally flawed as evidenced by the attorney general's legal advice." Additional reporting by PA Any attempt by Theresa May to give her MPs a veto on the controversial Brexit backstop for Northern Ireland would amount to ripping up the withdrawal agreement, EU officials have warned. Brussels sources told The Independent that the move, designed to convince wavering Tory rebels to vote for the treaty next week, would start a new row with the bloc and potentially jeopardise the whole deal. Speaking on Thursday morning, the prime minister said the backstop would not be automatic and she was considering giving MPs a say on whether it came in. The pledge appears to be Ms Mays latest attempt to convince her MPs to vote for the deal at a crunch sitting of the Commons on Tuesday. A survey of parliamentary arithmetic currently shows it will be rejected by a large margin. One Brussels official told The Independent: We hope theyre not going to try this because its the same as ripping up the withdrawal agreement. Throughout talks the EU and Irish government insisted that any border backstop would have to be all-weather and could not have a time-limit or other get-out clauses. The blocs negotiators spent months in negotiations ruling out various mechanisms to end it early. The purpose of the legal mechanism is to prevent a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland no matter what else happens in Brexit talks. The policy would keep the UK tied to the EUs customs territory after it left and ramp up checks on some goods crossing the Irish sea. Both sides agree a hard border must not reappear because of the Good Friday agreement. Unionist critics say the backstop is a breach of UK sovereignty because there would be checks between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, while Tory MPs fear it could be used to tie Britain indefinitely to a customs union, which they do not want. Under the withdrawal agreement, if there is no other trade deal that would allow frictionless trade by 31 December 2020, both sides have agreed that the backstop solution will apply until such a time as a subsequent agreement is in place. But to avoid the backstop, the UK can instead request an extension of the transition period which effectively keeps the UK following all EU rules as if it was still a member, without any say on them. This extension can only be for a maximum of two years, and would have to be agreed by a joint committee of the EU and UK meaning the EU could have a veto. As such, the backstop would automatically come into force under the withdrawal agreement, unless the EU agrees to prolong the transition. This makes Theresa Mays suggestion of a parliamentary lock on the backstop either hollow or in violation of the withdrawal agreement. Also speaking on Thursday, the EUs Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier insisted the agreement was the only one on offer. In a speech at the European Committee of the Regions, he said: I must say once again, today, calmly and clearly: it is the only and the best possible agreement. 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 prime minister is understood to have discussed the latest veto plans with small groups of rebels in a desperate bid to get them to change their mind ahead of the Commons showdown. She aired the plan publicly for the first time on Thursday morning, telling BBC Radio 4s Today programme: The backstop is talked about as if its automatic. Actually it is not automatic there is a choice. If we do need [further talks] there is a choice to be made and I am looking at the question of the role of parliament in that choice and then what would happen thereafter. The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned of higher poverty and unemployment if parliament allows a no-deal Brexit and called a Final Say referendum possible. Justin Welby welcomed a crucial vote by MPs this week, which meant decisions on what happens if the prime ministers deal is rejected are now left firmly in the hands of parliament, as is right.. But he urged MPs and peers to be on their guard against an accidental leaving without an agreement something Theresa May insists she is willing to push through, if necessary. And he warned: If we leave the EU with no deal, theres a significant danger more people will be pushed into poverty. Some may argue thats only going to be temporary. But we need to remember that for those in poverty, temporary is an eternity. On a fresh referendum on the Brexit outcome, Mr Welby added it was a possible but not immediately preferable choice, suggesting it would be necessary if parliament failed in its responsibilities. The Archbishop was speaking in the House of Lords, during the debate leading up to the landmark vote in the Commons only on the prime ministers deal next Tuesday. It is not the first time he has been willing to speak out on political controversies, having demanded a halt to the introduction of universal credit in September. A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Show all 65 1 /65 A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit An estimated 700,000 people marched through London to demand a final say on the withdrawal agreement Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Red smoke from a canister hangs in the air as around 100,000 demonstrators march through London during a People's Vote anti-brexit demonstration savings banners and placards Anti-Brexit People's Vote March for the Future in London Rex A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Mayor of London Sadiq Khan takes part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Protesters wearing final Say shirts and holding placards Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit MP Chuka Umunna (left) and MP Vince Cable (right) as MP Anna Soubry (centre) addresses Anti-Brexit campaigners at a rally after the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A Peoples Vote march attendee calls for a Final Say Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators with banners 'We're with EU' during the People's Vote March for the Future in London, Britain, 20 October 2018. Reports state that the 'March for the Future' is to be led by a column of young people and call for a Peopleas Vote on the Brexit deal. After marching through central London, there will be a rally on stage in Parliament Square, including speeches from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. EPA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Protesters at Londons march for the future in October The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Editor of The Independent Christian Broughton speaks to demonstrators in Parliament Sqaure after they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A poster at the March for the Future in October The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 campaigner wrapped in EU flag Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators pass Trafalgar Square as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators wave Union and European flags and hold up placards as they pass Trafalgar Square, taking part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A demonstrator holds a message during a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators take part in the 'People's Vote March for the Future,' in central London, Britain, 20 October 2018. Reports state that the 'March for the Future' is to be led by a column of young people and call for a Peopleas Vote on the Brexit deal. After marching through central London, there will be a rally on stage in Parliament Square, including speeches from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan EPA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A protester brandishes an Independent t-shirt during the Brexit March Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Tens of thousands of people take part in People's Vote March for the Future in central London. The march organised by the People's Vote campaign is led by young people calling for a People's Vote on the Brexit deal Rex A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum PA In his speech, Mr Welby said: Although a Remainer, I fully accept the decision of the referendum, which must now be implemented, But he added post-Brexit Britain must see an end to so many years of austerity, borne so often by the poorest. The burden of the transition to a post-EU economy, if there is a burden, must be carried by those with the broadest shoulders - the wealthiest - and not by further cuts, whether in local services, social care, benefits, the armed forces, climate change budgets, education, or others that have lost so much in recent years, Mr Welby said. David Davis says the pound crashing after a no-deal Brexit would be not a bad thing and insists fear will force the EU into further compromise. The arch-Brexiteer also branded Theresa Mays deal worse than staying the EU, as he urged MPs to drive a stake through its heart, in next weeks landmark vote. And he claimed foreign investment is going up since the referendum result, despite the governments own figures revealing a sharp drop. Sterling fell sharply after the 2016 referendum, making people poorer by pushing up the cost of importing food and fuel to Britain. But, in the interview, with parliaments House magazine, Mr Davis who resigned as Brexit secretary, in protest at the Chequers plan insisted the UK had nothing to fear from a similar result, if the UK crashed out of the EU with no agreement. Denying the pound would go into freefall, Mr Davis said: The first thing that will happen is it will go about five, ten points down further from the 15 it already is. So, well end up 20 or 25 below what it was before the referendum. Thats not a bad thing. The pounds always been too high from the point of view of industry because of the effect of the City. Mr Davis argued the fall would more than cancel out any new EU tariffs, saying: Our competitive position with vis-a-vis Europe would be dramatically better even if there are tariffs. He also claimed: There have been lots and lots of scare stories about factories moving and banks moving and so on. Most of that hasnt manifested itself. Its come down to a few hundred people rather than a few thousand people in individual cases. I always expected that. 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" And he added: Foreign direct investment is going up, not going down. We can do things if were not inside the Union which are under WTO [World Trade Organisation] rules to help some bits of our industry. Asked about next weeks vote, Mr Davis said the prime ministers response to the expected defeat would depend upon the size of the rebellion. Arguing Ms May would attempt to tweak her deal if the defeat was small, he said: The first thing is to stop that happening. Weve got to make sure that this doesnt come back. Weve got to make sure the stake goes through its heart and it gets buried at the crossroads. The former Brexit secretary also dismissed the growing pressure including from some Conservatives for a Final Say referendum on the Brexit outcome. There is going to be parliamentary guerrilla war against it. So, it wont happen. It will take a year are we going to suspend all this for another year? he asked. And he insisted the UK still had the power to force the EU into a Canada-style free trade agreement, replacing the current deal on offer. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Fear will, nevertheless, drive them towards a reengagement in the negotiation, Mr Davies claimed. Thats what I expect to happen. To do that, of course, what parliament has to do is actually hold its nerve. And I think it will. The government has watered down a commitment by Theresa May to protect EU citizens rights in the event of a no-deal Brexit, despite an earlier pledge by the prime minister. In an explanatory note published on Thursday, the Department for Exiting the European Union said it would continue the existing settlement scheme for EU citizens living in the UK, but make it less generous compared with what is spelled out in the withdrawal agreement. Campaigners said it was unacceptable that ordinary citizens would end up paying the price for the failure of politicians to reach a good deal. They are calling for the EU and UK government to enact the section of the Brexit deal relating to citizens rights even if there is a no-deal scenario effectively ring-fencing it. The less generous no-deal scheme would only apply to people living in the UK before 30 March 2019, as opposed to up to the end of 2020 as the one based on the withdrawal agreement would. In addition, the deadline for applications would be shortened, there would be no right to a full appeal, and it would become easier for the UK to deport people convicted of minor crimes. Non-EU family members would also be discriminated against under the no-deal version of the scheme, with a new cut-off date in 2022 proposed for them to join to live with their families. The government also appears to have downgraded its aspirations on coordinating social security contributions with the EU if there is a no-deal, a policy that is intended to ensure EU citizens get the right pensions when they retire. Guy Verhofstadt, the European parliaments Brexit coordinator, who has long publicly advocated for the rights of EU citizens, said: EU and UK citizens cannot be the victims of a no-deal Brexit, nor used as bargaining chips in the Brexit negotiations. In the case of no deal, the European parliament and I have been clear that we want the Citizens rights deal that has been provisionally agreed to be ring-fenced and the EU must honour this. The citizens rights deal shouldnt be watered down as the UK has today proposed. The British Chambers of Commerce said the advice was long overdue and that it welcomed the clarity. Guy Verhofstadt warned against using people as bargaining chips in negotiations (PA) But the3million, the campaign group representing EU citizens in the UK, said: This situation arising from a no-deal Brexit is unacceptable and it is high time now for both Downing Street and the EU Commission to get together and ring-fence, rescue the citizens rights part of the withdrawal agreement no matter what Brexit we get. A spokesperson for the UK government said: An agreement with the EU is the only way to fully protect the rights of EU citizens in the UK. In a no-deal scenario EU citizens would be able to broadly live, work and study as they would in a deal scenario. After a three-year transition period, EU citizens right to family reunion will be brought in line with those of British citizens and non-EU nationals, ensuring fairness in our immigration system. There will also be some changes to reflect that there would not be an implementation period. For instance, EU citizens and their family members will have until December 2020 to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme but with no six-month grace period. This guarantee would only apply to EU citizens who are resident here by exit day. A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Show all 65 1 /65 A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit An estimated 700,000 people marched through London to demand a final say on the withdrawal agreement Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Red smoke from a canister hangs in the air as around 100,000 demonstrators march through London during a People's Vote anti-brexit demonstration savings banners and placards Anti-Brexit People's Vote March for the Future in London Rex A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Mayor of London Sadiq Khan takes part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Protesters wearing final Say shirts and holding placards Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit MP Chuka Umunna (left) and MP Vince Cable (right) as MP Anna Soubry (centre) addresses Anti-Brexit campaigners at a rally after the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A Peoples Vote march attendee calls for a Final Say Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators with banners 'We're with EU' during the People's Vote March for the Future in London, Britain, 20 October 2018. Reports state that the 'March for the Future' is to be led by a column of young people and call for a Peopleas Vote on the Brexit deal. After marching through central London, there will be a rally on stage in Parliament Square, including speeches from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. EPA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Protesters at Londons march for the future in October The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Editor of The Independent Christian Broughton speaks to demonstrators in Parliament Sqaure after they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A poster at the March for the Future in October The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 campaigner wrapped in EU flag Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Angela Christofilou/The Independent A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Final Say campaigners take part in the peoples vote march for the future in London 20/10/2018 Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators pass Trafalgar Square as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators wave Union and European flags and hold up placards as they pass Trafalgar Square, taking part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators hold placards as they take part in a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A demonstrator holds a message during a march calling for a People's Vote on the final Brexit deal, in central London on October 20, 2018. - Britons dreading life outside Europe gathered from all corners of the UK to London on Saturday to try to stop their country's looming breakup with the EU. AFP/Getty A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum. PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Demonstrators take part in the 'People's Vote March for the Future,' in central London, Britain, 20 October 2018. Reports state that the 'March for the Future' is to be led by a column of young people and call for a Peopleas Vote on the Brexit deal. After marching through central London, there will be a rally on stage in Parliament Square, including speeches from Mayor of London Sadiq Khan EPA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit A protester brandishes an Independent t-shirt during the Brexit March Angela Christofilou A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum PA A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Tens of thousands of people take part in People's Vote March for the Future in central London. The march organised by the People's Vote campaign is led by young people calling for a People's Vote on the Brexit deal Rex A historic moment: thousands march to demand Final Say on Brexit Anti-Brexit campaigners take part in the People's Vote March for the Future in London, a march and rally in support of a second EU referendum PA Also, given there will be no deal with the EU, there would be no Independent Monitoring Authority and no reference procedure to the CJEU (Court of Justice of the European Union), as it would not have any jurisdiction in the UK. We are strongly engaging with EU counterparts to urge them to make the same commitment to protect the rights of UK nationals in the EU. Theresa May said in September that EU citizens rights would be protected even in the event of a no-deal Brexit: calling them our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues. A no-deal scenario looks increasingly unlikely, with MPs voting on Tuesday to put themselves in the driving seat if Ms Mays deal is voted down, and the EUs senior legal advisors suggesting the UK could unilaterally revoke Article 50 if it wanted to, cancelling the departure process. Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou had been detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday adding that Mr Meng was being sought for extradition by the US. Mr McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide any further details. The ban was sought by Mr Meng, who is due to appear in court for a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that US authorities were investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei had violated sanctions on Iran. Mr Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. Recommended Phone masts to be dismantled amid ears they could spy on people A US Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Huawei did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that US authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Ms Hua said in April, We hope the US will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the US business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp from exporting US technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. Mr Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. That is widely seen as part of a broader effort by Washington to respond to intensifying competition with Chinese technology industries that Trump says benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Last month New Zealand blocked Huawei from rolling out 5G mobile coverage over national security fears, following scrutiny of the firm by the UK, Japan and others. Additional reporting by AP Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of Huawei, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou had been detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday adding that Ms Meng was being sought for extradition by the US. Mr McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide any further details. The ban was sought by Ms Meng, who is due to appear in court for a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that US authorities were investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei had violated sanctions on Iran. Ms Meng is also deputy chairwoman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. Recommended Phone masts to be dismantled amid ears they could spy on people A US Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Huawei said the company was not aware of any wrongdoing by the executive. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that US authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Ms Hua said in April, We hope the US will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the US business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp from exporting US technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. Mr Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. That is widely seen as part of a broader effort by Washington to respond to intensifying competition with Chinese technology industries that Trump says benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Last month New Zealand blocked Huawei from rolling out 5G mobile coverage over national security fears, following scrutiny of the firm by the UK, Japan and others. BT has said it will remove the companys technology from its networks over spying fears. Huawei has insisted the Beijing government has no influence over its work. Additional reporting by AP A brightly coloured Mandarin duck that appeared suddenly in Central Park has attracted swarms of New York City locals, tourists and bird watchers to one of the park's ponds. A horde of photographers has been gathering daily in the park off Fifth Avenue for well over a month, hoping to catch a glimpse of the exotic bird with pink, purple, orange and emerald green plumage and markings. Joe Amato, who travels almost daily from his Queens home to the pond with his expensive camera equipment in tow, compared the bird to a living box of crayons. So many people are drawn to this bird because its vibrant, vivid colours are associated with sunsets and rainbows, he said. Bird lovers and sightseers have documented the birds every move through social media postings and videos that have noted its gentle glides across the water, its sniping at the ordinary mallards and its travels to a lake in nearby New Jersey. Leesa Beckmann commuted two and a half hours from her home in Vernon Township, New Jersey, to see the duck that her 90-year-old mother has been talking about since its arrival. Ive got to see this magnificent duck, Ms Beckmann said to her mother. Mandarin duck charms New York Show all 10 1 /10 Mandarin duck charms New York Mandarin duck charms New York The now famous Mandarin Duck, nicknamed Mandarin Patinkin, makes an appearance at a pond in Central Park AFP/Getty Images Mandarin duck charms New York In the weeks since it appeared in Central Park, the duck has become a celebrity AP Mandarin duck charms New York The now famous Mandarin Duck, nicknamed Mandarin Patinkin, makes an appearance at a pond in Central Park AFP/Getty Images Mandarin duck charms New York The now famous Mandarin Duck, nicknamed Mandarin Patinkin, makes an appearance at a pond in Central Park AFP/Getty Images Mandarin duck charms New York People try to get pictures of a Mandarin duck, center, in Central Park AP Mandarin duck charms New York The now famous Mandarin Duck, nicknamed Mandarin Patinkin, makes an appearance at a pond in Central Park AFP/Getty Images Mandarin duck charms New York In the weeks since it appeared in Central Park, the duck has become a celebrity AP Mandarin duck charms New York In the weeks since it appeared in Central Park, the duck has become a celebrity AP Mandarin duck charms New York In the weeks since it appeared in Central Park, the duck has become a celebrity AP Mandarin duck charms New York In the weeks since it appeared in Central Park, the duck has become a celebrity AP She plans to shoot and frame photos for her mother to hang on the wall. However, ornithologist Paul Sweet, who heads a vast collection of bird specimens at the New York-based American Museum of Natural History, says there's nothing special about the duck. He said that there is another Mandarin duck a short walk away at the Central Park Zoo and such ducks are often imported from Asia for use on private property. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events This bird is clearly not a vagrant, said Mr Sweet, adding that there are no records of actual wild Mandarin ducks in North America. A lot of non-birders tend to see gaudy birds as more beautiful, Mr Sweet said. But to me its no more beautiful than, say, a sparrow. AP Every year Americans observe a day of remembrance for the attack on Pearl Harbour in Hawaii. December 7, 1941 was famously declared by President Franklin D Roosevelt as a day that will live in infamy, and every year, Americans look back on the battle that cost thousands of American lives. Friday will be the 77th anniversary of the attack on the Pearl Harbour Naval base, an event that was integral to events during the Second World War. What happened? Just outside of Honolulu, the naval base of Pearl Harbour suffered one of the most deadly attacks on American soil. The Japanese Military sent hundreds of fighter planes to shoot at the island, destroying eight battleships, 12 other navy vessels, and more than 300 aeroplanes. Around 2,400 Americans died, 1,000 were injured, and President Roosevelt declared war on Japan the next day. Tensions had been building for almost a decade, with he US wary of what it saw has global expansion from Japan, of which gaining control of the Pacific would be a key component. Why do Americans still honour the anniversary? The attack on Pearl Harbour was integral to the US joining the Second World War and both navy personnel and civilians died. Recommended How five films and books told the story of Pearl Harbour Observing Pearl Harbour Remembrance Day is in part about looking back on a defining moment in American history. Not only is the day commemorated for those who lost their lives, but also commemorates US efforts during the war. How is the day observed? Pearl Harbour Remembrance Day is not a celebration as much as a solemn opportunity to honour the dead. All US Government buildings should have their flags at half-staff, and the president typically asks citizens to lower their displayed flags as well. Some organisations have memorials and ceremonies. Others focus on education. Public schools often implement curriculum to teach students about what happened, often showing the 2001 drama Pearl Harbour. Over the years, there have been several films, miniseries, and TV specials about the attack. It also also a chance to educate younger generations about the internment and ill-treatment of Japanese-Americans during the war. The treatment was denounced by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 as a policy motivated by racial prejudice, wartime hysteria, and a failure of political leadership. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Is it a federal holiday? Pearl Harbour Day is federally recognised but not a federal holiday, so its unlikely that your employer will offer you time off. Federal offices and services like buses and the post office will continue with their regular schedule. It is also a chance to remember a global conflict in which tens of millions of soldiers and civilians were killed in all the theatres of war. Beto ORourke, the Democratic congressman who nearly won Ted Cruzs Texas Senate seat, has reportedly met with Barack Obama, fuelling speculation that he is considering a 2020 presidential run. The politician shot to national prominence during his vibrant campaign during the recent midterm elections and many have tipped him as a potential candidate for the White House. The congressman sat down with the former president in Washington last month, The Washington Post reported. Neither camp has commented on the reports, but speculation around Mr ORourkes political plans are likely to grow stronger. At a town hall meeting in his district of El Paso last week, the congressman said he was weighing up a run in 2020 but still needed to talk the idea over with his family. When he was trying to unseat Mr Cruz, a former Republican candidate for the presidency who was ultimately defeated by Donald Trump, Mr ORourke said he would not consider running for the White House. But after his narrow defeat in the midterm elections last month, he told reporters he was no longer ruling anything out. Mr Obama has been meeting with many leading figures in the Democratic Party in recent weeks, including others rumoured to be considering a presidential bid such as Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. In a recent podcast, the former president said Mr ORourke reminded him of himself. The reason I was able to make a connection with a sizeable portion of the country was because people had a sense that I said what I meant, Mr Obama said, adding that his race didnt feel constantly poll-tested. It felt as if he based his statements and his positions on what he believed. US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Show all 28 1 /28 US midterm elections: voters head to the polls US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Beto O'Rourke talks with a supporters after he cast his ballot at El Paso Community College-Rio Grande Campus Getty Images US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Sarah Salem, 34, swims as voters cast their ballots at Echo Deep Pool in Los Angeles AP US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Abigail Spanberger, Democratic candidate to represent Virginia's seventh Congressional district in the US House of Representatives; casts her ballot to vote in the 2018 midterm general election, with her daughters Claire (L), Charlotte (Bottom C) and Catherine (R); inside a polling station located at Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls A voter waits behind a line to cast their vote at a Fulton County polling place in Atlanta, Georgia REUTERS US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Representative Peter King and his wife Rosemary hand in their completed ballots as voters turn out at the Manor Elementary School in Seaford AP US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Two year old Mave Adilatta looks out from a voting booth as her mother casts her ballot in Cambridge, Massachusetts EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Beto O'Rourke, candidate for US Senate, speaks with reporters after voting REUTERS US midterm elections: voters head to the polls A voters fills out their ballot for the midterm election at a polling place in Madison, Wisconsin REUTERS US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Congresswomen Elect Ayanna Pressley speaks to reporters after voting at the Adams Street Library AFP/Getty Images US midterm elections: voters head to the polls A sign showing voters where to cast their ballots in the 2018 midterm election in the Mt Airy neighborhood in Philadelphia EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Democratic candidate for Vermont Governor Christine Hallquist leaves after voting in Hyde Park, Vermont EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Members of the group Your Vote Matters place signs on an overpass in Saint Louis, Missouri EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Voters cast their ballots at a polling station setup in a City of Hialeah Fire Station Getty Images US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Voters enter a polling station in Des Moines, Iowa Getty Images US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Volunteers with the Democratic party take cover from the rain as they wait to speak to voters outside of a polling station AFP/Getty Images US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Voters cast their ballots in the 2018 midterm election at the Fraternal Order of Eagles in Streetsboro, Ohio EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Democratic candidate for Vermont Governor Christine Hallquist campaigns in Stowe EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls A voter of the Jewish community is seen leaving after he cast his ballot in the midterm election at the East Midwood Jewish Center polling station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City AFP/Getty Images US midterm elections: voters head to the polls A man wearing a New York Yankees hat votes during in Manhattan Reuters US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Voters line up to cast their ballot just before the polls open in the mid-term election in Miami Getty US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Voters cast their ballots at the Tuttle Park Recreation Center polling location in Columbus, Ohio AP US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Stickers that read 'I Voted' are seen at a polling station located at Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, Virginia EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Poll workers check over voting machinery before voters arrive at Franklin School in Ohio USA EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Voters cast their ballots at Immaculate Conception Parish Hall in Ravenna, Ohio EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Election judges take the oath before opening a polling location in Arlington Heights, Illinois EPA US midterm elections: voters head to the polls Voters arrive at the Tuttle Park Recreation Center in Columbus, Ohio AP US midterm elections: voters head to the polls People vote in Manhattan Reuters US midterm elections: voters head to the polls A voter uses an electronic voting machine AP The congressman, who finished just 2.6 percentage points behind Mr Cruz in a state which has not elected a Democrat senator since 1988, turned down Mr Obamas offers of help and endorsement during his midterm campaign. Even as Mr ORourkes race hit the international spotlight he insisted the election was up to Texans alone. In 2012, when he was running for the House of Representatives nomination against the eight-term incumbent Democrat Silvestre Reyes, Mr Obama and other party heavyweights such as Bill Clinton backed his rival. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events But now politicians across the United States are looking to the 2020 election, Mr ORourke seems to be more interested in garnering support from across his party. The charismatic 46-year-old has already been publicly backed, should he run for president, by a number of Obama White House officials and aides, who say he reminds them of their old boss. Among the other contenders who are looking likely to make a bid for the presidency are Ms Warren, Mr Obamas vice-president Joe Biden, California senator Kamala Harris, and Hillary Clintons opponent in the 2016 primary, Mr Sanders. The most diverse group of politicians to ever run for the White House emerged during the 2020 Democratic primaries, as Donald Trump seeks re-election and has since winnowed to another all-white race featuring senators, former lawmakers and multiple billionaires. With the first-in-the-nation caucus and primary both out of the way, a variety of candidates have proven to be fundraising juggernauts, while others have been forced to suspend their presidential campaigns. As the list of Democrats running for the Oval Office has been rather difficult to keep up with this year, here are each of the 2020 hopefuls who are still in the race. Meet the candidates Joe Biden Former US vice president Joe Biden officially joined the Democratic presidential contest to replace Donald Trump in 2020, immediately becoming an instant frontrunner alongside Bernie Sanders, who then went on to have much stronger performances in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary. In his campaign video, Mr Biden warned that handing Mr Trump a further four years in the White House would forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation. He has been forced to address the issue of his age at 76, Mr Biden is four years older than Mr Trump suggesting hes the most qualified person to run against the president in 2020. He also attacked the president for his response to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, accusing Mr Trump of having assigned moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. In that moment, I knew that the threat to this nation was unlike any I had ever seen in my lifetime, he added. The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Show all 25 1 /25 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Bernie Sanders The Vermont senator has launched a second bid for president after losing out to Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He is running on a similar platform of democratic socialist reform Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Joe Biden The former vice president recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well and has since maintained a front runner status in national polling EPA The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator is a progressive Democrat, and a major supporter of regulating Wall Street Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar is a Minnesota senator who earned praise for her contribution to the Brett Kavanaugh hearings Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Michael Bloomberg Michael Bloomberg, a late addition to the 2020 race, announced his candidacy after months of speculation in November. He has launched a massive ad-buying campaign and issued an apology for the controversial "stop and frisk" programme that adversely impacted minority communities in New York City when he was mayor Getty Images The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but has faced tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Pete Buttigieg The centrist Indiana mayor and war veteran would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Deval Patrick The former Massachusetts governor launched a late 2020 candidacy and received very little reception. With just a few short months until the first voters flock to the polls, the former governor is running as a centrist and believes he can unite the party's various voting blocs AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Beto O'Rourke The former Texas congressman formally launched his bid for the presidency in March. He ran on a progressive platform, stating that the US is driven by "gross differences in opportunity and outcome" AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kamala Harris The former California attorney general was introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions testimony. She has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Bill De Blasio The New York mayor announced his bid on 16 May 2019. He emerged in 2013 as a leading voice in the left wing of his party but struggled to build a national profile and has suffered a number of political setbacks in his time as mayor AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Steve Bullock The Montana governor announced his bid on 14 May. He stated "We need to defeat Donald Trump in 2020 and defeat the corrupt system that lets campaign money drown out the people's voice, so we can finally make good on the promise of a fair shot for everyone." He also highlighted the fact that he won the governor's seat in a red [Republican] state Reuters The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has focused on restoring kindness and civility in American politics throughout his campaign, though he has failed to secure the same level of support and fundraising as several other senators running for the White House in 2020 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam said he intended to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord Vice News The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that healthcare should be a right, not a privilege Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017 AP The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Andrew Yang The entrepreneur announced his presidential candidacy by pledging that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18 Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a special meaning for the Latino community in the US Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual adviser has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Eric Swalwell One of the younger candidates, Swalwell has served on multiple committees in the House of Representatives. He intended to make gun control central to his campaign but dropped out after his team said it was clear there was no path to victory Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Seth Moulton A Massachusetts congressman, Moulton is a former US soldier who is best known for trying to stop Nancy Pelosi from becoming speaker of the house. He dropped out of the race after not polling well in key states Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Jay Inslee Inslee has been governor of Washington since 2013. His bid was centred around climate change AFP/Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: John Hickenlooper The former governor of Colorado aimed to sell himself as an effective leader who was open to compromise, but failed to make a splash on the national stage Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tim Ryan Ohio representative Tim Ryan ran on a campaign that hinged on his working class roots, though his messaging did not appear to resonate with voters Getty The Democrat challengers to Trump in 2020 DROPPED OUT: Tom Steyer Democratic presidential hopeful billionaire and philanthropist Tom Steyer is a longtime Democratic donor AFP/Getty Bernie Sanders A favourite among progressive voters during the 2016 election, the lifelong Independent senator from Vermont was bested by Ms Clinton despite some polls at the time indicating he may have been the best bet for the Democratic Party to defeat Mr Trump in the general election. Now, the 77-year-old has announced a run again in 2020 calling out the president as a pathological liar and offering a robust policy platform. I am asking you to join me today as part of an unprecedented and historic grassroots campaign that will begin with at least a million people from across the country, Mr Sanders wrote in an email to his supporters announcing his candidacy. Recommended Bernie Sanders and AOC propose credit card interest rate caps Pete Buttigieg The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana was the first openly gay politician to join the 2020 Democratic race for the White House. He was the youngest mayor elected to a US city with over 100,000 residents by the age of 29 and serves as a lieutenant in the navy reserve. Mr Buttigieg has climbed in the polls and enjoys fundraising on-par with that of several more nationally-recognised candidates, despite being a little-known mayor from Indiana. Pete Buttigieg responds to Donald Trump calling him 'Alfred E. Neuman' after the Mad magazine character Pete Buttigieg responds to Donald Trump calling him 'Alfred E. Neuman' after the Mad magazine character Tulsi Gabbard The US representative from Hawaii and former army medic declared her intention to run on 11 January of last year. The 37-year-old was quickly beset by controversy, however, after it emerged she had expressed anti-LGBT+ views earlier in her career and met with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, whose removal from power she opposes. Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts senator has gained national recognition as a major supporter of regulating Wall Street and tackled head-on some of the biggest potential controversies that threatened to surround her during a 2020 campaign, including questions regarding her Native American heritage. Ms Warren, who released a video and ancestry report confirming she has distant native ancestry, has become a fierce critic of Mr Trumps anti-regulatory administration. She suffered weak performances in the Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary, leaving her campaign with less of a viable path towards securing the nomination than several of her competitors, including Mr Buttigieg and Mr Sanders. Amy Klobuchar The Minnesota senator announced her candidacy as a moderate from the midwest who was familiar with the plight of middle and working class American communities across the country. Though she wasn't exactly a frontrunner in the initial months of the race, the senator enjoyed a strong showing in New Hampshire's primary after her debate performance and has broken her campaign's fundraising records after voters began flocking the polls. Amy Klobuchar: 'We stand with the innocents in this world and not with dictators' Tom Steyer A billionaire hedge fund manager and philanthropist, Tom Steyer announced his candidacy after leading an effort to get millions of Americans to support Donald Trumps impeachment. The liberal activist has focused on climate change, economic injustice and creating a large tent party for Democrats by funding nearly $230m to Democratic candidates since 2014. Though Mr Steyer has made it onto the debate stages in recent months, he failed to garner a strong showing in both the Iowa and New Hampshire votes. Mike Bloomberg Another billionaire presidential hopeful, Mike Bloomberg was one of the last Democrats to throw his hat in the ring for the White House. Still, he has managed to aggravate the president, releasing duelling ads during the SuperBowl that cost both he and Mr Trump $10m separately. Mr Trump has dubbed him "Mini Mike" and claimed he was "part of the fake news" in a tweet. Mr Bloomberg skipped the initial caucus and primary votes in Iowa and New Hampshire, instead focusing on other key states in the lead up to the general election. Additional reporting by AP The parents of a toddler with an aggressive cancer have launched a worldwide search to find some of the rarest blood on the planet. Two-year-old Zainab Mughal, from Tallahassee, in Florida, was recently diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma. She needs ongoing blood transfusions to help fight the disease but her blood is so rare that only three matching donors have so far been found, including one in England. What makes Zainabs blood different is that it is missing a common antigen, called Indian B, which most people carry in their blood cells. This means a donor must also be missing the Indian B antigen to be a potential match for the little girl, otherwise her body will reject the blood. The only people likely to be a match for Zainab are those whose blood type is O or A and whose parents are both 100 per cent Pakistani, Indian or Iranian. Of these, less than 4 per cent will actually be missing the Indian B antigen. Zainabs parents and family members have had their blood tested but sadly none are compatible. Her father, Raheel Mughal, said: She was first diagnosed about two months ago but this thing was growing in her stomach for almost 10 months. We were all crying; this was the worst thing we were expecting. A worldwide search is on to find blood donor matches for two-year-old Zainab Mughal, from Tallahassee, Florida, who has childhood cancer neuroblastoma and an extremely rare blood type. (OneBlood) They found out that she had a very rare blood type, he added. Thats when it became more of an alert, but luckily thank God they have found a few donors so so far she has been going through her normal treatment. We will definitely need more blood. My daughters life very much depends on the blood. Its a humble request, and I request it from my heart, so please donate blood for my daughter. Not-for-profit organisation OneBlood has been working closely with Zainabs family, other blood centres and the American Rare Donor Program (ARDP) to help find a match. So far three matching donors have been found, including one ARDP tracked down near London and two from the United States. It marks the first time OneBlood has ever received an international donor for a local patient. Two-year-old Zainab Mughal, from Tallahassee, in Florida, has been diagnosed with childhood cancer neuroblastoma. A worldwide search has been launched to find Zainab blood donors as she has an extremely rare blood type. (OneBlood) To support her long-term blood needs, Zainabs family need to find between seven to 10 compatible donors. So far, more than 1,000 local donations, as well as donations from other parts of the country, have been tested but sadly no additional matches have been found. Anyone who thinks they could be a match for Zainab or wants to help is urged to visit www.oneblood.org/zainab Neuroblastoma is a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children, according to the NHS. It develops from specialised nerve cells, known as neuroblasts, left behind from a babys development in the womb. The cancer most commonly occurs in one of the adrenal glands situated above the kidneys, or in the nerve tissue that runs alongside the spinal cord in the neck, chest, tummy or pelvis. It can spread to other organs such as the bone marrow, bone, lymph nodes, liver and skin. It affects around 100 children each year in the UK and is most common in children under the age of five. The cause of neuroblastoma is unknown. A Chinese sex toy company has been fined after a former porn star representing the firm wore a red scarf usually seen on youngsters in a Communist youth organisation. Shanghai Zhenhai Industrial Limited Company, which sells male sex products, was slapped with a 1.3 million yuan (147,878) fine for improper use of the neckerchief, China Daily reports. The red scarf is usually worn by youngsters from the Young Pioneers of China, run by the Communist Youth League, and is seen as emblematic of blood of revolutionary martyrs. The fine handed to the company is the highest among similar incidents in China, according to China Daily. In July this year, Shanghai Zhenhai reportedly invited former adult actress Sola Aoi to a benefit event in southwest China's Yunnan province to raise money for impoverished schoolchildren. Japanese actress Sola Aoi poses for photographers on the red carpet upon her arrival for the opening ceremony of the 28th Tokyo International Film Festival in Tokyo on October 22, 2015. (AFP/Getty Images) Images later emerged of her wearing a red scarf at the event, sparking an outcry. Shanghai Zhenhai later released a statement apologising. China passed a law on 1 May making it illegal to attack revolutionary heroes and martyrs. The Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law bans activities that defame heroes and martyrs or distort and diminish their deeds. Founded in 1949 and led by the Communist Party of China, the CYP is a national organisation for Chinese children aged six to 14 years, most of whom are primary or secondary school students. North Koreas foreign minister arrived in China on Thursday for the start of a hastily-arranged three-day official visit, as all sides gear up for a new round of leaders summits aimed at solving the nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula. Ri Yong Hos trip was only announced on Tuesday, a few days after the Chinese president Xi Jinping held one-on-one talks with Donald Trump at the G20 summit in Argentina. The timing of Mr Ris visit has led to speculation that North Koreas top diplomat will be briefed on Mr Xi and Mr Trumps discussions. The US president said after the meeting that Mr Xi would work with him 100 per cent on North Korea. And while officials declined to comment in detail on the purpose of Mr Ris stay in Beijing, it is also expected to include the subject of a summit between Mr Xi and North Koreas Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang. If confirmed, it would be the first visit of a Chinese president to North Korea in more than 13 years. Although Beijing is Pyongyangs single most important ally and a lifeline for most imports and international travel, China has also taken part in international sanctions aimed to pressure North Korea into abandoning its nuclear and missile programmes. Mr Ri will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on Friday, according to Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang. Mr Geng told a daily news briefing that the pair would have a deep exchange of views on their own countries relations, the Korean situation and other issues of mutual concern, without giving any further details. Visits by Mr Ri have previously been linked to major leaders summits. In April, a similar round of talks in Beijing between Mr Ri and Mr Wang was used to iron out the details following an unexpected trip to the Chinese capital by Kim Jong-un himself. Those talks paved the way for later summits between North Korea and the US, and North Korea and South Korea, as China sought to ensure it wasnt left out of the process of bringing North Korea into the international fold. A visit by Mr Xi to North Korea would certainly be a major development in that process. The last Chinese president to visit North Korea was Xi's predecessor Hu Jintao, who met with Kim Jong-uns father Kim Jong-il in 2005. South Korean official said last month that its president Moon Jae-in and Mr Xi discussed the prospect of the latter going to Pyongyang, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Papua New Guinea. Mr Moon said Mr Xi told him he would make time to visit North Korea next year, while continuing to play a constructive role in peace efforts. Professor Steve Tsang, director of SOASs China Institute in London, said a visit by Mr Xi to Pyongyang was possible, but only if he feels enough progress can be made to then buy some goodwill from Washington. Denuclearisation is not Chinas top priority when it comes to North Korea, Professor Tsang told The Independent, but if Mr Xi can claim credit for the easing of tensions then he will take the opportunity to do so. Xi has not been keen to visit North Korea and has not yet done so, he said. A visit could be useful to Xi if he [can] use North Korea as a card to play in getting Trump to sustain the easing of the trade war with China. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said he expects his next meeting with Mr Kim to take place in January or February. North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Show all 18 1 /18 North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (R) waves with China's Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu (L) from a balcony AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Airplanes forming the number 70 fly in formation and fire flares AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean performers dance EPA North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean military officers applaud near portraits of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean tanks roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers take part AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers march AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants march during a mass rally on Kim Il Sung square in Pyongyang AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary A girl reacts during a parade AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, reacts as he chats with China's third highest ranking official, Li Zhanshu AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary People carry flags in front of statues of North Korea founder Kim Il Sung (L) and late leader Kim Jong Il Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Performers take part in a concert at the Pyongyang Indoor Stadium AFP/Getty North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary North Korean artillery roll past AP North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Students perform Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Soldiers march during a military parade Reuters North Korea military parade celebrating nation's 70th anniversary Participants wave flowers AFP/Getty He will hope to rekindle the optimism generated by their summit in Singapore in June, when the two countries agreed to work together but made little in the way of concrete pledges. They have since reached a complete stalemate, with the US demand North Korea produce a full inventory of its nuclear weapons and take other denuclearisation steps before winning significant outside rewards. North Korea, however, says it first wants sanctions relief, an official declaration of the end of the 1950-53 Korean War and other reciprocal military measures before it will move any further towards dismantling either its nuclear or missile bases. Emmanuel Macron has scrapped a fuel tax rise following weeks of nationwide protests in France and the worst rioting in Paris in decades. Protesters celebrated the victory on Wednesday, but critics said Mr Macrons surrender came too late and is unlikely to quell mounting anger at the president, whom demonstrators consider out of touch with ordinary people. Amid fears of new violence, Mr Macron decided to get rid of the tax planned for next year, an official in the presidents office said. Prime minister Edouard Philippe told lawmakers the tax is no longer included in the 2019 budget. But the decision has ramifications beyond France, since the fuel tax rise was part of Mr Macrons efforts to wean France off fossil fuels in order to reduce greenhouse gases and help slow climate change. Its withdrawal is both a blow to broader efforts to fight global warming and a warning to other world leaders trying to do the same thing. The yellow vest protests began on 17 November over the governments plan to raise taxes on diesel and gasoline, but by the time Mr Macron bowed to three weeks of violence and abandoned the new fuel tax, protesters were demanding much more. Many workers in France are angry over the combination of low wages, high taxes and high unemployment that have left many people struggling financially. On Tuesday, the government agreed to suspend the fuel tax rise for six months. But instead of appeasing the protesters, it spurred other groups to join in, hoping for concessions of their own. The protests took on an even bigger dimension on Wednesday with trade unions and farmers vowing to join the fray. President Macron is heckled by onlookers as he visits damaged Arc de Triomphe after protests in Paris Police warned of potential violence during demonstrations in Paris on Saturday, with one small security forces union threatening a strike. So after nightfall on Wednesday, as parliament debated the 2019 budget, Mr Macrons government suddenly gave in. I have no problem with admitting that on such or such question we could have done differently, that if there is such a level of anger ... its because we still have a lot of things to improve, the prime minister told legislators. Mr Philippe said the tax is now abandoned in the 2019 budget, and the government is ready for dialogue. The budget can be renegotiated through the year, but given the scale of the recent protests, Mr Macron is unlikely to revive the added fuel tax idea anytime soon. Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Show all 29 1 /29 Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Water cannons are turned on the protesters Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Riot police detain protesters EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A car is set alight in the protests AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures The Arc de Triomphe is graffitied with the slogan: 'he yellow vests will triumph' Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters barricade themselves on the Champs Elysees as police line the streets Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester fires at police with a slingshot AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester holds up a sign that reads 'your Europe ruins us' Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester gestures amidst burning cars EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters walk amidst tear gas near the Arc de Triomphe Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester runs amidst tear gas Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters on the Champs Elysees amidst tear gas AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters in yellow vests gather outside the town hall in Bordeaux EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather on the Champs Elysees after the police deploy tear gas AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters stand by the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester waves a French flag Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Riot police take formation AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A general view of the Champs Elysees in Paris today as protesters clash with police Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester wears a jacket reading 'Macron, thief, lier, crook, go away, the people banish you' AP Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather on the Champs Elysees AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters hold a French flag by a burning barricade AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather by a fire AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Water cannons are turned on the protesters Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester wears an adapted yellow vest reading 'Macron's cemetery: here lies your buying power' AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters gather by a burning car AFP/Getty Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Riot police advance through tear gas followed closely by their water cannon EPA Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Tear gas is deployed to deter the protesters Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester waves a French flag amidst tear gas AP Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures Protesters walk amidst tear gas by the Arc de Triomphe Reuters Clashes at the Paris fuel protests: in pictures A protester holds a sign asking for the reintroduction of ISF (an old French tax on wealth) AFP/Getty Jacline Mouraud, one of the self-proclaimed spokespeople for the disparate yellow vest movement, said Mr Macrons concession comes much too late, unfortunately. Its on the right path, but in my opinion it will not fundamentally change the movement, she said. Three weeks of protests have caused four deaths, injured hundreds and littered central Paris with burned cars and shattered windows. The sweep of the protests and their wide support by citizens of all political stripes has shocked Mr Macrons government. In the last few days, Paris saw the worst anti-government riot since 1968, French students set fires outside high schools to protest a new university application system, small business owners blocked roads to protest high taxes, and retirees marched to protest the presidents perceived elitism. Mr Macrons popularity has slumped to a new low since the demonstrations began. The former investment banker, who has pushed pro-business economic reforms to make France more competitive globally, is accused of being the president of the rich and of being estranged from the working classes. On Wednesday, Frances largest farmers union said it will launch anti-government protests next week, after trucking unions called for a rolling strike. Trade unions so far have not played a role in the yellow vest protest movement but are now trying to capitalise on growing public anger. A joint statement from the CGT and the FO trucking unions called for action on Sunday night to protest a cut in overtime rates. The FNSEA farmers union said it would fight to help French farmers earn a better income but would not officially be joining forces with the yellow vests protesters wearing the high-visibility vests that motorists are required to keep in their cars. French police have cleared most of the fuel depots that protesters blocked earlier in the week, but fuel shortages still hit parts of France on Wednesday, affecting hundreds of gas stations. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Demonstrators also blocked toll booths, letting drivers pass without paying, to press demands that ranged from higher incomes and pensions to the dissolution of the National Assembly, Frances parliament. At Tolbiac University in downtown Paris, students took over a school building and classes were cancelled. We need taxes, but they are not properly redistributed, protester Thomas Tricottet told BFM television. The high school students FIDL union called for massive protests on Thursday and urged Frances education minister to step down. One student was injured during protests at a high school in Saint-Jean-de-Braye in north-central France. BFM said he was shot in the head with a rubber bullet. Julien Guiller, a spokesman for the regional school administration, said the student was expected to survive. Until he scrapped the fuel tax rise, Mr Macrons actions after returning from the G20 summit in Argentina had done little to persuade protesters that he was listening to their concerns. He has refrained from speaking publicly about the protests and has largely remained in his palace. On Tuesday night, he was jeered as he travelled to a regional government headquarters that was torched by protesters over the weekend. One activist said on Wednesday he fears more deaths if Saturdays yellow vest demonstration in Paris goes ahead and urged Mr Macron to speak out and calm the nation. If not there will be chaos, said Christophe Chalencon. Mr Chalencon, a 52-year-old blacksmith from southern France, said the French public needs Mr Macron to admit he made a mistake, with simple words ... that touch the guts and heart of the French. In a disparaging tweet, Donald Trump claimed Mr Macrons decision on Tuesday to delay the gas tax hike showed the French leader does not believe in the 2015 Paris global climate accord. The US presidents tweet came as thousands of climate experts were meeting in Poland to work out national responsibilities in the fight to reduce emissions and slow global warming. Additional reporting by AP The lower house of Ireland's parliament has passed historic legislation to make abortion legal for the first time, after members voted overwhelmingly in favour at the stroke of midnight on Wednesday. The bill put before the lower house, the Dail, would legalise free access to abortion up to 12 weeks. After that, it would permit abortion only in cases where the woman was at risk of serious harm or death, or where a doctor has given a diagnosis of a fatal foetal abnormality. It was passed by 90 votes to 15, with 12 abstentions. According to the Irish Times, a total of 65 amendments were approved by members, but these were all brought by the minister for health himself, Simon Harris. A number of amendments brought by anti-abortion politicians, including an attempt to force women to notify their parents if they wanted an abortion, were voted down. The government is trying to push through the legislation in line with a pledge to have abortion services in place by 1 January. It was expected to continue its progress in the upper house, the Seanad, on Friday. Six months ago, Ireland's public voted by a landslide to repeal the eighth amendment of the Irish Constitution, which declared that mothers and their unborn foetuses had an equal right to life - effectively banning abortion. The referendum received the highest turnout on a social issue in Ireland's history, of whom 66.4 per cent voted "Yes" to repeal. Leo Varadkar, the taoiseach, said at the time the result showed Ireland was "a nation that is united, and we want to make this change". The United States has said it has conducted an extraordinary flight over Ukraine amid escalating tensions between Kiev and Moscow. The announcement comes eleven days after a naval clash that saw Russian forces open fire on and seize three Ukrainian warships near the Kerch Strait. In a statement released on Thursday, the Pentagon said the timing of the flight - undertaken as part of the Open Skies Treaty, was intended to reaffirm US commitment to Ukraine and other nations. It described the unprovoked attack in Kerch as part of a pattern of increasingly provocative and threatening activity. Although the Open Skies Treaty gives each of the 34 state parties the right to gather information about the military forces and activities of other state parties, an extraordinary flight allows for countries to conduct the flights on a bilateral basis - hence the action by the US and Ukraine. It is the first such flight since 2014, which came as part of the US response to Moscow annexing Crimea from Ukraine. The Defense Department said US, Canadian, UK, German, French, Romanian and Ukrainian observers were aboard the aircraft during the observation flight. This flight was requested by the Arms Control Directorate of the Ukrainian General Staff. A total of 25 US military personnel took part in the flight, including eight Defense Threat Reduction Agency personnel and a 17-person air crew from the 55th Wing out of Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Washington is said to be making preparations to sail a warship into the Black Sea, although the option may not be taken up. The flight also comes days after Washington said it suspending its participation in a Cold War-era nuclear arms treaty with Moscow over violations of the deal by the Kremlin. Russia denies any such violations. Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Show all 32 1 /32 Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists of opposition parties burn flares during a rally demanding to break an agreement with Russia on the use of the Azov Sea and the Kerch Strait, in front of the parliament building in Kiev Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Volunteers with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps light flares during a rally on the snowy streets in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev after Russia seized two of their armored artillery vessels and a tug boat in the Black Sea AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian Nationalists demand to break the diplomatic relations with Russia and nationalization of Russian property in Ukraine EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian activists burn flares during their rally in front of Russian Consulate in Kharkiv EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Seized Ukrainian ships, small armoured artillery ships and a tug boat, are seen anchored in a port of Kerch Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 The President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, announced, on 25 November, at a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council that they will introduce martial law in Ukraine for a period of 60 days and appeal to the Parliament to consider the move Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Russia seized two small-sized 'Berdiansk' and 'Nikopol' armored artillery boats. The 'Yany Kapu' tugboat has forcibly been stopped Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Children from an orphanage volunteer to help the city defenders strengthen trenches on Ukraine's Army positions near the village of Rybatske 25 km from Mariupol AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Policemen guard at Russian consulate during a protest action in the Black Sea Ukrainian city of Odessa AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 With relations still raw after Russias annexation of Crimea and its backing for a pro-Moscow insurgency in eastern Ukraine, the capture of three Ukrainian naval vessels risks pushing the two countries towards a wider conflict. Graphic explains how the naval incident unfolded on a map Graphic News Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists of far-right parties burn flares in front of the parliament building in Kiev during a rally to support the Ukrainian navy Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A Ukraine army APC moves toward on position at an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Ukrainian Nationalists sign a banner with a slogan reading like 'Not retreat and not surrendering!' EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Activists glue Ukrainian flag on the fence of Russian consulate AFP/Getty Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A volunteer with the right-wing paramilitary Azov National Corps during a rally on the snowy streets in front of the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A National Guard serviceman extinguishes a torch thrown by a protester during a rally against the seizure by Russian special forces of three of the Ukrainian navy ships Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A protester throws a smoke grenade during a rally in front of the embassy of Russia in Kiev AP Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Protestors set up paper ships on the tires during their rally near of Russian embassy building in Kiev EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 A man extinguishes a burning car of the embassy of Russia Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 Paper boats are seen placed during a protest Reuters Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Protests break out after Russia seize Ukraine warships in 2018 EPA Russia has arrested and charged all 24 sailors that formed part of the Ukrainian flotilla involved in the clash, the youngest of whom is 18. They all stand accused of illegally entering the territorial waters of Russia. Distress signals sent by the Ukrainian ships suggest they were fired on when sailing away in international waters. Under the terms of a 2003 agreement between Russia and Ukraine, signed before the annexation of Crimea, the Kerch Strait and Azov Sea are considered shared waters. US suspends participation in Cold War-era nuclear treaty after Russia found in breach of agreement Also on Thursday, Ukraine urged a gathering of dozens of foreign ministers to increase sanctions against Russia, accusing Moscow of sowing instability and insecurity across the West. Speaking at a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Milan, Ukraine's foreign minister Pavlo Kilmkin denounced the seizure of the crew members. It is a matter of urgency to provide a prompt and consolidated international response to this act of aggression. Declarations are not enough. There must be action, Mr Klimkin told the annual gathering. We must raise the cost for Russia with comprehensive and tailored sanctions," he added. "There can be no business as usual. However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pinned the blame for years of escalating tensions on Ukraine and its allies - including the US. Striving for dominance, a small group of countries uses blackmail, pressure and threats, Mr Lavrov said Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events Kiev (is) free from any punishment, shielded by its Western sponsors, who justify all its outrageous actions, he added. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian parliament has voted to withdraw from a wide-ranging treaty on friendship with Russia. The Supreme Rada overwhelmingly backed a motion by President Petro Poroshenko not to prolong the treaty when it comes up for renewal in April. Mr Poroshenko also announced a new dispatch of troops to the Russian border during a visit to a barracks. Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report A suicide bomb that killed four policeman in a city in Iran has been claimed by a Sunni militant group. The attack on a police headquarters in the southeastern port of Chabahar was claimed by a faction rooted in Irans ethnic Baluch minority. The bomb also wounded 35 people, according to local media. Rahmdel Bameri, a provincial official, said a suicide attacker in a vehicle loaded with explosives drove up to the building. Police officers blocked the vehicle and started firing at the driver, who then detonated his explosives, he said. Such attacks in Iran are rare. A group called Ansar al-Fuqran issued a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, lauding it as a severe blow to the regimes security forces. The statement said: A dedicated Baluch jihadi son targeted the local police headquarters in Chabahar in an effort to combat the regime, resulting in the death and injury of a large number of regime officers. The Iranian Ansar al-Fuqran Group declares that it has taken to a military action through its warriors as a result of the lack of opportunity for civic activity. Iran immediately blamed outside powers for the attack and vowed retribution. Foreign-backed terrorists kill and wound innocents in Chabahar, Irans foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, tweeted. As weve made clear in the past, such crimes wont go unpunished. Alluding to the 2010 capture of Baluchi militants on a plane flying from the United Arab Emirates, he wrote: Mark my words. Iran will bring terrorists and their masters to justice. Revolutionary Guard spokesperson Brigadier General Ramezan Sharif was quoted as saying: Terrorist groups are mostly linked to foreign intelligence services such as Saudi Arabia. These terrorist attacks will receive crushing responses. The bombing targeted a port city that is the centrepiece of planned economic expansion plans involving India and Afghanistan. Chabahar is exempt from Trump administration sanctions targeting Iran. It was the second major terrorist attack targeting Iran in less than three months, following a 22 September attack on a military parade by gunmen disguised as a soldiers in the countrys southwest. Chabahar, near Irans border with Pakistan on the Sea of Oman, is home to a recently-built port and is an economic free zone for the country. A suicide car bomber killed at least two outside the police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on 6 December, 2018 (AFP/Getty Images) A co-ordinated Isis attack last year on parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50 in the capital. Associated Press Yemens warring sides met at the negotiating table for the first time in two years on Thursday as the United Nations warned that half the countrys population could be vulnerable to famine if no solution is reached. Representatives of Yemens internationally recognised government and Houthi rebels sat across from each other at the opening of the talks at a castle in Sweden. Both sides have said they hope to reach an agreement to de-escalate fighting that has devastated the country. UN envoy Martin Griffiths, who has engaged in intensive shuttle diplomacy for months, called the meeting a milestone and urged the two sides to deliver a message at peace. The talks began with an announcement that the two parties had agreed to exchange some 5,000 prisoners as a confidence-building measure. The stakes for Yemeni civilians could not be higher. Nearly four years into the civil war, at least 10,000 have been killed in the fighting and more than 22 million people rely on some sort of food assistance. Malnutrition and disease are now rampant as basic services have collapsed. As many as 85,000 children may have already died from hunger, according to Save the Children, and many more are at risk. Mr Griffiths said on Thursday that half of Yemens nearly 30 million people could be at risk of famine if urgent action is not taken soon. Yemens war was sparked by the takeover of the capital Sanaa by Houthi forces in 2014. The following year, the Houthis took over much of the country and forced out the internationally recognised government of President Abdu-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, prompting a Saudi-led coalition of Gulf countries to intervene on Mr Hadis side. The fighting has created what is described as the worlds worst humanitarian disaster. Over the last five months, Yemens food crisis has been made significantly worse by fighting in the city of Hodeidah. Some 80 per cent of the countrys food and medical supplies come through the port, but fighting has stopped much of it coming in. After an intense battle last month, clashes in the city has slowed and both sides have reinforced their positions. The UN hopes the negotiations in Sweden can prevent a full-scale assault on the city, and reopen the airport in the capital Sanaa where access is restricted by Saudi control of Yemeni airspace. The beginning of the talks coincided with the release of a World Food Programme survey which found that 15 million people are in a crisis or emergency situation and that number could hit 20 million without sustained food aid. The report also discovered that some 65,000 people were experiencing catastrophic food conditions, mostly in areas where fighting is taking place. That number could rise to more than 230,000, it added. Johan Mooij, Yemen country director for CARE International, said the report should be a wake-up call for the world. He said: Without humanitarian assistance here in Yemen, almost a quarter of a million people would immediately be in famine, and a staggering 20 million people would not have enough to eat all because of a manmade crisis. The tragedy here grows worse by the day, stretching the limits of what CARE and other humanitarian groups can do to alleviate misery and prevent more deaths. The WFP said it is planning to scale up food distribution to another four million people over the next two months, increasing the number of people it supports to 12 million. Brutal effects of Yemeni war Show all 12 1 /12 Brutal effects of Yemeni war Brutal effects of Yemeni war Yemen organised by the UAE's National Media Council shows a Yemeni woman holding a child diagnosed with malnutrition at a hospital in the southeastern port city of Mukalla, the capital Hadramawt province AFP/Getty Images Brutal effects of Yemeni war Mohamed, 2, is treated for Malnutrition in Mukalla, the capital Hadramawt province, Yemen Bel Trew Brutal effects of Yemeni war a trip in Yemen organised by the UAE's National Media Council (NMC) shows a Yemeni woman holding a child diagnosed with malnutrition at a hospital in the southeastern port city of Mukalla, the capital Hadramawt province. AFP/Getty Images Brutal effects of Yemeni war UAE's National Media Council (NMC) shows a Yemeni woman sitting next to a child diagnosed with malnutrition at a hospital in the southeastern port city of Mukalla, the capital Hadramawt province. AFP/Getty Brutal effects of Yemeni war AFP/Getty Images Brutal effects of Yemeni war Mohamed, 2, is treated for Malnutrition in Mukalla, the capital Hadramawt province, Yemen Bel Trew Brutal effects of Yemeni war A Yemeni child suffering from malnutrition is weighed at a hospital in the northern district of Abs, in Yemen's Hajjah province AFP/Getty Images Brutal effects of Yemeni war A Yemeni child suffering from malnutrition awaits treatment at a hospital in the northern district of Abs, in Yemen's Hajjah province AFP/Getty Images Brutal effects of Yemeni war A Yemeni child suffering from malnutrition awaits treatment at a hospital in the northern district of Abs, in Yemen's Hajjah province AFP/Getty Images Brutal effects of Yemeni war Yemeni nurses weigh a malnourished child at a hospital in the northern district of Yemen's Hajjah province AFP/Getty Images Brutal effects of Yemeni war A Yemeni woman carries a malnourished child as she waits during food distribution in the province of Hodeida AFP/Getty Brutal effects of Yemeni war AFP/Getty Images But the delivery of that aid is dependent on whether the two sides can reach an agreement in Sweden. Few are optimistic that these talks will produce a comprehensive agreement, but UN diplomats hope a series of confidence-building measures will open the way to further negotiations. On Thursday, Mr Griffiths confirmed: Im also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, detainees, the missing, the forcibly detained and individuals placed under house arrest. It will allow thousands of families to be reunited, and it is the product of very effective, active work from both delegations. Whether a broader deal on the conflict can be agreed remains to be seen. Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 to counter Iranian influence the takeover of the Iran-aligned Houthi movement in a neighbouring country was seen as a major threat. Riyadhs deadly air campaign has been carried out with support from the West. Coalition jets, backed by US logistical support and using weapons made in the US and the UK, have repeatedly hit targets where no militants were present. The coalition has admitted to causing civilian casualties in the past, but attributes the deaths to unintentional mistakes, and says it is committed to upholding international law. But Saudi Arabias Western backers have come under increasing pressure to end arms sales to the country over the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October. The iconic I Amsterdam letters in front of the citys Rijksmuseum have been dismantled amid claims that they were encouraging mass tourism. The large letters were a popular selfie spot in the Dutch capital, and had been tagged on Instagram 1.3 million times. The two metre high letters, which stretched for 23.5 metres, had stood in front of the art museum since 2006. According to the citys tourism bureau, these letters were removed at the request of the City of Amsterdam because they were drawing too big of a crowd to an already limited space. A crane removed them earlier this week. After the slogan was removed, Amsterdam designer Pauline Wiersema erected three more letters spelling HUH. They were removed immediately. Awkwardly, the citys tourism bureau still markets itself as I Amsterdam. Its website states that I Amsterdam is the motto that creates the brand for the city and people of Amsterdam. Amsterdams appeal lies in its rich cultural heritage, diverse and creative culture, commercial dynamism and high quality of life. Ultimately, the citys strongest asset is its people: the people who live here, the people who work here, the people who study here, and the people who visit here. Femke Roosma, group chairman of political party Groenlinks, said in a statement: The message of I Amsterdam is that we are all individuals in the city. We want to show something different: diversity, tolerance, solidarity. She previously said that Amsterdam was becoming more and more like an amusement park, according to local newspaper AT5. Amsterdams deputy mayor Udo Kock told the Daily Mail: I gladly want to remove them because these letters in Museum Square have become a symbol for mass tourism and the negative effects of it. Amsterdam has long been plagued by overtourism. In August, the citys official ombudsman Arre Zuurmond said that Amsterdam had been blighted by crime and lawlessness. In 2017, the number of tourists in the Netherlands jumped 9 per cent to 42 million, the strongest growth since 2006. The Rijksmuseum posted a tribute to the letters and asked visitors to post their own. The letters are now on tour around Amsterdam and the region to put lesser-known neighbourhoods, activities and attractions in the spotlight. They will appear at the Student Hotel in Amsterdam West until 12 December, then from 13 December, at Westerpark near Pacific Parc restaurant. If MPs reject the governments Brexit deal next Tuesday, there will be a whirlwind of political activity like nothing the UK has witnessed for generations. Although it is hard to predict exactly how things will unfold, a peoples vote will ultimately be the main game in town not least because, by passing a momentous amendment on Tuesday, MPs took back control of Brexit from the prime minister. But before then, there will be multiple twists and turns. Heres a guide to the drama ahead, based on an analysis of what Labour, Theresa May and other players will do. What will Labour do? Keir Starmer told the shadow cabinet last week they should move quickly through the gears if the governments deal was defeated. The first gear would be to launch a vote of no confidence in the prime minister. It seems likely that this vote will fail, because hard Brexit Conservative MPs wont want to bring down their own government however much they hate the deal. They must know that fighting a general election when they are split in so many ways on the most important issue facing the country is a recipe for losing. Statista (Statista) There is, though, a small chance that Northern Irelands DUP will vote against the government, in which case it will almost certainly fall. But that doesnt necessarily mean a general election. There will still be 14 days to see if anybody can secure a positive vote of confidence. Neither Theresa May nor Jeremy Corbyn would be able to. But it is just possible that a different Tory leader might or that a national unity government a coalition of all parties could be formed. Most likely, there wont be an election and Labour will then move to its second gear. Its still unclear whether that will be to back a second referendum or to spend a bit of time looking at other alternatives. But it seems inevitable that the party will ultimately get there, as John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said last week. Will the PM survive? May could resign if she loses next weeks vote by a big margin. But she may hang on out of some sense of duty. If she doesnt resign, her own MPs may still try to kick her out. The hard Brexiters may well be able to rustle up the 48 MPs needed to trigger a contest that they failed to get last month. But she will still have a good chance of seeing off a coup, because theres no obvious replacement. If May is removed as leader or resigns, there will probably be an interim leader such as David Lidington, her de facto deputy, and then a bitter contest to find a permanent replacement with everyone from Boris Johnson to Amber Rudd likely throwing their hat in the ring. Even a fast-track leadership contest would almost certainly take over a month. Recommended Leadsom refuses to say that May will still be prime minister next week Any interim prime minister will be a lame duck. Its hard to see what Brexit policy he or she could pursue. On the other hand, under the legislation passed last summer, the government will still need to present a plan to parliament within 21 days whatever happens with internal political ructions in other words by New Years Day. MPs then need to vote on this within seven sitting days in other words, days when they are actually at work. That deadline is 15 January. If any of this happened, the public would be aghast at what a total mess Brexit was turning into. And precisely because the Tories wont want that, May could well survive. What will May do? So assume the prime minister stays in post. What plan will she then present to parliament? She doesnt have to wait until 1 January. She could make her statement the very next day on 12 December. But she may need some time because she will first need to get cabinet to agree to what she is going to say and that wont be easy because ministers will be pulling in various directions. Some will want Norway-plus, others super-Canada, a few will want to stick to the prime ministers deal and see if it can be improved around the edges, and Andrea Leadsom reportedly thinks we should prepare to crash out with no deal. The problem is that all these ideas are hopeless and, if May decides to go in any particular direction, she risks more resignations. Norway Plus involves staying in the single market and customs union forever with free movement, payments into the budget and rule-following. Quite apart from the fact that it is a terrible idea to turn us into political eunuchs, it has no chance of getting through parliament because Labour is opposed. Whats more, even trying to ram it through could split the Tory party. Super Canada is a trade deal. The problem is the EU would only agree if we modified the so-called backstop so it applied only to Northern Ireland rather than the whole UK. There would then be customs controls between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. As May memorably said, no UK prime minister could agree that. What about asking the EU for a better deal? She might be able to get a few minor tweaks. But its hard to see that moving the needle in parliament. As for crashing out, that is an even more hopeless idea. Only a tiny number of MPs think its sensible and, after Tuesdays Commons amendment, the rest of them will be in a good place to stop it. A bold move would be to back a Final Say and get ahead of where parliament is eventually likely to force her to go. But May is not known for her bold initiatives. So she may revert to type, play for time and hope that MPs eventually back her deal. After all, the law doesnt require her to produce a detailed plan merely to make a statement and that could be extremely vague. But, if she does this, MPs may fill the vacuum. And by the time Labour has gone through its gears, parliament is likely to join forces behind a peoples vote. Again, as a result of Tuesdays amendment, they will have the tools to do the job. Hugo Dixon is chair of InFacts and a founding member of the Peoples Vote campaign In the ancient democracy of Athens, executive positions were allocated by lot and held for a single day, so could it perhaps be the case that, two and half millennia later, the UK is not descending into chaos but rising to an altogether loftier ideal? I ask this because, on Thursday morning, an entirely random member of the public turned up at the despatch box of the House of Commons claiming to be the Brexit Secretary. His name, we were told, was Stephen Barclay. And much to the credit of Labours Hilary Benn and various others they got on with this otherwise routine session of Questions to the Secretary of State for Exiting The European Union as if it were all perfectly normal. It hardly bears repeating that the session took place in a short break about halfway through a five day debate on Theresa Mays Brexit deal, which MPs have been quite rightly told many times is likely to be the most important vote they will ever cast. In these fully auto-satirical times, why shouldnt such proceedings contain a break in order to welcome an entirely new Secretary of State for Brexit into his position? And why shouldnt that Secretary of State for Brexit be the kind of chap that would be entirely unrecognisable on his own street? Seema Malhotra welcomed the new Secretary of State to his new role. So did Hilary Benn. In fact, it turns out, hes been in the job for at least three days. Because on Monday, apparently, he appeared before Hilary Benns Brexit Select Committee, where hed claimed that the UK will definitely be leaving the European Union on the 31st March 2019. That will have come as news to the emergency Big Ben bongers currently booked for the 29th, but in Mr Barclays defence, becoming Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and accidentally Keeping Britain in the European Union for only two extra days isnt a bad record. Indeed, Britains membership of the European Union tends to increase in direct proportion to the amount of time spent negotiating our exit from it. David Davis spent two years doing it, and by the time he quit hed secured an implementation period, to be tacked on to the end of the negotiating period of almost identical length. Perhaps thats how things are meant to work these days. Chris Grayling, for example, appears to be unsackable from his role as Secretary of State for Transport, a direct reward for his unswerving devotion to making sure there isnt any. Still, in his short time in the job, it was clear Barclay has been busy learning from the best. Did he agree, he was asked, with the Treasury and Bank of England analysis that indicates that every single scenario via which the UK leaves the European Union leaves it poorer than if it had remained? It is a misreading to say it involves everyone being poorer, he said, in an eerily accurate rendition of one of Theresa Mays favourite lines. Because theyre only scenarios, you see, and who can know what the future holds? Its fine to flush a hundred grand down the toilet because whos to say you wont win the lottery in the next ten years? 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" Hours earlier, Theresa May herself had been on the radio, making clear she was focused on winning the vote next Tuesday which she seemed to consider an acceptable justification for refusing to talk about what happens when she absolutely definitely loses it. All of which was suitable preparation for the recommencement over the great Brexit debate that occurred shortly after Mr Barclay made his way back to the Dexeu Department, and waited in reception for someone to come down and sign him in. We are now well and truly at the stage of Brexit where the countrys political class have come back from the shops like Mr and Mrs Twit to find everything in the house turned upside down and glued to the ceiling and so stand on their heads to try and fit in. At one point, on Thursday afternoon, John McDonnell claimed that Theresa Mays Brexit deal and its backstop for northern Ireland is a threat to our union. This from a chap who last month gave a speech to a room full of journalists in which he said he longed for a united Ireland. And of course, special mention must be made of David Davis himself, who again stood to gravely warn of the dangers of the deal, a superior alternative to which he he himself had entirely failed to negotiate before resigning. Someone from the SNP was curious to know just how seriously we should take Mr Daviss analysis, given that, in the buildup to the 2016 referendum, he had claimed that the first job of the UKs Brexit negotiator would be to fly to Berlin to do a free trade deal with the German car industry. He made this entirely legally impossible claim in May 2016,, entirely unprompted, in a deranged thread of tweets which are still publicly available. None of which stopped him first laughing, then replying by describing the comments as a single line in speech and adding, So if hes going to quote me he should at least get it right. That the comments werent from a speech, and had been quoted entirely accurately might be a matter for a less mad time, which, at present, seems a very very long way off indeed. The next scheduled questions for the Brexit Secretary are currently scheduled for January 24 2019. Whoever turns up for that one is absolutely anybodys guess. Where does the biggest threat to global security lie? Forget Iran, North Korea, Isis, Saud Arabia, even Russia; it is starting to look like China or, rather, Chinas troubled and rapidly deteriorating relationship with the only other economic superpower that rivals it, America. On some measures Chinas national income is already more than Americas. It matters, but we pay far less attention to Beijing than Moscow. However you weight it, it is the badly faltering Sino-American partnership that is really troubling financial markets far more than Brexit, for example, or the Russian designs on Ukraine. The US-China trade war, specifically, is the thing threatening a global recession, with all that that entails. For we all know that economic slumps are usually incubators for turning populism and nationalism into extremism, and dictatorship and wars. That is why the arrest of a Chinese businesswoman in Canada is so worrying. She is Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer. More than that, she is the daughter of the founder of this Chinese telecoms giant, a matter of some symbolism. She has been detained in Vancouver at the behest of the US authorities who, it is reported, think she has been involved in busting US sanctions on Iran. China says her human rights are being violated. It was always going to happen. Some business figure, bank or company would end up targeted by the Americans, given that the US blanket global ban on economic contact with Tehran stretches way beyond Washingtons proper jurisdiction. What is telling is that the Americans have decided to hit such a high-profile individual from China. Wanzhou helps run a company that is an emerging global force and which has already been the subject of discriminatory practices in the west. Such is the sensitivity around telecoms, satellites and security that the US, Australia and New Zealand have blocked the use of the Chinese firms equipment in infrastructure for new faster 5G mobile networks. In a very rare public speech, the head of MI6, Alex Younger, said that the UK had to make some decisions on Huawei. His was a highly unusual and frank admission of western paranoia about China: In China they have a different legal and ethical framework They are able to use and manipulate data sets on a scale that we can only dream of. Yes, but why would they wish to? China has territorial ambitions over the offshore Senkaku/Diaoyu islands and across the South China Sea, where it has been creating artificial islands to back its legal case for sovereignty. It has been indulging in wars of words and gunship diplomacy against its smaller neighbours (Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia) and their allies, including the US Navy and the Royal Navy. China also, of course, has a long-standing grievance over Taiwan, and has been interfering in Taiwans politics for some time. The Beijing-Pyongyang relationship is also one that has not always served the cause of world peace or allayed Americas concerns. Western complaints about human rights, Tibet, Hong Kong and Chinese neo-colonial acquisition of land and resources in Africa also annoy President Xi and his cohorts, justified though some may be. Yet these are, mostly, regional squabbles, and, for the moment, hardly threaten our vital interests. Indeed, China has legitimate complaints left over from the time when it was a weak, fractured state exploited by western powers and, in due course, annexed and pillaged by imperial Japan. If the Chinese are a little nervous about their position in the world, they have some right to be they suffered a century of humiliation from the Opium Wars of the 1840s through occupation and to the communist revolution in 1949. A multi-power conference to settle these interlocking post-colonial and (to the ousted world) obscure disputes would go a long way to dissolving tensions. Reuniting Taiwan with the mainland is, frankly, long overdue a relic of Chinas pre-Mao past and the days when Red China was a geopolitical threat to the US (with proxy wars in Korea and Vietnam failing to settle their differences). And who exactly is starting this new cold war with China? The US vice president Mike Pence made a landmark speech at the Hudson Institute recently, followed up by hostile remarks at the Asia-Pacific summit last month, that constituted a virtual declaration of (cold) war on China. For example: I come before you today because the American people deserve to know as we speak, Beijing is employing a whole-of-government approach, using political, economic, and military tools, as well as propaganda, to advance its influence and benefit its interests in the United States. China is also applying this power in more proactive ways than ever before, to exert influence and interfere in the domestic policy and politics of our country. China launches third-generation 'Beidou' navigation satellites in global expansion bid However, it is Donald Trumps trade war with China, currently in a state of confused and uneasy truce, that represents the clearest and most immediate danger to whats left of global prosperity. The president is correct in asserting that, over a long span, the Chinese have manipulated their currency and their economy towards a successful policy of export and investment-led high growth, and one that has seen the US run up significant debts with the Chinese. The Chinese, in turn, are now sitting on a vast pile of US Treasury paper IoUs to the tune of some $1 trillion. Superficially, this quantity of dollar assets around a tenth of Americas entire national debt gives China leverage over America. In reality, however, any attempt to dump the debt on markets to retaliate for US policy would most likely backfire badly, shredding the value of Chinas reserves. Such was the concern over the issue that, a few years ago, the US Defence Department was asked to assess the strategic implications of this pile of US bonds. The conclusion? Attempting to use US Treasury securities as a coercive tool would have limited effect and likely would do more harm to China than to the United States. As the threat is not credible and the effect would be limited even if carried out, it does not offer China deterrence options, whether in the diplomatic, military, or economic realms, and this would remain true both in peacetime and in scenarios of crisis or war. Recommended Spare me the American tears for Jamal Khashoggi Nonetheless, the long-running US-China trade relationship, lopsided as it is, has been and remains the most serious of the many global imbalances that led up to the 2008 financial crisis and its painful aftermath the creation of so much US debt (money, in other words), fuelling the US mortgage boom, the phenomenon of the mortgage-backed security and the tottering tower of paper that threatened the entire global financial system. Since China decided to rejoin the world economy in the 1990s, America and China have become like two drunken giants staggering down the street, each dependent on the other for export earnings (China from America) and loans (America from China). Now the two drunks are starting to argue and fall out. The current trade talks between them are a faint hope of a much broader overhaul of their mismanaged economic relationship. In essence, China needs to marketise and liberalise its economy so that resources are not misallocated to pointless prestige investment and infrastructure projects and towards boosting household consumption; and America needs to accept that the reason why Chinese stuff is so cheap is because they have a lot of people and wages are necessarily low. America needs to export more to China, Japan, Germany and other surplus nations by being more competitive; China simply needs to spend its reserves and buy more imports. As with Japan before, the USs trading relationship can be reformed and normalised, but the US is no longer the most efficient and highest productivity economy in the world. Protection of outdated industries will not help the US move forward. The trade deficit, in other words, is also partly Americas fault. Both sides need to take long-overdue action to fix it but not tariffs and quotas. Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events China gets nowhere near the coverage Russia gets, which is wrong. Aggressive, revanchist, arrogant, sliding towards dictatorship, engaged in real, proxy, espionage and cyber wars everywhere from the Sea of Azov to Salisbury yes, Russia is a volatile power. It is true that Vladimir Putin is a threat to world peace and his, shall we say, complicated relationship with Trump is only adding to the unstable mix. And yet Russias importance, if not its ambitions, is often overrated, much to the Kremlins satisfaction. For Russia is, in economic, industrial and financial terms, a pygmy punching way above its weight thanks to the mesmerising effect of its few large corporations almost always in basic, raw materials and energy sectors and its high-profile, multi-billionaire oligarchs. In reality, Russias national income is about the same as Indonesia or Germany, and only one fifth of that of America, China or the European Union. It is a Potemkin superpower. Russia, for sure, has a large military, though poorly equipped, and the defence budget is only as large as the UKs or France. The Russians are more dangerous than the Chinese, yes, but not as potent a threat as we often fear. Mismanaging our relationships with Putin cannot push the west into an economic depression. A cold war with Russia, then, is one thing; a cold war with China would be far more ruinous for far more of the wests citizens. Can I be the only one apart from his own sycophants to find the sight of Americas finest Republicans and Democrats condemning the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for murdering Jamal Khashoggi a bit sickening? Crazy. Dangerous. A wrecking ball. A smoking saw. These guys are angry. CIA director Gina Haspel, who was happy to sign off on the torture of her Muslim captives in a secret American prison in Thailand, obviously knew what she was talking about when she testified about Mohammed bin Salman and the agony of Jamal Khashoggi. US government leaks suggest that Haspel knew all about the shrieks of pain, the suffering of Arab men who believed they were drowning, the desperate pleading for life from Americas victims in these sanctuaries of torment in and after 2002. After all, the desperate screams of a man who believes he is drowning and the desperate screams of a man who believes he is suffocating cant be very different. Except, of course, that the CIAs victims lived to be tortured another day indeed several more days while Jamal Khashoggis asphyxiation was intended to end his life. Which it did. A generation ago, the CIAs Operation Phoenix torture and assassination programme in Vietnam went way beyond the imaginations of the Saudi intelligence service. In spook language, Khashoggi was merely terminated with maximum prejudice. If the CIA could sign off on mass murder in Vietnam, why shouldnt an Arab dictator do the same on a far smaller scale? True, I cant imagine the Americans went in for bone saws. Testimony suggests that mass rape followed by mass torture did for their enemies in Vietnam. Why play music through the earphones of the murderers? But still it goes on. Heres Democrat senator Bob Menendez this week. The US, he told us, must send a clear and unequivocal message that such actions are not acceptable on the worlds stage. The action, of course, is the murder of Khashoggi. And this from a man who constantly defended Israel after its slaughter of the innocents in Gaza. So what on earth is going on here? Perhaps the worlds stage of which Menendez spoke was the White House an appropriate phrase, when you come to think about it where the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia has been no stranger. Yet when at least one recent US presidential incumbent of that high office can be considered guilty of war crimes in Iraq and the deaths of tens of thousands of Arabs, how come American senators are huffing and puffing about just one man, Mohammed bin Salman, who (for a moment, let us set aside the Yemen war) is only being accused of ordering the murder and dismemberment of one single Arab? After all, world leaders and US presidents themselves have always had rather a soft spot for mass murderers and those who should face war crimes indictments. Trump has infamously met Kim Jong-un and invited him to the White House. We are all waiting for Rodrigo Duterte to take up his own invitation. Obama lavished hospitality at the White House on a host of bloody autocrats from Gambia, Burkina Faso and Cameroon before we even recall Suharto, whose death squads killed up to half a million people; and Hosni Mubarak, whose secret police sometimes raped their prisoners and who sanctioned the hanging of hundreds of Islamists without proper trials, and his ultimate successor, Field Marshal-President al-Sisi, who has around 60,000 political prisoners locked up in Egypt and whose cops appear to have tortured a young Italian student to death. But Giulio Regeni wasnt murdered in an Egyptian consulate. This list does not even include Ariel Sharon, who as Israeli defence minister was accused by an Israeli inquiry of personal responsibility for the massacre of 1,700 Palestinian civilians at the Sabra and Chatila camps in Beirut in 1982. So what is this clear and unequivocal message that senator Menendez is rambling on about? The message has been clear and unequivocal for decades. The US national interest always trumps (in both senses) morality or international crime. Why else did the United States support Saddam Hussein in his attempt to destroy Iran and his use of chemical warfare against Iran? Why else did Donald Rumsfeld plead with Saddam in December 1983 to allow the reopening of the US embassy in Baghdad when the Iraqi dictator (a strongman at the time, of course) had already used mustard gas against his opponents? By the time Rumsfeld arrived for his meeting, more than 3,000 victims had fallen amid Iraqi gas clouds. The figure would reach at least 50,000 dead. Which is, in mathematical terms, Jamal Khashoggi times 50,000. Yet we are supposed to recoil with shock and horror when Haspel who might herself have a few admissions to make to senators on other matters suggests that Americas latest favourite Middle Eastern tyrant knew about the forthcoming murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Does Menendez think that Saddam hadnt signed the death sentences of thousands of Iraqi men and women which, as we know from his later trial, he did before meeting Rumsfeld? Or that Duterte, who has compared himself to Hitler, doesnt sign off on the killing of his murdered drug suspects? Or that Suharto had absolutely nothing to do with half a million murders in Indonesia? Its instructive, indeed, that the thousands of innocents killed in the Yemen war, an offensive undertaken by Mohammed bin Salman himself with logistical support from the US and UK and it doesnt need Haspel to tell us this hasnt exactly left US senators shocked. Just another bunch of Arabs killing each other, I suppose. Starvation didnt get mentioned by the senators emerging from Haspels closed hearing. Yet the senators know all about the mosque bombings, wedding party bombings, hospital bombings and school bombings in Yemen. Why no tears for these innocents? Or is that a bit difficult when the US military on every occasion by accident, of course has bombed mosques, wedding parties, hospitals and schools in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria? No, the shock and horror and the need for full disclosure about the Saudis is primarily about Trump, and the need to tie him in to the cruel murder of a Washington Post journalist and US resident whose gruesome demise has been blamed by the American president upon a vicious world. But there is something more than this, the appalling fact albeit only a folk memory, perhaps, for many with scarcely any institutional memory at all that 15 of those 9/11 hijackers were Saudis, that Osama bin Laden was a Saudi, that George W Bush secretly flew bin Laden family members out of the US after 9/11, that the Saudis themselves are heir to a blighted, rural, cruel version of Sunni Islam based on the pernicious teachings of the 18th century Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab which has inspired the Taliban, al-Qaeda, Isis and all the other killer cults whom we have proclaimed to be the Wests Enemy No 1. Nailing Mohammed Bin Salman to a crucifix a method of execution favoured by the Wahhabis is an easy kill for US senators, of course. You hit the president and smash those unhappy historical details all in one fell swoop. But dont bank on it. Oil and arms are a potent mix. Old Abd al-Wahhabs home is protected in a new tourist haunt in the suburbs of Riyadh. Come to think of it, the national mosque of Qatar hostile to rapacious Saudi Arabia but another recipient of US weapons and a supporter of Islamist forces in Syria and Iraq has a capacity for 30,000 souls, was built only seven years ago and is named after Abd al-Wahhab himself. This is the dangerous world in which America and its allies now tread, disdainful of the thousands of Muslims who perish under our bombs and missiles and mortars proxy-delivered by those we should distrust ignorant of the religious currents which rumble on beneath our feet and beneath the House of Saud. Even the virtually useless information Haspel learned in the CIAs black centres could have told senators this. If they had bothered to ask. In Ireland, the Iseq Overall Index was faring somewhat better than its European peers soon before the close, trading 0.2pc lower at 5,689. (stock picture) Global stocks tumbled to one-week lows yesterday, as declines by long-dated US bond yields and a renewal of trade concerns stoked fears of a downturn in the United States, the world's largest economy. Brexit concerns hit stocks on this side of the Atlantic, with European indices sinking again. US markets were closed to mark former President George Bush Snr's death, but the effect of Wall Street's turmoil in the previous session, when New York-listed shares tumbled more than 3pc, was felt in Asia and Europe. Uncertainty about the terms of Brexit next March clobbered British services firms last month, leaving the economy at risk of contracting, new figures showed. The IHS Markit/CIPS UK Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell to 50.4 from 52.2 in October, the weakest reading since just after the 2016 Brexit vote and below all forecasts in a Reuters poll of economists. "Most measures of sentiment and positioning in the UK show a loathing of all UK assets," said Paul O'Connor, head of the multi-asset team at Janus Henderson. "Investors just have a revulsion for the UK." Figures also showed that eurozone business growth hit its weakest pace in over two years last month as a manufacturing-led slowdown showed further signs of spreading to the service industry. In Ireland, the Iseq Overall Index was faring somewhat better than its European peers soon before the close, trading 0.2pc lower at 5,689. Movers included agri-services firm Origin Enterprises, which had gained 3.6pc to 5.93, while Ryanair was up 4.1pc soon before the end of the session, at 11.88. Packaging giant Smurfit Kappa was 2.2pc lower near the close at 23.16, while construction materials giant CRH was down 2pc at 23.51. The UK's Ftse-100 was 1pc lower before the bell, while Germany's DAX had also retreated almost 1pc. France's CAC-40 was down just over 1pc. "As I look into next year, most expectations for further gains have been pared back. "Investors have gone from extended bullishness at the start of the year on equities to an uncomfortable neutrality," said Mr O'Connor at Janus Henderson. Debate: An anti Brexit campaigner holds an EU umbrella outside the Houses of Parliament in London, England. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images The EU is prepared to discuss extending Article 50 if Theresa May's Brexit deal is rejected next week, after her proposal was badly undermined by the government's own legal advice. The UK prime minister will travel to Brussels on December 13, two days after the parliamentary vote on the Withdrawal Agreement, when EU leaders are ready to discuss postponing Brexit. Mrs May insists that Britain will leave on March 29 next year, but EU sources have said her fellow leaders would be open to the idea of extending the Article 50 process if it meant avoiding a no-deal Brexit. Mrs May's chances of winning next Tuesday's vote were dealt a fresh blow yesterday when the UK government published its legal advice on the deal, which warned Britain could be yoked to the EU forever if the Irish backstop came into force. The legal advice, prepared by Geoffrey Cox QC, the attorney general, also makes it clear Northern Ireland and mainland Britain would be subject to different customs regimes under the backstop, creating a regulatory border in the Irish Sea. The legal advice - which the British government was forced to publish after being found in contempt of parliament for not doing so - flew in the face of the assurances from Mrs May and from other ministers that the backstop would only be temporary and that Northern Ireland would be treated in exactly the same way as the rest of the UK. Last night Mrs May was trying to salvage her deal by discussing a way of giving MPs a veto over the backstop - the mechanism designed to avoid a hard Border in Ireland if no trade deal can be agreed. Two alternative plans were being discussed with backbenchers. One of them would force Mrs May to seek a unilateral exit mechanism from the backstop, while the other would give MPs the right to choose between the backstop or a no-deal Brexit if trade talks fail. EU leaders are prepared to offer her a lifeline by offering to extend the Article 50 process - and postponing Brexit beyond March - if she asks them to at the two-day summit next week. A succession of Tory MPs, including Sir Michael Fallon and Mark Harper, yesterday urged Mrs May to return to Brussels and seek a revised deal. However, Mrs May will be hugely reluctant to postpone Brexit as it would mean breaking her promise that Britain will leave the EU on March 29, which could in turn force her to resign and give a new Conservative prime minister the opportunity to renegotiate the deal. Last night the DUP, on whose votes Mrs May relies for her working majority, encouraged Brexiteers to vote against the deal by saying its MPs would support the government in a confidence vote if the deal was rejected. However, the party said its confidence and supply deal with the Conservative Party would be over if the deal is voted through, effectively giving Mrs May a choice between her deal or her premiership. Meanwhile in the Dail, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that it will be impossible for Northern Ireland to have MEPs in the EU Parliament after Brexit. He said the "sad reality" is that the North will not be part of the EU and therefore cannot have MEPs. However, he suggested that there may be a case for having "observers" in the parliament who could contribute to debates that specifically affect Northern Ireland. But in a thinly veiled attack on Sinn Fein, he said the chances of this happening are weakened by the lack of a Northern Assembly. London Mayor Sadiq Khan insists the city is "open to Ireland" as he reiterates it voted Remain. He will make his first official visit to Dublin today to "bang the drum" for greater business ties. Writing in today's Irish Independent, Mr Khan wants people to know while the UK voted for Brexit, London voted to stay in the EU. "We will always consider ourselves part of Europe and - regardless of what happens with Brexit - we will continue to work with other European cities." He said whatever happens with Brexit, "I want the people of Ireland to know we remain optimistic about our future in London and optimistic about our future relationships with key European cities like Dublin". "And, as we navigate the uncertainty ahead, one thing will remain constant: London is - and always will be - open to Ireland and the great Irish people." Prime Minister Theresa May speaks in the House of Commons at the start of a five-day debate on the European Union Withdrawal Agreement. Photo: PA Wire Parliament's vote on British Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal will go ahead on December 11, her office said on Thursday. May has repeatedly said that if MPs reject her deal with Brussels, which would see Britain exit the EU on March 29 with continued close ties, the only alternatives are leaving without a deal or reversing Brexit. The British parliament is mid-way through a five-day debate on the Brexit deal, ahead of the crunch vote which will define Britain's departure from the EU and could determine May's own future as leader. She currently looks set to lose that vote. The Times newspaper reported that senior ministers were urging the prime minister to delay it for fear of a rout. "The vote will take place on Tuesday as planned," May's spokeswoman said. The House of Commons leader, Andrea Leadsom, also told parliament the vote would go ahead on Dec. 11. The day before the vote, on Dec. 10, the European Union's top court will deliver a judgment on whether Britain can unilaterally halt Brexit. EU negotiator Michel Barnier said on Thursday that the only deal available was the one agreed with Brussels. "The agreement that is on the table -- the withdrawal agreement and the agreement on the future relationship -- are, in our view, the only and best possible to organise an orderly withdrawal," Barnier said. May used an interview on BBC radio on Thursday to press on with her bid to persuade lawmakers to back her deal. "There are three options: one is to leave the European Union with a deal ... the other two are that we leave without a deal or that we have no Brexit at all," she said. In one small potential change, May said she was speaking to lawmakers about giving parliament a bigger role in deciding whether to trigger a so-called Northern Irish backstop. CHARM OFFENSIVE? Concerns about the backstop are a key driver of opposition to the deal among both May's own Conservative lawmakers and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her minority government. Supporters of a clean break with the EU say the backstop, intended to ensure no hard border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and the EU-member Irish Republic, could leave Britain forced to accept EU regulations indefinitely, or Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of Britain. In legal advice the government was forced to publish on Wednesday, the government's top lawyer warned there was a risk Britain could get stuck in "protracted and repeating rounds of negotiations" to reach a deal to supersede the backstop. May's critics, including both supporters and opponents of Brexit, say that means Britain could be subject to EU laws long after it has given up any influence over determining them. May hinted she might give parliament a greater role in deciding whether to start the backstop or extend a transition period under which more EU membership terms would apply. "There are questions about how decisions are taken as to whether we go into the backstop, because that isnt an automatic," May said. "The question is: do we go into the backstop? Do we extend ... the implementation period?" On Wednesday, May's top parliamentary enforcer, or chief whip, Julian Smith, spent an hour meeting with pro-Brexit Conservative and DUP lawmakers, listening to their concerns about the deal. But lawmakers who attended the meeting said he did not offer a solution to persuade them to back it. "This was not about doing deals, it was about listening," said one leading pro-Brexit lawmaker. Another said it was: "Too little, too late." During the first two days of debate, at least 15 of May's own lawmakers explicitly said they intend to vote against the deal, and British media have speculated that as many as 100 could ultimately rebel. May will either need to win them back or persuade a substantial number of opposition lawmakers to support the deal, which appears unlikely Suckler herds can reduce their Greenhouse Gas emissions by 10pc over the next 20 years if they use genetics to produce profitable and carbon efficient cows. ICBFs Dr Andrew Cromie told farmers and delegates at the organisation's beef conference in Athlone that instead of being blamed, all farmers can play a part and produce carbon efficient as well as profitable animals if they focus on implementing the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) in their herds. There is an opportunity to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions by 10pc over the next 20 years within the suckler beef industry. It doesnt sound like much but if everyone does their small part, we can be more profitable and have more carbon efficient cows too,said Dr Cromie. If we have the right traits we can select cows that are lower in emissions and this is important to move to the 10pc target. Dr Cromie said that that there is an opportunity to produce less heavier animals that produce less methane that intake the same amount of feed and if Irish farmers could achieve this it would be "win-win for farmers and the environment". Dr Cromie pointed out that to achieve this it will be key to positively engage bull breeders to ensure these carbon friendly traits are passed down to progeny. It will be crucial to engage with farmers and bull breeders. We need bull breeders at the top of the pyramid generating genes that go down in to the suckler herd. Unless we have bull breeders engaged then we will fail, he said. We have a model here that has collective stakeholders. We need to work closely with breeders to help identify top breeds that help to move the industry in the right direction. Dr Cromie outlined that carcass weights in the suckler herd have increased by 8-10 kilos in recent years which he said has been driven by focusing on terminal traits and has been worth an overall 569m to the beef industry and equates to 33 per cow per year. He also explained that while the growth rate of cows has slowed down in recent years, it is increasing and that without the BDGP there would be bigger cows but they would be less fertile and less profitable. By focusing on the BDGP the value of maternal gain to suckler herds over the next 15 years is 540m. ICBF's Pat Donnellan added that heavier cows require increased energy usage and costs for farmers which needs to be taken in to account when thinking about our carbon footprint. We have very small herd sizes in Ireland, so data on weights is scarce. A French study on Charlorais cows showed that a 900kg cow required 40pc more energy to keep her going than a 600kg cow. The larger the cow the greater the energy needed. Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland has confirmed Bluetongue was detected in a heifer imported from France. The animal, which was imported last week, tested positive following a stringent post-import testing regime. Bluetongue does not cause disease in humans or affect food safety. It is a virus transmitted by midge bites and affects cows, goats, sheep and other camelids such as llamas. It can reduce milk yield and cause infertility, and in the most severe cases is fatal for infected animals. The midges are most active between May and October and not all susceptible animals show immediate signs of contracting the virus. The Chief Veterinary Officer in Northern Ireland, Dr Robert Huey, today urged farmers to remain vigilant and said the detection offers another timely reminder to farmers for the need to think carefully before importing susceptible animals from Bluetongue affected areas. It is vitally important that we keep Bluetongue out. The risk is not only to themselves but to the whole industry as the impacts on trade could be catastrophic as a result. If farmers feel they must import from Bluetongue-affected countries, they should consider what additional guarantees the seller can provide such as requesting a pre-export test to be carried out to prove effective immunity to the Bluetongue virus. Dr Huey added: Anyone who imports from Bluetongue affected countries or zones risks the possibility that, if the imported animals are subsequently found to be infected with Bluetongue, the animals will be slaughtered and no compensation will be paid. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is taking action to ensure the risk of spread of the disease is reduced, with veterinary investigations under way and movement restrictions in place at the premises. The affected animal has been humanely culled. The Department is also tracing and testing associated herds and an epidemiological investigation has been initiated to assess the situation. This investigation will help determine if disease is circulating, however as we are now outside the active midge period, this is highly unlikely. Therefore at this time the UK remains officially Bluetongue free. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar still faces the thorny issue of what to do about spending. Image: Collins Photo Agency Deeds, not words. For all the talk, the Shannon remains undrained (unless perhaps to water Dublin). And the top rate of tax starts below average earnings. Those were fine words from the Taoiseach, saying the limit of the standard 20pc tax band would be increased from the present 35,300 to 50,000 - just above average earnings of 46,000. But fine words should be kept a safe distance away from deeds which do not match them. In this case, curiously, they came just weeks after deeds which went the other way, in the October Budget. As with most budgets of the past 35 years, this one neglected to raise the standard rate band fully in line with earnings - a process known as indexation. The increase was just over 2pc, whereas earnings are forecast to rise by more than 3pc. Full indexation would have reduced government revenues by 600m. Bringing the top rate entry closer to average earnings would have cost even more. It is an expensive business, which is why progress has been slow to non-existent so far. During the crash there was reverse indexation, where the entry point to the top rate fell significantly, to a low of around 33,000. That makes the average earnings target even harder to attain. Mr Varadkar blamed "reckless economic mismanagement of the past" but there are reasons why politicians do not like the process, even in better times. Budget 2019 shows them quite clearly. First of all, indexation seems to bring limited electoral benefit. Government ministers can hardly feel they got 160m worth of headlines from the measures they did take. Nowadays, things are further complicated by the existence of the unpopular USC. The 500 increase in its bottom rate band, along with a quarter point cut in the middle rate, took another 120m out of government coffers. The total cost of both measures is a not inconsiderable 280m, yet they received few cheers in the generally critical reaction to the Budget. Before tax-cutting got a bad name in the crash, past governments often preferred rate cuts to indexation. Reducing the 40pc rate to 39pc would cost about 350m a year but, back then, such cuts got more political approval per million. So indexation came a poor second and the low entry point problem remained unsolved. Cutting rates like that would now elicit howls of disapproval - although not on USC for some reason. That seems to be regarded as almost a government obligation rather than a policy choice, so there is not a lot of kudos to be had from it. Quite the opposite. Even the most progressive budgets of recent years were widely decried as unfair. Something else is needed politically, and the Taoiseach has delivered it. One can get remarkable numbers by rolling a few years together, as his Ard-Fheis speech demonstrated. Three billion in tax cuts, worth up to 250 a month for the squeezed middle. Suddenly, indexation is hot. For that is all the Mr Varadkar has promised - and perhaps not even that in full. Average earnings will probably be above 50,000 in five years. It is a moving target. There is also the little matter that, in any common sense definition, indexation is not a tax cut, even if it suits politicians in general to call it that. Non-indexation, on the other hand, is a tax rise for those whose earnings move from below the standard rate cut-off point to above it. This was the original "stealth tax" before the phrase came to mean just about any unpopular tax rather than one which is largely invisible. It is very handy for finance ministries and some, as in Britain, make it automatic before they go on to real tax cuts. There won't be much room for any of those, under Mr Varadkar's plans, once the annual cost of full indexation is accounted for. Mr Varadkar is probably right in hoping that it will be seen as a tax cut rather than a tax rise foregone, but he will face the same dilemmas as all those predecessors in doing without the stealthy revenue from non-indexation. Spending is the bugbear, as it nearly always is. Last week's analysis of the budget from the Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) painted an unflattering portrait of a government which is missing its EU commitments because spending is following a pattern not dissimilar to the early years of the bubble. Corporation tax has taken the place of property based taxes in funding this spending. At least we knew where property revenues originated and what might stop them in their tracks (even if there were conflicting views on whether they would. With corporation tax, we do not know even that much. This opens a distinctly black hole in that grand Five-Year Plan. The budget figures were used to show it is all possible, with their picture of tax revenues increasing by 12bn, current spending by 7bn and capital by 3bn over the period. But all is not what it seems. The revenue estimates are simple enough, even if based on rather cheery forecasts about economic performance over the next five years. However, as IFAC pointed out, the spending figures are based on technical assumptions. They include some costs of an ageing population, as well as increased public investment, but no other new spending. They purport to be the kind of medium-term framework which other countries produce, but are nothing of the kind. By IFAC's calculation, they imply that spending will fall from the present 38.7pc of national income (GNI*) to 36.2pc by 2023. Fancy a walk across the Shannon? No words could be further from recent deeds than these ones. Far from flattening, never mind falling, public spending has been rising at bubble-era rates in the past four years. Should it continue to do so for the next four or five, the fiscal targets will be blown away once tax revenue growth slows, as eventually for whatever reason, it will. Some calculations suggest there is already a potential deterioration of five percentage points in the deficit after even a normal global shock. It seems clear that Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe lost the late summer budget battle. The now almost routine end-of-year increase means spending will rise by 5.7pc this year, as compared with the planned 4.1pc. To meet this, the budget had a 350m increase in taxation, to which non-indexation added a further 600m. If this was a pre-election budget, we can see where the election is headed: the tried and tested formula of spending promises which are more or less honoured if possible, and tax reductions which usually are not, because the two things are rarely possible together. The exception in taxation promises is the mantra that those on the minimum wage must be kept out of the tax net. The unthinking application of this formula has produced the tax system of which the Taoiseach and many others complain, with its early application of the top rate and steep progression thereafter. Mr Varadkar's answer is to tack another storey on this shaky edifice. The two-thirds of workers who are exempt or taxed at 20pc would increase to more than three-quarters. Such an income tax system could not fund a modern welfare economy, certainly not one with Ireland's insatiable desire for public spending. In the meantime, the widespread idea will be reinforced that the solution to the issue of early entry into the top tier is to keep more people in what used to be the bottom tier, but is now the standard 20pc bracket. Therein may lie the only possible solution: raising the top rate entry point, but not the 20pc band. Instead, earnings above the present cut-off would be taxed at a new rate of, for the sake of argument, 33pc. It would still be slow and expensive, but it might just get to a 50,000 top rate by 2023, if accompanied by spending growth in line with the economy's potential and no nasty shocks. Those are two enormous ifs, but anything else, however grand it may sound, is just more of the same old, same old. The UKs aviation authority has said it is taking action to force Ryanair to pay compensation to customers. Photo: REUTERS Thousands of Ryanair passengers will find out next week if they are entitled to compensation after a series of strikes. The Commission for Aviation Regulation said it will issue a decision to 37 passengers who made claims as a result of industrial action by pilots. The UK's aviation authority has said it is taking action to force Ryanair to pay compensation to customers. The Civil Aviation Authority said the strikes were not "extraordinary circumstances," which would exclude the airline from having to pay compensation. Ryanair had to cancel hundreds of flights during the summer in Ireland and across Europe due to strikes by pilots and cabin crew. The airline has been adamant it is not liable to pay compensation. As it stands, it is not yet clear whether Qudos will be able to pay outstanding insurance claims. (Stock image) Up to 50,000 Irish insurance customers have been left with no guarantee of cover after an underwriting company shut down. Danish company Qudos has gone into liquidation, with payouts on claims being put on pause. It means that Irish customers' cover with the firm is essentially worthless, and those awaiting payment of a claim from Qudos could be left on the hook. Thousands more whose insurance is underwritten by Qudos will need to move quickly to find new policies. The Central Bank of Ireland said it "strongly" recommended that Qudos customers seek alternative cover. The situation will inevitably raise fears that insurance customers will be hit with levies to cover unpaid claims - as seen with the collapses of Setanta Insurance or Quinn Insurance. As it stands, it is not yet clear whether Qudos will be able to pay outstanding insurance claims. If it turns out unpaid claims will not be settled, Irish customers will have to look for compensation if they don't want to pay for the cost of the claims themselves. Liquidators who now control the company, and whose job it is to secure as much money as possible for Qudos's creditors, said they expect to provide a further update within one or two weeks. Both Denmark and Ireland have dedicated funds for paying claims of liquidated insurers, and both are potential options depending on how the matter progresses. Read More The Central Bank is engaging with the Danish authorities, according to the Department of Finance. It added that it "may take a number of weeks to establish the extent and nature of the insolvency". Qudos provided services in Ireland through insurance brokers. It primarily operated in the motor, household and logistics and haulage markets. Patrona, an Irish insurance company who provided administration services for Qudos here, said it has offered alternative insurance products to brokers. The brokers can pass these on at no extra cost to policyholders. The Qudos liquidators are unlikely to be able to provide refunds. Patrona said: "In relation to claims, we have not received any formal instructions from the liquidator at this stage other than advice on the Qudos website today which states that claims will not be paid for one to two weeks. "We can only assume at this stage that this is for administrative reasons while the liquidator evaluates the Qudos position and puts the necessary infrastructure in place," it added. Patrona acknowledged the wait was "very frustrating for policyholders" and said that "as soon as we have more information we will be advising our brokers immediately". Qudos is not the first insurance company operating in Ireland, but regulated elsewhere in Europe, to go into liquidation. Setanta Insurance was regulated in Malta, while Enterprise Insurance, whose collapse also affected Irish customers, was regulated in Gibraltar. On the matter of "passporting", Insurance Ireland, a representative group for the insurance industry here, said it "strongly supports a well-functioning cross-border insurance market where customers can avail of insurance cover across the European Union". "But this must be underpinned by consistent regulation to protect the interests of customers," it added. Threshold chair, Aideen Hayden during the launch of Threshold's 2017 annual report at the O'Callaghan Davenport Hotel, Dublin. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins Housing charity Threshold received 73,526 calls last year - and a third were from tenants faced with losing their homes. At the launch of its annual report for 2017, chairperson Aideen Hayden said that: "Of particular concern to Threshold is the rise in the number of people contacting us in relation to tenancy terminations, with an 18pc increase on the previous year's figures. "This points to the vulnerability of people in the private rented sector," she said. "We are dealing with many people who come to our services who are facing unaffordable rent increases." The charity is campaigning to see the introduction of a "transparent dwelling-specific" rent register to help matters, This would allow tenants in rent pressure zones to compare prices. It would also help in effective enforcement of legislation which is designed to cap annual rent increases at 4pc in designated areas. The organisation also saw an increase in "renovictions" or notices of termination which were issued on the grounds of renovation work or last year. In total, Threshold protected 4,376 tenancies last year. Renters will be able to know what a previous tenant was paying for a room under laws to be brought to Cabinet next week. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has indicated he can overcome legal challenges to set up a 'rent register'. It would allow people looking to rent a room see the average prices in a certain location. The move is among a suite of measures aimed at clamping down on unscrupulous landlords who are taking advantage of loopholes in the current system. Mr Murphy also plans to introduce fines for landlords who breach the limitations imposed by the 'Rent Pressure Zones' (RPZs). Prices in the RPZs cannot be hiked by more than 4pc in a year but there is anecdotal evidence that the restriction is being flouted. A figure of 15,000 has been suggested as a suitable fine for a landlord who pushes up rent by a larger amount. And the minister is to double the notice period for tenants facing eviction. Speaking yesterday, Mr Murphy said he wants to "better enforce rent caps" and allow the Residential Tenancies Board to actively investigate issues in the market. Currently the RTB has to receive a complaint about a landlord before a inspectors can investigate. "I absolutely support rent transparency. And I believe that rent transparency does mean a rent register and I see no reason why we can't do it like with the property price register," Mr Murphy said. "I have put it to the Attorney General that this is what we want to incorporate in our legislation in terms of making people understand what fair rent is meant to be and they can see quite clearly whether their rights are being breached." He launched housing charity Threshold's annual report yesterday which showed the body received 75,526 calls last year, and a third were from tenants faced with losing their homes. In the Dail, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar came under attack for the Government's performance on housing. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the Government had failed to help renters but given tax breaks to landlords. "It's time for you to admit that your attempts to control rents have categorically failed," she said. The Taoiseach said it was wrong to "demonise" landlords. "We do actually need landlords in this country," he said. Contact the Central Bank or your broker to get more information on what to do next Qudos Insurance, a Danish business providing insurance to 50,000 Irish customers, has gone into liquidation. Here's what you need to know next. What does that mean? If you're a customer with Qudos, you need to get cover somewhere else. And this liquidation is particularly significant if you're somebody who has an outstanding claim with Qudos. There's a possibility now the claim won't be paid. Although technically your cover remains valid, a question mark has arisen over whether Qudos will be able to pay out on claims, so you're taking a serious risk if you don't find alternative cover. But I've never heard of Qudos - so doesn't that mean I'll be OK? Not necessarily. If you bought your insurance through a broker the ultimate provider may be Qudos. Check your policy documents to see if Qudos is listed on it, and contact your broker if you have any questions. What if I have a claim outstanding with Qudos - how do you know I might not be paid? Qudos' liquidators have put claim payments on hold. Their job is to secure as much money as they can in order to pay Qudos's creditors, and they've paused payments because they say they need to find out more information about the company. The liquidators say they should be able to provide more information about claim payments within one or two weeks. It may turn out that they are able to cover all outstanding claims. Or, alternatively, it may not. So will I be left on the hook? Hopefully not. Denmark has a guarantee fund that is designed to step in and pay compensation if an insurance company is liquidated. The Central Bank of Ireland is engaging with the Danish authorities on the matter at the moment and it may end up being the case that you can claim from this fund. The fund covers all consumer policies - but not all commercial ones - so if your insurance is for your business you may not be covered by this fund. Contact the Central Bank or your broker to get more information on what to do next. Is there any entity in Ireland which can pay me? There's a fund here called the Insurance Compensation Fund which may be able to step in. It does provide cover when insurers regulated in other EU member states are liquidated. But again, not all commercial insurance claims are covered by the fund, and not all consumer insurance claims will be paid in full, so again you need to discuss the matter further with your broker and/or the Central Bank of Ireland. Could I be affected by this even if I'm not a Qudos customer? As we've seen in the past with the collapse of Setanta Insurance and Quinn Insurance, there is a precedent for ordinary insurance customers having to fork out levies in order to cover the costs associated with liquidated insurers. We still have to find out more detail from the liquidators, and it will probably take some time before the full consequences of the company's collapse become clear in their entirety. 'It's the latest example of Google employees speaking out, at a time when it is being criticised for its handling of sexual misconduct, contracts with the US military and a plan to build a censored search engine in China.' Stock photo: Reuters A group of Google employees has written to CEO Sundar Pichai demanding better conditions for the thousands of contractors who make up more than half of its workforce. Last month, Alphabet overhauled the way it handles allegations of sexual harassment and assault, but the updated policies largely left out temporary, vendor and contract workers. Yesterday, a group of full-time and contract workers sent a letter to Mr Pichai asking for that to change. They also listed other requests, such as access to company-wide emails and town hall staff meetings, better health care and benefits, and a more transparent process for applying for full-time jobs. "We will continue to be mistreated and ignored if we stay silent," the workers wrote in the letter. "Google has the power - and the money - to ensure that we are treated equitably." It's the latest example of Google employees speaking out, at a time when it is being criticised for its handling of sexual misconduct, contracts with the US military and a plan to build a censored search engine in China. Some Google employees and outside activists believe the company, which is on track to make more than $30bn in profit this year, can easily afford to treat everyone who works in its offices the same. In July, Bloomberg revealed that earlier this year, for the first time, temporary, vendor and contract workers made up more than half of the company's total staff. The workers, known internally as 'TVCs', do all sorts of jobs, from serving meals and piloting self-driving cars, to writing code and managing teams. Unlike full-time workers, they aren't given stock, and many struggle with inadequate health care. They aren't allowed in some buildings, or at certain meetings. Several TVCs interviewed recently by Bloomberg News described feeling like second-class citizens. They asked not to be identified for fear of losing their jobs. Bloomberg US computer-chip maker Analog Devices, a major employer across Limerick and Cork, is fighting Revenue over a 43m tax bill. Analog is resisting Revenue's demand for the sum, which the tax collector says is owed from transactions stretching as far back as 2013. The American company has told shareholders that it will "vigorously defend" its position and is appealing the decision. It said that if it loses the case, there could be a "material unfavourable impact" on its bottom line. The 43m figure does not include any penalties or interest Analog may have to pay if it loses. Both Analog and Revenue declined to comment. Established in Ireland in 1977, Analog employs about 1,200 people at its original and main hub in Limerick, in addition to its design facility in Cork. Cork is also a base for the Irish operation of Apple, which is fighting a European Commission order to pay 13bn in tax to Ireland over what the Commission said was a special tax deal. Wednesday nights episode of Coronation Street saw seven-year-old Hope Stape bite six-year-old Ruby Dobbs in an unprovoked attack triggering the exit of one of the soaps best-loved characters. Fiz Stape, played by Jennie McAlpine, will leave Weatherfield to take her daughter to a specialist unit in Birmingham. Fans watching at home were left horrified after the troubled child once again became violent towards another infant. This time, however, Hope appeared to have gone too far, leaving her mother unable to deny that her child needed professional help. Fiz had previously refused to send her child to a specialist unit, despite other violent episodes. She said to Evelyn Plummer: I cant take this anymore. Youre right, she needs to go to that place. Weve let her down. Her partner Tyrone Dobbs told her she couldnt split up the family but Fiz remained convinced, telling him: Its the only way. One viewer said they had found the storyline extremely emotional. Another hailed Fiz for her selfless behaviour in looking after Hope. Video of the Day One viewer at home said they thought the storyline presented an unrealistic view of things, adding the child would have been able to get good treatment in Manchester, closer to home. I feel Fiz taking Hope away to a 'unit' is giving out a poor message. What about seeking help locally in Manchester and keeping Hope in a loving family unit? Irresponsible scripting from the #corrie writers. PepperPot (@philm2244) December 5, 2018 Another avid viewer of the programme described Fizs storyline as powerful and said it had a positive message for people suffering mental illness. One more opinionated viewer made it clear she did not want Hope and Fiz to leave Weatherfield for Birmingham. Harvey Weinstein said he has had a hell of a year, in an email leaked to the US media (Seth Wenig/AP) Harvey Weinstein has said he has endured the worst nightmare of my life. The film producer is awaiting trial in New York, accused of rape, more than a year since women first came forward with allegations of sexual assault against him. Weinstein denies all allegations of non-consensual sex and his lawyers have urged a judge to dismiss the case. Expand Close Harvey Weinsteins lawyers have asked a judge in New York to dismiss the case against him (Miramax/PRNewswire/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harvey Weinsteins lawyers have asked a judge in New York to dismiss the case against him (Miramax/PRNewswire/PA) In a leaked email published by US celebrity news website TMZ, Weinstein wrote: Ive had one hell of a year the worst nightmare of my life. A representative for Weinstein confirmed the emails authenticity. According to the movie moguls lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, the email was sent to a group of close friends. The email, which links to several articles about the case, goes on to attack the police investigation into his alleged sex crimes. It says: As you can see from these articles, the police have played a very difficult role in my investigation. All three police officers have either been retired, or repositioned from the SVU. The articles are self-explanatory, but Id like to speak to you on the phone if you have some time. There is more to this story I appreciate your confidentiality. Have a read of these articles. I wish I didnt have to ask, but Id be very appreciative of your time. Best, Harvey. Expand Close Harvey Weinstein is facing charges of rape in New York (Dominic Lipinski/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Harvey Weinstein is facing charges of rape in New York (Dominic Lipinski/PA) Video of the Day Scores of women have come forward to allege Weinstein sexually assaulted them, with claims ranging from inappropriate touching to rape. The 66-year-old is facing five charges in New York. Weinsteins legal team have scored a string of legal victories as they urge a judge to dismiss the allegations against him. In November, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office closed an investigation into alleged settlement payments between Weinstein and some of his accusers. In October, the DA dropped one of the charges against Weinstein after it emerged that a detective asked a witness not to come forward with evidence which could cast doubt on an accusers allegations. Mr Brafman, calling for the case against the film producer to be kicked out of court, said: The only reasonably prudent decision would be to stop this chaos now. Weinstein is due to appear in court on December 20. I always thought Robert Redford has been a totally underrated actor, whose minimalist, unfussy approach has tended to obscure the quality of his work. Since breaking through alongside his friend Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in the late 1960s, Redford has remained one of the best leading men in Hollywood, displaying the kind of unshowy naturalism that wins no Oscars but serves the greater purpose of the finished film. Over a 60-year career (hes 82) littered with outstanding performances, hes been Oscar-nominated as an actor just once (for The Sting), and has never won. He deserves another nomination at the very least for this winningly evocative collaboration with writer/director David Lowery. Lowery is among the more original voices in American film-making at the minute, and in his last movie, the wonderfully oddball A Ghost Story, Casey Affleck played a man who dies in a road crash, comes back to haunt his wife, and watches in horror as she moves on and their home gets turned into an office block. Lowery and Redford first worked together on the directors enchanting 2016 childrens film Petes Dragon, and in The Old Man & the Gun, the veteran actor takes on a whimsically anti-heroic role with pleasing echoes of the Sundance Kid himself. Expand Close Sissey Spacek and Robert Redford in The Old Man & the Gun / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sissey Spacek and Robert Redford in The Old Man & the Gun Forrest Tucker (Redford) is a career criminal whos been robbing banks with distinction since his teens, and has staged daring escapes from just about every prison he was sent to. Its 1981, and hes in his mid-70s, but his passion for bank jobs seems undimmed, and with the help of two colleagues, Forrest embarks on an ambitious spree, starting in Texas but continuing up country. Teddy (Danny Glover) does the driving, Waller (Tom Waits) is the beady-eyed lookout, while Tucker carries out the actual robberies and, boy, does he do them suavely. Wearing a natty suit, a broad-brimmed hat and a fake moustache, he ambles into sleepy branches, smiles warmly and asks to see the manager. He quietly tells them his real business and, though no one ever seems to actually see one, claims hes carrying a gun. The robberies are transacted with quiet, almost soothing efficiency, and Tucker never so much as raises his voice to his victims, who afterwards invariably describe him as a gentleman. Expand Close Casey Affleck in The Old Man & the Gun / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Casey Affleck in The Old Man & the Gun When a Texan police detective called John Hunt (Casey Affleck) notices that these crimes form a pattern, he christens the culprits the Over the Hill Gang and becomes fascinated by their elusive and charismatic leader. The two men are polar opposites, Hunt a plodding cop and dependable family man, Tucker a rootless drifter for whom settling down would represent the ultimate horror. He does, though, appear to toy with it as he winningly courts Jewel (Sissy Spacek), a farm-owning widow who ought to know better than to expect anything much from a man like Tucker. Hunt hunts, Tucker robs, and the old man seems to relish the chase almost as much as the robberies. He seems at his happiest either sauntering out of a bank with a bag full of loot, or careering across country being chased by a cloud of wailing sirens. And although the film is partly based on a true story, Redfords character seems mythic, part of the long-line of American outlaws who took one look at settled life, hit the road and kept on running forever. The role is so appropriate to the actor that its hard to believe Lowery didnt write it with him in mind: it plays to his strengths, fighting shy of too much detail or gritty verities, and allowing the character to drift like a laconic ghost through his own story. Video of the Day The film, which is shot to feel like a movie of the period and is really quite beautifully made, makes constant subtle references to Robert Redfords career. There are teasing clips of earlier films, and photos of a young Tucker showing the actor in his beautiful prime. We even see him on a horse at one point, a nostalgic moment that both evokes Sundance and underlines the sad fact that, even in the 1980s, Tucker is an anachronism. Redford is wonderful in this will-o'-the-wisp role: his easy way with comedy is to the fore, his physical grace apparently undimmed by age. From a distance, his thick auburn hair fluttering in the breeze, you imagine him young and forget that hes about to ride off into the sunset: then, with a melancholy sigh, you remember that he is. (12A, 97 mins) Also releasing this week: Yasin Aktay with US actor Sean Penn, in Ankara (Handout via AP) Sean Penn is in Turkey working on a documentary about the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul, an official has said. Yasin Aktay, an adviser to Turkeys president, said that the two-time Oscar winner interviewed him in Ankara as part of his preliminary preparations for the documentary before leaving for Istanbul where he was due to meet with Mr Khashoggis Turkish fiancee. Expand Close A protest at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A protest at the Embassy of Saudi Arabia about the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi (AP) The Washington Post columnist, who was critical of the Saudi crown prince, was killed by Saudi agents on October 2 after arriving to handle routine paperwork. Mr Aktay, who was a friend of Mr Khashoggis, was the first to alert authorities that the journalist disappeared inside the consulate. Turkish media showed Penn filming in front of the consulate building on Wednesday. A SENIOR director with video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) says he was fired for allegedly telling a female colleague he was not "going to pull my dick out and put it on the table" next to another woman colleague "to see who has the bigger dick". Philippe Grenet (56), who earns 160,000 per annum as director of global delivery service for EA Ireland, denies making the comment in a one-to-one video conversation with a female colleague who is based in Austin Texas on November 9 last, the High Court heard. What he actually said was "I don't want to compare the length of my dick" with the colleague, he says. On Thursday, he was granted a temporary injunction restraining his dismissal. The court heard he accepts the remark was a clumsy, inelegant and ill-advised expression, but says it means he "did not want to challenge" that particular person on a work matter. He also claims, in an affidavit, that the member of his staff who made the complaint, Tracy Simmons, is actuated by malice. He said she had not been successful after expressing an interest in the role he was appointed to. He further claims she exhibited a negative attitude towards him, and had frequently undermined his authority as her manager, and had interpersonal difficulties with other EA employees. As a result of Ms Simmons complaint, he was dismissed. He claims that decision by EA is flawed was done in breach of fair procedures and in the absence of any proper investigative or disciplinary processes. Mr Grent's lawyers secured an injunction restraining his employer, which is based in Galway City, from dismissing him, or from appointing anyone else to his role with the company, pending further order. The injunction was granted on a one side only represented basis by Mr Justice Senan Allen who said the case could return next week. Oisiin Quinn SC, for Mr Grenet, said there was no proper or valid investigation of the claims against his client, for whom Engish was not the first language. The allegations have been "twisted out of context" by someone who "wants to get rid" of his client. The accounts of what was said at the meeting were different, although his client has admitted using the work "dick" in the conversation. A few days after the complaint was made Mr Grenet attended a brief meeting and was suspended from his role. At a further meeting on November 14, he was informed his employment had been terminated for gross misconduct and that he had breached EA's harassment and equality policy. Counsel said Mr Grenet was not afforded fair procedures, and the process was run in a shambolic and utterly prejudicial manner. Counsel said that EA contends that he has admitted the wrongdoing and that it is entitled to terminate his employment. EA has rejected in correspondence there were any flaws in the disciplinary process, he said. His client is a married man with a young son who moved to Galway from France earlier this year. He was in charge of 420 people working for EA in Galway, and a further 80 people in Texas. He fears the impact the allegations and his purported dismissal will have on his reputation and his future. He has a long career in the industry and has always conducted himself in a proper and honest manner. Graham Dwyer has received a boost in his bid to appeal his murder conviction after the High Court found Irish legislation used to access his phone records contravenes EU law and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). However, the court said it was not an automatic consequence of its decision that any convictions would be quashed. Architect Dwyer (46) was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2015 after a jury at the Central Criminal Court found him guilty of the murder of Elaine O'Hara. Evidence relating to the use of mobile phones formed a crucial part of the case against him. Dwyer, who denies killing the childcare worker, brought a challenge against provisions of 2011 Communications Act which allowed gardai investigating Ms O'Hara's death to obtain and use certain data, including phone records, as evidence against him during his lengthy trial. This morning the High Court ruled provisions set out in Section 6 of the 2011 Act contravene EU law and the ECHR because there is no prior review by a court or an independent administrative authority for access to the telephony data. In the proceedings, lawyers for Dwyer also argued sections of the Act were repugnant to the Constitution. However, Mr Justice Tony O'Connor said the court would not be making a declaration on this issue. Dwyer was not seeking to challenge his conviction in the proceedings. However, today's ruling is likely to have a bearing on a challenge to his conviction set to be heard by the Court of Appeal. He was not present in court as the ruling was delivered and is currently incarcerated at the Midlands Prison. Mr Justice O'Connor said it was not an automatic consequence of his decision that trials would collapse or that convictions would be quashed. He said Dwyer would be obliged, in his appeal, to address rules regarding admissibility of evidence. The judge referred to a Supreme Court case know as JC, which related to the admissibility of evidence. In that case the Supreme Court ruled that evidence obtained in breach of an accused's constitutional rights does not necessarily have to be excluded at trial if the breach involved was not conscious and deliberate. Dwyer's case centred on the European Courts of Justice's decision in 2014 to strike down the EU directive underlying the 2011 Act. Among the flaws that court identified was that the directive interfered more than was strictly necessary with fundamental rights to respect for private life and the protection of personal data. It also found the directive did not provide sufficient safeguards against the risk of abuse or unlawful access of data. While other EU countries have taken steps to amend their national laws, Ireland has not done so. Dwyer met childcare worker O'Hara online. She disappeared in August 2012 and her remains were not found until 13 months later in a forest at Killakee in the Dublin Mountains. Mobile phone data obtained by gardai had a large bearing on the investigation of her murder. Using this 2011 Act, gardai obtained data associated with Dwyer's work mobile phone and other handsets discovered during the course of their investigation. Using cell-site analysis, detectives were able to pinpoint roughly where Dwyer was at certain points in time based on the movements of his phone. This assisted investigators to establish his routine in the months prior to Ms O'Hara's disappearance. Crucially, cell-site analysis was also able to link the movements of Dwyer's work phone to those of a Nokia mobile phone discovered in the Vartry Reservoir in Co Wicklow in September 2013. When Dwyer went somewhere, he tended to bring both phones with him. This second handset, known as the "master" phone, was used by Dwyer to communicate with Ms O'Hara. She used another Nokia handset, known as the "slave" phone, which gardai recovered during the investigation. Both the "master" and "slave" phones were detected in Shankill, Co Dublin, on the night Ms O'Hara disappeared. Detectives were also able to "resurrect" text messages from the phones, as well as messages that were backed up on a computer. This enabled them to reconstruct conversations between Dwyer and his victim. In a statement this afternoon, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan described the ruling as "a very detailed and lengthy judgment in what is a very complex and dynamic area of the law". "The Courts judgment will have to be considered very carefully in order to identify exactly what actions are necessary and the advice of the Attorney General will have to be taken in that regard." Mr Flanagan said it is "clear that the current legal framework allowing for access to communications meta-data to combat criminals and terrorists needs to be modernised in light of evolving jurisprudence". He said the Government is at an advanced stage in drafting a new Data Retention Bill which takes accounts of some aspects of todays judgment. "Mr Dwyer is, in separate legal proceedings, appealing against his conviction for murder and in those circumstances it would not be appropriate to make any comment on those details of the case. That appeal is a matter for the Courts," the minister said. Lu Na McKinney drowned after entering the water at Devenish Island on April 13. The husband of a woman whose body was recovered from water following an alleged boating incident in Co Fermanagh is to stand trial for her murder. Stephen McKinney (42), who had been residing in Lifford, but since remanded on bail to an address at Castletown Square, Fintona, is accused of murdering his wife Lu Na. The incident took place near Devenish Island on a date between April 11 and 14 2017. A preliminary investigation (PI) took place last month at Enniskillen Magistrates Court in which some evidence was challenged before District Judge Michael Ranaghan adjourned to consider his findings. Expand Close Luna McKinney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Luna McKinney Reporting restrictions were imposed banning any coverage of the case at that point. The case yesterday returned and Judge Ranaghan removed the reporting restriction imposed at a previous hearing, following a press challenge through the Lord Chief Justice. Expand Close Stephen Kinney / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stephen Kinney He also ruled there is sufficient evidence to proceed to trial, and the charge of murder was formally put to McKinney. Dressed in black trousers, lilac shirt and mauve sweater he confirmed he understood the charge and declined to call witness or give evidence on his own behalf at this stage. A lawyer appearing for the Public Prosecution Service said there was a case to answer. Judge Ranaghan remanded McKinney on continuing bail of 500 to appear for arraignment at Dungannon Crown Court next month. The couple had married in 2003, living in a number of places before settling in Co Donegal. Aged 35 at the time, the death of Lu Na was initially treated as a tragic accident during a boating trip on Lough Erne. The defendant was adamant he had tried in vain to save her after she fell into the water. Following an intensive investigation during which police obtained statements from marina staff, expert witnesses, work colleagues of the deceased and telecommunications evidence, officers launched a murder inquiry. McKinney was subsequently arrested within days and charged with murder. He was initially refused bail but released by the High Court after a judge ruled the case against McKinney was circumstantial. In outlining his decision, the Judge explained that there was no suggestion he had tendencies toward random violence. At the latest hearing a number of conditions were imposed on McKinney. These include a ban on leaving Northern Ireland and no contact with any witnesses. A drink-driver who killed two women after a booze and drugs binge said he would do anything to take back what he had done. Kiara Baird (19) and Maria Wallace (38) died when Dermot Dowd lost control of his car outside Ballybofey, Co Donegal, on September 21, 2016. Dowd initially tried to claim that Ms Wallace, a mother-of-three, was driving the Citroen C3 when it crashed at Glenfin Road. The 24-year-old later admitted drinking for hours in a local bar with the two women before getting behind the wheel. Ms Baird died at the scene while Ms Wallace died a short time later in hospital. He pleaded guilty before Letterkenny Circuit Court to dangerous driving causing death and last February he was sentenced to five years in prison. Dowd appeared again at Letterkenny Courthouse yesterday to face the relatives of the dead women during the victims' inquests. Expand Close Kiara Baird / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kiara Baird The Dubliner, with an address at Donegal Road, Ballybofey, told how he met Maria and Kiara at Bonner's Bar in Ballybofey that morning. Both women were drinking and he said he drank a number of pints, vodka and whiskey as well as taking cannabis. Dowd said none of them was wearing seatbelts while in the car. He had slowed up towards a bend but the car started to slide and he suddenly heard a bang. He looked around and the women were "gone". Expand Close Maria Wallace / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Maria Wallace He added: "I'm sorry and I would do anything to change what happened." Witness Karl Gallen said he saw a small blue car "shoot straight out" in front of him. "I had to slam on the brakes so not to hit him. I was very lucky he didn't hit me," he said. Garda Michelle Kelly outlined the horrific scene she came across. Two women were lying on the ground while a man was kneeling down holding one of the women. Garda forensic collision investigator Gerry McCauley, said he could not give an exact speed the car was traveling at but confirmed it was "considerably over the speed limit". The car had hit a lamppost and was then thrown 33 metres into the lay-by of a nearby yard. The jury of three women and seven men found the cause of both women's deaths was due to a head injury as a result of a road traffic collision. Coroner Dr Denis McCauley offered his sympathy to both families and said it was simply "an awful tragedy". Ms Baird's mother Tracey addressed the court and said she wanted to thank Dowd for staying with her daughter. "There was a lot of horrible rumours especially about Mr Dowd and we got a few answers," she said. "Thank you for that. We now realise he helped Kiara in her last hours and we want to thank him for holding her and being there." People have to watch out for themselves and exercise caution in everyday circumstances, a judge told a 67-year-old woman when dismissing her 60,000 damages claim against Dublin Bus. Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain said it was accepted by all that Elvyra Gaizauskiene had undoubtedly suffered nasty injuries when she fell while exiting a bus where the driver was operating a wheelchair lift. Judge Ni Chulachain said Ms Gaizauskiene had entered the bus with a friend to help her on with her luggage and intended leaving the bus again as it remained at the stop while retracting a wheelchair ramp. She told Dublin Bus solicitor Gerard OHerlihy there had been a language difficulty in that Ms Gaizauskiene spoke only Russian while a verbal warning in English warned of the movement of the ramp. Movement of the ramp took only two seconds and was also accompanied by the sound of a one-second klaxon. Gaizauskiene, a retired cleaner of St Mochtas Lawn, Coolmine Lodge, Clonsilla, Dublin 15, told the court through an interpreter that on 3rd July 2014 she and her friend entered the bus at Hartstown Road, Dublin. She was helping her friend on with luggage and intended leaving the bus again. She said that as she was leaving the bus the disability ramp began to move and caused her to lose her footing and trip and fall from the bus to the ground, injuring her head and breaking her right arm. Mr OHerlihy, in a full defence to the action, claimed Ms Gaizauskiene had failed to watch where she was going and had not noticed that the ramp was in operation as she left the bus. She had attempted to leave the bus when the ramp was moving. He told the court the unfortunate lady had failed to pay any attention to the warning noises and had failed to wait so as to allow a wheelchair-bound passenger to board in safety. She had also failed to tell the bus driver that it was not her intention to travel. Judge Ni Chulachain said she accepted that all of the witnesses involved in the case had been honest and that any discrepancies in evidence were understandable, given the language barrier. She said Dublin Bus owed its passengers a duty of reasonable care and the bus itself needed to get people on and off and get going again. She accepted that Ms Gaizauskiene had been in a hurry to get off the bus. There is a duty on people to watch out for themselves and exercise caution in everyday circumstances and, whether because she was rushing to get off or otherwise, Ms Gaizauskiene did not properly observe the ramp, Judge Ni Chulachain said. Awarding Dublin Bus its costs against Ms Gaizauskiene, the judge said the onus was on her to prove negligence and she had to dismiss her claim. Graham Dwyer was jailed for life for the murder of childcare worker Elaine O'Hara. Photo: Courtpix THE High Court ruling secured by Graham Dwyer is now set to be relied upon by the convicted killer in his appeal against his conviction for the murder of Elaine O'Hara. One of his grounds of appeal is that the judge in his murder trial erred by allowing into evidence call data records of Dwyers own mobile phone and other mobile phones attributed to him. Dwyer claims this occurred in circumstances where the retention and access to such records was in breach of his rights to respect for family and private life and the protection of his personal data under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The mobile phone data was crucial to solving Ms OHaras murder. So it was a significant boost for Dwyers appeal when Mr Justice Tony OConnor ruled today that the Irish legislation under which gardai accessed the records, the 2011 Communications Act, contravened EU law and the ECHR. The decision was not entirely unexpected. Read More The EU directive which the 2011 act gave effect to was ruled invalid by the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Justice in 2014. A report by former Chief Justice John Murray in October 2017 also found that current data retention legislation amounted to mass surveillance of the entire population and was in breach of EU law. As Mr Justice OConnor said in his ruling today, the defendants in the case, the Garda Commissioner and the State, had long been on notice of the defects of the 2011 legislation. Just how extensive the ramifications of the OConnor ruling will be remains to be seen. But authorities are worried about the implications, particularly for recent investigations where mobile phone data is a significant factor. There could also be appeals of decided cases where such evidence was used in court. While the ruling is a boost for Dwyers appeal, whenever it is heard, it does not necessarily mean the phone data which proved so important in his trial will now end up being ruled inadmissible. Mr Justice OConnor pointed out that it would not be an automatic consequence of his ruling that trials will collapse or that convictions will be quashed. Expand Close Elaine O'Hara / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Elaine O'Hara He said Dwyer would be obliged to address the rules regarding admissibility of evidence. The judge referred to the Supreme Court case known as JC, a pivotal case in recent times on admissibility of evidence. In this case the court examined the exclusionary rule, which prevents evidence collected in violation of a defendants constitutional rights from being used in court. It found, by a narrow majority, that evidence obtained unconstitutionally will be admissible if the prosecution can show the breach was due to inadvertence. This is something the DPP could argue in opposing Dwyers conviction appeal. The European Court decision to declare the data retention directive invalid only came after gardai began investigating Dwyer and requested his phone data records. It could easily be argued investigating officers had no reason to believe there was a problem with the legislation they were operating under. The Blue Diamond Drama Academy was set up in Dublin two years ago specifically to address the needs students with intellectual disabilities who also have a talent and a passion for performance. It offers a two-year training programme with modules including introduction to Shakespeare, voice, dance and movement, improvisation, script work and singing. The academy was the brainchild of Dr Anthony Walsh and his wife Susan, whose experience with their daughter, Anneke, brought home to them the lack of training opportunities for students with learning disabilities who wanted a future in the performing arts. Dr Walsh recognised the value of the performing arts in helping people with intellectual disabilities to express themselves and as a way to continue learning, and found inspiration in similar models, such as the Blue Teapot Theatre Company, Galway and ventures in the UK. Anneke was among the academy's first 10 graduates at a recent ceremony in the Dublin's Gaiety Theatre. Twelve new students have started, while there are another 40 on a range of Blue Diamond part-time programmes. One graduate, Daniel Ryan, landed a role in the Virgin Media One drama, Blood, and has another TV series lined up. The graduates have also formed a company and are in rehearsals for their own production, One Love, being staged in Smock Alley in January. The Churchtown-based academy operates under CEO Kate Sheridan and artistic director Niamh Dillon, with guest tutors who include directors, playwrights, actors, artists and musicians. At three days a week, the students' workload is comparable to any performing arts training course. Sheridan says it's about including adults with disabilities in employment and doing this through the arts. "There is no reason why they cannot work in the performing arts," she says. Blue Diamond relies on voluntary donations and Sheridan says if they were properly funded, they could at least double in growth. Welcome advances in the provision of supports for pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schooling, and further and higher education, does not paint the full picture about how well the system is catering for all such children and young adults. While mainstream schools are integrating thousands of pupils with special needs, both into regular classrooms as well as, where necessary, special units, children with the most complex needs attend special schools. Figures for 2017 show that there were almost 8,000 pupils in special schools, supported by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through the allocation of 1,197 teachers and 2,405 special needs assistants (SNAs). Many pupils with intellectual disabilities will do the Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), while others will complete the junior cycle programme, but the big issue is what education and training options are available to them at 18? At the moment, there is heavy reliance on transfer to adult day care or rehabilitative training services, run under the auspices of the Health Services Executive (HSE). New research from Dublin City University (DCU), shines a light on the gulf in post-school education services for school-leavers with intellectual disabilities and points a way forward to supporting them in making informed choices about their future and accessing mainstream opportunities. The research was done by DCU's Dr Geraldine Scanlon (right) and Dr Alison Doyle of Caerus Education, an independent consultancy specialising in support for students with disabilities and special needs. Dr Scanlon says that while school-leavers with intellectual disabilities need additional supports, they have the same aspirations as any other school-leaver in terms of continuing education, employment and being active citizens. Their research investigated the concept of a 'supported transition' model as a means of accessing mainstream opportunities in further education, training and employment. Specifically, they examined the outcomes for school-leavers who engaged in the WALK 'supported transition' programme in Louth during their final two years at school. Features of the programme include work sampling and guidance counselling. Their Progressing Accessible Supported Transitions to Employment (PASTE) study took on board the views and experiences of 31 students and 18 parents, as well as educational professionals from special schools and career employment facilitators working on the programme. One of the biggest challenges identified for young people with intellectual disabilities and their parents was how to move from a structured ordered environment, offered by 13 years of schooling, to the fulfilling next phase of life. A key finding was that the move to HSE Adult Services was the least favourable option for many parents, and was seen as appropriate for only a few young people. But according to the report, "significant gaps in knowledge were highlighted by parents in connection with rights and entitlements and this was of particular concern for parents of students approaching the end of formal education". Parents also "expressed outrage at the perceived ability and capabilities of their children, and how such perceptions narrowed choices and perpetuated inequalities", while education professionals also spoke about the assumptions that are made about attending a special school. And while younger students spoke knowledgeably about access to equal opportunities, towards the end of their school career, stress and anxiety was evident. However, what came through strongly was that engagement with a supported transition programme increased the levels of self-awareness and self-determination among students. From a school perspective, pathways and options were perceived to be limited. One challenge is how to bridge the gap for students who complete junior cycle, and aspire to a post-Leaving certificate (PLC) course. Parents acknowledged the benefits of the further education and training advice offered through WALK, and would like to see that sort of support available in school. It is among the key recommendations in the PASTE report, which calls for a Personal Transition Plan for each student, setting out realistic pathways, with the supports to help them reach their destination. Dr Scanlon says there has been "decades of rhetoric" on this topic and PASTE findings should be used to inform the development of a national framework of transition for school-leavers who require support moving from compulsory education to further education, training and employment promised in the 2015 Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities. Heartbreak: Helen Maughan, mother of Willie Maughan, at the Missing Persons Day event in Dublin. Photo: Kyran O'Brien Forensic scientists are working to identify the remains of 18 people who have died in recent years. Relatives gathered at King's Inns in Dublin yesterday to remember their loved ones at the sixth annual national Missing Persons Day. Among them were relatives and friends of Jo Jo Dullard, Deirdre Jacob, Jean McConville, Columba McVeigh, Amy Fitzpatrick, Annie McCarrick, Fiona Pender, and Willie Maughan and his partner Ana Varslavane. Also present were the families of Rescue 116 crewmen Ciaran Smith and Paul Ormsby, whose bodies have not yet been recovered after their Coast Guard helicopter crashed off the Co Mayo coast in April 2017. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Dorothy Ramsbottom, of Forensic Science Ireland, urged families of missing people who had not yet given DNA samples to do so. She said there were 18 unidentified remains on their database and scientists were improving search capabilities. The families heard personal stories of heartache and hope, including from Gerard Keenan whose sister Imelda disappeared without trace in Waterford 25 years ago next month. "These 25 years have been a very dark time for this family," Mr Keenan said. Despite the passage of time, Mr Keenan has never given up hope. "There's always light at the end of the tunnel," he said. Crime scene: Forensic investigations at the scene of the killing of teacher John Dowling in Paris. Photo: AFP/Getty Images An Irishman working as an English teacher at a college in Paris has been stabbed to death, allegedly by a former student. The man, who was last night named as 66-year-old John Dowling, was stabbed a number of times outside the Pole Universitaire Leonard-de-Vinci, in the Hauts-de-Seine area yesterday. It is understood that Mr Dowling was close to retirement after 20 years' teaching service. The French news service 'Le Monde' said French police had detained the suspected killer of the academic. "The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance," a spokesman confirmed to the Irish Independent. The suspect who was detained has been described as a 37-year-old former student at the Leonard de Vinci university, which is situated in the business district of La Defence in the French capital. The former student is understood to have been born in Pakistan. Sebastien Tran, a director at the university, said he believed the student was "dissatisfied" at his exclusion from the university in 2017, but added that he had not been seen as a particular threat. "We are very surprised and upset," Mr Tran added. The university director general, Pascal Brouaye, spoke to reporters after the incident. "It's an incident which has stricken our entire community," Mr Brouaye said. "This is a language teacher who gave 20 years' service here and who was well-liked by everyone." Mr Dowling had previously taught at the Emerald Cultural Institute in Rathgar, Dublin, where colleagues last night paid tribute to him. "It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the death of our beloved friend and colleague John Dowling. We will all miss him more than words can say," a Facebook post read. Another user commented saying they were sad to hear the news and that Mr Dowling was a "gentleman". France has seen a spate of violent protests recently from angry students over the cost of attending university. The mayor of Frejus, a small town in the south of France, yesterday said the incident was an example of tensions "worsening". "Support to his loved ones and colleagues," he said. THREE legal cases have been initiated in relation to failures at Kerry University Hospital which saw 11 patients given a delayed diagnosis. A review on more than 45,000 images taken by one radiologist was sparked after a number of patients were found to have cancer after being given the all clear. Both Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein raised the issue with Tanaiste Simon Coveney during Leaders Questions today and urged that there would be efforts made to ensure families did not have to face court battles. Mr Coveney said that three cases relating to the cases identified in the review have been commenced. He said the State Claims Agency will manage the claims on behalf of the State and said it was always the objective of the SCA to avoid going to court if it was possible. Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary said 2018 has been marked with a series of tragic incidents including CervicalCheck and the issue of non qualified doctors working in hospitals. He pressed the Tanaiste on vacancy rates across consultancy posts in the health service, and the impact those vacancies are having on staff and standards of care. Mr Calleary said there are 500 consultants posts filled by non consultants - some 16pc of the total consultancy posts across Ireland. In relation to the radiologist whose work was the subject of the review Mr Coveney said the Medical Council were informed about concerns about the radiologist who has resigned from the hospital but that assessment is ongoing. He did not confirm if the radiologist was still working in the health service. Pearse Doherty who also raised the issue criticised the fact that there was no timeline for implementing the recommendations made in the review. A new "wonder drug" that Vicky Phelan believes saved her life could be freely available to everyone with cervical cancer very soon. Labour health spokesperson Alan Kelly made the claim when he spoke to the media yesterday afternoon outside Leinster House. Joined by cervical cancer patients Ms Phelan, Aine Morgan and Tracey Brennan, Mr Kelly said a deal to make Pembrolizumab - also known as 'Pembro' - freely available could be done immediately. "We're here to say that we need equity of access to Pembro, which has had such a dramatic impact on Vicky's health and life," he said. "The women affected by cervical cancer need the Government to step up and ensure they have access to this drug. "I believe this could be done immediately and be sorted by the weekend ... But we really need to keep the pressure on to ensure it happens." Mr Kelly added he has the support of Health Minister Simon Harris. "The best Christmas present that these ladies can get is that Pembro is going to be available for them from here on in," he said. A spokesperson for Mr Harris said he met with HSE and the Department of Health on Friday to discuss the expansion of Pembro. "The Minister expects to hear progress very shortly and will provide updates accordingly," they said. Meanwhile, Ms Phelan will release a memoir on her life story next year. Hachette Books Ireland said yesterday the book would tell her full story for the first time. She survived a life-threatening accident in early adulthood and suffered later battles with depression and tragedy. The memoir will also reveal her battle against cervical cancer and will be published in autumn 2019. Solution: Jim Daly said move would not dilute the service. Photo: Arthur Carron Plans are under way to replace clinic visits with 'virtual' psychiatrists who can treat children with mental health problems through video link. The high-tech solution could enable a doctor in Donegal treat a young patient suffering mental distress in Kerry, using a face-to-face electronic technology. It is now seen as the only way to respond to an acute shortage of child psychiatrists. Minister of State Jim Daly, who has responsibility for mental health, said the child mental health services were short around 60 specialists and there was a worldwide difficulty recruiting these doctors. He said that he couldn't "clone" them so the only alternative was to follow the example of other countries like the United States and Australia and become tech-savvy. He was appearing before the Oireachtas health committee where HSE asked for a supplementary budget bailout of 655m. "It is a fact that there is a worldwide shortage of psychiatrists. We are short 60 of them in Ireland. I cannot make two of any two consultants. "I can try breeding them and I can try cloning them. All the government policy or pay will not make two of one," he said. He was responding to questions from Fianna Fail TD Jack Chambers, who argued that the value of face-to-face consultations could not be compared to telemedicine. He blamed Government policy and failure to bring the pay of new recruits on par with long-term consultants for contributing to the problem. Mr Daly said: "Technology is merely a platform. If there is a consultant at that screen and is fully trained and qualified, then you are not diluting the service to a child." He said if as a parent, he was forced to go to Cork University Hospital at 2am should his child have psychosis, he could be told a consultant psychiatrist would not be available until 9am. However, he said he would be happy if he was told "we can put you on to a consultant immediately who can is qualified and can speak to yourself and prescribe. "If my child had a psychosis I would happy. "I am not saying a screen is superior than face to face. "I have two choices - continue to do what I always did and always get what we always got or I can recognise the problem of recruitment and retention and look at an alternative way." He said if a consultant was on duty in an A&E department they might see just two presentations. "This is not to replace human beings." A member of the child psychiatry team left in Wexford recently and "now a doctor from Galway has to make a seven-hour journey there every weekend. Telemedicine could remove it in the morning," he added. The psychiatrist who was streamed through a video link would be part of a wider team in the patient's treating hospital. They would include a "psychiatric nurse and a whole team of medics around," he added. If a child psychiatrist leaves a team now, they can be "paralysed" and this is one way of providing the service, he added. Waiting lists for children to see a child psychiatrist have been condemned amid fears children with mental health issues are deteriorating. Patients have been warned to be watchful of overcharging, after one man was wrongly billed 1,500 for a number of hospital stays. The man has received a 750 refund after bringing his case to the Ombudsman, Peter Tyndall. He was treated in two different public hospitals over the course of 12 months. But as a public patient, the maximum he should be required to pay at the time in a year was 750. This was based on a charge of 75 a night. Since then the nightly charge has increased to 80, a yearly cap of 800. The cap applies over a rolling 12-month period. The cost of a 10-night stay at the time he was in hospital was capped at 750. If he needed to spend longer in hospital, he should not have been levied with any additional charge. However, he was charged 750 by both hospitals where he was an inpatient. The case has led the HSE to now clarify the payments on its website. Patients have been urged also by the Ombudsman to hold on to receipts. The report from the Ombudsman's office said the man complained after he was charged 1,500 for a number of hospital stays. The man, who suffers from a severe kidney condition, was admitted to two different hospitals over 12 months. He spent a total of 30 nights in hospital. "However, this charge was capped at 750 in any 12-month period regardless of how many public hospitals a patient is admitted to, or the condition that requires treatment. "When the Ombudsman investigated the complaint, he was initially told by the HSE that the 12-month cap was in respect of each hospital and, therefore, the man was correctly charged 1,500. "However, when the Ombudsman brought the relevant legislation to the HSE's attention, it agreed to refund the excess charge to the man. "He spent nine nights in the first hospital and was correctly charged 675. "He then had to spend 20 nights in a second hospital. The second hospital charged him the capped fee of 750, but did not take account of the 675 the man had already paid the first hospital." The Ombudsman pointed out that there was no integrated payment system for managing hospital charges. Mr Tyndall said that as Ombudsman he was concerned that other patients could be similarly affected in the future. As a result, the HSE has published clearer guidelines on its website, along with advice on the importance of patients keeping receipts. It has also updated information notices in hospitals and asked hospital groups to do the same. The Ombudsman will review the actions that have been taken by the HSE in the coming months. Many patients continue to be surprised when they are levied with the overnight public hospital charge of 80, wrongly believing that all care should be free. The charge covers all the treatment which a patient receives in hospital including the cost of scans, surgery or even radiotherapy. Hospitals are under pressure to pursue patients for outstanding charges and there has been criticism of the use of debt collectors. Patients who have queries on their hospital charge should contact the HSE by phone at: 041 6850300 or by email at: hselive@hse.ie. Rules for medicinal cannabis to treat serious illness carry a chill factor for senior doctors, the Dail has been told. Solidarity TD Mick Barry said a mother, whose two-year-old child needs high intensity cannabis to control his intense epilepsy, will next Wednesday openly challenge customs officials to see whether they will confiscate a supply of the drug she intends to personally bring in from Spain. Mr Barry highlighted the case of Noreen ONeill from Cork who is due to travel to Barcelona next Monday to secure CBD. This is a cannabis-based oil which she believes will give a remedy to her two-year-old son, Michael, who has epilepsy which is resistant to ordinary drugs. Mr Barry, who represents Cork North Central, said people are forced to travel abroad to seek healthcare, especially for their children. He said this was because doctors are refusing to apply for licences to import cannabis-linked drugs. Expand Close Noreen O'Neill with her son Michael / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Noreen O'Neill with her son Michael The TD said Michael suffers some 20 convulsions a day and 10 different anti-convulsion medicines did not work. Since his mother began treatment with cannabis-based oil he had remained free from seizures for four months. After that the dosage was increased and the child is being given the maximum dosage level. Treatment is overseen by a clinic in Barcelona, mainly via skype. His mother hoped to return next Wednesday with enough supply to last until the end of January. Three neurologists had refused her requests to apply for the importation licence for THC, which is rated a stronger cannabis-based medicine. The deputy said that under current licensing rules, a consultant can apply for a licence to import cannabis-based medicines to treat in cases of multiple sclerosis, intensive nausea, for vomiting after chemotherapy, and for treatment of resistant epilepsy. Mr Barry said there is a chill factor for neurologists because the cannabis-based medicine is a so-called Schedule 1 Drug. It is not prescribed for medical purposes and illegal beyond a very, very low dosage and neurologists are nervous about the position. The TD asked if, when Ms ONeill returned to from Barcelona next Wednesday, she would be taken aside by customs officials and if they would confiscate the medicine, and he said she would be filming her return. The law should not be an ass and must change so as to provide for the healthcare needs of the population and to prevent this kind of situation from happening in future, the Solidarity TD said. The Solidarity TD said that only 12 licences were in place to import the medicines, which he said was less than 1 per cent of the people who need it have got it. Under the licensing system people should not have to go abroad but your Government still forces people to go abroad for the healthcare needs of their children. Replying for the Government, Tanaiste Simon Coveney, said every licence which had been applied for had been granted. We are trying to ensure that neurologists understand that these products are available, he added. Mr Coveney said Health Department of Health officials are working intensively to streamline the process whereby appropriate cannabis products come into Ireland so that children can get the treatment they need when they need it. He believed that was different from what Mr Barrry wanted. The only focus here of Government and the Minister is to ensure that appropriate products of the right standard are being used by patients in Ireland under the supervision of doctors, Mr Coveney said. Fianna Fail's deputy leader Dara Calleary is to become the party's rural affairs spokesman, replacing Eamon O Cuiv. The move will pit him directly against his Mayo constituency colleague Michael Ring who is Minister for Regional Development and Rural Affairs. Mr O Cuiv was demoted from the frontbench last month as punishment for taking part in an unofficial launch of party candidate for the local elections in Northern Ireland. Party leader Micheal Martin said: "The continued decline of rural Ireland and Fine Gael's failure to manage any sort of regional balance in terms of investment and job creation is a pressing national priority. "The appointment of our Deputy Leader to this portfolio demonstrates Fianna Fail's determination to hold the Government to account and secure a change in direction." He has also appointed Dublin West TD John Curran as Spokesperson for National Drug Policy and Urban Affairs. "John Curran has an immense depth of experience in urban regeneration and drugs policy, and will bring new focus and energy to an issue that has been entirely neglected by this Government," he said. London Mayor Sadiq Khan (left) signs the visitor book alongside President Michael D Higgins at Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park, Dublin Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Mayor of London Sadiq Khan visited Dublin on Thursday and argued against the prospect of a "devastating" no-deal Brexit. President Michael D Higgins welcomed Mr Khan to his home in Aras An Uachtarain on Thursday morning. Mr Khan congratulated Mr Higgins on his recent re-election before the two discussed a wide range of issues of mutual concern, including climate change, sustainable development, housing, transport and 'Brexit'. A statement from the President said Mr Higgins also expressed; "sympathies and support for the people of London, who have experienced a number of terrorist attacks in recent years, and the tragedy of Grenfell Towers". After the visit Mr Khan took to social media, saying: "London just wouldn't be the city it is without the contribution of the Irish community. "Today I made sure President Higgins knows London is and always will be open to our Irish friends." Expand Close President Michael D Higgins (centre) meets with London Mayor Sadiq Khan (second left) at Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Michael D Higgins (centre) meets with London Mayor Sadiq Khan (second left) at Aras an Uachtarain in Phoenix Park, Dublin. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Wire Mr Khan went on to visit the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and met with students of Trinity College where the topic of Brexit was continually raised. "The worst possible outcome, which remains a grave concern given the political uncertainty in Westminster, is that the UK leaves the EU with no Brexit deal at all," Mr Khan said in a speech. "This would not only be devastating for London's economy, but would actually hurt businesses and economies across Europe, including here in Dublin, and increase the chance of a hard border on the island of Ireland. "In my view, the prospect, the very notion, of a no-deal Brexit must be taken off the table by the British Government. "It's just too dangerous to leave as a possibility. "That's why, today, I'm calling on Theresa May to withdraw Article 50 if the British Parliament rejects her deal next week, which is looking extremely likely. "This move would be the single best way to guarantee that we avoid falling off the cliff edge. "It would stop the clock that is ticking down towards a no-deal Brexit, and it would provide the breathing space to decide how we resolve this mess. "If the British Prime Minister refuses to take this precautionary step, we would continue heading towards a no-deal Brexit in just a few months. Mr Khan also held talks with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and met Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee in Dublin's Government Buildings. Speaking on social media the Taoiseach said he was "looking forward to return visit" to London after meeting with Mr Khan. Ministers who complained about not getting enough expenses to cover rising hotel bills have been branded 'whingers' by their colleague John Paul Phelan. The Minister of State with Responsibility for Local Government has hit out at his Fine Gael counterparts, saying he plans to give "a couple of them a boot someplace when I meet them". His comments come on the back of a report in the Irish Independent which revealed a group of junior ministers lobbied for extra expenses to cover hotel costs in Dublin. The group outlined their concerns to Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe last week, arguing that backbench TDs have greater earning power. TDs from outside Dublin are entitled to claim between 25,295 and 34,065 in unvouched travel and accommodation expenses annually - but ministers are not. Instead they must submit mileage claims to their department and cover their own hotel bills. Mr Donohoe was sympathetic to their case but ultimately said he could not change the regime because such a move would create public outrage. Mr Phelan has now described the demands from his junior ministerial colleagues as "horrific stuff" and "pretty appalling". "I think there's a lot of things in the country that need money. "I think people, particularly politicians, should be a little more tuned into the general public." Junior ministers are entitled to a standard TD salary of 94,535 but by voluntarily turning down pay restoration this figure is reduced to close to 91,000. They also get a ministerial payment of 35,319. THE Government needs to target Big Oil and tax profits on fossil fuel companies before any attempt is made to hike the carbon tax, People Before Profit TD Brid Smith has said. Speaking on the Floating Voter podcast on independent.ie, she also said hikes in public transport fares she claimed cash fares have risen by 87pc since 2011 was forcing people to remain in their cars, resulting in higher transport emissions. Thats not serious about dealing with climate change. Thats taking people out of public transport, into their cars or onto their motorbikes, she said. The Dublin South Central TD also said that hiking the carbon tax on motoring and home heating fuels from 20 per tonne at present would not achieve the deep emission cuts required to avoid catastrophic climate change. She said massive intervention was needed at a systemic level including investment in renewable energy, expanding the public transport system and reducing fares, and retrofitting homes. Imposing a carbon tax hike was putting the cart before the horse. Im absolutely for a carbon tax on the profits of the oil and gas industry, not on the ordinary average worker and consumer, she said. The economists will tell you we cant tax the oil and gas industry at the rate which it needs to be done, it has to be done at a Europe-wide level. Europe might be willing to discuss it, but were not willing to discuss it in this country. We dont want to tax profits. We have created a tax haven. The oil and gas industry make an absolute fortune, and if we tax them we will reduce their addiction to carbon. I do think you put the cart before the horse if you say carbon tax but dont talk about retrofitting homes. Pro-choice TD Kate O'Connell told pro-life advocates: 'We won. Ye lost ... it must be hurting.' Photo: Damien Eagers Historic abortion legislation moved a step closer last night after it was voted through the Dail. Following several hours of heated debate on various amendments and an agreement among TDs to sit until midnight the legislation passed by 90 votes to 15, with 12 abstentions. It will now move on to the Seanad where similar debate is expected, however the passage of the legislation through the Dail will boost hopes it can be passed before Christmas to allow services to get underway in January. Health Minister Simon Harris welcomed the vote as a "significant step". "We pass this Bill today just six months after the people had their say," he said. "I would particularly like to thank all those people who recognised the need for our discourse to be respectful of differing views, and of the sensitivities involved, particularly for those who have experienced termination of pregnancy," he said. However, there were chaotic scenes in the Dail throughout the evening as proceedings repeatedly descended into farce. Speakers were interrupted on several occasions with shouting matches breaking out. Relations soured further among TDs on opposite sides of the issue. At one point, pro-choice TD Kate O'Connell told pro-life advocates: "We won. Ye lost ... it must be hurting." Offaly's Carol Nolan complained that "not one part" of the debate had been civilised. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also drew fire for comments about the Rural Independent grouping attempting to filibuster the legislation. Group TDs repeatedly rejected the suggestion their interventions were designed to stall the passage of the law. Meanwhile, the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference met in Maynooth yesterday and bishops said they were "dismayed" by the Dail debate. In a statement, the bishops said: "For the most part, the voices of those who voted against abortion in May's referendum have been ignored. "Even what many people would have deemed to have been very reasonable legislative amendments seeking to provide women with information and to prohibit abortion on the grounds of sex, race or disability, have been rejected." Elsewhere a group representing pro-choice doctors and obstetricians moved a scheduled meeting from Limerick's maternity hospital to a "secret" location, after concerns were raised that it would attract protests. Start (Southern Taskgroup on Abortion and Reproductive Topics) moved its Tuesday meeting to a secret location two hours before it was scheduled to start. Medical sources confirmed management received "emails and phone calls" in which they were accused of being "abortionists". Christmas is the one time of year that even those of us without a modicum of skill in the baking department whip out the aprons and wooden spoons and try our hand at a Christmas cake or pudding. My own mother wasnt much of a baker, and used to produce one fruit-rich batter, divide it in two and then steam half and bake half: Christmas pudding and cake in one! I dont remember being particularly fond of it (and the icing on the cake was really not, in that it could crack a tooth if you werent expecting its rock hard consistency), but I do recall that it mouldered on in a tin on the sideboard until sometime around March, when the last of the crumbs would be put in the bin and the festive tin returned to the pantry. These days, people are more inclined to admit what theyve been afraid to say for years that they dont actually like Christmas cake or suet-heavy pudding, and that theyd prefer to have something else. A new generation of bakers, exploring traditions from the past and from other cultures, may have just the alternative. Sceal Bakery Charlotte Leonard-Kane and Shane Palmer met when they studied culinary arts in DIT and worked at some of the best bakeries in San Francisco the home of modern baking before returning to Ireland to set up Sceal almost two years ago. The pair work from the Spade Enterprise Centre in Dublin city centre and are on the hunt for premises in which they can open their own shop and bakery. In the meantime, youll find them and their wonderful sourdough breads and gorgeous pastries at the Penders Yard market in Stoneybatter on Saturdays. They will be selling their Christmas range of puddings, mince pies, mincemeat and brandy butter, as well as their divine sausage rolls, exclusively at the Christmas Flea in Point Village next month. We use a hand-written Christmas pudding recipe that came down through my family, says Charlotte, we cant quite make it out. Its quite old school but we have changed it a bit. We use our own sourdough breadcrumbs; we had to make 50kg of them! And we use more citrus than the original recipe adding lemon and orange zest and juice to give it a brighter flavour and cut through the richness. Also, weve substituted unsalted butter for suet. My parents are vegetarian, so we had to make it veggie-friendly. If you dont make it to the Flea, youll find a few seasonal specials including the mince pies [see recipe] at The Fumbally and Proper Order in the last week before Christmas. Sceal's mince pies Makes 1 large storage jar; yields approx. 18 mince pies Whiskey mincemeat Ingredients 1 large cooking apple, grated 375g dried vine fruits 1 lemon, zest and juice 1 orange, zest and juice tsp mixed spice tsp ground nutmeg tsp ground ginger tsp ground cinnamon 225g unsalted butter 125g dark muscovado sugar 60g Irish whiskey Method Soak the fruit along with the citrus and spices overnight or at least for a few hours if you can. Melt the unsalted butter and dark muscovado sugar and mix well into the soaked dried fruits. Finally add the whiskey before packing into a sterilised jar. Leave for at least two weeks to steep - if you have the patience. Flaked Almond Frangipine Ingredients 150g sugar 150g butter 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 75g ground almonds 75g flaked almonds 40g plain flour 2g sea salt Method 1. Cream together the sugar and butter until pale and light in texture. Slowly add the eggs to the mixture and continue to cream together. This can be done by hand orwith a standing mixer. The mixture might split but dont panic just add some of the flour. 2. Fold in both types of almonds, remaining flour and salt. Resist the temptation to eat the entire batch off the wooden spoon. Set aside until youre ready to start baking. Flaky pastry The trick to the best flaky pastry is to keep all your ingredients chilled. It involves little ingredients but with spectacular results. If you dont have the time to make it from scratch buy good-quality ready-to-roll puff pastry. Ingredients 150g unsalted butter, cold 230g plain flour tsp sea salt 40g iced water Strudel Expand Close Ciara Sheehy and Tibor Bernscherer at their Strudel artisan bakery in Dun Laoghaire. Photo Steve Humphreys / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ciara Sheehy and Tibor Bernscherer at their Strudel artisan bakery in Dun Laoghaire. Photo Steve Humphreys If you dont have one of these on the table at Christmas, its not really Christmas, says Tibor Bernscherer, as he takes one of his Hungarian Christmas logs out of the oven at Strudel, the bakery that he and his partner, Ciara Sheehy, opened on Patrick Street in Dun Laoghaire earlier this year. The soft, yeasted dough is stuffed with a sweet walnut puree, the richness cut through with lemon zest. Closer to Christmas, hell be baking another version filled with poppy seeds, mince pies topped with grated marzipan, and an orange, cranberry and walnut loaf. Warm from the oven, the Christmas log smells and tastes delicious. Tibor used to work in film and as a photographer one reason why Strudels Instagram is so alluring and Ciara trained as a Montessori teacher. Tibor baked the typical Hungarian crescent-shaped, walnut-filled pastries, marzipan cushions and cinnamon swirls that he had grown up with at home at the weekends, and the pair began to sell them at markets in Kilruddery and CHQ, and supply to cafes. Gradually they expanded their range, and then the opportunity to open in a former butchers shop in the centre of Dun Laoghaire presented itself. Now they sell a range of naturally levained sourdough breads, along with a dozen or more different sweet and savoury pastries. Tibor gets up in the middle of the night to bake everything fresh each day, and Ciara sometimes has to close the shop early when they run out of stock. The other day we had a whole tray of apple strudel at 10 in the morning, she says, but by 11 it was all gone. We make what we think well sell, but sometimes we dont make enough. Its better to sell out than throw out. Tibor imports all the flour that he uses from Hungary, as it has a higher protein (gluten) content than the flour he can get in Ireland. It means that it makes a stretchier dough, he explains, so I can get the pastry paper-thin. Although only open since February, Strudel already has a loyal local clientele, who are getting more adventurous as time goes by. At the beginning, the cherry-filled pastries were a hard sell, now they fly out the door. And the demand for Tibors sourdough bread is growing. People are more aware of what they are eating these days, says Ciara. They want bread that isnt full of the additives and preservatives that you get in a loaf from the supermarket. Orange cake with cranberry & walnut Prep: 15min, Bake: 50min Yields 12 slices Ingredients 250g plain flour 150g caster sugar tsp salt tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp baking powder 100g chopped cranberries 50g chopped walnuts (or mix of nuts) 1 egg 26ml vegetable oil 180g fresh orange juice 1 tbsp grated orange zest Method 1. Preheat oven to 1800C. Grease a 23x12cm (9x5in) loaf tin. 2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. 3. Add the cranberries and walnuts (or mix of nuts), and stir to coat with flour. 4. Mix together the egg, oil, orange juice and orange zest in a separate bowl. 5. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until just blended. 6. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool down completely. Serve with a dust of icing sugar. Seagull Expand Close Sarah Richards of the Seagull Bakery, Tramore Co.Waterford. Photo: Noel Browne / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sarah Richards of the Seagull Bakery, Tramore Co.Waterford. Photo: Noel Browne Sarah Richards operates the Seagull Bakery in Tramore, where she is exploring the use of Irish-grown heritage and alternative grains in a range of different sourdough and other breads. I find that heritage grains and stoneground flours have more flavour, she says. Sarah is particularly excited by a collaboration with Paul Cramp, a local friend who grew a particular type of wheat so that he could re-roof his cottage with Irish thatch, and because he used old-fashioned methods to harvest and thresh, found that the grain a by-product was preserved in beautiful condition. Sarah is milling it herself and using it to make a hyper-local Wexford heritage loaf thats both sustainable and delicious. The usual argument is that Irish grain doesnt have enough gluten in it to make sourdough and other breads that require strong flour, she says, but this proves otherwise. For Christmas, Sarahs making over a hundred sourdough stollen breads she says it is her twist on the German classic, thought to represent a blanket wrapped around the baby Jesus. It lasts for ages unless, like me, you just cant stop eating it, she says. Then it doesnt last long at all. There will also be rye brownies using Green & Blacks rich organic Mayan Gold dark chocolate, her ever-popular seaweed bread, and salted caramel squares with dillisk seaweed, that have more than a hint of umami about them. Dark chocolate Rye brownies with orange, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanilla This is a super luxurious chocolate brownie. Ideal for making a few days before the Christmas celebrations, as they keep very well. Serve warm or cold with soft whipped cream or good quality ice-cream. In Seagull Bakery our focus is on using heritage and Irish flours where possible, like in this recipe where we use Irish rye flour. Makes 16 portions. You will need a standard roasting tin ( 9 x 11 approx) lined with silicone paper. Ingredients 450g best quality 70pc dark chocolate 450g softened butter 375g caster sugar 4 free-range eggs 2 free-range egg yolks 90g fine rye flour 90g good-quality cocoa powder 1 level tsp of baking powder Zest of 2 large oranges 1 tsp cinnamon tsp of nutmeg 1 tsp of vanilla extract Method 1. Preheat oven to 1800C or gas mark 4. 2. Melt dark chocolate gently in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. 3. Cream softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (I use a hand-held mixer or a small stand mixer with a whisk attachment). 4. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, and the egg yolks until light and fluffy. 5. With a spatula fold in melted chocolate, trying not to knock the air out of the mixture. 6. Sieve the rye flour, cocoa and baking powder into the mixing bowl and fold into the mixture until fully incorporated. 7. Gently stir in the orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanilla. 8. Put the mixture into a lined roasting tray. Bake in the oven for 18 to 25 mins. There should be a wobble in the centre and slightly set around the edges when cooked. (If there is no wobble in the centre they are over-done). 9. Allow to cool and cut into portions. Passengers putting their feet on train seats is a contentious issue - whether it's after a long day, long evening or we're just relaxed, lots of us do it without thinking twice. In fact, two in every five people are guilty of putting their feet up during their journey (41pc), according to a new survey. Loco2, a comparison and booking platform for train tickets in the UK and Europe, also looked into why people get the urge to put their feet up, and how they can resist. The study of 500 adults highlighted other irritating behaviour commonly found on trains. According to the study, sneezing and coughing without covering the mouth is the most annoying habit (25pc), followed by putting feet on seats (19pc) and making loud phone calls (19pc). Resting your legs on a seat may be comfortable, but it's also unhygenic, disprespectful and can incur a fine. So why do passengers on public transport do it? Dr Sara Kayat, a GP at GPDQ, the doctor-on-demand app, and ITV's This Morning Resident GP, says biology is the answer. "By elevating our legs, we improve the mobility of fluids in the body - blood flow is increased, which reduces the work your body must do to pump the blood back up to the torso. "After a long day at work, or a late night, our bodies need all the help they can get to ease the strain and alleviate any stiffness in our muscles." What can you do instead? "My advice to anyone feeling the urge to put their feet on the seats is to listen to what your body is telling you, and move," says Kayat. "Walk around and help your body pump blood back up to your heart quicker and more efficiently. "If there's nowhere to walk, passengers can do some simple foot and ankle exercises and stretches such as circling the foot or tapping it up for 10 and down for 10, four or five times which will encourage blood circulation." Top 5 tips on passenger etiquette... 1. Think about whether your actions would irritate you or cause you discomfort, if someone else did it. 2. Always bring a pocket size packet of tissues for your journey - you never know when your nose will start running or if you need to sneeze (this will also reduce the amount of coughs and colds contracted on public transport). 3. Avoid eating pungent food such as fish, fried food, or fast food. Instead, pack snack bars, biscuits, fruit, and carry a water bottle for your journey. 4. Take responsibility for your own litter - if you've finished eating a snack, put the wrapper in the nearest bin on the train, or carry it with you until you can dispose of it properly. 5. Keep personal grooming to a minimum - remember it's a public space. It's okay to do a 'quick fix' of make-up on the train but try to avoid doing anything that can create a mess or leave anything behind, such as cutting nails, plucking eyebrows or applying powder. Read more: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor said the preliminary examination into alleged crimes against humanity committed during the Duterte administration's drug war would continue despite the Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute. "The Office is continuing its assessment of the information available in order to reach a determination on whether there is a reasonable basis to believe that the alleged crimes fall within the subject-matter jurisdiction of the Court," ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in her annual report on preliminary examinations. Since the first communication was filed in April 2017, the ICC Prosecutor's Office has received 52 communications in relation to the war on drugs. Bensouda said her office would continue to engage with reliable sources and stakeholders relevant to the preliminary examination of the situation in the Philippines. She added that any related crimes that would happen in the future would also be included in the her office's analysis and that it would continue to record allegations of crimes in the Philippines that may fall within the court's jurisdiction. Bensouda also noted that the "UN Secretary General, UN bodies and experts, various States, international NGOs and national civil society representatives have expressed serious concern about the alleged extrajudicial killings and criticised statements by President [Rodrigo] Duterte which have been viewed as endorsing the killings and fostering an environment of impunity and violence." The Philippines formally withdrew from the Rome Statute, the treaty which created the ICC, on March 17, 2018 through a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Article 127 of the Rome Statute states that the withdrawal of a country from the treaty becomes effective a year after notifying the UN Secretary General. This comes after Duterte announced that the Philippines is withdrawing from the ICC due to its "baseless, unprecedented and outrageous attacks," while it was undertaking a preliminary examination into accusations that he and members of his administration have committed crimes against humanity in the war on drugs. Duterte has repeatedly stated that he would not submit to the jurisdiction of the ICC and has mocked Bensouda, who he has threatened with arrest if she comes to the Philippines. However, Article 127 of the Rome Statute states that parties to the treaty cannot escape liabilities arising from actions while they were parties to it. It also says that parties to the treaty who have withdrawn should continue to cooperate with criminal investigations which commenced prior to their withdrawal. Not a state party? Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Thursday evening that the ICC was free to proceed with the preliminary examination, but insisted that the Philippines "never became a State Party to the Rome Statute." "Thus, we will treat this tribunal as nonexistent and its actions a futile exercise," said Panelo, who also serves as presidential legal counsel. The Philippines signed the Rome Statute on December 28, 2000 and was concurred to by the Senate on August 30, 2011. Despite the treaty effectively becoming law due to its ratification by the Senate, the Palace echoed Duterte, who had said the international agreement never came into force in the Philippines because it was not published in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation. "This omission violates not only Article 2 of the Civil Code, but more notably, Article III, Sections 1 and 7 of the 1987 Constitution which respectively guarantee the rights of the people to due process and to be informed on matters of national concern. Treaties, as well all know, cannot supplant our Constitution," Panelo said. However, human rights advocacy group CenterLaw had said that publication is not a requirement to make a treaty binding upon the Philippines. It had also denied that Duterte is deprived of due process by the ICC prosecutor's preliminary examination. A 2005 Supreme Court ruling, citing former Supreme Court Associate Justice Isagani Cruz, does not mention the publication of treaties as a requirement for treaties to come into force in the Philippines. Executive Order No. 529, which provides guidelines for the negotiation in treaties and its ratification, says that international agreements become binding to the country once the Senate concurs and the ratification instrument is transmitted. Minority senators are challenging Duterte's withdrawal from the ICC before the Supreme Court, arguing that since the Senate's concurrence is needed for the Philippines to enter into a treaty, its nod is also needed when the country leaves an international agreement. The preliminary examination is the first in six stages towards a conviction. This is when the Office of the Prosecutor determines whether there is enough evidence, if there are genuine national proceedings and if opening an investigation would serve the interests of justice and of the victims. The Philippine National Police said close to 5,000 drug suspects have been killed during the war on drugs, but human rights groups estimate the number to be higher. Among the controversial deaths in the drug war is the killing of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos by police. Three Caloocan policemen have been convicted for his slay. Former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, an international law expert, said the conviction of the cops has rendered moot the complaints against Duterte before the ICC. The ICC is established as a court of last resort and would only hear and try cases if courts in state parties are unwilling or unable to hear and try cases on alleged crimes against humanity. The Hague-based tribunal has jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression committed by nationals of state parties to the Rome Statute. The penalty for any of these crimes is up to imprisonment for life and a fine or the forfeiture of assets. Crimes against humanity include murder, rape, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, enslavement particularly of women and children sexual slavery, torture, apartheid and deportation against any civilian population. The international court does not have its own police force, hence, if it metes out a conviction, it would have to rely on local security forces to enforce the verdict. Don't underestimate just how important insurance is for the economy to function. There's a whole host of things that just can't happen if you don't have insurance - driving being the obvious example. That being the case, having competition in the market by allowing foreign providers to sell to Irish customers is a good idea in principle. But this "passporting" of insurance into Ireland by companies regulated in the EU is proving incredibly problematic. In spite of the competition from foreign-regulated entities, Irish insurance customers are still paying big premiums. It might be the case that things would be even worse if these entities weren't here, but it's hard to feel positively disposed towards them when some are closing down with Irish customers potentially left on the hook. Insurance Ireland, a representative group for the insurance industry in this country, said it "strongly supports a well-functioning cross-border insurance market where customers can avail of insurance cover across the European Union". But the group said this cross-border market "must be underpinned by consistent regulation to protect the interests of customers". That's perhaps where the solution lies. It's not acceptable for Irish consumers to carry the can for the failure of regulators in other countries. Should not the Central Bank - accountable to the people of this country - have regulatory power over all insurance companies offering business to Irish people? This situation is one of the less-publicised downsides of the European single market. There's no doubt that there will be more cases like this in future, and Irish policymakers need to think seriously about what's going to be done about it. Brexit looks like it's going to have lots of negative consequences for Ireland, and one of them is going to be that a traditional ally of ours is not going to be around the negotiating table in order to help shape the future of the EU. That means new alliances are going to be needed in order to protect Ireland's interests. It's easy to sneer at the chaos that has engulfed Britain on foot of the shambolic Brexit negotiations - but the Brexiteers do have one very important point. The direction of travel in the EU is towards further integration, with more and more decisions affecting Irish people being taken in Brussels or Strasbourg. Pointing this out is not an argument for Irexit - that would quite plainly lead to economic disaster. But we need to make sure that we maintain a strong voice in the corridors of power to stand up for our interests. Our diplomats appear to have done a good job in that regard when it comes to the Brexit negotiations. Let's hope that can extend to other areas too. Oliver Cromwell, Britain's 17th century Lord Protector, is seared into the Irish folk memory, his name synonymous with the brutal slaughter of innocent civilians in Co Wexford in 1649. His infamy lives to this day. But on the adjacent and larger island, Cromwell is chiefly celebrated for advancing the rights of parliament and helping lay a milestone on the long road to universal suffrage. A large statue of the man stands close to the entrance of the UK parliament at Westminster. Amid the rolling, slow-motion car crash that is Brexit, something remarkable has happened in the role of parliament and which harks back to the memory of Cromwell. The British memory, that is. Day three of Theresa May's uphill battle to win support for her reviled Brexit deal unfolds today. But it has been clear since the opening hour of these proceedings that she has already been upstaged by her MPs. The MPs drew first blood by voting for the first time to convict the government of "contempt of parliament" and obliging the executive to publish the full text of legal advice furnished by the attorney general on the draft EU-UK withdrawal agreement. The opposition trumpeted that outcome as a "badge of shame" for Mrs May. But the next vote was far less symbolic, and gave the parliament real potential power over Brexit. It gave the MPs the power if we get the expected outcome that Mrs May fails in her attempts to ratify her exit treaty. It ensures MPs can amend any motion the government brings to the House of Commons relating to its divorce deal with the European Union. In practice, it means the UK parliament will give the thumbs down for a no-deal Brexit. And while a move like that would not be legally binding, such is its political force in the current fraught circumstances that the will of parliament cannot be ignored. The good news is that there is no majority at Westminster for a no-deal Brexit. The less good news is that there is no clear will as to what should happen after the expected failure of Mrs May's admirable but ill-fated efforts. Word from Brussels yesterday was that the EU might be amenable to trying to offer her some "help" if she fails to land her deal by a narrow margin. But such help appears only to stretch to embellishing the language in the accompanying declaration to frame big picture talks on the future EU-UK relationship after Brexit. Publication of the full AG's legal advice on the withdrawal agreement puts the focus back on Ireland's key interest: the Border backstop. Proceedings at Westminster again emphasise to us that avoiding the return of a hard Border in Ireland is peripheral when set against English politicians' doctrinaire objections to the EU. So, Irish politicians' and diplomats' jobs remain exactly the same. It is to ensure that aspect of the EU-UK deal is not unpicked. Cities in the UK and Ireland, such as London and Dublin, share many similarities. They are exciting, vibrant, thriving cultural centres with strong local economies. The great business, trade and cultural links between our cities go back many decades and, as the mayor of London, I'm determined to protect these important ties. As we approach Brexit, this mission is more vital than ever. That's why I have come to Dublin today - to extend the hand of friendship and to remind the Irish people that, although the UK voted to leave the European Union, London voted to remain. We will always consider ourselves part of Europe and - regardless of what happens with Brexit - we will continue to work with other European cities, including the great cities of Ireland, for the benefit of us all. As the first London mayor to come to Dublin on an official visit, I believe this is an excellent opportunity to strengthen relationships with Irish leaders and senior politicians. I am looking forward to meeting President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, and I'm also delighted to be speaking at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce, where I'll be banging the drum for ever greater business ties between London and Ireland. Our economic links form a vital part of the success of both our countries. The annual trade between the UK and Ireland now amounts to 60bn, directly sustaining more then 400,000 jobs. London receives more direct investment from Ireland than any other overseas city, with a significant proportion coming from Dublin. And half of all the visitors to Ireland are from the UK. I want to build on these great links, as they are clearly not only worth defending, but expanding and championing at every opportunity. So, throughout my visit, I will be saying loud and clear that no matter what happens with Brexit, London is, and will always remain, open. Open to new investment with Irish businesses. Open to new trade. And open to the Irish people. I also want to encourage greater city-to-city collaboration across Europe so we can learn from each other to help tackle some of the biggest shared challenges we face - from the housing crisis to air pollution and crime. Throughout the history of my city, we have always looked outwards and sought to form new partnerships by engaging with the world. I believe these values define London, and the Irish people should know that this will never change. In London, we will also never forget that a big part of our special relationship is due to the huge contribution made by the Irish in London. We are lucky to have more than 160,000 Londoners who are originally from Ireland and hundreds of thousands more with Irish heritage. There is no doubt that London would simply not be the city it is today without our Irish community, whose members have helped enrich the city over many generations, making our capital a livelier, warmer, more vibrant place to live, work and visit. Anyone who has ever come to our incredible St Patrick's Day celebrations will know the craic that day in my home town is terrific. And for me, this is what makes London so special - everyone coming together to embrace and celebrate each other's cultures, showing that London is truly open to all, regardless of nationality or background. So, whatever happens over the coming weeks and months with Brexit, I want the people of Ireland to know we remain optimistic about our future in London and optimistic about our future relationships with key European cities like Dublin. And, as we navigate the uncertainty ahead, one thing will remain constant: London is - and always will be - open to Ireland and the great Irish people. Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London The fallout from the cervical cancer scandal continues. A new 'wonder drug', which campaigning patient Vicky Phelan believes saved her life, could be freely available to everyone with cervical cancer by the weekend. A deal to make Pembrolizumab, or pembro, freely available can be done immediately, says Labour Party TD Alan Kelly, who says he has the support of Health Minister Simon Harris. Given Ms Phelan's case, pembro has given hope to women who find themselves in similar circumstances. Although, as with all treatments, it undoubtedly won't work in all cases, it will give a fighting chance to some women. However, an agreement on the availability of the drug is yet to be reached. Given the politics and economics involved, it's not certain it will happen. Mr Harris says he expects to hear progress on the availability of the drug in the coming days. Meanwhile, Ms Phelan will release a memoir on her remarkable life story next year - the story of a woman whose bravery in speaking out led to the exposure of one of the greatest ever scandals within the Irish healthcare system is truly inspirational. The book will tell her story, from surviving a life-threatening accident in early adulthood to later battles with depression and overcoming family tragedy. It will also reveal her journey through cervical cancer and life after going public. Her story, particularly over the past six months, will hopefully serve as encouragement to many. However, Ms Phelan's case can hardly be hailed as a success for the battered reputation of the country's health service. Unfortunately, our health system was hit by yet another bodyblow to confidence yesterday. A shocking report of a review of thousands of patient checks overseen by a locum radiologist in University Hospital Kerry was published yesterday. The report on a review of 46,000 radiology scans at University Hospital Kerry found 11 patients had their diagnoses of cancer delayed and four of these patients have since died. The review was ordered after three serious reportable events were uncovered at the hospital. These involved the work of a locum consultant, who no longer works at the hospital. The 11 patients involved had their diagnoses delayed. It also finds that the delayed diagnoses had a serious impact on their health. The review throws up many questions about the management of the health service. Any recommendations on future operation of the service will be of scant consolation to the families affected. Open letter to Minister Sean Kyne Dear Minister, As a rural general practitioner in Carraroe, south Connemara, I read with interest that you recently attended a meeting with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe in relation to helping with the cost of overnight hotel accommodation in Dublin for Ministers of State ('We need more expenses to pay for hotels in capital, say Fine Gael junior ministers on 130,000' Irish Independent, December 3), compounded by having foregone two annual salary increases that have been awarded under pay restoration. I also note that this Government, including many senior ministers and the Taoiseach, frequently refer to full employment and an economy which is in great shape. As you are fully aware, during our financial crisis, vicious Fempi (financial emergency) cuts were applied to general practice, including the removal of distance codes that particularly impacted upon rural GPs. Despite Government reports of a recovered economy, there is simply no move on the part of this Government to restore these Fempi cuts, and this is despite all the evidence that money invested in general practice is money well spent, including incontrovertible and worldwide evidence showing that every 1 moved from hospital care to primary care saves 5. If you see fit to personally lobby in relation to help with your own hotel bills, what lobbying are you doing to support the 12 rural GPs that provide crucial healthcare services to the Connemara members of your constituency? No one covers our costs when we travel, often relatively long distances, to essential house calls. Perhaps you might ask Mr Donohoe if he has money for my travel expense when I next visit my elderly 96-year-old patient who lives 25km from my surgery rather than lobbying for ministerial hotel room costs? Dr Peter A Sloane Carraroe, Co Galway Ministers failing to raise morale in State schools Analysis of your 'Feeder Schools Tables' supplement (Irish Independent, December 4) show the greatest percentages going on to Irish universities are from schools that are fee-paying, in more prosperous areas and are Irish-speaking. Deeper analysis would show that in respect of disadvantaged Deis area schools, fewer students go on to university. In my early years as principal of two English Catholic secondary schools, I dreaded the annual publication of league tables which were so dispiriting for my staff and students. Then, in my later years, performance tables changed and were produced on the basis of value-added, which allowed for prior attainment at age seven, 11, 14 and 16, as well as gender, date of birth and economic background of students. This fairer mode of measuring performance often put us to the top end of national tables and led to a rapid rise in staff and student morale. It also became easier to recruit and retain better-qualified staff. It could never have been fair to compare my school's public examination results with the two single-sex grammar schools on the same campus. They creamed off the top 5pc of 11 year olds and without fail topped England's annual school league tables. How sad it is that successive Irish education ministers have done nothing to introduce value-added measures and help raise the spirits of teachers and students in Ireland's less economically favoured areas. Finally, even though I have a grandchild attending a school that tops the Kerry table, I am not naive enough to automatically conclude that it is either best or of gold standard! Alan Whelan Killarney, Co Kerry Public sector like broken gun - they can't be fired Sean O'Donnell totally misses the point of how "we" see public sector workers (Letters, Irish Independent, December 1). The general annoyance with public sector workers is not that each one is well off but that there are far too many of them, that many of them take huge amounts of sick time; that many of the ones who do show up every day do not really achieve much, if anything, for the good of the country; and, finally, that however useless many of them are, like a broken gun, they can't be fired. They are as unaccountable as our politicians but we still have to pay a huge amount of taxes for all of them. That is the reason for our frustration. Richard Barton Maynooth, Co Kildare Conscientious objectors' rights need protection The deep divide in public opinion on the abortion issue was reflected in the Dail debate on the Government's Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy Bill. From reports on the recent meeting of the Irish College of General Practitioners, it is evident this divide is also present among doctors ('Up to 50 GPs walk out of meeting over concerns about new abortion legislation', Irish Independent, December 2). While acknowledging the right of doctors to conscientious objection, Health Minister Simon Harris says that "women also have a right to healthcare". He dismisses the concerns of doctors who on grounds of conscience are unable to co-operate in any way with the provision of abortion services. He makes the outrageous suggestion "that a woman with an unwanted pregnancy would be shown the door or given the cold shoulder". The minister is also reported as saying "the people have spoken and the campaign is over". Mr Harris should remember, however, that the people did not speak with one voice. For the 34pc who voted No, the campaign may indeed be over, but their conscientious objection to abortion is not. The right of doctors and all healthcare staff, on grounds of conscience, not to have any hand, act or part in the provision of abortion services needs to be fully protected. John Glennon Hollywood, Co Wicklow Christmas throws light on global warming You know that most people in Ireland have no regard for climate change when you see the amount of electricity required to light up houses with Christmas decorations. To cap it all, our politicians are happy to be gathered around their very own Christmas tree in the grounds of our legislature, after which they all decamp to pleasanter places where they can plan with imagined impunity to wreak even more havoc with our climate obligations. Liam Power Dundalk, Co Louth Prime Minister Theresa May delivers her keynote speech at the Conservative Party annual conference in Birmingham (Stefan Rousseau/PA) A flowchart of possible outcomes from Britains Brexit deadlock took the internet by storm on Thursday morning. Thousands of people across the UK have scratched their heads over the possible permutations as the nations future hangs in the balance, on the cusp of a key vote in Parliament over how the country leaves the European Union. But Prime Minister Theresa May is widely expected to lose the vote next Tuesday over the deal she negotiated with the EU. So Times journalist Henry Zeffman has created a vast flowchart of possibilities should MPs vote down Mrs Mays deal, a choose your own adventure guide to the next few months of Brexit Britain. In a tweet accompanying a picture of the flowchart he wrote: So what might happen next? Its complicated So what might happen next? It's complicated... pic.twitter.com/4oCLCjSouK Henry Zeffman (@hzeffman) December 6, 2018 Of the 35 permutations and possible outcomes in which Mrs May doesnt resign after losing the vote, the most common, according to Zeffman, is that she either resigns later or loses a no confidence vote. Either case would trigger a leadership election. But just how complicated is it? Zeffman identified six potential situations with nine possible outcomes, a complex assessment of timelines which started life on the back of an envelope, he said. This was v1 of many - on the back of a (large) envelope. Thanks to @timshearring for making it a fair bit prettier pic.twitter.com/EjNDUHdvlZ Henry Zeffman (@hzeffman) December 6, 2018 Twitter users have not held back in passing judgment on the herculean piece of political journalism. Has Zeffman lost his mind down the rabbit hole of possibilities? Can the flowchart be played like a board game? Just playing a quick game of Brexit/Risk/Havent Got A Cluedo/Kerplunk Goes May. @hzeffman @thetimes pic.twitter.com/JmysB4sJhl Jane Merrick (@janemerrick23) December 6, 2018 Does anyone really know what will happen? Thankfully, Britons wont have to live all 46 timelines from Zeffmans Brexit crystal ball. But which becomes reality is almost impossible to predict. Visitors pay their respects to the flag-draped casket of former president George HW Bush at St Martins Episcopal Church in Houston (Mark Humphrey/AP) George HW Bush, who shaped history as 41st president and patriarch of a family that occupied the White House for a dozen years, is going to his final rest, in Texas. The US said goodbye to him on Wednesday in a funeral service in Washington that offered high praise for the last of the presidents to have fought in the Second World War and a hefty dose of humour about a man once described as a cross between Mister Rogers and John Wayne. After three days of remembrance in Washington, a plane brought Mr Bushs casket for his funerals closing ceremonies in Houston and burial on Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place is alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, and Robin Bush, the daughter they lost to leukaemia aged three. Expand Close The flag-draped casket of former president George HW Bush is carried by a joint services military honour guard at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The flag-draped casket of former president George HW Bush is carried by a joint services military honour guard at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) As a motorcade subsequently carried Mr Bushs remains to the family church, St Martins Episcopal, along a closed interstate, hundreds of people in stopped cars on the other side of the road, took pictures and shot mobile phone video. One driver of a tanker truck climbed atop the hulking vehicle for a better view, and at least 15 firefighters scaled a pair of stopped firetrucks to salute. Upon its arrival at the church, Mr Bushs casket was met by a military band and Houston Democratic mayor Sylvester Turner. Expand Close Members of the clergy pray during the state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Members of the clergy pray during the state funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington (Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP) In the service at Washington National Cathedral, three former presidents and President Donald Trump looked on as George W Bush eulogised his father as the brightest of a thousand points of light. The national funeral service at the cathedral was a tribute to a president, a patriarch and a faded political era that prized military service and public responsibility. He was a man of such great humility, said Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming. Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, DC, he added pointedly, are not bothered by heavy traffic. Mr Trump sat with his wife, a trio of ex-presidents and their wives, several of the group sharp critics of his presidency and one of them, Hillary Clinton, his 2016 Democratic foe. Apart from courteous nods and some handshakes, there was little interaction between Mr Trump and the others. Expand Close President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump sit with a trio of ex-presidents (Alex Brandon/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump sit with a trio of ex-presidents (Alex Brandon/AP) George W Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost in 1953 and his mother, who died in April. He said he took comfort in knowing Dad is hugging Robin and holding Moms hand again. The family occupied the White House for a dozen years the 41st president defeated after one term, the 43rd serving two. Jeb Bush stepped up to try to extend that run but fell short when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries. The elder Bush was the last great-soldier statesman, historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, our shield in dangerous times. But he took a lighter tone, too, noting that Mr Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply quipped, Never know. Gotta ask. Expand Close Bystanders video the hearse carrying the body of George HW Bush as it travels to St Martin Episcopal Church after returning from Washington DC (Michael Wyke/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Bystanders video the hearse carrying the body of George HW Bush as it travels to St Martin Episcopal Church after returning from Washington DC (Michael Wyke/AP) Mr Meacham recounted how comedian Dana Carvey once said the key to doing an impersonation of Bush was Mr Rogers trying to be John Wayne. None of that would be a surprise to Mr Bush. Mr Meacham had read his eulogy to him, said Mr Bushs spokesman Jim McGrath, and Mr Bush responded to it with the crack: Thats a lot about me, Jon. The congregation at the cathedral, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Mr Bushs life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, Mr Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts. Mr Simpson regaled the congregation with stories from his years as Mr Bushs friend in Washington. More seriously, he recalled that when he went through a rough patch in the political game, Mr Bush conspicuously stood by him against the advice of aides. You would have wanted him on your side, he said. Mr Simpson said Mr Bush loved a good joke the richer the better. And he threw his head back and gave that great laugh, but he never, ever could remember a punchline. And I mean never. Expand Close Former president George W Bush touches the casket of his father at the state funeral (Alex Brandon/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Former president George W Bush touches the casket of his father at the state funeral (Alex Brandon/AP) George W Bush turned the humour back on the acerbic ex-senator, saying of the late president: He placed great value on a good joke, so he chose Simpson to speak. Mr Meacham praised Mr Bushs call to volunteerism, placing his 1,000 points of light alongside Abraham Lincolns call to honour the better angels of our nature in the American rhetorical canon. Mr Meacham called those lines companion verses in Americas national hymn. Mr Trump had mocked 1,000 points of light last summer at a rally, saying: What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasnt it? A military band played Hail to the Chief as Mr Bushs casket was carried down the steps of the US Capitol, where he had lain in state. Family members looked on as servicemen fired off a cannon salute. Expand Close George W Bush and family members arrive at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp George W Bush and family members arrive at Ellington Field in Houston (Eric Gay/AP) His hearse was then driven in a motorcade to the cathedral ceremony, slowing in front of the White House, the route lined with people much of the way, bundled in winter hats and taking photos. Mr Trump tweeted Wednesday that the day marked a celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. Mr Bushs death makes Mr Carter, also 94 but more than 100 days younger, the oldest living ex-president. Following the cathedral service, the hearse and its long motorcade drove to the National Mall to pass by the Second World War Memorial, a nod to the late presidents service as a Navy pilot, then transferred his remains at Joint Base Andrews for the flight home to Texas with members of his family. A gay pharmacist who mercilessly strangled his wife so he could start a new life in Australia with his boyfriend and a 2 (2.24m) million life insurance payout will serve at least 30 years of a life sentence behind bars. Mitesh Patel, 37, had plotted to kill his wife Jessica for years and throttled her with his hands after choking her with a bag and subduing her with insulin. She fought for her life during the attack at the marital home in Middlesbrough before her husband staged a robbery, ransacking the property to make it look like an intruder had killed her. Mr Justice Goss sentenced Patel to life and passed a minimum term of 30 years, saying: "You have no remorse for your actions. Expand Close Pharmacist Mitesh Patel. Photo: Cleveland Police/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pharmacist Mitesh Patel. Photo: Cleveland Police/PA Wire "Any pity you have is for yourself." Patel made a series of fundamental errors in his plan to kill his wife, including a botched attempt to hide his house's CCTV hard drive and leaving the duct tape he used to bind her body at their pharmacy. The judge told Patel: "As the police investigation progressed, the full extent of your attitude and behaviour towards Jessica over the nine years of your marriage was revealed. "She clearly loved you and was a dutiful wife. "She wanted nothing more than to have children and live a normal family life. "The difficulty is that you had no sexual attraction to her; you were attracted to men." Expand Close Cleveland Police handout CCTV image dated 14/5/2018 of Mitesh Patel leaving home. Photo: Cleveland Police/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Cleveland Police handout CCTV image dated 14/5/2018 of Mitesh Patel leaving home. Photo: Cleveland Police/PA Wire Mrs Patel was to some extent aware of her husband's sexuality, the judge said. "She was lonely, often upset and controlled by you," he told Patel. "With hindsight, it is apparent this was for your own selfish reasons and not with any intention of making her happy." The judge told Patel he was "needy and callous" and used his wife while "indulging your own desires and whims". Patel, who was "business-driven" and wanted to retire at 40, committed murder "in the expectation of gain as a result of her death", the judge said. Addressing Mrs Patel's family, he said: "I would like to end this case by expressing the condolences of the court on the very sad loss of someone who was very clearly a kind and decent person." Expand Close Relatives of murder victim Jessica Patel wearing Justice for Jess jumpers outside Teesside Crown Court where her husband Mitesh was jailed for life. Photo: Tom Wilkinson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Relatives of murder victim Jessica Patel wearing Justice for Jess jumpers outside Teesside Crown Court where her husband Mitesh was jailed for life. Photo: Tom Wilkinson/PA Wire He had earlier heard victim statements from Mrs Patel's grandmother, father and siblings. The victim's younger sister Divya Patel said: "The one thing we hope and prayed for above anything else was that in her final moments she did not suffer. "The cruel reality is that she did in fact suffer, she knew exactly who her killer was, and he mercilessly ignored her attempts to fight for her own life as he ended it. "We can only imagine the fear and panic she must have felt knowing herself this was it. Thinking of that moment makes our hearts so heavy." Ms Patel also addressed her brother-in-law in the dock, saying: "We do not just pray, we know, she will be free from you for ever. As will she rest in heaven, you will rot in hell." She added: "Only Mitesh himself can truly answer why he did this. Everything he has done has been purely for selfish reasons. "He could've divorced her, taken everything he wanted - he did not need to take her life, he had no right to take this evil, cruel and malicious step." Her father Jayantilal Patel's statement said he recalled seeing a film where a character's son was murdered. Mr Patel said: "I still remember him saying, there is nothing more heavy than carrying your own child's coffin. "It is very true, I have felt that weight." The couple, from West Yorkshire, owned and ran a successful pharmacy, but their marriage was unhappy. He was regularly unfaithful with men he met on the Grindr dating app and he once told his secret lover Dr Amit Patel that he married Jessica because she was in love with him and it would be a good cover for his true sexuality. Mrs Patel underwent three courses of IVF and the last cycle resulted in three embryos being created, but she was murdered before they could be implanted. Patel's original alibi that he had gone for a walk the night he killed her was proved to be false, and the prosecution portrayed him as a serial liar and fantasist. The judge praised Cleveland Police's use of data from the defendant's health app on his iPhone to show his movements around the murder scene. A FORMER assistant of JK Rowling accused of fraudulently using her credit card for spending sprees was a "good liar", according to the Harry Potter author's husband. He told a court in Scotland they were taking action as a "point of principle". Expand Close Amanda Donaldson leaves Airdrie Sheriff Court. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Amanda Donaldson leaves Airdrie Sheriff Court. Photo: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire Dr Neil Murray said Amanda Donaldson was employed to organise his wife's business and professional matters. She was suspended and later dismissed in 2017 over alleged unauthorised spending that included 3,629 in retailer Molton Brown, 2,139 in card shop Paper Tiger and more than 1,800 in Starbucks and Costa coffee shops. Rowling claims Ms Donaldson wrongly benefited from the credit card and by taking Harry Potter merchandise to a total value of almost 24,000 and is seeking damages in the civil case. Ms Donaldson denies the claims against her. Expand Close JK Rowling (Yui Mok/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp JK Rowling (Yui Mok/PA) Asked by the author's lawyer why one of the country's wealthiest people is pursuing an action over a relatively small amount of money, Dr Murray, 47, said: "I would say there is a matter of principle here. "I firmly believe Amanda has stolen a substantial amount of money and Harry Potter merchandise in the office that was for sick and dying children. "She continues to deny any of it. I feel personally that we have a duty to protect any future employer. If this was a small business she could have ruined it." Airdrie Sheriff Court heard Dr Murray was a co-manager of his wife's business affairs and an accountant raised concerns with him over the personal assistant's spending between 2014 and 2017. He said the biggest concern was over cash withdrawals of 400 and 250 in December 2016 that Ms Donaldson claimed were for a Christmas lunch deposit at Castle Terrace restaurant in Edinburgh. Chartered accountant Steven Simou earlier told the court he had contacted the restaurant and found no deposit had been requested or taken off the final bill. In his evidence, Dr Murray, said an email Ms Donaldson claimed to have received from the restaurant confirming the deposit was in fact faked by the former PA. He said: "The restaurant confirmed no deposit was taken and no email was sent. I believe she fraudulently created that email in order to justify that spend." Dr Murray told the court he challenged Ms Donaldson over the money in "an astonishing encounter". He said: "Amanda had always adopted a lively, slightly bubbly, a bit scatty demeanour. "I thought she might be emotional or run about the office looking for bits of paper but what I found was a completely different personality. "She shut down, was calm and basically lied. At the end of the encounter I was really taken at how good a liar she was." The author's husband said there was a small staff of four full-time and two part-time workers who shared an office with Amanda in Edinburgh. Asked by Rowling's solicitor Ms MacDonald if there was any reason for the 3,629 spend at Molton Brown, Dr Murray said: "Well not for the office, it doesn't make sense. "I think the vast majority was purchased by Amanda for Amanda." Dr Murray said there was "no question" about what the credit card was meant to be used for. "This was a business card to facilitate my wife's business life," he told the court. He added: "I heard from office staff there was an occasion Amanda was out socially with staff and they bought pizza. "Amanda offered to pay for the group and took out the business credit card. I was told she said 'don't worry, Neil doesn't check this card'." Ms Donaldson's lawyer said Dr Murray was carrying out a "character assassination" of her client. The witness said he had "seen two sides" to Ms Donaldson, before and after raising the disciplinary matter over the money. Earlier, accountant Mr Simou told the civil case he had analysed the credit card account after a concern was raised with him believed it was fraudulent activity. He said: "I was just quite shocked to see so many expenses there, clearly not of a business nature." He added: "Certain expenses stood out more than others - Costa, Starbucks, bakeries, Boots and other High Street shops you wouldn't normally associate with a business spend." Cross-examined by Ms Donaldson's lawyer, Mr Simou said he did not know what instructions Ms Donaldson had been given for using the card. The civil case before Sheriff Derek O'Carroll continues later in December. French police investigating the murder of Irish lecturer John Dowling are continuing to quiz a 37-year-old former student over the killing. The English language teacher was attacked and stabbed several times at the Pole Universitaire Leonard de Vinci on Wednesday. He had taught at the Parisian campus for almost 20 years and was due to retire in the coming months. Mr Dowling (66) was killed after allegedly being attacked by a former student at the college who was expelled last year. A 37-year-old Pakistani national was arrested in relation to the murder on Wednesday, and was being questioned by local police in relation to the killing. John Dowling had worked in the Paris college since 1999, while also lecturing at the Emerald Cultural Institute in Rathgar, Dublin during the summer. He also had strong links to Donegal. Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Police block the access on December 5, 2018 at the main entrance of the private Leonard-de-Vinci university in Courbevoie, northwest of Paris, where a 66-year-old teacher was repeatedly stabbed to death. Photo: PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images Forensic police at the main entrance of the private Leonard-de-Vinci university in Courbevoie, northwest of Paris, where a 66-year-old teacher was repeatedly stabbed to death. Photo: PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images Police block the access at the main entrance of the private Leonard-de-Vinci university in Courbevoie, northwest of Paris, where a 66-year-old teacher was repeatedly stabbed to death. Photo: PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Police block the access on December 5, 2018 at the main entrance of the private Leonard-de-Vinci university in Courbevoie, northwest of Paris, where a 66-year-old teacher was repeatedly stabbed to death. Photo: PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images A former student of the victim in Dublin described him as an enthusiastic and captivating teacher and difficult to forget. While on a three week English course in Dublin last summer, Italian student Carmen Colantuono was taught by Mr Dowling. "Last summer I had the lucky chance to know John as my English teacher in Emerald Cultural Institute, she said. "He was such a great storyteller, whose amount of funny or bizarre anecdotes about every aspect of life was so huge and impressive. "I was really shocked by the tragic and so futile circumstances that caused his death, so contrarily small for a big man like he was. In a Facebook post, the Dublin-based language school said: It is with deep sadness that we have learned of the death of our beloved friend and colleague John Dowling. We will all miss him more than words can say. Students and staff at the Pole Universitaire Leonard de Vinci yesterday held a minutes silence in memory of John Dowling while several locations around the campus- including the scene of the attack- had boards with messages of condolences displayed. In a statement the college said that the suspect had been a student there for a number of months last year, but had been expelled in August 2017. "John was a very friendly man, respected and loved by all students and colleagues. He was also known for his great availability and kindness. "The community of the Pole Leonard de Vinci is deeply shocked and saddened by this tragedy of extreme violence. We express our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of John Dowling, a spokesman said. Ann Bertrand, a former student of John Dowlings, said that the Irish lecturer was loved by everyone who knew him. "He was someone who was simply pleasant to be around. He had an enormous sense of humour. You could say he was a role model, she told Sean ORourke on RTE Radio 1 Ms Bertrand said that he was modest, successful and was loved by everyone both professionally and personally. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it was aware of the tragedy and that it is providing consular assistance . Sebastien Tran, a director at the university, said he believed the student was dissatisfied at his exclusion from the university in 2017, but added that he had not been seen as a particular threat. "We are very surprised and upset, Mr Tran added. The university director general, Pascal Brouaye, spoke to reporters after the incident. "Its an incident which has stricken our entire community, Mr Brouaye said. "This is a language teacher who gave 20 years service here and who was well-liked by everyone. Pig hearts could soon be tested in humans after scientists passed an important milestone by transplanting the organs into primates. In 2000, the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) suggested human trials would be considered once 60pc of primates could live for three months, with at least some indication that longer survival was possible. Previous studies have only achieved up to 57 days survival, so the new research is the first to meet the criteria set out by the ISHLT, and represents a major step in the clinical use of pig hearts in humans. Now surgeons in Germany, using pig hearts from animals that had been genetically modified to remove threatening viruses and prevent the body rejecting the foreign organ, have grafted pig hearts into five baboons and kept four of the animals alive for at least 90 days, with one still in good health for more than six months. Writing in the journal 'Nature', cardiac surgeon Bruno Reichart, of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, said they had proved transplanting hearts worked in one of human's closest relatives, and that 195-day survival was a 'milestone' in using the procedure in the clinic. Professor Barry Fuller of University College London welcomed the development and said: "This is an impressive study on transplantation of organs between species. "The possibility to use animal organs for transplantation to overcome organ shortages has been discussed for decades, but has never become a reality because the human body aggressively rejects animal organ transplants because of multiple and strong immune reactions. "Scientists have developed genetically modified pigs which could in theory reduce this strong immune response, but even then, significant problems have remained. "This new research can thus help both to bring organ xenotransplantation a step closer to human application." Although several medical procedures already use sterilised pig tissues, such as heart valves in cardiac surgery and corneal transplants, doctors believe the use of full organs could end a donor shortage. A day after French President Emmanuel Macron's administration backed down in the face of nationwide protests and suspended a fuel tax increase, the government has suggested it could also amend a wealth tax. Government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux, a close ally of Mr Macron, said all policies involving taxation needed to be re-evaluated and, if not to be working, should be changed. "If a measure that we have taken, which is costing the public money, turns out not to be working, if it's not going well, we're not stupid - we would change it," he said. Dozens of suspected members of the 'Ndrangheta mafia were arrested in co-ordinated raids as part of what is being hailed as the biggest ever EU operation against organised crime. A total of 84 suspects were arrested as police in Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg raided the homes of suspected mafia bosses and searched restaurants and other businesses early yesterday morning. Italian authorities said raids were also conducted in South America. The 'Ndrangheta, a mafia organisation that operates out of the Calabria region of southern Italy, is one of the world's largest crime syndicates and thought to make billions of euro through cocaine trafficking every year. Operation Pollino was co-ordinated by Eurojust, the EU's cross-border justice authority, which described it as a "decisive" intervention against organised crime. "We send a clear message to organised crime groups across Europe. They are not the only ones able to operate across borders," said Filippo Spiezia, vice president of Eurojust. Just under half of the suspects were detained in Italy. In Germany, the raids constituted the country's greatest strike against the mafia, arresting 14 suspects. Authorities said they have arrested the cfo of Chinas Huawei Technologies (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Canadian authorities have arrested the chief financial officer of Chinas Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. Meng Wanzhou was arrested in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday, Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said. Mr McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide further details. Expand Close A profile of Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is displayed on a computer at a store in Beijing, China (Ng Han Guan/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp A profile of Huaweis chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou is displayed on a computer at a store in Beijing, China (Ng Han Guan/AP) The ban was sought by Meng, who has a bail hearing on Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that US authorities are investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. Huawei issued a statement saying Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained on behalf of the United States of America to face unspecified charges in New York. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms Meng, the statement said. Huawei said it complies with all laws and rules where it operates, including export controls and sanctions of the United Nations, the US and European Union. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said her human rights were violated and demanded her immediate release. At the request of the US side, the Canadian side arrested a Chinese citizen not violating any American or Canadian law. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim, the statement said. A US Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that US authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Ms Hua said in April, We hope the US will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the US business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp from exporting US technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. Rwandas high court has acquitted the countrys most prominent opposition figure, Diane Rwigara, of all charges against her. The judge said the prosecution failed to provide evidence of insurrection and forgery. Ms Rwigaras mother, Adeline, 59, also was acquitted of inciting insurrection and promoting sectarianism. Both women had denied the charges. Diane Rwigara, 37, was arrested after challenging longtime President Paul Kagame in last years election. LIVE NOW: Kigali High Court dismisses all charges against Mrs. Adeline #Rwigara. Shima Diane Rwigara (@ShimaRwigara) December 6, 2018 Her case has drawn global attention as Mr Kagame again faces pressure to give more space to critics in the highly controlled country. US senators in recent days urged the Rwandan government to drop the charges against her, with Sen Dick Durbin noting what appears to be highly questionable charges against Ms Rwigara for seemingly running for office peacefully. In response, Rwandas justice minister told reporters that courts should not be pressured by third parties. Speaking ahead of her court appearance, Ms Rwigara remained defiant, saying no amount of pressure will silence her. LIVE NOW: Kigali High Court dismisses all charges against Diane Shima #Rwigara. Shima Diane Rwigara (@ShimaRwigara) December 6, 2018 I hope to be cleared of all these made-up charges but I am ready for any outcome, she said, calling the courts unpredictable and lacking independence. During her trial, Ms Rwigara denounced the charges against her as politically motivated. Mr Kagame is praised for leading Rwandas recovery from the 1994 genocide and for advances in economic development and womens rights, but critics say he does not tolerate criticism. His government rejects such accusations. Ms Rwigara last year acknowledged the risks of running against Mr Kagame, one of Africas longest-serving leaders. Soon after she announced her intention to run, nude photos purportedly of her that she said had been manipulated were published on social media in what her supporters called an effort to undermine her credibility. Ms Rwigara later was disqualified from running, with the government saying she lacked enough supporting signatures and had forged some of them. Mr Kagame won a third term with more than 98% of the vote. Representatives from Yemens warring sides sat in the same room in Sweden as UN-sponsored peace talks for the war-torn Arab country got under way. Swedens foreign minister, Margot Wallstrom, opened the talks at a castle in Rimbo, a town north of Stockholm, wishing the Yemen adversaries strength to find compromise and courage as they embark on the difficult task ahead. Now it is up to you, the Yemini parties, she said. You have the command of your future. Expand Close Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom arrives with the Yemen delegates (Stina Stjernkvist/TT News Agency/AP) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom arrives with the Yemen delegates (Stina Stjernkvist/TT News Agency/AP) The UN envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths said the coming days were a milestone and urged the parties not to waver let us work in good faith to deliver a message of peace. Mr Griffiths announced the sides have agreed on a prisoner exchange as a first step toward building confidence. He said both sides have signalled they were serious about de-escalating the fighting through calls they have made in recent weeks, and urged them to work to further reduce the violence in the Arab worlds poorest nation, scene of massive civilians suffering. Im also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, detainees, the missing, the forcibly detained and individuals placed under house arrest, Mr Griffiths said. It will allow thousands of families to be reunited, and it is product of very effective, active work from both delegations. UN officials, however, have sought to downplay expectations from the talks, saying they do not expect rapid progress toward a political settlement but hope for at least minor steps that would help to address Yemens worsening humanitarian crisis. Both the internationally-recognised government, which is backed by a US-sponsored and Saudi-led coalition, and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels say they are striving for peace. The Houthi delegation arrived in Stockholm late on Tuesday, accompanied by Mr Griffiths. The government delegation and the head of the rebel delegation travelled to Sweden on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the UN food agency said it is planning to rapidly scale up food distribution to help another four million people in Yemen over the next two months, more than a 50% increase in the number reached now if access can be maintained in the poor, war-stricken country. World Food Programs spokesman Herve Verhoosel said the ambitious undertaking finalises plans in the works in recent months to reach 12 million people with food and nutritional supplements through January, from between 7-8 million now. The target population includes some three million women and children who need special support to prevent malnutrition. Mr Verhoosel said the rollout will require safe, immediate and unimpeded access for food and other vital supplies. Up until recently, expatriates first in-country encounter with Indian bureaucracy occurred at the Foreign Regional Registration Office (FRRO). However, from February 2018 onwards, this administration process has been digitized. As of February 12, foreigners who need to register their visa, request a new visa, or extend their visa will be able to do so on the online FRRO portal. The portal offers online solutions for submitting applications and documents. While the new online facility is a great step forward for many expatriates who commonly lament their FRRO experiences, employers and foreign professionals should still consider employing advisors to manage or review visa applications and registrations: the cumulative cost of registration delays or an investigation is not worth the risk. Indias FRRO regulation After obtaining an Indian employment visa, registering the visa at an FRRO is often an afterthought for expatriates. However, visa holders should plan to register their visa as soon as possible. Failing to register a visa within the specified time period can result in a fine, and in some cases, an investigation. An investigation can take several weeks the visa holder is not permitted to leave the country during this time period. In addition, investigations may complicate any future visa applications or renewals. If the duration of the visa exceeds six months (180 days), the visa holder must register the visa, within 14 days of arrival, with the FRRO. An exception to this is for Pakistani nationals, who must register within 24 hours. Required documentation Like the visa application, both the visa holder and their employer must provide the supporting documents. This process requires coordination between the visa holder and their employers; visa holders and their employers should plan to allow 2-3 days to gather and complete these documents. The visa holder must ordinarily provide: A completed visa registration application form; Six passport size photos of the applicant; A copy of the photo page within the passport; A copy of the visa page within the passport; Proof of address, such as a drivers license or utility bill, from the visa holders home country; A notarized copy of a lease deed/agreement or a C-Form from a hotel of residence; and, Visa registration fees. The employer must ordinarily provide: Two copies of a permission letter that requests approval for the applicants visa registration; Two copies of a sponsorship letter that pledges responsibility for the applicants activity in India and promises to repatriate the applicant at company cost if any adverse conduct comes to notice; Two copies of a letter confirming the visa holders residential address in India; Two copies of an employment contract that specifically states the monthly salary, designation, tenure of employment, etc.; and, The companys Incorporation Certificate. We note that while authorities do not require two copies of the employers information, it is advisable for employers to provide duplicates for their employee so that they can retain a copy of each document for personal records. All applicants should maintain all documents with an exception for the Incorporation Certificate in original copy, drafted on company letterhead, signed by a senior manager, and marked with the companys official stamp. Registering through the online portal Employers and visa holders should review registration requirements together to ensure that all supporting documents are available and correct. The following is required: A foreign national using the online FRRO portal must first create a user ID and password; The application form must be filled online; The application form requires a passport size photograph in .jpg format with the maximum file size of 1 MB; The application form requires documents to be uploaded in a single PDF format not exceeding 1 MB; and, The fee must be paid online. The applicant can track the status of the application through the FRRO portal; services granted or rejected will be informed through email or SMS alert. The document applied for will then be sent by postal delivery to the address provided by the foreign national or to the registered email address. It can also be downloaded from the portal. The portal does not specify any standard timelines for processing applications. Applicants must apply in advance to avoid delays, and should upload all prescribed documents. Registering at an FRRO In case the foreign national chooses to visit the FRRO to register an employment visa, the visa holder needs to prepare specific documents required by Indian authorities. The latest available listing shows that FRROs are located in the following cities across India: Visa holders may schedule a visa registration appointment; however, many visa holders simply visit the FRRO at a time of their choosing. Visa holders who have not scheduled a registration appointment should arrive at the FRRO as early as possible to avoid large crowds. Visa holders will likely need to wait several hours for a registration officer, but a registration certificate from the officer will be issued in a matter of minutes. Once the process is completed, the visa holder becomes legally eligible to work and reside in India for the allowed period. Foreigners must note that visa consultants or any other guest cannot enter the FRRO with the visa holder. A cumbersome but valuable experience Registering an employment visa can be a burden for freshly arrived expatriates. Although visa holders seeking to register their stay in India can successfully do so independently, many companies employ a local visa consultant. These consultants, who are often certified lawyers, can provide form letters and crosscheck registration documents to ensure that registration applications do not invite any undue scrutiny. The experience can, however, provide important insights into the Indian bureaucratic process. Expatriates unfamiliar with Indian bureaucracy will learn local practices that are critical for preparing and submitting official documents in India both online and offline. Moreover, the process can help managers understand the amount of time and energy required for doing business with local government offices. Editors Note: The article was first published in December 2014, and has been updated on February 27, 2018 as per the latest regulatory developments. Several Native artists have been selected for the Tulsa Artist Fellowship in Oklahoma. Recipients include Joy Harjo , a literary and musical artist from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She will be returning to her birthplace of Tulsa for the year-long fellowship. "This fellowship confirms that my final steps lead home to Tulsa, Harjo said in a press release . In one of my very first poems, written in the late 70s, I wrote: Oklahoma will be the last song Ill ever sing. And here we are. The roads are clear over to the Helmerich Library. Workshop is on from 2-4pm! pic.twitter.com/HJoi55bbWr Arigon Starr (@arigonstarr) February 10, 2018 Other Native recipients include Larry Blackhorse Lowe , a filmmaker from the Navajo Nation; Yatika Starr Fields , a painter who is Cherokee, Creek and Osage; Sterlin Harjo , a filmmaker from the Seminole Nation; and Arigon Starr , a musician, playwright and graphic novelist who is Kickapoo and Creek. The Tulsa Artist Fellowship provides recipients with a $20,000 stipend. Artists also benefit from a subsidized living and work space in Tulsa. Indian Perfume, June in Osage County oil on panel, wall relief cut out. 33x 34x 2. New works from the summer series on view @blueraingallery #santafe #contemporaryart #paintings pic.twitter.com/AlB3b1lHir Yatika Starr Fields (@Yatikafields) September 25, 2018 A total of 27 artists received fellowships, now in its fourth year. Joy Harjo and Larry Blackhorse Lowe and incoming recipients. Yatika Starr Fields, Sterlin Harjo and Arigon Starr are returning fellows. I have witnessed the development of significant arts practitioners in environments stripped down to the bone," executive director Carolyn Sickles said. "Those triumphs reinforce the responsibility of Tulsa Artist Fellows to make unprecedented artistic contributions with this groundbreaking opportunity. Join the Conversation Imagine a life where you go to school but have to sit outside the class and the space where actual education takes place is denied to you. You have to and have to bring along a gunny bag to sit on and take it back home with yourself. The only time you can have water is when someone else pours it for you because youre not allowed to touch the well. And if there is no person to give you water, you just go thirsty. Now, youre told that all the measures that are taken to keep you away from the rest of the people is because youre an untouchable. Indias caste system has been rather cruel to the dalits who were tagged as the lower caste and not allowed to interact with the rest of the society. They were forced into menial labour and kept away from education. These were some of the social factors that made sure they stayed poor. But, on 14th April 1891 man was born into this very community who took up the challenge to change it all and as Indias history is now witness to it, this man kept getting out of any boundaries he was forced into because of his social status. We know that man as B.R. Ambedkar and the work he did earned him the respectful title of Babasaheb, or father-sir. wikipedia One could assume that Ambedkar was always conscious of his caste and thats probably why in one of the books he authored he recounts that the community wanted to celebrate the occasion of him passing his fourth grade exams because they thought it was a great achievement. A public ceremony took place and one of the people present gifted Babasaheb a book on Buddhism, a religion he kept close to all throughout his life because it liberated him from the strict social structures of the Brahmanical society. Using education as his means of breaking barriers, Babasaheb went on to become the first dalit student to be admitted to Elphinstone College which was affiliated with the University of Bombay. He got his degree in economics and politics. By 1912, he was already working with the government of Baroda. At the young age of 22 in 1913, Babasaheb was given a scholarship that allowed him to go to the US to study at the prestigious Columbia University. getty images But getting an education, didnt change social attitudes towards him. He served the government of Baroda for a little while but soon moved away to find other jobs. Given his education, he did secure a job with a college in Mumbai but the other professors were not too happy with his caste. They even created an issue over them having to share the same drinking jug as them. By the time he started his journey into the legal profession, he was ready to change this attitude. In 1926, he took three clients for a non-Brahmanical community who had accused the Brahmin community of India and were then sued for libel. Ambedkar not only fought this case but also won it. This victory wasnt just in the legal sense but also in the social sense. velivada Ambedkar kept doing his work but also kept up with his role as a social activist. He launched journals for dalits, kept working towards the cause of opening up water resources to dalits and also started the struggle to allow dalits to enter temples. He became a renowned scholar and his on-ground work empowered people from a community that had, for the longest time, been stuck in a social system that put barriers on its development. Babasaheb was eventually invited by the Congress-led government to become the first Law Minister of India. He became the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee and once the Constitution was drafted, it came with the promise to protect various civil liberties. Everyone applauded it as a document that was a social documents first and an administrative one second. And even today, there are so many freedoms we enjoy because of the man who drafted it. The government is finalising a proposal to amend the Aadhaar Act, which may lead to freedom from Aadhaar number and people may soon get an option to withdraw their Aadhaar number, including biometric record and the data from the servers of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), The Hindu reported. The Supreme Court had ordered against the governments orders to make linking of Aadhaar number a must to avail almost all government services and even the private services like the mobile phone. The SC had upheld the sanctity of Aadhaar but with condition. The initial UIDAI proposal suggested that once an individual turns 18, he would be given six months to decide if he wants to withdraw from Aadhaar. The Law Ministry, however, reportedly recommended that the option to withdraw be made to all citizens regardless of the age group. The proposal also says that those who opt out of the Aadhaar scheme, wont be able to avail the government schemes and subsidies where linking Aadhaar is a mandatory. Whenever a person decides to testify against a misdeed in India, the only thing that stops him or her is safety measures and enough protection that will not put his life at stake. The reason India is bringing laws like the Good Samaritan law is to make sure that more and more people come forward to help victims. For example, in the case of the youngest victim in 26/11 Mumbai Terror attacks, a 10-year-old Devika Rotawan who had identified the main convict Ajmal Kasab has been living a tough life since the last decade. Since she decided to testify against him, she was taunted, mocked and deprived of opportunities. In the case of model Jessica Lal who was shot at a party, witnesses had been influenced and turned hostile. Witness Protection is an integral part of the judicial system so as to avoid any discrepancy, corruption, manipulation or human exploitation. Countries like Canada, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, United States and even Israel have a witness protection programme in place. India longed for this scheme since long and after many hues and cry it finally has a Witness Protection programme in place. Supporting the 'Witness Protection Scheme, 2018' prepared by the Centre, the bench of Justice A.K. Sikri and Justice S. Abdul Nazeer in their judgement said, "It shall be the law under Article 141/142 of the Constitution till the enactment of suitable parliamentary and/or State legislation on the subject." Here are the main points of this protection scheme: 1) Three main cases of witnesses as per threat perception include: Category A: Those cases where threat extends to the life of witness or family members during an investigation, trial or even thereafter. Category B: Those cases where the threat extends to safety, reputation or property of the witness or family members during the investigation or trial. Category C: Cases where the threat is moderate and extends to harassment or intimidation of the witness or his family members, reputation or property during the investigation, trial or thereafter. 2) The programme involves concealing the identity of the witness faced with a threat. During the investigation, the programme prohibits the disclosure be it a publication or in any other manner, the identity of the witness during an investigation, during a trial as well as post-trial. 3) The programme further highlighted that this protection will be given for a specific time would not exceed a period of three months. The police escort will also be provided to the witness and if the need is then relocation to a safe house. 4) Most importantly the cost of protecting the witness will be borne by the Witness Protection Fund to be established by states and Union Territories. They should make annual budgetary allocation for the fund which will also be free to accept donations from national and international philanthropic organisations. 5) The scheme further says that telephonic calls and emails of the witness will also be monitored to trace the person issuing threats. Witness deposition complexes will be set up in all district courts by the states and union territories. 6) It may also include, the court said, "the option of the modification of the image of the face of the witness including modification of the audio feed of the witness' voice so that he/she are not identified. 7) The court further said that the application of the witness would be heard in camera where only necessary people would be allowed to be present. Deposition by the protected witness will be carried out using live video links without being present in the courtroom. Photo: rightlog.in The need for establishing a Witness Protection Programme was drawn by a Public Interest Litigation filed by Mahender Chawla who miraculously survived a murder attempt for daring to testify against so-called godman, Asaram Bapu, and his son Narayan Sai in cases of rape of a child and two sisters. Reportedly other petitioners included a witness, father of a murdered witness, father of the child rape victim and a journalist who escaped an alleged murder attempt and still faces death threats. The bench while approving the scheme said "One of the main reasons for witnesses to turn hostile is that they are not accorded appropriate protection by the State. It is a harsh reality, particularly, in those cases where the accused persons/criminals are tried for heinous offences, or where the accused persons are influential persons or in a dominating position. India and the UAE signed a currency pact on Tuesday that allows both the countries to conduct trade in their own currencies by eliminating a third benchmark currency like the U.S Dollars. Now, India will trade in Rupees while UAE in dirham for businesses. Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj as part of her two day visit to the middle east held exhaustive discussions with her counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to step up cooperation in areas like trade, security and defence, PTI reported. Institutional mechanisms guiding the multifaceted cooperation Two documents signed during the visit of EAM @SushmaSwaraj to #UAE : Agreement on Currency Swap and MoU for Development Cooperation in Africa. Details available at: https://t.co/1PIQwoRqRi pic.twitter.com/Ldq6D19vsc Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) December 4, 2018 The second agreement was aimed at undertaking developmental projects in Africa. Swaraj co-chaired the 12th session of the UAE-India Joint Commission Meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held at the ministry's headquarters in Abu Dhabi. Arriving in style. EAM @SushmaSwaraj and Foreign Minister of #UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrive at the launch of #Gandhi-Zayed Digital Museum that celebrates the life and legacy of the visionary leaders. pic.twitter.com/RPKGLhvZGS Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) December 4, 2018 The two countries also decided to combat terrorism and strengthen bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect and trust. UAE is not only home to 3.3 million-strong Indian community but is also the sixth largest source of Indian oil imports. Bapu in Abu Dhabi EAM @SushmaSwaraj offers floral tribute at the bust of #MahatmaGandhi at India Social & Cultural Centre, ahead of the Indian community event in #AbuDhabi. pic.twitter.com/8INPLtLlvF Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) December 4, 2018 PTI reported that Swaraj along with UAE foreign minister also inaugurated a Gandhi-Zayed Digital Museum in Abu Dhabi to mark the celebrations of 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birth and centenary celebrations of the birth of Sheikh Zayed, founder of the modern UAE. Relatives of a 22-year-old man, who was jailed for allegedly harassing a woman, barged into Tronica City police station late on Monday night and freed him after the cops on duty did not allow them to offer the accused fish and liquor. The dozen-odd relatives of Rahul, a resident of Khyala in Delhi, also thrashed a constable with rods and sticks, broke furniture, ransacked the police station and fled before reinforcements could arrive. Till Wednesday evening, seven persons had been arrested for the ruckus. Rahul, whom his relatives had freed, is untraceable. toi Devi Pal, the constable hit with rods and sticks, suffered injuries to the head and upper part of the body. He said he had picked up a wireless set to call for additional force but the attackers broke it before pouncing on him. Police said Rahul had come to Ghaziabad on Monday evening to meet a friend near Signature City. He was picked up by a police patrol van after a woman accused him of harassing her and brought to Tronica City police station before midnight. Rahul had also threatened relatives of the woman with dire consequences when they opposed his lewd comments. The mob that barged into the police station on Monday night included Rahuls brother Suraj and father Ranveer. representational image They had brought along fish and liquor for Rahul and insisted on giving it to him inside the police station. When I resisted, they flew into a rage and began vandalising office property. I tried to reach out for the wireless set, but they snatched it from my hand and smashed it to the ground. Then they thrashed me with rods and sticks. A woman constable, who too was on duty that night, managed to escape and made a call for reinforcements. However, the mob had escaped before the cops could arrive, Devi Pal said. Devi Pal was given a few stitches at the hospital and was said to be stable after the treatment. Rahuls relatives included a few women too. On Tuesday, an FIR had been registered against six persons, including Rahul, Suraj and Ranveer, along with five to six unidentified persons. afp/representational image A case has been registered under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (assault), 332 (hurting public servant to deter him from doing his duty) and 353 (assault to prevent public servant from discharging duty) of the IPC. Police sources said relatives of the woman who had accused Rahul of harassment had also agreed to withdraw the complaint. Efforts are underway to arrest the remaining accused, Ghaziabad SSP Upendra Kumar Agarwal said. In one of the most horrible crimes anyone can imagine, five men including father of the 16-year-old girl have been arrested for raping her in Keralas Kannur. The girl alleged that she was "raped by several men, including her father, on several occasions," G Siva Vikram, Kannur District Police Chief, told NDTV on Wednesday. The girl's father is one of the five men who has been arrested. Seven men have been detained in the case and police said the girl, a class 10 student claimed that in the last two years she was raped several times. The girl also told police that she was raped at least four men in November and one of the accused is suspected to have befriended her through social media. "Three other accused were his friends," a police official said. The four men, who have been arrested, are in their 30s. The complaint was filed by the girls mother on Monday. "The matter first came to the notice of the girl's brother. He spoke to his sister. And that's when the mother also got to know about this. The brother also alleged that he was blackmailed with videos involving his sister," Vikram told NDTV. The victim also mentioned about another girl facing similar sexual abuse and police probe is underway. Oceans and marine life across the globe are under a major threat due to increasing plastic pollution. In a bid to raise awareness of growing plastic pollution, young Nepalis created a map of the Dead Sea with used plastic bags. Volunteers tied 100,000 colourful used plastic bags on a metal grid 20 metres (65 feet) long and five metres (16 feet) tall, shaped like the Dead Sea, on open ground in Kathmandu's city centre. The record attempt was organised with a slogan "One Dead Sea is enough for us". AFP "We decided to tie plastic bags and make a sculpture of the Dead Sea to spread awareness over the world to minimise waste of plastic," Surgeon BC of Stem Foundation Nepal, the group that organised the event, told AFP. Global plastic production has grown rapidly and is currently more than 400 million tonnes per year. It is estimated that two to five per cent of plastics wind up in the oceans, where much of it breaks down into tiny particles that harm marine life. "We hope this effort will help to keep seas clean and not let them become another dead sea," he said. Over 150 volunteers worked for months to collect and sort used plastic bags from schools and public areas. AFP Among the participants was 20-year-old environment student Prakriti Pandey. "I had heard the news that plastic was found inside a dead whale, so I felt I should join this initiative to spread awareness around the world and in my country," she said. The current record for the world's largest sculpture of plastic bags was set in April 2012 when over 200 Singaporean volunteers shaped 68,000 plastic bags in the shape of an octopus, according to Guinness World Records. The Nepalese group said it will now submit its claim with video evidence for a new record to Guinness. The police in Firozabad and Bathinda districts of Punjab have been put on alert on Thursday morning after the Kashmiri terrorist Zakir Musa was spotted in Punjab in turban, nearly three weeks after the Amritsar grenade attack. The attack in mid-November had claimed three lives. The grenade attack had put state police on alter after the intelligence input claimed that a group of six to seven JeM terrorists were in Punjab and they were planning to go to Delhi. Punjab police in Gurdaspur had even pasted posters of Musa, who is the chief of the Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind terror outfit which has links with to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Army Chief General Rawat had earlier said that attempted are being made to revive insurgency in Punjab. The blast had taken place at Nirankari Bhavan in a gathering which left three people dead and many injured. India might have become more liberal and accepting when it comes to dating and use of dating apps to find suitable partners, the comfort level especially among women might still take a while to develop. A recent survey conducted by Woo dating app has revealed that gender divide among the male and female candidates on these platforms is massive, Quartz India reported. A survey of 20,000 urban Indians revealed that there are three times as many men as women on online dating apps in India. However as compared to western countries, this percentage is very low. In an article published in Business Insider India in 2016 it was disclosed that almost 40% of women engaged with apps like Christian Mingle, Coffee Meets Bagel as well as Bumble. Quartz reported that while 74% of Indian men were looking for female partners only 26% which is even less than half for looking for a male counterpart. Representative Image Woo survey brought interesting facts to the forefront. For instance, whenever one thinks of using a dating app like Tinder, people only think of these platforms for casual outings and hookups. The survey found that the main reason Indians join a dating app is for a meaningful relationship with 32 percent of people looking forward to this goal. The second most common reason is to meet new people after moving to a new city. While 17 percent joined these apps to expand their social circle. Reportedly, an average user spent close to 45 minutes each day on dating apps. Quartz report further elaborates that men spent more time on such apps as compared to women since they chat with multiple women at the same time. Women on the other hand were known to converse with two to three men only at a given point of time. Representative Image However, the gender divide is creating problem not only for men but for women as well. While men are complaining of not having many options, women are complaining of having so many options that they feel bombarded with male attention. In Indian society, women are very skeptical of putting pictures on social media platforms fearing harassment and misuse. Following this, the survey also discovered that 70% of women were apprehensive about sharing their personal information. As more and more women in the society are willing to make an account on dating apps, Tinder which is the market leader in India introduced the My Move feature that allows only women to be the one to begin conversations in a pairing. To enable women to enter the dating app world, apps are even introducing a feature that only shows their first name. Slowly but gradually, Indian authorities are making efforts to embrace the electric vehicle culture in India. Building on this, the Heavy Industries Ministry has now proposed to the Department of Revenue that the customs duty on parts of electric vehicles (EV) which currently attract import tariff should be reduced. The proposal falls in line with the governments 2023 EV mission and further suggests that semi knocked down and completely knocked down kits used for assembling EVs should be defined for appropriate customs duty. "We have proposed a definition for completely knocked down (CKDs) and semi knocked down (SKDs) kits for EVs along with a tax structure conducive to increasing their presence on Indian roads. However, we will not touch the parts attracting zero percent duty," a senior government official told PTI. Currently, zero customs duty is applied on the crucial parts of EVs including battery, charger, converter, controller, energy monitor, electric compressor and motor. While 28 percent basic customs duty is applied on parts including metals and plastics. Reuters Heavy Industries Ministry proposed a revised tax structure entailing a one-year sunset clause to the Finance Ministry last week. The proposal is expected to be introduced alongside Rs 5,500 crore FAME India scheme that entails subsidies for electric vehicles, strong hybrid cars and for charging infrastructure. Back in September, Heavy Industries Ministry had come up with the blueprint for the second phase of FAME India scheme. Consecutively, it got Rs 5,500 crore sanctioned from the expenditure finance committee (EFC) under the Finance Ministry. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office is trying to push these incentives for domestic manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries, thus reducing their import and hence dependence from China. After several decades of sticking to the conventional designs, barring minor changes, scooters have finally started to take new and exciting formats. The shift can mostly be accredited to design concepts by the auto majors. And the results speak for themselves, considering Yamaha's Tricity, Nikken and other such concepts that use three wheels on a single scooter. Apparently, three is not the maximum number of wheels you can have on a scooter though. Quadro, a Switzerland based firm specialising in three and four-wheeled vehicles proves that with Qooder, its four-wheel scooter that offers unusual tilting for any four-wheeler. So much so that it puts it outside most of the legal frames around both three-wheeler as well as four-wheeler vehicles in most countries. Consider the fact that it can be ridden without a license in Europe, while US does not allow riding the Quadro Qooder at all. Quadro Qooder After bringing an innovative design in the scooter format, Quadro now looks to bring another alteration to the product. The company has now collaborated with Zero, for its electrical drive system. Meaning the scooter which till now runs on a 400cc liquid-cooled engine will soon be powered by a battery. Zero Motorcycles Inc is a well known entity in the world of electric vehicles. With its electric motor, Quadro can certainly improve upon a lot of aspects of the Qooder. For starters, it will be more environmental friendly. While for personal use, the upcoming quad-wheel e-scooter is expected to be faster with more torque, much more silent and more economical. Quadro Qooder Quadro will unveil the e-Qooder in the late second half 2019. The move will be beneficial for both the players, as both will be able to enter the expanding market of electric vehicles without having to produce all of the components. There's not one soul in the whole world who doesn't like french fries And it's a slippery slope when it comes to suggesting portion control for potato people. Reuters But this Harvard professor took the risk. French fries typically have lots of fat and added salt, leading to weight gain and obesity. It's ok to indulge once in a while but to be addicted is another ball game. In an article published by The New York Times last week, Eric Rimm, a professor with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, called potatoes starch bombs". He suggested diners exercise more portion control and not be at risk, he said, " I think it would be nice if your meal came with a side salad and six French fries." Netizens and of course, the potato people didn't take this too well: #1 What kind of MAD MAN would want six french fries? I get it, they are bad for you, but eating SIX sounds like torture. Id rather not have them at all. But we all know thats not going to happen. pic.twitter.com/dDT4HYjNUF (@natlckettwrites) 29 November 2018 #2 A @Harvard professor says the correct serving size for French fries is... six. SIX!! @boston25 pic.twitter.com/rGCyd3csD5 Elizabeth Hopkins (@NewsHopkins) 5 December 2018 #3 WELP, it's begun! On my walk to work this morning, I came across a casualty of Harvard's Dr. @EricRimm's proposed SIX French fries portion limit. #RIPStarchBomb : https://t.co/RyoEKqyb2y pic.twitter.com/MrNvo46VkK Rejane F (@Frederc10) 5 December 2018 #4 If were only supposed to eat six french fries per serving Ive overeaten *checks math* one zillion french fries Charlene deGuzman (@charstarlene) 5 December 2018 #5 harvard: u should only eat six french fries me: pic.twitter.com/n1mLcdw0m4 twerk nowitzki (@campanamike) 5 December 2018 #6 A Harvard professor says the optimal amount of French fries you should eat is six. SIX. Nope, is me eating #nomnomnom @KSL5TV #KSLTV pic.twitter.com/Qgxt3dGbiL Lori Prichard (@LoriPrichard) 3 December 2018 #7 I'll have six french fries, please. pic.twitter.com/7LvycWkvyV Courtney Theriault (@cspotweet) 5 December 2018 According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating fried potatoes at least twice a week more than doubles our risk of death. So it's your call, to either be obsessed or tread with caution. Are you a thrill seeker? Love adrenaline rushes? We have a challenge for you! Just drive down this dizzying road in China. youtube While just the look of it can make your head spin, this could be one of the most spectacular adventures of your life. ALSO READ: China's AI Camera Mistakes CEO's Photo On Moving Bus For Real Person, Shames Her For Jaywalking The road is located in Kunming, Yunnan has 68 hairpins spanning across a distance of 6.3 kilometres, states the Mail Online. A most challenging drive in Yunnan, China. This winding road with 68 bends is seen as "a wonder in the world history of construction" pic.twitter.com/ma9cWbZg88 China Xinhua News (@XHNews) 27 November 2018 The dizzying road first opened for traffic in the year 1995 but it has now turned into one of the most scenic roads to drive on. The road was built with a motive to connect Jinxing and Jinganshao, two villages of the county. Twitter/CEN/China "After the road opened, we no longer needed to carry our goods on our shoulders when we wanted to go to a market fair down the mountain," villager Li Guogua told Xinhua news agency. If you are planning a trip to China, a drive to this incredible zigzaggy road should definitely make it to your bucket list. ALSO READ: Meanwhile, Few Loan Companies In China Are Asking Customers To Send Nude Selfies As Collateral A 37-year-old, porn addict from Bengaluru came across a porn clip on the internet last month and he was convinced that the woman in the clip was his wife. The 31-year-old woman who was pregnant with their second child was then subjected to physical and mental torture by her husband. According to Times Of India, the man works as a delivery person with an e-commerce portal. But, you might wonder, how did he know that was his wife in the clip. He didn't actually see her face, according to him his wife and the woman in the clip has similar moles on their bodies. Like REALLY? Unsplash He did not stop there, he even took his wife to the Bengaluru city police commissioner. The police then sent the couple to Vanitha Sahayavani (womens helpline) for counselling and the organisation took the help of the cyber crime wing to find out the woman in the clip. Even after the cyber crime wing confirmed that it was not his wife in the video, the guy refused to budge. As a result, the counsellors suggested him to seek psychiatric help. With the man still accusing his wife, she decided to dump her husband and go to her hometown, Andhra Pradesh. The counsellors also believe that the mans extremely low trust in his wife led to this behaviour. Left to right: Vinod Tawde, David Green, Dr. Swaroop Sampat Rawal, Paresh Rawal, and Dr. Vijendra Vikhe Patil. Former actress and ex-Miss India Sampat Rawal has received an honorary doctorate for her contribution to the field of education and inclusion. (photo provided) A still from Once Again starring Neeraj Kabi (left) and Shefali Shah. After winning hearts and trending on Netflix for over a month, the film is gearing up for a limited theatrical release. (photo provided) Adarsh Paul Varghese, an Indian American student from Connecticut, is among at least 11 Indian American students who performed for the National Association for Music Educations 2018 All-National Honor Ensembles Nov. 25-28 at the Disneys Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Florida. (photo provided) We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Founded by Indian American entrepreneur Ritu Narayan with help from her brothers Vivek and Abhishek, a rideshare service for kids in the San Francisco Bay Area, Zum, provides family-focused rides and care services for busy families, when and how they need it, seven days a week, with hyper-vigilant safety and security. (ridezum.com photo) Eman Khatri, an Indian American senior at Alameda High School in Alameda, Calif., is among 20 exceptional women and teens who have been chosen by Girls Inc. of the Island City for its 2018 Women Who Dare awards. (girlsincislandcity.ejoinme.org photo) Anti-terror commandos look down from a balcony of the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel after gaining control of the building, Nov. 29, 2008, in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Anti-terrorism squad has revealed an extensive Hindu terror plot in the Palghar arms seizure case of August of this year. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images) We now offer lithium prices and coverage free for reference. Click here to read all about it. Join our growing community of participants who want to learn more about electrification and how this market is developing. The deal gives Spencers investment group, IPGL, a controlling 63.2% stake in the company up by 33.8%. Spencer is a City veteran connected with financial services firm NEX Group, which was sold to CME Group for 3.9 billion earlier this year. I am delighted with this investment and commitment by IPGL, which demonstrates significant confidence in Singapore Life and our success to date, said Walter de Oude, Singapore Lifes founder and CEO in a statement issued to Insurance Business. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Michael Spencer and his team to fulfil our companys enormous potential. We are extremely impressed by what Walter and his team have achieved in a short space of time and pleased that the opportunity arose to increase our investment in Singapore Life, added Spencer. This is exactly the type of disruptive business we like to invest in, one that is making full use of technology to deliver key financial services to customers. Spencers interest in Singapore Life is part of a growing trend of investments in insurance start-ups that leverage the internet as a platform for selling insurance products, such as Blue in Hong Kong and Beagle Street in the UK. With $4.8 billion worth of coverage sold to date, Singapore Life says its the fastest-growing life insurer in Singapore. The company was founded by HSBC executive de Oude and began operations in 2017. It was the first local insurer to be granted a license by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) since 1970, and is already backed by Chong Sing Holdings FinTech Group Ltd. The deal expands Spencers growing portfolio of finance and digital businesses through his IPGL investment company, which includes investments in DDCap, an Islamic finance company, and BI Group, a wine trader. Clurfain became head of Central and Eastern Europe in January 2012 and was appointed head of EMEA in July 2018. He previously held positions with United Healthcare and AIG, including several country and regional management roles in markets around the world. Eric is a seasoned executive with a proven track record of building high-performing teams and businesses and a deep commitment to customer centricity, said Steven A. Kandarian, chairman, president, and CEO of MetLife, Inc. He has extensive expertise across multiple markets and business lines and a strong understanding of how to operate successfully in highly regulated environments. His deep experience and expertise in all aspects of insurance will ensure that we continue to help our customers in Japan improve their health, build their savings, and retire with confidence. We are very excited to have a leader of Erics calibre and engagement taking the helm of our second largest market. The appointment becomes effective at the start of February 2019, subject to necessary approvals. Clurfain will be based in Tokyo and will report to Kishore Ponnavolu, MetLifes Asia president. Dirk Ostijn will be taking over the role Clurfain vacated as MetLifes new head of EMEA. Ostijn is currently senior vice president, head of Europe and chief executive officer of MetLife Europe d.a.c. Ostijn will report to Michel Khalaf, president, US Business and EMEA, and continue to be based in Dublin. A MetLife veteran, Ostijn joined in 2005 as CEO of MetLife Belgium and has held regional assignments as chief financial officer of Europe/India, head of M&A Western Europe, head of strategic initiatives Western Europe, and regional head of Western and Central Europe. Dirk has been an exemplary leader for MetLife and is the right executive to assume responsibility for the EMEA region, said Kandarian. He brings a wealth of sector and regional experience to this important role and has a strong track record of contributions to our EMEA operations over many years. Legrand has been involved with Brokerslink for almost 10 years. Her first position in 2009 was chief operating officer (COO) of Brokerslink Americas. At that time, she was also managing director for international business at Crystal & Company, New York. In 2012, when she joined MDS Group as COO and as a member of the board, Legrand took on the position of Brokerslink regional director EMEA. She also became a shareholder in the company. Upon promotion to Brokerslink CEO, Legrand was tasked with designing and launching the next phase of the companys development, following its transformation from an association to a for-profit corporation. We would like to thank Jacqueline for the extraordinary work she has accomplished in 2018 to establish Brokerslinks vision, redefine our business model, realign the team, and launch our execution plan. The innovative platforms and offerings she developed with her team will be instrumental for Brokerslink growth, said Gregory Allard, chairman of Brokerslink. Jose Manuel Fonseca, whom Legrand replaced as CEO in February 2018, has been appointed as the next chairman of Brokerslink, effective January 01, 2019. He will ensure the companys transition after Legrands departure. Brokerslink is a global network of independent brokers. It currently has 55 independent shareholders from 40 countries on five continents, owning and managing a network of brokers and risk and consulting firms in 100 countries. Intacts donation builds on the insurers initial investment of $300,000 in the Dallaire Initiative back in 2015, a release said. The Dallaire Initiative is a pioneer in the work of preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers and a permanent presence in Rwanda will strengthen their effectiveness, commented Intact Financial Corporation CEO Charles Brindamour. The initiative was founded by retired Lieutenant-General Romeo Antonius Dallaire, a Canadian who served as the Force Commander of the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. It was during that dark time in history that Dallaire witnessed in person the issue of children being forced to participate in combat. Driven by his experiences, he later established the initiative in 2007 to help integrate child soldiers back into society. Brindamour recounted his personal experiences with the Dallaire Initiative, sharing that he believes the non-profit is on to something meaningful. I spent time in Rwanda this spring with the Dallaire Initiative and saw first-hand, the importance of their work, he said. While the problem of using children in wars is far from resolved, the Generals team is moving the needle and making progress. According to Dallaire Initiative executive director Dr. Shelly Whitman, Intact is the first corporate donor to give the non-profit a million dollars. These funds will be critical in enhancing our training in East and Central Africa, where some of the gravest violations against children are taking place, Whitman explained. The donation will also be used to fund a fellowship for Whitman to continue advocating for childrens rights. Related stories: Intact explains commitment to climate change initiative Intact Financial joins UN-led climate change taskforce Despite the application, CBL founder and director Peter Harris told the publication that a restructuring plan is still an option for the group. He believes the proposal would generate more value for creditors and shareholders. I am aware of the ongoing legal process the Chinese banks are adopting in order to preserve all of their options, but we remain in discussions with all parties, Harris said in a statement. CBL Corporation was placed into voluntary administration early this year, as the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) raised concerns about the solvency of its insurance business. On November 12, CBL Insurance was placed into liquidation. The watershed meetings of the CBL group will be held no later than December 18. Vetter has more than 20 years of insurance experience. He joined Swiss Re in 2000, and has since held a number of P&C underwriting leadership roles in Swiss Re Corporate Solutions and in other organizations that preceded SRCS. He was most recently head of casualty. With Daniels appointment, we gain a leader with unique technical expertise, extensive relationships and local market knowledge, commented Swiss Re Corporate Solutions North America CEO Ivan Gonzalez. Creating our standalone E&S unit less than a year ago, Im confident that Daniels leadership and perspective will help us steer our growth within E&S Property and Casualty and fully build our Financial & Professional Lines offering. Related stories: Swiss Re reports massive income for first nine months of 2018 Swiss Re Corporate Solutions announces executives exit Cacaro was the owner of the now-defunct Employers Choice Plus, a payroll services company. He was convicted in June after BWC and IRS investigators uncovered a scheme to short the BWC on insurance premiums he received from workers. John Cacaro made a conscious decision to keep over $425,000 in workers compensation premiums so he could live a lavish lifestyle that included the purchase of a second residence in Naples, Florida, and a motor home, said IRS Special Agent in Charge Ryan L. Korner. Now he is a convicted felon headed to prison. Multiple businesses entrusted Mr. Cacaro with processing their payroll and remitting insurance premiums to our agency, and he broke that trust, said Jim Wenecke, director of the BWCs special investigations department. At his sentencing, Cacaro submitted a cashiers check for $425,247 in restitution to the BWC. Five years later, Bird began to sample some of those varied career paths as he moved into the broker side of the industry and began focusing on accident and health, as well as excess workers compensation. One moment that stands out to him from this time was how the industry responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It impacted the market worldwide, and London was no exception, he says. It really changed the way we dealt with risks in London. Probably the biggest immediate impact was the focus on concentrations of risks. In total, Bird spent 18 years in the London market, building up experience working with and eventually managing teams of other brokers and technicians for Gallaghers UK arm. During much of this time, Midlands Management was one of Birds clients, as the company had a significant focus on the London markets and expertise in excess workers comp. In 2007, when I was asked to join the team, it was a perfect fit for myself and Midlands, and I jumped at the opportunity, Bird says. Today, he serves as chief operating officer for the MGA and wholesale broker. Under the hood of workers comp More than a decade has passed since Bird made the move to Midlands, and hes seen his fair share of both developments and hurdles in the workers comp marketplace. He highlights the value an MGA can bring to clients as a central challenge and opportunity facing the business today. The biggest challenge for the MGA and the wholesaler is really adding value to placements and proving your worth, he says. Traditionally, an MGA has been an expert in a product, and thats how they aggregate business and service the agents needs. I do think a big part of our job is to help agents deliver the right coverage for their clients, so we are trying to act not only as the underwriter, but also, through our expertise, to assist the agents in delivering the best coverage at an appropriate rate. Bird emphasizes that value-added services in loss control and risk management are critically important to ensuring the longevity of an MGA. We have to divorce ourselves from just providing coverage, he says. We have to really provide everything, or as much of the additional services that a carrier would traditionally offer. We have to be viewed as a carrier in terms of the effort we put into writing and maintaining our clients. Midlands steps up to the plate when it comes to offering these added services. It has a dedicated risk management department and training tools aimed at excess workers comp clients. The company also boasts a library of webinars and videos that its risk managers can use when visiting clients to pass along crucial information to help them mitigate risk. Clients, in turn, are requesting more face-to-face training to drive those risk management lessons home, particularly those with first responder exposure who want further vehicle and firearm education. My observation, certainly in the last year or two, is the increasing utilization of those services that we have offered for a number of years, Bird says. Thats the biggest thing that has struck me within our book of business. Onward and upward Another key development Bird has witnessed rippling through his line of work is the increased use of Big Data. The fact that data is so readily available is having a major impact, he says, when youre using things like artificial intelligence to try to predict a loss that may seem reasonably benign or run-of-the-mill but has potential to increase dramatically over time. To take advantage of this new capability, Midlands has been implementing technological updates internally to keep pace with digital transformation. Most of our digital rollout has been internal analysis of our own data to try and project or predict claims that we feel may grow individually or aggregate on a book of business, Bird says, adding that Midlands has been doing this for close to eight years now. Its not brand-new to us, but its something that were constantly tweaking, and we are very much exploring artificial intelligence capabilities at this stage. As the excess workers comp market continues to evolve, ensuring that clients can keep their employees safe and get them back on their feet after an incident is at the heart of Midlands work. I actually think its a very exciting period for us, Bird says. By nature, our insureds get a better outcome when their claims costs are low, and we are seeing that [when] employers are willing to help push employees into a better loss care and treatment program, [that] ultimately does give a better outcome for that individual employee and usually, financially, it is positive for the employer as well. Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, is integrating its Ironshore Bermuda businesses and brands into one brand called Liberty Specialty Markets Bermuda. The new business will be led by Steve Horton, currently chief executive of Iron-Starr Excess Agency. He becomes president of Liberty Specialty Markets Bermuda subject to approval by the Bermuda Department of Immigration. Horton will report to Mark Wheeler, president, international markets. The business will utilise the managing general agency structure, previously Iron-Starr Excess Agency Ltd, across its product lines, enabling each business to provide Liberty capacity as well as access to third party capacity. Horton joined the Ironshore group in 2008 through Ironshores Lloyds platform, Pembroke Managing Agency Limited. He worked as a primary financial institutions underwriter before transferring to Iron-Starr in 2010. At Iron-Starr, Horton was initially charged with growing international business before being promoted to financial lines manager and subsequently chief executive officer. Wheeler said combining these businesses provides a unified regional approach to Bermuda and gives its Bermuda-based clients access to new products currently offered from other parts of Liberty, including specialty reinsurance from Liberty Mutual Re. Ironshore in Bermuda historically comprised two businesses: Ironshore Bermuda, which opened in 2007, writing, property, energy and specialty re/insurance, and Iron-Starr Excess Agency, which began in 2009 and writing excess casualty, financial lines and healthcare within Iron-Starr Excess Agency. Topics Excess Surplus Bermuda Anthony (Tony) Curti, a partner with Acrisure LLC in Caledonia, Michigan, and a member of the Michigan Association of Professional Insurance Agents (MIPIA), has been elected to the executive committee of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA). Curti will serve as the organizations secretary/assistant treasurer and will ascend to national president in 2021. He will remain as the Michigan national director until 2021. The Michigan Association of Professional Insurance Agents (MIPIA) is an association dedicated to the growth and perpetuation of its members as business professionals who meet the needs of consumers by marketing insurance products and services. Michigan PIA is an affiliate of the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA National), a national trade association that represents member insurance agents and their employees who sell and service all kinds of insurance, but specialize in coverage of automobiles, homes and businesses. Source: Michigan PIA Topics Agencies Michigan USA Gymnastics, under threat of being decertified by the U.S. Olympic Committee, filed for bankruptcy after running short of funds to pay victims of Larry Nassars sexual abuse. The organization filed for Chapter 11 status in the Southern District of Indiana on Wednesday with estimated total assets and liabilities of $50 million to $100 million, according to a court filing. USAG aims to continue operating while it settles the victims claims, which its says are covered by insurance previously purchased by the organization, according to a statement. But in court filings, USAG said there may not be enough to go around. It estimated the potential impact of these lawsuits at $75 million and $150 million, while the organization has assets of just $6.5 million in cash and investments, and said that the insurance policy might prove insufficient. We owe it to the survivors to resolve, fully and finally, claims based on the horrific acts of the past and, through this process, seek to expedite resolution and help them move forward, chair Kathryn Carson said in the statement. The bankruptcy extends a tumultuous year for USA Gymnastics, which installed new leadership after the trial of former team doctor Larry Nassar. Nassar was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges and another 40 to 125 years in prison for a decades-long string of sexual abuse. His victims number more than 150 current and former gymnasts, including several Olympic champions. Raismans Claim The amount of insurance proceeds available isnt affected by the Chapter 11 filing, according to the statement, but it added, USA Gymnastics has no other significant assets that could be used to pay claims. The bankruptcy filing showed the organization has 1,000 to 5,000 creditors. One of the unpaid creditors listed is Olympic gold and silver medalist Aly Raisman, who has spoken out about her abuse by Nassar. The filing didnt specify an amount, and a representative for Raisman didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. One of the largest unsecured claims is a disputed $340,000 in severance for Stephen Penny, the former president of USA Gymnastics, who was indicted in connection with the scandal. The outcome may follow the pattern in the bankruptcy of the Weinstein Co., the film company that went bust after sexual misconduct allegations leveled at Harvey Weinstein, according to Ted Gavin, a turnaround consultant at Gavin/Solmonese and president of the American Bankruptcy Institute. No Shelter The court filing, which normally suspends all claims, might not halt litigation against individuals for their roles in perpetuating or covering up the abuses, Gavin said in an emailed statement. All bets are off here, he said. U.S. Olympic Committee spokesman Patrick Sandusky said in an emailed statement that the organization is reviewing the effects of the bankruptcy filing on the pending proceeding to revoke USA Gymnastics recognition. While USA Gymnastics said the filing should help it move forward with the USOC, the national governing body remains unconvinced that this will solve the problems that spurred the decertification process. Speaking at an event in New York City on Wednesday, Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hirshland said those proceedings will continue as scheduled. It does not change our perspective or our commitment to that process, Hirshland said. The bankruptcy is less about financials and more about an attempt to resolve all the pending litigation, she said. The case is USA Gymnastics, 18-09108-RLM-11, Southern District of Indiana. Editors Note: Among the insurers identified in previous filings in USA Gymnastics cases are: ACE AMERICAN INSURANCE COMPANY f/k/a CIGNA INSURANCE COMPANY, GREAT AMERICAN ASSURANCE COMPANY, LIBERTY INSURANCE UNDERWRITERS INC., NATIONAL CASUALTY COMPANY, RSUI INDEMNITY COMPANY, TIG INSURANCE COMPANY, VIRGINIA SURETY COMPANY, INC., and f/k/a COMBINED SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY. Also, USA Gymnastics created a page with questions and answers on the bankruptcy filing and what it means. Included on the page is this question/answer: How does the Chapter 11 filing specifically impact the claims of the survivors? The survivors claims against USA Gymnastics are covered by insurance previously purchased by USA Gymnastics, and the amount of available insurance proceeds (which is still being determined) is not affected by the Chapter 11 filing. We believe that the Bankruptcy Court is the best forum in which to implement appropriate procedures to equitably resolve claims and allocate the insurance proceeds among claimants, allowing resolution more quickly than litigation filed in courts around the country. Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics Claims Abuse Molestation Planck Resolution, AI-based data platform for commercial insurance, has hired Leandro DalleMule as general manager, North America. Prior to joining Planck Resolution, DalleMule was the chief data officer (CDO) and head of information management at American International Group (AIG), which he joined AIG in 2013 to lead the data management function for the P/C insurance business. In 2016 he assumed the position of AIGs enterprise CDO and led the global insurers data transformation initiative. Prior to joining AIG, DalleMule was with BlackRock for a brief five month period; Citi as senior director of global analytics from 2011 to 2013, and Deloitte Consulting for almost six years starting in 2006. After a thorough due diligence, my decision to join Planck Resolution is based on its exceptional talent, its robust AI platform and client base, and its ability to solve key data gaps most insurers struggle with something I can attest from my own experience as Chief Data Officer of AIG, said DalleMule in prepared remarks. Planck Resolution offers an artificial intelligence driven data platform to streamline the commercial underwriting process by aggregating small and medium businesses digital footprint to help insurers acquire a comprehensive understanding of customer risk. Founded in 2016 by Elad Tsur, Amir Cohen and David Schapiro, the startup announced its first funding round of $12 million in July 2018. The round was led by Arbor Ventures and included Viola FinTech and Eight Roads. Planck has offices in New York and Tel Aviv. Topics InsurTech Tech Data Driven Startups AIG Texas is considering new restrictions on how shale explorers dispose of wastewater from oil drilling as earthquakes rattle the largest oil-producing American state. The new rules would target how much and at what pressure briny water that emerges from oil wells is injected back into the ground, Jared Craighead, chief of staff for the Texas Railroad Commission, said by telephone on Dec. 5. The rules havent been finalized amid ongoing talks that include representatives from academia and the shale industry. The restrictions may be released within weeks, Craighead said. A negative side effect of the shale boom has been a huge increase in volumes of contaminated water that are typically disposed of in so-called injection wells. In cases where those wells touch fault lines, earthquakes have flourished. Neighboring Oklahoma began clamping down on injection wells in recent years after a massive increase in the number and intensity of quakes. Were being very diligent and sensitive to concerns regarding seismicity, Craighead said. We are definitely doing things to provide more scientific basis for our decisions as it relates to permitting saltwater disposal. Oklahoma forced oil explorers to throttle back the speed and volume of their wastewater disposal after earthquakes surged from 2 in 2008 to nearly 900 seven years later. In some cases, state regulators ordered disposal wells there to shut completely. Quakes Triple In the Permian Basin, where Americas busiest oil patch produces enough dirty water in a year to cover Rhode Island nearly a foot deep, the costly treatment and disposal has given rise to a more specialized water-handling industry. At the same time, earthquakes in the Permian region of West Texas and New Mexico have tripled to more than 60 in a year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Permian hosts more than half of all the rigs drilling for crude in the U.S., according to Baker Hughes. The commission is particularly interested in Reeves County in the epicenter of Permian shale, Craighead said. The county is home to wells drilled by marquee explorers such as EOG Resources Inc., Concho Resources Inc. and Occidental Petroleum Corp. Representatives of EOG, Concho and Occidental didnt immediately respond to messages seeking comment. The Texas Oil and Gas Association, whose membership includes the likes of Exxon Mobil Corp. and Pioneer Natural Resources Co., didnt immediately return a voicemail. The new rules are likely to lead to more special conditions on drilling permits that could limit an operators ability on pressure and volume, but that will be done case-by-case, Craighead said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Texas Energy Oil Gas Earthquake Alliant Insurance Services has made two personnel additions to its private client team in South Florida. Karen Chanin has joined Alliant as VP and will focus on the companys private client growth strategy, which has been enhanced by its recent acquisition of Crystal & Company. Chanin has more than 30 years of personal insurance experience in both the Southern California and South Florida markets. Prior to joining Alliant, Chanin was vice president and client advisor manager within the Private Client Services group of an international insurance brokerage firm. Bob Bennetsen, executive vice president and senior managing director with Alliant, said Chanins sales and client service expertise on the private client will help the company as it continues to grow its presence within South Florida and the greater Southeast region. The company also hired Melinda Meissner Barham as senior vice president. She will provide customized insurance and consulting to high-net-worth individuals throughout the Southeast. Barham will also work in a business development role, facilitating Alliants continued growth within this region. Barham has more than 20 years of personal insurance experience. Prior to joining Alliant, She was senior vice president and the Southeast U.S. Sales leader within the Private Client Services group of an international insurance brokerage firm. Headquartered in Newport Beach, CA, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc. provides property and casualty, workers compensation, employee benefits, surety, and financial products and services to clients nationwide, including public entities, tribal nations, healthcare, energy, law firms, real estate, construction, and other industry groups. Topics Florida An unlicensed contractor operating in the Florida Panhandle has been arrested by the Florida Disaster Fraud Action Strike Force (DFAST) for allegedly conducting roofing repairs following Hurricane Michael, according to a statement from Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis. Ashley Porterfield, owner of Porterfield Building, was arrested Nov. 20 on charges of unlicensed contracting, a third-degree felony during a state of emergency. DFAST reportedly observed employees of Porterfield Building repairing a damaged roof while deployed to the Panhandle following Hurricane Michael. Investigators made contact to verify the company had the proper licensure and workers compensation insurance coverage required by Florida law. It was discovered that Porterfield was not licensed to conduct business in the state. The Panhandle is recovering after Hurricane Michael, but unlicensed contractors could deal another blow to Florida families, Patronis said. Unlicensed activity puts Floridians in danger and takes business away from reputable contractors that follow the law. Before allowing anyone to make repairs, verify they have the required licenses and insurance. While hurricane season ends tomorrow, we will keep working to protect residents and business owners as they rebuild. Porterfield was and booked into the Bay County Jail and if convicted, could face up to 5 years in prison. Source: Florida Department of Financial Services Topics Florida Fraud Hurricane Contractors The West Virginia University Board of Governors has settled a lawsuit over a students 2014 death at a fraternity house for $250,000. The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the state Board of Risk and Insurance Management agreed to the settlement in which the WVU board denied liability in the death of 18-year-old Nolan Michael Burch. Burch was found unconscious and not breathing at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house in Morgantown. He was from Williamsville, New York, a Buffalo suburb. Police determined it was an alcohol-related death. The lawsuit was filed by Burchs parents in 2015 in Monongalia County Circuit Court. As part of the settlement, the insurer also paid a $20,000 donation to WVU Childrens Hospital Critical Care Services and $5,000 to the Center for Organ Recovery and Education. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Education Virginia Universities California Attorney General Xavier Becerra was asked by a federal judge to weigh in on whether reckless operation of power lines by PG&E Corp. in connection with deadly Northern California wildfires would constitute a crime. The request by U.S. District Judge William Alsup this week comes on the heels of his order last week demanding assurances from PG&E by Dec. 31 that its electric grid hasnt endangered the public. The company is under the judges supervision after it was convicted of safety violations in the wake of a natural gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people in 2010. PG&E is under intense scrutiny over whether its equipment sparked the Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and leveled the town of Paradise in Northern California. Residents who lost loved ones and homes have filed lawsuits against the utility, blaming the companys power lines for starting the fire. No cause has been determined. The company said in a statement that it was aware of the courts notice and was reviewing it. We continue to focus on assessing infrastructure, safely restoring power where possible, and helping our customers recover and rebuild, the company said. PG&E remains on probation, and forbidden from committing new crimes, after it was slapped in January 2017 with a maximum fine of $3 million by another San Francisco federal judge, Thelton Henderson, who said its felony crimes related to its gas pipeline operations were very serious and pose great risk to the public safety. Alsup inherited the case when Henderson retired. Alsup has a history of referring matters under his supervision to prosecutors for further investigation. When he was presiding over Waymos lawsuit accusing Uber Technologies Inc. of trade-secret theft, he referred the case to federal prosecutors. State investigators have blamed PG&Es equipment for causing 17 of last years devastating wine country fires that killed 44 people and have alleged violations of state law in 11 of those incidents. PG&E has lost a chunk of its market value in the past year amid concerns about the ability of the utility to cover mounting liabilities. The judges question about whether the utility faces potential criminal liability for its conduct comes less than two months after PG&E reached a $1.5 million settlement with a local prosecutor, Mike Ramsey, who was investigating the companys role in three wildfires from 2017. Ramsey is the district attorney for Butte County, which was also ground zero for this years Camp Fire. Ramsey and Becerra didnt immediately respond to requests for comment on Alsups latest filing. In a 1997 case, PG&E was convicted of 739 misdemeanor counts of criminal negligence for a pattern of failing to trim trees near its power lines, which at the time was the biggest criminal case ever against the states largest utility and carried a maximum fine of $2 million, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. As of June, PG&E was under investigation by elected district attorneys in the counties of Sonoma, Lake, Napa and Humboldt for eight of 2017s Wine Country fires. Related: Copyright 2021 Bloomberg. Topics California Catastrophe Natural Disasters Wildfire TORONTO - December 6, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Defense stock news alert - Patriot One Technologies Inc., (TSX.V: PAT) (OTCQB: PTOTF) (FRANKFURT: 0PL) ("Patriot One" or the "Company"), developers of the award-winning PATSCAN covert weapon detection system, is pleased to announce its pre-qualification for up to $1 million (CAD) from the federal government's Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) for testing by the Department of National Defence. About the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP): The BCIP program helps innovators in four different ways: land a first major reference sale, sell their innovation, but keep and control the intellectual property, get their innovation tested in real-life settings and gain feedback to help advance products to market faster. BCIP Proposal 007 Process: As a BCIP innovator, Patriot One submitted its proposal to the program in early 2018 once the Company's PATSCAN threat detection solutions achieved an adequate Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Under call for proposals 007 guidelines, the Company was evaluated on the merit of innovation. Upon pre-qualification, the BCIP program sourced a Canadian Government Department as test partner. Contract Value: The BCIP program opportunity pays up to $500,000 for non-military innovations and up to $1,000,000 for military innovations. Patriot One was pre-qualified under the military innovation component of the BCIP program. Military Component: There are six priority areas within the military component. These priority areas include (i) Arctic & Maritime Security, (ii) Command & Support, (iii) Cyber-security, (iv) In-Service support, (v) Protecting the Soldiers and (vi) Training Systems. Patriot One meets several of these priority areas, specifically: Arctic/Maritime Security and Protecting Soldiers. "We are excited to pre-qualify for up to $1 million (CAD) for the Military Component of the Build in Canada Innovation Program," expressed Martin Cronin, CEO and President of Patriot One Technologies. "The ability to test our PATSCAN CMR and some of our other threat detection solutions in a real-life setting with an arm of the Department of Defense is exciting for our entire team. As a Canadian-based company, we are truly honored to be part of this effort to protect our serving military personnel around the world." Martin Cronin, CEO Patriot One Technologies Inc. About Patriot One Technologies, Inc. (TSX.V:PAT) (OTCQX: PTOTF) (FRA: 0PL): Patriot One has developed the PATSCAN next generation software and sensor solution for the covert detection of weapons threats. Designed as an innovative and effective platform to combat active shooter threats before they occur, the system features the award-winning PATSCAN CMR cognitive microwave radar system. Built for cost-effective deployment in weapon-restricted buildings and facilities, the Patriot One software solution and related hardware systems can be installed at key access points to covertly identify weapons and to alert security for the intervention of active threat events before they commence. Owner/operators of private and public facilities can now prominently post anti-weapons policies with compliance assured. The Company's motto Deter, Detect and Defend is based on the belief that widespread use of its technology will act as an effective deterrent, thereby diminishing the epidemic phenomena of active shooters across the globe. For more information, visit: www.patriot1tech.com. Patriot One Technologies are proud winners of the 2017 Anti-Terrorism / Force Protection category of the Security Industry Association's New Product Showcase at ISC West. About BCIP The Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) helps Canadian companies of all sizes move their state-of-the-art goods and services from the laboratory to the marketplace. The program helps innovators land a first major reference sale, sell their innovation, but keep the intellectual property, get their innovation tested in a real-life setting, and gain feedback to help get products to market faster. The program pays up to $500,000 for non-military innovations and up to $1,000,000 for military innovations. Visit: https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/picc-bcip/priorites-priorities-eng.html. For further information, please contact: Patriot One Inquiries info@patriot1tech.com www.patriot1tech.com Investor Relations John Martin +1 (888) 728-1332 johnm@patriot1tech.com Media Contacts: Scott Ledingham, PR Media Now +1-613-806-7135 scott@prmedianow.com CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: No Securities Exchange has reviewed nor accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to product development, licensing, commercialization and regulatory compliance issues 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 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. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions of the relevant securities exchange(s) and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. 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. 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 of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the 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 is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire News that Inspires big ideas 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, content 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. More disclaimer info: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp. Disclosure this news is a paid for news release on the Investorideas.com newswire by Patriot One Technologies Inc., (TSX.V: PAT) Learn more about costs and our newswire service https://www.investorideas.com/News-Upload/ 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 December 6, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) The pound is shackled by Brexit drama, is locked in a holding pattern, and nothing is currently priced in, warns the CEO of one of the world's largest independent financial advisory organizations. The warning from Nigel Green, founder and chief executive of deVere Group, comes as sterling remains vulnerable to every twist and turn to the political saga over the UK's exit of the European Union. Mr Green comments: "The pound has been and remains the primary market bellwether since the UK voted to leave the EU in 2016. It has responded to each drama being played out on the political stage. "But as the pressure ramps up, with tensions increasing ahead of the crucial vote on 11 December, in which parliament is likely to reject the Prime Minister's withdrawal agreement, sterling has become less, not more, turbulent. "It has been shackled by the Brexit uncertainty. It is locked in holding pattern, hovering for the last few weeks at about $1.27." He continues: ""Nothing is currently priced in because of the enormous question marks hanging over the many different outcomes. "First, should Theresa May's deal goes through, sterling will initially rally. But if the DUP hold firm on their refusal to back the government on future legislation, the government will be paralysed and an election must be held and Sterling's rally would cease. "Second, should the PM's plan be voted down, there are several options, including a second referendum. This would, arguably, get Mrs May 'off the hook', but she would be regarded as a traitor by Brexiteers if she announced one. Sterling can be expected to rally in this scenario. "An alternative is that the PM goes back to the E.U and asks for a new deal, based on EFTA membership, which is accepted and is then passed by the UK Parliament. This would also trigger a sterling rally. "And third, a 'No Deal' scenario would happen if Parliament fails to vote through any deal by end of March 2019, and the UK is unable to extend Article 50, and there is no formal abandonment of Brexit. This would cause a sharp fall in the pound." Speaking to investors recently, Mr Green noted: "In terms of investment strategy, if investors are already invested broadly across asset classes, sectors and regions, for instance by having a global multi-asset portfolio, they should sit tight. There is too much uncertainty to be able to take strong bets on a region, asset class or even a currency. "However, if they do not have such a portfolio, then they should consider taking action." e: george@priorconsultancy.co.uk t: +44 207 1220 925 Twitter: @PriorConsults deVere Group is one of the world's largest independent advisors of specialist global financial solutions to international, local mass affluent, and high-net-worth clients. It has a network of more than 70 offices across the world, over 80,000 clients and $12bn under advisement. 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 December 6, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) This Canada-based exploration company makes headway in southeastern Peru as it completes a major milestone and releases more information on its biggest projects. Palamina Corp. (PA:TSX.V; PLMNF:OTC.MKTS), a Canada-based precious metals exploration company, released information about developments that could propel the company forward. According to the company, Palamina is looking for the hard rock source of a modern day gold rush underway in Peru. Palamina has acquired five district scale gold projects covering 77,000 hectares in the Puno Orogenic Gold Belt in southeastern Peru: Coasa, Bendi, Gaban, Cori and Orco. All five projects either have visible gold showings or there is visible gold being mined adjacent to them. There are also 100,000 artisanal miners in the belt actively mining gold driving this modern day gold rush, the company stated. Palamina Corp. initially went into Peru at the end of 2016. Management says 2017 was spent acquiring, visiting, assessing and prioritizing the land. It wasn't until 2018 that the company started systematic exploration. First Heli-Borne Geophysical Surveys in the Puno Orogenic Gold Belt (POGB) In late October 2018, management announced the completion of heliborne geophysical surveys over its Coasa, Gaban and Cori projects. The company noted that in the POGB, gold mineralization frequently has an association with disseminated magnetic pyrrhotite hosted by quartz veins within regional shear zone structures. Andrew Thomson, president of Palamina stated, "Palamina is the first company to conduct heli-borne geophysics in the Puno Orogenic Gold Belt (POGB). The ~3,000 line-km survey is now complete, and we are awaiting the processed data to better understand the structures of the Coasa, Gaban and Cori gold projects." While Palamina awaits the survey results, it shared news on its Gaban Gold Project and continues to advance its flagship Coasa Gold Project. The company says it holds title and application rights to 19,300 hectares at Gaban where 10 sets of alluvial miners intermittently mine coarse alluvial gold from the Yanamayo River within the property. "Geochemical stream sediment sampling has returned values up to 4.9 g/t gold (at -60 mesh) in the Yanamayo River. Palamina has secured the mining rights to 85% of the Yanamayo River watershed which is bound on all sides by four mountain ridges," the company stated in the news release. Palamina has located five outcropping shear zones hosting quartz veins-veinlets in the mountain ridges surrounding the Yanamayo River. Taken from historical artisanal workings along one of the shear zones located on the recently acquired Aurifera concession, these two samples make up part of the Yanamayo watershed and returned: Source: Palamina Corp. The company noted that the Yanamayo River makes up part of the watershed driving alluvial gold mineralization at Madre de Dios where alluvial miners cover over a 700 square kilometer area. Future Drilling and Plans at the Coasa Gold Project As Palamina plans to spend the 2018 Christmas season integrating the geophysical survey data, it's revving up for a drill program at Coasa where permitting is expected to be in place by April 2019. The company has noted that at Coasa the focus is on the Veta Zone where gold mineralization has been traced over a 500 by 800 meter zone. Palamina reported the discovery of four visible gold zones at Veta where chip sampling returned up to 620 g/t gold and channel sampling up to 1.8 meters of 19.6 g/t gold. The company has also made a discovery in the Cayos zone, which returned 3 meters of 30.5 g/t gold. While management expects to have drill permits by April, it doesn't expect to see results from drilling until September 2019. Management notes there is still a small amount of work to be done before getting to drill targets. Two structural geologists have been busy on the project to further define the best drill targets. Palamina notes that it has been in talks with companies for potential future joint ventures on its other project in Puno. The company's management team boasts more than 35 collective years of experience on the Puno Orogenic Gold Belt. "In just the last two years alone, Palamina's board of directors and advisory board have cumulatively raised over $50 million and defined over 7 million ounces of gold on a number of projects," Thomson stated. Presently, Palamina has just under 30 million shares outstanding with roughly 40 million shares fully diluted. Palamina's stock currently sits at CA$0.39, giving it a market cap of approximately CA$11.65 million. Disclosure: 1) Nikia Wade compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Aztec Minerals. 4) The 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. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports' terms of use and full legal disclaimer. This article is not a solicitation for investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company mentioned on Streetwise Reports. 5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases. As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own shares of Palamina Corp., a company mentioned in this article. 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 December 6, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) As green energy initiatives boost the need for graphite, one company continues to explore for the element in an unlikely place. Graphite is the most common non-metal substance that can conduct electricity with significant heat resistance. It is no surprise that strong demand for graphite is fueled by the new economy: green energy initiatives, including lithium-ion batteries (electric vehicles and energy storage), renewable energy, superconductors, innovative new building materials and nuclear energy. Large-flake graphite is mostly used in the steel industry as refractory material for its heat resistant properties. Demand for graphite flakes is increasing rapidly as infrastructure development, EV and large-scale energy storage sectors become more prominent in global focus. Graphite can be mined (natural flake graphite) or produced by heating and altering petroleum coke (synthetic graphite). Jumbo and large-flake graphite is used in electronics, graphite foils and new building materials such as flame-retardant insulation. Small-flake graphite is a major component in the construction of anodes for lithium-ion batteries. As a result, the world consumption of flake graphite is expected to increase by over 300% from 710 ktpa to 2.4 Mtpa by 2025. Flake graphite accounts for approximately 40% of global natural graphite supply. SRG Graphite Inc. (SRG:TSX.V) is a Canadian resource company that works in the exploration, development and production of high-quality, low-cost natural graphite flakes. The company is also working on its nickel-cobalt-scandium laterite project located 5km away from its graphite project. SRG operates in the southeast region of the Republic of Guinea, in West Africa, and recently announced results for its latest round of assay testing with 162 new boreholes, bringing total tests to 557 boreholes and over 18,037 meters drilled. Cost efficiencies encouraged SRG management to expand the drilling program, according to a recent press release. Mineralized material from the deposit is being used to produce graphite concentrate so the company can ship samples to prospective clients. Intermediate graphite concentrate will also be shipped to prospective customers to assist in evaluation of the equipment selected for the feasibility study. Committed to sustainable and traceable mining, SRG also signed on to the United Nations Global Compact, which commits it to universal sustainability principles. The company further reports sustainability progress through the Global Reporting Initiative, an independent international standardization organization. SRG recently engaged the expertise of EEM Sustainable Management (EEM), a Canada-based independent environment consultancy company from Montreal with significant experience in Guinea, to revise and update the Lola graphite project environmental and social impact assessment to ensure compliance with local and international standards. SRG is catching the eyes and ears of the market; Beacon Securities released a report on September 24, 2018, stating the reasons the firm likes the company: Multi-asset exposure to battery metals/materials Low capex of $100 million for Lola graphite project Fully financed through feasibility at Lola The same report explained that SRG is working with SGS Canada for metallurgical test work, flowsheet validation, piloting test work and bulk concentrate production for the Lola Graphite Project in Guinea. The test work is conducted on a 1.5-tonne representative sample of mineralized material from the deposit. Once produced, several tonnes of graphite concentrate will be available to the company, ready for shipment to prospective clients as part of its sales strategy. Intermediate concentrate will also be produced and sent to suppliers as part of the vendor tests to further increase confidence in the equipment selected in the feasibility study. Recall SRG's valuation: 0.3x NAVPS, which reflects current market pricing for LOM at Lola. What is in the future for SRG Graphite and its Lola Graphite Project? Analysts at the National Bank of Canada are reporting that SRG could have metallurgical test results for its graphite and cobalt reserves before the end of the year. It should also provide updates on its permitting, BFS and plans to start construction on its Lola graphite project by the end of Q2 2019. It should also make progress on its cobalt assets (Gogota) and could look for partners in the projects and offtakers for supply. Rupert M. Merer, an analyst with National Bank of Canada, wrote in a September 25, 2018, report that he's forecasting a doubling in natural graphite demand to 1.6 mtpa by the end of 2025, largely to meet the demands of EV markets. SRG's PEA for the Lola Graphite Project assumes graphite concentrate production capacity of 50 ktpa by the end of 2021, at a relatively low capex of US $105 million and operating cost of US $372/t, which should make it attractive relative to peers. National Bank of Canada has an Outperform rating on SRG and a target price of CA$2.35 per share. Ahmad Shaath, an analyst with Beacon Securities, noted on November 5 that he regards SRG Graphite regards as a "preferred low-risk, high quality asset and management team graphite developer." Beacon has a Buy rating on SRG and a target price of CA$2.35. SRG has 69.4 million outstanding shares. Market cap is approximately CA$45.3 million. Shares are currently trading at around CA$0.68. Disclosure: 1) Katherine Norton compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are sponsors of Streetwise Reports: SRG Graphite. Streetwise Reports does not accept stock in exchange for its services. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees. 3) Comments and opinions expressed are those of the specific experts and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The information provided above is for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security. As of the date of this article, an affiliate of Streetwise Reports has a consulting relationship with Aztec Minerals. 4) The 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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Disclosures from National Bank of Canada Financial Markets, SRG Graphite Inc., Company Update, September 25, 2018 Research Analysts - The Research Analyst(s) who prepare these reports certify that their respective report accurately reflects his or her personal opinion and that no part of his/her compensation was, is, or will be directly or indirectly related to the specific recommendations or views as to the securities or companies. NBF compensates its Research Analysts from a variety of sources. The Research Department is a cost centre and is funded by the business activities of NBF including, Institutional Equity Sales and Trading, Retail Sales, the correspondent clearing business, and Corporate and Investment Banking. Since the revenues from these businesses vary, the funds for research compensation vary. No one business line has a greater influence than any other for Research Analyst compensation. Click on this link to see the company specific disclosures. Additional Company related disclosures: 2. National Bank Financial Inc. has acted as an underwriter with respect to this issuer within the past 12 months. 3. National Bank Financial Inc. has provided investment banking services for this issuer within the past 12 months. 4. National Bank Financial Inc. or an affiliate has managed or co-managed a public offering of securities with respect to this issuer within the past 12 months. 5. National Bank Financial Inc. or an affiliate has received compensation for investment banking services from this issuer within the past 12 months. 7. The issuer is a client, or was a client, of National Bank Financial Inc. or an affiliate within the past 12 months. Disclosures from Beacon Securities, SRG Graphite, Sept. 24, 2018 Analyst Certification: The Beacon Securities Analyst named on the report hereby certifies that the recommendations and/or opinions expressed herein accurately reflect such research analyst's personal views about the company and securities that are the subject of the report; or any other companies mentioned in the report that are also covered by the named analyst. In addition, no part of the research analyst's compensation is, or will be, directly or indirectly, related to the specific recommendations or views expressed by such research analyst in this report. 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. 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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 The process of compensating investors who lost money from the 2011 collapse of investment firm Custom House Capital may not be complete for a number of years, the Investor Compensation Company (ICCL) has warned. In its latest annual report, the ICCL said only 574 out of nearly 2,000 claims for compensation in the case have been certified for payment, with a combined 7.4m being paid back to investors. It means that only 74 claims have been certified in the past two years. At the time of the ICCLs 2016 annual report, 500 claims had been dealt with. The company acknowledged progress in the case has been slow and very disappointing, but said that the highly unusual and complex nature of Custom House Capitals liquidation which is at an advanced stage has contributed to the lengthy delays to claim validations. Custom House Capital collapsed in 2011 after the discovery of the misuse of over 66m of client funds. As the recovery of misappropriated monies is dependent, in many cases, on the disposal or refinancing of property-related assets, where embezzled funds were directed, the timeframe for completion of future certifications of claims is likely to be impacted, and could extend for a further period of years, the ICCL said. A first interim dividend from some recovered misappropriated monies is expected in the first quarter of 2019. The ICCL also repeated calls for new legislation to speed up the investor compensation process. The failure to address this matter would, undoubtedly, result in an equally unsatisfactory outcome for investors caught up in an investment firm failure of similar size and complexity, and ultimately serves to undermine investor protection and confidence. The ICCL recorded a surplus of 4.5m for the 12 months to the end of July, 250,000 down on the previous year. The company closed the year with accumulated reserves of 57.3m. The only other case in the last year saw 23,000 being paid out to 12 clients of failed Dublin investment firm Asset Management Trust (AMT). A High Court ruling has cast doubt on whether a claim for $141m against the Irish arm of HSBC bank related to the Ponzi scheme run by jailed US fraudster Bernie Madoff can proceed. Defender Ltd, a British Virgin Islands (BVI) registered investment fund, has sued HSBC Institutional Trust Services Ireland Ltd, with registered officers at Grand Canal Square, Dublin. The case was due to run for at least five months but Mr Justice Michael Twomey's ruling this week on a preliminary issue means it may not go ahead. A constitutional challenge arising from his ruling may now be considered which, if granted, would mean the case will proceed. In his ruling, the judge observed it was difficult to escape the impression that five months court time was being sought, not because the dispute could not be solved in a much shorter time, but because of the sums at stake and the parties can afford to pay their own lawyers and therefore use up valuable court resources to resolve essentially a "private dispute". It was difficult to avoid concluding, while 'ordinary litigants' have to wait years to have their cases or appeals heard, wealthy litigants can monopolise court time "simply because they can afford to do so". There may be good policy reasons for imposing a limit on court time to make litigation more affordable, he remarked. In its action, Defender has alleged negligence and breach of contract regarding HSBC's alleged role as a custodian of funds lost as a result of fraud by its alleged sub-custodian Bernie L Madoff Securities LLC (Madoff). That company was operated by Madoff, who was involved in a 65bn Ponzi scheme in the US. HSBC joined Reliance Management BVI Ltd and Reliance International Reseach LLC as third parties in the case. HSBC alleges those two companies are a single group entity and, as Defender's investment manager, had full knowledge of all the risks associated with funds being entrusted to the Madoff company. The preliminary legal issue arose from HSBC's reliance in its defence on Section 17.2 of the Civil Liability Act 1961 (CLA) concerning claims involving "concurrent wrongdoers". Mr Justice Twomey said that issue arose because Defender settled its claim for the return of $540m with Madoff's company for at least 75 per cent of that sum and is suing HSBC as an alleged concurrent wrongdoer with Madoff for the balance of its loss. HSBC claimed Defender will recover a lot more than 75% forr reasons including the trustee in the Madoff liquidation has publicly said recovery could be 100% of allowed claims. The judge said, in this case, fraud by Madoff and alleged negligence by HSBC are alleged by Defender to have lead to the same damage. For the purposes of the preliminary ruling only, he found Madoff and HSBC to be "concurrent wrongdoers" under the CLA in relation to the loss caused to Defender. He also upheld arguments by HSBC that, because Defender has settled its claim against Madoff for the loss of that investment, and that settlement was with one wrongdoer (Madoff), then, as a result of Section 17.2 of the CLA, Defender cannot pursue the other wrongdoer (HSBC). That meant Defender's claim against HSBC for $141m is reduced by 100 per cent as a result of Defender's prior settlement with Madoff, he held. The global shares sell-off gathered pace, as fears spread that President Donald Trump's ceasefire in the trade war with China will be shortlived, threatening the prospects for the world economy in 2019. Inflaming tensions was the news of the arrest last Saturday of Huawei's Meng Wanzhou, who is the daughter of the Chinese telecoms giant founder. Facing possible extradition to the US, China is demanding her release. The waves of selling across Asia, Europe and repeatedly through the US trading day, hit the Irish stock market hard. The Iseq Overall Index fell by 176 points, or over 3%--one of the worst performers in Europe. Local market heavyweights, which rely on a robust world economy, including the building shares, posted hefty falls. CRH lost 5% of its value while Kingspan shares were not far behind, with a drop of 4.4%. Unsurprisingly, bank stocks which fare badly when the world economic growth comes into question also fell sharply. Bank of Ireland, which is exposed to Britain and Brexit through its tie-up with the British Post Office, fell 3.4%. AIB shares fell 1.7% and have now fallen almost 32% this year, while Permanent TSB shares fell 2.2%. They are down 22% this year. The Ftse-100 in London shed 217 points, or over 3%, in line with the losses in Frankfurt and Paris. There was "a sea of red", said Chris Beauchamp at online broker IG, that pushed European shares to two-year lows. "In what must rank as one of the worst-timed economic releases in recent months, the US trade deficit has hit its widest level in ten years; such news is unlikely to please the White House, so investors will be on alert for a tweet on the subject in due course," Mr Beauchamp said. The price of oil slumped below $60 a barrel. Brent crude--the global benchmark--shed $2.17 to $59.39 in London, as a new world supply glut loomed. "Opec seems to be joining in the no deal fun, with only an agreement in principle to cut output. While oil is off the lows of the day, it is not likely to hold these lows for long if oil ministers dont agree a sizeable cut. We wait until [Friday] for further news," Mr Beauchamp said. International exploration company Predator Oil and Gas will, next month, accelerate efforts to land partners to help develop gas assets it holds in Irish waters. It has said an asset it holds in the Celtic Sea could be a game-changer and compare in size to the Corrib field off the west coast. The company is headed up by a veteran of the Irish exploration sector, Paul Griffiths, former boss of now defunct operators Island Oil and Gas and Fastnet Oil and Gas. Predator, which also has interests in Morocco and Trinidad, has been in talks with prospective partners for its Irish assets for much of this year. Updating on operations, yesterday, it said it will be accelerating ongoing discussions with potential partners interested in its Irish portfolio during January, with a view to combining its assets in a substantive low-risk drilling and re-entry programme in 2020 to target potentially material gas resources. Predators Irish focus is solely fixed on gas exploration. It said its previously-announced application to convert a licensing option it holds adjoining the Corrib gas field is progressing. It has also submitted an application to extend a licensing option it has in the Celtic Sea for 12 months to the end of next November. An independent reservoir engineering study has shown the potential to recover more than one trillion cubic feet of gas from the Celtic Sea asset over 11 years. It is also believed Predator is interested in working with Corrib owner Vermilion, in some capacity, as the latter looks to extend the life of the field. French drugmaker Sanofi, which is a significant employer in Ireland, has told unions that it is planning to cut 670 jobs in France over the next two years. Between the former Genzyme plant in Waterford, which it acquired as part of a $20bn (17.65n) global deal seven years ago, and a facility in west Dublin, Sanofi employs about 700 people in the Republic. The French job cuts plan, which is to be voluntary, would affect human resources, IT, and finances among others, Thierry Bodin, with the CGT union said. In addition, 80 IT jobs are to be outsourced, he said. This is a terrible loss of expertise. It will have consequences in terms of efficiency, said Bodin. Sanofi had said in September it would continue to implement cost savings after having reached a 1.5bn cost reduction target a year ahead of expectations. We are blindsided as Sanofi makes significant amounts of profits. And at a time of strong social tensions in France, the government is looking the other way, Bodin said in reference to the yellow vest protests which led to the worst riots seen in central Paris in five decades last weekend. A Sanofi spokesman confirmed the companys intention to shed 670 jobs out of a 25,000 workforce in France and said that the plan was to be completed by the end of 2020. At the same time, Sanofi will invest 700m in France to upgrade its production sites, notably in the areas of vaccines manufacturing and other biologic medicines. Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration regulator gave more positive feedback on the Dupixent eczema treatment being developed by Sanofi and Regeneron. Sanofi and Regeneron are developing Dupixent to treat conditions including paediatric asthma, chronic sinus infection with nasal polyps, and adolescent eczema. Reuters and Irish Examiner UK business leaders fears about Brexit, border checks, blocked ports and major tailbacks on British roads, has led to a hoarding of goods and demand for warehouse space. As a result, companies from Rolls-Royce and Airbus to retailers, manufacturers and food and drink groups have all said they are building up stock ahead of Brexit on March 29. A closely watched industry survey showed stock-piling was one factor driving output in November. In a vast warehouse complex 70km north of London, staff are wrestling with ways to cram in more goods after a surge in demand from companies building stockpiles ahead of Brexit. Efforts at Miniclipper Logistics to add new racks by narrowing the aisles are being duplicated across the UK as Brexit contingency plans spark a race for storage space. The company, which after adding a mezzanine floor and a temporary warehouse has 28,000sq m of capacity, has already had to turn new business away. Almost every day we receive another inquiry regarding Brexit, sales director Jayne Masters said. We have customers queuing up to move goods in, she said. The worlds fifth-largest economy risks stumbling into a disorderly exit from its biggest trading partner, the EU, if the UK parliament votes down prime minister Theresa Mays withdrawal agreement on December 11. However, in an economy built on production cycles that run to the minute, and where storing stock wastes time and money, ware- housing is in short supply and prices are rising. Owners of frozen and chilled storage space say they are fully booked until the middle of next year. The government has had to request more secure storage for medication be built after it discovered that an order for all drug makers to hold six weeks of supply could not be met. - Reuters The chief executive of Insurance Ireland is advising the 50,000 Irish customers of Danish insurer Qudos to contact their broker to avail of alternative cover. Kevin Thompson told RTEs Today with Sean ORourke show that cover will be provided by an alternative insurance provider at no extra cost. Qudos, which filed for liquidation in Denmark on 27 November, had mostly sold motor insurance policies to Irish customers via agents and brokers, but there were a number of property insurance policies according to Mr Thompson. Although Insurance Ireland says that alternative cover will be provided, it will not pay out on any claims and expects Qudos give more detail on the payment of outstanding claims within the next two weeks. Qudos is authorised by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority and operates in Ireland on a freedom of services basis. Mr Thompson said it remains to be seen whether outstanding claims will be paid out by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority or the Irish Insurance Regulator. We have published an update on Qudos Insurance A/S. We are recommending that Qudos policyholders contact their broker to arrange alternative cover. Qudos is regulated by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority and is in liquidation. https://t.co/pxKHrPHCXn Central Bank of Ireland (@centralbank_ie) December 5, 2018 Ireland is just one country where Qudos sold policies, other countries include France, Greece and the UK. It is incumbent on people to check the insurance disc in their cars to determine if Qudos was the underwriter of their policy. If that is the case then Mr Thompson advises them to contact their broker immediately to organise alternative cover which will remain in place until their renewal date at no extra cost. There is a solution in place. Other providers have stepped in such as Petrona who are a general agent. However, he admitted there could be a small administration charge. Ideally the Danish compensation fund will step in ensure that all outstanding Irish claims will be fully paid, said Mr Thompson. Fianna Fail is pushing ahead with proposals to deny bail to repeat offenders citing official figures which show a doubling in offences committed by people on bail over the last five years. But their draft provisions came under criticism at the Oireachtas Justice Committee from penal reformers and some opposition politicians. The Bail (Amendment) Bill 2017, proposed by Fianna Fail justice spokesman Jim OCallaghan, would oblige judges to refuse bail in serious offences where the court is satisfied is it necessary to prevent further offences being carried out. The bill would also oblige courts to refuse bail to people charged with burglary or aggravated burglary where they have a previous burglary conviction in the last five years or have been charged and are awaiting trial for at least two such offences. In addition, the bill would require courts to order electronic monitoring of people charged with burglary offences in cases where they are granted bail. Mr OCallaghan said official figures show that 12% of all recorded crimes in 2017 were committed by people out on bail. The figure has doubled in the last five years from 4,777 in 2013 to 9,519 in 2017. It includes sharp increases in certain categories: dangerous and negligent acts (up 132%, from 216 to 502); assaults (up 81%, from 504 to 912); drug offences (up 75%, from 1,163 to 2,035). The burglary category rose 8% from 1,241 to 1,342. Mr OCallaghan said the 2013 Prison Service figures showed a recidivism rate for burglary offences of 79.5%, the highest rate of any category. Joan Deane, vice-chair of AdVIC (Advocates for Victims of Homicide), said it welcomed any attempts to improve existing bail laws, but said the bill did not go far enough as it did not include situations of homicide. She said there was a very real problem of people committing crimes, including homicide, while on bail. Ms Deane recognised the constitutional right to bail for an accused, but said rights of victims and families must be given equal consideration at the very least. She said the objections to bail given by gardai were not being listened to sufficiently by judges but favoured courts retaining discretion. She said there was a particular problem where someone on bail breaches their conditions. Deirdre Malone, executive director of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, said she believed the bill was unconstitutional. She said judges were best placed to weigh up all the factors in deciding on bail, but that the bill undercuts that by making refusal mandatory in every case. Ms Malone said the proposal would also be ineffective as it would hugely increase pre-trial detention in already overcrowded prisons, diluting resources and creating chaos on the landing the latter charge rejected by Mr OCallaghan. Associate Professor of Law in TCD, Dr Mary Rogan said that while pre-trial detention rates were low in Ireland, they were increasing from an average of 500 inmates in January 2015 to 725 in October 2018. She called for an impact assessment of the bail proposals and said refusing bail was a sticking plaster. She said what was needed was measures to deal with underlying causes. The Government has agreed to accept up to 36 unaccompanied minors from Greece next year. Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has acknowledged Greece is the EU state which has been most affected by the ongoing migrant crisis. The Minister gave the commitment after meeting the Greek Minister for Migration Policy in Brussels earlier. The children will be included as part of the Government's commitments under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme, which will grant them programme refugee status on arrival. Mr Flanagan said today that: "Greece is the EU State which has been most affected by the ongoing migration crisis: 850,000 people arrived in 2015. "We have been working with Greece for some time as part of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme and following discussions with Minister Zappone, today I agreed that Ireland will welcome another 36 unaccompanied minors in 2019. "I know that these young people will be welcomed into Ireland. Upon their transfer to Ireland, these unaccompanied minors will be taken into the care of our child protection authorities and will be provided with all of the necessary supports. "Today at my meeting with Minister Vitsas, I expressed our support for the Greek people who have made serious efforts to meet the needs of those who have arrived on Greek shores from a wide variety of countries seeking international protection, a significant number of unaccompanied minors among them." - Digital Desk An Irish charity worker who was released on bail from a Greek prison yesterday has told of his determination to continue his work to highlight the plight of illegal migrants. Sean Binder (24), who was born in Germany, has lived in Ireland since he was five years old when the family moved to Castlegregory, Co. Kerry. The Trinity College graduate had been charged with human trafficking when he was on the Greek island of Lesbos to assist refugees in a humanitarian basis as part of his work with Emergency Response Centre International. He met with police in a voluntary capacity in August after being informed that he was a person of interest in relation to the charitys alleged activities. He and three other NGO volunteers have spent the last three months in a Greek jail after they were accused of helping illegal migrants enter the country. All four have been released on bail. Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast Mr Binder said he could not comment on his arrest or the case as he is on bail pending the trial. He said that the issue was nothing to do with me as such. It is part of a wider policy. Im not the first and I wont be the last to have their humanitarian work put under suspicion. He said he would not be deterred, from his work. To the contrary. I believe more than ever that there is something I can do to promote the fact that people shouldnt be drowning or freezing. He said that there appeared to be some legal uncertainty and tensions between institutions that had the same goal which was not to let people drown in the sea. A date has not yet been set for his trial and he remains in Greece. Mr Binder expressed his thanks for the amazing support he has received. The killer of student Jastine Valdez (24) died from a gunshot wound to his arm and chest. Mark Hennessy (40) was shot by a Garda at Cherrywood Business Park, Co Dublin on May 20 last. Jastine Valdez and her killer Mark Hennessy Family members including Mr Hennessy's parents attended the opening of an inquest into his death at Dublin Coroners Court. Mr Hennessys father Michael Hennessy stood in the witness box as evidence of how he identified the body of his son was read out in court. On May 21 2018 at 4.25pm in Dublin City Morgue I formally identified the body of my son to Sergeant Georgina Reilly, Mr Hennessy said in his deposition. An autopsy was conducted by Deputy State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan on May 21 2018. The cause of death was given as a gunshot wound to the arm/chest. The matter was referred to the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) and Senior Investigations Officer Nicholas Harden said he was seeking a six-month adjournment to allow investigations continue. Mr Harden confirmed to coroner Dr Myra Cullinane that criminal proceedings are being contemplated and applied to the court for a copy of the post-mortem report. The investigation is ongoing, we are a seeking six-month adjournment to allow for further investigations and to meet our obligations under article 2, Mr Harden said. Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane adjourned the inquest for further mention on June 6 2019 and extended condolences to Mr Hennessys family. It is never easy for anyone to come to this court and very difficult for you, the coroner said. It may not be possible to improve quality in Irish schools unless better local or regional management supports are provided, Department of Education officials have warned Education Minister Joe McHugh. They believe the largely-untapped legal authority of education and training boards (ETBs) to support schools under other patrons could help solve leadership and governance problems facing many of the countrys 4,000 primary and second-level schools. However, where it proves difficult to amalgamate small schools, officials have told the minister that local opposition to combining governance functions across neighbouring schools could be problematic. The warnings come in a briefing document, made public yesterday, on current issues in the Department of Education which was presented to Mr McHugh when he was assigned there in mid-October. Any diminution in the number of small schools through amalgamations will help but where this does not prove possible and schools have to be sustained, a potential alternative in order to strengthen governance is the development of a federal board responsible for a number of schools in a parish or locality, the officials wrote. The manner in which local communities wish to maintain the status quo should not be underestimated in trying to deliver on such a change which logically should be perceived as less threatening than school closures or mergers. The discussion arose in a section of the document about particular difficulties faced by small primary schools to find suitable volunteers to serve on boards of management. The department highlighted the high level of volunteerism required in the governance of Irish schools, and said that the public funding it provides to sectoral management bodies that offer supports to schools is quite low. The minister was told that the structure of the Irish education system is untypical of that in many other developed countries, with the virtual absence of middle or local tier of government between school and central government. It is questionable whether it is feasible to continue to maintain the system and enhance quality without providing for better local or regional management structures, though still allowing necessary autonomy at school level, the briefing document states. It said the lack of management capacity in the system is not just a constraint in relation to resource management in schools, but also in supporting principals and schools in improving school performance and accountability. There has been very limited use to date of the legal powers given to the 16 ETBs set up in 2013 through the amalgamation of former vocational education committees. The department advised the minister that a key objective of creating ETBs was to enable the sector to provide management supports to schools across different types of patronage in their areas. These are very much enabling statutory provisions and are not mandatory on schools, the minister was told. Put simply, it will be lawful for an ETB to provide services, provided the school[s] want to obtain from them the service or support in question. The legislation to allow abortions to happen in Ireland has been passed by TDs. It was approved during a late night sitting of the Dail and now goes to the Seanad for final sign off before it becomes law. Just before midnight TDs gathered in the Dail chamber for a final vote to approve the proposed abortion legislation. It followed a mammoth 8-hour sitting yesterday to get through the final amendments to the bill. TDs approved the legislation by 90 votes to 15 with 12 abstentions. And there we have it. The Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill Final Stage has passed by 90 votes to 15. Its not perfect, there certainly are issues but its has passed. We #RepealedThe8th pic.twitter.com/wcKw94Tf9o Abortion Rights IE (@freesafelegal) December 5, 2018 It will now go to the Seanad today for final approval - which the government is hopeful can happen next week. After that the bill will become law, allowing abortions to take place in Ireland from the 1st of January. Health Minister Simon Harris has described it as a significant step towards bringing in abortion services and said he looks forward to a time in the near future when women with a crisis pregnancy can get treatment at home. Tonight Dail Eireann has passed legislation to legalise abortion in Ireland. On to the Seanad now. I think of all the women who have had to travel to receive care - we say, no more. The people have spoken. Care and compassion in our own country Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) December 6, 2018 Speaking as the debate in the Dail concluded, the Minister said: "We pass this Bill today just six months after the people had their say. "I would particularly like to thank all those people who recognised the need for our discourse to be respectful of differing views, and of the sensitivities involved, particularly for those who have experienced termination of pregnancy. I can only imagine how the intensity of debate during the campaign and since then has felt for women who have themselves travelled abroad for a termination over many years. Mr Harris added: "On May 25th, the people said 'No More'. We cannot turn back the clock but what we can do is ensure a new era for Irish women. One which values women, respects the decisions they make and cares for them in their own country. "I look forward to a time not far away now when we will be able to assure women experiencing crisis pregnancies that they will be looked after here at home, where they need not fear that they will be stigmatised for their choices or lack the support they and their families need from our health service. Right to choose legislation has passed all stages in the Dail. Final vote 90 for, 15 against, 12 abstentions. This Bill was made possible by years of campaign work by young people, women and working class people fighting for change. #legisl8 #dubw #RepealedThe8th Ruth Coppinger (@RuthCoppingerSP) December 6, 2018 "I also look forward to being able to assure our doctors, nurses and midwives that they can be confident in the decisions they are helping their patients to make and in providing the care their patients require. "I now look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the Seanad to discuss the legislation and move closer to making that new Ireland a reality. There are still some questions about what scale of a service will be in place in January with a very short time between the passing of the legislation and doctors being asked to implement it. Clinical guidelines are being prepared behind the scenes and some doctors willing to provide the service will be trained in the coming weeks. However it is likely whatever service is in place in January will be somewhat limited at first as the medical system catches up with the legislation. We remind our politicians that there is too much at stake in this matter, and we will not tolerate delays. We urge members of the public, especially those on the Seanad electoral register, to contact their Senators in advance of tomorrows final debate. #RepealedThe8th #legisl8 Abortion Rights IE (@freesafelegal) December 6, 2018 The Abortion Rights Campaign has welcomed last night's vote calling it "a momentous step towards achieving abortion rights in Ireland" but say it remains troubled at numerous provisions contained within the Bill. "We, as activists, have spent years fighting for accessible, accountable and evidence-based legislation to provide abortion care," said Linda Kavanagh, spokesperson for the Abortion Rights Campaign. "We are extremely disappointed to see that so many valid improvements to the legislation were voted down, on shaky grounds, to the detriment of pregnant people across Ireland. "We have steadfastly highlighted the problems with the legislation throughout this process. "We will continue to fight for access to free, safe, legal and local abortion services for all those who need it on the island of Ireland." Commenting on last night's vote in the Dail, Pro Life Campaign spokesperson, Dr Ruth Cullen said: "The public voted to remove the Eighth Amendment. "They never gave their backing to this extreme abortion bill. "The Government is now deceptively using the vote of the people as cover for what in time will be regarded as one of the most extreme abortion laws anywhere in the world." Dr Cullen added: "But one thing is certain. We will never give up the fight in defence of life. Abortion is deeply unjust and destructive. It will not win in the end." Digital Desk The mother of a toddler who suffers from intractable seizures is travelling to Barcelona next week in order to obtain the THC form of medicinal cannabis as she fears that his condition will "nosedive" at Christmas. Noreen O'Neill, mother of two-year-old Michael, said that her son is currently taking CBD oil. However, he is at the maximum dosage for his body weight. She is concerned that he will go downhill over Christmas and that doctors won't be able to do anything to save him if he presents at hospital. Michael was on 10 pharmaceutical medications before he was 16 months old, all of which failed. Noreen says prior to taking CBD oil Michael was unable to sit up, reach, roll smile or lift his arms, legs or head. He was also without the ability to swallow and was fed through his nose. Ms O'Neill, who lives in Wilton in Cork, is travelling to Barcelona on Monday to meet with consultants who have seen Michael's medical files and have agreed to give him the medication. Noreen says she is going public on her journey as she wants the process to be above board. "I don't want to sneak around. They can stop me if they like. There is nowhere to go from here," she said. "I have been to three neurologists for Michael and they have all refused (to prescribe THC). I have tried all the medications prescribed to him. None of them worked and they all had side effects. We will be home in Kerry for Christmas and I can't have Michael's condition going downhill without having something to give him. If he does nosedive the hospital can't do anything for him. I need to have the THC in my hand to give to him." Noreen says Michael was at "death's door" when she first started giving him CBD oil last January. Now he eats independently and has even managed to go horse riding. However, she stresses it is getting to the point where he will need the more potent form of medicinal cannabis THC which is not legal in this country. Prior to starting CBD oil Michael nearly lost his life on a flight home from New York. The flight had been diverted to Newfoundland in Canada as Michael went in to respiratory distress. The pharmaceutical medication prescribed to him had helped his seizures. However he had been silently aspirating his milk, as the muscles in his swallow phase were limp due to the drug. This resulted in him being unable to close off his airway. Michael was admitted to hospital on January 3 of this year to begin anti-convulsant number ten. He was averaging up to 15 seizures a day. Noreen decided to personally administer CBD oil to him on January 5 and he was seizure-free three days later. He has not had any acute hospital admissions since his first dose. Noreen says she is devastated by the trauma families are going through as they attempt to get licences for medicinal cannabis for their children. "I have had parents coming to me whose children are having 70 seizures a day. The family are in an awful way. What do you say? The clinic in Barcelona are choc a block with people like me coming. I am going to film a bit and write a blog as I travel from Dublin Airport on Monday and back on Wednesday." Noreen is demanding country-wide access to medicinal cannabis through our doctors on the Long-Term Illness Scheme and General Medical Services Scheme. "We demand that no further delay be allowed by logistical negotiations between the HPRA and potential pharmaceutical distributors here. I have said in previous correspondence to Minister Harris, and now I say it to each official of the HPRA; there will be no let up in our efforts to secure this life-changing medicine for our children." Our backs are to the wall. We have tried and failed every other option. We cannot and will not stop pursuing every avenue to obtain what our children need to stay alive. Ms O'Neill says that Michael is at risk of developmental delays unless they are granted a licence for THC to treat his condition which is called bilateral frontal polymicrogyric. It involves him having too many folds on the frontal lobes of his brain. Noreen has taken leave from her job as a teacher in Kerry in order to care full time for her son. She and Michael moved to Cork so that they could be closer to CUH in the event of an emergency. The Department of Health has previously said that the decision to prescribe or not prescribe any treatment, including cannabis treatment, for an individual patient is strictly a decision for the treating clinician, in consultation with their patient and that Minister for Health has no role in this clinical decision-making process. UPDATE: Coveney says 12 applications to inport cannabis oils have been granted ByDaniel McConnell In the Dail, Solidarity TD Mick Barry during Leaders' Questions raised the case of Noreen O'Neill and her forthcoming trip to Barcelona on Monday to obtain CBD oil, which has aided her son who has bilateral frontal polymicrogyria, a drug-resistant epilepsy. He asked Tanaiste Simon Coveney did he feel any sense of shame that he is a Minister in a Government which forces Irish women to go abroad for healthcare for their children? In response, Mr Coveney said an expert reference group has drawn up operational, clinical and practice guidelines for healthcare professionals treating patients through the programme and has advised that cannabis oils should be used for the purpose of achieving accuracy and consistency of dosage for patients. The Minister for Health Simon Harris has shown more than willingness to facilitate the licensing for that on application, he said. Only 12 applications for import licences have been made and they have all been granted, he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) President Rodrigo Duterte was responding to critics with good intentions when he told the public to "kill" bishops, his spokesperson said Thursday. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo defended the President and shrugged off concerns of possibly inciting violence against Church officials. He said the President was only making an exaggerated statement that should not be taken seriously. "I think that's only a hyperbole on the part of the President. We should be getting used to it. He makes certain statements for dramatic effect but he actually means stop criticizing and do some good for the country. Help us," he told the media. Panelo also cited his wife's comment on the issue saying the President meant "to kill them with kindness." The spokesperson explained that the President was only frustrated because the Church continues to criticize the government without offering concrete suggestions to address issues, thus branding them as useless and hypocritical. "The President, just like any ordinary human being, is upset when the good things that he does for this country is not even appreciated by people who are supposed to support him like the Church," he said. "When priests give us teachings of God and yet they do the opposite, so that makes them hypocritical," Panelo added. He said Duterte is using his experience of sexual harassment during his younger years as basis for this pronouncement. "It means there are members of the Church who are doing the opposite things of what they preach to us that's why the President has basis. He has been a victim of sexual harassment when he was a young boy, again, that is a basis," he said. Duterte also said 90 percent of priests were gay, and asked about the basis for this pronouncement, Panelo said he has yet to clarify this with the President. The Catholic Church in the country has continued to be vocal against the administration's anti-drug campaign over alleged extrajudicial killings. Bishops, however, are mum on Duterte's recent remarks against them. Panelo also argued that even the Pope, through his recent statements, supports the government's efforts to curb drug addiction. "Even the Pope says all the countries should fight drug addiction drug syndicates, even the Pope is supporting it now," Panelo said. Pope Francis earlier called for solidarity against drug addiction and drug syndicates during a conference on the issue. "All of us are called to combat the production, processing and distribution of drugs worldwide," he said Saturday. Duterte has hurled strong words against the Church. In June, he drew flak for calling God "stupid." Another recent statement called for Catholics to stop going to church and called church teachings as "archaic." READ: Duterte to Catholics: You don't have to go to church to pay for 'idiots' Keeping mum In a Facebook post, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said the Church had faced a number of persecutions in the past. And in those moments, he noted Church officials will always respond the way Jesus would-by loving enemies and doing good to those who hate. David was thrust into the spotlight with his public reactions on the President's controversial statements. The bishop previously slammed Duterte's allegations that bishops were stealing and "asking for contributions." READ: Bishop belies Duterte's 'stealing' charge: Sick people don't know what they're saying In November, the country's chief executive also insinuated David's possible involvement in illegal drugs-an allegation the bishop was quick to deny. Meanwhile, in a text message to CNN Philippines, Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) spokesman Fr. Jerome Secillano said the group would rather not comment on the issue to avoid further complications. "We've no comments. We do not want to add fuel to the fire. Our comments may just exacerbate the matter," he said. Duterte has hurled strong words against the Church. In June, he drew flak for calling God "stupid." Another recent statement called for Catholics to stop going to church and called church teachings as "archaic." The prison officer who made allegations of malpractice in the prison service has still not been contacted despite an urgent inquiry being set up by the Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan two weeks ago. The prison officer in question can be identified today as David McDonald, an assistant chief officer with the Operational Support Group unit in the Irish Prison Service. The Irish Examiner understands that he contacted the inspector of prisons office the day after Mr Flanagan announced the inquiry. He left his details and a message that he was available to assist in any way. He has not been contacted since. Mr McDonald has sworn an affidavit in which he alleges that a range of unorthodox and possibly illegal surveillance was carried out within the prison service, including the placing of a tracker devise on a prison officers private vehicle, and listening in on conversations between prisoners and their solicitors. He has also made a number of allegations about malpractice in the handling of deaths in prisons. On November 22, following the publication of the story about the allegations in the Irish Examiner, Mr Flanagan announced he had asked the inspector of prisons, Patricia Gilheaney, to carry out an urgent preliminary investigation into the allegations to determine as far as possible the facts. The act under which the inquiry was ordered confers power on the inspector to demand access to documents that are held in prisons but does not extend to documents held by the prison service outside detention facilities. A spokesperson for the inspectors office said she was not in a position to comment on the preliminary investigation. Mr McDonald is one of three senior prison officers who are in dispute with the IPS. He and another officer were transferred without any notice out of the Operational Support Unit in August. They challenged the transfer and after a judicial review hearing, Mr McDonalds transfer was quashed. The second officers case is ongoing, and the third is also in legal proceedings with the IPS. All three are understood to be claiming that actions against them were entirely unwarranted and by their nature are suggestive that they have transgressed in some manner, which all say is completely untrue. Meanwhile, the Dail Public Accounts Committee is to hold a meeting on December 18 into the allegation made by a separate prison officer whistleblower, Noel McGree. Mr McGree gave evidence to the PAC last month and the committee is expected to call in the head of the Irish Prison Service and a high ranking Department of Justice official. The Government has been presented with two options to remove the sexist and paternalistic Article 41.2 of the Constitution which relates to woman's place in the home. The Oireachtas Justice Committee report has concluded the article as currently worded has no place in the Ireland of the 21st century. There is no reasonable argument or justification for retaining the current provision," the report said. "The question, therefore, is not whether to delete the Article, but whether it should be deleted simpliciter or replaced with an alternative wording that is more appropriate to the present day and that reflects the value and recognition we wish to place on the role of carers in our society, not just in the traditional family home setting, but more broadly, the report stated. The committee could not reach a consensus on a recommendation so has put forward two alternative options for the Government to consider. Some members favour replacing Article 41.2 with an alternative provision containing more appropriate, gender-neutral language, which acknowledges the support that home and family life gives to society, and the importance of the role played by carers, whilst ensuring that the Government and the Oireachtas remain responsible for the allocation of public funds. They recommend replacing the existing Article 41.2 with the following: The State recognises that home and family life gives to society a support without which the common good cannot be achieved. The State shall endeavour to support persons caring for others within the home as may be determined by law. Other members support the view expressed by a number of stakeholders in the course of the hearings that these complex issues require time for public engagement, and a conversation that considers a range of constitutional, legislative and policy options in this area. They therefore call upon the Government, before proceeding with a referendum in 2019, to establish and engage in a public consultation process an obvious possible model being how the Citizens Assembly addressed the issues around the eighth amendment. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission welcomed the publication of Oireachtas Joint Committee on Justice and Equality report. It is clear from its recommendations that there is cross-party support within the Committee for an amendment which recognises the public good provided by care work within and by families in Ireland," Emily Logan, chief commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, added. Schools are to face inspections looking solely at their child protection policies and how they are operated from early next year. The Department of Educations inspectorate has already trialed the inspection system this term at a small number of schools and other education settings. But officials are worried that its wider rollout will add to concerns already felt by school staff over expanded child protection requirements in place for the past year. The introduction of mandatory reporting of child protection concerns prompted pressure to provide the required training to schools in time as principals and teachers said inadequate guidance was provided before new requirements came into effect from last March. The new procedures issued by the department a year ago this week require every school to have a child safeguarding statement, and for teachers and other mandated staff to report child protection concerns over a defined threshold to child and family agency Tusla. From September, inspectors began piloting the new child protection and safeguarding inspection (CSPI) model at nine primary schools, seven second-level schools, a special school, a Youthreach centre and a school attached to a special care unit. Such specialised standalone child protection inspections will be conducted in small numbers of schools and centres each year. They are designed to look in an in-depth way at a schools compliance with the 2017 child protection procedures, officials told Education Minister Joe McHugh as part of a briefing to him when he arrived at the Department of Education seven weeks ago. But they also advised him of measures planned to allay expected concerns about the latest addition to the inspection system of schools. Officials wrote: It is clear that schools and education partners have anxieties concerning the level of child protection requirements placed on schools by the Children First legislation implemented in 2017, and it is likely that the child protection and safeguarding inspections will give rise to similar anxieties." For this reason, and to assist schools in their implementation of the requirements, the inspectorate plans to hold additional briefings for schools and other education settings at a series of national seminars to take place in early 2019, the briefing document read. It was finalised in October and told the minister that formal consultation with education partners would take place this month, as required by the 1998 Education Act. This was with a view to the minister approving and signing off the inspection system so it could be rolled out from early 2019. Lower-level checks on compliance with key aspects of the 2017 child protection procedures for schools are already part of the inspectorates ongoing programme of incidental inspections or visits to schools to evaluate how specific subjects or programmes are being taught. More detailed checks take place in broader whole-school evaluations, and evaluations of Youthreach centres, schools attached to special care units and improvement planning in disadvantaged schools. The child safeguarding statements required in every school must include a list of risks of harm to children and how they are addressed. School boards are also expected to be notified of child protection issues brought to attention and monitor how they are dealt with. Many of the staff at CUH dubbed the Wilton Hilton have been there since it first opened, writes Denise ODonoghue. For some of the longest-serving staff at Cork University Hospital (CUH), theres a lot to look back on over the past four decades. The hospital first opened its doors to the public 40 years ago last month, and some of those first few to walk the corridors are still there today. Gerard Buckley joined the CUHs medical records department a few days before the official opening. It opened on November 30 and I came over three or four days before that, he said. The last Lord Mayor, Tony Fitzgerald, he was a porter. Tony brought in the first patient. Gerards colleagues began to fill the wards, labs and offices in the following months and years. We didnt come until the middle of February 1979, said medical scientist, Anne Sheehan, who moved to the then Cork Regional Hospital from St Finbarrs Hospital. Werent we lucky to come over here to the Wilton Hilton? Anne loved the social side of her work life in the early years and her wedding day is a memory she associated fondly with the hospital. On my wedding day my granny was in here as a patient and mum said I had to go in and see her, she said. The nurses came down and they lined the corridor. They were fantastic. They all clapped, it was like a guard of honour in and out. Over the years I have genuinely made some very good friends through here, said Gerard. For Anne, one of the first things to impress her was the quality of the canteen food. We couldnt get over the food in the canteen. I put on nearly a stone in the first few months. Gerard added: 40 years ago there was chicken curry on a Tuesday and its still the same. Staff who started at the then Cork Regional Hospital 40 years ago, Anne Sheehan and Colette Healy. Picture Dan Linehan. While the menu may not have changed greatly over the years, the staff has seen many developments. Its like a city in itself now, Anne said. Staff officer Margaret Twohig, who has worked in the CUH since 1997, has seen many changes over the years. Since I started 21 years ago, medical records have moved and quadrupled in size, the acute medical ward has opened, the A&E department has moved and reopened. I could go on and on. We take it for granted because were working here for so long. Clinical nurse manager, Joan ONeill, said she is amazed that any ailment can be treated at the CUH, which is the only Level 1 Trauma centre in the country. Its amazing in a way, she said. You can come in and you could be having a baby, having a heart attack, having an aneurysm, you could be having anything theres nothing that cant be dealt with here now. Staff officer, Eileen Healy, said Cork people are lucky to have such a facility easily available to them. I think that were lucky that we have a state-of-the-art hospital here in Cork, she said. We are very fortunate that its on our doorstep. Staff who started at the then Cork Regional Hospital 40 years ago, Margaret Twohig and Eileen Healy. Picture Dan Linehan. Colette Healy, clinical nurse manager, said she didnt fully appreciate the standard of care at the hospital when she was training in 1990. Training here everything was here and you never appreciated it. You just take it for granted, she said. Laboratory manager, Sinead Creagh, has seen a number of labs upgraded. There have been upgrades to the labs. Two of the labs are totally revamped and there are plans to revamp two more, she said. These upgrades also meant staff had to change their approach to work. You hit the ground running every day, Gerard said. Years ago when I was younger I couldnt get up out of bed in the morning, it was a last minute rush [to work]. Nowadays you have to be so alert first thing in the morning because you dont know what comes in overnight. One area they would like to see developed is the parking facilities for staff. The number of staff have multiplied but the parking hasnt multiplied, said Eileen. There was never a problem with parking [40 years ago]. Now its a nightmare before you ever get to work. Joan agrees: You have to come in an hour early just to park. Life at CUH for many has become a family affair. Annes son works as a porter, and new generations often join the staff. Cork University Hospital celebrates its 40th Anniversary today. A Book " Cork University Hospital, Celebrating Forty Years" will be launched later today. #CUH40 pic.twitter.com/tTs8Qyox4x Cork University Hosp (@CUH_Cork) November 30, 2018 Theres a lot of family members working here, Anne said. Many have seen children take over their parents positions. I noticed when I started here first, youre working with the consultants, Eileen said. They have all retired and now their children are the consultants. The State has been accused of being more concerned with managing the potential scandal and legal liability of illegal adoption, birth registration, and other coercive adoption practices than helping victims. The claim has been made by James Gallen, the expert appointed by Childrens Minister Katherine Zappone to advise on a transitional justice model to the issue of Mother and Baby Homes. It highlighted the case of Jackie Power (not her real name), who was told to sign a bogus name on an adoption consent form in the Bessborough Mother and Baby Home in 1974. As a result, all the documentation that followed including her sons birth certificate and adoption order was falsified. In February 2017, instructions were issued via email to a Tusla staff member dealing with Jackies her case to refer to it and others like only as possible illegal registrations. A later email to the staff member indicates that the language choice was because of the concern that stuff is FOI-able... and it could be used against us if someone takes a case... the AAI [Adoption Authority of Ireland] are only ones to determine if registration is illegal or not so we hold our powder, thats the thinking anyway so. Mr Gallen said the case demonstrated that the State was more interested in managing a potential scandal than helping families. The documents obtained by Jackie under FoI requests demonstrate that State authorities remain uninterested in serving the needs of assisting families in receiving information about their members and instead privilege the management of potential scandal and legal liability in cases of potential illegal adoptions, false registrations or other coercive adoption practices, he said. The failure of State authorities to act in a case as well documented and egregious as Jackies misses a critical opportunity to demonstrate that the State has changed, that it is willing and able to redress cases involving its potential prior wrongdoing,"he said. Mr Gallen said the State simply doesnt get it and pointed to the fact that the Department of Children and Youth Affairs has committed to a transitional justice approach to the Mother and Baby homes scandal. Talk of transitional justice is fundamentally undermined when the ongoing relationship between citizens and the State is one where the interests of an individual are countered by the desire to maintain the reputation of institutions, said Mr Gallen. The process of how citizens are treated matters as much as the outcome. This desire is especially evident in the current practices in disabling individuals from obtaining access to their adoption files and treated as a problem to be solved instead of a citizen to be served. Dr Gallen said the lack of reporting about the modern day awareness of illegal adoptions revealed an invidious discrimination in how victims-survivors of historical wrongs are treated. "It took Ireland over 10 years of investigating child abuse in the Ryan Commission to commit to a mandatory reporting of allegations of child abuse. "Yet it has not led to a culture where allegations of wrongdoing elsewhere in the State apparatus leads to a mandatory disclosure to the individuals concerns and relevant authorities, but instead demonstrates attempts to minimise wrongdoing and make it as difficult as possible for individuals such as Jackie to have effective rights to truth, information and family life, he said. In a statement, the department said it cannot comment on individual cases and pointed out that a scoping exercise into illegal registrations is ongoing. *This name has been changed to protect the identity of the woman involved Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and other senior politicians have been warned to stop trying to silence the Dails financial watchdog by suggesting its powers should be limited after a series of high-profile investigations. Dail Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members issued the warning yesterday, saying they are convinced recent calls to limit their powers are a deliberate attempt to prevent in-depth investigations into controversial issues. Speaking at the launch of the groups latest periodical report, PAC chair and Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming, Independent TD Catherine Connolly, and Fianna Fail TD Bobby Aylward criticised the attempts to limit PAC powers. The PAC members referred to comments made by Mr Varadkar in September when the Taoiseach said that he was concerned about the extent of PAC questioning about presidential spending, saying the remarks were part of a wider attempt to silence the PAC. I dont accept for a minute a comment directed by the Taoiseach or indeed the Opposition, in respect of who was being investigated at the PAC, could be a throwaway comment. It was a very deliberate, specifically motivated comment. If we fold to that pressure we would do public confidence in what happens in the Oireachtas serious damage. We have a duty to hold people to account, said Mr Fleming. He was supported by Ms Connolly who said she found the criticism from Mr Varadkar and others particularly worrying as the message was its okay to question some bodies but not others, but our role is to question everyone. The comments were made at the launch of the PACs periodical report, which showcases the committees key work in recent months on a number of high-profile issues. Among the issues highlighted in the report, which focussed on the PACs summer work, were concerns over rising embassy costs, concerns over lengthy delays in State groups providing up-to-date financial accounts, and calls to reform the Fair Deal nursing home scheme. Meanwhile, the PAC will this morning meet with senior Department of Communications officials over the ongoing National Broadband Plan scandal. The meeting is likely to be dominated by questions about the future of the multi-billion euro plan, long-term delays in rolling out the plan, the resignation of former communications minister Denis Naughten, and the Peter Smyth report into what happened. PAC chair Mr Fleming also confirmed last night that he will ask committee members today to agree to hold a special public meeting on the issue of prison whistleblowers on Tuesday week, amid ongoing issues in the service highlighted by the Irish Examiner. The prison whistleblowers meeting will be held with the secretary general of the Department of Justice and the head of the Irish Prison Service, and comes after the PAC met privately with whistleblowers in recent weeks. Local Government Minister Eoghan Murphy has been warned he has no chance of winning support for his plans to bring 3,500 local authority workers under the control of Irish Water. Forsa trade union, which represents many of the staff, said the transfer could not happen in the absence of a referendum to underpin public ownership and control of the utility. Unions are today due to meet Mr Murphy to discuss his proposals. Forsa said it will warn him that the Governments initiative is fraught with risk and could jeopardise the continuity of safe drinking and wastewater supplies. Forsa official Peter Nolan said local authority staff have growing fears that the mass move of council staff to Irish Water control could be a stepping stone to water privatisation unless a referendum takes place first. At our meeting with the minister, we will demand that the Government speeds up proposals to have a constitutional referendum to guarantee that water services will always remain under democratic public control, he said. We are deeply disappointed that the referendum has not been included in proposals, announced this week, for referenda next May. Mr Nolan said water workers had no enthusiasm for proposals to bring them under the control of a commercial body, as envisaged by the Government. To do so without constitutional protection will create a disaffected workforce and public disquiet over the future of water costs and quality, he said. This view was endorsed by the all-party Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government, and has broad support in the communities we serve. Representatives of Forsas Local Government and Municipal Employees divisions met earlier this week to consider an invitation to talks on the Governments proposals. The union says a decision on whether to engage in negotiations will be taken after the minister has responded to union concerns to be raised at todays meeting, which also involves ICTU and Siptu officials. Mr Murphy has invited unions to engage in a WRC-assisted process aimed at creating a framework for the proposed move to a single water utility by 2021. This would be four years before the expiry of existing service level agreements (SLAs) between Irish Water and local councils. According to Forsa, in a letter to unions last month, departmental officials conveyed the ministers offer of talks, which would address the concerns of workers on future deployment of the current local authority water staff through a collective agreement, in the context of a new framework to replace existing SLAs. A status yellow wind warning has been issued for the west of Ireland from 10pm tonight. Met Eireann issued the warning for Connacht, Cavan, Donegal, Clare, Kerry and Limerick and is in place until midday on Friday. Caoimhe Garvey is originally from Tralee in Co Kerry, but currently lives in London where she works as a musical theatre performer. She is currently playing the role of Jasmine at Cork Opera Houses panto Aladdin (which runs until Jan 20). Best recent book youve read: I absolutely love a thriller so the best book Ive read recently would have to be I am Pilgrim. I could not put it down. There are so many different avenues the story takes so I was glued to it. Best recent film: As part of my research for this role Ive been watching Aladdin, the magic of a fairytale story is a great way to escape from reality, and thats what we try to do with panto too. For a few hours you can sit in a theatre and be surrounded by magic. Best recent show/exhibition/gig youve seen: Our first few weeks in Cork, a group of us from the panto cast went to watch Wild Youth play in Cyprus Avenue for the start of their Irish tour. They were incredible live and there was such a buzz. It was so nice to see Irish talent being recognised and celebrated and their music is fantastic. Best piece of music youve been listening to lately (new or old): Ive such a broad taste in music that I dont think I can pick one, it completely depends on my mood. I use music to cheer me up and also to relax, especially after a two show day. First ever piece of music or show that really moved you: I always loved performing but when I went to see Rebecca Storm perform in Blood Brothers in the INEC in Killarney when I was younger, it was the first thing I saw that really inspired me to take it further and pursue it as a career. I admired her and the whole production so much. Tell us about your TV viewing: I watch everything really from documentaries to the classic that is Friends on repeat. Radio listening and/or podcasts: I love podcasts. My favourite recently would have to be Serial. I found it fascinating. Also now its finally December I love Christmas FM to really get you ready for the holidays. Your three favourite acting performances of all time: I would have to say Imelda Staunton in everything she does but particularly when I saw her live in Gypsy in London. I love the film Brooklyn and Saoirse Ronan is amazing in it. And third would probably be Ian McKellen in absolutely everything he does. Saoirse Ronan Your best/most famous celebrity encounter: Living in London you see a few celebs around but recently when I was in a production of Twang!!, Matt Lucas came to watch and met us after. He was so lovely and it being a comedy piece it was so nice to hear that he had loved it. You can portal back to any period of human cultural history or music event where, when, and why? Id love to go back to 1920s boom time for Broadway. Not even to perform but to just see the originals of the performances that we still adore to watch and recreate. Do you have any interesting ancestors or family? Not that I know of but being from Kerry makes me royalty, right? Unsung hero individual, organisation or group you think dont get the profile/praise they deserve? Hospital staff who work on Christmas day. They are the real heroes. You are queen for a day whats your first decree? Life is a musical, everyone must sing instead of speak - just for one day a year, wouldnt that be fun? (and not annoying at all!) - Interview by Des ODriscoll The ambition for CUH to develop to become a great hospital is both real and attainable, writes Tony McNamara. Cork University Hospital (CUH) is a very complex organisation with over 4,200 staff and 100 different departments ranging from neurosurgery to portering services, each making its own unique contribution to patient care. This complexity is a result of very many factors, such as the challenge to coalesce over 150 different professional grades of staff to focus singularly on the delivery of quality care to patients, while simultaneously adhering to regulatory standards set by professional bodies and agencies. In addition, the challenge to maintain the soul of the hospital as a living, caring entity that has, as its primary focus, the care of those perhaps less fortunate than ourselves, in a world of rapid technological change, is a constant. As a major teaching hospital, CUH is an important centre for clinical trials which makes available to patients, new drugs that have not yet become available to the population. In addition, the hospital is challenged to maintain a leading role in the adoption of new technologies that can shorten lengths of stay and improve outcomes for patients within constrained financial resources. Irish society continues to change with an increasing population that is ageing and it is estimated that within a decade there will be around one million people aged over 65 living here. We were delighted to welcome @MHealyRae on Friday for the book launch of "Cork University Hospital, Celebrating Forty Years" Thanks to everyone for attending. #CUH40 pic.twitter.com/GlGzdnAnuL Cork University Hosp (@CUH_Cork) December 3, 2018 The country is also changing, with very many more nationalities represented in our population a welcome if somewhat belated development. This trend is also reflected in CUH, with almost 50 different nationalities represented on staff, contributing to a richness of culture and variety in the life of the hospital. However, multiculturalism poses challenges in the delivery of patient care in settings where conformance to standardised practice reduces risk and makes successful outcomes for patients more likely. The need for adherence to professional qualifications that are approved by accrediting bodies such as the Royal Colleges, the Nursing and Midwifery Board and CORU, is intended in part to provide assurance that practitioners have the technical competence to provide care to patients. Furthermore, a challenge for leadership at all levels in the hospital is to create an environment in which all staff are focused on optimising patient care in line with hospital protocols and practices. It is a constant wonder that regardless of ethnicity, healthcare workers of all professions share a common purpose in seeking to do the very best for patients at all times. This shared goal is made easier in an environment in which there is a culture of respect, shared values and an openness to soliciting the views of everybody in the team who wishes to contribute to the delivery of care. In 2016, CUH became the first hospital in Ireland to publish A Charter for Doctors in Training which sets out the commitment of the hospital to those doctors who come to train in the hospital and the behaviours that are expected of such doctors. These commitments are equally applicable to other professionals who collectively make up the staff in the hospital and are an important reference to the behaviours that are and are not acceptable in the hospital. The public, quite rightly, has an expectation that staff caring for them in hospital have the professional and behavioural competence to deliver care in an empathetic, personal and holistic way but there are other factors that influence patient recovery in the hospital setting. Cork University Hospital aerial view. Picture: Tom Coakley. Research has demonstrated, without question, that the presence of art in hospital settings improves the healing process and assists the recovery of patients. In respect of staff, it is a catalyst for colleagues of all nationalities to discuss, share opinions and celebrate art and of course, is often a distraction in oftentimes stressful situations. This commitment to the creation of an environment that is sensitive to the aspirations of our multiple communities is very important to leadership in CUH and applies equally to the internal appearance of the hospital. The hospital now houses the largest public art collection (320 paintings) of any corporate body in Ireland and uniquely all paintings have been donated voluntarily by patients, friends and those artists who appreciate the contribution the hospital makes to the delivery of healthcare in the Munster region. The hospital has other commitments that extend well beyond the confines of the boundaries that mark the 50 acres which it occupies in a residential area of Cork city. These Corporate Social Responsibilities are taken very seriously and in 2014, the hospital was designated (and still remains) the only hospital in the world to be awarded the Green Flag by the Federation of Environmental Education (based in Denmark) for its work in supporting a sustainable environment. In this endeavour, staff of all professions in the hospital have worked to create and support behaviours that are designed to make its contribution to Book Author Alicia St Leger, Geraldine McCarthy Chair of South/South West Hospital Group ,Michael Healy Rae TD , Tony McNamara Chief Executive Officer CUH and Bill Hollingsworth Book designer pictured at Cork University Hospital launches a book celebrating forty years of service to the community. Picture:Gerard McCarthy. the attainment of the Irish Governments 2020 sustainable environment targets. In doing so, CUH is pioneering the way internationally in the implementation of innovative technologies and practices in partnership with University College Cork which was the first university in the world to be awarded the Green Flag. This co-operation has created an environment in which research in this emerging area of academia is fostered, nurtured and supported. Importantly, CUH is a major economic driver for the greater Cork region with a daily expenditure of 1m. In economic terms, the multiplier effect of this level of annual expenditure of roughly 375m is immense, as evidenced by the residential developments adjacent to the hospital and in the businesses that have developed in the area. Successive governments have funded capital developments in the hospital to a value of 500m over the past 15 years and this development programme will continue with the designation in 2017, of the hospital as one of only two Trauma Centres in Ireland. It is critically important that these new developments continue to be sensitive to the local environment in terms of design and function with sensitivity to traffic impacts and to the community responsibilities that the hospital owes to the local area and to the people of Cork. Cork is a rapidly changing city and the recent comments made by Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar that the Government wishes to see the greater Cork area grow at twice the rate of Dublin is both ambitious and welcome. Health services have a key role to play in very many facets of this goal not only in terms of the continued (and very welcome) improvements in the physical infrastructure of our hospital and healthcare facilities but also in adding value to the offering that those charged with promoting the city as an investment location, can offer to potential investors. In this regard, CUH has a key role to play in supporting Cork City Council and other advocates to make the city an environmentally sustainable location that allows Cork to become differentiated from other developing cities in Ireland. Cork University Hospital celebrates its 40th Anniversary today. A Book " Cork University Hospital, Celebrating Forty Years" will be launched later today. #CUH40 pic.twitter.com/tTs8Qyox4x Cork University Hosp (@CUH_Cork) November 30, 2018 In pursuit of this goal, it is vital that there is a shared vision as to how the various and disparate organisations can contribute to the incremental development of the greater Cork region. In recent decades, the city has been remarkably successful in attracting environmentally friendly investment that is adding significant value to the region, while spin-off companies such as those that have emerged from the outstanding work of the APC Microbiome Institute led by Professor Fergus Shanahan, exemplify the capacity of health-related research to generate employment. One of the key criteria for differentiation in the capacity to attract large-scale investment is the quality of health services that the region can offer. In this regard, CUH has the largest number of medical, surgical and supporting diagnostic services of any hospital in Ireland with 40 different departments equivalent to the range of services that are available in Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge, London, a leading international hospital. The ambition for CUH to continue to develop to become a great hospital is both real and attainable in the minds of those who see the potential to give expression to the potential of the excellent staff who work there. The hospital has many relationships with clinical leaders in hospitals throughout the world and this presents opportunities for the hospital to develop formal, structured relationships with other leading hospitals internationally. In this regard, the construction of a new 40m Radiation Oncology Cancer Centre, due for completion in Q1 2019, was the catalyst for hospital leadership to couple with The Christie Cancer Centre in Manchester in 2017. Leveraging the expertise of The Christie has been critical to CUH implementing a change programme in the delivery of cancer care that has the potential to make CUH the leading cancer centre in Ireland. The relationship offers the opportunity for researchers in cancer care in CUH to partner with colleagues in The Christie in undertaking clinical trials that are leading edge and which will offer patients access to emerging drug treatments that have the potential to improve patient outcomes. In addition, the creation of a research programme for new drugs in CUH in partnership with colleagues in UCC, offers complementarity with the chemical industry in the greater Cork region and adds value to our collective endeavour to improve patient care. Tony McNamara is the chief executive officer of CUH. CUHis a major economic driver for the greater Cork region with a 1m daily expenditure By Oliver Patel, UCL Stopping Brexit is possible, but its complicated. Im not arguing here that no Brexit is going to happen, only that it is legally and practically possible, and recent events render it slightly more likely. The only way Brexit can be stopped is if the Article 50 notification, triggered in March 2017 to begin the UKs departure from the EU, is revoked. Under EU law, once Article 50 is triggered, the departing state automatically leaves the EU after two years, unless Article 50 is extended. Unfortunately, the short text of Article 50 doesnt say whether the departing state can unilaterally revoke its notification to leave, or whether the consent of the remaining EU member states is required. A case, currently under consideration by the European Court of Justice (CJEU), will determine just that. On December 4, the advocate general, Campos Sanchez-Bordona, issued his opinion to the court, arguing that Article 50 is unilaterally revocable. He argued that if the consent of the EU27 was required, this could lead to the departing state being forced to leave the EU against its will, which would be unacceptable. If the CJEU upholds this opinion in its final judgement due on December 10 which is not guaranteed the UK would be able to revoke Article 50 unilaterally, provided it was acting in good faith. Changes needed to UK law A revocation of Article 50 would have to be initiated by the UK. Its anticipated that parliamentary approval, via an act of parliament, would also be required to revoke Article 50, although some constitutional lawyers disagree. Even if parliamentary approval was not legally required, its difficult to imagine the government revoking Article 50 without parliaments backing. The June 2016 referendum imposed no legal obligation on the government to implement the result. However, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 sets the date of Brexit as March 29, 2019 in law. Crucially, it also repeals the European Communities Act 1972, which is the legislation that brought the UK into the EU. This means that a change in UK law is also required to stop Brexit. So, to stop Brexit, Article 50 would need to be revoked, and, after that, the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 must be repealed. Even if parliamentary approval is not required for the former, it is for the latter. A new mandate from the public In the UKs democracy, parliament is sovereign and it would be entitled to try and stop Brexit if it wanted. Still, its implausible to imagine this parliament, or any future parliament, trying to stop Brexit without some form of electoral mandate. May has remained silent on what happens next if her deal is rejected by MPs. PA Wire/PA Images A general election or second referendum could provide one. The Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 means that a general election is unlikely, as it would require two-thirds of MPs to vote in favour of one. Alternatively, a majority of MPs would need to vote in favour of a no-confidence motion against the government. If no new government can then be formed within 14 days, a general election would be triggered. A second referendum is perhaps more likely. It would require primary legislation, and therefore the support of a majority of MPs. A referendum could come about via an amendment to the meaningful vote on the withdrawal agreement on December 11 which makes approval of it, or approval of the subsequent implementing legislation, conditional on a referendum. A referendum could also emerge if MPs reject Theresa Mays deal. To avoid the UK leaving the EU without a deal and if no better deal can be negotiated and win the support of parliament MPs might then seek to force a second referendum to break the impasse. Dominic Grieves amendment, passed on December 4 in a significant defeat for the government, makes such a move easier. By law, the government is required to produce a written statement to MPs outlining its plan, within 21 days of the deal being rejected. MPs then vote on a motion on the basis of that statement. Grieves amendment now enables MPs to table amendments to this motion, thereby giving them much more political control over what happens next if the deal is voted down. If, at this stage, a majority of MPs support a second referendum, they could amend the motion to require one, and it could be politically impossible for the government to ignore their will. A second referendum would require a minimum of 22 weeks to organise and hold. This means that Article 50 would need to be extended because there wouldnt be enough time before the end of March 2019. Its reasonable to assume that the EU would unanimously agree to an extension if it was for the purpose of a second referendum. The date of Brexit in UK law would also need to be amended, but this should not be a problem, if a majority of MPs have voted for a second referendum. High levels of uncertainty The path to stopping Brexit is fraught with legal uncertainty and political controversy. Although its possible and more likely now than a few days ago it remains a highly uncertain prospect. Mays deal could pass, perhaps in a second vote if the first ends in defeat. No deal still remains the default outcome, and so cannot be ruled out. Crucially, the UK will automatically leave the EU on March 29, 2019, with or without a deal, unless Article 50 is extended or revoked. Amid the uncertainty, whats clear is that stopping Brexit requires a majority in parliament to change the law, force a second referendum or general election, and revoke Article 50. It also requires a cooperative and patient EU, to allow for an extension of Article 50 and potentially consent to its revocation. Finally, it requires a willing public, which is probably the biggest obstacle on the tumultuous path to stopping Brexit. This article was written by Oliver Patel, Research Associate, UCL European Institute, UCL and is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here. Two weeks ago, the justice minister ordered what now appears to be a Mickey Mouse probe into a whistleblowers claims about the prison service, writes Michael Clifford Generally, there are two categories of inquiry frequently undertaken by a State agency or government organ. The standard inquiry is designed to find out whether something went wrong, how it happened, and who may be responsible. The other category frequently used we shall refer to as the Mickey Mouse inquiry. This is designed to respond to a controversy. Turning over stones and digging for information is not the primary function of a Mickey Mouse inquiry. Instead, the main focus is to present the inquiry as an exhibit to show that something, anything, is being done. Two weeks ago, the Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan ordered what now has all the appearances of a Mickey Mouse inquiry. On November 22, this newspaper published a story about a whistleblower within the Irish Prison Service (IPS) who is claiming to have knowledge of activities including placing tracker devices on prison officers cars and planting surveillance devices that may have monitored conversations between prisoners and their solicitors. The whistleblower also claims that a private investigations firm was hired to undertake much of this activity, and that results were passed on to An Garda Siochana. The mans name is David McDonald. He is an assistant chief officer in the IPSs Operational Support Group and has worked in the prison service for nearly 30 years. The allegations are extremely serious. On November 23, this newspaper published further claims Mr McDonald is making in a sworn affidavit around how deaths in prisons are mishandled. The allegations have arisen in the course of a dispute between Mr McDonald and two colleagues and the prison service. Mr McDonald and one of the colleagues were summarily told they were being transferred last August. They challenged the order and the High Court quashed the order relating to Mr McDonald. (The second mans challenge is ongoing). All three prison staff have a long record of service in prisons and appear to be of a mind that they are being treated as if they have committed some grievous wrong, which they insist is completely false and damaging to their reputations. So much for the route that these allegations have taken to arrive in the public domain. The motive for the dissemination can be questioned, but that is irrelevant as to whether or not the claims have substance. Enter Mr Flanagan and the Mickey Mouse inquiry. On the day the story was published, the minister announced that he knew of these allegations. I have therefore asked the independent Inspector of Prisons, Patricia Gilheaney, to carry out an urgent preliminary investigation into the allegations to determine as far as possible the facts, he said. So Mr Flanagan knew about the allegations prior to the Irish Examiner story, but only once it was in the public domain did urgency attach to the matter. Mr McDonald says he rang the office of the Inspector of Prisons the morning after Mr Flanagans announcement. He introduced himself as the man with the affidavit and allegations and said he was willing to help in any way possible. Despite the urgency attaching to the inquiry, he has not been contacted since. This should ring alarm bells for anybody familiar with the internal garda investigation into abuse of the penalty points system in 2013. On that occasion, the senior gardai investigating senior gardai never bothered to contact the man who had made the allegations, Sergeant Maurice McCabe. The sergeant could have provided chapter and verse if asked. Instead, a report was published that was subsequently shown to have been less than rigorous. A cynic might conclude that Sgt McCabe was not contacted because he would have had plenty of uncomfortable facts to present to the inquiry. The failure to contact the prison officer at the centre of the current claims is staggering if one were to take seriously the ministers urgency to get to the truth. Another pointer that suggests Mickey Mouse is lurking concerns the legal framework for this inquiry. The minister cited Section 31 of the Prisons Act 2007 as granting the inspector the power to examine all documents retained in prisons. The act does exactly that, but it says nothing about prison service documents retained beyond prison walls. For instance, if there is documentation relating to a private investigations firm it is highly unlikely to be kept in one of the States detention facilities. The IPS HQ is in Longford and it also has a base in Dublin that is not located in a prison. Mr McDonalds solicitor has written to the minister pointing out the deficit of legal power in the inquiry, but apparently to no avail. As things stand, it would seem that the inspector does not have legal power to carry out the kind of inquiry the minister indicated to parliament would be carried out. Then there is the matter of the inspector herself. Ms Gilheaney, who was appointed inspector last April, has a long and distinguished record in the area of mental health. As such, she was a fitting candidate for her current job. Mental health is a hugely important issue in prisons, particularly as a high number of prisoners suffer with their mental health. Prison officers doing a difficult job must also approve of an inspector who would place a high value of mental health in the prison environment. However, the substance of the inquiry at hand might involve uncovering information some would like to stay buried, locating and interpreting various documents, following a money trail that may not be transparent and interviewing people who may not wish to divulge anything incriminating. Is somebody with Ms Gilheaneys background the ideal person to conduct such an inquiry? Certainly, the lack of an urgent, or even any, response to Mr McDonalds offer of assistance would not inspire confidence. The day after Mr Flanagan announced the inquiry, An Garda Siochana issued its own statement. An Garda Siochana is examining matters that it is aware of relating to the Irish Prison Service that are in the public domain, the statement said. One element of the allegations is that material allegedly acquired illegally was passed onto to An Garda Siochana. So we have guards investigating guards once more. Between it all, there are huge questions regarding the approach to inquiring into serious allegations of malpractice. The way things are currently stacked up, theres a case to be made that this is a perfect template for a Mickey Mouse inquiry. If Theresa May has a brief moment of respite from Brexit, she could do worse than hide away in some cosy corner of 10 Downing Street and read (or, perhaps re-read) A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens novel of intertwined lives in Paris and London during the French Revolution. She is likely to find that the tale of blood, revolt, tears, and self-sacrifice resonates with what is happening in those two cities today. She might take comfort from the books opening lines: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... and reflect on the fact that, as in Dickens famous novel, both cities are in turmoil, driven by political events. In Paris, president Emmanuel Macron has had to make a humiliating U-turn on fuel taxes, while in London prime minister May has been forced into a climbdown on revealing in full to the House of Commons legal advice on the implications of the withdrawal agreement she and her negotiators reached with the EU. In both cases, these particular difficulties were largely of their own making. Macrons haughty and disdainful dismissal of the effect of increased taxes and higher cost of living on ordinary people sparked the worst riots that Paris has seen in more than 50 years. In scenes reminiscent of the barricades from a stage production of Les Miserables, demonstrators took to the streets of the city to protest against the president and his domestic policies. In what appears to be his let them eat cake moment (a phrase attributed to Marie Antoinette before she encountered Madame Guillotine), Macron has, up to the last moment, been ignoring the growing discontent while travelling abroad to pontificate about things like an EU army. In London, May showed her propensity to dismiss genuine misgivings within her own parliamentary party by refusing until forced to give a full account of her Attorney Generals advice. Both of these major miscalculations should be a lesson for Leo Varadkar as the growing likelihood is that Mays plan will not make it through the House of Commons and that, therefore, the Brexit deal is doomed. In the current climate, perhaps we should think in terms of A Tale Of Three Cities, as Dublin is in the mix as well and the Taoiseach, in common with May and Macron, is refusing to face reality. The Government has yet to publish its plans for a no-deal Brexit. It is essential that it do so now as there is more at stake than policing a hard border. The UK remains Irelands main trading partner and, as Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told the Dails select committee on budgetary oversight, a no-deal Brexit would be a very significant shock to the Irish economy. It would also be a very significant shock to the future of Theresa May and her government, but the political repercussions will not be confined to London. We are living in a revolutionary era and politicians must be ready for the worst of times as well as the best of times. Almost one-third of all calls to the housing charity Threshold last year were from tenants faced with losing their home. Thresholds warning is stark: Unless we address the underlying reasons for homelessness, we will never be able to address it in any meaningful way. It has found that a growing number of calls for help have come from renters who had been told by their landlords that their tenancies were coming to an end up 18% compared to 2016. Threshold is proposing the introduction of rent registers to allow tenants in rent pressure zones to compare the prices at which rental properties in their area have been let in the past. It also wants to see an NCT-style system in place, to ensure that rental properties are fit to rent. Those are noble aspirations but they will not solve the overall problem. Most people facing eviction are doing so because of the impending sale of the property in which they live. Sale of a property is not considered a valid reason for eviction in many other EU states, such as Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, so why should it continue to be so here? Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy must address two key matters if the homelessness crisis is to be addressed unaffordable rent increases and the fallout from the sale of rented properties, both of which are contributing to the growing crisis of homelessness. Profile Superstars of Modern Burmese Dining Htet Myet Oo, founder of Rangoon Tea House and managing director of RTH Group. / Supplied YANGONOccupying a square of a low-rise but bustling outer-Yangon township, skirted by a busy bus stop and betel nut stall on one side and a teashop on another, is a new open-air diner where you can try not one but three food concepts created by the minds behind the citys most popular upscale teashop, Rangoon Tea House. On a Friday morning some six weeks after its opening, Htet Myet Oo, managing director of the parent company RTH Group, is refining the layout of his newest outlet, Pinlon Hawker Centre. He and his team now handle five modern Burmese food brands in nine locations in Yangon. The Hawker Center serves high-quality Asian, Burmese and ethnic Myanmar dishes in a comfortable, modern setting. The industrial-style interior design and seating spreads outdoors on Pinlon Street in North Dagon, which is described by Htet as an up-and-coming middle-class area. Here are two entirely new and exciting food brandsPinlon Kyay Oh, serving noodle soup, and Nam Su, focusing on the pounded, steamed and mashed delights of northern Shan State. Its a far cry from the many international franchises that are popping up in Yangon and seem determined to make Myanmars commercial capital look and taste like every other Asian city. This is the first restaurant RTH Group has built from scratch. Htets hope is that it will become a platform for him to experiment with new food brands before launching them on a larger scale. Were trying to add more layers to the concept. The idea with this place is that well run different concepts through it and if they work then we can open it elsewhere, Htet said. Today, he is working on a plan to incorporate food stalls along the perimeter of Pinlon Hawker Centre next to the sidewalk. By adding outdoor seating, he hopes to reach out to people and convince them to try the product he has been crafting over four years. The talk of the town when he first opened Rangoon Tea House in 2014, Htet and his fiance Isabella Sway-Tin, who joined the business a few months later, have gone on to establish no fewer than eight more outlets and a catering business. Now, in addition to Rangoon Tea House, there are five Mr. Woks serving Asian fast food, two Buthee curry houses and the new Pinlon Hawker Centre. In 2016, Htet was listed on Forbes 30 Under 30 list and he and Isabella collectively won KBZ Entrepreneur of the Year 2018 as awarded by Myanmore. We opened [Rangoon Tea House] to relatively low expectations; we didnt really know what we were doing or how we were doing it. I suppose it was more fun back then, when you knew nothing and there werent many things to disappoint you, said Htet, sitting at a bench at Pinlon Hawker Centre. Htet and his team were on the receiving end of much criticismas well as praiseafter the opening of his first venture. Many in Yangon couldnt accept that everyday Burmese fare would be sold with such a price tag and they complained about the location and lack of parking among other things. Whether it was the intention all along or they simply lucked out, today the market embraces Rangoon Tea Houses concept and pricing. Through 12 menu evolutions, the price range hasnt changed over the years, while restaurant prices across Yangon have risen, leaving Rangoon Tea House in a comfortable mid-range position with a packed house for lunch and dinner every day of the week. We persevered with the quality of food that we thought the customers should be receiving and after four years our prices stayed the same but the market has changed, Htet said. As well as having thick skin and a level of stubbornness, Htet said what they have achieved comes from being able to come up with fresh ideas and concepts which are adjusted and adapted constantly to suit the changing market and their target customer base. Its the ability to not take things personallypeople will always have things to say about your business and about your vision, but you have to understand that you believe in your vision for a reason and always go back to that. Thats been, I think, the most important for us, he said. Once Rangoon Tea House was off the ground, Mr. Wok followed in 2016. The flaming wok-fried noodles and rice have been a big hit among Yangonites and the fifth branch just opened at Pinlon Hawker Centre. Then last year, Buthee, with a country curry house theme, opened on Bogalayzay Street in downtown Yangon. Recently, Htet and Isabella decided to shut the doors for a few days to make some adjustments. Table service has replaced the point-and-choose order method, the decor has been adjusted and new dishes added to the menu. Why? Htet said the issue comes back to the balancing act that he and his team are constantly working oncreating a space where everyone feels comfortable and welcome to enjoy the best Myanmar dishes prepared to a high standard. They want to quell impressions that Buthee is expensive or too high class or for a lunch-time curry. This balancing act is an issue across all the RTH Group outlets. To tell you the truth, were still trying to find that balance. Now 28 years old, Htet was born in Myanmar and moved to the UK with his family when he was 4 years old. He grew up there and returned to Yangon soon after finishing his economics degree in London. He knew he wanted to start his own business and he had a passion for foodit seemed inevitable that it would be a restaurant. Today, food ideas, restaurant themes and designing menus are the easy part of the job for Htet. He says the food served is only as good as the people creating it, and handling a team of around 200 staff and 12 managers is no easy task. But he and Isabella have a huge combined determination and an infallible hunger to create more food brands. They have broadened their reach across Yangon and have ambitions abroad tooone of their long-term visions is to take Burmese fare overseas through pop-ups across the continent and beyond. Excitingly, if all goes to plan, 2019 might even see a second Rangoon Tea House opening somewhere in uptown Yangon. What keeps us on our toes is that we know there is so much further to go. I think the day you feel like youre on the summit is the day you should probably pack it in, Htet said. At the end of the day, ahead of everything else comes the flavor of the food Htet and his team serve to diners every day. The best designers are always about function before aesthetics. We try to put the taste first and the aesthetics second. I dont care whether its served on a golden platter, it should taste nice first. Asia We Can't Go Anywhere: Myanmar Closes Rohingya Camps but Entrenches Segregation A girl sells food at the internally displaced persons camp for Rohingya outside Sittwe in the state of Rakhine, Myanmar on November 15, 2016. / Reuters YANGONAs the world was focused on abortive efforts to begin repatriating hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh to Myanmar last month, hundreds of their fellow Muslims still in Myanmar were boarding boats seeking to escape the country. Their attempted flight cast the spotlight back on 128,000 Rohingya and other displaced Muslims still living in crowded camps in Myanmars western state of Rakhine, six years after Buddhist mobs razed most of their homes. The government of Aung San Suu Kyi, under international pressure to address their plight, says it is now closing the camps on the grounds that doing so will help development and put the labor of camp residents to good use. But Reuters interviews with more than a dozen residents from five camps and internal United Nations documents show the move simply means building new, more permanent homes next to the campsrather than allowing them to return to the areas from which they fledleaving their situation little changed. Those that have moved into the new accommodation remain under the same severe movement restrictions as before, residents and staff working in the camps say. A network of official checkpoints and threats of violence by local Buddhists prevent Muslims from moving freely in Rakhine. As a result, those sources say, they are cut off from sources of livelihoods and most services, and reliant on humanitarian handouts. Yes, we moved to new housesits correct to say [the camp is closed], said Kyaw Aye, a community leader from a camp called Nidin, in central Rakhine. But well never be able to stand on our own feet because we cant go anywhere. Reuters spoke to displaced Muslims in Rakhine by phone as reporters are denied independent access to the camps. Myanmars Minister of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement U Win Myat Aye said the government was working with the United Nations on a national strategy to close camps housing people forced out of their homes by violence in Rakhine and elsewhere, known as internally displaced persons or IDPs. There were no legal restrictions on the movements of displaced people in Rakhine, as long as they accepted a so-called national verification card that also gives them equal access to healthcare and education, he said in a written response to Reuters questions. Aid workers and Muslim residents say severe restrictions persist even on those who have accepted the identity card, which most Rohingya reject because they say it treats them as foreigners who have to prove their nationality. The UN chief in Myanmar, Knut Ostby, warned in a Sept. 24 private note that the governments plan for camp closures risks further entrenching segregation while denying IDPs many of their fundamental human rights. Ostbys office declined to comment on the note, but in a written response to Reuters questions said the UN had been invited to comment on the governments plans for closing camps and was preparing its response. That response would include recommendations that all displaced people be granted freedom of movement, were involved in planning their resettlement and could return to their homes or another place of their choosing, Ostby said. Maritime escape Rohingya community leaders say that improving conditions for those still living in Rakhine is one of the keys to persuading the hundreds of thousands sheltering in refugee camps in Bangladesh to return. Some 730,000 fled a military crackdown after attacks by Rohingya militants in August 2017. UN-mandated investigators have said the Myanmar military unleashed a campaign of killings, rape and arson with genocidal intent. Myanmar has denied almost all the accusations against its troops, who it says engaged in legitimate operations against terrorists. Refugees baulked at a plan for repatriating them that was supposed to begin in mid-November, arguing that conditions were not right for return. Meanwhile, at least three boats, each carrying scores of men, women and children, have departed from Rakhine for Malaysia since monsoon rains abated in October, following the hazardous maritime escape route used for years by Rohingya fleeing what they say is persecution in Myanmar. If they are making the choice to go by boat, its clear proof of the conditions in the IDP camps, said Khin Maung, a Rohingya youth activist in Bangladesh. He is in touch with fellow Muslims who are living like prisoners in the camps in central Rakhine, Khin Maung said. If they are living like that how can we agree to go back? Minister Win Myat Aye, said Myanmar was working to improve the lives of both the IDPs and potential returnees. I assume that the displaced people are leaving with boats because they [have] not fully understood what we arranged for their accommodations, livelihoods and socio-economic development, he said. Investing in segregation One camp, among the 18 remaining in Rakhine, lies outside a central Rakhine town of Myebon, which was torn by communal violence in 2012. The 3,000-strong Muslim community was expelled and put in the camp, known as Taungpaw, on a narrow strip between the now Buddhist-only town and the Bay of Bengal, in what was supposed to be a temporary arrangement. This year authorities built 200 new houses on rice paddies next to the camp, despite concerns that the area was prone to flooding. They were inundated in early June. In September, the government also built two new buildings set to become Muslim-only schoolhouses. This is a sign the Rakhine state government is investing in permanent segregation rather than promoting integration, said a previously unpublished memo dated Sept. 30 and circulated by UN officials setting out the concerns of aid workers operating in the camps. The UN said it did not comment on leaked documents. Some Muslims in Myebon have Myanmar citizenship and others have accepted national verification cards. They say they still cannot visit the town, where communal tensions have stayed high since the 2012 violence. Rakhine Buddhists have at times blocked aid deliveries to the camp. Although they gave people new homes, if theres still no freedom to move, theres still no opportunity to do business, said camp resident Cho Cho, 49. Aung Thar Kyaw, a leader among the Rakhine Buddhist community in Myebon, said the two communities were too different to live together, labelling Muslims so aggressive. The government already built them new homes so they dont need to enter town, he said. Lei Lei Aye, an official in the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, referred questions about the specific concerns in Taungpaw to Rakhine state government officials, who could not be reached for comment. Policy of apartheid Despite the humanitarian communitys efforts to convince Myanmar to change course, including by giving technical advice on camp closures, the only scenario that is unfolding before our eyes is the implementation of a policy of apartheid with the permanent segregation of all Muslims, the vast majority of whom are stateless Rohingya, in central Rakhine, said an internal discussion note prepared by the UNs refugee agency in late September, first reported by Frontier Myanmar magazine and reviewed by Reuters. Win Myat Aye said he was not concerned about such warnings because the government was progressing with its camp closure strategy in consultation with UN agencies, non-governmental groups and foreign diplomats. The UN estimates humanitarian assistance in Rakhine will cost about $145 million next year. Former residents of Nidin, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Taungpaw, told Reuters their situation had barely improved since state media declared the camp closed in August. They are unable to return to Kyauktaw, the town where many lived and worked before the 2012 violence. Tun Wai, a Rakhine Buddhist doctor in Kyauktaw, said Muslims could go freely outside the town. But if they try to return, he said, they will be killed. Soe Lwin, deputy chief of Kyauktaw Police Station, said Muslims cant enter the town, but denied they would meet with violence. We have the rule of law, he said. The Muslims now live marooned among rice paddies that do not belong to them. Rohingya fishermen say what they catch barely covers their rental costs as they do not own their equipment. And with no clean water supply, children have contracted skin rashes from washing in agricultural run-off. We cant even support our children because we dont have income, said former camp resident Khin Hla, 43. Without aid, we would starve. Asia China Telecoms Giant Huawei CFO Arrested in Canada A man walking past a Huawei P20 smartphone advertisement is reflected in a glass door in front of a Huawei logo at a shopping mall in Shanghai, China, on Thursday. / Reuters VANCOUVER/WASHINGTON Canada has arrested Chinese telecoms giant Huaweis global chief financial officer in Vancouver, where she is facing extradition to the United States, Canadas Department of Justice said on Wednesday. The arrest is related to violations of U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the violations. Sources told Reuters in April that U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei, one of the worlds largest makers of telecommunications network equipment, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws. Meng Wanzhou, who is one of the vice chairs on the companys board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 and a court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Huawei confirmed the arrest in a statement and said that it has been provided little information of the charges, adding that it was not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. Chinas embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for Mengs immediate release. The arrest could drive a wedge between China and the United States just days after President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping held a meeting in Argentina where they agreed to steps to resolve a trade war. The sources said in April the U.S. Justice Department probe is being run out of the U.S. attorneys office in Brooklyn. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Brooklyn also declined to comment. The probe of Huawei is similar to one that threatened the survival of Chinas ZTE Corp , which pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran. Earlier this year, the United States banned American firms from selling parts and software to ZTE, which then paid $1 billion this summer as part of a deal to get the ban lifted. In January 2013, Reuters reported that Hong Kong-based Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Irans largest mobile-phone operator, had much closer ties to Huawei than previously known. Meng, who also has gone by the English names Cathy and Sabrina, served on the board of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009, according to Skycom records filed with Hong Kongs Companies Registry. Several other past and present Skycom directors appear to have connections to Huawei. The news about the arrest comes the same day Britains BT Group said it was removing Huaweis equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. The handset and telecommunications equipment maker said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and U.S. and other regulations. The Huawei statement said Meng was detained when she was transferring flights in Canada. Her arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse praised the action and said that it was for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran. He added: Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes its laundered through many of Beijings so-called private sector entities. U.S. stock futures and Asian shares tumbled as news of the arrest heightened the sense a major collision was brewing between the worlds two largest economic powers, not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. While investors initially greeted the trade ceasefire that was agreed in Argentina with relief, the mood has quickly soured on skepticism that the two sides can reach a substantive deal. S&P500 e-mini futures were down almost 2 percent at one point in thin Asian morning trade on Thursday. News Bangladesh Seeks Action Against Myanmar Minister over Rohingya 'Brainwashed' Remark Minister of Religious Affairs and Culture U Aung Ko speaks to reporters in Naypyitaw on Tuesday. / Htet Naing Zaw / The Irrawaddy DHAKA Bangladesh summoned the Myanmar ambassador on Wednesday to condemn irresponsible remarks made by Myanmars religion minister about Rohingya Muslims, and called for action against him, senior officials at the Bangladesh foreign ministry said. Rohingya Muslims living as refugees in Bangladesh after escaping Myanmar are being brainwashed into marching on the Buddhist-majority nation, Myanmars religion minister, U Aung Ko, said in a video released by the news website NewsWatch. We strongly protest their ministers provocative remarks. It also hurt Muslim sentiments, a senior official in the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry told Reuters on Thursday. Condemning the comments about marching on Myanmar, he said: We have zero tolerance towards militancy. We have never encouraged radicalism. If you give them citizenship and their property back, they will run for Myanmar. Instead of doing that, you are making provocative statements? This is unfortunate, the official said. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmars Rakhine State in the wake of a brutal army crackdown last August, UN agencies say, and are now living in crowded Bangladeshi refugee camps. UN investigators have accused Myanmar soldiers of carrying out mass killings, rapes and burning hundreds of villages with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies most of the allegations. When Bangladesh summoned Myanmar Ambassador U Lwin Oo, he tried to dilute the comments by saying they were the religion ministers personal opinion, said an official at the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry who was present at the meeting. But we asked for action against the minister. The religion ministers comments come as both countries have been engaged in negotiations for more than a year to repatriate the Rohingya to Myanmar, often blaming each other for delays in the process. The latest plan was scuppered last month after no refugees agreed to return, saying they wouldnt go back unless Myanmar met a series of demands, chiefly granting them citizenship rights. Burma Anti-Graft Commission Chairman Vows to 'Fight Corruption Completely' Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman U Aung Kyi speaks at a forum on corruption and accountability in Yangon on Thursday. / Yangon Region Government / Facebook YANGON Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman U Aung Kyi vowed to fight Myanmars deep-rooted corruption completely during the current administrations remaining two years. In his remarks at a forum entitled Enhance Accountability to Prevent Corruption in Yangon on Thursday, U Aung Kyi said corruption had taken root in the country over a very long time, become systemic, and left the public with little hope that the situation would improve. To chance that, he said, the commission had recently fried some big fish and taken action against other less-senior officials. With a vow to fight corruption completely, we will keep making it happen in accordance with our anti-corruption strategy, the chairman said, referring to a plan the commission drew up earlier this year. Ten of the commissions 12 members were replaced in November 2017. U Aung Kyi, a retired major general and former minister of information, was appointed chairman at the time. The commission has been praised for stepping up its efforts over the past year. It has investigated and filed charges against the director-general of the Food and Drug Administration, who is accused of demanding favors from a company to win a contract. It also filed charges against 12 officers including three directors of the Customs Department for alleged taking bribes to clear the import of delivery vans, and against a deputy director and clerk of the Rural Road Development Department who allegedly demanded more than 10 million kyats ($6,200) in bribes. In its most high-profile case, the commission has filed charges against the former attorney general of Yangon Region and five other officials for allegedly taking bribes to drop a murder case involving three men suspected of fatally beating popular comedian Ko Aung Yell Htwe. Addressing the audience on Wednesday, U Aung Kyi called for more accountability from every governmental body, public and private institutions and citizen in combating corruption. No one can abstain from [the fight against] corruption. Turning a blind eye to corruption is the same as standing on the side of the convicts, he said. As institutions of authority, governmental departments and public institutions need to watch for corruption carefully and be accountable. Only when the leaders who want to get rid of corruption can ensure that the corrupt do not escape unpunished can we prevent corruption, he added. Forum attendees included Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein, Yangon Region ministers and lawmakers, and representatives from the judicial sector, civil society and business community. Economist U Aung Tun Thet said rooting out corruption demanded political will and urged the Yangon Region chief minister and Parliament speaker to announce a Corruption-Free Yangon. If we really want to stop corruption, we must have zero tolerance for it. There is no reason to forgive and understand it as a culture, he said. Myanmar ranks 130 out of 180 countries on Transparency Internationals current Corruption Perceptions Index. Burma Arakan Party Urges Govt to Investigate Suspect Citizenship Cards in Rakhine State Ethnic Kaman university students in traditional costumes pose for a picture after a welcome event for Rakhine freshers at Dagon University in 2017. / A Tzar Moe / Facebook YANGON The Arakan National Party has urged the Union government to investigate claims that more than 3,000 National Registration Cards (NRCs) identifying the holders as ethnic Kaman were actually issued to Muslim Rohingya in southern Rakhine State over the past year. Buddhist Arakan and Muslim Kaman communities in Rakhine have been raising concerns about the cards since September. The following month, the state legislature passed a motion encouraging the Union government to review 3,306 newly issued NRCs, which confer citizenship, in Ramree Townships Kyauk Ni Maw village tract. In a statement on Monday, the party said the Union government was ignoring the will of the people. It urged the government to set up an independent commission to investigate the issue, punish officials who issued cards erroneously, and ensure that the cards are properly issued from now on. In September, Daw Htoot May, a Union lawmaker representing Ramree, submitted an urgent proposal asking the Upper House to approve a review of the disputed cards. But the speaker blocked the submission and advised her to change her proposal to a question for the House instead. Daw Htoot May said she made the change but was still waiting for a decision from the speaker on whether it will be passed on to the House. The House speaker did not explain the reason for the postponement and delay. It has been more than 20 days so far, she said. Government officials met with locals in Ramree to discuss the issue last week. Ko Htin Lin Khine, a local resident who attended the meeting, said the officials included U Shein Win, deputy director-general of the Department of National Registration and Citizenship at the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population. He said the deputy told them that four Muslims from Kyauk Ni Maw, led by a man named Ba Than Htay, had asked for the NRCs from senior officials in Naypyitaw, and that those senior officials then instructed his ministry to work with officials from Ramree Township to evaluate the applications. Ko Htin Lin Khine said the deputy told them that legal procedures were followed but did not specify the laws or articles. He said he asked the visiting officials if the government had issued the cards in accordance with Article 65 of the Citizenship Law which states that anyone may apply for citizenship to the Central Body, a committee comprising the ministers of defense, foreign affairs and home affairs and a June 2016 announcement from the Presidents Office stating that staff from relevant departments must together decide if the applicants are to be granted association or naturalized citizenship. Ko Htin Lin Khine said he also brought up Articles 5, 6 and 7 of the Citizenship Law, which explains who is eligible for citizenship claims based on the legal status of their parents. But he said the officials did not answer any of his questions directly. Legal experts say that members of the 135 ethnic groups recognized by the government as native to Myanmar the Kaman are, the Rohingya are not need not apply to the Central Body for NRCs, raising questions among some about why those who recommended the applicants of the 3,306 cards had made multiple trips to Naypyitaw in 2017. Ko Htin Lin Khine said he and others also had suspicions that some of the locals who recommended the applicants for the Kaman NRCs were not themselves Kaman, as is required by law. He said U Shein Win told them that only 21 of the 3,306 card holders were found to not be ethnic Kaman and that the locals were dissatisfied with the claim. An official household registration document issued by the General Administration Department in 2013, seen by The Irrawaddy, says only 500 of Kyauk Ni Maws 4,300 residents at the time were Kaman. Most of the townships Kaman have moved to Yangon in recent years. To determine whether the people recommending the applicants for Kaman NRCs were themselves Kaman, Daw Htoot May said she also tried asking the Ramree Immigration Department for their NRC numbers but was refused. He told me the documents were taken away by immigration officers from Naypyitaw but did not provide their [the officials] names, she said. Daw Htoot May said 10 of the people who recommended the applicants were of particular interest because their names and photos have been shared on social media along with NRC application forms and recommendation letters. Even lawmakers are restricted from seeing the official documents of relevant departments. So I think we have to ask Parliament what type of documents are accessible or classified, she said. The Muslim Kaman are one of the 135 officially recognized ethnic groups in Myanmar and among the seven ethnic subgroups of Rakhine State. They served as royal archers in the Arakan Kingdom, a practice that vanished when the kingdom fell to the Burmese Konbaung Dynasty in 1784. Today there are about 45,000 Kaman across the country. Burma Tatmadaw, Arakan Army Clash in Buthidaung Township Arakan Army troops take part in military training in Laiza, Kachin State in 2016. / Nan Lwin Hnin Pwint YANGONThe Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army (AA) have engaged in a series of clashes over the past six days or so along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, according to the ethnic armed group. The two sides engaged in a fierce clash from 6.30 a.m. till 2 p.m. [Wednesday], and the fighting continued sporadically [till evening], AA information officer U Khaing Thu Kha told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. The clashes occurred in Rakhine States Buthidaung Township, he said. U Khaing Thu Kha said the Myanmar Army (or Tatmadaw) launched an offensive in areas controlled by the AA on Nov. 29, and the clashes intensified on Tuesday and Wednesday. The AA maintains control of its border strongholds in Buthidaung Township, he said. We have collected bodies [of killed Tatmadaw soldiers] and seized arms and ammunition from the Myanmar Army. It is a large amount of weapons and ammunition, but I havent got a detailed list, U Khaing Thu Kha said. The Irrawaddy could not reach a Tatmadaw spokesman for comment. There was no report from the Myanmar military commander-in-chiefs office of clashes in Buthidaung Township. Residents and civil society organizations based in Buthidaung said they had heard reports of clashes between the Tatmadaw and AA, but had not witnessed them from the town. All declined to discuss any possible clashes further with news agencies. Rakhine State lawmaker U Tun Aung Thein of Buthidaung Township said he did not have details of the situation on the ground, as the clashes were reportedly taking place in inaccessible areas without telecommunications services. There are Mro and Khami villages along the border in Buthidaung Township, but they are located in the forest and he was not in contact with them, U Tun Aung Thein said. During clashes on the border in May, the AA took three Tatmadaw soldiers prisoner. The captured troops were from the Buthidaung-based Light Infantry Battalion 263. After initially saying it would release the three, the AA later said they would remain in its area of control. It claimed the Tatmadaw soldiers were afraid to return to their unit. The Tatmadaw has not released any statements about the three soldiers. The Myanmar military has said it would allow the AA, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Taang National Liberation Army to join formal peace talks only after they disarm. But the three have refused to do so. The AA was formed by around 20 Arakanese youths in April 2009. It is based in Kachin States Laiza, which is also home to the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army. In 2014, the AA said it planned to establish a base in its homeland of Rakhine State. It then infiltrated Rakhine State and Chin States Paletwa Township along the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, and has clashed with the Myanmar Army periodically since 2015. Burma Ten Companies Shortlisted for Yangon Elevated Expressway Contract Yangons gridlocked streets photographed in October 2016. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy YANGONThe Ministry of Construction has announced a shortlist of pre-qualified companies as contenders for the contract to build an elevated expressway in Yangon, which is aimed at alleviating the citys traffic woes. A total of 12 local and international companies submitted prequalification applications for Phase 1 of the project. Out of these, 10 companies were named prequalified bidders. The shortlisted companies include a Chinese-Myanmar consortium, a Thai-Japanese-Myanmar consortium, a Thai-Chinese consortium, four companies from China and one each from France, Korea, and Japan. The planned four-lane ring road will connect downtown Yangon, Yangon Port, Yangon International Airport, Mingaladon Industrial Zone and the Yangon-Mandalay Highway. Phase 1 would involve connecting Dawbon Bridge in Pazundaung Township, Mingaladon Industrial Zone and Yangon International Airport, U Kyi Zaw Myint, a deputy director-general at the Ministry of Construction, told The Irrawaddy last month. The project will be implemented through a public-private partnership. The shortlisted companies will be invited to submit proper project proposals and the winning bid is expected to be announced by June 2019. The ministry said on Wednesday that the expressway is a high-priority project for the government and it aims to improve connectivity for businesses and communities in the countrys commercial hub. President U Win Myint has formed a steering committee to oversee the development of the expressway, including the citys chief minister and deputy construction minister and the Union ministers for construction, transport and communication, planning and finance, and electricity and energy. The International Finance Corporation, the private lending arm of the World Bank Group, has been appointed the projects exclusive lead adviser. News Indian President to Sign Aid Deals With Myanmar on Visit Indian President Ram Nath Kovind waves after being sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan presidential palace in New Delhi, India, on July 25, 2017. / Reuters YANGON Indias president will arrive in Naypyitaw on Monday to promote his countrys Indo-Pacific strategy and sign several agreements with Myanmar, including support for its plans to repatriate Rohingya refugees sheltering in Bangladesh, according to Indias External Affairs Ministry. In a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said Ram Nath Kovind will meet with both President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during the five-day visit. Political, economic and defense ties between New Delhi and Naypyitaw have grown rapidly in recent years. Indias Act East and Neighborhood First policies both encompass Myanmar, the only ASEAN member state with both land and maritime borders with India. Strategically situated between Southeast Asia and East Asia, Myanmar is important to Indias Act East policy. New Delhi adopted an earlier iteration of the policy in 1991 to enhance economic and strategic relations with Southeast Asia in an effort to strengthen its role as a regional power and offer a counterweight to Chinas influence in the area. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi later rebranded the policy to focus on strengthening political, economic and security ties with the countries surrounding China by developing its trade relations with them. Indias External Affairs Ministry said a joint statement will be adopted during next weeks visit and several agreements signed based on the discussions Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had with Modi during his trip to Myanmar last year. Myanmars Foreign Affairs Ministry said Myanmar has agreed to accept Indias offer to provide legal training and to build prefabricated homes for the refugees who have fled Rakhine State for neighboring Bangladesh since August 2017 and that the deals would be singed next week. More than 700,000 Rohingya fled a military crackdown in northern Rakhine State triggered by coordinated attacks on security posts in the area by the militant Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. Bangladesh and Myanmar were to start repatriating them last month but called it off after it emerged that they had failed to follow through on assurances that the refugees would only be brought home voluntarily. The first group of refugees selected for repatriation refused to go and said they would not return to Myanmar until they were granted certain rights, including citizenship and freedom of movement. Last month, India extended its 2012 Border Region Development agreement with Myanmar, which commits it to spending $5 million each year on development projects along their shared 1,600 km border, which includes Rakhine. In October, Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding with India to appoint a private operator for the Sittwe Port in Rakhine. The move is part of the Kaladan Multi-Model Transit Transport Project under the Act East policy, for which it signed a framework agreement with Myanmar in 2008. The projects aims to open sea and land routes linking eastern Indias seaport in Kolkata with its landlocked state of Mizoram through Myanmars Rakhine and Chin states. In January, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited India for an India-ASEAN commemorative summit. During the event, she met with Modi and discussed the development of Rakhine State and Indias further development assistance to Myanmar. Myanmar signed agreements in November with 10 countries, including India, promising to protect their investments in the country and to push for more. Commentary Information Minister Embraces the Propaganda Machine He Inherited Daw Aung San Suu Kyi gestures during a news conference at the Lower House of Parliament in Naypyitaw in August 2015. / Reuters YANGONRelations between the National League for Democracy-led government and local media have turned sour lately. The situation must be addressed by the government. Last month, President U Win Myint and State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi revealed their controversial perceptions of the media, which some media professionals interpreted as a skepticism that could have a chilling effect on the Fourth Estate. On Wednesday, at the opening ceremony of the Conference on Media Development in Myanmar in Naypyitaw, Information Minister U Pe Myint reiterated that there is a continued need for the existence of state-run media, saying it can inform people about what the government and Parliament are doing for them. This was his public reply to calls from the countrys struggling private media sector that state-owned media be shut down because they are propped up with public funds (they incurred an estimated 1.2 billion-kyat (US$770,000) loss in fiscal 2018-19) while eating up the lions share of the market and production facilities. Its disappointing to hear such comments from the countrys information minister, especially one who serves a government that is tasked with leading a democratic transition. Frankly, his lame argument for the continued need for a government mouthpiece is simply an embrace of one of the former military governments main legacies: an official propaganda mechanism. Ironically, U Pe Myint made his comments at an event supported by organizations including UNESCO, USAID and UKAID to promote a free and strong press in the country. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the conference in Nyapyitaw on Wednesday, he said: The government and Parliament have a responsibility to report back to the voters on what they are doing. The government media is fulfilling that duty. Even for future governments, I want to say, the information channel between the government and the people would be the same as now, or in some form that suits the changing times, U Pe Myint said. His statement prompted questions such as whether the government-run media will accurately report back to the people on official irregularities. History suggests not. Since the early 1960s, Myanmars state-owned media have, like their counterparts elsewhere, developed a reputation for publishing nothing more than government press releases and a whos who of participants at state meetings. Under the NLD-led government, not much has changed. Here is a recent example: When the countrys anti-graft body, the Anti-Corruption Commission, investigated a corruption complaint against former finance minister U Kyaw Win in early May this year, state-run media were silent. It was the countrys private print media that exposed the investigation. After serious media attention was devoted to the case, the commission leader confirmed to reporters that the investigation was nearly done. Despite all the public confirmation by the leader of the governments anti-graft body, state media didnt utter a word about the case. Given the case mentioned above, theres no reason to believe the ministers comment on Wednesday that the state-run media under his control are fulfilling their duty by reporting back to the people on what the government is doing. Doesnt U Pe Myint think the voters have a right to know whats going wrong in the government and how it is trying to fix it? The information minister must wake up and realize that he is just replicating the former military regime propaganda machine, whose role was to cover up anything embarrassing to the government and paint a rosy picture. U Pe Myint, the former chief editor of the respected political journal Pyithu Khit (Peoples Age), used to say that previous governments used state-run media as a propaganda weapon. Sadly, by defending the existence of state-run media, the NLD governments information minister has become a bird of the same feather as his predecessors in the previous government and military regime. At Wednesdays conference, he also questioned the reliability of international reports on freedom of expression in Myanmar, claiming they are biased. Two local Reuters reporters are currently serving long prison sentences for breaching the law on state secrets, despite the testimony of a police witness who said that the pair was arrested as punishment for their investigation of a mass killing of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine. Another three journalists from Eleven Media were recently involved in a legal dispute with the Yangon government for writing about lawmakers discussions of the governments budget in Parliament. With journalists in jail and in court, anyone with common sense can judge whether press freedom in the country is waning or waxing. What was missing from his speech was recognition of the notion of press freedom and the fact that a healthy media has to be independent. If there is no independence, the media will be nothing more than a state-owned propaganda machine. Myanmar needs independent news outlets more than ever as it undergoes a democratic transition while facing mounting problems ranging from weak rule of law and rampant bureaucratic corruption to the faltering peace process with ethnic armed groups and the presence of military-run ministries within the government. Instead, he questioned whether local journalists have editorial independence from their financiers, and lectured them on the need to provide readers correct information while protecting and loving the country. To determine whether journalists have editorial independence, the minister could check news reports by local media outlets. He shouldnt be thin-skinned if he sees criticism of the NLD in the reports, and it is simply unfair for him to question their editorial independence because they criticize the NLD government. The government should reach out to the press more by promoting the role of independent media with more access to information. By doing so, the government would be able to deter fake news. It cant be denied that a well-sourced report by an independent media outlet has more credibility among readers than a government statement on the same issue. A democratic government that encourages a free press will never suffer. If a countrys freedom press index rises, its government will be praised internationally as a guardian of democracy. It is independent media that empower people to make their choice of government. At the same time, independent media can carry the voice of the voters to the government in a way that state-run media cannot. Women #WeToo Have a Duty to Support Victims of Sexual Misconduct Protesters hold placards during a rally against harassment at Shinjuku shopping and amusement district in Tokyo, Japan in April 2018. / Reuters CHIANG MAI, ThailandThis year, #HearMeToo is the hashtag inspiring women all over the world to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault, adding to the large outcry online and on social media, inspired by the original global #MeToo movement, which is also gaining momentum across countries in Asia. The campaign is gaining traction in Myanmar too, thirteen months since its inception in October 2017. During this years 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a campaign which commenced around the world on Nov. 25, women and men are raising their views on gender inequality and voicing calls for an end to sexual harassment against women, whether they themselves are victims or not. Rape, sexual harassment and verbal harassment against women and girls in the workplace are not uncommon in Myanmar. However, accounts of sexual harassment are rarely reported due to deep-rooted social stigmatizations as well as hesitations women have in trusting the law. According to the governments Labor Force Survey conducted in 2015, 43 percent of the countrys workforce of 21.8 million are women, but companieseven those in the media industryoften lack specific policies on the prevention of sexual harassment against their female employees. The lack of strong legislation to help those women and a lack of legal actions are reasons for womens hesitation on speaking up because the blame is quickly refuted by the abuser, said Daw May Sabe Phyu, director of Gender Equality Network (GEN) a network of organizations working for gender equality and womens rights in Myanmar. In Myanmar, although sex and sexuality are still taboo topics, more and more rape casesespecially those against minorsare being reported in the mainstream media and the community is showing its supports in protecting both male and female minors. But in the case of sexual harassment against women, there are often questions about whether it was consensual. The culture of demanding proofwhether from a victim of rape or other forms of sexual harassmentstill persists and creates an extra burden on the victim. Despite the growing call for an end to sexual harassment, in Myanmar, the lack of legal protection alongside social discrimination are principle factors that continue to make it difficult for victims to speak out. Observers perceive that a positive side of this #MeToo movement is that it gives a voice to women in Myanmar who have been sexually harassed and that it can help raise awareness and prevent cases of harassment in the future. We are now at the stage of breaking the silence as [until now] few survivors shared their experiences, said Daw May Sabe Phyu, adding that in the past it was unimaginable to hear as such stories in public. It will also give the warning to men who committed or are going to commit such acts towards women in their work environment that your act will be exposed one day, added Daw Mon Mon Myat, writer and editor of womens magazine, Women Can Do It. Some #MeToo cases were widely shared on social media here in July and August this year when a number of women wrote about their experiences of being sexually harassed between 2011 and 2013 by a human rights trainer from a non-governmental organization where they had been working. The case was settled in late November when the abuser was blacklisted by the international donor community. GEN intervened in the cases after receiving complaints. Daw May Sabe Phyu said the cases were settled in terms of social justice, as GEN could not provide a legally binding result. Prevention of sexual harassment needs the support and widespread awareness of the community, especially from the literature institutions, said Ma Zar Chi Oo who last year raised her voice for victims of sexual misconduct by a poet and member of the board of directors of the writers association PEN Myanmar, where she used to work. The cases, which occurred in 2015 and she brought to light last year, were settled with the poet being given a severe warning with no follow-up of legal proceedings. As is usually the case, nothing more came of itthe survivors have to live through the trauma while the perpetrators are warned and move on with their lives. #WeToo: A tool for Myanmar too Myanmar women are not alone in this fight. In neighboring India, China and Thailand, and even our far-in-distance-but-close-in-heart nations like Japan are on a similar path. In Thailand, the social media page Thaiconsent has opened up a space to share the untold stories related to sexual assault against Thai women and creates a space for men and women to discuss consent. In Vietnam, since the #MeToo movement hit the country and women there have spoken about cases of sexual assault they face, the movement has brought about both positive and negative reactions. Public opinion is very strong against the harasser, so it shows that the Vietnam public is starting to be aware of the situation. At the same time, victims suffer a lot from victim-blaming, Tran Le Thuy, director of the Center for Media and Development Initiatives in Hanoi, Vietnam told The Irrawaddy. Both in Myanmar and elsewhere, although it is getting easier for survivors to speak out on their experiences of sexual violence, the number of women with the courage to do so is still only a small percentage of the actual number of victims. There are so many out there who have similar experiences and cannot even say #MeToo, but are saying it in their hearts, said a Japanese journalist Shiori Ito recently. The practicing journalist spoke out after the 2015 case in which she accused a prominent broadcast journalist of rape was dropped due to a lack of evidence. The existing judicial system in Japan does not work to support her or other victims of sexual abuse. She has decided to document her fruitless experiences in seeking justice in her book, Black Box. She urges others to show support for victims of sexual assault by saying I believe you. Shiori, who is now a key campaigner for the movement in the region, told her powerful story to the attendees at the Asian Investigative Journalists Conference held in Seoul in October. Shioris experiences, along with countless others, are representative of how Asian society and legal supports here tend to favor the perpetrators. At the same event, a Japanese media researcher Kimiko Aoki, now in her mid-fifties, said that in Japan women entered the workforce only after the Second World War and so her generation were able to cope with [sexual harassment], because for a long time, touching breasts and a lot of things were [treated] like a joke. Seeing Shioris suffering and seeing and hearing of others, I feel like we do need to voice what we come through and what we have experienced. I feel responsible and I have colleagues who say the same. I think voicing is important, she told The Irrawaddy. Kimiko said that nowadays the idea of sexual harassment has been acknowledged in Japan and people understand that it is a problem. In another high-profile case spurred on by the #MeToo movement, Japans vice minister of finance resigned in April after being accused of rape. Individual fights against sexual violence are difficult in patriarchal societies which often accept the culture of blaming women. In Asian culture, as women may be judged for falling prey to sexual assault, #MeToo could also have unwanted negative impacts on the individuals life. For this reason, a more collective message, such as the tag #WeToo, may be more useful and would encourage anyone who is against sexual harassment to stand up and show support regardless of their gender. WeToo could be a tool, said Kimiko. I hope that MeToo and WeToo will go hand in hand and cross borders because we are closer in nature than the West and the culture of silence is stronger in Asia. I hope we encourage each other. The Irrawaddy reporter Nyein Nyein was a recipient of a fellowship supported by the Global Investigate Journalism Network and its partner organizations at the 3rd Asian Investigative Journalism Conference held in Seoul in early October this year. The Australian Computer society has released a guide for businesses to start using artificial intelligence in their organisations, outlining what AI is and what it can do. The guide Artificial Intelligence: A Starter Guide to the Future of Business was released on Thursday, with a number of Australian AI companies present and showing off their wares. These included the chief executives and founders of Sortal, Gameface and Hyper Anna. Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionise the way we do business, optimising business processes and creating entirely new revenue streams, said ACS president Yohan Ramasundara. Many business leaders think AI may be too hard, and dont consider it as a solution to the issues they face today. "If Australia is to remain a competitive leader in technology, we must both inspire the current and future entrepreneurs, and encourage adoption and experimentation with existing AI solutions. "Our message today to Australian business is to get in now, or risk missing out on the largest business opportunity since the Internet. Sortal chief executive Majella Edwards said: "When we speak with enterprises about artificial intelligence, too often we find that business leaders focus on what the technology will achieve in the future. "While there is an enormous amount of potential as the field develops, we can already do incredible things with AI in the here and now and by investing in AI now, businesses can set themselves up to thrive rather than play catch up later on. "We welcome this initiative from ACS to help educate Australian businesses about what can be done, and the opportunity to showcase Australian innovation in this space." Ramasundara added that more must be done to keep Australian AI talent from going overseas. The government has committed to invest $29.9 million over four years to pump up Australias AI and machine-learning capabilities in fields such as cyber security, health and energy," he said. "This is a very small step in the right direction and if we are genuinely committed to harnessing the power of AI a more demonstrably significant investment will be required. AI experts in the US and China, for example, can demand salaries as high as US$300,000 (A$400,000). We also know there is a gap when it comes to the adoption of AI solutions in the Australian enterprise. Our report today aims to bring knowledge of what is possible to business decision makers. The guide is available here. Senator Jordon Steele-John: "This [bill] ...makes a mockery of our right to privacy, leaves us more vulnerable to cyber espionage and permanently weakens existing protections we all rely on to stay safe and secure online. Breaking a long silence on the encryption bill, the Australian Greens have called on the government to reveal the details of the deal it sturck with Labor to agree on passing the bill. The party's Digital Rights spokesperson Senator Jordon Steele-John made the call during question time on Wednesday, saying the deal on the Telecommunications (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018 had been made in the "secretive and exclusive" Parliamentary Joint Committee for Intelligence and Security. The last time the Greens spoke out on the bill was on 11 September. The bill is due to be presented for a vote in Parliament today, after the PJCIS recommended it be passed once it was amended according to the panel's recommendations. Steele-John said: "This anti-encryption legislation has been condemned by the United Nations, the Human Rights Commission, the digital rights community and Australia's tech sector at large. It is a threat to the online safety, security and privacy of every single Australian. "Technology and innovation companies will leave Australia in droves as it becomes clear these laws are incompatible with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulations. "Furthermore, any individual whether that be a politician or a journalist who uses encrypted messaging services to ensure the privacy of their sources, or the privilege of their policy discussions, should feel threatened by this bill's potential unintended consequences. "What was intended to be a national security measure will in fact become a national security threat, as hackers and third parties exploit the necessary weaknesses built into end-to-end encryption services. For them, Christmas will have come early in Australia. "This is massive government overreach and something we should all be extremely concerned about. It makes a mockery of our right to privacy, leaves us more vulnerable to cyber espionage and permanently weakens existing protections we all rely on to stay safe and secure online. The compromise encryption bill drafted by the government and Labor demonstrates just one thing that bullying pays off, the head of Internet Australia, Dr Paul Brooks, claims. He said IA was disappointed to read the brief advisory report issued by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security on Wednesday night. "The Coalition and Opposition have agreed to rush the highly complex laws through Parliament this year, just a few short months into their bipartisan public review," he added. Labor and the government struck a deal on Wednesday to pass the bill, officially known as the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Bill 2018, on Thursday, the last sitting day of Parliament for the year. Some 50 pages of amendments were handed to the various parties early this morning before debate on the bill began. "The extraordinary intervention by [Home Affairs] Minister [Peter] Dutton and Prime Minister Morrison into the PJCIS time-table risks damaging the reputation of parliamentary process and public review, as many experts question the time, thought and expertise poured into providing independent expert testimony through the parliamentary committee process, only to have the advice largely dismissed or ignored," Dr Brooks said. He was referring to media conferences given by the two Coalition figures in November, where theythat the bill should be passed this year. Dr Brooks said while the panel's recommendations, if accepted, would provide greater oversight and improve controls over notices and requests to some extent, the bill would still undermine public trust in Internet systems and force Australian tech businesses to set up shop offshore. He said what was more striking was what the PJCIS had omitted. Many of the protections lie in the definition of systemic weakness, yet the words noted in recommendation nine are clearly inadequate they dont address what a system might be, and only focuses on information as the key determinant. It completely ignores concerns about system integrity, information about systems, information about companies, or damage other than revealing 'information'. Under this definition, the weaknesses the Stuxnet worm used to destroy Iran's nuclear centrifuges would not be classified as a 'systemic weakness'. "Neither would any weakness/vulnerability that enabled a device to be compromised and used in a botnet or as a DDoS attack source as this doesn't reveal information." Dr Brooks said the legislation would hinge on the definition of the term systemic weakness, which he said was "a complex concept likely to require different nuances for hardware components, software components, and globally distributed applications and websites". "As we and others pointed out in our submission to the PJCIS, often a capability is not recognised as a systemic weakness or vulnerability until months or years have passed, when significant harm has already been done so this definition must be constructed very carefully, with input from IT systems experts." He asked the government to consider the human rights aspects of the bill very carefully and to examine the questions raised by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights in its Report 11 of 2018 and the submission made by the Australian Human Rights Commission to the PJCIS over the encryption bill. "The human rights implications of this bill are extensive and important, and the public deserves to understand how the modifications to the bill address the human rights concerns, especially if other nations seek to follow this model," Dr Brooks added. ANALYSIS The Australian encryption laws were devised for one reason: so that spy agencies could get back on an equal footing with technology firms and have a big stick with which to beat them whenever they want. Over the years, the tech companies have won most battles with intelligence agencies over access to data, until legislation arrived to help the latter. The most recent example of this before Australia's encryption laws were passed on Thursday was the passage of the CLOUD Act by the US to give its law enforcement agencies access to data stored by US companies in any part of the world. During a recent interview, the head of the Australian Cyber Security Centre, Alastair MacGibbon, provided some insight into the thinking that drove the bill, when he said that, once the laws are passed, "what I do think it will have is reasonable discussions between frankly, often US-based tech companies that for years have seen themselves beyond the reach not just of our law but our social expectations and nothing in this is unreasonable". And at another point in the same exchange, he said, "...all they wanted was a tool that would give them the ability to work with tech companies in a reasonable and proportionate manner under the rule of law". So, just another mine-is-bigger-than-yours situation in other words and this morning MacGibbon will doubtless be feeling that the playing field is now level again, or even a bit tilted in favour of the security agencies. It may be a false dawn, though. The most prominent recent defeat suffered by a big intelligence agency was in 2016, when the FBI challenged Apple over gaining access to the contents of an iPhone belonging to one of the terrorists involved in an attack in San Bernardino, California, in December 2015. The FBI spoilt its own chances of achieving what it said it wanted, by first changing the iCloud account password for this phone. This meant that scheduled backups from the phone to iCloud could not take place. Else, the data could have been obtained from iCloud by Apple. The second, probably more grievous, FBI mistake lay in making a hue and cry over the matter. Apple officials have reportedly said that if the FBI had quietly gone to them, the whole thing could have been sorted out and everyone would have been happy. But when the spooks took the matter to court, the hackles rose on the neck of Apple chief executive Tim Cook. And the rest of the story is well-known; ultimately the FBI paid out nearly a million dollars to the Israeli firm Cellebrite to obtain the data from that phone. So, given the actual reason for loose laws of this kind to be sought, the ramifications have really not been thought through. Law and order can often prove to be an election-losing issue for politicians and so the Coalition Government used every tactic in the book, including tarring the Labor Party as supporters of terrorists, to push the statute through. During the interview referred to earlier, MacGibbon raised the fact that Australia's laws are not unique and that the UK already has tougher laws. But he did not offer a couple of additional facts that would have put this in perspective: so far, the UK has never used this law, known as the Snoopers Charter. And the UK has a bill of rights, something Australia lacks. Additionally, parts of the UK law have been found to be unlawful by the London Court of Appeal. But then, mentioning those qualifiers would have watered down MacGibbon's arguments. The truth is, no agency needs access to content to decipher what is going on. Metadata cannot be encrypted and metadata often tells a much more detailed and thorough story than the actual data. Additionally, when third parties are used for data storage and processing, that data cannot be encrypted. Most users, terrorists or law-abiding citizens, fall squarely into this territory. And since every device is becoming a little computer and therefore a surveillance device, law enforcement has a myriad more new data streams that will not be encrypted to look for evidence of this or that. They don't really need access to content of encrypted messages. These aren't my conclusions, by the way, they come from a man with some pedigree. No, this entire exercise is about a power struggle, and law enforcement now feels it has won the first crucial battle. There is one more aspect to this whole episode that we have just gone through. The Australian laws will be used by spy agencies from the other Five Eyes countries the US, the UK, Canada and New Zealand under the intelligence-sharing agreements that exist between them. The types of devices used across these countries are similar and therefore information obtained about one by an Australian agency will benefit its counterparts in the other four countries as well. Many birds have been slain by the one stone. Reminds one of the old Beatles' ditty, "with a little help from my friends". When the fallout from the existence of the laws will start is anyone's guess. MacGibbon dismissed the prospect of any fallout, saying, "So in the United Kingdom they have much tougher laws [than] here. Those tech companies, the sky hasn't fallen, people aren't rioting in the streets of the UK saying that their rights have been infringed." Something tells me that that bit of commentary could prove to be somewhat short-sighted. But for the moment, MacGibbon's spin has served its purpose. Music, Movies & Shows at Nacho Daddy / The Boutique Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - As we head into the holiday season, The Boutique Theater and Nacho Daddy invite everyone to come out and have some fun! With new shows, movies, TED Talks and more, along with the best bands in Puerto Vallarta playing most every night, there's something fun for everyone! Comedy Opens This Weekend at The Boutique Opening December 6 at The Boutique Community Theatre is a house-party comedy,Directed by Ralph Hyman, the show is about eight homosexual men in the time of AIDS. This show contains mature subject matter, and is recommended for adult audiences. Love! Valour! Compassion! is the kind of solid, serious, non-musical comedy that is rarely produced in Puerto Vallarta. It's about eight mostly upper-middle class homosexual men in the time of AIDS. Over three successive holiday weekends in one summer, they gather to relax, celebrate their friendship, and consider their lives while making accommodations to survive. Hyman, artistic director of The Boutique, explained why he chose the show. "I know the theater community of Puerto Vallarta is used to comedy, slapstick, and forget-your-troubles theatrical productions. On occasion, I think we need to return to a time when the suffering was overwhelming for the gay community, when every day, we lost someone who was dear to us." Entertaining as it is moving, the show's one-liners are hysterical and its genuine pathos is only slightly tinged with sentimentality. Often talking directly to the audience, the play's characters often comment on what the other characters are saying to the audience. They feed us facts they could not possibly know at the time they reveal them, as they see into the future to illuminate the past and to give the frequently rocky present added poignancy. The result is a theatrical experience of unusual richness, about characters of unexpected dimension. The cast includes Thomas Carroll, Frank Harrison, Roger Vickery, Rick Bodensteiner, Ron Untener, Travis Marin Lemus, and Francisco Flores. Performances will be at 6:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through December 22. Mikki Prost in "Patsy Cline's Jukebox" Popular tribute artist Mikki Prost is back, with her show "Patsy Cline's Jukebox." It will be performed at 6:00 pm on Tuesdays. Arrive early to be seated for dinner at 5:00 pm. Prost has created an engaging, interactive show. On the tables will be a list of dozens of Patsy Cline tunes, and the audience gets to choose which numbers are performed. No two shows are alike. Paco Ojeda's Dinner and a Movie Series Local musicologist and writer Paco Ojeda's "Dinner and a Movie" series continues on December 10 th with the film, Pal Joey. Grab your seat in the air-conditioned theater, and be in place for Ojeda's 15-minute introduction and discussion of each evening's feature. Doors open at 4:30 pm, and the presentation at 5:00 pm. TED-Type Talk Tuesdays Continue TED-Type Talks continue to educate and inspire, every Tuesday, from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. "Intelligent Movement Forever" will be presented by Via Anderson on December 11th. Each session includes opportunities for the audience to ask questions, and join in the discussions. Food and drinks from the extensive - and reasonably priced! - menu at Nacho Daddy are available to order. Tickets cost $250 pesos each. To suggest a speaker, email catherinecalderapv(at)gmail.com. Hannah Brady - "A Dove on the Beach" Dynamic vocalist Hannah Brady is shaking things up with rock, funk, and soul. "A Dove on the Beach" honors such legends as The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Etta James, and Sting, with the spice of Top 40. Crafted for both English and Spanish-speaking audiences, the show features Baltazar Arreola on guitar, Beto Bullizio on drums, and Andres Piedra at the piano. Hannah Brady has sung all over the world, from New York City to Hong Kong. She was the original lead vocalist in "Pixels" aboard Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas. Hannah performs on Sunday nights at 8:30 pm. Tickets are availabe for $500 pesos at Nacho Daddy. Frank Sinatra Tribute Concert "Happy Birthday, Frank Sinatra! - A Tribute Concert" is planned for 9:00 pm on Saturday, December 8, hosted by Paco Ojeda. 'Come Fly With Us' as we celebrate in this one-time-only show, with special guest artists Renee Armand and Alain Perreault on vocals, and Jean-Guy Comeau on voice and piano. A "Princesas Desesperadas" Christmas Perro Bravo Productions returns to Puerto Vallarta this season with the Spanish adapted version of Tomas Ustusastegui's comedy Princesas Desesperadas The Christmas Special. The director is Ramiro Daniel, and with actors Juan Pablo Hernandez, Juan Carlos Ramirez, Cesar Trujillo, and Cesar Bravo, "Princesas Desesperadas" is a fast-paced comedy that tells the story of four Disney princesses who get together 15 years after their "happily ever after." The sharp Vaudeville-esque comedy quickly puts the audience in a voyeuristic situation, as the characters, one by one, become unraveled as they peel off the tragedy of their lives piece by piece. They draw the spectators into a very private conversation among women, a conversation not meant to be heard by anyone else. "Princesas Desesperadas" - in Spanish - began in Puerto Vallarta in April 2014, and has played before more than 3,000 people. In June 2018, it was awarded the public prize for best play in the theatre festival of Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco. "Princesas Desesperadas - the Christmas Special" will take The Boutique Theater stage on December 15, 29 and 30th at 8:30 pm. The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute has appointed Professor Tim Brown of the University of Melbourne as a director to replace Professor Ron Prince who is retiring. Professor Brown, currently Professor of Data Science at the University of Melbourne, will commence as a director of AMSI in January next year, to replace Professor Prince who will retire after 14 years at the institute. AMSI says Professor Brown brings extensive experience with academic and leadership roles at a number of AMSIs membership institutions. His previous roles include foundation director of the University of Melbournes Statistical Consulting Centre, Professor of Mathematics at the University of Western Australia, head of Department of Statistics and later Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Melbourne, dean of the Faculty and later College of Science at ANU and deputy vice-chancellor (Research) at La Trobe. With a PhD in theoretical probability from the University of Cambridge, Professor Brown is considered a pioneer in the development of statistical consulting as an important feature of the tertiary mathematics landscape, AMSI says in its statement on Thursday announcing his appointment. With research spanning probability theory, statistics and its application to important problems, he has had over 50 publications in refereed journals, numerous reports for various organisations and two school mathematics textbooks. A passionate collaborator, including with Universitat Zurichs Andrew Barbour and the University of Melbournes Aihua Xia, Browns applied work has impacted occupational health, car construction and finance for workers compensation. Perhaps most significant, however, have been his contributions to Year 12 and tertiary entrance assessments in Victoria and the system for ATAR. Professor Brown said he was looking forward to working with AMSI, its membership, stakeholders, government and funding partners to further its mission to secure the future health of mathematical sciences education, research and applications in Australia. AMSIs strength is its breadth and depth across education, research and industry. Together with its members, partners and sponsors, the Institute is well positioned to continue helping shape Australias future prosperity through even better education, research and mathematical innovation, he said. Professor Brown said it was the influence of a beloved teacher Ken Evans that had profoundly impacted his engagement and love of the subject. Teachers have a critical role to inspire student understanding of the universality of mathematics and its applications. I well remember Ken showing us the beauty of abstraction and logic in Year 11 and 12. To be prepared for the next 50 years of work, todays students need understanding of fundamental concepts equally with context and applications. AMSI board chair Dr Ron Sandland said the Institute was excited to welcome Professor Brown as Director at what is an important time for AMSI, its membership and the Australian mathematical sciences. Tim shares AMSIs pipeline vision and understanding of the disciplines critical role in education, research training, research and industry. We look forward to working with him to continue building AMSI and deepening its impact as the national voice for the mathematical sciences. WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange's lawyer has refused to buy into an agreement announced by Ecuador President Lenin Moreno for him to leave the country's London embassy after more than six years of taking refuge there. Moreno was reported as saying on Thursday that there was a path for Assange to "exit into near freedom", noting that any sentence which the UK imposed on him for skipping bail would not be more than six months. He indicated that the UK has told Quito that Assange would not face extradition to the US, which is what the WikiLeaks chief fears. Assange's lawyer, Barry Pollack, told Britain's Telegraph newspaper that the deal was unacceptable. Last month, it emerged that the US may have alreadyagainst Assange. This came to light after portions of a complaint against him were apparently cut and pasted into a complaint against an unrelated individual, Seitu Sulayman Kokayi. Pollack said that any suggestion Assange need not fear persecution just because the death penalty was not being considered for him by the US was wrong. He said nobody should face criminal charges for publishing the truth and, since such charges appeared to have been filed against Assange, Ecuador should continue to give him protection. Assange has said in the past that he fears being extradited to the US if he leaves the embassy in London. Last year, US officials said arresting him was a top priority. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. Mexico Tourism Board on Industry Growth, 2019 Plans Mexico City - CEO of the Mexico Tourism Board Hector Flores Santana, in a meeting with 31 federal entities at the MTB's headquarters, discussed the tourism industry' growth and the board's 2019 Marketing Plan. According to Flores Santana, Mexico's tourism industry saw a 6.9 percent increase in international tourist arrivals from January to September. Income generated by non-residents during 2018 has been in line with the MTB's forecasts at the beginning of 2018. Tourism revenue has reached $16.6 billion, marking a 4.5 percent increase from the same period in 2017. Flores Santana emphasized that tourism revenue, the third highest source of net income in Mexico, nearly made up for the deficit in the country's economy. Flores Santana also outlined the MTB's 2019 Marketing Plan. The board will continue its promotional campaigns, such as "Viajemos Todos Por Mexico", "A World of Its Own" and "Dear Country", and will introduce a new campaign inspired by the "Dear Mexicans" campaign, called "Dear States." This effort will consist of letters written by travelers to states such as Baja California Sur, Campeche, Chihuahua and more. Additionally, the MTB has taken steps to fight the negative impact of various destinations' reputations. This year Flores Santana said the MTB coordinated and carried out 8 crisis management workshops with over 200 participants, 26 destinations, and members of the tourism industry. Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Xem them ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load Qualified U.S. CPAs are eligible to obtain a credential that is a pathway for obtaining audit rights in Australia and New Zealand under a mutual recognition agreement (MRA) that has been renewed. The AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) renewed their MRA with the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ). The AICPA and NASBA had signed an MRA with CPA Australia in July 2018, so qualified U.S. CPAs have two paths to licensure in Australia and New Zealand. Under the renewal, qualified U.S. CPAs may obtain the CA ANZ credential if the holders meet eligibility requirements detailed in the appendices of the MRA. CA ANZ credential holders who are citizens or legal residents in Australia or New Zealand are eligible to obtain the U.S. CPA credential if the holders meet the eligibility requirements described in the MRA's appendices. "I want to thank our colleagues in Australia and New Zealand, as well as NASBA and the state boards it represents, for their support of this cross-border commitment to accounting excellence," AICPA President and CEO Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, said in a news release. "We are pleased to renew our support of this reciprocal agreement with CA ANZ, which provides a streamlined process for U.S. CPAs to practice in Australia and New Zealand." NASBA President and CEO Ken L. Bishop said in a news release that the agreement builds on the original agreement and embodies a continued effort to improve fairness and balance of requirements between the countries. "In an increasingly global economy, implementing practical and intuitive processes for reciprocal practice privileges for qualified accountants is the right course of action," Bishop said. During the five-year period of the agreement, the International Qualifications Appraisal Board will work on developing alternative requirements that would expand access to CA ANZ credential holders who are neither citizens nor legal residents of New Zealand and Australia. Ken Tysiac (Kenneth.Tysiac@aicpa-cima.com) is the JofA's editorial director. THUNDER BAY, ON, Dec. 6, 2018 /CNW/ - Premier Gold Mines Limited ("Premier" or "the Company") is pleased to provide an update of the development programs underway at the Company's South Arturo Property located in the Carlin Trend of Nevada. Construction of both the Phase 1 open pit and the El Nino underground mine is progressing well with mineralized material being stockpiled for future processing. The South Arturo Property is a joint venture between Premier (40% ownership) and Barrick Gold Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary, Barrick Gold Exploration Inc. ("Barrick"). Barrick is the operator and processes ore from South Arturo primarily at their Goldstrike facility located approximately 5 kilometers to the south. Construction of the Phase 1 open pit and the El Nino underground mine has started with initial gold production from operations planned in late 2019. Mining production from the El Nino mine is expected to ramp up in Q4 2019. Heap leach material from the Phase 1 open pit is now being stockpiled for potential future processing. The pre-feasibility level engineering design for the heap leach option is planned to start early 2019. Additional work on the property in 2018 includes infill and exploration drilling (initial results expected to be released prior to year-end) and ongoing work being conducted to advance additional mining opportunities that include the Phase 3 pit. "Multiple new mine developments are being advanced, including detailed engineering work aimed at moving the heap leach project into the South Arturo mine plan", stated Ewan Downie, President & CEO of Premier. "Additional opportunities continue to be advanced that are expected to add to future reserves and/or resources in an effort to extend mining operations well into the future". Phase 1 Open Pit Project More than 1.5 million tons of material has been stripped at the Phase 1 open pit. Run-of-mine ("ROM") heap leach material from Phase 1 is being stockpiled for potential processing at a facility that will be located on the joint venture property. If the heap leach option is approved, construction of the facility is anticipated to begin in 2020. Drilling in 2018 has been focused on expanding near-pit mineralization and testing the nearby East Dee target that has the potential to represent an additional mining opportunity on the property. Initial assays from this program are expected to be released prior to year-end. El Nino Underground Project The El Nino underground deposit is the down-plunge extension of the Phase 2 pit that was mined in 2016-17. Both portals are now collared (see figure 1) and some high-grade material located proximal to the pit highwall has now been mined and stockpiled. Mining continues to be advanced such that gold production is expected late 2019. Following development of the upper ore zones, underground exploration will be initiated to identify additional mineralization, which remains open at depth and locally along strike. Figure 1: El Nino Portal Development Additional Opportunities Drilling at the potential Phase 3 open-pit has been completed to further define both high-grade and heap leach material that would complement material from Phase 1. Drilling in 2017 identified mineralization below the current pit design and demonstrated continuity with higher than expected grades in the southern extent of the current resource model with intercepts including 117.0 feet grading 0.48 oz/ton Au (35.7 m of 16.54 g/t Au) with 50 feet grading 0.82 oz/ton Au (15.2 m of 28.26 g/t Au) and an additional intercept of 226.5 feet grading 0.09 oz/ton Au (69.0 m of 3.05 g/t Au) in hole ART17-10C, the final hole of the program. Additional drilling is being completed in this target area. Stephen McGibbon, P. Geo., is the Qualified Person for the information contained in this press release and is a Qualified Person within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101. The primary assay laboratories for the South Arturo Mine are ALS Chemex Labs (ALS Chemex) and American Assay Labs (American Assay) in Reno, Nevada. For a complete description of sample preparation, analytical methods and QA/QC procedures, refer to the technical report for the South Arturo dated March 26, 2018 (effective date December 31, 2017), entitled "Technical Report on the South Arturo Mine, Elko County, State of Nevada, USA" located on Premier's website and at www.sedar.com. Premier Gold Mines Limited is a gold producer and respected exploration and development company with a high-quality pipeline of precious metal projects in proven, accessible and safe mining jurisdictions in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. This Press Release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements about strategic plans, including future operations, future work programs, capital expenditures, discovery and production of minerals, price of gold and currency exchange rates, timing of geological reports and corporate and technical objectives. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including the risks inherent to the mining industry, adverse economic and market developments and the risks identified in Premier's annual information form under the heading "Risk Factors". 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 information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. Premier disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2018) - EMX Royalty Corporation (TSXV: EMX) (NYSE American: EMX) (the "Company" or "EMX") is pleased to announce the execution of a Regional Strategic Alliance agreement (the "Agreement") between its wholly-owned subsidiary Bronco Creek Exploration, Inc. ("BCE"), and South32 USA Exploration Inc. ("South32"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of South32 Limited. The Agreement provides annual funding for generative work and acquisitions over a two year period, as well as a framework to advance projects of interest. Generative work will focus on copper and other base metal projects within the Laramide and Tertiary magmatic arcs of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Projects advanced to the drill program stage may be selected as Designated Projects. Designated Projects will advance under separate option agreements providing for work commitments and cash payments to EMX during South32's earn-in period, and upon earn-in, a 2% net smelter return ("NSR") royalty interest and pre-production and milestone payments to EMX's benefit. South32 has initially selected five EMX copper projects in Arizona to begin advancing toward the drill program stage. Please see the attached map and www.EMXroyalty.com for more information. Alliance and Commercial Terms Overview (all dollar amounts in USD). Under the terms of the Agreement, which has an initial term of two years, South32 will provide annual funding for generative work performed by EMX personnel to identify properties for exploration work ("Alliance Exploration Properties" or "AEPs") within the Regional Strategic Alliance Area of Interest ("AOI") that consists of the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, but excludes South32's Hermosa project in southern Arizona. EMX personnel will conduct exploration activities on AEPs with additional funding from South32 in order to identify projects suitable for designation as Designated Projects. Each Designated Project will be covered by a separate option agreement pursuant to which South32 can acquire 100% of the project on the terms described below. All generative and AEP exploration activities will be guided by a Technical Committee consisting of two members from each company. South32 will provide $800,000 per year to cover the generative work and the salaries of EMX personnel involved in AEP exploration work. South32 will also provide a separate annual acquisition fund of $200,000 to pay for the acquisition of new properties as approved by the Technical Committee. AEP exploration work will be funded separately through cash calls to South32 in amounts directed by the Technical Committee. Designated Project Option Agreement Terms (all dollar amounts in USD). Each option agreement covering a Designated Project will provide that South32 can earn 100% interest in the project by reimbursing EMX's holding costs upon execution of the option agreement, and making option payments totaling $525,000 and completing $5,000,000 in exploration expenditures during the five-year term of the option agreement. Upon exercise of the option by South32, EMX will retain an uncapped 2% NSR royalty on the project (not subject to purchase or buy down) and receive annual advance royalty ("AAR") payments equivalent to 50,000 pounds ("lbs") of copper commencing on the first anniversary. All AAR payments are set off against 80% of future royalty payments. In addition, South32 will make milestone payments as follows (project milestones are to NI 43-101 reporting requirements): 166,000 lbs of copper (or the cash equivalent) upon the completion of an initial resource estimate, 333,000 lbs of copper (or the cash equivalent) upon completion of a prefeasibility study, and 666,000 lbs of copper (or the cash equivalent) upon completion of a feasibility study. Initial Alliance Exploration Projects. Five Arizona porphyry-copper projects have been selected as AEPs by South32, including Midnight Juniper, Jasper Canyon, Sleeping Beauty, Dragons Tail, and Lomitas Negras. EMX and South32 are commencing work programs on the initial AEPs, as well as initiating a generative program to identify new projects for acquisition. Note, in the following project descriptions, although the referenced nearby mines and deposits provide geologic context for EMX's properties, this is not indicative that the EMX properties host similar endowments of mineralization. Midnight Juniper. The Midnight Juniper project lies at the north end of the Clifton-Morenci mining district, approximately one kilometer northwest of the Morenci open pit copper mine. The project geology consists of a dissected plateau of Tertiary age volcanic cover rocks overlying a series of Paleozoic sedimentary and Proterozoic metamorphic rocks that are exposed in an arcuate pattern at lower elevations along stream courses. Paleozoic carbonate rocks contain a number of manganese oxide-rich base metal occurrences in northeast oriented vein, replacement, and breccia bodies typical of the distal expression of porphyry copper systems. EMX's reconnaissance mapping shows that these occurrences appear to vector towards a suspected porphyry source lying under Tertiary cover rocks in the center of the Midnight Juniper land position. Jasper Canyon and Sleeping Beauty. The Jasper Canyon and Sleeping Beauty projects are located in the Globe-Miami mining district. Both properties lie on the flanks of the Schultz Granite intrusive complex, which is associated with numerous past and current producing copper mines and deposits in the Globe-Miami and Superior mining districts. Porphyry copper deposits in this region have been dismembered by numerous post-mineral faults that displace upper levels of the mineralized systems northeastward. The Jasper Canyon and Sleeping Beauty projects lie at the east end of a northern trend of fault bounded deposits that include Pinto Valley, Diamond H and Copper Cities. The Jasper Canyon project lies along the easternmost portion of this trend and represents a fault-bounded and largely covered portion of the suspected upper levels of a porphyry copper system in a previously unexplored portion of the district. The Sleeping Beauty project lies to the west of Jasper Canyon, and directly north of the Copper Cities open pit copper mine, and is interpreted to contain down-dropped blocks of mineralization north of the Sleeping Beauty fault. Other fault-bounded copper deposits in the district at similar structural levels include Copper Cities, Miami East, Van Dyke, and Old Dominion. Dragons Tail. The Dragons Tail project is located in the Superior mining district, approximately eight kilometers north of the Resolution copper deposit and five kilometers southwest of Pinto Valley. EMX identified a 1.6 kilometer long zone of quartz-sulfide alteration within Proterozoic sedimentary rocks during reconnaissance work. The outcrops of quartz-sulfide veining lie beneath tilted Tertiary age volcanic and conglomeratic cover rocks. Historic drilling on the east side of the property intercepted transported copper-oxide mineralized clasts within Tertiary conglomerates, which suggests the source of the copper lies to the west of the drilling and likely down dip of the mineralized exposures. Lomitas Negras. The Lomitas Negras project is located approximately ten kilometers southeast of the town of San Manuel, in a broad area of post-mineral cover rocks. The property is ringed by Laramide-age intrusive rocks and porphyry copper/skarn deposits that include San Manuel-Kalamazoo (~20 kilometers north), Copper Creek (~25 kilometers northeast), and Oracle Ridge (~10 kilometers southwest). Nearby outcrops exhibit alteration and anomalous base metal mineralization that characteristically occurs on the margins of porphyry copper systems. EMX's recognition of the altered outcrops, combined with a new interpretation of the extensional structural setting of the area, led to the identification of concealed porphyry copper targets beneath the post-mineralization pediment cover. About EMX. EMX leverages asset ownership and exploration insight into partnerships that advance our mineral properties, with EMX receiving pre-production payments and retaining royalty interests. EMX complements its royalty generation initiatives with royalty acquisitions and strategic investments. The Regional Strategic Alliance Agreement with South32 is an excellent example of the execution of EMX's royalty generation business model. The Company's organically generated porphyry copper projects were acquired on open ground in productive mining districts, with value established through low cost, early-stage exploration work. The Agreement's provisions for generative funding are coupled with the future upside potential for project work commitments, pre-production payments and retained royalty interests based upon exploration success to EMX's and South32's mututal benefit. Mr. Dean D. Turner, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and consultant to the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release. For further information contact: David M. Cole President and Chief Executive Officer Phone: (303) 979-6666 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Scott Close Director of Investor Relations Phone: (303) 973-8585 Email:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain "forward looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserves and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will", "believe", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2018 (the "MD&A"), and the most recently filed Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2017, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the 20-F and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov. Figure 1: AEP projects and RSA AOI (Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico) with South32. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 6, 2018) - Fremont Gold Ltd. (TSXV: FRE) (FSE: FR2) (OTC Pink: USTDF) ("Fremont" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's previously announced $1.0 million financing (the "Offering"), see the news release dated November 13, 2018, was oversubscribed and that Fremont raised $1,230,590 through the issuance of 8,789,930 units ("Units") at a price of $0.14 per Unit. Officers and directors of Fremont subscribed for a total of 1,708,500 common shares for gross proceeds of $239,190, or approximately 19% of the Offering. Net proceeds will be used to undertake further drilling at Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon projects located in the Gold Bar District in Eureka County, Nevada, and for general working capital. "Our plans to drill Gold Bar and Gold Canyon were well received by the marketplace and enabled us to raise more than the $1.0 million that we were originally seeking," said Blaine Monaghan, CEO of Fremont. "Permitting is currently underway and we expect to be drilling in early 2019. Drilling at Gold Bar will be focused on identifying an extension to the historic Gold Bar mine, while drilling at Gold Canyon will be focused on further defining a mineralized zone identified in the Company's 2018 drill program." Gold Bar and Gold Canyon Projects Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon projects are both former mines in the Gold Bar District in Eureka County, Nevada, an active mining district within the Battle Mountain-Eureka Trend. The district contains several Carlin-style sediment-hosted gold deposits, including McEwen Mining Inc.'s ("McEwen") Gold Bar project, which is scheduled to begin production in early 2019(1). Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon projects are adjacent (west) and immediately north of McEwen's Gold Bar project. While McEwen's project and Fremont's project share the same name, the historic Gold Bar mine is held by Fremont. McEwen's project comprises four of the five satellite pits to the historic Gold Bar mine, whereas Fremont controls the remaining satellite pit, Gold Canyon. Fremont's Gold Bar project encompasses the historic Gold Bar mine, which produced 286,354 ounces of gold from 1986 to 1994(2), and the Millsite deposit, which hosts a historic resource of 147,000 ounces of gold (1.62 Mt @ 2.57 g/t gold)(2,3). Millsite is believed to be a faulted offset of the historic Gold Bar mine and is located to the northwest of the open pit. Fremont recently completed a soil sampling program based on a new structural interpretation and identified coincident gold and mercury geochemical anomalies to the southeast of the historic Gold Bar mine. This new interpretation and data suggest that gold mineralization related to the historic Gold Bar mine may extend to the southeast (see news release dated October 30, 2018). Part of the Offering proceeds will be used to drill test these anomalies. Drilling is expected to commence in early 2019 immediately upon completion of permitting. Gold Canyon is adjacent to and directly northwest of McEwen's project, approximately 800 metres from McEwen's Gold Ridge deposit. Gold Canyon produced approximately 41,000 ounces of gold from 1990-1994(2) and a stockpile of previously mined ore still exists at site. Drilling undertaken by Fremont earlier this year intercepted a previously unrecognized mineralized zone approximately 60 metres below the pit floor (see news release dated July 25, 2018). Part of the Offering proceeds will be used to further define this zone. The Units Each Unit is comprised of a common share of the Company and one-half of one transferable share purchase warrant. Each whole share purchase warrant ("Warrant") entitles the holder to purchase one common share at a purchase price of $0.20 per for a period of 24 months from the date of issuance. The Warrants are subject to an accelerator provision whereby if, over a period of 15 consecutive trading days between December 5, 2018 and the expiry of the Warrants, the daily volume weighted average trading price of the Company's common shares exceeds $0.30, the Company may give written notice (via news release) that the Warrants will expire on the 30th day following the provision of notice. Officers and directors of Fremont subscribed for a total of 1,708,500 common shares for gross proceeds of $239,190. The participation of officers and directors of Fremont in the Offering constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The transaction is exempt from the formal valuation requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and the minority approval requirements of MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.7(1)(a) on the basis that the fair market value of the officers' and directors' participation is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The Company did not file a material change report more than 21 days in advance of the closing of the Offering as contemplated by the related party transaction requirements under MI 61-101 as the insider participation was only recently confirmed. Fremont paid a finder's fee equivalent to 6% on certain of the proceeds raised in connection with the Offering. Total finder's fees amount to $39,198. All common shares issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance in accordance with applicable securities legislation and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, pursuant to which they may not be sold or transferred until April 6, 2019. About Fremont Gold Fremont's mine-finding management team has assembled a portfolio of high-quality gold projects in Nevada with the goal of making a new discovery. Fremont's Gold Bar and Gold Canyon are past producing gold mines adjacent to McEwen's Gold Bar project, where mine construction is underway. Other projects include North Carlin, Goldrun, Hurricane, and Roberts Creek. We are aligned with our shareholders: Insiders own approximately 25% of Fremont. On behalf of the Board of Directors, "Blaine Monaghan" CEO Telephone: +1 604-676-5664 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. www.fremontgold.net 1 McEwen's website 2 Internal report, Atlas Precious Metals, Mines, December 13, 1995, prepared by Pincock, Allen & Holt 3 The Company has not verified these historical resources and is not treating these historical estimates as current mineral resources 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 Certain statements and information contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are referred to collectively as "forward-looking statements". The United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "seek", "expect", "anticipate", "budget", "plan", "estimate", "continue", "forecast", "intend", "believe", "predict", "potential", "target", "may", "could", "would", "might", "will", "hope", "will be", "expected" and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements in this and other press releases include but are not limited to statements and information regarding the use of proceeds and the focus and timing of the drilling programs at the Company's projects. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Fremont undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pretium Resources Inc. (TSX/NYSE:PVG) (Pretivm or the Company) is pleased to provide an update on the progress from the 2018 exploration activities at the Valley of the Kings and the Bowser Claims along with plans for 2019. 2018 Regional Grass-roots Exploration Results Results of the 8,000-meter regional exploration drill program conducted on the Bowser Claims confirm the presence of Brucejack style high-grade gold mineralization hosted in broad zones of low-grade stockwork, highlighting the potential for discovery of porphyry-related copper-gold mineralization and high-level epithermal mineralization on the property (see Table 1 below for select assays). Additional drilling is being planned to further evaluate these targets in 2019. The wholly-owned, approximately 1,200-square-kilometer Bowser Claims, located east of the Brucejack Mine, include the American Creek, Bluffy, and Koopa Zones, along with the newly discovered Upper Kirkham Zone. A summary of results by zones follows. Plan view of the 2018 program American Creek Zone Several gold and silver epithermal targets were tested in the American Creek Zone, located approximately 25 kilometers southeast of the Brucejack Mine. Drilling successfully intersected broad zones of low-grade mineralization at the north end of the American Creek Zone (Lillianne showing) and an upper expression of a polymetallic epithermal vein system near the center of the American Creek Zone (Virginia K showing). At the south end of the American Creek Zone (Outlaw showing), vein-hosted copper mineralization was intersected which is interpreted as the upper expression of a porphyry system. A review of the strong alteration and metal zonation intersected in drill core will be conducted over the winter to focus future drilling on the higher grade segments of these mineralization systems. Selected drill highlights from the American Creek Zone include: Hole BR-001 intersected 1.82 grams per tonne gold over 6.60 meters, including 9.19 grams per tonne gold and 196.00 grams per tonne silver over 0.74 meters. Hole BR-003 intersected 10.15 grams per tonne gold over 1.50 meters. Hole BR-007 intersected 0.47 grams per tonne gold over 10.70 meters, including 3.16 grams per tonne gold over 1.00 meters. Hole BR-016 intersected 41.54 grams per tonne silver, 0.56% lead and 2.12% zinc over 25.50 meters, including 230.00 grams per tonne silver, 1.00% lead and 7.55% zinc over 1.50 meters. Bluffy Zone The Bluffy Zone, located 30 kilometers south-southeast of the Brucejack Mine hosts disseminated sulphide mineralization in the Unuk River Formation of the Lower Hazelton Group, which also hosts the Valley of the Kings deposit. Drilling intersected broad zones of low-grade gold hosted in shear zones, which contain narrow veins of high grade gold and base metal values. This drilling has confirmed that a substantial mineral system was active at Bluffy and additional work is being planned to further delineate the higher grade mineralization. Koopa Zone The Koopa Zone, located approximately 30 kilometers east-southeast of the Brucejack Mine, is dominated by intensely quartz-sericite pyrite altered Salmon River Formation volcanics and Quock Formation sediments of the Upper Hazelton Group, which also hosts the Eskay Creek deposit. At Koopa, a structurally controlled epithermal system appears to be overprinting a VMS style alteration system. The stratigraphy, alteration, and broad halo of pathfinder elements are indicative of a potentially large mineralization system. Follow-up drilling in the Koopa Zone is planned in 2019. Upper Kirkham Zone The 2018 prospecting program successfully resulted in the discovery of the Upper Kirkham Zone, located four kilometers southwest of the Bowser Camp. Epithermal-style polymetallic veins with strong quartz-sericite pyrite alteration halos were intersected in an area recently exposed by the receding glacier. Prospecting samples collected across the Upper Kirkham Zone returned assays as high as 3.55 grams per tonne of gold, greater than 10,000 grams per tonne of silver, 4.71% copper, greater than 20% lead and 3.81% zinc. Follow-up drilling as well as additional prospecting is planned to resume in 2019. 2019 Regional Exploration The regional exploration campaign was initiated in 2016 to identify mineralized zones similar to the Valley of the Kings and Eskay Creek deposits. In 2019, this work will continue with additional drilling planned in the areas tested this year, and continued expansion of the regional prospecting and mapping programs, with an emphasis on continued identification of Eskay Creek style VMS mineralization in the preserved Salmon River formation, and epithermal and porphyry related gold mineralization in the deeper parts of the stratigraphy. The comprehensive regional exploration program has included the collection of over 13,000 samples, regional mapping, prospecting, airborne geophysics, ground geophysics, hyperspectral mapping, and data compilation. Kenneth C. McNaughton, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., Chief Exploration Officer, Pretium Resources Inc. is the Qualified Person (QP) responsible for the 2018 and 2019 regional grassroots exploration program. 2019 Underground Exploration Drilling for Porphyry Source Over the summer, a surface geophysical program was conducted to follow-up on the successful underground exploration drilling that demonstrated mineralization continuity between the Valley of the Kings and the Flow Dome Zone, an area approximately 1,000 meters east of the Brucejack Mine (see news release dated June 18, 2018). Two drill holes, both over 1,500-meters in length, drilled east from the Valley of the Kings intersected Brucejack-style mineralization throughout. In addition, the drilling intersected anomalous copper and molybdenum mineralization, which coupled with mineralogical indicators, suggest proximity to porphyry-style mineralization at depth. Results from the follow-up geophysical program which included downhole and surface IP and reflection seismic surveys, are currently being processed. Mineral chemistry evaluation for porphyry vectoring and geochronology of porphyritic material at depth is currently underway. The drill results, along with the geophysics and mineral chemistry, will be integrated to refine targeting of this zone for subsequent drilling. Preliminary plans are to drill three to four targeted holes to further test the porphyry potential below the Flow Dome Zone. Valley of the Kings Resource Definition and Expansion Drilling Zones at depth, to the east, west and north-east of the Valley of the Kings resource will be drilled as part of an approximately 70,000 meter drill program planned for 2019. The purpose of the drilling is to expand the current mineral resource and reserve to the east and at depth and to improve resource definition ahead of mining. The area to the north-east of the currently defined mineral resource is considered highly prospective for additional resource expansion. A re-interpretation of previous drill results indicates the presence of a repetition, through faulting, of the key stratigraphy that hosts high-grade gold mineralization in the Valley of the Kings. Warwick Board, Ph.D., P.Geo, Pr.Sci.Nat., Vice President, Geology and Chief Geologist, Pretium Resources Inc. is the QP responsible for the Brucejack Mine resource and exploration drilling. Table 1: Selected Grass-roots Exploration Drill Results, November 2018 (BR-001 to BR-034)(1,2) Hole No. Dip/ Azimuth From (meters) To (meters) Interval (meters) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Copper (%) Lead (%) Zinc (%) Comments American Creek Zone BR-001 -55/60 5.82 11.38 5.56 0.95 100.99 0.09 0.32 0.61 Lillianne Incl 10.64 11.38 0.74 5.36 84.70 0.37 0.25 0.19 105.90 112.50 6.60 1.82 36.18 - - 0.28 Incl 105.90 107.06 1.16 9.19 196.00 0.43 0.25 1.33 BR-002 -60/60 6.00 11.50 5.50 0.58 313.26 0.25 0.24 0.81 Lillianne BR-003 -60/140 158.50 160.00 1.50 10.15 6.33 - - - Moonlight BR-004 -60/270 119.35 120.00 0.65 0.31 11.85 - - 0.56 Lillianne BR-008 -55/60 19.00 19.50 0.50 0.19 247.00 - - - Lillianne 102.06 102.56 0.50 0.73 78.20 0.41 - - BR-010 -55/60 21.50 23.00 1.50 0.40 197.00 - - 0.15 Lillianne 154.50 163.50 9.00 0.40 12.50 - - - Incl 162.00 163.50 1.50 1.23 69.70 0.16 - 0.11 BR-011 -75/60 39.00 48.00 9.00 0.68 77.10 - - 0.33 Lillianne Incl 39.00 41.00 2.00 0.37 147.05 - - 0.36 Incl 45.00 46.00 1.00 4.90 57.50 0.45 0.12 0.38 Incl 47.00 48.00 1.00 0.262 298 - - 0.22 BR-012 -55/60 114.2 115.05 0.85 1.09 23.70 0.28 - - Lillianne 174.2 174.88 0.68 0.59 33.10 - - 0.86 184.00 192.00 8.00 0.08 221.99 - - - Incl 184.00 186.00 2.00 0.09 795.00 0.29 - - BR-016 -60/270 33.00 58.50 25.50 0.01 41.54 - 0.56 2.12 Virginia K Incl 33.00 34.50 1.50 0.01 70.20 - 0.49 11.60 Incl 45.00 46.50 1.50 0.02 230.00 - 1.00 7.55 Incl 54.00 60.00 6.00 0.03 56.50 - 1.45 2.90 BR-019 -50/60 93.00 96.00 3.00 0.70 2.81 - - - Moonlight 222.00 223.00 1.00 0.05 322.00 - - - BR-021 -60/60 24.00 28.50 4.50 0.62 2.55 - - 0.68 Lillianne 49.50 57.00 7.50 0.57 6.00 - - - 102.00 106.50 4.50 0.89 2.35 - - - Incl 105.00 106.50 1.50 2.09 1.86 - - - 212.00 213.00 1.00 1.46 7.48 - - 0.14 BR-026 -45/315 7.80 10.50 2.70 0.00 1.74 0.22 - - Outlaw 15.00 18.50 3.50 0.01 2.66 0.34 - - Incl 18 18.5 0.5 0.03 14.70 1.73 - - BR-027 -75/315 9.00 12.00 3.00 0.04 6.97 0.75 - - Outlaw Incl 10.00 10.50 0.50 0.08 28.50 2.21 - - 19.00 21.60 2.60 0.00 1.85 0.28 - - Incl 21.00 21.60 0.60 0.01 4.84 0.85 - - Bluffy Zone BR-005 -45/225 40.50 42.00 1.50 0.61 4.25 - - - 121.85 123.15 1.30 1.06 1.24 - - - 134.95 135.55 0.60 0.31 12.05 - 0.31 0.54 BR-006 -60/225 36.00 39.00 3.00 0.77 0.81 - - - 45.00 46.50 1.50 0.74 35.10 - 0.74 1.55 87.00 90.00 3.00 1.52 23.85 - 0.17 0.19 133.00 143.50 10.50 0.69 2.93 - - - Incl 140.50 143.50 3.00 1.74 3.56 - - - BR-007 -60/130 60.50 71.00 10.50 0.22 1.27 - - - 80.00 90.70 10.70 0.47 18.16 - 0.27 0.52 Incl 80.00 81.00 1.00 3.16 3.50 - - - Incl 86.50 87.70 1.20 0.44 115.00 0.12 1.78 3.97 125.50 135.00 9.50 0.24 19.07 - 0.24 0.34 Incl 130.00 130.85 0.85 0.28 119.00 - 1.02 1.51 Incl 132.00 135.00 3.00 0.62 5.33 - - - 141.00 163.50 22.50 0.13 1.27 - - - BR-013 -45/130 16.00 17.50 1.5 1.09 12.20 - - - 37.50 42.00 4.50 0.78 2.74 - - - Incl 37.50 38.50 1.00 1.03 3.85 - - - Incl 39.00 40.00 1.00 2.02 3.49 - - - 57.00 60.00 3.00 0.57 33.37 - 0.67 0.56 Incl 57.00 57.50 0.50 2.10 138.00 - 3.09 2.58 71.00 71.50 0.50 0.11 81.70 - 1.75 1.05 115.50 117.00 1.50 1.48 8.72 - - - BR-014 -45/40 37.00 40.00 3.00 0.30 2.59 - - - 39.00 40.00 1.00 0.53 2.39 - - - BR-015 -60/225 2.73 5.00 2.27 0.94 20.62 - - - Incl 3.26 3.82 0.56 2.86 69.20 - - - 48.50 57.50 9.00 1.21 35.28 - 0.14 0.16 Incl 53.00 56.00 3.00 2.05 32.15 - - - Incl 57.00 57.50 0.50 1.58 284.00 - 1.99 1.92 123.00 130.50 7.50 0.59 6.73 - - - BR-017 -45/135 5.00 6.00 1.00 4.39 37.90 - 0.37 0.67 146.00 150.50 4.50 0.86 8.72 - - - BR-018 -60/45 139.00 143.50 4.50 0.40 2.08 - - 0.18 299.00 302.00 3.00 0.58 2.26 - - - 320.50 322.00 1.50 0.71 0.73 - - - 372.00 380.50 8.50 0.20 0.48 - - - Incl 372.00 373.00 1.00 0.70 0.66 - - - BR-020 -45/45 85.00 97.00 12.00 0.34 4.02 - - - Incl 91.00 92.00 1.00 1.07 4.90 - - - Incl 95.50 97.00 1.50 1.05 0.74 - - - 233.00 236.00 3.00 0.72 21.04 - - - Incl 234.00 235.00 1.00 1.41 53.80 - - - 255.50 261.50 6.00 0.53 2.13 - - - Incl 257.00 258.50 1.50 1.11 2.03 - - - 273.50 276.50 3.00 0.47 2.44 - - - Haimila Zone BR-028 -50/315 292.50 294.00 1.50 0.01 800.00 - - - Koopa Zone BR-029 -45/45 31.50 34.50 3.00 0.08 2.27 - 0.12 0.22 132.00 133.00 1.00 0.07 5.28 - 0.18 0.31 228.00 229.50 1.50 0.04 15.55 - - 0.24 BR-033 -45/225 46.50 48.50 2.00 0.04 3.45 - - 0.15 BR-034 -85/90 261.00 262.43 1.43 0.50 5.82 - - - 397.50 400.50 3.00 0.18 2.00 - - - (1) True thickness to be determined. (2) All samples were submitted for preparation and analysis by ALS Chemex at its facilities in Terrace, B.C. All samples were analyzed using multi-digestion with ICP finish and fire assay with AA finish for gold. Samples over 100 ppm silver were reanalyzed using four acid digestion with an ore grade AA finish. Samples over 1,500 ppm silver were fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. Samples with over 10 ppm gold were fire assayed with a gravimetric finish. One in 20 samples was blank, one in 20 was a standard sample, and one in 20 samples had a sample cut from assay rejects assayed as a field duplicate at ALS Chemex in North Vancouver, B.C. About Pretivm Pretivm is a low-cost intermediate gold producer with the high-grade underground Brucejack Mine in northern British Columbia. For further information contact: Joseph Ovsenek Troy Shultz President & CEO Manager, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications Pretium Resources Inc. Suite 2300, Four Bentall Centre, 1055 Dunsmuir Street PO Box 49334 Vancouver, BC V7X 1L4 (604) 558-1784 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (SEDAR filings: Pretium Resources Inc.) Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information, forward looking statements, future oriented financial information and/or financial outlooks within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation (collectively herein referred to as forward-looking statements or forward-looking information). The purpose of disclosing future oriented financial information and financial outlooks is to provide a general overview of managements expectations regarding the anticipated results of operations and costs thereof and readers are cautioned that future oriented financial information and financial outlook may not be appropriate for other purposes. Wherever possible, words such as plans, expects, guidance, projects, assumes, budget, strategy, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, anticipates, believes, intends, modeled, targets and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative forms of any of these terms and similar expressions, have been used to identify forward-looking statements and information. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information may include, but is not limited to, information with respect to: our planned mining, exploration and development activities, including our regional grass-roots exploration program, our deep hole underground exploration drilling and our expansion drilling, and the results, plans and timing thereof; production and cost guidance; anticipated results of our operations; our operational grade control program, including plans with respect to our infill drill program and our local grade control model; the reconciliation of the global resource model for the Valley of the Kings and the anticipated timing thereof; capital and operating cost estimates; production and processing estimates; the future price of gold and silver; the adequacy of our financial resources; our intentions with respect to our capital resources; our financing activities, including plans for the use of proceeds thereof; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources including the 2016 Valley of the Kings Mineral Resource estimate and the Brucejack Mineral Reserve estimate; realization of mineral reserve and resource estimates; timing of further development of our Brucejack Mine; costs and timing of future exploration and development; results of future exploration and drilling and timing of such results; capital and operating cost estimates; timelines and similar statements relating to the economic viability of the Brucejack Mine, including mine life, total tonnes mined and processed and mining operations; timing, receipt, and anticipated effects of approvals, consents and permits under applicable legislation; our executive compensation approach and practice; our relationship with community stakeholders; litigation matters; environmental matters; and statements regarding USD cash flows currency fluctuations and the recurrence of foreign currency translation adjustments. Statements concerning mineral resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered if the property is developed. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to materially differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those related to: the accuracy of our mineral resource and reserve estimates (including with respect to size, grade and recoverability) and the geological, operational and price assumptions on which they are based; uncertainties relating to inferred mineral resources being converted into measured or indicated mineral resources; commodity price fluctuations, including gold price volatility; general economic conditions; the inherent risk in the mining industry; significant governmental regulations; currency fluctuations, and such other risks as are identified in Pretivms Annual Information Form dated March 28, 2018, Form 40-F dated March 28, 2018 and other applicable disclosure documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and in the United States through EDGAR at the Security and Exchange Commissions website at www.sec.gov (collectively, the Pretivm Disclosure Documents). Our forward-looking statements are based on the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and opinions of management on the date the statements are made, many of which may be difficult to predict and beyond our control. In connection with the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, we have made certain assumptions about our business, including about our exploration, development and production activities, and the results, costs and timing thereof; timing and receipt of approvals, consents and permits under applicable legislation; the geopolitical, economic, permitting and legal climate that we operate in; the price of gold and other commodities; exchange rates; market competition; the adequacy of our financial resources, and such other material assumptions as are identified in the Pretivm Disclosure Documents. We have also assumed that no significant events will occur outside of our normal course of business. Although we believe that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date of this news release, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein. We do not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by applicable law. For the reasons set forth above, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Neither the TSX nor the NYSE has approved or disapproved of the information contained herein. GRAND BAIE, Mauritius, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alphamin Resources Corp. (AFM: TSXV, Alphamin or the Company) is pleased to announce an update on progress at its Bisie Tin Project. Project update The Companys 80.75% owned DRC subsidiary, Alphamin Bisie Mining SA (ABM) has now received all approvals required to draw down the final $20m of its previously announced $80m credit facility (the Credit Facility). Funds are expected to be received by Monday 10 December and, based on current projections, should be sufficient to see the Company into production. Cold commissioning of the crushing circuit is expected to start in the first half of December, while the completion of construction of the gravity concentration building and tailings storage facility remain on track for Q1, 2019. Hot commissioning (first ore through the plant) is currently expected to commence in late March 2019. As disclosed in the Companys Management Discussion and Analysis on November 28, 2018 the Company continues to assess the impact of the likely change of mining method. Rock conditions underground have led management to review the suitability of the Sub Level Caving mining method previously planned at Bisie. A Cut and Fill mining method is being analysed and if approved, would result in changes to the operating costs, mined grade, recovery and mineral reserves. Management expect to receive a revised mining schedule from its technical mining consultants on or around December 7, 2018. An updated reserve statement and 43-101 is expected to be issued in Q1, 2019. Grant of stock options The Company also announces that, subject to regulatory approval, it has granted 7,235,861 stock options under its stock option plan to directors, officers and employees of the Company and its DRC subsidiary. All options carry the right to acquire one common share at a price of C$0.26 per share until 3 December 2025, with one third of the options vesting after two 2 years, one third after 3 years and the final one third after 4 years from the date of grant. Further information, videos and photographs of the Projects progress are available on the Alphamin Resources Corp. website at www.alphaminresources.com EDITORS NOTES: FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Boris Kamstra Alphamin Resources Corp. Chief Executive Officer Tel: +230 269 4166 E-mail: 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 News Release. ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ALPHAMIN RESOURCES CORP. BY: Boris Kamstra, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +230 269 4166 Grand Baie, Mauritius CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Information in this news release that is not a statement of historical fact constitutes forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained herein include, without limitation, statements relating to the intended completion of additional financing and the anticipated use of funds from such financing, the participation of Tremont and other stakeholders, the satisfaction of conditions precedent under the Credit Facility, the Companys intentions to raise the balance of funding required to complete construction of the Project and the sources thereof, additional subscription by IDC, costs of production, success of mining operations, the ranking of the project in terms of cash cost and production, economic return estimates, social, community and environmental impacts, and continued positive discussions and relationships with local communities and stakeholders. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. 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. Although Alphamin 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. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: Alphamins ability to secure sufficient financing to advance and complete the Project, uncertainties associated with Alphamins resource and reserve estimates, uncertainties regarding the estimation of future costs, uncertainties regarding global supply and demand for tin and market and sales prices, uncertainties associated with securing off-take agreements and customer contracts, uncertainties with respect to social, community and environmental impacts, adverse political events, uncertainties with respect to optimization opportunities for the Project, as well as those risk factors set out in the Companys Management Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure documents available under the Companys profile at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this news release and Alphamin 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 applicable securities laws. TORONTO, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX: WDO) (Wesdome or the Company) today announces underground drifting and drilling results from ongoing 7 Zone exploration and development activities at the Companys wholly-owned Eagle River Mine in Wawa, Ontario. The Company is continuing to develop and explore the No. 7 zone, which is the intermediate zone parallel to the 300 zone to the north and the historic 8 zone to the south. All three zones are currently in production. Ongoing development on 1038 m level has now confirmed that mineralization east of the western core of the 7 zone, have merged to form one continuous zone now defined over 146 metres in strike length and grading 30.5 g/t Au uncut over an average true thickness of 2.61 metres (Figures 1 and 2). Sill development in the 7 zone over the past two years has returned the following results: Level Grade Uncut (g/t Au) Grade Cut (g/t Au) Width (m) Strike Length (m) Release Date 890 33.15 16.75 1.5 42.0 May 31, 2016 945 22.63 17.07 3.3 63.0 September 15, 2016 975 E 13.38 13.38 1.5 46.0 November 30, 2017 975 W 24.38 22.22 2.6 53.0 November 30, 2017 975 Combined 20.66 19.23 2.1 99.0 November 30, 2017 991 E 32.55 30.03 1.6 48.0 November 30, 2017 991 W 18.80 15.95 2.73 56.0 November 30, 2017 991 Combined 23.28 20.53 2.2 48.0 November 30, 2017 1006 E 33.83 29.67 1.7 51.7 March 27, 2018 1006 W 22.85 15.25 3.2 41.1 March 27, 2018 1006 Combined 27.39 21.21 2.3 92.8 March 27, 2018 1022 E 34.86 28.33 1.8 75.5 March 27, 2018 1022 W 10.33 10.33 2.7 47.3 March 27, 2018 1022 Combined 23.79 20.21 2.2 122.8 March 27, 2018 1038 30.47 22.13 2.61 146.7 December 6, 2018 *Assays cut to 125 g/t Au Additionally, ongoing drilling has now confirmed that this longer strike length extends to depth over an addition 100 metres to the 1,250 m level and remains open down dip. This extension is a substantial addition of potential resources compared to previous interpretations, and thus will be the focus of future drilling. Highlights from Drilling (Table 1): Hole 942-E-59: 151.44 g/t Au uncut (61.70 g/t Au cut) over 1.99 true width Hole 942-E-63: 47.32 g/t Au uncut (18.74 g/t Au Cut) over 3.36 true width Hole 942-E-64: 39.01 g/t Au uncut (23.63 g/t Au cut) over 2.47 m true width Hole 942-E-65: 33.21 g/t Au uncut (26.10 g/t Au cut) over 1.56 m true width Further, limited drilling indicates that the eastern extension of the 7 zone occurs to the southeast side of a northeast transecting diabase dyke, that is interpreted to offset the eastern extension approximately 20 metres. This area has potential to host additional resources and is open to the east. Drilling is planned for this area in 2019. A fourth drill has been added underground to better define and extend known zones and to identify the eastern extension of the parallel 300 and 7 zones to the east. Exploration surface drilling with two drills is ongoing to intersect these parallel zones closer to surface. Mr. Duncan Middlemiss, President and CEO commented, "We continue to be encouraged with the good continuity and good grades from the ongoing development at the 7 Zone, which now has a strike length defined of over 146 metres. These longer strike lengths will provide for enhanced mining flexibility and ultimately augmented production rates. Equally as exciting is the result of the recent drilling that has confirmed the 7 zone continues a minimum of an additional 100 metres down dip at similar grades and strike lengths, and it remains open to depth and to the east along strike on the southeast side of a crosscutting diabase dike. The 7 zone will be an important aspect of the Eagle River production over the coming years. The results confirm the ongoing success the mine has had with our exploration program of the parallel zones and we remain committed to aggressive exploration. The current program is utilizing four underground drills and two surface drills and in order to identify additional resources and workplaces for increased future production profiles. TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE The sampling of, and assay data from, underground drill core is monitored through the implementation of a quality assurance - quality control (QA-QC) program designed to follow industry best practice. Samples are transported in sealed bags to Eagle River Mine assay office in Wawa, Ontario. Samples are analyzed for gold using standard fire assay technique with gravimetric finish. Wesdome inserts blanks and certified reference standard in the sample sequence for quality control. The technical content of this release has been compiled, reviewed and approved by Michael Michaud, P.Geo., Vice President, Exploration of the Company and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. ABOUT WESDOME Wesdome Gold Mines is in its 30th year of continuous gold mining operations in Canada. The Company is 100% Canadian focused with a pipeline of projects in various stages of development. The Eagle River Complex in Wawa, Ontario is currently producing gold from two mines, the Eagle River Underground Mine and the Mishi Open pit, from a central mill. Wesdome is actively exploring its brownfields asset, the Kiena Complex in Val dOr, Quebec. The Kiena Complex is a fully permitted former mine with a 930 metre shaft and 2,000 tonne per day mill. The Company has further upside at its Moss Lake gold deposit, located 100 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is being evaluated to be developed in the appropriate gold price environment. The Company has approximately 133.9 million shares issued and outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WDO. For further information, please contact: Duncan Middlemiss or Lindsay Carpenter Dunlop President and CEO VP Investor Relations 416-360-3743 ext. 29 416-360-3743 ext. 25 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 220 Bay St, 12th floor Toronto, ON M5J 2W4 Toll Free: 1-866-4-WDO-TSX Phone: 416-360-3743, Fax: 416-360-7620 Website: www.wesdome.com This news release contains forward-looking information which may include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the future financial or operating performance of the Company and its projects. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained herein are made as of the date of this press release 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. 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. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances, managements estimates or opinions should change, except as required by securities legislation. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company has included in this news release certain non-IFRS performance measures, including, but not limited to, mine operating profit, mining and processing costs and cash costs. Cash costs per ounce reflect actual mine operating costs incurred during the fiscal period divided by the number of ounces produced. These measures are not defined under IFRS and therefore should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to or more meaningful than, net income (loss) or cash flow from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS as an indicator of our financial performance or liquidity. The Company believes that, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, certain investors use this information to evaluate the Company's performance and ability to generate cash flow Drilling Composites Hole No. From (m) To (m) Core Length (m) True Width (m) Grade (g/t Au) Cut Grade (125g/t Au) 942-E-49 173.85 176.20 2.35 1.51 31.27 31.27 942-E-55 164.10 166.20 2.10 1.48 20.17 20.17 942-E-56 189.80 192.40 2.60 1.99 9.96 9.96 942-E-57 205.40 207.55 2.15 1.65 8.64 8.64 942-E-59 194.25 196.55 2.30 1.99 151.44 61.70 942-E-60 226.10 229.80 3.70 3.03 30.42 30.42 942-E-62 172.90 175.90 3.00 2.30 27.55 27.55 942-E-63 147.70 151.80 4.10 3.36 47.32 18.74 942-E-66 143.90 145.55 1.65 1.50 29.21 23.89 942-E-67 178.90 181.05 2.15 1.86 22.80 22.80 942-E-50 194.50 196.35 1.85 1.52 2.27 2.27 942-E-51 211.70 213.55 1.85 1.52 10.29 10.29 942-E-58 230.60 232.70 2.10 1.61 7.58 7.58 942-E-61 242.05 247.20 5.15 3.64 9.64 9.64 942-E-64 242.70 247.00 4.30 2.47 39.01 23.63 942-E-65 270.60 272.80 2.20 1.56 33.21 26.10 942-E-70 290.75 292.60 1.85 1.52 2.93 2.93 942-E-84 159.00 161.15 2.15 1.52 9.83 9.83 942-E-86 187.10 189.05 1.95 1.49 8.11 8.11 942-E-87 214.30 216.25 1.95 1.49 19.33 19.33 942-E-100 201.05 203.40 2.35 1.51 19.98 19.98 942-E-101 229.90 232.05 2.15 1.52 6.35 6.35 942-E-105 284.50 286.85 2.35 1.51 4.27 4.27 844-E-222 263.85 266.00 2.15 1.52 8.51 8.51 PDF available: Click Here JUSTICEINFO.NET IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS Phil Clark Reader in Comparative and International Politics at Londons SOAS University After a multi-year field research in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Australian scholar Phil Clark recently published a book on the shortcomings of the International Criminal Court (ICC), providing innovative and constructive recommendations for a reform of the Court. As the ICCs Assembly of State Parties meets in The Hague, from the 5th to the 15th of December, Clark discusses his most important findings and analysis. WATCH A VIDEO CLIP Part 1: The ICC and Africa JUSTICEINFO.NET: Your book is entitled Distant Justice: The Impact of the International Criminal Court on African Politics. What do you mean by distant justice? PHIL CLARK: Distant justice refers to the ICCs attempts to separate itself from the societies where it investigates crimes, to safeguard its neutrality. This includes delivering justice remotely from The Hague. The Office of The Prosecutor (OTP) has a protocol limiting its investigators to ten days at a time in the field, to ensure their security. These investigators some of whom have spoken to me anonymously express frustration at having to work in places where they dont speak the language or [dont] have reliable networks of local informants, and where they interview witnesses who take great risks to speak to ICC staff. All of this is part of the ICCs idea of distant justice failing to hire African personnel, including investigators with local knowledge, or to spend enough time grappling with the local context, to enable it to build effective criminal cases. Distant justice makes the ICC unaccountable to conflict-affected communities and blind to the various negative consequences Distant justice also refers to the ICCs philosophy that justice requires hovering above the political fray, investigating and prosecuting individuals regardless of the on-the-ground consequences or the demands of the local context. This philosophy sees the local terrain as fundamentally corrupt, a pollutant from which the ICC needs to insulate itself so that it can remain impartial. The idea of distant justice clashes with the way the ICC prefers to portray itself through the principle of complementarity, which frames the Court as a back-stop institution to national processes and respectful of national sovereignty. My book argues that all of these components of distant justice make the ICC unaccountable to conflict-affected communities and blind to the various negative consequences the Court has produced on the ground. Has proximate justice been more effective, then? Yes. In different parts of Africa in the last ten or fifteen years, various kinds of proximate justice have proved to be effective. We can look at the Gacaca process in Rwanda, which has been controversial and imperfect, but it showed that it was possible to do justice in a different way, that you could have village trials prosecuting hundreds of thousands of every-day suspects and to do it in a way that was accessible to local people. But also and this is especially important for the ICC national courts, in various African states, have proven highly effective at dealing with serious atrocity crimes in courtrooms that are also accessible to communities affected by conflict. Involvement of the ICC in Africa In this video clip, Phil Clark explains that the ICC needs to start to back-off from intervening in african conflicts zones. I would cite the example of the Ituri courts in north-eastern DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo]. These courts which are imperfect in many ways have a track record of dealing with cases of crimes against humanity, including cases that involve middle and high-ranking members of the Congolese army. These investigations are being carried out by Congolese investigators, the trials are conducted by Congolese judges, in a language, in a legal form and in locations that are comprehensible to local people. In your opinion, what are the other ICCs limits that impede successful prosecutions? The Court especially the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) has so far struggled to gather effective evidence and to build effective cases because it has a tenuous grasp of complex conflict situations in Africa. As a result, more ICC cases have either collapsed before or during trial than have resulted in completed trials. Could you cite any ICCs success? The ICCs successes since its inauguration in 2002 are scant. Perhaps the ICCs greatest success to date is that it exists at all that enough countries around the world signed up to create this permanent global Court. Perhaps the ICCs greatest success to date is that it exists at all However, the Courts first 16 years suggest that it needs to do much more to become effective and globally respected. The ICC is failing to effectively prosecute people in power. Its only been able to prosecute rebel leaders, state actors who become vulnerable and go into exile. How do you explain it? The ICC relies fundamentally on cooperation with states, including those accused of committing serious crimes. The Court has no police or military branch capable of providing security to its investigators in the field or enforcing arrest warrants all of which it seeks from state actors. On top of this, the ICC has developed very cosy relations with governments such as those of Uganda and the DRC. In my book, I lay out how those relations unfolded and how assurances were made that government suspects wouldnt be investigated in those countries in exchange for state cooperation throughout the ICCs investigations. This means that the ICC is structurally incapable of effectively investigating and prosecuting sitting members of government. It is only a Court for addressing atrocities committed by non-state actors such as rebel leaders or deposed political leaders. Assurances were made that government suspects wouldnt be investigated in those countries in exchange for state cooperation Because the Court has only gone after non-state actors, its also further entrenched these governments because they are able to use the Court as a weapon against their military and political opponents. For example, in Uganda, the ICC has only gone after the LRA [Lords Resistance Army, a rebel group] and not Musevenis government. In the DRC, the Court has gone after the likes of Jean-Pierre Bemba, the major political opponent to Joseph Kabila. The message this sends to political and military elites around the world is that if you cling to power, you can protect yourself from prosecution. If you lose power as former DRC Vice-President Jean Pierre Bemba, or former rebel leader and former member of the Central African Republic parliament Alfred Yekatom did then you become vulnerable to being sent to The Hague. Some have claimed that the ICC acts as a neo-colonial actor in Africa. What is your opinion? Ive never fully bought the argument of the ICCs neo-colonialism, which frames the Court as an all-powerful actor targeting poor, defenceless African states. Instead, the Court has proven to be a weak institution that has been all too easily manipulated by African governments, including those of Uganda and the DRC. Ive never fully bought the argument of the ICCs neo-colonialism, which frames the Court as an all-powerful actor targeting poor, defenceless African states. Nevertheless, the ICC was politically naive to focus singularly on African conflicts and African suspects for its first 14 years of operation (only in 2016 did the Court open its first non-African situation in the Georgia-Russia conflict). This left the Court open to this criticism of being a neo-colonial meddler in African affairs. Given Africas fraught history with all manner of international interventions including by colonial powers, the World Bank and IMF [International Monetary Fund] structural adjustment policies, foreign donors, UN peacekeeping missions, etc. it was inevitable that the ICC would be seen as the latest in this long line of damaging outsiders. Why have some African states threatened to withdraw from the ICC? African states have myriad motivations for threatening to withdraw from the ICC. Some states simply want to protect their own leaders from prosecution. Others are worried more broadly about the impact of an unaccountable international court meddling in their affairs. Some African states are also concerned that the Rome Statute limits their flexibility in responding to mass crimes in their own ways. For example, if South Africa wanted to use a truth and reconciliation commission that granted amnesties today as it did after 1994 to deal with high-ranking suspects from the apartheid era it would be almost impossible to do so under the strictures of the ICC. The Court and its backers would demand that South Africa prosecute these suspects, regardless of the impact on the kind of complex political negotiations that led to the 1994 transition. Why the threat of several countries, including Kenya and South Africa, to withdraw from the Rome Statute has only been followed up by Burundi? Because of the ICCs reliance on state cooperation, African governments have worked out they can use the Court to target their military and political opponents, while protecting themselves from prosecution. This is a major reason that only a handful of African states have threatened to withdraw from the ICC. Many African states like to have the ICC around in case they need to use it as a weapon against their opponents. Many African states like to have the ICC around in case they need to use it as a weapon against their opponents. Cooperating with the ICC is also useful for their international image. The Ugandan government, for example, has become increasingly critical of the ICC while continuing to use it against the LRA rebels. This is vintage behaviour from the Museveni government to lambast international actors while using them for its own political ends. Part 2: Lessons from Uganda and the DRC Why did your research work focus on Uganda and the DRC? The book focuses on these two situations because they were the first and most developed of those covered by the ICC, providing six out of its ten completed cases. This allows an in-depth examination of all aspects of the ICCs work from the launch of investigations, the Courts community outreach strategies, negotiations with domestic political and judicial actors and the conduct of trials and their aftermath. All of these different features of the ICCs operations have had marked effects on the political and social landscape in Uganda and DRC. What are the major negative consequences produced by ICCs intervention that you have identified? The first is political. I argue that especially in Uganda and DRC the ICC has emboldened these governments which are already highly corrupt and violent towards their civilian populations. The ICC has encouraged this kind of state behaviour by developing such close working relationships with these governments. It has conducted its investigations in lock-step with the two states. My interviews suggest there were deals done behind the scenes to ensure there would not be investigations into government crimes in either Uganda or Congo. The consequence is that these governments have no hesitation in continuing to commit these kinds of crimes because they think: If the ICC, as the major international body looking at us, scrutinising us, isnt going to investigate us, then there is no deterrent. My interviews suggest that there were deals done behind the scenes to ensure there would not be investigations into government crimes in either Uganda and the DRC. The Court has also produced a range of negative legal consequences. In particular, in my view, it has stolen cases that should have been prosecuted by domestic institutions. The main example is what happened in Ituri, in the DRC, where the domestic courts were investigating a series of Congolese rebel leaders who were subsequently whisked off to the Hague for prosecution. This has demoralised the national judiciary, which had undergone a major reform process, felt that it was capable of dealing with these serious cases and could point to a track record of doing so. There is a huge amount of frustration within the national courts, that they have been unable to deal with these cases. This does a massive disservice to national judiciary in various parts of Africa. You have claimed that ICCs interventions have resulted in the disruption of fragile peace deals. Could you cite an example? The most concrete example is the Ugandan peace process between 2006 and 2008, between the Ugandan government and the LRA. The ICC had issued arrest warrants for five LRA commanders about two years before the Juba process began. During the peace talks there was a continuous call [from] the LRA delegation either to drop the arrest warrants altogether, or to pause the ICC investigations for one year renewable which is permissible under the Rome Statue to see whether the peace talks would produce a positive outcome. The ICC refused to do that and insisted that, even if the peace process was under way, it needed to prosecute these individuals. What that meant was that the ICC totally dominated the two years of those talks. Almost every single issue was negotiated in the shadow of the ICCs threat. In my interviews in Juba at the time of the talks, with many of the key actors, it was clear that the parties were not making significant progress on most of the difficult issues in the negotiations because they were spending so much time dealing with the ICC question. There are a lot of reasons that the talks ultimately collapsed, but certainly it did not help that the ICC was hovering above the process. One of the practical consequences of the ICCs intervention was that none of the LRA commanders themselves were at the negotiating table. One of the practical consequences of the ICCs intervention was that none of the LRA commanders themselves were at the negotiating table. That weakened the whole process, because it meant that the rebel leadership was having to act through intermediaries and the government side were never sure that the deals being done at the table had the approval of Joseph Kony, Vincent Otti and others who were in the bush. The other major problem in Juba, was that the ICC thwarted the possibility of using an amnesty for high level suspects even though at the time the LRA leadership was eligible for an amnesty under Ugandan law. It meant that the negotiators were denied one of the major incentives to achieve peace. That limited the avenues the negotiators could go down to get a final agreement. The Uganda case really underlined how interfering the Court can be when peace is being negotiated and the ways in which it hampers flexibility and creativity during peace talks. How do you see the simultaneous opening of the Dominic Ongwen trial at the ICC in The Hague and the Thomas Kwoyelo trial in Gulu? Whats most important about these simultaneous Ugandan trials is that the latter, for all its faults, shows that the Ugandan national courts are capable of addressing major atrocity cases. It has taken too long for the Kwoyelo trial to start and there are still outstanding legal questions over why he doesnt qualify for an amnesty under Ugandan law. But the fact that hes being prosecuted before the functional International Crimes Division of the Ugandan Supreme Court shows that Uganda possesses a court that could also handle Ongwens case. Some Ugandan judicial actors are currently saying the same that Ongwen should have been sent to Uganda rather than The Hague for trial and that it wouldve given a major boost to the domestic judicial system (which has undergone major reforms over the last decade) to prosecute such a high profile suspect. The Ugandan government knows that it has successfully manipulated the ICC to ensure Ongwens trial involves no evidence that points back to state crimes committed in northern Uganda. The key, though, is that the Musevenis government believed its interests were better served by sending Ongwen to the ICC than prosecuting him domestically. The Ugandan government knows that it has successfully manipulated the ICC to ensure Ongwens trial involves no evidence that points back to state crimes committed in northern Uganda. In contrast, a domestic trial conducted by a reformed judiciary in a febrile national environment may produce results the government doesnt want. The Ugandan government couldnt take that risk. Part 3 : Recommendations It is mainstream now to criticize the ICC. What is the new perspective that you offer? A lot of criticism of the Court up until now has been very general. Things like the Court being a neo-colonial actor in Africa, just to pick one. What my book does is get on the ground much more systematically, at both the national and the community levels, in Uganda and the DRC, to look at the various ways in which the Court is intervening and creating all sorts of political and social problems. In response, the conclusion to Distant Justice sets out quite an ambitious reform agenda for the ICC. The starting point is attitudinal the ICC needs to be more humble and more deferential to national actors, especially in light of a new wave of energetic national courts across Africa. These are often handling more serious cases than those tackled by the ICC, including cases involving government actors a category the ICC has proven incapable of handling. The ICC also needs to be willing to back off during delicate peace negotiations and other domestic responses to mass conflicts. The ICC also needs to be willing to back off during delicate peace negotiations and other domestic responses to mass conflicts, such as truth commissions and combatant demobilisation programmes. It should only intervene in the most exceptional cases. It may mean taking a back seat to processes that the Court itself doesnt particularly like such as amnesty processes and allowing states and local actors to use community-based approaches if those processes are deemed to be more effective in the local domain. For example, I see no compelling reason why as some Acholi actors argued during the Juba talks Joseph Kony shouldnt have been dealt with through community-based rituals in northern Uganda rather than the ICC. The Court needs to take local context more seriously, by hiring nationals from the countries where it investigates crimes; to learn more about national law and politics before ploughing in; to listen more to the needs and concerns of conflict-affected communities ; and to hold trials in the same locations where atrocities were committed, rather than in The Hague. The Burundi government has ordered the United Nations Human Rights Council to shut its office in the country within two months, foreign ministry and UN sources told AFP. The government on Wednesday sent a verbal note to resident UN coordinator Garry Conille to transmit the message to the rights councils High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet in Geneva. All international staff must be immediately redeployed and the office has two months to pack up and close its doors, according to the high ranking source at the foreign ministry, speaking on condition of anonymity. A UN source confirmed the information, but also asked not to be named. The Burundi government is growing more radical and defiant towards the international community, the source said, highlighting Bujumburas boycott of an East African Community Summit in November. The gathering of regional heads of state in Tanzania, was meant to focus on the ongoing political crisis in Burundi, after several rounds of mediation failed due to government refusing to meet with exiled opposition groups. Burundis absence forced the postponement of the summit to December 27. Burundi has been locked in crisis since President Pierre Nkurunziza in April 2015 announced he would seek a controversial third term in office, sparking civil unrest that has left 1,200 dead and over 400,000 displaced. In October 2016 Burundi suspended co-operation with the UNs human rights office over its complicity in a report accusing Bujumbura of systematic abuses and warning of a risk of genocide. In September this year Burundi threatened to quit the rights council altogether after another report pointed to crimes against humanity in the country. In 2017 Burundi became the first nation to leave the International Criminal Court after it launched a probe into the alleged atrocities in the country. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday denied rumors that Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Galileo Gerard Kintanar Jr. was fired. AFP public affairs chief Col. Noel Detoyato said, Kintanar who was supposed to retire in January 2020 stepped down so junior officers could climb up the ladder. "It was an internal matter between officers... Nag-give way na siya (He gave way) because there are some junior officers who (have) to go up kasi mauubusan na rin ng time (because they're running out of time)," Detoyato said in a press briefing, describing the AFP as a "very dynamic and professional organization." He dismissed claims by MaxDefense, a group of local defense enthusiasts, that Kintanar was relieved for opposing Malacanang's choice of type of helicopters to be acquired under the AFP's modernization program. "We take it as their opinion. At the end of the day there will be 1,000 opinions but it is still their own personal opinion," Detoyato said. The group likened Kintanar's fate to that of Former Navy Flag-Officer-In-Command Vice Admiral Ronald Joseph Mercado, who was dismissed in December 2017 for supposed insubordination that resulted in the delay of a controversial multi-billion peso frigate deal. Detoyato said he could not describe as "fake news" MaxDefense's public Facebook post because "that is the truth that they knew." Lt. Gen. Rozzano Briguez will replace Kintanar, according to appointment papers obtained by CNN Philippines Wednesday. Detoyato described Briguez as "very intellectual and soft-spoken." Briguez became head of the AFP Western Command in 2017, a post he also took over from Kintanar when the outgoing Air Force Chief was appointed to his post in October of the same year. GRANTS PASS, Ore. After spending the month of November raising money with their "#DBMOVEMBER" campaign, Dutch Bros Coffee says that that it has raised $100,000 for the Movember Foundation "the leading charity dedicated to changing the face of men's health in the United States and around the world." Were stoked our customers came together to support mens health issues, said Travis Boersma, CEO and co-founder of Dutch Bros Coffee. Were honored to support the Movember Foundation and all the amazing work it does. Dutch Bros raised that money by selling limited edition #DBMOVEMBER reusable straws, proudly brandishing mustaches. While most are familiar with Movember as a concept, not everyone knows that it stems from the Movember Foundation. "The Movember Foundations campaign started in 2003 with 30 men growing moustaches during the month of November, in an effort to raise awareness for mens health issues. Since 2003, more than 5 million men and women have joined the men's health movement, raising $837 million and funding over 1,200 programs in 20 countries focused on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. In 2019, the Movember Foundation will debut its 50 Million Men initiative, which aims to improve the health of 50 million American men over the next five years," Dutch Bros said. More than 300 Dutch Bros locations across seven states participated in the fundraiser. Just last month, the company raised more than $400,000 for California wildfire relief by matching $150,000 in customer donations. We are grateful to Dutch Bros for their unyielding commitment and partnership to ensure men live happier, healthier, longer lives, noted John Owens, USA Country Director for the Movember Foundation. Through raising vitals funds and awareness, together we are able to make an impactful and lasting difference to stop men from dying too young. MEDFORD, Ore.- George H.W. Bush will be laid to rest in Texas Thursday. The former President visited Medford during his Presidential campaigns in 1988 and 1992. Newswatch 12 dug into our archives to relive his visit. In 1988, then-Vice President Bush visited with the people of Medford during his first Presidential Campaign. Bush won that election against Democrat candidate Michael Dukakis. In 1992, Bush returned to campaign at one of the local mills. Bush ended up losing his re-election bid to Democrat Bill Clinton. George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st President of the United States. He died at the of age 94. The president's health had been in decline in recent months. He is survived by his five children, including former President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Bush was with there his wife when she died at the age of 92 on April 17. MEDFORD, Ore. -- The Jackson County Jail is over-capacity. This means every day, law enforcement is forced to release people it would otherwise detain. The jail was built nearly 40 years ago. It was originally designed to house about 160 inmates. It has been expanded over the years and can now house 300 during the day and 315 at night. Most days, it houses around 334 people. This affects many aspects of law enforcement, including the courts. "The criminal justice system in Jackson County is broken," explains Judge Lorenzo Mejia. "Getting a new jail would be a major fix." One reason for this is the number of people that fail to show up to their court date. "Sometimes we have a hundred cases set for arraignment," Mejia says. "We'll be lucky if 50% of those people show up." A new jail would allow the courts to hold people arrested until their court appearance. However, the estimated price of a new jail is around $100,000,000. "I understand it is a big expense," explains Mejia. "I am not a lock em up and throw away the key guy. But basically, if the criminal justice system does not function, that is a real tax on the community, an ongoing tax, where there is no benefit." Sheriff Nathan Sickler says a healthy jail operates at around 15 to 20 percent under capacity. Jackson County authorities, spearheaded by the Sheriff's Office, recently produced the following video regarding the issue: This article was previously published with the results of the BOLI investigation. It now includes interviews with former trainee Daniel Ensley and Chief Tighe O'Meara. PORTLAND, Ore. A former employee of the Ashland Police Department (APD) believes he was fired for making a complaint to Oregon's labor regulators after he noticed that law enforcement trainees were not paid for all hours worked at the state's police academy. An investigation by the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) beginning in October ultimately found that police trainee Daniel Ensley was correct in his complaint. However, he would be terminated by the APD regardless. "My father is law enforcement, my grandpa is law enforcement and my great grandpa is law enforcement," Ensley told NewsWatch 12. After a stint in the military, Ensley had planned to be the fourth generation in his family to wear blue. Law enforcement trainees receive their education from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) in Salem. This training, however, is considered to be work and according to BOLI, trainees are supposed to be paid for all hours that they work by the agency that sent them to the academy. After being hired by the APD, Ensley began his 16-week training program at DPSST. However, he quickly noticed that he and many other trainees were expected to work hours for which they would not be paid. "We're only gonna write forty hours on our time cards, it's all gonna balance out in the end . . . just do it that way," Ensley says he was told. When Ensley tried to bring the issue up with a sergeant, he says he was told that there was no expectation of overtime pay. Finally, Ensley turned to BOLI. "BOLI received a complaint from a trainee at the DPSST alleging that he was not being paid by his home agency for all hours worked," said Christine E. Lewis, Legislative and Communications Director with BOLI. The resulting investigation uncovered a disconnect. The home law enforcement agencies tended to pay their employees for a flat 40-hour work-week, while DPSST might require more hours of work without those adjusted hours being logged. BOLI officials found that trainees of DPSST were often required to attend a flag ceremony before their classes began most mornings, spent their allotted breaks marching in formation, spent lunch or evening hours working on reports of varying length, and sometimes had to dedicate extra time outside of class toward a community policing project. "Other trainees reported that they did not fill out their own time-cards while at the Academy and that they were getting paid for 40 hours per week again, unless their overtime was pre-authorized for additional training," BOLI said in their report. Because the DPSST has no direct involvement with the trainees time-cards or pay, the responsibility appears to fall on the departments that sent in their trainees. "The Bureau concluded that 1) activities mandated by DPSST do tend to exceed 40 hours per week; 2) overwhelmingly, trainees are only paid for 40 hours per week. Therefore, we are advising 185 of the effected home agencies that trainees very likely are not being paid for all hours worked while at DPSST in violation of state and federal law," Lewis said. Ashland Police was one of those 185 agencies to receive the BOLI report. "Additionally, because trainees have not been accurately reporting all hours worked, the agencies may also be in violation of recordkeeping statutes and rules," Lewis continued. Ashland Police Chief Tighe O'Meara claims that he wasn't concerned, even after receiving BOLI's findings. "It's not just APD it's not just DPSST, it's every law enforcement agency in the state will just have to modify how it does stuff and how it does that exactly, I don't know, but it's not that big of a deal. It's somebody giving us a course correction, but we'll take it and continue to moving forward," O'Meara told NewsWatch 12. With just a few weeks left in his 16-week training, APD terminated Ensley's employment with them. He says that he doesn't believe the justification they gave, and thinks that his firing had everything to do with the BOLI complaint. O'Meara says that he can't specify why he fired Ensley, but that it had nothing to do with the BOLI complaint. Ensley says he isn't worried about the 60-odd hours of overtime that he's owed what worries him are the ethical implications for law enforcement. "I'm hoping that it starts the change," Ensley said. "That we need to see there where police officers are being taught to do the right thing and shown the right thing at all times." The full text of the BOLI report may be viewed or downloaded below. PHOENIX, Ore. -- On December 5, 2018 Phoenix Police say a K-9 unit tracked down a man after he eluded officers through Phoenix towards Jacksonville. Officers say they spotted a car traveling through Phoenix that had been reported as stolen. The Phoenix officer says he activated his emergency lights in an attempt to stop the car. They say the car didn't yield to the officer and the suspect attempted to elude him. Police say the pursuit went down several streets in Phoenix, with the driver driving recklessly. At one point officers say the suspect rammed the stolen vehicle into a Phoenix Police car. They say the suspect made his way west through Phoenix and eventually left Phoenix city limits via Camp Baker Road. By this time several Jackson County Sheriffs Deputies and a Talent Police Officer had made their way to the area to assist the Phoenix Police Department in attempting to take the suspect into custody. Officers say the pursuit continued from Phoenix towards Jacksonville. The suspect eventually made his way to Griffin Creek Lane and fled the car in the 7000 block of Griffin Creek Lane. Officers say the three law enforcement agencies set up a perimeter in the area to try to contain the suspect until a K-9 could arrive on scene and attempt to track the suspect. At approximately 4:40 p.m. a Jackson County Sheriffs K-9 arrived on scene and began a track. Police say the K-9 tracked the suspect to the 6700 block of Griffin Creek Lane where he was taken into custody at approximately 5:55 p.m. The suspect was taken to the hospital to be treated for dog bites prior to being taken to the Jackson County Jail to be lodged. Phoenix Police are identifying the suspect as 19-year-old Ruben Rivera-Rodriguez. He is being charged with Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Felony Elude, DUII, Misdemeanor Elude, Reckless Driving, Hit and Run Property Damage X 2, Criminal Mischief X 2. They add that other charges may be added at a later date. OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) Washington state regulators have denied the proposed $5.3 billion sale of Spokane, Washington-based Avista Corp. to a Canadian utility. The Utilities and Transportation Commission said in Wednesday's order that the proposed merger with Toronto-based Hydro One Ltd. doesn't adequately protect Avista or the utility's customers from political or financial risk. The three-member commission raised concerns about political influence by the Ontario government on operations. The province is Hydro One's largest shareholder, with a 47 percent stake in the company. An email and call to Hydro One was not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon. Public utility commissions in Montana and Alaska have approved the proposed merger, with decisions pending in Idaho and Oregon. Spokane-based Avista serves electric and natural gas customers in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon. OurCrowd, a global investment platform and Israel's leading venture investor have confirmed that it will host its fifth annual OurCrowd Global Investor Summit, in March 2019, in Jerusalem, Israel. For the first week in March, the startup world will converge in Jerusalem, with thousands of people already signing up, and over 15,000 people expected to register from over 120 countries. The roster is expected to include 1,000 startup entrepreneurs, 300 venture capitalists, 400 multinational corporations, along with top investors, government officials, and world media who will come to network, learn, make deals, and discover the future in the most historic city in the world.The theme of the 2019 OurCrowd Global Investor Summit is Startups: Making a Global Impact, reflecting the incredible power of breakthrough technologies to make a real and lasting social impact in the world.Onstage, in working sessions, and in a multitude of tech demos, attendees will learn about the latest breakthroughs, whats still possible, what hurdles remain, and where investment opportunity lies.The summit will also feature another kind of impact: the power of entrepreneurship to promote peace, through the creation of jobs and alignment of interests. The summit will explore the challenges and opportunities represented by the innovation revolution including debates about the ethics of genetic editing, how society should prepare humans for the robotic future, and how todays technologies can address environmental crises.OurCrowd Founder & CEO Jon Medved said, In only six years, OurCrowd is now recognised as Israels most active venture investor and is on track to raise $1 billion by the end of the year for over 170 tech startups. The summit will celebrate the world-changing impact of startup innovation in healthcare, public safety, environment, mobility, cybersecurity, food, agriculture and more, and is an opportunity to connect our network of 30,000 investors to entrepreneurs, corporations, and venture capitalists, and together help drive the era of tech innovation.For more, go to summit.ourcrowd.com Hey Jude gets your to-do list done Marcus Smith, founder and head architect of Hey Jude Technology, chats to Eugene Yiga about outsourcing to-do lists with his innovative app. How does it work? How does it work? What about payments? What about payments? How many people do you employ? How many people do you employ? Who is your typical user?< Who is your typical user? What key milestones have you had along the way? What key milestones have you had along the way? How have you changed and grown since you started? How have you changed and grown since you started? What sets you apart from the competition? What sets you apart from the competition? What are your impressions of the current state of the tech industry? What are your impressions of the current state of the tech industry? What are the exciting trends in artificial intelligence right now? What are the exciting trends in artificial intelligence right now? What challenges and opportunities are these trends presenting? What challenges and opportunities are these trends presenting? What plans do you have for growth? What plans do you have for growth? Eugene Yiga's articles About Eugene Yiga Eugene graduated from the University of Cape Town with distinctions in financial accounting and classical piano. He then spent over two-and-half years working in branding and communications at two of South Africa's top market research companies. Eugene also spent over three-and-a-half years at an eLearning start-up, all while building his business as an award-winning writer. Visit Eugene graduated from the University of Cape Town with distinctions in financial accounting and classical piano. He then spent over two-and-half years working in branding and communications at two of South Africa's top market research companies. Eugene also spent over three-and-a-half years at an eLearning start-up, all while building his business as an award-winning writer. Visit www.eugeneyiga.com , follow @eugeneyiga on Twitter, or email moc.agiyenegue@olleh to say, um, hello. Hey Jude is a subscription-based service that uses the power of technology and the finesse of human intellect to get your to-do list sorted.Using a familiar message-based interface channelled via AI to link you to one of our trained operators, known as Judes, you simply text or voice message any request from food delivery and travel bookings to restaurant reservations, grocery shopping, gift searching, and paying your bills and they will do the rest: research, vet the suppliers, negotiate the prices, and even facilitate payment.If your days to-do list is comparing supplier quotations, calling in a plumber, or booking a trip to Beijing, the Judes will do it all for you.Hey Jude also keeps payments smart and simple through one secure, encrypted commerce platform. All you need to do is load your card, supply transaction instructions, and the Judes will settle your expenses.Some transactions of course have nominal fees associated but you can use the in-app payment to settle anything that you require paid, be it a courier service, your chemist account, delivering a pizza, utility bills, and for your hotel in New York or Nelspruit. It is commerce at a touch or press and pay.We have a lean team consisting of Development, Operations and Training, Customer Service, Marketing, and HR. The key focus areas are Development to ensure a superior product and user experience as well as customer service. These are the agents or Judes that actually fulfil requests. Currently the Hey Jude service is supported by approximately 550 people.Anybody that is time hungry and in need of an extra pair of hands, so to speak. But subscribers are all unique and they love the app for their own individual reasons. For some, its the fact that the app is convenient, fast and user-friendly (either via text or voice). For others, its the fact that we are available 24/7.Tech evolves too quickly to set personal milestones. Each day is a new challenge and the line in the sand constantly moves.We wanted to focus on the Western world where we only consider English and people that operate from left to right. Since our launch, we have had interest from the Asian countries (in particular China, Japan, and Singapore) and the Middle East in Arabic, which makes it difficult to have short-term goals.As a group, PLP has served telephonically for the past 25 years and have been a market leader at that.Hey Jude has transitioned our services to the digital space. Thats what customers want and the continual advances in artificial intelligence are driving the efficiencies of getting done what customers want.The growth in artificial intelligence will continue to support the human interaction in a way that delivers a seamless solution to the customer, as opposed to exposing the customer to tech only.A good example of this is our most recent integration with Amazon Alexa, where more complex tasks requiring human intervention are seamlessly handled by Hey Jude delivering a one-stop solution for the customer using Alexa.Personalised, human interaction in solving of customers problems is Hey Judes biggest differentiator. It can do what technology alone cant and maintains the human interaction when required without requiring the customer to speak to anyone. This is unique to Hey Jude and has created enormous appeal.There was an interesting article which stated that the digital revolution will soon be replaced by a new era of innovation in which different technologies (such as genomics, materials science, and robotics) rise to the fore. We could not have said it better.Africa is set to benefit tremendously from this revolution. We are ideally situated, we are rich in talent and ability, and we can develop or fulfil at a fraction of the cost of the developed countries.The rise of artificial intelligence is inevitable but to be honest there is a lack of clarity over how and why and when. Everyone has a different opinion but what we do know is that it is changing the way in which we as humans work and interface with technology.Tech is evolving across the world at a rapid pace. One would be foolish to try and predict where it will all end. Even though we stay on top of what happens in the industry, we try and focus on our own brand.We have wonderful integrations and if a new opportunity in this regard presents itself will consider it. Artificial intelligence is certainly the one key component to focus on. In the Hey Jude world, we refer to our AI as Assisted Intelligence as it reflects the combination of smart technology alongside awesome Judes.Through serving large corporate bases and brands particularly in the telecommunications and financial services, we see Hey Jude expanding to millions of customers across the globe. We dont white label our solutions and every engagement we have is co-branded so whether its a financial service or telecommunications application, you may be surprised to see where Hey Jude is about to pop up.Download the app at heyjudeapp.com and use the promo code WDYSPO to get the Judes working for you with three free tasks. Then, once you have fallen in love with the app, a subscription of R199/month will get the Judes working for you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, with unlimited personal tasks. EUGENE, Ore. -- A former United States District Judge is remembering former President George H.W. Bush after his death on Nov. 30, and he said there's a special moment he will never forget. Michael Hogan, the former judge, recalls President Bush calling him in 1991 and asking him to serve on the U.S. District Court. Hogan said he will never forget their phone conversation. GEORGE H.W. BUSH'S FUNERAL: The first farewell to a president in more than a decade "He called when I was in consideration for appointment to be a district judge, and he says, 'Hello, this is the president, and I'm sitting here reviewing your record of public service, and I just want to congratulate you on that.'" Hogan said he happily accepted the president's request, and he served as Chief Judge from 1995 to 2002. He said the way President Bush presented the request was extremely gracious, and he still keeps his certificate of appointment signed by Bush in his office. "This is a certificate that appointed me as a federal judge, so of course that's a special piece of paper to me, and I'll treasure it for the rest of my life," Hogan said. Hogan is now a full-time mediator in Eugene. KEZI 9 News also talked to community members about the late president: EUGENE, Ore -- A Northwest Christian University student who is also on their track and field team is facing rape charges. According to court records, Dominic Cantu, 20, was booked into the Lane County Jail just after 6 p.m. on Wednesday. Cantu is facing two counts of rape in the first degree. On Tuesday during his arraignment, he agreed to extend the deadline of his preliminary hearing and was later released on bail. Court documents allege the crime happened on around March 17th in Lane County, but don't specify where. In the documents, prosecutors say the victim couldn't give consent because of mental defect, mental incapacitation, or physical helplessness. Eugene police said Cantu was arrested Wednesday afternoon without incident on Alder street between East 12th and 13th avenue. They said Cantu knows the victim and have been investigating since November. According to NCU's website, Cantu is on the men's track and field team and is a graduate of Willamette High School. A spokesman for the university, Pat Walsh said in a statement, "we are sad to learn of these allegations and will cooperate with authorities as is needed. We pray for the truth to be revealed; for justice to be served; and for healing for all involved. Cantu is expected to go before a judge again on January 10th. Eugene police are still investigating and is urging anyone with information come forward. SALEM, Ore. (AP) Authorities say an Oregon man assaulted his girlfriend and used a shoelace and coat hanger to choke her dog to death. The Statesman Journal reports that 50-year-old Richard Allen Lipps has been charged with harassment, third-degree criminal mischief, menacing, attempted assault on a police officer, first-degree aggravated animal abuse and third-degree attempted escape. The Salem, Oregon, man is being held on $500,000 bail. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney. Authorities say he was arrested Monday after police responded to a domestic violence call. A woman told police said she'd been dating Lipps and that he became upset with her dog and attacked it. The woman said he told her: "You're next." Lipps was taken to the Marion County Jail. His next court appearance is Dec. 14. WINSTON, Ore. -- Winston residents can expect to see a new police car soon with a K-9 companion inside. The Winston Police Department has announced that thanks to community fundraisers, they've raised enough money to get a police dog. RELATED: CHANGES COMING TO WINSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT AFTER CHIEF RETIRES They'll be getting a new patrol car and a dog named Buster. On top of that, they raised over $27,000 at their K-9 fundraiser in November. Winston Police will be putting their new police dog to work soon, and the police car is going to Salem on Thursday to have all the bells and whistles put on it. Sanef worries over Alfred Nevhutanda statement to SSA The South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) has expressed concern over Alfred Nevhutanda's - who is the chairperson of the board of the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) - statement that asked the State Security Agency (SSA) to investigate journalists. Nevhutanda claimed that the source of media reports about his organisation came from his computer that had been hacked. He also claimed that journalists were being paid to write fake stories about the misspending by the NLC. Sanef feels that the NLC lacks knowledge on how independent journalism operates. The coincidences are impressive. The coincidences are impressive. Dr Michael Conway, a native of Limerick who studied medicine at Oxford University, found his way to Kilkenny in the late 90s to take up a post at St Lukes Hospital. While here, he purchased a historic city-centre house without knowing at the time that it would combine some of the passions in his life. Not only did the building now called the Hole in the Wall remind him of Oxford, it also echoed a style of paintings he created years before ever seeing the place. And it turns out the same building was home to the Royal College of Physicians three centuries ago. Anglo-Irish relations Raised in a Catholic family in Limerick, Dr Conway spent two years at University College Oxford after having committed sin by attending Trinity College Dublin. As it happens, his time in Oxford from 1979-81 was at the peak of the IRA campaign in England. I went there thinking they wouldnt want me, but I ended up being accepted like a son, he recalls. He ran a dining society, where students met for black-tie dinners in the college, and ended up setting up a St Jamess Gate Society as well, with the aim of fostering Anglo-Irish relations. A lot of those Oxbridge types went on to be influential in the Blair government, and here I was showing aspects of Irish society, promoting Irish cheese, Irish produce, St Patricks Day breakfasts, he says. Its like as if it was the start of the peace process. Snake venom as treatment Dr Conway moved back to Limerick afterwards but was then invited to return to Oxford, where he spent the next 11 years training in John Radcliffe Hospital. There, he worked on pioneering research in the area of treatments for heart-attack patients, including an ace inhibitor that comes from the venom of a Brazilian snake and which is now a standard treatment. We did the biggest ever trial with 58,000-plus patients worldwide, which was no simple task. It was stressful at the time, just trying to determine what the safe dose would be to give to 58,000 people. After spending the next few years back in Ireland as a lecturer in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics at Trinity College Dublin, and then working as a consultant in London Chest Hospital, he decided to return here long-term. I was very keen to come back its like a salmon wanting to come back to its spawning grounds, the Irish wanting to come home, he says. And so he found himself working at St Lukes Hospital. I came back then and got stuck into getting the cardiac services for Carlow/ Kilkenny sorted; we built the coronary care unit that is one of the best in the world, he says. Powerhouse But all along the way, Dr Conway has kept up that link with Oxford, including the hosting of a medical conference and introducing to Kilkenny the Dawn Choral, an Oxford tradition that he began here at 5:55 on 5-5-5 (May 5, 2005). Seeing the house that is now the Hole in the Wall off Kilkennys High Street, he was likewise subconsciously linking a building with the kind in Oxford with its Tudor features, and set off to build a little bit of Oxford in Kilkenny. I was saying to myself, This is Oxford of the 1600s. This is a city that should have a whole group of colleges and should be an academic powerhouse, he recalls. When he started to research the history of the building, he started in Rothe House, looking through documents and searching bookstores for references to it. Early on, he came across the Personal Recollections of Sir Jonah Barrington, which included a section on Kilkenny and a section on the Hole in the Wall. It was a very weird thing, because I have never seen that book on the shelf since, he notes. What is now the Hole in the Wall was originally the inner house of a mansion built in 1582 by Martin Archer, part of a very powerful merchant family with at least 8,000 acres. The story then is that unfortunately they linked up with the Confederacy of Kilkenny and they were very prominent in it and as a result (when Cromwell invaded) they ended up being sent to hell or Connacht or to hell or Barbados, Dr Conway says. When Catholic King Charles II took the English throne, however, he gave it to the Duke of Ormonde, who had supported him in the previous troubled years, and a college was set up with a dozen professors from France teaching Greek, French, Hebrew, philosophy, rhetoric, grammar and the like. Subsequently, Dr Conway, says: James II came over and wanted to set up the Royal College of St Canice, but six months later he lost the Battle of the Boyne and the Battle of Aughrim. And so the victors came to Kilkenny and wiped out anything that Jamess supporters had established, including the university. So for 300 years there has been no indigenous university and now it has to happen. Once again, he is doing his part, having just hosted University Month in the venue in September. Music The building also fits in with another one of Dr Conways interests: music. In the past year and a half, the Hole and the Wall has hosted gigs by the likes of Juliet Turner, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Donal Dineen, Don Mescall and Liam O Maonlai and funnily enough, it isnt his first venture into concert promotion. He was also the promoter behind Rock Fest, which brought Diamond Head and other heavy-metal acts to Kilmanaghs Ballykeeffe Amphitheatre an experience that he says was like running away with the circus. In recent months, the venue has also created an opportunity for discovering and giving a platform to emerging talent. One of those is Steve Reilly, and the most extraordinary has been Ciara McCollan, who basically brought Edith Piaf to life here in the Hole in the Wall and has now gone to Florence to learn to be a painter, Dr Conway says. His aim is also to try to draw in different types of audiences, with lectures on Lady Desart, James Joyce and the history of Ireland in one hour. If anything drives me, it is the passion to see Kilkenny become what is should be, which is an academic medieval campus, addressing aspects of the arts, the creativity that would get people employed in Hollywood, that would attract academics to come and live here, Dr Conway says. This city has something special to offer. It is Oxford waiting to be created in the South East of Ireland. ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Park Board voted Tuesday night to change the name of a Rochester park from East Park to Martin Luther King Jr. Park. Members of the MLK Community Action Group presented the idea to the Park Board. The group is comprised of representatives from 3rd District Public Defenders Office, Diversity Council, Fernbrook Family Center, Recovery is Happening, Sandra Means For Rochester Councilwoman, Minnesota Department of Human Services, and Project Legacy. "The whole idea was we're here in Rochester, a major city, and if you've been to any major city in America, usually they'll have a street named after Doctor Martin Luther King," explains member of the MLK Community Action Group Donavan Bailey. Instead of a street, they wanted to rename the park because they felt it has cultural significance to the diverse neighborhood surrounding it. "We all do better when we all do better. It's about the total community. Obviously we want the positive identity of Dr. Martin Luther King to really inspire people. It is symbolic but hopefully that can be a encouragement to everybody that comes here to the park." The park will be dedicated in January for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a new sign will be revealed sometime this coming spring. BYRON, Minn. A Rochester woman is injured in a two-vehicle crash on Thursday. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened on US Highway 14 in Byron, west of County Road 5. Chaba Wolter, 65 of Rochester, and Madlyn Sue Schwanke, 18 of Faribault, were both eastbound when the State Patrol says Schwanke rear ended Wolter. Wolter suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to St. Marys Hospital. Both drivers were wearing their seat belts. The Olmsted County Sheriffs Office, Byron First Responders, and Gold Cross Ambulance assisted at the scene of this accident, which happened around 1:46 pm. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) Malacanang on Thursday said President Rodrigo Duterte can use his veto power on the supposed 2.4-billion "pork" allocated for House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's district in Pampanga. "If he (Duterte) feels that it's a violation of the Constitution, he will do it," Presidential Spokesperson Sal Panelo said in a media briefing. Panelo responded to Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson's remarks during Senate deliberations on the proposed 3.757-trillion 2019 national budget Wednesday. Lacson said "pork" was inserted in the proposal that was approved on final reading in the House of Representatives. House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. has said that representatives received P60 million per district. Lacson said of this amount, 2.4 billion will fund farm-to-market roads in areas under Arroyo's district. Malacanang said Arroyo should explain the budget realignments that gave her that amount. "It behooves those who are involved in the re-alignment to respond to the protest of some elements of society," Presidential Spokesperson Sal Panelo said in a media briefing Thursday. He, however, did not clarify if these re-alignments are considered pork. "What is important to me is whether those allocations are geared for the benefit of the constituents to where they are assigned," Panelo said. He added there is no problem with the amount as long provinces which may need additional expenses will not be deprived. "For as long those money is spent where they should be spent. But if those money are spent outside of the real purpose of them, then that is corruption, and we would not allow that," he said. The Supreme Court in 2013 ruled that pork barrel was unconstitutional. These were through the Priority Development Assistance Fund, insertions after budget approval, and lump-sum appropriations. Meeting Space to Hire in Cape Town CBD May be used for meetings, hearings, workshops, discussions, training, workspace, events, presentations, demonstrations, brainstorming, strategic planning, Cape Town-based space, etc. Size -Seats 18 comfortably around three round tables of six each. -Room configuration is flexible -May hire in additional chairs if required Features Air-conditioning Flat screen monitor Data projector available to rent (extra) Wi-Fi Flipchart stands and rails Variable lighting Comfortable, modern, stylish seating Standard set-up: roundtables; other options available, i.e. school room or boardroom Catering Standard package - R20 per person Arrival, morning, and afternoon refreshments - includes water, tea, coffee, biscuits Treat package - R40 to R50 per person Arrival, morning, and afternoon refreshments - includes: water, tea, coffee, juice, biscuits, pastries, muffins, table sweets Lunch package - R25 per person Standard package plus in-room lunch, including ordering takeaways, cutlery, crockery, and cleaning (actual take away food order cost not included) Note Conveniently located on MyCiTi bus route - close to bus stops for a number of routes No parking available on premises Street parking available in the area and Kloof Lifestyle Centre is two blocks away with undercover pay parking Availability -Monday to Friday from 7am till 6pm (not open on weekends or evenings) Cost Full-day: R1,095 - eight hours Half-day: R765 - four hours ROCHESTER, Minn. - Rochester MN Moms Blog and Rochester Area Moms teamed up to host a 'Give Joy' toy drive event for the Ronald McDonald House. Local moms worked in shifts from 10 AM to 5 PM at the RMH. People drove the front of the building and the moms gave curbside service, unloading donations from their vehciles and bringing them inside. The donations will go the Snowflake Room in the Ronald McDonald House. Currently, the room is a standard storage room but beginning next week, the room will be filled floor to ceiling with toys. Families staying at the RMH will go inside the room to pick out Christmas presents for their families. Development officer Angela Christensen says that the drive means a lot to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. "The stress of the holidays is high for normal families and when you add on top of that a sick child, then just having to care for them, the stress of that, being away from home, being able to have a little bit of normalcy during the holidays, giving gifts, receiving gifts, just takes so much stress away." The drive is over, but Ronald McDonald House will always accept donations. Toys can be dropped off at the house or if you'd like to give financially, you can contact them. ROCHESTER, Minn. Three people are facing charges after Rochester police are called about a girl screaming. Officers were sent to an apartment complex in the 2300 block of Highway 14 East around 2:05 am Thursday by a neighbor who said they heard a girl yelling Get off me! Kevin Mitchell Kevin Mitchell When police arrived, they say they were told by others at a party that Kevin Ladell Mitchell, 32 of Rochester, assaulted his girlfriend, Desirae Marie Frank. Police say Frank, 23 of Rochester, had injuries to her face. Police say when the arrested Mitchell, Frank became upset and kicked an officer in the groin. She was then taken into custody as well. The officer was not treated for any injuries. Rochester police say they also noticed Marcos Olivares, 27 of Rochester, was extremely intoxicated and told him to find a sober ride home. They say Olivares started walking into traffic and when officers ran out and saved him, they found there were three outstanding warrants for his arrest. Police say Olivares spit on an officer, kicked out the back window of a police car, and told the female officer who arrested him that he was going to go back to Texas, put a hit on the officer, and his gang friends would take care of her. Image courtesy of: Pro Aurum (Kitco News) - With winter holidays just around the corner, Christmas tree competition is heating up and Germany is taking the lead as it unveils its own solid-gold version worth $2.6 million. Dubbed by its creators as the most expensive Christmas tree in Europe, the festive gold creation is made up of 2,018 solid gold one-ounce Vienna Philharmonic coins, topped by a massive 20-ounce coin, which is placed into a golden star. It took more than one hour to assemble the tree as all the gold coins had to be placed on an acrylic Christmas tree shape. Once completed, the tree weighed around 63 kilograms in pure gold. Munich-based gold dealer Pro Aurum is the genius behind the creation of the three-meter-high tree, which will be left up at the dealers gold-house until December 15. Pro Aurum cooperated with the Australian Mint to get the tree up and ready to go. The Christmas tree is special because of its value, Pro Aurum spokesman Benjamin Summa told Reuters. At the current rate that has a value of about 2.3 million euros [USD $2.6 million]. The German gold dealer added that it is happy to see gold prices beginning to rise in the second half of the year ensuring that the value of the Christmas tree will rise into the year-end. Image courtesy of: Pro Aurum We certainly had problems in the first half of the year. The gold rate was flat for months, there was no movement in the market and physical demand was relatively low. That has changed in the second half of the year, as we have seen a clear revival of the market, Summa said. Pro Aurum also added that investors took advantage of the summer lull in gold prices. The gold rate has lost a lot of value in both dollars and euros, so many customers have been buying up gold and getting a good deal, Summa stated. (Updates with Hong Kong closing figures) By Noah Sin HONG KONG, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Sharp losses in technology shares pulled down benchmark stock indexes in China and Hong Kong on Thursday, after the global chief financial officer of Chinese technology giant Huawei was arrested in relation to alleged violations of U.S. sanctions. The arrest could drive a wedge between China and the United States just days after President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed to a temporary truce in their trade war to give the two sides more time for negotiations. Meng Wanzhou, one of the vice chairs on Huawei's board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver and is facing extradition to the United States, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman has said. The arrest is related to violations of U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said, though officials have so far stayed mum. The news sent shares of technology companies and hardware suppliers tumbling. Huawei is one of the world's largest makers of handsets and telecommunications network equipment. CSI300's sub-index for IT stocks slid 3.4 percent. The wider CSI IT index was down 3 percent, while the CSI's All Share Telecom index lost 4.5 percent. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng's IT hardware index fell by 3.5 percent, having been down 4 percent at one point, whereas the sub index for tech firms shed 4.4 percent. The tech rout and renewed trade worries pulled the Shanghai Composite index down 1.7 percent to 2,605.18 points, while the blue-chip CSI300 index fell 2.2 percent. The Hang Seng fell as much as 3 percent in afternoon trading, before paring some of the loss to close down 2.5 percent, the largest one-day percentage drop since Oct. 23. Chinese H-shares listed in Hong Kong closed 2.6 percent lower. The market impact from the arrest "is quite big because we just had the Trump-Xi meeting, and people were expecting a 90-day honeymoon," said Linus Yip, chief strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong, referring to their agreement last weekend to refrain from adding tariffs on each other for three months while resuming trade talks. While another Chinese tech company, ZTE, fell foul of the U.S. sanction regime, "no arrest was made back then," Yip added, reflecting the seriousness of the Huawei saga. "It is (U.S. allegations of Chinese) technology transfer that people really worry about," Patrick Yiu, managing director at CASH Asset Management in Hong Kong, added. In comparison, the trade deficit issue is not that difficult to resolve." Thursdays fall shows "investor confidence is still weak, and momentum is lacking for the market to rebound, said Zhang Gang, a Shanghai-based analyst at Central Securities. "Also, we are near the end of the year, and given the market conditions, some funds will choose to pull out of the market and observe on the sidelines." Ben Kwong, director of research at KGI Asia in Hong Kong, noted Huawei was not the only reason for scepticism in the market. "People are just as worried about further adjustments in the U.S. stock market, the inverted yield curve and a slowing economy there," he said. The Hang Seng is now trading below its 100-day moving average and just above the 50-day moving average. (Editing by Kim Coghill and Richard Borsuk) (Kitco News) - Gold holdings of global exchange-traded funds and similar products rose for the second straight month in November, this time by 21.2 tonnes, the World Gold Council reported Thursday. Holdings now stand at 2,365.2 tonnes. They are still down 6.1 tonnes for the year to date, although the WGC said ETF flows are now positive for the year to date in U.S. dollar terms. ETFs trade like a stock but track the price of the commodity, with metal put into storage to back the shares. This gives investors exposure to gold prices without undertaking certain expenses such as storage and assaying of physical metal. November flows were positive across all regions, the WGC said. European funds led global inflows, with strong flows into U.K.-based funds as Brexit concerns increased and sterling weakened. North American funds saw inflows for a second straight month but remain negative on the year. Asian funds reversed two months of weak performance, adding 2.3% to their assets. Holdings in European funds rose by 10.5 tonnes, while those based in North American had inflows of 8.4, the WGC said. Funds listed in Asia posted an increase of 2.1 tonnes, while those for other regions were up 0.2 tonne. The worlds largest gold ETF, SPDR Gold Shares, led global inflows by gaining 7.7 tonnes. Next was iShares Physical Gold, which gained 5.4 tonnes. Chinas Huaan Yifu Gold added 2.7 tonnes. LONDON (Reuters) - Britains former foreign secretary Boris Johnson was ordered by parliaments standards watchdog on Thursday to apologize for failing to declare almost 53,000 pounds ($67,495) earnings on time. An investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards found that Johnson failed to register nine payments, totaling 52,722.80 pounds, within the 28-day deadline. In her report, the commissioner, Kathryn Stone, concluded that Johnson was in breach of the rules of the House of Commons, parliaments lower chamber, for a failure to fulfil his responsibilities, saying it was neither inadvertent nor minor. Since resigning as foreign secretary in July over Theresa Mays Brexit plans, Johnson has been writing a weekly column for Britains Daily Telegraph newspaper, on a yearly salary of 275,000 pounds. Most of the payments that were declared late came from royalties from books he has written. Johnson, regularly touted as a possible contender to replace May as Conservative Party leader should she fall over Brexit, told lawmakers on Thursday he was very sorry and was grateful it had been accepted that he had not intended to mislead parliament. I fully accept that the delay was a breach of the Houses rules, he said. I therefore offer the House a full and unreserved apology. In his response to the commissioners investigation, he said he had now employed a dedicated member of staff to handle his declarations, saying the late payments were due to delays in processing his financial statements. He confirmed the nine payments had now been declared. "Yes I am optimistic," Scholz said. "The President of the United States of America and the President of the EU have agreed to carry out good and constructive talks and this is happening. Therefore there is reason to believe this will end with a reasonable result." Scholz said risks for the German economy included the possibility of a hard Brexit, which he said would not be good for anyone, and high levels of sovereign debt, including in Italy. He said Italy had taken a constructive approach regarding the Commission's comments on its budgets, adding this was a good sign. (Reporting by Michelle Martin and Joseph Nasr) * Graphic: World FX rates in 2018 By Marc Jones LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Global stock markets slumped for a third day running on Thursday as the arrest of a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei in Canada for extradition to the United States fed fears of fresh tensions between the two economic superpowers. The arrest of Huawei's chief financial officer Meng Wanzhouof, who is also the daughter of the firm's founder, triggered renewed fireworks coming just as Washington and Beijing prepare for crucial trade negotiations. Asian markets took a beating. Huawei is not listed but China's second-largest telecom equipment maker ZTE Corp sank 9 percent in Hong Kong while most of the nearby national bourses lost at least 2 percent. Europe slumped too in early trading as 3 percent falls for the tech sector, miners and also carmakers kicked London , Frankfurt and Paris to two-year lows "We had this very ugly new turn and just the degree to which the market has reacted just suggests to me that they are vulnerable right now," said Saxo Bank's head of FX strategy John Hardy. "It think we should all be very careful, it is not looking good, especially if the S&P 500 goes to new lows." Hardy said that U.S. President Donald Trump may try to send some reassuring tweets later. For the time being though S&P 500 futures were down almost 2 percent. The losses might have been even steeper had CME Group's Chicago Mercantile Exchange not implemented a series of 10-second trading halts in Asia that had limited the initial drop. Japan's Nikkei shed 1.9 percent, closing at its lowest level since Oct. 30, with semi-conductor related shares leading the losses. Huawei is one of the world's largest makers of smartphones and telecommunications network equipment. MSCI's ex-Japan Asia-Pacific index lost 2.0 percent too . Hong Kong's Hang Seng dropped 2.5 percent while Chinese bluechips lost 2.1 percent to take their 2018 slump to 20 percent. GROGGY AUSSIE Saxo Bank's Hardy highlighted that the Australian dollar, which is highly sensitive to trade tensions due to huge Aussie metals sales to China, had failed to lift after some reassuring comments from Beijing on the trade discussions. It shed 0.6 percent against the U.S. dollar to $0.7229. The greenback itself fell as much 0.4 percent against the yen to 112.77 yen as it suffered slightly too. The yuan eased 0.3 percent to 6.8835 per dollar in offshore trade, the euro barely budged at $1.1338 and the Canadian dollar languished near the 18-month low it had hit the previous day after cautious noises from the Bank of Canada. On the Huawei drama, Canadian authorities had said they had arrested the firm's CFO in Vancouver. China's foreign ministry said neither Canada and the United States had clarified their reason for the move but a source had earlier told Reuters it was related to violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran. The arrest heightened the sense of a major collision between the world's two largest economic powers not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. Britain's BT Group said it was removing Huawei's equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations. Australia and New Zealand have also rejected Huawei's products. "The U.S. has been telling its allies not to use Huawei products for security reasons and is likely to continue to put pressure on its allies," said Norihiro Fujito, chief investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities. "So while there was a brief moment of optimism after the weekend U.S.-China talks but the reality is, it won't be that easy," he said. OPEC Traders were also waiting to hear from Vienna about what kind of cuts OPEC and other oil producers like Russia could make to their output. Consensus among analysts is for somewhere between 1-1.3 million barrels per day, and Brent dived back below $60 a barrel as Saudi Arabia's energy minister said going into the day long meeting that 1 million "would be enough" Yields on top-rated German government bonds held near six-month lows in risk off environment, while those on benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasuries were near a three-month low at 2.886 percent. Adding to worries about U.S. recession risks, the Treasury yield curve remained inverted between two- and five-year zones, with five-year notes yielding 2.763 percent , below 2.778 percent on two-year notes. U.S. jobs data is due on Friday. If the figures show any sign of serious weakness, markets are likely to react HSBC's head of macro economic strategy, Shuji Shirota, said. (Reporting by Marc Jones; Editing by Toby Chopra) (Kitco News) - Gold prices are near steady in early U.S. trading Thursday. The yellow metal is presently in a pause mode as traders await the opening of the U.S. equities markets, in what is likely to be a volatile trading session today. February gold futures were last up $0.90 an ounce at $1,243.40. March Comex silver was down $0.102 at $14.48 an ounce. The just-released ADP national employment report showed a rise of, 179,000, which is just below the expectations for a gain of 190,000. The metals markets upticked modestly just following this report. This report is the precursor to the more important Labor Department Employment Situation Report for November on Friday morning. The key non-farm jobs number in that report is forecast up 198,000. Risk aversion is back in full force in the world marketplace Thursday. World stock markets were lower overnight, with U.S. stock indexes set to open sharply lower on strong follow-through selling from big losses Tuesday. U.S. stock and financial markets were closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning the death of former President George H.W. Bush. There are several bearish factors at work spooking world stock markets. Chinese tech giant Huaweis chief financial officer was arrested in Canada, on behalf of the U.S., and will be extradited to the U.S. Her company may be shipping high tech products to Iran, which would violate U.S. sanctions against Iran. This sparked fears the U.S.-China trade tensions could rise further, despite last weekends trade truce between the worlds two largest economies. Chinese government officials said Thursday they are still planning to work with U.S. trade officials over the next 90 days to come to agreement. A big drop in crude oil prices Thursday is also weighing on trader and investor sentiment. Nymex crude oil prices are sharply lower and trading just above $51.00 a barrel. The OPEC oil cartel is meeting in Vienna, Austria on Thursday. Reports said OPEC heavyweight Saudi Arabia has not yet agreed to a production cut, but that it may before the meeting ends on Friday. This has many crude oil market watchers wondering about any collective production cut being extended, after most reckoned such would be the case before the meeting began. Trader are also anxiously awaiting another speech from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell today, wondering if he will elaborate on U.S. monetary policy direction. Another feature in the marketplace recently that also has the stock market wobbly is falling U.S. Treasury yields (rising prices). The five-year T-Note yield this week dropped below the lower maturities. A fully inverted yield curve has been historically bearish for the U.S. economy and stock market. Right now the 10-year Treasury note yield remains above the 2-year, so the yield curve is not fully inverted. The other key outside markets today find the U.S. dollar index modestly lower. And its a very busy day of U.S. economic data due for release Thursday, which includes the weekly jobless claims report, the Challenger job-cuts report, the ADP national employment report, the U.S. international trade report, the U.S. and global services PMIs, manufacturers shipments and inventories, the ISM non-manufacturing report on business, monthly chain store sales, and the weekly DOE liquid energy stocks report. Several Fed officials also speak today, including Chairman Powell. Technically, gold bulls and bears are on a level overall near-term technical playing field, but the bulls still have some momentum on their side. Bulls next upside price objective is to produce a close in February futures above solid resistance at the October high of $1,252.00. Bears' next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at last weeks low of $1,216.80. First resistance is seen at this weeks high of $1,247.50 and then at $1,252.00. First support is seen at Wednesdays low of $1,238.70 and then at Tuesdays low of $1,235.80. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 5.0 March silver futures bears still have the firm overall near-term technical advantage. Silver bulls' next upside price breakout objective is closing prices above solid technical resistance at the October high of $15.055 an ounce. The next downside price breakout objective for the bears is closing prices below solid support at the November low of $13.985. First resistance is seen at this weeks high of $14.745 and then at $15.00. Next support is seen at this weeks low of $14.28 and then at last weeks low of $14.115. Wyckoff's Market Rating: 3.0. (Updates with closing prices) By Peter Hobson LONDON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Most industrial metals prices fell on Thursday and copper hit a three-week low after the arrest of a top Chinese executive in Canada dampened hopes for a resolution to the U.S.-China trade conflict. The arrest of tech giant Huawei's finance chief for extradition to the United States cast doubt over a 90-day trade truce struck on Saturday between the U.S. and Chinese presidents, Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. It sent global stock markets sharply lower, and hit metals because investors fear tariffs will curtail China's demand for commodities. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) ended 1.7 percent down at $6,070 a tonne after touching its lowest since Nov. 14 at $6,068. The Huawei arrest had combined with a plunge in oil prices to turn investors negative on metals, said Capital Economics analyst Ross Strachan. "The optimism in the markets at the beginning of the week evaporated extremely quickly," he said. Healthy supply-demand fundamentals, however, meant copper was unlikely to fall much further, he added, predicting a price of $6,250 a tonne at the end of 2019. CHINA EXPORTS: China's economy is showing signs of cooling, with export growth expected to have slowed in November. TRADE DISPUTE: Despite the Huawei arrest, China expressed confidence in striking a trade deal with the United States within their 90-day ceasefire period. OIL: Oil fell more than 4 percent in choppy trading after OPEC and allied exporting countries ended a meeting without announcing a decision to cut crude output, and prepared to debate the matter the next day. GERMAN EXPORTS: Strong foreign demand drove an unexpected rise in German industrial orders in October. COPPER TECHNICALS: Copper has fallen below its 50- and 100-day moving averages, worsening its technical picture. COPPER STOCKS: In a sign of tight supplies that should support prices, headline stocks of copper in LME-registered warehouses fell to 124,950 tonnes, down from almost 400,000 tonnes in March and the lowest since 2008. SPREAD: The premium for cash copper over the three-month contract rose to $9.50 from zero on Wednesday, suggesting less availability of nearby metal, but it is still down from $44 in late November. RUSAL: The top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee urged the Trump administration not to waive or remove sanctions on Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska or companies, including aluminium producer Rusal, that he controls. OTHER METALS: LME aluminium closed 1.7 percent down at $1,936 a tonne, zinc ended down 1 percent at $2,593, nickel fell 3.3 percent to $10,850, tin finished 1.3 percent lower at $18,925 and lead eeked out a meagre gain of 0.1 percent to $1,984. (Additional reporting by Muyu Xu and Dominique Patton Editing by David Goodman and Edmund Blair) (Kitco News) - Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM) Thursday said that the company expects to produce 5.2 million ounces of gold in 2019 at all-in sustaining costs of $935 an ounce. The production guidance would be at the upper end of the companys projection for the current year of 4.9 million to 5.2 million ounces, which was included in Newmonts third-quarter earnings report. The company previously listed a 2019 guidance range of 4.9 million to 5.4 million ounces, according to news reports. The company said production next year will be helped by a full year of higher-grade output from the recently completed Subika Underground project in Africa. Production is then expected to dip to 4.9 million ounces in 2020. Longer-term production is expected to remain stable at between 4.4 million and 4.9 million ounces annually through 2023. These figures exclude development projects which have yet to be approved but offer potential upside, Newmont said. Our proven strategy will deliver stable gold production at competitive costs over at least the next five years as we continue to deliver value-accretive projects across our four regions, said Gary J. Goldberg, chief executive officer. AISC are expected to be $935 per ounce in 2019 on improved cash costs in Africa and South America, partially offset by higher sustaining capital, Newmont said. AISC are expected to be $975 per ounce in 2020 and between $875 and $975 longer term through 2023. Meanwhile, the company said it looks for copper production of 45,000 tonnes in 2019 and 2020. This is seen increasing to between 45,000 and 65,000 tonnes longer term through 2023, driven primarily from higher grades at Boddington. Copper AISC are expected to rise to $2.45 per pound in 2019, come in at $2.55 in 2020, then dip to $1.80 to $2.10 longer term, Newmont said. Gold production in North America is expected to be 1.9 million ounces from 2019 to 2021. South America production is forecast at 650,000 ounces next year, but then decrease to 560,000 ounces in 2020 and 450,000 ounces in 2021 as the Tapado Oeste pit and Yanacocha laybacks are mined out and Merian transitions from saprolite to hard rock, Newmont said. Australian gold output is expected to be 1.5 million ounces the next two years and 1.6 million in 2021. Africa production is projected at 1.1 million ounces next year with a full year of production from Subika Underground, higher grades from the Subika open pit and improved mill throughput in the second half of the year with a mill expansion, Newmont said. However, output on the continent is then expected to drop to 930,000 ounces in 2020 with lower grades at Akyem and Subika open pit, before ticking up again in 2021 to 1 million ounces as Akyem reaches higher grades near the bottom of the pit. The Guardian reports: A Dutch court has rejected the request of a self-styled positivity guru to shave 20 years off his age, in a case that drew worldwide attention. Last month Emile Ratelband asked the court in Arnhem to formally change his date of birth to make him 49. He said his official age did not reflect his emotional state and it was causing him to struggle to find work and love. He claimed he did not feel 69 and said his request was consistent with other forms of personal transformation gaining acceptance around the world, such as the right to change name or gender. In a written ruling on Monday, the court said Dutch law assigned rights and obligations based on age such as the right to vote and the duty to attend school. If Mr Ratelbands request was allowed, those age requirements would become meaningless. Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, along with military commanders, salutes the national flag at the start of their meeting at the ministry building in Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung The South Korean military should develop its capabilities in order to be able to oversee U.S. troops before Seoul takes over wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington, Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said Wednesday. "We should be capable of taking control of U.S. troops here because we are going to regain OPCON from the U.S.," he said in a year-end meeting with commanders. "We can only take operational control of U.S. troops when we are fully aware of not just the operational plans for battles on land, sea and in the air, but also the weapon systems used by the U.S. military." President Moon Jae-in's administration is pushing for the OPCON transfer before his term ends in 2022. The defense chief also underlined that all procedures regarding the OPCON transfer will be taken under close consultation with the U.S. Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Mainly cloudy with a mixture of rain and snow showers developing in the afternoon. High 37F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 31F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Rain and snow showers mixed in the afternoon. High 38F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precip 40%.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 32F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. US Navy(WASHINGTON) -- Twenty-one U.S. Navy fighter jets will conduct a flyover in the "missing man formation" in honor of President George H.W. Bush Thursday. The flyover will take place over the Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, where the late president will be buried in a private ceremony, Naval Air Forces Atlantic spokesperson Cmdr. David Hecht told ABC News. The missing man formation is an aerial salute performed for funerals and memorial events. A Twenty-one gun salute, a military honor typically reserved for future, former and current U.S. presidents, inspired the Navy to arrange 21 F-18 Hornets and Super Hornets for this flight. Bush turned 18 and joined the Navy -- a few months after the attack on Pearl Harbor -- becoming one of the youngest naval aviators. His plane was shot down in 1944 during an operation to attack Japanese installations in the Pacific, but he would complete 58 combat missions in total during his military career and receive the Distinguished Flying Cross, among other medals. Being selected to participate in this memorial is one of the highest honors a Naval Aviator can receive, Rear Adm. Roy Kelley, commander of Naval Air Force Atlantic, said in a statement. In addition to being our president, [Bush] was also one of our brothers, flying combat missions off aircraft carriers during World War II. His service to our Navy and nation merits a tribute of this magnitude. The flyover will be led by Navy Capt. Kevin (call sign "Proton") McLaughlin, commodore of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic, Hecht said. The left front side of McLaughlin's two-seater jet reads "President George H.W. Bush" and "41." The words "Barbara First Lady" -- after Bush's late wife Barbara Bush -- are just outside the second seat where the weapons officer would sit. The jets, which flew to Dallas this week, come from Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Some of the jets are attached to Carrier Air Wing 8, which support the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, homeported in neighboring Norfolk, Virginia. The link between the late president and the aircraft carrier that bears his name was so strong that all of the previous commanding officers of the carrier have participated in the funeral ceremonies in Washington as honorary pallbearers. Bush attended the carrier's commissioning in 2009 and delivered the keynote address. Over the years, he made additional visits with members of his family. Copyright 2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 6) The dare game just seems to continue for Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and President Rodrigo Duterte. Trillanes on Thursday again called on Duterte to take a drug test after the country's chief executive joked about supposed marijuana use. The President in a speech Monday night claimed he uses marijuana to help him stay awake amid hectic schedules in international meetings. "Duterte is desperately trying to contain the damage of his admission about marijuana use by saying it is just a joke," Trillanes said in a press statement. "Too late! Bistado na sya na isa rin pala siyang durugista (He's now exposed, he's also an addict)." "Now, if he really wants to clear himself, I am again calling on him to take a drug test," the senator added. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, however, said Duterte would not even dignify the challenge. "I think he should be the one to undergo that. Hindi niya papatulan 'yun (he will not do it)," Panelo said in a media briefing Thursday. Following Monday's speech, Duterte reiterated the marijuana claim was only a joke. "Ngayon, kung maniwala kayo, eh g*** kayo. (If you believe it, then you're dumb.)," he said during a chance interview with reporters. The Palace later came to his defense, as Panelo noted there was "no logic" behind the statement. He added the President just like any other person is entitled to crack jokes every now and then. This is not the first time Trillanes dared Duterte to take a drug screening. In August, the embattled senator, who had just undergone a random mandatory drug testing for senate employees, shared on Twitter a copy of his test where he tested negative. He then dared the Duterte clan to prove they were drug-free. READ: Palace on Trillanes' drug test challenge: 'You don't tell the President what to do' During the same month, Trillanes also challenged Duterte to an intelligence quotient (IQ) test. The dare stemmed from Trillanes' Twitter tirade that Duterte was the "laziest, craziest, and worst president this country ever had." The senator claimed he would resign should Duterte get a higher IQ score. A known staunch critic of the President, Trillanes made headlines this year when Duterte's Proclamation No. 572 voided the amnesty given to him in 2011. READ: Duterte says probe ongoing on Trillanes parents' gov't transactions Several netizens and human rights groups slammed the President's joke amid the administration's ongoing war on drugs. International organization Human Rights Watch, in a statement, said Duterte's claim of marijuana use is "no joke." "Marijuana is illegal in the Philippines, and Duterte's admission of using it - whether in jest or not - undermines the rationale for his "drug war" and exposes its murderous hypocrisy. It adds cruel insult to injury for the victims and their families," the statement read. LOWER MAKEFIELD >> A Thanksgiving Eve fire caused extensive damage to a single family home on Innis Drive Wednesday afternoon in the townships Estates at Pebble Creek development. The alarm bell sounded around 3:19 p.m. dispatching the Yardley-Makefield Fire Company to the scene. When Yardley-Makefield Chief 0 Glenn Chamberlain arrived, fire was visible across the roofline and a plume of... Lisbon, Dec 5 (AFP) Portugal's government on Wednesday said it would cooperate with China in the hope of creating "new Silk Roads" of trade without necessarily becoming an extension of Beijing's "Belt and Road" initiative. Lisbon and Beijing used a two-day state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to ink 17 bilateral cooperation memoranda of understanding including one relating to China's ensemble of investment in infrastructure designed to link Asia, Africa and Europe. "We are going to pursue (the initiative) in a spirit of openness and mutual gain to create further synergies between our development strategies and underpin the construction of new silk roads," Xi told a news conference. The Portuguese government welcomed the move on deepening in "a vast range of sectors." In contrast with Britain, where largest mobile provider BT said Wednesday it was shutting out equipment from China's telecoms giant Huawei ahead of the rollout of next-generation 5G internet networks owing to security concerns, Portugal said its door remained open. Telecoms operator MEO, subsidy of France's Altice, revealed it has agreed to cooperate with Huawei in order to "accelerate the development of the 5G network in Portugal." Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa recently announced his intention of giving the green light to a plan for integrating Portugal's southwestern deepwater port of Sines into the "new silk roads" roadmap. Costa on Wednesday simply underlined "the importance of Portugal's strategic role in linking silk roads with the ensemble of connections between Europe and Asia." Several EU countries, including Greece and several eastern European states, have rushed to embrace the silk roads idea and the investment it promises -- but others are wary of growing Chinese influence on the continent. Portugal and neighbouring Spain, which Xi visited last week, are both moderately enthusiastic in their backing for China's multibillion ambition. Madrid notably said ahead of Xi's visit it not sign on to the One Belt, One Road initiative but preferred to work within the framework of an existing "connectivity initiative" with Asia, which Madrid feels Europeans should work within. That initiative entails EU states developing their own infrastructure network to link the continent with Asia while seeking "synergies" between the European and the Chinese projects. Hard hit by the post-2008 economic crisis, Portugal has since received some USD8 billion in Chinese investment, notably in energy, banking and insurance, notably outstripping neighbouring Spain which received around $6 billion, according to data compiled by the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). China has invested around USD1.9 trillion since 2005 in global investment and construction projects, according to AEI data. ( AFP) SMJ (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) New Delhi, December 6: India Thursday strongly condemned the "despicable" terrorist attack in the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar and said the perpetrators of the crime must be brought to justice expeditiously. India is developing the Chabahar port along with Iran and Afghanistan. New Delhi considers the port in Chabahar, which lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran, very crucial for its strategic interest in the region. Chabahar city is around 100 km from Iran's border with Pakistan. "India strongly condemns today's despicable terrorist attack in Chabahar, Iran. We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. At least two people were killed and many more injured in the terror attack outside police headquarters in Chabahar. US Exempts India from Certain Sanctions for Development of Chabahar Port in Iran. MEA's Raveesh Kumar: India strongly condemns today's terrorist attack in Chabahar, Iran. We express condolences to the govt and people of Iran & families of victims. Perpetrators should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror. pic.twitter.com/gnmDpWt5Vv ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2018 "We wish speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror," the MEA said. The Chabahar port is being considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan with central Asian countries. The port is being considered crucial for trade among the three countries in the wake of Pakistan denying transit access to India. New Delhi, December 6: Citizens holding an Aadhaar card will soon be allowed to opt out from the programme after the government finalises a new proposal. Reports inform that the government is currently working on a proposal that amends the Aadhaar Act, allowing users to withdraw their Aadhaar number. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the body that issues the Aadhaar number has proposed the new reform, reports added. According to the proposal, citizens will now be able to withdraw their Aadhaar number which includes both the Aadhaar data as well as the biometrics that the government collected when individuals enrolled for Aadhaar. Aadhaar Profile on mAadhaar App Can Be Used for Identification Purpose by Airports Authorities and Indian Railways. If an individual opts out of the Aadhaar scheme, they will not be able to avail several government schemes and subsidies where Aadhaar linkage is still mandatory. Reports inform that the decision will only benefit individuals who dont have a PAN card or the ones who dont require a PAN card because the top court had upheld the linkage of PAN with Aadhaar. Aadhaar Biometric Updation Fees: UIDAI Warns People Against Fake Charges; Know the Fees of Aadhaar Biometric and Other Updates. The decision of making reforms in the Aadhaar Act comes after the Supreme Court judgment in September upheld the validity of Aadhaar. A Constitution Bench had struck down Section 57 of the Act that allows private entities to use the unique number for verification. Now Skip Queues and Update Your Address From Home at Your Convenience on uidai.gov.in Using Simple Steps. The top courts bench had also ordered that seeking to link the 12-digit biometric- Aadhaar with bank accounts and SIM cards was unconstitutional. It must be noted that Aadhaar still remains a valid document for any verification like other authorised documents like PAN card, driving license, voter ID among others. According to a report by The Hindu, the Central government is in the final stages of finalising a proposal to amend the Aadhaar Act which gives all the citizens an option to withdraw their Aadhaar number. Aadhaar Alerts on E-Mail: Heres How You Can Get Your UIDAI Related Updates on Mail. Reports inform that the report of the amendments to be made was sent to the Law Ministry that suggested that this option should not be limited to a select segment of the population. The UIDAI has proposed that the option to opt out should only be available for children once they turn 18. Aadhaar-card holders above 18 will have 6 months time to decide if he or she wants to withdraw Aadhaar. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 06, 2018 03:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, December 6: In a shocking incident, a minor student from a school in the national capital committed suicide after being scolded by her teacher. According to a tweet by ANI, the girl was a class 7th student from a school in Inderpuri, Delhi. Reports informed that the student allegedly committed suicide after she was severely scolded by her teacher. Parvinder Chaudhary, Sprinter Commits Suicide in Hostel Room at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. A tweet by ANI further informs that the girl had written a suicide note on her hand. When her parents were interrogated in the case, they informed that their daughter had taken this extreme step as she had been previously severely scolded by her teacher. The Police has begun an investigation into the matter. National Suicide Prevention Week 2018: Do Indias Suicide Helplines Really Work? A class 7th student in Inderpuri, Delhi allegedly committed suicide. She had written a suicide note on her hand and according to her parents, she had been previously severely scolded by her teacher. Police begin investigation ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2018 A similar suicide incident was reported from Maharashtra's Nagpur on Wednesday where a 19-year-old student of National Fire Service College, allegedly committed suicide at the railway tracks. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the student took this step allegedly after one of his teachers demanded Rs 35,000 to give him pass marks in his exams. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 06, 2018 09:13 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Hyderabad, December 6: With just a day left for the assembly election in the state, Telangana police, on Wednesday night, seized cash worth more than Rs 3 crore from Telangana's Warangal. Police officials said that the cash was allegedly brought to the area to influence voters and confirmed that it belonged to Wardhannapet constituency, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) leader P Devaiah. Telangana Assembly Elections: Rs 7.51 Crore Hawala Cash Seized Before Polls. "There are evidence that this money was to be distributed among voters and it belonged to Wardhannapet constituency candidate P Devaiah (TJS)," said V Ravinder, Police Commissioner while speaking to news agency ANI. Meanwhile, the police have taken cognizance of the case and started an investigation in the matter. Telangana: Police seized cash worth more than Rs 3 crore yesterday from Warangal. V Ravinder, Police Commissioner,"There are evidence that this money was to be distributed among voters & it belonged to Wardhannapet constituency candidate P Devaiah (TJS). We've registered a case." pic.twitter.com/Udjt9sL0CA ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2018 Earlier on December 4, Telangana police had seized Rs 5.8 crore from a car near Pembarthy check-post in Jangaon district. The cash was reportedly, hidden under the seat of a car bearing the registration number AP37 CK 4985. During the investigations, police found that cash was allegedly meant to distributed among the three electoral candidates Vaddiraju Ravichandra, Nama Nageswar and Konda Murali. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 06, 2018 04:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Phnom Penh, December 6: More than 30 Cambodian women paid to carry babies for Chinese clients have been released on bail after agreeing to keep the children, officials said on Thursday, as the country tightens its grip on the illegal but lucrative surrogacy trade. The women were charged with human trafficking after they were discovered in June during a raid on a surrogacy business in the capital Phnom Penh, the latest in a series of arrests targeting the practice. Cambodia banned surrogacy in 2016 in an attempt to prevent it from spreading in the developing country after neighbouring Thailand pulled the plug on the trade the previous year. But China's easing of its one-child policy has seen demand for fertility clinics go up and shadow markets in Cambodia continue to offer the service despite attempts by authorities to crack down. Pon Samkhan, secretary general for the National Committee for Counter-Trafficking, told AFP on Thursday that the 32 women were released on bail this week, with the last 17 of them freed on Wednesday. Surrogate Mother Gives Birth to Baby of Chinese Couple Who Died Four Years Ago. She said the women -- many of whom are currently pregnant -- agreed "not to give up their babies" before they were released on bail. A senior police official at the Committee for Counter-Trafficking confirmed their release and said it was done on "humanitarian grounds". "They have agreed not to sell the babies and will raise them," the source said, adding that if they break the agreement they could face at least 15 years in jail. The case also saw five people, including a Chinese national, arrested and charged with human trafficking. Last month, another 18 people in Cambodia -- including 11 alleged surrogate mothers -- were charged for taking part in an illegal surrogacy business. Ottawa, December 6: A top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Thursday, angering Beijing days into a trade war truce with the US. The detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's chief financial officer, comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions violations by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials who deemed the company a national security threat. The arrest stirred tensions just as the United States and China agreed to a ceasefire in their trade spat while negotiators seek a deal within three months. News of her detention rippled through stock markets in Asia, particularly Shanghai and Hong Kong, with tech firms among the worst hit. By lunch Shanghai was 1.3 per cent lower while Hong Kong was 2.6 per cent off. "China is working creatively to undermine our national security interests, and the United States and our allies can't sit on the sidelines," US Senator Ben Sasse in a statement linking the arrest to US sanctions against Iran. Huawei Y9 2019 Smartphone with Kirin 710 SoC and Four Cameras Officially Announced. "Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes it's laundered through many of Beijing's so-called 'private' sector entities that are in bed with (President) Xi (Jinping)'s communist party," he added. Meng was arrested in the western city of Vancouver on December 1, Canada's ministry of justice said in a statement. The ministry said the US is seeking her extradition and she faces a bail hearing on Friday, adding it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng, whose father, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, is a former Chinese People's Liberation Army engineer. The arrest occurred on the same day that US President Donald Trump and Xi struck the trade war truce at a summit in Argentina. China's embassy in Ottawa demanded Meng's release. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim," the embassy said in a statement. "The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Ms Meng Wanzhou." Huawei said it was unaware of any wrongdoing by Meng and was provided "very little information" about the charges. "Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU," the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that US Department of Justice had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by Huawei. The New York Times said the company had been subpoenaed by the Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions. Huawei is not the first Chinese telecoms equipment firm to face the ire of US authorities. Earlier this year, the US imposed a seven-year ban on the sale of crucial US components to Chinese smartphone maker ZTE after finding it had failed to take action against staff who were responsible for violating trade sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The ban nearly killed the Chinese tech company, which said it was forced to cease major operations in May. A month later, Washington and Beijing reached a deal that would strike ZTE from the sanctions list -- just days after China reportedly offered to ramp up purchases of American goods to help cut the yawning trade imbalance with the US. American officials denied any connection between the two. In exchange, ZTE agreed to pay a hefty USD 1 billion fine and put an aditional USD 400 million in escrow in case of future violations. It was also ordered to replace its board of directors and retain outside monitors. The case showed that China is highly dependent on imports of US-made semiconductors or computer chips and reinforced Beijing's need to become self-reliant on this key technology. Huawei is one of the world's largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. But despite global success, its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage. In May, the Pentagon said that devices from Huawei and ZTE posed an "unacceptable" security risk. Personnel on US military bases are banned from buying equipment manufactured by the Chinese tech firms. Over the summer, Australia barred Huawei from providing 5G technology for wireless networks in the country over espionage fears. New Zealand followed suit in November, but said the issue was a technological one. Britain's largest mobile provider too has joined the global ban on Huawei. On Wednesday, BT announced it was removing Huawei's telecommunications equipment from its 4G cellular network, following a warning from the head of MI6 foreign intelligence service that singled out the Chinese company as a potential security risk. Despite being essentially barred from the critical US market, Huawei surpassed Apple to become the world's number two smartphone maker in the second quarter of this year. | BY Ricki Green | Challenging the notion that beer is the only acceptable drink to have in summer, Canadian Club & Dry has released Who Made Beer the Boss of Summer?, an integrated campaign via The Monkeys, part of Accenture, that aims to liberate Aussies by offering them a refreshing alternative to beer. The campaign builds on the success of the first instalment of The Big Question, which delivered Canadian Clubs best year on record; elevating Canadian Club as the largest contributor to 2018 spirit category growth*. The second instalment, tailored to Australias love affair with beer over summer, continues the brands Over Beer strategy. Countering Australias beer drinking culture, Who Made Beer the Boss of Summer? and its refreshing alternative message, continues to see Canadian Club challenge the perception of dark spirits and makes consumers question the often default choice made with beer. Says Vince Lagana, executive creative director, The Monkeys: We wanted to build on the success of the last campaign and turn our attention to that time of the year when Australians are forced to see standard beer messages at their most summery best. Once again, Canadian Club & Dry challenges Aussies to embrace an alternative drink. Says Trent Chapman, marketing director ANZ, Beam Suntory: Canadian Club & Drys success shows there is something in challenging the conventional wisdom of beer. This insight rings true all the way to Canada where The Big Question creative, produced by The Monkeys and Beam Suntory ANZ, is essentially being used to sell Canadian Club & Dry to Canadians. The campaign is set to run across broadcast TV, print and out-of-home advertising. Client: Beam Suntory Brand: Canadian Club & Dry Marketing Director ANZ: Trent Chapman Group Marketing Manager: Stephanie Jericevich Brand Manager: Michaela Lloyd-Jones Creative Agency: The Monkeys Co-founder & Group Chief Creative Officer: Scott Nowell Co-founder & Group CEO: Mark Green Partner & Strategy Director: Fabio Buresti Managing Director: Matthew Michael Executive Creative Director: Vince Lagana Creative Director: Scott Dettrick Senior Copywriter: Tim Pashen Senior Art Director: Scott Zuliani Head of Production: Thea Carone Senior Producer: Penny Brown Producer: Katie Bassett Strategic Planner: Henry Bilson Group Content Director: Ciaran Miller-Stubbs Content Director: Ola Moszumanska Senior Content Manager: Bec Barnier Content Executive: Tash Strachan Production Company: Sweetshop Director: Nick Kelly Producer: Allison Lockwood Executive Producer: Loren Bradley Managing Director: Edward Pontifex DOP: Geoffrey Simpson Post Production: The Editors Editor: Stuart Morley Colourist: Andy Clarkson Post Producer: Olivia Reddy What do you really know about higher education in Nigeria? Checkout this post and learn about 10 essential (and fascinating) facts about the countrys tertiary education. You might be surprised by what you find out here! Photo: guardian.ng Source: UGC 10 facts you should know about higher education in Nigeria Nigerias tertiary education is a very interesting topic for conversation, which is why we have decided to dedicate our whole article to it. In order not to bore you with the useless details, we have compiled some of the most important facts about the higher education in Nigeria, so that you can impress your friends and colleagues with your knowledge. Here they are: 1. There are 165 universities in Nigeria It is hard to believe just how fast the Nigerian tertiary education system has grown, but there are well over a hundred universities in the country. To be precise, there are currently 43 federal, 47 state and 75 private universities that have been approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as of 2018. 2. Private universities account for the least amount of students Photo: madailygist.ng Source: UGC READ ALSO: Most populated university in Nigeria - Top 10 This might seem weird, especially taking into account that the number of private universities exceeds that of the state or federal institutions. However, it turns out that less than 5% of all prospective students applied to private universities (at least as of 2016). To compare, almost 70 % applied to federal universities, while over 27% applied to state universities. 3. University of Ibadan is the oldest university in Nigeria Even though Nigeria gained its independence in 1960, it opened its first university years before that. At first, there was Yaba College, which opened its doors to students in 1932. It was the oldest tertiary institution in the country. In 1948, it moved to Ibadan, where it became University College of Ibadan and later the University of Ibadan. 4. There are not enough seats at Nigerian universities for all applicants Now, we have just talked about how many universities there are in Nigeria, but it turns out that not everyone can get a spot. Just a few years ago, only one in three applicants gained admission into universities. That said, it is still better than a decade ago, when as many as ten students competed for a single spot. 5. Tertiary education system in Nigeria is not only about universities Photo: nigerianmonitor.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: List of federal universities in Nigeria and their school fees 2018-2019 Apart from universities, Nigerias higher education also includes polytechnics, monotechnics, colleges and colleges of education. While the universities are under the purview of NUC, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges are controlled by the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE). As of 2017, it recognised 107 polytechnics, 27 monotechnics, and 220 colleges. National Commission for Colleges of Education recognises 84 teacher training colleges. 6. JAMB did not always exist None of todays students remember the days when the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) was not there to conduct Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME). However, it was only established in 1978, when the number of universities has increased significantly, and it was important to establish a centralized admission test. 7. The new University Degree Classification differs from the old one significantly Many might remember that not that long ago there was a pass classification for degrees. Well, it has been removed, so now there are first class (70-100% or A grades), 2nd class upper (60-69% or B), 2nd class lower (50-59% or C) and third class (45-49% or D) degrees. Anyone who scores 44 or below fails to receive a degree. 8. Nigerian higher education suffers from underfunding, corruption and fund misappropriation Despite the fact that the Federal government has increased the budged allocated for higher education, it is still severely underfunded. This causes deterioration of many universities and decreased quality of education. The teacher to student ratio is often abysmal. Moreover, what little money gets into the universities, it often gets misappropriated, and some universities even have the nerve of taking bribes from students. 9. A lot of Nigerian students go overseas to receive their higher education Photo: topstudentsng.com Source: UGC READ ALSO: Post UTME news: when is the deadline for JAMB in 2018? Over the years, more students have chosen not to receive their degrees in Nigeria. This is most likely due to the poor quality of tertiary education, the inability of Nigerian universities to meet the demand and the ability of many families to afford sending their children overseas. Top 5 most popular destinations among Nigerian students are United Kingdom, Ghana, United States, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. 10. Many Nigerian students prefer the same fields of study It is hard to find any data on this in Nigeria, but most Nigerian students that study in the US and UK prefer to seek higher education in the fields of business, engineering, medicine and physical sciences. Many also prefer law, social sciences, as well as environmental sciences. Have you learned something new? What other important things should everyone know when it comes to Nigerian higher education? Leave us a comment below. READ ALSO: Most educated country in Africa in 2018 Source: Legit | BY Ricki Green | Hootsuite, the leader in social media management trusted by more than 17 million customers and employees at more than 80 percent of the Fortune 1000, released its Social Trends 2019 report. The companys third annual report on global trends in social media reveals the biggest opportunities that should be keeping executives, marketers, customer experience leaders, and social media professionals awake at night as the trends to seize in the coming year. Says Penny Wilson, CMO, Hootsuite: In many ways 2018 was a tumultuous year for social media. Concerns around privacy have led social media users to more private channels like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and WeChat, creating unique opportunities for businesses to develop 1:1 relationships with customers, particularly as those customers increasingly prefer messaging for interactions like support. Video, like that posted via Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook Stories, have enabled individuals to engage followers in more compelling storyliving versus traditional storytelling. This opens the doors for brands to share more human stories of their own that are important, interesting, and timely to their audiences. The slowdown in organic reach in 2018 required brands to dive deeper into paid social to get their messages across. But increased competition there now requires those same brands to take a different approach in the coming year. And ecommerce is emerging directly in social channels to complete the last mile of the buyers journey online. This adds to the comfort and convenience of individuals already using social to connect with brands, conduct research, seek recommendations, and get support. Says Wilson: Combined, these trends represent tremendous new opportunities for brands to establish deeper, more authentic, and longer-lasting connections with customers in 2019 and beyond. Hootsuites 2019 Social Trends for businesses large and small to seize include: 1. Rebuilding Trust: Customers are increasingly aware of who they are interacting with on social and what data they are sharing. Consequently, brands should be shifting their strategies to develop more relevant content that is both timely for the individual and authentic and genuine to the brand. 2. Storifying Social: Stories are now growing 15 times faster than feed-based sharing, and for brands, this requires a major shift in focus in 2019. Content teams must now adapt as stories offer new formats for sharing, and for purchasing. 3. Closing the Ads Gap: More competition on paid social is forcing marketers to up their game. At the end of the day, brands who respect and engage with their customers as individuals and use relevant content to add value to their audiences will see the real return. 4. Cracking the Commerce Code: Finding ways to make shopping live, interactive and seamless especially on mobile devices is key. In 2019 the most successful brands will go the extra mile to show customers how products and services can fit into the context of their lives. 5. Messaging Eats the World: The top 4 messaging apps now count nearly 5 billion monthly active users, meaning messaging engagement is quickly eclipsing the more traditional social networks. And as we head into 2019, 69 percent of customers say that directly messaging a company helps them feel more confident about the brand. Eventually, people will always talk about the advantages of democracy over military rule in Nigeria. Those who had an opportunity to compare two rules will vote for democracy and will always appreciate peaceful and stable democracy. We will remind you in this article one more time why the whole country has to work hard to overcome the challenges of Democracy in Nigeria. Photo: indiaeve.com Source: Getty Images What is democracy Today democracy is considered the best form of government in the world. In a democratic state, people are believed to have power in there hands, and people decide how to rule the country. The characteristics of democracy are: People are the highest form of political power; they have a right to choose and to be chosen. Mass media and citizens have a right to express themselves; people can even organize meetings. The law protects the rights of the citizens. The rule of law prevails. The separation of powers into executive, legislature and judicial branches. Pure democracy does not exist. READ ALSO: What are main features of democracy? You must be surprised by the last line, but this is indeed the problem of democracy, it does not exist. There are always exceptions that do not permit people to rule the country entirely. At the same time, these restrictions do not let the democracy to become the anarchy. Anyway, to see all advantages of the regime that is supposed to be called democracy, we will compare it with the other governing experienced by the Nigerians military rule. What is military rule Military rule - is political regime when the power is concentrated in the hands of the military as an organization. It is believed to be one of the types of the authoritarian regime because at the time of military rule human rights are noticeably limited. Photo: 1.bp.blogspot.com Source: Getty Images The main features of military rule are: The concentration of power in the hands of the military ruler. A significant limitation or complete absence of democratic rights and freedoms. Willful violation of constitutional proclamation of rights and freedoms in the pretext of restoring and maintaining order in the country. The military government can resort to weapons for resolving any conflict. People lose any right to express their opinion and have to suffer under the pressure of armed people. However, military rule has positive sights: The rulers have no other choice but maintain and sponsor some projects, the civilian government forgets about in peaceful times. The military rule includes severe discipline, that factually destroys corruption and bureaucracy. Photo: thenationonlineng.net Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: History of Democracy Day in Nigeria What are the advantages of democracy over military rule in relation to human rights We are going to speak about democracy and the army rule in the context of Nigeria because this country experienced both regimes. Military rule in Nigeria started for the first time in 1966 a several years after obtaining the independence. The matter was that Nigeria was in an infantile state, and it was necessary to adjust the governing so that all citizens were satisfied. There were several coup detats against the existing government of the grounds of ethnicity, discontentment and many other reasons. It is quite clear that military rule was not the best period in the life of Nigerian people. But citizens of the current time must be able to compare these two forms of ruling to avoid choosing the wrong ways in the future. Photo: youtube.com Source: Getty Images First of all, it is necessary to highlight the advantages of democracy over military rule in Nigeria concerning human rights. 1. The right to vote The military rule usually begins with the armed seizure of the governing power. 2. The right to express ones point of view Military rule press is characterized by propaganda. All mass media (including radio, television, Internet) work for the government only. People can not organize demonstrations and meetings because they will be punished. During the military rule, many people were tortured because of their opposition to the government. Democracy predisposes the freedom of speech and pluralism of opinions. Meetings organized by people will be taken into account, and people will be listened to because the government depends on people. 3. The right to live In the period of the military rule in Nigeria, many people were killed and tortured. They were not protected by the law or police. In the democratic conditions, all citizens are supposed to be protected by the law, and all people are supposed to be equal in the court. Photo: sinnerschapel.blogspot.com Source: Facebook READ ALSO: History of democracy in Nigeria from 1960 Advantages of democracy over military rule in general Other advantages of democracy over military rule in Nigeria include: Democracy is the best way to implement the social and political system in a society with constantly changing living conditions without revolutionary explosions and upheavals. Democracy is stable. People appreciate peace that is why the regime that presupposes no peace provokes mass dissatisfaction. The problem of Nigerian military rule consists in its durability. It took thirty-three years for the state to become democratic! That is why it is still so difficult to recover from the consequences of revolutions, blood spilling, and instability. Democracy promotes the idea of national identity, of national pride, while military rule destroys it. Many people tend to leave the country with military rule. Government is stable in a democratic state. Unlike the military rule, you will never wake up and hear the name of a new ruler of the country. Democracy brings stability. At least, in the democratic state, you will go to bed thinking that tomorrow will be a different day! As it can be seen, military rule is evil, like any other authoritarian rule. This is not just someones subjective point of view. Summing up the advantages of democratic rule over military rule is human life which is the most precious thing in the world and any rule that threats or neglects it is considered wrong, dangerous, and must be demolished. Fortunately, it happened in Nigeria, and under no conditions should it (military rule) be repeated. READ ALSO: Advantages and disadvantages of democracy Source: Legit.ng The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 elections was on Wednesday, December 5, endorsed by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP). The coalition comprises the main opposition PDP and 45 other opposition parties. Formal adoption of the former vice president by the parties was disclosed by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, a former governor of Osun state and chairman of the coalition at the opening of a meeting of the national chairmen of parties involved. READ ALSO: 2 powerful people frustrating Buhari's effort in Nigeria - Aisha Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that former president, Goodluck Jonathan, called on Sokoto people and the rest of the northwest to vote for Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election saying he is the only one that can make them eat three times daily. The former president made this call at the flag-off of the 2019 presidential election campaign by the PDP on Monday, December 3. Jonathan said the people should vote for Atiku so that all of us will have food to eat. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app He said: We have seen four presidents, from Obasanjo to our late brother, YarAdua, to myself, and to the current president. You have seen how the various presidents and the various parties have worked, and one thing that is very clear is that PDP is still the number one party." We are honestly tired of Buhari and Atiku | Legit TV Source: Legit President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Nigeria following his trip to Poland. The president returned to the country on Wednesday, December 5. Buhari had departed Abuja for Poland on Saturday, December 1, for the 24th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP24) under the UN framework Convention on Climate Change. President Buhari returns to Nigeria. Credit: Facebook, Femi Adesina Source: Facebook The president attended the opening ceremony the COP24 and on Monday, December 3, delivered Nigeria's statement conference. Buhari attended the United Nations Climate Conference (#COP24) in Katowice, Poland. Photo source: Femi Adesina Facebook Source: Facebook READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, December 4, visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, in Oswiecim, Poland, where he paid tribute to Holocaust victims. This was disclosed in a statement made available to Legit.ng by Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity. After touring the Museum, devoted to the memory of the victims who died at both camps during World War II, President Buhari penned a hand-written tribute in the visitors book, quoting Shakespeares ''Julius Caesar". PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app ''The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones''. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better Top 3 Nigerian Political Divorces: Breakups That Affect Everyone | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Adams Oshiomhole called on Obasanjo to remember he vowed not to support Atiku - The APC chairman expressed confidence that President Buhari will win 2019 - He said women will play vital roles in the coming election The chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole has called on former president, Olusegun Obasanjo to be wary of Gods anger after the latter declared support for Atiku Abubakars presidential interest. The Nation reports that Oshiomhole said this while receiving APC women leaders from Edo State and the Federal Capital Territory. READ ALSO: Vote for me to revive the economy - Atiku to Kwara people He reminded Obasanjo that he had sworn not to support Atiku and that he said God will not forgive him if he supports the former president. He warned Obasanjo not to risk Gods punishment over his support for Atiku. Oshiomhole said: We know there are people across the divide who are fighting back. There is a gang up by those who are used to sucking the system without adding any value but Nigerians will not allow that. The APC chairman expressed confidence in President Muhammadu Buharis victory at the polls in 2019. He said: The two candidates are from the North and they are both Muslims. People are now going to look at character. Nobody has ever said Buhari is a thief. But who said the other person is a thief? It was his boss. When you are working with me and I said you are a thief, God will punish me if I support you. And when you are confused because your supply line has been chopped off, you now turn around to support the same person. That God that you called with your name to punish you if you support the person is about to go to work. And He will go to work in February and He will punish him thoroughly and the person he is supporting, in favour of Nigeria. My hope is that Buhari will win. He will have more votes than he got before because some of those who misused religion; for that was the most potent weapon that was used very recklessly, by people who had no issues in 2015. This time around, they will have to speak to the issues because the two main candidates are Muslims. Again, the issue of North-South; Buhari maintained the key support in the North and that was because people voted on the basis of son of the soil. This time, the two main candidates are from the North so these things will not be there. We are now going to look at character. Who cant say Buhari is a thief; nobody has ever said so. But who said the other person is a thief? it is the person he was working with. Turning to the women, Oshiomhole said: Yes, the women are going to play a key role in the elections, they are going to compare notes. Those of them who were about 20 years old in 1999, by the time they were 36 years, they know all that has happened. They wont forget that the PDP promised that in six months they will provide stable power, in 16 years, they did not. They will not forget that PDP spent $16 billion; they will not forget that PDP spent so much money on rail and workers will not forget that under the PDP industries have been shut down. Some people recently said that Atiku was one of the most powerful Vice Presidents Nigeria ever had, so he would not say that he didnt know what was going on in government. So, he was a central player and you know all the issues of corruption in government then, especially the allegation that sums of money ranging from N50 million were being shared to National Assembly members for the third term, all coming from the system. So we can return to those eras of locusts. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Recall that Legit.ng previously reported that Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that going by the fame of the ruling party in Imo and Ogun, victory is sure in the states in the 2019 elections, despite the alleged anti-party activities of their governors. He described Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun as poor students of their own history who had forgotten they lost elections before winning on the platform of the APC. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! APC is the worst party in Nigeria, i regret being a member - on Legit TV: Source: Legit.ng - Governor Nasir El-Rufai says if he loses the 2019 governorship election in Kaduna state, he will concede defeat before announcement of results - Recall that ex-president Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 before results were announced - Governor El-Rufai called for political campaigns that are based on issues and achievements ahead of the forthcoming general elections As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has said he would concede defeat before the announcement of gubernatorial election results in the state if he loses the poll. The governor, who made the declaration at a summit towards peaceful 2019 general elections in the state on Wednesday, December 5, warned politicians and their supporters against hate speech, falsehood and ethnic sentiments in the social media, The Guardian reports. Legit.ng gathers that the governor called on stakeholders to ensure that political campaigns ahead of the general elections were based on issues and achievements. READ: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda He said: It was the massive rigging of elections in 2011 that led to widespread violence at that time and Kaduna state lost over 800 lives. According to him, the 2015 election was a game changer, because it was believed to be credible particularly in the northern part of the state. We just returned from Osun state for the inauguration of a governor. I was there for the first round of election and it was the most credible election I have ever seen in the world." Governor El-Rufai said election materials arrived early at polling units, adding that the election was violence-free. According to him, if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducts the 2019 general elections the same way it conducted the gubernatorial election in Osun, the forthcoming election would be violence-free. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor El-Rufai described the forthcoming 2019 general elections as a battle between thieves and honest people. The Kaduna governor also accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of renting crowd from neighbouring countries because Sokoto people refused to come out for the rally. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The governor spoke on Tuesday, December 4, at the launching of his campaign council in Kaduna. He called on Kaduna people to show the PDP that the state would not allow them to cheat. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better 'Nobody can stop Buhari in 2019, Atiku cannot win' - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - EFCC boss Ibrahim Magu says that 60 percent of funds looted by former public officers are in Nigeria - He urged all law enforcement agencies to collaborate with the EFCC in exposing those who have looted the nations treasury - Magu further disclosed that over 80 percent of recovered loot outside the country are still hanging Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has disclosed that 60 percent of funds looted by former public officers are in Nigeria. He made the disclosure on Wednesday, December 5, during an interactive session with newsmen, The Nation reports. Legit.ng gathers that the anti-graft boss urged all law enforcement agencies to collaborate with the EFCC in exposing those who have looted public funds. READ ALSO: Oshiomhole is a political liability - Okorocha He said: Yes, 60 percent of the looted funds are still in the country. This is why I called you to collaborate with me to expose them and to arrest them. We cannot do it alone; how many of us are in EFCC? There are about 180 million Nigerians; how many of us are working here? I want to appeal to all law enforcement agencies to collaborate with us. Everybody must fight corruption; every Nigerian must join the fight against corruption, especially other law enforcement agencies. That was the reason we were established. According to him, more than 80 percent of recovered loot outside this country are still hanging. He wondered why it was so difficult to repatriate the money when it has already been established that it came from Nigeria. There is no justification for such. It is no small money. We have over $370 million hanging in Jersey Island in the UK, he added. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Ibrahim Magu said the EFCC will comply with the court order to produce former petroleum resources minister, Deziani Allison-Madueke, for alleged fraud. Justice Valentine Ashi of a Federal Capital Territory high court, sitting in Apo, Abuja, on Tuesday, December 4, ordered the EFCC to apprehend and arrest Allison-Madueke within 72 hours. Magu said: I need less than 72 hours; we are going to comply with the court order. It is in our character to comply with court orders. There is no time ever that we refuse to comply with court order. If we dont comply with court orders, it means we have reasons to appeal against the courts decision. I need less than 72 hours to produce Deziani. How can I get her if she is being protected by forces outside this country? This is my predicament otherwise if it is 72 hours, if she is here, I will just get her." NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! The Luxury of Corruption - on Legit TV: Source: Legit - House of Representatives committee on petroleum (downstream) has expressed confidence that Nigerians won't experience fuel scarcity this year - The committee said this was due to efforts that went into the planning and execution of the zero-fuel scarcity strategy - The federal government has been urged to do everything within its powers to pay up subsidy arrears to forestall any crisis Following the measures put in place by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to avert fuel supply shortage, the House of Representatives committee on petroleum (downstream), expressed confidence that it would be successful this year, The Punch reports. Legit.ng gathered that this was due to efforts that went into the planning and execution of the zero-fuel scarcity strategy by the national oil firm and its subsidiaries, the committee said. Joseph Akinlaja, the chairman of the committee, disclosed this during an oversight visit to the NNPC headquarters in Abuja. READ ALSO: 2019: Oshiomhole warns Obasanjo, reminds him of his promise This is coming as the NNPC announced on Thursday, December 6, that it unveiled Nigerias multi-billion dollar investment opportunities in the deep-offshore frontiers at the 10th World Energy Capital Assembly in London, United Kingdom. Ndu Ughamadu, the group general manager, group public affairs division (NNPC) said in a statement that the House committee commended the corporation on the strategies deployed so far to make petroleum products available to Nigerians throughout the end of year festivities and beyond. Akinlaja said: We are impressed by the presentation and we are sure that there will be no war room here again because of products scarcity. You have done very well and Im happy that Nigerians are going to travel effortlessly at this period of the year. On the threat by major and independent petroleum products marketers to ground the sector due to unpaid subsidy arrears, the committee chairman appealed to the federal government to do everything within its powers to pay up the arrears to forestall any crisis. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Meanwhile, Maikanti Baru, NNPCs group managing director, reassured Nigerians of the corporations preparedness to ensure zero-scarcity of petroleum products during the festive season and beyond. In a previous report by Legit.ng, a financial expert, Tony Edeh, urged the federal government to resolve issues with oil marketers to ensure availability of fuel during the yuletide. Edeh, the managing director of Norrenberger Financial Group, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday, December 4. Legit.ng gathers that Norrenberger is an integrated financial services group that operates a customer-focused business model, offering clients a comprehensive range of financial products and services. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Merry Crisis: Nigerias fuel saga | Legit TV Source: Legit - A Nigerian lecturer has disguised himself as comic superhero Spider-Man - The lecturer had disguised himself as the superhero to attend to his students who needed help - He reportedly disguised himself in order not to reveal his identity The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been on strike for three weeks. This strike has left every university under the union on a temporary shutdown which left many of the students out of school. Meanwhile, masters students at a Nigerian university under the union are expected to defend their projects immediately after the strike is over. To prepare for their projects, these students called on a trusted lecturer to help them out. However, due to the fact that ASUU is on strike the lecturer had no choice but to disguise himself in order to attend to his students. Lecturer defies odds, disguises as Spider-Man to attend to students with urgent needs Twitter source: @OlunusiBest Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Unilorin lecturer allegedly asks students to lie on the floor The lecturer had reportedly dressed up as comic superhero Spider-Man to help his 'friendly neigbourhood students', just like the friendly neigbourhood Spider-Man. It was reported that the incident happened on Wednesday, December 5. The lecturer had told his students to expect Spider-Man who would assist them with their project. PAY ATTENTION: Read best news on Nigeria's #1 news app To be cautious, he even asked the students to look out for officials of the union, and even refused to answer to his name while heading to his office. Viral Trendz on Twitter identified the lecturer at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Uli in Anambra state. PAY ATTENTION: Get your daily relationship tips and advice on Africa Love Aid group Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Federal Government ordered the Vice Councillors of Universities to stop salary payment for striking lecturers. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Parents advice government over ASUU strike - on Legit.ng TV Source: Legit Nigeria - Femi Falana has faulted the Jonathan and Buhari governments for discarding reports to make INEC free from political interference - He pointed out that former president Musa YarAdua was very honest in 2007 when he declared that the election that brought him to power was flawed - The legal luminary said the country is in trouble with the credibility of its elections because the reports from the panels findings were cast aside Femi Falana (SAN), renowned human rights activist, has chided the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, for abandoning reports to make the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) free from political interference and truly autonomous. Falana, while speaking at the annual general meeting and conference of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, expressed doubt over the countrys ability to hold credible elections in 2019, as he stated that there is little or no public trust in INEC, Punch reports. READ ALSO: Defection: Ambodes ex commissioner is inconsequential - Igbokwe Legit.ng gathers that the legal luminary urged Nigerians not to allow people who are not enlightened to decide our fate. He said if elected officials who betrayed the public trust were not voted out of office, the 2019 elections would be a mere ritual. He said: On the credibility of our elections, former president Musa YarAdua was very honest in 2007 when he declared that the election that brought him to power was flawed. He therefore set up a judicial commission of inquiry headed by Justice Muhammed Uwais, who later became the chief justice of Nigeria. Former president Goodluck Jonathan also set up another inquiry headed by Alhaji Ahmed Lemu. Both panels recommended at different times, that to have credible elections in our country, the chair and members of INEC shall be appointed by advertisement, with conditions set up. People will apply and whoever qualifies shall be appointed. It is not that the president will appoint them. The panels also said there shall be an electoral offences tribunal to try those who manipulate or who commit electoral offences. Unfortunately, both the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress have conveniently thrown those reports aside. And so, that is why we are in trouble with the credibility of our elections. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, allegedly hinted that the body might be forced to suspend the 2019 general elections following threats to violence by some politicians in the country. Yakubu, a professor, stated this in reaction to some disturbing videos of political campaigns in the social media in which some politicians were seen threatening to shed blood. The INEC boss noted that recent developments and signs in the countrys political landscape called for greater vigilance. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! INEC officer confesses to crime - on Legit TV: Source: Legit Nigeria - The APCs National Working Committee will meet with the partys governorship candidates and the state party chairmen and secretaries on Thursday, December 6 - The committee will also send a fact-finding committee to Imo and Ogun states to ascertain the true positions of Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibukunle Amosun - The meeting with the state chairmen is expected to reconcile some of them with their governorship candidates Members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will meet with the partys governorship candidates and the state party chairmen and secretaries on Thursday, December 6. The APC national publicity secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, confirmed the development after the partys working committee meeting, New Telegraph reports. READ ALSO: Falana chides GEJ, Buhari govts over INEC autonomy Legit.ng gathers that Onilu also disclosed that the committee had resolved to send a fact-finding committee to Imo and Ogun states, so as to ascertain the status of Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibukunle Amosun with the party respectively. After failing to secure the APCs governorship ticket, Okorochas son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, defected to the Action Alliance (AA); while in Ogun state, Amosuns candidate for the governorship, Adekunle Akinwale, defected to the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). Both governors reportedly gave the nod to the defections, saying that the party couldnt stop them. Onilu, in reaction to the allegations of anti-party activities leveled against Okorocha and Amosun, stated: What we have decided to do is to send a fact finding committee because everything is being read in the paper. Since they are our members, we should engage with them and then find out their true positions. If anybody has left, then we will know what to do. And if nobody has left but he is doing anti-party (sic), we will know what to do. According to him, the meeting would be to tell both governors what they need to do to win elections because they have to work from a common strategic point of view. All of them need to understand that the era of impunity has gone. Everything they want to do, they must do it right and they must not be helped by anybody to win election; other than participate in a free and fair election. We expect that they should campaign very well and win elections fairly. So, they need to go and work. This is not PDP, he added. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app The meeting is also reportedly expected to reconcile some state chairmen with their governorship candidates. This is because some chairmen had preferred other aspirants as candidates for the party. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo lambasted the national chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, describing him as a political liability who is on a mission to destroy the ruling party. Okorochas comments were in response to a statement credited to Oshiomhole that the Imo governor and his Ogun state counterpart, Ibikule Amosun, are political liabilities who only have one vote, each. The governor, speaking through his commissioner for information, Patrick Nzeh, described Oshiomhole as a victim of his own actions. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng: Same great journalism, upgraded for better service! APC is the worst party in Nigeria, i regret being a member - on Legit TV: Source: Legit (CNN) Australia is alarming the tech industry by moving ahead with plans to give government agencies the power to demand access to encrypted messages on services such as Apple's iMessage and Facebook's WhatsApp. The plans have faced push-back from tech firms, but the proposed law is expected to be approved by the Australian parliament this week after the two main political parties agreed to support it. The government argues the legislation will help police and security agencies combat serious offenses such as terrorist attacks and child sex crimes. But privacy advocates say it could bring risks for regular users of the apps and even make tech companies wary of doing business in Australia. "Without these measures, it is incredibly difficult to keep Australians safe from terrorists and organized criminals," Attorney General Christian Porter told national broadcaster Seven News on Wednesday. "If we can't get into the conversations of terrorists plotting to do Australians harm, then we can't keep Australians safe." Tech firms 'may think twice' about Australia Internet privacy experts disagree. "I think it's right for governments to be tackling the issue of how to do effective investigations in the digital environment," Daniel Weitzner, director of the Internet Policy Research Initiative at MIT, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) this week. "What is risky is when government puts the interest of investigators over the safety of everyone who uses the internet and mobile phones." He said that the planned encryption rules could deter top tech firms from operating in Australia, given the costs and compromises they would demand. "If a company that does business globally is suddenly told by the Australian government that it has to weaken its security, then it may think twice about whether it's worth being in the Australian market," Weitzner said. Apple warns of scope for abuse Apple (AAPL) released a seven-page letter in October criticizing the proposed legislation, arguing that it is "precisely because of [criminal] threats that we support strong encryption." The letter warned that the planned measures could weaken cybersecurity in Australia and beyond and be abused through a lack of oversight. Calling the bill "broad and vague," Apple argued that future governments could use it to weaken encryption. Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for further comment on Wednesday. Facebook (FB) didn't respond to a request for comment. Investigators 'going deaf' because of encryption The Australian government's national security adviser, Alastair MacGibbon, said Wednesday that the legislation is meant to restore the investigative powers that authorities had for decades through legal wiretaps. "In the last several years they've been ... going blind or going deaf because of encryption, the use of modern technologies," he said in an interview with the ABC. But Weitzner said people who really want to keep their online communication hidden from the authorities will still be able to do so. "A determined criminal, or a determined terrorist, is certainly going to be able to go out onto the internet today, and get for free, services that will evade the capabilities that this law is designed to help the police work around." Law enforcement agencies in the United States have also been pushing for tougher laws to compel tech companies to share encrypted information with investigators. The issue came into focus in early 2016 after Apple refused help the FBI break into a terrorist's iPhone, citing privacy and security concerns. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Australia wants to snoop on WhatsApp and other encrypted apps." | BY Ricki Green | During the weekend of the Bathurst 1000, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles premiered its Too Powerful For TV campaign for the new Amarok V6 Ultimate 580 via DDB Sydney Many will be aware that, despite the best efforts of agency and client, the Amarok was still deemed to be too powerful for TV. The ruling garnered international attention, and from Norway to the United States, debate waged on whether advertising standards in Australia were farcical or fair. However, as a responsible advertiser, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles took the ruling in their stride and with the help of DDB Sydney, have re-edited and substantially censored versions of the original ad, some of which will begin re-airing from today. Says Nick Reid, national marketing manager: We always knew we would be up against it trying to demonstrate the power of this ute. While we were confident in our original solution, we understand that with great power comes great responsibility, and we sincerely hope this further censored version of our commercial addresses any and all concerns. Should the Amarok prove to still be too powerful for TV however, were committed to upholding any rulings by the Ad Standards board and will endeavour to further pacify its capabilities on screen. Says Jade Manning, creative partner, DDB Sydney: Were really proud of the impact the Too Powerful for TV campaign has had so far, and were confident that this further censorship of the Amaroks ability will still give Australians a sense of the power of this class-leading ute. Agency: DDB Sydney Chief Creative Officer: Ben Welsh Executive Creative Director: Tara Ford Creative Partner: Jade Manning Creative Partner: Vincent Osmond Senior Creative: Tim Woolford Senior Creative: Tommy Cehak Managing Partner: Nick Russo Senior Business Director: Astrid Noble Business Manager: Luke Thistleton Digital Business Manager: Christelle Quillien Planning Partner: Graham Sweet Head of Integrated Content: Sevda Cemo Lead Senior Producer: Tania Jeram Senior Digital Art Director: Berengere Sottas Senior Designer: Paul Jansen Client: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles National Marketing Manager: Nick Reid Product Marketing Manager: James Thompson Retail and Digital Communications Manager: Nathan Johnson Production Company: Goodoil Films Director: Adam Stevens Executive Producer: Sam Long Producer: Catherine Warner DOP: Daniel Ardilley Editor: Mark Burnett from The Editors, Sydney Assistant Editor: Grace Eyre from The Editors, Sydney Grade: Ben Eagleton from BE Online/VFX: Nigel Mortimer, Stefan Coory Post Production: Blockhead VFX, Sydney Sound Engineer: Anthony Aston, Rumble Studios Music: Johnny Green, Rumble Studios - Former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Orubebe, has warned against election rigging in 2019 - Orubebe claimed that the 2015 governorship election was rigged but such won't happen in 2019 - According to him, what happened in Ekiti and some other states was a stolen victory Godsday Orubebe, the former minister of Niger Delta affairs and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who faulted the conduct of the 2015 elections, has warned against rigging in the 2019 general elections. Orubebe, while speaking in an interview with Tell Magazine, said the alleged rigging in Ekiti and other governorship elections would not be allowed to be repeated in the 2019 elections. READ ALSO: 2019 campaign: We are wiser - Youths tell PDP after Sokoto rally Orubebe said: Everybody knows what happened in Ekiti; it was a stolen victory. And so it is in some other areas. We have been talking to our people to have patience. What has been happening in those elections cant take place in February 2019. It cant happen. Recall that Orubebe stirred up controversy during the collation of the 2015 presidential election results when he allegedly attempted to disrupt the proceedings. Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) reacted to the recent calls by the PDP, demanding the resignation of chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Yakubu Mahmoud and the Inspector General of Police Idris Ibrahim. PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app The APC described the call made by the PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, as suspicious, describing the opposition party as a caricature of a political party. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We keep evolving to serve our readers better. We are honestly tired of Buhari and Atiku | Legit TV Source: Legit Newspaper - Nigeria has established herself as the giant of Africa as report claimed it contributed more than other sister nations at ECOWAS - According to the report, $710m was contributed by Nigeria as shown by the community level statistics - Out of the 13 countries in ECOWAS, Guinea Bissau contributed the least amount of 3. 107 million dollars, followed by Gambia with 11.171 million dollars Nigeria has contributed more money to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) than 13 other members states put together in the last 12 years, statistics have shown. NAN reports that the statistics on payment of the community levy obtained showed that between 2003 and 2015, Nigeria paid $710, 497,352, equivalent to 480, 355,205 West Africa Units of Account (UA). Legit.ng gathers that the West Africa UA is the official nominal monetary unit of measure or currency used to represent the real value. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda The document was presented by the ECOWAS commission as part of the status of the community report during an extra ordinary session of the ECOWAS parliament. In the same period, 13 other countries contributed a cumulative amount of 697, 947 million dollars. Chat showing the community levy of ECOWAS states. Photo credit: NAN Source: UGC The countries are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote dIvoire, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Senegal Sierra Leone and Togo. Out of the 13 countries mentioned, Guinea Bissau contributed the least amount of 3. 107 million dollars followed by Gambia with 11.171 million dollars and Cabo Verde with 12.879 million dollars. Within the period, Sierra Leone contributed 19, 632 million, Liberia 29, 988 million dollars, Guinea 31, 101 million, Niger 37, 788 million, Togo $48, 961 and Cote dIvoire $54, 173 million. Benin Republic contributed a total of $76, 147 million, Mali paid $93, 538 million, Burkina Faso with $105, 278 million, while Senegal paid $174 177 million. The highest paying country after Nigeria is Ghana which paid $327, 976 million within the same period. According to the statistics, a total of $1.736 billion was contributed within the period by all 15 member states, with Nigeria paying 40.9 % of the amount. Following the report, the budget for each financial year is met by the member states through their contributions to the community levy, a 0.5 % tax imposed on goods from non-ECOWAS countries. The national customs administrations of member states are responsible for assessment and collection of the levy and daily record accounts of amounts received. However, the contributions by Nigeria is not equivalent to the weight it pulls in the sub-regional body, especially in the parliament. For instance, out of the 35 seats allocated to Nigeria in the parliament, many of the representatives are usually absent during plenary. At the plenary in May 2018, only four members out of 35 were present on the day Nigeria presented its country report. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that it was another mantle of responsibility added for Nigeria as it emerged the chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) group at the United Nations. Nigeria replaced Togo as chairman of the 15-nation sub-regional group. The permanent representative of Nigeria to the UN, Tijjani Bande, took over from his Togolese counterpart, FrancK Kpayedo at the sub-regional groups meeting in New York. PAY ATTENTION: NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng to serve its readers better Street Gist: Will Nigeria be a better place with Trump as president? | Legit.ng TV Source: Legit.ng - During its plenary on Thursday, December 6, the Senate gave the federal government a period of two weeks to pay fuel subsidy to marketers to avoid scarcity - The motion that led to the resolve was moved by Senator Kabir Marafa representing Zamfara central senatorial district - The Senate appealed to the marketers to extend their initial one week grace to two weeks in order to give the federal government more time The Senate on Thursday, December 6, gave the federal government a period of two weeks to pay fuel subsidy to oil marketers in order to avoid the already looming scarcity. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda The motion was moved by Senator Kabir Marafa who cited Orders 42 and 52. Marafa said that there is an urgent need by the presidency to avert the crisis that seems around the corner. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Earlier, Legit.ng reported that oil marketers in Nigeria on Sunday, December 2, in Lagos issued the federal government a seven-day ultimatum to settle outstanding debts totalling N800 billion, failing which depots would cease operation across the country. Legit.ng gathered that the oil marketers comprises of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) and Independent Petroleum Products Importers (IPPIs). The coalition threatened that failure to meet the deadline would force its members to disengage workers from depots. The report quoted Patrick Etim, the legal adviser to IPPI as confirming their resolution adding that banks had taken over investments and assets of oil marketers over unpaid debts. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - N9 billion is need yearly by Nigerian Armed Forces to provide boots to meet soldiers kitting needs - According to the director-general, defence research and development bureau, Abuja, the amount will double if they are to provide two pairs each per soldier every year - The Armed Forces of Nigeria comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force all utilize leather materials AVM Jumo Osahor, director-general, defence research and development bureau, Abuja says the Armed Forces of Nigeria will require about N9 billion to provide military boots annually to meet soldiers kitting needs. Osahor made this known in a paper he delivered during the Third Annual National Conference organised by the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists of Nigeria (SLTCN) at the Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST), Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna state. READ ALSO: Oshiomhole warns Obasanjo, reminds him of his promise The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference is: The Contributions of Leather Science, Technology and Innovation to the Nigerian Economy and National Security. NAN also reports that the commandant spoke on: Indigenous Leather Production and Military Kitting: The Armed Forces of Nigeria Perspective. The Armed Forces of Nigeria will require about N9 billion to provide a pair of working shoes and boots for each soldier. The amount will double if we are to provide two pairs each per soldier every year. This huge sum of money if channeled to the indigenous leather industry will go a long way in revamping the sector and improving our national economy as well as security forces and provide jobs to our teeming youths. However, the leather industry in Nigeria is yet to take advantage of the huge potential that exists in the military leather requirements of the AFN. He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force all utilize leather materials as part of their military kitting. These range from service shoes to combat boots among others. With strength of over 200,000 personnel, the requirement for shoes and boots is quite enormous especially with the requirement of at least two pairs of shoes and boots each per personnel per year. This translates to about more than half a million pairs of leather wares that could be provided through indigenous leather production industry yearly. At an estimated cost of N30,000.00 for a pair of quality working shoes (Bates) and N15,000.00 for combat boots," he said. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the Nigerian Army has mobilised a reinforcement of troops to fortify Jakana, a town in Konduga local government area of Borno state. Troops attached to the Operation Lafiya Dole were seen on Wednesday, December 5, in large numbers with heavy offensive artillery strategising in Mainok, another town located few miles away from Jakana. Nigerian Air Force Operations Against Boko Haram | Legit TV Source: Legit The House of Representatives has approved that June 12 be marked as Democracy Day in Nigeria following the adoption of a report on a bill seeking to amend the Public Holidays Act 2004, The Punch reports. Legit.ng gathered that at a plenary on Thursday, December 6, the lawmakers at the lower chamber approved the amendment in the act. With the new development, May 29 has been deleted in the establishing act, paving way for June 12 as the new Democracy Day in Nigeria. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Muhammadu Buhari had announced, via his Facebook page, that June 12 would be celebrated as the new Democracy Day. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest update In the announcement dated Wednesday, June 6, the president also announced that the late Chief Moshood Abiola, who was adjudged the winner of the cancelled June 12, 1993, election, would be posthumously awarded the highest honour in the land, GCFR. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) upgrades to Legit.ng to serve its readers better. Nigeria Latest News: Is the NASS Leadership Still Capable of Leading Nigeria? | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Atiku Abubakar has said President Buhari will be defeated in 2019 - The PDP presidential candidate stated the president will not only be defeated, he will also be retired to his Daura hometown - According to Atiku, what will determine the direction of votes are the insecurity challenges, job losses, pain, anguish and economic strangulation Former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said President Muhammadu Buhari would not only be defeated, but would also be retired to his Daura hometown. Atiku's declaration was a reaction to the remarks credited to the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Oshiomhole had said that the PDP candidate would suffer a heavy defeat in the forthcoming polls, Vanguard reports. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Legit.ng notes that Atiku , who spoke through his media aide, Paul Ibe, said: It is not political soothsayers like Oshiomhole that will determine the outcome of the elections but let it be known to him that President Buhari will not only be defeated, he will be retired to his beloved Daura in 2019. Does Oshiomhole think that Nigerians are fools? What will determine the direction of votes are the insecurity challenges, job losses, pain, anguish and economic strangulation that this incompetent government has subjected Nigerians to. For Atiku, it is about Jobs; for Buhari, it is hopelessness. For Atiku, it is about opportunities; for Buhari, it is insensitivity. For Atiku, it is about inclusiveness; For Buhari, it is clannishness. Atiku is all about Getting Nigeria Working Again. So, we urge Oshiomhole to keep his peace and allow Nigerians who have passed through hell in the hands of his principal, to cast their votes in a transparent, free and fair elections. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Oshiomhole reportedly berated former president Olusegun Obasanjo over his support to his former deputy Atiku Abubakar who is the 2019 presidential candidate of the PDP. Oshiomhole reportedly said both Obasanjo and Atiku would be divinely punished at the polls in February, 2019. He added that Atikus political infidelity would be his main albatross at the polls. He said this on Tuesday, December 4, when he received women leaders of the APC from across the local governments of his home state, Edo, who were at his private office on a solidarity visit. PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read best news on Nigerias #1 news app He asked the former president to remember he swore that God should punish him if he ever supported Atiku to be president. Oshiomhole said: We know there are people across the divide who are fighting back. There is a gang up by those who are used to sucking the system without adding any value but Nigerians will not allow that." NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better We are honestly tired of Buhari and Atiku | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - President Buhari is allegedly contemplating reshuffling his cabinet - This is in a bid to strengthen his chances of succeeding at the presidential election in 2019 - It is alleged that this could happen at the emergency FEC meeting or be delayed for a few weeks In a bid to strengthen his chances of succeeding at the 2019 presidential polls, President Muhammadu Buhari is allegedly contemplating reshuffling his cabinet. A source in the presidency told Sahara Reporters that it could happen at the emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) or it could be delayed for a few weeks. The emergency FEC meeting scheduled for Friday, December 7, was primarily convened for approval for the 2019 Appropriation Bill, with the government hoping to present the budget proposal to a joint session of the National Assembly next week. READ ALSO: Buhari will be retired to his beloved Daura in 2019 - Atiku boasts But the source said that a cabinet reshuffle at a time like this, with elections approaching, should be no surprise. The president is considering dropping ministers with political baggage, and those contesting, and is also hoping to strengthen his campaign spread, the source said. Since becoming president in May 2015, Buhari hasnt altered his cabinet, the members of which he waited six months before announcing. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news update Legit.ng previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday, December 7, preside over meeting of a `special Federal Executive Council (FEC) to deliberate solely on 2019 draft budget proposal. Femi Adesina, the special adviser to the president on media and publicity, revealed this when he briefed state house correspondents at the end of the councils meeting. The FEC meeting was presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, December 5. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have upgraded to serve you better Between Buharis Next Level And Atikulate - Nigerians React| Legit TV Source: Legit - A group of Civil Society Organisations took over major roads in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Thursday, December 6 - The groups were led by Say No Campaign Nigeria to commemorate the International Day of Anti-Corruption - Nigerians were urged to rise up and ensure that they say no to corruption Civil Society Organisations led by Say No Campaign on Thursday, December 6 staged a rally in Abuja to commemorate the 2018 World Anti-Corruption Day with the theme: Every No Counts. The CSOs say they are staging the walk to educate Nigerians on the ills of corruption and to strengthen their resolve to say no to the menace of corruption in Nigeria. Legit.ng observed that dozens of youths, students, and young professionals were part of the walk which started from the Unity Fountain and ended at the Federal Secretariat. Leaders of Say No Campaign and other CSOs at the rally. Source: Facebook Speaking to journalists at the sidelines of the rally, the convener of Say No Campaign, Ezenwa Nwagwu, urged Nigerians to rise up and ensure that they say no to corruption. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda His words: We are joining the world today to mark this day, even though we know that our institutions are rife with corruption, but to ensure that the 'No'of citizens count, and that is why the United Nations decided that the theme of this year will be Every No Counts It is not the No of the president alone that counts, it is not the 'No' of a governor that counts, it is not the 'No' of a senator that counts, it is not the 'No' of a religious leader that counts, it is not the 'No' of an economic leader that counts. It is the no of every citizen and the world is saying that if we understand the consequences of corruption, that collectively, all of us will work together to ensure that it goes right. The leaders of the country do not feel the pains of the citizens. When you talk about hunger, those who live in the villa, members of the National Assembly, governors do not know what hunger is, the resources that is meant to feed the citizens, get into private pockets. It is those citizens that bear the consequences of this hunger that should rise up and ensure that they say no. Also speaking, the co-convener of Say No Campaign, Jaiye Gaskia, said: This event is to raise awareness both about the menace of corruption and also what citizens can do corruption. It is one of the events that we are putting together to commemorate the world anti-corruption day which is on December 9. So, we are doing a series of activities for a week to raise awareness. This years theme is Every No Counts and implicit in that theme is that every citizen needs to play a role in fighting corruption. If you look at our country for example, we have been fighting corruption for decades now and we know that every successive government have fought corruption. But they have fought corruption where it is people in the opposition that are corrupt, when it is not people that are affiliated to them. So, the only way we can ensure that corruption is fought holistically is if citizens take a stand and ensure that we first, hold our government accountable, make sure every government fights corruption in an impartial way. Secondly, each one of us too should abhor the culture of impatience. It is the culture of impatience that enables us to be susceptible to corruption. We should be patient to follow processes and due processes. And we must also hold government accountable to provide services, because it is when public services fail, that you create room for corruption. It is when poverty rises, when unemployment rises, when you have a huge gap between the poor and the rich, that is when you create the enabling environment for corruption to thrive. On his part, Hamzat Lawal, the founder of Follow The Money, said: Today, we have mobilized young people and other civil society actors to join our voices on amplifying that every no actually counts. Nigeria is a blessed country, but today we seem like a cursed country. We have all the natural resources, we have all the wealth that we can be proud of. But today, children are out of school. Today, women that are pregnant give birth and they will die. Today, we have high rate of infant mortality. But, we are also saying let us celebrate the few things that have happened. There are a couple of people that have said no to corruption. I believe that if we continue amplifying those people and the good work they do, hopefully, someday, corruption will be history and for us, we believe that as we go into the 2019 elections, that election is about a corrupt free Nigeria, where people will say no to vote buying and vote selling, where people will vote their conscience. We know that you can buy competence, you can buy capacity, but you can not buy credibility. And for us as citizens, we are saying that every no actually counts. Someday in the future, we will have a hall of fame where will put peoples name that have done greatness to ensure that we have a corrupt free Nigeria. That is why we are driving this change that we want to see. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet Meanwhile, two CSOs, Paradigm Initiative and Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), are collaborating to ensure candidates in the 2019 general elections commit to adoption of e-governance. This was revealed by Paradigm Initiative's program manager; Adegoke Adeboye and CITAD's communication officer; Salma Abdulwaheed, during an interactive session with journalists on Tuesday, December 4. They stated that their aim is to promote institutional framework and approaches to anti-corruption and transparency efforts, especially as Nigeria prepares for the 2019 elections. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We keep evolving to serve our readers better. We are honestly tired of Buhari and Atiku | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka has reacted to the criticisms that greeted his comment on the PDP vice presidential candidate, Peter Obi - Mbaka had said the desire of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was bound to fail if he continues being stingy and unwilling to donate to the church - He, however, noted that his prophecy on the 2019 election would as usual be made public on December 31 The controversial Catholic priest, Rev Fr. Ejike Mbaka, has defended his recent outburst with former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, saying he was right in line with the scripure, despite divergent views making the rounds on social media. Legit.ng regional reporter in Enugu, Ikpechukwu Chinedu, reports that Mbaka had told the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi, during the annual harvest and bazaar celebration of the church on Sunday, December 2, that the desire of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, was bound to fail if he continues being stingy and unwilling to donate to the church. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Mbaka, however noted that his prophecy on the 2019 election would as usual be made public on December 31. It was gathered that he told his audience on Wednesday, December 5, during E No Dey Programme, that he is scripturally right and not cowed. According to him, Sundays programme was a bazaar programme where people are invited to support church's project done once a year. He said there is nothing to hide. He gave instances with biblical verses to back up his claim. He recalled how Ananias and his wife died in the Bible while trying to be tricky with Peter after selling their land. The only priest who prophesied the victory of Buhari and the APC in the 2015 elections said that Peter Obi is his son and he has every right to tell him if he is stingy or not. According to him, what he asked for in a bazaar was to support Gods project not Mbakas project. He said no project there belongs to him but the Catholic church. Speaking further, he said when you are anointed, you can talk to both the poor and the politicians without fear. READ ALSO: Tell Oshiomhole to stop abusing sitting govs, ex-presidents - Okorocha tells Buhari Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Peter Obi, the vice presidential candidate of the pleaded with Nigerians to stop attacking Rev Ejike Mbaka verbally over his predictions. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. Between Buharis Next Level And Atikulate - Nigerians React| - on Legit TV Source: Legit - A member of the Senate, Olamilekan Adeola, has revealed why Nigerians must vote APC in 2019 - He said that the former ruling party PDP almost ruined Nigeria for 16 years - Adeola urged Nigerians to be wary of PDP's presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, saying his plan to sell some national assets if elected should scare all patriots The senator representing Lagos West, Olamilekan Adeola, on Thursday, December 6, urged Nigerians to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) the needed support to fix the present challenges confronting the country. The Nation reports that Adeola gave the advice in Lagos while speaking at a meeting with traditional rulers in his senatorial district. Legit.ng gathered that he said some of the problems facing the country were inherited by the current APC administration, owing to what he called 16 years of inept leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Adeola said that the PDP nearly ruined Nigeria with incompetent leadership, but the APC was making sincere efforts to reposition the country. He said: People talk about the problems in the country but we have to understand that the present challenges of the country were not caused by the APC but inherited from the PDP. For 16 years, the PDP delivered nothing but bad governance; in fact, they almost destroyed the country. So, the mess created in 16 years cannot be fixed in three years. The truth is that the Buhari-led administration has made steady progress in the last three years. And Nigerians can bank on the government to address all the issues to make life better for all." Adeola said the promise of the PDP, particularly its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to make things better for Nigerians was an empty one. He said before Atikus promise to turn around the country could be taken seriously, Nigerians should ask him to list his achievements as vice president under PDP. He urged Nigerians to be wary of Atiku, saying his plan to sell some national assets if elected should scare all patriots. The senator implored traditional rulers to always criticise the present government constructively and give their support for the continued progress of the country. He said that he believed traditional rulers should be given constitutional roles in nation-building, promising to champion the cause in the 9th Senate, if elected. Adeola thanked the traditional rulers and the people in the district for their consistent support for him, assuring them that he would always deliver democratic dividends in the area. The senator said as a representative of the area, he had put in place impacting programmes and interventions. He said thousands of constituents had benefitted from his empowerment programmes in the area and his various interventions in infrastructure development. Adeola said he had facilitated jobs for many youths in the area and had supported many in business. The senator said he was passionate about the progress of Lagos West and urged the constituents to support him in 2019 to do more. READ ALSO: I am spiritually right on my comments on Peter Obi - Mbaka blasts critics The News Agency of Agency (NAN) reports that traditional rulers who were at the meeting include Oba Shakirudeen Kuti (Elewu of Ewuland); Oba Kamilu Isiba (Olu of Agege Kingdom); Oba Kabiru Agbabiaka (Osolo of Osolo Kingdom) and Oba Suleiman Suberu (Alajasa of Ajasaland). Oba Nureni Akinremi (Onijegun of Ijegun); Aholu Samuel Olowolabani of Ajaraland and Oba Lasisi Gbadamosi (Onigando of Igando) were also present. NAN reports all the traditional rulers endorsed the senator for re-election at the end of the meeting. Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, representing Lagos west senatorial district came out to deny the rumour that he ordered his supporters to decamp from the All Progressives Congress to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng We have updated to serve you better. Between Buharis Next Level And Atikulate - Nigerians React| - on Legit TV Source: Legit.ng | BY Ricki Green | By Warwick Boulter (left), CEO of Collaboro As we enter 2019, certain trends are becoming more pronounced in the marketing industry. Technology is enabling more intelligent content to be created, while consumers are demanding more information about purchases and spending more time online. Here we discuss the Top 5 content marketing trends for 2019. Trend 1. Automated personalised marketing The rise of the data science is enabling all organisations to read their customers better and tailor their offerings. Its as simple as that. The increased ability to mine data from consumers has provided marketing teams with an increased understanding of what their customers want and to deliver personalised messages to them. Importantly, data science can be used to measure the outcomes of the marketing campaigns and content creation. Never before have we had access to such insights and been able to leverage data to engage, market our goods and make sales. So if you arent analysing data to deliver insights and relevance to your next campaings, get a data scientist on deck. Trend 2. Influencer strategy and engagement The rise of the D-list celebrity will become more pronounced in 2019. Already, online influences such as Instagram stars, sporting heroes, and voices of Twitter have greater reach with audiences than some traditional media. Theyre famous faces that we know, but cant remember why we know them or for what purpose. Yet their reach is invaluable. Just take a look at Carrot Top or Dustin Diamond, or closer to home, Adelaide star Kayla Itsines, a personal trainer, author, and entrepreneur. She built her fitness empire via the power of Instagram and continues to be an influencer of fitness and health. Businesses are likely to enlist D-list celebrities in the future to endorse and market their goods, and maybe its something for yours to consider. Trend 3. More educational content Educational content about products and services fosters a greater understanding of why we need something. Reviews have become an integral part of the buying process, and so has the increased the ability to learn and fully invest in market research before purchasing. So more and more, savvy businesses are informing consumers about their goods and services. Take a look at Medibanks educational marketing strategy which involves releasing approximately five videos per month to foster an understanding of health, fitness and what private health insurance really is. Its a winning campaign and it isnt just spin. Medibanks Medibank 100 campaign involves conversations with diverse Australian and includes facts and figures which can help people make better and more informed decisions about whether they need private health insurance. Supplying educational content is just another way to distinguish your brand and earn it some additional credibility. Trend 4. AI used to create personalised content Artifical intelligence (AI) will be used increasingly in 2019 to create personalised advertising campaigns that can multiply the effectiveness of online advertising. An example is Pencil, which is a creative AI tool that enables brands to craft massive personalised ad campaigns, multiplying the effectiveness of online advertising. AI will also enable organisations to research and develop crucial marketing aspects, such as keyword searches, trends and current audience response, which all means faster campaign ability. AI-based algorithms on websites can also match how each user best responds to marketing material. We are just seeing the beginning of machine learning and AI to market goods, so its nows a good time to get on board and fire up your marketing team with tech experts who can write the algorithms. Trend 5. Storing it on the cloud The rise in intelligent content depends very much on the existence of the cloud. Imagine a business has hundreds of pieces of digital media, each with different elements, all tagged using scene, facial and object recognition. If this data is stored intelligently on the cloud, the business can rapidly deploy and share owned assets, taking the advantage in channels with less structured workflows than traditional marketing channels. Lets consider the true value of unlocking every piece of content a brand has ever created. It means time and budget isnt wasted reshooting footage a business already has (or did have once upon a time). Smart-sharing and collaboration means the right teams can get access to the right media assets anytime, without calls to production partners and without wasting time and resources searching through USBs, hard drives and servers. - The Nigerian Army announces a massive re-organisation of its officers in a bid to effectively battle Boko Haram - Sani Usman's statement names officers affected by the re-organisation, some of whom are commanders and staff officers - The Chief of Army Staff directs those affected by the posting in the theatre to remain committed and fully in charge until they are relieved The Nigerian Army, in the evening of December 6, announced a massive re-organisation in its fold in a bid to inject new hands in the fight against terrorism in the north eastern part of the country. Those affected, according to a statement by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman, include staff officers and commanders. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Part of the statement reads: Specifically, the newly promoted Major General OT Akinjobi, head of the operations monitoring team at the office of the Chief of Army Staff, has been appointed Commander, Sector 3 Operation LAFIYA DOLE, while Major General MG Ali, Commander 9 Brigade has been appointed Commander of the newly created Nigerian Army Special Forces Command, Brigadier General BR Sinjen, Commander, Integrated Fire Support and Brigadier General FO Omoigui, has been moved from 2 Division Nigerian Army to Army Headquarters Department of Training and Operations and appointed Director of Operations. Brigadier General TA Lagbaja is to take over as Commander 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Brigadier General OR Aiyenigba, Director Land Warfare at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College is to move to the Office of the Chief of Army Staff as Head of Operations Monitoring Team, while Brigadier General AU Kuliya is to take over as Director Land Warfare at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College. Similarly, new Brigade Commanders have been appointed for some of the Brigades at Operation Lafiya Dole. These include Brigadier General EF Oyinlola, 22 Brigade, Brigadier General VU Okoro, 25 Task Force Brigade, Brigadier General AB Mohammed, 26 Task Force Brigade, Brigadier General AO Oyelade, 27 Task Force Brigade, Brigadier General MT Usman, 28 Task Force Brigade and Brigadier General MG Kangye, 37 Brigade, while Brigadier General AS Ishaq has been appointed as Coordinator, Nigeria Police Force for Operation Lafiya Dole. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates New commanders have also been appointed for the various Army Headquarters Logistics Commands at the theatre. These include Brigadier General AG Ibrahim, Brigadier General PN Okeson and Brigadier General OA Aminu for Logistics Base I, II and III, respectively. Similarly, the posting has affected several Commanding Officers of the various units in Operation LAFIYA DOLE, amongst others. The Chief of Army Staff has also directed that all those affected by the posting in the theatre, must remain committed and fully in charge until they are properly relieved in line with standard operating procedures and military professional ethics. Legit.ng earlier reported how the Nigerian Army mobilised a reinforcement of troops to fortify Jakana, a town in Konduga local government area of Borno state. Troops attached to the Operation Lafiya Dole were seen on Wednesday, December 5, in large numbers with heavy offensive artillery strategising in Mainok, another town located few miles away from Jakana. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Between Buharis Next Level And Atikulate - Nigerians React| Legit TV Source: Legit.ng Nigerias minister of state for environment, Usman Jibrin, on Thursday, December 6, emerged as the 13th emir of Nasarawa town. Jibrin took over the ministry after the resignation of Amina Mohammed, who is currently serving at the United Nations. READ ALSO: NAIJ.com upgrades to Legit.ng: a letter from our Editor-in-Chief Bayo Olupohunda Premium Times reports that the minister emerged as emir in a keen contest as announced by the state commissioner for local governments and chieftaincy affairs, Illiya Osegba, at the Government House, Lafia. Osegba reportedly said Governor Tanko Al-makura approved the selection of Jibrin as the new emir. PAY ATTENTION: Download our mobile app to enjoy the latest news updates The commnissioner further said the approved the selection of Lawrence Ayih as the new Abaga Toni of Toni Kingdom in Nasarawa state. Legit.ng earlier reported that the emir of Keffi in Nasarawa state, Alhaji Shehu Chindo Yamusa, recently advised Nigerian politicians to avoid do or die politics ahead of the coming 2019 general elections. The emir speaking at a security summit organised by the state command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), noted that the practice of do or die politics often escalates into violence which may lead to loss of lives and property. "Some of the main causes of violence during elections include the desperation by some politicians to attain political power, thereby using youth especially those who are of relatively and easily influenced by money for drug abuse and addiction to cause mayhem," the monarch said. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) -> Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better. Between Buharis Next Level And Atikulate - Nigerians React| Legit TV Source: Legit BB&T Corp. is axing its regional headquarters in Allentown as part of a consolidation effort following the acquisition of both National Penn and Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. in the last four years, but it will continue to lease space at Two City Center. BB&T has 180 employees on the top three floors of the building at 645 Hamilton St. in Allentown, and employs a total of 360 workers across Lehigh and Northampton counties and more than 2,500 across Pennsylvania. Two City Center will remain an important focal point of our regional footprint, company spokesman David R. White said. We are currently reviewing all options for our space at this location. Less than three years ago, BB&T bought National Penn -- a bank that played a crucial role in the early resurgence of Allentowns downtown Neighborhood Improvement Zone -- for $1.83 billion in cash and stock. When National Penn moved into Two City Center, it ended a 25-year drought for Allentown, which had no financial institution based in the downtown in all those years. BB&T is consolidating its three Pennsylvania and New Jersey regions into two, a strategy that involves elevating the role of the regional president within BB&Ts community bank model, White said. The Lehigh Valley will join the North Carolina-based BB&Ts Delaware Valley Region based in King of Prussia, White explained. Current Delaware Valley Regional President Travis Rhodes will supervise the expanded region, which includes Jersey, from the King of Prussia office. Other areas of the northern Pennsylvania will join with an expanded central Pennsylvania region overseen by Regional President Alex Brame. Both will now report directly to Community Banking President David Weaver, a member of BB&Ts Executive Management Team, White said. These changes help us simplify and streamline our unique community bank structure, which allows us to be more agile in our decision-making and more nimble in the way we respond to our clients, he said. Two longtime Lehigh Valley bankers and former National Penn executives Scott V. Fainor and David B. Kennedy, who were instrumental in the decision to get in on the NIZ early on, will be retiring as part of the shakeup, White confirmed. Scott will be retiring from the bank after an illustrious banking career spanning more than 35 years. His leadership both at BB&T and in our communities has been exemplary and he has been tireless in his efforts to serve our clients through the transition of National Penn, White said. We are grateful for his service and Scott will continue to be engaged with BB&T in the Pennsylvania markets. Kennedy has spent more than 30 years in the financial services industry, White said. We have been fortunate to have him in a leadership role during the National Penn transition and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors, he said. White acknowledged that some associates will be displaced by the consolidation, but did not offer up how many. Were already working alongside them to find other positions within the company, he said. Any associate who is not identified for an available position will be provided a 60-day notice and a severance package based on years of service. BB&Ts Lehigh Valley workforce has fluctuated since it merged with National Penn and it has closed a handful of local branches. But then it expanded a call center and added a credit hub in Allentown. Earlier this year, it closed an Allentown call center. This consolidation is part of an overall strategy that BB&T leaders have discussed publicly in the last year, White said. At the companys investor day event in early November, Chairman and CEO Kelly King said the banking industry is rapidly changing and BB&T must build a new bank by pruning back the old bank" and investing in building that new bank. Close a bunch of branches to invest in digital. Make backroom changes so you can then create a new technological system., King said. You can be more efficient and effective. BB&T believes it has a huge opportunity to position itself to thrive for decades to come because it is willing to change anything that needs to be changed, except our vision and our mission and our values," King said. The world is changing -- the world is changing with blinding speed. And the question is, what do you do about that? Do you just kind of look at it and say boy, I hope that goes away," King said. Thats not a good way to think about it. The way we think about it is the world has changed and we must change. We can either wait for someone to disrupt us, and we go away, or we can choose to disrupt ourselves. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. UPDATE: Benjamin Franklin Ryder was arraigned Thursday afternoon before District Judge Vivian Zumas on three counts of indecent exposure and three counts of open lewdness and was housed in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $30,000 bail, records show. His preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled 3 p.m. Dec. 19 in Zumas' court in Hanover Township, Northampton County. INITIAL POST: A Montgomery County man is wanted on indecent exposure and open lewdness charges for allegedly flashing two female victims inside a Northampton County supermarket. Benjamin Franklin Ryder, 23, of Hatboro, was identified as having flashed the victims Oct. 2 inside Wegmans in Hanover Township, according to Colonial Regional police. Police asked for help Wednesday in identifying the perpetrator and quickly zeroed in Ryder, police Sgt. Michael Melinsky said. Tips were no longer sought on identifying him. You guys putting it online solved it, he told lehighvalleylive.com on Wednesday afternoon. Colonial Regional secured a warrant for Ryders arrest on three counts each of indecent exposure and open lewdness. The department was asking Hatboro police to try and serve the arrest warrant at Ryders home. Efforts to reach Ryder for comment were unsuccessful. Ryder formerly worked in the area of the store, according to Melinsky. Court records show Ryder has faced similar charges in the past, in Bucks County cases dating to 2014. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Findlehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Your holidays will no doubt going to be filled with blinking lights and buzzy new toys wrapped with ribbons. But a book, chosen with care, can last after the last battery has died out. Choose from this curated list of new titles and classics for tots, tweens, teens, and kids at heart. These books are time-tested and guaranteed to please the readers and soon-to-be readers in your life. Editors note: If you purchase something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Young Readers Little Elliot is a sweet elephant with polka dots whos the center of this is sweet story about friendship from Mike Curato. And it poses the classic question: Whats better than a cupcake? Buy now: $9.26 amazon.com The first and bestselling book in Eric Litwins Pete the Cat series, this one is good for teaching kids to roll with the punches, no matter what they step in! Buy now: $11.99 amazon.com Follow a day in the lives of seven real kids from around the worldItaly, Japan, Iran, India, Peru, Uganda and Russia. Though what they do all day is different, there are also many things that unite them. Matt Lamothe transports young readers around the globe with this lovely book. Buy now: $16.03 amazon.com Aaron Beckers Caldecott honor award-winning wordless picture book is a magical ride. Its perfect for kids with active imaginations as well as multilingual learners. Buy now: $13.19 amazon.com Based on a true story and beautifully illustrated by Brian Selznick, go for an airplane ride with two inspiring women from American history: Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. Buy now: $16.00 amazon.com Middle Grade Perfect for ancient history-lovers and kids who let their imaginations run wild. This forgotten classic follows April Hall as she moves to a new town. She befriends a neighboring girl named Melanie, and they bond over their shared love of all things Ancient Egypt. They often meet to play a pretend Egypt Game together, complete with costumes, rituals, and a secret code. But when some mysterious things start to occur, the characters (and readers alike) wonderis it really just a game? Buy now: $17.99 amazon.com If you loved A Wrinkle in Time when you were a kid, get two copies of this book: one for the kid in your life, and one for yourself. From time travel, to friendship, to New York City pride, theres truly something for everyone in this moving tale. After her best friend stops spending time with her, 6th grader Miranda starts getting anonymous notes telling her to write a letterthe true story of what happens to herand not tell another soul. The mystery note-writer seems to have the ability to predict the future, and is coming to Mirandas time to save someones life. Buy now: $11.89 amazon.com Claudia Kincaid decides to run away from her suburban home in favor of the beauty and elegance shes suited forthe Metropolitan Museum of Art. To fund her voyage, she brings along her younger brother, who has allowance money saved up. Its exciting following the siblings on their journey through the Met, as they fish wishing coins from the fountain for lunch money, and sleep in an antique bed at night. But they soon get caught up in the mystery of an angel statue that could possibly be an early work of Michelangelo. Can they prove it? Buy now: $15.59 amazon.com Maybe theyve seen the movie, but has the kid in your life read the classic sci-fi tale that came first? Stubborn Meg, her super-smart little brother Charles Wallace, and friend Calvin make a perilous journey to other planets with the help of three magical beings, Mrs Which, Mrs Who, and Mrs Whatsit. Their journey to rescue Meg and Charles Wallaces scientist father from the evil force thats threatening to take hold of several other planets leads to the kids discoveries about their own strengths as individuals. Buy now: $14.84 amazon.com This charming coming-of-age story will give present day readers a glimpse into life in the sixties as they follow Trudy as she navigates the perils of 6th grade, from a newly aloof best friend to her Beatles fan clubthe members of which end up being the least popular kids in school. When Trudy learns the Beatles are playing near her town in August, she decides that the solution to all her pre-teen woes is meeting Paul McCartney. Give this relatable read to the kid in your life along with a playlist of each of the Beatles songs that make up each chapter title! Buy now: $11.72 amazon.com Teens With the movie out now, what better moment to give a timely read to the teen who wants to read the book first. Whether theyve seen the movie or not, this gut-wrenching novel confronts police brutality, racial profiling, and the Black Lives Matter movement from the perspective of Starr Carter, a sixteen-year-old black girl who becomes an activist after witnessing the police shoot her childhood friend. Buy now: $12.16 amazon.com Teen fans of love stories will devour the lighthearted tale of sixteen-year-old Lara Jean, who keeps secret love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. These letters are ones shes written to each boy shes ever lovedfive in alland in them, she says all the things shed never say in real life. When her secret letters are mysteriously mailed to their subjects, Lara Jeans love life comes off the page and into reality. For any teen who has ever kept a folder of email drafts, never to be sent, this book will make them both laugh and cringe. Once theyre done reading, they can check out the movie on Netflix. Buy now: $16.06 amazon.com The latest from the popular teen author John Green, Turtles All the Way Down follows sixteen-year-old Aza as she and her best friend Daisy pursue the mystery of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett through his son, Davis. Follow Aza as she navigates high school romance, friendship, loss, and her obsessive compulsive disorder. Buy now: $14.99 amazon.com Not your typical high school romance, Eleanor and Park is still infinitely relatable. Park is the quiet Asian boy who avoids the limelight at all costs, and Eleanor is the new girl with crazy red hair and weird clothes. The pair end up awkwardly sitting together on the school bus, and when they finally do speak to each other, they realize they share a love of comic books and good music. Set in 1986, the book switches between the points of view of both main characters, watching from the inside as they hide different aspects of their home lives and also fall in love. Buy now: $17.09 amazon.com This great coming-of-age novel centers around a shy but passionate introvert, Charlie, who writes diary-style letters about his life as he navigates high school, of which love, mixed tapes, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show all play a part. Teens will find catharsis as they ride the roller coaster of Charlies life, and relate to that moment of finding that perfect song on a nighttime drive that makes you feel infinite. Buy now: $6.60 amazon.com UPDATE: Father, son brought prostitute to Palmer Township sting and sped off, cops say Five area men are charged with patronizing a prostitute after a sting Friday night in Palmer Township. The men, responding to an online advertisement, each made an arrangement via a phone call to meet at a township location and provided $100 to an undercover police officer creating a verbal agreement of sexual activity, township police said in court papers. Once the agreement was made, each man was taken into custody, police said. The men were identified and eventually released to await mailed court papers showing arraignments and preliminary hearings scheduled Jan. 15 in District Judge Jacqueline Taschners court in the township, records show. The charges were formally filed on Wednesday in Taschners court, records show. The men who were charged are: Shawn Phillips, 36, of the 200 block of East 21st Street in Northampton Christopher J. Lamond, 27, of the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in Bangor Phil Metz, 43, of the 400 block of Heckman Street in Phillipsburg Thomas Lynch, 28, of the 100 block of Johnson Court in Whitehall Township Richard W. Williams Jr., 52, of the first block of Edgewood Court in Moore Township When reached by phone, Lynch and Lamond declined to comment. Metz said it was all a misunderstanding that he said he would discuss with the prosecutor. Phillips said he was contacting his attorney, citing a Pennsylvania law that states, A court imposing a sentence for a second or subsequent offense committed under subsection (e) shall publish the sentencing order in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial district in which the court sits, and the court costs imposed on the person sentenced shall include the cost of publishing the sentencing order. He said this was a first offense and he took issue with the details of the charge and the incident, which are from a public record, being published. Williams didnt immediately return a phone message. All the charges are third-degree misdemeanors, indicating first offenses, police said. Township Detective Jim Alercia said police worked with VAST (Valley Against Sex Trafficking) during the sting. While charges hadnt been filed as of Wednesday, the string also featured an undercover male officer arranging to buy sex from prostitutes, Alercia said. Two women apparently responded, Alercia said. The women were offered the opportunity to interact with VAST in case they were in need of the organizations services, Alerica said. The hoped-for end point would be getting them counseling, shelter and (help) in getting out of the business, Alercia said. But that doesnt mean there wont be charges in at least one of the cases, he added. And police are also pursuing any pimps who may have delivered either woman to the sting, Alercia said. One key goal of the sting was to deter the exchange of narcotics for sex, Alercia said. But the effort was also to cut into sex trafficking in the Lehigh Valley, he added. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A 17-year-old driver lost control of a 1987 Ford Thunderbird on Wednesday afternoon on Chestnut Hill Church Road in Lower Milford Township, hitting a tree and an SUV before going airborne, then landing on the roof and injuring four people inside, Pennsylvania State Police report. The crash happened at 2:55 p.m. about 100 yards south of Interstate 476, police said. The southbound driver, who police did not name due to his age, spun the car counterclockwise, crossed over the northbound lane and hit a tree, police said. The car next struck a 2013 Ford Explorer driven by Stephen M. Yeager, 39, of Allentown, police said. Yeager, who was wearing a lap and shoulder belt and was alone in the SUV, wasnt hurt, police said. After the collision, the car took to the air before crashing on its roof across the road, police said. The driver, who was wearing a lap belt, and a 17-year-old passenger, who also was wearing a lap belt, suffered minor injuries, police said. Passenger Glenn T. Liard, 18, who was wearing a lap and shoulder belt, suffered suspected serious injuries, as did a 16-year-old female passenger who was wearing a lap belt, police said. All the inured were taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital in Salisbury Township, police said. Liards condition wasnt immediately available. Since the names of the other three werent released, their conditions were not available either. The Lower Milford Township Fire Department, the East Greenville Fire Department, the Coopersburg Fire Department, Macungie EMS, Upper Perkiomen EMS and Emmaus EMS assisted at the scene, police said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. A scan of the Bethlehem Police Departments three-day crime summary quickly illustrates a trend. As holiday packages arrive, thieves are on hand to spoil the celebration. Recently we have experienced a major increase in the theft of packages from properties and front porches, police Capt. Anthony Leardi wrote Wednesday on the departments Facebook page. ... The police department is doing everything possible to prevent this crime and apprehend these thieves, but we need your help. The summary shows: 3:17 p.m. Tuesday: package removed from front porch in the 400 block of Birkel Avenue 3:28 p.m. Tuesday: package stolen from front porch in the 500 block of Fiot Avenue 4:54 p.m. Tuesday: male removed package from front door in the 1500 block of Stanhope Street 6:25 p.m. Tuesday: package stolen off front porch in the 700 block of Fiot Avenue 4:05 p.m. Wednesday: two packages stolen off porch in the 300 block of Sixth Avenue Leardi lists some possible solutions in the post. Please be vigilant in and around your home, paying close attention to who is coming and going from your neighborhood, and report any strange activity or persons as soon as you see them, the captain stated. Camera systems and doorbell monitoring systems have been a great help in combating this type of crime, so you may want to look into installing such a system. Theyre not very expensive, he said. Amazon Locker is another option when you are buying from that company, Leardi said. Your packages get delivered to a nearby bank of lockers that only you can access with a code number, he said. But, in the end, it comes down to basics. Be a good neighbor, and citizen, and keep an eye out for your neighbors packages, maybe even come to an agreement with them to secure them for one another, he wrote. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter@TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. State police have arrested two men who they say attacked a Pennsylvania Game Commission officer who was investigating a possible hunting violation. Wade Winemiller and Thomas Kelly Jr. are facing felony assault charges among other offenses in connection with the attack Saturday morning. The York Dispatch reports Deputy Warden David Fidler had responded to a forested area in Norwegian Township, Schuylkill County, when he encountered the 57-year-old men on ATVs. Authorities say a fight broke out between the three, and Fidler fired a shot from his pistol. Fidler was later treated at a hospital for undisclosed injuries. Kelly declined to comment Tuesday. It was unclear is Winemiller has retained an attorney, and he could not be reached for comment. Palmer Township resident Jack Panella was voted president judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court on Thursday. He was the first judge from Northampton County to be elected to serve on the appellate court panel. Now hes the first from Northampton County to sit as president judge on that panel. It feels very good to have the confidence of my court, said Panella, 63. We have an excellent court. We are one of the most busy, if not the busiest in the nation. He said each superior court judge issues about 340 decisions a year. Panellas term as president starts Jan. 7, according to a news release from the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts. He succeeds President Judge Susan Peikes Gantman who completes her five-year term on January 6, 2019. Panella was appointed to the Northampton County bench in 1991 and was later elected to that seat. He was elected to his seat on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania in 2003 and sworn in in 2004. The superior court handles appeals from county-level courts. So does the Commonwealth Court, although that court mostly handles government cases. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court handles appeals from both the Superior and Commonwealth Courts. In 2004, Panella was appointed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to the Commission for Justice Initiatives in Pennsylvania, a committee organized to coordinate and recommend judicial outreach and specialized court programs. His first book, The Pennsylvania Sexual Violence Benchbook, was published in December 2007. Its a comprehensive reference designed to help judges for the complex criminal issues surrounding sexual violence cases. In recognition of his work in judicial education regarding crimes of sexual violence, Judge Panella received the national recognition of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center Visionary Voice Award in 2017 by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The judge plans a special stop when he returns from Harrisburg on Thursday to the Lehigh Valley. Im going to St. Anthonys Cemetery to thank God for giving me the parents that he gave me. They were great, the judge said. His parents, Rocco and Vivian Panella, were laborers without substantial formal education, the news release says. Panella credits them for his appreciation of education and a strong work ethic. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Met Eireann has issued a status orange weather alert for two counties on the Irish coast while the UK Met Office is predicting a drop in temperature next week. The west coast of Ireland is in for a battering in coming days as yellow weather warnings are also in place. The orange warning is in place for Donegal and Mayo with winds of up to 130 km/h expected overnight on Thursday and early on Friday. There is also a risk of coastal damage on exposed northwest coasts due to a combination of winds, high spring tides and high storm surge. The worst of the storm is expected between Friday at 01:00am to Friday 08:00am. A status yellow wind warning is in place for Connacht, Cavan, Donegal, Clare, Kerry and Limerick. Southwest winds will reach wind speeds between 55 to 65km/h with gusts of 90 to 110km/h during the period, strongest near coasts where these limits may be exceeded at times. This is valid from 10pm on Thursday to 12 noon on Friday. Elsewhere, the UK Met Office which is Met Eireann's weather partner in Britain is predicting a cold snap after the strong winds and rain over the weekend. In its latest 10 day forecast, the Met Office is predicting that once the current windy weather systems from the Atlantic will clear Ireland and Britain, a high-pressure system will establish itself over Scandinavia bringing much colder but drier weather next week. It is also forecasting snow in some areas. Young Mountmellick woman Imelda Keenan is now almost 25 years missing. She disappeared aged 22 from her Waterford flat 25 years ago this Christmas, and her familys pain and search to find her goes on. Last Wednesday at the National Missing Persons Day ceremony in Kings Inns Dublin, her eldest brother Gerry described how her disappearance has devastated the family. It has taken its toll on the family, of course, we have buried three people in the last nine years. They went to their graves with broken hearts. A great cloud hangs over us, he said. Imeldas brother Donal was the most recent, passing away this year without knowing where his sister was. Donal had spent years campaigning for information. This Christmas we didnt think we would be praying for Donal too. Its been a very tough year, Gerry told the Leinster Express. He said the family dont want revenge, just closure. I still believe there are some people in Waterford who are holding back information, I plead with them to come forward. They might be afraid to come forward, but its not too late, just come talk to us. I dont want to end up in my grave too without knowing. "Even if were were told where she was buried, so we could identify Imelda and give her a good Christian burial, thats all we are looking for, he said. The sixth Missing Persons Day ceremony was hosted by the Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan, his second year to do so. I found the ceremony to mark Missing Persons Day in 2017 extremely moving. I was struck by the sincere and direct expressions of love and loss from the families who spoke. The brave, heartfelt communication was incredibly poignant and powerful. We need to be able to draw on this sadness to support you more effectively in seeking answers to the many questions you have. Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris also attended, along with many other families of missing people. On January 3 2019, Imelda's family will again gather on the anniversary of her disappearance, on the bridge in Waterford where she was last seen. "We will hold a family vigil and pray for Imelda, that's all we can do. Anyone is welcome to join us," said Gerry. Information on Imelda can be given to Waterford or Portlaoise Garda Stations. The annual prayer service for missing Naas man Trevor Deely will take place this year on Friday, December 7, in Ballycane Church at 8.15 pm. Trevors sister Pamela told the Leinster Leader the family still needs help in finding out what happened to Trevor some 18 years ago this weekend. We still need the people of Naas, Kildare and beyond to know that we will never give up looking and trying to find Trevor. He would have been 40 in August, so it would have been a great celebration. We have had no new leads since August of last year and his case is still open. We will follow up on any lead or any clue given. The Crimestoppers reward of 100,000 to find Trevor is still open. In the early hours of December 8, 2000, Trevor (22) disappeared on his way home, after attending his office Christmas party. An employee of Bank of Ireland Asset Management, he had spent the early part of the previous evening with his colleagues. It was a wet and windy night and there was taxi strike, so Trevor was on foot when he stopped off at his BOI office to get an umbrella. This was the last sighting of Trevor, caught on CCTV leaving the office around 4.14 am. Moments later, the same camera also captures a man walking along in the same direction as Trevor. A cold-case review was begun by gardai in December 2015, which included swathes of evidence being gathered and witnesses re-interviewed. A fresh appeal was issued in April 2017, with gardai releasing digitally enhanced VHS footage taken on the night of Trevors disappearance. Gardai then began the search of a three acre woodland in Chapelizod in Dublin on August 12, 2017, as a result of new information they obtained. A large area of the woodland was cleared with a team of gardai searching the area but nothing was found to link to Trevors disappearance. Pamela thanked the people of Naas, Trevors friends and former colleagues who she says have never forgotten him since he was last seen on December 8, 2000. She said that time has stood still for her parents Michael and Ann since that first phone call to say Trevor had gone missing. She added that all Trevors siblings are parents now she herself is a mum to three boys and can understand how hard it has been for them from that perspective. It just never leaves their minds, she said. All Trevors friends have been amazing. I am still in touch with a lot of them and they will never forget Trevor none of us will. The people of Naas have been brilliant and Trevors former colleagues still come to the prayer service every year. No one has given up on Trevor and no one ever will." Members of the public can call Crimestoppers on 1800 25 00 25 and all calls are completely anonymous. SEE ALSO: Plans for Sallins Road Safety March to highlight traffic dangers A last-minute message, purporting to be from a long-standing county councillor, in favour of a candidate in a selection convention to replace recently resigned Mark Dalton on Kildare County Council has been reported to the Data Protection Commission and the Gardai. The message was sent to a number of Fianna Fail members who were preparing to vote in the selection convention on the evening of Monday, November 19, encouraging them to support Brian Dooley in the four-way contest . The message appeared to have been sent from long standing FF county councillor Martin Miley Junior. However, he denies it came from him and has condemned it. Mr Dooley went on to win the convention by three votes. He has also condemned the text message, saying that it could have done more to damage him than anything else, and that he was quite vexed over it on the night. What should have been a family occasion for me, put a damper on the whole thing. I hope whatever fool sent it will be found. I dont know why somebody would want to do it. Its just pure disgusting, he said. Cllr Miley explained that 113 delegates were entitled to vote, but that only 80 did. He said that whoever sent the message did so very strategically, with only certain people, likely to be swayed by his opinion, receiving it. He described it as identity theft and remarked that he thought this kind of thing only happened in America. He said that in the matter of the actual convention, he had remained neutral. It was contested by Emmet Kane, Vera Louise Behan, Gerry Bridget and Mr Dooley, who succeeded. I was disappointed it could happen, he told the Leinster Leader. I have reported it to ComReg, the Data Proetection Commissioner; Ive spoken to the Gardai and am dealing with Fianna Fail about it. Irrelevant of the outcome of the convention, this is about politics and about decency in politics and going forward this could happen again next week to anybody, he noted. The message text is as follows: Hi Folks. I have thought a lot over the weekend about this evenings convention. In order for Fianna Fail to secure two seats in the local elections next May we need an Athy based candidate so I am now asking you to give your number 1 to Brian Dooley at the convention this evening. Despite the skills and commitment of the other candidates they are clearly not at the races to attract the town of Athy vote. Brian has the greatest chance of securing that second seat. I ask for your trust in this matter. See you all shortly. Martin Junior Miley With the convention set to begin at 7pm that evening, the message was sent at 6.51pm. I only found out about it just before the Convention Cllr Dooley explained. I dunno why somebody would want to do it. Its just pure disgusting and I told the convention that on the night, he added. Additional security cover is to be provided on the rail service between Dublin and Sallins. The money is to be spent on extra security patrols on evening commuter services between Dublin city centre and Maynooth, the Kildare line and some other commuter lines neighbouring Kildare. James Lawless TD has said 115,000 has been allocated to provide additional security over the Christmas period is a step in the right direction, following an announcement by Minister for Transport Shane Ross. "In making these funds available, the Minister has acknowledged the very real problem which exists with anti-social behaviour on public transport. He has a responsibility to act and provide security and peace of mind to both passengers and staff. This is a step in the right direction and a consequence of the pressure brought on the Minister by Fianna Fail." Dep. Lawless also called for an extension of the new security arrangements. He said the Minister must look beyond the pale and roll this funding out further, beyond the Christmas period. He said there has been a need to need to tackle rising anti-social behaviour on public transport services for many years now. He said his own party has been pressing for a specific public transport police section within the gardai. He added Mr. Ross should realise the full extent of the fear and worry caused by anti-social behaviour on public transport. Train drivers have expressed concern about the rise in the number of anti social behaviour incidents on trains. According the Irish Times there were 407 complaints of anti social behaviour on Irish trains last year - up from 246 the year before. Complaints about vandalism and intimidation have also risen steeply - although the was a drop in the number of incidents of theft. Reports of assault to gardai also increased as did reports of robbery. Following a meeting organised by Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has given a commitment to fund works to improve safety on the N4 between Boyle and Carrick-on-Shannon. Working alongside a local community group which was set up to highlight the dangers for motorists around the junctions for Cootehall (L1015) and Croghan (L1024) along the N4, Deputy Fitzmaurice organised a meeting with senior representatives from TII. Following this afternoons meeting (Tuesday, December 4), the Roscommon-Galway TD welcomed the progress that has been made. He said: The local community group was represented by Noel McTiernan, Michael Cryan, Brian Lee and Sinead Flynn. Local councillors Valerie Byrne and Michael Patrick Mulligan as well as the Head of Roads in Roscommon County Council, Eugene Dwyer were present at the meeting. The other public representatives in the Roscommon-Galway and Sligo-Leitrim constituencies also came together in the fight to get this issue resolved. During the meeting, Noel McTiernan from the local community group highlighted the serious road safety concerns for traffic joining and turning off the N4 at the Croghan and Cootehall junctions as well as the many accidents that have taken place in the area over the years. The group has carried out extensive research and compiled a report listing the concerns of people who regularly travel on the stretch of road in question. I welcome the fact that the senior representatives from TII acknowledged the concerns highlighted by those present and gave a commitment to fund works to put a right turn filter lane in place. It has been agreed that the next phase of the project will consist of drawings of the works required being completed in conjunction with Eugene Dwyer from Roscommon County Council. The clock has now started to tick on this project and all of the stakeholders need to work together in unison to overcome any obstacles which may arise. These works need to be progressed quickly and efficiently, before someone is seriously injured or even killed at the junctions for Croghan and Cootehall on the N4, Deputy Fitzmaurice concluded. A REVOLUTIONARY 35m floating data centre is being planned for Limerick Docks, in a move which could create 124 jobs. Limerick has beaten a number of locations across Europe to the investment, with Minister of State Patrick ODonovan hailing it as yet another element of the citys rejuvenation. With centres providing information technology power for businesses being highly sought after, the Shannon Foynes Port Company has teamed up with Californian firm Nautilus, which plans to moor a floating vessel providing commercial data storage at Ted Russell Dock. A revolutionary concept, Nautilus Data Technology employs water cooling technology in its data centres, meaning they operate more efficiently and less expensively than traditional land-based facilities. The data centre, it is anticipated, will be able to service a number of companies, or a single firm, with the Nautilus president and chief executive Jim Connaughton saying: We will be able to serve a small company, to one of the larger social media operations and everything inbetween. According to the proposals, the dock off James Casey Walk will be transformed. The former ESB substation will be demolished, and replaced with a new industrial building comprising storage and office space. The existing clock tower, a protected structure, will be retained. Speaking to the Limerick Leader from Washington DC, Mr Connaughton added: Dublin is saturated and the west of Ireland holds great promise for deploying green infrastructure like this because of its location. The west of Ireland in particular has great potential for being one of the tech hubs. He revealed the development, if it gets planning permission, would create around 24 permanent positions, as well as 100 roles during construction to be delivered in the skilled trades including design, architecture and civil construction. Wherever there are data centre hubs, lots of additional jobs follow, Mr Connaughton whose parents hail from Ireland said. In terms of the size of the data centre, Mr Connaughton said it will match that of current vessels at the docks. According to planning documents, the data barge will be secured the quay wall similar to the manner of other mooring vessels. Access to the vessel will be by gangway access ramp, and there will be an overhead gangway cable to the adjacent quayside. The barge will comprise of four data halls comprised within two floors above the barge deck, with supporting cooling and electrical systems below the waterline. Mr Connaughton hopes in the event of planning permission, the development can be complete by 2020. Pat Keating, the chief executive of the Shannon Foynes Port Company said the development is in keeping with its docklands framework strategy, unveiled earlier this year. This dynamic new enterprise will enhance the wider viability of the docklands, which is currently already enjoying record tonnage throughput across our traditional commercial import and export port, he said. Mr ODonovan, who launched the strategy, added: It is yet another clear sign of the commitment by the port company in Limerick Port and Foynes. A decision is due on January 26 next. THE Limerick Leaders souvenir publication on the Limerick hurlers glorious All-Ireland victory is back in shops due to phenomenal demand. Limerick 2018 History Makers, published by the Limerick Leader, went on sale across the city and county a fortnight ago and was snapped up by dedicated fans. It has returned to shelves this Monday after the initial run sold-out. A lot of work went into the publication by our dedicated team in the Leader so its great to see that its being well received, said Eugene Phelan, editor, Limerick Leader. Another print run has arrived and we have the books back in stock in shops across the city and county as well as the Leader office here at 54 OConnell Street, Limerick, Mr Phelan added. The 156-page publication includes match reports as well as scores of stories which capture the euphoria which enveloped the city and county since Declan Hannon lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup on August 19. When we were putting together the book our main objective was to capture the wonderful sense of joy the win brought to the people of Limerick, young and old. And I think we achieved that through the fabulous human interest stories that came to light across the city and county, Mr Phelan added. #WATCH - It's finally here.... Limerick 2018: History Makers - the @Limerick_Leader's special souvenir publication on the glorious All-Ireland victory and the magical homecoming celebrations. In shops now! #LuimneachAbu #TheLeader pic.twitter.com/qAakKEkd3x Limerick Leader (@Limerick_Leader) November 19, 2018 - Limerick 2018 History Makers priced at 10 is available again now in shops where the Limerick Leader is stocked across the county and city and at the Limerick Leader office, 54 OConnell Street, Limerick. STAFF at the University Maternity Hospital Limerick were branded as serial killers in abusive and anonymous hate mail ahead of a high-profile information meeting on abortions that was due to take place at the Ennis Road hospital on Tuesday night. The meeting, led by a collective of Mid-West GPs and obstetricians called Start Ireland, was held to discuss the rolling out of emergency medical abortion services. The HSE and the Department of Health are looking to roll out abortion services on January 1. However, following a torrent of pro-lifers objections to the meeting being held at UMHL, maternity management requested that Start Ireland move Tuesday night's meeting to another venue. A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group told the Limerick Leader that the decision to hold the meeting was based on the assumption the legislation would by now have been passed. Out of respect for the ongoing legislative process, a decision was taken to defer the meeting at the Maternity. But a reliable source told this newspaper that there was a worry about security and their staff in addition to the Bill still being discussed in Leinster House. Start Ireland member, Dr Michael Thompson said that UMHL had received lots of unpleasant emails. When we publicised it on Twitter and places like that, it started to get a little traction from some of the more extreme elements on one side. Some of the staff were getting abuse, really, I think youd call it, about holding a recruitment campaign for abortion. Some of it was anonymous with serial killer written on it, and some of it was very legalese stuff. One of the problems was the perception that we are a private organisation and that legislation is not passed, and holding it in a public venue like that, Dr Thompson explained. He said management of UMHL were supportive of us and still are. Dr Thompson confirmed to that the meeting was relocated to a city hotel, which he did not disclose publicly. We are HSE doctors, discussing coming HSE policy in an HSE hospital. And if we are bullied out of it, imagine whats going to happen to a woman on January 1? he asked. Legal executive Derek McCabe was one of many members of the public to be opposed to the meeting being held at UMHL. In correspondence received by the Leader from Mr McCabe, he called on a number of councillors to step up to the plate and petition this HSE-run facility to move this recruitment session to a community centre where the public will be able to attend. He added in the email: My intentions are to get this session under public attendance so the garda can close it down due to health and safety reasons, hiding behind a maternity hospital is no way forward in this national crisis, it goes against the common good of the hospital and I am asking you to block same. He told the Leader that it goes against the common good of the environment where it [the meeting] is held in. Obviously, Limerick Maternity Hospital is HSE-funded, so indirectly, taxpayer money is going towards a facility, whether its electricity during the event itself and the equipment that is being used during the event. Obviously, it is noted that there is continuing amendments on the Bill this evening in the Dail, nothing has been finalised yet. So to be pressing on with this event in the interim, I believe is unacceptable, given the certain climate that we are in at the moment. Nothing has been signed off by the President, he said. Asked about the anonymous email sent to UMHL, Mr McCabean Independent Roscommon local election candidatesaid: I have petitioned people to call maternity hospitals. I cannot control what they say. Do I condone it? I accept their anger. I am not going to be PC here. At the end of the day, people are upset. They are entitled to show their upset. A total of 25 GPs attended the meeting on Tuesday night at the unnamed venue. The meeting went very well with no trouble, Start Ireland said. After the meeting, Mr McCabe tweeted: We need to find out where this was held, so we can boycott the hotel where it was held. Its shameful that these shower of c***s where [sic] allowed to hold a recruitment session in the first please. The UL Hospitals Group told the Leader it is planning the implementation of a termination of pregnancy service inUMHL in line with Department of Health policy and direction. TRANSPORT Infrastructure Ireland should resurface the M7 around Limerick to help residents sleep at night as noisy vehicles are keeping them awake. Thats the view of Labour councillor Elena Secas, who was supporting a motion calling for a high-quality sound barrier to protect people living in nearby estates from the constant sound of cars, lorries and other vehicles. Pointing out a scheme like this is in use around the Red Cow area on Dublins northside, Cllr Secas said: Its an issue I feel very strongly about. However, Anne Goggin of Limerick City and County Council said these surfaces bring a huge financial outlay, and would wear down after five years. It was councillor Joe Pond who saw a notice of motion passed unanimously at this weeks transport committee meeting, calling for the measure, saying residents living in estates including Cherryfield, Monaleen Park, Kylemore and Cairnsfort were all affected. I know residents cannot sleep at night at the moment. If anyone applies for planning permission, they are asked to do a noise study. We should be making Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) put up barriers for us, he said.Cllr Mike Donegan expressed concern as to the time it might take for noise monitoring to go to TII, and the delivery of these walls. Its not just estates in the city area, Sinn Feins Seighin O Ceallaigh warned, adding: There is also an issue with one off homes and farms in Donoghmore. There needs to be monitoring along more of the M7 area. Metropolitan mayor Daniel Butler pointed out there are serious health consequences to noise pollution. Its a serious issue, a public health issue and its something which needs to be taken more seriously, he added. Ms Goggin said monitoring is being carried out, and then the local authority will present a case to TII for walls. The longest motorway in this country, the M7 stretches from continuously from the outskirts of Naas in County Kildare to Rosbrien on the southside of Limerick. Completed in 2010, it replaced all of the old single-carriageway N7 route which is now designated as the R445. The roads completion has significantly cut journey times to Dublin. 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. A prosecutor has urged a jury to convict a Limerick murder accused, who trespassed into a mans house with the knife that killed him, before confessing: I stabbed him in the chest. The defence barrister argued that he had gone there to confront him and did not have the intention for murder. The lawyers were giving their closing speeches this Thursday in the trial of a Limerick man, who told gardai that if the deceased had stopped f***ing annoying me, it wouldnt have happened. Desmond Coyle had explained that he had gone to the Romanian mans house with a knife to stop him demanding money off him. The 60-year-old with an address at Davis Street in Limerick is on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of murdering Calo Carpaci. He has pleaded not guilty to the 58-year-olds murder at Roches Row in the city on May 24, 2017. Anthony Sammon SC, prosecuting, noted that CCTV footage showed much of that day of Mr Coyles life up until an interval of 13 seconds when he goes into, trespasses into the residence of the deceased, a totally unlawful entry and he brings with him this knife. He said that it was clear from DNA evidence that this was the knife, which killed the deceased. He reminded the jury that, when they came back outside, Mr Coyle was restrained on the ground by two good citizens, Eamon Hayes and Eric Hackett. He was then arrested and made a forthright and complete confession: I stabbed him in the chest. Mr Sammon described this as a very important confession because it was said within moments of the event. They mean what they say, he said of the words uttered. He said that Mr Coyle had then lied about entering the house in interviews. He described as fiction his account of knocking on the door, which was opened and that the deceased impelled himself out, giving rise to this scenario of a tussle and accident where the knife somehow went into him. He urged the jury to reach a verdict of guilty in the case. Mr Coyles barrister, Mark Nicholas SC, said that it was not in dispute that his client had brought the knife and held it, something he described as a poor decision. He asked the jury to look at the reasons for that decision: The deceased was constantly asking him for money and this was a source of constant bother to him; he had nothing and wanted to be left alone. If you have a lovely life, you can brush off people who are bothering you, suggested the barrister. But, when you dont have much, it can eat away at you. He acknowledged that his client was bothered more than he ought to have been. Yes it was an inappropriate reaction but you have to see it in the context of his life, he said. He felt tormented, humiliated, bothered, niggled. There was always hassle. Mr Nicholas said he wasnt making a case for provocation to reduce murder to manslaughter. However, this niggle, almost like a dripping tap, had worked at him. That accounts for that poor decision to go over to confront him when he had drink onboard, he said of his client, who drank in early houses that morning. The defence is that he went over to confront, not to kill or cause serious injury. Mr Nicholas argued that Mr Coyle did not have the necessary intent to commit murder. The pathologist could not discount that the injury could have happened in the dynamic struggle of two bodies in a tussle, he noted. He addressed the States contention that he had made a confession to the arresting garda. Hes saying he had the knife. Hes not saying he murdered him, he argued. Be careful relying on that as an admission of murder. Mr Nicholas also addressed what Mr Sammon had said were his lie about not entering the house, reminding the jury that his client had forgotten other things about the incident that would have helped his case. He had been asked if he had wrestled with the deceased. No. I dont think so, he had replied. I dont think we came into contact. The knife was between us. There were no boxes thrown or anything. However, CCTV footage showed that they had wrestled after coming out of the house. That explains the mystery of how this happened, suggested the barrister. He said his client also had a great opportunity to lie, which he didnt take, when asked if the deceased had assaulted or pushed him. No, he didnt, he didnt, hed replied. He didnt strike me or anything. Mr Nicholas said he would like to have heard from the two witnesses to the incident, the deceased mans nephew and partner. However, they had absented themselves ahead of the trial. He said that this created another wobble and asked if we were getting the whole story. However, he said that the evidence, which we did have, came together in harmony with his clients contention that he did not have intent. This included the pathology and the wrestle seen on CCTV. Im not saying hes entirely blameless but its not murder, he concluded. FOR one, hushed second, the congregation held its breath before every man, woman and child in the packed County Limerick church spontaneously rose to their feet, applauding the fortitude of the man who was bearing the unbearable and saying farewell to his young wife in the presence of their two young sons. Earlier, the congregation had another intake of breath as Pat Fitzgerald took his place at the lectern. For one, long moment, he leaned on it for strength and then spoke from the heart about his beloved Miriam Joy Fitzgerald, the West Limerick teacher who sadly lost her battle with illness earlier this week. Only four years ago this very month, Pat told the congregation this Thursday at the Church of the Assumption, Abbeyfeale, he had stood and spoken about Miriam at a very different event: the happy day of their wedding. We were only getting used to married life, he said. When Miriams diagnosis came, they were devastated, he said. But Miriam rallied, she got on with things. She adapted. She upped her game. And somehow, even during the long months of treatment, they sometimes managed to forget the awfulness. Miriam never lost hope, her husband said. She stayed positive, in the face of so many losses. She lost her social life, she was unable to continue working, she lost her hair, her ability to walk and to catch her breath. But: To the end she never lost hope. Last August, Miriams story went viral when a GoFundMe account broke all expectations as thousands of people contributed, topping the 226,000 mark within 11 days. At that stage, Miriam, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2017, had already undergone surgery as well as chemotherapy. But the money raised so generously and rapidly was the lifeline Miriam and her family needed, allowing her to undertake the immunotherapy that doctors indicated was her best hope. On Monday, in the care of Dr Sheehan and her team at the Palliative Care Unit of University Hospital Kerry, that hope was finally quenched, tragically ending the life of this vibrant, caring and beautiful young woman. Miriam was the daughter of Jim and Bridget Joy and grew up in Abbeyfeale. She trained as a national teacher at Mary Immaculate Training College in Limerick where she met her husband to be, Pat Fitzgerald. Miriam had been teaching in Dromtrasna NS for many years but had made her new home with Pat in Castleisland where they were rearing their two sons, Noah and Joshua. At her death, she wore a bracelet, engraved with the words: Strength, hope, courage.Those words, Pat said, encapsulated Miriam. They were words that were repeated again and again in a ceremony that was beautifully choreographed in homage to a beautiful, generous, big-hearted and passionate young woman. With grace and simple dignity, Miriam was remembered in the gifts brought to the altar: her Bible, a pencil symbolising her creativity; her wedding head dress because of her love of style; a school book representing her passion for teaching, a shell signifying her love of the sea. But in a heart-stopping moment, Miriams two sons, Noah and Joshua, accompanied by their god-parents brought up Presents for Mom: her favourite perfume and a bright-coloured M in Lego bricks. And Miriams presence was felt most deeply in those sublime moments throughout the Mass as Miriams colleagues and friends and the children of Dromtrasna NS honoured her in song. Her life was reflected too in the happy pictures of the Mass booklet, a celebration of a life that was, so unfairly, cut short as her sister Raechel said. Raechel quietly and eloquently described the young woman of distinction whom they loved so dearly. Her beauty and energy filled every room, she said of her sister who was bubbly, enthusiastic, passionate, a woman with zest for life, a party girl who was always the last to leave. Miriam adored her sense of family, Raechel said, and her work. And she adored her own, small family, the three men who were the centre of her world. Miriam, Raechel went on, had spoken often in her last weeks of her husband Pats strength, his care for her and for their children, his understanding, and his honouring of the vows they had exchanged. Earlier in the concelebrated Mass, Canon Tony Mullins had reminded people of the many good memories they had of Miriam. All these memories are precious now and will inspire us, he said. These memories could never be taken away. And he spoke too of Miriams own journey of encounter where she had discovered courage, peace and acceptance. Her faith has shone a light on the darkness of our grief, he said. Miriam will help all of us to have the courage to begin again. According to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Twitter, a hydraulic pump on one of the first stage grid fins stalled, so the booster ended up splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean rather than coming in for a landing at a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida. The rocket landing was not required for SpaceX's main mission: delivering 5,600 lbs. (2,500 kilograms) of supplies to the space station's six-person crew. The Falcon 9 launched its Dragon spacecraft at 1:16 p.m. EST (1816 GMT) from the CCAFS and will catch up with the space station over the next few days before astronauts grapple it with the station's robotic arm on Saturday (Dec. 8). This mission, CRS-16, is the second time this Dragon spacecraft has made the trip; it also flew to space as part of the CRS-10 mission in 2017. The mission also marks SpaceX's 20th launch of the year. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the company's robotic Dragon cargo capsule toward the International Space Station on Dec. 5, 2018. (Image credit: NASA TV) SpaceX representatives confirmed the success of Dragon's trip into orbit, adding that they will use telemetry from the Falcon 9's first-stage booster to better understand why it's landing attempt failed. "The first stage did land in the water," SpaceX spokesperson John Insprucker said during a live webcast. "Now, the good news is we've got a lot of telemetry from it, so we'll be able to understand what happened and work to improve reliability as we always do here at SpaceX." "Second stage went into great orbit, it was really precise," he added. "Dragon, you saw separate, and now the solar arrays coming out. All told, another great day for SpaceX and NASA." The most recent previous landing failure for SpaceX was the core first-stage booster on its debut Falcon Heavy launch; the two side boosters made a flashy synchronized landing, but the central booster crashed. The company's most recent Falcon 9 first stage landing failure was in June 2016. See more Moldy mouse chow and more Today's launch was delayed by a day on short notice thanks to some moldy mouse chow. The mice and their habitat are loaded to the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft shortly before launch; because of possible contamination after finding mold on a small portion of the food bars, the launch crew also had to unload the rest of the bars, which had been loaded earlier deeper in the spacecraft, and get supplies to replace them. Though the launch team tried to get everything back in place for a Tuesday liftoff, they couldn't quite make it work hence a delay to the following day. The nonmoldy food bars and their corresponding mice, which will support the study of aging-related effects in space, are among the components for 38 new investigations on the Dragon spacecraft, NASA officials said. Another investigation, which will study muscle degeneration, will make use of 36,000 tiny worms. By the end of the mission, they will have reproduced enough to grow their population to between 2 million and 3 million, the study's principal investigator, Timothy Etheridge of the University of Exeter, told Space.com. The spacecraft will also carry a module to test robotically refueling liquid methane; an instrument that will use near-infrared lasers to measure the heights of Earth's forests; an experiment that will measure how bacteria biofilms grow in microgravity; a setup to grow large, pure protein crystals for analysis; and two student projects from NASA's and Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" Space Station Challenge. Those projects will test dental glue and a plant-watering process for space. Space traffic jam in orbit When the Dragon arrives, it will join five other spacecraft already at the station. According to NASA officials, there are two Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which bring crewmembers to the station; two Russian Progress spacecraft; and Northrop Grumman's Cygnus spacecraft. Six spacecraft is the maximum the space station has held, according to NASA spokesperson Dan Huot. And the Dragon brings a special treat for one class of spacecraft: It's carrying a satellite deployment system called SlingShot that can fit inside the Cygnus spacecraft's berth to deploy up to 18 cubesats. According to the CRS-16 mission overview, after the Cygnus leaves the space station for the first time, it can navigate to a higher orbit and release the cubesats. See more The International Space Station currently has six crewmembers; three arrived Monday (Dec. 3), and three have been there since June. The Monday Soyuz trip marked the first crew flight since an anomaly during launch grounded another crew in October. European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst, NASA astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Prokopyev will head back to Earth Dec. 20 after six and a half months in space but not before helping out with unpacking the Dragon! Newcomers Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, NASA astronaut Anne McClain and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques will stay until June. The Dragon spacecraft itself should leave the station and head back to Earth in January, according to Kirt Costello, ISS program chief scientist at Johnson Space Center. In that return, the Dragon will bring back equipment and experiments for analysis including, most likely, 20 mice and millions of worms. Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com. In a nearly 5,000-year-old tomb in Sweden, researchers have discovered the oldest-known strain of the notorious bacterium Yersinia pestis the microbe responsible for humanity's perhaps most-feared contagion: the plague. The finding suggests that the germ may have devastated settlements across Europe at the end of the Stone Age in what may have been the first major pandemic of human history. It could also rewrite some of what we know of ancient European history. The finding came about as the researchers were analyzing publicly available databases of ancient DNA for cases in which infections might have claimed prehistoric victims. They focused on the previously excavated site of Fralsegarden in Sweden. Previous analysis of a limestone tomb at the site found that an estimated 78 people were buried there, and they all had died within a 200-year period. The fact that many people died in a relatively short time in one place suggested they might have perished together in an epidemic, lead study author Nicolas Rascovan, a biologist at Aix-Marseille University in Marseille, France, told Live Science. The limestone tomb was dated to the Neolithic, or New Stone Age, the period when farming began. The researchers discovered the previously unknown strain of plague in the remains of a woman at the Fralsegarden site. Carbon dating suggested she died about 4,900 years ago during a period known as the Neolithic Decline, when Neolithic cultures throughout Europe mysteriously dwindled. [Photos: Stone Age Skulls Found on Wooden Stakes] Based on her hip bones and other skeletal features, they estimated the woman was about 20 years old when she died. The plague strain found with her had a genetic mutation that can trigger pneumonic plague the deadliest form of historic and modern plague suggesting the woman likely died of the disease. (The most common form of plague is bubonic plague, which occurs when plague bacteria spread to the lymph nodes and cause inflammation, according to the World Health Organization. The inflamed lymph nodes are called "buboes." If the bacteria spread to the lungs, they can trigger the deadlier pneumonic plague.) By comparing the newfound strain with known plague DNA, the scientists determined that the ancient sample was the closest known relative of the plague bacterium's most recent ancestor. The study researchers theorized that the ancient sample diverged from other plague strains about 5,700 years ago. How plague spread The new findings contradict an older theory about how plague spread, according to the researchers. About 5,000 years ago, humans migrated from the Eurasian steppe down into Europe in major waves, replacing the Neolithic farmers who lived in Europe at that time. Previous research had suggested the steppe folk brought the plague with them, wiping out pre-existing settlements upon their arrival. However, if the plague specimen from the Swedish grave diverged from other strains 5,700 years ago, it likely evolved before the steppe migrations began suggesting it was already there. Rather, the researchers suggested that the plague emerged in so-called mega settlements of 10,000 to 20,000 inhabitants that existed in Europe between 6,100 and 5,400 years ago. These mega settlements up to 10 times larger than previous European settlements "had people, animals, and stored food close together, and, likely, very poor sanitation. That's the textbook example of what you need to evolve new pathogens," senior study author Simon Rasmussen, a computational biologist at the University of Copenhagen, said in a statement. If plague evolved in these mega settlements, "then when people started dying from it, the settlements would have been abandoned and destroyed. This is exactly what was observed in these settlements after 5,500 years ago," Rasmussen said. Plague then could have spread across trade networks made possible by wheeled transport, which had expanded rapidly throughout Europe by that time, Rascovan said. Eventually, it would have made its way even to relatively distant sites like Fralsegarden in Sweden, where the woman the researchers analyzed died. That woman's DNA revealed she was not genetically related to steppe folk, supporting the idea that this ancient strain of plague arrived before the migrants came from the steppe. The perils of innovation? Study co-author Karl-Goran Sjogren, an archaeologist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, told Live Science that the discovery of plague "in a relatively marginal area of the Neolithic world suggests well-established and far-reaching contact networks" at that time that allowed the disease to spread. [5 Most Likely Real-Life Contagions] Indeed, it's possible that "the revolutionary innovations of that time bigger settlements with more complex organization, wheeled transport, metallurgy, trading networks over large distances, and so on" may have set the stage for "the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, and this eventually led to, what we think, was the first massive pandemic of human history," Rascovan said. The researchers noted that the findings don't mean that plague single-handedly wiped out Neolithic settlements, but rather that it may have been one factor among others, Rascovan said.For instance, the Neolithic settlements may have overexploited their environment, potentially driving forests they depended on into extinction, the researchers said. The researchers also cautioned they have not yet detected the smoking gun for their new theory that is, plague in any remains from the mega settlements in which it may have evolved. "If we could find plague in those settlements, that would be strong support for this theory," Rasmussen said in the statement. The findings were published online Dec. 6 in the journal Cell. Original article on Live Science. Who knew? This pottery jar being sold at a flea market was made about 2,000 years before the birth of Christ. You never know what you'll find at a flea market like a 4,000-year-old piece of pottery. That's what a guy in England discovered, though he didn't realize what he had until later, after he'd repurposed the jar as a toothbrush holder. The pottery vessel, adorned with the painting of an antelope, caught the eye of Karl Martin while he was browsing a yard sale five years ago. He picked the jar up, along with another pot, for about $5 (4 pounds). "I liked it straight away," Martin said in a statement from Hansons Auctioneers, where he now works and where the pottery was auctioned selling for about $100 (80 pounds) in November. The jar dates to the Indus Valley Harappan civilization, which thrived in the northwestern regions of South Asia during the Bronze Age, according to James Brenchley, head of antiquities at Hansons Auctioneers. The Indus, along with ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, is one of the three cradles of civilizations in the Old World, he added. This pottery jar seems to date to the Indus Valley civilization. (Image credit: Hansons Auctioneers) That backstory was unbeknownst to Martin, a collector, at the time of his purchase. So who could blame him for plopping the jar in the bathroom, right? "I used it in the bathroom to store my toothpaste and toothbrush it even ended up getting a few toothpaste marks on it," he said. Years later, while helping Brenchley unload a van at the auction house, Martin noticed some of the pottery going up for auction looked similar to his toothbrush holder. "The painting style looked the same, and it had similar crudely painted animal figures," he said in the statement. Brenchley examined the pot and confirmed that it was a genuine artifact from Afghanistan dating to 1900 B.C. "That means it's around 4,000 years old made 2,000 years before Christ was born," Martin said. "It's amazing, really. How it ended up at a South Derbyshire car-boot sale, I'll never know." Originally published on Live Science. This Hawaiian monk seal got an eel stuck in its nose. Scientists say this is a rare, but not unheard of, occurrence. So, no one told you life was gonna be this way. The Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program released a photo on Monday of a poor Hawaiian monk seal, squinting in what can only be a what-is-my-life look, with a probably-also-distressed eel stuck up its nose. This phenomenon, eels getting stuck in seals' noses, is rare; the team has observed only three or four cases of eel-nose in the past four decades, said Charles Littnan, a monk seal conservation biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries. But weirdly, the incidence has been increasing in the past couple of years. "In almost 40 years of monitoring, we have actually never observed this until a few years ago," Littnan said. [Gallery: Seals of the World] Oddly, it seems to always be in the right nostril, but "I don't really think that means anything," Littnan told Live Science. This whole situation could just be a "weird anomaly" or a "crazy statistical quirk, and we may never see it again," he added. "We have no idea why it's happening." As to how the eel gets stuck, Littnan has several ideas. The monk seals feed on or near the bottom of the ocean, because they're "very efficient" and "don't like to chase things in the water," he said. So, they go for the food, like eels, whose strategy is to hide. Monk seals nose around in coral reefs, root around in the sand, and flip over 50-lb. (22 kilograms) rocks to grab hiding octopuses, Littnan said. While the unfortunate, recently photographed seal was doing this, an eel could have, in a case of self-defense, "rammed itself into the nostril and maybe got stuck," Littnan said. Or if the seal brought the eel out to the surface to eat the prey, the eel could have whipped around and got into the nose, Littnan said. Since this phenomenon has been observed only in juvenile seals, Littnan said it could also just be that the seals are inexperienced at hunting. Or, just like in the YouTube videos where people sneeze and spit up long strands of pasta through their noses, the seal could have regurgitated an eel that it ate, with the eel coming out the wrong pipe, Littnan said. In this case, a relatively small part of the eel is in the nose, which "leads me to thinking that the eel forced itself in while trying to escape," Littnan said. In some other cases, the researchers have seen, in which around 2 feet (0.6 meters) of the eel was stuck the seal's nose, the seals must have regurgitated the prey, Littnan said. If that had been the case with this seal, the animal probably could have gotten rid of the eel on its own by shaking its head around. But the eel may have gotten deeper into the nose, preventing the seal from removing the invader. An eel in the nose may be bad, but a rotting eel in the nose would be even worse; bacteria from the rotting flesh could have infected the animal, Littnan said. Also, seals' nostrils close automatically when the animals go under water, and having an eel in there could have hindered that process, closing off an all-around great day for the seal with some water up the nose. In every instance of eel-nose, including this one, the researchers have removed the eel successfully. The seals were all fine, but the eels did not make it, according to the scientists' post. Hawaiian monk seals are among the most endangered seals on the planet, with only about 1,400 of them living in Hawaii. But recent years have shown "encouraging developments," according to NOAA Fisheries. The seals' numbers have increased, even though these little creatures always "find unique ways to get themselves into trouble," Littnan said. Originally published on Live Science. A ninja recently took part in an event during an October festival in Paris dedicated to Japanese culture. A ninja oath, recently found in a centuries-old document in Japan, reveals how an aspiring ninja was sworn to secrecy about 300 years ago. The ninja who penned the vow used cursive calligraphy to make a pledge to never reveal what he was taught, on pain of his descendants suffering divine wrath for generations, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported. Experts can only guess if the ninja, who signed the document "Inosuke Kizu," kept that oath to the end of his life. But details in Kizu's solemn vow reveal how serious ninjas were about guarding the secrets of their techniques and abilities, AFP said. [In Photos: The Last Century of Samurai Swordsmen] Researchers found the oath among 130 ancient documents that were recently donated by the Kizu family, which was once a ninja clan in the town of Iga, near Kyoto. The oath likely was sent to Kizu's relatives after his death, Yoshiki Takao, an associate professor with the International Ninja Research Center at Mie University in Japan, told AFP. In the vow, Kizu pledged his thanks to the mentor who trained him in "ninjutsu," or "the way of the ninja." The term does not indicate the practice of a specific martial art, according to the Ninja Museum of Igaryu in Iga, Japan. Rather, ninjutsu is a type of "warfare art" specializing in espionage and strategic military attacks. Popular representations of ninjas in movies, TV and comics emphasize swordplay as well as stealth. However, in reality, ninjas who relied on weapons were seen as "foolish" compared to ninjas who could gather enemy intelligence without being detected, according to the museum. Kizu affirmed in the oath that he would never use his ninja skills for stealing unless he was instructed to do so and that he would never share what he learned with his closest relatives. Any new combat skills or weapons that he acquired, if they were not already known to other ninjas, would be duly reported to his superiors, according to the AFP. Kizu also swore that if he broke the ninja code of silence, disaster would be visited on his children and grandchildren by "big and small gods in more than 60 provinces across Japan," AFP reported. Tantalizing hints of a document containing a ninja oath first surfaced in Japan approximately 50 years ago, but this is the first time any evidence of such a testament has surfaced, Takao told AFP. However, many of the ninjas' historical secrets are likely to remain hidden, much like the stealthy ninjas themselves. Though some aspects of ninja training and discipline were documented and later discovered by researchers, a substantial part of ninja traditions were shared only orally and do not exist in written form, Takao said. Original article on Live Science. Chevron said Thursday it will hike its 2019 capital spending by 9 percent up to $20 billion with major focuses on West Texas' booming Permian Basin and the massive Tengiz oil field in Kazakhstan. The spending increase comes despite oil prices falling by more than 30 percent since early October as the U.S. benchmark hovers just above $50 a barrel. San Antonio visitors will pay slightly more for their hotel stays under a new fee the tourism industry says will help them draw more newcomers to the River Walk, Convention Center, restaurants and other attractions. With a 10-1 vote, City Council members approved a tourism public improvement district, or TPID, Thursday after pushback from Councilman Rey Saldana, who argued that some of the funding should be set aside for homelessness initiatives. The Texas Organizing Project also sent a letter Wednesday asking the council to postpone or withdraw the decision until an agreement involving homelessness solutions could be reached. Representatives from the grassroots community organization reiterated their request Thursday. Nonunion tourism workers face countless challenges, including stagnant wages, unaffordable housing, limited economic mobility and lack of adequate health care, TOP Executive Director Michelle Tremillo wrote in the letter. We believe in an equitable community where everyone has opportunity with strong safety nets built for working families when emergencies strike. Industry leaders have said they want to be part of a broader discussion about homelessness in San Antonio, but that its not the focus of the TPID or what hoteliers signed on to. Ahead of the vote, they successfully gathered signatures from more than 60 percent of the citys hoteliers. Some council members agreed that it is not the purpose of the TPID and noted Thursday that supporters have been working on the proposal for about two years. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Council members said there need to be more discussions on how to address homelessness in the community and an exploration of options. The tourism industry will be part of the conversation. The TPID covers all of San Antonio. Hotel guests will be charged a fee, calculated at 1.25 percent of their room rate, at hotels and motels with more than 100 rooms. Visitors would pay the fee on top of the 16.75 percent occupancy tax they currently pay at hotels of that size. Casandra Matej, president and CEO of Visit San Antonio, a public-private nonprofit that acts as the citys sales and marketing arm, said the industry is elated. Its a monumental day for the tourism industry, she said. Together, we can do some great things. She also said that Saldanas comments were powerful. The TPID is expected to generate $10.4 million in its first year, which will be used for marketing and promoting the city. Industry leaders say the infusion will help them remain competitive with other destinations and put their budget on par with cities like Dallas and Houston, as San Antonios share of the market has slipped. madison.iszler@express-news.net Two men are dead after separate officer-involved shootings in the Bay Area on Wednesday morning, authorities said. The first shooting occurred in Napa after police responded to a 1:48 a.m. report of a man with a handgun assaulting a woman, police said. Eight hours later, the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office reported a fatal shooting outside the city of Martinez. The first incident happened near Lincoln and Soscol avenues, a busy intersection near the Napa River, said Chief Robert Plummer of the Napa Police Department. Officers told the suspect, who was not identified by police, to stop and show his hands, Plummer said. Instead, the suspect ran behind an apartment complex toward a wooded area and dry ravine. A physical altercation ensued between the suspect and an officer and shots were fired, according to police. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities are investigating to verify allegations that the suspect was armed, Plummer said. We dont know if he had a weapon or not, he said. Napa police said the officer involved sustained minor injuries and has been placed on administrative leave. The woman involved in the original incident was not injured. Police did not release details on her relationship with the man who was killed. The shooting outside Martinez occurred at 9:33 a.m. at Adelaide Drive and Pacheco Boulevard, authorities said. Contra Costa County sheriffs deputies were responding to a call 30 minutes earlier when an officer noticed a 41-year-old Discovery Bay man with an outstanding warrant, according to officials. The officer chased the man, and a physical struggle ensued, authorities said. The deputy then repeatedly told the suspect to take his hands out of his waistband, but the suspect allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot at the deputys head. The officer returned fire and killed the suspect, officials said. Authorities did not identify the suspect but said he was a known gang member who had an active warrant for evading and resisting arrest in another county. The man had extensive prior contacts with law enforcement that include drug possession, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of dangerous weapons, felon in possession of a firearm, stolen vehicle possession, obstruction, possession of burglary tools and parole violation, according to the Sheriffs Office. No deputies were injured in the incident, authorities said. The Sheriffs Office and Contra Costa district attorneys office are investigating. Gwendolyn Wu and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: gwendolyn.wu@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @gwendolynawu @SarRavani Central Texas will continue serving as the backdrop for AMC's "Fear the Walking Dead" in the show's upcoming season. The New Braunfels Journal reported the zombie series will be filming in the town, about 45 minutes north of San Antonio, during the next "several" months for the fifth season premiering in 2019. Executive producer Andrew Chambliss told the journal he chose the local textile mill as an area to film. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox "This location provides our characters with a place to launch a hopeful mission in an environment that reflects beauty can still be found in the apocalypse," he told the publication. Production has tapped on Texas towns as backdrops before. Central Texas was used throughout the fourth season as well. RELATED: CBS Sunday Morning to film during San Antonio's La Gran Tamalada holiday tradition Chambliss previously told the San Antonio Express-News that Austin and surrounding areas satisfied his vision for places with their "own identity" infused "with a bit of Americana." "When we realized we were filming in Texas, we saw this season aesthetically as a Western and wanted to use the landscape of Texas to reflect that emotional journey," he told the San Antonio Express-News. Check out the gallery above to see which Austin-area spots film crews used for the fourth season. Madalyn Mendoza is a breaking news and general assignment writer. Read her on our breaking news site, mySA.com and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com | mmendoza@mysa.com |@MaddySkye On December 5, 1933 the United States repealed prohibition. To commemorate the 85th anniversary, San Antonio went back in time to celebrate at the Sternewirth Tavern inside Hotel Emma at The Pearl. San Antonians put on their best Gastby-like attire for the occasion. The evening also featured drink specials and Jazz music by award-winning artist Henry Brun. Growing up is hard to do a lesson San Antonio Coffee Festival founder Linda Brewster knows better than most. The first four years we literally couldnt get anyone to come, Brewster said of the event she launched more than six years ago. And then, in a complete surprise to her, attendance to the event held in January at La Villita Historic Arts Village tripled. Consequently, festivalgoers were faced with long lines, limited supply and a generally unsatisfying event that led many to grumble about the experience online. Last year was absolutely out of control. We invited grandma, grandpa, the family dog, bring your bicycle. I just needed people in the square, Brewster said. Everyone came out, and they came out at the same time. Most were out little more than $5 and an hour of time, but the rocky performance drew accusations of being poorly planned, disastrous and disappointing in posts left on the festivals Facebook page. But that was then. This January, Brewster pledges attendees can expect a much smoother experience. Wrist bands. Entry gates. A robust mobile app with real-time text alerts. Attendance capped at 5,000. A portion of East Nueva Street will be closed to accommodate the crowd. A $7 entry fee ($10 at the gate) buys a flight of five coffee samples from more than 30 area roasters, and numerous artisans will be on site with coffee-themed arts, crafts and other gifts perfect for the coffee lover in your life. Brewster said that while the festivals mechanics might be different, the spirit of the event remains intact. Our goal is to concentrate San Antonios attention center stage on the local coffee scene, she said. Shes got good reason for wanting to shine a spotlight on that scene. For the past few years, the finance website wallethub.com has ranked San Antonio in 60th place or lower on its annual Best Coffee Cities in America list. Thats behind St. Louis, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Jersey City, New Jersey not to mention being outranked by Austin (17), Plano (26), Dallas (31), Houston (36), Irving (44) and Fort Worth (50) here in Texas. And that roasts Brewster the wrong way. Were the seventh-largest city. We should be at least number seven, she declared. Want to help Brewster percolate the Alamo City up through the ranks? Join her at the San Antonio Coffee Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (VIP entrance at 10 a.m.) Jan. 5 at La Villita. Additional details and ticket information at sanantoniocoffeefestival.com. Paul Stephen is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen A suspected drunk driver has been arrested for allegedly fleeing the scene of a two-vehicle crash that she caused, Laredo police said. Maria Lucia Valdez, 25, was arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated and accident involving injuries. She is out on bond from the Webb County Jail, according to custody records. LPD said the case occurred Nov. 30, when officers were dispatched to an accident with injuries report in the 2100 block of Seymour Avenue. READ ALSO: LPD: Woman accused of fracturing skull of 6-month-old baby boy Responding officers said they saw a silver Mazda 6 and Jeep Liberty with heavy front-end damage. The male driver of the Mazda sustained a laceration to the facial area. EMS crews responded to the scene to treat him. A passenger in the Jeep stated to police that Valdez was the driver and that she had fled on foot after the crash, according to police. An assisting officer stated that they saw a woman matching the description of Valdez getting into a black Chevy pickup. Minutes later, the Chevy arrived at the scene of the crash. Valdez exited the vehicle from a passenger seat. "Maria admitted that she was the driver of the Jeep and admitted to having left the scene," police said in a statement. RELATED: Mariachi player arrested after crashing into Jack in the Box Officers said she showed signs of intoxication. They said she had slurred speech, smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes. She allegedly admitted to drinking prior to the crash. In addition, Valdez failed a field sobriety test. She had a blood alcohol content of 0.13, police said. The legal limit in Texas is 0.08. Watercrest at Kingwood, a senior living community, is raffling 10 one of a kind Christmas trees designed by local businesses to benefit St. Judes Hospital. Residents are welcome to come to Watercrest on Dec. 12 from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. and purchase raffle tickets on their favorite Christmas trees. The trees are already on display for people to stop by and purchase raffle tickets.One ticket costs $20 and three for $50. Businesses that helped design the Christmas trees are: Apple Moving Jean Cermack- Mary Kay Representative Encompass Rehab Texas Home Health and Cameo Caregivers Disabled American Veterans Pasadena Chapter TAM Promotions Bridge Solutions Home Health Kingwood Toastmasters Encompass Home Health and Encompass Hospice Watercrest at Kingwood There will be live music and holiday treats and refreshments as people purchase raffle tickets. Tree recipients may choose to take their tree home or donate the tree to a family in need for the holiday season. "This is a special time of year when we all pause to reflect on whats really important," said Debra Burton, executive director of Watercrest at Kingwood. "At Watercrest at Kingwood, we understand this is a special time for our community and want to ensure everyone enjoys the holidays. We are always seeking opportunities to present our residents and special guests with opportunities to give back to the greater community, share experiences and enjoy time with one another. Through our Festival of Trees event, we hope to inspire others to find ways to give back this holiday season." For more information, call Watercrest at Kingwood at 713-357-6900. kaila.contreras@chron.com Several times a week, I receive an urgent email along these lines: I think I need to hire you. Google my name and youll see why. These individuals' financial and legal representatives are struggling to help them repair damage to their good name after an incident or event. If you're an investor, publicist, agent or attorney, you might work with clients who find themselves in the crosshairs of a personal reputation crisis. The list of possible reasons is endless, and I've heard them all. Maybe you're advising a client who's experienced one (or more) of these situtations: Violated company policy. Been accused of defamation or libel. Said something inappropriate in a media interview. Posted or shared something offensive online. Been caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Angered former employees, investors, reporters or love interests whove taken to social media for revenge. Related: My Big Failures Cost Me My Reputation and My Business. Here's What I Learned -- and How I've Bounced Back. Reputation repair is a subspecialty within reputation management. And it's getting greater attention in our current climate due to the #MeToo movement, higher scrutiny of corporate executives and the visibility of social media. These factors exponentially have elevated demand for individuals to live authentic, culturally acceptable lives whose careers embody that same meaning. But sometimes they dont. Crisis is inevitable when public perception of an individual's value and contributions conflict with who he or she wants to be. It's a very public type of dissonance. Reputation-management specialists are trained to help people navigate options, design proactive strategies, manage the emotional rollercoaster and recover after the dust settles. It can be challenging to wake from a perception nightmare. My clients' names, companies, careers and livelihoods are in jeopardy unless we can resolve the issue or repair the damage. Sometimes we must pivot, changing how the individual is seen in a specific market, with online audiences, within a company or in a home community at-large. In these cases, I often wish I'd been involved earlier to help minimize negative impact or avoid larger missteps. In the words of Warren Buffett, It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. Related: Listen to Warren Buffett: Your Reputation Is Worth Cold, Hard Cash Several reputation-repair companies propose a two-pronged digital approach: They'll manipulate Google algorithms so critical posts dont show up first and then spin a story to change the way an individual is seen publicly. They charge a lot of money for this work. Unfortunately, its not that simple. It's true that clients need quick triage. But they also need long-term solutions to right their reputations, for good. Here's how -- with examples from real-life clients whose specific details have been changed to protect confidentiality. 1. Set realistic goals and expectations. If a client is facing multiple criminal charges for assault, it might be unrealistic to position him or her as friendly and approachable. When counseling your clients, talk about the reality of the situation and the gravity of public perception. You need to acknowledge both to rebuild or reboot their personal brand. This understanding is the basis of setting attainable goals. Is it feasible your client will work again in her or his previous industry? Should your client refrain from posting on social media? Does reputation repair need to come from your client's community or followers instead of directly from the perceived wrongdoer? What is a realistic timeframe before the situation or damage is in the rearview mirror? Expectation-setting will not be easy for your client. Use your legal, administrative, financial and PR tools to gauge their sense of reality about what theyre facing. If your client isn't willing to accept certain, realistic limitations, other experts might be able to help adjust expectations from the outset. Related: 4 Personal Reputation Management Tips for Entrepreneurs 2. Assess the damage. Conduct a thoughtful and thorough perception sweep of the reputation hit's after-effects. This includes assessing digital impact such as social media, online relationships and Google search results. The evaluation gives you a baseline. How serious is the situation? Sometimes the way we believe the situation to be is not reflected in the business impact of the damage. One of my clients was accused of sexual harassment several years ago and sued by two former employees. The parties settled the suit, and the case went quiet. My client received adequate training to manage his behavior and focused on building his company. As his organization grew in visibility and notoriety, those former employees banded together and began personal attacks via several social-media review sites. This caught attention, making current and prospective investors nervous. They questioned whether my client's past behavior was part of a pattern that could jeopardize their stake and expose them to risk. I performed a solid perception sweep, considering social media, traditional news outlets and market reputation. My findings confirmed the past incident was isolated and resolved in the marketplace and posed no risk to investors, employees or customers. The proactive approach enabled my client to take control of how he and his company moved forward. Related: 6 Tools for Monitoring Your Online Reputation 3. Separate emotion from the necessary work. It can be difficult to help clients separate feelings from facts, even if you're trained in dealing with highly emotional individuals. A reputation crisis is a deeply personal ordeal that plays out on a very public stage. Each online comment, rejected meeting or funny look reinforces their vulnerability. Help your client understand what's true and what is merely believed to be true. Another of my clients suffered terrible workplace bullying during her time with a large company. Her colleagues intentionally left her out of key meetings or critical email exchanges, then claimed she ignored invitations and messages. They spread rumors about her marriage and home life. These "adults" went so far as to snicker at her when she passed by. My client spoke to her supervisors, who repeatedly told her it was her imagination and offered suggestions on projecting a more confident persona. This went on for several years. By the time my client left the company, she was emotionally shattered. Needing to find a place she felt safe and capable, she took a new job well below her skill level. There were other drawbacks, too. The poor track record at her previous employee and her demotion in taking the lesser job tarnished both her professional resume and her credibility in her field. She had to reclaim her career so she could again work at a level that reflected her capabilities and qualifications. We focused on facts only. Our frank conversation removed the high emotion. Which aspects of the situation should she claim accountability for, and which were beyond her control? What behavior was hers? What belonged to colleagues with questionable moral compasses? We picked apart what happened and the choices she'd made in response to hostile conditions. Then, we re-established her career plan, building on her successes and downplaying shortcomings. Related: 8 Steps to Surviving Workplace Bullying and Salvaging Your Reputation 4. Thoughtfully plan your media strategy. You'll need to decide whether it's smart to proactively issue a statement, craft a message and choose the right person to make the statement. That's the easy part. Understanding the pre-work and after-effects of communicating with the media -- traditional and online -- requires finesse. Not every reputation-repair strategy leverages the media. In some cases, pulling away from the public view is a better approach. One client in Australia needed to quit social media cold turkey and cease responding to media inquiries. The news surrounding his situation was too hot; the community and his industry, too upset. In the immediate term, the best strategy was not saying anything. Later, when we could communicate more effectively, rebooting his reputation through media channels proved valuable to shape public perception. Another client, an attorney, had acted as a public spokesperson for a prominent executive and his business. The attorney had low credibility, and he lacked the charisma and acumen needed to create a positive media impression. As a result, he could not effectively defend the executive in the court of public opinion. We pulled the executive out from the attorney's shadow, connecting him with a trusted journalist who helped tell his story -- in his own words. Related: 4 Mistakes You're Making That Can Jeopardize Your Reputation 5. Pick your social-media fights carefully. Social media is like traditional news media in one important way: It requires careful planning and strategy. If your client has engaged in social-media fights before involving you, the damage may already be done. Whenever possible, remind your client of the uncontrolled and volatile nature of the online community. When people are upset, hurt or angry, they lash out. Give them a keyboard, and they can tell the world. In many cases, upset people need to vent. Engage in a battle with them and you'll get a very visible war that's permanently etched in the public realm. Instead, use social media as a feedback tool, a perception meter and a way to share the good, honest reality of whats being done to make things right. Worked correctly, social media can be a goldmine. Wielded incorrectly, it can make reputation repair very challenging. Related: These Social Media Fails Got People Fired 6. Explore all the options. As the world becomes more transparent and Google makes mistakes more longlasting, a client may need to explore unpleasant options. He she shouldn't rule out serving time for the crime (figuratively speaking) instead of spending years fighting allegations, switching industries or even changing names. One of my clients had spent five years and all her resources suing her former employer. She felt justified and sought justice at all costs. Her reputation and career were tightly bound to the lawsuit's headlines, and anyone searching her name online inevitably would see the play-by-play. She was battling a giant corporation with the resources to keep lawyers on speed dial. She depleted her savings account, and her marriage failed. Only then did she realize the fight wasn't worth the tremendous toll it had taken. This certainly wasn't the outcome shed hoped for. By the time she was referred to me, her options had narrowed. To rebuild her reputation and career, we needed to untether her from the headlines. She changed her work focus, returned to her maiden name and employed other tactics. These moves helped rebuild her confidence so she could pivot to a future that held opportunities for income and happiness. Related: 15 Steps I Took to Successfully Reinvent Myself After Losing Everything 7. Be honest with yourself (and your client). If you're out of your depth, admit it. Seek help or training to craft messages, answer media requests or advise your clients how to represent themselves. One timely, informative example provides a lesson from two parties currently involved in a legal dispute. (Full disclosure: Neither is a client of mine.) Aly Raisman is the face of Team USA gymnasts sexually assaulted by their longtime team doctor, Larry Nassar. After the Senate hearing on these abuses, Raisman approached Sarah Hirshland, the new CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC). Hirshland told Raisman she was not permitted to speak to her. In fact, Hirshland wouldnt even shake Raisman's hand. As pending litigation continues between the USOC and assault victims, it might be sound legal advice to avoid public greetings. But the brush-off created an optics problem that translates into questionable reputation advice. Whatever time the USOC spent crafting the CEOs messaging was wasted in that moment. The media didnt talk about Hirshland's plans to fix entrenched problems. Instead, headlines said she snubbed Raisman. The new CEO might have fared better if she'd been advised to remain courteous. Perhaps she could have expressed a desire to work together with athletes after the legal proceedings are over. The lesson: If ever you find yourself wondering if you should consult an expert, hire one. Related: If a PR Crisis Happens to Your Company, Will You Know What to Do? Candidly speaking, clients aren't at their best in a reputation crisis. They feel powerless as others thrash their names and question their values. The shame of the situation can be devastating. Your clients need a trusted advisor who can counsel them to look at the big picture. While Google and Facebook might be forever, your clients can retain dignity and assert control over who they are and how they choose to show up in the world. Related: 7 Ways to Recover After a Reputation Crisis How to Deal With Fake Negative Reviews (Infographic) The Keys to Building an Influential Personal Brand Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved For the Telegraph ALTON Students at Alton High School Robotics Team have found external support as they utilize robots to improve skills in science and engineering. The Monsanto Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer, recently awarded a one-time, $5,000 grant to Alton High Robotics Team to support their FIRST Robotics activities and encourage local students who participate in the program. WASHINGTON - The men who came to eulogize former President George H.W. Bush spoke of the 41st president and the American presidency on Wednesday in broad and magisterial terms. He was "the last great soldier statesman" in the words of his biographer. A former Canadian prime minister recalled Bush as the leader of the "greatest democratic republic that God has ever placed on this earth." But the words of praise for Bush seemed to contrast with a jarring reality: A generation after he left office,the presidency has become all-consuming in American life, yet it has also never seemed smaller and more prone to failure. "The public interest in the presidency is sky high," said Douglas Brinkley, a presidential historian at Rice University. "But the institution of the president has shrunk. It's becoming a tawdry kind of thing." The smallness (and meanness) was evident the moment President Donald Trump entered Washington National Cathedral for Bush's state funeral, shed his overcoat and took a seat with his fellow commanders in chief. Trump briefly shook hands with former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle. Beyond that exchange, the four presidents in the front row seemed incapable of even fleeting contact. Former President Bill Clinton glanced quickly in Trump's direction and then looked away. Rather than shake Trump's hand, former President Jimmy Carter checked his watch. Trump, arms folded across his chest, stared stoically throughout, as traits of his predecessor, so different from his own, were praised. Some of the contrast between then and now is a product of Trump and his divide and conquer kind of politics. In the cathedral, Bush eulogized his father as an "imperfect man" who left America as "a more perfect union." More than most recent presidents, Bush's instincts at home drove him toward bipartisan compromise on issues as disparate as the budget and the environment. Overseas, he labored to build broad-based alliances. "He often said, 'When the really tough choices come, it's the country, not me . . . (the) country that I fought for,' " recalled former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., a Bush friend for decades. Today, American presidents have largely given up on such bipartisan sentiments, and cross-party compromises on anything of substance have become rare. Obama passed health care reform without any support from Republicans. Trump's tax bill passed without the benefit of a single Democrat's backing. In speeches near the end of his term, Obama talked of trying to reach across America's growing divide - even if his efforts were sometimes disparaged by critics as halfhearted or insincere. "I have no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide," he said in his final State of the Union address. "(But) I guarantee I'll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office." Trump, in his rallies and speeches, has largely dispensed with even the appearance of trying, opting for a posture closer to all-out war with his political opponents. That has made it far easier for his opponents to dismiss him as not their president, and for the presidency itself to diminish in breadth. But not all of the blame for the increasing smallness of the office sits with its current occupant. To many historians, the Trump presidency is a reflection of the larger problems with the country and the office. "The modern presidency has gotten out of control," Leon Panetta, who served as Clinton's chief of staff and Obama's defense secretary, told the Atlantic magazine earlier this year. Presidents, he argued, are confronted by too many crises. Instead of solving big problems in the country, they are focused on dozens, if not hundreds, of disasters of the moment. Others blame the seeming smallness of the office on the relative magnitude of the problems facing recent presidents. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has spanned an unheard-of three presidencies, with no end in sight. And then there's global warming, which some Democratic presidents have described as an existential threat, only to be dismissed by Republicans who call it a hoax or junk science. "How does a president appear magisterial on a topic like global warming?" said Jeremi Suri, author of "The Impossible Presidency" and a historian at the University of Texas at Austin. "The problem is so big, and the president has so little control." On Wednesday, Bush's eulogy described him as a man ennobled by sacrifice on behalf of his country - a man who campaigned fiercely at times but sought to be a president for all Americans. "George Herbert Walker Bush, who survived that fiery fall into the waters of the Pacific three-quarters of a century ago, made our lives and the lives of nations freer, better, warmer and nobler," historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy. "That was his mission. That was his heartbeat." Today, presidents face a far more divided landscape than Bush would've ever conceived possible. Today, Clinton's tough-on-crime stance and embrace of free trade have made him increasingly unpopular within his party, which has shifted to the left. Bush's focus on environmental protection, global alliances and extending protections to Americans with disabilities would get him disowned in today's Republican Party. The absence of voters in the middle have made it almost impossible for presidents to break through the gridlock on any issue of substance. "Presidents are playing a game of speaking to empowered groups and not to the public interest," Suri said. On Wednesday, though, mourners came to celebrate a different vision of the presidency, reflecting a different era in American politics. The Bush they lauded was not just a leader but a model for the entire country. Meacham described Bush as a "20th century founding father" in the mold of America's greatest presidents who "believed in causes larger than themselves." The Rev. Russell Jones Levenson Jr., who had been Bush's pastor at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston, acknowledged that some were describing Bush's death as the "end of an era." In his homily, Levenson argued against that formulation. "Perhaps it's an invitation to fill the hole that has been left behind," he suggested. And with that, the former presidents walked out of the cathedral and back into a bitterly divided country. The chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies faces extradition to the United States after she was arrested in Canada, Canadian officials said Wednesday. Meng Wanzhou, a senior executive who is also the daughter of the tech giant's founder, Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, according to Canada's Department of Justice. A bail hearing has been set for Friday. The department declined to provide other details, citing a publication ban. U.S. Justice Department spokesman Marc Raimondi declined to comment on the matter. A spokesman from the Chinese Embassy in Canada confirmed the arrest of Meng and said in a statement that Beijing "strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim." China has lodged a protest to the United States and Canada, urging them "to immediately correct the wrongdoing," the spokesman said. Meng was arrested when she was transferring flights in Canada, said Huawei spokesman Chasen Skinner. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," Skinner said. "The company believes the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion." Meng is expected to face charges in the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn. U.S. authorities have been investigating Huawei since 2016 for violations of export controls and U.S. sanctions related to Iran and other countries. It is unclear how Huawei might have violated sanctions. The arrest comes at a tense moment in U.S.-China relations. Over the past year, China and the United States have engaged in a tit-for-tat trade war that has shaken markets around the world and hurt ties between the world's two largest economies. President Donald Trump last week met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Argentina, hashing out a trade war cease-fire. But just days after they met, Chinese and U.S. officials relayed conflicting details about the deal. At the heart of the dispute is a White House claim that China violates the rules of global trade through forced technology transfer and cyberwarfare. There have been growing calls for the United States to increase its scrutiny of Chinese firms, including Huawei, on the grounds of national security. U.S. officials have long suspected that Huawei, a major smartphone maker, maintains ties to China's communist leaders. Ren, Huawei's founder, is a former officer in China's People's Liberation Army. Last year, Huawei's chief rival, ZTE, pleaded guilty to violating U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea and paid $892 million in fines imposed by the Justice, Treasury and Commerce departments. In April, the Commerce Department found ZTE to be in violation of its 2017 settlement and barred U.S. companies from exporting to the firm for seven years. Such a prohibition, colloquially referred to as a "death penalty," was thought to be severe enough to put the firm out of business. Xi reportedly asked Trump to intervene, and Trump pressed Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to reconsider the punishment. In July, Commerce lifted the ban but imposed a number of new restrictions on the company, including another fine. Trump saw his intervention in the ZTE case as a bargaining chip with China on other trade issues. ZTE and Huawei equipment have been banned from use by the U.S. government and its contractors after Trump signed into law in August a bill containing the ban. The two firms are largely cut out of the U.S. market. In 2012, the House Intelligence Committee issued a scathing report on the two firms that warned that they "provide a wealth of opportunities for Chinese intelligence agencies" to spy on U.S. companies or agencies that use their equipment. The panel also urged that the federal government block mergers of U.S. firms with the two Chinese companies after reviewing their alleged ties to Chinese military and intelligence agencies. The firms are caught up in a global competition with the United States for control of the world's burgeoning 5G telecommunications networks. On Wednesday, British telecom firm BT has said it will not use Huawei equipment in its 5G network. Last week, New Zealand did the same. In August, Australia banned Huawei and ZTE from its 5G networks. --- The Washington Post's Damian Paletta contributed to this report. Albany Teachers at All Saints Academy, a Catholic grade school near the Harriman campus, were marching in place and counting out loud in unison as part of a training session on how to improve their basic math lessons. One of the participants, though, was filming the exercise with a camera. In the next few days, Emanuel Humphrey will be back in his native Uganda relaying the training to teachers in the network of small rural schools hes responsible for. The kind of participatory exercises that are common in U.S. schools are still a novel idea to Ugandan educators who teach in the old British Colonial style where, as Humphrey described it the students are supposed to sit and listen and look at the blackboard. There are lots of other differences. While teachers in New York may get 25 or 30 kids in a class, Ugandan classrooms can easily contain 70 or more students, due to the lack of resources, along with that impoverished East African nations high birthrate. Here, every child has a seat, marveled Magoma Henry Stephenson. In Ugandan classrooms students without chairs which is most of them simply sit on the floor. Stephenson, a retired administrator, and Humphrey are among the four Ugandan educators who have been touring Capital Region schools for the past two weeks as part of an ongoing exchange program run by The Giving Circle, a Saratoga Springs-based charity that has launched a number of African initiatives over the past few years, including the building of rural schools where none had existed. Theyve also visited Albanys Giffen elementary school as well as schools in Guilderland, Queensbury, Cambridge and will go to Shenendehowa as well. On Wednesday, the Ugandans visited Rita Floess' third-grade class at Giffen where they watched the students solve relatively complex math problems by breaking up into teams and pretending they were issuing postage stamps. "The kids designed their own stamps and determined the values," said Floess. "They were really impressed with how our kids do math," said Floess. "In Uganda their instruction is more 'stand and deliver.' " The young students, who were almost all African-American, were also fascinated to meet people from Uganda, a country they had studied during a geography lesson earlier in the year. The exchange is one of a number of projects operated by The Giving Circle, which was started by current Executive Director Mark Bertrand in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Since then, the groups outreach has expanded with building up Ugandan schools as one of the focuses. Its a challenge, given the poverty and remoteness of the communities that they work in including Jinja and Kagoma Gate. The latter is exceptionally poor, since many of the residents descended from Congolese or Sudanese refugees who work in the local sugar fields. More for you Saratoga Springs charity hosts fundraiser for Ugandan chess program There was no school, said Ann Fantauzzi, a retired teacher and the charitys vice president of operations who has traveled to Uganda a number of times. Theyve set up programs that give students two meals a day in school, which is more than they would get at home or working in the fields, and consequently keeps them in class. Volunteers have also funded and helped put in clean water sources, an orphanage and health clinic. In one of the schools, sign language is taught from an early age which has served to educate and integrate the countrys substantial population of deaf youngsters who have lost their hearing due to malaria. Early on during their visits, Giving Circle volunteers realized that the Ugandans want better schools for their kids. One of the things that sort of became apparent over the years is that there is a great desire by the Ugandans to improve their education system, said Carl Korn, the chief press officer at New York State United Teachers who volunteers with The Giving Circle. This winter, a group of Capital Region teachers who are also involved in The Giving Circle will head to Uganda as part of the exchange program, he noted. For now, though, the U.S. visit has been a non-stop learning experience for the Ugandans, who have been exposed to any number of conveniences that U.S. residents take for granted, such as ample WiFi coverage, washing machines, clean water, a vast variety of supermarket foods and Interstate highways. There have also been some adjustments to traveling from an a near-tropical country to upstate New York in December. Ive never felt this kind of temperature, Humphrey said with a smile. We dont have this business of snow, ice, whatever. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU Following bruising losses in statewide elections last month, Republicans in Wisconsin and Michigan have responded with pushes to limit the power of Democrats who won those offices, as advocacy groups threaten to block their efforts with legal action. The legislation in Wisconsin took a significant step forward Wednesday when Republican lawmakers passed bills that effectively kneecap the state's incoming Democratic governor and attorney general with measures that limit or eliminate their abilities to act on aspects of gun control, a lawsuit on the Affordable Care Act and various other state matters. Republican lawmakers in Michigan are similarly attempting to shift authority from the Democrats recently elected as governor, attorney general and secretary of state, the first time the party will hold all three positions in nearly three decades. The one-two punch is a blunt attempt by Republican lawmakers to maintain power, Democrats say. "It's a power grab - clear and simple," Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said in a telephone interview. "It's literally going against the will of the public that voted for these officials just 30 days ago." Republicans have said their push to sap authority from these offices - weeks after voters chose Democrats to fill them - is necessary to better balance power between the executive and legislative branches. "The legislature is the most representative branch of government and the closest to the people of Wisconsin. Our proposals guarantee that the legislature always has a seat at the table," said Robin Vos, the Republican speaker of the State Assembly, in a statement. "With divided government, these bills allow for more discussions and opportunities to find common ground." Caroline Fredrickson, president of the left-leaning American Constitution Society, said that legal action likely will be taken against many of the provisions in Wisconsin. "The basic question is, 'Who's been injured?' " by the Republicans' efforts to curb the governor's authority, she said. "And you could say the voters of Wisconsin are the ones who have been injured." During an ACS event Tuesday, former Democratic governor Jim Doyle, who also served as attorney general, called the efforts "a very obvious violation of the separation of powers" codified in the Constitution. The efforts come two years after a similar scene played out in North Carolina, where GOP lawmakers responded to the election of Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, by trying to curtail his power. That set off a string of legal battles, an outcome expected in Wisconsin if Gov. Scott Walker, R, signs the legislation, as he is expected to. The measures in Wisconsin and Michigan are a setback for Democrats afterthe party's significant victories in recent races for state legislature seats, attorney-general offices and governorships. The successes in Wisconsin and Michigan were among the most notable. In Wisconsin, where Tony Evers, D, defeated Walker, who was first elected in 2010, Republican leaders have defended their lame-duck efforts to strip power from Evers. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said the legislation is needed because Republicans "don't trust Tony Evers right now." Walker's office did not respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday. The legislature stayed in session Tuesday night into Wednesday to pass the bills amid a backdrop of protesters. Among other things, the legislation would prevent Evers from taking over Walker's new economic development agency for months - a unit that Evers pledged to dismantle - and require that he get lawmakers' approval to block guns from the capitol building. The legislation would also limit early voting and require posting online the names of anyone pardoned by the governor. Josh Kaul, the incoming attorney general, would also be blocked from fulfilling his campaign pledge to withdraw the state from a lawsuit against the Affordable Care Act. "Wisconsin has never seen anything like this," Evers, the state schools superintendent, said in a statement Wednesday. "Power-hungry politicians rushed through sweeping changes to our laws to expand their own power and override the will of the people. . . . Wisconsin values of decency, kindness, and finding common ground were pushed aside so a handful of people could desperately usurp and cling to power while hidden away from the very people they represent." In a statement, Vos, the Assembly speaker, accused Democrats of "exaggerating and resorting to hyperbole" about the legislation. His office did not respond to an interview request. The situation in Wisconsin is a consequence of the heightened polarization in politics, during which "trust between parties has broken down completely," said William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. "One of the great promises of constitutional democracy is that people will respect the rules and understand that within the framework of the rules, there will be a competition for political power and an orderly rotation from one majority to the next," said Galston, who was a senior domestic policy aide to President Bill Clinton. Parties seeking only to maintain power and change the rules will likely damage how voters view their government, he said. "I cannot imagine that the historically low level of public trust in government institutions is going to be increased by maneuvers such as this," he said. "It is almost bound to increase cynicism that politics has more to do with a pure struggle for power than it does with any concern for the well being of the public." In Michigan, measures introduced last week by Republican lawmakers would dilute the authority of newly elected Democratic leaders - Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer, Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel and Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson - on campaign finance oversight and other legal issues, while boosting power in the GOP-led legislature. One proposal suggested shifting campaign-finance oversight away from the secretary of state's office to a six-member bipartisan commission. Another would let the legislature step in on a state law that the attorney general may opt not to defend. A spokeswoman for Benson - a nationally known election and campaign finance expert who ran on informing the public about such spending - called the proposed oversight change "an affront to every Michigan taxpayer who clearly wants and deserves a government that is transparent and accountable." Republican advocates and lawmakers argue that they are being good stewards of government and guarding against one party having too much power. The campaign-finance change, which has been approved by a Senate committee, heads next to the full Senate and, if approved, the Michigan House. Wendy Weiser, director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, linked the efforts in Wisconsin and Michigan to the eroding political norms seen across the Trump administration and beyond. "Extreme wings of the GOP have pushed the envelope and are now getting away with things that used to be out of bounds," Weiser said. "The ordinary way to respond to an election is to regroup and regain voters support, but the Republicans are now treating every election as an existential threat and the guard rails have been removed. It's a deep threat to our democracy." These actions are also unfolding quickly. In Wisconsin, less than a week elapsed between the rough outlines of that state's legislation becoming public and lawmakers sending the bill to the governor's desk, said Barry Burden, a professor of political science and director of the Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "It did not look like a deliberative process where the legislature was interested in gathering expertise about these various ideas and trying to make good policy, necessarily," Burden said. While Vos said lawmakers had to retake power from the executive branch, that same power was given to the governor during Walker's tenure, Burden said. The legislature allowed Walker to oversee all the administrative rules that state agencies can produce, giving him the power to reject rules created by state agencies. The change was a way for Walker to rein in control of state agencies, Burden said, and the new legislation would reverse that for Evers. In 2010, Walker campaigned on creating an economic development agency tasked with bringing jobs to the state. It has been controversial and Evers campaigned on dismantling and replacing it. In the bill approved Wednesday, the legislature shores up the agency by weakening Evers's ability to dissolve it. Lawmakers also expanded the agency's board and gave itself the ability to appoint more people to it. "There are quite a few of those kinds of things, where the legislature was quite willing to let the governor have that kind of reach when it was Scott Walker, and they're quite unwilling to do it now that the governor is Tony Evers," Burden said. - - - The Washington Post's Katie Zezima and Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed to this report. The Justice Department urged a federal appeals court Thursday to reconsider AT&T's $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner, arguing that the judge who approved the deal in June misunderstood fundamental economic principles and ignored how AT&T could unfairly extract higher fees from rivals by threatening to black out popular TV channels. The Department of Justice delivered oral arguments in its appeal of a lower court decision that handed the agency a major defeat in one of the most closely followed antitrust trials in decades. The blockbuster case - the first time since the Nixon era that the government has gone to court to challenge this type of deal - was seen as a landmark legal dispute because it signaled how regulators and courts might treat mergers between companies that don't compete with each other. "A threat of blackout will allow Time Warner to increase the prices for its rivals," said government attorney Michael Murray. But the three-judge appeals panel was quick to push back on the government's case, questioning how the lower court failed to apply the law properly in siding with AT&T. "You have to show that there was plain error in the district court," Judge David Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit told the government's side. "You have to show that there is going to be a harm to competition." Sentelle added that the government had to present evidence beyond economic theories to show that the merger would substantially lessen competition. Judge Judith Rogers also expressed skepticism as she prodded the government's case. AT&T attorney Peter Keisler said the company is prevented from blacking out programs, since it has pledged to allow distributors to pursue arbitration if a disagreement arises. He argued that this commitment undercut the government's case. The company "has relinquished the source of leverage that the government identified, in its view, as the principal way to extract higher prices," he said. Rogers and Judge Robert Wilkins both asked AT&T to clarify if it intends to stand by its commitment to not pursue blackouts in a programming dispute. "We are absolutely committed to this," Keisler said. A spokesman for the Justice Department, Jeremy Edwards, said in a statement to The Washington Post: "The Department of Justice appreciates the court's careful consideration of this important case and will await the court's decision." AT&T said in a statement, "We appreciate the Court's attention to the arguments of counsel and look forward to receiving its decision." Antitrust officials insist that AT&T's tie-up with Time Warner is anticompetitive because the newly merged firm has the ability and incentive to raise costs for rivals and stifle competitors, ultimately raising prices and narrowing choices for consumers. But Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who ruled in favor of AT&T this summer, said the Justice Department failed to show that the deal would harm consumers or market competition. Through the purchase of Time Warner, AT&T acquired popular media brands, including CNN and HBO. In the appeal, AT&T argued that the deal would lead to lower prices for consumers and would allow the company to create mobile video products tailored to customers. AT&T also said the merged company could build a competitive digital advertising platform to challenge the dominance of ad giants such as Google and Facebook. As corporations increasingly seek to expand by absorbing companies from different points on the supply chain, known as vertical integration, the outcome of the AT&T-Time Warner appeal could serve either as a massive green light or a rethinking of business plans. For antitrust regulators and the court system, a ruling in favor of AT&T may hamper efforts to more aggressively apply antitrust laws to mergers. "Antitrust enforcement has been increasingly skeptical of vertical mergers, especially in the technology area," said Andrew Schwartzman, a lecturer in public interest law at Georgetown University. "If the government loses this case it will set a precedent that will make it very hard for future enforcement for vertical mergers." Critics of the AT&T deal say that consumers have much to lose if it proceeds. "This is a very important case, because the bottom line for consumers is you may end up paying higher prices for some of your favorite TV and video content without having the benefit of better and lower-cost choices from competitors in the online video marketplace," said Gene Kimmelman, the president of Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy organization that opposes the merger. After a ruling from the appeals court in the following months, the losing side can request that the entire bench of the court reconsider the case. They can also appeal to the Supreme Court. AT&T has pledged to manage Time Warner's assets as a separate business unit only until Feb. 28, or if the appeals process concludes before then. A ruling against the company could eventually reverse the merger. Warren At first glance, the chart displayed in the glass case could be for seating at a glamorous gala. But a closer look reveals it's a diagram of where each murder victim was told to sit or stand in the basement where they were killed. Their executioner, Yakov Yurovsky, calculated their placement so his gunmen would have clear shots of the victims: Tsar Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, their four daughters and son, plus the luckless staff who followed them into exile their maid, manservant, cook and longtime doctor, Eugene Botkin. The latter looks sad in his portrait photo, possibly because his exasperated wife divorced him for being overly devoted to the royals. The image is now displayed in "Last Days of the Last Tsar", a haunting, unique exhibit at Russian History Foundation in the tiny rural Mohawk Valley hamlet of Jordanville, which has captured the attention of Russian investigators re-examining the Romanov killings. The ill-fated Dr. Botkin stayed with the Romanovs after they were arrested by revolutionaries in 1917 during Russia's civil war so he could treat the hemophilia that afflicted the tsar's little boy, Alexei. The week he would die, Botkin sensed his fate. He wrote his family in Europe: "I am dead but not yet buried ... I unhesitatingly orphaned my own children in order to carry out my physician's duty to the end." The night of July 16, 1918, Yurovsky ordered the Romanov entourage to dress, pack and wait in the basement of Ipatiev House to be evacuated because hostile troops were approaching. What happened next has been the subject of multiple international investigations. One is unfolding this year, the 100th anniversary of the executions. This current probe was requested by the Russian priest Kremlin-watchers regard as Russian President Vladimir Putin's spiritual adviser, Father Tikhon Shevkunov. Putin ordered Russia's version of the FBI, the Russian Federation Investigative Committee or SLEDKOM, to use its labs and investigators to document what happened in that basement and to the victims' remains. And SLEDKOM sought help from the Russian History Foundation, where the "Last Tsar" exhibit is packed with potential clues: hundreds of photos, clothes, journals, letters and religious icons used by the Romanovs. Foundation curator Michael Perekrestov believes many of the items have never before been collected in one place. SLEDKOM wanted to make a 3-D duplicate of dentures found at the execution site that Botkin's family identified as his. Investigators will see if the duplicate fits a skull believed to be Botkin's. The Associated Press reported in 1991 that Russian researchers unearthed nine skeletons in an abandoned mining pit in Yekaterinburg, the city where the royals were murdered. Mitochondrial DNA was used to identify the remains of the Tsar and his wife. Scientists used photos of Botkin and computer modeling to perform forensic facial reconstruction on the other male skeleton, which they identified as Botkin's. More Information What: "Last Days of the Last Tsar" Where: Russian History Foundation, 1407 Robinson Road, Jordanville, Herkimer County Dates: Exhibit runs through March 8. Adults $7, seniors $5, under 12 years old Free More info: Go to http://foundationrh.org or call 315-858-2468 See More Collapse Masses of Russians assumed their government was lying. Their leaders had, after all, tried to stop pilgrimages to the murder site by bulldozing the house where the family was killed. "Right now, a lot of what we know about the executions comes from eye witness accounts, meaning the firing squad," Perekrestov said before relating a fragment of the gunmen's story: The maid entered the basement carrying a lacy pillow that held a secret: a small stash of jewels sewn inside. A diamond, ruby or sapphire occasionally pay a bribe for necessities like food or medicine. When gunfire blazed across the room, she clutched the pillow in front of her. The jewels deflected the bullets. She survived the volley. The gunmen bayoneted her and anyone else still breathing until all were dead. 100th anniversary of Romanov family's execution The foundation sits next to a monastery founded in 1930 and a Russian Orthodox church whose golden onion domes sparkle above rolling farmland. Russian immigrants, including one of Leo Tolstoy's daughters, established a community here. The foundation became a repository for diaries, letters and artifacts donated by descendants of Russian aristocrats. The Romanovs can't be compared to any American dynasty, not the Bushes nor Kennedys. Tsar Nicholas II, his wife and five children were canonized as saints by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 for "putting moral ideas above their crown." Americans may be perplexed by this because the Tsar was forced to abdicate in 1917. "But to Russians, the Romanovs represent something very powerful: the road not taken," said University at Albany history department chair Nadieszda Kizenko. "Russians wonder if their country could have evolved into a constitutional monarchy like Great Britain. Nicholas was no Abe Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson intellectually. But he was intelligent and compassionate enough to handle ceremonial and philanthropic roles. For many Russians, Nicholas and his children came to represent the millions of nameless families who vanished and supposedly met horrible ends under dictators like Joseph Stalin." The revolutionaries effectively cast the royals as frivolous Faberge egg-loving oppressors. The exhibit includes bedazzled eggs. It also showcases the family's religious devotion. The Soviet Union's relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church was icy to the empire's end when Soviet republics broke away in 1988. Kizenko sees Putin's relationship with the church as collaborative rather than combative. "He appears to believe that letting people worship has a calming value," she said. The foundation's exhibit includes photos of thousands making a July pilgrimage this year to Yekaterinburg for the 100th anniversary of the executions. Archpriest Peter Olsen of Watervliet's St. Basil's Russian Orthodox Church was there. He explained what Nicholas II's family means to his faith. "During their imprisonment, the royal family consoled themselves by singing church hymns from memory and attending liturgies served by a visiting priest..., " Olsen wrote in an email. "Tsar Nicholas II and his family symbolized the ideal of Holy Russia and everything that the Bolsheviks wanted to destroy." Retired merchant marine captain Peter Sarandinaki runs the nonprofit SEARCH Foundation dedicated to finding and identifying the remains of executed Russian royals. Sarandinaki led several expeditions to Russia. He says SLEDKOM investigators asked him to approach Perekrestov about the Botkin dentures. New York State Police forensic dentist Dr. Lowell Levine, who famously worked on evidence related to serial killer Ted Bundy, made the duplicate of the dentures requested by SLEDKOM. He was assisted by Dr. Douglas Smail DDS, a State Police spokesperson confirmed. Sarandinaki's grandfather was Colonel Kiril Mihailovich Naryshkin, loyal to Nicholas II and one of the first to enter the house where the Romanovs were murdered. SEARCH's mission is deeply personal for him. He's grateful the foundation's vast, authenticated collection "is such a great resource." Exhibit illuminates what royals were like UAlbany's Kizenko believes Putin may see the royals as useful symbols of historic Russian grandeur and might. Nicholas II's 1896 coronation was a global sensation that drew kings, queens, presidents and dictators and worldwide press coverage and 500,000 attendees. That epic glamour could invoke crazed darkness. There were 40,000 swag bags being handed out, each containing a gingerbread cookie imprinted with the imperial monogram, caramels, nuts, dried fruit and a scarf bearing the royal couple's portrait. When the crowd heard the swag supply was dwindling, it stampeded killing 1,379 people and maimed hundreds. Ironically, while Putin sees them as symbols of something bigger than life, the foundation's exhibit illuminates how hard the Romanovs worked in imprisonment to remake themselves: more humble empathetic and generous. Even in the stress of their final two years, candid photos show how remarkably fit and good looking the family was. "The family is attractive in a contemporary way that might make it easy for modern people to relate to them," Perekrestov agreed. The tsarina and her two eldest daughters trained to be WWI nurses. They assisted during amputations and operations, mopped bloody floors and washed bedding. The family grew vegetables and fruit when they were allowed and shared with their guards. Perekrestov points out a letter he finds especially touching penned by one of the older daughters. The princess, whose own future was desperately uncertain, assures a friend who fled to Europe and safety that she will try to send her money to ease the burden of her bills. Another favorite item on display is the small white ledger Nicholas gave youngest daughter Anastasia so she could record her expenses (church candles, lily of the valley, a haircut she needed when she caught measles) and learn financial responsibility. Perekrestov shares a 1917 photo that is not part of the exhibit. It shows two of Anastasia's older sisters who shaved their heads when the measles made their hair fall out. Bald yet beautiful, they beam directly at the camera. Behind them, young guards gaze fondly at the girls, smiling happily as if on a picnic. "Historians say the family's guards had to be changed frequently because they would become too charmed by the Romanovs," Perekrestov said. "In another world, they might have been friends." COLLINSVILLE A Metro East resident has gone above and beyond to help out recent tornado victims in the Taylorville area. Chris Hudzik was able to gather a truck load and trailer full of donated items to victims of the recent tornado that struck the Taylorville area. The Collinsville resident then drove the items to Taylorville himself a roughly 150-mile round trip to make sure victims received the items. The National Weather Service says that at least 26 tornadoes touched down in Illinois last Saturday, making the outbreak the states largest on record for the month of December. Most of those tornadoes hit Taylorville and the areas surrounding it. More than 20 people were injured and more than 500 structures were damaged in Taylorville. Hudzik said he was able to gather so many items after simply making a Facebook post. He said that shortly after having made the posts, items were beginning to show up on his front lawn. However, after gathering all of the items, Hudzik saw a post of the Red Cross and the Taylorville Board of Directors asking for money donations only not items. For Hudzik, it felt like a kick in gut. Not everyone can give cash. Some people dont have a lot to give, but they still want to help out, Hudzik said. Even if you dont have money, some people have clothes or blankets or a $2 case of water. After going back and forth about what to do with the donations, he decided Tuesday night to bring the goods down himself. Even if I had to drive down there and just go door to door, I was going to make sure people got this stuff, Hudzik said. Me and a friend of mine were talking about it and we were just going to set up in a parking lot and just start handing things out if we had to. With the help of some friends, he was able to secure a storage unit near Taylorville to store the items while he was out distributing goods to food pantries and shelters in the surrounding areas. All of his donations eventually made it into the hands of residents who needed them. Hudzik is no stranger to service he says that he always tries to do something around the holidays to help out those in need. He started doing this after his mother was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. If I got to keep her, I figured it only makes sense to keep paying it forward, Hudzik said. Hudzik said that when he returned home Wednesday, there were more items waiting for him on his door step. He is already considering making a return trip to distribute more items. But he doesnt think of himself as a hero. For that, he credits workers who have been working night and day since the tornado hit police officers, power company workers, firefighters, and others. Those are the ones that should be getting more media coverage, Hudzik said. Its still rough out there. Anything you can do to help, anything you can donate. Reach reporter Riley Newton at (618) 208-6460. The 16-year-old boy who left his Orange home December 3 has been found in Beaumont, according to information from the Orange Police Department. Mykael T. Webb was last seen walking from his home in the 300 block of Dexatur on December 3 around 5:13 p.m. wearing a white hoodie with gold lettering, blue jeans, Jordan shoes and glasses. Prosecutors in Texas said that they would seek the death penalty for a U.S. Border Patrol agent accused of killing four sex workers in the region around Laredo, Texas, after he was indicted by a grand jury for capital murder Wednesday. Juan David Ortiz, a 10-year veteran of the agency who worked in intelligence, was arrested in September and charged with four counts of murder. But the grand jury upgraded the charges against him. Ortiz picked up the victims from the side of the road on separate occasions in early September, according to prosecutors. Officials have identified the victims as Melissa Ramirez, 29; Claudine Ann Luera, 42; Griselda Alicia Hernandez Cantu, 35; and Nikki Enriquez, 28, a transgender woman. All were killed or left for dead in rural parts of Webb County, which borders the Rio Grande River, the dividing line between the United States and Mexico. Laredo is about 150 miles southwest of San Antonio. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz told reporters Wednesday that Cantu survived being shot twice in the neck only to be killed by blunt-force injuries. He said the death penalty was warranted because of the horrific nature of the crimes. "The horrific nature of the murders. His complete disregard for human life. His vigilante mentality. He violated his oath to his country and his agency that he swore to protect," Alaniz said. "We also believe that there are no mitigating circumstances in his life where it is justified for life without parole." Alaniz said that Ortiz had told investigators that his goal had been to "clean up the streets of Laredo by targeting this community of individuals who he perceived to be disposable." "The evidence that was presented to the grand jury this morning showed that he killed these four innocent individuals in a cold, callous and calculated way," he said. Ortiz has been suspended without pay since his arrest, U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection spokesman Carlos Diaz said. "CBP will continue to support other law enforcement agencies conducting the investigation related to this case," a statement Diaz sent said. Earlier in the case, Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar said he believed Ortiz, who lived with a wife and two children, was a serial killer. Ortiz was arrested after a woman had escaped from his truck and alerted authorities when he pulled a gun on her, officials said. He has been held on a $2.5 million bond since. Alaniz told USA Today that police found .40-caliber casings at the scene of the killings, which would be consistent with the .40-caliber HK P2000 pistol Ortiz had been issued by the Border Patrol. Arrest records recount the brutal execution-style killings, along with the alarm that spread within the seemingly tightknit community of sex workers after the first two slayings. Ortiz told investigators that he picked up Ramirez on Sept. 3. They drove about 30 miles from town, and she got out of his vehicle to urinate near a country road cutting through dense shrub land. Then he shot her in the head multiple times, the affidavit says. She was later found dead. Ramirez was a mother of two young children, the Laredo Morning Times reported. "I hurt a lot. All I want is justice. I want that guy to die in jail for taking the life of my daughter," her mother, Maria Cristina Benavides, told the paper. Ten days later, investigators said, Ortiz drove Luera outside the city a few miles from where he said he killed Ramirez. He told investigators that she accused him of being the last person to see Ramirez alive. Ortiz said she got out and that he shot her in the head, the document says. Luera was found alive but died of her wounds at a hospital. The next two killings occurred in the hours after the woman escaped early Saturday, authorities said. (CNN) The U.S. Navy sailed the guided missile destroyer USS McCampbell near contested waters in the Sea of Japan Wednesday, an action that is bound to irk Russia. The USS "McCampbell sailed in the vicinity of Peter the Great Bay to challenge Russia's excessive maritime claims and uphold the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea enjoyed by the United States and other Nations," U.S. Navy Lt. Rachel McMarr, a spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told CNN in a statement. The U.S. warship conducted what the Navy refers to as a "Freedom of Navigation Operation." A U.S. Navy official told CNN that the U.S. does not recognize Russia's claims on the waters, saying that Moscow lays claim to areas that far exceed the 12 miles from the Russian coastline that is guaranteed by international law. Heightened tensions Peter the Great Bay is the largest gulf in the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, and home both to the Russian city of Vladivostok and the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet. The official told CNN that this was the first time the U.S. has conducted a freedom of navigation operation in that area since 1987, when the Soviet Union was the government making those claims. The freedom of navigation exercise comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow on a range of issues. On Tuesday, all 29 NATO members accused Russia of violating the Cold War era Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty by deploying a missile that could reach most of Europe. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo subsequently announced that the U.S. would begin the process of withdrawing from the treaty in 60 days should Russia not come back into compliance. Tensions have also been raised over Moscow's actions in the Kerch Strait and the Sea of Azov, where it fired up three Ukrainian vessels and then detained Ukrainian sailors. 'Not about any one country' McMarr said the freedom of navigation operations are "not about any one country, nor are they about current events." U.S. officials say such operations are meant to enforce the right of free passage in international waters and to challenge excessive claims. "These operations demonstrate the United States will fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows," McMarr said. "That is true in the Sea of Japan, as in other places around the globe." While the U.S. Navy conducts such freedom of navigation operations all over the world, they come under increased scrutiny when they are aimed at contesting claims made by Russia and China. Last week, the U.S. Navy sailed the guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville near contested islands in the South China Sea, an operation that drew an immediate diplomatic protest from Beijing. This story was first published on CNN.com "U.S. warship challenges Russia claims in Sea of Japan" U.S. Marines and Japanese authorities were searching about 200 miles off the coast of Japan for six Marines after a mishap involving a fighter jet and a plane used for refueling and troop transportation, Marine officials said early Thursday. One Marine was rescued, officials said in a statement. The incident occurred after the planes took off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan, officials said. The aircraft -- an F/A-18 Hornet and a KC-130 Hercules -- were conducting "regularly scheduled training" at the time, and Japanese authorities immediately launched search-and-rescue aircraft. "The circumstances of the mishap are currently under investigation," the statement said. It was not clear immediately clear if the aircraft collided, or if the KC-130 was in the process of refueling the Hornet when the incident occurred. Aerial refueling with the KC-130 calls for another aircraft to pull slightly below and behind the tanker plane, with hoses eventually extended from the tanker plane. The K-130 can carry 3,600-gallon stainless steel refueling tanks on its wings or inside the fuselage, or share fuel from its own fuel tanks. The KC-130 also can be used to transport ground troops. In July 2017, a KC-130T crashed in Mississippi while flying from Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York to Naval Air Facility El Centro in California, killing all 16 Marines aboard and prompting the military to ground many other C-130s afterward. The Marine Corps announced Wednesday night that an investigation into the crash in Mississippi found that an "in-flight departure" of one of the plane's propellers from a wing and into the aircraft's fuselage caused the disaster. "The investigation determined that the aircraft's propeller did not receive proper depot-level maintenance during its last overhaul in in September 2011, which missed corrosion that may have contributed to the propeller blade liberating in-flight," the service said in a news release. A Southwest Airlines Co. jet rolled off the end of a California runway as it landed in the rain, skidding to a stop on a crushable concrete surface designed to hinder out-of-control aircraft. No one was injured in the incident that occurred about 9:05 a.m. local time. Flight 278, carrying 112 passengers and five crew, had just landed in Burbank on a flight from Oakland, said Brandy King, a spokeswoman for the Dallas-based carrier. WASHINGTON - A majority of the Supreme Court sounded unlikely Thursday to overturn more than a century of doctrine that allows states and the federal government to prosecute someone for the same criminal conduct. While it went unmentioned at the oral argument, the case has implications for any presidential pardons that President Donald Trump might issue for those convicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Under the status quo, states might still be able to prosecute under their own laws those who receive a presidential pardon, which applies only to federal charges. Usual ideological pairings were scrambled as the court took a deep dive into the Double Jeopardy clause of the Constitution, which says no one shall be "subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." The doctrine allowing dual prosecutions by state and federal prosecutors is an exception to the prohibition, recognized by the Supreme Court since the 19th century. Liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had called two years ago for a fresh look at the "separate sovereigns" doctrine, and described it Thursday as a "double-whammy" for criminal defendants. The colleague most outspoken in apparent agreement with her was conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch. Most adament on the other side of the issue was conservative Justice Samuel Alito and liberal Justice Elena Kagan. Kagan demanded that Louis Chaiten, a Cleveland lawyer representing an Alabama felon, explain why the court should not apply its usual standard of letting decided issues stand, referred to as stare decisis. "Part of what stare decisis is, is a kind of doctrine of humility where we say we are really uncomfortable throwing over 170-year-old rules that 30 justices have approved just because we think we can kind of do it better," Kagan said. New Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who during his confirmation hearings was repeatedly questioned about whether he would abide by the court's established decisions, joined Kagan. The formidable task for Chaiten, Kavanaugh said, was "not just to show that it's wrong but to show that it's grievously wrong, egregiously wrong." When there is uncertainty about the meaning of the constitutional prohibition, Kavanaugh said it was difficult to "clear that bar." Chaiten said history was on his side. "This rule is egregiously wrong. It's a rule that - there was no practice for all of English history, no practice for the first century of this republic. That alone, I think, speaks volumes." But Justice Sonia Sotomayor said that Chaiten's reliance on English law did not take into account the unique American system of governance, where both states and the federal government had an interest in seeing their laws enforced. "Why is the doctrine wrong?" she asked. Chaiten represents Terance Gamble, who was convicted of robbery in Mobile County, Alabama, in 2008 and two domestic violence charges in 2013. Under both state and federal law, such a convicted felon may not possess a firearm. But police found one in Gamble's car when he was stopped in 2015. Gamble pled guilty to the state charges and was sentenced to a year in prison. But federal prosecutors also brought charges, and he received a lengthier sentence with that conviction. Chaiten said that the dual prosecutions for such a routine gun possession charge disproved contentions by government prosecutors that they were used only in extraordinary cases. Two years ago, in a concurring opinion in a related case, Ginsburg called for the court to reexamine its precedents allowing such prosecutions: "The double jeopardy proscription is intended to shield individuals from the harassment of multiple prosecutions for the same misconduct. Current 'separate sovereigns' doctrine hardly serves that objective." Justice Clarence Thomas joined her in that opinion, but was silent as usual during Thursday's hearing. Ginsburg, though, repeated her concerns when questioning Department of Justice lawyer Eric Feigin, who was defending the doctrine. "You have to concede, won't you, that this rule, this separate sovereign rule, has been widely criticized by both academics and federal judges?" she asked. Amicus briefs in the case have been filed by those on the left and the right. When Feigin noted that federalism principles require allowing both federal and state prosecutors to enforce their own laws, Ginsburg and Gorsuch noted that federalism is usually invoked to protect individuals, rather than to empower governments at both levels. Gorsuch said dual prosecutions may have been more limited when state and local officials were almost always presumed to take the lead. "With the proliferation of federal crimes, I think over 4,000 statutes now and several hundred thousand regulations, the opportunity for the [federal] government to seek a successive prosecution if it's unhappy with even the most routine state prosecution is a problem," he said. Feigin said there were only about 100 cases when federal prosecutors choose to bring charges when a state prosecution has preceded it. But he said the option was particularly important in civil rights cases. He noted federal and state charges have been brought in the Pittsburgh synagogue case, and the killings in an African-American church in Charleston. He also said following Chaiten's interpretation about prosecutions would prohibit federal prosecution of overseas terrorism cases that injure or kill Americans, if foreign courts moved first. The notion of how it would be decided which prosecution would come first seemed to bother Chief Justice John Roberts. "Is it a race to the courthouse?" he asked Chaiten. "I mean, if a prosecution bars a subsequent one, the state and federal government may have different perspectives, is it whoever can empanel a jury first is going to block the others?" Texas Solicitor General Kyle Hawkins said the status quo was working well, and meant that state and federal prosecutors cooperate rather than compete. He said he was representing 36 states, with about 86 percent of the country's population. He noted that 20 states bar prosecutions when there was already a federal conviction. "The states may disagree with one another about various policy issues, but we are united here in urging the court not to overrule its long-standing interpretation of the Double Jeopardy Clause," he said. The case is Gamble v. United States. The U.S. innovation economy is expanding beyond the two coasts and creating new opportunity in impressive fashion. Columbus, Ohio, has seen $250 million in venture capital deals so far in 2018, according to research by PitchBook. St. Louis has tallied more than $650 million over the last three years, and Charlotte, North Carolina, has attracted nearly $900 million over that same period. Related: How to Build a Startup Ecosystem In the world of venture capital, these sums are not huge, but they matter. The key to sustaining this momentum in these emerging venture capital outposts is having a long-term focus, and I mean 20-plus years. It requires dedication from the top to the bottom of the local communities to become places that attract top entrepreneurs and investors. That means organizing around people and relationships. Capital is important, but it's human capital, the talent you attract, cultivate and leverage, that is the essential building block of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. My five P's of human capital I think of structure and roles when it comes to talent needed to foster this kind of environment. I don't believe entrepreneurial communities can achieve systemic success and growth without filling these roles: Pillars: The successful business icons who have an indelible impact on their industry and community. They are the influencers who have created companies, reinvented companies and supported innovation. They have the experience and networks to get things done. They can remove obstacles, facilitate deals and serve as credible ambassadors for the city as a hub of innovation. These are the Pied Pipers of your community. Their most desirable attribute is their ability to play the long game. Patrons: The investors and early customers -- often established corporate titans or businesses -- determined to help grow startups. They can attract those entrepreneurs with the ideas and energy to create new products and services that people need. They understand a rising tide of innovation can float all boats. Again, if they are not stepping up, seek them out and convince them to help. Related: Community Colleges and the Creation of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Pioneers: The leaders and founders of early stage companies who are navigating the unknown and have achieved a certain level of success and credibility. While they are focused on building their own businesses, they are the magnets that attract other entrepreneurs. Use them to share their experience with the support and infrastructure available to help them succeed. These pioneers make the case better than any simple promotional brochure ever could. Professionals: The developer, designers, and hustlers, the expert believers, who populate the companies built by pioneers and make invaluable contributions to a community. Highly paid, highly skilled employees, they do everything from improving the quality of local schools to adding to the bottom line of nearby businesses that happen to offer a service they need. Practitioners are also future pioneers in training, so it makes even more sense to provide them with an environment that makes them feel as if they can grow their skills, rather than go elsewhere to evolve. Partners: The attorneys, accountants and even public officials whose support, services and networking capabilities can help newcomers. Sometimes they provide their services in exchange for tiny equity positions to help young companies thrive. Every dollar is precious to a startup so this professional help can be the difference between success and failure. Every community has this store of human capital. It's merely a matter of identifying the five P's, knowing who plays what role and getting them to commit to a common vision. Seeing this at work Ann Arbor, Michigan, is a classic example of how you build an entrepreneurial ecosystem. Known mostly as a small college town, it has benefited from the University of Michigan as an incubator for talent and ideas and for a couple decades now has attracted and propagated entrepreneurs. Recently, Cisco acquired the local cybersecurity startup Duo Security for $2.35 billion. Duo was Michigan's first unicorn and employed nearly 350 people locally and double that worldwide. Its founders and employees are expected to stay in Ann Arbor to seed other startups -- exactly what you need from pioneers and professionals to keep growing. Related: New Survey Finds It Would Take 3 Employees to Replace the Work Done by an Entrepreneur In Indianapolis, ExactTarget, a marketing software firm, was bought in 2013 by Salesforce for $2.5 billion, still the largest acquisition in the region's startup history. ExactTarget co-founder Steve Dorsey leveraged that exit and founded High Alpha, a venture fund that has invested in more than two dozen area startups. As an angel investor, he has personally seeded many more local companies. His partner Chris Baggott has started and sold another company already and gone on to create several more, including ClusterTruck, a successful food-delivery service. The successes in Indianapolis have lured other venture funds like Battery Ventures, which has invested more than $100 million in local startups. Salesforce built and opened its second largest global headquarters in Indianapolis with more than 2,000 employees. Throw in tax incentives and networking support from state and local governments and you get a red hot innovation hub. Heartland cities like Indianapolis, Ann Arbor, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, among others, are figuring out what it takes to compete in the innovation and talent arena. Cities that want to create innovation centers that last need to do like them and embrace the power of the five Ps. Related: The 5 Types of People You Need to Create Startup Ecosystems That Last A Peek Into the Top 25 Emerging Scale-ups in Portugal: Report Manufacturing is the Heart of the Global Economy Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved As important as it is, the great nuclear power quarrel over the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty of 1987 is about more than any particular agreement. The dispute raises the question of whether treaties remain relevant when some leaders are unwilling to be held to any obligations and others are too weak to challenge them. On Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded that Russia comply with the INF treaty within two months or face a U.S. withdrawal from the treaty. Specifically, the U.S. and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies want Russia to scrap a missile known as the SSC-8 or 9M729, which, they claim, has a longer range than is allowed under the treaty. Russia says the missile has a shorter range and complies with the agreement. In addition, Moscow accused the U.S. of violating the treaty. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the Aegis Ashore weapons systems, elements of both the U.S. anti-missile defense and its drone program don't comply with the INF's letter, spirit or both. Moscow isn't about to make concessions and seems to believe the treaty is already dead. On Wednesday, Valery Gerasimov, Russia's chief of general staff, told foreign military attaches in Moscow that if the U.S. abandons the treaty, Russia will target any countries where U.S. intermediate-range nuclear missiles are deployed. That threat could lead to a standoff much like the 1980s confrontation between the Soviet Union and European NATO members that agreed to house U.S. Pershing II missiles. But these tensions obscure a more troubling general picture. Both the ultimatum and the tough response are about optics: The U.S. wants to be able to say it gave the Russians fair warning, and Russia, in turn, is trying to persuade the world that the U.S. has long since made up its mind to tear up a treaty that constrained it too much. Substantively, however, the dispute is about both sides' willingness to comply with any mutual constraints at all. Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, has shown time and time again that expediency is more important to him than any pre-existing agreements. The land grabs in Ukraine and the obstacles Russia puts up for ships headed to Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov are, in Putin's mind, justified by geopolitical or security considerations. These justifications take priority over pieces of paper signed by his predecessors. Whether Putin will stick to a deal depends on whether he can get away with not complying. That makes it difficult to negotiate anything with him: The Russian leader has argued repeatedly that enforcement mechanisms such as economic sanctions cannot make Russia change its behavior. President Donald Trump, for his part, has shown a similar unwillingness to be constrained by bilateral or multilateral agreements. This reticence applies to even "shallow" deals such as the Paris climate pact of 2015, from which Trump exited, or the new United Nations migration pact, which his administration refused to sign. In the case of deeper and more specific agreements, Trump only feels constrained when he deems the U.S. has enough to gain. This logic motivated the renegotiation of Nafta and the repudiation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Trump approaches negotiating partners from a zero-sum position of strength -- a more muscular version of the traditional U.S. hegemonic position above any kind of international law. Any deal between the U.S. and Russia has always been personal, an agreement between two specific leaders that reflects the chemistry of their relationship. The INF treaty was a deal between President Ronald Reagan and the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. For all their differences, and regardless of Gorbachev's growing economic desperation, they shared an agenda of establishing lasting peace. The arms-control treaties they signed, sometimes surprising each other with how much they dared to give up, reflected their intentions; even without strong enforcement mechanisms, they could trust each other because they shared a goal. There was similar chemistry between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and his U.S. counterparts, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The connection ensured that old deals worked and new ones were signed. One could argue Russia's weakness was a more important factor, but Russia is still considerably weaker than the U.S. -- and that no longer helps keep deals together. Personal deals between U.S. and Russian leaders haven't been possible for years for a variety of reasons, not least a disunity of goals. There is, however, an argument to be made that deals in general don't work as well as they usually have in recent decades. In October, a group of intellectuals from the Valdai Club, the international relations think tank and discussion club close to the Kremlin, published a report entitled "Life in a Crumbling World." "On the whole, international relations are shifting toward less and less binding interactions," Fyodor Lukyanov and collaborators wrote. "Everyone proceeds from the belief that peace is reliably guaranteed even under the conditions of a political conflict between countries." That's a convenient justification for Putin's treatment of agreements as, alternately, fig leaves or wasted paper. But there's also truth in the idea that, in the absence threats as overwhelming as that of a big war, no deal is enforceable. This isn't only true of agreements between the U.S. and Russia. European powers, normally sticklers for international rules, haven't done much to keep the Iran nuclear deal alive in the face of U.S. sanctions. The weak response to Trump's pressure must be deliberate as Europe has the international weight and wealth to try much harder. Even within the European Union, compliance with agreements concerning the rule of law or solid economic management is slipping. Country after country is testing the limits of the possible. And while the U.K. and the EU have been trying hard to reach a divorce deal, compliance with any agreement doesn't feel preordained. Former Bank of England governor Mervyn King suggested recently that if the current version of the deal stands, the U.K. is likely to abrogate it unilaterally. In their report, Lukyanov and collaborators wrote that countries are increasingly selfish in their interactions. That rings true. The question is what kind of threat could bring the leaders of this fractured world to start making binding deals again. A military incident reviving the threat of a global conflagration? The possibility of another all-encompassing economic crisis? Until that question is answered, it's safe to assume no deal, bilateral or multilateral, can withstand pressure. The INF treaty, which in better times would have been discussed constructively and amended by leaders who believed in win-win solutions, is just one case in point. - - - Bershidsky is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering European politics and business. He was the founding editor of the Russian business daily Vedomosti and founded the opinion website Slon.ru. A video of the River Walk Christmas lights has visitors swooning and locals renewing their declarations of love for the city. Posted to Facebook by Most Beautiful Cities of the World about a week ago, the minute-long video has reached 1.5 million views and thousands of shares and comments. It appears to have been taken by someone riding a river barge and is set to a piano rendition of "Carol of the Bells." The equestrian community in Longford and throughout the country was deeply saddened to learn of the news of the sudden passing of legendary breeder Harold McGahern. Mr McGahern died suddenly at his home in Rincoola, Granard on Monday, November 26. Funeral mass took place last Friday, November 30 at 11am in St Marys Church Granard, followed by a private crematorium service. Predeceased by his mother, Lily, father, Tim and his brother Noel, Harold will be sadly missed by his wife Margaret, his children Joy, Angela, Una and Aonghus, brothers Ray, Dermot and Des, sons-in-law Kent and Damien, by his adored grandchildren Ciara, Teagan, Tim, Cathal and Chris, his extended family and large circle of friends. Harold, along with the late Sam Murphy, co- founded the Longford Hunt Branch of Irish Pony Club, which was established in 1980. The club posted a poignant Facebook tribute. Harold always made himself available with his wealth of knowledge in all areas of equestrianism. In the early days, his premises at Rincoola was the base for Longford Pony Club. He was a wonderful promoter of the equestrian sport, always encouraging young talent, many of whom went on to compete at an international level. Longford Harriers also paid tribute. Longford Harriers are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our friend and hunt member Harold McGahern. A regular face on the hunting field. He will be missed by all. The Longford Harriers wish to offer their most sincere condolences to McGahern family at this very sad time. A highly regarded teacher at Ardscoil Phadraig, Granard, Harold was one of Irelands most successful breeders of showjumpers. Among the many International horses that he bred is the famous Rincoola Abu, who with rider Captain Gerry Flynn jumped on several successful Nations Cup Teams, and Grand Prix at 1.50m level. Also jumping on successful Nations Cup teams and Grand Prix was Will Wimble who with Alexander Butler jumped at 1.60. Will Wimble has Connemara connections, as his granddam was Coolbawn Claire by Hazelwood Boy. Harold with his great friend, the late Col Ronny McMahon, was instrumental in the creation of the Connemara Performance Hunter, the Young event horse series, and the Performance Irish Draught at the RDS, at which he stewarded, and each year he held a qualifier for these at his home in Rincoola, Granard. Connemara Pony Breeders' Society posted on Facebook: We were delighted when Harold accepted our invitation to judge the Green Hunter, Performance mare, and the Loosejumping at Clifden last year, which he did with his usual efficiency and good humour, having had a word with everyone before heading home to Rincoola in Co.Longford. He will be sadly missed by every quarter of the equine community, our heartfelt sympathies go to his wife Margaret, daughters Joy, Una, Angela and son Aonghus. Ar dheis de go raibh a anam uasal. Apple recently changed its bagel emoji in response to criticisms that it didnt look delicious enough, and soon we may see it revise its squid emoji in order to make it more anatomically correct. Earlier on Wednesday, the Twitter account of the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California produced a series of tweets explaining the inaccuracy alongside a photo of a real squid. The issue lies with the squid emojis siphona valve that lets a squid breathe and release waste. Youll find this valve on the underside of a squid in real life, but in Apples emoji it looks like a weirdo nose, to use the aquariums tweeted words. The aquarium also said that this means the emoji is effectively upside down. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has known about this error ever since the squid emoji first appeared on iPhones since December of 2016, but didnt bother bringing it up. I first noticed the error when the emoji came out, but we had some pressing ocean issues prioritized ahead of it, a member of the aquariums social media team told me in a Twitter direct message. This morning though, a meme template with a penchant for biologically accurate emoji asked to use our Twitter feed for a quick PSA, and we obliged. Monterey Bay Aquarium Something like this happens often. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has amassed a following of more than 151,000 people partly thanks to its habit of repurposing trendy memes in order to educate followers about ocean life, and this was but another example of that practice. Considering that this inaccuracy survived for two years without most users noticing, its rather clear there needs to be more awareness. Plenty of other accounts try to harness the viral potential of memes in this way, but few manage to pull it off with such effectiveness and charm. Last week, for instance, the aquarium garnered over 27,000 faves by harnessing the seemingly unrelated Ladies, if he meme to explain how porpoise teeth differ from those of dolphins. Its hard to say if Apple will change the emoji in response. Weve seen how quickly it took action with the bagel, after all, althoughmore to the pointthe Cupertino company still hasnt altered the octopus emoji to make it look as though it has eight appendages rather than four. All things considered, wed say an anatomically incorrect squid warrants a change more than a bagel without cream cheese. On the weekend of 16 November 2018, the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) held its second Francophone school in Geneva. During those two days, more than 70 activists and sympathisers participated in the school, coming from Switzerland, Belgium, and France; as well as Quebec, England and Germany. This event was an opportunity for everyone to share their experiences of class struggle in their respective countries: from the trade union struggles in Belgium, to the French comrades struggles against Macron (notably the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) movement taking over the country), to the Quebec experience of tripling the size of the organization in just four years. From the German Revolution to trade unionism The German Revolution and the Spartacist uprising, the latter of which will be commemorating its 100th anniversary next January, were principal topics discussed during the school. A plenary was dedicated to the events of the first part of the German Revolution. As mentioned by one of the participants, the German Revolution is often forgotten, despite being one of the major events of the 20th century. Germany was shaken by a massive, insurrectional general strike that brought an end to the First World War and Kaiser William IIs reign. It was the failure of the 1919-1923 revolution that led to the USSRs isolation and therefore to the rise of Stalinism and, of course, to the rise to power of Nazism and Hitler, the solution offered by capitalists to the class contradictions left unresolved. This event was an opportunity for everyone to share their experiences of class struggle in their respective countries / Image: l'etincelle The other workshops focused on different historical, theoretical, and current subjects: an analysis of the new ideas of French philosopher Bernard Friot and their flaws, a workshop on the relationship between Marxism and trade unionism and the role Marxists have to play in the trade union struggle, a discussion on the current situation in Italy, a presentation on the life and struggles of Rosa Luxemburg, and finally an introduction to Marxist philosophy. Each of these workshops was recorded and podcasts will soon be available on our website. As a sign of the enthusiasm of the participants, 700 euros were raised during the weekend! The need for a revolutionary theory The weekend reached its end with a plenary led by Fred Weston, from the international secretariat of the IMT, who focused on the history of the 4th International, from its birth through the main political discussions in the post-war period, up until the founding of the IMT. The weekend reached its end with a plenary led by Fred Weston, from the international secretariat of the IMT, who focused on the history of the 4th International / Image: l'etincelle One of the most important aspects of the weekend was the reminder of the need for a revolution to bring to an end all the current problems of capitalism: misery, exploitation, racism, sexism, pollution. The vast majority of participants were under the age of 30. For us, the theory is not a matter of pure intellectual interest, it is a guide for revolutionary action. All of the participants entered adulthood or adolescence during the crisis of 2008, and have, since that day, only known a system in crisis offering them no future. It is only by combining the revolutionary energy of this generation with theory and experience of past struggles that capitalism will finally be overthrown. The vast majority of participants were under the age of 30 / Image: l'etincelle Starbucks is hosting a nationwide holiday happy hour Thursday with a buy-one-get-one-free deal on holiday drinks. From 3 p.m. through closing time, members of the chain's loyalty program who buy any grande or larger holiday beverage can get one free. The offer is good at participating stores in the United States and Canada. If you're not a loyalty member, don't worry. You can still sign up for a code here. Holiday drinks include Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulee Latte, Gingerbread Latte, Eggnog Latte, Chestnut Praline Latte and the new Juniper Latte. Hot or iced beverages are included in the promotion. Operating out of an Elm Street storefront in downtown Westfield, Alo Saigon is small in square footage terms, but when it comes to food, it's an operation with big ambitions. The restaurant's compact dining area is furnished with booths and tables, and pastel-toned Asian contemporary serves as the decorative theme for the space. Alo Saigon's menu is extensive, listing more than 80 different entrees along with a supporting cast of appetizers, salads, and soups. Pho, the emblematic Vietnamese noodle soup, is available in variations such as Pho Dac Bet (special beef -- $8.95) and Pho Tom (shrimp and shrimp ball -- $8.95) Main dishes in which rice noodles dominate include Bun Tom Nuong (grilled shrimp vermicelli -- $8.25) and Bun Bo Xao Sa (a beef saute served over rice noodles -- $8.95). Chicken Sauteed with Five Spice Powder ($10.95) and Sliced Pork with a Vegetable Medley ($10.95) are typical wok-prepared dishes, and traditional Southeast Asian flavors are present in the likes of Lemongrass Beef ($11.95) and Curry Chicken ($10.95). For those who enjoy seafood, the kitchen prepares Bo Bien Xao Thap Cam ($12.95), a wok-fried combination of shrimp, scallops, and vegetables. More than a dozen different vegetarian options, some featuring tofu, others not, round out the entree repertoire. From the equally substantial selection of appetizers, we chose two familiar options. Fresh Summer Roll (Goi Cuon -- $4.50) is an iconic Southeast Asian affair. Moistened-until-soft rice paper used to roll up rice noodles, fresh herbs, and shrimp, and the rolls that resulted were served with a spicy peanut sauce and nuoc cham, a sweet-sour dip compounded from fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and spices. Our second appetizer choice, Tom Chien Gion (shrimp tempura -- $4.95) was simply but attractively presented with grated carrot and green leaf lettuce. The five deep-fried shrimp were breaded with panko, a coating that gave them an appealing grease-free crunch. By the time the entrees we'd ordered arrived, we'd already realized two things about Alo Saigon's culinary efforts. First, appetizers and entrees, handsomely presented on white china, have serious eye appeal without benefit of fancy garnishes. Moreover, everything we tasted had a clarity of flavor that can be rare to find in restaurant food. Wonton Noodle Soup (Hoang Thanh Mi -- $8.25) was a pho (noodle soup) built from a wonderfully fragrant broth infused with whispers of five-spice powder. Rice noodles lent the soup substance, as did herbs, minced pork, and wontons fat with a shrimp-pork mixture. As is customary, a plate of mung bean sprouts, fresh basil, and lime wedges were provided to further customize the pho. Steamed Vermicelli with Grilled Chicken -- $11.95 was a some-assembly-required dish. Boneless chicken thighs that had been rubbed with a spice paste before being grilled were served along with flat "sheets" of steamed rice noodles, while fresh mint, grated carrots, and leaves of lettuce were presented separately. The objective, of course, was to create rollups with the lettuce, and the result was a show-stopping combination of flavors, textures, and temperatures. Heo Xao Rau Cai ($10.95) was a stir-fry dish based on sliced pork that had been "chowed" with a medley of green vegetables -- baby bok choy, zucchini, broccoli, celery, and more. The sauce that flavored the dish, we decided, was primarily about garlic, onion, and fish sauce; the sliced pork had been briefly marinated to give it an additional layer of flavor. White rice was served on the side. Alo Saigon isn't licensed, so beverage options are limited. The house does provide hot tea infused with vanilla-like floral essences, and other soft drink options are available. The restaurant promotes ice cream desserts on a tabletop menu, and that list includes "rolled" ice cream, a treat that's made by pouring flavored custard onto a freezer plate, then using a broad scraper to lift and "roll" the flash-frozen custard. However, when we tried to order the rolled ice cream we were informed that it wasn't available. We've visited enough Vietnamese eateries to have a fair basis for comparison; Alo Saigon is, in our opinion, one of the best such restaurants in the Pioneer Valley. Name: Alo Saigon Address: 116 Elm Street, Westfield Telephone: (413) 642-6515 Website: None Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entree prices: $8.25-$13.95 Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa Handicapped access: Accessible, rest room not equipped for wheelchairs Reservations: Not normally taken Buddy the Elf took to the streets of Boston to spread Christmas cheer, and quite competitively at that. Trading his turnout gear for a pair of yellow tights and a green coat, Boston-area firefighter paramedic, Brendan Sullivan, challenged "random pillow warriors" to spirited fights. Tossing pillows to unsuspecting passersby at Faneuil Hall, Boston Common and Newbury Street, Sullivan caught most people off guard. But, plenty were game. "All of the participants were steady competition, but as you can see, the white-haired woman got me pretty good," Sullivan told MassLive. Shared on Dec. 4, the video has received more than 100,000 views and more than 1,600 shares on Facebook as of 11:00 a.m. on Dec. 6. The video was shot by his brother, Ryan. Neither of them expected hundreds of thousands of people to watch it. "My brother Ryan and I just wanted to make a funny Christmas video for friends on Facebook to watch. We never thought it would take off the way it did and we're so thankful." Sullivan said, adding, "Please if you were in the video, reach out to me!" Pillow-fighting in the streets isn't a full-time gig for Sullivan. Inspired by his family, he works at a fire department outside of Boston. "I knew my whole life that I wanted to be a firefighter like my father and grandfather, and for the past eight years I've been doing everything I could to fulfill my dream," Sullivan said. Unafraid to duel strangers on the street in full elf costume, he's made more than a few people laugh along the way, too. More of his videos can be found at Facebook.com/RealBrendanEdwards. Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley bid an emotional goodbye to her colleagues Wednesday before she heads to Washington in 2019 to represent the Massachusetts seventh congressional district. In her speech to a room packed with her friends, family, co-workers, and fans, Pressley recalled first considering a run for the council in 2009. She said she was frustrated by the young girls of color who were getting "lost or worse being ignored." "What became crystal clear to me is I wanted to do something about this I wanted to fight for girls, not be their voice, but lift up their voice," Pressley said following the Boston City Council meeting Wednesday afternoon. Pressley, a Dorchester Democrat, made her mark on the council by holding hearings about the issue of gun violence, pushing for services for women and girls in underserved communities, and opening up a dialogue around communities of color. In 2010, Pressley became the first woman of color to sit on the Boston City Council. A Chicago native, she was elected to one of four citywide positions. She made history again in November 2018 when she became the first person of color Massachusetts voters will send to the US House of Representatives. In the September Democratic primary, she unseated Rep. Mike Capuano, a 20-year incumbent, and she did not face a GOP opponent in the general election. On Wednesday, her colleagues on the Boston City Council, which now has six women, all praised Pressley for her conviction, and for her genuine love of the work. Fellow councilors Lydia Edwards and Michelle Wu both credited Pressley with inspiring their runs. "I have always thought of Ayanna Pressley as the great destroyer of glass ceilings," Edwards said. "By exposing her pain she has lifted up the voices of so many survivors." Edwards added: "We love you. Go on and soar." The Massachusetts seventh congressional district includes almost half of Boston, Randolph, Somerville, and parts of Milton and Cambridge. "When I said I wanted to help girls, people said it sounded like a mission statement at a nonprofit," Pressley said, referring to her first run for office. "We proved them wrong." Two of Pressley's future colleagues also attended the event: Newly elected Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan). They promised to "have her back" in D.C. A former Swampscott nail salon employee pleaded guilty Tuesday to groping women during massages. Tuan Le Anh, 47 of Revere, pleaded guilty in Lynn District Court to nine counts of indecent assault and battery on a person over 14, Swampscott Police Sgt. Tim Cassidy told The Daily Item. Anh who went by David to his clients, worked as a nail technician at Lee Nail Salon at 244 Humphrey St. in Swampscott, police told the newspaper. In November 2017 a woman reported Anh to police, saying he groped her during a massage two months earlier. Since then, five more women came forward, Cassidy told the newspaper. The first accuser told police that Anh shut the front shades of the business before starting the massage. He then reached under her bra, and down the back of her pants, according to The Daily Item. Another woman told police that when she was getting a pedicure in August 2017 Anh massaged her leg and brushed his hands against her genitals, according to court documents obtained by the newspaper. Anh was sentenced to 21/2 years, with six months and a day to be served. He must register as a sex offender, police told the newspaper. The salon has since closed, according to its Yelp page. A 38-year-old Lawrence woman was driving a Kia on Interstate 495 southbound on Wednesday when her car crossed the center median, striking three other vehicles in a crash that killed the woman and a 56-year-old man, State Police said. The 2016 Kia Sportage crossed the median and drove into the northbound lanes just before noon in the area of Exit 42A on the Lawrence and Andover town line, State Police said in a statement. Why the Kia crossed into the northbound lanes remains under investigation. The Kia sideswiped a 2004 Ford F-350 being driven by a 59-year-old man from Dracut, State Police said. The Dracut man was not injured. Then, the Kia struck a 2003 Honda Pilot head-on, according to the statement. The Honda was being driven by a a 55-year-old Lawrence woman with a 56-year-old Lawrence man in the passenger seat. After that, the Kia struck a 2016 Toyota RAV4 that was driven by a 58-year-old Andover woman with a 27-year-old Andover woman in the passenger seat, State Police said. The woman driving the Kia and the Lawrence man who was a passenger in the Honda were both pronounced dead at the scene, State Police said. State Police did not release the names of the deceased pending notification of their families. The woman driving the Honda was taken to Lawrence General Hospital with serious injuries, State Police said. The driver and passenger of the Toyota were also taken to the hospital. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening. Lanes of the highway were closed after the crash and re-opened just before 3 p.m. The crash remains under investigation. One trip over the state line with Massachusetts marijuana is one too many, at least according to federal law. Marijuana is broadly legal for adults 21 years and older in Massachusetts, but the substance remains illegal under federal law. Still, some of the cars that streamed in and out of Leicester and Northampton, the two communities home to the first retail pot shops east of the Mississippi, had out-of-state license plates. The sales of marijuana and cannabis products aren't limited to just Massachusetts residents. And the stores are not allowed to collect personal identifying information of the customers. But customers who cross back over the border are committing a federal crime. Smoking marijuana in Massachusetts is still banned in the same public places that prohibit tobacco smoking, and it is still illegal to drive while on drugs. "You should be staying in-state with your product," cautions Adam Fine, an attorney who helped draft the state marijuana law passed by Massachusetts voters in 2016. "You should not be crossing state lines with it," adds Britte McBride, the former legal counsel to the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety and who now serves as one of five members of the state's Cannabis Control Commission, the regulatory agency tasked with overseeing the new marijuana industry. Customers who leave Cultivate in Leicester and New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Northampton should be aware that once they see the signs welcoming them to Connecticut, New Hampshire or New York, they're in a "completely different jurisdiction," Fine says. When Colorado legalized marijuana, some law enforcement agencies in next-door states set up at the border, according to Fine, though he adds that is unlikely in the Northeast. Small amounts of marijuana are unlikely to be a top priority for law enforcement, and the marijuana tested and sold by the shops is also priced at a point where there isn't going to be much of an incentive to divert the product across state lines for profit, Fine notes. (A chocolate bar with marijuana, after taxes are added in, costs $24 at NETA.) Matthew Fogelman, an attorney who helped win a court case in 2017 for a medical marijuana user who lost a marketing job after failing a drug test, agrees. "I think people should be mindful that they could be charged criminally for transporting cannabis across state lines," he tells MassLive. "At the same time, I think people will weigh the chances and the risk of actually getting caught and then decide accordingly whether it's worth it to take that likely, small, chance. The odds are probably low that they'll get into trouble but they should know it is certainly possible." Federal prosecutors have made clear that while they're remaining hands-off on marijuana sales, diversions in large quantities of marijuana products remain a concern as the legal marijuana industry ramps up in Massachusetts. "People should just avoid going over state lines [with marijuana]," Fine says. "That is the simplest advice." Then there are the islands off the Massachusetts coast: Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. "It's more of a concern leaving the islands because of that federal law enforcement jurisdiction over the waters," Fine says. For law enforcement's part, a spokeswoman for the Connecticut State Police said the agency will continue to enforce their state laws on marijuana. Alaric Fox, a former state trooper who now serves as the chief of police in Enfield, notes Connecticut decriminalized marijuana. That means possession of a small amount is similar to a minor traffic infraction. People will be charged with possession "regardless of where it came from," Fox says. Enfield is just 30 minutes away from the NETA shop in Northampton and about an hour away from Cultivate in Leicester. Fox echoes law enforcement officials in Massachusetts and says driving after consuming marijuana "endangers public safety." "Like alcohol, people should make the very smart choice" to not take drugs and drive, he says. SPRINGFIELD -- A prosecutor on Thursday asked a judge to set bail at $250,000 cash for one of four people arrested this week who police said was involved in a major drug trafficking operation. Assistant District Attorney Frederick Burns gave a number of reasons why he wanted that bail set for Luis Acevedo, including his past criminal record. Burns said police estimated the total street value of drugs found during the Tuesday bust at 1251 Bay St. was $500,000 to $700,000. Defense lawyer Nikolas Andreopoulos told Springfield District Court Judge Matthew Shea the street value of drugs found was "wholly irrelevant" to the matter of whether or not Acevedo will return for further court dates. "I'm going to ask for a sensible bail," Andreopoulos said, requesting bail of $35,000 as he pointed to several rows of Acevedo's family members in the courtroom. Shea set bail at $150,000 for the defendant, a 43-year-old Springfield man who denied 12 drug and guns charges, including trafficking cocaine in the amount of over 200 grams and trafficking heroin in the amount of over 200 grams. The Springfield Police Department said Wednesday that it raided a major Western Massachusetts drug trafficking operation, seizing 2,179 grams of raw heroin, 490 grams of cocaine, 40,000 bags of packaged heroin containing 801 grams, and $48,000 in cash. Four guns were also found in the house, police alleged. The raid stemmed from a two-month investigation of an alleged "stash house" in Springfield for a Holyoke-based drug ring, police said. Drug traffickers allegedly kept narcotics and money at the Bay Street house, with high-level dealers using the house to pick up drugs for distribution, authorities said. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno praised the Springfield Police Department for taking "poison" off of the city's streets and urged judges to impose lengthy sentences for the suspects' alleged crimes. The investigation led to the arrests of Springfield residents Acevedo, Hector Rodriguez, 42, and Holyoke residents Emmanuel Hernandez, 30, and Nellys Garcia, 32. Acevedo, Rodriguez and Hernandez are all charged with trafficking more than 200 grams of heroin and cocaine, nine illegal gun charges and one count of receiving stolen property. Garcia is charged with trafficking between 18 and 36 grams of heroin and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license. Garcia and Hernandez on Wednesday denied the charges against them, and Rodriguez and Acevedo denied the charges against them Thursday. Shea set bail at $200,000 for Rodriguez, $200,000 for Hernandez, and $50,000 for Garcia. Court records list 1251 Bay St. as the address for Acevedo and Rodriguez. Andreopoulos said there is very little to tie Acevedo to that address, just his license in a wallet belonging to another man found on a coffee table. According to a police report by Officer Robert J. Patruno, the three men were inside the house when police executed a search warrant. It took three police officers passing the ram to each other to get the heavily fortified door open, the report said. "Both the front and back doors were both found to be fortified New York style locks consisting 2x4 secured across door with brackets in the wall on either side of the door," Patruno wrote. Acevedo and Hernandez were on a couch in the living room and Rodriguez was lying face down in the cellar, the report said. Garcia was arrested prior to police entry into the house after she went in and came out. She was arrested for operating with a suspended license. Police found inside a black satchel she was carrying 1,500 bags of heroin, the report said. There were large amounts of heroin in a basement safe as well as under a basement counter. More heroin was in a safe in a rear first-floor bedroom and in a box in a basement billiards room, the report said. A total of $33,455 was in a shoe box on a counter, Patruno wrote. Two guns were in a upstairs bedroom, one was in a first floor bedroom and one was inside a basement cabinet. One of the guns had been reported stolen from Vermont. SPRINGFIELD -- A company proposing a recreational marijuana store at the former Hampden Bank headquarters in downtown Springfield finalized the purchase of the property on Wednesday as it seeks local and state approvals for the business. Chris Mitchem, leader and co-founder of Oregon-based Diem Cannabis, said it felt "amazing" to purchase the property at 1665 Main St. The sale was finalized through a corporate ownership group and Canadian investors. The purchase price was $285,000. "We are so excited to move forward to start this project," Mitchem said. "The next step is to work with the neighborhood association and Springfield City Council to make sure we do it right and have permission to move forward." Approvals for the proposed dispensary are needed from Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, the City Council and the state Cannabis Control Commission. "We would love to open the summer of 2019," Mitchem said. "We're in the process of getting permits and doing the renovations." On Wednesday, Mitchem repeated a pledge he made at a community meeting Nov. 3 that his group will invest $1 million in renovations and seek to restore the building to its original look when it was built in 1918. The property was purchased by RLTY Development Springfield LLC, which lists Paul Rosen and Johannes P.M. Van Der Linda, of Toronto, as the owners. The group is the Massachusetts corporation tied to Diem Cannabis. The assessed valuation of the property ahead of the purchase and renovations was $152,900. Mitchem said his group is confident it will gain local and state approvals for the adult-use marijuana business, and will comply with all city and state conditions. "It's a risk, but we believe in the city of Springfield," Mitchem said, regarding the purchase. "We feel good about the odds. We will not do anything without the city's and community's permission to move forward." The group will seek building permits to begin renovations, and has also had a meeting with city officials regarding a future host community agreement that will need approval from the mayor and City Council, he said. In addition, the business will submit an application for a special permit before the end of December, Mitchem said. Following the application, the Planning Board and City Council would schedule public hearings. "We're very appreciative and honored to have the opportunity to pursue this in Springfield," Michem said. "We do everything to the letter of the law." The building is across from the Paramount Theater. The former bank headquarters was a law office for five decades before closing in recent years. Diem Cannabis, a 3-year-old company, has seven marijuana-related licenses in Oregon. Diem Cannabis, through another corporate entity, TDMA LLC, is also pursuing marijuana facilities in Worcester, Lynn and Orange, Mitchem said in October. UPDATE, Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018, 10:40 p.m.: Official tells Longmeadow School Committee a community 'inevitably ... moves forward' after replacing superintendent A new story has been posted --> LONGMEADOW -- A group of several dozen community members participated in a "quiet protest" during Wednesday night's School Committee meeting, many holding signs reading "Together We Stand for Marty" for the duration of the meeting. According to a press release, the protest was a show of support for the Longmeadow Education Association, which was opposed to the School Committee's recent decision not to renew the contract of Superintendent Martin O'Shea. The teachers union has also given the School Committee a vote of no confidence. Many attendees were also wearing red, the same color as T-shirts that members of the Longmeadow Education Association wore. "I'm here supporting Marty," said resident Cindy O'Malley. "I'm unhappy the way the School Committee is operating at this time." She said she heard about the meeting and silent protest through word of mouth in the community. In a highly debated and well-attended School Committee meeting last month, the committee voted 4-3 not to renew O'Shea's contract next year. Residents were also gathering signatures on a petition to begin the process of amending the town's home rule charter. The charter does not have a mechanism to remove elected officials before their terms expire. According to the press release, more than 200 signatures have been collected so far. The press release also noted that "the usual public comments section was eliminated from Wednesday night's meeting." The school committee did not ask for public comments at the start of the meeting. Dorothy Presser of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees was present for 90 minutes of the meeting for the second part of a workshop that began in September helping the committee to set working protocols. Most attendees remained quiet during the meeting, but there were murmurs when Presser asked committee members to summarize "who the committee represents." Chairwoman Beth Baron asked that the public remain silent. NORTHAMPTON - Former Hampshire College student and immigrant rights activists Eduardo Samaniego is reportedly being detained at an immigration detention center in Georgia, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched to help him. Earlier this year, he and 10 others marched 250 miles from New York to Washington as part of the National Walk for the DREAM Act, calling for legislation that can protect him and hundreds of thousands of others from deportation. Then Attorney General Jeff Sessions previously announced the end of the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) policy, which had allowed some minors who entered or stayed in the U.S. illegally to have their deportation deferred. That left the fate of of approximately 800,000 beneficiaries in limbo. The Northampton-based Pioneer Valley Workers Collective, where he was a community leader, is reporting on Facebook that he "went to family and friends for some needed rest, but instead has been caught up in the unjust immigration system. We are going to need all hands on deck to free him." He reportedly has been detained at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Lovejoy, Georgia. As of Thursday morning, more than $8,000 has been raised toward a $14,000 goal. According to the page, Samaniego "is an incredible friend and a leader in the national movement for immigrant rights. For the last 8 years, he has bravely stepped forward to call for legal protections for Dreamers and all immigrants in the US." He graduated with honors as president of Junior Achievement of Georgia, President of the Hispanic Honor Society and the only National Society of High School Scholars gold medal winner in his class. But Samaniego said in an earlier interview he couldn't go to college because he didn't have a Social Security number. He worked two jobs for two years and in 2013 met Dreamers advocating for immigration reform. He traveled across the country advocating for equal access to education for DACA students. He started applying to college again, and in 2014 Hampshire College gave him a four-year scholarship. During a break in the march this past winter, he said, "ultimately, this walk is also to claim our place in this country." "For all intents and purposes, we have become part of the fabric of this country," he said. "We are not strangers to this country asking to be let in. We want to take our dignity back." Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's new public safety chief, Thomas Turco, plans to sit down with his predecessor, Dan Bennett, as the fallout from an overtime abuse scandal lingers within the State Police. Baker introduced Turco, who started his career as a Florida probation officer and recently served as the commissioner of Department of Correction, at a Thursday morning press conference, with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Bennett standing behind them. Bennett, the public safety secretary since January 2015 and a decorated former Worcester County prosecutor, said he is leaving the post to pursue potential jobs in the private sector. Governors typically see turnover within their cabinet as they move toward another term at the State House. Baker ruled out the overtime abuse and other scandals within the State Police as factors in Bennett's departure. Bennett led the internal investigation and implemented reforms within the troubled law enforcement agency, from the elimination of the troop at the center of the overtime abuse, to the push for the installation of GPS devices within cruisers and a body camera pilot program that will likely be implemented in early 2019. "And I can tell you that I don't think anybody expected when that began that more than 40 troopers would be referred to US Attorney's Office and the attorney general for possible criminal prosecution," Baker said. Col. Kerry Gilpin, who worked with Bennett to clean up the State Police, has also hired an independent auditing firm. Baker has said the overtime abuse is a "scam" and "conspiracy" going back years. On Thursday, Baker said the question of how the overtime abuse started is a "function of the investigation." "And I would expect and anticipate that once the investigations are complete, whether it's the US Attorney's or the attorney general's, we'll know a lot more about that," he continued. "While the work itself has certainly led to a stain on the department overall, they did the right thing in the very beginning," Baker said. Turco said he has not yet met the head of the State Police but added he is looking forward to "having a conversation" with Gilpin. A Baker aide told MassLive Turco has "full confidence" in Gilpin. The public safety secretary oversees 9,500 state employees across several agencies, including the State Police, and handles a $1.1 billion budget. In previous jobs, Turco oversaw the probation department for Worcester County and served as criminal justice undersecretary under Baker. As Department of Correction commissioner, he oversaw 16 correctional facilities, 8,500 inmates and 4,500 staffers. CHICOPEE - With a ripped trash bag dangling from his front tire, Matthew T. Delaney drove along Chicopee Street Tuesday, leaving a trail of garbage and litter behind him, according to an arrest report. A Chicopee police officer followed Delaney's car while dodging trash spilling onto the street. The Florida motorist had already made two illegal U-turns and then sped off after Officer Keith Hevey pulled him over around 1:30 p.m., the report said. The chase resumed with Delaney turning onto a narrow side street, then swerving to avoid a city trash truck. Moments later, after the trash bag fell from his tire, he turned back onto Chicopee Street and stopped, the report said. Delaney, 54, of 29 Yacht Club Drive, Palm Beach, smelled of alcohol but initially denied having anything to eat or drink for the past 10 days, the report said. "I'm going to tell you right now, I'm intoxicated," he later told the officer. "I appreciate what you guys are doing, but I'm intoxicated and shouldn't be driving." Delaney, who allegedly refused to take a field sobriety test or a chemical breath test, was arrested and booked on five charges, including operating under the influence of liquor (third offense), operating with a revoked license, reckless operation of a motor vehicle and speeding. He denied the charges Wednesday in Chicopee District Court and was released on $2,500 cash bail, with orders to remain alcohol-free and use a Sobrietor, a portable device that tests for alcohol consumption. A Massachusetts native, Delaney is married and works as a freelance writer, according to court records. He is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 3. SPRINGFIELD -- Cannabis and social justice were hot topics Wednesday as panelists at a forum offered updates and insight on the implementation of Massachusetts marijuana law and its relationship to race, class and community. "Cannabis prohibition has historically been about one thing -- racism," said Dick Evans, the Northampton attorney who chaired the Question 4 ballot committee to legalize adult-use marijuana in the state. "It's the white guys who know how to jump through all the hoops -- and I'm white," said Ezra Parzybok, a medical marijuana consultant. "It takes one million dollars at least to get your doors open in the current regulatory environment," said Tito Jackson, former Boston city councilor and current cannabis entrepreneur. "We came to learn that we haven't done enough for diversity and economic empowerment," said Shaleen Title, a member of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. The Pioneer Valley Cannabis Industry Summit, held at the Thomas Sullivan Banquet Hall at Nathan Bill's restaurant, was filled to the brim. Access to capital, social consumption, local zoning and big-money threats to the small-money "craft cannabis" space were all recurrent topics. Many said that they hope the Cannabis Control Commission soon allows "social consumption" -- or the ability to consume legal marijuana at cafes, yoga studios and the like. Many renters, and all public housing tenants, can't smoke at home, said Karima Rizk, an Easthampton woman who hopes to open a cannabis cafe called Cafe Vert. She said cannabis cafes would support social equity, public safety, and public health. "When people are forced to smoke outdoors, or in their cars, it can create an unsafe situation," she said. "If people can gather at a cafe, they can wait before driving home, or make use of transportation sponsored by the establishment." Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse said social consumption -- and lowering the economic bar to participating in the cannabis industry -- could revitalize communities, while supporting fellowship and good will. Holyoke has plenty of vacant mill space and three levels of canals, said Morse, who suggested that his city is ripe for cannabis tourism. "You should be able to visit, see where our marijuana is grown, and try it out at a cafe," said Morse. Sonia Erika, an advocate for equitable access, said communities of color have historically been targeted by the war on drugs. She, and and others at the event, said Massachusetts must make sure that the cannabis industry is not dominated by wealthy investors. "We should be rolling this out slowly, rather than rushing," she said. "With slower implementation, we can ensure equitable access to the industry." SPRINGFIELD -- For many immigrant families accustomed to warmer climates, the winter months in Massachusetts can be brutal, especially when they cannot afford winter coats and warm clothes. The Massachusetts chapter of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference will host a free coat giveaway and Christmas concert at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School, 355 Plainfield St., Springfield, on Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. "The holidays can be a tough time for many families in our region. Communities in New England are coming together to bring love, hope and joy to our families just in time for the 2018 Holidays Season," said Veronica Garcia, a member of the organization running the event. While the coat giveaway is geared toward immigrant families and Hurricane Maria evacuees who may still be struggling to find housing, all are welcome, Garcia said. "We are organizing a concert free of charge for Western Massachusetts families filled with the holidays spirit, words of encouragement, winter coats for families, and toys for all children who attend that night," she said. PITTSFIELD - A city man known as Fat Jay is being held without the right to bail after police raided his home and found five unlawful guns and cocaine. Jason L. McFadden, 38, who is also known as Jason L. Blanchard, was arraigned Wednesday in Berkshire Superior Court on multiple weapons charges and one count of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Not guilty pleas were entered and Judge Daniel Ford ordered him held at the Berkshire County House of Correction, said Frederick Lantz, spokesman for Berkshire District Attorney Paul Caccaviello. The charges come more than two months after police raided his apartment at 98 Daniels Ave. on Sept. 28, he said. During the raid police reportedly found two 9 mm handguns, a .357-caliber revolver, a .38-caliber revolver and a .40-caliber handgun, dozens of rounds of ammunition, more than $53,000 in cash, cocaine and drug paraphernalia, according to the Berkshire Eagle. McFadden, who does not have a firearms license, was charged with four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felon, four counts of illegal ownership of a firearm, three counts of improper storage of a firearm, illegal possession of a large capacity weapon, being an armed career felon, illegal possession of a large capacity feeding device and improper storage of a large capacity firearm, Lantz said. Pittsfield, Dalton and Adams police departments, Massachusetts State Police assigned to the District Attorney's office and the Berkshire County Sheriff's Department and members of the Berkshire Law Enforcement Task Force were involved with the investigation, he said. SPRINGFIELD -- City Council President Orlando Ramos said Thursday that the mayor is costing taxpayers "millions of dollars" by keeping the current system of a single police commissioner rather than a citizen commission, as proposed by the council. Ramos cited court settlements the cities has paid out in recent years related to police misconduct allegations under a system where the commissioner is responsible for officer discipline rather than the five-member Police Commission abolished in 2005. The council voted 11-1 Monday to resurrect the commission, but it was immediately vetoed by Sarno. "The truth is that the Mayor has cost the taxpayers millions of dollars by keeping the current system in place," Ramos said. "The taxpayers have paid out millions of dollars to aggrieved parties because of police misconduct." Ramos cited an alleged 2015 beating of four men by off-duty Springfield police officers outside Nathan Bill's bar after argument. The Massachusetts attorney general's office has filed nine criminal charges against Springfield Officer Jose Diaz. Ramos also cited federal charges against Officer Gregg A. Bigda, accused of using unreasonable force by allegedly beating two juveniles arrested for stealing an undercover police vehicle in 2016. In April, U.S. Department of Justice officials met with city officials to inform them of the start of federal investigation into possible civil rights abuses by Springfield narcotics detectives. In each case, officers denied guilt. "In the case of Nathan Bills, we will be paying for the actions of police officers who were off-duty that assaulted and permanently injured people," Ramos said. "With the indictments of Officer Diaz, Detective Bigda and the pending Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation, combined with many other cases that have cost the city millions, it's indisputable at this point that something has to change! It is an insult to the taxpayers that some of these officers remain on the force." Sarno has defended the current system, saying that a single police commissioner is the national trend, and that the previous system in Springfield was called "dysfunctional" by experts in police administration. He added that it was "not a time to rehash political squabbles." Sarno said in his conversations with Chuck Wexler, who is executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Wexler stated that "there is a role for civilians with our Community Police Hearing Board (CPHB) and there is a role for our Police Commissioner - at the end of the day, both entities must be strong." Sarno has defended the local Community Police Hearing Board that issues recommendations to Barbieri, while Ramos and other councilors say the board's powers are not sufficient. Ramos said the Council will move forward with an override vote of the veto. A two-thirds majority, or nine out of 13 councilors, must vote in favor to override a mayoral veto. "The community has lost complete faith in this current system," Ramos said. HOLYOKE -- Who has 26,816 bosses, gets evaluated only every four years, allegedly uses the F-word around her City Hall office with regularity and has clashed with staff in numerous city departments? City Treasurer Sandra A. Smith, according to municipal employees, including one who has filed a complaint against the treasurer with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). Treasurer is an elected position here, which means registered voters decide that office-holder's fate, and only when the four-year term is set to expire. The city has 26,816 voters. Smith's term is up in 2021. Day to day, Smith is answerable to no one in terms of a supervisor, not even the mayor. Smith delivers verbal abuse, shouts and orders employees out of the office as a staple of her management style, according to Bridget A. Allen, who filed the MCAD complaint, and others who work at City Hall and City Hall Annex. Allen was out on medical leave for about two weeks to get treated for anxiety. She provided copies of memos from a physician and a counselor that said she was receiving such treatment. The anxiety was due to dealing with Smith, Allen said. Formerly a principal clerk in the treasurer's office, which is in the City Hall basement, Allen described an incident that took place June 27. Smith summoned Allen into her office and asked her if she intimidated her. Allen said yes. "'You can cry here about things that happen outside of work but you cannot cry because I'm being a bitch,'" Smith said, according to Allen. "'Suck it up, buttercup, because this is how it is here. Deal with it.'" Amie Chrzanowski loved her job as assistant city treasurer but left for a position of principal account clerk with the Department of Public Works in 2017. Working with Smith was unbearable, she said. "I worked in her office for a year and a half, and after a year's time, things just became tumultuous, and I just couldn't be there anymore," Chrzanowski said. Other employees have experienced problems with Smith but most declined to speak on the record for publication. Smith said in a brief phone interview that she had received an email with 16 questions from The Republican, including in relation to allegations about verbal abuse, but she declined to comment. She is in the first year of a four-year term she won in an uncontested election in 2017 after filling the remaining two years of the previous treasurer's term. She was assistant treasurer before that. The treasurer's yearly salary is $70,016. Smith is no stranger to controversy. In June 2017, she sent $9,997 to someone impersonating an official at the Holyoke Gas and Electric Department who asked Smith in an email to make a wire transfer of money, which she did from a city account at PeoplesBank. Allen has returned to working as a clerk at the Holyoke Police Department, which is where she began working for the city in December 2014. She loved working there but was on the overnight shift and sought a job with daytime hours. That's how she came to transfer to the treasurer's office in August 2017, she said in an interview with The Republican in the cafe at Barnes & Noble here Nov. 7. Allen said her job performance was satisfactory and she did not receive any disciplinary action while working in the treasurer's office. She was not sure why Smith began targeting her in June 2018, she said. Smith yelled at and belittled her, such as saying, as Allen would leave Smith's office, "I am sick of working with incompetent people." The June 27 incident occurred while Smith's daughter was visiting in her office. Allen heard Smith say she wanted to demonstrate how she summons staff, Allen said. "'Bridget, get in here,'" Smith said, according to Allen. Smith asked Allen if she intimidated her and Allen said yes. Smith said she'd heard that a School Department employee felt the same way and preferred emailing to avoid having to speak with Smith, Allen said. That's when Smith made the "suck it up, buttercup," remark, she said. When Smith's daughter left, Allen said she returned to Smith's office to object to the treasurer's remarks and recent "intolerable and absolutely unacceptable" behavior. "'Then file a f------ grievance,'" Smith said, according to Allen. Later on June 27, Smith ordered Allen to take the rest of the day off and then told her to take the rest of the week off. Allen said that she didn't want to leave and that Smith had no right go give such an order. Allen went to sit in her car "sobbing and shaking from the confrontation," according to an addendum filed with the MCAD complaint. Allen contacted Personnel Director Hector Carrasquillo. He held a mediation meeting June 28 in his office with Allen and Smith that lasted 20 to 25 minutes and failed to resolve the issues, Allen said. "It was absolutely terrible," Allen said. "She denied saying the 'suck it up, buttercup' thing in front of her daughter. She denied even doing that. She said she felt like she treats me the same as she treats all the staff and she doesn't feel as if she's treating me poorly." For weeks after, Allen was assigned as a floating clerk for the treasurer and tax collector offices, which are adjoining. She was given a desk equipped with neither computer or phone, though she later got both. Her assignment was to deal with visitors who showed up at the counter of the tax collector's office, she said. "I felt like it was a time out," Allen said. Like Allen, Chrzanowski said she was once ordered out of the treasurer's office by Smith. That came Aug. 17, 2017, after she told the treasurer she was awaiting drug-screening results for her switch to the DPW job. She said she told Smith that upon learning those results she would give two weeks notice. "She told me to pack up my things and leave. She would pay me for the next two days but she wanted me out of her office," Chrzanowski said. Later that day, Chrzanowski learned Smith had ordered her locked out of the municipal computer system, she said. "I was only moving to another department, my email wasn't changing. After speaking with the mayor's office and the solicitor's office my email was changed back so I could access it," she said. Allen said the final falling out occurred Oct. 4. A trip by Allen to PeoplesBank to make a deposit failed to include a deposit bag from the tax collector's office, necessitating another trip, she said. Allen said she thought she had all that the tax collector needed deposited that day, and Smith exploded. "She slammed her fist on the desk and closed her eyes and said, 'In the future, go in and ask the tax collector if they have a deposit.' By then I was steaming. I was shaking. I knew how the day was going to go," Allen said. She spoke with Rory Casey, who at the time was chief of staff for Mayor Alex B. Morse. She also spoke with Carrasquillo and Smith herself without success, she said. The union Allen belongs to, the National Association of Government Employees, filed a grievance over the issues with Smith Oct. 15. Allen filed the MCAD complaint four days later. The MCAD complaint says Allen was discriminated against because of her age, 45, given that other clerks in the treasurer's office were younger than her, and because she has a disability in the form of anxiety attacks. On the basis of those two factors, Allen was subject to retaliation, the MCAD complaint says. "It became an unbearable, hostile work environment. It was directly harassment, intimidation, bullying. I mean, beyond bullying," Allen told The Republican. MCAD complaints can take years to resolve. Investigator Joseph Greenhalgh said in an Oct. 23 letter to Allen that an "investigative conference" on her complaint has been scheduled for April 10 at 11 a.m. at the MCAD office in Springfield, 436 Dwight St. The Republican filed a public records request with Carrasquillo seeking documents, emails and cellphone text messages that came to the Personnel Department over the years in relation to complaints from municipal staff, officials and visitors to City Hall and City Hall Annex about Smith. Carrasquillo denied the request. Because treasurer is an elected position, the Personnel Department "does not maintain (such) complaints or concerns" in a personnel file about Smith, he said. "(Smith) is not an employee of the city, but an elected official," Carrasquillo said. Allen and other city employees said they know such complaints have been brought to the Personnel Department's attention. "So the employees that were told their complaints, mediation were documented, were not? Unbelievable," Allen said. "I would think people would flip hearing that she is 'not an employee of the city.' She collects her pay from the city, pays into the city's retirement fund. What an insult to people who stirred up enough courage to go to Personnel and file a complaint just to hear this," she said. Asked about the allegations about Smith, Mayor Alex B. Morse said: "I can't speak to any specific employee or complaint, but I can say that we take these types of concerns seriously, and all issues brought to my attention, or to that of the the Personnel Department are thoroughly investigated and addressed appropriately." Morse is among officials who support changing treasurer from an elected position to an appointed one that would perhaps report to a central finance director in an envisioned realignment of some municipal departments. But in 2015, voters narrowly rejected a ballot question that would have led to such a change. The question failed with 50.4 percent, or 4,695, voting no and 49.5 percent, or 4,618, voting yes. In October, City Councilor Daniel B. Bresnahan filed an order about Smith that the Council referred to Carrasquillo. The order asked that the Personnel Department demonstrate to the City Council that Smith had the certifications, licenses and up-to-date renewals as required by federal, state and local law to hold the position. Carrasquillo told the Council Nov. 7 that, essentially, none of that mattered. "As an elected official, the treasurer is elected by the residents of the city of Holyoke. There are no other requirements in place," Carrasquillo said. Bresnahan said that he filed the order on behalf of a constituent and that he was satisfied with Carrasquillo's response. SPRINGFIELD -- Jury selection is slated to begin Wednesday for Jonathan Carrion, charged with murder for the 2016 fatal shooting of Carmen Rosario in Holyoke. Carrion, of Holyoke, was 19 when he was arrested for the June 25, 2016, shooting of Rosario, 31. He is charged with murder and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition. Israel Rosado, 23, also of Holyoke, faces a charge of accessory after the fact of murder in connection with the shooting. In a pretrial hearing Thursday before Hampden Superior Court Judge William J. Ritter, who will hear the trial, Assistant District Attorney James M. Forsyth said Rosado will be the main witness in the case against Carrion. He said there is no written cooperation agreement between Rosado and the prosecution. Forsyth said there will be three to four days of evidence in the case. Both Forsyth and defense lawyer Jared Olanoff said there have been extensive discussions about resolving the case without a trial. Ritter told them to come before him if anything changes before Wednesday. Rosario, a mother of two who worked as a pharmacy technician at the Holyoke Health Center, was shot outside an apartment at the Beaudoin Village housing project on Barrett Avenue. She died the next day. At the time of her death Jay Breines, chief executive officer of the Holyoke Health Center, described Rosario as the "shining light of the pharmacy." When Carrion and Rosado were arraigned officials said the shooting was not random. "The suspects involved brought a gun to a dispute to settle a dispute," said James M. Neiswanger, who was Holyoke's police chief at the time. "There was a period of time for this to cool down and for the people involved to make better choices," said Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni. "It's a very tragic situation that was avoidable." SOUTH HADLEY -- A turkey hunter, who shot a fellow hunter in the back after mistaking the victim's decoy for the real thing last May, has been sentenced to six months probation, Massachusetts Environmental Police said. The incident, which occurred on May 1 off Ferry Street, sent the victim to Holyoke Medical Center and then to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, South Hadley police said. The victim was hit in the back with approximately 20 shotgun pellets while unloading his shotgun, according to a Dec. 3 post on the environmental police Facebook page. Investigators said his injuries were non-life-threatening. The hunter who discharged the shotgun was arrested and charged with personal injury with a hunting weapon, failure to report a hunting injury and hunting without a shotgun safety sticker. On Nov. 13, that hunter admitted to sufficient facts. Along with the six-months probation, the hunter received a five-year loss of all hunting privileges. The Facebook post does not identify the hunter who was arrested and charged. Environmental police could not immediately be reached for comment. BARNET, Vt. -- Vermont State Police are investigating the death of a 21-year-old Massachusetts woman who was found dead after a fire early Thursday. State police identified the victim as Kelsey Locke of Groveland, Mass. The fire, which broke out in a barn-type structure, was reported about 4:30 a.m. at 731 Whitehall Road. The victim was identified by witnesses as Locke. The death does not appear to be suspicious, state police said. Members of the Vermont State Police Arson Unit, Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Vermont Fire Safety Investigators responded to the scene. SPRINGFIELD -- A 31-year-old city woman on Wednesday was sentenced to state prison after she admitted to charges of kidnapping and larceny over $250. Hampden Superior Court Judge William Ritter sentenced Katie O'Brien to two and one half to three and one half years in state prison followed by two years probation. A charge of armed carjacking was dropped as part of the plea agreement. Assistant District Attorney Nina Vivenzio said the victim -- a stranger to O'Brien -- went to her apartment after she flagged him down in the early morning hours of May 21, 2017. He accepted her invitation to go to her Belmont Avenue apartment for a party. Once there he drank beers with O'Brien and others, Vivenzio said. Then O'Brien "produced a knife" and forced him to drive to an ATM, she said. She forced the man to give her his PIN number. She let him go but kept his card and made a number of withdrawals and purchases with it, Vivenzio said. The man reported the incident to police. O'Brien was identified after a photo of her at an ATM was recognized by a police detective, Vivenzio said. The 59-year-old victim was in the courtroom for the plea. In a short impact statement read by Vivenzio he said, "It is very difficult to forget what you did to me on the night of the robbery." He said after she gets out of prison, "hopefully, you will be a good person." Vivenzio asked for a sentence of three to four years in state prison, followed by two years probation. She wanted O'Brien to be ordered to pay $1,881 in restitution to the banks that reimbursed the man for the stolen money. Ritter did not order the restitution after the victim said he had been paid back by the banks. Defense lawyer Christopher Todd asked Ritter to sentence O'Brien to two years in the Western Massachusetts Regional Women's Correctional Center in Chicopee, followed by a two-year suspended sentence to that facility with two years probation. He said O'Brien would not be able to pay restitution and ordering her to do so would set her up for a probation violation. Vivenzio said O'Brien's criminal record is replete with larceny-related charges as well as breaking and entering, assault and battery on a person over 60 and other crimes. She said O'Brien has violated probation in the past. Todd said there originally was a man charged along with O'Brien, but his case was never indicted. Vivenzio said the case against Jermaine Watt, arrested and charged with O'Brien, did not proceed. O'Brien's record reflects crimes that are most often associated with drug addiction, Todd said. Her parents were both drug addicts, he said. Her father died from an overdose when O'Brien was 16 years old and her mother died when O'Brien was 17, he said. O'Brien began using drugs when she was 17 and at age 18 gave birth by Caesarean section, he said. She was prescribed painkillers "by the handful" at that time, Todd said. By age 24, Todd said, O'Brien was a heroin addict. O'Brien has gone to detox three times and unsuccessfully tried methodone treatment, he said. She hopes this time to stay sober when she gets out of prison, he said. NORTHAMPTON -- By the time he allegedly shot a city man and left his body burning off a dirt road in Hatfield, Nerkin Morales had already amassed a criminal record and a status as a reputed gang member and the subject of complaints at a public housing project, according to court documents. Morales, 22, was one of eight people indicted on a total of 51 counts last week in connection with the death of Daniel Cruz, whose body was found on the night of March 10. Prosecutors say Morales, charged with murder and other crimes, shot Cruz three times during an altercation at the Meadowbrook apartment complex, and that his seven co-defendants helped in an attempted cover-up. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suhl has said Morales and Cruz knew each other, and that the shooting took place after an argument with another co-defendant, Pedro Soto-Rodriguez, turned physical. Morales pleaded not guilty to the charges against him at his arraignment in Hampshire Superior Court Wednesday morning. He was ordered held without bail and is currently in custody at the Hampshire County jail. Court records dating to 2015 reviewed by The Republican show Morales -- who was also arrested twice in the three months after the slaying -- has a history of arrests and an alleged affiliation with a gang known as MOH. Some of his prior brushes with the law also involved other co-defendants in the Cruz case, such as Soto-Rodriguez -- an apparent longtime associate who is also an alleged member of the gang. Northampton police have previously said MOH, which either stands for "Money Over Haters" or "Money Over Hoes," largely operates out of Meadowbrook at 491 Bridge Road in the Florence section of the city -- a location Morales, Soto-Rodriguez and other co-defendants have been known to frequent or have lived, according to court documents. In a February 2017 police report for a drug arrest involving Soto-Rodriguez, a Northampton detective says he'd previously investigated Soto-Rodriguez and others "for being involved in gang activity under the gang name 'MOH' ... at the Meadowbrook Apartment Complex." According to witness statements, that activity included the "distribution of narcotics" out of Meadowbrook. The same report says management at Meadowbrook previously told police that Soto-Rodriguez, Morales and others had been the subjects of "numerous complaints." MOH members, including Morales, are also alleged to have been involved in the December 2014 beating of a man who police said was once associated with the gang, court documents show. Morales, who was 18 at the time, and five juveniles "associated with the gang" were indicted for assault and battery and intimidation of a witness after an 18-year-old was "beaten by a group of six males" on the bike path near Meadowbrook apartments. The victim, who is listed in the police report as a "friend" of Morales, was allegedly labeled a "snitch" and beaten by the gang after giving information to police about another open case involving an MOH member. Morales pleaded guilty to assault and battery in the case and was sentenced to 1 year in jail. However, the balance of the sentence was suspended and he ended up serving 90 days. Morales has also been the subject of police reports alleging threats and assaults involving a girlfriend and family members. A criminal complaint from July 2017 says a witness saw Morales "choking" his girlfriend. Though charges in the case were later dropped, a police officer said in an associated report that he was familiar with the couple, and had previously responded to their residence for domestic disturbances. The report also says the woman had obtained two separate restraining orders against Morales, and that Morales had been arrested earlier that year for an alleged assault and battery on a family member at their address. Recent arrests Suhl's May 16 announcement that there were two lead suspects in Cruz's death came 14 days before the second of Morales' two arrests after the slaying. On May 30, members of the Northwestern district attorney's Anti-Crime Task Force arrested Morales and Josh Ealy, a co-defendant in the Cruz case, at Meadowbrook. Both men pleaded not guilty to charges involving heroin, cocaine and unlawful possession of ammunition. That arrest followed a March 26 traffic stop on Interstate 91 in Holyoke, when state police allegedly found Morales and Soto-Rodriguez in a car with heroin, bags of crack cocaine and a bag of firearms and ammunition that included an AK-47 rifle. The two were jailed, and Morales' bail was set at $10,000. Another co-defendant in the Cruz case subsequently posted the bail and Morales was allowed to go free. That case has since been transferred from Holyoke District Court to Hampden Superior Court, where both men are scheduled to appear for a final pretrial hearing on March 10, 2019. Despite Morales' alleged gang ties, Suhl said last week that Cruz's slaying does not appear to be gang related. "I wouldn't say that that necessarily is the element to this particular murder," she said. The United States of America, more than any other nation on the planet, was a creation, based from its founding on a shared set of ideals. It was, to use Lincoln's words, conceived in liberty. It was, to employ a metaphor that Reagan so revered, a shining city on a hill. Though commerce has been a fundamental part of our nation since our founding, no one who truly understand what has always set our land apart thinks of America foremost as a business. Because we are, and have always been, so much more than that. If, when the chips are down, our leaders fail to stand up for what has always made America great, we are in serious peril. If the president of the United States won't firmly support our ideals, someone else has got to step in to fill the void. Thankfully, some Republicans in the Senate are finally doing just that. Here's hoping it continues. Soon after it became apparent that Saudi Arabia's crown prince was behind the gruesome assassination of an American-based Saudi journalist who was killed by a team sent to meet him at the nation's consulate in Istanbul, to which he had been lured, President Donald Trump began to make every effort possible to look the other way. In part because of our business dealings with the Saudis. Also because of Saudi Arabia's antipathy toward Iran. Oh, and the fact of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's close relationship with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser, surely played into the president's feelings, too. Even after the Central Intelligence Agency produced an assessment that left no doubt regarding bin Salman's complicity in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Trump remained equivocal. In the official White House statement, issued on Nov. 20, the president noted that "it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event -- maybe he did and maybe he didn't!" But he has nonetheless stood firmly with Saudi Arabia. Finally, on Tuesday, Senate Republicans spoke as though they remembered our nation's ideals, not like they were itching to sell them to the highest bidder. After emerging from a closed-door briefing from CIA Director Gina Haspel, some said all the right things. Sen. Lindsey O. Graham, R-S.C., once a harsh Trump critic who morphed into a full-throated Trump toady, was unblinkered in his assessment after the session with the CIA chief. Though he did not get into specifics about what senators heard, he told The Washington Post: "You can be assured it was thorough and the evidence is overwhelming." He also said, referring to the bone saw that was reportedly employed to dismember Khashoggi, "There's not a smoking gun, there's a smoking saw." Others who emerged from the briefing were equally firm. Here's hoping their statements are not the end of the story, because while words count, they are not enough. State fire officials are investigating an incident which left a Massachusetts mayor's car with fire damage. Police were called to the home of Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter on Saturday after his vehicle was determined to have sustained damage. The Department of Fire Services says a preliminary investigation shows someone set fire to the city-owned vehicle provided to the mayor. The fire extinguished itself and caused minor damage. The fire is believed to have been set the night prior. Carpenter was not home at the time of the incident, the Brockton Enterprise reports, though members of his family were. No one was injured in the fire. He declined to speculate as to the motive behind the act when asked by an Enterprise reporter. "We appreciate all the concern expressed by the public and the media," he said in a statement to the newspaper. "As you can imagine, this is a difficult time for my family and I. We have faith in the state and local public safety agencies involved to complete a thorough investigation." A reward of up to $5,000 is offered by the State Fire Marshal for information leading to the case being solved. Tipsters can call the state Arson Hotline at 1-800-682-9229. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey joined colleagues from across the country Wednesday in calling on the U.S. Senate to block the confirmation of President Donald Trump's pick to serve as the newest FERC commissioner. Healey led attorneys general from Oregon, Maryland, New York and Illinois in sending a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that voiced concerns about adding Bernard McNamee to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Pointing to McNamee's record as the current U.S. Department of Energy's Policy director, the attorneys general contended that he has promoted "the retention of uneconomic, highly polluting electric generation facilities" and indicated a "troubling hostility towards clean energy." They argued that his confirmation could hinder their states' "ability to design and implement policies to achieve a clean energy future and (their) regions' abilities to operate competitive electricity markets." The attorneys general took specific issue with McNamee's role in the Department of Energy's 2017 proposed rulemaking, which they said would have required states to subsidize coal plants "and undermined the country's competitive energy markets." They offered that although the commission rejected the proposed rule, McNamee has continued to push plans to subsidize "failing power plants," including in July testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. "His efforts are flatly inconsistent with the commission's long history of advancing competitive markets and raise serious questions about his commitment to FERC's mission," Healey and others wrote. The attorneys general further raised concerns about a video in which McNamee reportedly described the choice between fossil fuels and renewables as a "constant battle between liberty and tyranny." Such comments, they contended, are also inconsistent with the conduct expected of a commissioner "and demonstrate a bias that would make him unable to fairly evaluate existing commission precedent and public comments." Healey and her colleagues stressed that if McNamee is confirmed as a FERC commissioner, "it would be the first time since October 1990 that no commissioner has had experience as a state regulator." "To ensure the state perspective is considered, it is vital that the administration maintain the long-standing practice of appointing at least one commissioner with experience as a state regulator," they wrote. "We ask the Senate to exercise its authority, oppose this candidate and request a new nominee for the post." Trump announced in early October that he was nominating McNamee to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for the term expiring on June 30, 2020. The U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced McNamee's nomination in late November. He must now be confirmed by the entire Senate. After months of speculation and reported behind-the-scenes campaign activities, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick announced Thursday that he will not seek a 2020 Democratic presidential bid. Patrick, who became the first African-American governor to lead Massachusetts, confirmed his decision in a Facebook post shared early Thursday morning. "After a lot of conversation, reflection and prayer, I've decided that a 2020 campaign for president is not for me," Patrick wrote. "I've been overwhelmed by advice and encouragement from people from all over the country, known and unknown. Humbled, in fact. But knowing that the cruelty of our elections process would ultimately splash back on people whom Diane and I love, but who hadn't signed up for the journey, was more than I could ask." He attributes his decision as an attempt, in part, to shield loved ones from public scrutiny on a national level. His wife, Diane, is mentioned in the statement. In his book, "A Reason to Believe," Patrick wrote of her entering a hospital under a pseudonym during his first term as governor for treatment of severe depression following negative media attention. The former governor's announcement came shortly after reports surfaced suggesting that he had informed staff and advisers of his decision against running for president. Elected in 2006, Patrick led Massachusetts for eight years. He took a position as a visiting fellow in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Innovation Initiative and joined Bain Capital -- a firm founded by his gubernatorial predecessor Mitt Romney -- after leaving Beacon Hill in January 2015, Since entering the private sector, Patrick has largely remained out of the public spotlight despite being rumored as a possible vice presidential running mate for 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. He has also faced questions about a potential 2020 White House run following an August 2017 report that several close allies of former President Barack Obama were urging the Massachusetts Democrat to run for president. David Axelrod, the chief strategist for Obama's presidential campaigns; Valerie Jarrett, a close adviser and friend of the former president; and David Simas, the former political director in the White House and Patrick's ex-deputy chief of staff; reportedly supported the idea of the former governor seeking the presidency, Politico reported at the time. Obama himself -- a friend of Patrick's -- had also reportedly encouraged the Democrat to think about the possibility of running, according to the news outlet. Despite the report, Patrick then told Politico's Off Message podcast that it was "way, way too soon to be making plans for 2020." Months later, Patrick continued to stoke speculation that he would mount a 2020 White House bid, telling a Kansas City radio station in March that a White House run was on his "radar screen." In August 2018, meanwhile, the former governor offered in an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper that he intended to make his decision on a 2020 presidential run "in due course." Although Patrick told Tapper that he was "not ready to be a candidate for 2020," weeks later political operatives closely tied to the former governor launched "Reason to Believe" PAC -- a federal political action committee that shares the same name as Patrick's 2011 book. Doug Rubin, who worked for the Democrat in both the governor's office and on his campaign, said Patrick was not personally involved in the PAC. "The PAC is not affiliated with any candidate, not affiliated with Deval Patrick," Rubin said, noting that it was launched to support federal candidates who share the former governor's desire of "bringing people together." The committee's website and social media, however, used of images of the former governor and did not prominently note Patrick's lack of official involvement when it launched in late August. Ahead of the 2018 midterm election, Reason to Believe PAC reported a cash balance of more than $459,000, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission. The PAC had raised a total of nearly $502,000 and spent just under $43,000 -- the majority of which went toward "strategy consulting services" -- between Aug. 29 and mid-October. As governor, Patrick oversaw the state's recovery from the 2008 economic recession and the legalization of casino gambling. He also focused on education overhauls and "brain power" industries, pushing a 10-year, $1 billion effort to enhance Massachusetts' life sciences sector. The former U.S. assistant attorney general, who never sought political office before 2006, however, faced criticism over his spending on office furnishing and an official state vehicle early into his administration, the Associated Press noted. He also drew pushback after the death of a 5-year-old boy prompted a shake-up at the state's child welfare agency, a drug lab scandal impacted thousands of criminal cases and the state's health connector website suffered a high-profile breakdown. WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Irish parliamentary lawmakers spoke out Thursday against the rise of populism around the globe and urged countries like the United States against adopting trade and immigration policies that seek to isolate themselves from the rest of the world. Brendan Smith and Niall Collins, who were among four members of Ireland's governing body to stop at the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England during a U.S. swing, voiced concerns about the current state of politics in America and Europe. Smith, a Teachta Dala member and chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defense, said he finds the recent rise of populist leaders and the far right-wing movement "very disappointing." He offered that while Ireland has faced "very challenging economic times" over the last decade, its center politics have held strong. Smith, who pointed to the current divisiveness in American politics, argued that lawmakers -- including those on both sides of the Atlantic -- face a mandate of working in the best interests of the people. "In America over the years, that great tradition of working across the aisle for your bipartisanship is hugely important in advancing policies and working in the best interests of the people," he said in an interview. "I sincerely hope that the new Congress will be able to be effective." Smith further took issue with the Trump administration's "America First" approach to foreign policy, arguing that it is largely at odds with the realities of today's globalized world. "I don't think any of us can talk for putting our countries first," he said in an interview. "We're living in a global world -- it's a very globalized world today." Pointing to Ireland's dependence on trade, Smith said his country's economy relies on global markets and trade agreements to sell its products. He argued that "any impediment, any hiccups to international trade has a knock-on negative effect in relation to employment and in relation to general prosperity." "There's an onus on the countries in the trading blocs throughout the world to work together in partnership -- in sensible partnership -- and putting tariffs and impositions on trade in place has a negative consequence," he added. Smith stressed that instead of turning away from globalism, countries must come together to address issues like climate change, immigration and human trafficking. Collins, a TD member and the spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Trade, agreed that multilateralism is important to international relations and should be promoted. "Countries who are pursuing kind of singular, or their own agendas to the exclusion of others isn't something that we agree with," he said in an interview. "But look, these are the challenges I suppose come up in politics from time to time and differ actors will try to advance different policies. It's up to us to engage with people. Rather than ignoring it and pretending it and wishing it away, we have to just get on with the job and try to work with it and get around it." WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Irish parliamentary lawmakers stopped in West Springfield Thursday to get a firsthand look at how some of the more than $4 million Ireland has invested in U.S. groups is working to support and promote the country's culture in Western Massachusetts. Four members of Ireland's governing body -- a senator and three Teachta Dala -- visited the Irish Cultural Center of Western New England, one of the organizations to receive Irish funding to support its arts, history and other educational efforts. They joined ICC leaders and local officials in touring the ICC's Morgan Road facility, which is undergoing a nearly $3 million renovation with help, in part, through the Ireland Department of Foreign Affairs' Emigrant Support Programme. Brendan Smith, a TD member and chairman of the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defense, said he has seen firsthand "the very good use" to which the West Springfield ICC and other U.S. Irish cultural organizations have put the program's money. Stressing that Ireland places "a very strong value" on its culture and heritage, Smith said it's important that the country ensure they are "nurtured and preserved for the future." "We believe that it's very important that we retain our links with our diaspora," he said in an interview. "We're always very conscious of the huge contribution that the United States makes to our country on an ongoing basis -- there are very strong business and commerce links. We know of the huge emigration to this country from our country." Smith further argued that one of Ireland's largest selling points is its history, culture and contribution to the arts. "We believe that we show the very best qualities of the Irish people and of our country through our artistic endeavors," he said. "So it's important that we are able to support theaters that are putting on Irish plays, that we support the centers -- like this -- that are nurturing Irish music, song and dance, because they're a powerful advocate for the best of (Ireland.)" Smith also thanked Irish community leaders in Western Massachusetts for being "strong advocates in the best interests of Ireland." He said he and other delegation members look forward to continuing that work. "There have been very, very strong connections between Massachusetts and Ireland over the years: Very strong business links, very strong family links and cultural and social links," he contended. "We want to ensure that in our political work we do everything we can to even strengthen those links." Niall Collins, a TD member and the spokesman on Foreign Affairs and Trade, also touted the cultural, familial and trade ties between the United States and Ireland. He argued that "it's really important that we keep those links as strong as possible." Collins said the Irish delegation is "very impressed" with the work groups in the United States are doing with money from the Emigrant Support Programme to engage local Irish communities. "We think it's money very well spent. We're actually quite proud of the work, certainly, from what we've seen," he said in an interview. "That's what we'll be reporting back and it's something that we'll be keeping in the fore of our minds when we're talking to our colleagues back at home -- the absolutely fantastic work that we see going on here." The Irish government awarded the ICC of Western New England a $64,500 grant through its Emigrant Support Programme in December 2017 to hire a full-time executive director to administer and grow the nonprofit organization. The program, administered through the country's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Irish Abroad Unit, provides financial support to organizations "engaged in the delivery of front line advisory services and community care to Irish emigrants." It also facilitates investments in cultural, community and heritage projects, as well as strategic capital projects. Two years out of prison, former Massachusetts House Speaker Sal DiMasi has harsh words for the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, which he calls a "rogue agency" that denies prisoners health care. "I can give examples of inhumane and cruel treatment in prison for lack of medical care," DiMasi said in an interview Wednesday on WGBH News. "Every other day someone in my unit would die, and they would do nothing about it." DiMasi is a Democrat who first joined the Massachusetts House in 1979 and led the body from 2004 to 2009, when he resigned amid a corruption probe. He was convicted on federal corruption charges in 2011 for accepting bribes in exchange for steering state contracts to the software company Cognos. DiMasi was granted compassionate release from prison in November 2016, after serving five years of an eight-year sentence. He was 71 at the time, survived throat and prostate cancer and could not swallow due to side effects from the cancer treatment, according to his wife. He had been housed at a federal prison in North Carolina. DiMasi showed up at the Statehouse Tuesday to attend goodbye speeches by some of his former House colleagues. He gave his first post-prison interview Wednesday to WGBH News host Jim Braude on the show Greater Boston. Asked about his crime, DiMasi did not admit wrongdoing, although he said multiple times that his case was "in the past," and he wants to put it behind him. "I did the best I could under the circumstances and everything that was presented to me. I tried to comply with the law in every single way," DiMasi said. He said it is "very difficult to try to know where that bright line is" between what is legal and illegal for elected officials. DiMasi was most vocal about what he described as the denial of medical care that prisoners face, including, he believes, himself. "It's systemic with the organization," DiMasi said. "The Bureau of Prisons does not provide the health care needed, not only just for me but for anybody." DiMasi said at times he believed he would die in prison. He described his experiences as "very difficult," particularly the cancer treatment he underwent in a prison hospital, with no support system. He said he would tell himself to take one day at a time, and to thank God for his family, friends and the "courage to go forward every day and meet the challenges." DiMasi said he bears no anger or negative feelings toward people who did not support him. He plans to focus on using his voice to advocate for other prisoners to get compassionate release and to get proper health care in prison. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker this year signed into law a state compassionate release program as part of a larger criminal justice bill, partly due to lobbying by DiMasi's wife. DiMasi said in federal prison, he helped other prisoners appeal for compassionate release. "I was disgusted by the way the Bureau of Prisons was refusing them and obfuscating the process," he said. "The laws are in place for them to get out. They don't do it. They don't want to do it." Before he left prison, DiMasi said other inmates urged him to use his voice to "go out there and please speak for us." "That's what I'm going to do," DiMasi said. "I want to help them." U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, condemned Facebook and its executives Wednesday following reports that the social media giant offered advertisers special access to user data. Markey, who sits on the Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, slammed the release of new documents revealing internal discussions regarding Facebook's data sharing policies. The senator argued that the reported discussions are particularly troubling given Facebook Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony before Congress. "It should not be up to Mark Zuckerberg to decide who has access to information such as what you 'like,' your name, your gender or your city of residence. Americans' data belongs to them, not Facebook," he said in a statement. "When he testified before Congress, Mark Zuckerberg repeatedly insisted that Facebook does not sell its users' data. We now know, however, that Facebook executives discussed requiring companies to buy digital advertisements in order to access users' personal information." Markey added that "any evidence of a pay-for-data model would fly in the face of the statements Facebook has made to Congress and the public." Damian Collins, a British lawmaker who has led an investigation into Facebook and its dealings with Cambridge Analytica, released on Wednesday a summary of findings -- from documents in a lawsuit against Facebook -- that alleged the social media company maintained "whitelisting agreements" that gave some companies access to user data, the Washington Post reported. Collins, in a written summary, suggested that Facebook "clearly entered into whitelisting agreements with certain companies, which meant that after the platform changes in 2014/15 they maintained full access to friends data." He added that it was unclear whether "there was any user consent for this" or Facebook decided what companies should be whitelisted. Facebook, in response to the allegations, argued that the documents were "cherrypicked" as part of a lawsuit and tell "only one side of the story and omits important context." "The documents were selectively leaked to publish some, but not all, of the internal discussions at Facebook at the time of our platform changes. But the facts are clear: we've never sold people's data," the company said in a statement posted on its website. "Unfortunately, select quotes from these documents have been released to suggest things that are false." Zuckerberg came under fire for his company's use and protection of user data in wake of a scandal involving Cambridge Analytica. He briefed the Senate Judiciary and Commerce, Science and Transportation Committees in April on steps Facebook is taking to better secure the platform. Photo: The Canadian Press The mother of a Calgary Stampeders player who died in a shooting outside a bar wept as a witness described holding Mylan Hicks in his arms before paramedics arrived. Nelson Lugela, who is 21, is on trial for second-degree murder in Hicks's death on Sept. 25, 2016. Carlos Tejada-Colindres had been at Calgary's Marquee Beer Market with a couple of friends and was talking with a woman outside the bar after it closed. "I heard something that sounded like a firecracker, like a little explosive kind of thing. I turned around and there was the shots being fired," Tejada-Colindres told court Wednesday. "I saw a gentleman pointing a gun and shooting." Tejada-Colindres said Hicks took off after the first shot was fired. "His pants were falling down and then he fell on the floor and kind of like tripped on his pants," he said. "I ran toward Mylan Hicks and kind of just wanted to check on him ... to see if he was bleeding or anything like that. "I grabbed Mylan and I held him in my arms," he continued as Hicks's mother cried in the courtroom. "I had already unbuttoned his shirt to see if he was bleeding. He wasn't bleeding it was just like the gunshot wound." Jamie Guy and her girlfriend Celine were outside the bar talking to Stamps running back Jerome Messam when they heard a gunshot. "Then the shooter came around the corner and fired the gun again and then Celine and I ran behind the building," she told court. The shooter was a black man, about six feet tall, close to 200 pounds with spiky hair wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans, she added. "I couldn't tell who he was shooting at." Another woman at the bar that night testified Lugela was one of the instigators in an altercation with a group of Stampeders. Hilary Jeavons says Lugela approached the players at least twice, was aggressive and bumped into her numerous times without apologizing. "A fella in a white T-shirt and a white hat came to the bar on my right. He bumped me out of the way. He was yelling, obnoxious," Jeavons testified. "This man was aggressive and he acted like he was untouchable really." Hicks was shot twice once in the abdomen and once in the chest and died a short time later. Photo: Contributed Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies, who is facing extradition to the United States. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday. He said Meng is sought for extradition by the U.S. McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide any further details. The ban was sought by Meng, who has a bail hearing Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that U.S. authorities are investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. Meng is also deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. A U.S. Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. A spokeswoman for Huawei didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that U.S. authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiraling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China opposes any country imposing unilateral sanctions based on its own law. Asked about the report that Huawei was under investigation, Hua said in April, "We hope the U.S. will refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the U.S. business environment and harm its domestic economy and normal, open, transparent and win-win international trade." (CNN) Denmark's government has struck a deal to move "unwanted" refugees to a remote uninhabited island once used for contagious animals. As part of a growing anti-immigration agenda, Danish immigration minister Inger Stjberg, of the center-right Venstre party, wrote on Facebook that certain migrants "are unwanted and they will feel it." The controversial deal is part of a new finance bill for 2019 agreed between the center-right government and the Danish People's Party (DPP), a populist right-wing party with anti-immigration policies. DPP immigration spokesperson Martin Henriksen told CNN: "Our hope ... is that people outside Denmark will understand that Denmark is not a very attractive place to seek asylum, if you are of refugee background, mean to cause harm, or incite crime." Stjberg wrote on Facebook, "When you are unwanted in Danish society, you should not be a nuisance for regular Danes," adding, "(The refugees) will be getting a new address." According to the plan, which must still be passed by the parliament, that address may be Lindholm Island in the southeast of the country, which lies two miles out to sea and for decades has housed a research center for seriously ill and contagious animals. These facilities will be cleared and an immigration center with an initial capacity of 100 residents built in their place. According to a government statement, the new center will house refugees who have what is known as "tolerated stay" status, meaning they do not have a residence permit but cannot be deported for other reasons, including threats to their life if they are sent home; those who are set to be deported due to criminal activity or for national security reasons; and foreign fighters and rejected asylum seekers convicted of breaking certain laws. "Our approach is that they should stay on the island as much as possible, and if we can keep them there the whole time, we will aim to do that," said Henriksen, who claimed that the policy was inspired by the Australian immigration model. "We plan to have police, prison services, guards and detention cells in place, in case of any unrest." The plans have caused concern among rights groups. "It is important to note that these people, while they have committed crimes, have already served their sentence," Louise Holck, deputy director of the Danish Institute for Human Rights, told CNN. "There is no grounds for detention, and from a human rights perspective, we are not just talking about windows with bars .... We will have to assess that they are not detained de facto." However, Henriksen told CNN that he has no qualms about pushing the boundaries of human rights conventions. "We are doing what we believe is in the best interest of Danes, and if it comes down to choosing whose interest to protect then we will take care of our own first," he said. "But it will, of course, be up to the Danish government to determine what lies within the conventions." "I hope it will inspire other countries to do the same," said Henriksen. "If they want any advice they are always welcome to call. We want other countries to tighten up their rules too. We believe it is in everyone's interest to do that." Finance Minister Kristian Jensen of the Venstre party told CNN that the facility is not a prison and residents will be free to catch the ferry to the mainland, though some will have to return to sleep on the island every night. "Many of them are restricted by regular compulsory attendance that they need to abide by, because we need to know where they are located," hesaid, adding that some have committed crimes that require the government to keep track of them. "Denmark is an island," he said. "We have lots of islands and lots of Danes living on islands. None of them feel this is a violation of their rights." However, refugees and refugee advocacy groups have condemned the plan. Mohamad Hamid, 33, is a Palestinian-born refugee from Syria who moved to Denmark with his two young children and has a residence permit. "I came to Denmark hoping they (his children) would have a better life," he told CNN. "I watch them engage with Danish traditions, believing they are accepted as part of this society. It pains me, but they are not." The DPP posted a video on Twitter showing a Muslim man being dropped on Lindholm Island, explaining who would be sent there and why. Hamid called the video "deeply racist." Mads Nygaard, co-founder of Friendly Neighbors, a grassroots organization that works with refugees, told CNN that news of the policy spread quickly. "It is a type of modern barbarity that I find deeply repulsive," he said. "Being part of the larger refugee network, I have seen one despairing post after another come through today." Friendly Neighbors has announced a demonstration against the proposed policy in Copenhagen on December 10 a date that marks 70 years since the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This move is the latest part in a program of tighter migration laws enacted by the coalition government of Prime Minister Lars Lkke Rasmussen. Rasmussen's Venstre party is reliant on the DPP to pass legislation and the country is gearing up for a general election, which must be held by June 2019. Anti-immigration policies have become more mainstream during his time in office, including one that allows authorities to seize cash and valuables from asylum seekers. In 2016, the so-called jewelry law was introduced, which forced people seeking refuge in Denmark to contribute some of their wealth to the government. The proposal came under heavy criticism and was likened to the Nazi persecution of minorities. At the time, it was clear that it was a largely symbolic move to deter people from seeking refuge in Denmark. The government has also introduced laws restricting face coverings such as the niqab and burqa worn by some Muslim women. The law banning face coverings came into force in August and quickly resulted in a 1,000 Danish kroner (about $152) fine for a 28-year-old woman in Hrsholm, north of Copenhagen. Under the new law, people found wearing facial coverings in public can be fined from 1,000 Danish kroner for a first offense up to 10,000 kroner (about $1,520) for a fourth violation. This story was first published on CNN.com "Denmark plans to isolate 'unwanted' refugees on remote island" Photo: The Canadian Press Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien Canada's privacy watchdog says he's worried that privacy rights in Canada are being cast aside as both public and private entities rush to mine digital data from citizens and customers. "We have reached a critical tipping point upon which privacy rights and democratic values are at stake," privacy commissioner Daniel Therrien said in a letter to Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains on Wednesday. Therrien wrote that government has been slow to put a legal framework in place to ensure Canadians maintain trust in the digital economy and he's increasingly troubled by it. The government must take stronger actions to protect Canadians' digital privacy in the face of the lightning-fast evolution of ways to collect deeply private information, he says. "Recent events have shed light on how personal information can be manipulated and used in unintended, even nefarious ways," the letter says. Therrien pointed to technology executives, such as Apple's Tim Cook, who have recently warned about data extraction being used in ways that could breach the public trust. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg also recently admitted his company committed a "serious breach" in the Cambridge Analytica data controversy, which involved the alleged unauthorized use of some 87 million Facebook profiles globally including those of more than 600,000 Canadians. Both companies have expressed support for new laws to protect and regulate digital information. "You know the ground has shifted and that we have reached a crisis point when the tech giants have become outspoken supporters of serious regulation," Therrien wrote. "Now is the time to ensure we adopt the best approach for Canadians." He raised a concern over a question posed to Canadians by Bains' department as part of a national public consultation launched this summer on data. It asks how government should try to strike protect Canadians' digital privacy "while not impeding innovation." Therrien wrote that he is "wary of this discourse" as it suggests that privacy and innovation are at odds. "At a time when new and intrusive targeting techniques are already influencing democratic processes and data analytics, automated decision-making technologies and artificial intelligence are raising important ethical questions that have yet to be answered, Canadians need stronger privacy laws, not more permissive ones." Therrien is urging the Liberals to create a new law to protect the private data of Canadians and to give his office greater powers of investigation and enforcement. He also says it is "absolutely imperative" for privacy laws to apply to Canadian political parties. Market Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Healthcare Cloud Computing Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe. Some of the key players operating in the Global Healthcare Cloud Computing Market are International Business Machines (IBM) Corporation, CareCloud Corporation, Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Merge Healthcare Inc., Carestream Corporation, Cerner Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, ClearData Networks Inc., Sectra AB, Nuance Communications, GE Healthcare, athenahealth Inc., NextGen Healthcare, Siemens Healthineers, and Dell Inc. Healthcare Cloud Computing Market Overview Market Research Future (MRFR)s study reveals that the global healthcare computing market is projected to burgeon exponentially over the next couple of years. The volume of digital data managed by healthcare centers has multiplied over the years owing to changes in payment modes, increasing patient pool, etc. The technological advancements and increasing healthcare expenditure have further catalysed the growth of the volume of information to be saved and managed. This, in turn, has intensified the need for the deployment of cloud computing and cutting-edge analytical tools for enhanced operational efficiency. To Get Sample Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6519 The increasing adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) has accelerated the integration of cloud computing in the healthcare sector. Cloud computing enables healthcare organizations to achieve economies of scale, minimize IT infrastructure costs, and increase scalability which is likely to expedite the revenue creation for the key vendors. The market resonates strong growth opportunities at present and is expected to remain highly lucrative in the foreseeable future. The competitive landscape represents intense competition and is favorable for the entry of new vendors. The security of the confidential data is an area of concern for the market participants. Technological innovations are offered regularly for upgrading security and protection of the data. The trend is likely to perpetuate and augment the market in the forthcoming years. Segments for Global Healthcare Cloud Computing Market The global healthcare cloud computing market is segmented in MRFRs report on the basis of applications, deployment, service, end-user, and region. Healthcare cloud computing has two key applications, namely Non -Clinical Information System (NCIS), and Clinical Information System (CIS). The CIS segment is further sub-segmented to include electronic health records (EHR), pharmacy information system (PIS), computerized physician order entry system (CPOE), and others. Deployment of healthcare cloud computing segmented into private cloud, public cloud, and hybrid cloud. Healthcare cloud computing makes its possible to offer services in various innovative forms which include Software-As-A-Service, Infrastructure-As-A-Service, and Platform-As-A-Service. Healthcare providers and healthcare players make up the end-users of healthcare cloud computing. The global healthcare cloud computing market is segmented by region into Europe, Latin America, North America, the Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa. Regional Analysis for Global Healthcare Cloud Computing Market North America due to its inclusion of the U.S where there is a high concentration of market players and the presence of a significant healthcare sector is expected to be a significant market in the global healthcare cloud computing market. North America has a well-established healthcare sector due to the concentration of developed economies in the region. The region also displays an affinity for the adoption of advanced technology. The Asia Pacific is a rapidly growing market due to the presence of a rapidly developing healthcare sector in the region. Countries such as India and China are among the most populous countries in the world which have a massive patient population. The need to have efficient operations in treating these masses is expected to encourage the adoption of advanced healthcare cloud computing solutions during the forecast period. To Browse Complete Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/healthcare-cloud-computing-market-6519 Some Brief Table of Contents of Report Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restrains 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis 5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers TOC Continued To Request TOC of Report visit https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/request-toc/6519 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com An autopsy is also referred to as post-mortem, obduction or necroscopy. An autopsy is the type of procedure involved in the examination of dead bodies performed by medical doctors called pathologists, who have special training in examining tissues and body fluids. An autopsy is performed mainly to determine the cause of death, to characterize the extent of disease, for legal issues, for criminal investigation, to check the effectiveness of the treatment and for teaching and research purposes. Forensic autopsies are performed to determine if the death occurred was a suicide, accident, homicide or a natural event. Clinical autopsies are performed by the doctors to check the effectiveness of the given drug and to study its side effects. To perform a post-mortem procedure, different autopsy equipment are required, such as trolleys, autopsy platforms, dissection tables and other different accessories, such as knives, scalpel, etc. Nowadays, with advancements in technology, different automated autopsy equipment are used which decrease procedural timings as well as increase the efficiency of the process by dissecting tissues accurately. Autopsy equipment Market: Drivers & Restraints One of the drivers for this market is the rise in the academic and clinical research on cadavers. Forensic labs and academic institutions are using different autopsy equipment, which is increasing the overall market growth. Growing demand for automation in autopsy procedures is the leading factor expected to drive the autopsy equipment market. Different types of automated autopsy equipment, such as autopsy platforms, dissection tables, trolleys and accessories have eased autopsy procedures. Increasing efficiency of advanced equipment has significantly reduced the timeline required for autopsy procedures. This has resulted in significant growth in terms of adoption from the end user. Another recent significant development in the autopsy equipment market is the preservation of the donated body by medical institutions for research. In the past few years, there has been a rise in the number of body donors, which is expected to increase the demand for autopsy equipment and accessories during the forecast period. In addition, autopsies are expensive and require consent and other ethical concerns are also involved, which might also limit the overall growth of the autopsy equipment market. Autopsy equipment Market: Regional outlook The global autopsy equipment market is segmented into seven regions: North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA). North America is the dominant market for autopsy equipment due to technological advancements and better healthcare facilities in hospitals and forensic labs. North America is followed by Europe due to growth in academic and forensic research in the region. On the other hand, Asia Pacific and Japan are expected to grow in the autopsy equipment market during the forecast period. The significant increase in healthcare facilities, donation of the whole body for research and transplantation and increase in the number of medical institutions and private morgues are the factors which will help in the growth of autopsy equipment market in the region. Get Experts Insights For FREE: https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=1108 Autopsy equipment Market: Overview The academic and clinical research on cadavers has increased in recent years, which in turn, has led to the growth of the autopsy equipment market. Technological innovations will have a significant effect on market growth. The demand for automated autopsy equipment, such as autopsy platforms and dissection tables, is one of the leading factors responsible for the growth of this market. Replacement of the traditional equipment with these automated equipment for better healthcare facilities will also increase the overall growth of this market. Autopsy equipment Market: Key players Some of the key companies operating in the autopsy equipment market are Kugel Medical, Mopec, Mortech Manufacturing, Thermo Fisher Scientific, LEEC, AFOS, Angelantoni Life Science, Barber Medical, Ferno-Washington, EIHF ISOFROID, CEABIS, Fiocchetti, Flexmort, Funeralia, and Hygeco. Chelsea Powrie BC Transit hosted a series of open houses in the South Okanagan over two days this week in order to hear from transit riders about plans for the upcoming Penticton-Kelowna bus route. The new route will see a BC Transit bus running twice daily, Monday to Friday, between the two cities. Service will commence in September of 2019, which is why efforts are now being made ahead of time to collect feedback from the public on potential routes and schedules. "We have a couple different options we're looking at, because there are a couple different markets we might be looking to serve including commuters," said Levi Megenbir, senior transit planner with BC Transit. "But then also, there's a second market of people who are trying to get to Kelowna for medical purposes, shopping, recreation." A series of informational posters were displayed at each open house in Osoyoos, Princeton, Peachland, Penticton and Summerland, giving attendees the option to put a sticker on the scheduling option that made the most sense to their needs. Erick Thompson with the RDOS said he has seen overwhelmingly positive reactions to the open houses so far, and that the spectre of Greyhound, which ceased service in the South Okanagan in October, has been at the forefront of many people's minds. "It certainly does come into play as far as transit users are concerned, there's a private company that will be providing service from Kelowna down to Vancouver, so for transit users, they're asking questions like 'How can I get to Kelowna in time to take that service?'" Thompson said. Penticton resident Miriam Pender, who attended the open house, agreed that the new service would fill in a much-needed gap for seniors like herself used to using the Greyhound service to get to Kelowna. "It's important, now that Greyhound is gone, that we have transportation to get to and from Kelowna," she said. "We have such a huge senior population here, and many of them might have issues with health, so they need to go to appointments in Kelowna. The other things is travel. Who can get on a plane, how can we get out to a flight in Kelowna." Full results from these open houses will be compiled and presented to the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen in the spring of 2019. Anyone who missed the open houses can still have their voice heard online here until Dec. 14. Precision OS is a provider of virtual reality (VR) orthopedic surgical education and pre-operative planning software based in Vancouver, Canada. This software allows for surgeons and trainees to practice simulated medical procedures by providing an immersive and realistic form of deliberate surgical practice that offers critical surgical metrics with haptic feedback. Very recently, the company secured $2.3 million in Series A funding that was led by Swiss investment fund AO Invest, and several other undisclosed investors. Precision OS has been nominated for the Technology Impact Awards, was a semi-finalist at the Orthopedic Research Society, and has been recognized by leading organizations in orthopedic education and competency. The company was co-founded by game and software professionals Colin OConnor (CTO) and Roberto Oliveira (CCO), and by practicing orthopedic surgeon Dr. Danny P. Goel (CEO). Dr. Goel is a consultant shoulder surgeon and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia, Department of Orthopedic Surgery. We are excited to feature an exclusive interview with Dr. Goel. Alice Ferng, Medgadget: Thank you for joining us for an interview! Can you please tell me about your background and what motivated you to go into medicine/ortho surgery? Dr. Danny Goel, CEO of Precision OS: Im originally from Winnipeg (a city in Manitoba, Canada) where I grew up in a household of 4 siblings. We all worked in my dads furniture business and had odd jobs during the summer. Painting houses, delivering furniture, newspapers or at the local grocery store. We were taught the value of responsibility and hard work in our formative years. My siblings and I held many jobs, had to relate to people and learned several different skills while in high school and university. A part of me always wanted to go into medicine mostly because I was intrigued by the unknown. It really became solidified for me when I began my Masters in Science degree. I was working with cardiac cells and manipulating them with omega fatty acids and noticed how the physiology could be altered. Once I began applying to medical school, even though it was challenging to get in, persistence paid off and I was accepted. While in medical school, I was fascinated by all the different sub-specialities from pediatrics to psychiatry. My decision was impacted by mentors in the field where decision-based outcomes was really impressed upon me. Medgadget: What inspired you to found Precision OS? Dr. Goel: The idea in my mind originally began as an iPhone app. I approached a friend (Rob, a co-founder) about how I thought we could train physicians to make decisions for patients and streamline their care. He introduced me to Colin (our third co-founder) who was diving deep into VR. We combined the technology with the idea and Precision OS was born. This was in March 2017, so we are just over a year and a half into our journey. Medgadget: Tell me about your team and how PrecisionOS started- did people already know each other? Dr. Goel: Rob and I have our spouses to thank for us meeting while at gymnastics with our children, our wives became friends. As Rob and I got to know each other, we discussed his extensive background in game development and I revealed how I enjoyed teaching the residents and fellows surgical skill. We also discussed how accessing health care can be challenging in Canada and ways technology may help improve this. This led Rob to introduce me to Colin. They are both from game development and have known each other for 20 + years. Subsequently, Precision OS was born. Medgadget: How old is the company, and what partnerships do you have? What types of support and funds have been raised thus far? Dr. Goel: We officially became incorporated in May 2017. We went through 6 iterations of a prototype to get to our current product. When we finally concluded what we were building and how we were going to create content, the story got very interesting as did the appeal to a larger audience. Since refining our trajectory, we have been able to secure Canadian governmental funding for a preoperative tool we are building, selective angel investors and the largest Orthopedic educational organization in the world, known as the AO. This organization teaches over 800 courses worldwide with one incentive, to improve the quality and delivery of orthopedic surgical care globally. We share this vision and what we bring to the creation of our content. We recently closed a USD $2.3M investment from the AO and undisclosed investors. Medgadget: Tell me about your technology are you mainly developing a VR application? Or are there AR components as well? Dr. Goel: Currently we are creating a hybrid of technologies surrounding VR in Orthopedics. We are linking several areas of relevance together in VR which includes patient specific imaging, anatomical considerations, decision making and artificial intelligence with machine learning. We have discussed AR extensively and it is on the horizon for us. We are working on methods to really add value to the surgeon and will continue to work on this before releasing any specific details about it. Medgadget: What kind of metrics do you use for the user to know how well they have performed a procedure in VR? What other data is collected and how is it used? Dr. Goel: Atul Gawande put it very eloquently when he stated that surgery consists of a series of complex, automatic and effortful actions. As a practicing surgeon, I know that the decisions I make to impact the patient outcomes start at our first visit. I attempt to align their expectations with what I can deliver. As an Orthopedic surgeon, I know that optimizing outcomes are a very dynamic process which require several key decision and interpretations along the way. Our metrics take into account the decision-making ability from the start. We record these decision metrics, including cognition, technical skill and ultimately implant position. All of these parameters are delivered to the user in a delayed or an immediate fashion contingent upon their needs. This data is used for quality improvement to enhance the quality of care and their technical proficiency for specific pathologies. Medgadget: Whats unique about Precision OS compared to other competitors such as Osso VR? Who are your main competitors in the space, and do you have something others dont have? Dr. Goel: This is a very new area and all our competitors are providing value in variable ways. Our unique approach and software is based in the principle of deliberate practice. We allow the user to engage in VR with actual patient pathology they would encounter in real life. The OR reflects this experience as does the reason they are operating. We permit and allow the users full degree of movement in our modules (similar to the OR). We allow them to fail, make errors, and learn from their mistakes immediately improving the cognitive aspect of surgery while providing a useful quality improvement feedback loop which is unique to Precision OS and currently not available in simulation models. Given that surgery is a highly integrated and complex phenomenon, and that simulation is defined as an imitation of a process, every part of our modules follows this definition and we are taking every effort to translate this into VR. Medgadget: As a practicing surgeon, how difficult do you find it to be to continue to practice while running a company? What does a typical week look like? How many days/hours a week do you get to operate, and how many do you have to spend on the company? Dr. Goel: For me, this company is an extension of what I do on a regular basis as an Orthopedic Surgeon. Evaluating patients, deciding on the care pathways and teaching the residents or fellow, is directly relevant to Precision OS. This is also a we company and not an I company. Company co-founders Rob and Colin bring the same intensity and support to help the company function at peak performance. My typical week consists of surgery 1-2 times per week, a half day clinic and several full days at the VR office. This varies depending on my travel as I still enjoy teaching at Orthopedic Courses, examining for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and attend and give talks about virtual reality or some other unique shoulder procedures. In addition to this, Im also concurrently pursing my MBA through the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. This degree is specifically geared and focused on healthcare so the applicability, discussions on personal growth and strategy are intimately related. Being involved in the innovative side and learning how it can penetrate the industry are skills which are invaluable to me as a surgeon and now as an entrepreneur. All thoughts flow to one common end point, the patient outcomes and how to translate this into VR for immediate use and impact. Lastly and importantly, this is more than just a VR company for us at Precision. We feel an intense element of social responsibility to our users and to the patients who will benefit. The impacts could be felt globally for the current and future generations. Virtual reality is a powerful medium that has significant potential in the real world for real people. Flashback: Precision OS Secures $2.3 Million in Series A Funding for Virtual Reality Orthopedic Surgical Education and Pre-Operative Planning Software Pancreatic Cancer is an enlarged tumor caused by malignant cells in the tissues of the pancreas. The pancreas are organ situated behind the stomach. Pancreatic cancer can be caused by smoking, drinking alcohol, radiotherapy in the past, genetic factors, age, inflammation of the pancreas, obesity, and diabetes mellitus. According to Cancer Research UK, 7 out of 10 cases of chronic pancreatitis are due to heavy drinking habits. Rising rates in tobacco consumption, increasing cigarette smokers are likely to enhance the growth of pancreatic cancer market. Additionally, rising prevalence of cancer, increase in intake of alcohol, growing obesity rates, and growing awareness pertaining to various treatment options available are propelling the market growth at a global level. Get PDF Sample Copy of Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1638 Key Players Some of key the players in the market are Pharmacyte Biotech Inc. (U.S.), OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (U.S.), Oncolytics Biotech (Canada), Diffusion Pharmaceuticals (U.S.), Polaris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (U.S.), Sun BioPharma, Inc. (U.S.), Midatech Pharma PLC (U.K.), Eli Lilly and Company (U.S.), Celgene Corporation (U.S.), F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG (Switzerland), Amgen, Inc. (U.S.), Novartis International AG (U.S.), Clovis Oncology (U.S.), and others. Celgene Corporation Founded in 1980, and headquartered at US, Celgene Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company aimed in the detection and development of treatments for various cancers and inflammatory diseases. Celgene Corporation has its presence all over the world. The firm has focused on various inorganic and organic growth strategies to enhance its services and increase its patient base. For instance in the year 2015, Celgene Corporation received approval from European Commission (EC) for ABRAXANE, a nanotechnology therapy for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer. The firm has been focusing on improving lives of patients with pancreatic cancer. For instance in 2015, Celgene Corporation invested 30% of its revenue on research and development to produce advanced technologies to support patients with pancreatic cancer. By this approval and high research and development expenditure, the firm aims to focus on patient needs and increase its customer base. Novartis AG Founded in 1895, and headquartered in Switzerland, Novartis AG is engaged in the manufacture and development of a wide range of healthcare products. In 2016, Novartis and Pfizer collaborated to form a study on tumors driven by mutations in a gene called KRAS that causes cancer. Additionally, in 2017 Novartis and Perthera partnered to support clinical trials for lung cancer patients. This collaboration and partnership enables the firm to widen its foothold in various geographies. Regional Analysis The Americas dominate the global pancreatic cancer market owing to well-developed technology, increasing patient with cancer, high health care spending, and increasing government support for research & development. Furthermore, increased R&D activities and the concentration of major companies have fuelled the growth of the market in this region. Europe holds the second position in the global pancreatic cancer market owing to the government support for research & development and availability of funds for research. This is expected to continue to drive the European market over the forecasted period. For instance, countries like Germany and France are increasing investment in the healthcare domain. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing pancreatic cancer market owing to the presence of rapidly developing healthcare technology, huge patient population, and high healthcare expenditure. Moreover, increasing demand for new treatment methods in countries like India and South Korea is likely to emerge as the fastest growing market across the globe. On the other hand, in the Middle East and Africa, pancreatic cancer has become a huge problem due to limited screening, ignorance of diseases, and poor access to treatment. Segmentations The Global Pancreatic Cancer Market is segmented on the basis of types, treatment, and end user. On the basis of the type, it is segmented into endocrine pancreas cancer, exocrine pancreas cancer, and others. On the basis of the treatment, it is segmented into chemotherapy, surgery & radiation therapy, targeted therapy, biologic therapy, hormone therapy, and others. Furthermore, the chemotherapy is segmented into antimetabolites, anthracyclines, taxanes, and alkylating agents. The targeted therapy is sub-segmented into tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. And the hormone therapy is sub-segmented into estrogen-receptor modulators, aromatase inhibitors, and others. On the basis of the end user, it is segmented into hospitals & clinics, research institute, and others. Browse Complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/pancreatic-cancer-market-1638 Some Brief Table of Contents of Report Chapter 1. Report Prologue Chapter 2. Market Introduction 2.1 Definition 2.2 Scope Of The Study 2.2.1 Research Objective 2.2.2 Assumptions 2.2.3 Limitations Chapter 3. Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Primary Research 3.3 Secondary Research 3.4 Market Size Estimation Chapter 4. Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.2 Restrains 4.3 Opportunities 4.4 Challenges 4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators 4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment Chapter 5. Market Factor Analysis 5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis 5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers TOC Continued LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Pancreatic Cancer Industry Synopsis, 2017-2023 Table 2 Global Pancreatic Cancer Market Estimates And Forecast, 2017-2023, (USD Million) Table 3 Global Pancreatic Cancer Market By Region, 2017-2023, (USD Million) Table 4 Global Pancreatic Cancer Market By Type, 2017-2023, (USD Million) Table 5 Global Pancreatic Cancer Market By Treatment, 2017-2023, (USD Million) Table 6 Global Pancreatic Cancer Market By End Users, 2017-2023, (USD Million) Continued LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Research Process Figure 2 Segmentation For Global Pancreatic Cancer Market Figure 3 Segmentation Market Dynamics For Pancreatic Cancer Market Figure 4 Global Pancreatic Cancer Market Share, By Type 2016 Figure 5 Global Pancreatic Cancer Market Share, By Treatment 2016 Continued Do You Have Specific Requirement? Ask To Our Experts @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1638 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. Contact Us: Market Research Future Hadapsar, Pune 411028 Maharashtra, India Phone: +1 646 845 9312 by Sara Guaglione , December 5, 2018 is facing an uncertain future, according to multiple news outlets, even though the site has seen significant traffic year-over-year. The Weekly Standards total unique visitors grew 80% in October 2018, compared to the same month a year prior. Thats according to the latest analysis of Comscore data by TheRighting, a media company that aggregates articles from right-wing media outlets. The Weekly Standard had over 2.5 million uniques that month more than RushLimbaugh.com, Infowars and Hannity. advertisement advertisement However, the conservative magazines print circulation has steeply declined. Five years ago, The Weekly Standard had a print circulation of about 100,000, according to Politico. Last year, that number had fallen to 72,000. Media critics believe this may have something to do with The Weekly Standards critical position against President Donald Trump. Between 2016 and 2017, paid circulation for the magazine dropped by about 7,000, according Politico, citing information from auditing group BPA Worldwide. Parent company Clarity Media Group Inc. and subsidiary MediaDC are focusing their efforts on sister publication Washington Examiner, at the expensive of The Weekly Standard. The publisher announced this week it is relaunching Washington Examiners weekly magazine for a national distribution starting next year, with a new look and more life and culture coverage. Clarity Media Group released this statement to media outlets: "It is no secret that news organizations across the U.S. are dealing with an evolving business landscape. The Weekly Standard is dealing with these same issues. Clarity Media has been exploring a number of possibilities regarding the future of The Weekly Standard." Clarity added it had no news to share about its evaluation process. by Melynda Fuller , December 5, 2018 Earlier this week, Frieze introduced Rebecca Ann Siegel as its new publisher. Dividing her time between New York, Berlin and London, Siegel will work with editorial director Jennifer Higgie to lead the publications print and digital direction. Before joining Frieze, Siegel cofounded global culture and politics arts magazine Even, serving as its publisher. She also cohosted the podcast Hidden Noise, focused on art exhibitions and institutions in New York. Previously, Siegel held positions at New York-based art advisory firm Ruth Catone and Pace University. Nick Chapin, Frieze director of publishing, noted Siegels understating of how print and digital can work together in a fresh, modern way, while championing critical thinking. He stated: Rapid growth in our U.S. readership shows the appetite for Friezes global perspective on contemporary art and culture in the current climate." advertisement advertisement Separately, content discovery platform Revcontent has tapped Omar Nicola as CEO. Founder and current CEO John Lemp will become chairman of the board of advisors. Prior to joining Revcontent, Nicola cofounded mobile advertising technology company Kixer. Kixar was later acquired by Lakana and Nexstar Broadcasting, where Nicola held the role of senior vice president for revenue and operations. Nicola has also held positions at Morgan Stanley, where he began his career, as well as Myspace, Evolve Media and Uproxx Studios. During the first 90 days of his Revcontent tenure, Nicola plans to focus on the expansion of publishers and advertisers using the platform, identify technical solutions to generate additional revenue for partners and improve upon the quality of the platforms content. Pouring salt on Facebooks wounds, Glassdoors latest list of best employers ranks the social giant in seventh place. For other companies, that might be an achievement, but Facebook has long ranked as the most coveted gig in Silicon Valley and beyond. For its part, Glassdoor routinely lists Facebook as the best place to work, including last year and the year before that. The career sites latest report -- which ranks video-conferencing company Zoom as the top tech firm to work for in 2019 -- adds to a growing perception that Facebook is losing its luster. In part, thats because top executives keep leaving Facebooks family of platforms, while a former employee just recently accused the tech titan of not doing enough to support African Americans among its ranks. advertisement advertisement For Glassdoors 2019 rankings, Facebook was also overtaken by LinkedIn, which took sixth place. Facebook did, however, still manage to top Google (which took eighth place), while easily beating out Microsoft (in 34th place), Apple (in 71st place), and a slew of other enviable employers. While the motivations of ex-employees are never entirely clear, Facebooks profile in Glassdoor includes a number negative reviews. One anonymous individual who lists him or herself as a current Facebook employee accuses the company of being the worst people managers in the whole industry. Among other high-level defections, Neeraj Arora, Chief Business Officer at WhatsApp, just recently announced his departure. A key player at WhatsApp, Arora was the fourth employee to join the messaging service seven years ago -- well before Facebook bought the company for nearly $20 billion, in 2014. Last month, Brendan Iribe, cofounder-former CEO, Oculus, announced his resignation four years after Facebook spent $2 billion to acquire the virtual-reality firm. This fall, upon the news that Instagram cofounders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger were leaving the company, sources told The New York Times that internal disagreements contributed to their decision. Potentially turning off existing and potential employees, Facebooks top executives were recently suspected of misleading the public about their role in taking controversial measures to manage the companys public image. Specifically, Facebooks Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg recently said she was unaware the company had hired Definers Public Affairs -- the Republican consultancy that sought to undermine Facebooks critics by linking them to billionaire George Soros. Yet in response to more recent reports in The New York Times and BuzzFeed, Facebook admitted that Sandberg specifically requested research regarding Soros investment activity. by Larissa Faw , December 5, 2018 Wunderman Thompson the recently merged WPP entity comprised of Wunderman and J. Walter Thompson is making changes to its North American leadership team. The agency is appointing Shane Atchison as NA CEO, marking a return of the executive to the WPP fold. He left digital agency Possible, where he was CEO, in the summer of 2017, shortly after the digital and ecommerce specialist was merged with Wunderman. He joined Utah-based data company Domo as Chief Marketing Officer. Wunderman's current North America CEO Seth Solomons will move into a new undisclosed role at parent WPP, "where he will continue to leverage his client relationships and capabilities" according to an internal agency email. JWT's current CEO Simon Pearce, who has been leading the agency since April, will stay through Q1 2019 to assist with the integration. Pearce "has done a remarkable job elevating JWT's North American offices. He will be key to our transition process," says Tamara Ingram, chairman, Wunderman Thompson. These changes are designed to transform the agencies into a "creative, digital and technology powerhouse," stated WPP CEO Mark Read in the internal memo. by Sarah Mahoney @mahoney_sarah, December 5, 2018 Look out, Katy Perry, Justin Bieber and Barack Obama: Santa Claus is coming to Twitter. With National Believe Day just around the corner, Macys says it plans to hand over the reins for its @macys account to the Big Guy. And hell spend Dec. 7 drumming up excitement for the retailers ongoing #Believe campaign, especially its efforts on behalf of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The retailer plans to celebrate Believe Day with Wishes Across America, granting 25 wishes in 25 cities. Its already pledged $1 donation for every letter to Santa, up to $1 million. It says it will now pay an additional $1 for letters written that day, either in-store or online, up to an additional $1 million. The campaign, now in its 11th year, has raised $112 million for Make-A-Wish since 2003, with the Believe campaign generating $17 million. advertisement advertisement The Cincinnati-based department store chain is also teaming up with Giphy, creating jolly GIFs people can use on Facebook, Instagram Stories, Twitter and Messenger. While the real Santa may be staffing the social-media desk at Macys, a new report in Rolling Stone reveals why the store never made an appearance in Elf, the classic Will Ferrell movie. Director Jon Favreau says that Macys initially gave the film crew the green light for filming, and even would have made room for the cast in its annual parade. But it wanted to cut the scene where Buddy the Elf calls out the department-store Santa as fake and starts a brawl, with the classic You sit on a throne of lies! line. Favreau tells RS: "We ended up filming it in the cafeteria of a mental hospital in Vancouver instead of Macys, because we had to build our own version of it because we were unwilling to change the content." by Larissa Faw , December 6, 2018 Publicis Groupe is promoting Vittorio Bonori to CEO Publicis Groupe Italy, replacing Emanuele Saffirio, who is leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. Bonori has spent the majority of his career at the holding company, most recently as global brand president at media agency Zenith. Previously, he served as CEO of ZenithOptimedia Italy, South Mediterranean, Middle East & Africa. Publicis Group plans to announce his successor in the coming weeks. Bnoris new responsibilities will include oversight of all Publicis Groupe operations in Italy, across Publicis Communications, Publicis Media and Publicis.Sapient, reporting to Gerry Boyle, CEO, Publicis Media EMEA & APAC, who also serves in a Publicis Groupe Southern Europe leadership role. In addition, Bonori will continue to serve on the Publicis Media executive leadership team led by Steve King, CEO, Publicis Media. advertisement advertisement The leadership change has been in the works for a while. Saffirio had indicated "his wishes to move on to a new challenge" that gave Publicis the time to identify the right successor. He plans to stay on through a transition period, says Boyle. "We warmly wish him every success in his future endeavors, he adds. As for Vittorio, he is a proven leader and innovator, committed to his clients and teams. He will be an exceptional, transformational partner for our clients and talent as we continue to unlock the Power of One. by Sara Guaglione , December 6, 2018 has teamed with Cracker Barrel Old Country Store to sell a collection of home goods and apparel exclusively at Cracker Barrel locations. Starting December 20, the line of products will be available at all of Cracker Barrels 657 stores across 45 states. It is one of the first big direct-to-retail licensing deals Country Living has produced. Cracker Barrel is the retailer that distributes the collection as well as the supplier. A few products are already available online at shop.crackerbarrel.com, such as a barn and windmill salt-and-pepper shaker set and a blue splatterware dog bowl. Some are also highlighted in Country Livings December issue. advertisement advertisement Commerce continues to be a high priority for Hearst, as we continue to hone print and digital strategies to better serve consumers, Steve Ross, Hearst Magazines Global Chief Licensing Officer and head of brand development, told Publishers Daily. The direct connection to our audience helps us understand how and why and what they buy, he says. Magazine brands are increasingly moving into the licensing business, like Meredith Corp.s Real Simple and Bonniers Outdoor Life. Ross says this is because product licensing is an opportunity for more robust consumer interaction with the brand than traditional advertising. It is another example of publishers working to diversify revenue at a time of great disruption in the magazine advertising business. Both the Country Living and Cracker Barrel teams pulled inspiration separately for an inaugural farmhouse collection, and when we met in our Birmingham editorial office to share thoughts, we found a lot of overlap our barn stars were very much aligned, said Country Living editor-in-chief Rachel Hardage Barrett. The collection, described as a line of products with a modern farmhouse feel, includes 83 items, such as rustic home decor, kitchenware, hand-made apparel and accessories and toys for pets. Items range in price from $0.99 to $149.99. Hardage Barrett says one of her favorite items is the cross-stich suck it up, buttercup pillow, as well as the spatterware, which is "on-trend for this audience." A new theme and products from Country Living and Cracker Barrel is slated to release in 2019, and there is potential for future collections. Ross said Hearst looks for brand partners that can grow into "long-term" and "sustainable" programs. Country Living and Cracker Barrel first partnered on Flip It Forward, a pancake fundraiser to support military families through nonprofit organization Operation Homefront. Next year, Country Living is one of the priorities for Hearst brand development to continue to build and diversify revenue outside of the traditional publishing model, Ross says. Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Popular Mechanics, Car and Driver, Mens Health and Womens Health all have potential for future licensing opportunities as well, he added. by Sara Guaglione , December 6, 2018 Gannett has announced its CEO Robert Dickey will retire by May and may step down sooner if the company finds his replacement. Dickey has served as the chief executive at Gannett, which publishes USA Today and 109 local media properties, since 2015. He has been at the company for 10 years. According to The Wall Street Journal, Gannett is looking at both internal and external candidates. It has hired a search firm to find a new CEO. Gannett is the countrys largest newspaper publisher by circulation. Dickey joins a number of chief executives at media companies who have recently announced their plans to leave their posts. Just last week, Conde Nasts CEO Bob Sauerberg announced he was leaving after eight years at the helm, as the company moves to combine its U.S. and international operations. The publisher is searching for an external global CEO to lead the company. advertisement advertisement Chris Stibbs announced he would step down from The Economist Group that same week, after five years as CEO and 13 years at the company. He will leave once the board appoints a successor. Dickey was formerly president of Gannetts local newspaper publishing division. Under his leadership, Gannett launched the USA Today Network, consolidating USA Today and media businesses in 92 local markets under one umbrella. The company also acquired the Journal Media Group, which includes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and 14 other newspapers, under Dickey's tenure, as well as the North Jersey Media Group and digital marketing division ReachLocal. Photo: Colin Dacre Film crews preparing for a night of shooting at Locolanding in Penticton Film crews with the Hallmark Channel wrapped up production in the South Okanagan Wednesday at Locolanding with a Valentine's Day finale. Crews have spent the last nine days in the area at vineyards in Naramata, Summerland and Osoyoos shooting the third installment of the In the Vineyard feature-film series. Wedding In the Vineyard stars Rachael Leigh Cook and Brendan Penny. It follows the same characters as the previous films Summer In the Vineyard and Autumn In the Vineyard both which were also filmed in the South Okanagan. The audience tends to love them [the series], said producer Trevor McWhinney, explaining the door is open for more In the Vineyard movies down the road. The movie is themed around Valentine's Day around when it will be released on the Hallmark Channel next year and Locolanding was decked out in decorations for the occasion. The scene here is a double date and we start to learn about the incompatibilities of our lead characters and it puts it into question if the pairing is really what they want, McWhinney said. The film is again set in a fictional area within Californias Napa Valley. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, December 6, 2018 Tech companies and the ad industry want Congress to override California's new privacy law, but watchdogs say the measure should be even tougher. California can and should continue to lead on consumer protection, as it has for decades, with robust, thoughtful legislation that puts people first, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Reports and a dozen others say in a letter sent to state lawmakers this week. To that end, the legislatures focus this year should be on building upon -- and clarifying when needed -- CCPAs protections. The California Consumer Privacy Act, slated to take effect in 2020, requires companies to disclose data about consumers at their request, and allows consumers to opt out of the sale of their data to third parties. The bill also tasks the state attorney general with developing enforcement regulations. advertisement advertisement Earlier this year, the Association of National Advertisers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other groups pushed California to amend the law. Among other changes, they wanted lawmakers to narrow the bill's definition of "personal information." The current definition includes cookies, IP addresses and web-browsing history -- which appears to cover data used for ad targeting. Tech companies, the Interactive Advertising Bureau and other groups also argue that states shouldn't regulate online privacy at all, and that Congress should pass a federal privacy law that would effectively nullify the new California measure. But consumer groups and privacy watchdogs say California should beef up its law by placing more restrictions on companies that collect data. The CCPA, as drafted, does not sufficiently define or deter companies internal misuse of data, the groups write. Data misuse should include instances where companies themselves use information in ways that are unexpected and unwanted by individuals, the organizations argue. Under this definition, a social media company would be barred from using inferences it makes about individuals emotional states to target them with ads, or a fitness company would be prevented from using information from an activity app to price membership to its health club, clothing line, or food offering. The advocacy groups also ask lawmakers to reject requests to narrow the definition of personal information. Historically, California has broadly defined protected personal information, and as technological advances make it easier to glean ever more insights from what might otherwise appear to be trivial data, now is not the time to take away longstanding protections, they write. A large review of existing neuroscientific studies unravels the brain circuits and mechanisms that underpin obsessive-compulsive disorder. The researchers hope that the new findings will make existing therapies more effective, or guide new treatments. Share on Pinterest New research analyzes the brain scans of almost 500 people to unravel the brain mechanisms in OCD. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition that affects more than 2 million adults in the United States. People with OCD often experience recurring, anxiety-inducing thoughts or urges known as obsessions or compulsive behaviors that they cannot control. Whether it is repeatedly checking if the door is locked or switching lights on and off, OCD symptoms are uncontrollable and can severely interfere with a persons quality of life. Treatments for OCD include medication, psychotherapy, and deep brain stimulation. However, not everyone responds to treatment. In fact, reference studies have found that only 50 percent of people with OCD get better with treatment, and just 10 percent recover fully. This treatment ineffectiveness is partly down to the fact that medical professionals still do not fully understand the neurological roots of the condition. A new study, however, aims to fill this gap in research. Scientists led by Luke Norman, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan (U-M) in Ann Arbor, corroborated and analyzed large amounts of data from existing studies on the neurological underpinnings of OCD. The scientists published their meta-analysis in the journal Biological Psychiatry. Studying the brain circuitry in OCD Norman and colleagues analyzed studies that scanned the brains of hundreds of people with OCD, as well as examining the brain images of people without the condition. By combining data from 10 studies, and nearly 500 patients and healthy volunteers, we could see how brain circuits long hypothesized to be crucial to OCD are indeed involved in the disorder, explains the studys lead author. Specifically, the researchers zeroed in on a brain circuit called the cingulo-opercular network. This network involves several brain regions that are interconnected by neuronal pathways in the center of the brain. Studies have previously associated the cingulo-opercular network with tonic alertness or vigilance. In other words, areas in this brain circuit are on the lookout for potential errors and can call off an action to avoid an undesirable outcome. Most of the functional MRI studies included by Norman and colleagues in their review had volunteers respond to errors while inside the brain scanner. An analysis of data from the various studies revealed a salient pattern: Compared with people who did not have OCD, those with the condition displayed significantly more activity in brain areas associated with recognizing an error, but less activity in the brain regions that could stop an action. Study co-author Dr. Kate Fitzgerald of U-Ms Department of Psychiatry explains the findings, saying We know that [people with OCD] often have insight into their behaviors, and can detect that theyre doing something that doesnt need to be done. She adds, But these results show that the error signal probably isnt reaching the brain network that needs to be engaged in order for them to stop doing it. The researcher continues using an analogy. Its like their foot is on the brake telling them to stop, but the brake isnt attached to the part of the wheel that can actually stop them. Dr. Kate Fitzgerald This analysis sets the stage for therapy targets in OCD because it shows that error processing and inhibitory control are both important processes that are altered in people with the condition, says Fitzgerald. I must start by admitting this is one of the "hottest" or most frequent questions I am asked nowadays. "Tell us about the revival of jazz in India?" Well, this is best understood with a little background about the roots of jazz in India and with a little clarity on what ingredients are required to popularize any form of art or culture. For a more detailed look into the history of jazz in India, I must recommend a read of 'The Taj Mahal Foxtrot' by Naresh Fernandes, and the documentary 'Finding Carlton'. Starting right from the 20s, there was an influx of African-American and American jazz musicians that played in / toured through India, and that exposure planted the first seeds for jazz here. The beauty of exposure is that when Indian musicians heard this art form, it started affecting and influencing their music as well, and a lot of this influence can also be heard in mainstream Bollywood music in the 50s and 60s, as these jazz musicians were hired for their arrangement and harmonic skills within the industry. The Piano Man Some of the greats of jazz toured India right up to the 60s, including Duke Ellington. There is this wonderful clip of Duke performing at The Shanmukhananda Hall in Mumbai in 63, the backdrop of the stage is THE DUKE written in giant letter of marigolds! I was born in 85, and I missed what was known as the Golden age of jazz in India by a pretty wide mile (1930s-50s). And honestly, had I been brought up in any other environment, I might not have discovered my love for the music. I grew up listening to music from all over the world, courtesy the tapes and subsequently CDs that my father brought. And a chance gift of a Louis Armstrong CD stole my heart. That brings us to the ingredients required for this supposed revival. Education and exposure. Education and exposure are interlinked, and it is a bit of a chicken and an egg situation. Exposure creates the desire in the market, the demand, the requirement. Without exposure to an art form, how do people know that it exists? How are they to decide whether it appeals to them and whether or not they like it? To like something is a subjective decision, and it's completely okay to say, "Hey, this isn't for me". What's not okay is to make that decision without ever experiencing something. Now, once that initial demand has been created, it cannot be met without quality education to create a supply for it. Schools like Blue Notes School of Music, Global Music Institute, True School of Music, Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music and others are essentially creating a talent pool of artists to feed this demand. And it is incredibly essential. With education comes a deeper knowledge of the art form and an ability to express it, creating further exposure in the market and so on. Our educational structure for jazz is India is still nascent, but it is growing slowly. Which means we have more musicians today that are essentially the messengers and carriers for jazz, taking it out into the public domain and creating more demand for it. I repeat, this is just the beginning. Jazz is small in India, but it is growing at a good enough pace for one to feel that this is the start of a revival. The Piano Man Jazz Yatra (founded in the early 80s) was one of the guardians of this art form in India. For a decade when there was nothing around to light the torch, a group of focused and passionate individuals ensured that some of the biggest jazz musicians played in India, and kept the art from dying. With the first Jazz Yatra in Mumbai in '78, Jazz India, and Capital Jazz (the organisation that runs the Jazz Yatra and later the Jazz Utsav) worked hard to bring some really big international musicians to India and gave the stage to the fantastic artists from India as well. There are a plethora of interviews and articles that chronicle different aspects of the Yatra. In essence, the festival brought a directed effort to make people sit and engage with the music, and with serious focus, comes serious exposure for the market. The original organisation had members across Delhi, Mumbai. By the time I had the pleasure to be a part of this fabulous event in the early 2000s, my interaction was mostly limited to the Capital Jazz in Delhi, headed by Soli Sorabjee and I learned a lot working with T.R Ramakrishnan, Arvinder Dhingra, Astri Ghosh and the other members who put in their time and energy to make this festival happen. Today, there are several festivals of different scales in the country promoting jazz, right from festivals such as, Giants of Jazz in New Delhi, to the Sheesha jazz fest in Pune, Goa Jazz fest in, you guessed it, NCPA jazz festival, and others. Similarly there are some venues with a very strong focus on jazz - The Piano Man in New Delhi, the newly opened Quarter in Mumbai and Sheesha Cafe in Pune. There are many other wonderful venues across the country that also promote and bring in Jazz artists to create a audience for it through exposure in Bangalore, Kolkatta, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chandigarh (They have a jazz festival at The Upstairs Club in the beginning of December). Has the culture been reborn? No, I don't think this is a question to be answered in black and white. It is best answered in shades of grey, and we're happy to be active in a time that the public interest for jazz is more than it has been for decades, that more and more artists are learning the language and dictionary of jazz and that there is constantly growing opportunity to go out and get exposure to fabulous, live jazz! The author is the man behind The Piano Man group that owns and manages The Piano Man Jazz Club, The Piano Man Bakery, Dirty Apron and The Piano Man Events and Artist Management. Photo: Contributed There are unusual things happening in Canada right now. This week, we learned that a song written in 1944, Baby Its Cold Outside, will no longer be played during the holiday season by broadcasters such as CBC, Rogers and Bell media. Earlier this year, the City of Victoria removed the statue of John A. Macdonald in front of Victoria City Hall. And soon I predict entering into Canada illegally from the United States to claim asylum will no longer be termed as "illegal. It will instead become an irregular entry. Why? In early October, CBC reported that our Liberal government quietly changed the Canadian immigration department website. Where it once read illegal crossings into Canada it now reads irregular crossing into Canada. The Liberal government is also set to sign the UN Compact on Migration. Part of the compact text, clause 33(c), reads: "educating media professionals on migration-related issues and terminology. In other words, this could be interpreted to mean reporting on irregular crossings into Canada is acceptable but reporting on illegally crossing into Canada may become unacceptable. How would this be enforced? The UN Migration Compact is a non-binding agreement, however in Mr. Trudeaus recent budget update, a $595 million media subsidy fund was announced. This media subsidy will inevitably have some terms and conditions that will be required to be met. Possibly compliance with UN agreements could be one of them. Canadians have always strongly supported legal immigration into Canada. Many Canadians have endured a lengthy process, often considered to be waiting in line fairly, and following all of the rules and regulations. This is why crossing a border between official border crossings is illegal and not irregular. While there are some provisions to ensure those in a life or death situation can cross a border, these cases are quite rare. Canada has more than 38,0000 people who have entered Canada illegally since January 2017 and this has placed a huge backlog on the refugee process and taxes Provincial social services systems, such as is the case with Ontario and Quebec. The Parliamentary Budget Officer reported that illegal immigration, on average, costs taxpayers over $14,000 for each individual case. It is estimated over $340 million was spent in fiscal 2017-18 and the costs are expected to increase by another 400 million in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The costs paid by provinces is not included in these figures. Quebec has recently announced that it will accept nearly 8,000 fewer immigrants and refugees in 2019 compared to 2018. These types of announcements impact all citizens trying to legally come to Canada who might desire to live in Quebec. From my perspective, supporting legal immigration is how one joins our Canadian family. Suggesting that coming to Canada irregularly implies a very different meaning from entering illegally. I strongly support legal immigration as I believe all Canadians do. My question this week: Photo: The Canadian Press An automated machine punctured a can of bear repellent at an Amazon warehouse in New Jersey on Wednesday, releasing fumes that sickened workers and sent two dozen to hospitals, officials said. An Amazon representative said that as of 8 p.m., all of the impacted employees have been or are expected to be released from the hospital within the next 24 hours. At least one of the workers was said to have been in critical condition Wednesday afternoon, but communications representative Rachel Lightly said that worker is among those expected to be released. She said no packages were impacted by the incident. "The safety of our employees is always our top priority and a full investigation is already underway," Lightly said in a statement. The injured workers were taken to five hospitals, officials said. About 30 other workers were treated at the warehouse in Robbinsville, authorities said. Most people were reporting difficulty breathing or burning in their throats or eyes. Robbinsville spokesman John Nalbone told NJ.com that an automated machine damaged a 255-gram can of bear repellent containing a concentrated amount of capsaicin, an active component of chili peppers. He said the fumes were contained in one part of the building's third floor, which was cleared for a few hours, though the warehouse as a whole was not evacuated. Amazon confirmed that the accident dispersed strong fumes in the area of the facility. Hundreds of workers are normally inside the building during work days. Photo: CTV News Teachers in Victoria say there has been an increase in police calls to classrooms since officers were pulled from the school district. In April, Victoria Police Chief Del Manak shuffled all three of Victoria and Esquimalts resource officers who provide hands-on duties at schools in the two municipalities to more traditional positions. "Its about establishing relationships and viewing police as positive," teachers' association president, Jason Gammon told CTV News. "This is just another example of cuts to public education and when we see those cuts, no matter where they come from, its going to negatively affect students." The move was made due to an increase in call volume and budget constraints. Esquimalt mayor Barb Desjardins told CTV News she is disturbed by the increase in police calls to schools. She said she would present the teachers' concerns to the police board the next time they meet. with files from CTV Vancouver Island Photo: The Canadian Press A laborer sits near trucks at a closed market during a day-long strike to protest rising fuel prices among other economy issues, in Gauhati, India. The "yellow vests" in France are worrying greens around the world. The worst riots in Paris in decades were sparked by higher fuel taxes, and French President Emmanuel Macron responded by scrapping them Wednesday. But taxes on fossil fuels are just what international climate negotiators, meeting in Poland this week, say are desperately needed to help wean the world off of fossil fuels and slow climate change. "The events of the last few days in Paris have made me regard the challenges as even greater than I thought earlier," said Stanford University environmental economist Lawrence Goulder, author of the book "Confronting the Climate Challenge." Economists, policymakers and politicians have long said the best way to fight climate change is to put a higher price on the fuels that are causing it gasoline, diesel, coal and natural gas. Taxing fuels and electricity could help pay for the damage they cause, encourage people to use less, and make it easier for cleaner alternatives and fuel-saving technologies to compete. These so-called carbon taxes are expected to be a major part of pushing the world to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and try to prevent runaway climate change that economists say would be far more expensive over the long term than paying more for energy in the short term. But it's not so easy for people to think about long-term, global problems when they are struggling to get by. Macron said the higher tax was his way of trying to prevent the end of the world. But the yellow vest protesters turned that around with the slogan: "it's hard to talk about the end of the world while we are talking about the end of the month." The resistance to the fuel tax is a personal blow to Macron, who sees himself as the guarantor of the 2015 Paris climate accord, its strongest defender on the global stage. He has positioned himself as the anti-Trump when it comes to climate issues. The French government quietly fears a Trump-led backlash against the accord could spread to other major economies whose commitment is essential to keeping the deal together. The fuel tax was not originally Macron's idea; it dates back to previous administrations. But he vigorously defended it and won the presidency in part on a promise to fight climate change. So what went wrong? Yale University economist William Nordhaus, who won this year's Nobel prize for economics, said the tax was poorly designed and was delivered by the wrong person. "If you want to make energy taxes unpopular, step one is to be an unpopular leader," he said. "Step two is to use gasoline taxes and call them carbon taxes. This is hard enough without adding poor design." The French reaction to higher fuel prices is hardly unique, which highlights just how hard it can be to discourage fossil fuel consumption by making people pay more. In September, protests in India over high gasoline prices shut down schools and government offices. Protests erupted in Mexico in 2017 after government deregulation caused a spike in gasoline prices, and in Indonesia in 2013 when the government reduced fuel subsidies and prices rose. In the United States, Washington state voters handily defeated a carbon tax in November. Photo: The Canadian Press In this photo released by Tasnim News Agency, the wreckage of a car is seen after a suicide car bombing at the gate of a police headquarters in the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. A suicide car bomber struck a police headquarters in the Iranian port city of Chabahar on Thursday, killing at least two policemen and wounding 42 people, state TV reported. A little-known Sunni jihadist group claimed responsibility for the attack, which Iran's foreign minister accused of being "foreign-backed." The bomber drove his vehicle, loaded with explosives, up to the police headquarters, provincial official Rahmdel Bameri told state TV. He said police officers blocked the vehicle and started firing at the driver, who then detonated the explosives. State TV also aired footage of smoke rising over the city. The television report said two police officers were killed, lowering an earlier death toll of three without explanation. Mohammad Mehran Aminifar, head of Medical Sciences University in Zahedan, the capital of southeastern Sistan and Baluchistan province, told state TV that 42 people were wounded, including four kids and a pregnant woman. Ten of the wounded were members of the police force, he said. In a communique, the Sunni jihadist group Ansar al-Furqan claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Washington-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist activity online. Iran Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif condemned the attack and warned "terrorists" that they will be punished. "Iran will bring terrorists and their masters to justice," he said on his Twitter account. Most people's mornings begin with the resounding ring of an alarm to alert them to the start of a new day. What actually wakes many of these early risers, however, is a hot cup of coffee. While distinct and bold flavors of the caffeinated delicacy abound, only one in Connecticut is good enough to be ranked among the best in the U.S. That's because new Forbes holiday gift guide names Willoughby's Coffee & Tea of Branford, Conn. among the 12 best coffee roasters in the U.S., citing the company's "paradox of expertise and innovation" as just one of the reasons for their inclusion in their national gift guide. Offering everything from unblended coffees to french roasts, flavored specialities to decaffeinated blends, Willoughby's delivers a selection of coffees for aficionados and casual drinkers alike. For Forbes, one class of Willoughby's coffee stands out among the rest: their Serious Select coffees. Featuring "rare and highly allocated coffees from all over the world," Willoughby's Serious Select poses a unique and exclusive coffee experience that makes for a perfect gift for the coffee-obsessed person in your life. Willoughby's co-founder Barry Levine explained that these coffees, bought at auctions and through direct trade relationships, are often made from rare beans or unique, flavor-altering processes and are usually only available for sale at Willoughby's for two-week spans, sometimes even less. "We roast these coffees on Tuesdays for our mail order customers, and then roast them a second time during the week for our retail stores," Levine said. "It's available for two weeks, but sometimes, we don't have enough for that time. If we do and it was a good seller, we'll bring it back again. But usually, it's one and done." But buyer beware: Serious Select coffees come with seriously hefty price tags. Willoughby's latest selection their Panama Mama Cata Geisha Washed coffee, which brews into a "sweet and floral" cup with "flavors of apricots and strawberries" sells for $54 per 12 ounces. More Information Willoughby's Coffee & Tea Locations 258 Church Street (Corner Grove) New Haven, CT 194 York Street New Haven, CT 550 E. Main Street Branford, CT 752 Boston Post Road Madison, CT See More Collapse There is, however, good reason for the Mama Cata's otherworldly cost, Levine offered. "The geisha variety is about the most sought after and expensive varietal out there," he said. "With this Mama Cata Geisha, we got two lots of 50 pounds and bought it directly from the farm, even cupped it on site." With its rarity apparent and its distinct flavor to be discovered by coffee lovers in Connecticut and beyond, Levine said its price is worth the number of times it can be enjoyed. "While it's priced higher than other coffees on the main list, it evens out. One pound of coffee makes about 50 cups, so a $50-per-pound coffee will come out to about $1 per cup at home," he said. Whether or not the Serious Select coffees make for your daily cup of joe, you can stop at any of Willoughby's locations on Church Street and York Street in New Haven, on East Main Street in Branford and on the Boston Post Road in Madison to find the perfect everyday coffee (or tea) to suit your tastebuds. As for Levine, to finally be included on Forbes' list is something for him and for Willoughby's at large to be proud of. "I see these lists periodically, and it's really nice to 'get in the group,' as they say," Levine shared. "We've been at this a long time, and we were very early in what is now a big wave in specialty coffee, so we've had many years to refine our sourcing network and roasting skills and all the things that go into producing top-quality coffee." As the nation remembers Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. entry into World War II, Floyd Welch has his own memories. An electricians mate on the USS Maryland docked at the Hawaiian naval base on Dec. 7, 1941, Welch was coming out of the shower when he noticed some muffled noises. Then an alarm was sounded, and before long, he and his shipmates were at their battle stations. Then they were at war. Very few of us knew what was going on, recalled Welch, an East Lyme resident who will turn 98 in February. He has indelible memories of that date, exactly 77 years ago, which transformed the lives of millions of Americans. When I stuck my head out of the focsle, there was a battleship on it side, Welch recalled, describing the damage inflicted on the USS Oklahoma. His own ship was hit by two bombs, and the image of those shipmates killed on Dec. 7 have stayed with him for a lifetime. Welch made it through the entire war on the Maryland, including close calls in naval battles off the Philippines and Okinawa. I crossed my fingers and made it, said Welch, And Im proud of my service. Welch took part in an anniversary ceremony Thursday, at a dedication of the opening of the Pearl Harbor Memorial Park in New Haven. Few survivors of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor are still living, and the nation is far removed from the galvanizing impact it had on a nation unaccustomed to war. More for you What Connecticut was like in 1941, the year of Pearl Harbor If I were to ask most of my students, what Pearl Harbor Day is, they could tell me factually, more or less what happened on Dec. 7, 1941, said Matt Pavia, an author and educator. But what I can say with reasonable certainty, is that Im sure teenagers today cant grasp what it that date meant to anyone who was alive then, what it was like to live through that day. The attack killed 2,403 and wounded 1,178, including 17 men from Connecticut. Stamford residents Vincent Horan, an aviation mechanic at Wheeler Field, and William Thomas ONeill Jr., an ensign on the USS Arizona, were killed in the attack. Bridgeport lost two men in the raid: George Povesko was killed onboard the USS Arizona, and Felix Wegrzyn, serving in the Army Air Corps, who was killed at Hickam Field. George Smith of New Haven, an Army Air Corps private, also died at Hickam Field. Pavia, a teacher at Darien High School who co-authored a new book on Stamford in the Vietnam era, said few Americans today of any age could understand the impact that Pearl Harbor had on a generation, and its aftermath. Total war is a concept foreign to the culture of 2018, he said. We live in a time when our armed forces are comprised of a microscopic percentage of the population, Pavia said. In the 1940s, when the Japanese attacked and war was declared the next day, virtually every person in America directly impacted. Young men were signing up, parents were sending kids overseas, brothers and sisters were saying good-bye, it was a war that affected everyone. That just doesnt happen anymore. Contemporary culture, the author said, has little in common with American society in 1941. We live in a materially comfortable society, where were used to having an abundance around us, of physical comfort and material possession. I dont think any of us are any longer conditioned to the idea of communal sacrifice in the way the World War II generation was, Pavia concluded. The attack on Pearl Harbor changed everything in Connecticut, as it did for the rest of the country. The fear of sabotage and follow-up attacks consumed law-enforcement all over the region. Guards were posted around the clock at the Cos Cob power station, which kept the trains running from New York to New Haven. Air-raid wardens were posted across Long Island Sound, ensuring total darkness in the nighttime hours. Japanese and German nationals were picked up and detained for questioning by local police officers and FBI agents. A sandwich shop called the Triple Decker, owned by a Japanese immigrant, Junzo Junior Nojima, was vandalized in Stamford but a group of local citizens turned out to help him clean up the damage, and he remained in the city for years afterward. The Navy recruiting station, a post office in South Norwalk, was mobbed with recruits, most of whom were turned away because they were too old for service. Gov. Robert Hurley shut down all private aviation in the state. The attack at Pearl Harbor transformed the region in other ways, bolstering its status as an industrial powerhouse. Wartime industry ran full shifts turning out material by the bargeload. Felt made in Greenwich lined army boots for cold-weather combat. Millions of rounds of .30-caliber rifle and machine gun bullets poured off the line at the Remington Arms Co. in Bridgeport. Corsair fighter planes roared overhead on test flights from the Chance Vought factory in Stratford. At the Luders boat-building factory in the South End of Stamford, a sign outside read Remember Pearl Harbor. Those moments now only exist in history books or faded newspaper clips for all but a few men and women now in their 90s or above. Veterans still pause to remember Pearl Harbor Day. Its a day that carries such importance and is another incredible example of the ultimate sacrifice made by so many before us that helps to ensure the great freedoms we enjoy every day until this day. A day that cannot and will not ever be forgotten, said David Vieira, an Army veteran from Danbury, and a member of the VFW. Jeff DeWitt, an Air Force veteran from Norwalk, said Dec. 7 was a turning point in history, one that should be remembered 77 years later. It was a day that defined a generation of Americans and changed the world. Service, sacrifice and valor were demonstrated by American heroes at unprecedented levels and foreshadowed the trials, toughness and grit that epitomized that Greatest Generation during the Second World War. DeWitt, who is active with the American Legion Post in Norwalk, took part in a recent Pearl Harbor commemoration this week, an obligation he felt a duty to carry out. We have to tell the story of the generations before us so theyre not forgotten, he said. This is an important story and possibly the most important. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com DANBURY For the second time this year, police have concluded a reported gunman on the campus of Western Connecticut State University was a person carrying a piece of stage equipment. A police investigation has determined what was believed to be a person carrying a gun on the West Side campus on the afternoon of Nov. 20 was a portable light stand, according to a report released Thursday. The active shooter report, called in at the Visual and Performing Arts Center, triggered an immediate and heavily armed police response that led to lockdowns at schools across the area. No shots were fired, no one was hurt and police cleared the scene after an hourslong search of the arts center. But local officials are praising the student who called in the initial report despite the mistake because they would rather be safe than sorry, University President John Clark said. Last months incident closely mirrors one that occurred in June, when a call about a gun on the universitys Midtown campus drew a large and swift police response but turned out to be a man carrying a microphone stand. I want to recognize and applaud the actions of the student who made the 911 call, Clark wrote in an email to students and staff on Thursday. This student took the exact, right action and we should all be thankful and congratulate this student. This students quick and correct action is an example to us all and in an actual emergency could have saved countless lives. WCSU Police reviewed security camera footage from the arts center and identified a person entering the building with the light stand. A student later carried the same piece of equipment past the classroom where another student called police to report seeing a man with a gun, according to investigators. A witness who had been in the classroom said the tripod-like light stand and the student carrying it with a shoulder-slung bag matched the description from the original 911 call, police said. That description was corroborated by additional witnesses, they added. Freshman Chris Elhers was one of two witnesses who believed they saw a man with a weapon outside their classroom and recalled seeing the bag over the shoulder of the person when he spoke with The News-Times that afternoon. He and his classmate, a young woman not named by police, rushed everyone else to the front of the room. If it wasnt a gun, it looked a lot like a gun, Elhers said then. I didnt second guess it, I just ran to the front of the classroom to hide. The young woman was visibly shaken that afternoon and Mayor Mark Boughton explained she had been upset at causing such a dramatic response for what turned out not to be a weapon. But both Boughton and Clark praised the young woman and Elhers for their actions that day. Hundreds of students and staff have signed up for the university emergency alert messaging system in the wake of last months scare, Clark said. New students are automatically enrolled in that system when they join the school and the university has been adding staff and older students who might have joined before the automatic registration and had not yet signed up, university spokesman Paul Steinmetz has said. Campus police have increased foot patrols near the Visual and Performing Center and campus counselors have provided extra support and outreach, Clark said. A further assessment of the incident and the response is being conducted, which will result in recommendations for the range of possible emergency situations that may arise, according to a WCSU release. The school plans to hold informational sessions with students, likely at the beginning of next semester, Steinmetz said. Danbury Public Schools and local police are working on several new protocols after the incident revealed some minor communication issues in their response. The incident led to the lockdown of several nearby public schools, including the Western Connecticut Academy for International Studies on the Westside campus, and highlighted the need to station a police officer with Superintendent Sal Pascarella to keep him in direct communication with police leaders during active situations. This has been a difficult, traumatic time for us, Clark said. We want to believe that our university is safe and secure, and any indication that we arent, causes anxiety and anger. I thank everyone involved for their patience and for sharing their concerns. We need to make sure that everyones questions are answered and that help and assistance are provided to all students, faculty, and staff who experienced this incident. zach.murdock@hearstmediact.com MIDDLETOWN Some people whove spent the last few years ordering holiday gifts online for the convenience have realized they enjoy the tactile and sensory experiences of handpicking the perfect present for that special someone in a brick-and-mortar store. At least once daily, someone will walk into Amatos Toy and Hobby on Main Street and tell Owner Diane Gervais he or she prefers buying items in person. Were hearing a lot from customers they want to actually shop. They want to do this, Gervais said. Weve had a lot of young families say last year they did a lot online and they didnt have fun. It was interesting. They didnt enjoy it, because they didnt have the art of going out and choosing things and playing with them, seeing the different options. Its so much more real, she said. Young couples, they make a date day of it, and theyre shopping and going to lunch or dinner downtown, Gervais added. The citys main drag downtown is lined with businesses many of which are run by local people, such as Gervais, whose shop is celebrating 78 years in business. Choises There has been a resurgence in building and STEM-related toys this season. Its raising peoples awareness of how important building toys are to development starting with wooden blocks, to models for children as young as 18 months, 2 years and older, she said. There are 15 pieces they can put together to make three different things, so theyre starting to learn how things go together and how things work even very, very simple circuitry, Gervais said, pointing to the Botly coding robot for ages 5 and up. You give him commands, and he does things. Coding seems pretty complicated, but this is coding, Gervais said, explaining the very basic, four-button remote programmer. These are the Erector sets of today, she said. Gervais adds a handful of marbles to a colorful plastic 3D maze that kids can put together in a variety of ways. The marbles light up, circle the inside of objects with an ear-pleasing sound, roll down ramps, and gather in a small tray at the bottom. Parents are looking for activity-based, non-screen toys for the older kids. Single-player, logic games have experienced quite a resurgence. Back in the day, there was just Rubiks Cube, but now, theres Hacker and Rush Hour and Circuit Maze, and all these things that are more interesting and have a lot of challenges. You start off easy and it gets harder, Gervais said. Families are wanting to sit down and play games again, said Gervais, who recently doubled Amatos puzzle and board game area. Another attraction at Amatos is the TrainLand toy train display, including Playmobile and Lego products, found in the lower level and open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 3 p.m. A couple doors down, Kathy Wyant of Wesleyan R.J. Julia Bookstore, shows off a display that includes the newly published Becoming by Michelle Obama. Its her story of being a first lady , but its juxtaposed with her life story, when she was a child, her growing up in Chicago, and being a mother, being a wife. Shes very authentic and honest in it talks about going to marriage counseling, struggles with her kids: normal stuff, said Wyant, who is reading the book and listening to the audio book. Its like shes in my car, telling me her story. Displays throughout the store group together items such as teapots, cups, spoons and saucers with volumes like How to Feed Yourself and A Little Tea Book. Male biographies are also flying off the shelves, Wyant said, including The Good Neighbor about Fred Rogers and Big Fella, about Babe Ruth. Flying Wish Paper is an extremely popular gift for teachers: its a kit that contains a pad of colorful, small crepe paper squares. The recipient writes his or her desire on the paper, and places it on a special fireproof stand and lights it aflame. As the delicate squares burn, the charred remnants fly off into the air. It just disintegrates, Wyant said. R.J. Julia also carries childrens picture books paired with stuffed animals, and offers lots of young adult choices, which are also read by adults, Wyant said. The only reason theyre classified as young adult is because the characters are younger, but the themes arent necessarily childish, she said. At A Pocketful of Posies in Main Street Market, one of the best sellers is a wooden cheese board with grandmas recipes burned into it , said owner Dottie Smith, who has been running her shop there for three of her 35 years in business. Her former locations were in Essex, Durham and Block Island. Smith has packaged items such as oil and vinegar sets with bestsellers: fig, garlic and lambrusco. Another popular gift is a truffle box that contains four handmade chocolates wrapped in a festive box, perfect for Secret Santa or other office presents. In the back area can be found Lifted Cups Yard of Tea: 12 varieties contained in a long box with 96 teabags inside. Saturday, we were selling it like crazy. Thank God I bought a lot, said Smith, who also sells holiday wreaths she makes herself, and boutique wearables. Most of the customers are requesting soft: they want comfortable, they dont want pinching anymore. Even the office ladies are getting away from the dressy look. They want something you can wear all black and put a pretty scarf on, she added. The Finchberry company, run by an Atlanta couple are colorful, soaps that look good enough to eat. Glycerine, its really soft, but its also pretty the sparkles, she said. The line also includes bath salts and creams. Amy Becker, owner of the Ladybug Boutique on Court Street, is intent on featuring as many Connecticut-made products as she can find. If its not made in Connecticut, I try to get made in America or New England, she said. She will either seek out local purveyors or learn about them by word of mouth. Her wares come from about 20 women crafters. It just happens to be women. Its moms who try to do something either addition to their full-time job, or so they can stay home with their kids. Moms: Were multitasking people, Becker said. . At ground level sits a smiling snowman clad in a red knit sweater with chunky buttons and matching nightcap, tartan scarf and carrot nose holding an embroidered sign that reads May your home be filled with love and peace. The woman that makes the snowman, shes retired. She just does this because shes good at it and likes it and it makes her happy, she said. On Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m., the Ladybug Boutique will hold a Christmas party with wine, cheese and crackers for customers to enjoy while browsing all the items in the store, which will be discounted by 15 percent for the evening. Photo: The Canadian Press Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi Minister of State for Energy Affairs of Qatar speaks prior to the start of a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, at their headquarters in Vienna, Austria, Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018. OPEC countries were gathered Thursday to find a way to support the falling price of oil, with analysts predicting the cartel and key ally Russia would agree to cut production by at least 1 million barrels per day. Crude prices have been falling since October because major producers including the U.S. are pumping oil at high rates and due to fears that weaker economic growth could dampen energy demand. The price of oil fell 22 per cent in November and was down again on Thursday amid speculation that OPEC's action might be too timid to support the market. Saudi Arabia, the heavyweight within OPEC, said Thursday it was in favour of a cut. "I think a million (barrels a day) will be adequate personally," Saudi oil minister Khalid Al-Falih said upon arriving to the meeting in Vienna. That, he said, would include production for both OPEC countries as well as non-OPEC countries, like Russia, which have in recent years been co-ordinating their production limits with the cartel. That view was echoed by others, including the oil ministers of Nigeria and Iraq. "I am optimistic that the agreement will stabilize the market, will stop the slide in the price (of oil)," said Iraq's Thamir Ghadhban. Investors did not seem convinced, however, and were pushing the price of oil down sharply again on Thursday, with some experts saying there is concern about the size of the cut. The international benchmark for crude, Brent, was down $1.52 at $60.04 a barrel. "The cartel has to go above and beyond the 1 million barrels cut, to at least 1.4 million to really steady the ship," said Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com. The fall in the price of oil will be a help to many consumers as well as energy-hungry businesses, particularly at a time when global growth is slowing. And U.S. President Donald Trump has been putting pressure publicly on OPEC to not cut production. He tweeted Wednesday that "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" Enlisted soldiers and warrant officers can now count some of their time spent working in certain specialties toward earning a nationally recognized journeyman certificate for a trade position when they leave the Army. Army Training and Doctrine Command has partnered with the U.S. Department of Labor and the Navy to allow soldiers to enroll in the United Services Military Apprenticeship Program, or USMAP. There are currently 127 military occupational specialties spread across 18 different career management fields that soldiers can choose from when they self-enroll in the program, Capt. Chase Standifer, staff action officer for leader development at TRADOC, told Military.com. "It's letting soldiers get credit for the job they are already doing. It allows them to use those on- the-job hours and get a journeyman certificate in a given trade," he said. USMAP falls under the Navy's Education and Training Command and is backed by the Department of Labor, or DOL, Standifer said. DOL officials coordinate with "industries across the country and say, 'Hey, for these jobs, what do you guys want a journeyman to have to do to be qualified?' " he said. "So when you take this to a company and say, 'I have done [6,000] hours to earn my journeyman certificate as a welder,' that means more than going to a local trade school and learning book answers to welding." Soldiers must go to the USMAP website to start registration. "You go in and pick your MOS from a drop-down menu, and that will bring up a list of all the trades available to that particular MOS," Standifer said, adding that the site explains how many hours are needed for a specific job. "For a welder, that entire trade takes 6,000 hours of work to complete. And that is broken down into multiple skill sets, so some examples of that are using and maintaining basic tools, metal identification, brazing, soldering and different types of welding. Each of those skill sets has a certain amount of hours." For some trades, soldiers may not be able to earn their journeyman certificate on their first enlistment, said Sgt. Maj. Matt Tran, senior enlisted adviser for leader development at TRADOC. Ranks through specialist "may not get that metal identification experience at that level. They may receive that when they become an E-5 or an E-6," he said. "I know there are some doubters out there ... you know, 'I can't earn this apprenticeship in my first two or three years of enlistment.' You are right, you are not going to," Tran said. "It may take a soldier five to 10 years to complete." Once the soldier registers, the program notifies their leadership, which tracks and verifies his or her progress in the program. USMAP is not just for new soldiers, Standifer said. "There is actually a way to earn limited pre-registration credit, so they can get 1,000 hours of credit for every one year of service, and then those credits can be applied to up to 50 percent of a single trade," he said. "So if I have a soldier with 10 years of service, they are eligible for 5,000 hours of preregistration credit. So if they chose an 8,000-hour trade, they would be eligible to use 4,000 hours." So far, about 350 soldiers have signed up for the program. "In reality, it takes an extra five minutes in the week to log their hours, and they can get an incredibly valuable certification for their transition out," Standifer said. In most trades, "they value these journeyman certificates over, say, a school certificate because it shows you have actually done the job," he said. "It gives you something to hand to industry to prove that you have done it." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. One Marine has died after two were rescued Thursday following a collision between an F/A-18 Hornet and a KC-130 Hercules off the coast of Japan. Rescuers have recovered two of the seven crew members involved in the crash, which occurred during routine refueling training around 2:00 a.m. local time. While one of the Marines is in fair condition, "the other has been declared deceased by competent medical personnel," officials said. "The search-and-rescue operations continue for the remaining five U.S. Marines who were aboard the KC-130 Hercules and F/A-18 Hornet," III Marine Expeditionary Force said in a statement Thursday. "As to what was taking place when the mishap occurred, that is under investigation." Related content: The aircraft launched from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni early Thursday morning. The accident occurred about 200 miles off the coast of Japan, officials said. The Marine in stable condition is reportedly one of the F/A-18 pilots, according to Military Times. The pilot was rescued by an SH-60 Sea Hawk crew assisting in the recovery, the paper said, adding that debris has been found. The U.S. 7th Fleet is supporting ongoing search-and-rescue efforts with a Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft flying out of Kadena Air Base, Japan. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Japanese Coast Guard are also providing assistance, III MEF said. That includes Japanese ships, a submarine and helicopters, according to Military Times. C-130 Hercules crews from Yokota Air Base are on alert, awaiting orders to circle above the crash site and search for survivors, officials told Military Times. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Four veterans groups and a prominent military association have joined forces to pressure Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to drop his opposition to a "Blue Water Navy" bill that would make tens of thousands of ailing veterans who served on ships that patrolled the territorial waters off Vietnam eligible for disability compensation and health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. These veterans have developed illnesses over the years that the VA lists as ailments presumed to be associated with exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides sprayed ashore during the Vietnam War to expose enemy ground forces. The intensifying pressure on Lee, plus some last-minute compromises between veterans groups and the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, have resuscitated the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (HR 299), which last week seemed set to expire by mid-December with the lame-duck Congress. Suddenly, odds have risen that the Senate will pass a bill identical to the one approved unanimously by the House in June, despite stiffening opposition from the Trump administration and VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. Related: Pass Blue Water Navy Legislation This Year Conn Carroll, Lee's communications director, said Wednesday that the senator remains "committed to giving science the time it needs to properly inform policy" on Blue Water veterans and the health effects of patrolling within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam during the war. In the Senate, an individual lawmaker can put a hold on most any bill. Lee and another still-unnamed senator placed a hold on Blue Water Navy legislation. Lee's office, when queried last week, confirmed his opposition, explaining that the senator wants action on the bill delayed until the VA delivers a promised new health study on Vietnam veterans. Wilkie had urged a delay when he told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee in September to expect a study comparing ailments and morbidity of Vietnam vets, including a sample of shipboard personnel, with Americans of similar age. The study is to be completed sometime in 2019. Blue Water Navy advocates, however, want no more delays. And Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., chairman of the Senate committee, and Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, the committee's ranking Democrat, have promised to push through a bill this year, taking advantage of momentum behind the House vote. Late Wednesday, five groups -- The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Military Officers Association of America -- sent a joint letter to Lee, requesting a meeting "no later than the end of next week" to "hear your concerns" on HR 299 and "present our views on the merits of this legislation." The letter notes that the groups, combined, have five million members, "including 19,000 who live in Utah," and that HR 299 passed the House unanimously and "has been awaiting Senate approval for almost six months." Meanwhile, negotiations in recent days between Isakson, Tester and veterans service organizations reached key compromises and a consensus to back a Senate a bill identical to the one passed by the House. This will avoid the need to send an amended bill back to the House for a final vote before the 115th Congress adjourns in mid-December. This represents a concession by the largest veterans service organizations that joined in recent months to oppose the House bill's method of funding Blue Water Navy benefits by increasing VA home loan funding fees including, for the first time, imposing fees on certain disabled veterans -- those who opt to use a new jumbo loan feature the bill approves for veterans to be able to buy homes in pricey areas of the country or buy larger-than-average homes anywhere. To continue to shield disabled veterans from any new fees, Isakson had drafted an amendment to HR 299 that would extend for two years the period when higher fees are imposed on non-disabled veterans using the VA loan benefit. But veterans groups told Isakson they would endorse Senate passage of HR 299 without his amendment if he understood the need to remove the jumbo loan fees from disabled veterans at the first opportunity in the 116th Congress and find a more acceptable way to fund much of the Blue Water Navy bill. Isakson, in turn, agreed to drop support for another proposal to amend HR 299, this one from Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., which would soften resistance of some Republicans who want Congress to make it harder for the VA to expand the number of ailments presumed associated with battlefield toxins in wartime. The Agent Orange Act of 1991 allows VA secretaries to add ailments to the VA's list of illnesses presumed caused by herbicide exposure if studies from the National Academy of Medicine confirm either a "sufficient" association or a "limited or suggestive" association between herbicide exposure and the disease. Cassidy, who supports the Blue Water Navy bill, proposed eliminating the law's "limited or suggestive" language for adding ailments to VA lists of medical conditions presumed caused by Agent Orange or other toxins used in past or future wars. Ailments could still be added only if medical research found a "sufficient" association between a disease and veterans' exposure to contaminants. Cassidy's call to stiffen standards would not have affected veterans currently receiving VA compensation and health care for a presumptive ailment, nor would it have narrowed current lists of presumptive ailments for Agent Orange or other toxins for veterans filing new claims. An early version of this column published last week had described Cassidy's proposal incorrectly. He only sought to raise the threshold for the addition of new ailments to VA presumptive disease lists. Veterans groups opposed the Cassidy proposal and, for now, it has been shelved. The challenge now is to pass HR 299 with few days remaining in the 115th Congress. The quickest route is for Isakson to bring the House bill to the Senate floor and seek unanimous consent of colleagues to pass it expeditiously. If no senator objects, the Senate permits the action. In this case, if Lee or the unnamed senator also with a hold on HR 299 walks to the floor and objects, the bill dies and Blue Water Navy veterans start their fight anew in the 116th Congress. Lee's spokesman, Carroll, acknowledged that the senator received a request to meet with veteran groups. He said, "We are committed to making sure they know our concerns and we know theirs." Does Lee plan to block a unanimous consent vote on the bill? "Undetermined," said Carroll. What about his commitment to give science the time it needs? "There all multiple considerations made whenever a senator chooses to object to a unanimous consent request," Carroll said. A veterans group representative said Lee has been "carrying water" for the Trump White House in opposing the bill. Carroll objected to that characterization. "Senator Lee carries water for no one," he responded in an email. "I think he's deservedly earned his reputation as a principled thinker." For the next week and perhaps beyond, Lee's principles regarding Blue Water Navy veterans and their survivors will be under a lot of pressure. To comment, write Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120 or email milupdate@aol.com or twitter: @Military_Update. President Donald Trump's proposal to create a Space Force will likely cost billions, but Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer pledged his support Thursday for an organization dedicated to space operations. In September, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson maintained that the creation of a separate Space Force would cost the Defense Department roughly $13 billion over five years. Despite the cost of a separate space service, Spencer said he is in agreement with Wilson and Army Secretary Mark Esper that "there should be some sort of common receptacle for space assets, space technology, space acquisitions, space strategy," he told an audience at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. "We will have to wait and see how the Congress actually vets it out. ... But on a fundamental basis, whether it's a [Special Operations Command] model, whether it's its own command, I definitely support the concept that we do need a center of excellence for space," he added. Spencer said the U.S. needs to put assets toward the space domain in the same way it does for the cyber domain. The U.S. military has placed a strong emphasis on operating on the cyber battlefield and defending against cyberattacks. But Spencer said the U.S. now must do more than just have a strong defensive network that's able to repel cyberattacks from potential adversaries such as Russia. "Anyone in the cyber world knows you have to be offensive and defensive," he said. "You simply can't be defensive, because to hone the skills to be good defense, you have to be out there in the offensive theater." Spencer said the U.S. military has "been given some authorities to do that, and we are in the right direction for addressing it." The real challenge will be recruiting the right talent to be successful, he said. "My question is, where are we going to continually source the talent, because the talent is changing faster than we can manage?" Spencer said. "So this is truly going to be a public-private partnership going forward." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. The U.S. Navy's top official said Thursday that President Donald Trump's proposed 5 percent cut to next year's budget would be "stunning" to the service's plans for the future. Earlier this fall, Trump asked all of his cabinet secretaries to cut next year's budget plans by 5 percent to "get rid of the waste," The Associated Press reported. Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer told an audience Thursday at the Center for Strategic & International Studies that cutting that much from next year's spending plan would likely damage the progress the service has made from funding in the last two budget cycles. "The waste would be absolutely stunning," he said. "I am a tad bit limited on what I can say. It is the president's budget, and the topline hasn't been presented to us yet. I will tell you we are working various scenarios. ... Some of the scenarios will make your eyes water for what we might have to do if the numbers are certain numbers." Spencer added, "The other comment I will make is we have such great tailwind right now, and we have laid the foundation and spent this money to get us going in the right direction. The bicycle is up; we are peddling. Please don't knock us over." The Navy is currently on track with its ambitious plan to achieve a 355-ship fleet by 2034, in addition to taking steps to solve its shortage of attack submarines. But there are other future priorities on Spencer's wish list that have uncertain futures. As the ice continues to melt in the Arctic, Russia has increased its military presence near the Arctic Circle. "The Arctic is an area, ladies and gentlemen, that we must focus on," Spencer said. "It is in my wish list. We need to have a strategic Arctic port up in Alaska." He argued that the U.S. must do a better job monitoring activity in the area. "We have cruise ships going up there," he said. "Can you imagine having a Carnival line cruise ship having a problem and the Russians do the extraction?" But Spencer admits it's about "resource management." "We need to sell the business plan to our representatives so they fund it appropriately," he said. "Everyone is up there but us. I mean we are under the water ... we have been under the water since the 1960s, but peace through presence with submarines is a little tough." Modernizing the Navy's sealift capability is another item on Spencer's wish list. "Technically, we can fill the 15-million-square-foot requirement for the lift. ... Can we do it better? Can we do it more efficiently? Do we need to recapitalize? Yes, yes, and yes," he said. One challenge is that the Navy has a "whole slew that are [powered by] steam plants," Spencer said. "We are losing expertise in steam plants. One of the things we are looking at is, can you pull the ship up, carve a hole in the side, take the steam plant out and put diesel electric in? Again, it's a resource issue." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Photo: The Canadian Press Since the 1990s, Cheryl Jansen had noticed junk and tree limbs piling up at the once oasis-like Park Cemetery, just north of downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut, and wondered where the money families had paid for perpetual upkeep was going. What she learned after finally taking her case to a judge shocked the conscience. Gravestones and remains moved without permission to make way for the newly dead. New graves simply stacked on top of old ones, separated by a new layer of dirt. Worst of all, human bones, casket pieces and old headstones tossed in the woods like trash. The stunning discoveries led police to arrest the caretaker, Dale LaPrade, on Thursday morning. But Jansen and other families still are trying to establish whether the remains of their loved ones and other, older graves are where they're supposed to be, and in the absence of any government overseers are stuck with the responsibility of making sure this never happens again. "It's just horrible," said Jansen, whose great-grandparents and other relatives are buried at Park Cemetery along with veterans from several wars including the Civil War. "It's absolutely just unbelievable that people did this and they've been doing this for a while. Just a total nightmare. You never think you have to worry about your dead relatives ... but I guess these days you do." Jean Mattox said her mother's gravestone had been moved a short distance away and placed above another person's remains. Her son discovered the problem a few months ago, when things looked out of place and he compared the scene to a photo taken when the grave was in the correct spot. "I was so upset," said Mattox, a 55-year-old medical records worker from West Haven. "When you lay down a tombstone, that's the way it's supposed to be and where it's supposed to stay. My mother means everything to me. She meant everything to me, and it was really disturbing to me. If I was a millionaire, I would dig her up and move her to another cemetery." People with relatives buried there had complained over the years to police and other local officials about conditions, but nothing ever was done, Jansen said. Finally, she went to probate court, seeking financial records to see what happened to the money families had paid for perpetual upkeep. Probate Judge Paul Ganim asked city police to investigate and that, she said, is when officials started taking the situation seriously. Police searched the cemetery and its offices in September. Detectives testified in court that they found old gravestones in the woods, broken stones lying around and bones, later identified as human, lying on the ground. Authorities dug into dirt piles and found pieces of old caskets. A cemetery historian concluded that new graves were placed where burials had occurred between 1890 and 1934. It appears many veterans' gravesites were affected, but an inventory has not been completed, Jansen said. One Civil War veteran's gravestone was found in a maintenance garage. Officials also found financial records in disarray and unopened mail from 20 years ago. A police investigation has not established the whereabouts of the upkeep money. But a civil court judge in Bridgeport last week ordered LaPrade to stay away from the cemetery, the result of a complaint by Jansen, who said it appears more than 100 graves were either disinterred or had new remains buried above them. LaPrade appeared in court last week in a wheelchair and told Judge Barbara Bellis, "I've stayed away. I've been trying to get out of the cemetery for 10 years. I've been ill," The Connecticut Post reported. She turned herself in to Bridgeport police on Thursday and was charged with felony interference with a cemetery before being released on a promise to appear in court Dec. 18. A new app-based errand and delivery service is rolling out to some military bases nationwide, and the founder wants to know if you'd like access to it too. The app, JoyRun, combines the idea of crowdsourced delivery through people who are already your neighbors, including those on base, with what has long been my dream scenario: coffee delivery. Of course, it's not just coffee -- it's anything, said Manish Rathi, who owns the company behind the service. The way it works is pretty simple: Users can post to the app when they are going somewhere or accepting errands or "runs," and people who want or need something can post a request. Those who do the runs get both reimbursed and paid a few dollars in fees per errand per person. All payments are processed through the app, so no cash exchanges hands. "It was built for communities, neighbors and colleagues in an office to help each other out and get rewarded in the process of doing so," Rathi said. "It works for food, diapers, dish detergent. And it's done not be a delivery driver; it's done by members of the community." Right now, the app is available on a handful of military bases in the U.S., including the San Antonio area and Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi. It will soon be online for Minot, North Dakota. Opening the app for a new location takes a few steps, Rathi says, but starts with a user requesting it. From there, developers do a few interviews about interest and hire a local community manager to assist with rollout. Although Rathi said the app was developed around the gig economy concept and most people use it to bring in a little gas money or extra cash while running their own errands, there are people who make a living out of it. The company's fees, levied on the person making the request, depend on the cost of the errand. For small errands in which the runner earns $3 or less, the company charges nothing. For income between $3 and $15 per run, it charges 15 percent. And for income over $15, it charges 20 percent, he said. Any tip the runner receives is not subject to that cut, he added. Teresa Guerin, a military spouse and veteran who uses the app in the San Antonio area, said she pulls in at least $20 to $25 an hour doing runs for people. She especially likes the service because she can take her kids with her on both the errands and the deliveries. And, unlike rideshare apps like Uber, which punish you for turning down a job after you've already seen the details, Guerin can accept only jobs she actually wants. She said she also loves the community convenience it creates. Military families often share vehicles or live on installations far removed from major stores. "If I were at home in Dallas, my mom or aunt would come over and say, 'Can I grab something from the store?' " she said. "We don't get that in the military, so it's really convenient to have JoyRun so if I need something I can get on and ask." Now, who wants to bring me coffee? -- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com. In "Operation Finale" (out now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital), director Chris Weitz tells the story of the 1960 capture of SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal who successfully hid in Argentina after World War II. Israeli operatives ran a covert operation that extracted Eichmann and took him to Israel for a trial that was televised worldwide and reeducated the world on the horrors of Nazi destruction and murder. Movies usually portray intelligence operations as sexy and thrilling and spies as near-superhuman in their skills, but the real operatives always emphasize the day-to-day grind and tedium of espionage work. "Operation Finale" takes a different tack. The Israeli team are a group of brave yet normal men and women who have the kind of internal disagreements and communication issues that will look familiar to anyone with a day job. Adolph Eichmann is no supervillain. He's a boring man who promoted unimaginable horrors as the architect of the Holocaust. It's an important and almost daring choice. The movie isn't as immediately thrilling as you might expect, but the portrayal of the operation and its moral implications will stick with you long after you see the film. Weitz insisted on shooting the film on location in Argentina and the crew's recreation of its 1960 era is exceptionally beautiful. Chris Weitz took the time for a conversation with us about his aims in making "Operation Finale" and why its message resonates so intensely in 2018. Director Chris Weitz and actor Nick Kroll on the set of "Operation Finale." (MGM) What inspired you to tell this story now? There's a particular timeliness to this story as we appreciate how easy it can be to slide into authoritarian tendencies. There's an urge to nationalism and dare I say patriotism being felt around the world. It's occasionally good to remind oneself of what happens when those impulses get through. For myself, my dad was a veteran of World War II and he was a German/Jewish refugee before that. This was stuff that I grew up with. My dad wrote biographies of prominent Nazi party members. I was his fact checker and research assistant, so I grew up with this. The story in "Operation Finale" is a part of post-World War II history that seems to have completely disappeared from the school curriculum. Of course, in some ways it's a Holocaust movie and in some ways it's not at all; it's kind of peripheral. It's really the story of how people want to forget things and the value of bringing traumas like these back into the light. On the one hand, you have someone who wants to lapse into obscurity. On the other hand, a bunch of Israelis are reviving the experience of this trauma in order to get some kind of catharsis for their country. The mission itself is interesting because they want to bring things back into light rather than assassinate Eichmann. Their aim was national in its importance. In Israel at the time, people were very keen to move past the trauma and the victimhood of the Holocaust. [Prime Minister] Ben-Gurion forced an acknowledgment of everything that had happened upon the country and created an airing of tragedy. Adolph Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) at his Israeli trial in "Operation Finale." (MGM) I was really blown away by how beautifully the film is shot. The settings are so era-specific. As I watched, I wondered where you'd found such great locations because I was confident that there was no way you would have been able to make this movie in the real locations in Argentina. And yet, when the end credits came it, I found it I was wrong. In the past, Argentina hasn't really wanted to acknowledge this part of their history. How did you get to shoot there? Have the country come to terms with this part of its history? I'm glad you're asking. In some ways, Argentina has not wanted to concentrate very much on this part of their past. On the other hand, we never found any roadblocks in our way in terms of shooting there. Going down there was definitely something that I kind of had to force upon all of us. Argentina is a long way from here, plus there are none of the rebates or tax benefits that drive runaway productions to places like Canada or Hungary or Romania. It was a very particular decision and I really felt it was important for us to get a sense of what it was like to be there, to be able to shoot sometimes in the actual locations where things took place. There's sort of a fringe benefit in the accretion of history, not just in the buildings and the look of things, which is very particular, but also in the sense of the people around us, our extras, our secondary players, people who had lived through this history. It's extraordinary the number of times someone came to me and said, "Oh, I remember when this happened" or "My cousin knew one of the guys involved in the mission," all these sorts of things. We wouldn't have experienced that if we were shooting in Montreal, as pleasant as that would have been. Is there still any sense of that former Nazi German culture in Argentina? There is this bizarre trove of Nazi paraphernalia that was unearthed during our production. There were all kinds of weird echoes while we were there. There's still the ABC Club, which is the German restaurant where Eichmann met Mengele in Bueno Aires. That's still in operation and serves pretty good German food, actually. And there's Bariloche, which is a place where a lot of German immigrants settled when they left Germany. There still is that sort of Germanic past, but there were also a lot of echoes coming from the States. While we were shooting, Charlottesville took place, so it was a tremendous reminder that we'll be reminded of these things one way or another, either because we're carefully keeping them in mind or because they pop up out of the unconscious of our own country. Oscar Isaac and Nick Kroll star in "Operation Finale." (MGM) We're having this conversation the week after the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. I saw this film on Monday and it was a far different experience for me than it would have been on Saturday before the shooting. An interesting thing that I came to believe while shooting this movie is that Nazi Germany wasn't unique. Obviously, in terms of the devastation that it wrought on Europe and the rest of the world, it is unique. But in terms of the sentiments, I think that we are every bit as drawn to them as Germany or as Brazil or any other place you can think of, given the right conditions. That was behind our decision not to portray Eichmann as a monster, but to portray him as a human being. That is something that we've occasionally been criticized for. But the important thing is to recognize that the people who effected the Holocaust weren't just sadists and lunatics, but they were opportunists who saw the chance to move up in the world and who hitched their wagons to a star. I wish I could say that I was shocked by the massacre in Pittsburgh, but really it isn't that surprising, given that these kinds of massacres take place all the time and that there was is much fuel on the grounds politically. Oscar Isaac stars as Israeli intelligence agent Peter Malkin and Ben Kingsley stars as Adolph Eichmann in "Operation Finale." (MGM) Not only is Eichmann's portrayal almost banal in some ways, even the Israeli team that went to capture him aren't portrayed as these sort of superhuman heroes or kickass special operators, in the way that most movies would. It's like everybody is closer to normal than you normally see in this kind of story. When you read the memoirs of the agents on the mission, what's interesting is how they were kind of cobbling things together and flying by the seat of their pants a lot of the time and how they were coming to grips with their own emotions about this situation. They weren't super men; they weren't cold-blooded killers. They were normal people who came from very traumatized backgrounds who were trying to come to grips with what they were doing as it was happening. All of them indicate how strange it was to be in the safe house with one of the perpetrators of the final solution. The sense of dread and discomfort that they had, not just in being near him, but in recognizing that he was a human being. Eichmann wasn't a monster; he wasn't a super villain. He was just in some way a pathetic human being. MGM released the movie theatrically here in the United States and Universal's releasing it on home video, but it's a Netflix movie in the rest of the world. That's a platform where a lot more people have a chance to see a movie like this. What kind of feedback are you getting from Germany, from Israel, from Argentina? There's been lot of interesting feedback and I'm very happy that people can see it on Netflix. Interestingly, there's some pushback in Israel because of the portrayal of Eichmann as a human being, which I think I understand. He's been a sort of a boogeyman figure in Israel for understandable reasons. But I was very intent on showing that he wasn't a kind of Hannibal Lecter. He's more like an entrepreneur who found a business climate in which could move up. I think that it's easier to think of these people as demons, but it is probably more accurate to see them as normal people who do terrible things under the right circumstances. Well, that's certainly how you have to look at it if you're gonna prevent it from happening again. Otherwise you're not going to see it coming. Yeah, I think that's the problem.I also got a bit of criticism from someone about the portrayal of the Catholic Church, or rather what they perceive to be the portrayal of the Catholic Church. There's a priest at a fascist rally in the movie and the fact of the matter, unfortunately, is that Eichmann was aided in escaping from Germany to Argentina by priests. There were Catholics who saw any opponent of global communism as a friend in need. Unfortunately, the fascists in Argentina were abetted by traditionalist Catholics as well as Nazis. Melanie Laurent, Oscar Isaac, Nick Kroll, Michael Aronov and Greg Hill star in "Operation Finale." (MGM) Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley are spectacular in the film, but it's interesting to see some other surprising faces in your cast. Peter Strauss is not a guy you see a lot lately. And it was very interesting to see Nick Kroll in a dramatic role. Well, I love mixing up a cast as much as possible, to have some kind of combination of people you might expect to see in the film, as well as people who are kind of playing in sort of different positions than they normally would. It was really great to have Peter Strauss in the film and to have Nick Kroll playing a dramatic role. I think that comedians are often very, very good at drama when they're given the chance. I was also really happy to have some actors who hadn't been seen before, who won't be familiar at all to an audience. There's a guy, Greg Hill, who I had seen in a film that was only released on YouTube, who plays Moshe, this kind of very violent, angry operative. I think he's wonderful. A little more than a week after General Motors announced wide-ranging cuts in Michigan and the U.S., Fiat Chrysler is said to be eyeing opening the first new assembly plant in Detroit in 27 years. People briefed on the Auburn Hills, Michigan-based automaker's plans have confirmed the news to outlets such as CNBC, the Detroit News and the Wall Street Journal. According to the reports, FCA would convert a vacant engine plant in Detroit into a new assembly plant as part of its plan to amp up its three-row Jeep, SUV lineup. The Detroit News specifically reports that the automaker would revive the Mack Avenue Engine II facility, which has stood empty since 2012. It is thought to be converted into a new assembly line for the 2021 three-row Jeep Grand Cherokee. Sources familiar with FCA's plans tell the newspaper that this new facility could see the addition of between 100 and 400 jobs in Detroit and Michigan. Spokespeople with the automaker have declined to comment on the circulating reports. The News reports that the last remaining auto assembly plant located in Detroit opened in 1991, and before that GM opened its soon to be shuddered Detroit-Hamtramck plant in 1985. Of course, this news for one of Detroit's Big 3 expanding in its city comes on the heels of one of its counterparts pulling out. Last Monday, GM announced it was planning to close three assembly plants and two propulsion plants in Michigan, Ohio, Maryland and Ontario by the end of 2019. The closures of the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, Lordstown Assembly Plant in Warren, Ohio and Oshawa Assembly plant and propulsion facilities will result in the loss of about 14,700 jobs including 8,100 white-collar, salaried employees. The Detroit-based automaker faced harsh criticism from President Donald Trump, politicians and unions for pulling out of the American workforce. The president has not tweeted in response to the potential FCA expansion news. Toyota and its Lexus brand are bringing some serious speed with them to the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Downtown Detroit. A couple of weeks after Toyota confirmed it was bringing its Supra to the auto show, the automaker's Lexus brand said it would debut the 2020 RC F Track Edition in Detroit as well. CNET reports that Bob Carter, executive vice president of sales at Toyota, made the announcement during a Thursday, Dec. 6 media luncheon. The 2020 Lexus RC F Track Edition will be street legal, and that it would be the "fastest, most powerful" model outside of its LFA supercar. Carter told the Automotive News that production of the new RC F Track Edition will be on a "very, very limited" basis. In addition to the new street legal Track Edition, Lexus will also reportedly refresh its standard RC F model for the 2020 model year. That's about all that is known regarding the new edition's debut, outside of the fact it will take place in Detroit. The 2019 NAIAS are open to the public from Jan. 19 to Jan. 27 at the Cobo Center in Downtown Detroit. Press preview days are scheduled for Jan. 14 and Jan. 15, which is when to check in with MLive for any breaking news, features and all of the fresh reveals. For ticketing information, click here. The economic impact of the 2018 show was $480 million, a $30-million increase from the previous year, according to the show's spokesperson. It's important to note that 2019 will represent the last time the auto show takes place in the brutally cold month of January in Michigan as it moves to June in 2020. Jenison dentist Steve Hall traveled with his wife, Judy, to Hawaii in October to be inducted into the International College of Dentists. Georgetown Township dentist Dr. Steve Hall was recognized by peers in October with induction into the International College of Dentists. The ICD was established in 1920 and has 11,000 members. "You can only be part of it by being recommended by two current members," said Steve Hall, who traveled to Hawaii with his wife, Judy, to receive the honor. Membership also recognizes humanitarian service. Hall has worked on several Missions of Mercy locations in Michigan providing free dental care. Every spring, he goes to Guyana, taking a group of about 30 Ferris State University dental hygiene students (he is a teacher at Ferris); and dental students from the University of Michigan to give free dental care. The group started a school in Guyana six years ago. Hall also has taken mission trips to Alaska and the Dominican Republic. Hall was nominated for the ICD induction by Scott Hodges, of Grand Rapids; and Margaret Gingrich, of Big Rapids. Both have been on the Guyana trip and Missions of Mercy trips with Hall. Hall also was one of three dentists to win the 2018 Michigan Dental Association Service Award. Hall said the ICD's motto "is recognizing service and the opportunity to serve." There are five tenets - leadership, recognition, humanitarianism, professional relations and education. Despite his commitment to mission service, Hall still continues to practice at his Jenison office, as he has for 36 years. "These trips are only one a year, or two, just a week long," he said. Before establishing his own practice, he worked for six years with his uncle, the late Dr. D. Dale Mohr, in Mohr's Jenison dental office. Hall has been active in the community as a member of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission and also served for 17 years on the Jenison Public Schools Board of Education. He is a 1974 graduate of Jenison High School, a 1978 graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and a 1982 graduate of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. LANSING, MI The Michigan Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that puts more requirements around who can staff the newly-created redistricting commission under Proposal 2. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair Shores, was amended before its passage on the floor. It would set guidelines for how the Secretary of State determines the political affiliation of potential commissioners on the newly-created redistricting commission and prohibit an individual affiliated with a political party from providing services like legal and accounting work to the commission. It is opposed by Voters Not Politicians, the group that started and promoted the ballot proposal, which passed with 61 percent of the vote. The group argued during the committee process Wednesday that the proposal itself contained language saying it was self-enacting, and implementation bills were unneeded and unconstitutional. Pavlov said on the Senate floor: This just puts up precautions and does not in any way affect what voters have approved. Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said the bill was unnecessary because the new Secretary of State can do the work. She's perfectly capable of figuring out who is a Democrat and who is a Republican without the help of this lame-duck legislature, Ananich said of Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat. The chamber passed the bill 25-12, with Democrats, along with Republican Sens. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights, and Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton. The bill is one of several that make changes around ballot proposals recently approved by Michigan voters. A set of bills approved by the Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday work to implement Proposal 3, on voting access, and a bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, would overhaul Proposal 1, which legalizes recreational marijuana. Senate Bill 1254 heads next to the House. It would need to pass there and be signed by Gov. Rick Snyder to become law. KALAMAZOO, MI Arcadia Brewing Co. founder and CEO Tim Suprise said he does not anticipate bank foreclosure, despite a foreclosure notice filed by the companys mortgage lender. The Kalamazoo brewpub is open normal hours and has no plans of going anywhere anytime soon, Suprise said. To quote the immortal words of Mark Twain, rumors of our demise are greatly exaggerated. Were not going anywhere, Suprise said. A mortgage foreclosure sale notice was filed for the Kalamazoo location of Arcadia Brewing Co., 701 E Michigan Ave. The notice states the amount still due on the mortgage is $1,409,677.12. The property housing a brewpub, brewing and packaging space and offices could be set for auction as early as 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, according to the foreclosure notice. Property taxes still due on the property include $5,163.63 from 2016 and $90,740.20 from 2017, according to the Kalamazoo County Treasurers office. Arcadia Brewing Co. has been in the process of engaging with potential strategic partners for 9 to 10 months, Suprise said. In this time, the company has been working with two different groups but can not disclose details about potential partnerships until the final stage of the process is complete, he said. The partnerships could be solidified as early as within the next few days, he said. Suprise said he has been in constant communication with the companys mortgage lender First National Bank of Michigan and, though he cannot speak for the bank, it is his understanding that there is no immediate plan to initiate a foreclosure auction. Communication between the bank and Arcadia Brewing Co. has been transparent as the brewery has pursued its plan, he said. Suprise said none of this has been a surprise in reference to the foreclosure notice. Once the final stage of the Arcadia Brewing Co.'s plan is in place, Suprise said he is confident an auction will not happen. Suprise reiterated that he cannot speak for the bank, but said banks have the responsibility to protect collateral assets and will file for foreclosure as a contingency. Im more optimistic about Arcadias future today than I have been in the last 18 months, as crazy as that might sound in the present circumstances and based on some recent reporting," he said. The beverage alcohol industry has changed dramatically in the past five years, Suprise said. Factors that contribute to the changing landscape include strategic acquisitions of small and large craft breweries by larger brewing entities and private equity and strategic alliances entering the industry, Suprise said. All of those things create a challenge for brands to grow and to meet some of their financial obligations," Suprise said. "We recognized that we were being challenged in that regard. Suprise said the transition of the industry started as Arcadia made the investment in the Kalamazoo Arcadia Brewing Co. The Kalamazoo property is the site where a coal-burning Consumers Energy power plant stood for decades, but the land sat vacant for about 20 years. Suprise bought the land, which was valued at $88,000, for $5,000 from the Kalamazoo Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, and has worked with the authority to remove contaminated soil and underground infrastructure. On top of the companys investments, Arcadia Brewing Co. in Kalamazoo received $1 million in grants from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The city also promised to secure a $200,000 low-interest loan and provide $120,000 in tax increment incentives. In 2017, the company received a $60,000 grant from the Consumers Energy Foundation, administered by Downtown Tomorrow Inc., to build a band shell. Suprise said it was important that the company make decisions to take care of staff and associates, maintain its role as a community partner and continue positive relationships with distributing and retail partners and vendors. A Battle Creek location of Arcadia Brewing Co. closed its doors late last year, with plans to find a new space and restart sometime in 2018. The company has not yet announced plans to open a new space this year, but Suprise said discussions with potential partners would allow for exciting opportunities in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and many other locations. A group of five retirees passed a joint between them Thursday morning in Flint Township in what has become a ritual for the group. Only this Thursday was special, as it marked a historic moment as the end of marijuana prohibition in Michigan. The moment passed quietly in Michigan, as use is permitted for adults 21 and over only in private. Mike Cheshire, 69, of Flint, shook his head after taking a toke from the joint and passing it to his right at the Vehicle City Social Club. He didnt think this day would come. It should have been legal a long time ago, Cheshire said, as he recalled the memory of his first experience with marijuana at the age of 19 with a friend who would eventually become his business partner and brother-in-law. I wish he would have lived to see this. Two seats over in the circle was Belinda Reed, 68, of Flint, who brought a giant cowbell to the private club in Flint Township where medical card-carrying members can smoke indoors in a former bar guarded by a security officer and metal detector. Usually reserved for April 20th celebrations, today Reed was planning to ring the bell at 4:20 p.m. Though she has used marijuana for medicinal purposes since 1968, Reed said she didnt decide to vote for Proposal 1 in Michigan until the last minute. I dont want to wreck the good thing we have going, Reed said, noting she was afraid of the big business that could control the industry. Thursday in Michigan, state officials announced they would be changing the name of the Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation to the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation -- a body that will oversee both medical and adult-use programs, as well as the caregiver and medical patient registry. The bureau now has one year to develop rules and regulations to govern the adult-use program, and to accept applications for business licenses. Notable in the name change is the change from "h" to "j" in the states spelling of marijuana. In conjunction with the renamed bureau and in an effort to improve consistency among consumers, industry stakeholders, and other government agencies LARA has embraced the common spelling of marijuana," the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs said in a statement. "All legal documents and references to statutes will continue to use the spelling in the states legal code marihuana. However, the Michigan State Police are still choosing to use marihuana. As recreational marijuana became legal in Michigan Thursday, communities across the state continued their active discussions and votes over whether to ban marijuana businesses. For cannabis activists, Dec. 6 was a day worth celebrating -- and many were planning to spend it together at the Cannabis Counsel law offices in Detroit Thursday night. Twenty-five years ago we could only talk about this quietly among ourselves, said Shelley Koski, a vendor at Vehicle City Social Club. Weve been working hard for decades. -- Amy Biolchini is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact her with questions, tips or comments at abiolch1@mlive.com. Read more from MLive about recreational marijuana. A controversial bill that would give legislative chambers power to intervene in any Michigan court case passed the House over protests from Democrats, who consider the legislation a breach of the separation of powers and an attempt to undermine incoming Attorney General Dana Nessel. House members voted 58-50 to approve House Bill 6553, with House Democrats and five Republicans voting against the legislation. If passed, House Bill 6553 would authorize both houses of the Legislature to intervene in any action commenced in any court of this state whenever the Legislature or a house of the Legislature deems such intervention necessary in order to protect any right or interest of this state, or of that body. Currently, the legislature can request to intervene at the discretion of the judge on a case-by-case basis. HB 6553 would give the legislature a standing right to intervene in cases. The bill was introduced Nov. 29 by Rep. Rob VerHeulen, R-Walker, and was fast-tracked through the state House during the legislatures lame duck session. The House Government Operations Committee abruptly cleared the bill for a floor vote Tuesday after several interruptions from protesters, one of whom called the bill un-American. VerHeulen said the bill is a very simple change that would not have any impact on the attorney generals power. What the bill does not do is encroach on the office of the Attorney General, he said, noting that the bill doesnt mention the Attorney General position at all. Democrats werent buying it. Rep. Robert Wittenberg, D-Oak Park, said he was fearful for the future of the state, calling the legislation an unconstitutional power grab. Wittenberg said he highly doubted the bill would have come before the legislature if Republicans had been more successful in the statewide elections last month, and implied Republicans are now trying to limit the powers of incoming Democratic elected officials. The Constitution says the powers of government are divided into three branches...this bill will erode that foundation, he said. To me its troubling that I have to stand before you today and lecture you on civics. The bill could also create a situation where government bodies could intrude or impose on citizens' private interests, said Rep. Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills. He also suggested a scenario could occur where the state House and state Senate intervene on opposite sides of an issue, further confusing a court case. The bill tramples on the rule of law," and puts the legislature in a position to impose undue governmental burden on private parties, he said. Rep. Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, said he understands the criticism that the bill was introduced shortly after the election. But he encouraged lawmakers to look beyond the timing, noting the Attorney Generals right to intervene in a court proceeding is a statutory, not constitutional, right. He said the bill provides this legislature a voice, an even greater opportunity to intervene in lawsuits more than we already do. We need to have the opportunity to express our views in a courtroom," Chatfield said. I believe the timing of this has led to unfair criticism. Its incumbent on us to not let criticism or fear of opposition stop us from adopting what I consider to be sound public policy. Nessel opposes the proposed changes. Kelly Rossman, communications director for Nessels transition team, previously said Nessel is "deeply concerned and troubled by the hasty legislative efforts to push through a proposal that has not been properly vetted and appears to be an intentional effort on the part of some legislators to undermine the role of the states Attorney General. To become law, the bill would need to be approved by the full Senate and signed by Gov. Rick Snyder. Photo: Chelsea Powrie RCMP Supt. De Jager fields questions at Thursday's RDOS meeting as Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki looks on. Penticton RCMP Supt. Ted De Jager defended police response times after hearing concerns from several directors at the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen meeting Thursday. John Vassilaki, mayor of Penticton, asked De Jager whether anything is being done to improve the response time from the moment a call is made to the time an officer arrives on scene, citing recent complaints from constituents. "I suspect one of the things everyone is aware of is an incident in downtown Penticton," De Jager said, referring to last week's incident in which a belligerent man refused to leave a beauty school, and police took 20 minutes to arrive. He blamed the timing on "dispatch delay" and said the 20 minutes was misleading. "The police response time was three minutes. The fact that someone called for that, before that, by the time the members actually get the call, it was three minutes from the time it showed up on his computer screen to the time he arrived," De Jager said. "Our dispatch system may sometimes hold a file because there's simply no one available." He said that even doubling the police force throughout the South Okanagan wouldn't guarantee these dispatch delays wouldn't persist, and said that they work hard to maintain the industry standard across North America response time of nine minutes. "The fact is, the majority of our response times in the more urban areas are well under industry standards. And I realize that may be small comfort to someone that's on the phone waiting for the police to arrive," De Jager said. "There's a lot more information than what a video clip captures," he added. Penticton councillor Julius Bloomfield asked how city bylaw officers fit in in the policing of downtown, but De Jager said that while the RCMP rely on those officers in reporting incidents like the beauty salon interaction, they aren't involved in policing. "A bylaw officer is authorized by the city to enforce bylaws, they're not authorized to enforce the liquor control and licensing act or the criminal code," he said. "Whether that changes or not, that's well beyond me, that's a local government and provincial government discussion." Some of the rural district directors also jumped in on the response time queries. George Bush, who represents Cawston, said petty property crime in his community is prolific and occurs nightly. "And the response time, I mean, if someone is spotted or caught or whatever, the response time at certain hours to Keremeos-Cawston is like 50 minutes," Bush said. "It is a problem." Subrina Monteith of Skaha West/Kaleden/Apex echoed the sentiment, and said her constituents have lost faith in the police coming to help for those calls. "We had three home break-ins [this week] and nobody's reported them. They're not even reporting anymore," Monteith said. De Jager urged the communities to continue reporting and to look at citizen patrols and neighbourhood watches as ways to help mitigate the situation, since upping the police presence in the rural areas is not realistic. "We have to talk about expectations and the real reality of having that level of staffing," De Jager said. "I would like to be able to get everywhere quickly but the farther out people live the longer it takes." De Jager also said that the RCMP are currently undertaking a study throughout the South Okanagan-Similkameen looking at response times, and a new community policing coordinator has been hired who will be reaching out to rural communities in the coming weeks to offer help in setting up citizen patrol groups, if desired. LANSING, MI The Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday passed bills designed to help implement and clarify Proposal 3, which expanded voting access for Michiganders. Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake, said his Senate Bills 1238 through 1242 would clarify and help implement Proposal 3 without changing it. Nothing in these bills conflict with any rights guaranteed under Prop 3, Kowall said. The bills collectively seem to implement the wider voting access guaranteed in Proposal 3 by doing things like requiring the Secretary of State to automatically register those applying for state IDs and drivers licenses, allow voters to apply for absentee ballots in person, enable no-reason absentee voting and requiring a clerk or assistant clerk to be at the clerks office on election day to receive and process voter registrations. They also provide clarifications for clerks, according to Secretary of State Director of Government Affairs Mike Batterbee, who said the Secretary of State was neutral on the legislation. Some of those provisions include specifying clerks to post 30 days ahead of the election about their availability at a clerks office or other location to process voter registration applications, clarify the timing of information transmitted by clerks and requiring the Secretary of State to notify people who registered online during the 14 days before the election they need to register in person to vote in the coming election. The proposal did draw opposition though, passing committee on a 4-1 vote without the support of Sen. Morris Hood III, D-Detroit, who said it was undermining the will of the people. Marilyn Fox Wade testified before the committee and said it was her first time ever doing so, but she thought the issue was important. I feel like pushing this ahead in lame duck is subverting the will of the people. Democracy means something, and it feels like youre trying to go and go against the will of the people in their voting, Fox Wade said. Committee chair Sen. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc, disagreed with her characterization and said doing things like this was part of the legislatures job through the end of the current lawmakers terms. Fox Wade was joined in her opposition by several other Michigan residents who testified against the package. Todd Cook, campaign director of Promote the Vote, the group that pushed Proposal 3, said the bills dont make major changes but do need more scrutiny. Hes urging the legislature to slow down and consider them next year. We can do this in a way that accomplishes what we need to accomplish in a thoughtful way and doesnt lead us to have to come back and do cleanup language and cause problems that people have seen in the draft, Cook said. The proposal did anticipate the legislature passing some follow-up legislation, he said. Sarah Bydalek, of the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks, didn't declare a position because the organization hadnt had time to meet about it. We do need to take the time to discuss it with all of the clerks, but I think its definitely a positive move in the right direction, she said. The bills head next to the full Senate. It would need to be passed by the full Senate and full House, then get a signature from Gov. Rick Snyder, to become law. LANSING, MI A series of bills that strip campaign finance oversight from the Secretary of State and hand it to a new commission passed the Senate Elections and Government Reform Committee along partisan lines Wednesday. As introduced, Senate Bills 1248 to 1252 take campaign finance oversight out of the purview of the Secretary of State, where its historically been, and put it in the hands of a newly-created Fair Political Practices Commission. The bipartisan commission would be populated by Republicans and Democrats whose names are submitted by political parties. The governor then makes the final selection of who will be on the commission. Sponsor and Committee Chair Sen. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc, introduced a substitute to one of the bills that changed it. The new version was not made available publicly at the meeting, but he described changes to how the governor would appoint a commissioner in the event of a vacancy and how commissioners are compensated. Robertson said the idea of putting a commission in charge of campaign finance had been discussed among lawmakers for a long time. Campaign finance attorney Eric Doster, who testified in support of the idea, also said it was longstanding. The ideas behind SB 1250 are not new, and have been floating around for at least a decade, Doster said. Others, however, have noted the timing of this bill falling in a lame-duck session after, for the first time in many years, Michigan voters elected a Democrat to lead the Secretary of States office. In a statement released last week after the legislation was introduced, Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson said it was hyper-partisan. Asked if he was trying to usurp power from Democrats, Robertson laughed and did not answer the question, instead describing the process of how a bill becomes a law. Craig Mauger, executive director of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, testified against the bill. He said it set up a system in Michigan that mirrored the Federal Elections Commission, a body with a similar bipartisan setup that often gridlocks. This commission will probably operate in a more divisive manner because of the political parties being the ones submitting the names to the governor, Mauger said. Plus, he said, the Secretary of State is accountable to voters and the new commissioners would be accountable to political parties. Opponents to the legislation included Genesee County Clerk John Gleason, who in a press released blasted Robertson for forwarding the bill because Robertson himself is facing campaign finance fines. Robertson owes $1,681.33 in fines, according to Secretary of State spokesperson Fred Woodhams, who noted that figure may not reflect any very recent payments. Robertson defended his own campaign finances, saying Ive complied with the state law with regard to my own situation in every respect, and I continue to. The bills head next to the full Senate. I believe the bills stand on their own merits, and I intend to advance them on the Senate floor on their own merits and Ill make the case there, he said. The bills need to pass the Senate, pass the House and be signed by Gov. Rick Snyder to become law. LANSING, MI The state of Michigan could not set stricter standards than the federal government except in special circumstances under legislation approved by the Michigan Senate. The bill, HB 4205, sponsored by Rep. Triston Cole, R-Mancelona, would make it so that, in most cases, state agencies could not set rules that were stricter than what the federal government has in place. The measure passed the Senate on Wednesday, Dec. 5. When he introduced the bill last year, Cole said it would help Michigan be competitive. Were improving Michigans competitiveness by establishing a regulatory system, Rep. Cole said. Rules can still be more stringent than the federal government, this legislation simply ensures we look closer when those rules are made, so Michigan is not overregulated. There are some exceptions. The requirement doesnt apply to emergency rules, certain special education rules and any rule where the state agency director determines there is a clear and convincing need to exceed the federal standard. But the bill drew opposition from environmental groups, who see it as barring state agencies from enacting environmental rules, such as Michigans tougher controls on ballast water pollution and lead in drinking water, which are more stringent than comparable federal standards. Paired with SB 1244 passed by the Senate this week that would limit the science that state regulators could draw upon when setting cleanup standards for polluted sites, public health advocates see a double-barreled assault on state-level environmental protections. How do you simultaneously say you want to protect public health urgently and then put in place roadblocks that would keep us from protecting ourselves?" said Cyndi Roper, a senior policy advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Michigan. Its outrageous they could be saying one thing in public and then, under the cover of lame duck, working to prevent the state from acting. Roper said Michigan is at the center of a national PFAS contamination crisis. Although the state wants to see the Environmental Protection Agency set national standards for PFAS, it could take years for that to happen. There are increasing call for the state to develop its own enforceable standard for PFAS in drinking water. We can do more to protect Michiganders than a national standard would do when it comes to something as urgent as PAFS or lead, Roper said. If we waited for EPA to update the Lead and Copper Rule, wed still be sitting here with no hope of an end in sight. With the Trump Administration rolling back environmental regulations left and right, the passage of no stricter than federal would put our public health and Great Lakes at risk, said James Clift, Michigan Environmental Council policy director. Clift called the proposal an effort to demote the Office of the Governor. For communities in Michigan grappling with PFAS-contaminated drinking water, this is truly a dangerous piece of legislation. Toxic PFAS chemicals are not federally regulated and, if passed, HB 4205 would make it more difficult for Michigan to enact drinking water rules to protect the 1.9 million Michiganders now impacted by this dangerous forever chemical, said Lisa Wozniak, executive director of Michigan League of Conservation Voters. The Senate passed the bill 24-13, with Democrats plus Republican Sens. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights; Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City; and Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge, voting against it. Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, D-Flint, said he voted against the bill for a simple reason: I lived through Flint water. The Senate amended the bill in committee, meaning the House would need to approve the current version before sending it to Gov. Rick Snyder for signature. In 2011, the governor vetoed a similar bill. However, Cole said last month he had worked with the governors office to address some of those concerns in this version of the legislation. Roper said that SB 1244 and HB 4025 are both part of negotiations around another proposal, spearheaded by the governor, that would increase a tipping fee at landfills to raise money to pay for toxic site cleanups. The governor really wants the landfill tipping fees that would cleanup up contaminated sites left primarily by industry," she said. "Industry is trying to negotiate weaker cleanup standards for their sites, which this money would go to fund. Those contaminated sites arent of our doing, but were left with the burden, Roper said. The standards for cleaning them up need to be as protective of health as possible. Ananich said Senate Democrats wouldnt support the governors push to increase tipping fees if he signed House Bill 4205. The no stricter than federal would have to be dead on arrival at his desk for us to even consider taxing citizens more to pay to fix it up, Ananich said. Note: This story has been updated with additional comments. ANN ARBOR -- A Livingston County woman is accused of embezzling between $50,000 and $100,000 from her former employer over a nearly three-year period. State police investigators say Tracey L. Sindlinger, 44, of Pinckney, stole money from Stein Electric Co. in Manchester between May 21, 2015 and March 23 this year, according to court records. Sindlinger who performed accounting services for the business, is accused of writing fraudulent checks to herself, drawn from Stein Electric's bank account in various amounts ranging from $200 to $2,000 during the course of her employment. She's charged with embezzlement between $50,000 and $100,000, punishable by up to 15 years in prison; embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000, punishable by up to five years in prison; three counts of illegal possession of a financial transaction device, a felony punishable by up to four years in prison; and five counts of uttering and publishing, punishable by up to 14 years on prison. She also faces fines up to $25,000, or three times the amount of the theft. Sindlinger, who was arraigned in July, is currently free on a personal recognizance bond and barred from writing any checks. She waived her preliminary examination and is scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing before Washtenaw County Circuit Judge David S. Swartz in Ann Arbor on Dec. 17. MLive requested and was awaiting comment from Sindlinger's Southfield-based attorney, Jeffrey G. Schwartz, and her former employer. MLive filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the police report and Sindlingers mugshot. ANN ARBOR, MI - Just one week after Fingerle Lumber announced it was planning to close after more than 87 years of business, the University of Michigans Board of Regents approved the purchase of land owned by the business. The Board of Regents approved the purchase of 6.54 acres of land for $24 million. A closing date has been set for prior to March 31, 2019. UM will have 90 days to complete due diligence on the property. The current owner intends to enter into a lease with the university, concurrent with the sale, that would allow it to continue to operate at the location along South Fifth Avenue, south of East Madison Street until Dec. 30, 2019. The university would receive a negotiated monthly rent for use. The universitys future use of the property is yet to be determined, UM Chief Financial Officer Kevin Hegarty said. Its acquisition will provide a future opportunity for the expansion of Central Campus, Hegarty said. The three parcels of land include warehouse buildings, none of which are suited for university use, UM noted. Brothers John and Mark Fingerle, the third generation of family members to run the business started by their grandfather in 1931, say they're ready to retire and close down operations. John Fingerle, president of the company, and his brother Mark, who is vice president, said theyve informed their staff that the company will close sometime in 2019. "While we don't have a specific date in mind, I'm certain that it'll happen sometime during 2019," John Fingerle said, adding they plan to sell off the company's assets, including about seven or eight acres of property along both sides of Fifth Avenue and Madison Street. The company has a sales center and hardware store at 617 S. Fifth Ave., across from its lumber yard by the Ann Arbor Railroad tracks, and a product showcase at 214 E. Madison St. GENSEEE COUNTY, MI -- Some Genesee County governments may opt out of allowing recreational marijuana businesses in their townships and cities as the state law goes into effect on Thursday. Proposal 1 approved by Michigan voters in November allows adults 21 and older to possess up to 2.5 ounces on their person and up to 10 ounces at home, including 15 grams of marijuana concentrate. Commercial recreational marijuana businesses are allowed to open in the state, unless local governments choose to opt out as Montrose Township, Genesee Township, and the city of Montrose are discussing. Fred Domine, Montrose Township clerk, confirmed board members voted Nov. 20 to approve a first reading of an ordinance that would prohibit the establishments. He declined to provide a copy of the ordinance, stating additional votes were still needed to approve the measure. Mark Emmendorfer, Montrose Township supervisor, was not immediately available for comment. Township voters in all four precincts were in favor of Proposal 1 -- a 1,388 yes to 1,337 no count, according to the final numbers from the Genesee County Elections Office. Genesee Township officials plan to vote next week on an ordinance that would prohibit the establishments and subject those found in violation to a fine of up to $500 per day. They are still sorting out the current process right now, said Steve Fuhr, Genesee Township supervisor, regarding the potential opt-out. While the election results have been certified by the Board of State Canvassers, the state has until 2020 to craft new rules and regulations for recreational marijuana businesses and products. Voters in all nine township precincts approved Proposal 1 as they did in the one precinct in the city of Montrose -- 332 yes to 282 no votes. Neil Rankin, Montrose city manager, said they are working on an ordinance for board members to decide on whether they want in or not on the businesses. Not at this point. Were not looking not to do it, he commented, adding We have basically a year or so between (legalization) and when the recreational component will be put into place. Licensed medical marijuana businesses in Michigan will be allowed to apply for recreational licenses first. They have to weigh: do you want to have these facilities? said Rankin of local governments. Is it worth the hassle? I think a lot of it is going to be based on property costs. Some communities wouldnt be attractive to this kind of opportunity. Well have to wait and see. Other mid-Michigan communities, including Essexville and Saginaw Township, are also looking at opting out on recreational marijuana businesses for now. According to a letter to planning commissioners signed by Steve King, the township's director of community development, "staff proposes that the Planning Commission schedule a public hearing on January 2, 2019 for a zoning ordinance text amendment that will prohibit the operation of marijuana facilities provided for through the MRTMA (Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act)." The letter continues, "Because of requirements established within MRTMA, the township faces a narrow opt-out window that necessitates formal action in January." Some changes may be afoot to Proposal 1 before those businesses open with legislation recently introduced during the lame-duck session. A bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, could potentially eliminate a provision allowing residents to grow up to 12 plants at home, or up to 150 plants with a micro-growers license. The tax rate would also be lowered from 10 to 3 percent on adult-use marijuana and drop the states schools and roads from revenue gained through the proposal. The states sales tax would still be applicable to those sales. FLINT, MI -- With questions surrounding the future of Flint water prosecutions, a judge is set to decide Friday, Dec. 7, whether to send one of the most watched cases to Genesee Circuit Court for jury trial. Genesee District Judge William Crawford is expected to decide whether there is probable cause to believe that both the crime of involuntary manslaughter was committed during outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease here during the citys water crisis and whether Dr. Eden Wells, the states chief medical examiner, committed it. Wells, 55, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, obstruction of justice and lying to a peace officer in June 2017, but her preliminary examination has been moving slowly since. The charges against her claim Wells is responsible for the death of John Snyder, who special prosecutor Todd Flood has argued died from Legionnaires' disease after he was a patient at McLaren-Flint hospital. Flood has also claimed Wells, who remains on the job at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, failed to carry out her duty under state law to warn Gov. Rick Snyder and the rest of the public of the Legionnaires' outbreaks, that she provided false testimony to a special agent and that she threatened to withhold funding to researchers trying to determine whether the spike in Legionnaires' cases was tied to Flint water. Wells' attorneys have argued that the charges against her be dismissed, in part because she had no legal duty to warn the public about the outbreaks in 2014 and 2015, which resulted in at least 12 deaths in Genesee County. They have characterized her prosecution as a unjust, saying she worked to find the reasons for and solutions to problems with Flint water. Binding her case over for a jury trial would simply prolong a case which should never have been brought in the first place and has gone on far too long already," the attorneys have said in court filings. Crawford has waited four months since final oral arguments to make the bindover decision, and will be taking one of the last actions this year in the remaining Flint water prosecutions. The future of the cases is uncertain after Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel takes office in January. Nessel criticized the prosecutions as politically charged show trials during her successful campaign for attorney general, but her transition team has declined to talk further about what -- if anything -- she will do to change course in 2019. Floods future as the special prosecutor also wont be discussed until the changing of the guard in the state Attorney Generals Office. Fifteen current and former city and state government officials were charged with crimes related to the water crisis while Bill Schuette has been attorney general. Four of those cases have been resolved with plea agreements that resulted in no jail time while 11, most still in the process of preliminary examinations, are still pending. FLINT, MI Members of the nearly 50-year-old Oman Temple No. 72 on the citys north side will decide in the coming days if theyre going to rebuild after a fire destroyed the building. Bryant Nolden, a trustee and former leader of the organization, said that he was called about 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6 and told about the fire at the building at 3517 N. Saginaw St. Its been a staple of the community for years, Nolden said of the Shriners' building. A lot of people have fond memories there. Flint firefighters were called at 3:14 a.m. to the building and found flames coming from the second floor of the building in the attic area. The fire was believed to have started in the attic and roof area of the building. Eventually, the roof of the second story collapsed into the ground floor. The Grenadier Club was on the first floor and held up to 125 people, Nolden said. Its a lot of our history there, he said. Its a lot of our archives, records all of that is gone. He said there will be a meeting within the next week where approximately 70 members will decide if they want to rebuild the club. Its my hope that we will be able to rebuild because its been such a fixture in the community, Nolden said. Hopefully we can rebuild, but its going to be a membership decision. Michigan State Police Arson Investigator Sgt. Jason Mercier said he will complete his investigation alongside the groups insurance investigator. He didnt anticipate a cause or origin of the fire would be determined until sometime next week. The Shriners do charity work in the community that includes taking kids to the circus, holiday gift baskets and an annual Easter egg hunt. Two of the 25 firefighters at the scene of the fire were injured, according to Battalion Chief Ramsey Clapper. One firefighter received an electric shock, but was treated at the scene and is expected to be fine. A second firefighter received minor burns to the neck and went to hospital, Clapper said. No one was inside the building at the time of the fire. Its been operating in the city for a long time, Clapper said. Its heartbreaking that its damaged so much. GENESEE COUNTY, MI A longstanding Flint-area eatery is set to expand in Genesee County. The original Starlite Coney Island & Diner has stood near the corner of Davison and Center roads on the Burton and Flint border for more than 50 years, and will soon be joined by a new location on East Court Street and a potential spot in Clio. Kosta Popoff, whose father Alex Popoff began Starlite in 1966, offered a tour of the construction taking place at the roughly 3,200-square-foot site at 4125 E. Court St. that previously housed a Boston Market. Work is expected to wrap up by the end of January 2019. The new eaterys style will be that of a luncheonette, Popoff said, complete with mint green, burnt orange, and mustard yellow booths, soft wood floors, and counter spaces for patrons. On the menu will be coneys, of course, and the Starlite burger, but Popoff said it will be more of a butchers blend including chuck, brisket and short rib, as well as the Big Sicilian. I think everyone now, they want comfort, noted Popoff. They want to feel like theyre in their grandmas kitchen and you just really have to deliver comfort foods at a reasonable price. A Philly cheese steak with rolls from the City of Brotherly Love will occupy the menu, along with a reuben topped with sauerkraut from The Brinery in Ann Arbor, pulled pork sandwiches served on a Marvins potato roll, pancakes and a conveyer belt of mini doughnuts. Were going to do pressure-cooked chicken and pressure-cooked fried chicken, at all times, he said that would rival Zaxbys and Chick-fil-A, along with country-fried chicken. It took a lot of thought into it and we want to make sure we can execute it right and we want to make sure that product, when people bite in it, they go wow. This is really good. The incorporation of Combitherm ovens, tilting skillets, and other equipment will allow them to expand their catering operations, Popoff said, and introduce more fresh items. Its going to be a fun, cool spot, said Kosta Popoff, who owns and operates Starlite with Jason Hester. Its something we can scale and grow from this concept and idea. While the Burton location -- set to employ 40-50 people -- is roughly one mile away, he said theres still an untapped market. He noted declined comment at this time on any further details regarding the potential Clio location. Its off highway and were trying to kind of expand our market a little more east and a little more west, Popoff said. Weve taken great pride to grow the business and keep the quality there. Every year weve grown the business. Weve grown by double digits most years. Its a great customer base, a great repeat customer base thats helped us grow, he said. We just work hard every day and just try to execute every day. Hours of operation for the new Starlite location are expected to be from 7 a.m.-10 p.m. seven days a week. FLINT, MI -- Two firefighters were injured when an early-morning fire ripped through the Oman Temple in Flint on Thursday. The Flint Fire Department responded at 3:14 a.m. on Dec. 6 to 3517 N. Saginaw St. and found heavy fire coming from the second floor of the building in the attic area, according to Battalion Chief Ramsey Clapper. There were 25 firefighters on scene battling the blaze, Clapper said. Two firefighters were injured while fighting the fire. One received an electric shock, but was treated at the scene and is expected to be OK, according to Clapper. A second firefighter received minor burns to the neck and went to hospital, Clapper said. No one was inside the business at the time of the fire. Its been operating in the city for a long time, Clapper said. Its heartbreaking that its damaged so much. It took firefighters a long time to get the blaze under control, Clapper said, because there was a double attic. There was originally a flat room on the building, but at some point a peaked roof was added on creating two attic-type spaces. The Michigan State Police arson investigator was called to the scene. A cause of the fire has not been determined. Clapper said North Saginaw Street from Carton to East Pasadena should reopen to traffic within the hour. Firefighters were still on the scene as of 6:40 a.m. doing overhaul work. Photo: The Canadian Press B.C. Chamber of Commerce president Val Litwin addresses news conference in Esquimalt, Thursday. Sport fishing, tourism and business leaders from across Vancouver Island say their livelihoods would be damaged by an extension of federal fishing closures to protect endangered southern resident killer whales. About two dozen leaders gathered today at a popular sport fishing marina near Victoria to warn the federal government almost 10,000 jobs are at stake as well as the survival of several small coastal communities that base their economies on recreational fishing and tourism. B.C. Chamber of Commerce president Val Litwin says its member organizations across the Island have formed a coalition called Thriving Orcas, Thriving Communities to protect their cities, towns and villages. The federal government has extended a 5,000 square kilometre critical habitat zone off the southwest coast of Vancouver Island that could result in fishing closures to protect the whales, whose population stands at 74. Karl Ablack of the Port Renfrew Chamber of Commerce says recreational fishing generates almost $1 billion for the B.C. economy and employs more than 8,400 people. Ryan Chamberland of the Sooke area chamber and a fishing lodge operator says sport fishing closures in Sooke-Port Renfrew last year hurt businesses and charter bookings, which are down up to 80 per cent for this coming season. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- City officials plan to have a new chief of police by end of summer. The nationwide search for a new top cop to replace outgoing Grand Rapids Police Chief David Rahinsky is expected to begin in January, with a successor hopefully chosen sometime during the summer, Grand Rapids City Manager Mark Washington told reporters Thursday, Dec. 6. The city will hire a consulting firm to aid the search. This city deserves the best, and whether that's somebody internal or external, it will be just as we've done in the past, Washington said. Rahinsky notified Washington of his decision to retire Tuesday, Dec. 4, following a day of city commission meetings. He said he was honored that Washington attempted to persuade him to stay. Rahinsky, the citys police chief since July 2014, officially retires from the job Feb. 8. The 53-year-old said hes retiring so he can move closer to family in Florida and Georgia. The distance from family is the same reason that fueled his interest in a police chief job in Florida last fall. Ive always gone where the job opportunity was, and my wife and best partner has let me pursue my ambition for the last 13 years as I chased positions in Tennessee and now here in Grand Rapids, Rahinsky told MLive Wednesday. After 32 years (in law enforcement), its time for me to be closer to family. Washington said the qualities theyre looking for in Rahinskys successor arent different from what theyve sought and asked of in the current chief and the chiefs before him. I want our chief to be someone who is concerned with keeping us safe, someone who is tough on crime, who is a visionary, who has the ability to be a good collaborator, leader, work with community, Washington said, (Someone) who has the capacity to lead the men and women of the department, both in terms of supporting but also a person who is able to hold both the community accountable as well as the workforce. At the Thursday press conference, Washington lauded Rahinskys work over his tenure. Under Rahinskys leadership, the department adopted body-worn cameras for all officers, underwent studies to improve community-police relations and earned its first Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation. Additionally, a specific youth interaction policy for the police department was developed to limit situations of handcuffing youths. The department was scrutinized in March 2017 and December 2017 when unarmed black youths were stopped at gunpoint and handcuffed. Rahinsky said the biggest challenge for his successor is staffing levels. Without more cops, its difficult to devote time and manpower to improving community relations, he said. "We continue to hear from community stakeholders that they want to see additional opportunities for engagement, additional opportunities to build trust, Rahinsky said, And with our current staffing model thats extremely difficult. We have a hard time providing the current level of service with our staffing numbers, so I think any additional opportunities are going to have to be funded by additional bodies. The city commission recently authorized a study on the police departments staffing level. Rahinsky has advocated for more officers for years. Rahinsky advised his successor to recognize that the community engagement is a blessing." Sometimes it makes it feel as though youre being scrutinized to a degree that sometimes appears to create additional challenges, but what it really creates it additional opportunities, he said of community engagement. In the time between Rahinskys retirement and replacement, Washington stressed that community relations wont stall. We're not going to stop making progress while the search is going on, but certainly the (new) chief will need to come in and pick up the baton where Chief Rahinsky has left off, he said. An interim chief has not yet been chosen. The thing that Ill miss the most will be the people, and some of them are in this room, some of them are in the community, but the people here are top notch, Rahinsky said. What Ill miss the least are days where you dont see the sun days on end, he joked. Its a hearty group here in Michigan. We embrace winter from October right through March and sometimes April. Its a hearty group here. I give them credit. WYOMING, MI Eight students from Wyoming Junior High School were arrested and charged with possession and/or use of marijuana after allegedly ingesting marijuana-laced brownies on campus, according to Assistant Wyoming City Attorney Jack Sluiter. Sluiter said violation of the city ordinance is a juvenile misdemeanor. He said the case, which involves students ages 12,13 and 14, has been referred to the Juvenile Division of the Circuit Court. Assistant Principal Monte Cross advised police on Nov. 2 that several students were under the influence of marijuana, according to the Wyoming Police Department report. Cross informed police students had brought suspected marijuana brownies to school and several students had consumed them. According to the police report, a female student took marijuana from her mothers roommate and made the brownies, and she told at least a couple girls about it. The brownies were brought to the school, 2125 Wrenwood St. SW, where the students gave them out during lunch to other students in the girls bathroom, according to the police report. A mother told police about a quarter of her roommates marijuana turned up missing but her daughter denied taking it. The police did confiscate two of the brownies from students on campus. Four students and/or parents were interviewed by the police but the others did not return calls, according to the report. According to police, one student told police she ate part of the brownie not knowing exactly what it was but then ate another piece after she knew the drug was in it because of peer pressure. Another mother told police her daughter thought the brownie was part of food being sold for a school fundraiser initially. While she said her daughter never ate the brownie, she did keep it in her possession after learning of its contents. No students were arrested or taken into custody on Nov. 2. That occurred after the case was closed later that month. Wyoming Superintendent Craig Hoekstra said the district did conduct an internal review but declined further comment, including how students were disciplined, because they were minors. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A juvenile lifer will stay in prison the rest of his life for the horrendous beating death of a 2-year-old boy, a judge said. LeeClifton Moore was 17 when he killed Armon Colar while watching his girlfriends three children. What the defendant did to that little boy is just horrendous. It is outrageous. It is one of the worst murders I have ever seen or read about, Kent County Circuit Judge Mark Trusock said Thursday, Dec. 6. A woman wailed when Trusock affirmed the sentence. Family surrounded her and tried to comfort her. Its not right, its not right. Lord, Jesus, she cried, over and over. The judge noted that Moore was eight days shy of turning 18 when the killing occurred Aug. 24, 2005, at his girlfriends apartment. Moore asked that he receive a term of years in prison, rather than life without parole. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mandatory sentences for first-degree murder for those under 18 was cruel and unusual punishment. State legislators later said judges could resentence juvenile lifers to minimum sentences ranging from 25 to 40 years, with a 60-year maximum. The boys parents, Anthony and Alicia Colar, asked that Moore stay locked up the rest of his life. After testifying, they left the courtroom. They didnt want to hear Moores testimony. Moore said he has changed while spending the last 12 years in prison. He said he has gained control over his anger and taken part in many programs in prison. I just lost it, he testified. I just want a chance to prove (myself). I just want a chance at life. Thats not the person I am. I have been trying to right my wrong since Ive been incarcerated. He said he understood the parents of the victim wanting him locked up for life. I took a piece of their life from them. He was caring for the boy and two siblings when he got upset by the boy crying, and the children running around, making noise. I just basically lost control, he said. At the time, I was being selfish. I didnt know how else to get kids quiet. I didnt know that shaking a baby would give a boy brain damage. I never heard of shaken-baby syndrome or anything like that. Assistant Kent County Prosecutor Blair Lachman, who asked that Moore serve the life sentence, said Moore minimized his role in the killing and previous troubles. The injuries to the boy were shocking, he said. The boy was beaten over the course of three hours but at the hospital, Moore said he didnt know what had happened. The boy suffered bleeding and swelling in his brain, a torn liver, a broken elbow and bruises and abrasions all over. There was evidence that he was beaten with a belt and had a string tied around his penis and pulled, the judge said. Neighbors reported hearing cries and screams and whipping sounds, he said. The boy was slammed against the wall, rattling pictures on the walls of an adjacent apartment. Defense attorney Gerald Lykens said his client had rehabilitated himself in prison. Moore was young and overwhelmed at the time of the killing, he said. He said that Moore, as a young boy, was abused by his mothers then-boyfriend, who is now in prison for murder. Moore was originally sentenced in 2006 by now-retired Kent County Circuit Judge Dennis Kolenda. In sentencing Moore, before the Supreme Court ruling on juvenile lifers, Kolenda questioned whether those under 18 even those convicted of absolutely horrific crimes deserve the states harshest penalty. He suggested that a review mechanism should be in place to determine if young defendants had changed their lives after they became adults. He suggested that such defendants serve at least 25 years in prison. Kolenda told Moore to be productive in prison as a "small gesture" toward the victim. "You've got a lot to make up for, young man," Kolenda said. He did not say that Moore deserved a sentence lesser than life. Moore testified Thursday that he took the judges words to heart and tried to better himself so that two lives havent been lost. His parents testified that he had reformed. He could live with family and has a standing job offer at a relatives business. UPDATE: Police identify woman whose remains were found GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A tenant of a two-apartment house was investigating a strange smell coming from the basement when he discovered a tarp that police later determined contained a dismembered body. Jared Chance, 29, was arrested at the scene of the house in the 900 block of Franklin Street and now is charged with two felonies: mutilation of a body and concealing the death of an individual. According to a transcript that detailed an officers testimony to get a warrant, the tenant of the downstairs apartment went into the basement to investigate a strange smell on Dec. 2. The two apartments in the house share the basement. When he went into the basement, he located what looked like a bag or a tarp with some blood coming out of it, the officer testified. The tenant called 911. Police then arrived and found the dismembered remains of a female. According to the affidavit, police then searched the apartment of Chance, unit 2, and found other body parts." Police say they have not yet identified the woman and must use non-traditional methods to make the identification. The court records, however, show that Jared was with a female acquaintance two days prior and that the female acquaintance was since reported missing and she has not to this date been located. In a media briefing, Grand Rapids police Sgt. Dan Adams said police have spoken with the family of Ashley Regina-Marie Young, a missing 32-year-old woman. Young, who hails from Kalamazoo Countys Oshtemo Township, was last seen Nov. 29 as she traveled to Grand Rapids, according to the Kalamazoo County Sheriffs Office. Police said they found several areas of blood inside Chances apartment, cleaning articles and other items that could have been used to dismember a human body. Chance has a Michigan Department of Corrections record. He was convicted of resisting and obstructing police in 2011 and two counts of possessing a controlled substance in 2016. Grand Rapids police executed a search warrant Wednesday at a Holland residence in connection with the investigation. The Holland Sentinel reports the address is in the 100 block of West 20th Street and owned by the father of Jared Chance. LANSING, MI -- Senate Republicans pushed through a proposal Wednesday that would bind a newly-created tunnel authority into accepting a deal between Enbridge Energy and the outgoing state administration before the year's end. The legislation passed Wednesday, Dec. 5, calls for the creation of a Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority to oversee and own a utility tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. The bill initially granted those powers to the Mackinac Bridge Authority until strong opposition saw those plans dropped. The tunnel, proposed by Gov. Rick Snyder's administration in October, would house a replacement for Enbridge Energy's controversial Line 5 oil and gas pipeline in the Straits and other utilities. The 65-year-old twin pipelines would be decommissioned only after the tunnel is completed sometime between 2025 and 2028. The bill sponsored by term-limited Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba would bind the new authority to approving a tunnel deal between the Snyder administration and Enbridge before, or within 45 days after, the end of Snyder's term. Snyder wants to finalize the tunnel agreement before Gov.-elect Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel take over on Jan. 1. Both women criticized the tunnel plan and called for shutting down Line 5 during their campaigns. Kelly Rossman-McKinney, a Nessel spokesperson, said in a statement that Nessel "is deeply concerned and troubled by the hasty legislative rush-to-judgment efforts to push through a proposal that has not been properly vetted." She said the measure "handcuffs" Nessel and Whitmer before they take office. "The attorney general-elect stands in opposition to any action taken before she is sworn into office on January 1, 2019," Rossman-McKinney said. A statement from Whitmer's transition team did not directly comment on the legislation but stated the transition team is "reviewing a range of issues surrounding Line 5" in preparation for the Jan. 1 transition. Casperson's bill requires the authority to accept a tunnel agreement that, among other details, has the Michigan Attorney General's Office pay attorney fees for the authority if the office declines to represent them in lawsuits. Some legal claims relating to the authority, according to the bill, include challenges against the validity of the tunnel agreement and challenges against the government for denying approvals or permits on items submitted for approval by the authority or with another entity. The bill also forbids state departments and the authority from entering agreements that accept liability for the utility tunnel. Another required element of an accepted tunnel agreement is that Enbridge must pay for the construction, maintenance, operation and eventual decommissioning of the tunnel. That total cost is estimated between $350 million to $500 million. The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority would set rates for utilities using the tunnel. Snyder has until Dec. 21 to get a tunnel agreement before the authority if they are to approve it by year's end. Should the agreement be presented to the authority after that deadline, the authority has to accept it within 45 days. The Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority Board would be comprised of three members elected by the current governor. Not more than two democrats or two republicans can hold the six-year term seats. The bill passed the state Senate largely among party lines by a measure of 25-13. Sen. Adam Hollier was the sole Democrat to vote for the measure. Republican Sens. Rick Jones, Joe Hune and Tonya Schuitmaker voted against it. The bill will now head for the state House. The Line 5 pipeline, built in 1953, runs 645 miles from Superior, Wisconsin, to Sarnia, Canada, and transports up to 540,000 barrels of light crude oil and natural gas liquids per day. Calls to shutdown the pipeline were renewed earlier this year, when an anchor struck it on April 1. The line was damaged with three dents and an abrasion but has since been patched up with composite sleeves. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A suspect in a Grand Rapids shooting has turned himself in to police, officials said. Two people were shot about 4:20 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2, on Fuller Avenue at Watkins Street SE, across from Martin Luther King Jr. Park. On Tuesday, Dec. 4, the Kent County Prosecutor's Office issued a warrant for the arrest of the man GRPD Detectives believe is responsible for the shooting. Otis Lee Walker-Houston, 22, has himself in, police said, and he is currently in custody at the Kent County Correctional Facility. He faces charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm, felon in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed weapon, police said. He was arraigned in court on Dec. 5 and the case is scheduled for a probable cause conference on Dec. 18. GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Now in his fifth winter in Michigan, David Rahinsky will admit he still hasn't fully acclimated to the cold and lack of ample sunshine. But more than the challenges that come with the state's weather, the Grand Rapids police chief has struggled with being away from the majority of his family during the holiday season. It's the reasoning that fueled his interest in a police chief job in Florida last fall, and it was the driving factor, he says, in his decision to retire from the Grand Rapids Police Department. His retirement will be official on Feb. 8. "I've always gone where the job opportunity was, and my wife and best partner has let me pursue my ambition for the last 13 years as I chased positions in Tennessee and now here in Grand Rapids," Rahinsky said. "After 32 years (in law enforcement), it's time for me to be closer to family." Rahinsky notified City Manager Mark Washington of his decision Tuesday, Dec. 4, following a day of city commission meetings. The police chief said he was honored that Washington attempted to persuade him to stay. But with a three-bedroom house purchased in Bradenton, Florida, and his wife, Suzanne, having accepted a job in the area as a labor and delivery nurse, Rahinsky said the decision was final. "It's an opportunity for her to work and for me to decide where the next chapter will take me," he said. "I've been fortunate enough to lead one of the premiere law enforcement departments in the Midwest, if not in the nation. It's time to put family and geography ahead of my professional aspirations." Rahinsky began his law enforcement career in 1987 in his home city of Philadelphia. He spent 18 years with the Broward County Sheriff's Office in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, before stints as chief and deputy chief in Pembroke Park, Florida, and Franklin, Tennessee. He took the reins of the Grand Rapids Police Department in July 2014, replacing former chief Kevin Belk. He was the unanimous top pick by the eight-member selection team, according to former city manager Greg Sundstrom. A month later, an 18-year-old African American man named Michael Brown Jr. was shot and killed by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. The incident sparked protests across the nation, and led then-President Barack Obama to create a commission tasked with making broad police reform in the United States. "That was my generation's game-changer for law enforcement," Rahinsky said. In Grand Rapids, the incident opened the door for greater discussions about improving community-police relations. Rahinsky led the adoption of body-worn cameras for all officers in the police department. Under his leadership, the department underwent studies and analysis by Lamberth Consulting and 21st Century Policing Solutions with the goal of improving community-police relations. Following some high-profile handcuffing incidents, a specific youth interaction policy was developed for the police department. The policy, which was recently updated, is designed to limit similar incidents like those that happened in March 2017 and December 2017 when unarmed black youths were stopped at gunpoint and handcuffed. The department also earned its first Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) accreditation this year, placing it in the top 10 percent of law enforcement agencies. "People have asked me if I'm leaving because of the challenges here in Grand Rapids," Rahinsky said. "But that's what drew me here. I didn't come looking for a soft landing, I came to be challenged." Asked how he hopes to be remembered in Grand Rapids, Rahinsky said, "as a chief who was approachable and who recognized the importance of community." "Sometimes in law enforcement, the policing can take precedent," he said. "I've always been sensitive to the fact that we're public servants and the community voice needs to be the driving voice behind everything we do. "I think that's been apparent in the direction we've moved the department. And I'm proud of the men and women I've worked for. I've never worked with finer people, and that's the civilians to the support staff to the crime techs, right through the command staff. I'll miss that." This holiday season, Rahinsky will visit his son, granddaughter and in-laws in Florida, and his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews in Georgia. And he'll do so for the first time in five years knowing he doesn't have to rush back to Michigan. His last full day in Grand Rapids will be Tuesday, Dec. 18, but he'll continue to assist the city in its transition until Feb. 8. And he believes the police department is in good hands. "When I got here, we didn't have deputy chiefs," Rahinsky said. "I created two positions and filled them with people with great caliber and that's served the city well. I used them as confidants and shared everything with them. They've been instrumental in everything we've done. "I'm extremely confident ... the future is bright." The city manager plans to use a national search firm to find Rahinsky's replacement. He'll announce a timeline for the search in the near future and select someone to lead the department in the interim. BERRIEN COUNTY, MI -- A $20 million federal transportation grant will help fund the eventual completion of a long-awaited project linking U.S. 31 to Interstate-94 in Southwest Michigan. Thursday, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, announced the Michigan Department of Transportation was awarded discretionary grant funding to connect U.S. 31 to I-94 after Napier Avenue. The roughly $100 million project has been under development for more than 30 years, according to MDOT documents, but stalled since 2003 due to a lack of funding. The federal grant will finally finish the last section, said MDOT spokesperson Nick Schirripa, including the reconstruction, widening and realignment of the I-94 business loop and several bridges. MDOT planned to begin the freeway project in 2021 or 2022. Another $10-15 million in funding is needed, Schirripa said, but MDOT is reasonably confident the project will be wrapped up by 2023. One of the problems weve had consistently is that expansion has been a difficult thing for us to afford, he said. With the way transportation infrastructure has been, weve had to focus on maintaining what we have in place. Finishing the project was on MDOTs wishlist, but not a priority. The federal government came through with a check just in time for Christmas. Now we are in a place where certainly there is no question that this is a priority; clearly our partners in our federal government have made it a priority and we are very grateful for this opportunity to complete something motorists in the entire community have been asking (about) for years, Schirripa said. The project has been demanded by members of the business community as well as commuters in the region, he said. Were so excited to announce this project will be completed finally, Upton said Thursday. For years, we have been working diligently with local, state, and national leaders to get this done. The Department of Transportation has long-said hang on, help is on the way and that day has now come." Completing this project will ensure an economic boost to the region, Upton said. U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said the grant is an example of how the Trump administrations investment in infrastructure will stimulate economic investment, improve quality of life, and create safe, reliable transportation. KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo police are collecting warm coats, hats and gloves for the areas neediest families. Bring new or gently used winter coats to any Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety station before Friday, Dec. 21, to help those who might go without this cold season. Members of Pastors on Patrol, a new program introduced by public safety to help with community engagement, will collect donations from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday Dec. 8 and Saturday, Dec. 15 at police headquarters, 150 E. Crosstown Parkway. Pastors on Patrol partners with interdenominational clergy to assist with community members. Last week KDPS launched our "POP"s program. The program, Pastors on Patrol, is an interdenominational response to urban... Posted by Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety on Sunday, October 7, 2018 The warm gear will be handed out from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 at the Jennings Development Interplex, 1515 N. Edwards St. SAGINAW, MI A 26-year-old mom accused of child abuse for overdosing on heroin while in a car with two children has pleaded guilty to a drug offense. Brandy Lynn Tubbs on Nov. 27 appeared in Saginaw County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to possessing less than 25 grams of a narcotic or cocaine. The charge is a four-year felony. In exchange for her plea, the prosecution agreed to dismiss a 10-year count of second-degree child abuse. Tubbs' trial was scheduled to commence the day she entered her plea. Tubbs' 28-year-old boyfriend, Stephen A. Vliet, in September pleaded guilty to second-degree child abuse in the presence of another child. The following month, Circuit Judge Janet M. Boes sentenced Vliet to three to 15 years in prison, with credit for 133 days served. The couple's charges have their origin in an incident that occurred the afternoon of June 19. First responders arrived on the scene of a vehicle stopped in the roadway near the intersection of Sheridan and Williamson roads in Saginaw County's Spaulding Township. Vliet had been driving with Tubbs as a passenger. Also in the vehicle were Vliets son and Tubbs' daughter. MMR had to arrive on scene to revive the people in the front two seats, District Judge Terry L. Clark said at the couples June 21 arraignment. The children were telling the police what mommy and daddy were doing. Saginaw County Sheriff's deputies later determined the couple was in Saginaw County to buy heroin. After they ingested it, they began to lose consciousness and their vehicle drifted, police said. Vliet hails from Alger and Tubbs is from Roscommon. Judge Boes is to sentence Tubbs on Jan. 15. Photo: The Canadian Press Hundreds of First Nations chiefs booed Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer on Thursday when the opposition leader told them they will have to wait until his platform is released to see how he differs from former prime minister Stephen Harper. The Assembly of First Nations chiefs were meeting in a downtown Ottawa hotel. During a question-and-answer session with the opposition leader, chiefs asked Scheer how he's different from Harper, with one asking him to name one policy stance he holds that's different from Harper's and another asking how he plans to rebuild trust with First Nations people that "Harper lost." Chief Elaine Johnston of Serpent River First Nation in northern Ontario told Scheer that First Nations people have not had positive relationships with Conservative governments, including the new one in Ontario. "My concern here is when you're talking about the spirit of reconciliation, what are you going to do in that spirit of reconciliation that is going to be different than your predecessors in the Conservative government? I need to hear that because I'm not seeing it. The rhetoric is there, but there has not been positive action," she said. Jessica Jacobs, a councillor for Taan Kwachan Council in Yukon, asked Scheer flatly how he feels about Indigenous people and issues and how he plans to try to fix the relationship between the Conservative party and Indigenous people in Canada. "First two questions were kind of similar ... the differentiation between myself and the previous Conservative government specifically when it comes to policy. So on that I am going to have to ask you to have a little bit of patience for when our platform gets released," Scheer said, and was hit by the wave of boos. Scheer quickly added that Indigenous people will see change. In the last election the Conservatives did not win support from a large majority of First Nations communities and people and he wants to fix that, he said. "Part of that is coming to these kinds of meetings, in a respectful way." But Scheer did suggest his party would seek to protect and promote Indigenous languages, saying he and AFN National Chief Perry Bellegarde have already talked about it. That will be part of a whole segment of the Conservative party's election platform, said Scheer, which he vowed would not be crafted only by his inner circle. "I'd be happy to come back at a future time and explain more detailed aspects of what we'll be campaigning on, but it will be a different approach to the Liberals. It will be an approach that's based on getting the relationship right, but also getting results," he said. "You talked about what we're going to do to overcome the relationship challenges that we may have had in the past. It is frustrating for me as a Conservative when I think about the great things that we did do in terms of policies." He said it was a Conservative government that recognized Indigenous rights and extended the vote to First Nations people and a Conservative government appointed the first First Nations senator. He also raised Harper's apology in the House of Commons that acknowledged the legacy of the residential-school system. "So we have these legacies but clearly when you don't have the relationship right ... often tangible results get overlooked or at least get viewed in a different way." Scheer said the big hurdle for the Conservative party is to get that relationship back on track so the party and Indigenous people can work more closely together "in that spirit of trust." "I view Indigenous Canadians as an integral part of our society, proud of their contribution to Canadian history, great deal of respect for all they did pre-Confederation, the way that they have been partners in building this society we have, and I'm very proud to represent a dozen First Nations communities in my own riding," the Saskatchewan MP said. BAY CITY, MI A federal jury is deciding whether or not a convicted sex offender repeatedly raped and impregnated a preteen girl. Attorneys in the trial of Byron D. Bird, 63, presented closing arguments to the jury on Thursday, Dec. 6. Bird, whose Native American status grants him dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada, faces the following 14 counts: Four counts of commission of a federal sex offense by someone required to register as a sex offender Four counts of crime of violence by someone who failed to register as a sex offender Two counts of sexual abuse of a minor Two counts of sexually abusive contact One count of failure to register as a sex offender One count of witness tampering Assistant U.S. Attorney Roy Kranz told the jurors Bird had sexually assaulted a girl beginning around her 12th birthday in the fall of 2016 through Jan. 13, 2018, the day she first visited a hospital and reported the abuse. The girls condition ended up being a molar pregnancy, something the Mayo Clinic describes as rare complication of pregnancy characterized by the abnormal growth of trophoblasts, the cells that normally develop into the placenta. The girl endured the abuse because Bird had threatened to take away her horses, whom she had described as her best friends, if she told anyone, Kranz said. The girl was hospitalized in January due to pregnancy complications, which is when her mother first learned of what had been transpiring, Kranz said. Kranz told the jury that in an early interview with a police detective, Bird stated he and the girl got along great, that he spoiled her with gifts and that he knew of no reason why she would make up such allegations against him. Bird also told the detective the girl hadnt had the opportunity for any other male to have impregnated her, Kranz said. DNA evidence indicated it was 4.6 billion times more likely Bird had contributed the sperm than another man was, Kranz said, describing such evidence as incredibly compelling." Kranz also pointed out that Bird in 2007 was convicted of sexual interference with a person younger than 16 in Sarnia, Ontario. In that case, the victim was also a 12-year-old girl, Kranz said. Bird did not register as a sex offender at any point while living in Michigan, Kranz said. Defense attorney Jeffrey M. Day countered that the jurors have a high threshold to meet to convict his client. Beyond reasonable doubt is the highest standard in the land, he said, elaborating that merely thinking Bird may have or likely did commit the crimes alleged against him is not good enough to find him guilty. Day said his client did in fact register for 10 years as a sex offender in Canada, though he was living in Michigan for part of that span. He also pointed out the difference between Birds current case and his 2007 one, saying in the previous instance, Bird admitted his guilt. Here, hes said from the beginning, folks, that he did not do this, Day said. Day also pointed out the latest alleged victim gave conflicting accounts on the number of times Bird assaulted her, ranging from one to 50 times. Day said he did not dispute the girls status as a victim. Shes a victim, he said. Shes just not a victim of Byron. U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Ludington dismissed the jurors for the day, instructing them to return Friday to begin deliberating. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has been serving as the temporary antidote to children anxiously awaiting Santas arrival on Christmas morning since 1955 with its Santa Tracker program. NORAD announced late last week that it was kicking off the annual program a little early this year, as the military branch celebrates the 60th anniversary of defending the homeland along with its tradition of tracking Santas journey around the globe. The Santa Tracker program itself starts at 2:01 a.m. on Christmas Eve, which is when people can call or text 1-877-446-6723 or on the NORADsanta.org website to track Jolly Old Saint Nicks location. Santa can be tracked on NORADs website, Twitter account or Facebook page. There are also mobile apps on Windows, Apple and Google Play. NORAD will also provide Santa Cams in addition to a number of other methods to track the big man on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. NORAD reports it receives 9 million visitors from more than 200 countries each year. More than 1,400 volunteers are expected to help field calls and requests this year at the Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. The website tracks Santas location in seven different languages, and can be found by typing in @noradsanta in any search engine. For the first time this year, Amazon Alexa and OnStar users can ask for Santas location. The holiday season has finally arrived! As we continue to monitor the skies over Canada and the U.S., NORAD and its partners are beginning preparations to track Santa and provide up-to-the-minute updates to children around the world! Here is the official 2018 press release. pic.twitter.com/IbEap76Gbw NORAD & USNORTHCOM (@Norad_Northcom) November 30, 2018 NORAD first started tracking all those years ago thanks to a typo printed in a Colorado newspaper urging children to call Santa, all while accidentally listing the number for the air defense command center. The command center describes the first call as not coming from the president or a general, but from a child in Colorado Springs wanting to know where Santa was. On duty that night was Colonel Harry Shoup, who has come to be known as the Santa Colonel, NORADs website reads. Colonel Shoup received numerous calls that night and rather than hanging up, he had his operators find the location of Santa Claus and reported it to every child who phoned in that night. Kelowna gas $1.25 a litre ... Ontario gas 90 cents a litre. Here we are in the Okanagan being assaulted further by the oil companies and the gas distributor in Kamloops, who delivers the same gasoline to all the different gas stations throughout the Southern Interior. Imm sure you have noticed by now a barrel of oil is down to $50, and yet our gas price still remains high. The average price of a US gallon right now is $2.81, and for those of you who may still have a little problem with conversion, let me help you. It takes 3.8 litres to make one US gallon. Therefore, if you multiply what we pay per litre, you arrive at $4.86 a gallon. When you look at other cities outside the "screw zone" we live in, you find prices that are $0.96 to $1.04 per litre in Calgary. Winnipeg is selling gas at $0.92 per litre. London is $0.89 and Ottawa is $0.96 a litre. Why are we in this valley being bent over? Only a few years ago, when oil was around $39 a barrel, gas was around 85 to 90 cents per litre. I find it most strange that we in the Okanagan sit and watch as price fixing is allowed to go on right beneath our noses, without the government doing anything about it. I believe we should be building refineries to refine Canadas crude oil and create thousands of jobs across this country to allow us to sell our refined products to world markets. Instead, we are giving our resources away and then buying them back at triple the cost. Unfortunately, we have all levels of government and all their little minions turning a blind eye and leaving us to carry the costs. Ian MacLean, Kelowna Photo: The Canadian Press The tech executive whose arrest in Vancouver has sparked outrage from China is the well-educated daughter of a wealthy former military man who founded what eventually became one of the world's largest telecom companies. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer and deputy chairwoman of Huawei Technologies, was arrested at Vancouver's airport while in transit over the weekend and faces extradition to the United States on unspecified charges. Meng is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei from his first marriage. Chinese enterprises are often family businesses and family members take the best spots if they are qualified and interested, said Neil Abramson, a retired professor of business strategy at Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business. "She's the daughter of the chairman so she would be like Ivanka Trump. She would be the Ivanka Trump of Huawei," said Abramson, adding that Huawei is like the Apple of China and she's an extremely important businessperson. "It would be like apprehending someone like Bill Gates or some very important American businessperson." It's been reported that Ren wasn't that impressed with his daughter, but she rose up in the company through hard work rather than privilege, said Wenran Jiang, a senior fellow at the University of British Columbia's Institute for Asian Research. "She was actually at one point criticized by her father and being suppressed from promotion. That was a well-known story and she eventually proved herself and moved herself up in the ranks," he said. Ren founded Huawei in 1987 and it's grown into a major multinational with more than 170,000 employees doing businesses in more than 170 countries. Meng's bio on the company website says she joined in 1993 and held various positions across the company, including director of international accounting and CFO of Huawei Hong Kong. She holds a master's degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology. For a period of time she was in charge of Huawei's internationalization efforts, which have been extremely successful, said Jiang. The company has embraced emerging markets in Africa, India and other places, making more than US$100 billion revenue this year and has overtaken Apple as the second-largest smartphone manufacturer without even having access to the U.S. market, he said. Huawei is the most prestigious tech company in China and Meng is a "very high-profile" person in the country, Jiang said. "This is not being taken lightly by both the Chinese government and the public." It is not known what law is alleged to have been breached. Jiang speculated that the investigation might involve Meng's previous role in broadening the company's global reach. The Wall Street Journal reported this year U.S. authorities are investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions placed on Iran. There have been reports that Huawei has intelligence ties with the Chinese government, sometimes citing Ren's previous military service, but there is no proof, Jiang said. The company's Canadian arm said in a statement that Meng's arrest is "in no way" related to Huawei Canada's business or research operations. Jet Airways owes banks nearly Rs 8,000 crore. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More NRI businessman MA Yusuff Ali, founder of the Lulu Group, may play a key role in the ongoing talks between Etihad Airways and Jet Airways, sources told Moneycontrol. This would be the second such instance of the NRI entrepreneur featuring in a deal between the two airlines. Sources said Ali could come in as Etihad's Indian partner, the need for which will arise if the Abu Dhabi-based airline decides to invest in Jet Airways and triggers an open offer. According to the Indian government's FDI rules, a foreign investor can own a maximum of 49 percent in an Indian airline. In 2013 too, Ali played a critical role in talks between the two airlines. Etihad later bought a 24 percent stake in Jet Airways for Rs 2,069 crore. The ongoing talks between Etihad and Jet are now at an advanced stage, with Jet facing an urgent need for funds. The airline is losing almost Rs 15 crore a day, and has deferred salary payments to its pilots. But its management has promised to clear pilots' dues by March 2019. Jet Airways has also rationalised routes, closing down flights from second tier cities in India, and introducing new ones from its hubs in Delhi and Mumbai. Some of its aircraft have also been grounded. While a representative of Lulu Group didn't respond to queries, a Jet Airways spokesperson said: "In line with its policy, Jet Airways does not comment on speculation." Interest in aviation Though he lords over a retail giant - the $7.4 billion Lulu Group that operates hypermarkets and malls in India and overseas - Ali has a liking for aviation. He holds stake in CIAL, the operator of Cochin's international airport, and also in KIAL, the new airport in Kannur that will open later this month. "Lulu Yusuff Ali is a possibility.He has always wanted to be in the airline business having invested in Kochi and Kannur airports. He is also connected to the Al Nahyan family," said a senior executive from the industry. It is Ali's proximity with one of the six ruling families of UAE that had prompted Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal to seek out the Gulf businessman. The present UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan belongs to the ruling family. Etihad is owned by the Abu Dhabi government. Earlier this year, Ali's ties with the family again came into the limelight when he informed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan about UAE's offer to give an aid of Rs 700 crore to the flood-ravaged state. During the 2013 deal negotiations between Jet and Etihad, Ali had done his bit to mediate between the two sides and bring the deal to a close. Now five years later, with Goyal desperate for a deal and Etihad also driving a hard bargain, Ali could be the deal maker once more. The king of good times is now a fugitive businessman and there may be a Bollywood script somewhere coming together to sum up the rather incredible riches to ignominy tale of Vijay Mallya. This is a fall that is both tragic and symptomatic of the excesses of our times. A story that we will try and sum up in this Money Control Deep Dive The latest developments first. As is common knowledge, Mallya remains on bail on an extradition warrant that was executed by the Scotland Yard last year on fraud and money laundering charges. On December 10, a ruling at the end of Mallya's extradition trial is expected at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London. And on December 6, Asian News International reported that the liquor baron who is in the United Kingdom after India initiated extradition proceedings against him, has reiterated his wish to repay banks completely. The 62-year-old, once again, refuted reports of any connection between his proposed settlement offer and the upcoming ruling in his extradition trial. He refuted the suggestion that his offer was triggered by the extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland chopper deal, who was brought back to India on Tuesday. He tweeted and we quote, "Respectfully to all commentators, I cannot understand how my extradition decision or the recent extradition from Dubai and my settlement offer are linked in any way. Wherever I am physically, my appeal is "Please take the money". I want to stop the narrative that I stole money." Unquote Trying to explain the failure of Kingfisher Airlines, he tweeted, "The Airlines struggled financially partly because of high ATF (aviation turbine fuel ) prices. Kingfisher was a fab airline that faced the highest ever crude prices of $ 140/barrel. Losses mounted and that's where Banks money went. I have offered to repay 100 percent of the Principal amount to them. Please take it." Unquote. Another tweet repeated, "For three decades running India's largest alcoholic beverage group, we contributed thousands of crores to the State exchequers. Kingfisher Airlines also contributed handsomely to the States. Sad loss of the finest Airline but still I offer to pay Banks so no loss. Please take it." Unquote. You will remember that last month, a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court had rejected Mallya's plea seeking a stay on hearing of Enforcement Directorate's (ED) application to declare him a fugitive. ANI reported that the decision from the judicature came after five parties, including a family member of Mallya, sought court dossiers with regard to the ED seeking to get Mallya declared a fugitive economic offender under the new law. Both ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) have filed several cases for alleged loan default against him. Mallya has been residing in the UK from the past two years and his extradition case is reportedly in its final stage. Mallya had earlier claimed that he had made two settlement offers to banks. In September, he had stated that he had a made a comprehensive settlement offer before the Karnataka high court back in June, which according to him was ignored. He had tweeted, Politicians and media are constantly talking loudly about my being a defaulter who has run away with PSU bank money. All this is false. Why dont I get fair treatment and the same loud noise about my comprehensive settlement offer before the Karnataka high court. Sad." Unquote. Point to be noted is though Mallya has offered the principal amount and not the interest. In June 2017, the Directorate of Enforcement filed a chargehseet under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) alleging that Mallya fled to the UK on 2 March 2016 to escape the consortium of 13 banks, led by the State Bank of India to whom, he owes Rs 9,000 crore. ED had also pushed to confiscate all his properties to the tune of Rs 12,500 crore. India had formally asked for his extradition in February last year. Mallya speak Mallya has been proclaiming his innocence via his team of legal eagles, tweets and he also wrote a letter to the PMO earlier this year, saying that though he was "making every effort" to settle his dues to banks, he had been made the "Poster Boy" of bank default and a lightning rod for public anger. He has maintained throughout that he is not a fugitive and this November, Mallya's lawyer Amit Desai had said that Mallya had left the country in normal course. And that he is a non-resident Indian (NRI) with a permanent address in London and he had substantial businesses overseas as well as in India. The idea was to refute the notion that Mallya had left the country under suspicious circumstances as claimed by investigating agencies. Advocate Desai had also said that Mallya had cooperated with the Debts Recovery Tribunal in its proceedings. Desai had also stated that Mallya had been one of the owners of Force India, a Formula One team, and he had left the country for London on March 2, 2016 via Germany, where he attended a conference of World Motorsports as a director. He also said that The Fugitive Economic Offenders Act is a draconian law as it permits confiscation of a person's property even before the trial starts. He had said, As per the criminal procedure, property is confiscated only after the accused is held guilty. Under this law, the question of confiscation of property comes even before the first witness is examined. Unquote. The back story Nothing in Vijay Vittal Mallyas life story could have predicted the present state of affairs. He was after all the son of businessman Vittal Mallya, the chairman of United Spirits, the largest spirits company in India and the force behind the United Breweries Group, a sprawling conglomerate with interests including beverages, aviation infrastructure, real estate and fertilizers. He has also been the chairman of Sanofi India (previously known as Hoechst AG and Aventis) and the chairman of Bayer CropScience in India for over 20 years, and the chairman of several other companies. Mallaya was just 28 when he became the Chairman of United Breweries Group in 1983 and then oversaw its expansion as an international conglomerate of over 60 companies, with an annual turnover which increased under his watch by 64 percent over 15 years to US$11 billion in 19981999. One of his special skills was the consolidation of disparate corporate entities under the umbrella of "UB Group by focusing on the core profitability of alcoholic beverages. Another strength was acquisition and as time went by, he acquired, brands like Berger Paints, Best and Crompton, and Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilisers. Not to forget, Asian Age newspaper and film glossy Cine Blitz. United's Kingfisher beer has had a huge presence in pop culture and it commands over a 50 percent market share in the domestic beer market. Internationally, it is available in 52 countries and is a leader among Indian beers. Momentous events like United Spirits Ltd celebrating the sale of 10 crore cases and becoming the second-largest spirits company in the world by volume, were de rigueur as for a while whatever Mallya touched, turned into gold. He was even elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2002 as an independent member from Karnataka with the support of the BJP party and Janata Dal. This was a fearlessly flamboyant figure with the aspiration levels of a Richard Branson and the face of a brashly confident India and when he launched a domestic airline, it was bound to unlike any other. He was the toast of celebrity events, almost as famous as a film star and enjoyed media attention and a jet-setting life-style. Mallya established Kingfisher Airlines, in 2005 amid much fanfare but something somewhere was beginning to go wrong. Because the golden touch Mallya was famous for failed to protect the company from insolvency. By October 2013, it became common knowledge that the company had not paid salaries to its employees for 15 months, had lost its licence to operate as an airline, and owed more than US$1 billion in bank loans. Among the banks Mallya owes dues to are SBI, BOB, Corporation Bank, Federal Bank Ltd, IDBI Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, J&K Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, PNB, State Bank of Mysore, UCO Bank, UBI and JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co. Pvt Ltd. By November 2015, as multiple news sources have reported, the amount owed to the banks had grown to over $1.35 billion and the mountainous debt was growing by the moment. Accusations of money laundering and more had caught up decisively with Mallya. In February 2015, he was forced to resign as Chairman of United Spirits. And his severance payment of $75 million was blocked by the courts in India. A timeline of ignominy As reported by multiple new sources, by March 2016, a consortium of banks had approached the Supreme Court of India to stop Mallya from going abroad but by then he had already left the country that had both given him immense success and where he finally lost his face and his fortune. He is also facing allegations that he transferred Rs 4,000 crore (US$560 million) to tax havens. On 13 March 2016, a court in Hyderabad issued a non-bailable warrant for Mallya's arrest, while he remained at his country estate near London, England. On 18 April 2016, a special court in Mumbai also issued an undated non-bailable Arrest warrant against him in response to a plea by the Enforcement Directorate on 15 April before the special court hearing cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. On 11 June 2016, the Enforcement Directorate reported it had "provisionally attached" Rs 1,411 crore rupees worth of Mallya's Indian assets and properties against unpaid loans totaling Rs 807 crore. On 3 September, a second attachment order was issued for a further Rs 6,630 crore worth of Mallya's assets, including a farmhouse, shares in United Breweries and multiple flats in Bengaluru valued at Rs 565 crore. By December 2016, the ED has attached a total of Rs 9661 crore worth of assets of Mallya and Kingfisher in India. Mallya has frequently proclaimed from the cool climes of UK, shock and dismay at the treatment meted out to him and has maintained that he left India to be closer to his children. Just to refresh your memory, a group of 17 Indian banks are trying to collect approximately Rs 9,000 crore ($1.3 billion) in loans which Mallya has allegedly routed to gain 100 percent or a partial stake in about 40 companies across the world. Revocation of his passport, the Enforcement Directorate seeking Interpol to raise an international arrest warrant against him, a non-bailable warrant regarding an allegation of cheating the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd by issuing them a dishonoured cheque for Rs 50 lakh , the declaration by the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court that he is a "proclaimed offender" in connection with EDs money laundering probe are just some of the low points in the life of a man who was once, as we said before, known to be the king of good times. He has also incidentally been named in the Panama Papers and Paradise Papers in connection with offshore investments. Mallya has repeatedly dismissed the proceedings against him as a witch hunt and expressed that he has done nothing wrong and that he is glad that a UK court which according to him is impartial is dealing with his case. In a dramatic twist, on 3 October 2017, Mallya was arrested in London and almost immediately released on bail. On 16 June 2018, he was ordered to pay Rs. 1.81 crore to Indian banks by a United Kingdom court. The hearings over a possible extradition are going on. December 10 then is the day of reckoning and the next episode of this riveting saga will then play out for the world to see. Stay tuned to Money Control podcasts for more updates. Debt-laden Air India is gearing up for another round of financial assistance from the government as Centre warms up to revive the state carrier, Moneycontrol has learnt. In an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol, Pradeep Kharola, chairman and managing director, Air India, said that the government has initiated discussions regarding the same. They will give us some financial assistance The quantum is being discussed as of now, Kharola said. Cash starved Air India has been under severe financial stress due to high air turbine fuel (ATF) prices and falling market share. The airline has been bleeding for over a decade and has received support from the government from time to time. Aviation secretary RN Choubey had recently told reporters that the airline was being provided financial assistance by way of equity and guarantee by the government from time to time. Close to Rs 1,600 crore of equity infusion has been done in the airline so far, Kharola said. Also read: Government plans to halve Air India's debt under its revival plan The government has geared up to revive the airline that sits on accumulated losses of Rs 30,000 crore and has unpaid debt of over Rs 55,000 crore. Under a newly devised revival plan for AI, the government has decide to transfer more than half of its debt to a special purpose vehicle (SPV), Air India Asset Holding Company Ltd., in order to clean up the carriers balance sheet. Currently, there is a debt on AI's books of accounts, which is required to be serviced from its revenues, and over which there are other collateral charges. The idea is to move this debt from Air India to this SPV with government's guarantee, leaving AI with balance debt of Rs 26,000 crore on its books," a senior government official had told Moneycontrol. He said that the government will sell the non-core real estate assets of the airline to liquidate the debt it will take over. "As and when the non-core assets are sold, the residual amount of debt value in the SPV will keep getting reduced," the official said. Kharola said that the airline has non-real real estate assets worth more than Rs 8,000 crore which it plans to sell. Also read: Financial support to Air India being given from time to time, says Aviation Secretary We are disposing these in installments to raise funds, he said. According to sources, the airline is expected to sell Airlines House in Mumbai and realty properties in Delhis Vasant Vihar area and on Baba Kharak Singh Marg near Connaught Place. In September, it had also invited bids for its properties located across India. These include Around 28 flats in Mumbai, seven flats in Ahmedabad, and two flats and an office space in Pune have been put on sale. The government has also announced to sell AIs Air India Air Transport Service Ltd (AIATSL) through the newly constituted SPV. The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Rs 444-crore public issue to list on BSE, NSE as on 12 October 2020. It witnessed an overwhelming response from investors as it was subscribed to 157.4 times, which is the top response in 2020 so far. Moneycontrol News After Varanasi, Patna (Bihar) will become the second city in India to receive container cargo via waterways, the government said on December 6. According to a release by the shipping ministry, Gaighat terminal at Patna, on Ganga river, will receive cargo consignment from PepsiCo and Emami Agrotech next week. The consignment carrying 16 TEU (equivalent to 16 truckloads) started from Kolkata, on December 5, and will travel 815 kilometers across the National Waterway-1 to reach Gaighat Inland Water Transport (IWT) terminal. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's first multi-modal terminal in Varanasi under Jal Marg Vikas Project and received first cargo consignment by PepsiCo. "Kolkata-Patna is Indias new IWT origin-destination pair for containerised cargo movement on the National Waterway-1. Plans are at an advanced stage to operationalise Patna-Varanasi sector of NW-1 for container cargo movement," read the government's statement. The JMV project is being carried out at an approximate cost of Rs 5,369 crore to develop waterways across NW-1. The project will enable movement of cargo weighing almost 1,500 - 2,000 DWT. "According to the World Bank economic analysis, of the 1.5 lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities to be created due to interventions under JMVP, 50,000 will be in Bihar alone," the release said. Since the lockdown rules have lifted significantly, Im sure a lot of you are itching to go out on a road trip. If youre in the market looking for something that will help ferry the entire family, heres a list we think could make that choice easier. The Haryana government has handed over the entire stretch falling in Gurugram to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for construction of Dwarka expressway. After transferring a nine kilometer stretch between Delhi-Gurugram border and Basai, Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVK), formerly known as Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has now transferred a 7.37 km long stretch to the NHAI, reported Times of India. This is part of the 8.77 km expressway segment between Basai and Kherki Daula. Dwarka expressway is being built in five packages at an estimated cost of Rs 7,500 crore. These are a 5.3 km from Shiv Murti to RuB (package 1), a 4.2 km from RuB to Haryana border (package 2), a 10.2 km stretch from Haryana border to Basai RoB (package 3), 8.77 km long distance from Basai RoB to NH-8 SPR intersection (package 4) and a 5 km long stretch for Western Airport Connectivity from Dwarka Expressway through tunnel (package 5). The total length of the Dwarka Expressway is 29 km, of which 18.9km is in Gurugram and the rest in Delhi. The handover of land means construction of the expressways 18.9km portion in Gurugram can now begin, almost 11 years after the ambitious project was first announced, the report noted. There, however, continues to be hurdles in the governments plans to connect Dwarka expressway with National Highway-8 due to unavailability of land on either side of the expressway. According to the report, while HSVK is yet to acquire a 1.5 km long stretch near Kherki Daula village due to legal hurdles where the resolution seems unlikely, Delhi government is yet to give forest clearance. Recently, the PMO had held a meeting where it was decided that NHAI would seek forest clearance and permission for cutting trees from the Delhi government. NHAI is learnt to have already submitted the applications, the report said. Media reports suggest that work on Dwarka expressway could begin by early next year. France will forge ahead with its own tax on digital giants in 2019 if the EU fails to agree on how to get the likes of Google and Facebook to pay more tax in Europe, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said on December 6. Le Maire told France 2 television he would give himself "until March" to reach a deal with other EU members on a digital tax, nicknamed the GAFA tax after Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. If the talks fail, "we will do it at the national level in 2019: we will tax digital giants if European states do not take their responsibilities," he said. On December 4, France and Germany agreed on a scaled-back version of the tax in a bid to overcome significant opposition to the plan among some of their EU neighbours. Under the new plan -- presented as an interim solution while waiting for a global deal brokered by the OECD -- digital giants would pay a three-per cent levy on advertising sales. The measure, set to come into force in 2021 if a global plan has not been agreed by then, would chiefly target Google and Facebook, which dominate the online advertising market in Europe. Paris argues it would be a vote winner for mainstream EU parties before European Parliament elections next May, in which anti-Brussels populists could do well. France's initial proposal had a far wider scope but failed to gain traction, effectively killing the proposal as European tax rules require unanimous backing by all EU members. Ireland, which hosts the European headquarters of several US tech giants, leads a small group of otherwise mostly Nordic countries that argue the tax will also punish European companies and stoke Washington's anger. Germany, which firmly backed the plan at first, also expressed reticence after auto giants expressed concern it could damage their digital business models. Representative image Ravindra Rao Rabi oilseed with the largest output, mustard seed was in a bear grip in November, declining more than 5 percent from the previous month. Mustard-seed markets were adequately supplied in 2018 due to higher output; thus, prices did not hold above Rs 4,250 throughout the year. Nevertheless, the fall was contained as demand was good enough to meet mustard-meal exports, which more than doubled in FY 2018-19. From April to November 2018, mustard-meal exports (of 7.45 lakh tonnes) rocketed 90 percent from the corresponding period in 2017. Meal exports are at a three-year high and, with China as a new importer, scope for exports has further risen. However, no fresh deals have been signed with China so far and traditional buyers such as South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam are the major importers. Mustard-seed supply from March to November was 68 lakh tonnes, with carried-forward stocks with farmers, processors and stockists are estimated at 11 lakh tonnes. The 2017-18 season is coming to a close and markets are now eyeing developments in the new season crop, sowing of which began last month. Despite less attractive returns in 2018, farmers in the largest mustard-growing state (Rajasthan) opted for this crop. Optimism about meal exports and guaranteed returns over other parallel crops are attracting farmers. By the last week, the area under mustard seed was 57.89 lakh hectares, up 4.3 percent from the same period last year. In Rajasthan, by end-November sowing on 22.48 lakh hectares was 10.6 percent higher than in the corresponding period last year. The current sowing figure depicts an optimistic crop picture for the 2018-19 season, but weather conditions during the growing phase are key to a good yield. On the price front, considering the good export prospects we don't expect the mustard seed to stay below Rs3,900. If the weather turns adverse, mustard-seed prices may spike in coming weeks. (The author is Head - Commodity Research & Advisory, at Anand Rathi Commodities.) The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on Moneycontrol are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. The world's largest online retailer Ikea is going to take its smaller, mall-format stores concept called Hej (pronounced "hey") Home to Mumbai, after the first one's success in Hyderabad. Ikea had opened a Hej Home in Hyderabad last year as an experiential centre, before the launch of its full-scale store which opened in August this year. It was a long-standing plan for Ikea to come to India so they have done their research well. They will not repeat the mistakes they have done in some markets. For instance, they had tried European strategies in China and failed. Then they understood the different nuances of the market and adjusted their approach. India is way more diverse and Ikea has realised that. Each store will have a different offering to suit its catchment, said Devangshu Dutta, CEO of Third Eyesight, a retail consulting firm. The Swedish retail firm has been clear that it sees India as a long-term market and has made significant investment in the region. IKEA India, part of the Ingka group and one of its most recent retail markets, is one of its most important long-term markets. It is on track to invest 1.5 billion euros and aims to be present in many Indian cities in the coming years. Mumbai will be the first megacity in India to offer the full experience, including city centre formats, large stores and a strong digital offering next year," said Peter Betzel, CEO, IKEA India last month. Ikea also plans to reach 200 million Indians in the coming three years through different channels. The Indian retail industry is expected to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2020, registering a compound annual growth rate of 8.79 per cent between 2000 and 2020, according to a report by Deloitte and Retailers Association of India. Furniture and furnishing are expected to account for 3.6 per cent. Ikea, according to sources, has plans to take a major share of the sectors success in India. Their journey in India so far is a testament to it. Ikea would be tweaking its offering in every geography. They plan to venture into the Indian market because the market here is diverse, unlike many of the markets the home goods giant is present in, said Dutta. There has been an overall change in format for Ikeas maiden journey in India. The brand, known for its DIY (do it yourself) format, has people sent over to customer residences to assemble the furniture they have bought. India is not a DIY market. It is a serviced market and Ikea has taken care of that by adding a service layer to their offering in association with UrbanClap. The next example would be the opening of a Mumbai store which is said to be coming up in a mall. The brand, known for its extravagant format and sprawling real estate, will have to adjust according to the Mumbai market where space is a pertinent problem. This shows their intent to adjust according to catchment, Dutta added. Ikea did not respond to an email from Moneycontrol seeking comment. According to another retail expert, the brand with its huge offerings is a competition to both modern and traditional stores/brands in the home goods segment and once its adapts well to the Indian market, it has the potential to be market leader. The worlds biggest furniture group, Ikea had an operational profit of nearly $3.6 billion last year. Reuters had reported earlier that changing shopper behaviour and expectations, and popularity of online rivals such as Amazon, has made Sweden-based IKEA invest in e-commerce and services as well as try new concepts such as pickup points and city-centre showrooms. The Nifty is expected to open lower on Thursday, tracking muted trend seen in other Asian markets. The index closed 86 points down at 10,782 on Wednesday. Trends on SGX Nifty indicate that the index will open 87.50 points or 0.81 percent lower in India. Nifty futures were trading at around 10,746 on the Singaporean exchange. US stock futures tumbled on Thursday and Asian markets followed suit after Canadian authorities arrested a top executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies, fanning fears of further tensions between China and the US, Reuters reported. Oil prices fell on Thursday in tepid trading ahead of a meeting of the oil cartel OPEC, which is expected to result in a supply cut aimed at draining a glut that has pulled down crude prices by 30 percent since October. Stocks in the news: Tata Motors: JLR UK's total sales increased to 9,055 units in November 2018 versus 8,895 units; Jaguar sales falls to 2,716 units versus 6,241 units and Land Rover sales rise to 6,339 units versus 6,241 YoY. State-owned power equipment maker BHEL on December 5 said its share buyback offer worth Rs 1,628 crore would open on December 13. The Cabinet will Thursday consider the proposal for PFC acquiring entire government holding in state-owned REC, which will fetch the government around Rs 15,000 crore. Sagar Cement: Board approved a proposal to invest Rs 150 crore in Satguru Cement Private Limited (SCPL), Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to set-up a green field cement manufacturing plant of 1 million ton capacity Technical Recommendations: We spoke to Bonanza Portfolio and heres what they have to recommend: TCS: Buy| LTP: Rs 2,006.75 | Target: Rs 2,170| Stop Loss Rs 1,919| Return 8% Dr Reddy's Laboratories: Sell| LTP: Rs 2,671.65 | Target: Rs 2,520 | Stop Loss Rs 2,746| Return 5.60% Grasim Industries: Sell| LTP: Rs 826| Target Rs 760| Stop Loss: Rs 862| Return 8% : The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on Moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Shares of Power Grid Corporation of India rose as much as 1 percent in early trade after the company won a bid to establish a transmission system at the Jawaharpur Thermal Power Project. "This is the first intra-state transmission system project won by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited under tariff-based competitive bidding," the company said in a statement. The company also won a bid to construct a 400 kV substation at Firozabad along with associated transmission lines on a build, own, operate and maintain (BOOM) basis. At 09:36 IST Power Grid Corporation of India was quoting at Rs 184.95, up 0.85 percent from the previous close. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are the stocks that are in the news today: Tata Motors: JLR UK's total sales increased to 9,055 units in November 2018 versus 8,895 units; Jaguar sales falls to 2,716 units versus 6,241 units and Land Rover sales rise to 6,339 units versus 6,241 YoY. BHEL's Rs 1,628-cr buyback offer to open on December 13 PFC to acquire govt's stake in REC for Rs 15k crore Power Grid Corporation of India: The company is as the successful bidder under tariff based competitive bidding to establish 'transmission system for evacuation of power from 2 x 660 MW Jawaharpur Thermal Power Project and construction of 400 kV substation at Firozabad along with associated Transmission Lines' on build, own operate and maintain (BOOM) basis. This is the first Intra State Transmission System Project won by the company under tariff based competitive bidding. Sagar Cements: Board approved a proposal to invest Rs 150 crore in Satguru Cement Private Limited (SCPL), Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to set-up a green field cement manufacturing plant of 1 million ton capacity along with waste heat recovery power plant at a total cost of Rs 426 crore, and to invest Rs 108 crore in Jajpur Cements Private Limited (JCPL), Jajpur, Odisha in a phased manner to acquire 100 percent shareholding in it and to set-up through it a green field grinding unit of 1.5 million ton capacity in Jajpur at a total cost of Rs 308.10 crore. Both projects are being planned to be completed by March 2021. Elecon Engineering board to consider raising Rs 150 crore via NCD on December 10 Avenue Supermarts: Company has issued commercial paper of Rs 100 crore. Castex Technologies: Lenders withdraw Liberty Houses resolution plan. Bank Of Baroda: The bank keeps MCLR unchanged in range of 8.15-8.65 percent. Tata Communications: UROS Group, a global innovator in turnkey IoT solutions and smart connectivity, is collaborating with the company to support the deployment of IoT and Smart City solutions across large commercial and public sector organisations globally. Nestle India: Board declared third interim dividend of Rs 50 per share for the year 2018. Lemon Tree Hotels: The company opened its hotel under brand name 'Lemon Tree Premier' in Pune which has 201 rooms. It presently operates 52 hotels including managed properties across 31 cities in India. Trigyn Technologies: New York-based enterprise artificial intelligence startup WhizAI raises $1.1 million in seed funding led by Trigyn Technologies, Inc. Milestone Furniture: Company successfully completed the contract of Rs 2.33 crore for interior and office furniture with Sudarshan Pharma industries Ltd Group having its office at Borivali, Mumbai. Further company is having in discussion to obtain contract of Rs 2.75 crore for providing facility at godown and sales office for their infra projects. Sadhna Broadcast: Pooja Aggarwal is appointed as Chief Executive Officer and Satyabrata Mukherjee as Chief Operating Officer of the company. Ravalgaon Sugar Farm: Board approved sale of land for Rs 28 lakh, candy sugar plant and machinery for Rs 75 lakh, candy sugar plant structure subsequent to the sale of plant and machinery, and capital expenditure of Rs 18 lakh towards construction of factory compound wall plus additional Rs 20 lakh for any additional steps required to protect the property. Spice Mobility: Madhusudan Venkatachary tendered his resignation as Chief Financial Officer of the company due to personal reasons. Board meeting to be held on December 7 to consider the appointment of new Chief Financial Officer. Kirloskar Industries clarified that they purchased shares of KBL after seeking necessary pre-clearances and making necessary disclosures in accordance with the then applicable laws. And SEBI had not initiated any inquiry or investigation against the company ICICI Bank to consider domestic fund raising by way of issuance of senior unsecured long term bonds/ Basel Ill compliant unsecured subordinated perpetual Additional Tier 1 bonds in single/multiple tranches on private placement basis on December 10, 2018 Lalit Kumar Chandel, Economic Adviser, Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Department of Financial Services, has been nominated as Government Nominee Director on the board of ICICI Bank in place of Lok Ranjan Bulk Deals Agro Phos India: Mukta Narang sold 1,08,000 shares of the company at Rs 47.25 per share on the NSE. Supershakti Metaliks: Asia Investment Corporation Mauritius Limited purchased 1,89,000 shares of the company at Rs 407 per share on the BSE. Bijal Mukesh Shah-HUF (41,400 shares), Jignesh Amritlal Patel (36,600 shares) and Vipul Haridas Thakkar (31,500 shares) were net sellers. (For more bulk deals, click here) Analyst or Board Meet/Briefings Elecon Engineering: Board meeting is scheduled on December 10 to consider issuing the non-convertible debentures upto Rs 150 crore on private placement basis and/or to delegate the powers to the committee in this regards alongwith the other Agenda. Dr Lal PathLabs: Company's officials will be meeting analysts/institutional investors on December 7, 11, 13 and 14. Sandhar Technologies: Company's officials will be meeting mutual fund houses on December 6-7. Pilani Investment and Industries Corporation: Board meeting is scheduled on December 13 to consider unaudited financial results of the company for the quarter and six months ended September 2018. Moschip Semiconductor Technology: Board meeting is scheduled on December 10 to consider the change in name of the company. : Company's officials will be meeting investors in the non-deal road show on December 6 in Mumbai and attending conference organised by Systematix Shares and Stocks (India) Limited on December 7. - Strong expectations of a supply cut but scepticism over the final deal- Estimation of a 1-1.4 million barrels per day production cut- Uncertainty on whether Russia would be willing to forego barrels - Qatar announced plans to exit OPEC, citing limited benefits from the cartel Crude oil prices have seen a sharp plunge in the last two months, which impacted fortunes of oil exporting countries. The softness was due to: 1) Expectations of a slowdown in demand growth; 2) Softness in implementation of Iranian sanction, with US granting waivers to eight countries; 3) Rapidly rising supply; 4) An uptick in the US reported inventories; and 5) Covering of hedged exposure by banks. Amid all this, Qatar has announced plans to exit the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), citing limited benefits from the cartel and its focus more on gas production and export. During such an environment of growing discord within OPEC and concerns over continuity of the consortium, the members are scheduled to meet today to decide on the cartels future strategy. While there is a brief outline of what the outcome might be and strong expectations that there would be some sort of a deal to take substantial barrels off the table, how much each nation might be willing to forego would be something to watch out for. There is scepticism about how willing Russia would be to be part of this production cut, given the country has been consistently looking to raise production. In a surprise announcement, Qatar disclosed its intentions to leave OPEC, citing limited benefits it enjoys from the cartel and minimal returns on investments it makes in the group. Qatar highlighted that while it does not want to exit oil export in any way, it wants to focus on increasing gas exports. Though Qatar accounts for a mere 2 percent of OPECs oil production, the country is one of the largest natural gas exporters in the world and the strategy only seems reasonable. However, it raises questions on the continuity of the cartel itself.In the last few weeks, Saudi Arabia has been aggressively pushing the need for production cuts to stabilise prices. Though the nation would not want to irk the US who has bailed the Saudis out on the Jamal Khashoggi affair. (Khashoggi was a veteran Saudi journalist who was killed in Istanbul after walking into the Saudi consulate). Meanwhile, the US Senate passed a bill ending American support for the Saudi war in Yemen, significantly upping the pressure on Saudi Arabia not to cut output by too much.The dynamics of how the Russian ruble fluctuates are much less linked to oil as it is for the Saudi riyal. This makes lower prices much less painful for Russia compared to Saudi Arabia. Due to this, Russia has been less vocal on oil price movement and in pushing production cuts. On December 1, despite Russia expressing its intention to continue working with Saudi Arabia over managing production on the sidelines of the G20 meet, there still seems some scepticism over how much output Russia would be willing to forego. There have been indications that Russia is negotiating a mere 150,000 bpd production cut. This means Saudi would have to forego a much higher level to achieve the target. Given the increasing strain between Saudi and US, Russia might be more than willing to maintain strong ties with Saudi and be more flexible. US take US oil inventories have seen an uptick in the last few weeks and was one of the major reasons which led to the softening in prices. With inventories pilling, it only indicates an oversupply in the market. The US has been vocal and aggressive about bringing oil prices down. In a bid to exert pressure on Saudi Arabia, the US ended support to the Saudi war in Yemen. Moreover, the 180-day waiver granted by the US from Iranian sanctions seems more of a bridging mechanism to ensure adequate supply and lower prices. This period would give US producers some time to boost production and add capacities, which are expected to come in from the middle of 2019. Thats when USs dependence on crude import would fall. Indias position Indian has strong engagements with OPEC nations, sourcing nearly 83 percent of its crude, 98 percent of its LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) and 74 percent of its LNG (liquefied natural gas) needs. Rising crude oil prices had a serious impact on its current account as well as the overall fiscal math. There have been speculations that India is looking at countries outside OPEC (such as the US and China) to source its crude and gas supplies at more competitive rates. Momentary exemption from the Iranian sanction until May next year comes as a relief for India and should ease pressure on the current account balance and margins of many companies. While oil prices seem in bearish mode for now, a rebound cannot be ruled out. The turmoil is also expected to continue until the market finds equilibrium. With volatile geopolitical dynamics, decisions from the OPEC meeting might define the contours of near term price movement. Follow @Ruchiagrawal OPEC countries were meeting to find a way to support the falling price of oil, with analysts predicting the cartel and some key allies, like Russia, would agree to cut production by at least 1 million barrels per day. Crude prices have been falling since October because countries like the US and Saudi Arabia are producing at high rates and due to fears that weaker economic growth would dampen energy demand. The price of both benchmark US crude and the standard for internationally traded oil fell 22 percent in November. The oil minister of Saudi Arabia, the heavyweight within OPEC, said that the country was in favour of a cut of 1 million barrels a day. "I think a million will be adequate personally," Khalid Al-Falih said upon arriving to the meeting in Vienna. He clarified that that would cover production for both OPEC countries as well as non-OPEC countries, like Russia, which have in recent years been coordinating their production limits with the cartel. His Iraqi counterpart, Thamir Ghadhban, said: "I am optimistic that the agreement will stabilise the market, will stop the slide in the price (of oil)." Investors did not seem convinced, however, and were pushing the price of oil down sharply again on December 6, partly due to broader concerns that a trade war between the US and China could escalate and hurt global growth. The international benchmark for crude, Brent, was down $2.91 at $58.65 a barrel. The fall in the price of oil will be a help to many consumers as well as energy-hungry businesses, and US President Donald Trump has been putting pressure publicly on OPEC to not cut production. He tweeted on December 5 that "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" Experts say this week's meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries will influence the price of oil over the coming months. How strongly it does so could depend on Russia's contribution, which will be determined in a meeting on December 7. Analysts at Commerzbank estimate that if Russia is willing to step up its production cuts, OPEC and non-OPEC countries could trim production by a combined 1.3-1.4 million barrels a day. This "would be enough to rebalance the oil market next year," they wrote in a note to investors. While Saudi Arabia has indicated it is willing to cut production, its decision may be complicated by Trump's decision to not sanction the country over the killing of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi. US Senators say, after a briefing with intelligence services, that they are convinced that Saudi's de-facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was involved in Khashoggi's death. Some experts say that gives the US some leverage over the Saudis, though Al-Falih denied that on December 6. When asked if the Saudis had permission from Trump to cut production, Al-Falih replied: "I don't need permission from any foreign governments." Oil cartel OPEC will consider views of world leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who represent the voice of major consuming nations, with seriousness before taking a decision on cutting output to support falling prices, Saudi oil minister Khalid Al Falih said. India is the world's third largest oil consuming nation, which is more than 80 percent dependent on imports to meet its energy needs. Led by Modi, it has been very strongly making a case for oil producers' cartel OPEC to price crude at reasonable and responsible rates. Speaking to reporters at the meeting of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), he said: "We take the views of Prime Minister Narendra Modi seriously who (like US President Donald Trump) is equally vocal about the issue. We just met him in Buenos Aires (during G20 summit) and privately he made those points very very strongly that he does care for Indian consumers and is very serious about it. I have also seen him at three times at various energy events in India where he was very vocal." He was replying to a question on US President's expectations from OPEC meeting. "Well, President Trump is the president of the largest consuming country in the globe -- 21 million (barrels), I believe, or thereabouts. That's 20 percent of global markets if not more. And the consumer in the US, just like the consumer in France, just like the consumer in India, just like the consumer in Saudi Arabia, wants affordable energy. "So, he (Trump) has every right to wish for affordability of energy for the citizens of the United States and he is very vocal using his favourite communication tool which is Twitter and we hear him and we take his views seriously," he said. Ahead of the meeting, Trump in a tweeted had hoped that OPEC will keep oil flowing and not take decisions that would lead to higher oil prices. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!," he had said. Consuming nations are part of OPEC deliberations even when they are not physically present in the meeting room, the Saudi oil minister said. "And the fact that President Trump tweets about it and reminds us, I think, is a healthy thing and we take it as one input factor but at the end of the day our most important guiding principle is to bring supply and demand into balance and we don't think the US will benefit from an over-supply market for an extended period of time where investment flows stop and the fantastic growth in US shale is brought to a halt in the way it happened in 2015-2016," he said. OPEC on December 6 delayed a decision on production until it meets with other producers on December 7. Following this, crude oil prices traded sharply lower. Growing concerns that oil producers won't reach an agreement to aggressively reduce production has also weighed on prices. West Texas Intermediate crude for January delivery lost $2.30, or 4.4 percent, to $50.59 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Members of OPEC concluded their meeting in Vienna, without deciding on output-cut figures. It plans to debate output figures with non-OPEC producers during their meeting on December 7. affordable housing In view of several real estate projects either getting delayed or stuck, developers have called for setting up a stressed assets reconstruction fund to ensure that residential units are delivered on time. Demonetisation, Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) and GST have cast the heavy burden of multiple transitions on the real estate sector. The NBFC crisis has resulted in a liquidity crunch for the Indian real estate sector with even loans that have been sanctioned facing difficulties in disbursement. CREDAI recommends a one-time restructuring of all real estate loans to enable the sector to emerge successfully from the multiple transitions, the realtors' apex body Credai said in a statement. Last mile funding for stalled projects through setting up of Stressed Assets Reconstruction Fund for real estate has become a necessity to ensure delivery of housing units to consumers, it said at the second edition of the New India Summit held in Mysore, Karnataka. Over 1000-member developers and experts from the real estate sector from across the country attended the event that was inaugurated by Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Ananth Kumar Hegde. The body also recommended a one-time restructuring of all real estate loans to enable the sector to emerge successfully from the multiple transitions. It also demanded reduction in the GST rate for under-construction homes to 8 percent from 12 percent, besides single-window clearance for projects. In view of real estate being subject to both GST and stamp duties, there is a case that the rate of GST on real estate which stands at 12 percent, needs to be reduced to 8 percent across all segments and not just for houses of up to 60 square meters. The current land abatement rate of 33 percent is also not adequate in case of metros where land costs up to 70 percent of the total cost of the unit," the grouping said in a statement. It also called for the implementation of a single window mechanism. Lack of implementation of single window clearance in Indian realty is a major reason for the delay in projects. It will resolve critical operational issues in the industry and could also reduce real estate prices substantially, it said. CREDAI President Jaxay Shah said the future of the Indian economy lies in these emerging regions, with Mysore being a testament to this belief owing to its rapid economic growth in the past few years. CREDAI's Chairman Getamber Anand said there is no doubt about the need for new urban centres to take the mantle for India's economic growth from the metro cities and put themselves on the map. OYO Rooms (Representative Image) Hospitality firm Oyo has raised $100 million from Cayman Islands-based A1 Holding Inc, an entity controlled by Singapore's ride hailing firm Grab, according to data sourced by business intelligence firm Tofler. Last month, Moneycontrol reported that Oyo, which raised $800 million in a round led by SoftBank in September, would raise another $200 million in December. The company did not immediately respond to email. However in an interaction with Moneycontrol last month, founder Ritesh Agarwal had said that the fresh funding was to come from new investors. The company is yet to raise another $100 million. It has been in talks with companies such as WeWork and Didi Chuxing. Interestingly, all the three firms -- WeWork, Didi Chuxing and Grab have investments from Oyo's existing investor Softbank. Oyo has been aggressively expanding in foreign markets. Investment by Grab will give it the much needed support to make a mark in Southeast Asian countries. Going forward the company plans to aggressively focus on two core markets, India and China. Launched in May 2013, by Ritesh Agarwal, Oyo used to aggregate select rooms across hotels and offer them on its website. However, it later pivoted to a franchisee model, under which it offers customers rooms from exclusive properties that have either been leased by Oyo or are run on a revenue-share basis. It runs multiple properties across categories including economy, mid-scale, and upper mid-scale properties. It recently entered into luxury resort range under the brand name Palette. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Share price of Sonata Software rose 3.7 percent intraday Thursday as company is going to acquire an Australian company. The company has entered into a definitive agreement on December 5, 2018 with Scalable Data Systems Pty and and its shareholder to acquire 100 percent stake in Scalable. The acquisition will increase Sonatas footprint as a Microsoft Dynamics 365 leader, making the combined entity a Digital Transformation partner of choice for customers in Retail, Distribution, Manufacturing, Commodities, and Travel, as per company release. This acquisition will not require any governmental or regulatory approvals and will get completed in 1 month. Srikar Reddy, Managing Director & CEO, Sonata Software said, This will provide Sonata with additional IP, and geographical reach, along with a strong fillip to its strategy to be a global leader in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 partner ecosystem with core IPs across wide range of industries and a global footprint, specifically also making us a strong Dynamics partner in the Australian market. At 09:40 hrs Sonata Software was quoting at Rs 305.85, up Rs 8.30, or 2.79 percent on the BSE. Representataive Image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Share price of Spice Mobility was down 1.7 percent intraday Thursday after CFO resignation. Madhusudan Venkatachary tendered his resignation as chief financial officer (CFO) of the company due to personal reasons. The company proposes to hold a board meeting on December 7, 2018, to consider the appointment of new CFO of the company. The trading window for dealing in the securities of the company will remain closed from December 5, 2018, to December 9, 2018, (both days inclusive). At 11:15 hrs Spice Mobility was quoting at Rs 11.50, down Rs 0.20, or 1.71 percent on the NSE. The share declined 36 percent in last 9 months. Scarborough Leader Funding for the project would come from a bond and through a capital campaign. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The Maharashtra government told the Bombay High Court that it had demolished fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi's illegal bungalow built along the beach at Alibaug in adjoining Raigad district. Government counsel advocate P B Kakade also told a bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M S Karnik that it had served demolition notices to another 58 private properties in the area constructed in violation of the state's rules and coastal zone norms. He made the submissions in compliance with a previous order of the bench whereby, it had directed the government to submit details of all actions taken, and pending litigation concerning the illegal private constructions along the beaches in Alibaug, a coastal town popular with weekend tourists. The state filed an affidavit in the court stating Modi's illegal bungalow was demolished on December 5. It also said 58 other properties were served with the demolition notice on December 4, and their owners asked to raze all illegal structures within a week's time. In the affidavit, the state submitted that the owners of around 61 such illegal private structures had managed to get stay orders on demolition from local civil courts. However, it was planning to initiate legal action to get the stay orders lifted, the government submitted. The bench took note of the state's submissions and scheduled the matter for further hearing on December 20. The bench was hearing a petition filed by an activist, Surendra Dhavale. The plea had sought that the court direct the authorities to demolish all unauthorised constructions "within the low and high tide areas" in several villages in Alibaug. As per the petition, such constructions had been carried out in violation of the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority rules and the state's land laws. As per the plea, there are around 175 such private residences in CRZ areas in villages such as Varsoli, Sasvane, Kolgaon and Dokvade, among others, belonging to several "wealthy persons, including Modi, and several businessmen and film actors". Nirav Modi, a key accused in the $2 billion Punjab National Bank fraud case, has fled the country. Aadhaar People may soon get an option to withdraw their Aadhaar numbers, as the government is deciding on amending the Aadhaar Act. According to a report by The Hindu, the Centre is in the last leg of finalising a proposal to amend the Act that will allow all citizens to withdraw their Aadhaar number, including biometrics and data. The Supreme Court, in its order on September 26 this year, struck down Section 57 of the Aadhaar Act, which allowed sharing of data with private entities. It means that telecom companies, e-commerce firms and private banks cannot ask for biometric and other data from consumers to provide their services. Following the order, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) drafted a proposal to amend the Act. Initially, the proposal suggested that children who turn 18 will be given six months to decide if they want to withdraw their Aadhaar number, said the report citing a senior official familiar with the development. The proposal was sent to the Law Ministry for examination, which recommended that the withdrawal option should be made available to all citizens. Based on the recommendation, a new proposal has been drafted. It will now be sent to the Cabinet. However, the new proposal does not cover Aadhaar card holders who have PAN cards issued on their names, as the court had upheld the linkage of PAN with Aadhaar. Exporters body FIEO said the uncooperative attitude of state-owned bankers is hurting exports and it would not be possible to increase shipments without adequate credit support. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Gupta demanded quick resolution of bank credit issues to push the country's exports. "PSU banks officials including MDs, EDs, GMs, AGMs are not accessible to exporters, particularly from the MSME sector. This has tightened the hands of these exporters to take orders as they are not able to discuss issues and challenges with regard to availability and cost of credit to the exports sector," he told reporters. He added that the efforts of Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is taking several steps to promote exports, would not fructify if banks fail to lend adequate funds to exporters at affordable rates. While the government is pushing the Digital India initiative and paperless transactions, the banks are demanding bundles of documents, collateral and other papers for considering applications even for small loans, he said. "It takes months and months to get these limits approved and in the meantime we lose our orders. The issue needs urgent attention of the government," Gupta added. He said similar problems are being faced with regard to insurance body ECGC, which shows reluctance to extend insurance cover to exporters. "They reject claims on very flimsy grounds. I would urge the Commerce Minister to look at the matter on an urgent basis. If banks and ECGC continue to behave like this, we would not be able to register double digit growth rate in exports," he said. He also made a case for enhancement of duty drawback rates, inclusion of more products like fabrics under export promotion scheme MEIS and extension of the interest equalisation scheme to merchant exporters. Only these measures can help in achieving $350 billion exports and recording substantial growth, he added. Referring to the issues concerning trade with China, the FIEO chief said India's exports to China grew by about 17 percent in the first six months of 2018-19. He further said a sharp decline in exports of copper, ores, minerals and zinc shows that India's exports are moving towards value added products. On trade with Iran, he said India's exports to the country grew by about 22 percent in the first six months of 2018-19. However, the imposition of sanctions has definitely impacted India's shipments as the three-month window provided by the US government got over in August 2018, he said. "We have been given to understand that UCO Bank is working on necessary modalities to start the rupee payment. This should apply to all exports except those in OFAC list or those under sanctioned entities," he said. Insurance and shipping remain a challenge for exports to Iran as both European and US based insurance/shipping companies are reluctant to take such business, he said. Since most of the courier companies have also boycotted Iran, sending exports documents is also a challenge particularly with the unavailability of SWIFT, he said, adding India Post should look into the opportunity to fill the gap. Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan is leading in Bhokar. The BJP is a "cancer" India has developed and the party will "destroy" the country unless it is rooted out in the 2019 general polls, Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan said. He alleged it was due to the "wrong policies" of the BJP-Shiv Sena government that the farmers in Maharashtra are suffering and the agrarian crisis had deepened. The Lok Sabha MP from Nanded also hit out at the Shiv Sena, saying it has been "helpless for power" and charged the party with politicising the Ram temple issue for it has no performance to show to seek votes. The former chief minister also termed Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's recent Ayodhya visit as a "publicity stunt". "The BJP is a cancer the country has contracted. The country will be destroyed if this cancer is not rooted out in the upcoming (general) polls," Chavan said at a rally in Morshi, Amravati district. The rally was organised as part of the fourth leg of the 'Jan Sangharsh Yatra' the Congress has taken out in the Vidarbha region. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, All India Congress Committee secretary Ashish Dua, ex-state minister Naseem Khan and others took part in the rally. Attacking the Devendra Fadnavis dispensation in the state, Ashok Chavan said it has been over a year since the government announced a farm loan waiver, but farmers have not yet benefited from it. He said the drought-like situation in the state has turned grave and that the government has "not started taking steps to combat it". Claiming farmers are committing suicides daily in Maharashtra, Ashok Chavan alleged the BJP chief minister had failed in governing the state. "The BJP is trying to win elections using money...but the people will show the BJP its place defeating it in the elections," Ashok Chavan said. Speaking on the occasion, Prithviraj Chavan alleged the country's economy was in peril under the BJP's watch. "The decision of demonetisation has ruined industries and caused rise in unemployment. Since the government lacks financial, they are increasing taxes to loot the people," he said. The opposition party has covered parts of Western Maharashtra, Marathwada and North Maharashtra regions in the previous three rounds of the yatra. Medchal: Congress President Rahul Gandhi addresses an election rally in Medchal, Telangana, Friday, Nov 23, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI11_23_2018_000191B) The Congress on December 5 submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission (EC), seeking a probe into the blank postal ballots found unclaimed at the state police's Home Guard office. The poll watchdog, meanwhile, said action has been initiated against three Home Guard personnel for "dereliction of duty" in this connection. "We have complained to the EC about Tuesday's incident in which unclaimed ballot papers were found in the Home Guard office near the State Police Headquarters. We have also complained about the lack of security of EVMs kept in the strongrooms across the state," MP Congress Election Affairs Wing in-charge J P Dhanopia said. He added that his party also requested the EC to provide details of the EVMs replaced during the polling. Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh were held on November 28. The Congress has raised doubts over the security of EVMs, which contain the votes cast to elect a 230-member Assembly in the state. "The postal ballots found at Home Guards office should have been delivered to service voters, who are posted outside. It appears that they had not been given to the jawans. This should be investigated," Dhanopia said. Reacting to the incident, the poll commission's public relations officer said in a press release that the postman had delivered 124 postal ballots sealed in envelopes to an assistant sub inspector at the Home Guards office, instead of delivering them separately to the persons to whom these envelopes were addressed. But the officer and employees did not deliver them to the persons concerned. Three polled postal ballots were found there, it said. As per the EC release, following an investigation into the incident by the Director General of Police and Bhopal District Collector, action was initiated against an Assistant Sub Inspector, a constable and a sainik of Home Guard for dereliction of duty. These ballots are being distributed now, the release added. Meanwhile, Congress's media cell chairperson Shobha Oza held a press conference, where she displayed one of the purported blank ballot papers and alleged that the Home Guard officials distributed the ballot papers to the jawans only on Wednesday. She claimed that these postal ballots were dispatched by the EC on November 29, a day after the polling. Oza alleged that the postal ballots were not distributed to the jawans of Home Guards on time so several of them may fail to exercise their franchise. Reacting to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's allegation that the Congress was raising a hue and cry over the EVMs out of fear, Oza said it was a matter of surprise that the BJP and the CM had no objection about the EVMs reaching 48 hours late to the strongrooms. Bankura: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during a developmental programme of her government in Bankura district of West Bengal, Wednesday, Nov 28, 2018. (PTI Photo) (PTI11_28_2018_000196B) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on December 6 paid tribute to Dr Babasaheb B R Ambedkar on his death anniversary and hailed his contribution in framing the country's Constitution. She said that his contributions in framing the Constitution will be remembered by future generations. Respectful tribute to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his death anniversary. His contribution in framing Indias Constitution will forever be remembered by the generations to come Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) December 6, 2018 "Respectful tribute to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar on his death anniversary. His contribution in framing Indias Constitution will forever be remembered by the generations to come," Banerjee tweeted. Ambedkar was not only a jurist, an economist but also a politician and a social reformer who campaigned against social discrimination of Dalits, women and labourers. Ambedkar passed away on this day in 1956. The day is observed as Mahaparinirvan Diwas. On November 6 2018, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that Faizabad district would henceforth be known as Ayodhya. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath alleged that the policy of appeasing people was responsible for terrorism and naxal problems in the country, and asserted that only BJP could firmly deal with these issues. Addressing election rallies in Karimnagar district, Bodhan town of Nizamabad district and Jayashankar in Bhupalpally district in poll-bound Telangana, Adityanath said: "The BJP will resolve the Naxal issue and act sternly against the anti-India activities of the ISI (Pakistan's spy agency Inter Services Intelligence) to ensure security for every citizen." "I have come here to tell you to that only the BJP can effectively tackle Naxals and deal with ISI activities with an iron hand and ensure security for every citizen of the country. Hence I have come to seek your support for the BJP," he said. He said the fight against terrorism, Naxalism, anarchy and poverty should be fought by entire country and not one individual. He accused the K Chandrashekar Rao-led government of betraying the people of Telangana for the last four-and-a-half years and alleged that prior to this (in undivided Andhra Pradesh), the Congress and the TDP had exploited them. Had the previous governments worked honestly, then the standard of living of the public would have improved a lot. Be it the Congress, the TDP, the TRS or the MIM, all these parties had exploited the people of Telangana and did not do any work for public interest, he claimed. "Had these people (Congress, TDP, TRS) taken the development work forward, provided employment to the youth, worked for farmers' welfare and put elaborate security arrangements in place, then Karimnagar would not have marched towards becoming a hub of ISI activities," he asserted. "MIM which wants to encroach in your Bodhan... They will all be seen running away and their whereabouts will not be known.BJP will smash their "Dangai mansube" (rowdy design) and will expose them," he said addressing a rally in Bodhan town. Adityanath said there was a need to expose and reject those indulging in anti-India activites, have a 'rowdy mentality' and block development. The BJP, through the foundation of good governance and development, has a dream of establishing 'Ram Rajya' in the country, he said. Adityanath said thousands of years ago, Lord Ram had carried out the same work and ensured a secure society, free from the threat of rakshashi atank (demonic threat) and one which did not discriminate against anyone, everyone felt secure, and "only the BJP can do this today". The Uttar Pradesh chief minister alleged that the Congress, the TDP and the TRS were still lying under the 'slavery of Nizamshahi' and practising family rule. The Congress, despite ruling the country for the maximum period of time, had failed to come out with any comprehensive development scheme he alleged, adding that the N Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP had also failed do so and the KCR-led Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had only made big announcements. But the Modi government built crores of houses and toilets, gave LPG connections to crores of poor people, opened 32 crore Jan Dhan bank accounts and also brought the Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana health insurance scheme, Adityanath said. The BJP's schemes cover every section of society and did not discriminate, but those of the Congress, the TDP and the TRS "divided society", he said, adding that until one got rid of "Nizamshahi", development could not be achieved. He claimed the poll manifestos of the three parties talked about carrying out development work in Muslim areas if they came to power. The Indian Constitution does not allow divisions in society in the name of religion. Every section of society should have the right over resources and not just Muslims... The BJP works to unite people, alongside ushering in development," Adityanath said. He described the TDP, the TRS and the Congress as dynastic parties and said that the BJP did not work that way. It was only in BJP that a small-time worker could become the prime minister, vice-president or the party's national president, he said, adding that BJP was "India's party" and one of the public, undertaking programmes without discrimination. "Those who support 'Nizamshahi' are anti-democracy... do not believe the parties promoting family rule. Believe in the BJP, Modiji, Amit Shah and all party workers who work for your security, development and good governance and who will take you to the path of development," he said. The 119-member Telangana Assembly will go to the polls on December 7 and the results will be announced on December 11. Viju Cherian The assembly elections to the five states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana have been called semi-finals, a battle royale, etc. and rightly so. The importance of elections in a democracy needs no reiteration. However, the results from these five states are crucial when the impending Parliament polls are taken into account. They will indicate as to what could be in store for the political parties in the 2019 general elections and that is why the results in Telangana matter. Among the five states, the Telangana results will have the greatest impact on regional politics and will decide the different permutations and combinations among political parties going into 2019. The results from the three Hindi heartland states (Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan) will tell if the Congress has been able to breach into the BJPs citadel. However, a win for the Congress in one or two states does not guarantee a favourable verdict in the general elections, because voters are known to vote differently for the assembly and general elections. The verdict from Mizoram will determine if the Congress gets to keep a toehold in the Northeast. The Telangana results will show how much of a factor the BJP is in the state after all, it is contesting 118 of the 119 seats. This election will also show if statehood sentiments are still an electoral factor the way they were in 2014. The Telangana results will determine the fate of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), and that of the grand alliance. It is these two factors that make the state results critical. For the TRS its a do-or-die battle. If K Chandrashekar Rao wins a second term, not only will he consolidate his position in Indias newest state, but will also get the momentum to form an anti-BJP, anti-Congress alliance for the general elections. This will increase Raos relevance in New Delhi. If booted out of power, KCR will have little political turf left. He will be approaching the 2019 polls on the back foot and would even be forced to turn to the BJP. Watch | Telangana Polls Explained in 3 Minutes If the Prajakutami or Congress-TDP-TJS-CPI grand alliance wins the polls, it would be a shot in the arm for the anti-BJP opposition going into the 2019 polls. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidus efforts of uniting regional parties against the BJP will gather critical momentum. The win will also encourage other regional parties to form state-specific alliances with the Congress. If the Prajakutami loses the election, it will cripple efforts for a Mahagathbandhan. This will not only be a blow for the Congress but will also leave regional parties scattered in their efforts to counter the BJP wave across India. This is why the Telangana results matter more for almost every major political party, the results will lay the blueprint on how to strategise for the 2019 polls. Shekhar Iyer As Rajasthan goes to polls on December 7, to decide whether incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje gets a second term, a little-known incident comes to mind: in 2014, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was putting together a government after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won a massive mandate, he wanted Raje to join him at the Centre. Raje declined and told Modi that she could not let down the huge mandate handed to her -- so goes a popular tale among party insiders. Modi probably had the defence portfolio in mind for her. Raje, however, would have felt that being on her own terms in not-so-far away Jaipur as head of a popularly-elected state government meant more than being Indias first woman defence minister -- an honour which later, in September 2017, went to Nirmala Sitharaman. In 2013, though Modi and other BJP leaders campaigned in Rajasthan, the assembly poll victory undoubtedly belonged to Raje. She led the campaign from the front, addressing maximum number of meetings and had a big say in the selection of candidates. The BJP won 163 of the 200 Assembly seats, clocking 45 percent of votes while the Congress came a distant second with 21 seats and 33 percent of the votes. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) managed only three and Independents won seven. By all accounts, it was a mandate that deluded even BJP stalwart Bhairon Singh Shekhawat whose name is still synonymous with the partys rise in the desert state. Raje has been a powerful leader in the male-dominated Rajasthan, creating her own legacy in the decade after Shekhawat. Since then, her style of governance had earned her admirers and critics alike, especially in her own party. So much so, Raje has come to symbolise the single big factor for the BJP in victories and defeat. In fact, when she lost the assembly polls in 2008, the same reasons that are now touted for the BJPs crisis were heard -- that she is inaccessible, arrogant and stubborn to the point of alienating a number of senior colleagues, legislators and middle-level BJP leaders. Watch | 'BJP Promises Are Like Post-Dated Cheques That Are Bouncing' A tough leader who believes she is giving her best performance, Raje has had many party men wishing that she was replaced by more friendly face. In fact, several attempts were made but most exasperated BJP leaders found that Raje remained undeterred in her belief that nothing was wrong with her governance style. As a Union minister put it, nobody can deny that she has brought big changes in the state, but she left so many of our leaders unhappy that they refused to speak about her good work. Even in the last days of the campaign, when the entire BJP leadership worked to shore up the partys chances against a resurgent Congress, Raje showed no regret for things going awfully difficult for the BJP in some areas. When BJP President Amit Shah tried to rebuild support for Raje by asserting in interviews that she had achieved a lot in the state but failed to market herself, Raje disagreed with Shah. In a recent interview she said: I do not think so. I think I spent more time working. I did not think there was enough time talking to all of you. Either I could do that or I could just work. Much to the disbelief of other BJP leaders, Raje has not betrayed doubts about her chances of winning back the mandate. This election is BJPs election for the people based on the work we have done. What is ranged against us is the record of earlier governments who did nothing and allowed things to lag behind. It is against this backdrop that Modi, Shah and other BJP leaders have pulled out all stops for the best possible scenario. Modis last round of campaign has energised the rank and file of the party and is expected to deny the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress an easy victory. This time, if the BJP succeeds, Raje would have to share honours with Modi and Shah unlike in 2013 when it was entirely hers with none to question her claim. The Congress, of course, would have a number of factors to analyse why it failed to make it despite being perceived quite early in the campaign run-up to have a large advantage. As for Raje, in the event of BJP losing Rajasthan, she may have to do more than her bit of retrospection. (Shekhar Iyer is former senior associate editor of Hindustan Times and political editor of Deccan Herald. The views expressed are personal) The average assets of Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) re-contesting in the upcoming Rajasthan Assembly elections increased by Rs 2.69 crore, according to a report by Rajasthan Election Watch (REW) and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). This is a growth of 37 percent of average assets of re-contesting MLAs. Average assets of re-contesting MLAs in 2018 is Rs 9.93 crore as against average assets of Rs 7.24 crore for re-contesting MLAs in 2013. The report analyses 137 out of 143 MLAs who are re-contesting in the state polls on the basis of disclosures made in their election affidavit. The report does not analyse six MLAs as their either 2013 or 2018 affidavits were poorly scanned. Also read: Major issues that will influence the election this year Out of those analysed, a total of 99 MLAs are re-contesting from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As many as 25 MLAs are re-contesting from the Congress. There are two MLAs re-contesting from Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Re-contesting MLAs from the incumbent BJP saw average assets increase of Rs 2.43 crore or 44.36 percent. MLAs re-contesting on a Congress ticket saw average assets increase Rs 1.58 crore or 18.9 percent. However, MLAs re-contesting on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) tickets saw average decrease in their assets by Rs 3.03 crore. That is a 31 percent decrease in their assets. Also read: Key factors that influence voting behaviour in the state Around 8 percent of the total candidates contesting the election this time have Rs 5 crore or higher value of assets. Around 10 percent have declared assets between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore. As many as 21 percent candidates have declared assets between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2 crore. About 34 percent have declared their assets to be under Rs 10 lakh. With 81 percent, BJP has the highest crorepati candidates followed by Congress with 77 percent. As many as 35 percent of Hanuman Beniwals Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) candidates are crorepatis and 22 percent of BSPs candidates are crorepatis. December 07, 2018 / 08:41 PM IST / 08:41 PM IST Polling in Telangana has concluded. Meanwhile, the exit poll results for all five states are out. Who is likely to win the battle in Telangana? Find out here. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on December 5 night ordered strict action against cow slaughter, unlawful trade in cattle and illegal slaughterhouses, two days after two people were killed in mob violence in Bulandshahr. His instructions were conveyed by Chief Secretary Anup Pandey to magistrates and superintendents of police of all 75 districts through a video link, an official release said. Adityanath said the district magistrate and other senior police officials of a district will be held personally responsible for any lapse. On December 3, a mob of some 400 people, including right-wing activists, violently rampaged through the Chingrawathi village apparently after cow carcasses were found strewn in a jungle nearby. The police has arrested four people in connection with the violence. A Bajrang Dal leader, who the police suspect is the main accused in the case, has been absconding since the incident. In a video surfaced online on Wednesday, Bajrang Dal's Bulandshahr convenor Yogesh Raj claimed innocence and the right-wing group also asked him to surrender before police but said it believed he was innocent. Adityanath has been severely criticised by opposition leaders over the state of law and order following December 3 violence in which a police inspector, who had initially probed the 2015 lynching of Akhlaq in Dadri, and a young man died. Akhlaq was lynched on suspicion that beef was being consumed in his home. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee have slammed the law and order situation in the state. Gandhi wondered if police was being treated in such a manner in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's rule, then how terrorised the common man would be feeling. Banerjee slammed Adityanth's administration, alleging the state police is carrying out "fake encounters after fake encounters". The Uttar Pradesh chief minister, who on Wednesday returned to campaign in Telangana, has also been criticised for attending a laser show in Gorakhpur the day violence happened in Bulandshahr. Adityanath will meet the slain inspector's family on December 6, officials said. He directed district magistrates and senior officials to send weekly reports and ordered divisional commissioners and zonal IGs/DIGs to review implementation of his instructions issued on December 5 night. He said media reports on any cow slaughter should be taken seriously and an inquiry should be ordered promptly. Nearly 90 people have been made accused in the Bulandshahr violence case and 27 of them have been named. Ajmer: BJP President Amit Shah during an election campaign ahead of the state Assembly elections, in Ajmer, Wednesday, Dec. 05, 2018. (PTI Photo)(PTI12_5_2018_000058B) The West Bengal government has refused permission to BJP president Amit Shah's proposed 'rath yatra' from Coochbehar on grounds that it might cause communal tension, the state's advocate general informed the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. Kishore Dutta told the court that the Coochbehar superintendent of police refused permission for the BJP president's rath yatra from Friday. The state submitted that it might cause communal tension. Asked by the judge who will take responsibility if anything untoward happens, BJP counsel Anindya Mitra submitted it is the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. The advocate general opposed the BJP filing a supplementary affidavit opposing the refusal of permission, saying it can either come with a fresh petition or an amendment to his petition. One swallow does not a summer make but when the weather has only been inclement, a small sighting -- in this case an app of a developing-world regulator in the store of the worlds most valuable company -- can mean a lot. And so Apple Inc last week began to host the do-not-disturb app of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on its App Store. Does it signal a certain thaw in the approach of the maker of iconic products like the iPhone and Mac computers? Maybe. The development brings to end a two-year struggle between the iPhone maker and the regulator, both of whom champion consumer rights but found themselves on opposing sides this time. At heart was the regulators insistence that Apple hosted its do-not-disturb app so that users can download it and allow the regulator to access their calls, contacts, SMS and other features to track origin of unwanted telemarketing. The maker of iconic products from Californias Cupertino city cited privacy concerns while not implementing the regulators diktat. So what changed? They realised their approach had been inflexible. The regulator could not have had any other motive besides protecting the consumer interest. The company officials understood this and made efforts to accommodate the regulators concerns. Any other way would have made Apple look high-handed. That doesnt help, not anymore, not in this government, not with this regulator, an official familiar with the goings-on told Moneycontrol. Sources told Moneycontrol Apple changed its tack only in last one year, shedding its belief only it could protect consumer rights and that any collaboration with the Indian authorities would jeopardise its policy. The two-year joust -- one side indulging in verbal volleys and the other, being a multinational, only writing letters -- took a sweet turn only in June when the company expressed its willingness to play along. This was even before TRAI came out with its notification in July mandating such an app be provided to the users. Last weeks hosting of the app, well before the regulators January deadline, was a culmination of that promise, without the giant compromising its principles. The DND app that is there on the App Store does not give wholesale access to a users calls records and SMS like the Android app does. The DND app on an Android phone gives access to the operating system itself. That doesnt happen in an iPhone. The app raises a query and then gives TRAI access to one particular call or one particular SMS where the problem seems to be emanating from. This meets TRAIs demand without violating Apples own commitment to its iPhone users, an industry official told Moneycontrol. In an era where privacy has become a big concern and many of the other technology giants from Silicon Valley -- namely Alphabet and Facebook have been found wanting on that front -- Apple has maintained its swagger on not sharing user data. The company has refused to accept government requests even in the most compelling of cases. One such instance was in early 2016 when the company declined to cooperate with a US government order to unlock an iPhone used by Syed Farook, one of the two shooters in the San Bernardino mass shooting that killed 14. The US Department of Justice had to finally take the help of hackers to unravel the iPhone secrets. That Apple agreed to meet TRAIs requirements and has since taken several steps to restructure its India business show its willingness to engage with the authorities and seriousness to do business in the country. Apple has had a tough going here and today does not command more than 1 percent market share in the worlds second largest smartphone market -- the culprit being its premium pricing in a sensitive market. Its cheapest phone, iPhone 6, still sells for Rs 19,000 here, four years after its launch, when arguably there are better Androids for much less. It was only in early 2017 that the companys contract manufacturer, Taiwanese company Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing, started making iPhones in Bengaluru. It is now poised to expand that manufacturing at a site outside the city. For more than a year, Apple tried to get relief in terms of a lower customs duty, exemption from mandatory 30 percent local sourcing and permission to operate fully-owned outlets in the country. The government budged on none. That the Tim Cook-run company is keen to get rolling in India and put the past behind is also reflected in it appointing a new head for its India operations. Nokia Network Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer Ashish Choudhary will slip into that role next month. This happened only a couple of months after its top three executives looking after its sales in India quit. The company has also reduced the number of its distributors to two from five. According to reports, the company has also revamped its distribution channel in India, reducing the number of national distributors to two from five earlier. Apple is a company obsessed with quality, privacy, product design, service, environment, margins and great experience for the consumer. It would now surely be looking to have a better version of the last element for itself. If you dont Make in India, you dont sell in India! Congress President Rahul Gandhi with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during a public meeting in poll-bound Telangana state, at Kodad in Suryapet. (PTI) The Congress in Telangana is facing an odd, if not entirely new, problem: its message doesn't seem to be reaching the masses in a classic case of lost in translation. For instance, on December 3, during a rally in Gadwal, Congress President Rahul Gandhi had reportedly said the BJP had waived loans worth Rs 3 lakh crore for 15 rich industrialists, but the Congress will waive off the same amount for farmers. Gandhi's translator on stage and Gadwal constituency candidate, DK Aruna, however, reportedly translated it as "BJP waived off loans worth Rs 3 lakh crore for 15 lakh farmers, and Congress will waive the loans of farmers too." Similarly, during a public address in Kosgi, Ravanth Reddy, the party's working president, had reportedly translated Gandhi's "Telangana is in debt" statement as "Telangana is in profit". State Congress leaders have realised that for speeches to get translated into votes, effective translators are a necessary factor. Telangana Congress General Secretary T Niranjan, however, said it is not that big a problem. "Of course, the translators cannot grasp what Rahul Gandhi is saying immediately, which is why the problem arose. Otherwise, there is no problem," Niranjan told Moneycontrol. Speaking about the appointment of translators, Niranjan said translators are appointed by the party president, though there are district-level leaders and spokespersons involved in the process too. "There's a process of appointing translators. Nalgonda has a different translator, Hyderabad has a different translator... the party president will appoint different people for different regions. These translators are generally party workers," Niranjan said. "It was one of the greatest experiences of my life to translate for both Soniaji and Rahulji," Congress leader Dasoju Sravan told Moneycontrol. "But it's a challenge, because you have to translate the moment they speak. And you also have to translate in simple, concise words while keeping the emotion intact," he added. "We need to be very attentive, and translate the instant they stop speaking. That requires the knowledge of Telangana politics as well as the language. We cannot say anything that will be carried in the wrong sense," Sravan said, adding that there is no training provided, though party workers with strong knowledge of state politics are preferred. The BJP high command, however, does not appoint any designated translators. "The BJP translators are party leaders. Whoever is available when national leaders come to address rallies do the job. There are two or three translators, such as Muralidharji and Sudhakarji who can translate from Hindi. These are leaders, there are no special translators," Bandi Sanjay, a BJP leader from Telangana, told Moneycontrol. While the saffron party has not faced the problem of translation during its campaign in Telangana, it has suffered from bad and confused translators elsewhere in the southern belt. For instance, during March elections in Karnataka this year, BJP president Amit Shah's words at a rally were translated as "PM Modi will not do anything for Dalits, poor and the backward classes. He will damage the nation" by Prahlad Joshi, the translator. "Please vote for him," Joshi had added. A similar incident had occurred in Kerala in 2015 when PM Narendra Modi arrived in Kerala and apologised for being late. The PM's translator, K Surendran, however, translated it as "... There are big changes taking place here (in Kerala). I am very happy." The Asian rout | The continents 128 billionaires lost $144 billion in 2018. The top three losers were from China, with Wanda Groups Wang Jianlin losing $11.1 billion this year. Close to 40 percent of the Asians under the index, lost their billionaire status as of December 7. (Image: Reuters) An estimated 800,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the Trump Administration has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations there. At a Congressional hearing here, Scott Busby, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at the Bureau of the Human Right Democracy and Labor, alleged that Beijing was supporting similar repressive moves by other authoritarian regimes across the globe. "The US government assesses that since April 2017, Chinese authorities have indefinitely detained at least 800,000, and possibly more than 2 million, Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minorities in internment camps," he said. Testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Busby said reports suggested that most of those detained were not being charged, and their families had little or no information about their whereabouts. At first, China denied the existence of such camps, but as public reports have emerged, Chinese authorities now assert that they are "vocational education centres", which glosses over the fact that many renowned Uyghur intellectuals and retired professionals are also detained in these camps, he said. Former detainees, who have reached safety, have spoken of relentless indoctrination and harsh conditions for example, praying and other religious practices are forbidden. "The apparent goal is to force detainees to renounce Islam and embrace the Chinese Communist Party," Busby said. Life outside the internment camps is not much better, he noted. Neighbourhoods have entry and exit checkpoints manned by armed police. Families have been forced to accept Chinese officials into their homes for extended home-stays. Thousands of mosques have been shuttered or destroyed, while some turned into communist propaganda centres, Busby alleged. "Unfortunately, fleeing China is not enough to escape the long arms of the government. China has routinely pressured other countries to return Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minority groups, which has often proven successful," he told the lawmakers. Even when such individuals reach safety, China continues to harass and intimidate them. China's repression of minority groups does not end in Xinjiang, he said. Its policies have spread hundreds of miles away, for instance to the Hui Muslim communities. Tibetans also face continued repression and pervasive surveillance. The Tibetan Autonomous Region was the testing ground for many of the techniques now used in Xinjiang, Busby claimed. Senator Cory Gardner said the so-called authoritarian closing under President Xi Jinping had resulted in an unprecedented and intensifying crackdown on civil society, ethnic minorities and religious freedom in China. "The news of mass concentration camps for Uyghur Muslims and the Xinjiang Autonomous Province has shocked the conscience. And this necessitates a serious response from the United States and the international community," he said. Senator Ed Markey said it was pretty clear that there was a systematic effort by the Chinese government, not just within China, but also around the world, to back those policies which are most repressive and which allow for a compromise of human rights. Senator Tim Kaine said reports indicated that a million Han Chinese have been recruited to forcibly occupy homes of Uyghurs so that those not in detention camps, are having Han Chinese placed in their homes to ensure there isn't a Quran visible and they don't pray during the day. Senator Marco Rubio rued the silence of the Muslim world in the face of the forced internment of hundreds of thousands of Muslims Uyghurs. German scientist Albert Einstein's most famous letter about his views on God and religion, written just a year before his death, has been sold for a whopping USD 2.89 million at an auction in New York. The letter was expected to fetch upto USD 1.5 million, Christie's said in a statement. The two-page letter, dated January 3, 1954, was written to German philosopher Eric Gutkind, who had sent Einstein a copy of his book "Choose Life: The Biblical Call To Revolt". "The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of venerable but still primitive legends," Einstein wrote in the letter. This remarkably candid, private letter was written a year before Einstein's death and remains the most fully articulated expression of his religious and philosophical views, the auction said in a statement. "The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends," Einstein wrote. "No interpretation, no matter how subtle, can (for me) change anything about this," he wrote. Einstein instead invokes Baruch Spinoza, the 17th-century Jewish Dutch philosopher with whom he strongly identified from an early age. Spinoza believed not in an anthropomorphic God who intervened in daily lives, but in a God beyond description, one responsible for the sublime beauty and orderliness of the universe. "For me the unadulterated Jewish religion is, like all other religions, an incarnation of primitive superstition. And the Jewish people to whom I gladly belong, and in whose mentality I feel profoundly anchored, still for me does not have any different kind of dignity from all other peoples," Einstein wrote. "As far as my experience goes, they are in fact no better than other human groups, even if they are protected from the worst excesses by a lack of power. Otherwise I cannot perceive anything 'chosen' about them," the letter says. Einstein wrote in response to Eric Gutkind's 1952 book, Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt, which he read at the behest of Dutch mathematician and philosopher L.E.J. Brouwer (1881-1966). Though Einstein was unequivocal in his critique of Gutkind's work, he sought to establish a common ground between them, noting that they still agreed on "the essentials." Prefacing his frank remarks on God and religion, he observed diplomatically that he and Gutkind both believed in the importance of a strong moral foundation that rose above self-interest and instead sought to benefit humanity. China plans to operate five aircraft carriers in the near future, including two nuclear-powered ones that would be launched around 2025, according to Chinese military experts. A late entrant into aircraft carrier led naval battleship formations, China launched its first aircraft carrier 'Liaoning' in 2012, which was a refit of the former Soviet vessel bought from Ukraine. India has been operating aircraft carriers since 1961. Though Liaoning was operationalised and led trial expeditions into the Taiwan Straits, it was widely regarded as an experimental vessel used for mastering technologies, especially to operate the newly built J-15 planes from its deck. Subsequently, China launched its domestically-built second aircraft carrier and commissioned it for sea trials last year. The yet to be named ship is expected to be put into service by 2020. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will have five aircraft carriers in the near future, country's officials media reported, adding that country's third aircraft carrier is currently being built in Shanghai. China needs at least five aircraft carriers to fulfill the strategic shifts, state-run Global Times quoted Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, as saying. Wang Yunfei, a naval expert and retired PLA Navy officer, said that China needs six aircraft carriers to ensure enough carriers are on active duty while the others are undergoing maintenance. China will develop two nuclear-powered carriers, Wang told the daily. Japan recently announced plans to convert 27,000-ton Izumo-class helicopter destroyers into aircraft carriers, sparking concerns in China. Reacting to the reports, Song said that Japan's move means a fundamental change in the vessels rather than a simple boost to their combat capabilities. "The China threat theory is merely an excuse for Japan to do what it wants," Song said. Officials say the rapid acquisition of aircraft carriers by China is of concerns to India too, as the Indian Navy, which is operating aircraft carriers since 1961, is currently operating only INS Vikaramaditya. The home-made INS Vikrant expected to launch sea trials in 2020. China is in a hurry to acquire the aircraft carriers as it rapidly expanded the navy coupled with the acquisition of naval bases aboard to back up its growing influence abroad, especially in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea (SCS). China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan in the South China Sea, and with Japan in the East China Sea. Both the areas are stated to be rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources. They are also vital to global trade. China claims almost all of the South China Sea. Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims over the area. The US has been conducting regular patrols in the South China Sea to assert freedom of navigation in the area where Beijing has built up and militarised many of the islands and reefs it controls in the region. It has already operationalised its base at Djibouti in the Indian Ocean and acquired Sri Lanka's Hambantota port on a debt swap. China is developing the Pakistan's deep water Gwadar port in the Arabian Sea. Early this month, China clinched a deal to build a multi-billion dollar port at the strategically important Kyaukpyu in Myanmar, located in the Bay of Bengal. PTI KJV RUP RUP . China on Thursday urged Canada and the United States to "clarify" the reason a senior Huawei executive had been detained in Vancouver. "We have made solemn representations to Canada and the US, demanding that both parties immediately clarify the reasons for the detention, and immediately release the detainee to protect the person's legal rights," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing. Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan wished all Hindu citizens on the occasion of Diwali. Prime Minister Imran Khan wishes a happy Diwali to all Hindu citizens, tweeted Prime Ministers Office in Pakistan. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Army hoped that India will respond "positively" to Pakistan's "goodwill gesture" of opening the Kartarpur border for the Sikh pilgrims. On November 28, Khan laid the foundation stone of the Kartarpur corridor on the Pakistani side while on November 26, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh laid its foundation stone in Punjab's Gurdaspur. The corridor will connect Sikh faith's founder Guru Nanak Dev's final resting place in Pakistan's Kartarpur to the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab's Gurdaspur district in India, fulfilling a long-pending demand of the Sikh community. Khan termed it unfortunate that Indian media gave a political colour to Pakistan's positive gesture of opening the Kartarpur border. Addressing the Cabinet, Khan said: "Unfortunately the Indian media has given Kartarpur (border opening) a political colour, as if we did this to gain some sort of political mileage... This is not true. We did it because it is part of (the ruling) Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's manifesto," he said. "We have religious sites that are important for Hindus and Buddhists; we should open them up and facilitate the people," Khan said, without explaining. The Sikh community has responded very positively to the effort to open the Kartarpur border, he said. "It is to them (Sikhs) what Madinah is to us Muslims. We hope that India will also respond positively in return," the Prime Minister said. In a separate press conference in Rawalpindi, Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor of army's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said Pakistan has taken several positive initiatives for peace with India, and the latest one was the groundbreaking of the Kartarpur corridor. He, however, regretted that the initiative was negatively presented in India, but hoped that India will "positively respond to this goodwill gesture". Ghafoor said that the corridor will be constructed in six months after which 4,000 Sikh pilgrims will be able to visit daily. "It will be a one-way corridor from the Indian side to Kartarpur, and the Sikh pilgrims will remain restricted to Kartarpur," the officer added. Ghafoor also raised concern over the increasing ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary allegedly by the Indian forces, saying 55 civilians have been killed in cross-border aggression this year the highest in history. Reabilitarea si eficientizarea energetica a Gradinitei cu Program Prelungit Motanul Incaltat Unitatea Administrativ Teritoriala Municipiul Galati a semnat cu Ministerul Dezvoltarii, Lucrarilor Publice si Administratiei, in calitate de Autoritate ... Autoritatile din capitala Coreei de Sud au lansat un proiect pilot pentru a testa roboti in miniatura drept instrumente pedagogice in gradinite, avand drept scop pregatirea generatiei urmatoare pentru un viitor high-tech, a anuntat guvernul de la Seu ... NATO va incepe luni cel mai mare exercitiu anual al sau de aparare cibernetica, denumit ''Cyber Coalition 21'', care va testa capacitatile aliatilor de a combate atacurile cibernetice, relateaza agentia EFE. ''Trebuie sa continuam sa ne consolidam ap ... September 30, 2016 Syria - The U.S. Propaganda Shams Now Openly Fail The Obama administration, and especially the CIA and the State Department, seem to be in trouble. They shout everything they can against Russia and allege that the cleansing of east-Aleppo of al-Qaeda terrorist is genocidal. Meanwhile no mention is ever made of the famine of the Houthis in Yemen which the U.S. and Saudi bombing and their blockade directly causes. by Carlos Latuff - bigger But more and more major news accounts support the Russian allegation that the "moderate rebels" the U.S. is coddling in Syria are actually in cahoots with al-Qaeda if not al-Qaeda itself. Reuters reports (though only at the end of a longer story): In Aleppo, rebels in the Free Syrian Army are sharing operational planning with Jaish al-Fatah, an alliance of Islamist groups that includes the former Syrian wing of al Qaeda. Meanwhile, in nearby Hama province, FSA groups armed with U.S.-made anti-tank missiles are taking part in a major offensive with the al Qaeda-inspired Jund al-Aqsa group. The Wall Street Journal is more direct and headlining: Syria Rebels Draw Closer to al Qaeda-Linked Group Some of Syrias largest rebel factions are doubling down on their alliance with an al Qaeda-linked group, despite a U.S. warning to split from the extremists or risk being targeted in airstrikes. ... Some rebel groups already aligned with Syria Conquest Front responded by renewing their alliance. But others, such as Nour al-Din al-Zinki, a former Central Intelligence Agency-backed group and one of the largest factions in Aleppo, pledged allegiance for the first time to the front in recent days. Indeed the al.Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham announced publicly that the CIA's Nour el-Din Zinki and Suqour al-Sham joined its Jihad As little back as August the State Department defended Zinki after some of its member abducted a Palestinian boy from a hospital near Aleppo and beheaded him in front of a video camera: [I]n State Department briefings, [..] spokesman Mark Toner downplayed the incidents, or the possibility that the US would stop arming Nour al-Din al-Zinki just because they beheaded a child.. ... Toner insisted [..] one incident here and there would not necessarily make you a terrorist group. The new news reports follow after an interview by the German former politician and journalist Jurgen Todenhofer with an al-Qaeda commander published in English on this site. The commander said that Nusra (aka al-Qaeda) were directly supplied, via a subgroup, with U.S. TOW missiles. He added about such groups: They are all with us. We are all the al-Nusra Front. A groups is created and calls itself "Islamic Army", or "Fateh al-Sham". Each group has its own name but their believe is homogeneous. The general name is al-Nusra Front. One person has, for example, 2,000 fighters. Then he creates from these a new group and calls it "Ahrar al-Sham". Brothers, who's believe, thoughts and aims are identical to those of al-Nusra Front. Another interview recently published by the former military Jack Murphy was with a Green Beret soldier who served in Turkey and Syria. The Green Berets are special forces of the U.S. army. They are specialists in training and fighting with indigenous guerrilla groups against governments the U.S. dislikes. The soldier interviewed was ordered to train "moderate Syrian rebels" in Turkey. Parts of the interview (paywalled) are quoted here: "No one on the ground believes in this mission or this effort, a former Green Beret writes of Americas covert and clandestine programs to train and arm Syrian insurgents, they know we are just training the next generation of jihadis, so they are sabotaging it by saying, Fuck it, who cares?. I dont want to be responsible for Nusra guys saying they were trained by Americans, the Green Beret added. ... Murphy states bluntly: distinguishing between the FSA and al-Nusra is impossible, because they are virtually the same organization. As early as 2013, FSA commanders were defecting with their entire units to join al-Nusra. There, they still retain the FSA monicker, but it is merely for show, to give the appearance of secularism so they can maintain access to weaponry provided by the CIA and Saudi intelligence services. The reality is that the FSA is little more than a cover for the al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Nusra. ... It is one thing when Russia says somesthing, but another when Reuters, WSJ, and independent German and U.S. subject experts report this as facts. The first can be shunned as "Putin lies" but the others are extremely hard to refute. The Russians are right. The U.S. did not separate the "moderate rebels" from al Qaeda, as it had agreed to in the ceasefire agreement, because the "moderates" and al-Qaeda are the same. The "moderates" are al-Qaeda. This was not unknown. The 2012 Defense Intelligence Analysis said as much. The CIA of course knew this all along. But the Saudi tool heading the CIA, John Brennan, can not admit such as his masters in the Gulf are also the ones who finance al-Qaeda. They buy the weapons Brennan's people hadn over to al-Qaeda. The "end-user" according to this certificate for a weapon buy in Ukraine is Saudi Arabia. But who will believe that the Saudi dictators need for example 100 obsolete T-55 tanks? The weapons on the certificate, for an estimated $300-$500 million, are obviously for al-Qaeda in Yemen and in Syria. (Did Joe Biden or his son, both heavily engaged in Ukraine, get a provision from the deal?) As the facts accumulate how long can the New York Times and Washington Post keep up with their propaganda claims. One has to admit, they really try their best. Unfortunately for them, their best is only mediocre. The NYT today found out that Vladimir Putin Relishes His Role as Disrupter. How does the NYT know what Putin "relishes"? The reporter did not ask Putin himself. But he did ask some knowledgeable experts with insight into Putin's inner mind and those assured the author that this is indeed the case. They know exactly how Putin feels. They are Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, James B. Comey, the F.B.I. director and Robert Kagan, leading voice of of the neocons and Clinton promoter. Some "experts". Add that to dozens of stories on how "Russia indiscriminately bombs civilians/hospitals/bakeries in east-Aleppo" but never hits any "rebels" because none occur in these stories at all. A recent NYT piece of that kind had 14 "voices" in it. Eight belonged to various propagandists associated with the "White Helmets", four were "western" diplomats, one Syrian government official and a Russian spokesperson were quoted at the end. No Russian military and no one from west-Aleppo, where by far most people in the city live under government protection and daily rocket hail by the "rebels", were even asked. But all those tales we hear about the devilish Russians MUST be true! Even the 7 years old Bana Alabeb now tweets from east-Aleppo about her tragic fate under indiscriminate Russian assaults. This in perfect English and with an excellent WiFi and Internet connection as her many "White Helmets" photo attachments and her videos attest. But the whole city is devastated and in ruins she says, with phosphor bombs going off right in front of her house. But Bana is a very responsible little lady: Bana Alabed @AlabedBana Dear world, it's better to start 3rd world war instead of letting Russia & assad commit #HolocaustAleppo 1:53 PM - 29 Sep 2016 Here "mother" phoned up the Daily Mail for an "exclusive" and assures us that this is all true. The Telegraph has her in a slideshow with sad music and the Guardian promotes her too. Another Gay Girl in Damascus media fail. In 2011 the Guardian also was part of that scam. If that 7-year old girl is in east-Aleppo and not in Denmark or the UK, I must be on Mars. No sane reader will take such a stunt serious. What Public Relation company came up with this sorry flimflam? Like the "moderate rebels" fantasy, such tales and the nonsense the "White Helmet" propaganda outlet distributes, are starting to fail. The UAE's National, a well established international newspaper, recently dug a bit around the White Helmet's creator, a "former" British military agent working for Gulf defense interests. That does not sound charitable. This is noticeable report, even as it still lacks any details, as it is the first in a major paper that shows some auspiciousness against that outlet. The Obama administration's lies about the "moderate rebels" are now openly discussed in major media. The propaganda of #HolocaustAleppo (isn't abusing the holocaust meme anti-semitic?) is turning into a laughing stock. Russia is upping its stake in Syria. Additional Russian SU-24, SU-25 and SU-34 jets are arriving. Nearly 6,000 Russian soldiers are on the ground. The CIA's al-Qaeda "rebels" are losing in east-Aleppo and are in stalemate and under pressure elsewhere. They will be bombed to smithereens. A few new BM-21 multiple missile launchers and heavier anti-air artillery was delivered to them. But those are just band-aids on lethally bleeding wounds. Even MANPADs will not change the situation one bit. The U.S., the Saudis and especially Brennan's CIA have lost that fight. Will Obama and Kerry admit it? Or will they throw another Hail Mary and do something crazy? Posted by b on September 30, 2016 at 13:55 UTC | Permalink Comments next page next page December 06, 2018 Whitewash - The 'Last Bastion Of Freedom' Is An Al-Qaeda Infested Town This week the New Yorker published a long piece on Saraqib, a town in Idleb governorate in Syria. Syrias Last Bastion of Freedom Amid the brutal civil war, a town fought off the regime and the fundamentalistsand dared to hold an election. Can its experiment in democracy survive? The piece tells us that, despite the fact that al-Qaeda rules Idleb since at least 2015, it is really a cradle of genuine democracy: In the summer of 2017, for the first time anywhere in Syria since 1954, the residents of the town of Saraqib decided to seize control of their futureand hold a genuinely free election. On the morning that polls were to open, an activist named Osama al-Hossein woke up at five oclock, feeling anxious. He soon headed to Idlib Gate, a former department store that had been turned into a meeting hall. A small crowd was milling about: local journalists, election monitors, and suited dignitaries who, in international circles, represented the Syrian opposition. The election was meant to choose the leader of the Local Council, a civilian body that governed the town. Poll workers checked their phones for reports of air traffic: Syrian and Russian jets were known to attack public gatherings, and activists had posted sentries around the province. We are told that this one town, Saraqib, is really standing out: One Syrian town after another fell out of government control, and from this anarchy new horrors arose. The flags of ISIS and Al Qaeda were raised across the country. Child refugees drowned at sea; Western hostages were murdered on camera. ... Somehow, Saraqib had avoided this fate. It offered an alternative history for the entire Syrian conflictand, Hossein believed, its citizens embodied the true soul of the revolution. That evening, he imagined other tiny democracies flowering across Syria, and the rest of the world coming to understand, at last, that his country had more to offer than bloodshed and tragedy. In reality "an alternative history" is not what happened to Saraqib, but what is presented in the New Yorker piece. It is a whitewash of a brutal international attack on Syria. A hagiography of one Osama al-Hossein, a Muslim Brotherhood 'activist', who got funding from the United States. It includes every false propaganda cliche about 'barrel bombs' and 'moderate rebels', who never were moderate, that the 'western' agencies inserted into the news stream. It is also full of stupid and nonfactual assertions. How, for example, did the New Yorker fact checkers let these 'Humvees' pass by: The government retaliated with even greater force; on August 11, 2011, its tanks and Humvees stormed Saraqib again. When and where did Syria buy those? In 2017 Osama al-Hossein, over some struggle with al-Qaeda, eventually fled to Turkey. But this August the author, presumably more at ease with al-Qaeda than the Syrian 'activist', traveled to Saraqib and found it at peace: Unlike in some other Idlib towns, there were no religious police, no Al Qaeda flags. Although Saraqib is amid one of the worlds deadliest civil wars, I didnt see a single gunman or checkpoint. I bumped into Abu Traad, the leader of the Free Syrian Army faction, and even he was unarmed, wearing slacks and a T-shirt. The activists, I learned, had insisted that weapons not be carried inside the city limits, immunizing Saraqib from factional disputes and protecting the revolutionaries rule. Occasionally, I spotted Nusra members hunched in a vehicle; though it was blazing hot, they hid behind balaclavas. Many residents, meanwhile, freely denounced the fundamentalists: one told me, These people are a curse on God Himself. It seemed that in Saraqib, at least, people were not afraid of Nusra; Nusra was afraid of them. Sure, Nusra was afraid of them! That is why in June the jihadis could destroyed tombstones in Saraqib's cemetery despite the angry muttering of some locals. And Saraqib is so "immunized from factional disputes" that on August 24 Nusra, aka Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham, arrested six members of another jihadi faction there. And it is so peaceful that two month later the Syrian Observatory notes a tit-for-tat execution campaign happening within the town: [T]oday, the 7th of October 2018, an explosion in Saraqib area in the eastern countryside of Idlib, which is near the areas to be disarmed, it was caused by an explosion targeted Khattab al-Hamwi, who is an important security official in Hayyaat Tahrir al-Sham of the notorious al-Iqab Prison in Saraqib area ... It is the 'last bastion of freedom', Saraqib, that houses al-Qaeda's main prison in the area. Somehow the New Yorker piece fails to mention that. From the early start of the war on Syria, Saraqib was one of the centers of jihadi terrorist activities. In March/April 2011 it was one of the first towns that saw violent attacks on government forces and institutions. In December 2011 the notorious terrorist group Ahrar al-Sham, headed by the long time al-Qaeda member Abu Khalid al-Suri, was founded there. In 2014 the BBC reported how al-Qaeda/Nusra/HTS ruled the town: Abu-Qedama, al-Qaida's envoy in Saraqib, North-Eastern Syria, is Jordanian. His task is to ensure that Sharia Law is enforced. This BBC Arabic film follows him and his fellow Islamists in Saraqib, showing how they are taking control of the city. The film-makers get inside the courts and reveal how Sharia Law is applied. We see the judge at work in the Court and issuing his judgment on the public square. For the first time, we see a public flogging before a large crowd of people, as a deterrent to others. At some point the locals in Saraqib may have hold some sham elections. But that does not change the fact that their town was and is solidly controlled by an internationally banned terrorist group. Saraqib is only a 'bastion of freedom' when one ignores everything that happened and still happens there. This brings up a serious question. How did the author of the New Yorker piece, Anand Gopal, manage to travel through Nusra/HTS/al-Qaeda controlled Idleb governorate, visited the jihadi infested town, and avoided to be thrown into the "notorious al-Iqab Prison in Saraqib area"? Could it be because he was one of those who told everyone how to join the Islamists? bigger Could it be because he falsely insists that there was and is no U.S. regime change policy in Syria? Could it be because he, who himself told people how to join ISIS, claimed that the sole reason that people joined it was the Syrian government's fight against the foreign fueled insurgency against it? This despite the fact that Obama and Kerry had publicly admitted that they furthered ISIS' growth? It is sad to see that the once respectable New Yorker gives space to such a fairy tale by a recruiter of terrorists, propagandist for al-Qaeda and despicable apologist of the empire's wars. Posted by b on December 6, 2018 at 14:13 UTC | Permalink Comments A Nigeria-based hacker group called London Blue has compiled a list of thousands of CFOs of businesses including top banks and mortgage lenders, and is trying to scam the executives into sending them company funds. The hackers are employing a scam known as business email compromise (BEC), according to a CNN report. In that scam, attackers use email to pose as a company executive such as the CEO and request that money be transferred to an outside account. The FBI estimates that between 2013 and 2018, fraudsters using the email scam stole more than $12 billion from businesses worldwide. The London Blue scam was detailed in a report by cybersecurity firm Agari, which investigated the hackers after coming under attack itself, CNN reported. Agari said that targets of the scam range from small businesses to the largest multinational corporations. More than half are in the United States. Fannie Mae approved Rosicki to perform legal work in connection with foreclosures on residential properties for which Fannie Mae owned the mortgage loans. The two founding partners also own a number of affiliated entities, including Enterprise, a service-of-process company, and Paramount, a title search company. The entities admitted that from 2009 through 2018, Enterprise and Paramount added additional charges to the costs charged by independent contractors and otherwise took actions that increased costs and expenses on certain invoices. Rosicki submitted these for payment. The settlement also resolved claims arising from identical misconduct in connection with eviction-related expenses that were submitted to and paid for by the Department of Veteran Affairs. The case arose from a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower False Claims Act. In a separate settlement agreement, the entities agreed to pay the US approximately $1.5 million to resolve the separate claims pursued by the whistleblower. As a result, recovery by the US totaled approximately $6.1 million. "We chose to resolve this matter in the best interests of our clients. Our practices and procedures adhere to the strictest principles and ethical standards of the legal profession, and we look forward to continuing to deliver the highest-caliber counsel that our clients have come to expect, the firm said. Investor loans are an example of why working with a financial advisor partner is a great idea. Theyre obviously much more equipped to help would-be investors decide where to get the money for their investment, whether it be from savings, whether they pool their money with someone else, whether they get into a self-directed IRA. Even though Burch thinks that the market is a couple of years overdue for a correction, he also thinks theres still life in the fix and flip market. You see Wall Street dumping a lot of money in there, and theyre going to fuel this for a couple more years. Everyones seeing a squeeze in real estate for sure. Houses are sitting longer and were on the downward curve, he said. Were two years overdue for a correction already, but I think a lot of the reason why that is is because of these loans. Because giving people access to money and to purchase and to speculate is allowing more and more houses to be renovated and flipped. Burch said that most of the properties are being eaten up by companies who dont want to get involved in the fix and flip business whatsoever, they just want to have inventory and property because theres so many investors out there looking to buy a house. This cuts into the profits of the true fix-and-flipper, so investors have to be savvier when it comes to choosing property. And once the property is obtained for a short-term purpose, he said, its imperative to have an exit strategy. You cannot originate it without saying, okay, my exit strategy is to fix the house up and then flip the house and sell it on the MLS. My exit strategy is to fix this up and then get another loan because Im going to go rent it. My exit strategy is, Im not going to do any work to it, Im just going to buy it with a debt service credit loan and keep it cash flowing. So thats what all of these loans are doing now, is allowing people to flourish in the space, to be able to get financing, which, three, four years ago, really wasnt available to the real estate investor. (Bloomberg) -- Former President George W. Bush choked back tears eulogizing the best father a son or daughter could have as official Washington turned out Wednesday to honor the late President George H.W. Bush with the full pageantry of a state funeral. Bush paused and tapped his fathers flag-draped casket twice as he walked up to the altar at Washington National Cathedral to offer a personal remembrance of the 41st president. He called his father a political leader of unrelenting optimism and steadfast personal character. He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage, and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country, Bush said. President Donald Trump listened from the front pew with his arms crossed, seated beside his three Democratic predecessors and their wives. He wasnt invited to speak. Presidential historian and Bush biographer Jon Meacham, another eulogist at the service, called George H.W. Bush Americas last great soldier-statesman, a World War II hero who, after being shot down over the Pacific at the age of 20 and rescued from the sea, spent the rest of his life proving himself worthy of salvation. Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, who also spoke, said that when Bush was in the White House every single head of government in the world knew that they were dealing with a gentleman, a genuine leader, one who was distinguished, resolute and brave. Trump, who was joined by his wife Melania, shook hands with Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as he entered the service but didnt greet Bill and Hillary Clinton or Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. George W. Bush, who sat across the aisle with his family, paused and greeted Trump and all the former presidents. He drew a small item from his pocket and handed it to Michelle Obama, who smiled. Looking forward to being with the Bush family, Trump tweeted shortly before the service. This is not a funeral, this is a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. He will be missed! Left unsaid were the years of criticism and attacks the president has leveled against the Bush family, as well as the Bush familys at times barely disguised contempt for Trump, whose approach to leadership runs at odds with the kinder, gentler conservatism the late president espoused. It was the first time Trump was in close proximity to the Obamas and the Clintons since his inauguration nearly two years ago. He has since repeatedly attacked both former first couples on Twitter and at political rallies. Trump wasnt welcome at the last two occasions that brought former presidents together. Former first lady Barbara Bush, who died earlier this year, made clear she didnt want the president at her funeral. He also wasnt invited to the funeral for Republican Senator John McCain, who died in August. Mutual Disdain Trumps disparagement of the Bush family and its governance is voluminous. As recently as July, at a campaign rally in Montana, Trump mocked one of President H.W. Bushs signature phrases. Thousand points of light, what the hell is that? he asked the crowd. Has anyone ever figured that one out? At a 2016 primary debate, Trump criticized George W. Bushs decision to invade Iraq in an attack on his brother Jeb, who challenged Trump for the nomination. George Bush made a mistake. We can make mistakes, but that one was a beauty, Trump said. Decades earlier, while the elder Bush was in office, Trump hit at a fundamental difference between them: I like George Bush very much and support him and always will. But I disagree with him when he talks of a kinder, gentler America. I think if this country gets any kinder or gentler, its literally going to cease to exist, Trump told Playboy in 1990. The disdain was reciprocated. According Meacham, Trump told Bush adviser Lee Atwater in 1988 that hed be available to be Bushs running mate. Bush thought the overture strange and unbelievable, Meacham wrote. In 2011, when New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd mentioned Trumps birther campaign against Obama to the elder Bush, Bush responded: Hes an ass. Public Detente With the country -- and the world -- watching, the president and the Bush family are staging a public detente that belies their history. Whatever his feelings about the former presidents, Trump dutifully swallowed them this week. He has behaved in presidential fashion by declaring Wednesday to be a national day of mourning during which the federal government is closed, giving most federal employees have the day off, and traveling to the Capitol Monday evening to silently pay his respects at the late presidents casket. Trump invited former President George W. Bush and his family to stay at Blair House, the official guest residence across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House, and crossed the street on Tuesday to pay them a visit. Melania Trump gave former First Lady Laura Bush a tour of the White House Christmas decorations on Tuesday. What people want to talk about is, Well, why isnt the president giving the eulogy?" former Florida Governor Jeb Bush -- whom Trump famously derided during the 2016 Republican primary as low energy -- said Tuesday, hinting at the tension and defusing it with a joke. Its because we have a unique circumstance here; my brother was president. First dibs, as we used to say, Bush said. Jeb Bush, speaking at a Wall Street Journal event in Washington, added that Trump couldnt have been nicer in his condolence calls to him and to George W. Bush. (Updates with Meacham and Mulroney comments.) To contact the reporter on this story: Jennifer Epstein in Washington at jepstein32@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Mike Dorning 2018 Bloomberg L.P. The Permian Basin's Wolfcamp and Bone Spring formations in West Texas and New Mexico hold the most potential oil and gas resources ever assessed, the U.S. Interior Department said Thursday. The region in the Permian's western Delaware Basin holds more than twice as much oil as the largest previous assessment - the Wolfcamp shale in the Permian's separate Midland Basin southeast of Midland. That study was completed two years ago. To put the new results into perspective, the Delaware Basin's Wolfcamp and Bone Spring plays would hold almost seven times as much oil as North Dakota's Bakken shale. The Wolfcamp shale and overlying Bone Spring in the Permian's booming Delaware Basin hold an estimate 46.3 billion barrels of oil, 281 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 20 billion barrels of natural gas liquids, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's new assessment. OIL AND DRUGS: A special investigation on substance abuse in the Permian Basin only for subscribers at HoustonChronicle.com Interior Secretary and oil and gas advocate Ryan Zinke said the news is an early Christmas present for the energy sector. "American strength flows from American energy, and as it turns out, we have a lot of American energy," Zinke said. "Before this assessment came down, I was bullish on oil and gas production in the United States. Now, I know for a fact that American energy dominance is within our grasp as a nation." Much of the new activity in the Permian is in the Delaware's Wolfcamp in Loving, Winkler, Reeves, Culberson and Ward counties on the Texas side, and primarily Eddy and Lea counties in New Mexico. The U.S. is producing record volumes of oil and gas, and nearly one-third of the nation's total crude oil volumes are coming from the Permian. Those amounts are continuing to grow. An older basin, the Permian has become the center of the oil and gas world in recent years through the combination of horizontal drilling techniques and modern hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, technologies. RELATED: Midland Basin's Wolfcamp shale holds 20 billion undiscovered barrels of oil The study is based on undiscovered oil and gas that's considered technically recoverable based on these modern extraction methods. That's different from the proven reserves that oil companies list on their budgets after they drill exploratory wells and study the reservoirs. 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. Webb County prosecutors said Wednesday they will seek the death penalty against Juan David Ortiz, the Border Patrol agent accused of killing four women in September. Isidro "Chilo" Alaniz, Webb County district attorney, made the announcement after a grand jury indicted Ortiz on one count of capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful restraint and evading arrest. READ ALSO: Family of Laredo woman who escaped alleged serial killer speaks out Ortiz is the second Border Patrol agent to be indicted on capital murder charges this year in Laredo. In June, agent Ronald Anthony Burgos-Aviles was indicted on two counts of capital murder for allegedly killing his 27-year-old lover and their 20-month-old son. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in that case as well. Ortiz, 35, has been behind bars since his arrest on Sept. 15, held on a $2.5 million bond. He was initially charged by law enforcement with four counts of murder. They also charged him with aggravated assault and unlawful restraint for allegedly attempting to kill a fifth woman. RELATED: 'I'm dumbfounded:' Border Patrol agent's alleged killings stun city leaders, officials Ortiz is accused of slaying Melissa Ramirez, 29, on Sept. 3; Claudine Ann Luera, 42, on Sept. 13; and Guiselda Alicia Hernandez, 35, and Nikki Enriquez, 28, around Sept. 14. All four were killed in roughly the same area near North U.S. 83 and I-35 in the northwest part of Webb County. According to the indictment, Ramirez, Luera and Enriquez, a transgender woman, were each shot in the head. Hernandez was shot in the neck and struck in the head with an unknown object, the indictment states. Alaniz said Ortiz told investigators that he aimed to "clean up the streets of Laredo" with the slayings. Authorities have said the women killed were all sex workers, and that he targeted them because they were vulnerable. According to arrest affidavits, Ortiz would pick them up on San Bernardo Avenue, drive them outside city limits and shoot them. Alaniz said Ortiz considered the women disposable and didn't give value to them. Alaniz said the evidence presented to the grand jury showed that Ortiz killed the women "in a cold, callous and calculating way." Ortiz was off-duty when he killed the women, but he may have used his service weapon in the homicides, according to authorities. Law enforcement apprehended Ortiz after a woman, Erika Pena, escaped from his vehicle at a gas station and alerted a nearby DPS trooper. She alleged that Ortiz pointed a gun at her while she was in his vehicle. Authorities located Ortiz about four hours after Pena's escape. Following his arrest, Ortiz confessed to killing the four women and assaulting Pena, according to arrest affidavits. Border Patrol placed Ortiz on indefinite, unpaid suspension after his arrest. On Wednesday, the agency did not respond to a request for an update on his employment status. The Associated Press contributed to this report. One of the last photographs taken of Carla Stefaniak in Costa Rica shows the 36-year-old Florida woman wearing a white spa robe and dark sunglasses, her hair loose and slightly wavy. Sitting on an open balcony surrounded by a lush rain forest, she holds up a mug of coffee. It could be an advertisement for a relaxing tropical vacation - except that on Nov. 28, the day that Stefaniak was supposed to fly back to the United States, she never showed up at the airport. Early Wednesday morning, she was confirmed dead. "Words cannot express the devastation within her family and friends," said the announcement on "Finding Carla," a Facebook page where relatives have shared updates since her disappearance. The trip to Costa Rica was intended to be a weeklong celebration of Stefaniak's birthday. She and her sister in-law, April Burton, had spent five days surfing, riding motorcycles, soaking in hot springs and buying fresh fruit at roadside stands. But Burton had needed to leave a day early, and Stefaniak had spent her last night in Costa Rica alone. RELATED: Father identifies body of Florida woman slain in Costa Rica Burton told CBS News that Stefaniak had dropped her off at the airport on Nov. 27, then returned their rental car and taken an Uber to a gated villa that she had found on Airbnb. At around 8 p.m. that night, Burton got a text message from her sister-in-law, she said. "It's pretty sketchy here," Stefaniak had written, saying that it was raining heavily and the power had gone out. It was the last time that her family would hear from her. Costa Rican authorities announced on Tuesday that police dogs had discovered a body buried 200 feet toward the back of the property where Stefaniak had been staying, in a hilly and wooded suburb of San Jose. The slain woman, whose body had been partially covered with plastic bags, appeared to have died of a blunt force wound to the head. Walter Espinoza, director of Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department, told reporters that police had also found stains resembling blood inside Stefaniak's rental, and had arrested a security guard at the property who had given contradictory statements about her disappearance. The man, Bismarck Espinosa Martinez, 32, had been staying in the apartment next door to hers. Late Tuesday night, Stefaniak's father was allowed to enter the morgue and view the body, the announcement posted to the "Finding Carla" Facebook page said. He confirmed that it was his daughter. A native of Venezuela who immigrated to the United States in 2000, Stefaniak spent 12 years living in Tampa before moving to the Miami area, where she worked at an insurance agency, according to the Miami Herald. She loved to travel, enthusiastically documenting trips to Cuba, Mexico, Iceland and Switzerland on Instagram. Her last post, tagged from Quepos, Costa Rica, on Nov. 25, showed her sprawled next to an aquamarine-colored infinity pool. "I'm going to miss this place," she wrote. READ MORE: Travel warnings issued in Mexican states as holiday season gets underway When Stefaniak failed to respond to text messages or post on social media on Nov. 28 - her birthday - her friends and family started to worry. "Carla is the person that wakes up and opens her eyes and looks at her phone and literally looks at Instagram and WhatsApp," Laura Jaime, her close friend and former roommate, said in an interview the Tampa Bay Times. Jaime had planned to pick up Stefaniak after her flight and take her out for a birthday dinner, she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. But even before she got to the airport, something seemed off - why hadn't she heard from her friend all day? Her worst fears were confirmed when a gate agent told her that Stefaniak hadn't boarded the plane. Panicked, she contacted Stefaniak's relatives in Tampa. They, too, had heard nothing. The following day, Stefaniak's family launched an all-out search, blanketing social media with missing person fliers, as her brother flew to San Jose to meet with investigators. Immediately, something didn't add up: Stefaniak's family contacted the owner of the Airbnb property where she had been staying and were told that a security guard had seen her leaving in an Uber at around 5 a.m. But her flight was scheduled for 1 p.m., and she was only 20 or 30 minutes from the airport. "None of us really believe this 5 a.m. story because it really doesn't make sense," Burton told WTVT in a Sunday interview. Using her work computer, Stefaniak's friends were able to log into her Uber account, Jaime told the Tampa Bay Times. There were no records of her taking a car to the airport on the morning of Nov. 28. Confronted with the inconsistency, the guard changed his story: Stefaniak had taken a taxi, not an Uber, he claimed. Far from providing a resolution, getting confirmation of Stefaniak's death now raises questions for her family, who had previously held on to hope that she was still alive and had speculated that she might have been kidnapped. "In the following days, we will release critical digital leads of the investigation, continue asking questions about the involvement of others in Carla's murder," said the statement posted to Facebook. --- Video Embed Code Video: Bismark Espinosa Martinez was detained Dec. 4 in connection with the death of Carla Stefaniak, who went missing during a trip to Costa Rica.(Drea Cornejo/The Washington Post) Embed code: Drones make bridge inspections safer and easier to document. A complementary 3-D bridge app developed by the Michigan Tech Research Institute also streamlines defect records. Bridging basic and applied research is more than a metaphor. There are 612,677 bridges in the U.S. and the annual Federal Highway Administration 2018 bridge deficiency report finds that more than 54,000 of them have at least one key element that is in poor or worse condition. The state of Michigan ranks 16 nationally with 1,175 structurally deficient bridges, about 10.5 percent, which sits above the national average. The traditional way to document bridge defects is to send out a human in a hard hat and vest, and write down on paper information such as the amount and locations of problems such as cracks, spalls, and delaminations. Remote sensing experts at the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI), led by research scientist Colin Brooks, have been updating the process, working with colleagues in Michigan Techs Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Geological and Mining Engineering. Brooks and his team use unmanned aerial systems (UAS or drones) to access hard-to-reach locations, compile big datasets and explore defects in detail using a 3-D app. There is no replacing people in the assessment human eyes and judgement are crucial but technology can speed up and make bridge inspections safer, helping set aside more time and money to fix structurally deficient bridges. We need to know if we can get from point A to point B, Brooks said. An important component of mobility is being able to understand whether or not the transportation system youre looking at can effectively move goods and people based on the condition of the infrastructure. The following images are examples of the photos Brooks and his team collect in their research. 3D BRIDGE App Bridge inspections balance speed and precision. On one hand, they need to be thorough and document every potentially compromised element. On the other hand, there are thousands of bridges that need attention and inspectors do not have enough time to patiently jot down paper notes in the field and transfer them to digital reports back in the office. A mobile interface showing a 3D model of the bridge undergoing assessment saves inspectors time by enabling them to record location-specific information on problem areas and then upload field data and notes straight into a bridge management system. This is what the 3D BRIDGE app does, Brooks said, and it is being implemented by the Michigan Department of Transportation under a current collaboration. Of course, a 3-D model is only as good as the data going into it. And that is where Brooks and his teams true specialties reside in collecting 3-D data about a bridge, creating 3-D bridge models and making it easier to record and access this information to help with managing and repairing our bridges. Drone Remote Sensing The formal name of a drone is an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) and they are subject to specific rules set down by the Federal Aviation Administration. Because UAS are remotely operated and can carry camera equipment, they are ideal for bridge inspection work in addition to other applications. We can do things from the air, from vehicles, we work with the Great Lakes Research Center to do surface water and underwater surveys, we do 3-D sensing, Brooks said. It all depends on what the phenomenon is that youre trying to understand. In bridge inspections, documenting defects is not as simple as flying a drone and taking a few photos. Several of the drones Brooks uses, including a hexacopter and quadcopter, fly in 20-minute runs within line of sight below 120 meters (400 feet) and are outfitted with photogrammetry and thermal imagery gear that picks up nuances beyond what the human eye sees. That means they can fly 100 meters above a 15-hectare region (330 feet above 40 acres) with a resolution of 5 cm (2 inches). Even better resolutions are available when flying at lower heights. In other words, the drone can sit on top of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge and pick out a caterpillar crawling on the sidewalk handrail or a crack in the bridge deck and still see the little critter if the UAS rose another 100 feet above the bridge. Brooks explains that remote sensings power is in more than the details; interpreting the imagery data to extract useful information for managing transportation assets is the heart of his work. Next Steps The researchs value lies in being able to discern whether or not the data is solid. We focused a lot on being able to create objective and repeatable data to help assess bridges, Brooks said, adding that the economics of implementing new tech is also important. Drone surveys dont have to be expensive. We run drones that cost less than $10,000 to do nearly all of our work. Making sure drones, remote sensing and apps are both verified and cost effective makes the tech more appealing to private companies as well as state transportation departments. Brooks says the team is working with several companies and will also be helping MDOT implement the 3D BRIDGE app and drone-based condition bridge inspection into their day-to-day workflow. New sensors, new platforms seem to come online several times a year so how do we take advantage of that rapid innovation and hardware and make them available on a practical basis? Brooks said. Somebody has to do the testing to make sure the tech collects whats needed and thats part of the niche we fill." Mobility the movement of goods, people and information can only happen when the underlying infrastructure is working. Bridges are particularly vulnerable. Brooks and his team make mobility happen by ensuring the equipment used for bridge inspections goes above and beyond (and beside and under) the current status quo and fulfills the promises of new technology. AASHTO Award Remote sensing and bridge experts from the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering collaborated with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to develop a location-specific 3-D bridge inspection app that works on mobile tablet devices. Their work earned MDOT the Sweet Sixteen award for high value research projects from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) this summer. Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, the University offers more than 125 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure. The North American airline American Airlines, it is from the 12. December 2018, permit the passengers to enter with an Allergy to nuts, first the plane. Background of the attempt, that people who suffer from an Allergy, less health risk. This was reported by "Bloomberg", a few days ago. You should be able to clean their places before the Entering of all the other passengers so exactly, that an allergic reaction is virtually eliminated. this is Intended initially only for nut Allergy sufferers. Triggered the innovation by a concerned mother whose son suffers from a life-threatening peanut Allergy. She turned to the American "Food Allergy Research & Education", advocacy for food allergies to be Concerned. This Respondent American Airlines, what airline do to allergic reactions to Board, to exclude. American Airlines is not on that nut to make Allergy-free self-cleaning The required cleaning could American Airlines after every flight. And a complete elimination, including the smallest nut ingredients would never be possible for all Allergy sufferers, but nevertheless, the ability to Fly are open to the new. Passengers with a nut Aresbet Allergy can turn in front of the Boarding-Start at the Gate to the airline staff and may then enter the aircraft first, to clean your seats according to your needs. meat Allergy as a result of The bite of this tick can make people vegetarian the debate over Whether micro-stock would be parts of nuts in the air, in the aircraft, able to trigger allergies, controversial. So, about Tim Spector, Professor of genetic epidemiology at Kings College in London, the risk of an allergic reaction to peanut particles in the air for "imagination", as he explained to the British "Daily Mail". "Already alone because of the weight buzzed peanut particles not just by the cabin air". expert: "It is possible that Peanut trigger components Fears of an allergic outbreak," Asked about the sense of regulatory actions Dr. Lars Lange said of the society for paediatric Allergology and environmental medicine of the star: "It is as a psychological reaction quite conceivable that peanut stock trigger parts, if they are visible, in the case of Allergy sufferers Fears of an allergic outbreak." As a suitable measure so-called peanut ranged however, free flights, as they are provided by some airlines. "In Germany, for example, are only between 0.2 and 0.5 per cent of the people of nut allergies, what can be a measure, such as American Airlines are greatly exaggerated," the expert said. Fixed also: A demonstrable Relationship between the nuts, which were eaten in a certain environment, and a subsequent relevant accumulation of nut particles in the air of the room it would be. sources: "Bloomberg" / "Daily Mail" Updated Date: 06 December 2018, 08:01 km ALBANY Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has unequivocally stated that he won't be campaigning in 2020 in Iowa, where the presidential nomination process kicks off every four years. Cuomo's re-election campaign for governor in 2018, however, did pay nearly $280,000 to one of Iowa's top Democratic political consultants, Jeff Link, campaign finance records show. Link who was retained through the firm Analytics Media Group in 2014 was named by the Des Moines Register as one of Iowa's 50 "most wanted" Democratic "movers and shakers" for the Iowa's often crucial presidential caucus. Link worked for Bill Clinton's winning campaign in 1992, as Iowa state director for vice-president Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000, and as deputy director of paid media and research for Barack Obama's winning campaign in 2008, when he coordinated all paid media and polling in 25 states. Link told the Times Union, however, that he had not discussed a possible 2020 presidential run with Cuomo who easily won re-election to his third gubernatorial term last month. Instead, Link said, his work for Cuomo's 2018 re-election campaign included helping "optimize" television ad buys, and assisting the campaign using "big data" and analytics to decisions. Cuomo's campaign paid Link's Des Moines-based Analytics Media Group the nearly $280,000 in five installments, beginning in November 2014. The final payment from the Cuomo campaign to Link's firm came more than two years ago, in January 2016. That final payment came ahead of the Feb. 1 2016 Democratic presidential caucuses, which pitted the two major candidates that year, ex-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Analytics Media Group grew out of Link's work on Obama's successful 2012 re-election campaign, where he specialized in matching "voter registration data with data from television," according to an article in Business Record, an Iowa business publication. Other than the Cuomo campaign payments, Analytics Media Group had never otherwise been hired in a New York State election. Another of Link's firms, Link Strategies, was paid $12,000 in 2015 by the "Progressive Democrats of Western New York" and $85,000 in 2014 by Democratic state Sen. Tim Kennedy. In the 2016 Democratic primary, Cuomo strongly supported Clinton, the eventual Democratic primary winner who lost in the general election to Republican President Donald J. Trump. Cuomo's campaign did not have a comment. The Associated Press reported in November that Cuomo, who has promised to finish out his third term ending in 2022, has been in contact with "Des Moines Democrats," with the article suggesting that the contact concerned possible presidential ambitions. The article focused on efforts by likely Democratic presidential contenders to secure top-flight political talent in Iowa. The brief mention of Cuomo in the story followed discussion of a handful of other possible 2020 hopefuls. "I don't know where that story comes from. There is no truth to it. It's a conspiracy theory," Cuomo told reporters after the AP story was published. More recently, Cuomo told WNYC radio host Brian Lehrer that, "I am ruling it out. I ran for governor, I have a full plate, I have many projects. I'm going to be here doing the job of governor." For his part, Link told the Times Union that he had not heard any such chatter from other Iowa political consultants. Troy Price, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, also told the Times Union that he had not been contacted by Cuomo or anyone in his orbit. A credit ratings agency is warning that states like Illinois could be pushed to raise taxes because lawmakers havent set aside money to pay for retiree healthcare costs. S&P Global Ratings reported that total unfunded state liabilities that arent pensions have increased significantly for the third year in a row. The agency said this is largely due to states like Illinois under funding the issue. State employees with at least 20 years of work qualify for state-sponsored retiree healthcare. Those premiums are covered by taxpayers. This is the retirees primary coverage when theyre eligible to retire as early as 55 with it becoming supplemental once they qualify for Medicare ten years after. Ted Dabrowski, president of Wirepoints, said its a combination of that and the health care plans offered to state workers. If you work 20 years for the state, you get your retiree health insurance for free, he said, referring to the states full coverage of retiree premiums. Illinois is whats known as a paygo state, meaning medical bills are paid as retirees incur them. The S&P report says this poses challenges to state budgets. The lack of a funded trust also exposes state budgets to medical claims volatility and demographic risk due to aging active populations, according to the report.. By Dabrowskis estimate, the state will owe $73 billion over the next 38 years. Were going to have to reach into our budget for an ever-growing number and take money away from education, roads and healthcare, Dabrowski said. In 2014, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that public retiree healthcare benefits, or how much a retiree pays for those benefits, cannot be diminished. This level of taxpayer burden doesnt account for local government healthcare costs, which the Governmental Accounting Standards Board estimated in 2008 to be $1.5 trillion. The 2019 aldermanic races for the city of Jacksonville will feature four contested races along with two uncontested races. With the deadline for the 2019 filings ending on Nov. 26, Wards One, Two, Four and Five were open for those that wished to vie for a seat on City Council. Smaller municipalities, those with a population under 5,000, will allow their filings from Monday through Dec. 17, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Two races have prompted a primary election that will be held on Feb. 26. Ward Two, covering Precincts 4, 5, and 6 is one such race, with longtime incumbent Anthony Tony Williams running against newcomers Alison L. Rubin de Celis and Benjamin T. Cox. Ward Three, covering Precincts 7-10 and 18 is the other, with Michael Bartlett, who was appointed this year to fill the position of outgoing alderman Travis Richardson, running against Robert Perkins and Nicole Riley. The remaining races will appear on the consolidated election on April 2. In Ward One, long-time incumbent Bill Scott will not be seeking re-election, leaving newcomer Eren Williams to run for the spot uncontested. Scott is the Planning and Public Works Committee chair and vice chairman of the Utility Committee. Scott couldnt be reached Wednesday for comment. Ward Four will see Aaron Scott, who was appointed to his position in 2016 following the resignation of former Alderman Ben Tomhave, also running uncontested. Ward Three will see Karen Day-Mudd, who was appointed this year to take over outgoing alderman Marcy Pattersons position, will face off against Brandon C. Adams for the seats remaining two-year unexpired term. In Ward Five, incumbent Don Cook will run against Louis H. Eason III. Cook, who has been on the council for two terms, said that he is running again to continue serving the city. Im chairman of the Finance Committee and weve been able to keep our budget in the black and Id like to be able to continue doing that, Cook said. The city is very important to me and the operation of the city is even more important as are the citizens of the community. Updated Thursday, Dec. 6, to correct that Michael Bartlett replaced Travis Richardson in Ward Three and that Alderman Don Cook has served two terms. Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper. Trex Training participants View Photos Wilseyville, CA While organizers of last months prescribed fire Training Exchange or TREX in Calaveras County are calling it a success, they note some of the exercises had to be scrapped due to the deadly Camp Fire. As reported here earlier, the live fire training was to span ten days and involve work on private lands in the West Point, Glencoe, Wilseyville, Arnold, and Dorrington areas. The 20 participants were to get hands-on fire experience to better understand the art and science of fire management and ecology. However, organizer and Natural Resources Advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension Central Sierra Susan Kocher relays that due to the explosion of the Camp Fire no flames could be ignited for the training because the required back up resources were called to battle the mega blaze. She adds it is an ongoing problem regarding using prescribed burns for fire prevention. I really think it shows just our exact dilemma. Its hard to get ahead of disasters because youre busy responding to disasters, advised Kocher. So, we just need to do everything we can to try and burn at all times of year to try to get ahead of these tragic wildfires that are happening. Another complication was brought on by Mother Nature. Kocher explains, The weather did not cooperate. That is one of the big issues with prescribed fires finding the right burn windows. Even with those obstacles she says trainees were able to accomplish a wide variety of exercises and also prepare the burn units for possible burning in the future. Kocher details, They also received lessons in burn planning, measuring fire weather, fuel moisture and quantity, and fire effects. The group carried out several complicated training scenarios, including conducting a prescribed fire, doing mobile attack on fire spots, and structure defense. Participants wrapped up the event with a service project that involved assisting a landowner in Glencoe to reduce fire hazard on a property with a lot of tree slash left after trees killed by bark beetles were removed. The TREX event was put on through a cooperative agreement between The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the Interior and funded by CAL Fire. Ongoing FEMA has closed some of its Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC), established last month to assist residents and businesses whose property was damaged by Tropical Storm Ida. However, face-to-face assistance is still available. Residents can find their nearest DRC online at fema.gov/drc,... Vaccinations and health care were among the topics covered at the November meeting of the Plainview Area Retired School Personnel Association. The PARSPA members met at the Plainview Adult Activity Center with co-presidents Terry Miller and Linda Murphree presiding. Miller and Murphree opened the business meeting with prayer led by Mary Lou Haygood and the group recited the "Pledge of Allegiance" to the United States and Texas flags. Marilyn Biggs, Pharmacist at Amigos United, and Coralyn Dillard, WBU Nurse, presenting a program on "Immunizations and Vaccines for Adults." "Adults need vaccinations throughout their lives," stressed Biggs, "because immunity from childhood diseases can wear off over time. You are also at risk for different diseases as an adult. Vaccination is one of the most convenient and safest preventive care measures available." The Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough) is one of the vaccine boosters recommended for adults to receive every 10 years. Other vaccines include: chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella, hepatitis, pneumonia, meningitis and shingles, Biggs said. The risks for shingles increase as you get older, she said. "Statistics indicate that one out of three adults who have not had the immunization shot will have the disease," Biggs said. "The first signs include tingling on one side of the body with a noticeable rash. Cancer patients have greater risk. Now we have a new shot featuring a live virus that is most effective in controlling shingles." She suggested that the individual check with his/her pharmacy first to be sure the vaccine is available. Insurance will cover the cost of the vaccine. She handed an "Immunization Test for Adults to the group to help each one decide his/her immunization needs. During the meeting, Murphree, co-president, reviewed pertinent information she received from a recent Regional Meeting she attended in Lubbock regarding members' Medicare Insurance Cards. Murpree cautioned that when going to your physician, be sure to show your MEDICARE/ADVANTAGE CARD only--not your Medicare A/B card. If you give the wrong card, your medical payment could be delayed indefinitely. Murphree also shared some interesting statistics about the Texas Public School Employee Pension Fund: The Pension Fund is the sixth largest pension fund in the U.S. The total number of retired public school employees and dependents participating in the Health Care Plan is 236,000. The total active employees and dependents participating is 492,317. Texas contributes 6.8 percent of the state's budget to the pension fund the lowest of any state. She also mentioned that candidates during the last election spoke about 32 percent of the state's budget supporting education. But candidates did not acknowledge the 18 percent of that goes to higher education which leaves 14 percent less than one-half for public education employees. Texas Public School employees don't receive Social Security like other state employees. Pam Kendall, chair of the Informative and Protective Services Committee, handed a reminder to attendees regarding the new Medicare Health Insurance Card. Among the reminders are the following: Your new card will be mailed to you. It will have a new Medicare Number instead of your Social Security number--to protect your identity. Coverage and benefits remain the same. Once you get your new card, destroy the old one. If you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan, that card is still your main Medicare card. Watch out for scams. Medicare will never call you uninvited. Marla Howard, Chair of the Texas Teachers Foundation Committee, announced that all money collected at the meeting would be donated to the Foundation, an entity that gives financial help to retired and active teachers in various ways. Howard named four areas of assistance: "The Helping Hand" provides monetary help to retired teachers earning less than $800 a month. It provides grants to teachers to promote innovative learning ideas in the classroom. It gives scholarships to beginning teachers to help with unusual expenses in their first year in the classroom. The Foundation provides financial help to a Texas school that has experienced some type of natural disaster. Howard announced a drawing of donor names. Winners were Maxie Walls and Terry Miller. The next meeting will be Jan. 14. Dr. Kristen Eaves, physical therapist, will be the presenter. Members are reminded to bring their "Community Volunteer Hours" to Pay Ryan or Mary Ann McGeehee. Texans will be able to pay their respects Thursday to President George H.W. Bush, when, after three days of ceremonies, his body will be carried by train from Spring to College Station to be buried. The route, as outlined by Union Pacific Railroad, will pass through Hufsmith, Pinehurst, Magnolia, Todd Mission, Stoneham, Navasota, Millican and Wellborn. Following a funeral service earlier that morning at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, the train is scheduled to depart at 1 p.m. from the Union Pacific Railroad Westfield Auto Facility, which will be closed to the public. SERVICES SET: Official Bush funeral schedule released for week It will take an estimated two hours and 25 minutes for the train to reach College Station, across from Kyle Field. The locomotive, which can travel up to 70 mph, will move slower than usual track speed and will not make any stops along the way. The procession falls in line with a long history of presidential funeral trains that transported the bodies of storied men to their places of burial, sometimes through multiple states, according to Union Pacific. They include Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower. STATESMAN REMEMBERED: George H.W. Bush spent a lifetime of public service Bush's body will be transported by Locomotive 4141, painted with sleek lines in blue, gray and white, to evoke Air Force One and, as the railroad puts it, the "forward motion representing progress." Here are some of the intersections with a good view of Bush 41's procession from Spring to College Station: Old Town Spring I-45 near Spring Stuebner Holzwarth near Grand Parkway Mossy Oaks near Sumac Rothwood near Grand Parkway Gosling near Hassler Northcrest near Root Rd Hildebrandt near Root Rd Kuykendahl near Hufsmith Kuykendahl Stuebner Airline near Hufsmith Kuykendahl FM 2978 near E. Hufsmith Stanolind near Hufsmith Kohrville Hwy 249 at W. Rollingwood Hwy 249 at FM 149 FM 1774 at Lone Star FM 1774 at FM 1488 Emily Foxhall covers all things Texas for the Houston Chronicle. Follower her on Twitter or email her at Emily.Foxhall@chron.com. As the San Antonio Zoo revamps its rhinoceros habitat and prepares to add three new Southern white rhinos in 2019, zoo spokespeople have announced a third Rhino-related announcement: the largest rhino sculpture in the world will soon be permanently on display in San Antonio. The 17-foot bronze sculpture is currently at the the Brooklyn Metro Tech Commons in New York City. It will be transported to San Antonio early next year, according to a news release from the zoo. Saudi Arabia proposed a moderate oil-production cut from OPEC and its allies that would nudge the market back into balance, seeking to walk a fine line between preventing a surplus and appeasing U.S. President Donald Trump. We in the kingdom are going to be advocating something adequate to balance the market, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih told reporters at the opening session of the groups meeting in Vienna on Thursday. A cut of about 1 million barrels a day from the whole group should be adequate and certainly we dont want to shock the market. PREVIOUSLY: Oil dips as vague OPEC+ production agreement lacks firm numbers Events in the Austrian capital werent the only story on Thursday. As ministers sat down at the headquarters of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russian Oil Minister Alexander Novak flew to St. Petersburg to meet President Vladimir Putin to decide on their countrys contribution. If the groups most important ally in the broader OPEC+ coalition decides to make a sizable cut, the cartel will follow up. Saudi Arabia is equally prepared for a deal or no-deal situation, Al-Falih said. If everybody is not willing to join and contribute equally, we will wait until they are. Negative Reaction Oil fell in London after the remarks, losing as much as 5.2 percent to $58.36 a barrel, before paring losses to $60.11 at 12:27 p.m. Investec Bank Plcs head of commodities Callum MacPherson said a 1 million barrel a day production cut could lift the market if OPECs allies are also bought in, given the speed of Iranian losses due to U.S. sanctions. For now, the market is reacting to "the muddle" in OPECs messaging "combined with a horrible fall in equities," he said. WAIT AND SEE: Oil sector hangs in balance as OPEC meets Saudi Arabia, OPECs de facto leader, has made clear that it wont shoulder the burden of trimming production alone. In private conversations, delegates said a consensus was emerging around an overall cut, including Russia, of around 1 million barrels a day, although all cautioned the figure wasnt final. The wait for Moscow signals how much OPEC has changed since 2016 when Saudi Arabia and Russia ended their historic animosity and started to manage the oil market together. The alliance has transformed OPEC into a duopoly in which Russia, which isnt a formal member of the cartel but part of the production cuts alliance, is asserting its power. Russian Resilience While Middle Eastern producers are desperate to reverse the recent slump in prices to pay for government spending, sensitivities are different in Russia, where the government is running a budget surplus and a weak ruble mitigates the impact of lower prices. The government is concerned about the impact of higher prices on Russian consumers, stoking discontent with economic policy, according to one Kremlin official. A day of preliminary talks in the Austrian capital on Wednesday concluded with a panel led by Saudi Arabia and Russia recommending an output reduction lasting six months, but the committee didnt discuss how big any cuts should be. Al-Falih said his preference was for a reduction extending into the third quarter. EARLIER: Saudi minister says premature to say if OPEC+ to cut output The group may agree a formal cut of under a million barrels a day, Nigerias oil minister, Emanuel Kachikwu said in a TV interview on Thursday morning. OPEC is also contending with vociferous opposition from the U.S. president, whos taken to using his Twitter account to berate the groups policies and sees low oil prices as key to sustaining Americas economic growth. While ministers met in OPECs Vienna headquarters on Wednesday, Trump tweeted that the world does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! Im cautiously optimistic that a deal gets done, but the devil will be in the detail, said Mohammad Darwazah, a director at Medley Global Advisers. How OPEC communicates this to the market may be just as important as what gets done. Although Russia, the largest producer in the wider group known as OPEC+, agreed to a cut in principle, the eventual size of their contribution remains undefined and will be key to putting together the final deal. In private conversations earlier this week, OPEC delegates said that Saudi Arabia had favored a Russian cut of about 300,000 barrels a day, but Moscow was seeking a smaller reduction of about 150,000, said people familiar with those talks. Those differences persisted after Wednesdays meeting, OPEC delegates said. Russias second-largest oil producer, Lukoil PJSC, is ready to comply with any request from the Kremlin but hopes output cuts wont be necessary, said Chief Executive Officer Vagit Alekperov. I hope that maybe these measures wont be necessary, he said in an interview with Bloomberg television in Vienna. An oil price around $60 suits the needs of producers and consumers and it should remain at that level in January, he said. If Russia does agree a cut, it would take three to four months to fully implement it, he said. Iranian Exception Iran is currently subject to U.S. sanctions and as such wont participate in any curbs, the countrys oil minister, Bijan Zanganeh said. The last time the OPEC+ group agreed to curtail output, in late 2016, it settled on a combined 1.8 million-barrel-a-day reduction. In preparatory meetings ahead of this weeks summit, delegates had said a cut of as much as 1.3 million barrels a day next year is needed as demand growth slows and U.S. shale production surges. Resolving the groups internal differences and convincing a skeptical oil market that theyre serious about preventing a new supply glut in 2019 would require ministers to conclude weeks of debate and settle on a final figure. "Some countries will struggle because their economies are very constrained" and Nigeria itself could only manage a small cut, Kachikwu said. --With assistance from Dina Khrennikova, Elena Mazneva, Annmarie Hordern, Alex Longley, Grant Smith, Nayla Razzouk and Golnar Motevalli. 2018 Bloomberg L.P. 3 1 of 3 Marvin Pfeiffer /Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Jerry Lara /Staff photographer Show More Show Less 3 of 3 The Witte Museums Naylor Family Dinosaur Gallery will host a special guest this month, none other than jolly old St. Nick. Santa Claus will be seated in front of the dinosaurs for prehistoric photo opportunities from 10 a.m.-noon Dec. 8, 15 and 22 and from noon-2 p.m. Dec. 9, 16 and 23. Its bring your own camera, and its free with museum admission. Note: This is a Just a Taste review, which the Express-News does soon after a restaurant or bar opens to give our first impressions. If you like the food at Kimura, youll probably like the food at Kuriya. That was my main takeaway after a meal at the freshly rebadged izakaya and ramen bar located a stones throw from the Alamodome inside The Cherrity Bar on San Antonios East Side. Theres good reason for the connection. Kuriya is a new venture from Ernie Bradley, whos served in a management role at restaurateur Michael Sohockis properties, including his longstanding downtown ramen shop Kimura. In fact, Kuriya launched as Ramen Bar, an expansion of the Kimura brand, in September. Bradley took the venture over this month, and has started making his own mark on the restaurant. He has his work cut out for him. Where Kimura feels rooted and confident in its East Pecan Street location, Kuriya is shoehorned into another concept. The feelgood Cherrity Bar donates a portion of its profits to area charities. Its an architectural hodgepodge of houses and shipping containers. Its a civic-minded patio hangout with fire pits. Kuriya is focused, disciplined and devoted to traditional Japanese cuisine. Its a menu with headings penned in Japanese characters. Its broth thats been simmered for hours with a fierce attention to details. Its easy to like The Cherrity Bar for what it is. Ditto Kuriya. But they come off as awkward bedfellows. While trying to focus on the nuance in a bowl of noodles, my attention strayed to a cat wandering freely in and out of a dining room. She was a cutie named Sakura (cherry blossom in Japanese), and she didnt seem to mind that customers were eating dinner in her living room, but her presence left me wondering what she was hunting. Where Kimura has a refined cocktail program, Kuriya serves drinks shaken to The Cherrity Bars standard, and its a low one: Lots of ice shards in ungarnished plastic cups that did little to support the refined food. It was icehouse chill and fine dining chops knocking each other out in a sloppy headbutt. But oh, was the food good. On the menu: Ramen Bars greatest hits live on at Kuriya. The newcomers tonkotsu ramen ($14) was every bit as silken and savory. A quartet of gyoza ($7) was ably delivered on the same slate board with the same wispy skirt of crunchy batter connecting them. The tofu yakisoba ($10) delivered the same delightful crisp over a flavorful bowl of noodles and cabbage with flakes of bonito gently waving in the dishs rising steam. But Kuriya is more than a cover band, and Bradley has a voice of his own that shows up in a tight lineup of new menu items. Dont miss the steamed buns ($7), a trio of plump and pale spheres stuffed with a generous patty of ground pork, ginger and green onions. Theyre one of the more satisfying parcels of bread and meat Ive had in some time. Another solid win is Bradleys new shumai ($9). Instead of a flimsy dumpling skin stuffed with meaty paste weve come to expect on a dim sum platter, these are robust with coarsely chopped shrimp and mushrooms tucked inside a pouch of dough that can handle the heft. And who wouldnt love the karaage ($8)? Theyre what chicken nuggets should aspire to be, juicy meat and ginger under a flaky potato starch shell with a spicy and sweet dipping sauce on the side. Bradley obviously has all the poise and experience to make Kuriya a success. Whether he can do that in his restaurants current setting is yet to be seen. Location: 302 Montana St. (inside Cherrity Bar), 210-598-0946, Facebook: Kuriya at Cherrity Bar Hours: 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday, 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. Saturday. pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen Paul Stephen is a staff writer in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen Considering the time Selena Quintanilla spent in town, San Antonio could easily be considered her second home. The "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" beauty made the trip from her Corpus Christi home to the Alamo City on a regular basis to either serenade jam-packed concerts at Tejano clubs like the now-shuttered T Town, tend to her budding boutique chain or run errands. She left footsteps around the city before her life was cut short 22 years ago. President Donald Trump insisted when he made Matthew Whitaker his acting attorney general that he wasn't familiar with Whitaker's past commentary critical of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III's probe. But now it might be happening again. Former Attorney General William Barr has emerged as Trump's top pick to be the nominee for the full-time attorney general job, The Post is reporting. And picking former President George H.W. Bush's attorney general would seem a pretty safe and confirmable pick, on its surface. But much like Whitaker, Barr's past commentary has downplayed the severity of the allegations against Trump - on the collusion and obstruction-of-justice fronts - and also suggested that the Clintons should be in more trouble. In fact, in November 2017, Barr told The New York Times that there was actually more basis to investigate Hillary Clinton for the Uranium One deal than there is to investigate Trump for potential collusion with Russia. He went so far as to say the Justice Department was wrong to give Clinton a pass. "To the extent it is not pursuing these matters, the department is abdicating its responsibility," he said. Earlier that same month, Barr also explicitly called for more investigation of the Clintons, telling The Washington Post's Philip Rucker and Matt Zapotosky, "I don't think all this stuff about throwing (Clinton) in jail or jumping to the conclusion that she should be prosecuted is appropriate." Then he added: "But I do think that there are things that should be investigated that haven't been investigated." In both stories, Barr declined to judge Trump harshly for calling for specific investigations - even ones affecting him and his political opponents, apparently. Barr suggested that was okay for a president as long as the decision was made with respect to the actual evidence at hand and not for political reasons. But Barr apparently thinks those conditions have been met on the topic Trump had strongly tried and failed to get then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to investigate - the Clintons - and that has to be music to Trump's ears. Barr has also given Trump a complete pass on one of the central events in the Mueller probe: Trump's firing of then-FBI Director James Comey. In a Washington Post op-ed, Barr said Trump didn't just not doing anything wrong, but that he actually "made the right call": "It is telling that none of the president's critics are challenging the decision on the merits. None argue that Comey's performance warranted keeping him on as director. Instead, they are attacking the president's motives, claiming the president acted to neuter the investigation into Russia's role in the election. "The notion that the integrity of this investigation depends on Comey's presence just does not hold water. Contrary to the critics' talking points, Comey was not "in charge" of the investigation." It would seem quite the coincidence that Trump seems to be settling on yet another attorney general who seems prepared to take his side on these very personal and political investigative issues in a way Sessions wouldn't. It's also notable that Barr seems to believe the line between the presidency and the nation's top law enforcement official needn't be drawn so rigidly - something Trump has long craved. Houston rapper Paul Wall will help promote advanced tickets to Sony's latest Spider-Man film this Saturday. "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" officially hits theaters next Friday, but eager beavers can nab tickets at a local Walmart to see the flick this Sunday, as well as get a chance to meet and take photographs with one of Houston's most beloved rappers. The latest Spider-Man adaptation is a comic book-style animated adventure featuring the first appearance of Miles Morales, an African American-Puerto Rican American who, at least in the Marvel Universe, takes on the role of being New York's friendly neighborhood Spider-Man after Peter Parker. Fans seeking an advanced ticket and a chance to meet Wall can head to the Walmart at 2391 S. Wayside Dr. on Dec. 8 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Those luckily enough can see the film the next day at AMC Houston 8 in downtown Houston. RELATED: Disney dominates Golden Globes animation - again - but 'Spider-Man' lands as a strong wild card Fernando Ramirez is a digital reporter for Chron.com and Houstonchronicle.com. Read him on our breaking news site and on our subscriber site. Follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email him at Fernando.ramirez@chron.com. San Antonio firefighters and Animal Care Services officers rescued 10 young dogs from a South Side house fire Wednesday before noon. Authorities said that two Blue Heeler mix dogs died and another was injured in the fire in the 200 Block of Betty Jean, near New Braunfels Avenue and U.S. 37. When firefighters arrived at the scene the homeowner had escaped the burning house, but their pets were still inside, said fire department spokesman Joe Arrington. RELATED: Central Texas couple arrested after deputies seize 161 cats, 15 dogs living in 'brutal conditions' The first responders discovered that the family cats had run away, but were able to save 10 of a dozen dogs. The injured dog had to be given oxygen to be resuscitated by firefighters. Arrington said at least one of the dogs had puppies. Three of the 10 rescued dogs are under six months. The fire department worked with the Red Cross to find temporary lodging for the displaced homeowner, Arrington said. He said the blaze started in the kitchen, causing around $60,000 in damages. ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said several ACS officers were dispatched to the scene to help firefighters with the animals. RELATED: Animal cruelty charges against group who sacrificed animals during Santeria ritual dropped The fire department does a phenomenal job making sure they save the lives of everyone in the homes, she said. Were thankful that the fire crew was able to use not only their training but their equipment to save that animals life. Its just second nature to our firefighters and our officers. Norwood said the homeowner was over the limit of five dogs allowable in San Antonio. Our main concern is caring for the animals that were saved from the burning home, she said. However, the homeowner has been made aware of what the laws are in the City of San Antonio and she chose to surrender the animals to ACS. The dogs were at the ACS clinic Wednesday night under the care of veterinary staff. Norwood said shelter veterinarians are concerned about the effects of smoke and the care the animals received prior to the fire. It was unclear whether they had received the necessary vaccinations. The puppy that received oxygen was still in intensive care. Norwood said ACS veterinary staff is working with the shelters live release office to look for rescue groups to take in the pups. vtdavis@express-news.net 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 Selena fans either lined up for $2 H-E-B limited-edition totes at grocery stores across Texas, accessed the online store or posted the bags on e-commerce sites with inflated price tags. Thursday marked the release of the San Antonio-based grocery chain's second round of recyclable bags honoring the Queen of Tejano. Sales started at 6 a.m. and shortly after, the limited-edition item hit online marketplaces like eBay, where the $2 bags were listed for $50-$199.99. The man shot by a deputy on Wednesday in South Bexar County during a traffic stop has been identified. Mario Espinosa Jr., 39, was taken to San Antonio Military Medical Center in stable condition after the shooting. He is currently facing charges of driving with an invalid license and possession of a controlled substance. According to Bexar County Assistant Chief Deputy Ronald Bennet, Espinosa was pulled over for speeding at about 4:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of Rockport. RELATED: Deputy shoots motorist during traffic stop in South Bexar County The deputy who pulled him over checked his ID and discovered Espinosa had warrants for felony and misdemeanor charges. Espinosa became "very fidgety" and started "jumping around," according to Bennet. The suspect then got out of his car, but then went back inside and tried to drive away. "The driver stops, gets back out and says 'Don't shoot me, don't shoot me,'" Bennett said. The deputy had his weapon drawn, and when Espinosa made a final dive back into the vehicle, the deputy opened fire, striking him in his abdomen. "The (deputy) believed he was going for some kind of a weapon," Bennett said, though it is unclear if Espinosa was armed at the time. Bennet later said he believed Espinosa was just nervous. Bennett said the deputy who shot Espinosa is a 25-year veteran. He will be placed on administrative leave. 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 Nearly six months after Hector Saldana's storage unit was burglarized of roughly $30,000 in musical instruments and equipment, police arrested a suspect in the case Wednesday. Mark Allen Carruthers, 37, was arrested on suspicion of burglary of a building, jail records showed. Carruthers is accused of breaking into Saldana's storage unit in the 7300 block of Blanco Road on June 8. Saldana, the frontman of San Antonio rock band the Krayolas, kept several valuable instruments, equipment and memorabilia he acquired throughout his career in the unit. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox On Thanksgiving night, Saldana said he received a call from someone who had information on Carruthers. Saldana referred that person to the police, who were then provided with enough evidence to lead to an arrest. "I thought that took courage," Saldana said. "The person that made contact with me was fearful of (Carruthers)." Police received "several" tips that Carruthers was responsible for the robbery, but could not obtain a search warrant for his home until Wednesday, according to his arrest affidavit. Inside, police recovered several items that belonged to Saldana. Carruthers, who allegedly tried to flee from officers, confessed to burglarizing the storage unit, according to the arrest affidavit. Most of the equipment recovered was defaced and broken, Saldana said. And several guitars and memorabilia, including an original John Lennon lithograph, have not been found. RELATED: These San Antonio neighborhoods had the most thefts reported during the holidays in 2017 "They're heirlooms in a lot of ways," Saldana said. "The most important one might be the least expensive one. It's a guitar my father gave me when I was 7 years old. There are emotional ties there." Saldana is hopeful the arrest leads to the recovery of the rest of his items, and said he was thankful for the support he's gotten from the community. "I'm grateful," Saldana said. "This stuff is unpredictable and property crimes aren't often solved. I'm super happy and I know the police are happy too." Anyone with information on the stolen items can contact Crime Stoppers or San Antonio police to submit tips anonymously. Click through the slideshow to see pictures of the stolen items. Fares Sabawi covers crime in San Antonio and Bexar County for mySA.com. Read more of his stories here. | fsabawi@mysa.com | Twitter: @FaresInSA Editors note: This editorial was published in the Express-News sister paper, the Houston Chronicle, and is one in which the Express-News Editorial Board is in full consensus. For a generation of Americans who knew George H.W. Bush as a nasal-voiced Saturday Night Live character who spouted wouldnt be prudent as a catchphrase, the steely resolve he demonstrated in the face of Saddam Husseins 1990 invasion of Kuwait may seem out of character. If it starts dragging down and theres high casualties, I will be history, he told his diary. No problem sometimes in life you got to do what you got to do. Thats because Bush believed it had fallen to him to defend a vision of a postwar international system one that Saddam brazenly violated. It is a vision that Bush was willing to risk everything to defend, and one still worth pursuing today. He called it a new world order. The dream, in which world peace would be guaranteed by a cooperative international structure, where small states would not be at the mercy of their neighbors territorial ambitions, was an old one. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had hoped the creation of the United Nations Security Council would allow countries to act in concert to secure the peace. He and others saw a future where nations were fully integrated into global institutions like the World Trade Organization, World Bank and United Nations with the United States firmly at the center. For Bush, it was one where free markets and free people were universally shared values. Those aspirations were put on hold for decades as World War II quickly gave way to a long, twilight struggle between the United States and Soviet Union. But with the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of the Soviet empire, the dream once again seemed possible. The crisis in the Persian Gulf, as grave as it is, also offers a rare opportunity to move toward an historic period of cooperation, Bush said in a 1991 speech to Congress. Out of these troubled times a new world order can emerge. A new era freer from the threat of terror, stronger in the pursuit of justice, and more secure in the quest for peace. That notion of world peace may sound utopian to modern ears, but at the time it seemed within grasp. Humanity had just witnessed the end of an empire without a major war, thanks in no small part to Bushs leadership. The world seemed new, and opportunity was limited only by our ambition. A hundred generations have searched for this elusive path to peace, while a thousand wars raged across the span of human endeavor, Bush said. Today that new world is struggling to be born, a world quite different from the one weve known. A world where the rule of law supplants the rule of the jungle. A world where the strong respect the rights of the weak. That world never came to be. Yes, there were some quick and important victories. Bush assembled a global force, including Muslims and non-Muslims, to drive Saddam out of Kuwait. He worked closely with allies to reunite Germany and helped from a distance to support the former Soviet Unions bumpy (and incomplete) path toward democracy. He embraced and enforced the international agreement known as the Montreal Protocol that would heal the hole in the ozone layer, and he negotiated NAFTA to better integrate North America. Bush accomplished these things in a single term, and after he was replaced as president, progress on developing a cooperative world buoyed by American leadership has wavered. Unnecessary wars, a global recession and an on-again-off-again commitment to the United Nations and other key institutions has left us without the guiding vision Bush pursued. Now, with Donald Trump at the helm, our nation is in full retreat from any sense of shared responsibility. Alliances are undermined, international treaties abhorred, and bad actors from Vladimir Putin to Mohammed bin Salman operate with impunity. Authoritarianism is on the march in Europe and Asia, and the walls of the world are going back up. For a millennial generation coming into adulthood, it can be hard to imagine an alternative. The powerful step on the weak, and international conflict feels like the norm. The law of the jungle rules. Yet in Bushs life and career we can still see a dream of a better world. It may be his greatest legacy, and we have to ensure that America doesnt lose the vision of a new world order. We need to remember that peace is possible. A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on, President John F. Kennedy once said. We pray that it does. Re: the lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the city of San Antonio: The Pro-Immigrant Coalition-Coalicion/Pro-Inmigrante supports Chief William McManus actions of Dec. 23. He was well within the law when he treated the immigrants found in the semi-trailer on that day as victims of trafficking, and therefore followed that established protocol. SAPD officers do not have authority to enforce immigration laws. To that specific point, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a provision in SB4 that would have imposed penalties on local officials who endorse policies that limit immigration enforcement, ruling that this provision would violate the First Amendment of the Constitution. The intent of SB4 was to demonize all immigrants, to frighten and to subjugate a class of people. All immigrants, as all U.S. citizens, are protected by the Constitution. As residents of San Antonio, we have a centuries-long history of being tied to our southern neighbors by culture, by blood and by language. SB4 is an instrument to drive a wedge between us, a practice developed since 1836 and continues today. Rebecca Flores, Maria Berriozabal and Yvonne Dilling Sculley valuable As a resident of the city of San Antonio, I was against Propositions A, B and C. I found it disheartening that the firefighters union, with a certain council member, aligned themselves for devaluing the office of city manager. While I am grateful for the firefighters of the city (my uncle was a firefighter), I think its leadership has been seduced by political vengeance. I am grateful for the advancement that City Manager Sheryl Sculley brought to San Antonio. I feel with a lesser salary for future city managers, our city will have no choice but to settle for something less. You know, the late President George H.W. Bush was the last president who fully understood the office of the president. In my opinion, one only has to look at the lack of leadership now in the White House. I am glad Sculley said she wanted to stay in San Antonio. I hope she will continue to challenge City Council and the leadership of San Antonio not to settle for something less than what is needed. San Antonio has come a long way. Lets continue. It seems that some folks want to go back to the Bubba Good Ol Boys Club. If that happens all that has been done to advance a city of 1.5 million people can only go backward. The Rev. Dr. James E. Schellenberg Such enthusiasm! Ive heard of crimes of jealousy, crimes of passion, crimes of rage, crimes of assisted suicide and a few others,but now Michael Cohens lawyers are claiming that Cohens lying under oath on the stand was simply a crime of enthusiasm (for helping his boss). A new one for the books. Still laughing! Michael B. White A 70-year-old woman is dead after being struck by an SUV on State Highway 286 in Corpus Christi. Police Say Woman Was Running Across the Freeway According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, police arrived to the scene at around 6:29 pm Thursday where they found the woman. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers believe the woman was running across the freeway, from the right lanes towards the left shoulder, when she was struck. Her vehicle was parked on the left shoulder of the highway. The driver of the vehicle that struck the woman, a 16-year-old, remained at the scene. The incident remains under investigation. Texas Auto Accident Statistics The following information was provided by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT): 3,773 people were killed in Texas traffic accidents in 2016, marking a 5.45% increase from the 3,578 deaths reported in 2015. 638 of the deaths reported in 2016 were attributed to head-on collision. Alcohol was determined to be a factor in 987 traffic deaths, accounting for roughly 26% of all Texas traffic fatalities. was determined to be a factor in 987 traffic deaths, accounting for roughly 26% of all Texas traffic fatalities. An additional 264,076 people were injured in auto accidents in Texas in 2016. Based on reportable data for 2016, TxDOT estimates: One person was killed in a traffic accident every 2 hours and 20 minutes. One person was injured every 1 minute and 59 seconds. A reportable crash occurred every 57 seconds. Contact an Experienced Corpus Christi Auto Accident Attorney If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, contact Thomas J. Henry. Our experienced Corpus Christi car accident lawyers have experience handling a multitude of injury accidents, no matter how severe the crash or injury. You may be entitled to compensation for your damages if another driver acted negligently. Our firm has the experienced lawyers and financial resources that you need to achieve the real results you deserve. Our firm has offices in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, serving clients across Texas and nationwide. Call us today for a free case review attorneys are available 24/7, nights and weekends. If you cannot make it to our office, we can visit you at your home, in the hospital, or at work. Editors Note: This content is made possible by Thomas J. Henry Personal Injury Law. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of The San Antonio Express-News' or mySanAntonio.com's editorial staff. Learn more about our advertising products at www.hearstmediasanantonio.com. SnackCrate 2.8 overall rating 17 Ratings | 5 Reviews Snack Crate is a monthly subscription service that sends you a box of global goodies from all around the world! Snack Crate offers three sizes: the Mini box with 5 snacks for $15 a month, the Original box with 10-12 snacks for $26 a month, and the Premium box with 18-20 snacks for $49 a month. This review is of the 5-item, mini-sized, $14 Snack Crate. My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.) About Snack Crate The Subscription Box: Snack Crate The Cost: $14 + free shipping LIMITED TIME DEAL: Use this link to get the South Africa Box for $1 plus free shipping! Products: A delightful mix of sweet and savory goodies, hand-picked by our team of experts around the globe. Good to know: Youll be prompted to choose one of three countries for your first box; after that, Snack Crate chooses for you! Ships to: Any address in the United States and territories. Snack Crate Canada Review This box always greets you with a colorful card and talks you through every snack to be found in the subscription (at all levels)! This months box theme is Canada. Im quite a bit Canadian by heritage, so Im excited to see these treats and what I can discover about through food about my dads homeland! Theres also an awesome bonus in each box: stickers! The stickers are always a hoot, and this month, the Mountie (a member of the infamous Canadian Mounted Police) totally slayed me. Maple Lollipop Starting this box off strong with a super-sweet, super-Canadian treat! Ive mentioned in the past that I dont love chocolate as a rule, but when it comes to desserts, I loooove maple! I also typically dont like lollipops (I guess Im kind of picky!), but I LOVED this. Its made from 100% pure maple syrup, but the maple flavor was actually a bit more on the subtle side, with smoky notes of caramelized sugar. It was also excellent stirred into my coffee! Old Dutch Ketchup Chips Oh, ketchup chips, where have you been all my life? These were fantastic! I loved that they tasted both like ketchup and had a tomato-y flavor as well. I know that probably sounds like a contradiction in terms, but what Im really saying is that these have a nice depth of flavor. They were fantastic with a roast beef sammy, and I could see them also being a killer nighttime snack. Lays Ruffles All Dressed Chips Snack Crate, you just get me! My favorite cut of chips is the ruffled kind theyre a hugely satisfying crunch, and I like them so much better than plain. These lil delights were interesting; theyre a combo of ketchup, salt and vinegar, and barbecue flavors. I thought the vinegar came through the most strongly, which makes sense because vinegar is an ingredient in both ketchup and barbecue too. My husband loved them; hes a vinegar fiend! Its not my favorite flavor per se, but I can see exactly why these are such a cult hit. Fuzzy Peach Id never heard of these candies before, but they remind me very much of the peach rings I was obsessed with in my teen years! They were nice and soft, not too sticky, and I really liked the outside sugary texture, too. Maple Mars Oh, wow! If youve been with me on another snack journey, readers, you may remember that Im not by default wild about candy bars, but this is a complete winner. This is obviously a Milky Ways Canadian cousin, with a whole lot of maple flavor! It must be my Canadian blood, but I love maple, and while Im told it can be overwhelming to some people, I cant get enough! This was a chocolate, nougat, and caramel bar and I tasted maple in every single layer! Coffee Crisp This box is changing my mind about chocolate bars! This is like a latte and a Kit Kat had a beautiful, beautiful baby. Coffee is another flavor I love to see in desserts, and layers of coffee creme layered beautifully with the bars vanilla wafers. The milk chocolate in this was nice, too; I tasted a high cocoa content which leads me to believe it was a fairly high grade of quality. Verdict: Oh, Canada, I loved all of your snacks! I shouldve realized this box would give my heart (and my tummy) a hug since my entire family on my dads side is from this wonderful nation. The Maple Mars and lollipop both made me so happy with their maple deliciousness, and I loved that there were two strong savory options this month. Even the peach candies were awesome since they were new to me. To Wrap Up: Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, you have to sign up by the 5th of the month to get your Snack Crate, but when you do, you can choose among three countries for your first box. LIMITED TIME DEAL: Use this link to get the South Africa Box for $1 plus free shipping! Value Breakdown: This box costs $14 + free shipping, which means that each of the 6 items in the box(not including the bonus stickers) has an average cost of $2.33. Having this box curated and the products sent directly from the country of origin really adds to the value! Check out all of our Snack Crate reviews and more of our snack subscription boxes in the Food Subscription Box List! Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist! What item excited you the most in this months Snack Crate? A RETIRED army colonel and former Chief Operations Officer of Zimbabwe Mining Development was yesterday hauled to court to answer to charges of criminal abuse of office. Lawrence Gondo was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa. It is the State case that during the period extending from October 29-30, Gondo in his position of Acting Chief Operations Officer for Zimbabwe Mining Development Company, wrote a letter misrepresenting that CUTE Suppliers had been offered a three months mining contract at the ZMDC Mhangura slimes dumps. The letter was meant to obstruct investigations in connection with 59 tonnes of copper ore impounded by the police in Featherstone and to give a false inference that CUTE had realised the copper from ZMDCS Mhangura mine. It is alleged that in actual fact, the recovered copper ore had not originated from the said Mhangura mine thereby showing favour to Kirsten Chirenje, Mtileni Piet, Famina Masaire who were arrested for illegal possession of copper who were later acquitted by the Chivhu magistrates court. Meanwhile, Masaire also appeared in the same court facing charges of illegal possession of copper and obstruction of justice. It is alleged that between August and October, Masaire without an operating license connived with a company called Elements 22 a copper dealing company and misrepresented to Kevin Tembo of Inyati mine that she was a copper dealer and bought 59 tonnes of copper. The copper ore was impounded by officers from Chivhu whereupon Masaire further misrepresented that she was an employee of Elements 22 and produced an Element 22 permit number showing that she was illegally dealing with copper without a license. Gondo and Masaire were represented by top lawyer Jonathan Samkange and were released on free bail. The matter was remanded to January 15 next year. Linda Gadzikwa represented the State. HMetro Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The Zanu-PF national leadership has agreed on the number of delegates who will attend the forthcoming 17th Annual National Peoples Conference, with 5 303 party members billed to attend the indaba that will be held in Esigodini, Matebelaland South. The ruling partys national political commissar Cde Engelbert Rugeje yesterday said the number of delegates has been trimmed to make sure the event runs smoothly, devoid of logistical challenges such as shortage of food and transport. Accreditation of conference delegates has already been completed across most provinces countrywide, and previously the indabas were dogged by challenges such as shortage of food, accommodation and transport. Speaking during the Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial inter-district conference, Cde Rugeje said the ruling partys Politburo had agreed on the number of delegates at this years conference. The Politburo has agreed on the number of delegates who will attend this years conference in Esigodini and the figure is 5 303. The figure will remain like that, but it excludes additional people like those responsible for security, health etc, said Cde Rugeje. We are very sorry that the number has been reduced compared to previous years, but it is something that was agreed on by the Politburo and we took into account previous problems like shortage of accommodation, food, transport and other challenges. The conference will run from December 11 to 15 at Mzingwane High School, and in Masvingo, 500 delegates were accredited for the indaba. Cde Rugeje also revealed that the ruling party under the new dispensation will not allow a party cadre to assume a leadership position in the revolutionary party without having undergone training and re-orientation at the Hebert Chitepo School of Ideology. He said some newly elected ruling party National Assembly members, councillors and provincial councillors drawn from different parts of the country were currently undergoing training at the school of ideology to imbue their thinking with revolutionary teachings. From now onwards, we are saying if a person did not go through the Chitepo School of Ideology, there is no position for such a person in the party under the new dispensation because some were even coming from overseas and then use money to get into positions of leadership, said Cde Rugeje. He also warned Zanu-PF leaders countrywide against embarking on unsanctioned restructuring of lower-tier party structures, saying the exercise will only take place next year. After our elections this year, there are some leaders who started building lower structures of the party. Stop it. We will come down and do it next year under a proper programme, he said. Cde Rugeje urged party members to respect those in leadership positions in the party, saying they deserved respect since they were appointees of President Mnangagwa. Herald Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News Nelson Chamisa and a broad section of Zimbabweans yesterday blasted war veterans leader Victor Matemadanda over his motion ahead of the Zanu PF annual national peoples conference to have the ruling party use its super majority in Parliament to raise the minimum age for presidential aspirants from the current 40 years to 52. Widely seen as targeted at the MDC Alliance presidential candidate in the just-ended harmonised elections 40-year-old Chamisa who was beaten by a razor-thin margin by Zanu PF candidate President Emmerson Mnangagwa, this planned constitutional amendment will most certainly dent the youthful opposition leaders presidential aspirations in the 2023 polls. Chamisa described Mnangagwas regime as a kakistocracy (government by the worst people). I have listened to Matemadandas utterances. If ever one doubted our July 30 election victory just listen to the chefs outbursts. They rule but cant lead. The old want to fix the young for demanding their time and space. Instead of raising the democracy bar, ED wants to raise the age bar. No genuine new dispensation amends the Constitution to take away young peoples rights, said Chamisa. Meanwhile, MDC youths in Bulawayo told a hastily-arranged press conference at the partys provincial offices that they wont let the old generation decide the future of the young generation. We want to call Matemadanda to order. It is the youth who fought for this country, and it is everyones right to seek mandate to lead it, as was fought for by the youth led by Josiah Tongogara and others, provincial youth leader Takunda Madzana told journalists. Madzana said as much as they respected the role played by the former liberators, they felt it was not their place to set the political tone in the country. Describing Matemadanda as an embarrassing old man former adviser to the late MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai, Alex Magaisa said Mnangagwas chances of endearing himself to the world at large could be severely damaged by the utterances of the war veterans leader. How does anyone in his right mind even begin to contemplate this without seeing the damage it causes to their own principal? So, now you want to bar an opponent through a constitutional amendment? Isnt it for the people to reject a candidate if they dont like him or her? It does nothing to help the cause of a man who is desperate to be seen as open and tolerant. Its a silly, immature and hare-brained idea, said Magaisa When the subject was broached by some in Zanu PF several members of the Zanu PF youth league rejected the proposal saying it was retrogressive and a threat to the Constitution. The first person to raise the issues in August was outspoken Zanu PF legislator for Buhera South Joseph Chinotimba who stirred a hornets nest when he said he would propose amending the Constitution to disqualify presidential candidates below the age of 55. He was backed a few weeks later by Zanu PFs politburo member Lovemore Matuke, who said the ruling party would use its parliamentary majority to revise the age limit upwards and block Chamisa because he is immature. But party insiders told the Daily News that while Zanu PF was rattled by the youthful MDC Alliance leaders strong showing in the recently-held elections, its faithful were divided over the issue. The move has also invited scorn from ordinary Zimbabweans. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News There could finally be light at the end of the tunnel for long-suffering Zimbabweans, after it emerged yesterday that President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa are indirectly engaging each other in talks aimed at ending the countrys decades-long political and economic crisis. This comes after well-placed sources told the Daily News yesterday that the tentative dialogue had already resulted in Chamisa appointing a high-powered MDC team to negotiate with the ruling Zanu PF to end the bad blood between the two parties. It also comes as respected clergyman and businessman, Shingi Munyeza, has made an impassioned plea to both men to put aside their differences and work together in the interests of the country. On his part, Chamisas spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda also hinted to the Daily News yesterday that his boss was engaging Mnangagwa behind the scenes to try and end their bickering, which analysts say is detrimental to national development. President Nelson Chamisa takes Zimbabwe very seriously and understands the demands for maturity, seriousness and intellectual engagement when dealing with national questions and it will be saddening if you were to find him engaging in middle negotiations. The president will not negotiate via the media. His mandate is to negotiate as mandated by the MDC national council, and those issues are what the president is pushing day in and day out. Therefore, we simply need to be alive to that and understand that the business of the day has to be done within proper corridors, Sibanda said. The youthful opposition leader has been brawling with Mnangagwa ever since he narrowly lost the hotly-disputed July 30 presidential election, whose result he vigorously challenged at the Constitutional Court (Con-Court). Chamisa went on to accuse the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) of manipulating the poll results in favour of the Zanu PF leader. But Mnangagwas victory was upheld by the Con-Court, which ruled that Chamisa had failed to provide evidence that he had won the election. Last week, Chamisa held a massive demonstration in Harare where he heaped pressure on Mnangagwa to act on the deteriorating political and economic situation in the country. Addressing his supporters then, who were protesting the falling standards of living in the country and the governments recent unpopular economic revival measures, Chamisa also said Zimbabwe could not afford one day longer without addressing the countrys worsening political and economic crisis. Firstly, we are saying to Mnangagwa lets have negotiations. You must come and sit down so that we can solve the current economic crisis. Zimbabweans are suffering. The crisis in the country is a crisis of governance, confidence, legitimacy and leadership. How can we solve this? We are saying let us unite. On our side we have good leadership qualities and you lack leadership qualities. So, we must unite and map the way forward, Chamisa told his supporters. Mnangagwas spokesperson, George Charamba who is cagey about the talks complimented Chamisa yesterday for abandoning his row with Mnangagwa. Like I said before, if there is anything that is happening, it is way above my radar. If they (Chamisa and the MDC) have recognised their folly of shouting from rooftops, one hopes its a new beginning that will take the country forward, he told the Daily News. Zanu PF insiders claimed that the former liberation movement was already, on its part, pushing to have former Finance minister Tendai Biti in government whether the currently indirect talks succeeded or failed. There is no doubt that Biti has resonance with the West, and the United States in particular. The country thus needs him in government if we are to emerge from the present economic quagmire, one ruling party source said. Mnangagwa, who had worked hard to break from ousted president Robert Mugabes discredited past, suffered a huge setback when deadly violence broke out on the streets of Harare on August 1 leading to the deaths of at least six innocent people when the military joined the police in quelling post-election disturbances which had broken out. The shootings occurred after millions of Zimbabweans had cast their votes in the polls to choose both a new Parliament and president, following the dramatic fall from power of Mugabe last November. The elections were the first since 1980 to be held in the country without Mugabes participation, whose 37-year, iron-fisted rule was stunningly ended by a military intervention which triggered events that ended with his resignation. The elections also marked the first time that the main opposition MDC was not represented by its founding leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who lost his brave battle against colon cancer on Valentines Day this year. Political analysts have also said the August 1 violence and the resultant deaths had done a lot of harm to Mnangagwas quests to mend years of frosty relations with Western powers. Zimbabwe was forced into a government of national unity (GNU) a decade ago, following the hotly-disputed 2008 presidential election in which Tsvangirai soundly trounced Mugabe. The results of those elections were withheld for six long weeks by stunned authorities amid widespread allegations of ballot tampering and fraud, which were later revealed by former bigwigs of the ruling party. In the ensuing sham presidential run-off, which authorities claimed was needed to determine the winner, Zanu PF apparatchiks engaged in an orgy of violence in which hundreds of Tsvangirais supporters were killed forcing the former prime minister in the inclusive government to withdraw from the discredited race altogether. Mugabe went on to stand in a widely-condemned one-man race in which he shamelessly declared himself the winner. DailyNews Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News All Zanu PF structures in Masvingo Province have endorsed President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the partys presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, barely five months after the last elections. The Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, Ezra Chadzamira said this is one of the resolutions that the province is taking to the partys annual conference to be held in Esigodini, Bulawayo this month. Chadzamira said this during a meeting attended by Zanu PF national chairperson, Oppah Muchinguri at Masvingo Polytechnic on Monday. The meeting follows a chain of meetings held in the provinces seven districts. Masvingo is a one-party State, everything in the province is under command programs. We have programs such as command livestock, agriculture, fisheries and command water. We have agreed as a province to rally behind ED for the 2023 Presidential elections, said Chadzamira. The endorsement was met with ululations and ED 2023 pfe-e endorsement slogans by delegates and party supporters. Minister of Mines and Mining development, Winston Chitando and Zanu PF national political commissar (PC) Englebert Rugeje were among the first people to shout out the ED 2023 pfe-e slogan at the meeting when they greeted and addressed party members. 2023, ED Pfee, ED Pfee 2023, chanted Chitando as part of his greeting to the party supporters. Meanwhile Muchinguri took a swipe at war veterans who are aligned to the Nelson Chamisa led MDC Alliance. She said that war veterans and ex detainees who fought in the liberation war are loyal to Zanu PF and those who are aligned to other political parties should be investigated to determine if they fought in the liberation war. War veterans who have joined MDC are not war veterans, I dont think they fought in the war. Why join Chamisa the enemy? asked Muchinguri amid ululations. Mirror Breaking News via Email Loading... Related Zimbabwe Latest News The ongoing struggle over Brexit is an obvious watershed period for the UK, not just in terms of what finally happens, but the tug of war between the Government and Parliament. As we warned yesterday, the press is regularly way out over its skis over what events mean. For instance, yesterday and today, there is widespread misreporting that the Dominic Grieve motion calling for more input from Parliament in the event that Mays bill is defeated amounts to a veto over a no deal. It does no such thing. Even Grieve himself has said so. Similarly: So I think, for all its portentousness, this amendment doesnt really make it harder to avoid No Deal at all. In the end, the Commons will come back to the real options: Leave with the govts WA (maybe cosmetically tweaked); Revoke and Remain; and leave with No Deal. /8 Daniel Moylan (@danielmgmoylan) December 4, 2018 Wednesdays hot events: As expected, the publication of the Governments legal advice increased opposition to her deal. The part that had MPs up in arms was that the analysis made clear that the UK could be stuck in the backstop indefinitely. Even though, as Richard North pointed out, this should have come as no surprise to anyone who read the text of the agreement, May had asserted it would only be temporary. The SNPs Ian Blackford went so far as risking suspension for repeatedly saying that May lied. A second sore point, although it didnt get as much press attention, was that the legal advice also confirmed that the Withdrawal Agreement crossed a DUP/Ultra red line via the backstop creating the loathed sea border. From this mornings BrexitCentral on the legal advice (emphasis theirs): And having now seen it, its hardly surprising the Government sought to suppress its publication. Its arguably Paragraph 8 which contained the real bombshell regarding the relationship between Northern Ireland (NI) and Great Britain (GB): The implication of NI remaining in the EU Single Market for goods, while GB is not, is that for regulatory purposes GB is essentially treated as a third country by NI for goods passing from GB into NI. This means regulatory checks would have to take place between NI and GB, normally at airports or ports, although the EU now accepts that many of these could be conducted away from the border. Thats right: Great Britain would be regarded by Northern Ireland as a third country the status of any other foreign country and regulatory checks would have to take place between NI and GB. Yet in presenting the deal to the House of Commons on 15th November, Theresa May had declared: This deal does not create a border down the Irish sea. May appears freaked out about next weeks vote. The Times says that Mays troops are urging her to delay the Brexit vote: Cabinet ministers are urging Theresa May to delay next Tuesdays crucial Brexit vote amid fears that she is facing a defeat so catastrophic that it could bring down the government. Gavin Williamson, the defence secretary, is understood to be trying to persuade the prime minister to postpone the vote, which it is thought she could lose by 100 MPs or more. Others, including Amber Rudd, the work and pensions secretary, Sajid Javid, the home secretary, and Alu Cairns, the Welsh secretary, say she should continue to sell the Brexit deal but call off the vote on Monday if she is facing defeat by more than 70. Note that ConservativeHomes whip count has the vote against May at 68. And that does not include the DUP. However, if there is no credible new Tory prime minister waiting in the wings, it seems entirely plausible for quite a few MPs to vote down the bill while still backing May when the opposition puts a motion of no confidence. Per the Financial Times, as we anticipated, that is what the DUP says it will do if the bill is voted down. However, even if May formally survived this test, she would clearly be walking wounded. Another report conveying a sense of desperation comes from the Guardian, May tries to woo Brexit MPs with Irish backstop parliamentary lock: Theresa May has stepped up last-ditch efforts to try to win over Brexit-backing MPs after government legal advice warned the Irish backstop could leave the UK trapped in protracted and repeated rounds of negotiations for years to come. But Brexiters immediately rejected one idea mooted by Downing Street, of promising a parliamentary lock giving MPs a vote before the backstop could be implemented With just six days to go until the vote on her controversial deal, which May is expected to lose heavily, Downing Street confirmed the prime minister was keen to find ways to offer MPs extra reassurance about the backstop, in the hope they will support her. But Steve Baker, of the European Research Group (ERG), dismissed the parliamentary lock plan as silly; while Jacob Rees-Mogg said it would require the 585-page withdrawal agreement to be renegotiated something No 10 has insisted is impossible. When the ERG types are the adults in the room, you know its bad. Article 50 extension fantasies. Consider this Telegraph headline: EU prepared to offer Theresa May lifeline by extending Article 50. Help me. The EU is not offering the UK anything at this point. The UK will have to grovel ask for further concessions when the EU said very clearly last month that the deal May got was the best she was going to get. Now that does not necessarily mean that the EU might not agree to an extension, but no way, no how is it making one-sided concessions. If you still harbor delusions of EU munificence towards May, please read this tweetstorm in full: 1) While all versions of #Brexit under the sun are being thought about in Parliament theres no whiff of the EU changing its position katya adler (@BBCkatyaadler) December 5, 2018 Corbyn is dialing it in. He cant even fake interest in Brexit. I noticed the lack of any Brexit-focused questions on the Guardian live blog during Corbyns turn. He went off topic to discuss general economic and inequality issues. From the Telegraph: Jeremy Corbyn was tonight accused of missing an open goal after he failed to mention Brexit once during Prime Ministers Questions, just hours after Theresa May had suffered the most bruising day for any prime minister in the Commons for 40 years. The Labour leader was expected to seize on the hat-trick of defeats suffered by Mrs May on Tuesday evening, which saw the Government found to be in contempt of Parliament and forced to publish the Attorney Generals legal advice on the proposed EU Withdrawal Agreement. But rather than press home the advantage, Mr Corbyn focused his six questions on the problems associated with the roll-out of universal credit, accusing ministers of creating a hostile environment for benefit recipients. While he was cheered on by a number of Labour MPs, Tom Brake, the Brexit spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, claimed that Mr Corbyn had failed to address the most pressing issue of the day. May is expected to call MPs to No. 10 and give them lurid pictures of how bad a crash out would be to try to reduce her margin of loss. Perversely, since there is no politically viable path in the available time to a revocation of Article 50 (save perhaps a freakout shortly before the drop dead date), the choices on offer really are her deal or no deal. But when will MPs and the press come to grips with that? Yves here. Weve attempted to be restrained in countering the Bush hagiography, since even though there is a great deal not to like about Bush the Seniors actions and the revisionist history about them, it still seems a bit mean-sprirted to criticize him so close to his funeral (as in the timing of the pushback can backfire). Having said that, this is a measured yet devastating piece due to its level of factual support. Nevertheless, two more tidbits. The casus belli for Iraqs invasion of Kuwait was that Kuwait was pumping more than what Iraq thought was Kuwaits fair share out of an oil field to which both countries had access. I believe Iraq complained first to Kuwait, which didnt change what it was doing, and then to the US, which was sympathetic. And Bush the Senior was put up to the invasion. From the 1992 New York Times review of George Bushs War By Jean Edward Smith: The author writes that when Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher met with Mr. Bush at the Aspen Institute in Colorado on Aug. 3, 1990, she told him, Remember, George, this is no time to go wobbly. For Mrs. Thatcher, the Iraq-Kuwait crisis was the Falkland Islands all over again. She considered the British military adventure there her finest hour; it also helped her at home politically. Speaking of Mrs. Thatchers effect upon Mr. Bush, one of her senior advisers told The Guardian, The Prime Minister performed a successful backbone transplant. By Nora Eisenberg, whose work has appeared in the Village Voice, Tikkun, the Los Angeles Times, the Nation, and the Guardian UK. Originally published at Alternet This story draws on articles about the 1991 Gulf War that the author wrote for AlterNet that drew on the writers extensive research for her 2008 novel, When You Come Home (Curbstone) which chronicles the lives of young veterans returning home from Desert Storm. President George Herbert Walker Bush considered the 1991 Gulf War his highest achievement, a signature moment in world history, and for nearly three decades mainstream media have agreed. On the occasion of his death, they are sticking to the story. The New York Times obituary praised him for the global coalition he assembled to eject Iraqi invaders from Kuwait, sending hundreds of thousands of troops in a triumphant military campaign. A Washington Post article on Bush 41s legacy in the Middle East explains that the World War II fighter pilot came to view Saddam as similar to Adolf Hitler, a madman who seized neighboring Kuwait and could plunge the world into conflict if he continued into Saudi Arabia. And thus Bush rallied together a coalition of nations to curb the dictators power. Yes, Desert Storm lasted only 43 days with only 148 U.S. fatalities in battle, a third from friendly fire. But thats about the only truth in the official history of the late Presidents Gulf War. The evidence that has mounted over the years tells a very different story. The Gulf War of Bush the Father was as sinister and destructive as that of his son. 1. The Persian Gulf War had been in the planning for years before the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait As legal scholar Francis Boyle has documented, soon after the 1988 termination of the 8 year Iraq-Iran War, the Pentagon began planning the destruction of Iraq. In October 1990, Colin Powell referred to a new military plan for Iraq developed the year before. In early 1990, General Schwarzkopf told the Senate Armed Services Committee of this new military strategy in the Gulf and to protect U.S. access to and control over Gulf oil in the event of regional conflicts, and after the war, he referred to eighteen months of planning for the campaign as Commander of the U.S. Central Command. During January of 1990, massive quantities of United States weapons, equipment, and supplies were sent to Saudi Arabia in order to prepare for the war against Iraq. 2. The Bush 41 administration gave Saddam a green light to Invade Kuwait, then used it as an excuse for invading Iraq Much debate surrounds the true content of the meeting between Saddam Hussein and Ambassador April Glaspie on July 25, 1990. But Glaspies own cable, released by WikiLeaks almost a decade ago and long available at the Bush Library and on the website of none other than Margaret Thatcher, paints a picture of a government with a two-faced foreign policy. Saddam complains that certain circles in the U.S. government were antagonistic to Iraq and Glaspie agrees, though with confidence and apparent sincerity she assures him of the friendship and non-confrontational agenda of the President and Secretary of State. In another follow-up cable four days later, Glaspie reports on her July 28 meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz, in which he complains of the U.S.s increasingly provocative actions and Glaspie herself seems increasingly frustrated. She writes that it is important not to hit Iraq with bolts out of the blue such as cessation of U.S. exports, which has come as a surprise even to her. In both cables, its now clear, Glaspie was presenting the official friendly position of the George W H Bush administration, just as behind the scenes, government hawks were preparing a war. In her July 29 cable, Glaspie offers the State Department advice on handling the matter, including keeping a low profile and reminding colleagues as she had Saddam in the earlier meeting that we have never taken substantive positions on inter-OPEC or Arab border disputes which was the matter at hand. In her earlier cable, Glaspie wrote that Saddam made clear that if Iraq is publicly humiliated by the United States it will have no choice but to respond, however illogical or self-destructive that would prove. She advises the State Department not to make him lose face. Glaspie was not the only official to express this laissez-faire position. On July 26, at a Washington press conference, State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutweiler was asked by a journalist if the U.S. had sent any diplomatic protest to Iraq for putting 30,000 troops on the border with Kuwait. Im entirely unaware of any such protest, Tutweiler replied. On July 31, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs John Kelly testified to Congress that the United States has no commitment to defend Kuwait, and the U.S. has no intention of defending Kuwait if it is attacked by Iraq. Two days later, on August 2, when Saddams troops entered Kuwait, he had no reason to believe that the U.S. would come to Kuwaits defense with a half-million troops. Or that when he tried to negotiate a dignified retreat though Arab leaders, the U.S. would refuse to talk, as James Ridgeway chronicles in his January 1991 Village Voice articles. By Sunday, August 5, Bush was in, announcing after a weekend at Camp David, This will not stand. On August 6, Cheney received approval from the Saudis for a large U.S. deployment. Giddy from his invasion of Panama, he was raring to go. 3. The Bush 41 Administration dis-informed congress and the public to drum up support for an unpopular war and bribed and bamboozled other countries If the CIA, the Pentagon, and by summers end the President and Secretary of State were fixed on a war with Iraq, during the fall of 1990, the American public and Congress were not. To change that, the week after Iraq invaded Kuwait, the Kuwaiti government, disguising itself as Citizens for a Free Kuwait, hired the global PR firm of Hill & Knowlton to win Americans hearts and minds. It is important to note that Craig Fuller, a close friend of George H.W. Bush and his chief of staff when he was vice president, was in charge of Hill & Knowltons Washington office. For $11.8 million, Fuller and more than 100 H&K executives across the country oversaw the selling of the war. They organized public rallies, provided pro-war speakers, lobbied politicians, developed and distributed information kits and news releases, including scores of video news releases shown by stations and networks as if they were bona fide journalism and not paid-for propaganda. H&Ks research arm, the Wirthlin Group, conducted daily polls to identify the messages and language that would resonate most with Americans. In the 1992 Emmy award-winning Canadian Broadcasting Corp. documentary To Sell a War, a Wirthlin executive explained that their research had determined the most emotionally moving message to be Saddam Hussein was a madman who had committed atrocities even against his own people and had tremendous power to do further damage, and he needed to be stopped. To fit the bill, H&K concocted stories, including one told by a 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl named Nayirah, to another H&K concoction, the House Human Rights Caucus looking to pass as a congressional committee. According to the caucus, Nayirahs full name would remain secret in order to deter the Iraqis from punishing her family in occupied Kuwait. The girl wept as she testified before the caucus, apparently still shaken by the atrocity she witnessed as a volunteer in a Kuwait City hospital, where Iraqi soldiers charged into the hospital room with babies in incubators and tossed the babies on the cold floor to die. During the three months between Nayirahs testimony and the start of the war, the story of babies tossed from their incubators stunned Americans. Bush told the story, and television anchors and talk-show hosts recycled it for days. It was read into the congressional record as fact and discussed at the U.N. General Assembly. The fact that Nayirah was a Kuwaiti royal and the daughter of the Kuwaiti ambassador to Washington and that she had never volunteered in any hospital, it was too late. The war had already begun. Another likely concoction was top-secret satellite images that the Pentagon claimed to have of 250,000 Iraqi troops and 1,500 tanks on the Kuwait-Saudi border, visible proof that Saddam would be advancing soon on Saudi Arabia. Yet the St. Petersburg Times acquired two commercial Russian satellite images of the same area, taken at the same time, that showed no Iraqi troops near the Saudi border, and the scientific experts whom the Times hired could identify nothing but sand at the supposed location of the advancing army. But the St. Petersburg Times story evaporated, and the Pentagons story stuck. When Bush addressed a joint session of Congress on Sept. 11, 1990, he reported that developments in the Gulf were as significant as they were tragic: Iraqi troops and tanks had moved to the south to threaten Saudi Arabia. Under U.S. pressure, United Nations Security Council adopted unprecedented resolutions allowing nations to use all means necessary for their enforcement. The U.S. won Security Council votes by forgiving huge loans, recognizing dictatorships diplomatically, agreeing to sell arms, and more. Boyle identifies specific violations and subversions of the U.N. Charter in these activities, most importantly the mandate to negotiate peaceful resolutions to international disputes. And, according to Boyle, in its decision to go to war and in its conduct of the war itself, the U.S. perpetrated a Nuremberg Crime against Peace. As James Baker has often admitted, winning allies for the first Gulf War in 1991 involved cajoling, extracting, threatening and occasionally buying votes. 4. The 1991 Gulf Wars stated goal of ejecting Iraqi troops from Kuwait quickly revealed itself as an all-out effort to destroy Iraq The wars stated intention was to remove Iraqs presence from Kuwait. But quickly, that intention changed to destroying Iraq. The air and missile attack of Iraq continued for 42 days, dropping more bombs in that brief period than bombs in all wars in history combined. Iraqi aircraft and anti-aircraft or anti-missile ground fire offered no resistance. The aerial and missile bombardment in a matter of hours destroyed most military communications and over the course of the next few weeks attacked Iraqi soldiers who were unable to secure food, water, and equipment due to this breakdown. Some 100,000 Iraqi soldiers died, according to General Schwarzkopf, most of whom were incapable of fighting. Mosques, homes, schools, hospitals markets, commercial and business districts, factories, office buildings, vehicles on highways, bridges, and roads were common targets. Though estimates of civilian deaths during the war range from 25,000 to over 100,000, all count children at above 50% of the immediate casualties. And after 6 weeks, the most sophisticated of Arab states was in ruins. By most accounts, at least one hundred thousand people died soon after the war from dehydration, dysentery, malnutrition, starvation, and illnesses, from contaminated water, starvation, and exposure to impure water, hunger, cold, and shock. In the period between the end of Desert Storm and the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the degraded environment and sanctions led to the death of an estimated million more, half of them children. Medicines, food, baby formulathese were among the essentials kept from the Iraqi people in the initial and ensuing stages of the war against Iraq. And they were among the essentials that sanctions under both Bush Presidents and Clinton kept from the Iraqi people, constituting Nuremberg Crimes Against Humanity and the Crime of Genocide under international and U.S. law, according to legal scholars. 5. Under Bush 41, a system of censorship hid the true nature of the war and its aftermath from the public In the lead-up to war, U.S. media organizations, with rare exceptions, had begun to back away from investigative reporting and journalistic scrutiny. Once the war began, government censorship combined with this self-censorship produced a media blackout. The restrictions on the press were tighter than during any earlier American war. Journalists could not travel except in pools with military escorts, and even then most sites were off-limits. Department of Defense guidelines stated that stories would not be judged for potential to express criticism or cause embarrassment, but journalists werent taking any chances. When news anchors werent hosting retired generals and pundits, or screening eerie green images of the coordinates of the days targets, they were praising the military on a job well done. Pentagon censors had to clear all war dispatches, photos and footage before they could be released. Two months after the war ended, the editors of 15 news outlets protested to Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney about the Pentagons control. But the damage had been done. 6. Bush 41s Gulf War accelerated Osama bin Laden and al Qaedas jihad Al Qaeda was founded in 1988, but the 1991 Gulf War fueled sprung it into action. Bin laden, whose billionaire construction family was closely tied to the royal family, was furious that the the royal family welcomed U.S. troops into the country, sullying the holiest Muslim sites with their presence. Once the war started, his outrage grew that the royal family was allowing the US to stage its brutal attacks on Iraqi soldiers and civilians. His public criticism of the royal family led to his expulsion in 1991. In his exile in Sudan, with the hundreds of millions of dollars he brought with him, he built his organization, and planned jihad. Al Qaedas first bomb attack occurred in December 1992 at the Gold Mihor hotel in Aden, where two people were killed. Two months later they made their first attack on the World Trade Center, detonating a 500kg bomb that killed six and injured thousands. Osama bin Ladens 1998 fatwa, often quoted in the media, declares that killing Americans and their alliescivilians and militaryis an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it. Less quoted is the part of the sentence that references the 1991 Iraq War in order to liberate the al-Aqsa Mosque and the holy mosque [Mecca] from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim. 7.Bush 41s Gulf War violated international military law Seymour Hershs 2000 New Yorker article Overwhelming Force exposed the Highway of Death, the corral and massacre of retreating Iraqi soldiers Two days after the UN and Soviet brokered ceasefire and the day before peace talks were to begin, Hersh tells us, two-star General Barry McCaffrey overrode his division commander and ordered his 24th Division to engage in an all-out attack on a retreating Republican Guard tank division on their way back to Baghdad. As Hersh describes it: Apache attack helicopters, Bradley fighting vehicles, and artillery units from the 24th Division pummeled the five-mile-long Iraqi column for hours, destroying some seven hundred Iraqi tanks, armored cars, and trucks, and killing not only Iraqi soldiers but civilians and children as well. There were no U.S. casualties on what came to be called the Highway of Death. Lieutenant General Ronald Griffith, commander of 1st Armored Division of VII Corps, told Hersh that the Iraqi tanks were facing backwards, atop a trailer truck taking them to Baghdad. It was just a bunch of tanks in a train, and he made it a battle, Hersh reports Griffith saying, but McCaffrey made it a battle when it was never one. Thats the thing that bothered me the most. 8. Bush 41s Gulf War sickened approximately a third of US veterans In 2008, a congressionally mandated Research Advisory Committee (RAC) made up of prestigious scientists confirmed what veterans and their families have long asserted: That without a doubt, Gulf War illness, as its come to be called, is a profound, multi-system physical illness caused by brain-damaging chemicals to which troops were exposed by the Department of Defense. The RAC report identified three specific neurotoxins as certain culprits: anti-nerve gas pills that troops were forced to take (or risk court martial), insecticides and repellents that drenched troops tents, clothing, and gear, and nerve gases including sarin (the killer chemical in the Tokyo subway attack) emitted into the air when U.S. forces dismantled and demolished a vast munitions storage facility in Khamisiyah. The skin, stomach, minds, hearts, lungs and every other organ of hundreds of thousands of American veterans of Desert Storm (and Desert Shield, the operation preparing for war) were not psychological, as the government had insisted for almost 20 years. ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease, multiple sclerosis, disabling neuropathies, heart attacks, difficulty breathing, walking standingall these, we now know, were caused by neurotoxins including experimental anti nerve gas pills soldiers had to take or risk court martial, insecticides and pesticides that the military administered recklessly, sarin and other gases released into the air when we bombed an Iraq military storage facility at Khamysia, with a growing body of evidence regarding the role of depleted uranium. In 2012 the VA shredded the blue-ribbon RAC team and continues to drag its feet on research and treatments. 9. Several notorious massacres since Bush 41s Gulf War have been committed by Gulf War Veterans, some whose brains have been severely damaged from exposure to toxic chemicals and/or trauma Consider the case of John Allen Muhammad, (formerly John Allen Williams) who came to be known as the Beltway Sniper, who murdered In her 2009 memoir, Scared Silent, Mildred Muhammad, the later of his two ex-wives, writes that her husband went to the 1991 Gulf War a happy, focused, and intelligent man, who returned home depressed, totally confused, and violent, making her fear for her life. In their briefs, Muhammads appeals lawyers stressed that his severe mental illness never came up at trial, where he was allowed to represent himself despite obvious mental incompetence. (Till the end, he maintained his innocence, claiming that at the time of the killing spree he was in Germany for dental work.) In seeking clemency and a stay of execution, Muhammads lawyers presented psychiatric reports diagnosing schizophrenia and brain scans documenting profound malformations consistent with psychotic disease. Neither the U.S. Supreme Court nor Virginia Governor Tim Kaine were impressed. According to Governor Kaine, crimes that are this horrible, you just cant understand. But mental disorders from depression to mood swings, thought disorders, violent outbursts, and delusions are not uncommon among Gulf War veterans in addition to physical symptoms such as rashes, vertigo, respiratory and gastrointestinal problem, and neurological diseases like Parkinsons, ALS, and brain tumors. According to Dr. William E. Baumzweiger, a California psychiatrist with expertise in psychiatric ailments of Gulf War veterans, a small but significant number of Gulf War veterans become homicidal seemingly out of nowhere. Indeed, as early as 1994, University of Texas epidemiologist Dr. Robert Haley, the preeminent researcher of Gulf War disease, had demonstrated that the brain scans of veterans with Gulf War illness were distinctly abnormal. Muhammads lawyers pointed to childhood beatings as a cause of his psychiatric disease and brain malformation, claiming that Gulf War syndrome exacerbated these conditions. But they didnt mention that Mohammad had no history of mental illness before the warand that during the war he was stationed in Khamisiyah. It probably wouldnt have helped. In 2002, another Gulf War veteran, Louis Jones Jr. was executed for the 1995 rape and murder of a young female soldier, Pvt. Tracie Joy McBride. Like Sergeant Muhammad, Sergeant Jones was an exemplary soldier decorated in the war; but also like Muhammad, he returned from Desert Storm depressed, disoriented, and increasingly anti-social and bizarre. Like Muhammad, his defense was inadequatebut his appeals lawyer displayed MRIs and other scans of his abnormal brain, arguing that it was evidence of the brain damage from toxins he and other veterans with Gulf War disease were exposed to in-country. Supporting the petition for clemency was the written testimony of Dr. Haley that there is now a compelling involuntary link between Mr. Jones neurotoxic war injury and his inexplicable crime. Like Muhammad, Jones was stationed in Khamisiyah during the demolition, which poisoned thousands of troops and then thousands more as sarin plumes traveled far and wide, a fact the government hid for close to a decade. And then theres the case of Timothy McVeigh. We have no scans of his brain, but we have ample reports of his mental state before and after Desert Storm, and evidence that the war changed him profoundly. In their biography, American Terrorist, Lou Michel and Dan Herbeck paint a vivid picture of McVeighs days in the ground war. The enthusiastic young marksman, at first, happily followed orders and shot an Iraqi soldier manning a machine gun over a mile away. When a bloody mist replaced the soldiers head in his viewfinder, McVeigh was disturbed and discharged the rest of his round into empty desert sand. Later, after Saddam had agreed to a UN and Soviet brokered ceasefire, McVeigh was further shocked and shaken by orders to kill defeated Iraqi soldiers traveling home on the highway from Kuwait to Iraq (come to be known as the Highway of Death for the thousands that U.S. Forces corralled and massacred on the night of Feb 26, 1991). He watched the road in horror as dogs chewed on human limbs, and as human bodies without arms or legs tried to crawl away. In his famous 60 Minutes interview ten years later, McVeigh would tell Ed Bradley that the killing changed him. He found himself thinking, Im in this person`s country. What right did I have to come over to his country and kill him? How did he ever transgress against me? He went over thinking, Not only is Saddam evil, all Iraqis are evil. But quickly it was an entirely different ballgame face to faceyou realize they`re just people like you. He told Bradley that the government modeled brutal violence. In a 1998 prison essay he objected to the United States continuing campaign against Iraq: It was the U.S. that had set the standard for stockpiling and use of weapons of mass destruction. McVeighs experience in the Gulf War surely altered his thinking. But did it also alter his brain? What toxins might have entered his body on the highway where U.S. forces had just dropped cluster bombs and 500-ton bombs of napalm and depleted uranium, incinerating thousands vehicles and the people inside. He told Ed Bradley that when he came back something didn`t feel right in me, but. I couldn`t say what it was. Psychological trauma alone, neuroscientists now tell us, affects not only psyches but brains. Sophisticated neuroimaging shows the brains of those who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder to be abnormal in areas regulating memory retrieval and inhibition (hippocampus), fearfulness and focus (pre-frontal cortex), and emotionality and lability (amygdala). The hippocampus of Alzheimers sufferers is also shrunken and the amygdala of bipolar sufferers have enhanced activation similar to those with PTSD. _____________________________________ The current trend in international war crimes and crimes against humanity is to consign crimes committed by individuals to national courts, and to apply international justice to those at the highest levels of government who make the decisions implemented on the ground. George HW Bush is now beyond the reach of international law to be tried for the crimes of Desert Storm and its sequels. But the evidence is ample and mounting for history to judge By Enno Schroder, Economist and Servaas Storm, Senior Lecturer of Economics, Delft University of Technology. Originally published at the Institute for New Economic Thinking website Sounding the Alarm on Global Warming If the Paris climate agreement of December 2015the so-called COP21 provided cause for optimism that, after years of fruitless diplomatic squabbling, coordinated global action to avoid dangerous climate change and ensure manageable warming of less than 2 Celsius, would finally happen, recent publications by climate scientists are loudly sounding the alarm bells. Specifically, Earth systems scientists (Steffen et al. 2018) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2018) warn that even if global emissions are drastically reduced in line with the 66% below 2C goal of COP21, a series of self-reinforcing bio-geophysical feedbacks and tipping cascadesfrom melting sea ice to deforestationcould still lock the planet into a cycle of continued warming and a pathway to final destination: Hothouse Earth. Allowing warming to reach 2C would create risks that any reasonable personif not, perhaps, Donald Trumpwould regard as deeply dangerous. To avoid those risks and keep warming below 1.5C, humanity will have to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to net zero by 2050. The early optimism about the Paris agreement is giving way to widespread pessimism that COP21 will not be working soon enough. Climate scientists and Earth systems scientists attempt to counter the growing pessimism by showing that limiting the global mean temperature increase to 1.5C is neither a geophysical impossibility, nor a technical fantasy. The engineering solutions to bring about deep de-carbonizationincluding quick fixes and negative-emissions technologiesare available and are beginning to work. The real problem is that available solutions go against the economic logic and the corresponding value system that have dominated the world economy for the last half decadea logic aimed at scaling back (environmental) regulations, pampering the oligopolies of big fossil-fuel corporations, powering companies and the automotive industry, giving free rein to financial markets and prioritizing short-run shareholder returns (Speth 2008; Klein 2014; Storm 2017). Hence, as Steffen et al. (2018) write, the biggest barrier to averting going down the path to Hothouse Earth is the present dominant socioeconomic system, based as it is on high-carbon economic growth and exploitative resource use. We will only be able to phase out greenhouse gas emissions before mid-century if we shift our societies and economies to a wartime footing, suggests Will Steffen, one of the authors of the Hothouse Earth paper in an interview with Kate Aronoff (Aronoff 2018). But Dont Panic. Dont Panic! The alarmist tone of the Hothouse Earth analyses stands in contrast to more upbeat reports that there has been a delinking between economic growth and carbon emissions in recent times, at least in the worlds richest countries. The view that decoupling is already happening in real time is a popular position in global and national policy discourses on COP21. To illustrate, in a widely read 2017 Science article titled The Irreversible Momentum of Clean Energy,, former U.S. President Barack Obama, argues that the U.S. economy could continue growing without increasing CO 2 emissions thanks to the rollout of renewable energy technologies. Drawing on evidence from the report of his Council of Economic Advisers (2017), Obama claims that during the course of his presidency the American economy grew by more than 10% despite a 9.5% fall in CO 2 emissions from the energy sector. [T]his decoupling of energy sector emissions and economic growth, writes Obama, should put to rest the argument that combating climate change requires accepting lower growth or a lower standard of living. Obama is not the only optimist in town; others have highlighted similar trends: The International Energy Agency (IEA) argues that global carbon emissions have decoupled from economic growth from 2014-16 (IEA 2016); the IEA 66% below 2Cpathways are based on steady-state rates of potential output growth from 2014-2050 of 2% for the U.S., 1% for the E.U. and .5% for Japan (OECD 2017, p. 171); (IEA) argues that global carbon emissions have decoupled from economic growth from 2014-16 (IEA 2016); the IEA 66% below 2Cpathways are based on steady-state rates of potential output growth from 2014-2050 of 2% for the U.S., 1% for the E.U. and .5% for Japan (OECD 2017, p. 171); The World Resources Institute reports that as many as 21 countries (mostly belonging to the OECD) managed to reduce their (territory-based) carbon emissions, while growing their GDP in the period 2000 to 2014 (Aden 2016); reports that as many as 21 countries (mostly belonging to the OECD) managed to reduce their (territory-based) carbon emissions, while growing their GDP in the period 2000 to 2014 (Aden 2016); The Global Commission on the Economy and Climate (2018) speaks about a new era of economic growth that is sustainable, zero-carbon and inclusiveand driven by rapid technological progress, sustainable infrastructure investment and drastically increased energy efficiency and radically reduced carbon intensity; (2018) speaks about a new era of economic growth that is sustainable, zero-carbon and inclusiveand driven by rapid technological progress, sustainable infrastructure investment and drastically increased energy efficiency and radically reduced carbon intensity; International Monetary Fund economists Cohen, Tovar Jalles, Loungani and Marto (2018) find some evidence of decoupling for the period 1990-2014, particularly in European countries and especially when emissions measures are production-based; and finally economists Cohen, Tovar Jalles, Loungani and Marto (2018) find some evidence of decoupling for the period 1990-2014, particularly in European countries and especially when emissions measures are production-based; and finally The OECD argues, in its 2017 report Investing in Climate, Investing in Growth, that the G20 countries can achieve strong and inclusive economic growth at the same time they reorient their economies toward development pathways featuring substantially lower GHG emissions. In our new INET Working Paper, we attempt to go beyond the Yes, We Can optimism concerning decoupling, offering what we hope is a more realistic evaluation of the nexus between economic growth and carbon emissions. We do this in two ways. We first assess the viability of a long-run decoupling of global economic growth and carbon emissions using the easily-understood Kaya identity [i] . We then present a systematic econometric analysis of the (historical) relationship between economic growth and carbon dioxide emissions, using the Carbon-Kuznets-Curve (CKC) framework. We run panel data regressions using OECD Inter-Country Input-Output (ICIO) CO 2 emissions data for 61 countries during 1995-2011, and to check the robustness of our findings, we construct and use three other panel samples sourced from alternative databases (Eora; Exio; and WIOD). Can the Global Economy Grow as Global Carbon Emissions Fall? We first assess the scope for (global) growth from 2014-2050, which is consistent with carbon emission reductions of the 66% below 2C scenario of COP2. Using the Kaya identity, the growth of global carbon emissions can be decomposed into global population growth, per capita income growth, the growth of carbon intensity of energy supply, and the growth of energy intensity of GDP. Table 1 presents the results of a decomposition of global CO 2 emissions for the period 1971-2015 and our projection for the period 2014-2050. Note that we focus on CO 2 emissions from the energy system, which represent 70% of global GHG emissions in 2010. As Table 1 shows, historically, global CO 2 emissions increased by 1.93% per year during 1971-2015. Growth in population (at 1.53% per year) and in per capita real GDP (at 1.91% per year) exerted upward pressure on CO 2 emissions, which was only partially offset by downward pressure from higher energy efficiency (energy intensity declined by 1.35% per annum) and lower carbon intensity (which declined by 0.15% per year). These downward trends in energy and carbon intensity are insufficient to delink economic growth and carbon emissionsand they are nowhere close to what is needed to achieve the longer-term Paris pledges or the recommendation of IPCC (2018). Table 1: A Kaya Identity Decomposition of Global CO2 Emissions, 1971-2015 and 2014-2050 (Average Annual Growth Rates %) Actual Changes Prognosis: 85% reduction in CO2 emissions 1971-1990 1991-2015 1971-2015 2014-2050 global CO 2 emissions 2.05 1.89 1.93 5.13 world population 1.80 1.31 1.53 0.79 real GDP per capita 1.75 2.14 1.91 0.45 energy intensity (TPES/GDP) 1.08 1.59 1.35 2.69 carbon intensity (CO 2 /TPES) 0.40 0.06 0.15 3.68 Table 1 also presents our growth prognosis for the period 2014-2050. We assume that global CO 2 emissions in 2050 have to be reduced by 85% relative to their 1990 level, or by 5.13% per year. World population growth equals 0.79% per year, based on United Nations projections. The very ambitious (i.e. historically unprecedented) projected decreases in energy and carbon intensity are taken from OECD (2017, Table 2.18); these projections are in line with IEA-OECD 66% below 2C scenarios. Based on these optimistic assumptions, we find that climate-constrained growth of global per capita income cannot exceed a measly 0.45% per year during the next three decades. Hence, if we want to stabilize the climate, future global economic growth must be well below the historical annual income growth rate (of 1.93%) during 1971-2015and this holds true under the optimistic assumption that we manage to bring about historically unprecedented reductions in carbon intensity and energy intensity. The prognosis strongly suggests that we have reached a fork in the road. We could continue to grow our economies the way we did in the past, but this means we have to prepare for global warming of 3C to 4C by 2100 and run a big risk of having to adapt to Hothouse Earth. Adaptation would mean that we have to come to terms with the impossibility of material, social and political progress as a universal promise: Life is going to be worse for most people in the 21st century in all these dimensions. The political consequences of this are hard to predict. But there is an alternative: We do whatever it takes to force through the technological, structural and societal changes needed to reduce carbon emissions so as to stabilize warming at 1.5C (Grubb 2014; Steffen et al. 2018) and just accept whatever consequences this has in terms of economic growth (Ward et al. 2016). Whichever way, the bottom line is that the climate constraint appears to be binding. Or are we missing something: Is there a small group of (advanced) countries that have crossed the turning point of the CKC? Can we put to rest the argument that halting warming requires accepting lower growth, as Obama argues we can? We systematically investigate Obamas hypothesis that a small group of (advanced) countries has crossed the turning point of the CKC (Schroder and Storm 2018). The CKC hypothesis holds that CO 2 emissions per person do initially increase with rising per capita income (due to industrialization), then peak and decline after a threshold level of per capita GDP, as countries arguably become more energy efficient, more technologically sophisticated and more inclined to and are able to reduce emissions by corresponding legislation. We run panel data regressions using OECD Inter-Country Input-Output (ICIO) CO 2 emissions data for 61 countries for the period from 1995 to 2011. To check the robustness of our findings, we construct and use three other panel samples sourced from alternative databases (Eora; Exio; and WIOD). We present a variety of models, and pay particular attention to the difference between production-based (territorial) emissions and consumption-based emissions, which include the impact of international trade (Schroder and Storm 2018). Figure 1 summarizes the result of our baseline regressions which provide evidence for the existence of an CKC for production-based CO 2 emissions with a turning point at 56 thousand dollars per capita. If China developed along the path of our production-based CKC, it would exhaust half the global carbon budget before even reaching the turning point. Accordingly, global economic development along the production-based CKC is not compatible with the IPCC (2018) pathway consistent with keeping global warming below 1.5C. The turning point for consumption-based CO 2 emissions is at 93 thousand dollars outside the sample range. Hence, we conclude that while there is some evidence of decoupling between economic growth and production-based (territorial) emissions, there is no evidence of decoupling for consumption-based emissions. Some OECD countries have managed to some extent to delink their production systems from CO 2 emissions by relocating and outsourcing carbon-intensive production activities to the low-income countries. The generally used production-based GHG emissions data ignore the highly fragmented nature of global production chains (and networks) and are unable to reveal the ultimate driver of increasing CO 2 emissions: consumption growth. Obama is wrong, therefore: there is no evidence of carbon decouplingand mind you, it is no great achievement to reduce domestic per capita carbon emissions by outsourcing carbon-intensive activities to other countries and by being a net importer of GHG, while raising consumption and living standards. Figure 1: The Carbon-Kuznets Curve, 1995-2011 (61 countries) Note: Based on estimations by the authors. See Schroder and Storm (2018) for estimation results and checks. A Realists Assesment Our statistical analysis shows that, to avoid a climate catastrophe, the future must be radically different from the past. Climate stabilization requires a fundamental disruption of hydrocarbon energy, production and transportation infrastructures, a massive upsetting of vested interests in fossil-fuel energy and industry, and large-scale public investmentand all this should be done sooner than later. Steffens analogy of massive mobilization in the face of an existential threat is fundamentally correct. The problem for most economists is that it suggests directional thrust by state actors, smacks of planning, coordination, and public interventionism, and goes against the market-oriented belief system of most economists. Economists like to set corrective prices and then be done with it, writes Jeffrey Sachs (2008), adding that this hands-off approach will not work in the case of a major overhaul of energy technology. We thus have to discard the prevalent market-oriented belief system, in which government intervention and non-market modes of coordination and decision-making are inferior to the market mechanism and will mostly fail to achieve what they intend to bring about. Without a concerted (global) policy shift to deep de-carbonization (Sachs 2016; Fankhauser and Jotzo 2017), a rapid transition to renewable energy sources (Peters et al. 2017), structural change in production, consumption and transportation (Steffen et al. 2018), and a transformation of finance (Mazzucato and Semieniuk 2018), the decoupling will not even come close to what is needed (e.g. Storm 2017). Political support for such a strategy of deep de-carbonization is not in the cardsnot just in the U.S., but also in Brazil, Australia, and elsewhere. Ostensibly more progressive green growth approaches unfortunately remain squarely within the realm of business-as-usual economics as well, proposing solutions which rely on technological fixes on the supply side and voluntary or nudged behavior change on the demand side, and which are bound to extend current unsustainable production, consumption and emission patterns into the future. The belief that any of this half-hearted tinkering will lead to drastic cuts in CO 2 emissions in the future is plain self-deceit; and we know, with Ludwig von Wittgenstein, that nothing is so difficult as not deceiving oneself. Hence, if past performance is relevant for future outcomes, our results should put to bed the complacency concerning the possibility of green growth. There is no decoupling of growth and consumption-based CO2 emissions green growth is a chimera. See original post for references The arrest of of Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng on December 1 in Vancouver on a US extradition request is a major geopolitical and news event. Reuters reports Meng was intercepted while changing flights. So much for Xi and Trump trying to a reset so as to prevent the imposition of US tariffs on Chinese goods. Mr. Market is not happy at all. S&P futures are down 1.4% as of this writing. As an aside, its odd that word of the arrest has gotten out only now. It took place the last day of the G20 summit. Was actual or US anticipated wrangling over the arrest one of the reasons for the apparent confusion over what Xi and Trump had agreed? Meng has a bail hearing set for Friday. We are in the nobody knows much phase of this story, and are likely to remain there for a while, although the Chinese government is having hissy fits over the arrest. The US has been investigating Huawei since 2016 over suspected transfers of US technology to Iran in violation of US sanctions. Bloomberg reports that the Department of Justice launched a new probe in April on whether Huawei had been selling equipment to Iran in violation of US sanctions. The fact that Canada, which is not on the best of terms with the Trump Administration and where there is no political upside to playing ball, arrested Meng and extradited her suggests that there is some meat to the allegations. As readers likely know well, the US has been trying to restrict Huawei sales in the US and Western countries, particularly of its smartphones and routers alleging that they have backdoors that allow for data to be passed to the Chinese government. While entirely plausible, this also smacks of the pot calling the kettle black. From the Financial Times: US telecoms networks are banned from using Huawei equipment. Australia and New Zealand members of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing network with the US, UK and Canada have blocked Huawei and other Chinese suppliers on security grounds.. Huawei said Ms Meng also known as Sabrina Meng was detained by Canadian authorities on behalf of the US, which sought her extradition over unspecified charges in the Eastern District of New York. The arrest took place shortly on the heels of intelligence service noisemaking about Huawei. Again from the Financial Times: Western security chiefs have been unusually vocal in recent days to highlight concerns over Chinese technology groups. David Vigneault, head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, warned that his agency had seen a trend of state-sponsored espionage targeting Canadas advanced technology, including 5G networks. His remarks came a day after Alex Younger, head of MI6, the British intelligence service, said the UK faced a tough decision over whether to allow Huawei to supply technology for its 5G network. The Wall Street Journal has a tidbit from a single source, so take this with a fistful of salt: In 2007, Ms. Meng served as a board secretary for a Huawei holding company that owned Skycom Tech, a Hong Kong-based firm with business in Iran and employees who said they worked for Huawei-Skycom, according to a person familiar with the matter. She became a director at Skycom Tech in February 2008, Hong Kong corporate records show, before resigning in April of the following year. That role is now the under scrutiny by American authorities. While this may be part of the basis for charging her, Meng is the Huawei deputy chairman as well as its CFO, and therefore could be depicted for purposes of prosecution as being broadly knowledgeable about and involved in the companys affairs. From China, the arrest looks like a US effort to hamstring a national champion. From Bloomberg: Huaweis ambitions now range from artificial intelligence and chipmaking to fifth-generation wireless. That last effort, a massive push into the future of mobile and internet communications, has raised hackles in the U.S. and become a focal point for American attempts to contain Chinas ascendancy In targeting Huawei, the U.S. is threatening one of the companies at the heart of Xis long-term campaign to wrest the lead in future technologies and wean China off a reliance on foreign technology. Once a purveyor of unremarkable telecommunications equipment, Huaweis now No. 2 in smartphone shipments and is shooting for the lead in fifth-generation wireless networks while preparing to take on some of Americas biggest chipmakers. Its already by some reckonings the worlds largest provider of networking equipment to wireless carriers, outstripping the likes of Ericsson AB with growing sales in Europe. Its declared its intention to surpass Samsung Electronics Co. in phones as well. The company is targeting record sales of $102.2 billion this year Its unclear whether Mengs arrest could trigger the same sort of sanctions that ZTE incurred. Such a move would be far more significant given Huaweis heft. In August, Trump signed a bill banning the governments use of Huawei technology based on the security concerns and U.S. allies are either imposing or considering bans This is what you call playing hard ball, said Michael Every, head of Asia financial markets research at Rabobank in Hong Kong. China is already asking for her release, as can be expected, but if the charges are serious, dont expect the US to blink. Reuters provides some reactions: Jia Wenshan, a professor at Chapman University in California, said the arrest was part of a broader geo-political strategy from the Trump administration to counter China and it runs a huge risk of derailing the U.S.-China trade talks. Mei Xinyu, a researcher at a think tank run by the Ministry of Commerce, wrote in an article on the official Peoples Daily Overseas Editions WeChat account that the arrest was a warning that the Trump administration might abandon its deal with China. While Mengs arrest comes at a delicate time in U.S.-China relations, it was not clear if the timing was coincidental. Needless to say, this is an developing situation. Huawei will presumably present some additional information after the Friday hearing even if it is closed to the public. Today, I called both President Vucic and Mr Haradinaj to brief them on the outcome of Wednesday's meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers on the Western Balkans. I underlined that both Belgrade and Pristina should show calm and restraint, and avoid any provocative statements or actions. With Mr. Haradinaj, I raised the plan to move ahead with the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into an army. I stressed that such a move is ill-timed, goes against the advice of many NATO Allies, and can have negative repercussions on Kosovo's prospects for Euro-Atlantic integration. I reiterated that should the mandate of the Kosovo Security Force evolve, NATO will have to examine the level of our engagement with the Kosovo Security Force. I also spoke with President Vucic on the need to de-escalate current tensions. I reminded both that the EU-mediated dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina remains the only way to bring durable peace and stability to the region. NATO remains committed to the security and stability of Kosovo through our UN-mandated KFOR peacekeeping mission. (Natural News) Chinese scientist He Jiankui made a bold move last week when he published a video about a successful gene editing surgery on a human baby. After appearing in Hong Kong at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing, Jiankui has been reported missing. Was he arrested by Chinese authorities? Was he murdered or perhaps abducted? His whereabouts are suddenly unknown. One report says he was placed under house arrest in Shenzhen after attending the conference, but another report from the China Morning Post tells otherwise. According to the Post, his former employer, the Southern University of Science and Technology, dismissed the detention claims, declining to elaborate on his whereabouts. How will Jiankui and his research be used in the future? Will it be banned or used for specific purposes? Are perfect disease-free genetically engineered babies a possibility? Disease-free genetically engineered babies a possibility? Just a week ago, Jiankui publicly claimed to have successfully engineered the genome of a human baby. Now dubbed the Chinese Frankenstein, Jiankui is making his best pitch for the ethical use of genetic engineering on human babies. During invitro fertilization, Jiankui and a team of scientists introduced proteins and instructions to genetically engineer the DNA of twins so they would resist HIV infection from their fathers genome. The team of scientists used a DNA editing tool called Crispr-Cas9 to eliminate a gene called CCR5. Jiankui claims gene surgery should be a tool to help heal families; however, the experiment opens up a Pandoras Box. Will wealthy families soon be able to choose designer traits for their future children? How will human genetic engineering be regulated and enforced? Will there be a black market for genetic engineering of human babies or will the technology be embraced by future medical communities? If allowed, will altered DNA damage other genes and cause dangerous mutations that may be passed down to future generations? Authorities order Chinese Frankenstein to stop his research Upon hearing the news, university president Chen Shiyi brought Jiankui back to Shenzhen and had a six hour meeting to discuss the controversial research. According to Apple Daily, Jiankui was allegedly put on house arrest on campus. Security personnel are allegedly on site, keeping watch. A spokeswoman for the university seemed to be hiding information when she declined to elaborate on the matter. Speaking to South China Morning Post she said, We cannot answer any questions regarding the matter right now, but if we have any information, we will update it through our official channels. Right now nobodys information is accurate, only the official channels are, she remarked. Chinese health officials initially didnt know about Jiankuis experiments, and now he is facing an investigation from Chinas Ministry of Science and Technology. The hospital used to carry out the experiment has accused Jiankui of forgery. Chinese authorities have ordered him to stop the research. Jiankui says the research should be used with discretion and only to save babies from inherited genes that would spell future disease risk. For more on genetic experimentation and the biotech industry, read Biotech.news. Sources include: Dailymail.co.uk Dailymail.co.uk AppleDaily.com (Natural News) Roses are red, violets are blue and one special rose can make your skin brand-new. Thats what the team from Woosuk University and Dankook University, South Korea suggests in their study published in the Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology. In their study, they indicated that a compound in the Damask rose (Rosa damascena) has anti-aging properties and even treat certain diseases that come with it. The Damask rose is one of the oldest flowers in history, spanning thousands of years, multiple continents, and even has found a place in Shakespeares poems. The flowers, which were first cultivated in Syria, have been exported to Europe, where their heady, rich and smooth scent is a popular choice in perfumes and cosmetics. In France, especially, perfumers distilled the dried rose petals to get its essential oil. This extraction method may seem simple; however, the amount of essential oil you can get from the petals is what makes the Damask rose more valuable it requires at least four tons of rose petals to produce just a kilogram of essential oil. In addition, the petals must be distilled within 24 hours after harvest, making it one of the more expensive oils in the market. These days, its grown in more areas, including Morocco, Iran, and Turkey. The rose isnt just valuable for its scent: Many people swear by its therapeutic properties, which include its ability to fight infection and be used as a relaxant. The latter, in particular, is what makes Damask rose oil a part of many massage oils. Studies have also found that Damask rose can improve mental balance, especially during bouts of depression, severe anxiety, insomnia, and palpitation. In their study, researchers focused on the plants anti-aging properties by investigating damaurone D, which is a compound in Damask rose. They also tested whether the compound can improve longevity using the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans as animal model. To determine the efficacy of damaurone D, the team looked at various biomarkers for stress and antioxidant capacity. The results indicated that worms treated with damaurone D had exhibited a 16.7 percent increase in their lifespan, as well as improved their endurance under different types of stress conditions. The researchers believe that the antioxidant capacity of the compound and its effect on stress-response proteins are the main reasons behind its anti-aging effect. In addition, the treated worms also showed improved food intake, body length increase, and resistance against age-related motor decline. These benefits, the researchers added, could be useful if damaurone D is further explored and developed, in particular as a nutraceutical designed to target aging and its related diseases. (Related: Chocolate and roses have health benefits: Not just for Valentines Day find out how to get the best chocolate and roses for your health.) Getting the most out of rose essential oil The Damask rose isnt just beautiful and fragrant, its also packed with health benefits that make its essential oil a great addition in anyones personal care routine. Use it for your skin Rose oil is really great for the skin, thanks to its regenerative properties. Aside from its anti-aging effect, it can also provide relief for dry, inflamed, or sensitive skin. In addition, a drop of rose essential oil can go a long way: Add it to the water youll use for face steaming, or blend it with other oils to a create a uniquely fragrant soap. You can also use rose water if youre looking for a reasonably priced alternative. Nourishing Gel Mask Heres a natural way to use rose essential oil to rejuvenate your skin. What youll need: 2 ounces, aloe vera tablespoon, rosehip seed oil tablespoon, tamanu oil teaspoon, blackcurrant seed oil 1 drop, rose essential oil 1 drop, immortelle oil How to do it: Mix the ingredients well, then spread a thin layer of the mask on your face. Leave on for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Finish by spritzing with rose floral water. If you have leftovers, store it in the fridge. Great for hair care Adding rose essential oil to your hair care routine wont just make your hair smell great: It will also repair fragile, damaged, and thinning hair. Pure rose essential oil, especially that from the Damask rose, is rare and can command a steep price. If youre planning on purchasing one, however, make sure its from a reputable seller. To be on the safe side, request for the gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) results to see what the oils are made of. Rose essential oil can also blend well with other floral oils, including jasmine, lavender, and germanium. Its even great with lemon and herbs such as clary sage. Learn more natural ways to live longer at Longevity.news. Sources include: Science.news BusinessInsider.com HindustanTimes.com MomPrepares.com (Natural News) Homework is a burden for children physically that is, according to researchers. In a study made by the SRM Institute of Science and Technology (formerly SRM University) in India, they discovered that backpack weight impacts the angle of the neck of school children. The research team believes that backpack weight might be linked to certain musculoskeletal disorders because of its effect on posture. This is true for children within school age, but it can also affect people who indirectly carry the schoolbags like porters. In most countries, children go to school carrying their bags on their backs. This is regarded as the ideal way to carry it since weight is equally distributed to both sides of the shoulder. However, earlier studies have pointed out its risks carrying heavy bags on their shoulders can affect their posture in the head, neck, and trunk. This leads them to maintain a forward-leaning flexion in the neck and discomfort in the long term. Additionally, this risk affects children with developing skeletal systems. Bone growth starts from childhood and extends until 16 to 18 years of age, but vertebral ossification (the continuous remodeling of the bones in the back) continues well until adulthood. This means that any changes (or deformities) in the posture may have long-term effects. When children carry heavy school bags, such as the ones they bring home because of homework, the effects of the weight being distributed in the body may lead to some problems not only with ossification but also with bone growth. For the trials, 200 healthy students were selected to participate. The individuals ranged from nine to 14 years old and were made up of both boys and girls. One key characteristic of the samples was that they walked to and from their schools. Individual height and weight were taken before the study and after they wore their backpacks. The angle of their neck was checked as well, comparing it before and after wearing their bags. The researchers found that there was a change in the posture of the participants after they wore their backpacks. They linked this change to the effect of the weight of the backpack to a change in the students center of gravity. Ideally, the center of gravity is between the feet; however, when a bag is placed, this moves to the back and adds abnormal amounts of strain. With the results, researchers suggested that if a school child were to carry a backpack, it should be ergonomically designed. Ultimately, limiting its weight would reduce the immediate and chronic postural changes that carrying a backpack entails. Consequently, carrying too much school work at home also adds to the risk of sedentary behavior, according to experts. A study made by researchers from the University Clinical Center Tuzla, Tuzla University School of Medicine, and the Institute of Public Health in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded that children who spend extended periods of time wearing school bags and sitting during homework have a high likelihood of developing musculoskeletal pain, particularly chronic cases. Researchers reported at least 48 percent of cases of musculoskeletal pain in children aged eight to 12 years old because of the weight of their school bags, as well as sedentary behavior. (Related: Seven Steps to Hassle-Free Homework for You and Your Child.) Prolonged sitting at home, the study noted, leads to postural deformities, especially if the children are not physically active. On average, the study said that children sat for about 1.5 hours seated doing homework. Coupled with poor posture and non-ergonomic design of seats in school and at home, this leads to the child flexing his neck, torso, and back. Learn more ways to help your child deal with homework by going to Natural.news today. Sources include: IJOCS.org EJManager.com [PDF] (Natural News) In November, a student at Drake University told administrators she had found multiple racist notes in one of the residence halls. Now, the student in question, 18-year-old Kissie Ram, is being charged with making false reports to law enforcement. It turns out the notes were not the musings of a racist, and were the work of a left-leaning college student looking to create her own hate crime. This is the end result of liberal special snowflake culture: A generation of young adults who want to be victims. According to reports, Ram has admitted to writing one of the five racist notes found on campus. Drake officials say they are certain that Ram is connected to at least four of the five notes. The first note, found by freshman Keith Walker in early November, is still under investigation. Student facing charges over hate crime hoax As Daily Wire reports, Drake University President Marty Martin recently announced to students and faculty, revealing that the notes reported by Ram on November 13 and 15 were nothing more than copycat hoaxes of an initial campus incident. A spokesman for the Des Moines, Iowa police department, Sgt. Paul Parizek, states that Ram will be charged with harassment. Though the student has misdemeanor summons, she was not booked into jail. The Des Moines Register reports that if Ram is found guilty, she could be fined and incarcerated for up to 12 months. At Drake, Ram faces a campaign discipline procedure that may lead to expulsion, as well. Parizek noted further that Ram would not be charged for the original note, found by Walker earlier in November. Campus officials have stated they are confident the four notes reported by the female student were hoaxes, but believe Ram was not involved with the initial letter. According to Daily Wire, Walker, the young man who found the first hate letter, has not been cooperating with police investigating the crime and has not responded to interview requests. As Daily Wire reports: Walker wrote about the note in a now-deleted Facebook post, saying he was going to leave Drake on November 9 for mental health reasons but would return. Drake sent a statement to the Register saying after Walker reported the note, he was offered a new place to live, academic support, counseling, and security. Sgt. Parizek commented that the police are still investigating Walkers note. Students still outraged over phony letters Some 3,000 Drake University students gathered to protest, rallying for unity among students on November 14. At the event, one student went so far as to say she felt her life was in danger at Drake. Jose Garcia-Fuerte, Drake student body president, reportedly stated that these fears should not be dismissed, even though the notes were a hoax. People still feared for their lives even though it was a hoax, he added. As Daily Wire recalls, this is not the first time someone has reported a phony racism incident. While these hoaxes are supposedly intended to create dialogue, the truth is that these kinds of scams do nothing to actually promote equality or open minds. All that these racism hoaxes do is give the purported victim a soapbox to stand on while they try to grab their 15 minutes of fame. How does pretending to be the victim of a crime that never happened open the conversation about race relations and equality, when all it accomplishes is more finger-pointing, more race-baiting and more hate? The Left is known for doing anything and everything to push their agenda: Its basically psychological warfare at this point. Even though people know that these notes were a hoax, they have already been affected by them. And now, a deeper state of brainwashing can begin. See more coverage of stories like this at Crybullies.news. Sources for this article include: DailyWire.com DesMoinesRegister.com (Natural News) Several weeks ago, a story went viral about a girl who died from a virus. But the real story is something far more sinister. Nine-year-old girl in Dubai dies of viral infection, reads the headline from GulfNews.com. That story repeats a quack science fabrication thats often voiced by vaccine propagandists: Every year, the vaccine contains the new strain of the virus which can keep you protected up to 70 per cent from the infection, for the entire year, the story claims. Its a lie, of course. Flu shots almost never contain the same strain of influenza thats circulating in the current flu season, and statistics of flu shot efficacy show they might, at best, work for 1 out of 100 people who take them. On top of that, flu shots are intentionally formulated with neurotoxins that cause inflammation. This is intended to generate an immune system response, but in some cases it actually causes neurological inflammation that leads directly to seizures, comas and permanent neurological damage. Dr. Jack Wolfson, also known as The Paleo Cardiologist, recently sent me this analysis of whats actually happening with these news reports that claim young girls are being killed by a virus. As Dr. Wolfson explains, its not the virus thats killing the girls its the vaccines. Heres what Dr. Wolfson wrote: I am sure you have seen this latest story all over mainstream news. The headlines blame the death of a young girl on a virus. As I read the story, I was full of pain and loss. As a father of three, the loss of a child seems unbearable. But the take home point is that another young girl dies from something easily preventable. What did she die from? Her parents think it was a virus. The doctors say it was a virus. The school and hospital will be sued for her death. But she did not die from a virus. She died from a dysfunctional immune system that was damaged FROM vaccines. That are what vaccines do. She died from a damaged immune system that: 1. Led to an inflammatory bowel disease called Crohns 2. Led her doctors to prescribe immuno-suppressive drugs for the inflammatory bowel disease In fact, here is a 2015 study that links several vaccines to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and points strongly to a link between the polio vaccine and Crohns. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1542356515006382 Here is a link to another study that points to a 50% increased risk of Crohns disease from the measles vaccine, although not statistically significant per the statisticians. Here is another study linking vaccines to inflammatory bowel disease. Our thoughts go out to the family. I will assume that they did not know that a holistic MD/DO, functional chiropractor, naturopath or holistic nutritionist could have found the CAUSE of the Crohns. In fact, the vast majority of cases of inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohns and ulcerative colitis have recognizable causes that are food and environmental related. Inflammatory bowel disease is more common in people under stress. She died because she was plugged into the medical matrix and not under the care of a holistic provider (my assumption). Crohns and Ulcerative Colitis have a cause and therefore a cure. Toxic chemotherapy and immune-suppressing drugs are not the answer, despite billions spent on marketing by Big Pharma. A vaccine would certainly not have been the answer for her. Here immune system was destroyed by pharmaceuticals. Sadly, here is a link to a case of cranial nerve damage from the flu shot in someone with IBD. Vaccinate all of society? We will NEVER outsmart nature. There will always be viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The answer is to build up the immune system, not tear it down. Medical doctors cant help you build your immune system. We can. Learn more about Dr. Jack Wolfson at TheDrsWolfson.com (Natural News) Big Techs slow drift into full blown censorship has prompted scrutiny nationwide. Across Silicon Valley, thought suppression and censure have quickly become the norm and now, experts are weighing in on the situation. There is an inherent danger to letting any organization, whether it be a government or privately held group, dictate what kind of speech is acceptable at such a large scale. And when it comes to search engines like Google, the danger of that power is even more pronounced, as tech companies are increasingly gaining control of the lens through which so many of us view the world. By controlling search results, news feeds and more, Big Tech can, in essence, control the way users see the world. And by controlling what people see, the industry can influence how they think. Dr. Robert Epstein, a Ph.D. psychologist who studies search engine manipulation, says that Googles efforts at swaying public opinion are even more dangerous than communist Chinas attempts at controlling citizens. Expert warns that Google is going too far Dr. Epstein recently came forward with his concern about Googles new commitment to censorship, stating that the invisible and insidious nature of Googles suppression is far more alarming than similar efforts taking place in China. To me, [Chinas manipulation] is scary, but people are aware of it. Its done openly by the government. I think what is happening elsewhere in the world thats being driven mostly by Google I think is much more dangerous, because its mostly invisible, Epstein told PJ Media. Theres no transparency, theres no accountability. Its a more ambitious kind of surveillance than that of the Chinese government, he added. Epsteins criticisms of Google come after a damning document link revealed a chain of emails in which Google employees discussed ways in which they could manipulate search engine results during future election seasons. Censorship is already here Earlier this year, Breitbart uncovered another damning document from Google, an internal briefing document titled The Good Censor. The document reportedly states that Google and other tech companies that control most of the social media world were making a shift towards censorship. As reported by Investors: Tech firms, the document states, have gradually shifted away from unmediated free speech and towards censorship and moderation. Google says the goal is to weed out bad actors, but admits that part of the reason for this shift is to maintain global expansion, protect advertisers, and increase revenues. Google says that document was just research and doesnt reflect official Google positions. As sources note, Google is crafting a search engine that will provide censorship to the Chinese governments specifications as we speak. Known as the Dragonfly project, some 400 employees have signed a letter of protest, declaring their objection to creating technologies that aid the powerful in oppressing the vulnerable. Regardless of what Googles official position on censorship may be, their actions and business deals speak for themselves. Epstein contends that Googles censorship isnt the only thing that makes the company dangerous. Devices like Google Home are literally in-house spies. The psychologist cautions that a device like Google Home can hear everything going on in your household. Its an invitation for near-constant surveillance, and the information they gather, no matter how small, can ultimately be used to further their agenda. Googles tactics are hard to detect, Epstein cautions, noting that the companys actions are so subtle, theyre practically imperceptible. Even apps downloaded to your phone or tablet ask for access to cameras, microphones, texts, and more. Privacy is truly a thing of the past; most people dont even realize their phone is spying on them. See more coverage of Big Techs latest atrocities at Glitch.news. Sources for this article include: PJMedia.com Investors.com (Natural News) The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee is demanding to know why the FBI raided the home of a known, registered whistleblower and bureau contractor after he turned over documents pertaining to the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One deal earlier this year. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray (pictured above) explained that Dennis Nathan Cain is a recognized Department of Justice whistleblower and should have been protected from such raids by law. The Daily Caller reported exclusively: The Justice Departments inspector general was informed that the documents show that federal officials failed to investigate potential criminal activity regarding former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Clinton Foundation and Rosatom, the Russian company that purchased Uranium One, a document reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation alleges. In addition, the documents indicate that then-FBI Director Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating POTUS Donald Trump for possible criminal collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential election, did not look into legitimate allegations of criminal activity related to Rosatom and other Russian government institutions that were tied to the Uranium One sale, which was approved when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. Some Republicans have intimated that foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation poured in during her tenure as President Obamas chief diplomat, perhaps in anticipation of a successful run for president, suggesting a quid pro quo arrangement. In his letter to Wray, Grassley wanted to know if the FBI was aware of Cain making a lawful transaction of information to the government under the purview of the Intelligence Community Whistleblower Protection Act before the raid took place. (Related: Deep State FBI is now Americas Gestapo as they raid whistleblower who revealed damning documents on Hillary Clinton and Uranium One.) Outrageous disregard by the FBI In addition, the Iowa Republican asked if the FBI knew that the information they seized from Cain had already been properly passed along to the House and Senate Intelligence committees. He also wanted to know if any of the information FBI agents seized is considered classified and on what basis the raid took place. As The National Sentinel reported, Grassley gave Wray until Dec. 12 to respond. The news site noted further that the raid was authorized by a court order signed by federal magistrate Stephanie A. Gallagher in the U.S. District Court of Baltimore on Nov. 15. The Daily Caller added that FBI agents said they believed Cain was in possession of stolen materials, according to the whistleblowers lawyer, Michael Socarras. The attorney said that his client informed FBI agents when they arrived at his home with a search warrant that he was a protected and recognized whistleblower but that didnt matter; agents entered the home and conducted the search anyway, which took about six hours though Cain says he gave the agent in charge the electronically stored documents immediately. The bureau raided my client to seize what he legally gave Congress about the Clinton Foundation and Uranium One, Socarras told The Daily Caller, adding that the raid demonstrated an outrageous disregard for his clients alleged whistleblower protections. For the bureau to show up at Mr. Cains home suggesting that those same documents are stolen federal property after they were taken to Congress by a member of the IGs staff, and then proceed to seize copies of the same documents after being told at the house door that he is a legally protected whistleblower who gave them to Congress, is an outrageous disregard of the law, Socarras said. I cannot believe the bureau informed the federal magistrate who approved the search warrant that they wanted to search the home of an FBI whistleblower to seize the information that he confidentially disclosed to the IG and Congress, he added. It isnt clear what the bureau told the court, only that agents were able to obtain a search warrant. Read more about malfeasance and corruption on the part of the FBI and Justice Department at Corruption.news. Sources include: DailyCaller.com TheNationalSentinel.com (Natural News) A team of Canadian researchers at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UCBO) campus are examining the potential of herbs in producing natural pesticides, specifically lavender oils. According to the experts, lavender is known for its strong aroma and its oil is touted for it healing or soothing properties. The scientists have pooled data from a campus research field in order to identify, classify, and replicate the specific genes that regulate the aromatic herbs defensive properties. The results are published online in Plant Molecular Biology. Soheil Mahmoud, an associate professor of biology at UBCO, explained that the purple flowers produce essential oils that are made up mostly of organic compounds such as 3-carene, an antimicrobial and insecticidal monoterpene. Several students have recently been able to examine both the gene and the corresponding enzyme that facilitates 3-carene formation in lavenders. Mahmoud has stressed that while chemical herbicides or pesticides have been traditionally used to undermine infestation and fungal growth, the use of commercial products have become less desirable over the years due in part to the increased resilience of pests and fungi. Likewise, the expert noted that an increased preference for safer, more natural food products among consumers has also played a role in the commercial products declining popularity. Lavender has proven to be very good at protecting itself through production of antimicrobial and anti-fungal biochemical compounds. One of our goals is to identify molecules that are involved in this natural self-defense. Weve become much more health conscious. There are healthier options instead of spraying chemicals on plants; we just need to explore these. Aromatic plants like lavenders could provide suitable alternatives to chemicalbased insecticides, Mahmoud has stated in a Kelowna Capital News article. The research has been funded through grants and/or in-kind support by various institutions including the Genome British Columbia, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the BC Ministry of Agriculture, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Past study demonstrates lavenders potential as a natural herbicide A 2009 study has already established that using essential oils extracted from lavender may serve as a potent natural herbicide. A team of Italian researchers examined the effects of applying lavender oil to the root growth of the Vicia faba plant in order to carry out the study. According to the scientists, the weed contains large chromosomes that make it amenable to laboratory tests designed to assess the genetic toxicity of lavender oil. (Related: Use Natural, Non-Toxic Pest Control without Resorting to Dangerous Pesticides.) The research team found that the oil showed remarkable efficacy in killing the weed even at low concentrations. The experts also discovered that essential oils extracted from lavender oil greatly affected the growth of soil microbes and fungi. According to the experts, lavender oils would most likely be used either before planting or prior to seedling transplantation. This is to prevent the essential oil from inducing toxic effects on the crop itself, the scientists added. Essential oils could be useful as potential bioherbicides as an alternative strategy to the chemical remedy. The use of phytochemicals permits the development for more sustainable agriculture at low environmental impact. Further studies are now needed to evaluate use of such oils in the field essential oils are not accumulated in the environment, because of their low persistence due to the easy degradation by microbial and enzyme activity. This aspect could represent an advantage compared to the bioaccumulation of chemicals on soil, the researchers have explained on Science Daily online. Sources include: KelownaCapNews.com ScienceDaily.com What to Know A Studio City man is facing charges of illegally possessing and mistreating a tiger cub seized at his home. "Tigers and other exotic animals are not pets," said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. Nicholas Perkins, 32, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of a tiger. A Studio City man is facing charges of illegally possessing and mistreating a tiger cub seized at his home by wildlife wardens acting on a tip from someone who saw a social media post involving the animal that was also featured in a YouTube video with vlogger Logan Paul. "Tigers and other exotic animals are not pets," said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. "Keeping these potentially dangerous animals in a residential setting poses a serious safety risk for residents and animals alike. My office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure these treasured creatures are safe and those who illegally keep them are held accountable." Nicholas Perkins, 32, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on misdemeanor charges of illegal possession of a tiger, mistreatment of a tiger and possession of anabolic steroids. If convicted, he could face up to two years and six months in jail and $4,000 in fines, according to Feuer's office. David Bess, deputy director and chief of the Law Enforcement Division at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the state has some of the strongest restricted species laws in the nation. "They're designed to protect exotic animals from neglect and improper care and serve to protect the public from these animals, many of which can be dangerous," he said. "Our Wildlife Trafficking Team, working with the City Attorney's office, are sending a message that exotic species like tigers don't belong as pets in people's homes." In October 2017, DFW wildlife trafficking wardens received an anonymous tip from someone who saw photos of a model posing with a tiger cub on Instagram. DFW investigators identified the defendant and the cub through references in the post, according to Feuer's office. During the investigation, the defendant and the animal's location were also verified by DFW wardens after the cub appeared on a vlog of YouTube personality Logan Paul, according to Deputy City Attorney Nick Karno. When a search warrant was executed on the defendant's home on Nov. 9, 2017, agents found alleged "extensive evidence of the animal's poor living conditions and the presence of anabolic steroids," according to a statement released by Feuer's office that also alleged Perkins was feeding the tiger cub kitten milk replacement formula with a baby bottle. The tiger cub was placed in a large cat rescue facility in north Los Angeles County and has made a full recovery, according to Feuer's office. Brazilian doctors are reporting the world's first baby born to a woman with a uterus transplanted from a deceased donor. Eleven previous births have used a transplanted womb but from a living donor, usually a relative or friend. Experts said using uteruses from women who have died could make more transplants possible. Ten previous attempts using deceased donors in the Czech Republic, Turkey and the U.S. have failed. The baby girl was delivered last December by a woman born without a uterus because of a rare syndrome. The woman a 32-year-old psychologist was initially apprehensive about the transplant, said Dr. Dani Ejzenberg, the transplant team's lead doctor at the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine. "This was the most important thing in her life," he said. "Now she comes in to show us the baby and she is so happy," The woman became pregnant through in vitro fertilization seven months after the transplant. The donor was a 45-year-old woman who had three children and died of a stroke. The recipient, who was not identified, gave birth by cesarean section. Doctors also removed the womb, partly so the woman would no longer have to take anti-rejection medicines. Nearly a year later, mother and baby are both healthy. Two more transplants are planned as part of the Brazilian study. Details of the first case were published Tuesday in the medical journal Lancet. Uterus transplantation was pioneered by Swedish doctor Mats Brannstrom, who has delivered eight children from women who got wombs from family members or friends. Two babies have been born at Baylor University Medical Center in Texas and one in Serbia, also from transplants from living donors. In 2016, doctors at the Cleveland Clinic transplanted a uterus from a deceased donor, but it failed after an infection developed. "The Brazilian group has proven that using deceased donors is a viable option," said the clinic's Dr. Tommaso Falcone, who was involved in the Ohio case. "It may give us a bigger supply of organs than we thought were possible." The Cleveland program is continuing to use deceased donors. Falcone said the fact that the transplant was successful after the uterus was preserved in ice for nearly eight hours demonstrated how resilient the uterus is. Doctors try to keep the time an organ is without blood flow to a minimum. Other experts said the knowledge gained from such procedures might also solve some lingering mysteries about pregnancies. "There are still lots of things we don't understand about pregnancies, like how embryos implant," said Dr. Cesar Diaz, who co-authored an accompanying commentary in the journal. "These transplants will help us understand implantation and every stage of pregnancy." What to Know The People Ops Tech pitch competition is in its fourth year Early stage startups make a 5-minute pitch to a panel of judges The startups are for-profit companies building technology to solve workplace bias For young tech entrepreneurs, it's a rite of passage: Making a five-minute timed pitch in front of a panel of judges, explaining why their fledgeling companies are worthy of a venture capitalist's investment dollars. They'll show off their latest innovations in artificial intelligence, and explain the problems their software will solve for consumers or enterprises. But in the case of one pitch contest, the customer is all of Silicon Valley and the problem is an epidemic of workplace bias and toxic culture that makes it hard for tech companies to recruit and retain women and minorities. The money behind the People Ops Tech pitch competition is Freada Kapor Klein, of Kapor Capital. She's held the competition for four years, giving out a total of $100,000 with virtually no strings attached, to companies that are fighting fire with fire or, as she puts it, fixing tech with tech. "We have seen all of the ways humans have failed at fixing these problems, so we say, 'Let's 'see if tech can do things in a systematic way that people have not been able to do,'" Kapor Klein said. Jonathan Bloom/NBC Bay Area Of the ten entrepreneurs who competed, many have already built prototypes of AI-enabled platforms to detect and track bias, or to communicate with employees and stop it before it happens. Kapor Klein believes fixing workplace culture is every bit as important as recruiting diversely. "If all we do is fix the hiring end, then what we've got is a bathtub problem," she said. "Meaning we are filling the bathtub with the drain still open." The Kapor Center published its 2017 Tech Leavers Study, surveying employees who voluntarily left jobs at tech companies. Almost 40 percent of those surveyed said the reason they left was unfairness or mistreatment. Many of the entrepreneurs cited that study during their pitches. The three award recipients at this year's competition were: Five to Nine, a platform for companies to organize culture-building activities, and track whether they're successful using employee surveys. (1st place, $40,000) Next Play, a bot that uses AI to match employees with mentors at their company, taking both career goals and demographics into account (2nd place, $25,000) Forefront, an AI-enabled platform that delivers timely and relevant cultural sensitivity training to managers based on current events and the demographics of the people they manage (3rd place and audience choice, totaling $35,000) A one-of-a-kind gift from an Air Force airman to his dying uncle has been lost to package thieves in Fairfield. The family believes so called porch pirates snatched the sentimental present from their doorstep. It's a growing problem across the Bay Area, but in this case, the contents of the package are irreplaceable. "I just dont know where peoples mindsets are these days." Thats the message Jennifer Nicholson wants package thieves to hear after a box filled with holiday gifts sent from her Airman brother stationed overseas was swiped from her front porch on Saturday. Among the contents, a flag from one of her brothers combat missions sent as a gift to their uncle. NBC Bay Area's Jodi Hernandez has the full story in the above video. Investors have been worried about a potential Amazon leap into the turf of drugstores, especially after watching the online giant dive into groceries with the acquisition of the Whole Foods chain. Amazon sent drugstore shares tumbling briefly in June when it announced the acquisition of PillPack, an online pharmacy that offers pre-sorted dose packaging and home delivery. The family of a man who died in an officer-involved shooting at a barbershop in San Francisco back in March is expected to announce a lawsuit against the police department Thursday morning. Jehad Eid's family is expected to announced the lawsuit at 11 a.m. in front of San Francisco City Hall. Details of the lawsuit were not immediately known. Eid, a 21-year-old Suisun resident, was inside the Amazon Barber Shop on March 21 when he exchanged gunfire with officers, according to the shop's owner. Eid later died from his injuries, police said. Multiple people, including a San Francisco police officer, were injured in the shootout. One of the six patients submitted to the hospital following a shooting that involved a San Francisco Police Department officer and five others Wednesday has died. Pete Suratos reports. Officers responded to reports of a man with a gun in the 200 block of Amazon Avenue, near the Outer Mission and Crocker-Amazon neighborhoods, at around 4:30 p.m. on the day of the shooting, San Francisco Police Department Chief William Scott said. A post shared by DRO OWNER EARTHQUAKECITYENT (@dro_hunnid) on Mar 21, 2018 at 6:17pm PDT UPDATE - Suspect in officer involved shooting is in custody. There is no ongoing threat to the community at this time. Traffic conditions remain congested, please continue to avoid the area of Geneva & London. San Francisco Police (@SFPD) March 22, 2018 Witness to this officer-involved shooting in the Outer Mission #SF: I saw 2 ppl talking to an officer, then next thing I know I heard shots and ran. When he returned, saw 3 people on the ground, including officer. Update @nbcjeanelle 6 pm pic.twitter.com/usqmrcd0FQ Sam Brock (@SamNBCBayArea) March 22, 2018 Team of motorcycle officer just arrived to officer involved shooting scene. Police source says officer shot in leg. No suspect information yet. @nbcbayarea pic.twitter.com/zptpaNffYR Jean Elle (@nbcjeanelle) March 22, 2018 MORE: Several streets blocked off in area of Geneva/Mission in San Francisco Outer Mission following officer-involved shooting. LIVE VIDEO: https://t.co/qz2HfVThHq pic.twitter.com/NuNKmTYosM Kristofer Noceda (@krisnoceda) March 22, 2018 UPDATE: Officer transported to hospital following shooting in San Francisco Outer Mission (Geneva/Mission). https://t.co/S1QcMzVypx pic.twitter.com/glzHm13YDM Kristofer Noceda (@krisnoceda) March 22, 2018 The barbers told NBC Bay Area that they had never seen Eid before he entered the shop. Police said Eid's family called 911 and said he had a gun and tried to break into a garage. Police later spotted Eid at the barbershop and said he fired at authorities nine times. Officers fired roughly two dozen shots. The owner of the bullet-holes-ridden barbershop, Vladimir Shtynberg, told NBC Bay Area that two of his barbers were injured in the shooting, but they were expected to recover. SF Police Officer Wounded in Shooting A video of the shooting posted on Instagram shows an injured police officer crawling outside the barber shop, police surrounding the area and another injured man taking cover at a pharmacy next door. Naiel Nasrah, the manager of Daniels Pharmacy next door, said he heard several gunshots, ran up the stairs and saw the injured barbers running inside the store. Nasrah said he was worried about everybody in the neighborhood because his family works at the pharmacy. "Everybody in heres tight knit," Nasrah told NBC Bay Area after the shooting. "Everybody here knows the pharmacy and the barbershop." The Amazon Barber Shop has been around for over 100 years, according to Shtynberg, and Daniels Pharmacy opened its doors to the neighborhood in 1949, Nasrah said. A police officer and five others are hospitalized following an officer-involved shooting Wednesday in San Francisco, officials said. Pete Suratos reports. Another video captured by J&J Hardware store's surveillance camera shows a group of police officers walking into the barber shop, and shortly after, the gunfire that followed. One witness, Marvin Totah, said the suspect "wasn't looking at where he was shooting" and he could have "ended up hitting everybody else." A big-rig that crashed on eastbound Interstate Highway 80 in San Francisco just before the Bay Bridge has been cleared and all lanes reopened Wednesday afternoon, according to the California Highway Patrol. Although the big-rig was towed and officers cleared the scene around 2:45 p.m., CHP spokesman Officer Vu Williams said there was still a heavy backup of vehicles leading up to the Bay Bridge an hour later. The crash was first reported on eastbound Highway 80 just east of The Embarcadero around 11:30 a.m. According to Williams, the big-rig somehow lost control during Wednesday's wet weather and jackknifed, initially blocking three of the left lanes. The big-rig driver suffered minor injuries and a concrete column on the bridge reportedly sustained minor damage. China on Thursday demanded that Canada release an executive of Chinese tech giant Huawei who was arrested in a case that compounds tensions with the U.S. and threatens to complicate trade talks. Meng Wanzhou, chief financial officer of Huawei Technologies Ltd., faces possible extradition to the United States, according to Canadian authorities. The Globe and Mail newspaper, citing law enforcement sources, said she is suspected of trying to evade U.S. trade curbs on Iran. Huawei, the biggest global supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns. Under President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, Washington has pressured European countries and other allies to limit use of its technology. The U.S. sees Huawei and smaller Chinese tech suppliers as possible fronts for spying and as commercial competitors. The Trump administration says they benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. The timing of the arrest is awkward following the announcement of a U.S.-Chinese cease-fire in a trade war that has its roots in Beijing's technology policy. Meng was detained in Vancouver on Saturday, the day Trump and Xi Jinping met in Argentina and announced their deal. U.S. national security adviser John Bolton told NPR that he knew of the pending arrest in advance. He declined to talk about the specifics of the case and said he didn't know if Trump knew about before it happened but added that there has been enormous concern about the practice of Chinese firms like Huawei allegedly using stolen U.S. intellectual property. He said that would be a major subject of negotiations with China. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was given a few days advance notice of the intention of Canadian authorities to arrest her but said it was the decision of law enforcement and there was no political interference. "I can assure everyone that we are a country of an independent judiciary and the appropriate authorities took the decisions in this case without any political involvement or interference," Trudeau said. He also said he could not comment further because of a publication ban. A spokesman for Canada's justice department said Meng requested the ban and the department could not comment further. Stock markets tumbled on the news, fearing renewed U.S.-Chinese tensions that threaten global economic growth. Hong Kong's Hang Seng lost 2.5 percent and the DAX in Germany sank 1.8 percent. A Chinese government statement said Meng broke no U.S. or Canadian laws and demanded Canada "immediately correct the mistake" and release her. Beijing asked Washington and Ottawa to explain the reason for Meng's arrest, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Geng Shuang. He said arresting her without that violated her human rights. But the Ministry of Commerce signaled that Beijing wants to avoid disrupting progress toward settling a dispute with Washington over technology policy that has led them to raise tariffs on billions of dollars of each other's goods. China is confident they can reach a trade deal during the 90 days that Trump agreed to suspend U.S. tariff hikes, said a ministry spokesman, Gao Feng. Trump's tariff hikes on Chinese imports stemmed from complaints Beijing steals or pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. But U.S. officials also worry more broadly that Chinese plans for state-led creation of Chinese champions in robotics, artificial intelligence and other fields might erode U.S. industrial leadership. "The United States is stepping up containment of China in all respects," said Zhu Feng, an international relations expert at Nanjing University. He said targeting Huawei, one of its most successful companies, "will trigger anti-U.S. sentiment." "The incident could turn out to be a breaking point," Zhu said. Last month, New Zealand blocked a mobile phone company from using Huawei equipment, saying it posed a "significant network security risk." The company was banned in August from working on Australia's fifth-generation network. On Wednesday, British phone carrier BT said it was removing Huawei equipment from the core of its mobile phone networks. It said Huawei still is a supplier of other equipment and a "valued innovation partner." The Wall Street Journal reported this year U.S. authorities are investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. The Chinese government appealed to Washington to avoid any steps that might damage business confidence. Huawei's biggest Chinese rival, ZTE Corp., was nearly driven out of business this year when Washington barred it from buying U.S. technology over exports to North Korea and Iran. Trump restored access after ZTE agreed to pay a $1 billion fine, replace its executive team and embed a U.S.-chosen compliance team in the company. Huawei is regarded as far stronger commercially than ZTE. Based in Shenzhen, near Hong Kong, Huawei has the biggest research and development budget of any Chinese company and a vast portfolio of patents, making it less dependent on American suppliers. Its growing smartphone brand is among the top three global suppliers behind Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc. by number of handsets sold. Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained "on behalf of the United States of America" to face unspecified charges in New York, according to a Huawei statement. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," the statement said. A U.S. Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. Huawei said it complies with all laws and rules where it operates, including export controls and sanctions of the U.N., the U.S. and European Union. Meng's arrest also threatened to inflame disagreements over Iran and Trump's decision to break with other governments and re-impose sanctions over the country's nuclear development. Geng, the foreign ministry spokesman, said China objects to unilateral sanctions outside the United Nations. China has said it will continue to do business with Iran despite the possible threat of U.S. penalties. Meng is a prominent member of China's business world as deputy chairman of Huawei's board and the daughter of its founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese military engineer. Despite that, her arrest is unlikely to derail trade talks, said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "I think too much is at stake for Xi Jinping. He desperately wants a settlement," said Lam. Longer term, however, the case will reinforce official Chinese urgency about developing domestic technology suppliers to reduce reliance on the United States, said Lam. Trump has "pulled out all the stops" to hamper Chinese ambitions to challenge the U.S. as a technology leader, Lam said. That includes imposing limits on visas for Chinese students to study science and technology. "If the Chinese need further convincing, this case would show them beyond doubt Trump's commitment," said Lam. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said U.S. and Canadian business executives could face reprisals in China. "That's something we should be watching out for. It's a possibility. China plays rough," Mulroney said. "It's a prominent member of their society and it's a company that really embodies China's quest for global recognition as a technology power." Gillies reported from Toronto. AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing contributed. Connecticut is steps closer to potentially changing the way the states sex-offender registry is managed. The Connecticut Sentencing Commission is holding a public hearing Thursday and reviewing several proposed changes following a two-year study that began in 2015. There was concern in the legislature, I think, that maybe Connecticut could find a better way to deal with sex offender registration, sex offender management, Superior Court Judge Robert Delvin, chair of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, said. Among several proposed changes are three headliners. The first focuses on revamping the system by focusing on an offenders risk versus the offenders conviction. In other words, how likely that person is to re-offend. Weve got over 5,000 people on the sex-offender registry now in Connecticut, Delvin said. By focusing on the really high-risk offenders now, I think that will make us safer. The second proposal is a petition process through the Superior Court to remove an offender from the list. Currently in Connecticut, once an offender is on the registry, the person cant be removed from it. The third proposed change readjusts the publics access to the list. Depending on the crime or risk of re-offending, some of the registry could only be seen by law enforcement. Right now, the public has access to the entire registry. As a mother and as a teacher, I feel that we have to protect our most vulnerable populations, and having that kind of information is important to have, said Meghan Lamarre, of Farmington, who disagrees with a partially concealed list. We looked at it when we bought our house and I look at it when its trick or treating time or when theres a house for sale in our neighborhood. John Barrows of West Hartford agrees. I would probably like to see the list still there and available to everybody, he said. Judge Delvin said the victims voices are being heard in the process. Several victims have come forth to provide testimony. Meanwhile, victim advocates are also represented on the committee. We have definitely reached out to the victims community to get their input on how they feel about this, Judge Delvin said. And in general, I think they support the idea of focusing our resources on those high-risk offenders. Each proposal will be brought to the legislature for consideration. A new study found the states college and university system has an annual economic impact of more than $11 billion, based on analysis of data from the 2016-17 fiscal year. We are from Connecticut, we stay in Connecticut and we provide the economic engine for the future of Connecticut, CSCU President Mark Ojakian said, adding more than 75 percent of the systems graduates find a job in the state. According to the analysis by the firm Emsi, the state gains an added $11.70 in state revenue and social savings for every $1 invested in the states 17 colleges and universities. My education at Housatonic prepared me very well for what I do here, said Jeramine Burke from Bridgeport. For Burke, working at Balding Precision in Milford is a second change. I was in prison at 21 facing some pretty rough charges, he said, but the grace of God I was given the opportunity to go back to school where I did manufacturing. In 2016, Burke completed Housatonic Community Colleges year-long advanced manufacturing program. It was very in-depth preparing us for the workforce, he said, dealing with the machines. Burke said an internship led to his job at the sub-contractor that makes parts for the aerospace and medical industries. Its a very lucrative business and the experience is everything, he said. Its done me justice, its really put me on a better path. The bulk of the $11.1 billion the CSCU system contributes annually to the Connecticut economy comes from the $9.9 billion in alumni earnings, according to the first-ever system-wide study. The higher education the institutions are providing for its students, Emsi economist Hannah Ruffridge told NBC Connecticut after her presentation Thursday morning at Gateway Community College in New Haven. Its alumni are then entering the Connecticut workforce and theyre making more money positively impacting the Connecticut economy. Ojakian said the findings should send a message to the new governor and General Assembly when it comes to allocating funding for the CSCU system. As we tell our story about why we should be viewed as an investment in the future of the state of Connecticut and not simply as an expenditure or a line item in a budget, he said. First generation college student Jesus Garzon is in his second year at Gateway. He said next year he plans to transfer to Southern Connecticut State University to earn a bachelors degree in political science. The fact that we are living in a very education driven economy its absolutely a no-brainer, Garzon said. Its pretty hard to just get away with a high school diploma now. State Rep. Toni Walker (D-New Haven) chairs the Appropriations Committee and she is part of Governor-elect Ned Lamonts transition team. She told NBC Connecticut the study should be helpful for her colleagues in Hartford. I think this is a good way of giving us better information as we look at the budget where the areas that we can, impact the state in a positive way, Rep. Walker said. Looking at the actual return on investment for all of the different aspects, the students, the community or the university, those impacts are translate down to dollars. Connecticuts sole remaining survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor attended a special ceremony Thursday recognizing the creation of a new memorial park. State and local officials held a dedication for the Pearl Harbor Memorial Park in New Haven. Its located in the shadows of the Pearl Harbor Memorial bridge over the Quinnipiac River. The park honors the more than 2,400 lives lost during the attack on the naval base in Hawaii on Dec. 7, 1941. Ninety-seven-year-old Floyd Welch from East Lyme was on board the USS Maryland, which was damaged during the Japanese bombing. The next day after that attack I could see it was horrible, so many at once, so many left our world at once, Welch said. Friday marks 77 years since the surprise attack that led the US to enter World War II. The bridge is lit up red, white and blue in memory of that day. The new park, located at the corner of East Street and Forbes Avenue, includes panels where people can view the bridge and learn more about the memorial aspects of the site. The park features a center island with a flag pole surrounded by pathways containing 17 benches to represent the Connecticut servicemen who lost their lives during the attack. The sidewalks leading up to the park was designed to reflect the shape of a submarine sitting in the harbor. The park was created as part of the I-95 New Haven Harbor Crossing Corridor Improvement Program. The town of South Windsor is considering raising the minimum age required to purchase tobacco. Soon 21 may be the age youve got to be if you want to smoke anything from cigarettes to e-cigarettes. As the town begins debate about this proposal, there are mixed feelings on the issue. The mayor, who also happens to be a lung doctor, says limiting access to cigarettes will stop more young people from smoking. A town council member who lost a loved one to tobacco use says the plan isnt a good one. We have a collective responsibility to use our knowledge and our understanding to make policies that are going to help people live longer and healthier, said South Windsor Mayor Dr. Saud Anwar. The mayor is pushing the proposal to raise the age required to buy tobacco, citing the rise in Connecticut high schoolers who now spoke e-cigarettes, forming nicotine addictions earlier. Science is saying that these kids are going to die. One third of them will have smoking-related death if they start at an early age. So we have a responsibility to try and reduce that consumption, Anwar said. But town councilor Lisa Maneeley said the proposal represents classic government overreach in the lives of legal adults. Eighteen-year-olds are not children, and theyre allowed to make their own decisions, Maneeley, a Republican, argued. Maneeley may seem like an unlikely opponent on this issue. Her father died when she was a teen, before he turned 40, from lung cancer caused by a smoking habit he picked up when he was about 14. I dont approve of tobacco. I dont approve of vaping. But I dont believe a town has the right to infringe their views on somebody else, Maneeley said. The council will put the question to the public for feedback when it offers up an ordinance expected early next year. Any potential age increase would require a vote of support by the council. The mayor expects this proposal to be written into an ordinance for public discussion sometime next month. A vote could come at the end of January or beginning of February. State police say they executed a search warrant at a home on Fox Brook Road in Hartland on Thursday night. There was a heavy police presence for hours for what authorities described only as an ongoing, active investigation. State police began their investigation into suspicious activity in the area of Fox Brook Road on Sunday, according to a news release. After being approved for a search warrant, investigators seized several items of evidence, police said. State police released no other information but called it an isolated incident and said there is no danger to the public. Hartford-based insurer Travelers has agreed to provide supplemental assistance to its customers in Connecticut with crumbling home foundations. The money would be in addition to funds that homeowners can receive from an insurance entity set up by the state to help replace foundations built decades ago with faulty concrete. Beginning Feb. 15, the program will provide eligible current customers up to $25,000 and eligible former customers up to $10,000, subject to program terms. Travelers said the supplemental money can be used for expenses, such as replacing landscaping or a deck that needs to be torn down, which are not covered by the state program. In July 2015, NBC Connecticut Investigates broke the story about dozens of homeowners in Hartford, Tolland and Windham counties who discovered their concrete foundations are deteriorating. The homes with faulty basements were all built between the early 1980s and the early 2000s and most began to show signs of deterioration between 10 and 20 years after construction. An estimated 35,000 homes in Connecticut and Massachusetts are impacted by disintegrating concrete containing pyrrhotite, an iron sulfide that has reacted naturally with oxygen and water over the decades. Gov. Dannel Malloy's office said they hope other insurers will follow Travelers lead and that the federal government will eventually step in. Learn more about the Travelers program here or by calling Travelers at 800-527-2416. A woman reported missing from Vernon on Wednesday has been found safe in Pennsylvania. Aroob Mallhi left Vernon Wednesday morning and headed for Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, but hadn't arrived as of Wednesday evening, according to police. Her family reported her missing over concerns for her well-being. Vernon police said Mallhi was located safe and sound in Pennsylvania on Thursday. Philippine immigration authorities say they have arrested an American Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting altar boys in a remote central town in a case one official described as "shocking and appalling." Bureau of Immigration spokeswoman Dana Sandoval said Thursday the Rev. Kenneth Bernard Hendricks, who has been indicted in Ohio for alleged illicit sexual conduct in the Philippines, was arrested in a church in Naval town on the island province of Biliran. An Ohio court had issued a warrant for the arrest of 77-year-old Hendricks, who has been living in the Philippines for 37 years, Sandoval said, adding that the U.S. criminal case stemmed from complaints from Filipino minors who were allegedly victimized in the Philippines. There was no immediate reaction from the U.S. Embassy, Philippine Catholic church officials or Hendricks, who was flown to Manila and detained in an immigration cell. The suspect allegedly abused seven victims, who served mostly as altar boys in Naval, in 50 counts of molestation in his residence in a case that's "both shocking and appalling," Sandoval said. "The victims were in his house and the abuses were committed while he was taking a bath with each of them," Sandoval said by telephone. U.S. authorities provided information about the alleged sexual assaults to the Philippine government, she said. The victims were reportedly warned they would be locked up in jail if they told anyone about the abuses, she said. "Several of his victims have come forward with their statements," Sandoval said. The U.S. Embassy may revoke Hendrick's passport to help Philippine authorities immediately deport the priest, the immigration bureau said in a statement. Hendricks is "a fugitive from justice that poses a risk to public safety and security," Sandoval said. "We will not allow sexual predators to prey on our children. People like him must be kicked out and banned from the Philippines." Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly lashed out at the dominant Catholic church and its priests over such abuses, saying he himself along with other students were sexually molested by an American priest in their high school days. In separate speeches Wednesday, the volatile leader claimed almost 90 percent of Catholic priests were homosexual and also admonished Catholics to "kill your bishops, they are useless fools. All they do is criticize." "I'm telling you, the most hypocritical institution in the entire Philippines is the Catholic church and the pope knows that," Duterte said. A Catholic priest and Duterte critic, Amado Picardal, said the president's remarks on the church may be aimed at diverting public attention from his widely criticized deadly war on drugs, the government's failure to stop the smuggling of illegal drugs into the country, continuing poverty, corruption and other issues. He said Duterte may also feel threatened by the Catholic church, which played a role in the ouster of two Philippine presidents, including the 1986 overthrow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos. "Many people believe that his controversial statements are simply a way of diverting the people's attention from the real issues raised against him," Picardal said. Two men were killed Wednesday night in a crash that shut down Central Expressway overnight in downtown Dallas, police say. According to police, the men were heading eastbound on Woodall Rodgers Freeway in a black Porsche 911 when at 8:44 p.m., the driver lost control on the ramp to northbound Central Expressway. The car sideswiped a Nissan Juke, also traveling on the northbound exit ramp, fell from the ramp and landed upside down on Central Expressway. The car then slid down the freeway before coming to a stop, police said. Police said officers found the driver, a 34-year-old man from Plano, and the front passenger, a 42-year-old man from Rowlett, deceased inside the upturned vehicle. The identities of the deceased have not been released. A 21-year-old woman driving the Nissan and a 3-month-old child in the back seat were both transported to hospitals with injuries not considered life-threatening, police said. Investigators said the Porsche was speeding at the time of the crash. Northbound Central Expressway was closed at North Hall Street as investigators examined the scene and debris was cleared. All lanes have since reopened. An exhibit inside Denton's Golden Triangle Mall has become a meeting place, of sorts, for old war stories. The display is part of a push to honor all Texas veterans. "Is it going pretty good?" asked Fred Pursur, as he discussed efforts to establish a Texas Veterans Hall of Fame. The answer he received from Gary Steele, a resounding "Yes." Purser, 95, of Hebron, is a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War who was shopping at the mall when the display caught his interest. Steele, a Vietnam veteran who served 21 years in the armed forces, is spearheading the push to establish the hall of fame. "We want to tell our stories and remind the public of our sacrifices," Steele said. "And, freedom's not free." Steele said the effort began about three years ago when he realized that many younger people -- and even some older ones -- didn't fully realize the role of Texas military members in protecting and serving the country. He was also surprised to learn that Texas was one of the few states without a statewide hall of fame to honor that individual service and sacrifice. "I just have that passion to take care of our veterans because the military has been good to me and my family," he said. "It's just part of the blood, I guess you might say." An estimated 1.8 million Texans have served in the military. With the traveling exhibit, hall of fame organizers are drumming up interest by sharing their vision with anyone willing to listen. They're also collecting donations for a permanent museum site -- which they said would be located in Denton County -- and preferably in the city of Denton, although they're not sure exactly how much they'll need. I would say if you gave $1 for every veteran, I'd take your $1.8 million and we'll see what we get," Steele said. With a goal of opening a temporary site, at least, by 2020 -- Steele said the hall of fame will honor all Texas veterans, living and deceased -- through their own personal stories. "Our motto is never again will one generation abandon another," he said. "And that's what keeps us going." Thursday marked the final farewell to former President George H.W. Bush in Texas. After his funeral in Houston, his body was transported from Spring in Harris County to his final resting place at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For the first time since the death of President Dwight Eisenhower in 1969, a presidents body was transported on a funeral train. Union Pacific is so honored to be helping America recognize President Bush and pay respect to him on his way to his final resting place, Union Pacific spokesperson Tom Lange said. Bush arrived at College Station on the Union Pacific No. 4141 George Bush Locomotive. The train was unveiled in 2005, during a ceremony near the Bush Presidential Library. Thousands lined cities along the route to pay final respects to the former president. The train has 11 cars with the president in the sixth. His American flag-draped coffin was visible to all those along the route. The final trip came at the request of the former president himself. The CEO at the time had a personal relationship with President Bush, Lange said. Lange said he and the employees of Union Pacific are still taking in the scope of the honor of being involved in the ceremonial trip. I dont know if any of us can be fully prepared for the emotion and the enormity of the event, Lange said. You like to think that you are prepared for what the emotion might be, but I cant and I dont know anyone who really could. For many, the idea of Bush traversing the Texas countryside one last time was chill-inducing. It was moving to know that he took one last journey through the state he loved and be among the people. He loved the trains especially in the days of when he could ride trains, because it brought him closer to the people versus and airplane or something else, Lange said. Canadian authorities said Wednesday that they have arrested the chief financial officer of China's Huawei Technologies for possible extradition to the United States. China demanded her immediate release, and a former Canadian envoy to China warned the case might lead to retaliation by the Chinese against American and Canadian executives. Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said Meng Wanzhou was detained in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday. The arrest took place on the same day Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping to discuss the trade war after the close of the G-20 summit in Argentina. They agreed to a 90-day truce in an escalating trade war that is threatening world economic growth and has set global investors on edge. Meng is a prominent member of Chinese society as deputy chairman of the board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. McLeod said a publication ban had been imposed in the case and he could not provide further details. The ban was sought by Meng, who has a bail hearing Friday, he said. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that U.S. authorities are investigating whether Chinese tech giant Huawei violated sanctions on Iran. Huawei issued a statement saying Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained "on behalf of the United States of America" to face "unspecified charges" in New York. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," the statement said. Huawei said it complies with all laws and rules where it operates, including export controls and sanctions of the United Nations, the U.S. and European Union. The Chinese Embassy in Ottawa said her human rights were violated and demanded she be freed. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim," the statement said. A U.S. Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following the Wall Street Journal report that U.S. authorities were investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiraling technology tensions. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said then that China hoped the U.S. would refrain from taking actions that could further undermine investor confidence in the U.S. business environment and harm its domestic economy. That same month Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp. from exporting U.S. technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea Trump has threatened to raise tariffs on Chinese goods in response to complaints that Beijing improperly pressures foreign companies to hand over technology. That is widely seen as part of a broader effort by Washington to respond to intensifying competition with Chinese technology industries that Trump says benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. The escalating trade war is threatening world economic growth and has set global investors on edge. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said U.S. and Canadian business executives could face reprisals in China. "That's something we should be watching out for. It's a possibility. China's plays rough," Mulroney said. "It's a prominent member of their society and it's a company that really embodies China's quest for global recognition as a technology power." Mulroney said Canada should be prepared for "sustained fury" from the Chinese and said it will be portrayed in China as Canada kowtowing to Trump. He also said the Iran allegations are very damaging to Huawei and said China will push back hard. Wenran Jiang, a senior fellow at the Institute of Asian Research at the University of British Columbia, said the Chinese will read the arrest on the same day as the Trump meeting with the Chinese leader as a planned conspiracy to do damage "She was in transit though Vancouver. That means the intelligence agencies in Canada and the U.S. were tracking her and planning to arrest her for some time," he said. He foresees a crisis in relations between the three countries if she is extradited and said any talk of free trade agreement between Canada and China would be over. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Armed Services and Banking committees, said Huawei is an agent of China's communist party and applauded Canada for the arrest. "Americans are grateful that our Canadian partners have arrested the Chief Financial Officer of a giant Chinese telecom company for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran," he said. Three U.S. senators want federal officials to publicly release information about the circumstances surrounding the death of a Honduran transgender migrant who was in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Roxsana Hernandez, 33, died in May at an Albuquerque hospital where she was admitted after showing symptoms of pneumonia, dehydration and complications associated with HIV. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator confirmed Thursday it has yet to complete an autopsy report. Hernandez arrived in the United States in the spring as part of a highly publicized caravan of Central American asylum seekers. Her death sparked protests, with immigrant and LGBTQ advocates saying her case underscores concerns that transgender migrants in detention facilities often do not receive adequate medical care. Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, both of New Mexico, and Sen. Kamala Harris of California sent a letter this week to top officials with ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The three Democrats contend that federal officials are responsible for publishing an initial report within 30 days when someone dies while in custody and that a final report is due within two months. "It has been over 180 days since Ms. Hernandez was pronounced dead and no such report has been publicly released," their letter states. "ICE's failure to release this report diminishes the systemic, traumatic, and in this case fatal, violence that transgender individuals experience daily as a result of their gender identity." Federal officials have said previously they were awaiting the results of the state autopsy. The senators also requested documentation on the training that officers, agents and contractors undergo related to the processing, care and safety of transgender detainees. The request comes after an attorney representing Hernandez's family threatened to sue over claims she did not receive adequate medical care and was physically abused. Immigration authorities have maintained that Hernandez wasn't abused while in their custody. After arriving in the United States, Hernandez was taken into custody in San Diego and later transferred to El Paso, Texas, before being taken to the Cibola County Detention Center in western New Mexico. She was housed at the center's transgender unit for a day before being admitted to a local hospital. She was then transferred to the Albuquerque hospital, where she died several days later. Federal officials announced Hernandez's death May 25 , saying she was the sixth detainee to die in custody since Oct. 1, 2017. According to immigration authorities, Hernandez twice illegally entered the United States between 2005 and 2009. She was allowed to return to Mexico each time because she claimed Mexican nationality when encountered by immigration officials. In 2006 and 2009, she was convicted of theft, prostitution and other charges in two separate cases in Texas. In 2014, Hernandez illegally re-entered the U.S. a third time, was arrested and removed. Two female bodies belonging to a mother and daughter were discovered in a Monrovia apartment Wednesday afternoon, according to police. The bodies of an adult woman and a juvenile girl were discovered on the 800 block of West Colorado Boulevard in Monrovia, with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department declaring the incident a murder investigation. Police identified the outstanding suspect in the double murder as Nimrod Perez Guerrero, 33. Guerrero is described as 5-foot-8, 200 pounds and is possibly driving a 2014 Toyota Rav4 with California liscence plate 7FPB132, according to LASD. Guerrero is believed to be armed and dangerous, according to police. LA County Sheriff's lieutenant Derrick Alfred said that the Monrovia Police Department received a tip about an assault that took place at the location. When police investigated the location and climbed in through a window, they discovered the bodies of the mother and daughter, according to Alfred. Superintendent Katherine Thorossian of the Monrovia Unified School District issued a statement confirming the death of the girl: "The teachers, staff and students of Monrovia Unified School District are mourning tonight because of the loss of one of our Monrovia High School students. There is no question that a tragedy of this nature affects our entire community. It is difficult to process the death of anyone, much less someone so young and so promising. The District will have grief counselors available on campus to support students and staff as we all grapple with this terrible loss." Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the "P3 Tips" Mobile APP on Google play or the Apple App Store or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org. California became the first state in the nation to require homes built in 2020 and later be solar powered, following a vote by the Building Standards Commission. The unanimous action on Wednesday finalizes a previous vote by the Energy Commission and fulfills a decade-old goal to make the state reliant on cleaner energy. "These provisions really are historic and will be a beacon of light for the rest of the country," said Kent Sasaki, a structural engineer and one of six building standards commissioners. "(It's) the beginning of substantial improvement in how we produce energy and reduce the consumption of fossil fuels." While nobody spoke Wednesday in opposition, the commission received about 300 letters opposing the mandate because of the added cost, the Orange County Register reported. Energy officials estimated the provisions will add $10,000 to the cost of building a single-family home about $8,400 from adding solar and about $1,500 for making homes more energy-efficient. But those costs would be offset by lower utility bills over the 30-year lifespan of the solar panels, officials said. One commission member worried the mandate would make it harder for California wildfire victims to rebuild. But supporters assured him that won't be a problem, according to the newspaper. Homeowners will have two options that eliminate upfront costs of adding solar: leasing the solar panels or signing a power purchase agreement that pays for the electricity without buying the panels, said Drew Bohan, executive director of the energy commission. One solar-industry representative said the net savings from adding solar power will be around $40 a month or nearly $500 a year. "These standards won't necessarily make homes more expensive to buy. What they will do is save money on utility costs," said Pierre Delforge, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council. "This is not only the right thing to do for the climate, it is financially smart." Homebuilders have been preparing for years to meet a proposed requirement that all new homes be "net-zero," meaning they would produce enough solar power to offset all electricity and natural gas consumed over the course of a year. An Iowa man has been sentenced to life in prison for the death of his infant son who was found in a maggot-infested baby swing. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports Judge Richard Stochl on Tuesday sentenced 29-year-old Zachary Paul Koehn to the life sentence without parole, as was mandatory under state law. Koehn was earlier convicted of first-degree murder in the death of 4-month-old Sterling Koehn. Medics called to an Alta Vista apartment in August 2017 found the infant dead in the swing in a dark, sweltering bedroom. An autopsy showed he'd died of malnutrition, dehydration and an E. coli infection caused by being left in a maggot-infested diaper for up to two weeks. A trial for the baby's mother, 21-year-old Cheyanne Harris, is set for January. A 1970s addition to downtown's Times Mirror Square moved closer to possible demolition Wednesday, with the Los Angeles City Council approving a historic designation for the complex that excluded it. The rest of the complex, some of which dates back to the 1930s, was approved unanimously by the council to be placed on the list of the city's historic-cultural monuments. The building's owner, Onni Group, plans to preserve the older structures but demolish the 1970s addition, which was designed by architect William L. Pereira, to make way for an apartment complex. Although the fate of the Pereira addition had been the focus of passionate debate during meetings of the Cultural Heritage Commission and the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, the City Council vote was done without any discussion and part of a block vote on more than two dozen items -- a quiet ending for a structure that once housed part of the West Coast's largest newspaper. The Los Angeles Times had been located at the complex since 1935, although the paper had been renting its space there since 2016 when its former owner, Tribune Media Co., sold it to Canadian developer Onni Group. During a recent meeting of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, Councilman Mitchell Englander noted that the Planning Department had only recommended the 1970s addition be preserved for its historical value, not for any architectural reasons, but the council generally looks for architectural value when it is designating monuments. "We need a little more than that, than the feel-good historians, which is critically important for preserving and protecting what we're losing every single day," Englander said. "In looking at this one, it's very delicate." But opinions on the addition's architectural value were not unanimous. The Cultural Heritage Commission sided with preservationists in September and others who have argued the entire complex is worthy of preservation. The commission even added its own recommendation that the '70s portion be preserved for its architectural contributions even though staff had recommended it was only noteworthy for historical reasons. The commission said the 70s addition was a significant work of master architect Pereira, who also designed San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and many other well-known California structures. The Chandler family owned and ran the paper for seven decades until the family-controlled Times Mirror Co. was sold to Tribune in 2000. Harry Chandler, son of former Times publisher Otis Chandler, asked the Planning and Land Use Management committee to consider the entire complex's history. "When we talk about what historical-cultural monument status is, it's not just the architecture, it's also the history. So in those three buildings I would argue not another three buildings in the entire city, next to the council chambers here, that more history happened," Chandler said. Developers cannot tear down any buildings while an application for monument status is being considered by the city. A historical designation would also delay the demolition of a designated property for up to one year while other preservation options are considered. The Times Mirror application was submitted by a preservationist organization called Esotouric, which offers historical tours in Los Angeles, and signed by its co-founder, Richard Schave. The Times Mirror Square complex consists of five buildings constructed between 1935 and 1973, according to a report by the Department of City Planning: -- the 1935 eight-story Los Angeles Times Building designed in the art deco/moderne architectural style by Los Angeles architect Gordon B. Kaufmann; -- the four-story Plant Building completed in 1935 that is an original two-story art deco/moderne-style building by Kaufmann, with two one-story additions designed by Los Angeles architect Rowland H. Crawford in 1946 and 1955; -- the 12-story Mirror Building designed in the late modern architectural style by Crawford in 1948; -- and the six-story Times-Mirror Headquarters Building and six-story parking structure designed by architect William L. Pereira in the corporate international architectural style in 1973. Bill Delvac, an attorney representing Onni, told the Planning and Land Use Management Committee the developer plans to "rehabilitate the historic heart of the complex," while tearing down the Pereira addition and parking structure. In a report, Department of City Planning staff said the complex is associated with the lives of historic personages important to national, state, city or local history, including for its direct association with the prominent Chandler family, in particular Harry Chandler, Norman Chandler, Dorothy Buffum Chandler and Otis Chandler, each of whom the report said played a significant role in the evolution of the Los Angeles Times from a local publication to a newspaper of national stature, and were influential in real estate development in Los Angeles. The report also said the complex is as an excellent example of the art deco/modern and late modern architectural styles, and is a significant work of master architects Gordon Kaufmann and Rowland Crawford. Orange County Supervisor and District Attorney-elect Todd Spitzer sharply criticized Los Angeles city officials Wednesday, especially Mayor Eric Garcetti, saying it is reckless to allow the homeless to set campfires. "The unimaginable horror faced by California residents and firefighters who watched a monstrous wall of flame obliterate an entire town is a tragedy that most of us will remember forever," Spitzer wrote in an opinion piece published in the Orange County Register. "In the end, it's the job of elected officials to set the highest standards of public safety so that we at least have a fighting chance in the future of controlling something like this." Spitzer wrote that in the past three decades as a California Assembly member and an Orange County supervisor, he has been consumed with giving firefighters, police, and prosecutors the support they need to excel at their jobs despite budget cuts and rising crime. "So it was with great concern and disbelief that I watched a recent news report detailing how Los Angeles city officials have condoned campfires by homeless individuals in the extremely dry, mountainous brush areas. The Los Angeles mayor said the vagrants could not be arrested because the city does not have "No Trespassing" signs posted in the area. Instead, he dispatched a team of counselors with no law enforcement authority to roust the homeless. This was met with limited success. "It's unclear to me how many signs Mayor Eric Garcetti thinks he would need to cover the Santa Monica Mountains behind Bel Air and the Getty Museum. Apparently he is more concerned with creating bureaucracy than with the lives of citizens." In Orange County, he added, "we do not allow the lives and well-being of our residents to be placed at risk by the homeless population. I led efforts with my Board colleagues to clear homeless encampments from three miles along the Santa Ana River and place the individuals in shelters." In November, he wrote, two Los Angeles brush fires started in homeless encampments, including one that involved Griffith Park. "And who can forget the massive Skirball fire last year that burned down six Bel Air homes, which not surprisingly was caused by vagrants who were cooking a meal." "It's logical to assume that the dense brush on the hillsides is an attractive place to build a campsite and create a makeshift galley for breakfast, lunch and dinner. To not vigorously enforce the area as a no-fire zone is just plain reckless." Spitzer wrote that as district attorney, he will have "the authority to set an example for the rest of the state regarding a no-tolerance stance on homeless firebugs or any other type of homeless crime. Many of these individuals just need a lucky break to get on their feet and I will continue to help with this effort, as I have for the past eight years. However, I will not tolerate anyone who violates our laws and jeopardizes our community safety. I hope Los Angeles can follow this lead." Holiday Boat Parades: There's so many ways to describe December in Southern California, but if you're not dropping the words "holiday" and "boat" and "parade," you're not telling the full story. For we do so love to see on-the-water vessels in full shimmer 'round these parts, and we'll have ample opportunity to do so in the coming weeks. The grand Newport Beach affair is still some days out, but yachts, kayaks, and more will motor by appreciative on-lookers in Dana Point and Marina del Rey. Dana Point sails on Dec. 7, 8, 14, and 15, while Marina del Rey's big night is Saturday, Dec. 8. Menorah Lightings: Finding a place to come together with other revelers, all to share a special moment during the Festival of Lights? There are so many beautiful menorahs currently flickering around Southern California, from the menorah on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade to the Original Farmers Market to Pretend City Children's Museum in Irvine. And a Hanukkah Festival at the Zimmer Children's Museum by Sharewell will summon the dreidel-making sweetness, in Santa Monica, on Dec. 9. Santa Cares at Citadel Outlets: The 5-adjacent shopping center will once again welcome "... families with special needs children," creating "a photo environment supportive of their sensory, physical, and developmental needs." This means that the volume on overhead music will be turned down and lights on Santa's cottage lowered. Also? Reservations are available, meaning shorter wait times to see Santa, so definitely look into those before you go. The free event is happening on Sunday morning, Dec. 9. Christmas Tree Lane Lighting: While plenty of SoCal events have pomp, and some have splendor, and a lot boast historical significance, few have what this Altadena tradition has, plus some very large deodar cedars. It's one of the best-known thoroughfares around, and it is ready to wear its shimmery holiday lights, for a few festive weeks, beginning on Saturday, Dec. 8. There's a community festival, too, beforehand. The bulbs'll glow on the big trees of Santa Rosa Avenue, right through to Jan. 1, 2019, and again on Jan. 7, Orthodox Christmas. Free Cocoa Concert: Picture a trio of Friday nights, in December, and one grand train station, and lots of good tunes, and sippable chocolate of a tum-warming nature. You're imagining the Cocoa Concerts, at Union Station, but it is no dream: They're real, and they'll be dancing on Dec. 7, 14, and 21. The Brazilian beats of Moforro are up first, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7. A Holiday Craft Zone, an ugly holiday sweater contest, and more high jinks of a joyful nature will be on tap. Details? Swing by the site now for more this on this December dazzler. What to Know Dogs bred from a puppy mill often bring premature health problems. Research a breeder to make sure they are not be operating a puppy mill. Look at alternatives for purchasing a dog from a breeder or pet store such as adopting from a shelter or rescue group. Adopting a furry friend can be an exciting time for a family or someone looking to add a companion to their home. What many people do not know is the source of where they purchase a dog may be more costly down the road. There are plenty of options for adopting a dog, such as an animal shelter, rescue group, pet store, or from breeders. Although there are a number of sources for finding a four-legged companion, buyers should be aware of the dangers from buying from a commercial or backyard breeders that may be operating a puppy mill. According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), puppy mills are defined as a large-scale commercial dog breeding facility where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs. Puppy mills provide harmful and poor living conditions to dogs such as: Placing a large number of dogs to be bred in small, confined areas that may not allow a dog to stand up and may force a dog to remain in a slouched position for long periods of time; Most dogs do not get enough exercise and some remain in their cage the entirety of their lives; Forcing dogs to produce litter after litter to ensure maximum profit from each dogs; Placing dogs in open wire-tap kennels stacked on top and next to one another, which is uncomfortable for dogs to stand on; Lack of sanitizing kennels on a regular basis; Open kennels stacked on one another allow for feces to fall through into kennels of other dogs and carry bacteria and other illnesses; Dirty water; Expired food that brings unwelcome insects and bacteria to the facilities; Future health problems in dogs that are sold. Other problems commonly found in puppy mills can be found here. Many consumers are unaware that pet stores purchase a number of their dogs from puppy mills, that may result in future health problems, including premature death as a result of the poor living conditions they may have been exposed to listed above. California and Maryland are currently the only two states to ban the sale of puppy mill dogs in pet stores, with other states looking to follow in their footsteps. There are steps consumers can take in order to ensure they are purchasing a healthy dog from a trusted source. Some of those steps include: Visiting the home of the person selling the dog and making sure they are providing safe and healthy living conditions for their dogs; Research the person you are buying from; Avoid buying from a pet store; Consider adopting a pet from an animal shelter or rescue group. For more information and tips on purchasing a dog from a trusted source, click here. After several years of little growth, global emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide experienced their largest jump in seven years, discouraging scientists. World carbon dioxide emissions are estimated to have risen 2.7 percent from 2017 to 2018, according to three studies released Wednesday from the Global Carbon Project, an international scientific collaboration of academics, governments and industry that tracks greenhouse gas emissions. The calculations, announced during negotiations to put the 2015 Paris climate accord into effect, puts some of the landmark agreement's goals nearly out of reach, scientists said. "This is terrible news," said Andrew Jones, co-director of Climate Interactive, which models greenhouse gas emissions and temperatures but was not part of the research. "Every year that we delay serious climate action, the Paris goals become more difficult to meet." The studies concluded that this year the world would spew 40.9 billion tons of carbon dioxide, up from 39.8 billion tons last year. The margin of error is about one percentage point on either side. The Global Carbon Project uses government and industry reports to come up with final emission figures for 2017 and projections for 2018 based on the four biggest polluters: China, the United States, India and the European Union. The U.S., which had been steadily decreasing its carbon pollution, showed a significant rise in emissions up 2.5 percent for the first time since 2013. China, the globe's biggest carbon emitter, saw its largest increase since 2011: 4.6 percent. Study lead author Corinne Le Quere, a climate change researcher at the University of East Anglia in England, said the increase is a surprising "reality check" after a few years of smaller emission increases. But she also doesn't think the world will return to the even larger increases seen from 2003 to 2008. She believes unusual factors are at play this year. For the U.S., it was a combination of a hot summer and cold winter that required more electricity use for heating and cooling. For China, it was an economic stimulus that pushed coal-powered manufacturing, Le Quere said. John Reilly, co-director of MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, said the results aren't too surprising because fossil fuels still account for 81 percent of the world's energy use. The burning of coal, oil and gas release carbon dioxide, which warms the Earth . Reilly, who wasn't part of the study, praised it as impressive. Global Carbon Project chairman Rob Jackson, a Stanford University climate scientist, said he was discouraged. The Paris accord set two goals. The long-held goal would limit global warming to no more than 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) from now, with a more ambitious goal of limiting warming to 0.9 degrees (0.5 degrees Celsius) from now. The trend is such that the world would have to be lucky to keep warming to 1.8 degrees, let alone the lower goal, Le Quere said. China increased its emissions to 11.4 billion tons, while the U.S. jumped to a shade under 6 billion tons. The European Union spewed 3.9 billion tons and India soared to 2.9 billion tons. Overall, the world is spewing about 1,300 tons of carbon dioxide into the air every second. Use of coal the biggest carbon emitter is rising. And while countries are using more renewable fuels and trying to reduce carbon from electricity production, emissions from cars and planes are steadily increasing, Le Quere said. Global carbon dioxide emissions have increased 55 percent in the last 20 years, the calculations show. At the same time, Earth has warmed on average about two-thirds of a degree (0.38 degrees Celsius), according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The father of a South Florida woman who was killed in Costa Rica said his family is devastated over his daughter's death. Carlos Caicedo spoke with Telemundo Thursday from in Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, where his daughter Carla Stefaniak had gone on holiday to celebrate her 36th birthday. Her body was found on Monday, half-buried and wrapped in plastic, near the apartment she'd been renting. She'd been missing for a week. Caicedo said the family would have liked to have a mass and bury her body but since she was killed in another country, they had her body cremated. "Her mother is devastated, she will decide what to do with the ashes," Caicedo said in Spanish. A security guard at the apartment, Bismark Espinosa Martinez, has been arrested in connection with Stefaniak's death. What to Know 46-year-old Aaron Burmeister and 32-year-old Ashley McNeil pleaded guilty Nov. 13 to charges of conspiracy to transport a vessel. They spent six months in a Cuban jail after their April 1 arrest. Authorities say a Florida couple quit their jobs, stole a 40-foot catamaran sailboat and sailed to Cuba for their honeymoon. The Miami Herald reports 46-year-old Aaron Burmeister and 32-year-old Ashley McNeil pleaded guilty Nov. 13 to charges of conspiracy to transport a vessel in foreign commerce. They spent six months in a Cuban jail after their April 1 arrest. They were returned to the United States in September and were arrested by federal agents when they arrived at Miami International Airport. Each faces up to five years in prison during a Jan 7 sentencing in Key West. The government dropped a second charge, which carried a prison term of up to 10 years. The owner said he bought the boat named Kaisosi for $350,000 last year. What to Know Peter Antonacci replaces Dr. Brenda Snipes, who was suspended even though Snipes had already agreed to step down from her post. The new leader of Browards elections was sworn into office Thursday but the woman he is replacing vows not to leave without a fight. Peter Antonacci, a longtime associate of outgoing Florida Governor Rick Scott who has served in a variety of positions during his administration, took over the Supervisor of Elections position at a ceremony in Fort Lauderdale. "I think you try to look ahead and not look behind," said Antonacci shortly after getting sworn in. "There's much to do and much to get to know." Antonacci met with workers at the Department of Elections and said he'll be working over the next few weeks to figure out what went wrong during the last election, and will start preparing for the next. "Change is inevitable and that's a good thing," he said. Antonacci replaces Dr. Brenda Snipes, who Scott late Friday suspended even though Snipes had already agreed to step down from her post in early January. Snipes responded by rescinding her previous resignation and will now be "fighting this to the very end," her attorney said during a weekend news conference. "We believe these actions are malicious," said Burnadette Norris-Weeks, who said that Broward County voters should be concerned about what Scott is trying to do in the Democratic stronghold by putting in an ally who could oversee the office into the 2020 elections. Snipes has been the top elections official in the south Florida county since 2003 when then-Gov. Jeb Bush appointed her. She came under withering criticism for her handling of this year's elections, as well as its legally required recount in close races for governor and U.S. Senate. She had been elected three times and her current term was not scheduled to end until 2020. In his executive order, Scott said he was suspending Snipes due to misfeasance, incompetence and neglect of duty. His order cited problems during the recount, including reports of more than 2,000 ballots being misplaced. She also came under fire in 2017 after she destroyed year-old ballots in violation of law. Shortly after the recount started, Scott himself suggested possible fraud, but never offered any concrete examples. "After a series of inexcusable actions, it's clear that there needs to be an immediate change in Broward County and taxpayers should no longer be burdened by paying a salary for a supervisor of elections who has already announced resignation," Scott said in a statement. During his eight years in office, Scott has rarely suspended elected officials unless they were first charged with a crime. Florida law requires the state Senate to either remove or reinstate county officials who are suspended by the governor. Antonacci has been known as Gov. Scott's "fixer for years. He played a pivotal role in the controversial decision to force the ouster of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey in 2015. Antonacci has been president of Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development agency since last year. Before that, he spent two years as the Executive Director for the South Florida Water Management District as well as two years as Scotts general counsel along with serving as the interim State Attorney for Palm Beach County after being appointed by Scott. Snipes appeared at the start of the Saturday press conference, where she urged people to "have an open mind about this whole process." She maintained that "we have always done our work in an air of quality and integrity." Norris-Weeks expressed concern that the appointment of Antonacci was being done in order to push ahead with questionable actions ahead of the next presidential election. Scott's administration has been sued several times over election matters including lawsuits over early voting and attempts to purge voters from the rolls. Democrats in South Florida echoed some of those concerns. Cynthia Busch, chairman of the Broward County Democratic Party, questioned why Scott did not appoint someone from the community and appointed someone who is a "Republican Party stalwart." Antonacci was raised in Hialeah and graduated from Hialeah High School and Miami-Dade College before graduating with a bachelors, masters and law degree from Florida State University. Rep. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat from Broward, called the suspension a "play on his politics on his part." Chris Smith, a former state senator from Fort Lauderdale, called the decision to suspend Snipes after she had agreed to resign as "spiteful." McKinley Lewis, a spokesman for Scott, did not respond to statements from Snipes or her attorney, saying that the governor's "executive order and statement speak for themselves." While Scott initiated the action against Snipes, his administration told Governor-elect Ron DeSantis about the pending move shortly before it happened. DeSantis will be sworn in as governor on Jan. 8. What to Know An ex-Connecticut cemetery caretaker has been arrested for allegedly desecrating dozens of graves Officials said gravestones and human remains were moved to make way for the newly dead; bones were found in the woods Relatives estimate that more than 100 graves were either disinterred or had new remains buried above them A fuller picture of a cemetery in ghastly disarray emerged Thursday as the longtime caretaker of a graveyard in Connecticut's largest city was arrested and officials described in new detail shocking discoveries that included human bones and casket pieces scattered about. About 130 graves were disturbed at the 57-acre cemetery and included those of Civil War veterans, Bridgeport authorities said. Gravestones and remains had been removed to make way for the newly dead, while some new graves were stacked on top of old ones, separated by a layer of dirt. "What we found right away was a lot of disturbed dirt, garbage, headstones that were overturned and ... bone fragments that were later confirmed to be human remains, and pieces of old caskets that date back over 100 years," police Capt. Brian Fitzgerald said at a news conference. "We were finding gravesites from some soldiers that were close to 100 years, in some cases over 100 years old, mixed in with new burial plots from 2011 on," he said. At one point during hearings he held in recent months, Probate Judge Paul Ganim said Thursday, "There were literally bags of bones that were picked up by witnesses that were brought in." Relatives, in the absence of government oversight of the cemetery, have meanwhile taken upon themselves the monumental tasks of trying to establish whether everyone is buried where they should be, decide what to do with newer remains buried atop older ones, identify the unearthed bones and fragments, and restore order to the burial ground located just north of downtown. "It's absolutely just unbelievable that people did this, and they've been doing this for a while," said retired lawyer Cheryl Jansen, whose great-grandparents and other relatives are buried at Park Cemetery. "You never think you have to worry about your dead relatives ... but I guess these days you do." People with relatives buried at Park Cemetery had complained about conditions over the years to police and other local officials, Jansen said. Ultimately, it was her legal filings over the past year that led police to search the cemetery in September and arrest former caretaker Dale LaPrade on Thursday. She turned herself in to Bridgeport police and was charged with felony interference with a cemetery a crime State's Attorney John Smriga said he had never seen prosecuted before. LaPrade was released on a promise to appear in court Dec. 18. "No comment as ordered," LaPrade wrote in a text message to The Associated Press after being arrested. She did not elaborate. A civil court judge in Bridgeport last week had ordered LaPrade to stay away from the cemetery. LaPrade appeared in court last week in a wheelchair and told Judge Barbara Bellis, "I've stayed away. I've been trying to get out of the cemetery for 10 years. I've been ill," The Connecticut Post reported. Relatives of those buried at Park Cemetery praised the arrest. "Justice has been done," said Jean Mattox, of West Haven. "You can't just run a cemetery without doing the right thing. That's where you lay your loved ones to rest in peace. That place is a mess out there. Hopefully she knows what she has done." Mattox said her mother's gravestone had been moved a short distance away and placed above another person's remains. Her son discovered the problem a few months ago, when things looked out of place and he compared the scene to a photo taken when the grave was in the correct spot. In Connecticut, the state public health department must approve new cemeteries, but no state agency is specifically charged with cemetery oversight. Park Cemetery was established in 1878, and an association board oversaw its operation and maintenance for decades. Jansen had noticed a gradual decline since the 1990s, with junk and tree limbs piling up. She wondered where the money families had paid for perpetual upkeep was going, and went to the local probate court seeking access to the financial records. Jansen, whose relatives' graves were not disturbed, said it appears that the board hasn't existed since the early 1980s and that oversight was eventually left to LaPrade and her husband, Daniel. Ganim, the probate judge, earlier this year asked police to investigate. When they searched the property, they found financial records in disarray and unopened mail from 20 years ago. What happened to the perpetual upkeep funds remains unclear. It also isn't clear why Daniel LaPrade wasn't arrested. Meanwhile, Jansen and others have formed a new board with the goal of restoring the cemetery and the trust of the families. The work will be painstaking, she said; the LaPrades kept poor burial records since the 1980s that need to be "deciphered." Bill Ackley, who has several generations of relatives buried at Park Cemetery, said it will likely take years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix damaged gravestones and restore the property. Relatives are not certain where the money will come from, he said, but they hope for grants and donations. What to Know A wallet that Diane Keaton misplaced decades ago has turned up in a New York storage unit The Oscar-winning actress lost the wallet 50 years ago, she said on Instagram this week This past May, a treasure hunter bought the contents of an abandoned storage unit and found the wallet, as well as old photographs A wallet that Diane Keaton misplaced decades ago has turned up in a New York storage unit. The Oscar-winning actress lost the wallet 50 years ago, she said on Instagram this week. This past May, treasure hunter Anton Lulgjuraj bought the contents of a deserted storage unit in Putnam County at an auction and discovered the wallet as he was perusing a dusty box, the Daily News reported. Inside the wallet were Keatons 1966 drivers license and Actors Equity Association card, along with a stack of personal and family photos. I opened it up and thought, Is this Diane Keaton the actress? It couldnt be. Or maybe it could,' Lulgjuraj told the outlet. Lulgjuraj reached out to Keaton on Twitter in an effort to return her wallet and photographs, but wasnt able to make contact, he said. After the Daily News wrote about his storage unit find, however, Keaton caught wind of the story and took to social media to voice her disbelief. SOMEONE FOUND A WALLET I LOST 50 YEARS AGO! THANK YOU, MR. LULGJURAJ! PLEASE DM ME! Keaton wrote in an Instagram post, attaching a childhood photo she said had been inside the wallet. This is the craziest story! I dont remember losing this, but Im not surprised because Ive lost my wallet many times! she added on Twitter. Lulgjuraj told the outlet he was thrilled by Keatons messages and said hed mailed the wallet and its contents to Keatons attorney. What to Know Following a touching state funeral filled with humor and high praise, President George H.W. Bush departed Washington for the last time Brazilian doctors are reporting the world's first baby born to a woman with a uterus transplanted from a deceased donor Actors Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will co-host the 2019 Golden Globes Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here. President George H.W. Bush Returns to Texas for Funeral, Interment Following a touching state funeral filled with humor and high praise, President George H.W. Bush departed Washington for the last time. Bush's memorial was filled with music favored by the president along with readings and tributes from those he loved including several of his granddaughters, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, former U.S. Rep. Alan Simpson and Rev. Dr. Russell Levenson Jr., rector of St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Houston. The president's son, former President George W. Bush, broke down briefly at the end of his father's eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost when she was 3 and his mother, Barbara, who died in April. Bush said he took comfort in knowing "Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again." For all the somber tributes to the late president's public service and strength of character, laughter filled the cathedral time after time. The late president's eulogists -- son included -- noted Bush's tendency to tangle his words and show his goofy side. After arriving in Houston, Bush, who had laid in state in the Capitol rotunda from Dec. 3-5, laid in repose overnight at St. Martin's Episcopal Church before a private funeral service Thursday morning. 2 US Warplanes Crash Off Japan; 2 Found, 5 Missing A Marine refueling plane and a fighter jet crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Japan's southwestern coast after colliding, and rescuers found two of the seven crew members, one of them in stable condition, officials said. The U.S. Marine Corps said that the 2 a.m. crash involved an F/A-18 fighter jet and a KC-130 refueling aircraft during regular refueling training after the planes took off from their base in Iwakuni, near Hiroshima in western Japan. The crash took place 320 kilometers off the coast, according to the U.S. military. Japanese officials said it occurred closer to the coast, about 100 kilometers, and that's where the search and rescue mission found two crew members. The two aircraft were carrying seven crew members in total, two in the F/A-18 and five others in the KC-130, when they collided and crashed into the sea south of the Muroto Cape on Shikoku island in southwestern Japan. The cause of the crash is under investigation. 1st Baby Born Using Uterus Transplanted From Deceased Donor Brazilian doctors are reporting the world's first baby born to a woman with a uterus transplanted from a deceased donor. Eleven previous births have used a transplanted womb but from a living donor, usually a relative or friend. Experts said using uteruses from women who have died could make more transplants possible. Ten previous attempts using deceased donors in the Czech Republic, Turkey and the U.S. have failed. The baby girl was delivered last December by a woman born without a uterus because of a rare syndrome. The woman a 32-year-old psychologist was initially apprehensive about the transplant, said Dr. Dani Ejzenberg, the transplant team's lead doctor at the University of Sao Paulo School of Medicine. The woman became pregnant through in vitro fertilization seven months after the transplant. The donor was a 45-year-old woman who had three children and died of a stroke. The recipient, who was not identified, gave birth by cesarean section. Sandra Oh, Andy Samberg to Co-Host 2019 Golden Globes It's official: Actors Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg will co-host the 2019 Golden Globes. Oh, star of the critically acclaimed BBC America drama series "Killing Eve," and Samberg, "Saturday Night Live" alum and star of the NBC comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," are both Golden Globe winners. The Globes serve as the official kickoff to the 2019 awards season. Winners in 25 categories 14 in film and 11 in television are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Meher Tatna, president of the HFPA, said the organization is "excited to welcome" the new co-hosts to the annual event stage. The 75th Golden Globes were hosted last year by Seth Meyers, host of NBC's "Late Night" and another former "Saturday Night Live" writer and cast member. The 76th Annual Golden Globes will broadcast from The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles and air live on NBC on Jan. 6. Cardi B and Offset Split Up After 1 Year of Marriage Cardi B and Offset appear to be calling it quits. The "Bodak Yellow" rapper took to Instagram with a big announcement for her fans: the pair is no longer together. "So everybody been bugging me and everything and you know, I've been trying to work things out with my baby father for a hot minute now and we're really good friends and you know we're really good business partners," Cardi B said in the video. "He's always somebody that I run to to talk to and we got a lot of love for each other but things just haven't been working out between us for a long time and it's nobody's fault." "I guess we grew out of love, but we're not together anymore," she continued. "I don't know. It might take time to get a divorce and I'm gonna always have a lot of love for him because he is my daughter's father and yah." Cardi B captioned the post, "There you go...peace and love." Offset then wrote in a comment, "Y'all won." What to Know The push to legalize marijuana in New York State could end up benefiting New York Citys ailing subway system Cardi B and Offset appear to be calling it quits So when you think of holiday window displays, you don't usually think Chipotle, but you have never seen one like theirs before Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 Happy Thursday! Bundle up, another cold one is on tap for today. Highs will only reach the 30s. As always, get the latest forecast at nbcnewyork.com/weather. 1. Tax From Legalized Pot Eyed As Solution to NYC Subway Woes The push to legalize marijuana in New York State could end up benefiting New York Citys ailing subway system. Officials have started to discuss the idea of making recreational marijuana legal and using the revenue to pay for badly-needed and expensive subway upgrades, the New York Times reported. A special task force that plans to recommend subway fixes to Gov. Cuomo is currently mulling the possibility. Read more here. 2. Cardi B and Offset Split Up After 1 Year of Marriage Cardi B and Offset appear to be calling it quits. The "Bodak Yellow" rapper took to Instagram with a big announcement for her fans: the pair is no longer together. "So everybody been bugging me and everything and you know, I've been trying to work things out with my baby father for a hot minute now and we're really good friends and you know we're really good business partners," Cardi B said in the video. "He's always somebody that I run to to talk to and we got a lot of love for each other but things just haven't been working out between us for a long time and it's nobody's fault." Read more here. 3. Chipotle Holiday Display in NYC Beats All So when you think of holiday window displays, you don't usually think Chipotle, but you have never seen one like theirs before. The restaurant decorated their location in Columbus Circle using the same ingredients you would get in your burrito. The ornaments are lemons, limes and tomatoes and the angel on top is made of tortillas and an onion. Read 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. What to Know The city is no longer making exceptions for religious or medical reasons when it comes to attending school without the measles vaccine The health department says students who are unvaccinated won't be allowed to attend school at yeshivas in Williamsburg or Borough Park It comes amid a measles outbreak affecting 39 people so far in those areas Amid a measles outbreak in the Orthodox Jewish communities of Williamsburg and Borough Park in Brooklyn, the city health department is ordering unvaccinated students to stay home from school at certain yeshivas beginning on Friday. There have been 39 cases of measles in those neighborhoods, only three of them adults, according to the health department. The median age of the children with measles is 2 years old. The health department sent a letter to principals of yeshivas in the affected neighborhoods, telling them that every student who's not vaccinated with the required number of doses of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine won't be permitted to attend school, regardless of whether a case of measles has occurred in the sschool. Students won't be able to return to school until they're appropriately vaccinated, or until the outbreak is declared over, even if they have an approved religious or medical exemption to measles immunization. The new policy, effective Dec. 7, marks a change from the old exception allowing for religious and medical reasons for non-immunization. Yeshiva principals and directors are responsible for enforcing compliance in the vaccination rule, and health officials will be auditing the yeshivas, the city says. The health department says their audits so far show only 2 percent of children in the Orthodox communities are unvaccinated for religious or medical reasons. The overwheming majority are vaccinated. The "yellow vests" in France are worrying greens around the world. The worst riots in Paris in decades were sparked by higher fuel taxes, and French President Emmanuel Macron responded by scrapping them Wednesday. But taxes on fossil fuels are just what international climate negotiators, meeting in Poland this week, say are desperately needed to help wean the world off of fossil fuels and slow climate change. "The events of the last few days in Paris have made me regard the challenges as even greater than I thought earlier," said Stanford University environmental economist Lawrence Goulder, author of the book "Confronting the Climate Challenge." Economists, policymakers and politicians have long said the best way to fight climate change is to put a higher price on the fuels that are causing it gasoline, diesel, coal and natural gas. Taxing fuels and electricity could help pay for the damage they cause, encourage people to use less, and make it easier for cleaner alternatives and fuel-saving technologies to compete. These so-called carbon taxes are expected to be a major part of pushing the world to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and try to prevent runaway climate change that economists say would be far more expensive over the long term than paying more for energy in the short term. But it's not so easy for people to think about long-term, global problems when they are struggling to get by. Macron said the higher tax was his way of trying to prevent the end of the world. But the yellow vest protesters turned that around with the slogan: "it's hard to talk about the end of the world while we are talking about the end of the month." The resistance to the fuel tax is a personal blow to Macron, who sees himself as the guarantor of the 2015 Paris climate accord, its strongest defender on the global stage. He has positioned himself as the anti-Trump when it comes to climate issues. The French government quietly fears a Trump-led backlash against the accord could spread to other major economies whose commitment is essential to keeping the deal together. The fuel tax was not originally Macron's idea; it dates back to previous administrations. But he vigorously defended it and won the presidency in part on a promise to fight climate change. So what went wrong? Yale University economist William Nordhaus, who won this year's Nobel prize for economics, said the tax was poorly designed and was delivered by the wrong person. "If you want to make energy taxes unpopular, step one is to be an unpopular leader," he said. "Step two is to use gasoline taxes and call them carbon taxes. This is hard enough without adding poor design." Macron, like French presidents before him, made environmental and energy decisions without explaining to the public how important they are and how their lives will change. He's also seen as the "president of the rich" his first fiscal decision as president was scrapping a wealth tax. So hiking taxes on gasoline and diesel was seen as especially unfair to the working classes in the provinces who need cars to get to work and whose incomes have stagnated for years. The French government already has programs in place to subsidize drivers who trade in older, dirtier cars for cleaner ones, and expanded them in an attempt to head off the protests last month. But for many French, it was too little, too late. The French reaction to higher fuel prices is hardly unique, which highlights just how hard it can be to discourage fossil fuel consumption by making people pay more. In September, protests in India over high gasoline prices shut down schools and government offices. Protests erupted in Mexico in 2017 after government deregulation caused a spike in gasoline prices, and in Indonesia in 2013 when the government reduced fuel subsidies and prices rose. In the United States, Washington state voters handily defeated a carbon tax in November. "Higher taxes on fuel have always been a policy more popular among economists than among voters," said Greg Mankiw, a Harvard economist and former adviser to President George W. Bush. Even proponents of carbon taxes acknowledge that they can disproportionally hurt low-income people. Energy costs make up a larger portion of their overall expenses, so a fuel price increase eats up more of their paycheck and leaves them with less to spend. And because energy costs are almost impossible to avoid, they feel trapped. It is also not lost on them that it is the rich, unbothered by fuel taxes, who are hardest on the environment because they travel and consume more. "The mistake of the Macron government was not to marry the increase in fuel taxes with other sufficiently compelling initiatives promising to enhance the welfare and incomes of the 'yellow vests,' said Barry Eichengreen, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley. Now the question is "How can we address the climate problem while also avoiding producing political upheaval," Goulder said. The key is giving a good chunk of money back to the people, Wesleyan University environmental economist Gary Yohe said. Many economists back proposals that would tax carbon, but then use that money to offer tax rebates or credits that would benefit lower-income families. The protests, while sparked by fuel prices, are also about income inequality, populism and anti-elitism, experts say, not just about carbon taxes. "Is it a death knell for the carbon tax or pricing carbon? I don't think so," economist Yohe said. "It is just a call for being a little bit more careful about how you design the damn thing." AP economics writer Christopher Rugaber and Frank Jordans contributed. Larry Wallace resigned as a senior adviser to Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., on Wednesday after a report of a $400,000 sexual harassment settlement over an incident alleged to have taken place while he worked for Harris in California in 2016. A spokeswoman for Harris told NBC News it was unaware of the settlement, reported by The Sacramento Bee, and said the office takes "accusations of harassment extremely seriously." Harris was California's attorney general at the time of the alleged incident, and Wallace was the state Department of Justice's director of law enforcement. The settlement came after Harris was sworn in as senator and Harris was hired as a Sacramento-based senior advisor. Harris, a potential candidate for president in 2020, was among the women who called for Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., to resign after he was accused of sexual misconduct. A boy died and four people were hurt as an overnight fire tore through a Southwest Philadelphia home. The row home along Ardell Street near Wheeler Street caught fire shortly before 1 a.m. Two men at nearby tavern smelled smoke and jumped into action. They found an older man on the front porch roof yelling that his grandson was trapped on the second floor. They convinced the man to not go inside. The men, who say they called 911, tried to go upstairs but the fire was too bad. Firefighters arrived minutes later and rescued the 7-year-old boy, who witnesses sad was badly burned in the fire, and the grandfather. The boy later died, the boy's aunt said. The fire marshal's office said they were investigating a deadly fire. A 6-year-old girl and two adults escaped the flames on their own. The girl suffered smoke inhalation. All five people in the home were taken to area hospitals. The girl and two adults are expected to be OK, the fire department said. The condition of the fifth victim wasnt revealed. It was unclear if the home had working smoke detectors. A college with three campuses in San Diego shut down nationwide just one day into a new semester. Brightwood College closed its doors to students forever Wednesday. Some of the students were weeks away from finishing their programs. The dean of nursing comes in and says, starts crying and tells us, Oh, the schools being shut down. We need everyone off campus, Michelle Zavala said. We didnt think this was going to happen because today was the first day of class. Education Corporation of America owns the private for-profit school, with 74 campuses across the nation. The Kearny Mesa campus was one of three Brightwood College locations in the San Diego area. The other schools were in Vista and Chula Vista. Rumors were going around campus about a possible closure the week before but many didnt believe them, another student said. You had a hint something might happen but not a definite answer, and then all of a sudden, BAM, here we are, said student Alan Whaley. Whaley, a veteran, was studying to be a patient care technician. He was one month away from graduating. I dont blame the teachers and staff here, Whaley told NBC 7. I dont blame them at all because its not really up to them but the corporation is what were upset with. The president and CEO of Education Corporation of America, Stu Reed, sent an email to students saying new requirements from the Accrediting Council of Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) became challenging, resulting in its closure. ACICS was founded in 1912 and is the largest national accrediting organization of degree granting institutions, according to its website. The accreditation loss resulted in an inability to acquire additional capital to operate our schools, Reed said. At least 20,000 students across the country were affected. Teachers are losing their jobs, theyre losing their jobs, and were losing our schooling, said Zavala, who attended class at the Kearny Mesa campus. My heart sunk and I started crying. I didnt know what else to do. Brightwood College urged students to order their current transcripts and to contact local schools to determine transferability. People that were going to graduate in the next three months just got told today, Oh yeah, youre almost done with your program and you cant finish it off here, Zavala said. Read the full statement from Brightwood College below: Dear Students, In early fall, we undertook a path to dramatically restructure Education Corporation of America (parent company of your school) in an effort to best posture it for the future. This plan entailed the teach out of 26 of our campuses and then the commitment of capital from our investors additional funds from investors. However, recently, the Department of Education added requirements that made operating our schools more challenging. In addition, last night ACICS suspended our schools' accreditation with intent to withdraw. The uncertainty of these requirements resulted in an inability to acquire additional capital to operate our schools. It is with extreme regret that this series of recent circumstances has forced us to discontinue the operations of our schools. Your campus will close this month. Please contact your Dean or Program Director for the specific closure date of your campus. You will receive credit for all courses that you completed and passed by the closure date. Information on how to request your transcript will be posted at www.ecacolleges.com within the next few weeks. If you do not graduate this month, we encourage you to continue your career training by requesting your transcript and contacting local schools to determine transferability. This is clearly not the outcome we envisioned for you or our schools, and it with the utmost regret that we inform you of this direction. Stu Reed, President & CEO A man is in grave condition after being attacked near a freeway bridge in San Diegos Midway District, police confirmed. At around 5 p.m. Wednesday, officers with the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) were called to 3900 Rosecrans Street near the Interstate 5 overpass to investigate reports of an assault. There, police discovered a 57-year-old man suffering from trauma to his upper body. SDPD Lt. Anthony Dupree said the man was taken to a local hospital but is not expected to survive his injuries. Dupree said a witness told police that the victim had been on the ground when an unknown man began to hit him with some sort of object. The attacker fled the area before police arrived. Investigators cordoned the area near the bridge. Apparent blood splatters could be seen on a concrete wall as officers placed evidence markers around the scene of the violent attack. The suspect was described by police as a man in his 20s wearing a yellow poncho and blue jeans. As of 8:45 a.m. Thursday, he remained at large. Given the victims dire prognosis, homicide investigators are handling the case. The victims name has not yet been released. Anyone with information on this attack can reach out to police at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477. Where am I going with this? You might think of quesadillas as kid food, and you're not entirely wrong. Whenever I haul my 5-year-old daughter to a Mexican restaurant, she usually gets a plain quesadilla, made of nothing more than melted cheese and a tortilla. But as I found while eating the dish around Chicago for the past few weeks, quesadillas come in all shapes and sizes, and they are not always a comfortable option when in polite company. Some residents of a Northern California town devastated by a catastrophic wildfire nearly a month ago were finally allowed to return home Wednesday to sift through the charred remains in search of precious family heirlooms, photos and other possessions that may have survived. A long line of cars waited in a cold drizzle at a checkpoint on their way to neighborhoods on the east side of Paradise, where evacuation orders have been lifted. Beyond the checkpoint, crews in yellow slickers were still clearing debris from burned homes and removing trees from streets littered with melted plastic trash cans and hollowed vehicles sitting on tireless rims. Before heading to their home, Joyce McLean, 73, and her husband, Jerry McLean, stopped at a store to buy paper towels and plastic bags. "We didn't own expensive things, but we had a lot of memory things," she said, recalling Christmas ornaments made by her son when he was a child and mementos from her Canadian husband's great-grandmother. "If I can find a little piece of his family or just a little piece of my son, I would be happy." Access to the neighborhoods was limited to residents on Wednesday, but they will be open to anyone on Thursday. More than 50,000 people in Paradise and two neighboring communities were forced to flee the wind-driven fire that started Nov. 8, killing at least 85 people, destroying about 14,000 homes and blackening 240 square miles. Authorities said 10 people were still unaccounted for in what was the deadliest U.S. wildfire in at least a century. McLean said she has seen photos on social media of her destroyed home and knows one of the only things that survived was an American flag flying on a pole. "We lost everything but the clothes on our backs," she said about their dash for safety. McLean said returning after her harrowing escape during the fire had made her nervous and emotional, but she hoped she could at least recover the flag. They are now renting a house in the region and plan to rebuild in Paradise. The communities will have very limited services for the immediate future, and authorities urged residents to bring food, water and fuel for vehicles. PG&E said Wednesday it hopes to restore electrical service in fire-ravaged areas to all customers who can receive it by the end of the month. Power will be restored on a rolling basis until that time, so some customers will get electricity before then. The utility hopes to restore gas to the area by the first quarter of next year. Residents were also warned they should not move back into homes until ash and hazardous waste have been cleared. They were also told that rain could increase the risk of flash floods and mudslides. The ferocious fire trapped people in cars and surrounded the town's hospital, forcing the evacuation of about 60 patients. The hospital is still standing, but several smaller buildings, including offices, were destroyed. Officials said the hospital will reopen but they have not said when. CORRECTION (Dec. 5, 2018, 12:55 p.m. PT): This story has been corrected to show the sheriff's office has not given guidance for when all Paradise residents will be allowed to return home, not that they will be allowed to return on Thursday. Associated Press writer Olga R. Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report. The street outside NASA headquarters could soon be named for the pioneering black women scientists depicted in the film "Hidden Figures." Members of the D.C. Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to call a stretch of a D.C. street Hidden Figures Way. The name honors Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary W. Jackson, who contributed to NASAs scientific work in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. The Hidden Figures Way Designation Act of 2018 would put a new street sign on the 300 block of E Street SW. As Curbed reported in October, the symbolic act is aimed at highlighting the historic women scientists and mathematicians who contributed to NASAs mission despite adversity. The bill was introduced in September by D.C. Council chairman Phil Mendelson and the entire council before gaining preliminary approval on Tuesday. The legislation will be reviewed a second time before getting a final vote in two weeks. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) then would receive the bill for signing. Mendelson honored the scientists at a hearing. Despite facing segregation and adversity, these women computers played an integral role in the development of aeronautical and aerospace research during turning points in our nations history, including World War II and the development of the Space Task Force," he said. District streets often have been used to honor or commemorate historical figures and institutions, like Bens Chili Bowl on U Street NW. An effort to name the street in front of the Saudi Arabian embassy for slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi is awaiting council action. What to Know A woman came forward in May 2016 and said she was raped by Isaac at W.C. Moffett School in the 1960s when she was 14. Investigators identified another woman who said she was raped by Isaac at the school when she was 15. Police arrested Isaac Monday morning. He is charged with multiple counts of rape. A former Maryland private school principal is accused of raping two teenage girls in the late 1960s. Maryland State Police arrested 90-year-old Russell Isaac at his Bowie home Monday morning. A woman said she was a 14-year-old student at the W.C. Moffett School on Maryland's Eastern Shore when Isaac raped her at the school, where he was the principal, according to police. After the victim came forward in May 2016, another alleged victim was identified. She said Isaac sexually assaulted her at the school when she was 15, according to police. The assaults took place between 1966 and 1968, according to the victims. Isaac is charged with multiple counts of rape and other sex offenses. He is being held at the Prince Georges County Detention Center. Investigators believe there could be other victims and ask anyone with information to call 410-758-1101. Democratic rising star Beto O'Rourke's team has been fielding calls from senior operatives who worked on President Barack Obama's campaign in the pivotal states of Iowa and New Hampshire as the Texas congressman considers running for president in 2020, CNBC has learned. Led by chief of staff David Wysong, O'Rourke's inner circle has been engaging with political players from the states, which hold the earliest contests of the presidential primary season. These people include leaders of Obama's campaign operations in the states, according to multiple people with knowledge of the conversations. While people close to O'Rourke insist that the discussions have not led to any hires, a former senior Obama administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it is clear O'Rourke will have the consultants in place to help guide him if he chooses to make a run for the White House. "This is the phase for someone exploring a presidential campaign in that they're doing everything they can to decide who they may want to run an organization and who they could turn to if he enters the race," the former Obama aide said. O'Rourke is fresh off a surprisingly close defeat at the hands of GOP Sen. Ted Cruz in reliably Republican Texas. He has been credited with lifting fellow Texas Democrats in House races to victory last month as the party flipped about 40 seats to take the majority. O'Rourke broke fundraising records and galvanized young voters in his Senate campaign, a possible indication of the kind of appeal Democrats will need to take on President Donald Trump. Yet, the fact that he lost a statewide race is giving some in the Democratic Party pause about a potential O'Rourke run. "You don't promote a loser," Chicago Mayor and former Obama White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said recently. Momentum for a potential O'Rourke 2020 campaign appears to be building, nonetheless. Wysong, the congressman's chief of staff, talked as recently as this week with a former co-chair of Obama's New Hampshire organization, according to a person with direct knowledge of the phone call. According to this person, who declined to be named in this story, the former Obama campaign official reached out to Wysong and offered advice on how to navigate the state if O'Rourke were to jump into the race. "It was a very cordial and preliminary conversation," this person explained. They discussed some of the oddities, as well as the political hurdles, that Democrats face when running for president in New Hampshire, according to people briefed on the matter. In Iowa, O'Rourke's contingent has heard from Troy Price, chairman of the state's Democratic Party. Price served as Obama's Iowa political director during the president's 2012 re-election campaign. Hours after publication, and repeated attempts to contact him, Price on Thursday denied he had heard from anyone on O'Rourke's team. Iowa and New Hampshire are two of the first hurdles for anyone looking to become their party's nominee for president. Obama won the 2008 Iowa caucuses but lost the New Hampshire primary to Hillary Clinton. In 2016, Clinton won Iowa but lost New Hampshire on her way to defeating Sen. Bernie Sanders to become the party's nominee. Wysong referred a CNBC inquiry to O'Rourke's campaign spokesman, Chris Evans, who declined to comment. Presidential buzz for O'Rourke started taking hold while he was on the campaign trail this year, but he responded by saying he wouldn't run. Recently, however, O'Rourke said he is no longer ruling out a presidential bid. The buzz around him has only grown since Election Day. A key New Hampshire Democratic group invited him to the state to meet voters and strategists. Supporters and donors, meanwhile, are encouraging him to run for Senate again in 2020 or set his sights on the White House. O'Rourke met with Obama himself in November, more than a week after the midterms, according to the former Obama administration official. The Washington Post first reported the meeting. Obama has praised O'Rourke in public and likened the Texas Democrat to himself. "It felt as if he based his statements and his positions on what he believed," Obama said in a recent interview on "The Axe Files," a podcast hosted by his former top political advisor, David Axelrod. "And that, you'd like to think, is normally how things work. Sadly it's not." Obama and his former aides' interest in O'Rourke comes as former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick decides against running for president. Patrick had been telling associates he doesn't want to get involved with the race, according to a person close to him. Patrick is an Obama ally, and people associated with the former president had been encouraging Patrick to jump into the race for at least a year. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Patrick confirmed that he will not be running for president in 2020. "After a lot of conversation, reflection and prayer, I've decided that a 2020 campaign for president is not for me," Patrick wrote. "Knowing that the cruelty of our elections process would ultimately splash back on people whom Diane and I love, but who hadn't signed up for the journey, was more than I could ask," he added. This story first appeared on CNBC.com. More from CNBC: On Dec. 4, President Donald Trump tweeted about French President Emmanuel Macron and the Paris Agreement, misrepresenting the foreign leaders position on the climate accord. Macron has not said or suggested the Paris Agreement is fatally flawed, as Trump implied. Trump also made a few familiar omissions and errors on the subject of climate change. Trumps comments followed the French governments announcement that it would delay a planned gas tax increase for six months in response to violent protests. The country also said it would not raise electricity or natural gas prices until May of next year. For weeks, yellow vest protestors have agitated over the gas tax hike, which is part of Frances efforts to bring down its greenhouse gas emissions. It had been scheduled to begin on Jan. 1. Trumps tweet implies that after the protests and the decision to postpone the higher tax Macron now agrees with Trump that the Paris Agreement is fatally flawed. While the concessions wont help France reduce its carbon emissions, there is no evidence to suggest that Macron no longer supports the Paris Agreement, or that France plans to exit the accord, as Trump has said the United States will do. (Officially, nations cannot remove themselves until November 2020; in June 2017, Trump announced his intention to withdraw and said the U.S. would immediately cease all implementation.) Macron has been an enthusiastic supporter of the Paris Agreement, and at the G20 meeting last week, reaffirmed Frances commitment to the pact. The accord, which has now been ratified by 184 countries since the Paris meeting in 2015, aims to limit global temperature increases since the pre-industrial era to less than 2 degrees Celsius and ideally, even lower, to 1.5 degrees. Each country sets its own emission targets, which are nonbinding. Relative to 1990, France committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and by 75 percent by 2050. [[425806184, C]] According to a United Nations report released in November, the European Union as a whole is not on track to meet its Paris pledges (see page 8). That report, however, doesnt provide information about how individual members of the EU are doing. Gas taxes do not appear in the climate plan France submitted to the United Nations for meeting its Paris goals. However, the plan describes broad strategies including promoting carpooling and teleworking, renovating the building stock to improve energy efficiency, and investing in renewable energy sources, among many others. This brings us to Trumps other claims and insinuations. Trumps description of the Paris Agreement makes it sound as though the U.S. is not one of the worst polluters. But as weve written, the U.S. is precisely that. On an absolute level, the U.S. is the second highest emitter of carbon dioxide, behind China. And the U.S. is 10th highest in the world for per capita emissions. (France, in comparison, is 60th, with a per-capita rate thats less than a third of the United States.) Trump also returns to the idea of clean air and clean water, suggesting that air and water quality is the same as having a small carbon footprint. As weve detailed, this confuses traditional pollutants with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Being strict about traditional pollutants does not necessarily mean a country is limiting its greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris Agreement is only concerned with the latter, as it is targeting climate change. Trumps final claim that American taxpayers are paying to clean up other countries pollution is true in that there is a portion of the Paris Agreement that asks developed nations to assist developing ones in mitigating and adapting to climate change. But the claim leaves out some important context. The reason virtually the entire world agreed to this financial set-up is because poorer nations are in many cases more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Developing nations have fewer resources to protect themselves from climate change, and they are frequently located in areas where things such as sea level rise and temperature increases will have the biggest impacts. Wealthier nations also have tended to contribute more greenhouse gases over time than their less well-off peers. As weve covered before, the U.S. initially pledged to give $3 billion to one funding mechanism, known as the Green Climate Fund, and paid $1 billion under President Barack Obama. Under Trump, the U.S. has not contributed any more. More importantly, the Paris Agreement is primarily about each country lowering its own greenhouse gas emissions. The French gas tax, for example, is all about French taxpayers paying to lower French emissions, not anyone elses. The same is true in the U.S. or any other country. Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding the suspect responsible for setting fire to the vehicle belonging to Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter. Fire officials said the fire to the city-owned Ford Explorer was discovered Dec. 1 outside Carpenter's home on Pearl Street. Authorities believe the fire inside the vehicle was intentionally set and most likely happened the night before. The fire had self-extinguished and the vehicle suffered minor damage. Carpenter was not home at the time of the incident. The fire is being investigated as arson and authorities have offered a $5,000 reward for information in the case. The fire is being jointly investigated by the Brockton Fire and Police Departments as well as Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Anyone with information is urged to contact 1-800-682-9229. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick confirmed Thursday he will not be running for president in 2020. In an exclusive interview with NBC10 Boston's Alison King, Patrick said he was concerned about the elections process negatively affecting his extended family. "We have a family, and an extended family who depends on me and on Diane and we're very close and I have to care about the impact on them and I do," said Patrick. "Our family, some of whom, all of whom are encouraging, but many of whom have not signed up would deal with the inevitable cruelty of our current political processes." Patrick indicated that the way the 2016 election played out may be a factor in his decision. "If there were any rules, it feels to me like they all were thrown out in 2016," he said. "In a way, Donald Trump, President Trump is not the point. The point is, the character of the country." Instead, Patrick said he will look for other ways to contribute in the coming years. NBC10 Boston's Alison King mentioned that the current political climate is why many voters think he should have thrown his hat in the ring. "I take that comment as a tremendous compliment," Patrick said. "But I also am aware that that's a decision that doesn't affect me alone." Patrick said family issues have also shaped his decision. It was less than a month ago when his wife Diane was diagnosed with stage one uterine cancer and needed surgery. "She had surgery, she's fine, she's going to be fine. But that sort of thing you know sharpens the mind," Patrick said. Diane Patrick had struggled with her husband's transition into public life in 2006. But it is not Diane who is keeping her husband from running for president. "I would say that Diane's encouragement had more to do with my taking this seriously than almost anybody else," said Patrick. Patrick's decision is a disappointment to key members of the Obama administration who had publicly supported him. When asked if he may change his mind in the future, he would not speculate. "You know, I'm not going to do all that. Because I've found that when I ruminate out loud it gets me in all kinds of trouble," Patrick said. What to Know A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest, conviction of an arson suspect. A device was placed underneath Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter's city-owned SUV over the weekend, setting it ablaze before self-extinguishing. There is round-the-clock security in the neighborhood as the investigation continues. Police in Brockton, Massachusetts are searching for an arsonist who set fire to the mayors vehicle. Mayor Bill Carpenter was on a trip to Cape Verde when the city-owned SUV was set ablaze late Friday night or early Saturday morning. The Department of Fire Services says the fire in the 2015 Ford Explorer had self-extinguished and caused minor damage before it was discovered Saturday. No injuries were reported, but after returning home on Wednesday, Carpenter said Thursday morning it has been a difficult time for him and his family since the blaze. "I think what's most upsetting to me is the impact on my family," he said during a press conference. Investigators say it appears the fire, which was apparently started by a container set underneath the vehicle, quickly burned out on its own, but there is still round-the-clock security in the neighborhood as authorities search for a suspect. Carpenter said he hasn't received any direct threats leading up to the arson. "If someone was trying to get my attention, they got it," he said. "If we figure out who they are, they will get a lot more of our attention." Neighbors said the fire sounded like an explosion. "Sounded like a very loud bang," said David Simoes, who lives across the street. "Not your average firecracker something very big." A $5,000 reward is being offered for information that will lead to an arrest. Anyone with information on the suspected arson is asked to contact the Brockton Police Department at 508-941-0200. To combat the element of discovery and narrative-hijacking by food media, Nicole Ponseca (who owns two renowned Filipino restaurants in Manhattan, fine-dining Maharlika and more casual Jeepney) and chef Miguel Trinidad have created this guide for soul-searching Filipinos scattered by the winds of immigration and diaspora. The recipes here read like my own mothers, like pansit palabok (rice noodles in shrimp sauce), sinigag (garlic fried rice) and afritada manok (chicken stew). Less familiar-to-me dishes, like puqui-puqui (charred eggplant with eggs) and zamboanga with talangka (crabs in toasted coconut sauce flavored with cinnamon, turmeric and nutmeg), invite readers to zigzag the vibrant archipelagos 7,000 islands, each influenced by waves of occupation (Spain-Mexico, China, India, even Islam) the authors have crafted a deeply researched and important work, a paean to the sour, funky, bold, savory flavors of the island nation, with none of the Westernizing or whitewashing of traditional dishes. J.H. Judge rules Ruhen Miah as not 'dangerous' enough for extended sentence behind bars A NEWBURY taxi driver who attacked vulnerable female passengers does not need a tougher sentence to protect the public, top judges have ruled. Ruhen Miah, of Charter Road, was jailed for 14 years at Reading Crown Court in September. The 43-year-old admitted rape, attempted rape, assault by penetration and two counts of sexual assault after he became depressed following the closure of his Indian restaurant on Cheap street in Newbury. Before sending him down, Judge Angela Morris reduced Miah's jail term by a third - from 21 years - to reflect his early guilty pleas. Today at Londons Appeal Court, solicitor Robert Buckland argued Miah was 'dangerous' and deserved a much tougher sentence. But three senior judges who presided over the appeal, led by Lady Justice Rafferty, refused to increase Miah's term after rejecting claims it was unduly lenient. Miah had targeted young, vulnerable women three of whom were teenagers who got into his taxi after a night out in Newbury. All were heavily intoxicated, with one telling police she was obliterated and another the drunkest I had ever been. He raped his fourth victim on the night of February 24 after picking her up from Newbury and driving her to a flat in the area. The victim, who was heavily intoxicated, had no memory of leaving the pub. Judge Morris, who jailed Miah, said his victims were particularly vulnerable as they had been drinking and 'they relied on him to take them home'. The Crown Court judge added it was noteworthy the offences escalated in seriousness. But she stopped short of ruling Miah a dangerous offender. Mr Buckland argued that the 14-year jail term was inadequate to protect the public and claimed it was wrong not to have concluded that Miah was dangerous. Miah, Mr Buckland argued, should either have been given a life sentence, or an extended term with extra time to serve on licence after his release. Michael Wolkind, defending Miah, said the judge had been right not to condemn him as dangerous. Mr Wolkind also claimed the 14-year jail term was too tough and should be reduced, commenting that Miah was of previous good character and a person of reputation who was remorseful for his actions. Reading Crown Court had heard that Miah's happy and stable marriage had deteriorated after his wife pressurised him to find new premises for his business, claiming they needed the income to send their son to a private school. Miah, who once saw himself as pillar of the community in Newbury, subsequently became depressed, developed symptoms of anxiety, sexual tension with his wife and had difficulties eating and sleeping. A psychological assessment of Miah diagnosed an acute stress-related adjustment disorder. Mr Wolkind argued that Miah had not used or threatened to use weapons, or made threats to kill, and it was his mental health problems which 'led to his disgraceful crimes'. Lady Justice Rafferty said the Crown Court judge had considered 'all of the evidence' including reports from the probation officer and two psychiatrists. Justice Rafferty said: "We are not persuaded the judge was properly driven to conclude, or bound to make, a finding of statutory dangerousness." Miah's sentence was neither unduly lenient, nor manifestly excessive, and would remain the same, she concluded. Im the kind of person that has a checklist of things to do, and Lollapalooza was one of them, he says. I lost my voice the day before, and I was super angry the whole day, trying to conserve as much of my voice as I could. But once we got on stage, I had a ball, my friends had a ball, and I learned so much about myself, and how things like that work. It was a super hot day, but no one passed out, and there were more people at the end of the set than at the beginning. Given the situation I was in, it went as best as it possibly could go. The Roxbury Public Library will offer a pop-up pub at Dec. 7 and a reading of The Shepherd Dec. 9 at Hodge Memorial Library in town. The pop-up pub for individuals age 21 and older will be held Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. at the library and museum at 4 North St. The event will feature beers donated by Black Hog Brewing in Oxford, refreshments and live music. Proceeds from the sale of the beverages will support the Minor Memorial Library childrens programming and book purchases. All Aboard Pizza in New Milford will deliver pizzas - with a minimum order of $35 - to patrons of the pub who call in their orders. Menus will be available at the pub. Doug Schlicher of Woodbury will return Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. to read The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth. The novella, set in post-World War II England, is about a young RAF pilot who is guiding his Vampire jet fighter high over the North Sea on Christmas Eve, 1957. Gradually realizing that his planes entire electrical system is malfunctioning, it seems certain that this is his last Christmas Eve. Schlicher is known locally for his annual reading pf Dickens A Christmas Carol at the Hurd House in Woodbury, now in its 28th year. Formerly a professional actor, Schlicher has performed onstage with the New York Shakespeare Festival, the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, and has performed at Lincoln Center, Off-Broadway, and at the Public Theater in New York as well as in Central Park. In addition to his stage work, he has appeared in more than 400 television and radio commercials and voice-over narrations. Locally, he has lent his talent to the Gunn Memorial Museum in Washington where he has narrated exhibit-related videos. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) celebrates a pivotal moment in medicine: approval by the European Commission (EC) of LUXTURNA (voretigene neparvovec), the first and only gene therapy for patients with an inherited retinal disease, last month. This also makes LUXTURNA the first gene therapy for a genetic disease that has received regulatory approval in both the U.S. and European Union (EU). The EC approved LUXTURNA, a one-time gene therapy for the treatment of vision loss due to inherited retinal dystrophy caused by confirmed biallelic RPE65 mutations, in pediatric and adult patients who have sufficient viable retinal cells. RPE65 -mediated inherited retinal disease is a progressive condition that leads to total blindness in most patients. The authorization is valid in all 28 member states of the EU, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. In December 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved LUXTURNA for use in patients in the U.S. "The European Commission's approval of LUXTURNA highlights the vital role of pediatric research in developing breakthrough cures," said Bryan Wolf, MD, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Chair of the Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "The research conducted as a collaborative effort between CHOP's Raymond G. Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics (CCMT) and investigators at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania laid the groundwork for this revolutionary gene therapy, which was developed and is now manufactured by Spark Therapeutics. Today, we are thrilled to see LUXTURNA approved as a therapy for children and adults outside the U.S." CHOP founded Spark Therapeutics in 2013 in an effort to accelerate the timeline for bringing new gene therapies to market. Spark's mission, to create a world where no life is limited by genetic disease, was to build on the foundational research conducted over a multi-year period by the CHOP and Penn Medicine teams. Beginning in 2000, the initial research for LUXTURNA was conducted by Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, F.M. Kirby professor of Ophthalmology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania's Scheie Eye Institute, and Albert M. Maguire, MD, a professor of Ophthalmology at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine and an attending physician at CHOP. Bennett and Maguire joined forces with then-CHOP researcher Katherine A. High, MD, a gene therapy pioneer who directed the CCMT and who is now Spark's President and head of research and development. Dr. Maguire served as a Principal Investigator of the therapy's clinical trials. In the U.S., the gene therapy is currently administered at 10 treatment centers by leading retinal surgeons who receive training provided by Spark Therapeutics on the administration procedure. In January 2018, Spark Therapeutics entered into a licensing and supply agreement with Novartis covering development, registration and commercialization rights to LUXTURNA in markets outside the U.S. Upon the transfer of the marketing authorization from Spark Therapeutics to Novartis. Novartis can commercialize LUXTURNA in the EU/EEA. Novartis already has exclusive rights to pursue development, registration and commercialization in all other countries outside the U.S., and Spark Therapeutics will supply the gene therapy to Novartis. Source: https://www.chop.edu/news/children-s-hospital-celebrates-european-commission-approval-first-its-kind-gene-therapy Stroke patients prescribed a common antidepressant show no improvement compared with those given a dummy drug, a study has found. Earlier research from France had suggested that taking the drug, called fluoxetine, might reduce disability after stroke. The latest study found no difference between the improvement in physical ability of stroke patients who took fluoxetine for six months and those who took a placebo - an inactive substitute. Experts stress that people already taking the drug should not stop without speaking to their doctor first. Fluoxetine is a common type of antidepressant that includes the branded drugs Prozac and Prozep. The University of Edinburgh-led study involved more than 3000 stroke patients at over 100 hospitals around the UK. Half of the participants started taking fluoxetine daily within the first two weeks of their stroke, while the remainder took a placebo. Those who took fluoxetine were less likely to develop depression, but, there was a small increase in bone fractures reported in this group. Researchers say their findings do not support the use of fluoxetine to promote recovery after stroke in the UK. The study, called FOCUS, is published in The Lancet and was funded by the Stroke Association and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The findings are being announced at the UK Stroke Forum annual conference in Telford, UK. Co-chief investigator Professor Gillian Mead, of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, said: "FOCUS has shown that there is no benefit in the routine prescription of fluoxetine to improve recovery after a stroke, contrary to the promising results of smaller trials. "There are other reasons a patient may be prescribed fluoxetine and we do not recommend that people change their treatment regimen without first consulting with their doctor." Fellow co-chief investigator Professor Martin Dennis, of the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, said: "We have been working closely with researchers in Australia and Sweden who are running similar trials, the AFFINITY and EFFECTS trials. The results of those studies will reveal whether taking fluoxetine might offer benefits for stroke patients in other health systems." Kate Holmes, Assistant Director of Research, Stroke Association said: "While this important study shows no reduction in disability after stroke, this is an incredibly challenging field of research. For the 1.2 million people currently living with the disabling and often devastating consequences of stroke, research to improve lives and reduce disability after stroke is of incredible value and importance. We look forward to hearing the outcomes of further trials in this area and hope that we will see some positive benefits for stroke survivors soon." Reducing the number of medications older adults use can have surprising benefits, according to research presented in a new issue of the journal Public Policy & Aging Report from The Gerontological Society of America. Titled "Comorbidity, Deprescribing, and the Healthcare of Older People" and supported by Age UK, the issue explores the role of deprescribing -- defined as the "the systematic process of identifying and discontinuing drugs in instances in which existing or potential harms outweigh existing or potential benefits within the context of an individual patient's care goals, current level of functioning, life expectancy, values, and preferences" -- as a solution to polypharmacy. James Goodwin, PhD, then the chief scientist at Age UK, served as guest editor. He joined with Public Policy & Aging Report Editor in Chief Brian Kaskie, PhD, of the University of Iowa to write an introduction for the issue's ten articles. They summarized the authors' identification of several factors that contribute to polypharmacy in older adults: An increasing complexity of health care delivery, irrespective of the national setting, leading to problems of coordination between caregivers, physicians, and patients; The rise of co-morbidities and chronic long-term illnesses as the population ages; The huge numbers of available pharmaceuticals and their widespread use; The construction of guidelines based on single diseases, randomized control trials of low external validity, and drugs untested in the older population; Marginalization and disempowerment of older patients, with the absence of shared decision-making; and A culture in Western societies that is expectant of medical intervention at all levels. Collectively, the articles in the new Public Policy & Aging Report addresses ethical and policy issues related to deprescribing and explore the application of this approach in practice, including how to address barriers to deprescribing. "And as this edition shows, we know more than ever about the current state of polypharmacy, a modern epidemic which has the potential to blight the lives of millions of older people. Yet progress is slow," Goodwin and Kaskie state. "Let us hope that by extending our understanding and the possibilities for improvement, we reduce the risks and increase the health and quality of life of our aging populations." Source: https://www.geron.org/press-room/press-releases/2018-press-releases/974-deprescribing-can-be-valuable-tool-in-managing-polypharmacy-experts-say One in five cancer patients could be experiencing financial difficulties because of their care needs, according to new research published in the Journal of Cancer Survivorship. Lead researcher Dr Alison Pearce from the Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), says financial difficulty or 'toxicity' adds to the distress cancer patients experience, so it is important to find ways to reduce this. Overall, more than 20 per cent of people with cancer in the new study reported financial difficulty as a result of their cancer care. For the unemployed the rate of financial difficulties was 27 per cent, compared to 16 per cent for those in work. Dr Pearce says this link between employment status and financial difficulty means helping people remain in work is important. "Cancer diagnosis and treatment can interfere with a patient's ability to work and only 60 per cent of people, on average, return to work after their cancer diagnosis and treatment," she says. "Our study shows there is a strong link between employment status and financial dfficulties. So if we can help patients maintain employment, or provide return-to-work programs for survivors, this might help prevent or reduce this stress." Nearly 3000 participants ranging in age from 18 to 65 with diverse cancer types were included in the study, which used data from the Netherlands and involved an international group of researchers. Nearly half of the participants were employed at the time of the survey. The research group came from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Flinders University in Australia, along with the Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, the University Medical Center Groningen, and Tilburg University in The Netherlands. The study also found that financial difficulties due to cancer were more common for men, young people, those who were unmarried, and those who had lower education or socio-economic status. Financial reserves and flexibility can be limited for many of these groups. For example, young people may not have had time to save money, or those working casual jobs might have a lower income as well as less access to sick leave. Professor Lonneke van de Poll-Franse from the PROFILES registry that provided the data for the study says while the Netherlands, like Australia, has a good social security system to pay for cancer treatment and disability, people still experience financial difficulties. "More attention should be paid to the potential origins of this problem, for example maintaining employment, getting a mortgage or insurance, or missing out on work-related financial bonuses," says Professor van de Poll-Franse. The researchers also found that some types of cancer were more likely to result in financial difficulties. People who had blood cancer or colorectal cancer were more likely to have financial difficulties due to the costs of cancer, while people with a type of skin cancer called Basal Cell Carcinoma were less likely to experience financial strain. "This may reflect the duration and complexity of treatment for different cancers," Dr Pearce says. Just as the physical side effects of treatment reduce after stopping treatment, the chances of financial difficulties also reduced over time. "This is probably related to people going back to work. However, we know financial difficulties reduce quality of life so it would be better if we could help people to avoid or minimize financial problems, rather than just waiting for them to go away," Dr Pearce says. Other studies have shown that multidisciplinary teams involving physical therapy, psychological support and workplace specific training have been effective in helping people return to work. Newborns with Vitamin D deficiency have an increased risk of schizophrenia later in life, researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Queensland report. The discovery could prevent some cases of the disease, and shows that neonatal vitamin D deficiency could possibly account for about 8 per cent of all schizophrenia cases in Denmark. The study, led by Professor John McGrath from Aarhus University and the University of Queensland, found that newborns with vitamin D deficiency had a 44 per cent increased risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia as adults, compared to those with normal Vitamin D levels. Professor McGrath, says the new study is based on 2602 individuals. The study confirms a previous study that also found an association between neonatal vitamin D deficiency and an increased risk of schizophrenia. The findings support the hypothesis that the risk of schizophrenia could be reduced with the treatment of vitamin D deficiency during the earliest stages of life. "Schizophrenia is a group of poorly understood brain disorders characterized by symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions and cognitive impairment," he says. Professor McGrath Is part of the Danish research-project, iPSYCH and has a Niels Bohr Professorship at the National Centre for Register-based Research at Aarhus University "As the developing fetus is totally reliant on mother's vitamin D stores, our findings suggest that ensuring pregnant women have adequate levels of vitamin D may result in the prevention of some schizophrenia cases, in a manner comparable to the role folate supplementation has played in the prevention of spina bifida." 8 per cent of all schizophrenia-cases in Denmark The team made the discovery by analyzing vitamin D concentration in blood samples taken from Danish newborns between 1981 and 2000 who had gone on to develop schizophrenia as young adults. The researchers compared these samples to those of people matched by sex and date of birth who had not developed schizophrenia. The research was published in Scientific Reports . According to John McGrath, schizophrenia is associated with many different risk factors, both genetic and environmental, but the new research suggests that neonatal vitamin D deficiency could possibly account for about 8 per cent of schizophrenia cases in Denmark. "Much of the attention in schizophrenia research has been focused on modifiable factors early in life with the goal of reducing the burden of this disease. Previous research identified an increased risk of schizophrenia associated with being born in winter or spring and living in a high-latitude country, such as Denmark," he says. "We hypothesized that low vitamin D levels in pregnant women due to a lack of sun exposure during winter months might underlie this risk, and investigated the association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of schizophrenia." Professor McGrath also led a Dutch 2016 study that found a link between prenatal vitamin D deficiency and increased risk of childhood autism traits. "The next step is to conduct randomized clinical trials of vitamin D supplements in pregnant women who are vitamin D deficient, in order to examine the impact on child brain development and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia" A study in Biological Psychiatry examines what makes people susceptible or resilient to the psychiatric effects of childhood maltreatment People who experience childhood maltreatment frequently have perturbations in their brain architecture, regardless of whether they develop psychiatric symptoms, but a study in Biological Psychiatry found additional alterations in people who don't develop symptoms. The study, by researchers at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, suggests that the additional changes may help compensate for the effects of maltreatment. The findings shed light on the mystery of why some children are susceptible to the effects of maltreatmentwhich is a major risk factor for psychiatric complications including anxiety, depression, addiction, and suicideand others are resilient. "These are important findings as they provide a radically new perspective on resilience. Maltreated individuals without psychiatric symptoms are not unaffected or immune. Rather, they have additional brain changes that enable them to effectively compensate," said lead author Kyoko Ohashi, PhD. Dr. Ohashi and colleagues created models of brain networks in 342 young adults, over half of whom had experienced maltreatment as a child, by tracing pathways of connections throughout the brain. "We found that susceptible and resilient emerging adults with childhood maltreatment had the same abnormalities in brain network organization. Interestingly, resilient individuals had additional abnormalities in specific brain regions that reduced their susceptibility to different types of psychiatric symptoms, and this information was able to reliably predict whether individuals were not maltreated or were susceptible or resilient," said Dr. Ohashi. These additional abnormalities in resilient adults appeared to decrease the efficiency of information transfer in brain regions likely altered by maltreatment and that are involved in psychiatric symptoms, like pain, stress, depression, and anxiety. "This study highlights that resilience is an active process that is associated with its own alterations in brain function over and above the negative effects of stress. The observation that the illness-related network changes are present in the resilient individuals may help to explain why some individuals have periods of both vulnerability and resilience after traumatic stress exposure," said John Krystal, MD, Editor of Biological Psychiatry. "We wonder whether these additional changes in connectivity are the causes, consequences, or both causes and consequences of resilience," continued Dr. Krystal. The study can't definitively say if the additional resilience-related alterations are present prior to stress or emerge following stress exposure. But, the findings give researchers an idea of how to help susceptible people develop resilience. "These findings are intriguing because they introduce an entirely new possibility. Previously, we assumed that effective treatments would need to work by reversing some of the effects of maltreatment on brain development. These findings suggest that treatment might work instead by moving the brain organization of susceptible individuals more into line with the more effectively compensated brain organization of resilient individuals," said Dr. Ohashi. Researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Michigan Medical School have conducted a study showing that a specific subset of immune B cells delays the onset of type 1 diabetes in mice. UGREEN 3S | Shutterstock When the researchers transferred the immune cells, called CD19+IgM+ B cells, they found that the onset of the condition was delayed in an age-specific manner. We are the first to describe that CD19+ IgM+ B cells play a strong regulatory effect that delays diabetes onset in a mouse model. Dr. Massimo Pietropaolo, Study Author The finding, which has recently been described in the journal JCI Insight, could pave the way for the development of new therapies for type 1 diabetes. "For many years, one of the research interests of my lab has been to better understand the role the immune system plays in type 1 diabetes, said Pietropaolo. A growing body of experimental evidence from studies of both animals and humans has pointed towards B cells as playing a key role in the development of diabetes. For example, research has shown that subsets of B cells can contribute directly to the development of the disease. However, according to Pietropaolo, there are also indications that subsets of B cells may be involved in modulating the onset of the condition: "For instance, elimination of a specific subset of B cells carrying the -chain marker resulted in impaired diabetes progression in a mouse model." In the current study, Pietropaolo and team found that transferral of CD19+ IgM+ B cells protected against diabetes onset in an age-specific manner, with diabetes onset being delayed in 6-week old mice, but not in mice that were older than 15 weeks. Rebekah Charney, a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside, has been awarded the prestigious Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health. The fellowship provides $177,000 to support Charney for three years to study the earliest events underlying the formation of neural crest cells. Charney, who joined UCR in 2016 after receiving her doctoral degree at UC Irvine, explained that neural crest cells are a stem cell population unique to vertebrates. They migrate extensively throughout the developing embryo and form numerous derivatives, including neurons, pigment cells, and most of the bone and connective tissue in the face. Their improper development leads to multiple pathologies, including very common birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate and aggressive cancers such as neuroblastoma. However, major questions regarding the formation of neural crest cells remain unanswered. "The molecular mechanisms underlying the earliest stages of neural crest cell formation remain uncharacterized, and this fellowship precisely aims to address this issue," Charney said. At UCR, Charney works in the laboratory of Martin I. Garcia-Castro, an associate professor of biomedical sciences. Under the fellowship, Charney will be sponsored by Garcia-Castro and co-sponsored by Nicole zur Nieden, an associate professor in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology. On the research project, Charney will also collaborate with Thomas Girke, an associate professor of bioinformatics at UCR. "The research enabled by this fellowship brings together multiple research groups from across the UCR campus," Charney said. "Together, we will integrate cutting-edge, genome-wide technology with embryology and stem cell biology in order to uncover the processes underlying key developmental decisions." Garcia-Castro, her sponsor, emphasized that this is the first instance this fellowship has been awarded to a postdoctoral researcher performing work in the School of Medicine since accreditation. "Dr. Charney is an outstanding postdoctoral scholar who joined the Division of Biomedical Sciences with a glowing academic record," he said. "Since her arrival, Rebekah has made great strides in her research implementing creative approaches to decipher the molecular interactions that initiate the formation of the neural crest, and has been very successful in crafting research funding applications and getting our research published. "She is a smart, tenacious and tireless scientist who has already been recognized for her capacity and promise to lead a very productive research career in academia," he continued. "At the same time, she has distinguished herself through service towards other members of the School of Medicine and UCR community, including envisioning and initiating workshops for postdoctoral scholars, and mentoring undergrads. I am thrilled to have her performing her postdoctoral work with us, and look forward to her continued positive impact on the UCR and scientific community." Charney's work under this fellowship pioneers gene network studies of neural crest cell specification at previously uncharacterized early stages of development. Neural crest cells are thought to arise from committed ectoderm cells - one of the three germ layers that serve as the foundation for the tissues and organs that make up the adult body - in a region of the embryo called the neural plate border. Evidence from the Garcia-Castro laboratory and others, however, suggest a much earlier origin of neural crest cells that is prior to the committed segregation of the germ layers. "The goal of this work is to investigate how transcription factors function in regulating the earliest stages of neural crest formation," Charney said. "Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology, select genes will be removed from human embryonic stem cells, and I will assess the effect of their loss on the formation of human neural crest cells. The role of these factors will also be tested in animal models of development, for example in the chick embryo." Charney noted that the immediate outcomes of the research are addressing key biological questions of neural crest formation and processes governing cell fate decisions during development. Understanding how neural crest cells are formed, and how this process is disrupted in a disease state, however, can help lead to novel therapeutics. Such projects are already underway in the Garcia-Castro lab. Now the trouble with books this large, the annoying part of being unable to part with keepsake books easily: There is that much less room for a library of average-sized books. One modest solution: 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die ($35, Workman) is far more than another one of those doorstop, inch-thick Do This Before You Die castoffs, but rather, apparently the lifes work of James Mustich and if its not, the man is an overachiever. Here is a beautiful, exhausting, smartly designed library about the perfect library, so hard to put down it took me a half hour to pull away long enough to finish that sentence. Comparably, Chicago by the Book: 101 Publications That Shaped the City and Its Image ($35, University of Chicago Press) is the perfect study of the perfect library of the perfect Chicago provincial, an absorbing, decidedly snobbish local canon. Alex Kotlowitz on Nelson Algren and Frank Rich on Norman Mailer and Toni Preckwinkle on Ida B. Wells. (One defensive note: No local newspaper made this book. Playboy, yes. A book about competition to build Tribune Tower, yes. The Tribune no.) Dunham sent a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, co-written with Girls showrunner Jenni Konner, saying, While our first instinct is to listen to every womans story, our insider knowledge of Murrays situation makes us confident that sadly this accusation is one of the 3 percent of assault cases that are misreported every year. ... It is a true shame to add to that number, as outside of Hollywood women still struggle to be believed. We stand by Murray and this is all well be saying about this issue. As the Bat-Family steps up in 2022, we rank Batman's best supporting characters Batman is quitting Gotham later this year - here are the heroes who will step up to fill the gap Sorry! This content is not available in your region At this moment, we are desperately clinging to the promise that America once represented, hoping that somehow we can begin to live up to the greatness the world has come to expect of us and that we once expected of ourselves. Dear Newsie Readers, Newsie has now permanently ceased it's services as of Friday 20th December 2019. Newsie has been an owner-funded operation since day one. Coming up to three years old, while we still firmly believe Newsie has a place in the New Zealand media landscape, the cost in both time and money has become too burdensome for the owners to continue alongside other ventures. With the current government looking to restructure public broadcasting, and seemingly supporting NZME buying a ring-fenced Stuff, the time seems right to call it a day. Should it happen, the combination of NZME and Stuff will ensure New Zealands national media will die a death by a thousand opinion-based articles. Newsie has always tried to stick to balanced news, to inform readers of the facts of a situation, amid being largely ignored by government. Hopefully, one day someone else will take up the challenge to fight the good fight. The good news, however, is that there were no job losses as a result of Newsie closing. Thanks to careful structuring, everyone involved in Newsie will retain their current positions. We hope you all have a happy Christmas and new year. Stay safe, and stay out of the news. The team at Newsie New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is gearing up to field Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit-Nene from the Pune Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 general elections, according to sources. The report came months after BJP president Amit Shah met Madhuri Dixit at her Mumbai residence as a part of the party's 'Sampark for Samarthan' programme in June. Shah also briefed Madhuri on achievements of the Narendra Modi government ever since it came to power in 2014. Talking about the latest development, a senior Maharashtra BJP leader said that the 51-year-old actress has been shortlisted for the BJP's Pune Lok Sabha set in 2019. "The party is seriously considering giving candidature to Madhuri Dixit in the 2019 General Elections. We think the Pune Lok Sabha constituency will be better for her," he was quoted by saying as PTI. However, there was no immediate word on behalf of Madhuri regarding the development so far. Read | Modi's move to wreck Telangana alliance that Rahul, Naidu want for 2019 Lok Sabha polls In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP's Anil Shirole bagged the Pune constituency defeating the Congress candidate by a margin of more than three lakh votes. On the BJP's plan to field Madhuri from Pune Lok Sabha seat, a senior party functionary said, "Such tactics were implemented by Narendra Modi in Gujarat when he became the chief minister for the first time. He changed all the candidates in local bodies election and the party reaped benefits of that decision." Read | Shah Rukh-Madhuri to Soumitra-Madhabi, 20 Indian film personalities invited to Oscar Academy's class of 2018 "As fresh faces were introduced, there was nothing to criticise them with. It left the opposition shocked and the BJP won maximum seats and retained power," he added. Madhuri Dixit is known for her significant contribution to the Indian film industry. With her impeccable acting and dancing skills, she has managed a permanent place in the hearts of millions. Dixit has featured in several blockbuster films in Bollywood, including Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Dil To Pagal Hai, Saajan and Devdas. In 2018, she was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, by the Government of India. New Delhi: Sara Ali Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer Kedarnath, which released today, was under a heat of controversies regarding its release. Kedarnath is a romantic flick which revolves around the disastrous 2013 Uttarakhand floods. Soon after the trailer was launched, the film landed in a pit of troubles when Teerth purohits (priests) of the shrine town of Kedarnath in Uttarakhands Chardham demanded that a blanket ban be imposed on the movie stating that it hurts the Hindu religious sentiments and promotes Love Jihad. However, ahead of its Friday release, the Uttarakhand High Court, following the Bombay and Gujarat High Courts, has dismissed a PIL filed against the film. Also Read | Priyanka Chopra won't react to 'random things' published in The Cut, Sophie Turner, Joe Jonas raise their voice The move comes as a major relief to the team of Kedarnath, as the PIL suggested that the film hurts the religious sentiments of the Hindus. The petitioner pleaded with the court to stop the release and sought a ban on the film. Dismissing the petition, a division bench of Chief Justice Ramesh Ranganathan and Justice Ramesh Khulbe said a similar controversy surrounding the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat had made the film a super hit. The court advised the petitioner to approach a high powered committee headed by the Rudraprayag district magistrate with his objections to the movie. The bench of justices event advised the counsel of petitioner not to watch the film if he so wished. Earlier in the day, a PIL filed against the film was also dismissed by the Bombay High Court. a PIL filed against the film has been dismissed by the Bombay High Court. The storyline is cooked-up, imaginary, and the movie is an untrustworthy story of love between a Hindu Brahmin girl and a Muslim boy connected with the natural disaster of Uttarakhand, the plea filed in the Gujarat court read. The filmmakers have, by making such type of movie and releasing the trailer, made attempts to outrage and play with our religious sentiments using the name and abode of lord Shiva, according to a report in Times Now. Also Read | In a relief to Kedarnath makers, Bombay High Court dismisses PIL seeking ban Sushant Singh Rajput is playing the role of a pithu, who carries pilgrims on their backs and is a Muslim by religion while Sara plays a role of a Hindu girl who falls in love with him. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP and Pragya Kapoor's Guy In the Sky Pictures, Kedarnath is directed by Abhishek Kapoor. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Duncan, who had just started working in Chicago, said in an email: I had heard so much about (Reillys) focus on architecture and urban design since my arrival to Chicago and wanted to meet him, so, when an opportunity to attend a fundraising dinner came up, we purchased a ticket. New Delhi: In a relief to the makers and cast of Kedarnath, just ahead of its release on Friday, a PIL filed against the film has been dismissed by the Bombay High Court. On Wednesday, the Gujarat High Court had also dismissed a PIL against the film. The PILs suggested that Kedarnath hurts the religious sentiments of the Hindus and inspires love jihad as per media reports. The petitioner pleaded with the court to stop the release and sought a ban on the film. Dismissing the PIL, the court also called it a publicity stunt by the petitioner. Kedarnath has Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan in lead roles and is set in the backdrop of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. Kedarnath has been directed by Abhishek Kapoor and tells the story of a wealthy Hindu girl who falls in love with a pitthu belonging to the Muslim community. As they grow closer along the journey, they face many obstacles, including familial disapproval and contrasting backgrounds. When the sudden rains of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods devastate the region, the couple is forced to survive against the elements of nature and face the ultimate test of their love. Read More | Kartik Aaryan responds to Sara Ali Khan's 'dating' comment The storyline is cooked-up, imaginary, and the movie is an untrustworthy story of love between a Hindu Brahmin girl and a Muslim boy connected with the natural disaster of Uttarakhand, the plea filed in the Gujarat court read. The filmmakers have, by making such type of movie and releasing the trailer, made attempts to outrage and play with our religious sentiments using the name and abode of lord Shiva, according to a report in Times Now. Produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP and Pragya Kapoor's Guy In the Sky Pictures. Also Read | Kedarnaths makers reveal how real footage of floods are used in film For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Brahmastra come to its schedule wrap. Helmed by Ayan Mukherji, Brahmastra is the first instalment of the fantasy adventure trilogy that also features Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna and Dimple Kapadia in significant roles. Alia took to her Instagram to share a photograph of herself with the filmmaker to announce the 'schedule wrap'. She captioned the picture as & thats schedule wrap #brahmastra. Also Read | Mika Singh arrested in Dubai on charges of sexual harassment: Sources Brahmastra marks the third collaboration of Ranbir and Ayan after their two other successful ventures namely Wake Up Sid and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Ahead of the inception of Brahmastra, Ranbir, Alia and Ayan had also made a trip to Israel for certain preparations regarding the trilogy. On the other hand, television actress Mouni Roy's 'never seen before' grey avatar will also be a treat for the audiences. Also Read | Virat Kohli, Alia Bhatt, Ayushmann Khurrana make it to GQ list top 50 influential young Indians The fantasy drama has also brought the rumoured adorable couple Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor in limelight. Bollywood belle Alia and beau Ranbir have been sending their fans into a tizzy with constant updates about their whirlwind romance and giving away some major relationship goals. Although the couple has not officially accepted or denied their commitment towards each other, fans and fellow B-town celebrities cannot stop gushing about their love life. Also Read | Priyanka Chopra moves up from #97 to #94 in Forbes List of 100 Most Powerful Women in 2018 The rumours of them dating started making rounds ever since they began working together on Brahmastra. The film will see Amitabh, Ranbir and Alia to share the silver screen together, for the first time. The movie is scheduled to release in 2019. For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The UK government has asked India to provide urgent information on the circumstances surrounding the extradition of Christian Michel - the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam case. Michel, a British national was extradited to India from Dubai on Tuesday night. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the agency investigating the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case, on Wednesday produced Michel before a special CBI court in New Delhi. The court sent him on a five-day CBI custody. A spokesperson for the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said that they were supporting the family of Michel following his detention in the UAE from where he was extradited to India. We are in contact with his family and the Emirati authorities regarding his case, and are urgently seeking information from the Indian authorities on his circumstances," the spokesperson said. Also Read | AgustaWestland Scam: CBI gets five-day custody of 'middleman' Christian Michel The CBI claims that Michel is one of the three middlemen who brokered the VVIP choppers deal with the Indian Air Force. He had allegedly paid a bribe to officials and politicians to help AgustaWestland - the British arm of Italian firm Finmeccanica - get the contract from the Indian government to purchase 12 AW101 helicopters. In its chargesheet, the CBI alleged that Christian Michel visited India 25 times and stayed in Hotel Ashoka and Claridges in Delhi and ITC Windsor in Bengaluru when the deal was being signed. While acting as the middleman in the deal, Michel procured confidential documents and secret information from the defence ministry and the Indian Air Force and shared it with AgustaWestland executives in London. According to a separate chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate, Michel received around Rs 225 crore from AgustaWestland. The probe agency claimed that the money was nothing but kickbacks paid by the firm to execute the 12 VVIP helicopters deal in favour of the company. What is AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam? The case pertains to the Indian governments deal to purchase 12 AW101 helicopters from AgustaWestland. The deal was signed by the then Congress-led UPA government in February 2010. The choppers were supposed to ferry VVIPs, including the President of India, the Prime Minister. However, controversies surrounded the deal after reports that Finmeccanica paid a huge amount of money to several officials and politicians to win the VVIP choppers deal with the Indian Air Force. It was alleged that the some of the technical specifications were changed to help AgustaWestland bag the deal. According to a CBI claim, the deal had cost the taxpayers a loss of approximately Rs 2,666 crore. Read More | What is AgustaWestland VVIP choppers scam? 10-point explainer For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In what could be a big blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Calcutta High Court on Thursday denied permission to party president Amit Shah for a 'rath yatra' from West Bengal's Cooch Behar anticipating "communal tension" across the state. The BJP was scheduled to take out three rallies in West Bengal - one from Cooch Behar in the north, another from Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas district on December 9 and the last one from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The Calcutta High Court has posted the matter for further hearing on January 9. Following this, the BJP has decided to move division bench of Calcutta High Court challenging single bench order refusing permission to rath yatra, party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters. Read | Madhuri Dixit can be BJP's candidate from Pune seat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, claim reports "We will be going to division bench tomorrow morning. We will seek justice that any peaceful democratic movement is permissible under the Indian Constitution," West Bengal BJP vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar told ANI. West Bengal BJP Vice President Jay Prakash Majumdar after Calcutta HC order to defer BJP's Rath Yatra: We will be going to division bench tomorrow morning. We will seek justice that any peaceful democratic movement is permissible under Indian Constitution pic.twitter.com/xSsZZYa6rr ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2018 The advocate general opposed the BJP filing a supplementary affidavit opposing the refusal of permission, saying it can either come with a fresh petition or an amendment to his petition. "Weve to move forward in consultation with the police, thats why that judgement is valid till tomorrow 10:30 am. We will follow the judgement that will come tomorrow," West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said. West Bengal BJP Chief Dilip Ghosh on Calcutta High Court's order deferring party's rath yatra: Weve to move forward in consultation with the police, thats why that judgement is valid till tomorrow 10:30 am. We will follow the judgement that will come tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/suOwYH4kAo ANI (@ANI) December 6, 2018 Read | Navjot Singh Sidhu on brink of losing voice, injured vocal cords after 70 back-to-back rallies: Sources The 'rath yatra' was a part of the BJP's election campaign in 42 Lok Sabha constituencies across West Bengal, where the party aims to bag over 22 seats in the general elections next year. The BJP currently has two Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal - Asansol and Darjeeling. At the conclusion of the scheduled 'rath yatra', the BJP would have held another rally in Kolkata, which was likely to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Security was beefed up in Ayodhya ahead of the 26th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition on Thursday. Every year, both the communities hold several programmes to mark this day and this year is no different. However, as the pitch for the construction of a Ram Temple on the disputed land is gaining momentum, special attention is being taken to ensure there is no communal clash and hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to contain any tension in the state. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal are observing this day as Shaurya Diwas (day of bravery) and 'Vijay Diwas' (day of victory) and have asked the people to light earthen lamps, while the Muslim outfits have said they will observe 'Yaum-e-Gham' (day of sorrow) and 'Yaum-e-Syah' (black day). Read More | Bulandshahr violence: Yogi Adityanath orders strict action against cow slaughter As many as 2,500 police personnel, besides Rapid Action Force and paramilitary CRPF, have been deployed as part of multi-layered security in and around the site and in the Hanumangarhi area of the city, officials said. Security tightened in Ayodhya on the anniversary of Babri Mosque demolition. pic.twitter.com/NJjOakBqwX ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) December 6, 2018 "We have heavy security deployment in the twin towns of Faizabad-Ayodhya. The civil police along with CRPF and RAF have been deployed on roads and sensitive localities," Superintendent of Police, Faizabad (city) Anil Singh said as quoted by news agency PTI. "Checking of vehicles, hotels and dharmshala (rest houses) in Ayodhya is being conducted. We have made all necessary security arrangements and have allowed only programme which are held by both the communities every year," the SP said. Sharad Sharma, VHP spokesperson in Ayodhya, said that Hindu organisations are likely "to organise a number of religious programmes. "Special prayers for Goddess Saraswati (the goddess of learning) are to be held so that the people, especially politicians do not hinder the construction of a Ram temple, besides hawans seeking to get rid of all obstructions. "Tributes will also be paid to the innocent karsewaks who faced bullets and lost their lives," he said. Mahant Ramdas of Nirmohi Akhara said, "the day would be celebrated like Diwali and hawans would be held at Karsewakpuram". Also Read | India vs Australia 1st Test live Adelaide Oval scores and updates: Cheteshwar Pujara, Rohit Sharma steady Virat Kohli's side On the other hand, state president of Indian Union Muslim League said, "We will observe this day as Black Day. Even the Supreme Court has termed the demolition of Babri Masjid as a matter of national shame". Afaq Ahmad Khan, the chairman of Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC), said, "We are waiting for the last 26 years for justice". The BMAC said it will send memoranda to the Prime Minister and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister requesting them to ensure status quo at Ayodhya demolition site as per Supreme Court orders. The Agra police also held a peace meeting that was attended by all the senior police officials of the district as well as representatives from the administration. Chairing the meeting, Agra SSP Amit Pathak expressed hope that both the Hindu and Muslim communities will maintain peace. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Savitribai Phule, BJP MP from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh resigns from the party, says 'BJP is trying to create divisions in society', reports news agency ANI. This comes two days after she took on the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over his comment on Hanumans caste. While addressing a rally in Malakheda of Alwar district in poll-bound Rajasthan, of Alwar district, Adityanath had said: "Lord Hanuman was a forest dweller, deprived and a Dalit. Bajrang Bali worked to connect all Indian communities together, from north to south and east to west." Phule alleged that people from the backward castes were being called ' bandar ' (monkey) and 'rakshas' (demon). "Lord Hanuman was a Dalit and a slave of ' manuwadi ' people. He was a Dalit and a human. He did all for Lord Ram then why he was given a tail and his face was blackened. Why was he made a monkey?," Phule said. bandarmanuwadi Also Read | Disguised as Sikh, terrorist Zakir Musa hiding in Punjab: Intelligence report "When he did all for Lord Ram with devotion, he (Lord Hanuman) should have been made a human and not a ' bandar ' (monkey). At that time also he had to face humiliation due to being a Dalit. Why can't we Dalits be considered humans?", she told news agency PTI . After his statement, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar asked members of his community to take over all temples belonging to Lord Hanuman. Read More | Family of murdered Uttar Pradesh policeman Subodh Kumar Singh meets CM Yogi Adityanath Soon after Aditynaths statement, right-wing group the Rajasthan Sarv Brahmin Mahasabha sent a legal notice to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister asking him to apologise within three days. On Sunday, Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar asked members of his community to take over all temples belonging to Lord Hanuman. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Dreaded Kashmiri terrorist and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind chief Zakir Musa has once again been spotted in Punjab. According to the latest intelligence reports, Musa was spotted wearing a turban. Following the reports, Bathinda and Ferozepur districts of the state were put on a high alert and security tightened around important places. The posters of Musa wearing a Sikh turban have been put up across the state and people have been advised to stay alert. Musa studied in Punjab before joining the militancy. He had succeeded Burhan Wani as Hizbul Mujahideen commander following the earliers encounter by security forces in 2016. This was the second time Musa has been spotted in Punjab. Also Read | Al-Qaeda names Zakir Musa as head of its Kashmir-based terror outfit Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind In November, a high alert had been sounded in the frontier districts of Gurdaspur and Amritsar following the tip-off about Musas presence. Recently, Army Chief Bipin Rawat had warned that some Khalistani terrorists, who are believed to have joined hands with Kashmiri terrorists, were making attempts to revive insurgency in Punjab. The Army chief had advised people to remain vigilant especially during the festive season. Recently, Pakistani terrorists had hurled a grenade at a religious congregation of Nirankari Satsang Bhawan in Amritsar. Also Read | Pathankot: 6 men from Jammu and Kashmir detained on basis of suspicion The accused of the attack, Avtar Singh, was arrested by Punjab police. Punjab DGP Suresh Arora claimed that Singh was in contact with a person named Javed in Pakistan and a Khalistan supporter Paramjit Singh Baba in Italy. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The family of Subodh Kumar Singh, the police inspector allegedly killed by mob during Bulandshahr violence, on Wednesday met with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his residence in Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh director general of police (DGP) OP Singh was also present during the meeting of Adityanath with family members. Family of martyred Inspector Subodh Singh ji met Chief Minister today and CM assured the family of justice. A high-level probe has also been ordered, DGP Singh said after the meeting. On Tuesday, Subodh Kumar Singh, the SHO of Shyana police station in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, was fatally shot at a point-blank range above his left eye allegedly by a mob protesting against the alleged cow slaughter in the area. The family of the deceased policeman alleged a pre-planned conspiracy behind his murder and demanded a CBI probe into the case. The sister of Subodh claimed that his brother was killed because he was investigating the Akhlaq case. Rajini Rathore, the wife of the police officer even threatened to commit suicide by shooting herself if the perpetrators behind his husbands murder go unpunished. Read More | Bulandshahr: Slain inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was investigating officer in Akhlaq lynching case My husband was killed in a planned manner as part of a conspiracy. If the guilty go unpunished, I will commit suicide by shooting myself. I want a CBI probe to reveal the actual facts and reasons behind my husbands death," Rajini said. A night before meeting the family, CM Yogi Adityanath ordered strict action against cow slaughter, and illegal slaughterhouses, even as the perpetrators behind the murder of Subodh Kumar Singh were yet to be arrested. The cold-blooded killing of the policeman in Bulandshahr by cow vigilantes has once again brought back the horror of 'Jungle Raj' (lawlessness) in Uttar Pradesh. Reacting to the incident, former Uttar Pradesh cheif minister Akhilesh Yadav said that the state was going through a spell of "violence and anarchy" under the rule of the BJP. Also Read | Instead of taking care of his state, UP CM spewing venom in Telangana: Congress on Bulandshahr violence The Congress party also slammed Adityanath over the murder of the Bulandshahr policeman. Seniro Congress leader Kapil Sibal expressed his "shock" and said that instead of taking care of his own state, Yogi Adityanath was busy "spewing venom" in Telangana. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: For the first time in history, a Gujarat doctor performed a telerobotic heart surgery on a patient 30 km away from him at an Ahmedabad hospital. Dr Tejas Patel, who was at the Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar, guided a robot to perform the surgery on a middle-aged patient with a blocked artery. Tele-robotic surgery is performed at a distance on the patient from a remote location using robotically controlled instruments. It is enabled by computer technology and advanced robotics. Stenting is the process through which a tiny tube made of metal mesh is inserted into the passageway of a blocked artery to keep it open. Through the robotic telesurgery, Dr Patel used a console to control a robot who carried out the surgery at a distance. Also Read | World's first baby born via womb transplant from dead donor in Brazil Dr Patel has been widely using robotics for heart surgery, but this is the first time in the world that the surgery was conducted from a remote location outside the operation theatre. "This procedure could have been done with a 20mbps connectivity speed as well. I believe this will not just transform coronary (heart-related) intervention, but the entire vascular space. It has the capability of changing the lives of millions of people living in rural areas," the doctor said as quoted by News18. Read More | How harmful is cow milk? According to doctors around the world, robotic surgeries are considered more accurate than the manual ones because human hands have some limitations that robotic hands dont. The human hand can work only with 10mm precision, while a robotic hand has 1mm precision, ensuring minimum damage to the organ itself, said Dr Patel. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Days after high-voltage political drama over Jammu and Kashmir Assembly dissolution, former finance minister Haseeb Drabu resigned from the Mehbooba Mufti-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday. Taking to Twitter, Drabu announced his resignation along with a copy of his letter to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. "Bidding Adieu to PDP. Another phase of live over," Drabu captioned his tweet. "It has been exactly four and a half years since I joined the J&K PDP. I may not have enjoyed every moment of it, but when I look back at it, it has been an enriching and enlightening association," the letter read. Terming his journey with the PDP a slice of "full life", Drabu said it had its fair share of highs and lows, successes and failures, appreciations and condemnation, contentment and frustrations, and agreements and disagreements. Read | Navjot Singh Sidhu on brink of losing voice, injured vocal cords after 70 back-to-back rallies: Sources "There are many things that I am thankful for, many more I am grateful and yet much more that I am distressed about. A slice of full life in itself as it were!" he wrore. Drabu also took a stroll down his political days with PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, remembering how the former CM of Jammu and Kashmir sought him out and brought him into politics. "Working with him made me realise that politics is not the 'last refuge of scoundrels'! Occasionally, people with intellectual integrity, personal honesty and moral courage can also be found here. I was exceptionally lucky to have worked with him". I just hope that when history judges Mufti sahib and his decision to ally with the BJP, it does so in the context and with the complexity that it deserves," Drabu added in his letter. Bidding Adieu to PDP. Another phase of life over. pic.twitter.com/r5YbZoYRYb Haseeb Drabu (@HaseebDrabu) December 6, 2018 Read | Madhuri Dixit can be BJP's candidate from Pune seat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, claim reports Drabus resignation came on the heels of his removal from the Finance ministry in a cabinet reshuffle in May this year. After Imran Ansari, he is the second leader to abandon the party after Governor Satypal Malik dissolved the state assembly on November 21. Apart from his contribution to the arena of politics, Drabu is a well known economist and also served as chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. There were the tears of his son that I wont forget. And there was the respect shown to him by his nation. But it was that nation that had turned him out of office after one term for a most uncivil man, who defiled the Oval Office from the start. New Delhi: Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Wednesday may give a jolt to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by pulling out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Upset over the seat sharing formula in Bihar for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) leader is likely to resign as minister from the Narendra Modi cabinet, according to reports. Kushwaha is demanding a respectable share of Lok Sabha seats for his party. However, as per the latest seat sharing formula, the BJP and the Nitish Kumars JDU are likely to contest on 17 seats each and the rest six seats may go in the kitty of Ram Vilas Paswans LJP. Kushwaha had given the BJP a November 30 deadline to finalise the seat-sharing formula between the NDA partners in Bihar. However, he didnt receive any response from the ruling party. Also Read | These 11 parties left PM Narendra Modi since 2014 Lok Sabha elections Earlier last month, Kushwaha had met expelled Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav at his residence to discuss the political situation in Bihar. Some reports claimed that the two leaders discussed merger of their parties Kushwahas RLSP and Yadavs Loktantrik Janta Dal (LJD). For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In a bid to woo farmers months ahead of the crucial Lok Sabha election 2019, the Union Cabinet on Thursday approved India's first Agriculture Export Policy which is expected to double farmers' income and agricultural export to USD 60 billion by 2022. Briefing the media on the government's export policy, Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said, "This is in line with the Prime Minister's vision of doubling farmers income by 2022. In less than one year, we have raised our agricultural export to $37 billion from $30 billion and we are sure to double it to $60 billion by 2022". "Today, only three products -- rice, marine products and meat -- constitute about 52 per cent of our agricultural exports. Therefore, we need to diversify and will work on that. We will promote organic, ethnic and indigenous products in a substantive manner," Prabhu added. Glad to see that the Union Cabinet has cleared Agriculture Export Policy, the first ever policy to have been brought out by Govt of India till date.Incidentally, this is also my first policy announcement after taking charge as Commerce & Industry Minister. #AgriExportPolicy2018 Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) December 6, 2018 Read | Maharashtra farmers agitation: Lok Sangarsh Morcha calls off protest as Fadnavis assures to meet demands Under the newly introduced Policy, export of commodities such as tea, coffee and rice will get a boost, increasing the countrys share in global Agri-trade. Apart from the agricultural exports, it will focus on modernising infrastructure, standardisation of products, streamlining regulations and curtailing knee-jerk decisions. The implementation of the policy, which is supposed to remove all kinds of export restrictions on organic products, will entail an outlay of Rs 1,400 crore. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At least six US Marines were missing after two military aircraft crashed during Aerial refueling off the coast of Japan, the US Marine Corps said in a statement. The aircraft an F-18 fighter and a C-130 tanker had taken off from Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in southern Japan. The mishap occurred when the planes were conducting regular training, it read further. The search and rescue operations to find the missing marines were underway. According to a 1st Marine Aircraft Wing spokesperson, Second Lieutenant Alyssa Morales, one of the marines was rescued alive and being assessed by doctors. However, the search and rescue operations will continue till the missing six marines are found. Also Read | Help US bring Taliban to negotiating table, Trump writes to Imran Khan Search and rescue operations continue for U.S. Marine Corps aircraft that were involved in a mishap approximately 200 miles off of the coast of Japan around 2:00 am December 6. One of the personnel involved has been rescued by Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) said in a Facebook statement. The US Marins also thanked the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for their efforts in the search and rescue mission. They immediately responded to aid in recovery," the Marines said. "We are thankful for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's efforts as they immediately responded in the search and rescue operation," the Marines said. Also Read | Time for Pakistan to back PM Modi to maintain peace in South Asia: US Five persons were at the C-130 tanker aircraft and two were on the F-18 fighter jet. The US has stationed over 50,000 troops in Japan and they carry out regular training exercises, therefore, such accidents are not uncommon. The circumstances of the crash, however, were being probed. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ottawa: The chief financial officer of Chinas global telecommunications giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Friday, triggering a strong protest by Beijing, which called for her immediate release. Meng Wanzhous detention comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials, who deemed the company a national security threat. Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1, a statement by Canadas ministry of justice said. She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday. The ministry added it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng, who is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, a former Chinese Peoples Liberation Army engineer. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that US Department of Justice had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by Huawei. Read More | 6 US Marines missing after 2 military planes crash while aerial refuel The New York Times meanwhile said that the company had been subpoenaed by the Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions. Chinas embassy in Ottawa issued a swift reaction to the news, calling for Mengs release. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim, the diplomatic mission said in a statement. The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Meng Wanzhou. Huawei added it was unaware of any wrongdoing and was in compliance with all applicable laws. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng (Wanzhou), it said. Huawei is one of the worlds largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. But despite global success, its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage. Over the summer, Australia also barred Huawei from providing 5G technology for wireless networks in the country over espionage fears. New Zealand followed suit in November but said the issue was a technological one. Also Read | US senators certain that Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi murder In June, Canadas Globe and Mail newspaper reported that US lawmakers warned the Canadian government that Huawei posed a major cybersecurity risk. Despite being essentially barred from the critical US market, Huawei surpassed Apple to become the worlds number two smartphone maker in the second quarter of this year and has market leader Samsung in its sights. Mengs arrest comes as Ottawa and Beijing have been engaged in exploratory talks on a free trade agreement for the past two years, which would be the first deal of its kind between China and a western country. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. In Michigan, commercial production and sales will be allowed only after state regulators draw up rules to determine who will be licensed and how, which is expected to take months if not more than a year, plus time for businesses to open. But as the first state in the Midwest to legalize the drug, advocates expect a wave of visitors looking to get high, despite the social conservatism of the Rust Belt. BROOKFIELD Students at the high school could take American Sign Language classes next year. The school board voted unanimously Wednesday night to add the language, although funding to offer the classes has yet to be approved. In a survey of students, parents and employees, American Sign Language emerged as the language the community was most interested in seeing at the high school. The district already offers French and Spanish, which students begin taking in kindergarten. American Sign Language is one of the most widely-used languages in the country, with hundreds of colleges and universities offering the subject, said Kemen Holley, department chair for world language/English language learners. If were talking about setting up our students for success, actually utilizing languages that they learn here in a real-world context, American Sign Language is the way to go, she told board members. Danbury, Greenwich, West Hartford and Groton also offer American Sign Language. As part of his budget proposal, Superintendent John Barile has recommended hiring a full-time teacher for the class for almost $85,500. The board will not vote on the budget until January. Residents will ultimately vote in May to approve the spending plan. The school expects it could have as many as five sections of the class in the fall, but Principal Marc Balanda said the district could adjust the budget if fewer students sign up in the spring. This story will be updated. BROOKFIELD Fired Superintendent Anthony Bivona will get $175,000 as part of a settlement agreement with the district. The school boards insurance company will cover $50,000, but the district must pay for the rest, said Colette Sturm, the Board of Education chair. She told board members recently that this money will be paid out of funds left over from last years budget. The board expects about $200,000 remains. This means the settlement will not be a hit to the schools operating budget or the towns general fund. The Board of Finance has approved this arrangement, Sturm said. Im grateful for the collaborative effort of the Board of Finance for allowing for this solution and I know were all grateful to have this behind us, she said. Bivonas attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The board and Bivona signed a confidential agreement shortly before the case was set to go to jury trial last month. Bivona sued in 2015, a year after the district fired him for failing to properly oversee the districts finances. During Bivonas seven-year tenure with the district, two staff members were accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the schools. The district realized Art Colley, the former school finance director, had taken money from the student activity fund for his personal use, after a 2014 audit found the district had overspent its budget by more than $1 million over two years. Bivona had maintained he did not know what Colley had done and had striven to responsibly oversee the budget. Colley eventually pleaded guilty to larceny charges and was sentenced to three years of probation. He had to give $79,000 back to the student activity fund. His secretary, Elizabeth Kerekes, was also charged in the scheme and entered into an accelerated rehabilitation program that required her to repay the district more than $26,000. ISLAMABAD - A fresh effort by the Trump administration this week to seek Pakistan's help in arranging Afghan peace talks has produced no signs of progress yet but suggests that the chill between the longtime security allies may be starting to thaw. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan met here Wednesday with the U.S. special representative for the Afghanistan peace process, Zalmay Khalilzad; Khan's office later said the prime minister had assured his visitor that Pakistan had "always wanted a peaceful end to the Afghan conflict" and that "reconciliation is the only solution." There was no public statement from U.S. officials on the meeting, and Khan's words were carefully vague, making no mention of the U.S. request that Pakistan use its influence with the Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan to help bring them to the negotiating table. But there were numerous reports that a delegation of four Taliban officials from the group's political office in Qatar arrived here several days ago to hold meetings. Several Pakistani news outlets, citing unnamed Taliban officials, reported that the private visit was likely an effort to coordinate a response among insurgent leaders for future meetings with Khalilzad, who is expected to visit Qatar this month. The senior Taliban leadership is widely believed to be based in Pakistan, whose government backed the former Taliban government in Kabul and whose security agencies reportedly maintain close but complicated relations with the insurgents. Five weeks ago, Pakistan released Abdul Ghani Baradar, a former top Taliban official, after he spent eight years in prison, in an apparent gesture of support for peace talks. The Taliban has been publicly contemptuous of the Afghan government's peace outreach and has repeatedly said it will negotiate only with U.S. officials. But it has continued to insist that if all foreign troops and bases are not removed from Afghanistan, it will continue fighting. Khalilzad's arrival in Pakistan on Tuesday came just after Khan said he had received a letter from Trump, written in sincere and cordial language, asking for the prime minister's help in arranging peace talks. Its tone contrasted sharply with past actions and exchanges. Trump last year suspended $300 million in military aid to Pakistan, accusing it of failing to take sufficient action against Taliban militants operating from its side of the border with Afghanistan. Last week, Trump publicly accused Pakistan of "not doing a damn thing" to help the United States despite huge amounts of American aid. Khan responded with an indignant tweet saying that the "record needs to be put straight on Mr. Trump's tirade against Pakistan," which he said had suffered more than 75,000 casualties in the war on terrorism. The United States, he said, should "stop making Pakistan a scapegoat" for its failure to win the war in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, Pakistan's top military spokesman declared that after years of Pakistani forces targeting violent extremist groups, "not a single militant organization" is operating or being protected inside Pakistan today. The spokesman, Maj. Gen. Asif Ghafoor, told a group of foreign journalists that Pakistan strongly supports ending the Afghan conflict, in large part because it has had a destabilizing effect on Pakistan. He noted that Pakistan has been building a high fence along the 1,800-mile border with Afghanistan to disrupt the movement of militants. "We want peace to come. . . . An unstable Afghanistan is not good for anyone," Ghafoor said, adding that Pakistan's greatest worry is that U.S. forces will leave Afghanistan, potentially creating a vacuum and causing "chaos" in the impoverished and ethnically divided nation. Pakistani analysts and officials welcomed the change in tone from the White House, although some speculated that it stemmed from Trump's mounting desperation to get U.S. troops out of Afghanistan and his belated recognition that the United States needs Pakistan's help to accomplish that. "Perhaps this is a reality check," Kkurshid Kasuri, a former foreign minister of Pakistan, said in an interview. "President Trump's letter clearly shows he is keen to bring the Afghan war to an end and that the Americans have realized that Pakistan's role is very important." Some Pakistani officials criticized Khalilzad, saying he had been impatient and highhanded in his previous two visits here to promote the talks. They said they welcomed what appeared to be a fresh, more respectful approach by Washington. Shireen Mazari, Pakistan's federal minister for human rights and a longtime critic of U.S. policy in the region, tweeted Tuesday that she hoped Khalilzad would bring a "less arrogant and hostile mind-set" during his latest visit to Islamabad. The U.S. special representative is scheduled to visit eight countries on his current mission, including Afghanistan, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. MEXICO CITY - The Trump administration has donated dozens of new military vehicles to the Guatemalan government, just weeks after authorities in the Central American nation were accused of using similar U.S.-supplied Jeeps to intimidate international anti-corruption investigators and American diplomats. Thirty-eight J8 Jeeps were turned over to the Guatemalan Defense Ministry on Oct. 11 for use in anti-narcotics operations, according to a Pentagon spokesman, Johnny I. Michael Jr. Rep. Eliot L. Engel of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and several other Democrats wrote Thursday to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that "we were disturbed to learn" about the shipment, according to the letter, obtained by The Washington Post. "It is difficult to understand how such a transfer would be made without a resolution of the threatening action by the Guatemalan government against U.S. personnel on Aug. 31," said the letter. On that day, President Jimmy Morales announced that he was ending the mandate of the International Commission Against Impunity in Guatemala - a pioneering, U.N.-backed body launched in 2007. The commission, known by its Spanish initials CICIG, has helped Guatemalan prosecutors investigate two presidents as well as government ministers and congressional representatives, and had been pursuing allegations of campaign finance violations involving Morales. Morales made the announcement surrounded by soldiers and police, a powerful image in a country that endured four decades of brutal military governments before transitioning to democracy in 1997. Meanwhile, a column of Jeeps - some with roof-mounted machine guns - rolled through the city, pausing at CICIG and passing the American Embassy and homes of human rights activists, according to news reports and videos. The American government has traditionally been a strong supporter of CICIG and remains the commission's top funder, providing over one-quarter of its budget. The agreement providing the Jeeps to Guatemala had specified that they were to be used for counternarcotics operations, said Michael, the Pentagon spokesman. "We are investigating the apparent misuse of the Jeep J8s on 31 Aug, and are working with the Guatemala Government," he said in an emailed response to questions. "The U.S. Government takes allegations of misuse of U.S.-donated vehicles seriously and will respond appropriately" once the review is complete. The Pentagon has insisted on new monitoring measures for the recently supplied Jeeps "to ensure the vehicles are not misused," Michael said. The Morales government has denied it was threatening either the anti-corruption commission or the embassy. It has offered various explanations for the use of the Jeeps, with the interior minister saying they were on a routine anti-crime patrol and the president stating they were to prevent "violent marches." The Guatemalan presidential spokesman did not respond Thursday to a request for comment. Guatemala's human rights ombudsman, Jordan Rodas, has criticized the deployment of the Jeeps. "They were donated by the United States to combat drug trafficking on the borders, and they were used to intimidate CICIG, violating everything the [bilateral] agreement says," he told the news organization the Intercept. Engel, the congressman, had asked Pompeo in October to freeze any further transfers of military equipment to Guatemala pending the outcome of the investigation. The State Department, which helps administer the program, did not respond Thursday to an email seeking reaction to Engel's latest letter. Guatemala is a major transshipment point for South American cocaine bound for the United States. Since 2013, 148 Jeeps were supplied to the country under the American program, according to a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala issued before the latest shipment. The U.S. government has been a staunch defender of CICIG in the past, but the Trump administration's reaction to Morales's attack on the commission has been muted. "We greatly appreciate Guatemala's efforts in counternarcotics and security," Pompeo tweeted the day after Morales's announcement, without mentioning the shutdown of the commission. A few days later, the secretary of state spoke by phone to Morales and expressed support "for a reformed CICIG," according to a State Department news release. U.S. officials and congressional staffers say the apparent change in tone reflects both American concerns about overreach by CICIG and the Guatemalan government's efforts to ingratiate itself with the Trump administration. In May, Guatemala moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, two days after a similar move by the American government. Morales has accused the CICIG of pursuing "selective prosecution with an ideological bias." He says he is innocent of wrongdoing. His predecessor, Otto Perez Molina, resigned in 2015 after CICIG helped uncover allegations of corruption, leading to massive public demonstrations against the president. He is now in jail awaiting trial. Adriana Beltran, a Central America expert who works with the Washington Office on Latin America, a research and advocacy group, said the deployment of the Jeeps sent a clear signal. "The vehicles around the embassy were seen as intimidation, trying to send a message to the population that 'We are the ones in charge here, and neither the [anti-corruption] commission nor the U.S. government is going to dictate what we do,' " Beltran said. The ad, also known online as The Clenched Fist of Truth, stated that the only way to save our country, the only way to fight this violence of lies is with the clenched fist of truth. The video was released in April 2017, and while Kapoor commented negatively about it a few months later, this spring he issued a more forceful statement about it and filed a lawsuit in June, claiming the ad violated copyright because the NRA didnt have permission to use the image. Former President George H. W. Bush will be remembered as a selfless patriot who put love for his country and family before all else. His many examples of bipartisanship and loyalty to his country above his political party are not only inspirational but serve as a roadmap that we, as Connecticut Republicans, would be wise to follow. During his distinguished career as a public servant, President George H.W. Bush served as a Navy pilot, a member of the House of Representatives, Ambassador to the United Nations, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Vice President, all before he was elected the 41st President of the United States. As Connecticut Republicans reflect on the lessons of the 2018 election cycle, there is a great deal we can learn from our 41st President. Almost immediately after this past election, some folks in our party began to point fingers, call names, and demand for tougher litmus tests and absolutism on where candidates stand on different issues. If we want to govern, we must win elections. To win elections, we must remember that we need candidates who will bring with them a broad-based appeal. To quote G.H.W. Bush, We are a nation of communities... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky. Setting arbitrary litmus tests for candidates loses sight of the fact that here in America, one of our greatest assets is that we are not just allowed to, but we are encouraged to practice a diversity of thought even within our own party. As times change, so do the wants and needs of our citizens. We should welcome new ideas and diverse points of view without losing sight of our core values: limited government, low taxes, less regulation, and economic and personal freedom. In terms of raw numbers, Connecticut Republicans have less than half the number of voters than Democrats. The same is true of unaffiliated voters. We as a party must remember that elections are about earning the greatest number of votes and we must begin to learn how to attract more people. Our focus, and the theme that unites our party at its core, is that government actions can have a myriad of unintended consequences, such as punitive taxes, and regulations that hinder progress. There is not a voter out there who would not agree with this assessment. The lesson that we need to take as a party is that these issues are not always on the top of peoples minds and other issues matter to voters. However, they tend to matter in different ways for different areas of our state as ideology tends to be geographically diverse. Conservative candidates do well in conservative districts, liberal candidates do well in liberal districts, and moderate candidates do well in moderate districts. We must embrace this fact and broaden our partys appeal to more voters. This point is critical in order to win on a state-wide level. As we reflect and mourn the loss of a man who showed us what it means to be a patriot and who so generously served his country, its important that we look to the model he laid out to gather a broad base of support. From evangelical volunteers to Wall Street donors, to grass-roots supporters in the cities, suburbs and rural America alike, G.H.W. Bush took no group for granted. He understood that in order to win elections, you have to appeal to everyone. After all, he was not running for President of the Republican party; he was running for President of the United States of America. If you need evidence of this strategys effectiveness, I would remind you that the last time a Republican won our states electoral votes, it was in 1988, and they went to George H. W. Bush. Republicans can win statewide office in Connecticut, but not if we continue to point fingers, have circular firing squads, and allow ourselves to become the party of no. We must show the voters of this state that we have the solutions, want to work creatively to address everyone's problems, and are willing to reach across the aisle in order to implement those solutions. Our 41st President showed us the way it can be done all that is left is for our party to pick up his mantle and move forward. Rest in peace, Mr. President. We have the watch. Mark Boughton is the mayor of Danbury and was the Republican-nominated candidate for governor, but lost in the party primary to Bob Stefanowski. I humbly assert that you guys need to come to terms with the fact that youve sowed the wind, and reaped the whirlwind, Sharkey said. This is an industry that is out of control, and the first strike in the history of the charter industry should be a wake-up call about that. TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2018 /CNW/ - Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC) today announced it is committing $1 million to the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative to support the establishment of a regional centre of training and learning in Rwanda. The regional hub of practice, research and advocacy will serve as a meeting place for countries to exchange and learn how to prevent the recruitment and use of child soldiers. The $1 million donation builds on Intact's initial investment of $300,000 in the Dallaire Initiative, which began in 2015. These new funds will help the Dallaire Initiative establish a permanent presence in Africa. According to the UN Secretary-General's 2018 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict seven national armies and 56 armed groups operating in 14 countries recruit and use children as soldiers. "The Dallaire Initiative is a pioneer in the work of preventing the recruitment and use of child soldiers and a permanent presence in Rwanda will strengthen their effectiveness," said Charles Brindamour, Chief Executive Officer of Intact Financial Corporation. "I spent time in Rwanda this spring with the Dallaire Initiative and saw first hand, the importance of their work. While the problem of using children in wars is far from resolved, the General's team is moving the needle and making progress." "This level of support makes Intact the Dallaire Initiative's first $1 million corporate donor," said Dr. Shelly Whitman, the Dallaire Initiative's Executive Director. "These funds will be critical in enhancing our training in East and Central Africa, where some of the gravest violations against children are taking place." The donation will also go towards funding a fellowship for the Executive Director to continue advocating for children's rights on the international peace and security agenda. An event marking the first anniversary of the Vancouver Principles, is being hosted tonight by the Permanent Missions of Canada and Rwanda to the United Nations in collaboration with the Dallaire Initiative. Hosted by Canadian Ambassador Marc-Andre Blanchard, special guests include LGen (ret'd) Romeo Dallaire, Executive Director of the Dallaire Initiative Dr. Shelly Whitman, global advocates for children and Dallaire Initiative Advisors Michel Chikwanine and Ishmael Beah as well as Intact Financial Corporation CEO Charles Brindamour. At the event, the Dallaire Initiative will announce the establishment of a regional centre of training and learning in Rwanda, the first African country to endorse the Vancouver Principles. To date, 69 UN member countries have endorsed the Principles, a watershed initiative that was jointly launched by the Government of Canada and the Dallaire Initiative. About Intact Financial Corporation Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC) is the largest provider of property and casualty (P&C) insurance in Canada and a leading provider of specialty insurance in North America, with close to $10 billion in total annual premiums. The Company has approximately 14,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than five million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada and the U.S. In Canada, Intact distributes insurance under the Intact Insurance brand through a wide network of brokers, including its wholly-owned subsidiary BrokerLink, and directly to consumers through belairdirect. In the U.S., OneBeacon Insurance Group, a wholly owned subsidiary, provides specialty insurance products through independent agencies, brokers, wholesalers and managing general agencies. About the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative The Dallaire Initiative, based at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, is recognized as the only organization in the world taking a prevention-oriented, security sector focused approach to the crime against humanity that is child soldiery. Founded by retired lieutenant-general and celebrated humanitarian Romeo Dallaire, the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative is a leader committed to ending the use and recruitment of child soldiers worldwide, through ground-breaking research, advocacy, and security-sector training. SOURCE Intact Financial Corporation For further information: Media Inquiries: Diane Flanagan, Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Communications, Intact Financial Corporation, 647 456 7931 (cell), [email protected]; Amara Bangura, Communications Officer, the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, 902 494 7853 (office), 902 478 7821 (cell), [email protected] Related Links http://www.intactcf.com Tesla and Elon Musk had very high targets for production volume, performance and many other factors. They came up short of those targets but still achieved something amazing. This is Elons approach, make hugely ambitious targets and come up short by internal metrics yet still achieve more than competitors. Tesla had to add a third assembly line with a lot of the line in a very large tent. They had to manually perform some of what they had hoped to automate. However, they still got to high targets. The Model 3 is among the top 6 US passenger cars in terms produced on a monthly or quarterly basis. The Model 3 is the US number one passenger car into of monthly sales revenue. Building three assembly lines instead of two was a 50% miss in terms of planning what was needed. Analyst Faragu believes that by eliminating downtime in the Fremont California Gigafactory, then Tesla will reach 7,000 cars per week. This will be 91,000 cars per quarter. This would make the Tesla Model 3 the number one US passenger car in terms of volume. Tesla learned a lot from ramping up the California production. They will take what they learned to make a more efficient factory in China and have a smoother and easier production ramp. Faragu believes that Tesla will be able to expand production volumes and margins. Margins last quarter in 2018Q3 were 22% on 56,000 cars. Tesla should be heading to 91,000 cars with max Fremont factory and then even double that with the China factory fully ramped. Sales will have lower car prices and leasing options to lower the costs to customers. They will be able to have double-digit profit margins and not just operating margin. Soon after we meet Tony Vallelonga in "Green Book," the Italian-American man tosses out a pair of water glasses because black repairmen drank out of them. His wife fishes them out of the trash can. But by the end of the movie, which follows Tony as he chauffeurs acclaimed jazz pianist Dr. Don Shirley through the Jim Crow South for a two-month concert tour, Tony is the one inviting the black man into his home. This shouldn't come as much of a spoiler. "Green Book," based on a true story and co-written by Tony's son, Nick, has been promoted as a healing tale of how the two men, played by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, overcome their differences and form an unlikely friendship in the early 1960s. Whereas Tony is poor, crass and prejudiced at first, Shirley is wealthy, uptight and wise. Each one changes by listening to other - Tony teaches Shirley how to let loose, albeit via stereotypes like eating fried chicken and enjoying "black music" of the era, and Shirley teaches Tony how to accept those who aren't like him. The movie, a buddy comedy of sorts, has racked up accolades: It won the Toronto International Film Festival's audience award, was named best picture by the National Board of Review and, on Tuesday, landed on the American Film Institute's Top 10 list. But "Green Book" has also received its fair share of backlash, largely from critics who find fault with how it handles racial conflict.This raises the question of whether the film have staying power through award season, which amps up Thursday morning with the Golden Globe nominations, as well as what its broader legacy will be. Some critics, like Monique Judge at the Root, feel that the movie "spoon-feeds racism to white people." Others, like Candice Frederick writing for Slashfilm, claim it whitewashes a black experience by using the historic Negro Motorist Green Book, which existed to help black people protect themselves while traveling in the South, as a "mere prop." In Vulture, Mark Harris concludes that the movie's poor box-office performance could be a sign that "after 50 years, a particular kind of movie about black and white America has, at long last, run its course." To support her argument, Judge points to a part of "Green Book" in which Tony and Shirley visit a men's clothing store in Georgia. Tony, who does most of the talking in the movie, asks about a suit on display, and the clerk happily cooperates until he realizes that Shirley is the one who wants to try it on. Visibly repulsed by the idea, the clerk then asks Shirley to either pay for the suit beforehand or leave the store altogether. The racism seen in the movie is mild compared to "actual racial terrorism" that black people faced then and continue to experience, Judge argues. It serves to shock, but not frighten, white audiences. Frederick brought this scene up in a recent interview with The Washington Post and said that, when she first saw the movie, she was surprised by the gasps and shocked responses to this scene. "I think people have gotten comfortable with the idea that we are in a post-racial society where things like this don't happen," she said. "I'll say it wasn't any of us who were shocked - 'us' meaning the other black audience members." This reaction is similar to what followed "The Help," Frederick said, referring the 2011 period drama about an aspiring author who aims to tell the stories of black maids working for wealthy white families like her own. Viola Davis earned an Oscar nomination for her role as maid Aibileen Clark in the film but told the New York Times earlier this year that she regrets accepting it because she felt "at the end of the day that it wasn't the voices of the maids that were heard." "Green Book" shares this central issue of "usurping the voice of the black protagonist in favor of the white protagonist," according to Frederick. She praised the performances of both Ali and Mortensen - an Oscar winner and two-time nominee with undeniable on-screen chemistry - but said the former was "sidelined by the larger agenda" of favoring the white character's emotional journey and humanity. A good number of nonwhite critics seem to share Frederick's distaste for the overall film, but not all. Aramide Tinubu, who reviewed "Green Book" for Shadow and Act, told The Post that she found it "more refreshing than I'm used to seeing, in terms of period pieces." She didn't consider Tony's story to be a redemption arc - while he and Shirley do become friends, it is evident that Tony never fully understands what life is like for the pianist. "It was a mirror to racist white Americans, even today," Tinubu said. "I saw it as, you have all this privilege and you choose to act this poorly." Shirley's brother, Maurice, released a statement accusing"Green Book" of inaccurately depicting the pianist's story and said his family wasn't contacted until after the film was already made. (Shirley says in the movie that he has fallen out of touch with his brother, which the real-life Maurice denies.) Tinubu found this troubling - "maybe the director didn't do his due diligence" - but clarified that she doesn't consider this to be a "white person's movie" because of the white creative team's decision to tell the story through Tony, or one that erases Shirley in any way. Ali, for his part, has defended "Green Book" against claims that it is a "white savior" film or a "reverse 'Driving Miss Daisy.'" "It's approached in a way that's perhaps more palatable than some of those other projects. But I think it's a legitimate offering," he told the Associated Press. "Don Shirley is really complex considering it's 1962. He's the one in power in that car. He doesn't have to go on that trip ... Anytime, whether it's white or black writers, I can play a character with dimensionality, that's attractive to me." Variety's chief film critic Owen Gleiberman also pointed to Shirley and the story's depth as a reason "Green Book" should be given a chance. It isn't a white-savior movie because "the two characters save one another," he argued in a recent article. "It's not trying to make a grand statement about race except for the idea that white people and black people, to the extent that their backgrounds and experiences separate them, should try to understand each other better." It's the way in which the story is told that critics take issue with, not the story itself. But theatergoers seem to agree with Gleiberman. He notes that "Green Book" has an A+ on CinemaScore, a market research firm that rates viewing experiences based on audience polls. After the Toronto festival, the movie won another audience award at Virginia's Middleburg Film Festival in mid-October. While festival director Susan Koch admitted that Middleburg's filmgoers tend to skew older and white, she said they are "probably more diverse" than at other festivals. Middleburg had to host a second screening after the first quickly sold out. "It was the clear winner for the best narrative film," she added. "It's a very divisive time now, that we're living in. A film that really speaks to us coming together and breaking down stereotypes and the way we view one another was really appreciated." For this reason, "Green Book" seems likely to fare well throughout award season, which also happens to be dominated by voting bodies that skew older and white. Chris Beachum, managing editor of the award-predicting website Gold Derby, told The Post that at his October awards screening, the movie got more laughter than anything he has seen in the past few months. Golden Globe voters he has spoken to at industry events also seem to have enjoyed the movie. Pete Hammond, Deadline's chief film critic and awards columnist, added that the Toronto honor is a "very Oscar-predictive award" and that last year, seven of the nine best picture nominees had also placed on AFI's Top 10 list. The warmth and message of "Green Book" are why it might perform as well as "In the Heat of the Night," "Driving Miss Daisy," "The Blind Side," "The Help" or "Hidden Figures" did, he continued. And that's exactly why Frederick isn't interested in what awards "Green Book" might win. Some of those movies, while addressing race relations, represent a "long history of hiding the black protagonist in favor of the more palatable, more recognizable white protagonist," she said, and outcry against them rarely tainted awards chances. Why would that change now? "I don't think a lot of us who are bemoaning the way in which ("Green Book") is presented are doing it in order to dissuade voters," Frederick said. "It's more ... why are movies like this presenting at all?" It was a turning point for Leslie Odom Jr., the Tony Award-winning actor who played Aaron Burr in the original Broadway production of Hamilton! It was 2011 and though he was getting parts here and there in TV, film and on stage, Odom felt his career had stalled. He was depressed, thought about giving up acting and was immobile as he hung out on his couch just waiting for the phone to ring with an offer for a rewarding role. Then came advice from a mentor-teacher that would change his life. What did you do on your own behalf today? his friend asked. Did you do anything other than wait? That was just the jump-start he needed which started him on a path self-empowerment and eventually, to Hamilton. Odom has taken those words of wisdom he received as well as other lessons in life and career he learned along the way and put them in a small-but-significant book perfect for holiday gift-giving called Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher and Never Stop Learning. But not to worry. Odom, 37, hasnt given up acting and singing to become a motivational speaker though he would be quite mesmerizing if he did, recalling his show-stopping number as Aaron Burr from Hamilton, The Room Where It Happens. Since leaving Hamilton in 2016 after its first year in Broadway, his singing career is flourishing with two albums including a holiday recording and concerts. He will be performing with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra on Dec. 8 at The Bushnell in Hartford, just a few days before the national tour of Hamilton lands there for a three-week run. In the concert hell sing songs from his records, from the TV series Smash, where he played Sam Strickland, from Rent which he performed on Broadway when he was 17 and still in high school and, of course, his show-stoppers from Hamilton. Anybody who got to see me in Hamilton saw me living my absolute wildest dream, he says, so it takes a second after your wildest dream comes true to dream a new dream, to figure out what the heck you want to do next. Two years later I feel like Im ready. This interview took place on Election Day and he had just finished up volunteering in the Philadelphia area on behalf of Democratic candidates and just doing my part. He says he first became engaged in civic action in 2008 when a young senator from Chicago who looked like me ran for president. And Hamilton certainly had a profound effect on me and how I felt about what my responsibilities were as a citizen. Of the decision to write Failing Up, he says publishers approached him to write a book when Hamilton hit, but he felt it was too early to write a memoir, so instead he wrote it as if he were giving a commencement address, offering realistic words of advice, hope and inspiration. But the book, he says, will appeal to those of any age who might be experiencing a transition in their lives. Everyone runs into roadblocks at some time in their careers, he says, and you have to figure out, why you do what you do? What is it about this thing that you love? Why did you choose it? Odom encourages people to be a good student of the universe and to listen to what its telling you. If you listen, there are always new lessons to be learned and the faster you learn those lessons the faster you can move on and escape from repeating the same patterns. Besides the Failing Up and the concert tours, Odom is working on a new recording that keeps me in the same lane of jazz-contemporary pop but this time with all original songs. This year he was part of a starry ensemble in Kenneth Branaghs film Murder on the Orient Express and he recently completed production on two other features: Only, starring opposite Freida Pinto from writer-director Takashi Doscher and an as-yet untitled feature film directorial debut from recording artist Sia. Odom will also star in the film Needle in a Timestack written and directed by John Ridley. Hes also filming Harriet, about Harriet Tubman who helped free hundreds of slaves from the South after escaping from slavery herself in 1849. Odom plays abolitionist and conductor of the Underground Railroad William Still and Cynthia Erivo (Tony Award winner for The Color Purple) plays Tubman. Besides starring in the TV series One Dollar for CBS Access, Odom is also doing a pilot for an ABC comedy series which Kerry Washington is executive producing. In it Odom plays a pastor at a young, hip, diverse church in Los Angeles. Though he left Hamilton two years ago its still in his heart and says he will be cheering when the creative team receives the Kennedy Center Honor this month in Washington, D.C. And if he were to leave a note in the Bushnell dressing room for Nicholas Christopher, who is playing Burr on tour, what would he say? Enjoy this moment and stay as present as you possibly can, says Odom. There are so many small beautiful gifts right in the present moment. Leslie Odom and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra concert is Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $45.50 to $103. Information: bushnell.org and 860-987-5900. Freelance writer Frank Rizzo covers arts in Connecticut and New York. ANSONIA Young students with emotional disabilities at Mead Elementary School will no longer have to take a 17-mile bus to North Haven to receive special education services. Beginning in January, the program they attend through Area Cooperative Educational Services will have a satellite campus embedded at Mead School. The partnership wont initially cut down on special education costs for the district, but it is expected to trim transportation expenses and allow students in the program to remain closer to their home school community. Its exciting that our students will be brought home, said Schools Superintendent Carol Merlone. Parents seemed very enthused about it. She said the arrangement came about after she approached ACES Executive Director Thomas Danehy last year. The district recently had a special education audit that recommended more students be served in district. An information session on the program was held this week at Mead, so parents could tour the wing of the school that will house the program. Merlone said at least two students have been assigned to what will be called ACES at Mead, and three others are in the process. Eventually, the program could grow to accommodate up to 40 students from across the district as well as surrounding towns. In the 2017-18 school year, out of 511 Ansonia students with identified disabilities, 37 had emotional disabilities, according to state figures. About a dozen in grades K-12 attend ACES Mill Road School in North Haven. The program at Mead School will start for grades K-3. Its an opportunity to provide students with the least restrictive environment, said Danehy. A major bonus is that this model will allow ACES and Mead students to learn from one another. In addition to specialized instruction, participants will attend gym, art, lunch and special programs with other students at Mead School. The cost will remain the same to Ansonia, at $59,000 for each student. The program will start with an administrator, teacher, teachers aide and physical therapist. Plans call for the staff to grow as the student population does. When we break even (we) will share revenue with Ansonia, said Danehy. ACES works with 25 school districts in south central Connecticut, providing special education, preschool and other programming. It is no stranger to making its program portable. At West Haven High, ACES has run a program for students with a variety of special needs for nearly two decades. There are also collaborations with the Amity Region 5 school district. ACES officials say they provide services to 602 student with special needs. Of those, about 250 have emotional disabilities. Daheny said the number is growing. Ansonia is planning a second information session once the program opens next month. To learn more, contact Ansonia Public Schools or ACES at tdanehy@aces.org. lclambeck@ctpost.com; twitter/lclambeck GUILFORD The town has paid police Officer Mark OConnor more than $250,000 to resolve the case prompted by his claim of age-related discrimination, according to attorney Eric Brown. In the suit, OConnor claimed the Guilford Board of Police Commissioners chose to promote less-qualified, but younger, candidates to sergeant on multiple occasions between May 2015 and August 2016. The decision was made despite the fact that, among other accolades, he had received the highest department evaluations of his work, he said in an April 2017 amended complaint. A jury awarded OConnor $166,319 in economic damages and $30,000 for emotional distress Nov. 7, finding the town had discriminated against OConnor on the basis of age and his filing a complaint with the state Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities about the issue. More News Guilford officer awarded almost $200K in age discrimination case In a release, Brown said Sunday that the town had paid OConnors attorney fees and waived its right to appeal, settling the case. He filed to withdraw the claim after a verdict and settlement Nov. 29, according to judicial records. Brown, who represented OConnor in the case, said in the release that this represented complete vindication for OConnor. Age discrimination is insidious and it is rare that there will be a smoking gun. This case was so egregious however that the only conclusion that the jury could draw was that Mark was denied a promotion by the commissioners because they just thought he was too old. We think that justice was served in this case, Brown said in the release. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN In his 13 years as supervisor of science with New Haven schools, Richard Therrien said he realized there had been a difference between the intended audience of the long-running Family Science Night program and its beneficiaries. When we first started, it was like the science fair; it was more for teachers, he said, as the focus seemed to be bogged down in rules, which made it better for science fair rehearsal than it did in making science engaging for young learners. Although the program, which rotates between schools in different neighborhoods about twice a month in the winter, is tied into the districts science fair program, the intention is doing science outreach by having parents and their students do science experiments together, Therrien said. Its about getting kids and their families excited about science and getting them to the point where theyre excited that they can do science, he said. The district runs the program with several community partners, including Southern Connecticut State University, Yale Universitys Center for Research on Interface Structures and Phenomena and the Yale Peabody Museum. On Wednesday afternoon at Hill Central School, volunteers facilitated eight hands-on science projects for families. It gives an impetus for parents to ask what students are doing in class, Therrien said, and its my sneaky way of having parents check in on what elementary school teachers are teaching in science. Katherine Perez, the Family Science Night coordinator, is a graduate student in physics at Southern Connecticut State University and a 2013 graduate of Wilbur Cross High School. She said she began volunteering with the program about five years ago as a freshman at SCSU and completely loved it. Twenty-two families nearly filled the Hill Central cafeteria 30 minutes into the program, most with somewhere between two and four children. Siblings Jayden and Kylene Lopez, 10 and 9, started their tour of the projects by choosing from a list of superpowers that they believed would be useful to save a man falling from the roof of a building. I would put a spiderweb at the bottom of the building so the person wont get injured, Kylene said. And with long arms, you could grab the person. Therrien said the purpose of the exercise was to introduce students to evolutionary traits. If superheroes can have traits that help them adapt to their jobs in keeping people safe, he reasoned, so too could plants and fauna adapt to their habitats. Jayden and Kylenes father Luis Perez said he ordinarily takes the children to programs at their school. They have fun and learn new stuff, he said. Therrien said the target for the event is usually third to fifth grades, but the focus on the entire family means siblings and grandparents often come along, which expands the breadth of participation. Amy Orenstein, a sophomore biochemistry major at SCSU, ran the project that Therrien said is most like a science fair project: testing how variables impact the speed with which a marble rolls down a slope. Orenstein said Wednesdays event was her second time doing a Family Science Night. The kids got really excited to learn about things that might be more complicated, she said, as the time before she handled the station on viruses. They learn that science can be accessible to them. Students also met Bridget Oei, Miss Connecticut 2019, who visited as part of her platform of making STEM more accessible to young learners, with a focus on women in STEM. I fell in love with science in sixth grade, she said. I liked finding out answers to the questions I had. Himadri Samanta, a lecturer at the University of New Haven, led students through a lesson in chromatology, as they used multicolored markers to draw on the center of paper circles and then watched as the colors changed into different shades after they placed the paper into water. This is my passion: going to schools and doing demonstrations with kids, said Samanta, who once had a career as a pharmaceutical researcher. I like to see their eyes light up when they learn something new. Brother and sister Nikan and Nili Sultani, 3 and 7, excitedly drew on their circles. Nili said her biggest takeaway was that only certain markers would actually work well with the project. Can we keep them? she asked Samanta after her project was finished. Samanta told them they could. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com NEW HAVEN Free on-street parking in city neighborhoods remains attractive to Yale University workers, but the reaction to that inconvenience from residents appears to be more tempered than a year ago, although other complaints have arisen. The discussion this time took place in Dixwell for renters and homeowners who at certain times during the day are frozen out of parking in the densely populated area because a workers car sits there all day in sections of the street not zoned specifically for residents. Homeowners such as Garry Greene, however, who lives on Winchester Avenue, now know what to do and he will leave his complaint on SeeClickFix, which is a direct pipeline to the city. Alder Jeanette Morrison, D-22, another resident on Winchester, sees it first-hand when a driver pulls in, leaves his vehicle and gets on the Yale shuttle bus to travel to his university office downtown. The employees use that as their parking lot. ...I get a lot of complaints from constituents, expecially those who work at night who come home in the morning and they dont have any place to park, Morrison said. Greene and others also pointed out another problem: outsiders somehow end up with resident or visitor permits in order to snag a free parking space. Someone is getting them and selling them, Greene speculated. Doug Hausladen, city director of transportation, traffic and parking, told the small crowd in a meeting arranged by Morrison that his staff will look into possible abuse of the permits. The session was a meeting of the aldermanic Traffic and Parking Working Group, which has been coming together for months, recommending pilot studies and getting testimony from Yale on its multiple options for workers, particularly shuttle sites on the Shoreline for workers commuting to New Haven. The alders also approved looking at two sites in New Haven where two more shuttle sites could be located, but neither worked out. Hausladen said the purpose of the committee is to solve problems. As we get complaints, we come up with solutions. I think the general tone of parking in New Haven is that it is troublesome and that we need to do better, generally, he said. Hausladen told attendees the department is looking at new ways of enforcing the residential permits. He said they are waiting to get equipment that will be able to get a picture of a license plate to determine who is properly registered for residential permits. He said they will put into effect a pilot program will be put into effect in 2019 to address congestion and revise the cost of metered parking. That proposal will charge visitors and residents less to park slightly away from the downtown center, while metered parking would cost more directly downtown to encourage turnover and give more customers an opportunity to come in and shop. He said to convince people that managed parking is a good thing, some cities take the money from the parking meters and invest it directly into the area where the cost is higher. Hausladen promised to look again into a dangerous traffic situation at Francis Hunter Drive and agreed with the residents there are choke points that continue to be an issue at rush hour. He mentioned Trumbull and Orange streets and Prospect and Edwards streets, while the Newhallville residents worried about traffic coming to Hillside and Ashmun streets from the construction of hundreds of apartments. Hausladen said fixing Trumbull and Orange would cost millions that would have to come from outside sources. The financial investment in influence peddlers was well worth it for the school operator, which received tens of millions of dollars in CPS funding, Schulers report said. Through Solomons and Vranass coordination with Byrd-Bennett and manipulation of CPSs procurement process, the company opened its first four schools in CPS. NEW HAVEN According to an economic impact study commissioned by the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system, the system contributed $11.1 billion to the states annual income in 2016-17. The Idaho-based economic modeling firm Emsi presented its findings of the economic impact the CSCU system has on the state in a presentation to stakeholders at Gateway Community College Thursday. Everyone here today knows we deliver real value to the state of Connecticut, but we also know we have to be responsible stewards to those who invested in us, said system President Mark Ojakian. We needed an analysis to tell the story. Ojakian, a former chief of staff to the outgoing Gov. Dannel Malloy, has been president of the system since 2015. He said he hopes an analysis will be useful to the General Assembly and Gov.-elect Ned Lamont as they focus on appropriations in the future. Hannah Ruffridge, assistant director of consulting for higher education with Emsi, said in 2016-17 the states gross product was $273 billion, making the $11.1 billion contributed to the state nearly 4.1 percent of the gross state product for that year. She said that, through the multiplier effect, about one in 19 jobs in Connecticut is supported by the four universities and 13 colleges in the CSCU system, which includes every public school except for the University of Connecticut. More News CSCU finds bookstore retailer for 12 community colleges,... As far as return on investment goes, Ruffridge said, students could expect to recieve an average of $6.60 in lifetime earnings for every dollar invested in the CSCU system; for every tax dollar invested in the system, she said, taxpayers earn $3.80 in value back. I think the taxpayer perspective is increasingly important, Ojakian said, saying the study should demonstrate to the General Assembly that the CSCU system is a worthy investment. Part of Emsis analysis relied on the projection that, without the CSCU system in place, 15 percent of the students in the system from 2016-17 would have received an education elsewhere before returning to Connecticut to contribute to its economy. A lot of it comes down to proximity when it comes to community colleges, Ruffridge said. Although Ruffridge referred to Emsi as a conservative firm in how it calculates its totals, other recent analyses by Emsi show that the CSCU system may not have as much of a local impact on the state as other higher education systems do relative to their state economies. According to the Dayton Business Journal, an Emsi economic impact study found that Ohios 14 four-year public universities contributed to 6.7 percent of the states gross state product and to one in 12 jobs. In New Jerseys Union County, the Bridgewater Courier News reported, an Emsi economic impact study of Union County College found the school returned $8.40 for every dollar spent by taxpayers in the county, $1.80 more per dollar than what CSCU offers to the state, per the analyses. According to state Rep. Toni Walker, D-New Haven, chairwoman of the state appropriations committee, she sees the study as a good way of approaching this new year. We have to look at this as we start to do our budget, she said, adding that it will be important for workforce training to be aligned with available jobs. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com I dont know about you, but it looks to me like the Connecticut Republicans dont know why they got hammered in this years election, and arent going to bother trying to figure it out. Indeed, they appear less willing to soul-search and more willing to place most of the blame on President Donald Trump. They think they had the right message, according to reporting in the Connecticut Mirror. Problem is, the message got trumped, they said. Um, nooope. Thats not it. First, because its not clear what that GOPs message was. House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, of Derby, told the Mirror the state GOPs message had something to do with people complaining they cant afford to live here anymore, they cant afford their home, they cant get a job, the kids cant afford to come back. She said she thinks that was a good message, but thats not a message. Thats not a message at all. Second, because whatever their message was, it wasnt loud enough, or distinct enough, to be seen as different from the much louder, and more distinct, message coming from the national Republican Party, which was We Love Us Some Donald Trump! Klarides is right in saying the state Republicans must support some of the things [the president] does and not support others, but thats not going to cut it in an age in which politics isnt local anymore. Its national. Worse, JR Romano, chairman of the state GOP, doesnt seem to understand why rich Republicans living in tony Connecticut suburbs voted for Democrats this year. Romanos take, according to the Mirror, is that such voters indulged themselves by casting symbolic votes against Trump, who was not on the ballot, even if they helped elect Democrats who Republicans say are likely to raise taxes and make Connecticut a more expensive place to live and work. It would be hard to imagine a more tone-deaf statement from a party chairman. Quite literally, Romano is blaming Republican voters for his partys losses , instead of asking: What can we do to get Republican voters to come back home? Missing from the postmortem, of course, is Bob Stefanowski, the partys gubernatorial candidate. Because he was at the top of the ticket, his message was always going to be the partys message, like it or not, and Stefanowski had only one message: repealing the state income tax. So it strains credulity to believe that state Republicans really believe that they had the right message, and that the only problem was that Trump trumped it. Um, no. The problem was a bad candidate who campaigned as Trumps surrogate and got whomped for his trouble. The solution is a better candidate at the top, and a better policy platform, something loud and distinct from a national party out of ideas. Heres one, and I cant believe people calling themselves conservative didnt think of this: Fight the national GOP tooth and nail, and its brazen attempt to extract wealth from the state? Im talking about its overhaul of the U.S. tax code in which affluent residents of high-tax states can no longer deduct state and local taxes from their federal income tax returns. Quite literally, Republican voters in Connecticut are paying a high price for the Republican decision in Washington to repay the partys biggest donors. While the Democrats, led by Gov. Dan Malloy, filed a court challenge to the law, alleging that it violates Connecticuts sovereignty, state Republicans attacked Malloy, saying that if Connecticut didnt have such high taxes in the first place, we wouldnt be in this mess. That may or may not be true, but because GOP leaders like state Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano are so focused on attacking state Democrats, they forgot to tell Republican voters what they stand for. (Gov.-elect Ned Lamont has vowed to continue the constitutional challenge to the law.) So voters didnt indulge themselves by casting symbolic votes against Trump, as Romano said. They meant it. After all, one of the two parties is fighting against a law that spikes income taxes for the well-to-do, and that party, amazingly, was not the states Republican Party. Instead, it was the Democrats who were fighting against federal infringement of states rights. It was the Democrats fighting against tax hikes. It was the Democrats fighting for fiscal restraint. Romano and the others might not believe it, but anything is better than blaming Republicans voters for losing. Fortunately, as the party out of power, it will have time to think of a better one. John Stoehr is the publisher of the Editorial Board, a daily newsletter about politics. He lives in Westville. Illinois State Police troopers have secured a Greyhound bus after a passenger threatened to set off a bomb on the bus while it was on the Kennedy Expressway Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. A man with a history of exposing himself in public was arrested after cops found him masturbating in front of women at a Paramus doctors office, authorities said Wednesday. Brian Bates or, as he might be referred to if he were on Downton Abbey, Master Bates was charged with criminal open lewdness for the Friday incident at a Ridgewood Avenue office, according to borough police Chief Kenneth Ehrenberg. Officers went to the medical office for a report of a man exposing himself to patients. Upon police arrival, officers found Bates in the bathroom with the door open while masturbating and simultaneously attempting to penetrate his anus with the handle of the toilet bowl scrubber, Ehrenberg said in a statement. This act was witnessed by several adult females who were in the office, the chief added. Bates was taken to New Bridge Medical Center for evaluation after being booked at police headquarters, authorities said. The Spring Valley, New York, resident has a string of arrests for similar acts dating back to at least 1997 in the borough, police said. He was seen exposing himself by 8, 9, and 11-year-old children at a Barnes & Noble in February 1998, according to police. In December 1997, two women spotted Bates masturbating at the bookstore. Police said he also exposed himself to a 4-year-old girl at the store in October 1997. State court records show he pleaded guilty to a lewdness charge in 1998 and served a year of probation. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Q. I own an investment property on the Jersey shore and rent it out through HomeAway. I just realized a tax is levied against shore properties using online rental services. I have already have signed rental contracts for the summer of 2019. Can I re-issue the contracts with updated rates to include the tax, giving the renters the option to cancel? Or do I have to eat the cost? -- Landlord A. The tax you're talking about falls under Tax Bill 81R. You're correct that you're subject to the tax, which covers people renting their residences, either on their own or through sites like Airbnb or VRBO, said Michael Karu, certified public accountant with Levine, Jacobs & Co. in Livingston. If you instead used a real estate agent who acts on your behalf, collects the rent, and handles all of the transactional details, then the transaction is exempt, he said. "If you do it on your own, you have to register with the state, and collect sales tax, the state occupancy fee, and the Meadowlands regional hotel Use Assessment, if applicable," Karu said. There are exceptions for rentals of at least 90 consecutive days, if the lessee is a charity or government agency, or if a realtor handles the transaction, he said. "In addition to the sales tax of 6.625 percent, the occupancy fee is 5 percent," Karu said. "Simply, this is New Jersey's way of leveling the playing field for hotels and realtors." The problem you face is more contractual than anything else, Karu said, and you should consult your attorney as to whether you can add the taxes to the contracted rental. "However, if I were your tenant and the lease did not specify that I am subject to the tax, my response would be that I have a signed lease for a set rental and it is your problem," he said. "To calculate the tax, divide the total amount received, by 1.11625. That way, you will only pick up income on the net amount after the tax." 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. A longtime kindergarten teacher was killed Tuesday night in a two-car crash at a Gloucester Township intersection, police said. Michelle Barrett, 46, of Gloucester Township, was the driver of one of the cars that overturned at the corner of Erial Road and Douglas Avenue around 6:20 p.m. and died at the hospital, according to a release from the Gloucester Township Police. Her passenger was also taken to the hospital, but police did not update their status Wednesday night. The other driver was also hospitalized but suffered minor injuries and was in stable condition Tuesday night. Police also did not provide an update on their condition. Barrett was a kindergarten teacher at Chews Elementary School for 20 years, officials said. Gloucester Township School District Superintendent John Bilodeau said in a statement that Barrett was a dedicated educator and well respected member of the Chews Elementary School staff. She had devoted the last 20 years faithfully serving both students and their families at Chews Elementary, Bilodeau said. Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer called Barrett a wonderful teacher." She certainly left her mark on education and the lives of many her in Gloucester Township, the mayor said in a statement. Police have not released details on how the accident occurred as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. Anyone who witnessed the accident or has information was asked to call police at 856-228-4500 or the departments anonymous tip line at 856-842-5560. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon Find NJ.com on Facebook. TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) Four men arrested in sweeping raids targeting welfare fraud in New Jersey have agreed to repay everything they owe or face prison. Tzvi Braun, Yisroel Merkin, Samuel Serhofer and Eliezer Sorotzkin took turns Wednesday pleading guilty at court in Toms River. The Asbury Park Press reports the four admitted they filed false tax returns and underreported their incomes allowing them to obtain government assistance like Medicaid worth between $54,000 and $74,000. They agreed to repay the stolen benefits as part of a pretrial intervention program, which is commonly offered to low-level first time offenders. Charges will be dismissed if they make restitution. The hearing marked the first resolutions in 26 cases brought by the multiagency raids on Lakewood residents in the summer of 2017. A controversial program run by the State Comptrollers Office reportedly allowed a Lakewood Board of Education member to avoid possible criminal prosecution through a settlement for far less than what was owed in benefits. Comptroller Philip J. Degnan previously said a staffer who cut the deals is no longer employed by his office. A jury has convicted a South Jersey man on charges that he robbed a business at gunpoint, tied up employees and used a stun gun on one of them. Wayne J. Moruzin, 64, formerly of Westville, was convicted on 21 counts last month, following his indictment on charges including armed robbery, aggravated assault, criminal restraint and terroristic threats, the Gloucester County Prosecutors Office reported. Moruzin entered Document Concepts in Deptford Township on June 24, 2014, and pulled a handgun on the owner, prosecutors said. Wayne J. Moruzin, 64, was convicted on charges that he robbed a business at gunpoint in 2014. As employees arrived, Moruzin fired a shot into the floor, assaulted a worker with the stun gun and forced employees to tie each other up, authorities said. No serious injuries were reported. He stole personal belongings from his victims, including wallets, jewelry and cellphones, and fled in one of their vehicles. Moruzin was nabbed a short time later in Camden, where cops found him with the handgun and heroin. Sentencing is scheduled for January. Appearing at NJPAC for a scheduled event, Neil deGrasse Tyson again denied claims of sexual misconduct from several women. Tyson took the stage at Prudential Hall on Wednesday night just days after sexual misconduct allegations first surfaced and less than two hours after BuzzFeed News reported another accuser had come forward. The astrophysicist and TV host addressed the claims at the beginning of the Newark event, reading segments from a lengthy post he shared on Facebook on Dec. 1. "For a variety of reasons, most justified, some unjustified, men accused of sexual impropriety in today's 'me-too' climate are presumed to be guilty by the court of public opinion," he said. "Emotions bypass due-process, people choose sides, and the social media wars begin. In any claim, evidence matters. Evidence always matters. But what happens when it's just one person's word against another's, and the stories don't agree?" The crowd raucously cheered after Tyson read from his statement, before the scientist launched into a nearly two-hour talk on collisions in space. It was just his second public event since the scandal broke. One of the women who has accused Tyson alleges that he raped her when they were graduate students at the University of Texas in Austin. Tyson, 60, is director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York and host of the Fox series "Cosmos," which will return next year on National Geographic. He spoke at NJPAC just after BuzzFeed News published the results of an almost three-year investigation that revealed allegations from the fourth woman, who chose to remain anonymous. The woman claims that she had been at a holiday party with her boyfriend in 2010 at the American Museum of Natural History, which is home to the planetarium. She told BuzzFeed that Tyson appeared drunk and was making sexual jokes when he approached her, asking if she would come to his office alone. She provided an email from 2014 in which she related the account to her employer to explain why she didn't want to collaborate with the scientist. Fox and National Geographic have said they are investigating the previous three allegations against Tyson, two of which first came to light on Patheos.com. This newest accuser said she was moved to come forward after hearing about the investigation. BuzzFeed spoke to more than 30 people for its story on the Tyson allegations, including the women who have made allegations, "Cosmos" crew members, and students and professors from the University of Texas. The famous scientist had posted a detailed statement on his Facebook page, saying he would cooperate fully with the investigation. In the post, he addressed allegations leveled against him by three women. Tyson denied that he groped or "felt up" Katelyn Allers, a physics and astronomy professor at Bucknell University who claims Tyson pawed her dress in 2009 to see her solar system tattoo, calling the encounter "creepy." Tyson said it was "simply a search under the covered part of her shoulder of the sleeveless dress." "I only just learned (nine years after) that she thought this behavior creepy," he continued. "That was never my intent and I'm deeply sorry to have made her feel that way." Tyson also denied that he made sexual advances toward Ashley Watson, who worked with him as a production assistant, at a wine and cheese gathering in his home this past summer. On the Patheos blog, Watson claims that Tyson had made misogynistic comments and kept a list of overweight actresses on his phone to prove it was untrue that women feel societal pressure to be skinny. In the BuzzFeed story, she says that Tyson took off some clothes and played a Nina Simone song, focusing on the line "do I make you quiver." "Afterwards, she came into my office to told me she was creeped out by the wine & cheese evening," Tyson said on Facebook, denying he had touched her apart from a handshake and a hug, saying their conversation was the same as usual. Tyson said he apologized, but that the assistant quit her job working with him. Watson told BuzzFeed that after an awkwardly long handshake that Tyson called a "Native American handshake," he held her shoulders and said, "I want to hug you so bad right now, but I know that if I do, I'll just want more." She says she was forced to quit because of Tyson's advances. Tyson also addressed the rape allegation, saying that in the 1980s, he had been intimate several times with Tchiya Amet, who blogged about her claim, when they were graduate students in astrophysics at UT Austin. She alleges that Tyson drugged and assaulted her, but he casted doubt on her assessment of events because she said she couldn't fully recall what happened. Tyson also treated Amet's accusation with skepticism because of her New Age beliefs. "I note that this allegation was used as a kind of solicitation-bait by at least one journalist to bring out of the woodwork anybody who had any encounter with me that left them uncomfortable," he said in the Facebook post. In the BuzzFeed story, Amet says she was friends with Tyson but doesn't remember ever being intimate with him before the alleged rape, and that the alleged assault is part of what made her decide to drop out of her graduate program. Allers and Watson say they were moved to come forward with their allegations after hearing about Amet's claims and witnessing how she was not believed. "I saw that her credibility was being questioned in a way that honestly had a lot of racist and sexist and anti-religious undertones," Allers told BuzzFeed. "I kinda figured if I had any credibility to lend to that so that she's taken more seriously, I should do that." Elsewhere in his Facebook statement, Tyson seemed to attempt a scientific remove. "I'm the accused, so why believe anything I say?" he said. "Why believe me at all?" Tyson is scheduled to appear at Asbury Park Convention Hall on Thursday. NJ Advance Media reporter Jeremy Schneider contributed to this report. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. In the weeks before the Miss America competition in September, various factions of the pageant faithful were at war over changes to the traditional Atlantic City event implemented by new pageant leaders. Somehow, the pageant weathered the drama long enough to crown Miss America 2019, Nia Franklin, onstage at Boardwalk Hall. Now, the pageant's internal strife is entering the public arena once again. The Associated Press reports that pageant leaders have terminated the licenses of several state pageants, including the Miss New Jersey pageant. Miss America has already moved to replace the directors of five other state pageants. Now, the pageant's home state, along with Florida and New York, have been added to that group, which includes Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Georgia, and Tennessee as well as Colorado, where state leaders quit in protest. The states whose licenses have been revoked have 10 days to appeal the decision. After an appeal hearing is granted, Miss America executives can move to replace the state's leadership, meaning a new director can be installed at each pageant. Former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989, is the chairwoman of the Miss America board, while Regina Hopper is the CEO of the Atlantic City-based Miss America Organization. Both leaders were installed in the wake of a 2017 scandal over the previous CEO's offensive emails, which contained misogynistic statements and insults about former Miss Americas. In an effort to rebrand the pageant for the modern woman, Carlson and Hopper announced in June that Miss America would be dropping its swimsuit competition after nearly 100 years on the boardwalk. (The pageant began in 1921 as a bather's revue.) The decision sharply divided pageant volunteers, state directors, former Miss Americas and contestants. The reigning Miss New Jersey, Jaime Gialloreto, who hails from Woolwich Township, was among those who lamented the loss of the swimsuits. State directors, including Sally Johnston, the executive director of the Miss New Jersey Education Foundation (the New Jersey pageant), signed a letter calling for the resignation of Carlson, Hopper and the Miss America board. "'Miss America 2.0' is simply a title for the same old tactics of obfuscation and fear-based governance," the letter read. Former Miss Americas also started a petition to oust Carlson, Hopper and the board. "They shook up the wrong people," Gialloreto told NJ Advance Media before the pageant got underway in Atlantic City. "When you upset them, they're going to speak out." Those asking for the leaders to resign claimed they had been misled by the executives to believe that ABC would drop the pageant broadcast if they did not support the exit of the swimsuit portion, which was not the case. Some accused Carlson, who had emerged as a strong voice in the #MeToo movement after her sexual harassment lawsuit against her former Fox boss Roger Ailes, of conflating #MeToo with Miss America. It was a charge Carlson denied. But critics within the Miss America community, which includes volunteers across the nation at the local and state level, said they were more concerned that Carlson and Hopper had not been transparent in their leadership. The conflict was further inflamed when Cara Mund, then the reigning Miss America, spoke out against pageant leaders in a long, scathing letter in which she accused Carlson of bullying and silencing her during her reign. The pageant commissioned an investigation of Mund's claims and determined they were without merit, but Mund maintains that her allegations are valid and that the investigation was flawed, since she was not interviewed. State pageants that have had their licenses revoked are required to divert scholarship money to the Miss America Organization. Each June, winners of the Miss New Jersey title are awarded a $12,000 scholarship. Sally Johnston has guided Miss New Jersey titleholders for more than 50 years at the pageant, including when the event moved to Las Vegas for eight years before its return to Atlantic City in 2013. NJ Advance Media has reached out to Johnston, Miss New Jersey, Jaime Gialloreto, and the Miss America Organization for comment. As in years past, the Miss America pageant, despite its "Miss America 2.0" rebranding effort, was down in the ratings with the September broadcast, its first without a swimsuit competition. The pageant drew 4.3 million viewers, a decrease from 5.4 million in 2017. This story contains material from The Associated Press Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup or on Facebook. At least two people were hurt Thursday as an early morning fire raced through a home in the city of Orange, officials said. Firefighters were called to the home about 4:30 a.m. as flames could be seen scorching through the roof of the home on Scotland Road. Helicopter video taken around 6:30 a.m. showed the fire nearly out but the home badly damaged by flames. Firefighters were unable to enter the home due to structural damage, according to an abc7ny.com report. ABC reported a total of four injuries including two firefighters. A City of Orange fire official confirmed two people were taken from the scene to a local hospital with unknown injuries. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Neil deGrasse Tyson wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room Wednesday night in New Jersey. Before he dove into a two-hour talk on cosmic collisions at NJPAC, the noted scientist read portions of his lengthy Facebook statement regarding recent sexual misconduct allegations and was cheered by the crowd when he concluded. While the famed astrophysicist and author has been adamant in denying the claims, those who attended the event and talked to NJ Advance Media were still unsure what to make of the controversy. Some attendees were unaware of the accusations, while others had heard but didnt know specifics. No one who talked to NJ Advance Media adamantly defended Tyson, but no one condemned him, either. Until deGrasse Tyson broached the topic minutes into his talk, it felt like another event with no hint of controversy even with a new accuser coming forward less than two hours before the talk began. And while not a sell-out, it was a well-attended event with the venue mostly full. Kathy Donovan of Bergen County said she had heard about the allegations but that they hadnt deterred her from attending. "We did look to make sure that it wasnt cancelled because we were aware. But I havent looked into it terribly deeply, Donovan said. I have an interest in it, I think that we are very casual and came out for an evening, were not like fans that follow the guy around. It was more of an, 'Oh, this is something to do on a Wednesday night when its cold. It seems like a good idea. Mahir Patel was reading about the allegations on his phone in the Prudential Hall lobby minutes before the show. I dont know, apparently it happened eight years ago, something of that sort. If its something that happened eight years ago, hopefully it was addressed. But we dont know if it was or not," Patel said. "After eight years, now that all this is happening, you come out? If it was dealt with before, why bring it up again? Janki Kapadia of West Windsor, whom Patel came with, questioned that logic. Was it dealt with before? Kapadia said. I have to say, I think people think women are jumping on the bandwagon with this, and thats not necessarily the case. Its just, you feel more comfortable saying something when someone else had said something. So whereas before it was completely accepted for guys to be doing things like this, now you feel like you have more support and people arent just going to shun you for saying something. Was the controversy enough make Kapadia consider not coming? No, I dont think so, Kapadia said. Mostly just because we bought the tickets beforehand and hes a big fan. But I dont know. I think if we knew something for a fact it would be more useful. JERSEY CITY At the end of a painstaking, five-hour process that saw hundreds of ballots recounted by hand, the results of last months Bayonne school board election remained unchanged. Twenty-eight additional votes were awarded to various candidates, but the court-ordered recount of more than 1,100 mail-in and provisional ballots confirmed the initial result: incumbent Ava Finnerty edged out Leo Smith, the boards former business administrator, for the third and final spot on the nine-member school body. The recount was the product of a petition that Smiths attorney filed on Nov. 21 after Smith won a slight majority of votes cast in person at polling places, but Finnerty garnered a large majority of the provisional and mail-in ballots . On Monday, Hudson County Superior Court Judge Peter Bariso signed an order to have those ballots recounted. The petition "was just an extension of the election," said Smith, who came in fourth place in the school board race. "With everything going on all over the country, and the new law that Murphy signed into effect, I think there might have been some cause for concern and we just wanted to make sure that everybody's vote counted," he said. By the end of election night, Smith held a 19-vote lead on Finnerty. But when the mail-in and provisional ballots were counted the next day, Finnerty pulled ahead by 68 tallies after receiving 347 additional votes, compared to Smiths 260. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, several officials from the county Board of Elections began manually counting the mail-in and provisional ballots that were cast in the election, with both Finnerty and Smith as well as some other BBOE players helping tally the votes. Recent changes to the states voting laws this year caused election night to turn into election week for many voting districts across the state. If a voter mailed in their ballot in the 2016 election, your county clerk had to automatically mail their ballot in this year's election. Additionally, vote-by-mail ballots used to require an arrival deadline of 8 p.m. on Election Day. Now, they were allowed to be received 48 hours from that deadline as long as the ballots are postmarked by Tuesday. The two laws, enacted only months before the election "really affected us," said Michael Harper, a clerk with the county Board of Elections. "We're learning as we go through this one, and we'll be more prepared for the next (election)," he said. "But we're looking at it as the new normal." Former trustee Charles Ryan attended the recount, as well as John Cupo, who said he was there for "moral support." By 3 p.m., Smith had congratulated Finnerty on her win. I hope the elected trustees do a great job for the children of Bayonne, he said. As the coronavirus began to menace the region in March, most Chicago-area residents took refuge inside their houses to follow the governors stay-at-home order. Tribune photographers, as they always do, stayed on the job. Risking their personal safety and relying upon unparalleled creativity to follow public health guidelines, they documented a year unlike any in a century. They stepped into intensive care units where COVID-19 patients were taking their last breaths, captured the calls for social justice sparked by police killings of unarmed Black men and conveyed the anxiety over a contested presidential election result. Their work showed how these extraordinary events influenced our lives. We hope the work has been fair, a broad-yet-intimate reflection of the diversity of the Chicago area. We hope our annual Pictures of Year edition serves as a visual reminder of a rapidly changing year. When life moves so fast, we often forget, and these images reflect the range of emotions we just lived through. It also a platform for acknowledging the talent and dedication of Tribune photographers, and all photojournalists, in a year well never forget. RWJBarnabas Healths Jersey City Medical Center is seeking the publics help in determining the identity and locating the family of a mystery man under the hospitals care, officials said. The patient was brought to the hospital after he was found on the New Jersey City University campus on Dec. 2, JCMC spokeswoman Sharon Ambis said. He was admitted to the hospital at 6:20 p.m. The man, who has not been able to communicate with hospital staff, is 5-foot-8, 158 pounds and possibly in his 40s. His skin tone is light brown, he has black hair with gray specks and a short, cropped black beard with gray on his chin. The man has tattoos -- one, on right upper arm, is a circular design with spikes; another, on his lower right arm is a man in the moon with bushy eyebrows and a long mustache; and a third, left upper arm, is a New York Yankees logo. The hospital did not release a photo of the patient, citing hospital policy. Anyone with information is asked to contact Colleen T. Reilly Bocchino at the JCMC at 551-226-0393. The presence of MS-13 has diminished in Hudson County in recent years, but is the notoriously violent street gang on the ropes or just lying low? Thats one of the questions to emerge from a report on the gang, which was issued Wednesday by the State Commission of Investigation. The World Trade Center PATH station will be closed on weekends for nearly two years to replace equipment and rebuild tunnels that were severely damaged in Hurricane Sandy more than six years ago. Plus, how will the testimony by Katie Brennan on how the Murphy administration handled her rape accusations affect the freshman governor? In Sports, Bayonne gridder Nasir McNair is sticking close to home, committing to Fordham University. Plus, the XFL is back and New Jersey will have a franchise. The presence of MS-13 has diminished in Hudson County in recent years, but is the notoriously violent street gang on the ropes or just lying low? Thats one of the questions to emerge from a report on MS-13, which was issued Wednesday by the State Commission of Investigation (SCI). With fewer than 100 MS-13 members operating in Hudson County, mostly in Union City, North Bergen, West New York and Jersey City, local law enforcement officials told the SCI the gang appears to have gone dormant." Law enforcements vigilance has had a dramatic impact on MS-13 in New Jersey, the Organized Crime Spotlight report states. Cooperation with federal immigration authorities has been successful in heading off potential violence by removing from our communities undocumented gang members with criminal histories. That doesnt mean the gang has disappeared from local streets entirely. The report indicates that MS-13 cliques or sets may be intentionally lying low across New Jersey to avoid law enforcement scrutiny. And while dozens of arrests on the East Coast have struck a blow to the group, Hudson County authorities told SCI that a new East Coast program leader is already in place, possibly residing in New York. The gang, which had more than 700 members scattered across New Jersey in 2010, formed in Los Angeles in the 1980s when migrants fled El Salvadors civil war and needed to protect themselves from other established street gangs. The group branded itself Mara Salvatrucha and added the number 13 to its name because m is the 13th letter in the alphabet. Although there is debate on the origins of the name, it has been roughly translated to mean Salvadoran gang. Despite the absence of recent high-profile violence, the gang has a violent history in Hudson County and remains a threat, especially for immigrant communities, the report states. In 2015, an MS-13 recruit gunned down a rival gang member in West New York as the victim prepared to enter his apartment building. An MS-13 leader even ordered a restaurant shooting in North Bergen after the owner stopped making extortion payments to one of the gangs local clique. Authorities foiled the plot when they intercepted an armed Jersey City teen on a bicycle as he pedaled to the restaurant. In 1997, the body of an MS-13 member who had insulted a fellow gang member over his tattoos was found in a Jersey City park. His head and neck were cleaved by a machete before his killers defecated on his body, the report states. But investigators in Hudson County told SCI that the gangs ranks may be falling as members start having their own families. In Hudson, MS-13 members range between 13 and 34 years old, according to the report. It is rare, [authorities] said, to see second-generation MS-13 members, a phenomenon seen in other gangs." The report points to certain strategies being carried out by Hudson County law enforcement as a model for stifling MS-13 activity. In Union City, local law enforcement officials acknowledge that many MS-13 members live in the city, but they saw the gang does not conduct criminal activity there because of a zero-tolerance approach that involves multiple city departments and the school system. The Union City Police Department declined to comment on the reports findings, and deferred all comment to the Hudson County Prosecutors Office, which did not respond to a request for comment. Some hope for the climate I recently watched "Bad Tidings", a documentary about the residents of Sea Bright, New Jersey, after Hurricane Sandy. It explores their decisions to rebuild and discusses their ability to adapt to climate change in a town that experts predict will be underwater in 50 years. It paints a bleak picture for coastal communities if steps are not taken to mitigate climate change. Fortunately, however, there's hope. On November 27th, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act was introduced in Congress to bring climate change under control. It currently has three Democrat and three Republican cosponsors and would reduce America's emissions by at least 40% in twelve years. It's both good for people and the economy: reducing air pollution will improve health and save lives, the carbon dividend puts money directly into people's pockets every month, and it will create 2.1 million jobs over the next 10 years. For these reasons, I encourage everyone to write or call their members of Congress and ask them to support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2018. This is our best bet to ensure Hoboken and the surrounding cities remain livable in the future. Nicky Robinson, Hoboken Thankful for Congress's climate solution My Thanksgiving holiday spirit was dampened slightly with the release of the latest National Climate Assessment, which added to an ever-growing body of scientific reports confirming that climate change is already affecting the Northeast and will have dire impacts on the region if greenhouse gas emissions continue a t current levels. Luckily, I had something to be thankful for when the bipartisan Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (H.R.7173) was introduced a few days later. This market-based solution would place a steadily rising fee on carbon pollution and return all revenue to households equally, thus driving down pollution while also putting money in the pockets of Americans and creating jobs. I'd like to call on my Congressman Albio Sires, as well as Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, to support the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Climate change will affect all Americans, regardless of political party. It's time for our elected leaders across the country to set aside partisan differences and, for the good of our nation and the world, start addressing the threat of climate change by enacting the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act in the next Congress. Ruth Rosenthal, Hoboken Submit letters to the editor and guest columns at jjletters@jjournal.com A man is on the run after robbing a bank in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and he may have fled into New Jersey afterward. Police in Upper Makefield Township say a man with his face covered with a camouflage mask and sunglasses, robbed a First National Bank shortly before 10 a.m. Thursday. The man showed a gun to a teller and demanded money before fleeing on foot toward the Washington Crossing Bridge, which spans the Delaware River between Upper Makefield and Hopewell Township, New Jersey. He was also wearing a tan windbreaker with a black stripe, dark jeans and gray shoes with a white sole. Police did not say how much cash was obtained in the incident. Anyone with information should contact Upper Makefield Detective Jeff Jumper at 215-968-3020 or jjumper@uppermakefield.org. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating an accident involving a punctured bear repellent container at a New Jersey Amazon warehouse Wednesday that left one worker in critical condition and another 24 employees seeking medical treatment. A 9-ounce can of bear repellent was ruptured by an automated machine at the Amazon fulfillment center in Robbinsville. The aerosol spray dispersed in a confined area on the third floor in the south end of the sprawling warehouse, an Amazon spokeswoman said. Fifty-four workers experienced difficulty breathing and burning in the throat in eyes after being exposed to the concentrated spray, officials said. The woman critically injured in the incident is expected to be released Thursday and make a full recovery, officials said. Twenty-four workers were taken to five area hospitals, and were released after being treated. The affected area of the 1.3 million-square-foot warehouse reopened at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The OSHA report could take up to six months to complete, said Joanna Hawkins, a spokeswoman for the agency. Amazon has been cited for 12 OSHA violations at its New Jersey facilities since December 2013, ranging from safety complaints about forklifts to failing to have fall protection, records show. Three of the violations have been contested and deleted, but the company has been fined at least $23,000. The Robbinsville location most recently inspected by OSHA in August 2017 faced a $7,000 citation in 2015 for a violation of recording criteria. OSHA also investigated an Amazon facility in Avenal in December 2013 after a worker died after being crushed by equipment. Citations were issued to Genco, a third-party logistics firm operating the facility, and four temporary staffing agencies, according to OSHA. Overall, Amazons OSHA violations in New Jersey are relatively minor compared to other companies that have been hit with penalties over $300,000 in some cases, according to OSHA data. Amazon is also conducting an investigation independent from OSHA, a company spokeswoman said. The safety of our employees is always our top priority and a full investigation is already underway, she said. Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook. The 20-year-old College of New Jersey (TCNJ) sophomore who was killed in a head-on crash early Sunday will be laid to rest early next week in Union County. Michael Sot, of Clark, was the designated driver for a group of friends early Sunday morning when his car was struck head-on by an alleged under-the-influence driver. Five TCNJ students, including Sot, were involved in the crash, and a few are still in critical condition. A sixth person, visiting a friend at TCNJ, was also in the vehicle and seriously injured. One of the services for Sot will be held on Sunday, at 3 p.m., at the Higgins and Bonner Funeral Home in Westfield, his obituary said. The family is requesting that friends who wish to attend a funeral Mass for Sot, on Monday at John the Apostle Church in Clark, to meet at the church at 10 a.m. Those that knew Michael remember him as an individual that would always put others before himself. He was a trusted and a caring friend to all, and always did the right thing, his obituary said of him. It echoes what his friends and family have already said publicly. David Lamar V, 22, of West Windsor, was has been charged with eight felony crimes and related traffic offenses. He is scheduled to appear in Mercer County Court Tuesday. Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. The 16-year-old girl stabbed to death in Long Branch in September was killed by her 20-year-old ex-boyfriend after she broke up with him and he repeatedly texted her seeking to meet, authorities said. The motive in the killing and the relationship between Bryan Cordero-Castro and Madison Wells was revealed by the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office this week as Cordero-Castro was indicted on murder, stalking and weapons offenses. Authorities had previously said only Cordero-Castro and Wells knew each other, but didnt specify the nature of their relationship. Though they began dating in November 2017, prosecutors didnt say when Wells ended the relationship. She was stabbed to death on Sept. 8. Cordero-Castro texted and called Wells, a junior at Long Branch High School, numerous times in the nine-hour period before she agreed to meet him to talk outside a home on Van Buren Place, officials said this week. Cordero-Castro stabbed the teen outside the home sometime around 10:40 p.m., less than 45 minutes before she was pronounced dead at Monmouth Medical Center. She apparently stumbled into the homes living room where emergency workers and police found Wells with stab wounds to her chest. Bryan Cordero-Castro, 20, is charged with killing Madison Wells, 16, in Long Branch. Police arrested Cordero-Castro about two hours later at a cousins' home on Morris Avenue in Long Branch, the prosecutors office said. Cordero has been held without bail since his arrest. He is scheduled to be arraigned Jan. 7 and faces a minimum sentence of 30 years in state prison if convicted of murder. Cordero-Castro, a Guatemalan citizen, is in the United States illegally, the prosecutors office said at the time of his arrest. The CEO at University Hospital in Newark resigned Thursday, amid calls for his ouster from the mayor and the scrutiny of the state Health Department investigating an outbreak that may have claimed the lives of three infants in the neonatal intensive care unit. John N. Kastanis joined the states only public hospital in March 2016, and will leave it Dec. 14, according to an announcement. He was hired at a time of great upheaval as the hospital was trying to forge a future after the dissolution of its parent entity, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey five years ago. I am proud to have built a talented leadership team and to have continually challenged them to improve the quality of care provided here every single day. Those of us in the building, regardless of position, know that we have started to see improvements that will benefit our communitys healthcare and position us for the future, Kastanis said in a statement. As the state-sponsored Level 1 Trauma Center, we are well aware of the special role we play. The announcement was not unexpected, given the public criticism by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and the pressure he was feeling from Gov. Phil Murphys administration. In the summer, the governor ordered an independent monitor for the facility after a failing Leapfrog Safety report card and management decisions that were unpopular with the community and the unions. Baraka said he had advocated for a change in leadership at the hospital and is pleased change is afoot. I think its a good thing and I pray that the state government decides to put somebody there thats more amenable to the folks in Newark and that we get some representation on the board there. Thats basically what we want, get them to overhaul that hospital, Baraka told NJ Advance Media. Newly appointed Board Chairwoman Tanya Freeman said they "appreciate Johns service at University Hospital and wish him well as he begins this next chapter of his career. The Board will continue to work with the leadership team to drive sustainable change at the Hospital, Freeman added. Four infants in the neonatal intensive care unit have been exposed to the Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria, a hospital-acquired infection, since September. A final cause of death has not be determined for the three babies who died. The CEO of University Hospital announced his resignation Thursday.NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Health Commissioner Shereef Elnahal said he wished Kastanis the best moving forward." New leadership at University Hospital will present an opportunity to turn the page culturally and set the hospital on a rapid improvement path, he added. Sen. Joseph Vitale, chairman of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, expressed similar sentiments. I wish to thank Mr. Kastanis for his service to the hospital," Vitale said in a statement. "I look forward to a new leader who will be an example of and insist on quality and excellence while advancing a vision for one of our states' most important teaching hospitals and trauma centers. Bishop Jethro C. James, president of the Newark-North Jersey Committee of Black Churchmen, also weighed in, offering to help identify suitable candidates with a knowledge of and commitment to the greater Newark community. Mr. Kastaniss departure is an opportunity to find the most effective leadership for University Hospital the communitys hospital, James' statement said. said. With the hospital continuously operating in the red, Health Professionals and Allied Employees President Debbie White urged the board to allow public input on Universitys future. The state of New Jersey must take steps to ensure there is public oversight of any future public/private partnership before the last public hospital in NJ is privatized without input from the community impacted by such a deal, White said in a statement. This is an opportunity for public officials to lead the way to assure the community will have a voice in establishing the future of University Hospital. Staff Writer Karen Yi contributed to this report. The Force Report is a continuing investigation of police use of force in New Jersey. Read more from the series or search your local police department and officers in the full the database. From Maplewood to Millville, Highland Park to Hoboken, the unprecedented public release of police use-of-force data in New Jersey has reverberated across the state during the past week, spurring community meetings, calls for action and a rare joint pledge for improvement from every leading law enforcement official in the state. Since the debut of The Force Report, the most comprehensive statewide database of police use of force in the United States, more than 125,000 people have visited NJ.com/force to search their town or their local police officers. They include defense attorneys looking for an edge in court in battling police brutality, community activists looking for red flags in their hometowns and academics eager to take advantage of the data to advance research and public policy. And, despite their public outcries, they also include a whole lot of police officers searching one another. I spent hours going through it in my city and others, said Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante, who said he took issue with some headlines but described the project as an extremely thorough report. Published Nov. 29, The Force Report, a 16-month investigation by NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, found widespread disparities in how police use force and who they use it against, as well as paltry oversight and no central system for tracking and flagging overly aggressive officers. Hours after its debut, state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal promised to reform New Jerseys oversight of police force, but many in the law enforcement community bristled at the release of individual officer data and feared the repercussions in their towns. In a sharply worded statement, New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Colligan assailed the project as "a suggestive bit of sensational data to keep an unsuspecting public engaged," arguing it only told half the story. The president of the state Association of Chiefs of Police, Rich Buzby, followed with a request that the news organization be kind and ethical enough to immediately pull this data until departments could provide real and accurate data. That was a reversal from last year, when the association instructed local police departments to comply with NJ Advance Medias public records requests seeking use-of-force forms from 2012 through 2016, the most recent year available. The guidance came after a state Supreme Court ruling mandating the release of the forms without redaction. Those records, all 72,677 collected from each local police department and the State Police, formed the basis for The Force Report. Accurately reporting use of force by officers is the responsibility of local departments, and oversight falls to county prosecutors. But until NJ Advance Medias investigation, very few people paid much attention to the reports. By Wednesday, Buzby and Colligan had signed on to a joint statement with Grewal and every other leading law enforcement official in the state conceding they had collectively failed to accurately track police use of force. They agreed to several reforms, including new, electronic reporting and steps to ensure the veracity of the new data. But so far Grewal and other leaders, including Gov. Phil Murphy, have offered little in response to the alarming trends revealed by The Force Report and how they should be addressed. Among the findings, just 10 percent of officers accounted for 38 percent of all uses of force. A total of 252 officers used force more than five times the state average, and some at far, far greater rates. And across New Jersey, black people were more than three times as likely to face police force than white people. Clergy, social justice activists and residents of hundreds of towns across New Jersey are mining the data, calling meetings and demanding action. Reverend Charles Boyer, an activist and pastor of Bethel AME Church in Woodbury, called the Force Report a long overdue look into the concerns New Jerseys communities of color have raised for decades. We simply cannot trust a process which has no solution for understanding its problematic issues," Boyer said in a statement released by Salvation and Social Justice, an advocacy group of religious leaders. "New Jersey fails to monitor trends to flag officers who use disproportionately high amounts of force. The New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union echoed the importance of the new data. If we want to improve policing, we have to be able to measure it, said Alexander Shalom, a senior attorney for the organization. As you guys carefully point out, force and excessive force are not synonymous. But theres no way to improve either if youre not measuring both. In Maplewood, an Essex County suburb that recorded the highest use-of-force rate in the state, town leaders announced an upcoming community meeting, telling residents in a statement they had recently implemented reforms and were striving diligently to enhance safeguards against bias and disparate treatment and to reduce the use of force" by its officers. SOMA Justice, a South Orange-Maplewood community group, said the report highlighted a clear pattern of troubling behavior, and called on leaders in the two towns to investigate use-of-force rates in their communities. Another group of residents in Highland Park, a Middlesex County suburb with a similarly high use-of-force rate compared to South Orange, also announced a community meeting to discuss the news organizations findings. In a statement to the local news website Village Green, South Orange Village President Sheena Collum said police officials spent hours going over the data and added that this initiative that is inherently grounded in transparency and accountability something we should all welcome, including law enforcement agencies. The states former attorney general, Anne Milgram, a professor at New York Universitys School of Law who focuses on reforming the criminal justice system through smart data," called the project an extraordinary resource. Matthew Hale, a professor of political science and public affairs at Seton Hall University, said he plans to integrate the database into his courses next year. This is one of those projects that seem so obvious, Hale said. Why the state didnt do this is kind of baffling. He added, We are going to learn as much about how we should collect data like this as we learn about use of force itself. Seth Stoughton, a professor at the University of South Carolinas School of law and a former police officer and investigator, said he could not emphasize enough the importance of The Force Report database. States & agencies should be using this information to make informed public policy decisions, to figure out what other questions need to be asked, to set UoF policies, to identify outstanding & problem ofcs. But they can't use information they don't bother to collect. https://t.co/VYERltwJrL Seth Stoughton (@PoliceLawProf) November 30, 2018 While the public can easily look up government data such as hospital quality, crime, and population statistics, there are no reliable government resources on how police officers, in the course of their public duties, use violence against the public. The best data we have comes from media organizations, Stoughton said. Thats appalling and embarrassing. Defense attorneys and the state Public Defenders Office, meanwhile, said the unprecedented release of police use-of-force data could significantly bolster the rights of defendants who for years have had the odds stacked against them in court. The attorneys said that accessing police records can be difficult during discovery. They said they cannot request a police officers entire disciplinary record when they cant present proof that theres anything relevant to the case in it. With the newly released data, they said they may now have a basis to receive more documentation. "A lot of people think we can just go into court, ask and a prosecutor just hands it over. Thats not how it works, said Jennifer Sellitti, director of training and communications for the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender. Now we can use statistics to support our argument. We can say we know this exists. That gives us something we can put into a motion. The Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys of New Jersey said it plans to discuss The Force Report at its next board meeting and brainstorm how to use it in court. Sellitti said attorneys working for the Public Defenders office already have been combing through the database. While many police officers publicly objected to the news organizations decision to publish the names and use-of-force rates of individual officers, behind the scenes, they were searching their own departments and others they knew. Police chiefs, many of whom were familiar only with their own officers' use-of-force rates prior to the investigation, said they were glad to be able to compare themselves to similar-sized departments around the state. This is the sort of analysis I wanted to do here, but I dont have the manpower, Howell Police Chief Andrew Kudrick said. We have nothing to hide." Sayreville Police Chief John Zebrowski said he felt the investigation sensationalized police use of force, but thought it addressed an important shortfall in policing and said the information should be public. It surely started a conversation, said Zebrowski, who is the treasurer of the states police chiefs association. There are too many agencies (tracking use of force) different ways. Sometimes we push aside some of the most important forms because they just become routine, and using force is never routine. Were not spending enough time on this. Barnegat Chief Keith Germain said he gets frustrated that the good some departments are doing gets overlooked with these types of investigations, but that problems with the publics perception of policing are mostly self-inflicted wounds. Because weve done a terrible job, historically as a profession, communicating the realities of the job to the public, well, guess what?" Germain said. "When the reality is just thrown out there and people dont have the context or the understanding of it, you end up doing a whole lot of explaining and playing a whole lot of catch up. We are continuing to make this dataset better. The numbers in this story were last updated Jan. 8, 2019. See the changes weve made here. The sun is out and journalists across this city are shining a light on whats happening in the political world and beyond. Today we learned that architects, just like developers, are writing big checks to the campaigns of City Council members who hold near-total power over whether projects get off the ground. And speaking of development, while debate rages on about the planned Lincoln Yards, it looks like the city is poised to create a new public transit route between the North Side development and downtown. And you may have heard which Chicago mayoral candidate got the top spot on the Feb. 26 ballot, but were turning to an expert to find out what it means. Erik Wade has gone through some harrowing events in his 15 years as a sailor: escaping Hurricane Jose after running out of diesel fuel, sailing through blinding blizzards, and hiding in the hatches while his boat sailed over a water spout on a dark and stormy day. But abruptly washing up on the Sea Isle shore at 4 a.m. Sunday while he was sleeping after anchoring off shore was the most bizarre thing thats ever happened to the veteran sailor. Its like getting hit by lightening, he said. Its such a freak thing, what happened to me." Wade, who calls the 36-foot boat his home, is a New England nomad who travels the northeast for his seasonal job, a union bridge painter. He was on his way from Boston to the Florida Keys, where he spends his winters. The damage was done to his boat while he took a nap after anchoring a few hours before dark Saturday afternoon. The anchor got caught on the bottom of his boat, eventually snapping the chain and sending Wade sailing to the Jersey Shore. I was trying not to throw up, he recalled of the moment he realized he and his $40,000 boat, Pyrate, were on land. It was still an hour from daybreak. I just knew I was on a beach, and I know what a big issue that is." The boat bobbed in the waves for hours while residents wondered where the mysterious craft had come from. The 40-year-old Seattle native called the Coast Guard and several towing companies, but was quoted an unaffordable $11,000 and $15,000 cash, leaving him and his home stranded on the beach, he said. It absolutely is my prized possession. I saved for 10 years and spent two years combing the internet to find my dream boat and home, Wade noted. Shes very much apart of me. Ive put my blood, sweat and tears into her. The boat will be towed Thursday morning during high tide, after working a plan out with his insurance company, he said. Unfortunately, he said he will have to repair the engine and other damages done to the boat, and doesnt know if hell make it to Florida this season. Whats keeping him going in this tough time of possibly losing his home which hes owned since 2014 and invested $30,000 in is the kindness and generosity of Sea Isle and the fishing community, he said. Erik Wade, who was on his way from Boston to Florida, has been sailing for over 15 years and said this was the most "bizarre" thing to happen to him. Sea Isle residents welcomed him with open arms. Hes been staying at a residents home, people have delivered him coffee and sandwiches, and at least 200 spectators have come to see the boat, he said. The people have been nice, everyones being helpful. It goes a long way to keep my head straight and not get too upset and do what I have to do. Its a good comfort, he added. The police have also checked him with him daily, and the city has been as helpful as they can be, considering his circumstances, Wade said. Another sailor set up a GoFundMe for Wade with a goal of $5,000. It has yet to receive a donation. This will be expensive financially. I dont want to lose my home, he said. Its such a heartbreak. I dont know if Ill win or lose this fight, but I have to at least give it my all. 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 In the southwestern corner of New Jersey, a small community college offers something found nowhere else in the U.S. And demand for this specialized degree is exploding. In fact, so many students want in, Salem Community College this week broke ground at its Carneys Point campus for the $3.3 million, 20,000-square-foot Sam and Jean Jones Glass Education Center. Salem Community College is the only community college in the U.S. to offer an associates degree in applied science for Scientific Glass Technology. Graduates are in high demand, finding jobs making scientific glass apparatus for university laboratories and industrial and research production. Glass students in the program currently come from at least 20 states. Recent foreign students have traveled from Canada, Italy and Botswana to earn their glass degrees at the college. The two-year college also offers an associate in fine arts degree in its other glass program, Glass Art. While its not the only college in the U.S. to offer that degree, its the only place where the Glass Art focus is on flameworking. Need for the new space was pushed by the student demand in the two SCC glass courses. Since 2009, enrollment in the Glass Art program has grown by 115 percent. The Scientific Glass Technology program has seen a 220 percent increase in less than a decade. An artists rendering of the new $3.3 million, 20,000-square-foot Sam and Jean Jones Glass Education Center on the campus of Salem Community College in Carneys Point Township. Groundbreaking for the new center was held on Tuesday. (Provided Photo/Salem Community College.) SCCs glass programs have continued growth throughout the colleges history. In 2009 the Samuel H. Jones Glass Education Center was opened in Alloway Township. Located across from the Salem County landfill, the idea was that methane produced by the landfill would provide fuel for glassmaking. We carefully reviewed our options expand the current center or build a facility on campus, said Salem Community College Michael Gorman on siting the new facility. From our discussions with various stakeholders, we determined that relocating the Glass Education Center to campus will create a certain synergy that is only possible when all SCC students are together on the Carneys Point campus. We believe the relocation will be a win-win for all our students, employees and community members. SCCs students have outgrown the current 15,000-square-foot Glass Education Center. The new facility, expected to open in September 2019, will offer double the number of flameworking studios. In general, the new center will offer not only space for more students, but expanded areas for them to work in their individual lines of glassblowing studies. The new center is being named in honor of college benefactors Sam and Jean Jones. Jones is a former chair of the SCC Foundation. The studio/lab will be named in honor of SCC Distinguished Alumnus Paul Stankard who still teaches at the college and whose fine glass art work is known worldwide. A 280-square-foot exhibition space will also be included in the new center. SCC has had a long connection with glass programs even before it was a community college. In 1959, the colleges predecessor, the Salem County Technical Institute opened in Salem City offering scientific glassblowing programs. In 1961 the institute moved to the old DuPont Country Club in Carneys Point Township which had been donated for educational purposes. The building and land today form the core of the Salem Community College campus. In the spring of 2009 the new glass center was opened in Alloway and programs transferred there. Now they will return to the home campus. Glass and Salem County have always had a unique connection. It was in Alloway in the 1730s that Caspar Wistar established the first successful commercial glass works in the United States making window panes and bottles. The area was perfect for glassmaking with its rich natural resources sand and wood. Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Our current governor from Goldman Sachs is revealing himself to be every bit as tone-deaf about matters of ethnicity as our former governor from Goldman. That was Jon Corzine, who in his first run for statewide office in 2000 made some wannabe-witty remarks about Italian-Americans and "cement overshoes." That got him groveling before any proud son of Italy willing to accept his abject apology. By contrast, Phil Murphy's gone out of his way in the other direction when it comes to courting ethnic groups - too far out of his way. That became apparent at that hearing Tuesday at which former Murphy campaign worker Katie Brennan gave five hours of testimony about her alleged assault last year by the campaign's then-director of Hispanic/Islamic outreach, Al Alvarez. Brennan's account of those who ignored her allegations included everyone from the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office to the governor himself, who failed to respond to an email she sent him after her account was ignored on lower levels. "I wanted to tell him to enact changes," she testified Tuesday. "This is a progressive governor." Progressive? Perhaps. But "ambitious" might be a better word. Murphy has a habit of pandering to any and all interest groups that could be of use in forging his image on the national scene. At least that was the opinion of Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi when I ran into her in the elevator leaving the meeting. Earlier in the year, Schepisi, a Bergen Republican, was in the middle of the fight over Marcellus Jackson. He's an African-American former Passaic councilman once convicted of bribery who was named to a $70,000-a-year job in the Murphy administration. (Jackson was paid handsomely by Murphy's "non-profit" prior to the election.) When the bribery conviction became public, Murphy dug in, saying "my breath was taken away" by the public outrage over the hiring. He also took a veiled shot at critics like Schepisi, she told me. That came when he said that in such cases. "It is invariably a person of color we're talking about." No, it's not, said Schepisi. "I come from an Italian-Irish background, so for me that was a silly concept," she said. She didn't need to add that both the Italian-Americans and my own ethnic group, the Irish-Americans, are no slackers when it comes to this sort of thing. Murphy grew up in Massachusetts, so perhaps he is unaware that his fellow Irish-Americans in places like Hudson County accomplished feats of corruption that may never be equaled. As it happens, Hudson is central to this controversy. The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office declined to act on Brennan's complaint for eight months. Then on the day she alerted the Murphy transition team about it, she got a call from the prosecutor saying the case against Alvarez would be dismissed. "There was nothing presented that would make me question her credibility in any sort of fashion," said Schepisi, who announced earlier in the year that she herself had been a sexual-assault victim. "Even if there had been another side of the story, there was nothing done to follow through on her side of the story." It wasn't until Brennan told her story to the Wall Street Journal two months ago that Alvarez finally resigned from his plum job at the Schools Development Authority. At that time the Murphy administration was still maintaining that the matter had been handled properly. If so, why isn't Alvarez still in that job? That's a question that state Sen. Loretta Weinberg raised when I spoke with her after the session. Like Schepisi, Weinberg, recently gave her own account of being sexually assaulted as a young woman. That led the Bergen Democrat to push for the inquiry into the actions of the Murphy administration. Weinberg told me the biggest question she wants answered is just what a woman in Brennan's position would have to do to have her case taken seriously. "She did everything by the book," Weinberg said. "She got a police report. She went to a hospital and got a rape kit, and that triggers the county prosecutor who interviews you. And it goes on for months?" If Weinberg has her way, it's going to keep going on. The joint legislative committee is going to keep calling witnesses, possibly including the governor himself. Here's one question I'd like to see them they ask him: Can't you do math? No single ethnic group makes up more than a small fraction of New Jersey's population. Women make up half. I suspect they also make up half of the population in Murphy's native Massachusetts. There's a lesson in that but, like the mythical man on the gallows, the governor seems to be learning it a bit too late. BELOW: THE ONLY THING MURPHY CAN PASS IS THE BUCK - Watch the video below from Murphy's press conference in Trenton at which he reacted to the news of the Brennan testimony. Even after her description of how every state official she spoke to passed the buck, he was still insisting the complaint went through the proper channels. That includes his ethics chief, who told Brennan that there was no ethical question because the alleged offense took place before he took office. Unbelievable. A Passaic County nursing home will pay a deaf woman $2,500 to settle allegations one of its workers repeatedly hung up on her when she called using a telephone relay service, officials said Wednesday. Atrium Post Acute Care of Wayne is also subject to a suspended $10,000 fine, which can be reinstated if the company commits further violations within two years or fails to train staffers on state laws against discrimination, according to New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal. In a complaint to the states Division of Civil Rights, Nicole Perkins said she was working as a caseworker/advocate at St. Josephs Health Care System in Paterson on May 25, 2016 when she attempted to contact the nursing home to obtain medical records of a client, who is also deaf. In placing her call, Perkins enlisted the aid of a video relay service known as Purple Communications, according to the complaint. The service communicates with the deaf via text message or FaceTime and sign language. The service operator places the call to the intended recipient, announcing that the call is being made on behalf of a deaf person. Perkins told state civil rights investigators that on her first try a male voice refused to accept the call, saying Im not responsible, before hanging up. The Purple Communications service operator called back several more times, Perkins said. Each time, the same male voice refused to accept the call and refused to disclose his name, Perkins said. Based on her complaint, state civil rights investigators obtained telephone records from Purple Communications that showed the relay operator had called Atrium Post Acute Care five times within a nine-minute span on the afternoon Perkins said she tried to get through. In interviews with division investigators, Atrium employees including two female receptionists tasked with answering the telephones on a regular basis expressed a lack of familiarity with relay-service-assisted calls, Grewal said in a statement. One male employee who said he covers the telephones during receptionist breaks said he may have hung up on what he thought was an automated or robo call. The division issued a probable cause finding earlier this year and said it was concerned about the lack of awareness at Atrium Post Acute Care. Under terms of the settlement announced Wednesday, Atrium denies any wrongdoing. Supervisors at the nursing home did not immediately respond Thursday morning to a request for comment. In addition to the $2,500 fine, the nursing home must arrange training for all employees and company officers on the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination. The training must include education on telecommunications relay services and other assistive communication devices and technology used by persons who are deaf or hearing impaired, Grewal said. This case should serve as a message to healthcare facilities and other businesses around the state that we are serious about promoting and protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, Grewal said in a statement. This was a troubling case because there simply is no excuse for a nursing home of all places to repeatedly refuse to accept a telephone call from an operator calling on behalf of a deaf person." Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. A day after Katie Brennan testified that a half-dozen members of Gov. Phil Murphys inner circle knew for months that she accused a top administration staffer of raping her, Murphy insisted Wednesday he didnt learn about the allegations until just before they became public. Speaking during an unrelated news conference in Trenton, the governor also defended the way his staffers handled the matter, saying I have to assume" they felt they were acting under the rules and protocols of state government. Murphy, meanwhile, avoided saying if he would comply should lawmakers call him to testify as they investigate how his transition team and administration reacted to Brennans allegations. Nor would he commit to allowing members of his staff to appear. But Murphy said reports that his administration is trying to stonewall the committee, saying the notion were not cooperating" is completely, 1,000 percent false. The comments came during Murphys first exchange with reporters after Brennan gave four hours of testimony Tuesday to a special legislative committee at the Statehouse in Trenton. Brennan, the chief of staff of the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, has accused Albert J. Alvarez of raping her after a Murphy campaign gathering last year. Alvarez, the former chief of staff of the state Schools Development Authority, has never been charged in the matter and has denied the allegations. Brennan said she alerted Murphys team three times of the accusations between December and June once after Murphy was elected and twice after he took office. She also said she emailed Murphy and his wife directly in June to discuss a sensitive matter, though she didnt specifically mention the rape. Alvarez, however, didnt resign until Oct. 2, when the Wall Street Journal asked him to comment on a story it was preparing to run on Brennan. A day after that story ran in October, Murphy told reporters he didnt know about the details of Brennans allegations until the day Alvarez stepped down. The governor maintained that stance Wednesday, saying it is unequivocally the case." It is the truth," Murphy said during the news conference at Trenton train station. I did not know the specifics of what had happened to Katie until Oct. 2, so that is a fact. Murphy also suggested he doesnt believe his staff was being negligent. I have to assume that when other folks found out about this in the rearview mirror, they were adhering to the obligations they felt they had based on the rules that are written in government," the governor said. "I have no basis for disputing that. Brennan testified she repeatedly felt ignored by Murphys team and was forced to go public because her allegations werent addressed. I had access to people in the highest positions of power in the state of New Jersey, she said under oath. At each turn, my pleas for help went unanswered. Somehow, it wasnt a priority to address my sexual assault ... until it impacted them. Murphy was asked Wednesday what he felt about those comments. The minute I understood what happened to her, my heart broke, I got sick to my stomach, and I feel awful to this moment about it," the Democratic governor said. And I think she was extraordinary yesterday," he added. "I watched every word of her testimony. I thought she was incredibly poised given what shes gone through. After the alleged incident, which occurred in April 2017, Brennan reported it to the police and the Hudson County Prosecutors Office. In December, Brennan said, she allowed a friend to report her claims to Murphys transition team before the governor took office. Brennan said she reported it again to Murphys administration in March after Murphy was sworn in. After nothing happened for months, she emailed Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy in June, saying she wanted to discuss a sensitive matter that took place during the campaign. The governor replied: Hang in there. Were on it. Brennan said that gave her a glimmer of hope. Murphy said Wednesday he didnt know what Brennan meant by sensitive matter. Asked what he meant by telling Brennan he was on it, Murphy said it was simply a phrase I use in lots of different interactions. Murphy said he almost immediately forwarded Brennans email to his chief counsel, Matt Platkin, and his campaign attorney, Jonathan Berkon, which Murphy referred to as a natural and logical step. Murphy said he did not follow up with Berkon, the campaign attorney, after that. He also said he didnt personally press Brennan to clarify the issue because he and his wife have people come to us all the time, who want to be with us, raise something in one form or another. Im reminded by my staff regularly that there are professionals and policies in place to handle situations," the governor said. Asked whether his lawyers told him to stop communicating with Brennan, Murphy said no. Certainly not an email," he added. "But I did have a conversation with someone, and Im forgetting who that was, a generic, Listen, Murph, weve reminded you before that you have lots of people who want to have a particular discussion with you, sit down with you or your wife, whatever it might be.' Brennan sent her email to the Murphys on a Friday. That weekend, Berkon contacted her and said Alvarez would leave the administration which didnt happen until Oct. 2. Brennan said she was surprised Berkon mentioned Alvarez because she did not bring up his name to the attorney. Murphy said Wednesday he didnt know how Berkon knew Brennan wanted to discuss Alvarez. On Tuesday, the co-chairwoman of the legislative committee said they have not ruled out calling Murphy to testify. Asked Wednesday if he would appear before lawmakers or if hed be OK with his staff doing so, Murphy said hes not gonna get into hypotheticals. But he stressed that he will have extraordinary cooperation" with the committee as long as its investigation is solutions-focused and not political," it has a whole of government approach, and is survivor-centric. In addition to lawmakers' investigation, Murphy has tapped former state Supreme Court Justice Peter Verniero to run an internal investigation into Alvarezs hiring. Murphy has also called for a review of how the state can strengthen its laws and policies for how officials handle such accusations. The governor said even if his staffers "did adhere to obligations whether legal, ethical or otherwise we have to question ourselves and change the parameters. In a statement issued on Oct. 15, Verniero said he would conduct a systematic review of the hiring and vetting practices" of Murphys transition team, including how Alvarez was hired. Murphy denied Wednesday that means Vernieros scope is limited just to the transition. One of the things Im most proud of which Is why I have confidence in that process is there have been no limitations put in, by me or by anybody. Period, the governor said. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Katie Brennans powerful testimony Tuesday yielded nearly half a dozen names of people in Gov. Phil Murphys inner circle she said knew about her allegations but did nothing to shield her from her alleged rapist. She didnt lay blame at the feet of any one person. Instead, when asked during her hours-long testimony who she thought should be called to appear before the special legislative committee investigating the Murphy administrations handling of her allegations, Brennan said: Everybody that Ive mentioned today. Brennans appearance effectively launched the committees review of how Murphys team screened potential employees and handled Brennans rape allegation against Albert J. Alvarez, a former top staffer in the governors administration. Leaders of that panel wont say wholl they would invite next to testify and who if necessary they would subpoena. But Brennans detailed account of who she told that she was raped, and when, laid the groundwork for the hearings to come and the answers lawmakers will go looking for. When did Murphy know? Why Was Alvarez still working for the administration in October if Brennan was told in June he was on his way out? Why was Alvarez hired at all? I think there are a lot of questions regarding why people didnt act, said state Assemblywoman Holly Schepisi, R-Bergen, a member of the committee. I think we need to hear additional facts. Brennan, chief of staff to the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency, told the Wall Street Journal that Alvarez raped her in her apartment after a campaign gathering in Jersey City in April 2017. Alvarez was working for the Murphy campaign and she was a supporter at the time. Brennan said she notified members of Murphys team and attempted to alert Murphy, but Alvarez was nevertheless hired to become chief of staff of the New Jersey Schools Development Authority and kept in its employ until he was contacted by the Journal this October. In the coming months, the committee is expected to call those state government officials Brennan named Tuesday. State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg and Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin, co-chairwomen of the committee, said they have not ruled out calling Murphy. We have not reached a conclusion of how far up this actually got," Weinberg, D-Bergen, said Tuesday. During a news conference Wednesday in Trenton, Murphy avoided saying whether he would agree to testify or allow his staffers to appear. The governor said he wouldnt wade into hypotheticals" but said his administration will have extraordinary cooperation with the committee if its investigation is solutions-focused and not political," it has a whole of government approach, and is survivor-centric. Brennan also named Murphys deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs, Justin Braz; Chief Counsel Matt Platkin; Chief of Staff Pete Cammarano; Deputy Chief of Staff Parimal Gar; campaign attorney Jonathan Berkon; and Chief Ethics Officer Heather Taylor. What we will be looking at it is to bring in people who can answer some of the reasons for the breakdown in communication," Weinberg, D-Bergen, told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday, mentioning Braz and Taylor. Brennan said Braz was one of the first people she told. She said she confided in him with the understanding he would keep it private. In December 2017, expecting charges would be filed in Hudson County, she said she gave her permission to alert transition counsel. Brennan said Braz told a transition attorney without using her name. In March 2018, Brennan said she told Platkin. Mr. Platkin was horrified and told me that he would contact the Attorney Generals Office to see if anything could be done, Brennan said. I was filled with hope. I was optimistic that the administration would help me pursue justice and protect me in my workplace. Two days later, she said she informed Garg, who was disheartened. Taylor contacted her in April to let her know the administration could not terminate Alvarez because neither nor Brennan were state employees when she alleges she was raped. Finally, on June 1, Brennan emailed Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy asked to meet to discuss a sensitive matter that occurred during the campaign, though she did not specify what. She never met with the governor or his wife, but within a day or two Murphys campaign counsel reached out to her to let her know Alvarez would be leaving his position. Alvarez ultimately resigned abruptly on Oct. 2, after he was contacted by the Wall Street Journal. He has not been charged with a crime, and he has, through his attorney, denied the allegations. Murphy on Wednesday reinforced what hes said before: that he did not know about Brennans allegations until Alvarez resigned. It is the truth, the Democrat said. Schepisi, a Republican on the committee, suggested she does not find Murphys defense credible. I do find it very difficult to believe or accept the governor was unaware of it in light of the testimony that came forth, she said. Every person at the highest levels were aware of this, Schepisi added. Somehow, some way, they didnt go to the person who employs them and say, We have an issue? Especially in the wake of what was raised in Bridgegate? Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. The Democratic leader of the state Assembly on Thursday introduced a much-anticipated but controversial bill seeking to raise New Jerseys minimum wage to $15 an hour. This bill represents the speakers attempt at compromise between a progressive Democratic governor who promised $15 for all and a Democratic state Senate president who has said $15 an hour should be reserved for some workers. The legislation, which must be passed by the Senate and Assembly and signed by Gov. Phil Murphy to become law, would raise the states minimum wage to $15 an hour gradually by 2024. But teens under 18 years old, agricultural workers, seasonal workers and workers at businesses with fewer than 10 employees would wait until Jan. 1, 2029 over a decade to reach that same wage. In a statement, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, said the bill balances a boost for the working poor while taking into consideration the concerns of the states valued small business community. Raising the minimum wage will not only lift up the current generation of low-wage workers but ensure fairness for future generations and tackle issues of hunger and inequality, Coughlin said. For years, low-income workers have been fighting for a $15 minimum wage. But with this new bill, which leaves behind certain classes of workers, the fight over $15 is expected to begin in Trenton. The proposal drew swift criticism from advocates who said the discrepancy in how workers are treated is unconscionable and will create a permanent underclass. Lawmakers who championed a previous efforts to raise the minimum wage are opting to chart a course that creates a subclass of wages and leaves mostly female workers and communities of color behind, said Analilia Mejia, executive director of New Jersey Working Families. They do so to appease a business lobby." The workers carved out in this proposal are already some of the most vulnerable workers, ripe for exploitation," added Phyllis Salowe-Kaye, director of New Jersey Citizen Action. A spokesman for Murphys office declined to comment. State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said Thursday he thinks Coughlins bill strikes a good balance. And in a statement, Sweeney said the legislation gives us a working document that will move our efforts to enact a needed wage increase forward. Without this bill, the states minimum wage will rise according to a constitutional amendment from $8.60 an hour to $8.85 an hour on Jan. 1. Thats the difference of about $520 a year for someone working 40 hours a week at the minimum wage and currently earning 17,888 a year. Democratic lawmakers and progressive advocates have long sought a $15 minimum wage in New Jersey. Democrats who control the state Legislature in 2016 passed a bill gradually moving to $15 an hour that was vetoed by then-Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican. That bill did not include exemptions for any class of worker. After Murphy was elected in 2017, it seemed like a slam dunk for Democrats. But it has yet to move through the Legislature until now. At a recent news conference, Murphy called on the Legislature to send him a bill by the end of the year. The Legislatures final 2018 session is scheduled for Dec. 17. More than 1 million working families across the state, families who want nothing more than greater economic stability and for their 2019 to be a little bit brighter than their 2018, are looking for us to act, Murphy said last month. Opponents of the 2016 bill say they now consider a $15 minimum wage in New Jersey inevitable. Michele Siekerka, president of the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, which represents some 20,000 businesses here, has said she hoped lawmakers would make special considerations for certain industries and classes of workers. Peter Furey, executive director of the New Jersey Farm Bureau, told NJ Advance Media in October that farmers struggling against low commodity prices and uncontrollable weather conditions cannot afford increased costs from higher base wages and payroll taxes. Beginning in 2020, the bill would also allow employers to pay workers a training wage" equal to at least 90 percent of the minimum wage at that time for up to 80 hours. The employer is required to make a good faith effort to continue to employ the employee after the training wage expires and may not hire an employee at the training wage without a reasonable expectation of subsequent regular employment, according to the bill. The federal minimum wage law lets employers pay workers under 20 years old a sub-minimum wage for up to 90 days. The Assembly Labor Committee is expected to take up the bill Monday morning. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. A New Jersey gun rights group says its ready to take its fight against Gov. Phil Murphys administration ban on 15-round magazines in the state all the way to the nations highest court after losing another round in federal court. The Association of New Jersey Rifle and Pistol Clubs' effort to overturn the ban was dealt another blow Wednesday when a federal appeals court upheld the law, which puts a 10-round magazine limit on firearms in the state. The whole point of the case is to get a good decision no matter how high up we need to go, Scott Bach, the groups executive director, said. The ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit leaves a pitch to the U.S. Supreme Court as the next step. Bach, however, said the group is still considering other options before he commits to filing with the nations high court. Of course, its never a given the U.S. Supreme Court would hear the case. The court only takes up a fraction of cases sent to it in a given year. That means the bill Murphy, a Democrat, signed into law on June 13 stands. Proponents of the measure argue it helps limit the number of causalities during mass shootings. Gun rights groups, meanwhile, say the measure turns gun owners into criminals and costs them money since they have to modify their current magazines or purchase new ones. The law gave gun owners a six-month grace period to get rid of or modify their magazines. Big win for public safety and law enforcement safety! New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said in a tweet after the ruling was handed down. This just in: for months, individuals have been challenging NJs limits on large capacity magazinesa sensible law to address mass shootings. Today, the court of appeals upheld the law. Big win for public safety and law enforcement safety! pic.twitter.com/xjc5B0x9H5 AG Gurbir Grewal (@NewJerseyOAG) December 5, 2018 Eight other states and the District of Columbia have similar laws that put restrictions on magazine capacity: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont. New Jersey State Police State does not say how many gun permits there are in the state. But groups like Bachs estimate there are 1 million people in the state who own firearms. Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook. The MLB Winter Meetings begin Monday in Las Vegas, Nev. All eyes will be on free-agent sluggers Manny Machado and Bryce Harper, who remain on the open market. The Yankees have been linked to both players during the offseason, Machado in particular after losing Didi Gregorius to Tommy John surgery. Owner Hal Steinbrenner is on the record as saying he would want a face-to-face meeting with Machado before negotiating a contract, following Machados lack of hustle and questionable decision-making during the 2018 playoffs. Machado, for his part, tried to walk back his infamous Johnny Hustle comments last month. Manager Aaron Boone is keeping an open mind on Machado, per the New York Post: You hope all players all the time run things out, play hard or give it their all, but [its] not necessarily the No. 1 thing I look at when I am defining whether a player is giving his all or is a gamer or posting [playing every day] and being a guy who grinds when its difficult behind the scenes, Boone said Wednesday on ESPN radios The Michael Kay Show. I think that is more indicative of who a guy is and kind of how he plays. That said, there is an expectation that we have and hopefully as a professional that there is a certain way you go about things, and running balls out can certainly play into that. Frankly, it is a little bit down the list as far as what I define what makes a player. My definition of a player who plays hard, who plays through adversity and is tough and brings things behind the scenes and has the ability to post when it is not easy. Those are things that define playing hard a little more to me. Here is a quick recap of Machados mishaps in the playoffs: UPDATE (Thursday, 2:54 p.m.): The J.A. Happ market is heating up, per SNYs Andy Martino. In light of Eovaldi signing, J.A. Happ market is intensifying today, as expected. Yankees still on him, as well as Phillies and others. Keep an eye on this one. Andy Martino (@martinonyc) December 6, 2018 Yankees general manager Brian Cashman is 0-for-2 in free agency. He swung and missed on left-hander Patrick Corbin, who got a six-year, $140 million contract from the Washington Nationals. He whiffed on right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who returned to the Boston Red Sox with a four-year, $67.5 million contract. So where does Cashman go from here in his quest to upgrade the starting rotation? Happ is Yankees next pitching target. They didnt want to go past 3 years on Eovaldi, who is a hero in Boston anyway. Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 6, 2018 Cashman wont be alone in pursuing Happ, with the Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Angels and Toronto Blue Jays all expressing an interest in the southpaw at some point during the offseason. The Yankees want to pair a free-agent pitcher with James Paxton, who Cashman acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. If he opts to explore another trade, there are several interesting options out there, including Cleveland Indians right-hander Corey Kluber, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke and San Francisco Giants southpaw Madison Bumgarner. Happ was traded from the Blue Jays to the Yankees before the non-waiver deadline, with the lefty fresh off his first career selection to the All-Star Game. Happ made 11 regular season starts for the Yankees in 2018, going 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA. The 36-year-old Happ is getting ready for his 13th season in the majors. NJ Advance Media's Brendan Kuty talked with Cashman in November at the GM Meetings in Carlsbad, Calif. Heres what Cashman had to say about bring back Happ: Hes someone -- we need pitching and he did a great job for us. Because hes one of our own, its not surprising, have I talked to ... his agent? Yes. Whether it leads anywhere, I couldnt tell you. But since hes one of our own, he checks obviously all the boxes. So I would think that there would be a lot of interest in him regardless. As a union, as a coalition of progressive forces in this city, we have put forth an agenda that says Chicago must be affordable for the people who live here, Gates said. We have set forth an agenda that says public schools must respond to the needs of those who live in the community. We have set forth an agenda that said its wrong to push black people out of this city. But first, the candidates will try to knock each other off the ballot by challenging the validity of their petition signatures. Mayoral candidates must have 12,500 signatures of registered Chicago voters to get on the ballot. The election board will set hearings on the challenges in coming weeks. It remains to be seen whether Valencias election-year move will amount to more than a report that gathers dust. A new mayor taking office in May might not make it a high priority to act on the recommendations of the sitting clerk, especially one as closely aligned with outgoing Mayor Rahm Emanuel as Valencia. The next mayor will be seeking ways to raise revenue to meet crushing pension obligations without resorting to tax increases, and targeted fines and fees are often seen as politically preferable. An ugly fight over an audit that found the city of Zachary paid two vendors $3.5 million without having contracts in place has died down some, but the city councilman most upset about the matter has made clear he is not giving up on his quest for On Sept. 14, he picked up another woman, Erika Pena, who told investigators that Ortiz acted oddly when she brought up Ramirez's slaying and later pointed a gun at her while they were in his truck at a gas station, according to court documents. Pena said Ortiz grabbed her shirt as she tried to get out of the truck, but she pulled it off and ran, finding a state trooper who was refueling his vehicle. A spokesperson for the Canadian Department of Justice has confirmed the arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the current Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Chairwoman of Huawei Technologies. Its believed Meng was detained by Canadian authorities for possible extradition to the US. Meng Wanzhou, also known as Sabrina Meng, is the daughter of Huaweis founder and president, Ren Zhengfei. 4 Reviews , News , CPU , GPU , Articles , Columns , Other "or" search relation. 3D Printing , 5G , Accessory , AI , Alder Lake , AMD , Android , Apple , ARM , Audio , Business , Camera , Cannon Lake , Cezanne (Zen 3) , Charts , Chinese Tech , Chromebook , Coffee Lake , Comet Lake , Console , Convertible / 2-in-1 , Cryptocurrency , Cyberlaw , Deal , Desktop , E-Mobility , Education , Exclusive , Fail , Foldable , Gadget , Galaxy Note , Galaxy S , Gamecheck , Gaming , Geforce , Google Pixel , GPU , How To , Human 2.0 , Ice Lake , Intel Evo / Project Athena , Internet of Things (IoT) , iOS , iPad Pro , iPhone , Jasper Lake , Lakefield , Laptop , Launch , Linux / Unix , Lucienne (Zen 2) , MacBook , Mini PC , Monitor , MSI , OnePlus , Opinion , Phablet , Radeon , Renoir , Review Snippet , Rocket Lake , Rumor , Ryzen (Zen) , Science , Security , Single-Board Computer (SBC) , Smart Home , Smartphone , Smartwatch , Software , Storage , Tablet , ThinkPad , Thunderbolt , Tiger Lake , Touchscreen , Ultrabook , Virtual Reality (VR) / Augmented Reality (AR) , Wearable , Windows , Workstation , XPS , Zen 3 (Vermeer) Ticker President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping may have just declared a temporary ceasefire in trade hostilities between the USA and China, but this has not prevented US officials from requesting that their Canadian counterparts detain Huaweis CFO Meng Wanzhou while she was in Vancouver. A representative of the Canadian Justice Department offered this statement to The Globe and Mail about the incident: Wanzhou Meng was arrested in Vancouver on December 1. She is sought for extradition by the United States, and a bail hearing has been set for Friday. Meng subsequently requested a publication ban that has prevented the Canadian Justice Department from offering up any more details about the arrest. Huawei is being investigated in the US in regard to the possible breaking of economic sanctions against Iran. A source familiar with the detainment has indicated that US authorities believe Meng Wanzhou may have been involved with the alleged sanction-breaking activities of her fathers company. Its likely this incident will cause considerable turbulence in both the political and economic airspaces for the USA and China. Huaweis billionaire CEO, Ren Zhengfei, is a former Peoples Liberation Army officer and has had strong connections with the Communist Party of China. It's unlikely he will just sit on his hands while his daughter is potentially extradited to the US. December 4, 2018 Sarah Merrill , 252-475-9033 Cape Hatteras National Seashore is pleased to announce that the National Park Service (NPS) has executed a lease with Oregon Inlet Marinas, LLC, managed by Russell C. King, to provide for the maintenance and continued operation of Oregon Inlet Marina, also known as Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, for use as a charter boat marina. The lease is for a 20-year period and will commence on December 31, 2018. Oregon Inlet Marinas, LLC was selected to negotiate a lease for Oregon Inlet Marina in accordance with the Request for Proposals (RFP), which was issued on June 7, 2018, and closed on September 5, 2018. The NPS received multiple proposals in response to the RFP and selected Oregon Inlet Marinas, LLC as the best responsive proposal in accordance with the selection criteria published in the RFP. In accordance with the lease, the lessee will be authorized the use of the marina premises for the following purposes: Marina slip rentals only for: charter fishing boats (for-hire fishing vessels); headboats; tour boats; dive boats (collectively such boats and watercraft are referred to as Commercial Watercraft); and large commercial or governmental vessels such as dredges; The rental of non-motorized watercraft such as kayaks, canoes and sailboats (excluding Personal Watercraft). The sale by Lessee to the public of opportunities for activities on Lessee-owned Commercial Watercraft; The sale of fishing and boating goods and services including: ice, bait, tackle, fishing and boating apparel, camping supplies, fish cleaning services, photography supplies and services, and fuel; Booking services for users of Commercial Watercraft; The sale of food and beverage items (non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages); The sale of other retail items not included above provided that the sale of such items is consistent with Park Area purposes; Special events associated with the use of the marina for charter fishing boats, such as fishing tournaments; and Provision of a small childrens play area. As Oregon Inlet Marina comes under new management, the National Park Service would like to thank Oregon Inlet Fishing Center, LLC for its many years of providing high-quality charter fishing services on the Outer Banks. The Oregon Inlet Fishing Center and the talented captains docking at the marina have put Oregon Inlet on the map as one of the best offshore fishing destinations in the world, stated David Hallac, Superintendent National Parks of Eastern North Carolina. For more information about the RFP and NPS entering into lease negotiations with Oregon Inlet Marinas, LLC, please visit the following press releases: Please direct any questions about this announcement to NPS Outer Banks Group Management Analyst Sarah Merrill at When the going gets rough, theres always art. It can soothe and teach you, and arm you with new tools and perspectives with which to face the world. This year had some great winners and obvious losers. Winner: Art History, Refigured One of the most thrilling winners was European and American art history . Magnificent exhibitions at three museums advanced new research in areas that had seemed thoroughly explored. The Guggenheim Museum offers a revisionary chapter about the start of modern abstraction in its current headliner, Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future, introducing works that this Swedish artist and mystic made in 1906-7. Suddenly, the most sacred genesis tale of Modernism the invention of abstract painting has acquired a female actor who actually got there several years ahead of the revered triumvirate of Kandinsky, Mondrian and Malevich. Af Klints joyous paintings, with their radical palette, scale and openness, push abstraction toward the future. (Through April 23.) Another gauntlet landed with Posing Modernity: The Black Model From Manet and Matisse to Today, at the Wallach Art Gallery of Columbia University. Partnering with the Musee dOrsay, the Wallach has combined some great paintings (by Manet, Bazille, Degas, Matisse and Bearden) with fascinating ephemera, bringing new detail about the plight and presence of black women in late-19th-century Paris life and art, and following this theme through the Harlem Renaissance into the present. (Through Feb. 10.) In Washington, the Smithsonian American Art Museum unveiled Between Worlds: The Art of Bill Traylor, a stunning retrospective of this once-unknown outsider genius (1853-1949), a former slave and tenant farmer who spent the last decade of his precarious life making drawings on the streets of Montgomery, Ala. Effortless in their fusion of narrative and form, Traylors images distill memories harsh and pleasant into taut silhouettes on found cardboard. They now count among the greatest works of 20th-century American art, and thanks to a magnificent catalog, the artist is obscure no more. The show will not travel, so plan a trip to Washington soon. (Through March 17.) Most people facing trial hunker down and keep quiet, afraid that speaking out might anger the judge or result in their words being used against them in court. Keeping quiet does not appear to be Harvey Weinsteins strategy. Ive had one hell of a year, began an email Mr. Weinstein wrote on Monday from his personal email address. The worst nightmare of my life. The message, which went on to criticize police investigators, quickly leaked out in Hollywood, drawing a torrent of outrage from women who have accused Mr. Weinstein of harassment or assault, and from many others. His lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said the email had been sent by Mr. Weinstein to several close friends, and was not part of any legal strategy. But whoever the intended audience was, it dovetailed with his teams aggressive push to get Mr. Weinsteins side of the story into the public conversation at a delicate time, as the criminal case against him is fraying. The lockout began after the orchestras management, citing recurring deficits, sought steep pay cuts from the players. Mr. Vanska resigned in protest in 2013, when the lockout forced the cancellation of crucial concerts at Carnegie Hall. He went on to conduct the locked-out musicians in their own concerts. When the lockout ended, with the musicians approving smaller cuts, Mr. Vanska said he would return to his old post but let it be known that he believed the orchestra needed new administrative leadership. He got it. Since then the ensemble has expanded its horizons, becoming, in 2015, the first American orchestra to tour Cuba after the Obama administration worked on a diplomatic rapprochement, and touring South Africa last summer to celebrate Nelson Mandelas centenary. The musicians have taken on a greater role in artistic planning. Ellen Dinwiddie Smith, a horn player and the chairwoman of the Musicians Artistic Advisory Committee, said in a statement that Mr. Vanskas belief in the Minnesota Orchestra sustained us and led us back to our place as one of the most productive and storied orchestras in the world. The ensemble, which won a Grammy Award for one of its acclaimed Sibelius recordings, is in the midst of recording a cycle of Mahlers symphonies for Bis Records. Mr. Vanska, who appointed more than 40 percent of the current players, plans to continue to live in the area with his wife, Erin Keefe, the orchestras concertmaster, and expects to return for concerts after he steps down. As for whats next for him, he said, All doors are open. On a podcast I listened to Wednesday morning, Henry Zeffman, a politics reporter at The Times of London, described trying to sketch out possible outcomes on the back of an envelope, switching to a larger envelope, and throwing up his hands. I thought, superficially, Oh, O.K., this is relatively straightforward, and suddenly I was overwhelmed my artistic and design skills are not brilliant, and there were lines going in all sorts of directions between boxes of all sorts of shapes and sizes, he said. All of which is to say: Dont worry if youre confused. At the London bureau of The New York Times, we sweat paracetamol. If Mrs. Mays plan is voted down on Tuesday, five things could happen. (1) She could go back to Brussels later in the week and negotiate face-saving changes to the current plan; (2) the government could pivot to a softer Brexit known as the Norway model; (3) the government could plunge toward a no-deal Brexit, with potentially severe economic costs; (4) the country could hold a second referendum, risking the fury of the Britons who turned in a 52 percent majority in favor of leaving the E.U.; or (5) the country could hold a new election. Thursday is the third of five days of debate in Parliament leading up to the vote. Since the proceedings are streamed live (right here), it is a good opportunity for newcomers to eavesdrop on the House of Commons. It features a hilariously pompous speaker, John Bercow It is a point so blindingly obvious that only an extraordinarily clever and sophisticated person could fail to grasp it, he once chided a member and a braying, mooing barnyard symphony of partisan heckling noises. Mrs. May, nothing if not dogged, has weathered rounds of pummeling since mid-November, when she made her withdrawal agreement public. 1. Five living presidents, plus family, friends and dignitaries from around the world, gathered in Washington National Cathedral, above, for a memorial service to honor George Bush, the 41st president. In a eulogy for his father, former President George W. Bush remembered him as an imperfect, but beloved man who bestowed wisdom. To us, his was the brightest of 1,000 points of light, Mr. Bush said, invoking a phrase the elder Mr. Bush used. A generation of Cold War-era leaders has now receded. Only Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Unions last leader, is alive and he was too ill to attend the funeral. With those leaders, our White House correspondent writes, the world order they helped build is also fading. SAN FRANCISCO A top executive and daughter of the founder of the Chinese tech giant Huawei was arrested on Saturday in Canada at the request of the United States, in a move likely to escalate tensions between the two countries at a delicate moment. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer, unfolded on the same night that President Trump and President Xi Jinping of China dined together in Buenos Aires and agreed to a 90-day trade truce. The two countries are set to begin tense negotiations in hopes of ending a trade war that has been pummeling both economies. Those talks now face an even steeper challenge. The aim will be for the United States to ease its tariffs; in exchange, China will be expected to lower trade barriers and further open its markets to American businesses. Whats more, Ms. Mengs detention raises questions about the Trump administrations overall China strategy. Beijing is now likely to pressure Canada to release her and to press the United States to avoid a trial. The police shot a man during a chase and gun battle in the Bronx on Wednesday night that rattled the University Heights neighborhood and left the gunman, a female bystander and a 12-year-old girl injured. At a news conference late Wednesday, Chief Terence A. Monahan of the New York Police Department estimated that the two police officers involved in the confrontation had fired 20 to 25 rounds. One chased the gunman on foot, the other in a police vehicle, Chief Monahan said. The gunman was struck twice once in the neck and once in the foot and was hospitalized but was expected to survive, the chief said. The police said they had reviewed video evidence showing that the gunman, whose name was not immediately released, had performed a drug rip-off in the lobby of an apartment complex at 98 West 183rd Street. The man fired at people in the lobby, Chief Monahan said, and then ran out of the building. Seven members wanted to convict him, according to the juror, including all four white members of the panel, a Hispanic woman, an Asian man and a black man. The five people who had doubts about his guilt were of black, Hispanic and Indian descent. Some jurors were troubled by how Mr. Lewis, who is black, became a suspect in the first place, the juror said. He was arrested on what amounted to a hunch from a police lieutenant, who, months before the murder, had seen him acting suspiciously as he wandered through Howard Beach, a mostly white neighborhood where the murder happened. The members who were leaning toward acquittal thought the police had pressured Mr. Lewis into a false confession, the juror said. Some wanted more information about what happened in the hours before his videotaped statement when he had first denied any involvement in the murder. One of those jurors also questioned why DNA evidence had been handled by several officers before being turned over to a lab, and why Mr. Lewiss DNA was found on Ms. Vetranos neck but not on her necklace. Jurors spent at least three hours discussing the DNA evidence, the juror said. Deliberations in general were civil at first, the juror said, but at certain moments it turned hostile. You could feel the tension in the room, the juror said. As talks dragged into the night of the second day, the jurors tired. They were still divided seven to five in favor of a conviction. But two jurors told the group their minds were firmly made up: Mr. Lewis was not guilty. Image Ms. Vetranos badly beaten body was found on a running trail in the Howard Beach section of Queens. The panel decided to write a letter to the judge, Michael B. Aloise of State Supreme Court, hoping that he could somehow help with the impasse, the juror said. NATIONAL An article on Wednesday about the Bush family misidentified President George Bushs attorney general. He is Bill Barr, not Bob Barr. BUSINESS An article on Tuesday about a deal to end nationwide strikes against Marriott International, relying on information from a union representative, misstated which provisions were included in Marriotts contracts with its hotel workers. While a provision allowing people with low-level nonviolent drug convictions to obtain union jobs was proposed, it was not included in the final contract. ARTS A review on Wednesday about the film The Charmer omitted the name of a screenwriter for the film. In addition to Milad Alami, Ingeborg Topsoe contributed to the script. A listing on Friday about If Beale Street Could Talk misstated its opening dates. It opens in limited release in New York and Los Angeles on Dec. 14, not nationwide; the movie will expand to more theaters on Dec. 25. Fantastical Beasts Take Over the Bass For their first solo museum show, now open at the Bass Museum, Nikolai and Simon Haas the Los Angeles-based artists-cum-designers also known as the Haas Brothers have created a menagerie of their signature whimsical beasts, arranged throughout an immersive forestlike environment. Titled Ferngully, after the 1992 animated childrens film, the exhibition incorporates furniture, sculpture and objets dart crafted from Icelandic sheepskin, curly cow fur, chocolate goat fur, carved ebony and cast bronze. This show is a physical journal of the last seven years, Simon Haas told T. Visitors are also able to take home an otherworldly creation of their own; the lifestyle brand LObjet has worked with the artists to create a limited edition of objects for the home, including handcrafted porcelain plates, Mojave palm-scented candles and a hand-etched gold-plated stationary box all available at a pop-up shop within the museum. Ferngully is on view now through April 21, 2019, at the Bass Museum, 2100 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, thebass.org. Here are four revelations from the emails that detail Facebooks aggressive quest for growth: 1. The company engineered ways to collect Android users data without alerting them. In February 2015, Facebook had a privacy dilemma. The companys growth team a powerful force within Facebook wanted to release an update to the Android app that would continually collect users entire SMS and call log history. That data would be uploaded to Facebooks servers, and would help Facebook make better recommendations, such as suggesting new friends to Android users based on the people theyd recently called or texted. (This feature, called People You May Know, has been the subject of much controversy.) But there was a problem: Androids privacy policies meant that Facebook would need to ask users to opt in to having this data collected. Facebooks executives worried that asking users for this data could bring a public backlash. This is a pretty high risk thing to do from a PR perspective but it appears that the growth team will charge ahead and do it, one executive, Michael LeBeau, wrote. He outlined the nightmare scenario: Screenshot of the scary Android permissions screen becomes a meme (as it has in the past), propagates around the web, it gets press attention, and enterprising journalists dig into what exactly the new update is requesting, then write stories about Facebook uses new Android update to pry into your private life in ever more terrifying ways. Ultimately, Facebook found a workaround. Yul Kwon, the head of Facebooks privacy program, wrote in an email that the growth team had found that if Facebooks upgraded app asked only to read Android users call logs, and not request other types of data from them, users would not be shown a permission pop-up. Based on their initial testing, it seems that this would allow us to upgrade users without subjecting them to an Android permissions dialog at all, Mr. Kwon wrote. CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. In a courtroom this week in Charlottesville, Va., a chilling videotape played for the jury captured the voice of James Fields Jr., an Ohio man who attended a white nationalist rally here last year and crashed his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters. Are they O.K.? Mr. Fields could be heard asking a police officer after his arrest. Told that people had been injured, and that someone had died, Mr. Fields began hyperventilating and sobbing. The courtroom filled with the sound of his cries. Many of those who were protesting the Unite the Right rally that day in August 2017 had spent much of the past year thinking of Mr. Fields, but had never heard his voice until they heard the tape. Some of the victims seated in the public gallery burst into tears, putting their arms around one anothers shoulders in an unbroken chain. Susan Bro, the mother of 32-year-old Heather Heyer, who was killed, shook her head: These were crocodile tears, she said later. At the defense table, Mr. Fields cast his eyes down and stabbed at the table with a pencil. The murder trial unfolding in Charlottesville Circuit Court, where testimony could wrap up as early as Thursday, has led to an odd reunion of sorts more than 16 months after the most violent of a series of rallies over Confederate monuments across the South pitted white nationalists and members of the so-called alt-right against anti-racism activists. WASHINGTON Federal prosecutors in Virginia are investigating a secret Turkish lobbying effort that once involved Michael T. Flynn, the former national security adviser, even as Mr. Flynns role in the special counsels investigation winds down, according to people familiar with the inquiry. Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, had been handling the case and at some point referred it back to prosecutors in Alexandria, Va., who had originally opened the investigation, the people said. A veteran national security prosecutor is overseeing the case, and a grand jury has been empaneled to hear evidence. Prosecutors for Mr. Mueller appeared to make reference to the investigation in documents released on Tuesday that enumerated Mr. Flynns cooperation in the Russia inquiry. The heavily redacted documents created an air of mystery about Mr. Flynns substantial help in several unspecified but continuing investigations. Prosecutors cited Mr. Flynns assistance as grounds for leniency when a judge sentences him on Dec. 18. The Turkey case appears to fit as one of those inquiries because Mr. Flynn has direct knowledge of aspects under scrutiny. Prosecutors are examining Mr. Flynns former business partners and clients who financed a campaign against Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in Pennsylvania whom the Turkish government has accused of helping instigate a failed coup. LUMBERTON, N.C. It was a triumphant moment for North Carolina Republicans in 2013 when they enacted one of the nations most aggressive voter-identification laws. The measure would combat voter fraud, they argued though, as federal courts later ruled, it would almost certainly reduce African-American Democratic turnout. At the same time, the law made it easier to obtain mail-in absentee ballots, a form of voting that Republicans used more than Democrats. But now, with an investigation underway into potential abuse of absentee ballots in a disputed House race, North Carolinas tangled, partisan history of voting rights and fraud is under a spotlight and Republicans find themselves on the defensive about whether their reliance on voter identification to combat fraud focused on the wrong source of trouble. The history of fraud in North Carolina is mostly in absentee ballots, said Bill Gilkeson, a former lawyer for the General Assembly who worked on election issues. Thats where the fraud really happens, and theres a long history. Democrats there may follow the lead of those in North Carolina with lawsuits that could cast uncertainty over the exercise of power for several years. The legal issue has to do with the separation of powers, said Allison Riggs, senior attorney at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting rights for minorities. The legislature gets to make the laws, but when the legislature starts to try and undermine the ability of the governor to effectuate and implement the laws, theyre getting out of their lane, Ms. Riggs said. If, for example, control of the Board of Elections is taken away from him and instead is more vested in the legislature, she added, then the legislature becomes the one whos trying to implement the laws, and thats an executive duty. North Carolinas courts have almost universally agreed with that argument. But the legal battles are still dragging on, largely because the legislature has responded to many of the judicial rebukes by passing slightly different versions of the same measure, which are then litigated all over again. In the meantime, the state operates under many of the challenged rules, and a cloud of uncertainty. The effects of that uncertainty have been on display in the past week, as reports of election fraud rocked the states Ninth Congressional District. The elections board, which is investigating, has the authority to order a new election if it believes irregularities taint the results of the entire election and cast doubt on its fairness. But the board itself is in turmoil because a state judge recently ruled that its composition, as established by Republican changes in 2016, unconstitutionally limited Mr. Coopers power. By court order, the board is set to be dissolved next week, though a judge could extend that deadline. BERLIN Some words cant be translated easily. But they can cross national borders, lose their original context along the journey, assume different meanings and crop up in unlikely places. This week, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany proved that point memorably. Speaking at a technology conference on Tuesday, Ms. Merkel, known as a staid, no-drama politician, told a self-deprecating anecdote about being widely mocked online five years ago after she described the internet as some mysterious expanse of uncharted territory. She chuckled at the memory of the digital blowback. It generated quite a shitstorm, she said, using the English term because Germans, it turns out, do not have one of their own. That, as you might imagine, stirred yet another online reaction, at least among many English speakers in Britain and the United States. Our guide to dance performances happening this weekend and in the week ahead. BALLET HISPANICO at the Apollo Theater (Dec. 7-8, 8 p.m.). This popular New York troupe is back at the Apollo for a quick winter engagement with the return of CARMEN.maquia, a stylish retelling of Bizets Carmen by the Spanish choreographer Gustavo Ramirez Sansano. The usual (read: cliched) visual signifiers of the flouncy red dress and fan have been replaced by a sleek, modernist, abstract aesthetic in which the gypsy seducers tragic tale unfolds through an alluring mix of contemporary ballet with notes of flamenco and pasodoble. 800-745-3000, apollotheater.org LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO at the Joyce Theater (Dec. 11-12, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 13, 8 p.m.; through Dec. 30). This all-male troupe, dancing in point shoes and drag, has been honoring and skewering ballet since 1974. Now the formidable fellas in tutus return to the Joyce for a nearly three-week engagement with two programs. Program A includes their slapstick version of Swan Lake, Act II paired with a cheeky take on the 19th-century Petipa ballet The Little Humpbacked Horse. Program B features ChopEniana, a wink at Fokine, and Stars and Stripes Forever, an air kiss to Balanchine, set to the music of John Philip Sousa. Sure, its silly, but the dancing is impressively skillful, too. 212-242-0800, joyce.org Anish Kapoor, a London-based artist known for ambitious public works, said on Thursday that National Rifle Association had agreed to erase an image of his Chicago sculpture known as the Bean from one of its videos, settling his lawsuit against the group. We are pleased to declare victory over the N.R.A., Mr. Kapoor said in a statement. His 110-ton stainless steel sculpture in Chicagos Millennium Park, titled Cloud Gate but more popularly known by its shape, was completed in 2006 and has become a popular tourist attraction, especially because of how it reflects the citys skyline. The N.R.A. used a shot of the work in a video last year called The Violence of Lies. In it, a spokeswoman, Dana Loesch, delivers a straight-to-camera message excoriating liberals for using their media to assassinate real news and teaching children that President Trump is another Hitler, among other statements. 1. Wayne Shorter, Emanon Heres a grand reckoning with the most revered compositional voice in contemporary jazz. The first of three discs here is defined by the kinetic synergy between the saxophonists quartet and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The album isnt complete without its accompanying graphic novel, written by Mr. Shorter and Monica Sly, and illustrated by Randy DuBurke. [Best performances of 2018] 2. Ambrose Akinmusire, Origami Harvest For the past decade, Ambrose Akinmusire has played trumpet with a fresh style: elusive and rarely resolving, but also ruby-red and urgent. His newest album reminds us that his compositions can achieve the same balance of intimacy and vision. 3. Logan Richardson, Blues People Thrashing and full of impact but endlessly slippery, Logan Richardsons two-electric-guitar quintet remains guided at every turn by his alto saxophone. No one plays the instrument with the same sweltering, swooning grace. 4. Esperanza Spalding, 12 Little Spells Esperanza Spalding took her time on this one, crafting a video album of millennial-size ambition, ranging from orchestral jazz with loquacious lyrics to therapeutic funk. Altogether, its a little like experiencing the ecstatic philosophy of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (her writings on, say, the interrelation of language, desire and physical texture) as sounds and moving images. Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. If youre interested in hearing from The Times regularly about great TV, sign up for our Watching newsletter and get recommendations straight to your inbox. Trump at the Bush Funeral Stephen Colbert on Wednesday rolled footage from the state funeral of former President George Bush, and he pointed out that a change seemed to come over the other presidents in attendance when President Trump showed up. It was quite a moving sight to see the presidents and the first ladies in the front row, waiting to honor President Bush, chatting comfortably with one another. Until Trump showed up, and then it became silent-staring time. Donald Trump is the only person in the world who can bring down a funeral. STEPHEN COLBERT Colbert showed a shot of former Presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter with their wives, all reading aloud from a program in unison with the pastor. Meanwhile, Trump keeps his program folded by his side, appearing either disinterested or oblivious. She visits Pences former congregation in Indianapolis, where the pastor is completing 18 months of sermons on exile, a recurring theme in the Bible. Pence, she notes, is partial to Old Testament narratives in his speeches; stories of the Israelites long banishment in Babylon resonate with contemporary Christians who saw themselves as a religious minority in a hostile pagan empire a people who had long mistaken Washington, D.C., for Jerusalem. During the summer of 2016, while Pence was auditioning for the role of presidential running mate, his pastor dwelled on Daniel, an Israelite who stayed true to his faith while serving as chief adviser to the pagan tyrant Nebuchadnezzar an angry, irrational king, the pastor called him, likening Daniels situation to that of the vice presidency, if you will, of the country. We now live in a world shaped by evangelicals apocalyptic hopes, dreams and nightmares, OGieblyn quotes one scholar as saying. After reading her book, one could hardly disagree. I imagined myself exiting a primitive cave and striding onto terra firma, she writes of the moment when she turned her back on religion. But as it turns out, the material world is every bit as elusive as the superstitions Id left behind. Heather Havrilesky is a different kind of apostate. An advice columnist for New York magazine and the author of a wry memoir about an unremarkable childhood, she declares herself in What if This Were Enough?, her collection of essays, a defector from American culture its enforced cheer, its rampant materialism, its frenetic pace, its inauthenticity. Her dismay, to judge from her introduction six pages in which she delivers her verdict in unvarnished terms, condemning our national poison, sickness, lies, delusions, false narratives and shared hallucinations is considerable. Trump lurks unnamed between the lines. Image Havrileskys grand pronouncements are so sweeping and so numerous our culture exerts a constant pressure on us that severs our relationship to ourselves and each other, our compassion for ourselves and for others remains underdeveloped, our whole lives are passing us by, but we hardly notice they quickly cease to arouse strong feelings of assent or disagreement. Similarly, her counsel: We have to breathe in reality instead of distracting ourselves around the clock, we must believe in and embrace the conflicted nature of humankind, shut out the noise and enjoy exactly who you are and what you have, right here, right now. Shes banking on at least a few of these slogans resonating with every reader. But the self-help framework the stentorian assertions of diagnosis and cure does Havrilesky a disservice. She can be a warm and funny writer, a savvy close reader, idiosyncratic, urbane. Her advice column stands out not so much for its practical guidance but for the empathy in which she wraps her message of self-empowerment and for its comic riffs (If you want to find love, you cant try to seem cooler than you really are. Love doesnt honor that kind of marketing effort). When Havrilesky ditches the forced affinity of we for the more modest claims of I, she has some poignant things to say. She is good at wresting fresh nuance from familiar touchstones, and arranging them into incisive, opinionated narratives. Haunted, an impassioned meditation on the novelist Shirley Jackson, pans out to incorporate the television shows Girls, Homeland and The Mindy Project and the 7,200-word letter the victim of a 2015 sexual assault at Stanford wrote to her attacker (a Jackson novel in miniature). Womens lives, Havrilesky contends, still too often imitate the contours of horror fiction: emotional seduction followed by humiliation and betrayal. Jacksons uncanny portraits of the fragmentation and collapse of the female psyche echo throughout contemporary culture, she observes, from the casual derision we lavish on all things female or feminine to the so-called fairy-tale marriages we celebrate in the pages of magazines, the ones that are later revealed to be nightmares of verbal and physical abuse. To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light, former President George W. Bush said in his eulogy, referring to a phrase his father had popularized. Watch: Scenes from the funeral, including parts of Mr. Bushs speech. Another angle: The service was a rare reunion for the men and women who served in the first Bush administration. Whats next: Another service will be held today in Houston. Mr. Bush will then be taken by train to College Station, Tex., to be interred at his presidential library next to his wife, Barbara, and Robin, a daughter who died of leukemia at age 3. President Trump seeks to calm the markets The president tried on Wednesday to ease concerns that his trade truce with China was floundering, saying that Beijing was sending very strong signals about the deal he reached with President Xi Jinping over the weekend. Mr. Trump and his advisers have been talking up the trade truce, but the Chinese have mostly been silent. Global stock markets fell sharply today, and Wall Street opened down this morning after being closed on Wednesday in honor of former President George Bush. A new blow to U.S.-China relations. The arrest of a top executive at one of Chinas most celebrated corporations threatened to upend a fragile trade truce with the U.S., and put the Trump administrations national security and trade policies on a collision course. Meng Wanzhou, above, Huaweis chief financial officer and the daughter of the companys founder, was arrested in Canada. Washington is seeking her extradition, and officials said her arrest was the culmination of a monthslong investigation into whether Huawei violated Iran sanctions. A bail hearing is scheduled for today. Chinese officials demanded her immediate release and state media described the move as a declaration of war. Markets around the world dropped amid the tensions. This feature is meant to send you into the weekend with a smile, or at least a lighter heart. Want to get The Week in Good News by email? Sign up here. Here are seven great things we wrote about this week: There was a nearly century-old ordinance against snowball throwing in Severance, Colo. Dane Best, who heard about the ban on a school trip to the Town Hall, gave a five-minute presentation to trustees that said the law was outdated. Today, kids need reasons to play outside, he said. The children of Severance want the opportunity to have a snowball fight like the rest of the world. In interviews with The New York Times after Mr. Amatos resignation, five current or former Billboard employees described an environment in which corporate meddling in editorial decisions was not limited to the coverage of Mr. Walk. Now Ms. Karp has a chance to set things right at the leading trade music publication. As a journalist, Im really excited to lead a really amazing team of people and expand and deepen our coverage of the music business itself, which is going through such an exciting and fascinating transformation, Ms. Karp said. Deanna Brown, the managing director at Valence Media, said the company had consulted over several months with the Poynter Institute, which teaches journalistic ethics and practices, on how to reinstate a healthy relationship between Billboards business and editorial divisions. I think the culture has changed, Ms. Brown said. Were going back to basics. By promoting Ms. Karp, Ms. Brown said, the company is reinforcing its commitment to disinterested news coverage. I wouldnt do this without knowing that we would have full editorial independence, Ms. Karp said. I feel confident that we will have that. VIENNA OPEC ended a meeting on Thursday without striking a deal to reduce oil output and without any clear sign one would be reached when officials from the organization, Russia and other oil producers reconvene Friday. As he climbed into a car on a rainy street outside OPEC headquarters, Saudi Arabias energy minister, Khalid al-Falih, told reporters he was not confident an agreement that would keep supply and demand in balance was within reach. Mr. Falih had said in the morning that all options were on the table, but that a reduction of one million barrels a day roughly 1 percent of the global oil supply would be adequate to balance the markets. One million barrels a day would likely be considered a modest cut by traders. He said he had heard a range of numbers discussed, from 500,000 to 1.5 million barrels a day. Ann-Louise Hittle, an analyst at the market research firm Wood Mackenzie, said that it was not surprising for the group to fall short of a deal on its first day of meeting. The forests would be spared, because making wood pellets requires far fewer trees than wood fires and charcoal. Customers would gain a reprieve from ailments related to smoke from cooking, including cataracts, heart disease and respiratory ailments that, in many countries, kill more people than malaria, H.I.V. and tuberculosis combined. Worldwide, close to 4 million people die prematurely each year from ailments linked to air pollution from cooking, according to the World Health Organization. Rwandans in rural areas and, eventually, across Africa and South Asia would be freed from the time-sucking drudgery of having to look for wood. People in cities, who rely on charcoal, could switch to cheaper wood pellets, using the savings to buy health care, food and school uniforms. In much of the developing world, initiatives aimed at sparing the environment tend to pit the livelihoods of poor people against the protection of natural resources. Peasants in the Amazon are supposed to stop hacking away at forests to clear land for crops so the rest of the planet can benefit from a reduction in carbon emissions. Yet in Inyenyeris designs, the everyday concerns of poor households are aligned with environmental imperatives, because people prefer to cook with the stoves. At 66, with sunburned cheeks and intense blue eyes, Mr. Reynolds can at times sound like the latest white man come to save Africa. Its just outrageous that we have three billion people still cooking in the Stone Age, he says. Its entirely solvable. He touts his ability to connect with customers, the women who do the cooking in Rwanda, though even after a decade living in the country he does not speak the local language, Kinyarwanda. He sits on the dirt floors of villagers homes and speaks English slowly and loudly, exaggerating each syllable. Rwandan women trust him, he says, because he married one. He hands them his phone and displays the proof pictures of his wife, Mariam Uwizeyimana Reynolds, 32, and their two fresh-faced boys, Terry Toulumne Reynolds, 6, and Marc Booth Reynolds, 3. A steep slide followed by a strong recovery whipsawed investors on Thursday, as concerns about the global economy, trade tensions and interest rates kept markets on edge. Stocks fell around the world after the arrest of a top Chinese technology executive intensified concerns that China and the United States, the worlds two largest economies, could be entering a risky new chapter in their trade dispute. But Wall Street recovered most of those losses in an afternoon rally predicated on the prospect that the Federal Reserve may slow down on interest rate increases next year. At one point in the day, the S&P 500 was down as much as 2.9 percent, mirroring steep declines in Asia and Europe. A recovery late in the trading day, however, left the index down only about 0.2 percent at the closing bell. The dueling messages continued on Friday morning in Asia, where markets were mixed and futures that predict Wall Streets opening showed a modest drop. LONDON Two former executives at the supermarket chain Tesco have been acquitted of fraud and false accounting charges after a judge ruled there was not enough evidence for a jury to consider the case against them. The executives, Christopher Bush, who led Tescos British division, and John Scouler, an executive in the same unit, had been charged by Britains Serious Fraud Office after a 2014 investigation into accounting irregularities at the grocery chain. While I am delighted that my innocence has finally been established, it is troubling that Mr. Scouler and I were ever charged, Mr. Bush said in a statement. Put simply, these charges should never have been brought, and serious questions should be asked about the way in which the S.F.O. has conducted this investigation. In an emailed statement, the law firm representing Mr. Scouler offered a similar response. We have long argued that the S.F.O.s prosecution of Mr. Scouler was fundamentally flawed, that he should not have been charged and that the S.F.O. should not have proceeded with this trial, the firm, BCL Solicitors, said in the statement. While the new laws were unpopular enough to unseat incumbents, Mr. Merry said, they contained a seed of McKinleys tariff evolution. As the United States was beginning to export more goods, he was becoming a believer in trade reciprocity. Reciprocity was the idea that we believe in high tariffs, but we also see that America is becoming this machine of productivity, both farm goods and industrial goods, Mr. Merry said. He came around because he began to see the merit and the need in America becoming a trading nation. 1897-1901 By the time he was sworn in as president in 1897, after a turn as governor of Ohio, McKinleys trade views were starting to shift, and they were reflected in another trade law that year. There was a reciprocity element to the 1890 bill, but it never got much attention and he insisted it be in the 1897 bill, Mr. Merry said. McKinley was becoming an advocate of lowering trade barriers through reciprocal agreements. Both the 1890 and 1897 bills imposed high tariffs, but Mr. Merry said the later version left more room to negotiate more favorable terms with other countries. It had mixed success, but McKinley became very devoted to the idea, Mr. Merry said. In Buffalo, N.Y., the same visit where he was assassinated, his one major speech at the Pan-American Exposition was to tout the idea of trade, of reducing tariffs, to do it through reciprocity and fostering America as a trading nation. In that final speech, McKinley revealed how starkly his views had changed. Commercial wars are unprofitable, he said. A policy of good will and friendly trade relations will prevent reprisals. 2018 I think the key to understanding this is understanding Bob Lighthizer, Mr. Merry said, referring to Robert E. Lighthizer, the United States trade representative. Lighthizer has crafted this view, and Trump has apparently had this view going back years, that we need to develop a kind of reciprocity, which goes right back to McKinley. Before there was Justin Trudeau, with his NATO flag socks worn to a NATO meeting, or the rainbow Eid numbers he wore on Gay Pride Day (which also happened to be the end of Ramadan), there was George H.W. Bush in an assortment of colorful, graphic pairs suited to every occasion. He wore red, white and blue striped numbers to the White House for the unveiling of his sons official portrait in 2012; Bill Clinton socks to a meeting with Mr. Clinton; and socks from a company started by a man with Down syndrome on World Down Syndrome Day . Often, the 41st president tweeted about his socks. His affinity for them became even more obvious after he began to use a wheelchair, as his ankles were exposed. Rising premiums have priced some people who do not qualify for subsidies out of the Obamacare market, and there is some early evidence that more people who would have to pay full price for a plan are buying the so-called short-term plans instead. (But those plans arent available to people with pre-existing conditions.) Those shoppers tend not to be in the Obamacare market anyway. People are signing up for Medicaid instead The state with the biggest enrollment decline is Virginia. In that case, the drop can be explained by the states recent expansion of its Medicaid program, an option the Affordable Care Act encourages by committing the federal government to pay at least 90 percent of the expansion costs. By expanding Medicaid, Virginia made free government insurance available to low-income residents who had previously been buying coverage in the marketplace. Now, many appear to be switching to that. Other states that have also expanded Medicaid have shown similar patterns of declining enrollment in the number of people signing up for Obamacare. But at the same time, they showed overall reductions in their number of uninsured residents, which is the ultimate goal of the law. More people have jobs As the unemployment rate drops, more Americans may be getting health insurance coverage from work. That too is a factor that could be driving down enrollment in Obamacare plans. Because unemployment has been falling since the Obamacare coverage first became available, its probably not a huge factor, but a tighter labor market could be reducing the overall number of people who need coverage. For some people, the plans are less affordable Prices always matter, and the prices people pay for Obamacare plans can be very different from the sticker price. Last year, the sticker price for plans increased substantially. But for customers who qualified for subsidies, the prices they paid themselves actually went down. Many were delighted to find they did not have to pay anything for coverage. This year, the sticker price of plans has declined slightly in many parts of the country. But for those people who get subsidies, typically about 85 percent of the market, prices may be going up a little in those places and people may not be able to find a free plan this year. 3. What are the two chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature? How many Republicans and how many Democrats voted in favor of the bills? 4. In the face of vehement protests, how have Republican legislators defended the measures? 5. In what other Midwestern states did Democrats recently defeat Republicans in elections for governor? Michigan is also considering legislation that could limit the powers of an incoming Democratic governor. How are these proposals different from the legislation just passed in Wisconsin? 6. What aspects of the Wisconsin bills will affect the powers of the incoming Democratic attorney general, Josh Kaul? How might the bills prevent Mr. Kaul and Mr. Evers from keeping campaign promises to withdraw the state from a lawsuit challenging the Affordable Care Act? 7. The author quotes several protesters in the Capitol: Andy Olsen of Madison accused Republicans of rejecting the basic fundamental ground rules of American democracy. Martha Pincus of Fox Point said Republicans were disrespecting their constituents. What do the protesters mean by these statements? What does the passage of the bills have to do with respect or democracy? Finally, tell us more about what you think: What is your reaction to the vote in the Wisconsin Legislature? Do you think the measures undermine democracy? Or is this just politics as usual? In the related article, Wisconsin Republicans Defiantly Move to Limit the Power of Incoming Democrats, Mr. Evers, the incoming Democratic governor, responded to the bill: Wisconsin has never seen anything like this, Mr. Evers said in a statement. Wisconsin values of decency, kindness, and finding common ground were pushed aside so a handful of people could desperately usurp and cling to power while hidden away from the very people they represent. The authors also quote members from each political party: During news conferences and on the floor of the Assembly this week, Mr. Vos defended the legislation as a necessary check on executive power and brushed aside claims of an undemocratic power grab. What it does is make sure we have an equal amount of power at the table, Mr. Vos said. His tone was brusque at times, accusing the Democrats of fanning hysteria and overstating the effects of the bills. You are so grossly exaggerating the words of this bill it makes me sick, Mr. Vos said. Other times, Mr. Vos sounded more conciliatory. I certainly dont think that what Governor Evers ran on is evil. I think that he loves Wisconsin, Mr. Vos said shortly before the final vote Wednesday. No one here doesnt respect the state. We have different paths to get to the same destination. But Gordon Hintz, the Democratic leader in the Assembly, said the legislation undermined the power of democratically elected officials. Were here because you dont trust Tony Evers and you dont want to give up power, he said. Youre sore losers. Which arguments are more persuasive? Are the Democrats exaggerating the possible impact of the bills? Do you think the Republicans would have proposed and voted for the legislation had Mr. Walker won a third term? The bills will now move to the desk of the outgoing governor, Mr. Walker, who is expected to sign them. How would you advise him? _________ Updated: December 13, 2018 Does Nikes Zoom Vaporfly, a $250 running shoe with a carbon-fiber plate that some say acts as a catapult, a spring or a lever, really make runners run faster? A qualified yes. The New York Times article Nike Says Its $250 Running Shoes Will Make You Run Much Faster. What if Thats Actually True? reports on its extensive statistical analysis of this claim based on race time data. Note when you hover over a data point, the name of the shoe appears. This pricey shoe was released in the summer of 2017. Nike claims that it is 4 percent better than some of its best racing shoes, as measured by how much energy runners expend when running in them. Thats more than 7 minutes in a 3-hour marathon. But, the Times articles authors Kevin Quealy and Josh Katz dug deeply into marathon running data from Strava, a fitness app that calls itself the social network for athletes. Based on this self-reported data from about 4,000 runners, they pulled out times from runners who changed the brand or model of their shoes in successive races. Then, they compared the two times. After grouping the differences by which shoe they switched to, the authors calculated the average increase or decrease in race time. The result is shown in the graph. In this study, the Vaporflys were about 3.75 percent faster than whatever shoe the runner had worn in the prior race. The journalists also used three other methods of analysis. In all four methods, the runners in Vaporflys ran 3 to 4 percent faster than when running in other shoes. The article only gives a qualified yes to the Vaporflys superiority because statisticians assert that you can only prove that a particular running shoe (the cause) results in a faster time (the effect) if an experiment were carried out. For this to be an experiment, different running shoes must be assigned randomly to runners. How practical would it be to do this? Is Mr. Quealy and Mr. Katzs analysis sufficient to declare that the observed increase in speed because of the Vaporflys is statistically significant? On Dec. 11, the New York Times Science Times published the article Running Slower? Slip These On which reported on two experiments testing the efficiency of the Vaporflys. These experiments confirmed the 4 percent improvement. Read the article to see how experiments support the claim that running in Vaporflys results in faster times. Here are some of the student headlines that really capture the meaning of this graph: Running Off the Charts by Emily & Richard of Hanover, Mich., Vaporfly Flying Faster Than the Competition by Daniel of Hopkinton, N.H., and Nike 4% on FLEEK by Miggyboom of Philadelphia. You may want to think critically about these additional questions: Describe the distribution of percentage change in race times. What is the approximate center of the data? The minimum and maximum of all of the data? The min and max of the middle 50% of the data (the 1st and 3rd quartile)? Unusual points (outliers)? This graph displays the percentage change in race times for runners who run two races with different shoe brands or models. What are the pros and cons for using this approach to determine if a shoe makes a runner run faster? Aida Muluneh was a middle school student in Canada when local newspapers and magazines started running dramatic images of starving children in Ethiopia. The photos struck her as odd. She was born in Ethiopia, and the pictures were nothing like the memories she had of the country she left when she was 5. They also didnt match the stories her mother told her of life there. This is not to say the famine didnt happen, but there are so many different stories in Ethiopia its not just the story of famine or the priest with the cross, Ms. Muluneh said. Theres so many things that have yet to be documented. Any documentary or obituary that reckons with the legacy of Roger E. Ailes faces an almost impossible choice of emphasis. Here, after all, was a gifted news media pioneer who served as a presidential campaign whisperer to Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Donald Trump. As the longtime chief executive of and main creative force behind Fox News, Ailes can be credited not only with changing the nature of political discourse in this country, but also with making a large number of Americans, left and right, significantly angrier. And his career ended after a surge of sexual-harassment allegations and accusations that he had fostered a misogynistic boys-club culture at Fox News a scandal that forced him from the channel in 2016, a little less than a year before his death. Divide and Conquer: The Story of Roger Ailes, a documentary from Alexis Bloom (Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds), may disappoint those looking for different inflections, but it does an impressive and absorbing job of covering all those bases. Whats more, it conveys a credible sense of Ailess psychology through the testimony of peers and co-workers who witnessed his ruthlessness firsthand. Is there room for two queens on a single island? In a single movie? The answers, according to Mary Queen of Scots, are not quite and almost. The monarchs in question are Mary, played by Saoirse Ronan, and her cousin Elizabeth I, played by Margot Robbie. The history books cast them as bitter rivals, but the film imagines them as long-distance frenemies. Flashing back from the moment of Marys execution in 1587 to her arrival on a Scottish beach more than a quarter-century earlier, the director, Josie Rourke, and the screenwriter, Beau Willimon (House of Cards), conjure parallel courts in which the monarchs are sometimes pawns of entrenched male power. Mary, already a widow and still in her teens, alights from France as an avatar of worldliness and modernity in a rugged, clannish country. Her dresses bring a splash of bright color into the dark, brooding atmosphere, much as her temperament flavors the dreary affairs of state with wit and charisma. (The costume designer is Alexandra Byrne, who won an Oscar for her work on Elizabeth: The Golden Age.) Meanwhile, in England, Elizabeth, a virgin for whom a politically suitable husband cant be found, dwells in a prison of pageantry and high pomp. Her clothes, hair and makeup are more lavish than Marys Elizabeths kingdom is an expanding empire and her freedom of action more severely constrained. The two rulers, both fairly young when the story begins, are joined by blood and separated by religion. Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII, is Protestant while her cousin, once married to the King of France, is Catholic. Portmans performance puts an exclamation point on Celestes every gesture, word and saunter. Everything about the character is outsized, extreme, including an accent that sounds like its been lifted from a New York cabby in an old Hollywood comedy. Celeste is by turns opaque and transparent; with her hair pulled off her face, her eyes darkly made-up (in an echo of the school shooter), she looks as if she has become her own mask. Much about her is different from when she was young, but when a second mass murder casts a shadow over Celestes life and she quips about it Corbet seems to be hewing to Marxs dictum that history happens first as tragedy and then as farce. In time, Corbet effectively hands the movie over to Celeste, whos at once a casualty of her time and its apotheosis, a blank canvas, a force. This could be a nihilistic shrug on Corbets part, a surrender to the spectacle, except that Celeste with her robot moves and blandness brings her fans pleasure, meaning. Shes also fun, which may be enough. (Her songs, which Portman sings, are by Sia.) At times, including in the bloody opener, Corbet seems to be following the lead of the art-film auteur Michael Haneke, whose explorations of mediated violence can skew sadistic. By the time Vox Lux ends, its clear that Corbet has his own ideas; hes still finding his way but, at 30, he is already a dynamic filmmaker. Ms. Nuam San often wanted to give up on school, go to work and help out at home. But Ms. Khatiwada, she said, told me I couldnt give up. Ms. Khatiwada, 27, was born in the United States and raised in Nepal. Over the course of more than three years, she helped Ms. Nuam San adjust to living in the United States and begin planning for a future here. The two would meet at a public library so Ms. Nuam San could get help with her homework. But sometimes, Ms. Khatiwada recalled, Ms. Nuam San just wanted to talk about coping with her familys adjustments. In the summer, the organization took groups of young refugees on field trips, where Ms. Nuam San started to create a deeper sense of community. She was able to leave the English as a Second Language program in her sophomore year of high school, after three years in the United States, and began taking Advanced Placement courses. She graduated with a 3.8 grade point average. When it came time to apply to college, including writing an essay, at first, I didnt know if I had a story, she said. I didnt know what to write. Miss Sharita sat me down and helped me to realize I had a story to tell. Annual college tuition for Ms. Nuam San, who is now a legal permanent resident in the United States, is more than her family earns in a year. She has been helped by a series of scholarships and loans and feels she must succeed to be the leader for my whole family. As for the future, she dreams of a having an important job, perhaps in the White House. I feel like I could help a lot of people have a better life, a better education, she said, and not lose hope in themselves. A. I was sitting in the Chicago OHare Airport, waiting for my flight back to Newark. It was a few days after Trumps inauguration, and on the TVs in the background were arguments about alternative facts. I thought, I am going to go crazy if I dont come up with some calming spiritual practice that keeps me engaged but does not add to the negativity. When I sent the first tweet, it was purely for myself. I didnt expect it to make a big splash. But that fact that it was public and that I committed to it every day means I have to do it, even if I dont want to. Its been the hardest spiritual practice Ive ever committed to. What is your process for coming up with the tweets? I pray with the sisters, and then I pray with the news. I pray with the stories that are there, and that has been the foundation of my morning prayer for 15 years. I usually just sit for a little while and see what comes. If there is a particular thing happening, then I will take that to prayer until I can get that to a whole statement that is not toxic, because that is what I am trying to do: Come from a place of integrity while remaining engaged. Why do you tweet at his official account, rather than @realDonaldTrump? My understanding is that @POTUS is archived, and from my academic research on resistance as a response to injustice, it is important for consistency and for history to know that ordinary people didnt look away. I wanted it to be a record of history that a Catholic sister wanted to tweet a nonviolent prayer at the president. In looking back at some tweets, I realize that on Feb. 20 of this year, I switched my format and started my tweets with Dear @Potus. Before that, I would just launch into the tweet. When you pray for someone every day for more than a year, you start to build some sort of a relationship, even if one-sided. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] In terms of bloodshed described in court, even the most violent Mafia cases have nothing on the trial of Joaquin Guzman Loera, the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo. In the first four weeks of testimony, witnesses have recounted bone-chilling stories about people being stabbed in the face, getting gunned down on their doorsteps and nearly having their heads blown off. But while at least two dozen murders have already been discussed, many more dark tales and much more grisly evidence have gone unheard by jurors. Judge Brian M. Cogan, who is presiding over the trial in Federal District Court in Brooklyn, has kept a tight leash on the gore, attempting to balance what is necessary to convey the stark realities of Latin American drug cartels and what is literally overkill. Judge Cogan seems to have taken the Goldilocks approach, looking for the spot between too much and not enough. This week, however, his efforts were criticized by Mr. Guzmans lawyers as they began to cross-examine their clients main cocaine supplier, Juan Carlos Ramirez Abadia, an exceptionally violent man who, by his own admission, took part in at least 150 murders. When the lawyers asked Mr. Ramirez to describe some of these crimes, Judge Cogan halted the line of inquiry. [What you need to know to start the day: Get New York Today in your inbox.] The top uniformed officer of the New York City Fire Department was relieved of his duties on Thursday amid accusations of inappropriate behavior toward subordinates and co-workers, including the most senior woman at the agency. Chief James E. Leonard, a 39-year veteran of the department, was accused of bullying and screaming at several people at the agency, and attempting to freeze out the highest-ranking nonuniformed woman at the department, Laura Kavanagh. Ms. Kavanagh, who had worked on Bill de Blasios mayoral campaign and then served as a special assistant to the mayor, moved to the Fire Department to become its head of external affairs and was promoted to first deputy commissioner in January. She is the second woman to hold that job. Chief Leonard will be placed on modified duty while the city Law Department investigates his conduct around both men and women. Late last month, Ritchie J. Torres, a popular city councilman from the Bronx, introduced a bill that would forbid certain businesses in New York from refusing to accept cash. During the past few years, these businesses, most of them in the same vein fast-food restaurants with an elevated sense of themselves have multiplied in cities around the country. Like so many ideas born of Silicon Valley philosophy, they traffic in the dueling vibes of earthiness and automation, emphasizing food that is supposed to suggest a time predating the invasions of technology root vegetables, seeds, raw food, leafy food, local food but then demanding that it all be paid for via the preferred methods of Apple and the international banking conglomerates. I first encountered the imposition of cashless dining a few years ago at a branch of Sweetgreen on Wall Street, which, on the face of it, seems like a strange place to dismiss the significance of actual money. I had been reading a magazine all through the long, long line full of young hustlers, all of us eager to get to the curried cauliflower and uncooked corn. Thus, I did not realize until my salad full of cholesterols fiercest enemies had already been assembled that the cashier was totally uninterested in the $20 bill in my pocket. Without a credit card or a debit card in my possession, I would be forced, apparently, into a lunch elsewhere that could be measured only by its toxicity. There are various arguments to be made against cashless businesses the inconvenience falling to people too scattered to leave the house with a wallet being merely one of them. The strongest objection relates to the ways in which rejecting physical currency plays out as a bias toward the poor, advancing segregation in retail environments. According to government data, close to 7 percent of American households have no one in them with a checking or savings account, while an additional 19 percent are considered underbanked, meaning that they rely on products or services outside the conventional financial system. These include money orders and payday and pawnshop loans. The majority of people who fall into these categories are nonwhite. The mayor rarely meets with many of his commissioners according to a review of his public schedules. (Read those here). At times, Mr. de Blasios schedule is making it difficult for department heads to advance new ideas at City Hall, or to inform the mayor about problems at their agencies, The Timess William Neuman reports. Just ask Joe Esposito, commissioner of the Office of Emergency Management, whose firing this weekend took three days. Why? Because Mr. Esposito demanded to hear directly from the mayor. The data: In 2015, he averaged 17 days a month at City Hall; in 2016 it fell to 14; last year, it dropped to nine. This year through September, Mr. de Blasio averaged 10 days, according to his schedules. The stay-at-mansion mayor: Mr. de Blasio said he preferred working at his official residence, Gracie Mansion. Amanda Sequoyah Swimmer was born in North Carolina at a time when Native American children were forced to attend boarding schools, as part of a national effort to assimilate them into mainstream culture. But as a child in fourth grade she grew tired of being punished for speaking her native Cherokee and forced to use English, and one day she jumped her schools courtyard fence and ran away. She never returned. Instead she fashioned a life devoted to the preservation of Cherokee culture, keeping its language and pottery traditions alive. She was revered in the mountainous tribal lands of western North Carolina honored there as a Beloved Woman and renowned as one of her peoples most skilled potters. Mrs. Swimmers work has been shown at the Smithsonian in Washington, the North Carolina State Museum and at local museums across North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. It was also featured in the 2011 book Cherokee Pottery: From the Hands of Our Elders, by M. Anna Fariello. And Mrs. Swimmer herself was profiled in a 2000 documentary film, Women of These Hills Three Cultures of Appalachia. Dr. Lisa Schwartz, who with her husband devoted her life to warning patients about the dangers of unnecessary medical tests and treatment and excessive diagnoses, died on Nov. 29 in Lebanon, N.H. She was 55. Her husband, Dr. Steven Woloshin, said the cause was cancer. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Woloshin were the directors of the Center for Medicine and Media at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, part of Dartmouth Colleges Geisel School of Medicine. There they trained hundreds of journalists to become more skeptical about claimed scientific breakthroughs and miracle cures, and to better communicate the benefits and risks of medical tests and treatments. They often collaborated with another Dartmouth colleague, Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, on books and articles for laymen and medical professionals alike that aimed to demystify the credible risks of getting diseases. Their research helped the National Cancer Institute to develop the Know Your Chances website. They lobbied the Food and Drug Administration to require that prescription medicine be labeled with a drug facts box, which would list the benefits and harms detected in clinical trials. The agency has been considering the proposal. Barely two years earlier, President Bush had named Clarence Thomas to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. That appointment had been widely seen as an effort to place the young lawyer, only 41 at the time, in the launch position for the Supreme Court. It took only four days after Justice Marshalls retirement announcement for President Bush to select Judge Thomas, describing him the best man for the job on the merits. The nomination was understood in ideological as well as racial terms; as head of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Clarence Thomas had given a series of speeches that underscored his conservative credentials, which he attempted to disavow during his confirmation hearing. The nomination was instantly controversial and bitterly contested well before Anita Hills allegations against Judge Thomas, her former boss, became public a fact often forgotten in accounts of the nomination. Democrats who had been skeptical of the choice of David Souter, about whom they knew little, to succeed Justice Brennan, the courts leading liberal, were aghast at the prospect of Judge Thomas, about whom they knew a good deal, being elevated to Thurgood Marshalls seat. Before Anita Hills emergence, the Senate Judiciary Committee had concluded the confirmation hearing with a 7-to-7 deadlock on a resolution that would have sent the nomination to the Senate floor with a positive recommendation. (The committee moved the nomination forward without a recommendation.) The eventual confirmation vote was 52 to 48. Poles apart, the Souter and Thomas nominations offered templates for the presidencies that followed. Democrats have shied from confrontation, while Republicans have generally embraced and even sought it. President Trump declared on his final campaign swing before the midterm elections last month that this will be the election of Kavanaugh. Its impossible to imagine President Bill Clinton declaring before the 1994 midterms that this will be the election of Stephen Breyer, his middle-of-the-road Supreme Court nominee who was confirmed that year by a vote of 87 to 9. President Obama expected that his first Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, would have an easy bipartisan path to confirmation. She most likely would have except for the stated goal of Senator Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, to block the president at every turn. Senator McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, persuaded the National Rifle Association to oppose the nominee and, in a first for a Supreme Court nomination, to score the vote, making it a part of the potent annual report card the NRA issues for every member of Congress. As a result, Republican support for Judge Sotomayor quickly melted away, and she received only seven Republican votes. Addressing the Federalist Society in Washington last month, Senator McConnell, now the majority leader, was unabashed in describing the current Republican strategy to go as far to the right as a bare majority will sustain. Explaining why he abolished the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, he said, No Republican president could get the kind of nominee wed want with 60 votes. Bipartisan appeal? A sin. The narrowest possible victory? A validation. Such an aggressive program is bound to falter occasionally, as it did last week when Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the lone black Republican in the Senate, announced that he would vote against confirming Thomas Farr to a Federal District Court seat in North Carolina. Mr. Farr, nominated a year ago, drew sustained criticism for his connection to the racist campaigns of Jesse Helms, the former North Carolina senator, and for his legal guidance of the state Republican Partys vote suppression strategy. The seat is the longest-unfilled judicial vacancy in the country, the Senate having refused to confirm President Obamas successive nominations of two African-American women. But as the Kavanaugh confirmation (50 to 48) exemplifies, President Trump is winning much more than hes losing, with an astonishing 29 judges confirmed to the federal Courts of Appeals so far and others slated for confirmation after the new Senate convenes in January. Across all his federal court nominations, the president has chosen two dozen former Supreme Court law clerks, including 10 who clerked for Justice Thomas more than for any other justice. The legacy continues. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. Dan Eggen, writing in the Washington Post on July 16, 2012, described the state of campaign finance reform more than 40 years after Watergate: Four decades later, theres little need for furtive fund-raising or secret handoffs of cash. Many of the corporate executives convicted of campaign-finance crimes during Watergate could now simply write a check to their favorite super PAC or, if they want to keep it secret, to a compliant nonprofit group. Corporations can spend as much as they want to help their favored candidates, no longer prohibited by law from spending company cash on elections. The political world has, in many respects, come full circle since a botched burglary funded by illicit campaign cash brought down an administration. Detractors primarily on the left have criticized Citizens United and a 2013 appeals court decision based on it, Free Speech v F.E.C., for opening the door to unlimited corporate spending in politics. In fact, there are scholars on both the left and right who agree with Citizens United because they think restricting campaign spending by businesses constitutes an incursion on First Amendment rights that could lead to censorship, for example, of books and newspapers. Laurence Tribe, a professor at Harvard Law School, and Joshua Matz, an attorney in private practice, write in their 2014 book Uncertain Justice: The Roberts Court and the Constitution that Allowing government to control who can spend enough to get heard on a grander scale would render freedom of speech illusory. In a 2015 law review article, however, Dividing Citizens United: The Case v. The Controversy, Tribe faulted Citizens United for implausibly downplaying, and at times all but denying, the baleful corruption of American politics by means short of criminal bribery by means that are lamentable precisely because they are lawful. The key changes in campaign finance practices over the past eight years stem from the ruling in Citizens United and Speech Now that contributions to independent expenditure committees, including super PACs, pose no threat of quid pro quo political corruption. There is no corruption, Justice Kennedy wrote in Citizens United, because an independent expenditure is political speech presented to the electorate that is not coordinated with a candidate. Roll Call, in a story headlined Firewall Between Candidates and Super PACs Breaking Down described the myth of non-coordination: The supposed barrier between candidates and unrestricted super PACs is flimsier than ever. As midterm elections approach, complaints are rolling into the F.E.C. from both parties about super PACs that share vendors, fund-raisers and video footage with the politicians they support. Along the same lines, a 2015 note in the Harvard Law Review concluded: Candidate assistance with super PAC fund-raising efforts has pushed at the boundaries of this legally mandated independence, allowing a level of coordination that many observers believe creates a real threat of quid pro quo corruption. The detrimental role super PACs play in campaigns prompted Albert W. Alschuler, a professor at the University of Chicago Law School, and three colleagues including Tribe to argue in a 2017 working paper that the negative attack ads spawned by super PACS are in themselves corrosive and provide adequate grounds to ban such PACs and the unlimited contributions that fund them: Although these groups may not coordinate their expenditures with those of an official campaign, their managers often understand that their job is to attack an opponent while the candidate they support takes a higher road. Super PACs have been called the attack dogs and provocateurs of modern politics. The advertisements they produce contribute to the nations cynicism about politics, a cynicism that runs especially deep among young people. The candidates they support need not take responsibility for what they say, and the groups usually disappear once an election is over. A strong critic of the Supreme Court decision, Sanford Levinson, a member of the law school faculty and the department of government at the University of Texas, argued in an email to me that: Citizens United reveals the importance of having a Supreme Court completely devoid of a single individual who has ever participated in electoral politics. This helps to reinforce, I believe, the tendency of the Justices to think in terms of arid formalistic abstractions including Kennedys views about corporations and the First Amendment rather than address the actual realities of our political system. Robert C. Post, a professor at Yale Law School, also views Justice Kennedys views as exceptionally shortsighted, declaring in a 2013 lecture that It is the height of hubris for the Court, by a vote of five justices on a bench of nine, simply to dismiss concerns for electoral integrity on the ground that electoral integrity is a question of law rather than of social fact. Fred Wertheimer the president of Democracy 21, who has participated as a lawyer in every major Supreme Court case starting with Buckley v Valeo, a key 1976 post-Watergate campaign finance decision took this argument a step further. He wrote me: The Roberts majority on the Supreme Court has consistently failed to have a clue about the consequences of its campaign finance decisions and the ways in which their decisions in Citizens United and McCutcheon opened the door to the return of the corrupting contributions that led to the Watergate campaign finance scandals in the 1970s and the soft money campaign finance scandals of the 1990s. In McCutcheon, the court ruled that aggregate limits on the total amount an individual could give to federal candidates in every two year cycle $123,200 in 2013-14 were unconstitutional. In one section of a detailed critique he sent me, Wertheimer wrote: The Court in Citizens United stated, Limits on independent expenditures, such as (the ban on corporate expenditures) have a chilling effect extending well beyond the Governments interest in preventing quid pro quo corruption. The anticorruption interest is not sufficient to displace the speech here in question. This is a remarkably misguided statement in that the Court is asserting that the foundational need of our nation to be able to protect itself from the corruption of our government is outweighed by the constitutional right of a corporation to make unlimited expenditures to influence elections. The court, Wertheimer continued, was misguided and naive in making the assertion in Citizens United without citing a single piece of evidence for this finding that the appearance of influence or access, furthermore, will not cause the electorate to lose faith in this democracy. In the face of all this criticism, does Justice Kennedy, the now-retired author of Citizens United, have any second thoughts? Rick Hasen, a campaign finance expert at the University of California-Irvines law school, told me that as recently as last week, Kennedy expressed no regrets. When Kennedy was asked in an interview at the University of Virginia, Hasen wrote, if, in the wake of the huge influx of money into elections, he had any regrets about his majority opinion in Citizens United v. FEC, he said the decision stands for itself. Bob Bauer, a Democratic campaign finance lawyer who is now a law professor at N.Y.U., wrote me that the Supreme Courts intervention in the political process has been defined by a lack of prescience or success. What the majority in Citizens United had to say about corporate independent expenditures and the risk of corruption seemed entirely divorced from reality. The court has created a world in which both the parties and candidates can indirectly but effectively raise and benefit from unlimited donations purportedly expended on an independent basis. Justice Kennedy, Bauer continued, put considerable faith in disclosure requirements as the antidote to any potential problems of corruption and then had to concede later that he was surprised that disclosure is not working the way it should. It was fairly predictable that it wouldnt. Post contended that in many respects Citizens United is a failed attempt to address a problem created by Buckley v. Valeo. In his 2013 Tanner lecture, Post made the following argument: Because Buckley prohibited the state from regulating independent expenditures while allowing it to regulate contributions, it produced a system in which candidates face an unlimited demand for campaign funds (because expenditures generally cannot be capped) but a constricted supply (because there is often a ceiling on the amount each contributor can give) The result is an unceasing preoccupation with fund-raising. (Post was quoting from The Hydraulics of Campaign Finance Reform by Samuel Issacharoff and Pamela S. Karlan.) The recent publication of the Fourth National Climate Assessment is being hailed as a potent rebuke to President Trump for his do-nothing approach to climate change. Meanwhile, another president is learning that perhaps the only thing worse than doing nothing about climate, politically speaking, is doing something about it. Emmanuel Macrons government was forced this week to suspend a planned 6.5-cent-per-liter tax increase on diesel and 2.9 cents on gasoline collected for the purpose of speeding Frances transition to renewables after weeks of protests and violent rioting throughout the country. French consumers already pay more than $6 for a gallon of gas, compared to a current national average of $2.44 in the U.S. Thats in a country where unemployment is 9.1 percent, the median monthly disposable income is $1,930, and economic growth has lagged for decades. To the protesters, wrote Adam Nossiter, The Timess correspondent in Paris, Mr. Macron is concerned about the end of the world, while they are worried about the end of the month. So much, then, for the belief that a cabal of know-nothing pundits and greedy oil barons are the main political obstacle to climate action. President Obama rejected a gas-tax hike in 2009, when Democrats controlled Congress, but not because the Koch brothers were bending his ear. In France, the protesting Yellow Vests arent particularly right-wing. Theyre just rightly fed-up, and 84 percent of the French support them. No, not the luxuriating in physical pleasures, though that, too, was part of the ancient Greek world. The words cynic, epicurean and hedonist, after all, are rooted in Greek philosophical schools. But rather the more rarefied philosophical concept called materialism, which contends that everything can be reduced to the physical, that there is no real entity called a soul. Dualism, by contrast, is the belief that we humans are both physical and something more. Many contemporary scientists, delighted by their advances in understanding how the brain functions, have embraced a modern version of materialism. The conviction that we have souls, they patiently explain to lesser folks, is nothing in the end but a misleading product of the electrical activity within our craniums. Our every thought and action, moreover, is predetermined. Just as other physical processes can be predicted on the basis of the array of circumstances at their origin, if we had sufficient knowledge about any individuals brain, we could predict his or her every action. Free will, to a materialist, is just a persistent illusion. The qualities of mental life that we associate with souls are purely corporeal, Prof. Paul Bloom of Yale, for example, has averred. They emerge from biochemical processes in the brain. A Harvard professor, Steven Pinker, advises us to set aside childlike intuitions and traditional dogmas and recognize that what we conceive of as the soul is nothing more than the activity of the brain. Nothing but brain cells are evident, after all, in a brain. But finding no evidence of the soul in a brain is like finding no trace of Yo-Yo Ma in a stereo speaker and concluding that the cello concerto that just ended, and Mr. Ma for that matter, are only imaginary. To the Editor: Re A Day of Pageantry Fit for a Political Patriarch (front page, Dec. 6): Former President George H.W. Bushs death and the solemn pageantry of his funeral are providing Americans with a fleeting glimpse of nostalgia for a more stable and saner era in our national life. The processions of aging mourners, like the president they served and in many cases revered, include mostly good public servants who, like their boss, had a loyalty to their country that transcended politics. Sadly, in recent years, anger, blame and even an absence of humor have defined our politics and have dampened the national mood. A week of mourning for a president who embodied so many positive qualities will do little to change that. But as Americans come together in a time of collective grief and celebration, it is refreshing and reassuring to witness even a brief emergence of civility. Roger Hirschberg Bondville, Vt. To the Editor: Re George Bush: A Life Story Shared in Longhand (news article, Dec. 4): I never supported George H.W. Bushs politics, especially his use of the Willie Horton ad, but I never knew about his prolific personal communications. His longhand messages communicated a strong commitment to respect for all people, regardless of political positions. His letters opened a window into Mr. Bush as a wonderful, caring humanitarian. The letters have totally changed my opinion of him. To the Editor: Yi-Zheng Lian sounds a cautionary note in China Preys on Taiwans Openness (Op-Ed, Nov. 29), worrying that if Taiwan falls to the Chinese Communists, Hong Kong could be next. It may have escaped Mr. Lians notice, but Hong Kongs fate was sealed in 1997 when it was handed over to the Chinese Communists, and notwithstanding the promises made to allow the colony some degree of autonomy, Beijings heavy hand has continued every year to close into a fist, breaking those promises, bit by bit, almost since the handover itself. Taiwans voters are pragmatic, and their hard-earned democracy allows them to vote incumbents failing to serve their interests out of office. The right to vote is also something that Taiwanese people deeply cherish and are willing to defend. Taiwan recognizes the threat of disinformation campaigns and is developing countermeasures to strengthen transparency. To think that Taiwan would so easily let go of its freedom is a mistake. She began with Saeed, her Iranian contact. Micro-targeted spear phishing would be much more potent than the SQL injection and DDoS attacks they had used to cripple American banking websites. Her database would provide a rash of entry points for their malware to take down Saudi oil fields. Salaam alaikum. Our auction ends in 4 minutes. Just between us, the Chinese are coming in with a billion at the close. Id rather you win AND stick it to the American infidels by paying me with their hostage ransom money. Are you going to let their crippling sanctions and the Israeli destruction of your priceless centrifuges go unanswered? She waited for a reply, but heard just the drumming of her own heart. She moved on to Pak, her North Korean connection. Their Reconnaissance General Bureau was at least 5,000 hackers strong and adept at brute force cyberattacks. Their email hack of Sony Pictures for the lampooning of their supreme leader had devastated the company. With Sofies database, they could take down more financial institutions and military agencies, keep themselves on the world stage and finance their feeble economy at the same time. . Billion dollar bid just came in from your neighbor. Show your rivals you are no laughingstock. Long live North Korean strength, unpredictability and wily intelligence! Her laptop pinged. She pumped her fist: Her two messages were just opened. Three minutes and counting. Sofie forged ahead and considered how best to rile Misha. He represented a coalition that included the Russian government, wealthy oligarchs and criminal gangs. Should she emphasize the financial gain possible with the pairing of her database and the massive storehouse of credit card information that their mafia had already amassed? The opportunity to disrupt Western military, electrical and banking infrastructures? The ability to misinform, divide and reshape Western opinions? She went for the highest stake. . Auction for the weapon of the century is ending. The Chinese have sent in a kill bid. Im obligated to take it, but hey, I make the rules. Id prefer my database be used to change elections and blackmail hypocritical, holier-than-thou American politicians. And smarmy British toadies. And German rats. You have 90 seconds to win this. Recent Republican attempts to weaken the social safety net have one big thing in common: The pain they would inflict on poor children could last a lifetime. This is not only miserly but also shortsighted. Research shows that safety net programs keep children in school and out of trouble, and increase their chances of being healthier and living longer. All of this has a positive effect on our economy. In August, the Trump administration said it was considering a rule that would penalize green card applicants if anyone in their family had ever relied on a safety net program, such as food stamps or Medicaid. Its estimated that in New York City alone, a million immigrants would be affected by the new rule and perhaps forced to choose between their green cards and putting food on the table. The public comment period on it ends next week. Then there is the administrations push to add work requirements to the food stamp program and Medicaid, part of an executive order President Trump signed in April. A new farm bill has been held up for months by the insistence of Republicans in the House that the already stringent work requirements for food stamps be toughened. Work requirements have been successfully piled onto Medicaid recipients. The administration encouraged states to apply for waivers that would let them impose work requirements, and some have started to do so. In Arkansas, the first state in the 50-year history of the program to insist that poor people who are not disabled find work or go without health care , more than 4,300 people were dropped from the rolls in a single month for not adhering to the new rules. With the administrations blessing, several other states are poised to follow sui t. Yes, the Democrats reclaimed the House. But you should not assume that your health care coverage is now safe. The biggest threat is President Trump himself: His administration has been relentlessly assaulting the Affordable Care Act for two years, and that threat has not abated. Democrats may have made significant electoral gains by running on the protection of the pre-existing-conditions guarantee to insurance, but Republicans apparently arent listening. The president and his party remain focused on taking health care away. The administration has instituted administrative rules and guidance letters intended to undermine the insurance markets, trick the healthy into buying junk plans, and leave the less healthy with unaffordable premiums. It has also succeeded in reducing enrollment, making access to health care harder for the poor and immigrant populations and, for the first time in a decade, raising the number of uninsured children. To add insult to injury, it refuses to defend the A.C.A. in a ludicrous lawsuit in Texas in which it now appears the judge may very well strike down a large part of the law, including the ban on pre-existing conditions. The entire A.C.A. is at stake. Dont be fooled by the presidents claims that these problems are inherent in Obamacare. Lets start with the insurance markets. Combining healthy and sick people into a single insurance pool as the A.C.A. requires drives down the cost of insurance. The administration is destroying this pool to isolate less healthy people in their own market with skyrocketing premiums so the public and the insurance industry will turn against the law. First, it promulgated a rule that expands A.C.A.-exempt short term plans previously just band-aid plans for a three-month period between jobs to yearlong exceptions that can be renewed for up to three years. It passed another rule allowing expansion of so-called association health plans, once a limited exemption from some A.C.A. requirements for some small businesses but now open to virtually anyone. Many of these plans are so bare-bones that they do not cover even prescription drugs or maternity care. Short-term plans can exclude people based on pre-existing conditions, and exclude full categories of benefits including substance abuse even though the president claims to care about solving our national opioid crisis. Turning Point: By 2019, 50 percent of the global population will be online. In recent years, it has become clear that the web is not living up to the high hopes we had for it. Built as an open tool for collaboration and empowerment, the web has been hijacked by crooks and trolls who have used it to manipulate people all over the world. To preserve a web that serves all of humanity, not just the privileged and the powerful, we will have to fight for it. Thats why Im asking governments, companies and citizens across the globe to commit to a set of core principles for the web. By the end of 2019, 50 percent of the worlds population will be using the internet, according to a recent report from the United Nations-affiliated Broadband Commission for Digital Development. At any other time in the webs 30-year history, the collective response to this tipping point would likely have been: Great! Now lets get everyone else connected as quickly as possible. But the world has changed. After years of the web being seen as a potential net force for good, such technological optimism has been eclipsed by fears that the web might be damaging our societies. Forty-five years ago, members of the American Psychiatric Association decided, by a slim 58 percent majority, to remove homosexuality from the list of mental disorders in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In his old age, the great gay rights activist Frank Kameny recalled Dec. 15, 1973, as the day when we were cured en masse by the psychiatrists. In a single stroke, the A.P.A. helped transform homosexuality from a medical condition to a social identity. It would take another 27 years for the World Health Organization to eliminate homosexuality from its own classification of mental disorders in the International Classification of Diseases, the comprehensive manual of some 55,000 diagnostic codes that doctors everywhere use for diagnosis and insurance reimbursement. But this summer, the W.H.O. beat the A.P.A. to the punch on another issue transgender rights by moving gender incongruence from its chapter on mental health to its chapter on sexual health. On its website, under the heading Small Code, Big Impact, the W.H.O. says that gender incongruence is a sexual health condition for which people may seek medical services, but that the evidence is now clear that it is not a mental disorder. The A.P.A. should now do the same by eliminating its category of gender dysphoria, a technical term for people unhappy because of their gender incongruence. It would be an important step in advancing transgender rights and reducing the stigma and prejudice that people experience when, because of nothing they or anyone else did wrong, they cannot abide the sex they were assigned at birth. [The Opinion section is now on Instagram. Follow us at @nytopinion.] The 1973 decision on homosexuality taught us that we shouldnt expect too much too quickly. Indeed, Frank Kameny overstated the A.P.A.s power for sarcastic effect. Most of the 42 percent who objected clung to the psychoanalytic view articulated by Sigmund Freud in 1914 that homosexuality was a developmental problem. Nor did the A.P.A. immediately excise homosexuality from the D.S.M. As a compromise, the organization retained diagnoses in subsequent editions to denote people unhappy about being homosexual ego dystonic homosexuality, for example and eliminated homosexuality completely only in the 1987 revision. This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive the newsletter each weekday. Weve seen indications that Mueller is getting close to the end here, says Susan Hennessey, of the Lawfare blog , about Robert Muellers investigation. Thats either good news for the president because, this is all about to wrap up, or its really bad news for the president because its all about to come crashing down. What are those indications? They include the latest flurry of legal proceedings involving people central to the investigation, like Michael Flynn, Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort. Hennessey predicts that the investigation will likely wrap up by early spring. If thats right, much of the news in the next few months will be dominated by Russia. And I think thats one reason why congressional Republicans seem more willing to defy Trump as they have in recent days on Yemen, a few judicial nominations and Jamal Khashoggis murder. The Trump White House is very much under siege, Mikhaila Fogel and Benjamin Wittes write in an Atlantic piece that walks through the White Houses problems. This week, the social networking site Tumblr banned the very thing that drove many people to its site: adult content. Many cheered that Tumblr had finally caught up with the times, echoing anti-pornography policies adopted by Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and others. But there was another set of voices you might not have heard the voices of women and the L.G.B.T.Q. community who pointed out that this change will destroy a safe space for self-expression, discovery and connection. While we can get hung up on debating what kind of content should or shouldnt be allowed on a particular platform, none of that alters an equally important but less-visible problem: When tech companies tackle large-scale problems with large-scale solutions, underrepresented groups are often further marginalized as a result. The change in Tumblr policy seems to have been born from a reasonable concern. In this case, child pornography was discovered on the platform. There is, of course, a big difference between child pornography and adult content, but Tumblr may have decided that the only way to effectively filter out the former was to eradicate the latter. Or it may simply have decided that moderating pornography was too expensive. Whatever the case, Tumblr said that it was all in favor of creative expression and deep community, but that it would ban all adult content specifically, all images, videos, or GIFs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples, and any content depicting sex acts. This is not the first time a social media or blog platform has banned adult content. Twitter, Facebook, and many other platforms all prohibit pornography. But in the United States, we seem to ignore public debate about the censorship of sex and the human body, reflecting the American tendency to get more offended by the sight of a female-presenting nipple than by guns, hate speech or violence. The Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah, and the so-named city, has been a major flash point in this war. Since June, the population of the city has dwindled to 150,000, during months of severe fighting. Every month the U.N. food program provides aid to eight million people, but my colleagues are bracing for the threat of famine as many more millions of Yemenis cannot afford to buy food even where it is available. I believe that this weeks meeting in Sweden can bring good news for Al Hudaydah, and for the people of Yemen. We have been working to reach a negotiated agreement to spare both the city and port the threat of destruction, and guarantee the full operation of the port. Reaching such a deal will not only put an end to the battles but also save the main humanitarian pipeline for the people of Yemen from being obstructed or destroyed. This will help ensure that the looming specter of famine is chased away. Over the past weeks, both parties have showed their willingness to make significant humanitarian gestures. Some of the prisoners of war from both parties, who have not been allowed to contact their families in four years of war, were finally allowed to do so. Fifty Yemenis were able to fly out from Sana to Muscat to get treatment something that has not happened for years. As we convene in Sweden, we will announce the signing of the long-awaited agreement on the exchange of prisoners, the first formal agreement between the two parties since the beginning of this conflict. Thousands of families in Yemen, who have been waiting for their missing relatives, can finally expect to be reunited with their loved ones. These political consultations in Sweden are the first step toward putting Yemen on the path to peace. I hope that by the end of this round, the Yemeni parties will agree on the outline of an eventual comprehensive agreement, which will then be submitted to the United Nations secretary general and then to the Security Council for endorsement. I hope it will become a public road map to peace. As a mediator, I believe that ending a war is not the same as building peace. In any peace process, the leading role goes to those who can stop the fighting, then the people at large whose nation deserves peace and whose families, now victims, may become beneficiaries. Over months of meetings with Yemenis from diverse backgrounds, I found that they are marvelous at finding common cause and masters of the art of sitting together to reach agreement. Through a listing on StreetEasy, they connected with Phillip Salem, a licensed agent at Triplemint. There was something so incredibly comforting in his voice, Ms. Tatochenko said. You can imagine how stressed I was. The couple was hoping to find three bedrooms for them, the boys and the nanny for less than $2 million. They wanted natural light, ample storage and space for a table to do homework and chill out as a family, Ms. Tatochenko said. And they needed a dog-friendly building for Lili, whom they adopted while living in Japan. But a three-bedroom apartment on the Upper East Side for under $2 million is like a needle in a haystack, Mr. Salem said. Many apartments they saw were combinations of what had been one-bedrooms and studios in white-brick buildings dating to the early 1960s. Image At the Rio, in Lenox Hill, a three-bedroom had 1,550 square feet, and the couple loved the pool. But the monthly charges of nearly $3,800 were uncomfortably high. Credit... Stefano Ukmar for The New York Times In new buildings, prices were high and square footage low. They think 1,200 is a good square footage for a three-bedroom, and it drives me nuts, Ms. Tatochenko said. You cant fit into that with a proper family. I cannot stand clutter, and kids come with clutter, they do naturally. Size was a problem at the Rio, an amenity-rich condominium, circa 1987, in Lenox Hill, where a three-bedroom came with 1,550 square feet. The couple loved the pool and were indifferent to the wraparound balcony. The price was $1.83 million, with monthly charges of nearly $3,800 uncomfortably high for them. It later sold for $1.685 million. In Yorkville, one compelling apartment was in a 1930 co-op building, with a T-shaped layout resulting from a combination of two studios and a one-bedroom. The price was almost $1.6 million. But the maintenance, at more than $4,300 a month, was out of reach. That apartment remains on the market. A spring-green aphid clambers over a clot of soil, busily making its way to the shelter of a forest of plants in the distance. The insects long legs help it lever itself over the uneven ground at surprising speed, but if you look closely at its back, youll see that it has a passenger: A tiny juvenile aphid, or nymph, is riding the adult cowboy-style. This behavior, which scientists described for the first time Wednesday in Frontiers in Zoology, results in the young one reaching the safety of a host plant much faster than it could on its own small legs. But the tactic is unpopular with the adults, who do not appreciate carrying a hitchhiker. [Like the Science Times page on Facebook. | Sign up for the Science Times newsletter.] Aphids generally prefer to stay in their airy roosts among the foliage of their host plants, said ecologists Moshe Gish and Moshe Inbar of the University of Haifa in Israel, the papers authors. The insects drop to the ground mainly when they sense serious, unavoidable danger, heralded by the plants trembling and the warm breath of a grazing mammal intent on devouring their home. Up for auction are four frogs of varying shades, four species of orchid and a reddish ant with a trap-jaw. Theres also a gray forest mouse with impressively long whiskers, a wormlike amphibian and a burnt-orange salamander with tiny legs. Paul Salaman, the chief executive of Rainforest Trust, is familiar with the objections to species-naming auctions. In the early 1990s, these auctions were a new concept when Dr. Salaman, a field biologist, sold the rights to name a species of songbird he discovered in Colombia. There were some conservationists who were outraged at the idea of giving companies the chance to impose their brand on the natural world, he said. Dr. Salamans counterargument is that the threats to these species posed by climate change and industrial blights, like logging, are far more pressing than the threat of artificial names. The name itself doesnt really matter, Dr. Salaman said. The key is the funding to save the species. The practice of playfully naming new species after celebrities, friends and enemies is as old as the practice of binomial nomenclature, the scientific naming of organisms. Carl Linnaeus, an 18th-century Swedish botanist and the first scientist to consistently apply binomial nomenclature, used species naming to both honor and mock his contemporaries. According to the book Linnaeus: The Compleat Naturalist, Linnaeus named a yellow coneflower after his mentor. He also named an unpleasant-smelling weed after Johann Siegesbeck, a German botanist and one of Linnaeuss enemies. Image This Ecuadorean ant species, whose name is up for auction, was discovered by a researcher after one flew into his bedroom. Credit... Rainforest Trust These scientific names are meant to last forever. In an extreme example, a Croatian entomologist named a Slovene beetle after Adolf Hitler in the 1930s, when he was chancellor of Germany. Because convention does not allow for name changes, Anophthalmus hitleri has endured. El Espace is a column dedicated to news and culture relevant to Latinx communities. Expect politics, arts, analysis, personal essays and more. Lo mejor? Itll be in Spanish and English, so you can forward it to your tia, your primo Lalo or anyone else (read: everyone). The other day, Jeff Roth, an editor at the Times in charge of our photo archives, came across some never-published images of the founders of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe on Manhattans Lower East Side. The subjects sought to build a creative, social space in the city for Puerto Ricans, where patrons could bear witness to what the writer David Vidal called a new, intensely cathartic poetry that was born on New York City's streets. The cafe is frequently packed on Friday nights. Outside, long lines of people wait to get into the weekly spoken word competitions, and many of the young faces in the audience and onstage are black or brown. For many spoken word performers of color especially those of Latinx and black descent the Nuyorican Poets Cafe is what the Comedy Cellar has been for stand-up comics: a place to cut their teeth and test the resonance of their work in front of a live audience. Its come a long way from its humble beginnings in a poets living room. In the early 1970s, Miguel Algarin, born in Puerto Rico but raised on the Lower East Side, began inviting other Nuyorican poets to his apartment on East Sixth Street for readings and performances. Algarin and his contemporaries, including Miguel Pinero, Pedro Pietri and Lucky CienFuegos, were part of a growing artistic scene in what was then a primarily Puerto Rican neighborhood, drawing on their identities and daily struggles for their work. The salon quickly outgrew Algarins living room, so he and a few other artists began renting an Irish bar down the street to fit more people. In 1981, they bought their current building on East Third Street and, after a lengthy renovation process, formally opened it to the public in 1990 as a space for Nuyorican poets to experiment and hone their craft. It is one of Chinas proudest corporate success stories, a colossus in cutting-edge technology that elbowed out Western rivals to become the biggest supplier of the hardware that connects our modern world. Now, all around the globe, the walls are going up for Huawei. The United States, which for years has considered the Chinese telecommunications giant a security threat, aimed a straight shot at the companys leadership when it secured the arrest, in Canada, of Huaweis chief financial officer. But lately, Huaweis setbacks have come on multiple fronts, from New Zealand and Australia to Britain and Canada. China sees the company as a pivotal driver of its ambitions for global technological leadership. Increasingly, much of the rest of the world sees it as a potential conduit for espionage and sabotage. [Stock markets were shaken by the arrest, as investors feared the impact on U.S.-China trade relations.] LONDON The underworld comes with melodic invention to spare, at least if the Broadway-bound musical Hadestown, stopping in at the National Theater here through Jan. 26, is any gauge. Anais Mitchells folk opera catches the ear from the first notes and leaves you eager for a second or third listen, even when the lyrics descend toward the banal. Ms. Mitchells source is the time-honored tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, who turn out to be just one of many pairings (not all of them romantic) coming to grief on the London stage just now. Our guide to plays and musicals coming to New York stages and a few last-chance picks of shows that are about to close. Our reviews of open shows are at nytimes.com/reviews/theater. Previews and Openings BLUE RIDGE at the Atlantic Theater Company at the Linda Gross Theater (previews start on Dec. 12; opens on Jan. 7). Classroom management is one thing. Anger management is another. In this comedy by Abby Rosebrock (Dido of Idaho), directed by Taibi Magar, a high school teacher with rage issues lands at an Appalachian halfway house. The production stars Marin Ireland, an actress who specializes thrillingly in difficult women. 866-811-4111, atlantictheater.org CLUELESS, THE MUSICAL at the Pershing Square Signature Center (in previews; opens on Dec. 11). Amy Heckerling has adapted her 1995 movie, a zippy, quippy clotheshorse update of Jane Austens Emma, into a musical for the New Group. Kristin Hanggi directs, with choreography by Kelly Devine. Dove Cameron stars as Cher, with Ephie Aardema and Zurin Villanueva as her friends and Dave Thomas Brown as her ex-stepbrother. 212-279-4200, thenewgroup.org Reshape ADF for relevance, departing president says Departing Australian Dairy Farmers president Terry Richardson says the peak dairy body needs to be significantly changed to stay relevant and the states will need to help make it happen. If only a New Years trip to Rio de Janeiro had met his expectations. The truth of the matter is that its a big gay destination at that time of year, he said. So you fly 12 hours and then you look up on the beach and its a guy you saw at Equinox in West Hollywood. Here are some of his other observations about life away from home. What kind of traveler are you? I go on mini-long weekends throughout the year, but a week-to-10-day getaway usually only happens at the end of the year, when Im exhausted and I just want to sit on a beach and be lazy and drink. Although this Christmas Im trying to get some culture back in my life and Im going to Paris and then London. Ive actually never been to Paris, if you can believe it. So therell be museums, therell be fine dining. And therell be some shows in London. I want to see Company. I want to see The Inheritance, which is the big epic gay play. On the plane do you sleep? Watch movies? Read books? I have a hard time sleeping on planes for long periods of time. Once in a great while, Ill watch a movie but its very rare. I usually use the flight as an opportunity to work, write, catch up on emails, or scroll Twitter. For hours at a time. So you use Wi-Fi? Always. My most recent flight from New York to L.A. last week, the Wi-Fi stopped working 20 minutes into the flight and never started up again. That drove me crazy. I dont deal well with turbulence. If I can be on Twitter or Instagram and somehow be connected to people on the ground, that helps me not focus on the turbulence of the plane. I know this sounds crazy. The murder rate in the United States in 2018 is on track for the largest one-year drop in five years. The numbers obviously arent final, and the F.B.I. wont formally report 2018s murder figures until September 2019. But based on a comparison of 2017 data and 2018 data for 66 large American cities (population over 250,000), we can observe the trend as it is occurring and offer a reasonable forecast. (The 2018 data Ive collected is available here). Murder rose 23 percent nationally between 2014 and 2016 before leveling off in 2017. Major increases in murder in Chicago and Baltimore received much of the national attention, but the increase occurred throughout the country. This is most likely true, depending on how you define Madison and Milwaukee. But its an odd point to make, given that Madison and Milwaukee cant be removed from Wisconsin. Nor Detroit from Michigan, nor Pittsburgh and Philadelphia from Pennsylvania, nor Raleigh and Charlotte from North Carolina. It just is incredibly frustrating and really nonsensical to think about representation in those terms, especially when youre talking about statewide results, said David Canon, a professor of political science at the University of Wisconsin. He pointed as well to comments by Mr. Walker arguing that his loss in the governors race wasnt a rejection by voters so much as a reflection of unusually high turnout among people who werent part of the voting population in his previous victories. Mr. Walker lost the race by 29,000 votes statewide. In Dane County, home to Madison, about 42,000 more people voted in the governors race this year than did in 2014. How can that not be a repudiation by the voters? Mr. Canon said. It only isnt if you dont care about the voters in the parts of the state that are Democratic. Republican gerrymandering in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and North Carolina have pushed the limits of how much the urban voter can be devalued. In Wisconsin, Democratic candidates for the State Assembly won 54 percent of the vote statewide. But they will hold only 36 of 99 seats. They picked up just one more seat than in the current Assembly, a result of a gerrymander drawn so well that it protected nearly every Republican seat in a Democratic wave election. In North Carolina, Democrats won 51 percent of the popular vote for the lower chamber in the statehouse but just 45 percent of the seats. In Michigan, where a lame-duck session fight similar to Wisconsins is playing out, Democrats won 53 percent of the vote but just 47 percent of those seats. (In states like Illinois and Maryland, where Democrats drew the gerrymanders, they won a disproportionate share of seats.) The 1991 hearing had a peculiar impact. People predicted that women would never come forward, and just the opposite happened. They came forward in record numbers. Rules and practices were put into place, people started having conversations, lawsuits were filed, more cases went to the Supreme Court in the next three years. There had only been one Supreme Court case before 1991. On the political front, women ran for office because they felt they werent being represented. Something did happen, but there was also backlash. You saw the rise in these forced arbitration agreements. Nondisclosure agreements took hold and started to rise in the 90s. Increasingly, class action lawsuits were more and more difficult. Increasingly as well, organizations started to look at the response to sexual harassment as an effort to make sure there was a compliance with the law and not an effort to solve the problems that existed. This experiment of how were going to address harassment it failed. Q. So what should be done? A. Its not the glamorous, headline-making work, its the day-to-day examination, combing through and interrogating things that people have just assumed were the only way things could be done. Ms. Hill then ticked off a list of what needed to change: A process of reporting harassment where it is clear to every employee where to turn and how they will hear about the outcome. Those will have to be public, even though companies cite employee privacy, to build trust and prevent violators from being passed off to other workplaces. Investigations that are independent, often by third parties, particularly if the accused are senior executives or rainmakers. Training that includes implicit bias coupled with bystander training, creating a workplace culture where everyone feels responsible for calling out harassment. [music] Last Friday, when I was told he had minutes to live, I called him. The guy who answered the phone said, I think he can hear you, but he hasnt said anything for most of the day. I said, Dad, I love you and youve been a wonderful father. And the last words he would ever say on earth were, I love you, too. And were going to miss you. Your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever. So through our tears, let us know the blessings of knowing and loving you, a great and noble man. The best father a son or daughter could have. And in our grief, let us smile knowing that Dad is hugging Robin and holding Moms hand again. The George Herbert Walker Bush who survived that fiery fall into the waters of the Pacific, three-quarters of a century ago, made our lives and the lives of nations, freer, better, warmer and nobler. That was his mission. That was his heartbeat. I believe it will be said that no occupant of the Oval Office was more courageous, more principled and more honorable than George Herbert Walker Bush. President Bush was also responsible for the North American Free Trade Agreement recently modernized and improved by new administrations which created the largest and richest free-trade area in the history of the world. The most decent and honorable person I ever met was my friend George Bush one of natures noble men. His epitaph, perhaps just a single letter: the letter L for loyalty. It coursed through his blood. Loyalty to his country, loyalty to his family, loyalty to his friends, loyal to the institutions of government and always, always, always a friend to his friends. Now may the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect to do his will. Working in you, that which is well pleasing in his sight, the blessing of God Almighty the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be on you and remain with you in this world in which we live, this day and forevermore. Amen. LOS ANGELES The California Republican Party a once dominant power in the nations largest state, the party of Earl Warren, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan is teetering on the brink of irrelevance. The Democratic sweep of Orange County congressional seats drew national attention on Election Day. But the Republican losses there were a symptom of the broader collapse of a storied political organization. Republicans now hold just seven seats in the states 53-member congressional delegation after what shaped up to be a devastating midterm for the party. There was more bad news on Thursday when Representative David Valadao, a Central Valley Republican, conceded to T.J. Cox in what had been the one still-undecided district. Democrats are now likely to take 40 seats from Republicans as they decisively capture control of Congress. Democrats captured three-quarters of the seats in the State Assembly, the biggest margin in over 100 years. The governor, lieutenant governor, both United States senators, the attorney general and the secretary of state are all Democrats. As of September, there were fewer registered Republican voters in California than Democrats or independents. A week ago, I wrote about a book that the Times book critic Dwight Garner favorably reviewed, called Dear Los Angeles: The City in Diaries and Letters, 1542 to 2018. Its an anthology of letters and journals edited by David Kipen. It gives an expansive view of a city that can sometimes seem unfathomable. Mr. Garner writes that the book deepens and expands and flyspecks our view of Los Angeles. I asked Mr. Kipen about how you encapsulate a place like L.A. Heres what he said (lightly edited for space). What was the first text you read that made it into the book? I found it in the enchanted U.C.L.A. Special Collections Library. They have the diaries of Glenn T. Seaborg in there, the Nobel Prize-winning co-discoverer of plutonium, who grew up in an L.A. County suburb called South Gate. On June 7, 1927, before he went to bed, Seaborg one of the fathers of the atomic bomb sat down and wrote only five words in his diary: School. Made fire by friction. Thats when I knew I had a book. What was the most surprising thing you found over the course of putting the book together? The State Department denied a temporary visa to a Guatemalan father trying to attend the funeral on Saturday for his teenage daughter, who was kidnapped outside her North Carolina home last month and was later found dead off a rural road, the mans lawyer said on Thursday. The father of the girl, 13-year-old Hania Aguilar, traveled to the United States Embassy in Guatemala City on Monday and asked for expedited approval for a visa to fly to the United States. The father, Noe Aguilar, was denied on the spot because American officials worried he lacked strong ties to Guatemala, his native country, and might not return, according to his lawyer, Naimeh Salem. To tell you the truth, with past administrations, we never had a problem like this, Ms. Salem, an immigration lawyer based in Texas, said in an interview. With this administration, most everything that is discretionary is getting denied. As the news of Mr. Aguilars denial was reported on Thursday in North Carolina, some high-ranking state politicians pledged to help. Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, wrote a letter asking for the State Department to reconsider the fathers application, Ms. Salem said, and the office of Representative Mark Meadows, a Republican, intervened as well. WASHINGTON The plan was straightforward: After years of being challenged by President Trump and others about a decades-old claim of Native American ancestry, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts would take a DNA test to prove her stated family origins in the Cherokee and Delaware tribes. But nearly two months after Ms. Warren released the test results and drew hostile reactions from prominent tribal leaders, the lingering cloud over her likely presidential campaign has only darkened. Conservatives have continued to ridicule her. More worrisome to supporters of Ms. Warrens presidential ambitions, she has yet to allay criticism from grass-roots progressive groups, liberal political operatives and other potential 2020 allies who complain that she put too much emphasis on the controversial field of racial science and, in doing so, played into Mr. Trumps hands. Advisers close to Ms. Warren say she has privately expressed concern that she may have damaged her relationships to Native American groups and her own standing with activists, particularly those who are racial minorities. Several outside advisers are even more worried: They say they believe a plan should be made to repair that damage, possibly including a strong statement of apology. The advisers say Ms. Warren will have to confront the issue again if she announces a presidential campaign, which is expected in the coming weeks, and several would like her to act soon. WASHINGTON At dinner with Chinas president, Xi Jinping, on Saturday night in Buenos Aires, President Trump celebrated their special relationship and all but predicted they would emerge with a truce in the trade war between the United States and China. Seven thousand miles away, unbeknown to both leaders, Canadian police acting at the request of the United States were in the process of detaining Meng Wanzhou, a top executive of one of Chinas flagship technology firms, as she changed planes in Vancouver. The Justice Department is investigating Ms. Mengs company, Huawei, on charges of violating sanctions on Iran, and her arrest was meant as a warning shot by the Trump administration in its campaign to limit the global spread of Chinese technology. But it has thrown Mr. Trumps trade negotiations with Beijing into disarray, drawing a sharp protest from the Chinese government and sending financial markets into a panicky swoon, before a modest recovery on Thursday afternoon. The timing of the arrest, some experts said, could feed the suspicion of Chinese officials that nationalist factions in the Trump administration were trying to sabotage the trade deal. Their mood had already soured since Saturday, when the White House announced the two sides had agreed to 90 days of talks, amid confusion over the timetable and doubts that the Chinese would agree to the trade concessions described by Mr. Trump. They should lay out their cards so everyone knows fact from fiction and fact from innuendo, said Dallas Woodhouse, the executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party. If they can state with certainty that whatever bad behavior that took place could not have changed the race, then they should certify Mr. Harris. If they can state there was a substantial likelihood that the race could have been altered, then we would not oppose a new election. The deepening concerns about the Ninth District center on Mr. Harriss voter turnout operation, which partly relied on L. McCrae Dowless Jr., a political operative from Bladen County with both a felony record for fraud and an extensive history of working for Democratic and Republican campaigns. Witnesses have repeatedly described an effort that involved at least one seemingly illegal tactic: collecting absentee ballots directly from voters. The approach stirred worries that ballots may have been improperly marked for Mr. Harris or discarded if they were to be cast for Mr. McCready. Mr. Dowless declined to comment, and Mr. Harris and his supporters have denied wrongdoing. Democrats have warned that if the allegations about Mr. Harriss campaign are not sufficiently settled, they would be reluctant to allow him to be seated in January. Ms. Pelosi reasserted on Thursday that the House would have the final say on who was seated and whether to investigate the election itself. The House still retains the right to decide who is seated, Ms. Pelosi said. Any member-elect can object to the seating of, the swearing in of another member-elect, and well see how that goes. If North Carolina officials are not able to resolve the allegations in an acceptable way, she continued, the House Administration Committee has the authority to investigate the matter itself and ultimately determine a winner. If it was unable to, she added, the committee could call for a new election. (The House has the constitutional authority to be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members.) WASHINGTON In an extended argument on Thursday that touched on history, the role of precedent and fundamental questions of constitutional interpretation, the Supreme Court considered whether it should overrule a series of decisions that sometimes allowed criminal defendants to be prosecuted twice for the same crimes. There did not seem to be a majority ready to make that move. The Constitutions double jeopardy clause generally forbids subsequent prosecutions. But the Supreme Court has made one exception. Saying that the federal government and the states are independent sovereigns, the court has allowed separate prosecutions of the same conduct in state and federal courts. The case before the justices has attracted attention because the courts decision could have implications for the legal problems faced by associates of President Trump. Should he pardon them for federal crimes, a Supreme Court ruling that alters the definition of double jeopardy could complicate efforts by state prosecutors to pursue parallel charges. But the justices gave no indications on Thursday that they were focused on such issues. Instead, they debated the doctrine of stare decisis, which is Latin for to stand by things decided. LOS ANGELES It seemed that things could hardly get much worse for California Republicans. But on Thursday, the party conceded a seventh congressional seat in California, as Democrats completed a clean sweep of all the Republican-held seats in California districts where Hillary Clinton had defeated President Trump. Democrats are now likely to take 40 seats from Republicans as they decisively capture control of Congress. David Valadao, a Republican who has represented Central California since 2013 and won re-election in 2016 with a sturdy 57 percent of the vote was defeated by T.J. Cox, an engineer making a second bid for Congress. Representing the Central Valley in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime, Mr. Valadao said in his concession statement. Mr. Valadaos loss was a particularly dispiriting turn of events for Republicans because he had initially been declared the winner of the race by The Associated Press. And from the start, he seemed the best situated of the seven Republicans to withstand challenges by Democrats, given his previous strong winning margins. The Satanic tribute is one of four in the Capitol rotunda, along with the Christmas tree, the menorah and a solstice display from an anti-religion group that includes a sign that says, Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds. The anti-religion group has been part of the holiday display for several years but has not drawn as much controversy as the Satanic Temple, Mr. Druker said. His office has received only a few complaints, he said, but some of them were vociferous. People feel strongly, he said. They say, Satan is evil, how could we do anything that endorses him? And that wasnt the intent. Religious groups and conservatives have been irked by the tribute. Some see it as a mockery of their beliefs, while others see forces at work that are larger than the First Amendment. On Twitter a veritable hellscape of its own Illinois Family Action, a conservative group, said defenders of the tribute fail to realize that the little baby in the manger has CRUSHED Satans head and the gates of hell will NOT prevail. But the Satanic Temple, which describes itself as a nontheistic religious organization determined to halt the dangerous encroachment of theocracy into American government, says it does not want the gates of hell to prevail. In fact, the group says it does not believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural at all. We do not promote a belief in a personal Satan, the group says on its website. Instead, it refers to a metaphoric representation of the literary Satan found in the works of the writers John Milton, Mary Shelley, William Blake and Anatole France. KIGALI, Rwanda Diane Rwigara, Rwandas most prominent opposition figure, was cleared by the countrys high court on Thursday of all charges related to her election challenge against President Paul Kagame, after the judges found that the prosecution had failed to provide evidence of insurrection and forgery. The courtroom, packed with diplomats and supporters, erupted in applause as the verdict was announced, and Ms. Rwigara and her mother, Adeline Rwigara, 59, who was acquitted of inciting insurrection and promoting sectarianism, were overcome with tears. Relatives who had prayed before the hearing for protection swarmed them with hugs. The younger Ms. Rwigara, 37, who was arrested after trying to run for president last year, is a rare domestic critic of Mr. Kagame in a country that has shown little tolerance for political dissent. The Rwandan leader has won praise for leading the countrys recovery from the 1994 genocide and for advances in economic development and womens rights, but he has also come under fire from critics who accuse of him acting in an increasingly autocratic manner. QUITO, Ecuador Ecuadors president on Thursday ramped up the pressure on Julian Assange to leave his countrys embassy in London, saying Britain had provided sufficient guarantees that he would not be extradited to face the death penalty abroad. Mr. Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has been holed up in the Ecuadorean Embassy since 2012. He was granted asylum there while facing allegations of sex crimes in Sweden that he said were a guise to extradite him to the United States. President Lenin Morenos comments in a radio interview Thursday suggested that months of quiet diplomacy between the Ecuador and Britain to resolve Mr. Assanges situation is bearing fruit even as questions are swirling about his legal fate in the United States. The road is clear for Mr. Assange to take the decision to leave, Mr. Moreno said, citing written assurances he said he had received from Britain. KABUL, Afghanistan An election complaints agency on Thursday invalidated all of the votes cast in Kabul Province in Octobers parliamentary election, more than a million in all, over fraud allegations, pushing the country toward another political crisis just as a top American diplomat arrived to build momentum for peace talks with the Taliban. The ruling set up a stalemate with the agency administering the vote, the Independent Election Commission. The commission said it would ignore the decision invalidating the votes which would ordinarily require a new election within seven days and would certify the results of Kabuls vote in the coming days. It was unclear how the dispute would be resolved. The complaints agency did not describe the fraud accusations in detail, but it called for the firing of several Independent Election Commission staff members. The chairman of the Independent Election Commission, Gulajan Abdul Bade Sayyad, denounced the ruling, saying that it would mean disregarding the wishes of people who overcame great risk to cast their votes. The priest was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a court in Ohio, Ms. Sandoval added. Mr. Hendricks has been living in the Philippines for 37 years, mostly in the same area, working first as a Franciscan brother before he was ordained into the priesthood, according to people who knew him. The allegations came as a surprise, said Rolando Borrinaga, a local historian, who once worked as an altar boy and knew the priest. I was saddened because all the time that I have known him he has been a good friend and priest. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said it was aware of the arrest, but it has not issued a statement. But the arrest of Mr. Hendricks could be used by President Rodrigo Duterte as ammunition against the church. Mr. Duterte, who says he was molested by a priest when he was a child, seized on the arrest Wednesday to resume his frequent attacks on the church. He asserted that such abuses were common in the religion. The most hypocritical institution in the entire Philippines is the Catholic Church and the pope knows that, he told labor officials during a speech at the presidential palace in the capital, Manila, in which he assailed local bishops. The Philippines is predominantly Catholic and the church retains strong influence in the country. It has led anti-Duterte protests calling for a halt to his war on drugs, which has left thousands dead. Mr. Dutertes attacks on the church come as priests in the country have come under at times violent attacks. At least three Catholic priests have been killed by unknown gunmen since early this year after having spoken out against extrajudicial killings carried out in the name of the drug war. The countrys Commission on Human Rights warned on Thursday that the presidents statements could embolden the violence against priests and other religious persons. NEW DELHI The hunter who killed a man-eating tiger that stalked central India broke several laws, Indian officials said on Thursday, injecting new drama into an already contentious case and raising the possibility that the hunter could be prosecuted. The hunter, Asghar Ali Khan, who comes from a wealthy family renowned for tiger hunting, was inexperienced and did not have to kill the tiger last month, according to a report by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, a government agency. The tiger had killed more than a dozen villagers and had left residents of a bushy patch of Maharashtra State in terror, while the Indian authorities debated for months what to do. Wildlife activists urged them to leave the tiger alone or to tranquilize it and move it to a zoo; villagers insisted that the tiger be killed. The authorities eventually decided to stage a complex, military-style hunt to capture the tiger whom authorities called T-1 or, if that was not possible, to kill it. Mr. Khan, the son of a legendary hunter, Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, was part of that operation. SEOUL, South Korea North Korea is expanding an important missile base that would be one of the most likely sites for deploying intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States, two experts on the Norths missile programs said Thursday, citing new research based on satellite imagery. The activities at the Yeongjeo-dong missile base near North Koreas border with China and the expansion of a new suspected missile facility seven miles away are the latest indications that North Korea is continuing to improve its missile capabilities, said Jeffrey Lewis and David Schmerler of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California. And they come despite President Trumps repeated claims of progress in efforts to denuclearize the North. Dr. Lewis and Mr. Schmerler said they were still not sure whether Yeongjeo-dong and the new facility under construction in nearby Hoejung-ni, both in the mountainous area near North Koreas central border with China, were separate bases or parts of a larger single operation. But their geographic locations make them ideal to house long-range missiles, they said in a report they were preparing. Fergus Hanson of the Australian Security Policy Institute said that the bill had largely been framed as an antiterrorism measure, but it really had more to do with fighting crime on the state and federal levels. I think the police forces are looking at this through the lens that its hard, much harder for them to get access to content now, and so they want to address the going dark problem across the board, he said. Australian tech companies have said that the bill could hurt their business overseas, because customers would doubt their promises to protect encrypted data. The industry has also argued that any back door that companies are required to create for law enforcement to access encrypted data would also be vulnerable to hacking. In a submission to Parliament, Apple challenged the idea that weakening encryption is necessary to aid law enforcement. It added, In just the past five years alone, we have processed over 26,000 requests from Australian law enforcement agencies for information to help investigate, prevent and solve crimes. The Australian Information Industry Association, an advocacy group representing digital companies, said it had no confidence in the government as far as the bill was concerned. The proposed powers are unprecedented, their remit unnecessarily broad, and the consequences of their use completely unknown, said Kishwar Rahman, general manager of policy and advocacy for the group. She said its members were committed to working with the authorities to address operational concerns identified as arising from the use of encrypted technologies, but that they would use all available mechanisms to push back if the overly broad notices impact the security or privacy of their customers. Canada, for example, recently offered rebates to offset a planned carbon tax, helping people adjust to the change. But conservatives have pledged to undo Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus plan, saying it could cause economic damage, and only six of 10 provinces are going along with it. The French in the past have been far more tolerant than most societies in accepting high taxes on gasoline and diesel fuels. The cost of a gallon of gas in France is about $6 or more with taxes accounting for about 60 percent of that compared with about $3 on average in the United States, where high fuel taxes have been a nonstarter. But the French governments tax increase, written into law before President Emmanuel Macron was elected, proved a tipping point for hard-pressed families already laboring under some of Europes highest overall tax burdens. Rather than spurring the effort to cut fossil fuel use, the misstep now threatens to set it back. It angered those who can least afford to pay more to get to work and drop off their children at school. Fossil fuel champions including President Trump denounced the tax. And the backlash over it landed with a thud during the critical United Nations climate change negotiations underway in Poland, which Edouard Philippe, Frances prime minister, was forced to skip because of bubbling unrest at home. More than that, the decision this week to annul the tax increase came after protests nationwide turned violent, causing four deaths and millions of dollars in damage, and injuring more than 250 people. If nothing else, the maelstrom in France showed that the political challenge of how to create incentives for people to move away from fossil fuels requires much more than raising a tax on gas at the pump or subsidizing solar panels. BERLIN After 18 years under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel, delegates of Germanys conservative party, the Christian Democratic Union, plan to gather in Hamburg on Friday to elect a new leader who will shape the future of the party and the country, where it remains the strongest political force. Over the past month, the three main candidates have crisscrossed Germany, presenting themselves and their visions for the party to eight lively regional conferences so crowded that they often had to be moved to larger venues. Some 14,000 members attended, while the events were streamed live to an additional 200,000 people. [No one has shaped Europe more than Ms. Merkel, but her legacy is fragile.] It was an unusually transparent and democratic process for a party that has historically chosen its leaders in back-room deals, with the delegates vote rendered little more than a formality by one-candidate ballots. And it comes at a time when the Christian Democrats are struggling to retain their status as Germanys main big-tent party. Who is running? Three leading candidates made the rounds at the regional conferences, but recent polling has showed a close contest between two of them, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Friedrich Merz. Each represents a different vision for a party seeking to reaffirm its conservative credentials and win back voters who defected to the left and the far-right in last years inconclusive parliamentary elections. DUBLIN Fighting off last-ditch resistance, Irish lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill introducing free and legal abortion to a nation that was long a bastion of staunchly conservative Catholicism, seven months after voters repealed a constitutional ban on abortion. An often heated session of the Parliaments lower house on Wednesday had to be extended several times, as a small number of members mainly independent conservatives talked at length on dozens of amendments, almost all of which were voted down by large majorities. The bills opponents attempted to prolong the debate even further, which could have derailed the governments plan to make abortion available in January. Ultimately, the house approved the bill just before midnight Wednesday by a vote of 90 to 15, with 12 abstentions, and it moved on Thursday to the upper house. Ivana Bacik, a Labour Party lawmaker in the upper house, said she thought it very likely that the bill would pass and become law before the holiday recess the week after next. The bill would allow a woman to seek abortion for any reason up to the 12th week of pregnancy, and later in a case of fatal fetal abnormality or serious risk to a womans life or health. It includes a mandatory three-day waiting period after first consulting a doctor. This time, however, the negotiations are being driven by a greater sense of international urgency. The United Nations has issued dire warnings of potential famine in Yemen. In the United States, outrage over the killing of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi has increased broad pressure on the Trump administration to end military support. It will be a delicate process. Initially, the rival delegations in Sweden will have no direct contact. Diplomats will shuttle between them in an effort to build common ground. Mr. Griffiths, the United Nations envoy, has said that the talks can succeed only if both sides suspend their belief in the possibility of a military victory. Whether that is possible remains highly uncertain. In the weeks before the talks, the United Arab Emirates, a key Saudi ally, pushed forward with a fierce offensive to snatch the Red Sea port of Hudaydah from Houthi control. Now coalition forces nearly surround the city, which is crucial to international aid efforts. The United Nations hopes to broker a deal that would place Hudaydah under international control, effectively removing it from the strategic chessboard of the war and allowing relief to flow unimpeded into the country. For as long as I can remember, Ive always been interested in how people move in everyday life. The way someone leaps over a puddle in the gutter to hail a cab or the way one person holds a door for another. Or even the way cooks in a restaurant kitchen work with synchronicity in their confined quarters. Ordinary acts like this, I find, can contain extraordinary grace and beauty. I spend a lot of my time observing people in New York for these kinds of moments. And if I look closely enough, there are constant snippets of movement to draw from. Im not the first choreographer to search for inspiration in the city. Merce Cunningham was said to peer down from his studio window in the West Village at the street below to observe how pedestrians moved through space. George Balanchine spoke of the elegance of the waiters circulating through the Russian Tea Room. Maybe this study of the mundane is just part of the choreographers instinct. That instinct became the jumping-off point for this series of Great Performers films simple gestures drawn from the everyday. Sometimes I combined those with comedic nods to films from the Hollywood Golden Age (Gene Kelly dancing joyously through a downpour; Fred Astaire in his signature top hat and cane). Humor in dance is tough to pull off, but it can be so satisfying; its one of the most honest and bright human expressions. I began the process by devising simple, one-paragraph scenarios for each actor. Ethan Hawkes short, Table Manners, is inspired by the anxiety of selecting the right fork at a fancy dinner. Eager to dive into his meal, his character keeps looking down at his plate to find that the silverware seems to be spontaneously multiplying until the entire table is covered with forks, knives and spoons. His anxiety builds to a breaking point that finally sets him off into a wild, toreadorlike dance, whipping up the tablecloth and sending the flatware and food flying. The increasingly difficult New York City subway commute inspired Julia Robertss short, The Commuter: when the trains are crowded and barely moving, and you just want to close your eyes and be transported to a different world. For Robertss character, that world became a fantasy dance sequence in which shes dressed in a tuxedo, complete with top hat and tails. Suddenly, shes her own version of Fred Astaire soft-shoeing euphorically through a completely empty subway car. Yoo Ah-ins short, Waiting Room, is about dance as an expression of boredom. His setting is a waiting room perhaps a doctors office or a D.M.V. The short is made up of unconscious, fidgety gestures that build into a rhythmic dance among the drab furniture. Regina Halls Rise and Shine is also an accumulation of gestures, this time based on the moment when youre waking up in the morning and just getting your body moving. Some people, especially dancers, have a routine to get themselves going stretches and exercises and things like that. I wanted to turn the dilemma of staying in bed versus waking up into a pattern of movement. The parameters for this project were unusually specific. Most of the actors had very little dance experience. We had almost no rehearsal time and only a couple of hours with each actor. A lot had to be improvised in the moment. The actors often came in nervous to be asked to dance; some of them knew that Im the resident choreographer at the New York City Ballet, and that may have scared them a little. I think it helped when I told them they werent going to be asked to execute virtuosic dance phrases. Lifelike gestures can be part of dance, too; so can the look on someones face. Once the actors understood that I wanted to meet them where they were, they all took to the process and seemed to revel in it. In many ways, the project was about discovering dance in unexpected places. Yalitza Aparicio, for example, had no dance training, but we were able to create a sense of motion through the specificity of movements that we gave her to perform. The idea behind her short, The Daisy, was incredibly simple: the act of picking a flower. But the simplicity quickly turned into a polyphonic interaction between Aparicio, the daisy and the Steadicam filming her. Aparicio brought a special, tender quality to her interaction with the daisy. The viewer can almost sense the fragrance of the flower as it lifts her into movement. These kinds of moments where acting and dance intersect were exactly what I was looking for. I was over the moon working with Glenn Close. She is a consummate theater actor, but even she was a bit apprehensive at first. I mentioned Gene Kellys iconic mop dance from Thousands Cheer, which was a reference for her scenario, about a maintenance worker on her midnight shift who breaks into dance while mopping the floor. We took to the dance floor, and I showed her a couple of gestures with the mop; we exchanged several ideas for movements, and then she just started to run with it. Sometimes she would dance for five minutes straight in a single take. Her footwork was particularly noteworthy and even reminded me of Twyla Tharps sneaker dances. By the end of the day, she was drenched in sweat a testament to her enthusiasm. One thing that caught my interest was the totally distinctive energy that each actor possesses. I felt it immediately as they came into the studio. Lakeith Stanfield seemed to float onto the set and had a boundless physical imagination: He stood on his hands, performed interpretive balletic leaps, even did cartwheels. Hawke had a curious, untrammeled energy: He was interested in everything around him. Toni Collette had a low-key ease. She and I couldnt quite break the ice at first, until she noticed me tap-dancing around the set (sometimes I tap-dance when Im thinking or when Im nervous) and told me that she likes to tap-dance, too. Straightaway, we started playing around with tap movement and improvised a synchronized duet together. For her short, The Heebie-Jeebies, we placed her in a nondescript attic. She starts to become creeped out by her surroundings, and when a spider web grazes her arm, she dances a manic elaboration on the visceral feeling of the heebie-jeebies. In performance, she had all cylinders firing as the cameras were rolling. She was fully committed. Choreographed and Directed by Justin Peck Music by Caroline Shaw Choreographed and Directed by Justin Peck Music by Caroline Shaw Justin Peck, the New York City Ballet's resident choreographer, created a series of dance films for the year's best actors. The scenarios put everyday characters in familiar situations: packed into a subway car, stuck in a doctor's office, caught in a downpour. But once they start moving, the actors turn our common experiences into welcome moments of enchantment. Justin Peck, the New York City Ballet's resident choreographer, created a series of dance films for the year's best actors. The scenarios put everyday characters in familiar situations: packed into a subway car, stuck in a doctor's office, caught in a downpour. But once they start moving, the actors turn our common experiences into welcome moments of enchantment. The orchid mantis, named after the flower it strikingly resembles, fools prey and predators alike. Its imitation of orchids is so convincing that insects are more attracted to it than the real deal. Camouflage isnt a strange concept; many animals and insects adopt clever disguises to avoid predators. But orchid mantises are unique. They stand out instead of blending in, beating orchids at their own game. Most people find insects gross and disturbing. I must confess, Im one of them. But I caught myself admiring pictures of orchid mantises. They are such beautiful creatures with their petal-shaped legs and rich pink, white and purple bodies. These features create a tantalizing lure for insects, says James OHanlon from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Photo: Lewallpaper Scientists have believed in the orchid mantis aggressive mimicry tactics since the 1800s. According to evolutionary biologist OHanlon, It was only ever just an idea nobody had done the experiments to test whether it actually occurred. Now, over a century later, we have textbooks and scientific articles stating that mantises mimic flowers as if it was an established fact, he says. OHanlon felt it was his job to set the record straight, so he traveled to Malaysia with a group of scientists to study orchid mantises. Photo: Francesco Tomasinelli Conducting the study wasnt easy OHanlon and his team knew almost nothing about these creatures. The researchers first tested colors of the mantis under wavelengths of light visible to flying and pollinating insects. This confirmed that the colors were indeed indistinguishable from 13 species of wild flowers. Next, the scientists watched how pollinators behaved around live orchid mantises. They witnessed over a dozen instances of unsuspecting insects getting close enough to the mantises to be snatched and gobbled up. This helped the research team conclude that the centuries-old theory is actually true. Photo: Igor Siwanowicz We now know that not only is it possible for mantises to lure pollinators, but we know that they are amazingly good at it, says OHanlon. They can attract even more pollinators than some flowers. Researchers have confirmed that orchid mantises are the only species in the world that imitates flowers to attract prey. According to OHanlon, There are other animals that are known to camouflage amongst flowers and ambush prey, but they do not actually attract the pollinators themselves. Photo: XTBG In the next leg of research, OHanlon and his team plan to analyze how predators view orchid mantises. It is entirely possible that mantises may avoid getting eaten if predators such as birds and lizards misclassify orchid mantises as a flower, rather than a food source, he says. Orchid mantises sound like lucky creatures, dont they? Not only do they look great, all they have to do is laze around on a branch and their food comes flying right at them. What more could they want! Source: Live Science A 70-year-old man from Scotland ruined his winter holiday and got himself banned from the United States forever after accidentally declaring himself a terrorist on an online visa form. John Stevenson and his wife, Marion, an elderly couple from Inverclyde, Scotland, were supposed to vacation in New York this month, but they ended up losing both their flight tickets and their advance for accommodation in The Big Apple, after John got permanently banned from entering the United States for declaring himself a terrorist on an online visa form. Despite several attempts to convince US officials that he had just made a mistake, he remains banned, so the couple cant even reschedule their trip, as they dont know if theyll ever be allowed into the United States. Photo: mohamed_hassan/Pixabay We were filling out the visa form and it kept timing out before we could tick all the boxes. Then it crashed and when it came back up, you start where you finish off, John Stevenson told English newspaper The Independent. One of the questions ask if you are a terrorist and it must have jumped from No to Yes without me knowing. Johnson said that he didnt even realize his mistake until he called US border control to give them his passport details, and they replied that he was a terrorist. I even called border control in the US and gave them my passport details. They looked up my Esta number and said youre a terrorist, the unlucky Scotsman told reporters. I told them that I was 70 years old and I dont even recognize what that means. It is the biggest nightmare Ive ever had. Sadly for John and his wife, they are likely to lose the 2,000 ($2,500) they had already spent on their New York trip, as United Airlines notified them that the cost of their plane tickets could not be refunded, and neither could their advance for accommodation. Photo: cytis/Pixabay We were meant to be going away on December 3, Stevenson said. Its terrible, its shocking and so stupid. I dont know why that question is on the form in the first place. Ive never been in trouble in my life. The only time Ive been in court was for jury service and now Ive been treated like a criminal. Having already come to terms with losing a considerable sum of money, the Stevensons now hope to at least have Johns US ban revoked by visiting the US embassy in London, where he will likely be questioned by American officials. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar leads a Late Late Show line-up including music superstar Michael Buble, country king Daniel ODonnell and comedian and author David Walliams. The Fine Gael leader will join Ryan Tubridy to talk about the highs and lows of his first 18 months as Irelands youngest ever Taoiseach, navigating Brexit, the stability of the Government as the Supply and Confidence agreement with Fianna Fail comes up for renewal, and the chances of an early General Election. We'll also be talking to him about the key issues facing his Government from housing to health. After taking time out to look after his family when his son was diagnosed with cancer, Michael Buble is back performing with a new album and a tour on the way. Hell be telling Ryan what the last few years have been like for him and his family, why he describes his new album as baby making music and how rumours of his retirement were greatly exaggerated. He will also be putting his famous vocal chords into action with not one but two songs. Comedian David Walliams found fame with Little Britain and as a judge on Britains Got Talent. But 10 years ago he turned his hand to writing childrens books, going on to sell 26 million books worldwide and be described as a Roald Dahls successor. Hell be chatting about the inspiration for his books and fatherhood. Well also be quizzing him on his love for Simon Cowell. Donegals most famous son Daniel ODonnell will be in studio to chat about coming home for Christmas to spend time with Majella in the house the country coveted on Room to Improve earlier this year. Hell be telling viewers about singing for the Pope and venturing very far out of his comfort zone as he and Majella travelled across America for their next road trip. Daniel will also be treating viewers to one of his favourite hits. And we will be meeting the final three celebrities who will be tripping the light fantastic across the Dancing With The Stars ballroom floor. The Late Late Show airs this Friday, December 7, RTE One, at 9.35pm. Offaly students Andrea Tesarova and Thomas Britten were among the 125 students from across the island of Ireland awarded a 2018 All Ireland Scholarship last weekend, granting them full academic financial support for the duration of their third level studies by sponsor, JP McManus. Andrea, from Banagher College, and Thomas, from Killina Presentation Secondary School, were among the winners commended for their achievements at a ceremony in University of Limerick by guest of honour, Limerick Senior Hurling Manager John Kiely. Minister of State for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell OConnor TD and the Permanent Secretary at the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland, Noel Lavery presented the scholarship certificates to the students. Andrea Tesarova receiving her scholarship Established in 2008, the scholarships are valued at 6,750 per annum in the Republic of Ireland and 5,500 in Northern Ireland and continue for the duration of the undergraduate programme chosen by each scholarship winner. Congratulating this years recipients, Minister for Higher Education, Mary Mitchell OConnor said; The 125 recipients of the All Ireland Scholarship deserve our heartiest congratulations. They are a credit to themselves, their school, their teachers and of course, their families. Their path to success through third level has been made smoother and they can face the challenges that await them with confidence. Sponsored by JP McManus, the educational scheme is awarded to a minimum of two high-achieving students from each of the 32 counties. This year, 50% of scholarship recipients in the Republic of Ireland scored 600 points or over in the Leaving Certificate. Mr McManus said, To our successful scholars I offer heartiest congratulations. Their hard work and commitment has been rewarded and they will no doubt build on their success and continue to strive for excellence in their ongoing studies and future careers. It was wonderful to be joined by students, distinguished guests, by parents, principals and friends from across Ireland today as we celebrated the success of the young men and women who were recognised for their outstanding academic achievements. The programme is administered by the Department of Education & Skills and the Department for the Economy with support from the Department of Education, Northern Ireland. To date, 1,371 students have been awarded an All Ireland Scholarship. Previous Guests of Honour have included Irish Presidents Michael D. Higgins and Mary McAleese, 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, and sporting heroes AP McCoy, Paul OConnell and Martin ONeill. New Hartford, N.Y. A Middle Settlement Academy student was arrested for bringing a handgun to school after it was found on school grounds. The gun was found outside the Middle Settlement Academy Campus at Oneida Herkimer Madison BOCES in New Hartford by school staff, prompting a school lock-out and response from the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. The Oneida County Sheriffs Office Criminal Investigation Unit and deputies from the Road Patrol arrived and upon investigation, police say it was determined that Middle Settlement Academy student KaShawn Carter brought the handgun to school on the bus. Police say prior to entering the building, Carter hid the handgun near a water spigot on the building. It was found a short time later by Oneida Herkimer Madison BOCES Staff Members. The investigation also revealed that there was no plan to use the handgun at Oneida Herkimer Madison BOCES. Carter was transported to the Oneida County Sheriffs Office Law Enforcement Building where he was arrested for second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a class C felony and criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, a class E Felony. Carter will be held at the Oneida County Jail while he awaits arraignment at the Oneida County CAP Court. The investigation is still ongoing. 7th Pay Commission: A salary hike of Rs 10,000 on the cards India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 6: There is some big news on the 7th Pay Commission with the government indicating a very positive development. The meeting between the Railway employees organisations and the Railway ministry was a positive one. They were assured that the employees would get allowance as suggested by the pay panel. 7th Pay Commission: A big pay hike on its way in January 2019 The employees have been assured that the running alliance will be increased. If the same is increased then the salaries would go up by Rs 10,000. A file in this regard has been sent to the Railway Minister. During the meeting various issues were raised and the outcome was positive in nature. India Railway Men's Federation General Secretary Shiv Gopal Mishra said that the talks with the railway ministry were quite successful. Meanwhile there was some bad news for the Army. The government has rejected a long-standing demand of the armed forces for higher Military Service Pay (MSP) for over 1.12 lakh military personnel, including Junior Commissioned Officers, official sources said Tuesday. They told PTI that the Army headquarters was very upset over the decision of the Finance Ministry, and will seek its immediate review. Around 1.12 lakh military personnel including 87,646 JCOs and 25,434 personnel of equivalent rank from the Navy and the Indian Air Force will be impacted by the decision. The proposal for higher MSP for JCOs and equivalent rank of the Navy and IAF has been rejected by the Finance Ministry, sources said. The three services, particularly the Army, was pressing for increasing the monthly MSP of JCOs from Rs 5,500 to Rs 10,000. The total annual financial outgo would have been Rs 610 crore if the government had accepted the demand, the sources said. The MSP for the military personnel was introduced in 2008, recognising their unique service conditions and hardships. At present, the MSP has two categories -- one for officers and another for JCOs and jawans. The seventh Pay Commission had fixed Rs 5,500 as MSP per month for JCOs and jawans while putting it at Rs 15,500 for officers between Lieutenant-rank and Brigadier-rank. 7th Pay Commission: Good news, 200 per cent hike proposed for these CG employees The Army has been pressing for granting an MSP of Rs 10,000 for the JCOs, arguing that they are gazetted officers (Group B) and play a very vital role in command and control structure of the force. The Army headquarters is "very anguished" over the rejection of higher MSP to JCOs. The defence ministry is also miffed over it, the sources said. "Since JCOs are Group B gazetted officers and also have considerable length of service, it is incorrect to grant them MSP on par with the jawans. It is very unfair," said a military officer who wished not to be named. In 2016, the three service chiefs had taken up salary related issues including the "anomalies" in MSP with the 7th Pay Commission as well as with the top echelon of the government. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 6:47 [IST] AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive AgustaWestland: 12 million Euros was set aside to lobby with family India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 6: James Christian Michel, who is now in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation faced his first round of interrogation. The CBI has been questioning him about various aspects relating to the AgustaWestland case and during the first round of interrogation, he denied all charges. At first, he was soft in his approach and calmly denied all the allegations. However he became aggressive, when he was countered with documents relating to a commission amount, which he was unable to explain. Michel told the CBI that he had done no wrong and consultancy contracts were valid in nature. He was however not able to give a suitable reply when asked about what he had done with the rest of the money after the commission was deducted. With Michel in India, a fully paid junket to Italy comes back under the scanner The CBI in its chargesheet had spoken about two agreements that Michel had signed with AgustaWestland. The first one was for 42 million Euros which was later reduced to 30 million Euros. The second agreement was for a sum of 28 million Euros. The CBI also speaks about some money being used to lobby with the family. CBI officers say that in this context family referred to the Tyagis. CBI officials tell OneIndia that they would question about the 12 million Euros which was allegedly used to pay the family. He is alleged to have taken a cut in his commission so that the family could be paid off, the probe has revealed. The CBI says that on May 8 2011, he had entered into an agreement with European middleman Guido Haschke. In this contract it was decided to reduce the amount from 42 million Euros to 30 million. The remaining amount of 12 million Euros may have been used to lobby with the family, the CBI believes. Sonia, Political, AP and Fam: Here is what James Michel will help CBI decode On day one of the questioning, the CBI also questioned him about his Dubai based companies that were used to launder money for AgustaWestland. The CBI also questioned him about July 2006 meeting that was held in Cascina Costa. A CBI statement said, "a meeting was held in Cascina Costa, Italy during July, 2006 where it was decided that Christian Michel James will join Ralph Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa in carrying out scouting and monitoring activities with regard to the acquisition of helicopters in India, keeping in view of his knowledge of Indian military operational mechanism. During the above meeting they had negotiated a comprehensive fees equal to 7% of the supply contract amount to cover the expenses and fees of both of them." He further entered into as many as 12 contracts through his firms- M/s Global Trade and Commerce Ltd. London and M/s Global Services FZE, Dubai, UAE with Finmeccanica, AgustaWestland, Westland Helicopters UK. This was legitimise the illicit commission on the procurement of VVIP choppers. An amount of Euro 42.27million (Rs. 295.00 Crore approx.) was paid by the Finmeccanica Group to the firms of Michel as kickbacks/bribe without undertaking any work against the receipt of such amount, the CBI also said. James Michel's extradition spooks Mallya, offers "to pay 100% back" A CBI official said that he will be confronted with documents recovered during raids by the Swiss authorities and received by the agency through Letters Rogatory. These indicate that Michel had had paid bribes to Indian authorities for securing the contract to supply VVIP choppers from AgustaWestland, the CBI also says. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 8:42 [IST] AgustaWestland: After saying witness may have died, ED cites a little birdie to say he is alive AgustaWestland: UK seeks urgent information on Michels extradition India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 6: The UK government has said it has sought urgent information from India on the circumstances surrounding the detention and extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case, who is facing allegations of bribery. The businessman, a British national, was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on Tuesday night. Michel, who was the alleged middleman in the graft-tainted AgustaWestland chopper deal during the UPA rule, was sent to five-day CBI custody by a special CBI court in New Delhi, a day after he was extradited from the UAE. "Our staff continue to support the family of a British man following his detention in the UAE," said a spokesperson for the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). With Michel in India, a fully paid junket to Italy comes back under the scanner "We are in contact with his family and the Emirati authorities regarding his case, and are urgently seeking information from the Indian authorities on his circumstances," the spokesperson said. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. Michel has denied all charges and alleged that the CBI wants him to take the names of the Gandhi family, a claim which had been refuted by the central probe agency. CBI prosecutor D P Singh said in court that Michel was required for custodial interrogation to unearth the "deep rooted conspiracy" and the money trail in the case. His custody was required to identify Michel's accomplices including the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials, bureaucrats and politicians, who were influenced or were instrumental in changing the decisions, which made Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland eligible to participate in the bidding process and to ultimately secure the deal, Singh argued. India has since scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica's British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks by it for securing the deal. The deal, initialled in 2010, was scrapped on January 1, 2014. Sonia, Political, AP and Fam: Here is what James Michel will help CBI decode In the court, the special judge was informed by the CBI that its investigation showed Michel had entered into 12 contracts through two of his firms - M/s Global Trade and Commerce Ltd, London and M/s Global Services FZE, Dubai, UAE, with M/s Finmeccanica, M/s AgustaWestland, M/s Westland Helicopters, UK and others. The British High Commission in New Delhi has also sought consular access to Michel. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 6:16 [IST] Aryan, the first trans-man to take part in mens body-building contest & win prize India oi-Shubham Ghosh New Delhi, Dec 6: Winning a prize and that too the second is not a big deal at a muscle competition for today's gym-savvy generation. But here is a news that makes even winning the second prize at a body-building competition special because the prize has been won none other than a trans-man, the first in India to achieve such a feat. On December 1, Aryan Pasha, a 26-year-old lawyer from East Delhi, participated in the Muscle Mania India contest and finished second on the podium, InUth reported. If you thought poetry is something only humans could write, you were wrong! A body-building enthusiast since his college days, Aryan never participated in any competition that rewards the best in the business since he had reservations whether his gender identity would allow him. Nevertheless, he took part in the Men's Physique (Short) category in the above mentioned competition in Delhi, becoming the first-ever representative from the trans-community to do so. "I always wanted to participate in a competition. But I didn't know that I would be allowed because of my identity. I am happy that I made it this time," InUth quoted Aryan as saying. Aryan, who had once tried to go to a body-building competition in the US but did not get visa, approached the organisers of the Muscle Mania India contest with a nervous heart but was glad to know that they had no issues with his gender identity and gave him the green signal to go ahead. Aryan transitioned at the age of 18 from Naiyla Pasha. Son of a builder based in Vivek Vihar in East Delhi, Aryan then took up body-building wholeheartedly. He found his family standing by him and has a special gratitude to his mother who made him aware about transitioning, the report added. World's first surviving septuplets turn 21& they are attractive individuals today Aryan next plans to take part in the International Body Building and Fitness Federation contest which will be held in Delhi in February. Aryan is set to compete in men as well transmit categories. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 10:28 [IST] BJPs Kisan Morcha caught napping on farmers' rally; central leadership wakes them up India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 6: The central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not pleased with the leadership of Kisan Morcha of the party in view of the response taken by it to the huge rally organised by various farmers' organisation and later on political parties joining it. Though the BJP has started damage control but the initiative was taken by the senior leadership. BJP Kishan Morcha chief Virendra Singh 'Mast' too got earful from the national president of the party Amit Shah that not a single initiative was taken by him in this regard. But after getting a pep talk from the party president, he sent messages to the farmer leaders across the country to discuss their issues so that schemes initiated by the Centre and state governments for the welfare of farmers can be effectively implemented and executed all across. Virendra Singh said that this is the way by which the BJP Kishan Morcha and farmer leaders will be able to tell the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the issues concerning them. "Farmers have been protesting for their demands and this was the reason that the government has been able to solve seven out of 11 problems raised by them," said Virendra Singh. Farmers' crisis: Our parliament has time for GST but not for peasants, says P Sainath The BJP is doing massive mobilization and is planning to attack the policies of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Singh criticised the political parties participating in the rally for making the protest march and agitation undertaken of November 29 and November 30, 2018 as a political event. The agitation undertaken by over 200 farmers' organisations failed to deliver anything to them as it became a political muscular flexing. It was rather hijacked by the political parties for their own game plan against the BJP government. Sources said that issues are now being taken up in the rural areas and villages that the government is working genuinely for farmers and will keep working for them. Why a farm loan waiver and not a temple at Ayodhya matters to farmers But the farmers' organisations are very perky about its success and they too have started mobilizing at the grass root. "We have been doing it earlier also but united opposition has been able to put up a good show at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi where Congress, Left Front, AAP, NCP and many other political parties participated in the rally besides farmers' organisation. Now, Initiatives are being taken at the state level and attempts are being made to develop movement at the grass root level for their demands which have already been highlighted at the Delhi rally. But that needs to brought in to the ground level which is being done vigorously. Farmers are in real distress as they are selling potato at Rs 2 per kg but it is being sold at Rs 20 kg in cities," Sidheshwar Prashad Shukla, a left leader, told Oneindia. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 17:45 [IST] J&K: BSF jawan killed, another injured in sniper fire from across LoC India pti-PTI Jammu, Dec 6: A BSF jawan was killed and another injured in sniper fire from across the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. They said the incident occurred at the Rakhee post in the evening. [Work hard, compete for Army's 'Super30' prog: Gen Rawat to Kashmiri girl students] The sector is manned by the troops of the 126th battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF). While a bullet hit Constable P Biswas on the left shoulder, Constable Mansa Ram suffered a gunshot wound to the thigh, they said. The two jawans were evacuated in a helicopter to the nearest medical facility, but Biswas succumbed to injuries, they added. The condition of the other jawan is stable, officials said. PTI Cabinet clears agri export policy to take shipments to USD 60 bn by 2022 India pti-PTI New Delhi, Dec 6: Seeking to double agricultural export to USD 60 billion by 2022, the Union Cabinet Thursday approved a maiden export policy for the farm sector that imposes no restrictions on export of all organic and processed products. However, export policy for primary agricultural products, like onion, would reviewed periodically on a case-to-case basis depending on price-supply situation, said Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu after the Cabinet meet. "The policy aims at doubling agricultural shipments to over USD 60 billion by 2022," he said, adding that achieving the target was "doable". He said the farm exports have grown by 20 per cent in a year. Agricultural exports are currently estimated at USD 30 billion. Prabhu said there was a time when India used to import agricultural products, but now it is exporting in a big way. He rued India had no export policy for agri products despite a major producer. Prabhu said the first ever 'Agriculture Export Policy, 2018' would help the government in achieving the target of doubling farmers' income. The policy aims to boost exports of agriculture commodities such as tea, coffee and rice and increase the country's share in global agri-trade. The policy would focus on all aspects of agricultural exports including modernising infrastructure, standardisation of products, streamlining regulations, curtailing knee-jerk decisions, and focusing on research and development activities. It will also seek to remove all kinds of export restrictions on organic products, the minister added. The implementation of the policy will have an estimated financial implication of over Rs 1,400 crore. As per an official release, the objective of the policy is to diversify export basket, destinations and boost high value and value added agricultural exports. It will also provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and deal with sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues. Other objectives of the policy is to strive to double India's share in world agri exports by integrating with global value chain at the earliest and enable farmers to get benefit of export opportunities in overseas market. Prabhu said the policy has arrived at after consultation with state governments. He said states have also agreed to remove 'mandi tax' and reforms in Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) norms. To operationalise the policy, the government would focus on creating agri clusters, promote value added shipments, attract private investment and infrastructure development. PTI No arrest, but appear before CBI at neutral venue, SC to Kolkata top cop CBI vs CBI: SC reserves order after hearing arguments at length India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 6: The Supreme Court sought to know why the CVC and the government did not consult the panel headed by the Prime Minister before divesting CBI director, Alok Verma of his powers. The essence of every government administration is to do what is acceptable. If there are 2 options then one is acceptable and the other more acceptable, Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi observed. What stopped the government taking the more acceptable option, the CJI also said. Verma-Asthana fought like Kilkenny cats, Centre tells SC in CBI case Further Justice Gogoi said that the point made by Verma is what was the difficulty in consulting the PM led panel. Alok Verma had a 2 year tenure and this was recommended by the panel. So if you wanted something, why did you not consult the panel, the CJI also remarked. The situation which prompted CVC to take action against Verma was there since July and did not occur overnight. When you had tolerated the situation since July what was it that required you to take a decision overnight on October 23. Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta appearing for the CV said that the CVC had come to a conclusion that an extraordinary situation had arisen. An extraordinary situation needs an extraordinary remedy. CVC's superintendence (over the CBI) encompasses "surprise, extraordinary situations" Don't make a song and dance or rush to media, Jaitley advises agencies amidst CBI row Section 4(1) of DSPE Act, which controls the CBI functioning, says CVC superintendence over CBI is restricted to probes in corruption cases. Can Section 8 of CVC Act go beyond S. 4 of DSPE Act, the CJI sought to know. On Wednesday, Attorney General, K K Venugopal said that the image of the agency was taking a beating due to the fight between Alok Verma and Rakesh Asthana and this is why they were exiled. The government had to intervene because the fight was not private. They brought ridicule to the CBI. The issues could have been kept private and sorted out in-house, Venugopal also said. After examining the material carefully and also taking into consideration the issues, the Centre was satisfied that a situation had arisen where action needed to be taken, the AG also said. The prime intention was to ensure that public confidence in the institution remained intact, Venugopal also said. Govt is destroying the CBI under the garb of protecting it, Kharge tells SC They fought like Kilkenny cats- two cats fought till their death and ate each other up such that only their tails were left, the AG also said. After the AG concluded his arguments, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta arguing for the CVC said the only limitation the CVC has is that cannot ask the CBI to decide a case in a particular manner. He said that Centre can make a reference to the CVC for inquiry against the CBI officials. Not only does the CVC have the power to act, bit it was also obligated under the CVC Act to do so. After hearing arguments at length the court has reserved its orders. Centre announces Rs 3,,719 cr assistance to flood-affected Kerala, Nagaland, Andhra India oi-PTI New Delhi, Dec 6: Kerala, which was hit by massive floods in August, will be given Rs 3,048 crore as an additional assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), officials said. Floods claim 868 lives in 7 states Besides, Rs 539 crore will be given to cyclone-hit Andhra Pradesh and Rs 131 crore to Nagaland, which was also hit by floods. A High Level Committee, headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, on Thursday approved the additional assistance of Rs 3048.39 crore to Kerala,Rs 131.16 crore to Nagaland and Rs 539.52 crore to Andhra Pradesh, a home ministry spokesperson said. The Kerala government had sought Rs 4,700 crore as compensation from the central government for the damage caused by the floods, which was termed as the worst in a century. At least 488 people died in Kerala due to the rains and floods this monsoon, which hit 14 districts of the state. The meeting of the Committee was held to consider the additional central assistance to Kerala, Nagaland and Andhra Pradesh, which were affected by floods, landslides and cyclone 'Titli', respectively. Those who attended the meeting include Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and senior officers of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Finance and Agriculture. In case of any natural calamity beyond the coping capacity of a state, the state government submits a detailed memorandum indicating sector-wise details of damage and requirement of funds for relief operations of immediate nature, another official said. Kerala floods: Centre asks state government to pay up Rs 290 crore for rescue operations As per the existing guidelines, the central government sends an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) for an on-the-spot assessment of damage and additional requirement of funds. The IMCT report is considered by the Sub-Committee of National Executive Committee (SC-NEC) headed by the Union home secretary in conformity with the norms and then by a high-level committee, chaired by the home minister for approving the quantum of additional assistance from the NDRF. The financial mechanism to meet the rescue and relief expenditure during any notified disaster event is governed by guidelines pertaining to State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the official said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 23:40 [IST] Curfew in Ahmedabad extended till 6am on May 21; Night curfew to continue in 36 cities for another 3 days Gujarat: Robot-assisted heart surgery performed on patient from 32 kms away India oi-Madhuri Adnal Ahmedabad, Dec 6: For the first time in history, a Gujarat doctor performed the world's first in-human telerobotic heart surgery on a patient 30 km away from him at an Ahmedabad hospital. Dr. Patel, sitting in Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar, controlled the robots that performed the telestenting surgery on a patient lying in the operation theatre at Apex Heart Institute in Ahmedabad. The middle aged woman suffered a heart attack some days ago. She had agreed to volunteer for the procedure. Dr Patel has been widely using robotics for heart surgery, but this is the first time in the world that the surgery was conducted from a remote location outside the operation theatre. Ayushman Bharat Yojana: First open heart surgery gives a fresh lease of life to 50-year-old The robotic system comprises three parts - a cath lab-integrated robotic arm, a cockpit from where the cardiologist commands the robot using a joystick, and a replaceable cassette that carries the clinical materials for each individual case requirement. According to doctors around the world, robotic surgeries are considered more accurate than the manual ones because human hands have some limitations that robotic hands don't. The Apex Heart Institute set up by Dr. Patel, a Padma Shri awardee, is the first facility outside the U.S. to introduce robotic procedures for heart-related surgeries. Dr. Patel used CorPath GRX, a vascular robotic system developed by the U.S.-based Corindus. CorPath GRX's robotic stenting is said to provide accuracy of sub-1 mm, against a surgeon's 5-10 mm. Live heart transported 323 kilometres in 94 minutes The surgery was watched by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, his deputy Nitin Patel and priests of the Akshardham Temple. Its success is expected to pave the way for large-scale, long-distance telerobotic platforms across the globe. What is robotic surgery? During robotic surgery, the robot works as an extension of the surgeon, which allows us to work through very small incisions or ports. There are two robotic "arms" which both go through the incision (between 2 to 2.5 centimeters). Each of these arms has a camera at the end that sends images to a video monitor or console to help guide the surgeons. There are two surgeons in the operating room, one controlling the robot and its movements and one directly next to the patient. The surgeon controlling the robot looks through the console that combines two separate images to create a highly detailed, 3D-image of the heart. It gives us a lot more precision and an ability to work through small spaces. A day before its debut in stock market, Zomato's app and website crashed Mai UP 112 bula loonga: UP Police's reply to Zomato, Paytm viral on social media Zomato, Swiggy food delivery to come under GST: But customers won't pay more Zomato reinstates terminated agent who said customer 'Hindi is national language, everyone should know it' Now, Zomato is planning drone-based food delivery for its customers India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru, Dec 6: Wth an eye on starting delivery by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at some point in the future, Restaurant search and food ordering firm Zomato has acquired a drone company for its customers. Food delivery forms a big part of the company's business contributing over 65% of its total revenue. Coffee board launches digital initiatives to benefit coffee stakeholders Founded by Indian Institute of Technology- Kanpur alumni Vikram Singh, TechEagle Innovations is a drone start-up based out of Lucknow. The company was incorporated in 2015 when Singh was in college. The start-up is into consultancy and manufacturing of drones. It also provides technical expertise and training for the use and deployment of UAVs in commercial facilities. Two months ago,Civil Aviation (MoCA), allowed commercial use of drones. This makes the food delivery unicorn, Zomato, first food delivery platform to enter drone-delivery. The startup currently delivers 22 million orders a month. Flying drones to be legal in India from December 1 Zomato is quickly expanding its footprint in India, even into smaller cities. The company recently said it will soon have operations in over 100 small cities in India. It has also been boosting its capacity to improve last-mile delivery. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 17:20 [IST] One of the hardest, how team Doval built a fool proof case to get Michel to India India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 6: Securing James Christian Michel was no easy task. Before setting the extradition motion into process, there were several issues that had to be taken into account. For starters, Michel, the alleged middleman in the AgustaWestland case is a British national. However, India had hope since he was in Dubai and all diplomatic stings could be pulled to seek his extradition. An high ranking official explains to OneIndia that although they were sure that there would not be much trouble seeking his extradition from Dubai, the case that had to be presented needed to be fool proof. AgustaWestland: 12 million Euros was set aside to lobby with 'family' The entire operation was set into motion around 16 months back under the direct guidance of National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. A note issued by the CBI on Tuesday stated that while the entire operation was coordinated under the guidance of Ajit Doval, a team led by Sai Manohar, joint director of CBI set the operation into motion. The officer further explained that they were readying for a long legal battle. The first setback was when the court had in UAE said that the evidence was flimsy. This led to the CBI gathering more evidence and sourcing documents through Letters Rogatory. The judgment of the Italian court, chargesheets by the CBI and documents received through LRs became crucial to the case. The CBI even presented documents that were recovered during raids by the Swiss authorities. While, the battle was being fought in court, India with the help of the Dubai authorities and the Interpol also had to ensure that Michel did not flee. It would have been hard with a Red Corner Notice, but we still had to be on watch, the officer also explained. There was an instance when he had tried fleeing Dubai, but was stopped, officers say. The final blow for Michel came when the Court of Cassation in Dubai delivered its final verdict. Going through the entire verdict, it becomes clear that India had presented irrefutable evidence while seeking his extradition. AgustaWestland: UK seeks urgent information on Michel's extradition While rejecting Michel's challenge to the extradition, the court had said that it upholds the justifiable and sound conclusion and hence the petitioner's (Michel) objection is dismissed. "Whereas the offences for which the above concerned person is wanted are of 'deceit and criminal conspiracy,' punishable by the laws of both state. In India the said offences are punishable by imprisonment or fine or both by the provisions of articles 120B, 415 and 420 of the Indian Penal Code. Article 120B (punishment for criminal conspiracy) provides for the punishment of imprisonment or fine or with both. In juxtaposition, we have the UAE provisions on offences of bribery, fraud and deceit in commercial transactions and such offences are punishable under the provisions of articles 237, 399 and 423 of the Federal Penal Law." "Whereas the challenged decision (extradition) has lawfully and justifiably concluded that it was evident in the exhibits that the relevant extradition request has fulfilled all conditions required in the provisions of the said treaty, whether formal or sustentative, as it has been proven that the written application was submitted by the requesting party accompanied with the name of the person to be extradited with the arrest warrant issued against him by the competent judicial authority concerned with the offences punishable by the las of the states executing such treaty. Thus, in enforcement of the said treaty and in response to the above mentioned extradition request necessitating a reply, the extradition request shall be honoured and the objection raised shall be considered groundless. For the foregoing, the objections raised are baseless and dismissible," the Dubai court had said. Sonia, Political, AP and Fam: Here is what James Michel will help CBI decode Lastly the court said, " for the causes, the court decided to dismiss the two objections bearing numbers 881 and 883 of 2018 and considered the possibility of extraditing Christian James Michel to the Indian competent authorities," the order dated November 19 2018 had said. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 10:08 [IST] As terrorists lose big in Kashmir, Pak looks to push in the old guard Zakir Musas successor Lelhari bites the bullet: The terror market in Kashmir is less crowded now Musa gone, Lelhari down: The Indian Security Forces have wiped out Al-Qaedas offshoot Punjab on high alert after Kashmir terrorist Zakir Musa is spotted India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Dec 6: The spotting of dreaded terrorist, Zakir Musa in Punjab has led to the agencies declaring a high alert in the Ferozepur and Bhatinda regions. Musa was spotted wearing a Sikh turban. Jaish terrorists have infiltrated Punjab: State remains on high alert The state has been in a state of high alert since intelligence inputs suggested the rise of Khalistan militancy in the state. Three weeks back there was also a grenade attack in Amritsar, which is said to be the handiwork of Khalistan terrorists. It may be recalled that the intelligence had suggested that Musa had slipped out of Jammu and Kashmir and entered Punjab. He is believed to be helping some Khalistan modules set up bases. The Punjab Police had put up wanted posters relating to Musa. Recently, Army Chief, General Bipin Rawat had warned about the rise of Khalistan militancy in the state. Hurriyat fades in the Kashmir Valley as Al-Qaeda ideology gains steam He had said that attempts were being made to revive insurgency in Punjab. He also cautioned that if prompt action was not taken, then the situation could spiral out of control. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 9:39 [IST] Rajasthan polls: 4.75 cr voters to decide fate of 2274 candidates for 199 constituencies India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 6: Around 4.75 crore voters in Rajasthan will vote for 2274 candidates in the 199 constituencies of the state Assembly elections. As per data provided by the election commission, there has been an increase of 67.24 lakh voters from the 2013 Assembly elections. The election commission is completely ready for the elections. The election of Ramgarh Assembly constituency in Alwar district has been countermanded due to death of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate. [Recalling Rajasthan elections 2013: When Raje returned as CM with overwhelming mandate] As per the information, there are 51687 poling booths out of that 5151 are main booths while 169 are subsidiary booths. The number of male voters included 2.24 crore while the number of women voters are 2.10 crore. For the first time in Rajasthan, Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) will be used along with the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). So the voters will be able to see their names and whom they voted for. Arrangement of video recordings has been at such places where there is no CCTV cameras. More security personnel have been deployed at sensitive and more sensitive places so no disturbance could be made. Recording will also be done at police check posts and crossroads. Height of voting compartment has been increased from 24 inches to 30 inches. Facilities of voters have been taken care of by the election commission. [Five Satta Bazars give a thumbs up to the BJP for Rajasthan Assembly elections] There will be a facility center outside every pooling booth but no one will be allowed to take selfie at polling booth and on any violation action will be taken by the election commission. There are around 238 people belonging to third gender who are in very minuscule number of the total voters. The number of transgender has gone up from 2013. As far as security arrangement goes, around 1.46 lakh security personal have been deployed which include 90 thousand police official and rest para military forces. There are 6000 poling booth in 14 Assembly constituencies which are in remote area where security personal have been dispatched earlier. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 19:09 [IST] Recalling Rajasthan elections 2013: When Raje returned as CM with overwhelming mandate India oi-Vikas SV Jaipur, Dec 6: With Rajasthan set to go polls tomorrow (December 7), its worth recalling what happened during the assembly election in the western state in 2013. The BJP stormed to power in Rajasthan in 2013 by winning 163 out of the 200 seats while Congress could manage just 23 seats. BJP's Vasundhara Raje was sworn-in as the Rajasthan Chief Minister for the second time after the saffron party's thumping win in 2013. Both parties set a record in the Rajasthan Assembly elections 2013. While the BJP won highest number of seats ever in the state, the Congress had to settle with dubious record of bagging least number of seats ever in Rajasthan. In 2008, the BJP lost the elections to Congress and veteran leader Ashok Gehlot was handed over the reins of the state. In 2013, Raje wrested the power from Gehlot and returned as the Chief Minister for the second time. Her first chief ministerial stint in the desert state was from 2003 to 2008. Rajasthan in numbers: State Rajasthan Capital Jaipur No. of Districts 33 No. of Assembly Constituencies 200 Total Population 6.85 Crore Urban Population 1.70 crore Rural Population 5.15 crore GDP (2018-19) Rs 8.40 lakh crore Literacy (2011) 66.10% Sex ratio (2011) 928 Current Ruling Party BJP Total No. of Voters 4,74,79,402 No. of Polling Stations 51,796 Raje had credited her success to the BJP's then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. Rising from a National Executive member of BJP to one of its most powerful leaders, Vasundhara Raje reinvented herself and galvanised the cadre to spearhead her party's spectacular comeback to power in Rajasthan in 2013. Ashok Gehlot, the outgoing chief minister in 2013 whose government was besieged by corruption allegations, attributed the thorough rout of his party, the Congress, to a negative campaign by the BJP. Rajasthan saw high-pitched campaigns in 2013 by the top leaders in both parties. Prime Minister Modi, who was then the Gujarat chief minister, and Rahul Gandhi, toured the state extensively and addressed many rallies. Religion-wise population in Rajasthan: Religious data Description Population Percentage Hindu 60,657,103 88.49 % Muslim 6,215,377 9.07 % Sikh 872,930 1.27 % Jain 622,023 0.91 % Christian 96,430 0.14 % Not Available 67,713 0.10 % Buddhist 12,185 0.02 % Other Religion 4,676 0.01 % About the 2013 elections: Polling was held on 1 December, 2013, in 199 assembly seats out of 200 seats. Polling in the Churu constituency was postponed to December 13, 2013, due to death of BSP candidate Jagdish Meghwal. Voter-verified paper audit trail (VVPAT) along with EVMs was used in one assembly seat in Rajasthan elections. There were 2,087 candidates including 166 women and one eunuch candidate. INC and BJP contested on all 200 seats while BSP on 195 seats. 38 CPI(M), 23 CPI, 16 NCP, 666 other parties candidates and 758 Independents were also in foray. Over 4.08 crore voters including 1.92 crore women were eligible to exercise their vote. There were 47,223 polling booths. Total voting turnout was 74.38%, the highest ever in state assembly election. The highest turnout (85.52%) was recorded at Jaisalmer and the lowest (55.21%) at Bharatpur. How major political parties fared in 2013 Rajasthan assembly polls: Performance of Major Political Parties in 2013 Party Popular vote Seats Votes % Candidates Contested Candidates Won Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 13,939,203 45.2 200 163 Indian National Congress (INC) 10,204,694 33.1 200 21 Independents (IND) 2,533,224 8.2 758 7 National People's Party (NPEP) 1,312,402 4.3 134 4 Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) 1,041,241 3.4 195 3 National Unionist Zamindara Party (nuzp) 312,653 1 25 2 Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) 269,002 0.9 38 0 Samajwadi Party (SP) 118,911 0.4 56 0 Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) 59,673 0.2 15 0 Other parties and candidates 479,700 1.4 573 0 None of the Above (NOTA) 589,923 1.9 Total 30,860,626 100 Key factors that may influence 2018 Rajasthan Assembly elections: Out of total population of Rajasthan, 24.87% people live in urban regions. The total figure of population living in urban areas is 17,048,085 of which 8,909,250 are males and while remaining 8,138,835 are females. The urban population in the last 10 years has increased by 24.87 percent. It is a an observed trend that as the voter turnout in urban areas increase, BJP does better. Average Literacy rate in Rajasthan for Urban regions was 79.68 percent in which males were 87.91% literate while female literacy stood at 63.81%. Total literates in urban region of Rajasthan were 11,803,496. In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, a large number of youths are said to supported the BJP. Raje has been in power for five-years. Many say anti-incumbency factor will play major role in 2018. Questions are being raised about law and order situation in the state. There is a perception that Rajputs and Gujjars are upset with BJP. All three strongly supported BJP in 2013. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 15:58 [IST] Violation of SC order barring bandhs will be \"viewed seriously\": Kerala HC to state authorities Kerala Woman to face trial for abetting suicide of man falsely accused of impregnating her This is not circus or cinema: Kerala HC frowns after man attends virtual hearing without shirt Pregnant due to rape, victim claims in Kerala High Court police not taking steps for DNA test of foetus Sabarimala row: K Surendran to remain in judicial custody till Dec 20, bail plea hearing tomorrow India oi-Vikas SV Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 6: Kerala BJP state general secretary K Surendran's judicial custody has been extended by two-weeks till December 20, said reports. Furthermore, the Kerala High court postponed K Surendran's bail plea, in the case pertaining to attacking a woman who was visiting the Sabarimala temple, to Friday. The HC on Thursday observed that Surendran did not respect the supreme court order and questioned why he went to Sabarimala on protest day. Sabarimala row: BJP leader K Surendran who was taken into custody, granted bail The Ranni Additional Sessions Court on December 1 denied him bail in the case related to blocking and allegedly attacking a 52-year-old woman who had come to Sabarimala for darshan during the Chithira Atta Visesham. Surendran is charged with having blocked 52-year-old Lalitha from Thrissur. In November, Surendran was produced before a magistrate at his residence on Sunday and remanded to 14-day judicial custody after he was charged with non-bailable offences. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 13:38 [IST] Teens image with gun in hand surfaces months after he went missing India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Srinagar, Dec 6: An image of a teenager holding a gun has gone viral in the social media. The images of the 14 year old boy surfaced months after he had gone missing from his home at Bandipora in north Kashmir district. The family of the boy immediately contacted the police after he had gone missing from Hajin in August this year. The police had said back then that he could have joined a terror group. Superintendent of police, Bandipora, Sheikh Zulfikar said that the joined active militancy some three to four months back. Now his photos have appeared on the social media. He is a teenager below the age of 18, he also said. Is the Kashmir youth alienated? 82 joined terror groups, but 215 joined the Indian Army According to the local media, the boy in question is said to be aged around 14 year. He had disappeared along with another 17 year old boy on August 31. The police suspect that he may have joined the Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Hajin, where the group is active. While the police continues to investigate the case, the family has made desperate appeals, but to no avail. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 9:33 [IST] Telangana elections: Minority votes will be a key determinant in Dec 7 election India oi-Shubham Ghosh Hyderabad, Dec 6: Telangana, India's youngest state, will go to its second-ever Assembly election on Friday, December 7, along with Rajasthan. The contest will be between the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the Opposition alliance or Praja Kutami (People's Alliance) featuring the Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Telangana Jana Smithi and the CPI. The third force in the BJP which is also trying to make inroads into the South where it hasn't been successful anywhere else apart from Karnataka so far. There is also the AIMIM led by MP Asadussin Owaisi which has said that it would not join the TRS government if it came to power again. While the TRS and the alliance are in the lookout for wooing the minority voters, the BJP is seeking to mobilise the Hindu votes. Telangana Elections: Rohingyas warned against voting using fake ID cards The minority vote will be a crucial factor in the December 7 election. The minorities make up almost 15 per cent of Telangana's population and the Muslims alone constitute over 12 per cent. All 31 districts of the state have a high number of Muslim voters, including capital Hyderabad. Of the 119 seats that will go to the polls on Friday, the Muslims make up between 50 to 90 per cent of the electorate in seven constituencies and between 15-50 per cent in 22 of them. They are present between two to 15 per cent in the remaining 70 seats. Telangana elections 2018: Important facts about the state Of these seats, while the AIMIM dominates the top seven constituencies, many TRS, Kutami and BJP candidates are involved in tough battles in most of the 35 seats that have Muslim votes between 10-15 per cent. While both the TRS and Kutami look to lure the maximum possible minority voters, the BJP plays a polarising game to attract the majority votes. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 18:17 [IST] Upendra Kushwaha likely to resign from the Union government led by Narendra Modi India oi-Vinod Kumar Shukla New Delhi, Dec 6: It is a very tough call for Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) president and Union minister of state for human resource development Upendra Kushwaha to take a call as he does not want to leave National Democratic Alliance (NDA) but he also does not want to be left in the lurch. So the matter was lingering on but this is not going to pushed further on. If no proper assurance is given to the RLSP leader then he is likely to sever ties with the NDA and a formal announcement would be made any time now. The party is also averse to the BJP's decision of paddling the Ram Temple issue even if it is done indirectly. The RLSP leaders say that it is none of the business of any political party to built temple or mosque. Sources said that the matter of alliance even in Mahagathbandhan is getting delayed as the party is not getting more than two seats in Bihar while it demands four in Bihar and one in Jharkhand. The party also has plans to merge his party with Sharad Yadav's party by making him the leader. BJP wants to retain Upendra Kushwaha in the NDA to maintain power balance in Bihar A senior party leader on condition of anonymity that Kushwaha may put in his papers as Union minister this week, who is a junior minister in the HRD department in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre. Kushwaha's resignation is just a formality which would be completed once he visits the national capital and meets the prime minister. The RLSP, which has not been critical to the Modi government so far, made a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government and also the Nitish Kumar regime in Bihar. The RLSP leader has been authorised to take necessary political decisions at a two-day brainstorming session of the party in West Champaran distrivt attended by members of national and state executives. Kushwaha is scheduled to address a rally at Motihari on December 6, 2018. A party leader said the RLSP's stance made it clear that party's association with the NDA is over for all practical purposes. The party had no alliance with Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (U) in any case which returned to the coalition only last year.The RLSP had been a part of the NDA since 2014. Kushwaha to decide next move after meeting PM Modi In a four-page strongly-worded resolution, the RLSP expressed grave concern over many objectionable decisions taken by the BJP and the central government. The resolution says, the RLSP is not opposed to construction of mosques and temples. But this is not the function of political parties and their meddling in such matters causes tensions in society and diverts the attention of the public from real issues. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 10:47 [IST] 'We agree to move a resolution on Mekedatu dam', says MK Stalin India oi-Madhuri Adnal Bengaluru, Dec 6: DMK President MK Stalin on Thursday said that a resolution have been passed urging the Centre to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for a detailed project report for its proposed dam across river Cauvery at Mekedatu. Speaking to media, Stalin said,''We cannot accept Central Government's stand on permitting Karnataka government to construct a reservoir in Mekedatu. We agree to move a resolution on Mekedatu but we also recommend a resolution on condemning BJP govt for giving permission to Karnataka.'' [Palaniswami asks PM Modi to rescind nod for DPR on Mekedatu dam] ''We wanted extension of the session for tomorrow to discuss about issues relating to Gaja cyclone including distribution of funds & release of funds from the centre but this point was also not accepted. We thoroughly criticise this stand of the government.'' Earlier in the day, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a resolution unanimously urging the Centre to withdraw the permission given to Karnataka for a detailed project report for its proposed dam across river Cauvery at Mekedattu. A specially convened session of the assembly passed the resolution moved by Chief Minister K Palaniswami Thursday evening after a brief discussion. Palaniswami had recently written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi drawing his attention to Tamil Nadu's opposition and seeking withdrawal of the permission given to Karnataka. Meanwhile, Karnataka Water Resources Minister D.K..Shivakumar has sought an appointment with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to discuss the proposed Mekedatu project and reach an amicable solution. The Central Water Commission recently allowed Karnataka to prepare a Detailed Project Report for the construction of a balancing reservoir-cum-drinking water project at Mekedatu across the Cauvery, which has been opposed by both the ruling AIADMK and DMK. Political parties in Tamil Nadu contend that if the dam was permitted, it would affect Tamil Nadu farmers who depend on Cauvery waters for irrigation. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 19:44 [IST] 'Please take the money, stop the narrative that I stole': Vijay Mallya International oi-Vikas SV London, Dec 6: Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya is on a tweeting spree after AgustaWestland chopper scam middleman James Christian Michel's extradition to India. Mallya, who owes around Rs 9,000 crores to the Indian banks and has escaped to London, said that his extradition case cannot be liked to Michel's. "Respectfully to all commentators, I cannot understand how my extradition decision or the recent extradition from Dubai and my settlement offer are linked in any way. Wherever I am physically,my appeal is "Please take the money". I want to stop the narrative that I stole money," Mallya tweeted today (December 6). Respectfully to all commentators, I cannot understand how my extradition decision or the recent extradition from Dubai and my settlement offer are linked in any way. Wherever I am physically,my appeal is Please take the money. I want to stop the narrative that I stole money Vijay Mallya (@TheVijayMallya) December 6, 2018 Barely hours after Michel was extradited to India from Dubai, Mallya offered 100% payback. Mallya, in fact, asked why his payback offer is being refused. One of the hardest, how team Doval built a fool proof case to get Michel to India The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who has been on bail on an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year, further tweeted that his case must not be seen in the same light as Christian Michel's. The alleged fix it guy in the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam, James Christian Michel has finally been extradited to India. He was brought down to India on Tuesday night after losing an appeal in a Dubai court where he had challenged the extradition request by India. Initially, the investigation conducted by Italian Authorities indicted him for offences of international bribery/corruption. CBI took up the investigation and wanted him for investigation. However, he escaped from India and has been deliberately evading his presence from the investigating agency and also the due process of law in India. Mallya has been living in Britain since March 2016. The extradition case has entered final stages with Westminster Magistrates' Court in London likely to pronounce a verdict in December this year. The extradition trial, which opened at the London court on December 4 last year, is aimed at laying out a prima facie case of fraud against the embattled liquor tycoon, who has been based in the UK since he left India in March 2016. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, December 6, 2018, 11:45 [IST] Search This Blog Jewelry News From Alltop.com What I Listen To... Join Me At... Blog Archive Bloglog blog directory Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Alternative credit managers are still finding new opportunities heading into 2019, according to the delegates at the recent Opalesque New York Roundtable. While 2019 is likely to show signs of a slowing market, there is still room to be cautiously optimistic managers say. "Given where we are in the credit cycle, it is prudent to invest more slowly and not ramp up assets over the next 12-18 months," said Hank D'Alessandro, Managing Director, Head of Morgan Stanley Credit Partners. He adds that managers that focus on niche markets that are less likely to be commoditized are more likely to be able to ride out the late cycle. "There are two areas where we still see value today. Lower middle market senior loans, so small companies, less than $15 million of EBITDA, you can generally get very good covenants, solid amortization and excess cash flow sweeps, reasonable leverage and good pricing," D'Alessandro says. "And in the broader private debt market non sponsored companies, there seems to be much less competition, and so ability to get well structured, well-priced deals even today still exists. However, sourcing non - sponsored deals costs more and takes more work versus sponsored deals where the process is a efficient, albeit in an auction environment." Jonathan Berger, CEO & CIO, at Birch Grove Capital noted that now may also be a good time to look at ways of investing that participate in op...................... To view our full article Click here Fabric softeners and conditioners market has witnessed robust growth Fabric Softeners and Conditioners Market https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/fabric-softeners-and-conditioners-market?utm_source=n-openpr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/5061?utm_source=n-openpr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com The fabric softeners & conditioners market has witnessed robust growth in the emerging economies of the Asia-Pacific and LAMEA regions. Innovations in technology and products foster the launch of easy-to-use and effective fabric cleaning & care products. Market players have launched new formulations of fabric care products to cater to the growth in demand for newer fabric care products among consumers. In addition, rise in awareness among customers about environment degradation due to the use of conventional fabric care products leads to the increased demand for eco-friendly fabric care products. Market players have also started to launch eco-friendly products to address the issue of environmental degradation. For instance, TLC Green Concentrated Fabric Conditioner, an eco-friendly fabric care product, was launched by the Truly Loving Company. However, companies need to focus on developing affordable eco-friendly fabric care products. The adoption of liquid detergent has increased in the emerging markets, owing to its ease-of-use and fabric care properties.Access Full Summary:The global fabric wash and care market has witnessed tremendous growth in the emerging markets, such as India and China. Water scarcity is one of the major issues in most of the countries in the world. Therefore, market players such as Procter & Gamble and Unilever, intend to launch water-efficient fabric care and cleaning products, especially for emerging economies, such as India and China. In addition, these prominent players have adopted innovative marketing and promotion strategies to increase their customer base. Furthermore, other global major market players plan to expand their presence in emerging regions such as LAMEA, owing to minimal scope in the matured markets. Rapid urbanization has led to changes in the demand and distribution of fabric cleaning products in this region; thus, creating lucrative opportunities for the market players.The global fabric softener and conditioners market was valued at $17,545 million in 2018 and is projected to reach $23,529 million by 2025, registering a CAGR of 4.3% from 2018 to 2025. Fabric softeners and conditioners are dispersants or emulsifiers equipped with fragrance along with preservatives such as bronopol, formaldehyde, and chloride to soften clothes and facilitate them with long-lasting fragrance. Fabric conditioners are used to maintain the natural elasticity and smoothness of the cloth. The fabric softener industry is projected to constantly evolve owing to the increase in the demand for clothing coupled with changes in demands of consumers regarding fabric care products.Request Sample Report:Some of the key players analyzed in this market are Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC., Dropps, Unilever PLC., Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Colgate Palmolive Company, Procter & Gamble Co., Lion Corporation, Kao Corporation, LG Household and Healthcare, and The Sun Products Corporation.This report provides a quantitative analysis of the current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the global fabric softeners and conditioners market from 2018 to 2025 to identify the prevailing market opportunities.The key countries in all the major regions are mapped based on their global fabric softeners and conditioners market share.Porters Five Forces analysis highlights the potency of the buyers and the suppliers to enable stakeholders to make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplierbuyer network.In-depth analysis of the global fabric softeners and conditioners market segmentation assists in determining the prevailing market opportunities.Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global fabric softeners and conditioners industry. Market player positioning segment facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as the global fabric softeners and conditioners market, key players, market segments, application areas, and growth strategies.Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Shriram Dighe5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesToll Free: +1-800-792-5285UK: +44-845-528-1300Hong Kong: +852-301-84916India (Pune): +91-20-66346060Fax: +1?855?550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Kidney Stones Management Market to Witness Huge Growth in 2025 | Key Player Analysis: DirexGroup, Medispec Ltd., Stryker Corp, Dornier Medtech, Convergent Laser Technologies, Kidney Stones Management Market to 2027 http://bit.ly/2E4pY1a http://bit.ly/2E4pY1a http://bit.ly/2QfohoL The "Global Kidney Stones Management Market. Analysis to 2027" is a specialized and in-depth study of the Kidney Stones Management Market with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of Global Kidney Stones Management Market with detailed market segmentation by Type, Diagnostics, and Treatment. The Global Kidney Stones Management Market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.A stone formation in the kidney and a stone that originates in the kidney but has passed lower down in the urinary tract. Kidney stone is a common cause of blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen. The development of kidney stones is related to decreased urine volume and to increased excretion of stone-forming components, such as calcium, oxalate, urate, cystine and phosphate. The stones form in the urine-collecting area (pelvis) of the kidney and may range in size from tiny to 'staghorn' stones size of the renal pelvis itself.Get Kidney Stones Management Market Report Sample @The "Global Kidney Stones Management Market Analysis to 2027" is a specialized and in-depth study of the medical device industry with a focus on the global market trend. The report aims to provide an overview of global Kidney Stones Management market with detailed market segmentation Type, Diagnostics, and Treatment. The global kidney stones management market is expected to witness high growth during the forecast period. The report provides key statistics on the market status of the leading market players and offers key trends and opportunities in the market.Top Key Players:1. DirexGroup,2. Medispec Ltd.,3. Stryker Corp,4. Dornier Medtech,5. Convergent Laser Technologies,6. C. R. Bard, Inc.,7. Boston Scientific Corporation,8. Olympus Corporation,9. Storz Medical AG10. Allengers.Remarkable increase in number of kidney related diseases and other urological conditions affecting population has generated need to create awareness regarding kidney health, and timely screening and diagnosis of disease to receive treatment. Various organizations and companies across the world are working in the way of raising awareness for receiving affordable and equitable access to screening, diagnosis and treatment options.Download PDF Sample:The Kidney Stones Management Market report provides a detailed overview of the industry including both qualitative and quantitative information. It provides overview and forecast of the global kidney stones management market based on Type, Diagnostics, and Treatment. It also provides market size and forecast till 2027 for overall kidney stones management market with respect to five major regions, namely; North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA) and South & Central America. The market by each region is later sub-segmented by respective countries and segments. The report covers analysis and forecast of 13 counties globally along with current trend and opportunities prevailing in the region.U.S. made the largest regional share in the North America kidney stones management market garnering a revenue share of more than 90% in 2018. Considering the rising problems of kidney stones and recurrence rate in the region, use of advanced treatment options, and adoption of minimally invasive surgical procedures, U.S. is set to accumulate major part of kidney stones management market in the coming years.Also, key Kidney Stones Management Market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Buy the complete report with Comprehensive table of contents @About UsThe 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 committed to providing highest quality research and consulting services to our customers. We help our clients understand key market trends, identify opportunities, and make informed decisions by providing market research solutions at an affordable cost.Contact usThe Insight partners,Phone: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.com Commercial Airport Lighting Market highlights the competitive edge achieved due to wise application of airport lighting & assists stakeholders to identify potential of the market. https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-toc-and-sample/276?utm_source=openpr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/checkout/260467 https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/276?utm_source=openpr https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Commercial airport lighting includes all type of lighting systems used in any type of airport in order to support commercial aircraft operations. It facilitates night flying of aircraft and improves airport appearance.Get sample Report:The lighting systems studied in the research are beneficial to enhance airports look. The improved appearance and support for night flights helps to reposition the respective airport to world-class standards. Hence, nowadays many airports are upgrading their lighting systems as per new-age standards. The study highlights the trends in the market in order to identify business opportunities.The market is driven by increasing investment in infrastructure and the entry of private players. The limiting factors to the market are economic crisis in some economies, and regulatory & administrative issues subjected to airports. The market is expected to grow due to rapidly increasing number of international flights.Purchase an enterprise user license and get 1 month complimentary access to our Knowledge Tree subscription. (*TC)Get subscription:Commercial Airport Lighting Market by TypeAs per lighting type, the market is classified into airport beacon, visual glidescope indicator, visual approach scope indicator (VASI), precision approach path indicator (PAPI), runway lighting, runway edge lighting, taxiway lighting, obstruction lighting and others. Runway lighting, runway edge lighting and approach lighting are commonly used types of airport lighting, as their inevitability in commercial aircraft operations during nights.Commercial Airport Lighting Market by DivisionsAccording to application divisions, the market is segmented into airside lighting, landside lighting and terminal lighting. Airside lighting is commonly used due it is mandatory component required in airport lighting. Terminal lighting market is also growing as it is important for ambience of the airport and enhances the appearance of airports.For Purchase Inquiry:Commercial Airport Lighting Market by GeographyFrom geographical perspectives, the market is classified into regions such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and rest of the world. Middle East region is expected to continue driving the market with largest revenue share due to adoption of modern and expensive lighting technologies. Asia-Pacific region is expected to show rapid growth in future due to increasing commercial aircrafts demand in countries such as China, Russia and India.Competitive LandscapeTo penetrate into the market, companies are adopting expansion strategies to target new market segments. For instance, AMA India caters to range of clients such as runway lighting for Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai and Helipad at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Some of the companies serving in the market are Honeywell International, Inc., Philips, Safegate, Avlite Systems, Siemens Ag, Cooper Industries, Airfield Lighting, Manairco Inc., GE, and Astronics.High Level AnalysisThe bargaining power of customers is moderate due to presence of multiple companies in the market, whereas, the bargaining power of suppliers is expected to remain moderate, due to easier availability of required lighting equipment. Degree of intersegment rivalry is expected to increase as many players are expected to step in. Threat of substitutes is low since no feasible alternative exists to airport lighting.Key BenefitsThe study highlights the competitive edge achieved due to wise application of airport lighting. This assists stakeholders to identify potential of the marketMarket dynamics elaborated in the study presents top winning strategies of leaders in the market so that concerned companies can form/upgrade their business plansPorters five forces analysis, SWOT analysis and value chain analysis conveys the markets attractiveness, opportunities and role of key intermediariesMarket forecast for the period 2014-2020 using standard statistical analysis helps marketing heads in companies to identify target market and formulate strategiesKey DeliverablesThe commercial airport lighting market is classified according to types, divisions and geographies.Market By TypeAirport BeaconVisual Glidescope IndicatorVisual Approach Scope Indicator (VASI)Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI)Runway LightingRunway Edge LightingTaxiway LightingObstruction LightingOthersMarket By DivisionsAirside LightingLandside LightingTerminal LightingAbout Us:-Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions. AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.Contact Us:-David Correa5933 NE Win Sivers Drive#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesUSA/Canada (Toll Free):+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: North America Machine Translation Market Trends 2018-2024: Key Industry Players are IBM, Microsoft, and Google North America Machine Translation Market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1071/sample https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1071/north-america-machine-translation-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/request/1071/inquiry-before-buying https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1073/asia-pacific-machine-translation-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/industry-insights/1072/europe-machine-translation-market https://www.graphicalresearch.com/ North America Machine Translation Market size is set to surpass USD 600 million by 2024. It is the leading machine translation market globally owing to the abundant demands from the IT sector of the U.S. North Americas IT sector holds more than 60% of the regional market demand. This is attributed to the presence of IT technology giants in the region. IT companies are one of the major adopters of this technology for meeting the requirements of global customers. This is one of the major reasons for the North America machine translation market.Request for a sample of this research report -Machine translation is mainly used by large enterprises as the deployment of these systems requires high initial cost and resource allocation. Machine translation tools are used as content localization tool and are common in larger organizations. With smaller firms and organizations in North America, the trend of outsourcing such services has been observed. However, when faced with enormous volumes of data, organizations may deploy machine translation as an on-premise business activity.Moreover, the presence of several providers in the region backed by supportive government policies is driving the North America machine translation market. The increasing investments and developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning by technology giants will bolster the North America machine translation market.On the basis of technology, the SMT segment has shown a lucrative growth over the forecast period in this region. Google translate and Microsoft translation use SMT machine translation technology for its online services and applications. Recently, when Google Translate was first launched, Phrase-Based Machine Translation (PBMT) was used as a key algorithm. PMBT algorithm works by splitting sentences into phrases and words that can be translated mainly autonomously. This is considered as the simplest and most popular version of SMT.Browse key industry insights from this 2018 report North America Machine Translation Market in detail along with the table of contents at:Major companies in the machine translation market in North America are IBM, Microsoft, and Google. In October 2017, Google launched Pixel Buds, a real-time translator that connects web search and connectivity incorporated with a built-in Google Assistant and Google Translate capable of translating 40 different languages.Segments We Cover:North America Machine Translation Market Statistics, By ApplicationAutomotiveMilitary & defenseElectronicsITHealthcareOthersNorth America Machine Translation Market Forecast, By TechnologyRBMTSMTOthersThe above information is provided for the following countries:U.S.CanadaMake an inquiry for purchasing this report @Related Reports:1. Asia Pacific Machine Translation Market Size by Technology (SMT, RBMT), By Application (Automotive, Electronics, IT, Military & Defense, Healthcare), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (China, India, Japan), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 20242. Europe Machine Translation Market Size By Technology (SMT, RBMT), By Application (Automotive, Electronics, IT, Military & Defense, Healthcare), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (Germany, UK, France, Spain), Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 2024About Graphical Research:Graphical Research is a business research firm that provides industry insights, market forecast and strategic inputs through granular research reports and advisory services. We publish targeted research reports with an aim to address varied customer needs, from market penetration and entry strategies to portfolio management and strategic outlook. We understand that business requirements are unique: our syndicate reports are designed to ensure relevance for industry participants across the value chain. We also provide custom reports that are tailored to the exact needs of the customer, with dedicated analyst support across the purchase lifecycle.Contact Us:Parikhit B.Corporate sales,Graphical ResearchEmail: sales@graphicalresearh.comWeb: Animal Feed Additives Market Analysis Focusing on Top Key Players Alltech, ADM, Dr. Eckel, Biomin, Impextraco, Kemin Industries, Novus International, DSM, BASF SE, Cargill, Nutreco, Miavit Animal Feed Additives Market, Global Animal Feed Additives Market Size, Animal Feed Additives Industry https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/467620/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/467620/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/animal-feed-additives-market/?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog/ The newly released research at Market Study Report titled 2017-2024 Global Animal Feed Additives Market Report provides data, information, brief analysis, company profiles, statistics for past years and forecasts for next few years.U.S. animal feed additives market should grow significantly at a rate of over 3% by 2024 due to strong demand for quality & safe meat products. Stringent food & safety regulations pertaining to standardized meat and milk products along with ban on meat and bone meal should amplify regional product demand. Global Animal Feed Additives Market is likely to generate over USD 25 billion by 2024; according to a new research report. Growing consumer demand for meat products as a source for protein and nutrients along with rising concern towards livestock health & safety should drive animal feed additives market demand. These products act as catalyst preventing diseases, improving weight gain, digestion, conversion rate and overall health.Request a sample of this premium report atRising concerns towards disease outbreaks in livestock suffering from swine flu, bird flu, infections and avian influenza should drive animal feed additives market demand. Increasing concern for safety and quality of meat & meat products should prompt growing demand for specialty additives adding to global demand.Pigment animal feed additives market should gain about 4.5% during projected timeframe. Its ability to improve palatability and appeal to improve feed efficacy should drive industry. Growing industrialization of pork, aquaculture and poultry business on a global scale should drive product demand.Stringent regulations and policies towards ban on use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) increases demand for natural growth promoters owing to bioaccumulation and building resistance towards medical antibiotics which should propel animal feed additives market. Increasing emphasis towards standardizing meat products should drive demand for antioxidants, vitamins and amino acids further bolstering animal feed additives demand.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report atEnzymes animal feed additives market should create revenues over USD 750 million by 2024 owing to the exceptional ability to convert nutrients into energy. It breaks down feed into smaller components by binding into the feed substrates improving productivity and livestock health, thus driving animal feed additives market.Germany animal feed additives market should grow significantly during forecast timeframe due to raising living standards along with spurring meat demands from packaged food sector. High economic standards coupled with busy working schedule should further strengthen demand for packaged food implying animal feed additives market growth.Animal feed additives market demand from pet food applications should surpass 160 kilo tons by 2024. Pets needs nutrition & special care for strengthening their joints, improving metabolism, and protecting hair & skin coats. Vitamins, pigments, flavors, antioxidants and probiotics are the prominently used in pet food. Vitamins helps to enable in maintaining body functions and provides essential nutrients needed for growth of pet animals.Global animal feed additives market share is moderately fragmented with market players including Novus International, DSM, Kaesler Nutrition, Kemin, Cargill and ADM. Companies focus in developing application scope for products along with expanding production capacity through mergers, acquisitions and partnerships. It also helps them expand their product marketing reach to various other regions.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Animal Feed Additives Market Methodology & ScopeChapter 2. Animal Feed Additives Market Executive SummaryChapter 3. Animal Feed Additives Industry InsightsChapter 4. Animal Feed Additives Market, By ProductChapter 5. Animal Feed Additives Market Company ProfilesFor more information on this report at:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size, Industry Player(Aden Services, ServPro, Air Duct Clean, Duraclean), Quickly Key County Analysis:-United States, Europe, China, Japan and Forecast till 2018-2025 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1939346 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-residential-air-quality-control-services-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025-report.html The market for Residential Air Quality Control Services is growing with the expansion of this Industry Sector Worldwide. Market Research Hub (MRH) has added a new report titled Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 which offer details about the current trends and analysis, as well as scope for the near future. This research study also covers information about the production, consumption and market share based on different active regions. Furthermore, an anticipated growth at a double-digit CAGR for the Residential Air Quality Control Services sector is highlighted in the report which indicates a prosperous future.Request for Free sample copy of this report@This report focuses on the global Residential Air Quality Control Services status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Residential Air Quality Control Services development in United States, Europe and China.In 2017, the global Residential Air Quality Control Services market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of during 2018-2025.The key players covered in this studyAden ServicesAir Duct CleanDuracleanISSTraneAnago Cleaning SystemsAvonBelforHarvard MaintenanceMillikenServProSunrise Integrated FacilityV FIX Facility Management ServicesMarket segment by Type, the product can be split intoMaintenanceCleaningOtherMarket segment by Application, split intoApartmentsStandalone HousesMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaComplete Research Report with TOC@Table of Contents1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 Maintenance1.4.3 Cleaning1.4.4 Other1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 Apartments1.5.3 Standalone Houses1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size2.2 Residential Air Quality Control Services Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Residential Air Quality Control Services Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Residential Air Quality Control Services Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Residential Air Quality Control Services Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion Plans4 Breakdown Data by Type and Application4.1 Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size by Type (2013-2018)4.2 Global Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size by Application (2013-2018)5 United States5.1 United States Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size (2013-2018)5.2 Residential Air Quality Control Services Key Players in United States5.3 United States Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size by Type5.4 United States Residential Air Quality Control Services Market Size by Application.......to be continueAbout Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like software market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com Interactive Whiteboard Market 2018 Global Leaders Analysis: The Ricoh Company, Microsoft, Hitachi, LG Electronics, Panasonic, NEC, Smart Technologies, Hon Hai Precision Industry https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6087 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/interactive-whiteboard-market-6087 Market Research Future published a research report on Interactive Whiteboard Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Market ScenarioThe global interactive whiteboard market is projected to witness a rapid growth during the forecast period owing to the increasing demand for cloud-based interactive whiteboard across various end users. The market has gained a considerable acceleration due to the growing demand for gamification and digital classrooms and increasing popularity of interactive whiteboard with artificial intelligence.The global Interactive Whiteboard Market is fragmented with the presence of a large number of small and large industry competitors. Samsung Group, LG Electronics Inc., Panasonic Corporation, NEC Corporation, The Ricoh Company, Ltd., Google LLC, Cisco System, Inc., Microsoft Corporation are a few major players in the global interactive whiteboard market. On May 16, 2018, Microsoft Corporation unveiled a new product in their portfolio Surface Hub 2 interactive whiteboard featuring a 4K+ 50.5 touchscreen display and supported tiling. Microsoft is offering this product especially for professionals to work creatively and collaboratively.Get Sample of Report @By technology, the infrared technology is expected to hold the largest share of the global interactive whiteboard market. This is owing to the increasing adoption of virtual learning courses and e-learning and the growing penetration of digital vision touch technology. This technology offers touch-sensitive displays which enables the freedom of learning activities. This technology is attached with digital cameras and software that control contact of a finger, stylus, and pointer on a display.The Global Interactive Whiteboard market is expected to grow with a CAGR of approximately 5% during the forecast period 2017-2023.Key Players:Some of the prominent players in the global interactive whiteboard market are Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Taiwan), Hitachi, Ltd. (Japan), Samsung Group (South Korea), LG Electronics Inc. (South Korea), Panasonic Corporation (Japan), NEC Corporation (Japan), The Ricoh Company, Ltd. (Japan), Google LLC (U.S.), Cisco System, Inc. (U.S.), Smart Technologies Corporation (U.S.) and Microsoft Corporation (U.S.) among others.Global Interactive Whiteboard Market SegmentationThe global interactive whiteboard market is segmented by type, technology, screen size, end-user, and region. By type the market is segmented into Interactive Ceramic Board, IR Boards, and EM Boards. Based on technology, the market is segmented into infrared, resistive membrane, ultrasonic, electromagnetic, and laser scanner. Based on the screen size, the market is segmented into Up to 69, 70 to 90 and Above 90. Based on the end users, the market is segmented into education, corporate and government. The segment education is sub-segmented into Pre-K-12 and higher education. The market is covered across regions including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the World.Regional AnalysisThe global interactive whiteboard market is studied for Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, and Rest of the World. North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the market and is also expected to grow with the fastest rate during the forecast period. The growth of the market in North America is attributed to the increasing demand for interactive whiteboard in the education sector. North America is followed by the European region, where the market of interactive whiteboard is gaining momentum due to increasing adoption of intelligent whiteboards in Pre-K-12 and higher education. Whereas, in Asia Pacific countries including China, Japan, and India among others, the market is also growing due to advancements in the electronics industry.Industry News:May 2018: Acer Inc., a Taiwan based multinational hardware and Electronics Company, introduced a new school program that supports schools to implement a new teaching and learning environments. The software solutions and apps are designed to support always-connected learning environments, including Acer Smart Touch that turns any flat surface into an interactive whiteboard and DADA that helps to deploy education Apps on Android tablets.February 2017: IBM Corp. entered into partnership agreement with The Ricoh Company, Ltd. to introduced an interactive whiteboard that leverages the power of supercomputer and its artificial intelligence. This whiteboard translates verbal communications in real time into a multitude of languages.January 2017: Cisco System, Inc. launched Spark Board, incorporated with interactive whiteboard capabilities, for whiteboard-based collaboration and Spark Meetings to offer a new way of understanding and developing the learning skill among people.Get Complete Report @Intended Audience Technology Investors Research/Consultancy Firms Consulting Service Providers System integrators Interactive Whiteboard Solution Providers Cloud Service Providers Technology Providers Interactive Whiteboard Providers Universities and research organizations Investors and venture capitalistsAbout Us: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.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.Media Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Baby Bottles Market: Technological Improvements Steering Growth during 2017-2022 | Key Players are Munchkin Inc., Handi-Craft Company, Mayborn Group Limited, Pigeon Corporation, and Koninklijke Philips N.V., etc. https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=166 https://www.factmr.com/report/166/baby-bottles-market https://www.factmr.com/checkout/166/S https://www.factmr.com/ https://factmrblog.com/ In order to study the various trends and patterns prevailing in the concerned market, Fact.MR has included a new report titled Baby Bottles Market: Technological Improvements Steering Growth during 2017-2022 to its wide online database including upcoming trends and growth factors. This research assessment offers a clear insight about the influential factors that are expected to transform the global market in the near future. The report studies the Global Baby Bottles Market Size Worldwide, especially in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia, India and Other Regions with production, size, growth, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions. The intelligent report also anticipates that the market would grow at a constructive CAGR until 2022.Request for Sample of this Global Market Research Report Here -The global baby bottles market is foreseen to see growth rising on the back of the willingness of new parents to spend more on baby foods. Right from the clothes their babies wear to the food they eat, every little thing that concerns their little ones is taken good care of by new parents. Problems in breastfeeding could be another factor augmenting the demand in the globalbaby bottles market. Change in eating habits of young women is causing them problems in breastfeeding. Fast food is observed to quickly attract the younger generation these days. However, prolonged eating of junk food could create problems in their reproductive and parental ages.Uptake of BPA-free Baby Bottles Surges with Rising Health Concerns of InfantsIntroduction of BPA-free products is anticipated to develop as a leading factor propelling the growth of the global baby bottles market. BPA could have severe harmful effects on the human body. For instance, it could increase the risk of heart disease, infertility, diabetes, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. There is a high chance of BPA seeping into the contents of plastic baby bottles from their lining due to high mechanical pressure, exposure to high pH detergents, and constant reheating. The EU has widely banned baby bottles that contain BPA in manyof its countries.On the other hand, increase in adoption of baby care products could reflect positively on the demand in the global baby bottles market. The consumption of glass products in the global baby bottles market is expected to improve due to the slight slack in demand for plastic baby bottles.The report offers in-depth analysis of the global baby bottles market on the basis of some vital aspects such as competition, market segmentation, and market dynamics. It sheds light on how the global baby bottles market could shape during the course of the forecast period 2017-2022. Readers are expected to receive crucial information about the global baby bottles market that could give them clear understanding about its growth. On the whole, the report is considered to be a useful guideline for players to secure a strong foothold in the global baby bottles market.Request Global Market Report with TOC Here -Baby bottles enable infants to drink milk or other liquids directly from. They comprise of a nipple for easy consumption of the contents in baby bottles. Besides infants, young children are observed to use baby bottles when their mother stops breastfeeding. Although plastic baby bottles are not that brittle and are lightweight compared to their glass counterparts, they could draw a slow demand due to growing health concerns over the presence of chemicals in plastics.Stainless steel baby bottles are another option available in the global market. They could be chemical-free, bacteria-resistant, and resilient. However, the possibility of their deformation when used in freezers and their heavier weight than glass and plastic counterparts are expected to arrest their demand in the coming years.Competitive LandscapeThe global baby bottles market marks the presence of top companies, including Munchkin, Inc., Handi-Craft Company, Mayborn Group Limited, Pigeon Corporation, and Koninklijke Philips N.V.NB: Besides the aforementioned players, the report profiles other key ones such as Goodbaby International Holdings Limited, Comotomo, and Artsana S.p.A.To Buy Global Market Research Report, Go with this Link -About Fact.MRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400, Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Blog: Downhole Hydraulic Pumps Market - Countering Share 2025 | Weatherford International Ltd. https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=B&rep_id=329 https://www.tmrresearch.com/sample/sample?flag=T&rep_id=329 https://www.tmrresearch.com/downhole-hydraulic-pumps-market Global Downhole Hydraulic Pumps Market: SnapshotDownhole hydraulic pumps have gained traction in various regions in hydraulic pumping applications for artificial lifting system. Their adoption is mainly driven by the versatile use in a variety of pumping conditions and the ease of maintenance. Over the recent few decades, continuous improvements in hardware and software to increase the operational efficiency of downhole hydraulic pumps for a wide range of wells. Jet pumps are emerging as a viable alternative to conventional stoking pumps and transforming the next generation downhole hydraulic pumps. Characterized by the absence of gas locking, jet pumps have the ability to produce high volumes of fluids and allow for flexible production rate by suitably adjusting the pressure and rate of injection. In addition, this type of downhole hydraulic pumps allow for hassle-free serviceability by easy retrieval of nozzle and throats, without the use of rigs. Furthermore, various scale and corrosion inhibitors can be used in power fluids.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Jet pumps as a versatile downhole hydraulic pumps can be adapted to fit interchangeability into the bottomhole assemblies (BHAs) that are conventionally designed for stoking pumps. Since jet pumps have no moving parts, these machines are immune corrosion due to environmental conditions and the presence of abrasive well fluids. Recent advancements in design of these downhole hydraulic pumps have considerably lowered the maintenance level when used in bottom-hole pressure wells. Jet downhole hydraulic pumps are extensively used in offshore drillstem testing (DST) suitable for heavy-crude reservoirs. Some other applications are gas well dewatering. However, a key concern with the operation of these types of downhole hydraulic pumps is the formation of cavities at the throat of these pumps when subjected to low intake pressure. Manufacturers strive to address this concern by bringing design innovations which also expected to drive downhole hydraulic pumps market.Request TOC of the Report @Downhole Hydraulic Pumps Market: Brief DescriptionSince the early 1930s, hydraulic pumping has been the chief artificial lifting method, offering several different systems for handling a variety of well conditions. Due to its flexible nature, the downhole-pumping rate can be regulated over a wide range with fluid controls on the surface. Chemicals to control emulsions, paraffin and corrosion, can be inserted downhole with the power fluid, while fresh water can also be added to liquefy salt deposits. When pumping heavy crudes, the power fluid can serve as an effective diluent to reduce the viscosity of the produced fluids. The power fluid can also be heated for handling low-pour-point or heavy crudes. Hydraulic pumping provides energy to move the fluids to the surface after the reservoir pressure is no longer sufficient to do so. The key component of a hydraulic pumping operation is the downhole pump.Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @Downhole Hydraulic Pumps Market: Inclusive InsightIncreased demand for oil and gas products around the world has resulted in additional pressure on extraction wells. This in turn puts a strain on the exploration companies to exploit more oil from wells, for which downhole hydraulic pumping is essential. Furthermore, most of the extraction wells being utilized worldwide are mature wells. These wells have been in commercial operation for a long time, and hence their reserves have depleted over the years. To extract more resources from these wells, hydraulic pumps need to be used at most of the extraction sites.Also, compared to conventional pumps, hydraulic pumping systems turns out to be much more stable, thereby substantially extending the life of the well. A considerable amount of investment is required to set up and operate hydraulic pumping systems from rigs and floating production, storage and offloading (FPSOs), which adds to the cost of fuel. Additionally, wells that have not been properly drilled at the start, tend to be crooked and uneven, which can prove to be a constraint while pumping high-viscosity crude or shale gas. Moreover, environmental agencies propagate that excessive drilling through capstones can deteriorate sub-surface rock formations leading to unstable voids in the earths crust. These factors, together, contribute to be a collective constraint to the industry.Downhole Hydraulic Pumps Market: Segment AnalysisBased on technical specifications, downhole hydraulic pumps can be distinctly categorized into two types: reciprocating pumps (sucker-rod installation) and jet pumps. During the sucker-rod installation, the rod that triggers the pump plunger encompasses the surface of the well and connects to the pumping unit, whereas, in hydraulic pumps, the rod is quite short and extends only to the engine pistons. Alternatively, jet pumps can be modified to fit interchangeably into the bottom-hole assemblies (BHAs) designed for the stroking pumps. Also, special BHAs have been designed for jet pumps to take advantage of their short length and their high-volume characteristics. And, due to their unique features under diverse pumping conditions, jet pumps are considered as a substitute for conventional stroking pumps.Geographically and based on the number of deepwater rigs, the U.S. accounts for the maximum number of hydraulic pumping systems operating in North America. In Europe, Norway, Russia and the U.K. control the demand market. The Asia Pacific region is led by Malaysia, Australia, China, and India. The Rest of the World also has a significant demand for hydraulic pumps, especially in the Middle East, North Africa, and Brazil.Downhole Hydraulic Pumps Market: Key Market PlayersMajor manufacturers and suppliers of the downhole hydraulic pumps market include Weatherford International Ltd., Schlumberger Ltd., Baker Hughes Inc., GE Energy, and Lufkin Industries Inc.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.Contact:TMR Research,3739 Balboa St # 1097,San Francisco, CA 94121United StatesTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com IoT Fleet Management Market - Global Industry Overview 2017 - 2025 : IBM, AT&T, Inc., Intel, Verizon Communications, Oracle, Cisco Systems, TomTom International BV, Sierra Wireless, Trimble Inc. Global IoT Fleet Management Market https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1326761 https://www.researchmoz.us/iot-fleet-management-market-global-industry-analysis-size-share-growth-trends-and-forecast-2017-2025-report.html/toc https://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=E&repid=1326761 https://www.researchmoz.us/ http://marketresearchlatestreports.blogspot.com/ Researchmoz added latest report "IoT Fleet Management Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025". The industry report lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the market.Global IoT Fleet Management Market: OverviewThe Internet of Things helps in smooth connectivity of all the vehicles in a fleet, which not only helps to gain better insight into the drivers behavior but also assists in monitoring the health of the fleet from any device. Rising demand for fleet safety and data management coupled with the growing need to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) and achieve fuel efficiency are anticipated to drive the adoption of IoT technology in fleet management systems. The global IoT fleet management market has been segmented on the basis of cloud type, application and fleet type. The market has been further segmented by geography broadly into five major regions, namely: North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific (APAC) and Latin America.Get a Sample PDF at:Global IoT Fleet Management Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe primary factor that is driving the growth of the global IoT fleet management market is growing demand for operational efficiency. Though the logistics companies have connectivity options such as GPS sensors and mobile phones, the Internet of Things offers several new tools, such as driver mobile applications and in-vehicle steaming cameras, to make communications prompt and easier. Some of the additional benefits offered by IoT include vehicle and driver tracking, scheduling, effective routing and load management. Additionally, decreasing theft and unauthorized use coupled with preventive maintenance of fleets that can be achieved by the deployment of the Internet of Things in fleet management is influencing the growth of the global market positively. Thus, the conjoint effect of all these drivers is projected to strongly bolster the growth of the global IoT fleet management market in the coming years from 2017 - 2025.Increasing concerns about driver privacy and lack of IoT awareness and infrastructure could pose to be threats to the growth of the global IoT fleet management market. However, the growing advancements in cloud computing analytics and deployment of fog layer in the Internet of Things is facilitating the speedy adoption of IoT in fleet management and offering lucrative opportunities to the growth of the global market. Moreover, the developing nations of Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa are also offering potential growth opportunities for the expansion of the market in these regions during the forecast period.Global IoT Fleet Management Market: Competitive LandscapeThe major players who are operating in the IoT fleet management market globally have been profiled thoroughly and competitively in the study across all the give broad geographical regions that are covered under the purview of the report. The competitive analysis of all the market players is inclusive of their recent developments regarding IoT fleet management and the unique business strategies formulized by the companies to compete and retain their position in the global market. In addition to these, the report also includes an exhaustive SWOT analysis of each of the players to identify and analyze their positioning in the market further. Additionally, the report offers the market attractiveness analysis of the segment, cloud type in order to offer a comprehensive insight into the most attractive cloud type in the present market scenario. The market dynamics of the IoT fleet management market which have also been analyzed exhaustively under the scope of the report includes market drivers, restrains and the key opportunities. Therefore, the report on global IoT fleet management market provides a thorough and in depth study of the global market along with providing the market revenue forecast for the period to 2017 to 2025.Get Complete TOC With Tables and Figures @Some of the key players operating in the IoT fleet management market globally include IBM Corporation, AT&T, Inc., Intel Corporation, Verizon Communications, Inc., Oracle Corporation, Cisco Systems, Inc., TomTom International BV, Sierra Wireless, Trimble Inc., and Omnitracs LLC among others.The global IoT fleet management market has been segmented into:IoT Fleet Management Market, by Cloud Type- Public- Private- HybridIoT Fleet Management Market, by Application- Routing Management- Tracking and Monitoring- Fuel Management- Remote Diagnostics- OthersIoT Fleet Management Market, by Fleet Type- Passenger Vehicles- Commercial VehiclesIoT Fleet Management Market, by Geography: The market is broadly segmented on the basis of geography into:- North America- U.S.- Canada- Mexico- Europe- U.K.- Germany- France- Italy- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- China- Japan- India- Rest of Asia Pacific- Middle East and Africa- UAE- South Africa- Rest of Middle East and Africa- Latin America- Brazil- Rest of Latin AmericaMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.ResearchMozState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074For More Reports Visit @ Laboratory Chemical Reagents Global Market 2018 Top Key Players Merck , Thermo , TCI , American Element , Sinopharm and Forecast to 2023 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3043818-laboratory-chemical-reagents-global-market-status-and-trend-report-2013-2023 https://www.wiseguyreports.com/reports/3043818-laboratory-chemical-reagents-global-market-status-and-trend-report-2013-2023 www.wiseguyreports.com Global Laboratory Chemical Reagents MarketWiseGuyRerports.com Presents Laboratory Chemical Reagents-Global Market Status and Trend Report 2013-2023 New Document to its Studies Database. The Report Contain 132 Pages With Detailed Analysis.DescriptionLaboratory Chemical Reagents-Global Market Status and Trend Report 2013-2023 offers a comprehensive analysis on Laboratory Chemical Reagents industry, standing on the readers perspective, delivering detailed market data and penetrating insights. No matter the client is industry insider, potential entrant or investor, the report will provides useful data and information. Key questions answered by this report include:Worldwide and Regional Market Size of Laboratory Chemical Reagents 2013-2017, and development forecast 2018-2023 Main manufacturers/suppliers of Laboratory Chemical Reagents worldwide, with company and product introduction, position in the Laboratory Chemical Reagents market Market status and development trend of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by types and applications Cost and profit status of Laboratory Chemical Reagents, and marketing status Market growth drivers and challengesGet sample Report @The report segments the global Laboratory Chemical Reagents market as:Global Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market: Regional Segment Analysis (Regional Production Volume, Consumption Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate 2013-2023):North AmericaEuropeChinaJapanRest APACLatin AmericaGlobal Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market: Type Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume, Average Price, Revenue, Market Share and Trend 2013-2023):SolventsAcidsStandardsDyesSolutionsGlobal Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market: Application Segment Analysis (Consumption Volume and Market Share 2013-2023; Downstream Customers and Market Analysis)GovernmentAcademicIndustryPharmaEnvironmental InstitutionsGlobal Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market: Manufacturers Segment Analysis (Company and Product introduction, Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales Volume, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin):MerckThermoTCIAmerican ElementSinopharmXilongchemicalABCRBOC SciencesWako-chemKantoScientific OEMGlentham Life SciencesJHDSRL ChemicalApplichemJUNSEIEuroasia Trans ContinentalAladdinJkchemicalComplete Report Details @Table of Contents -Major Key PointsChapter 1 Overview of Laboratory Chemical Reagents1.1 Definition of Laboratory Chemical Reagents in This Report1.2 Commercial Types of Laboratory Chemical Reagents1.2.1 Solvents1.2.2 Acids1.2.3 Standards1.2.4 Dyes1.2.5 Solutions1.3 Downstream Application of Laboratory Chemical Reagents1.3.1 Government1.3.2 Academic1.3.3 Industry1.3.4 Pharma1.3.5 Environmental Institutions1.4 Development History of Laboratory Chemical Reagents1.5 Market Status and Trend of Laboratory Chemical Reagents 2013-20231.5.1 Global Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market Status and Trend 2013-20231.5.2 Regional Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market Status and Trend 2013-2023Chapter 2 Global Market Status and Forecast by Regions2.1 Market Development of Laboratory Chemical Reagents 2013-20172.2 Production Market of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Regions2.2.1 Production Volume of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Regions2.2.2 Production Value of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Regions2.3 Demand Market of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Regions2.4 Production and Demand Status of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Regions2.4.1 Production and Demand Status of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Regions 2013-20172.4.2 Import and Export Status of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Regions 2013-2017Chapter 3 Global Market Status and Forecast by Types3.1 Production Volume of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Types3.2 Production Value of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Types3.3 Market Forecast of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by TypesChapter 4 Global Market Status and Forecast by Downstream Industry4.1 Demand Volume of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Downstream Industry4.2 Market Forecast of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Downstream IndustryChapter 5 Market Driving Factor Analysis of Laboratory Chemical Reagents5.1 Global Economy Situation and Trend Overview5.2 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Downstream Industry Situation and Trend OverviewChapter 6 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Market Competition Status by Major Manufacturers6.1 Production Volume of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Major Manufacturers6.2 Production Value of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Major Manufacturers6.3 Basic Information of Laboratory Chemical Reagents by Major Manufacturers6.3.1 Headquarters Location and Established Time of Laboratory Chemical Reagents Major Manufacturer6.3.2 Employees and Revenue Level of Laboratory Chemical Reagents Major Manufacturer6.4 Market Competition News and Trend6.4.1 Merger, Consolidation or Acquisition News6.4.2 Investment or Disinvestment News6.4.3 New Product Development and LaunchChapter 7 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Major Manufacturers Introduction and Market Data7.1 Merck7.1.1 Company profile7.1.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.1.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Merck7.2 Thermo7.2.1 Company profile7.2.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.2.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Thermo7.3 TCI7.3.1 Company profile7.3.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.3.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of TCI7.4 American Element7.4.1 Company profile7.4.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.4.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of American Element7.5 Sinopharm7.5.1 Company profile7.5.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.5.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Sinopharm7.6 Xilongchemical7.6.1 Company profile7.6.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.6.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of Xilongchemical7.7 ABCR7.7.1 Company profile7.7.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.7.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of ABCR7.8 BOC Sciences7.8.1 Company profile7.8.2 Representative Laboratory Chemical Reagents Product7.8.3 Laboratory Chemical Reagents Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin of BOC Sciences..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 available.NORAH TRENTPartner Relations & Marketing Managersales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK) Medicated Personal Care Products Market 2018 Overview - Johnson & Johnson and LOreal Playing Major Role to Cross 20.30% CAGR till 2027 Medicated Personal Care Products Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1008 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/medicated-personal-care-products-market-1008 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/enquiry/1008 MRFR Released a new research report on Medicated Personal Care Products Market - Report provide unique information by worldwide ultimate top 10+ international players. The Global Research gives Major Regional information by Size, Shares and Demand in Dentistry SectorKey Players for Global Medicated Personal Care Products MarketMarket Research Future (MRFR) recognizes the following companies as the key players in Medicated Personal Care Products Market: There are plenty of large and small market players which operate in this market all over the globe.Personal Care (US) , TWASA (India), KPH Cosmos Pvt. Ltd (India), Edana, Johnson & Johnson (US), LOreal (Paris), DCC Health and Beauty Solutions LTD (UK). are some of the prominent players at the forefront of competition in the Global Medicated personal care products Market and are profiled in MRFR Analysis.Global Medicated personal care products Market - Competitive AnalysisCharacterized by the presence of several well-established and small players, the global market of Medicated personal care products appears to be highly competitive and fragmented. With well-established market in the Americas region major companies have their home in the region and generate maximum market share. These companies have expanded their operating unit in various other emerging regions as well. Moreover the other small and medium scale players are generating revenue from local market.Get Sample PDF Illustration @Global Medicated Personal Care Products Market - OverviewVarious medical companies are working hard to mollify the rising demand for ingredients and medicines that go into personal care products for the skin, hair, oral care, and various other applications. As a large, rapidly growing and increasingly diversified market, product components denote special challenges for medical manufacturing companies. Growing consumer incomes and changing lifestyles influence the global Medicated personal care products industry. Furthermore, the market is driven by an increasing middle class in the East, and growing elderly population in the West, and new opportunities such as halal beauty, mens grooming, and bio-based skin care.The market is forecasted to demonstrate a double growth by 2017. The Global Medicated personal care products market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.30% during assessment period of 2017-2027.Moreover, adding to the growth of the market, better standard of living along with growing disposable income of the working middle-class population in developing countries of Asia-Pacific including China, India, and Malaysia is expected to influence the growth of this market. Rising on-going R&D with technological breakthroughs in the area of processing and cost-effective products were major factors responsible for expanding industry growth over the past decade and the upcoming trend will continue further in the coming years.Regional Analysis for Global Medicated Personal Care Products MarketGlobal Medicated personal care products market is segmented on the basis of geographies or regions which mainly includes Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. Americas is dominating the global market for Medicated personal care products with more than 40% share of the total market in 2016. The major factors influencing the growth of the market include due to increasing use of medical personal care products, increasing spending over cosmetic products, growing aging population, and various others.Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market in coming future. The nations in the Asia represent to a portion of the biggest and high potential markets for export growth for the U.S. Individual Care and Cosmetics businesses. Containing more than 20% of U.S. worldwide exports in the sector, the Asian nations offer the business more than 3 billion potential consumers in the fastest growing global markets. This base incorporates customers in developed markets for U.S. products, for example, Japan, Australia and South Korea, which together represented more than $1 billion in U.S. individual care and cosmetics export trades in 2015 to China, which at an estimated USD 500 to USD 600 million in U.S. exports that same year, is anticipated to become the largest global market for cosmetics in the next two to three years agents.What's more, the nations incorporated into the Asia Personal Care and Cosmetics Guide give access to some of the most highest potential future marketsincluding the developing white collar class in nations crossing from Indonesia to Vietnam to Malaysia. These purchasers seek to the quality and refinement for which U.S. products are known. As of now these business sectors source the vast majority of their fundamental individual care products from mass market U.S. organizations including Procter and Bet, Johnson and Johnson and Colgate-Palmolive. Progressively these consumers are moving past the basics to premium skin and hair care and also color cosmetics opening opening the way to a wide variety of U.S. based beauty care products exporters.The Middle East & Africa holds the least share of the global market due to limited availability of biotechnology 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.Browse Complete Report @Some Brief Table of Contents of ReportChapter 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 Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & AssessmentChapter 5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Porters Five Forces Analysis5.1.1 Bargaining Power Of SuppliersTOC ContinuedDo You Have Specific Requirement? Ask To Our Experts@About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Statistical Report, Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact Us:Market Research FutureHadapsar, Pune 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone: +1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Global Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market - Analysis Covering Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast till 2018-2026 || Industry Key Players - Flextronics International LTD., Jabil Inc., & Benchmark Electronics Inc. MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/17885 https://www.mrrse.com/medical-device-contract-manufacturing-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/17885 https://www.mrrse.com/ Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) has recently updated its massive report catalog by adding a fresh study titled Global Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market - Analysis Covering Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast till 2018-2026. This business intelligence study encapsulates vital details about the market current as well as future status during the mentioned forecast period of 2026. The report also targets important facets such as market drivers, challenges, latest trends, and opportunities associated with a growth of manufacturers in the global market for Medical Device Contract Manufacturing. Along with these insights, the report provides the readers with crucial insights on the strategies implemented by leading companies to remain in the lead of this competitive market.Over the past few years, the pharmaceutical and medical device industry has seen a significant reduction in new product development and approvals due to the global financial crisis. To remedy this situation, the use of business process outsourcing services has proven to be an effective way of minimizing operational, management, and infrastructure costs. The global medical device contract manufacturing market was valued at US$ 47.5 Bn in 2017. It is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 10.9% from 2018 to 2026. The in-vitro diagnostic medical devices segment dominates the global market. Rise in the prevalence of chronic diseases, technological advancements, increase in patient awareness and health care expenditure, and rise in the need for the diagnosis of complex diseases are major factors driving the market. The highly fragmented nature of the medical device contract manufacturing market has prompted market players to shift their focus toward relatively niche segments such as minimally access surgical instruments.To Get Sample Copy of Report, Click here @The medical device contract manufacturing market is expanding significantly, as several life science companies are increasing their outsourcing activities as a strategy to reduce capital expenditure and labor costs. The in-vitro diagnostic medical devices segment is anticipated to expand during the forecast period, as the devices offer a promising solution for the rapid diagnosis of diseases. These products offer superior solutions compared to other diagnosis products, by offering desired outcomes and effectiveness in diagnosing. An increase in the incidence of chronic diseases has fueled demand for products that offer rapid and efficient healing. Thus, a majority of hospitals have shifted their preferences toward advanced products. These products help decrease the average length of stay in hospitals through early recovery from disease. This, in turn, helps reduce surgical costs. Therefore, a rise in demand for advanced products that increase therapeutic outcomes drives the medical device contract manufacturing market.The global medical device contract manufacturing market has been extensively analyzed based on device type, type of manufacturing, service, application, and region. In terms of device type, the global market has been classified into in-vitro diagnostic medical devices, diagnostic imaging & medical equipment, drug delivery devices, patient monitoring devices, minimally access surgical instruments, therapeutic patient assistive devices, and others. Based on type of manufacturing, the global medical device contract manufacturing market has been classified into raw materials, electronics, and finished goods. In terms of service, the global medical device contract manufacturing market has been split into prototype development, finished device manufacturing, assembly & packaging, testing & regulatory support services, molding & casting, and others. Based on application, the global medical device contract manufacturing market has been divided into cardiovascular, orthopedic, neurovascular, pulmonary, oncology, laparoscopy, urology & gynecology, radiology, and others. Each of the segments has been analyzed in detail for market trends, recent developments, outlook, and opportunities. The report provides current and future market size for each segment and sub-segment for the period from 2018 to 2026, in terms of revenue in US$ Mn, considering 2017 as the base year The compound annual growth rate (%CAGR) for each market segment has been provided for the forecast period from 2018 to 2026, along with the estimations of market size.In terms of region, the global medical device contract manufacturing market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The regions have been further sub-segmented into major countries and sub-regions. The current and future market sizes in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) of these regional markets and their major countries have been provided in the report for the period from 2016 to 2026, with their growth rate (%) for the period from 2018 to 2026. The study also offers a list of recommendations and highlights of the market for new companies willing to enter the market and for existing companies to increase market shares, which is likely to help in the decision-making process.The market overview section of the report demonstrates market dynamics and market trends such as drivers, restraints, opportunities, and key trends that influence the current and future status of the medical device contract manufacturing industry. The report also covers market attractiveness analysis and key market share analysis in the market overview section in order to provide a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario in the global medical device contract manufacturing market.Browse Complete Report with TOC @The report concludes with the company profiles section that includes key information about the major players in the market. Key players profiled in this report include Flextronics International, LTD., Jabil Inc., Benchmark Electronics, Inc., Integer Holdings Corporation (Greatbatch), West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., Tecomet, Inc., Nortech Systems, TE Connectivity (Creganna Medical), Forefront Medical Technologies, and Nordson Corporation. Each of these players has been profiled in the report considering parameters such as company overview, financial overview, business strategies, product portfolio, and recent developments.The global medical device contract manufacturing market has been segmented as follows:Global Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, by Device TypeIn-vitro Diagnostic Medical DevicesDiagnostic Imaging & Medical EquipmentDrug Delivery DevicesPatient Monitoring DevicesMinimally Access Surgical InstrumentsTherapeutic Patient Assistive DevicesOthersGlobal Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, by Type of ManufacturingRaw MaterialsElectronicsFinished GoodsGlobal Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, by ServicePrototype DevelopmentFinished Device ManufacturingAssembly & PackagingTesting & Regulatory Support ServicesMolding & CastingOthersGlobal Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, by ApplicationCardiovascularOrthopedicNeurovascularPulmonaryOncologyLaparoscopyUrology & GynecologyRadiologyOthersGlobal Medical Device Contract Manufacturing Market, by RegionNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.FranceItalySpainRest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaIndiaJapanAustralia & New ZealandRest of Asia PacificLatin AmericaBrazilMexicoRest of Latin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaGCC CountriesSouth AfricaRest of Middle East & AfricaEnquire about this Report @About Market Research Reports Search Engine (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.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United States Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite: Oral Solid Dosage Forms and Pharma Excipients Market to be Stimulated by Increase in Geriatric Population https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1361 https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=1361 https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-osdf-excipients-demand-is-expected-to-reach-1268-kilo-tons-in-2018-transparency-market-research-216578131.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com In the course of taking medication, active substances may not be easily absorbed by the human body. These active ingredients are mixed or dissolved with excipients, which acts as a carrier. In addition, excipients perform various functions such as prevention of denaturation and maintenance of purity level of the active ingredient. Moreover, addition of excipients to active ingredients also ensures administration of accurate levels of the latter. Excipients find application in sectors such as food, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and medical.Rising aging population in Europe and North America are expected to drive the growth of the pharmaceutical and medical industry. This in turn is expected to drive the growth of the excipients market in this region. In addition, rising health awareness in developing countries such as China and India is boosting the pharmaceutical market in this region, consequently fuelling the demand for excipients. Moreover, the development and introduction of new excipients for the growing pharmaceutical industry is expected to contribute to the market demand. However, the overall market is inhibited by the high cost of manufacturing excipients owing to rising prices of raw materials, labor costs and technological costs. Furthermore, factors such as supply chain issues, low profit margins, declining R&D investments and shortage of approved manufacturing sites by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are expected to have a negative effect on the growth of the excipients market. New product development is expected to open new opportunities for the growth of this market.Request Sample Report:The overall global excipients market has been growing at a modest rate in line with the growth of the global pharmaceuticals market. The excipients market is also slated to grow with the growth of personal care products and food industries where excipients are used as diluents, fillers and colorants. Improving lifestyle and higher disposable income in emerging nations such as China, Brazil and India has led to an increased demand for oral forms of excipients. The OSDF excipients market is expected to witness a higher growth rate as compared to the Overall market over the forecast period on account of the increased health awareness. In addition, consumers are inclined to opt for products which are easier to consume irrespective of their cost factor.The excipients market is divided into Overall excipients and oral solid-dosage-form (OSDF) excipients. Demand for polymers in the Overall excipients market was highest accounting for approximately 40% of the total volume in 2011. However, sugar and other product types of excipients are expected to show the fastest growth over the forecast period due to preference for sweeteners by consumers. Within the OSDF excipients market, polymers accounted for 47% of the demand in 2011. Sugar and other product types of OSDF excipients are expected to show the highest growth over the next six years.For More Industrial Insights Get PDF Brochure:Europe accounted for over 30% of the overall excipients market in 2011. Increasing aging population in countries such as China and Japan is expected to drive the demand for excipients in Asia Pacific over the next years. Similarly, Europe was the largest market for OSDF excipients accounting for around 30% of the total market. In addition to aging population, the growing medical and food industry in Asia Pacific is expected to boost the demand for OSDF excipients in the near future.For More Information Please Visit:Some of the leading excipients manufacturers include ABITEC Corporation, AkzoNobel, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), BASF, DOW Chemical Company, Evonik, J.M. Huber Corporation, Cargill and Eastman Chemical Company among 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: Usage-Based Insurance Market to Reach $123 Billion by 2022 | Top Key Players are Allianz SE, AXA S.A, Insure The Box, Mapfre S.A, Progressive Corporation, Metromile Usage-Based Insurance https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/usage-based-insurance-market?utm_source=OpenPR https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/1742?utm_source=OpenPR https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1742?utm_source=OpenPR https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com Usage-Based Insurance Market Report, published by Allied Market Research, forecasts that the global market is expected to garner $123 billion by 2022, registering a CAGR of 36.4% during the forecast period 2016-2022. North America is expected to grow at the fastest pace during the forecast period, owing to the upsurge in demand from the U.S. and Canada.View Detail Summary of this report:Pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) product type segment accounted for the largest market share in 2015 owing to its cost efficiency. Manage-how-you-drive (MHYD) is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate from 2016 to 2022, as it provides higher level of freedom and flexibility to the customers.In terms of market by technology, the Black-box technology segment accounted for the maximum market share in 2015, as it is highly secure and reliable. Moreover, the popularity of black-box has increased in the global market owing to its accurate and timely data collection capabilities. Smartphone technology is anticipated to witness fastest growth in the global usage-based insurance market, primarily driven by its convenience features.Europe accounted for largest revenue share in usage-based insurance market in 2015. The market in the region is anticipated to grow at a notable pace in the coming years, owing to rise in awareness towards drivers safety and increased penetration of such services among the youth population. Market penetration of pay-as-you-drive is relatively higher in the region due to its cost efficiency.North America is anticipated to witness the fastest growth rate owing to increased penetration of usage-based insurance services in the U.S. and Canada. Popularity of such services has particularly increased among youth and teenagers, which is one of the major growth factors. The U.S. is witnessing increase in the demand of MHYD services owing to superior benefits of flexible driving and roadside assistance facilities.Country wise analysis has been provided for all the regions covered in the report. Countries analyzed under the North America region are the U.S., and the Rest of North America. Under Europe, market size and forecast has been provided for Italy, UK, Germany, France, and rest of Europe. Countries covered in the Asia-Pacific region include Japan, Australia, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific. Japan and Australia are the leading markets for usage based insurance in the APAC region. LAMEA includes Africa and the Rest of Latin America.20% Free Customization Report:KEY FINDINGS OF THE USAGE-BASED INSURANCE MARKET STUDY:Europe generated the maximum revenue in the year 2015 followed by North America.Manage-how-you-drive (MHYD) segment is expected to grow at the fastest rate from 2016 to 2022.In the year 2015, pay-as-you-drive (PAYD) generated the highest revenue in the global usage based insurance market, followed by pay-how-you-drive (PHYD).By technology, smartphone and hybrid-based insurance programs are expected to witness higher growth.Partnership is one of the most widely adopted key growth strategies by existing market players. For instance, companies such as Progressive Corporation, Insure The Box, Mapfre S.A., and Metromile made several partnerships to expand their market and product line. The key companies profiled in the report include Allianz SE, AXA S.A., Insure The Box Ltd., Progressive Corporation, Allstate Corporation, Desjardins Insurance, Generali group, Mapfre S.A., Metromile, and Aviva plc.Download Request Sample Copy:Allied 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: +1855550-5975help@alliedmarketresearch.comWeb: Global Marker Pens Market 2026 | Top Key Players - Newell Brands, Kokuyo Camlin Ltd., Societe BIC SA, Pilot Corporation, Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., Pentel Co., Ltd., Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc. MRRSE https://www.mrrse.com/sample/17350 https://www.mrrse.com/marker-pens-market https://www.mrrse.com/enquiry/17350 https://www.mrrse.com/ Global sales of marker pens are likely to be driven by steady demand from educational institutions and corporates, however, the impact of digital platforms will be palpable on the market. On account of these factors, the market pens market is likely to grow at a modest 2.9% CAGR during the assessment period. These insights are according to a new research study titled Global Market Study on Marker Pens: Unique Offerings Such as Twin-Tip Marker Pens to Offer Versatility to Users that has been added to the repository of Market Research Hub (MRH).For More Information Request Free Sample on Marker Pens Market Research Report @According to the research study, the global marker pens market is likely to reach a valuation of nearly US$ 400 million in 2026. Sales of marker pens will be influenced by a range of factors concerning environmental sustainability. Demand for marker pens made from biodegradable and recyclable materials is likely to witness an increase over the course of the forecast period.According to the research study, manufacturers are focusing on innovation and development of niche products to counter the threat posed by tablets and smartphones. Marker pen manufacturers are focusing on offering a wide range of affordable options to create opportunities in the market. Manufacturers are also focusing on product differentiation to gain a foothold in the market. Some examples of innovative products launched in the market include xylene free markers, neon permanent markers, and markers with UV resistant ink.Browse Complete Detail on Marker Pens Market Research Report with TOC @According to the study, demand for eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable marker pens is a key prevailing trend in the market. Writing instruments manufactured from biodegradable waste are gaining popularity among consumers. The research study also offers a region-wise outlook on the global marker pens market. According to the study, Asia Pacific will continue to be one of the leading markets for marker pens globally. Steady demand from consumers in China and India is likely to provide an impetus to growth of marker pens market in Asia Pacific. According to the study, marker pen sales in Asia Pacific are likely to grow at a steady pace during the course of the forecast period.The research study on marker pens market also offers a detailed analysis on the competitive landscape in the market. The market study profiles the key developments of some of the leading players in the marker pens market. According to the study, some of the leading players in the marker pens market are Newell Brands, Kokuyo Camlin Ltd., Societe BIC SA, Pilot Corporation, Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd., Pentel Co., Ltd., and Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc.Enquire about this Report @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.Contact UsState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207(United States) Telephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite: Growth Prospects of Global Branded Generics Market to Exceed US$ 220 Bn by 2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1260 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-1260 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/branded-generics-market https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Differential and innovative product strategies that are adopted by various multinational pharma companies have been fuelling the growth of branded generics market at a global scale. These strategies include establishing sustained local capabilities with the strong local talents, engaging in portfolio marketing, recalibrating regulatory affairs, bolstering sales force with the multi-channel engagement and enhancing contracting capabilities. Developing regions are witnessing a rapid increase in demand for branded generics on account of increasing affordability of the products and ease of regulations. Rising disposable income and changing lifestyle of consumers is also expected to augur well for growth of the branded generics market in the near future.The study predicts that patent expiries of the blockbuster drugs are likely to create demand for branded generics during the forecast period. Increasing prevalence of the lifestyle and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes together with increasing purchasing power makes branded generics market attractive for investors. The study by Future Market Insights predicts that branded generics market is likely to register a healthy 7.3% CAGR over the forecast period, 2016-2026. Commodity generic products and huge competition from the branded drugs have prevailed as major challenges inhibiting the growth of branded generics market, in terms of price structure.To Request a Sample copy or view summary of this report @Cardiovascular Diseases are likely to prove highly lucrative for revenue growth of branded generics market due to rising prevalence of diverse types of cancers and increasing comorbidities across the globe. Anti-hypertensive segment is expected to prove highly lucrative for the purpose of reducing premature cardiovascular disease. Oral formulations hold the largest demand from medical providers and patients for branded generics. This is mainly due to the benefits that oral formulation offers such as accuracy, dosing convenience and easy adherence to a medication plan.Parenteral formulations are likely to gain traction in branded generics market during the forecast period, with API (active pharmaceutical ingredient) being degraded in intestinal tracts, thereby driving the demand for parenteral delivery. The report predicts that APEJ and North America are likely to remain lucrative for parenteral formulations during the forecast period. Retail Pharmacies are expected to prove as the most lucrative distribution channel for branded generics, as the pharmaceutical companies manufacturers are highly dependent on this distribution channel for selling the products over-the-counter.APEJ accounts for the largest revenue share in the branded generics market owing to lack of worldwide health coverage and higher out-of-the-pocket expenditure on healthcare. China, India and ASEAN countries are expected to pose lucrative growth opportunities for the new and existing key players in the forthcoming years. Most of the leading manufacturers in the global market are concentrated in Asian countries and have been working towards expansion of their production capacity, for catering to the existing and emerging global demands.Need more information about Report methodology ? @Statutory regulatory bodies have been playing a significant role in the growth branded generics market in APEJ by providing approvals for products. Furthermore, growth through the adoption of inorganic approaches have been forming cornerstone of the branded generics drug makers in APEJ region. Latin America, Eastern Europe and North America will prove significantly lucrative for the branded generics market in the forthcoming years.Brand-name prescriptions are anticipated to remain ubiquitous amongst the aged people worldwide. Since geriatric demographics hold a larger portion of drug-consuming population across the globe, demand for branded generics are expected to rise substantially. Branded generics market has been projected to develop at a healthy pace as enormous number of the pharmaceutical products are expected to go off-patent within the assessment period of 2016-2026.Page 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 centers in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.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: Linear Actuators Market Key Players Duff-Norton, Helix Linear Technologies, Inc ,Altra Industrial Motion, Tolomatic, Inc., Fabco-Air, Inc. ,Actuonix Motion Devices,Tusk Direct, Inc. https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3778 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-3778 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com Linear actuators assist in converting energy into straight line motions, generally for positioning applications. Most of the linear actuators are either mechanical or electro-mechanical devices that provide controlled movement and positioning. These actuators are primarily used in industrial machinery, computer peripherals, valves, and many other places where linear motion is required. A typical linear actuator generally produces push and pull action. As most processes across a variegated range of industries gets automated, the global linear actuators market is expected to expand with an impressive CAGR throughout the forecast period.Linear ActuatorsMarket: Drivers & RestraintsThe major factors boosting the growth of linear actuators market is rising automation across manufacturing industry. Industrial objectives such as achieving complete factory automation, and integrating Industrial Internet of Things are some of the prime reasons that will drive more demand for linear actuators. While, rising industrialization particularly in the third world countries is another factor that will drive the demand in the global linear actuators market, on the backdrop of increasing number of factories. As the number of research studies conducted increases, demand for telescopic actuators is expected to increase significantly. Also as companies overcome their legacy systems to achieve higher efficiency, and replace existing actuators with new ones, demand for linear actuators is expected to rise. Furthermore, as an increasing number of industrial process adopt self-control and positioning demand in the linear actuators market is expected to continuously rise.However, as concerns regarding employment rises among most countries on the backdrop of increasing automation in factories, demand for linear actuators might get sluggish over the end years of the forecast period. Adoption of 3D printing in many industries is another factor that will restrain the demand for linear actuators, as usage of machines will decrease.Request Sample Report @Linear ActuatorsMarket: Market SegmentationThe Linear Actuators Market is segmented into two parts based on operation type and end use industry:Based on operation mechanism, the linear actuator market is segmented into:MechanicalHydraulicPneumaticPiezoelectricElectro-mechanical actuatorsBased on End Use Industry, the linear actuator market is segmented into:AutomotiveMedical/HealthcareEnergy and Mining,SteelConstructionMilitaryChemicalOthersLinear Actuators Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, linear actuators market has been categorized into seven key regions including North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, APEJ, Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa.A prominent share of the demand for linear actuators comes from North America, and the region is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Furthermore, with more inclination towards shifting manufacturing in US from China and other ASEAN countries, demand for linear actuators will further rise in the region. Asia Pacific Exc. Japan is another prominent shareholder in terms of demand for linear actuators, amid, large manufacturing sector of China. Moreover, with India and Indonesia picking up at a fast pace, demand for linear actuators is expected to expand with a bullish growth rate over the forecast period. Being home to large automotive and research base companies, Western Europe is another prominent region generating huge demand for linear actuators. Eastern Europe is also expected to generate descent demand for linear actuators, particularly from energy and defense sector. Rising industrialization and the already dominant oil and gas industry of Middle East and Africa is the prime reason driving automation in the Middle Eastern region. Thus driving more demand for linear actuators. Japan is another prominent industrial nation, which drives demand for linear actuators, due to high automation penetration in their industries coupled with growing semiconductor industry of the region.Request to View TOC @Linear Actuators Market: Key PlayersSome of the players identified in Global Linear Actuators market are:-Duff-NortonHelix Linear Technologies, Inc.Altra Industrial MotionTolomatic, Inc.Fabco-Air, Inc.Actuonix Motion DevicesTusk Direct, Inc.Bishop-Wisecarver CorporationBEI Kimco MagneticsBurr Engineering & Development CompanyDel-Tron Precision, Inc.Rollon India Pvt. Ltd.The global woodworking machines market is highly fragmented due to the presence of large number of regional and global players. Regional players choose quality service and competitive pricing as their winning strategy over global players. In response to this, global players are largely involved in merger & acquisition and partnership activities in order to enhance their profitability margin and market share.ABOUT 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.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: GE, ABB, Schneider Electric Profiled in North America Microgrid Market Report 2024 - Siemens, Honeywell, Caterpillar Inc, Tesla, Virdity Energy Solutions, EnSync Inc, Toshiba, Hitachi, Advanced Microgrid Solutions 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 https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-grid-energy-storage-market-2018-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2023/?utm_source=RR-PSR https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog MarketStudyReport.com Adds New North America Microgrid Market 2018 2024 research report providing information and data By Connectivity, By Grid Type, By Source, By Storage, By Application, Industry Analysis, Regional Outlook, Application Potential, Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast spreading across 205 Pages with table and figures in it.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.Request a sample 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.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.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.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.Request a discount on standard prices 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.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.Table of content:Chapter 1. MethodologyChapter 2. Executive SummaryChapter 3. North America microgrid market Industry InsightsChapter 4. North America Microgrid Market, By ConnectivityChapter 5. North America Microgrid Market, By Grid TypeChapter 6. North America Microgrid Market, By Power SourceChapter 7. North America Microgrid Market, By Storage DevicesChapter 8. North America Microgrid Market, By ApplicationChapter 9. North America Microgrid Market, By CountryChapter 10. Company ProfilesMore Details on this Report At:Related Report:Global Grid Energy Storage Market 2018 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2023This report focuses on the Grid Energy Storage 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.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Global Prefilled Auto Injectors Market Research Report with Upcoming Opportunities by 2022 | Key Players are Becton, Dickinson and Company, Pfizer Inc., Mylan N.V., Antares Pharma, Inc., Amgen Inc., etc. https://www.factmr.com/connectus/sample?flag=S&rep_id=169 https://www.factmr.com/report/169/prefilled-auto-injectors-market https://www.factmr.com/checkout/169/S https://www.factmr.com/ https://factmrblog.com/ In order to study the many forthcoming movements and patterns prevailing in the global market, FactMR has included the latest Forecast report on Prefilled Auto Injectors Market to its vast database. The delivered study offers significant figures about the leading regions and applications which are functioning in the Prefilled Auto Injectors Market Upcoming Trends by 2022, along with their market production, consumption, revenue, upcoming industry trends and forecasted market share details. Further, the accomplished market research report also anticipates that the concerned market would grow at a constructive CAGR until 2022.Request Here for Free Sample of Global Market Research Report Now -Growing preference for convenient injection of anticoagulants and the introduction of a spectrum of new biotech products is reflecting favorably on the global prefilled auto-injectors market. Over the next couple of years, use of prefilled auto-injectors is expected become widespread across the globe. The product has made self-inject procedures extremely convenient for patients, hence, gaining a significant amount of user trust. In addition, the next generation prefilled auto injectors are more advanced in terms of technology and design. Manufacturers are actively focusing on perfecting prefilled auto-injectors in order to facilitate their use in new therapeutic areas. Prefilled auto-injectors are essentially developed for more reliable and accurate injection. Factors as such are anticipated to further boost the global sales of prefilled auto-injectors. As per the latest report published by Fact.MR, the global prefilled auto injectors market is will surge at 15.3% CAGR during the forecast period (2017-2022).Prefilled auto-injectors are primarily intended for self-administration by patients without the obligation of any special training. These injectors come with standard prefilled barrels that contain therapeutic drugs and are easy to use. By design, they are mostly compact and have a pen like shape with a tiny reusable needle attached on the nip. Usually, the site of injection is either thighs or arms, but it may differ on a case-by-case basis or dosage of drug.North America Will Continue to Spearhead the Global Prefilled Auto-Injectors MarketIn terms of revenue, North America is expected to dominate the global prefilled auto-injectors market over 2022. This is primarily owing to the rising number of patients who require drug administration on regular basis. Owing to the extreme convenience of administrating insulin, prefilled auto injectors are also gaining popularity among patients suffering from diabetes in the region. The prefilled auto injectors market in North America in expected to witness a strong growth over the forecast period. Meanwhile, robust development of the healthcare sector coupled with low cost of prefilled auto-injectors is proving to be instrumental for the growth of the market in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ). Between 2017 and 2022, the regions market is projected to increase at an impressive CAGR of 15.9%.Browse Market Report with TOC Here -Based on indication, the anaphylaxis segment currently accounts for more than two-third revenue share of the market. The segment is estimated to reach a market valuation of over US$ 3,187 Mn towards the end of 2022, reflecting a strong CAGR. In addition, the segment is expected to growing at around US$ 320 Mn annually over the course of the assessment period.Competition TrackingFact.MRs report also profiled companies that are expected to remain active in the expansion of global prefilled auto injectors market through 2022, which include Becton, Dickinson and Company, Pfizer Inc., Mylan N.V., Antares Pharma, Inc., Amgen Inc., and Eli Lilly and Company.Table of Content:Global Prefilled Auto-Injectors Market - Executive SummaryGlobal Prefilled Auto-Injectors Market Overview2.1. Introduction2.1.1. Global Prefilled Auto-Injectors Market Taxonomy2.1.2. Global Prefilled Auto-Injectors Market Definition2.2. Global Prefilled Auto-Injectors Market Size (US$ Mn) and Forecast, 2012-20222.2.1. Global Prefilled Auto-Injectors Market Y-o-Y Growth2.3. Global Prefilled Auto-Injectors Market Dynamics2.4. Regulations2.5. Supply Chain2.6. Cost Structure2.7. Average Pricing Analysis2.8. List of DistributorsContinuedBuy Hassle Free Global Market Research Report Here -About Fact.MRFactMR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFactMR11140 Rockville PikeSuite 400, Rockville, MD 20852United StatesEmail: sales@factmr.comWeb:Blog: New Research Study on Osteoporosis - Pipeline Review | Abreos Biosciences, Alvogen Korea Co Ltd, Amgen, Asahi Kasei Corp, BiosanaPharma BV Osteoporosis - Pipeline Review https://www.htfmarketreport.com/sample-report/1442071-osteoporosis-pipeline-review-5 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/enquiry-before-buy/1442071-osteoporosis-pipeline-review-5 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/reports/1442071-osteoporosis-pipeline-review-5 https://www.htfmarketreport.com/buy-now?format=1&report=1442071 www.linkedin.com/company/13388569/ www.facebook.com/htfmarketintelligence/ HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 273 pages on title 'Osteoporosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2018' with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions that includes North America Country (United States, Canada), South America, Asia Country (China, Japan, India, Korea), Europe Country (Germany, UK, France, Italy), Other Country (Middle East, Africa, GCC) and important players such as Abreos Biosciences Inc, Alvogen Korea Co Ltd, Amgen Inc, Asahi Kasei Corp, BiosanaPharma BV, Biosion Inc, Bone Biologics Corp, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.Request a sample report @SummaryOsteoporosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2018SummaryThe latest Pharmaceutical and Healthcare disease pipeline guide Osteoporosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2018, provides an overview of the Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders) pipeline landscape.Osteoporosis, or thinning bones, makes bones weak and more likely to break. Risk factors for osteoporosis include aging, being female, low body weight, low sex hormones or menopause, smoking, and some medications. Signs and symptoms include back pain, caused by a fractured or collapsed vertebra, loss of height over time, a stooped posture, a bone fracture that occurs much more easily than expected. Prevention and treatment include calcium and vitamin D, exercise, and osteoporosis medications.Report HighlightsThe Pharmaceutical and Healthcare latest pipeline guide Osteoporosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2018, provides comprehensive information on the therapeutics under development for Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders), complete with analysis by stage of development, drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The guide covers the descriptive pharmacological action of the therapeutics, its complete research and development history and latest news and press releases.The Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders) pipeline guide also reviews of key players involved in therapeutic development for Osteoporosis and features dormant and discontinued projects. The guide covers therapeutics under Development by Companies /Universities /Institutes, the molecules developed by Companies in Pre-Registration, Filing rejected/Withdrawn, Phase III, Phase II, Phase I, IND/CTA Filed, Preclinical, Discovery and Unknown stages are 7, 1, 6, 4, 21, 3, 56, 13 and 1 respectively. Similarly, the Universities portfolio in Phase II, Phase I, Preclinical and Discovery stages comprises 1, 1, 12 and 12 molecules, respectively.Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders) pipeline guide helps in identifying and tracking emerging players in the market and their portfolios, enhances decision making capabilities and helps to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage. The guide is built using data and information sourced from The proprietary databases, company/university websites, clinical trial registries, conferences, SEC filings, investor presentations and featured press releases from company/university sites and industry-specific third party sources. Additionally, various dynamic tracking processes ensure that the most recent developments are captured on a real time basis.Scope- The pipeline guide provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders).- The pipeline guide reviews pipeline therapeutics for Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders) by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources.- The pipeline guide covers pipeline products based on several stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages.- The pipeline guide features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which comprise, product description, descriptive licensing and collaboration details, R&D brief, MoA & other developmental activities.- The pipeline guide reviews key companies involved in Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders) therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects.- The pipeline guide evaluates Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders) therapeutics based on mechanism of action (MoA), drug target, route of administration (RoA) and molecule type.- The pipeline guide encapsulates all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects.- The pipeline guide reviews latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders)Reasons to buy- Procure strategically important competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D strategies.- Recognize emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage.- Find and recognize significant and varied types of therapeutics under development for Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders).- Classify potential new clients or partners in the target demographic.- Develop tactical initiatives by understanding the focus areas of leading companies.- Plan mergers and acquisitions meritoriously by identifying key players and its most promising pipeline therapeutics.- Formulate corrective measures for pipeline projects by understanding Osteoporosis (Metabolic Disorders) pipeline depth and focus of Indication therapeutics.- Develop and design in-licensing and out-licensing strategies by identifying prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope.- Adjust the therapeutic portfolio by recognizing discontinued projects and understand from the know-how what drove them from pipeline.Companies Mentioned in the ReportAbreos Biosciences Inc, Alvogen Korea Co Ltd, Amgen Inc, Asahi Kasei Corp, BiosanaPharma BV, Biosion Inc, Bone Biologics Corp, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co, Cadila Healthcare Ltd, ChoDang Pharm Co Ltd, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Corium International Inc, Daewon Pharm Co Ltd, Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd, Dong Wha Pharma Co Ltd, Eli Lilly and Co, EndoCeutics Inc, Entera Bio Ltd, Enteris BioPharma Inc, Enzene Biosciences Ltd, Enzo Biochem Inc, Evgen Pharma Plc, Gador SA, Genor BioPharma Co Ltd, GL Pharm Tech Corp, GlycoNex Inc, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd, Haoma Medica Ltd, Huons Global Co Ltd, Immunwork Inc, Innovent Biologics Inc, InSight Biopharmaceuticals Ltd, Intas Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Ipsen SA, JHL Biotech Inc, Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine Co Ltd, Lead Discovery Center GmbH, Lotus Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Lupin Ltd, Luye Pharma Group Ltd, mAbxience SA, Merck & Co Inc, Millendo Therapeutics Inc, Nano Intelligent Biomedical Engineering Corp, Omeros Corp, Oncobiologics Inc, Paras Biopharmaceuticals Finland Oy, Pfenex Inc, PhytoHealth Corp, R Pharm, Reliance Life Sciences Pvt Ltd, Ribomic Inc, Richter Gedeon Nyrt, Shanghai Fudan-Zhangjiang Bio-Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Shenzhen Salubris Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd, Shin Poong PharmCo Ltd, Sinil Pharmaceutical Co Ltd, Stelis Biopharma Pvt Ltd, Terpenoid Therapeutics Inc, TSH Biopharm Corporation Ltd, Uni-Bio Science Group Ltd, Viking Therapeutics Inc, ViroMed Co Ltd, Wroclawskie Centrum Badan EIT+ Sp z oo, Yooyoung Pharm Co LtdGet Customization in the Report, Enquire Now @Table of ContentsTable of Contents 2Introduction 6Osteoporosis - Overview 7Osteoporosis - Therapeutics Development 8Osteoporosis - Therapeutics Assessment 25Osteoporosis - Companies Involved in Therapeutics Development 35Osteoporosis - Drug Profiles 66Osteoporosis - Dormant Projects 239Osteoporosis - Discontinued Products 247Osteoporosis - Product Development Milestones 249Appendix 258List of TablesNumber of Products under Development for Osteoporosis, H2 2018Number of Products under Development by Companies, H2 2018Number of Products under Development by Universities/Institutes, H2 2018Products under Development by Companies, H2 2018Products under Development by Universities/Institutes, H2 2018Number of Products by Stage and....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @Buy this report @Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia or Oceania [Australia and New Zealand].About Author: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.Contact US :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.comConnect with us attwitter.com/htfmarketreportplus.google.com/u/0/+NidhiBhawsar-SEO_Expert?rel=author Car Fleet Leasing Market Upcoming Trends and Outlook till 2025: Prominent Players Arval, Donlen Corporation, ALD Automotive, First Class Leasing, Car Express, Expatride International Car Fleet Leasing Market 2018 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/report-sample/AT081184 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/send-an-enquiry/AT081184 https://www.crystalmarketresearch.com/check-discount/AT081184 www.crystalmarketresearch.com Car Fleet Leasing Market Research Provides the How Market potential for each geographical region based on the growth rate, macro-economic parameters, consumer buying patterns, and market demand and supply scenarios. Report deliver comprehensive analysis of the market structure along with forecast of the various segments and sub-segments of the market. The market emphases on the global key manufacturers, to define, describe and analyze the market competition landscape, SCOT analysis, SWOT analysis.For In-Depth Review | Get Sample Copy @Market Key Competitors: Arval Executive Car Rental Service ( ECRS) Thergaon Branch Office Donlen Corporation ALD Automotive First Class Leasing Car Express LeasePlan Corporation Expatride InternationalBy Type: Open end lease Close end leaseBy End User: Food and beverage industry IT industry Pharmaceuticals industryBy Region North America Europe Asia-Pacific South America Middle East and AfricaAny Specific Requirements? Questions? Ask to Our Experts @Global Car Fleet Leasing Market is highly fragmented and the major players have used various strategies such as new product launches, joint ventures, expansions, agreements, acquisitions, and others to increase their footprints in this market. The report includes market shares of the Car Fleet Leasing Market for global, Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, South America.Reason to Buy: Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies. The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Car Fleet Leasing 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.To get discount related details on this Report @About Crystal Market Research:Crystal Market Research (CMR) is a main industry insight arrangement that gives all statistical surveying reports from top distributers, a U.S. based market research and business Intelligence Company. Crystal offers one stop solution for market research, business intelligence, and consulting services to help clients make more informed decisions. It provides both syndicated as well as customized research studies for its customers spread across the globe. The company offers market intelligence reports across a broad range of industries including healthcare, chemicals & materials, technology, automotive, and energy.Contacts Us:Judy | 304 South Jones Blvd, Suite 1896,Las Vegas NV 89107,United StatesE-mail: sales@crystalmarketresearch.com | Tel: +1-888-213-4282Web: Crowdfunding Global Market SWOT Analysis and Opportunities To 2023 | Key Players : Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon, Tilt, CircleUp, Angel List, RocketHub, Dragon Innovation Crowdfunding Market https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3459614-global-crowdfunding-market-2018-by-manufacturers-countries-type https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3459614-global-crowdfunding-market-2018-by-manufacturers-countries-type https://www.wiseguyreports.com/checkout?currency=one_user-USD&report_id=3459614 WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On Crowdfunding Global Market SWOT Analysis and Opportunities To 2023 | Key Players : Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon, Tilt, CircleUp, Angel List, RocketHub, Dragon Innovation.Description:-Crowdfunding is a type of Alternative Lending that funding a project or venture by raising small amounts of money from a large number of people, typically via the Internet.Scope of the Report:This report studies the Crowdfunding market status and outlook of Global and major regions, from angles of players, countries, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global market, and splits the Crowdfunding market by product type and applications/end industries.The global Crowdfunding market is valued at xx million USD in 2017 and is expected to reach xx million USD by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of xx% between 2017 and 2023.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comNorth America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Crowdfunding.Europe also play important roles in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2017 and will be xx million USD in 2023, with a CAGR of xx%.Market Segment by Companies, this report coversKickstarterIndiegogoPatreonTiltCircleUpAngel ListRocketHubDragon InnovationYouCaringCrowdRiseDonorsChooseKivaFundRazrGiveForwardCausesFundableCrowdfunderFirstGivingZhongchouTaobaoJingdongMarket 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, coversReward-based CrowdfundingEquity CrowdfundingMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoIndividualsBusinessesOthersEnquiry About Report @Table Of Contents Major Key Points1 Crowdfunding Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Crowdfunding1.2 Classification of Crowdfunding by Types1.2.1 Global Crowdfunding Revenue Comparison by Types (2017-2023)1.2.2 Global Crowdfunding Revenue Market Share by Types in 20171.2.3 Reward-based Crowdfunding1.2.4 Equity Crowdfunding1.3 Global Crowdfunding Market by Application1.3.1 Global Crowdfunding Market Size and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2013-2023)1.3.2 Individuals1.3.3 Businesses1.3.4 Others1.4 Global Crowdfunding Market by Regions1.4.1 Global Crowdfunding Market Size (Million USD) Comparison by Regions (2013-2023)1.4.1 North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Crowdfunding Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.2 Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Crowdfunding Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.3 Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) Crowdfunding Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.4 South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia) Crowdfunding Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.4.5 Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa) Crowdfunding Status and Prospect (2013-2023)1.5 Global Market Size of Crowdfunding (2013-2023)2 Manufacturers Profiles2.1 Kickstarter2.1.1 Business Overview2.1.2 Crowdfunding Type and Applications2.1.2.1 Product A2.1.2.2 Product B2.1.3 Kickstarter Crowdfunding Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.2 Indiegogo2.2.1 Business Overview2.2.2 Crowdfunding Type and Applications2.2.2.1 Product A2.2.2.2 Product B2.2.3 Indiegogo Crowdfunding Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.3 Patreon2.3.1 Business Overview2.3.2 Crowdfunding Type and Applications2.3.2.1 Product A2.3.2.2 Product B2.3.3 Patreon Crowdfunding Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.4 Tilt2.4.1 Business Overview2.4.2 Crowdfunding Type and Applications2.4.2.1 Product A2.4.2.2 Product B2.4.3 Tilt Crowdfunding Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.5 CircleUp2.5.1 Business Overview2.5.2 Crowdfunding Type and Applications2.5.2.1 Product A2.5.2.2 Product B2.5.3 CircleUp Crowdfunding Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.6 Angel List2.6.1 Business Overview2.6.2 Crowdfunding Type and Applications2.6.2.1 Product A2.6.2.2 Product B2.6.3 Angel List Crowdfunding Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)2.7 RocketHub2.7.1 Business Overview2.7.2 Crowdfunding Type and Applications2.7.2.1 Product A2.7.2.2 Product B2.7.3 RocketHub Crowdfunding Revenue, Gross Margin and Market Share (2016-2017)ContinuedBuy 1-user PDF @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028. Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry to Rear Excessive Growth during 2014 2025 | Genentech, Wyeth, Eli Lily, Bayer, Novo Nordisk, Abbott Laboratories, Novartis, Pfizer Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry https://www.globalinforeports.com/request-sample/1070105 https://www.globalinforeports.com/checkout/1070105 https://www.globalinforeports.com/send-an-enquiry/1070105 This study provides insights about the Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry in regards to its uses and benefits. We at Global Info Reports (GIR) provide updated information that is beneficial in decision making regarding business investments.The market report based on our unique research methodology delivers thorough analytical scrutiny of the Global Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry dispersed across several segments. The report also consists of current size and summary of the market of this industry coupled with outlook prospects. Moreover, key market manufacturers of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) are studied on many aspects such as company overview, product portfolio, revenue details during the forecasted year. Also, the complete potential of the market is briefed in the full report.Top Most Key Participants:GenentechWyethEli LilyBayerNovo NordiskAbbott LaboratoriesNovartisPfizerMylan LaboratoriesMerck & Co.AmgenSample Copy of this report is available here @The Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry is segmented as follows-By Product Type:Estrogen Replacement TherapyThyroid Replacement TherapyHGH Replacement TherapyBy Route Of Administration:TransdermalParenteralOralOther Route Of AdministrationBy Type Of Disease:Male HypogonadismHypothyroidismMenopauseGrowth Hormone DeficiencyOther Type Of DiseaseMajor Table of Contents:1.Executive Summary1.Market Overview2.Market Segmentation3.Market Dynamics2.Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Market, By Product Type1.Introduction2.Global Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Product Type3.Global Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Sales and Sales Share by Product Type4.Global Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Revenue and Revenue Share by Product Type5.Estrogen Replacement Therapy6.Thyroid Replacement Therapy7.HGH Replacement Therapy3. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Market, By Route Of Administration1.Introduction2.Global Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Sales, Revenue and Market Share by Route Of Administration3.Global Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Sales and Sales Share by Route Of Administration4.Global Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Revenue and Revenue Share by Route Of Administration5.Transdermal6.Parenteral7.Oral8.Other Route Of AdministrationTo be Continued...Buy Now Report @Regional Outlook:North AmericaEuropeAsia-PacificSouth AmericaMiddle East and AfricaChallenging Factors of Market:The major drivers, restraints, opportunities, challenges, and industry trends and their impact on the Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry forecast are discussed thoroughly.Detailed profiles of various key companies are covered in the report along with their business overview, strategic development and financial data.The developing factors of the Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry are discussed in-depth and different segments of the market are explained in detail.Its a known fact that Hormone Replacement Therapy Industry research is a multifarious discipline wherein the demands and needs might differ in line with tactical needs of any business organization. Global Info Reports delivers custom research services to cater to the clients needs. With the present research abilities and proficient team of research consultants, Global Info Reports is furnished to any particular research requirements of businesses. The dedicated team of industry experts focuses on precise research activities to ensure that the clients get the correct people to fulfill their requirement.Ask Questions to Expertise at @About Us:Global Info Reports is a pioneer in off-the-rack market research. We study markets across the globe to assist our clients to analyze competitive activity and perceive further than market disruptions, and eventually grow intellectual business strategies. We offer vast portfolio of research reports with respect to geographical coverage, topics, and profiled companies. Global Info Reports has an experienced and skilled team which is dedicated to top-notch analysis and research. Our research team comprehends the demands of its clients and therefore keeps updating the reports as the market requirement changes. Our in-house professionals are highly motivated towards their work and meet the clients demands and deadlines irrespective of any time zone, thereby impeccably delivering projects.Contact Us:Call: +1-888-248-7621Email: sales@globalinforeports.com539 West Commerce, Suite #499, Dallas TX 75208, United States Global Remote Mobile Payment Market Size, Industry Status, Key-players: Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., DH Corporation, Visa Inc., Fiserv, Inc., Future and Forecast Period During 2018-2025 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=1939160 https://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/global-remote-mobile-payment-market-size-status-and-forecast-2018-2025-report.html Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently broadcasted a new study to its broad research portfolio, which is titled as Global Remote Mobile Payment Market Size, Status and Forecast 2018-2025 provides an in-depth analysis of the Remote Mobile Payment Market with the forecast of market size and growth. The analysis includes addressable market, market by volume, and market share by business type and by segment (external and in-house).The research study examines the Remote Mobile Payment Market on the basis of a number of criteria, such as the product type, application, and its geographical presence.The whole supply chain of Remote Mobile Payment Market has been explained with statistical details with a special emphasis on various upstream and downstream components. The current trends pertaining to the demand, supply, and sales of Remote Mobile Payment Market together with the recent developments have been given here to provide an exhaustive picture of this market.Request free sample @This report focuses on the global Remote Mobile Payment status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market and key players. The study objectives are to present the Remote Mobile Payment development in United States, Europe and China.In 2017, the global Remote Mobile Payment market size was million US$ and it is expected to reach million US$ by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of during 2018-2025.The key players covered in this studySamsung Electronics Co Ltd.Apple Inc.ACI Worldwide, Inc.Alphabet Inc.DH CorporationVisa Inc.Square, Inc.Mastercard Incorporated.PayPal Holdings, Inc.Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.Fiserv, Inc.Market segment by Type, the product can be split intoM-commercePeer-to-peerMarket segment by Application, split intoIT & TelecommunicationBFSIRetailMedia & EntertainmentHealthcareHospitalityTourismAirlineMarket segment by Regions/Countries, this report coversUnited StatesEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaCentral & South AmericaRequest to Buy Full Report@Table of Contents1 Report Overview1.1 Study Scope1.2 Key Market Segments1.3 Players Covered1.4 Market Analysis by Type1.4.1 Global Remote Mobile Payment Market Size Growth Rate by Type (2013-2025)1.4.2 M-commerce1.4.3 Peer-to-peer1.5 Market by Application1.5.1 Global Remote Mobile Payment Market Share by Application (2013-2025)1.5.2 IT & Telecommunication1.5.3 BFSI1.5.4 Retail1.5.5 Media & Entertainment1.5.6 Healthcare1.5.7 Hospitality1.5.8 Tourism1.5.9 Airline1.6 Study Objectives1.7 Years Considered2 Global Growth Trends2.1 Remote Mobile Payment Market Size2.2 Remote Mobile Payment Growth Trends by Regions2.2.1 Remote Mobile Payment Market Size by Regions (2013-2025)2.2.2 Remote Mobile Payment Market Share by Regions (2013-2018)2.3 Industry Trends2.3.1 Market Top Trends2.3.2 Market Drivers2.3.3 Market Opportunities3 Market Share by Key Players3.1 Remote Mobile Payment Market Size by Manufacturers3.1.1 Global Remote Mobile Payment Revenue by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.2 Global Remote Mobile Payment Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers (2013-2018)3.1.3 Global Remote Mobile Payment Market Concentration Ratio (CR5 and HHI)3.2 Remote Mobile Payment Key Players Head office and Area Served3.3 Key Players Remote Mobile Payment Product/Solution/Service3.4 Date of Enter into Remote Mobile Payment Market3.5 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion PlansContinued @@About Market Research HubMarket Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports of different sector like software market research and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of industry reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Us90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email: press@marketresearchhub.com Remicade Biosimilar market expected to Witness a Sustainable Growth over 2016 - 2026 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1413 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-1413 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Biosimilar can be defined as a type of biological product that is highly similar to an already FDA approved drug, known as reference biological product. Biosimilars are drugs licensed by U.S. FDA and European Medicine Agency (EMA) and reflect no clinical and meaningful differences from the reference products in terms of safety, purity, efficacy and effectiveness. These biosimilar drugs can only be approved for the indications and conditions that have been previously approved for the reference product by big regulatory agencies.Remicade (infliximab) is a monoclonal antibody originally produced by Janssen Biotech Inc., and Merck & Co. (MSD) in partnership and licensed by the U.S. FDA in 1998. It is used in the treatment of Crohns disease in both adult and pediatric patients. Additionally it is also used for treatment of active ulcerative colitis, moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in combination with methroxate, spinal and active psoriatic arthritis, and plaque psoriasis. The U.S. FDA has approved a biosimilar drug similar to Remicade, named Inflectra, on 05 April, 2016, which is expected to erode the market share of Remicade due to lower competitive pricing. Inflectra (infliximab dyyb) is sold in the European market, after receiving an approval from the EMAs CHMP in June, 2013 under the brand name Remsima (developed by South Koreas Celltrion Healthcare and marketed by Pfizers Hospira). The drug Remsima is sold at a discount of 30% than that of original Remicade in 11 European markets including UK, France, Germany and Italy. Another Japanese company, Nippon Kayaku launched Infliximab BS in Japan on 28 November 2014 however, the Japanese license only covers Crohns disease, rheumatoid arthritis and ulcerative colitis indications. The U.S. FDA has now launched Remicades biosimilar Inflectra, which is only the second biosimilar drug to be approved by the agency.Request For Report Sample @Drivers and Restraints:Drivers for the Remicade biosimilar include rising incidence of autoimmune diseases particularly rheumatoid arthritis and plaque psoriasis, early patent expiry of the branded version, discounted pricing across the European market and faster reaction times due to intravenous mode of administration. Further, entry of biosimilar version could provide financial relief on healthcare systems and improve patients accessibility to essential medication.Barriers of the Remicade biosimilar include serious side effects associated with the use of drug that could lead to hospitalization or even be fatal. These include tuberculosis, bacterial sepsis, invasive fungal infections (such as histoplasmosis) and others. As such, manufacturer of the drug has been mandated to include a Boxed Warning to alert both healthcare professionals and patients. Further, complex nature of the molecule and lack of FDA approved facilities for manufacturing the drug are factors that could restrain the growth of the drugs market in developing regions.Market Segmentation:The Remicade (infliximab) biosimilar market is segmented based on approved disease indications and regions.By Disease IndicationCrohns diseaseRheumatoid arthritisAnkylosing spondylitisPsoriatic arthritisUlcerative ColitisPlaque psoriasisBy RegionsNorth AmericaEarly loss of patent exclusivity is one the major factors that could fuel attractive market growth of the Remicade biosimilar over the forthcoming years. Rising prevalence of relevant autoimmune disorders coupled with discounted pricing of the Remicade biosimilar in European markets are factors expected to contribute to increased referral and consumption of the drug. Development of faster approval procedures and proper U.S. FDA approved manufacturing facilities in the regional nodal countries are factors that contribute to increased drug uptake. Further, distinct naming and transparent labeling to ensure correct prescribing and dispensing and enhanced post-marketing surveillance are factors that could contribute largely towards prescriber confidence, and enhanced market uptake of the drug over the coming years. However, safety issues concerning manufacturing facilities along with potential side effects of drug consumption could hamper for acceptance of infliximab biosimilar over the long run.Remicade Biosimilar Market: Region- wise Outlook:Depending on geographic regions, global Remicade biosimilar market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.In terms of geography, Europe dominates the Remicade biosimilar market, followed by Japan and Latin America. The prime reason for the same is the launch of the biosimilar version soon after the patent expiry of the branded version. However, systematic and faster drug review process is expected to create revenue traction in markets over North America and other regions. Stringent regulatory approval procedures and streamlined manufacturing guidelines, particularly in the Central and South American nations, could lead to development of effective regional manufacturing and distribution strategies for Remicade biosimilars. Finally, rising government support for development of biosimilar drugs and low switching tendency from physicians secure the future market growth of the biosimilar in the near term.Request For Report Table of Content (TOC):Remicade Biosimilar Market: Key Players:Some of the key market players in Remicade (infliximab mAb) market are Janssen Biotech Inc., Merck &Co., Pfizer Inc. (AC. Hospira), Celltrion Inc., Alvogen, Napp Pharmaceuticals, and Nippon Kayaku.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: Dairy Products: Market by Price, Revenue (value), Market Share and Production with Top Manufacturers Amul, Fonterra, Nestle SA, Dairy Farmers of America, Royal Friesland Campina N.V, Unilever N Dairy Products https://www.globalinforeports.com/request-sample/1069899 https://www.globalinforeports.com/check-discount/1069899 https://www.globalinforeports.com/checkout/1069899 Global Dairy Products Market which estimates that the global market size of Dairy Products is said to flourish with a considerable Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in the predicted forecast period, and this is accredited to the escalating need for this product/service worldwide backed by new inventions and technological advancements in the market.The market report based on our unique research methodology delivers thorough analytical scrutiny of the global Dairy Products Market dispersed across several segments. The report also consists of current size and summary of the market of this industry coupled with outlook prospects. Moreover, key market manufacturers of Dairy Products are studied on many aspects such as company overview, product portfolio, revenue details during the forecasted year. Also, the complete potential of the market is briefed in the full report.GET SAMPLE COPY Access of This Report NOW With Detailed TOC and Charts & Tables @Dairy Products Market Players: Amul Fonterra. Nestle SA Dairy Farmers of America Inc. Royal Friesland Campina N.V. Parmalat S.P.A Unilever N Sancor Cooperativas Unidas LimitedBy Product Type Cheese Yoghurt Butter Buttermilk Ice cream Lactose free milk Cream and frozen Other Product TypesBy Region North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & AfricaGET Exclusive DISCOUNT @This market report orbits the Dairy Products Market, predominantly in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Middle East and Africa. This report fragments the market based on many regions, market manufacturers and the segments in which the market is split into.Also, key Dairy Products market players influencing the market are profiled in the study along with their SWOT analysis and market strategies. The report also focuses on leading industry players with information such as company profiles, products and services offered, financial information of last 3 years, key development in past five years.Reason to Buy- Highlights key business priorities in order to assist companies to realign their business strategies.- The key findings and recommendations highlight crucial progressive industry trends in the Dairy Products market, thereby allowing players to develop effective long term strategies.- Develop/modify business expansion plans by using substantial growth offering developed and emerging markets.- Scrutinize in-depth global market trends and outlook coupled with the factors driving the market, as well as those hindering it.- Enhance the decision-making process by understanding the strategies that underpin commercial interest with respect to products, segmentation and industry verticals.Access Full Report @The report is worth a buy because:This report on Dairy Products Market assists in analyzing the condition and situation of the market in primary regions of the world. Apart from rendering an overview of product manufacturing processes, the research report also renders impeded strategy of the industry, latest technological developments, cost structures, product specifications, etc. Future predictions based on the development of this industry are also covered. The report also reviews micro and macro factors vital for the new entrants along with the current market players.About Us:Global Info Reports is a pioneer in off-the-rack market research. We study markets across the globe to assist our clients to analyze competitive activity and perceive further than market disruptions, and eventually grow intellectual business strategies. We offer vast portfolio of research reports with respect to geographical coverage, topics, and profiled companies. Global Info Reports has an experienced and skilled team which is dedicated to top-notch analysis and research. Our research team comprehends the demands of its clients and therefore keeps updating the reports as the market requirement changes. Our in-house professionals are highly motivated towards their work and meet the clients demands and deadlines irrespective of any time zone, thereby impeccably delivering projects.Contact Us:Call: +1-888-248-7621Email: sales@globalinforeports.com539 West Commerce, Suite #499, Dallas TX 75208, United States Questions you should ask to find the right Digital Media Agency Turkisnet is the biggiest digital media agency in Turkey http://www.turkisnet.com/ Unlike traditional advertising agencies, the Digital Agency is the agency that carries out marketing activities on all online and digital media that can be used over the internet.Therefore, the Digital Agency equation, "digital" word, web design, mobile application development, as well as activities such as SEM (Search Engine Ads), SEO (Search Engine Optimization), social media management, social media ads, content strategy creation and strategies that are created Marketing budgets management covers many areas.Unlike traditional agencies, the performance of all marketing activities of digital marketing agencies can be measured. The returns or yields of advertisements on TV, newspaper, magazine or billboard boards can be measured indirectly. All activities carried out in digital marketing activities can be directly measured and taken more efficiently. For example, television commercials and ads in the prime time zone are shown to everyone who watches the channel from that time, and if the number of followers is high, the ad price is high. However, for example, if the product or service you offer is only for pregnant women, only a certain part of the channel's followers are related to your ad. If you were just showing ads to that audience, you'd probably be going for less. However, with digital marketing, you can easily target those who are interested in issues such as birth, pregnancy, pregnancy, and you can only show your ads to that audience.What Can Digital Agencies Do?Digital agencies around the world offer digital marketing solutions within the scope of the following activities: SEM - Search Engine Marketing Facebook and Instagram ads management Web design Site traffic analysis Performance tracking and reporting Social media management SEO - Search Engine Optimization Content marketing E-mail marketingHow Do Digital Agencies Work?Digital Agencies understand the business model and target group of the person or company that they will serve firstly. He then explores the hours of the target audience, the time he has spent online, and finds out in which channels the target audience interacts more often. The result is a digital marketing strategy for the company.Under the digital marketing strategy, it takes the most accurate planning and starts to implement it. While implementing this plan, he is trying to manage the firm's marketing budget in the most efficient way. Examines the conversion rates of internet ads or social media ads used for online media. Transformation targets are generally increased sales, but also brand awareness and site visitor growth.How to Choose the Most Accurate Digital Agency for Your Business?There are many important points to consider when choosing the most accurate digital agency for your business. Some questions you should ask when choosing Digital Marketing Agencies: Is it a Google partner? does Google Partners have the original certificate? Do they offer free information or free analysis? Have they served companies of your magnitude? Which institutions have references? Do you have official Google Success Stories? Can they arrange a meeting with industry experts from the Google office if necessary? What are the sample projects and what results? Do they listen to your destination before you bid? Do they develop a digital marketing strategy and roadmap for your target?When you work with the Digital Marketing Agency, the most important issue you determine is your goal. These targets include increasing sales, increasing traffic, increasing visibility and awareness. You should use your marketing budget in the most efficient way within the scope of the target you want to reach. A digital agency that will make a wrong decision may cause you to lose time and money and you lose the opportunity to grow when your budget is exhausted.As a Digital Marketing Agency, we help you in 3 steps.1. Pre-interview: We talk about the goals of our customers and exchange information according to your target. We also analyze and share ideas with existing social media accounts such as AdWords and Facebook, Instagram for free.2. Digital Marketing Roadmap: We are working on digital marketing solutions tailored to the needs of our customers. We have a business plan and a roadmap on how we can help.3. We offer special offers: We tell our customers what we can do within the scope of our digital marketing business plan, offer them our offer and start working.Contact:Orhan Yildirim, Project Managerinfo@turkisnet.com+90 (850) 302-2116Barbaros Hayrettin Pasa 1997 street no:12/90 Dimethyl Carbonate Market 2018 Global Industry Analysis by Key Players | Alfa Aesar, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Tangshan Chaoyang Chemical, Kowa India Pvt.Ltd Dimethyl Carbonate Market , Dimethyl Carbonate Industry https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5486 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/dimethyl-carbonate-market-5486 Dimethyl Carbonate Market 2018 Industry and forecast to 2023 report analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, capacity utilization, supply, analysis, size, share, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Dimethyl Carbonate Market Overview:Dimethyl Carbonate can be synthesized by the trans-esterification of ethylene carbonate or propylene carbonate and methanol. It is a colorless, flammable, and highly reactive chemical that possesses low toxicity and high solvency. It is used in numerous end-use applications such as polycarbonate, fuel additive, solvent, pesticide, pharmaceuticals, and others. It is commonly used as an intermediate and carbonylation and methylating agent. It is further used as an electrolyte in Li-ion battery and is widely used as a solvent in paints & coatings industry on account of their desirable chemical properties.Major Key Players:BASF SEUBEAlfa AesarThermo Fisher ScientificTangshan Chaoyang Chemical Co.Ltd.Arrow Chemical Group CorporationKowa India Pvt.LtdShandong Shida Shenghua Chemical Group Co.Merck KGaAGet a Sample Copy here:Market Segmentation:The global dimethyl carbonate market is segmented on the basis of grades, application, and region. On the basis of the grades, DMC market is classified into the pharmaceutical grade, industrial grade, and battery grade. On the basis of the application, the market is segmented into polycarbonate, solvent, fuel additive, pesticide, pharmaceuticals, and others. Others include adhesives and aerosol sprays. Among these, polycarbonate accounted for the largest market share in 2016 and is predicted to expand at a significant CAGR over the assessment period on account of their growing prominence in numerous end-use industries such as electronics and automotive.Furthermore, increasing disposable income in emerging economies along with rising tendency to own personal vehicle has resulted in an increase in the automotive production and sales, which, in turn, is predicted to propel the growth of the market. Furthermore, rising building & construction activities along with increasing usage of environment-friendly paints & coatings are estimated to drive the demand for DMC over the forecast period. Increasing adoption rate by the medical industry coupled with the continuous expansion of pharmaceutical sector across the globe is predicted to fuel the demand for dimethyl carbonate over the assessment period.Targeted Audience:Dimethyl Carbonate manufacturersTraders and Distributors of dimethyl carbonateProduction Process IndustriesPotential InvestorsRaw Material SuppliersNationalized LaboratoryRegional Analysis:Asia Pacific holds the largest share of the market and is estimated to dominate the DMC market over the assessment period, which is further followed by Europe and North America on account of rising demand from agriculture, automotive, and building & construction sectors. Developing countries of the Asia Pacific such as India, China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Malaysia are expected to be the fastest growing DMC market worldwide and is estimated to grow at the same pace in the near future. Factors attributed to the regional market growth are increasing use of pesticides, rising population, growing urbanization, ease of availability of inexpensive raw material, labor & land cost, and competitive manufacturing cost. European DMC market is predicted to witness a constant growth due to a huge demand from the automotive industry. North American dimethyl carbonate market is estimated to witness a steady growth due to the strong growth of the U.S. pharmaceutical sector.Browse Complete Report Details @LIST OF TABLES:Table 1 World Population By Major Regions (2016 To 2023)Table 2 Global Dimethyl Carbonate Market: By Region, 2016-2023Table 3 North America Dimethyl Carbonate Market: By Country, 2016-2023Table 4 Europe Dimethyl Carbonate Market: By Country, 2016-2023Table 5 Asia-Pacific Dimethyl Carbonate Market: By Country, 2016-2023At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Enzymes Market Eminent Industry Players Include Novozymes, BASF, DSM, Dupont Danisco, Enmex, Lonza Group, Roche, Adisseo Enzymes Market, Global Enzymes Market Size, Enzymes Industry, Enzymes Market Trends, Enzymes Market Share https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/467791/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/467791/ https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/enzymes-market/?utm_source=OPR-SP https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog/ A highly acclaimed vertical in itself, enzymes market has come a long way since the last few years, primarily thriving in the nutrition space on account of its extensive demand for food coloring, enhancing food quality, and improving food texture. Enzymes have long since been used in the food & beverage industry for standardizing product quality, though they have also been finding extensive applications across the textile sector, in operations such as bleaching and dyeing, and also in detergents, for stubborn stain removal. Having recognized the potential of enzymes across a plethora of end-use domains, prominent industry contenders have been working toward increasing the application scope of these products in addition to bringing about innovation in product manufacturing and marketing.Request a sample of this premium report atShifting consumer preference towards processed food and ready to drink beverages have enhanced the product demand. The U.S. processed food industry was worth over USD 750 billion in 2016. Moreover, increasing product usage in brewing process will open new avenues for industry growth.Technological advancement in production process along with product innovations including psychrozymes will fuel the industry growth. Regulatory compliance for natural and biological solutions has enhanced the product demand. Additionally, rising product demand in curd, whey, yogurt and cheese production will support the enzymes market growth.Proteases is estimated to value over USD 2.4 billion by 2024. Strong outlook in food processing, detergents, and biofuels due to high stability and wide range pH properties will drive the demand. However, increasing concerns on side effects including itching, cramps, nausea, & rashes along with stringent FDA standards on product usage may hamper the industry growth.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report atBiofuels market generated over 24 kilotons in terms of volume in 2016. High dependency on enzymes in biofuel industry will provide a positive outlook for industry demand. Growing biodiesel production particularly in the U.S. and Europe due to environmental regulations will support the industry growth.North America is anticipated to witness gains over 6% up to 2024. Increasing penetration of organized retail business coupled with expansion in food & beverages industry will drive the industry growth. Emergence of genetically engineered products has enhanced the product scope.Europe enzymes market was valued over USD 1.5 billion in 2016. Presence of leading manufacturers in this region including Novozymes, DSM, Danisco and Novus International will support the industry demand. Growing diversity of product applications along with environmental uses including waste treatment will propel the industry demand.Global enzymes market is highly consolidated as top three players account for 75% of the industry share. Novozymes alone accounted for 48% of the market share in 2016. BASF, DSM, Dupont Danisco, and Novozymes are the major industry participants. Expansion of geographical coverage along with improved profitability through joint ventures, mergers & acquisitions and collaborations remain the key strategies adopted by industry players.Table of ContentsChapter 1. Methodology & ScopeChapter 2. Executive SummaryChapter 3. Enzymes Industry InsightsChapter 4. Enzymes Market, By ProductChapter 5. Enzymes Market, By ApplicationChapter 6. Enzymes Market, By RegionChapter 7. Enzymes Market, Company ProfilesOuter scope of this report the significance of enzymes market expansion through the food & beverage industry has also been identified by important players, say for instance, Novozymes recently made it to the headlines for reiterating their focus on the food and beverage sector and attributing substantial importance to the rising deployment of enzymes in this segment. According to estimates, the company, with its North American headquarters located in Franklinton, NC, apparently accounts for over 30% of the food and beverages enzyme market, while 20% of the sales are accrued by other popular players such as DuPont and DSM. The food and beverage category apparently, still remains one of the most notable focus areas for the company, given that it values an untapped industry potential that is worth around USD 49 billion globally.For more information on this report at:About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study Report4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email:sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: Vaccines Market 2018: Exploration on Eminent Players | AstraZeneca, Abbott, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merck & Co., Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi Pasteur, Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Emergent BioSolutions, Astellas Pharma, CSL, Novavax Vaccines Market Trends - Global Industry Size, Analysis Report 2024 https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2186 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2186 Global Vaccines Market size was valued over USD 32 billion in 2016 and is expected to witness more than 9% CAGR from 2017 to 2024.Rising prevalence of several infectious and non-infectious diseases globally coupled with increasing funding for vaccine development will drive the vaccines market size. Growing demand for preventive vaccines, rising awareness coupled with mounting demand among the developing countries should boost the business revenue.Immunization currently prevents an estimated 2 to 3 million deaths every year. Furthermore, additional 1.5 million deaths could be evaded through improved global vaccination coverage. Increasing uptake of new and underused vaccines will prominently intensify its global usage over the forecast years.Request sample copy of this report @Technological advances, rising demand for low cost products and widespread routine vaccination programmes in emerging economies will stimulate the business growth. Increasing demand for combined vaccines that offers immunization against several diseases, growing initiatives for production of low cost vaccines will further boost the industry growth.Pediatric will grow at a significant rate over the forecast period owing to CDC recommendation for immunization schedule to protect children and infants before getting exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases.Attenuated vaccines will grow at a substantial rate over the forecast period pertaining to factors such as robust antibody and cellular responses, and frequently deliberate lifelong immunity with only one or two doses.Influenza will witness considerable growth due to growing incidence, mounting number of disease-causing microbes (pathogens) and rising awareness in emerging economies towards disease prevention. Availability of vaccines at affordable prices in hospitals and clinics will augment the segment growth.Make Inquiry about this report @U.S. vaccines market will witness significant growth over the forecast period pertaining to enormous impact of immunization on improving health of children and protecting them with vaccines due to epidemics of preventable diseases like mumps, pertussis, and measles.India will witness lucrative growth due to improved efficiency of immunization programs and technological advancements in vaccine storage and transport. Rising per capita income, improved healthcare infrastructure and growing healthcare expenditure will promote business growth.China vaccines market will grow at a substantial rate owing to rising disposable income, rapid economic growth, rising number of unvaccinated migrant workers, and delivery of efficient healthcare services.Brazil vaccines market will growth at a considerable rate over the coming years. Availability of vaccines at low cost and rising initiatives by Brazilian government to improve vaccination coverage will stimulate steady business expansion.Some of the companies operating in industry are Abbott, AstraZeneca, Astellas Pharma, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CSL, Emergent BioSolutions, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Novartis, Novavax, Pfizer and Sanofi Pasteur.New product launches and expansion of existing product portfolio will mainly drive the business growth. Major industry participants will endeavor to fortify their market position by adopting these strategies.Report ContentChapter 1. Methodology1.1. Methodology1.1.1. Initial data exploration1.1.2. Statistical modeling and forecast1.1.3. Industry insights and validation1.1.4. Market definition and forecast assumptions1.2. Data sources1.2.1. Primary1.2.2. SecondaryChapter 2. Executive Summary2.1. Global Vaccines industry 3600 synopsis, 2013 - 20242.1.1. Business trends2.1.2. Age group trends2.1.3. Disease trends2.1.4. Technology trends2.1.5. Regional trendsChapter 3. Vaccines Industry Insights3.1. Industry segmentation3.2. Industry landscape, 2013 20243.3. Industry impact forces3.3.1. Growth drivers3.3.1.1. Increasing government funding for vaccine development3.3.1.2. Increasing vaccines R&D in developed nations3.3.1.3. Increasing disease prevalence in underdeveloped countries3.3.1.4. Growing incidences of cancer & HIV in Asia Pacific3.3.2. Industry pitfalls & challenges3.3.2.1. High cost of vaccine storage and transportation3.3.2.2. Stringent regulations for the approval of vaccines in developed nations3.4. Growth potential analysis3.4.1. By age group3.4.2. By technology3.4.3. By disease3.5. Regulatory landscape3.5.1. U.S3.5.2. Europe3.5.3. Asia Pacific3.6. Reimbursement scenario3.6.1. U.S3.6.2. Europe3.7. Technology landscape3.8. Pricing analysis3.9. Pipeline product analysis3.9.1. Malaria3.9.2. HIV3.9.3. Zika3.9.4. Ebola3.10. Porters analysis3.11. Company market share analysis, 20163.11.1. Strategy dashboard3.12. PESTEL analysisChapter 4. Vaccines Market, By Age group4.1. Global vaccines market share by age group, 2016 & 20244.2. Pediatric4.2.1. Market estimates and forecast, by region, 2013 - 20244.3. Adult4.3.1. Market estimates and forecast, by region, 2013 - 2024Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone: 1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.com MEA Veterinary Vaccines Market will soar below average to reach US$ 422.9 million value by 2026-end and register a moderate CAGR of 4.7% https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-ma-3086 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-ma-3086 https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/middle-east-veterinary-vaccines-market https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Animal breeding remains to be one of the most fundamental agricultural activity facilitating the growth of food & beverage industry in the Middle East. Milk and meat are some of the common raw materials derived from animal husbandry activities carried out in the MEA region. Future Market Insights recently published its research report on the veterinary vaccines market in the Middle East, which stated that rising demand for food security in the Middle East, collaborative manufacturing measures witnessed among foodmakers and suppliers, and the absence of appropriate health tracking facilities for animals are factoring the growth in demand for veterinary vaccines.To know key findings Request Sample Report @:Future Market Insights projects that the MEA veterinary vaccines market, which is presently valued at US$ 267.3 million, will soar below average to reach US$ 422.9 million value by 2026-end and register a moderate CAGR of 4.7%. The report estimates that lack of resources for collection of samples, questionable potency of vaccines, and absence of harmonised vaccination procedures are limiting the supply and production of veterinary vaccines in the MEA region. Furthermore, ineffectiveness of veterinary vaccines in curing virulent animal diseases indicates shortcomings on epidemiological knowledge faced by MEAs virology research institutes.Highest Veterinary Vaccine Sales recorded in JordanA regional analysis of the veterinary vaccines market in the Middle East identified Jordan as the most lucrative country for sales of veterinary serums. By the end of 2026, Jordans veterinary vaccine market is expected to dominate the MEA region by reaching value of US$ 88 million. The demand for veterinary vaccines will be equally higher in Turkey, while Sudan will witness moderate growth in terms of revenues. Meanwhile, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt will witness revenue growth at more than 4% CAGR throughout the forecast period.Request for Report customization @:Based in Jordan, JOVAC is being recognised as one of the leading manufacturers of veterinary vaccines in the Middle East. The veterinary vaccines market in MEA region is also witnessing fervent involvement of European companies such as Bioveta, Inc., Merial, Bayer Healthcare AG, and Ceva. Other key players in the MEA veterinary vaccines market include, Intervac Pvt. Ltd., Zoetis, Elanco, and Merck & Co, Inc.Surging Demand for Food & Mouth Disease VaccinationPrevalence of oral and digestion-related disorders among animals is shaping up the growth in demand for veterinary vaccines across the Middle East. More than 25% of veterinary vaccines revenues amassed from the MEA region during the projection period will be accounted by food and mouth diseases. New Castle disease has also been observed as prominent indicator for administering veterinary vaccines in this region. Moreover, outbreak of Avian influenza in the MEA region is anticipated to attribute more than US$ 80 million revenues by 2026-end.Get access to full summary @:In the report, titled Veterinary Vaccines Market: Middle East Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026, the demand for attenuated live vaccines is predicted to remain high throughout the forecast period. Inactivated vaccines will also gain traction, while revenues garnered from sales of recombinant vaccines, DNA vaccines and toxoid vaccines will grow at a sluggish CAGR. Almost three-fourth of gross revenues amassed from sales of veterinary vaccines in the Middle East will continue to be used for treatment of livestock animals. And, these vaccines are likely to enter the market through veterinary clinics and private veterinary pharmacies. Distribution of veterinary vaccines in the Middle East will also be carried out by hospitals, revenues from which are estimated to surpass US$ 100 million by the end of 2026.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: Crane Market 2024 Growth & Regional Revenue By Top Players Terex Corporation, Konecranes, Liebherr Group, XCMG Group, Welbilt Inc, Komatsu Ltd. Crane Market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2398 https://www.gminsights.com/inquiry-before-buying/2398 https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/crane-market https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2960 https://www.gminsights.com/ Crane Market is expected to exceed USD 20 billion by 2024. Increasing construction spending across the globe is a major factor driving the crane market growth. Shifting focus of the government entities on infrastructure development coupled with growing consumer preference for aesthetic and luxurious constructions will drive the industry growth. Urbanization, environmental impacts, and population growth have surged the need for sustainable and smart infrastructure solutions.The construction and transportation sectors are the major segments contributing toward the adoption of mobile cranes with many on-going projects.Request for a sample copy of this report @In the Crane Market, the oil & gas industry accounted for around 20% of the overall revenue and is anticipated to grow at a steady rate over the forecast timespan. The rise in the adoption of mobile Crane Market is expected to accelerate owing to the expansion in the cement plants and infrastructure development.Several major economies across the globe are contributing toward the industry growth, with construction and retrofit market growing at a significantly high pace. The crane market will witness a growing demand for the upgrading of mobile cranes in the coming years.In addition, the growing demand for fuel-efficient and advanced cranes is rapidly gaining popularity due to their cost-effective performance and a high level of safety. Construction companies prefer using fuel-efficient equipment as it emits less carbon and enables fuel savings.Crane Market, By Product Mobile Crane Truck Loader Crane Rough Terrain Crane All Terrain Crane Crawler Crane Fixed Crane Monorail Crane Stiffleg Crane Tower Crane Gantry CraneMake an Inquiry for purchasing this Report @Growing adoption of mobile and tower cranes for construction activities is accelerating the U.S. crane market growth. Increasing adoption of the cranes was owing to the rise in home construction, nonresidential building, and government construction activities. According to the U.S. Commerce Department, the construction spending rose to 0.9 percent in November 2016 by 0.3 percent. The constantly-growing population in the region has resulted in increased investments in the infrastructure development sector. Rapid urbanization in the country is demanding the faster construction of facilities and buildings for the growing population. In addition, the rising government investments in infrastructural operations have provided a potential for the growth of the crane market.Public infrastructure and government utilities in North America will witness a high adoption of cranes owing to the construction of reservoirs, wastewater treatment plants, and power lines across the region thereby providing an impetus to the crane market.In Europe, the focus of the crane manufacturers is on implementing new safety standards relating to the assembly and dismantling of the machine. An important product development issue across the entire range of crane types is the reduction of diesel engine exhaust emissions in compliance with Stage V of the EU Regulation on emission limits for mobile machinery. Europe accounted for the second largest revenue in crane market owing to the growing usage of cranes across the construction and oil & gas industries. However, the European market was hurt by changes in subsidies in the wind power market in Germany, resulting in fewer crawler crane sales.Browse Report Summery @Key players participating in crane market include Palfinger AG Terex Corporation, Komatsu Ltd., Konecranes PLC, Liebherr Group, Tadano, Ltd., XCMG Group, Hitachi Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and Manitowoc among others. The crane industry is highly fragmented and competitive in nature owing to the presence of several regional and international players, who are actively investing in R&D and developing technologically-advanced products to sustain in the industry. There is an inclination toward energy-efficient cranes as they help in reducing carbon emissions. Several players are ensuring new product development initiatives to foster the crane market growth.Browse Related Reports:Crawler Crane Market to reach US$ 3 bn by 2024Crawler Crane Market size is set to exceed USD 3 billion by 2024; according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The shipments are expected to grow at a CAGR of over 4%.Increasing utilization of crawler cranes in the energy sector is anticipated to drive the crawler crane market growth. These machines offer heavy lifting operations at the nuclear and renewable energy sites and facilitate the operators in handling the materials efficiently. Several manufacturers have developed energy sector-specific machines that witness a high demand. For instance, Manitowoc has launched a wind power crane, Grove GTK1100, that is used for wind turbine operations such as erection and construction. Additionally, the crawler crane market is witnessing growth opportunities due to the increasing infrastructure projects across the globe.Request for a sample copy of this report @About Global Market Insights:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact Us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb: U.S. Opioids Market to Witness Robust Expansion Throughout the Forecast Period 2017 - 2025 | Pfizer Inc., Sanofi S.A., Allergan, Plc., Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited, Purdue Pharma L.P. U.S. Opioids Market https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/1048 https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/1048 Coherent Market Insights released a new market study on 2017-2025 U.S. Opioids Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry validated market data. Report offering you more creative solutions that combine our deep geographic experience, intimate sector knowledge and clear insights into how to create value in your business. The research study provides estimates for 2017-2025 U.S. Opioids Market Forecast till 2025*.Download PDF Brochure @Synopsis U.S. Opioids Market Research Report covers insights of U.S. Opioids industry over past five to eight years and forecast until 2017-2025. U.S. Opioids Market report helps to analyse competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Global U.S. Opioids Market 2017 Industry Trend and Forecast 2025Market Dynamics:According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates, in 2015 by the American Pain Society, nearly 50 million people in the U.S. suffered from chronic pain. Use of opioids in cancer, orthopedic, neuropathic, post-operative pain, and lower back pain is very effective. With growing incidence of chronic pain demand for opioids is also expected to increase consequently. Moreover, opioid overdose or abuse has fueled the growth of the U.S. opioids market. CVS Healths, leading pharmacy chain, reports that company had been often asked to fill the prescription of 30 to 60 of the powerful pills at a time for conditions that required a much more limited amount.U.S. Opioids Market report provides key statistics on the Market status of the U.S. Opioids manufacturers and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the U.S. Opioids industry. The U.S. Opioids Market report also presents the vendor landscape and a corresponding detailed analysis of the major vendors operating in the Market.Top Key Players of U.S. Opioids Market:Purdue Pharma L.P., Titan Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Sanofi S.A., Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Egalet Corporation, Endo Pharmaceuticals plc, Allergan, Plc., and Pfizer Inc.Regions of U.S. Opioids Market:North America: United States, Canada, MexicoEurope: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy, Rest of EuropeMiddle East Africa: Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, GCC Countries, Rest of Middle East & AfricaAsia-Pacific: China, India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, VietnamIn the end, the report makes some important proposals for a new project of U.S. Opioids Industry before evaluating its feasibility. Overall, the report provides an in-depth insight of global U.S. Opioids industry covering all important parameters. U.S. Opioids Market Driver U.S. Opioids Market Challenge U.S. Opioids Market TrendsAsk For Discount Before Purchasing This Business Report:Further, in the U.S. Opioids Market research report, the following points are included along with an in-depth study of each point: Production Analysis Production of the U.S. Opioids is analyzed with respect to different regions, types, and applications. Here, price analysis of various U.S. Opioids Market key players is also covered. Sales and Revenue Analysis Both, sales and revenue are studied for the different regions of the global U.S. Opioids Market. another major aspect, price, which plays an important part in the revenue generation is also assessed in this section for the various regions. Supply and Consumption In continuation with sales, this section studies supply and consumption for the U.S. Opioids Market. This part also sheds light on the gap between supply and consumption. Import and export figures are also given in this part. Other analyses Apart from the information, trade and distribution analysis for the U.S. Opioids Market, contact information of major manufacturers, suppliers and key consumers are also given. Also, SWOT analysis for new projects and feasibility analysis for new investment are included. In continuation with this data, the sale price is for various types, applications and region is also included. The U.S. Opioids Market for major regions is given. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption figures are also given.Market Taxonomy:U.S. Opioids Market, By Drugs:CodeineFentanylMeperidineMethadoneMorphineHydrocodoneU.S. Opioids Market, By Therapeutic Application:Pain Management Neuropathic Pain Migraine Back Pain Osteoarthritis Pain Cancer Pain OthersCough TreatmentDiarrhea TreatmentIn this study, the years considered to estimate the market size of 2018-2026 U.S. Opioids Market are as follows:History Year: 2014-2016Base Year: 2016Estimated Year: 2017Forecast Year 2017 to 2025About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market 2027 Top Vendors are Allscripts, Microsoft, Wipro Limited, Statistical Analysis System, Northwest Analytics, INC., International Business Machines Corporation, ORACLE and More Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/828 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/commercial-pharmaceutical-analytics-market-828 Market Research Future Recently Added Premium Research Reports on Global Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market 2027 Which Gives in-depth Analysis of Regional data with Size and Share of Top Players in the Globes.Globally the market for Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market is expected to grow at the rate of about 20.0% from 2016 to 2027.Key Players for Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market:Allscripts (U.S), Microsoft (U.S), Wipro Limited (U.S), Statistical Analysis System (U.S), Northwest Analytics, INC. (U.S), International Business Machines Corporation (U.S), ORACLE (U.S), Citiustech INC (U.S), Scio Health Analytics (U.S), Take Solutions LTD (U.S), Trinity Pharma Solutions (U.S), Fuzzy Logix INC (U.S), and Cerner Corporation (U.S)Get Premium Sample Copy @Market Scenario:Globally the Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market is increasing rapidly. The major factor that drives the growth of commercial pharmaceutical analytics is growing adoption of new technologies and analytical tools, increasing usage of analytical tools to streamline the business process, growing pharmaceutical industry and others.Key Finding:The Global Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market and is expected to reach $9,308.4 million by 2027.Descriptive analytics accounted for the largest market share registering 78.34% of market share in 2015Regionally, North America holds the largest market share 48.6% of global commercial pharmaceutical analytics market and is expected to reach $4,299 million by 2027 from $507.4 million in 2015.Asia Pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market, and expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.8% from 2016 to 2027On the basis of applications, research & development segment holds 40.8% market shareSegments:Global commercial pharmaceutical analytics market has been segmented on the basis of types which comprises of prescriptive analytics, descriptive analytics, and predictive analytics. On the basis of deployment the market is segmented into cloud based and web based. Furthermore, based on applications the market is segmented into R&D, marketing & sales, supply chain optimizations, internal reporting and others.Regional Analysis of Commercial Pharmaceutical Analytics Market:Globally, North America is the largest market for commercial pharmaceutical analytics.Europe is the second-largest market for commercial pharmaceutical analytics. The market is anticipated to reach at $2,613.1 by 2027.Due to the increasing adoption rate, Asia-pacific is estimated to be the fastest growing region globally, registering 20.8% CAGR during the forecast period.Browse Full Reports @TABLE OF CONTENTS1 Report Prologue2 Introduction2.1 Definition 172.2 Scope Of Study 182.2.1 Research Objective 182.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations 182.3 Market Structure: 193 Research Methodology3.1 Introduction 203.2 Primary Research 213.3 Secondary Research 213.4 Market Size Estimation 224 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers 244.1.1 Growing Adoption Of New Technologies And Analytical Tools 244.1.2 Regulation Of R&D Productivity 244.1.3 Growing Trend Of The Big Data Advertisement In Pharma Sector. 254.1.4 Increasing Usage Of Analytical Tools In Streamlining Business Process 254.2 Restraint 264.2.1 Lack Of Skilled Professionals 264.2.2 Conservative Nature Of Healthcare Industry. 26Continued!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 Clinical Perinatal Software Market expected to grow at a CAGR of ~7.2 % by 2023 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 IndicatorsEnquiry about Reports @16 List of TablesTable 1 Primary InterviewsTable 2 Merger & AcquisitionTable 3 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market, By ProductTable 4 Global Integrated Software Market, By RegionTable 5 Global Standalone Software Market, By RegionTable 6 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market, By Services17 List of FiguresFigure 1 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market Share, By ProductsFigure 2 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market Share, By ServicesFigure 3 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market Share, By Deployment ModelsFigure 4 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market Share, By ApplicationsFigure 5 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market Share, By End UsersFigure 6 Global Clinical Perinatal Software Market Share, By RegionContinued!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 New Booming Market of NoSQL Market (not SQL) with Complete details including full analysis insight Top Profiling Key Players - DynamoDB, ObjectLabs Corporation, Skyll, MarkLogic, InfiniteGraph, and Oracle https://www.researchnreports.com/request_sample.php?id=226948 https://www.researchnreports.com/ask_for_discount.php?id=226948 https://www.researchnreports.com/enquiry_before_buying.php?id=226948 www.researchnreports.com NoSQL Market (not SQL) is a database mechanism developed to store, analyze and access large amounts of unstructured data. NoSQL allows for schema less data storage that is not possible with unrelated database storage. The benefits of using NoSQL databases include high scalability, simple design, and high availability through more precise control. Another important reason for adopting NoSQL databases is the ability to manage large data comfortably. The challenge of testing and managing complex queries compared to a relational database approach is a major constraint on the broad adoption of NoSQL technology. Problems when supporting complex queries limit adoption among enterprises.NoSQL Database Market is expected to garner 4.2 billion by 2020, registering a CAGR of +35% during the forecast period 2014-2023.This statistical surveying report on the Worldwide NoSQL Database Market is a comprehensive investigation of the business parts cutting-edge structures, industry improvement drivers, and wrist bindings. It gives showcase gauges to the coming years. It contains an investigation of late amplifications in innovation, Doorman's five power demonstrate examination and propelled profiles of hand-picked industry contenders. The report also articulates a study of minor and full-scale factors charging for the new candidates in the market and the ones starting at now in the market alongside a systematic esteem chain exploration.Get sample copy of this report at:Major Key Players in this report are:DynamoDB, ObjectLabs Corporation, Skyll, MarkLogic, InfiniteGraph, Oracle, MapR Technologies, he Apache Software Foundation, Basho Technologies, AerospikeIn like manner, this examination is especially portrayed generally recollecting the assorted sections of this market. It correspondingly assesses the present scene and a complete aftereffect of the market by utilizing the discernment prospect. The guess is dissected in light of the limit and income of this market. The instruments utilized for inspecting the NoSQL Database Market investigate report incorporate Watchman's five powers examination and SWOT investigation.Get discount at:Pediatrics area is depended upon to observe the speediest improvement in the midst of the estimated time span. Creating selection as a result of extending care, accessibility of reimbursement, and lesser holding up time, when stood out from adults, are the factors that drive the market in the midst of the check time span. The US advertise alone is figure to be worth $XX billion of every 2025, representing XX% of the general NoSQL Database showcase.Moreover, the significant difficulties looked by the market is the costly cost of the gadgets. Distinctive end-clients don't have the budgetary sponsorship to profit by exorbitant hearing gadget procedures.According to the geology, the Worldwide NoSQL Database Market was dominated by the Americas, which spoke to over XX% of the aggregate bit of the general business in the midst of 2017. In the Americas, the US was the greatest salary patron as it spoke to a basic offer of the overall market. Factors, for example, the nearness of great repayment strategies in this locale and the high purchasing intensity of the masses in North America will goad the prospects for showcase development in this area. Europe represented the biggest offer of the considerable number of areas in 2015. This can be credited to the high penetration of inserts, favorable wellbeing framework of the European Association, and nearness of a vast patient base in the area.For Enquiry OR Any Query? Ask to our Expert @Table of ContentsGlobal NoSQL Database Market Research Report 2018Chapter 1 Global NoSQL Database Market OverviewChapter 2 Global Economic Impact on IndustryChapter 3 Global NoSQL Database Market Competition by ManufacturersChapter 4 Global Production, Revenue (Value) by RegionChapter 5 Global Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by RegionsChapter 6 Global Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by TypeChapter 7 Global Market Analysis by ApplicationChapter 8 Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 11 Market Effect Factors AnalysisResearch N Reports is a new age market research firm where we focus on providing information that can be effectively applied. Today being a consumer driven market, companies require information to deal with the complex and dynamic world of choices. Where relying on a sound board firm for your decisions becomes crucial. Research N Reports specializes in industry analysis, market forecasts and as a result getting quality reports covering all verticals, whether be it gaining perspective on current market conditions or being ahead in the cut throat Global competition. Since we excel at business research to help businesses grow, we also offer consulting as an extended arm to our services which only helps us gain more insight into current trends and problems. Consequently, we keep evolving as an all-rounder provider of viable information under one roof.Sunny Denis(Sales Manager),(Research N Reports)10916, Gold Point Dr,Houston, TX, Pin 77064,+1-8886316977,sales@researchnreports.com, Mobile Mapping Market 2018 by Top Key Players: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Telecommunication Systems, Foursquare Labs, Trimble Navigation Ericsson, TomTom NV, Qualcomm Atheros, MapQuest Mobile Mapping Market https://www.marketstudyreport.com/request-a-sample/1256413?utm_source=OPR&utm_medium=Abhijeet https://www.marketstudyreport.com/check-for-discount/1256413?utm_source=OPR&utm_medium=Abhijeet https://www.marketstudyreport.com/reports/global-mobile-mapping-market-2018-by-manufacturers-countries-type-and-application-forecast-to-2023 https://www.marketstudyreport.com https://www.marketstudyreport.com/blog MarketStudyReport.com present the report on global Mobile Mapping Market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2018-2023.The global Mobile Mapping market is valued at xx million in 2017 and is expected to reach xx million by the end of 2023, growing at a CAGR of xx% between 2017 and 2023.Request a sample of this premium report titled atMarket Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers:Google, Apple, Microsoft, Telecommunication Systems, Foursquare Labs, Trimble Navigation Ericsson, TomTom NV, Qualcomm Atheros, MapQuestThis report studies the Mobile Mapping market status and outlook of Global and major regions, from angles of players, countries, product types and end industries; this report analyzes the top players in global market and splits the Mobile Mapping market by product type and applications/end industries.The Asia-Pacific will occupy for more market share in following years, especially in China, also fast growing India and Southeast Asia regions. Transportation and logistics vertical is expected to hold the largest share of the mobile mapping market. Expansive penetration of mobile devices to drive the mobile mapping market.North America, especially The United States, will still play an important role which cannot be ignored. Any changes from United States might affect the development trend of Mobile Mapping.Europe also play important roles in global market, with market size of xx million in 2017 and will be xx million in 2023, with a CAGR of xx%.Request a discount on standard prices of this premium report at:considers value and volume generated from the sales of the following segments:Market Segment by Type, covers:IndividualEnterpriseMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into:ManufacturingCommunicationTourismHotelRetailMediaOtherMore Details on this ReportsAbout 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 Report LLC4 North Main Street,Selbyville, Delaware 19975USAPhone: 1-302-273-0910US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:Blog: The ubiquitous acceptance of EMV card standards across developed regions including UK and the U.S. are the major mPOS terminal market growth drivers. Initially viewed as a generic payment processing option, these are now devices that can offer sophisticated analytics with superior processing capability, wireless communication support, and store management functionalities such as inventory or customer behavior tracking. The proliferation of smartphones and tablets and the rising trend of mobile A 90-year-old Japanese bookseller hopes to breathe new life into a long-shuttered Portland theater. Kinokuniya Book Stores of America Co. Ltd. said in a press release Wednesday that it plans to open its 13th U.S. store in downtown Portland in spring 2019 in the building that was home to the Guild Theatre. The location, on Southwest Ninth Avenue between Taylor and Yamhill streets and across from Director Park, will be Kinokuniyas second in Oregon. The first is inside Beavertons Uwajimaya supermarket. Kinokuniya sells books, magazines, stationery and gifts, with an emphasis on art and comics from Japan. The company said it also plans to collaborate with a beloved local Japanese cafe to create a teahouse-type space inside the 5,140-square-foot store. To introduce potential customers to its brand, Kinokuniya plans to open a pop-up store from 3 to 7 p.m. Dec. 20, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 21-23 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 24 at The Cleaners at Ace Hotel, 1022 S.W. Stark St. The pop-up store will offer books in English and Japanese and stationery. The company noted a historical coincidence in its latest location: The Guild Theatre opened in 1927 which is the same year that Kinokuniya Bookstore was founded in Japan, said the press release. We are honored to have the opportunity to take over this historic building and open a new store. We will respect the historic importance of the theater, and will strive to preserve the exterior to honor it for posterity. Kinokuniya is the second major Japanese company to announce a new Portland location in recent months. Muji, a lifestyle brand, opened its first Pacific Northwest store in the former Macys/Meier and Frank building downtown in November, an opening that also was preceded by a pop-up store. The Guild Theatre has been vacant since its closure in 2006. The buildings owner, TMT Development Co. Inc., had weighed a 2010 proposal to return the building to its roots as a live performance venue for the likes of Oregon Theater Oregon and the Third Angle chamber music ensemble. Before the Guild closed, it served as a screening venue for Northwest Film Center for eight years. Vanessa Sturgeon, president of TMT Development, said Wednesday that Kinokinuya is subleasing the Guild Theatre space from another entity that she declined to identify. But she said TMT is very excited about having Kinokinuya in the building. Their concept generates so much energy, she said. Sturgeon said she hasnt been to a Kinokinuya store but has talked with people who have, and theres sort of an irrational level of excitement about having one of these stores in the downtown area. Laika chief executive Travis Knight says hes coming home to Oregon to run his Hillsboro animation studio, dismissing reports he would direct another Hollywood blockbuster. Knight has spent more than a year away from the day-to-day leadership of Laika while directing Bumblebee, the latest installment in the Transformers franchise. The movie is due in theaters Dec. 21. When he took the Transformers job, Knight told Laika employees his heart remained with the studio and that he would return. But his temporary departure apparently slowed production on Laikas fifth film, Missing Link, which is now due in theaters April 12. And it delayed production on Laikas untitled sixth movie. Meanwhile, Hollywood publications began speculating that good reviews for Bumblebee might lead to him being hired to direct the third installment of Disney and Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. In an interview with an Italian website this week, though, Knight, 45 firmly rejected that notion. "After Bumblebee, my goal is to return to work at the animation studios Laika, my 'child,' bringing with me all the baggage of experiences I have gained with this project," Knight said, according to a translation by Comicbook.com. "I'm a huge fan of what Marvel did; it's no surprise for anyone to know that as a child I was a huge fan of comics. But no, it's just a rumor!" Knight made his directing debut in 2016 with Kubo and the Two Strings, Laikas fourth film. It was a critical favorite and garnered two Oscar nominations. His father, Nike co-founder Phil Knight, owns Laika. Travis Knight serves on Nikes board. -- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 A semi truck fire on Interstate 5 just south of Albany has all the northbound lanes closed in the area. The fire is at milepost 231. Travelers are advised to use alternate routes. Northbound drivers could use OR 34 (Corvallis Highway) to OR 99E then rejoin I-5 in Albany. Update 9:45 a.m.; All lanes are now open. The Oregon Department of Transportation warns the freeway may be closed for an extended period of time. Expect delays in the southbound lanes as well. Photo from the scene courtesy Karsten Bjelland: pic.twitter.com/pSM2WTFRSp KGW Traffic (@KGWTraffic) December 6, 2018 *** EAST VANCOUVER 8:41 a.m.; Crash on I-205 southbound just after the I-5 split near Salmon Creek. *** SUNSET HIGHWAY 7:53 a.m.; A stalled vehicle is blocking the left lane of U.S. 26 just east of the OR 217 interchange. Update 7:59 a.m.; Quickly cleared. *** BEAVERTON 6:57 a.m.; Crash on OR 217 blocks two southbound lanes near Walker Road. Traffic is already backed up onto U.S. 26. Update 7:45 a.m.; It took nearly an hour, but all lanes of OR 217 are now open. *** TUALATIN 6:40 a.m.; Crash blocking the left lane of I-5 northbound just prior to the Lower Boones Ferry Road exit. Update 7:26 a.m.; Cleared to left shoulder. *** The National Weather Service has issued an advisory for possible light snow and/or freezing rain for portions of the Columbia River Gorge and the Cascade valleys. The areas named in the warning include Hood River, Corbett, the Santiam Pass, Toutle and Stevenson/Carson. The cold air trapped in the Gorge could remain into Saturday and again bring chances for freezing rain or snow. Use extreme caution when traveling through the Gorge Friday night and into Saturday. Heads up for the weekend: The Historic Columbia River Highway in downtown Troutdale will be closed to motor vehicle traffic 5:30-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, between Buxton Road and Kibling Street for the annual Troutdale Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. The recommended detour route is Second Street, one block south of the historic highway. Oregon approved a plan Thursday to toll sections of Interstate 5 and 205 in the Portland area. The move is the culmination of more than a year of study kickstarted by the 2017 statewide transportation bill signed by Gov. Kate Brown. Oregons application to federal officials proposes charging drivers on the increasingly congested interstates as a way to raise revenue for road projects and manage traffic. Oregons Transportation Commission, the states top decision-making body, unanimously signed off on the proposal Thursday. The application now heads to the Federal Highway Administration for consideration. Oregon hopes to hear from highway officials early in 2019 and potentially hire a consultant in April to start working in more detail on the issue. Oregon said it would use revenue to help pay for seismic improvements to the Abernethy Bridge and surrounding areas on I-205 between Oregon City and West Linn. On I-5, the tolls would apply to drivers broadly between the Alberta/Going and Multnomah Boulevard exits. The exit borders for tolls in both areas are not yet finalized. Tammy Baney, chairwoman of the transportation commission, said many of the details will remain in flux for years. She said the state hears concerns from residents in North Portland about the potential for drivers to exit the freeway to avoid tolls. It is not lip service that we have a lot of analysis that needs to continue, she said. We do not intend to answer those questions alone, she added. Chris Trejbal from North Portlands Overlook Neighborhood Association said he was concerned the state was bowing to political pressure from Washington politicians and commuters who balk at the toll being placed at the border between the two states. He said other well-heeled interests in North Portland stand to benefit if the tolls border doesnt include areas between the the Swan Island exit and Washington state. If you serve those political and business interests, he said, you will harm North Portland. Oregon Department of Transportation officials said the Overlook neighborhoods concerns will be heard, and they said that level of detail will define the agencys work over the next two years if the feds approve the plan. We know we have to act, said Bob Van Brocklin, a Portland attorney and state transportation commissioner. Van Brocklin said the Portland area is expected to add more than 500,000 new residents in the next 20 years, and tolling is just one thorny issue the state must confront as it tries to manage all that growth. If we rely on essentially what we have today, we will fall further behind, he said. This is a starting point in a long dialogue which will go well beyond tolling. By the end of January, the state vowed to return to the commission with a work plan for how it would go about studying tolls on other metro highways, like I-405, I-84 and U.S. 26. If the federal government approves Oregons plans, tolls may be in effect sometime after 2024. But the federal application isnt happening in a vacuum. A local group, led by outgoing Rep. Julie Parrish, R-West Linn, is seeking a 2020 ballot measure that would give Oregon voters final say on any toll proposals. -- Andrew Theen atheen@oregonian.com 503-294-4026 @andrewtheen Portland police on Wednesday got the green light to hire 12 public safety specialists, new civilian employees who will handle low-level, nonemergency calls and carry pepper spray. The City Council unanimously approved a negotiated agreement with the Portland Police Association that defines the scope of the new jobs. Among the specialists duties: handling car break-ins, bike thefts, non-injury traffic collisions, searches for missing people and burglaries and property crimes with no suspect leads. They will also do walking patrols. The specialists, to be hired next year, will have to complete a six-week training by Portland police, including 40 hours of crisis intervention training on how to respond to people with mental illness, use-of-force training and courses on report-writing and implicit biases. Theyll drive specially marked cars but not police patrol cars, and theyll be able to respond to calls where no police authority is required. They wont be certified by the states public safety department because they wont have the power to detain someone or enforce criminal laws. Their uniform: green polos or jackets with a Portland Police Bureau patch and tan pants. Theyll generally serve as ambassadors of good will for the bureau in the community, Mayor Ted Wheeler said. Theres quite a bit of work done by police that doesnt require police authority. Some city commissioners and community activists questioned the adequacy of the training, accountability for the new employees and why it took so long to negotiate the scope of the jobs with the police union while local residents didnt have much of a chance to comment on the jobs. Commissioner Amanda Fritz urged the Police Bureau to evaluate whether the six weeks of training is enough and, along with Commissioner Chloe Eudaly, asked if the police union is the appropriate union to represent the specialists. Dan Handleman, of the police watchdog group Portland Copwatch, said hes concerned that the specialists will serve essentially as enhanced desk clerks with pepper spray. The community wasnt engaged in defining what theyre going to do, Handelman said. The specialists will be divided among the bureaus three precincts, wont work the precincts front desks and will face investigation by police internal affairs for any alleged misconduct, the mayor said. He said the specialists are not a community engagement unit or a community policing unit. The mayor said the specialists will help free up sworn officers so police can spend more time with the community and not just run from call to call. Its a better allocation of our resources, Wheeler said. The City Council previously approved money for the program in the 2017-2018 budget. The cost for 12 specialists is $649,459, according to the city. Little action occurred until last summer when the city began negotiating with the union on the scope of the specialists' work. Starting pay would be $49,816 and jump to $58,302 after four years. "Twelve is what we could afford, Wheeler said. He expects this to be a pilot program, but hopes to expand it after the city can evaluate the work and address any glitches that arise, he said. Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, said the union considers the jobs a recruiting tool to help attract people who may go on to become sworn officers. He said the union wanted to represent them to have the opportunity to negotiate their training and work responsibilities. The specialists will be reporting to a police sergeant. Turner said he recognizes that the specialists wont be serving as desk clerks, another non-sworn police job represented by a different union. Eudaly called the specialist jobs a positive step forward, but she urged the mayor, the council and the bureau to do a better job informing the public about their roles. She asked that police report back to the council in a year with an evaluation of the programs effectiveness. The council in the future may want to consider if other city unions might be better alternatives, she said. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian She was 8 in 2005 and remembered the Easy-Bake Oven and first flip cellphone that Andrew Kowalczyk bought her. She also remembered the squishy-dark leather couch she used to sink into at Kowalczyks North Portland apartment as he babysat her and her younger toddler sisters for days, sometimes weeks. For some reason, she recalled, he shooed her away from the downstairs, where her twin sisters would stay. Then one day she felt uncomfortable when he explained female genitals to her. He often told her theyd get married when she got older. At night, she would lie on his couch as he massaged her to sleep, the now-22-year-old testified Wednesday. As a young girl, she told her mother about Kowalczyks weird comments. Her mother initially promised she wouldnt see Kowalczyk again. And within the next week, I was back at his house, the 22-year-old recalled. I never said anything again. Her testimony came on the third day of the federal trial of Kowalczyk, 44, charged with sexually exploiting the three sisters, the oldest 8 and the twins, age 2, between April and September 2005. The 22-year-old described a rough childhood: Her mother hauled the girls from motel to motel; they were later taken away by the state and placed in foster care, she said. Mom would drop me and my sisters off with Andrew, the 22-year-old said. Shed leave, and I didnt know when shed come back. Jurors also heard from their mother. She said Kowalczyk was one of her brothers friends who offered to help her after shed been evicted from an apartment. He bought the girls diapers, food and toys and soon paid for motel rooms and watched the girls while she was away. He watched them often because I was homeless and trying to find somewhere to live, said the mother, now 38. I was also selling crack cocaine to find some money. Andrew Franklin Kowalczyk, accused of nine counts of sexually exploiting a child. Once Kowalczyk was arrested on unrelated charges in Washington state in late December 2007, police found pornographic images of children on his camera, prosecutors said. Police hoped to identify the children in the images and released non-pornographic photos to the public to try to find them. Soon after, the girls mother contacted police and a multi-agency investigation began. Jurors squirmed, winced and one fought back tears as prosecutors showed them a collection of sexually-explicit images of the three sisters that prosecutors said police found on Kowalczyks camera and computer hard drive. With each image displayed, an investigator described the positions of the girls and an adult male captured in the photos. The computer monitors in front of the prosecutors and defense lawyers were turned down to lie flat on their tables in the courtroom so people in the public gallery wouldnt see the images. Veteran investigators described the photos as the most disturbing theyve seen in their careers. At times, Kowalczyk complained about his lawyers work and tried several times to urge the judge to hold a side bar or a hearing. During a break, U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman told Kowalczyk that his lawyers were doing the best that could be done for him. Kowalczyk replied with an expletive. Testimony continued in the trial, already delayed for a decade as Kowalczyk churned through a dozen attorneys and raised questions about his competency to defend himself. While Kowalczyk sat in jail in Pierce County, Wash. on unrelated charges, he spoke several times to his father on the jails recorded line in early January 2008. Prosecutors played two of the calls. Did you get my stuff out of the hotel room? Kowalczyk asked his father during one call. If they get my hard drives, Im going to do life in here. If they get my hard drives Im never going to get out of here. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian The states highest court Thursday upheld a Multnomah County judges suppression of an alleged confession made by accused serial killer Homer Lee Jackson III, marking a significant setback to a Portland case that has been pending since his high-profile arrest three years ago. Police arrested Jackson, now 58, in October 2015 and accused him of strangling two teenagers and two women in their 20s who worked as prostitutes in the 1980s. Hes pleaded not guilty to aggravated murder charges. The court found that the two veteran Portland police detectives methods and inducements may have persuaded defendant to tell the detectives what they wanted to hear, whether or not that was the truth. The state Supreme Court upheld the ruling in 2017 by Multnomah County Circuit Judge Michael A. Greenlick, who threw out statements Jackson made during more than seven hours of questioning over two days by two Portland cold case detectives when he was taken into custody. Greenlick found they were made under the influence of fear produced by threats (and promises of leniency). The states high court said it considered the totality of circumstances, including Jacksons diagnosed schizophrenia, his significant problems with memory, that he wasnt allowed to call his family until Det. James Lawrence told Jackson that he felt "we are working together on this, and that Jackson had provided incorrect details about some of the killings. The state Supreme Court wasnt as concerned by the detectives suggestions that Jackson could ease the suffering of the victims' families or clear his conscience by giving them information on the homicides of Essie Jackson, 23, killed in March 1983; Tonja Harry, 19, killed in July 1983; Angela Anderson, 14, killed in September 1983; and Latanga Watts, 29, killed in March 1987. Homer Jackson and Essie Jackson arent related. Each of the victims was African American, died of asphyxiation by strangulation or a ligature, was sexually assaulted and walked the old Union Avenue, now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, as prostitutes, police said. What the court found disturbing was: the detectives suggestion that if Jackson didnt confess, he might be tied to additional murders or crimes, that hed face an unforgiving jury that would consider him a monster,'' and the police would work to ensure he faced the harshest sentence. Defendant was told that it would be best for him to confess so that the detectives might eliminate him as a suspect in additional crimes and because it would give him more control over how the case would proceed in the future; that the jury would think poorly of him if he did not confess; and that if he did not confess, the detectives would do their best to ensure that he received the maximum possible sentence, the Supreme Court noted. Essie Jackson, 23, killed in March 1983; Tonja Harry, 19, killed in July 1983; Angela Anderson, 14, killed in September 1983; and Latanga Watts, 29, killed in March 1987. Each of the victims died of asphyxiation by strangulation or a ligature, was sexually assaulted and walked the old Union Avenue, now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, as prostitutes, police said. The court also highlighted Det. Lawrences likening of the case to a train during his interrogation, in which he urged Jackson to confess and "get on'' the train and then warned that if Jackson didnt, hed get "run over'' by the train. It also noted Detective Meredith Hoppers suggestion that the detectives and a jury would view Jackson as a monster, if he didnt come clean. The high court was not convinced that Jacksons statements to detectives on Oct. 15, 2015, were voluntary. It also upheld the circuit courts suppression of statements Jackson made during a phone call to his sister on the second day of his questioning, noting that the detectives were present during the call and even participated in the call. Homer Jackson was arrested in October 2015 and remains in custody, accused of aggravated murder in connection with four homicides from the 1980s. Multnomah County prosecutors are reviewing the opinion to assess any potential implications, said Brent Weisberg, spokesman for the office. Marc D. Brown, who argued the case as chief deputy defender for the Office of Public Defense Services, said the Supreme Court not only considered the coercive techniques that police used during their questioning, but also "the person upon whom the techniques are employed.'' "Although certain coercive techniques used on a particularly sophisticated suspect may not, under the totality of the circumstances, lead to statements that are involuntary, the same techniques used upon a person with mental health issues or intellectual disabilities, or a juvenile will likely lead to statements that are involuntary,'' Brown said. "Unfortunately, the police are still permitted to employ coercive techniques including lying to suspects during interrogation in order to get a confession but overall todays decision is an important one to protect the rights of individuals suspected of a crime.'' Dean Smith, one of Jacksons defense lawyers, said other defense motions, which have been on hold, are set for argument in May. Smith credited Jacksons initial defense lawyer, Conor Huseby, now an assistant federal public defender, for challenging the confession. Huseby had argued that the promises of leniency mixed with threats showed the detectives were trying to manipulate Jackson into confessing to murders "it was abundantly clear he had no memory of.'' Prosecutors allege Jacksons DNA was found at three of the crime scenes. Jacksons lawyers have countered that his DNA isnt the only male DNA at the scenes and often was found in less incriminating places than the DNA of other potential suspects. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Reports of abuse at Portlands premier mental health facility could result in criminal charges. Emails from the district attorneys office indicate that investigators found 16 cases at Unity Center for Behavioral Health in Northeast Portland in which a police report should have been filed but none was found, according to an email from a captain with the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office. That could indicate serious consequences for the people involved in the complaint or for Multnomah County employees who handled the complaints. Thankfully that number is relatively low compared to what we feared we may find, said Capt. Harry Smith, Multnomah County Sheriffs Office investigations section manager and chief of police of Fairview, in one of the emails. The review included 1,600 complaints total. The sheriffs office did not return a request for comment. The cases were identified as part of a review ordered by Multnomah County Chief Operating Officer Marissa Madrigal after reports in The Oregonian/OregonLive and Portland Tribune. The district attorneys emails were first requested and reported on by the Portland Tribune. In the midst of a state investigation into Unity that revealed that two people died in preventable ways while at Unity -- among other instances of violence, sexual assault and poorly trained staff -- The Oregonian/OregonLive found that county employees had received reports of serious neglect or abuse at the facility within months of its opening in 2017. Those reports appeared to never have been followed up on. Multnomah County spokeswoman Julie Sullivan-Springhetti said that county officials also asked the district attorney and sheriffs office to review the complaints and how they were handled. The district attorneys office asked county officials not to comment until they have finished their work. The Multnomah County District Attorneys Office and the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office are currently conducting an investigation to determine if a crime has even occurred, said district attorney spokesman Brent Weisberg. This investigation will take time due to the amount of information that must be thoroughly reviewed. As such, we are unable to comment on the specific scope of this investigation. At the time, county leaders could not verify what exactly the protocol is to pursue those reports. They could also not say whether the complaints were investigated and why or why not. Joan Rice, who oversaw the complaint system, and her boss David Hidalgo were both put on paid leave while the review was underway. That review is still not concluded. However, the emails indicate that much of the work has been completed. Members of the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office and district attorneys office will decide how to proceed with the 16 complaints. In the meantime, Sullivan-Springhetti said that the county has doubled its efforts to properly field and respond to incoming complaints about Unity and any other health facility. We first ensured that staff taking the reports were trained in new rules by the state, we assigned a manager and supervisor to oversee that work, and we have a second set of eyes on 100 percent of incoming reports, Sullivan-Springhetti said Wednesday. Unity was cleared of the state investigation last month after nearly a year. It was in danger of losing a key federal certification, but state and federal officials said that facility leaders were able to properly train staff and fix dangers in the physical facility to make sure the problems and violence wouldnt continue. A spokesman for Legacy Health, which runs Unity, said that Legacy staff have not been contacted by police but would cooperate with any investigation. We are not aware of cases of alleged abuse at Unity Center that should have been reported to police by Multnomah County employees, spokesman Brian Terrett said. The Apostles' Creed is one of the prayers most core to Christianity. It states in a few lines the basic narrative of Jesus' life, is the statement of faith in one God, and is said daily by Christians across the globe. On Wednesday, one Christian didn't say it. And Twitter noticed. Video from the funeral of former President George H.W. Bush showed a front row of presidents at the Washington National Cathedral, standing and reciting it along with the program, as the voice of Episcopal Bishop Michael Curry boomed through the speakers to the thousands of mourners. Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and their wives glanced up and down from the programs they held in front of them and spoke the prayer, along with everyone else visible in the video. The program, as is typical, calls for the prayer to be said in unison. President Donald Trump stood, with his hands folded in front of him, waist-high, the program in his left hand, his lips not moving. Melania Trump also did not speak, nor did she hold a program. Social media, left to right, pounced. The faith and values of Trump have been a source of debate, division, anger and mystery since his run for the presidency began - and especially since many religious conservatives embraced him, despite what critics say is his dishonesty, philandering, crudeness and policies many see as anti-Christian. Theories (primarily of the snarky variety) poured forth on Twitter. But mixed in within disgust was a small voice raising a controversial question: Maybe Trump doesn't believe the Creed, and therefore shouldn't say it? This was quickly answered by others noting that Trump says he is a Christian, often praises faith in God and characterizes himself as a friend of the faithful. The Creed came about two-thirds through the service, shortly after the homily. Most Christians (or those who have been to church, especially a baptism or funeral) have heard the Apostles' Creed. There are varying translations, but its few lines include something like: "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. . . . I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen." That is the version used by the Episcopal Church, of which Bush was a member. The funeral was held at Washington National Cathedral. The Cathedral is the seat of the Episcopal Church's presiding bishop, or the closest thing the denomination has to a national church. However it was founded as a place for national spiritual events, and hosts everything from presidential funerals to interfaith and secular events. The Creed comes from Christianity's earliest centuries, and is an affirmation of faith, said Ruth Meyers, a professor of liturgics at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, Calif. In the Episcopal Church, among other Protestant communities, it is used in daily prayer, as well as in baptisms and burials. It is also a core prayer of Catholicism. It's not a core part of all Christian services, including some evangelical groups, Meyers said. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association calls it "the basis" of other creeds, or faith statements. "It is not Scripture, but it is a simple list of the great doctrines of the faith." "It is as bedrock doctrine as you can get," she said. It is said by Presbyterians. Trump has said he attended a Presbyterian church growing up and has identified himself in recent years with the denomination. He does not appear to belong to or attend any church regularly since becoming president, though he has worshipped at St. John's Episcopal, across from the White House, several times. That said, there is nothing in scripture that says you must state the Creed. And it's clear that Christians hold a vast range of views about lines within it, such as whether they take as literal that Jesus was born of a virgin, or was resurrected from the dead, as well as what it means to say God is "creator of heaven and earth." While many saw the Trumps' silence during the Bush funeral prayer as disrespectful, a symbol of his instinct to hit back on critics, including the Bush family - perhaps even at a funeral - there was also a small current who saw themselves at church, sometimes zoning out. Whether any of these ideas are relevant to the Trumps' motivation was not immediately clear. I think it is normal for a lot of people to choose what they say or dont say in church, Meyers said. I cant presume to guess why President Trump chose not to say the Creed in this context. I cant speak for him. The Oregon Court of Appeals on Wednesday reversed a southern Oregon judges decision to commit a man to the state psychiatric hospital and revoke his gun ownership rights after hed threatened to kill strangers who he believed were watching him through power lines and robotic birds. The mans case illustrates Oregons high legal bar for forcing people with mental illness into receiving treatment and forbidding them from having guns. The case also highlights battling ideologies: One argues that people who have been diagnosed with mental illness and have threatened to kill others should be sent to the state hospital for involuntary treatment for up to 180 days. The other argues that forcing vulnerable people to receive treatment without significant evidence theyre truly a danger violates their civil liberties and can have devastating effects on them. The man in this case was identified in court papers only as 43-year-old J.P. Alexander Cambier, a Portland public defender who represented J.P.'s interests before the Appeals Court, said committing someone for up to six months represents a significant deprivation of liberty that must be backed up by evidence of the persons future dangerousness. In a case like this the state is seeking to put someone in a hospital room -- which can look a lot like a jail cell, i.e. locked doors and bars over the windows -- not because they have actually hurt someone but because the state is predicting that they will hurt someone in the future, Cambier told The Oregonian/OregonLive. The Appeals Court said prosecutors didnt legally justify the case against J.P. because he didnt have the means to actually acquire a gun and probably didnt have the physical strength to hang people as he had threatened. J.P. had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and a supervisor at a mental health clinic was worried hed act on his delusions to kill or hang strangers who he thought were members of the mafia, according to an Appeals Court summary of the case. J.P.s encounter with the mental health system began after his mother became gravely concerned when he sent her photos he took of a man at a bus stop and people in cars because he thought they were monitoring him, according to the summary. He also said he thought the roofers working on the house across the street from his grown daughters home were in on it, too. Within a few weeks, he called his mother and announced he was ready to act, stating: Im ready to get these people. Whatever means necessary, I need to do this today, according to the summary. He added: I dont care how I have to do it. Ill kill them. Ill hang them. Ill do whatever I have to. I need to deal with this. During a hearing, Douglas County Circuit Judge William Marshall said he considered J.P. a real danger ... to other people, in part because hed at one point successfully convinced his daughter to briefly loan him an unloaded shotgun. This illness is long-term, Marshall said. Its not disappearing. Its continuing to invade him. But in reversing Marshalls ruling, the Appeals Court noted there was no evidence that J.P. followed his verbal threats" with an overt act that indicated he was highly likely to end someones life. There was no evidence in the record ... that the threat was anything more than the result of his delusions and agitation, the Appeals Court wrote. The court noted several other cases in which other people didnt meet that bar, including a woman who had made threats to kill her neighbors children and put their heads on her fence and a man who threatened to kill a police officer by telling him he was a dead man walking. It also noted the case of a woman who it determined had been lawfully committed: She fired a bullet into the wall dividing her apartment from her neighbors. That proved she was highly likely to be dangerous in the future, the Appeals Court said. J.P., the man at the center of Wednesdays ruling, was civilly committed in October 2017. He has long since left the state hospital. But the ruling has the effect of restoring his right to possess or own guns. Such a prohibition would have lasted indefinitely unless he successfully convinced the states Psychiatric Security Review Board to restore those rights. The opinion was made by a three-judge panel of the Appeals Court: Rex Armstrong, Douglas Tookey and Scott Shorr. Read the opinion here. -- Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com o_aimee A Portland area couple who say their Labrador retriever died after a Walmart pharmacy gave them the wrong medicine has filed a $10,000 lawsuit against the retailer. Elise and Nick Carter say the pharmacy made an error that cost them and their three children their family dog, Bailey. A Walmart spokesman told The Oregonian/OregonLive that because the suit was just filed, the company hasnt had an opportunity yet to investigate what happened. We are sorry for the loss the family experienced, said spokesman Randy Hargrove. We take this seriously and will respond to the allegations in court. Baileys veterinarian diagnosed the 10-year-old with diabetes on Nov. 29, 2016, and the Carters went to the pharmacy at the Wood Village Walmart Supercenter to have a prescription for Novalin N insulin filled after their vet phoned it in, according to the lawsuit. The Carters told a pharmacy employee they were there to fill Baileys prescription, but the employee instead pointed them to an over-the counter insulin called Novalin R and sold that to them, says the lawsuit and the Carters Portland attorney, Richard Myers. Myers said the over-the-counter version didnt last as long, and each day the dogs blood sugar levels would spike before he received the next dose. His health deteriorated severely and he became unable to walk, Myers said. A few weeks later, the Carters returned to the vet, but the vet couldnt figure out what was wrong, the suit states. On Jan. 11, the Carters returned to Walmart to buy more insulin, and thats when they discovered they were sold the wrong type, the suit states. By then, the negative health effects to Bailey were irreversible. Despite efforts to save his life, he died Feb. 14, 2017, the suit states. The suit seeks compensation for Baileys treatment and hospitalization costs; the Carters travel expenses and lost wages in seeking care for their dog; and the costs of getting a new dog. The suit was filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Read the lawsuit here. -- Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com o_aimee By Paul Barnum This years lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree on Thursday holds special significance for Oregonians. For just the second time in more than 50 years, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is an Oregon tree a noble fir from one of Oregons 10 national forests. Dont confuse this tree with the National Christmas Tree that bedecks the White House lawn the executive branch. Oregons noble fir, standing dignified on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, is the Peoples Tree, symbolizing the federal legislators who represent the 325 million people living in these United States. Oregon is the perfect parent of this years Peoples Tree, with the states legacy of Tom McCall populism and rugged individualism, tempered by an historic willingness of its citizens to work together during tough times. The 80-foot fir took a remarkable journey, a 3,000-mile Oregon Trail in reverse, under the banner Find Your Trail. The U.S. Forest Service, dozens of corporate sponsors and hundreds of volunteers made the trip possible. Harvested in early November deep in the 1.5 million-acre Willamette National Forest, the tree was hoisted onto a donated flatbed truck and then trucked to 23 different locations along the route for community celebrations. In addition to the single noble, 70 smaller companion trees from Oregon commercial tree growers were shipped east to adorn legislative and administrative offices. The Capitol Tree always comes from one of our countrys 154 national forests. That this years companion trees come from Oregon commercial operations highlights the states niche as the nations No. 1 Christmas tree grower. According to the Pacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association, Oregon produced 5.2 million Christmas trees in 2016. North Carolina came next with 3.5 million. Oregons dedicated growers and world-class tree-growing climate will ensure that we maintain our top spot. The gift of a noble fir is an iconic symbol of what former SOLVE Executive Director Jack McGowan often described as this treasure we call Oregon. We treasure the states abundant green forests for the commodities, water, wildlife and sanctuary they provide. We cherish the clean air provided by Oregons forested landscapes, and we take comfort that forest owners and managers are managing for sustainability and the long-term. In the lead-up to selecting, harvesting and transporting Oregons tree to the Capitol, Gov. Kate Brown held a contest asking fourth-grade students to write letters about what they love about Oregons outdoors. Brigette Harrington from Hillsboro wrote the winning article, selected from more than 1,200 entries. The win earned Harrington an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., to take part in the tree-lighting ceremony. Brigettes poem, based on the Christmas tale, A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement Moore, best sums up the shared love for our beloved state. Its time to cut our Christmas tree, weve got to find the right one, Cant wait to get it home inside, all decorated and done! So, as I close my eyes for sleep, my heart holds memories dear, Thinking of my home, our state, my Oregon, how glad Im here. -- Paul Barnum is a fifth-generation Oregonian, the former president of SOLVE and past chair of the Oregon Forest Resources Institute. More information about the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is available at www.capitolchristmastree.com. As Gov. Kate Brown gears up to work with legislative Democrats to craft billions of dollars in tax and fee increases, shes brought on a new staffer specifically to work on that policy. Christian Gaston, who was the spokesman for Browns 2018 re-election campaign, is taking on a new role as the governors revenue policy adviser. Both Gaston and Chris Pair, Browns communications director, worked for former Gov. John Kitzhaber at the end of his third term and beginning of his fourth term. Gastons annual salary is $97,000, according to the governors office. Brown will also vet tax policy ideas with a handful of businesses and Oregons powerful public employee unions, organized as the Coalition for the Common Good and the Common Good Fund political action committee. Nike, a founding member of the group, is paying for the respected economist and former legislative revenue officer Paul Warner to help the group develop proposals for tax policy. Gaston started his career as a reporter and editor at the Forest Grove News Times, then worked approximately 18 months for The Oregonian/OregonLive as a Legislature and state politics reporter. Gaston left The Oregonian/OregonLive to work on policy research for Kitzhabers 2014 re-election campaign and briefly worked as a communications adviser for Kitzhabers administration until the Democrat resigned in February 2015. Gaston studied English at Portland State University, according to a biography posted online during his time as Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafourys policy and research director. He took that job in 2015 after working for Kitzhaber. In another recent change in the governors staff, Elana Pirtle-Guiney was promoted last month from labor and workforce policy adviser to legislative director. That job opened up when former legislative director Ivo Trummer went to work for the Port of Portland, as Willamette Week reported in July. In her new job, Pirtle-Guiney earns nearly $138,000 a year, according to the Department of Administrative Services. Pirtle-Guiney, who holds a bachelors degree from Lewis and Clark College, previously worked for the Oregon AFL-CIO in a variety of roles including communications and lobbying the Legislature, according to her LinkedIn profile. Brown intends to hire another workforce and labor adviser, Pair wrote in an email. -- Hillary Borrud hborrud@oregonian.com 503-294-4034; @hborrud The emotional state funeral of former president George H.W. Bush on Wednesday was marked by tributes, laughter and celebrations of the 41st president. There were a few moments from both the pulpit and the pews that stood out. Here they are: 1. George W. Bushs eulogy The former president gave an emotional (and historic) eulogy of the former president, breaking down only once at the end. "The best father a son or daughter could have," Bush said. "And in our grief, let us smile, knowing that dad is hugging Robin and holding mom's hand again." 2. The tribute to Bushs military service The passing of former president Bush, the last U.S. president to serve in combat, follows a decades-long trend of declining numbers of veterans serving as president and in Congress, something presidential historian Jon Meacham noted on Wednesday. "George Herbert Walker Bush was American's last great soldier-statesman, a 20th century Founding Father," Meacham said. 3. The subtle calls for bipartisanship and civility Arizona Sen. John McCain's state funeral was notable in part for the overt rebukes of President Donald Trump, with calls for bipartisanship and civility. With Trump in attendance on Wednesday, those calls for bipartisanship and civility continued, albeit subdued. "His life code, as he said, was: Tell the truth, don't blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course," Meacham said. "And that was and is the most American of creeds." "In victory, he shared credit. When he lost, he shouldered the blame," the younger former president Bush said. "He accepted that failure is a part of living a full life, but taught us never to be defined by failure." "He never hated anyone," former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., said. "He knew what his mother and my mother always knew: Hatred corrodes the container it's carried in." While the tributes this week to Bush have highlighted his character and kindness, the news cycle under Trump often returns to whether remarks by public officials are coded anti-Trump sentiments. 4. Simpson goes over his allotted time (barely) The former senator opened on a lighter note on Wednesday, after telling The Washington Post's Karen Tumulty he had cried while writing Bush's eulogy. "Relax, George told me I only had 10 minutes," Simpson said. "He was very direct about it; it wasn't even funny." Simpson barely missed the mark: His eulogy ran just over 11 minutes. 5. George W. Bush, Michelle Obama and the mints, part II When the former president handed the former first lady a cough drop at McCain's funeral, it instantly became a viral bipartisan moment in an age of increasing partisan tensions. "He's my partner in crime at every major thing where all the 'formers' gather," Obama told NBC News in October. Apparently the Bush-Obama candy relationship is still going strong: He handed the her a mint or candy on Wednesday. 6. President Donald Trumps entrance Trump was not invited to McCain's funeral, in part due to their difficult relationship. So it was notable when Trump, who only months prior had mocked Bush's "thousand points of light" volunteer effort, was invited by the Bushes to Wednesday's ceremony. Trump has reciprocated this week, paying respects to Bush on Twitter, in person at the Capitol and through other gestures. But also notable was the response Trump received from those seated in his pew: After Trump shook the hands of both Obamas, neither the Clintons nor the Carters appeared to make eye contact with the president (first lady Melania Trump got a nod from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton). -- The Washington Post Multnomah County Chairwoman Deborah Kafoury, named by elections-watchers as a potential candidate for Oregon governor in 2022, didnt rule out a possible bid for the office Thursday. But neither did Kafoury, who was recently re-elected to the top county political job, say she was jockeying for it. "I haven't even started my second my term, Kafoury told The Oregonian. I've got a lot on my plate right now and I'm very happy the job I have, she said. I'm thankful the voters elected me for another term. Kafourys name is one of several that political watchers have put on a short list of prominent Democrats who may seek Oregons chief executive job as Gov. Kate Brown nears the end of her second term. (Oregons constitution requires governors to sit out at least four years after serving eight.) Other names include State Treasurer Tobias Read, House Speaker Tina Kotek and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. None of those officials have said they would consider seeking the job, but an aide to Read also did not rule out a run. Kafoury, 51, was born and bred into Oregon politics. Her father, Stephen Kafoury, served in the state House and Senate in the 70s. Her mother, Gretchen Kafoury, was a member of the state House, a Multnomah County commissioner and city of Portland commissioner and was in elected office almost continuously from 1977 to 1998. Deborah Kafoury served three terms in the Oregon House and was first elected Multnomah County chairwoman in 2009. Her husband, Nik Blosser, is Browns chief of staff. -- Gordon R. Friedman GFriedman@Oregonian.com Mark Bohr, a 40-year Intel veteran and one of the chipmakers leading scientists, will retire in March. Intel frequently called on Bohr to both help develop new technologies and to explain those innovations to investors and the public. He is known for being able to describe difficult concepts and explain their implications. Though Intels headquarters are in California, Bohr and most other top Intel researchers work in the companys labs in Washington County where the company develops its most advanced technology. Bohr, 65, held the title of senior fellow and director of process architecture and integration. Intel credits him with leading the transition to two major technological advances in the past decade: the switch to new materials known as high-k metal gate, and tri-gate technology that added a third dimension to the standard transistor. Each breakthrough helped extend improvements in semiconductor technology as conventional techniques for shrinking computer chips became more difficult as features on the chips approached the atomic level. More recently, Bohr had been directing development of Intels 5-nanometer chip technology two generations ahead of the companys current 14nm process. Long governed by the maxim known as Moores Law, Intel has long produced exponential improvements in chip technology at regular intervals. The company has struggled lately, though, and its forthcoming 10nm chip is years behind schedule and wont be broadly available before late next year. Bohrs retirement is the latest in a series of exits in the chip companys top ranks. Chief executive Brian Krzanich quit in June after the company uncovered what it called a "a past consensual relationship with an Intel employee" in violation of corporate policy. Nearly six months later, the company still hasnt named a new CEO. In October, though, the chipmaker split up its Oregon-based manufacturing group and announced the retirement of Sohail Ahmed, who had been jointly leading it. Intel confirmed Bohrs pending retirement to The Oregonian/OregonLive but did not elaborate. In a note to employees, Intel manufacturing vice president Peng Bai noted that Bohr was one of the original members of the companys Portland Technology Group, which led decades of advancements at Intel. Mark has been instrumental in Intels pursuit of Moores law, Bai wrote. He has become a powerful spokesperson for Intel on technology and is widely acknowledged as an authority in semiconductor industry. He has also been a wonderful role model and mentor for generations of technologists. -- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699 *Correction appended* A driver who authorities say caused a head-on crash last month in Cornelius that killed one person, injured four others and hurt himself was arrested Wednesday in connection with the collision. Samuel Castro Muro, 38, of Forest Grove was booked into the Washington County Jail on suspicion of second-degree manslaughter, third-degree assault, reckless endangering, reckless driving and second-degree criminal mischief. He posted $25,000 bail and was released later Wednesday, according to county sheriffs office spokesman Deputy Jeff Talbot. He said a booking photo wasnt taken. The Nov. 17 crash occurred around 7 p.m. near Tualatin Valley Highway and Northwest 341st Avenue when a 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat heading west on TV Highway crashed into a 2003 Honda Accord traveling in the opposite direction, according to the sheriffs office. The collision killed Al Hera Islam, 25, of New Jersey and led to three other people in the Honda with Islam being hospitalized. Castro Muro was one of two people inside the Dodge. At least one of the people injured remains in a hospital as of Wednesday, Talbot said. Castro Muro is scheduled to make his first appearance in court on Dec. 17. Note: A previous version of this story did not contain the alleged suspects full name. -- Everton Bailey Jr. ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 |@EvertonBailey Yeo & Yeo CPAs & Business Consultants recently announced the promotion of Alex Wilson, CPA, to manager. Along with his promotion, Wilson relocated from the firm's Saginaw office to the Alma office. Wilson is a member of the firm's Agribusiness Services Group and the Construction Services Group. Wilson's areas of expertise include business advisory services, strategic tax planning and Affordable Care Act reporting. Prior to joining Yeo & Yeo, Wilson graduated from Central Michigan University with a bachelor of business administration in accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants. He's spent half his life with the Midland Police Department, but come Dec. 10, Deputy Chief Rodney Roten will be stepping away. Roten will be retiring from the force following a 25-year career with MPD. During his time with the department, he has served as a patrol officer, a sergeant, 17-year Midland City SWAT Team member then later leader of the team, a lieutenant and now deputy chief. "I've been with the department for 25 years and one month, so for more than half my life it's been about serving the citizens of Midland," Roten said. "Walking out that door and closing the locker for the very last time, it's going to be rough. There will be tears, but it's exciting to think about what's next." As a first-generation police officer, being the first to serve in his family, Roten said he was "drawn to the profession." When he was younger, he pointed to television conceptions of working as a police officer like "Miami Vice" or "SWAT" as things that piqued his interest toward working with law enforcement. But as he grew older, the self-professed adrenaline junkie realized that while car chases and kicking down doors was a component of service, much of what an officer did relied on community relations and serving residents of the city he was placed in. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1992 with a degree in criminal justice. Roten first served with the Perry Police Department. The stint only lasted six or seven months. By the end of his first year fresh out of college, he had found his way to Midland. He didn't realize that he had also found the place he would call home for nearly three decades. When he first was placed, he had to pull out a map to even figure out where Midland was. His original plan wasn't to stay in the city for longer than possibly a few years. It was Nov. 1, 1993, when he entered the department. He doesn't regret the decision to stay. "The job was fantastic, the community was great and I said to myself 'Why would I want to go anywhere else - it's perfect here,'" Roten said. He has many memories from his time on the force, good and bad. But what sticks out in his mind isn't a particular memory, but the memory of the generosity of the community itself, Roten said. He points to a time in 2016 when he was able to assist a Special Olympian light the cauldron to signal the start of the Summer Olympic games in Mount Pleasant. At one point during the ceremony, the woman turned to Roten while beaming and told him: "This is the greatest day of my life." He was only able to do that because the city allowed him to be an officer, Roten said, and put enough trust in him to escort this Special Olympian. He said he never, during his 25 years, took a moment of it for granted. As for the future, Roten knows it won't be the last time he steps foot in the joint Midland Law Enforcement Center. Come January, he plans on working part-time with the sheriff's office in a transport position. Further down the line, he said, he even plans on running for Midland County sheriff. But for now, Roten plans on enjoying his month off with his family. He is married with four children, some still at home and going to school in the community, some out of the home and working. He plans on enjoying his time off around the holidays working around the house and enjoying the free time with them. Currently, Detective Lt. Marc Goulette is being groomed to fill Roten's role as deputy chief with a seamless transition. Roten said he knows the MPD will be in good hands. "It's a crazy world, but that's what still makes it exciting," Roten said. "That's why 25 years later I still have the fire, the desire to keep at it." Mid Michigan College President Christine Hammond recently received the Patriot Award from the Employer Support of Guard and Reserve. ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and foster understanding between service members and their civilian employers. The Patriot Award reflects the efforts made to support citizen warriors through a wide-range of measures including flexible schedules, time off prior to and after deployment, caring for families, and granting leaves of absence if needed. Hammond was nominated for the award by Lori Fassett, associate vice president of human resources at Mid and also a current captain in the Michigan Army National Guard (MIARNG). The nomination was inspired by Hammond's support of employees active within the MIARNG. "Dr. Hammond truly understands the challenges and benefits of employing a citizen soldier. Within the current calendar year I have been away from the college for a total of 12 weeks for MIARNG duties," Fassett said. "Dr. Hammond always supports my MIARNG leaves of absence and has even went so far as to personally offer my husband help in caring for our 4-year-old son." Hammond has also assisted and supported staff members in obtaining recognition for Mid Michigan College from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. The college was recognized as a Military Friendly Employer and Military Friendly College for the past several years. MVAA recognizes employers that commit to military veteran recruitment, training and retention practices. "These MVAA achievements, along with President Hammond's award, demonstrate Mid's ongoing commitment to veteran and active service members. From students to employees, Mid stands tall as an organization that offers support and resources for military service members," Fassett said. To the editor: I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Arc of Midlands Everyone Counts Annual Appeal Event at the Great Hall on Nov. 28 to celebrate the efforts of the Arc of Midland to engage people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in all aspects of community life. Special thanks to: Jerry ODonnell, general manager of ESPN 100.9 FM and the Voice of Dow Diamond who entertained guests as Master of Ceremonies Jan Lampman, executive director of the Arc of Midland. Jan highlighted the many facets of the Arcs work to build partnerships with other community groups and agencies to achieve the Arcs mission. Innovative work in 2018 supporting health, nutrition and fitness were featured in Jans address. Partners including Dow, Hidden Harvest, Trinseo, Childrens Therapy Corner, Arnold Farms, Memorial Presbyterian Church, Midland Fresh, Bridge Food Center and Trisha Fenby generously supported this work. Melina Bucci, who shared her story of overcoming a disability condition to achieve home ownership, employment and community engagement. Guests were so impressed with Melinas accomplishments that she received a standing ovation. Pat Natzic, long-time member of the Arc of Midland, who shared her story of her long relationship with the Arc of Midland in support of her son Kenneth who had Down Syndrome. Jim Nigro of McKay Press who generously provided printing for the large format posters displayed at the event at no charge to us Our Table sponsors who donated funds and invited guests: Blessed Sacrament Parish, Chalgian and Tripp PLC, Childrens Therapy Corner, Erica and David Davidovic, Disability Network of Mid-Michigan, the Dolan family, Ray and Susan Drumright, Gambrell Milster & Associates PLC, Cal and Mary Lou Goeders, Ieuter Insurance Group, Independent Community Living, Kiwassee Kiwanis, Michaele Malecki, Robert L. Malecki D.D.S., Members First Credit Union, Midland Civitan Club, Midland County Educational Service Agency, Mid-Michgian Health, Pam and Craig Murchison, Sarah Murchison and Joe Seka, Poznak Dyer Kahar Garchow Schefsky PLC, Jeff and Rebecca Rekeweg and Stuart Wilson CAP, PC The Arc of Midland is funded entirely by private donations and we greatly appreciate the support of those identified above as well as many others in our community who have supported us with donations and volunteer service for years. CATHY ANDERS Board of Directors Arc of Midland Ill be accompanying a tour to Egypt later this month. For this occasion, I thought that I would put together a chronology of basic Egyptian history that I might give out to participants in the group. I make absolutely no claim to originality here; Ive consulted three other timelines, thus far. And this is a work in progress. Ill probably include just a bit of biblical and other external history in order to put Egyptian events in context. I think that such an effort might be helpful to some. ca. 4500-3000 BC Neolithic Period 712-332 BC Late Period (second pharaoh of which is Piankhy [cf. Book of Mormon Paanchi) 1386 BC Amenhotep III becomes pharaoh. Ancient Egypt reaches its political peak and the Temple of Luxor begins to be constructed. ca. 1500 BC The pharaohs begin to be buried in the Valley of the Kings. ca. 2500 BC The Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza are constructed. ca. 2600 BC Pharaoh Djoser (or Zoser) builds the first pyramid, with Imhotep as the architect. ca. 2700 BC Papyrus is developed as a medium for writing ca. 3000-2950 BC Kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt unite under Menes (who may or may not be identical with Narmer or with Hor-Aha, two other names credited with the unification of Egypt). The distinctly dual character of Egypt will never be forgotten during the time of the pharaohs. 332 BC-642 AD Graeco-Roman Period 332 BC Alexander the Great, of ancient Macedonia, conquers Egypt and founds Alexandria. A Macedonian dynasty rules until 31 BC. 305 BC Ptolemy I, a general under Alexander the Great, becomes pharaoh. 31 BC Egypt comes under Roman rule; Queen Cleopatra VII commits suicide after Octavians army defeats her forces. She is the last pharaoh, and Egypt now comes under Roman control 33 AD Christianity comes to Egypt, and by 4th century has largely displaced Egyptian religion. 641-642 Arab conquest of Egypt. 969 Cairo founded as capital of Egypt under the Fatimids. 1250-1517 Mamluk rule 1517 Egypt is conquered by the Ottoman Empire and absorbed into it. 1798 Napoleon Bonapartes forces invade, but are repelled by the British and the Turks in 1801. 1805 Ottoman general Muhammad Ali becomes leader in Egypt. He establishes his own dynast 1805 Ottoman Albanian commander Muhammad Ali establishes dynasty that rules until 1952, although nominally part of the Ottoman Empire. 1859-69 Suez Canal built, but it and other infrastructure projects nearly bankrupt Egypt and lead to gradual British takeover. 1882 British troops defeat Egyptian army at the Battle of Tell el-Kebir and take control of country. 1914 Egypt formally becomes a British protectorate. 1922 Fuad I becomes King and Egypt gains independence, although British influence remains significant until mid-1950s. 1928 Muslim Brotherhood founded by Hassan al-Banna, who is killed in 1949. 1948 Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria attack the new state of Israel. Egyptian armys poor performance increases unpopularity of King Farouk. 1949 Committee of the Free Officers Movement formed to overthrow corrupt monarchy. 1952 July Coup by the Free Officers Movement. Farouk abdicates in favour of his infant son Ahmed Fuad II. 1953 June Coup leader Muhammad Najib becomes president as Egypt is declared a republic. 1954 Fellow coup leader Gamal Abdel Nasser becomes prime minister and, in 1956, president, ruling unchallenged until his death in 1970. 1954 Evacuation Treaty signed. British forces, who began a gradual withdrawal under 1936 treaty finally leave Egypt. 1955 Prime Minister Nasser reorients Egypt away from West towards neutrality, buys arms from Communist Czechoslovakia to re-equip army after Western powers refuse to do so on terms acceptable to Egypt. 1956 July Having just assumed the Egyptian presidency, PNasser nationalises the Suez Canal to fund the Aswan High Dam, after Britain and US withdraw financing. 1956 October-November Invasion of Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel over nationalization of Suez Canal fails through US opposition, greatly enhancing President Nassers standing at home and abroad. 1958 President Nasser steps up campaign to promote pan-Arab unity, most visible signs of which were brief United Arab Republic unitary state including Syria (1958-61). He also supports friendly elements in Lebanese and North Yemen conflicts, but to little avail. 1961-1966 President Nasser adopts socialist policies, including nationalisation of industry and an ambitious welfare program, combined with repression of Muslim Brotherhood and leftist opponents, in an unsuccessful attempt to boost the economy and the popularity of his government. 1967 May Egypt expels UN buffer forces from Sinai and closes the Straits of Tiran to Israeli ships, then sign defence pact with Jordan. Israel interprets this as preparation for war. 1967 June Israeli pre-emptive attack (Six-Day War) defeats Egypt, Jordan and Syria, leaving it in control of Sinai up to the Suez Canal and Egyptian-occupied Gaza (along with the Golan Heights, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem). Emergency Law largely suspends civil rights. Remains in force with brief break in early 1980s until 2012. 1970 September Nasser dies, having never recovered his leading role among Arab states after the 1967 defeat, and is succeeded by Vice-President Anwar al-Sadat. 1971 The Aswan High Dam is completed, with Soviet funding, and has a huge impact on irrigation, agriculture and industry in Egypt. 1972 President Sadat expels Soviet advisers and reorients Egypt towards the West, while launching an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to open the economy to market forces and foreign investment. 1973 October Egypt and Syria go to war with Israel to reclaim land lost in 1967. Egypt begins negotiations for the return of Sinai after the war. 1975 June The Suez Canal is re-opened for first time since 1967 war. 1977 January Bread riots in major cities against end to subsidies on basic foodstuffs under agreement with World Bank and International Monetary Fund. 1977 October President Sadat visits Israel, beginning process that leads to 1979 peace treaty, return of occupied Sinai Peninsula, and Egypts suspension from Arab League until 1989. Egypt becomes major beneficiary of US financial aid. 1981 October President Sadat assassinated by Islamist extremists month after clampdown on private press and opposition groups in wake of anti-government riots. Succeeded by Vice-President Hosni Mubarak. 1981 President Mubarak reimposes State of Emergency, restricting political activity, freedom of expression and assembly. 1991 Egypt joins allied coalition to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait, and benefited from major multilateral loans and debt relief in return, allowing government to launch another attempt at liberalising economy. 2011 February President Mubarak steps down and hands power to the army council. Goes on trial in August, charged with ordering the killing of demonstrators. 2012 June Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi narrowly wins presidential election. 2012 December Islamist-dominated constituent assembly approves draft constitution that boosts the role of Islam and restricts freedom of speech and assembly. Public approve it in a referendum, prompting extensive protest by secular opposition leaders, Christians and womens groups. 2013 January More than 50 people are killed during days of violent street protests. Army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi warns that political strife is pushing the state to the brink of collapse. 2013 June President Morsi appoints Islamist allies as regional leaders in 13 of Egypts 27 governorships, including member of a former Islamist armed group linked to a massacre of tourists in Luxor in 1997. Protests force Luxor governor out. 2013 July Army overthrows President Morsi amid mass demonstrations calling on him to quit. 2013 August Hundreds killed as security forces storm pro-Morsi protest camps in Cairo. Some 40 Coptic churches are destroyed in wave of attacks. 2013 December Government declares Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist group after a bomb blast in Mansoura kills 12. 2014 January New constitution bans parties based on religion. 2014 May Former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi wins presidential election. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. By now, many of you will have heard the very sad story of the suicide of a nineteen-year-old BYU student who jumped from high in the Tanner Building. Some and theyre getting a fair amount of media coverage for it are blaming the students death on inadequate campus counseling resources: New York Post: College students suicide blamed on overbooked counseling center I dont know if the complaints cited in that article have any merit. I have no idea how BYUs counseling services compare (in terms of budget and numbers and availability of counselors) to those offered at other colleges and universities. I have no opinion on that question, except to say that its probably unfair and its usually quite unkind to blame a suicide on anybody. Suicide has complex causes, its not always somebodys fault, and there is no realistic way to prevent it in every instance. Could additional counselors have made a difference in this case? Maybe. Maybe not. If this case indicates that improvements should be made, then, if they can be made, they should be made. We often see where changes need to be effected only when a serious problem arises or something very wrong happens; thats part of life in an imperfect, fallen world. In my own limited experience with the counseling resources available from the Church as the bishop of a singles ward adjacent to the campus of Utah Valley University, I referred several members of my ward for professional counseling and the Church often picked up the tab for it I was satisfied with the help that they provided. In at least one or two cases, if memory doesnt deceive, I sent members of my ward over to the John Taylor Comprehensive Clinic at BYU. Unsurprisingly, a few exceptionally harsh critics of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are seeking to weaponize this tragic incident against the Church and its university, contending for example that this young womans suicide demonstrates the utter indifference of Church and University leaders to the health and wellbeing of BYU students, which follows from the greedy and mercenary character of both BYU and its ecclesiastical sponsor. That claim is grossly unjust and exploitative. In any event, I thought that some might be interested in reading a response from BYU Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to Mondays suicide. It can be found here: https://caps.byu.edu And here is a link describing the services offered by CAPS: https://caps.byu.edu/services Not all the good restaurants open in cities. Social media site Thrillist, fully knowing a thing or two about great food, recently published a list of the best small-town restaurants in every state. The list is a conglomeration of historic farmhouses, roadside diners, BBQ pits and seaside shacks that share a common theme they are all destination-worthy. For Pennsylvania, Thrillist sided with a popular Lancaster County family-style spot, Good N Plenty Restaurant in Smoketown, population 357. (Despite what you think, its not named after the pink and white licorice candy.) Thrillist had this to say about the restaurant: Pennsylvania Dutch Country is loaded with culinary wonders. And also lots of rocking chairs. Experiencing a home-cooked Amish meal is about as heartwarming and stomach-expanding a Pennsylvania experience as you can get. Located in an old house likely raised by the ancestors of your server in 1871, Good 'N Plenty offers up its simple comfort foods -- meatloaf, chicken pie, juicy roast beef, country ham, you know the drill -- a la carte, but the real move here is to go family style and be treated to a rotating array of plates fresh from the kitchen while getting to know your stablemates and trying really hard not to make an extremely outdated Kingpin reference. You will not have room for dessert. Luckily, its also a bakery, so you can get your pecan-topped giant cinnamon rolls to go, preferably to consume in the nearest rocking chair. The restaurant opened in 1969 in a farmhouse owned by Christ and Dolly Lapp. In 2014 the couple received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau. Two shootings that happened a block away from one another in Harrisburg on Wednesday are unrelated, police Capt. Gabriel Olivera confirmed via email Thursday morning. A male was killed around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 1900 block of Bellevue Road, according to police. Police have not released the victims identity. Harrisburg School District canceled classes for high school students on Thursday in response to a student death. Though the district hasnt formally said how the student died, a school official told a WHTM reporter that its safe to say the student was the shooting victim. Harrisburg School Districts spokesperson said schools will be closed tomorrow for the death of a student. She said its safe to say the student was the victim of tonights homicide on Bellevue Road. @AlexBPeterson will be live tonight at 11 with the latest. Sarah Gisriel (@sarahgisriel) December 6, 2018 City police were dispatched for shots fired in the 1900 block of Mulberry Street just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, and a suspect vehicle fled. The vehicle then crashed into parked vehicles, police said. At least two people fled from the vehicle, and one person related to the incident was in custody, according to police. The car that crashed was reported stolen, and a firearm was found inside, police said. There was no available information on whether the people in the car suffered injuries. Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to contact Harrisburg police. A bogus minister accused of enslaving and torturing drug addicts will be spending the next 7 to 25 years in a cage. That became a reality for Edward Big Web Edmonds when Dauphin County President Judge Richard A. Lewis sent the 32-year-old Harrisburg man to state prison Thursday. The punishment was set in a deal Edmonds reached with prosecutors when he pleaded guilty to charges including involuntary servitude last month. Edmonds was one of two men charged in the countys first human trafficking case. He and Daerell Big Fat Cuz Holmes were arrested by Harrisburg police in July 2017. Investigators said their Beyond Your Limits Church in the 2400 block of North Sixth Street was in fact a den of torture and crime. Police accused the pair of forcing drug addicts two men and three women in their 20s and a 16-year-old girl to steal Sony PlayStations from stores on the East and West Shores in return for crack cocaine and heroin. Edmonds and Holmes were accused of beating the addicts and shooting them with BB guns. Holmes, 31, is awaiting trial on charges similar to those that sent Edmonds to prison. A midstate police department on Thursday revealed the face of a murder victim who was killed and dumped in a roadside culvert perhaps as long as 25 years ago. Since his bare and weathered skeleton was discovered by a road crew in 2013, that victim has been known only as York Countys John Doe. West Manchester Township police are hoping the newly unveiled clay bust of the victim, fashioned by Penn State forensic artist Jenny Kenyon, will generate information from the public leading to his true identity. And that could be the break in the case that police, especially Officer Lance Krout, have been seeking for the last five years. Youre not going to find your suspect until you find out who your victim was, Krout said during a press conference at the township building. John Doe, who investigators said could have been anywhere from 18 to 45 when he was killed, was found near the West Manchester Mall. The body, what was left of it, could have been lying there for anywhere from three to 20 years, Krout said. Kenyon said the victim had an eye injury and a severe head injury that had healed at the time if his death. He had his left eye and his nose pretty well broken, she said. John Doe was as much as 5 feet 8 inches tall, slim and muscular, she said. Testing showed the victim was born in the South, but spent perhaps the last decade of his life in or near Pennsylvania, Krout said. He said John Doe also had a cheaper version dental plate to replace missing teeth. The latest information on John Doe will be circulated in a national missing persons registry, the officer said. He said DNA testing also is being done although time might have degraded the quality of John Does DNA to allow further investigation, including through genealogical data bases. Although several leads have emerged over the years, weve been able to rule a lot of those out, Krout said. New info revealed in York County, Pennsylvania, cold case murder from 2013. Posted by PennLive.com on Thursday, December 6, 2018 Nor are police releasing all the information in the case, including manner of death, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. This is a homicide. We know its a homicide, Krout said. But beyond that we cant comment. York County District Attorney David Sunday Jr. said information from the public that hopefully will be generated by John Does new clay visage is critical to solving this especially difficult case. What we have here today is the product of old-fashioned police work combined with modern technology, Sunday said. We are truly hopeful that through this collaborative effort we will be able to find out who this person is and we will ultimately be able to investigate and prosecute the person who killed him. Anyone with information can call the West Manchester Township Police at 717-792-9514. Harrisburg School District has announced that it is cancelling classes for high school students on Thursday in response to a student death. The school district said that due to a tragic death of a high school student the following campuses would not hold classes for high schoolers: John Harris, SciTech and Cougar Academy. The district did not state in its announcement how the student died, but a district spokesperson told an ABC27 reporter that it was safe to say the victim of Wednesday afternoons homicide in Harrisburg was a student. Harrisburg School Districts spokesperson said schools will be closed tomorrow for the death of a student. She said its safe to say the student was the victim of tonights homicide on Bellevue Road. @AlexBPeterson will be live tonight at 11 with the latest. Sarah Gisriel (@sarahgisriel) December 6, 2018 All high school faculty and staff are to report to the John Harris auditorium for a professional development day at 8:15 a.m., the district said. The district will have grief counselors available for students for the rest of the week as needed, the district said. HARRISBURG Family members frustrated by what they described as Pennsylvanias inhumane treatment of prisoners and their relatives took their protest to the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday. In August, the Department of Corrections locked down the states 25 facilities after dozens of staff members reported being sickened by exposure to synthetic narcotics. The lockdown ended after 12 days but new restrictions on visitation and mail delivery for inmates remain in place. Your loved one cant receive a card, a photo of his baby, of his child, said Patricia Vickers, who traveled from Philadelphia to protest at Thursdays tree-lighting ceremony. They get the card printed out on a piece of paper. They dont get to feel the card. They cant touch it. It takes away the whole meaning of Christmas and the love you put into that letter. Since the lockdown, the department spent $15 million on more stringent security measures, including body scanners for visitors, and hired a Florida-based company to scan incoming mail and pass along photocopies to prisoners. It also removed vending machines from prison waiting rooms, where families often spend hours waiting to see inmates. Its cruel, Vickers said. Its just cruel. They dont care if youve got diabetes or youve got little kids with you. Capitol Police escorted Vickers and about a dozen other protesters from the tree-lighting ceremony after they unfurled a sign and thanted that Gov. Tom Wolf treated them like the Grinch. No one was arrested although, as per Capitol Police policy, they were banned from the building for the rest of the day. Wolf, apparently caught off guard by the protest, plowed ahead with his prepared remarks. Afterward, he said his office will continue to work with inmate advocacy groups. We obviously have a safety problem that affects the prisoners and the staff, and we want to do something about that to keep everybody safe, and I think were trying to do it the right way, the governor said. Pennsylvanias treatment of inmates has drawn a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and scrutiny from various civil and human rights organizations. The lawsuit, which will go before a judge next month, specifically concerns the departments new policy of opening legal mail in front of the inmate, providing the inmate with a photocopy and holding the original for 45 days before destroying it. This new system dramatically expands the opportunities for deliberate or inadvertent breach of confidentiality, said Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania. Attorney-client confidentiality is zealously guarded because its essential for lawyers to be able to have candid conversations with their clients. Its a basic civil right all inmates are entitled to, he said, and can prove absolutely essential in situations where a prisoner is suing over conditions of captivity or treatment by facility staff. If a guard goes to photocopy it and he sees his name on there, you dont think hes going to look at it? Walczak said. Then, when its stored for 45 days, theres no way for prisoners to be sure the Department of Corrections isnt going to look at it. The processing of other mail not relating to legal matters, such as Christmas cards, has also proven problematic. Pennsylvania currently ships all that mail to the Seminole, Fla.-based Smart Communications, where it is processed, photocopied and mailed back to the inmate. Claire Shubik-Richards, executive director of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, said her group receives dozens of complaints each month about mail processing. It may take several weeks for a letter from someone in Philly on the outside writing to someone just outside of Philly on the inside, she said. For a while, Shubik-Richards said the advocacy groups own non-legal mail to inmates was being returned because Smart Communications erroneously marked it as legal mail because of its letterhead. Personal letters were also returned to sender without being processed because they were falsely marked as legal mail. In September, participants in a correspondence class had half of their assignments cut off because Smart Communications wasnt able to photocopy legal-sized paper. The removal of vending machines from the prison waiting rooms is also troubling, she said, because visiting an inmate may take between three and five hours. And visitors arent allowed to bring food with them or leave to get food and return. The department, she said, initially claimed the situation was temporary but it has continued for more than three months. These policies, and particularly this visiting policy, have further strained very strained family ties, she said. Thats absolutely counter to the goals of public safety and rehabilitation. Between October 2017 and October 2018, Shubik-Richards said her organization saw 28 percent fewer users of its busing service for families visiting inmates. Many riders pointed to the difficulty they have with the new policies, she said. Countless research studies have shown the importance of family connection for the ability of someone to reenter the community successfully, she said. It is really, really hard to stay connected to someone behind bars and these policies make it more difficult. Department spokeswoman Amy Worden said, in a written statement, that mail was the number one path of contraband into facilities. That necessitated hiring Smart Communications to process inmate mail off-site. We are now working on a 24-hour turnaround from the time the mail reaches Florida to the institution, she said. It can take several days for mail to reach Florida from [Pennsylvania]. As for the vending machines, she said the department halted their use because visitors are the second leading route for smuggling drugs into the prison. The machines are expected to be returned once body scanners are installed, although a firm timeline for that to happen was not available Thursday. Visitors with medical needs may make arrangements with the individual prison to have access to food, Worden said. Capitol police escort protesters from the Rotunda during the tree lighting ceremony. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.comPENNLIVE.COM Since the crackdown, the department reported in decreases in both drugs found at the facilities and reported drug exposures. According to state data, 48 staff members were sent to the emergency room for possible drug exposures this August. That fell to eight in September. The amount of drugs found inside state prisons also fell 46 percent to the lowest level in more than a year. But families and advocates question whether the changes were truly necessary and if they ultimately do more harm than good. I have got to believe, and I do believe, there are more targeted responses to this problem, Shubik-Richards said. Lorraine Haw, who also traveled to Harrisburg from Philadelphia to protest the changes, said she just wants to send her son a Christmas card that he can hold in his hands, that he can open and feel some connection to the outside world. As a mother, I cry over my mail, she said. I kiss my mail so my baby can feel and smell his mother. A photocopy cant do that. Staff writer Charles Thompson contributed to this report. Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook. Read the TAPPED OUT special investigation of drinking water. Update: The suspects background, the crime scene, more Police made an arrest Tuesday after finding a man stabbed to death in Harrisburg, police said. Harrisburg police officers were called by Amtrak Police around 9:43 a.m. Tuesday, for a dead man in the Greenbelt area, south of a PennDOT building, police said. The man, identified as Daniel Kelly, 21, died from multiple stab wounds, police said. The investigation pointed to Dylan Arizona Reeves, 20, as a possible suspect in the case, police said. Reeves had ties to the State College area, so Harrisburg Police contacted State College Police and detectives went to Centre County. State College police located Reeves and he was taken into custody at 2 p.m. Tuesday, police said. Reeves was also wanted on a probation detainer in Centre County. Reeves was charged with murder, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse, police said. He will be transported back to Dauphin County to be arraigned on the murder charges. The state Department of Health has been directed to turn over nursing home lease agreements, following a petition from PennLive. PennLive reporter Daniel Simmons-Ritchie initially sought the leases as part of a special investigation examining the quality of care in nursing homes. (Read the full report: Still Failing The Frail.) The state Office of Open Records ruled this week that the health department must provide the leases within 30 days. Several months ago, PennLive asked the health department for the leases of 36 nursing homes that had previously been owned by the Golden Living chain, a giant in the industry. Golden Living sold its nursing home licenses to other operators but the company still owns the properties. Nursing home operators typically submit the leases to the health department, which regulates the industry. The health department rejected PennLives request for the documents, saying the records contained confidential information. PennLive appealed to the office of open records. In its special report published last month, PennLives investigation found that many homes formerly owned by Golden Living continue to offer substandard care, even under new management. PennLive has been aiming to obtain the lease agreements because they could provide more insight into the operations of the homes. This is important information for the public, said Burke Noel, PennLives Director of Content. It certainly falls under the states open-record laws." Nursing home operators objected to the release of the leases and other records sought by PennLive. The homes said that some of the documents contained trade secrets and disclosing the records could hurt their businesses in a highly competitive field. Responding to petitions from the nursing homes, the open records office ruled that some information regarding their business practices would not be released. But the open records office said the leases can be released under the states Right-To-Know Law. The health department and the nursing homes can appeal the ruling to Commonwealth Court. In a statement, the health department said the nursing home operators, which own the documents, have 30 days to decide whether to appeal the ruling. Melissa Melewsky, an attorney for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, welcomed the Office of Open Records' ruling ordering the release of the nursing home leases. Melewsky said the office recognized that public agencies cant allow private businesses seeking licensure to simply declare things confidential with a rubber stamp. Its critically important that theres access and accountability when Pennsylvanias most vulnerable population is at issue, she said. In its special report published last month, PennLive examined care at the homes formerly run by Golden Living. The state Attorney Generals office sued Golden Living in 2015 for chronic understaffing and failing to provide basic care. The PennLive investigation found that many of the homes continue to have problems. State regulators have cited the homes for a host of issues, including supervisory failures that harmed residents, unsanitary conditions, insect infestations and falsified records. Many of the homes have received as many citations - or more - than they did when they were managed by Golden Living. Critics have said the health department must do a better job overseeing nursing homes. Some advocates contend the state should impose stiffer penalties for homes that fail to improve. In its investigation, PennLive reviewed property records that show Golden Living still acts as a landlord for the homes it formerly managed in Pennsylvania. Golden Living sold its nursing home licenses in Pennsylvania to four other companies. But Golden Living still owns the real estate for all the homes it once managed in the Keystone State. Matt Yarnell, president of the SEIU Healthcare of Pennsylvania, told Pennlive that nursing home leasing deals make it difficult for the public to understand what companies own which homes. And Yarnell said that makes it hard to know what influence those companies may be exerting behind-the-scenes. The union represents 45,000 health care workers in Pennsylvania. I think Pennsylvanians want to know where their tax dollars are going, Yarnell said. We need to know the financial arrangements behind these homes. David Marks, a Texas-based attorney who specializes in elderly care litigation, said some nursing home companies include very strict requirements in their leases. Marks cited a case hes litigating that involves a major assisted living chain. That chain, like Golden Living, leases nursing homes to other operators. Marks said the chain exercises a great deal of control over the operators through its leases. The lease agreements are pretty shocking, Marks said. The leaser effectively controls operations, approves the budget, receives financial forecasts and if the financial forecast is not agreeable has the right to modify the budget. The health department has said it is working hard to protect the 90,000 Pennsylvania residents living in nursing homes. The department is in the process of revising its regulations regarding nursing homes and has said it plans to update the states minimum staffing requirements. The department is in the final stages of developing a draft of its regulations, April Hutcheson, a department spokeswoman, said via email this week. When a draft of the regulations is complete, it will be reviewed by government regulators and various stakeholders, she said. We are working to make sure these draft regulations are worked through so that, to the best we can, the regulations enact real change in our oversight of nursing homes, and also in ensuring that nursing home operators realize they are a vital part of this process as we move into the future, Hutcheson said. Gov. Tom Wolf and first lady Frances Wolf joined hundreds of people in the state Capitol Rotunda Thursday to celebrate the holidays with the 2018 capitol tree lighting ceremony. The tree is an 18-foot Douglas Fir from Crystal Spring Tree Farm in Lehighton, Carbon County. In addition to the Rotunda tree, there is a 20-foot Douglas fir on the capitol steps and a 16-foot Douglas fir in Soldiers Grove. The Rotunda tree will be lighted daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., while the capitol steps and Soldiers Grove trees will be lit daily from 5 p.m. to midnight. All trees will be lighted daily through the week of Jan. 7. No new details have been released about a fatal shooting in Harrisburg on Wednesday evening. A male was shot and killed around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 1900 block of Bellevue Road, according to police. Police have not released the victims identity or age. Capt. Gabe Olivera said via email Thursday morning that he has no new information on the incident. Harrisburg School District canceled classes for high school students on Thursday in response to a student death. Though the district hasnt formally said how the student died, a school official told a WHTM reporter that its safe to say the student was the shooting victim. Harrisburg School Districts spokesperson said schools will be closed tomorrow for the death of a student. She said its safe to say the student was the victim of tonights homicide on Bellevue Road. @AlexBPeterson will be live tonight at 11 with the latest. Sarah Gisriel (@sarahgisriel) December 6, 2018 City police were dispatched for shots fired in the 1900 block of Mulberry Street just before 6 p.m. Wednesday, but Olivera confirmed in an email Thursday morning that it is unrelated to the earlier incident. Police that anyone with information about the incident call police at 717-558-6900 or submit your information through Crime Watch. Dauphin County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2000 for information leading to an arrest in this incident. A male died following a shooting Wednesday afternoon, according to Harrisburg Police. Harrisburg Police Captain Gabriel Olivera said officers were called for shots fired around 4:20 p.m. to the 1900 block of Bellevue Road. Officers found a male who suffered a gunshot wound, Olivera said. He has died. Police did not provide an age for the victim at the scene. At the time of the shooting death, the victim was in a home, but Olivera said they do not know if the shooting also occurred there. He was not able to provide any identifying details about the victim. Harrisburg School District cancelled classes for high school students on Thursday, and confirmed to WHMT-TV ABC27 that the homicide victim was a student. A woman was seen taken from the scene on a stretcher, and Olivera confirmed it was due to a medical issue. Part of Bellevue Road is closed for the investigation. While police were investigating the homicide, a second shooting occurred, according to police. A vehicle crashed a block from the homicide, and at least one person is in custody. Police have not determined if the incidents were related. Olivera asked that anyone with information about the incident call police at 717-558-6900 or submit your information through Crime Watch. Dauphin County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $2000 for information leading to an arrest in this incident. A retired Pennsylvania State Police captain has been selected to run the youth protection program for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg. Retired Capt. Janet A. McNeal will review the dioceses current youth protection programs, develop programs and policies and will serve as Safe Environment Coordinator. McNeal ran the Megans Law Section for the Pennsylvania State Police. Captain McNeal brings a wealth of experience with her, Bishop Ronald Gainer said. As a contractor with the diocese, she is a neutral party, with no conflicts of interest, who has dedicated her entire professional career to seeing that justice is served and survivors of a range of crimes, but specifically sexual crimes, are heard and supported." McNeal will have complete access to all the dioceses records regarding clergy sex abuse. She will also meet with survivors. Im a mother, a grandmother, a police officer, a Protestant and Ive dealt with sex offenders for most of my career, said McNeal, who has 26 years of law enforcement investigative and policy development . Im here for the survivors. I want to hear their stories, learn what stage of healing each survivor is at and work with them so they are no longer a victim of abuse, but are victorious at finding healing." The Harrisburg Diocese was one of six Pennsylvania dioceses at the center of an 18-month long grand jury investigation into clergy sex abuse. The findings of the 40th Statewide Investigating Grand Jury were released in August by state Attorney General Josh Shapiro. The findings detailed decades of sexual abuse of children at the hands of more than 300 priests across the six dioceses. Investigators found that church officials had enabled the crimes by concealing them to law enforcement and shuffling predator priests between dioceses. More than 1,000 children were sexually abused over seven decades, investigators found. Ill be dealing with the past, present and future of sexual abuse in the church, McNeal said. Ill be reviewing every case reported and will speak with the survivors. Already in my short time working with the diocese, it is clear that Bishop Gainer is serious about correcting the mistakes of the past, ensuring survivors receive the support they need and the safety of our children. McNeal will operate as a contractor and be independent of the diocese. The diocese is developing a program that will financially compensate victims. Most of the cases outlined in the report fall outside the bounds of the statute of limitations, meaning victims have no legal recourse. Victims had pressed state legislators to reform the statute of limitations to enable them to file civil lawsuits against predators. Reform efforts failed in this legislative session. During her 26 years with the state police, McNeal was assigned as the chief administrator for the Megans Law Sexual Offender Registry for the Commonwealth. I truly believe that Ive been called to do this, McNeal said. Ive been involved in the church my entire life. Ive been married to a member of the (Methodist) clergy for 45 years. My role is to determine where we need to improve and make sure survivors are finding healing. McNeal has also served on crisis response teams and ecumenical taskforces for the United Methodist Church and is a licensed private investigator. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week ruled that the names of about a dozen priests redacted from the grand jury report will remain secret and under the protection of the redaction. The court ruled that to release the names would violate the rights of the clergy. Editor's note: This story was updated at 9 p.m. with a list of the students' grievances. SELINSGROVE - The decision by Susquehanna University to arm some of its public safety officers is meeting opposition from students. University President Jonathan Green announced Monday certain officers who are retired state troopers will be armed beginning Dec. 14, at the end of the fall semester. On Tuesday, approximately 75 students held a protest walk across campus and met with Green to present their concerns. Students said they do not support the decision to arm the officers because it was made without speaking to them and promotes bringing guns to a space where they feel unsafe with them present. Samantha Borkhoche, a senior from Reading who is a native of Beirut, Lebanon, prepared a list of grievances and solutions she says were brought to her by other students. Those grievances include: The decision was announced just before the end of the semester at a time when students would not be able to respond in a proper manner. Students already do not trust public safety officers because of the way they have handled crisis situations in the past. Giving them guns would exasperate further those fears. The borough police station is down the street. Many students, particularly minorities, have voiced concerns of being shot by public safety officers than an active shooter. The decision was made at a time when the campus was facing more pressing issues including that of mental health. Borkhoche, speaking for other students, suggests the university work closer with Selinsgrove Borough so it can provide more efficient resources when needed. They also believe consistent bias and incident training needs improved and they want the trainer to be someone they chose, she said. Susquehanna will not reveal how many officers will be armed, but Green said they will not have arrest powers. Borough and state police still will provide traditional law enforcement services for campus, he said. READ MORE: Susquenita schools will use armed security guards "Our goal is to enhance safety by augmenting existing campus security measures," Green said. "As gun violence has been on the rise in the U.S., concurrently, the number of universities adding armed officers has trended upward. "It's our hope that knowledge of armed officers will deter incidents while improving response time to save lives should a serious event occur," he added. "Our policy currently allows the public safety director to authorize the possession of firearms on campus. The focus of the procedural change is to protect the campus community, especially during peak hours and key events, by adding a limited number of armed officers as an available resource." The decision to arm was made after consultation with the board of trustees and Selinsgrove Police Chief Thomas Garlock, Green said. It also follows an August 2017 drug-related robbery in a residence hall suite for which five teenagers have been arrested. One was alleged to have had a handgun. A new national survey conducted by political scientists at Penn State has colored in some more detail about the much-discussed divide in American politics. Its been pretty obvious for some time now that the Democratic and Republican parties have different views on approaches to affordable health care, federal priorities in immigration reform, whether a strong response to climate change is an economic opportunity or an economic albatross. And increasingly, their partisans are following their political leaders and - to a lesser degree, preferred media outlets - into matching camps. But the new Mood of the Nation survey finds that the voter bases for the respective sides also seem to have a hard time finding any empathy for the others' positions - a condition that political scientists warn does not provide a lot of hope for bipartisan cooperation that many Americans still say they aspire to. The voters do show a foundation of understanding about issues that are important to the other side, noted Poll Director Eric Plutzer, citing findings that show Republicans get that issues of income inequality are important to Democrats, while Democrats get that many Republicans are worried about immigration and border control. But the concern, Plutzer said, is that theres a lot of suspicion that the underlying motives (of the other side) are less than virtuous. Among the most telling findings in the Penn State poll, which captured 1,000 voters' attitudes in the week after the 2018 mid-term elections: Just 27 percent of self-identified Republican voters responding said they think most Democratic Party supporters voted for their Congressional candidates out of a belief that Democratic policy positions are best for the country. What Republicans think of Democrats Democrats were a little more charitable toward Republican voters, with 42 percent of respondents stating that almost all or most of the GOP voters were so motivated. What Republicans think of Democrats But in both cases, most felt that half or more of the voters from the other side were acting out of something other than the nations best interests. Other polling has long supported the notion of a widening political divide in America. A June 2016 poll by the Pew Research Center showed that for the first time in 22 years' of measurement, majorities of partisan respondents (58 percent of Republicans, 55 percent of Democrats) said they had a very unfavorable view of the other party. In the hotly-contested 2000 presidential election, meanwhile, very unfavorable applied to just 23 percent of Democrats and 26 percent of Republicans. The Penn State survey, through a series of open-ended questions, sought to hear more from respondents, in their own voices, about how and why this trend is developing, Plutzer said. By letting people answer these open-ended questions... we can discern subtleties that we think are interesting." The new survey found, for example, that many responding voters often have deeply stereotyped views of why the other side votes the way it does. Broadly speaking, Republicans who did try to answer and answered without sarcasm or hostility felt Democrats were sending an anti-Trump message, and thought their candidates would protect the middle class and working class, Plutzer said. But more often, they described this in terms of free stuff, free health care, free college tuition," free welfare and so on." In fact, Plutzer said about one in six of the 307 Republicans landed on the word free in their responses about Democratic voters' attitudes. Democrat respondents had a similarly self-interested description of Republicans, he said, summed up by one respondents assertion that Republicans' mindset is I got mine and dont want the libs to take it away. Statistical tabulations of the specific responses to some of the survey questions are still being tabulated, and were not available for this report. Respondents from both sides also blamed media outlets, with Democrats sizing up many Republicans as under-educated television watchers too willing to do what Fox News personalities tell them to do, and Republicans countering that Democrats were brainwashed by the propaganda of the mainstream media. Many respondents, the pollsters said, made plain how tough trying to inhabit the other sides viewpoint was when asked to imagine they were supporters of the other party, and then to give three reasons why that party was best for the country. I honestly cannot even pretend to be a Democrat and try to come up with anything positive at all, said one 53-year-old Republican from Virginia. But," she added, soldiering on, "I guess they would vote Democrat because they are illegal immigrants and they are promised many benefits for voting for that party. Also, just to follow what others are doing. And third would be just because they hate Trump so much. Plutzer said the new poll was inspired by earlier survey findings that consistently show Democrats and Republicans can see exactly the same events, but understand them quite differently. Acknowledging that such a gap exists, he said, may be a foundational step toward reducing political incivility and polarization going forward. Health official: 'We have seen an increase in the number of pediatric patients hospitalized' A set of six infrastructure grants announced by state officials will bring more than $3 million to roads, trails and sidewalk projects in the region. The grants all come through the Pennsylvania Financing Authority through the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program and the Multimodal Transportation Fund. The largest grant, by far, is the $1.75 million provided to Lower Providence... The 2018 Wyoming Association of Student Council, WASC, hosted their 63rd annual State Convention at Natrona County High School and Pine Bluffs was able attended. During their time at WASC convention they had the opportunity to participate in amazing volunteer work to help Wyoming Make-A-Wish Foundation. Wyoming Make-A-Wish foundation asked WASC to host a day of volunteer and nearly 53 schools participated in raising over $17,000 to help those children make their wish all in a 3 hour window, thus being able to grant two wishes in Wyoming. Other than volunteer work, we participated in workshops where Student Council President, Tucker Norman, and member Karla De La Cruz presented a workshop over Pine Bluffs famous charity Buddy Bucks. They also got the opportunity to listen a talented keynote speaker, Harriet Turk. To end the eventful weekend at the WASC Convention, they honored Wyomings top 15 students as All-State and one of them was a Pine Bluffs student, Karla De La Cruz. It was December 7, 1941, and many members of the military were still sleeping in their bunks this Sunday morning, along with residents of the Pearl Harbor, Oahu area. At 07:55 the first attack hit. From that moment on, there were bombs, machine gun fire, explosions and more. A quote from the Honolulu Star Bulletin states, "A Day that will live in Infamy." From this first initial attack, the waves of war hit home, and the United States was now at war with her attacker of the Pacific... Japan. Within a few short days, many lives were changed dramatically on the islands and in the continental United States. The war with Japan would last until September 2, 1945 when Japan surrendered. Immediately President Rossevelt announces the attack from the Japanese, on Manila and Pearl Harbor. Schools are closed and civilians are ordered to stay off the streets for their safety. Later in the day Governor Poindexter orders a National Emergency be in effect. As night grows closer and fear of another attack looms, a total blackout is ordered in cities and islands. All messages are censored through the military, and as a short time goes by, martial law is declared. Hundreds of people watch from the hills as the Japanese planes drop their destructive bombs killing many and destroying all in their path. The United States is in shock, and are reeling from the war with Germany. The U. S. Navy ships are hit hard; there are explosions, sinkings and aircraft crashes. Not only is the military suffering losses in ships, vehicles, planes, and service members but civilians are experiencing losses as well. The city was in an uproar within ten minutes from the first attack. It was reported in the Honolulu Star Bulletin that a home in the Damon Tract was hit by a bomb. Additional bombs went off near the Governor's Mansion and witnesses reported they had seen over 50 planes over Pearl Harbor and they had "the rising sun" on the wing tips. Enemy planes were shot down, and it was reported a pilot's body was seen in the aircraft as it burned. Shortly after the first attack antiaircraft guns began a barrage of fire upon the enemy planes. At 10:10 a.m. workers were ordered not to report to work at Pearl Harbor. Governor Poindexter and the leaders of the U. S. Navy and U. S. Army called upon the public to remain calm, stay off the streets and for every man and woman to do their duty. During the morning of attack, a Honolulu attorney was flying in his private plane when he was chased by some of the attacking planes. Roy A. Vitousek was above the Rodgers Airport and was successful in getting away. Attacking planes also hit the airports not only with bombs, but also machine gun fire. Such was an attack on Rodgers Airport killing Bob Tyce, who was operator of the flying service there. The attacks didn't stop. Wave after wave happened. There were four waves of bombings and fire upon the islands. During all this, the wounded are being brought in, civilians as well as military. There were so many hurt, and the need for blood donors came quickly. T. G. S. Walker, a civilian defense coordinator, put out a request that blood donors report to Queen's Hospital. He also issued a statement that shop owners wishing to protect their plate glass windows with sand bags could call a number and get help. All employees of a local welding company were asked to report to work. There was so much damage, and their help was needed. Damage was not just limited to military, other strategic places were struck as well. A Honolulu gas company's tank was also targeted. Rumors began to flood the city with tales of water contamination, but city manager, Fred Ohrt verified that the city water was indeed safe and not contaminated as previously reported. The University of Hawaii became a shelter for many of the women and children evacuated from Hickam Field. The National Guard Armory was equipped to aid with the wounded on Hotel Street. Radio stations voluntarily close at the request of the military. An announcement came from the governor that the U. S. Army had ordered approximately ninety percent of injured people who could be moved to their homes without further endangering them be released to go home, giving room for the more seriously wounded. Courtesy of the NavySeals.com U.S.S. Arizona Memorial This was war. For many it would change their lives forever, and leave an unremoveable mark on them. A World War II veteran, who prefers to remain somewhat anonymous said buddies told him it was pure hell. "Never had I seen such destruction and loss of lives, limbs, and hearts," he said. The losses were massive! The United States Army: 228 killed, 364 wounded. The United States Marines: 109 killed, 69 wounded. The United States Navy: 2004 killed, 710 wounded. Civilians: 68 killed, 35 wounded. The totals were: 2409 killed, and 1178 wounded. This was just Pearl Harbor, and not the totals of the war against Japan. We will always remember. We will always honor them. CHEYENNE, Wyo. - The public is invited to a ceremony for Wyoming's state remembrance wreath on Dec. 10 at 10 a.m., at the Joint Forces Readiness Center, 5800 Central Ave., in Cheyenne. The ceremony is part of the Wreaths Across America program that honors all veterans and active military members during the holidays. The tradition of wreaths from the state of Maine being donated to decorate the graves at Arlington National Cemetery began in 1992. It is the eleventh year of a national campaign dubbed Wreaths Across America that will bring the same remembrance wreaths to more than 230 national and state veterans cemeteries and monuments across the nation. Wyoming's ceremony is hosted by the Wyoming Veterans Commission. Maj. Gen. Luke Reiner, Wyoming's adjutant general, will be the featured speaker. This year, as in past years, wreaths will be donated for a special ceremony at each state capitol and a 38" ceremonial wreath for the U.S. Capitol. All of these specially made wreaths are donated by Worcester Wreath Company, in Harrington, Maine. This annual event seeks to further the WAA mission of Remember, Honor, Teach, ensuring that the memory of those who served our country endures. Wyoming's remembrance wreath will remain at the Joint Forces Readiness Center throughout the holiday season. For more information about the Wyoming ceremony, contact the Wyoming Veterans Commission at 307-777-8152. To learn more about the national efforts, go to http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org. Mary Mildred (Huestis) Hutchinson, of Hingham, MT, passed away on November 30th, 2018, at the age of 63. Mary will forever be remembered by her husband of 42 years, Darrold, and her children, Matthew, Tyler, and Michael. The fifth of seven children born to Roy and Betty Huestis of Hingham Montana, Mary will be lovingly remembered by her sisters, Bonnie Huestis, Peggy Huestis, and Cindy Keaster. Mary was blessed with seven grandchildren, Charles, Nora, William, Olivia, Bailey, Ben, and Luke; her beloved horse, Bette, and her ever present lab, Cash. Mary cherished being involved with her much loved nieces and nephews, Kelsey and Morgan, Sam and Corbin, and Josh and Kava. Mary was preceded in death by her father, mother, brother Ron, and sisters Diane and Deborah. A native of Hingham, Montana, Mary attended Hingham High School and then studied Dental Hygiene at Sheridan College, Sheridan, Wyoming. Mary worked as a Dental Hygienist in Scotts Bluff Nebraska for two years, while her husband Darrold taught Vo Ag in Albin Wyoming. In the summer of 1978 Darrold and Mary moved to Hingham Montana. Mary worked as a Dental Hygienist in Havre and Chester for many years, where she met more of her lifelong friends. Mary also had an entrepreneurial bent, not only helping run and work the family farm, but also making custom crafts and putting on a "Victorian County Christmas" in Great Falls, with a long time dear friend. Mary had a great love of family; being a mother and grandmother brought some of her life's greatest joys. She enjoyed spending time with her horses, whether riding them casually, training them, or taking them on a lengthy endurance ride. In the evenings one could often find Mary at the card table, playing Pinochle, Rook, or any number of other card games. All who knew Mary remember her ready smile, compassion, unwillingness to judge others, and perhaps most of all, her astonishing inner strength. Mary's faith guided her through her entire life, helping her through her parents', brother's, and two sisters' early deaths, ovarian cancer, Crohn's disease, and the perils of raising three boys. She was diagnosed with liver cancer in April and bravely lived with the disease for eight months, supported by her friends, family, and faith in God through the battle. A memorial service will be held at the Calvary Evangelical Church in Rudyard, MT on Saturday, December 8th at 10:00 am. Condolences can be made to Mary's memorial page at http://www.asperfh.com. 151.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* The level of stupid polluting American society is getting completely out of hand and one wonders just how far the population will devolve into abject idiocy when all is said and done. If a segment, a small segment by the way, of the population has their way, the preponderance of American people will be about as ignorant as Neanderthal man; exactly the way religion and Republicans like their subjects. Now that America has an honest-to-dog Christian Supremacist a heartbeat away from the presidency, and an incoming president who has no interest in domestic or foreign policy, the fanatical religious right is poised to put some serious stupid on the next generation. Now, it is beyond refute that only the stupidest human beings in the 21st Century cannot fathom that there is a marked difference between religion and science; its just the way it is and the way it has always been. However, for the clearly stupid it may be worth reminding them that religion is the belief and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal god or gods. Conversely, science is a systematic enterprise built on and organized by knowledge based on facts learned through experimentation and observations. Only a moron would fail to comprehend that religion is not science simply because it is based on something called faith in a superhuman being; religion has nothing whatsoever to do with facts. Apparently, about 13.2 percent of Americans are morons because they truly believe that science is a religion and that religion, their Christian bibles religion, is science. That being their dysfunction, they are demanding that their incoming Christian Supremacist vice-president force Americas children to study science as explained by ancient Jewish mythology. The religious right has panted themselves into fits of dyspnea awaiting a savior-preacher to take control of America and lead the population by theocratic edict, and their dreams came true when Americans elected the extremist Christian zealots Trojan Horse as the next president. Remember, Trump said more than once that his vice-president would handle domestic and foreign policy and dirty Donnie would be CEO of making America great. It is why Mike Pence has been directing Dons cabinet selection behind closed doors; choices that comport perfectly with establishment Republicans, the Koch brothers, and Mike Pence. Since the religious right are aware that Pence is dictating domestic policies, they appealed to him to begin Americas transformation from a feeble and crumbling democracy into a full-blown theocracy that will drive the Mullahs on Irans Supreme Council into fits of jealousy. The evangelical fundamentalists, all 13.2 percent of them, are appealing to preacher Pence by petition and demanding that he, as head of domestic policy, inform dilatory Donald that it is crucial to immediately issue an executive order indefinitely banning the teaching of evolution as science. The evangelical malcontents claim that evolutionary science is nothing but an anti-Christian nasty religion and has no place in the public schools science curriculum. Instead, they demand that all science classes at all levels teach the first 26 verses of the Christian bible as science; a proposal that has vice-president elect Mike Pences loyal and steadfast support. The Christian extremists petition to Pence said in part, We the undersigned note that you spoke out on the subject of science education and presenting students with all available information. We object to the teaching of the very controversial theory of evolution as part of the K-12 science curriculum which we regard to be unnecessary. It is obvious to us that Evolutionism-Darwinism is an anti-Christian atheistic dogma masquerading as science. There is no doubt that evolution is promulgated as an ideology, a secular religiona full-fledged alternative to Christianity. We therefore urge you to persuade President Trump to issue an executive order imposing a nationwide indefinite moratorium on the teaching of evolution in public schools. The religious rights petition was sent directly to preacher Pence because he has coveted for Genesis 1: 1-26 to be taught as science in public schools forever. In fact, Pence is renowned for rejecting science, particularly evolutionary science, and claims the first 26 verses in the Christian bible are the only rational explanation any human being needs to understand the world. Pence hates science nearly as much as he hates Americas secularism and now that hes been given ultimate power over domestic policy, he will begin immediately transforming America into a Christian theocracy. That is the result of electing one of Americas most radical Christian extremists to second in line to the presidency; a monster who hates America as it was founded. Pence has never concealed his hatred of science and told his colleagues in the House that, I believe that God created the known universe, the earth and everything in it, including man. I also believe that someday scientists will come to see that only the theory of intelligent design provides even a remotely rational explanation for the known universe. Apparently, the sum total of Pences understanding of science and the world is based on his rationality that god did it. Heres the thing about preacher Pences line of rational thought; he is as dead wrong about evolution as he is wrong about creationism. Evolution has been observed by scientists and laymen alike for centuries before Charles Darwin came on the scene, and the archaic Jewish story about Genesis is just that: ancient mythology for people without the need for facts because they had a belief founded on fear. According to Jerry Coyne writing at Why Evolution is True, the religious fanatics petition is likely not going anywhere. However, Mr. Coyne also says, But when Trump appoints another conservative justice to the Supreme Court, that will make a 5-4 majority, one that could overturn the existing federal ruling banning the teaching of creationism and its subspecies in public schools as a violation of the First Amendment. That simple fact is what has had the religious zealots in a perpetual wet dream state since the election. Because they can see their dream of Americas secular democracy coming an end and their theocratic Utopia coming to fruition much sooner than they could have ever hoped. And, with a comrade-in-bible running domestic policy for CEO Trump, it is much more than a possibility that they will achieve their goal. It is noteworthy that Christian extremist leaders considered Pences ascension to the second highest office in the land in the U.S. government as a tremendous coup for Christian supremacist militants. Christian supremacists, by the way, who could never have won access to the presidency of their own accord; it is why they regard dirty Donald as a godsend. A Christian supremacist leader, David Barton said of Trump, This may not be our preferred candidate, but that doesnt mean it may not be Gods candidate to do something that we dont see. We may look back in a few years and say, Wow, [Trump] really did some things that none of us expected. Barton is likely still saying Wow because as president of an evangelical organization determined to make the American government enforce biblical values, having Mike preacher Pence in charge of domestic policy means their vision of government by bible will become reality. As Jeremy Scahill wrote in The Intercept, Trump is a Trojan horse for a cabal of vicious zealots who have long craved an extremist Christian theocracy, and Pence is one of its most prized warriors. What that means for Americans now that the 13.2 percent of the American population co-own control of the United States government, and religious Republicans controlling Congress with an extremist right Supreme Court on the horizon, is they can expect fire and brimstone coming to Washington. As horrifying as the idea of the bible being taught as fact-based science is, it will be the least of Americans worries in a Pence-led theocratic America. Image: Gage Skidmore/Flickr 1.1k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard In the latest sign that the White House is running scared about the ongoing Russia investigation, a new report indicates that the Trump administration plans to paint former national security adviser Michael Flynn as a liar if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing. This comes after months of Donald Trump calling Flynn a wonderful man and repeatedly saying he doesnt think he did anything wrong with respect to Russia. More from the Washington Post report: President Trumps legal team plans to cast former national security adviser Michael T. Flynn as a liar seeking to protect himself if he accuses the president or his senior aides of any wrongdoing, according to three people familiar with the strategy. Attorneys for Trump and his top advisers have privately expressed confidence that Flynn does not have any evidence that could implicate the president or his White House team. But since Flynns cooperation agreement with prosecutors was made public earlier this month, the administration has been strategizing how to neutralize him in case the former national security adviser does make any claims. Flynn is the most senior former Trump adviser known to be providing information to Muellers team. The lenient terms of his plea agreement suggest he has promised significant information to investigators, legal experts said. Trump is going to try to paint Flynn as a liar and someone who cant be trusted, just like hes attempting to do with special counsel Robert Mueller, but its going to be a tough sell. Just recently, Trump suggested that he may issue a pardon for his disgraced former national security adviser, who was forced to resign in February for supposedly misleading the White House about his communications with Russia. Earlier this month, Flynn pleaded guilty to the FBI for lying and will now cooperate with the investigation, leaving the administration terrified about what information he may hand over to authorities. The fact that Donald Trump and his team are already planning to trash Flynn, before even knowing what hes going to hand over, makes it more likely not less that Flynns information is damning and credible. 2.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Chris Matthews urged Beto ORourke to run for president in 2020, saying on Wednesday night that the Texas Democrat has the same magic that Barack Obama put on display in 2008. Democrats respond to magic, the MSNBC host said. Elections should be about the future. Matthews said that ORourkes unsuccessful bid for Senate in Texas isnt a disqualifier, pointing to George H.W. Bushs losses in the state. Video: Chris Matthews thinks this potential candidate could help Democrats recapture the White House in 2020. #ctl #p2 pic.twitter.com/uYQWposhis PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) December 6, 2018 Beto ORourke should run for president. I got a good look at Betos race for Senate when we hosted the Hardball College Tour at the University of Houston. There was magic in that room like when we hosted a Hardball College Tour at West Chester University up in Pennsylvania in 2008 for Senator Obama. Democrats respond to magic. I have a reason for urging a Beto run: I believe that elections should be about the future. And to those who say Beto cant win a Senate race in Texas, let me remind you of George Herbert Walker Bush, who lost two races for the Senate in Texas. Beto ORourke could be the antidote to Trumpism Throughout the Trump presidency, Democrats have struggled to agree on a strategy to take on the president: Do they go high, or do they fight fire with fire? The skyrocketing popularity of Beto ORourke shows that Democratic voters crave a candidate who embraces the politics of hope and unity, not the toxic and petty politics of Donald Trump. They want to be inspired after two long years of the exhausting and depressing presidency of Trump. This version of politics can be successful, as ORourkes candidacy in Texas demonstrated. After all, coming within 2.6 percentage points of a victory in the Lone Star State as a Democrat is a pretty stunning feat. If the rising Democratic star can transfer that success to the national stage, he could be the key to preventing a second Trump term. The politics of hope that Barack Obama championed in 2008 is making a comeback ahead of 2020, and Beto ORourke could be the one carrying the torch 12 years later. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 846 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) Democrats taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January plan to send Special Counsel Robert Mueller the transcripts of testimony by some of President Donald Trumps closest associates so they can be reviewed for evidence and possible falsehoods, said three sources familiar with the matter. Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner, son Donald Trump Jr, former advisers Roger Stone and Corey Lewandowski, personal aide Rhona Graff and former personal aides Hope Hicks and Keith Schiller all testified before the House Intelligence Committee while it was under control of its outgoing Republican majority. The sources said the transcripts of those interviews will be among those sent to Muellers team, which is investigating Russias alleged interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible collusion by Trumps campaign team. Trumps former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, last week pleaded guilty to lying to two congressional committees about a proposed Trump Organization skyscraper in Moscow, including efforts to push ahead with the project even as Trump was running for president. That guilty plea triggered speculation that Democrats would push again to have the testimony of other Trump associates reviewed. At a House Intelligence Committee meeting in late September, Republicans rejected a proposal by Democrats that the full transcripts of interviews conducted by the committee during its own probe into allegations of Russian election interference be sent to Mueller and his team. Republicans did vote at that meeting to send 53 transcripts to the Director of National Intelligence for declassification and eventual release. So far, the committee has only made public the transcripts of interviews with three witnesses: former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, private military contractor Erik Prince, and Glenn Simpson, the founder of a research firm which hired a former British spy to produce a controversial dossier on alleged links between Trump and Russia. A spokesman for the committees incoming Democratic chairman, Representative Adam Schiff, said sending the transcripts to Mueller would not constitute a recommendation that criminal charges be brought, although that has also not been ruled out. We do not foreclose the possibility of making a referral, but all we have decided is to provide the Special Counsel with the transcripts so that his team can evaluate them for evidence as well as potential perjury, said the spokesman, Patrick Boland. In public statements, Schiff has singled out Roger Stone, who was an informal Trump campaign adviser, as someone who may have tried to mislead the committee. Two sources told Reuters that they expect Muellers office to examine the transcripts of the testimony from Stone as well as key Trump associates including Kushner and Donald Jr for possible falsehoods. Stones lawyer, Grant Smith, said Stones testimony to Congress was entirely accurate. Lawyers for Kushner, Trump Jr, Hicks and Graff declined to comment. Lawyers for Lewandowski and Schiller did not respond to requests for comment. Committee sources said that in his closed-door testimony, Stone denied engaging in communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange or his WikiLeaks website, which in the weeks before the 2016 election published hundreds of emails hacked from Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clintons campaign chair John Podesta. Private Twitter messages seen by Reuters showed that Stone did have limited pre-election communications with both WikiLeaks and Guccifer 2.0, a hacker who made public Democratic Party documents during the summer of 2016 and whom U.S. intelligence agencies say was a cover name used by Russian military intelligence. Attorney Grant Smith, who said he was present during his client Stones House committee testimony, said the private Twitter messages with WikiLeaks were disclosed to the panel during Stones testimony. Stone has denied that he ever had advance or insider access to any hacked Democratic Party or Clinton campaign materials released by either website. (Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Howard Goller) 3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Counterterrorism expert Malcolm Nance dropped a major reality check on Wednesday, saying the latest Mueller sentencing memo on Michael Flynn should terrify Donald Trump. All the redactions are probably everything else that we see that would be leading to the Trump campaign and everything that he knows, Nance said. What we dont know is going to be about Trump. The fact that the special counsel document recommended no jail time for Flynn signals that the information he spilled to Mueller must have been valuable. And the heavy redactions in the memo indicate that the special counsel has some sensitive information about investigations or targets that its not ready to disclose publicly. That sensitive information likely deals with the president and his closest associates and family members. Video: Nance said: Look at the way Robert Mueller has structured his attack using the Flynn document. Michael Flynn was the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. His dealing with Turkey, with Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf states all impacted his decisions before the election. As we know, this investigation really started with Mike Flynn talking to the Russians three to five times before the election in relation to something that he decided to lie to the FBI about. But the document that were seeing here really lays out a building block case showing this is what Michael Flynn did and then he came to us after we called him in, pointed this out to us and like a person with some loyalty left to the nation, he confessed to it all and became the number one witness on everything. That blank section of the document all the redactions are probably everything else that we see that would be leading to the Trump campaign and everything that he knows. What we dont know is going to be about Trump. Michael Flynn gave away the store As PoliticusUSAs Jason Easley pointed out on Tuesday, Michael Flynn didnt just talk to Mueller. He was a songbird who sang loud and detailed every note for Robert Mueller. The odds are that Michael Flynn buried Donald Trump, he added. As Malcolm Nance said on Wednesday night, the information Mueller didnt redact Flynns dealings with Turkey, Russia and other countries was mostly already known to the public. There would be no reason to withhold it. There would be reason, however, to redact sensitive information that pertains to an investigation or target that the public wasnt already aware of aka Donald Trump and his family. There are still a lot of questions about what the final special counsel report will turn up, but the combination of Muellers redactions and Flynns extensive cooperation should terrify Trump as this investigation plows toward its conclusion. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 257 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) Awkward handshakes, folded arms and a forward stare. President Donald Trump joined the group of living ex-U.S. presidents on Wednesday to commemorate the life of former President George H. W. Bush, but in a service characterized by emotion and good feeling, warmth between the current and former occupants of the White House was decidedly absent. Trump shook hands awkwardly with his predecessor, Barack Obama, and former first lady Michelle Obama as he took his place in the front row of the service at the Washington National Cathedral. He did not reach out to former President Bill Clinton or former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who were seated next to the Obamas. Hillary Clinton, who lost to Trump in the 2016 presidential election, nodded but did not smile as the one-time New York businessman and his wife, Melania, joined the group that included former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn. Trump then proceeded to sit through the service, often with his arms folded over his chest and his eyes fixed in an intense stare ahead. The fact that he came, however, and was welcomed by the Bush family, with whom he also has sparred, provided a glimpse of bipartisanship and political civility that many feel are lacking since Trump took office in January 2017. The president did not attend a service that was similar in scale at the cathedral for Republican Senator John McCain, who died earlier this year, and had to be talked into keeping the American flag at half-staff over the White House. Trump and McCain had feuded repeatedly and at his service, the senators daughter Meghan McCain rebuked Trump in an emotional speech. For Bush, Trump declared a day of mourning. He visited the 41st presidents casket as it lay in state in the U.S. Capitol and later called on former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura, while they were in Washington. Still, the bad feeling between Trump and his predecessors appeared hard to set aside. Trump has sharply criticized Obama and worked to roll back signature achievements of the Democrats White House tenure on healthcare, climate change and foreign policy. Michelle Obama, who recently published a memoir, wrote about not being able to forgive Trump for his leading role in the birther movement that questioned whether her husband was born in the United States. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. Trumps behavior contrasted with that of his presidential counterparts. The Clintons chatted amiably with the Obamas before the current president arrived. The two former first ladies exchanged a long hug on seeing each other and clasped hands at the end of the service when they parted. George W. Bush shook hands with the full front row of presidents and their spouses, and in a replay of a scene that went viral during McCains funeral, handed something to Michelle Obama, presumably candy. The 43rd president, in his eulogy, also hailed his fathers friendship with Bill Clinton, who vanquished the elder Bush in the 1992 election. That kind of friendship is unlikely, at least for now, to materialize with the 45th president. Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, a longtime friend of the late Bush, spoke at the ceremony and said when he was president, every single head of government in the world knew that they were dealing with a gentleman, a genuine leader, one who was distinguished, resolute and brave. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; Editing by Peter Cooney) 1.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) explained that Mueller has another criminal investigation that the public does not know about which is why so much of the Flynn sentencing memo was redacted. Sen. Whitehouse said on MSNBCs The Beat With Ari Melber: They said the investigation is ongoing. All this talk about it wrapping up soon doesnt seem to be well supported. The blackout you keep showing of the redactions of everything about the criminal investigation suggest its a criminal investigation we dont know is out there yet. You try to minimize what you redact and theres no point minimizing Cohens name if that were relevant because people know theres criminal investigations to him. Its a prospect theres a whole new criminal investigation we dont know about. . The identity of who is in that as well as its existence. They also talked about the help that Flynn provided so other first-hand witnesses would testify. Who is the first-hand witness? Do we know who they are? That suggests there may be unknown witnesses that the special counsel investigation has talked to and maybe still is talking to and maybe is still talking to in Trumps circle. Video: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) explained that Mueller has another criminal investigation that the public does not know about which is why so much of the Flynn sentencing memo was redacted. https://t.co/L8DCSnl79h pic.twitter.com/bt9JH0ECt9 PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) December 6, 2018 The Newly Revealed Mueller Criminal Investigation Could Be The Biggest Threat To Trump Sen. Whitehouse was right. One of the biggest reveals of the Flynn document was that there is a criminal investigation. We dont know what the investigation concerns and who is involved. Sen. Whitehouse also pointed out why paranoia is running wild in the White House. No one knows who Mueller might still be talking to inside Trumps circle. Trumps inner circle has become a focus of the investigation, which means that the idea that the investigation is limited to the Trump campaign and Russia. Robert Mueller is going to be sending more of Trumps people to jail and we will find out soon, who and for what. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 3.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard According to another stunning piece of reporting from The Washington Post, Saudi lobbyists used U.S. military veterans to pump money directly into Trumps pockets. The report notes, Lobbyists representing the Saudi government reserved blocks of rooms at President Trumps D.C. hotel within a month of Trumps election in 2016 paying for an estimated 500 nights at the luxury hotel in just three months. The Post added, These lobbyists were reserving large numbers of D.C.-area hotel rooms as part of an unorthodox campaign that offered U.S. military veterans a free trip to Washington then sent them to Capitol Hill to lobby against a law the Saudis opposed, according to veterans and organizers. MSNBCs Chris Hayes broke it down further on Wednesday: Chris Hayes explains another bombshell report that Saudi lobbyists paid for hundreds of rooms at Trumps hotel after the 2016 election. #ctl #p2 pic.twitter.com/4GNmK47N7K PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) December 6, 2018 Hayes explained: Saudi Arabia used U.S. military veterans to pump money into a Trump hotel. The Washington Post reports that lobbyists representing the Saudi government paid for an estimated 500 rooms at President Trumps D.C. hotel in the months after his election, the total bill for those trips, more than $270,000. According to the Post, the lobbyists rented the rooms ostensibly as part of a pressure campaign to overturn legislation opposed by the Saudi government. The lobbyists offered veterans a free trip to Washington if they then went to Capitol Hill to lobby against the law. Several veterans told the Post the trips featured fancy dinners in a Trump hotel dining room, an open bar that was frequently extended. One of the veterans said he was confused by the opulent nature of the trips until one of the organizers who had been drinking mini bar champaign mentioned the Saudi prince. I said, Oh, we were just used to give Trump money.' Trump is firmly in the back pocket of the Saudi royal family The revelation that Trump essentially used U.S. veterans to line his pockets with Saudi money would be stunning if it wasnt part of a pattern weve all become familiar with. To Trump, there is nothing more important than enriching himself, his businesses and his family even if it means selling out the country in the process. As I wrote in October, Trump has no moral compass. He cares only about how much others praise him or benefit his personal and financial interests. The fact that the White House has essentially turned a blind eye to the Saudi-ordered killing of a Washington Post journalist is just the latest demonstration that his bank account drives his loyalties. For two years, Trump has repeatedly shown that his America First talking point is nothing more than an empty slogan. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook. 2.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard While outrages of the Trump administration make headlines, members of his cabinet are continuing with their nefarious activities to promote right-wing agenda items. For example Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has been flying under the radar lately, but that doesnt mean she has not been busily trying to destroy Americas public education system. DeVos is famous for wasting taxpayer dollars, and it is estimated that providing her security costs nearly $8 million per year. But with a new Congress taking power in January, DeVoss activities are getting increased scrutiny from House Democrats. Here are some of her top initiatives: Rolling back regulation of for-profit colleges, Stalling the forgiveness of student loans and Rewriting rules for the treatment of campus sexual assault. Now it comes out that in addition to those items she is looking to have a great impact on American education by promoting the agenda of the right-wing Koch Brothers. Recently DeVos and her high-priced security detail paid a secret visit to Koch Industries headquarter in Wichita, Kansas. The cabinet member flew in and out without telling local public officials or the media. The reason for DeVoss taxpayer-funded trip was to meet with a select group of students from Youth Entrepreneurs, which is a non-profit group founded by Charles and Liz Koch. According to the Huffington Post: The official mission of Youth Entrepreneurs is to provide kids with business and entrepreneurial education and experiences that help them prosper and become contributing members of society. The underlying goal of the program, however, is to impart Kochs radical free-market ideology to teenagers. What DeVos likes is that Youth Entrepreneurs provides high schools with a curriculum designed to indoctrinate students in the blessings of unfettered capitalism and libertarian ideology. The group provides high schools with lesson plans and classroom materials to teach students about the following right-wing beliefs: The minimum wage hurts workers and slows economic growth. Low taxes and less regulation allow people to prosper. Public assistance harms the poor. Government is the enemy of liberty. Charles Koch had a hands-on role in the design of the high school curriculum, according to the HuffPost. The goal was to turn young people into liberty-advancing agents before they went to college, where they might learn harmful liberal ideas. DeVoss trip to Kansas fit a typical pattern for the Education Secretary. Since taking office she has been visiting select education programs that support her campaign for market-based education reform. Her ultimate goal is the privatization of public schools. On another recent trip DeVos went to New Orleans to visit two charter schools and praise the district for being a great example of what can be if people embrace change. The schools were selected to support her propaganda supporting market-based reform, the ideology that remade New Orleans schools after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina. According to one teacher, what DeVos really illustrated by her visits to these New Orleans schools isnt how reform produces what works but how reform creates incredible racial inequity. The rhetoric DeVos uses in her propaganda campaign for market-based education reform is reflected in the policies promoted within the entire U.S. Department of Education. Recently the agency awarded $400 million in federal grants to expand and support charter schools across the country. Most of DeVoss actions have a lack of transparency. This leaves education activists with many questions and much suspicion that her purpose in office is to take as much public money as possible and put it in the hands of private interests. And she justifies her actions by saying that she is only implementing much needed reforms. But in January there will be a Democratic majority in the US House of Representatives, and they plan to begin investigations into DeVoss department. But until then DeVos and her cronies will continue to promote their sinister right-wing agenda which has in effect declared war on American public education. 57.7k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Mike Flynn told special counsel Robert Mueller everything, which includes the role of Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) in the Russia scandal The Valley Voice, a community newspaper in Nuness district wrote in November 2017: As reported by the Valley Voice in May, on January 18, Nunes attended a breakfast meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu at the invitation of disgraced former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, who was also present. Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus may also have attended. Nunes and Flynn were members of the Trump administrations transition team at the time the meeting took place. Two days after the meeting, Flynn accepted his position as national security adviser to the President. By February 13, he had been fired for failing to disclose his paid work as a Turkish lobbyist. The meeting took place in a Trump-owned hotel. Devin Nunes Was The Point Man For The House GOP Russia Cover-Up Rep. Nunes used his position as the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee to obstruct, derail, and eventually shut down the committees Russia investigation. Nunes worked against the investigation that he was supposed to have recused himself from at every turn. Nunes was Trumps man on the inside in the House. He floated bogus conspiracy theories, abused his powers, and generally made it impossible for the House to investigate the Russia scandal. His behavior was originally thought to have been an effort to save Trump, but with Mike Flynn singing to Mueller, it is possible that Nunes was also trying to save himself. Nunes admitted on secret audio that the Trump campaign may have committed crimes. Mike Flynn was a member of the Trump transition team, so were Devin Nunes, and Vice President Mike Pence. If the transition team is as dirty as the campaign was, Devin Nunes could have a big Robert Mueller problem and might be the next figure in Trumps orbit to go down. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook. 682.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Mike Pence thought he could avoid controversy, and stay far enough away from Trumps criminal scandals to inherit the presidency after Trumps ouster. He even thinks that is Gods will. The problem with this thinking is that it would mean Pence had to avoid not just controversy, but also criminal behavior. But it seems it hasnt worked out that way. By associating himself with Donald Trump, Pence got his hands very dirty, and now many more people have figured that out, thanks to Robert Mueller. Special Counsel Mueller released his heavily redacted 13-page sentencing memo for Michael Flynn on Tuesday night, he did NOT redact one key piece of information. The memo clearly states that the Trump transition team was heavily involved in Flynns illegal dealings with Russia. And, as everyone now remembers, the person in charge of that transition team was none other than vice president-elect Mike Pence. Earlier this year Mueller obtained all of the transition teams emails, and thats when the speculation started that both Pence and Jared Kushner another transition team member were in deep trouble. Now that we know Flynn has sung like a canary to Mueller about all the dirty deeds of the transition team, things have gotten even worse for both Pence and Kushner. Many people are now also remembering when the new vice president went on national television and declared to the world that Michael Flynn was clean as a whistle, and innocent of all charges. However, before Pence did this, Congressman Elijah Cummings had notified Pence in writing that Flynn had committed perjury and lied about his contacts with foreign governments, especially Turkey. Thanks to Muellers memo we know that Pence, while defending Flynn on TV, knew that the new National Security Adviser had also committed perjury and lied about his contacts with Russia. In other words, the vice president has been caught in numerous lies, not only to the American people, but also to federal law enforcement authorities. It is very likely that the redacted portions of Muellers memo mention the name Mike Pence, and not in a good way. Michael Flynn committed numerous crimes, and Mike Pence did everything possible to cover up those crimes, possibly because he was implicated in them also. In fact, Pence could face the same criminal charges that Mueller brought against Flynn. Is Mike Pence about to be indicted in Muellers Trump-Russia investigation? A GOP source tells Jon Cooper it is a possibility.#TrumpRussia https://t.co/ufVml1Hbcm Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) December 1, 2018 Since Flynn met with Muellers team of crack prosecutors 19 times, there is nothing they dont know about Flynns and Pences possible criminal behavior. So what does all this mean? The implications might be much greater than most people realize. As one commentator said on Twitter: You know, if Mueller takes out Trump and Pence, we wont have to worry about the GOP anymore. All their heads will simultaneously implode the first time they have to say President Pelosi. You know, if Mueller takes out Trump and Pence, we wont have to worry about the GOP anymore. All their heads will simultaneously implode the first time they have to say President Pelosi. shauna (@goldengateblond) December 5, 2018 Although most of it was kept secret from the American public, Muellers sentencing memo for Mike Flynn communicated very clearly that Donald Trump and everyone around him is in some very, very deep trouble. It could destroy not only his presidency, but the entire Republican Party as we know it today. Editors Note: The title has been updated with Opinion because the conclusion is supposition based on redacted parts of Muellers filing. 209 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Two weeks ago a government report was published saying that climate change will cost the U.S. economy hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century. The report said that new weather patterns will damage everything from human health to infrastructure and agricultural production. Donald Trump, of course, ignored the report, and former vice president Al Gore called out the president for trying to bury the report by releasing it the day after Thanksgiving. Finally last week Trump did comment on the report, saying I dont believe it. But most Americans do believe the dire government report, predicting a major crisis if we dont take steps right now to combat climate change. A new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll published today found that nearly 70 percent of American voters are either very concerned or somewhat concerned about the findings of the report. In addition, another 58 percent of American voters believe that that climate change is caused by human activity, which was also the conclusion of the government report. Increasingly it appears that climate change deniers are in the minority in America, although they are in the majority within the Republican Party. This year the raging wildfires in California and the devastating floods in North Carolina have converted some climate change skeptics into believers. The poll was conducted on December 4, about one week after Trump said he didnt believe the conclusions from the government report. In an interview with The Washington Post last week Trump said many smart people, himself included, dispute the causes of climate change. Of course he provided no evidence for this statement which contradicts the opinion of most scientists on the subject. One of the problems that a lot of people like myself, we have very high levels of intelligence but were not necessarily such believers, Trump said in the interview, adding, As to whether or not its man-made and whether or not the effects that youre talking about are there, I dont see it. Because of people like Donald Trump, and other members of his party, the world may be heading for a climate disaster. If we are going to avoid this, we need to take collective action right now, and it must be sponsored by and supported by the U.S. government. If our current government officials wont follow the will of the American people and do whats necessary, then we need new leaders. And we need them right now. 14.2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Trump blamed Robert Mueller and the Russia scandal for his approval rating and said that it would be at 75% without the investigation. Trump tweeted: Without the phony Russia Witch Hunt, and with all that we have accomplished in the last almost two years (Tax & Regulation Cuts, Judges, Military, Vets, etc.) my approval rating would be at 75% rather than the 50% just reported by Rasmussen. Its called Presidential Harassment! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2018 Trumps approval rating is not 50% Trump overinflates his approval ratings by citing numbers from a conservative internet polling company. According to the latest Gallup weekly poll, Trumps approval rating is 40% with a disapproval of 56%. Trumps tax cuts are a total failure and are driving the country toward a recession, and Trump has no legislative record outside of the tax cut debacle to mention. The regulation cuts were executive orders that will be undone as soon as he leaves office, and all he has done for the military is to deploy them on a bogus mission to the border and cause them to miss the holidays with their families, while he is trying to privatize the VA to take healthcare away from veterans. Trump thinks that the American people love him A constant theme of Trumps presidency has been his neediness and demands for love from the American people. There has never been a president who is both so unlikable and insecure at the same time. I would place Trump ahead of Nixon by a country mile in this respect, as Donald Trump has never had Checkers speech moment in his entire life. Trump believes that the American people adore him, but the vast majority are biding their time until they go to the polls and vote against him in 2020. It is not Robert Muellers fault that Trump has been implicated in multiple felonies. Even if the Mueller investigation didnt exist, Trumps approval rating would still be in the dumpster, because the problem is Donald Trump. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow 1.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard A conservative newspaper, The Washington Examiner, published an article today citing legal experts who discussed the topic of Donald Trumps impeachment. According to many such experts Trump could legally be impeached for crimes he committed before becoming president. These experts say that the U.S. Constitution does not require that high crimes and misdemeanors actually be committed while serving as president. What precipitated such a discussion was the recent plea agreement special counsel Robert Mueller entered into with former Trump attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen. As part of his deal, Cohen disclosed a great deal of information about Trumps personal involvement in a planned major real estate project for a Trump Tower in Moscow. Some of Cohens testimony, and other evidence, might prove that the current president committed high crimes and misdemeanors while he was just a presidential candidate. Since Trumps impeachment is now being openly discussed, legal experts are discussing the legalities of the process of removing a president from office. Many of them say that a president can be impeached under some circumstances for behavior entered into before taking the oath of office. Joshua Matz, an author of To End a Presidency: The Power of Impeachment, told the Examiner: My view, which represents the decisive majority opinion, is that President Trump can be impeached for conduct before he took office if there is an exceptionally close connection between that conduct and his acquisition of the office. Matz also said that, Presidents cannot be impeached for conduct before they take office unless that conduct related to the corrupt acquisition of the office. However on this last point, other experts disagree, saying the exception is broader than that. As authority, the experts point to the 2010 impeachment of former U.S. District Judge G. Thomas Porteous. Porteous was convicted of four articles of impeachment, which included conduct while he was a state-court judge. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, cited the Porteous case when he discussed whether sitting officials can be ousted for offenses committed before acquiring higher office. We now by constitutional terms in a country that rarely has impeachment trials have a precedent that you can be impeached and removed from office both for prior crimes and for lying under oath, Schiff said in October. Gene Healy, a vice president at the Cato Institute who focuses on executive power and the role of the presidency, said the Porteous case offers legislators a model for them to use in answering the question of the validity of impeachment for pre-presidential misconduct. When you understand that the impeachment process fundamentally goes to fitness for office, you cant draw a bright line that says anything that happened before this certain date when the president assumed office, you get a clean slate and the clock starts after an election or confirmation, Healy told the Examiner. Thats not the way its supposed to work. Because impeachment deals with whether one is fit for office, it stands to reason that conduct that occurred before somebody assumes their post, when its exposed, is relevant to that kind of inquiry, Healy added. Jeffrey Engel, co-author of the book Impeachment: An American History, told the Examiner: We need to go one level below or unpack by one level what it means to have a business deal with a foreign power. Obviously that means that the foreign power has some financial interest or financial sway and you could be influenced by money. And we certainly know the president is influenced by money. Secondly, it also gives them classic opportunities to blackmail the president because Trump said numerous times on the campaign trail, I have no foreign dealings with Russia. If thats not true, then the Russians at any time could choose to disclose that information and provide proof. Healy and other legal authorities have referred to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 when George Mason said that a president who has obtained the office through corrupt means should not be allowed to escape punishment. It will be interesting to see how this topic is resolved in the weeks and months ahead. Congress may not have the stomach or the need to bring impeachment proceedings against the president. But if they do, they will have plenty of evidence of misbehavior, much of which took place long before Donald Trump became President of the United States. 617 SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard According to Vanity Fairs Gabriel Sherman (who is highly respected) President Trump hosted a 2020 strategy meeting on Monday, and Mike Pence was on the agenda. Apparently the presidents advisers are trying to get him to tell them if he would consider a new vice president. Many people are doubtful that Donald Trump would replace Mike Pence when (and if) Trump runs for reelection in 2020. Pence supposedly brings Trump many votes from the right-wing Evangelical Christian voting block that is stridently anti-abortion and anti-gay. But Sherman quoted one Trump adviser who said that members of the presidents team are beginning to think about whether Mike Pence should be running again. The reason for this, they say, is that polling shows the vice president doesnt add anything to the ticket. Trump was presented with polling on Pences weakness. Inside Trumps talks about dumping Pence in 2020, my latest. Trump was presented with polling on Pences weakness. Inside Trumps talks about dumping Pence in 2020, my latest:https://t.co/psA8KaHkdA Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) December 5, 2018 This is not the first time the topic of a new vice presidential running mate for Trump has been publicly discussed. The New York Times last month published an article saying that Trump had been privately asking advisers if Pence could be trusted, and that outside advisers have been pushing Nikki Haley to replace Pence. Concerning Haley, news broke on Wednesday also that the current United Nations Ambassador will be selling her home in South Carolina and staying in New York City to write a book. Writing a book is something people do before launching a presidential campaign. But Haley promised to not run against Trump. She never said she would not run with him. Haley is seen as an up-and-comer within the GOP so the idea of her running as Trumps VP candidate does make some sense. But is this really whats going on? Other people have speculated that Trump and his advisers are feeding media speculation about replacing Pence as a way for the president to distance himself from his vice president, who he thinks might be in legal trouble. The Michael Flynn sentencing memo mentioned that Robert Mueller is investigating possible crimes committed by Trumps transition team in 2016. And Mike Pence was the head of that transition team. Its looking increasingly likely that Pence committed the same crimes as Flynn, and he might be indicted by Mueller sometime soon. Of course this line of thinking assumes that Trump himself wont be indicted and that he will actually run for president again in 2020. That may be wishful thinking on the part of Trump and his advisers. On November 30, former U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush (in office from 1989-1993) died at age 94. The next day, Dmitry Smirnov, Kremlin correspondent for the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, in a tweet blamed Bush for starting the Persian Gulf War, which he said was the beginning of the current chaos in the Middle East. While U.S. foreign policy certainly played a key role in Middle East conflict long before the first Bush administration and long afterward, the Gulf War is but one of many events that influenced Middle Eastern relations and military stability and instability dating back to national borders drawn by British and French government officials following World War I. The operation to liberate Kuwait in early 1991 came as a result of Iraqs invasion of the tiny oil-rich country, ordered by its leader. Saddam Hussein started the Gulf War by his 1990 surprise assault on and occupation of Kuwait, Ambassador William Courtney, a senior fellow at the Rand Corporation, told Polygraph.info. Smirnovs claim that Bush launched the war proves to be false. Husseins move into Kuwait followed a number of open threats of military action against the small Gulf nation in the months running up to the attack grievances he justified due to Kuwaits overproduction of oil beyond the limits set by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countrys (OPEC) and slant-drilling into Iraqs Rumalia oil field. Iraq was heavily indebted to its neighbors, including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, after a long and bloody conflict with the Islamic Republic of Iran, a war which was also initiated by Saddam Hussein. Critics do point to a meeting between Hussein and American Ambassador April Glaspie on nearly the eve of the invasion, as possibly sending the wrong message to Hussein. "We have no opinion on your Arab Arab conflicts, such as your dispute with Kuwait," she is quoted as telling Hussein in a meeting. Yet Courtney pointed out Hussein's refusal of Soviet entreaties to withdraw from Kuwait "suggests that he was determine to control Kuwait." A participant in the National Security Principals meeting two days after the Iraqi invasion, Bruce Riedel, quoted the director of central intelligence at the time telling President Bush Iraq now controlled the second and third largest oil reserves in the World and was poised to seize the largest in Saudi Arabia. Riedel, now a senior fellow for Middle East policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC served on the National Security Council Staff of four presidents, remembers the intelligence chief as telling President Bush the invasion fundamentally altered the balance of power in the Gulf. The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) immediately condemned Iraqs invasion and occupation of Kuwait adopting sanctions against the Iraqi regime and setting up mechanisms to enforce them. Seeking to avert a US-led counter-offensive against Saddam's forces, (General Secretary of the Soviet Union Mikhail) Gorbachev developed a 6-point peace plan, but Saddam still refused to withdraw his forces from Kuwait, said Courtney, who served as senior director of the NSC staff for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia.The USSR allowed UNSC resolutions to go forward facilitating the US-led coalition's response. Using personal diplomacy and through the U.N., the Bush administration assembled a large coalition of nations supporting actions to drive Iraq from Kuwait. On November 29, 1990, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 678, which reaffirmed all prior resolutions going back to the original condemnation of the invasion, Resolution 660, and more importantly authorizing military force to restore peace and security in the area. It passed twelve to two with one abstaining; the Soviet Union voted in favor. The First Gulf War, also known as Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, would be fought by the coalition of 39 countries, making it the largest such coalition since the Second World War. The main contributors were the U.S., Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Egypt, France, Syria, Morocco, and Kuwait, much of whose military had escaped the country in the wake of the Iraqi invasion. The coalition also included three members of the Soviet-aligned Warsaw Pact -- Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. The actual war lasted from January 17-February 28 1991. On April 6 the Iraqi government accepted a ceasefire agreement. Soon, anti-government uprisings occurred among the Shia in the south of the country and the Kurdish population of the north. While the Shia uprising was brutally suppressed, the Kurdish one managed to drive out Baghdads forces and establish de facto autonomy. President Bush was criticized at the time for failing to intervene in order to protect an uprising that had been encouraged by the United States. Later, no-fly zones were established in the north and south of the country to prevent further bloodshed. Arguably this inaction, and not the Gulf War itself, would have a greater impact on future events in the region. While the Gulf War proved the battlefield prowess of U.S. armed forces and was successful in driving Husseins forces from Kuwait, it was not the strategic masterpiece it was seen to be at the time, according to Foreign Policy magazine. The publication cites President Bushs diaries and studies of Iraqi archives to conclude the outcome resulted in a long term presence in the Gulf by the U.S. This presence, and the sanctions imposed on Iraq due to Saddams recalcitrance, in the end served as a rallying cry for jihadists such as Osama Bin Laden against the United States and its friends in the region, the magazines historical article notes. The U.S. military presence on the Arabian peninsula through the 1990s was a major irritant among many Muslims. Much of the current chaos can be seen as a result of the Arab spring of 2011, which Ambassador Courtney noted was touched off by a popular uprising in Tunisia and spread to other Middle East countries among people who were fed up with injustice and economic strain. Courtney told Polygraph.info attributing the uprisings to preceding developments is not easy though the 2008-2010 global economic crisis might have had an impact. While terrorism, fomented by jihadists such as Bin Laden and those who followed certainly is still part of the equation, author and expert Tarek Osman concluded in his BBC essay the wave of Arab spring uprisings is this generations attempt at changing the consequences of the state order that began in the aftermath of World War One. There was a healthy debate among Polygraph.info journalists as to whether Smirnov's simplistic conclusion about Bushs role in the Persian Gulf War should be called "false." In the end, we settled on the verdict of "misleading." Food editor and chief critic Eating all of the chicken livers just as fast as I can. South Carolina has one of the most severe nursing workforce shortages in the country, but it may be making strides to make up the difference, a new report from the University of South Carolina shows. The USC study shows nursing schools in this state for the first time are graduating more students with bachelor's than associate's degrees. USC researchers surveyed nursing school leadership; the findings represented graduation in the 2016-2017 year. The finding is significant, researchers wrote, given recommendations from the Institute of Medicine that 80 percent of nurses should have at least a 4-year degree by 2020. But given the limited numbers of nurses with that level of education, South Carolina's goals are more modest. At the end of the 2017 academic year, 50 percent of nurses in South Carolina had a baccalaureate or higher degree, according to the S.C. Office of Healthcare Workforce. As the population in South Carolina grows in numbers and advances in age, the call to action for nursing schools to fill gaps in employment is a race against the clock. A recently released study by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis shows South Carolina will need about 10,000 additional nurses over the next 12 years. A more modest estimate from a state agency puts the number at closer to 6,400. Ronda Hughes, director of the Center for Nursing Leadership at USC, said the improvement in the number of nurses with higher degrees is likely due to efforts colleges and universities have made to make students' paths easier. A higher skill level is needed for today's nursing career, Hughes said. When she started out, she said she could memorize every cardiac medication. Now, that would be next to impossible, she said. Health care is becoming more complex, and so are the patients hospitals are treating. Hughes stressed South Carolina's nursing shortage is already severe. "South Carolina really does have a problem right now," she said. "We dont anticipate getting any better in the next few years." Hughes thinks funding from the state for scholarships and faculty training may be needed. And employers, including hospitals that are lacking nurses at the bedside, will have to look outside the state to recruit the nurses they need. Research has shown that more nurses in hospitals with more bachelor's degrees actually leads to fewer patients dying. Linda Lacey, director of the S.C. Office for Healthcare Workforce, said in an email nurses prepared with a bachelor's degree are more likely to continue their education and become teachers. The lack of professionals with a depth of experience has also presented a problem for training the new generation of nurses. More than half of South Carolina's nursing faculty are 51 or older, according to USC. Jeannette Andrews, dean of the College of Nursing at the University of South Carolina, told The Post and Courier in October that schools' faculty are also retiring, and given the limited number of people with advanced degrees in nursing, it hasn't been easy to replace them. Andrews said her program has lost 15 faculty members in the last several years. Training opportunities are scarce for students, too, Andrews said. We could accept more students into the existing nursing programs in our state if there were additional faculty and hands-on clinical training openings in hospitals to educate our students," Andrews said in a statement. 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. Paul Bowers is an education reporter and father of three living in North Charleston. He previously worked at the Charleston City Paper, where he was twice named South Carolina Journalist of the Year in the weekly category. When 71-year-old Evelyn Brown describes her childhood home, she speaks of acres of farmland near Mount Pleasant that formed the backdrop for her earliest memories. Her great-great-grandfather George Singleton acquired the property in 1892 during an era after the Civil War when land ownership was steadily rising among African-American farmers. Around that time in South Carolina, more than 44,500 acres of land had been sold to African-Americans through the S.C. Land Commission, which was created to help freedmen acquire property. Much of that land sat in isolated, low-lying coastal areas that were less desirable at the time. More than 100 years later, those areas would see some of the most rapid population growth and development on the East Coast. Browns family settled in an African-American community in Awendaw known as Ten Mile, tucked off U.S. Highway 17. There, they grew cotton and corn, sharing the land and its upkeep. Everybody just kind of looked out for each other, said Brown, who moved off the property in her 20s and now lives a mile away. That was home. Though Brown said she helped pay the taxes before her mother died, only a small fraction of the 8-acre property actually belongs to her. To be precise, she has just over half of a 1 percent share. She jointly owns the land with a growing web of more than 40 other people, some of whom shes never met. Browns family land is heirs property land that lacks a clear title because its been passed down informally through many generations without a will. Descendants become part-owners, regardless of whether they pay the taxes or have ever set foot on the property. Widespread across South Carolina and other Southern states, this complex and vulnerable form of land ownership disproportionately affects African-American families whose ancestors bought or were deeded property after emancipation. Often poor, illiterate and lacking trust in or access to the legal system, those original landowners frequently died without wills. Heirs property is closely associated with black landowners in the South, but clusters of heirs property can be found among a number of historically marginalized populations where extended families have an attachment to the land predominantly white Appalachia, Hispanic neighborhoods in south Texas near the Mexican border and Native American communities. Nearly 120 years after the Civil War ended, a 1984 study estimated that heirs property still accounted for 41 percent of black-owned land in the South. Since that time, population growth has soared in South Carolinas coastal counties, making heirs land increasingly desirable to developers. Heirs property can easily slip away from a family when a single relative with a small share of ownership forces the liquidation of the entire property in whats known as a partition sale. In once out-of-the-way places that are now development hot spots barrier islands such as Hilton Head, and suburbs including Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant plenty of grand homes now sit on what used to be heirs land. In Awendaw, Browns familys property has been tangled in litigation in recent years, and she fears getting cut out of her share. An heir in Maryland who'd paid the taxes filed a lawsuit several years ago seeking full ownership, which prompted a judge to determine each person's interest. Another relative tried, unsuccessfully, to force a sale of a section of the land. I hear about people fighting and carrying on, Brown said, but I never thought that we would get to this point. Brown acknowledges that shell likely never move back to the property she once called home. The house where she was born now slumps under a heap of brush, swallowed by dense woods that didnt exist 50 years ago. She would agree to sell the land, she said, as long as she received whats hers. Tremendous land loss Heirs property has been the leading cause of black involuntary land loss, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A single heirs property can have dozens of owners who may live in multiple states, with no clear title establishing who the partial owners are. Such ownership is fraught with perils, including: The ever-present danger that any partial owner can prompt a partition sale of the entire property. Tax sales, in which entire properties can be sold because of unpaid property taxes. Its often unclear who is in charge of paying property tax bills. A limited ability to borrow against the value of property, cutting off a source of funding to potentially build a home, make improvements or finance a business. Difficulty tapping government programs including grants, loans, crop insurance and disaster aid. Over generations, more heirs inherit smaller shares Nationally, the amount of land owned by African-Americans has plunged over the past century, from an estimated 15 million acres to about 2 million. Several factors played a role: the decline of family farms, the Great Migration, discriminatory federal farm programs, violent land takings and the perils of heirs property ownership. In a 2001 series called Torn from the land, The Associated Press documented a pattern in which black Americans were "cheated out of their land or driven from it through intimidation, violence and even murder." In some cases, government officials either approved of or took part in the land takings. In 1916, a mob lynched Anthony Crawford a prosperous black farmer who owned more than 400 acres in Abbeville following an argument over the price of cottonseed. White residents later seized his property. U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., submitted the AP series into the Congressional Record. Just like the Crawfords and many other black families with roots in the South, I grew up hearing stories of land lost by relatives and family friends, Clyburn said at the time. The situation wasnt always bleak. African-Americans enjoyed new opportunities at the rise of Reconstruction, when initiatives such as the S.C. Land Commission made more land available to blacks in the Palmetto State than anywhere else in the South, said Citadel professor Faith Rivers James. At the time, many white landowners were eager to dump their former plantations often low-lying and unproductive land that they could no longer afford. The promise that freedmen would receive 40 acres and a mule from the federal government never came to fruition, but Rivers James said the idea likely contributed to a sentiment among African-Americans that they needed to own land to survive in an agrarian economy. It enabled families to establish a foothold in the community, Rivers James said of early land ownership among black farmers. Twenty years prior, families were being broken up and sold, people couldnt find their relatives. This was an opportunity to work the land together and find a way to feed their family. African-American landowners were largely shut out from the legal system that would have enabled them to create wills. Instead, their property remained in their family as a "poor man's trust," Rivers James said. Delinquent tax sales a threat to heirs' property owners Counties' delinquent tax sales threaten heirs property owners because some might lose their land at these auctions, and when they do, surviving heirs might not get any of the profits. If no formal ownership is established, heirs can lose their long-held family land due to a dispute with a distant relative, a small unpaid tax bill or as a consequence of being denied aid after a natural disaster. After Hurricane Hugo, a lot of property that was titled to heirs couldnt get federal help, said lawyer Nancy Bloodgood, who was Charleston Countys deputy attorney during the aftermath of the devastating 1989 storm. The people who owned the property could not go to banks (for loans) because they didnt have clear title, she said. It was private money, churches and donations that fixed a lot of those roofs. That wasnt a fluke. Its been an ongoing problem. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, about 25,000 families were initially denied federal assistance to rebuild their homes following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 due to heirs property complications. And the same thing happened after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico last year. The Charleston-based Center for Heirs Property Preservation estimates that more than 108,000 acres of heirs' property remain in the 15 counties served by the nonprofit, with much of that land located in Berkeley and Colleton counties. The nonprofit provides legal services to help heirs clear the title to their land, which involves documenting and recording the chain of ownership, and possibly creating a family-controlled limited liability company to simplify ownership questions going forward. Since branching out as an independent nonprofit in 2005, the group has cleared more than 200 titles with a total tax-assessed value of over $12 million. The heirs' property center provides free direct legal services to low-income people. Heirs are required to reach a consensus on what to do with their land. The group does not work with families who intend to sell their property. Who values it least? Keeping heirs property intact requires cooperation among a sprawling network of relatives. Imagine sharing with 100 kin the ownership of a small property, likely titled in the name of a long-deceased relative, with a property tax bill due every year and the ever-present threat that a distant cousin could force the property to be sold. There would be no heirs property if all landowners wrote wills, or if their heirs settled their estates within 10 years of their death. Unless you come from a family of means, low-income folk dont talk about estate planning around the dinner table, said Jennie Stephens, executive director of the heirs' property center. Its about How are we gonna pay the light bill, the mortgage, the rent? However, the decision to informally pass land through generations was often purposeful. Some families have believed that property would be harder to sell when it was in every heirs name, said Ed Lee, a leader in Mount Pleasants historically black Scanlonville community. Sometimes heirs property looks like a failure on the part of the owner, to do what was required, but I think that many times that situation was intentional employed to hold on to the property, he said. Some black families didnt want to spread the word that they owned land, due to fears that someone could try to take it from them. You didnt want to interact with the folks downtown, Lee said, referring to the Charleston peninsula where the county courthouse is located. Nobody wanted to go downtown and let people know they owned property." The 1970s marked a turning point, when more people began moving to South Carolina after decades of out-migration to other states. It was the early start of a development boom that would double the Palmetto States population and send land values soaring, raising pressure on heirs property. Josh Walden, director of legal services at the heirs' property center, said the threat of partition sales means heirs property is only as safe as the person who values it the least. Theres nothing good to say, in my opinion, about owning property in this way, Walden said. Its a time bomb. Going mobile The Palmetto State has an unusually large number of mobile homes because thats how we roll, Miss South Carolina 2013 Brooke Mosteller famously said and heirs property is part of the explanation. Mobile homes are financed and taxed like automobiles rather than houses, so people who cant get a mortgage or build a house on heirs property can buy a mobile home and put it there. Thats one reason why its easy to find communities with dirt roads and mobile homes in Mount Pleasant, an affluent suburb where the population has grown by more than 80,000 since 1970 and the median price of a single-family home is more than a half-million dollars. Surrounded now by new subdivisions are African-American settlements that date to the 1800s Phillips, Snowden, Scanlonville, Six Mile and Ten Mile. The land itself is quite valuable hundreds of thousands of dollars per acre in the Mount Pleasant area, for example but without a clear title, heirs cant take advantage of being land-rich. And it can be risky to build a permanent home on land with multiple owners. Avoiding land loss When developers approached Walter Jenkins with an offer to buy his share of heirs property on Thomas Island about 10 years ago he refused, remembering the wishes of his ancestors: "Keep it in the family." In 1943, his grandfather James Jenkins purchased 7 acres that sit south of where Interstate 526 now cuts across the island. The property is bordered by Beresford Creek, which divides Thomas Island from Daniel Island, and is a short walk from developments with half-million-dollar homes. Land on Daniel Island, Thomas Island and the Cainhoy peninsula was once inaccessible and not worth much. The completion of I-526 in the 1990s made development possible, and the land became prime real estate. For landowners who viewed their property as an asset to be bought and sold, the development boom presented an opportunity. For extended families with a deep attachment to their ancestral land, the increased development posed a threat. The longer the land remained in Walter Jenkins family without a clear title, the more his parents cautioned that the heirs could no longer just go and put a house down and live. Around 2011, one heir staked a for sale sign, setting into motion a years-long effort to clear up ownership of the property. At one point in litigation the bickering relatives came to an impasse. They were trying to resolve a debt from paying an heir whod opted to cash out on her -acre share. If the family couldnt come to an agreement, their lawyers and an arbitrator warned, the heirs would need to sell the entire property. That would mean uprooting Jenkins and several others who lived on the land. Jenkins, 62, feared a situation similar to the court-ordered sale that stripped an extended relative of his home years earlier. A few miles from Jenkins' land, sheriffs deputies in 2001 reluctantly evicted 25 family members from their Cainhoy property, a 17-acre tract of moss-draped oaks and shady pines. One-by-one, movers jacked up the familys mobile homes, loaded them on to trailers and hauled the homes off the land. That waterfront property on Clouter Creek was the only home that Johnny Rivers, then 69, had ever known. Hed paid the taxes for 30 years and kept the grass cut. His sister and daughters lived there, too. But none of that mattered when one heir who lived elsewhere filed a lawsuit to clear the title by selling the property, thrusting the issue into court. A judge ordered the family to sell the land to a developer for $910,000 and divide the proceeds. All told, Rivers saw around $30,000 after attorneys' fees. The lands new owners then put all eight lots up for sale for $3 million, according to a Post and Courier report at the time. To see that happen, it was devastating, Jenkins said. We knew that we were heading in the same direction if we didnt get it right. Jenkins and his family found a solution by forming an LLC, allowing the heirs to divide their property into 11 lots and manage it jointly. No one had to move, and the heirs split up the taxes. If an heir wants to sell, he or she must get the familys approval. Positive changes In the mid-2000s, at the height of the real estate bubble, a change in state law gave South Carolina heirs property owners the first opportunity to buy the property if a sale were ordered. It was a limited victory because heirs were given just 45 days to pay, following an appraisal. Historically, what tended to happen was a sale would take place because the heirs could not afford to buy it, Walden said. A more recent law was adopted in 2016 to further assist heirs' property owners. It requires court-supervised sales and is aimed at preventing real estate speculators from acquiring heirs property at cut-rate prices. It wont take away the predatory nature of it, but thats not a slam dunk anymore, Walden said. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., a former Charleston County councilman, said problems related to heirs' property are familiar to many black families, including his. Scott said his great-great-grandfather owned about 900 acres of land near Aiken. Over the years the property was passed down, divided up and diminished by partition sales. Scott said his mother ended up with 5 acres, from his great-grandfathers original 900-acre property. So many African-Americans and minorities have the same challenges, he said. Its such a devastating experience when someone who is savvy takes advantage of people who are not. 'The Dunbar Twelve' D.D. Washington couldnt have told you what a mortgage was when he was growing up on 41 acres of heirs property in rural Georgetown County. Thats because his family and their relatives lived in mobile homes or built their houses using cash, even if it took them nearly a decade to do so. We didnt know you could use your homes to borrow money. We just thought you build a house, live in it and amen, said Washington, 65, who moved off the property as a young man. His heirs property is situated along the Black River in the Dunbar community north of Georgetown. The story, as it was relayed to Washington and his relatives, was that a dozen formerly enslaved men who continued to work on a plantation after emancipation bought 640 acres of land in 1873. Washingtons ancestor, Daniel Washington, is named among The Dunbar Twelve on a T-shirt created for a community reunion that reads, Look how far we came! A community built on hard work. The property was passed down without a written will. Instead, the owners respected a tradition dictating that younger generations of heirs live near their parents and form a tight-knit village of relatives. They farmed the land, growing tobacco, cotton, corn and cucumbers when Washington was growing up. The family lost the property in a tax sale in the 1960s, Washington said, but his father, Joseph, was able to repurchase it. Tax records list Joseph Washington and his uncle, Elias Washington. Their heirs followed the law of Dunbar, as Washington describes it: Where you see land, you can build on it. Several relatives did just that over the years, and mobile homes have sprung up around their houses. People just came, picked a spot, built a house and put a trailer down, said Barbara Stephen, 70, a granddaughter of Elias Washington. We need some kind of rules. Washington and his wife started clearing trees in 2015 in hopes of building a cottage on the river but stopped after some relatives grumbled. The Washingtons turned to the Center for Heirs' Property Preservation to clear up the ownership issues. Washingtons family is a ways off from reaching a resolution. The process has proven to be a tedious undertaking. Some heirs operate off of myths, such as the belief that the property is supposed to go to the men. Thats to be expected. Clearing a title commonly involves wading through complicated family dynamics. Cases handled by the heirs' property center typically take anywhere from nine months to four years to reach completion, said Stephens, the executive director. Over the summer, the Washingtons attended the nonprofits annual rural landowner symposium, where they heard a woman speak about clearing up her familys heirs property. Afterward, D.D. Washington approached her. He wanted to know how shed done it without killing anyone off. Making the land pay Resolving heirs property issues requires time, cooperation and money because it can take years and thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to clear up and record the ownership. Many of the ways most landowners build wealth building homes, farming, selling land on the open market have been limited for those with heirs' property because of the unclear ownership. Six years ago, the Center for Heirs Property Preservation began pursuing a new initiative aimed at helping heirs property owners generate money from their land in the same way some wealthy South Carolina families do: by growing and harvesting trees. The heirs' property center focuses on rural properties of at least 10 acres, and uses federal initiatives and grant programs designed to conserve land and promote forestry while resolving ownership issues. At the federal level, Scott is co-sponsoring legislation that would make it easier for farmers with heirs property to tap into federal programs such as farm loans, crop insurance and disaster aid. It would also allow some federal loan funds to be used to help heirs to resolve ownership and succession on farmland that has multiple owners. Imagine what she did Under the beating sun in late July, 83-year-old Rebecca Campbell walked along a dirt road on the border of her familys Colleton County property and pointed out the remnants of her ancestors labor. Through the tall pines lay rusting horse-drawn farm machinery that belonged to her great-uncle. Farther in the woods, standing water was all that remained of the rice paddy where her grandmother worked until she married at age 16. The land, nearly 39 acres of heirs property, is in Jacksonboro, a community of about 500 people southeast of Walterboro. No one lives or works on the property these days, though Campbell can see it from her kitchen window. Years ago, she and her late husband raised cattle whose grazing kept the pasture clear, but now the 9-acre field is overgrown. Campbell and her sister Catherine Braxton for about the last six years have pioneered an effort to resolve this heirs property. They want to ensure that the land remains in their family. They also want to turn it into an asset by harvesting timber. That requires mapping their extensive family tree. Fellow landowners live as far away as Germany, and there are others who Campbell has never met. Her family has visited cemeteries and perused headstones in search of several heirs dates of death. Campbell and Braxton press forward, inspired by a woman whose name theyve known since they were young girls: Nora Ulin, their great-great-grandmother. She bought the property in 1890. Not much is certain about Ulins backstory. The sisters believe she was a young woman, in her 20s or 30s, when she purchased the land. The timing suggests she was the daughter of enslaved people. Ulin had three daughters and one son. Campbell pictures Ulin as strong, hopeful and fearless. Can you imagine what she did? Eighteen-ninety, a woman a black woman buying land? During that time, women didn't purchase it; their husbands did. I feel proud of her, she said. Her sister agrees. Nora Ulin really means something to me, said Braxton, 81, because look at where we are now because of her. On the property that July afternoon, a trains whistle could be heard in the distance. Insects buzzed in a continuous chorus. A hunting dog barked from a neighboring yard. To Campbell, the quiet seclusion of the countryside equates to freedom. Its a freedom for which her ancestors suffered. She feels that its up to her generation to protect this land that entered her familys possession nearly 130 years ago, to carry on its legacy. Standing under a large oak at the edge of the field, Campbell turned to look out at her family's property. She said that as long as shes alive shell see to its preservation. She owes that to Nora Ulin. Demonstrators stand in front of a makeshift barricade set up by the so-called yellow jackets to block the entrance of a fuel depot in Le Mans, western France, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2018. French government's decision to suspend fuel tax and utility hikes Tuesday did little to appease protesters, who called the move a "first step" and vowed to fight on after large-scale rioting in Paris last weekend. (AP Photo/David Vincent) An aerial view of downtown Charleston showing Murray Drive, East Battery and the Ravenel Bridge. Over the past several decades, Charleston grew its geographical boundaries much faster than its population, which could lead to tax and funding challenges in the future. A number of Gov. Henry McMaster's election campaign signs still remain at the exit from Interstate 26 onto Meeting Street in downtown Charleston. Charleston County has an ordinance that all political signs are to be removed within 15 days of election day. Brad Nettles/Staff Columbia/Myrtle Beach Managing Editor Andy Shain runs The Post and Courier's newsrooms based in Columbia and Myrtle Beach. He was editor of Free Times and has been a reporter and editor for newspapers in Charlotte, Columbia and Myrtle Beach. RED WING A new conditional use permit passed by the Red Wing City Council on Nov. 26 will give Red Wing Grain an additional 1.3 million bushels of grain storage capacity. "We serve over 1,200 farm customers in a 75-mile radius," said Jim Larson, owner of Red Wing Grain. "Last year, with the lack of China exports, theres a lot of uncertainty in our business." The expansion is the latest improvement for the company. With its downtown facility long landlocked, the company opened a new western location at Cannon Bottom Road in 2006 with a grain bin, then expanded that site with a bunker in 2011. Now, the company plans to add another grain bin at the site. Dan Rogness, the citys community development director, said the new bin will be the same as the first at the Cannon Bottom Road site, essentially doubling the bin storage. The bunker also can hold grain long term. "Currently, there are more than 600 million bushels of commercial grain elevator storage in Minnesota and another 2 billion bushels of grain storage space on-farm in Minnesota," said Bob Zelenka, executive director of the Minnesota Grain and Feed Association in Eagan. Most of the storage capacity is full, he added, mainly due to this falls crop yields and tariffs putting a halt on shipments to China. Richard Eustice, president of Janesville Elevator Construction Inc., said most new storage capacity is not being built at commercial elevators but on farms. "Weve seen quite a bit more activity on the farm end," he said. "Theres a few commercial guys putting things up, but most is on-farm storage." With elevators charging per bushel per month of storage, a farmer who is waiting for prices to go up can lose a lot of his or her profit in elevator charges on a hundred-thousand bushels, Eustice said. "(An on-farm bin) pays for itself after a few years," he said. While most on-farm bins have historically been built for corn storage, Eustice said hes seen a small shift toward storage of soybeans because of the trade war with China. Everybody loves a party, especially one with singing, dancing, and traditional decorations that bring the family together. But have you ever wanted to hear Carnatic singing, watch an Aztec dance, or decorate your skin with henna? Nows your chance, because the Minnesota Childrens Museum Rochester is planning a series of programs that will explore diverse holiday celebrations and help nurture "cultural connections." "This is all about building awareness of and engaging with the areas rich culture in a spirit of openness and mutual respect to help prepare children and families for an increasingly diverse world," says Beth Sherden, the director of the museum. The museum has already explored the Diwali Festival of Lights and the Ethiopian Christmas tradition of Gena. Now the Children's Museum, supported by the U.S. Bank Foundation and cultural community partners, will host presentations throughout the month on the Muslim celebration of Eid (Dec. 7), Hindu holiday traditions (Dec. 8), the Hispanic Las Posadas celebration (Dec. 15), Christmas caroling and ornament-making (Dec. 21), and the Jewish tradition of Hanukkah (Dec. 22). Dwell Local will also provide locally created holiday gifts at this series of presentations. Sherden is excited to offer families the opportunity to learn about holiday traditions they might not otherwise be able to experience. She said the museum is honored to be an inclusive gathering space, which will offer interactive experiences that "promote intercultural synergies and a sense of cultural connectedness." For Sherden, the series is another way that the museum can help bring families together to bond in an "intergenerational fashion," while learning about our shared community. Regina Mustafa, the founder of the Community Interfaith Dialogue on Islam (CIDI), will join her friend Bisharo Farah to help present a program at the Children's Museum on Dec. 7 from 11 a.m. to noon. It will focus on the month of Ramadan and Eid from Syrian, Pakistani, American, and Somali perspectives. "The Arabic word eid simply means celebration," explains Mustafa. "Practicing Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan. Eid marks the first day after the month is complete, so Eid would be the first day of not fasting hence the celebration." Mustafa says her presentation will focus on the common ties between diverse traditions of Eid and how they relate to the celebrations of other cultures. CIDIs goal "to foster education and interpersonal dialogue in order to create acceptance and understanding" fits well with the museums interest in strengthening cultural connections. Food, friends, and family are at the heart of Eid, and Mustafas presentation will include the tastes and sights of the celebration with sweets from Pakistan and Somalia, and henna hand decorations. The Minnesota Childrens Museum Rochester is ready to expand your celebration options and help you and your family learn how to be the life of any party, no matter where. Mildred Josephine (Frisbie) Smidt passed away peacefully, at the age of 79, on Thursday, Nov. 29, 2018, at Unity Point Hospital in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Her family would like to take this time to send our deepest heartfelt thanks to the emergency room and critical care staff who gave her the kindest and tender care during her last week. Jo (she did not like being called Mildred but would rather go by Jo or "Grandma Jo" in the end) was born on Jan. 31, 1939, in Iowa City, Iowa, the daughter of Orris Joseph Frisbie and Esther Ardilla (Shank) Frisbie. Jo had 11 siblings, Ruth, Esther Lueva (Lou), Charles (Freddy), Elizabeth (she was still born), Howard (Lee), Lelah Rebecca (lived for 4 days), Karen Irene (died at birth), Gladys (Goody), David and Daniel. Because of hard times, she and some of her siblings were placed in an orphanage, but as soon as she came of age, she took her younger brother and sister out and finished raising them herself. On Aug. 23, 1967, she was united in marriage to John Gerald Smidt in the Churchill County courthouse in Fallen, Nev., and remained so until his death on Jan. 23, 2011. To this union the happy couple had five children: two sons from a previous marriage by John, John William and Jeffrey Allen, and three children together, Julie Anne, Jola Marie and James Gerald. Also over the course of her lifetime, she and John helped to raise over 100 foster children. Jos life centered around her family and her faith. She was baptized and was an active member of the LDS church her entire life. She was very passionate about being a mother and a caregiver to her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and her many fosterlings and this gave her tremendous joy throughout her life. Because of her love for music on any given day, you could find her working writing poems or songs and often would strum along on her guitar as she sang and sometimes her kids/foster or grandchildren would learn her songs and sing along as well. She was self-taught without the knowledge of reading sheet music but in addition to the guitar, she could play some piano and the accordion. Josephine is survived by her five children, John, Jeff and his wife Madonna, Julie and her significant other Jeff, Jola and her husband Gary, and James and his wife Melissa; 18 grandchildren, Sarah, Caitlin, Anne, John, Mandi, Cody, Cassie, Rebecca, Jonas, Chelsea, Kirsty, Blaycee, Kelsey, Maija, Andrew, LeeAnne, Teven and Morgan; and her eight great-grandchildren, Gabriella, Ava Jo, Jaxson, Abigail, Kathryn, Kadence, Trent, and Noelle; not to mention the dear and countless foster children and foster grandchildren. Many lives were touched and made better by her and we all will greatly feel the loss of this beloved matriarch and her love, wisdom, kindness, and spiritual guidance. Please come join us for her Celebration of life service that will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at the First Ward Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1002 16th St. SE, Rochester. To some of the American soldiers who fought in the Philippines more than a century ago, a set of church bells was considered a war trophy that needed to be taken to the United States. To the people of the Philippines, the Bells of Balangiga are a Filipino historical possession and symbol of freedom which the United States needed to return. After more than a century, the bells are being returned, and are en route to the Philippines. Two of the three bells had been displayed on parade grounds at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. As part of the bells' shipment route, it is in transit at Andersen Air Force Base on Guam before the last leg of the flight to the Philippines' Villamor Air Base, Philippine diplomatic officials told the Philippine media Tuesday. The Guam Daily Post awaits a response from Andersen Air Force Base to see the bells. The Philippines expects the bells to arrive next week. Last month, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mathis and Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Romualdez met at the Wyoming air base to mark the beginning of the bells' shipment to the Philippines. The turnover ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 11. To those who fear we lose something by returning the bells, please hear me when I say, the bells mark time, but courage is timeless, said Mattis. It does not fade in historys dimly lit corridors nor is it forgotten in historys compost. The third bell was in a museum in South Korea. The three bells were taken from the town of Balangiga, in Eastern Samar during the Philippine-American War between 1899-1901. Guam connection In 1997, then-Guam Del. Robert Underwood introduced House Resolution 312 in the U.S. Congress urging President Bill Clinton to authorize the transfer of ownership of one of the bells to the Philippines. The resolution urged the historical bells' return in time for the 1998 centennial celebration of Philippine independence. Then-Hawaii Reps. Neil Abercrombie and Patsy T. Mink, Eni F. H. Faleomavaega of American Samoa and Bob Filner of California co-sponsored the resolution. The resolution recognizes the shared historical and political ties of the United States and the Philippines. It also states that the acts of conflict and cruelty that surrounded the bells of Balangiga are not consistent with the friendship and cooperation that have been an integral part of the relationship between the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America. The bells of Balangiga should more properly serve as a symbol of friendship and cooperation and not of unfortunate misunderstanding and conflict, the resolution states. The resolution failed to pass. Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero's administration is pursuing a plan which has been talked about in the government of Guam for years to somehow prov Read more Earlier this week, pedophile Jeffrey Epstein bought his way out of a lawsuit that would have given some of his victims the opportunity to testify about his predatory and criminal conduct. Victims never got that opportunity when Epstein faced criminal charges, because Alex Acosta then the lead prosecutor, now the Secretary of Labor let Epstein off with a ridiculously lenient sentence. Despite having committed hideous sex offenses with dozens of minors, Epstein received a sentence of 13 months in jail, during which he was often free during the day. Epsteins decision to buy his way out of the civil lawsuit, one that he had the nerve to initiate, benefits Acosta. The trial would have provided non-stop headlines, coupled with frequent references to the sweetheart deal Acosta gave him. As Randy Schultz puts it, the trial would have been the occasion for a long overdue public shaming of Acosta. Now, he avoids this consequence. But this doesnt mean Acosta is out of the woods. He faces calls for his ouster from the Trump cabinet. Some calls are from the usual suspects. Michelle Goldberg of the New York Times has written a piece so obnoxious that it almost makes me want to see Acosta ride out the storm. But some conservatives are also advocating Acostas departure. Concerned Women for America is a stalwart conservative organization. It describes itself, accurately, as focus[ed] on seven core issues: the family, the sanctity of human life, religious liberty, education, sexual exploitation, national sovereignty, and support for Israel. (Emphasis added) Its leader, Penny Nance, has called for Acostas resignation. Noting that labor trafficking, which the Labor Department combats, is often conjoined with sex trafficking, Nance says that President Trump would not have nominated Acosta if reports fully describing Acostas conduct in the Epstein case had emerged earlier. Sen. Ben Sasse has also weighed in. He sent a letter to the Justice Department asking it to investigate its treatment of Epstein, including the fact that the plea deal ensured that victims of the pervert would be denied the ability to comment on or object to the leniency of his sentence. Sasse is chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Oversight, Agency Action, Federal Rights and Federal Courts. Sen. Marco Rubio, a longtime supporter of Acosta, says it would be very troubling if political influence led to a light sentence for Epstein. In Rubios view, and that of every rational person, Epstein should have been in jail for a long time. Rubio added, however, that he will reserve judgment until he hears Acostas side. Thats fair. But so far, Acosta has provided no real defense for letting Epstein off so lightly. In public, at least, he is standing by his argument that the deal was a reasonable one and that this is old news. Previously, Acosta had a different defense. He cited a year-long assault on the prosecution and the prosecutors by an army of legal superstars who represented Epstein. This allegedly included defense counsel investigat[ing] individual prosecutors and their families, looking for personal peccadilloes that may provide a basis for disqualification. In this account, the deal was made to relieve the pressure, while still getting a conviction. Acosta could hardly assert this explanation i.e., that he wimped out while seeking a cabinet position with the expectation of being appointed to more exalted jobs in the future. Nor is the explanation particularly plausible. Acosta isnt the first prosecutor to face a scorched earth defense. Ask Ken Starr about this. I dont doubt that Acosta regarded escaping the wrath of the defense team as a benefit of reaching the plea deal. But I dont believe this was incentive enough to cause him, in effect, to throw the case. What was the true incentive? As I wrote when this story broke, I think it was the same incentive that explains much of his conduct in public life Acostas desire to accommodate people he thinks can help him down the road. Which people? Probably the lawyers at Kirkland and Ellis, where Acosta had once worked. Epstein enlisted Ken Starr* and Jay Lefkowitz, both of Kirkland, for his defense team. Acosta reportedly worked out the terms of his surrender with Lefkowitz, a former colleague, at a meeting in a location far away from the prosecutors office. The location of the meeting is itself suspicious. Prosecutors and other law enforcement officials normally demand that those seeking a deal come to them. The fact that Acosta didnt is another sign if one were needed that this was a capitulation. It also casts further doubt on the claim that Acosta was capitulating for the purpose of sparing the folks who worked with him in the prosecutors office. The key point, though, is that Ken Starr and Jay Lefkowitz were power players in Washington men who might help Acosta down the road. Readers will be quite familiar with Starrs background. Lefkowitz was director of cabinet affairs and deputy executive secretary to the domestic policy council under President George H.W. Bush. Under President George W. Bush, Lefkowitz served as general counsel in the Office of Management and Budget and later as deputy director of domestic policy at the White House. Accommodating such influential figures must have seemed like a good career move. Having Starr and Lefkowitz on his side might help Acosta get a judgeship, a cabinet appointment, or a high-paying job back at Kirkland and Ellis. Im speculating, of course. But my speculation finds support in Acostas practice of accommodating the powerful. Much of that accommodation is of Democrats. Indeed, at the time Acosta was working in Miami as a U.S. Attorney, he had alienated some Republicans by such accommodation while at the Department of Justice. Some say he was on the verge of being fired when Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez parachuted him to Miami. The Epstein settlement was a way for Acosta to shore up his standing with some influential Republicans. Will Acosta be able to survive the current scandal? I dont have a clear sense about this yet. But President Trump, who isnt bashful about sacking cabinet members, may come to believe (if he doesnt now) that its disadvantageous to have a cabinet member who sold out teenage victims of sexual abuse, especially when the sell-out benefited an ultra-wealthy serial offender. * Some on the left are trying to make something or the fact that Starr, who had investigated Bill Clinton in connection with sexual misconduct, later defended Epstein, a pervert. This is silly. In both instances, Starr was doing his job as a lawyer. Perverts are entitled to a defense and there is nothing hypocritical about investigating Bill Clintons misconduct when that was Starrs job and later joining the team that was defending Jeffrey Epstein. Acosta, by contrast, was on the team seeking justice for Epstein and for his victims. He gave up this quest for reasons that cant be defended. The City Council of Washington, D.C. has approved a measure decriminalizing fare evasion in its public transportation system. In D.C., fare-jumping will become a civil offense punishable only by a $50 fine. The legislation was originally introduced by dumb-as-a-rock anti-Semite Trayon White. It passed by a vote of 10-2. Fare-jumping is, of course, a form of theft. And not an innocuous form. The local transit authority loses more than $25 million a year due to fare evasion. Reducing the penalty to a $50 fine with no possibility of arrest and/or jail time will mean even more lost revenue. The fine is light and unlikely to be collected in many cases. Jack Evans, chairman of the transit authority and one of the two city counsel members to vote against decriminalization, points out that unlike with parking tickets, where the city can block vehicle registration for unpaid citations, there is no good mechanism for mandating payment of a civil citation for fare-jumping. What, then, is the argument for going so lightly on fare-jumpers? Its a familiar one: Blacks disproportionately refuse to comply with the requirement of paying their fare. A study by the Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs found that between January 2016 and February 2018, 91 percent of Metro Transit Police citations and summons for fare evasion were issued to African Americans. I cant tell from news reports whether the study (to which there is no link) included a finding as to the percentage of trips taken by African Americans, but it almost certainly is well below 91 percent. Its sad that African-Americans make up such a large percentage of scofflaws in Washington D.C. However, its difficult to see why this fact justifies going soft on fare-jumping to the detriment of the financial viability of public transportation. The Lawyers Committee said the locations where enforcement was most frequent such as the Gallery Place and Anacostia stations serve a high proportion of African Americans. The transportation authority countered that these stations are busier and higher crime areas that require increased enforcement. In my experience, fare-jumping isnt an issue at some stations. Ive been using the Bethesda station (in Maryland) regularly for 30 years. I dont recall seeing half a dozen cases of fare-jumping. For 13 years, I used the Dupont Circle station in D.C. daily. I cant recall seeing dozen fare-jumpings there. It wouldnt make sense to police these stations for fare-jumping, or other crimes, to the same degree as stations like Gallery Place and Anacostia. Advocates for the legislation argue that the current criminal penalty, which can include arrest, a fine up to $300, and up to 10 days in jail is too draconian. In reality, though, only about 8 percent of fare evasion stops result in an arrest. Typically in these cases, the arrest is the result of the offender having an open warrant and/or a criminal record, or of committing another offense while being stopped. Thus, there may be less to the new legislation than meets the eye. But that doesnt make it inconsequential. For one thing, the possibility of arrest and jail time is a deterrent. For another, the new law lowers the fine considerably. Third, the ability to detain for a criminal violation enables law enforcement to determine whether the offender has a criminal record. If fare evasion is turned into a simple ticket, officials say they may not be able to do a background check on those they are detaining. In this regard, officials note that their enforcement blitz has corresponded to a 20 percent decrease in violent crime in the system during the past few years. In addition to the concrete costs the new law will inflict on the transit system, and ultimately its riders, the legislation is insidious. Lowering standard and, in effect, laughing off what has always been deemed criminal behavior (in this case, outright theft) simply because one segment of the population refuses to comply is a recipe for societal decline. At the low end of criminality spectrum, fare-jumping will now effectively be excused, at least in D.C. At the high end, there is a bipartisan push to grant significant leniency to major drug dealers, with racial disproportionality a major argument advanced in favor of this move. What other crimes will we be asked to shrug our shoulders at, or go much easier on, in the name of racial equity? There are a few levels of Schadenfreude to be had in Astead Herndons New York Times story Elizabeth Warren Stands by DNA Test. But Around Her, Worries Abound. Warrens absurd promotion of test results that contradicted her claim to Native American ancestry has somehow gone missing from the Times story. The Times story is amazing and laughable in its own way, but it represents our dystopian future. The Times story is itself illustrative of the absurd racialism that has returned to control the Democratic Party and its media adjunct. The Times story presents the intellectual crosscurrents to use a neutral term roiling the Democratic Party. Even though they contradict each other, each is presented as the effectual truth of the matter. Thesis: Race is all-important. Antithesis: Race, like sex, is a social construct. If you challenge either thesis or antithesis, get ready for the Two Minutes Hate from the Democrats and their media adjunct. What is the synthesis? Im not sure. Whatever it is, its not this: [A]ll men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Avowing that proposition with conviction is just about enough to get you killed. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-05 22:38:01 VICTOR, N.Y., Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today it will report financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended November 30, 2018, on Wednesday, January 9, 2019, before the open of the U.S. markets. A conference call to discuss the financial results and outlook will be hosted by Chief Executive Officer Rob Sands, President and Chief Operating Officer Bill Newlands and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer David Klein at 10:30 a.m. EST, January 9, 2019. The conference call can be accessed by dialing +1-877-673-1771 and entering conference identification number 5284499, beginning at 10:20 a.m. EST. A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available on the companys website, www.cbrands.com , under the Investors/Events & Presentations section. When the call begins, financial information discussed on the conference call, and a reconciliation of reported (GAAP) financial measures with comparable or non-GAAP financial measures, will also be available on the companys website under Investors and by selecting Reporting. For anyone unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available on the companys website. About Constellation Brands Constellation Brands (NYSE: STZ and STZ.B), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Canada. Constellation is the No. 3 beer company in the U.S. with high-end, iconic imported brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra and Pacifico. The companys beer portfolio also includes Ballast Point, one of the most awarded craft brewers in the U.S., and Funky Buddha Brewery. In addition, Constellation is the world leader in premium wine, selling great brands that people love, including Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Mark West, Black Box, Ruffino and The Prisoner. The companys premium spirits brands include SVEDKA Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila and High West Whiskey. Based in Victor, N.Y., the company believes that industry leadership involves a commitment to brand building, our trade partners, the environment, our investors and to consumers around the world who choose our products when celebrating big moments or enjoying quiet ones. Founded in 1945, Constellation has grown to become a significant player in the beverage alcohol industry with more than 100 brands in its portfolio; about 40 wineries, breweries and distilleries; and approximately 10,000 talented employees. We express our company vision: to elevate life with every glass raised. To learn more, follow us on Twitter @cbrands and visit www.cbrands.com . MEDIA CONTACTS INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Mike McGrew 773-251-4934 | Amy Martin 585-678-7141 Patty Yahn-Urlaub 585-678-7483 | Bob Czudak 585-678-7170 Tom Conaway 585-678-7503 PDF available: http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/649e2735-8522-4ed8-ae3c-5693b97117b0 PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 09:27:24 Press Information GPU Servers 5 Place Ville-Marie, Montreal, Quebec, Canada GPU Servers GPU Servers 1-514-701-6012 email https://www.gpuservers.net/ # 417 Words 5 Place Ville-Marie, Montreal, Quebec, CanadaGPU Servers1-514-701-6012 6 December 2018 GPU Servers is offering the very best way to make the most from the gpu dedicated servers quickly and easily, for the best prices out there.As you are already aware of, the cryptocurrency is growing to become the most popular thing on the internet. Sure, the Bitcoin does has its ups and downs and its price differs significantly from one time to the other. Still, cryptocurrency mining and businesses around it are growing. Which is why, if you are in such a business, you will want to consider finding the best gpu dedicated server. That way you will have all the power you will need in order to make the most from your business goals within the very least amount of time possible.GPU Servers is exactly the kind of resource to help you out with just that. With years of experienced, skillful experts working there and plenty of expertise in the matter, these guys are going to be more than happy and willing to provide you with the very best gpu dedicated servers out there. The prices are pretty low and fair and are largely flexible the more power you need, the better package you should opt for. In the end, though, it is completely up to you to make an educated decision in line with all of the collected data. GPU Servers also features a team of extremely qualified and experienced specialists and they will provide you with the ongoing support all the way. Regardless of how large or small your business may yet to be, do not forget that you can always make it grow and expand in the right manner. So, if you are looking for the ideal way out and wish to expand your operations, this is the kind of power you are going to need.The package differ in their possibilities and you can first benefit from the companys professional assessment, allowing you to decide which of the options is the most suitable one for you. So go ahead, discover all of the possibilities, learn much more on how you can handle things and you will keep on coming back for more.About GPU Servers:GPU Servers is offering the best way to find the ideal GPU Dedicated Servers for your needs and for the right price as well. In order to find out more on the available services, do feel free to check out the official webpage.Contact:Company Name: GPU ServersWebsite: https://www.gpuservers.net/ PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 12:34:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 593 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2018 / Jackpot Digital Inc. (the "Company" or "Jackpot") (TSX-V: JP) (TSX-V: JP.WT) (US OTCQB: JPOTF) (Frankfurt & Berlin Exchanges: LVH2). Jackpot is pleased to announce that it has signed a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with a casino operator in South America formalizing an order for one (1) of the Company's Jackpot Blitz Electronic Table Game ("ETG") platforms. The Company will now begin its due diligence process as the parties negotiate the terms of a complete Software License and Equipment Lease Agreement.Jackpot Blitz is the Company's proprietary next generation gaming platform, offering an incomparable player experience to go with unrivalled operator efficiency, flexibility, and profitability. Jackpot Blitz represents a significant leap from Jackpot's industry-leading PokerPro ETG system, which is currently in operation with cruise lines, poker rooms, and casinos. Jackpot Blitz is expected to enhance financial and operational security for casino operators and to increase ETG revenues for Jackpot and its clients.Mr. Jake Kalpakian, Jackpot President and CEO, states "We are happy to sign this LOI to begin Jackpot Blitz placements in South America. Now that we have received GLI certification, we believe Jackpot Blitz has a strong future in Latin America and we look forward to working with the casino management to allow them to offer the Jackpot Blitz table for the first time in South America." About Jackpot Digital Inc.Jackpot Digital Inc. is a leading electronic table games manufacturer and mobile gaming provider for the cruise ship industry and regulated casino industry. The Company specializes in multiplayer gaming products, including poker and casino games, which are complemented by a robust suite of backend tools for operators to efficiently control and optimize their gaming business.For more information on the Company, please contact Jake H. Kalpakian, President and CEO, at (604) 681-0204 ext 6105, or visit the Company's website at www.jackpotdigital.com On behalf of the Board ofJackpot Digital Inc."Jake H. Kalpakian"___Jake H. KalpakianPresident & CEOTrading in the securities of the Company should be considered speculative.The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.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.Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking". Forward-looking statements may include, among others, statements regarding future plans, costs, objectives, economic or technical performance, or the assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. In this News Release, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely", "feel", "seek", "project", "predict", "potential", "should", "might", "objective", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate", and similar words are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking 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 expressed or implied. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, projections and estimations, there can be no assurance that these assumptions, projections or estimations are accurate. Readers, shareholders and investors are therefore cautioned not to place reliance on any forward-looking statements as the plans, assumptions, intentions or expectations upon which they are based might not occur.SOURCE: Jackpot Digital Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 09:25:39 Press Information Toronto Limo Rentals 1093 Lorimar Dr. (Unit # 2), Mississauga, Ontario, L5S 1M5 Toronto Limo Rentals Toronto Limo Rentals 647-802-2526 email https://www.torontolimorentals.com/ # 435 Words 1093 Lorimar Dr. (Unit # 2), Mississauga, Ontario, L5S 1M5Toronto Limo Rentals647-802-2526 Toronto, Canada 06 December 2018 Toronto Limo Rentals offers top quality limo rental services, while delivering their clients the best travel experience. Incorporating skillful drivers and possessing an excellent fleet of luxury and presentable motor vehicles, this company provides the ideal solutions for all those, who are looking for Toronto wedding limo, party bus or simply a stunning sedan to enjoy a delightful ride.In spite of the fact that almost all people drive their own motor vehicles, when it comes to a special event, whether of private or corporate character, we tend to hire a deluxe car, which perfectly meets the style of our event. Therefore, when it comes to such occasions as wedding, birthday, prom or simply a joyful party, we are looking for a special car, which meets the festive mood of our special event. Under these circumstances, two most popular options are limos and party busses, which look elegant, glamorous and at the same time are quite capacious and highly furnished, allowing us traveling in the company of our friends. Corporate events are also among those, which require both modern vehicle and high quality service. This is why, most of companies tend to hire an elegant Toronto limo, in order to provide their partners and executive board with a comfortable ride.Toronto Limo Rentals is one of the most recognized companies in the country. Due to the large fleet of high-end motor vehicles, which are always in an excellent state, along with the professional team, which is dedicated rendering the best travel experience, being attentive to the desires of their clients, Toronto Limo Rentals boasts a large number of attended weddings, parties and corporate events that were accompanied by their Toronto limousines.Opting whether for Toronto party bus, limousine or fancy car, available from Toronto Limo Rentals, its possible to add the desired touch of chic to any special event. A special category is made by wedding limousines, which can be properly decorated with flowers and ornaments, providing a romantic ride.About Toronto Limo Rentals:Toronto Limo Rentals is a reputed company, which operates since 2003 and is famous for its luxury and specialized transportation, being one of the most sought after limo rentals service providers in Canada. The professional team of this company is always ready for communication with their clients, while doing their best to meet the requirements of their passengers, and also to provide them with safe and secure travel.Contact:Company: Toronto Limo RentalsAddress: 1093 Lorimar Dr. (Unit # 2), Mississauga, Ontario, L5S 1M5Email: info@ torontolimorentals.com Cell: 647-802-2526Phone: 1-877-459-0652Website: https://www.torontolimorentals.com/ Mustard Seed Market PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 07:51:17 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 # 712 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 Introduction: Mustard plant is native to Asia and is one of the widely cultivated crop across the globe. Mustard seeds are used as a major spice in Asia and are rich in phytonutrients, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants. Mustard seeds are high in essential oil and are great source of plant sterols such as brassicasterol, campesterol, sitosterol, avenasterol, and stigmasterol. Mustard plant belongs to family Brassicaceae which also includes other crop such as, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and broccoli. Mustard plant is a winter crop and require temperate climate for its growth and is among the third leading source of vegetable oil after palm and soybean oil as per the data revealed by National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX). The global mustard seeds market is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years mainly attributed to increasing application of mustard seeds in food and beverages industry, pharmaceutical industry, personal care and cosmetic industry and others. Mustard Seed Market Segmentation Global mustard seed market is segmented on the basis of product type, application, sales channels and region. On the basis of product type the global mustard seed market is segmented into, white/yellow mustard seeds, black mustard seeds and sarepta mustard seeds. The sarepta mustard seeds segment is further sub-segmented into, brown and oriental mustard seeds. Oriental mustard seeds are darker in color in comparison to the yellow mustard seeds mainly due to its high content of phenolic compounds. White or yellow mustard seeds have the least pungent taste while black mustard seeds are the most pungent mustard seeds. By application the global mustard seeds market is segmented into, industrial application, commercial application and Household. Industrial application of mustard seeds includes its use in food and beverages, cosmetic and personal care and other applications. Food and beverages segment is the dominant application segment in the overall mustard seeds market attributable to its widespread use as a condiment. Mustard oil extracted from mustard seeds is widely used across Asian countries. Mustard seeds are also used in salad dressing in countries such as U.S., Canada and other European countries. Apart from this application of mustard seeds in cosmetic is widespread wherein mustard seeds are used as a natural scrub, hydrating agent, age defying agent and aids in hair growth, thus contributing towards revenue generation in the overall mustard seeds market.Request Sample Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-5439 On the basis of sales channel the global mustard seeds market is segmented into, direct and indirect sales channels. Indirect sales channels are further sub-segmented into hypermarkets/supermarkets, convenience stores, specialty stores, e-commerce and other retail formats.On the basis of region the global mustard seed market is segmented into, North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. Europe is the largest market for mustard seed globally attributable to increasing demand for mustard oil and mustard paste in cooking across the regions. Europe and Asia Pacific is the largest producer of mustard seeds globally thus contributing towards their overall revenue contribution in the global mustard seeds market. Apart from this Canada is also one of the leading producer of mustard seeds globally.Mustard Seed Market Global Market Trends and Market Drivers: The growth of mustard seed market across the globe is expected to depict significant growth in the overall market owing to increasing demand for mustard seeds in cooking and as a substitute for other oils such as sunflower oil and other oils in the market. Mustards seeds are essential source of essential vitamins including, B-complex vitamins such as folates, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitaminB-6 and pantothenic acid thus, increasing the synthesis of enzymes needed for functioning of nervous system and help in regulation of body metabolism. Furthermore, oil extracted from mustard seeds is traditionally being used to relive muscle pain, arthritis pain, for cancer risk prevention, asthma and several other body ailments thus contributing towards mustard seeds market growth over the forecast period.Request Report toc @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-5439 Mustard Seed Market Key Players: Variety of Mustard Seed have been introduced by the manufacturers and some of the global market players manufacturing mustard seed market include; McCormick & Company, Inc., The Tracklement Company Ltd., Kaveri Seeds, Sakai Spice (Canada) Corp, Megha Corporation, Organic Products India, Sun Impex and others. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 20:44:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 345 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2018 / PROGRESSIVE PLANET SOLUTIONS INC. (PLAN-TSX:V) ("Progressive Planet", "PLAN" or the "Company") announces the Company has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to 5,500,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.05 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $275,000 (the "Offering").Each Unit is comprised of one common share (a "Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of the Company. Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.06 per Warrant Share for period of 12 months from the date of Closing. The warrants are subject to an acceleration clause, which states that the issuer will have the right to accelerate the expiry date of the warrants if, at any time, the average closing price of the shares is equal to or greater than 10 cents for 10 consecutive trading days. In the event of acceleration, the expiry date will be accelerated to a date that is 30 days after the issuer issues a news release, announcing that it has elected to exercise this acceleration right.The Company will not be paying any finders' fees in relation to the private placement.Proceeds from the financing will be used for general corporate purposes and for continued product research and development.Progressive Planet is a Canadian based mineral exploration company with its flagship Z1 Zeolite Mine in British Columbia, an equity interest in Snow Lake Resources, a 5% interest in the Lac Gueret Extensions Graphite Project in Quebec and a 100% interest in the Buckingham Graphite Project in Quebec.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDSigned "Stephen Harpur"Stephen Harpur, CPA, CGA, CEOFor further information or investor relations inquiries, please contact us:1-800-910-3072Investors@ progressiveplanet.ca Forward-Looking Statements: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.SOURCE: Progressive Planet Solutions Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 10:06:01 Prashant Mehta joins Isobar as Senior Vice President, Global Head of Delivery, from Publicis.Sapient Hannah Ainsworth T: +44 7824 142 788 E: Hannah.Ainsworth@isobar.com Global digital agency Isobar part of Dentsu Aegis Network today announced Prashant Mehta has been appointed to Senior Vice President, Global Head of Delivery, effective immediately. Prashant will be responsible for re-imagining the next generation of Global Delivery Models for the agency, and will leverage the power of Isobars global network to connect talent and drive complex and strategic business transformation projects for clients. Mehta will report to Mike Mulligan, Isobar Global Chief Operating Officer and will be based in Gurgaon, India. Mehta will be the agencys lead architect to design cross-border delivery models across technology, creative and commerce, partnering with Vikalp Tandon, Isobar Global Technology Officer, Ronald Ng, Isobar Chief Creative officer and Shawn Mishra SVP & Global Managing Partner Isobar Commerce. The new delivery model aims to help Isobars teams across 85 offices in 45 markets deliver global integrated platforms and solutions for clients. Mehta will also lead Isobar World Sourcing, the agency offshore initiative built to meet the demands of our clients across time zones. In 2018 Isobar evolved its Isobar World Sourcing Offering in India and focused it on leveraging Commerce Cloud and established a sales, service and marketing cloud offshore team in Vietnam. Mehta has over 22 years experience in the industry globally across leadership roles globally, most recently as Group Vice President, Global Service Line Lead for Data / AI, Systems Integration, Cloud & Media Services at Publicis.Sapient. Mehta has extensive experience in building and scaling organizations that deliver large scale, complex, omni-channel digital transformation programs driving strategic business outcomes for Fortune 500 companies in the Retail , CPG, Financial Services, Auto and Travel / Hospitality industry verticals. Jean Lin, Global CEO, Isobar said, We are delighted to welcome Prashant to the Global Isobar team to lead our Global delivery function. Agile and effective cross-border delivery and locally relevant customer experiences on global platforms, has become one of the biggest strategic challenges when businesses and brands embrace cross-border commerce. Prashants vast experience from consulting to delivery, and deep expertise of the most advanced worldwide technologies, will be critical in ensuring the success of our clients business transformation journeys. Prashant Mehta, Global Head of Delivery, Isobar, said, In todays age, when business are getting transformed and disrupted globally at the speed of light, Isobar has an industry leading proposition to deliver experience led business transformation for our clients in a truly agile way. I am excited to join Isobars Global team to drive complex & strategic Digital transformation programs leveraging the intersection of Creative, Technology & Data / AI powered by Modern software engineering to ensure our clients thrive and commercially succeed in todays experience economy. Isobar is a Salesforce Platinum Cloud Alliance Partner, a Global Alliance Solution Partner for Adobe, a Sitecore Platinum Implementation partner, and an Enterprise Magento Partner, winning Regional and Global Commercial Partner of the year in 2018. - Ends - About Isobar Isobar is a global digital agency of 6,500 people across 45 markets, united by our mission to transform businesses, brands and peoples lives with the creative use of digital. Informed by our consultancy practice, we deliver experience-led transformation, solving complex business challenges through our marketing, ecosystems and products offering. Isobar has won over 300 awards in 2017 including Asia-Pacific Digital Network of the Year. Key clients include Coca-Cola, adidas, Enterprise, P&G, Philips and Huawei. Isobar is part of the Dentsu Aegis Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dentsu Inc. www.isobar.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005 Prashant Mehta joins Isobar as Senior Vice President, Global Head of Delivery PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 10:19:01 Paris, December 6, 2018 - Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, ranked #2 for gender balance within its governing bodies among all publicly-listed companies on the SBF 120 French stock market index. The ranking (the Palmares de la feminisation des instances dirigeantes) is published by the French State Secretary for gender equality and the fight against discrimination, and concerns gender balance in the company's top management. Sophie Bellon, Chairwoman of Sodexo's Board of Directors, said: "As the largest French-based private employer in the world, we are honored by this recognition of our progress towards gender balance within our governing bodies. It highlights our strong commitment and the scale of our collective efforts deployed to consistently promote diversity and inclusion throughout Sodexo. We believe that gender balance is essential for creativity and innovation, and ultimately drives our performance. With 460,000 employees working in 72 countries, we will continue to raise the bar to make gender balance a reality for every team at all levels of our company." Denis Machuel, CEO, Sodexo, said: "Gender diversity is essential. It is beyond a moral obligation, it's a business imperative and differentiator. When women reach their full potential, business and society are stronger and more successful. At Sodexo, greater diversity and inclusiveness are part of a cultural transformation that requires time and humility." For Sodexo, it is vital at every level of an organization to support, serve and promote the cause of diversity. It is precisely for this reason that the Chairwoman and the CEO of Sodexo work together around the belief that "when we stand together, we all do better." Gender equality is a strategic imperative for Sodexo. With women making up 37% of Sodexo's Executive Committee and 54% of its Board of Directors, a powerful internal gender balance study and strong gender networks throughout the global organization, the group's commitment to gender equality is at the heart of its strategy and performance. Sodexo surveyed 50,000 of its managers from over 70 entities as part of its Gender Balance Study, which revealed that teams with a male-female ratio of between 40 and 60 percent out-performed on financial and non-financial indicators. Sodexo's goal is that by 2025 women will represent at least 40 percent of its senior leadership staff. To ensure that all senior executives-both men and women-understand the value placed in reaching this goal, 10 percent of their annual bonus is impacted by their progress toward meeting it. To reach this goal, Sodexo has established a global strategy for gender equality, in order ensure opportunities for the advancement of women. This strategy forms the basis for a number of initiatives, including inclusive workplace training, mentoring, and gender networks throughout the Group. The cornerstone of this strategy is the SoTogether advisory board, which is dedicated to promoting women's professional advancement, and more broadly, gender equality on the global scale. To find out more about Diversity & Inclusion at Sodexo, please click on: Sodexo.com/gender-balance About Sodexo Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 72 countries, Sodexo serves 100 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over more than 50 years of experience: from foodservices, reception, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from services and programs fostering employees' engagement to solutions that simplify and optimize their mobility and expenses management, to in-home assistance, child care centers and concierge services. Sodexo's success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business model and its ability to continuously develop and engage its 460,000 employees throughout the world. Sodexo is included in the CAC 40, FTSE 4 Good and DJSI indices. Key figures (as of August 31, 2018) 20.4 billion euro in consolidated revenues 460,000 employees 19th largest employer worldwide 72 countries 100 million consumers served daily 13 billion euro in market capitalization (as of November 7, 2018) Contacts Media Dalila Elluin Tel: +33 1 57 75 80 28 dalila.elluin@sodexo.com 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: Sodexo via Globenewswire PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 13:22:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1002 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 WATERLOO, ONTARIO / ACCESSWIRE / December 6, 2018 / SponsorsOne Inc., (CSE: SPO) (Frankfurt: 5SO) the company that makes small brands BIG by building large, engaged and authentic communities that buy and support the Brands they love, is pleased to announce it has entered into a Brand Development Agreement with Schoen by Yu ( www.schoenbyyu.com) . Under the agreement, SponsorsOne will develop the Schoen story, produce engaging content for social media and launch in North America utilizing SponsorsOne's unique and patented storytelling and micro-influencer platform and user reward system, SponsorCoin."Lindsey Schoen is a great story," said John Strauss, Creative Director, Sponsors One Media. "From denim jean fit model to young mom and entrepreneur, Lindsey has overcome tremendous challenges to design and succeeded in offering a great product resulting in rave reviews from Elle, Glamour and Vogue magazines." "I started with an idea, a minimal budget and that budget included zero money for marketing," added Lindsey Schoen, Founder, and CEO. "SponsorsOne has offered me the creative talent and technological support to grow with no upfront fees. They believe in me and will share in my success as Schoen by Yu grows to its full potential." About Schoen by Yu.:Our motto is "Denim for Living," and our customers say it all:It's a fact that when you find the perfect jeans, you hang onto them tightly with white knuckles, and you never let it go. I've finally found my dream denim with Schoen by Yu. They stretch where they need to, and they are tailored to perfection for every size. Get ready to say 'I told ya so' a lot once all of your friends find out about these pants! Jenna Loomer - E! News EditorI have them in every style and every color. People are constantly stopping me at the office, at my kids' school, or even walking down the street to ask me where I got them. I really don't wear any other jeans at this point. Krista Moatz - EVP of Popsugar.com Schoen by Yu makes my favorite jeans hands down. I can't get enough and literally own multiple pairs of the exact same jeans. The most flattering jeans I own, plus they are comfortable and functional for work. Kelley Baker - Celebrity Brow ArtistWe're also obsessed with all the denim options from Schoen by Yu. Finding your dream pair of jeans is a tricky business, but we're happy to announce we have! Emily Popp - E! News EditorAbout SponsorsOne:SponsorsOne is the leader in the next evolution of digital marketing through storytelling and digital-commerce with the SponsorCoin platform and its highly scalable digital smart contract based digital-currency. Combined, this allows Brands to build and manage exclusive and highly engaged communities of micro-influencers within the social realm. The SponsorCoin platform provides for data-driven marketing campaigns that will change the way brands connect to their customers and to compensate the consumer for authentic engagement using the SponsorCoin digital currency. SponsorCoin is a tool for brands to inspire real movements around their products and services in which their most valuable customers become their best salespeople, producing far higher ROI than current social media advertising methods.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARDGary Bartholomew, Executive ChairmanTo learn more, please visit www.sponsorsone.com The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this Press Release.Forward-Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Company's current expectations. When used in this news release, the words "estimate", "project", "belief", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "plan", "predict", "may" or "should" and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology, are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: risks associated with marketing and sale of securities; the need for additional financing requirements and access to capital, reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors with certain other projects; the volatility of the volume and price of the Common Shares, the failure of the business strategy, the integrity of the Company's patents and proprietary intellectual property and competition. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. When relying on the Company's forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors, and other uncertainties and potential events, including the risk factors set out in the Company's Listing Statement. The Company has assumed a certain progression, which may not be realized. It has also assumed that the material factors referred to above will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events.THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION.SOURCE: SponsorsOne Inc. PR-Inside.com: 2018-12-06 22:43:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 299 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACESSWIRE / December4, 2018 / Vertical Exploration Inc. (NEX: VERT) (the "Company") announces that it has closed the firsttranche of its non-brokered private placement offering of Flow Through Unitsand non-flow through Units, per its previous news releases on September 7 andOctober 22, 2018.As part of this first tranche, theCompany issued 1,450,000 Flow Through Units at a price of $0.11 per unit, forgross flow-through proceeds of $159,500, and 1,495,000 Non Flow Through Unitsat a price of $0.10 per unit, for gross hard dollar proceeds of $149,500 (for aggregatetotal gross proceeds of $309,000).Proceeds from the private placement will be used for qualifyingexpenditures, the Company's operating expenses and for general working capital.Each Flow Through Unit will becomprised of one "flow through" common share and one-half of awarrant.Each NFT Unit will be comprisedof one non-flow through common share and one whole warrant.Each whole warrant will be exercisable at $0.20per share, for a period of 2 years from issuance, subject to acceleration ifthe trading price of the common shares is $0.25 or greater for a period of 10consecutive trading days. In such event, the Company may, in its solediscretion, accelerate the expiry date to a date that is 30 days after theCompany issues a news release announcing same. All securities issued are subject to a hold period expiring on March 28,2018.No finders' fees were paid on thistranche.Of the first tranche, adirector of the Company purchased 45,000 Non-Flow Through Units for asubscription price of $4,500.The Company anticipates completingfurther tranches of the private placement prior to December 21, 2018.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD"Peter P. Swistak"Peter P. Swistak, PresidentFor further information, pleasecontact:Telephone: 604 683 3995Toll Free: 1 888 945 4770Neither the TSX Venture Exchangenor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policiesof the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy oraccuracy of this release.SOURCE: VerticalExploration Inc. The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) says despite a positive outlook of the international oil market in 2018, fresh challenges lurk by the corner as member countries look forward to 2019. The President of the OPEC Conference, and United Arab Emirate (UAE) Minister of Energy and Industry, Suhail Al-Mazrouei, noted this in his address at the opening session of the 175th meeting of the group in Vienna, Austria on Thursday. The meeting is the last for the year. He described 2018 as a positive year, particularly in the area of clearing output inventories over-hang and stabilising the market through its internal rebalancing mechanism. We witnessed positive progress (in 2018) on removing the inventory overhang, further rebalancing the market and achieving excellent collaboration between OPEC and non-OPEC participants in the Declaration of Cooperation, he noted. On November 30, 2016, the joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) was constituted to develop strategies to accelerate the stabilisation of the global oil market through voluntary adjustments in total production of around 1.8 million barrels per day. Under the arrangement, OPEC declared to cooperate with non-OPEC oil-producing countries to ensure the realisation of the objective to stabilise prices. Some of the major beneficiaries of the cooperation included Nigeria, Iran and Libya, granted exemptions from the decision by the group to cut members oil output by about 740,000 barrels per day. The initial production cut agreement came into effect January 1, 2017 for six months, before an extension of the exemption by nine months from July 1, 2017. The output cut resolution helped stabilise the oil market, with OPEC Secretariat data showing commercial oil stocks in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) dropped below an average of 168 million barrels at the beginning of 2018. The OPEC president said the cooperation between OPEC and non-OPEC members over the past two years resulted in a balanced, stable and sustainable global oil market. This serves the interests of consumers, producers, the industry and the global economy at large, he said. However, he said the outlook for 2019 reveals a new set of challenges, including the general consensus pointing at higher supply growth than expected global requirements as well as signs of a potential slowdown in demand. He urged the meeting thoroughly examine the potential gap between supply and demand in the new year, as well as how this might impact inventory levels, against the background of market balance achieved over the past two years. We need to focus our joint efforts on maintaining the balanced market achieved in 2018; sustaining the stability we all desire; and, ensuring there is a firm foundation to allow the industry to make the necessary investments to continue to meet expected future oil demand, the OPEC President said. This, he said, will require member countries adopting a change in strategy from 2018, which would require more cooperation and partnership, particularly towards a more permanent relationship with non-OPEC producers. The OPEC President used the event to announce the receipt of a letter from Qatar notifying the group of its intention to withdraw its membership of OPEC with effect from January 1, 2019. Qatar accounts for about 25.24 billion barrels reserve (about 2.1 per cent) of the over 1.2 trillion barrels (about 81 per cent) of total OPEC proven reserves. The worlds total proven oil reserves currently stand at about 1.5 trillion barrels, according to OPEC data. Although analysts argue Qatars exit could potentially be of benefit to Nigeria and OPEC, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, and Nigerias representative to OPEC, Mele Kyari, think otherwise. The exit of Qatar from OPEC will have no effect, Mr Kachikwu said in response to PREMIUM TIMES inquiry. Ibe Kachikwu [Photo Credit: THISDAYLIVE] Every country will still produce her oil (volume) whether within or outside OPEC. Oil production decisions are influenced by total world supply, not just OPECs. He said at the moment, OPEC needs to cut its production capacity as the world is currently oversupplied. For Mr Kyari, who is also the General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing Division of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Qatars exit will not have any material impact on OPEC. However, he noted that the exit of a country that has remained a member of OPEC for over 57 years is certainly profound. The quota regime has not been operating for a long time. So, Qatars exit from OPEC would not impact Nigerias production in any way. The ongoing meeting may decide for a general production cut that may include Nigeria, he said. Former President George H.W. Bush was hailed at his state funeral on Wednesday as a warrior-statesman of uncommon personal kindness who went from being a hero of American conflicts to representing a bygone era of civility in politics. Amid an unusual bipartisan spirit at the service at the Washington National Cathedral, both Republican and Democratic politicians honoured a president who called for a kinder, gentler nation. Mr Bush, the 41st U.S. president, died last week in Texas aged 94. He occupied the White House from 1989 to 1993, navigating the collapse of the Soviet Union and expelling former Iraqi President Saddam Husseins forces from oil-rich Kuwait. George H.W. Bush was Americas last great soldier-statesman, Jon Meacham, a presidential biographer, said in a eulogy. He stood in the breach in the Cold War against totalitarianism. He stood in the breach in Washington against unthinking partisanship, he said. At a ceremony full of pomp but also peppered with laughter, the capitals current political feuds were briefly set aside in honor of the late president, a naval aviator who survived being shot down by Japanese forces over the Pacific Ocean in World War Two, and a former head of the CIA during the Cold War. A patrician figure, Mr Bush was voted out of office in part for failing to connect with ordinary Americans during an economic recession. But he has been remembered as representing an earlier era of civility in American politics, that image burnished in recent years by the divisiveness and anger in the U.S. that accompanied the rise of President Donald Trump. Former President George W. Bush said his father valued character over pedigree, and he was no cynic. Hed look for the good in each person, and he usually found it. The best father a son or daughter could ever have, the former president said in his eulogy, his voice cracking with emotion as he spoke near his fathers flag-draped coffin. Taking his seat at the cathedral, President Trump shook hands with his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, who he has often sharply criticised. Democratic former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Mr Trumps 2016 election opponent, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, shared the front pew with Mr Trump, Mr Obama, and their spouses. Mr Trump, like Bush a Republican, infuriated the late president by attacking his sons, George W. Bush and Jeb Bush, a rival in the 2016 Republican primary campaign. Mr Trump sat mostly motionless next to first lady Melania Trump throughout much of the service. He had tweeted earlier that he was Looking forward to being with the Bush family. This is not a funeral; this is a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. He will be missed! Mr Bush did not endorse Trump in the 2016 presidential election. He did not publicly say who he voted for but a source told CNN at the time that he had voted for Hillary Clinton. Mr Bush, who was ailing in recent years, did send Mr Trump a letter in January 2017 saying he would not be able to attend his inauguration because of health concerns but wishing him the best. All surviving former U.S. presidents were at the cathedral. During one of the eulogies, Bill Clinton wiped away tears and former first lady Michelle Obama leaned over to pat him on the arm. Canadian former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney lauded Mr Bushs role in handling the end of the Cold War and helping the delicate reunification of Germany. Mr Bush put together a U.S.-led international coalition that ousted invading Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991 and was president when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. When George Bush was president of the United States of America, every single head of government in the world knew that they were dealing with a gentleman, a genuine leader, one who was distinguished, resolute and brave, he said. The guest list of mourners included Britains Prince Charles and leaders from Germany, Jordan, Australia and Poland, along with a host of former world leaders, such as former British Prime Minister John Major, who was in office during Bushs term. Mr Trump closed the federal government on Wednesday to mark a day of mourning for Mr Bush, and several U.S. financial exchanges were closed. During his presidency, Bush was dogged by domestic problems, including a sluggish economy, and he faced criticism for not doing enough to stem the tens of thousands of deaths from the AIDS virus ravaging America. When he ran for re-election in 1992, he was pilloried by Democrats and many Republicans for violating a famous 1988 campaign promise: Read my lips, no new taxes. His opponent Bill Clinton coasted to victory. An advertisement from the 1988 campaign also came back to haunt Mr Bush and tarnish his reputation as a fair player. A political group close to the Bush campaign was accused of racism after releasing an advertisement about African-American prisoner Willie Horton who raped a white woman after being released on furlough. The ad suggested that Bushs Democratic presidential opponent Michael Dukakis had been weak on crime while governor of Massachusetts. Mr Bush is to be buried on Thursday at his Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas. Before Wednesdays service, his body lay in state since Monday evening in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. Thousands of people filed past to pay their respects, some getting a chance to see Sully, a service dog who was Bushs friendly companion. Sully became an internet sensation after being photographed lying next to his late masters coffin. (Reuters/NAN) The daughter of Huaweis founder, Meng Wanzhou, a top executive at the Chinese technology giant, was arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States. The sensational arrest of Meng has shocked global stock markets as it threatened to inflame Sino-U.S.trade tensions afresh. The shock arrest of Meng, 46, who is Huawei Technologies Co Ltds Chief Financial Officer, raises fresh doubts over a 90-day truce on trade struck between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on Saturday the day she was detained. Her arrest, revealed late on Wednesday by Canadian authorities, is related to U.S. sanctions, a person familiar with the matter said. Huawei is already under intense scrutiny from U.S. and other western governments about its ties to the Chinese government, driven by concerns it could be used by the state for spying. It has been locked out of the U.S. and some other markets for telecom gear. Huawei has repeatedly insisted Beijing has no influence over it. Meng, one of the vice chairs on the companys board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested on Dec. 1 at the request of U.S. authorities. A court hearing has been set for Friday, a Canadian Justice Department spokesman said. Trump and Xi had dined in Argentina on Dec. 1 at the G20 summit. Sources told Reuters in April that U.S. authorities have been probing Huawei, the worlds largest telecoms equipment maker, since at least 2016 for allegedly shipping U.S.-origin products to Iran and other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanctions laws. Huawei, which generated $93 billion in revenue last year, confirmed the arrest in a statement. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng, it said. She was detained when she was transferring flights in Canada, it added. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a daily briefing on Thursday that China had asked Canada and the United States for an explanation of Mengs arrest, but they have not provided any clarification. The Chinese consulate in Vancouver has been providing her assistance, he added, declining further comment. On Wednesday, Chinas embassy in Canada said it resolutely opposed the arrest and called for her immediate release. Reuters was unable to determine the precise nature of the possible violations. The arrest and any potential sanctions on the worlds second biggest smart phone maker could have major repercussions on the global technology supply chain. Shares in Asian suppliers to Huawei, which also counts Qualcomm Inc and Intel among its major suppliers, tumbled on Thursday. . In April, the sources told Reuters the U.S. Justice Department probe was being handled by the U.S. attorneys office in Brooklyn. The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday declined to comment. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Brooklyn also declined to comment. You can play hardball with a small country but you cant do it with the U.S., he said. Actually it hurts them to make life difficult for U.S. companies. A user of Chinas Twitter-like Weibo platform said Chinese should boycott products made by U.S. tech giant Apple Inc and instead buy Huawei products to show support for one of Chinas national champions. However, the topic ranked only 31st among trending items on Weibo as of Thursday afternoon, with many discussion threads apparently blocked, which is not unusual on Chinas heavily censored Internet. Jia Wenshan, a professor at Chapman University in California, said the arrest runs a huge risk of derailing the U.S.-China trade talks. While Mengs arrest comes at a delicate time in U.S.-China relations, it was not clear if the timing was coincidental. The probe of Huawei is similar to one that threatened the survival of Chinas ZTE Corp, which pleaded guilty in 2017 to violating U.S. laws that restrict the sale of American-made technology to Iran. Earlier this year, the United States banned American firms from selling parts and software to ZTE, which then paid $1 billion this summer as part of a deal to get the ban lifted. Huawei has said it complies with all applicable export control and sanctions laws and U.S. and other regulations. News of the arrest came the same day Britains BT Group said it was removing Huaweis equipment from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations and would not use the Chinese company in central parts of the next network. In January 2013, Reuters reported that Hong Kong-based Skycom Tech Co Ltd, which attempted to sell embargoed Hewlett-Packard computer equipment to Irans largest mobile-phone operator, had much closer ties to Huawei than previously known. Meng, who also has used the English names Cathy and Sabrina, served on the board of Skycom between February 2008 and April 2009, according to Skycom records filed with Hong Kongs Companies Registry. Several other past and present Skycom directors appear to have connections to Huawei. Mengs arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse praised the move and said that it was for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran. He added: Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes its laundered through many of Beijings so-called private sector entities. U.S. stock futures and Asian shares tumbled as news of the arrest heightened the sense a major collision was brewing between the worlds two largest economic powers, not just over tariffs but also over technological hegemony. Shares of Huawei suppliers slumped on Thursday as investors fretted over the arrest. Samsung Electronics fell 2.3 percent, while Chinasoft International Ltd sank as much as 13 percent. . (Reuters./NAN) Britains former foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, was ordered by parliaments standards watchdog on Thursday to apologise for failing to declare almost 53,000 pounds ($67,495) earnings on time. An investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards found that Mr Johnson failed to register nine payments, totalling 52,722.80 pounds, within the 28-day deadline. In her report, the commissioner, Kathryn Stone, concluded that Mr Johnson was in breach of the rules of the House of Commons, parliaments lower chamber, for a failure to fulfil his responsibilities, saying it was neither inadvertent nor minor. Since resigning as foreign secretary in July over Theresa Mays Brexit plans, Mr Johnson has been writing a weekly column for Britains Daily Telegraph newspaper, on a yearly salary of 275,000 pounds. Most of the payments that were declared late came from royalties from books he has written. Mr Johnson, regularly, was touted as a possible contender to replace Ms May as Conservative Party leader should she fall over Brexit. He told lawmakers on Thursday he was very sorry and was grateful it had been accepted that he had not intended to mislead parliament. I fully accept that the delay was a breach of the Houses rules, he said. I therefore offer the House a full and unreserved apology. In his response to the commissioners investigation, he said he had now employed a dedicated member of staff to handle his declarations, He said the late payments were due to delays in processing his financial statements. He confirmed that the nine payments had now been declared. (Reuters/NAN) Two days of UN talks on Western Sahara ended with all sides promising to meet again for a similar roundtable in the first quarter of 2019. U.N. envoy, Horst Koehler, disclosed this to reporters after the meeting ended unexpectedly early on Thursday. He declined to take questions from reporters. However, Mr Koehler said the foreign ministers of Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania, as well as representatives of the Polisario Front independence movement, had engaged openly and in a spirit of mutual respect. (Reuters/NAN) About 33 per cent of Nigerians will get out of extreme poverty if the country successfully tackles malnutrition, a nutrition expert, Bamidele Omotola, has said. He said fighting malnutrition will improve the country economically. Mr Omotola, who spoke at a media dialogue on child malnutrition in Yola, Adamawa State on Wednesday, said malnourished children have zero potential to contribute to the economy. The media dialogue, organised by United Nations Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and sponsored by the Department for International Development (DFID), is tagged Investing in child malnutrition for the future. Malnutrition is a condition that occurs when people consistently do not consume or absorb the right amounts and types of food and essential nutrients. Globally, it contributes to nearly half of all child deaths that is more than three million children each year. Mr Omotola said the fight against malnutrition is imperative for Nigeria because any economy where 50 per cent of the children are stunted or wasted is doomed. If Nigeria overcomes the menace of malnutrition, 33 per cent of poor people will get out of extreme poverty and give their own children a better chance at life, Mr Omotola said. He said investing in childrens nutrition offers some of the greatest opportunities for social and economic change in Africa. For every dollar invested in reducing stunting among children in Africa, theres a return on investment of $16 while also preventing nearly half of child mortality and increasing school attainment by at least one year. He also called for investment to ensure food security and end extreme hunger by 2030, the second goal of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Mr Omotola noted that although malnutrition is prevalent in the northeast, there are pockets of malnutrition in various states across Nigeria. He said one in every six children in the three states affected by insurgency is suffering from severe acute malnutrition. These states are Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. In his opening remarks, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said addressing nutrition is one of the ways the sustainable development goals can be achieved. Represented by the Head of Child Rights Information Bureau of the Ministry of Information, Olumide Osanyinpeju, he called for more investment in nutrition to help reduce the negative trend of malnutrition. The Nutrition Officer, UNICEF Bauchi, Martin Jackson, highlighted the steps that have been taken thus far by the body with the support of DFID to change the situation in the region. He said he was impressed by the different programmes being championed by UNICEF, which he said has contributed significantly to the changes being experienced in the region. Nigeria has expanded the number of Sexual Assault Referral Centers across the country from three clinics in three states to 11 clinics in 10 states, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said. Mr Osinbajo disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a 2-Day National Conference on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (GBD) Response in Nigeria held on Thursday in Abuja at the Presidential Villa Banquet Hall. The event was organised by the Rule of Law Advisory Team in the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs, among others. According to the vice president, the case for treating women and girls with equality and dignity is a self-evident one as women account for a significant part of the nations talent pool; as do young people below the age of 18. He said that Nigerias progress and prosperity were greatly affected by its ability to safeguard its women and children. Mr Osinbajo said that Nigerians must never become accustomed to condoning the abuse of its most vulnerable people or to turn a blind eye to exploitation. He said that a number of institutions in the Nigerian society social, cultural, religious were complicit in the perpetuation of these forms of abuses. The vice president said that governments share of the burden of responsibility was clear, especially considering that it had the monopoly of the law enforcement role regarding gender-based violence. Some of the steps this administration has taken in the past three and a half years to address violence against women and children include the work of the Rule of Law Advisory Team in Office of the Vice President collaborating with relevant agencies and non-governmental organisations working in the area of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the enhancement of reach and access of their protective services to victims. The team is responsible for giving support towards the establishment of Gender-Based Violence Response Teams across the States. These teams ensure that survivors have swift access to the right service providers. As a result of the activities of these teams, today, we have a better understanding of the coordinated approach that is needed to prevent and effectively respond to gender violence. Nigeria has in the past two years expanded the number of Sexual Assault Referral Centers across the country from three clinics in three states to 11 clinics in 10 states and counting. These Sexual Assault Referral Centers ensure the provision of quality forensic, medical, psychological, legal and aftercare services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. Happily, we now have more States adopting laws and policy guidelines for holding perpetrators accountable through the rule of law. He said that the stakeholders were currently working on a uniform set of Standard Operational Guidelines that show simple steps for effective response across the country. According to him, the federal government will continue to interact with service providers and policymakers to make sure that legal frameworks such as the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, were fully enforced. He commended the partnersWorld Bank, USAID, the British Council, the UN, UNFPA, WHO, Pathfinder International, Save the Children, Women Africa, Soar Initiative, PIND, BElemaoil and Air Peace for identifying with GBV causes. On his part, Ketil Karlsen, Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said that the union was fully committed to curbing sexual violence in Nigeria. He said that the EU would support efforts aimed at checking gender-related violence. The event attracted relevant representatives from the 36 states of the country. (NAN). The last time Oluwaseyi Adesuyi was seen alive in public was on July 5, 2013, when he was paraded as a suspect before journalists in connection with a high-profile kidnapping. Since then, like a mirage at dusk, he has completely disappeared without a trace. The police, which arrested and paraded him, are unable to say what happened to him. They cannot produce any record of his arrest. He did not escape from police custody. There is also no evidence he was charged to court. Nobody knows his whereabouts. His family has searched for him at every police formation that mattered in Lagos, Ondo, and Abuja but has come out with absolutely no information about what happened to him. Arrested for allegedly buying stolen goods Oluwaseyi, a dropout from the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, traded in used mobile phones and laptops at Alaba International Market, Lagos. On June 2013, as he was driving around the Okokomaiko area of Lagos, he was accosted by men of the controversial Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit of the police, who arrested him and impounded his Nissan Pathfinder SUV. The police claimed he had bought a laptop stolen from Kehinde Bamigbetan, then chairman of the Ejigbo Local Development Council (he is the current Lagos State Commissioner for Information) who was kidnapped two months earlier. Mr Bamigbetan was released a week later by his abductors after paying an undisclosed amount as ransom. For three days, Mr Adesuyi did not return home. Nobody knew his whereabouts. His mobile phone was switched off. Worried at his sudden disappearance, one of his friends called his parents, who live in Akure, some 310 kilometres north of Lagos, to ask if they had seen him. His parents had not seen him in months before then. They were terrified. But as deeply devout Christians. they prayed and hoped that something terrible had not happened to him. They checked with his siblings who were in Lagos at the time, but no one had a clue of his whereabouts. The Adesuyis searched for Oluwaseyi at police stations and other places they thought he might be for several days without success. It is better for ones child to die than be missing, Elizabeth Adesuyi, Oluwaseyis mother, said. Despite the unsuccessful search, she was relentless. She prayed and fasted. Some days later, her prayers were answered. Someone suggested they should check at the SARS office at Ikeja. They did and found his name on a register of arrested suspects. But at that point, their luck ran out of steam. We asked to see him. We wanted to know what happened, nobody spoke to us. We were going there every day, but nobody spoke with us. But since they said he was with them, we knew that he was alive, Mrs Adesuyi said. The family said the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) handling Oluwaseyis case was identified by an alias: Jamaica, which most of his colleagues called him. Members of SARS hardly wear the conventional police uniform. They are mostly dressed in mufti or branded SARS T-shirts and vests without name tags. They said this person you are looking for is an armed robber. Just for us to see him, they said no way. Till today weve never seen him, she said. Swindled by a police officer Several weeks after the familys repeated visits to SARS office without being allowed to see Oluwaseyi, Mrs Adesuyi received a call from a man who said he was detained in the same cell as Oluwaseyi but for a different offence. The man told Mrs Adesuyi that as he was being released from detention, Oluwaseyi had begged him to call his family. He also instructed them to speak with one of the officers at SARS office, who he believed will help secure his release from detention. So, we called the number they gave us, and the man said he will help us. But he said that the phone they sold was an armed robber that got it and the vehicle he got, it was an armed robber that owns it, she said. Oluwaseyis parents, Elizabeth and Joel Adesuyi She said the policeman who did not identify himself, demanded a bribe of N200,000.00, to help them secure the release of their son. They said because they were desperate to see Oluwaseyi they paid. But after paying, the policeman tried to squeeze them for more money. When they could not afford the money, he stopped answering their calls and started giving them the runaround. Eventually, his number became unavailable. They later learned that the policeman had retired. A mothers cry for help As her tired voice cracks with emotion over the phone, Mrs Adesuyi reminisced about her son, wondering what has become of him. She said of all her children, Oluwaseyi was most easy going but added that he has always tried to make something out of his life. He is gentle. He doesnt fight. He is my third son. He was attending Adeniran Ogunsanya, but little time he said no mommy, he was no longer going. That was how he got himself involved in buying and selling. Both me and his daddy we had no interest in it. We didnt like that he was even selling things at Alaba. But he said they get things from China they bring it in and they buy from them, she said. She said they just want to behold her son again. God says he is not dead, and I believe him. What we want if for us to trace him to any prison yard so that I will go and see him. That is all I want, she said. We have no records of arrested suspects SARS When this reporter visited the SARS office at Ikeja, where Oluwaseyi was last seen, for information about his whereabouts, he was told there was no way of knowing. FSARS used to illustrate the story The head of SARS in Lagos, Peter Gana, a chief superintendent of police, said he only resumed this July and that he was the fifth head of the unit since 2013. I cannot help you because you dont have the name of the officers in charge of the case at the time, he said. When asked to check the units record since the name of the suspect was known, Mr Gana said the unit did not keep proper records of arrests. Proper records of arrest are not kept. If I take you to were statements are kept you will see that everything is placed on the floor and on top each other. Some of them are even soaked with water. The incident happened five years ago. Even if we see the file, I am sure it would be unreadable; water would have made the ink unreadable, he said. Mr Gana explained that he makes copies of cases he is directly involved in and takes them to his house because of the poor storage facility at the SARS office. He further explained how the unit could not find the record of a case that was investigated in February 2018 before he resumed. Mr Gana, however, suggested that this reporter should reach out to the head of SARS in the state in 2013, Abba Kyari, for information about Oluwaseyis whereabouts. When reached for comments, Abba Kyra, who is now in charge of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team, said he cannot remember the case in question. Wallahi I cant remember anything. Its a long time. Why didnt they look for him (a) long time ago until now? he asked in an SMS. When told the efforts the Adesuyis put to see Oluwaseyi, he did not reply. SARS was set up as a unit of the police to combat some of the most violent crimes in the country. However, the unit has endeared to itself a notoriety that is hard to shake-off due to the highhandedness of its officers. SARS operatives have been accused of harassment, extortion, torture and serial extrajudicial killings and other human right abuses. Last August, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was virtually forced to order an overhaul of the units operations following weeks of social media-driven protest, tagged #EndSARS, calling on the government to scrap the units. A rigged criminal justice system Segun Awosika, an activist who played a leading role in the #EndSARS campaign, told PREMIUM TIMES that the disappearance of Oluwaseyi highlights the problem with the criminal justice system in Nigeria. This just proves how dangerous the path is to having proper policing in a country such as Nigeria. A country with so much population and so much risk in terms of policing to the extent that people disappear at will and nobody cares. You cannot even time documents, you cant even trace anything and get to an accountable process of identifying what could have probably happened to anybody. This puts everybody in danger. If a guy was picked on the streets or under the bridge today for doing nothing, just for roaming; he can be mixed-up with hardened criminals and killed within 24 hours and nobody will be able to trace him because there is no paperwork. So, the criminal justice system by itself is dangerously rigged to the point where nobody is safe, he said. He said the best way to solve the problem is a sincere reform of the police that includes a custody management system that will ensure that people arrested by the police do not disappear without a trace. The reform that we are looking at must be holistic to the point where we have what they called custody management system where nobody would be detained without a proper record that anybody can trace from anywhere and that is the future for policing in Nigeria, he said. The 2018 ranking on terrorism is out and Nigeria, for the fourth consecutive year, occupies the third position among the countries worst hit by terrorism, globally, because of the activities of Boko Haram and herdsmen. Apart from 2014 when it was ranked fourth, Nigeria has remained in the unenviable third position in the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) ranking since 2015. In the latest report released on Wednesday, Iraq, a country in the Middle-East, is ranked first, a position it has held since 2014. Afghanistan has ranked second since 2013. Syria and Pakistan are ranked fourth and fifth respectively. Others among the top 10 countries worst hit by terrorism in 2017 are Somalia (sixth), India (seventh), Yemen (eighth), Egypt (ninth), and Philippines (10th). The good news, however, is that there has been a reduction in the number of deaths caused by terrorism in Nigeria in 2017, just like the other three preceding years, according to the report When compared to the peak of terrorist deaths in 2014, the largest falls in the number of deaths occurred in Iraq, Nigeria, and Pakistan, with falls of 6,466, 5,950, and 912 deaths respectively, said the 2018 GTI report. The report said deaths from terrorism in Nigeria fell to 1,532 in 2017, a decrease of 16 per cent from the prior year. There were 63 per cent and 34 per cent drop in deaths in the country in 2016 and 2015 respectively, according to the report. This highlights the effectiveness of the counter-insurgency operations undertaken in Nigeria and its neighbours, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, the report said, adding that the world has also experienced a drop in deaths from terrorism in 2017. The GTI, while analysing global trends in terrorism in 2017, described the reduction in deaths in Nigeria and Iraq the most dramatic. Boko Haram attacks, the report said, have substantially reduced in Chad and other neighbouring countries; and Al-Shabaab, in 2017, overtook Boko Haram as the deadliest terror group in Sub-Saharan Africa. The GTI report raised concern over the killings by herdsmen, saying terrorism was shifting from Nigerias North-east region to the countrys Middle-Belt. In Nigeria in 2018, there has been a dramatic increase in violence involving Fulani extremists even as deaths committed by Boko Haram are falling, the report said. In 2018 alone, deaths committed by nomadic Fulani herders are estimated to be six times greater than the number committed by Boko Haram. In 2017, 327 terrorism deaths across Nigeria and Mali were reportedly committed by Fulani extremists, along with 2,501 additional deaths in the three years prior with the vast majority of these deaths being civilians. While deaths (killings) committed by Fulani extremists decreased following the peak of 1,169 deaths in 2014, violence from the group in 2018 is expected to surpass that peak. Nearly 1,700 violent deaths have been attributed to the Fulani Ethnic Militia from January to September 2018. An estimated 89 per cent of those killed were civilians, the report said. According to the report, two, out of 20 most fatal terrorist attacks, occurred in Nigeria. One was on March 20, 2017, when assailants identified as Fulani extremists opened fire at a market in Zaki Ibiam, Benue State, killing 73 people. The other was on July 25, 2017, when Boko Haram terrorists opened fire on a Frontier Exploration Services team convoy at Jibi, killing 60 people. The GTI, which is in its sixth edition, is produced annually by the Institute for Economics & Peace, an independent, non-partisan, non-profit think tank with offices in Sydney, New York, and Mexico City. The GTI monitores and measures the impacts of terrorism in 163 countries, which covers 99.7 per cent of the worlds population. The GTI uses total number of terrorist incidents, total number of fatalities caused by terrorists, total number of injuries caused by terrorists, a measure of the total property damage from terrorist incidents in a given year to arrive at its ranking. The Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) code-named Operation Delta Safe said on Thursday that it freed seven kidnapped oil workers of a multi-national firm. The agency also said it destroyed no fewer than 436 illegal refineries in the Niger-Delta region. John Agim, acting director, Defence Information, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa capital. Mr Agim, a brigadier-general, said the task force identified active militant camps at Okparakiri, Sanikiri and Okporama communities, and on a tip-off, arrested suspected sea robbers and cultists terrorising Abonnema-Buguma in Rivers waterways. Seven Nigerian Agip Oil Company maintenance workers kidnapped while carrying out an assessment of a blasted wellhead in Azuama in Southern Ijaw Local Government of Bayelsa were rescued and released un-armed, he said. We have also recovered several dangerous items such as 230 different types of arms, 240 assorted ammunition, 11 barges, 101 outboard engines, 135 pumping machines from the criminals, he added. The general said that the illegal refineries were destroyed in the operation carried out from October to-date which was named Operation 777. He said the task force also arrested 266 persons for alleged various offences and handed them over to the appropriate government agencies for prosecution. The force has nabbed a suspected notorious militant kingpin, Gift Apollo aka Thousand whose gang is responsible for the attack and death of soldiers deployed to Abua/Oduma Creeks between Rivers and Bayelsa State. The operation has helped in destroying about 436 illegal refineries, 609 boats, 1,507 surface tanks and 1,538 drums used for illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta region. The operation has also recorded several significant achievements by men and officers of the JTF. Anti-illegal bunkering and illegal refining operation was carried out in Okaka community in Bayelsa State which has become notorious for crude oil theft and illegal refining, he said. Suleiman Apochi, the commander, Operation Delta Safe, said with the operation of the JTF in the region, the level of vandalism in oil infrastructures had drastically dropped. The efforts of the security agencies in the Niger Delta, coupled with dialogue led by the federal government, have ensured steady production and export of Nigerian crude from the region. In the past, activities of militants and armed groups in the region reduced Nigerias crude production by as much as 50 per cent. Nigeria currently exports about 1.8 million barrels of crude daily although it has an OPEC (Oil Producing and Exporting Countries) quota of about 2.1 million barrels. However, OPEC members are currently discussing a slash in production and Nigeria is one of the countries expected to have a reduction in its production quota. President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja from Poland, where he participated in the opening of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Katowice. While in Poland, Mr Buhari delivered his national address at the 12-day meeting of COP24, and met with several world leaders. He also visited the impressive Nigerian pavilion at the climate summit. The president, on Tuesday, visited the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum, in Oswiecim, Poland where he paid tribute to Holocaust victims. Before leaving the Museum, which included the Nazi concentration camps Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, Mr Buhari fielded questions from State House Correspondents travelling with him. The president described those fanning embers of discord in Nigeria as illiterates and ignorant. Mr Buhari held bilateral meeting with Swiss President Alain Berset, President of Poland, Andrzej Duda and the Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki as well as his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Van der Bellen. The Nigerian leader also met with Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte and both leaders followed up on their past discussions, during their last meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, in July, which centred on trade, investments and partnerships in agriculture. The president welcomed the proposal by the Dutch Prime Minister to visit Abuja soon and promised that the Nigerian government would continue to provide a conducive business environment for existing and prospective Dutch investors. Mr Buhari also met with the Prime Minister of Estonia, Juri Ratas. The prime minister of the Northern European country sought Nigerias support on its bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for 2020 to 2021. Mr Buhari also attended a town-hall meeting with Nigerians in Poland, a day after his arrival in the country, where he dismissed as wicked, the cloning allegation against him, saying Its real me, I assure you. I will soon celebrate my 76th birthday and I will still go strong. The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Lanre Tejuosho, has warned of dangers ahead for Nigeria if it does not control its population growth. He called on the executive to release the additional one million dollars meant for Family Planning services. Mr Tejuosho (APC-Ogun) made the call during the 5th Nigeria Family Planning Conference on Thursday in Abuja. He said FP is a major contributor in the progress of Nigeria, saying it will help reduce the nations populace. If we continue to allow the families to grow, it means we are heading to doom. The most important thing is the green dot and every woman should be encouraged to walk into any outlet with the green dot to access FP services, he said. The lawmaker also said that it was important for the nation to improve on its FP purposes in order to reach its full potential. He added that investment in FP was one of the smartest investments in achieving demographic dividend. Mr Tejuosho further said that access to FP services would help reduce mortality rates in society. He, therefore, admonished the government, private sector and stakeholders to improve on the accessibility of FP products. (NAN) A Wuse II Magistrates Court, Abuja on Thursday admitted civil activist and Coordinator of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, to bail in the sum of N500,000. Mr Adeyanju was remanded by the court on Tuesday, following his arraignment on charges of cyber-stalking, inciting disturbance and criminal defamation by the police. In a ruling, Magistrate Idiat Akanni said the offence the defendant allegedly committed is bailable. Mrs Akanni ordered the defendant to produce two sureties with like sum each as bail bond. The magistrate added that the sureties must be civil servants of not less than Grade Level 12, and must produce and utility bill. NAN recalls that Mr Adeyanju got into trouble with the authorities when he led a protest to the police headquarters on November 28. He and his group had stormed the force headquarters with a banner bearing the inscription: Police are not politicians; this rally is about saving democracy. The protesters were calling on the police and other security agents to be non-partisan, especially as the 2019 general elections approach. He was arrested alongside two other campaigners, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams, and arraigned before the Karshi Magistrates Court, which remanded them in the Keffi Prisons in Nasarawa State. The accused persons were charged with criminal conspiracy, public nuisance, disturbance of public peace and threat to public security and safety, criminal defamatory and derogatory conduct against constituted authority. They were granted bail by the presiding magistrate, Aliu Kagarko and were bailable to perfect the bail conditions on December 3. However, while Messrs Abobama and Williams were released, Mr Adeyanju was re-arrested by the police and arraigned on the new charges. The case is adjourned until January 17, for hearing. (NAN) A member of the NKST Church has accused a pastor of the church, Terlanga Unongu, of causing confusion in his relationship with his wife, Wandoo Daagu. Tertsea Daagu stated this during his defence in a divorce case brought against him by his wife before a Makurdi Upper Area Court. I have never beaten my wife or accused her of adultery; it was my wife that admitted before our NKST Church Committee that she committed adultery with one Rev Terlanga Unongu, a pastor of the church. In 2007, she confessed to having an intimate affair with the pastor when the church committee took up the matter. I have the evidence with me written in Tiv language. Though the committee could not give an appropriate resolution, we appealed to the general synod where a resolution was passed. He denied ever beating the woman and claimed she left his house with the approval of her father. Mr Daagu said that he was not opposed to divorce, adding that he was also not opposed to his wife having full access to their three kids. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Daagu had petitioned the court to dissolve the marriage, citing alleged brutality and unnecessary accusations of infidelity. Mrs Daagu, who said she married her husband according to the Tiv Native Laws and Customs at Amua, Gaav in Konshisha Local Government Area in 2000, told the court that there was no longer love between them. We have three children; after nursing our last daughter, my husband started accusing me of being unfaithful. He kept attacking me and would be beating me up at the slightest provocation. I reported this cruelty to his parents, but instead of intervening, they took sides with him, she said. She said she left his house in 2008 when the cruelty became unbearable. Since I left his house, my husband has never visited me or my parents to discuss our issue. He has no respect for my parents, she said. She urged the court to dissolve the marriage and grant her full access to their three children. The judge, Adole Akintomide, adjourned the case to December 14 for judgment. (NAN) The National Population Commission (NPC) says that about 70 per cent of children born in Nigeria are not registered. Musa Rashid, the director of the commission in Bauchi, made the disclosure on Thursday at an ongoing sensitisation workshop on Birth Registration in Bauchi. The director explained that only 30 per cent of pregnant women visited health centers to deliver their babies, leaving the remaining 70 per cent having their babies at home. About 70 per cent of children in Nigeria are not registered, this is because just 30 per cent of pregnant women go to health facilities to give birth and that affects birth registration, he said. Mr Rashid decried that majority of unregistered children are drawn from the rural areas, owing to poor awareness about birth registration in the communities. Majority of people in the rural areas are unaware of the importance of birth registration, and this why we have many unregistered children in our rural communities. This is the rationale for this sensitisation workshop; to educate you media practitioners so you will in turn create awareness to improve birth registration in our communities, he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop is organised by the Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with NpopC. The essence of the sensitisation workshop is to train journalists on ways to create awareness on the need for parents to register their children at births. NAN also reports that the workshop had participants from Plateau, Gombe and Bauchi states. (NAN) The Selection Committee of the Daily Trust African of the Year, headed by former President of Botswana, Festus Mogae, has chosen a group of five Kenyan schoolgirls as winners of the African of the Year for 2018. Stacy Owino, Purity Achieng, Ivy Akinyi, Synthia Otieno and Macrine Atieno, from the western Kenyan city of Kisumu, were selected out of several dozen nominees, for developing a mobile application called I-cut. The application has become a very useful tool in the war against Female Genital Mutilation, (FGM). Although FGM is illegal in Kenya, it is still widely practised in the country and many other countries in Africa and around the world. United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] estimates that one in four Kenyan women and girls have undergone FGM, which involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia. UNICEF also said 200 million girls and women around the world have been subjected to FGM, which it described as a range of procedures that can cause extreme physical and psychological pain, prolonged bleeding, HIV, infertility and death. The five girls, aged 15 to 17, call themselves the Restorers. As one of them, Synthia Otieno, said, they adopted the name because they want to restore hope to hopeless girls. I-cut is a slick mobile application that connects girls at risk of circumcision with rescue centres. It also gives legal and medical help to those who have been subjected to FGM. The Restorers are partnering with several non-governmental organisations in their mission to eradicate FGM. They were Africas only representatives at Googles 2017 Technovation Challenge which took place in Silicon Valley, California, USA. The winners of the award will be honoured at a ceremony in Abuja, Nigeria in January 2019. The programme was started by Daily Trust Newspaper, eleven years ago. The first winner was the Congolese surgeon, Dennis Mukwege, who recently won the Nobel Peace Prize. Winners of the African of the Year award get $USD 25,000 prize money in addition to a specially made plaque. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has distanced itself from Wednesdays endorsement of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar by Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) as a consensus candidate for 2019 presidential election. SDP National Publicity Secretary, Mohammed Alfa who disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja, said the party already has a candidate, Donald Duke, whose name had been submitted to INEC for the 2019 election. Mr Alfa said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party would meet next week to take a position on the issue. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), on Wednesday announced that it had endorsed Mr Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the 2019 presidential election. Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesman of the group, who announced the endorsement, said Mr Abubakar is the coalitions consensus candidate. The SDP publicity secretary, however, said that the attention of the party had been drawn to the statement issued on the endorsement. We want to enjoin the general public, SDP faithful, especially all our candidates to carry on with their campaigns effectively, irrespective of the development. We assure you that the SDP National Working Committee (NWC) will meet and issue (an) appropriate statement on the matter next week. The SDP is one of the 39 opposition parties that formed CUPP in July 2018 with the aim of producing a presidential candidate that can defeat the ruling party All Progressive Congress (APC) in the 2019 election with the aim of forming a government of national unity. (NAN) Utitofon Ukpong, a blogger in Akwa Ibom State, Nigerias South-south, was on Wednesday released on bail at a magistrate court in Uyo after spending two days in police detention. Mr Ukpong publishes a popular blog, Sitippe Ke Akwa Ibom, which focuses on the happenings around Akwa Ibom state. He was arrested on Monday and detained at the police headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia, for allegedly publishing defamatory materials against a senator and former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, his lawyers told PREMIUM TIMES. He was granted bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum showing evidence of ownership of property within the jurisdiction of the court, after the Chief Magistrate, Effiong Effiong, listened to the charge and the arguments from the prosecution and the defence counsels. The case was adjourned to December 21 for trial. Lawyers to the blogger told PREMIUM TIMES his arrest was a case of mistaken identity. Instead of letting him go with apologies, the police detained him while a fresh petition was quickly authored against him, Ewa Okpo Edmund, one of the lawyers to the blogger, said. Mr Edmund said the blogger was arraigned after much pressure was exerted on the police by his lawyers and the press community in Akwa Ibom. I cannot be intimidated or blackmailed. Whatever a man sows, that shall he reap, Mr Ukpong wrote on Facebook, shortly after regaining his freedom. The blogger was represented in court by Abasiodiong Ekpenyong, Toyo Jimmy, Ekanem Morgan, Ewa Okpo Edmund, and Ini Emembong, who is a lawyer, as well as the spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom. General Electric (GE), a digital industrial company, has unveiled an electronic learning (e-Iearning) portal for its Lagos Garage advanced manufacturing training programme. The portal was inaugurated on Thursday in Lagos, during GEs Lagos Garage Week 2018, a year-end series of events held annually at the Lagos Garage. Speaking at the portal inauguration, Patricia Obozuwa, Director, Communications and Public Affairs, GE Africa, said that the aim of the portal was to extend the training programme to thousands of Nigerians across the country. Ms Obozuwa said that the e-learning portal was in line with GEs commitment to skills development and the empowerment of entrepreneurs in Nigeria. She expressed pleasure at the continued success of the Lagos Garage since inception. Our goal is to empower Nigerian entrepreneurs with the relevant skills required to compete on a global scale. I am happy to say that so far, over 250 people have successfully graduated from the advanced manufacturing training programme we offer here at the Garage, Ms Obozuwa said. The Communication Director said that with the portal, GE planned to reach 1,000 entrepreneurs every year. She said that with the e-learning platform, interested entrepreneurs no longer had to be physically present at the Garage to benefit from the innovative training offered by the hub. This platform will make the training on offer at our GE hub reach a much wider audience than ever before, thus increasing the number of beneficiaries and making it more impactful. This has always been our goal, to reach the maximum number of Nigerian entrepreneurs in a short period, delivering valuable training that they would otherwise not have access to, Obozuwa said. She said that since 2016, the permanent installation of the Lagos Garage is a hub for advanced manufacturing-based innovation, strategy development, idea generation and collaboration. Ms Obozuwa said that the Garage offered year-round series of skills training programmes, focused on building the next generation of Nigerian entrepreneurs. Till date, 250 entrepreneurs have graduated from the programme, having been trained to use the latest in advanced manufacturing technologies; 3D printers, CNC mills, and laser cutters, as well as in business development. During Garage week, GE opens up its innovation hub to the public for interested entrepreneurs to register for carefully curated courses in advanced manufacturing and business development. Courses on offer introduce participants to principles of 3-D printing and rapid prototyping, as well as a range of business development skills in Finance, Personal Branding, Marketing and Innovation. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the e-learning portal is an idea to create more social experience while learning. In 2019, GE plans to select 500 entrepreneurs to run the online programmes for six weeks, then 50 will be picked for physical training. Hakeem Fahm, the Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, said that the government was creating an enabling environment for science and technology to grow. Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Olukayode Ogunnubi, Mr Fahm said that earlier in the year, 22 entrepreneurs were taken to Washington DC for training, in areas of science and technology. (NAN) Ahead of the 2019 general election, the Not Too Young To Run group has said it would organise a conference to prepare and mentor youth who have emerged candidates in their various political parties, across the nation. This was disclosed at a press briefing on Wednesday. Ibrahim Faruk of the Not Too Young To Run, a campaign which seeks to reduce the age limit for running for elected offices in Nigeria and globally, said the gathering would have a 12-talk session and six master classes and is scheduled to hold from December 10 to 12, 2018 at the Shehu Musa YarAdua Centre, Abuja. The conference, tagged The Convergence: Power, Capacity, Politics, aims to equip the young candidates to build their network and competence with the right attitude and values, which would enable them deliver good governance and quality representation in Nigeria. The candidates were selected from 91 registered political parties. Four hundred young candidates are expected to attend the conference. The convergence is the largest gathering of youth candidates drawn from 91 registered political parties. 400 youths candidates are expected to attend this conference, he said. It would have 30 speakers, which include countries in Africa, with leaders with inspiring stories how they emerged the winner at their elections, he added. He also explained that the selected candidates were beneficiaries from the legislative bill passed by the National Assembly. Most of them are direct beneficiaries of the Not Too Young To Run legislation passed by the National Assembly, he said. At the event, Ernest Ereke, an official of the organisation, said the youth would be exposed to how to be able to use crowd funding to make funds and they would also be exposed to the legal framework that govern elections. There would also be enlightenment on campaign funding, so they would know that there are certain areas they are not supposed to accept funds as well as the ways they are to accepts funds he added. A member of the movement and founder of Connected Development (CODE), Hamzat Lawal, explained how the Not Too Young selected over 400 youth who emerged flag bearers of their political parties. As you may be aware, INEC has yet to publish the list of candidates, but we (Not Too Young To Run) also launched the ready to run platform and the platform has profiled young people. When I say young people, I mean below 35 years. We selected 400 people from the ready to run platform, he said. The Director-General of the Defence Research and Development Bureau, Abuja, Jumo Osahor, says the Armed Forces of Nigeria need about N9 billion to provide military boots annually to meet soldiers kitting needs. Mr Osahor, an air vice marshal, stated this on Thursday in a paper he delivered at the Third Annual National Conference organised by the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists of Nigeria (SLTCN) at the Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST), Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the conference is: The Contributions of Leather Science, Technology and Innovation to the Nigerian Economy and National Security. NAN also reports that the Commandant spoke on: Indigenous Leather Production and Military Kitting: The Armed Forces of Nigeria Perspective. The Armed Forces of Nigeria will require about N9 billion to provide a pair of work shoes and boots for each soldier. The amount will double if we are to provide two pairs each per soldier every year. This huge sum of money if channelled to the indigenous leather industry will go a long way in revamping the sector and improving our national economy as well as security forces and provide jobs to our teeming youths. However, the leather industry in Nigeria is yet to take advantage of the huge potential that exists in the military leather requirements of the AFN. He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force all utilise leather materials as part of their military kitting. These range from service shoes to combat boots among others. With strength of over 200,000 personnel, the requirement for shoes and boots is quite enormous especially with the requirement of at least two pairs of shoes and boots each per person per year. This translates to about more than half a million pairs of leather wares that could be provided through indigenous leather production industry yearly. At an estimated cost of N30,000.00 for a pair of quality working shoes (Bates) and N15,000.00 for combat boots, Declaring the conference open, the Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, gave the assurance that the ministry would partner with any professional body interested in any research field that would enhance the growth and diversification of the economy. The minister, who was represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Institute Of Leather and Science Technology, Eucharia Ngozi-Oparah, urged the participants to deliberate effectively on topical issues that would address the challenges in the leather industry. He stressed the need for effective deliberation particularly in areas where the economy would be improved through value addition of leather and leather products. Earlier, the National President, SLTCN, Solomon Tanko, said the essence of the conference was for professionals to deliberate and brainstorm on prospects and contributions of leather to national growth and development. He described the leather industry as strategic in view of its importance and critical role in the diversification of the nations economy. Mr Tanko observed that leather and leather related products were key to industrial growth that would certainly pave way for jobs opportunities and wealth creation. The president appealed to participants to avail themselves of the opportunity to improve their knowledge and professional skills to take Nigeria to greater heights. (NAN) Members of the House of Representatives have approved June 12 as Nigerias new Democracy Day. The members approved this on Thursday while considering a report on A Bill for an Act to Amend the Public Holidays Act, Cap. P40, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to bring the Act in tandem with the current realities and exigencies of the modern times and to declare June, 12 as Democracy Day in Nigeria and for Related Matters. Considering the report at the plenary, the lawmakers approved the amendments to three clauses in the Act, as recommended in the report. The clause carrying May 29 as democracy day was amended to June 12. President Muhammadu Buhari had in June, directed that the nations Democracy Day will, henceforth, hold on June 12 of every year as against the current arrangement where the ceremony holds on May 29. He also honoured te winner of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election, Moshood Abiola, with the highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic. The lawmakers saw the need to give the declaration a legal backing, hence the introduction of the bill by Edward Pwajok (Plateau, APC). The Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrates Court in Abuja on Thursday freed Deji Adeyanju on bail, two days after the political activist was arraigned on a petition filed by Chief of Army Staff Tukur Buratai. The bail terms set by Idayat Akanni, the magistrate, included two level-12 civil servants and N500,000 bond. Ariyo-Dare Atoye, Mr Adeyanjus friend, told PREMIUM TIMES Ms Akannis conditions were somewhat liberal, and were immediately met within minutes. Everything is now in order, he has been released and we have driven off to a restaurant for celebration, Mr Atoye said. This was a victory for democracy, one which was attained not only through the remarkable perseverance of Mr Adeyanju but also the resolve of Nigerians not to cave in in the face of tyranny. Mr Adeyanju, a former Peoples Democratic Party strategist, was arraigned before Ms Akanni on Mr Buratais charges of defamation incitement and cyberstalking on November 4. In a hearing which lasted a few minutes, the magistrate ordered Mr Adeyanju be remanded at Keffi Prison, about 40 minutes drive from Abuja, until November 6 when his application for bail would be heard. The police filed the charges against Mr Adeyanju based on a petition from Mr Buratai, which said the political activist has used his social media accounts to promote Boko Haram insurgency and dampen the moral of Nigerian troops on the frontlines. cyberstalking, defamation and incitement. There were initial reports that the police may prosecute Mr Adeyanju for aiding terrorism, this appeared to have been abruptly dropped for a more civil matter. Still, precisely how Mr Buratai was affected by Mr Adeyanjus social media conduct was not discussed when the matter was first heard on Tuesday or at the bail hearing today. Ms Akanni adjourned further hearing on the matter to January 27, 2019. Mr Adeyanjus arraignment before Ms Akanni comes hours after he was freed from the prison in Keffi after fulfilling bail conditions set on a separate trial brought by the police. But the police laid a siege around the prison, arresting Mr Adeyanju as soon as he emerged and holding him in their custody until arraigning him at about 4:38 p.m. on November 4. It was on November 28 that the police first arrested Mr Adeyanju and two others and arraigned them on allegations raging from public disturbance to criminal defamation. The activists were holding a protest to demand strict neutrality of security chiefs, whom they accused of exhibiting over partisanship ahead of general elections next February. Police spokesperson Jimoh Moshood said Mr Adeyanjus activities on social media, which portrayed the institution and its leaders in bad light, have been documented and would be used as exhibit in his trial. President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja said he understood the yearnings of Nigerians and strongly believed in the collective dream for a greater country, assuring that all will be done to ensure that results of 2019 elections reflect the will of the people. Receiving letter of credence from the Ambassador of Finland to Nigeria, Jyrki Juhani Pulkkinen, President Buhari said Nigerians reserved the right to elect leaders at various levels in 2019, and all efforts will be made to safeguard the integrity of the process. I respect the peoples feelings, he said, I assure all that we will have a free and fair election next year. The president congratulated Finland on its 101th independence anniversary, December 6, and commended the growing relations with Nigeria, especially in areas of Information Communication Technology (ICT), trade and education. In his remarks, the ambassador said the areas of mutual benefit in relations with Nigeria can be extended to electricity, smart technology and crises management initiatives, pointing out that he will work hard to improve the trade figures and exchanges. We will like to contribute to Africa rising, and we know that Nigeria is the biggest country on the continent, so we are very interested in the growth of Nigeria, he said. At the level of the United Nations, Pulkkinen said his country will continue to support the restructuring of the multilateral institution to give greater roles to African countries like Nigeria. President Buhari, who also received letter of Credence from the Ambassador of France, Jerome Pasquier, said French President Emmanuel Macrons visit to Nigerias capital, Abuja, and the stopover in Lagos, was really impressive in bolstering both countries relations. The president said he was impressed with the relations between France and its former colonies in Africa, noting that France continues to play positive roles in promoting security and economic growth in the countries. France is investing so much in Nigeria and we are grateful, he added. President Buhari, however, called for more support in the fight against terrorism as the networks keep expanding with fighters moving across borders to support insurgents. Responding, the French ambassador said President Macron will continue to support Nigeria, especially in the ongoing war against terrorism, with specific interest in gathering and sharing of intelligence. He commended the President for Nigerias role in resolving the crisis in Togo and Guinea Bissau. President Buhari equally received Letter of Credence from the Ambassador of Czech Republic, Marek Skolil, assuring him of improved economic relations in areas like solid minerals exploration. Skolil said his country will continue to support Nigerias military in the fight against terrorism in the North East. Nigeria is a very important country for us. We look forward to stronger ties, particularly with the armed forces, he added. The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday urged Nigerians not to believe in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) again because President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to fulfil the promises he and the party made in 2015. Mr Abubakar said this while addressing PDP supporters at the opening of the South West campaign of the party at the ancient Mapo Hall in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. At the event were the National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus, Mr Atikus running mate, Peter Obi, Senate President Bukola Saraki, former governors of Ekiti and Cross Rivers, Ayodele Fayose and Liyel Imoke respectively, and governorship candidates of the party in Lagos and Oyo states, Jimi Agbaje and Seyi Makinde. Also at the event were the candidate of the party in the 2018 Osun governorship election, Ademola Adeleke, the vice chairman of the party in the zone, Eddy Olafeso, former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, former governor of Osun, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and former Senate whip, Hosea Agboola. Mr Abubakar said President Buhari must not be returned next year because he has failed his campaign promises as he lamented the high level of hunger in Nigeria. Let me tell you that today, I said before you that within six months, we shall start the process of restructuring of this country. Ladies and gentlemen, I have lived here, so I am not a stranger. Mr Abubakar said he headed the best economic team in Nigeria between 1999 and 2003, adding that the prosperity enjoyed by Nigeria at the time will be returned to Nigeria in 2019. In the next two months, you will be required to choose your next president, please, take your decision carefully. The best democracy we enjoyed in Nigeria was under PDP. In 2015, APC promised 12 million jobs but today, we have not seen the jobs. Buhari has gone. Since the return of democracy in 1999, the best we have in Nigeria is during the PDP. The best education we have was during the PDP. My brothers and sisters, I stand before you, I promise, every one of you know that I chaired the best economic team in this country. If you give me this opportunity again we shall invest more in education. Nigeria is now the headquarters of poverty in the world. We shall return Nigeria to prosperity in 2019. When we get to government in 2019, we will continue to give you best education. One of the best policies for Nigeria is restructuring and we will do it when we get to government. Dont believe APC lies again. Within six months, we will reposition Nigeria. Dont sell your vote and dont sell your PVC. Buhari must go. Mr Secondus while speaking said Mr Buhari was not capable of ruling Nigeria again. With what we have seen here today, it is sure that our people in the Southwest want a change in government and Atiku is the only candidate who can rescue Nigeria at this time. Buhari is not fit to rule Nigeria again. By the grace of God, in February, we will stand to defend our votes and defeat Buhari. The hunger in the land is too much. There is hunger because Buhari is not aware of anything in government. His government has collapsed. This is the most corrupt government in the history of Nigeria. Where is our 25 billion dollars withdrawn from the NNPC account? Corruption has taken another dimension in Nigeria under Buhari. Poverty headquarters has relocated to Nigeria under Buhari. By the grace of God, Atiku is the next president of Nigeria. Mr Saraki in his remarks said the ruling APC made some promises but could not fulfil them. In 2015, APC promised security but could not do it. They promised to make food abundant but the price of rice is becoming higher daily. The only solution to our challenges is to vote Atiku as president. Mr Obi said Nigerians should elect Mr Abubakar if they want development. If you wants job, vote for Atiku. If you want development, vote Atiku. Atiku is the only solution to challenges we are facing Nigeria today. Mr Fayose who said he was very sure that President Buhari would not attend the presidential debate said PDP has won this election already. The only product we are selling is Atiku. The only candidate that can defeat anybody at debate. I am sure Buhari wont attend debate. But let me tell you that you have to defend your votes. By Gods grace, PDP will be announced winner next year elections. Mr Daniel said The 2019 election is family affairs. Atikus first wife is a Yoruba woman. He grew up and worked in Ibadan. With what we met here, it is obvious that our people have spoken that they will vote for PDP. The Minister of State for Environment, Usman Jibrin, has emerged as the 13th Emir of Nasarawa Town, Nasarawa Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. Mr Jibrin who has been overseeing the ministry since the exit of the former minister, Amina Mohammed, emerged as emir in a keen contest. His emergence was announced by the state commissioner for local governments and chieftaincy affairs, Illiya Osegba, at the government house, Lafia on Thursday. He said Governor Tanko Almakura approved the selection of Mr Jibril as the new emir. The governor also approved the selection of Lawrence Ayih as the new Abaga Toni of Toni Kingdom in Nasarawa State. The selection of the two traditional rulers by their various kingmakers has been ratified by the Nasarawa State Traditional Council of Chiefs. The commissioner said Governor Almakura expressed satisfaction with the maturity displayed by the kingmakers during the exercises. Mr Jibrin is expected to tender his resignation as a minister before assuming his new position as emir. The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has appointed new commanders for Operation Lafiya Dole, the military task force in the North-East. The Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. According to Usman, the newly promoted Major General, O.T. Akinjobi, Head of the Operations Monitoring Team at the Office of the Chief of Army Staff, has been appointed Commander, Sector 3, Operation LAFIYA DOLE. He said that Major General M.G. Ali, Commander, 9 Brigade, had been appointed Commander of the newly created Nigerian Army Special Forces Command. He said that Brigadier General B.R. Sinjen would command Integrated Fire Support, while Brigadier General F.O. Omoigui, had been moved from 2 Division, Nigerian Army to Army Headquarters Department of Training and Operations as Director of Operations. Mr Usman stated that the deployment moved Brigadier General T.A. Lagbaja to 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army as commander. Also affected, he said, was Brigadier General O.R. Aiyenigba, Director, Land Warfare, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, who had been assigned to Office of the Chief of Army Staff as Head of Operations Monitoring Team. According to Mr Usman, Brigadier General A.U. Kuliya is to take over as Director, Land Warfare at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College. Similarly, new Brigade Commanders have been appointed for some of the Brigades at Operation LAFIYA DOLE. These include Brig.-Gen. E.F. Oyinlola, 22 Brigade; Brig.-Gen. V.U. Okoro, 25 Task Force Brigade; Brig.-Gen. A.B. Mohammed, 26 Task Force Brigade and Brig.-Gen. A.O. Oyelade, 27 Task Force Brigade. Brig.-Gen. M.T. Usman, 28 Task Force Brigade and Brig.-Gen. M.G. Kangye, 37 Brigade. The army spokesman added that Brigadier General A.S. Ishaq had been appointed as Coordinator, Nigeria Police Force for Operation LAFIYA DOLE. He also announced that new commanders had been appointed for the various Army Headquarters Logistics Commands at the theatre. These include Brig.-Gen. A.G. Ibrahim, Brig.-Gen. P.N. Okeson and Brig.-Gen. O.A. Aminu, for Logistics Base I, II and III, respectively. Mr Usman said the posting affected several Commanding Officers of the various units in Operation LAFIYA DOLE. He said Mr Buratai had directed that all those affected by the posting must remain committed and fully in charge until they were properly relieved in line with standard operating procedures and military professional ethics. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Buratai had, shortly after decorating the newly-promoted senior officers on Thursday in Abuja, hinted that deployments were in the offing for them. (NAN) The Nigerian Army on Thursday said its troops had killed one Boko Haram insurgent and arrested two others in ongoing onslaught against the terrorists in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno. The Director, Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri on Thursday. He said that the troops also recovered weapons after dislodging the insurgents from their hideout in the area. Mr Usman said that troops of 117 Battalion, 28 Task Force Brigade on Tuesday launched an offensive against the insurgents at Yachida, Korongelen, Bombula and Forfor villages in Damboa. He explained that the troops engaged the insurgents in battle at Forfor on Tuesday, neutralized one of them and arrested two others while others escaped with gunshot wounds. The spokesman said that the troops collaborated with some members of Civilian Joint Task Force in the operation which followed a report on the presence of the suspected terrorists in a hideout. The Troops came in contact with the terrorists and engaged them at Forfor village. Mr Usman added that the gallant troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, a magazine, 21 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition, a 36-Hand Grenade, magazine pouch and a motorcycle. According to him, two soldiers sustained injuries and were evacuated to the 28 Task Force Brigade field ambulance for medical attention. (NAN) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appointed Rose Orianran-Anthony as its new secretary. This was made known in a press release by Festus Okoye, the national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, on Thursday. The Independent National Electoral Commission at its weekly regular meeting held today has approved the appointment of Mrs. Rose Orianran-Anthony as Secretary to the Commission for a four-year term with effect from 6h December 2018, the statement said. Mrs Orianran-Anthony, from Edo State, holds a degree in Language Arts from Ahmadu Bello University and a Masters degree in Public Communications and Public Relations from the University of Westminster, London. According to the release, she has spent 28 years at the commission, serving in various capacities including as public affairs officer, INEC website content manager and head of civil society liaison, before her promotion as director and subsequent posting as administrative secretary in Delta state. INEC LETTER OF APPOINTMENT The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre donated 140,468 bags of food to displaced victims of Boko Haram in Borno and Yobe states. The distribution of the donated items by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) began Wednesday at Teacher Village displaced persons camp in Maiduguri, Borno State. In his remarks at flag off, the Director General of the NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja, disclosed that 125,317 baskets of food items will be distributed to 33,343 households in designated camps and communities in Borno State for the next four months. Mr Maihaja commended the efforts of Minister of Defence, Mansur Ali, who, he said, facilitated food assistance to the North-east. A statement by NEMA spokesperson, Sani Datti, said that in Borno State, a total 125,372 bags of 25kg of rice and beans and 62,686 cartons of condiments; each containing 4kg semovita, 2 litres of vegetables oil, 29 sachets of tomatoes, 1kg of salt and 2 Sachets of seasoning are to be distributed directly through NEMA, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and other relevant bodies using vouchers system. Each household of six persons will get a food basket of 59.8kg for the period of one month, he said. He also said that in Yobe State, a total of 15,096 bags of 25kg of rice and beans with 7,548 condiments will be distributed to 3,774 households who have been identified to benefit from the gesture where the total food basket to be distributed was put at 225,685. The leader of the team, an Assistant Director of Emergency Aid From King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, Nasser Alsubaie, said the generous donation will benefit more than 840,000 internally displaced people in the North-east. He said the donation is a testimony of the humanitarian commitments by the centre. Saudi Arabia had early this year pledged to donate $10 million for capacity building to NEMA and relief assistance to the federal government in addressing the food crisis and resultant malnutrition caused by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east. The Supreme Court on Thursday struck out two applications by a sacked Benue legislator, Benjamin Nungwa, to reclaim his seat in the State House of Assembly on grounds of incompetence. In one of the motions, Mr Nungwa sought to set aside an Appeal Court judgment that sacked him as the Kwande West State Constituency representative. The second application, also struck out by the court, was a motion seeking leave of court to appeal the judgment that sacked him as a state lawmaker. The apex court presided over by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivo upheld the arguments of respondents counsel, Douglas Pepe, that all applications were incompetent and could not stand in court. The judge agreed that the particulars of the judgment the appellant sought to appeal were not contained in the application before the court. He, therefore, struck them out for being incompetent. Mr Pepe had in his submissions before the apex court averred that the application seeking stay of judgment was already before an appeal court in Makurdi, while the other seeking leave to appeal the appeal court judgment that sacked him was filed late. Responding to the arguments, appellants counsel, L.A Izabi, insisted that the application for stay of judgment was not an abuse of court process, arguing that he had already withdrawn that of the Appeal Court. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Court of Appeal delivered the verdict that sacked Mr Nungwa as a state legislator on September 2, in Makurdi. It upturned the judgment of the Federal High Court, Makurdi that previously affirmed him as the winner of Kwande West legislative seat. The court ordered Mr Nungwa to refund all monies earned during the period he occupied the legislative seat to Joseph Boko whom it acknowledged as the rightful occupant of the seat. The court also ordered the leadership of the Benue House of Assembly to immediately swear in Mr Boko as a replacement of Mr Nungwa. NAN recalls that the matter, which lasted more than three years, traversed courts of different judicial jurisdictions before justice was eventually served the litigant. The litigants claim had been unlawful substitution as a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Kwande West State Constituency election. Both Messrs Nungwa and Boko are members of the APC. (NAN) A Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, on Thursday nullified the election of Emeka Ibe as the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Uzochukwu Onyekwere, a member of the APC in Anambra and chairmanship aspirant had gone to court to contest the May 19 state elective congress that brought in Mr Ibe, over unlawful exclusion. Defendants in the suit were Okey Ezea, Rep. Kingsley Chinda, Chairman of the APC Congress Committee in Anambra, Mr Ibe, the acclaimed winner; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Mr Onyekwere told the court that he was a bona-fide member of APC and was entitled to aspire for the office the partys chairman in Anambra. He sought a declaration that the exercise was not conducted in accordance with the provisions of Section 223 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended and Article 20 of the APC constitution 2017 as amended. He said the intendment of those provisions was that all elections would be through democratic voting and that the exercise fell short of it. Mr Onyekwere sought a declaration that he would not be punished after seeking justice through the court and that the May 19, 2018 Anambra APC congress be set aside. In his over two hours ruling, Justice Bature Gafai dismissed the counter-affidavits of defendants which contended that the court did not have jurisdiction over the matter as it was an internal party affair. Mr Gafai said the plaintiff being a bonafide member of the party and having paid the mandatory nomination fee had the right to fair contest. He nullified the election into the APC chairmanship position and ordered a re-run which INEC should supervise. The judge who did not grant the damage of N100 million sought by the plaintiff however, did not give an order for the repeat of the election. But in a swift reaction, Tagbo Ike, counsel to the petitioner, applauded the court for the judgment and speedy dispensation of justice. Mr Ike, who described the election as a `sham, said it was sad that a few people sat and produced their stooges as consensus and harmonised candidates and forced them on the people. Mr Ike said he would convey judgment to the party hierarchy for appropriate action. The plaintiff, Mr Onyekwere, also lauded the court adding that he had been vindicated. Mr Onyekwere said he would go back and prepare for a congress election that would reflect the minds of the generality of party faithful. I thank God, if you must go to equity you have to go with clean hands, I have maintained that there was no congress in Anambra and the court has confirmed it. I will go and prepare, if I win, I win and if I lose I will be happy that justice has been served, he said. (NAN) The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) presidential candidate, John Gbor, says his administration would raise Nigerias education budget from seven to 26 per cent if elected in the 2019 general election. Mr Gbor made the commitment during the 2019 presidential/national assembly campaign flag-off of APGA at Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, Anambra State on Thursday. He said raising the education budget would fast-track the quest for all-round development of the country and open doors for various segments of the nation to fully develop. Mr Gbor said the APGA government under him would equally give priority to agriculture, security, youth and women empowerment. We will liberate Nigeria, rescue the youth and women from sufferings and set the country on the path of prosperity, he said. He, however, advised the supporters of the party to form a united front to enable the party to attain victory during the general election, saying as Biblical David with little stone, I am leading APGA to Aso Rock in 2019. Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra urged APGA faithful to support all the partys candidates across the nation, noting that it was possible to replicate the victory recorded during the state 2017 governorship election across the country in 2019. Victor Oye, the National Chairman of APGA, said the party was presenting two capable men as president and vice presidential candidates to the nation ahead of 2019 poll. Mr Oye said if Mr Gbor and his vice, Jerry Chukwueke, were elected, the duo had all it takes to transform the country into a great nation as well as return it to God. Victor Umeh, the senator representing Anambra Central, said supporting APGA would enable the country to achieve total restructuring. Mr Umeh appealed to APGA leadership to reach out to aggrieve members especially the wife of late Dim Ojukwu, whom he described as one that had contributed greatly to the growth of the party. Uchenna Okogbuo, the chairman of the campaign committee, explained that the party decided to field a presidential candidate in 2019 to right the wrongs of 2015 general election. He advised candidates of the party at all levels to shun campaign of calumny, character assassination, but focus on an issue-based campaign. NAN reports that Mr Oye used the event to hand over APGA flags to Mr Gbor, Mr Chukwueke and all national assembly candidates of the party in the 2019 general election. (NAN) The Nigerian government on Wednesday secured the vital pledge for support from host communities bordering the N220bn Second Niger Bridge, to guarantee the successful completion of construction on or before the scheduled February 2022 deadline. The bridge is a new construction of an 11.9 kilometres long, double three-lane highway designed to connect Asaba and Onitsha in Delta and Anambra States. A federal government project executed under the Presidential Infrastructural Development Plan (PIDP), the construction of the bridge is funded by the three tiers of government through the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), in collaboration with private investors. PIDP is an initiative of the present administration to accelerate the execution of critical, strategic infrastructure projects necessary to drive the rapid growth and modernization of Nigerias economy. Although the contract was awarded to Julius Berger PLC in October 2016 and construction work commenced in November 2017, progress has been slow due to a combination of issues, including funding. On Wednesday, the Managing Director/Chief Executive of NSIA, Uche Orji, said at the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe, that the government believed the second Niger Bridge is one of the strategic projects under PIDP vital to the transformation and development of the countrys South-East region and beyond. Mr Orji said he was visiting the royal majesty to pay his respects as part of his official visit to Anambra State to assess the level of progress on the execution of some of the ongoing PIPD projects. The NSIA boss assured the paramount ruler and the entire people of the region the federal government was committed to ensuring adequate funding of the bridge project to its completion, in view of its strategic importance to the growth of the countrys economy. We (NSIA) want to assure you, Your Royal Highness, of steady availability of funding for the completion of the 2nd Niger Bridge by February 2022. The federal government sees the completion of this bridge as the key to unlock the growth and economic development of the entire South-East region. That is why we solicit the complete support and cooperation with the government of the host communities on both sides of the bridge to provide a peaceful environment to ensure the completion of the project on schedule, Mr Orji said. He identified the other four projects funded by the NSIA under the PIDP to include the rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion of the 127km Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, to connect the countrys northern region, and the modernization of 370 km Abuja Kano Expressway. The other projects include the construction of the 3,050 megawatts (MW) hydroelectric power project in Sarduana Local Government of Taraba State, and the construction of 30km dual-carriage East West Road from Oron in Akwa Ibom through to Calabar in Cross River. These five projects are critical to the economic development and advancement of not only the South-East region but the entire countrys economic growth, he said. He said funding for these projects has been structured deliberately to eliminate risks attributable to cost variation, to guarantee their speedy implementation and timely completion to deliver value to the people. According to him, on completion, the bridge would operate on a tolling system to enable NSIA repay the money injected by investors in financing its construction. In his response, Igwe Achebe expressed gratitude to the president, Muhammadu Buhari and his administration for the commitment to see to the completion of the project after years of promises by previous administrations. The royal father said the people of the region believe the completion of the bridge would positively impact their economic and social life. In pledging the full support of the host communities bordering the project, Igwe Achebe urged the contractors, especially Julius Berger to ensure more employment opportunities were given to indigenes of the area in the course of the project execution. In his remarks, the project director, Freidrich Josef Weiser, said the current execution status of the project is at about 16 percent completion stage. Mr Weiser promised the commitment of Julius Berger to deploy its capacity to deliver the project in record time. We will work hard to deliver the project by end of February 2022, he said. The Igwe, alongside members of his cabinet, later joined the NSIA team on a visit to the construction sites where he was given a full briefing on the project. Alleged billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, on Wednesday, told an Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos that he was coerced into signing incriminating statements by the police. Evans, as he is popularly known, told Judge Taiwo Solebo that the police killed at least five suspects in his presence in what they called the Saddam Hussein Technique and threatened him that a similar fate would befall him if he fails to sign the statements. He said among the documents he signed were blank papers. Evans and Victor Aduba are facing a four-count charge bordering on kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms before Mrs Solebo. While being led in evidence during a trial-within-trial which the judge ordered to ascertain the admissibility of the confessional statements obtained from the defendants, Evans said he had earlier insisted he would not sign any document presented to him by the police. When I refused to sign the document presented to me by Abba Kyari and co at the IGP house in Lagos, I was taken to the backyard where Idowu Haruna (a police officer) demonstrated in front of me by placing handkerchief inside the mouth of a man who had bullet wounds in his leg and was chained and handcuffed like the rest I met there. Sellotaped him from his neck to his head, covered him with a nylon bag and sellotaped it again, the man started shaking on the floor and then stopped. Idowu marched the wound on his legs and the man did not move. They did that to like four more persons. I was shaking and begging them that I will do anything they want me to do, I was taken back in and then signed documents, over 20, with some of them blank, after I stopped shaking from the experience. Evans also alleged that according to the date written on the particular statement being contested, he could not have written it in Lagos as he was still in Abuja. On August 12, 2017, I was in Abuja and have not been brought back to Lagos. They took me to Abuja on July 7, 2017 and brought me back around 20 something of August. The defendant said he was also blocked from seeing his family and a human rights lawyer, Femi Falana. He said upon discovering his presence at the SARS office in Ikeja, he was locked in the toilet with two police officers. After a while, I heard them greet Falana and he was told they took me out for investigations meanwhile I was in the toilet in the office. I heard Falana warning them that whatever I did, they should charge me to a court. He said he does not want to hear that I had been shot dead while trying to escape and they said it would not happen. They refused to allow my parents see me and that is why my father sued them to the Federal High Court. Evans also told the court that in the videos recorded at the IGP house in Lagos, the police had a board behind the cameramen with things written for him to read in case he forgot what had earlier been rehearsed. He added that there were police officers with guns who kept reminding him he would be killed if he did not read as instructed. A police sergeant, Julius Ekundayo, while testifying, denied the claim that the police stopped Mr Falana from seeing the first defendant as Falana never visited their office. Mr Ekundayo also said he personally recorded Evans confessional statement, which was obtained in an open office in Lagos. The second defendant, Mr Aduba said he was also forced to sign confessional statements after he was shown a picture of corpses of other suspects who had refused to sign statements. I was taken out of my cell with one Ikenna Chukwuemeka and when we got to the counter, I saw other people including police officers like Idowu Haruna and others. I was given some documents, over 20 to sign and I asked that they let me call my lawyer but was replied with a slap from Christian Ugwu. Mr Aduba said he and other suspects whom he identified as Chukwuma Nwosu, Ikenna Chukwuemeka, and Soyan Paul were taken to the theatre where they were beaten with machetes by Mr Haruna. I was returned to my cell and in the evening we were marched into a white bus and left there. I and Ikenna were later brought out and I was told if I do not sign the statements, when their boss comes in the evening, I will be killed and this is my last chance. I was taken to their office, I begged them to let me inform my office. Haruna brought out his phone and asked me to identify the images on them, to my surprise it was the dead body of Chukwuma and Paul so I had no option than to sign. The judge adjourned till January 31, 2019, the adoption of the final written address of the trial-within-trial. Suspected kidnappers of six staffers of the Osun College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke, Osun, kidnapped on Tuesday have contacted the families of the remaining four victims. The kidnappers were said to be demanding for ransom before the victims could regain their freedom. The police on Wednesday said four of the victims were now free. A family member of one of the victims, who asked not to be named, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on social media that she was already in touch with the kidnappers. I am now on (sic) negotiation with the kidnappers, but they are insisting on N2 million. She said the kidnappers alleged that they had moved their victims to Benin. Our God is everywhere and He will settle the ransom for us in Jesus name. We really appreciate everyone for being there, sirs and mas. Lets not relent yet. The Police Public Relations Officer of the Osun Police Command, Folashade Odoro, had earlier confirmed to NAN in Osogbo that four of the six kidnapped staff members of OSCOTECH, had regained their freedom on Wednesday. Ms Odoro, however, declined to give further details relating to their freedom but said police operatives were still working toward the release of the remaining four. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the gunmen on Tuesday kidnapped eight workers and students of the college and also killed one of them that tried to escape. The two students kidnapped escaped from their abductors and are now safe. The Students Union President of the institution told PREMIUM TIMES the two students said their kidnappers were Fulani herdsmen, a claim the police are yet to confirm. The institutions Public Relations Officer, Adewale Oyekanmi, said on Wednesday that the staff members were attacked and kidnapped around 4:30 p.m. after the close of work on Tuesday. Mr Oyekanmi said the gunmen blocked the Esa-Oke Road leading to the college campus, stopped the vehicles of the staff and abducted them. One of the staff was shot and killed inside his car when he was trying to escape from the gunmen. The police, DSS and men of the OPC are helping in combing the bushes to see if they can rescue the kidnapped staff, he told NAN. (NAN) The All Progressives Congress, APC in Lagos State has fired back at an ex-commissioner for energy and mineral resources, Olawale Oluwo, who announced his resignation from the party on Wednesday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the politician resigned from the APC over the vexed primary elections in the state that saw the defeat of his principal and confidant, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. On Thursday, the Lagos chapter of the party released a statement describing him as an opportunist. The statement signed by the chapters publicity secretary, Joe Igbokwe, accused Mr Oluwo of trying to impose his wife as the chairman of his local government. Mr Igbokwe said Mr oluwo became aggrieved after he plot was foiled by the party. Oluwo had hardly resumed as the Commissioner when he began his plot to use that office to advance his quest for political fiefdom. The object of his ambition was the positioning of his wife as the chairman of a local government. However, alert party men and women raised alarm about his anti-party antecedents wondering why someone who recently joined the party would want to use his position as commissioner to impose his wife on the constituency, he wrote. You can read the full statement below. Real Issues Behind Mr. Olawole Oluwos Resignation The attention of the All Progressives Congress, Lagos State has been drawn to the letter of resignation of the erstwhile Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Mr. Olawale Oluwo. The APC wishes him well. The APC salutes the vigilance of the party apparatus and leadership which have put Oluwo on the watch on account of his antecedents in party politics and succeeded in checkmating his rabid opportunism. It is on record that Oluwo first made an attempt to reap from the challenges of internal party democracy in our progressive movement when he teamed up with one of the losers in the 2007 primaries of the Action Congress to stop Babatunde Fasholas sure victory at the polls. The unfortunate political adventurism failed woefully. However, in the conventional demonstration of mercy and forgiveness, Oluwos principal, Sen. Tokunbo Afikuyomi was accommodated in the second term cabinet of Governor Babatunde Fashola as the Commissioner for Tourism. A similar milk of mercy and kindness led to the consideration Of Oluwo as a member of the Lagos State Executive Council under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode in the hope that he has purged himself of opportunism, disloyalty and vaulting desperation for power. Oluwo had hardly resumed as the Commissioner when he began his plot to use that office to advance his quest for political fiefdom. The object of his ambition was the positioning of his wife as the chairman of a local government. However, alert party men and women raised alarm about his anti-party antecedents wondering why someone who recently joined the party would want to use his position as commissioner to impose his wife on the constituency. The party rank and file aborted this abuse of power and reckless peddling of influence and everybody thought the lesson had been learnt. He, apparently, had not. As soon as the procedures for the general elections began, Oluwo once again became the only commissioner to seek his wife as the member of House of Assembly for Eti- Osa. By now the pattern of his ambition had become clear. The intrigue that enabled him to make his wife the first- term commissioners wife to become the chairperson of the committee which organised the annual National Women Conference became clear. It was meant to achieve undeserved visibility. This obnoxious attempt to deceive party members was again foiled and it is the aggravated frustration that has led to this defection. It has been necessary to put this in true context so as to dismiss the false and capricious insinuation that his resignation was in principled objection to the partys last primaries. Far from it. He was only playing true to type, seeking as he had done in 2007 to reap from the primaries. He has further showed that he has been a mole of the PDP and has been working to undermine the APC. His exit is a signal to other like minds who may wish to follow his trail. The party machinery knows everyone and their inclination. We encourage all genuine APC members to remain firm and committed to loftier and greater ideals of taking Lagos to a higher level of excellence. The party remains unshaken. For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME. Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire. Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever. Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation. View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union. Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history. Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words. "The Board of Directors is very pleased to welcome Adam to the board," said Dave Liniger , Co-Founder and Chairman of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. "Adam has been successful in leading the expansion of the RE/MAX brand around the globe, strengthening the RE/MAX network of more than 123,000 members, spearheading the acquisition of booj a shift in RE/MAX technology strategy and overseeing the growth and development of Motto Franchising, LLC and the Motto Mortgage network. His exceptional talent, steadfast drive and deep knowledge of the real estate and franchising industries will make him an invaluable member of the board." Prior to his role as CEO, Contos, 47, served as Chief Operating Officer of RE/MAX Holdings. He joined the company in 2004 working with franchisees and agents in the Mountain States Region, and was promoted to Region Vice President the following year. Between 2007 and 2013 he continued as Region Vice President first leading the California & Hawaii Region and later the RE/MAX Florida Region. He was promoted to Vice President, Region Development, in 2013 and then to Senior Vice President, Marketing, in February 2015. During his Marketing tenure, he and the business development team built a robust franchise sales process that fueled record growth. Contos grew up in Denver, studied criminal justice at Metropolitan State College of Denver and earned an Executive MBA from the University of Denver. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1990 to 1996 and was honorably discharged as a sergeant. About the RE/MAX Network As one of the leading global real estate franchisors, RE/MAX, LLC is a subsidiary of RE/MAX Holdings (NYSE: RMAX) with over 120,000 agents in more than 100 countries and territories. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX, as measured by residential transaction sides. Dedicated to innovation and change in the real estate industry, RE/MAX launched Motto Franchising, LLC ("Motto Mortgage"), a ground-breaking mortgage brokerage franchisor, in 2016 and acquired booj, a real estate technology company, in 2018. RE/MAX agents have lived, worked and served in their local communities for decades, raising millions of dollars every year for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and other charities. To learn more about RE/MAX, to search home listings or find an agent in your community, please visit www.remax.com. For the latest news about RE/MAX, please visit www.remax.com/newsroom. SOURCE RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.remax.com PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ALC, a recognized leader in the data and identity products and services industry, has announced that Steve Chudleigh has joined the company as SVP, Data Strategy & Operations. He is a 28-year veteran of the data-driven marketing industry with wide-ranging experience that includes strategic planning and execution, developing market-driven multi-channel solutions, managing data operations and technology, and negotiating global data partnerships. In his new position, Chudleigh is responsible for leading the data organization that builds and delivers ALC data solutions to the marketplace, developing third-party partnerships to expand ALC's data and identity product suites, and participating in ALC's product council whose mission is to refine and expand the company's offerings to reach more industries, channels and geographies. Prior to joining ALC, Chudleigh was a group vice president at Acxiom Corporation. In that role he was responsible for leading the data acquisition, analysis and operations teams. In addition to developing and executing Acxiom's overall data strategy, Chudleigh successfully negotiated multi-million-dollar source partnerships while transforming and optimizing processes to most effectively leverage Acxiom's data assets. Earlier in his career, Chudleigh honed his craft in a variety of positions with Neustar, TARGUSInfo and Equifax/Polk. CEO Rick Erwin cites Chudleigh's impressive track record as the #1 reason to welcome him to ALC. "Throughout his career, Steve has been instrumental in creating significant value for data owners. His ability to focus on flawless execution while managing costs will make him critical to ALC's success. In the consumer data industry, veterans like Steve are always winners." Chudleigh received his B.A. in international relations from Brigham Young University. He has lived in Mexico and maintains his fluency in Spanish by making frequent trips from his home in Utah to Costa Rica (where he supervised a data-capture operation early in his career). About ALC Founded in 1978, ALC has grown to become one of the industry's leading privately-held direct and digital data marketing services providers. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jerseyand with offices across the United States the company enables its roster of blue-chip clients including the leaders in virtually every business sector to grow and improve bottom-line profitability through the innovative use of marketing information. SOURCE ALC Receives Import and Export licenses and Commences Shipment to Luxembourg Market TSX |NYSE: ACB EDMONTON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Aurora Cannabis Inc. ("Aurora" or the "Company") (NYSE: ACB) (TSX: ACB) (Frankfurt: 21P; WKN: A1C4WM) announced today that the company, through its wholly owned subsidiary Aurora Europe GmbH, has been selected by the Luxembourg Health Ministry for the supply of medical cannabis to that country and an initial purchase order for approximately 20 kilograms has been received. The Company has received all required authorizations (import and export licenses) and has commenced its first shipment of high-grade medical cannabis to Luxembourg's Division de la Pharmacie et des Medicaments, representing the second time the Company has received an order directly from a European government. "To our knowledge, Aurora is the first medical cannabis producer selected by the Luxembourg Health Ministry to supply dried cannabis flower," said Neil Belot, Chief Global Business Development Officer. "This is a reflection of the trust we have earned with governments and regulators around the world. We look forward to supplying patients in need in what will be the 7th European Union member country where we have exported plants or products to help meet growing patient demand." Maximilian Weinberg Head of Business Development Aurora Europe GmbH, added, "Working directly with governments provides patients all over Europe the assurance that the medical cannabis products they consume meet the highest quality and safety standards. We are proud to be a trusted partner for both wholesalers and governments throughout Europe, and look forward to further increasing our footprint in this important growth market in which we have substantial early mover advantage." About Aurora Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with funded capacity in excess of 500,000 kg per annum and sales and operations in 22 countries across five continents, Aurora is one of the world's largest and leading cannabis companies. Aurora is vertically integrated and horizontally diversified across every key segment of the value chain, from facility engineering and design to cannabis breeding and genetics research, cannabis and hemp production, derivatives, high value-add product development, home cultivation, wholesale and retail distribution. Highly differentiated from its peers, Aurora has established a uniquely advanced, consistent and efficient production strategy, based on purpose-built facilities that integrate leading-edge technologies across all processes, defined by extensive automation and customization, resulting in the massive scale production of high quality product at low cost. Intended to be replicable and scalable globally, our production facilities are designed to produce cannabis of significant scale, with high quality, industry-leading yields, and low per gram production costs. Each of Aurora's facilities is built to meet EU GMP standards, and its first production facility, the recently acquired MedReleaf Markham facility, and its wholly owned European medical cannabis distributor Aurora Deutschland, have achieved this level of certification. In addition to Aurora's rapid organic growth and strong execution on strategic M&A, which to date includes 15 wholly owned subsidiary companies MedReleaf, CanvasRX, Peloton Pharmaceutical, Aurora Deutschland, H2 Biopharma, Urban Cultivator, BC Northern Lights, Larssen Greenhouses, CanniMed Therapeutics, Anandia Labs, HotHouse Consulting, MED Colombia, Agropro, Borela, and ICC Aurora is distinguished by its reputation as a partner and employer of choice in the global cannabis sector, having invested in and established strategic partnerships with a range of leading innovators, including: Radient Technologies Inc. (TSXV: RTI), Hempco Food and Fiber Inc. (TSXV: HEMP), Cann Group Ltd. (ASX: CAN), Micron Waste Technologies Inc. (CSE: MWM), Choom Holdings Inc. (CSE: CHOO), Capcium Inc. (private), Evio Beauty Group (private), Wagner Dimas (private), CTT Pharmaceuticals (OTCC: CTTH), and Alcanna Inc. (TSX: CLIQ). Aurora's Common Shares trade on the TSX and NYSE under the symbol "ACB", and are a constituent of the S&P/TSX Composite Index. For more information about Aurora, please visit our investor website, investor.auroramj.com Terry Booth, CEO Aurora Cannabis Inc. Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes statements containing certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and include, but are not limited to the variety of cannabis products that Aurora will supply to the adult use market.. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. Neither the TSX, NYSE nor their Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX and NYSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Aurora Cannabis Inc. Related Links https://auroramj.com/ SAO PAULO, Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Azul announces a new non-stop service to Porto, Portugal starting on June 3, 2019. The city will receive three weekly flights from Campinas, Azul's main hub, which will have a total of 17 weekly frequencies to Portugal. Sale of tickets to Porto starts today and is available on all Azul distribution channels. The Portuguese city is the second destination in Europe to receive flights from Azul after Lisbon. The non-stop flight will be operated on an Airbus A330, with 272 seats. With the addition of this new flight, Campinas, the largest hub in Latin America, will offer non-stop service to 57 destinations, including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Lisbon. In partnership with Aigle Azur, Azul also offers flights to Paris, France. According to Abhi Shah, Azul's Chief Revenue Officer, "the new flight to Porto is another milestone for Azul, Viracopos airport and the Brazilian aviation market. This addition further strengthens our main hub by offering more connecting options to our customers both in our domestic as well as international network. I am confident that this new flight will be very successful". "Azul's new service between Viracopos and Europe will contribute to the international growth of the airport. From January to October of this year, Viracopos' international passenger growth was 24.3% totaling more than 552 passengers" says Gustavo Mussnich, CEO of Viracopos airport. Porto Alegre, Florianopolis, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Goiania and Cuiaba will be the main Brazilian cities offering convenient connections to the Campinas-Porto flight. Within aproximately nine hours, customers will be able to leave these cities and arrive at the portuguese city. Furthermore, from Porto, Azul will offer convenient connections to Amsterdam, Geneva, Luxembourg, and London in partnership with TAP. Fernando Vieira, director of Porto's airport believes that the new flight will further strengthen the airport. "We are very pleased with the announcement of Azul's new flight from Campinas. Porto's airport currently serves 30 airlines, connecting to 79 destinations and with Azul's addition we will further increase our connectivity worldwide", says Fernando. About Azul Azul S.A. (B3: AZUL4,NYSE: AZUL), the largest airline in Brazil by number of cities served, offers 766 daily flights to 110 destinations. With an operating fleet of 120 aircraft and more than 10,000 crewmembers, the Company has a network of 218 non-stop routes as of September 30, 2018. This year, Azul was awarded best airline in Latin America by TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice and by Kayak's Flight Hacker Guide, and also best regional carrier in South America for the eighth consecutive time by Skytrax. Azul also ranked as most on-time airline in Brazil and most on-time low-cost carrier in the Americas in 2017 according to OAG's Punctuality League, the industry's most comprehensive annual ranking of on-time performance. For more information visit www.voeazul.com.br/ir. Contact Media Relations Tel: +55 11 4831 1245 [email protected] SOURCE Azul S.A. Related Links https://www.voeazul.com.br CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) today announced that its board of directors approved a quarterly dividend payment of $0.2125 per share of CAG common stock to be paid on March 1, 2019, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on January 30, 2019. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, and Slim Jim, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. For more information, please contact: MEDIA: Mike Cummins 312-549-5257 [email protected] INVESTORS: Brian Kearney 312-549-5002 [email protected] SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. Related Links http://www.conagrabrands.com A distinguished doctor in his field, Dr. Ridout has served as the chief of gastroenterology at the Eastern New Mexico Medical Center in Roswell since 2015, previously having served the center as vice president of medical staff. In 2018, he accepted a position as assistant professor of medicine at the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Prior to his work with the Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, he spent time as an attending physician for Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Nassawadox, Virginia, beginning in 2005. Working for Riverside Shore Gastroenterology from 2009 to 2015, Dr. Ridout was also a partner of Riverside Eastern Shore Physicians and Surgeons, Inc., from 2005 to 2009. Earlier in his career, Dr. Ridout acted as an attending physician with the Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pennsylvania, from 1988 to 2005. During that time, he contributed his skills to several other institutions, including the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 2001 to 2005 and the Gastroenterology Associates of Delaware County, Inc., from 1996 to 2005. Furthermore, he worked independently as a private practice doctor in Upland from 1987 to 1996. Earlier in his career, Dr. Ridout served as an attending physician, teaching staff member and clinical instructor with the Hospital of the University of Philadelphia and as the attending physician at the Emergency Medicine Graduate Hospital. Before embarking on his career in medicine, Dr. Ridout received a Bachelor of Arts in music composition and orchestration from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1975. Making the switch to medicine, he pursued further education at the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a Doctor of Medicine in 1979. Following this accomplishment, he completed an internship and residency at Graduate Hospital, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Licensed to practice medicine in the states of Pennsylvania, Delaware, California, Virginia and New Mexico, Dr. Ridout is a diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Gastrointestinal Board of the American Board of Internal Medicine, and he has received further certification in advanced cardiac and life support, advanced trauma and life support, endoscopic ultrasonography and endoscopic laser therapy. A regular contributor of articles to professional journals, Dr. Ridout has also been twice invited to give the commencement address for the Beazley School of Nursing at Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, Virginia, first in 2011 and then again in 2014. In 2014, he was also the chief medical advisor and principle speaker for the educational program to increase colorectal cancer screenings at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. Additionally, Dr. Ridout was chief of the gastrointestinal division of the Coatesville Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, from 1987 to 1989. Elected as a fellow of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in 2017, Dr. Ridout was additionally inducted as a fellow of the American Gastroenterological Association in 2015 and as a fellow of the American College of Physicians in 2005. Having received countless honors and accolades over the course of his career, he was recognized in the 90th Percentile for Highest Patient Satisfaction in the Quality Care Assessment by Riverside Medical Group in 2014 and was named to the Top 101 Industry Experts in 2012. Presented with an Achievement and Service in Medicine Award by the Afro-American Historical Society of Delaware in 1989, he was inducted into the African American Museum and Historical Society of Delaware Hall of Fame in 2003. Dr. Ridout has also been the recipient of a number of other civic and academic awards for his contributions to medicine and the preservation of the arts. Incredibly active in his community as well, Dr. Ridout has donated his time to the Sylvia Olden Lee Music Guild since 2002 and has volunteered his services as a health educator with local church and community organizations since 1982. Holding a position on the advisory board of the Arts Council of the Eastern Shore of Virginia in 2013, he gave several community lectures with the Riddle Memorial Hospital Education Series in 2003 and volunteered as a doctor with Camp Sunshine in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, from 1996 to 1998. Dr. Ridout has also been associated with the American Cancer Society, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. SOURCE Marquis Who's Who DENVER, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. (OTCQB: DPWW) the premium marijuana brand and management company, today announced that Diego Pellicer took top national honors at the 2018 Cannabis Business Awards, receiving two CBA Globe awards in the sought-after categories of retail and branding. Diego Pellicer was awarded "Most Valuable Brand of the Year" beating out tough national competition including MedMen, The Clinic, Lightshade and Olio. Diego was also honored as the "Best Retail Center" for the second year in a row, defeating other highly regarded names including LiveWell, The Clinic, The Green Solutions, Euflora and Kind Love. "The Cannabis Business Awards are the most prestigious awards in the multi-billion dollar cannabis industry. This is such an honor for Diego Pellicer," said Ron Throgmartin, CEO of Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. "We've known the power of Diego's premium brand and progressive business model these two CBA Globe awards demonstrate that Diego customers appreciate the world-class experience that Diego Pellicer provides and the industry recognizes our leading management model." CBA Globes Presented at Exclusive Event in Colorado The CBA Globe awards were presented to Throgmartin and Neil Demers, CEO of Diego Pellicer Colorado, at an exclusive evening event at the Hilton Ballroom in downtown Denver on December 5, 2018. The red carpet event was packed with the top business executives, trailblazers and thought leaders in the cannabis industry. "This is monumental. These awards are the pinnacle of the profession, recognizing the best of the best," said Demers. "The premium Diego Pellicer branded stores feature the finest products, hospitality level quality service in an approachable, world-class environment. We are truly honored to have been nominated by so many and to receive two prestigious CBA Globe Awards." Since 2011, Chloe Villano and Clover Leaf have been producing the Cannabis Business Awards to honor cannabis professionals deserving of historical recognition and esteemed accolades for industry progression and innovation. The national Cannabis Business Awards are presented to cannabis industry businesses, individuals and organizations in both medical and recreational sectors, as well as ancillary industries. About Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. (OTCQB: DPWW) Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. is the premium marijuana brand and management company. In addition to its branded locations in Colorado and Washington, the company actively seeks to develop and manage high-end, turnkey cannabis retail stores. When federally legal, DPWW is positioned to become a national, vertically integrated marijuana company. To learn more about how to become a branded Diego Pellicer retailer, cultivator or investor visit www.Diego-Pellicer.com. Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements contained in this press release may be construed as "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). The words "estimate," "project," "intends," "expects," "anticipates," "believes" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management pursuant to the "safe-harbor" provisions of the Act. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected on the basis of these statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company also undertakes no obligation to disclose any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. SOURCE Diego Pellicer Worldwide, Inc. Related Links http://www.diego-pellicer.com DALLAS, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kari Feinstein, Founder of Dallas' premier medspa Enlighten MD, has unveiled Enlighten Living boutique. The opening of the luxury boutique, featuring a carefully tailored line-up of brands and designers is the latest in a series of expansions happening at the Enlighten building in Preston Hollow. As an entrepreneur seeking to enhance the lives of her clientele, the expansion of Kari's lifestyle brand has been an exciting and intentional journey. Positioned to provide a comprehensive beauty, style and shopping experience, clientele can now enjoy aesthetic treatments and enhancements at Enlighten MD, followed by a visit to the Enlighten Living boutique to address beauty and style from head to toe in one luxurious destination. Designed for women who value service, selection and on-trend guidance that is more than just skin deep, Kari and the team provide sought after styling advice for Dallas elite. A distinct alternative to the overwhelming shopping experience found in malls, Enlighten Living brings a concierge experience to discerning shoppers who desire an elevated level of customer care. Featuring apparel, accessories, and athleisure wear, in-demand lines carried by the boutique, both in-store and online include: Ultracor, Zadig & Voltaire, L'agence, BA&SH Paris, Lauren Moshi and more. Boutique hours are Monday-Friday from 10am to 6pm and Saturdays from 10am to 5pm. "After 15 years of helping people refresh their look, I couldn't help but notice the critical need to incorporate clothing as part of completing the process. As a busy working mom trying to juggle it all, I wanted to create a one stop shop for clientele to get more done with less time to enlighten their lives!" Kari Feinstein, Founder Enlighten MD + Living Boutique About Enlighten Living: Explore and learn more about Enlighten Living and shop the boutique online: www.ShopEnlightenLiving.com. Learn More: 5232 Forest Lane, Suite 170, Dallas, TX 75244 | @enlightenliving | ShopEnlightenLiving.com Contact: Paula Steurer 1-949-200-6566 [email protected] SOURCE Enlighten Living Related Links http://www.shopenlightenliving.com ATLANTA, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced that Trevor Burns, Senior Vice President of Investor Relations for Equifax, will meet with investors in San Francisco on Thursday, Dec. 13. Burns will be joined by John Gamble, Chief Financial Officer for Equifax, for meetings with investors in Chicago on Monday, Dec. 17 and Minneapolis on Tuesday, Dec. 18. Click here to access an archive of the Equifax Investor Relations presentation. ABOUT EQUIFAX Equifax is a global information solutions company that uses unique data, innovative analytics, technology and industry expertise to power organizations and individuals around the world by transforming knowledge into insights that help make more informed business and personal decisions. Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 11,000 employees worldwide. FOR MORE INFORMATION 1550 Peachtree Street, NE Atlanta, Georgia 30309 Jacob Hawkins Media Relations [email protected] SOURCE Equifax Inc. Related Links http://www.equifax.com STOCKHOLM and PARIS, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FOSSID and Software Heritage today announced that they have signed an agreement to establish the first independent mirror of the largest source code archive in the world. 5 Billion source code files and growing Software Heritage collects, preserves, and shares software code (both freely and not freely licensed) in a universal software storage archive. FOSSID helps secure the archive in an independent mirror outside of the initial hosting at the French Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation (Inria). To date, the archive holds 5.3 Billion source files from 86.4 Million projects, including Debian, HitHub, GitLab, Gitorious, GoogleCode, GNY, HAL, Inria, Python Package Index, and more. Securing our digital heritage for the future "The purpose of the archive is to structure and preserve knowledge, and enable continuous access to digital information", said Professor Roberto Di Cosmo, founder and director of Software Heritage. "FOSSID shares this vision: by becoming the first independent mirror of our archive, it helps us ensure long-term archival and access to software source code, which is an important part of humankind's scientific, technical and cultural heritage, and a stepping stone for scientific reproducibility." "We help companies make the most out of their free and open source (FOSS) software, and to achieve maximum adoption efficiency, making software provenance more traceable, integrated, and reusable, with an ability to know licensing and usage constraints, track security vulnerabilities, and assist in the discovery of prior code assets.", said Oskar Swirtun, CEO at FOSSID. "It is in an industry-wide interest that we parter with Software Heritage to help preserve and make accessible all the software source code that lies at the heart of the digital revolution". Expanding the source code archive Software Heritage is a non profit initiative that aims to serve the needs of cultural heritage, research and industry, by collecting, preserving and making accessible the source code of all available software. To this end, it is harvesting source code from a steadily growing list of software projects, development forges, and research archives. Read more about the initiative at https://www.softwareheritage.org/, and http://www.fossid.com. About FOSSID FOSSID is a software solution that integrates seamlessly in the software development process and detects all footprints of free and open source software (FOSS) in the code base, from entire components, to full files, to code snippets. FOSSID uncovers license obligations and compliance issues so that you can focus on what provides most value to you and your customers. Get the most out of open source software at http://www.fossid.com. About Software Heritage Initiated by Inria, now in partnership with Unesco, Software Heritage is a non profit initiative supported by industry leaders, universities, and governmental bodies worldwide sharing the vision that software source code is an important part of our heritage, and an essential mediator for access to all digital information, and that we must collect it, protect it and make it easily accessible to present and future generations. By building a universal and sustainable software source code archive, Software Heritage is creating an essential infrastructure for society, science and industry. Join the movement at https://www.softwareheritage.org/. About Inria Inria, the French research institute for computer science, promotes scientific excellence and technology transfer to maximize its impact. It employs 2,400 people. Its 200 agile project teams, generally with academic partners, involve more than 3,000 scientists in meeting the challenges of computer science and mathematics, often at the interface of other disciplines. Inria works with many companies and has assisted in the creation of over 160 startups. It strives to meet the challenges of the digital transformation of science, society and the economy. Discover more at https://www.inria.fr/. Contacts Fredrik Ehrenstrale, VP Marketing, FOSSID [email protected] http://www.fossid.com Roberto Di Cosmo, Director, Software Heritage, and Computer Science Professor [email protected] http://www.dicosmo.org http://twitter.com/rdicosmo This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/fossid-ab/r/fossid-establishes-first-independent-mirror-of-world-s-largest-source-code-archive,c2693037 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/17833/2693037/958192.pdf Press release (PDF) SOURCE FOSSID AB Related Links http://www.fossid.com TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- TASE analysis project was launched in 2016 in order to raise the investors' level of knowledge of TASE listed technology and life-science companies and the markets in which the companies operate, thus creating appropriate pricing and increasing the exposure of investors from Israel and abroad. Its goal is to encourage investments in these companies by removing the barrier of lacking understanding in the market. In order to maintain professional, independent and unbiased analysis, the companies signed an agreement with the TASE to receive the analysis services for an obligatory period of two years. The companies cannot withdraw from the project during this period. The analysis is funded by the companies surveyed with funding from the Chief Scientist and the TASE. Summary of Highlights In our Q1 2018 report published at the end of June 2018 and in our immediate report published July 2, 2018, as well as in our immediate report from the beginning of November 2018, we reported the delays in completing Stage 1 of the deal to sell the controlling shares in Vonetize to Desilu Studios Inc., a Hollywood television studio. For further details on the deal and the acquiring company, see the annual report we published on May 7, 2018. On November 4, the company notified Desilu Studios of the cancellation of the deal to sell the controlling shares. We did not grant additional value to the company's activities due to the anticipated deal and therefore there is no change in our view of the company's value due to the cancellation of the transaction. Vonetize released its third quarter report for 2018 on November 30 which included the following highlights: A decrease in revenues from end users alongside promotion of cooperation and advancing activity in Russia The company's revenues remained at a similar level to those of the first nine months of 2017, amounting to approximately $ 980 thousand . In the last six quarters, we identify a certain reduction in revenues from end-users. . In the last six quarters, we identify a certain reduction in revenues from end-users. The company's cash and cash flows as of September 30, 2008 amounted to approximately $600 thousand , while cash used for operations amounted to approximately $ 2.9 million , meaning the company needs financing in the short term. amounted to approximately , while cash used for operations amounted to approximately , meaning the company needs financing in the short term. The company's auditors gave it a "going concern" warning. On October 2 , and following previous reports of a binding memorandum of understanding signed between Vonetize and a leading corporation in Russia , the company announced the launch of a global content service (TotalNow) and channel (TotalAction). Also in October, the company announced that it had signed a deal with an internet provider from Brazil , primarily for the distribution of SmartVOD and application services to the ISP's customers, and in addition, is in advanced negotiations with a television network in the country to distribute these same services. , and following previous reports of a binding memorandum of understanding signed between Vonetize and a leading corporation in , the company announced the launch of a global content service (TotalNow) and channel (TotalAction). Also in October, the company announced that it had signed a deal with an internet provider from , primarily for the distribution of SmartVOD and application services to the ISP's customers, and in addition, is in advanced negotiations with a television network in the country to distribute these same services. On October 7 , the company announced that it had signed an agreement with Hongkong Zeasn Information Technology Company Limited, a manufacturer of operating systems for smart TVs from various manufacturers, based in Hong Kong . The agreement was in regard to the distribution of Vonetize services. In light of the developments described above, we reduce the value of the company to NIS 32 million (approximately USD 9 million); previously, our estimate of the company's value was NIS 41 million / $ 11.2 million; the target price now ranges between 0.67 NIS to 0.92 NIS and on average is 0.79 NIS. The decrease in value is due to the company not meeting our revenue expectations. We originally estimated $ 1.6 million in 2018 revenues, and now estimate revenues of $ 1.3 million for the year. We have also decreased our 2019 revenue projections due to the company not meeting its operational goals in Russia as a result of the delay that occurred this past year. For further details, including market analysis, the company's product and technology, see our annual report published on May 7, 2018 and the initiation of coverage published by Frost & Sullivan on June 8, 2017. For our valuation methodology see the first valuation dated October 2, 2017. About the company - Vonetize Plc ("Vonetize"), an Israeli-headquartered company, offers Video-on-Demand (VOD), Over-The-Top (OTT) content services, technology platforms as fully-managed services for set-top boxes, smart phones, smart TVs and other Internet-connected devices. The company offers multi-screen end-to-end video content solutions, including; premium content from Hollywood studios, cloud-based digital video delivery of live VOD content, content management systems, billing, CRM, and marketing/business intelligence (BI) analysis systems. The company is active in Israel, Latin America, Africa, and the UK. Vonetize has been listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since July 2016. It was established and incorporated in Cyprus as Pixelate T.V. Ltd. in April 2011, and rebranded in February 2016. See full report here. Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion Contact: Kristi Cekani Corporate Communications - Frost & Sullivan, Europe P: +39.02.4851.6133 E: [email protected] http://www.frost.com SOURCE Frost & Sullivan Related Links http://www.frost.com HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Gemini Companies (Gemini) today shares insights via a recording from a recent Gemini-hosted event in Boston that demonstrated how its DMA structure may provide significant savings over traditional multi-fund structures. During the event, Susan Barreto, Editor at Large for HFM Global, interviewed David Young, President of Gemini's Hedge/Alt Solutions, who provided concise examples of clients realizing these quantifiable savings. Mr. Young walked the audience of senior fund industry executives through a DMA. He explained how the DMA's capacity can allow the asset owner and investment manager to negotiate strategy guidelines and management and performance fees to result in meaningful long-term impact on the bottom line (see illustrative* below). Assets Under Management Basis Points Saved with a DMA Structural Alpha Saved (assuming 100 bps savings) Structural Alpha Saved over a 3-year Period $250 Million 10-150 basis points $2.5 Million $7.5 Million $500 Million $5.0 Million $15.0 Million $750 Million $7.5 Million $22.5 Million "Many OCIOs feel a deep sense of responsibility to distribute returns to investors," Ms. Barreto commented during the interview. "Having a structure that allows them to amplify results is important." Mr. Young added, "It is gratifying that our DMA structure helps pensions, consultants, endowments, family offices, and OCIOs keep the promises they made and achieve a clear competitive advantage. The DMA is helping reduce the overall cost of investing for asset owners, thereby helping generate better returns for their constituents." How Gemini's DMA structure helps the end investor: Reduced operating expenses Lower manager minimums than would be required of a direct relationship Better liquidity terms Trade-level data for greater transparency/reporting Third-party guideline monitoring Electronic subscriptions (e.g., ease of allocation changes, single K-1, and single sub-docs) To Learn More: LISTEN to the panel. DISCOVER how Gemini clients are achieving Structural Alpha. EXPLORE Dedicated Managed Account Solutions. About Gemini Since 1983, Gemini has been providing our partners an ever-expanding suite of services for their investment products, such as modern investor servicing tools, portfolio administration and accounting, comprehensive compliance programs, and guidance on regulations, auditing, and distribution. Gemini's consultative approach and culture of service helps managers and investors navigate and flourish in today's increasingly sophisticated and dynamic investment landscape. Gemini provides a single, integrated solution that supports the launching and servicing of mutual funds, hedge funds, ETFs, private equity funds, variable annuity trusts, and state-sponsored 529 plans. We also offer customized structures designed to support the unique needs of pensions, endowments, and foundations. Gemini is a subsidiary of NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC, which has 1,000 employees and over $780B in assets under management and administration as of October 31, 2018. For more information, please visit www.thegeminicompanies.com. *This illustrative example was solely for informational and discussion purposes only. These materials do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell interests in any financial instrument or any product. Any offer for any investment product will be made solely by a confidential offering memorandum. Information contained herein is confidential and may not be reproduced in any format. 3267-GAF-12/04/2018 7855 GFS 12/5/2018 CONTACT: Jami Schlicher - JConnelly, (973) 850-7309 | [email protected] SOURCE Gemini Related Links http://www.thegeminicompanies.com TOKYO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Genkicell Chain, Japan's well-known One Health Blockchain project, accompanied by a Japanese delegation on high-tech innovation, recently had a one-week investigation, exchange and visit to three Chinese cities, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Jinhua, to ascertain the potential in the Chinese market and seek opportunities of cooperation in the fields of blockchain, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data and One Health. Genkicell Chain's team members included the CEO, Shota Awata, and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Kintsu Masayuki, among other members. The delegation included famous Japanese investors, well-known consortiums and entrepreneurs, as well as the political and business class, including former Senator of Aichi Prefecture, Misako Yasui; JBA legal counsel and member of Cryptocurrency Legislative Committee at Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA, the financial regulator of Japan), Masataka Ogasawara; and the chairman of global asset management company, Union Capital Group, Tomita Takashi. Shota Awata had mentioned earlier in a live broadcast interview with a well-known media in US blockchain that the current friendly diplomacy between Japan and the Chinese government would be beneficial for Genkicell's plan to launch in China. The project itself is also related to China's famous blockchain projects Ontology and Juyaotang (the producer and supplier of China's third largest Chinese herbal medicine). In addition, it is related to other local Chinese projects and companies that have established good relationships with Genkicell. The trip to China mainly focused on topics such as project landing, solutions to the problems caused by the aging society, development of the Internet industry, and big data information. The delegates also communicated these topics to the related governments of Nanjing, Hangzhou and Jinhua cities. China's Yangtze River Delta region has been regarded as a strategic emerging industry and the core of development likely to accelerate independent innovation as well as promote economic restructuring. The region also actively responds to the National "Three-Year Action Plan" (Three-Year Action Plan for the Integration of the Yangtze River Delta Region - (2018-2020)). The main goal of this plan is to build a world-class industrial cluster aimed at optimizing the layout of key industries and promote the deep integration of the industrial chain. After the G20 summit, Hangzhou City, as the organizer, proposed the direction of "building the first city of digital economy" and jointly promoted technological innovations, including cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and cooperatively building the Yangtze River Delta region into a global digital economy. Additionally, they aim to develop the highlands. As such, the blockchain technology in China's Yangtze River Delta region has been accelerated to attract the attention of many Japanese developers. Zhongyu Chen, the chairman of the Zhejiang Normal University Committee and professor at the School of Mathematical and Information Engineering and the Institute of Blockchain, strongly supports Genkicell's idea of landing in China and believes that Genkicell has potential, especially since the aging society in both Japan and China is becoming increasingly severe. The One Health industry is becoming a major industrial form of domestic demand. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage and support its implementation and solve One Health problems using blockchain technology. Genkicell Chain also initiated their upcoming application - GEN (GID). Shota Awata gave a detailed introduction to the project on behalf of Genkicell and explained the GID function in the GEN series products. "GEN (GID) is a global decentralized health management application that applies Genkicell's modular infrastructure to easily collect health data from hospitals, laboratories and IoT devices via scalable interfaces. It can also effectively conduct health prediction and prevention by building user biometric data quantification. At the same time, it helps enterprises and service organizations to reduce operating costs, provide data foundations for hospitals and research institutions, and promote the accelerated development of One Health industries." Since China is the most populated country worldwide, it is possible that a large number of people suffer chronic diseases. In particular, data indicates that nearly 300 million people suffer from chronic diseases and an estimated 8 billion consultations are carried out every year. Meanwhile, the number of medical examinations is about 500 million, with medical examinations accounting for about 95% of China's health management services. Therefore, the application of GEN (GID), a global decentralized health management App, can effectively solve problems such as huge operational costs, health prediction, and prevention. Jian Wang, deputy director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, also expressed that he expects the Genkicell project to be beneficial and that the project will be landed after the inspection. More information about Genkicell Chain: Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Genkicellchain Twitterhttps://twitter.com/@genkicell Telegram ENhttps://t.me/genkicellGroupen Reddithttps://www.reddit.com/user/genkicell Mediumhttps://medium.com/@Genkicell SOURCE Genkicell Chain DALLAS, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Investment banking firm George K. Baum & Company ("GKB") announced today that it has expanded its Texas presence with the addition of three accomplished public finance professionals. The team brings extensive banking relationships from some of Texas' largest and most innovative issuers. "This team of highly respected, skilled and successful professionals will help solidify George K. Baum & Company as a market leader in Texas," said Executive Vice President and Manager of Texas Public Finance, Gary P. Machak. Jorge Rodriguez, Senior Vice President Jorge Rodriguez is a 30-year veteran of Texas Public Finance. Mr. Rodriguez has extensive expertise and broad experience in the structuring and marketing of all types of municipal credits as both a financial advisor and underwriter. His long list of clients includes state agencies, higher education, cities, utilities and school districts, to name a few. Mr. Rodriguez is the Immediate Past Chairman of the Texas MAC. Daniel Rodriguez, Vice President Daniel Rodriguez has more than ten years of public finance experience. His expertise includes transactional analysis, quantitative analysis, deal processing, coordination of debt models, tax rate analysis, proforma development and quantitative deal execution. Mr. Rodriguez's clients include some of Texas' largest issuers. Jody Sieloff, Analyst Jody Sieloff has more than 30 years of public finance experience. Ms. Sieloff has provided support functions for some of Texas' largest issuers in various day-to-day operations including analysis, coordination and dissemination of bond offering documents. "We look forward to the opportunity to continue our focus on the needs of municipal issuers and help expand such a well-established public finance practice," said Senior Vice President, Jorge Rodriguez. About George K. Baum & Company Founded in 1928, George K. Baum & Company ( www.gkbaum.com ) is one of the nation's most accomplished privately held investment banking firms and has been at the pinnacle of financing the nation's infrastructure for more than nine decades. GKB is recognized as an industry leader in the structuring, underwriting and marketing of tax-exempt and taxable municipal securities. SOURCE George K. Baum & Company Related Links http://www.gkbaum.com ATLANTA, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Power and the Atlanta Business Chronicle announced today the inaugural Business of Film Rising Star Student Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship, presented today during the 2018 Business of Film event at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, will help a Georgia student pursuing a degree in film-related studies further his or her education. The scholarship will be awarded annually during the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Business of Film event. L to R: Timothy Pitts, scholarship recipient - Terrilyn Simmons, brand strategy manager at Georgia Power and David Rubinger, president and publisher at Atlanta Business Chronicle "Georgia Power has worked closely with the state to help support and grow the film industry in Georgia," said Anne Kaiser, vice president of community and economic development, Georgia Power. "We know that as the film industry grows in our state, so does the need for a diverse and experienced workforce to support it. That's why we partnered with the Atlanta Business Chronicle on this scholarship so we can help a deserving student right here in Georgia prepare for a successful career in film." "Georgia Power was our inaugural partner, and continues to be a valuable partner, in our Business of Film event every year. We are so pleased to grow that partnership and join together to honor an outstanding student with this new scholarship," said David Rubinger, president and publisher, Atlanta Business Chronicle. "Through their economic development and workforce development initiatives, Georgia Power plays a major role in recruiting the film industry to our state, and they understand the importance of attracting and keeping film dollars in Georgia." From major motion pictures, to indie films and television series, Georgia Power uses its properties, business partnerships, power grids, and other assets to make Georgia a one-stop shop for filmmakers. As one of the largest property owners in the state, Georgia Power provides access to industrial properties, lakes, generating facilities and parks as well as assists with lighting and power needs. 2018 Inaugural Winner Timothy Pitts, a student at Columbus State University (CSU), is the inaugural recipient of the Business of Film Rising Star Student Scholarship. A non-traditional student and Navy veteran, Pitts has overcome many obstacles on his path to pursuing a career in the film industry. His passion for photography led him to studying film at CSU and, ultimately, excelling in both his screenwriting and film production classes. Pitts has been completing his degree under a Post 9/11 GI Bill scholarship, which will soon expire. The $5,000 Business of Film Rising Star Student Scholarship will go towards helping him complete his final three semesters and graduate in the summer of 2020. "Because of Georgia Power, the Atlanta Business Chronicle and this scholarship, I'm not only able to complete my degree but also show my children that no matter where you start in life, you can find your purpose and pursue your passion," said Pitts. He was chosen from nominations submitted by Columbus State University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Georgia State University. About the Event The Atlanta Business Chronicle's Business of Film event began in 2016 as a venue to discuss the future of film in Georgia. Each year hundreds of current and aspiring members of the film industry attend the event. This year, 200 attendees joined together at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center to hear from Georgia film industry insiders on why it is so important to keep Georgia film dollars in Georgia, take in a panel on innovative education programs that are training and retaining talent, and discuss what next steps are needed to ensure the film industry is a sustainable economic driver for the state in the future. Efforts in Workforce Development For more than a century, Georgia Power has been helping communities grow and prosper. Georgia Power guides companies on their search for the best location for their business and support local leaders as they attract new jobs and investment. The company is also committed to investing in programs and organizations that help build a talent pipeline spread across a diverse set of industries and skill sets. Georgia Power has long recognized that workforce development is the number one driver for new and expanding industries. Through partnership efforts with organizations like the Technical College System of Georgia, the state's nationally-ranked colleges and universities, and more, Georgia Power is helping to fill great jobs with a highly trained, skilled workforce. For more on the company's economic development and workforce development efforts, visit www.selectgeorgia.com. About Georgia Power Georgia Power is the largest subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), one of the nation's largest generators of electricity. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.5 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower) and Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower). SOURCE Georgia Power Related Links http://www.georgiapower.com ST. LOUIS, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, cereal growers can enter for a chance to win a $5,000 donation from Bayer to a charity of their choice through the Grain for Good Sweepstakes presented by the Bayer Cereal Experts. Following the success of its inaugural year, the sweepstakes will expand eligible cereal states from 10 to 12. "We are very excited to see the Grain for Good sweepstakes come back for another year," said Carter Medalen, Bayer senior technical sales representative. "Last year cereal growers enthusiastically participated to give back to local organizations. It was great to see the positive effect of the donations, and I join the rest of the Cereal Experts in my excitement to see how the donations will help communities this year." In its first year, the Grain for Good sweepstakes donated $50,000 to 10 charities, which helped provide classroom materials, new equipment, grants and scholarships. "When I saw the opportunity from Bayer to potentially receive $5,000 for my local community, I said to my husband, let's go for it,'" said Karen Thomas, a wheat grower from Velva, North Dakota, and one of 10 Grain for Good winners in 2018. "We have two boys in high school and both are planning on furthering their education at North Dakota State University in agriculture and returning to the farm. The Velva Ag Department has provided excellent education. We hope the $5,000 will be used to enhance the tools and equipment to increase the opportunities for students interested in agriculture." Growers can enter to win by mail or at www.grainforgood.com now through March 31, 2019. There is no purchase necessary and a limit of only one entry per person. Winners will be selected randomly by a third party and announced in April 2019. Sweepstakes details: Entrants must grow 250+ acres of cereal crops, including spring wheat, winter wheat, durum, barley and/or sorghum in 2018 or plan to grow 250+ acres of such crops in 2019. Eligible states: CO, ID, KS, MN, MT, ND, NE, OK, OR, SD, TX, WA 10 winners will be selected to receive $5,000 donation from Bayer to a charity of their choice. donation from Bayer to a charity of their choice. No purchase necessary. Void outside eligible states and where prohibited. Must be 18 years of age or older (19 or older if a resident of NE). Sweepstakes is subject to Official Rules, available at www.grainforgood.com The Bayer Cereal Experts are excited to see all the ways the donations will help communities. To enter for a chance to help your local community and to learn more about last year's winners, visit www.grainforgood.com. Learn more about the Cereal Experts and the innovative Bayer cereals portfolio at CerealExperts.com. Bayer is committed to bringing new technology and solutions for agriculture and non-agricultural uses. For questions concerning the availability and use of products, contact a local Bayer representative, or visit Crop Science, a division of Bayer, online at cropscience.bayer.us. Visit the Bayer Connect - Social Hub for social media, recent news, blog posts, videos and more from Crop Science, a division of Bayer. About Bayer Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care 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.us. Contact : Bayer Media Hotline, 1-862-404-5118, or Carolyn Nagle Bayer U.S. Tel: 862-404-5955 Email: [email protected] Michelle Nickrent Rhea + Kaiser Tel: 630-955-2517 Email: [email protected] Find more information at www.cropscience.bayer.us. Forward-Looking Statements This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer's public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments. 2018 Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63167. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer (reg'd), the Bayer Cross (reg'd), and Grain for Good are trademarks of Bayer. Not all products are registered in all states. For additional product information please call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us SOURCE Bayer Related Links http://www.bayer.us MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hodges Ward Elliott ("HWE"), the world's leading independent hotel brokerage and investment-banking firm, with offices in New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and London, represented the owner in the sale of the Residence Inn Memphis Downtown. An affiliate of Wright Investments purchased the hotel. Following the sale, Wright will continue to manage the property. Prominently situated at the corner of Main Street and Monroe Avenue within the expanding Downtown Memphis market, the property originally opened in 1930 as the luxurious 240-room William Len Hotel. Known for its attractive Art Deco architecture, opulent two-story lobby and at the time, its state-of-the-art amenities, the William Len operated as a hotel until 1985, at which point it was converted to a 90-unit apartment building. In 2004, the building was renovated and converted to the 90-room Residence Inn Memphis Downtown. The hotel features the largest rooms in the market at 602 square feet (on average), a 3,775 square foot rooftop lounge, fitness center, business center and is home to one of just two Starbucks stores in all of Downtown Memphis. HWE is the leading hotel brokerage and investment-banking firm in the country providing total capital solutions, including hotel sales, recapitalizations and debt placement for our clients. Over the past 5 years, HWE has sold or financed more than $23.8 billion of hotels and resorts across the U.S. including more than $5 billion in 2017 and $3.6 billion in 2018. Contact: Great Ink - 212-741-2977 Tom Nolan ([email protected]) SOURCE Hodges Ward Elliott STUTTGART, Germany, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Completion of transaction expected in 2019 Anticipated earnings effect at Daimler Financial Services to be recognized in 2019 The planned joint mobility company with the BMW Group is expected to be established at the beginning of next year. This has been agreed by Daimler AG and BMW Group. Following the approval of the project by the EU Commission, the two partners are continuing talks with the US antitrust authorities. Completion of the transaction, which was originally planned for 2018 and continues to be pursued by both partners, can no longer be achieved in the remaining weeks of this year. In this context, the expected significant positive valuation and earnings effects at Daimler Financial Services will be realized in 2019. Accordingly, the earnings forecast for the Daimler Financial Services division has been reduced for 2018. The division now expects EBIT to be significantly lower than in the previous year. The forecast for the Daimler Group's EBIT in the 2018 financial year remains unaffected and unchanged. As previously announced, the transaction will not have any cash-flow impact on the industrial business. With their joint venture, Daimler AG and BMW Group plan to combine their mobility services in the fields of car sharing, ride hailing, parking, charging and multimodality, and to create one of the leading providers of innovative mobility services. Both automobile manufacturers want to shape the future of mobility in order to offer their customers unique experiences and to support partners such as cities and municipalities along the way to achieving sustainable urban mobility. In the future, customers will have a holistic, intelligent and seamlessly linked ecosystem of mobility services at their disposal at the touch of a button. In this way, the two partners are addressing the challenges of urban mobility as well as customers' requirements and, together with cities, municipalities and other interest groups, are helping to improve the quality of life in metropolises. This document contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events. The words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "can," "could," "plan," "project," "should" and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including an adverse development of global economic conditions, in particular a decline of demand in our most important markets; a deterioration of our refinancing possibilities on the credit and financial markets; events of force majeure including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, political unrest, armed conflicts, industrial accidents and their effects on our sales, purchasing, production or financial services activities; changes in currency exchange rates and tariff regulations; a shift in consumer preferences towards smaller, lower-margin vehicles; a possible lack of acceptance of our products or services which limits our ability to achieve prices and adequately utilize our production capacities; price increases for fuel or raw materials; disruption of production due to shortages of materials, labor strikes or supplier insolvencies; a decline in resale prices of used vehicles; the effective implementation of cost-reduction and efficiency-optimization measures; the business outlook for companies in which we hold a significant equity interest; the successful implementation of strategic cooperations and joint ventures; changes in laws, regulations and government policies, particularly those relating to vehicle emissions, fuel economy and safety; the resolution of pending government investigations or of investigations requested by governments and the conclusion of pending or threatened future legal proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties, some of which we describe under the heading "Risk and Opportunity Report" in the current Annual Report. If any of these risks and uncertainties materializes or if the assumptions underlying any of our forward-looking statements prove to be incorrect, the actual results may be materially different from those we express or imply by such statements. We do not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements since they are based solely on the circumstances at the date of publication. Daimler at a Glance Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world's biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance, financial investments, credit cards, and innovative mobility services. The company's founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, it is a motivation and commitment of Daimler to shape safely and sustainably the future of mobility: The Group's focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal and fascinate. Daimler consequently invests in the development of efficient drive trains with the long-term goal of locally emission-free driving: from hightech combustion engines about hybrid vehicles to electric drive trains powered by battery or fuel cell. Furthermore, the company follows a consistent path towards intelligent connectivity of its vehicles, autonomous driving and new mobility concepts. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Africa. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world's most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz (Source: Interbrand-Study, 10/4/2018), as well as Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes me, the brands smart, EQ, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses, and Daimler Financial Services' brands: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Daimler Truck Financial, moovel, car2go and mytaxi. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2017, the Group sold around 3.3 million vehicles and employed a workforce of more than 289,300 people. With application of IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 in financial year 2017, Group revenue would have amounted to 164.2 billion and Group EBIT would have amounted to 14.3 billion. Before application of IFRS 15 and 9, Group revenue in 2017 amounted to 164.3 billion and Group EBIT amounted to 14.7 billion, as previously reported. SOURCE Daimler North America - Corporate Communications "San Antonio Zoo is honored to become the permanent new home of the world's largest rhino sculpture," said Tim Morrow, CEO and Executive Director of San Antonio Zoo. "As we have revised our vision and mission at San Antonio Zoo, a new focus on conservation has emerged. Our zoo's logo features two iconic animals, the giraffe and rhino which are both on the brink of extinction and both of which are species we are working to save. It is fitting to bring this iconic artwork to San Antonio as we open the rhino habitat, the latest in our ongoing expansion projects." Currently installed in New York City by award-winning contemporary artists Gillie and Marc, the planet's tallest rhino sculpture was unveiled a mere 4-days before the shocking death of Sudan, the last male Northern white rhino, leaving only two females of the species left on the planet. The sculpture became a powerful memorial, to which residents and tourists flocked, leaving flowers at its base and petitioning for change. Gillie and Marc, referred to by the media as "the world's most loving artists," are extraordinary public artists who have worked side-by-side for over 25-years to create art as one. The mission of Gillie and Marc's sculpture coincides beautifully with that of San Antonio Zoo. The Last Three was created to establish a legacy of Sudan and his species through art, spreading awareness and inspiring action to save all rhino from extinction. "A year and a half ago, Gillie and I traveled to Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya to visit Sudan, as well as his daughter Najin, and granddaughter Fatu," said Marc. "The experience shook us to the core, and we returned home vowing to dedicate the rest of our lives to protecting rhinos from extinction in the best way we know how through our art." While it's sadly too late for Northern white rhinos, San Antonio Zoo plans to receive two female Southern white rhinos from other zoological facilities when the sculpture arrives, and a male shortly after that to begin a breeding program for the rhinos. The zoo hopes to re-establish its rhino breeding program. In 1972, San Antonio Zoo was the first zoo in North America to have a successful Southern white rhino birth and has had 19 successful rhino births since. Fittingly, zoo officials are thrilled to bring this iconic artwork, and more rhinos to San Antonio. The sculpture will come with a high-tech addition. INDE, one of the top Augmented Reality (AR) companies that develops interactive and immersive products, has teamed up with Gillie and Marc, as well as the San Antonio Zoo to help save rhinos by bringing The Last Three to life within the zoo. INDE is creating an AR app so that visitors can 'adopt' the Northern white rhinos and help protect them. Once downloaded to smart devices, San Antonio Zoo guests will be able to see likenesses of rhinos roaming within the space of the zoo's sculpture. 78% of proceeds from INDE's app will go towards Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. "We want The Last Three to celebrate all of the amazing people and organizations that drive positive change in wildlife conservation," says Gillie, "However, our goal is also to continue the efforts of San Antonio Zoo, and inspire generations to join the battle for rhino conservation." For more information, visit www.gillieandmarc.com or www.lovethelast.com About San Antonio Zoo San Antonio Zoo, operated by San Antonio Zoological Society, is a non-profit organization committed to securing a future for wildlife. Through its passion and expertise in animal care, conservation, and education, the zoo's mission is to inspire its community to love, engage with, act for and protect animals and the places they live. The zoo welcomes more than a million visitors each year and is open year-round. San Antonio Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Zoological Association of America, and Humane Certified by American Humane. For additional information visit www.sazoo.org SOURCE San Antonio Zoo Related Links https://sazoo.org PASADENA, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine reached a significant milestone today as it announced the newest members of its senior leadership team, composed of a world-class, multidisciplinary and diverse group of leaders who will oversee the planning, design and implementation of all areas of the school. "I am thrilled to welcome these distinguished individuals to the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine leadership team," said Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, founding dean and chief executive officer of the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine. "Their progressive and thoughtful leadership, combined with their innovative ideas and vision for the future of medical education, will play a vital role in establishing a world-class, 21st-century academic medical institution. We aim to train students to be outstanding physicians who also will join with others in transforming health care delivery across the nation and beyond." Dr. Schuster, an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, was previously William Berenberg Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and chief of general pediatrics and vice-chair for health policy in the department of medicine at Boston Children's Hospital. The new leaders, consisting of seven deans, three department chairs and a senior vice president, represent decades of academic and health care experience and will play an integral role in driving the strategic direction of the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine. They are: Jose M. Barral, MD, PhD, appointed chair of the department of foundational science. Dr. Barral comes from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, where he served as tenured professor in the department of neuroscience, cell biology and anatomy in the school of medicine; senior associate dean for academic affairs in the graduate school of biomedical sciences; and director of the MD-PhD combined degree program. Dr. Barral is a Pew Scholar in the biomedical sciences and has garnered numerous awards including the University of Texas System Regents Outstanding Teaching Award. Paul Chung, MD, MS, appointed chair of the department of health systems science. Dr. Chung comes from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Mattel Children's Hospital, where he was a professor of pediatrics and chief of general pediatrics. He also served as a professor of health policy and management at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Dr. Chung, who also is an adjunct senior scientist at RAND, has received grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other public and private agencies. He is president-elect of the Academic Pediatric Association. Maureen T. Connelly, MD, MPH, appointed senior associate dean for academic and community affairs. Dr. Connelly comes from Harvard Medical School, where she served as dean for faculty affairs. She is a founding member and former leader of the New England Network on Faculty Affairs and recently served as the chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges' Group on Faculty Affairs. Dr. Connelly's academic appointment was in the department of population medicine at Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, a managed care organization committed to population health strategies and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, where her research focused on women's health and patient decision-making. Walter D. Conwell, MD, MBA, appointed associate dean for equity, inclusion and diversity. Dr. Conwell comes from CPMG (the Colorado Permanente Medical Group), where he held the positions of physician director of diversity, equity and inclusion and medical director of sleep medicine and outpatient sleep diagnostics. Prior to joining CPMG, Dr. Conwell completed an administrative fellowship in diversity and inclusion at the University of Colorado Denver during which he focused on pipeline program development and assessment. Dr. Conwell previously served as the program coordinator for the Summer Medical Education Program Chicago Consortium which was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the American Association of Medical Colleges. Anne Eacker, MD, appointed senior associate dean for student affairs. Dr. Eacker comes from the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she was associate dean for student affairs and a practicing general internist. She has served as medical director of the general internal medicine center in the department of medicine at the University of Washington, and as an associate professor for the division of general internal medicine in the department of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Eacker is a recipient of the 2018 American College of Physicians Washington State Chapter Outstanding Clinician-Educator Award. Walter Harris, MBA, PMP, appointed senior vice president for administration and finance. Mr. Harris comes from the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C., where he served as senior associate dean for administration and operations and associate vice president for operations and chief operating officer. He previously served as deputy commissioner for operations and chief operations officer for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Abbas Hyderi, MD, MPH, appointed senior associate dean for medical education. Dr. Hyderi comes from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine (UIC), where he was associate dean for undergraduate medical education. He was the co-chair of the Association of American Medical Colleges Core Entrustable Professional Activities Pilot's Entrustment Concept Group. He was chair of UIC's curriculum transformation task force and co-chair of UIC Provost's interprofessional education task force. He founded the Essentials of Clinical Practice and Professionalism 2 course and is a recipient of UIC's College of Medicine Alumni Council Emerging Innovator of the Year Award and Illinois Academy of Family Physicians Teacher of the Year Award. Michael Kanter, MD, appointed chair of the department of clinical science. Dr. Kanter comes from The Permanente Federation, a physician-led group that provides care exclusively for the more than 12.2 million members of Kaiser Permanente, where he serves as executive vice president and chief quality officer. He also serves as regional medical director of quality and clinical analysis for the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. He is a recent recipient of the American Public Health Association's prestigious 2018 Donabedian Award for Health Quality for his pioneering work in developing and spreading the Sure Net program, which helps reduce missed or delayed diagnoses and increases medication safety. Carla Lupi, MD, appointed associate dean for assessment and evaluation. Dr. Lupi comes from the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, where she served as associate dean for faculty and before that as assistant dean for learning and teaching. She also was a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. She was a contributor to the American Association of Medical Colleges Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Faculty Development Concept Group. She has served as a member of the National Board of Medical Examiners since 2016. Elizabeth McGlynn, PhD, appointed interim senior associate dean for research and scholarship. Dr. McGlynn is currently vice president of Kaiser Permanente Research and executive director of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Effectiveness and Safety Research. She is an internationally known expert on methods for evaluating the appropriateness and quality of health care. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and is the former chair of the agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's National Advisory Committee and is on the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation Board of Directors. Lindia Willies-Jacobo, MD, appointed associate dean for admissions. Dr. Willies-Jacobo comes from the University of California, San Diego, where she served as assistant dean for diversity and community partnerships, professor of pediatrics, director of the program in medical education-health equity and member of the recruitment and admissions executive committee. She is principal investigator on two Health Resources and Services Administration grants that focus on developing a diverse health care workforce and is the Western regional representative for the Association of American Medical Colleges Group Student Affairs Committee on Student Diversity Affairs. "As we embark on this exciting effort, our inaugural leadership team's expertise, dedication and innovation will drive our pursuit of educational excellence," Dr. Schuster said. "I am thrilled with the team we have brought together and appreciative of their enormous talent and commitment. I look forward to partnering with our new leaders, our existing leaders and the rest of the medical school team to build a school we can be proud of." The Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine is based in Pasadena, California. Its mission is to provide a world-class medical education that ignites a passion for learning, a desire to serve and an unwavering commitment to improve the health and well-being of patients and communities. About the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine The Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine will offer more than a conventional medical education. It will provide students with the unique opportunity to be taught by the physicians of Kaiser Permanente and immersed in one of the nation's highest-performing health care organizations. Students will gain real-world experience in an environment that embraces diversity of thought, experience, and culture, and values their wellness and total health. This approach will create physicians with the knowledge, skills, and passion to lead the transformation of health care in our nation and help diverse communities thrive. Learn more at schoolofmedicine.kp.org. About Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share. For more information, contact: Vincent Staupe, Kaiser Permanente [email protected] 510-267-7364 SOURCE Kaiser Permanente Related Links http://www.kaiserpermanente.org DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- K&L Microwave, Inc., part of Microwave Products Group and Dover (NYSE: DOV), is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded the 2018 Champions of Maryland Manufacturing Award for Energy and Sustainability from the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland ("RMI"). RMI's review committee fielded 280 nominations where K&L was selected as one of the top five Champions of Manufacturing for Energy and Sustainability in the industry. K&L has made energy efficiency a priority through all facets of the company while ensuring a commitment to sustainable business practices. K&L is proud of the commitment to increase its environmental awareness, reduce environmental impact, protect the health and safety of employees, support the local community while continuing to meet the needs of customers. About K&L Microwave, Inc.: K&L is recognized by top-tier defense contractors and wireless infrastructure providers as a world leader in the design and manufacture of RF and microwave filters, duplexers, and integrated assemblies. Applications include satellite communications, radar, radio communications, fire control radars, telemetry applications, missile guidance systems, mobile radio base stations, and air traffic control and communications. Commercial products include high-performance receive and transmit filters, delay line filters, duplexers and diplexers, combiners, receive multi-couplers, wireless system assemblies for base station requirements, and lower-cost ceramic and lumped element parts. More information is available at www.klmicrowave.com. About Microwave Products Group ("MPG"): MPG is a leading global provider of mission-critical engineered electronic components and subsystems and is comprised of the businesses K&L Microwave, Inc., Dow-Key Microwave, Pole/Zero Corporation, and BSC Filters. Our expertise is the design and manufacture of communications-based specialty products engineered components and subsystems for demanding military, space, commercial aerospace/industrial, and telecom infrastructure applications where function and reliability are crucial. More information is available at dovermpg.com. About Dover: Dover is a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenue of approximately $7 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, specialty systems, consumable supplies, software and digital solutions, and support services through three operating segments: Engineered Systems, Fluids and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 60 years, our team of over 24,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com. SOURCE Dover TERRYVILLE, Conn., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lauretano Sign Group, the Connecticut based signage contractor, has been engaged by Collins Aerospace to support the company's office signage rebranding. Collins Aerospace Systems was recently formed when United Technologies Corporation acquired Rockwell Collins and combined it with UTC Aerospace Systems. The scope includes work at more than 75 Collins Aerospace sites across North America, Europe and Asia. Lauretano also helped the company design the exterior and interior signage for the new organization as part of the rebranding efforts. Cheshire CT Collins Aerospace Rebranding by Lauretano Sign Group Lauretano specializes in national and world wide rebranding programs and will manufacture the Collins Aerospace signage at its main campus in Connecticut, as well as at its partner facilities in Shenzhen, China; Riga, Latvia; and Juarez, Mexico. Lauretano also supported the worldwide rebranding for UTC Aerospace Systems in 2012 after United Technologies acquired Goodrich Corporation and combined it with Hamilton Sundstrand. The signage contractor has worked with United Technologies on multiple signage projects for more than 40 years. Yaron Lew, COO of Lauretano Sign Group, says "Lauretano Sign Group is uniquely positioned to provide signage solutions worldwide. Together with our manufacturing partners and a network of worldwide installers we are poised to face the many challenges that a program of this magnitude brings. It is an honor for us to have been selected for this effort." Michael Lauretano Jr., CEO of Lauretano Sign Group, says "We are proud to have been chosen to once again work with UTC on another important rebranding program. Our worldwide capabilities and strategic manufacturing facilities allow us to have 'boots on the ground' wherever our corporate clients are based throughout the world." Media contact: Michael Lauretano [email protected] 860-582-0233 http://www.lauretano.com/ SOURCE Lauretano Sign Group Related Links http://www.lauretano.com PETAH TIKVA, Israel, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Leviticus Cardio, inventors of the versatile transcutaneous Coplanar Energy Transfer (CET) system used with implanted left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), announces the successful completion of a 180-day preclinical chronic animal study to evaluate its CET technology in combination with a commercial heart pump. Leviticus' CET technology compliments a LVAD made by Jarvik Heart Inc. which is equipped with a post auricular pedestal, acting together as a hybrid system for the subject. "Toy" the sheep - recipient of fully implanted heart assist (LVAD) from Leviticus Cardio and Jarvikheart The ongoing trial is being conducted at a renowned animal facility operated by the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. This comes as Leviticus has raised additional funds to proceed with the first in human (FIH) trial. Michael Zilbershlag, Leviticus Cardio's CEO, says, "The combination of the success of the trial reaching six months and the additional resources we have received, means we have what we need to move on to the first in human stage." "This milestone is a watershed moment for the CET system. The ongoing longevity of the subject gives hope that soon human beings might be able to reap its benefits." stated Professor Ivan Netuka, MD, Ph.D. of the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM), Prague. Peter Hinchliffe, Jarvik Heart Inc. president and COO, stated: "The synergy between Jarvik Heart and Leviticus technologies continues to show clear benefits. Our companies look forward to providing a complete wireless VAD system which will change patients' lives." About Leviticus Cardio Founded in 2008, Leviticus Cardio (Leviticus-cardio.com) is a medical device company dedicated to improving the clinical outcome for patients with an implanted left ventricular assist device (LVAD) for the treatment of impaired cardiac function. The Company has received funding from The Trendlines Group (SGX:42T;OTCQX:TRNLY), a leading Israeli early-stage investor, a consortium of acclaimed cardiovascular physicians, private investors and Israel's Innovation Authority (previously, the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Economy). About Jarvik Heart Jarvik Heart, Inc. is a private company that develops miniaturized heart assist devices for the treatment of severe heart failure. The company, formed in 1988, is located in Manhattan, where it conducts development and manufacturing activities. The Jarvik 2000 Ventricular Assist Device has successfully sustained and improved the condition of patients awaiting transplants as well as those who have chosen the device for lifetime use. Contact: Ruden Media Services, [email protected], (972)-52-4070775 SOURCE Leviticus Cardio JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LocatorX, a tech company developing accurate, inexpensive and flexible tracking technology based on a nanomaterials patent from the University of Oxford, announced the appointment of seasoned IT executive Scott Fletcher as President and Chief Executive Officer by the company's Board of Directors. Fletcher will focus on taking the company's first product to market with several customers, begin manufacturing a microchip, launch a major marketing program, register additional patents, and continue the company's path towards an SEC Reg A+ Direct Public Offering. Scott Fletcher, a seasoned IT solutions exec with more than 30 years of experience at Ultimate Software, PeopleSoft, Dun & Bradstreet Software, joins LocatorX to lead the company's global product launch and Reg A+ public offering Fletcher has an extensive history of building and leading technology organizations in both small startup companies as well as large multinational corporations. His career encompasses more than 30 years of experience with information technology solutions and new business programs for companies including Shell, PeopleSoft (now owned by Oracle), Dun & Bradstreet Software, Evant (now owned by Manhattan Associates), and i2 Technologies (now owned by JDA Software Group). In June 2018, Mr. Fletcher retired after 10 years with Ultimate Software where he was a Vice President. He played a key role in Ultimate Software's surpassing $1 billion in annual revenue. In a recent interview, Fletcher explained how he joined the company, "I am an over 30-years industry veteran working with startups and taking them to very large-scale operational technology companies. I had been an original angel investor so I'm very familiar with the product and what was going on with the operations." Upon joining the company, Fletcher said, "I look forward to leading LocatorX as we work towards the next generation of GPS as the world's first Solid-State Atomic Clock microchip. We have the essential patents in place, are developing the technology, and now I look forward to adding the operational excellence necessary to bring on our first customers and build out the technology necessary to commercialize the patents we have an exclusive license to." LocatorX Founder and CTO Billy Meadow said: "As we get key technology infrastructure in place, like the production of our field test chipset at The University of Washington Washington Nanofabrication Facility, it is crucial to bring on an experienced business leader like Scott to ensure our business operations infrastructure is ready for rapid growth." About LocatorX LocatorX, headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., offers companies a Certified DataMatrix for logistics, supply chain management, and consumer packaged goods that provides a unique time/data/location of any tag scanned with a smartphone. The company is also developing the world's first and only molecular-sized location tracking device. The device is based on the solid-state patented Miniature Atomic Clock (MAC) technology created by a nanomaterials lab at the University of Oxford, to which LocatorX has exclusive rights. Once developed, the company will provide exclusive patent rights to licensing partners in different industries for an accurate, inexpensive, and flexible technology that can track anything anywhere cell phone service is available. For more information, visit www.locatorx.com. Media Contact: Chris White [email protected] (904) 903-4445 SOURCE LocatorX Related Links http://www.locatorx.com WESTMINSTER, CO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Maxar Technologies (NYSE:MAXR) (TSX:MAXR), a global technology innovator powering the new space economy, today announced it has completed the sale of its Building 1 in Palo Alto, California, which sits on roughly 4.5 acres, for $70 million. After the sale, the company retains roughly 24 acres of office, R&D and manufacturing facilities in Palo Alto. Approximately 400 satellite design and production engineers currently work in Building 1, located across the street from the main SSL campus in Palo Alto. These employees will be relocated to nearby Building 21. Customer workspaces are also being relocated to Building 21, and no production or customer work is expected to be impacted as a result of this move. "With the sale of Building 1, we have reduced the SSL footprint in Palo Alto for improved efficiency and have freed up capital," said Biggs Porter, Chief Financial Officer of Maxar Technologies. "The net proceeds from this transaction will be used to pay down Maxar debt." About SSL SSL, based in Palo Alto, California, is a leading provider of advanced spacecraft systems, with broad expertise to support commercial and government satellite operators and innovative space missions. The company designs and manufactures spacecraft for services such as direct-to-home television, video content distribution, broadband internet, mobile communications, in-orbit servicing, space exploration, and Earth observation. As a Silicon Valley innovator for 60 years, SSL's advanced product line includes state-of-the-art small satellites, and sophisticated robotics and autonomous solutions for remote operations. SSL is a Maxar Technologies company (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR). For more information, visit www.sslmda.com. About Maxar Technologies As a global leader of advanced space technology solutions, Maxar Technologies (formerly MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates) is at the nexus of the new space economy, developing and sustaining the infrastructure and delivering the information, services, systems that unlock the promise of space for commercial and government markets. As a trusted partner, Maxar Technologies provides vertically integrated capabilities and expertise including satellites, Earth imagery, robotics, geospatial data and analytics to help customers anticipate and address their most complex mission-critical challenges with confidence. With more than 6,500 employees in over 30 global locations, the Maxar Technologies portfolio of commercial space brands includes MDA, SSL, DigitalGlobe and Radiant Solutions. Every day, billions of people rely on Maxar to communicate, share information and data, and deliver insights that Build a Better World. Maxar trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange as MAXR. For more information, visit www.maxar.com. Forward-Looking Statements "Certain statements and other information included in this release constitute "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") under applicable securities laws. Statements including words such as "may", "will", "could", "should", "would", "plan", "potential", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate" or "expect" and other words, terms and phrases of similar meaning are often intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements involve estimates, expectations, projections, goals, forecasts, assumptions, risks and uncertainties, as well as other statements referring to or including forward-looking information included in this release. Forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this release. As a result, although management of the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. The risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the risk factors and other disclosures about the Company and its business included in the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian and U.S. securities regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, under the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov or on the Company's website at www.maxar.com. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such forward-looking statements are based upon data available as of the date of this presentation or other specified date and speak only as of such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements in this release as a result of new information or future events, except as may be required under applicable securities legislation." Investor Relations Contact: Jason Gursky Maxar VP Investor Relations 1-303-684-2207 [email protected] Media Contact: Turner Brinton Maxar Media Relations 1-303-684-4545 [email protected] SOURCE Maxar Technologies Ltd. Related Links www.maxar.com SAN DIEGO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA ), the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the United States, today announced that its subsidiary Phyto Animal Health will be exhibiting its line of eco-friendly cannabidiol (CBD) hemp oil products for pets at CBD Expo East in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 7-8. "It is an honor to be able to educate people on the benefits of CBD for animals on this national stage and express how passionate I am to lead a company whose overall goal is to reduce waste by creating eco-friendly products and production methods," said Phyto Animal Health CEO Ian Quinn. "I look forward to presenting alongside my canine partner Dante." CBD Expo East , one of the largest CBD event platforms in the United States, allows businesses and consumers to interact and share expert knowledge on the benefits of CBD and discuss the abundance of market opportunities. The event will feature an estimated attendance of more than 4,500 attendees, 90 exhibitors and many expert speakers. During the event, Phyto Animal Health CEO Ian Quinn will host a presentation on the benefits of CBD for pets and the growing acceptance among veterinarians. His presentation will take place on Dec. 7 at 4:00 p.m. In addition, attendees will have the chance to meet the inspiration behind the brand, Dante the Pit Bull. Phyto Animal Health offers a line of CBD hemp oil supplements including tinctures, treats and concentrates for cats, dogs and horses. CBD hemp oil has been researched by top veterinarians for cardiovascular, pain management, orthopedic, and mental health in animals. "This conference is a great opportunity for Phyto Animal Health to showcase its many accomplishments and inform people why this segment of the CBD market is looking to change the future of veterinary medicine," said Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Dr. Stuart Titus. "We hope our participation in CBD Expo East will allow us valuable networking opportunities, as the national CBD market is poised to increase to more than $22 billion by 2022 ." To learn more, visit the Phyto Animal Health at Booth #202 or at https://phytoanimalhealth.com/. About Phyto Animal Health As a company that cares about the health and wellbeing of all animals, Phyto Animal Health also cares about the earth. Using the least amount of water and other resources to create its products, the Company aims to leave the smallest footprint possible while helping provide cats, dogs and horses with the nutritional support they need to have outstanding mental and physical health. About Medical Marijuana, Inc. We are a company of firsts. Our mission is to be the premier cannabis and hemp industry innovators, leveraging our team of professionals to source, evaluate and purchase value-added companies and products, while allowing them to keep their integrity and entrepreneurial spirit. We strive to create awareness within our industry, develop environmentally friendly, economically sustainable businesses, while increasing shareholder value. For details on Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s portfolio and investment companies, visit www.medicalmarijuanainc.com . To see Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s corporate video, click here . Shareholders and consumers are also encouraged to buy CBD oil and other products at Medical Marijuana, Inc.'s shop . FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements by definition involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Medical Marijuana, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) DISCLOSURE These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. LEGAL DISCLOSURE Medical Marijuana, Inc. does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA). These companies do grow, sell, and distribute hemp-based products and are involved with the federally legal distribution of medical marijuana-based products within certain international markets. Cannabidiol is a natural constituent of hemp oil. CONTACT: Public Relations Contact: Andrew Hard Chief Executive Officer CMW Media P. 858-264-6600 [email protected] www.cmwmedia.com SOURCE Medical Marijuana, Inc. Related Links http://cmwmedia.com Since embarking upon adult-recreational legalization last July, the state of Nevada continues to break its own cannabis sales records. Nevada's successes point to an intriguing potential should the federal government move closer to national legalization, which would benefit cannabis companies inside and out of the state, including Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB), Medmen Enterprises Inc. (CSE: MMEN) (OTC: MMNFF), HEXO Corp. (TSX: HEXO)(OTC: HYYDF), CV Sciences, Inc. (OTC:CVSI), and Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTC: GTBIF). The Nevada Department of Taxation reported that its intake of taxes from cannabis sales more than doubled year-over-year in August. Marijuana tax collection alone for 2019 in Nevada is expected to be nearly $70 million. Much of the state's increases in cannabis-related revenues can be attributed to improved successes at the retail level. Leaders in the industry have seized upon pot's growing popularity in Nevada. "Nevada will always hold a special place in our company history," said Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) CEO Peter Horvath. "The source has two locations in the state presently and have been exceptionally pleased with the performance of the whole value chain here. These additional facilities and licenses will give us the ability to expand our operations and provide an even better marijuana retail experience for consumers." "We were impressed with the regulatory process in Nevada and feel that these new licenses reflect the confidence officials have in Green Growth Brands and our ability to operate high quality, compliant and safe dispensaries," continued Horvath. "Working with regulators organically through this process allows us to avoid the higher costs associated with acquiring existing licenses and facilities, helping us preserve our balance sheet strength." Nevada regulators are actively assisting the blossoming industry, through assurances including quality control. The state is host to approximately ten cannabis labs, used to test products for any residues of pesticides, heavy metal contamination, or microbial contamination. Customers buying cannabis in Nevada can be assured that the products they are about to consume have been evaluated for their safety. The net benefit to Nevadans goes beyond an increased intake of taxes, and safe products, but also a rise in jobs worth having. Nevada Leading the Way for the Country There are several signs that the country as a whole is on a path towards full-scale legalization. In fact, the last few months have been nothing but hints that the green wave is about to go full-scale. After the most recent US election, there are now 10 states as well as Washington, DC that have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes. Even ultra-conservative Utah voted for full legalization. Almost immediately after the results were announced, vehemently anti-cannabis Jeff Sessions was asked to step down as US Attorney General. Now most recently, US lawmakers finally struck a deal for the landmark 2018 Farm Bill, ending months of partisan debate and kicking off a new era of hemp-derived cannabinoid markets. Once enacted, the bill effectively legalizes hemp growing for the first time in nearly a century. The shift opens up the possibilities for the production of the non-psychoactive cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), which is quickly gaining in popularity for its proposed anti-anxiety, and anti-inflammation properties. CBD's market potential has already been projected to reach $22 billion by 2022. The mainstream potential for CBD products is possibly higher in the long run than CBD's more notorious cannabinoid cousin, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Over the long term, the CBD market is projected to offer a compound annual growth rate of 147% through 2022. Versatility is CBD's strongest factor, given that it can be incorporated into oils, capsules, vapes, infused beverages, edibles, and pretty much any alternative form of consumption you can think of. Ahead of the Farm Bill's announcement, Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) established its first-mover advantage in the CBD space with its brand, Seventh Sense. Seventh Sense is a unique line of CBD-infused beauty products. Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) aims to have the brand on shelves in all types of retail locations including drug stores, grocery stores, and the company's own chain of stores dubbed The Source NV. Backed by a team of some of the top minds in the entire retail sector, Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) is preparing for green revolution by taking each legalized market by storm. Leading a Marijuana Retail Revolution Since raising $140 million prior to its RTO less than two months ago, Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) has engaged in a series of aggressive expansion plans. But before the company even began trading, expectations were on the company to storm out of the gate, and establish authentic brands and innovative stores. Prior to its RTO, there was plenty of excitement over Green Growth Brands' positive contributions to the sector, coming from its fully-qualified retail team while entering the sector. During the lead-up to Green Growth Brands' first trading day, CEO Peter Horvath gave an interview with CNBC's Mad Money host Jim Cramer. The host was exceedingly excited about Horvath's retail experience, stating, "This is the first CEO that's going into retail that's actually been in retail." Before going to commercial, Cramer just had to add, "I cannot wait until you come public." Many cannabis customers have been underwhelmed with the cannabis retail experience. The sector's initial dispensaries and their excuse of newness is wearing thin. Thankfully expert help is on the way, both for buyers, and producers/suppliers. This is where groups like Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) are filling a void, and taking the cannabis shopping experience to a whole new level. "The team we've put together is arguably one of the top retail teams in any market, let alone cannabis," Horvath told Cramer in the CNBC interview. Horvath and his team have held prominent roles and led the strategy teams that built up the #1 lingerie business in the world (Victoria's Secret), the #1 personal care products business in the world (Bath & Body Works), the #1 denim business in North America (American Eagle Outfitters), and the #1 shoe specialty business in North America (DSW). Across all Green Growth Brands' (CSE: GGB) offerings, there appears to be something for everyone-These include an outdoorsy/active living niche of its CAMP brand, a self-care botanical therapy products called Seventh Sense, a surf culture Meri + Jayne brand, feminine targeted Green Lily botanical products, the newly-acquired Just Healthy line, and its flagship dispensary subsidiary called The Source NV. Horvath and his team have developed a unique branding strategy that's moving away from traditional customer demographics. The team is instead choosing to strategize it's segmenting by emotion. For example, Meri + Jayne focuses on combining the feeling of fun and well-being, while CAMP focuses on the experience of being at one with nature. Among the company's assets is state-of-the-art, patent-pending developer brand Xanthic Biopharma. Through this subsidiary, Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) controls a proprietary process to make THC and CBD water soluble. With water-soluble cannabinoids at the ready, the company gains a seemingly limitless potential to develop new products, from beauty products to edibles and drinks. As the US moves towards a more liberalized view of marijuana, more markets are opening up for groups like Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB) . The example given by Nevada is a promising look at what could be to come across the entire country in the coming years. Further Cannabis Developments Despite a spat of losses due to an aggressive expansion plan, Medmen Enterprises Inc. (CSE: MMEN) (OTCQX: MMNFF) recently reported an impressive 1,094% gain in sales for its Q1 fiscal period. MedMen now operates over 14 stores in California, Nevada, and New York, as well as cultivation and production sites. The company continued its territorial expansion into six key markets, after closing the acquisition of its Treadwell Nursery in Florida. Sometimes described as the "Apple Store of pot", MedMen is targeting an improvement of the cannabis retail space, much like Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB). Both retailers are specializing in offering their own house brands developed through a strategy of diverse vertical integration. A major brewing company in Molson Coors has recently stepped into the cannabis arena, through a deal with HEXO Corp. (TSX: HEXO) (OTCPK: HYYDF). Arguably much smaller than the Canopy deal, the Molson Coors deal has sparked HEXO into motion, having since announced plans to increase its 310,000 sq ft cannabis cultivation space to almost 1 million sq ft by the end of the year. The JV, which goes by the name Truss, will be led by former Molson Coors executive Brett Vye in the CEO seat and will report to the Truss board which consists of three MCC members, and 2 HEXO members. Multistate marijuana company, Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF) recently expanded its footprint in Nevada. Green Thumb Industries acquired a Nevada-based vertically integrated cannabis company in a stock and cash deal valued at approximately $290 million. The deal included three retail stores in the Las Vegas Valley, a 54,000 sq ft cultivation and processing facility, and another 41,000 sq ft cultivation and processing facility. The company has eight manufacturing facilities and licenses for 60 retail locations across eight US markets. Henderson, Nevada-based life-science company CV Sciences, Inc. (OTCQB: CVSI) continues to be a top performer, through developing CBD-based pharmaceuticals and consumer products. CVSI's consumer product division focuses on manufacturing, marketing and selling plant-based CBD products under its PlusCBD brand. Thanks to recent indications of the passing of the new Farm Bill, CVSI is recovering from a report regarding the company's patents cooled off the stock months ago. The company seems to have weathered the storm, and their sales continue to grow, including a 143% increase in gross profit from Q3 2017 to Q3 2018. For a FREE research report on Green Growth Brands (CSE: GGB), visit potstocknews.com. Disclaimer: Potstocknews.com (PSN) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. FN Media Group (FNM) is a third-party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated with PSN or any company mentioned herein. The commentary, views and opinions expressed in this release by PSN are solely those of PSN and are not shared by and do not reflect in any manner the views or opinions of FNM. 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Media Contact: FN Media Group, LLC [email protected] +1(561)325-8757 SOURCE Potstocknews.com ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) provides restaurant and other hospitality employers with updated information on structuring payment strategies for tipped employees, but some questions remain, according to Ashleigh R. Eames, an associate in national law firm LeClairRyan's Alexandria and Washington, D.C., offices. "In the new Opinion Letter, the DOL overruled the 80/20 rule, and now states that there is no limit to the amount of related side work that a tipped employee may perform, as long as such work is performed contemporaneously or immediately before or after direct tipped work," she explains. "The DOL's Opinion Letter FLSA2018-27 provides welcome guidance and flexibility to hospitality employers. However, it remains to be seen how the new guidance will be applied in different jurisdictions." The Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to pay tipped employees ones that customarily and regularly receive more than $30 per month in tips an hourly rate that is lower than the regular minimum wage, Eames wrote in a post, DOL Issues New Guidance for Hospitality Employers on Tipped Employees, which appears in the firm's Workplace Defender blog. "Employers can generally pay tipped employees the lower tipped minimum wage and use the amount an employee receives in tips as a credit against the employer's minimum wage obligation to the employee," she notes. This "tip credit" makes up the difference between the regular minimum wage and the lower tipped minimum wage. For example, using the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour and federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 per hour, an employer could take a tip credit up to $5.12 per hour. "It is also important to note that, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, where a state or local jurisdiction has a higher minimum or tipped wage than federal law requires, an employee must be paid whichever is higher," Eames adds. [See 29 U.S.C. 218(a).] Under the DOL's previous guidance, when an employee spent more than 20% of his or her time on non-tipped side work like rolling silverware, cleaning and setting tables, making coffee the employee had to be paid the regular minimum wage rate and the employer could not take a tip credit for that time. This became known as the "80/20 rule" and required restaurant and other hospitality employers to constantly monitor employees' activities and time to the minute. The new Opinion Letter overrules the 80/20 rule, stating that there is no limit to the amount of related "side work"as defined on the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), a database with occupational definitions, job requirements, and other information that a tipped employee may perform, as long as such work is performed contemporaneously or immediately before or after direct tipped work. "If a tipped employee spends time on tasks that are not listed on O*NET, the DOL stated that, unless the time spent is de minimus, the employee must be paid the regular minimum wage rate and no tip credit can be taken for such time," according to Eames. "For new or unique occupations that qualify as tipped jobs but are not included on O*NET, the DOL instructs employers to look to similar occupations on O*NET. For example, in the case of a teppanyaki [similar to hibachi] chef, the DOL compares the related duties of a counter attendant in the restaurant industry." The DOL also clarified the distinction between a tipped employee who performs related side work and one that has a dual job, she writes. "A tipped employee that performs non-tipped work unrelated to their tipped work will be considered to have 'dual jobs.' In this case, the employer can take a tip credit and pay the employee the lower tipped wage only for time the employee worked [in the tipped position]," Eames explains. "As an example, for time spent by a server who also works, say as a maintenance man, the employer cannot take a tip credit and must pay the employee the regular minimum wage for time performing maintenance work." Because the guidance is new, businesses may wish to consult with their legal advisor to continue to ensure that they are in compliance with current federal, state, and local laws, which often add additional requirements to employers," Eames advises. About LeClairRyan As a trusted advisor, LeClairRyan provides business counsel and client representation in corporate law and litigation. In this role, the firm applies its knowledge, insight and skill to help clients achieve their business objectives while managing and minimizing their legal risks, difficulties and expenses. With offices from coast to coast, the firm represents a wide variety of clients nationwide. For more information about LeClairRyan, visit www.leclairryan.com. Press Contacts : At Parness & Associates Public Relations, Bill Parness, (732) 290-0121, [email protected] or Lisa Kreda, [email protected] SOURCE LeClairRyan Related Links http://www.leclairryan.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- America Matters is pleased to announce the launch of Women Lead the Way. This women's empowerment initiative is aimed at placing women at the forefront of policy discussions and decisions, particularly in areas in which they are historically overlooked or excluded. America Matters' CEO, retired Army Lt. Col. Samantha Nerove, announced the program's launch at the 2019 Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WED) Summit held at the United Nations' headquarters in New York City. Speaking at the Summit in November, Nerove said, "Countries that empower their women have peace and prosperity as their calling card." The program will kick off with a focus on gender equity and national security. While women are directly affected by policies in these areas, female experts are underrepresented in the organizations and committees that shape and make those policiesWomen Lead the Way aims to change that. This is the second year CEO Nerove spoke at the WED Summit, joining over 40 other speakers who believe in the organization's mission to educate, empower, celebrate, and support women in business. Last year, Nerove announced a program aimed at stopping female genital mutilation in the United States. America Matters was an integral part of New Hampshire's 2018 anti-FGM legislation and continues to work with the 23 states without state laws criminalizing this horrific form of gender violence. Women Lead the Way is Nerove's next avenue in a lifetime pursuit to empower women. "I can't think of better venue and community to announce our latest initiative. When we empower women, give them the resources and platforms to be leaders, our country and communities benefit. I am excited to take the positive energy from WED and officially launch Women Lead the Way," said Nerove. Samantha Nerove is Founder/CEO of America Matters, a non-profit foundation that focuses on issues people care about not party or politics. She's a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel, paratrooper, and combat veteran. SOURCE America Matters LAS CRUCES, N.M., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Will the Rio Grande Technology Corridor between Albuquerque, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas become the new Silicon Valley of opportunity? CEO of SameDay Security (SDS), Anthony Dohrmann, founder of Electronic Caregiver and Addison Care, believes it might just be. "This is a research and innovation rich area with needs of more local job creation. We have New Mexico State University, University of New Mexico, Texas Tech and University of Texas at El Paso in our backyard. These are smart, family-oriented people. Both job seekers, innovators and investors are seeking high-tech opportunities in the state, and we're working to expand and provide them," Dohrmann said. Electronic Caregiver, subsidiary to SameDay Security, Inc. headquartered in Las Cruces, New Mexico Director of Clinical Research (center) David Keeley and research staff Dohrmann explained many local professionals are forced to vacate the state they love for more lucrative opportunities and a place to express their skills in other states. New Mexico and Western Texas invest to educate, and then we lose that talent to out-of-state technology companies. "It's time to significantly stimulate the local state economies. Other leading tech companies have considered relocating to New Mexico, but ultimately went elsewhere," Dohrmann said. "It's more than just about job creation. It's about developing meaningful solutions for life, health and consumer products in key industries with exciting technologies in artificial intelligence, machine learning, as well as virtual and augmented reality. We can improve quality of life on a variety of levels and the technologies produced in New Mexico could impact humanity on a global scale." SameDay Security, Inc. and its subsidiaries collaborate with universities and companies, such as Amazon Web Services, where the innovation team was just invited to present their technologies during the 2018 AWS Re:Invent Conference. Chief Technology Officer, Bryan Chasko, is a local New Mexican who was awarded the prestigious AWS Hero designation, earning him an elite place among just 60 people from over 25 countries for his key innovations and leadership. The company has committed $1M in resources into health and consumer innovation with the majority of those commitments going to New Mexico State University. "We've previously invested in the advanced NMSU biomechanics gravity lab that focuses on geriatric and fall research," Dohrmann explained. "We recently contracted to provide $340,000 in support and new technology to enhance innovation classrooms, equipping them with state-of-the-art virtual and augmented reality development assets. SDS is also funding 2 graduate and 2 undergraduate positions for the VR and AR lab, along with 2 gravity lab positions including both mechanical and electrical engineers." Over 90% of Dohrmann's 70 employees are NMSU graduates and his plan is to add 1,100 new jobs by 2023. Since beginning to work with NMSU, approximately $700,000 in commitments have been provided by SDS to NMSU technology innovation and health research. This alliance with NMSU resulted in over 7 years of research producing 8 academic publications. Former professor at NMSU, David Keeley Ph.D., said, "The innovation for population health, security, education and consumer technologies Dohrmann is creating were enticing enough for me to leave a tenured position to lead clinical research for his company. With the educational infrastructure already in place, the growing business climate throughout the region and the low cost of living, opportunities for innovation and employment are a catalyst for initiating growth and driving the development of the region for many years to come." SameDay Security, Inc. has raised and invested $36M into innovation, research and sales support that develops technologies for patient and elder care including, virtual caregivers and home health management technologies almost exclusively into New Mexico operations. In January, they will debut the much-awaited Addison Care, a Virtual Caregiving System, at the Sands Convention Center at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Media Contact: Nathan Kramer [email protected] 575-202-2081 www.electroniccaregiver.com SOURCE SameDay Security, Inc. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The recent riots in Paris have led to a wave of questions and concerns from travelers with plans to visit the capital city, and many are turning to travel insurance for answers. With another riot expected this weekend, travel insurance comparison site, Squaremouth, explains 3 key travel insurance takeaways travelers should know now. 1. Canceling your trip probably isn't covered by travel insurance The majority of insured travelers would not be covered by travel insurance to cancel or return home early from their trip to Paris due to the recent riots. Civil unrest, riots and acts of war are almost always listed as exclusions in Trip Cancellation-style travel insurance policies. 2. You may be able to cancel now if you have this upgrade Travelers concerned about an upcoming trip to Paris may be covered to cancel their trip if they purchased the Cancel For Any Reason upgrade with their policy. Cancel For Any Reason allows travelers to cancel their trip for reasons not typically covered under a standard policy and receive up to a 75% refund. Unfortunately, it may be too late for some travelers to get or use this benefit, depending on when they booked their trip and when they are scheduled to depart. Cancel For Any Reason must be purchased within 14-21 days after a traveler's first trip payment and requires them to cancel 2-3 days before departing for their trip. 3. If you're in Paris, there may be coverage to get you out Insured travelers currently in Paris may be covered in the event they need to be evacuated due to the riots, if their policy includes Non-Medical Evacuation coverage . This benefit can pay for and coordinate your evacuation to a safer location, or home, depending on the specific policy. Before travelers can be evacuated, most providers require the local or U.S. government authorities to issue a qualifying evacuation notice. As of November 30, the U.S. embassy has issued a Demonstration Alert for areas affected by the Paris riots . Squaremouth recommends that travelers currently in or planning to travel to Paris check their insurance policy to determine if this alert qualifies them for Non-Medical Evacuation coverage. Squaremouth created the Paris Protests Travel Insurance Information Center to explain coverage for the strikes. This page is regularly updated by Squaremouth's travel insurance experts and includes answers to frequently asked questions and official statements from providers. ABOUT SQUAREMOUTH Squaremouth compares travel insurance policies from every major travel insurance provider in the United States. Using Squaremouth's comparison engine and third-party customer reviews, travelers can research and compare travel insurance policies side-by-side. More information can be found at www.squaremouth.com Available Topic Expert: JENNA HUMMER [email protected] SOURCE Squaremouth Related Links http://www.squaremouth.com CNBC's three-day Forum brought together leaders at the cutting edge of the technology industry and top investors from across the globe. At the event, Vince Zhang was interviewed by Financial Times correspondent Louise Lucas during a "fireside chat", where he painted a rosy picture of the future of China's fintech industry. During the interview, Vince Zhang said: "The country's relatively backward financial infrastructure - such as an immature credit system - allows technology to play a bigger role, and offers companies greater freedom to fuel innovation in areas including payments, wealth management and insurance." "In addition, regulatory policies have been constantly improved with the development of the industry, providing strong guidance and guarantee for the healthy and orderly development of the industry. As the industry develops, more consumer protection, risk control and compliance measures will be introduced. Which means it is time for the industry to regain its confidence and march ahead." Phoenix Finance, founded by influential media group Phoenix Satellite Television, is adopting a strategy that accelerates the introduction of cutting-edge technologies in AI, big data and blockchain industries to bring comprehensive solutions and more intelligent wealth management products to investors. In recent years China has stood out in the global arena as a key driver of innovation in the fintech space, joining the United States and Europe in an increasingly intertwined global exchange of ideas and technology. As a part of its intelligent finance strategy, Phoenix Finance has developed a broad range of intelligent products aimed at helping clients make more scientific, rational and rewarding investment decisions. These products include: Fengming Intelligent Analysis Engine that helps clients decipher correlations between information and the value of financial products. Zhenzhun Asset Allocation a tool that generates tailor-made asset-management schemes for clients based on their profile and family financial situation. Magic Mirror, an intelligent investment fund software, helping fund investors make real-time adjustments to their portfolios to maximise returns and minimize risk. "Phoenix Intellinsur," a family AI insurance advisor that uses data collection to generate insurance allocation schemes based on user profiles to provide free, neutral, comprehensive and personalized third-party smart insurance services for families in China . Another aspect of Phoenix Finance's strategy is global development. With a global vision, a wealth of fintech experience and diversified business lines, Phoenix Finance offers a range of comprehensive solutions serving Chinese clients in multiple regions. In the United States, the company operates through local partnerships and stringent credit risk assessment models and is licensed to offer U.S. mortgage-backed securities products as a licensed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). In addition to the United States, Phoenix Finance' overseas businesses also include consumer lending in Southeast Asia. In January, Phoenix Finance entered the European market via a strategic partnership with Saxo Bank, a milestone deal that will bring richer global assets and product range to overseas Chinese customers. "Technology has changed finance and will create more possibilities in the future," said Vince Zhang. About Phoenix Finance Founded by Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited, Phoenix Finance is a one-stop-shop investment platform that provides Chinese investors around the world with top-notch financial products and services. Partnering with top-tier global financial institutions to source desirable investable assets and attaching great importance to the application of big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain, Phoenix Finance provides a broad range of wealth management products and customized advisory services tailored to the needs of each investor. Phoenix Finance's product offerings include P2P, mutual funds, insurances, global investment, wealth management and more. Having accumulated 8.75 million registered users, Phoenix Finance is now a leading fintech platform in China. SOURCE Phoenix Finance NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The growing construction industry globally to drive the polymer binders market in the architectural coatings & construction additives applications. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05644021 The polymer binders market is estimated to be USD 24.1 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 35.0 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 7.8%. Majority of polymer binders' applications, such as architectural coatings, adhesives & sealants, and construction additives, are related to the construction industry. The growth in the construction industry will have a favorable impact on the growth of the polymer binders market. In the construction industry, polymer binders are used in the tile adhesive, repair mortar, decorative mortar, waterproofing mortar, and skim coats applications to improve mortar properties such as workability, durability, and tensile strength. The global construction output will grow by 85% to reach USD 15.5 trillion by 2030. China, the US, and India, three major countries, are expected to contribute more than 50% to the overall growth of the construction industry due to economic growth in these economies. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), based on the current growth rate of APAC, the region requires an investment of USD 1.7 trillion till 2030 for its infrastructure. The construction additives application segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The construction additives application segment is projected to register the highest CAGR between 2018 and 2023, owing to the increased demand for polymer binders in the tiling & flooring, mortar mix, plastering, and insulation systems applications.The excellent bonding strength of polymer binders makes them suitable for mortar modifications. In addition, the growing population creates demand for both public and private construction projects, which will increase the demand for polymer binders in the construction additives application. APAC is the largest and the fastest-growing polymer binders market. APAC is estimated to account for the largest share of the polymer binders market in 2018, owing to the rapidly growing construction industry which creates demand for polymer binders in the architectural coatings, construction additives, and adhesives & sealants applications. According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), based on the current growth rate of APAC, the region requires an investment of USD 1.7 trillion till 2030 for its infrastructure development to meet the growing population's infrastructure need. In APAC, China and India are the largest producer and consumer of textile products, globally. They are also the largest and third-largest textile industry, respectively, which is favorable for the growth of the polymer binders market in the textile & carpets application. Extensive primary interviews were conducted in the process of determining and verifying sizes of several segments and subsegments of the polymer binders market gathered through secondary research. The break-up of primary interviews has been given below. By Company Type: Tier 1 40%, Tier 2 27%, Tier 3 33% By Designation: C Level Executives 29%, Director Level 21%, Others 50% By Region: North America 19%, Europe 25%, APAC 37%, South America 13%, Middle East & Africa -- 6% The key companies profiled in this report on the polymer binders market include BASF (Germany), DowDuPont (US), Wacker (Germany), Celanese (US), Arkema (France), Trinseo (US), Taogosei (Japan), Synthomer (UK), Dairen Chemical (Taiwan), and OMNOVA (US). Research Coverage The polymer binders market has been segmented based on type, form, application, and region.This report covers the polymer binders market and forecasts its market size till 2023. It also provides detailed information on company profiles and competitive strategies adopted by the key players to strengthen their position in the polymer binders market. Reasons to Buy the Report The report is expected to help market leaders/new entrants in the following ways: 1. This report segments the polymer binders market and provides the closest approximations of revenue numbers for the overall market and its segments across different verticals and regions. 2. This report is expected to help stakeholders understand the pulse of the polymer binders market and provide information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities influencing the growth of the market. 3. This report is expected to help stakeholders obtain an in-depth understanding of the competitive landscape of the polymer binders market and gain insights to improve the position of their businesses. The competitive landscape section includes detailed information on strategies such as new product launch, expansion, and acquisition. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05644021 About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com EDMOND, Okla., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Purse Power, Inc, the largest women-owned, women-led online business organization, announces a partnership with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), the nation's leading grassroots voice on domestic violence. NCADV and Purse Power have come together to provide education, services, and support to those affected by domestic violence with a FREE unique opportunity. With every download of the FREE Purse Power Google Chrome Extension, Purse Power will donate to NCADV. The Purse Power Google Chrome Extension easily identifies companies that are women-owned or women-led while you shop, from your desktop, on the top online shopping sites. All you have to do is download the Google Chrome Extension, and look for the Purse Power logo beside the companies and products that are led by women CEOs, or are 50% owned by women, or have at least 20% women on their board. Once the download is complete, a donation will be sent to the NCADV to help provide education, services, and support to those affected by domestic violence. "We are very pleased to be partnering with the NCADV, in support of their fundraising efforts. Our mission is to create a safe and equitable world for women and girls. Reducing domestic violence is a fundamental part of that mission," states Donna Miller, CEO of Purse Power Inc. "NCADV is pleased to be in partnership with Purse Power. I believe this partnership will make an impact; for women and girls as well as the 1 in 4 of those women who have been impacted by domestic violence. Together, our entities will join in raising our voices for survivors of domestic violence. Purse Power's innovative approach to providing support to NCADV is refreshing. We look forward to this relationship and the possibilities for making a change," states Ruth M. Glenn, CEO, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Purse Power makes it easy for 161 million American women buyers to connect with thousands of American companies that are 50% women-owned, or have at least 20% women sitting on their boards, or have a woman CEO. About Purse Power Purse Power's mission is to create greater economic equality and safety for women and girls. We provide a platform for consumers to use their massive purchasing power to drive positive change. Our directory of women-owned and women-led businesses is rapidly becoming one of the largest of its kind in the world. By helping consumers to find and buy from companies that actively support women and by working to create one of the largest funding streams in the country to reduce domestic violence, Purse Power is poised to shatter glass ceilings and change lives. For more information about Purse Power, visit us at pursepower.com. About the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) is the voice of victims and survivors and works as the catalyst for changing society to have zero tolerance for domestic violence. NCADV does this by affecting public policy, increasing understanding of the impact of domestic violence, and providing programs and education that drive change. For more information about NCADV, visit www.ncadv.org and follow us at @NCADV . Contact Information: Donna Miller [email protected] SOURCE Purse Power, Inc. Related Links http://pursepower.com OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Oklahoma City Public Schools has begun implementing an early childhood literacy and family engagement program in its elementary schools that aims to develop long-term reading habits among children in Oklahoma City. The program is being funded by Silicon Valley entrepreneur and former Oklahoma City resident Thurman White and his wife Eileen and was designed by Raising A Reader, a national nonprofit organization that provides resources and guidance for families to implement home-based literacy routines. Raising A Reader Literacy Program Rolled Out by Oklahoma City Public Schools, Reaching Thousands of Families Thurman White/Raising A Reader Entrepreneur Thurman White visits an Oklahoma City elementary school to launch the Raising A Reader early childhood literacy program. Approximately 60 percent of children in the United States fail to read proficiently by third grade due in part to lack of books in the home and family engagement. Research indicates if a child is not reading at grade level by the third grade it will likely result in long-term academic failure. The initial six elementary schools participating in the program are Spencer, F.D. Moon, Martin Luther King, Thelma R. Parks, Green Pastures and Edwards. Every year more than 4,000 books will be circulated to over 1,000 pre-K, kindergarten, first and second-grade children in 47 classrooms. During the first five years, the program is expected to impact more than 5,000 Oklahoma City families. In addition to weekly book rotations, Raising A Reader is providing training to more than 35 local elementary school teachers as well as an orientation and program materials for parents. The Oklahoma City School's Early Childhood Department is making the Raising A Reader program the sole homework assignment Monday through Thursday in the six schools. "Thanks to both his financial support and commitment to literacy, Thurman and Eileen White are making a measurable difference in the lives and success of Oklahoma City's children," said Michelle Torgerson, president and CEO of Raising A Reader. "This initiative will create a long-lasting legacy that will impact children for generations to come." The Raising A Reader program is evidence-based, with 34 independent evaluations showing that Raising A Reader significantly improves language and literacy skills, cognitive development, communication and comprehension skills, school readiness and social competence. The program is implemented through a network of community partners that comprise more than 3,000 locations across the country including public school systems, libraries, afterschool programs, community agencies, and other organizations both public and private. "I have succeeded throughout my life because I was encouraged to read at an early age and I am grateful for the support my family and Oklahoma City Public Schools provided me," said Thurman White. "50 years after graduating from Oklahoma City's Douglas High School, this is my way of saying 'thank you' and giving back to hopefully break the cycle of poverty and provide these students with enhanced reading and supplementary educational opportunities. I believe Raising A Reader's program is a big part of the solution." Raising A Reader is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to helping families develop, practice, and maintain literacy habits for children ages 0-8 that are critical for a child's success in school and in life. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Raising A Reader was founded in 1999 and has served more than 1.6 million children nationwide. More information is available at www.RaisingAReader.org. Follow on Twitter @RARnational, Facebook at RaisingAReaderNational and Instagram at raising_a_reader. Contact: Steve Honig, The Honig Company, 818-986-4300, [email protected] SOURCE Raising A Reader ODESSA, Texas, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Saulsbury has announced a donation of $100,000 to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation's Balmorhea State Park fund to repair the spring-fed pool at Balmorhea State Park. The pool was closed earlier this year following the collapse of part of the pool's wall. In August, Apache Corporation established a challenge grant for the fund and will be matching Saulsbury's donation as Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation works to raise $2 million to repair the world's largest spring-fed swimming pool. "Saulsbury is proud to help contribute to the fund to repair of one of West Texas' most beloved pools," said Bubba Saulsbury, Executive Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Saulsbury. "As an Odessa-based company, many of our employees have spent time at the iconic pool in West Texas over the years. Through our support, we look forward to seeing the community enjoy the park for many generations to come." As part of their core values, Saulsbury is committed to supporting the communities in which its employees live and work. Throughout its 51-year history, Saulsbury has provided support to the community through in-kind donations, volunteer services and monetary support. John J. Christmann IV, Chief Executive Officer and President of Apache Corporation commented, "We are thankful to Saulsbury for their generous support of our matching challenge grant in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Their donation and our subsequent dollar-for-dollar match is significant in helping us reach our fundraising goal to fully fund the repair of the Balmorhea pool, an iconic West Texas destination." The pool at Balmorhea State Park was closed in early 2018 following a structural collapse of a wall caused by years of erosion from the flow of water from the springs. The repairs to the pool at Balmorhea State Park are ongoing. The pool is expected to re-open in early 2019. "Generations of Texans have enjoyed the cool, clear waters at Balmorhea, and we're immensely grateful for Saulsbury's donation to match Apache's challenge grant," said Anne Brown, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Executive Director. "We hope everyone who has ever dipped a toe in this Texas treasure will consider making a donation to help." Online donations may be made, or a donation may be mailed to: Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation 2914 Swiss Ave. Dallas, Texas 75204 About Saulsbury Industries Saulsbury Industries is a full-service Engineering, Procurement, Construction (EPC), and Maintenance contractor that provides engineering, general construction, electrical & instrumentation, and maintenance services to heavy industrial markets nationwide. Headquartered in Odessa, Texas, the company's national office footprint includes, Dallas; Houston; Port Arthur; Henderson; Abilene, TX; Greenville, SC; Baton Rouge, LA; Farmington, NM; and Denver, CO. www.saulsbury.com About Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation raises private funds to advance Texas' proud outdoor traditions and conserve our state's wildlife, habitat, recreational areas, and natural resources. Since 1991, Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has raised more than $170 million in private philanthropy to ensure that all Texans, today and in the future, can enjoy the wild things and wild places of Texas. About Apache Corporation Apache Corporation is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, Egypt and the United Kingdom. Apache posts announcements, operational updates, investor information and copies of all press releases on its website, www.apachecorp.com, and on its Media and Investor Center mobile application, which is available for free download from the Apple App Store and the Google Play store. For information or inquiries, please contact: Stephanie Gentry Director, Marketing and Communications 2951 E. Interstate 20 Odessa, TX 79766 832-595-4882 [email protected] SOURCE Saulsbury Industries Related Links http://www.saulsbury.com KKE will provide cannabis related consulting services to Supreme Cannabis who will be the exclusive producer of KKE branded products in Canada and, subject to certain approvals, international markets (other than the United States). This will include a strain to be developed by the parties in Canada based on KKE's flagship "Khalifa Kush" strain. Supreme Cannabis and KKE will work to develop and commercialize a product lineup that is expected to include pre-rolls, extracts, capsules, and cannabis oils to be sold by Supreme Cannabis under the KKE brand. "In 2015 I saw an opportunity to introduce the highest quality cannabis products I love and enjoy, to the American market. KKE USA was the first move in bringing amazing cannabis and cannabis experiences to our customers," said Wiz Khalifa, principal of KKE. "Canada is a very important place to me with the idea for 'Kush and Orange Juice' being created in Toronto, it's the perfect start for the international expansion of Khalifa Kush. My team and I have spent the past year finding a partner that shares our vision, values and passion for cannabis. The team at Supreme Cannabis understands the importance of high quality cannabis and how to produce high quality cannabis at scale. I am very excited to be working with them to bring Khalifa Kush quality products to Canada and other international markets," continued Wiz Khalifa. "Wiz is a globally-recognized cannabis taste maker and connoisseur. KKE has had incredible success in U.S. adult-use markets, establishing a brand that is synonymous with ultra-premium quality, based on world-leading genetics. When I first met the KKE team, I was impressed by the quality of the "Khalifa Kush" strain and the level of care and involvement Wiz had with developing the strain and working with the cultivators to continue to improve quality batch-by-batch. With 7ACRES we've developed Canada's first truly high-end cannabis brand based on our commitment to premium quality flower. We're excited to be working with KKE Canada to build another brand with the same commitment to quality to continue the premiumization of our brand portfolio," said John Fowler, President & Founder of Supreme Cannabis. Terms of the Partnership The arrangement includes a consulting services agreement between Supreme Cannabis and KKE Canada and a brand advisor agreement with Wiz Khalifa, LLC (collectively, the "Partnership"). KKE Canada will consult on a broad range of business and cultivation matters, including cannabis strain selection, development and branding, consumer education and more. The initial term of the Partnership is 5 years and may be extended by Supreme Cannabis for an additional 5 years, subject to certain conditions and the issuance of a number of common shares of Supreme Cannabis to be determined at the time of the renewal. Under the terms of the agreement, Supreme Cannabis will have a three-year exclusive period to commercialize cannabis products under the KKE brand internationally (excluding the United States). Expansion into international markets will be subject to approval by KKE, legalization of cannabis products in those international markets and receipts of all required regulatory approvals. As partial consideration for the Partnership, KKE Canada will receive 5,745,000 common shares of Supreme Cannabis (the "Supreme Shares") and a CDN$1,000,000 initial cash payment. The issuance of the Supreme Shares has been conditionally approved by the TSX Venture Exchange. In addition, KKE Canada will receive annual royalty payments paid over the course of the Partnership calculated based on the sale of products developed pursuant to the Partnership. About The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. (TSXV: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1) is a Canadian publicly traded company committed to providing premium brands and products that proudly reflect its consumers, people and uniquely innovative culture. The Company's portfolio includes its wholly-owned subsidiary and flagship brand 7ACRES. 7ACRES is a federally licensed producer of cannabis operating inside a 342,000-square-foot facility in Kincardine, Ontario. 7ACRES is dedicated to providing consumers with a premium-quality product that recognizes its customers are informed, discerning and value a brand and culture that aligns with their principles. 7ACRES brand success has been reflected in provincial supply agreements, where 7ACRES' product is consistently listed in the highest brand category available to recreational consumers. The Company's growing portfolio also includes an equity investment and long-term global distribution partnership with Lesotho-based Medigrow for the exporting of medical-grade cannabis oil. The Supreme Cannabis Company has consistently set the standard for innovation in the sector, including the design of growing facilities and development of operational excellence metrics. We are confident that together with our flagship brand, proprietary technology and products, truly unique culture, and industry-leading team, we will deliver our shareholders consistent long-term value creation. Stay Connected: For more information, please visit The Supreme Cannabis Company and 7ACRES websites. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. About KKE Khalifa Kush Enterprises is a groundbreaking global regulated cannabis brand. Founded in 2015 by Wiz Khalifa, Khalifa Kush Enterprises is quickly changing the face of the regulated marijuana industry with the mission of introducing high quality, highly curated products to legal recreational and medical markets worldwide. Forward-Looking Information Certain statements made in this press release may constitute forward-looking information under applicable securities laws. These statements may relate to anticipated events or results and include, but are not limited to, expectations regarding our regulatory environment and potential changes in law, the growth in our financial growth, production capacity and sales, our future position of high quality product, our expansion of our distribution network and other statements that are not historical facts. Particularly, information regarding our expectations of future results, targets, performance achievements, prospects or opportunities is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "plan", "could", "should", "would", "outlook", "forecast", "anticipate", "foresee", "continue" or the negative of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements are current as of the date they are made and are based on applicable estimates and assumptions made by us at the relevant time in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. However, we do not undertake to update any such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws in Canada. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form dated October 2, 2018 ("AIF"). A copy of the AIF and the Company's other publicly filed documents can be accessed under the Company's profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") at www.sedar.com. The Company cautions that the list of risk factors and uncertainties described in the AIF is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. YOKOHAMA, Japan, Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Compliance Summit -- The Linux Foundation , the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announces the formation of the new Automated Compliance Tooling (ACT) project. Using open source code comes with a responsibility to comply with the terms of that code's license, which can sometimes be challenging for users and organizations to manage. The goal of ACT is to consolidate investment in, and increase interoperability and usability of, open source compliance tooling, which helps organizations manage compliance obligations. ACT also welcomes two new projects to be hosted at The Linux Foundation as part of the initiative, in addition to two existing Linux Foundation projects that will become part of the new project. The new projects are complementary to existing Linux Foundation compliance projects such as OpenChain , which identifies key recommended processes to make open source license compliance simpler and more consistent, and the Open Compliance Program , which educates and helps developers and companies understand their license requirements and how to build efficient, frictionless and often automated processes to support compliance. "License compliance is an important hygiene factor in the open source ecosystem. With QMSTR, we started to create a toolchain that focuses on fact finding and accurate, complete and up-to-date compliance documentation for every software build. Endocode is extremely happy to contribute QMSTR to ACT and to take it to the next level together with The Linux Foundation and the other project partners," said Mirko Boehm, CEO of Endocode and the initiator of the QMSTR project. "We are excited that The Linux Foundation has accepted Tern, an open source project for inspecting container images for OSS compliance, for its ACT group of projects," said Nisha Kumar, Open Source Engineer, VMware Open Source Technology Center. "Since releasing Tern in June 2017, the project has grown in community and features continuing with the most recent release version 0.2.0--which adds features to make the project more accessible to users and contributors. Moving the project under ACT is a great next step in encouraging wider collaboration from folks who are looking to meet their OSS compliance obligations as part of their container strategy. I look forward to working with the greater community towards this goal." "As a long-term contributor to SPDX and open source license compliance tools, I am excited to see the formation of ACT and the inclusion of the SPDX tools in the project," said Gary O'Neall, CEO, Source Auditor, Inc. "The SPDX tools are a result of many years of collaboration and contributions from the SPDX community. The SPDX tools provide users the ability to view, verify and translate SPDX documents while the libraries provide developers tools to integrate with SPDX licenses and documents. These capabilities will form a nice complement to the other ACT tools." The four projects that will be part of ACT are: FOSSology : An open source license compliance software system and toolkit allowing users to run license, copyright and export control scans from the command line. As a system, a database and web UI are provided to provide a compliance workflow. License, copyright and export scanners are tools available to help with compliance activities. FOSSology is an existing Linux Foundation project that will move under ACT. QMSTR : Also known as Quartermaster, this tool creates an integrated open source toolchain that implements industry best practices of license compliance management. QMSTR integrates into the build systems to learn about the software products, their sources and dependencies. Developers can run QMSTR locally to verify outcomes, review problems and produce compliance reports. By integrating into DevOps CI/CD cycles, license compliance can become a quality metric for software development. The project is being contributed to ACT by Endocode. SPDX Tools : Software Package Data Exchange (SPDX) is an open standard for communicating software bill of material information including components, licenses, copyrights and security references. The main SPDX specification will remain separate from, yet complementary to, ACT, while the SPDX tools that meet the spec and help users and producers of SPDX documents will become part of ACT. SPDX is an existing Linux Foundation project. Tern : Tern is an inspection tool to find the metadata of the packages installed in a container image. It provides a deeper understanding of a container's bill of materials so better decisions can be made about container based infrastructure, integration and deployment strategies. Tern was created by VMware, who are contributing the project to ACT, to help developers meet open source compliance requirements for containers. "There are numerous open source compliance tooling projects but the majority are unfunded and have limited scope to build out robust usability or advanced features," said Kate Stewart, Senior Director of Strategic Programs at The Linux Foundation. "We have also heard from many organizations that the tools that do exist do not meet their current needs. Forming a neutral body under The Linux Foundation to work on these issues will allow us to increase funding and support for the compliance tooling development community." ACT is seeking new members, community partners and additional tooling projects. To get involved, contact [email protected] . About The Linux Foundation The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world's top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org. The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Media Contact: Dan Brown The Linux Foundation [email protected] 415-420-7880 SOURCE The Linux Foundation Related Links http://www.linuxfoundation.org CARNEGIE, Pa., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Salvation Army is sending out an SOS. Our Christmas Kettle fundraising campaign is running seriously behind last year's figures, and we need the public and local businesses to help. The annual Christmas Kettle campaign helps to support the services provided by The Salvation Army year-round. Every community across the Division provides general social services to families in their communities who are in need of food, clothing, housing assistance, emergency disaster needs and much more. Specialized services are provided in accordance with community need and may include homeless shelters, feeding programs, and after school programs and senior citizen services etc. Changing shopping patterns, store closings and shoppers who don't carry cash have been having a negative affect on Kettle fundraising for several years, but this year we seem to be seeing it more. According to Major James Jones of the McKeesport Service Center, his kettle funds are down more than $10,000 vs last year. He attributes this to a major retailer closing a store that had always been a prime location for his bell ringers. Store closings, mean less available sites for kettle stands and this, combined with a lack of volunteers to help ring the bells at kettle stand locations is affecting every unit across the Division. Similar to McKeesport, Johnstown is down nearly $25,000; New Kensington and Altoona are both down $13,000; Sharon $11,000 and Washington $9,000 to name just a few. The fundraising goal for all Western Pennsylvania is $2.5 Million. Right now, we are at just 25% of that goal. How can local businesses and the public help? If you are a business owner, you could host a kettle stand in front of your business, or place a donation jar on your counter; you could engage your employees in a volunteer activity to ring the bell and man a kettle location. Volunteer bell ringers and additional kettle sites are always needed. Please contact your local Salvation Army for more information. In Allegheny County, please call Volunteer Coordinator, Jennifer Brown at 412.446.1548. Everyone can donate to the campaign even if you don't see a kettle in your neighborhood. You can give from the comfort of your home or office by contributing to our Online Red Kettle. To help even more, it's easy to set up your own red kettle and ask your contacts to contribute online as well. Corporations can host company kettles and set up departments as teams to organize a fun internal competition. Conduct your own kettle campaign or donate yourself at www.salvationarmy-wpa.org. For more information or help with Online Kettles, please contact Lauren Brant at 412.446.1644. Celebrating over 150 years of global service as both a church and a social service organization, The Salvation Army began in London, England in 1865. Today, it provides critical services in 129 countries worldwide. The 28-county Western Pennsylvania Division serves thousands of needy families through a wide variety of support services. To learn more about The Salvation Army in Western Pennsylvania, log on to www.wpa.salvationarmy.org. The Salvation Army doing the most good for the most people in the most need. SOURCE The Salvation Army Western PA Division Related Links http://www.salvationarmy-wpa.org "We have some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry working at TimkenSteel, and many have smart kids with tremendous potential. TimkenSteel scholarships fuel their dreams and, for the top award winners, may even open new educational possibilities," said Elaine Russell Reolfi, executive vice president at TimkenSteel and president of the company's charitable fund. She and other company leaders travelled to the winners' high schools to present the scholarships. "These four young women and three young men who make up the 2018 class of TimkenSteel scholars are accomplished leaders, and we're proud to support their educational future." The TimkenSteel Charitable Fund launched in 2014 when TimkenSteel Corporation (NYSE: TMST, timkensteel.com), a leader in customized alloy steel products and services, became an independent company. The steelmaker's tradition of awarding scholarships to employees' children dates to 1958. Tim Timken, TimkenSteel chairman, CEO and president, was on hand at Perry High School in Massillon, Ohio, to present the top award to Emma George, the daughter of Patrick George, senior technical analyst at TimkenSteel's Canton corporate office. The high school senior earned a $20,000 scholarship, renewable for up to three additional years and a total of $80,000. She plans to study medicinal and biological chemistry. Alivia Kiefer, the daughter of Theodore Kiefer, rolling mill operator at TimkenSteel's Faircrest Steel Plant in Canton, received a $10,000 scholarship, renewable for up to three additional years and a total of $40,000. She also is a senior at Perry High School and plans to study global liberal studies. In addition, five students received one-time $5,000 scholarships: Mark Abboud , the son of Nathan Abboud , unit manager steel services process improvement & energy at TimkenSteel's Faircrest Steel Plant. He is a senior at Jackson High School in Massillon, Ohio , and plans to study biomedical engineering. , the son of , unit manager steel services process improvement & energy at TimkenSteel's Faircrest Steel Plant. He is a senior at Jackson High School in , and plans to study biomedical engineering. Tamaki Hoshi , the daughter of Minoru Hoshi , market manager new domestic automotive at TimkenSteel's Canton corporate office. She is a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Louisville, Ohio , and plans to study biochemistry. , the daughter of , market manager new domestic automotive at TimkenSteel's corporate office. She is a senior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in , and plans to study biochemistry. Eliott Kamerer , the son of Jeffrey Kamerer , senior supply chain logistics planning analyst at TimkenSteel's Gambrinus Steel Plant. He is a senior at Perry High School in Massillon, Ohio , and plans to study mechanical engineering. , the son of , senior supply chain logistics planning analyst at TimkenSteel's Gambrinus Steel Plant. He is a senior at Perry High School in , and plans to study mechanical engineering. Madison Murray , the daughter of Eric Murray , vice president total rewards at TimkenSteel's Canton corporate office. She is a senior at Boardman High School in Youngstown, Ohio , and plans to study nursing. , the daughter of , vice president total rewards at TimkenSteel's corporate office. She is a senior at Boardman High School in , and plans to study nursing. Charles Rebuck , the son of Shawn Rebuck , supervisor scrap services at TimkenSteel's Gambrinus Steel Plant. He is a senior at Louisville High School in Louisville, Ohio , and plans to study business. About TimkenSteel Corporation TimkenSteel (NYSE:TMST, timkensteel.com) creates tailored steel products and services for demanding applications, helping customers push the bounds of what's possible within their industries. The company reaches around the world in its customers' products and leads North America in large alloy steel bars (up to 16 inches in diameter) and seamless mechanical tubing made of its special bar quality (SBQ) steel, as well as supply chain and steel services. TimkenSteel operates warehouses and sales offices in five countries and has made its steel in America for more than 100 years. The company posted sales of $1.3 billion in 2017. Follow us on Twitter @TimkenSteel and on Instagram. SOURCE TimkenSteel Corporation Related Links http://www.timkensteel.com KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE: UHS) announced today that Debra K. Osteen, President of the Behavioral Health Division, will retire effective January 31, 2019. Over her 35-year tenure with UHS, and as President of the Behavioral Health Division since 1999, Ms. Osteen has helped the Division to become the largest system of freestanding behavioral health facilities in the United States. Under her leadership, through acquisition, expansion and addition, the Division has grown from 23 to over 300 behavioral health facilities, treating currently over 620,000 inpatients annually. "It has been my great privilege to work with a highly talented and committed team at UHS, and I am very proud of what we have accomplished as an organization, bringing much needed care to more patients," said Debbie Osteen. "I thank Debbie for her many years of dedicated service and her skill, passion and vision as a business leader. We appreciate her tremendous contributions to the Company and our Behavioral Health Division. Debbie led strong growth across our Behavioral Health Division while never losing focus on patient-centered care and quality outcomes," stated Alan B. Miller, CEO and Chairman of the Board. The Company will immediately commence a search for a successor. In the interim, the senior leadership in the Behavioral Health Division will report to Alan B. Miller and Marc Miller, President. Ms. Osteen will continue to be engaged for the next two years as a consultant to the Company. Certain statements in this release may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to various risks and uncertainties as discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company is not obligated to update these forward-looking statements even if the Company's assessment of these risks and uncertainties changes. Universal Health Services, Inc. ("UHS") is one of the nation's largest hospital management companies operating, through its subsidiaries, acute care hospitals, behavioral healthcare facilities and ambulatory care centers located throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. For additional information on the Company, visit our website: http://www.uhsinc.com . SOURCE Universal Health Services, Inc. Related Links http://www.uhsinc.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In the face of rapidly changing technologies that could potentially accelerate progress for American cities, the United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) in collaboration with the New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, has launched the Mayors Leadership Institute on Smart Cities (SCI). The goal of the Institute is to provide participating mayors with a clear path forward for a major initiative, a framework for approaching smart city opportunities, and a set of guiding principles to improve their relationships with vendors and future tech partners. The Institute will convene twice a year. Currently, no fully developed smart city exists anywhere in the country and there are no clear standards or financing strategies for their formation. In an effort to help mayors make sense of the vast array of new technology tools that could address potential issues such as affordable housing, crime, public transit, and citizen engagement, the SCI will provide practical skills, resources and best practices in a peer-to-peer setting. The Institute will flip the current industry-led dynamic, positioning municipal leaders to define priorities and build a model that fast-tracks growth and efficiency for cities across the country. "The drive to make cities 'smarter' is all about harnessing data and digital technology to meet the challenge of doing more with less. Technology alone can't solve every urban problem, but it's a powerful and cost-effective tool for helping cities accelerate progress. As natural incubators of innovation, cities have an opportunity to step up and lead at this critical time. Ultimately, the Institute is about empowering mayors to be better leaders," says USCM President Columbia (SC) Mayor Steve Benjamin. "NYU Wagner is proud to partner with the US Conference of Mayors on this Institute," says Sherry Glied, the school's dean. "NYU and universities as whole play an important role in helping cities address today's critical public service challenges. As a recognized leader in the urban space, we are excited to collaborate with mayors here in New York Cityone of the world's most vibrant urban epicenterson their efforts to create 'smarter' cities." The inaugural meeting of the Institute will take place on December 5 7, 2018. Ten mayors from across the country will convene in New York City for three days of closed-door working sessions. Featured experts will include renowned scholars, industry professionals, data officers and public officials widely recognized as leaders in the field. Mayors will construct plans tailored to their specific priorities that can then be practically implemented. The Mayors Leadership Institute on Smart Cities is supported by Verizon, The Knight Foundation and Parsons. About The United States Conference of Mayors -- The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today, and each city is represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the mayor. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/usmayors, or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/usmayors. SOURCE U.S. Conference of Mayors Related Links www.usmayors.org June 5 and 6, 2019 will mark the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the launch of the crucial Battle of Normandy, which paved the way for Europe's liberation and the end of WWII. The anniversary will also include military parades, fireworks, giant picnics, concerts, airdrops, and of course, a great international ceremony attended by the Allied heads of state on June 6. For updates click here. Beyond the historic anniversary, there are several other related events: Caen will play host to the exceptional travelling exhibition of iconic Norman Rockwell paintings, Enduring Ideals: Rockwell, Roosevelt & the Four Freedoms, from June 4-October 27, 2019. Moreover, the Normandy Forum for Peace, an international symposium and debate on how to build a peaceful world together, will be held at the magnificent "Abbaye aux Dames". Finally, the Caen Memorial will inaugurate a new high-tech wing, which will feature a 360 degree immersive film experience on Europe's 20th century. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Armada of Rouen , the Armada of Liberty, will take place June 5 to 16, 2019. Over 50 tall ships will sail in and dock along the Seine river banks of Rouen, Normandy's capital city. This impressive gathering will include parades, balls, concerts and unexpected festivities. Among the tall ships: the replica of the Hermione, the frigate that ferried the Marquis de Lafayette to America in 1780. LOIRE VALLEY 500th Anniversary of the French Renaissance(s) Known as the playground of the Kings of France, and remembered as the cradle of the French Renaissance, the Loire Valley will shine even brighter in 2019. The UNESCO World Heritage region will be celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the French Renaissance, which coincides with the anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci's death in France. During the first year of Francois Ier's reign in 1515, and following his victory at Marignano, the French King met Leonardo Da Vinci. Awed by the genius, and by Italy's artistic and architectural renewal, France's great Renaissance king invited the artist to live in France. In 1516 (with the Mona Lisa, The Virgin and child with St. Anne and St. John the Baptist, all now at the Louvre Museum), Leonardo left Rome for Royal Amboise, settling at the Chateau du Clos Luce , where he spent the last three years of his life. The building of majestic Chateau de Chambord, whose staircase and design was inspired by Da Vinci's ideal city, began in 1519. This inspired later Renaissance gems like Chenonceau--of Catherine de Medici fame, Azay-le-Rideau, Valencay and Villandry. The program of events will include a large traveling digital show, an international architecture competition, banquets, and a wealth of exhibitions, including a virtual exhibit of Leonardo's 17 masterpieces at the Chateau du Clos Luce. For updates, click here . News from Top French Cities While the Top French Cities of Orleans and Tours celebrate the French Renaissance year round, mark your calendars for these upcoming developments: In late March the city of Saint-Etienne will hold its 11th Design Biennial , curated by American Lisa White . will hold its , curated by American . Starting April 27, 2019 and through early December, the great Northern city of Lille will be effervescent indoors and outwith contemporary art exhibits, installations and other events. A great open-air kick-off will launch " Eldorado: Lille 3000, " a huge citywide fete held every three years. and through early December, the great Northern city of will be effervescent indoors and outwith contemporary art exhibits, installations and other events. A great open-air kick-off will launch " " a huge citywide fete held every three years. Lille will also host March 13 to June 11, 2019 a major Giacometti retrospective featuring over 150 works at its Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art . will also host a major Giacometti retrospective featuring over 150 works at its . Sports fans must know by now that France will be hosting the FIFA Women's World Cup from June 7 to July 7 in 9 cities. Six of the 9 host stadiums are in the Top French Cities: Grenoble, Le Havre , Montpellier, Nice, Reims, and Rennes; from which of course the French team will try to match their male counterparts and win. Updates on the FIFA website . will be hosting the from in 9 cities. Six of the 9 host stadiums are in the Top French Cities: Grenoble, , Montpellier, Nice, Reims, and Rennes; from which of course the French team will try to match their male counterparts and win. . Elegant Montpellier will welcome a new contemporary art center in July which will be known as Le MoCo. will welcome a new contemporary art center in July which will be known as Le MoCo. Nice will be now be accessible via direct flights from New York on La Compagnie from May through October . For more information on 2019 festivities and travel to France, please visit us.france.fr SOURCE Atout France - France Tourism Development Agency Related Links https://us.france.fr/en BRUSSELS, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- American Jewish Committee (AJC) praised the Council of the European Union unanimous adoption today of a statement on combating anti-Semitism across Europe. It is the first time the Council's 28-member states have passed a comprehensive measure aimed at mobilizing to counter anti-Semitism and to assure the safety of European Jews. "The EU has taken a historic step toward fighting all forms of hatred targeting Jews," said Daniel Schwammenthal, Director of the AJC Transatlantic Institute, the Brussels-based arm of AJC, the global Jewish advocacy organization. "Significantly, the 28 EU member states have jointly recognized the severity of continuing threats to Jews, the need to protect Jewish institutions and communities, and the value of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Anti-Semitism." Schwammenthal praised Austrian Chancellor Kurz, who currently holds the EU presidency, for initiating the Council Declaration. "Chancellor Kurz has admirably made anti-Semitism an EU priority." The Council Declaration asks member states "to adopt and implement a holistic strategy to prevent and fight all forms of anti-Semitism." It expresses EU determination to "ensure a future for Jewish people to live with the same sense of security and freedom as all other citizens in the European Union." And it calls on EU member states that have not yet adopted the IHRA working definition to endorse it. In 2015, AJC convened in Brussels "A Defining Moment for Europe," a strategy conference on combating anti-Semitism. The Call to Action adopted at the groundbreaking conference was updated in June 2018. SOURCE American Jewish Committee Related Links http://www.ajc.org LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- People would rather talk about anything other than money, including marriage problems, mental illness, drug addiction, race, sex, politics and religion. In a survey of 1,202 American adults conducted by Capital Group, home of American Funds, and one of the world's leading investment management firms, survey participants ranked financial topics such as household earnings, retirement savings, debt and inheritances as the most taboo topics of discussion. "Most Americans agree that talking about their finances is a social taboo. It's time to break that habit and inspire new, productive conversations about money, saving and investing," said Heather Lord, senior vice president and head of strategy and innovation at Capital Group. "Small changes in how people talk about their finances can yield significant returns over time. Confronting the money taboo head-on is one way to create a more financially secure future for one's self." Americans rank financial topics as the most taboo When asked about topics that are too taboo to discuss with friends, respondents overwhelmingly indicated it was those connected to money: household earnings (39%), retirement savings (38%), debt (32%) and inheritance (25%). Politics (17%), drug use (14%) and racial issues (8%) were considered significantly less taboo. Many respondents said finances were none of other people's business, while others cited awkwardness and concern about creating ill feelings among friends. Male and female respondents provided almost identical responses when asked about personal matters that might be considered taboo, such as marital problems, religion, politics, sexual orientation and family disagreements. However, when it came to financial topics like household earnings, retirement savings and debt, more women consider them a social taboo than men. About one third of those surveyed including 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women indicated they had discussed financial topics with friends and peers in the last six months. The survey found that those who are most willing to talk about money are either very confident (perhaps too confident) about their finances or very insecure. People turn to financial advisors and spouses to discuss money The survey found that when faced with a major financial decision or event, people discuss it with their spouse or a financial advisor. Women (50%) are more likely turn to their spouse than men (36%), and women (50%) are also more likely to speak with a financial advisor than men (41%). By generation, millennials are nearly twice as likely as baby boomers to turn to friends or extended family to talk about managing money. The survey also found that millennials are more likely than Generation Xers or baby boomers to turn to their parents, co-workers or online resources for financial advice. The findings reveal four ways to confront the money taboo and to change saving and investing behavior: Start at home. Talk to your spouse or significant other about money, and encourage conversations between parents and children. Millennials are almost twice as likely as baby boomers to say they would speak to their children about money at an early age; many adults say they are still teaching their adult children about financial topics. Seek advice. Most investors can benefit from financial advice. Financial advisors can help investors make smart decisions about investing for the long term and help protect against market downturns. Nearly half of survey respondents said they would feel comfortable turning to an advisor for a major financial decision. Ask your employer. Many Americans get their first experience with retirement saving through an employer's 401(k) plan, but the Capital Group survey found that employers are an under-utilized resource. There is an opportunity for employers and benefits managers to increase employee engagement and productivity when it comes to financial planning and other money issues. Picture your retirement. Capital Group research earlier this year showed survey respondents who first envisioned the lives they want to lead in retirement recommended saving 31% more per paycheck in a 401(k) plan than those who did not. This simple insight could be used to promote conversation and innovations to help Americans build a bigger nest egg for their later years. For additional information and the full report, click here. About Capital Group Since 1931, Capital Group, home of American Funds, has been singularly focused on delivering superior results for long-term investors using high-conviction portfolios, rigorous research and individual accountability. As of June 30, 2018, Capital Group manages more than $1.8 trillion in equity and fixed income assets for millions of individual and institutional investors around the world. The Capital Group companies manage equity assets through three investment groups. These groups make investment and proxy voting decisions independently. Fixed income investment professionals provide fixed income research and investment management across the Capital organization; however, for securities with equity characteristics, they act solely on behalf of one of the three equity investment groups. Investments are not FDIC-insured, nor are they deposits of or guaranteed by a bank or any other entity, so they may lose value. Securities offered through American Funds Distributors, Inc. All Capital Group trademarks are registered trademarks owned by The Capital Group Companies, Inc. or an affiliated company. All other company and product names mentioned are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. 2018 Capital Group. All rights reserved. Contact: Caroline Semerdjian (213) 615-3185 [email protected] Dana Schwartz (646) 218-8742 [email protected] Methodology The survey was conducted by APCO Insight, a global opinion research firm, in April 2018. The research consisted of an online quantitative survey of 1,202 American adults 402 millennials (ages 21 to 37), 400 Gen Xers (ages 38 to 52) and 400 baby boomers (ages 53 to 71) of varying income levels who have investment assets and some responsibility for making investment decisions for their families. The overall sample reflects national representation on key demographic measures according to the U.S. Census Bureau. SOURCE Capital Group Related Links https://www.capitalgroup.com VIP guests came together to celebrate the launch of the Hennessy Very Special Collector's Edition by Vhils, along with another exciting milestone for the artist: the debut of his first-ever solo show "Ethereal" inside The Wynwood Walls . Showing through February 2019, "Ethereal" debuted at the GGA Gallery on November 30, 2018 with a facade takeover and 28 unique pieces by the artist. The Hennessy Very Special Collector's Edition is the most intricate and personal piece in Vhils' multi-faceted collaboration with Hennessy. Earlier this year, Hennessy embarked on a global tour with Vhils, including the unveiling of new murals in New York City and Chicago that uncovered the stories of DJ TJ Mizell and designer Joe Freshgoods. The Hennessy Very Special Collector's Edition by Vhils, SRP $1,000 (750ml), is now available for purchase via Clos19, LVMH's e-commerce site dedicated to the 'Art of Hosting'. Reinforcing Hennessy's commitment to the arts, a portion of the bottle proceeds will benefit Pratt Institute's graduate program. For more information, visit Hennessy.com/US or follow Hennessy on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. ABOUT HENNESSY In 2018, the Maison Hennessy celebrates over two and half centuries of an exceptional adventure that has linked two families, the Hennessys and the Fillioux, for seven generations and spanned five continents. It began in the French region of Cognac, the seat from which the Maison has constantly passed down the best the land has to give, from one generation to the next. In particular, such longevity is thanks to those people, past and present, who have ensured Hennessy's success both locally and around the world. Hennessy's success and longevity are also the result of the values the Maison has upheld since its creation: unique savoir-faire, a constant quest for innovation, and an unwavering commitment to Creation, Excellence, Legacy, and Sustainable Development. Today, these qualities are the hallmark of a House a crown jewel in the LVMH Group that crafts iconic and prestigious Cognacs. Hennessy is imported and distributed in the U.S. by Moet Hennessy USA. Hennessy distills, ages and blends spanning a full range: Hennessy V.S, Hennessy Black, V.S.O.P Privilege, X.O, Paradis, Paradis Imperial and Richard Hennessy. For more information and where to purchase/ engrave, please visit Hennessy.com. ABOUT VHILS Born in Lisbon in 1987, Alexandre Farto is an astute observer of urban environments who began experimenting with graffiti as an adolescent, adopting the name "Vhils" because the streamlined letters let him work fast enough to stay one step ahead of the local authorities. The signature was instantly recognizable; the name stuck. Within a few years, he had moved away from graffiti and into more complex, large-scale urban expressionism. Vhils attended the Byam Shaw School of Art in London and won international acclaim at age 21, when his work appeared alongside that of the street artist Banksy at the Cans Festival in London (2008). An avid experimentalist, he continually pushes the boundaries of visual expression. Vhils' "aesthetics of vandalism" spans many mediums, from stencil painting and wall carvings to corrosive acids, pyrotechnic explosions, 3D modeling and installations. Music is another essential facet of Vhils' work; in addition to directing music videos and he is the organizer of the Imminente music festival. Over the past decade or so, the artist's monumental reliefs, mosaics, sculptures and projections have brought new layers of context to his hometown and embellished cityscapes in dynamic, far-flung cultural capitals such as Shanghai and Dubai. While he calls Lisbon home, Vhils lives and works all over the world. ABOUT PRATT Founded in 1887, Pratt Institute is a global leader in higher education dedicated to preparing its 4,700 undergraduate and graduate students for successful careers in art, design, architecture, information and library science, and liberal arts and sciences. Located in a cultural hub with historic campuses in Brooklyn and Manhattan, Pratt is a living lab of craft and creativity with an esteemed faculty of accomplished professionals and scholars who challenge their talented students to transform their passion into meaningful expression. SOURCE Hennessy VALLEY COTTAGE, New York, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Given the expanding aviation industry combined with a significantly high number of passengers opting for air travel, the demand for aircraft cleaning chemicals has been observing a steady growth trajectory in recent years. The global passenger traffic increased by 7.6 percent in 2017-more than the average annual growth over the last ten years-as estimated by the International Air Transport Association, is a key factor driving the global demand for aircraft cleaning chemicals, as a result of expanding aircraft fleet size. In addition, increasing demand for effective aircraft services, too, is a key growth factor. FMI also foresees strong revenue growth opportunity for aircraft cleaning chemicals in the Defense sector. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/677274/Future_Market_Insights_Logo.jpg ) Considering the highly competitive aviation sector, airlines have upped their cleaning routines-a critical factor to attract passengers. Furthermore, increasing heath awareness and risk of infection arising from contaminated seats would further boost the demand for aircraft cleaning chemicals-specifically, disinfectants. Future Market Insights, in its recently published report on the global aircraft cleaning chemicals market, throws light on some of the key factors pumping revenue into the global aircraft cleaning chemicals market, for the assessment period of 2018-2028. Request a Sample Report with Table of Contents and Figures: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-3155 "Growth in global sales of aircraft cleaning chemicals is positioned to increase at a rather restrained rate of 4.3 percent. The volume demand is estimated to reach 78,647 Tons by the end of 2028. This growth is attributable to the continuous demand from the airline companies and their shifting focus towards providing a cleaner and hygienic flying experience to passengers"-Future Market Insights Favorable Sales Opportunities lined up in China, India; Refurbishment & Expansion of Old Airports & Development of New Airports Remains the Key Driver As per the report, aircraft cleaning chemicals sales in India and China would reflect high growth, considering significant investments in the development of airports over the next 10 years, catalyzed by favorable government initiatives and expansion of airports in major cities, respectively. and would reflect high growth, considering significant investments in the development of airports over the next 10 years, catalyzed by favorable government initiatives and expansion of airports in major cities, respectively. North America is anticipated to remain the larger consumer of aircraft cleaning chemicals-expanding nearly 1.2 times through 2028. is anticipated to remain the larger consumer of aircraft cleaning chemicals-expanding nearly 1.2 times through 2028. SEAP and ASEAN nations will create substantial opportunities for chemical cleaning manufacturers owing to the increasing tourist footfall. Moreover, government initiatives to expand and renovate the existing aviation infrastructure and also develop new airports, would translate into higher sales growth of aircraft cleaning chemicals in the regions. Aircraft Cleaning Chemicals Market Segmentation By Product Type - Exterior Based , Interior Based ; Formulation - Water Based, Solvent Based, Wax Based : https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/aircraft-cleaning-chemical-market Essentially, FMI also foresees significant sales opportunities in Middle East , as the region portrays visible shift from oil and gas-based revenues to trade, tourism, commerce and manufacturing. Geographical advantage, coupled with robust investments in infrastructure, will allow carriers in the Middle East to channel traffic through their hubs and offer one-stop service between various cities. Promising commercial aviation scenario in Middle East will create significant sales opportunities for aircraft cleaning chemicals. , as the region portrays visible shift from oil and gas-based revenues to trade, tourism, commerce and manufacturing. Geographical advantage, coupled with robust investments in infrastructure, will allow carriers in the to channel traffic through their hubs and offer one-stop service between various cities. Promising commercial aviation scenario in will create significant sales opportunities for aircraft cleaning chemicals. Stagnating aviation sector in Africa , is expected impact the sales growth of aircraft cleaning chemicals in the region. As per the IATA, airlines carriers in Africa are estimated to deliver the weakest financial performance with a net loss of $800 Million -attributable to civil conflict and regional disturbances. FMI's report on the global aircraft cleaning chemicals market showcases a highly fragmented landscape, around 83% - 88 % of which belongs to the Tier-II players including several medium and small scale manufacturers and distributors. Some of the players in the market include DASIC International Ltd & DASIC International Aerospace Ltd, Ecosterile Environmental Technologies Pvt. Ltd, EnviroFluid, and Nuvite Chemical Compounds. Tie-I players, including companies like PPG Industries, Inc., Illinois Tool Works Inc., Callington Haven Pty Ltd., Mcgean-Rohco Inc, and Arrow Solutions capture nearly 12% - 17% share in the global aircraft cleaning chemicals market. In terms of key forward market strategies, Companies are likely to develop more advanced and high-tech cleaning solutions-also adhering to global quality standards. Key focus remains on research and development. Increasingly stringent environmental regulations, will pave way for environment-friendly, biodegradable, non-toxic, and durable chemicals, such water based and bio based chemicals-giving key players a competitive edge over other market participants. Conscious efforts to reduce hazardous and toxic substances such as trichloroethylene (TCE), Perchloroethylene, and other caustic chemicals, will translate into a robust adoption of Bio-based and water based cleaning chemicals. Key players are also strategizing to strengthen their global presence in domestic and lucrative global markets by expanding their product offerings and leveraging local networks and infrastructure. For instance, Illinois Tool Works has nearly 750 decentralized operating units across the globe, to reach diverse consumer bases. Players are also focusing on feasibility study and strengthening their distribution networks and supply chains in the aircraft cleaning chemicals market. Market players are laying emphasis on the development of innovative, technologically-advanced and cost efficient products. Our advisory services are aimed at helping you with specific, customised insights that are relevant to your specific challenges. Let us know about your challenges and our trusted advisors will connect with you: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-gb-3155 More from Chemicals & Materials Intelligence: About Us Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights and an aerial view of the competitive framework and future market trends. Browse More Chemicals & Materials Market Insights Contact Us 616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018, Valley Cottage, NY 10989, United States T: +1-347-918-3531 F: +1-845-579-5705 T (UK): +44(0)20-7692-8790 Sales: [email protected] Press Office: [email protected] FMI Blog: https://www.fmiblog.com/ Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ SOURCE Future Market Insights RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) will offer a listen-only broadcast of its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held at 9:00 a.m. (ET), December 13, 2018. The accompanying slide presentation materials will be posted to the company's website, http://investor.genworth.com, by 8:00 a.m. on December 13, 2018. The broadcast will be accessible via telephone only. The dial-in number for the event is 888 208.1820 or 323 794.2110 (outside the U.S.); conference ID # 7582464. About Genworth Financial Genworth Financial, Inc. (NYSE: GNW) is a Fortune 500 insurance holding company committed to helping families achieve the dream of homeownership and address the financial challenges of aging through its leadership positions in mortgage insurance and long term care insurance. Headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, Genworth traces its roots back to 1871 and became a public company in 2004. For more information, visit genworth.com. From time to time, Genworth releases important information via postings on its corporate website. Accordingly, investors and other interested parties are encouraged to enroll to receive automatic email alerts and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds regarding new postings. Enrollment information is found under the "Investors" section of genworth.com. From time to time, Genworth's publicly traded subsidiaries, Genworth MI Canada Inc. and Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Limited, separately release financial and other information about their operations. This information can be found at http://genworth.ca and http://www.genworth.com.au. SOURCE Genworth Financial, Inc. Related Links http://www.genworth.com WESTMONT, Ill., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- School bus monitors working at First Student in Westmont, Ill. voted unanimously to ratify their first contract with Teamsters Local 777. The monitors voted overwhelmingly to join the Teamsters in April of this year. "Congratulations to our negotiating committee, who worked hard over the last few months to get the improvements secured in this agreement," Local 777 President Jim Glimco said. "We were able to get wage parity with the other First Student yards in the area by using the leverage that we have built up in this industry over time." The wage increases, which reach 25 percent over the lifetime of the agreement, are retroactive from the beginning of the year. In addition to the pay bump, some of the other benefit that the monitors are getting include 401(k) matching, vision benefits, a life insurance policy and paid funeral leave. Fareeda Lush is a school bus monitor who just became a shop steward at the Westmont yard. "Receiving the retro pay is great because it's just in time for the holidays," Lush said. "I'm so glad that my coworkers and I came together to form our union with the Teamsters." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Galen Munroe, (202) 624-6911 [email protected] SOURCE Teamsters Local 777 FOLSOM, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicago Fire, a restaurant group known for its guests' favorite Chicago-style pizzas in northern California, has rolled back its pricing to what it was in 2008. More information about the new prices and the menu are available on www.chicagofire.com. After tremendous success in the past 15 years, Chicago Fire has committed itself to serve more guests in the Northern California region. The company that takes great pride in bringing the authentic taste of Chicago to the west coast, Chicago Fire has expanded rapidly to five locations with its famous Chicago-style pizzas. However, the company claims it can get difficult to dine out and genuinely enjoy the full range of cuisines out there due to the rising menu pricing. Therefore, to serve more families and give a more significant number of people an opportunity to experience a Chicago-style pizza, Chicago Fire has rolled back its prices to what they were ten years ago. A marketing campaign almost unheard of, this strategy is an attempt by Chicago Fire to make its menu more affordable for people and allow them to dine out without a second thought. Understanding how dining out has become tremendously expensive, Eric Schnetz, founder of Chicago Fire, decided to change that. He has declared to rollback his menu prices to what they were in 2008 on select pizzas, salads, and other menus items so more people and families can visit the restaurant without having to think twice. About Chicago Fire Founded in 2003 in Folsom, Chicago Fire is Northern California's tribute to Chicago-style pizza. Since it opened its doors, Chicago Fire has grown to five locations in the Sacramento region. The company's mission is to capture the fun and enthusiasm of an authentic Chicago-style pizza restaurant and bring it to the west coast. Information about the rollback on the menu prices can also be found on www.chicagofire.com. Contact: Doug Brown, Director of Marketing & Communications [email protected] (916) 294-7496 ex. 104 (916) 626-9607 cell Related Files Chicago Fire - Press Release - Pricing Rollback.pdf Related Images chicago-thin-crust-pizza.jpg Chicago Thin Crust Pizza Related Links Chicago Fire Media Chicago Fire Rollback SOURCE Chicago Fire Related Links http://www.chicagofire.com Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Andreas Balsiger Betts, the former Head of Legal Affairs at Swissmedic, will join the firm as a senior advisor in Switzerland, and that Olivier Goarnisson, the former Director of Medical Affairs Operations Europe and a lawyer at a global pharmaceutical company, has joined the life sciences practice in Switzerland as counsel. Their arrival signals the expansion of Sidley's life sciences capabilities to serve all language areas of Switzerland, strengthening the firm's position as a foremost provider of life sciences legal services in Europe and globally. Andreas Balsiger Betts previously served as the Head of Legal Affairs and Member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products. In this capacity, he had a leading role in drafting the complete revision of the Swiss Federal Act on Therapeutic Products and its ordinances, which will come into force in 2019. He represented Swissmedic in all the Swiss parliamentary committee meetings in this context as well as in all meetings with EU member state agency counterparts. At Sidley, he will advise on regulatory matters in the life sciences industry. Olivier Goarnisson combines an in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical legal framework in both Switzerland and the EU with direct insight into the challenges facing in-house lawyers. He possesses dual qualification as a lawyer and medical doctor, and will focus his practice on matters related to clinical trials, non-interventional studies, pharmacovigilance, marketing authorizations, market access, data protection, and compliance and enforcement. "Andreas's arrival initiates our effort to provide the first comprehensive global life sciences legal practice in Switzerland, offering a deep, three-continent perspective to established global companies, to the emerging biotechnology sector, and to the many global life sciences companies that call Switzerland home," said Scott Bass, leader of Sidley's global Life Sciences practice. "Andreas is highly recognized in the Swiss life sciences industry for his in-depth knowledge of the regulatory environment. His insights into Swiss institutions will significantly bolster our ability to offer global solutions to local challenges for clients in the life sciences sector. We are very happy that Olivier also joins our firm, bringing his experience in a wide range of matters related to life sciences regulatory law, specifically in the pharmaceutical industry." In his role as Head of Legal Affairs and Member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, Andreas Balsiger Betts acquired a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the current legal framework, as well as extensive knowledge of the Swiss legislative processes on the parliamentary and executive levels. He was in charge of establishing and maintaining legal guidance for Swissmedic's policies, procedures and practice, both on the strategic and the day-to-day level. With his division of specialized prosecutors, Andreas was also responsible for law enforcement initiatives within the remit of Swissmedic. Under his guidance, his team represented Swissmedic in all court cases regarding administrative and penal decisions taken by the agency, against claims of liability and in freedom of information inquiries. Olivier Goarnisson oversaw his company's execution of post-authorization studies and related interactions with regulatory authorities. He also oversaw programs through which the company provided support for academic research in Europe. In this role, he ensured compliance of the company's academic support programs with anti-corruption and pharmacovigilance requirements. He also helped the company manage intellectual property and product liability risks that may arise from involvement in academic research. Before moving in-house, Olivier worked for six years as a lawyer in Sidley's Brussels office, where he honed his skills in advising on regulatory law, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance and data protection issues affecting clients in the life sciences industry. Andreas Balsiger Betts and Olivier Goarnisson are the latest additions to the firm's multidisciplinary and integrated global network of lawyers focused on serving clients in the life sciences sector. With 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw. For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and our headquarters are Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, +1-212-839-5300; One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, +1-312-853-7000; and 1501 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, +1-202-736-8000. Contact: Kellie Mullins Director, Public Relations +1-312-456-8716 [email protected] SOURCE Sidley Austin LLP According to Doug Ralston, Senior VP, Engineering, "The unique design of the USN line offers secure, safe, time-saving connections under very high pressure, just like a standard quick-connect sleeve. In the past, this would have been impossible without a threaded connection that required a wrench or thread sealant. This technology was designed for the Navy, but there was obvious crossover into the commercial market. We are excited to take that next step." USN Adapters were specifically designed for use on US Navy aircraft carriers and submarines and is now available at the commercial level for converting NPT, AN/JIC 37 flare and high pressure ports into industrial-style quick-connects. The light and flexible USN Hoses are designed to handle very high pressure in fluid, gas, or pneumatic media up to 10,000 PSI while locking into place to prevent accidental discharge. The Ralston Quick-test USN Adapters and Hoses provide military-tested ruggedness for commercial and industrial high pressure applications. For nearly 50 years, Ralston pressure calibration products have been trusted by calibration labs and field technicians. Founded in 1969 in Newbury, OH, Ralston Instruments remains a family owned company with a proud history of innovation. Today, Ralston products are used in energy production, health care, petrochemical production, storage and distribution, and many other industries around the globe. From calibration hand pumps and compressed gas control devices to hoses, adapters, and complete calibration kits, all Ralston products are made in the USA using innovative design and precise manufacturing techniques. SOURCE Ralston Instruments Related Links https://www.ralstoninst.com TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Drone Delivery Canada 'DDC or the Company' (TSX.V:FLT OTC:TAKOF), is pleased to announce that it has executed a commercial agreement with the Moose Cree First Nation to deploy DDC's drone delivery technology platform with the Moose Cree First Nation communities. The Company is currently permitted to commercially operate its drone delivery platform within the Moosonee and Moose Factory communities with its Compliant Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) which permits DDC to conduct drone operations in all Canadian provinces and territories. DDC, with its Compliant SFOC in hand, will deploy its drone delivery platform to service the communities of Moose Factory and Moosonee, two northern towns located in Ontario approximately 19 kilometres south of James Bay. Utilizing DDC's compliant Sparrow aircraft, capable of a 5 kg payload, goods to be commercially transported between the communities will include, letters, general parcels, medical supplies, and other general necessities. Financial terms of the agreement are $2.5 Million of revenue for year one with the potential to expand services in following years. As previously anticipated, it is expected that revenues will begin to be received late in Q2, 2019 once Federal funding is received by the Moose Cree First Nations. "We are on track with the roll out of our commercial operations in Q2 of 2019", commented Tony Di Benedetto, CEO of Drone Delivery Canada. "This agreement is representative of the large 'Remote Communities' market that we see penetrating over the next 3 to 5 years. The Remote Communities market is only one segment of the overall total addressable market in Canada. In addition to Canada, DDC is working with other customers around the globe to licence our FLYTE software and drone delivery technology." In Canada, there are approximately one thousand remote communities, and, almost all face similar infrastructure and logistics challenges that contribute to a high cost of living. DDC looks to provide a cost effective and highly efficient logistic solution to these communities to improve lives and to create jobs in Canada's north all while reducing costs. "We have worked closely with DDC for nearly two years and see the many benefits of DDC's Drone Delivery Technology to our community as well as many others like us. Where infrastructure is weak, or at times non-existent or accessible, DDC's drone delivery platfrom is a valuable solution to connect remote communities and provide fast and efficient deliveries that were once not possible," commented Stan Kapashesit, Director of Economic Development Moose Cree First Nation. The Company is currently focused on strengthening its management team amongst all levels with a focus on enlisting the smartest minds to assist in driving commercial operations. For more information, please visit www.dronedeliverycanada.com About Drone Delivery Canada Drone Delivery Canada is a drone technology company focused on the design, development and implementation of its proprietary logistics software platform, using drones. The Company's platform will be used as Software as a Service (SaaS) for government and corporate organizations. Drone Delivery Canada Corp. is a publicly listed company trading on the TSX V Exchange under the symbol FLT, on the U.S. OTC Q B market under the symbol TAKOF and on the Frankfurt exchange in Germany under the symbol A2AMGZ. 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. SOURCE Drone Delivery Canada Related Links http://www.dronedeliverycanada.com DTE Energy has earned the Wildlife Habitat Council 's (WHC) 2018 Corporate Conservation Leadership Award. It is the highest recognition for overall excellence in corporate environmental stewardship. The award recognizes DTE's overall achievement in conservation efforts, exemplary corporate commitment to biodiversity and conservation education as well as meaningful alignments with global conservation objectives. DTE recently accepted the award at the WHC's 2018 Conservation Conference in Baltimore. DTE currently has 36-certified sites with many more programs planned for certification for the first time by 2020, including pollinator habitats, bald eagle nests and banding, and conservation projects with K-12 schools throughout Michigan. "DTE employees are national leaders in conservation and environmental protection," said Skiles Boyd, vice president, Environmental Management and Resources for DTE Energy. "These efforts were led by passionate employees who love our land, plants, animals, and volunteer their time to leave behind a better place." With 36 certified programs in 25 counties, DTE has more WHC certified programs than any other company in Michigan. DTE is helping the WHC expand its Michigan footprint by collaborating with wildlife habitat efforts in West Michigan communities, such as Muskegon and Grand Rapids, getting other businesses and organizations engaged. DTE ranks second nationally among energy companies in WHC certifications. In addition, DTE is the only company in the energy sector actively collaborating with the WHC to expand environmental stewardship initiatives with supply chain partners. Now celebrating its 30-year anniversary, the WHC's certification program is the only voluntary sustainability standard built on the best practices of global recognition programs. The program recognizes a company's efforts to use its land, resources and partnerships to help address pressing global biodiversity issues. DTE received its first WHC wildlife certification in 1996 at its Belle River Power Plant for a project that included collaborations with Pheasants Forever and the Cub Scouts to convert leased farmland into food plots for wildlife and building bluebird boxes. As a major land owner in Michigan with lots of shoreline property, DTE voluntarily maintains 8,000 acres of land in its natural state, providing habitat for hundreds of species of birds, mammals, fish and insects some of which are threatened or endangered. Land at several company sites has been reclaimed for habitats featuring native Michigan plants, including those benefiting the monarch butterfly and other pollinating insects. Ending repetitive mowing improves air quality and makes financial sense, too. Mowed grassy areas burn money in upkeep. When reclaimed, native wildflowers and grasses require much less maintenance and provide food, shelter, and space for a variety of wildlife. DTE's Michigan Avenue Service Center (Ypsilanti) and Traverse City Service Center were also finalists for the WHC Green Infrastructure Project Award. DTE's WHC certified program sites WILDLIFE HABITAT COUNCIL CONSERVATION CERTIFICATION PROGRAM SITES LOCATION INITIAL CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATION STATUS Allen Road Service Center Complex Melvindale 2008 Gold Alpena Service Center Alpena 2009 Certified Ashley Mews Ann Arbor 2007 Gold Belle River Mills Compressor Station East China Township 2008 Gold Belle River Power Plant East China Township 1996 Silver Big Rapids Service Station Big Rapids 2010 Gold Cadillac Service Center Cadillac 2010 Silver Citizen's Gas Adrian 2016 Silver Coolidge Service Center Detroit 2018 Silver Detroit Headquarters Campus Detroit 2000 Silver Escanaba Service Center Escanaba 2015 Silver Fermi 2 Nuclear Power Plant Newport 2000 Gold Gaylord Transmission & Storage Operations Station Gaylord 2012 Silver Grayling Service Center Grayling 2008 Silver Greenwood Energy Center Kenockee 2004 Gold Huron Renewable Energy Center Bad Axe 2018 Silver Kalkaska Transmission and Storage Operations Kalkaska 2009 Silver Kingsford Service Center Kingsford 2015 Gold Ludington Service Center Ludington 2009 Silver Michigan Avenue Service Center Ypsilanti 2008 Gold Milford Compressor Station Milford 2009 Silver Monroe Power Plant Monroe 1999 Gold Mt. Pleasant Service Center Mt. Pleasant 2008 Silver Muskegon Service Center Muskegon 2009 Gold Newport Service Center Monroe 2016 Silver Petoskey Service Center Petoskey 2015 Certified River Rouge Power Plant River Rouge 2004 TBD Sault Ste. Marie Service Center Sault Ste. Marie 2015 Certified St. Clair Power Plant East China Township 2001 Silver Tawas Service Center Tawas 2009 Silver Traverse City Gas Operations Traverse City 2009 Silver Trenton Channel Power Plant/Sibley Quarry Trenton 2002 Gold W.C. Taggart Compressor Station Six Lakes 2003 Gold Washington-10 Compressor Station Romeo 2008 Gold Wealthy Street Station Grand Rapids 2012 Certified Western Wayne Service Center Belleville 2005 Silver About Wildlife Habitat Council Wildlife Habitat Council partners with corporations, fellow conservation organizations, government agencies and community members to empower and recognize wildlife habitat and conservation education programs. Our members are environmental leaders at local, national and global levels, voluntarily managing their lands to support sustainable ecosystems and the communities that surround them. Since 1988, WHC has certified more than 1,000 habitat and education programs worldwide; WHC Conservation Certification programs can be found in 48 states and 25 countries. To learn more, visit www.wildlifehc.org or follow @WildlifeHC on Twitter. About DTE Energy DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan and a natural gas utility serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE Energy portfolio includes non-utility energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, natural gas pipelines, gathering and storage, and energy marketing and trading. As one of Michigan's leading corporate citizens, DTE Energy is a force for growth and prosperity in the 450 Michigan communities it serves in a variety of ways, including philanthropy, volunteerism and economic progress. Information about DTE Energy is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy and facebook.com/dteenergy. SOURCE DTE Energy Related Links http://www.dteenergy.com CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- An early December storm will bring a mixed bag of hazardous wintry precipitation to the Carolinas this weekend, likely to cause prolonged power outages in some areas as snow and ice bring down trees, limbs and power lines. Duke Energy meteorologists continue to monitor weather conditions and the company is making plans accordingly. Line technicians, service crews and other personnel throughout Duke Energy's service area are prepared to as outages and emergencies occur. The company is urging customers to take appropriate precautions as well. Snow and certainly freezing rain can cause hazardous driving conditions resulting in traffic accidents and downed power poles resulting in isolated outages. Power outages expected Based on the current forecast, widespread, multiple-day power outages are expected and customers should be prepared. In addition, weather and travel conditions may be hazardous and challenging, and could delay Duke Energy workers' ability to access areas fully assess storm damage and completely restore electric service. With temperatures below freezing, customers should make a plan to move family members especially those with special needs to a safe, alternative locations in case an extended power outage occurs. We urge everyone to be prepared and stay safe and encourage other family members, friends and neighbors to do the same. Safety reminders We encourage customers to prepare by checking their supply of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable foods, medicines, etc. Also, ensure a portable, battery-operated radio, TV or NOAA radio is on hand. Stay away from power lines that have fallen or are sagging. Consider all lines energized as well as trees or limbs in contact with lines. Please report downed power lines to Duke Energy. If a power line falls across a car that you're in, stay in the car. If you MUST get out of the car due to a fire or other immediate life-threatening situation, do your best to jump clear of the car and land on both feet. Be sure that no part of your body is touching the car when your feet touch the ground. If you are driving and encounter emergency responders or other roadside work crews, remember to MOVE OVER, it's the law in North Carolina , but a good practice for all drivers. , but a good practice for all drivers. If you use a generator due to a power outage, follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure safe and proper operation. Operate your generator outside. Never operate it inside a building or garage. Reporting outages Customers who experience an outage during the storm have multiple ways on how to report it: Text OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply) Call the automated outage-reporting system at 800.POWERON for Duke Energy Carolinas customers and 800-419-6356 for Duke Energy Progress customers. Report an outage or view current outages online at www.dukeenergyupdates.com Duke Energy also will provide updates on its social media channels to keep customers informed if significant outages occur: Duke Energy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DukeEnergy Duke Energy on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DukeEnergy About Duke Energy Headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) is one of the largest energy holding companies in the U.S., with approximately 29,000 employees and a generating capacity of 49,500 megawatts. The company is transforming its customers' experience, modernizing its energy grid, generating cleaner energy and expanding its natural gas infrastructure to create a smarter energy future for the people and communities it serves. The company's Electric Utilities and Infrastructure unit serves approximately 7.6 million retail electric customers in six states North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Gas Utilities and Infrastructure unit distributes natural gas to approximately 1.6 million customers in five states North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. Its Commercial Renewables unit operates a growing renewable energy portfolio across the U.S. A Fortune 125 company, Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2018 "World's Most Admired Companies" list and Forbes' 2018 "America's Best Employers" list. More information about the company is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke Energy News Center includes news releases, fact sheets, photos, videos and other materials. Duke Energy's illumination features stories about people, innovations, community topics and environmental issues. Follow Duke Energy on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook. Contact: Corporate Communications 24-Hour: 800.559.3853 SOURCE Duke Energy Related Links http://www.duke-energy.com NEW YORK, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Canada is now officially the largest legal recreational cannabis market in the world, and Americans are starting to feel the pressure. Numerous recent events have indicated that America's longstanding cannabis prohibition could be on its last legs. These signals have sparked optimism for American cannabis companies such as Chemistree Technologies Inc. (CSE:CHM) (OTC:CHMJF) that have established a strong presence in cannabis-friendly states such as Washington and California. Notable cannabis companies outside the United States that may benefit from American cannabis legislation include Harvest One Cannabis (OTC:HRVOF) (TSX.V:HVT), WeedMD Inc. (OTC:WDDMF) (TSX.V:WMD), Namaste Technologies Inc. (OTC:NXTTF) (TSX.V:N) and CannTrust Holdings Inc. (OTC:CNTTF) (TSX:TRST). In October, the U.S federal government announced it was seeking public opinion on a possible reclassification of cannabis. A recent poll also found that 62 percent of Americans support the legalization of cannabis. Most recently, the resignation of Attorney General and cannabis opponent Jeff Sessions was seen as a positive development for the cannabis industry. Taken together, these developments indicate that America's strict federal policies on cannabis at the federal level could potentially undergo a historic reversal that would legitimize an industry that is already growing at an impressive rate. This newfound optimism has already brought significant attention to American cannabis companies that have a running head-start on this new potential industry such as Chemistree Technologies Inc. (CSE:CHM) (OTCQB:CHMJF). In Canada, a similar situation occurred during early legislation discussions with many companies securing significant tactical advantages. If legalization plays out across the U.S., as it has in Canada, American cannabis company valuations could rise exponentially in the coming years. In the year before legalization in Canada, cannabis stock prices in the U.S increased up to 150 percent. American companies getting a foothold before prohibition lifts may see similar trends. Building Brands Before Cannabis Prohibition Ends While many American cannabis companies acquired infrastructure in 2018, some went even further and built and marketed their own brands. For example, Chemistree (CSE:CHM) (OTCQB:CHMJF), acquired Washington State cannabis brand Sugarleaf - a well-known high-end cannabis brand with two consecutive Cannabis Cup awards under their belt from 2014 and 2015. Sugarleaf produces a number of award-winning strains, such as White 99 - a high THC strain consumer favorite. Under Chemistree, Sugarleaf now has a market reach of over fifty retail stores in Washington state. Building on this momentum, Chemistree recently announced a strategic collaboration with a Northern California processing facility in a bid to bring their Sugarleaf brand to the lucrative California market. Earlier, the company purchased nearly 10 acres for cannabis cultivation in California for just over $1.2 million. The company hopes to ultimately continue this approach to expand into new jurisdictions across the country where legal cannabis processing and product development are in their formative stages This speaks to the speed the American cannabis industry is moving at. Chemistree (CSE:CHM) (OTCQB:CHMJF) is an example of a company that is already securing infrastructure and building brands. If legalization does occur it may prove difficult for new companies to enter what is likely to be a fairly mature market with significant competition. Companies like Chemistree are actively replicating their approach in early markets, such as Washington and California, in other legalized states. With cannabis currently legal in thirty-three states plus Washington, DC, for medical use, and in ten states plus Washington, DC, for recreational use, it's quite possible that some of these early movers may have a very significant national presence by the time potential legalization occurs. Acquisitions, Strategic Partnerships, And Vertical Integration As an early-stage industry, the American cannabis industry is filled with news stories of acquisitions, strategic partnerships, and companies maneuvering to become vertically integrated players in the industry. Chemistree (CSE:CHM) (OTCQB:CHMJF) is an example of a company utilizing all three of these strategies. In addition to their acquisition of cannabis brand Sugar Leaf, the company has recently made a large financial investment into Pasha Brands, a well-established and vertically integrated brand in Canada. This investment expands on Chemistree's (CSE:CHM) (OTCQB:CHMJF) efforts to become a vertically integrated competitor in the cannabis industry, and provides the company with strategic connections into the lucrative BC cannabis marketplace for their Washington and California assets. Pasha Brands owns the largest licensed retail chain in B.C. and their network of craft producers under the BC Craft Supply Co. This provides Chemistree (CSE:CHM) (OTCQB:CHMJF) access to premium strains from the network of craft producers in the BC Craft Supply Co. This strategic investment is an example of an early cross-border partnership that may become much more common as American cannabis companies look to leverage the assets of well-established Canadian cannabis companies, and Canadian cannabis companies look to secure entry into the potentially larger American cannabis market. This vertical approach to market expansion is providing companies such asChemistree (CSE:CHM) (OTCQB:CHMJF) with a stable platform for national growth, and possible future global expansion. As the national conversation on American cannabis heats up, the industry is likely to see more vertical integration, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships occur as companies scramble to become major players in this potential 23.4 billion dollar industry. Major Players In North American Cannabis Namaste Technologies Inc. (OTCQB:NXTTF) (TSX.V:N) - Aiming to become the 'Amazon of Cannabis', Namaste Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cannabis company focusing on the retail side of the cannabis sector. The company has applied for a "sales-only" license with the Canadian government, which could establish Namaste as a leading distributor in the international cannabis space. The company currently sells vaporizers and cannabis smoking accessories in 20 different countries across the world, but hopes to expand to offer different strains of cannabis in the future as well. WeedMD Inc. (OTCQX:WDDMF) (TSX.V:WMD) - WeedMD Inc. is a Canadian licensed producer operating two cannabis greenhouses in Ontario. Together the company's two facilities contain 70,000 square feet of licensed grow space, which the company hopes to expand to 500,000 square feet by the end of 2018. WeedMD has secured a distribution partnership with Shoppers Drug Mart, which is expected to provide the cannabis producer with optimal distribution through the pharmacy's extensive network of stores and online retail infrastructure. CannTrust Holdings Inc. (OTC:CNTTF) (TSX:TRST) - CannTrust Holdings Inc. is a federally-regulated licensed producer focusing on the medical and pharmaceutical segments of the Canadian cannabis industry. The company operates a 50,000 square foot hydroponic facility to support its 430,000 square foot greenhouse operation in Ontario. Recently CannTrust was named the Best Licensed Producer at the 2018 Canadian Cannabis Awards, where the company also took home the prize for Top Sativa Flower (OG Kush) and Top Hybrid Flower (Blueberry Kush). Harvest One Cannabis (OTC:HRVOF) (TSX.V:HVT) - Harvest One is an international cannabis company with a diverse portfolio of cannabis-based ventures. The company has three wholly-owned assets including licensed producer United Greeneries, medical CBD brand Satipharm, and CBD-based sleep aid Dream Water. Harvest One's collection of assets has enabled an effective international business strategy, catering to markets based on local rules and regulations concerning cannabis. For a free research report on Chemistree (CSE: CHM) (OTC:CHMJF), visit potstocknews.com Disclaimer: Potstocknews.com (PSN) is the source of the Article and content set forth above. References to any issuer other than the profiled issuer are intended solely to identify industry participants and do not constitute an endorsement of any issuer and do not constitute a comparison to the profiled issuer. FN Media Group (FNM) is a third-party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated with PSN or any company mentioned herein. 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Media Contact: FN Media Group, LLC [email protected] +1(561)325-8757 SOURCE Potstocknews.com LONDON, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The global market for RTDs is set to continue to grow through to 2022, in spite of a slight decline in volumes in 2017, according to a new report from just-drinks and the IWSR. Japan and the US continue to dominate the sector, the Global RTD & Cider Insights 2018 report notes, but the two markets are heading in opposite directions. While Japan is poised to add almost another 20m cases over the next five years, the US will shrink as consumers switch to fresher and healthier products. Beyond Japan, emerging markets show the most promise for RTD brands, with Mexico, South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa performing well thanks to affordability and the cachet of parent brands such as Smirnoff, Jim Beam or Jack Daniel's. However, global trends are mixed, with previously robust markets including Australia, Russia, the UK and Ukraine now in long-term decline. Global cider volumes recovered slightly in 2017, and the positive trend is predicted to continue over the next five years, thanks in part to the continued growth of fruit cider in the UK, which remains the largest market by some distance. The main trend across eight of the top ten global cider markets is one of premiumisation, which has benefited 'craft' brands, but has been to the detriment of some more established names. About the IWSR The IWSR is the leading source of data and analysis on the alcoholic beverage market. The IWSR's database, essential to the industry, quantifies the global market of wine, spirits, beer, cider and mixed drinks by volume and value in 157 countries, and provides insight into short- and long-term trends, including five-year volume and value forecasts. The IWSR tracks overall consumption and trends at brand, price segment and category level. Our data is used by the major multinational wine, spirits and beer companies, as well as financial and alcoholic beverage market suppliers. The IWSR's unique methodology allows us to get closer to what is actually consumed and better understand how markets work. Our analysts travel the world in order to meet over 1,600 local professionals to capture market trends and the 'why' behind the numbers. About just-drinks.com just-drinks.com is the online news, insight and research portal for the global drinks industry. Our editorial team includes contributors from around the world, while our commentators comprise experts in their respective fields of beer, bottled water, soft drinks, spirits (both brown and white) and wine. Under the direction of managing editor Olly Wehring, we offer an impartial voice and are driven by our passion for the drinks industry. For further information and images please contact James Lawley, Public Relations at Aroq Limited on +44-(0)-1527-573-606, email: [email protected] SOURCE just-drinks and The IWSR Continuous Innovation is a critical driver to the EES approach and use of the self-hoisting crane has helped customers cut costs up to 20 percent by reducing crane related costs and downtime. To get the most out of this equipment, EES has partnered with E.ON's Major Components Team, one of the best in the business at major repairs and replacements for gearboxes, generators, bearings, and rotors. "E.ON's decision to deploy a self-erecting crane in North America was truly transformational for E.ON Energy Services," said Kent Thornqvist, E.ON Vice President of Large Correctives. "Our ability to leverage the strength and capabilities of the EON organization allowed E.ON Energy Services to offer this cost saving approach to asset owners across the country." EES's self-hoisting crane can work anywhere there is a usable road, requires no crane pad, comes in a single container and has a higher cut out wind speed than a traditional crane. In addition, EES is able to leverage E.ON's global reach, applying new technologies and methods to improve fleet performance and profitability. About E.ON E.ON is an international investor-owned energy company, focusing entirely on energy networks, customer solutions and renewables. In the 2017 financial year, more than 40,000 employees from 90 nations generated sales of around $42 billion. Around 32 million customers purchase gas and electricity from E.ON. Within the global renewables segment E.ON is a leading company. The company has already invested more than $12 billion and operates nearly 5.4 gigawatts of renewable capacity. E.ON Energy Services (EES) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of E.ON North America and provides asset management, BOP, energy management and Operations and Maintenance services to third-party customers. EES has more than 20 sites under contract in North America and manages more than 2.5 GW of assets through its state-of-the-art Renewables Operation Center in Austin, Texas. Press Contact Matt Tulis Communication Manager 512.698.4043 [email protected] SOURCE E.ON Related Links http://www.eon.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent report from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), titled "Mainstreaming Hate: The Anti-Immigrant Movement in the U.S." is a flawed, ludicrous analysis based on a complete misunderstanding of public concern about immigration policy. It blatantly demands that all general public discussion about immigration be censored unless it comports with the ADL's approved content. It is a thinly-veiled effort to control what views the public hears and what information and ideas are appropriate for public consideration. At its core, says Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the report has a flawed premise: That responsible organizations like FAIR have only achieved credibility of late, and that this must be stopped at all costs. "In fact," says Dan Stein, president of FAIR, "our voice has been a major part of the national discussion since the late 1970s. Our views are the mainstream views of the American people, and our legitimacy is based on years of responsible, professional, competent advocacy and reason." For four decades, FAIR has been a leading voice for responsible immigration policies. "The ADL suddenly posits that free discussion of the need for immigration limits is likely to lead to all sorts of bad things. In fact, it's the failure of our national leadership on the issue that is causing mounting public frustration," says Stein. "The ADL report reflects the highly politicized views of Jonathan Greenblatt, the group's director. Greenblatt, like many former Obama operatives, has continued to press his former boss's mass immigration agenda through lavishly funded NGOs. "While the ADL ostensibly exists to confront and combat anti-Semitism, under Greenblatt, the organization has been accused of giving a pass to anti-Semitism from the far left, while distorting the positions of those they perceive to be right of center. This report is yet another example of a far left ideologue attempting to demonize disagreement about an important public policy as by labeling it 'hate," charged Stein. "What they attempt to do is censor all criticism of current immigration policies, thus shutting down the debate altogether." FAIR rejects the ADL's criticism of the organization's work: "The ADL uses tactics similar to those of the highly-partisan Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) in distorting opposition positions and fabricating allegations of causation as if responsible policymaking leads to intolerant behavior. We reject this linkage unequivocally," Stein concluded. Contact: Matthew Tragesser, 202-328-7004 ABOUT FAIR Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 2 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Related Links http://www.www.fairus.org NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Fodor's Travel, the leading name in travel recommendations for over 80 years, has revived Fodor's Finest: The 100 Most Incredible Hotels in the World, its definitive list of the best hotels in the world. Reemerging after a four-year hiatus, the exclusive list differs from other "best hotel" lists by consisting entirely of Fodor's Travel editors' and hotel writers' personal picks, and featuring a wide range of hotel properties not only high-priced or trendy locations. Editors made a particularly special effort to consider affordability when compiling the list. "Travelers increasingly seek unique, memorable experiences when traveling and that includes the hotels they choose to stay in," said Jeremy Tarr, Editorial Director of Fodors.com. "The 100 properties on this list are certainly some of the best hotels in the world but they're also some of the dreamiest, most swoon-worthy, and sometimes, most unusual this world has to offer. Ultimately, each and every one is entirely glorious and utterly memorable." The Fodor's Finest list divides the hotels it showcases into 10 geographic categories: The Best Hotels in the USA The Best Hotels in Europe The Best Hotels in Asia The Best Hotels in the Caribbean The Best Hotels in Mexico and Central America and The Best Hotels in South America The Best Hotels in Africa The Best Hotels in the Middle East The Best Hotels in Australia and the Pacific and the Pacific The Best Hotels in Canada View the entire Fodor's Finest List of of The 100 Most Incredible Hotels in the World at https://www.fodors.com/worlds-best-hotels. The revival of the Fodor's Finest hotels list comes on the heels of last month's release of the 2019 Fodor's Travel Go List and No List, which together provide comprehensive expert travel guidance for 2019, highlighting can't-miss travel destinations that should be on every traveler's radar while identifying places to skip in the upcoming year. More information on the Fodor's Go and No lists can be found at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fodors-travel-2019-go--no-lists-highlight-the-weird-wonderful--and-worrying-300749867.html. About Fodor's Travel The Fodor's name has been synonymous with travel for over 80 years. Our award-winning guidebooks, website, eBooks, and mobile apps provide today's traveler with up-to-the-minute information to over 7,500 worldwide destinations. Learn more at Fodors.com and join our engaged travel community on Facebook (facebook.com/FodorsTravel), Twitter (@fodorstravel) and Instagram (@FodorsTravel). Fodor's Travel is a division of Internet Brands. SOURCE Fodor's Travel Related Links http://www.fodors.com LINDON, Utah, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation (OTCQB: FVRG), a global direct marketing company and provider of health and wellness products, announces its successful KetonX launch has played a major role in the growth performance of the company and has been consistently delivering value ever since. A substantial amount of new members have enrolled worldwide, rapidly growing our customer base as a result. The effects of the product launch have not only increased sales volumes of KetonX, but of the overall existing products. The 20-day weight loss system, combining KetonX, Prodigy 5, and PowerStrips is increasing sales across all product lines. The revolutionary weight loss system and KetonX have been driving the demand of other products, relative to the accumulation of ongoing activity. Distribution channels have expanded as the addition of new memberships are brought on by recent major distributors. Overall sales are being generated in over 100 countries, with the assistance of the cost efficient envelope model. The customer base has dramatically increased, as the company continues to enter new territories. "The demand for KetonX has been the key factor in driving sales and increasing product orders of all ForeverGreen's complementary products," stated Principle Executive Officer, Joe Jensen. The recent upgrading of our software technology has given the company the ability to process orders worldwide and smoothly transition into new growth areas. As a result of this expansion, we expect to deliver an even higher growth rate in our November over October numbers, compared to the 7% growth from September to October. We are optimistic that the future demand of our products will continue to grow as or client base further expands," concluded Joe Jensen. About ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation Empowering a health-conscious community to focus on mindful self-care, ForeverGreen's products, opportunities and ideals reach around the globe to thousands of individuals in over 100 countries. ForeverGreen combines technology, science and ancient resources into products that can be shipped anywhere using a revolutionary envelope model. Despite this successful development, our most important product will always be people; community involvement and good character are the seeds of complete health. ForeverGreen is a publicly traded company based in Lindon, Utah. For more information, visit forevergreen.org. Welcome Home! Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that certain statements in this release are "forward-looking statements" and involve both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. Such uncertainties include, among others, certain risks associated with the operation of the company described above. The company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. Contact: Brokers and Analysts: Chesapeake Group +1-410-825-3930 [email protected] Joe Jensen (801) 655-5500 [email protected] SOURCE ForeverGreen Worldwide Corporation CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Forge.AI, an artificial intelligence company that transforms the world's unstructured information into structured machine ready data, today announced that they closed a $11M Series A funding, led by Underscore VC with participation from Accomplice, Boston Seed Capital, Imagination Capital and Project 11 Ventures. Forge.AI is focused on helping businesses harness the information content contained in the approximately 80 percent of the world's data that is unstructured. Leveraging both natural language understanding technologies and a proprietary dynamic self-learning knowledge graph, Forge.AI transforms publicly available text-heavy content -- such as news reports, social media, financial reports, SEC filings --. into knowledge-rich, structured event feeds. Data science and engineering teams then apply these event feeds directly into their company's analytical decision-making processes and infrastructure. "Businesses use Forge.AI's event feeds to open up fundamentally new data sets so they can better analyze risk, improve predictive capabilities and ultimately make better decisions for their organizations," said Jim Crowley, CEO and co-founder of Forge.AI. "Our goal is to empower businesses with the real-time, mission-critical data that can meaningfully impact and change their business. We enable teams to model the world in new ways, be more efficient and apply their energies to the actual analysis versus drowning with intense 'data wrangling' challenges associated with unstructured data." Forge.AI is initially focused on two broad information and data-rich sectors: financial services and the public sector. Financial institutions such as The Vanguard Group, currently leverage Forge.AI to source and structure their acquisition of critical knowledge from unstructured data sources. "Over the next few years, companies like Vanguard will differentiate themselves from their competitors by harnessing machine-readable information for the benefit of clients, employees, and shareholders alike," added Warren Pennington, principal and head of FinTech for Vanguard's Investment Management Group. "Through our partnership with Forge.AI, Vanguard is looking at data in fundamentally new ways, and we are using this data to enhance our business in areas like the client experience, internal operations, and economic analytics. "The vast amount of content being created by media companies should be transformed into a structured data asset for a new audience the growing audience of intelligent machines, " added Richard Parsons of Imagination Capital and the former Chairperson of both CitiGroup and Time Warner. "Forge.AI has the potential to not only accelerate the growth of machine intelligence and expand what businesses can do with machine intelligence, but they may also help media organizations extend the reach of their content to the growing population of intelligent machines." Co-founded in 2017 by Jim Crowley, Jack Crowley, and Jennifer Lum, the team brings extensive early-stage company expertise in building mission-critical data platforms. The funding will be used to accelerate hiring, product development, and go-to-market activities. Based in Boston, Forge.AI is an artificial intelligence company that transforms the world's unstructured information into machine-readable data that supports critical analytical tasks and strategic decisions. Forge.AI leverages publicly available text-heavy content -- such as news reports, social media, financial reports, SEC filings and produces intelligent structured event feeds specifically designed for immediate use by data scientists, engineers and intelligent machines. For more information on Forge.AI, visit http://www.forge.AI or follow them on Twitter @Forge_AI . SOURCE Forge.AI Related Links http://www.forge.ai GENEVA, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sidley Austin LLP is pleased to announce that Andreas Balsiger Betts, the former Head of Legal Affairs at Swissmedic, will join the firm as a senior advisor in Switzerland, and that Olivier Goarnisson, the former Director of Medical Affairs Operations and a lawyer at a global pharmaceutical company, has joined the life sciences practice in Switzerland as counsel. Their arrival signals the expansion of Sidley's life sciences capabilities to serve all language areas of Switzerland, strengthening the firm's position as a foremost provider of life sciences legal services in Europe and globally. Andreas Balsiger Betts previously served as the Head of Legal Affairs and Member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products. In this capacity, he had a leading role in drafting the complete revision of the Swiss Federal Act on Therapeutic Products and its ordinances, which will come into force in 2019. He represented Swissmedic in all the Swiss parliamentary committee meetings in this context as well as in all meetings with EU member state agency counterparts. At Sidley, he will advise on regulatory matters in the life sciences industry. Olivier Goarnisson combines an in-depth knowledge of the pharmaceutical legal framework in both Switzerland and the EU with direct insight into the challenges facing in-house lawyers. He possesses dual qualification as a lawyer and medical doctor, and will focus his practice on matters related to clinical trials, non-interventional studies, pharmacovigilance, marketing authorizations, market access, data protection, and compliance and enforcement. "Andreas's arrival initiates our effort to provide the first comprehensive global life sciences legal practice in Switzerland, offering a deep, three-continent perspective to established global companies, to the emerging biotechnology sector, and to the many global life sciences companies that call Switzerland home," said Scott Bass, leader of Sidley's global Life Sciences practice. "Andreas is highly recognized in the Swiss life sciences industry for his in-depth knowledge of the regulatory environment. His insights into Swiss institutions will significantly bolster our ability to offer global solutions to local challenges for clients in the life sciences sector. We are very happy that Olivier also joins our firm, bringing his experience in a wide range of matters related to life sciences regulatory law, specifically in the pharmaceutical industry." In his role as Head of Legal Affairs and Member of the Management Board of Swissmedic, Andreas Balsiger Betts acquired a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the current legal framework, as well as extensive knowledge of the Swiss legislative processes on the parliamentary and executive levels. He was in charge of establishing and maintaining legal guidance for Swissmedic's policies, procedures and practice, both on the strategic and the day-to-day level. With his division of specialized prosecutors, Andreas was also responsible for law enforcement initiatives within the remit of Swissmedic. Under his guidance, his team represented Swissmedic in all court cases regarding administrative and penal decisions taken by the agency, against claims of liability and in freedom of information inquiries. Olivier Goarnisson oversaw his company's execution of post-authorization studies and related interactions with regulatory authorities. He also oversaw programs through which the company provided support for academic research in Europe. In this role, he ensured compliance of the company's academic support programs with anti-corruption and pharmacovigilance requirements. He also helped the company manage intellectual property and product liability risks that may arise from involvement in academic research. Before moving in-house, Olivier worked for six years as a lawyer in Sidley's Brussels office, where he honed his skills in advising on regulatory law, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance and data protection issues affecting clients in the life sciences industry. Andreas Balsiger Betts and Olivier Goarnisson are the latest additions to the firm's multidisciplinary and integrated global network of lawyers focused on serving clients in the life sciences sector. With 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw. For purposes of the New York State Bar rules, this press release may be considered Attorney Advertising and our headquarters are Sidley Austin LLP, 787 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019, +1-212-839-5300; One South Dearborn, Chicago, IL 60603, +1-312-853-7000; and 1501 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, +1-202-736-8000. Contact: Kellie Mullins Director, Public Relations +1-312-456-8716 [email protected] SOURCE Sidley Austin LLP The redesigned Honda Pilot Elite will be integrated into the HGTV Dream Home 2019 television special on January 1, 2019, which showcases the construction and design of the home. Honda will produce a 30-second custom vignette showcasing the Pilot and invite viewers to enter the sweepstakes for their chance to win the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway 2019 ( HGTV.com/HGTVDreamHome ). The creative concept for the vignette showcases how both the HGTV Dream Home 2019 and the Pilot are built for families that enjoy different types of adventure be it family life in the cozy living room or a journey outdoors for some scenic camping. Wherever the road may lead, the 2019 Honda Pilot and HGTV Dream Home 2019 has it covered! "The Pilot is the ultimate family vehicle, and with upgraded styling and capability it is more than ready for the different types of terrain and all-weather driving on the mountain roads of Whitefish, Montana," said Susie Rossick, Assistant Vice President of Honda Automotive Marketing. "We can't wait to see one lucky person's dream come true when they win the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway 2019." HGTV Dream Home 2019 in Whitefish, Montana The new, fully furnished home leads the prize package valued at more than $2.3 million the largest giveaway in HGTV history. Constructed with the finest materials, reclaimed historical resources, and timber frame architecture characteristic to the area, the home was conceived by Timber Forge Design, built by Malmquist Construction, and designed by Brian Patrick Flynn. The sneak peek at this striking, lodge-style retreat is now available at HGTV.com/HGTVDreamHome. The approximately 3,650-square-foot house is situated on the edge of Glacier National Park with breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains and Whitefish Lake in Montana's renowned Flathead Valley. Designed to cater to both an active lifestyle and big doses of relaxing fireside chats relaxing and entertaining, HGTV Dream Home 2019 can best be described as "mountain modern." Packed with custom touches and local craftsmanship, the three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bath retreat boasts a great room with floor-to-ceiling accordion windows that open to an expansive outdoor living area. An upper deck and lower patio provide dining and lounging areas, grill, fireplace, and Scandinavian hot tub, all near a private entry to the Big Mountain ski slopes. Back inside, other notable features include a large mudroom essential for Montana living, a cozy pet nook, bunk room, and a "lodge" for hanging out with friends. The official entry period for the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway 2019 will run from Friday, December 28, 2018 through Monday, February 18, 2019. Eligible viewers can visit HGTV.com for full details and the official rules. Viewers can catch the DIY Behind the Build: HGTV Dream Home 2019 special chronicling the home's build process, which premieres Saturday, December 29,2018 at 11 p.m. ET on DIY Network, as well as the HGTV Dream Home 2019 Special, which airs Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 8 p.m. ET on HGTV. The 2019 Honda Pilot The 2019 Pilot brings a long list of upgrades to Honda's award-winning 8-seat SUV, including: more aggressive exterior styling, an available new hands-free access power tailgate, powertrain refinements, major upgrades to available connected-car technology, an available new Display Audio touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, and a volume knob. The 2019 Pilot also adopts the Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety and driver-assistive technology as standard on all trims. Combined, the upgrades to Pilot for the 2019 model reinforce its capabilities while emphasizing the state-of-the-art technology and family-friendly character that has made it one of the most popular midsize 3-row SUVs. Pilot also remains one of the few models in its segment to offer 8 seats (7-seats with the optional second-row Captain's Chairs), with three-person capacity in both the second and third rows, and with third row access made simple and easy by the available One-Touch Walk-In feature. The 2019 Pilot's more aggressive front and rear styling compliment the vehicle's robust off-road and all-weather driving capabilities, supported by Honda's available intelligent Variable Torque Management system (i-VTM4) with true torque-vectoring. The benefits from this technology include superior all-weather handling, and neutral, accurate steering under power. For more information on the Honda Pilot and HGTV Dream Home 2019 visit: automobiles.honda.com/pilot and HGTV.com/HGTVDreamHome. About Honda Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 36 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2017, more than 90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts. SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc. DALLAS, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Kali, Inc. (USOTC: KALY) ("KALY") today announced launching its own line of hemp-derived CBD infused candies and vapes under the brand name HEMP4MULA. With an initial wholesale order pending KALY's completion of its first production run, the company expects to see HEMP4MULA CBD Gum on sale at retail later this month. Mints and gummies infused with CBD are expected to follow soon thereafter. HEMP4MULA vapes are also coming soon. KALY recently acquired a biotech company with a patented cannabis extraction process. Accordingly, KALY updated its overall business plan (a presentation on the company's updated business plan is available on KALY's website). HEMP4MULA is part of the updated business plan which management is rapidly executing with first revenue from the updated business plan anticipated before the end of this year. Revenue is anticipated from the initial HEMP4MULA CBD Gum sale, and from KALY's custom formulation of hemp-derived CBD concentrates to support KALY's US Cannabis Health partner, Puration, Inc. (USOTC: PURA), in producing a private labeled CBD Infused Water for Generex Biotechnology, (OTCQB: GNBT). The following is an excerpt from an article recently published by The Motley Fool about the potential to be garnered from the pending passage of the 2018 Farm Act expected to include the legalization of hemp farming: "If the bill makes it through Congress and is signed by President Trump, as widely expected, industrial hemp should be legal on Jan. 1, 2019. If this occurs, the U.S. market for hemp -- and its derivatives -- is expected to soar. The hemp-derived CBD market is projected to rocket from about $591 million this year to $22 billion by 2022, according to the Brightfield Group. That's a whopping 37-fold increase in just four years!" To learn more about the company visit https://www.kali-extracts.com/ Check back frequently to the company's website and to the OTCMarkets website for more updates coming soon as management populates the new company website with additional information and brings all corporate information current on the OTCMarkets website. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and as such, may involve risks and uncertainties. These forward looking statements relate to, amongst other things, current expectation of the business environment in which the company operates, potential future performance, projections of future performance and the perceived opportunities in the market. The company's actual performance, results and achievements may differ materially from the expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements as a result of a wide range of factors. CONTACT: Kali, Inc. +1-941-444-6994 [email protected] SOURCE Kali Inc. LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Highlights Korn Ferry reports fee revenue of $495.2 million in Q2 FY'19, an 11.8% increase (14.6% on a constant currency basis) from Q2 FY'18, driven by organic growth in all segments. reports fee revenue of in Q2 FY'19, an 11.8% increase (14.6% on a constant currency basis) from Q2 FY'18, driven by organic growth in all segments. Operating income was $71.0 million in Q2 FY'19 with an operating margin of 14.3%. Adjusted EBITDA was $80.3 million with Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.2%. in Q2 FY'19 with an operating margin of 14.3%. Adjusted EBITDA was with Adjusted EBITDA margin of 16.2%. Q2 FY'19 diluted earnings per share was $0.81 compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.64 in Q2 FY'18. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.85 in Q2 FY'19 compared to Adjusted diluted earnings per share of $0.67 in Q2 FY'18. compared to diluted earnings per share of in Q2 FY'18. Adjusted diluted earnings per share was in Q2 FY'19 compared to Adjusted diluted earnings per share of in Q2 FY'18. The Company continued with its balanced approach to capital allocation, buying back $22.7 million of stock during the quarter and declaring a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share on December 5, 2018 payable on January 15, 2019 to stockholders of record on December 20, 2018 . of stock during the quarter and declaring a quarterly dividend of per share on payable on to stockholders of record on . In connection with the previously announced rebranding, the firm also announced that it will be formally changing its name from Korn/Ferry International to Korn Ferry , effective January 1, 2019 a move reflecting the transformation of the organization to one unified brand. Korn/Ferry International (NYSE: KFY), a global organizational consulting firm, today announced first quarter fee revenue of $495.2 million. Second quarter diluted earnings per share was $0.81 and Adjusted diluted earnings per share was $0.85. Adjusted diluted earnings per share for the second quarter excludes $2.8 million related to retention awards from a prior acquisition, or $0.04 per share. "For Korn Ferry's recently completed second quarter, we achieved the highest top line and bottom line results in our history, with fee revenue of approximately $495 million and Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin of approximately $80 million and 16.2%, respectively. Our fee revenue grew approximately 12% year-over-year in the second quarter, 14.6% at constant currency, with strong growth across all of our geographies and solutions. Additionally, during the quarter we continued to effectively deploy capital, repurchasing over $22 million of our shares. Our return on invested capital continues to accelerate. From the end of FY'18 to the end of Q2 FY'19, our return on invested capital has now increased by over 200 basis points," said Gary D. Burnison, CEO, Korn Ferry. "Calendar year 2018 is the year we established ourselves as the preeminent global organizational consulting firm, a company whose purpose is to enable people and organizations to exceed their potential. When looking at the one professional we put in a new job every three minutes, the 1.2 million people we develop each year and 98% of the Fortune 500 who work with us it is clear we are making a notable impact. I look forward to what the future holds as we ring in a New Year." Selected Financial Results (dollars in millions, except per share amounts) (a) Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Fee revenue $ 495.2 $ 443.0 $ 960.8 $ 844.3 Total revenue $ 506.8 $ 455.5 $ 985.2 $ 870.4 Operating income $ 71.0 $ 52.5 $ 15.9 $ 94.4 Operating margin 14.3% 11.8% 1.7% 11.2% Net income attributable to Korn Ferry $ 46.0 $ 36.3 $ 7.4 $ 65.4 Basic earnings per share $ 0.82 $ 0.65 $ 0.13 $ 1.16 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.81 $ 0.64 $ 0.13 $ 1.15 EBITDA Results (b): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 EBITDA $ 77.5 $ 68.4 $ 38.6 $ 126.0 EBITDA margin 15.7% 15.4% 4.0% 14.9% Adjusted Results (c): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Adjusted EBITDA (b) $ 80.3 $ 70.6 $ 151.1 $ 131.0 Adjusted EBITDA margin (b) 16.2% 15.9% 15.7% 15.5% Adjusted net income attributable to Korn Ferry $ 48.2 $ 37.8 $ 92.4 $ 69.0 Adjusted basic earnings per share $ 0.86 $ 0.68 $ 1.65 $ 1.23 Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 0.85 $ 0.67 $ 1.62 $ 1.21 ___________ (a) Numbers may not total due to rounding. (b) EBITDA refers to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA to exclude tradename write-offs, integration/acquisition costs and restructuring (recoveries) charges, net. EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations). (c) Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following, as applicable (see attached reconciliations): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Tradename write-offs $ - $ - $ 106.6 $ - Integration/acquisition costs $ 2.8 $ 2.4 $ 5.9 $ 5.0 Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net $ - $ (0.2) $ - $ 0.1 Fee revenue was $495.2 million in Q2 FY'19, an increase of 11.8% (14.6% increase on a constant currency basis) compared to Q2 FY'18. The increase in fee revenue was due to organic growth in all segments. Operating margin was 14.3% in Q2 FY'19 compared to 11.8% in the year-ago quarter. The increase in operating income was primarily due to the increase in fee revenue, partially offset by an increase in compensation and benefits. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 16.2%, compared to 15.9% in the year-ago quarter. Results by Segment Selected Executive Search Data (dollars in millions) (a) Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Fee revenue $ 197.6 $ 176.8 $ 390.6 $ 338.0 Total revenue $ 202.0 $ 180.6 $ 400.1 $ 346.4 Operating income $ 51.5 $ 35.3 $ 92.3 $ 68.2 Operating margin 26.0% 20.0% 23.6% 20.2% Ending number of consultants 556 538 556 538 Average number of consultants 550 535 548 528 Engagements billed 3,968 3,723 6,144 5,752 New engagements (b) 1,757 1,578 3,465 3,171 EBITDA Results (c): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 EBITDA $ 49.2 $ 37.7 $ 96.0 $ 73.0 EBITDA margin 24.9% 21.4% 24.6% 21.6% Adjusted Results (d): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Adjusted EBITDA (c) $ 49.2 $ 38.0 $ 96.0 $ 73.3 Adjusted EBITDA margin (c) 24.9% 21.5% 24.6% 21.7% ___________ (a) Numbers may not total due to rounding. (b) Represents new engagements opened in the respective period. (c) EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations). (d) Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude the following (see attached reconciliations): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Restructuring charges, net $ $ 0.3 $ $ 0.3 Fee revenue was $197.6 million in Q2 FY'19, an increase of $20.8 million or 11.8% (14.0% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q2 FY'18. The increase in fee revenue was attributable to higher fee revenue in all regions. Operating income was $51.5 million in Q2 FY'19 compared to $35.3 million in Q2 FY'18. Operating margin was 26.0% in Q2 FY'19 compared to 20.0% in the year-ago quarter. The increase in operating income was due to higher fee revenue in Q2 FY'19 compared to Q2 FY'18, partially offset by an increase in compensation and benefits expense driven by an increase in performance related bonus expense and an increase in average headcount. Adjusted EBITDA was $49.2 million in Q2 FY'19 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 24.9% compared to $38.0 million and 21.5%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter. Selected Advisory Data (dollars in millions) (a) Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Fee revenue $ 217.1 $ 200.0 $ 412.5 $ 379.4 Total revenue $ 221.4 $ 203.8 $ 421.6 $ 387.1 Operating income (loss) $ 29.4 $ 26.3 $ (53.7) $ 45.4 Operating margin 13.6% 13.2% (13.0)% 12.0% Ending number of consultants (b) 570 594 570 594 Staff utilization (c) 67% 67% 67% 65% EBITDA Results (d): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 EBITDA $ 36.7 $ 34.9 $ (38.4) $ 62.5 EBITDA margin 16.9% 17.5% (9.3)% 16.5% Adjusted Results (e): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Adjusted EBITDA (d) $ 39.4 $ 36.8 $ 73.9 $ 67.1 Adjusted EBITDA margin (d) 18.2% 18.4% 17.9% 17.7% ___________ (a) Numbers may not total due to rounding. (b) Represents number of employees originating consulting services. (c) Calculated by dividing the number of hours our full-time Advisory professional staff record to engagements during the period, by the total available working hours during the same period. (d) EBITDA, EBITDA margin, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations). (e) Adjusted results are non-GAAP financial measures that adjust for the following (see attached reconciliations): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Tradename write-offs $ $ $ 106.6 $ Integration/acquisition costs $ 2.8 $ 2.3 $ 5.8 $ 4.9 Restructuring recoveries, net $ $ (0.5) $ $ (0.2) Fee revenue was $217.1 million in Q2 FY'19 compared to $200.0 million in Q2 FY'18, an increase of $17.1 million or 8.6% (11.8% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q2 FY'18. The increase in fee revenue was primarily driven by Consulting across each of our Advisory solution areas. Operating income was $29.4 million in Q2 FY'19 with an operating margin of 13.6% compared to operating income of $26.3 million and an operating margin of 13.2% in the year-ago quarter. The increase in operating income was primarily due to higher fee revenue compared to the year-ago quarter, partially offset by an increase in compensation and benefits expense driven by an increase in performance related bonus expense. Adjusted EBITDA was $39.4 million in Q2 FY'19 with an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 18.2% compared to $36.8 million and 18.4%, respectively, in the year-ago quarter. Selected RPO and Professional Search Data (dollars in millions) (a) Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 Fee revenue $ 80.5 $ 66.3 $ 157.8 $ 126.9 Total revenue $ 83.4 $ 71.0 $ 163.5 $ 136.9 Operating income $ 12.5 $ 9.4 $ 24.2 $ 17.7 Operating margin 15.6% 14.2% 15.3% 13.9% Engagements billed (b) 1,338 1,228 2,134 1,907 New engagements (c) 731 711 1,502 1,443 EBITDA Results (d): Second Quarter Year to Date FY'19 FY'18 FY'19 FY'18 EBITDA $ 13.2 $ 10.2 $ 25.7 $ 19.3 EBITDA margin 16.4% 15.4% 16.3% 15.2% ___________ (a) Numbers may not total due to rounding. (b) Represents professional search engagements billed. (c) Represents new professional search engagements opened in the respective period. (d) EBITDA and EBITDA margin are non-GAAP financial measures (see attached reconciliations). Fee revenue was $80.5 million in Q2 FY'19, an increase of $14.2 million or 21.4% (24.4% increase on a constant currency basis), compared to the year-ago quarter. The higher fee revenue was driven by an increase in fee revenue in professional search and recruitment process outsourcing of $8.2 million and $6.0 million, respectively, in Q2 FY'19 compared to Q2 FY'18. Operating income was $12.5 million in Q2 FY'19, an increase of $3.1 million compared to Q2 FY'18 operating income of $9.4 million. Operating margin was 15.6% in the current quarter compared to 14.2% in the year-ago quarter. EBITDA was $13.2 million during Q2 FY'19, an increase of $3.0 million compared to Q2 FY'18. EBITDA margin was 16.4% in Q2 FY'19 and 15.4% in Q2 FY'18. Outlook Assuming worldwide economic conditions, financial markets and foreign exchange rates remain steady, on a consolidated basis: Q3 FY'19 fee revenue is expected to be in the range of $470 million and $490 million ; and and ; and Q3 FY'19 diluted earnings per share is likely to range between $0.76 to $0.84 . On a consolidated adjusted basis: Q3 FY'19 Adjusted diluted earnings per share is expected to be in the range from $0.77 to $0.85 . Q3 FY'19 Earnings Per Share Outlook (1) Low High Consolidated diluted earnings per share $ 0.76 $ 0.84 Retention bonuses 0.01 0.01 Tax rate impact Consolidated Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 0.77 $ 0.85 ___________ (1) Consolidated Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the items listed in the table. Earnings Conference Call Webcast The earnings conference call will be held today at 11:00 AM (EST) and hosted by CEO Gary Burnison, CFO Robert Rozek and SVP Finance Gregg Kvochak. The conference call will be webcast and available online at ir.kornferry.com. We will also post to this section of our website earnings slides, which will accompany our webcast, and other important information, and encourage you to review the information that we make available on our website. About Korn Ferry Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We help clients synchronize strategy and talent to drive superior performance. We work with organizations to design their structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people to bring their strategy to life. And we advise them on how to reward, develop, and motivate their people. Visit kornferry.com for more information. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release and our conference call that relate to future results and events ("forward-looking statements") are based on Korn Ferry's current expectations. These statements, which include words such as "believes", "expects" or "likely", include references to our outlook. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. Actual results in future periods may differ materially from those currently expected or desired because of a number of risks and uncertainties that are beyond the control of Korn Ferry. The potential risks and uncertainties include those relating to competition, changes in demand for our services as a result of automation, the dependence on attracting and retaining qualified and experienced consultants, our ability to maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain key employees, maintaining our brand name and professional reputation, potential legal liability and regulatory developments, the portability of client relationships, global and local political or economic developments in or affecting countries where we have operations, currency fluctuations in our international operations, risks related to growth, alignment of our cost structure, restrictions imposed by off-limits agreements, reliance on information processing systems, cyber security vulnerabilities, changes to data security, data privacy and data protection laws, limited protection of our intellectual property, our ability to enhance and develop new technology, our ability to develop new products and services, the utilization and billing rates of our consultants, our ability to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity problems, changes in our accounting estimates/assumptions, tax accounting effects of the Tax Act, impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets, deferred tax assets that we may not be able to use, seasonality, risks related to the integration of recently acquired businesses, employment liability risk, the impact of rebranding on the Company's products and services; the expected timing of the Company's rebranding and entity rationalization plan, and the costs of the Company's rebranding and entity rationalization plan. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties that could cause differences, please refer to Korn Ferry's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Korn Ferry disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures This press release contains financial information calculated other than in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). In particular, it includes: Adjusted net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International, adjusted to exclude restructuring (recoveries) charges, net, integration/acquisition costs and tradename write-offs, net of income tax effect ; Adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share, adjusted to exclude restructuring (recoveries) charges, net, integration/acquisition costs and tradename write-offs, net of income tax effect; and in the case of the outlook section, also adjusted for tax rate impact; Constant currency (calculated using a quarterly average) amounts that represent the outcome that would have resulted had exchange rates in the reported period been the same as those in effect in the comparable prior year period; EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and EBITDA margin; and Adjusted EBITDA, which is EBITDA further adjusted to exclude restructuring (recoveries) charges, net, integration/acquisition costs and tradename write-offs, and Adjusted EBITDA margin. This non-GAAP disclosure has limitations as an analytical tool, should not be viewed as a substitute for financial information determined in accordance with GAAP, and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results as reported under GAAP, nor is it necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Management believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures in this press release provides meaningful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry's performance by excluding certain charges and other items that may not be indicative of Korn Ferry's ongoing operating results. These non-GAAP financial measures are performance measures and are not indicative of the liquidity of Korn Ferry. These charges and other items represent 1) costs we incurred to acquire and integrate a portion of our Advisory business, 2) charges we incurred or recoveries we received to restructure the combined company due to the acquisition of a portion of our Advisory business, and 3) tradename write-offs associated with the rebranding plan initiated by Korn Ferry. The use of non-GAAP financial measures facilitates comparisons to Korn Ferry's historical performance. Korn Ferry includes non-GAAP financial measures because management believes they are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry's ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making. Management further believes that EBITDA is useful to investors because it is frequently used by investors and other interested parties to measure operating performance among companies with different capital structures, effective tax rates and tax attributes and capitalized asset values, all of which can vary substantially from company to company. In the case of constant currency amounts, management believes the presentation of such information provides useful supplemental information regarding Korn Ferry's performance as excluding the impact of exchange rate changes on Korn Ferry's financial performance allows investors to make more meaningful period-to-period comparisons of the Company's operating results, to better identify operating trends that may otherwise be masked or distorted by exchange rate changes and to perform related trend analysis, and provides a higher degree of transparency of information used by management in its evaluation of Korn Ferry's ongoing operations and financial and operational decision-making. [Tables attached] KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (in thousands, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended October 31, October 31, 2018 2017 2018 2017 (unaudited) Fee revenue $ 495,205 $ 443,018 $ 960,773 $ 844,272 Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses 11,588 12,450 24,382 26,113 Total revenue 506,793 455,468 985,155 870,385 Compensation and benefits 335,835 299,819 657,740 572,575 General and administrative expenses 57,738 58,603 226,462 116,864 Reimbursed expenses 11,588 12,450 24,382 26,113 Cost of services 19,627 19,883 37,954 35,696 Depreciation and amortization 11,018 12,447 22,749 24,656 Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net - (202) - 78 Total operating expenses 435,806 403,000 969,287 775,982 Operating income 70,987 52,468 15,868 94,403 Other (loss) income, net (4,600) 3,447 (109) 6,801 Interest expense, net (4,337) (3,624) (8,440) (7,304) Income before provision (benefit) for income taxes and equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries 62,050 52,291 7,319 93,900 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries 100 60 129 90 Income tax provision (benefit) 14,833 15,619 (1,277) 27,829 Net income 47,317 36,732 8,725 66,161 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest (1,283) (401) (1,302) (789) Net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International $ 46,034 $ 36,331 $ 7,423 $ 65,372 Earnings per common share attributable to Korn/Ferry International: Basic $ 0.82 $ 0.65 $ 0.13 $ 1.16 Diluted $ 0.81 $ 0.64 $ 0.13 $ 1.15 Weighted-average common shares outstanding: Basic 55,461 55,390 55,420 55,592 Diluted 56,239 55,978 56,306 56,252 Cash dividends declared per share: $ 0.10 $ 0.10 $ 0.20 $ 0.20 KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES FINANCIAL SUMMARY BY SEGMENT (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2018 2017 % Change 2018 2017 % Change Fee revenue: Executive Search: North America $ 115,863 $ 101,544 14.1% $ 227,960 $ 193,377 17.9% EMEA 44,928 41,346 8.7% 91,582 81,467 12.4% Asia Pacific 27,936 25,912 7.8% 54,231 47,490 14.2% Latin America 8,907 7,964 11.8% 16,785 15,623 7.4% Total Executive Search 197,634 176,766 11.8% 390,558 337,957 15.6% Advisory 217,089 199,953 8.6% 412,464 379,406 8.7% RPO and Professional Search 80,482 66,299 21.4% 157,751 126,909 24.3% Total fee revenue 495,205 443,018 11.8% 960,773 844,272 13.8% Reimbursed out-of-pocket engagement expenses 11,588 12,450 (6.9)% 24,382 26,113 (6.6)% Total revenue $ 506,793 $ 455,468 11.3% $ 985,155 $ 870,385 13.2% Operating income (loss): Margin Margin Margin Margin Executive Search: North America $ 35,328 30.5% $ 23,039 22.7% $ 61,842 27.1% $ 45,109 23.3% EMEA 7,319 16.3% 6,345 15.3% 14,288 15.6% 13,020 16.0% Asia Pacific 6,767 24.2% 4,381 16.9% 13,408 24.7% 7,522 15.8% Latin America 2,053 23.0% 1,527 19.2% 2,807 16.7% 2,553 16.3% Total Executive Search 51,467 26.0% 35,292 20.0% 92,345 23.6% 68,204 20.2% Advisory 29,426 13.6% 26,347 13.2% (53,653) (13.0)% 45,402 12.0% RPO and Professional Search 12,516 15.6% 9,418 14.2% 24,161 15.3% 17,663 13.9% Corporate (22,422) (18,589) (46,985) (36,866) Total operating income $ 70,987 14.3% $ 52,468 11.8% $ 15,868 1.7% $ 94,403 11.2% KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (in thousands, except per share amounts) October 31, April 30, 2018 2018 (unaudited) ASSETS Cash and cash equivalents $ 387,679 $ 520,848 Marketable securities 6,686 14,293 Receivables due from clients, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $20,197 and $17,845 at October 31, 2018 and April 30, 2018, respectively 433,557 384,996 Income taxes and other receivables 29,009 29,089 Unearned compensation 41,804 37,333 Prepaid expenses and other assets 32,953 27,700 Total current assets 931,688 1,014,259 Marketable securities, non-current 128,913 122,792 Property and equipment, net 126,242 119,901 Cash surrender value of company owned life insurance policies, net of loans 123,205 120,087 Deferred income taxes 37,776 25,520 Goodwill 579,863 584,222 Intangible assets, net 89,662 203,216 Unearned compensation, non-current 94,927 78,295 Investments and other assets 22,191 19,622 Total assets $ 2,134,467 $ 2,287,914 LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Accounts payable $ 34,764 $ 35,196 Income taxes payable 19,453 23,034 Compensation and benefits payable 231,688 304,980 Term loan 26,629 24,911 Other accrued liabilities 153,088 170,339 Total current liabilities 465,622 558,460 Deferred compensation and other retirement plans 234,098 227,729 Term loan, non-current 197,997 211,311 Deferred tax liabilities 1,751 9,105 Other liabilities 58,402 61,694 Total liabilities 957,870 1,068,299 Stockholders' equity Common stock: $0.01 par value, 150,000 shares authorized, 72,202 and 71,631 shares issued and 56,511 and 56,517 shares outstanding at October 31, 2018 and April 30, 2018, respectively 664,486 683,942 Retained earnings 577,333 572,800 Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net (68,581) (40,135) Total Korn/Ferry International stockholders' equity 1,173,238 1,216,607 Noncontrolling interest 3,359 3,008 Total stockholders' equity 1,176,597 1,219,615 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 2,134,467 $ 2,287,914 KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF GAAP TO NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (in thousands, except per share amounts) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended October 31, October 31, 2018 2017 2018 2017 (unaudited) Operating income $ 70,987 $ 52,468 $ 15,868 $ 94,403 Depreciation and amortization 11,018 12,447 22,749 24,656 Other (loss) income, net (4,600) 3,447 (109) 6,801 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net 100 60 129 90 EBITDA 77,505 68,422 38,637 125,950 Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net (1) - (202) - 78 Integration/acquisition costs (2) 2,835 2,393 5,942 4,981 Tradename write-offs (3) - - 106,555 - Adjusted EBITDA $ 80,340 $ 70,613 $ 151,134 $ 131,009 Operating margin 14.3% 11.8% 1.7% 11.2% Depreciation and amortization 2.3% 2.8% 2.3% 2.9% Other (loss) income, net (0.9)% 0.8% - 0.8% Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net - - - - EBITDA margin 15.7% 15.4% 4.0% 14.9% Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net (1) - - - - Integration/acquisition costs (2) 0.5% 0.5% 0.6% 0.6% Tradename write-offs (3) - - 11.1% - Adjusted EBITDA margin 16.2% 15.9% 15.7% 15.5% Net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International $ 46,034 $ 36,331 $ 7,423 $ 65,372 Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net (1) - (202) - 78 Integration/acquisition costs (2) 2,835 2,393 5,942 4,981 Tradename write-offs (3) - - 106,555 - Tax effect on the above items (4) (634) (681) (27,527) (1,405) Adjusted net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International $ 48,235 $ 37,841 $ 92,393 $ 69,026 Basic earnings per common share $ 0.82 $ 0.65 $ 0.13 $ 1.16 Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net (1) - - - - Integration/acquisition costs (2) 0.05 0.04 0.11 0.10 Tradename write-offs (3) - - 1.92 - Tax effect on the above items (4) (0.01) (0.01) (0.51) (0.03) Adjusted basic earnings per share $ 0.86 $ 0.68 $ 1.65 $ 1.23 Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.81 $ 0.64 $ 0.13 $ 1.15 Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net (1) - - - - Integration/acquisition costs (2) 0.05 0.04 0.11 0.09 Tradename write-offs (3) - - 1.88 - Tax effect on the above items (4) (0.01) (0.01) (0.50) (0.03) Adjusted diluted earnings per share $ 0.85 $ 0.67 $ 1.62 $ 1.21 Explanation of Non-GAAP Adjustments (1) Restructuring plan implemented in order to rationalize our cost structure by eliminating redundant positions and consolidating office space due to a previous acquisition that took place on December 1, 2015. (2) Costs associated with completing a previous acquisition, such as legal and professional fees, retention awards and the on-going integration expenses to combine the companies. (3) The Company is implementing a plan to go to market under a single, master brand architecture to simplify the Company's organizational structure by eliminating and/or consolidating certain legal entities and implementing a rebranding of the Company to offer the Company's current products and services using the "Korn Ferry" name, branding and trademarks. As a result of this the Company was required under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles to record a one-time, non-cash tradename write-offs. (4) Tax effect on restructuring (recoveries) charges, net, integration/acquisition costs and tradename write-offs. KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME AND OPERATING INCOME (GAAP) TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (NON-GAAP) (in thousands) (unaudited) Three Months Ended October 31, 2018 Executive Search North America EMEA Asia Pacific Latin America Subtotal Advisory RPO and Professional Search Corporate Consolidated Fee revenue $ 115,863 $ 44,928 $ 27,936 $ 8,907 $ 197,634 $ 217,089 $ 80,482 $ - $ 495,205 Total revenue $ 119,322 $ 45,636 $ 28,146 $ 8,912 $ 202,016 $ 221,419 $ 83,358 $ - $ 506,793 Net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International $ 46,034 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 1,283 Other loss, net 4,600 Interest expense, net 4,337 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net (100) Income tax provision 14,833 Operating income (loss) $ 35,328 $ 7,319 $ 6,767 $ 2,053 $ 51,467 $ 29,426 $ 12,516 $ (22,422) 70,987 Depreciation and amortization 968 95 375 101 1,539 6,964 761 1,754 11,018 Other (loss) income, net (4,081) 22 77 93 (3,889) 265 (79) (897) (4,600) Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net 100 - - - 100 - - - 100 EBITDA 32,315 7,436 7,219 2,247 49,217 36,655 13,198 (21,565) 77,505 EBITDA margin 27.9% 16.6% 25.8% 25.2% 24.9% 16.9% 16.4% 15.7% Integration/acquisition costs - - - - - 2,755 - 80 2,835 Adjusted EBITDA $ 32,315 $ 7,436 $ 7,219 $ 2,247 $ 49,217 $ 39,410 $ 13,198 $ (21,485) $ 80,340 Adjusted EBITDA margin 27.9% 16.6% 25.8% 25.2% 24.9% 18.2% 16.4% 16.2% Three Months Ended October 31, 2017 Executive Search North America EMEA Asia Pacific Latin America Subtotal Advisory RPO and Professional Search Corporate Consolidated Fee revenue $ 101,544 $ 41,346 $ 25,912 $ 7,964 $ 176,766 $ 199,953 $ 66,299 $ - $ 443,018 Total revenue $ 104,329 $ 42,073 $ 26,187 $ 7,994 $ 180,583 $ 203,836 $ 71,049 $ - $ 455,468 Net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International $ 36,331 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 401 Other income, net (3,447) Interest expense, net 3,624 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net (60) Income tax provision 15,619 Operating income (loss) $ 23,039 $ 6,345 $ 4,381 $ 1,527 $ 35,292 $ 26,347 $ 9,418 $ (18,589) 52,468 Depreciation and amortization 984 459 371 111 1,925 8,143 784 1,595 12,447 Other income, net 290 43 94 39 466 455 - 2,526 3,447 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net 60 - - - 60 - - - 60 EBITDA 24,373 6,847 4,846 1,677 37,743 34,945 10,202 (14,468) 68,422 EBITDA margin 24.0% 16.6% 18.7% 21.1% 21.4% 17.5% 15.4% 15.4% Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net - - 273 - 273 (481) 6 - (202) Integration/acquisition costs - - - - - 2,313 - 80 2,393 Adjusted EBITDA $ 24,373 $ 6,847 $ 5,119 $ 1,677 $ 38,016 $ 36,777 $ 10,208 $ (14,388) $ 70,613 Adjusted EBITDA margin 24.0% 16.6% 19.8% 21.1% 21.5% 18.4% 15.4% 15.9% KORN FERRY AND SUBSIDIARIES RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME AND OPERATING INCOME (GAAP) TO EBITDA AND ADJUSTED EBITDA (NON-GAAP) (in thousands) (unaudited) Six Months Ended October 31, 2018 Executive Search North America EMEA Asia Pacific Latin America Subtotal Advisory RPO and Professional Search Corporate Consolidated Fee revenue $ 227,960 $ 91,582 $ 54,231 $ 16,785 $ 390,558 $ 412,464 $ 157,751 $ - $ 960,773 Total revenue $ 235,079 $ 93,385 $ 54,771 $ 16,815 $ 400,050 $ 421,566 $ 163,539 $ - $ 985,155 Net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International $ 7,423 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 1,302 Other loss, net 109 Interest expense, net 8,440 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net (129) Income tax benefit (1,277) Operating income (loss) $ 61,842 $ 14,288 $ 13,408 $ 2,807 $ 92,345 $ (53,653) $ 24,161 $ (46,985) 15,868 Depreciation and amortization 1,947 465 745 208 3,365 14,395 1,522 3,467 22,749 Other (loss) income, net (609) 362 252 130 135 835 26 (1,105) (109) Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net 129 - - - 129 - - - 129 EBITDA 63,309 15,115 14,405 3,145 95,974 (38,423) 25,709 (44,623) 38,637 EBITDA margin 27.8% 16.5% 26.6% 18.7% 24.6% (9.3)% 16.3% 4.0% Integration/acquisition costs - - - - - 5,782 - 160 5,942 Tradename write-offs - - - - - 106,555 - - 106,555 Adjusted EBITDA $ 63,309 $ 15,115 $ 14,405 $ 3,145 $ 95,974 $ 73,914 $ 25,709 $ (44,463) $ 151,134 Adjusted EBITDA margin 27.8% 16.5% 26.6% 18.7% 24.6% 17.9% 16.3% 15.7% Six Months Ended October 31, 2017 Executive Search North America EMEA Asia Pacific Latin America Subtotal Advisory RPO and Professional Search Corporate Consolidated Fee revenue $ 193,377 $ 81,467 $ 47,490 $ 15,623 $ 337,957 $ 379,406 $ 126,909 $ - $ 844,272 Total revenue $ 199,534 $ 83,131 $ 48,067 $ 15,658 $ 346,390 $ 387,132 $ 136,863 $ - $ 870,385 Net income attributable to Korn/Ferry International $ 65,372 Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest 789 Other income, net (6,801) Interest expense, net 7,304 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net (90) Income tax provision 27,829 Operating income (loss) $ 45,109 $ 13,020 $ 7,522 $ 2,553 $ 68,204 $ 45,402 $ 17,663 $ (36,866) 94,403 Depreciation and amortization 1,933 887 691 218 3,729 16,228 1,580 3,119 24,656 Other income, net 572 99 199 59 929 886 8 4,978 6,801 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated subsidiaries, net 90 - - - 90 - - - 90 EBITDA 47,704 14,006 8,412 2,830 72,952 62,516 19,251 (28,769) 125,950 EBITDA margin 24.7% 17.2% 17.7% 18.1% 21.6% 16.5% 15.2% 14.9% Restructuring (recoveries) charges, net - - 313 - 313 (241) 6 - 78 Integration/acquisition costs - - - - - 4,862 - 119 4,981 Adjusted EBITDA $ 47,704 $ 14,006 $ 8,725 $ 2,830 $ 73,265 $ 67,137 $ 19,257 $ (28,650) $ 131,009 Adjusted EBITDA margin 24.7% 17.2% 18.4% 18.1% 21.7% 17.7% 15.2% 15.5% SOURCE Korn Ferry Related Links http://www.kornferry.com SPRING, Texas, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Dickey's Barbecue Pit franchisee, Alex Abdulwahab, plans to open a new Dickey's location in Spring, TX in the coming weeks. This will be Alex's first Dickey's location to open with plans of developing more in the future. "The Dickey family congratulates Alex on opening his first Dickey's Barbecue Pit location in our home state of Texas," says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. "We look forward to Alex serving Dickey's slow-smoked barbecue in Spring and to the success he will have in his local community." New to the restaurant industry, Alex chose the Dickey's Barbecue Pit brand because of the high-quality barbecue, family atmosphere and ease of business model. "The Dickey's brand has allowed me to break into the restaurant industry with the support of the largest barbecue franchise," says Alex. "I look forward to bringing the residents of the community I grew up in Dickey's Texas-style barbecue." Find your nearest Dickey's Barbecue Pit location here. Learn more about franchising opportunities here. Follow Dickey's on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc. Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants, Inc., the nation's largest barbecue chain was founded in 1941 by Travis Dickey. For the past 77 years, Dickey's Barbecue Pit locations across the nation have served guests Legit. Texas. Barbecue. At Dickey's, all meats are smoked low and slow on-site, every night in every location. The Dallas-based family-run barbecue franchise offers several slow-smoked meats and wholesome sides with 'No B.S. (Bad Stuff)' included. The fast-casual concept has expanded worldwide and includes more than 500 locations in 44 states. In 2016, Dickey's won first place on Fast Casual's "Top 100 Movers and Shakers" list and in 2018 Dickey's Barbecue Pit made the Top 10. Dickey's Barbecue Pit has also been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Franchise Times and Nation's Restaurant News. For more information, visit www.dickeys.com. Media Contact: Callie Head [email protected] Ashley Richardson [email protected] SOURCE Dickey's Barbecue Related Links http://www.dickeys.com BOSTON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- LogicManager , the leading enterprise risk management (ERM) software provider, hosted IMPACT 2018 , its annual customer conference on November 29 and 30. The sold-out event brought together a broad base of risk, governance, and compliance professionals from a host of industries worldwide. The opening video for LogicManager's IMPACT 2018 customer conference. "IMPACT is created by practitioners, for practitioners. The conference provides a unique and valuable opportunity for LogicManager users to connect and share successes with one another," said LogicManager's CEO Steven Minsky in his keynote address. "As demonstrated by the achievements of our customers, generating engagement with a risk-based approach across departments and levels is the real driver of success in today's see-through economy . It's inspiring to see our customers come together from across industries, roles, and geographies to share how they're using LogicManager to build a better tomorrow." During the conference, LogicManager customers led presentations detailing their successes. Users from companies like DigitalGlobe and Bank OZK shared unique insights into how they've developed value-driving ERM programs. Presenters discussed how to best manage cybersecurity in the see-through economy, how integrated risk management improves organizational efficiency and ROI, and how to engage the business in governance programs. Customers also presented case studies showcasing LogicManager's diverse use-cases. These solution highlights included enterprise risk management, incident management, compliance, third-party risk management, data and model risk management, and SOX compliance. The conference also provided a look at LogicManager's planned initiatives for 2019 and beyond. This included a sneak peek at Horizon, the latest version of LogicManager. Horizon is delivering a fresh user interface alongside features designed to help users drive engagement across all levels of their organizations, such as intuitive incident webforms and a redesigned home screen. To close the event, Minsky discussed the role artificial intelligence will play in the risk management industry and encouraged attendees to engage with LogicManager and each other as this cutting-edge technology continues to develop. About LogicManager Inc. LogicManager believes performance is a result of effective enterprise risk management. LogicManager's ERM software empowers organizations to anticipate what's ahead, and improve business performance through good governance. LogicManager is the market leader in enterprise risk management solutions. For more information about LogicManager, visit www.logicmanager.com . Media Contact: Joshua Stowell: [email protected], (617) 530-1247 SOURCE LogicManager Related Links http://www.logicmanager.com RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Markel Corporation (NYSE: MKL) said today that after having been contacted on November 30, 2018, it is fully cooperating with inquiries by US and Bermuda authorities into loss reserves recorded in late 2017 and early 2018 at Markel CATCo Investment Management Ltd and its subsidiaries. These inquiries are limited to Markel CATCo Investment Management Ltd and its subsidiaries and do not involve other Markel Corporation companies. Outside counsel has been retained to conduct an internal review. The company has no further statement at this time. About Markel Corporation Markel Corporation is a diverse financial holding company serving a variety of niche markets. The Company's principal business markets and underwrites specialty insurance products. In each of the Company's businesses, it seeks to provide quality products and excellent customer service so that it can be a market leader. The financial goals of the Company are to earn consistent underwriting and operating profits and superior investment returns to build shareholder value. Visit Markel Corporation on the web at www.markelcorp.com. For investor inquiries contact: Investor Relations 804-747-0136 [email protected] For media inquiries contact: Gladstone Place Partners Steve Lipin / Lauren Odell 212-230-5930 SOURCE Markel Corporation Related Links http://www.markelcorp.com BUENOS ARIES, Argentina, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Janne Huhtala, CEO of MEGIN, a manufacturer of magnetoencephalography (MEG) technology for functional brain imaging, spoke about the future innovation of MEG technology during the Fifth Annual G20 World Brain Mapping Summit/Neuroscience 20. The N20, held on November 26-27, in Buenos Aries, Argentina, brought together leading specialists, directors of International Brain Initiatives and medical associations presidents, to discuss the global economic impact of neurological disorders and build greater collaboration in fields related to epilepsy, mental health, neuro-oncology, neurotrauma, spine and neurosurgery. N20 leaders published resolution 27112018 with consensus recommendations that will address the economic burden of brain, spine and other nervous system disorders that amount to over $13 Trillion USD annually by introducing game-changing diagnostics and therapeutics such as MEG. During the N20 summit, Huhtala addressed how the use of functional brain imaging with MEG has impacted patient care and led to translational research of challenging neurological conditions. He explained that through understanding brain connectivity, there is the potential for the clinical community to develop new methods of improving the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of diseases. "It was an honor to present to a room of esteemed leaders in neuroscience community from around the world," said Huhtala. "The focus of the conference aligns with our corporate goals of innovating MEG technology and we look forward to supporting the clinical community in search of ways to better understand how the brain is connected." "MEG is a great technology that has been neglected for years," said Dr. Babak Kateb, Global President and Chairman of Neuroscience-20 (N20), Chairman of the board and CEO of Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT), President of Brain Mapping Foundation, Director of National Center for NanoBioElectronic (NCNBE) and Director of Brain Technology and Innovation Park (BTIP). "Our patients have been deprived access to this technology for decades. It is refreshing to see MEGIN has a convincing strategic plan to make this technology as prevalent and accessible as MRI. This could not have been possible without the visionary leadership of Mr. Janne Huhtala who has track record in neurotech innovation, clearly understands the technology/field and has a passion to help millions of patients through cutting-edge technology. This is a great example of how N20 could bring advanced therapeutics and diagnostics to the millions of patients through global collaborations," said Kateb. About MEGIN In July 2018, York Instruments, a subsidiary of Croton Healthcare, acquired MEGIN from Elekta, forming a neurosciences technology company focused on developing innovative solutions in functional brain imaging. Based in Helsinki, Finland, MEGIN has been the largest provider of MEG technology for functional brain imaging. TRUIX neo, launched in 2018, is the fourth-generation system introduced for the presurgical evaluation of epilepsy, brain tumors, or other lesions, and surgical planning for localization of sensory information. With a dynamic view of the human brain, TRIUX neo is a non-invasive, real time, patient specific view of neural activity with millimeter accuracy and millisecond resolution. For further information, please contact: For MEGIN: Tyler Lecceadone SeyferthPR 616-776-3511 [email protected] SOURCE MEGIN DARMSTADT, Germany, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Not intended for distribution in the U.K. Agreement to screen discovery and early development compounds using artificial intelligence and computational biophysics Cloud-based in silico platform that screens small molecules to determine polypharmacological profiles Evaluation to include identification of potential mechanisms of action for investigational small molecules Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, a leading science and technology company, today announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Cyclica Inc. for the use of Ligand Express, a cloud-based in silico proteome screening platform. Ligand Express is a structure-based and artificial intelligence (AI) augmented proteome screening platform that is being used to uncover novel targets that are modelled to interact with a small molecule. This year-long agreement will enable Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to quickly and efficiently elucidate mechanisms of action, evaluate safety profiles and explore additional applications for a number of its investigational small molecules, including those identified in highly disease-relevant phenotypic screens. "With scientific curiosity at the heart of everything we do, the pursuit of state-of-the-art research techniques and technologies is integral to complement our internal discovery engine," said Belen Garijo, Member of the Executive Board and CEO Healthcare, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "Artificial intelligence has the power to make the previously unimaginable a reality - we are eager to harness these new possibilities to help drive the discoveries that can transform the lives of people affected by difficult-to-treat diseases." "A key part of our R&D strategy is to progress highly promising compounds as efficiently and rapidly as possible," added Friedrich Rippmann, Director of Computational Chemistry & Biology at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. "Assessing new technologies is central to how we will advance our discovery programs, and artificial intelligence applications like Ligand Express will provide important insights to enhance how we think about target identification to support phenotypic screening and off-target profiling in general." "Current experimental protein screening approaches can take up to a year, making it virtually impossible to do this for multiple compounds. We see this as a specific opportunity for cloud-based and AI-augmented technologies to drive drug discovery more efficiently," commented Naheed Kurji, President and CEO of Cyclica. "We are thrilled that Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany will be leveraging the power of our Ligand Express platform to drive their identification of novel targets." Traditional development of small molecule therapies focuses on specific, disease-associated protein targets. However, once a drug enters the body, it interacts with dozens, if not hundreds, of proteins before it is eliminated from the body. With Ligand Express, it is possible to capture a unique panoramic view of the proteome for a given small molecule. As the technology can model the ways in which a small molecule will interact with all proteins (of known structure), it can help identify both 'on-targets' (interactions that may have a desirable effect on a certain disease), as well as 'off-targets' (interactions that may cause an adverse effect). Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is committed to embracing innovative technologies to help bring a transformational change to patients. This includes those developed by partners who share a similar passion for discovery and advancing human progress. All Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the EMD Group Website. In case you are a resident of the USA or Canada please go to www.emdgroup.com/subscribe to register for your online subscription of this service as our geo-targeting requires new links in the email. You may later change your selection or discontinue this service. About Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, the vibrant science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 51,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people's lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices - the company is everywhere. In 2017, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, generated sales of 15.3 billion in 66 countries. The company holds the global rights to the name and trademark "Merck" internationally. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Performance Materials. Since its founding in 1668, scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to the company's technological and scientific advances. To this day, the founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. For more information about Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, visit www.emdgroup.com. About Cyclica Cyclica is a Toronto-based biotechnology company that is driving drug discovery by empowering scientists in pharma with an integrated cloud-based and AI-augmented platform that enhances how they design, screen and personalize medicines. To learn more, visit www.cyclicarx.com. Your Contact [email protected] Phone: +49 6151 72-9591 (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/384917/merck_kgaa_Logo.jpg ) SOURCE Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany COLUMBUS, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In an environment of high-profile bankruptcies and shutdowns over the past few years, middle market retailers are outperforming the industry as a whole, primarily through implementing digital transformation throughout their companies. New research from the National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM) finds that business behemoths like Amazon are not the only retailers benefiting from digitally-driven change; the fastest-growing middle market retailers are investing in the latest technologies in an effort to increase efficiencies, boost sales, and enhance the customer experience both online and in their stores. Middle Market Retail: How Digital Transformation Is Fueling Growth, a Special Report by NCMM also shows that in an industry known for its low-wage workforce, having the right digitally capable talent across the organization is vital. While minimum wages have been rising, few middle market retailers are concerned those costs will negatively impact their business. In fact, nearly 40 percent of top-performing specialty goods retailers, those selling items such as clothing, jewelry and electronics, claim an increase in the minimum wage will be good for their company. No matter the type of retailer, employers are willing to pay competitive wages and benefits to attract and keep the right people so that they can position themselves to win in the digitally-transformed retail environment. "The shift toward digitization is having a profound effect on all aspects of business including the skills required of their workforce," said NCMM Managing Director Doug Farren. "With a continued trend toward omnichannel experiences and anytime/anywhere product, having the right technology will continue to be critical for operations, inventory management, and customer satisfaction. In addition, our research shows that the fastest growing middle market retailers are not giving up on their brick-and-mortar stores, but instead, are investing in making them more relevant by using technology to create unique in-store experiences for their customers." The report shows their efforts are working. Nine out of ten retailers say the impact of technological transformation has been good for business, with more than half claiming it has been exceedingly positive. The proof is in the numbers: middle market retailers who adopt and effectively harness digitalization posted revenue growth of 10.5 percent over the past year, while overall U.S. retail growth was only 3.6 percent. The report is based on results of a survey conducted by NCMM in collaboration with CBUS Retail, a Columbus-based business association, focused on promoting retail expertise in central Ohio, The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business faculty and its partners, that polled 400 financial decision makers from middle market retail companies including fast moving consumer goods, specialty goods and food service businesses. The survey was fielded in October 2018. "It has been great partnering with The Ohio State University National Center for The Middle Market on this project," said Steve Morris, founder of CBUS Retail. "The study provides great insights on how middle market retailers are transforming their businesses by investing in and capitalizing on digital opportunities to engage their customers." The research finds that while middle market businesses are embracing technology, they face challenges in doing so. Almost half of companies say that keeping up with technological change is difficult and 65 percent report that they only adopt enough technology to keep pace with their competitors. Digital transformation is also creating new competitors; while it levels the playing field so middle market retailers can better compete with larger businesses, it does the same for smaller companies, resulting in increased competition for the middle market. About the National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM) The National Center for the Middle Market is a collaboration between The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, SunTrust Banks, Cisco Systems, Inc., and Grant Thornton LLP. It exists for a single purpose: to ensure that the vitality and robustness of Middle Market companies are fully realized as fundamental to our nation's economic outlook and prosperity. The Center is the leading source of knowledge, leadership, and innovative research on the middle market economy, providing critical data analysis, insights, and perspectives for companies, policymakers, and other key stakeholders, to help accelerate growth, increase competitiveness and create jobs in this sector. Housed at The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, the National Center for the Middle Market is the first center of its kind in the nation. The Center enthusiastically serves middle market firms, students, academic researchers, policy makers, the media and other key stakeholders with interests in the health and well-being of the middle market. The Center is fully committed to funding and distributing the most credible open-sourced research, dynamically creating new knowledge, providing programs that drive value for middle market companies, and offering a well-informed outlook on the health and future of the middle market via the Middle Market Indicator. About CBUS Retail CBUS Retail is a non-profit association, focused on promoting Columbus, Ohio as the global retail capital for talent, collaboration and innovation. The member organization is comprised of an extraordinary group of retailers and retail service providers who meet regularly to connect, educate, collaborate and promote the retail industry. Our year-round programming includes a monthly senior executive retail advisor forum, bi-monthly "One Degree of Retail" networking events, an executive roundtable series, our annual conference featuring over 120 local and national thought leaders, and a collaborative partnership with local universities to leverage research and promote retail careers to future talent. SOURCE National Center for the Middle Market JERSEY CITY, N.J., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) today announced it will conduct a study to identify and measure specific biomarkers in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The findings may assist researchers and clinicians in starting the process of validation and the use of biomarkers as quantifiable, biological, non-clinical measures for disease progression and treatment effect of edaravone in people with ALS. Interim data are expected in 2019. "Biomarker research and discovery may be important in the care for people with ALS," said Atsushi Fujimoto, President, MTPA. "Our goal is to evaluate biomarkers in order to gain insights into how the disease progresses, and to potentially optimize research and treatment." The 24-week, prospective, observational, longitudinal, multicenter study will evaluate approximately 200 adults with ALS in 30 sites across the U.S. All participants will be newly prescribed commercial RADICAVA (edaravone) and once enrolled in this study, biomarker and clinical assessments will be obtained prior to initiating RADICAVA, as well as at start of treatment and at pre-specified time points throughout the study. Patient biomarker data and disease progression assessments will be compared to bio-banked natural history of disease samples and disease progression models. "We are honored that MTPA has chosen Origent Data Sciences, with its progression models, to participate in this study," said Dave Ennist, Chief Science Officer, Origent Data Sciences. "We are eager to see insights from the prospective application of our models, which will be utilized as virtual controls to analyze treatment outcomes and provide insights to support the ALS community." The study will evaluate the following biomarkers: Oxidative stress 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), 8-Isoprostanes, 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG), urate 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), 8-Isoprostanes, 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT), 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG), urate Inflammation matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) Neuronal injury and death neurofilament (Nf) heavy and light chain proteins, urinary neurotrophin receptor p75 neurofilament (Nf) heavy and light chain proteins, urinary neurotrophin receptor p75 Muscle injury creatinine About RADICAVA (edaravone) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA (edaravone) on May 5, 2017 as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).2 In clinical trials, people given RADICAVA experienced a 33 percent slower rate of decline in the loss of physical function, compared to placebo as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), a validated rating instrument for monitoring the progression of disability in people with ALS.2,3,4 RADICAVA is administered in 28-day cycles by intravenous infusion. It takes 60 minutes to receive each 60 mg dose. For the initial cycle, the treatment is infused daily for 14 consecutive days, followed by a two-week drug-free period. All cycles thereafter are infused daily for 10 days within a 14-day period, followed by a two-week drug-free period.2 Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, edaravone was approved for use as a treatment for ALS in Japan and South Korea, and in 2018, the treatment was approved in Canada. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Before you receive RADICAVA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: have asthma. are allergic to other medicines. are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if RADICAVA will harm your unborn baby. are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if RADICAVA passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will receive RADICAVA or breastfeed. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. What are the possible side effects of RADICAVA? RADICAVA may cause serious side effects including hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions and sulfite allergic reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions have happened in people receiving RADICAVA and can happen after your infusion is finished. RADICAVA contains sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause a type of allergic reaction that can be serious and life-threatening. Sodium bisulfite can also cause less severe asthma episodes in certain people. Sulfite sensitivity can happen more often in people who have asthma than in people who do not have asthma. Tell your healthcare provider right away or go to the nearest emergency room if you have any of the following symptoms: hives; swelling of the lips, tongue, or face; fainting; breathing problems; wheezing; trouble swallowing; dizziness; itching; or an asthma attack (in people with asthma). Your healthcare provider will monitor you during treatment to watch for signs and symptoms of all the serious side effects. The most common side effects of RADICAVA include bruising (contusion), problems walking (gait disturbance), and headache. These are not all the possible side effects of RADICAVA. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. at 1-888-292-0058 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . For more information, including full Prescribing Information and Patient Information, please visit www.RADICAVA.com . About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. MTPA is dedicated to delivering innovative products that address the unmet medical needs of patients in North America. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America with plans to expand its product line through collaborations with partners. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Overview of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, which was founded in 1678, has its headquarters in Doshomachi, Osaka, which is the birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry. With business centered on ethical pharmaceuticals, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma is a well-established company and has the longest history of any listed company in Japan. In accordance with the corporate philosophy of "contributing to the healthier lives of people around the world through the creation of pharmaceuticals," the Company formulated the key concept of Open Up the Future under the Medium-Term Management Plan 2016-2020. Through the discovery of drugs that address unmet medical needs, centered on its priority disease areas autoimmune diseases, diabetes and kidney diseases, central nervous system diseases, and vaccines Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma will strive to contribute to the health of patients around the world. MTPC is the parent company of MTPA and the license holder of RADICAVA. For more information, go to http://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/. Media inquiries: Debbie Etchison 908-340-8578 [email protected] About Origent Data Sciences, Inc. Origent Data Sciences, Inc. is a spinoff of Sentrana, Inc., a pioneer in the field of Precision Sales and Marketing and winner of the DREAM Phil Bowen ALS Prediction Prize4Life Challenge. Since that time, Origent has become the market leader in clinical trial optimization leveraging patient-level predictive modeling for neurological conditions including ALS, and has developed many new applications to manage and reduce drug development risks through better foresight. Rather than considering a similar historic patient to act "the same" as a current patient, Origent treats and models each patient separately, predicting their behavior individually. By modeling patient-level dynamics rather than the characteristics of a population, Origent's tools uncover a deep level of insight that allows biostatisticians and researchers to gain clearer understanding and greater knowledge from their data. For additional information about Origent, visit http://www.origent.com/. _______________________________________ 1 Benatar M, Boylan K, Jeromin A, et al. ALS biomarkers for therapy development: state of the field and future directions. Muscle Nerve. 2016;53(2):169-182. 2 RADICAVA U.S. Prescribing Information. August 2017. 3 Simon, N. G., Turner, M. R., Vucic, S., Al-Chalabi, A., Shefner, J., Lomen-Hoerth, C., & Kiernan, M. C. (2014). Quantifying Disease Progression in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Annals of Neurology, 76(5), 643657. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ana.24273. 4 The Writing Group on behalf of the Edaravone (MCI-186) ALS 19 Study Group (2017). Safety and efficacy of edaravone in well defined patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurology. 16(7), 505-512. 5 Research by TOKYO SHOKO RESEARCH, LTD. SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. Related Links https://www.mt-pharma-america.com MIAMI, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- North American Title Group (NATG), a wholly-owned subsidiary of homebuilder Lennar (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B), today announced that it plans to combine its underwriter and the majority of its retail title business with States Title, Inc. States Title is a Silicon Valley-based "insurtech" startup that uses predictive analytics to underwrite the title on a property nearly instantaneously, helping customers close real estate transactions safely, quickly, and inexpensively. The deal, which is expected to close in January 2019 if pending regulatory approval in California and Arizona is obtained by year end, calls for States Title to acquire NATG's underwriter, North American Title Insurance Company (NATIC), and the majority of the retail business of NATG's national title agency, North American Title Company (NATC). The new company will continue to operate under the North American Title brand and Lennar will assume a substantial minority equity ownership stake. "By partnering with North American Title, we accelerate our shared vision to build the title company of the future," said Max Simkoff, States Title's founder and CEO. "Buying a home, and refinancing that home, are among the most important financial decisions in a person's life. We believe that the experience of doing so should be fast, simple, safe and affordable. Title and settlement are critical to every real estate transaction. Modern technology and powerful analytics will supplement and enhance our associates' ability to deliver outstanding service to every single one of our customers." "This transaction builds on our strategy of aligning with technology innovators to streamline and enhance the overall customer experience," said Eric Feder, Senior Lennar Executive, who will join States Title's board of directors. "Partnering with States Title keeps us at the forefront of innovation while maintaining the integrity of the title insurance that people have trusted us with for decades." Max Simkoff will remain the CEO of the combined company, and the newly-formed management team will include current leadership from both States Title and North American Title, as well as new hires with relevant expertise. Title industry veteran Judd Hoffman, formerly President of the Direct Division at First American Title, has joined the new company as Chief Transformation Officer and Noaman Ahmad will join as Chief Financial Officer. Matt Zames, President of Cerberus Capital Management and former JP Morgan Chief Operating Officer, has joined the board of directors. NATC's builder business, which delivers settlement services to Lennar's homebuyers, and a portion of its retail business, will remain with Lennar and operate as CalAtlantic Title. Approximately two-thirds of NATG's current associates will transition to the new company, while the balance will remain with CalAtlantic Title. Fifth Wall, a real estate technology-focused fund, introduced States Title and Lennar (a Fifth Wall Strategic Limited Partner) after initially co-leading States Title's Series A financing round in 2016. About States Title Founded by Max Simkoff and backed by leading venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, States Title uses predictive analytics and cutting-edge technology to deliver a modern title and escrow platform. As part of the digital transformation occurring in the mortgage industry, States Title believes that all underwriting, settlement and closing will be quickly and efficiently administered using technology that is built with the lender, agent and customer's experience in mind. States Title is headquartered in San Francisco, California. To learn more, visit www.statestitle.com. About North American Title With well over 1,300 associates and a network of branches from coast to coast, North American Title Group, LLC (NATG) is among the largest real estate settlement service providers in the United States. Consisting of both agent and underwriter operations, NATG reported annual net revenues in fiscal 2017 of $272.7 million. North American Title's agency network operates nationally under the name North American Title Company and similar names (NATC) in 19 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia, in addition to the District of Columbia. Through its relationship with its expanding affiliate network, NATC provides real estate settlement services in all 50 states. NATIC, its underwriter subsidiary, is licensed in 40 jurisdictions and issued 315,000 policies in fiscal year 2017. NATG is headquartered in Miami, Florida. To learn more, visit http://www.nat.com. About Lennar Corporation Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title insurance and closing services for both buyers of Lennar's homes and others. Lennar's Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. For further information about Lennar, please visit www.lennar.com. Forward-Looking Statements Some of the statements in this press release are "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the expected time of completion of the transaction and the expected management of the combined company. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including the risk that pending regulatory approvals are not obtained, the transaction does not close, or closing is delayed. Accordingly, these forward-looking statements should be evaluated with consideration given to the many risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. They include the risks detailed in Lennar's filings with the SEC, including the "Risk Factors" section of Lennar's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended November 30, 2017. It is not possible for management to predict all the possible risks that could affect Lennar or to assess the impact of all possible risks on Lennar's business. SOURCE Lennar Corporation Related Links http://www.lennar.com CARLSBAD, California, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OPTEC International, Inc. (OTCQB: OPTI) today announced that Goldman Small Cap Research issued a new research report on the Company. The report discusses recently announced events, financial forecasts and a $5.50 price target for its shares. To view the update report, along with disclosures and disclaimers, visit http://www.GoldmanResearch.com. Goldman Small Cap Research Report Highlights In the Opportunity Research update, analyst Rob Goldman discusses OPTEC's recent events and exciting upcoming opportunities that lie ahead. Goldman noted, "Via an exclusive worldwide license, OPTEC offers such an innovative, high performance, emission-reducing product that it may not even have a direct peer. Emissions can be reduced by as much as 90% yet performance increased by as much as 25%. The aftermarket product industry, in which OPTEC participates, is slated to grow to over $847B in 2022. Products offered target the passenger, commercial, fleet, motorcycle, and electric scooter markets. "A recent royalty agreement should generate more than $10M in top-line over the next 3 years. OPTEC has just entered the commercialization phase and is in the best position in company history. A combination of royalty and product sales could result in $4M and $14M in revenue for 2019 and 2020, respectively. Since royalty revenue has little to no COGS, operating profit could reach $5M in 2020." "Our target price is $5.50 and it could prove to be conservative. Our price target represents a $98M market cap, or 7x projected our 2020E top-line forecast. Assigning a 20x P/E multiple on just $5M affirms this target. Furthermore, it should be noted that the stock generally had a base of around $5 in recent months, prior to price declines and has supported prices of over $10 in the past 12 months---before OPTI's current business development successes," concluded Goldman. About Goldman Small Cap Research: Founded in 2009 by former Piper Jaffray analyst and mutual fund manager Rob Goldman, Goldman Small Cap Research produces sponsored and non-sponsored small cap and microcap stock research reports, articles, stock market blogs, and popular investment newsletters. Goldman Small Cap Research is not in any way affiliated with Goldman Sachs & Co. This press release contains excerpts of our most recently published non-sponsored company research report on OPTEC International, Inc. which carries a rating and a price target. The information used and statements of fact made have been obtained from sources considered reliable but we neither guarantee nor represent the completeness or accuracy. Goldman Small Cap Research relied solely upon information derived from OPTEC International, Inc. ("the Company") authorized press releases or legal disclosures made in its filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission http://www.sec.gov. Separate from the factual content of our report about the Company, we may from time to time include our own opinions about the Company, its business, markets and opportunities. Any opinions we may offer about the Company are solely our own, and are made in reliance upon our rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and are provided solely for the general opinionated discussion of our readers. Our opinions should not be considered to be complete, precise, accurate, or current investment advice. Statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties affecting results. A Goldman Small Cap Research report, update, newsletter, article, trading alert, corporate profile, or press release is not intended as an offering, recommendation, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities mentioned or discussed is to be used for informational purposes only. Please read all associated full disclosures, disclaimers, and analyst background on our website before investing. Neither Goldman Small Cap Research nor its parent is a registered investment adviser or broker-dealer with FINRA or any other regulatory agency. To download this research report or any of our research, view our disclosures and disclaimers, or for more information, visit http://www.goldmanresearch.com. Goldman Small Cap Research was compensated $3500 form a third party for the production and distribution of the report. About OPTEC International, Inc. Corp. (OTC - OPTI) OPTEC International, Inc. is a leading worldwide provider of green technologies and holds the exclusive worldwide license for marketing and distribution of OPTEC Fuel Maximizer products. The OPTEC Fuel Maximizer is a patented next generation technology solution. By improving the overall combustion process, it enables modern, combustion engines to substantially reduce unburned hydrocarbons and harmful emission while simultaneously increasing engine performance and fuel economy. For more information, please visit: http://www.Optecintl.com Goldman Small Cap Research Rob Goldman, Analyst 410-609-7100 [email protected] SOURCE OPTEC International, Inc. New this year, the crowdsourced map is located within the Orange County Property Appraiser's website ( www.ocpafl.org ) and can be reached by clicking on the graphic on the home page. This map is for both homeowners and sightseers. "We are pleased to be able to provide this service to our friends and neighbors," said Rick Singh, Orange County's property appraiser. "By inviting residents to our website to access the holiday lights map, we are also educating them on the extensive amounts of data and information available to them within ocpafl.org. Our office is extremely proud of our award-winning website. Bright Lights Big County: OCPA Holiday Lights Crowdsourced Map utilizes a small portion of our state-of-the-art mapping capabilities to add to the holiday experience of our residents." How does it work? Individuals can submit their Orange County holiday decorated properties to the Bright Lights Big County: OCPA Holiday Lights Crowdsourced Map and once approved, the homes & businesses will show up on the map for users to visit in person. Here's all you need to do: Homeowners Take a high-quality photo of your decorated home or business at night. Cameras on most cell phones will do fine. On the map, click on the red "Submit Holiday Lights Display" button and provide all the required information. Then, agree to the terms and conditions, and click "SUBMIT." We will review the photo, verify the address, and add it to the map within 1-2 days. Sightseers Before you load up the car with family and friends and head out to look at lights, make a note of the addresses of the homes and businesses on our map so you will know some good ones to go see. And check back during the holiday season, as more decorated locations will be added daily. The map is live and will remain accessible until the new year. We hope Orange County residents will find this new venture enjoyable, whether they have taken the time to decorate their home or business, or enjoy looking at holiday lights. For more information, to add a location, or to access the map to see where the bright lights are, visit http://www.ocpafl.org/PressRoom/HolidayPromo.aspx About OCPA The Orange County Property Appraiser's office provides a fair and equitable tax roll, remarkable service and superior professionalism. The office also assists taxpayers with applying for homestead and other exemptions as well as understanding their Truth-In-Millage (TRIM) Notices and Tax Bills each year. OCPA was recognized in 2018 by the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) with its prestigious "Certificate of Excellence in Assessment," which is earned by less than 1% of assessment authorities. The Agency has also recently been honored by the Center for Digital Government with a 2018 "Digital Government Experience" Award citing its effective online strategies for meeting constituent needs. For more information, visit www.ocpafl.org. About Rick Singh, CFA A veteran of the U.S. Army, Rick Singh is the first state-certified appraiser elected (2012 & 2016) as Orange County Property Appraiser (OCPA), and oversees a Tax Roll that exceeds $188 Billion. Under Mr. Singh's leadership, OCPA has a 99.9% record of defending its valuations against appeal. In 2018, Mr. Singh was honored with the IAAO's Ian W. McClung Award for his efforts to improve the development of valuation professionals around the world, and to globally advance the profession. Mr. Singh serves on the boards of the American Lung Association, Boy Scouts of America Central Florida Council, Orlando Economic Partnership, and the World Affairs Council of Central Florida. SOURCE Orange County, FL Property Appraiser's Office Related Links http://www.ocpafl.org "An experienced sales and marketing executive with a proven track record of developing creative strategies that deliver memorable guest experience while also optimizing revenue and advancing channel expansion and market share, Greg intuitively understands the Managing Director's impact on the value of a hotel," says Joseph Bojanowski, President of PM Hotel Group. "Greg's ability to build winning teams of creative thinkers will allow us to re-imagine the experience that the HOTEL DU PONT delivers at a time when the hospitality industry is redefining modern luxury, while still honoring the hotel's legacy." PM Hotel Group operates a diverse and growing portfolio of luxury, lifestyle, full and select-service hotels across 15 states from New York to California. About PM Hotel Group A Top 20 hotel management company, PM Hotel Group has over two decades of experience building relationships with brands, partners and third-party hotel owners. We have participated in the development and acquisition of more than $2.5 billion in premium-branded and independent hotel properties across the United States. As an operator, PM Hotel Group is committed to its core values of respect- for one another, our guests and the planet. We manage with a dedication to sustainability, a tradition of teamwork and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. At PM Hotel Group we know that our people are our greatest resource. By focusing on our associates and the communities in which we work, we deliver strong performance for our owners. Learn more at pmhotelgroup.com About HOTEL DU PONT Opened in 1913, the iconic HOTEL DU PONT is dedicated to delivering timeless luxury with a modern and unique sensibility. Located in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, in the heart of the picturesque Brandywine Valley, the 12-story Italian Renaissance landmark building boasts 217 guest rooms and spacious suites, as well as the AAA Four-Diamond award-winning Green Room Restaurant & Bar. Owned by The Buccini/Pollin Group and managed by PM Hotel Group, the hotel is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and the Historic Hotels of America. For more information, visit www.hoteldupont.com or call 302-594-3100. For news and upcoming events, follow us on Facebook and Instagram. MEDIA CONTACT Jennifer Diamond Haber [email protected] 202.559.1916 SOURCE PM Hotel Group Related Links http://www.pmhotelgroup.com/ TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - (PBT.U: CSE, PTGEF: OTC Markets) Further to its news release of November 27, 2018, Portage Biotech Inc. ("Portage" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its common shares will resume trading at the open on CSE tomorrow, December 7, 2018 with trading on OTC expected to resume shortly thereafter. The mailing of shareholder meeting materials regarding the acquisition of SalvaRx Limited from SalvaRx Group plc has been completed. Copies of the meeting materials have been posted to SEDAR, the CSE website and Portage's corporate website. Completion of the SalvaRx acquisition remains subject to shareholder and CSE approval. Neither CSE nor its Market Regulator (as the term is defined in the policies of CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward looking statements concerning future operations of Portage Biotech Inc. (the "Company"). All forward looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's expectations or beliefs may be subject to certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual performance and financial results may differ materially from any estimates and projections. SOURCE Portage Biotech Inc. Related Links www.portagebiotech.com MEDELLIN, Colombia, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- PSL is honored to announce its position as a Clutch Global Leader in IT and Business Services for the second year in a row. PSL was also awarded another distinguishing recognition through its inclusion on the 2018 Clutch 1000 list, highlighting the top B2B companies worldwide. Both of these honors speak to a successful year for PSL as it continues to deliver premier software development outsourcing solutions to pioneering technology clients in the US. "In a market dominated by outsourcing companies, these providers become a part of the team when working with clients," Clutch Senior Business Analyst Ilse Heine said. "These leaders not only help businesses run smoothly but also are integral to their clients' business infrastructure." PSL delivers this seamless level of collaboration by engaging exclusively in long-term partnerships where it can add value and achieve cultural alignment, honoring its mission to positively contribute to client engagements and communities. To that effect, it employs a series of robust training and innovation programs, such as PSL Labs , where teams explore and develop game-changing technologies and processes to drive the use of technology as a positive force for change. Moving forward, PSL intends to maintain its high level of professional excellence in IT outsourcing services and continue engaging with the communities where they work through multiple social responsibility initiatives, including women in technology. In 2019, the company will continue to invest in celebrating and empowering female engineers and promoting women's participation in technology and science. Clutch uses a sophisticated methodology for calculating each company's ranking. Results are based on proven ability to deliver, market presence, client experience and reviews, and other qualitative measures. For more information on PSL, visit their website www.pslcorp.com or view PSL Corp's full profile on Clutch. About PSL Corp PSL is a nearshore software development company that employs cutting-edge technology to deliver world-class solutions from a nearshore model. About Clutch Clutch is an online platform that has developed an innovative research process that helps buyers of services distinguish qualified companies from the plethora of providers in the market. Contact: [email protected] 1-866-867-9116 SOURCE PSL Corp Related Links http://www.pslcorp.com The firm is also the first in the industry to sponsor SIFMA's Senior Investor Protection Toolkit, aligning with its efforts to advocate for vulnerable and aging clients MINNEAPOLIS, MN, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - RBC Wealth Management U.S. announced today the launch of its Client Risk Prevention Division, an effort designed to better arm employees with the resources and training to prevent, detect and report suspected financial abuse. In conjunction with the launch of the new division, the firm signed on as the first sponsor of SIFMA's Senior Investor Protection Toolkit initiative. Financial exploitation costs Americans almost $3 billion dollars each year, according to SIFMA, the national trade organization representing the securities industry. And this figure, based on the small number of cases reported in the media, doesn't reflect the magnitude of the issue, as only 1 in 44 cases is ever reported to the authorities. "Anyone can become the target of financial fraud," said Michael Armstrong, CEO of RBC Wealth Management-U.S. "Despite the prevalence, it's not something that most people want to talk about. But open conversations about the risks, the signs and what we can all do to prevent financial abuse are critical to addressing the issue. In launching the Client Risk Protection Division and sponsoring SIFMA's new tool kits, we hope to open that dialogue not only with our clients, but with the broader community." While FINRA recently enacted new rules aimed at protecting clients from financial exploitation, RBC Wealth Management's efforts will extend well beyond those requirements. In addition to receiving robust and proactive training and resources to help them root out and combat this abuse, RBC financial advisors will integrate these topics into their interaction with clients, including annual reviews and the wealth planning process. The team will also work with the broader communities where RBC's advisors live and work, creating new partnerships with community resource groups and local law enforcement agencies, with the goal of sharing knowledge and building awareness. "We believe it is our responsibility to do everything in our power to preserve and protect the dignity and financial wellbeing of our clients," said Jen McGarry, who heads the Client Risk Prevention Division at RBC Wealth Management - US. "Our financial advisors and all the employees that support them are in a unique position to help mitigate the risk of financial exploitation. By establishing this dedicated division and supporting SIFMA in its Senior Investor Protection Initiative, we're taking proactive steps to address a very real and growing concern." Supported by SIFMA's member firms, the Senior Investment Protection Toolkit will serve as an informational resource to help educate and protect elder investors as well as those who serve to support and protect them. RBC Wealth Management U.S.' sponsorship will provide special support for distribution in the Minnesota, Texas, California, New York City and Washington, D.C. markets. In addition, RBC Wealth Management U.S. has dedicated significant resources to dementia research and supporting individuals who struggle with the disease. Earlier this year, the firm announced a $25,000 sponsorship of the Women's Brain Health Initiative, in addition to training for its 1,800 advisors to help them better understand the signs and symptoms of dementia, particularly in the context of how individuals may be managing or mismanaging their finances. "Protecting our clients from fraud and financial exploitation is about more than just preserving and strengthening our professional relationships," McGarry added. "What it really comes down to is doing the right thing." About RBC Wealth Management U.S. In the United States, RBC Wealth Management operates as a division of RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Founded in 1909, RBC Capital Markets, LLC. is a member of the New York Stock Exchange, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation, and other major securities exchanges. RBC Wealth Management has $344 billion in total client assets with approximately 1,800 financial advisors operating in 200 locations in 42 states. SOURCE RBC Related Links http://www.rbc.com SODERTALJE, Sweden, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Scania is to supply vehicles for the three Germany e-highway in trials that are expected to start next year. The decision was taken on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), following a public tender process. Trials will initially commence in Hessen along the A5 Autobahn, where the five-kilometre e-highway infrastructure with electric power supplied from overhead lines in both directions has been completed. Next will be an e-highway segment on the A1 Autobahn to the Port of Lubeck, with additional stationary charging capacity planned at the port. This highway section is expected to open during summer 2019. Finally, the third e-highway is expected be established in Baden-Wurttemberg along a section of the B462 federal road early 2020. The 15 trucks will be equipped with pantograph power collectors, developed by Siemens, mounted on the frame behind the cab for charging while in motion. These trucks will be operated by haulage companies in actual transport operations. Delivery of the first hybrid R 450 truck by Scania for Hessen is scheduled for May 2019. In addition to delivering trucks, Scania will manage vehicle maintenance and data collection from the trials. Scania has previously been selected as partner in the concurrent research project conducted by Volkswagen Group Research. A hybrid Scania R 450 is expected to be delivered to the project in February and commissioning is ongoing on Siemens test track outside Berlin. A second electrified research vehicle will be delivered in autumn 2019. The research programme will seek to analyse and optimise the powertrain concept, energy management, hybrid transmission, battery ageing and the next-generation cooling system. "Unlike passenger cars, which remain parked and stationary most of the day, trucks are deployed for long hours in transport assignments when stopping to charge can be highly disruptive in the operations. E-highways offer rational and effective charging en route. The solution also saves batteries and reduces load on the energy network," says Magnus Hoglund, Head of Electric Road System, Scania. According to several studies e-highways are an alternative that will significantly help to reduce CO2-emissions. Electrified road technology is one part of Scania's sustainable transport solutions, which is now also being tested on German roads. Scania to supply trucks for German e-highways research project Italy towards a "zero impact" e-highway Scania welcomes Sweden-Germany partnership on mobility and electrical roads World's first electric road opens in Sweden For further information, please contact: Karin Hallstan Head of Corporate Communications & PR phone: +46(0)76-842-81-04 e-mail: [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/scania/r/scania-to-supply-15-trucks-for-german-e-highways,c2693452 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/209/2693452/958335.pdf Scania to supply 15 trucks for German e-highways http://news.cision.com/scania/i/18223-019,c2541590 18223-019 SOURCE Scania MECHANICSBURG, Pa., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Select Medical Holdings Corporation, the parent of Select Medical Corporation (collectively, "Select Medical"), today announced that it has formed a component Patient Safety Organization (PSO) that has been federally listed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). AHRQ, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of America's health system. The PSO listing represents a special designation by AHRQ regarding an organization's commitment to patient safety and quality. "Select Medical has always been guided by its mission to deliver an exceptional patient experience," said David Chernow, President and Chief Executive Officer at Select Medical. "The formation of a PSO further underscores the vital importance of quality and safety as it relates to outcomes for the 60,000 patients that we treat every day across the country." The component PSO, which has been named Select Medical Patient Safety and Quality Institute (SMPSQI), will provide valuable patient safety and quality information to the Quality of Care and Patient Safety Committee ("Committee") of the Select Medical Board of Directors. The Committee has oversight responsibilities for Select Medical's enterprise-wide patient safety and evaluation system established pursuant to the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 (Patient Safety Act). Joan Alverzo, Ph.D., CRRN has been appointed to serve as the SMPSQI Chief Administrative and Clinical Officer. She will execute her duties with the assistance of a designated steering committee. Alverzo previously served as a senior executive and chief nursing officer with Select Medical and its Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation for 32 years. SMPSQI will review data from Select Medical's nearly 100 critical illness recovery hospitals and 26 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals to identify trends and opportunities for improvement. SMPSQI will work closely with existing internal committees that are part of each hospital's patient safety evaluation system. The additional information provided by SMPSQI will improve the patient safety evaluation processes in our nationwide network of specialty hospitals through sharing data, lessons learned, and best practices. This collaboration will allow participating specialty hospitals to more fully integrate their quality program and patient safety strategy into established goals. For additional background about the Patient Safety Act and the creation of PSOs to improve quality and safety by reducing the incidence of events that adversely affect patients, visit: https://www.pso.ahrq.gov/. About Select Medical Select Medical is one of the largest operators of critical illness recovery hospitals (previously referred to as long-term acute care hospitals), rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, and occupational health centers in the United States based on the number of facilities. As of September 30, 2018, Select Medical operated 97 critical illness recovery hospitals in 27 states, 26 rehabilitation hospitals in 11 states, and 1,649 outpatient rehabilitation clinics in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Select Medical's joint venture subsidiary Concentra operated 525 occupational health centers in 41 states. Concentra also provides contract services at employer worksites and Department of Veterans Affairs' community-based outpatient clinics. At September 30, 2018, Select Medical had operations in 47 states and the District of Columbia. Information about Select Medical is available at www.selectmedical.com. Media Contact: Shelly Eckenroth, Select Medical, 717.920.4035 or [email protected] SOURCE Select Medical Related Links http://www.selectmedical.com Glatfelter's purchase of the license is an important first step in setting up a global supply chain for the materials used in the Soteria architecture. Their experience in high quality manufacture of technical nonwovens and global distribution network make them the ideal candidate to initiate a global supply chain of the Dreamweaver battery separator technology. As lithium ion batteries proliferate from our computers to our wrists and homes and cars, battery fires will cost lives and cause much suffering. "It is our goal to make sure that not one life is lost due to either ignorance of or lack of access to our technology," said Brian Morin. Soteria BIG is going to do this by: Providing low-cost technology licenses to the best advanced materials companies in the world. Developing aggressive safety standards that highlight this advanced safety performance. Using those standards and branding to drive adoption in portable electronics, electric vehicles and energy storage. Additional information about the consortium and the Soteria technology can be found at www.soteriabig.com. The story of the founding of the company can be found on Power Sources Online. About Soteria Battery Innovation Group Inc Soteria Battery Innovation Group Inc is an advanced technology development and licensing company that has formed a consortium to promote a light, safe and cost-effective architecture for lithium ion batteries. Soteria BIG was founded in 2017 by Brian Morin and Carl Hu, and is headquartered in Greenville, SC. For more information contact Amy Brinson at (864) 609-4165 or [email protected] or visit our website at www.soteriabig.com. Contact: Amy Brinson Customer Service Representative (864) 609-4165 [email protected] SOURCE Soteria Battery Innovation Group Related Links http://www.soteriabig.com SYDNEY, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Speedcast International Limited (ASX: SDA), the world's most trusted provider of remote communication and IT solutions, announced today that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) has completed its review of the company's previously announced transaction with Globecomm Systems Inc. Based upon its review, CFIUS has determined that there are no unresolved national security concerns with respect to the acquisition. Speedcast expects to complete the transaction in December 2018, subject to customary closing conditions. Speedcast will issue a further announcement when completion of the acquisition and associated financing occurs. About Speedcast International Limited Speedcast International Ltd (ASX: SDA) is the largest provider of remote communications and IT services in the world. Speedcast's fully-managed service is delivered via a leading global, multi-access technology, multi-band and multi-orbit network of 70+ satellites and an interconnecting global terrestrial network, bolstered by extensive on-the-ground local support from 40+ countries. This global "network of networks" allows customers to fully rely on the most robust, integrated infrastructure available in the market for their mission critical applications. Speedcast is uniquely positioned as a strategic business partner, tailoring communications, IT and digital solutions to meet unique customer needs and enable business transformation. Speedcast extends its managed services through differentiated technology offerings including cyber-security, crew welfare, content solutions, data and voice applications, and network systems integration services. With a passionate customer focus and a strong safety culture, Speedcast serves more than 2,000 customers in more than 140 countries in sectors such as Maritime, Energy, Mining, Enterprise, Media, Cruise, NGOs and Government. Learn more at www.speedcast.com. Speedcast is a trademark and registered trademark of Speedcast International Limited. All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective owners. 2018 Speedcast International Limited. All rights reserved. Contact Information: Vanessa Cardonnel Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Investor Relations Speedcast International Ltd [email protected] +852-3919-6833 SOURCE Speedcast International Limited Related Links http://www.speedcast.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Teamsters Union called on XPO Logistics, Inc. CEO Bradley Jacobs to formally acknowledge his company's failure to address ongoing issues at its Memphis, Tenn. distribution center that include pregnancy discrimination, worker intimidation, and harassment. On Oct. 21, The New York Times published a front page expose detailing the harrowing tales of miscarriages on the job after XPO refused to adjust the women's work assignments. On Nov. 20, nine senators, led by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), sent a letter to XPO expressing outrage over the rampant pregnancy discrimination within their supply-chain, and calling on the company to address the allegations made in the New York Times article. In a letter dated Dec. 4, Jacobs responded to the senators with promises of an internal investigation by an independent expert and pledges of improvements. XPO, a $12 billion company that packages and distributes products for major retailers like Disney, Nike, Home Depot and Verizon, also promised in the letter that as of Jan. 1, 2019, it will implement a new pregnancy care policy. "For the sake of the women that still work at XPO, I am hopeful that the company will adhere to its new pregnancy accommodation policy, but XPO's track record doesn't make be believe they will," said Tasha Murrell, a former XPO Memphis worker who was featured in the New York Times article. "However, the miscarriages are just one of the many issues that need to be addressed at XPO to ensure workers are treated with the respect they deserve." Additionally, in a letter issued this week, 97 members of the U.S. House of Representatives led by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), formally requested the House Committee on Education and the Workforce hold a hearing on the allegations of mistreatment of employees at XPO Logistics. "Promises and pledges are all well and good, but we will reserve judgment until we see real change," said Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa. "What is most telling is that it took the combined pressure of national press coverage and Congressional inquiries for XPO to address the terrible working conditions these women and men endure. These brave women who have stepped forward to share their experiences have gone through hell and back working for XPO in Memphis, and we will hold Bradley Jacobs accountable for his promises for improved conditions at the company." Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Contact: Galen Munroe, (202) 624-6911 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters Related Links http://www.teamster.org "The 2019 upgrade to the manual is our best yet, particularly in terms of online functionality," said YoGI Arumainayagam, Publisher at SCCE. "Given the depth and breadth of available resource material, purchasers will definitely get more bang for their buck." The Complete Compliance and Ethics Manual has been a trusted and comprehensive resource for compliance and ethics professionals since 2010. Written by experienced compliance and ethics professionals, it provides a wealth of invaluable content on all aspects of the compliance and ethics profession. Upgrades to the 2019 edition include: Online access through any web browser through any web browser Improved formatting for all screen sizes Enhanced topical and keyword searches Easier web access to footnote citations New content related to: artificial intelligence, workplace harassment, branding and marketing your compliance program, anti-corruption laws in Latin America and the Caribbean , and DOJ guidance on program evaluation related to: artificial intelligence, workplace harassment, branding and marketing your compliance program, anti-corruption laws in and the , and DOJ guidance on program evaluation Upgraded content in 24 areas, including: government contracting, export controls, GDPR, human trafficking, and changing cannabis regulations Learn more about this new edition Order online About SCCE Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) is a non-profit, member-based association for compliance and ethics professionals. Since 2004, SCCE has been championing ethical practices and compliance standards to promote lasting success and integrity of organizations worldwide and across all industries. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, SCCE serves 7,400+ members in 95+ countries around the globe. SCCE offers 40+ educational conferences a year, weekly web conferences, publications, training resources, certification opportunities, and networking for career growth and program development. Visit the SCCE website at www.corporatecompliance.org or call 888.277.4977. SOURCE Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE) Related Links https://www.corporatecompliance.org DUBLIN, Dec 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The "The Global Toluene Market" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. According to a recently conducted research about the global toluene market, as an overall, it is projected to reach approximately 34,112 thousand tons by the end of 2023, increasing at a CAGR of around 3% per year in the period 2017-2023. The report focuses on both product and regional breakdown, offering a larger perspective on the market dynamics. Although toluene is predominantly used for the production of benzene, the analysis considers the application of toluene across various other fields. In particular, the largest share of toluene consumption is for the production of benzene, which accounted for around 83% of the total in volume terms. Meanwhile, the chemical's application for benzyl chloride has been growing with the highest rate of about 3.95% per year. Regionally, the largest global toluene market was North East Asia, which accounted for about 50% of the total in volume terms. In comparison, Africa was the smallest global toluene market during the analyzed period and is expected to remain such in the medium term. One of the leading trends on the global toluene market is linked with the fact that it is widely used as a raw material for the production of many intermediates among which benzene and xylene. The growing demand for aromatics in the petrochemical industry for the production of synthetic fibers, elastomers, agrochemicals, dyes, paints, and others has been a major driving factor for the global toluene market. What is more, toluene is also a major petrochemical used as a fuel additive. It can be used both as a blendstock for gasoline and as a feedstock for chemical production. As a blendstock, toluene demand is seasonal in nature and it is most attractive for blenders during the driving season. Outside of driving season, toluene is most appealing as a feedstock for chemical production. There has been a certain trend connected with the development of alternative solvents, which was prompted mainly by the increasing legislative pressure towards reducing toluene usage. In addition, the use of toluene poses a serious threat to the environment, which is why the regulatory boards, such as the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have imposed strict regulations on the permissible level and content of VOCs in everyday products. Regionally, one of the strong trends observed on the North American toluene market is linked with the discovery of shale gas. The shale revolution in North America has had a huge impact on petrochemical production on the continent. The North American aromatics market has been particularly impacted, with benzene, toluene, and xylenes (BTX) production taking a notable hit in recent years. What is more, in the end of 2017, there were storm damages caused by Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, both of which added pressure on supply. The impact of the hurricanes led to lower refining operating rates. As for Europe, an important aspect of the toluene market is the BASF's 300,000 MT/year facility in Ludwigshafen, as it has supported a large part of the European demand for toluene. After the re-opening of the facility in Germany, it was expected the production levels of toluene and TDI to increase in 2017 and to fill the supply deficit that has been applying upwards pressure on the TDI market for most of 2016. However, the manufacture issues led to lower demand for toluene, used by the TDI market. Key Topics Covered 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Characteristics of Toluene 4. State of the Global Demographics and Economy 5. Overview and Analysis of the Global Toluene Market 6. Overview and Analysis of the Global Production of Toluene 7. Characteristics and Analysis of the Global Prices of Toluene 8. Overview and Analysis of the Global Imports of Toluene 9. Overview and Analysis of the Global Exports of Toluene 10. Balance Between Supply and Demand on the Global Toluene Market Companies Featured Sonatrach Ameriya Oil Ref. Co. Echem Pck Raff. Schwedt Shell Deutschl. Oil Mol Petrochemicals Versalis Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical Pidmco Gadiv Pc Ind. Tacaamol Basf Total Pc Chevron Phillips Chemical Citgo Rfg. And Chem. Inc. Dow Chemical Equistar Chemicals Exxonmobil Chemical Baosteel Basf-Ypc Changzhou New Solar Chem. Chongqing Zuoneng Chemical Cnooc Ningbo Daxie Pc Cnooc Ref. And Pc Dalian West Pacific Pc Petrochina Huabei Pc Sinopec Wuhan Co Sumitomo Chemical Taiyo Oil Ulsan Aromatics (Uac) Yeochun Ncc Reliance Ind. Lotte Chemical Titan Ecopetrol Promotora De Caribe and many more... For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/67wphl/toluene_the?w=5 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com BALTIMORE, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Transamerica today announced the availability of new navigation tools to help Spanish-speaking participants use its retirement plan website. Plan sponsors of workplace retirement plans may now elect to enable participant website navigation in Spanish, as well as full translation of select pages. Spanish-speaking participants may now benefit from both fully translated primary website navigation, specific page translations, and description overlays to provide additional information. These features help empower Spanish-speaking participants to take control of their retirement planning, access more educational resources to make informed decisions, and initiate transactions, such as contribution increases or loan requests. "Technology and communication play key roles in how people engage with their company's retirement plan. At Transamerica, we continuously seek ways to connect with our customers that are most comfortable for them," said Scott Ramey, Senior Vice President and Head of Workplace Solutions for Transamerica. "We believe the new website features are valuable to both our plan sponsor clients and their employees. Adding Spanish language capabilities to the retirement plan website can help improve retirement outcomes by building bridges to essential resources for customers whose primary language is Spanish." The new feature is available to 401(k) and Section 451 nonqualified deferred compensation retirement plans administered by Transamerica. To learn more about Transamerica's workplace solutions, visit www.transamerica.com. About Transamerica With a history that dates back more than 100 years, Transamerica is recognized as a leading provider of life insurance, retirement and investment solutions, serving millions of customers throughout the United States. Recognizing the necessity of health and wellness during peak working life, Transamerica's dedicated professionals work to help people take the steps necessary to live better today so they can worry less about tomorrow. Transamerica serves nearly every customer segment, providing a broad range of quality life insurance and investment products, individual and group pension plans, as well as asset management services. In 2017, Transamerica fulfilled its promises to customers, paying more than $35.6 billion in insurance, retirement, and annuity claims and benefits, including return of annuity premiums paid by the customer. Transamerica's corporate headquarters is located in Baltimore, Maryland, with other major operations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Transamerica is part of the Aegon group of companies. Based in the Netherlands, Aegon is one of the world's largest providers of life insurance, pension solutions and asset management products, operating in more than 20 markets worldwide. For the full year of 2017, Aegon managed $982 billion in revenue generating investments. For more information, please visit www.transamerica.com. Media inquiries: [email protected] Hank Williams 319-355-7789 Email: [email protected] Julie Quinlan (303) 383-5923 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Transamerica Related Links http://www.transamerica.com SINGAPORE, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Tychan, a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Singapore, announced today that its first-in-class candidate drug for the treatment of Yellow Fever received investigatory new drug (IND) regulatory approval from Health Sciences Authority (HSA) of Singapore to evaluate safety and tolerability. Immediately following the IND approval on November 26, the first individuals were dosed with TY014, a monoclonal antibody, on December 6 in a phase I trial of healthy volunteers. There is currently no approved treatment for Yellow Fever (YF). Tychan aims to complete safety assessments in time to intervene if there is a YF outbreak in early 2019. TY014 progressed from initiation to regulatory submission in less than seven months due to substantial advances in Tychan's proprietary rapid development platform and the Company's partnership with WuXi Biologics. TY014 is the first monoclonal antibody designed and engineered to treat Yellow Fever Virus-infected patients to enter the clinic. It is directed against the envelope (E) protein on the surface of the virus, and prevents viral replication by limiting viral fusion to host cells. "The unprecedented speed with which TY014 advanced from project initiation to clinical testing makes it possible for us to meet the urgent need for an available intervention should a global Yellow Fever crisis erupt. It is a manifestation of Tychan's drive for a capability to quickly find treatments to new infectious disease outbreaks in endemic regions," said Teo Ming Kian, Chairman of the Board, Tychan. "Moreover, the shortening of the timeline to regulatory approval from our previous work in Zika validates our approach and inspires us to reach our ultimate goal: to do this within weeks rather than months." YF is a mosquito-borne hemorrhagic disease caused by the Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) that has in the past caused epidemics leading to significant human and economic losses. Nearly 15 percent of patients infected with YFV develop life-threatening illness involving haemorrhage, jaundice and shock. Of these, approximately 30 percent die of their disease. Sudden spurts in global demand from ongoing outbreaks have previously resulted in a shortage of existing vaccines, leaving millions at risk. This risk is particularly acute if YFV spreads beyond Africa and South America into Asia. "Tychan's rapid biologics development for infectious diseases is consistent with our mission to accelerate and transform how biologics are developed and manufactured globally. This first-in-class antibody against Yellow Fever Virus developed in a rapid time, underscores both our world-leading technical capability and validation of this exciting approach to treat emerging infectious diseases. We are prepared to scale up production to combat any potential global outbreak," said Chris Chen, CEO, WuXi Biologics. About the Trial The first-in-human clinical trial will be conducted in Singapore in approximately 67 healthy volunteers. Volunteers in the Phase 1 trial will be split into two groups to test the safety and tolerability of TY014 as well as its effectiveness as an antiviral drug. The Company aims to complete safety assessments in time to test efficacy if there is a YF outbreak in early 2019. The trial is being administered by SingHealth Investigational Medicine Unit, led by Associate Professor Jenny Low, Senior Consultant, Department of Infectious Diseases, Singapore General Hospital and Co-Director, Viral Research and Experimental Medicine [email protected] Duke-NUS (ViREMiCS). About Yellow Fever Virus Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that is genetically related to Dengue, West Nile, Zika and Japanese encephalitis viruses. Yellow Fever (YF) is an acute viral haemorrhagic disease caused by the Yellow Fever Virus (YFV), a re-emerging arbovirus transmitted by the Aedes mosquitoes. Clinical symptoms of YF include fever, chills, headaches, jaundice, muscle aches, nausea and fatigue. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, USA. YFV can currently be found in the tropical jungles of South America and Africa, causing an estimated 200,000 infections and 30,000 deaths annually. It has become a growing public health problem, threatening to spread beyond the geographic boundaries of the two continents. The outbreak of YF in Brazil in 2018 has sparked great concerns that it would potentially become an urban epidemic. Although a safe and effective vaccine is currently available, global shortages of supplies have severely hampered efforts in the prevention and control of YFV outbreaks. To-date, no YFV therapy (biologic or small molecule) has advanced to clinical trials. It is anticipated that a monoclonal antibody therapeutic could be administered to infected cases to reduce disease severity within the patient. About Tychan Tychan, a Singapore clinical-stage biotechnology company, is focused on bringing life-saving treatments for emerging infections to those in need through disruptive technologies. In a coordinated effort with regulatory authorities, we are accelerating the translation from non-clinical studies to clinical trials for emerging pathogens. HSA approved clinical testing of Tychan's Tyzivumab, the world's first Zika therapeutic candidate in 2018, which successfully completed phase 1 trials in September 2018, just 16 months after project initiation. Tychan aims to further its development platform and build on its partnerships to facilitate timely delivery of safe and effective therapeutics that are critical for preparedness against pandemics caused by emerging infectious agents such as YFV. Tychan was founded by Professor Ram Sasisekharan of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) /Singapore MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), and Professor Ooi Eng Eong of Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS). Their expertise spans the fields of biologics development and biology of acute viral infections. Temasek Holdings is the founding investor of Tychan Pte. Ltd. For more information, please visit: www.tychan.com About WuXi Biologics WuXi Biologics, a Hong Kong-listed company, is the only open-access biologics technology platform in the world offering end-to-end solutions to empower organizations to discover, develop and manufacture biologics from concept to commercial manufacturing. Our company history and achievements demonstrate our commitment to providing a truly ONE-stop service offering and value proposition to our global clients. For more information on WuXi Biologics, please visit www.wuxibiologics.com. SOURCE Tychan Related Links http://www.tychan.com WASHINGTON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Small businesses are increasingly relying on crowdfunding, according to new survey data from SCORE, the nation's largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. In 2018, U.S. businesses raised $1.04 billion, a significant increase from the $915 million raised in 2017. SCORE's latest infographic, sponsored by Nav, details recent trends and projections in crowdfunding for small businesses. Small businesses are increasingly relying on crowdfunding, according to new survey data from SCORE, the nations largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors. In 2018, U.S. businesses raised $1.04 billion, a significant increase from the $915 million raised in 2017. SCOREs latest infographic, sponsored by Nav, details recent trends and projections in crowdfunding for small businesses. The term crowdfunding refers to the practice of raising small amounts of money from multiple people, and has become more popular with businesses and individuals every year since its inception. Crowdfunding options popular with small businesses include: Reward-based: Backers receive an early version of the product or other rewards, with examples including Kickstarter and Indiegogo. There is no maximum amount to this fundraising method, and it typically costs 8%-10% in fees. Equity: Individuals invest in return for company share. The maximum funding amount is $1.07 million , and it typically costs 3%-6% in fees, plus $10K - $100K in professional fees. , and it typically costs 3%-6% in fees, plus - in professional fees. Debt: Backers provide loans in exchange for interest. The maximum funding amount is $500K , and it typically costs 5%-27% in fees. In the US, crowdfunding raises more money for small businesses every year with continued growth predicted: 2016: $800 million 2017: $915 million 2018: $1.04 billion 2019: $1.17 billion 2020: $1.3 billion Campaign success rates, and dollar amounts raised, vary by category: Design: 36% are successful Fashion: 25.8% Food: 24.8% Technology: 19.9% Top tips for crowdfunding success for small businesses include: Preparation: Research similar campaigns and choose the best platform and funding goal. Pitching: Share your unique story and create engaging photos and video. Promotion: Use your networks of family, friends, community and social media followers, and update your backers frequently. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, continued benefits include: Strengthened customer base Increased publicity Higher likelihood of external financing Stronger potential for business partnerships Download this infographic for more information on crowdfunding trends in the small business community. About SCORE Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE's 10,000 volunteer business experts provide 750,000+ free small business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational services to clients in 300 chapters nationwide. In 2017, SCORE volunteers helped to create 54,506 small businesses and 61,534 non-owner jobs. For more information about starting or operating a small business, visit SCORE at www.score.org. Follow @SCOREMentors on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest small business news and updates. Contact Information Betsy Dougert 800-634-0245 [email protected] SOURCE SCORE Related Links http://www.score.org IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ATTOM Data Solutions, curator of the nation's premier property database, today released its Q3 2018 U.S. Home Flipping Report, which shows that a total of 45,901 U.S. single family homes and condos were flipped in the third quarter of 2018, down 12 percent from a year ago to the lowest level since Q1 2015 a 3.5-year low. Homes flipped in Q3 2018 represented 5.0 percent of all single family home and condo sales during the quarter down from a 5.2 percent home flipping rate in Q2 2018 and down from a 5.1 percent home flipping rate in Q3 2017 to the lowest level since Q3 2016. "Home flipping acts as a canary in the coal mine for a cooling housing market because the high velocity of transactions provides home flippers with some of the best and most real-time data on how the market is trending," said Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at ATTOM Data Solutions. "We've now seen three consecutive quarters with year-over-year decreases in home flips. The last time that happened was in 2014 following the mortgage rate jump in the second half of 2013, but it's still far from the 11 consecutive quarters with year-over-year decreases in home flips extending from Q2 2006 through Q4 2008 and leading up to the last housing crash." Average home flipping returns drop to 6.5-year low Homes flipped in Q3 2018 sold for an average of $63,000 more than what the home flipper purchased them for, down from an all-time high average gross flipping profit of $68,000 in the first quarter and down from an average gross flipping profit of $65,000 a year ago to the lowest level since Q2 2016. The average gross flipping profit of $63,000 in Q3 2018 represented an average 42.6 percent gross flipping return on investment, down from an average 44.1 percent gross flipping ROI in the previous quarter and down from an average 48.1 percent gross flipping ROI in Q3 2017 to the lowest level since Q1 2012 a 6.5-year low. Nearly one-third of home flips sold for $100,000 to $200,000 The share of homes flipped that were sold by the home flipper between $100,000 to $200,000 made up 31.6 percent of all flipped sales, while those flip sales that occurred on homes sold for more than $5 million saw the highest gross flipping return on investment (ROI) of any price range. Q3 2018 Sales Price Range Share of Total Home Flips Gross ROI Under $50K 6.3% 20% $50K - $100K 9.3% 50% $100K - $200K 31.6% 55% $200K - $300K 24.8% 39% $300K - $400K 12.1% 31% $400K - $500K 6.0% 30% $500K - $750K 6.2% 27% $750K - $1M 1.8% 26% $1M - $2M 1.6% 28% $2M - $5M 0.3% 43% Over $5M 0.1% 187% Highest gross flipping returns in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky States with the highest average gross flipping ROI in Q3 2018 were Pennsylvania (96.7 percent), Ohio (90.4 percent), Kentucky (84.7 percent), Louisiana (82.4 percent), and Michigan (78.6 percent). Among 133 metropolitan statistical areas with at least 50 flips in Q3 2018 and a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest average gross flipping ROI in Q3 2018 were Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (136.7 percent); Cleveland, Ohio (120.2 percent); Atlantic City, New Jersey (110.3 percent); Scranton, Pennsylvania (109.0 percent); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (107.9 percent). Among 1,264 U.S. zip codes analyzed in the report with at least 10 flips during the quarter, those with the highest average gross flipping ROI in Q3 2018 were 33993 in Cape Coral, Florida (881.0 percent); 41091 in Cincinnati, Ohio (631.0 percent); 40356 in Lexington, Kentucky (421.1 percent); and 21216 (410.4 percent) and 21218 (357.1 percent), both in Baltimore, Maryland. Highest home flipping rates in Arizona, Tennessee and Nevada Arizona had the highest home flipping rate among all states in Q3 2018 (7.7 percent), followed by Tennessee (7.5 percent), Nevada (7.2 percent), Alabama (6.6 percent), and Maryland (6.0 percent). Among 133 metropolitan statistical areas with at least 50 flips in Q3 2018 and a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest home flipping rate for the quarter were Memphis, Tennessee (10.4 percent); Atlantic City, New Jersey (9.1 percent); Phoenix, Arizona (8.6 percent); Las Vegas, Nevada (7.8 percent) and Huntsville, Alabama (7.5 percent). Among 1,264 U.S. zip codes analyzed in the report with at least 10 flips during the quarter, those with the highest home flipping rate were 38115 in Memphis, Tennessee (28.1 percent); 33142 in Miami, Florida (27.3 percent); 11717 in Brentwood, New York (27.1 percent); 75224 in Dallas, Texas (26.8 percent); and 11436 in the county of Queens, New York (25.6 percent). Share of flipped homes purchased with financing dips slightly Homes flipped in Q3 2018 that were originally purchased with financing by the home flipper represented 38.8 percent of all homes flipped during the quarter, down from 40.7 percent in the previous quarter and down from 39.2 percent a year ago. States where the percent of flips that were purchased with financing in the third quarter of 2018 that were well above the national average of 38.8 percent included; the District of Columbia (67.2 percent), Colorado (55.7 percent), Minnesota (52.1 percent), New Hampshire (52.0 percent) and Rhode Island (49.2 percent). Among 133 metropolitan statistical areas with at least 50 flips in Q3 2018 and a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest percent of home flip sales purchased with financing in Q3 2018 were Madison, Wisconsin (62.5 percent); Colorado Springs, Colorado (62.2 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (60.4 percent) Manchester, New Hampshire (57.6 percent) and Greeley, Colorado (56.9 percent). Share of flips sold to FHA buyers at a 10-year low Of the homes flipped in Q3 2018, 12.7 percent were sold to buyers using loans backed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) likely first-time homebuyers down from 16.1 percent in Q3 2017 to a 10-year low. Among 53 metro areas analyzed in the report with at least 1 million people, those with the smallest share of completed flips sold to FHA buyers in Q3 2018 were San Jose, California (1.5 percent); Raleigh, North Carolina (3.8 percent); Las Vegas, Nevada (5.1 percent); San Francisco, California (5.7 percent); and Memphis, Tennessee (5.8 percent). Among the 53 metro areas analyzed in the report with at least 1 million people, those with the highest share of completed flips sold to FHA buyers in Q3 2018 were Riverside, California (24.3 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (23.0 percent); Chicago, Illinois (21.1 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (20.5 percent); and San Antonio, Texas (20.2 percent). Other high-level report takeaways The median year built of homes flipped in Q3 2018 was 1978, the third consecutive quarter for the oldest median year built as far back as data is available Q1 2000. The median square footage of homes flipped in Q3 2018 was 1,408, the smallest median square footage as far back as data is available Q1 2000. A total of 37,905 entities flipped properties in Q3 2018, a ratio of 1.21 flips per entity, the lowest ratio of flips per entity since Q4 2007 a nearly 11-year low. The average time to complete a home flip was 179 days, down from 185 days in the previous quarter, and down from 180 days in Q3 2017. Report methodology ATTOM Data Solutions analyzed sales deed data for this report. A single-family home or condo flip was any arms-length transaction that occurred in the quarter where a previous arms-length transaction on the same property had occurred within the last 12 months. The average gross flipping profit is the difference between the purchase price and the flipped price (not including rehab costs and other expenses incurred, which flipping veterans estimate typically run between 20 percent and 33 percent of the property's after repair value). Gross flipping return on investment was calculated by dividing the gross flipping profit by the first sale (purchase) price. About ATTOM Data Solutions ATTOM Data Solutions provides premium property data to power products that improve transparency, innovation, efficiency and disruption in a data-driven economy. ATTOM multi-sources property tax, deed, mortgage, foreclosure, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation's population. A rigorous data management process involving more than 20 steps validates, standardizes and enhances the data collected by ATTOM, assigning each property record with a persistent, unique ID the ATTOM ID. The 9TB ATTOM Data Warehouse fuels innovation in many industries including mortgage, real estate, insurance, marketing, government and more through flexible data delivery solutions that include bulk file licenses, APIs, market trends, marketing lists, match & append and more. Media Contact: Christine Stricker 949.748.8428 [email protected] Data and Report Licensing: 949.502.8313 [email protected] SOURCE ATTOM Data Solutions Related Links http://www.attomdata.com PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- At a ribbon-cutting ceremony today in Atlanta, Georgia, the Varian-equipped Emory Proton Therapy Center officially opened. This five-treatment room facility features the Varian ProBeam proton therapy system. Four of the rooms include 360-degree rotational gantries offering image-guided intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT), and the fifth room is dedicated for fixed beam treatments. Varian's ProBeam system offers fully-integrated IMPT to enable more efficient adaptive proton therapy. Varian's pencil-beam scanning technology gives clinicians the ability to deliver the dose precisely within the contours of the tumor to minimize dose to healthy tissue. "The opening of the Emory Proton Therapy Center brings a powerful new cancer treatment option to the citizens of Georgia and expands the resources for comprehensive cancer care within Winship Cancer Institute," said Mark McDonald, MD, medical director of the Emory Proton Therapy Center. "We are thrilled to offer this leading-edge proton treatment technology in collaboration with Varian." "The opening of the Emory Proton Therapy Center is another important step in the growing global availability of advanced cancer treatment technologies like proton therapy," said Kolleen Kennedy, chief growth officer and president, Proton Solutions at Varian. "We are grateful for the close partnership with Emory on the development of this center to expand the availability of this treatment technology in the Southeast of the US, and we look forward to our combined efforts in the fight against cancer." About Varian Varian (NYSE: VAR) is a leader in developing and delivering cancer care solutions and is focused on creating a world without fear of cancer. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Varian employs approximately 7,000 people around the world. For more information, visit http://www.varian.com and follow @VarianMedSys on Twitter. Press Contact Mark Plungy Director, Public Relations +1 (650) 424-5630 [email protected] Investor Relations Contact J. Michael Bruff Senior Vice President, Investor Relations +1 (650) 424-5163 [email protected] SOURCE Varian Related Links http://www.varian.com ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With Winter right around the corner, dropping temperatures and low humidity isn't great news for your skin, especially for cold-weather dwellers. Luckily, Vaseline has a solution for the winter blues just in time for the busy holiday season. The brand announced today the launch of its FREE #SaveMySkin kits, available exclusively this week (December 6 7, 2018) to U.S residents nationwide. During this limited time offer, through a partnership with experiential technology platform Fooji, fans anywhere in the U.S can simply Tweet using a custom hashtag and emoji to participate in the giveaway and receive their package. "At Vaseline, we know this time of year is especially hectic the holidays are here and it's getting colder, which triggers skin concerns," says Dawn Hedgepeth, General Manager/Vice President of Hand & Body Lotion at Unilever. "We want to make it a little easier for consumers to prioritize their health by making our #SaveMySkin kits available to people no matter where they live." With each free delivery, people will receive two Vaseline products aimed to rescue dry winter skin their newest lotion, Clinical Care Extremely Dry Skin rescue, and the iconic Vaseline Petroleum Jelly as well as a cozy mug and classic games to keep the family occupied. Here's how consumers nationwide can order: From December 6 at 1:00pm EST to December 7 at 8:00pm EST , Tweet #SaveMySkin + [snowflake emoji] to @VaselineBrand, and you'll receive a link to sign up for your free delivery.* Enter your information and place your order, and a Winter Care package will be delivered to your door within a week. Chicago residents don't have to wait for cold-weather relief in tandem with the Vaseline winter freebie, starting at 10:00am CST on December 6th the brand is stopping in the windy-city for the second leg of its Save My Skin pop-up airstream tour to bring the healing benefits of its Clinical Care line to locations in Pioneer Plaza and Hyde Park. For more information on the giveaway and the Chicago pop-up, please follow-along with @VaselineBrand and #SaveMySkin on Twitter and Instagram. *Packages are limited to the first 1,000 consumers while supplies last. About Unilever United States, Inc. Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of Beauty & Personal Care, Home Care, and Foods & Refreshment products with sales in over 190 countries and reaching 2.5 billion consumers a day. In the United States, the portfolio includes brand icons such as Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, Caress, Degree, Dollar Shave Club, Dove, Good Humor, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lever 2000, Lipton, Love Beauty and Planet, Magnum, Nexxus, Noxzema, Pond's, Popsicle, Pure Leaf, Q-tips, Schmidt's Naturals, Seventh Generation, Simple, Sir Kensington's, St. Ives, Suave, Sundial Brands, Talenti Gelato & Sorbetto, TAZO, TIGI, TONI&GUY, TRESemme and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Unilever employs approximately 8,000 people in the United States generating more than $9 billion in sales in 2017. Unilever's Sustainable Living Plan underpins the company's strategy and commits to: Helping more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020. Halving the environmental impact of our products by 2030. Enhancing the livelihoods of millions of people by 2020. The USLP creates value by driving growth and trust, eliminating costs and reducing risks. Globally, the company's sustainable living brands grew 46% faster than the rest of the business and delivered more than 70% of the company's growth in 2017. For more information on Unilever U.S., its brands, and the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan visit: www.unileverusa.com SOURCE Unilever United States, Inc. Related Links http://www.unileverusa.com SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vectra , the leader in automating the hunt for in-progress cyberattacks , was honored with the prestigious Grand Trophy Winner distinction for its Cognito threat-detection and hunting platform at the 2018 Golden Bridge Awards. The Cognito platform from Vectra provides full visibility into cyberattacker behaviors from internet-of-things (IoT) and user devices to cloud and data center workloads leaving attackers with nowhere to hide. Cognito uses AI to perform non-stop, automated threat detection with always-learning behavioral models to quickly and efficiently expose hidden and unknown attackers before they do damage. "We are incredibly grateful for this coveted industry-wide acclaim from the Golden Bridge Awards," said Vectra CEO Hitesh Sheth. "This distinction reaffirms that our Cognito platform is at the forefront of AI-driven cybersecurity innovation in detecting and hunting for hidden cyberattacks." At the 2018 Golden Bridge Awards, Vectra was also honored with the following awards: Gold winner in Data Center Innovations Gold winner in User Behavior Analytics Silver winner in Network Security Solution Innovations Bronze winner in Cloud Security Innovations The annual Golden Bridge Awards program encompasses the world's best in organizational performance, innovations, products and services, executives and management teams, women in business and the professions, innovations, best deployments, product management, public relations, marketing, corporate communications, international business, and customer satisfaction programs from every major industry in the world. Organizations from all over the world are eligible to submit nominations including public and private, for-profit and non-profit, largest to smallest and new start-ups. Cognito Detect and its AI counterpart, Cognito Recall , are the cornerstones of the Cognito platform. Cognito Detect automates the real-time detection of hidden attackers while giving Cognito Recall a logical starting point to perform AI-assisted threat hunting and conduct conclusive incident investigations. For more information, visit https://vectra.ai . About the Golden Bridge Awards Golden Bridge Awards are an annual industry and peers recognition program honoring best companies in every major industry from large to small and new start-ups in North America, Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin-America, Best New Products and Services, Best Innovations, Management and Teams, Women in Business and the Professions, Case Studies, Customer Satisfaction, and PR and Marketing Campaigns from all over the world. Learn more about Golden Bridge Awards at www.goldenbridgeawards.com . About Vectra Vectra is transforming cybersecurity with AI. Its Cognito platform automates cyberattack detection and empowers threat hunters from data center and cloud workloads to user and IoT devices. Cognito correlates threats, prioritizes hosts based on risk and provides rich context to empower incident response with existing security systems, reducing the security operations workload by 36X. The company has been issued 10 U.S. patents with 11 patents pending for cybersecurity applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Vectra is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. and has European regional headquarters in Zurich. For more information, visit vectra.ai . Media contact John Kreuzer Lumina Communications for Vectra [email protected] (408) 896-3307 SOURCE Vectra Related Links http://vectra.ai BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of the world's top management researchers will gather at an Academy of Management (AOM) Specialized Conference in Tel Aviv on December 1719, 2018. The researchers, from universities around the world, will discuss their cutting-edge findings about start-ups, as well as the challenges entrepreneurs face in growing their businesses. Nearly 200 research papers will be presented at this cross-disciplinary conference, covering a variety of topics, including: How companies can protect themselves from digital piracy The consequences of appointing external CEOs When diversity on top management teams can cause problems The three-day conference, "From Start-up to Scale-up: Coping with Organizational Challenges in a Volatile Business Environment," will also feature professional development workshops, panel discussions, and a moderated debate featuring leaders from business and innovation policy. Conference keynote speakers include Rajshree Agarwal (University of Maryland), Kathleen Eisenhardt (Stanford University), and Michael Tushman (Harvard University). "We are pleased to bring the research of the world's top scholars to bear on real-world business concerns," said AOM President Carol T. Kulik of the University of South Australia. "As our new series of specialized conferences continues, we look forward to creating more of these opportunities." Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, and Tel Aviv University will jointly host this unique Academy of Management Specialized Conference. About AOM The Academy of Management is the largest global association devoted to management and organization research, with 20,000 members from more than 120 countries. Founded in 1936, AOM publishes six top-rated journals with the most authoritative and diverse management research findings. For more information, visit www.aom.org. Media Contact Kerry Lange, 312-548-7428 [email protected] SOURCE Academy of Management Related Links http://aom.org/ SHANGHAI and LONDON, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi Biologics (2269.HK), a leading global open-access biologics technology platform company that offers end-to-end solutions for biologics discovery, development and manufacturing, today announced that it has won the SCRIP Award in the category of "Best Company in an Emerging Market". This award recognizes the rapid growth, significant accomplishments, and growing global influence achieved by WuXi Biologics in 2018. WuXi Biologics was presented with the award at the 14th Annual SCRIP Awards ceremony held in London on November 28, 2018. The SCRIP Awards are one of the industry's most prestigious awards to applaud the essential roles that the pharmaceutical, biotech and other allied industries play in improving healthcare. Its categories span the entire range of industry activities, celebrating the excellent work done by individuals, teams and companies. "We are excited and honored to be selected as the 'Best Company in an Emerging Market' at the prestigious SCRIP Awards," said Dr. Chris Chen, Chief Executive Officer of WuXi Biologics. "This award should be given to our world-class team, one of the largest globally with approximately 4,000 employees, and more than 200 clients and partners around the world. All their efforts, ingenuity and dedication have been making a real difference in the quest to discover, develop and manufacture innovative biologics for global patients. WuXi Biologics will continue to focus on expanding our capabilities and capacities to transform and accelerate biologics discovery, development and manufacturing, further empowering our partners and benefiting patients worldwide." About WuXi Biologics WuXi Biologics (stock code: 2269.HK), a Hong Kong-listed company, is the only open-access biologics technology platform in the world offering end-to-end solutions to empower organizations to discover, develop and manufacture biologics from concept to commercial manufacturing. Our company history and achievements demonstrate our commitment to providing a truly ONE-stop service offering and value proposition to our global clients. As of June 30, 2018, there were a total of 187 integrated projects, including 98 projects in pre-clinical development stage, 78 projects in early-phase (phase I and II) clinical development, 10 projects in late-phase (phase III) development and 1 project in commercial manufacturing. With total estimated capacity of biopharmaceutical production planned in China, Ireland, Singapore and US reaching 220,000 liters by 2021, we will provide our biomanufacturing partners with a robust and premier-quality global supply chain network. For more information on WuXi Biologics, please visit www.wuxibiologics.com. SOURCE WuXi Biologics Related Links https://www.wuxibiologics.com/ Through its partnership with Xometry, Office Depot will provide Xometry's Manufacturing Partner Network with a custom savings program featuring compelling online and in-store deals on multiple product categories, from core office supplies and break-room necessities to cleaning products and copy/print services. "We want to help our manufacturing partners grow their business and achieve greater operating efficiency," said Bill Cronin, Chief Revenue Officer at Xometry. "Expansion of the Shop Advantage Program gives our partner shops more options for saving time and money when sourcing the products they need to run their businesses. " "We're excited to partner with Xometry in support of the nation's small manufacturers, who make up the backbone of America's manufacturing renaissance," said Michael Littlejohn, National Program Manager at Office Depot. About Xometry Xometry is transforming custom manufacturing through a proprietary software platform which offers on-demand manufacturing to a diverse customer base, ranging from startups to Fortune 100 companies. We provide product designers and engineers the most efficient way to source high-quality custom parts, with 24/7 access to instant pricing, expected lead time and manufacturability feedback. Our nationwide network of over 2,500 partner manufacturing facilities enables us to maintain consistently fast lead times while offering a broad array of capabilities, including CNC Machining, 3D Printing, Sheet Metal Fabrication, Injection Molding and Urethane Casting. Xometry has over 12,000 customers, including BMW, General Electric and NASA. SOURCE Xometry Related Links http://www.xometry.com Tripoli, Dec 6 : At least 12 people died after a rubber boat which spent more than 10 days at sea capsized off Misrata, Libya, the UN migration agency has said, urging search and rescue operations to be stepped up in the Mediterranean. Ten survivors were rescued and returned to Libya where they were treated by medical staff from the International Organisation for Migration, the UN agency said on Wednesday. Three other passengers from the boat remain missing, according to IOM. "The survivors were all suffering from complete dehydration and exhaustion after being stranded at sea for days," said IOM physician Mohamed Abughalia. "People suffered from trauma, severe malnutrition and burns sustained from the boat's engine fuel." Four people in need of emergency medical care were transferred to a private hospital in Tripoli, IOM said. Six others were moved to detention centres tun by Libyan authorities, where IOM continues to provide medical care and adequate assistance including mental health and psychosocial support to the survivors. "We continue to advocate for alternatives to detention for migrants returned to Libyan shores, specifically for those most vulnerable," said IOM Libya Chief of Mission Othman Belbeisi. Belbeisi also expressed concern about the lack of search and rescue operations off Libya as the weather worsens with the onset of winter. "The absence of mechanisms to better manage returns coupled with reduced search and rescue capacity at sea is making the crossing increasingly dangerous for migrants. "There are is a higher probability of dying at sea now than one year ago. This is not acceptable," he said. Saving lives at sea should be the number one priority, and search and rescue operations clearly need to be reinforced," Belbeisi said. The Sea Watch, Proactiva Open Arms and Mediterranean NGOs announced on Friday that they were launching a joint rescue operation for migrants off Libya's coast. Supported by a reconnaissance aircraft, the fleet will carry out joint search and rescue in the central Mediterranean and document human rights violations, the charities said, accusing European Union countries of shirking their international legal obligations towards migrants. "We do not want to live in a Europe that has turned its maritime border into a mass grave as a deterrent and has its Libyan bouncers do the dirty work," said mission chief Johannes Bayer. "As long as the EU lets people drown in the Mediterranean, we will continue to go to sea." The Sea-Watch 3 rescue vessel had been unlawfully detained in Malta for four months, Seawatch stated. The last migrant rescue ship operating in the Mediterranean, the Acquarius, chartered by the Doctors without Borders (MSF) and SOS Mediterranee charities, has been stuck in Marseille's since Manama in September revoked the right to fly its flag, allegedly following a request from Italy's far-right, anti-establishment government. New York, Dec 6 : Oil prices have extended losses as US President Donald Trump once again tried to dampen OPEC's efforts to tackle falling oil prices amid market expectations on further output cut. "Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!" Trump said on Twitter on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The West Texas Intermediate for January delivery decreased $0.36 to settle at $52.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, while Brent crude for January delivery decreased $0.52 to close at $61.56 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange. The remarks came just a day prior to OPEC's meeting in Vienna, piling pressure on the Saudi-led cartel, Russia and other non-member nations over potential global oil policy-making. Moscow has shown willingness to cooperate with OPEC to cut oil production. Russia's oil giant Lukoil said it's ready to cut production if the upcoming meeting results in a deal to prop up prices, the company's CEO Vagit Alekperov told reporters, according to TASS news agency. Yet he said such a reduction could be done "only gradually," due to the adverse weather conditions in Western Siberia. "The reduction should be smooth, just like last year," Alekperov was quoted as saying. Moscow, Dec 6 : Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro that he condemns actions of terrorist nature and attempts to change the situation in Venezuela by force. "We realize and know that the situation in Venezuela remains difficult. We support your efforts to achieve mutual understanding in the society and settle relations with the opposition," Putin said at a meeting with Maduro on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. According to Putin, Russia-Venezuela economic relations went through very difficult times in previous years with a significant drop in trade. "But we have managed to stop this negative trend and can see some growth this year," said the Russian leader. Maduro said, according to a Kremlin transcript, that his country faced various threats and aggression, but it always learned from these events. "I think we have found the point that helps us survive and launch a rather full, comprehensive economic programme that fully complies with the economic relations between Russia and Venezuela," he said. The Kremlin did not release details of Putin's talks with the visiting Venezuelan president. Ottawa, Dec 6 : The Chinese embassy here has asked Canada to release Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, who has been arrested in Vancouver at the request of US authorities. Huawei on Thursday denied any wrongdoing by its corporate, Xinhua news agency reported. Meng was provisionally detained by the Canadian authorities on behalf of the US, when she was transferring flight in Canada, according to a statement. "The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harms the human rights of the victim," said a Chinese embassy statement. "The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Meng Wanzhou. "We will closely follow the development of the issue and take all measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens," it added. Huawei said the company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng. Its statement said it complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU. Srinagar, Dec 6 : Indian and Pakistani armies traded heavy fire on the Line of Control (LoC) on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, defence sources said. The Pakistan Army used automatics and mortars to target Indian positions on the LoC in Kamalkote area of Uri sector late on Wednesday, the sources said. "Indian positions retaliated effectively. Firing exchanges continued till Thursday morning. No casualty has been reported from our side," they added. Two Indian soldiers were injured on Wednesday in Pakistan firing in the same area. San Francisco, Dec 6 : Joining the top players hoping to launch a 5G smartphone in 2019, Chinese handset maker OnePlus has said that its first such commercial device, which could release in the first of next year, would be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. OnePlus will release a commercial 5G smartphone with carrier network EE in UK in 2019, the company's CEO Pete Lau said on Wednesday at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit 2018 in Hawaii, US. "OnePlus only makes flagship smartphones, and we believe that the Snapdragon 855 is the best and only choice. We are thrilled by its powerful performance and 5G capabilities," Pete Lau said at the event. Lau told CNET that OnePlus is expecting to launch the 5G phone by the end of May this year. Since its establishment five years ago, OnePlus has only made flagship smartphones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Series mobile platforms. The company recently launched its latest flagship device - the OnePlus 6T, powered by the Snapdragon 845. "We are proud to work with OnePlus to continue to bring breakthrough mobile experiences to consumers," said Alex Katouzian, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mobile, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Snapdragon 855 is designed to deliver multi-gigabit 5G, industry leading AI and immersive extended reality (XR) ushering in a new decade of wireless experiences to come," Katouzian said. Samsung, which has already showcased its 5G device, is also planning to launch the device in the first half of 2019. Sydney, Dec 6 : An Australian court on Thursday overturned former Archbishop of Australia Philip Wilson's conviction for covering up cases of child sexual abuse to protect the Church. The judge also revoked his one-year sentence which he had been serving in home detention, Efe news reported. Wilson, 68, became the world's most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted of covering up sexual abuse when his trial ended in May. A police investigation earlier this year found Wilson guilty of covering up sexual abuse of two altar boys by priest James Fletcher in the 1970s. Fletcher was convicted of the abuse in 2004 and died in prison two years later. At the earlier trial, Magistrate Robert Stone said Wilson had stayed silent about the abuse out of a desire to protect the Church's reputation. He then avoided jail after his conviction and was serving home detention. Wilson later launched an appeal during which Newcastle District Court judge Roy Ellis was asked to consider whether prosecutors had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Wilson had failed to report allegations against Fletcher after the priest had been charged. Ellis upheld Wilson's appeal on Thursday and quashed the sentence given by a lower court, the report said. The judge said prosecutors were unable to prove beyond reasonable doubt the culpability of the accused and called the former archbishop an "honest and consistent witness". "There is no proper basis on which I can rely to reject the evidence of (Father Wilson)," Ellis said, according to national broadcaster ABC. Wilson had said during the trial that he did not remember the victims complaining to him about the abuse. The prosecutors, who had also filed a petition for Wilson to be transferred to a prison, did not comment whether they would challenge the verdict. Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse reported that the Catholic Church received complaints from 4,500 people for alleged abuses committed by some 1,880 priests between 1980 and 2015. On July 30, Pope Francis had accepted Wilson's resignation as the Archbishop of Adelaide. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Calling the Ram temple a vote bank politics of the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday said all political parties should respect the judiciary and let it do its job over the Ayodhya dispute. Speaking to IANS, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said all political parties should welcome whatever verdict the Supreme Court gives on the dragging row. "Whatever be the verdict, it should be welcomed by the Congress, BJP, AAP, Sunni Waqf Board and also the Ram Lalla party. The AAP will respect the verdict and so should others," he said. In 1992 on this day, a large crowd demolished a 16th-century Babri Mosque in Ayodhya and quickly set up a makeshift temple at the spot. Hindu groups want to build a grand temple at the site. The matter is now in the Supreme Court, which in October deferred the Ayodhya hearing to January 2019 citing that the issue was not a priority for it. Sanjay Singh attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party for using the temple issue as a vote bank. "Ram Temple is vote bank politics for BJP. They don't care about Lord Rama. For past 25 years, they are shouting about building a temple, but are not announcing the dates as to when they will build a temple." The BJP, Sanjay Singh said, follows the Supreme court in selectively. "They claim to care about women's right by following the court's orders on Triple Talaq, but not on Sabarimala... You have to follow the court's order in full and with all respect," he added. Manila, Dec 6 : Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has launched yet another verbal attack against Catholic bishops, calling them useless and saying they should be killed, according to the transcription of one of his speeches released by the presidential office on Thursday. More than 85 per cent of the country's population is Catholic. "These bishops of yours, kill them. These b*****ds are useless. All they do is criticize," Duterte said in a part tagalog, part English speech in Manila on Wednesday night. At a later event, he called the Catholic church "the most hypocritical institution in the entire Philippines" and claimed that "90 per cent" of priests were gay, Efe news reported. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) refused to comment. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo later defended Duterte's remarks, saying they should not be taken literally as they had only been used for dramatic effect. Two weeks ago, the President insulted Catholic bishops and priests, saying Filipinos should not go to church to pay for "idiots". Days earlier, Duterte accused Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David -- one of his most vocal critics -- of stealing church donations. The bishop responded by calling the leader a "very sick man". The conflict between Duterte and the Catholic Church goes back to February 2017, when the CBCP criticized the President's violent anti-drugs campaign, calling it a "reign of terror". Duterte retaliated by calling them "s**s of b*****s". Paris, Dec 6 : Unesco Director-General Audrey Azoulay has deplored the killing of journalists Raed Fares and Hamoud Jneed in Syria's rebel-held northern Idlib province last month, urging that their killers be brought to justice. "I condemn the murder of Raed Fares and Hamoud Jneed," said Azoulay, referring to their assassination in Kafranbel on November 23. "Fares and Jneed were deeply committed journalists who remained dedicated to informing the public at great risk to themselves over the years," she said. "I call on the local authorities to investigate this crime and bring its perpetrators to justice, an essential step to improve the safety of journalists working in the area." Unidentified gunmen killed Fares and Jneed shortly after they left Radio Fresh, where both worked. Fares, one of Syria's most prominent broadcast journalists and civil society activists, was the founder of Radio Fresh for which Jneed worked as a photographer. Fares survived an assassination attempt in 2014 and barely escaped with his life. He was arrested by Al Qaeda, kidnapped and tortured, before being released. Islamabad, Dec 6 : Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday said that India gave a "political colour" to his gesture of opening the Kartarpur border and called it "unfortunate". Pakistan opened the Kartarpur border in November to facilitate visa-free pilgrimage by Indian Sikhs to Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara, where Sikhism's founder Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life. "Unfortunately, India portrayed it as us seeking political advantage. During my swearing-in ceremony when Navjot Singh Sidhu visited we had discussed this," Khan was quoted as saying by Dawn while he was addressing the Cabinet. "... the Indian media has given Kartarpur (border opening) a political colour, as if we did this to gain some sort of political mileage. This is not true. We did it because it is part of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's manifesto." Khan performed the groundbreaking ceremony on November 28 to develop the Kartarpur Corridor to link Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in India with Kartarpur gurdwara in the presence of Indian Ministers Harsimrat Kaur Badal, Hardeep Puri and Congress party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. "I am glad that the government pressed for the opening of the corridor. If someone's religious sites are in Pakistan then we should facilitate them. We are not doing anything new, these things were part of our manifesto," said Khan. The leader added that the Sikh community responded very positively to the effort. "It (Kartarpur) is to them what Medina is to us," Khan said, adding that he was hopeful that "India will also respond positively". Panaji, Dec 6 : When it comes to equality before God and in society, Dalits in India have made more progress than women, historian Ramachandra Guha said on Thursday, while speaking at the Goa Literary and Arts Festival held here. Guha also said, that it was ironic that while Kerala was at the forefront of a 1920s movement for entry of Dalits to Hindu temples, the same progressive southern state was at the centre of the Sabrimala temple controversy over entry of women to the famous temple. "When it comes to equality before God, arguably I am sure even in the Christian Church, there is probably some Dalit priest, maybe even a Dalit Bishop or two. "I do not know, I have not studied it properly. When it comes to equality before God, whether it is Hinduism or Islam or Christianity, Dalits have made some more progress than women," Guha said in his lecture at the festival which is underway near Panaji. "As late as the 1960s, Dalits in many parts of India could not enter temples. Badrinath for example. The first Dalits who entered the temple was in the early 1960s, well after Independence. "Gandhi and his colleague Narayanguru in Kerala had started a temple entry movement in the 1920s. But the progress of the temple entry movement was halting, interrupted and unequal," he said. "But with women there is all kinds of curbs as you know, that particular prejudice which stops women between 15 and 45 from entering at the Sabrimala, probably also operates in other parts. "And of course there are no women priests in any religion," he added. "I am sure there are still parts of India, where Dalits are excluded from temples. There must be some parts of remote and rural India where caste prejudices are extreme and where upper castes can identify which are the Dalit hamlets and find ways of keeping them out. "But this is in my view, relatively limited," he said. Guha also said that despite urbanisation, caste prejudice in India had not been eliminated, citing the instance of Rohit Vemula, a Dalit scholar studying at the University of Hyderabad, who committed suicide due to alleged discrimination. "Discrimination persists in the cities too, as the tragic suicide of Rohit Vemula shows, that in the science faculties of a prestigious elite university, a brilliant young Dalit student was forced to commit suicide because of the way he had been treated by the people around him, by the administration, the Vice Chancellor and the larger political environment," Guha said. Latest updates on Gandhi Jayanti 2019 Seoul, Dec 6 : South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will hold talks in Washington on Thursday to discuss North Korea's denuclearization among other issues, it was announced here. During the talks, Kang and Pompeo will discuss issues of mutual concern, including a joint strategy on North Korea, according to South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kyu-duk. Kang is on a visit to the US as the head of the South Korean delegation to attend the funeral of former US President George H.W. Bush, Yonhap news agency reported. This will be the first meeting between Kang and Pompeo in the last two months. The previous meeting took place in Seoul on October 7. The top diplomats were expected to exchange views on an apparent stalemate in the dialogue with Pyongyang, the possibility of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's Seoul visit and his second summit with US President Donald Trump. Trump on Sunday had said he planned to hold a second summit with Kim that could take place in January or February and three places were being considered for the meeting. However, lack of progress in the denuclearization talks because of the absence of a roadmap in the agreement signed by the two leaders in Singapore in June prolonged any decision on the second summit. The US has demanded that Pyongyang take substantial steps towards denuclearization while the latter has asked for security guarantees before it signs any peace agreement. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Customs administrations of 21 countries from South Asia, West Asia and Asia Pacific stressed on sharing data and intelligence in real-time to counter organised cross-border crime, the Finance Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. "During the two day meeting, there was special emphasis on sharing of data and intelligence between different customs administrations... All the participating countries agreed to co-operate closely and counter the organised cross-border crime," it said. The decision was an outcome of a two-day event organised on December 4-5 to conclude the Regional Customs Enforcement Meeting (RCEM) and to observe the 61st Foundation Day of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). "Extensive discussions were held regarding mutual strategy to counter organised crime related to drugs, precious metals and stones, money laundering and black economy," it said. Apart from the 21 countries, representatives from World Customs Organisation (WCO), Interpol, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific (RILO AP) attended the meeting. The DRI gave a presentation on "Data Exchange to Control Illicit Trade", highlighting the need, benefit and challenges for effective exchange of customs data and proposed a four-stage model. It also spoke on "Drug Trafficking, Smuggling and Organised Financial Crime". While the Mauritius delegate laid great emphasis on sharing of information and intelligence on real-time basis, the Australian delegate elaborated on "Passenger Profiling and Targeting Capability" and explained their layered approach in profiling. Interpol outlined major steps taken in recent times to promote police-customs co-operation and the WCO outlined the strategy and operations against drugs and NPS trafficking, the statement said. Iran gave a presentation on various kinds of narcotics seizures made by them, while the UNODC (South Asia) gave a brief overview of the mandate of UNODC which includes combating, apart from drugs and organised crime, terrorism, smuggling and corruption. Washington, Dec 6 : Saudi lobbyists moved business to US President Donald Trump's hotel in Washington DC within a month of his election in 2016, paying for an estimated 500 nights' stay at the luxury hotel in just three months, the media reported. According to a report in the Washington Post, the lobbyists for the Saudis spent around $270,000 at the Trump hotel in total, housing dozens of US military veterans brought to the district to lobby Congress against a recently-passed law allowing victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to sue other governments. The amount Saudi lobbyists spent at Trump's hotel for the effort was previously reported by The Wall Street Journal last year. The Post reported that the 500 nights in Trump's hotel came at a discounted rate and organizers claimed that was the reason they moved their business there. Some of the veterans that the Post spoke to said they were not aware they were lobbying on behalf of Saudi Arabia. Documents obtained by the Post showed that Saudi officials paid for six groups of US military veterans to stay at the Trump hotel for periods of time between December 2016 and February 2017, following Congress' decision to override former President Barack Obama's veto of the law. The aim of the lobbying efforts appeared to be an amendment to the law, though no changes were ever passed through Congress and some veterans involved told the Post that it was unclear what specific changes the groups organizing the trips desired to see, the Hill newspaper reported. The President has faced criticism since taking office over his ties to the Trump Organization, which has at times received business from Republican and pro-Trump groups and organizations, as well as members of foreign governments. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Congress cannot defeat the BJP in elections with "soft Hindutva tactics", the CPI-M has warned. "If the Congress thinks it can defeat the BJP by ... soft Hindutva tactics, it is mistaken," said an editorial in the CPI-M journal "People's Democracy". The Communist Party of India-Marxist said the elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan saw the Congress conduct a campaign which was a pale echo of the Hindutva platforms in some respects. "The attempt to prove that the Congress was genuinely more Hindu than the BJP witnessed a flurry of temple visits by Rahul Gandhi in the three states; the manifesto of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh talked of 'gaushalas', commercial sale of 'gau mutra' and building a 'Ram Van Gaman Path Yatra'. "In Rajasthan, the manifesto promised the setting up of an education board to propagate Vedic values. In the campaign, there was a palpable reluctance to speak out against the lynchings of Muslims like the killing of Pehlu Khan," the editorial said. Nevertheless, the BJP will face electoral reverses in these three states "because the people have voted on issues such as jobs, farmers' distress, lack of basic amenities and corruption", the CPI-M said. It said that various mass struggles offering a secular and democratic alternative "alone can counter the BJP-RSS gameplan and effectively foil it". "The mobilisation of the working people ... and the numerous struggles and movements taking place around the country stand in stark contrast to the communal mobilisation being undertaken on the Ram temple issue at Ayodhya." New Delhi, Dec 6 : The government is organising a one-day start-up conference in Goa on Friday for budding entrepreneurs to tap global funding, an official statement said. The annual Start-up India Venture Capital Summit in Goa is being organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Goa government, said a Union Commerce Ministry statement here. With the theme of "Mobilizing Global Capital for Innovation in India", the event will showcase the Indian start-up opportunity for funds from around the world, it said. "The summit aims to attract more global capital into the country. The event will enable a dialogue between government and experienced venture capital fund managers on ways to further promote the start-up ecosystem in India," it added. Noting that the Goa government is focused on building a vibrant start-up ecosystem in the state, the statement said that over 150 participants are expected to attend the event from around 100 funds in the US, China, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, among others. At an event here last week, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said that the government has been taking several steps to promote the start-up ecosystem in the country. He said the Ministry is working on a policy to provide mentorship to start-ups, discussing with the regulator on reducing the regulatory burden, as well as meeting with global funds for providing funding support to start-ups. Washington, Dec 6 : A bipartisan group of US senators have introduced a resolution saying that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was "complicit" in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The mainly symbolic resolution was introduced on Wednesday and came amid unrest among US lawmakers over President Donald Trump administration's response to the killing of the Washington Post columnist. Khashoggi, a supporter-turned-critic of the Saudi Crown Prince, went missing on October 2 after entering the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul for collecting documents in order to marry his Turkish fiancAe Hatice Cengiz. After initially saying the journalist had left the consulate alive, weeks later the Saudi administration admitted he was killed there and blamed a "rogue" team. Trump has repeatedly downplayed the Saudi Crown Prince's involvement in Khashoggi killing. The resolution said the Senate believed the Saudi Crown Prince "was in control of security forces" during the killing and "based on evidence and analysis made available to this institution, has a high level of confidence that Mohammed bin Salman was complicit in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi", the Hill newspaper reported. The measure was introduced by Senators Lindsey Graham, Dianne Feinstein, Marco Rubio, Ed Markey, Todd Young and Christopher Coons. The resolution was non-binding, but if approved, would put the Senate on the record saying the Crown Prince was responsible for Khashoggi's slaying inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul in early October. The resolution also urged the Trump administration and the international community to "hold all parties, including Mohammed bin Salman, involved in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi accountable". "I believe it's vitally important to US national security interests to make a definitive statement about the brutal murder of an American resident -- Khashoggi -- who has three American citizen children," Graham said in a statement. The resolution came one day after the Central Intelligence Agency Director briefed senators in a closed-door meeting about the journalist's killing. London, Dec 6 : Over 30 million smartphone users in the UK were unable to get online or use their 3G and 4G services after the O2 network suffered a technical fault, the media reported on Thursday. Owned by the Spanish telecom giant Telefonica, O2 has 25 million customers but also provides services for operators like Sky, Tesco, Giffgaff and Lycamobile which have another seven million users. While the company claimed that voice calls are not affected by the problem, some customers say they cannot make calls or send texts either, the BBC reported. According to an O2 spokesperson, a software issue identified by a third-party supplier was to blame for the outage. "We believe other mobile operators around the world are also affected. Our technical teams are working with their teams to ensure this is fixed as quickly as possible," O2 spokesperson was quoted as saying. "We'd encourage our customers to use WiFi wherever they can and we apologise for the inconvenience caused." The outage is having knock-on effects for other services that use the O2 network, including Transport for London's electronic timetable service at bus stops, which has stopped working, the report said. As per a report in the Independent, the affected phones, which may be every single device registered to the network, simply fail to show any kind of data connection and will not connect even when turned off and back on or when other workarounds are tried, according to users experiencing the problem. O2 said that the problem stemmed from a global software issue at a third-party supplier, understood to be Ericsson, which has also affected other mobile operators around the world, the report said. "We're aware that our customers are unable to use data this morning," O2 spokesperson said. "One of our third-party suppliers has identified a global software issue in their system which has impacted us." Tehran, Dec 6 : At least two people were killed and 28 injured in a suicide bombing at a police headquarters in Iran's southeastern port city of Chabahar on Thursday, officials said. Three of the 28 people injured in the attack were in grave condition, Mohammad Naseh, a chief medic at an emergency centre in the city was quoted as saying by state-run IRNA news agency. Following the attack, gunfire was heard in Chabahar -- located in the province of Sistan and Baluchestan, near the border with Pakistan -- where militant Sunni groups opposed to the ruling Shia government, smugglers and drug traffickers operate. Chabahar Governor Rahmdel Bamri said that the suicide bomber was killed after he blew himself up in the attack. An investigation was initiated into the explosion, for which no group has claimed responsibility as of yet, IRNA reported. According to the Iranian media, immediately after the bomber detonated the car bomb, gunmen attempted to storm the police headquarters but were killed by security forces. Terror attacks are frequent near Iran's borders with Pakistan (east) and Iraq (west). In September, 29 people were killed during an attack on a military parade in Iranian city of Ahvaz in September. In June 2017, a double attack on the Iranian Parliament and the mausoleum in Tehran of former supreme leader Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, left 17 dead and over 50 injured. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State terror organization. New Delhi, Dec 6 : A Delhi Court on Thursday reserved order on the application of BJP MP Subramanian Swamy seeking to conduct prosecution in a case against Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, accused of abetment to suicide of his wife Sunanda Pushkar. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Samar Vishal said he will deliver order on the Swamy's plea on December 10. In his plea, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament has sought to assist the court and to bring on record the Delhi Police's Vigilance Report on tampering of evidence in the case for framing of additional charges. Tharoor's counsel and Senior Advocate Vikas Pahwa opposed his plea, while Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava said that third party should not interfere in the case as it is a criminal trial and the matter is between the Delhi Police and the accused person. On May 14, police chargesheeted Tharoor under sections 306 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, pertaining to abetment to suicide and cruelty to wife. Pushkar, 51, died under mysterious circumstances in a hotel room in south Delhi on January 17, 2014, days after she alleged that Tharoor was having an affair with a Pakistani journalist. New Delhi, Dec 6 : India followed due process in securing the extradition of AgustaWestland middleman Christian Michel from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a senior official said on Thursday. At a media briefing here, External Affairs Ministry (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the Ministry had two requests from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the extradition of Michel from the UAE which were then forwarded to the Indian mission in the Gulf nation. "After following due process and exhaustion of judicial process, Christian Michel was extradited to India," Kumar said. "The matter is being handled by the CBI." Michel is a British national who was wanted for his role in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case. He was brought back to India from the UAE on Tuesday. On Wednesday, a Delhi court sent him to five days' custody of the CBI. Michel is also under medical observation. Kumar also said the External Affairs Ministry has received a request from the British High Commission for consular access to Michel. "The matter is being examined by the Ministry," he said. New Delhi, Dec 6 : With the Navy embarking on an upgrade programme of a fleet of anti-submarine helicopters, Bengaluru-based defence equipment manufacturer Alpha Design Technologies Pvt Ltd has offered "its expertise" in partnership with Adani Defence. ADTL wrote to the Navy last month proposing its involvement in the MLU (mid life upgrade) programme of KA-28 anti-submarine helicopters. The Defence Ministry had cleared an upgrade programme for its 10 Navy Kamov Ka-28 anti-submarine warfare helicopters to give the choppers extended service life and enhance capabilities in terms of sensors and avionics. The contract for retrofitting of the ten Ka-28 helicopters was tied between Russia and India in 2016. ADTL said that they have "strong partnership" with Adani Defence and Aerospace Limited (ADAS) on important programmes where ADAS is the strategic partner. ADTL, "with full support from ADAS", pledged to offer the Navy "its expertise in the helicopter upgrade programme" and proposed its involvement in the Navy's KA-28 MLU programme. IANS sent queries to Adani Defence about the contents of the letter, the level of ADTL participation in terms of finances and shareholding, but there was no response. The upgrade programme could attract offsets and orders for other Russian made choppers. Designed in the early '80s, Ka-28 is capable of detecting submarines and surface targets and attack them with onboard weapons. Paris, Dec 6 : Left-leaning political parties in the French National Assembly on Thursday announced they were set to subject the government to a vote of no confidence over its handling of the so-called "Yellow Jackets" crisis -- consisting of widespread social protests that rocked the country in recent weeks. The protesters as part of the "Yellow Jackets" movement had taken to streets against rising gas prices and taxes on polluting forms of transport. Three people died in the unrest that continued for the past three weekends. The first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, said that the parliamentary move had the backing of the progressive-populist party La France Insoumise and of the Communist Party, Efe news reported. Faure said that three parties were seeking to earn the support of other groups for the no-trust motion, which will be introduced in the lower chamber on Monday. As it stands, the vote has very slim chances of prospering due to the comfortable absolute majority enjoyed by the ruling party, the centre-right La RApublique En Marche of President Emmanuel Macron. The Socialist leader, conscious of this fact, rhetorically asked: "What is this good for?" "It's good for proving that another way is possible," he added. "There's a common goal: making the tax system more just." Lawmakers will cast their definitive votes at least 48 hours after the motion's introduction on Monday and subsequent parliamentary debate. "We can clearly see that there's a government that is heading straight towards the wall and is still maintaining the same political logic," said Ugo Bernalicis, an Assembly member for La France Insoumise. "It is our collective responsibility to stop this and make sure we change the government, and therefore our politics," he said. According to the left-wing lawmaker, if politicians fail to confront the ongoing social discontent, "chaos will come". He therefore defended acting through institutional means in the French Parliament. Ottawa, Dec 6 : China on Thursday demanded the immediate release of Meng Wanzhou, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of tech giant Huawei, whose arrest could escalate into a major diplomatic incident. Calling Meng's detention a "rights abuse", Beijing urged both Ottawa and Washington to clarify their reasons for the action. She was arrested in Vancouver on Saturday and faces extradition to the US. The row threatens to drive a further rift between the US and China even as they begin three months of negotiations aimed at de-escalating their bruising trade war. Canada confirmed Meng's detention on Wednesday night. Details of the arrest were not released but the US has been investigating Huawei over possible violation of sanctions against Iran, reports say. She was provisionally detained by the Canadian Authorities on behalf of the US, when she was transferring flights in Canada, the BBC reported. US stock futures and Asian shares tumbled after Meng's arrest. Fearing that a US-China trade war truce was becoming unattainable, Europe's main stock indices slumped to their lowest point since December 2016 in morning trading. Also, indexes across Asia dropped sharply following the arrest. "The detention without giving any reason violates a person's human rights," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang. "We have made solemn representations to Canada and the US, demanding that both parties immediately clarify the reasons for the detention, and immediately release the detainee to protect the person's legal rights." He added that China had been providing consular assistance to Meng since learning of her arrest. Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa also lodged its protest over the arrest. Huawei denied any wrongdoing by its corporate CFO Meng. She has sought a publication ban on the details of the arrest, which has been granted by the courts. Therefore, the company said it had little information about the charges and was "not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng". The tech giant said in a statement that "the company complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates". A court hearing has been set for Friday, according to Canada's Justice Department. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Facebook has a zero tolerance approach for child exploitation images, said a top executive from the social networking giant here on Thursday. She added that we have to be much more responsible on digital media for the sake of young children. "Young people are developing digital literacy at an increasingly young age, which means we have to be much more responsible on the digital media for the young children," Shelley Thakral, Head of Policy Programmes (India, South Asia, and Central Asia), Facebook, said. "We have online safety experts from NGOs from all across the world, and we have zero tolerance to images that show exploitation of children," she added. Thakral was speaking at the three-day 'Plan For Every Child 2018 - Girls Get Equal' national conference, organised by non-profit Plan India in partnership with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. In November, the social media giant was slammed by human rights activists for failing to remove a post in which a South Sudanese man auctioned his 17-year-old daughter to the highest bidder as a child bride. As per media reports, at least five men, including the region's deputy general, participated in the bidding of the teenager. A man with eight other wives won the bid and paid the girl's father 500 cows, two luxury cars, two bikes, a boat, mobile phones and $10,000 in cash. Facebook was also accused of encouraging grooming by offering teenage girls middle-aged men as 'friend suggestions'. Teenage girls, as young as 13-year-olds, who join the social network are given upto 300 suggestions for who they can add as friends, some of which include middle-aged men who are topless in their profile photos. However, Facebook said that was not a typical experience for teenagers signing up for the service and that it has safeguards built into its recommendation system. "At Facebook, we are going great lengths to do everything to listen to our community and to be adaptive," Thakral said. "Our goal is to ensure that everyone has the right to express themselves. We need to be able to provide them the right privacy and security," she stressed. The conference that began Wednesday, saw experts from diverse backgrounds deliberate on systems strengthening child protection as a critical factor in the governance of any country. The workshops and sessions brought out children's experiences and perceptions of safety at home, school and community. Stockholm, Dec 6 : UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday said the warring parties in the Arab country had reached an agreement on the exchange of prisoners. Griffiths' announcement came at the beginning of the Yemeni peace negotiations outside of the Swedish capital, Stockholm, in a renewed attempt by the UN to end nearly four years of civil war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine. Representatives of the internationally-recognized Yemeni government, which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition, flew to Sweden on Wednesday while UN special envoy Martin Griffiths accompanied the Iranian-backed Houthis to Stockholm. "I am also pleased to announce the signing of an agreement on the exchange of prisoners, detainees, the missing, the forcibly detained and individuals placed under house arrest," Griffiths said at a press conference. "It will allow thousands of families to be reunited and it is product of very effective, active work from both delegations." Griffiths hoped the peace talks would result in the resumption of the political process in Yemen. The peace negotiations in the small Swedish town of Rimbo -- located 60 km to the north of Stockholm -- were the first to be carried out in over two years. The Houthis -- rebels belonging to an armed movement that adheres to the Zaidi current of Islam who launched an insurgency against the Yemeni government in 2011 -- did not attend the last round of talks, convened by the UN in September in Geneva. During that time the rebels reportedly said they were unable or unwilling to travel by air due to concerns that the Saudi-led military coalition would interfere with their flight. Thursday's peace talks occurred during a time of fighting between Yemen government-supporting coalition forces to take the Houthi-held port city of Hodeida, the main point of entry for food and medicine for Yemen's population. Yemeni government representative Abdullah al-Alimi tweeted earlier that the talks were "a true opportunity for peace". The head of the Houthi delegation, Mohammed Abdelsalam, vowed to "spare no effort to make a success of the talks" but also warned rebel fighters to remain "vigilant against any attempt at a military escalation". The Arab country has been locked in a political and military crisis since popular regional uprisings began in 2011, with the Houthis taking control of Yemen's capital Sana'a in September 2014, a move that spurred Saudi Arabia to go to war against the Houthis in 2015 with the support of the United Arab Emirates and other key Saudi allies. Kabul, Dec 6 : Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Thursday met visiting US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, discussing the latest efforts for a political solution to the conflict in the country. During the meeting, Khalilzad briefed Ghani on his tours to the countries in the region, focusing on peace and reconciliation of Afghanistan, the palace said in a statement cited by Xinhua news agency. According to the statement, Ghani said that joint peace efforts would help Afghans to achieve a lasting peace and put an end to the long war and crisis. The meeting was attended by government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. Khalilzad, leading a delegation, arrived in Afghanistan after visiting Pakistan where he met the country's top leadership. Khalilzad held three-day talks with the Taliban political representatives in Qatar last month. He will travel to Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar during his 18-day tour till December 20. New Delhi, Dec 6 : Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on Thursday laid a foundation stone for a Kisan Haat at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa here where farmers can sell their agricultural produce and value-added products. Pusa Kisan Haat will be built across 2.5 acres and it will have 60 stalls. It will also have a 'Technology Park' in which farmers can see live crop technologies of Pusa. There will be facilities like food plaza, open-air theater with a seating capacity of 100 people, conference hall, museum, Lab and lecture hall, besides facility for agricultural consultation services, seeds and literature for farmers. Also, an international hostel is being constructed in the Pusa campus with a view to encourage and attract youth towards agricultural education and cater to the rising number of students. Kolkata, Dec 6 : Dry cell batteries maker Eveready Industries India Ltd (EIIL) on Thursday said it has entered into an agreement with Alwarpet Properties for sale of its land in Chennai for Rs 100 crore to reduce debt. The land belonged to a battery manufacturing facility over the last five decades. The factory became economically unviable on account to high standing costs and overheads, which led to it becoming idle for some time. The land, therefore, became surplus to the company's needs, it said in a statement. "The sale transaction will help reduce debts of the Company and further improve the balance sheet. The closure of the factory, in any case, is positive to the profitability of the business on account of cost savings," Managing Director Amritanshu Khaitan said. Pune, Dec 6 : A 10-member central team has started a three-day tour of the drought-hit regions of Maharashtra, spending barely a couple of minutes at various locations, raising the hackles of farmers and activists. The visit, dubbed a 'flying survey' by locals, started on Wednesday and has covered some of the worst-hit areas of Jalgaon, Sangli, Jalna, Parbhani, Solapur and its surroundings. On Friday, it shall cover parts of parched Vidarbha. "However, owing to the language barriers, they barely interact with the farmers anxiously who wait for them for hours, cursorily glance around and get back into their air-conditioned vehicles," locals told mediapersons. On an average, the central team managed to cover a grueling 300 km daily, or roughly 1,000 km during the three-day tour, to verify the government's claims on the drought situation. Many farmers were piqued that the central officials barely discussed the burning issues of drought, shortage of water for drinking, cattle and irrigation, besides shortage of fodder for farm animals. Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Samiti (VNSS) Chairman Kishore Tiwari said though the state government had demanded Rs 7,000 crore as immediate drought relief from the Centre, the grave question of crop failure had not yet been taken up. "The relief sought is for insufficient or failed monsoon. But the real crisis is lurking elsewhere in the form of crop failure of cotton and pulse farmers in large parts of the worst-hit Vidarbha and Marathwada. This has increased the spate of farmland suicides in recent months and the situation could worsen in coming months," Tiwari told IANS. Tiwari lashed out at the central team for conducting its crucial survey as a "emere formality" and demanded that state officials who understand the local language should accompany such teams for a meaningful interaction. Even before the monsoon bowed out this year with an estimated average of 77 percent rains (in the state), the government was compelled to declare drought in 151 talukas spread across 26 districts in end-October and sought urgent central assistance. Chennai, Dec 6 : Tamil Nadu on Thursday condemned the central government for permitting the Karnataka government to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for building a new dam across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu. At a special session convened here, the Tamil Nadu Assembly adopted a unanimous resolution to this effect. The resolution urged the central government to revoke the permission given by the Central Water Commission to the Karnataka government. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and proposed by Deputy Chief Minister and Leader of the House O. Panneerselvam. Leaders of various parties said that the dam, if constructed, would affect the livelihood of farmers in Tamil Nadu. New Delhi, Dec 6 : President Ram Nath Kovind will dedicate the first 50 housing units built for displaced Rohingya people during the course of his three-day state visit to Myanmar from December 11, a senior official said on Thursday. Briefing the media here, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said that India signed a development programme for Rakhine State in Myanmar late last year which was designed to assist the Myanmar government in Rakhine State to build housing infrastructure for return of displaced persons. "Two hundred and fifty units were planned for the first phase and by virtual means, President of India will be dedicating the first 50 units to the Myanmar side," Gokhale said. "It is something that has been appreciated not just by the government of Myanmar but also by the UN and other agencies." Over 730,000 Rohingyas, who are not recognised as citizens by Myanmar, have sought refuge in Bangladesh since August 2017, following a military campaign against the minority community in western Rakhine state. Giving details of the President's programme, Gokhale said that after reaching Myanmar's capital Nay Pyi Taw late on December 10 evening, Kovind will be accorded a ceremonial welcome on December 11 which will be followed by delegation-level talks with Myanmar President U Win Myint, a meeting with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and signing of agreements. On December 12, Kovind will visit the Advanced Centre for Agricultural Research and Education (ACARE) and the Rice Biopark. "These are both government of India projects funded by grants," Gokhale said. At the ACARE, Kovind will also launch a mobile app for agriculture technology. After completing these engagements, Kovind will leave for Yangon where he will lay a wreath at the Martyrs' Memorial which is also the resting place of Gen Aung San who was Aung San Suu Kyi's father. The President will also visit the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon and attend a community reception to be hosted by the Indian Ambassador to Myanmar. On December 13, Kovind will visit the Shri Kali Temple in Yangon and the mausoleum of the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar. He will also inaugurate the "Enterprise India" exhibition being organised by Indian industry body CII to showcase Indian manufacturing capabilities and industrial technology. Later in the day, the President will visit the Dhamma Joti Vipassana Mediation Centre. Kovind will return to India on December 14. Press Secretary to the President Ashok Malik said that this will be Kovind's last state visit this year and also the first state visit to a country with which India shares a land border. The President will be accompanied by a three-member delegation comprising Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, Lok Sabha MP from Assam Ram Prasad Sarma, and Rajya Sabha MP from Manipur K. Bhabananda Singh. "All three members of this delegation are parliamentarians from the states of Northeast," Malik said. "This is a recognition of the fact that the development of the Northeast is inter-linked with the development of Myanmar and our relationship with Myanmar," he said. "It is a tribute to the government's Act East Policy and and the centrality of the Northeast in that." India has been increasing its engagements with Southeast Asia under New Delhi's Act East Policy. India is also a key development aid partner of Myanmar and is working on some major infrastructure projects in that country, including the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway and the Kaladan multimodal transport project connecting Sittwe port with Mizoram. "In the past three years, political, economic and defence ties with Myanmar have grown rapidly," a statement issued by the External Affairs Ministry earlier regrading Kovind's visit said. It stated that Kovind's visit was expected to maintain the momentum generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Myanmar in September 2017 and the visit of Suu Kyi to New Delhi in January 2018 for the India-Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Commemorative Summit. Myanmar is the only Asean member state with which India is linked via land and sea. Mumbai, Dec 6 : Following its decision to acquire Arysta LifeScience, global crop protection products firm UPL on Thursday announced a new leadership of the merged entity with the new executive team to be led by the company's global CEO Jai Shroff. A company release said that Vikram Shroff will be the Executive Director of the consolidated organisation which will be strategically organised in seven regions in different parts of the world. In July this year, UPL had announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary UPL Corp had signed a definitive agreement with Platform Specialty Products Corporation to acquire Arysta LifeScience Inc. and its subsidiaries. The release said that the appointments will be effective upon the completion of the proposed transaction, which is expected early 2019, and the completion of the proposed transaction is subject to obtaining regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions. UPL said on Thursday that Arysta LifeScience President Diego Casanello will take over as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the crop protection business of New UPL. Ajit Premnath, who is currently COO of crop protection, will assume the role of Business Mentor, Crop Protection, "focusing on mentoring Casanello to take over the COO role", the statement said. It also said that the current COO (Global Strategy Innovation) Carlos Pellicer will now be the COO Integration, Global Strategy and Special Growth Initiatives. Listed in India, UPL Ltd had a market capitalisation of $5.3 billion as on October 31, 2018. For 2018-19, the company reported operating revenue of $2.7 billion and earning before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $543 million. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the launch of the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) to address ever-increasing technological requirements of the society. The mission to be implemented by the Science and Technology Department, at a total outlay of Rs 3,660 crore for a period of five years, would take into account the international trends and road maps of leading countries for the next generation technologies, an official statement said. It said the implementation of the mission would bring cyber-physical systems and associated technologies within reach of the country and would adopt them to address India-specific national and regional issues. It would also produce next generation skilled manpower in cyber-physical systems, give impetus to advance research, catalyse translational research, and accelerate entrepreneurship and startup ecosystem development, it added. "It would also place India at par with other advanced countries and derive several direct and indirect benefits," an official said. New Delhi, Dec 6 : The Cabinet on Thursday gave ex post facto approval to the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan in the field of healthcare and wellness. It was signed on October 29 this year. The MoC aims to promote projects like developing human resource in the field of acute medicine, surgery and trauma care, establishment of an advanced joint testing laboratory for clinical examination and collaborations among tertiary care centres in both countries. The agreement also focuses on improving infrastructural developments like establishing a centralised management healthcare distribution centre, increasing access to hygienic and affordable toilets, setting up India-Japan "Innovation Hub" and collaborating on getting high-end medical devices. The MoC also eyes research and project-based promotion for health self-management such as "ME-BYO" and Ayurveda and exploring other ideas related to Ayushman Bharat scheme and other health initiatives. "A Joint Committee as a high-level consultative mechanism will be set up to further elaborate the details of cooperation and to oversee the implementation of this MoC," it said in a statement. The Cabinet also approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Armenia on joint issue of postage stamp which was signed in June this year. As per the MoU, Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications and the National Postal Operator of Armenia mutually agreed to jointly issue postage stamps on India-Armenia: Joint Issue on the theme "Dence". The joint commemorative stamps, which were released in August, depict "Manipuri Dance" of India and "HovArek Dance" of Armenia. Cooch Behar/Kolkata (West Bengal), Dec 6 : Political temperatures soared in West Bengal on Thursday after an attack on the state BJP president's vehicle by miscreants, even as the Calcutta High Court refused permission to the party "at this stage" to hold a rally in northern West Bengal's Cooch Behar that was slated to be flagged off by party chief Amit Shah on Friday. Acting on a petition moved by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that sought the court's direction to the state government for giving the go-ahead for the "Rath Yatra" rally, Justice Tapabrata Chakrabrorty said the rally stannds deferred till January 9 next year, the next date of hearing, after the state government declined to green light the programme, arguing it could trigger communal tension. Shocked by the high court's refusal, the BJP leaders rushed to Chief Justice Debasish Kar Gupta, and later claimed that he has asked them to draw attention of the division bench on Friday morning, when the plea would be considered. "The matter will be heard at 10.30 a.m on Friday," said state BJP vice president Jay Prakash Majumdar. The BJP has chalked out three Rath Yatra rallies, set to touch all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies of West Bengal, and lined up its prominent national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah for public meetings this month, in its bid to expand its footprint in the eastern state where it is making a frenetic attempt to throw a strong challenge to the ruling Trinamool Congress in next year's general election. The BJP's ambitious plan has triggered a political slugfest, with the Trinamoool, Congress and the Left Front accusing it of hatching a conspiracy to cause a religious polarisation in the state for reaping political dividends. The heightened political tension took an ugly form on Thursday, as BJP state chief Dilip Ghosh's convoy was attacked allegedly by Trinamool workers in Sitalkuchi area of Cooch Behar district, after he reached there to participate in the Rath Yatra. Television grab showed some people, their faces covered with black clothes, beating the vehicles with sticks. Ghosh escaped unhurt but the vehicles were damaged. While the district administration said it is looking into the incident, Ghosh blamed the Trinamool Congress for the attack. "I was attacked for the 10th time. There were Trinamool workers who attacked my car and shouted slogans demanding that I should go back. The police, as always, were mute spectators. Some of my party workers were injured during the violence," Ghosh said. The court setback came in the afternoon, when Justice Chakraborty said he cannot grant permission to the BJP "at this stage" to hold the Rath Yatra rally and asked police superintendents of all districts to submit a report within December 21 on the event after hearing all BJP district chiefs. State's Advocate General Kishore Dutta contended that the Cooch Behar police superintendent has rejected the BJP's application for the rally from Friday as it could lead to communal tension in the district which has a history of communal issues. Dutta also claimed that rowdy elements and "communal provocateurs" have become active in Cooch Behar and the scheduled presence of senior BJP leaders alongside people from other states could cause breach of peace. The BJP state chief later said in Cooch Behar they are not putting the rally on hold, as all preparations has been completed. "We have moved the division bench, we are waiting for the hearing there. "The rally will begin tomorrow (Friday). We had started preparations six months back. We have spent lakhs and crores. Our workers have worked tirelessly for months. "Amit Shah ji will come tomorrow. We have told him we are ready. Lots of people have reached here. So, we can't stop the rally at this stage. We are looking at the court. We will decide tomorrow what we will do." However, state's north Bengal Affairs Minister Rabindranath Gosh said if the state BJP chief takes the law in his own hands, the district administration would take action. Making a vitriolic attack on Dilip ghosh, the Minister said: "He is a ruffian. If the BJP workers come with lathis-sticks, the lathis will be snatched and their legs broken with those. We won't let our workers to be victims of any violence perpetrated by the BJP." Left Front major CPI-M said a riveting drama is on in the state involving the Trinamool government and the BJP. "The government should have made clear its stand much in advance, why did they drag it? This is intended only to help the BJP," alleged CPI-M Legislative Party chief Sujon Chakraborty. Vijayawada, Dec 7 : South Korean auto major Kia Motors on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state of Andhra Pradesh to collaborate on the partnership for future eco mobility. The partnership reinforces Kia's commitment to support the Andhra Pradesh government in growing the uptake of electric vehicles (EV) and the development of a local EV infrastructure, the company said in a statement. The memorandum was signed in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Managing Director and CEO of Kia Motors India Kookhyun Shim. As part of the agreement, Kia Motors has provided the government with three examples of its global bestselling eco car - Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid and Niro EV. Kia is also installing a vehicle charging station at Vijayawada, for representatives from the regional government to charge their new environmentally-friendly fleet. The partnership signifies Kia's long-term commitment to build eco-friendly vehicles at its new Anantapur plant in Andhra Pradesh, an important step for the future of clean mobility in the rapidly expanding Indian market, the statement said. As the state government is developing 14 smart cities, Kia Motors is working with it to design a new generation of transportation systems that best serve the citizens in each of these cities. This is part of a wider plan by Kia to offer alternative mobility within the Indian market. "Future mobility will be defined by connected and sustainable technologies that play an important role in bringing customer lifestyles and what's good for the environment together," said Kookhyun Shim. Construction of Kia Motors' first manufacturing facility in India is underway in Anantapur district. It is expected to begin production in the second-half of 2019 and produce approximately 300,000 units per year. Kolkata, Dec 7 : Income Tax officials on Thursday called for a common platform for various agencies to unearth black money and for seamless investigations. "Implementing authorities like Income tax, Customs and Excise, Enforcement Directorate and others have to work together, hand in hand. There are many angles of the investigation, which cannot be dealt with only one agency and others might also be required. There is a need for common platform," said Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), East, Pranab Kumar Das at an event of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce. He stressed that making policies and acts alone would not be enough to tackle the menace of black money. The Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, along with the introduction of Benami Transaction Act and the amendment in Income Tax Act, have been facilitating the agencies to curb generation of black money, Das said. "Due to technologies, we are flooded with information about various transactions by persons. We can identify the track of transactions," he said, adding that more than 100 shell companies were raided in the city, based on the information. Principal Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), Kolkata, Ashish Verma said that I-T officials are getting information from abroad through improved policy initiatives. Hailing the demonetisation move, Verma said note-ban initiative corrected the generation of black money through real estate transactions. New Delhi, Dec 7 : In the backdrop of violence in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his official residence 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, here. Although what transpired between them was not officially communicated, sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the Chief Minister invited the Prime Minister for the "Ardh-Kumbh" to be held in Allahabad beginning next month. Sources also said that Yogi briefed the Prime Minister about the recent violence in Bulandshahr in which Police Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh was killed by a mob. Earlier in the day, family members of the killed Police Inspector met the Chief Minister in Lucknow. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family and assured them of justice in the case. Besides, assuring them all help, Adityanath said his government would not only take full responsibility of their education loans but would also give a government job to one of the family members. The Inspector was hit by a stone and then shot dead in a violence on Monday which erupted after cow vigilantes blocked a main road alleging cow slaughter. A civilian was also killed in the violence. Los Angeles, Dec 7 : After Ed Sheeran sent the internet in an uproar for being wildly undressed during his duet with Beyonce Knowles, the Grammy winner had a funny response to it. In a nod to the backlash, Sheeran reposted an article on his Instagram story titled, "People are angry Ed Sheeran wore a shirt while Beyonce wore couture during their Global Citizen performance." While performing together for the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday, fans were quick to criticise Sheeran's choice to pair a black t-shirt and sneakers on stage, while Beyonce, 37, opted for an extravagant pink gown with ruffles, reports people.com. "Swipe up to 'get the look," he wrote alongside the cheeky hashtag, #dresstoimpress. As he acknowledged the clashing looks, he joked about where to find more of his "amazing fashion choices". The controversy sparked hilarious memes of the pair during the performance and a real conversation about male privilege. "Ed Sheeran is a 27-year-old man the fact we've enabled him to feel it's ok to dress like this at all, let alone next to Beyonce really boils my piss," wrote one Twitter user. Another pointed to the disparity of gender expectations in the music industry saying, "This photo is representative of what we expect from men and women at the top of their game, isn't it?" As Twitter debated his wardrobe choice, many Sheeran fans pointed to the fact that he regularly performs in similar looks on stage. While Sheeran seems to be taking the controversy lightly, he has been targeted by online bullies in the past. EXPERT OBSERVER Recent proposed changes to Boarding House legislation in NSW is pandering to elitists. The NSW Department of Planning has issued a draft proposal to change the Affordable Rental Housing State Environmental Planning Policy 2009 in relation to the number of rooms permitted in boarding houses in R2 zones. Boarding houses are an important source of affordable rental accommodation but it seems some communities would prefer them to be Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) and have put pressure on the government to minimise their impact. The result is a draft proposal to limit the size of a new Boarding House to only 12 rooms in R2 areas. If these changes are implemented they will make boarding houses unfeasible in many areas of Sydney where more affordable housing is desperately needed. This proposal follows changes introduced in June 2018 to require 0.5 car spaces per room up from 0.2 spaces. These additional onerous requirements greatly affect the feasibility of boarding house development resulting in a diminished supply of this type of affordable accommodation. There is a clear shift in Sydney to rental housing as opposed to home ownership and this means governments must support Build to Rent models for long term rental accommodation as well as the more affordable new generation boarding houses. The Urban Taskforce is concerned that the erosion of support for boarding houses that the current NSW Government is driving is making the feasibility of delivering this important contribution to housing affordability unsustainable. The concerns of communities about this housing type can be handled through quality design so that boarding houses compliment the local character of an area. We suspect however that the community concerns are more about objecting to the people who live in affordable rental housing than concerns about the buildings. CHRIS JOHNSON is the Urban Taskforce CEO The gangland widow Roberta Williams is using the Informer 3838 scandal to lodge an injunction to save her family's Essendon home from being auctioned December 15 by the Tax Office. The Essendon home that belonged to the late drug lord George Williams is being sold by the ATO after it was seized earlier this year. The property was being lived in by his daughter in law Roberta Williams after he left the home to his granddaughter Dhakota. The home, bereft of any furniture, has a reserve of $750,000 for its December 15 auction. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and sits on an 235 sqm Primrose Street parcel. Back in 2009 Carl Williams had a $570,000 tax debt wiped by the Victorian Police as part of a deal helping them with information on a number of murders. The debt was reinstated by the government a year later when Carl Williams, Roberta's husband, was murdered in prison. The ATO was made mortgagee of the home in a deal that avoided a forced sale to cover the debt. Earlier this year Roberta Williams attempted to gain ownership of the home, although failed, as the Supreme Court ruled she had no claim to the house. Her last-ditch bid comes in the wake of the Informer 3838 scandal, as the criminal barrister known as Informer 3838, who gave information to police about her underworld clients, represented murdered drug lord Carl Williams. Roberta had refused to sell the home initially after George's death, claiming no tax debt existed because it was supposed to be wiped away by a 2009 deal struck with Victoria Police in return for Carl providing information about a series of murders committed. In 2010, her husband was bashed to death inside Barwon Prison, where he was serving a 35-year sentence for three murders. Victoria Police cancelled the deal to pay George's tax debt and Roberta argued, as a result, her father-in-law was unconscionably coerced into mortgaging his house to the ATO. This argument was rejected by the Supreme Court. It then attracted an average 30,000 unique website visits per month, which rose to recent levels at just 40,000 unique visitors per month.. On its early 2016 float, it advised over 2,900 Australian homes had been sold since its launch. BMP, a pioneer in the DIY space, helps homeowners sell their homes for as little as $695 without an agent. Since 2009, it has helped more than 4500 homeowners sell their homes. KM Custodians had provided lifeline funding to BMP since April, but following an unsuccessful $10 million capital raising, BMP faced defaulting on its debt obligations. Subject to the backing of BMP shareholders at a December 21 meeting, KordaMentha will acquire the majority of the cash-strapped ASX-listed digital agency. Colins resignation comes at a time of restructure for the company with BMP executing a binding term sheet with KordaMentha Custodians, which will acquire BMP in consideration for the payment of $100,000 and forgiveness of a $5 million debt owing to KMC under the loan agreement between the parties. He will remain in the role until a replacement is appointed, officially leaving BMP on 3 March 2019. The buyMyplace chief executive Colin Keating has tendered his resignation, a year into the listed prop tech company's desired transformation. It has been hit by the high cost of Google advertising, with its losses at $5.4 million in the 2018 financial year. Established in 2007 and listed in March 2016, it promoted itself as Australias leading DIY property sales platform. It told shareholders the growth in listings and revenue of 19% p.a. and 46% p.a., respectively, had occurred since its listing. Hoping the market was ripe for disruption, the original BMP thesis was to seek out DIY sales which they anticipated could see 100,000 potential listings. It hoped to emulate Canada's 23 percent DIY occurrence, but the company noted earlier this year only three percent of listings are DIY in the Australian market, "an exceptionally low number compared to international markets." Its auditor issued a warning about its ability continue as a going concern in May. KordaMentha partner Mark Korda will take control of buyMyplace.com.au. The company has been in a ASX trading halt since September. The transaction includes $500,000 from KMC to enable the company to fund its operations until 21 December 2018. KMC have advised the business will continue to "operate as normal.' KMC has stated its intention to appropriately capitalise the company and grow the business in a private environment. "As a bridge to empowerment for professional women in STEM, Athena is unleashing the power of its network on this call to action, Holly Smithson, Athena Chief Executive Officer Athena and Global Compact Network USA announce an event collaboration on December 7, to advance gender equality in the workforce. As the worlds largest sustainability initiative, the UN Global Compact is a call to companies to align strategies and operations with universal principles around human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption. Today, this values-based framework is enabling over 10,000 companies and organizations to take measurable action and advance societal goals. Building off the UN Global Compact gender equality programming, this December 7 event will convene at GAP Inc. headquarters and help corporate leaders identify gender diversity opportunities, share corporate best practices and support and increase the 500+ U.S business signatories to the UN Global Compact. As a bridge to empowerment for professional women in STEM, Athena is unleashing the power of its network on this call to action, Holly Smithson, Athenas Chief Executive Officer said. Athena launched its STEM Workforce Equity Index to drive the national dialogue on closing the gender gap, which shows women represent only 25% of the national STEM workforce. We can do better. As a signatory to the UN Global Compact, Athena views this global platform as the epicenter for all businesses positioning their companies to contribute to a prosperous and sustainable world. Gender equality is a fundamental human right that is integral to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Yet despite progress, women and girls around the world do not fully experience equal rights and their potential as economic, social and sustainable development change-agents remains untapped, said Adam Gordon, Engagement Director, Global Compact Network USA. Corporate leadership on gender equality is critical to creating the world we want. ### About Athena Athena is empowering progress together by advancing professional women in the STEM workforce. Athena offers its member community instruments for change through professional development, community investment, and market research. Its 20-year history of advancing women in one of the nation's leading STEM hubs marks Athena as a premier women's empowerment advocate. For more information visit: athenasd.org and follow @athenasandiego. About Global Compact Network USA Global Compact Network USA is the US Network of the UN Global Compact, a leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible corporate practices, which represents the over 500 signatories of the UN Global Compact in the United States. Launched in 2000 by then Secretary-General Kofi Anan, the UN Global Compact is the worlds largest corporate sustainability initiative with more than 9,500 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and nearly 70 local networks. For more information visit: http://www.unglobalcompact.org or http://www.globalcompactusa.org and follow @globalcompactusa. Breakfast Brunch Cafe is proud to announce that it will begin offering franchise opportunities to qualified candidates throughout the state of Texas and nationally in 2019. Founded in 2015, the company is led by independent founders who believe in maintaining a family environment that offers great service and locally sourced food made from scratch. To champion this goal, the company is introducing an ownership concept that allows franchisees to own and operate a franchise as a true family business, as well as reap the benefits of all their labor and hard work. Having run an independent restaurant for years, we understand that owning a franchise is an investment, and usually, the only investment a family may have. We want to see more families owning businesses and retiring comfortably. Our goal is to partner with our franchisees from the start to champion great customer service, family environment and develop a world class family of operators. Doris Ebo Offer: Breakfast Brunch Cafe is offering franchisees the following partnership opportunity: Pay royalty fee of 6.0% for the first 5 years, then 4.0% after for the life of the partnership (compare to industry 6.5%) One-time franchise fee of $40,000 Partnership Agreement Advertising and support fee of 0.5% Own a successful and unique daytime operation with the following hours o Monday - Sunday: 7:30 am to 2:30 pm Breakfast Brunch Cafe offers its franchisees: Real Estate Selection Assistance Marketing Strategy Established Training Programs Experienced Management Functional Systems in Place Proven Recipes and Menu Qualified applicants who are awarded the opportunity to own and operate a franchise will be provided with an exceptional business model, extensive training, and consistent and ongoing support. Our focus for expansion will be new builds or conversion of existing real estate footprint of 2,400-2,800 square feet. Operating a Breakfast Brunch Cafe gives you a variety of revenue streams including dine-in, espresso station, full bar, delivery, take-out, catering, and private event hosting. About Company: Breakfast Brunch Cafe is a daytime full service restaurant that emphasizes healthy eating with food made from scratch. Breakfast Brunch Cafe also prides itself on its locally sourced ingredients and their connection to the community Located in Northwest Houston, we provide a unique mix of breakfast, brunch and a full bar. For more information about Breakfast Brunch Cafe and available markets, visit http://www.breakfastbrunchcafe.com/franchise/ Media Contact: Website: http://www.breakfastbrunchcafe.com Email: franchising@bbccypress.com Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/bbcboardwalk/ Sometimes a sign is more than a sign. While the fires did temporarily impact air quality in most of California, they have had essentially no impact on major tourist destinations A November 20 article in Travel Pulse reports on efforts by Visit California, a nonprofit tourism industry organization, to raise funds for victims of the recent California wildfires while also pointing out that, as bad as these fires certainly were, the vast majority of the state is unaffected and remains full of outstanding tourist destinations. Tour operator Hollywood LA Tours says that, while the fires did temporarily impact air quality in most of California, they have had essentially no impact on major tourist destinations now that the fires have all been contained and the smoke has cleared. Hollywood LA Tours points out that people who live outside Southern California often have little idea how large and sprawling the area actually is; its counties are roughly the same size or larger than entire US states in the East and Midwest. Moreover, Los Angeles is not a typical city where most of the major sites are downtown. The areas destinations are spread out over more than a 35-mile radius. That is why, the firm says, that a Hollywood bus tour can be a lifesaver for tourists, who are often overwhelmed in the face of both long distances and the LAs notorious traffic. For example, the operator says, the distance between its base on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Venice Boardwalk is over 16 miles and close to an hour in traffic. Rodeo Drive is closer, being a mere six mile/25 minute drive from Hollywood. The firm adds that whether a visitor is going to Venice, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Hollywood Boulevard or the Sunset Strip none of which are actually walking distance from their closest neighbor all also typically involve some fairly hefty parking fees. Hollywood LA Tours is quick to add, however, that all of these issues are caused by the fact that theres so much to see and do in the area, and so many people want to see and do them. Thats why taking a guided bus tour might just be the best way to catch the sights and sounds of the Los Angeles area, says the tour provider. The firms says its lively two-hour package covers the highlights of Hollywood and throws in a visit to sparkling Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. It adds that visitors who really want to take in the length and breadth of the area -- encompassing Hollywood, West Hollywood, and Beverly Hills as well as the world-famous beaches of Santa Monica and Venice can opt for a more comprehensive six and a half hour tour. Finally, the tour provider notes, it offers free parking in the heart of Hollywood for all of its customers who need it. The Los Angeles area is so large and varied that it can overwhelm the savviest traveler, says Hollywood LA Tours, but a well conducted tour is a fun way to get the lay of the land. Readers can reach out to Hollywood LA Tours by calling 323-310-3464 or visiting its website at https://www.hollywoodlatours.com/. Capstone Guides Immanuel The Shores.jpg As our M&A advisor, Capstone helped bring together our two organizations in this strategic acquisition, and as a result, we are stronger together and continue to grow in the region. Capstone Strategic, Inc. (Capstone) announced today that Immanuel has acquired The Shores at Pleasant Hill, a senior living community offering independent, assisted living, and memory support options in Des Moines, Iowa. With this acquisition Immanuel executed its strategy to become a regional leader by expanding its geographic footprint into Iowa. Capstone guided Immanuel on the execution of this strategic, not-for-sale acquisition. The acquisition was completed on October 1, 2018. Immanuel was founded in 1887 and provides Christ-Centered Service to Seniors, Each Other and the Community. Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, Immanuel operates 13 communities offering independent, assisted living, memory support, and long-term care throughout the Midwest region. The Shores is Immanuels first senior living community in the state of Iowa and joins the Immanuel Pathways Program for All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) center that opened in 2015. Capstone assisted Immanuel on gaining strategic alignment around the acquisition opportunity, negotiation, due diligence, and deal execution, allowing Immanuel to strengthen its vision of building communities that provide compassionate care to residents in the Midwest. Capstone also advised on Immanuels acquisition of senior living community Clark Jeary of Lincoln, Nebraska last year. We are excited to acquire The Shores, a community that is closely aligned with our culture and commitment to providing exemplary care for seniors in the Midwest. As our M&A advisor, Capstone helped bring together our two organizations in this strategic acquisition, and as a result, we are stronger together and continue to grow in the region, said Eric Gurley, CEO of Immanuel. By acquiring The Shores and entering the Iowa market, Immanuel strengthens its position as a regional leader in the senior living space. We are pleased to see another piece of Immanuels long-term growth strategy come to fruition. said David Braun, CEO of Capstone. About Capstone Strategic, Inc. Capstone Strategic, Inc. is a management consulting firm located outside of Washington DC specializing in corporate growth strategies, primarily mergers and acquisitions for the middle market. Founded in 1995 by CEO David Braun, Capstone has facilitated over $1 billion of successful transactions in a wide variety of manufacturing and service industries. Capstone utilizes a proprietary process, The Roadmap to Acquisitions, to provide tailored services to clients in a broad range of domestic and international markets. Visit the Capstone website at http://www.CapstoneStrategic.com. About Immanuel Since 1887 Immanuel has been providing Christ-Centered Service to Seniors, Each Other and the Communities in which the organization serves. As a not-for-profit, serving arm of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) Immanuels house of brands includes: Immanuel Communities, Immanuel Pathways, Immanuel Community Foundation and The Immanuel Vision Foundation. More about Immanuels brands: Immanuel Communities owns and operates 14 independent living, assisted living and long-term care retirement communities on eight campuses; Immanuel Pathways operates three PACE Centers in Iowa and Neb.; the Immanuel Community Foundation, a Resident Assistance Fund provides financial assistance to independent living residents; and the Immanuel Vision Foundation extends financial support to non-profit, charitable 501(c)(3) organizations that share purposes in alignment with Immanuels service centered mission. We take pride in being part of the South Texas community and look forward to serving customers in Corpus Christi. Cellular Sales, the largest independent Verizon Wireless retailer by volume, announces their expansion in Texas with a new store in Corpus Christi. Over the next year, the store is expected to add new jobs within the local community. On November 21, the store located at 1813 South Padre Island Boulevard welcomed its first customers. This is Cellular Sales 64th store in Texas and their first store in Corpus Christi. We take pride in being part of the South Texas community and look forward to serving customers in Corpus Christi, said Cellular Sales Regional Director Charlie Martinez. We are excited to expand to this area. The store currently employs ten team members with plans to add at least ten new team members as the store continues to grow over the next year. Due to their dedication to customer service, Cellular Sales has experienced significant growth, over the past 25 years. It has been named to Inc. Magazines 5000 list of the fastest growing companies nine times, achieving Hall of Fame status. Before selling on their own, new Cellular Sales team members are equipped with the best possible tools for success, by being trained with senior sales reps for four to six weeks. Team members are encouraged to view themselves as entrepreneurs with the support of an established, successful company backing them up. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand for retail sales jobs to grow over the next decade and sales experience will be valuable. Cellular Sales understands the value of great training and support from a personal and professional development point of view. Were proud of our unique approach to customer service, said Cellular Sales Regional Director Bay Willingham. More importantly, were proud of our teams and look forward to building up a strong team here in Corpus Christi. Cellular Sales seeks to hire individuals with a passion for customer service to work at its South Padre Island Boulevard store in Corpus Christi. Those interested in applying for jobs at this Cellular Sales location may contact Cellular Sales Recruiter Drew Massey at (512) 492-5571 or drew.massey@cellularsales.com. About Cellular Sales Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Cellular Sales was founded in 1993 and has been named to Inc. Magazines 5000 as one of the nations fastest-growing privately owned retailers for nine of the past 10 years, something only 0.5 percent of companies on that list achieve. The company currently employs 7,200 people and operates over 700 stores nationwide across 41 states. Job seekers may visit jobs.cellularsales.com. For more information on the company, visit cellularsales.com. Were excited to build a strong team in Millbrae and give our customers the opportunity to experience our pride and dedication to sales and serving clients. Cellular Sales, the largest independent Verizon Wireless retailer by volume, announces their expansion in California with a new store in Millbrae. Over the next year, the store is expected to add new jobs within the local community. On November 23, the store located at 717 Broadway welcomed its first customers. This is Cellular Sales 13th store in California and their first store in Millbrae. We are excited to be expanding into the greater San Francisco area, said Cellular Sales Regional Director Jahi Edwards. We take pride in each of our California stores and look forward to serving our customers in Millbrae. The store currently employs ten team members with plans to add at least ten more new team members as the store continues to grow over the next year. Cellular Sales has experienced significant growth over the past 25 years, due to their innovative approach to customer service. It has been named to Inc. Magazines 5000 list of the fastest growing companies nine times, achieving Hall of Fame status. To be equipped with the best possible tools for success, new Cellular Sales team members are trained with senior sales reps for four to six weeks. Team members are encouraged to view themselves as entrepreneurs with the support of an established, successful company backing them up. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand for retail sales jobs to grow over the next decade and sales experience will be valuable. Cellular Sales understands the value of great training and support from a personal and professional development point of view. At Cellular Sales, we take pride in our teams, said Cellular Sales Regional Director Jason Lee. Were excited to build a strong team in Millbrae and give our customers the opportunity to experience our pride and dedication to sales and serving clients. Cellular Sales seeks to hire individuals with a passion for customer service to work at its Broadway store in Millbrae. Open interviews with recruiters and hiring managers will be available on Friday, December 14 and Saturday, December 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those interested in applying for jobs at this Cellular Sales location may contact Cellular Sales Recruiter William Flores at (661) 916-1538 or william.flores(at)cellularsales(dot)com. About Cellular Sales Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., Cellular Sales was founded in 1993 and has been named to Inc. Magazines 5000 as one of the nations fastest-growing privately owned retailers for nine of the past 10 years, something only 0.5 percent of companies on that list achieve. The company currently employs 7,200 people and operates over 700 stores nationwide across 41 states. Job seekers may visit jobs.cellularsales.com. For more information on the company, visit cellularsales.com. The all new vehicle condition report is set to compliment vehicle history reports and allow automobile dealers to compete with Carvana. Transparency is very important to our dealership. I believe we need to be completely up front with our customers and allow the customer to come to their own conclusions in regards to the vehicles condition, said one beta dealer. Dealer Specialties, a division of Dominion Dealer Solutions, today announced the national launch of C.A.R.Score, a service offering consumer-facing vehicle condition reports to dealers that will bring significant enhancements and transparency to a dealers digital merchandising strategy. C.A.R.Score has been tested in seven major markets, and will be available nationwide this summer. C.A.R.Score is a report that provides car shoppers with the ability to see the current condition of a vehicle -- shortening the decision-making path and ultimately the time to purchase. These condition reports show specific details that car shoppers are looking for, yet, until now, were not available online. C.A.R.Score reports assess the condition of all areas of the vehicle including instrument and control panels, interior odors, mirrors, upholstery, even the tire tread depth. Other reports only provide a look at a vehicles history without providing any actual condition information. By sharing this type of detail about their vehicles, dealers can instill a heightened level of buyer confidence. Transparency is very important to our dealership. I believe we need to be completely up front with our customers and allow the customer to come to their own conclusions in regards to the vehicles condition, said one beta dealer. C.A.R.Score offers the only full-service vehicle condition report in the market, according to the company. The reports are facilitated through Dealer Specialties, a Dominion Dealer Solutions company. Dealer Specialties currently serves over 3,000 rooftops and processes over 50,000 vehicles on a weekly basis. Dealer Specialties lot representatives have already developed over 500 C.A.R.Score reports in beta markets. C.A.R.Score reports offer full transparency to the consumer, said Shane Marcum, vice president of Dealer Specialties, Photos or other industry reports are insufficient to determine the exact condition and value of the car. Car shoppers do more of their research online and visit fewer dealerships in person. This type of report helps them scrutinize what they really want in a vehicle and maximizes their time spent traveling to dealer lots. To validate the initiative with the consumer base, Dealer Specialities surveyed 243 recent car buyers to gauge their reaction to C.A.R.Score. The company reports significant numbers of positive responses including: I love that it tells you exactly what is wrong, and what is right, with the vehicle you are looking to purchase, said Ashley from Holden Heights, FL, a participant in the study. This is an excellent tool to have [because] the consumer would be more willing to come and look at, test drive, or purchase the vehicle if they know all the info on the car upfront. The C.A.R.Score conditioning platform is now available in several major markets and will be available nationwide in the summer of 2019. For more information on C.A.R.Score, or to obtain a sample copy of a C.A.R.Score Report, please call 888-905-9128 or email dealersuccess(at)drivedominion.com. About Dominion Dealer Solutions Dominion Dealer Solutions improves dealers lives by developing advanced technologies including: reputation and social media management, responsive websites, digital advertising, SEO, SEM, multi-channel marketing, and custom market reports. Coupled with award-winning lead management, inventory merchandising, equity mining, customer relationship (CRM) and dealer management (DMS) solutions, Dominion redefines automotive retail by delivering first-class customer experiences for todays automotive dealerships. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, every OEM and more than 10,000 U.S. dealers depend on Dominions foundation of innovation, integrity, excellence and teamwork to provide them with results at every turn. For more information, visit our website, like us on Facebook, LinkedIn or Youtube, or follow us on Twitter. About Dominion Enterprises Dominion Enterprises (DE) is a leading digital marketing and software services company offering client solutions across multiple business verticals. DE customers rely on our B2B cloud SaaS solutions to establish their online and mobile brands, generate leads, and manage customer relationships through our Homes.com, Dominion Dealer Solutions, Dominion Business Solutions / DX1, Travel Media and Franchise and Business Opportunity divisions. DEs B2C web and mobile applications include Homes.com, HotelCoupons.com, FranchiseOpportunities.com, FranchiseGator.com, Franchise.com, and BusinessBroker.net. DE has approximately 2,000 employees who reside and work in their Norfolk, VA home office and in offices across the U.S. Employees will tell you about a collaborative, innovative, team-oriented work environment, excellent career enrichment opportunities, community service opportunities, competitive earnings, and a comprehensive benefits package that includes a generous 401(k). DE is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse workforce. DE is a drug-testing employer. MaidPro Veterans We really strive to offer great incentives, training, and support for veterans interested in our franchise to encourage them to become business owners. And we are absolutely thrilled to be ranked so highly on Entrepreneurs new list. MaidPro has ranked 38th on Entrepreneurs Top Franchises for Veterans List, which recognizes the franchise brands that offer the best incentives for veterans interested in becoming franchisees. To compile the list, Entrepreneur Magazine invited franchises that offer special incentives to veterans to participate in a survey to gather more details about their programs. Entrepreneur then compiled a list of the top 150 franchises based on each companys: veteran incentives, practices for attracting and supporting veteran franchisees, and score on Entrepreneurs 2018 Franchise 500 List. MaidPro CEO, Mark Kushinsky, commented: We really strive to offer great incentives, training, and support for veterans interested in our franchise to encourage them to become business owners. And we are absolutely thrilled to be ranked so highly on Entrepreneurs new list. MaidPro recently teamed up with Hometown Heroes to make owning a home cleaning franchise business more affordable for U.S. and Canadian veterans. Through its Veteran Discount Program, MaidPro offers U.S. and Canadian veterans discounted franchise packages valued at $15,000. The discount package includes: a $3000 discount on the initial franchise fee; a $100 invoice credit each month for the life of the 10-year agreement; direct financing or financial assistance enabling veterans to get started with little up-front capital. In addition to being named to Entrepreneurs list, MaidPro recently ranked fourth out of 80 franchises on Franchise Business Reviews 2018 Top Franchises for Veterans List. MaidPro ranked first on the list in the Cleaning & Maintenance category. ABOUT MAIDPRO MaidPro is a Boston-based franchisor of house cleaning services with over 255 locations in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1997, takes pride in its strong owner community, cutting-edge technology, and creative marketing. It has been honored with the Franchise Business Reviews Four-Star Rating and Franchise 50 awards every year from 2006 to 2019 for owner satisfaction. MaidPro was named one of the Top 50 Franchises for Minorities by USA Todays Franchising Today. MaidPro is also a proud member of the International Franchise Association, Canadian Franchise Association, and the New England Franchise Association. The company can be found online at http://www.maidprofranchise.com. As Bookout explains, So many people these days fast forward past TV ads, that brands need a new way to connect with their audience...XLIVE offers access to vendors and insight on a wide variety of topics that experiential marketers will really find helpful. Event Architecture, a provider of modular architectural structures for live events and brand activations, will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada, December 9-12, 2018 for the annual XLIVE Conference & Expo. XLIVE brings together industry leaders from music, sports, film, culinary, beverage, esports and technology to cultivate big ideas that create extraordinary experiences. According to Tim Bookout, Director of Sales at Event Architecture, XLIVE is a cant-miss event for brands looking to up their experiential marketing games. As he explains, So many people these days fast forward past TV ads, that brands need a new way to connect with their audience. So, finding a way to connect at large events is more and more important today. XLIVE offers access to vendors and insight on a wide variety of topics that experiential marketers will really find helpful. As one of those vendors, Event Architecture will feature one of its larger OiOXL structures at its booth. We customized a 12x8x8 OiOXL for a recent luxury car event in Dallas and are bringing it to XLIVE because it is a great example of how the units can be branded. Exhibiting at XLIVE also gives us the opportunity to discuss how our architectural structures are not limited to smaller sizes. To date, weve done structures as big as 69x20x56, and we can go larger, Bookout says. Bookout is also excited for guests to see how branded structures grab attention at live events and meet functional needs, too. Event Architectures modern, portable structures can also provide shelter from inclement weather and a quiet space where prospects can stay focused on the individual brand especially in noisy environments. Event Architecture is also sponsoring the Speakers Lounge at the event and will provide a 6mx5m XPO structure that has been customized with XLIVE branding inside and out. The exterior will be wrapped with custom-printed fabric graphics and also features a dimensional sign of the XLIVE logo constructed of frosted acrylic along with frosted vinyl accents on the front and back walls. Branding extends inside with a series of vertical XLIVE signs printed on frosted vinyl. The space will also feature comfortable seating, workstations and other amenities provided by Event Architecture. Along with educating attendees about Event Architectures innovative modular structures and design services, Bookout is looking forward to speaking on a panel at the Brands, Media & Experiential Lab on Monday, Dec. 10, from 9:05 a.m.-9:55 a.m. Says Bookout, I will be joining Audrea Hooper of Zappos, Andrea Michaels of Extraordinary Events, Jin Yu of Surkus and moderator Christopher Jozeph of Vokare X to discuss the topic, Pop-ups Galore: Exploring the Rise of Experiential Retail. We will discuss innovative aspects of pop-up stores, from the concept to actual structure options. During the discussion, we will take a project all the way through the planning process, with experts from various disciplines weighing in on important aspects that help make an experiential retail installation successful. To learn more about Event Architectures innovative solutions for live events, activations and experiential retail, contact Tim Bookout at 972-323-9433. ABOUT EVENT ARCHITECTURE: Event Architecture is a provider of portable, modular architectural structures that are perfect for indoor or outdoor events, trade shows, festivals and an endless array of brand activations. Our portable solutions can be fully branded, and they come in sizes to meet any need. Event Architecture is committed to both service and unsurpassed product excellence. Find out more at http://www.Event-Architecture.com. The former INEOS Bio Energy 8 MMGY Cellulosic Ethanol Plant and 6 MW Biomass Plant are going to Auction with Maas Companies. Maas Companies specializes in the sale of specialized and renewable assets for private companies, courts and lenders nationwide. The surplus land and equipment are being offered first via a sealed bid auction process ending on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. If the equipment is not sold as an entirety with the real estate, the equipment will then sell piecemeal via a timed online auction ending on January 15, 2019. Built in 2011 at a cost of $230 million, the plant was a joint venture between Ineos Group LTD and New Planet Energy LLC. This first of its kind demonstration plant was designed to use an integreated biomass gasification and gas fermentation technology to convert cellulosic yard and vegetable waste into ethanol. The plant also has installed the capacity to generate 6 MW of on-site power., and has a grid interconnection in place with all the required equipment and controls necessary for the import and export 12 MW of power to/from the site to the grid. The plant is adjacent to the Indian River County Solid Waste Disposal LandFill with an existing gas line in place enabling the use of the landfill waste gases on the site. The plants main site has city water/sewage infrastructure, in addition to 5 water wells and the 4th largest injection well in the state of Florida. The plant also owns an additional 74.5 acre tract of land to the south of the main site, with liquid piping connections in place . Frankens Energy purchased the property earlier this year and has begun deploying its plans to convert the site into an industrial eco-district, the first of its kind on the eastern seaboard. Once complete, the Indian River Eco-District (http://www.irecodistrict.com) will support and nurture an innovative eco-system of industrial businesses, while fostering sustainable competitive advantages, growth and success of each of its members. The Eco-Districts goal is: harmoniously integrating a series of businesses, all focused on nurturing and supporting environmental sustainability, employment and education within the local community; every aspect of this project is rolled out with community stewardship in mind. The auction is selling surplus assets land, equipment and infrastructure that do not contribute to the business plans of the Indian River Eco-District. The surplus land and equipment are being offered first via a sealed bid auction process ending on Tuesday, January 8, 2019. If the equipment is not sold as an entirety with the real estate, the equipment will then sell piecemeal via a timed online auction ending on January 15, 2019. Bidders interested in the plant should contact the auction company to receive access to all the due diligence documents prior to submitting a sealed bid. Buyers are encouraged to schedule an inspection of the property and equipment during the below noted times or by private appointment: Monday, December 17 9 AM 3 PM Monday, January 14 9 AM 3 PM Other times by appointment Details of the sale are available at the auction website, http://www.ethanolplantauction.com or by contacting the auction company directly at 507-285-1444. Information on the Indian River Eco District can be found at http://www.irecodistrict.com. Events, such as the Ft. Lauderdale Leadership Luncheon, stress the importance of HBCUs, said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. UNCF (United Negro College Fund) will host its 18th annual leaders luncheon Dec. 7 at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort and Spa, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Benefiting HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) and their students, UNCF is changing the narrative of HBCUs across the nation by equipping African American and other students of color with the resources necessary to successfully navigate college, and ultimately, the workforce. Close to 2,000 people will attend the luncheon, including: Dale V.C. Holness, vice mayor, Broward County; Dr. Jaffus Hardrick, interim president, Florida Memorial University; and keynote speaker Matt Caldwell, president and CEO, Florida Panthers. With the help of the Ft. Lauderdale community, $347,459 was awarded last year in scholarships and programs for UNCFs Florida member institutions and area students. With the release of UNCFs landmark study, HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, HBCUs contribute $14.8 billion collectively to the American economy. In particular, UNCF-member institution Florida Memorial University annually contributes $93 million to the total economic impact and 747 jobs to the state of Florida. Events, such as the Ft. Lauderdale Leadership Luncheon, stress the importance of HBCUs, said Dr. Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of UNCF. HBCUs not only provide a college education for 300,000 students every year, but they are a powerful economic engine: locally, through the jobs they create and the expenditures they make in the cities where they are located; and nationally, through the students they educate and prepare for an information-age workforce. The UNCF Leaders Luncheon program will include performances by the Dillard High School Jazz Ensemble and a student testimonial from Lalibela Faraba, a Kevin Hart-supported Help from the Hart scholar and freshman at Florida Memorial University. The Ft. Lauderdale Leaders Luncheon is co-chaired by John M. Camillo, president and CEO, Yellow Cab of Broward County, and Dale V.C. Holness, vice mayor, Broward County. Luncheon sponsors include AT&T, Wells Fargo, Florida Panthers Foundation. Follow this event @UNCF #UNCFFt.Lauderdale ### About UNCF UNCF (the United Negro College Fund) is the nations largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students education and development through scholarships and other programs, supports and strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 17 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 1,100 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNCF. Modex continues to invest in state of the art equipment that our customers demand" says Garett Gauthier, Americas Region Director. Gauthiers Oilfield Rental, LLC is pleased to announce that effective December 1st, 2018, it changed its name to Modex, LLC. The name change follows the transaction between the companies in May 2015 where Gauthiers Oilfield Rental, LLC became part of Modex. Modex offers sale and rental of offshore containers, baskets, cabins, workshops and support equipment for the offshore industry. We are excited to align our branding with our global team. says Garett Gauthier, Americas Region Director. Modex continues to invest in state of the art equipment that our customers demand. We have seen positive pickup in the utilization of our equipment as the market returns. Our team will continue to strengthen the Modex brand in the Americas and our alignment of branding will support this effort. All branding materials will be updated to reflect the change. Meanwhile, the existing Louisiana locations (in Lafayette, Houma and Port Fourchon) will continue under the same management while continuing to expand offerings and develop a broader range of products and services. Modex has an inventory of more than 18,000 units, a global presence and comprehensive service offerings from engineering and manufacturing to the sale and leasing of units. The company currently has operations in Norway, UK, Bulgaria, Romania, The Netherlands, Denmark, Brazil, UAE, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Canada and the United States with further growth planned in the future. Modex continues to build its fleet of a full line of certified cabins and workshops built especially for the hostile offshore environment. These cabins have several potential applications, including cabins, workshops, operating rooms, laboratories, control rooms and offices, among others. Equipment certifications cover major national and international safety standards, including IEC, NEC, ATEX, DNV 2.7-1, DNV 2.7-2, EN 12079, ABS, US Coast Guard, SOLAS and NORSOK. Customization options include hoists, electrical coding, fireproof lockers, interior cranes or any other features needed for specific conditions are available. For more information, please contact: Modex, LLC ussales(at)modexenergy.com (337) 235-8548 About Modex: Modex is a leading provider of DNV 2.7-1/2.7-2 certified CCUs, cabins and related equipment for offshore oil and gas operations. The company has operations in Norway, UK, Bulgaria, Romania, The Netherlands, Denmark, Brazil, UAE, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Canada and the United States. Modex combines North Sea expertise with international reach. For more information, visit http://www.modexenergy.com. Beyond the Explosion: an arresting book of near-death narratives. Beyond the Explosion is the creation of published author Genny Krackau, a Civil Service worker retired from the US Medical Command, Fort Houston, Texas. Krackau writes, Explore combat near-death experience stories through firsthand encounters. Beyond the Explosion is an extraordinary compilation of combat near-death experiences (NDE), out-of-body experiences (OBE), and spiritually transformative experiences (STE). Our military sacrifice their lives for us and experience the unimaginable in combat. You will read what each service member experienced in battle. They describe in detail their war experience as it led to the NDE, OBE, or STE, and how these experiences changed their lives forever. The book details the experiencers personal account to clarify their feelings and understanding of God and the afterlife. A must-read for anyone interested in these heartwarming stories of war, faith, and the power of divine love and intervention. Beyond the Explosion invites readers along on a journey to witness the healing power of Gods presence. As you see the war experiences and the NDE, OBE, and STE, through the experiencers journey, you will gain new insights on life beyond this world and the power of the Spirits light and love. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Genny Krackaus new book is a brave, eye-opening peek into the other side of the veil as service members find themselves courting death again and again. Genny Krackaus interest, dedication, and compassion for military patients show through in her commitment to getting the stories of these service members out to the world, touching readers who are curious about what is seen only by those on the very edge of life. View a synopsis of Beyond the Explosion on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Beyond the Explosion at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Beyond the Explosion, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. The author may be reached at http://www.lightstories.org Attorney John S. Fotopoulos I am excited to return to working directly with clients in the same town that was my practices home for several years - Attorney John S. Fotopoulos Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz is proud to announce that former Cook County judge John S. Fotopoulos has joined the firm as a practicing attorney. Fotopoulos Law Office, a division of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, is located in Orland Park, Illinois, with a Joliet office opening soon. Fotopoulos previously owned a law firm in Orland Park, in which he represented clients in criminal defense and personal injury law. He left his practice in 2017 when he was appointed to fill a judge vacancy. I am excited to return to working directly with clients in the same town that was my practices home for several years, Fotopoulos said. Orland Park attorney John S. Fotopoulos founded his practice in 2000 on the principle of providing available and affordable legal counsel to all clients. He dedicates himself to continued legal research to better serve his clients and stay ahead of the competition. Fotopoulos received the Client Satisfaction Award from the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, and American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys in 2014 and 2015. The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys named him a Nationally Ranked Top 10 Attorney in 2013. Fotopoulos is a member of several professional associations, including the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Hellenic Bar Association, City Club of Chicago, Cook County Bar Association, Chicago Bar Association, Illinois State Bar Association, and Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. Fotopoulos received a bachelors degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1992 and a juris doctor from the John Marshall Law School in 2000. About Fotopoulos Law Office: Attorney John S. Fotopoulos is a former Cook County judge with more than a decade of experience providing legal protection and guidance to clients in the Chicago area. At Fotopoulos Law Office, a division of Kralovec, Jambois & Schwartz, he represents clients in personal injury and criminal defense cases. Schedule a consultation at his Orland Park office by calling 708-942-8400 or by filling out an online contact form. Open Lending Logo The CFO Summit is such a valuable event for credit union leaders and more specifically, CFOs. We are honored to participate with the other sponsors alike in support of growing this industry by learning from one another, stated Ross Jessup Open Lending, LLC, is honored to announce it will be sponsoring the inaugural NAFCU Credit Union CFO Summit alongside other event supporters. Open Lendings Co-Founder, CFO, and COO, Ross Jessup, will be in attendance with other CFOs, Controllers, and Executives in the industry. This year, Ross was named Best CFO in Central Texas by the Austin Business Journal. In 2018, Open Lending was honored to be named a NAFCU Services Preferred Partner, representing the leading industry service providers to credit unions. The company has revolutionized automotive lending with its Lenders Protection Program. This proprietary technology enables lenders to say yes to more loans that otherwise would not be approved through traditional underwriting. Even in a time of high loan to share ratios, Open Lendings clients are still achieving significantly higher net yields in the near prime segment of their portfolios than they are in their prime portfolios. The CFO Summit is such a valuable event for credit union leaders and more specifically, CFOs. We are honored to participate with the other sponsors alike in support of growing this industry by learning from one another, stated Ross Jessup. The Summit is being held December 5th6th, 2018 at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. This event is the industry leader for all credit union CFOs and Executives to come together for education, growth, and resources to support their credit unions. The convention combines industry experts and inspirational guest speakers alongside activities and workshops for a truly remarkable experience. "Open Lending brings an extremely valuable and trusted solution to credit unions, giving them the crucial ability to confidently approve more automotive loans. This platform improves member satisfaction and protects the financial institution's assets. We are very proud to partner with such an innovative and driven company," said Randy Salser, President of NAFCU Services Corporation. The CFO Summit was designed by CFOs for CFOs to give actionable information, best practices and better ways to optimize connections to advance credit unions. To learn more about the NAFCU CFO Summit, click here: https://www.nafcu.org/cfo?tab=0 To read Ross Jessups full biography, click here: http://bit.ly/RossJessup ABOUT OPEN LENDING, LLC Founded in 2000, Open Lending, LLC works exclusively with automotive lenders by providing loan analytics, risk-based pricing, risk modeling and automated decision technology. Based in Austin, Texas, the company services over 400 financial institutions nationwide. Through its proprietary technology, the Lenders Protection Program, financial institutions leverage powerful tools and customized analytics to underwrite direct and/or indirect loan approval decisions in seconds. Lenders are empowered to increase near and non-prime automotive loan volumes and yields with the protection of A rated insurance carriers, preventing additional risk to their loan portfolio. Lenders Protection, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Open Lending, LLC. To learn more about Open Lending, visit http://www.openlending.com. Follow Open Lending on LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram OPEN LENDING CONTACTS John Flynn, Co-Founder, President and CEO 512.801.4832 jflynn(at)openlending(dot)com Ross Jessup, Co-Founder, CFO and COO 512.517.5055 ross(at)openlending(dot)com MEDIA CONTACT Cami Gueguen, CAMIO PR, 512.215.4745 cami(at)camiopr(dot)com ID2Office 2019 for InDesign CC 2019 ID2Office 2019 includes many enhancements that were requested by our customers over the years; supporting InDesign CC 2019 guarantees unfettered usage of ID2Office with the latest version of Adobe InDesign - Paramjit Chadha, MD, Recosoft Corporation ID2Office 2019 adds support for Adobe InDesign CC 2019, the latest release of InDesign CC for macOS and Windows. Additionally, ID2Office 2019 recognizes the split/span property, resulting in enhanced layout preservation. Finally, ID2Office 2019 now allows converting images to JPEG type, significantly reducing the file size of image-centric documents. ID2Office converts InDesign files to editable Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Apple Keynote formats; converting the text, associated styles, paragraph structure, corresponding property information, frames linking, tables, graphics and other objects while matching and maintaining the layout fidelity, resulting in enhanced workflow automation for Creative Professionals. Key New Features Support for InDesign Creative Cloud 2019 ID2Office 2019 now supports and integrates with InDesign CC 2019. InDesign CC through CC 2018 are supported as well. JPEG image export You can now specify JPEG as the image type and specify the compression quality of the JPEG images; resulting in smaller file sizes. Split/Span property recognition ID2Office 2019 includes layout enhancements where span/split column property are recognized, and the layout is preserved as accurately as possible when converting to any of the supported formats. Additional InDesign property support Tab markers are now processed and replicated accurately. Additionally, grouped objects with text/tables are now editable in the resulting Word, PowerPoint and Keynote file. ID2Office 2019 is available immediately in the following configurations from the Recosoft web store (per license): ID2Office Standard 2019 Annual subscription (macOS/Windows) US$199.00 ID2Office Professional 2019 Annual subscription (macOS only) US$249.00 System Requirements Mac OS: macOS 10.10.x or higher Hardware: Intel based Mac Application: InDesign CC, CC 2014, CC 2015, CC 2017, CC 2018 or CC 2019 Windows: Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10 Hardware: Minimum Pentium III computer Application: InDesign CC, CC 2014, CC 2015, CC 2017, CC 2018 or CC 2019 Recosoft Corporation has pioneered PDF2Office, the de-facto PDF-to-Excel, PDF-to-Word, PDF-to-PowerPoint, PDF-to-OmniGraffle conversion utility; PDF2Office for iWork, the PDF-to-Keynote, PDF-to-Numbers and PDF-to-Pages conversion application; IR2Office, the only Adobe Illustrator to PowerPoint and Apple Keynote tool; ID2Office, the InDesign-to-Word, InDesign-to-PowerPoint converter; and PDF2ID the de-facto PDF-to-InDesign conversion tool. The company is a leader in designing and delivering PDF converters, InDesign and Illustrator software solutions enhancing workflow automation and productivity. For more information on Recosoft PDF converters and InDesign or Illustrator related solutions, visit http://www.recosoft.com Contact Information: Recosoft Corporation Hommachi 1-5-6, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan Fax: +81-6-6260-5543 http://www.recosoft.com Copyright 2018 Recosoft Corporation IR2Office, ID2Office, PDF2Office, PDF2ID, PDFtoID are trademarks or registered trademarks of Recosoft Corporation in the US and/or other countries. Microsoft, Excel, PowerPoint, Word and the Office logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the US and/or other countries. Adobe, InDesign, Illustrator and Creative Cloud are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe System Incorporated in the US and/or other countries. Apple, Macintosh, macOS, Mac, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, iWork, iPod, iPhone, iOS, iPAD are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. in the US and or other countries. All other trademarks are recognized and are the property of their respective owners. Partnering with our customers to develop great products has been Shepherds top priority for over 100 years. Customers can now more easily connect with us through our new website to collaborate on solutions to their critical metal chemistry challenges Shepherd Chemical has renewed its focus on innovation and better serving the needs of its customers, in part by redesigning a website that offers a simplified user experience, enhanced functionality, and richer insight into products and industry updates. Did you know that by 2020: The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will require ships to burn fuel with significantly less sulfur, 0.5% versus the 3.5% they burn today? Motor engine oils will have to meet upgraded performance specification, ILSAC GF-6, drive by stricter automotive emissions and fuel economy standards? In the US, spray polyurethane foams, the most energy efficient materials for building insulation, will require new chemistries with lower Global Warming Potential (GWP)? Shepherd Chemical is proud to be working with the worlds leading chemical companies in synthesizing and delivering innovative solutions for 2020 and beyond, making our world a safer and healthier place to live. Partnering with our customers to develop great products has been Shepherds top priority for over 100 years. Customers can now more easily connect with us through our new website to collaborate on solutions to their critical metal chemistry challenges, says Ric Towner, President & General Manager. As part of this commitment, we are excited to announce our newly redesigned website, http://www.shepchem.com. The redesign is intended to offer customers a simplified user experience and increased efficiencies site wide. Just a few of the updates for customers include a simplified navigation, increased search functionality, and more detailed information on metal chemistries. With the new website, customers can get the insight they need at-a-glance on metal-based chemistries by metal, functionality or market application. They can also download product data sheets, find industry news and insights, and more easily connect with the Shepherd Chemical team directly and digitally. If you are interested in learning more about insights, innovations, and the impact Shepherd Chemical is having on the chemical industry, you can explore the newly designed website at: http://www.shepchem.com. ABOUT THE SHEPHERD CHEMICAL COMPANY The Shepherd Chemical Company is a fourth generation, family owned, multi-national manufacturer of metal-based chemistries that create value and brighten lives. Since 1916, Shepherd Chemical has strived to provide operational excellence, innovative metal solutions, and a personal approach that creates superior value to the customer. Partnering with industries from airbags and tires to fragrance and personal care, from petrochemicals and polyurethanes to lubricants and catalysts, Shepherd collaborates on both standard and custom co-developed metal chemistries. Learn more about Shepherd Chemical. 2019 Best Places to Work To be named one of Glassdoors Best Places to Work is a validation of our operational model which is based on the premise that good things happen when everyone has a reason to smile. Smile Brands Inc. has been honored with a Glassdoor Employees Choice Award, for the second year in a row moving from the 43rd to 25th position on the list of the top 100 Best Places to work in the U.S. The Employees Choice Awards program, now in its 11th year, relies solely on the input of employees, who elect to provide feedback on their jobs, work environments and companies via Glassdoor. Smile Brands, a leading dental support organization with nearly 400 affiliated practices across 16 states, has a deeply rooted culture founded in the companys mission to deliver Smiles for Everyone. Co-founder and CEO, Steven C. Bilt has a 98 percent approval rating on Glassdoor and was named a Glassdoor Employees Choice 2018 Top CEO this summer. Providing patient-focused care day after day requires a dedicated team of employees and affiliated providers who fully support our mission, explains Bilt. Maintaining a positive culture based on providing Smiles for Everyone is our way of guaranteeing the best possible patient experience. Im proud to be a part of this great team and thrilled to have been again honored with the Best Places to Work award. "Dentistry is a people business and its undeniable that when employees are aligned around a common mission, patients' benefit, explains Bilt. To be named one of Glassdoors Best Places to Work is a validation of our operational model which is based on the premise that good things happen when everyone has a reason to smile. I believe that culture should be on top every CEOs agenda if they care about attracting and retaining talented employees. On Glassdoor, current and former employees of companies worldwide can share insights and opinions about their work environments. When sharing a company review on Glassdoor, employees are asked to rate their satisfaction with the company overall, and key workplace factors like career opportunities, compensation, benefits, work/life balance, senior management, as well as culture and values. In addition, employees are asked to describe the best reasons to work at their companies as well as any downsides. The Best Places to Work are determined using company reviews shared by U.S.-based employees between November, 2017 and October, 2018. To be considered for the large category, a company must have at least 1,000 or more employees and have received at least 75 ratings. The final list is compiled based on Glassdoors proprietary algorithm, and takes into account quantity, quality and consistency of reviews. For the complete list of the Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2019, please visit: http://www.glassdoor.com/Best-Places-to-Work-LST_KQ0,19.htm. About Smile Brands Based in Irvine California, Smile Brands Inc. is one of the largest providers of support services to dental groups in the United States. Smile Brands Inc. provides comprehensive business support services through exclusive long term agreements with affiliate dental groups, so dentists can spend more time caring for their patients and less time on the administrative, marketing, and financial aspects of operating a dental practice. Smile Brands supports nearly 400 Bright Now! Dental, Monarch Dental, Castle Dental, A+ Dental Care, OneSmile Dental, Johnson Family Dental and P3 Dental Group offices in 16 states, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Oregon, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. Smile Brands is a portfolio company of Gryphon Investors, a leading middle-market private equity firm based in San Francisco, CA. For more information, visit http://www.smilebrands.com. About Glassdoor Glassdoor is one of the largest and fastest growing job sites in the world today. Set apart by the tens of millions of reviews and insights provided by employees and candidates, Glassdoor combines all the jobs with this valuable data to make it easy for people to find a job that is uniquely right for them. As a result, Glassdoor helps employers hire truly informed candidates at scale through effective recruiting solutions like job advertising and employer branding products. Launched in 2008, Glassdoor now has reviews and insights for approximately 700,000 companies in more than 190 countries. For labor market trends and analysis, visit Glassdoor Economic Research. For company news and career advice and tips, visit the Glassdoor Blog and for employer-related news and insights to help employers hire, visit the Glassdoor for Employers Blog. Visit Glassdoor.com or download our apps on iOS and Android platforms. Media Contacts: Jody Martin, jody.martin(at)smilebrands.com 714.428-1299 Alison Sullivan, pr(at)glassdoor.com SRE lecture at Warwick University Star have been promoting an achievable solution to the clean heat challenge since 2008. They are a reminder that there is genuine commercial opportunity in decarbonising heat, an essential message that has been heard by policymakers in Holyrood and Westminster. Star Renewable Energy (SRE) has been nominated as a finalist for The Scottish Green Energy Awards 2018 in the Champion of Renewables Award category. The prize is given to organisations that have most effectively communicated the benefits of renewables or informed the debate on Scotlands energy. In a society dominated by clean electricity and transport dialogue, SREs short-listing is recognition of their commitment to the larger challenge of clean heat. Using world leading natural heat pump (Neatpump) technology which the company has further developed, its endeavours in raising awareness about the issue of carbon emissions and sharing knowledge about practical solutions with the wider community had begun long before clean heat became the key challenge area across Europe. The Scottish Green Energy Awards is a highly-anticipated event in the Scottish renewable energy industrys calendar. Showcasing the very best in renewables, the event honour the people, organisations and communities going above and beyond to shape the industrys future. Dave Pearson, Director of Star Renewable Energy, said, We are thrilled to be nominated for The Champion of Renewables Award. For the last decade, our business has invested in developing the clean heat segment using heat pumps. Whether helping policy makers, consultants, university academics, students as well as end users, our mission has been to spread the word about what sort of 2040 and beyond we believe is required and how this can realistically be delivered. Others have done a fine job in promoting clean electricity and Scotland leads Europe in this area but across the world its now seen that we need a thermal energy focus cooling as well as heating- that doesnt pollute our global and local environment. From the beginning in 2008, we pushed to educate the younger generation on the importance of safeguarding our planet. In schools, this has taken the form of participation in STEM events, while in universities, SRE has mentored undergraduate projects, masters theses and lectured. In the wider community, SRE have worked with local authorities and industry professionals, organising knowledge-sharing events such as the conference at Warwick University in 2016, and The University of Glasgow/ Scottish Renewables in 2014. These events brought together over 400 manufacturers, researchers, end-users and environmentalists to discuss the steps necessary for a smooth transition to a zero-carbon heating future. These events were promoted and subsidised by SRE with a cost of over 1.5 million. Chris Stark, Chief Executive, Committee on Climate Change, said Star have been promoting an achievable solution to the clean heat challenge since 2008. They are a reminder that there is genuine commercial opportunity in decarbonising heat, an essential message that has been heard by policymakers in Holyrood and Westminster. Thanks to Star we are all better informed on the practical and strategic challenges - and in the Drammen project we can point to a real example of cleaner heat on a city scale; using river source heat pumps. SRE was established five years ago, after its parent company Star Refrigeration became aware of the fact that sustainable heating would become a focal point of the fight against climate change all over the world and needed to double down on their commitment. Pearsons role changed from Group Director of Innovation to a more deployment focussed business unit director. Heating is estimated to account for over half of Scotlands total energy consumption and just under half of its greenhouse gas emissions, making it a key area of concern. While there are many different technologies available district and industrial heat pumps could be key to transition to a zero emissions Scotland by 2050. Heat pumps do not produce local combustion products a weakness seen in other form of energy from waste incineration and biomass solutions. Other technologies such as gas CHP, which are the backbone of many district heating schemes adopted by several British hospitals and universities, have a rising CO2 footprint on a decarbonising electricity grid and emit high levels of NOx and other contaminating particulates. SRE recognised the need for better, warmer heat pumps and improved their viability by replacing HFCs with the naturally-occurring gas ammonia. With no deleterious effects on the ozone layer and zero global warming potential, ammonia represents an abundant and environmentally-friendly alternative to HFCs which had, until recently, not been used in heating applications. The resulting product is the Neatpump. A high-efficiency, large water source heat pump for district heating to meet the heating needs of Drammen, Norway, where the plants hydroelectric nature, coupled with the Neatpumps unique use of ammonia, make its emissions virtually zero. The success of the Drammen site demonstrates the effectiveness of the technology on a city-wide scale, and further Neatpump projects are already at the development stage across the UK. The Scottish Government has supported feasibility studies on several sites including The University of Glasgow, The Gorbals, Queens Quay in Clydebank and several others. Other schemes have supported assessments from as broad a range of locations as Shetand Heat and Power, Iona Community, Aberdeen Heat and Power, Perth, Highland Council, Jubilee Hospital and many more. All can trace their direction of travel to the work of SRE. The Scottish Green Energy Awards is scheduled to take place tonight at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre where more than 1,200 industry professionals will be in attendance. The prestigious event celebrates companies like SRE and individuals, who have striven tirelessly to promote renewable sources of energy to fight climate change. The Stark Building at 750 Main Street We wanted to celebrate the buildings Old World charm by preserving the magnificent architectural features and reintroducing a formal doorman to greet our tenants in order to make the experience of entering the building unique and special. Adam J. Stark is proud to give 750 Main Street his moniker one year after purchasing The Stark Building: Transforming this classic into a modern premium office building right in the center of Hartfords renaissance has been truly exciting. The 17-story, brick-and-limestone building at 750 Main Street was constructed by the Hartford-Connecticut Trust Co. in 1921. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is the oldest high rise commercial building in downtown Hartford. Ideally situated on a prominent corner location across from the Old State House, the building features two- and three-story windowed arches and is capped with a superstructure designed to resemble a pedimented Roman temple. Architects for the Hartford Trust Building were Morris & OConnor. Stark said he and his team have worked painstakingly to preserve the character of this building while bringing it up to twenty-first century standards. We wanted to celebrate the buildings Old World charm by preserving the magnificent architectural features and reintroducing a formal doorman to greet our tenants in order to make the experience of entering the building unique and special. Significant upgrades to enhance the beauty and energy efficiency of the building include: a newly remodeled lobby, LED lighting throughout the building, upgraded elevators, HVAC and plumbing systems, artwork displays throughout and in all common areas, and a unique fiber optic backbone that can give tenants access to managed phone and internet systems integrated into their leases. At a recent grand reopening, this antique high rise regained its rightful place in the Hartford night skyline when the state-of-the-art computerized lighting system was activated for the first time by honored guest, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. The lighting system is similar to ones that have recently been installed by many iconic skyscrapers around the globe. Doris Sugarman, Executive Director of The Connecticut Forum, has been a tenant for 15 years and is thrilled to see the dramatic positive changes: I am truly excited this building now has an attentive local owner/property manager whose commitment to and investment in Hartford is so apparent. Over the past year, we have seen the building transform into Class A space. All the upgrades coupled with the central downtown address and especially beautiful views, makes The Stark Building the perfect home for The Connecticut Forum. As the co-founder of a fast growing tech company, Peter Corrao, President & Executive Chairman of TakeOut7 Inc., was impressed with the management and conscientious ownership. Technology associates are in high demand in this economy, Corrao said. I needed to be in the best location with the nicest space to recruit and retain top talent and I found that at The Stark Building. Corrao signed a lease with plans to expand over time. Stark said he is thrilled with the reception he has received in Hartford. We are renewing and extending many leases and welcoming new clients in at a rapid pace. In our first year, we have had more than 43,000 square-feet of signed and/or renewed leases and have welcomed significant new clients including TakeOut7, Wolf, Horowitz & Etlinger LLC, The Hayber Law Firm, and more. These companies share our excitement about being at the center of the vibrant new energy that has taken hold of this historic city. About The Stark Building: The Stark Building, located at 750 Main Street next to the Old State House in the heart of downtown Hartford, blends all the modern amenities of a contemporary office facility with the Old World charm of a building steeped in history. The Stark Building offers a wide array of office solutions, ranging from single offices up to full floors with a flexible menu of services to choose from including high-end fiber optic managed technology and state-of-the-art telephone systems, professional conference space, and access to all Stark Office Suites locations throughout Connecticut and New York. For additional information, call (860) 361-7900, or visit http://www.TheStarkBuilding.com. Learn more about Stark Office Suites at http://www.StarkOfficeSuites.com. You do not have to feel the faith. Either you have faith to advance or you dont. That faith gives us courage to obey God and reap results. That is intelligent and rational faith. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God organized a grand ceremony on October 21st of 2018 in Mexico Citys Arena to celebrate the grand entrance of a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. In total, more than 34,000 people attended the event, and it was ministered by Bishop Edir Macedo, the Founder of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, as well as Bishop Djalma Bezerra. During the ceremony, Bishop Edir Macedo described the importance of the Ark of the Covenant in Biblical history and how the Bible provides evidence of Gods wisdom. He went on to describe how the scripture declares how God will be present to fulfill his promise. In Matthew 18:20, it is written: Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in their midst. When people come together to worship the Lord, like at the grand ceremony for the entrance of the replica of the Art of the Covenant, Bishop Macedo says God will be present. Bishop Macedo ended his teaching by calling all attendees to surrender their lives to Jesus and experience the results of a complete transformation. You do not have to feel the faith. Either you have faith to advance or you dont. That faith gives us courage to obey God and reap results. That is intelligent and rational faith, he said. The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God has services every day. Pastors are available 24 hours a day to provide counseling on a variety of issues and concerns going on in your life. Call 1-888-332-4141 to speak with a pastor in your area. Company/Organization Info: The Universal Church believes in the Word of God and the power of faith. Locations are open 365 days a year and they are passionate about reaching those in need of spiritual guidance, restoration and salvation. They believe anyone can change for the better. Contact Information: Local pastors are available 1-888-332-4141 Last year, 172 children deaths were reported for the 2017-18 flu seasona record number. According to health officials, 80% of those children had not gotten the vaccine. Last year, 172 children deaths were reported for the 2017-18 flu seasona record number. According to health officials, 80% of those children had not gotten the vaccine. Vaccination is the first step in protecting against the flu for people 6 months of age and older as flu shots reduce the severity of the illness if infected. Along with getting vaccinated, people can take active steps to limit the spread of germs in their homes, work life, school life, and on the go through cleaning and disinfecting. While people might still contract the illness, they can manage symptoms and limit the spread of germs. This campaign will raise awareness on vaccination and provide readers with a go-to guide this flu season to keep themselves and their surroundings germ-free, helping people beat the bug. The print component of Fighting the Flu is distributed within the December 6th regional circulation of USA Today, with a circulation of approximately 250,000 copies and an estimated readership of 750,000 within the Boston, Carolinas, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, New York, South Florida, and Washington D.C/Baltimore markets. The digital component is distributed nationally, through a vast social media strategy, and across a network of top new sites and partner outlets. To explore the digital version of the campaign, visit: http://bit.ly/2zMks0a This edition of Fighting the Flu was made possible with the support of the American Lung Association, CDC, Save the Children, National Parent Teachers Association, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, Dr. Gerba, Procter & Gamble Bounty Brand, Procter & Gamble Puffs Brand, Procter & Gamble Vicks Brand, Karcher North America, Kinsa Health, and Essick Air. About Mediaplanet Mediaplanet is the leading independent publisher of content-marketing campaigns covering a variety of topics and industries. We turn consumer interest into action by providing readers with motivational editorial, pairing it with relevant advertisers and distributing it within top newspapers and online platforms around the world. Press Contacts: Sophia Oramas sophia.oramas@mediaplanet.com 646.922.1406 Totara Learn uses open source technology providing organisations with full flexibility, scalability and control over the learning experience. Totara Learn 12 includes a host of new features and functionality designed to provide rich, tailored experiences for the learner whatever the training context may be: onboarding, compliance or for the extended enterprise. Totara benefits learning and development professionals by enabling them to easily create tailored, engaging learning experiences. Many of the new features add further power and ease of use, with an enormous range of appearance options. Totara products are open source, modular and can be readily extended with open (or public) APIs. Everything has been designed to offer the customer full freedom over creating the learner environment. There are several key benefits of Totara Learn 12: Faster and easier to find relevant courses with a visual course catalogue More space for content with a streamlined top navigation bar More engaging visual options to help attract learners, including full-width banner and footer blocks and custom image featured links Clearer communication with a refined front page which improves the display of course lists, course search and announcements More control over seminar management options for managers and seminar leaders More efficient administration with a brand new Site Administration menu Andre Yamin, Director of Product Management at Totara Learning said: We have made it even easier to harness the power and flexibility of Totara Learn and were excited to see how our partners and customers around the world will make use of the new features. Lars Hyland, Chief Learning Officer at Totara Learning said: Going forward, flexibility, agility and differentiation are the key drivers of success. This requires organisations to have the freedom to ensure the learner experience is continually aligned to their organisational goals as they change. Totara open technology is perfectly suited to meet these objectives. Totara Learn 12 also includes a Content Marketplace feature, to allow third-party learning content to be easily imported into new or existing courses. The release of Totara Learn 12 follows Totara Learn 11 in February 2018, which added GDPR support for organisations operating within the EU. For more information about Totara Learn 12: The 2018 GAUGE Report focuses on five major areas of government contracting: Government Contract Compliance, Accounting, Utilization, Growth, and Efficiencies. With more than 1,500 contributors this year, representing a wide array of government contractors of all sizes, the 2018 Report is intended to provide valuable insider information for all size contractors. This edition is especially focused on small contractors pursing prime contractor status. In helping government contractors plan and strategize for the upcoming fiscal year, CohnReznick and Unanet have once again partnered to conduct a government contracting industry benchmarking survey. The results of this survey have been compiled into the 2018 GAUGE Report which focuses on five major areas of contracting: Government Contract Compliance- What type of DCAA audits should you be expecting in the future? Accounting - What should you be expending by category as a % of revenue? Utilization - How many FTEs do you have in each of your departments? Growth What is your win rate and are you bidding on the right projects? Efficiencies Are your overhead, G&A and fringe rates competitive? With more than 1,500 contributors this year, representing a wide array of government contractors of all sizes, the 2018 Report is intended to provide valuable insider information for all size contractors. This edition is especially focused on small contractors pursuing prime contractor status. Consult the GAUGE Report as you begin or continue your annual forecasting and budgeting process for such useful information as: 7 Tips for Winning a Government Contract How to Develop a Successful Marketing Strategy How to Determine if Your Company is Ready for Prime Status Click here to access the full report and get the information you need to position your company for success. About CohnReznick LLP CohnReznick LLP is one of the top U.S. advisory, assurance, and tax firms, combining the deep resources of a national firm with the hands-on, agile approach that today's dynamic business environment demands. With diverse industry expertise, the Firm provides companies with the insight and experience to help them break through and seize growth opportunities. The Firm, with origins dating back to 1919, is headquartered in New York, NY with 2,700 employees in offices nationwide. CohnReznick is a member of Nexia International, a global network of independent accountancy, tax, and business advisors. About Unanet Over 1,000 professional services organizations trust Unanets Cloud or On-Premise ERP platform to scale their businesses while drastically reducing G&A in a Single Source of Truth. Professional services organizations include government contractors, technology, digital agencies, life sciences, and management consulting. Unanet optimizes skills management, resource scheduling, budgeting & planning, time & expense reporting, billing & revenue recognition, real-time project management analytics and dashboards, and GL, AP, AR, cost pool calculations, and indirect allocations. A recent benchmarking report of over 200 organizations with similar-size revenue shows customers running Unanet have a 50% lower G&A headcount than those running legacy systems and can reduce effort on administrative processes by 90%. Unanet has several videos available if you would like to learn more about our firm and capabilities at http://www.unanet.com/videos. Additional press inquiries may be directed to Jessica Primanzon, Director of Marketing at Unanet. She can be reached at 703-429-1821 or at jprimanzon@unanet.com. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), with Family Nurse Practitioner specialization (FNP) program at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) was selected as a top pick by GraduateNursingEDU.org for its annual list of best programs, the website announced. GraduateNursingEDU.org did an exhaustive review of every fully accredited MSN-FNP program in the country, looking for schools that offer an exceptional student experience. When we came across the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences School of Nursing, we knew we had a program we could feel good about recommending, said the sites senior editor, Tony Smith. With world-class faculty, flexible scheduling options and opportunities to study abroad in Italy, University of St. Augustine easily earned its place on our list of Top Picks for the Best MSN-FNP Programs for 2019-20, Smith added. We are very pleased by this recognition for our MSN-FNP program, said School of Nursing Director Dr. Robin Dennison. USAHS has a strong reputation for excellence in education. Our focus on graduate studies in health sciences allows for an intimate, personalized approach that encourages student success. Senior FNP program coordinator Dr. Melanie Logue added The in-person immersions on campus provide students who are studying online a real-world learning experience and create practice-ready, competent clinicians. We are very proud of the FNP program and our students. Our program is an outstanding choice for mid-career professionals looking to take their next big step. Flexibility is key to what we offer at USAHS. Another aspect of flexibility is your ability to select your preceptor and the facility for your practica, so you can do the practica in your own community if a qualified preceptor is available, Dr. Dennison said. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. About University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences The University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) is a graduate institution that offers degree programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, education and health science, as well as continuing education programs. Founded in 1979, USAHS educates students through its network of campuses in San Marcos, California; St. Augustine, and Miami in Florida; and Austin, Texas. USAHS is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). For more information: http://www.usa.edu. CityBlock Capital Our Fund offers investors equity exposure to early-stage blockchain infrastructure startups that are building the digital foundation of our global economy. Robert Nance, co-founder and CEO of CityBlock Capital US Capital Global Securities, an affiliate of US Capital Global, is offering to accredited investors a $10 million equity investment in CityBlock Capitals first tokenized venture fund, NYCQ Fund LP (the Fund). The Funds aim is to combine low minimum investment amounts and early liquidity opportunities for investors in the US and abroad, providing access to blockchain infrastructure investments normally accessible to institutional investors. The Fund is managed and advised by professionals with deep industry expertise from firms such as SoftBank Capital, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Google. Headquartered in San Francisco, US Capital Global is a full-service private financial group with an established track record in investment banking and capital raise services. Its registered broker-dealer affiliate, US Capital Global Securities, LLC, is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the equity raise for the Fund. We are delighted to be working with US Capital Global as we increase the investment capabilities of NYCQ Fund LP, said Robert Nance, co-founder and CEO of CityBlock Capital. Our Fund offers investors equity exposure to early-stage blockchain infrastructure startups that are building the digital foundation of our global economy. It is a real pleasure to be supporting CityBlock Capital and the Fund as exclusive placement agent, said Charles Towle, CEO at US Capital Global Securities. Our firm is keen to support forward-thinking companies working on the frontline of the digital market era. The opportunity to participate in this $10 million equity investment in the Fund is now open to eligible investors. About CityBlock Capital CityBlock Capital is the founder of the NYCQ Fund, a private digital venture capital fund open to accredited investors in the US and abroad. The Fund does not invest in cryptocurrencies or utility tokens, but directly engages in the expansion of the global digital economy through equity investments in early-stage blockchain infrastructure companies. CityBlock Capital uses blockchain technology to provide diversified access and liquidity to private company investing. About US Capital Global US Capital Global Securities, LLC, is the FINRA licensed broker dealer division of US Capital Global that acts as placement agent for growth-stage companies, projects, and investment funds. Since 1998, the US Capital Global team has been committed to providing small and lower middle market businesses and investors with sophisticated debt, equity, and investment opportunities usually available only to larger middle market companies and institutional investors. US Capital Global manages direct investment funds and provides wealth management and capital raise services. To learn more about US Capital Global Securities or this investment opportunity, email Charles Towle, CEO at charles(at)uscgs.com or call +1 415-889-1010. Vicon Industries, Inc. (OTCQB: VCON) (Vicon), designer and manufacturer of video surveillance and access control software, hardware and components introduces a new high definition varifocal network bullet camera. Vicon aims to broaden its customers choices for versatile and affordable IP surveillance by introducing the new V922B-W551MIR-A1 model into its successful HD network camera series. The V922B high definition (HD) vandal bullet camera is designed for security installations that need a compact vandal resistant camera that delivers outstanding imaging at 1080P. This bullet camera is a high-resolution IP camera ideal for outdoor applications where image detail and/or wide coverage is important. This bullet camera has a span of focal lengths, from wide angle to telephoto, providing focal length flexibility in a single lens. Varifocal length lenses allow the installer to obtain the exact field of view quickly and easily, eliminating lens substitutions or the need to continuously adjust the camera setup. The 5.1-51mm 10X motorized focus and zoom lens offers the benefits of a choice of focal lengths to adjust and fine-tune the lens for any situation. In order to adapt to the low light lighting conditions, the V922B-W551MIR-A1 has integrated IR LEDs designed to illuminate the scene up to to 82 ft (25 m). Installation is made easy and cost effective with Power over Ethernet (IEEE 802.3af), which eliminates the need for power cables. This compact camera has an integral mount that allows it to be mounted on a wall, where the position is adjustable to any view required. Learn more now by visiting Vicons website at: http://www.vicon-security.com. About Vicon Industries, Inc.: Since 1967, Vicon has been a leading provider of mission-critical security surveillance systems. Today we are focused on providing solutions that have been engineered not just for performance and features, but for simplicity in deployment, operation and maintenance. Our goal is to serve as a valued security technology partner to our customers by reducing security solution complexity, ensuring a superior experience and future proofing our solutions. Vicon and its leading-edge systems are trusted by a customer base that spans the globe, representing every type of industry. For more information about Vicon, please visit: http://www.vicon-security.com. ViconSimple Solutions for a Complex World. In Indiana, a private religious school receiving over $6.5 million in public funds via the states voucher program placed an LGBT counselor on leave because she had married her same-sex partner. In Milwaukee, where students with disabilities constitute 12-20% of public school enrollments, they constitute only 2% of enrollments in private schools participating in the citys voucher program. Similarly, charter schools enroll a lower percentage of students with disabilities (particularly more severe disabilities) when compared to traditional public schools. In response to these and other issues of access and discrimination, some defenders of these schools have argued that the schools have broken no lawsand they are often correct. How can this be? To answer that question, professors Julie F. Mead of the University of Wisconsin and Suzanne E. Eckes of Indiana University authored a policy brief, How School Privatization Opens the Door for Discrimination, which analyzes discrimination in an era of education privatization. The briefs review of relevant laws reveals that voucher and charter school programs open the door to discrimination because of three phenomena. First, federal law defines discrimination differently in public and private spaces. Second, state legislatures have largely neglected issues of discrimination while constructing voucher laws. Charter laws are better, but they fail to comprehensively address these issues. Third, because private and charter schools are free to determine what programs to offer, they can attract some populations while excluding others. After briefly examining the history of discrimination in schools, the brief analyzes each of these three enabling factors and then outlines recent developments. Finally, based on its analysis, the brief offers the following recommendations to help address the issue of publicly funded programs currently failing to serve all segments of the public: 1. Congress should amend federal anti-discrimination laws to clarify that states supporting charter schools and states directly or indirectly channeling public funds to private schools must ensure that those programs operate in non-discriminatory ways. 2. Federal agencies should explore whether governmental benefits should be withheld from private schools failing to meet non-discrimination standards. 3. State legislatures should include explicit anti-discrimination language in their state voucher laws to ensure that participating private schools do not discriminate against students and staff on the basis of race, color, sex, race, class, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, ethnicity, national origin, or primary language. 4. State legislatures should adopt or amend charter school laws to ensure that policies and practices are reviewed throughout the process of approval and renewal. Schools failing to attract and retain reasonably heterogeneous student populations should be directed to address the problem and should be considered for non-renewal if the problem is not corrected. Find How School Privatization Opens the Door for Discrimination, by Julie F. Mead and Suzanne E. Eckes, at: http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/privatization Find Documents: Publication Announcement: https://nepc.info/node/9536 NEPC Publication: https://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/privatization This policy brief was made possible in part by the support of the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice (greatlakescenter.org). The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces and disseminates high-quality, peer-reviewed research to inform education policy discussions. Visit us at: https://nepc.colorado.edu Worcester Polytechnic Institute biologist Pamela Weathers with Artemisia, or wormwood, which outperformed the most commonly used drug against the tropical disease schistosomiases in a clinical trial. [This trial] points to the need for more studies like this to better understand the medicinal value of Artemisia. Finding support for such studies has proven challenging, but it is important that we try, since this work benefits humanity.- Lucile Cornet-Vernet Tea infusions made from two species of the wormwood plant cured the tropical disease schistosomiasis significantly faster than the drug most commonly used against the ailmentand with no adverse side effectsin a large clinical trial conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The studys authors, including a professor and two research associates at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), say the treatment should be considered for implementation on a global scale. Schistosomiasis, which is caused by parasitic flatworms, affects nearly 210 million people worldwide, primarily in Africa, Asia, and South America, and is responsible for about 200,000 deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. Infecting the intestines and urinary tract, it causes a range of symptoms, including abdominal pain and diarrhea, and in more severe case can lead to liver damage, kidney failure, and even bladder cancer. The only cost-effective treatment is praziquantel, or PZQ, a drug used to treat a number of parasitic worm infections. Previous clinical trials have shown that the effectiveness of PZQ is enhanced when it is administered along with one of three anti-malarial drugs: artemisinin, artesunate, or artemether. Artemisinin is a chemical derived from the sweet wormwood plant, Artemisia annua, while the other two are chemically synthesized from artemisinin. While artesunate alone was found to be less effective than PZQ at eliminating the disease in the same trial, anecdotal reports suggest that a tea made from the Artemisia annua plant has been used successfully as a treatment for schistosomiasis. In preclinical studies, we showed that ingesting the dried leaves of Artemisia annua effectively eliminates the parasite that causes malaria, said Pamela Weathers, professor of biology and biotechnology at WPI, a co-author of the new study who is also currently overseeing the first clinical trial involving the use of dried leaf Artemisia (DLA) against malaria. Some of the plants antimalarial properties would be expected to have a similar effect on the schistosomiasis parasite, so it made sense to explore the effects of orally ingested leaves of the plant on that disease, as well. In the study conducted by researchers in Africa, Europe, and the United States* and published in the journal Phytomedicine (Effect of Artemisia annua and Artemisia afra tea infusions on schistosomiasis in a large clinical trial, December 2018), 800 patients from Maniema Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who exhibited signs of schistosomiasis infection were assigned to one of three groups. One group was treated with PZQ, while patients in the other two drank about a third of a liter of a tea infusion made from the dried leaves and twigs of either Artemisia annua or Artemisia afra (another member of the wormwood genus) three times daily. Patients were considered cured when no more parasite eggs were found in their stool samples. The results showed that both of the Artemisia tea infusions were just as effective in eliminating the parasite as PZQ, but that they achieved that result in two-thirds of the time14 days, vs. 21 days for PZQ. And while many of the patients receiving PZQ suffered adverse side effects (more than 18 percent experienced abdominal pain, for example, and more than 26 percent had headaches), no side effects were reported among those who consumed the teas. This is an important study with promising results, said Lucile Cornet-Vernet, vice president of La Maison de l'Artemisia, a non-governmental organization in Paris, the corresponding author of the Phytomedicine paper. It points to the need for more studies like this to better understand the medicinal value of Artemisia. Finding support for such studies has proven challenging, but it is important that we try, since this work benefits humanity. Artemisia annua is categorized as a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) medicinal herb by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which means it is safe to add to foods and can be consumed without adverse effects. Made into a tea, the plant has been consumed as a remedy for malaria for hundreds of years in Asia, though it was not until 1972 that Chinese scientist Tu Youyou isolated artemisinin from the plant and demonstrated its effectiveness against malaria, a discovery that won her the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine. Weathers said one of the most intriguing aspects of the results of the clinical trial in the DRC is that extracts of both species of wormwood were effective against schistosomiasis, even though only one, Artemisia annua, contains artemisinin (Artemisia afra has been found to contain, at most, trace amounts). Each species of Artemisia contains a unique, complex mixture of phytochemicals, a number of which have been shown to have antimalarial properties, Weathers said. The results of this study make it clear that the effectiveness of Artemisia against schistosomiasis and malaria is not due to artemisinin, alone. The plants should really be considered rich combination therapies. In her research, Weathers has compared the effectiveness of administering the dried leaves of Artemisia annua, ground up and made into tablets or capsules, to that of the standard malarial treatment, artemisinin combination therapy, or ACT, in which artemisinin is combined with one or more other anti-malarial drugs. In animal trials, her team has shown that the body more readily absorbs artemisinin from the plant than from the drug, that the compound is less likely to be broken down by the liver, and that the plant-based therapy is more effective in eliminating the malaria parasite. Weathers believes that these differences between ACT and DLA are due to the presence of the other phytochemicals with medicinal properties in DLA. Weathers noted that Artemisias utility as a medicine goes beyond its demonstrated effectiveness as a treatment for schistosomiases and malaria. She said many species of wormwood, including Artemisia annua and Artemisia afra, grow naturally in areas of the world where tropical diseases are rampant and that the processes of growing, harvesting, and processing the plant and producing the DLA capsules or tablets can be done locally and even become the basis for local businesses, which could significantly lower the cost of treating these diseases and increase the availability of effective treatments. Also, Weathers noted that while the schistosomiasis trial tested the effectiveness of tea infusions, she has chosen to focus her own studies on the efficacy of ingesting the plant, itself. Tea infusions are the traditional way to get the benefits of Artemisia, but they have some disadvantages, she said. First, the tea must be prepared carefully to ensure that the beneficial compounds from the plant end up in the tea, and this may not be easy for everyone to do. Second, for many people, the tea will taste very bitter, and may simply not be palatable to some patients, especially children. With the tablets and capsules containing the dried plant, the dosage can be carefully controlled, storage is possible, and most people have no problem consuming them. Cornet-Vernet said that her organization will continue to focus on tea infusions since she believes that they offer a more affordable option for the poorest residents of Africa and other areas impacted by tropical diseases. In addition, she said the widespread problem of fraudulent medications in Africa has led her non-governmental organization to favor a treatment that people can create themselves, from plants they grow on their own property. People in Africa are used to making tea infusions, she said. This is something that is very familiar to them, and it can save lives. *The full list of authors of the Phytomedicine paper: Jerome Munyangi, Universite de Kolwesi/Lualaba, DRC; Lucile Cornet Vernet of La Maison de l'Artemisia, France; Michel Idumbo, Centre de Sante de Lubile, Maniema, DRC; Pierre Lutgen, Association IVFB-BELHERB, Luxembourg; Christian Perronne, Paris IDF Ouest, France; Dieudonne Mumba, Bavon Mupenda, and Nadege Ngombe, Universite de Kinshasa, DRC; Jacques Bianga, Programme National Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Maniema, DRC; Paula Lalukala, provincial minister, Sante Publique Maniema, DRC; Guy Mergeai, Universite de Liege, Belgium; and Chen Lu, Melissa Towler, and Pamela Weathers, WPI. About Worcester Polytechnic Institute WPI, a global leader in project-based learning, is a distinctive, top-tier technological university founded in 1865 on the principle that students learn most effectively by applying the theory learned in the classroom to the practice of solving real-world problems. Recognized by the National Academy of Engineering with the 2016 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education, WPIs pioneering project-based curriculum engages undergraduates in solving important scientific, technological, and societal problems throughout their education and at more than 45 project centers around the world. WPI offers more than 50 bachelors, masters, and doctoral degree programs across 14 academic departments in science, engineering, technology, business, the social sciences, and the humanities and arts. Its faculty and students pursue groundbreaking research to meet ongoing challenges in health and biotechnology; robotics and the internet of things; advanced materials and manufacturing; cyber, data, and security systems; learning science; and more. http://www.wpi.edu Contact: Alison Duffy, Director of Public Relations Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, Massachusetts 508-831-6656; amduffy@wpi.edu Abrams has announced that the newest title in Jeff Kinneys Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, The Meltdown, has sold more than two million copies worldwidein more than 140 countries by 26 publisherssince its publication on October 30. An instant international bestseller, the book hit #1 on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times bestseller lists in the U.S., and landed at the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, England, Germany, Israel, Latvia, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey. According to NPD BookScan, 743,309 print copies have been sold in the U.S to date. In honor of the new book, Abrams launched its most extensive publicity campaign to date, which included national advertising and television spots, social media outreach, retail promotions, and a Wimpy Kid balloon at the annual Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade. This fall, Kinney set out on an eight-city East Coast bus tour that featured public appearances at a number of elementary schools, as well as a one-hour interactive performance. Kinney also visited Winnipeg, Canada and eight European countries: England, Scotland, Germany, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Since the series 2007 debut, more than 200 million copies of the Wimpy Kid books have been sold worldwide, in 59 languages. Michael Jacobs, president and CEO of Abrams, said in a statement, With over two million copies already sold and his new, fun-filled show, Jeff Kinneys gift to both create and inspire lifelong readers around the world has been proven once again. The staying power of Jeffs storytelling and cartooning continues to delight and amaze kids and their parents, caregivers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and all of us whove been lucky enough to be touched by this series. In another initiative to drive customers to its stores and website, Barnes & Noble will discount more than 100 books at 50% off from today until December 24 in its bricks-and-mortar locations and until December 25 online, provided supplies last. The 50% off selection includes such gift books as Justin Timberlakes Hindsight and The New Yorker Encyclopedia of Cartoons, as well as new releases across genres, from A.J. Finns The Woman in the Window to Zora Neale Hurstons recently discovered Barracoon to Jane Leavy's Babe Ruth biography, The Big Fella. "Nobody knows books like Barnes & Noble, and this holiday we want to delight our customers with many of the years best books at half-price for their seasonal shopping," Tim Mantel, B&N's chief merchandising officer, said in a statement. "Whether youre getting a book for a family member, a friend, a co-worker, or just looking for a good read for the holiday, theres sure to be a perfect book in our selection of 50% off titles." After a long stretch in which quarterly comparable store sales have fallen, B&N has repeatedly said that it expects same store sales to increase in the holiday season. The 50% discount offer is just the last program B&N has introduced to achieve that goal. On December 1, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrado was sworn in as the new president of Mexico; he is the first leftist politician to assume the role in 70 years. In October, shortly after his election, Obrador asked the writer Pablo Ignacio Taibo II to take over as director of Fondo de Cultura Economica, Mexicos large state-owned publishing house. Taibo agreed and assumed the job at Fondo on December 1, but not without controversy: some in the publishing community have objected to Taibo's appointment, argued he was not legally allowed to assume the position due to his having been born in Spain. For his part, Taibo has stated that the Senate will approve his appointment and, if not, the President will issue an edict allowing him to continue in the job. Taibo has written more than 40 books and is best known abroad as a mystery novelist; numerous of his books have been published in English-language translations, most recently by Restless Books. He is viewed as a controversial choice to run Fondo, which is a cornerstone of the Mexican publishing industry, one with a backlist of more than 10,000 titles, including a majority of the classics of Mexican intellectual patrimony. In addition, Fondo runs 27 bookstores across Mexico, making it the country's third largest bookstore chain; the publisher also has 10 foreign subsidiaries, including ones in the U.S. and Spain. Taibo is seen as a political radical, a Zapatista and, to some, an anarchist. The fear is that he will not be a good steward of the house or its patrimony, said one publisher who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals due to criticism in the close knit Mexican publishing community. Others believe he will ultimately serve the public good. He is very knowledgeable about books and publishing and running large events, said Joaquin Diez-Canedo Flores, director general of Mexico's largest university press, Cultura UNAM, and a former director of Fondo. I fall in the camp that thinks he can do a good job. Yes, he is an activist, but his heart is in the right place and he has a lot of experience promoting his own books and, in several book fairs he founded, in promoting other people's books." Taibo has already upset the status quo, stating publicly that he viewed many of the employees of Fondo as mere bureaucrats and dead weight, causing the staff to fear for their jobs. He has also been vocal about his detractors, including demeaning them at the recent Guadalajara International Book Fair in statements strong enough that he later felt the need to apologize. "Yes, he has said some things that worry people, like his statement that many people who work in the house are merely bureaucrats," said Flores, "but I think once he gets into the job he will see that many of them are hard-working professionals. As for publishing itself, Taibo's initial plans including introducing bargain-priced editions of some of the publishing houses classics in an effort to reach a broader readership. Flores believes this outreach effort might work. It is part of the mission of the publishing house to sustain and promote the literary patrimony of Mexico, so this might be a way to do it of course, the questions remains whether or not the people who cant afford to buy full priced books will still want to read these classics in cheaper editions, or even if they can read. Illiteracy remains the biggest challenge of all to the Mexican publishing industry. This article was updated December 7 with addition information. Dr Wereko-Brobbey was recognised for his notable efforts regarding policy and related critical issues in the sector that have formed the core mandates of the Energy Commission whiles Lawyer Tsikata was also celebrated for his work in the sector, notable among which included his roles in the formation of the Ghana National Petroleum Company, now Corporation. These two were awarded at the second edition of the Ghana Energy Awards held at the Movenpic Ambassador Hotel in Accra last Friday, November 30, 2018. The event is aimed at recognising innovation and excellence to spur industry stakeholders to achieve and contribute more toward the growth of the sector. A total of 29 individuals and companies were award at the event also for the immense contribution to the Energy sector. Dr Kwame Ampofo, Chairman of the Awarding Panel encouraged the industry players to give their best for the sector and the country as a whole, adding that "Dont let your performance end after the recognition but let it be the starting point for greater works. The full list of winners and their various categories: Energy Personality of The Year Male - Mr Emmanuel Antwi-Darkwa - VRA Energy Personality of the Year - Female - Mrs Abigail Asolange Harlley AI Group CEO of The Year - Power - Ing. Samuel Boakye Appiah - ECG CEO of The Year - Petroleum - Dr Ben K. Asante - GHANA GAS Industry Leadership Award - Power - Bui Power Authority Industry Leadership Award - Petroleum - Ghana Gas Energy Company of The Year - Renewable - Dutch & Co Energy Company of The Year - Petroleum - GOIL Energy Company of The Year - Power Volta River Authority Energy Institution of The Year - Energy Commission Rising Star Award Individual - Prosper Ahmed Amuquandoh Best Energy Reporter - Michael Creg Afful Oman FM Emerging Energy Company of The Year - Power - Ameri- Energy Emerging Energy Company of The Year - Petroleum - WI Energy Emerging Energy Company of The Year - Renewable - Sun In Limited Innovation Project of The Year - Energy Commission Corporate Social Responsibility Company of The Year - Kosmos Energy - Kosmos Innovation Center Energy Consultancy Services Company of the Year - Arthur Energy Advisors Off-Grid Energy Solution Company of the Year - PEG Africa Energy Efficient Organisation of the Year - Private - Special Ice Strategic Deal of the Year - Karpowership Excellence in Power Generation - Sunon Asogli Energy Efficient Organisation of the Year - Public - CSIR - Institute of Scientific & Industrial Research Energy Business Leadership Award - Female - Kate Quartey-Papafio Reroy Group Energy Business Leadership Award - Male - Dr Tony Oteng-Gyasi Tropical Cables He made the donation when he commissioned the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital during his three-day working tour of the countrys capital. The President said the donation of his entire November salary to the fund is part of his contribution to ensuring that the fund is well resourced to assist Ghanaians who may require plastic surgery. I have been asked by the Deputy Chief of Staff in my office to contribute my month salary of twenty-five thousand cedis (25,000.00), November salary, to the Burns and Reconstructive Surgery Fund, the President said. He added that he thought it was a laudable idea and has therefore done what his Deputy Chief of Staff discussed with him. The President also toured other departments of Ghanas premier teaching hospital. During the tour of the hospital, he said that the sight of the Maternity Block and Surgical Ward of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital breaks his heart. I saw in it the sign of a drastic decay that has engulfed our country, the President said. He said that they are working on the necessary processes which will legalise the compulsory second-cycle education in the country. In Ghana currently, it is only basic education which is compulsory under the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) policy. The President was speaking at the Ga Central Municipal Assembly during his three-tour of the Greater Accra region. He argued that if Ghana wants to develop, it must invest in its human capital and not rely solely on its natural resources such as gold, diamond, timber, and oil. He explained further that this was the reason why his administration insisted on introducing the Free SHS which allowed over 300,000 children, who would have missed school, to gain access to education at the senior high level. The biggest opposition party which was in power before the 2016 elections, argued that the free SHS campaign promise was not possible. The photo which popped up online is seriously generating lots of talks as some label the pictures as a pornographic content which of course is and others slamming them for their 'irresponsible' behavior on social media. In one picture, the actors are seen almost nude with Samuel rocking a white Calvin Klein boxers and Christabel strapped in a black bikini that displays her voluptuous physique. ___9173988___2018___12___6___15___opsad ece-auto-gen The second, which is the very one caused tongues to wag has the actors totally strip naked and they caress each other other showing their nudity to the camera. Christabel Ekeh already has a history in taking nudes photos. She was in the news sometime back for flooding social media with naked photos which was later linked to depression according to some reports In a social media post, the actress stressed that times are hard and that things are looking bad. READ ALSO: Ghanaian actors, Christabel Ekeh and Samuel Bravo strip naked in new photoGhanaian actors, Christabel Ekeh and Samuel Bravo strip naked in new photo Yvonne Nelson has never been shy to voice out her opinions when it comes to national issues. ece-auto-gen Some years back, she led a vigil to protest against the then National Democratic Congress (NDC) government when citizens were experiencing erratic power supply. And, it appears she has been unimpressed by the performance of President Akufo-Addo and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) since they also came into office. The actress took to Twitter to state that things are not going very well under the current government, insisting its looking bad. Things are hard in this country!!!! Its that bad!!!!!! she posted. READ ALSO: Lydia Forson drags 5O Cent in the mud for an insensitive tweetLydia Forson drags 5O Cent in the mud for an insensitive tweet Yvonne Nelson becomes the latest celebrity to tow this line, following Shatta Wales own complaints about the economic situation in the country. Earlier in the week, the dancehall artiste also called on the President to sit up, insisting the youth of the country are suffering. Remember when the youth rise there is no stopping cuz everybody is saying it loud now ..Chale money no deh the system hard my job spoil this government has failed us Yes this is what the street is saying and anyone who will comment and say am lying is a damn liar himself . Reports say the suspect identified as Prince Owabie from Rumueperikom community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area was arrested by police of Rivers State. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigative and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for a further investigation and a possible prosecution. He is reported to have buried the deceased also identified as Bertha Ozige Nwabueze in his room around Wimpy Junction, by Ikwerre Road in Port Harcourt. ece-auto-gen READ ALSO: Blogger sued for 20 million damage for defaming politician The gruesome incident occurred on Sunday, but the suspect was arrested on Tuesday, by policemen following a tip-off. The suspect popularly known as J-Boy had reportedly confided the act in some of his friends who later hinted the police, leading to his arrest. This was after the six contractors working on the bridges, located at Firestone, Zongo Junction, Redco, Ritz Junction, SDA Junction, and Adenta, assured the President of the completion of the project within a period of six months. This was after President Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, 5th December, 2018, at the commencement of his 2nd day of his 3-day tour of the Greater Accra Region, paid a visit to the Adenta-Madina highway to inspect ongoing works on the bridges. It will be recalled that following the recent spate of accidents on the highway, resulting in the loss of lives and properties, the Ministry of Roads and Highways, acting through the Ghana Highway Authority, selected six contractors for the award of contracts for construction of the access ramps, under a certificate of urgency. President Akufo-Addo also commissioned the new ultra-modern head office of the Accra Metropolitan Authority, with former mayors of Accra, Nii Amarkai Amarteifio, Nat Nunoo Amarteifio, Solomon Ofei, Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson, and Alfred Oko Vanderpuije, in attendance. According to him, it will be a waste of taxpayers monies to procure drones for the supply of essential medicines. READ ALSO: He explained that the poor telecommunication systems in Ghana could also pose problems for this sort of technology. Mr. Dafeamekpor, therefore, believes it will be better to use motorbikes rather than drones for the distribution of medical supplies to remote areas. ece-auto-gen In his view, motorbikes with carriers will do the delivery in quicker time than the drones and will also cost less. I would rather prefer that we buy motor bikesthat are fixed with carrier containers, the NDC MP said on TV3s New Day. According to him, it looks like those who even drafted the deal do not know the local terrain. The Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has given clearance for government to sole-source the contract to US-based firm Messrs Zipline International Inc. The firm was to design, install and operate unmanned aerial vehicles, the drones, at the cost of $12,527,000 for four years. READ ALSO: However, there has been disagreements between the Majority and Minority in Parliament over the consideration to adopt the use of drones. While the government believes it is the best way to supply media materials to inaccessible areas, the opposition NDC insists the cost of the project is too high. The Minority has also questioned why the project was to be given on contract to Fly Zipline Ghana Limited on a sole sourcing basis when value audit had not been conducted on the project. He made the donation on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, when he commissioned a new facility for the National Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Centre (NRPSBC), on day-2 of his 3-day tour of the Greater Accra Region. The centre was established to cater for patients suffering from acute burns and its complications, birth defects including cleft lip and palate and hand anomalies, injuries to nerves, tendons and blood vessels, complex wounds, and skin cancers. READ ALSO: I'm putting Ghana on a new track of progress - Nana AddoI'm putting Ghana on a new track of progress - Nana Addo The President expressed his gratitude to the late Prof. Jack Mustarde and the Charity he founded, the International Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Project, now called Resurge Africa, who collaborated with government and other stakeholders to establish the Accident and Burns Centre. ece-auto-gen In order to facilitate the rapid establishment of this new specialty, the Centre was set up as one of the semi-autonomous Centres of Excellence within the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital, with direct support from the Ministry of Health. Over the last 21 years, the NRPSBC has proven to be a worthwhile investment, recording over 140,000 out-patient visits, over 15,000 admissions and has successfully carried out over 25,000 surgical operations. This excludes surgeries performed by its staff off-site. READ MORE: NDC lacks understanding of economic dev't - Nana AddoNDC lacks understanding of economic dev't - Nana Addo Thus far, the NRPSBC has been actively collaborating with NGOs, churches, corporate entities and other health facilities to improve access to reconstructive surgery services in underserved regions throughout the country. He continued, I am determined to revive the fortunes of the railway sector in our country and re-establish the infrastructure of our railways across our nation, and beyond. It is one of the most important bases for the transformation of our nation, and I am fully convinced that the investments we are going to make in our railway sector will be a catalyst for the social and economic transformation of our country. READ ALSO: Nana Addo inspects Tema motorway interchange project Addressing the gathering, the President assured that we are going to build on the railway infrastructure, open up our country and bring out the wealth of Ghana, and make our population grow, grow and grow in wealth, dignity and prosperity. And, in the process, the railway sector is going to be strong and independent. READ ALSO: Parliament defers drone technology agreement He made an appeal to the persons living close to railways to leave, because of the high-speed trains that will ply the routes, adding that for the safety of everybody, lets get away from the rail lines, and preserve life, limb and body. Speaking at the launch of 'Operation Father Christmas' on Thursday, December 6, 2018, he said "to the criminals out there who think that Christmas and New Year seasons are conducive times to engage in nefarious activities, rethink, think about your life, think about the name and image of your family and be real to yourself that the police, with support from sister security agencies, will not relax in our efforts to provide security for law-abiding citizens." Speaking on Accra-based Adom FM, he said "I'm very grateful for the opportunity. Tell my other colleagues to step down for me. Soothsayers, mallams say its my time and even pastors have confirmed that its my time so they should give me the opportunity to the rule the country. I have a special place for them." READ MORE: NDC's Council of Elders meet over 'outrageous' filing feeNDC's Council of Elders meet over 'outrageous' filing fee ece-auto-gen Followers of Stephen Atubiga on Tuesday, December 4, picked up nomination forms for the presidential hopeful. The followers who are said to be from the onion market in Accra arrived at the party headquarters with a bundle of cash amounting to GH20,000 as payment for the forms. Russell Brooks, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer, while delivering remarks at a program organized by Project Enable Africa in commemoration of the 2018 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, reaffirmed the U.S. governments support for the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Brooks explained that the United States, as part of its foreign policy, works to remove barriers and create a world in which disabled people enjoy dignity and full inclusion. According to him, promoting disability rights is an integral part of the promotion of human rights. In pursuing diplomacy that is inclusive and empowering of persons with disabilities, the United States opposes discrimination against persons with disabilities everywhere and in all its forms. If we permit anyone in our society to be accorded less than their full human rights, we are all diminished as a result, Brooks stated. At the event, rights activist and President of Women Arise, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, and Access Banks Head of Sustainability, Ms Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, emphasized the importance of the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society. In 2017, Project Enable Africa, a Nigerian civic organization that promotes the rights, empowerment and social inclusion of persons with disabilities established a disability-friendly digital hub in Lagos with funding from the U.S. government. To date, the hub has trained 20 young persons with disabilities in various information and communication technology-based skills and supports them through mentorship. During todays event, Project Enable Africa announced a second cohort that will be trained next year. Project Enable Africa is also the winner of the Google Impact Challenge Funds Competition in Nigeria and will receive an award of $250,000. According to Instablog9ja, the event unfolded yesterday, December 5, 2018. The lecturer is a strong member of ASUU, meaning union rules preclude him from engaging in Academic work through the strike. The Spiderman disguise was meant to help protect his identity, warp the laws in his favour he helped his students as Spiderman and not as a lecturer and help his Masters students prepare for the final defense of their project. This time, three mortuary attendants; 65-year-old Micheal Olusegun; 41-year-old Oluseyi Olamade; and 45-year-old Adetunji Aliyu have been arrested as suspects in the mutilation of a dead womans body. They allegedly cut off both wrists and the heart of one deceased 51-year-old Mary Ehinlaiye on November 16, 2018. Her body was deposited at the morgue, St. Raphael Divine Mercy Hospital in Ijede, Ikorodu, Lagos. According to Wuzup Naija, they were arraigned before the Yaba Chief Magistrates Court, Lagos on Thursday, December 6, 2018. Police Prosecutor, ASP Roman Unuigbe, stood informed the court of the details of the matter. The suspects have however pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them. Unuigbe told the Court that one Anthony Lawani complained to the police that his sister, 51-year-old Mary Ehinlaiye's body, was missing. ALSO READ: White man tries to shoot Yahoo boys through the phone (Video) Unuighe said, My Lord, the complainant had gone to the mortuary to collect his sisters body for burial but the attendants could not present the body to him. It was later discovered that they had exchanged the body for another one and the family of the other deceased had buried his sister as their own. They secretly went to the mortuary and exchange the corpses and tried to return her to her brother without two wrists and a heart. Fortunately, Lawani discovered the missing parts and drew the attention of the police to the situation. The offence committed by the suspects contravenes the provisions of sections 165 (b) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (as amended) which punish criminal conspiracy respectively. Section 165 (b) carries a maximum punishment of five years imprisonment while 411 provides two years for conspiracy. The suspects have been admitted to bail of N500,000 each with two sureties required in like sum by Chief Magistrate Peter Ojo. One of those sureties, however, has to be a blood relation. On Wednesday, December 5, 2018, she visits a bridge in Lekki, Lagos, in a bid to kill herself. Amarachi attempts this after previously cutting her wrist with a blade. This felt good to her according to a note she shares after attempting suicide. "Yesterday I took the worst step of my life, I headed to law school bridge lekki to end it all. When I got there I said to myself 'yes this is my final bustop'. But my Gracious God said No that he has plans for me. "He sent his Angels to take charge over me, two policemen and a brother, they came at the peak of time. Then I realized God's purpose for me. I realized I was selfish I never thought about the pain my mom would go through, what about my brother. "I realized I only have God to talk to, the Almighty who is faithful in his words. I have learnt to talk to him when I'm down, he would listen and won't judge me, he would give me peace of mind and solution to all my problems," the narrator writes in the text she published a day after the recent suicide attempt. ALSO READ: UNILORIN student commits suicide after failing final year project a second time Her experience with God has opened her to good knowledge on living. Odara, a resident of Greater Noida reportedly came to be a resident of the country in the year 2014, after securing a Tourist Visa and then one for business. The accused got nicked following an investigation by police officers of Rachakonda's cyber crime unit. A policeman ACP S Harinath tells the Times of India that Abel Odara deceived the victim after weeks of convincing her. "After talking to the victim for weeks, he gained her confidence and shared details as he applied for Indian Visa and booked tickets to India," the police spokesperson shares in the report. ALSO READ: Nigerian man convicted of fraud on trial for stealing his own identity One of the most wanted criminals The commissioner of police in Rachakonda Mr Mahesh Bhagwat, describes the accused as one hot on the radar the force. He tells the Deccan Chronicle News about Abel Odara's strategy. "The cyber fraudsters are taking the help of Indian women, mostly hailing from North Eastern states living in Delhi and NCR (national capital region) to talk to the victims in the regional language and coaxing them to deposit money in their various bank accounts. They are given a commission for doing this." Deccan Chronicle also confirms the seizure of "four laptops, 13 mobile phones, two passports, routers, dongles, Tabs, driving licenses, identification cards, one debit card and a bank passbook" from the accused. Thanks to such theories as Yoruba demons, and the more encompassing idea of fuck boys, one gets the picture that women get dumped a lot. This is not to say women are not heartbreakers too. Of course they are. As a matter of fact, this poll suggests that women do a lot of cheating than we might be ready to admit. But who gets most affected by heartbreaks? Who suffers, and who does not? Researchers from Binghamton University and University College London conducted a study that involved 5,705 participants from 96 countries to rate the emotional and physical pain of a breakup on a scale of one (none) to 10 (unbearable). ALSO READ:The one big lesson my 5 breakups taught me The result of the poll shows that women often experience higher levels of both physical and emotional pain. According to Craig Morris, research associate at Binghamton University and lead author on the study: Women averaged 6.84 in terms of emotional anguish versus 6.58 in men. In terms of physical pain, women averaged 4.21 versus men's 3.75. While breakups hit women the hardest emotionally and physically, women tend to recover more fully and come out emotionally stronger. Men, on the other hand, never full recover - they simply and the reasons for this unhealthy behaviour is explained in detail here The end of a relationship is never fair on anyone. Men hurt, women hurt when the familiar feeling of happiness is suddenly snatched from them due to a breakup. Even when the breakup is expected, the grieving process often still plays out. A British study, reported here, has claimed that men suffer more long-lasting pain from breakups than women. The question that naturally follows this is: why is this so? How and why are men hurting more when it is they who usually seem to move on from breakups faster and more painlessly? According to an article published on The Independent Ireland in 2017, it is not so controversial to say that men struggle more after a breakup than women do because emotionally, [men] often react badly to major life upheavals. Moreover, [mens] methods for dealing with changed circumstances are not always helpful." Women handle breakups differently from how men do it [Credit - Shutterstock] Shuttershock A 2015 survey by Men's Health magazine backs up this statement. Conductors of the survey found out that going to the pub was named the best way to "get over" a split according to while one third of those polled said the jilted party would be better off if he acts unbothered by the whole thing. Right there, is one of the reasons why men suffer - the unwillingness to face what happened and come to terms with the reality of it. ece-auto-gen "Males grew up with the 'men don't cry' attitude and while men may deal with things differently, it doesn't mean they don't feel the same pain and the same hurt as women," says Elaine Hanlon, a counsellor and psychotherapist based in Dublin. "So for generations, men have learnt to suppress this pain and hurt and 'be a man' which doesn't allow much space for vulnerability." On the other hand, women are typically more comfortable finding a shoulder to cry on and letting it all out. Women are often less dependent on their significant other for emotional support - they typically have a wider circle of friends and will confide to family in a way most men wouldn't countenance. Hanlon says. That kinda explains why they come to grips with reality and find the real strength to genuinely close a chapter a move on to the next quicker. ece-auto-gen Another reason why women dont suffer as much as men after a breakup is because they do the breaking up more times than men. "Studies show that more women than men are the initiators of marriage break up today," Hanlon adds. What this means is that, women have more time to start processing the pain ahead. They begin to prepare early for the outcomes of splitting up from a partner. By the time they are done with that phase, the man may just be beginning his. Speaking made this known in a paper he delivered during the Third Annual National Conference organised by the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists of Nigeria (SLTCN) at the Nigerian Institute of Leather Science and Technology (NILEST), Samaru, Zaria, Kaduna State. NAN also reports that the Commandant spoke on: Indigenous Leather Production and Military Kitting: The Armed Forces of Nigeria Perspective. The Armed Forces of Nigeria will require about N9 billion to provide a pair of working shoes and boots for each soldier. The amount will double if we are to provide two pairs each per soldier every year. This huge sum of money if channeled to the indigenous leather industry will go a long way in revamping the sector and improving our national economy as well as security forces and provide jobs to our teeming youths. However, the leather industry in Nigeria is yet to take advantage of the huge potential that exists in the military leather requirements of the AFN. He said the Armed Forces of Nigeria comprising the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force all utilize leather materials as part of their military kitting. These range from service shoes to combat boots among others. With strength of over 200,000 personnel, the requirement for shoes and boots is quite enormous especially with the requirement of at least two pairs of shoes and boots each per personnel per year. This translates to about more than half a million pairs of leather wares that could be provided through indigenous leather production industry yearly. At an estimated cost of N30,000.00 for a pair of quality working shoes (Bates) and N15,000.00 for combat boots, Declaring the conference open, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, gave the assurance that the ministry would partner with any professional body interested in any research field that would enhance the growth and diversification of the economy. The minister, who was represented by the Director-General, Nigerian Institute Of Leather and Science Technology, Dr Eucharia Ngozi-Oparah, urged the participants to deliberate effectively on topical issues that would address the challenges in the leather industry. He stressed the need for effective deliberation particularly in areas where the economy would be improved through value addition of leather and leather products. Earlier, the National President, SLTCN, Dr Solomon Tanko said the essence of the conference was for professionals to deliberate and brainstorm on prospects and contributions of leather to national growth and development. He described the leather industry as strategic in view of its importance and critical role in the diversification of the nations economy. Tanko observed that leather and leather related products were key to industrial growth that would certainly pave way for jobs opportunities and wealth creation. Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, started a theory in 2017 that the real Buhari that was elected in 2015 had died during one of his medical trips to London and been replaced by a clone named Jubril from Sudan with the help of surgery. Kanu's claim has enjoyed more mainstream prominence in recent weeks after a former minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, claimed on his Twitter account that the man in the Presidential Villa is not the same that was elected. While meeting with the Nigerian community in Poland on Sunday, December 2, 2018, Buhari dismissed the rumours, branding it 'ignorant and irreligious'. "It's real me, I assure you. I will soon celebrate my 76th birthday and I will still go strong," he said. ece-auto-gen His response to the controversy has been the subject of conversation all week as the international media took quite a hilarious position about reporting it. One of such was Kimmel who dedicated around two minutes of his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, to put a hilarious spin on the story. While many Nigerians felt the segment, and the reaction of the international media, brought ridicule on the entire country, Dabiri-Erewa, took to her Twitter account on Wednesday, December 5, to dismiss its seriousness. She noted that she was amused by the segment and won't bother to waste her energy on what a comedian does on his show. She posted, "Cracking up on JimmyKimmelLive joke on the issue of @MBuhari cloning. Jimmy is a comedian. His source of livelihood. The joke is the stupidly of even believing in the cloning narrative at all, not on PMB @Omojuwa @segalink . Won't waste energy on this . That's all." The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen Sani Usman, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja. According to Usman, the newly promoted Maj.-Gen. O.T. Akinjobi, Head of the Operations Monitoring Team at the Office of the Chief of Army Staff, has been appointed Commander, Sector 3, Operation LAFIYA DOLE. He said that Maj.-Gen. M.G. Ali, Commander, 9 Brigade, had been appointed Commander of the newly created Nigerian Army Special Forces Command. He said that Brig.-Gen. B.R. Sinjen would command Integrated Fire Support, while Brig.-Gen. F.O. Omoigui, had been moved from 2 Division, Nigerian Army to Army Headquarters Department of Training and Operations as Director of Operations. Usman stated that the deployment moved Brig.-Gen. T.A. Lagbaja to 9 Brigade, Nigerian Army as commander. Also affected, he said, was Brig.-Gen. O.R. Aiyenigba, Director, Land Warfare, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, who had been assigned to Office of the Chief of Army Staff as Head of Operations Monitoring Team. According to Usman, Brig.-Gen. A.U. Kuliya is to take over as Director, Land Warfare at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College. Similarly, new Brigade Commanders have been appointed for some of the Brigades at Operation LAFIYA DOLE. These include Brig.-Gen. E.F. Oyinlola, 22 Brigade; Brig.-Gen. V.U. Okoro, 25 Task Force Brigade; Brig.-Gen. A.B. Mohammed, 26 Task Force Brigade and Brig.-Gen. A.O. Oyelade, 27 Task Force Brigade. Brig.-Gen. M.T. Usman, 28 Task Force Brigade and Brig.-Gen. M.G. Kangye, 37 Brigade. The army spokesman added that Brig.-Gen. A.S. Ishaq had been appointed as Coordinator, Nigeria Police Force for Operation LAFIYA DOLE. He also announced that new commanders had been appointed for the various Army Headquarters Logistics Commands at the theatre. These include Brig.-Gen. A.G. Ibrahim, Brig.-Gen. P.N. Okeson and Brig.-Gen. O.A. Aminu, for Logistics Base I, II and III, respectively. Usman said the posting affected several Commanding Officers of the various units in Operation LAFIYA DOLE. He said Buratai had directed that all those affected by the posting must remain committed and fully in charge until they were properly relieved in line with standard operating procedures and military professional ethics. According to the report which was released on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, total terror-related deaths in Nigeria reduced from 1,832 in 2016 to 1,532 in 2017. 852 people were also injured in terror-related activities with 411 incidents recorded in the report. The fall in the rate of terror-related deaths is the same across the world as Iraq, Nigeria and Pakistan have witnessed a significant drop since the peak of terrorist activities in 2014. "When compared to the peak of terrorist deaths in 2014, the largest falls in the number of deaths occurred in Iraq, Nigeria, and Pakistan, with falls of 6,466, 5,950, and 912 deaths respectively. Deaths from terrorism decreased by 27 per cent from 2016 to 2017. There were 18,814 deaths in 2017," the report read. GTI credits the drop in Nigeria to the activities of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a combined multinational formation involving Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. ece-auto-gen ece-auto-gen The terrorist activities recorded in the report captures attacks carried out by terrorist group, Boko Haram, Fulani extremists, Bachama extremists and others. "Terrorist activity in Nigeria is dominated by two groups: Boko Haram and Fulani extremists," the report noted. Fulani extremists were noted to have been less active in 2017 than they were in 2016 with terrorism deaths dropping by 60% to 321, and attacks dropping by 51% to 72. However, preliminary report of the group's activities in 2018 indicates a sharp rise with nearly 1,700 violent deaths attributed to the Fulani ethnic militia from January to September 2018. While little-known Bachama extremists were responsible for four attacks and 30 deaths in 2017, Boko Haram and Fulani extremists were credited with carrying out 63% of terror attacks and 88% of terror-related deaths in Nigeria. Globally, since peaking in 2014, terror-related deaths have fallen by 44%. Iraq and Afghanistan remain the two most-impacted by terror-related deaths across the world. Describing it as mischievous, the Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) in a statement signed by its spokesman, Francis Adeka, said those behind rumour need psychiatric attention. The claim is being bolstered with a poor rendition and understanding of scientific procedures like cloning, face transplant among others, which proves that those that are carrying this fake news need mental intervention, the statement said. The fake claim would have been considered humorous, but for the fact that it has attained the first position of the most ridiculous of all conspiracy theories. It is a story meant to prey on the gullible by reason of limited mental capacity, whose numbers seem to be increasing on daily basis. Sadly, those peddling the fake news about cloning have even lesser mental capacity than the people they are deceiving. The leading organisation on cloning was categorical in stating that gene cloning is the most common type of cloning done by researchers at the . NHGRI researchers have not cloned any mammals and NHGRI does not clone humans. Proponents of the fallacy are using a 1997 Sci-Fi thriller, , as prop in their illogical argument saying there has been a face swap between Buhari and Jubrin. In the medical world, there has been a handful of partial and full face transplants, but the recipients of the face transplant look nothing like the donors; and of course the new faces come with some level of distortion with the risk of rejection for which the patients take a cocktail of mediation for life. Even more childish is the flipping and reversing of photographs of President Buhari to claim that one version is right-handed, while the other is left-handed, which is a photo trick that is achievable with the most basic photo editing software, the statement concluded. Buhari speaks on Jibrin Similarly, President Buhari has said that he is not a clone. The President spoke on the issue in far-away Poland during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community. "One of the questions that came up today in my meeting with Nigerians in Poland was on the issue of whether Ive been cloned or not. The ignorant rumours are not surprising when I was away on medical vacation last year a lot of people hoped I was dead. "Poor Professor Osinbajo even he had to deal with the rumours Some people reached out to him to consider them to be his Vice President because they assumed I was dead. That embarrassed him a lot; we discussed it when he visited me while I was convalescing. Every day we read stories of men sexually molesting young girls and pass it off as a bit of 'weird news' in some far place in the country. In case you do not know, paedophilia is a big problem in Nigeria that even our culture of silence concerning all things sex can no longer hide. The story of Ochanya Elizabeth Ogbanje is one of many sad stories of child sex abuse in Nigeria. The situation has become so dire that parents are very strict with who has access to their kids, in some cases this strictness might come off as extreme. ece-auto-gen Take, for instance, Head of Programmes at TVC and host of the breakfast chat show 'Your View', Morayo Akabashorun. On Wednesday, December 5, 2018, she trended on social media for saying this "I absolutely trust my husband but I won't take chances and have him bathe my daughter, because whether we like it or not, there is something flying in the air these days that is encouraging imbalance and immoralities." "I actually trust my husband but I'm just being careful because people that have experienced this kind of situation, also trusted their husbands and yet, it happened" she also said. Her policy on keeping her child safe from sexual abuse was quite the talk of the town. The following day, Thursday, December 6, 2018, she had to put out a statement on her Instagram account. In the video, she said "My husband is not a paedophile, he's a highly responsible, decent man. He can never do anything to hurt any of his children." She went on to further speak on how parents should take care of their children and protect them from sexual abuse. Akabashorun's views might seem extreme but she is not to blame. According to the 2016 report on Violence Against Children in Nigeria by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), four out of 10 girls experience sexual violence between six to eleven years of age. These are stats from cases that have been reported. The cultures of shame and silence have aided in ensuring that monsters go scot-free after molesting little girls and boys. These monsters also include fathers who prey on their kids. Our society would rather we sweep these stories under the carpet, not air our dirty linen in public, let the victims suffer in silence and let the monsters go free than talk about it. An old African proverb says "it takes a village to raise a child" but what if in that village are sexual predators who abuse children? These days, the village would rather protect the predator than protect the child. The lower chamber of the National Assembly made the approval following an adoption of a report on a bill seeking to amend the Public Holidays Act 2004. Considering the report during plenary on Thursday, December 6, 2018, the lawmakers approved the amendments to three clauses in the Act, as recommended in the report. President Muhammadu Buhari had declared June 12 as Nigeria's new Democracy Day in honour of the late MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Kukasheka, disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri on Thursday. He said that the troops also recovered weapons after dislodging the insurgents from their hide out in the area. Kukasheka said that troops of 117 Battalion, 28 Task Force Brigade on Tuesday launched an offensive against the insurgents at Yachida, Korongelen, Bombula and Forfor villages in Damboa. He explained that the troops engaged the insurgents in battle at Forfor on Tuesday, neutralized one of them and arrested two others while others escaped with gunshot wounds. The spokesman said that the troop collaborated with some members of Civilian Joint Task Force in the operation which followed a report on the presence of the suspected terrorists in a hideout. The Troops came in contact with the terrorists and engaged them at Forfor village. Kukasheka added that the gallant troops recovered one AK-47 rifle, a magazine, 21 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition, a 36-Hand Grenade, magazine pouch and a motorcycle. The former Edo State governor made the remark following the former president's support for Atiku to win the 2019 presidential election after vowing in the past to never support his ambition due to his lack of integrity. Oshiomhole said God will never forgive Obasanjo if he supports Atiku's ambition to become president, adding that God will go to work in February 2019 and "punish him thoroughly". He added that Nigerians will vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 despite the conspiracy against him. The APC chairman made the comment when he received delegates of APC women leaders from Edo state in his office in Abuja. He said, "The two candidates are from the north and they are both Muslims. People are now going to look at character. Nobody has ever said Buhari is a thief. But who said the other person is a thief? It was his boss. "When you are working with me and I said you are a thief, God will punish me if I support you. And when you are confused because your supply line has been chopped off, you now turned around to support the same person. "That God that you called with your name to punish you if you support the person is about to go to work. And he will go to work in February and he will punish him thoroughly and the person he is supporting, in favour of Nigeria." Mr Mohammed Momoh, the NYSC State Coordinator, told newsmen on the sidelines at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Batch C Stream II Orientation Course at the NYSC Camp Iyana-Ipaja, Lagos. Momoh said that presently over 19,000 corps members serving in the state would be presented to INEC and would be deployed for the 2019 elections. According to him, INEC has set Dec. 14 as deadline for submission of list of corps members for the elections, but we are submitting the list by Dec. 6, because we work well ahead of time. INEC has set off Dec.14 to submit to them, but we will be submitting the information of corps members to them tomorrow, because we work way ahead of time. The list is to allow INEC plan ahead of the election. We are sent the list of the corps members that we have; we have over 19, 000 corps members serving in Lagos. Let me assure you that before the elections we have well over 20, 000 corps members that can be deployed for the elections. We will send over 20, 000 even those that are being relocated to Lagos now, the moment they settle down, we will also upload their names as an addendum. But for now, what we are forwarding should be about 19, 000 or more. It cant be less than 19, 000 and those on relocation that will now come, we are expecting about 3,000 to 4,000 corps members more, we will now add it to them. At the end of the day and by the time they are ready for the elections we can have less then 20, 000 corps members, he said. Momoh said that the corps members had been given preliminary training by INEC on the conduct of electoral processes and the use of the card reader. My beloved young Nigerians in National service, here on camp, you have been given preliminary training by INEC on the conduct of electoral processes and the use of card readers. As soon as you settle down in your different places of primary assignments, you will be given further detailed training to equip and enhance your capacity in delivering a hitch-free and credible election in 2019. I want to assure you that the Election Security Committee headed by the Commissioner of Police has put in place specific strategic plans to ensure your safety and security during the elections. I, therefore, encourage you to remain positive agents of change and good ambassadors, always bearing in mind that you have been saddled with the task of nation building and you must not fail, just like your predecessors, he said. The state coordinator commended two corps, Dr Anya Onyedikachi, LA/18C/3309 and Dr Olawande Ogedengbe, LA/18C/5234, for their selfless and timely intervention which saved the life of a fellow corps member during the three-week orientation course. He said the emergency happened when a corps member had seizure and was rushed to the clinic but the two corps members despite not being on duty help in resucitating and saving the corps member. In his remarks, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, urged the corps members to show high level of patriotism as responsible citizens during the 2019 elections. Ambode, represented by Dr Yusuf Jimoh, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Inter Governmental Relations, said the corps members should be non-partisan. We are all aware that the 2019 is a politically crucial year for our nation and the processes towards the elections will commence in earnest. The governor who said that rigging was the major cause of violence during any elections, urged all political party candidates to concede defeat when a winner emerged as he would also do the same. He also appealed to all candidates to avoid politics of bitterness, stressing that abusive words in politics should be avoided as election was not war but only a contest. Anybody inciting election violence within and outside Kaduna State, irrespective of their personalities would be brought back to Kaduna for prosecution and justice. he said. While addressing the representatives of the various political parties, the Chairman, Kaduna State Peace Commission, Archbishop Idowu Fearon, said various elections in the past had been challenged with provocative languages. According to Fearon, the best pathway for peaceful elections is setting common principles, common values and standards for political campaigns and personal conduct during elections. We are optimistic that the goal of every candidates present here will bring peace, development and dividends of good governance to their various constituencies, he said. The chairman presided over the agreement entered by the various political parties, particularly the governorship candidates and they swore as thus; We, the respected leaders and candidates of the various political parties present here today, Wednesday, the 5th of December, 2018 hereby resolve and agree toward peaceful 2019 general elections. We will refrain from all violent actions. We shall direct all our supporters to conduct themselves and the elections peacefully, they affirmed. The chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state, Hassan Hyet, said when there was fairness and justice, confidence would be restored amongst people, hence, their willingness to participate in the elections. He, therefore, urged security agencies to be neutral and fair in the enforcement of law and order in the forthcoming elections. On behalf of the PDP, we assure this Commission and the people of Kaduna State that we are prepared to conduct ourselves in accordance with the laws of our land and the guidelines from INEC he said. The former commissioner also alleged that a powerful group in the APC had been violating the principle of separation of powers. PDP reacts According to Daily Post, the Lagos state chapter of the PDP, in a statement signed by its spokesman, Taofik Gani said Oluwo made the right decision. The party also called on the Lagos residents to join the revolution to free Lagos. The statement reads: He has taken a political step never to be regretted. We encourage all remaining true democrats to join the PDP now. Lagos has been in bondage of a unipolar rule and control Indeed with all that can be conceded to Ambode as due performances, he was denied a second term on the selfish, flimsy, vindictive excuse that he refused to fund the APC chieftains. Our emphasis here is that the APC is desperately holding onto Lagos State to enrich the chieftains directly or by bogus contracts awarded. We call on the Lagos electorate to join this revolution to free Lagos. We stand on our honour and before God to pledge that Lagos internally generated revenue shall be wholesomely spent for Lagos. Jimi Agbajes reaction Also, the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos state, Jimi Agbaje welcomed Oluwo to the party, adding that he will work with the former commissioner to liberate Lagos state. He said The commissioner has displayed uncommon courage by the decision. He is a good example for others to follow as this empire begins to fall to pieces I am gladdened by the news of my brothers defection to the PDP. Indeed, it is a welcome development which must be lauded and applauded by all lovers of freedom and democracy. By this singular gesture, Oluwo has counted himself worthy as a man of integrity. I look forward to teaming up with him to liberate our dear state from the shackles of bad governance and corruption. ALSO READ:Jimi Agbaje vows PDP will take over Lagos in 2019 I am using this opportunity to all stakeholders in the state, particularly my brothers and sisters in the APC to toe the path of honour, and join us to rescue our state from the vice grips of a vested cabal that has arrested its development in the last 20 years. Agbaje's billboards Meanwhile, the Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, said that it removed Jimi Agbajes billboardsand posters because he did not obtain permission before putting them up. The former minister, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alleged, in the November edition of TELL Magazine, that the rigging in Ekiti and other governorship elections will not be allowed to repeat itself in 2019. He said, "Everybody knows what happened in Ekiti; it was a stolen victory. And so it is in some other areas. We have been talking to our people to have patience. What has been happening in those elections cant take place in February 2019. It cant happen." According to him, no one will obstruct the liberty of Nigerians to choose their next president in the 2019 general elections. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Google launched Google Station at three sites, including Wuse Market, Enab Plaza and Banex Plaza. This is to kick off the rollout across the northern part of the country. Google Station is a simple set of tools to roll-out Wi-Fi hotspots, and aims to bring more people fast and reliable Wi-Fi in more places where they spend time, like bus stations, shopping malls, airports and public transit stations. WiFi is available free of charge and partners leverage Google Stations business model, which enables venues, system integrators, businesses and ISPs with access to fiber to setup, maintain and monetise their Wi-Fi networks. Today, many venues with public Wi-Fi are required to stitch a custom solution together for each separate location. This makes public Wi-Fi networks hard to use: the log-in process is one-off and cumbersome, the connections are slow, and many networks can be less secure. Venues have trouble administering a large network, providing high quality service to users, and easily monetising its usage. To help solve this, Google Station offers a platform and works with ISPs, venues and hardware partners to reduce the cost of deployment, operations and ongoing support, he said. Abdullahi added that Google Station was part of Googles vision to provide fast and affordable Wi-Fi to its next billion users. He said that users in Abuja can now experience high-quality connections to Internet in airports, malls and universities. We want to expand to new high-traffic venues to help more people get online, and were looking for strategic and forward thinking partners to work with on this effort, he said. NAN reports that Google announced in May that it was aiming at rollingout 200 Google Station locations to millions of people in Nigeria. The Google Station was launched at 11 high traffic venues in Lagos in July. Abuja is the second city where it was rolled out. Osinbajo said that the event was a very exciting one for him. He added that a couple of months ago, he was at the Google office at the Silicon Valley and was told about the Google Station Free Wifi in Railway stations in India. He said that the chief executive officer of Google was talking about this and I said if you could put this in railway stations in India, then you must put them in markets in Nigeria. I am sure at the time that he wasnt quite certain what markets would look like but we agreed on principle to have been working on it since then. It is incredible that today we have here at the Wuse market, free wi-fi facilities in fulfillment of that promise that was made two, three months ago. One of the key reasons why it is important for us to do this is because of our own policy as a government to ensure that we democratise access in various ways so that the man on the street, the common man, can have access to the things that other people have. That informs our putting power, solar power in markets. We were in Sabon Gari market the other day, where 39 shops were powered by solar power and also by bio-fuel power. According to him, solar power has been provided to Sabon Gari market in Kano, Ariaria market in Aba, Sura market in Lagos and several other markets. He added that the more Nigerians had access to the internet and connectivity, the better for the country. The vice president thanked Google and BCN for the gesture, saying that the Federal Government was looking forward to more collaboration and co-operation with them. Saidu Abdullahi, Head of Partnerships, Next Billion Users, Sub Saharan Africa, Google, said that the station had been launched in five countries and Nigeria was the first in Africa. He said I am very thankful to the vice president for his support; it has been launched in Lagos; it has been launched now in Abuja. Our teams are also currently in Mexico, India, Thailand, and Indonesia; I must say that the best connections that we have seen; interactions we have seen in terms of time people spend on the internet in terms of interaction come from Nigeria. That is a very positive story; it is something that is very encouraging for Google, as well as Googles partners. It shows that we are in the right step; we just need to partner more to increase access. Osinbajo, shortly thereafter, went round the market to access the performance of the TraderMoni, a micro-credit scheme for petty traders. Egypt's public prosecutor announced on Wednesday the case has been referred to the country's criminal court, paving the way for a trial to begin at an unspecified date. Accusations against Mostafa include deliberately disrupting a flight, seizing control of an aircraft through threats and intimidation and promoting the ideas of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group, the prosecutor said in a statement. Cypriot authorities handed over Mostafa to their Egyptian counterparts after a court ruling allowed his extradition. While held in Cyprus, Mostafa fought his extradition on grounds he would not receive a fair trial in Egypt. The Cypriot supreme court however dismissed his appeal last year against being sent home. His request for asylum was refused as Cypriot authorities deemed him a "perpetrator of serious crimes". As hundreds of nations gather in Poland for the UN's COP24 climate summit this week, residents in this corner of Europe are wondering when their governments will do anything to address an annual plague that is killing thousands. AFP On Tuesday, the Macedonian capital Skopje was ranked the third most polluted city in the world, while Sarajevo was fifth, according to the monitor AirVisual. Pristina, the capital of Kosovo which relies on two coal-fired plants for more than 95 percent of its electricity, was not far behind. "In three decades of teaching, I have never seen so many children cough and get sick," said Vesna Delevska, a 56-year-old teacher in Skopje. "On the worst days, many parents don't even send their children to school," she told AFP, describing the conditions as "unbearable". Lignite-fired power plants across the region, many of which are old and pollute heavily, plus the burning of coal to warm individual homes, pump the air with toxins. AFP In Skopje and Sarajevo, a ring of mountains helps trap the hazardous air in valleys where residents live, shrouding them in a grey fog. An October UN report said fossil fuel emissions must be slashed by half in the next 12 years to limit global temperature rises. But Balkan governments are bucking the European trend by boosting their investment coal, with plans to build new power plants across the region. Human toll The effects are plain to see. Five Balkan cities with coal or lignite-based industries are among Europe's top ten most polluted cities, according to a 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) report. They include Tuzla (Bosnia), Pljevlja (Montenegro), Skopje, Tetovo and Bitola (Macedonia). The only ones benefiting from the pollution are those selling air purifiers, which one vendor in Macedonia's capital said are flying off the shelves "like hot cakes". "People are emptying their wallets to breathe clean air," said Vanco, who runs a store in Skopje and declined to give his last name. An air purifier costs about 400 euros ($450) -- close to the average monthly salary in Macedonia and several of its Balkan neighbours. But residents are digging into their savings, "even borrowing to buy the purifiers", said Vanco. "Especially families with children," he added. The economic and human costs are high in a poor region with little extra cash to spare. According to a WHO study, pollution cost the Western Balkans countries more than $55 billion in 2010. It also caused more than 36,000 premature deaths that year across the region, which is home to 23 million people -- a proportion six times higher than in a country like France. Since then, there have been no major efforts to curb pollution. This winter the Macedonian Ministry of Health has announced the distribution of masks to 43,000 chronically ill people. But Jane Dimeski, an activist with the citizen group "STOP air pollution", sees it as a "short-term response...more than a serious fight against pollution". 'Wait for wind' In Bosnia, the hazardous air shaves "44,000 years of life" off the country's population every year, according to a 2018 UN report. It costs the poor nation nearly a fifth of its GDP through lost work and school days, plus health expenses and fuel costs, the UN said. Fuad Prnjavorac, a 69-year-old Sarajevo resident who suffers from asthma, tries to escape the city for cleaner air on Mount Trebivic, which overlooks the capital. From that view, the city was completely obscured by the dense grey smog this week. "It's terrible in town at this time of year, impossible to breathe," he told AFP. In early December, the air had an average of 320 micrograms per cubic metre of fine particles, with peaks above 400. Anes Podic, who runs as Bosnian environmental organisation Eko-Akcija, blames the government for ignoring the problem. AFP "Someone has judged that the lungs of Sarajevo residents are five times more resistant than those of Paris," she said with sarcasm at a recent press conference, referring to how French authorities set 80 micrograms per cubic metre of fine particles as their alert level. "When the problem appears, as it does every year, authorities ignore it at first, then seem to work on it, and finally, their only measure is to wait for a gust of wind," she added. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. "This terrorist act led to the martyrdom of two members of the police force," the province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, told state television. Chabahar city governor Rahmdel Bameri said many people were also wounded in the 10 am (0630 GMT) attack. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," Bameri told state television. Many nearby shop owners and civilian passers-by, including women and children, were seriously wounded, he added. AFP Chabahar lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border and is home to a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the two countries. The number of assailants was not immediately clear. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," Marashi said without elaborating on how many assailants took part. Busy shopping district A resident contacted by AFP who said he was inside the police headquarters at the time of the attack said the assailants had attacked the building after blowing up the vehicle. "There was an exchange of gunfire right after the explosion," the resident said, adding that it lasted about 10 minutes. The police headquarters lies in a busy commercial district with many shops and banks around it. AFP The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps ground forces, Brigadier General Mohammad Pakpour, who has overseen counter-insurgency operations in the southeast, visited the police base after the attack, the ultra-conservative Tasnim news website reported. The news agency carried pictures of the remains of the vehicle used by the attackers which is believe to have been a blue Nissan van. It said 27 people were wounded in the attack. There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Several recent attacks in the province have been claimed by the jihadist Jaish al-Adl (Army of Justice), which is blacklisted as a terrorist group by Iran. It was formed in 2012 as a successor organisation to the Sunni extremist group Jundallah (Soldiers of God). which waged a deadly insurgency against Iranian targets over the previous decade. In October, the group claimed the capture of 12 Iranian security force personnel who were conducting an operation near the Pakistan border. AFP A state television-run news agency reported that the unit included intelligence agents of the Revolutionary Guards. Five of those captured were released and flown home last month following Pakistani intervention. Chabahar is a strategically important city for Iran. It has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman, which, with Indian assistance, Iran has been developing it as a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan. "It's a major threat to European security," the minister said, in front of Russia's top diplomat who was also in attendance. "This year, Russia did not pull back but extended its aggressive course of action," Klimkin added. The confrontation at sea on November 25 was the first open military incident between Kiev and Moscow since 2014 when Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula and a conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russia separatists and government forces, which has claimed more than 10,000 lives. Klimkin said Ukraine would return to the United Nations to demand a "prompt response to this act of aggression". "Declarations are not enough, there must be action." Klimkin called for the "immediate release and safe return to Ukraine" of the sailors and the ships, a demand also made on Thursday by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell. Mitchell denounced Moscow's "dangerous escalation", saying it was an attempt to "negate the integrity of Ukraine". "Russia has violated international law," he said, adding that the United States would never recognise the annexation of Crimea. "It is time for Russia to rethink its approach, to respect international laws, to fulfil its commitments as an OSCE state and be a member of the community of civilised nations." AFP Mogherini called for the "greatest moderation to proceed toward a de-escalation" of the conflict. The sailors have been put before a court in Simferopol, the main city in Russian-annexed Crimea, and ordered to be held in pre-trial detention for two months. The first sign of detente appeared on Tuesday when Ukraine announced the "partial" lifting of the blockade by Russia in order to access some ports in the Sea of Azov. Moscow has defended its actions, maintaining that the Ukrainian ships had entered Russian territorial waters and refused to respond to requests to stop from Russia's patrol boats. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov meanwhile denounced "Ukraine's behaviour" at the meeting and its support from the West. Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled al-Yamani, who heads the Saudi-backed government's delegation to the UN-sponsored talks in Sweden, told AFP his team would follow through with a planned prisoner swap with the Huthi rebels -- but refused to compromise on the flashpoint port city of Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port. "The Huthi militias must withdraw from the city of Hodeida, and its port, and hand it over to the legitimate government, and specifically internal security forces," Yamani said. AFP A Saudi-backed military coalition has for months led an offensive to retake Hodeida, the last rebel stronghold on Yemen's Red Sea coast. The move has sparked fears for more than 150,000 civilians trapped in the city as even hospitals were seized by militants. Hodeida is on the agenda at the talks, slated to run for one week. Not on the table are negotiations on a solution to the conflict between the Saudi-backed government of Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and Yemen's Huthi rebels, according to UN envoy Martin Griffiths. Mass starvation threat One of the most impoverished countries in the world, the Arabian Peninsula state of Yemen is now home to what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 14 million people facing imminent mass starvation. AFP The talks in Rimbo, Sweden -- a picturesque village some 60 kilometres (35 miles) north of Stockholm -- have been months in the making, with the UN sending its special envoy to Sanaa to personally escort the rebel delegation to Sweden. "During the coming days we will have a critical opportunity to give momentum to the peace process," Griffiths told reporters as the rival delegations gathered in Sweden. "There is a way we can resolve the conflict," Griffiths said, adding that the Security Council was "united" in its support for a resolution to the conflict. "Remember these are consultations. We are not yet beginning the process of negotiations." The meeting marks the first attempt in two years to broker an end to the Yemen conflict, which has killed at least 10,000 people since Saudi Arabia and its allies joined the government's fight against the rebels in 2015. 'Humanitarian pipeline' Griffiths said the UN was willing to step in in Hodeida, an offer the Saudi-led coalition has rejected unless the rebels withdraw completely from Yemen's western coastline. AFP "The UN is willing if the parties so desire to play a part in the port and city. We'd like to take Hodeida out of the conflict because ... it's the humanitarian pipeline to the rest of the country," he said. "We would like to see that airport open, but it needs to be assessed," he said. "We'd like to see progress on this." The head of the Huthi rebels' political council threatened Thursday to bar UN planes from using the Yemeni capital's airport unless the peace negotiations lead to its full reopening. Sanaa international airport, located in the rebel-held capital, has been largely shut down for years. It has been the target of air raids by the Saudi-led coalition, which also controls Yemeni airspace. AFP International pressure to end the Yemen conflict reached unprecedented heights in recent weeks, as all eyes turned to Saudi Arabia's policies following the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Sources on both sides said they would demand a ceasefire -- initiated by their rival -- and the opening of humanitarian corridors. The government and Huthis on Tuesday said they agreed to a prisoner swap, to be overseen by the International Committee of the Red Cross, after the Sweden talks. Saudi Arabia and its allies this week allowed the Huthis to evacuate 50 wounded rebels from Sanaa for medical treatment in Oman. The 27-year old woman, identified through her initials NMM, moved to court seeking to be granted divorce over what she termed as cruelty on the part of her spouse. The judge ruled in her favor, noting that her husband had mistreated her by bringing a third party to their matrimonial bed. "She (NMM) further stated that the Respondent would bring another woman into the matrimonial bed with the intention of all of them having threesome sex. When the Petitioner declined to participate, he assaulted her. She opted to file for divorce". The respondent (husband) cruelly treated her through physically assaulting her and introducing a third party to their matrimonial bed. I have no reason to doubt the testimony of the petitioner, Justice Mugure Thande ruled. The couple got married on August 18, 2011, through the Registrars office in Mombasa. They separated four years later after which NMM filed for divorce. Their marriage did not bear any children. ece-auto-gen Grounds for Divorce in Kenya Kenyan law provides five grounds for filing a divorce petition adultery, cruelty, extreme depravity, desertion for at least three years, and irretrievable breakdown. The Marriage Act introduced in 2014 introduced the aspect of Irretrievable breakdown which allows couples who have irreconcilable differences to mutually end their marriage without going into details of their conflict. The divorce process in Kenya is also relatively expensive both in time and money. The incident was brought to the attention of the temporary speaker Jessica Mbalu by Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo. Honorable Chair, am worried that there is a stranger in the house. We are just hearing sounds of a cat and we cannot see it, that is more worrisome than when we see it, because it could be a spirit, the MP said. ece-auto-gen Aden Duale Odhiambos colleagues showed her the cat that was walking in the visitors gallery, with the legislator further calling for the House to be evacuated. It is very worrisome that it is a black cat and the house needs to be evacuated. Chair. We need spiritual leaders for cleansing, the outspoken MP said. National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale warned Odhiambo not to mess with a black cat alluding to the famous stories of djinnis rampant in Coastal region of Kenya. ece-auto-gen Chair, this is a house of the people of Kenya including wildlife and the cat is representing the people of Kenya. What we need to do is feed it. I will tell you not to mess with a black cat and people from Coast can tell us more, Duale said. WASHINGTON, D.C. What are the costs of ignoring climate change, one of the worlds most pressing issues? Given the serious repercussions that climate change has on the environment, it might be time to look beyond questioning the legitimacy of the issue. Instead of questioning whether climate change is a myth, perhaps the world should shift its focus to a more urgent question: What if its not? In recent weeks, climate change reports issued by the United Nations, the American government, and our own center have called out major threats to people and nature, both at home and abroad, says Jeff Dukes, the director of the Purdue Climate Change Research Center. Its very important that we clearly understand how our actions today affect humanitys future prosperity and quality of life, as well as the futures of every other species on Earth. The Purdue Alumni Association, the Purdue Alumni Club of Washington DC, and the Purdue Climate Change Research Center will host the What IF we ignore climate change? panel discussion that will address these questions, along with the social, political, and scientific aspects of climate change, on Dec. 12. This event is a part of Purdues Ideas Festival, the centerpiece of Purdues Giant Leaps Sesquicentennial Campaign, which is a series of events that connect world-renowned speakers and Purdue expertise in a conversation on the most critical problems facing the world. One of the Ideas Festivals themes is Toward a Sustainable Economy & Planet: Innovative Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow. This panel will take place from 6-8:30 p.m. at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. Advance registration, which is available online, is required by Dec. 10. Valet parking is available for $20. The event will be moderated by Dukes, a professor of forestry and natural resources. He also has a joint appointment in the Department of Biological Sciences, and holds the Belcher Chair for Environmental Sustainability in the College of Agriculture. The event will feature four panelists: * Dan Chavas, an assistant professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. Chavas research focuses on understanding the basic physics of meteorological hazards, including hurricanes, tornadoes and winter weather, and how they are influenced by climate. * Matthew Huber, a professor in the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. Hubers work aims to improve climate change projections by studying past warm climates, and investigates the implications of climate change for the future habitability of Earth. * Manjana Milkoreit, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science. Milkoreits who studies international climate negotiations and the motivations behind global climate change politics and diplomacy. * Linda Prokopy, a professor in the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Prokopys research studies how farmers and farm advisors in the agricultural Midwest factor climate change and environmental concerns into their daily actions. She will return directly from the international climate change negotiations in Poland to join this panel. More information about the panelists and moderator can be found online. The opening remarks of this event will be led by Tomas Diaz de la Rubia, vice president and executive director of Discovery Park. Writer: Jaclyn Lawmaster, 574-301-9049, jlawmast@purdue.edu Media contact: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu Source: Rose Filley, managing director, Purdue Climate Change Research Center, rfilley@purdue.edu Craft beer enthusiasts can now earn New Zealand's first ever tertiary qualification for commercial brewing. Otago Polytechnic's upgraded Central Campus in Bannockburn includes a commercial craft brewery, where up to 16 students will join the 2019 course. The year-long course, based at Rough Rock Brewing Co, will immerse students in the history and science of craft beer while offering hands-on experience at the brewery twice a week. Central Campus head of school Alex Huffadine told RadioLIVE that students will work in the on-campus commercial brewery for five weeks before making their own beers. "Once theyve got some sort of experience under their belt throughout the year they start to develop their own recipes and flavours in their nanokit," Mr Huffadine said. Students will eventually be issued a 50 litre 'nano-brewery' where they can apply their new knowledge to brew their own beers. While a craft beer course may seem like a breeze, Mr Huffadine warns that they will be expected to come prepared with knowledge before attending various workshops. "We expect the students in this brewing programme to come already loaded up with information." Rough Rock Brewing Co is expected to release its first beers in 2019. Listen to the full interview with Alex Huffadine above. The Long Lunch with Lynda Hallinan, 12pm - 3pm on RadioLIVE and streaming live to the rova app on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. The United States DEA agents who took down drug lord Pablo Escobar are on their way to New Zealand. Agents Steve Murphy and Javier Pena were part of the largest, most complex, multi-national, multi-jurisdiction, and high profile investigation of its time.. The actions of Mr Pena and Mr Murphy were the inspiration for the hugely popular Netflix crime series, which tells the story of Colombias infamous drug cartels and Escobars fight to maintain his position as the most powerful player. "We call [Escobar] the inventor of Narco terrorism," Mr Murphy said. "He killed thousands and thousands of innocent people just who got in his way." Working with an elite Colombian Task Force, this was the first time an entire international drug cartel was taken down and completely dismantled. The DEA duo is coming to Wellington for an evening discussing their role in the takedown of the undisputed king of cocaine, and the Cali cartel. The evenings discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Tickets for all shows go on sale at 12pm on Thursday, November 29. My Live Nation members can secure tickets first during the exclusive pre-sale beginning at 10am, November 28. For complete tour and ticketing details, visit: livenation.co.nz. Listen to the full interview with Steve Murphy and Javier Pena above. Morning Talk with Mark Sainsbury, 9am - 12pm Weekdays and streaming live on 'rova' channel 9 - available on Android and iPhone. RadioLIVE. Digital Domain has selected Nevions Virtuoso software-defined media node platform to support distributed special effects and color-correction work for major Hollywood studios. Digital Domain originally collaborated with James Cameron for the visual effects on Titanic. Since then, it has been responsible for the effects on feature films like Spider Man: Homecoming, Disneys Beauty and the Beast and Avengers: Infinity War.Nevions Virtuoso enables Digital Domains artists to share content in real-time between locations in HD quality single and stereoscopic as well as 4K/UHD formats. Providing either 2K or 4K screening with what the company said is minimal latency between locations, the Virtuoso offers producers a combination of great video quality and intuitive workflow."The Virtuoso media node appeals to us in that it can easily be programmed during a session for our 2K, 4K/UHD and stereoscopic needs with just a few clicks of the mouse," said Matt Sealock, media systems engineer at Digital Domai n . "The adjustable bit rates for each individual channel allow us to transmit multiple streams with visual lossless picture in our screening rooms, and Virtuoso is cost-effective in that it can be scaled up for future needs while having a minimal entry cost for our needs today. Nevion sales, vendor and technical support have all been unparalleled."Hans Hasselbach, chief commercial officer at Nevion , added: Were really pleased that the Virtuoso has become a permanent fixture within the workflow of Digital Domain, a company with such a longstanding reputation in the industry for its impressive visual effects. 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 Mizo National Front, a constituent of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led North-East Democratic Alliance, dismissed saffron party chief Amit Shah's remarks that the party will rule India for the next 50 years if it wins the 2019 general elections, saying he is not a God and the prediction is an exaggeration. The principal opposition party in Mizoram is, however, confident that the Congress or the United Progressive Alliance will not come to power at the Centre in the next year's general elections. Former chief minister and MNF chief Zoramthanga said that his party and the BJP can never be allies in the hill state because of the saffron party's Hindutva politics. "I doubt. He (Shah) is not a God. He cannot predict that in politics. Even Modi cannot predict that. That is his wishful thinking. Nobody can predict that," he said, when asked about Shah's claim of BJP ruling for the next 50 years. The Congress is not coming to power again in 2019 at the Centre and nobody can predict how many decades it will take to form the next government, the veteran politician from the north-east said. "For decades, he (Shah) may predict that Congress will not come to power. But to predict for 50 years or 100 years, it is rather an exaggeration," Zoramthanga said. In September, Shah had said at the BJP's national executive meet that the party will win the 2019 elections because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hard work and then no one can dethrone it for the next 50 years. Talking about the relations between the MNF and the BJP, the two-time chief minister said he was completely against the BJP as far as the ideology and other things are concerned. "Because we are Christians. They want to promote the Hindutva. We cannot be together as far as these things are concerned. We have a different ideology. "But as far as the country is concerned, the NDA is better than the UPA and that is why we joined them at the Centre. But ideologically, the MNF and the BJP are poles apart. The BJP knows it very well," he said. In the recently held assembly elections in Mizoram, the MNF contested alone against the ruling Congress and the BJP. Both the Congress and the MNF contested in all the 40 constituencies, while the BJP fought in 39 seats. The Congress has been in power in Mizoram since 2008 and is eyeing a third consecutive term. In the 2013 elections, the Congress had won 34 seats, while the MNF got five and Mizoram People's Conference one. Mizoram went to polls on November 28 and counting of votes will be taken up on December 11. Contradictions appear in the two statements given by Bajrang Dal's Bulandshahr unit convenor Yogesh Raj over the cow slaughter incident on Monday which spiralled into a mob violence that claimed two lives, including that of a police inspector. Two first information reports were registered by the police at Siyana police station in Bulandshahr -- one over cow slaughter and the other on the mob violence in which a village man was also killed. The first one was lodged at 1 pm on December 3, the day violence broke out, on a complaint by Raj in which he claimed cow slaughter near Mahav village and accused seven persons from nearby Naya Bans village. The second FIR, in which police itself became a complainant, was lodged at 2.30 am on December 4 for rioting and violence and names Raj along with 26 men including those from right-wing groups besides 50 to 60 unidentified people. "Around 9 am on Monday we, Yogesh Raj, Shikhar Kumar, Saurabh etc, had come to the jungles of Mahav village while roaming. There we saw Sudaif Chuadhary, Ilyas, Sharafat, Anas, Sajid, Parvez, Sarfuddin (residents of Naya Bans village) etc slaughtering cows and ran away after we raised an alarm over it. "When alerted, police from Siyana police station and the additional district magistrate of Siyana reached the spot. The people mentioned above had brutally slaughtered the cows which has hurt our Hindu religious sentiments," states the first FIR, on a compliant by Raj. Almost 50 hours after the violence broke out and several accused including Raj went absconding a purported video with his statement surfaced on social media on Wednesday. In the purported video, Raj, who starts off with a 'Jai Shri Ram' salutation and introduces himself as the Bajrang Dal's Bulandshahr unit convenor, says the police are portraying him as if he is a 'history-sheeter'. "There were two incidents that happened on that day," he said referring to the Monday incident. "The first incident was related to cow slaughter at Mahav village near Siyana. When I got information about that, I reached there with my supporters. "The police also reached there and we went to the Siyana police station for filing our complaint (about cow slaughter)," he said. Raj said that while he and his supporters were still at the police station on December 3 they got to know that villagers were pelting stones. "There had been firing as well and a youth and a policeman have sustained gunshot injuries," he claimed. However, relatives of Raj Kumar Chaudhary, on whose 'fields' in Mahav village the caracasses were found strewn on December 3 morning, claimed the dead animals were discovered by a villager only who alerted Chaudhary about it around 7 am. Chaudhary, a former head of Mahav village, had alerted the local police which had reached the spot and the matter had come to an 'amicable compromise' around 8.30 am, his wife Preeti claimed. "Nobody knows who informed these people from the (Bajrang) Dal that they reached the spot. They only insisted on taking the carcasses to the police station when everything was already settled," she told PTI. Chaudhary has been named in the second FIR on violence and rioting and he along with others from Mahav village were also absconding 'fearing police action', she said. Meanwhile, four of the seven names in the first FIR on cow slaughter have been disputed after it turned out that two of them were minors aged 11 and 12, one name was non-existent in the village and one person, Sarfuddin, was claimed to be at the Ijjatema (Muslim congregation) in Bulandshahr city, 35 km away from the site, when the entire episode unfolded. Superintendent of Police, Bulandshahr City, Pravin Ranjan Singh Wednesday said that in the last nine months, action has been taken against nine people under the National Security Act and against 44 under the UP Gangsters Act over cases related to cow slaughter. "Because of such actions there has been a strict control on cow slaughter in the district," he said. "In Chingrawathi police post there has been no complaint of cow slaughter in the last one year," the SP said about the police post, under Siyana police station, which had come under the mob attack on December 3. Another wanted man surfaces in video A day after Yogesh Raj appeared in a video claiming innocence in the Bulandshahr mob violence, another man wanted by police has surfaced in a similar manner. In the video, local BJP leader Shikhar Agarwal, who is also named in the FIR, is heard blaming slain police inspector for the violence. The video surfaced as chief minister Yogi Adityanath met with Singh's family in Lucknow. On Wednesday, Yogesh Raj issued a video message claiming innocence. Raj said he was no present at the site of the violence. The Bajrang Dal's western Uttar Pradesh unit had backed his claim of innocence, but also asked him to surrender before the police. In the latest video, Agarwal, who is BJP's Syana unit youth wing president, claimed it was the inspector who created tension by stopping him and others from taking some carcasses to the Chingrawathi police post for filing an FIR over the alleged cow slaughter. In the latest video, Agarwal is heard claiming that Singh threatened to kill him and his aides. Agarwal said he later told Additional Director General of Police Avinash Chandra Maurya about the 'threat'. The BJP leader also accused Singh of being 'corrupt' and 'siding with the Muslim community' to perpetuate cow slaughter. Both Agarwal and Yogesh are among the 27 people named in the FIR registered by police after the violence. IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath meets the family of police inspector Subodh Kumar Singh in Lucknow. Photograph: @CMOfficeUP/Twitter Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday met the family members of Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh, who was killed in the Bulandshahr violence, and assured strict action against the culprits. The government also announced that a road and a college will be named after the inspector who was killed in Monday's mob violence over alleged cow slaughter. A 20-year-old man was also killed. "The chief minister has assured us that he will remain with us in this difficult time and will ensure justice for us. He said strict action will be taken against those involved," the victim's elder son Shreya Singh said. Hours before the meeting, the inspector's younger son Abhishek pleaded against violence over religion. "My father is dead, tomorrow it can be some IG or a minister," he told a news channel. Adityanath met Singh's wife and the two sons at his Kalidas Marg residence here, an official spokesman said. UP Director General of Police O P Singh, who was also present at the meeting, said Adityanath assured the family that education and house loans taken by them would be paid off by the government. Uttar Pradesh minister Atul Garg later said the loans amounted to Rs 25-30 lakh. Garg said the Jaithara-Kuraoli road leading to his village in Etah would be renamed after the inspector. "A college will also be named after Singh to recognise and remember his courage," he said. Garg is the minister-in-charge for Etah, Subodh Singh's home district. The DGP said, "We in the police force are like family. Besides an extraordinary pension, we have also offered a job. But the sons are studying and we have left it to their discretion as they may like to continue with their education." While the elder son is preparing for the civil services, the younger one is pursuing law, he said. On the ongoing probe, the DGP said 'the CM has issued an order in this regard and the guilty will be brought to book', but didn't discuss it further. Adityanath had on Monday declared compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the wife, Rs 10 lakh for the parents and a government job for a family member of the inspector, who was the initial investigating officer in the 2015 Akhlaq lynching case. Mohammed Akhlaq was killed then over rumours about beef consumption. At Thursday's meeting with the chief minister, the slain police officer wife said he had made three arrests in a cow slaughter case the day he died. "That day the MLA from Syana called him up, and as he was in the bathroom, I told him about the call, she recalled. Rashmi said her husband used to ask her to meet him in the police station as he missed her and their two children. She told Adityanath that her husband could not visit home often as he remained very busy, and would call her to the police station, saying he missed her and their two sons. The family mostly lived away from the inspector in Etah. The officer's younger son Abhishek said Hindu- Muslim riots should stop and the culture of mob lynching must end. "Riots and violence should not take place. People should understand this and not take the law in their hands," he told a news channel before the meeting with Adityanath. "My father is dead, tomorrow it could be some IG or a minister. Should the mob lynching culture go on? Never," he said. "All religions are the same. No religion is high or low. Please understand that mob lynching, communal violence or riots will not give any result," he said. "If we fight among ourselves, we don't need any Pakistan or China to do us harm," Abhishek said. The police had said Tuesday that four men have been arrested in connection with Monday's violence in Bulandshahr. No further arrests have been announced since then, but two men named in the FIR have surfaced in video clips since Wednesday. They include local Bajrang Dal leader Yogesh Raj. The chief minister Wednesday night ordered strict action against cow slaughter, unlawful trade in cattle and illegal slaughterhouses. His instructions were conveyed by Chief Secretary Anup Pandey to magistrates and superintendents of police in all 75 districts through a video link, an official release said. IMAGE: Posters, hoardings and banners were put up along NH-31 for BJP president Amit Shah's scheduled rally to launch Save Democracy Rath Yatra, in Coochbehar, West Bengal, on Thursday. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo Calcutta high court on Thursday refused permission to the Bharatiya Janata Party for holding a 'Rath Yatra' in Coochbehar, which was to be flagged off by the party president Amit Shah on Friday, after the West Bengal government refused to allow the event saying it may cause communal tension. The Bharatiya Janata Party decided to put on hold Shah's proposed rally and the Rath Yatra, saying it will wait for the final order from the high court, which will now hear an appeal by the saffron party on Friday morning. Single bench judge Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty directed that the rally stands deferred till the next date of hearing on January 9 and observed that the prayer of BJP for permission for it cannot be granted at this stage. Appearing for the state, Advocate General Kishore Dutta told the court that the rally will create communal disharmony and submitted to the judge a report in a sealed cover, which he said delineates apprehensions of disturbance to peace and communal disharmony by intelligence agencies. The court directed superintendents of police of all districts in West Bengal to file a report before the court on holding of Rath Yatras, peremptorily by December 21, after hearing all the district presidents of BJP. Immediately after the order was passed, lawyers for the BJP went to the chamber of Chief Justice Debasish Kargupta and prayed for constitution of a special bench for hearing its appeal on Thursday evening as the normal court hours had ended for the day, party lawyer Phiroze Edulji said. The Chief Justice refused to constitute a special bench and asked the BJP lawyers to move the appeal before the court on Friday morning at 10.30 am, he said. The saffron party had scheduled three Rath Yatras in West Bengal which are to pass through all 42 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. In New Delhi, the BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of running a dictatorship in the state and alleged her government refused the permission as she was busy playing politics of appeasement. The BJP campaign, which the party has named 'Save Democracy Rally' and has projected it as a game-changer in Bengal politics, was scheduled to begin from Coochbehar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. The BJP told the court the rallies will converge and culminate in Kolkata by January 16. Noting that the rallies will take place for over a month covering all districts, the court asked, "Can the mere undertaking of an advocate that the rallies will be peaceful be enough to allow? "If something happens, who will be responsible?" Justice Chakraborty asked whether it will be possible to make security arrangements within the short time of less than a day. The BJP's counsel said a number of applications had been given to the state authorities from October 29 but it had sat on them only to inform in court on Thursday that permission for the rally at Coochbehar was refused. To this Justice Chakraborty asked the BJP counsel, "If a common man dies today, will your district president be responsible?" The court is concerned about the safety of the people, he said. BJP counsel Anindya Mitra submitted that a division bench of the high court had in January allowed another set of motorcycle rallies by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha after putting certain conditions and prayed that similar order be passed in this case also. Justice Chakraborty said the situation in which the earlier order was passed is not similar and that the BJYM rally was for only seven days. The AG told the court that the Coochbehar SP has refused permission for the rath yatra. He said the district has a history of communal issues and that there was information that some communal provocators and rowdy elements have become active there and expressed apprehension of breach of peace. The SP had said several top BJP leaders would come to Coochbehar, as also people from other states, and this may affect the communally-sensitive district. The AG said the refusal of permission was an administrative decision in view of the ground situation and details of apprehension cannot be spelt out in open court due to their sensitive nature. Asked by the judge as to who will take responsibility if anything untoward happens, Mitra submitted that the party will hold a peaceful rally but it was the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. The BJP counsel submitted that the Constitution guarantees the right to hold political programmes and that assumption of untoward situation cannot be a ground for refusal. When the judge asked if he was agreeable to deferment, Mitra answered in negative and said the party had started preparations a long time ago and had approached the administration for permission in October itself. In Coochbehar, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said that BJP is a responsible political party and it will obey the court order. "Our entire preparation for the Rath Yatra program is complete. Amit Shah is also ready to come tomorrow," he told a press conference. There was disappointment in the BJP camp after the court order, leaders said, adding massive arrangements were made for the Rath Yatra, which would be a game changer in West Bengal politics. ***** Bengal BJP president's vehicle attacked, party blames TMC West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh's vehicle was attacked on Thursday at Sitalkuchi area of Coochbehar district by unidentified miscreants. Ghosh is in the district to take part in the scheduled 'rath yatra'. He was attacked when he was on his way to Mathabhanga in the district. "Trinamool Congress leaders attacked my car and shouted slogans demanding that I should go back. Some of my party workers were injured during the violence. "The police were watching merely as mute spectators," he said after the incident at Sitai More in Sitalkuchi. Senior TMC leader Rabindranath Ghosh termed the allegation as baseless and said the attack was a fallout of infighting in BJP. The district police administration said they are looking into the incident. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, also the president of the Trinamool Congress, was busy playing politics of appeasement and that is why her government blocked programmes of Shah and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat earlier. "We are often forced to move court for seeking permission. Courts reprimand the state government every time, but she does not learn her lessons because she is busy with politics of appeasement," Patra told reporters at a press conference. She is running a dictatorship, he alleged. Shah, he noted, has said that the BJP will win 26 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. By targeting the BJP's Ram temple agenda, Upendra Kushwaha has hinted that his days within the NDA are all but over. M I Khan reports from Patna. IMAGE: Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha addresses a press conference. Photograph: PTI Photo Bharatiya Janata Party ally Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha on Thursday opposed the BJP's stand on the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying it is not a political party's job to construct a temple or a mosque. Sources in the RLSP said Kushwaha is likely to meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi on December 10 in New Delhi. After that meeting he will announce his resignation as Union minister. "Mandir banana political party ka kaam nahi hai (It's not a political party's job to build temples)," Kushwaha said while addressing his party leaders and workers on Thursday, December 6, in Motihari, district headquarters of East Champaran in Bihar, at the end of a three-day chintan Shivir. Kushwaha, who was expected to formally announce the decision to quit the National Democratic Alliance on Thursday, targeted the BJP's Ram temple agenda for the first time and hinted that his days within the NDA are all but over. "The BJP has been deliberately trying to raise the temple issue for political gain. "This issue is to divert attention of people from real issues like education, health, employment, growth and development," he said. "The Ram temple issue should not be raised during the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Kushwaha asserted. The RLSP, he said, is opposed to the BJP's 'move to polarise society' in the name of constructing a temple. "The RLSP is not against construction of a temple, but it should be constructed as per the law of the land," he said. On Wednesday Kushwaha said he was authorised by his party leaders to take a final decision on whether to continue with the NDA or not. RLSP leaders feel insulted after getting no response from the BJP on their demand for a 'respectful seat sharing formula' for the 2019 Lok Sabha election. M I Khan reports from Patna. Bharatiya Janata Party ally Rashtriya Lok Samata Party chief and Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha is likely to announce leaving the National Democratic Alliance fold today, December 6. The decision to leave the NDA is believed to have been taken by Kushwaha after a discussion with party leaders at the party's two-day chintan shivir on December 4 and 5. Kushwaha was authorised on Wednesday, December 5, by his party leaders and workers to take the final decision on whether to continue with the NDA or not. "I will announce the party decision to continue with the NDA or not on Thursday in Motihari, the district headquarters of East Champaran, a historical place connected with Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha," Kushwaha told journalists on Wednesday evening. According to RLSP sources, most party leaders have spoken against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal-United and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi and urged Kushwaha to walk out of the NDA. The party leaders feel insulted and ignored after getting no response from the Bharatiya Janata Party on their demand for a 'respectful seat sharing formula' for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Sensing the anguish of party leaders, Kushwaha said the BJP's national and state leadership are different, not similar. In Bihar, he said, the BJP has become a B-team of Nitish Kumar's JD-U. Earlier, the Union minister had given the BJP an ultimatum to ensure by November 30 a 'respectful' seat-sharing formula in Bihar for the Lok Sabha polls. But Kushwaha's hopes were dashed with Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi leaving for Argentina for the G20 summit, without inviting him for any talks. BJP national President Amit Anilchandra Shah also did not Kushwaha give time to discuss the matter. In November, Kushwaha said the RLSP has decided to reject the BJP's offer. He said the party's state executive rejected the BJP's offer, but refused to reveal the number of seats that was offered. He alleged that the JD-U has been trying to split the RLSP and destroy him politically. 'We often assume that Ayodhya is Ram's property and Hastinapur is Yudhishthira's property when, in fact, it is their responsibility.' 'A king exists, as per Hindu philosophy, only to ensure that other people's property is safe.' The fight over property is essentially a fight for what is 'mine'.' 'For what is 'mine' defines what is 'me'. So, essentially, it is a fight for identity.' 'This identity, based on property, is ego (aham) -- a manifestation of insecurity.' 'With wisdom and hindsight, we discover that true identity is not dependent on property.' 'The true identity of humans is our soul (atma),' explains Devdutt Pattanaik. Chanakya in his Artha-shastra states that a king needs allies and an army to manage his enemies. Both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata elaborate on how kings need to create allies if they hope to fight and get back what belongs to them. In the Ramayana, when Ram and Lakshman learn that Sita has been abducted by the demon-king Ravana, they look for allies to help them find and rescue Sita. And this leads them to an encounter with the monkey kingdom where they make a number of allies. Ram's allies are animals -- vultures, bears, monkeys and squirrels. In his presence, animals are able to reverse the law of jungle and help humans. The vultures find out where Sita has been taken, the bears and squirrels help in building the bridge to Lanka, and the monkeys fight the rakshasas of Lanka and help liberate Sita. IMAGE: Arun Govil as Ram and Deepika Chikhalia as Sita from Ramanand Sagar's 1982 television series Ramayan. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas are supported by the Panchalas, the father and the brothers of Draupadi. Their uncles, the Yadavas and the Madras, end up fighting for the Kaurava side; the Yadavas because Krishna tells the two sides to choose between him and his fully-equipped army, the Madras because their king mistakenly assumes that those feeding his army en route are Pandavas and promises to lead them to victory. Balarama refuses to fight for either side. Rukmi, Krishna's brother-in-law, is not accepted by either side. The sons of Arjuna and Bhima fight for the Pandavas. The division is mostly based on relationships and obligations, and not on dharma. Bhishma, Drona and Karna fight for the Kauravas not because they are upholding dharma, but because they value loyalty over everything else. Peace is always preferable to war. In both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata there are attempts to make peace, with emissaries being sent from both sides to negotiate and avoid war. IMAGE: Arvind Trivedi as Ravan from from Ramanand Sagar's 1982 television series Ramayan. In the Ramayana, Vali's son, Angada, is sent to declare war or make peace with Ravana. Though young in age, Angada proves his strength before Ravana by challenging the rakshasas to move his feet which are planted firmly to the ground. They fail. Angada speaks of Ram's glory and advises Ravana to do the right thing and return Ram's wife. Ravana refuses, despite the entreaties of his entire family, including his father, mother and wife. Finally, war is declared. And the monkey army, armed with sticks and stones, attacks the fully-armed rakshasa army of Ravana. IMAGE: Yudhishthir, Bhim, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev in B R Chopra's 1980 television series, Mahabharat. In the Mahabharata, two messengers are sent from the Pandava side and two from the Kaurava side to make peace and compromise. Satyaki tells the Pandavas to send an envoy only after ensuring they have strength on their side. While gathering allies, the Pandavas discover that the Kauravas have already managed to take many kings to their side. Drupada's envoy, who asks that the Pandava land be returned, is sent back humiliated. Sanjaya tells the Pandavas not to return. Uluka insults the Pandavas and tells them not to ask for what is not theirs. Krishna tries to broker peace, attempts a compromise, but fails. Even the offer to give the Pandavas just five villages is rejected by Duryodhana who does not want to part with even a needlepoint of land. Krishna then tries to divide the Kauravas by wooing Karna to the Pandava side. All these negotiations form an entire chapter -- the Udyoga Parva -- before the war. **** IMAGE: Pankaj Dheer as Karna in B R Chopra's 1980 television series, Mahabharat. Both epics differentiate between territory and property. Hindu philosophy cannot be understood without discussing matsya-nyaya, or fish justice -- the Vedic phrase for the law of the jungle. The first reference to matsya-nyaya can be found in the Shatapatha Brahamana, composed 3,000 years ago. Written a thousand years later, in both the Artha-shastra and Manu-smriti, we learn that kings were appointed by the gods to ensure that humans did not behave like animals, and claim 'territory' rather than respecting 'property'. In the jungle, might is right. The strong claim territory for food and to mate, and push away the weak -- as Vali does in Kishkindha and Ravana does in Lanka. Animals cannot bequeath titles and kingdoms to their children. Culture creates the concept of property. It becomes an extension of the self. In culture, your value is based on what you own. You are a function of your property. We often assume that Ayodhya is Ram's property and Hastinapur is Yudhishthira's property when, in fact, it is their responsibility. A king exists, as per Hindu philosophy, only to ensure that other people's property is safe. The desire for property, the attachment to property, the craving for other people's property -- all are indicators of insecurity, failure to recognise atma, and to be consumed by aham. IMAGE: Puneet Issar as Duryodhan in B R Chopra's 1980 television series, Mahabharat. The fight over property is essentially a fight for what is 'mine'. For what is 'mine' defines what is 'me'. So, essentially, it is a fight for identity. As humans, we are struggling to know who we are. We establish our identity through property and civilisation evolves to protect this property. This identity, based on property, is ego (aham) -- a manifestation of insecurity. With wisdom and hindsight, we discover that true identity is not dependent on property. The true identity of humans is our soul (atma). While aham makes us cling and accumulate, and makes us envious, atma simply observes our fear and traces it to the mortality of the flesh that the atma inhabits. This atma is what the Rig Veda refers to as the bird that watches another bird eat fruit. In the Upanishads, this atma is described as something that is present within all organisms (jiva-atma) as well as all around us (brahman, paramatma). IMAGE: A scene from Ramanand Sagar's 1980 series Ramayan. Ram is the embodiment of this atma. So, he is at peace in Ayodhya as well as in the forest. He fights for Sita not because she is 'his', but because he is the defender of his family's reputation. He rules Ayodhya, not because he wants to be the king, but because that is his role as the eldest son of the royal family. As the king, he embodies dharma, overturning the law of the jungle, shunning the desire to dominate and be territorial, which is a manifestation of hunger and fear that plagues all living things (jiva). Only humans -- by virtue of imagination (manas) -- can overthrow this desire. Likewise, Krishna is the embodiment of atma who asks Arjuna to fight, not for property, not to seek supremacy over his cousins, not for fame or approval, not to indulge his aham, but for dharma, for social order, and to be a dependable brother who fights to get back the livelihood taken away by his cousins. This can only happen when he accepts the immortality, hence tranquillity, of the atma. Excerpted from Ramayana Versus Mahabharata: My Playful Comparison by Devdutt Pattanaik, with the kind permission of the publishers, Rupa Publishers. New Delhi sought a sovereign guarantee to prevent Paris from ever citing the Arms Trade Treaty to interrupt, modify or cease delivery of the Rafale fighter at any stage. Ajai Shukla reports. The ministry of defence's negotiators for the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from the French vendor Dassault during September 2 to 16 were unable to obtain 'sovereign guarantees' from Paris that would have bound the French government to always support the deal. Instead, as Attorney General K K Venugopal admitted before the Supreme Court on November 14, New Delhi contented itself with a letter of comfort from the French prime minister. A letter of comfort amounts to a non-binding intention to support the contract. It is not a legally enforceable contract, like a sovereign guarantee. This shortcoming was also flagged by the ministry of law and justice in its pre-review of the contract documents. Government officials say a key reason New Delhi sought sovereign guarantees was to prevent Paris from ever citing international instruments, such as the Arms Trade Treaty of 2013, to interrupt, modify or cease delivery of the Rafale fighter at any stage. Contacted via email for comments, the MoD did not respond. The Arms Trade Treaty is a multilateral treaty that regulates international trade in conventional arms. France has signed the Arms Trade Treaty, but India has consistently rejected it as discriminatory. The Arms Trade Treaty allows weapons-exporting countries to deny or cancel export permissions at any stage. In such an event, the treaty's provisions relieve the exporting country and its defence manufacturers from any contractual liability. On the other hand, a sovereign guarantee is a pledge that supersedes the Arms Trade Treaty. Had Paris provided a sovereign guarantee in the Rafale contract, it would not have been able to cite the Arms Trade Treaty to explain any lapse in its execution. An MoD file noting dated August 22, 2016, which I reviewed, explains how India climbed down from its demand for a sovereign guarantee. Despite resistance from French negotiators the law ministry insisted on sovereign guarantees. Eventually, the decision was left to the Cabinet Committee on Security. 'The MoL&J (ministry of law and justice) had brought out that government/sovereign guarantees should be requested for, in view of the contract involving huge payouts value...' says the MoD note. 'The French side responded by stating that the letter to be signed by the French Prime Minister (the letter of comfort) along with the guarantees being provided through the intergovernmental agreement constitute a unique and unprecedented level of involvement of the French government... and therefore, the French side does not accept inclusion of additional wording regarding guarantees,' the MoD note reveals. 'This aspect was discussed in Defence Acquisition Council on January 11, 2016. The DAC directed that the decision on the final acceptance of the 'Letter from French PM along with the outstanding guarantees provided through (the inter governmental agreement) in lieu of government/sovereign guarantees shall be that of the CCS,' the MoD note adds. Just days before the Rafale contract was signed on September 22, the CCS -- chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi -- chose to proceed without a sovereign guarantee from France. The Arms Trade Treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on April 2, 2013 and it entered into force on December 24, 2014. Currently, 190 countries have signed, and 89 of them have ratified the treaty. KABUL -- Afghanistans Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC) has declared that all votes cast in Kabul Province during the countrys October parliamentary election are invalid. IECC spokesman Alirez Rohani told reporters in Kabul on December 6 that the decision was made for 25 different reasons -- including major fraud and mismanagement by the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC). He said hundreds of complaints were filed about voting irregularities in the Afghan capital and surrounding areas of Kabul Province. A spokesman for the Afghan election commission, Mohammad Haqparast, told RFE/RL on December 6 that the IEC was preparing to issue a statement "soon" in response to the invalidation of the votes. At least 18 people were killed and 67 injured by a series of bomb attacks close to polling stations in Kabul during the October 20 vote. Technical issues that marred the vote and caused some polling stations to be closed included missing biometric systems and the non-arrival of voter registration lists. Lawmakers who represent Kabul Province have 33 of the 250 seats in Afghanistans lower chamber of parliament the Wolesi Jirga. All of the lawmakers are directly elected. There are 68 seats reserved for woman under Afghanistans constitution. The election originally was scheduled for October 2016 but was postponed until July 7, 2018 -- and then postponed again until October 20 when voting took place in 32 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. Even then, security concerns and the organizational difficulties set back voting by another day in 400 constituencies across the country. In Kandahar Province, voting was delayed by another week due to a deadly attack on the provincial police chief, General Abdul Raziq, on October 18. Voting in Ghazni Province has still not been completed. About nine million Afghans were registered to vote at 21,000 polling stations across the country. They included about 3 million women. More than 54,000 security forces were deployed to protect polling stations across the country. Iranian officials and state media are reporting that two security guards have been killed in a suicide attack outside police headquarters in the southeastern port city of Chabahar. Rahmdel Bameri, Chabahar's acting governor, was among the Iranian officials who said two victims were killed by the December 6 car-bomb attack. Earlier reports said at least three people had been killed and more than two dozen injured by the explosion. Bameri also suggested that more than one assailant was involved in the attack. "The terrorists exploded a car carrying explosives at the gate of the [police] headquarters," Bameri was quoted as saying by the official government news agency IRNA. Mohammad Hadi Marashi, the deputy governor in charge of security, said the assailants tried to enter the city's police headquarters but "they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb." State television reported shooting in the area shortly after the explosion. In an online communique, the Sunni jihadist group Ansar al-Furqan claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Washington-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors online extremist activity. Al-Furqan in 2017 claimed responsibility for bombing an oil pipeline in the southwestern province of Khuzestan. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif claimed that those behind the attack were backed by foreign countries and would be brought to justice. "Foreign-backed terrorists kill & wound innocents in Chabahar," Zarif said on Twitter on December 6. "As we've made clear in the past, such crimes wont go unpunished: In 2010, our security services intercepted & captured extremists en route from UAE," Zarif said in what appeared to be a reference to the 2010 capture of Sunni insurgent leader Abdolmalek Rigi. Iranian authorities said Rigi who headed the militant group Jundollah was captured on a flight from Dubai to Kyrgyzstan. He was later hanged after a revolutionary court convicted him of dozens of charges, including involvement in the killings of dozens of Iranian security officers. "Mark my words: Iran WILL bring terrorists & their masters to justice," Zarif said on Twitter. Videos posted online by Iranian news agencies, purportedly from Chabahar, showed thick smoke rising in the area after the blast. Chabahar is a key port city on the Gulf of Oman about 100 kilometers west of Iran's border with Pakistan. It is located in Iran's southeastern region of Sistan-Baluchistan, home to a Sunni Muslim minority in largely Shi'ite Iran. The region has long been plagued by violence blamed on drug smugglers and militant separatists. Suicide attacks are rare in Iran. Mohammad Pakpur, the commander of the ground forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the attack had failed. "This was a blind terrorist attack," Pakpur told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency. "It had no results for the terrorists. Pakpur also said several hours after the explosion that calm and security had returned to the city of Chabahar. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. With reporting by IRNA, ISNA, Fars, Tasnim, AFP, and Reuters Ukraine has used a gathering of foreign ministers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to call for increased sanctions against Russia, accusing Moscow of stepping up aggression against Kyiv and sowing "instability and insecurity" in the OSCE region. "It is a matter of urgency to provide a prompt and consolidated international response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin told the OSCE meeting in Milan, Italy, on December 6, amid heightened tensions between Kyiv and Moscow following a naval confrontation in the Black Sea last month. "Declarations are not enough. There must be action," Klimkin also said, while U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell said Russias actions in eastern Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula have caused Europes largest humanitarian crisis in a generation." However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pinned the blame for years of tensions on Ukraine's "outrageous actions" and its "Western sponsors." The European Union, the United States, and other countries have imposed sanctions on Russia over Moscow's seizure of Ukraine's Crimea region in March 2014 and its support for separatists in a conflict that has killed more than 10,300 people in eastern Ukraine since April 2014. The situation escalated on November 25 when Russia fired on three Ukrainian naval vessels that were attempting to pass through the Kerch Strait between Russia and Crimea, and ultimately seized the ships and 24 crewmen, who remain in Russian captivity. In his speech at the OSCE ministerial meeting, Klimkin said, "This year, Russia did not pull back but extended its aggressive course of action." "The scope of Russia is clear: gross and uncorrected violations of the OSCE principles and commitments. It is massive and continues to grow," he also said. "What does it mean for all of us in the OSCE? It means instability and insecurity." Ukraine and Russia are both member states of the 57-nation OSCE, a security and human rights watchdog. The minister reiterated his countrys call for the "immediate release and safe return to Ukraine" of the sailors, a demand voiced by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who also urged the "greatest moderation to proceed toward a deescalation" of the conflict. Meanwhile, U.S., Canadian, and a number of European ministers denounced Moscows actions and voiced support for Kyiv. Mitchell, who headed the U.S. delegation at the meeting, emphasized again that OSCE member states "cannot turn a blind eye when Russia attacks the national sovereignty and borders of its neighbors... undermines basic human freedoms, and weakens our common security." "In the past four years, Russia has precipitated Europes largest humanitarian crisis in a generation," he said, citing the casualty toll of the war in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainians who have been "imprisoned, tortured, and killed," and the prosecution of "Crimean Tatars and others who resist Russian rule." "Russias destabilizing actions have prompted NATO allies to enhance their deterrence and defense posture," Mitchell also noted. Canada's Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said that Russia's "illegal annexation of Crimea, its direct involvement in the conflict in [eastern Ukraine], and now its illegal actions targeting Ukrainian sailors and vessels...cannot and must not be accepted by the international community." Moscow has accused Kyiv of orchestrating the clash at sea, saying the Ukrainian boats had entered Russian waters -- something Kyiv denies. Addressing the OSCE gathering, Lavrov asserted that Kyiv is free from any punishment, shielded by its Western sponsors, who justify all its outrageous actions." "Striving for dominance, a small group of countries uses blackmail, pressure, and threats," the Russian foreign minister also said. Lavrov blasted the reckless enlargement of NATO over the past years, the deployment of U.S. antiaircraft defense systems in Europe, and the imposition of illegitimate sanctions under false pretexts." Ukraine has responded to the November 25 confrontation by introducing martial law in parts of the country for 30 days. On December 6, President Petro Poroshenko visited an air base in the city of Zhytomyr where troops were preparing to leave for the border with Russia in order to strengthen our defense capabilities and be ready to stop the aggressor without losing a second." In Kyiv, Ukrainian lawmakers voted to terminate the country's Treaty of Friendship with Russia and adopted a bill that officials said will allow the coast guard and the navy to be more efficient in preventing military threats and smuggling along countrys territorial waters. The legislation also allows Ukrainian border guards to open fire without warning on potential attackers. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa Bosnian prosecutors have indicted a Bosnian Serb military commander on charges of killing Muslim civilians during the country's wars of the 1990s. Dragoljub Kunarac was the commander of a special unit of the Bosnian Serb army who had already been imprisoned for 28 years by the United Nations war crimes tribunal on rape and enslavement charges. Bosnian prosecutors said in a statement on December 5 that Kunarac was accused of taking part in the killing of at least six people and the persecution of Muslim civilians from villages around the eastern town of Foca in July 1992. Foca was a focal point for the mass persecution and killing of Muslims by Bosnian Serb forces, who were seeking to establish an exclusively ethnic Serb region. These forces set up detention camps in which women and young girls were raped and enslaved. The statement said Kunarac, 58, was also accused of taking part in looting and burning Muslim homes. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia imprisoned Kunarac in 2001 for 28 years for torture, rape, and enslavement. He is serving that sentence in a German prison. The tribunal's ruling was the first case in which it had concluded that rape and enslavement were crimes against humanity. Bosnia's state court must still confirm the indictment against him, before the case can proceed. Based on reporting by Reuters SIMFEROPOL -- Russia-imposed authorities in Crimea have detained a prominent lawyer, Emil Kurbedinov, his colleagues say. Attorney Lilya Hemedzhi told RFE/RL that officers from the Russian Anti-Extremism Center detained Kurbedinov on December 6 in Simferopol in a case linked to a social media post made before Russian forces seized Crimea from Ukraine and annexed the peninsula. Hemedzhi said Kurbedinov is accused of writing a Facebook post in 2013 that, according to investigators, carried "elements of extremism." Russian lawyer Nikolai Polozov said Kuberdinovs detainment was another case of "pressure on lawyers involved in political cases in Crimea." Polozov also noted in a December 6 statement posted on Facebook that Kurbedinov is currently representing some of the 24 Ukrainian sailors seized by Russian special forces on November 25 along with three Ukrainian navy ships off the coast of Crimea. "I call on the lawyers community, public organizations, and representatives of international organizations to immediately react to another gross violation of lawyers' rights," Polozov wrote. Other clients of Kurbedinov in recent years have included defendants in Crimea charged in high-profile cases that human rights organizations and Western governments say are politically motivated. Since Russia seized and illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014, Moscow has conducted a persistent campaign of oppression that targets Crimeans who oppose the annexation. MOSCOW -- A Moscow high school was evacuated after a 16-year-old student brought a knife into the building and threatened to cut himself, authorities said. Police said teachers and students were evacuated from Secondary School No. 1359 in the capital on December 6. The principal later said a relative helped get the boy to surrender the knife, state-run news agency RIA Novosti reported. There were no reports of injuries. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin tweeted earlier that police psychiatrists were "working with" the 10th grader after he was isolated from other students. There have been several incidents this year in which students have brought weapons to educational institutions, in some cases carrying out attacks. On November 12, a 14-year-old boy in the Volgograd region brought an ax, several knives, and a gas canister to his school, and was hospitalized for a day after he swallowed rat poison, authorities said. Nobody else was hurt. On October 17, an 18-year-old student killed 20 people and wounded dozens in a gun-and-bomb attack at a technical college in Kerch, in Russian-controlled Crimea, before killing himself. On December 4, the Russian parliament's lower house passed a bill banning so-called "online Columbine communities" that lawmakers say encourage violence among schoolchildren. Columbine is a high school in the U.S. state of Colorado where two students staged an attack in 1999, killing 12 fellow students and a teacher before fatally shooting themselves. With reporting by RIA Novosti, Interfax, and TASS The United Nations is for the first time in two years convening a new round of peace talks in an effort to bring an end to the devastating war in Yemen. Special envoy Martin Griffiths will host the meeting involving the warring parties in Sweden, beginning December 6. The United Nations has organized several rounds of talks aimed at ending the conflict, but no lasting solution has been found. Since 2014, the conflict has killed tens of thousands of people in the Arab Peninsula nation and pushed the impoverished country to the brink of starvation. UN officials have proposed a peace plan that calls for a cease-fire between the Saudi-led coalition and Iranian-aligned Huthi insurgents. It also calls for the formation of a transitional government. Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP TBILISI -- Outgoing Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvilis son-in-law, Mindia Gogochuri, has been detained along with an associate on suspicion of illegal possession of handguns, the Interior Minister said on December 6. According to the ministry, Gogochuri's associate also was wanted on charges of intentionally inflicting harm on another person. His name was not released. The ministry says both men were detained during an overnight raid at a Tbilisi apartment, where they were staying. It says police confiscated a bullet-proof vest that was in their possession along with two pistols that were found outside the apartment building. Police say they are confident that the pistols were thrown out of an apartment window before they were detained. Gogochuri, who is the husband of President Margvelashvili's step-daughter, has been detained several times in recent years on different charges. But Gogochuri was never convicted in those cases. Since 2016, Gogochuri also has been hospitalized twice with gunshot wounds he sustained in violent incidents. With reporting by Rustavi-2 The United States says it has carried out an "extraordinary" flight over Ukraine under an international military surveillance treaty, amid what it called a pattern of increasingly provocative and threatening activity" by Russia. The Pentagon said the flight took place on December 6, with tensions soaring between Ukraine and Russia following a naval confrontation last month. CNN has reported that the United States is also making plans to sail a warship into the Black Sea, but that has not been confirmed. Ukrainian government forces have been fighting against Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine since April 2014, shortly after Russia military forces seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and illegally annexed the territory. Tensions between Kyiv and Moscow escalated on November 25, when Russia fired on Ukrainian naval vessels that were attempting to pass under a massive bridge that spans the Kerch Strait and links Russia with Crimea. Russia ultimately seized three Ukrainian ships and 24 crewmen, who remain in Russian captivity despite international calls to free them. Today, the United States and allies conducted an extraordinary flight under the Open Skies Treaty to reaffirm U.S. commitment to Ukraine and other partner nations, the Defense Department said in a statement. Since 2002, the Open Skies Treaty has allowed 34 signatory states to send unarmed observation flights over one another's territory. These flights are usually scheduled well in advance, but the treaty allows "extraordinary," or unscheduled flights, if two participating members agree -- in this case Ukraine and the United States. Russia's unprovoked attack on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea is a dangerous escalation in a pattern of increasingly provocative and threatening activity, the Pentagon also said. It added that the United States seeks a better relationship with Russia, but this cannot happen while its unlawful and destabilizing actions continue in Ukraine and elsewhere. U.S. surveillance planes and drones regularly skirt Russia's Black Sea coastline, as well as that of Crimea. Russian jets have been shown regularly confronting, and shadowing, the surveillance planes. CNN reported on December 5 that U.S. military officials have asked the State Department to notify Turkey of possible plans for a Navy ship to pass through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles, the waterway that connects the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. The channel cited three unnamed U.S. officials as the source for the report, which could not be immediately confirmed. A decades-old treaty requires that all countries that do not have a Black Sea coastline give Turkey 15-days notice when their warships plan to transit the waterway. Two of the unnamed officials told CNN that the plans weren't set in stone, and that the notification was merely to provide the Navy with the option to move a warship into the area. "We routinely conduct operations to advance security and stability throughout the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations to include the international waters and airspace of the Black Sea," said Commander Kyle Raines, a spokesman for the U.S. Sixth Fleet, which oversees naval operations in the region. "We reserve the right to operate freely in accordance with international laws and norms," he added. Konstantin Kosachev, who heads the international affairs committee in Russias upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, said the U.S. military presence in the Black Sea will only increase tension in the region, according to the TASS news agency. Viktor Bondarev, the chairman of the Federation Councils committee on defense and security, called the possible deployment of U.S. Navy ships in the Black Sea as yet another episode of saber rattling, yet another ploy to humiliate Russia," TASS reported. NATO, which includes several Black Sea member states, and the United States have routinely sent warships patrolling the Black Sea, despite Russian concerns. After the five-day Russia-Georgia war in 2008, with Russian forces still encamped on shore nearby, Washington anchored the flagship for the U.S. Sixth Fleet -- the USS Mount Whitney -- off Georgia's coast in a sign of support for the country. Under a 2003 treaty, Russia and Ukraine agreed to share access to the Sea of Azov. However, since the 2014 annexation, and the completion of the Kerch bridge earlier this year, Russia has slowly restricted access for Ukrainian ships. According to CNN, the last U.S. ship to enter the Black Sea was the fast transport ship USNS Carson City in October. With reporting by CNN, AP, and TASS BRUSSELS -- Romania has blocked European Union foreign ministers from adopting recent conclusions by the EUs Foreign Affairs Council that are critical of Moldova, several EU diplomats have told RFE/RL. The conclusions, which have to be unanimously approved by the Foreign Affairs Council, originally were scheduled to be adopted by the EU ministers without discussion when they meet in Brussels on December 10. But diplomatic sources familiar with the matter told RFE/RL that Romania, supported by Hungary, moved against having a vote on the draft text at the December 10 meeting. The sources say Romania made the move earlier this week when EU diplomats met to discuss the draft text. They say Bucharest made its opposition to the text "very clear," and that no attempts to try to put the document on the agenda of the December 10 meeting will be made. The draft text, which has been seen by RFE/RL, says "a commitment to democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights is at the core" of the EUs Association Agreement with Moldova. But it says developments in Moldova since February, "including the invalidation of the mayoral elections in Chisinau," have "raised significant concerns" about Moldovas commitment. The document says EU foreign ministers expect that parliamentary elections scheduled for February 2019 in Moldova "will be conducted in line with international standards, respecting democratic principles and ensuring a credible, transparent and inclusive process." The draft text also expresses concern about "the growing number of reported cases involving pressure and intimidation" in Moldova It calls on Moldovan authorities to ensure that candidates have access to media and receive equal opportunities to stand in the elections, including those in single mandate districts. It also urges Moldova to ensure there is "an appropriate number of polling stations" both within the country and abroad. The conclusions were meant to be voted upon after the European Commission decided to cut financial assistance to Moldova by about $22.7 million per year for both 2017 and 2018 amid concerns about the rule of law and backsliding on democratic norms. The Commission also has suspended a $113 million macrofinancial assistance (MFA) program for Moldova until further notice. MOSCOW -- Russia's Constitutional Court has upheld the legality of a law designed to support a controversial border agreement between the Russian republics of Ingushetia and Chechnya. The court on December 6 ruled that Ingushetia's Supreme Court had no right to cancel the deal, which concerned land swaps between the two republics and has prompted angry protests in Ingushetia. On October 30, Ingushetia's Constitutional Court ruled that the agreement was illegal because "it changes the territory of Republic of Ingushetia," something it said requires approval by referendum. But the head of Ingushetia, Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, took the issue to the Moscow-based Constitutional Court with a request for support of the agreement. Yevkurov and the leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, signed the agreement behind closed doors on September 26. Yevkurov and Kadyrov said the agreement was approved by the parliaments of both republics several days later, despite demonstrations by protesters in Ingushetia who say it unfairly hands parts of the republic to Chechnya, its larger neighbor to the east. The protesters have called for Yevkurov's resignation and a public referendum on the deal. Some Ingush lawmakers said later that the legislature in Magas had not approved the deal. The issue has raised concerns about the possibility of a regional conflict in Russia, which is home to a large number of ethnic groups. It also has amplified concerns about the power and influence of the Kremlin-backed Kadyrov, who was appointed by President Vladimir Putin in 2007 to head Chechnya. Kadyrov has publicly threatened the protesters in Ingushetia. On October 26, Kadyrov visited Ingushetia with a large entourage of armed men to confront a protest leader. The meeting ended without violence. Ingushetia and Chechnya were parts of a single administrative region during the Soviet era, but they split after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. There are strong concerns about the loss of territory in Ingushetia, which lost control of the disputed Prigorodny District to another neighbor, North Ossetia, after a conflict in 1992 that killed some 600 people -- mostly Ingush. Rights activists say Kadyrov rules through repressive measures and has created a climate of impunity for security forces in the North Caucasus. Kremlin critics contend that Putin has given Kadyrov free rein because he relies on him to rein in separatists and militants after two wars in Chechnya. A group of Republican and Democratic U.S. senators have introduced a resolution saying that Saudi Arabia's crown prince was "complicit" in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The mainly symbolic resolution introduced on December 5 comes amid vocal unhappiness among U.S. lawmakers with how President Donald Trump administration has responded to Khashoggi's killing. Khashoggi, a U.S. legal resident and columnist for The Washington Post, was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after arriving for routine paperwork. He was a vocal critic of the Saudi regime. The resolution is backed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham-- a top ally of Trump -- and Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. It says the Senate "has a high level of confidence" that the crown prince "was complicit in the murder." The effort comes one day after the director of the CIA briefed senators in a closed-door meeting about the killing. Trump, whose White House has cultivated close ties with Riyadh, has tried to downplay the involvement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Many senators, including Graham, emerged from the meeting, saying they were more convinced than ever that bin Salman was personally aware of the killing. Based on reporting by AP KYIV -- Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has approved a move by President Petro Poroshenko to terminate the country's Treaty of Friendship with Russia. On December 6, 277 lawmakers voted to terminate the treaty by allowing it to expire. Passage of the bill required only 226 votes. The treaty is due to expire on March 31, 2019. Under the Ukrainian legislation, it will not be prolonged after that date. Signed in 1997, the treaty obliges Russia and Ukraine to "respect the territorial integrity of each other and confirm inviolability of current mutual borders." It also says that Ukraine and Russia should build bilateral relations "based on principles of mutual respect of sovereign equality, inviolability of borders, peaceful resolution of differences, without use of force or threat to use force." Ukrainian government forces have been fighting against Russia-backed separatists in the eastern Ukraine since April 2014, shortly after Russia military forces seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and annexed the territory. Although Moscow denies interfering in Ukraine's domestic affairs, the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November 2016 ruled that the fighting in eastern Ukraine is "an international armed conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation." POLICE have warned burglars they will spend Christmas in prison as they launched a crackdown on thefts. Eight people were arrested in the space of three days as part of Operation Quilt, three of whom have appeared in court. Det Chief Insp Martin Tate (pictured), Rotherham Crime Manager and Senior Investigating Officer, said police officers wanted the burglars behind bars over the festive season. Some people think Christmas starts too early, he said. Not for locking up burglars. This week in Rotherham we are focusing our attempts to prevent crime for the festive period. If you commit burglary we want you in prison for Christmas. And a happy new year. The operation is being led by Det Sgt Aneela Khalil-Khan, of Main Street Police Station. She said the operation was targeting all types of acquisitive crime including burglaries, car thefts and robberies. We are targeting known offenders and dealing with anything that comes in and we have had quite a success, said Det Sgt Khalil-Khan. We have had some engagement with the local community, supporting them and giving them crime prevention advice. We want to put these offenders behind bars before Christmas. We are targeting known areas that have had occurences of crime and arresting people who are known offenders and being proactive. Stephen Flinders (39), of Mason Avenue, Swallownest, and Sean Kelly (40), of no fixed abode, appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Monday (26) on a joint charge of burglary. They denied entering a property in Thurcroft with intent to steal on two days earlier. Flinders was released on bail until a hearing at the court on January 9 and Kelly was remanded into custody until a hearing on Monday. Barry Parkinson (70), of Robinets Road, Rotherham, appeared at Sheffield Magistrates Court on Tuesday (27) charged with burglary. He entered no plea and he was released on conditional bail to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on December 27. Gem Auctions DMCC closes largest debut rough diamond sale in industry history Gem Auctions DMCC founded by mining entrepreneur Alan Davies, held its first-ever rough diamond auction in Dubai this week. The company sold 120,000 carats for over $57 mn, marking the largest rough diamond auction debut by a new company in the history... Luaxe full-scale mining operations expected soon Alrosa Angola Full-scale mining operations at the Luaxe diamond project in the Eastern Lunda Sul province are expected soon, according to Alrosa. Company director-general in Angola Alexander Gorlov told a diamond conference in Saurimo that they had completed exploration... Lucara revises FY 2022 revenue, sales, production guidance upwards Lucara Diamond which owns the Karowe mine in Botswana has revised its guidance on diamond revenue for the full year 2022 from $185 million to $215 million. Rio Tinto begins community, environmental engagements over Chiri diamond JV Rio Tinto Angola has commenced community and environmental engagements over its Chiri diamond concession in the Lunda Norte Province, according to a senior company official. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Spokesman News Service: Chandigarh, December 6: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday expressed solidarity with the valiant soldiers and ex-servicemen of the Indian armed forces, while calling upon the people to donate generously for the welfare of their families. Exhorting people to come out with voluntary donations for the Flag Day Fund to mark the occasion on December 7, the Chief Minister said the money would be utilized for the rehabilitation of war widows, disabled defence personnel and ex-servicemen. Advertisement Flag Day On this Flag Day, let us strive to help the families of our brave soldiers who attained martyrdom in the defence and honour of the motherland, he said, in his message on the occasion. Any contribution to the Fund would be a token of respect towards the outstanding services rendered by the valiant soldiers, who zealously guard the countrys borders round the clock, he added. The Flag Day is observed every year on December 7 as a mark of honour to the martyrs and brave soldiers of the Indian armed forces. SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. Memories come flooding back for Dave Wallingford as he surveys a permanent new exhibit, containing some of his own gear, at the New York State Military Museum on Lake Avenue. More than two years in the making, Hot Spots in the Cold War: Korean and Vietnam Wars covers the period 1950-75 and uses numerous photographs, artifacts and oral history videos to tell the story of New Yorkers in combat, life at home during the Cold War, and civil strife that accompanied the Vietnam War during the late 1960s and early 70s. Known to his fellow U.S. Marines as Lieutenant Wally, Wallingford served most of his 1968-69 tour in Vietnam near the demilitarized zone, north of Da Nang. As an officer, he was especially vulnerable to enemy fire while on patrol. The NVA (North Vietnamese Army soldiers) werent stupid, he said. If you were in an ambush situation, they knew the guy right in front of the radio operator was an officer. Wallingford, who achieved the rank of captain, was a forward observer for an artillery battery assigned to a Marine rifle company Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 4th Marines Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. In March 1969, he was seriously wounded during a day-long fire fight. Flown out by helicopter, Wallingford was taken to Da Nang and rehabbed at a naval hospital in Yokosuka, Japan, where he met his wife, Helene, a Navy nurse. Both of their uniforms are part of the exhibit, created by museum Chief Curator Mark J. Koziol, with help from Maine-based Ted Anderson Design & Photography. Koziol wrote all of the accompanying text for Hot Spots, which required months of extensive research. Most artifacts are from the museums collection. Items from the Korean War (1950-53) include an M 1911A 1 .45-caliber pistol, the A-frame pack Korean porters used to transport supplies, water purification tablets, and a 155 artillery shell like those fired in combat by the New York Army National Guards 955th Field Artillery Battalion. Several Soviet-made weapons, used by communist forces, are featured, too. Also, there are color pen-and-ink drawings done by Navy Corpsman Steve Jordan, of Ballston Spa, depicting scenes such as fighting in Seoul, South Korea and during infamous Battle of Chosin Reservoir. This brings home from a first-person point of view what he saw, Koziol said. One display case features the outfit, including life vest, worn by naval aviator William Choltco, who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. He was shot down during one mission and spent many hours floating at sea before getting rescued. Psychological warfare was a big part of the Korean and Vietnam wars, which the exhibit explains, also, along with the constant underlying threat of nuclear attack. Items used to explain the Cold Wars history includes a Civil Defense sanitation kit found in bomb shelters, a radiation detector that would have been used after an atomic bomb attack, and survival ration crackers. The Vietnam section includes much of the weaponry and equipment used by U.S. soldiers such as an M79 grenade launcher, nicknamed Blooper, for the funny-sounding noise it made. Vietnam veteran Roy J. McDonald, of Saratoga, recalls it quite well. Taking POWs was not uncommon, said McDonald, a forward observer with the 1st Cavalry Division. You would ask them, during interrogation, What sort of stuff scares you? The M-79 was the one they were most afraid of because you could just pop it boomp, boomp. One of the most poignant artifacts is the bullet-riddled helmet worn by Army Capt. Dennis Finnegan, who did three tours in Vietnam. He was killed on Oct. 31, 1972 when the helicopter he was headed home on was shot down, shortly before hostilities ceased. Wallingford, a 2014 inductee to the New York State Senate Veterans Hall of Fame, fought alongside many of the deceased U.S. service members whose names are inscribed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. This part of the exhibits story is the hardest to all deal with. It took me almost eight years before I went to the Wall, he said. New research suggests that people with a narcissistic self-view are more likely to demonstrate lower support for democracy. They are also more likely to feel that democracies are not good in maintaining order, or that it would be better if countries were run by strong leaders or the military. The research, which was co-led by psychologists at the University of Kent, suggests this is probably because narcissists tend to feel entitled and superior to others, which results in lower tolerance of diverse political opinions. In contrast, people who take a positive, non-defensive self-view and trust others are more likely to show support for democracy, the research found. The study, the findings of which are published as My way or the highway: high narcissism and low self-esteem predict decreased support for democracy, consisted of two parts that analysed the relationship between different types of self-evaluation -- narcissism and self-esteem -- and support for democracy in the US and Poland. The team, led by Dr Aleksandra Cichocka, of Kent's School of Psychology, and Dr Marta Marchlewska, of the Polish Academy of Sciences, set out to understand the psychological mechanisms driving support for democracy. They built on previous research which demonstrated that basic personality traits can predict broader opinions about the organisation of the social world. Dr Cichocka said: 'The jury is out on whether the new generations are becoming more narcissistic than previous ones, but it is important to monitor how societal changes can affect the self. We need to make sure we are not fostering feelings of entitlement or expectations of special treatment. In the end, these processes may have important implications for our social and political attitudes.' Surface melting across Greenland's mile-thick ice sheet began increasing in the mid-19th century and then ramped up dramatically during the 20th and early 21st centuries, showing no signs of abating, according to new research published Dec. 5, 2018, in the journal Nature. The study provides new evidence of the impacts of climate change on Arctic melting and global sea level rise. "Melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet has gone into overdrive. As a result, Greenland melt is adding to sea level more than any time during the last three and a half centuries, if not thousands of years," said Luke Trusel, a glaciologist at Rowan University's School of Earth & Environment and former post-doctoral scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and lead author of the study. "And increasing melt began around the same time as we started altering the atmosphere in the mid-1800s." "From a historical perspective, today's melt rates are off the charts, and this study provides the evidence to prove this" said Sarah Das, a glaciologist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and co-author of the study. "We found a fifty percent increase in total ice sheet meltwater runoff versus the start of the industrial era, and a thirty percent increase since the 20th century alone." Ice loss from Greenland is one of the key drivers of global sea level rise. Icebergs calving into the ocean from the edge of glaciers represent one component of water re-entering the ocean and raising sea levels. But more than half of the ice-sheet water entering the ocean comes from runoff from melted snow and glacial ice atop the ice sheet. The study suggests that if Greenland ice sheet melting continues at "unprecedented rates" -- which the researchers attribute to warmer summers -- it could accelerate the already fast pace of sea level rise. "Rather than increasing steadily as climate warms, Greenland will melt increasingly more and more for every degree of warming. The melting and sea level rise we've observed already will be dwarfed by what may be expected in the future as climate continues to warm," said Trusel. To determine how intensely Greenland ice has melted in past centuries, the research team used a drill the size of a traffic light pole to extract ice cores from the ice sheet itself and an adjacent coastal ice cap, at sites more than 6,000 feet above sea level. The scientists drilled at these elevations to ensure the cores would contain records of past melt intensity, allowing them to extend their records back into the 17th century. During warm summer days in Greenland, melting occurs across much of the ice sheet surface. At lower elevations, where melting is the most intense, meltwater runs off the ice sheet and contributes to sea level rise, but no record of the melt remains. At higher elevations, however, the summer meltwater quickly refreezes from contact with the below-freezing snowpack sitting underneath. This prevents it from escaping the ice sheet in the form of runoff. Instead, it forms distinct icy bands that stack up in layers of densely packed ice over time. advertisement The core samples were brought back to ice core labs at the U.S. National Science Foundation Ice Core Facility in Denver, Colo., WHOI in Woods Hole, Mass., Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., and the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nev. where the scientists measured physical and chemical properties along the cores to determine the thickness and age of the melt layers. Dark bands running horizontally across the cores, like ticks on a ruler, enabled the scientists to visually chronicle the strength of melting at the surface from year to year. Thicker melt layers represented years of higher melting, while thinner sections indicated years with less melting. Combining results from multiple ice cores with observations of melting from satellites and sophisticated climate models, the scientists were able to show that the thickness of the annual melt layers they observed clearly tracked not only how much melting was occurring at the coring sites, but also much more broadly across Greenland. This breakthrough allowed the team to reconstruct meltwater runoff at the lower-elevation edges of the ice sheet -- the areas that contribute to sea level rise. Ice core records provide critical historical context because satellite measurements -- which scientists rely on today to understand melting rates in response to changing climate -- have only been around since the late 1970s, said Matt Osman, a graduate student in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program and co-author of the study. "We have had a sense that there's been a great deal of melting in recent decades, but we previously had no basis for comparison with melt rates going further back in time," he said. "By sampling ice, we were able to extend the satellite data by a factor of 10 and get a clearer picture of just how extremely unusual melting has been in recent decades compared to the past." Trusel said the new research provides evidence that the rapid melting observed in recent decades is highly unusual when put into a historical context. advertisement "To be able to answer what might happen to Greenland next, we need to understand how Greenland has already responded to climate change," he said. "What our ice cores show is that Greenland is now at a state where it's much more sensitive to further increases in temperature than it was even 50 years ago." One noteworthy aspect of the findings, Das said, was how little additional warming it now takes to cause huge spikes in ice sheet melting. "Even a very small change in temperature caused an exponential increase in melting in recent years," she said. "So the ice sheet's response to human-caused warming has been non-linear." Trusel concluded, "Warming means more today than it did in the past." Additional co-authors are: Matthew B. Osman, MIT/WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography; Matthew J. Evans, Wheaton College; Ben E. Smith, University of Washington; Xavier Fettweis, University of Leige; Joseph R. McConnell, Desert Research Institute; and Brice P. Y. Noel and and Michiel R. van den Broeke Utrecht University. This research was funded by the US National Science Foundation, institutional support from Rowan University and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the US Department of Defense, the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, the Netherlands Earth System Science Center, and the Belgian National Fund for Scientific Research. A parent's exposure to dirty air before conception might spell heart trouble for the next generation, a new animal study suggests. Wondering about the possible health risks for children of people routinely exposed to highly polluted air, including soldiers and residents of some of the world's largest cities, researchers from The Ohio State University studied the effects of dirty air on mice. And they found an abundance of evidence of harm to the offspring of parents that routinely breathed dirty air prior to mating. "We found that these offspring had a variety of heart problems during the prime of their lives and the effects were so robust that it was somewhat shocking," said study senior author Loren Wold, director of biomedical research at Ohio State's College of Nursing. Heart function was impaired. Inflammatory markers linked to increased heart disease risk were high. They had markers of oxidative stress, a condition in which levels of beneficial antioxidants are low. Calcium regulatory proteins, which are critical to the function of the beating heart, were altered. And these mice were young and otherwise healthy -- comparable to 20-year-old humans. The first-of-its-kind study appears online today in the Journal of the American Heart Association. advertisement "This suggests that heart problems related to pollution exposure could start even before conception, and if that's true it has implications worldwide," said Wold, a professor of nursing and medicine at Ohio State. Wold and his team also uncovered evidence of gene-related differences that might explain the cardiovascular changes they saw. They examined epigenetic regulators, which play an important role in the expression of genes -- meaning that they have influence over predisposition to health problems, including cardiovascular disease. "I looked at important epigenetic regulators in the offspring, and some were activated, which could explain the differences we saw. The next step will be a more-detailed analysis," said study lead author Vineeta Tanwar, a research scientist at Ohio State. To conduct the study, researchers concentrated air from Columbus, Ohio, until the level of harmful particulate matter -- particles suspended in the air -- reached a level on par with large cities such as Los Angeles and Beijing. The research focused on the presence of PM2.5, particles that are small enough to pass from the lungs into the bloodstream. The test mice breathed this air for about 30 hours a week. advertisement "They were, on average, exposed to less particulate matter than what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set for daily air quality standards," Tanwar said. Then, the mice were kept in normal air during mating and the researchers compared their offspring to the offspring of mice that were not exposed to the polluted air. "The first thing we did was to do a basic echocardiograph and we could see profound heart dysfunction in the offspring of particulate-matter-exposed mice," Tanwar said. "Then, we began to look at single cells and at typical markers of heart disease and found a lot more evidence that preconception pollution could harm the offspring." The study focused only on male offspring because the research team wanted to narrow its focus on this first experiment. Going forward, they plan to compare male and female offspring, try to determine which parent's exposure might matter more to offspring, evaluate heart health later in the lifespan of the mice and explore potential changes in the eggs and sperm of mice exposed to dirty air. "A key question here is how are changes in the sperm and eggs passing on the information to the offspring to cause this heart dysfunction?" Wold said. Though more animal research is needed, this study also opens the door to exploring the role of air pollution on the health of future generations, he said. For instance, it might make sense to begin by working with adults with high levels of exposure to particulate matter, such as residents of New Delhi and Beijing, Wold said. "We already know that humans have dramatic cardiovascular effects from exposure to dirty air, high blood pressure in particular. And we know that babies can be harmed by pollution both before and after birth," Wold said. "Understanding whether the damage may begin even before conception is critical." Other Ohio State researchers who worked on the study were Jeremy Adelstein, Jacob Grimmer, Dane Youtz, Aashish Katapadi, Benjamin Sugar, Lisa Baer and Kristin Stanford. The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health. When someone has a deadly disease or sustains a life-threatening injury, a transplant or graft of new tissue may be the best -- or only -- treatment option. Transplanted organs, skin grafts and other parts need blood vessels to bring oxygen-rich blood their way, but for tissue engineers and regenerative medicine experts, making a functional blood vessel network within large tissues in the laboratory has long been a major challenge. Now, a research group at the University of Delaware has pioneered methods to grow a self-assembling, functional network of blood vessels at a size relevant for human use. Jason Gleghorn and his colleagues are the first to make this system work at this scale, and their results were recently published in the journal Biomaterials. Gleghorn, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Delaware, studies how the embryo builds tissues and organs during development with the goal of using this knowledge to define new regenerative medicine strategies. While other groups have made blood vessel networks that span millimeters in size, the UD system works across centimeter scales, necessary for functional tissue replacement. With more development and refinement, Gleghorn's microfluidic system could someday be utilized to grow blood vessels for tissue and organ transplantation into humans. How to build blood vessel networks The team embedded human blood vessel cells into a gel made of collagen, a protein found in connective tissue such as skin and joints. The goal was to determine the physical conditions necessary to make the cells grow, multiply and connect with each other so that a network of blood vessels assembled itself. Making blood vessel networks is tricky business because the system doesn't always behave how investigators expect. During his doctoral training, Gleghorn was part of the first team that developed techniques to create patterned blood vessel networks for tissue engineering using microfluidic techniques. advertisement "As an engineer, we can say we think the cells need to be this far apart or the vessels need to be a certain size and spacing," Gleghorn said. "We can create a very precise environment and structure for the cells, but the problem is that biology doesn't work that way. The cells remodel everything. They change shape and size and push and pull on each other and the materials they are embedded in to rearrange our 'perfect' home that we think they need. The reality is we need to design systems that will encourage cells to remodel themselves and their environment to generate a functional tissue." Instead, Gleghorn's group asked: "What is the fundamental initial starting point of the system that we need, and then can we kick it in the right direction to get it to evolve and build its own architecture similar to the way your body does it during development?" he said. For one, using a powerful confocal microscope at the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, the group found that the density, or stiffness, of the collagen gel affected how the cells suspended within it behaved, ultimately affecting the size and connectivity of the vessels. "It looks kind of like the holiday dessert with fruit suspended in Jell-O," said Gleghorn of the cells in the collagen gel. "You have a bunch of cells randomly distributed throughout the volume of the gel, and if they are sparsely distributed, it gets very hard for them to talk to each other and form connections to form vessels. The languages they use are chemical signals and physical forces." The key is to find the sweet spot of stiffness, stiff enough so that neighboring cells can interact with the material and each other, but not so stiff that the cells can't move. The team also found that by perturbing their system in a specific way, they could affect the size and shape of the vessel networks under assembly. "From larger vessels to much smaller microvessels, which are really hard to make, we can now tune the vessel network architecture with the initial starting parameters," said Gleghorn. This means that the new system could have applications from forming larger vessels deep within the body to tiny capillaries, the teeny vessels in your fingertips. Gleghorn's team also found that their lab-grown blood vessels were perfusable, suggesting that blood could flow through them without leaking out of the vessels into surrounding gel. The vessel networks can also form throughout a variety of shaped gels, meaning that this system could be useful for building blood vessel networks in tissues with complicated shapes, such as the meniscus cartilage that pads your knees or a large skin graft for burn patients. In addition to Gleghorn, authors on the new paper include Joshua Morgan, a former postdoctoral scholar at UD who is now an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside; Jasmine Shirazi, a graduate student in biomedical engineering; Erica Comber, a former undergraduate research assistant who earned an honors degree in biomedical engineering from UD in 2017 and is now pursuing a doctoral degree at Carnegie Mellon University; and Christian Eschenburg, head of R&D at Orthopedic Technology Services GmbH active in Germany, who did research in Gleghorn's lab as part of the Fraunhofer-UD graduate student exchange program. This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, University of Delaware Research Foundation, the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Power Junior Faculty Enhancement Award and the March of Dimes Basil O'Connor Award. Now, Gleghorn's group is learning even more about how blood vessel networks form so that they can refine their system. With Babatunde Ogunnaike, the William L. Friend Chair of Chemical Engineering, Gleghorn is mapping out mathematical formulas to describe how blood vessels form and remodel in developing chicken embryos in the egg. "Then we plan to take the math and systems engineering and couple it with the biology -- the molecules and the signaling pathways -- that we know, and apply it to these 3D tissue-engineered models to make more complex hierarchical blood vessel networks" said Gleghorn. That project is supported by an award from the University of Delaware Research Foundation. Air quality has been associated with numerous adverse health outcomes from asthma to pre-term birth. Researchers at University of Utah Health found women living along the Wasatch Front -- the most populous region in the state of Utah -- had a higher risk (16 percent) of miscarriage following short-term exposure to elevated air pollution. The results are available online on December 5 in the journal Fertility and Sterility. "Not being from Salt Lake originally, I noticed a pattern in the relation to air quality and pregnancy loss," said Matthew Fuller, M.D., assistant professor of Surgery at U of U Health and senior author on the paper. "I knew this was an understudied question so we decided to dig deeper." Fuller joined University of Utah research analyst Claire Leiser on a retrospective study consisting of more than 1,300 women (54 percent Caucasian, 38 percent Hispanic, and other/missing 8 percent; average age 28 years). The women in the study sought help at the U of U emergency department following a miscarriage (up to 20-weeks gestation) between 2007 to 2015. The team examined the risk of miscarriage during a three- or seven-day window following a spike in the concentration of three common air pollutants: small particulate matter (PM 2.5), nitrogen dioxide and ozone. The study excluded women who lived outside Utah. "We are really only seeing the most severe cases during a small window of time," said Leiser, first author on the paper. "These results are not the whole picture." Leiser notes the results suggest there could be an increased risk for an individual. Their research only captured women who sought help at an emergency department at one hospital in the region. It does not account for women who may have sought outpatient care through their obstetric or primary care providers. advertisement The team found a slight increased risk in miscarriage for women exposed to elevated levels of nitrogen dioxide (16 percent for 10 ppb increase during the seven-day window). Although small particulate matter does track with nitrogen dioxide, these results did not significantly associate with an increased risk of miscarriage. "While we live in a pretty unique geographic area, the problems we face when it comes to air pollution are not unique," said Fuller. "As the planet warms and population booms, air pollution is going to become a bigger problem not only in the developing world but across the United States." The Wasatch Front experiences short-periods of poor air quality, primarily during the winter months, when inversions trap pollutants close to the ground (for the 7-day window: PM2.5 min = 0.3 g/m3; PM2.5 max = 73.0 g/m3; O 3 min = 4 ppb; O 3 max= 80 ppb; NO 2 min = 0.5 ppb; NO 2 max = 65 ppb). The researchers tracked air quality by zip code, establishing six designated air basins within the Wasatch Front. They compared air quality in each basin to their patients' outcomes. The team conducted a case cross-over study that estimated a woman's risk of miscarriage multiple times in a month where air pollution exposure varied. This approach removed other risk factors, like maternal age, from the study. The scientists were unable to ascertain the age of the fetus at the time of the miscarriage and were unable pinpoint a critical period when the fetus may be most vulnerable to pollutants. "The results of this study are upsetting, and we need to work together as a society to find constructive solutions," Fuller said. Fuller recommends women speak with their doctor about any health concerns. Women can manage the risk by using a N95 particulate respirator face mask to filter out pollutants or avoid outdoor physical activity on poor air quality days. Women can also use filters to lower indoor pollution and, if possible, time conception to avoid seasonal episodes of poor air quality. Leiser and Fuller were joined by Heidi Hanson, Kara Sawyer, Jacob Steenblik, Troy Madsen, James Hotaling, Yetunde Ibrahim and James VanDerslice at U of U Health; Ragheed Al-Dulaimi at Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Mich. and Karen Gibbins at Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Ore. Their article, titled Acute Effects of Air Pollutants on Spontaneous Pregnancy Loss: A Case-Crossover Study, appears online in the December 5 issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility. The work was funded through grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Consortium for Families & Health Research. Public health protection and cost savings are often used as reasons to restrict migrants' access to health care, or to deny them entry. Yet, as the new UCL-Lancet Commission on Migration and Health lays out with new international data and analysis, the most common myths about migration and health are not supported by the available evidence and ignore the important contribution of migration to global economies. In 2018, there were more than one billion people on the move, a quarter of whom were migrants crossing international borders. The Commission is the result of a two-year project led by 20 leading experts from 13 countries, and includes new data analysis, with two original research papers, and represents the most comprehensive review of the available evidence to date. The report, including its recommendations to improve the public health response to migration, will be launched on 8th December at the UN Intergovernmental Conference to adopt the Global Compact for safe, orderly and regular migration in Marrakech. "Populist discourse demonises the very same individuals who uphold economies and bolster social care and health services. Questioning the deservingness of migrants for health care on the basis of inaccurate beliefs supports practices of exclusion, harming the health of individuals, our society, and our economies," says Commission Chair Professor Ibrahim Abubakar, UCL (UK). "Migration is the defining issue of our time. How the world addresses human mobility will determine public health and social cohesion for decades ahead. Creating health systems that integrate migrant populations will benefit entire communities with better health access for all and positive gains for local populations. Failing to do so could be more expensive to national economies, health security, and global health than the modest investments required to protect migrants' right to health, and ensure migrants can be productive members of society." The Lancet editor Dr Richard Horton adds: "In too many countries, the issue of migration is used to divide societies and advance a populist agenda. With one billion people on the move today, growing populations in many regions of the world, and the rising aspirations of a new generation of young people, migration is not going away. Migrants commonly contribute more to the economy than they cost, and how we shape their health and wellbeing today will impact our societies for generations to come. There is no more pressing issue in global health." Myths about migration and health not supported by the available evidence: Are high income countries being overwhelmed by migrants? Discussions about migration often focus on rising numbers of people crossing international borders and overwhelming high-income countries, but changes in migration are more complex. Although international migration receives the most political and public attention, most movement globally is internal migration. A quarter of all migrants (an estimated 258 million people) are international migrants. In the past four decades, the percentage of the world's population that is considered an international migrant has changed very little -- from 2.9% in 1990 to 3.4% in 2017 globally. advertisement Most international migrants are labour migrants (approximately 65%) -- and a much smaller proportion are refugees and asylum seekers. While high-income countries have seen a greater rise in the percentage of international migrants (from 7.6% in 1990 to 13.4% in 2017), they are more likely to be students who pay for their education or labour migrants who are net contributors to the economy. Refugees make up a larger proportion of the total population in low income countries compared to high income countries (0.7% vs 0.2%). Are migrants damaging economies? An overwhelming consensus of evidence exists on the positive economic benefits of migration, which is insufficiently acknowledged. In advanced economies, each 1% increase in migrants in the adult population increases the gross domestic product per person by up to 2%. Additionally, migration contributes to global wealth distribution. An estimated US$613 billion was sent by migrants to their families at origin in 2017. Approximately three quarters of these remittances are to low- and middle-income countries -- an amount three-times larger than official development assistance. Are migrants a burden on health services? Migrants constitute a substantial proportion of the health care workforce in many high-income countries. Rather than being a burden, migrants are more likely to bolster services by providing medical care, teaching children, caring for older people, and supporting understaffed services. In the UK, 37% of doctors received their medical qualification in another country. advertisement A new, comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis concludes that international migrants in high-income countries have lower rates of mortality compared to general populations across the majority of disease categories. The study used mortality estimates on more than 15.2 million migrants from 92 countries and found that international migrants had lower rates of deaths for cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, neoplasms, nervous and respiratory diseases, mental and behavioural disorders and injuries than people in the general population in the receiving country. There was no evidence of a difference for blood, genitourinary, or musculoskeletal disorders. The only two exceptions were for infections such as viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and HIV, and external causes, such as assault, where migrants had increased rates of mortality. However, as the report also highlights, several studies (eg on tuberculosis) have shown that the risk of transmission of infections is elevated only within migrant communities, and is negligible in host populations. The findings are most likely to apply to international migrants in high income countries who are studying, working, or have joined family members in these countries. Vulnerable groups, such as refugees, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants, may have different health needs, but, as the authors note, rather than form policies based on exceptions, evidence about the healthy benefits of migration should be at the forefront of decisions. Are migrants disease carriers that pose risks to resident populations? The stereotype of migrants as disease carriers is perhaps one of the most prevalent, and the most harmful. However, there is no systematic association between migration and importation of infectious diseases, and the evidence shows that the risk of transmission from migrating populations to host populations is generally low. Studies on tuberculosis suggest that the risk of transmission is elevated within migrant households and communities, but not in host populations. Migrants may come from regions with higher disease burden, especially if they come from regions of conflict, with weak public health systems. But illness and infection can also be acquired or during transit -- for example air travel can facilitate the rapid spread of infection. Indeed, recent examples of spread of resistant pathogens was driven mainly by international travel, tourism, and the movement of livestock rather than migration. Strong public health systems are needed to prevent outbreaks of disease, whether associated with migration or not. Do migrants have higher fertility rates than among host populations? Populist rhetoric often claims that migrants have many more children than host populations. The Commission collates data from several long-term studies that suggest the birth rates among migrants are barely at the level of population replacement (2.1 births per woman) and often falling. A study of six European countries found that fertility rates among migrant women were, in general, lower than host populations. Studies in India and Ethiopia, for example, have shown that internal migrants are more likely to use contraception than host populations. Ensuring access to services is key to ensuring the sexual and reproductive healthcare of migrant women and girls. Unfounded myths: harmful to individuals and society Unfounded myths about migration have wide ranging impacts on how migrants are treated within society. Despite evidence that migrants have positive health benefit to societies, many men and women who migrate are subjected to laws, restrictions, and discrimination that put them at risk of ill-health. Protection of the public is often invoked as a reason for the denial of entry, detention or deportation, but too often these policies leave migrants facing worse health situations. The Commission calls for governments to improve migrants' access to services, strengthen migrants' right to health and tackle the wider determinants of migrant health, including taking a zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination. Restricting entry based on health status is increasingly common. In Australia, permanent residency application can be rejected because the applicant has a health condition -- the five most common reasons were intellectual or functional impairment, HIV, cancer and renal disease. 35 countries have imposed some form of travel ban on people with HIV. Too often, policies are not based on the overall contribution of migrants to host societies, but only in terms of costs to the state. Restrictions on entry or deportation for diseases with low risk of casual transmission are impermissible on both public health and human rights grounds. Linking health status to migration enforcement also reinforces distrust in the health profession, and Iimits migrants' ability to access health care on a non-discriminatory basis. The fear of deportation can mean migrants will not seek health care or assistance when needed, hindering individual and public health. In practice, health-related enforcement regimes can pressure health workers to act as immigration control agents. The Commission points to a growing trend of states limiting access to health care for migrants, despite commitments to provide "health for all." In the UK, the hostile environment policy was highlighted in the Windrush scandal of 2018 with long-term migrants being deported midway through medical treatment. Upfront charging regulations are still in place. "Migrants are healthier and contribute to our economy and the NHS. There is no evidence that migrants are a drain on the NHS or that they spread infectious disease. Exclusion of migrants in health systems and the increasing negative rhetoric is political and not evidence based. The hostile environment towards migrants in the UK has led directly to migrants and British citizens being denied health care, with direct severe public health and health economic consequences. Migrants constitute a considerable portion of the heath care workforce in the UK, making important contributions to the country which should be recognised," says Professor Abubakar. States are increasingly treating unauthorised border crossings as a criminal offense, leading to detention, at times indefinitely. Indefinite offshore detention of migrants on Nauru island was introduced as an immigration policy in Australia in 2013, and the USA recently announced a zero-tolerance policy, resulting in migrants arrested or jailed and children separated from their parents. Detention poses clear violations of international law, and findings from a systematic review of 38 studies shows that detention is associated with negative health outcomes, especially mental health. "Contrary to the current political narrative portraying migrants as disease carriers who are a blight on society, migrants are an essential part of economic stability in the US. The separation of migrant children from their parents creates long term psychological damage -- and is a cruel and unnecessary aspect of US policy. The criminalization and detention of migrants seeking internationally protected refuge violates international law, and puts them at greater risk of ill health. Migrants are vital to our wellbeing as a society. Addressing the healthcare needs of migrant populations is an essential strategy to stemming costs associated with any avoidable disease burden in these populations," says co-author Professor Terry McGovern, Columbia University, USA. Finally, the health of migrants depends on the social and structural context of their journey, and destination. Migrant related discrimination is a profound determinant of health, especially mental health and social wellbeing. Access to justice, and education are important determinants of health. Yet a study of 28 developed and developing countries found that nearly half did not allow immediate access to education for irregular migrant children, and migrants face many barriers accessing justice, through poor information, employer intimidation, language barriers or unfamiliarity with the system. Professor Bernadette Kumar, Norwegian Institute for Public Health (Norway) adds: "Too often, government policies prioritise the politics of xenophobia and racism over their responsibilities to act forcefully to counter them. Racial and ethnic discrimination fuel the exclusion of migrant populations, not only violating the rights of individuals, but hindering social cohesion and progress of society at large. Racism and prejudice should be confronted with a zero-tolerance approach." The Commission is accompanied by four linked Comments, including by Louise Arbour, UN Special Representative for International Migration; David Miliband and Mesfin Teklu Tessema, International Rescue Committee; Kolitha Wickramage, International Organization for Migration, and Giuseppe Annunziata, Regional Office for Europe, WHO; and Walid Ammar, Director General of the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Commission co-author Dr Nyovani Madise, African Institute for Development Policy (Kenya), adds: "Africans have always been highly mobile people, moving mostly within national and regional borders. The Commission's report confirms that migrants boost the economies of their destination countries while many also remit money back to their places of origin. Most African countries find themselves as host to refugees and displaced people running away from conflicts in neighbouring countries. Migration policies in Africa must take on board the Commission's recommendations to provide good healthcare for all people on the move and to acknowledge the positive benefits of migration when formulating and implementing development policies." ""Health for all" will mean nothing without reaching the hardest to reach, including those who are forcibly displaced. This means urgently scaling up investments in providing health services for refugees and internationally displaced people to ensure all people can access quality health services," says David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee, co-author of the linked Comment. The Commission received funding from the Wellcome Trust, Rockefeller Foundation, UK National Institute for Health Research, the UCL Grand Challenges in Global Health, and the EU's Health Programme. Iran has a water problem. The reserves in many groundwater basins there have been severely depleted. For the last forty years, the country has invested a lot in the agricultural sector and has been striving to be independent in its food supply. In order to cover the increased water demand, groundwater basins have been exploited to a considerable extent in a hardly state-regulated way. In addition, the government built a lot of dams to store water for specific purposes, particularly in agriculture. However, this restricted the natural inflow into the country's groundwater basins in the downstream, in turn contributing to desertification and serious environmental issues like shrinkage of Lake Urmia, the world's second-largest salt lake in northwest Iran, and frequent dust and sand storms in recent years in the Khuzestan province in the southwest. In the region around Tehran, the capital city of eight million inhabitants, the demand for water has also risen sharply due to the influx of many new inhabitants over the last four decades. The number of wells there rose from just under 4000 in 1968 to more than 32,000 in 2012. In addition, there was a lack of rainfall in periods of drought, which have occurred more frequently in recent years. All of this has greatly lowered the groundwater level -- in Tehran, for example, by twelve meters between 1984 and 2011. In parts of Tehran, the surface has sunk by several meters This poses another problem: the ground above the groundwater basins is sinking. Mahdi Motagh and Mahmud Haghshenas Haghighi from the Remote Sensing Section of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in Potsdam report on the magnitude of this effect in a study published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment. Using data from four different radar satellite systems, the two researchers measured the subsidence of the Earth's surface in the Tehran region. They found out that between 2003 and 2017 three areas sank there with rates of sometimes more than 25 centimetres per year, and several meters in total. For the first time, this study traces in detail and with precise measurements the temporal course of the subsidence in the region over a longer period of time. Crevices in the ground and cracks in building walls are, for example, consequences of the deformations, say Haghshenas Haghighi and Motagh. They also found out that the groundwater basins in certain areas were irreversibly damaged by the exploitation. In the future, they will no longer be able to store as much water as they used to. However, scientifically sound plans for water management could help defuse the situation, say the two researchers. "Science and research could support Iranian administrations and governments to revise their water management policy for a sustainable development," says Motagh. Real-time data for geohazards For their analysis, Haghshenas Haghighi and Motagh used the radar interferometry method InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar). With this technique, high-precision radar signals in the microwave range recorded by satellites can be used to create images of the topography of the Earth's surface. To document changes in the surface, the researchers used nine data sets from the satellite systems Envisat ASAR, ALOS PALSAR, TerraSAR-X and Sentinel-1 from 2003 to 2017. They combined the data sets to investigate the short and long-term responses of the Earth's surface to changes in groundwater levels. Of particular importance were satellite images from the Sentinel-1 mission, which provides high-resolution radar images with a swath of 250 kilometers from the Tehran region every 24 days since 2014 and every 12 days since 2016. "This makes it possible to analyze geohazards, such as land subsidence, almost in real-time," says Motagh. Next, the two researchers want to expand their area of research and measure the subsidence of the land outside Tehran using Sentinel-1. "The exploitation of such data to address subsidence over large areas brings new challenges that need to be tackled by developing advanced tools for mining of massive streams of radar images," says Haghshenas Haghighi. A team of researchers from France, Sweden, and Denmark have identified a new strain of Yersinia pestis, the bacteria that causes plague, in DNA extracted from 5,000-year-old human remains. Their analyses, publishing December 6 in the journal Cell, suggest that this strain is the closest ever identified to the genetic origin of plague. Their work also suggests that plague may have been spread among Neolithic European settlements by traders, contributing to the settlements' decline at the dawn of the Bronze Age. "Plague is maybe one of the deadliest bacteria that has ever existed for humans. And if you think of the word 'plague,' it can mean this infection by Y. pestis, but because of the trauma plague has caused in our history, it's also come to refer more generally to any epidemic. The kind of analyses we do here let us go back through time and look at how this pathogen that's had such a huge effect on us evolved," says senior author Simon Rasmussen, a metagenomics researcher at the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Copenhagen. To better understand the evolutionary history of the plague, Rasmussen and his colleagues trawled through publicly available genetic data from ancient humans, screening for sequences similar to more modern plague strains. They found a strain they had never seen before in the genetic material of a 20-year-old woman who died approximately 5,000 years ago in Sweden. The strain had the same genes that make the pneumonic plague deadly today and traces of it were also found in another individual at the same grave site -- suggesting that the young woman did likely die of the disease. This strain of the plague is the oldest that's ever been discovered. But what makes it particularly interesting is that, by comparing it to other strains, the researchers were able to determine that it's also the most basal -- meaning that it's the closest strain we have to the genetic origin of Y. pestis. It likely diverged from other strains around 5,700 years ago, while the plague that was common in the Bronze Age and the plague that is the ancestor of the strains in existence today diverged 5,300 and 5,100 years ago, respectively. This suggests that there were multiple strains of plague in existence at the end of the Neolithic period. Rasmussen also believes that this finding offers a new theory about how plague spreads. Massive human migrations from the Eurasian steppe down into Europe are known to have occurred around 5,000 years ago, but how these cultures were able to displace the Neolithic farming culture that was present in Europe at the time is still debated. Previous researchers have suggested that the invaders brought the plague with them, wiping out the large settlements of Stone Age farmers when they arrived. But if the strain of plague the researchers found in the Swedish woman diverged from the rest of Y. pestis 5,700 years ago, that means it likely evolved before these migrations began and around the time that the Neolithic European settlements were already starting to collapse. At the time, mega-settlements of 10,000-20,000 inhabitants were becoming common in Europe, which made job specialization, new technology, and trade possible. But they also may have been the breeding ground for plague. "These mega-settlements were the largest settlements in Europe at that time, ten times bigger than anything else. They had people, animals, and stored food close together, and, likely, very poor sanitation. That's the textbook example of what you need to evolve new pathogens," says Rasmussen. "We think our data fit. If plague evolved in the mega-settlements, then when people started dying from it, the settlements would have been abandoned and destroyed. This is exactly what was observed in these settlements after 5,500 years ago. Plague would also have started migrating along all the trade routes made possible by wheeled transport, which had rapidly expanded throughout Europe in this period," he says. Eventually, he suggests, the plague would have arrived through these trade interactions at the small settlement in Sweden where the woman his team studied lived. Rasmussen argues that the woman's own DNA also provides further evidence for this theory -- she isn't genetically related to the people who invaded Europe from the Eurasian steppe, supporting the idea that this strain of plague arrived before the mass migrations did. The archaeology also supports this hypothesis, as there were still no signs of the invaders by the time she died. Of course, there are some limitations to what the data from this study can tell us. Most importantly, the researchers have not yet identified the plague in individuals from the mega-settlements where it may have evolved. "We haven't really found the smoking gun, but it's partly because we haven't looked yet. And we'd really like to do that, because if we could find plague in those settlements, that would be strong support for this theory," says Rasmussen. Regardless, he believes that this study is a step toward understanding how plague -- and other pathogens -- became deadly. "We often think that these superpathogens have always been around, but that's not the case," he says. "Plague evolved from an organism that was relatively harmless. More recently, the same thing happened with smallpox, malaria, Ebola, and Zika. This process is very dynamic -- and it keeps happening. I think it's really interesting to try to understand how we go from something harmless to something extremely virulent." This research was supported by the Carlsberg Foundation, The Lundbeck Foundation, The Danish National Research Foundation, the IHU Mediterranee Infection, Marseille, France, the French Government under the "Investissements d'avenir" program, the Region Provence Alpes Cote d'Azur, the European funding FEDER PRIMI, and the A*MIDEX Foundation. The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is quite possibly the most studied organism on the planet. Fruit flies are also quite familiar residents in many of our kitchens, attracted as they are to the fruit bowl. But how do the flies live in the wild? Surprisingly little is known. Now, researchers reporting in Current Biology on December 6 on their studies of fruit flies living in their ancestral forests of Zimbabwe offer new clues into how the flies live in the wild. The story centers on the African marula fruit, which has a thick rind surrounding sugary pulp, similar to D. melanogaster's modern-day favorite of citrus. Their discoveries also help to explain how the fruit flies might first have been domesticated. "The flies in your kitchen fruit bowl are the direct ancestors of a group of flies that lived on marula in a distant forest," says Marcus Stensmyr of Lund University in Sweden. "Some 10,000 years ago, these flies moved in with their human neighbors, and their offspring then colonized the world. That's pretty cool!" Prior to the new study, D. melanogaster had never been observed from undisturbed wilderness. So, researchers led by Stensmyr and first author Suzan Mansourian set out to find the ancestral African home of this important model organism. Using traps, they managed to locate wild flies in forests of Southern-Central Africa. Traps places in the vicinity of marula fruit trees quickly filled up with fruit flies. Traps placed in other parts of the forest collected little to no Drosophila. The researchers also showed that the fruit flies preferred marula fruits over citrus, a well-known favorite of theirs in other parts of the world. When in season, "the flies are solely found with a single host fruit, marula," Stensmyr says. advertisement In fact, the researchers found that D. melanogaster from other parts of the world still prefer marula over citrus, despite the fact that they've surely never seen it before. The flies are attracted to the main chemicals released by marula, which activate odorant receptors known to influence their selection of good spots to lay eggs. One of the reasons the new discovery is especially intriguing is that marula fruit is not only of importance to flies. The fruit also has long-standing cultural significance to San people, who live in the region. Archeological excavations of the caves where the San tribe lived during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene have uncovered enormous quantities of walnut-sized marula stones, which contain the seeds of the fruit. At least 24 million marula stones have been recovered from a single cave, the researchers note. "The San evidently spent considerable time collecting and processing marula, which would have been the staple food item during many months of the year," the researchers write. "Thus, just like D. melanogaster, these San tribes appear to have been seasonal specialists on marula as well." They propose that this may explain how fruit flies first came to live among humans, attracted to them by the scent of marula. Once inside the caves, the flies would surely have benefitted from protection from predators and bad weather. Over time, the researchers suggest, the cave flies adapted, becoming more willing to enter dark enclosures and increasingly tolerant of ethanol. "The fly has always been considered an opportunist and generalist, feeding and breeding in all manners of fruit," Stensmyr says. "In its native environment, however, the flies show a quite specialized lifestyle, being only found with marula fruit." Stensmyr says they'll now go back to the forests of Africa, to "really figure out what the flies are doing in their native habitat." Work in the Stensmyr lab is funded by the Crafoord Foundation, Carl-Tryggers Foundation, and the Swedish Research Council. The Pool lab acknowledges funding from the NIH. On November 19, 2018, a U.S. District Court for the Central District of California entered final judgments on consent against defendants Edward and Jean Chen, husband and wife, and five entity defendants who had been charged with defrauding Chinese investors in connection with the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program. On September 20, 2017, the SEC filed a complaint against Edward and Jean Chen, Home Paradise Investment Center LLC, GH Investment LP, GH Design Group LLC, Golden Galaxy LP, and Mega Home LLC, alleging that the Chens, through the entities they controlled, raised more than $22.5 million from 45 investors in China for the development of an interior design center and an 80-unit condominium building. The complaint alleged that the Chens misappropriated and misused more than $12 million of investors' funds by purchasing residential real estate unrelated to the two EB-5 projects. The SEC's complaint further alleged that the Chens and their companies provided investors a fake lease for the interior design center that replaced the name of the true lessor with a Chen-controlled entity and overstated the true size of the leased space five-fold. Without admitting or denying the allegations in the complaint, the defendants consented to the entry of final judgments resolving all claims. The final judgments enjoin defendants from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, and Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, and further enjoin Edward and Jean Chen from participating in the offer or sale of any security which constitutes an investment in a "commercial enterprise" under the USCIS EB-5 visa program. The final judgments also order Edward and Jean Chen, GH Investment LP, GH Design Group LLC, Golden Galaxy LP, and Mega Home LLC to pay, on a joint and several basis, disgorgement of $24,655,000, with prejudgment interest of $1,173,098. The final judgments also order Edward and Jean Chen to pay civil penalties of $1,077,500 each. The disgorgement amount represents $22.5 million in capital contributions and $2.155 million in administrative fees the defendants received from the investors, and is subject to an offset for any amounts that may be distributed to the defrauded investors by the court-appointed receiver. Additionally, the final judgments order Home Paradise Investment Center LLC to pay, on a joint and several basis with the other defendants, disgorgement of $2.155 million, with prejudgment interest of $119,583, which has been deemed satisfied by amounts already collected and to be distributed to the investors by the receiver. The driver shortage in San Franciscos bus and rail system is nearly twice as bad as officials claimed during a crippling summer slowdown, according to a report released Wednesday. The citys budget and legislative analyst revealed the new number during a tense Board of Supervisors hearing to determine reasons for the driver deficit, which has caused delays and overcrowding. While San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency chief Ed Reiskin focused on the difficulty of recruiting and training employees, Muni operators pointed to low pay and dangerous working conditions that chase people out of the job. If I were looking for a job today, I wouldnt come to Muni, said cable car operator Greg Ellis. Its dangerous, the pay is no good and if theres a fight on the bus, youre expected to intervene. Then youre disciplined for intervening. SFMTA currently has 1,894 full-time drivers available on a given day 411 fewer than the 2,305 it needs to deliver service, the new report said. That shortfall is more than twice what former transit Director John Haley reported over the summer, when he said the agency needed 159 operators to be fully staffed a number that jumped to 245 during a troubled retrofit of the Twin Peaks Tunnel. What were concluding from the numbers is that the agency isnt as attractive of a place to work as it has been in the past, said director of policy analysis Fred Brousseau, presenting the report to the supervisors Government Audit and Oversight Committee. It took into account the 663 drivers who are absent on a given day because of vacation, jury duty, injuries or sick leave, which might explain the discrepancy; Haleys figure referred strictly to the number of drivers Muni needs to run all its buses on an average day, said SFMTA spokesman Paul Rose. The report showed that thin staffing on a bus or rail line has real-life repercussions. The effects were most severe in July and August, when Muni had to run shuttles around the closed Twin Peaks Tunnel. During that period Munis popular 38-Geary line missed 4,004 hours of service, while the 8-Bayshore missed 4,907 hours. Reiskin said Muni is grappling with a competitive job market and that officials have struggled to stream employees through many levels of training. Those challenges were compounded during the Twin Peaks Tunnel closure, which happened just as the agency was overhauling its light-rail fleet, introducing a new fare box and radio system and adding new 40-foot trolleys. But operators painted a more searing picture of the work environment at Muni, where hourly wages start at $22.70, and the take-home pay of a new union employee is $36,826 a year. Its too low to qualify for affordable housing in San Francisco, so some drivers sleep in their cars outside the bus yards, said Roger Marenco, president of the Transit Workers Union. Others drive in from as far away as Patterson (Stanislaus County), Merced or Stockton, where home prices are cheaper. Some work two or three jobs to make ends meet, including side gigs driving for Uber, Marenco said. Employees at Muni also described painful experiences at work, including sexual assault and abuse from passengers who started fights or threw feces. The wage issue in particular stirred Supervisor Vallie Brown, who had called the hearing to grill Muni on its delays during the tunnel shutdown. 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. It just started because Im a transit rider, and I was pissed that the bus wasnt there on time so I walked, Brown said. The budget and legislative analysts report laid out several possible solutions to beef up hiring at Muni, including a free City College class to help eligible employees pass the driving permit test. It also suggested a wage increase to more accurately reflect the cost of living in the Bay Area. And it recommended that SFMTA gather feedback from other transit unions throughout the country. The decline in applications for bus and rail drivers appears to be a nationwide trend, Brousseau said. Since the Board of Supervisors does not have authority over San Franciscos transportation systems, all of these proposals are merely suggestions, Brousseau said. Brown called for the discussion to resume in six months, following contract negotiations between the SFMTA and its union. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan The Peralta Community College District is in financial trouble and will need enhanced monitoring by its accreditors, who found the district and its four East Bay colleges achieving the lowest possible score on tests of fiscal health, The Chronicle has learned. The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges gave the $150 million college district of 50,000 students until Dec. 14 to submit a plan for improving your institutions financial health, according to a Nov. 20 letter from Stephanie Droker, a vice president at the commission. The letter said failure to comply would result in formal action. Although the commission has the power to revoke accreditation and shut down a college, it can also issue formal warnings and take other interim steps. Droker identified financial problems throughout the Peralta college district, including: The lowest fiscal health score among the states college districts in six fiscal indicators, including Peraltas reserves and operating revenue. The lowest score in five other areas: operating surplus, certain retirement funding, audit deficiencies, full-time equivalent students (on which state funding depends) and executive staff turnover. Failure to address the two most serious findings from a 2016 audit (unidentified in the letter), and another problem resulting in $15 million of adjustments and reclassifications (also unidentified). More than $31 million of negative cash in the districts treasury account. Double-digit decreases in revenue-generating students. Declining fund balances every year since the 2013-14 academic year. Droker sent the letter to the Peralta districts Chancellor Jowel Laguerre and to the presidents of each college: Laney and Merritt in Oakland, the College of Alameda, and Berkeley City College. In an interview, Laguerre said he will ask the accrediting commission next week for an extension until May. He said the California community colleges rely on participatory governance, meaning that faculty and staff will be involved in tackling the problems. We need to address it together, Laguerre said. Since receiving the letter, the participatory governance council has formed eight working groups to examine the identified problems, he said. Even so, Laguerre and other district officials downplayed the severity of the problems identified by the accrediting commission. The plummeting enrollment down more than 19 percent from 2016 to 2017 is a problem in almost every district, the chancellor said. When the economys good, fewer people come to community colleges, he said. Meredith Brown, president of the districts board of trustees, said Peraltas problems were much worse five years ago, when she arrived. We were on (accreditation) warning. It was in pretty serious shape, Brown said, blaming the current problems on declining enrollment and an increase in the cost of health benefits in 2016. Romaneir Johnson, Peraltas vice chancellor of finance, said the commission was simply wrong about two problems it identified: the $31 million in negative cash, and the fund balances that keep falling, year after year. 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. Johnson said the $31 million problem was a technical difficulty that has been cleared up. After arriving at Peralta in January, she said, she noticed that bills paid from two funds were actually being credited as coming from a third, depleted fund. So it went into negative, Johnson said, noting that the problem has only recently been fixed. As for the fund balances that the commission said have fallen consistently since 2014, Johnson said theyve gone up and down. From more than $15 million in 2014, the balance fell to less than $15 million a year later, Johnson said. But then it went back to more than $15 million in 2016, before dropping to about $13 million in 2017. This year appears to be up again, she said. I dont know what (Droker) was looking at, really, Johnson said. Accrediting commission officials declined to comment, and their two-page letter contained few details. Jeff Heyman, the districts former public relations director who in 2017 filed a whistle-blower report alleging financial mismanagement in the Peralta district, called the college districts reaction to the commissions letter complete rubbish. Laguerre denies mismanaging the district and defends spending decisions. Last year, Laguerre hired a Sacramento law firm to look into Heymans allegations. The firm, which received $150,000 from the district, cleared the chancellor and trustees of any wrongdoing. Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov Let the unicorn stampede begin. Lyft said Thursday it had filed to go public, paving the way for a Wall Street debut early next year. The move shows the San Francisco ride-hailing company, valued by investors at $15 billion, jockeying for an early lead in an expected rush in 2019 among private billion-dollar-plus companies onto the public markets. Uber, its larger hometown rival, also is expected to go public next year, and Lyft wants to beat it to market. There is definitely first-mover advantage here, said Rohit Kulkarni, managing director and head of research at SharesPost, which helps facilitate sales of private company stock. Going public before Uber is a very smart move because Lyft gets to play offense, instead of having to chase Uber and be a fast follower. Lyft filed confidential paperwork for its offering, taking advantage of a 2012 law that allows companies to withhold their finances from view while addressing regulators questions, a process that otherwise is played out in public. The Securities and Exchange Commission in 2017 expanded the confidential-filing program, previously limited to startups with less than $1 billion in revenue, to all companies, hoping to encourage more companies to go public. One reason firms like Lyft and Uber have stayed private while becoming enormously valuable is the scrutiny placed by investors, journalists and competitors on their finances, which public companies must disclose. The confidential filing process allows a company to delay this disclosure until closer to the date of its official share sale, or withdraw a filing without the public knowing though Lyft has forgone this advantage by choosing to announce its filing. The filing said Lyft had not yet determined how many shares it would offer or their price range. The initial public offering would occur after an SEC review, possibly as soon as the first quarter of 2019. Lyfts plans come as Wall Street undergoes wild gyrations with more downswings than gains in reaction to fears about a trade war and slowdowns in global growth. However, experts said Lyft should be relatively unscathed by the volatility. Near-term fundamentals still feel very receptive for companies like Lyft to go public, Kulkarni said. Investors are likely to have a strong appetite for U.S-based ride-hailing companies and, after all, there are only two. High scarcity value drives investors, as well as a flight to quality. Lyft also has the advantage that its business is confined to North America, so its not affected by trade wars, said Jay Ritter, a finance professor at the University of Florida and an IPO expert. Lyft is less susceptible than Uber, which has a strong international presence, he said. However, if the market does go into a free fall, Lyft and other companies could always postpone or cancel their planned debuts, Ritter said. Im not hearing any concern that the window (for IPOs) will slam shut tomorrow, but maybe in the back half of 2019 companies may start to get a little nervous, said Barrett Daniels, a partner at Deloitte & Touche who focuses on tech IPOs. Lyfts announcement of its private filing indicates its confidence, he said. And companies like it that are decacorns (worth more than $10 billion) can more easily navigate choppy waters, he said. These companies have tons of money on hand; they dont need to tap the public markets to raise capital so theres no real pressure for them to rush out, he said. Besides Lyft and Uber, Airbnb, Palantir, Stripe and Pinterest are private Bay Area companies worth more than $10 billion likely to seek Wall Street debuts next year. Lyft, which has raised $4.9 billion, is reportedly seeking a valuation of between $18 billion and $30 billion, which would hand even investors who bought shares in June a quick profit. Uber, with $22.2 billion in backing, is valued at $72 billion. Neither Lyft nor Uber has ever made a profit, but their money-losing status may not matter. Its all about future growth trajectory and the expected advent of robot cars boosts both companies outlooks. What investors care most about is the companys long-term business prospects, Ritter said. Right now theyre losing money, but when they move to autonomous vehicles and labor costs disappear, their costs will come down and their market will be huge and very profitable. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Lyft and Uber are also aggressively moving beyond ride-hailing into multiple modes of transportation, positioning themselves as companies that will handle any conceivable way to help people get around. Lyft last week completed its acquisition of Motivate, the largest U.S. bike-sharing company with 80 percent of the market. Motivate operates Ford GoBikes in the Bay Area, as well as similar docked bike rentals in New York, Washington, D.C., and other major cities. Lyft also is pursuing scooter rentals with programs in Santa Monica and Denver. It was among a dozen companies that vied to rent scooters in San Francisco, but was rejected by its hometown, reportedly to penalize it for alleged ride-hailing misdeeds. Lyft was founded in 2012 by Logan Green and John Zimmer as an offshoot of their earlier company Zimride, which arranges long-distance carpools. Green is the CEO and Zimmer is the president. It now operates in about 300 U.S. cities and last year expanded to Canada, its only international market. Lyft, like Uber and many carmakers and tech companies, is in hot pursuit of a future in which cars drive themselves. It has hundreds of engineers working on autonomous technology at a Palo Alto division, but says it has no plans to manufacture robot cars itself. Its been testing a fleet of robot taxis with backup drivers in Las Vegas since spring. Besides Lyft and Uber, four other international ride-hailing companies are likely to debut on the public markets in the next two years: Grab (Southeast Asia), Ola (India), Didi (China) and Careem (Middle East and Africa). The six ride-hailing unicorns could collectively be worth $200 billion to $300 billion in value on the public markets, Kulkarni said. As the likely first decacorn out of the gate next year, Lyfts debut will give an indication of whats to come, Daniels said. If this goes well, were in for a really exciting 2019 IPO market. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid Californias attorney general was asked by a federal judge Wednesday to weigh in on whether Pacific Gas and Electric Co. committed a state-level crime if it maintained its equipment poorly, sparking recent destructive wildfires. U.S. District Judge William Alsup asked the office of Attorney General Xavier Becerra to answer the extent to which any reckless operation or maintenance of PG&E power lines would constitute a crime under California law. Alsup is overseeing PG&Es probation due to the 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion, which killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes. On Nov. 27, he ordered PG&E to account for any role it played in sparking the recent Camp Fire the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in state history and other fires that ignited after the utility was sentenced last year. The commission of further federal, state or local crimes by PG&E would violate the terms of its sentence, exposing it to additional legal action. In his latest filing Wednesday, Alsup asked Becerras office to respond by Dec. 31 the same deadline the judge gave last week to PG&E, the U.S. attorneys office and the independent monitor appointed to the utility in the wake of the San Bruno blast. Becerras office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. We are aware of the courts notice, and were currently reviewing, said PG&E spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo. We continue to focus on assessing infrastructure, safely restoring power where possible, and helping our customers recover and rebuild. The cause of the Camp Fire is still under investigation. But speculation has focused around PG&E, which has told regulators of two equipment problems in the area shortly before and after the fire began. Shares of the utilitys parent company PG&E Corp. dropped precipitously after the fire started Nov. 8. PG&Es stock closed at $26.75 Tuesday, almost half the level where it traded before the outbreak of the Camp Fire. Markets were closed Wednesday in observance of the funeral of President George H.W. Bush. Lawsuits have been filed in multiple courts on behalf of Camp Fire survivors and those who died, blaming PG&E for the monstrous blaze that killed at least 85 people and destroyed nearly 14,000 homes. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California State fire investigators, meanwhile, have found PG&E equipment ignited 17 of the Northern California wildfires that burned through several counties, including in Wine Country. The cause of the most destructive of those blazes, the Tubbs Fire, is still under investigation. Now Playing: Weeks after the Camp fire destroyed more than 18,000 structures in California's Butte County, volunteers from search-and-rescue teams nationwide continue to look for human remains in the rubble. Video: Los Angeles Times J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris The city of Oakland will pay a teenage girl and her family $60,000 following an allegation that an officer punched the girl in the face in an excessive use of force. City Attorney Barbara Parker recommended the City Council approve the settlement at a Dec. 11 meeting in order to avoid the risk of an adverse jury verdict under the circumstances. The payout stems from a Nov. 16, 2016 incident, when police were investigating a shooting at a residence on E Street in East Oakland, according to court records. Miesha Singleton arrived at the home with her 14-year-old daughter as officers were responding, and the mother told officers that her husband and son were inside the residence. Singleton went inside the home despite the police officers warnings, city attorneys said. Meanwhile, a female officer allowed the girl to stay in her mothers car to care for her infant brother, the girls attorneys wrote in court records. During this time, Officer Anthony Martinelli confronted the girl and demanded she exit the car, according to the familys attorney. The girl explained that she was in the middle of feeding her brother and it was cold outside, but Martinelli forcefully yanked her out of the car and another officer handcuffed her. As the girl questioned the officers actions, Martinelli brutally punched (the girl) in the face, her attorneys said. In December 2017, civil rights attorney John Burris filed a federal suit against Martinelli and the city of Oakland, alleging unlawful seizure, excessive force and other constitutional violations. Martinelli denied the allegations through court records, saying the girl did not exercise ordinary care, caution, or prudence to avoid the alleged event. In a later court document, the city acknowledged that the officer struck the girl but alleged she refused to comply with his orders. City attorneys wrote that Officer Martinelli tried to pull the girl out of the car but she physically resisted, leading him to strike the 14-year-old with an open hand to distract and detain her. 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 City Councils Dec. 11 vote is mostly a formality. The council authorized a settlement in the case during closed session in September. Burris said the ordeal was a horrible experience for the kid. Were glad to be able to bring some closure. The attorney added that the city acted responsibly by settling the case. Of the $60,000, Burris said, $45,000 will be awarded directly and $15,000 will be set aside for any future therapy expenses or schooling for the girl. Oakland police and city attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy PALMEIRAS, Brazil Roy Funch, an American botanist who has lived and worked in Brazils hardscrabble northeast for decades, long looked at huge cone-shaped mounds of mud in the distance and wondered. What built them? How many were there? How long had they been there? After years of failing to generate interest in the mounds, a chance meeting with an English expert on social insects, Stephen Martin, led to remarkable discoveries: There are over 200 million mounds built by termites that stretch across 88,800 square miles, about the size of Great Britain. Whats more, some of the dirt heaps are nearly 4,000 years old. While the Romans were building their columns, their buildings, these termites were building their mounds, Funch said, adding that the dirt piles represent the largest bio-construction of any species other than humans. The mounds, seen in various places in a vast desert-like region called the Caatinga, stand between 6 and 13 feet high and are spaced roughly equally apart between 52 and 72 feet. To landowners who clear brush to plant crops, the mounds are a nuisance. Bulldozing them is difficult because over years of being baked in the hot sun, the already-hard dirt and clay become like stone. Poor people in the area use chunks of the mounds to build adobe houses. Funch says he wrote two articles about the mounds in Brazilian publications, but they didnt draw any attention. Without expertise in insects or the world of scientific publishing, he wasnt sure how to take his research to the next level. Asking local people didnt help. Some would say they are termites, some would say ants, some would say: Well, they have always been there. They are part of nature, Funch said. Enter Martin, an entomologist at the University of Salford in England. A few years ago, Martin was in northeastern Brazil studying honey bees and ants in the state of Bahia. He, too, was curious about the mounds. I was intrigued because of their patterns, he said. By chance, Martin and Funch met next to a river in Lencois, a small town in Bahia about 30 miles west of the edge of the mound area. 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 Martin mentioned seeing the mounds while he was driving around, Funch told him: You just met the only guy in Brazil who is working on these mounds. The two teamed up, and their research was published Nov. 19 in Current Biology. The pair concluded the mounds were built by Syntermes dirus, a large termite species that feeds on leaves and lives underground. While the termites are found in the region, the researchers didnt find them actively working in the larger mounds, but instead along the edges of areas with mounds. Cutting into several mounds, they found only a small tube-like hole going to the top of each one, not an extensive pattern of tunnels throughout. That suggested the termites were simply finding a place to chuck earth from underground, where they build their tunnels. Radioactive testing determined they ranged in age from 690 to 3,820 years. Victor Caivano and Peter Prengaman are Associated Press writers. BARTs plan to memorialize a man who was shot dead by one of the transit agencys police officers led to a taut confrontation Thursday, when the mans mother demanded the resignation of a board director who had questioned the project on Facebook. Board Director Debora Allen polled her followers on a mural commission that has caused old wounds to well up at BART: it would honor 22-year-old Oscar Grant at Oaklands Fruitvale Station , below the platform where he was killed 10 years ago. Grant was detained after a fight on a train, and Officer Johannes Mehserle shot him in the back while another officer pinned him down. Should BART ever memorialize or name stations after individuals? Allen asked in the post, published Sunday. Your thoughts? Grants mother, Wanda Johnson, has called the proposed artwork a first step toward atonement she and other family members also want to rename the station and a small bus roadway after Grant. Noting that neither the mural nor the station renaming had appeared on a board meeting agenda, Allen brought them forward and tried to spark a dialogue on public policy, she said later. She was surprised by the stream of racially charged comments that her post incited and deleted it on Tuesday, which wasnt enough for Johnson. I am totally offended, Ms. Allen, the bereaved mother said at Thursdays BART board meeting. I think you did this for your own motive to divide communities further for racial motives. Johnson called for Allen to step down and vowed to show up at every subsequent board meeting until it happened. At the same time, Grants family is ramping up its request for the station renaming. On Thursday the slain mans uncle ,Cephus Johnson ,made it official by submitting an application. He also called for a plaque to be installed on the platform. Oscar Grant has positively impacted the lives of a nation and the world, Johnson wrote in his application cover letter, referring to the immense impact of the shooting. It happened in front of a crowded train where bystanders captured the violence on cell phones and posted it to YouTube a documentary method that witnesses would use over and over again to expose killings by police officers. Yet the debate on Thursday veered away from the artwork and the other efforts to commemorate Grant. Instead, directors focused on the appropriateness of tackling the subject on social media. Several speakers whod come to support Grants family had sharp rebukes for Allen. Theres no need to poll a question on Facebook when theres a family that could have been talked to, said Keith Muhammad, a minister with the Nation of Islam. He called the Facebook post a dog whistle. Allen apologized for the outcome of her query, but not for the post itself. I often ask questions of my followers and of the public, Allen said. My intent was to talk about policy, and there was no hidden motive to divide people. Tension surrounding the mural has created rifts among BART directors, who have not publicly discussed the artwork, nor approved it. The reason is procedural, according to art program manager Jennifer Easton. At $30,000, the artists contract is worth far less than BARTs $150,000 threshold for a board vote. But behind the scenes, board members appear divided. Director Lateefah Simon said she supports both the mural and the station rechristening, or anything else that Johnson wants to do to eulogize her son. 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. This (killing) is a scar on the district forever and ever and ever, Simon said. Weve spent 10 years trying to heal what is unhealable, this malignant wound in BARTs history. Some of her colleagues were more guarded. Director John McPartland agreed the agency should somehow celebrate Grant, but said that any emblem needs to be vetted and made socially acceptable. Several board members distanced themselves from Allens Facebook comments. Simon seemed particularly frustrated, fearing the post would unravel BARTs ongoing dialogue with Grants family which the agencys staff had approached with feather-like grace, she said. Now were seen as a body thats inflicting more pain on this family as they try to deal with the death of their son, she said. That notion seemed to trouble Director Bevan Dufty. He chastened Allen and apologized on behalf of the entire transit agency. To ask this question begged a terrible thing, he said. Other board members sat silently and stiffly in their chairs. Director Thomas Blalock finally softened the atmosphere with another apology that Allens query ended up the way it did. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan The funeral for late President George H. W. Bush was worthy of an American who devoted his life to public service, from his duty as a Navy pilot in World War II through his term in the White House. It was at once stately and understated. Whether you agreed with him or not on policy, you had to admire the substance, civility and sense of humility he brought to public life. The eulogies never mentioned the current occupant of the Oval Office by name, but there was no mistaking the contrast with the 45th president in the remembrances of Bush 41. His son, the 43rd president, George W. Bush, gave a particularly moving tribute. However, the day was not without its awkward moments. Look no further than the interactions between President Trump and his predecessors and spouses in the front row. Those sort of tensions are not surprising when someone ends up sitting next to distinguished guests he has mocked as not a citizen and a lousy president, or described another as a criminal who should be prosecuted and imprisoned. But give Trump credit: He showed up. And give the Bush family great credit for inviting him, and for the gracious way they greeted Trump even after his long legion of vitriol against the late president and his two sons. George H.W. Bush would have had it no other way. My favorite read on his persona was this elegantly written and insight-loaded piece from Rita Beamish, a Chronicle copy editor who covered the 41st president for the Associated Press. Alex Brandon / AFP / Getty Images What were saying Free college: Yes, San Francisco should keep City College tuition-free as long as the city is enjoying a nice surplus. But the commitment should not be open ended; the economy will not be booming forever, and at some point tough choices will need to be made and hopefully the college enrollment will have recovered, and can draw students without the generous subsidy. Wildfires aftermath: If youre wondering if the devastating blaze is overwhelming insurance companies, the answer is yes. That state already has effectively had to take over one insurer after the Camp Fire blaze in Butte County. And the worst may be yet to come in this era of climate change. Sign up for the newsletter Want to get the latest San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board opinions in your inbox? Subscribe to Opinion Central. See More Collapse No-park city: San Francisco is about to stop requiring parking for new housing developments. This is a reflection of the reality that many residents neither have nor need motorized vehicles. As our editorial states, the policy change might help incentivize housing construction. The plot thickens Special counsel Robert Muellers sentencing recommendation for Michael Flynn, former Trump campaign operative and his first national security adviser, is a blockbuster. It requests no prison time for Flynn, and states that he has provided substantial assistance with several ongoing investigations. This comes just a week after former Trump fixer Michael Cohen offered damning details about how efforts were being made to build a Trump Tower in Moscow even as the real-estate mogul was running for president and denying any business interests in Russia. Think Trump is getting a little more nervous? Just follow the tweets ... Twitter Who were seeing Attention workers: State Treasurer John Chiang visited with our Editorial Board on Wednesday to talk about the new CalSavers program, which will be establishing individual retirement accounts for workers whose employers do not offer them. This is a potential game changer because about half of Californians 55 and older have no retirement savings. Chiang offered a quick primer on CalSavers in his Facebook Live interview with me right after the editorial board meeting. He leaves office in January. He said he will be continuing his public service, only from the private sector. Ive always respected Chiang as a straight shooter in a world with too few of them. His influence and steady hand will be missed in Sacramento. Where to follow us We have a new Twitter channel, Opinion Central (@sfc_opinions). Please add it to your stream. Youll catch our editorials and opinion pieces, as well as our drive-by comments on assorted subjects in the news. Also, please add our Opinion Central podcast to wherever you receive yours. This is the place for backstories and commentary with our opinion writers and special guests. Letter of the Week I think Rick Swain of San Francisco speaks for many of us in his frustration with the quagmire on the streets: Double parking in San Francisco is at epidemic levels: Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, FedEx, UPS and the list goes on. When will City Hall wake up and start a rigorous ticketing of this abusive, rude and illegal practice? The funds collected could be directed toward street repair and our citizens could have a true double win. And please check out our other letters of the day responding to this and other matters. You can send us a letter via this form. Just a reminder The Chronicles editorials represent the collective judgment of our Editorial Board, which includes the publisher as well as the writers and editors from the opinion team. Our editors and reporters on the news side are not involved in those decisions (including election endorsements). They are charged with reporting fairly and objectively without regard to our editorial positions. It is one of the core values here at Fifth and Mission streets. Opinion Central is a thrice-weekly newsletter from John Diaz, The Chronicles editorial page editor, and the rest of the Editorial Board. Follow along on Twitter: @sfc_opinions WASHINGTON A senior aide to Sen. Kamala Harris of California has resigned after it was reported that the state paid $400,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him for his alleged conduct at the California Department of Justice while Harris ran the agency. Harris denied knowing about the alleged harassment or settlement until this week. Larry Wallace, a senior adviser in the Democratic senators Sacramento office, resigned after the Sacramento Bee inquired about the settlement Wednesday. We were unaware of this issue and take accusations of harassment extremely seriously, Harris spokeswoman Lily Adams said in a statement. Mr. Wallace offered his resignation to the senator and she accepted it. According to the Bee, the California Department of Justice settled the lawsuit for $400,000. The settlement was reached in May 2017, according to court documents and the plaintiffs attorney, who would not comment on the details. The plaintiff, Danielle Hartley, filed her lawsuit on Dec. 30, 2016, as Harris was ending her tenure as state attorney general and transitioning to the Senate. But its not clear when the state Department of Justice was made aware of the suit. The confirmation that the agency was officially served with the complaint was not until Jan. 20, 2017, after Harris had left for Washington. Wallace joined Harris Sacramento office on March 1, 2017, the senators staff said. Harris did not comment to reporters about the lawsuit Thursday. Efforts to reach Wallace were unsuccessful. News of the lawsuit and Wallaces departure from Harris office comes as the senator says she is considering a run for president in 2020 and as anti-sexual-harassment legislation has become a rallying cry for women and Democrats. More for you UCSF agrees to $150K settlement over sexual harassment claim Hartley said in her suit that Wallace, her boss in the Justice Departments Division of Law Enforcement, repeatedly harassed her starting in 2011. She said Wallace had placed a printer under his desk and required Hartley to refresh its supplies daily, in front of him and other male executives. He refused her requests to move the printer to a spot where she would not have to crawl on the floor, she said. Hartley said her career at the Justice Department suffered after she complained about Wallace and also sought damages for the alleged retaliation. A state Department of Justice spokeswoman said the agency would not comment on personnel matters and that the lawsuit was handled in keeping with standard procedure. Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan Tattooed knuckles gave away a suspected robber who made the mistake of returning to the scene of the crime at a convenience store near Fresno. This time there was no getaway. A brave store clerk blocked the door and was joined by customers who ganged up on the alleged crook and made a citizen's arrest. The distinctive tats were recognized by the same clerk who was working the graveyard shift Nov. 25, when the Kingsburg Arco AM/PM was robbed by a masked man wielding a handgun, police said. "I'll never be the same, having a gun pulled on you," Monica Marin told ABC 7. "He was going to rob me, I knew it, he was going to rob me or he was going to kill me." But as she opened the cash register, she noticed the tattoos on the man's knuckles. A week later, a man who police later identified as Tyler Wood, 26, of Kingsburg, walked into the store. Marin knew she had seen those knuckle tats before. She blocked the door. MORE: 17 people busted in $1 million Apple store robbery ring "I felt like I was going to fall over, but I was holding onto that door with all my might," she told the TV station. Customers rushed to aid Marin, surrounding Wood and allowing Marin to lock the door. Wood finally gave up and sat down to wait for police. Wood faces charges of armed robbery, kidnapping among other violent crimes. --- 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. A Washington advocacy group said that Comcast has tightened parental controls and filters over pornography, enabling it to expunge the company from its list of companies and Hollywood bigwigs who contribute to sexual exploitation. Comcast, the nations largest cable TV company and residential internet provider, was on the National Center on Sexual Exploitations list for three years. Companies still on the list include Backpage.com, HBO, Snapchat and Steam. Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein, filmmaker Woody Allen, and actors Kevin Spacey and James Franco also made the Dirty Dozen list. Comcast is still selling pornographic content, Haley Halverson, the groups vice president of advocacy and outreach, said this week. But she said that Comcast had made meaningful changes to the controls on its cable television and internet platforms, making it harder for children or adults to accidentally view porn. After the center and Comcast had been in contact for about five years, Matt Strauss, an executive vice president, and other Comcast executives visited the groups offices in Washington in August to talk about their controls and filters, and to lobby to be taken off the list, Halverson said. Comcast has improved Wi-Fi filters in its internet service that block porn, and it has filters on its cable television service to vet content for children, she said. Comcast spokeswoman Jennifer Moyer said that the company did not significantly improve its controls but informed the group of all those that were available. We have worked hard and are committed to ... provide customers a comprehensive set of parental controls, including access to onscreen program ratings like Common Sense Media, giving viewers more control and flexibility for how they access content, Comcast said. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation is now asking Comcast to make porn-blocking filters the default setting for Wi-Fi, Halverson said. British regulators make porn filters a default setting for big internet services providers BT, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, in addition to Sky, which Comcast recently bought for $40 billion. British internet subscribers must choose to disable the porn filters; in the United States, people choose to enable the filters, she said. Major companies recently have announced crackdowns on nudity and pornography. Social media site Tumblr said this week that it will ban nearly all nudity, and Starbucks will start adding porn filters to its Wi-Fi in January. Bob Fernandez is a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter. BRUSSELS European Union authorities want internet companies including Google, Facebook and Twitter to file monthly reports on their progress eradicating fake news campaigns from their sites ahead of elections next year. Officials from the European Commission unveiled the measures Wednesday as part of an action plan to counter disinformation ahead of the continent-wide vote in the spring. The internet companies will have to submit their reports from January until May, when hundreds of millions of people in 27 EU member countries are scheduled to vote for 705 lawmakers in the blocs parliament. The commission singled out Russia. There is strong evidence pointing to Russia as a primary source of disinformation in Europe, said Commission Vice President Andrus Ansip. Many EU member countries have already taken action to combat disinformation, but now, he said, We need to work together and coordinate our efforts. Russian authorities have repeatedly rejected Western accusations of sponsoring disinformation campaigns and described them as part of Western efforts to smear the country. Other measures include a new rapid alert system, beefing up budgets and adding expert staff and data analysis tools. Mountain Views Google and Mozilla, Menlo Parks Facebook and Twitter of San Francisco are the companies that have signed on to a voluntary EU code of conduct on fighting disinformation. They will be expected to report on how theyre carrying out commitments they made under the code, including their work on making political advertising more transparent and how many fake and bot accounts they have identified and shut down. They will also provide updates on their cooperation with fact-checkers and academic researchers to uncover disinformation campaigns. Google, which declined to comment, has tightened up requirements for political ads in the EU, including requiring information on who paid for them and for buyers to verify their identities. Facebook, which did not respond to a request for comment, did the same for political ads in Britain. U.S. technology giants have committed millions of dollars, tens of thousands of employees and what they say are their best technical efforts into fighting fake news, propaganda and hate that has proliferated on their digital services. We need to see the internet platforms step up and make some real progress on their commitments, said Julian King, the EU security commissioner. If theres not enough headway, he said, the commission will consider other options including regulation. They acted as a computer company operating out of business parks in San Jose and Sunnyvale, authorities said, but instead of selling microprocessors or software, they were shipping drugs across the country to New York, Maryland and Tennessee. Police detectives from San Jose, along with officers from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, raided the alleged criminal organizations offices last week and seized more than 800 pounds of marijuana, cocaine, Xanax, ecstasy and liquid steroids, as well as handguns, a rocket launcher and $600,000. A 41-year-old Discovery Bay man fatally shot by police Wednesday after allegedly attempting to shoot a deputy near Martinez was identified as Paul Ridgeway, an associate of at least two white supremacist prison and street gangs, authorities said. Officers first stopped Ridgeway for an outstanding warrant at 9:33 a.m. at Adelaide Drive and Pacheco Boulevard after spotting him while leaving the scene of an unrelated call in the area, according to the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office. Ridgeway refused to stop, prompting a brief chase and a physical struggle between him and the deputy, authorities said. The patrol deputy, identified by officials on Thursday as Matthew Gauthier, repeatedly told the suspect to take his hands out of his waistband but the suspect allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot at Gauthiers head, said Jimmy Lee, a spokesman for the sheriffs office. He returned fire and killed Ridgeway, authorities said. Gauthier has been with the sheriffs office for eight years. He is currently on administrative leave pending an investigation into the fatal shooting. No deputies were injured in the incident, authorities said. When forensic technicians turned over Ridgeways body, who had been facedown on the pavement when they responded to the scene, they found a loaded gun in his hand with his finger still on the trigger, officials said. They found an extended gun magazine in one of his pockets, and an expended bullet casing was found near his body. An autopsy conducted on Thursday morning concluded he died from gunshot wounds, but officials said toxicology tests will be conducted. Ridgeway was a known member of the Family Affiliated Irish Mafia, or FAIM, and as an associate of the Nazi Low Riders, officials said. Both organizations are white supremacist prison and street gangs, officials said Thursday. He had an active warrant for evading and resisting arrest in another county, Lee said. His rap sheet included previous charges of drug possession, multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a firearm while a felon, vehicle theft, burglary and other violations, according to the Sheriffs Office. The Sheriffs Office and Contra Costa district attorneys office are investigating. Anyone with information about the shooting should call the Contra Costa County Sheriff Investigation Division at 925-313-2600. Anonymous callers may leave voice messages at 866-846-3592. People may also email tips to tips@so.cccounty.us. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani Somewhere along the way, Diane Keaton lost her wallet filled with family photos and now over 50 years later, she's getting it back. The Oscar-winning actress expressed her surprise at the found wallet via social media Tuesday, after the New York Daily News wrote a story about the wallet's discovery by a New York state resident. "This is the craziest story!" Keaton wrote in a tweet and sharing the article. "I don't remeber (sic) losing this but I'm not surprised because I've lost my wallet many times!" Keaton's wallet was found by Anton Lulgjuraj inside a storage unit he purchased in May at auction in Brewster, N.Y. Among the items was a wallet found inside a shoebox. Inside the leather pocketbook were 32 family photos, along with a 1966 California driver's license for a Diane Hall, complete with photo whom Lulgjuraj noted looked strikingly like Keaton. "I opened it up and thought, is this Diane Keaton the actress?" Lulgjuraj told the Daily News. "It couldn't be. Or maybe it could." Also inside the wallet was an Actors' Equity card from 1968, this one bearing Keaton's stage name. Lulgjuraj guessed that the wallet was at least 50 years old, and told the Daily News about the discovery in hopes the story would reach her, after previous attempts to reach the actress failed. Keaton shared one of the family photos from the Daily News story to her Instagram account, writing in part, "Someone found a wallet I lost 50 years ago! Thank you, Mr. Lulgjuraj! ... This photo was in it, I'm on the far right, can you believe those bangs?!" The actress guessed she was 9 years old in the photo. In an update to the story, Lulgjuraj said he mailed the wallet and its contents to Keaton's lawyers once he got the address, and said he hopes Keaton appreciates the wallet, calling it "a time capsule." "To see something you haven't seen in that long, the nostalgia gives you such a good feeling," Lulgjuraj said. "These were happy times in the photographs." Read Dianne de Guzman's latest stories and send her news tips at ddeguzman@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. There's a new way for East Bay commuters to get to work and it has a view that may be tough to beat. AC Transit debuted double decker buses on two of its transbay lines Monday. Like all other transbay buses, the cost of a one-way ride is $4.50 (increasing to $5.50 in 2019) and there's wifi on board. The best views of the bay come from the top deck, where the seats also recline. Good news edible fans: Washington state will not ban pot-infused candies and gummies after all. But there will be some changes coming to the treats. The state of Washington will instead require pot companies to avoid bright colors, working instead with a "standard pantone color book that sets the list of colors and specified ranges within those colors" for both product and packaging. There will also be limits on the shapes, with exceptions for things like non-profit collaborations or naturally-occurring colors. The state has yet to make a formal announcement; Liquor and Cannabis Board spokesperson Brian Smith said that the agency is waiting until the board has approved the new regulations to make a formal announcement. He expects that could happen as early as next week. But the LCB released a memo that reviews the process of the past few months, including draft policy decisions that outlines the proposed regulations. The document also outlines the implementation for the policy, which the LCB expects to take about 10 months once the new requirements are adopted and standard operating procedures are in place. RELATED: Have a Heart and UFCW 21 just formed the state's first cannabis union contract During that time, retailers would have nine months to sell off existing inventory. Anything remaining after that time (assuming it's not expired and meets the new rules) should be allowed to be re-labeled and re-sold. This is a boost to organizations like Waashington CannaBusiness Association, one of the handful trade groups in the state that opposed the state's action on candies. "We applaud the Liquor and Cannabis Board for their careful re-evaluation of their announcement earlier this year regarding cannabis-infused edibles," Vicki Christophersen, executive director of the Washington CannaBusiness Association, said in a statement. "The agency's new interim policy decision, informed by the input of bipartisan elected leaders and regulated industry representatives, provides a transparent review and approval process going forward for safe, quality-controlled products for adult and medicinal use. Our shared goal is to support the long-term viability of our state's cannabis marketplace while also keeping cannabis out of the hands of minors." BRIDGEPORT, Conn. Since the 1990s, Cheryl Jansen had noticed junk and tree limbs piling up at the once oasis-like Park Cemetery, just north of downtown Bridgeport, and wondered where the money families had paid for perpetual upkeep was going. What she learned after finally taking her case to a judge shocked the conscience. Gravestones and remains moved without permission to make way for the newly dead. New graves simply stacked on top of old ones, separated by a new layer of dirt. Worst of all, human bones, casket pieces and old headstones tossed in the woods like trash. The stunning discoveries led police to arrest the caretaker, Dale LaPrade, on Thursday. But Jansen and other families still are trying to establish whether the remains of their loved ones and other, older graves are where theyre supposed to be, and in the absence of any government overseers are stuck with the responsibility of making sure this never happens again. Its just horrible, said Jansen, whose great-grandparents and other relatives are buried at Park Cemetery along with veterans from several wars including the Civil War. Its absolutely just unbelievable that people did this and theyve been doing this for a while. Just a total nightmare. You never think you have to worry about your dead relatives ... but I guess these days you do. Jean Mattox said her mothers gravestone had been moved a short distance away and placed above another persons remains. Her son discovered the problem a few months ago, when things looked out of place and he compared the scene to a photo taken when the grave was in the correct spot. The findings in Connecticuts largest city are the latest to highlight problems at cemeteries nationwide that have included the reselling of plots, vaults broken to make room for more remains and generally lax government oversight. In a notorious case four years ago in Tennessee, state officials closed a cemetery near Memphis where the owner who received 10 years of probation in a criminal plea deal was accused of misplacing hundreds of bodies and burying multiple cadavers in the same grave. In Connecticut, the state public health department must approve new cemeteries, but no state agency is specifically charged with cemetery oversight. Bridgeport States Attorney John Smriga said he has never seen anyone prosecuted on an interference with a cemetery charge. It carries one to 10 years in prison upon conviction. Meanwhile, Jansen and other relatives of people buried at Park Cemetery have formed a new board faced with huge tasks: confirming that people are buried where they are supposed to be, figuring out what to do with the newer remains that are buried over old ones, and how to fund the cemeterys operations for generations to come. Dave Collins is an Associated Press writer. T.J. Kirkpatrick / New York Times WASHINGTON The plan was straightforward: After years of being challenged by President Trump and others about a decades-old claim of Native American ancestry, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., would take a DNA test to prove her stated family origins in the Cherokee and Delaware tribes. But nearly two months after Warren released the test results and drew hostile reactions from prominent tribal leaders, the lingering cloud over her likely presidential campaign has only darkened. Conservatives have continued to ridicule her. More worrisome to supporters of Warrens presidential ambitions, she has yet to allay criticism from grassroots progressive groups, liberal political operatives and other potential 2020 allies who complain that she put too much emphasis on the controversial field of racial science and, in doing so, played into Trumps hands. ELIZABETHTOWN, N.C. The executive director of the North Carolina Republican Party said Thursday that a new election may be appropriate in the states 9th Congressional District, where allegations of fraud have cast doubts on the fairness and accuracy of the vote count. If the state Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement can state there was a substantial likelihood that the race could have been altered, then we would not oppose a new election, said executive director Dallas Woodhouse. State investigators have issued subpoenas and begun sifting through thousands of pages of records to determine whether absentee-ballot fraud gave an advantage to Mark Harris, the Republican nominee in the 9th District. Preliminary returns, which state officials have refused to certify, showed Harris with a 905-vote lead over his Democratic opponent, Dan McCready. But the validity of Harris margin has been called into question in recent days as witnesses have repeatedly described a voter-turnout operation that appeared to rely on at least one seemingly illegal tactic: collecting absentee ballots directly from voters. The operation raised questions of whether ballots had been improperly marked for Harris or discarded if they were to be cast for McCready. The elections board is expected to hold an evidentiary hearing on or before Dec. 21. Under state law, the panel, which includes four Democrats, four Republicans and one unaffiliated member, may order a new election if it finds that irregularities or improprieties occurred to such an extent that they taint the results of the entire election and cast doubt on its fairness. Democrats have warned that if the allegations about Harris campaign are not sufficiently resolved, they will be reluctant to allow him to be seated in January. Woodhouses statements Thursday appeared to reflect both the political realities on Capitol Hill and the mounting worries of North Carolina Republicans, who have spent years crusading against fraud and now see one of their candidates as a potential beneficiary. Until Thursday, Republicans had been publicly adamant that the state elections board immediately certify Harris victory. But Woodhouse said that an accumulation of media reports had concerned him. Alan Blinder is a New York Times writer. HONOLULU More than 75 years after nearly 2,400 members of the U.S. military were killed in the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, some who died on Dec. 7, 1941, are finally being laid to rest in cemeteries across the United States. In 2015, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency exhumed nearly 400 sets of remains from the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii after determining advances in forensic science and genealogical help from families could make identifications possible. They were all on the Oklahoma, which capsized during the attack, and had been buried as unknowns after the war. Altogether, 429 sailors and Marines on the Oklahoma were killed. Only 35 were identified in the years immediately after the attack. The Oklahomas casualties were second only to the Arizona, which lost 1,177 men. As of earlier this month, the agency has identified 186 sailors and Marines from the Oklahoma who were previously unidentified. Slowly, the remains are being sent to be reburied in places like Traer, Iowa, and Ontanogan, Mich. Heres a look at some of those who have either already been reburied this year or who will be interred on Friday: Durell Wade: His burial in his home state was originally planned for a weekend, when it would be more convenient for people to attend. But because of scheduling conflicts at the North Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery, his family decided the 77th anniversary of the attack would be an appropriate date, even if some people have to take time off, said his nephew, Dr. Lawrence Wade. He was one of the sailors relatives who provided DNA to help identify him. William Bruesewitz: Renate Starck has been pondering the eulogy shell give at the funeral for her uncle, Navy Seaman 1st Class William Bruesewitz, on Friday. We always have thought of him on Dec. 7, she said. Hes already such a big part of that history. Bruesewitz, of Appleton, Wis., will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. Its a real blessing to have him returning and weve chosen Arlington because we feel hes a hero and belongs there, Starck said. William Kvidera: Hundreds of people filled a Catholic church in Traer, Iowa, in November for William Kvideras funeral. The solemn ceremony in his hometown included full military honors, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reported. Its something like a dream, his brother, John Kvidera, 91, said. Robert Kimball Holmes: The remains of Marine Pfc. Robert Kimball Holmes were interred in August in his hometown of Salt Lake City. Its strange, isnt it, to be here honoring a 19-year-old kid killed 77 years ago, nephew Bruce Holmes said. WASHINGTON Spinning off from the special counsels Russia probe, prosecutors are ramping up their investigation into foreign lobbying by two major Washington firms that did work for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation had been quiet for months since special counsel Robert Mueller referred it to authorities in Manhattan because it fell outside his mandate of determining whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia. But in a flurry of new activity, Justice Department prosecutors in the past several weeks have begun interviewing witnesses and contacting lawyers to schedule additional questioning related to the Podesta Group and Mercury Public Affairs, the people familiar with the inquiry said. They spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing work. The New York work underscores the broad effects of Muellers investigation, extending well beyond the central question of President Trump and collusion. Mueller has made clear he will not turn away if he discovers alleged crimes outside the scope of his inquiry; instead, he refers them out in investigations that may linger on even after the special counsels work concludes. Other Justice Department referrals from Mueller have ended in guilty pleas, including the hush money payment case of Trumps former lawyer Michael Cohen. The investigation reflects how Mueller, in latching onto an obscure law, has shined a light on high-dollar lobbying practices that have helped foreign governments find powerful allies and advocates in Washington. Its a practice that has spanned both parties and enriched countless former government officials, who have leveraged their connections to influence American politics. In New York, Muellers referral prompted a fresh look at the lobbying firms of Washington insiders Tony Podesta and Vin Weber, who have faced scrutiny for their decisions not to register as foreign agents for Ukrainian lobbying work directed by Manafort. Podesta is a longtime Democratic operative whose brother, John Podesta, ran Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign; Weber is a former Republican congressman from Minnesota. Neither man has been charged with any crimes. Their firms have defended the decisions by saying they relied on the advice of outside attorneys. Foreign lobbying work was central to Muellers case against Manafort and his longtime associate Rick Gates, two high-profile Trump campaign officials who pleaded guilty earlier this year. Eric Tucker, Desmond Butler and Chad Day are Associated Press writers. Widespread anger in Georgia over a voting system that Democrats believed to be rigged against them was not enough to prevent a Republican candidate from winning a runoff Tuesday for secretary of state, the chief overseer of the states elections. Brad Raffensperger, an engineer from the Atlanta suburbs and a member of the state House, defeated John Barrow, a Democrat who supported overhauling the election system that some in his party said had helped Republicans steal the closely fought Georgia governors race last month. The Associated Press declared Raffensperger the winner at 10:20 p.m. Eastern Time. Uncertified tallies showed Raffensperger with 54 percent of the vote in the runoff, compared with 46 percent for Barrow. Raffensperger, 63, largely supported the status quo in Georgias election system, and said he was running for secretary of state to make sure that only American citizens are voting in our elections. He told supporters at a victory party Tuesday night, Im going to make sure that elections are clean, fair and accurate. Democrats have assailed the election stewardship of Brian Kemp, the Republican who continued to serve as secretary of state while he ran for governor. He narrowly defeated Stacey Abrams, a former minority leader in the Georgia House, who was seeking to become the nations first black female governor. Abrams did not acknowledge defeat until 10 days after Election Day, after extended wrangling over the counting of absentee and provisional ballots. When she did, she declared that Georgia had suffered an erosion of our democracy on Kemps watch. Abrams and her allies believe that Kemp oversaw what amounted to a system of voter suppression aimed at Democrats and minority voters, with policies that purged more than 1 million voters from the rolls and suspended thousands of new registrations over personal data that did not exactly match other government databases. Kemp maintained that the policies were fair and necessary to prevent voter fraud. Richard Fausset is a New York Times writer. MADISON, Wis. Wisconsin Republicans pushed through protests, internal disagreement and Democratic opposition Wednesday to pass far-reaching legislation that would shift power to the GOP-controlled Legislature and weaken the Democrat who defeated Republican Gov. Scott Walker last month. The vote, coming after an all-night debate, was the height of a lame-duck legislative session aimed at reducing the authority of the office Republicans will lose in January. Gov.-elect Tony Evers and Democratic Attorney General-elect Josh Kaul warned that resulting lawsuits would bring more gridlock when the new administration takes over. Walker has signaled his support for the bill. He has 10 days to sign the package from the time its delivered to his office. Republicans were battered in the midterm election, losing all statewide races amid strong Democratic turnout. But they retained legislative majorities thanks to what Democrats say are gerrymandered districts that tilt the map. Wisconsin has never seen anything like this, Evers said in a statement Wednesday. Power-hungry politicians rushed through sweeping changes to our laws to expand their own power and override the will of the people of Wisconsin who asked for change on November 6th. The GOP move comes as Michigan Republicans discuss taking action before a Democratic governor takes over there. North Carolina lawmakers took similar steps two years ago. The legislation passed in a session marked by stops and starts as GOP leaders tried to muster enough votes in the Senate. That chamber ultimately approved the package 17-16, with just one Republican voting against it, around sunrise. The Assembly approved it on a 56-27 vote about two hours later, with just one Republican defecting. This is a heck of a way to run a railroad, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling said as Senate debate resumed at 5 a.m. after a seven-hour impasse. This is embarrassing were even here. Walker, who was booed and heckled by protesters Tuesday during an Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the Capitol rotunda, is in his final five weeks as governor. A spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a question about how quickly he would act. Faced with a Democratic governor for the first time in eight years, legislative Republicans came up with a package of lame-duck bills to protect their priorities and make it harder for Evers to enact his. Scott Bauer and Todd Richmond are Associated Press writers. WASHINGTON (AP) The nation bid goodbye to George H.W. Bush with high praise, cannon salutes and gentle humor Wednesday, celebrating the life of the Texan who embraced a lifetime of service in Washington and was the last president to fight for the U.S. in wartime. Three former presidents looked on at Washington National Cathedral as a fourth George W. Bush eulogized his dad as "the brightest of a thousand points of light." After three days of remembrance in the capital city, the Air Force plane with Bush's casket left for a final service in Houston and burial Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place is alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, and Robin Bush, the daughter who died of leukemia at age 3. At Capitol, George H.W. Bush saluted as 'gentle soul,' 'great man' The nation's capital embraced George H.W. Bush in death Monday with solemn ceremony and high tributes to his service and decency, as the remai His plane, which often serves as Air Force One, arrived at Ellington Field outside Houston in late afternoon. As a motorcade subsequently carried Bush's remains to the family church, St. Martin's Episcopal, along a closed interstate, hundreds of people in stopped cars on the other side of the road, took pictures and shot cell phone video. One driver of a tanker truck climbed atop the hulking vehicle for a better view, and at least 15 firefighters scaled a pair of stopped firetrucks to salute. Upon its arrival at the church, Bush's casket was met by a military band and Houston Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner. The national funeral service at the cathedral was a tribute to a president, a patriarch and a faded political era that prized military service and public responsibility. It was laced with indirect comparisons to President Donald Trump but was not consumed by them, as speakers focused on Bush's public life and character with plenty of cracks about his goofy side, too. "He was a man of such great humility," said Alan Simpson, a former Republican senator from Wyoming. Those who travel "the high road of humility in Washington, D.C.," he added pointedly, "are not bothered by heavy traffic." Trump sat with his wife, a trio of ex-presidents and their wives, several of the group sharp critics of his presidency and one of them, Hillary Clinton, his 2016 Democratic foe. Apart from courteous nods and some handshakes, there was little interaction between Trump and the others. George W. Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost in 1953 and his mother, who died in April. He said he took comfort in knowing "Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again." +4 George H.W. Bush, former president and World War II hero, dies George H.W. Bush, a patrician New Englander whose presidency soared with the coalition victory over Iraq in Kuwait, but then plummeted in the The family occupied the White House for a dozen years the 41st president defeated after one term, the 43rd serving two. Jeb Bush stepped up to try to extend that run but fell short when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries. The elder Bush was "the last great-soldier statesman," historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, "our shield" in dangerous times. But he took a lighter tone, too, noting that Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply quipped, "Never know. Gotta ask." Meacham recounted how comedian Dana Carvey once said the key to doing an impersonation of Bush was "Mr. Rogers trying to be John Wayne." None of that would be a surprise to Bush. Meacham had read his eulogy to him, said Bush spokesman Jim McGrath, and Bush responded to it with the crack: "That's a lot about me, Jon." The congregation at the cathedral, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Bush's life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts. Can't see video below? Click here. Simpson regaled the congregation with stories from his years as Bush's friend in Washington. More seriously, he recalled that when he went through a rough patch in the political game, Bush conspicuously stood by him against the advice of aides. "You would have wanted him on your side," he said. Simpson said Bush "loved a good joke the richer the better. And he threw his head back and gave that great laugh, but he never, ever could remember a punchline. And I mean never." George W. Bush turned the humor back on the acerbic ex-senator, saying of the late president: "He placed great value on a good joke, so he chose Simpson to speak." Meacham praised Bush's call to volunteerism, placing his "1,000 points of light" alongside Abraham Lincoln's call to honor "the better angels of our nature" in the American rhetorical canon. Meacham called those lines "companion verses in America's national hymn." Trump had mocked "1,000 points of light" last summer at a rally, saying: "What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasn't it?" Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney praised Bush as a strong world leader who helped oversee the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union and helped bring about the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, signed into law by his successor, Clinton. +23 How George H.W. Bush's relationship to Louisiana was unique among modern presidents On a steamy August afternoon 30 years ago, then-Vice President George Bush rode the steamboat Natchez across the Mississippi River to New Orle With Trump, a bitter NAFTA critic, seated in the front row, Mulroney hailed the "largest and richest free trade area in the history of the world." The three countries have agreed on a revised trade agreement pushed by Trump. Earlier, a military band played "Hail to the Chief" as Bush's casket was carried down the steps of the U.S. Capitol, where he had lain in state. Family members looked on as servicemen fired off a cannon salute. His hearse was then driven in a motorcade to the cathedral ceremony, slowing in front of the White House, the route lined with people much of the way, bundled in winter hats and taking photos. Waiting for his arrival inside, Trump shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who greeted him by saying "Good morning." Trump did not shake hands with Bill and Hillary Clinton, who looked straight ahead. Bill Clinton and Mrs. Obama smiled and chatted as music played. Carter was seated silently next to Hillary Clinton in the cavernous cathedral. Obama cracked up laughing at someone's quip. Vice President Mike Pence shook Carter's hand. Trump tweeted Wednesday that the day marked "a celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life." Bush's death makes Carter, also 94 but more than 100 days younger, the oldest living ex-president. Following the cathedral service, the hearse and its long motorcade drove to the National Mall to pass by the World War II Memorial, a nod to the late president's service as a World War II Navy pilot, then transferred his remains at Joint Base Andrews for the flight home to Texas with members of his family. Our Views: George H.W. Bush helped Louisiana in its darkest hour Accepting his party's presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in New Orleans in 1988, George Herbert Walker Bush promote Bush is set to lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church before boarding a special funeral train to be carried to his burial Thursday. On Tuesday, soldiers, citizens in wheelchairs and long lines of others on foot wound through the Capitol Rotunda to view Bush's casket and honor a president whose legacy included a landmark law affirming the rights of the disabled. Former Sen. Bob Dole, a compatriot in war, peace and political struggle, steadied himself out of his wheelchair and saluted his old friend and one-time rival. Trump ordered the federal government closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning. Flags on public buildings are flying at half-staff for 30 days. ___ Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington and Juan A. Lozano, David J. Phillip and Nomaan Merchant in Houston contributed to this report. The state's judicial campaign watchdog has publicly reprimanded an Orleans Parish Civil District Court candidate who it says falsely claimed she was excluded from a nonprofit groups campaign forum. Attorney Marie Williams, who faces Omar Mason in Saturday's runoff election, was wrong to claim that she was intentionally left out of a forum held last month by Voters Organized to Educate and the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice, the Louisiana Judicial Campaign Oversight Committee said in a statement. The committee, which has no formal censure powers but can weigh in publicly on campaign ethics, said it had reviewed emails showing that Williams did in fact receive more than one invitation to the event. It ruled that she had violated a judicial canon which says candidates should not knowingly make, or cause to be made, a false statement concerning the identity, qualifications, present position, or other fact concerning the candidate or an opponent. The committee, a state-sponsored entity aimed at policing judicial elections, cannot discipline Williams or stop her from repeating the claim, but it does count as a symbolic rap on the knuckles. 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 Williams and Mason are seeking the Division E seat on the Civil District Court, which was vacated in May with the death of Judge Clare Jupiter. After the forum for which Williams was absent, Voters Organized to Educate endorsed Mason, who led the first round of voting last month. The committee did not address a separate claim from Williams that she helped organize Voters Organized to Educates sister group, Voice of the Experienced, when its organizers established it in New Orleans. The groups executive director, Norris Henderson, has called Williams' claim false. Williams dismissed the committees decision in a telephone interview on Wednesday. Honestly, I think its just all a ploy to get me out of the race, she said. Though Williams maintained that she was effectively shut out of the forum, she did acknowledge that email invitations to participate might have been sent to an old AOL email account that she said she rarely checks. In politics, as in watchmaking, timing is everything. Global luxury watch brand Rolex has emerged as the mystery buyer behind the $37.1 million purchase of the Victorian Liberal Partys Melbourne headquarters. The exterior of the Victorian Liberal Partys Melbourne headquarters at 104 Exhibition Street. Credit:Chris Hopkins Rolex lodged a caveat over the partys building just as Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien took over the Liberal leadership, vowing to listen to Victorians after voters gave the party a thrashing in the recent state election. The watchmakers purchase of the partys six-storey property at 104 Exhibition Street for a record $84,126 per square metre land rate should boost Mr O'Briens chances of fulfilling that promise. Brothers Frank and Pat Doughty at Circular Quay in 1943. Their mother sent the image to her husband who was in the Royal Australian Navy in World War II. The brothers are holding potato crisps, Spuds. By the mid-1930s 10,000 people were buying photos from street photographers each week in NSW. They were very popular and very affordable, says Zahalka. It was also very democratic in that way. Everybody could actually afford to have a picture of themselves. They were sent to servicemen overseas. And then they disappeared into albums and shoeboxes. And in albums and shoeboxes they might have stayed, until Sydney Living Museums put out a public call for people to send in their photos. They received 1500 images, 250 of which have been digitised and enlarged for the exhibition. Few rolls of street photographer film survive today a loss for our collective memory yet during the callout Sydney Living Museums acquired a collection of 127 rolls of film (about 5000 photos) taken in 1950 in Martin Place. They were snapped by a street photographer working for Ikon Studio, whose photos were sold via a kiosk in Her Majestys Arcade in Pitt Street. More than 130 of these photos are in the exhibition. Frank and Pat Doughty recreate the image from when they were boys (minus the Spuds). Credit:Anne Zahalka The rise of personal cameras and increasing official scorn at their nuisance factor eventually pushed the street photographers out of business by the 1950s. Yet their work lives on at the Museum of Sydney. The exhibitions co-curator, Anna Cossu, says the photos are a wonderful record of who we were and what the city looked like. I have too many favourites gorgeous frocks and fantastic photos of children awkwardly posing for the camera, trying to stand still while Mum or Dad wait just outside of camera range, says Cossu. The stories are also diverse people on their lunch breaks or out shopping, romantic couples on their first date or honeymoon, servicemen and servicewomen smiling mid-stride on the street, some on leave before they return to the battlefields. Looking at the images of men in hats and well-dressed women, one feels a sense of lost formality. For instance, men dont wear hats any more. Hedy Zahalka, right, and her friend in Czechoslovakia in 1947. They don't, and neither do women, Zahalka says. Or gloves. I think people dressed up so much to go to town and that's completely lost now. People didn't actually go to town if they couldn't dress up. It was an occasion. They were meeting with friends or it was a first date. Even with children, it was an outing. They were often given a treat. There's memories of going to Mark Foy's or department stores. Zahalka has restaged 10 of the original images featuring the descendants of the original subjects, posing where their relatives once stood. Hedy Zahalka's image recreated by Alice Zahalka and Sophie Wild. Credit:Anne Zahalka I was really taken by some images and was looking at a way of revisiting or re-imagining the descendants in that same place today and how they would look. I don't work in the way of those street photographers: I find that really confronting. Re-staging the original street photos was a way of connecting with the past through the descendants and those still living. While the buildings behind looked the same, the face of the city had changed. Today it is a thriving mix of ethnicities and diverse cultures that stands in stark contrast to this predominantly white photographic history. Zahalka says the re-enacted portraits were photographed in the same city location or as close the originals as possible. Unlike the early street photographers who worked quickly, targeting their subjects as they came into view, I worked slowly with a tripod composing my subjects within the frame, having them appear to be walking while standing still. Others were as the originals, posed as they stopped for the photographer to take their portrait. I used a 35mm digital camera and shot in colour rather than an analog black-and-white film camera. One of the more compelling re-enactments is that of brothers Frank and Pat Doughty, originally photographed in 1943, potato chips in hand to eat on a ferry trip to Manly with their aunt. (Of course, in 1943, there would have been no ibis walking in the background, unlike the Sydney of today.) I suggested that maybe we could do it at Customs House, the site where they were originally recorded. At the time they remembered holding these chip packets and you used to be able to get salt to sprinkle on the chips. Photo media artist Anne Zahalka in front of her work earlier this year. Credit:Nick Moir The original image had been sent to the father who was overseas [in the navy] during the war and said here are your two darlings. Another recreation, photographed in Pitt Street Mall, was closer to Zahalkas own heart. Her daughter Alice, and Alices friend, Sophie Wild, re-enacted the original image that sparked the idea for the exhibition, that of Zahalkas mother posing on the streets of Prague with a friend. (Zahalka dedicated the exhibition to the memory of her mother.) Zahalka says the Pitt Street shot was quite moving. We've just heard route 82 tram services are being changed today to cope with the heat. Buses will be replacing trams between Stop 32 Footscray Station and Stop 32 Moonee Ponds Junction from first to last tram. Yarra Trams is working to provide passengers with reliable services in the hot weather," a spokesperson said. We encourage all passengers to prepare for the heat and check online for the latest updates before travelling. The Canberra Greyhound Racing Club will turn its attention to overturning the ACT ban in the Federal Court next year after it lost an appeal on Thursday. The full bench of the ACT Court of Appeal decided not to force the ACT Planning and Land Authority to grant the club a new lease. The Canberra Greyhound Racing Club lost an appeal seeking to force the ACT Planning and Land Authority to grant it a new lease over its Symonston premises. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong The racing club was also ordered to pay costs. The club was appealing a decision by Chief Justice Helen Murrell in February where she described the club's efforts to seek a decision on its lease extension as futile. Ive been thinking about institutions a lot lately. About how if there is anything that characterises our current political moment of disillusionment, anger and a rampant, destructive cynicism, it is that we no longer seem to believe in any institutions at all. Try to name one; its more difficult than youd think. Our trust in politics even in democracy itself is at an all time low. Whatever belief we once had in the idea that business, for all its self-interest, was aligned with some trickle-down social interest has been blown up by whichever scandal takes your fancy: the banking royal commission; the rapacious practices that delivered the financial crisis; the Libor episode back in 2012, in which small numbers of people easily manipulated interest rates for their own gain. Illustration: Andrew Dyson Credit: The church? See the Royal Commission into child sex abuse. The media? Its almost embarrassing to have to explain the level to which its trust has eroded. That we now have a US President in open war with journalistic accountability, who has weaponised fake news as a way of discrediting whatever very true news he doesnt like, and that he only profits politically from this, says everything necessary about the medias standing. The High Court? Traditionally, that has been about as esteemed as it gets, but even its trust is eroding. An Essential Survey from 2011 found that 72 per cent of Australians trusted it. This year it was at 61 per cent, which is roughly where it has been for a few years now. Chris Dawson will plead not guilty to murdering his missing wife Lynette in 1982. The high-profile ex-Newtown Jets player was arrested in Queensland at a relative's house on Wednesday and was extradited to New South Wales on Thursday morning. He was charged with one count of murder at the Sydney Police Centre on Thursday morning. Court documents show that Mr Dawson allegedly murdered his wife between 9pm on January 8, 1982 and 7am on January 9, 1982. The Sydney Opera House may be priceless to most Australians. But a report released on Thursday by accounting firm Deloitte has valued it at $6.2 billion, an increase of 24 per cent in real terms since the last time the firm valued it five years ago at $4.6 billion. In 2013, the buildings 40th anniversary year, the Deloitte report Valuing An Icon estimated the Opera Houses economic contribution at $775 million and its total social asset value at $4.6 billion. The Sydney Opera House. Credit: Dean Sewell But today's report - 45 years since its 1973 opening - says the building's annual economic contribution has increased by 44 per cent in real terms to $1.2 billion. It also welcomed 10.9 million guests a year, a 33 per cent increase frome 2013 when 8.2 million visited. Of this total, around 2.9 million were international tourists, almost one million more international visitors attend the Opera House precinct annually, from the two million international visitors it welcomed in 2013. This represents a 46 per cent growth. Former Adelaide archbishop Philip Wilson is a free man after winning an appeal against his landmark conviction for failing to report child sex allegations about a priest to police. Judge Roy Ellis was asked to consider if prosecutors proved beyond reasonable doubt that Wilson, 68, failed to disclose allegations about priest Jim Fletcher between 2004 and 2006 after police charged Fletcher with crimes against a Hunter boy in the 1990s. Former archbishop Philip Wilson outside Newcastle Local Court in July. Credit:AAP Judge Ellis ruled in Wilson's favour, quashing his convictions in a decision handed down on Thursday in Newcastle. In May Wilson became the most senior Catholic clergyman in the world to be convicted of a conceal offence involving another priest. Newcastle Local Court Magistrate Robert Stone found Wilson a former Hunter priest and Adelaide Archbishop was told in 1976 of allegations against Fletcher. The head of anaesthetics at Northern Beaches Hospital (NBH) has resigned after clashes between hospital operator Healthscope and anaesthetists who raised serious concerns about systemic failures that risked compromising patient care. The departure of Alistair Boyce as the director of anaesthetics is the latest is a string of high-level resignations within the first few weeks of the opening of the $600 million hospital. On Monday, staff learnt the director of medical services Louise Messara had stepped down, and the inaugural CEO Deborah Latta resigned two days after the hospital's official ribbon-cutting ceremony. It has also emerged that Dr Messara is considering defamation action against one anaesthetist over the contents of a letter sent to several parties, including the office of Health Minister Brad Hazzard. On Wednesday, Dr Boyce announced his resignation as director of anaesthetics to his department. Corporal Eamon Baldwin found out his wife was pregnant three weeks into his deployment to Iraq. On Thursday, his now-eight months pregnant wife, Kirralee, was waiting eagerly for his return at the Brisbane International Airport. Jenna, Ruby, Janell and Emily were waiting for Private Benjamin Driver at Brisbane Airport on Thursday afternoon. Credit:Lydia Lynch I guess it was difficult, but I am not soft, Mrs Baldwin said. You do what you gotta do. Police speak to beachgoers at St Kilda on Thursday. Credit:Justin McManus Police arrested six people and searched scores more for weapons at the St Kilda forshore on Friday night. After arresting more than a dozen people for a variety of offences on Thursday, police returned to the notorious trouble spot and arrested four people for drug possession, another for public drunkedness and one person for being found with a knife. Officers searched a further 166 people for weapons. On Thursday night 16 people were arrested for offences including drunkenness in a public place, possessing a drug of dependence, attempted robbery, assaulting police, criminal damage and failing to obey lawful direction. A man extradited from Sydney over the suspected murder in Victoria of a woman, whose body was found in a burnt-out tent, previously ran a vigilante crime-fighting group in Geelong. Nick Cross, 31, of no fixed address, was arrested alongside two others during a dramatic police operation late on Thursday over the death of Maddison Parrott in a tent fire at the Geelong showgrounds. Geelong woman Maddison Parrott was killed this week. Acting on information from Victoria Police, NSW Polices homicide squad, assisted by the tactical operations unit, arrested two men and a woman in the western suburb of Greystanes about 3.45pm on Thursday. Mr Cross is charged with one count of murder. A former staffer at the Land Development Agency found two boxes containing Dickson land swap documents, but minutes of a series of meetings about the controversial land deal are either still missing or non-existent. The revelation that at least some of the documents previously believed missing were found came during a committee hearing into the 2014 land swap between the government and the CFMEU-linked Tradies Club. Former LDA staffer Graham Mundy said he did extensive searches but could not find minutes of meetings related to the land swap. Credit:Fairfax Media That deal saw the club agree to buy a government car park outside the club and in return sell two of the club's blocks to the government, in an arrangement the ACT audit office found relinquished up to $2.65 million to the club. The staffer, Graham Mundy, who now works in the planning directorate, said he found the two boxes shortly after the agency learnt the audit was underway, in the office of an agency's then recently-departed consultant Richard Drummond. Royalties from resources projects in the Galilee Basin would be poured into a new sovereign wealth fund to preserve the benefits of Queensland's coal boom under an LNP policy the opposition has urged Labor to support. Shadow treasurer Tim Mander has written to Treasurer Jackie Trad to seek her support for the LNP's proposal. Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander said if the Palaszczuk government established a sovereign wealth fund, it would have the support of the Queensland LNP. Credit:AAP Image/ Dan Peled A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment vehicle, which invests in assets such as stocks, bonds, real estate or hedge funds. Currently, royalties from resources projects are funnelled into consolidated revenue to be distributed during the budget process. A Western Australian state politician at the centre of a political firestorm for failing to declare his membership of organisations linked to the Chinese Communist Party has broken down as he defended his loyalty to Australia and apologised for the "oversight". Labor MLC Pierre Yang did not disclose his membership to the Northeast China Federation and the Association of Great China when making personal interest disclosures to Parliament. WA Labor MLC Pierre Yang on deployment on a Chinese vessel during the search for MH370. These organisations have supported China's aggressive military posture in the South China Sea and its controversial 'Belt and Road' infrastructure scheme. The Association of Great China has said it "resolutely opposes the show of force and military provocations by the United States in the South China Sea to threaten China's sovereignty and core interests". The biopsies and blood tests completed, and Zainab Mughal's rare blood mutation explained, her parents came to grips with the sudden complication in their daughter's cancer fight. In order for the 2-year-old to survive, it would take something they had absolutely no control over: The kindness of strangers. Zainab, who lives in Florida, was diagnosed in October with a neuroblastoma, an aggressive cancer that usually occurs in children. Doctors said the tumour had been growing inside Zainab's abdomen for nearly half of her life. Fighting it would require two bone marrow transplants and a series of transfusions to replenish her blood supply as chemotherapy shrinks the tumour to nothing, doctors said. Toddler Zainab Mughal needs extremely rare blood to beat cancer. "The results came in and the results were really bad," her father, Raheel Mughal, said in a video. "We were all crying. This was like the worst thing we were expecting." There was another big complication: Mughal and his wife were tested to see if they were compatible blood donors. They weren't. A parade of family and friends came into the hospital to be pricked by needles. No luck. NADA End-of-Day Auto News Recap Ford and Volkswagen are in talks about building VW vehicles in some of Ford's U.S. factories. Ford CEO Jim Hackett confirmed the VW talks Tuesday and Executive Chairman Bill Ford said the negotiations are going well. But both said they weren't ready to announce anything. Source: The Associated Press Carmakers were initially buoyed by the claim of an "incredible" trade deal emerging from Trump's dinner Sunday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The White House has now backpedaled, acknowledging there was no deal in place to roll back automotive tariffs. Source: CNBC When it comes to establishing the next generation of the auto industry, it's going to cost money -- a lot of it, in fact. And that's exactly the kind of money Audi is ready to spend. Audi intends to spend about $16 billion on the future by 2023. That'll cover investments in electrification, mobility, digitalization and autonomy. Source: CNET Alphabets Waymo on Wednesday launched a significant development in its costly, decade-long quest for autonomous transportation: self-driving taxis that actually generate fares. With little fanfare, the company has begun charging passengers to use its driverless vehicles in a roughly 100-mile zone in four Phoenix suburbs -- Chandler, Tempe, Mesa and Gilbert -- where it has been testing its technology since 2016. Source: Reuters Volvo Trucks Saves Fuel with New Improvements +VIDEO STOCKHOLM - December 6, 2018: Volvo Trucks' upgraded D11 and D13 diesel engines for Volvo FH, FM and FMX meet the new Euro 6 Step D regulation and contain a number of improvements that enable transport operators to reduce fuel costs. "With fuel clocking up about one third of hauliers' costs, we continue to turn every stone in order to find new ways of reducing fuel consumption in our trucks," says Claes Nilsson, President of Volvo Trucks. "This time, a combination of small improvements enables significant cost savings for our customers without compromising performance or productivity." The new Euro 6 Step D regulation focuses on ensuring that vehicles conform to the emissions standards in normal operations of use. Volvo Trucks' steps to fulfil the more stringent emissions standard include new engine software and improved coating in the exhaust after treatment system. The upgraded D13 diesel engine also uses a new VDS-5 low viscous oil type and new piston oil scraper rings that lower fuel consumption and internal friction. Additionally, the 500 hp engine saves extra fuel by having the same higher compression ratio as the 460 and 420 hp variants. The map-based I-See software uses map data to preview the topography of the route, and takes care of gear selection, acceleration and engine braking. It is designed to utilise the truck's moving energy in the best possible way and has been improved with a number of upgrades, such as a new gear selection strategy and selective coasting which enables more efficient use of the freewheel function I-Roll. "These updates will support our customers in staying on top of the new emission regulation while improving fuel efficiency for our Volvo FH, FM and FMX trucks", says Claes Nilsson. The new upgraded engines will be available to order from the end of December, 2018. LINK to high res images: https://bit.ly/2E561r5 LINK to film on I-See: https://youtu.be/YJMUtL0rXEA For further information, please contact Christina Magnusson PR and Media Relations Manager, Volvo Trucks Email: christina.ohlsson-jones@volvo.com Phone: +46 31 322 7636 Press images and films are available in the Volvo Trucks image and film gallery at http://images.volvotrucks.com Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of 2,100 dealers and workshops in more than 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 16 countries across the globe. In 2017, more than 112,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses and construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care. Steinbach council is one vote away from ushering in its second pay increase in 18 months, but councillors took pains this week to note this one is prompted by factors outside of their control, and wont cost taxpayers more. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/12/2018 (1086 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Steinbach council is one vote away from ushering in its second pay increase in 18 months, but councillors took pains this week to note this one is prompted by factors outside of their control, and wont cost taxpayers more. First and second reading of a new council compensation bylaw intended to preserve take-home pay by offsetting pending changes to the federal tax code received unanimous support at Tuesdays meeting. The bylaw was crafted after the Government of Canada announced plans to remove a section of the Income Tax Act that exempted one-third of a councillors total compensation from income tax, beginning Jan. 1. Councillor Jac Siemens estimated the federal government will collect an additional $30 million in revenue as a result of the change, while local councillors would take home hundreds of dollars less per month. If the city did nothing in response, Mayor Earl Funk said net pay would revert back to levels seen prior to July 2017, when a round of raises intended to remedy several years of stagnant salaries took effect. Funk later admitted he thought the awkward issue had been laid to rest before he learned of the tax code changes. "I thought we were done, that we were never going to have to look at our wage again." The new bylaw would see the mayors total compensation rise to $51,897 from $44,000, the deputy mayors to $24,220 from $20,535, and a councillors to $21,390 from $18,135. The maximum daily allowance for meal, travel, and living expenses would also increase to $224 from $180. "We spent a long time discussing this, and it was not an easy decision to make," Funk said. "This is a salary adjustment. This is not a wage increase," stressed Councillor Jake Hiebert. According to Councillor Jac Siemens, the city will "find the money within our current budget" rather than raise the mill rate. City manager Troy Warkentin confirmed the new compensation estimates are already reflected in the citys proposed 2019 budget. Other municipalities across Manitoba have already hiked their pay to neutralize the taxation hit, said Councillor Michael Zwaagstra, who also serves as the citys deputy mayor. "Were not the only ones in this situation." ABC News Criticized for Joking About President Trumps Funeral During Bush Service Video: George W. Bush remembers his father ABC News correspondents were slammed for their on-air speculation about President Donald Trump during former President George H.W. Bushs funeral this week. One critic described the move as despicable garbage during a time of mourning. Probably a different tone in that [President Trumps] funeral first hes going to choreograph it, so there might be more trumpets and fanfare, ABC chief foreign correspondent Terry Moran said on-air. ABC correspondent Devin Dwyer, who was President Obamas off-air reporter for ABC News in 2012, added: Yes, he would do it bigger, one would imagine, according to TheWrap. Moran then attempted to joke that it will be the best presidential funeral ever no one will ever have seen anything like that funeral. Media Research Center vice president Dan Gainor said that Bushs passing has to be seen through the eyes of journalists who use every single event to attack Trump, reported Fox News. To mock him during the coverage of the presidents funeral is just despicable garbage. I would say ABC News should apologize, but it wouldnt be sincere if it did. This is about the billionth example of unprofessional journalism in their attacks on Trump. Its only more outrageous because of the solemn occasion, Gainor told the news outlet. According to USA Today, ABC declined to comment on the pairs comments. A number of people on Twitter slammed Moran and Dwyer for their comments. The man hasnt even been put in the ground yet and the media is already putting words in his mouth and propagating hate towards the sitting president. I mean come ON guys, wrote one person. Terry Moran should be fired for what he said about Trump, said another. The former presidents funeral drew every living former president and first lady, who were sitting near the front row in succession. Trump shook the hands of former President Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. A day before, the president and First Lady Melania Trump met with former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush. A sweet visit during this somber week, Laura Bush said of their visit. Thanks to Mrs. Trump for inviting our family to the White House to see the Christmas decorations and our old friends, the residence staff. George W. Bush eulogized his father during the funeral, breaking down in tears toward the end. He stated he took comfort in knowing Dad is hugging Robin and holding Moms hand again. Former President Bushs casket arrived in Houston, Texas, on Dec. 5, and mourners paid their respects on Dec. 6. His remains reached College Station, Texas via train, according to the Houston Chronicle. Bush died last week at the age of 94. A 3D printed Apple logo is seen in front of a displayed cyber code in this illustration taken Mar. 22, 2016. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) Australian Bill to Force Tech Firms to Hand Over Encrypted Data, Passes First Hurdle SYDNEYThe Australian parliaments lower house passed a bill to force tech firms such as Alphabet Incs Google, Facebook and Apple to give police access to encrypted data on Dec. 6, pushing it closer to becoming a precedent-setting law. However, the proposal, staunchly opposed by the tech giants because Australia is seen as a test case as other nations explore similar rules, faces a sterner test in the upper house Senate, where privacy and information security concerns are sticking points. The bill provides for fines of up to $10 million for institutions and prison terms for individuals for failing to hand over data linked to suspected illegal activities. Earlier in the week it appeared set to secure enough support from both major political parties, with some amendments, to secure passage. However, the main opposition Labor party said on Dec. 6 the bill could undermine data security and jeopardize future information sharing with U.S. authorities. A range of stakeholders have said there is a real risk that the new powers could make Australians less safe (by) weakening the encryption that protects national infrastructure, Labors Mark Dreyfus told parliament. The proposed laws could also scupper cooperation with U.S. authorities because they lack sufficient privacy safeguards, Dreyfus said. Labor voted the bill through the lower house but was still negotiating with the government on the issue and would debate it in the Senate, he said. Dec. 6 was the last parliamentary sitting day of the year until a truncated session in February, meaning the impasse could delay the laws for months. The government has said the proposed laws are needed to counter militant attacks and organized crime and that security agencies would need to seek warrants to access personal data. I will fight to get those encryption laws passed, Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters in Canberra after Dreyfus spoke. I want to see our police have the powers they need to stop terrorists. Technology companies have strongly opposed efforts to create what they see as a back door to users data, a stand-off that was propelled into the public arena by Apples refusal to unlock an iPhone used by an attacker in a 2015 shooting in California. Representatives of Google, Amazon and Apple did not respond immediately to a request for comment. Apple has said in a public submission to lawmakers access to encrypted data would necessitate weakening the encryption and increase the risk of hacking. A Facebook spokesman directed Reuters to a statement made by the Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI), of which Facebook as well as Apple, Google, Amazon and Twitter, are members. This legislation is out of step with surveillance and privacy legislation in Europe and other countries that have strong national security concerns, the DIGI statement said. Several critical issues remain unaddressed in this legislation, most significantly the prospect of introducing systemic weaknesses that could put Australians data security at risk, it said. If the bill becomes law, Australia would be one of the first nations to impose broad access requirements on technology companies, although others, particularly so-called Five Eyes countries, are poised to follow. The Five Eyes intelligence network, comprised of the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, have each repeatedly warned national security was at risk because authorities were unable to monitor the communications of suspects. (This story has been refiled to amend headline to reflect bills passage through lower house of parliament) By Tom Westbrook and Karishma Luthria British Authorities Suspend Investor Visas in Money Laundering Crackdown LONDONIn an attempt to crack down on money laundering and corruption, the British government has suspended investor visas that allow the superrich to gain speedy entry to the country. Tier-one investor visas enable wealthy people to settle in the UK by investing in government bonds or British businesses. A person can apply to settle after two years with an investment of 10 million pounds ($12.8 million), or after three years with an investment of 5 million pounds ($6.4 million). However, there have been concerns that so-called golden visas have been used to launder money from countries like Russia and China. Caroline Nokes, Britains immigration minister, said in a statement: The UK will always be open to legitimate and genuine investors who are committed to helping our economy and businesses grow. However, I have been clear that we will not tolerate people who do not play by the rules and seek to abuse the system. That is why I am bringing forward these new measures, which will make sure only genuine investors, who intend to support UK businesses, can benefit from our immigration system. The scheme will be suspended until it has been audited, according to the BBC. Around 3,000 investor visas have been granted in the last decade. In 2014, 1,172 people were granted tier-one visas, many of them from Russia and China. In 2017, the number of approvals had dropped to 355. Under the new rules, independent and suitably regulated auditors will investigate applicants finances and businesses to ensure there are no people coming into the country with illegally acquired money. Applicants will also need to prove they have had control of their money for at least two years before their application. They will be banned from investing in British government bonds and will need instead to put their money in active British companies. The Brightest and Best The tier-one visa scheme was introduced in 2008 as a way to encourage people from outside the EU to invest in the UK. They were required to be of good character and have a UK bank account. The hope was that the brightest and best would be attracted to the UK to settle in the country. However, in 2014, the Migration Advisory Committee, which advises the government on immigration, concluded that the scheme had contributed little to British citizens. They said most applicants bought giltseffectively loans to the governmentrather than actually investing in the UK. The committee said: The evidence we received from partners highlighted that financial considerations are very much secondary to nonfinancial considerations, with British citizenship often as the ultimate prize. What is less clear is the extent to which UK residents benefit from the existence of the route, and even if they benefit at all. In October, Vera Jourova, EU justice commissioner, warned that golden passports also put Europes security at risk because states could grant them to potentially dangerous or corrupt individuals. Jourova said that the EU must not become a safe haven for criminals, corruption, and dirty money, according to German news service Die Welt. Jourova called on member states to quickly adopt new EU laws on combating money laundering. We dont want any Trojan horses in the EU, she said. Some member states must do more to ensure citizenship is not awarded to criminals. The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said many golden passport schemes undermine the fight against tax evasion. Schemes can potentially be abused to misrepresent an individuals jurisdiction of tax residence, it warned. A European Commission report on the use and abuse of golden passport schemes is due later this year. Epoch Times reporter Tom Ozimek contributed to this report. LEnglish Defence League Activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, greets supporters after his court case on was adjourned on Sept. 27, 2018 in London, England. RA schoolboy at a South Yorkshire school is captured on video bullying another pupil, pouring water in his mouth as he pins him down. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images; Screengrab/Twitter) Bully Who Attacked Refugee Boy Tells Tommy Robinson Hes Scared for His Life LONDONA schoolboy allegedly responsible for an attack on a young Syrian refugee has said he fears for his life after being targeted with violent threats. The teenager, whose name cannot be revealed for legal reasons, said he and his family have gone into hiding after a video of the incident went viral and sparked outrage. English Defence League founder and right-wing activist Tommy Robinson interviewed the 16-year-old boy, who said I am scared for my life, scared for my familys life. My address got put out and there were people turning up at my house in cars, all this type of stuff, he said, before adding We went into hiding because weve had all these threats, rape threats, death threats. Robinson, in a separate video reported on by The Metro, said the aggressor, who was charged with assault after the attack on the Syrian refugee later identified as Jamal, is living in complete fear and the whole country has turned on him. The outspoken critic of Islam also claimed that at the school where the attack occurred there had been previous incidences of groups of Muslim gangs beating up lots of young English kids. Waterboarding Video Outrage The undated video shows the 16-year-old boy head-butt a much smaller 15-year-old whose arm is in plaster, identifying him as Jamal, as a group of school children walk across a field. After knocking him to the ground, the larger boy pours water over his mouth as he talks about drowning himwhat many furious social media users have described as waterboarding. British kids beating up Jamala Syrian refugee kid w/a broken arm This is Huddersfield UK Jamals family literally escaped torture & certain deathfor this? When media & politicians demonize marginalized communitieslike refugeesthis is one resultpic.twitter.com/B2XX6nfRTO Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@MuslimIQ) November 27, 2018 The same Twitter account also posted a video showing a girl wearing a bright pink hijab, identified as Jamals younger sister, being shoved from behind, then chased and brought down to the ground. She has endured as much as Jamal, the poster wrote, and has been self-harming culminating in an attempt at suicide. The individual said that the school had been ignoring a pattern of abusive behavior and only now acted due to public pressure. This is jamals younger sister, she is Lao being bullied as can be seen from this video, she has endured as much as Jamal and has been self harming culminating in an attempt at suicide, the school has has been over looking this and now only acted due to public pressure. pic.twitter.com/fGktHqT4hk blue days dark nights (@saeed6ali) November 28, 2018 The video showing the attack on Jamal was shared widely after being posted by one Twitter account, Blue Days Dark Night, where it picked up nearly 7 million views in less than a day. The thugs already broke his arm and now mockingly waterboard him when they get a chance. Name and shame these thugs, school and police have done little to help, wrote the Twitter user. But when locals did precisely that, not only naming the bully, but also posting his social media information, address, and telephone number, the original poster called for them to back off. Please please please, do not share or tweet any addresses of anyone connected with this, wrote Blue Days. The bully is also a child, the authorities are now involved, we need to work toward highlighting such issues so they never arise, without becoming a form of bullies ourselves. The Facebook page identified by locals as belonging to the bullywhich appears to match the face in the videois now plastered with angry comments. Alongside frequent quotes from the violent Peaky Blinders gangster series, the alleged bullys Facebook posts show an interest in outspoken Islamic critic Tommy Robinsonseen as evidence by some angry social users of far-right interests that stirred racial hatred. Robinson strongly rejects the far-right and racist labels he is often given in the media and by critics. On Good Terms The alleged perpetrator previously gave The Sun Online a handwritten statement in which he accepted responsibility for his actions but denied any previous pattern of bullying. The incident was isolated and came about from an altercation between us earlier that day, he wrote. The incident was not racial as up to that time we had been on good terms. After the attack, Jamal told ITV News, When I saw everyone looking at this video I felt ashamed of myself and why it happened. I was really upset about that. I was feeling like I couldnt study or do my homework. I woke up at night and just started crying because of this problem, he said. The Metro reported that Jamal said he had been tormented by bullies for the past two years. Crowdfunding Campaign According to the founder of a crowdfunding campaign set up to help the victim, Jamal had been subjected to protracted bullying at his school in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, in the north of England. The founder of the funding page, Mohammed Tahir, said that Jamals family struggles to meet the basic necessities of life. We want to raise money for the family to ease their situation and hopefully they can use the funds to help improve their quality of life and to put a smile on their faces. Having left a war torn country, the least they deserve is to live in peace without being harassed. Please donate generously and lets change this horrible situation into a blessing in disguise for them, Tahir continued. Thousands of well-wishers donated over 50,000 in just 14 hours on the donation platform, even drawing praise from Britains Prime Minister Theresa May, who said the generous public response showed the true spirit of Britain. According to The Metro, Jamals family fled the Syrian city of Homs, which was under siege from May 2011 to 2014, after protests erupted against the rule of Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based information office whose stated aim is to document human rights abuses in Syria, says on its website that as a result of the Syrian civil war, between 364,792522,000 people have been killed. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said that the conflict has resulted in the internal displacement of over 7 million people, and has given rise to over 5 million refugees. An attendee reads a flyer during a healthcare enrollment fair at the office of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West in San Francisco, Calif., on March 18, 2014. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) California Democratic Lawmakers Reintroduce Bill to Extend Medi-Cal to Illegal Immigrants A bill seeking to provide illegal immigrants with free or low-cost health care was reintroduced by California Democratic state lawmakers on Dec. 3, marking another attempt to make California the first state in the United States to let people enroll in Medicaid regardless of their immigration status. Assembly Bill 4 (AB 4), introduced by assembly member Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno), Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), and David Chiu (D-San Francisco), would make the full benefits of the California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal) available to all low-income earners who many not be in the country legally. Medi-Cal is the name of Californias Medicaid program and serves children and adults whose income falls below 138% of the federal poverty level. According to data from the California Department of Health Care Services, about 13.3 million Californians are currently enrolled in the program. They account for one-third of Californias population. Under current law, all children in California, regardless of their immigration status, are eligible for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits including hospitalization, prescription drugs, oral, and vision care. As of December 2017, a total of 218,571 undocumented children have enrolled in full-scope Medi-Cal, according to a Senate Bill Policy Committee analysis. In addition, immigrants over 19 without legal status can currently enroll in limited-scope Medi-Cal, which includes long-term care, pregnancy-related benefits, and emergency services. In early 2018, Arambula and State Senator Ricardo Lara introduced a pair of bills that also proposed to remove the requirement baring low-income immigrants who are illegally present in the United States from enrolling in full-scope Medi-Cal. According to a report from the Legislative Analysts Office, 1.2 million illegal immigrants would be eligible to enroll for full-scope Medi-Cal. These new enrollments would generate an additional burden to taxpayers of $3 billion per year, bringing the total cost of Medi-Cal for illegal immigrants up to $4.74 billion in 2018-19 alone, the report said. Following a reduction in federal funding for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, the 2018-19 Governors Budget shows that general fund spending in Medi-Cal is already projected to increase by 11 percent from $19.5 billion to $21.6 billion. If adding $3 billion more to the budget, it would raise the states Medicaid bill by 13%, reported the LA Times. As a result, both of the bills died in Appropriation Committees in August, despite the authors efforts in reducing costs by changing the bills coverage from all illegal immigrants to those who were under 26 and above 65 years old. Although the authors failed to convince outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown to accept the proposal, advocates for the bills are expecting a different outcome from incoming Gov. Gavin Newson, who supported expanding access to health care in his campaign, according to the Sacramento Bee. Opponents of the new bill have voiced concern that if the legislation passed, illegal immigrants from other states could move to California in order to receive health benefits, driving up the tax burden even further. On the same day that AB 4 was introduced, an interagency report was released to recommend that states expand their health insurance offerings and ask Congress and the White House to work on removing certain ACA mandates that smother competition. The report also suggests repealing the employer mandate, which requires businesses with 50 full-time employees to provide minimum essential coverage to all their employees or risk paying a penalty. Similarly, it advocates for health reimbursement accounts (HRA), which are employer-funded accounts that fund employee health care. In addition, the report takes issue with the essential coverage mandate of the ACA, which it argues requires employers and individuals to pay for things they dont need. It has also led to an increase in premiums. To illustrate this, the report cites ASPE data from 2013 to 2017 on the HealthCare.gov website that shows how premiums have increased 105 percent in the 39 states. James Logan High School students walk out of class during a walk out demonstration in Union City, Calif. on March 14, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) California Lawmakers Want to Extend Free Community College to 2 Years Students attending California community colleges could receive two years free education under a new bill that was introduced on Dec. 3. It comes about one year after the state legislature decided to waive the first year tuition at community colleges. The author and other advocates of the bill, AB 2, gathered on Tuesday at Los Angeles Trade Technical College to promote the idea of the 2-year tuition-free college education, which would enable many students to complete an Associates Degree in California. The Power of Two !!! Two years free tuition legislation #AB2 announced by @SantiagoAD53 with @MayorOfLA Garcetti, #LACCD Chancellor Rodriguez , Board President Fong @mikeinla7, Trustees @sveres Steve Veres , David Vela @davidvela75 pic.twitter.com/EZd6d1OWUU LA Comm College Dist (@laccd) December 4, 2018 In the fight against income inequality, a free education is the greatest instrument we have, said Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles), one of the bills authors. Whether community college is used as a stepping stone to our amazing four-year universities or to apprenticeships and workforce training programs, it is a key component of Californias education framework and should be the cornerstone of a debt-free education. In L.A., we delivered #LACollegePromise to bring one year of tuition-free community college to students. Now, Im joining Assemblymember Miguel Santiago to support #AB2 to deliver TWO years of community college tuition-free to students across Los Angeles and our state. pic.twitter.com/tiqzCXTXSF Mayor Eric Garcetti (@MayorOfLA) December 4, 2018 Assemblymember Santiago was also the author of AB 19, which allows a first-time, full-time college student to waive the first year tuition regardless of his or her financial status. To be eligible for this program, students need to take at least 12 credits per semester. As one credit or unit costs $46 in the California Community College system, AB 19 could save students $1,104 for their first year, not including fees for textbooks and other costs. When the bill was debated in 2017, it studied the 2014-15 academic year, when the California Community College system had more than 2.3 million students enrolled. At that time, there were about 400,000 first-time students, among which only 19,000 students were expected to be affected by the bill, as other financial aid was available to the majority of students. AB 19 was estimated to cost California taxpayers $31 million based on the number of students in year 2014-15. In the 2017-18 academic year, the system has almost 2.4 million students, based on the data provided by the California Community Colleges Chancellors Office. However, no specific number on how much AB 2 is going to cost has been released. Along with AB 2, there were more than 100 bills that were introduced on Dec. 3, which reflects more than $40 billion in new spending, reported the Sacramento Bee. A bill seeking to extend full-scope Medi-Cal to all illegal immigrants was also reintroduced by California Democratic state lawmakers, with an estimated cost of $3 billion. In addition, funding for K-12 schools is proposed to reach about $35 billion. California incoming Gov. Garvin Newsom told the Sacramento Bee that all of this will be whittled down and we all will live within our means and were not going to deviate from being fiscally prudent. Canadas Intelligence Chief Says Foreign Interference, Espionage Biggest Threats to National Interest CSIS director David Vigneault says 5G technology potential target of state-sponsored espionage TORONTOThe head of Canadas intelligence agency says foreign interference and espionage are the biggest threats to Canadas national interest, indicating businesses, academic institutions, and the technology sector, such as Canadas emerging 5G technology network, are potential targets of state-sponsored espionage. Speaking to the Economic Club of Canada, David Vigneault, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), warned that hostile foreign intelligence services or people are gathering political, economic, commercial, and military information in Canada. Plainly said: There is state-sponsored espionage in Canada, Vigneault said. He didnt name any specific countries or companies behind espionage efforts against Canadas interests. The involvement of Chinese telecom giant Huawei in Canada 5G technology, the next generation in wireless technology, has been a source of concern for those in the intelligence circles and reportedly Canadas allies including the United States due to Huaweis ties to the Chinese regime. Three of the five members of the intelligence alliance Five Eyes, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, have banned Huawei from their 5G networks, leaving only Canada and the UK without a ban. UKs BT Group said on Dec. 5 it is removing Huawei from the core of its existing 3G and 4G mobile operations, and will not use Huawei for its 5G network. The chief of UKs foreign intelligence services has recently said the country needs to review its 5G network reliance on Chinese technology, Reuters reported. According to Vigneault, CSIS has seen a trend of state-sponsored espionage in fields that are active in emerging technologies that include 5G, artificial intelligence, biopharmaceuticals, quantum technology, and clean technology. Many of these advanced technologies are dual-use in nature in that they could advance a countrys economic, security, or military interests, Vigneault said. In late October, it was revealed that China Telecom, a state-owned Chinese telecom firm, has been diverting internet traffic in Canada and the United States to China. Earlier that month, Bloomberg reported that Chinese spies had placed computer chips inside equipment used by many private companies and U.S. government agencies, providing a backdoor to access internal networks. Canadian officials arrested Huaweis chief financial officer Wanzhou Meng this week at the request of U.S. authorities on suspicion she violated Iran trade sanctions, the Globe and Mail reported. She is facing extradition to the United States. Targets Large companies typically hold the most valuable information for cyber attackers. However, they also pay the most attention to and have the resources for security, Vigneault says. On the other hand, universities and small start-ups are also attractive targets. They are often looking for investors or partners and dont always have the resources to defend themselves from threats. A report from the Globe and Mail revealed that Huawei has committed about $50 million to leading Canadian universities to help develop 5G technology. Huawei, the largest maker of telecommunications network equipment in the world, invests heavily in academic partners, stating its Huawei Innovation Research Program has covered over 300 universities in more than 20 countries. As an example, Huaweis research partnership with the University of Waterloo covers a a wide range of R&D initiatives, including cloud computing, next generation communications, data management and data analytics as well as 5G related projects. Former CSIS director Ward Elcock told CBC that it is hard for me to believe that a company such as Huawei would not do the bidding of the Chinese government and would not build traps, back doors into its technology on behalf of the Chinese government. An article in Chinas National Intelligence Law requires organizations to support, assist, and cooperate with state intelligence work according to the law. Last month, New Zealand became the latest Five Eyes member state to reject use of 5G equipment provided by Chinas Huawei. The difference between 5G networks and conventional 4G and 3G networks is the configuration of the technology, New Zealands Intelligence Services Minister Andrew Little said at the time. With 5G technology, every component of the 5G network means every part of the network can be accessed. In February, the heads of the CIA, FBI, NSA, as well as the Director of U.S. National Intelligence and two other intelligence agencies testified to a Senate Intelligence Committee that they would not advise Americans to use products or services from Huawei. Chinese J-20 stealth fighter jets fly past during a military parade at the Zhurihe training base in China's northern Inner Mongolia region on July 30, 2017. China held a parade of its armed forces on July 30 to mark the 90th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Chinas Military Intends to Defeat, Not Merely Compete With US, Report Says Chinas People Liberation Army (PLA), through a combination of innovation, mimicry, and theft, is developing technology that the Beijing regime aims to use to defeat the United States and dominate the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, according to a recent report by the RAND Corporation. The report, which includes responses from more than a dozen interviews with members of think tanks, academia, and government organizations that have studied the PLA for more than 20 years, explains the situations when the PLA copies foreign technology, and when it develops its own. Most theft and innovation are for immediate political goals, while technology that doesnt fit those goals is generally ignored. The Chinese Air Force is intent on not just protecting the land it already controls, but to recapture Taiwan and defeat the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, the report says. Future development is aimed toward control of outer space, while currently focusing on satellite espionage, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) funding development of both missiles and rockets. The PLA seeks not merely to compete with, but to defeat, the U.S. military, the report says. The overwhelming majority of Chinas military capabilities developments and reforms, including its military aerospace developments, have been oriented toward this goal. While the United States is creating all sorts of technology for all forms of military combat, technological development for the PLA is solely focused on defeating the United States, The PLA also isnt limited by public opinion or legality, so it can rapidly develop the technology. The directive from Xi Jinpingthat the PLA prepare to fight and win warsshows that todays Chinese armed forces must be prepared to find a way to defeat, not merely compete with, the United States, the report said. The PLA Air Force (PLAAF) was relatively weak and underdeveloped until 2012. When Xi came to power, one of his main China Dream goals was to build a military that could defeat the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. Much of Chinas current aerospace technology is a mix of Cold War-era Soviet designs, reverse engineered designs, stolen U.S. designs, and domestically designed space and anti-space weaponry. China chooses to compete with the United States, which has both the top economy and military in the world. Theft and Mimicry Theft and modification of foreign technology is a tactic long used by the CCP. Even The slogan of the PLAAF is similar to that of the U.S. Air Force (USAF). Where the USAF slogan is Global Vigilance, Global Reach, and Global Power, the Chinese version is bright eyes, strong fists, and long arms. While a 2013 USAF report outlined strategic plans for air and space operations, a later PLAAF report was strikingly similar in its text, says the report. Much of the PLAAFs development mostly comes from reverse engineering and theft. One analyst observed that over time, the PLAAF is gaining in similarity to the USAF. Another suggested that they arent just copying, but studying U.S. designs; French and Russian technology also is being absorbed by PLA. Reports about Chinas new fighters point out that stolen technology from the USAFs new F-35 showed up in the design. Many of its designs are set up for the Pacific theater, making fighter jets with longer flight times than U.S. versions. Thats because the intent is to defeat the United States in the Asia-Pacific region, and not for performing long-range service, as the USAF does. The designs dont copy long-range aircraft, as PLAAF appears to only operate out of China for now, focusing on Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific region. Innovation and Space Much of Chinas innovation is in areas that it cant effectively steal or reverse engineer technology. Much of its own breakthroughs have been with rockets and missiles. One division, the PLA Rocket Force, looks at any military problem and sees if it can be solved with a missile or rocket. One person interviewed for the report said that ballistic missiles with a range of more than 300 miles were a Chinese innovation. These developments were made for situations where bombers might risk being shot down. These rockets are also being developed with the intent of striking geosynchronous satellites. Much of Chinas space development is for espionage and anti-satellite warfare. While the PLA is much more focused on satellites for intelligence-gathering and espionage, the United States uses satellites more often for early warning on ballistic missiles. One analyst said that China wouldnt be interested in destroying satellites unless it was intending to fight. Colorado Father Welcomes Infant Girl but Loses Wife on Same Day, Say Reports A Colorado man welcomed his newborn daughter into the world, but he is mourning the loss of his wife, who died during childbirth. Frederick Connie, the husband and father, said his wife, Keyvonne Connie, began suffering from hemorrhaging in their Littleton home, Fox31 reported on Dec. 5. She wasnt due to give birth until mid-January, but the hemorrhaging started in late November. Im like are you OK? And I see blood everywhere, he said. Community donates $10,000 and a funeral for woman who died during childbirth https://t.co/pOLwDYu7qM pic.twitter.com/kEgGPqQF0Y FOX31 Denver KDVR (@KDVR) December 6, 2018 He rushed her to the hospital, and doctors presented him with an impossible choice. It was either give her the surgery first and maybe save her life, but youre going to lose your daughter. Or your daughter can be saved but theres a chance you might lose your wife, Frederick Connie told the Fox affiliate. He said he chose for his wife to have the emergency C-section to save their daughter. Im glad I made that decision because in the end if Keyvonne probably could have survived she would have hated me for the rest of my life because I knew how she felt about kids, Connie added. He said his wife made it through the C-section and was in recovery before her health rapidly went downhill a few minutes later. He showed his wife pictures of the infant girl. I gave her her moms name. Shes going to know her mom. Ill make sure of that, he said of his daughters name, Angelique Keyvonne Connie. Literally all of her insides just went all over the bed and the floor, he told Fox31. They tried [to save her] and her heart couldnt take it. She died before they could even get her to the surgery. Frederick Connie was faced with a heartbreaking decision. Gepostet von Us Weekly am Montag, 10. Dezember 2018 The report said she later passed away, dying the same day the girl was born. They got me a room in labor and delivery and Im the only man to ever have a room in the labor and delivery and the mothers there said it was OK, Connie said. He said the infant girl has health issues of her own, and shes expected to stay in the hospital for as long as several weeks. She is consuming donated breast milk and wearing donated clothes. Im [ignorant] on changing diapers but Im going to learn. Im going to be a full-time father to her, Connie added. Connies boss, Justin Collins, started a fundraiser on Facebook to help the new father. He said he was given a choice to save their unborn child, but risk losing his wife, or save his wife but risk losing their unborn child. Gepostet von Fox News Health am Freitag, 7. Dezember 2018 Along with caring for her is hospital bills, a funeral, and all the basic needs for caring for a child I cant Imagine any more difficult time then this in a persons life (sic), Collins wrote. Other details about their case arent clear. Risk of Death Doesnt End After Childbirth According to one doctor, a womans risk of dying during pregnancy doesnt end once the baby is born. People think that once the birth is over, that thats the acute event, but many of these things happen after delivery, said Dr. Barbara Levy, with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told WTOP. Blood clots in the legs that go to the lungs happen after delivery; many of the hemorrhages happen after delivery; the heart failure cases almost uniformly happen after delivery. So there are quite a number of conditions that can impact a moms health, far beyond the act of having that baby, she stated. Britain's Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn (R) applauds Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott (L) after she addressed delegates on the third day of the Labour party conference in Liverpool, northwest England, on Sept. 25, 2018. Abbott spoke at the Congressional Progressive Caucus summit in March about socialist politics. (OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images) Congressional Progressive Caucus Gets Foreign Advice on How to Socialize Democratic Party Commentary About eight months before the midterm elections this year, the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) met with European socialists and communists at an off-the-record, invite-only strategy meeting in Baltimore. The European socialists shared their tactics in moving European politics further to the left and encouraged the American activists at the meeting to move the Democratic Party toward socialism during the meeting, which was held March 8 to 9. At the time, the CPC had 78 members and was part of the minority party in the House of Representatives. With a major influx of new hard-left members since the midterms, the CPC now stands at more than 90 members, or roughly 40 percent of the entire Democratic congressional delegation. In fact, the CPC is poised to take several important committee chairmanships and to massively increase its influence, now that the Democratic Party has retaken control of the House. Every year since 2010, the CPC has hosted a strategy summit to coordinate with progressive movement leaders. According to the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center: Each year, progressive Members of Congress and leading progressive organizers from around the country gather to strategize and organize, regarding the progressive agenda for the coming year. Over the years, over 1,000 progressive leaders have participated in the annual Strategy Summit. The event is seen as one of quintessential [sic] progressive policy events of the year, helping to guide and educate key progressives in America on the issues that matter most. The CPCs strategy conference featured more than 350 progressive leaders and activists from across the country, according to OurFuture.org. Attendees Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) addressed the crowd, as did House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was in attendance, as were prominent left activists like Lori Wallach of Global Trade Watch, Sirine Shebaya of Muslim Advocates, Linda Sarsour of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the Womens March, Jean Ross of the DSA-controlled National Nurses United, Ezra Levin of Indivisible, Mary Kay Henry of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Sarita Gupta of Jobs with Justice, Jayne Fagan of MoveOn.org, and Mike Lux (a one-time DSA member) of the Progressive Caucus Action Fund. This year, the CPC strategy conference, which normally confines itself to domestic politics, broke new ground by inviting a small foreign delegation. The invitees included some of the worlds most influential and dangerous socialists. According to Albert Scharenberg, of the openly Marxist policy group Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung: Composed and supported by the New York office of the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung, the delegation consisted of representatives of European left parties: Sevim Dagdelen (deputy chair of Die Linke in the German Bundestag), Eduardo Maura (member of the Spanish parliament for Podemos), Yiannis Bournous (head of international relations for Syriza), and Diane Abbott (representative of the British Labor Party and member of Jeremy Corbyns shadow cabinet). Based in Manhattan, the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung is one of 17 foreign offices of the Berlin-based Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (RLS). Established in 1990and with a multimillion-dollar budget provided by the German taxpayerthe RLS is tasked with spreading Marxist ideas, and coordinating socialist and communist activities around the globe. Named after the famous German revolutionary, RLS is directly affiliated to Die Linke, Germanys most left-wing parliamentary political party. Die Linke is a direct descendant of the former East Germanys ruling communist party. While now calling itself democratic socialist, Die Linke functions as part of the European Left bloc in the European Parliament, and has close relations with Cuba, Russia, and multiple communist and socialist parties around the world. Die Linke has even called to replace NATO with a collective security system, including Russia. Extensive ongoing communist tiesand the fact that several of its leaders were former informants for East Germanys dreaded Stasi secret policemake Die Linke an ongoing target of German intelligence services. Bournous is a leading activist in the Coalition of the Radical Left (Syriza), Greeces largest parliamentary leftist party. He is also a member of the central political committee of Synaspismos, one of Syrizas affiliate groups. Synaspismos emerged initially as an electoral coalition in the late 1980s, with the pro-Soviet Communist Party of Greece. Bournous also is a member of the executive board of the European Left. Syrizas other constituent factions include the groups Renewing Communist Ecological Left, Internationalist Workers Left, and Movement for the United in Action Left (a splinter group of the Communist Party of Greece). The Spanish party Podemos (We Can) is headed by journalist Pablo Iglesias Turrion, a former member of the Spanish Communist Youth. Podemos works closely with Die Linke, Syriza, and the Corbyn wing of the British Labour Party. British Labour Party Diane Abbott of the British Labour Party is one of the most far-left members of the UK Parliament. She serves as home secretary in Corbyns Shadow Cabinet. Abbott and Corbyn were reportedly lovers in the 1970s, even taking a romantic tour of communist East Germany together on a motorcycle. When Corbyn challenged for the British Labour Party leadership in 2015, betting odds on his election were 2001. However, recent changes in Labours voting rules tripled the number of eligible rank-and-file voters to 500,000. A coordinated wave of thousands of socialists flooded into the Labour Party to vote for Corbyn. They were able to overwhelm the Tony BlairGordon Brown New Labor parliamentary faction and secure a shock victory for their leader. Abbott wrote on the LabourList website in March 2018: The Labour Party has always had their share of socialists. But it is now led by socialists. This is not accidental. Abbott seems keen to help the progressive wing of the Democratic Party in the United States to carry out a similar coup. According to Scharenberg of the RLS: On the second conference day, Diane Abbott gave a speech typifying the political orientation of the CPC and the Democrats. She talked about how Jeremy Corbyn, herself, and a few others had experienced the dark years of Blairs Third Way in the House of Commons. She explained how they did not give up, but fought on, and then, when the opportunity presented itself, took over the neo-liberal party and threw the rudder of the Labour Party to the left. And she explained how this new course, which she emphasized is socialist, has become increasingly popular. When Abbott delivered the greetings of the socialist Labor Party right at the beginning of her speech, the crowd became a little uneasy. However, when she spoke of socialist politics for the third time at the end of her speech, she had already won over the audiencewhich applauded with a standing ovation. At that point, it looked like most of the audience really wanted the Democratic Party to finally stop lagging behind the Republicans, and to begin recognizing the signs of the times by moving decisively to the left. The CPC works closely with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Communist Party USA, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. All three groups are directly affiliated to the RLS. The DSA also has close ties to Corbyns wing of the Labour Party through its Momentum faction. The CPC is clearly interested in pushing the Democratic Party into full-on socialism. Will Americans sit idly by and let it happen? Trevor Loudon is an author, filmmaker, and public speaker from New Zealand. For more than 30 years, he has researched radical left, Marxist, and terrorist movements and their covert influence on mainstream politics. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Colorado State Senator Accused of Repeated Use of Womens Restrooms Is Resigning Colorado state Sen. Daniel Kagan, who was accused of repeatedly using womens bathrooms inside the Statehouse, has announced that he is resigning. A representative told the Denver Post on Dec. 5 that Kagans resignation is effective Jan. 11, 2019. Its been a great honor to serve the people of Colorado for just short of a decade, Kagan said in a statement, according to the Post. An important obligation of leaders, I believe, is to be open to acknowledging that its time to pass the torch to new leadership and, for me, that time is now. Kagan had served most of four terms in the House before he won election to the Senate District 26 seat in 2016. His statement made no reference to any allegations of misconduct. The Accusations News of the resignation follows accusations earlier this year by female colleagues of the Democratic lawmaker that he entered a womens restroom on multiple occasions. Republican state Sen. Beth Martinez-Humenik said several women claimed to have seen Kagan using a womens toilet more than once since January 2017. Martinez-Humenik also claims she saw Kagan in the bathroom multiple times last year, according to a report by Colorado Public Radio (CPR). In March, she filed a complaint against Kagan, alleging workplace sexual harassment. Sen. Owen Hill, also a Republican, is another lawmaker who claims to have witnessed Kagans alleged encroachments on a space intended for use by women. Hill said he was taking his young daughters to an unlabeled womens room in the Statehouse last year when Kagan allegedly came through the door. I will no longer let my girls use this bathroom, Hill said at the time, as cited by CPR. Kagan was reported by the station as saying hed entered the womens restroom just once by mistake because the facilities werent marked. He said it was an innocent mistake and that when he realized his error, he shamefacedly and sheepishly left. According to a report by Denvers KUSA-TV, the incident prompted the state Senate to post signs outside its restrooms indicating which were intended for men or for women. Still Waiting on His Apology I asked for a public apology to all involved, not a resignation, Martinez-Humenik said, according to The Post. We are still waiting on his apology. A Republican spokesman said Kagan should have apologized, and suggested the Democrat preferred to resign rather than deal with the accusations. Kagan wronged her and others, said Daniel Cole, and he should acknowledge their experience instead of just resigning to avoid having to look at them. A Nothing Burger Kagan has said that the case of his alleged intrusions into womens bathrooms is, in reality, an attempt to take the heat off Republican senators, at least three of whom have faced formal complaints so far this year. I fear that what they are doing is looking around for something to distract attention from that, but I cant look inside their minds, he said, according to CPR. All I know is they seem to be making a mountain out of less than a molehill. Several of Kagans Democratic colleagues agree, including Sen. Rhonda Fields, who called the story a nothing burger. Many butt-slappers and thigh-strokers fancy that they are merely flirting and flattering, Kagan said before the Senate, in remarks that CPR reported had irked some of Kagans colleagues. A member of the Asaish Kurdish security force shows a reporter the inside of a house occupied by ISIS terrorists, on Feb. 23, 2017, in Bashiqa, Iraq. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz) Do More to Bring Canadians Who Joined ISIS to Justice, Experts Tell Feds Ottawa urged to devise a strategy to ensure returning Canadian militants are prosecuted With the collapse of the ISIS terrorist group in Syria and Iraq, human rights and security experts say its time for Ottawa to stop dragging its feet and take action to bring Canadians who joined ISIS to justice, whether they are detained abroad or have already returned. Kurdish officials are currently holding 13 Canadian citizensincluding three jihadi fighters, their wives, and seven childrenin makeshift prisons in northern Syria, but these detainment camps are overstretched and authorities want Canada to take back its citizens, according to a Global News investigation. A lot of people are saying we should just let them rot over there and I can understand that sentiment, but when you think about it, these people were radicalized in Canada, they were recruited in Canada, and they left to go over there from Canada, said Scott Newark, a criminology professor at Simon Fraser University and a former Crown prosecutor. If they do not come back to Canada, they may go to Libya or anywhere else in the world. So as an international partner in this we have an obligation in taking the steps that we can take to minimize the risks to ourselves and to others. The federal Liberals have been criticized by the Official Opposition and national security experts for not coming up with a concrete plan to prosecute returning extremist fighters. Talk of reintegration and rehabilitation for those who left Canada to participate in terrorism has been greeted with derision. Although few details have been made public about how the government is dealing with returning citizens who joined ISIS or other terrorist groups, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale has said that returnees who have been found to engage in activities related to terrorism will face prosecution. He added, however, that one of the biggest challenges for security and police agencies is to collect evidence that will stand up in a court of law. With more than 900 foreigners who fought for ISIS held in Syria that the Kurds want gone, how to deal with them when they return home is a dilemma several other countries besides Canada are facing. Allies such as Britain, France, and the United States have a policy of targeted assassination of citizens who fight on the side of ISIS, but Goodale has said Canada does not engage in death squads. Canada also hasnt gone the route of stripping ISIS militants of their citizenship, as countries like Australia and the United Kingdom have done, although it will cancel passports. There was an estimate where there are over 100 countries that have citizens that have been identified as being engaged in this, and different countries do it differently, said Newark. A CSIS report estimates that about 60 people they have identified as jihadists already returned to Canada. Another 180-190 terrorist fighters who have ties to Canada are known by the government to be still overseas, but many of those are thought to have been killed in battle. Since 2016, just four returnees have been charged with terrorism-related offences. Two were convicted, and the other two cases remain before the courts, according to the Ministry of Public Safety. Britain and the United States have had better success. Of the estimated 400 Britons who have returned to the U.K. after leaving to fight for ISIS, 40 have been successfully prosecuted. In the United States, 135 people have been charged for their affiliation with ISIS and 77 convicted, according to the Soufan Center. Difficult but not impossible Newark wants to see the federal government put forward a proactive strategy that would include gathering admissible evidence to prosecute Canadians who joined ISIS. Lets first find out who we are dealing with, how many people are there, and find out what information do we have already on them that could be admissible in court, he said. Newark, who was a security policy adviser for Canada, said converting intelligence and gathering new evidence from overseas combat zones in order to prosecute the Canadian ISIS terrorists is a difficult process but not impossible. He said Ottawa should be enhancing the RCMP-led Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams to work with other agencies like the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and be deployed in the Kurdish-controlled territories where Canadian jihadists and their families are being held. There, they could gather evidence and build potential cases for prosecution by interviewing detainees. If Canadian authorities cant arrange for local prosecution or plea deals and have the terrorists transferred immediately back to home soil, then the government should attempt to arrange plea bargains so offenders can be incarcerated upon their arrival back home, he said. This is very much a case-by-case scenario. The prime minister is correct when he said this is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, said Newark, adding that electronic monitoring, peace bonds, and social media scouring are other approaches the government should employ. Kyle Matthews, executive director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia University, said public pressure is mounting to address the issue and commends good journalism for helping expose the lack of evidence-gathering by Ottawa. How is it that a Canadian journalist is able to go into this area and get information on Canadians but our own government officials dont seem to be doing that? he said, referring to Stuart Bell at Global News who travelled to Iraq and northern Syria and interviewed some Canadian ISIS fighters held in captivity. Ultimately, for Matthews, the rule of law and Canadas reputation as a human rights advocate should propel Ottawa to do more. These people who went off to Iraq and Syria, we know they have committed serious human rights violations that are unimaginable, such as sexual slavery and genocide, he said. The issue is how best to deal with this, and I think from a justice perspective when you are looking at the crimes, there are increasing voices that say we should actually try to hold these people to account for crimes they may have committed as well as justice for the victims of the groups affected. We cant just turn our back Goodale has said he is waiting for amendments to Bill C-59, the Liberals anti-terror legislation currently before the Senate which gives some special powers to investigate suspected terrorists. Meanwhile, a motion passed in the House of Commons Oct. 22 from Conservative MP Michelle Rempel asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government to table a plan to prosecute anyone who left Canada to fight with ISIS, approved in a vote of 280 to one. Both Newark and Matthews said they are cautiously optimistic that the Liberals will come up with a plan and show leadership in getting more prosecutions for ISIS militants. We cannot give these people the benefit of the doubt and pretend that they are all innocent and they were simply just bus drivers or cooks. They engaged in an enterprise that was bent on destruction, death and killing, and crimes of sexual slaverycrimes so severe that from a moral perspective we cant just turn our back, Matthews said. He adds there needs to be a strong deterrent through legal recourse, given that ISIS has a growing presence in Libya, Afghanistan, Philippines, Mali, and West Africa. [ISIS] are not dead, but they are moving into other places. If we dont try to hold our citizens to account who have joined this group, then whats to stop them from going again? Jared Gnam is a freelance reporter based in Vancouver. People cast their ballots at a polling station in Donetsk, in the rebel-held area of eastern Ukraine on Nov. 11, 2018. (Aleksey Filippov/AFP/Getty Images) EU Said Moving to Sanction 9 People Over Separatist Elections in Ukraine BRUSSELSThe European Union is set to add nine people to its Russia sanctions blacklist, in response to the organization of highly disputed elections in Eastern Ukraine, sources say. Foreign ministers from the 28 EU countries are expected to announce the latest measures when they meet in Brussels on Dec. 10 after a call for action from Kiev, diplomatic sources told The Epoch Times, on condition of anonymity. The move, which will boost the number of people censured by the bloc over the war in Ukraine to 164, comes in response to sham elections held in the separatist region of Donbass last month. Moscow has been accused by Ukraine and the West of fomenting the fighting that has ravaged the eastern part of Ukraine, where there is a significant ethnic Russian population, since the conflict intensified in March 2014. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko denounced the elections, held in the Donetsk and Luhansk areas on Nov. 11, saying they were illegal and represent yet another example of Russian subversive activity. He had appealed directly to European leaders to issue sanctions, which usually include travel bans and asset freezes, on all of the key officials responsible for organizing the contests. A senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that nine people of Ukrainian and Russian nationality will be added to the sanctions list at the Dec. 10 meeting. The diplomat said that more names could be added later, adding: Its not the end of the story. We can always come back to the issue and sanction some more. Russia has defended the holding of the elections, with the Kremlin blaming Kiev for the deplorable situation in the east of the country by failing to fulfill the Minsk agreements designed to halt a war that has killed more than 10,000 people. Separately, sources say EU countries are also currently working on adding five Russian nationals to a brand new chemical weapons sanctions list over their alleged involvement in the Salisbury poisoning in the UK, where Russian intelligence officer Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were poised with the nerve agent Novichok. At the meeting on Dec. 10, European foreign ministers are also set to discuss ongoing tensions between Moscow and Kiev in the Sea of Azov, which were sparked when Russian vessels fired on three Ukrainian warships late last month. NATO has accused Moscow of using aggressive tactics to try and expand its influence and control in the vital waters, which lie between the Crimean peninsula and mainland Russia and connect directly to the Black Sea. Poroshenko has called for the alliance to deploy warships to the area and set up a blockade to keep Russian ships out, but diplomats think the idea is unlikely to gain traction in Europe. However, Federica Mogherini, the EUs high representative for foreign affairs, has warned actions will need to be taken with the chaos in the Azov Sea starting to affect European commercial interests. The activities in the Azov Sea slow down enormously the vessels that are also carrying European Union member states flags so we are suffering an impact on our own economies, Mogherini said at a press conference. However, the bloc is reportedly divided over who is ultimately to blame for the incident, with some countries more sympathetic to Moscow, suggesting Ukraine acted provocatively by sending its ships into the sea. There are countries that would be reluctant to do anything thats seen as too tough on Russia. Its clear the Russians have behaved badly and wrongly and I dont think anyone disputes that, a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity said. Russia has rejected international calls to release 24 Ukrainian crewmen taken prisoner during the initial confrontation on Nov. 25 and has instead transferred them to Moscow where they have been charged with attempting to illegally cross Russias border. Farewell GampyFormer U.S. President George HW Bush Mourned by Family HOUSTONFormer President George H.W. Bushs family took center stage at his funeral in Houston on Dec. 6, with personal tributes, grandsons who knew him better as Gampy serving as honorary pallbearers and granddaughters reading from the Bible. Bush, the 41st U.S. president, died last week in Texas at age 94. His remains were flown to Texas on Wednesday evening after a state funeral at Washingtons National Cathedral attended by President Donald Trump, the four living former U.S. presidents, and foreign leaders. Thursdays service took place at St. Martins Episcopal Church, where Bush worshipped for more than 50 years, with more than 1,000 mourners singing America the Beautiful. George W. Bush, who followed his father to the White House, making just the second father-son pair of presidents in U.S. history, sat in the front pew near the flag-draped casket. George P. Bush, son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and one of the former presidents 17 grandchildren, reminisced about fly fishing and sharing Blue Bell Creameries ice cream, a well-known Texas brand, as a child with the man he called Gampy. James Baker, who served as Bushs secretary of state and was a longtime friend, eulogized the former president as a peacemaker and a truly beautiful human being. He was not considered a skilled speaker, but his deeds were quite eloquent and he demonstrated their eloquence by carving them into the hard granite of history, Baker said, summarizing Bushs accomplishments in foreign policy. Mourners laughed as Baker recalled how Bush would let him know a conversation was over: Baker, if youre so smart, why am I president and youre not?' His voice cracking at moments, Baker said he was at his friends deathbed last week. Raised in an Episcopalian family in Massachusetts, Bush fused his preppy New England background with the more free-wheeling traits of his adoptive state of Texas, where he moved as a young man to work in the oil industry. This mix was reflected in some of Bushs musical choices for his funeral: the St. Martins Parish Choir sang The Battle Hymn of the Republic, country music star Reba McEntire sang The Lords Prayer, and the casket was carried out of the church at the end of the service to the thunderous rhythm of Onward Christian Soldiers. Locomotive 4141 Following the service, Bushs remains were being taken by car and train about 80 miles (130 km) northwest to his presidential library in College Station, Texas. He will be interred there alongside the graves of his wife, Barbara Bush, who died in April, and their daughter Robin, who died of leukemia at the age of 3 in 1953. The train is a Union Pacific Corp locomotive, numbered 4141 and bearing the name George Bush 41 on the side. Bush, who narrowly escaped death as a naval aviator who was shot down by Japanese forces over the Pacific Ocean in World War Two, will be buried with military honors, including a flyover by 21 aircraft from the U.S. Navy. Bush was president from 1989 to 1993, navigating the collapse of the Soviet Union and expelling former Iraqi President Saddam Husseins forces from oil-rich Kuwait. He supported the passage of the American with Disabilities Act, a major civil rights law protecting disabled people from discrimination. A patrician figure, Bush was voted out of office in part for failing to connect with ordinary Americans during an economic recession. He has also been criticized for supporting tough drug laws that led to the disproportionate incarceration of black people, as well as what activists call an insufficient response to the AIDS epidemic when he was in power during some of its deadliest years. But many tributes in recent days have focused on the former Republican president as a man of integrity and kindness who represented an earlier era of civility in American politics. By Dan Whitcomb and Jonathan Allen Father of American Woman Slain in Costa Rica Speaks Out The father of Carla Stefaniak, the American woman found dead in Costa Rica, has spoken out, saying hes in terrible pain after his daughters death. Stefaniak, 36, had traveled from Florida to San Jose to celebrate her 36th birthday and went missing on Nov. 27. Her body was found on Monday, half-buried and wrapped in plastic, near the Airbnb apartment she had been renting and a security guard at the apartment, Bismark Espinosa Martinez, was arrested. Martinez is a Nicaraguan national who moved to Costa Rica several months ago. He was working as a security guard at Villa Le Mas, a compound with seven vacation apartments, despite not having the proper documents to be in Costa Rica, officials told The Associated Press. The whole world will know about you in a tragic way. What a terrible pain. How I would have liked to go through my life unnoticed, without the whole world knowing about us, Carlos Caicedo, Stefaniaks father, said in Spanish at a press conference on Dec. 5. It doesnt give me any comfort but I really want the authorities, especially the judicial authorities, to track down those responsible for this abominable and terrible act, and to bring the full weight of the law upon them, he added. He said that he saw her body at the morgue. She had her head bashed in and throat slashed, an image he said has stuck with him. Its too much for us, he told WFTS. His family is now incomplete, he added. Do you see how happy she was? he said, showing an image of her and his mother. Stefaniaks brother Mario Caicedo traveled to Costa Rica in the wake of her death and is trying to retrace her steps. UPDATE : Around 11:30pm on 12/05, Costa Rican Authorities finally allowed the family of Carla to see the body. Carlas Finding Carla He said that guards on the Airbnb property told him she was there the night before her death and left at 5 a.m., taking everything she had brought with her. The owner of the Airbnb said that Stefaniak took an Uber away from the property but Stefaniaks Uber records dont list a transaction. And that story was disputed by family members. None of us really believe this 5 a.m. story because it really doesnt make sense, Stefaniaks sister-in-law April Burton told Fox 13 before the body was found. We know she was abducted. Theres no reason for her not to contact anyone. Burton was celebrating with Stefaniak but departed on Nov. 27; Stefaniak was scheduled to depart on Nov. 28, but she went missing and never arrived at the airport. It was her birthday, and it makes me feel really bad. I do feel guilty because I left early, Burton said. The death came after the U.S. State Department in September issued a travel advisory for U.S. nationals visiting Costa Rica. Exercise normal precautions in Costa Rica. Some areas have increased risk, the agency said. The FBI and State Department are involved in the investigation of the murder. From NTD News Assistant Director of the FBI Counterintelligence Division Bill Priestap testifies during a hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill on June 21, 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) FBI Counterintelligence Chief Priestap to Retire by End of 2018 Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBI Counterintelligence Division, is retiring by the end of the year. After his departure, there will be no top FBI officials left from the group that investigated Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information and launched a counterintelligence probe into the Trump administration. Assistant Director Bill Priestap became eligible to retire and has chosen to do so after 20 years of service, the FBI said in an emailed statement, referring to the FBI rule that employees over 50 years of age can retire after 20 years of service with a full pension. An FBI official told The Epoch Times that Priestap will leave by the end of the year. Priestap was at the center of the Clinton and Trump probes from 2015 to 2017. He was involved in crafting then-FBI Director James Comeys speech exonerating Clinton in July 2016. He was also the direct supervisor of then-Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok, the lead agent on both investigations, codenamed Midyear and Crossfire Hurricane, respectively. But Priestap was also, to some degree, cut out of the loop. His boss at the time, then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, picked as his counsel then-FBI lawyer Lisa Page, who was to serve as a liaison between the Midyear team and McCabe, she told the Justice Departments Inspector General office. Page was later revealed as a mistress of Strzok and text messages between the two showed bias against Trump and for Clinton, catapulting both into the media spotlight. Priestap, on the other hand, has managed to keep a relatively low profile. The House Judiciary and House Oversight committees questioned Priestap behind closed doors for several hours on June 5, but only three lawmakers attended: Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), The Hill reported. Priestap is married to Sabina Menschel, who heads a Washington private investigative agency and is a former special adviser to the FBI, according to her biography. Her father is Richard Menschel, Goldman Sachs investment banker, philanthropist, and a donor to the Democratic Party. General Michael Flynn, former National Security Advisor to President Donald Trump, departs the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse following a pre-sentencing hearing on July 10, 2018. (Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images) Flynns Sentencing Memorandum Reveals New Investigations Special counsel Robert Muellers long-awaited sentencing memorandum in the case of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI, was finally made available on Dec. 4. Notably, Mueller recommended no jail time for Flynn, noting his substantial cooperation and other considerations. Of particular note were the specific items Flynn was cooperating on with the special counsel, as outlined in the sentencing memorandum. Under the section Significance and Usefulness of the Defendants Assistance, it states that the defendant has assisted with several ongoing investigationsincluding a criminal investigation, the special counsels investigation into Russia collusion, and a third, unknown investigation. It also states that Flynn has participated in 19 interviews with the special counsel or attorneys from other Department of Justice offices and has provided documents and communications. Mueller stated in the memorandum that Flynn has provided substantial assistance and that some of that benefit may not be fully realized at this time because the investigations in which he has provided assistance are ongoing. Special Counsel Robert Mueller leaves following a meeting with members of the US Senate Judiciary Committee at the US Capitol on June 21, 2017. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images) The disclosure of the additional, ongoing investigations, particularly the criminal investigation, is new information, as is the level of cooperation by Flynn on issues outside of the special counsels Russia investigation. All descriptions of the criminal investigation are fully redacted, as are descriptions of the third, unknown investigation. The reasons for the extensive redactions relate, at least in part, to the fact that these investigations remain ongoing. The section dedicated to Muellers investigation into links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the Trump campaign is, for the most part, unredacted, which may provide indications that the Russia investigation is approaching a conclusion. There does not appear to be any evidence of collusion being alleged in the sentencing document. The sentencing memo also notes that Flynn provided firsthand information about the content and context of interactions between the transition team and Russian government officials, noting that several senior members of the transition team publicly repeated false information conveyed to them by the defendant about communications between Flynn and the Russian Ambassador. Firsthand Insight In the memo, Mueller refers to Flynns long-term and firsthand insight regarding events and issues under investigation. Under Timeliness of the Defendants Assistance, the memo states: The defendant began providing information to the government not long after the government first sought his cooperation. His early cooperation was particularly valuable because he was one of the few people with long-term and firsthand insight regarding events and issues under investigation by the [special counsel]. This is particularly notable given that Flynns tenure with the formal Trump administration amounted to just 24 days. Flynn previously served as the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the Obama administration from 2012 to 2014. Flynn was removed from his position with the DIA by Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Turkey Payment Also covered in the sentencing memorandum are Flynns contact with the Republic of Turkey that took place after Flynns lobbying company contracted with the Turkish government in August 2016. The project, which lasted three months, resulted in Flynns company receiving $530,000. The sentencing memorandum notes that Flynns Foreign Agents Registration Act filings omitted that Turkish officials provided supervision and direction over the Turkey project, which took place when Flynn was an informal national security adviser to the Trump campaign. No Jail Time Recommended The sentencing memo suggests that Flynn should not be given jail time: Given the defendants substantial assistance and other considerations set forth below, a sentence at the low end of the guideline rangeincluding a sentence that does not impose a term of incarcerationis appropriate and warranted. It is worth noting that the special counsel has proven notoriously rigid in relation to sentencing and prosecution. If Flynn had any sort of role in attempts to actively collude with Russia, his chances of not receiving jail time would likely be nonexistent. Flynn Interview Flynn was interviewed on Jan. 24, 2017 by FBI agents Peter Strzok and Joe Pientka regarding his December 2016 conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak. As noted in a May 15, 2018, letter from Sen. Chuck Grassley, former FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the agents interviewing Flynn did not believe that Flynn had lied to them. Additionally, The Washington Post reported in January 2017 that the FBI had found no evidence of wrongdoing in Flynns actual call with the Russian ambassador. The call, and the matters discussed, broke no laws. Nevertheless, Flynn ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI regarding his conversations with Kislyak. It remains unknown who actually leaked Flynns highly classified call with the Russian ambassador to the mediaa far more serious felony violation. 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 A poll worker hands a voter an "I Voted" sticker as she collects their ballot at a polling location on November 6, 2018 in Modesto, California. (Alex Edelman/Getty Images) Former FEC Commissioner Warns of Ballot Harvesting in California U.S. House candidate Young Kim enjoyed a 14-point lead on Election Day as she was poised to become the first Korean-American woman elected to Congress in the nations history. A week later, Kim lost by 3.2 percent, leaving many stunned at the stark turn of events. In a neighboring district in Orange County, California, Mimi Walters was ahead 6,200 votes after polls closed on Election Day, but like Kim, she lost in the days that followed. Similarly, Jeff Denham and David Valadao lost their electionsparticularly surprising outcomes for the traditionally conservative bastion of Orange County. The candidates all had two things in common: They were Republicans vying for U.S. House seats in California, and their elections were decided by a wave of mail-in and provisional ballots that were counted after Nov. 6 and decisively favored Democrats across the board. According to a leading election integrity expert, so-called ballot harvesting may have played a role in the curious election outcomes. Most states only allow family members or someone in a voters household to hand deliver the voters completed absentee ballot to election officials, said Hans von Spakovsky in an email statement to The Epoch Times. This can help prevent vote harvesting, which is when campaign operatives obtain absentee ballots and change or fill in the ballots, altering the voters choice, or intimidate the voters into voting a particular way, and then deliver the altered or forged ballot to election officials, said Spakovsky, a former member of the Federal Election Commission, and leader of the conservative Heritage Foundations Election Law Reform Initiative. In 2016, California passed a state law that unleashed campaign operatives and activists by allowing the unlimited collection of ballots by third party individuals and organizations, who often selectively target would-be voters according to their party affiliation. In a widely circulated video, one California activist was filmed on a home security camera offering to pick up the residents ballot, saying, Its a new service but for only people supporting the Democratic Party. No wrongdoing was exhibited in the video, although the rebuffed operative said she was picking up ballots and would show you how to do it if you dont know. Such activities are deeply concerning for election watchdogs because they present widespread opportunities for fraud. Californias relatively new law that lifted this prohibition on non-family members delivering ballots is a way of wholesaling absentee ballot fraud and making it very easy to commit, Spakovsky said. At least 16 states either expressly limit who can deliver absentee ballots to election officials, or outright ban ballot collecting altogether. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Arizona law banning third-party ballot collecting in the fall of 2016, after an illegal vote harvesting scandal occurred in 2012, involving political operatives posing as election workers. The point of banning this practice is to keep absentee ballots out of the hands of campaign workers, party activists, and others who have an incentive to ensure only absentee ballots for their candidates make it to election officials, said Spakovsky. If they can get their hands on ballots, they may be tempted into forging, altering, or otherwise changing absentee ballots that dont vote the way they want them to vote. This near exact scenario occurred in Texas in 2016, with indictments announced weeks before the recent Nov. 6 elections. On Oct. 12, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton indicted four individuals on 30 felony counts of voter fraud related to ballot harvesting, which allegedly disenfranchised elderly, minority, and disabled voters. Paxton explained that vote harvesting occurs in two phases. The seeding phase, which involves proliferating mail-in ballot applications to blanket targeted precincts, and the harvesting phase, where the mail-in or absentee ballots are either illicitly intercepted or involve paid operatives who assist voters in filling out their ballots while ensuring that the votes are cast for the candidates of the harvesters choice. In most cases, the voters do not even know their votes have been stolen, Paxton said in a press release. In another interview, Logan Churchwell, communications director for the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a prominent election watchdog, said the risks of harvesting ballots and fraud are exacerbated by the astronomic rise in absentee votingwhich accounted for 42 percent of Californias 12.5 million total midterm election votes, and most of the post-Election Day returns. Absentee balloting is the most vulnerable method of voting with respect to fraud, tampering, and error (official or personal), Churchwell told The Epoch Times. These risks run from the relatively mundanesuch as bad address information placing ballots in the wrong handsto the extremes, where harvesters target voters unable to realize that their ballots arent being filled as they wished. He suggested that states could limit the ill-effects of harvesting by restricting the transmission of mail ballots to either voters themselves or their designated family members or lawful assistants. Adding third parties to that mix invites chaos and abuse, he said. When asked about California, Churchwell responded, For better or worse, California Democrats created a legal framework for how they would like to see ballot harvesting done and the larger publicparticularly the conservative grassrootswere caught flat-footed. View from the main entrance of the headquarters of Brazil's state-controlled oil company Petrobras in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, taken on Jun. 1, 2018. (Mauro Pimentel/AFP/Getty Images) Glencore, Trafigura, Vitol Bribed Petrobras Staff: Brazil Prosecutors RIO DE JANEIRO/SAO PAULOTrading giants Vitol, Trafigura, and Glencore paid over $30 million in bribes to employees at state-owned oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, Brazil prosecutors said on Dec. 5, in a graft scheme they believe is ongoing. Top executives of the international companies had total and unequivocal knowledge of the graft scheme, which began in 2009, investigators said at a news conference in Brazil, adding that the details being made public were just the tip of the iceberg. Petrobras employees offered the trading companies lower prices for oil and its derivatives as well as storage tanks in more than 160 separate operations then shared in the savings, authorities said. Evidence shows that there was a scheme in which the companies investigated paid bribes to Petrobras employees to obtain more advantageous prices and sign contracts more frequently, prosecutors said in a statement. They said the bribes moved through bank accounts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland, and Uruguay, among other nations, raising questions of whether those countries would open investigations. Brazilian police alerted Interpol, seeking the arrest of a Petrobras employee in Houston. Petrobras said it was cooperating with authorities and viewed itself as a victim of corruption. We are the most interested party in seeing all the facts come to light, the company said in a statement. We will continue adopting all necessary measures to obtain a proper reparation for damages caused (to Petrobras). Spokesmen for the Glencore, Trafigura, and Petrobras declined to comment. A Vitol spokesman said the firm has a zero tolerance policy in respect of bribery and corruption and will always cooperate fully with the relevant authorities in any jurisdiction in which it operates. The latest revelations are the strongest international links yet made public to the sweeping Car Wash probe, which is centered on political graft at Petrobras, as the Brazilian oil firm is known. U.S. prosecutors say the investigation has uncovered the biggest-ever corruption scheme. Over 130 top businessmen and politicians have been convicted in connection with the case in Brazil, including former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence. Strengthen Credibility The latest developments hit just as the oil giant was hoping to turn the page on corruption. In September, Petrobras settled corruption charges for $850 million with Brazilian and U.S. authorities. Separately on Dec. 5, it launched a new business plan saying its goal is to strengthen the credibility, pride, and reputation of Petrobras. The latest Car Wash chapter could undermine Petrobras deals and ability to embark on privatization plans that Brazils far-right President-elect Jair Bolsonaros economy team wants to carry out. Petrobras said a month ago it is selling its 50 percent stake in a Nigerian oil and gas exploration venture to a consortium led by Vitol for $1.53 billion as the state-controlled oil company reduces debt. The deal has not yet closed and it was unclear how Dec. 5 action may affect it. It was not the first time prosecutors have zeroed in on Trafigura, a commodities trading giant based in Geneva. In March this year, a former top Trafigura executive, Mariano Marcondes Ferraz, was found guilty of bribing a Petrobras executive on behalf of his own company, Decal do Brasil. He was sentenced to over 10 years in jail. Swiss prosecutors also have an ongoing related investigation, announced one month after Ferrazs arrest in Brazil in 2016. The Office of the Attorney General in Switzerland had opened a criminal probe into an employee of Trafigura as part of a wider investigation into suspected corruption at Petrobras. It did not name the employee. By Pedro Fonseca & Marcelo Rochabrun Global Stocks Fall After New York Listed Stocks Suffer Global stock prices fell to one-week lows today, as declines by long-dated U.S. bond yields and a revival of trade concerns increased fears of a downturn in the United States. U.S. markets are closed today to mourn the death of former President George H.W. Bush but the effect of the earlier losses on Wall Street was felt in Asia and Europe. On Dec. 5, confusion stemming from Chinas silence on what was agreed to in the tariff truce meeting with the United States, along with the drop in U.S. stocks and bond yields, pushed Asian shares outside Japan down 1.4 percent or 7.1 points lower to 494.79. In Europe, Stoxx 600 shares fell 1.16 percent 16.15 points lower to 354.27. Hong Kongs Hang Seng index declined 1.62 percent440.76 points lower to 26,819.68, and the Shanghai markets fell 0.61 percent16.15 lower to 62,649.81. Tokyos Nikkei 225 lost .53 percent116.72 points lower to 21,919.33. Seouls Kospi gave up .62 percent13.04 points lower to 2,101.31, and Indias Sensex was 0.69 percent249.90 points lower to 35,884.41. In Europe, Londons FTSE 100 index shed 1.44 percent100.92 points lower to 6,921.84, and Germans DAX lost 1.19 percent135.08 points lower to 11,200.24. Frances CAC 40 retreated 1.36 percent68.28 points lower to 4,944.37. Markets are also bracing for more news on the Brexit front. British Prime Minister Theresa May suffered defeats yesterday, the first of five days of parliamentary debate over her plans to leave the European Union. The pound rose off 17-month lows up 0.3 percent, amid optimism that Britain could opt to stay in the EU after all. Jeremy Sandberg contributed to this report. Homeless Washington Man Finds Bag Holding $17,000, Turns It in to Food Bank A homeless man who found a bag holding $17,000 in cash turned it in to a food bank, earning praise. The situation took place in Sumner, Washington. The homeless man, Kevin Booth, has been visiting the Sumner Food Bank for five years. He found the bag right outside the food bank. He leaned over, picked it up, looked in it and he knew it was money. He waited for our person who comes in at 7:30 in the morning. He waited for her, gave it to her and said, Somebody left this for you, Anita Miller, director of Sumner Food Bank, told Q13 Fox. It was a big decision for him because he could use it, but you do not take from somebody else. It would be stealing, and he doesnt steal, she added. The food bank staff called the police, who held the money for 90 days. Since no one claimed it during that time, it went to the food bank. Miller said the bank will use the funds to expand the building so it can provide more services in the future. The food bank also used some of the funds to purchase gift cards to Fred Meyer, Booths favorite local store and gave him the gift cards. The Sumner Police Department presented him with a citizen certificate. Booth Describes Finding Bag Booth, 32, said he saw the brown bag containing the money outside the food banks community breadbox, which typically holds food that the needy can grab. At first, I was like, what the heck is that lying on the ground? he told the Seattle Times. He reached in and pulled out a $20 bill. He decided to stay put until a food bank volunteer arrived at the building. Volunteer Russell Carver was one of those who was there when the food banks doors opened on that August day. He said somebody left this donation for the food bank, and we were just shocked, Carver told King 5. We just couldnt believe how much money was in there. Booth said that he didnt know that much money was inside and when police officers stopped him and told him later, he was stunned. I got stopped later by (officers) and they told me what was in there and I just about fainted, Booth told the Times. Ive never touched that much money and I dont think I ever will again. He described not keeping the money as a hard decision. There are a lot of people who would have taken it, Booth said. Im just not that person. He said hes lived in the area for 19 years and has been homeless off and on for 7 and a half years. Sumner Deputy Chief Jeff Engel said he spoke to Booth. He said the community could use it more than I could. Spread it out to help a lot more people, Engel told King 5. The certificate presented to booth says: We are all very proud of you and believe that your actions are in keeping with the finest traditions of Sumners most civic-minded citizens. Huaweis Chief Financial Officer Arrested in Canada Canadian authorities have arrested Huaweis chief financial officer on suspicion that she violated U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. Meng Wanzhou, who is the deputy chair of Huaweis board and daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, was arrested in Vancouver at the request of U.S. authorities, The Globe and Mail reported. A court hearing has been set for Dec. 7. According to The Globe and Mail, it is alleged that Meng attempted to evade U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. The investigation, launched by the Justice Department in 2016, alleges that Huawei had been shipping U.S. origin products to Iran and the other countries in violation of U.S. export and sanction laws. The aim of the Justice Departments investigation is to prevent companies, such as Huawei and ZTE Corp. that may be answerable to the Chinese Communist Party, from gaining access into the U.S. economy amid allegations of spying on its citizens. The investigation is being run out of the U.S. Attorneys Office in Brooklyn, according to The Globe and Mail. A Huawei statement said Meng, who also has gone by the English names Cathy and Sabrina, was detained when she was transferring flights in Canada. The investigation into Huawei is similar to that which led to the near-downfall of its domestic competitor, Chinese smartphone maker ZTE. In 2017, ZTE pleaded guilty in U.S. federal court to evading U.S. embargoes on Iran, by buying American tech parts, incorporating them into ZTE equipment, then illegally shipping them to Iran. The case was the result of a five-year federal investigation. The company paid $890 million in fines and penalties. However, earlier this year, the United States banned American firms from selling parts and software to ZTE for seven years, a move which brought the company to its knees. Washington accused ZTE of violating an agreement on punishing employees arising out of the court case. The ban was lifted by President Donald Trump in May after a request from the Chinese regime. As part of a new deal to lift the ban, ZTE agreed to pay $1 billion in fines, replace its entire board of directors and senior management, and to have a compliance team assembled by the U.S. Commerce Department embedded in its operations. The arrest drew a quick reaction in Washington. U.S. Senator Ben Sasse praised the action and said that it was for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran. He added, Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored, and sometimes its laundered through many of Beijings so-called private sector entities. Reuters contributed to this report. Watch Next: 5 Ways China is subverting the United States Gina and China Uncensored host Chris Chappell to count down the worst cases of Chinese subversion in America. Iowa Father Gets Life in Jail for Murder of Maggot-Infested Infant Son An Iowa father will spend the rest of his life behind bars for leaving his infant son alone in an apartment bedroom for nine days while maggots crawled over the boy and E. coli infected his bloodstream before he died, according to a report by The Des Moines Register. Zachary Koehn, 29, was convicted last month of first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death, the report said. He was sentenced on Dec. 4 in Chickasaw County District Court. Assistant Iowa Attorney General Coleman McAllister spoke to jurors on Oct. 30 and revealed grim details of the boys death. Died of Diaper Rash McAllister said that Sterling Koehn, who was four months of age when he died, was in the same diaper for 9 to 14 days when his body was found in a baby swing in his parents apartment on Aug. 30, 2017, The Associated Press reported. He said the baby died of diaper rash and provided a range of disturbing facts suggesting the boy likely died in agony. Feces in the boys diaper ate through his skin, causing E. coli bacteria to enter his bloodstream and cause an infection, prosecutors said. The hot room attracted flies that laid eggs, which hatched into maggots and crawled on the boy while he was still alive. While the boy languished in this condition, Koehn and the childs mother, 21-year-old Cheyanne Harris, continued to look after for their 2-year-old daughter in the same apartment unit. He was aware of what was going on and he chose to do nothing, said Assistant Iowa Attorney General Denise Timmins, according to The Register. Harris has also been charged with first-degree murder and child endangerment causing death. Her sentencing trial is scheduled for January. According to The Register, she has entered a plea of not guilty. He died of diaper rash. Thats right, diaper rash, McAllister said. A report from the local coroners office said the boy died of dehydration, malnutrition, and the infection. Tragedy But Not a Crime Koehns attorney argued the babys death was tragic, but it was not a crime. There are multiple instances in the law imposing an affirmative duty not to kill. That conduct is prohibited under law. However, it is a different crime, not murder in the first degree, said Koehns defense attorney Steven Drahozal. He also argued that parts of the crime were not proven during the trial, and the defendant deserved a new trial. Judge Richard Stochl rejected the arguments of the defense and sentenced Koehn to life behind bars. Blank Stare Toni Friedrich, an EMT nurse, said she was the first to arrive on the scene of the parents apartment in Alta Vista, Iowa. The babys eyes were open, and it was a blank stare, she said of the boys death. She said Koehn showed no emotion when he led her to the room where the baby had died. Friedrich told jurors that when she touched the babys chest, his clothes were crusty. There were also gnats on his blanket, she said. Brandy Harris, a grandmother of the child, said she remembered that the 4-month-old was small but in good health. He was a relatively happy baby, she said, KCRG reported. Jordan Clark, a trucker who worked with Koehn, also said he took meth with both Koehn and Harris at their apartment, the report stated. Clark, however, said he didnt know there was an infant there in the house, and he stated that neither Harris or Koehn mentioned the child, and he didnt see anyone go into the bedroom to provide care. Koehn remained silent at his sentencing, only shaking his defense attorneys hand at the end. The Epoch Times reporter Jack Philipps contributed to this report. Its My Deal, No Deal, or No Brexit at All, Says UK PM Theresa May LONDONPrime Minister Theresa May said on Dec. 6 that British lawmakers faced a choice ahead of a vote on her Brexit deal: Approving her deal or facing an exit with no deal or even the reversal of Brexit. May said she was speaking to lawmakers about giving parliament a bigger role in whether the Northern Irish backstop arrangement would be triggered, though she gave few details. May said some in parliament were trying to frustrate Brexit and that she did not think another referendum on Brexit was the right course. There are three options: One is to leave the European Union with a deal the other two are that we leave without a deal or that we have no Brexit at all, May told BBC radio. Its clear that there are those in the House of Commons who want to frustrate Brexit and overturn the vote of the British people and thats not right. May repeatedly sidestepped questions on whether she would delay the Dec. 11 vote but did hint at possible concessions on the Northern Irish backstop. There are questions about how decisions are taken as to whether we go into the backstop, because that isnt an automatic, she said. The question is: Do we go into the backstop? Do we extend what I call the implementation period? When asked repeatedly what her Plan B would be if her deal was rejected, she did not directly answer the questions. By James Davey and Sarah Young Unfolding a large banner calling for more jobs in Europe and in Croatia a group of protesters as part of some 50,000 people coming from Belgium, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Poland and others, demonstrate 19 March 2005 in the streets of Brussels in a anti-EU Neo liberal policies demonstration organized by European Trade Unions. (Gerard Cerles/AFP/Getty Images) Labor Shortage Compounds Croatias Struggle to Catch up to Western Europe ZAGREBCroatia is suffering a severe labor shortage, most glaringly in its booming seaside tourist resorts, that is compounding obstacles to economic growth and dimming hopes of catching up to more developed European Union peers. The problem reflects poor levels of pay, education, and skills-training in a still mainly state-dominated economy that has driven many young Croats to find more lucrative, fulfilling work in affluent western EU countries, analysts say. The mismatch between education and the needs of the economy, a low readiness for mobility within Croatia and a high number of people leaving to work in other EU states negatively affect Croatias labor market, Iva Tomic at the Zagreb Economic Institute think-tank told Reuters. According to the national employers association HUP, Croatian firms cannot fill at least 30,000 jobs, largely in tourism, which accounts for almost 20 percent of gross domestic product, and in construction, retail, and manufacturing. This at a time when Croatia and other European Mediterranean tourist hotspots are struggling to cope with huge crowds arriving on cheap flights and cruise ships in the summer high season. Tourism in Croatia, with its spectacular, rugged Dalmatian seacoast and offshore islands, regularly offsets the countrys considerable trade deficit, so it is crucial for the service sector underpinning it to be able to fill job openings. But many other businesses, Croatian- or foreign-owned, also have many job opportunities going begging, compounding the drag on growth and helping keep the unemployment rate unacceptably highcurrently at 9.1 percent, analysts say. That is down from 11.6 percent a year, but only because of the brain drain of young Croats. In (the town of) Sisak there is a visible lack of adequate workers. In the past financial year, when we hired 71 workers, 40 percent of those interviewed did not meet the conditions and 43 percent of our 90 employees had to be trained internally, said Ivana Rumac at Italian-owned steelmaker ABS. The (Croatian) education system does not offer programs which provide skills we need, a company statement said. ABS, in Sisak 50 km (30 miles) southeast of the capital Zagreb, has now built its workforce up to 116 with a target of 150 by the end of the current fiscal year next June. Franz Letica, head of Zagrebs restaurant and bar owners association, said that in the first nine months of 2018 there were 782 unfilled openings for cooks and 1,493 for waiters, with only 272 cooks and 796 waiters employed in a city of 800,000. The newest EU member countrys public sector is also affected. Ankica Prasnjak at the nurses union said Zagreb University Hospital was short of some 300 nurses as many had gone to higher-paying jobs elsewhere in the EU. Potential investors face similar difficulties. A bigger Austrian company wanted to expand business in Croatia but, because of a shortage of adequately skilled workforce, eventually opted for South America where it also runs businesses, said Sonja Holocher-Ertl, director of the Austrian Chamber of Commerces office in Croatia. No Solution on Horizon Labor shortages are not unique to Croatiaother emerging economies in Europes ex-communist east and southeast have also experienced a drain of young talent to the richer west of the EU, exploiting the right of free movement within the bloc. But it explains analysts doubt that Croatias longer-term growth will surpass a modest 1-2 percent needed to rise to western levels of prosperity. At the moment the former Yugoslav republics economy is expanding just below three percent annually, but even that is below peers in eastern and southeastern Europe. Labor-starved businesses are lobbying the Zagreb government to raise the annual quota for foreign workers, which this year amounted to 38,769 licenses. But skilled workers from other, less developed east European economies are difficult to lure as they can find better-paid jobs further west, for instance in wealthy Austria or Germany. The average salary in Croatia in September was 6,195 kuna ($950.21), far below western European levels. Croatian media report anecdotally that Croats working in hotels in Austria earn at least double what they could at home. Businesses here cannot raise salaries much and thus become more competitive because they would jeopardize their profitability, Tomic said. Critics say that excessive red tape and high tax rates lingering from Croatias communist past within old Yugoslavia, lumbering judicial procedures and frequently changing, opaque regulations add to barriers to growth and investment. While a clear solution for Croatias growth problems is not in sight, senior Labor Ministry official Marija Knezevic Kajari said the domestic workforce pool was far from exhausted. Only about 60 percent of Croatians between 15 and 64 years of age are employedamong the lowest rates in the EU. Importing workers is partly a solution but we believe there is space for retraining local people, for which we offer financial support to businesses and for people who have a business idea and want to be self-employed, Knezevic Kajari said. In the meantime local businesses fear missing out on new contracts. With the shortage of skilled workers some employers are already having to cancel some business deals for next year. It has become a very serious problem, the HUP statement said. By Igor Ilic Laura Bush Thanks Melania For Sweet Gesture to Bush Family Amid George H.W. Bushs Passing Laura Bush, the former first lady and wife of former President George W. Bush, said she was touched by current first lady Melania Trumps invitation to the White House. On Dec. 4, they the Trumps joined the Bushes at the Blair House in Washington D.C. Trump invited the former first lady as well as a host of Bush children and grandchildren to see Christmas decorations at the White House on Dec. 4, USA Today reported. No photographers were present, said Melanias spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham. Laura Bush posted photos on Instagram of the Bushes gathered around under a portrait of the 41st president, draped in black cloth. A sweet visit during this somber week, she said. Thanks to Mrs. Trump for inviting our family to the White House to see the Christmas decorations and our old friends, the residence staff. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who ran against President Donald Trump, said Trump couldnt have been nicer following George H.W. Bushs death. Both Trump and Melania Trump have been really gracious, noting that the first lady gave former first lady Laura Bush and 19 other Bush family members a tour at the White House. What people want to talk about is, Well, why isnt the president giving the eulogy? Its because we have a unique circumstance here. My brother was president, Jeb said. Im sorry, he added. First dibs. President Trump, for his part, tweeted: Looking forward to being with the wonderful Bush family at Blair House today. The former First Lady will be coming over to the White House this morning to be given a tour of the Christmas decorations by Melania. The elegance & precision of the last two days have been remarkable! On Dec. 5, Bushs plane, which often serves as Air Force One, arrived at Ellington Field outside Houston in late afternoon. As a motorcade subsequently carried Bushs remains to the family church, St. Martins Episcopal, along a closed interstate, hundreds of people in stopped cars on the other side of the road took pictures and shot cell phone video, according to AP. One driver of a tanker truck climbed atop the hulking vehicle for a better view, and at least 15 firefighters scaled a pair of stopped firetrucks to salute. Upon its arrival at the church, Bushs casket was met by a military band and Houston Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner. George W. Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost in 1953 and his mother, who died in April. He said he took comfort in knowing Dad is hugging Robin and holding Moms hand again. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Lawmakers Call for Return of Death Penalty After New Jersey Familys Murder Three lawmakers are calling for the death penalty to be restored in New Jersey after a family of four in the upscale community of Colts Neck was found brutally murdered. State Assemblyman Harold Wirths said in a statement, according to News12, We owe it to the loved ones who are grieving this tremendous loss. They deserve the ultimate form of justice. Wirths added that victims families would see justice served by reinstating the death penalty. Assemblyman Parker Space and Sen. Steve Oroho (R-N.J.) join Wirths in arguing the death penalty should once again be allowed by law. The Colts Neck murderer deserves nothing less than the death penalty, Sen. Oroho said, according to TapInto.net. We can no longer ignore the public calls for action in gruesome cases like these. The trio has sponsored such legislation in the past, with no success. But the horrific Nov. 20 killing of a family of four, including two young children, give new impetus to calls to reinstate capital punishment. Mansion Inferno New Jersey tech executive Paul Caneiro has been charged with murder in the deaths of his brother, sister-in-law, and their children, whose bodies were found on Nov. 20 at their burning Monmouth County mansion. Caneiro faces four counts of murder in the slayings of Keith Caneiro, 50, Jennifer Caneiro, 45, and the pairs children, NJ.com reported, citing court documents. He has also been charged with possession of a firearm and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, as well as arson. A disturbing 911 call has been released of the morning the family was found murdered and their home left ablaze. I opened the doorand theres smoke coming out and there is a person laying down, the caller said, according to News12. Oh my God. There is blood here. Its a corpse, the caller can be heard saying. Somebody is dead here. Keith Caneiro, CEO of Ashbury Park-based tech company Square One, suffered a fatal gunshot wound and his body was found outside his home, according to sources cited by NJ.com and the Ashbury Park Press. Weve learned though property records 50-year old Keith Caneiro owned the Colts Neck home with his wife. His social media accounts say hes the CEO of a company named Square One. 2 kids and 2 adults were found dead at the home today. @NBCPhiladelphia at 11pm. pic.twitter.com/L2v2RhED40 Aaron Baskerville (@ABaskerville10) November 21, 2018 Police discovered the bodies of Caneiros wife and two children inside the burning mansion. One body, a man, was found outside the home, and the other three were recovered inside the home, Monmouth County prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni told Patch.com. Unfortunately, they were burned severely as a result of the fire. At least one of the childrens bodies was found to have stab wounds, a law enforcement source told NJ.com. Tech CEO Keith Caneiro, his wife, Jennifer Caniero, and their two children were found dead Tuesday after a mysterious shooting and fire at their mansion in Colts Neck, New Jersey: https://t.co/3KSisqSisZ pic.twitter.com/u5OvSbIJU5 Tom Cleary (@tomwcleary) November 21, 2018 The Fires In a bizarre sequence of events, Paul Caneiro had earlier been accused of setting his own house on fire while his family was inside. Hours before the killings, a fire was reported at Paul Caneiros Ocean Township home, located about 10 miles away from Colts Neck. Caneiro allegedly used gasoline to set his home ablaze at around 5 a.m. on Nov. 20. The suspects family was able to escape the fire without injuries. Most Brutal Crime Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni described the murders as the most brutal crime he had experienced since he became the county prosecutor, according to TapInto.net. Gramiccioni also said that if the law allowed for it, he would seek the death penalty. New Jersey became the first U.S. state in 42 years to abolish capital punishment when in December 2007 then-Governor Jon Corzine, a Democrat, signed legislation banning the death penalty. We should listen to officials like Prosecutor Gramiccioni, who have plainly said that this is a punishment we should be able to hand down in extreme cases of violence, Wirths wrote. The gruesome murder of the Caneiro family is proof that we must reinstate the death penalty. Space said, Monsters, including Paul Caneiro if convicted, need to know that the punishment for committing such a malicious, immoral act will be that they will meet the same fate as the one they forced on their innocent victims. The death penalty is the most effective deterrent out there. We must reinstate it immediately. Massachusetts Governor Calls to Suspend Judge Accused of Helping Illegal Alien Avoid ICE Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is calling for the temporary removal of a state judge who is under investigation by a grand jury for alleged involvement in helping an illegal alien arrested on drug charges escape from a federal immigration officer. The alien, Jose Medina-Perez, appeared in court on drug charges and also faced a fugitive warrant for drunk driving in Pennsylvania. Just minutes into the hearing, the illegal immigrants defense attorney requested to speak to the judge, Newton District Court Judge Shelley Joseph, at the bench. In whispers, the attorney said that his client was in danger of being deported, noting that an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer was at the courthouse and that the agency had placed a detainer on Medina-Perez. ICE is going to get him, the judge told the attorneys during the April 2 conversation, according to audio obtained by the Boston Globe. What if we continue [the case]? she added. Then, she told the clerk to turn off the courtrooms audio recorder. Minutes later, Medina-Perez was escorted downstairs, released from custody, and let out a back door. He fled the scene and avoided ICE. A grand jury has been convened to probe Josephs actions. If the judge helped an illegal alien escape ICE custody, it would be a violation of federal law. The judge and the trial court arent commenting on the investigation. Former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivan told the Globe it would be shocking if a judge helped an illegal alien escape as Joseph is accused of doing, and said the most obvious crime would be obstructing justice. In addition, the trial court requires that judges and other court personnel shouldnt hinder federal agents while all court sessions must be recorded, with an exception that doesnt apply in this case. Immigration officials said that Medina-Perez was using a fake name, as a number of illegal aliens do, and his real name is Oscar Manuel Peguero. The 38-year-old is a Dominican Republic national and has already been deported twice, making his re-entry into the United States a felony crime on top of the other crimes hes accused of committing. Baker is now calling to temporarily remove Joseph as the grand jury probes her actions. The facts of this case as presented by media indicate a willful attempt to obstruct the work of a federal law enforcement official and thats an inappropriate role for a judge, Baker told Boston 25. The Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers was among those defending Joseph, claiming that illegal aliens are being denied due process and access to our courts in Massachusetts because of ICE arrests. ICE declined to comment on the specific case but acting field office director for ICE in Boston, Todd Lyons, told the Globe its concerning when officials interfere with the agency. It would be gravely concerning to us, as well as disrespectful to the men and women of ICE who put themselves in harms way to protect our communities, if anyone, especially a representative of a court, were alleged to have taken deliberate actions to aid an immigration fugitive in evading the law, Lyons said. From NTD News A beach in the Maldives, one of the locations on the itinerary for a $100,000 photography job embedded with a family on their travels. (Pixabay) Mystery Family Seeks Photographer to Travel the World for $100,000 Salary A dream job for an aspiring photographer or nothing more than a glorified selfie-stick for the super-rich? Perhaps, with a 80,000 ($100,000) salary and all-expenses paid, the successful applicant wont care too much. An anonymous British family is looking for a lifestyle photographer to record their travels around the world for 12 months, taking in some of the worlds most iconic destinations. their previous photographer had to cancel due to family reasons. The request was sent to Perfocal, an online service that matches freelance photographers to clients. The process is usually handled through an automated system, but this request came via email, and according to founder Tony Xu, was unlike anything weve seen before. We need someone to travel around the world with us and take photographs, said the email. Theres potential to be away for up to three months at a time, and well be visiting places in Europe, America, South America, and Australia where we own a number of holiday homes and other residences. The message lists a few specific places on the itinerary that the photographer must be prepared to tackle. In addition to the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, for the 80,000 salary, the successful applicant will have to endure the cold ski slopes of Val DIsere, the scream of formula one cars at the Monaco Grand Prix, the melee of the Rio carnival, and diving trips in the Maldives. Identity a Mystery Due to High-Profile Fathers Job But mastery of the perfect Instagram holiday selfie, no matter how many likes, isnt going to cut it. Applicants must have at least five years experience as a professional lifestyle photographer. Candidates will be required to undergo extensive background checks, and the identity of the family will remain unknown to all but the final few applicants due to the high profile nature of the fathers job. Once weve completed the candidate selection process and necessary checks, well then be holding weekendlong interviews to see how the applicants get on with our family and make sure the right chemistry is there. Perfocal simply reposted the entire message as a job ad, saying, They have asked us to help them find someone to fill the positionwhich we dont think will be too much of a problem, especially with a salary like that! We process many different types of quotes through the site every week, Xu told the Daily Mail. However its been a while since weve seen one this enticing! While Perfocal cant help the family to process applications, we can certainly help them create a shortlist by helping to promote their offer and were excited to see whether theyll be able to find a candidate theyre happy with, he said. The family warns that although the job comes with full sick pay and 30 days holiday, the successful candidate will be expected to leave home at short notice and be traveling for most of the year. We know this is a big ask, they wrote, and we will, of course, be covering travel, food, and accommodation expenses on top of salary. Myth, Metaphor, and Marxist Bread I have talked in previous articles on the importance of myth and story, and that how we apprehend and interpret reality depends on the stories we tell ourselves, and which we consider to be true. The point of talking in this way is to draw attention to the idea that facts are often the enemy of myths because they can lead to a literalism that is simply devastatinga devastation that is not merely an academic matter, but one writ large in blood for the last four centuries at least. To go back to the original Catholic and Protestant divisions and conflicts would be to go too far for the purposes of this short article. Indeed, what I would like to do is to include myths short form, and explain in one simple and transparent example just how devastating this tendency can be. What is myths short form? The metaphor (and its cousin, the simile). This is not just the story compressed into linear narrative, but the idea compacted into a brilliant image that bursts forth with meanings, as myths, in their longer form, do. An example of a great metaphor comes in the poem Rupertismus from Poems of John Cleveland by the now forgotten 17th-century metaphysical poet: For beauty, like white powder, makes no noise, And yet the silent hypocrite destroys. The metaphor is beauty, the silent hypocrite, which is powerful enough, but add to it the simile like white powder, and a whole range of fascinating readings emerges: white powder as a cosmetic concoction that women wear that makes them silently dangerous; or white powder as gunpowder, in which beauty is seen as explosive although initially and apparently inert and idle; or even white powder as a drug that hypnotizes and addicts the viewer to his or her own destruction. As Aristotle observed, The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor; it is the one thing that cannot be learned from others; and it is also a sign of genius, since a good metaphor implies an intuitive perception of the similarity in the dissimilar. Thus, when we come to writings of real significance and authority, we need to take account of this; we need to read with metaphor always in mind, or else we get trapped into a literalism that is seemingly factual but which denudes the text of its real power, power that derives from its real meaning. In other words, we distort, we misrepresent, we say the thing which was not (Jonathan Swift), or we lie. When Literalism Becomes Dangerous We have had over 100 years of socialism. Recently, the ex-finance minister for Greece, Yanis Varoufakis, said, Socialism is in retreat, as it deserves to be, because we socialists have messed up big time, for decades if not for a century at least. That is a worthy and candid admission that you wont find many socialists admitting; and if it is true of socialism, then it is even truer of communism and Marxism: We have had over a century of catastrophic failure, starvation, and bloodshed wherever this pernicious philosophy, and its ilk, has taken root. As I write now, even in the UK, there is a dangerous drift going on, whereby a quasi-Marxist government opposition is getting closer to achieving powerand once, and if, it gets in, goodbye thinking, welcome the thought police. And perhaps as obnoxious as the policies themselves is the self-congratulation of these people, always virtue-signaling, always for the people, but by people who know better than the people: the oligarchs. But where does so much of all this nonsense come from? How is it that people go about believing this nonsense long after history has demonstrated its fallacious and pernicious nature? I like to reflect on Karl Marx and his notoriousand celebratedriposte to sound spiritual teaching. The book of Deuteronomy tells us, And He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:3), and this is reiterated as spiritual teaching in the New Testament when Christ says, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). Two points to notice here. First, that when you consider that the whole point of communism was/is to free the workers from the tyranny of capitalism, then how is it that Marx could miss that the flight from Egypt was exactly thata freeing of the workers, the slaves? Lewis Feuer, as quoted in Jordan B. Petersons 12 Rules for Life, observed that ideologies retool the very religious stories they purport to have supplanted, but eliminate the narrative and psychological richness. In other words, ideologies are a systematic dumbing down of the myth, replacing it with a simplistic, theoretical, and binary narrative of them and us. But secondly, and to return to the metaphor, according to Olaf Stapledon, communism declared that bread was mans whole need, and that all spiritual values were mere Capitalist dope. Or, as put by Bill Martin Jr. in Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation, man does indeed live by bread alone. Bread is a particularly rich metaphor, and we cannot explore it fully here. But take the Gospel of John (6:27). A crowd of 5,000 people followed Jesus after he miraculously fed them. In response, Jesus did something no political leader would: He rebuked the crowd for following him simply because he had given them bread. He exhorted them to not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life. Something other than bread can fulfill ultimate human needs, and Jesus claimed to offer it. Whether one is a Christian or a Jew or not, that message is still relevant today. For what Marx did in advocating the exact opposite was to provide a materialistic ideology that spawned the politics of the Soviet Union, which then traveled around the world with devastating consequences to human life. He saw neither the inner meaning of the expression, that merely to live economically is to live like an animal, for that is all animals do, and this is to deny our humanity, nor that this message was a call from Moses and/or Jesus (who trusted Him who is invisible) to a new way of living. In the former case, then, living as animals leads to behavior like animals, which can be summed up in the expression dog eat dog, which actually very accurately describes how the Soviet Union subsequently becamewith even family members informing on each other. And in the latter case, it meant a total failure to come to terms with transcendence and a morality grounded in a higher than human authority. The consequences of failing to heed or understand myth and metaphor, then, are profound. Karl Marx was a man who couldnt and wouldnt understand either myth or metaphor, and so misread and distorted the texts for political ends. He deliberately distorted the myths and metaphors so that their richness was impoverished, and human beings were turned against human beings. As Aristotle noted, When the storytelling goes bad in a society, the result is decadence. That is the history, the legacy, of what Marx achieved. 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. Nation Bids Farewell to George H.W. Bush With Praise and Humor President Trump and the 4 living ex-presidents attend the funeral Former President George H.W. Bush was honored with a state funeral on Dec. 5 in the nations capital. President Donald Trump, former presidents, and world leaders gathered at Washington National Cathedral to bid their final farewell. Bush died last week at 94 after battling multiple illnesses for several years, including the rare disease vascular parkinsonism. He served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993. He was considered one of the most qualified candidates to assume the office, as he had a long career in both domestic politics and foreign affairs. Before his eight years as vice president to Ronald Reagan, he had been CIA director, and earlier served as U.N. ambassador and as an envoy to China. During his presidency, he navigated the collapse of the Soviet Union and expelled former Iraqi President Saddam Husseins forces from Kuwait. His son, former President George W. Bush, delivered an emotional eulogy at the ceremony. Dad could relate to people from all walks of life. He was an empathetic man, Bush said. He valued character over pedigree. And he was no cynic. He looked for the good in each person and he usually found it. Bush told his father just before his death that he had been a wonderful dad and that he loved him. He said his fathers last words on earth were I love you, too. Nearly 3,000 guests, including political leaders and family members, attended the service. Among the foreign dignitaries in attendance were Britains Prince Charles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania of Jordan. Former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming also gave a tribute in honor of his late friend Bush, drawing laughter from the gathered political elite. He was a man of such great humility. Those who travel the high road of humility in Washington, D.C., are not bothered by heavy traffic, he said. He also said that while Bush loved a good joke, he could never, ever remember a punchline. And I mean never. Near-Death Experience Bush served as a Naval aviator who survived being shot down by Japanese forces over the Pacific Ocean in World War II. He was rescued by a U.S. submarine. During the funeral, his biographer Jon Meacham, who wrote the book Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, delivered a moving speech, which started and ended with the former presidents near-death experience. The story was almost over even before it had fully begun, Meachem said. Through the ensuing decades, President Bush would frequently ask, nearly daily, hed ask himself, why me? Why was I spared? And in a sense, the rest of his life was a perennial effort to prove himself worthy of his salvation on that distant morning. Trump Attended Service President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and the four living ex-presidents attended the service. Taking his seat at the cathedral, Trump shook hands with his predecessor, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Trumps 2016 presidential election opponent, and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, shared the front pew with the Trumps and Obamas. Trump had written on Twitter that he was looking forward to being with the Bush family. This is not a funeral, this is a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. He will be missed! he wrote. Trump declared Dec. 5 a national day of mourning in honor of the former president, and ordered the closure of federal offices. Resolute and Brave Canadian former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney lauded Bushs role in handling the end of the Cold War, and helping the delicate reunification of Germany. Bush put together a U.S.-led international coalition that ousted invading Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991 and was president when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. When George Bush was president of the United States of America, every single head of government in the world knew that they were dealing with a gentleman, a genuine leader, one who was distinguished, resolute and brave, Mulroney said. During his presidency, Bush focused much of his attention on foreign affairs, spending considerable time dealing with Iraq. He didnt implement sweeping domestic programs or policies as he was constrained by a large budget deficit, limited federal revenue, and a Democratic-controlled Congress. His most notable domestic achievements were the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Clean Air Act amendments. An economy that was mired in recession cost Bush a second term. His victory over Iraq wasnt enough to convince voters to give him a second term. When he ran for re-election in 1992, he was pilloried by Democrats and many Republicans for violating a famous 1988 campaign promise: Read my lips, no new taxes. He lost his bid for reelection to Bill Clinton. Bush will be interred in a family plot at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years who died in April, and Robin Bush, his daughter who died of leukemia in 1953 at the age of 3. Before the service, the former presidents body lay in state beginning on Nov. 3 in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington. Former Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, whos 95, stood up from his wheelchair with the assistance of an aide in the Rotunda to salute the casket of Bush, his fellow World War II veteran. Thousands of people filed past to pay their respects, some getting a chance to see Sully, a service dog who was Bushs friendly companion. Sully became an internet sensation after being photographed lying next to his late masters coffin. Reuters contributed to this report. Professor Anne-Marie Brady, acknowledged internationally as an expert on Chinese affairs, recently presented a paper to a conference in the United States titled Magic Weapons. (University of Canterbury) China-Watchers Worldwide Demand Protection From Harassment for NZ Professor Anne-Marie Brady China-watchers from around the world have signed a petition to demand greater protection for a New Zealand academic Anne-Marie Brady who said she was harassed and home and office were burglarized simply for doing her job. At least 169 supporters are alarmed and appalled to hear about the alleged harassment of Brady, who believes the acts could be a form of retaliation for her critical research on Chinas politics. In an open letter, signatories called on New Zealand authorities to protect Brady, noting her requests for police protection has been ignored for more than four months. We urge the New Zealand authorities to grant Professor Brady the necessary protection to allow her to continue her research, sending a clear signal to fellow researchers that independent inquiry can be protected in democratic societies and conducted without fear of retribution, the letter said. The petitions long list of signatories includes China academics and researchers, former diplomats, and journalists for international publications. U.S. Council on Foreign Relations fellow Elizabeth Economy, National Center for Scientific Research researcher Jean-Philippe Beja, and Clive Hamilton, an Australian ethics intellectual and author of Silent Invasion, a book on Chinas influence in Australia, also signed the petition. Brady is a professor who specializes in Chinese domestic and foreign politics at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch. Her name rose to prominence after she published a research paper in September 2017 called Magic Weapons, (pdf) which details how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) plans to achieve worldwide influence. The paper used New Zealand as a case study. The report was accompanied by a briefing detailing a series of policy recommendations (pdf) as to how the New Zealand government can respond to the CCPs political interference. While it only pertained to New Zealand, the policy briefing nonetheless attracted global interest. Chinas covert, corrupting, and coercive political influence activities in New Zealand are now at a critical level, according to the policy briefing, published in November 2017. Petition organizer and Prague-based academic Martin Hala said its important to support Brady. Shes been a towering figure in contemporary Chinese studies, and her research has been groundbreaking, Hala, who runs the Sinopsis project, which tracks Chinas activity in the Czech Republic, told the New Zealand Herald. If we dont raise our voices in support of Anne-Marie, then any one of us could be next. Brady responded to the open letter with immense gratitude. I am honoured and humbled to have the support of so many prominent voices both internationally and in NZ, speaking up against the campaign of intimidation and harassment I have experienced since my Magic Weapons paper went public, she said in a Twitter post. United we stand, divided we fall, she added in another Twitter post. The intimidation against me is aimed to scare my peers into silence. So glad to see they will not be cowed, and are standing up to be counted now. Brady told the New York Times in September that the New Zealand governments lack of comment or public action was starting to look like procrastination. Intended to Intimidate On Feb. 14, Brady s house was broken into. According to reports, burglars bypassed other valuables and, instead, targeted three laptops and two phones. Brady said she had received a letter a week before the break-in that said she would be attacked. It was a psychological operation, it was intended to intimidate, she told NZ Herald in September. Interpol, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) and the polices National Security Investigation Team are investigating the case, according to reports. The investigation, which has stretched over more than nine months, has yet to conclude at the time of publication. In September, Brady said she was pleased with the police investigation of her case. They looked seriously into all possibilitiesexhaustively, Brady told the NZ Herald. This must surely be one of New Zealands longest and best-resourced burglary inquiries. While the break-in prompted investigations, Brady said she had previous experiences of intimidation, which included a break-in at her campus office in December 2017, soon after the publication of Magic Weapons. More recently, on Nov. 15, Bradys car was found to have been deliberately sabotaged. The mechanic who regularly services her car found that air had been let out of the two front tires, with both tires missing valve caps. The unusual defects would make steering and breaking more difficult, thereby increasing the risk of an accident. I dont know who has done it, but whoever has done it has been able to get into my garage and access the car, so essentially it is another break-in, Brady told the Guardian in November. About four months ago, we asked for more protection from the New Zealand security intelligence service we havent had a reply. Brady said her car is regularly used by her family. Im concerned about the safety of myself, my lovely husband and our three teenage children, she told the NZ Herald. Im also really concerned about the escalation of activities aimed at intimidating me and stopping my academic research. It appears whoever is doing this believes there are no consequences for doing it in New Zealand. A police spokesperson told the NZ Herald on Dec. 5 that Bradys car had been inspected and the police investigation is ongoing. Voices of Support Grow Louder The open letter is the latest in a series of coordinated efforts to support Bradys case. Related Coverage Academics Urge New Zealands Ardern to Stand Firm Against Chinese Regime On Nov. 26, in a letter organized by Amnesty Internationals New Zealand office, 29 intellectuals and human-rights advocates urged New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to make a clear statement in defense of academic freedom in New Zealand. Ardern issued a statement on the same day, according to the NZ Herald: Quite frankly, if I received a direct report that said there was an issue there that could be directly attributable to China or at Chinas direction, we would act on that, but I have not received such information. I absolutely defend the right of academics to utilise their academic freedom and, of course, the rights that are granted to them through our legislation. I absolutely support that and defend that. They should continue to be able to do their work, and with freedom from repercussion from this government or any other government. On Nov. 28, 35 of Bradys colleagues at the University of Canterbury signed a letter calling on the NZ Government to be transparent in any outcomes of the investigation regarding the case of Professor Brady. From NTD News Charlene Thompson, 61, was arrested on Dec. 2 for allegedly pouring hot grease on a victim, according to police, who posted her mugshot online. (Hamilton County Sheriff's Office) Ohio Woman, 61, Arrested After Pouring Hot Grease on a Victim Charlene Thompson, 61, was arrested on Dec. 2, for allegedly pouring hot grease on a victim, according to police, who posted her mugshot online. Thompson was booked for felony assault and was taken to the Hamilton County jail, Fox19 reported. She poured the hot grease on someone she had been arguing with. They got into a dispute in Cincinnati on Dec. 2, and the subject of the argument was not immediately clear. The fight escalated and Thompson tossed grease on the person, police stated. The victim wasnt identified by police. The victim suffered burns to their arms and back. Officials said the injuries were visible when they arrived, the Fox affiliate report said. According to an NBC4i, citing an affidavit, the grease-throwing altercation occurred in the 5100 block of Hawaiian Terrace in Cincinnati. Prosecutors said they were working to establish a high bond for Thomspon during her Dec. 5 court appearance. As the court is well aware, burns are some of the most devastating, painful, debilitating, long-term injuries that someone can suffer, Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor David Wood said, according to Fox19. A judge set her bond for $15,000, telling her to stay away from the victim. Thompson is no stranger to police. She was arrested in 2016 and 2017 for breaking a neighbors window with rocks in two separate incidents. And in 2006, she was charged with striking her daughter on Christmas Eve, although those charges were dropped. Cincinnati police also accused her of kicking an officer and spitting several times inside a police car at on an officer in July 2008, according to the Fox report. Thompson was convicted of criminal trespass charge August 2007 after she was arrested for entering an assisted living facility before hitting a resident, the report said. Her next court date is slated for next Friday, Dec. 14, reports said. Violent Crime Down in 2018 The FBI says that in 2017 violent crime had dropped by 0.2 percent, according to a release, but aggravated and rape offenses increased by a respective 1.0 percent and 2.5 percent. The murder rate dropped by 0.7 percent, the agency said. In 2017, there were an estimated 1,247,321 violent crimes. The estimated number of robbery offenses decreased 4.0 percent, and the estimated number of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses decreased 0.7 percent when compared with estimates from 2016. The estimated volume of aggravated assault and rape (revised definition) offenses increased 1.0 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively, said the FBI. The agency added: By violent crime offense, the arrest rate for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter was 3.8 per 100,000 inhabitants; rape (aggregate total using the revised and legacy definition), 7.2; robbery, 29.3; and aggravated assault, 120.4 per 100,000 inhabitants. Meanwhile, the FBI said that there are now 670,279 sworn officers and 286,662 civilian officers in the U.S, which is a rate of 3.4 employees per 1,000 inhabitants. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported earlier this year that for 2017, there were 70 homicides in the city, compared to 61 in 2016. Total violent crime, which includes rape, robbery and aggravated assault, is up 2 percent over the last three years, department data show, the report said. OPEC Tentatively Agrees to Oil Cut, Waits for Russia to Commit VIENNAOPEC tentatively agreed to an oil output cut on Dec. 6 but was waiting for a commitment from non-OPEC heavyweight Russia before deciding the exact volumes for a production reduction aimed at propping up crude prices, two sources from the group said. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak flew home from Vienna earlier for talks with President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Novak returns to Austrias capital for discussions among Saudi-led OPEC and the groups allies on Dec. 7. The price of crude has fallen almost a third since October, U.S. President Donald Trump has urged the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries make oil even cheaper by refraining from output cuts. We still want Russia to cut as much as possible, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih told reporters as the OPEC meeting concluded without yielding concrete figures. Im not confident but I hope to reach a deal Hopefully, he (Novak) will come tonight, Falih said. Possible output cuts by OPEC and its allies range from 0.5-1.5 million bpd. A reduction of 1 million bpd would be acceptable and so far was the main scenario, Falih said. Brent oil futures fell as much as 5 percent to below $59 per barrel on fears that there could be no deal but later recovered somewhat, trading down 3.5 percent at 1720 GMT [12:20 EST]. One million bpd may disappoint many. But should the cut be from a September or October baseline, rather than November, the net impact would be sufficient to limit storage builds, Greg Sharenow, executive vice-president for Pimco, said on the sidelines of the OPEC meeting. It is unlikely to spark a meaningful price rally, but also will not be so dire either. In many respects it is the middle road, which may be the optimal solution, said Sharenow, who helps manage a $15 billion commodities fund at the $1.77 trillion U.S. investment management firm. OPEC delegates have said the group and its allies could cut by 1 million bpd if Russia contributed 150,000 bpd of that reduction. If Russia contributed around 250,000 bpd, the overall cut could exceed 1.3 million bpd. Novak said on Dec. 6 that Russia would find it harder to cut oil output in winter than other producers because of the cold weather. Oil prices have crashed as Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates raised output since June after Trump called for higher production to offset lower exports from Iran, OPECs third-largest producer. Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States have been vying for the position of top crude producer in recent years. The United States is not part of any output-limiting initiative due to its anti-trust legislation and fragmented oil industry. On Dec. 6, U.S. government figures showed the country had become a net exporter of crude oil and refined products for the first time on record, underscoring how the surge in production has altered the supply equation in world markets. Raising Pressure Iranian exports have plummeted after the United States imposed fresh sanctions on Tehran in November. But Washington gave sanctions waivers to some buyers of Iranian crude, further raising fears of an oil glut next year. Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The world does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! Trump wrote in a tweet on Dec. 5. Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said on Dec. 6 he would support a cut as long as Iran did not need to reduce its own output. Iraqi Oil Minister Thamer Ghadhban said Iraq as OPECs second-largest producer would support and join a cut. By Rania El Gamal, Ahmad Ghaddar & Olesya Astakhova Report: Dog the Bounty Hunter Star Beth Chapmans Cancer Has Spread A report on Dec. 6 said that Dog the Bounty Hunter Duane Chapmans wifes throat cancer has spread elsewhere in her body. The Blast, a celebrity news website similar to TMZ, said its sources claimed that Beth Chapman recently underwent tests to determine just how far her throat cancer spread, and it added there was a large blockage in her throat caused by cancer. It added that treatment methods for Chapman are not clear. The couple is awaiting test results to determine what her options are. Duane Chapman this week told Us Magazine that he and his wife returned to Colorado, apparently against the wishes of her doctor in Los Angeles. They told us they didnt want her to leave the hospital, but she was adamant, she just wanted to be home she just wanted to come back to Colorado, she loves it here, he told the magazine. We have the test results coming in tomorrow. [We] were met by friends when we landed who brought us home, he said of going to Colorado. Beth slept for almost an entire day, and she was more comfortable, then she got up and she was trying to do things around the house, trying to do laundry and wash the dishes, I said to her, Ive done all that, dont worry. Yes, Im nervous about the test results, he said earlier this week, adding: Its like you kinda know whats gonna happen, but youre hoping and praying its not. Previously, Duane said his wife is not doing good when asked by a reporter. In another interview this week, Duane said its not the end of the road for his wife. Another bend in the road, yet not the end of the road, #faith, #love #stayhumblepray. Beth Chapman, Duane Chapman wrote on Facebook on Nov. 29 on Facebook. It shows a photo of him and Beth in bed. "Another bend in the road, yet not the end of the road,#faith, #love #stayhumblepray." Beth Chapman Duane "Dog" Chapman Beth is still at the hospital recovering from Tuesdays surgery, their family attorney, Andrew Brettler, told ETOnline. Her family is with her and she is trying to stay in good spirits. Were all still rooting for her and her doctors, who are working hard and running tests to come up with the best treatment option. In 2017, Beth Chapman had surgery to remove a tumor from her throat, and two months later, she declared herself cancer-free. In the fight against cancer last year, the two credited their familys faith. Faith is probably the number one thing in our lives, no matter what were faced with. Through this cancer episode, we had to drum up as much faith as we could. And the Bible talks about having faith as small as a mustard seed. And thats not much. And I thank God that we had at least that much faith to get her through that, Duane said at the time. A Russian boy who attempted to defend his mother against a man who was trying to assault her has died after suffering injuries in the attack. (Google Maps) Russian Teenage Boy Who Saved His Mother From Being Assaulted Later Dies A Russian boy who attempted to defend his mother against a man who was trying to rape her has died after suffering injuries in the attack. Vanya Krapivin, 15, reportedly saved his mother from the assault but sustained serious injuries to his head. Sky News reported on Dec. 6 he came home from school in Severodvinsk in northwestern Russia to find his neighbor, Roman Pronin, 37, in the attack. This just breaks your heart. What a hero Metro Vanya picked up a 6-pound dumbbell and hit Pronin with it. But the man grabbed the weight and struck him over the head before fleeing. Neighbors who heard the attack found the pair unconscious. Vanya was left comatose during the attack while his mother recovered after she was stabbed 27 times by the man. Surgeons had to remove some of the boys brain, prompting a Russian TV personality to raise money for him. The incident occurred in May 2017. Sky reported that Vanya was in a coma for about nine months. He later started to recognize his nurse and was eating liquid food. According to a Russian news website in March, he regained consciousness, and it added that his mother, an alcoholic [who] has three children, didnt bother to visit her son for some time. Sky reported of his mother: Vanyas mother has faced criticism in Russia for only visiting him a few times. She said she could not bring herself to see him because she blamed herself for the attack. About a month later, he was transported to Moscow to a rehabilitation center. A month later, however, he contracted the flu and later died. According to the Metro, he was slated to be sent to Spain for further recovery. Ha cercato disperatamente di difendere sua madre da uno stupro. Il 15enne si e spento dopo mesi di terribile agonia: http://fanpa.ge/3BOcc Fanpage.it Before the attack, his mother, Natalia, had asked Russian officials to stop Pronin, a convicted murderer who was released from prison, from living near her family when he was released. Pronin was jailed for 14 years for their attempted murders in the May 2017 incident. He will now face murder charges after the teen died. Russian officials claim they will investigate why Pronin was allowed to live near children, according to the report. Toughest Prison Russian prisons have a notorious reputation for being brutal, cold places. Russias Federal Prison Service estimates that almost 600,000 suspects and inmates are held in the countrys prison system as of June 2018. Lawyers say suspects spend an average of one to two years in pretrial detention, with upwards of 104,000 people held in pretrial detention at any time, the Moscow Times reported. According to the TASS state-run news agency, Russian officials in July said they would carry out investigations into cases of brutality against inmates after a beating scandal at a Yaroslavl prison, among the more notorious ones. One prison, the Black Dolphin facility, has been dubbed the toughest prison in Russia, located near the Kazakhstan border. The prison houses serial killers, terrorists, sex offenders, and high-risk inmates. Prison guard Denis Avsyuk told National Geographic: The main crime committed by the convicts here is murder. But we also have maniacs, pedophiles, and terrorists. He added: To call them people, it makes your tongue bend backwards just to say it. I have never felt any sympathy for them. The inmates are kept in isolated cells and are monitored 24 hours per day. When they are taken out of their cells, the prisoners are sometimes forced to walk blindfolded or even backward to stop them from learning the layout of the facility. The logo of OPEC is pictured at the OPEC headquarters on the eve of the 171th meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in Vienna, on Nov. 29, 2016. (Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images) Saudis, Russia Haggle on Oil as Trump Tells OPEC to Keep Pumping OPEC and its allies continued to haggle over the size of potential crude-production cuts in Vienna on Dec. 5 as U.S. President Donald Trump urged the group to keep the taps open and prices down. With just a day to go before a critical OPEC summit, most producers made clear they agree on the need for a cut in oil production, without explaining how theyll turn that desire into a reality. Preparatory talks between Saudi Arabia and Russia Dec. 5 yielded no breakthrough, putting pressure on both to push for a deal at a wider meeting later in the day. The stakes are high after prices suffered their largest monthly drop since the financial crisis in November, while Trump resumed his public pressure on the cartel, saying in a tweet that the world does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices! With exquisite timing, President Trump just crashed the pivotal preparatory meeting where ministers are trying to hash out a compromise, said Rapidan Energy Group LLC President Bob McNally. Oil prices were little changed by the presidents intervention, rising 27 cents to $62.35 a barrel in London. There is little disagreement among OPEC members over the need to cut, but there is not yet consensus over how much, said Amrita Sen, chief oil analyst at consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. Communicating a large cut, if one can be agreed upon, will still be fraught with challenges given complicated U.S.-Saudi relations. In an interview, Dec. 4, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said it was premature to suggest the OPEC+ groupwhich includes allies Russia and Kazakhstanwould agree to curtail output. Thats less bullish than his call a month ago for 1 million barrels a day of cuts. Crude gave up much of its gains on Tuesday following his comments, and fell on Dec. 5. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said his discussion with Al-Falih early on Dec. 5 was good, but added thered be more talks ahead for OPEC+ members. Al-Falih subsequently met Gulf producers including Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman as he worked to reach a consensus. Oman Optimism I think we will get a deal, said Mohammed Al Rumhy, oil minister of non-OPEC member Oman, adding that Venezuela, Nigeria, Libya, and Iran need to be exempted from making any cuts. Iran is currently subject to U.S. sanctions and as such wont participate in any curbs, the countrys OPEC governor Hossein Kazempour Ardebili said this week. U.S. special representative for Iran Brian Hook met with Al-Falih in Vienna on Dec. 5, according to a person familiar with the matter. The last time the OPEC+ group agreed to curtail output, in late 2016, it settled on a combined 1.8 million-barrel-a-day reduction. In preparatory meetings ahead of this weeks summit, delegates have said a cut of as much as 1.3 million barrels a day next year is needed as demand growth slows and U.S. shale production surges. The opportunity for countries to put their cards on the table comes later Dec. 5 at the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee, the panel that oversees the 2016 deal. Both Al-Falih and Novak will attend that meeting, a day ahead of the full OPEC gathering on Dec 6. OPEC+ is discussing possible output curbs for three to six months, Omans Al Rumhy told reporters in Vienna. But sticking points remain. In private conversations, OPEC delegates have said that Russia and Saudi Arabia still differ on how to share the cuts. Saudi Arabia has argued that Russian proposals implying a cut by Moscow of as much as 150,000 barrels day would leave the kingdom shouldering too much of the burden, and insisted there should be a more equal partnership, people familiar with the talks said. Discussions also continue on the baseline for any reduction. Some nations want to have it at October output levels while others prefer sticking to the original deal, which used 2016 levels as the base. Its complicated further by Saudi Arabia and Russia having lifted their production to near-record levels in recent months. The kingdom is currently pumping 11 million to 11.2 million barrels of oil a day, Al-Falih said. Any final decision will need the blessing of Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who agreed over the weekend to extend their oil-market cooperation. Trump also plays an important role. Hes waged a Twitter campaign against OPEC, demanding producers keep pumping to bring down gasoline prices for U.S. consumers. Saudi policymakers may be reluctant to go against him after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi unleashed a fusillade of criticism from American lawmakers, leaving the president as one of Prince Mohammeds few remaining allies in Washington. OPECs work has, however, been made easier by Canada, where the oil-rich province of Alberta this week announced output curbs of 325,000 barrels a day because of a pipeline bottleneck. That may allow OPEC to deliver a smaller-than-planned reduction while dressing it up as a significant cut. United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei told reporters in Vienna on Dec. 4 that hes optimistic all countries will join in the OPEC+ agreement. Im hopeful that everyone in and even outside the organization will be supportive to whatever requirements we need to do to balance the market, he said. The objective is to balance the market and currently we have seen that theres a requirement for an adjustment. By Fred Pals, Nayla Razzouk & Elena Mazneva From Bloomberg Search for North Carolina Girls Killer Continues as Funeral Services Announced As the search for the killer of a North Carolina teenager continues, with $25,000 offered for information leading to the capture of the culprit, funeral services for the girl were announced. Hania Aguilar, 13, was grabbed from her front yard in Lumberton on Nov. 5 by a man dressed in black wearing a yellow bandana and spirited away in a stolen vehicle. The stolen vehicle was found off Quincey Road on Nov. 8. Aguilars body was found on Nov. 27 in Robeson County. In addition to the $25,000 offered by the FBI, the State of North Carolina is offering a $5,000 reward in the case. Anyone with information in the case is urged to call the tip line at 910-272-5871. Funeral Services Arranged Aguilars funeral is slated for Dec. 8 at 12 p.m. at Lumberton High School, after a Dec. 7 Catholic mass at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church. She will be laid to rest in Meadowbrook Cemetery. According to her obituary, Aguilar was in 8th grade at Lumberton Junior High School and leaves behind her mother, father, and two sisters. A petition has been launched to allow Aguilars father into the United States and signed by over 27,000 people. The Guatemalan national cant attend the funeral without permission to have his travel expedited. The problem is Slain and Murdered Hania Aguilars father is in Guatemala and he needs permission to be Expedited to the United States in order to see his daughter one last time, say his goodbyes, and attend her funeral. No parent should be denied the right to attend their childs funeral, especially when Hania was a Citizen-born in Tennessee, wrote Monique Cespedes, who started the petition. North Carolina government officials are working to try to get the father permission to travel to the United States for the funeral, reported WMBF. The office of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has been in touch with State Department officials. The State Department said it cant comment on specific visa cases. Killer Likely Knew Teen Meanwhile, a profiler said that the person who killed the teenager likely knew her. Michael Teague, a forensic psychologist who previously worked as a criminal profiler for both the Raleigh Police Department and what is now the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, said the circumstances surrounding the abduction indicate the killer and girl knew each other. This just didnt happen out of nowhere. I mean, this person didnt just drop out of Mars, he told WRAL. They would be walking around the area. I mean, you almost have to be from there, working from there. Minutes before the abduction, security footage showed a man walking toward the trailer park where Aguilar lived. Teague said clues could be gleaned from the footage even though the mans face is obscured. He also said that the autopsy results will help in the investigation. From NTD.com Freeway 60, near Diamond Bar, at the location of the crash on Feb. 9 2014 that killed 6 people. (Screenshot/Googlemaps) Survivor of Wrong-Way California Crash Imprisoned for 30 Years Olivia Culbreath was the sole survivor of a collision that killed six people when her 2013 Chevrolet Camaro, heading east in the westbound lanes of the 60 Freeway near Los Angeles, plowed head-on into an SUV on Feb. 9, 2014. Four years later, Culbreath has been finally sentenced to the maximum prison term for six counts of second-degree murder. Her sister was among the dead. Culbreath entered a no-contest plea back in May, and was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment on Dec. 5, after legal challenges over blood samples that revealed she was near twice the alcohol limit as she piloted the car the wrong way, first down the 57 Freeway, then the 60 Freeway. Culbreath had a prior drunk driving conviction from several years earlier. She had wrapped her car around a light pole. The judge warned her at the time that if she was involved in another drink-driving crash, she could be charged with murder. Her second crash in the city of Diamond Bar was described as possibly the worst crash in the history of Southern California by patrol officers. Her attorney said that the 30-year sentence was extremely harsh. BREAKING NEWS: Olivia Culbreath has been sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for a 2014 wrong-way crash that killed her sister and five other people. https://t.co/KjXdZw3wGZ SAN TONE (@1spiritoftruth) December 5, 2018 Officer Smelled Alcohol on Her Breath She had been drinking at a bar when she got in her car in the early hours of the morning, reaching speeds of more than 100 miles per hour on the California freeways, according to investigators, as she headed down the wrong side of the road. She was with a friend, Kristin Young, 21, and her sister, Maya, 24, when she drove her Camaro head-on into a Ford Explorer that carried three generations of family members. Everyone in the two cars died, except for Culbreath. The driver in a third vehicle that got caught in the accident after the initial collision, Joel Cortez, also survived. A highway patrol officer said he smelled alcohol on Culbreath when he first found her unconscious in hospital, undergoing a CT scan. He ordered medical personnel to give a blood sample, reported the Daily Bulletin, which her lawyers later claimed should be inadmissible because it was obtained without consent and without a warrant. 30 years to life for wrong way driver that killed 6 included her own sister. The crash occurred on Feb/2014 killed 4 people of the same family, DUI slammed into Victims Ford Explorer at 100 mph. Olivia carolee Culbreath had prior conviction in April/2010 for DUI @univision34 pic.twitter.com/AfV36lO1dm Oswaldo Borraez (@oborraez) December 6, 2018 But the blood sample was allowed. During the trial, Deputy District Attorney Casey Higgins said that the sample, obtained about three hours after the crash, indicated shed had multiple drinks. Culbreath, who was 21 at the time of the crash, was initially brought into the court hearings on a stretcher, reported NBC, but in later sessions attended in a wheelchair. I Take Full Responsibility She has been in custody for the last four years, including a spell in a hospital jail ward as she recovered from her injuries. She said she regrets every day what happened and will punish myself for the rest of my life regardless of when she is released from prison. Culbreath apologized to the victims families, reported NBC. I was wrong, I was so wrong and I take full responsibility for anything, she said. Culbreath said she wants to be the best mother she can to her son, who was just 11 days old at the time of the crash. The mother of Culbreaths friend, Mary Young, who was killed in the crash, said that shell have to live with the pain of losing her daughter for the rest of her life, according to NBC. Olivia has to live with the consequences for the decision that she made that morning, and Im sorry for it, she said. I do believe she was well aware that she was over the alcohol limit that night. I believe she knew that and was aware of that. But I just also believe that she didnt think that it could happen to her. FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok testifies at the Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Joint Hearing on, Oversight of FBI and DOJ Actions Surrounding the 2016 Election" in Washington on July 12, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) The Mueller Teams Strzok Problem Commentary A long-awaited milestone in the special counsel investigation into issues surrounding the 2016 election was reached on Dec. 4. Special counsel Robert Muellers team made a court filing in which it gave recommendations to U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan about his forthcoming sentencing of former Trump national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, which is currently scheduled for Dec. 18. I say currently scheduled because, thus far, Flynns sentencing date has been delayed three times since he pleaded guilty to one count of perjury on Dec. 1, 2017. If youre keeping track, thats more than a year ago. So theres a chance it may be delayed yet again. The chief revelation of this new filing that has grabbed the most media attention is that Mueller is recommending no jail time for Flynn, due to Flynns extensive cooperation with the special counsel. Whats getting less coverage is that the filing reveals Flynn gave 19 interviews, not just to the special counsel team over the past year as he cooperated, but also to other offices within the Department of Justice (DOJ). That very likely means Flynn gave testimony to both DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz and U.S. Attorney John Huber. Flynn pleaded guilty to giving a false answer during an FBI interview about some phone calls with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak in December 2016. The FBI agent who conducted the interview that led to the Flynn perjury charge from Muellers team was none other than Peter Strzok, a name that is well-known to those who have followed the Spygate twists and turns over the past year. How Do You Solve a Problem Like Peter? In the middle of both the Crossfire Hurricane counterintelligence sting and the investigation of Flynn sits Strzok. And even though the mainstream media has done its best to downplay it, this is a massive problem for the Mueller team. Strzok first gained national attention last December when Horowitz suddenly handed off the first release of Spygate documents to Congress. Those documents included the first batch of the now infamous StrzokLisa Page text messages. Those initial textsand the ones that followedmade for some very eye-opening reading. Strzok appeared to have been a jack-of-all-trades within the FBI, with his involvement in almost every politically sensitive investigation from 2016 to 2017: the Hillary Clinton email investigation, the aforementioned Crossfire Hurricane probe, and the pursuit of Flynn. And thendespite Strzoks and Pages protestations and misgivingsthey were both assigned to Muellers special counsel team. When Horowitz went digging into Spygate, one of the first things that happened was that Strzok ended up being stripped from Muellers team and stuck out of the way in the FBIs human resources department, which is supposedly where problem agents are parked until they can be dealt with. After a nationally televised hearing in front of a congressional committee, a combative Strzok was fired on the recommendation of Horowitz, following the release of a report on bias in the FBIs handling of the Clinton email investigation. What that means is this: The agent whose testimony is central to the perjury case against Flynn got himself fired from the FBI for showing blatant political bias in the performance of his duties. When the agent sitting at the center of the beating heart of both the Crossfire Hurricane scandal and your own highly problematic perjury prosecution of Flynn manages to get himself fired for blatant bias and violating FBI protocol, youre going to be forced to tread carefully. And so, by all appearances for the past year, when it comes to Flynn, the Mueller team has been forced to tread very, very carefully. The Logan Act Travesty Another issue regarding the problematic interview of Flynn by Strzok and fellow FBI agent Joseph Pientka is that the interview was supposedly necessary for the FBI to determine exactly what Flynn said to Kislyak in those phone calls, so it could be ascertained whether Trumps incoming NSA adviser had violated the Logan Act. This stated reason for the interview is sheer nonsense, as a moments clear thought will demonstrate. Flynn is a veteran spymaster and a former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, with a career in international intelligence work that spans more than 30 years. The chance he simply forgot that all his phone calls with Kislyak were being monitored by multiple intelligence agencies is zero percent. Nobody would be more aware that these types of phone calls are carefully monitoredwith intercepts made, and transcripts createdthan Flynn. That means the mainstream medias narrative about Flynn trying to do some secret colluding deal with Kislyak, on behalf of the Trump campaign, is blatantly false. Prepare yourself for a shock, if you bought into the mainstream medias take that Flynn was guilty of any kind of Logan Act shenanigans. The FBI itself cleared him of any wrongdoing after reviewing the intercepts of the phone calls. That story appeared in The Washington Post the same day that Strzok and Pientka suddenly showed up at the White House to grill him about it. So ponder this: The FBI already had the transcripts of the phone calls between Flynn and Kislyak, reviewed them, and determined that Flynn hadnt violated the Logan Act or broken any other law. This was done before Strzok suddenly showed up unannounced to grill Flynn on what he and Kislyak had discussed. So if you smell a rat in all of this, trust me, youre not the only one. Brian Cates is a political pundit and writer based in South Texas and the author of Nobody Asked For My Opinion But Here It Is Anyway! He can be reached on Twitter @drawandstrike. U.S. Border Patrol agent Juan David Ortiz. Ortiz, who confessed to shooting four women in the head and leaving their bodies on rural Texas roadsides, was indicted Dec. 5, 2018, on a capital murder charge. (Webb County Sheriff's Office via AP) US Border Agent Confessed to Killing 4 Texan Sex Workers DALLAS (AP) A U.S. Border Patrol agent who confessed to killing four sex workers told investigators he wanted to clean up the streets of his Texas border hometown, a prosecutor said on Dec. 5 while announcing that a grand jury had indicted the man for capital murder. Webb County District Attorney Isidro Alaniz said he will seek the death penalty for the September slayings and that evidence presented to the grand jury showed Juan David Ortiz killed the women in a cold, callous, and calculating way. The scheme in this case, from Ortizs own words, was to clean up the streets of Laredo by targeting this community of individuals who he perceived to be disposable, that no one would miss and that he did not give value to, Alaniz said at a news conference. Alaniz said Ortiz, 35, believed law enforcement didnt do enough to curb prostitution, so he was doing a service by killing the women. A suspect can be charged with capital murder if he is suspected in more than one killing in the same scheme with an overarching motive, Alaniz said. Three of the women were shot to death, and the fourth was also shot, but died of blunt force trauma. Alaniz said the horrific nature of the killings and Ortizs vigilante mentality were factors in his decision to pursue the death penalty. Ortiz, who has been held on murder charges in the Webb County jail on a $2.5 million bond since his Sept. 15 arrest in Laredo, presents a clear danger to society, he said. The Border Patrol intel supervisor and Navy veteran seemed to be living a typical suburban life with his wife and two children when the killings occurred. He was only arrested after one victim was able to escape him and asked a state trooper for help. By day, he was a family man. The evidence shows that he was a supervisor, that he would go about his daily activities like anybody here. He appeared normal by all accounts and circumstances, Alaniz said. At the nighttime, he was somebody else hunting the streets for this community of people and arbitrarily deciding who he was going to kill next. Alaniz said Ortiz knew some of the victims, but he wouldnt elaborate on what kind of relationship they had. Melissa Ramirez, 29, was slain on Sept. 3, and 42-year-old Claudine Luera was killed on Sept. 13. On Sept. 14, he picked up another woman, Erika Pena, who told investigators that Ortiz acted oddly when she brought up Ramirezs slaying and later pointed a gun at her while they were in his truck at a gas station, according to court documents. Pena said Ortiz grabbed her shirt as she tried to get out of the truck, but she pulled it off and ran, finding a state trooper who was refueling his vehicle. Ortiz fled and, he later told investigators, he then picked up and killed his last two victims 35-year-old Guiselda Alicia Cantu and 28-year-old Janelle Ortiz, a transgender woman whose birth name was Humberto Ortiz. With Penas help, authorities were able to track Ortiz to a hotel parking garage where he was arrested. I believe that if Erika Pena would not have escaped that day that there would be more victims right now in this case, Alaniz said. Ortiz also was indicted Dec. 5 on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful restraint in the attack on Pena, and a charge of evading arrest or detention. Ortizs attorney did not immediately return a call for comment Dec. 5. The Border Patrol placed Ortiz on indefinite, unpaid suspension after his arrest. On Dec. 5, the agency did not respond to a request for an update on his employment status. By Jamie Stengle An asylum seeker is questioned by an RCMP officer as he crosses the border into Canada from the United States on Aug. 21, near Champlain, New York. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson) UN migration pact would erode Canadas sovereignty, says Scheer With Canada set to sign on to a global United Nations agreement on migration next week, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer says adopting the pact would be tantamount to erasing Canadas borders. The U.N. is billing its Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration as the first inter-governmentally negotiated agreement to cover all aspects of international migration. To be signed by multiple countries next week in Morocco, the agreement would set a common understanding, shared responsibilities, and unity of purpose regarding migration. Scheer said his party strongly opposes the agreement and has called on the Trudeau government not to sign it. [The compact] gives influence over Canadas immigration system to foreign entities, it attempts to influence how our free and independent media report on immigration issues, and it could open the door to foreign bureaucrats telling Canada how to manage our borders, he told reporters on Parliament Hill on Dec. 4. Canadians and Canadians alone should make decisions on who comes into our country and under what circumstances. During question period that day in the House of Commons, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dismissed Scheers concerns, saying his government is committed to a healthy immigration system. We are going to continue to stand up for immigration, knowing that defending diversity is a source of strength and welcoming people through a rigorous immigration system from around the world is what has made Canada strong and, indeed, something the world needs more of, not less of, like [the Conservatives] want to bring in, he said. Although the pact is not formally binding under international law, it has proven to be controversial. The United States and Australia have refused to sign on, and at least six EU member nations are reportedly walking away, including Austria and Hungary. Objective 17 of the pact explains Scheers comment about how the agreement would influence the way the media reports on immigration issues. It states that the agreement commits governments to promote independent, objective and quality reporting of media outlets, including internet-based information, including by sensitizing and educating media professionals on migration-related issues and terminology, investing in ethical reporting standards and advertising and stopping allocation of public funding or material support to media outlets that systematically promote intolerance, xenophobia, racism and other forms of discrimination towards migrants, in full respect for the freedom of the media. Canada was involved in driving the agreement forward, and Ottawa will closely review the document before formally signing it, according to media reports. Illegal border crossings During question period on Dec. 4, Scheer suggested to Trudeau that instead of signing international agreements that erode our sovereign right to manage our borders, he should focus on fixing the issue of migrants crossing illegally into Canada from the United States. The cost of the increased numbers of migrants claiming asylum after crossing the border illegally was noted in a report last week from the office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO). The report found that, as of September 2018, more than half of refugee claims made were made by irregular migrants originally from Nigeria and Haiti. The Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) estimates that almost 35,000 people have entered Canada illegally since 2017. According to the PBO report, the IRB had the capacity to hear 24,000 claims per year in the 2017 to 2018 fiscal year. However, during that same period, they faced more than double the number of claims they could handle. This has resulted in significant backlogs in the claim process, further slowing the system down and driving up costs. The PBO estimates that it costs the federal government $14,321 on average for each irregular migrants entire claim process during 2017 to 2018, with over $300 million estimated costs during that same period. During this time, irregular migrants need access to temporary housing, social assistance, and education among other thingscosts borne by provincial and municipal governments. In addition to the social and human costs of lengthy delays in the system and ongoing uncertainty for legal asylum seekers, we now know the financial cost to taxpayers, Scheer said in a Nov. 29 statement. The PBOs numbers show that the cost of accommodating one illegal border crosser is more than the gross annual income of a Canadian minimum wage worker. And by March 2020, if Justin Trudeau continues to do nothing to address this crisis, it will cost Canadians at least $1.1 billionnot including the hundreds of millions in extra costs to the provinces. Irregular migrants are taking advantage of a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States. The agreement requires both countries to refuse entry to asylum seekers, as both countries are considered safe for refugees. But it applies only to those who arrive at official entry points. Asylum seekers who cross outside official points of entry cannot be turned away and are allowed to stay in Canada while their claim is processed. This can take years, and will take even longer if the migrants appeal a finding not in their favour. The PBO report also identified a phenomenon where someone enters Canada irregularly, files a refugee claim, and subsequently acts as an anchor relative for other family members, meaning family members can enter at a port of entry and not be considered illegal migrants. The 2018 budget allocated $173.2 million to the IRB and the Canada Border Services Agency to deal with illegal migration. Border Security Minister Bill Blair has said Canada is just one of many countries impacted by the increase in global migration. US Charges 4 in Panama Papers Tax Evasion Scheme WASHINGTON/NEW YORKU.S. prosecutors announced Dec. 4 that they have charged four people with taking part in a decades-long scheme to evade U.S. taxes that came to light after a massive leak of offshore financial data known as the Panama Papers. Three of the four people have already been arrested, prosecutors said, in the first criminal case brought by U.S. authorities in connection with Mossack Fonseca & Co., the Panamanian law firm at the center of the leak. Harald Joachim von der Goltz, a client of the firm, was arrested in London on Dec. 3; Dirk Brauer, an employee of an asset management company closely tied to the firm, was arrested in Paris on Nov. 15; and Richard Gaffey, a U.S.-based accountant, was arrested in Massachusetts on Dec. 4, according to prosecutors. The fourth defendant, Ramses Owens, was a lawyer at Mossack Fonseca and remains at large, prosecutors said. The law firm shut down earlier this year. Bill Lovett, a lawyer for Gaffey, could not immediately be reached for comment. Lawyers for the other three defendants could not immediately be identified. The most serious charges in the case, which include wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy, carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. In an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court, prosecutors said that from 2000 to 2017, Owens and Brauer conspired to help clients of Mossack Fonseca conceal assets, investments and income from U.S. tax authorities, using sham foundations and shell companies formed under the law of countries including Panama, Hong Kong, and the British Virgin Islands. Owens, 50, is a citizen of Panama and Brauer, 54, is German citizen, prosecutors said. One of those clients was von Der Goltz, an 81-year-old German citizen, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said that Owens and Gaffey helped von Der Goltz avoid taxes by creating shell companies and bank accounts that he falsely claimed were solely owned by his elderly mother, a Guatemalan citizen who did not pay U.S. taxes. Prosecutors also said that Gaffey, a 74-year-old U.S. citizen, helped another unnamed client of the Mossack Fonseca conceal offshore bank accounts from U.S. authorities. The Panama Papers, which consist of millions of documents from Mossack Fonseca, were leaked to the media in April 2016. A review of the documents also prompted German authorities to raid the offices of Deutsche Bank AG and its board members as part of a money laundering investigation last week. By Sarah N. Lynch & Brendan Pierson An oil tanker is seen at Jose refinery cargo terminal in Venezuela in this undated file photo. (Jorge Silva/Reuters) Venezuelas Refinery Woes Send Fuel Imports Soaring: Internal Documents Venezuela this month plans to import over 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of refined products to ease domestic fuel shortages caused by hobbled refineries and need to prioritize exports, according to internal documents seen by Reuters. The country with the worlds largest crude reserves this year has not been able to make enough fuel to meet local demand and fulfill supply contracts with customers, including those under oil-for-loan agreements with Russia and China, the documents showed. From January through November, state-run oil firm PDVSA bought 19,000 bpd of crude mostly to feed its Isla refinery in Curacao and 234,000 bpd of refined products, including naphtha for diluting its extra heavy oil output, gasoline, diesel for power generation and components to make motor fuel. The 253,000 bpd of total imports so far this year represent an all-time record and a 40-percent increase compared with the 180,250 bpd bought last year, according to internal PDVSA data analyzed by Reuters. The purchases, which have expanded despite PDVSAs cash constraints, have been negotiated almost entirely through swaps with fuel providers and traders, which receive Venezuelan crude and residual fuel, according to the data, a PDVSA employee and traders involved in the deals. Since February, we have not paid a single imported cargo with cash. We are exchanging the imported fuel for (Venezuelan) asphalt, virgin naphtha, natural gasoline, fuel oil, residual crude, whatever we have, said the PDVSA employee who could not be identified because the information is private. From January through August, the total value of the cargoes was $3.15 billion. Suppliers included a unit of Indias Reliance Industries, PDVSAs U.S. refining arm Citgo Petroleum, Russian oil firms Lukoil and Rosneft, units of China National Petroleum Corp., and several trading firms. Under-Performing Refineries Venezuelan refineries have worked this year at historical low rates with some of them completely halted for weeks due to technical failure, lack of investment, delayed maintenance, and insufficient crude supply. A refinery in Curacao used by PDVSA as auxiliary facility, the 335,000-bpd Isla, has been inactive since the second quarter. Earlier this month, Venezuelas largest refining complex, Paraguana, worked at 19 percent of its 955,000-bpd capacity, and the smaller Puerto la Cruz refinery was completely halted. Venezuelas fuel demand has decreased to 325,000 bpd in recent monthshalf the peak volume registered a decade agoaccording to the PDVSA documents, amid a severe economic recession. Still, PDVSA has been unable to supply gas stations, airports, power plants, and industrial customers, leading to drivers waiting to fill their tanks and customers fighting over cooking gas. From January through November, PDVSA delivered 270,000 bpd of domestic and imported fuel to the domestic market, 17 percent below the demand level, the documents showed. By Marianna Parraga A Vietnamese woman drives a motorbike past a factory in an industrial zone in the central Vietnamese city of Danang on Nov. 10, 2017. (Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images) Vietnam Wary About Recent Surge in Chinese Investments, Potentially to Dodge US Tariffs Vietnam is voicing concerns about a sudden surge in Chinese investment this year, purportedly for the purpose of transshipment to avoid U.S. tariffs. Vietnamese online news site VietNamNet, in an article published on Dec. 4, reported that Chinese investors made 922 deals worth $500 million in either capital contributions or acquisitions of Vietnamese companies in the first seven months of this year. Some of these Chinese companies that have invested in Vietnam are suspected of shipping unfinished products from China to Vietnam, then exporting these items to the United States through Vietnam-based intermediary companies for the purpose of avoiding U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, according to VietNamNet. Experts cited in the article warned the Vietnam government to take action against the illegal Chinese activity. The U.S. administration has slapped tariffs on a total of $250 billion worth of Chinese goods. A list of Chinese items worth $50 billion was hit with 25 percent tariffs in July, followed by $200 billion worth of goods hit with 10 percent tariffs in September. China has imposed retaliatory tariffs against U.S. goods. The 10 percent tariffs were set to increase to 25 percent in January, but the escalation was put on hold for 90 days starting Dec. 1, after U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held what the White House called a highly successful meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina. China agreed to buy more U.S. goods, and impose measures to fight the production of fentanyl within its borders. Trump has said hes ready to impose the originally scheduled tariffs if the two countries cant resolve their differences within the 90-day period. Nguyen Xuan Thanh, a lecturer on public policy at Fulbright University located in Ho Chi Minh City, warned that Vietnam needs to be cautious with the recent Chinese investment. If Vietnam is unable to prevent the transit of Chinese goods passing through en route to the United States, Vietnam may bear punishments imposed by the U.S., as in the case of steel that originated in China but exported from Vietnam, Thanh told VietNamNet. In December 2017, the U.S. Commerce Department imposed import duties on Vietnamese steel, after it found that China had sent steel to Vietnam to dodge U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed in 2015 and 2016a measure to counter Beijings dumping of government-subsidized steel into the U.S. market. The Chinese steel would be minimally transformed, such as by coating it with zinc, then slapping on a new origin label. Other times, the Chinese steel would spend time in port storage in Vietnam, before being shipped to the final destination. Bui Quang Tin, CEO of BizLight Business School, warned that if the United States were to impose punitive tariffs on Vietnam, the effects on the Vietnamese economy would be tremendous, according to VietNamNet. Background Currently, the U.S. government has a number of punitive laws against importers that commit transshipment violations. Importers that falsify shipping origin labels can be criminally prosecuted for smuggling, fraud, and other offenses, according to a legal blog run by U.S. law firm Harris Bricken. Individuals found guilty of smuggling can be imprisoned for up to 20 years. Individuals or companies can also file qui tam lawsuits against importers for defrauding the U.S. government under the False Claims Act (FCA). Depending on whether the federal government decides to intervene and prosecute the case, the plaintiff can be awarded 15 to 30 percent of the damages. In February 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Groeb Farms, a honey supplier based in Onsted, Michigan, with illegally importing Chinese-origin honey between 2008 to 2012, with false labels claiming that the honey came from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The company was accused of evading more than $78.8 million in U.S. antidumping duties. Other countries aside from Vietnam are also known for being intermediate countries where Chinese companies have shipped their goods to avoid U.S. tariffs and duties, including Thailand, Indonesia, and Taiwan. In May 2012, the U.S. Commerce Department announced 31 percent anti-dumping tariffs on Chinese solar panels. To avoid these tariffs, Chinese solar panel makers subsequently shipped their solar products to other countries, including Taiwan, before sending them to the U.S. market, according to Taiwanese media. In response to Chinas transshipment to Taiwan, in 2014, the Commerce Department slapped new anti-dumping tariffs on both Chinese and Taiwanese solar panels. Thailand trade officials announced in July that they would cooperate with U.S. customs representatives in Thailand, to share information and curb attempts by Chinese companies to use that country as an intermediary for avoiding the most recent U.S. tariffs, according to a July 2018 article by Thailands English-language daily newspaper Bangkok Post. Wanchai Varavithya, deputy director-general of Thailands Department of Foreign Trade, pointed out that U.S. officials have expressed concerns about Chinese diamond saw blades, clothes hangers, and nailscurrently subject to either trade-war-related tariffs or other U.S. dutiesbeing shipped to the United States through Thailand, according to Bangkok Post. A Volkswagen Concept I.D. electric car stands in the Volkswagen tent during celebrations to mark German Unity Day on October 2, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images) Volkswagen Slashes Costs by $6.8 Billion to Fund Tesla Pursuit Volkswagen AG is accelerating a push to lower costs and lift profits at its biggest car brand to add financial muscle as the worlds largest automaker pursues a $50 billion technology shift to counter Tesla Inc. To improve profitability after lagging behind mass-market peers for years, the VW nameplate will trim management ranks, slash factory costs and eliminate a quarter of engine and gearbox variants in Europe. We must force the pace of our transformation and become more efficient and agile, Ralf Brandstaetter, the VW brands chief operating officer, said Dec. 6 at the companys headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. What we have achieved so far is still not enough. Overall, the divisionwhich accounts for about half of the 12-brand groups global deliveriesis seeking to slash expenses by 6 billion euros ($6.8 billion) as it aims to lift its profit margin to at least 6 percent by 2022, three years earlier than previously planned. Traditional automakers are under increasing pressure as tighter emissions regulations force investment in electric cars. At the same time, they also have to head off inroads by mobility services like Googles Waymo. Over the next five years, the VW brand alone plans to spend 11 billion euros on next-generation technology, including 9 billion euros for electric cars as it increases the number of battery-powered models to 20 by 2025 from two now. The sense of urgency has intensified as Tesla prepares for the European rollout of the Model 3, which has become a best-seller in the U.S. Opel Electrics Volkswagens not alone in stepping up electric-car efforts. PSA Groups Opel unit will add three pure-electric variants over the next two years to meet stricter emissions rules in Europe. We are putting maximum effort into the electrification of our portfolio, Opel chief Michael Lohscheller told reporters late Dec. 5 in Mainz, Germany. The German brand will offer hybrid and fully-electric versions across its entire lineup by 2024. For its part, Volkswagen is planning on the era of the combustion car fading away after it rolls out its next-generation gasoline and diesel cars beginning in 2026. From that point, VW will merely modify, rather than overhaul, its platforms for combustion engines. The worlds largest automaker has started to introduce its first wave of electric cars, including next years Porsche Taycan. The rollout is forecast to comprise about 15 million vehicles. Production of the VW brands I.D. Neo hatchback will start in 12 months in Germany, where three factories will assemble electric models. Other models from the battery-powered I.D. line will be built at two sites in China as of 2020. A decision on a production location in North America is expected soon, VW said Dec. 6. VWs biggest unit signed a deal with unions two years ago that includes shedding 30,000 jobs worldwide, mainly through natural attrition and early retirement. The labor pact will generate savings of more than 2.2 billion euros ($2.49 billion) by the end of 2018, VW said Dec. 6. The company said its on track to achieve its target of trimming costs by 3 billion euros by 2020 from the pact, and plans to trim an additional 3 billion euros through other efficiency measures. We cannot let up in our efforts and must realize further substantial improvements, Brandstaetter said. The executive said VW is discussing ideas to expand a planned cooperation on light commercial vehicles with Ford Motor Co. to include cars as well. VW intends to comment on the result of these talks early next year, a company spokesman added. By Christoph Rauwald From Bloomberg When the S-Word Was Taboo Commentary Once upon a short time ago, no one would say the S-word: socialist. I know. I was there. It was a few weeks before the 2008 presidential election, when, during a televised campaign stop in Ohio, candidate Barack Obama broadcast his belief in economic redistribution to Joe the Plumber. I think when you spread the wealth around, its good for everybody, Obama said. Abruptly, the post-partisan mask Obama wore throughout the campaign had slipped. Did it reveal the Marxist underneath? Did this would-be emperor wear anti-democratic clothes? To anyone paying attention, the answers (yes and yes) were already obvious. We knew from Hank de Zutter, for example, writing in the Chicago Reader in 1995, on the eve of Obamas first election (he won an Illinois state Senate seat in 1996), Obama articulated his collectivist ideology: In America, we have this strong bias toward individual action. You know, we idolize the John Wayne hero who comes in to correct things with both guns blazing. But individual actions, individual dreams, are not sufficient. We must unite in collective action, build collective institutions and organizations, Obama said. We knew from Trevor Loudons New Zeal blog that Obama ran his first political race as a fusion candidate of the Democratic Party and the socialist New Party. We knew from an unearthed 2001 radio interview uploaded to YouTube that Obama bemoaned constitutional restraints on state powers, and the fact that the Civil Rights-era Warren court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth. In that same interview, Obama plugged community organizing activities on the ground that create coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change. Thats right. Not hope and change, but redistributive change. Obama couldnt have been clearer about his revolutionary intentions to replace what he denigrated as the old right-wing, individualistic bootstrap myth with a collectivist order, but not even his Republican opponent, John McCain, cared to address it. Media on the left and right alike let these choice scoops lie, flopping on the internet, denying them the mainstream oxygen that would have turned them into living, breathing campaign issues. It should never be forgotten that following Obamas exchange with Joe the Plumber, our free press decided that what U.S. voters really needed to know was not whether the next president was a socialist, but whether Joe Wurzelbacher was a licensed plumber. Conservative pundits were silent, too. Silence and Denial On Oct. 23, 2008, less than two weeks before Election Day, Fox Newss Special Report with Brit Hume took up the issue with Mara Liasson, Fred Barnes, and the late Charles Krauthammer. The conversation kicked off promisingly enough with a question from Hume about whether Obamas recent comments raised legitimate questions about whether he has a socialist or socialistic policy. The inquiry dead-ended when it got to Krauthammer. Since the word socialism has reared its ugly head, he began, lets dispose of it. Think of it. The presidential front-runnerthe supposedly post-partisan presidential front-runnersays, When you spread the wealth around, its good for everybody, and the leading conservative pundit neutralizes the issue on the first go-round. On the contrary, Krauthammer explained why socialism was not an issue. His reasoning? Socialism just isnt socialism, he said, unless the government owns the means of production. So, presumably, because Obama didnt also tell Joe that, as president, he would take over two of the three largest U.S. automakersGeneral Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chryslerone-sixth of the economy (health care), and much of the student-loan and home-mortgage industries, there was no reason to wonder what type or even whether a socialist was about to be elected president. What Obama is talking about is what we have had for a long time: progressive taxation, Krauthammer continued, as though progressive taxation for a long time deserved the Adam Smith stamp of approval. Krauthammer concluded: Now, he wants to raise the marginal income tax rate from about 36 percent today to about 39.5 But lets remember, under Eisenhower, the marginal income tax rate was 91 percent [Such tax rates] are not the Supreme Soviet, its not Sweden, and it isnt even Eisenhowers America. A sound bite is sometimes just a sound bite, but this one still reverberates. In pairing these late-breaking glimpses of Obamas redistributionist beliefs with Eisenhowers America, Krauthammer invoked a worn Rorschach prompt for plain vanilla conservatism, which could hardly be more inaccurate. Eisenhower may have been elected on a solemn pledge to roll back the New Deal and war-inflated spending and taxes, but he did neither. That doesnt change Ikes chiseled-in-stone reputation for conservative stability, however. By referencing Eisenhowers America, Krauthammer was promoting a sense of politics as usual. During that same October 2008, I remember thinking extra-long and hard before one of my regular CNN appearances on the political roundtable of the old Lou Dobbs show about whether to use the word socialist on the air (Id already used it in my syndicated newspaper column). While waiting for the camera to roll, I remember triple-checking already double-checked facts, re-evaluating the evidence, almost as though I didnt trust myself. If no one else was talking about it, could it be true? If no one else was bringing it up, did it matter? Such questions seemed unavoidable in the silence of a sound booth. What I was responding to was the force of taboothe pressure of silence all around. No one in the mainstream media, liberal or conservative, wanted to talk about Obamas socialist politics. I am happy to report that I broke the media juju and asked on CNN whether as president Obama will lead the country in a socialist direction. The next guest promptly accused me of Red-baiting. While I got to respond, I never resumed regular appearances on the Dobbs show, and my contract wasnt renewed. But thats just a coincidence, comrade. Diana West is an award-winning journalist and the author of two books: American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nations Character and The Death of the Grown-Up: How Americas Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, holds a press conference in the Assembly parlor at the Capitol in Madison on Dec. 4, 2018. (Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP) Wisconsin Republicans Pass Legislation to Reduce Powers of Governor, Attorney General Republicans in Wisconsin passed legislation on Dec. 5 that will weaken the power of the governor and attorney general while strengthening the Republican-controlled legislature. The move comes nearly a month after Gov.-elect Tony Evers, a Democrat, narrowly beat Republican Gov. Scott Walker. The attorney general-elect, Josh Kaul, is also a Democrat. He beat challenger Brad Schimel by less than one percent of over 2.5 million votes cast. When both take office in January Wisconsin will experience the first divided government in 10 years. Republicans maintained legislative majorities in the midterms, winning 11 state Senate seats to Democrats six and 63 state Assembly seats to Democrats 36. The GOP also won five of the eight U.S. House seats in the midterms. The U.S. Senate seat up for grabs was won by Sen. Tammy Baldwin, the Democrat incumbent. Legislation Wisconsin Republicans passed the legislation in an all-night session marked by stops and starts as GOP leaders tried to muster enough votes in the Senate. That chamber ultimately approved the package 17-16, with one Republican, state Sen. Robert Cowles, voting against it, around sunrise. The Assembly approved it on a 56-27 vote about two hours later, sending it on to Walker, with one Republican, Rep. Todd Novak, defecting. Walker has signaled his support for the proposal. He has 10 days to sign it from the time its delivered to his office. A spokeswoman didnt immediately respond to a question about how quickly Walker would act; he was in Washington on Wednesday for former President George H.W. Bushs funeral. In one concession, Wisconsin Republicans backed away from giving the Legislature the power to sidestep the attorney general and appoint their own attorney when state laws are challenged in court. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, said as debate concluded in that chamber that the bills would ensure a balance of power between the Legislature and the executive branch. We have allowed far too much authority to flow to the executive, Vos said. To you, this is all about politics. To me, its about the institution. Other Republicans said the bills would bring balance between the divided government. Were going to work with the governor-elect, but were going to do it in a way thats balanced between the legislative and administrative level, Rep. John Nygren said during the debate, reported Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR). She was responding to Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Gordon Hintz, who claimed Republicans were sore losers. If you vote for this, shame on you. You will go down in history as a disgrace, he added, as he and other Democrats employed hyperbolic rhetoric. Changes Among the changes the legislation will enact is requiring the governor to get permission from the legislature before asking for changes in programs that are run jointly by the state and federal governments. And the bill would make it harder for Evers to alter existing laws like Wisconsins voter ID law. In a statement, Evers said: Wisconsin has never seen anything like this. Powr-hungry politicians rushed through sweeping changes to our laws to expand their own power and override the will of the people of Wisconsin who asked for change on Nov. 6. The attorney generals office, meanwhile, wouldnt be allowed to withdraw from federal lawsuits. Instead, the legislatures budget committee would have to sign off on such withdrawals. Republicans hold a 12-4 majority on that committee, reported WPR. Kaul vowed to withdraw Wisconsin from a multi-state lawsuit that seeks a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, known commonly as Obamacare. The Associated Press contributed to this report. From NTD.com Young Chef Draws on Heritage and Travel for Inspiration She always wanted to be her own boss NEW YORKLeah Cohen wasnt always the owner and executive chef of Pig and Khao on Manhattans Lower East Side and Piggyback Bar in Jersey City, New Jersey. Shes had a long journey to get to where she is today, which started when she was 8 years old. Cohen first developed an interest in the culinary arts when she helped her mother and grandmother with the family and holiday dinners. During school snow days, she would spend her time cooking instead of sledding in Westchester, New York. She worked as a pizza delivery girl before she got her first opportunity to cook for real. Her parents were dentists, and one of their patients owned a local restaurant in Harrison, New York. There, she learned how to cook in a real commercial kitchen. She was also exposed to the harsh reality every novice and veteran line cook faces: prep work. I also learned how to prep, and I absolutely hated it because they would give me like a huge sack of potatoes and I had to peel like 50 pounds of potatoes, and I was like Oh my god this sucks, but I still did it, I didnt complain. It taught me how to keep my head down and do what Im told, which was good, Cohen told The Epoch Times. An Italian Experience After attending culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America, Cohen did an externship at David Burkes Park Avenue Cafe, the first time she had worked in a fast-paced, fine dining kitchen. It was a demanding, aggressive environment, but the experience taught the young cook how to be tough. At this point in her career, Cohen had an affection for Italian cuisine, and was urged to attend Italys Slow Food program. After the program, Cohen embarked on a yearlong trip to Sicily, and continued to pursue her passion for Italian cuisine, working at the Michelin-starred Ristorante La Madia in 2007. It was amazing. I was fully immersed, I thought I was Italian. It was an unforgettable experience professionally, personally. It was challenging. Sometimes I got homesick, but overall I think it made me a really good traveler. I think it made me open to the world, and to different cultures, and it was an amazing experience, Cohen recalled. Fine Dining Cohen returned to the United States and began working for Daniel Humm at the esteemed restaurant Eleven Madison Park. It was here where the young line cook refined and honed her skills. Eleven Madison really taught me how to cook food. It taught me really great cooking technique, how to properly cook duck, steak, fish, vegetables, everything you could possibly think of. It taught me how to really line cook. It taught me speed. It taught me knife skills it taught me everything, Cohen recalled. The experience also made Cohen realize she didnt want to continue with fine dining. After working at Eleven Madison Park for a year, Cohen took a month-long vacation to the Philippines to figure out what she wanted to do next. Her subsequent travels and Filipino heritage would ultimately shape her vision for her own restaurants. After returning to the United States, she began working at Anne Burrells Centro Vinoteca where she was promoted to sous chef, and eventually earned the chef de cuisine position. She took a hiatus from the restaurant to compete on season five of Top Chef. While Cohen had a enjoyable, valuable experience on the show, she grew tired of people talking about her in the media. I just wanted to get back to what I do with cooking, and I wanted to figure out who I was as a chef. So I wanted to go somewhere where no one knew who I was, and literally packed a suitcase and left the U.S. for a year, Cohen recalled. A Cook Abroad Cohen traveled to Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. She shadowed cooks and chefs at a variety of restaurants, went on food tours, took cooking classes, and visited a plethora of markets. She brought home all the knowledge she had gained on the trip, which would extensively influence her first restaurant. Wanting to open up her own restaurant when she returned to the United States, she looked for an apartment and a restaurant location on Manhattans Lower East Side, where her brother lived at the time. After passing on a space that didnt have a liquor license, she returned months later and chose the location for her first restaurant, Pig and Khao, in 2013. Her extensive travels as well as her Filipino heritage have defined the restaurant and the menu. I didnt know it at the time, but it was my training for the food that I make now. So I think I like to pay respect to my moms side of the family by doing obviously Filipino food, and I think that my palette really does understand all those strong, pungent flavors that other people arent used to because they werent exposed to it at a young age. At Pig and Khao, Cohens favorite dish is Khao Soi, which consists of red curry, coconut milk, chicken, egg noodles, pickled mustard greens, and red onionsthe first dish on the menu that has never come off. The restaurant is also known for its Sizzling Sisig, an elaborate pork head dish beloved by diners. Having experienced several successful years, Cohen opened Piggyback Bar in Jersey City, New Jersey, to expand the Pig and Khao brand. Once she saw the location and the view of Manhattan across the Hudson River, her mind was set. Piggyback Bar opened in 2017 with a focus on American bar food with an Asian influence. The most satisfying part is that people enjoy and want to come back and eat over and over again, Cohen said. You give people an insight into who you are through the food that you cook, and I think we do it at both restaurants well. Courtesy of Jessica Abo Joe Meyer, who sold his last company to Apple, is on a mission to help more professionals access the hidden job market and to make the executive ranks of corporate America more inclusive. As the founder and CEO of ExecThread, Meyer runs the largest global aggregator of unpublished executive-level job opportunities. The NYC-based, venture capital backed startup is a premium job-sharing network that leverages a unique, crowdsourced approach to provide far more access for all professionals, most notably underrepresented candidates who to date have been most disadvantaged by the traditional executive recruiting model -- including women, people of color, veterans, the LGBTQ+ community, AARP members, permanent residents, and the disabled, under-educated and underprivileged. ExecThread is a curated community with more than 30,000 members around the world, and is growing at a fast pace. Meyer sat down with Entrepreneur Network Jessica Abo to discuss how ExecThread has grown, and why he's so passionate about changing how the executive recruiting industry works and making it far more inclusive. NORWALK A 46-year-old city man was arrested after a woman told police he had physically abused her. On the afternoon of Nov. 26, police interviewed the woman at police headquarters and she said her boyfriend, Andy Casares, of Woodward Avenue, had threatened to kill her, according to court documents. During one altercation in late-September, Casares pushed the woman into a nightstand and choked her, according to a police report. The woman managed to push him off and while she was trying to get up, he bit her on the right leg, according the documents. The woman said she did not call the police because Casares had threatened to kill her, according to the documents. A similar incident occurred in early October, according to police. In November, Casares kicked the woman out of the apartment and refused to return her rent money or furniture, police said. Casares was charged with third-degree strangulation, third-degree assault and second-degree threatening. He was given a $500 bond and a court date of Dec. 5. NORWALK The French cannon gifted to Norwalk for the citys contribution to the World War I effort hasnt stood outside the Mulvoy-Tarlov-Aquino Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 603 headquarters along North Avenue for a decade. But VFW Post 603, which sold its North Avenue property and transferred the cannon to the Norwalk Green in June 2009, hasnt lost sight of its significance to Norwalk. Its not just the cannon, its what the cannon means, said Post 603 Quartermaster Peter Torrano. And were hoping that when people see this it will pop into their minds to remember the veterans who served and died in this conflict and all the others, and those who served in peacetime as well. VFW Post 603 will formally honor its gifting of the cannon to the First Taxing District in a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day, on the Norwalk Green. The public is invited. The taxing district owns and maintains the Green. Post 603 is donating $20,000 to the district for perpetual care and maintenance of the cannon, according to district General Manager Dominick M. DiGangi. The 155-mm cannon was forged in 1881 at Bourges, France, fired at the Battle of Verdun in 1916, and afterward donated by the French government to Norwalk as a thank you for the citys contribution to the allied effort in World War I. Norwalk sent 1,627 of its citizens, both men and women, to serve in World War I, according to Norwalk Preservation Trust President Tod Bryant, who prepared a history of the French cannon. While the local veterans names are listed on plaques at the base of the cannon, many of their stories are not lost. Nobody is left to tell the story, said VFW Post 603 Quartermaster-elect Jeffrey DeWitt. And so, if we dont have monuments and statues and people that like the history, then its going to get untold. Marija Bryant, First Taxing District Board of Commissioners chairwoman and wife of the preservation trust president, said Fridays commemorative plaque unveiling formally recognizes the VFWs generous gift of the cannon to the First Taxing District and serves as a somber reminder of the sacrifice our military men and women make every day in the cause of freedom. That we do it on this important day in history underscores that fact that freedom isnt free and that those who are willing to serve to leave their families and the comforts of home to face the unknown dangers of the battleground are true heroes, Marija Bryant said. On behalf of the First Taxing District, I want to thank the VFW members for the gift but, more importantly, for the service that you have given our country and for the service that you continue to provide through your organization. Your dedication and commitment is inspiring. Torrano said Post 603 chose to hold the ceremony on Pearl Harbor Day rather than Veterans Day, Nov. 11, because of the many other events on the latter date. This years Veterans Day marked the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I. The French cannon has a long history on each side of the Atlantic Ocean. In August 1914, the gun was transported to Verdun, across from the German line at Mallancourt, and remained there until October 1918, providing covering fire for the American 26th Division, in which many Norwalkers served, according to a Lt. Herman B. Wilson, whom Tod Bryant included in his history. Upon arriving in Norwalk, the cannon was dedicated at a large ceremony attended by 10,000 spectators on July 16, 1921, and placed on a rectangular granite base on the Library Green along Belden Avenue the following year. The cannon and base remained together on the Library Green until 1950 when the roadway was rebuilt. The granite base was relocated to the Norwalk Green. The cannon ended up at the Norwalk Police Department headquarters with VFW Post 603 ultimately saving and rededicating it outside its North Avenue property in November 1952, according to Tod Bryant. Upon selling its North Avenue property, VFW Post 603 donated the cannon to the First Taxing District, which restored the weapon, painted it in a historically correct color and reunited it with its granite base on the Norwalk Green, according to Bryant. In 2017, the taxing district hired Cultural Preservation & Restoration, Inc. of Belvidere, N.J., which sandblasted repainted and lacquered the cannon. The plaques also were cleaned and repainted as part of the $15,950 rehabilitation project. Any green entrepreneur knows the problem well: Major social media platforms wont run cannabis ads. Theyre shut out of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and even spammy services like Taboola and Outbrain -- the places most startups rely upon to drive sales. In response, cannabis companies often throw money at influencers, hoping to at least gain some presence on the sites. And at conferences, people in the industry ask each other, How are you growing in a Facebook-less world? But the best answers may not come from other people working in cannabis. They may come from someone like Polly Rodriguez, whose company, Unbound, sells sexual health products -- another industry shut out of social media advertising, but one thats been around longer than most cannabis companies. That means shes had more time to work on a solution. We all face the same barriers, said Rodriguez, which is why shes often invited to speak on panels with people in the cannabis business. Related: She Broke Barriers in Tech and Now Runs the Largest International Cannabis Women's Network She launched in 2013, has grown Unbound to a $4 million company, and has a message for her mutually suffering colleagues: Its been painful, she said, but being shut out of social media is ultimately a good thing. Facebook and Instagram paid acquisition continues to climb, and brands that have become dependent on it are increasingly struggling to scale. But not hers, she said. She figured out a better way to grow -- and her peers in cannabis can, too. Back when Rodriguez first launched, she said, she actually bought a few Facebook ads -- until the platform caught on. Thats what forced her to ask herself some important questions: How do I have a message that is compelling and that will get people to care about this brand, about these products, and about this category? And especially, how do I get people to tell their friends about it? The answer, she decided, was original content. She wanted to engage women in a conversation about sex that felt genuine and fun, so she developed a witty newsletter and spread the word through micro-influencers. I used to think about a persons inbox as a doorstep, Rodriguez saod, and every time you knock on that persons door, youd better have something to offer them, because otherwise theyre not going to open the door anymore. Related: Who Knew There Is a Market for a $15,000 Vibrator? After a lot of late nights and trial and error, people started sharing the emails with friends. Customers came to her, rather than the other way around. And once that happened, Rodriguez felt comfortable taking her brands voice beyond newsletters and influencers. She started experimenting with PR stunts, the most successful of which was called Vibes for Congress. Customers could buy and send a vibrator to any congressional member, and 75 percent of the proceeds would go to Planned Parenthood. Media picked up the story nationwide, more than 2,000 vibrators were purchased, and new customers became fans: They were more likely than the average buyer to sign up for Unbounds newsletter, which meant they were more likely to make purchases in the future. Rodriguez knew she couldnt pull off a successful PR stunt every month, which is why she decided to double down on engaging her audience. She hired a director of content, who created an online magazine that publishes, say, interviews with sex therapists and dominatrices. The team also looked at Unbounds Google data, saw what people searched for, and ran content related to those searches. As a result, Unbounds traffic spiked. Were, like, the number one Google search result for feminist porn, Rodriguez said, but we dont post any pornography on our site. Related: Female Cannabis Entrepreneurs Are Pioneers in Science, Finance and Fashion With all this, Rodriguez thinks Unbound is well-positioned for the future -- and she said the same can be true for any cannabis brand that smartly embraces content. After all, she said, the social media bans cant last forever. I can feel more and more taboos just falling away day by day, she said. When the Facebooks of the world decide to change their policies, well really see crazy growth. Related: Your Startup Needs Brand Ambassadors Now More than Ever -- Here's How to Get Them How 'Good Design' Will Help Your Ecommerce Business Grow Faster Than Ever AMLO, Ronaldo y BTS: lo mas tuiteado en Mexico en 2018 Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Israel has always prided itself on being, as the Book of Isaiah says, "a light unto the nations" - an exemplar of "righteousness" to inspire Jews and gentiles alike and bring salvation to mankind. That is why the menorah is the symbol of not only Hanukkah, which Jews are now celebrating, but also the state of Israel. But Israel's light is dimmed when veterans of its famed armed forces, whose mission is to defend the Jewish state's freedom, misuse their expertise to aid oppression in other countries. Saudi dissident Omar Abdulaziz, who lives in Canada, has filed a lawsuit against an Israeli technology company called the NSO Group accusing it of providing the Saudi government with the surveillance software to spy on him and his friends, including slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The program, known as Pegasus, not only allows the monitoring of all communications from a phone - all texts, all emails, all phone calls - but can also hijack a mobile phone's microphone and camera to turn it into a surveillance device. The information gathered on Khashoggi may have motivated his murder by alerting the Saudi authorities that he was stirring up electronic dissent within the kingdom while denouncing Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman in vituperative terms as a "pac-man" who devoured all in his path. "The hacking of my phone played a major role in what happened to Jamal, I am really sorry to say," Abdulaziz told CNN. "The guilt is killing me." Firms like the NSO Group have been started by veterans of Unit 8200, Israel's version of the National Security Agency. A 2016 report by a watchdog group called Privacy International identified 27 Israeli companies in the business of surveillance, the highest number per capita in the world. But the NSO Group has created the most controversy amid charges that its products have been misused against civil society activists around the world. Mexican journalists and activists are already suing the NSO Group alleging that Pegasus was used to spy on them. Among those allegedly targeted were advocates of a soda tax designed to reduce Mexicans' consumption of sugary drinks. When the NSO Group went to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to sell its technology, according to the New York Times, it demonstrated its efficacy by surreptitiously recording the phone calls of a London-based Arab newspaper editor. A UAE human rights activist later complained of having his iPhone hacked, and the UAE was also said to have targeted regional rivals such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The government of Panama is reported to be another NSO customer that has used the technology to monitor its critics. When confronted with such criticisms, NSO's strategy is to deny and deflect. It told the New York Times on Sunday that its products were "licensed for the sole use of providing governments and law enforcement agencies the ability to lawfully fight terrorism and crime." The company boasted that its products are vetted and licensed by the Israeli government, and said that "we do not tolerate misuse of our products. If there is suspicion of misuse, we investigate it and take the appropriate actions, including suspending or terminating a contract." It's true that Israel must approve the sale of NSO's products, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government takes an amoral approach to this vetting. It sees such sales as not only good for Israel's economy but also for its security, because it fosters closer links with Arab states. And if a few dissidents are harassed, jailed or even killed because of this spy software, well, that's not Israel's concern. Israelis are deeply cynical - and, after the Iraq War and Arab Spring, understandably so - about the prospects of democracy in the Arab world. They prefer to deal with unelected leaders such as the royal families of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, and they fear that popularly elected governments would be more hostile to them because of the pervasive anti-Semitism in the Arab world. Freed of serious regulatory pressure, Israeli spy companies are free to maximize profits any way they can. Firms like the NSO Group appear to be doing little to hold customers such as the Saudi and UAE governments to account for using their products not against terrorist groups such as the Islamic State or against foreign enemies such as Iran but against liberal dissidents. It's a safe bet that technology companies build in "back doors" that allow them to monitor and take control of their programs if they so desire. It's likely that the NSO Group could disable its software from afar to stop Saudi Arabia or Mexico from misusing it - but there is no evidence that it has done so. The trump card in these arguments is always the claim - beloved of arms merchants everywhere - that "if we don't sell these products, someone else will." That may very well be true, since the NSO Group is in competition with firms such as Italy's Hacking Team, which has been accused of catering to repressive regimes such as Kazakhstan, Vietnam and Sudan. But Italy has never claimed a moral mission in the world. Israel has. It's understandable that Israel would employ brutal tactics such as targeted killings to ensure its own survival. But there is no excuse for enabling foreign oppression for profit. - Boot, a Post columnist, is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick senior fellow for national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and a global affairs analyst for CNN. He is the author of "The Corrosion of Conservatism: Why I Left the Right." There was more than a lilt of Tammany Hall-style sausage making last week when news reports focused on wannabe House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dangling concessions and sweeteners before recalcitrant Democrats to win their support. And at about the same time, two of those holdouts Rep. Jim Himes and Rep.-elect Jahana Hayes announced they would vote for Pelosi after all. This begs the questions: What did they get for their commitments? Are happy days here again because Santa Nancy will bestow a cornucopia of gifts on Connecticuts 4th and 5th Congressional Districts? I didnt horse-trade with Nancy Pelosi, Himes answered Tuesday, when I asked him straight up. The 4th Congressional District will get goodies, but they will come about as a result of regular order. Regular order is Capitol-speak for the normal, yawn-inducing appropriations process. And even though Pelosi is likely to be queen of the new House Democratic majority, she cannot just snap her finger and, boom, a new railroad bridge appears across the Saugatuck River. But the controversial 78-year-old Californian, who still faces headwinds on her path to the speakership, can dole out coveted intangibles things like committee assignments, or policy priorities on the House floor, or getting that all-nebulous seat at the table. Himes said his only interaction with Pelosi was as chair of the New Democrat Coalition, the centrist-Dem House alliance that had Pelosi over for a sit-down. So no big announcements on federally funded projects for now. But if you see federal money suddenly arising for a new Congress Street Bridge in Bridgeport, youll know how those wheels got greased. (Oh, wait, the Connecticut State Bond Commission is set to approve $3.7 million for the new Congress Street Bridge, according to state Sen. Marilyn Moore!) As for Hayes, my colleague Emilie Munson learned from her spokesman that the former teacher of the years big ask from Pelosi was a seat on the House Education & the Workforce Committee. No word yet on whether she got it. A civil president The funeral of President George H.W. Bush was a somber moment for the nation. And, of course, Greenwich and environs felt the loss of their native son as acutely as any region in the country. For me, the funeral cortege winding its way through Washington and the military detail that carried his coffin in and out of the National Cathedral brought back a memory of my own brief interaction with the 41st president of the United States. As a young reporter at the Hearst Newspapers Washington Bureau in 1992, I was part of a three-person team that got to interview Bush in the Oval Office just prior to a Drug Summit in San Antonio (where we had a newspaper). The Drug War was certainly a big story at the time, with much of the focus on corruption and collusion within the Mexican government. Doubtless we asked earnest questions on that topic and looked for answers around which we could build a news story. But Id be lying if I said the grandeur of the moment was far from our minds. My Hearst colleague Jeff Cohen, who later became editor of the Houston Chronicle, said he thought of stealing an ashtray but then decided to back off. Our time with the president was limited. When the clock ticked down to zero, a voice sounded out thank you, Mr. President as I was in the middle of a question. President Bush certainly could have gotten up, said thanks and walked out of the room. But that wasnt his way. Go ahead and ask the question he said, motioning to me as we all slowly got up out of our seats. I dont remember what the question was, but I got an unhurried and detailed response from the president. And that is how he is being remembered. Friendly, thoughtful, patient and, yes, prudent. (Thank you very much, Dana Carvey!) Whatever your political persuasion or party preference, one can only hope that someday we can return to the kinder, gentler way of conducting the nations business that George H.W. Bush exemplified so well. dan@hearstdc.com; @danfreedma Your home's got styleand boy, did you work to achieve it. You followed design blogs, pored over Pinterest boards, and chose accent pieces and colors to add just the right note. That is, you did five years ago. Or 10. But guess what? Style isnt static, and your home decor shouldnt be, either. Even the most beloved design elements can start to feel unbearably stale after a while. Some design trends come and go with dizzying speed," says New York City designer Ellen O'Neill. "Others seem to just hang around long past their sell-by date." We won't tell you to ditch the stuff that speaks to your soul, changing trends be damned. But if you're itching for a design upgrade and aren't sure where to start, ask yourself if your home is sporting any of these looks that have worn out their welcome. These are the design hangers-on the experts can't wait (please, oh, please) to ditch in 2019. Full disclosure: We've called out a few of these particularly persistent trends in previous years. Onward and upward! 1. Gallery walls Photo by Tim Barber Ltd Architecture It's time to cool it with nailing 20-piece photo collages onto our walls. Instead, make a bigger splash with one large piece that leaves an impression. I love family photos, but the stark black or blond wood framesthank you, Ikea!that weve put up on the wall are a little, well, not trending, says Los Angeles home designer Kim Gordon. A wall full of little frames, Gordon says, fails to make a statement and ends up being overlooked and ignored. Plus, those frames will just accumulate dust and fingerprints. In the new year, Gordon says the tedious clutter will give way to "big, potentially colorful, and absolutely impactful" art that wowsthink charcoal sketches or watercolorsanything to relieve some of the monotony." 2. Industrial kitchens Photo by PowerSmith Design Three years later, and were still ringing the closing bell on this exhausted look. It seems old habits (and Edison bulbs) die hard. So, well say it again for the people in the back: Industrial chic is played out. It's time to flip the switch on cage lighting and aggressively exposed pipes and beams. More often than not, [this look] fails and lacks the authenticity the designer is ardently trying to create, says David Shove-Brown of Washington, DCbased architecture and design firm //3877. Industrial kitchens are not the most inviting place to be the heart of your homemore like living in a Costco," O'Neill adds. "So, unless you are a professional chef, lets retire this trend." Make the swap for lush, opulent hues in the kitchendeep (almost black) greens and blues, and dark woodworkand lean on matte metallics for contrast, recommends Debbie Schamberger of Elite Kitchen & Bath. "Gold is strong for hardware, faucets, and lighting fixturesa soft gold, like Champagne," she says. 3. Boho accessories Photo by We Are In Our Element We can already hear the boos and hisses on this one, but Portland, OR, designer Justin Riordan isnt having it. Boho has to die, he says. Its totally flippin over." You know what we're talking about: The macrame wall hangings, the waxy-fake succulents ("You're not fooling anybody," Riordan says), and your Moroccan lanterns all had a good run, but it's time to rein it in. "You can, of course, continue to buy $19 batik pillows at Target, but stuff like that is just fodder for your next garage sale," Riordan says. "It comes on really fast and goes away really fast. If you just cant tear yourself away from that gypsy-soul-world-citizen vibe, Riordan suggests channeling those feelings into an authentic piece that reflects a real ethnic traditionsay, a kilim rugand building the room around that. 4. Word art Photo by Bach Homes We knowwe can't believe it either, but the word art trend is still happening. In 2019, however, the pros are determined to make it finally stop. Even if you can live, laugh, and love with the best of them, those words don't belong on your walls. Any text art hung in the home meant to be positive just comes across as cheesy and predictable, says Jessica Boudreaux, an interior designer in Miami and New York City. Stuart Smalley called, and he wants his signage back. Ana Cummings of Ana Interiors agrees: Its about as hokey as you can get. 5. Kitchen islands Photo by Havlicek Builders Inc. But isn't the island sort of ultimate #kitchengoals? Diana Blaszkiewicz, an associate with TTR Sothebys International Realty in Washington, DC, doesn't think so. Her clients increasingly want to ditch the kitchen island, and shes happy to oblige. Theyre bulky and often dont provide adequate storage space; plus, theyre very easy to bump into in the middle of the night, she says. In lieu of an island, situate the dining table closer to the kitchen, Blaszkiewicz recommends, or use modular, moveable storage instead. 6. Gray everything Photo by Creative House Zone Will 2019 be the year we do away with gray? From walls to napkins, from Florida to Maine, it has been all about gray for so long now, I can hardly remember when it snuck in, O'Neill laments. Because weve concentrated on cool grays for so long, it just feels dated at this point, Riordan adds. Everything I see in that palette just feels really cold to me. Plus, gray has become the go-to neutral for home stagingand that means this hue often screams newly flipped, Blaszkiewicz notes. That doesn't mean neutrals are out, but designers are ready for a shift to warmer tones, like sandy taupes. 7. Over-the-stove microwaves Photo by Mabry Construction, Inc. Certain residential features are the brainchildren of home buildersnot interior designers. Such is the story of microwaves situated above cooktops. "It was never a good design choice," Cummings says. "Microwaves are so ugly, to put it bluntly." The microwave-over-the-range setup is not even functional, says Doug Lewis, a kitchen and bath remodeler in Richmond, VA. The combo's popularity is driven entirely by the need to economize spaceand it sacrifices the ventilation capabilities of a full-size hood vent (as opposed to the scrawny item built into the bottom of over-range microwaves). "With those, you're maybe getting 25% venting function," Lewis says. "Plus, it's just an awkward height for younger or shorter people to use. Ever tried to reach over your head to get hot soup out of the microwave? Not good." So what's a space-starved homeowner to do? Undercounter microwaves are gaining popularity, Lewis says, and a growing number of cabinet manufacturers offer designs that accommodate them. You can also mount your microwave under upper cabinets while still preserving that precious counter space. 8. Microfiber upholstery Photo by LuxWest Interiors For years now, microfiber has been the hero of home furniturean affordable and practical choice for its durability. So durable, in fact, that this vaguely suede-like fabric is ready for a rest. Why? Most microfiber furniture can make the overall design of a room appear dated and cheap, says Beverly Hills, CAbased designer Kita Williams. And while its not impossible to find a microfiber piece in a modern shape, aren't you ready to try something new? Err on the side of caution, and stay away from microfiber," Williams says. "Stick with linen, leather, pleather, tweed, and canvas-type fabrics. The post Thank U, Next: 8 Interior Design Trends That Are So Over in 2019 appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. EDWARDSVILLE During its regular Tuesday meeting, the Edwardsville City Council approved a fourth stop sign for the intersection of South Benton and West Park streets, just south of downtown. Edwardsville Police Department Lt. Mike Lybarger said the intersection is not a busy one but that the new stop sign is a matter of consistency and safety. ALTON The 11th annual Cookies and Cocoa raised $3,050 and brought in tons of toys, coats and bicycles. There will be a lot of happy kids Christmas morning, said host Freer Auto Bodys Margaret Freer. I cannot thank the community enough for always supporting us and helping make a difference. We are blessed in so many ways, we are grateful we can help others. Cookies and Cocoa is an event for the United Ways and The Telegraph/Intelligencers Community Christmas, where the public drops off donations and enjoys homemade cookies, cocoa and good will. We have supported Community Christmas for 27 years. This is our favorite community project, said Freer, whose granddaughters Taylor and Lily Freer helped serve the holiday goodies to guests on Nov. 29 at the body shop, festively decorated for Christmas. The need is even greater this year. Lots of kids would not have Christmas if it were not for the giving people in our community during Community Christmas. Taylor and Lily sponsor and host their own event, Christmas in July, for Community Christmas during the summer. This year, they raised $40,900 at that event, which gives the giving event for families in need a jump start, well before it officially starts at the first of November. Also, the girls and their cousin, Emily King, shopped on Black Friday and purchased 23 bicycles for Community Christmas. Steve Schwegel, owner of Alton Physical Therapy, Ed Schwegel and John Schwegel, also donated three bikes. The Steve Dale family and John Hamilton donated one bike, respectively, for a total of 31 bikes so far. Phillips 66, based in Wood River, donated the cardboard donation boxes again this year and Edwardsville High School students continued with the tradition of prepping the boxes. Alton High School also contributes to Community Christmas through its annual non-perishable food drive, which provides 90 percent of the food donations for the program. Reach Jill Moon at 618-208-6448 and Twitter @jill_moon. EDWARDSVILLE The Edwardsville Community Foundation and the newly formed Edwardsville Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) Program are teaming up to give high school seniors firsthand business experience from local business owners. The CEO Program is a year-long course that is designed to teach students how to develop and run successful businesses. The course, which began in 2008 in Effingham, Illinois, is open to seniors at Edwardsville High School, Father McGivney Catholic High School, and Metro East Lutheran High School. When students meet investors and feel the support that local businesses provide, they begin to truly believe in the concepts and ideas that are being taught to them, said Edwardsville CEO Facilitator and Program Coordinator Hannah Allison. The CEO Program allows students to gain real-world business knowledge from successful leaders in our community and develop skills that will give them a head start in their chosen professions. ECF is the fiscal agent for the innovative program that is designed to develop students skills in problem-solving, teamwork, self-motivation, responsibility, higher-order thinking, communication, and inquiry. Through the course, students visit area businesses, learn from guest speakers, participate in class businesses and start and operate their own businesses. Nine students are currently enrolled in the program, and more than 18 local businesses have committed to supporting the program or serving as speakers. Edwardsville has a great business community and weve already seen a lot of positive support for this program, said ECF Executive Director Pam Farrar. So far, 19 local businesses have pledged $3,000 over the next three years to help fund the program and more than a half dozen others have committed to smaller donations or acting as mentors for the program. Its really exciting to see that kind of community support. Allison said the CEO program is always looking for guest speakers and local investors. For more information on how to get involved, contact Hannah Allison at 618-610-9714 or visit the Edwardsville CEO program website at EdwardsvilleCEO.com. For more information about the Edwardsville Community Foundation, call Pam Farrar at 618-520-8099 or go to www.edwardsvillecommunityfoundation.org. 9 hours ago Black Friday is back but it's not what it used to be NEW YORK (AP) On this year's Black Friday, things almost seem normal. Malls and stores report decent-sized crowds, if not the floods of people that used to fight over the latest toys Read Article Banyan Tree Phuket Welcomes Michelin-Plate Chef from 80/20 at Saffron Restaurant Continuing its run of special dinner events featuring high-profile guest chefs, Banyan Tree Phuket is delighted to announce the arrival of a celebrated chef from Bangkoks 80/20 restaurant, the proud recipient of a Michelin Plate. Dining By The Phuket News Thursday 6 December 2018, 12:00PM Chef Napol Joe Jantraget from 80/20, one of the hottest restaurants in Bangkok Together with Fine Dining Lovers by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna, the guest chef collaboration series featuring Chef Napol Joe Jantraget, will prepare contemporary Thai cuisine for gourmet food lovers at Saffron restaurant on 14 and 15 December. Mr Jantraget will lend his considerable talents to Saffron for two consecutive evenings, preparing a unique set of dishes that highlight the style and skill that have made 80/20 one of the hottest restaurants in Bangkok. Chef Napols focus on locally grown produce allows for a rich and flavourful culinary effect that takes full advantage of Phukets agricultural traditions, and cant be reproduced elsewhere. Diners will enjoy a range of magnificent set menu combinations, featuring delicacies such as Silver Mullet cooked in herbal oil, concentrated turmeric broth, fermented hairy eggplant and local herbs. These special dinners mark the third month in a row of world-class dining events at Banyan Tree Phuket. In October, the luxury resort hosted Australian New Age Chef Stuart Chant for a series of exclusive dinners at the Watercourt restaurant, as well as a masterclass on gourmet food preparation. November featured a 5-course champagne dinner from Japanese chef Shiga Takahiro, available to diners at Taihei for one night only. Decembers guest chef event marks the second partnership of the year between Saffron and San Pellegrino, following a pair of unforgettable dinners by the innovative Chef Pom of Bangkoks Michelin-starred Saneh Jaan restaurant. Both San Pellegrino and Banyan Tree Phuket continue to introduce audiences to some of the top culinary talent from throughout Thailand and beyond. Mr Jantraget joins Phukets fine dining connoisseurs in anticipation for his upcoming visit. In order for Thai Cuisine to move forward and become one of the greatest cuisines in the world, we cannot only focus on its traditions and its authenticity. It needs to continue its journey by involving different cultures and being innovative, like what was done in the past to make Thai Cuisine what it is today. The Fine Dining Lovers Guest Chef Series is an original initiative by fine dining waters S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna that began in 2011, as part of their ongoing effort to bridge the best of the best in the culinary world. Aligned with their goal of encouraging culinary exchanges and the fine enjoyment of water, wine and other gastronomy, the series combines renowned chefs from top dining destinations around Asia to bring top-notched epicurean experiences to diners. It is promoted through finedininglovers.com, the eponymous global platform dedicated to exploring the finest taste and culinary culture from around the world by S.Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. As producers of fine natural mineral water, San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna continue to demonstrate how the highest-quality water can enhance the greatest of dining experiences. Saffron is the signature Thai restaurant at Banyan Tree Phuket, the islands finest 5-star villa resort. Set menus for the special dinner event begin at THB 2,500 net. For reservations or inquiries, contact Banyan Tree Phuket at +66 76 372 400, or send an email to: fb-phuket@banyantree.com. Phuket speedboat captain, crewman and guide all charged for Chinese tourist slashed by Phi Phi tour boat propeller PHUKET: Police have confirmed that the boat captain, his boat crewmen assistant and the tour guide present when a Chinese tourist had her legs slashed by a tour speedboat propeller at Phi Phi Island on Saturday (Dec 1) have been charged and are currently in detention. tourismtransportaccidentsChinesemarinepoliceSafety By Tavee Adam Thursday 6 December 2018, 05:31PM Police have confirmed that the speedboat captain, crewman and the tour guide have all been charged for recklessness causing serious injury and are being detained. Photo: Phuket TAC The tourist, 39-year-old Jang Sia Dan, suffered deep lacerations to both legs, with the her leg slashed to the bone, as she got off the back of the boat while it was reversing to moor at Pileh Bay. She was rushed to Phi Phi Hospital for emergency treatment, then sped back to Phuket for extensive treatment at Vachira Hospital Phuket in Phuket Town. Ms Jang had boarded the speedboat tour with 19 other Chinese tourists from Phuket earlier that morning. (See story here.) Lt Col Worawut Yamaree, Deputy Commander of the Koh Phi Phi Police, today confirmed to The Phuket News that the 26-year-old speedboat captain Chatchai Khacharoen and his crewman, Yingyong Khongkhamsuk, also 26, have been charged with recklessness causing serious injury to another person. Likewise, the tour guide, who has not been named, has also been charged with recklessness causing serious injury, Col Worawut said. The investigation by police is complete and the boat has now been handed over to the Marine Department for their officers to check that it is legal and meets safety requirements, he added. Col Worawut also confirmed that compensation for the injuries was already being arranged, but said he could not confirm any more details as the insurance representative had yet to provide him with a comprehensive update. The insurance representative is currently on Phuket, and has yet to get back to me, he added. Snr Sgt Maj Pichit Puangsaprang of the Phuket Tourist Police today told The Phuket News that Ms Jangs condition was improving. Doctors are carrying out a series of operations on her right leg as part of the bone in her upper right thigh was cut away in the incident, he said. Right now, doctors are waiting for her to recover from one operation so they can continue with the procedure in a few days, Snr Sgt Maj Pichit. Why Jesus? He is the way and the truth and the life worth living UPPER GWYNEDD A new overlay district meant to spur development along Sumneytown Pike is another step closer to being on the books. The township commissioners held a formal hearing to discuss a new Sumneytown Pike overlay, allowing new uses on a stretch of several neighboring properties. Once the text is adopted, you can always extend it, with a future map amendment if you want to apply it to other properties up and down Sumneytown Pike, said township solicitor David Onorato. Since February 2018, staff and the board have discussed ways to allow different types of uses and encourage development along the stretch now proposed for inclusion in the overlay, on the north side of Sumneytown Pike roughly between Allentown Road and Broad Street. During the commissioners Nov. 19 meeting, the board held a formal public hearing on the proposed overlay, and Onorato and planning and zoning officer Van Rieker gave details. What it does is, it lays out by way of an overlay district an area of Sumneytown Pike for different uses, provided certain conditions are met, Onorato said. The north side of Sumneytown Pike where the overlay has been proposed is currently zoned for a mix of R-1 and R-2 residential, with a parcel of institutional zoning just west of Allentown Road and commercial zoning surrounding the intersection at Broad Street. The overlay is just what it sounds like: its a two-part zoning district. The underlying zoning will not be changed, Rieker said. The overlay text amendment discussed during the hearing spells out the terms and conditions for those property owners to seek permission for a new use by following the townships conditional use approval process. Tonight is the text only, which amends the zoning ordinance text. Your next step would be to ID the particular properties, said Rieker. We think we have some in mind: six or seven, basically opposite the Merck frontage. That is not the discussion tonight, but it will be, perhaps in a month or two, he said. Several of the property owners had contacted the township to ask about options, Rieker told the board, and the ordinance developed by staff has been vetted by both the township and Montgomery County planning commissions. It sets forward what the applicant needs to present to the township in terms of plans, traffic impact study, landscape plan, architectural drawings, things like that, Rieker said. Staff are envisioning the first draft of the overlay to encompass properties between the railroad overpass that crosses Sumneytown, farther west to include the property just east of Keiffers Appliances and Dunkin Donuts. The uses that would be allowed by conditional use, that are not now allowed in the underlying zoning, are: mini storage facility, multi-family dwelling not to exceed eight dwellings per acre, low-impact business or professional office of not more than 6,000 square feet in floor area, Onorato said. Those are the uses were targeting for this area, which would be over and above what are allowed now, he said. Rieker said those uses were selected because all would likely have minimal impact on traffic in that area, and expanding the area could be addressed as the township updates its comprehensive plan in 2019. Were looking for uses that would not have high (traffic) volume as the end result, he said. The exhibits included in the hearing on Nov. 19 included a draft of the ordinance, a proof of publication, and a review letter from the Montgomery County Planning Commission. Rieker said a similar letter had not yet been received from the townships planning commission, but members had visited the sites in question and would likely issue their own letter in December. Commissioner Jim Santi asked if formalizing or expanding the area under the overlay would require any additional changes to the text of the overlay ordinance itself. Onorato said it would not, and once the overlay is on the books, only changes to the map would be needed. We have maximum flexibility at this point, Onorato said. Upper Gwynedds commissioners next meet at 7 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the township administration building, 1 Parkside Place. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www.UpperGwynedd.org. Bruce Springsteen denies any 2019 tour plans with E Street Band, saying he'll be spending the next year off the road for a proper break. Earlier, rumours of The Boss returning to his day job and playing gigs circulated after Sunday Times reported that a road trip was set to begin "soon". Just a note to quell some of the rumours over here on E Street, he posted on Twitter. While we hope to be back with you soon, the E Street Band wont be touring in 2019. Before I go back to my day job, the year will be consumed with a break after our Broadway run and various recording projects Ive been working on. We do hope to see you soon, and until then, we have some mighty E Streeters out there regularly performing with their own projects whod love and deserve your support. OTTAWACanada's arrest of Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer in Vancouver is fuelling concern that Canadian business people in China are at risk of being arrested in retaliation. That view is being advanced by international security analysts and former diplomats, following the arrest on Saturday of Meng Wanzhou. Canada's Justice Department says the United States is seeking Meng's extradition, but is not providing further details about the case because of a court-ordered publication ban on her pending bail hearing. Chinese officials are loudly calling for Meng's release and want Canada to reveal the reason for her arrest. "The Chinese are likely to play tit for tat on this one and we should be ready for it," said Fen Hampson, the director of the global security program at the Centre for Governance Innovation in southern Ontario. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, says that while he doesn't want to overstate the possibility of a Canadian being jailed, China will be looking for ways to strike back. Read more: China demands Canada release Huawei executive arrested in Vancouver Canada should oust Chinese telecom Huawei, say security experts Sabrina Meng, Huawei CFO and founders daughter, was face of secretive company "China will be furious and look for means of punishing us, in part as an example for others. That could include tit for tat moves against Canadians," he said. Chinese Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters Thursday that the Chinese government also wants Canadian officials to reveal the reasoning. He also said Meng's legal rights must be ensured, adding that neither Canadian nor American officials had so far responded to China's concerns. The comments come after China's embassy in Ottawa issued a statement Wednesday calling Meng's arrest a serious violation of human rights. "(Canada) arrested a Chinese citizen (who did not violate) any Canadian or American law," the statement said. "We will closely follow the development of the issue and take all measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens." Canadian Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said the U.S. is seeking Meng's extradition, but couldn't provide further details about the case because of the publication ban in effect at Meng's request. Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained "on behalf of the United States of America" to face "unspecified charges" in New York, Huawei said in a statement. "The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," the statement said. "The company believes the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion." In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. authorities were allegedly investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. That same month, Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp. from exporting U.S. technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. In its statement Wednesday, Huawei said the company complies with all laws and regulations in the countries where it operates, including applicable export control, sanction laws and regulations of the United Nations, the United States and the European Union. Huawei, the biggest global supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns. Under U.S. President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, Washington has pressured European countries and other allies to limit the use of its technology. The U.S. sees Huawei and smaller Chinese tech suppliers as possible fronts for Chinese spying and as commercial competitors. The Trump administration says they benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. with files from the Associated Press Read more about: SMITHS FALLS, ONT.Marijuana company Canopy Growth Corp. has signed a deal to buy a German firm that specializes in vaporizer design and manufacturing for about $220 million in cash. Under the deal, Canopy will pay 145 million euros for Storz & Bickel GmbH & Co. KG. Based in in Tuttlingen, Germany, the company designs and manufactures of medically approved vaporizers. Canopy says the German firm has a portfolio of 17 filed patents that will improve its existing vaporizer design operations. Founders Markus Storz and Jurgen Bickel are expected to remain part of the organization. VANCOUVERChinese officials are demanding that Canada release Huawei Technologies chief financial officer, who was arrested in Vancouver over the weekend and faces possible extradition to the United States. Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters Thursday that the Chinese government also wants Canadian officials to reveal the reasoning behind Meng Wanzhous arrest Saturday. He also said Mengs legal rights must be ensured, adding that neither Canadian nor American officials had so far responded to Chinas concerns. The comments come after Chinas embassy in Ottawa issued a statement Wednesday calling Mengs arrest a serious violation of human rights. (Canada) arrested a Chinese citizen (who did not violate) any Canadian or American law, the statement said. We will closely follow the development of the issue and take all measures to resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens. Read more: Huawei CFO arrested in Vancouver for possible extradition to the U.S. Huawei arrest tests China-Canada ties as Trudeau weighs 5G risk Canada has rolled out the welcome mat to Huawei, even in hockey Meanwhile, a clerk at the B.C. Supreme Court said Meng appeared in court Wednesday and a bail hearing is scheduled for Friday. Canadian Justice Department spokesman Ian McLeod said the U.S. is seeking Mengs extradition, but couldnt provide further details about the case because a publication ban is in effect at Mengs request. Meng was changing flights in Canada when she was detained on behalf of the United States of America to face unspecified charges in New York, Huawei said in a statement. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng, the statement said. The company believes the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion. In April, China appealed to Washington to avoid damaging business confidence following a Wall Street Journal report that U.S. authorities were allegedly investigating whether Huawei violated sanctions on Iran amid spiralling technology tensions. That same month, Washington barred Huawei rival ZTE Corp. from exporting U.S. technology in a separate case over exports to Iran and North Korea. In its statement Wednesday, Huawei said the company complies with all laws and regulations in the countries where it operates, including applicable export control, sanction laws and regulations of the United Nations, the United States and the European Union. Huawei, the biggest global supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, has been the target of deepening U.S. security concerns. Under U.S. President Donald Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama, Washington has pressured European countries and other allies to limit the use of its technology. The U.S. sees Huawei and smaller Chinese tech suppliers as possible fronts for Chinese spying and as commercial competitors. The Trump administration says they benefit from improper subsidies and market barriers. David Mulroney, a former Canadian ambassador to China, said U.S. and Canadian business executives could face reprisals in China. Thats something we should be watching out for. Its a possibility. China plays rough, Mulroney told The Associated Press. Its a prominent member of their society and its a company that really embodies Chinas quest for global recognition as a technology power. Mulroney said Canada should be prepared for sustained fury from the Chinese and said it will be portrayed in China as Canada kowtowing to Trump. He also said the Iran allegations are very damaging to Huawei and said China will push back hard. U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate armed services and banking committees, applauded Canada for the arrest. Americans are grateful that our Canadian partners have arrested the chief financial officer of a giant Chinese telecom company for (allegedly) breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran, he said. Meng is a prominent member of Chinese society as deputy chairwoman of the Huawei board and the daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei. A gauge of Chinese stocks in Hong Kong posted its biggest two-day drop in 10 months as the arrest of Huawei Technologies Co.s chief financial officer dealt fragile investor sentiment another blow and deepened uncertainty over Chinas relations with the U.S. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index dropped 2.6 per cent, while the Shanghai Composite Index fell 1.7 per cent. Technology stocks were among the hardest hit in both markets as Huawei suppliers tumbled. Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng is facing extradition to the U.S. after her arrest in Vancouver in connection with potential violations by the company of American sanctions on Iran, according to Canadas Department of Justice. Drugmakers tumbled amid concern over price cuts, while the yuan fell for a second day. The news on Huawei comes at a bad time when investor sentiment is weak and when theres lack of reasons to buy the market toward year-end, said Toshihiko Takamoto, a Singapore-based money manager at Asset Management One. The consensus is that this trade war may drag on for 10 years. Chinese drug stocks fell the most since 2009 as investors worried the government is driving down prices for their products via a centralized procurement program. The MSCI China Health Care Index plunged 8.4 per cent, with Sino Biopharmaceutical Ltd. sliding 16 per cent. CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd. and Genscript Biotech Corp. lost more than 11 per cent. The Hang Seng China measure dropped 3.9 per cent over two days. Hong Kongs benchmark Hang Seng Index retreated 2.5 per cent on Thursday, with AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. and Huawei supplier Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. declining more than 5 per cent. ZTE Corp. slid at least 5 per cent in Hong Kong and in Shenzhen. The news on the Chinese tech giant adds to investor skepticism over the progress of China-U.S. trade relations. While selling pressure eased on Wednesday following Chinas pledge to move quickly on U.S. trade commitments, doubts remain over whether theres been any real breakthrough. When concern flared in November that the U.S. was ramping up a campaign against Huawei, the Shanghai Composite Index slumped, with technology shares heavily hit. Read more: China demands Canada release Huawei executive arrested in Vancouver Huawei CFO arrested in Vancouver for possible extradition to the U.S. Read more about: The arrest of a Huawei executive on Canadian soil represents another setback to Justin Trudeaus push for stronger ties with Beijing, which are already strained by differences over trade and investments. Canada arrested Huawei Technologies Co. chief financial officer Wanzhou Meng on Saturday in Vancouver as she was switching flights in the Pacific coast city. The arrest was made at the request of U.S. authorities, who want to extradite her. The arrest comes amid a probe of suspected violations of Iran trade sanctions. China quickly lashed out at the Canadian move, saying it firmly opposes and strongly protests the arrest of Meng, according to a statement from the Chinese embassy in Ottawa late Wednesday. Though Canada was acting on a U.S. request, the arrest adds a further chill to Canada-China relations just as Trudeau seeks closer trade ties with the Asian country after reaching a deal to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement. The pressure on Trudeau will ramp up, the Chinese will pull out all the stops on messaging, said Gordon Houlden, director of the University of Albertas China Institute. Mengs seniority and family connection will add fuel to the fire of Chinese reaction he said, placing Trudeau in a difficult position of either backing the U.S., backing China or attempting to stay neutral through a process run largely through courts. The hands of the government are tied. Extradition Treaty Trudeau likely had little choice but to accept the U.S. request given the extradition treaty signed by the two countries, said Robert Currie, a professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia who specializes in international law and extradition. Read more: Canadian businesses face retaliatory risk after Huawei arrest, say analysts Canada seen as safe harbour in Huaweis global push Huawei CFO arrested in Vancouver for possible extradition to the U.S. Saying no would have potentially opened Canada up to having broken international law, Currie said. Trudeaus father Pierre established ties with China when he was prime minister in the 1970s, a legacy Xi Jinping has lauded. The current prime minister has also wooed China, to mixed effect. The launch of trade talks collapsed on his demands for progressive clauses that respect womens rights among other things, and Canada riled China by rejecting a takeover of construction firm Aecon Group Inc. by a Chinese bidder. Mengs arrest makes clear where Canadas allegiances lie in the growing feud between China and the U.S. Meng was arrested on Dec. 1, the same day that Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump held their bilateral meeting in Buenos Aires to hash out a fragile trade truce, the fate of which is less clear after her arrest. Meng was arrested when she was transferring flights in Canada, Huawei said in a statement. The company has been provided very little information regarding the charges and is not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng. The company believes the Canadian and U.S. legal systems will ultimately reach a just conclusion. Canadas courts have restricted information about the case by issuing a publication ban, a relatively common practice in Canada. Mengs hearing is scheduled for Friday in Vancouver. Hockey Sponsor Despite the arrest, Trudeau hasnt cracked down on Huawei, unlike other countries. The Chinese firm supplies equipment to many of Canadas telecommunications firms. Canada has played a big role in Huaweis research and commercialization efforts for high-speed 5G networks. Huawei is the third biggest supplier to Vancouver-based Telus Corp., one of Canadas top three carriers, and the two companies partnered on a 5G pilot last year. Huawei has also worked with BCE Inc.s Bell Canada on an internet of Things pilot project. Since coming to Canada in 2008, the company has expanded research facilities across Ottawa, Toronto and Waterloo, Ontario, and received tax credits for research and development expenditures from the federal government and three provinces. The company has also put in millions across Canadas top universities to fund research that has helped it produce many patents and employs over 500 people in the country. It even sponsors a segment on Hockey Night in Canada, among the countrys most-watched programs on Saturday nights. Not Private Sector U.S. lawmakers have urged Trudeau to block Huawei from Canadas development of a 5G high-speed network, arguing the ties to the Chinese state threaten to compromise the countrys security. Huawei is not a normal private-sector company, Senators Marco Rubio and Mark Warner wrote in a letter to Trudeau in October. Several allies have banned or effectively banned Huawei from advanced networks, including Australia and, just last month, New Zealand. U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May will soon have to make a decision on restricting Huawei. These nations, along with the U.S., make up the so-called Five Eyes, and share intelligence information. Trudeau View Trudeau was asked about the issue during a press conference in August and said the country relies on its security agencies, including the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), and handles things on a case-by-case basis. We continue to ensure that we fulfil one of our fundamental responsibilities for Canadians, which is to keep people safe, and that doesnt mean just physical security now, it also means cybersecurity, Trudeau told reporters in Nanaimo, British Columbia. We always work with them and work with partners, like our Five Eyes partners and others, to look at what new steps we can take. However, Scott Jones, CSEs deputy chief of information technology security, downplayed fears about Huawei when speaking to lawmakers in September. The agency prefers to defend against all forms of cyber-risk, he said in response to one of several questions about Huawei. Its really trying to address all of the risks and not just one specific one. Read more about: Donald Trumps push to get Congress to quickly pass his NAFTA replacement trade deal will require the president to take an uncharacteristic approach in negotiations: seek compromise while resisting strong-arm tactics. So far, though, Trump is sticking with his coercive instincts, threatening to nullify the existing agreement a day after signing the new accord on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit. The threat, intended to spur lawmakers to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, illustrates the challenge his administration will face as it negotiates with a Democratic-led House and sets limits on changes sought by lawmakers from each party. At stake for the president and American lawmakers is the fate of a trading bloc with about $1 trillion (U.S.) in annual shipments thats lifted some industries while decimating the workers in others. For Democrats in particular, the deal provides an opening to demand concessions that favour unions and include a possible infrastructure investment package. Theres no question that there is a path to passage, said Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. The key for Democrats is whether the labour unions are prepared at least not to oppose the USMCA. Without active labour opposition, there will be a significant group of Democrats prepared to vote for this. Fractious Politics Signed in Buenos Aires on Nov. 30 after more than a year of intense negotiations, USMCA is the biggest achievement in Trumps trade agenda and its survival depends on whether the president can steer the agreement through fractious domestic politics. Even though its been signed by all three countries, it still must be ratified by each nations legislature and particularly in the U.S., thats where it can go sideways. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has the tough task of convincing his boss that he needs to exercise patience with lawmakers who eventually must approve his deal but are requiring changes. Lighthizer doesnt have much wiggle room to satisfy a wide range of concerns. He says hes willing to address demands through the implementing bill that Congress will vote on, though he ruled out reopening the deal for negotiations. Appease Democrats According to congressional sources, an infrastructure package is the most likely way Trump could appease Democrats in exchange for their approval of the new trade deal. The president sought to put pressure on Congress Dec. 1 when he pledged to formally terminate NAFTA, which would give lawmakers a six-month window to ratify USMCA or end up with no North American agreement at all. Starting the NAFTA exit process while talks between the White House and Congress are ongoing, however, would surely blow up chances for success, the congressional sources said. Many Democratic lawmakers have said they dont like the agreement in its current form but are open to working with the administration. Senator Pat Toomey, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said he told the White House it doesnt have the votes to win approval of USMCA without improvements and has tried to sell them on fixes, so far without success. Senator Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who is weighing a presidential bid in 2020, said Dec. 2 that the works not done yet. The president needs to talk to Congress on this and we can get back to the table with the Mexicans and the Canadians and do stronger labour standards, Brown told CNN. Limited Authority Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, questioned Trumps pressure tactics: If this deal is so great, why is he already resorting to threats to try and ram this through Congress? Key U.S. lawmakers including Senator Toomey have also expressed doubt whether Trump can withdraw from NAFTA without their approval. Congress has delegated only limited authority to the executive branch, according to Orrin Hatch of Utah, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee that oversees trade policy. Threats to take unilateral action could destabilize the U.S. economy and may undermine the critical partnership between Congress and the executive with regard to trade policy, Hatch said. Rufus Yerxa, president of the National Foreign Trade Council and a former U.S. trade official, said the presidents tactics could eventually result in political pain during a crucial time in his 2020 re-election campaign. After all, business leaders have long warned that withdrawal from the North American trade bloc would result in higher tariffs for everything from car parts to agricultural goods. anti-NAFTA Democrats may love his threat, Yerxa said. And if he were ever to withdraw from NAFTA without having USMCA in place, a whole lot of farmers in Iowa would be in a world of hurt just before the 2020 Iowa caucuses. Read more about: The Managing Director of the Civil Aviation Authority Uganda (CAA), Dr. David Kakuba, has asked government to transfer the management of the East African Aviation School in Soroti to the agency so that it can make maximum use of the institution that trains pilots. Dr. Kakuba made the request on Thursday during the Aviation Week Engagement Breakfast Meeting held at Kampala Serena Hotel under the theme: Working together to ensure NO country is left behind. The Aviation Week is celebrated internationally between December 1-7, every year to commemorate the memorable week of meetings that led to the signing of the famous Chicago Convention, Kakuba said. Stories Continues after ad He said CAA in 2017 increased international passengers to 1.62 million up from 118,000 in 1991. He said Entebbe International Airport registered 120,000 more international passengers in 2018, compared to the same period last year. He said CAA has just been awarded the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems Certification. He said CAA attaches great importance on regulation of the transport. We strive to see that every operator adheres to the International standards, Kakuba said. He said CCA currently manages 14 airports and that together with the government they are developing the Kabaale International Airport. He added that CCA has passed out 25 well trained fire fighters and marine trainees. He said it was high time government changed the title of CAA MD. It is only Uganda which has a CAA Managing Director. The rest of the world has Director Generals, he said. CAA Board Member, Mackenzie Ogweng, said the amendment of the CAA Bill will enable Uganda score highly in International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit. He said the Bill if passed will harmonise the current title of CAA MD with the rest of similar authorities in the world. He said the CAA Board needs time to grow the number of passengers from 1.6 million to six million. There is commitment to deliver on the CAA mandate. Addressing guests, the Minister of Works and Transport Monica Ntege Azuba said the CAA Amendment Bill is on the Order Paper but that it has just delayed because of other urgent issues. We are discussing CAA using the Soroti training school instead of building a new one, she said. The Minister congratulated for recently being awarded the ISO 9001:2015 Certification. She said governments resolve is to promote business in the aviation sector. Several Airlines are planning to commence operations in Uganda starting in Feb 2019, she said, adding that there is need to fully utilise the aviation infrastructure. We have appointed marketing people market Uganda abroad. 2018 has been a landmark year for Ugandas aviation, she said. Former Minister of Tourism (Seychelles), Alain St. Ange, who was the key speaker at the event, urged government to market Ugandas tourism potential. The major emphasis in the development of the aviation industry should be placed on the visibility of Uganda. The key unique selling points of Uganda are not top in the search rankings. The source of the Nile comes from Uganda and this is really beautiful. The ministry of tourism must push the assets of Uganda, she said. He urged government to work with the private sector to help develop the aviation industry as well as the tourism industry. It is good that the CAA has a representative on the Uganda Tourism Board, she said. He said Kabaale International Airport will be of no significance if Uganda is not marketed as a tourist destination. If you dont market Uganda as a key tourist destination, the new airport would not help much in development of the aviation industry. The hospitality is important too, he said. He advised the ministries of Works and Tourism to develop a new strategy for international visibility of Uganda. Sell Uganda. Dont expect the world to know about the beautiful country without informing the world. You must tell the world about Uganda, she said. Apple on Wednesday said its HomePod wireless speaker will go on sale in China next year, potentially beating Amazon.com and Google to the worlds most-populous nation. On its website in China, Apple added a banner that said the speaker will go on sale in early 2019. The Hong Kong website announced a similar move. The speaker will cost HK $2,799 ($358 (U.S.)), according to the website, roughly in line with pricing in the U.S. and other countries. The HomePod originally launched in the U.S., Australia, and U.K. in February 2018, and expanded to Canada, France, and Germany in June. It also debuted in Mexico and Spain in October. The launch in China is notable as this would make Apple the first major smart speaker maker from the U.S. to launch in Chinas huge internet market. Amazon and Alphabet Inc.s Google dont sell their popular smart speakers in China currently. Major local players, like Xiaomi Corp. and Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., dominate the Chinese market for the devices at the moment. Apple has an advantage over Google and Amazon in the Chinese smart speaker market as the companys Siri voice assistant supports Cantonese and Mandarin, while Googles digital assistant and Amazons Alexa dont. Apple also already has a slew of integrated services in China and Hong Kong, like iCloud, Maps and Apple Music. On the other hand, Googles internet offerings in mainland China have long been limited. So far, the HomePod hasnt sold well compared with the companys other accessories like the AirPods. But continued international expansion will likely improve its prospects. Loup Ventures estimates that Apple will sell about 20 million HomePods a year by 2025, compared with Google selling nearly 200 million units and Amazon shipping about 138 million units that year. Read more: Apple resorts to promo deals, trade-ins to boost iPhone sales Apple puts music service on Amazon Echo in subscription push Apple wipes thousands of gambling apps after China backlash According to Canalys, China was the fastest growing smart speaker market in the second quarter of 2018, contributing to 52 per cent of the categorys growth globally. Apple also released on Wednesday a standalone version of its USB-C charging adaptor for iPad Pros and a clear case for the iPhone XR. Read more about: It is one of Chinas proudest corporate success stories, a colossus in cutting-edge technology that elbowed out Western rivals to become the biggest supplier of the hardware that connects our modern world. Now, all around the globe, the walls are going up for Huawei. The United States, which for years has considered the Chinese telecommunications giant a security threat, aimed a straight shot at the companys leadership when it secured the arrest, in Canada, of Huaweis chief financial officer. But lately, Huaweis setbacks have come on multiple fronts, from Canada and New Zealand to Australia and Britain. China sees the company as a pivotal driver of its ambitions for global technological leadership. Increasingly, much of the rest of the world sees it as a potential conduit for espionage and sabotage. The Canadian government said Wednesday that it had detained Huaweis chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, on Saturday in Vancouver, while she was transferring flights. The United States is seeking Mengs extradition but has not said what prompted the arrest. The news ignited anger and astonishment in China on Thursday, mere days after leaders of the United States and China announced a reprieve in their trade battle. A declaration of war against China was how Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of Global Times, a state-run newspaper known for its nationalist tone, described Mengs detention on Weibo, a Twitter-like service. Gavin Ni, chairman of Zero2IPO Group, an influential research and consulting firm in Chinas investment industry, wrote on his WeChat social media account: The China-U.S. competition is not merely a trade rivalry, but a rivalry on all fronts. Carry on, our motherland! At a daily news briefing Thursday, Geng Shuang, a spokesman for Chinas Foreign Ministry, said it had asked U.S. and Canadian officials to give a reason for the detention and to immediately release Meng. To detain someone without giving clear reason is an obvious violation of human rights, Geng said. Huawei said Thursday that it was not aware of any wrongdoing by Meng, who is a daughter of the companys founder, and that it complied with the law wherever it operated. The company has long denied that it spies on behalf of Beijing. For many years, the fog of distrust surrounding Huawei was a problem that was largely confined to the United States. Large American mobile carriers such as AT&T have avoided using Huaweis equipment in their networks ever since a 2012 congressional report highlighted the security risks. In response, Huawei focused its business efforts elsewhere. Its success in wealthy places such as Europe has helped it become the largest maker of telecommunications equipment, as well as the No. 2 smartphone brand. Of the more than $90 billion (U.S.) in revenue it earned last year, more than a quarter came from Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Now, a wider patch of the world appears to be siding with Washington against Chinese technology. A turn en masse against the company, led by governments in many of its most important markets, would have grave implications for its business. Australia barred Huawei earlier this year from supplying technology for the countrys fifth-generation, or 5G, mobile networks. New Zealand last week blocked one of its leading mobile carriers from buying Huaweis 5G gear. Britains intelligence chief, in a rare public appearance this week, said that the country had a difficult decision to make on whether to allow Huawei to build its 5G infrastructure. And Canadas top spy echoed those concerns, without naming Huawei or China, in a speech Tuesday. Huawei has tested 5G equipment with major mobile carriers in both Canada and Britain. Behind the tariff fight that has engulfed Washington and Beijing lies a deeper contest for leadership in future technologies such as supercomputing, artificial intelligence and 5G mobile internet. For many people in China, the contest feels not merely commercial, but civilizational. At stake is the countrys ability to claim its rightful place as a superpower. The Chinese government and Chinese companies must face these new circumstances, take up new countermeasures and get through this stage of crisis, Fang Xingdong, founder of ChinaLabs, a technology think tank in Beijing, said Thursday. This is a necessary rite of passage for Chinas global technological rise. Huawei has tried to avoid being pulled into this fight. In an internal memo from January that was reviewed by The New York Times, Ren Zhengfei, the companys founder, outlined a strategy for navigating these uncertain times. The key, he wrote: Keep adapting. But do so quietly. Sometimes, its better to find a safe place and wait for stormy weather to pass, Ren wrote. Europe was one such place, Ren said. Huawei has cultivated political friendships and invested heavily in places like Britain. Eventually, through years of effort, our goal is for Europeans to perceive Huawei as a European company, Ren wrote. Canada seemed to be another safe harbour. The Canadian government is very sensible and open, giving us enormous confidence in our investments in this country, Ren wrote. This was all before Washington nearly put out of business Huaweis main Chinese rival, called ZTE. In April, the Commerce Department banned ZTE from using components made in the United States after saying the company had failed to punish employees who violated U.S. sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The move was effectively a death sentence because ZTE relied heavily on American microchips and other technology. In building its case against ZTE, the U.S. government began investigating Huawei as well. When the Commerce Department first announced its findings against ZTE in 2016, it released an internal ZTE document illustrating best practices for evading U.S. sanctions. In describing the approach, the document cited a company it nicknamed F7 as a model for how to pull it off. The description of F7 in the document matched Huawei. A few months later, the Commerce Department subpoenaed Huawei and requested all information about its export or re-export of American technology to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria, according to a copy of the subpoena seen by The Times. The probe widened this year when the Treasury and Commerce Departments asked the Justice Department to investigate Huawei for possible sanctions violations. Prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York took on the case. Eventually, the Trump administration decided to ease its punishment of ZTE, in an effort to cool tensions with Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, before a historic North Korea meeting. But the power that Washington wielded over the fates of Chinese tech companies had been made very clear to people on both sides of the Pacific. In October, the Commerce Department imposed export controls on Fujian Jinhua, a state-backed semiconductor company that has been accused of stealing American chip designs. Should Huawei be subjected to a ban on using American technology, the consequences would be significant, though perhaps not as life-threatening as they were for ZTE. One crucial difference is that Huawei, unlike ZTE, does not depend extensively on outside vendors such as Qualcomm for the main microchips in its smartphones. Around two-thirds of the handsets that Huawei sells contain chips made in-house, said Sean Kao, a hardware analyst at the research firm IDC. Still, American firms supply other kinds of chips in Huaweis gear as well as optical equipment for its fibre cable networks and other specialized parts. I dont know exactly how many suppliers are affected, said Stephane Teral, senior research director at the data provider IHS Markit. But one thing is certain, he said: They wont be easily substitutable. Read more about: CALGARYA pro-oil industry Facebook group has recently called on Albertans to boycott Lush Cosmetics for the companys long-held stance against North American pipeline projects. Lush, based in the United Kingdom, has been critical of the oil industry for years. In June 2012, it began a series of advocacy campaigns in Canada and the United States that called for an end to the expansion of pipelines and pointed out the environmental risks behind Albertas oilsands. But in recent weeks, a social media campaign has called for a boycott of the company on this basis, claiming it is causing Albertans to lose oil-and-gas jobs. Our campaign to boycott Lush and raise awareness for their campaign to help Albertans lose jobs is based on the severe economic situation we find ourselves in Alberta currently, said a message from the administrator of Pipeline Action, the pro-oil industry Facebook page, to StarMetro. The administrator also said in their message that Lush has stores in Saudi Arabia (it has three), who are the ultimate beneficiaries of Canadian Oil losing its market hold. The Facebook page posted the phone numbers for the Lush stores at Chinook Centre, Market Mall, Sunridge Mall all in Calgary and Cross Iron Mills, just north of the citys limits. It posted a series of private messages sent to them by someone Pipeline Action claimed was the store manager at Lushs Chinook location, asking them to stop harassing its Calgary-based employees. Lush Cosmetics has not responded to requests for comment from StarMetro concerning the boycott campaign and the alleged harassment of employees. The administrator of Pipeline Action said in their message to StarMetro that no reports had been made to police concerning the alleged harassment of Lush employees and suggested any allegations were from a few dramatic social media posts by people who disagree with us. The Calgary Police Service said it was unable to confirm whether a harassment complaint had been filed. Since posting about the boycott call last Thursday, hundreds of people have either liked, shared, or commented on the page. Just over 2,000 signatures have been collected on an online petition campaign hosted by Canada Action. And several prominent Calgarians have also shown their support for the campaign on their social media accounts. I am certain that this brand is NOT WELCOME in Alberta. Or Saskatchewan, wrote Brett Wilson, an entrepreneur and cannabis investor, on Twitter. And frankly suspect that shutting down operations in Canada would be their best move. Councillor Sean Chu also voiced his displeasure with Lush on Twitter, suggesting it was insulting given unemployment rates in Alberta. Im boycotting this company and you should, too, he wrote last Thursday. Read more about: EDMONTONA few weeks before the October NDP convention in Edmonton, Albertas Minister of Culture and Tourism Ricardo Miranda was preparing to table a proposal one that he wasnt expecting to backfire. In his Edmonton apartment, and joined by his partner Christopher Brown, a man he had met only a few months before and then fell deeply in love with, Miranda was gearing up to pop the question. And then he asked me to stop, Miranda said. He said, We shouldnt have this conversation right now. I was a little bit upset about that because I thought things were going well, but it turned out that he was the one that wanted to propose to me, and he just didnt have the ring yet. And so, on Saturday, Oct. 27, when the convention was in full swing, and after the two retired to the ministers apartment again between events, Brown turned the tables and bounced the question back. I had it all planned out, said Brown, a resident of Faust, Alta., about 300 kilometres north of Edmonton. Love is tricky like that. You think youre going to plan it one way, and then it goes the opposite way. There were still things I wanted to do, but it didnt fall through. It just got pushed up. Read more: Reported hate crimes against sexual minorities sees spike in Canada An Edmonton woman barred from kissing a woman at Jack White concert. Now, the singer has responded Historian tries to save fragments of Calgarys LGBTQ past from being forgotten or destroyed And, of course, I said, Yes, Miranda added. On Wednesday morning, the minister shared news of the nuptials in the most modern way possible by changing his Facebook status and kicking off a trending hashtag (#loveislove) that took the province by storm, a speed that the two have learned to embrace in recent months. We just got caught up in this almost whirlwind romance and here we are, Miranda said. Brown, formerly a journalist and now a communications co-ordinator for the Town of Slave Lake, quickly hit it off with Miranda at a fundraiser for Lesser Slave Lake MLA Danielle Larivee on July 4, and then began dating shortly after. On Dec. 28, the two plan to tie the knot at Calgarys Glenbow Museum, joined by family and friends. But as Albertas first openly gay cabinet minister, and the first in the province to have a same-sex marriage in office, Miranda is planning on pumping the brakes a bit after the announcement, at least until the buzz dies down. Im going to do it and then sit back and not look at social media for a little while, just so I dont get discouraged if there are any negative comments, Miranda admitted. Its just going to be as simple as that, at least for now. I never set out to be the first of anything but since then, Ive learned that there are a lot of people out there struggling with identity and gender expression, and people wanting to have visibility, especially these days when weve seen an increase in the amount of hatred, homophobia, and transphobia you see online, unfortunately through social media. According to a recent Statistics Canada report, the countrys population has become more diverse since 2016, with a greater proportion of Canadians who report that they are foreign-born, non-Christian, gay, lesbian, bisexual and in a same-sex marriage And in the last year, the bureau also found that police-reported hate crimes in the country spiked in 2017, jumping 42 per cent from the year before. Closer to home, Alberta saw a jump from 139 to 192 incidents. I dont think were at the time yet where people see a marriage as just a marriage, Miranda said. There are still people who have very strong opinions about the subject, whether same-sex (marriage) is a right or not. Miranda, a Jewish Nicaraguan refugee who came to Canada in 1988, admits that the country has come a long way in accepting and recognizing the rights of kinds of minorities. But on the ground, and from his own experience, minority populations still have a long way to go before they can feel completely comfortable to openly express themselves. An incident at a Walk a Mile in Her Shoes in Calgary painted Miranda a picture of just how ugly and loud some of that hate on the street can be. Walking down Steven Avenue Walk in high heels to help raise awareness and funds for women fleeing violence, he said he saw a man stop, turn around, and scream the word fags at the crowd. I realized that it wasnt being directed at me. He was referring to all of us because we were wearing these shoes, Miranda said. But if it can happen in a situation like that, in a place like that, where its so open and public, it makes you think of everything else thats possible, too. Even in Edmonton, just last month, two women were interrupted mid-kiss at a Jack White concert when a Rogers Place employee reportedly told the pair that sort of behaviour wasnt allowed. Those fears are still there, every time you go out you have to think about your security and your safety, Miranda said. Its not something that everybody thinks about but its something that I have to think about when Im holding my partners hand, walking down the street. While its unsettling to know that intolerance and ignorance is still alive and well, he added, thats no reason to shy away from a celebration of love on what should be the happiest day of any couples life. And thats why Miranda and Brown decided to make their nuptials known not just because the minister is a public figure, but in the spirit of normalizing lifestyles and identities that have been, and continue to be, discriminated against. Ive understood the importance of being visible, Miranda said. I was in the closet for many years, and I know how typical that is, and how intimidating it can be, and how frightening, quite frankly. Having some of these counter-narratives, that can help change perceptions. Thats the reason we decided to do this in the first place. If two people love each other, why shouldnt it be celebrated? added Brown. I hope this wedding will help a struggling teen in rural Alberta, or Saskatchewan, or B.C. or even back in my hometown (Newcastle, Ont.), who is struggling to come out and say You know what? Theres someone out there who came from a rural area and was able to find the person that they loved and move forward. Both admitted that growing up, they were hard-pressed to imagine a future where they were able to marry, raise a family, and spend their lives in a loving partnership. Same-sex marriage wasnt legalized in Canada until 2005. Now I will have somebody who is going to be supporting me, who also has gone through difficult times, and I will be able to support him, Miranda said. And the support doesnt end there. Along with Mirandas rabbi, Premier Rachel Notley will be officiating the ceremony another first for the fete. Its overwhelming. Im honoured that she even said, Yes, Brown said. I know its a first in Alberta, for a premier to marry a gay cabinet minister. It put a little sense of grandeur on our wedding. As for some negative responses the marriage news might garner online, Miranda said hes bracing himself, but refuses to let it cast a shadow on the union. During Edmontons Pride Parade over the summer, he resolved to respond to vitriolic and hateful comments with a link to the Barbra Streisand music video, Dont Rain on My Parade. Read more about: OTTAWAWrangling over the agenda doesnt bode well for Fridays first ministers meeting, which is shaping up as one of the most fractious gatherings of Canadas federal, provincial and territorial leaders in decades. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is bracing for a barrage of criticism from premiers upset about the federal approach to pipelines, carbon taxation, environmental assessments, GMs Oshawa plant closure in Ontario and the oil price crisis none of which are specifically on the agenda. Meanwhile, federal officials privately concede little headway is likely to be made on the official objective of the Montreal meeting: reducing interprovincial trade barriers. Indeed, the feds are fully expecting the most openly hostile premier Ontarios Doug Ford will do his best to derail the meeting altogether, including potentially storming out of the gathering or possibly even boycotting it outright. Trudeau is scheduled to hold a 30-minute bilateral meeting with Ford on Thursday afternoon. Federal suspicions have been stoked by what insiders say are the hardball games Ford and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe are playing on the agenda, demanding that it be expanded in writing to include the oil price crisis and the planned federal tax on carbon pollution. According to sources familiar with the dispute, who were not authorized to speak publicly, the pair have not been satisfied by the federal response that the agenda already includes a discussion on economic competitiveness a broad topic that Ottawa says will allow premiers to raise all the issues they please. Read more: Alberta, Saskatchewan premiers urge Trudeau to put oil crisis on agenda for first ministers meet Opinion | Chantal Hebert: So much has changed between Trudeau and Canadas premiers Sweeping B.C. climate change plan targets heavy emitters with new rules, carbon tax incentives Moe confirmed in an interview Wednesday that there is some frustration, myself included, with the agenda provided by the prime minister, which includes having several federal ministers address the premiers on their initiatives. He said he intends to raise the oil price crisis, the carbon tax, pipelines and repeal of Bill C-69, which rewrites the rules for environmental assessments of energy projects. Wed like it in writing, confirm that were going to discuss those items. But rest assured that the premier of the province of Saskatchewan will bring those items to the floor (regardless), Moe said, adding that he doesnt intend to leave the meeting early. Even the guest list for a pre-meeting dinner hosted by Trudeau on Thursday evening has become a matter of dispute. The feds proposed that it be a private affair for first ministers only, with a single note taker present. The premiers demanded that each be allowed to bring one official. This will be the fourth first ministers meeting Trudeau has hosted since becoming prime minister in 2015. And its certain to be the most acrimonious. Since first ministers last met, the prime minister has lost several of his most reliable provincial Liberal allies Ontarios Kathleen Wynne, Quebecs Philippe Couillard and New Brunswicks Brian Gallant. He now faces a phalanx of conservative premiers, four of whom Ford, Moe, Manitobas Brian Pallister and New Brunswicks Blaine Higgs have joined in court challenges to the federal carbon pricing plan and one of whom Ford has routinely engaged in conflicts with the federal Liberals in general. Albertas NDP Premier Rachel Notley was initially an ally for Trudeau, supporting him on carbon pricing. But she parted company last summer over the failure to get the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project off the ground and is now crusading for federal help to ease the discount price Alberta is obliged to accept for its oil because it cant get it to tidewater for shipment overseas. She and Moe sent Trudeau a letter this week, asking that the agenda for the first ministers meeting be revised to include the oil price crisis, which they argued is costing the country $80 million per day. And Notley disparaged the federal governments preferred focus on interprovincial trade barriers. We tend to have conversations about minor internal trade issues and then when its my opportunity to talk, I say, Well, theres one big internal trade issue that we have about getting our product from one province to another and to other markets and its actually worth 100 times the value of these other issues, she said Tuesday. Trudeau said Wednesday that he looks forward to talking about anything the premiers want to talk about. Im looking forward to a broad range of discussions on whatever it is they have as priorities, he said on his way into the House of Commons. Including oil, of course. Natural resources are an essential part of our economy. Were going to be talking about that as well. Notley, Moe and a number of other premiers, including Newfoundland and Labradors Dwight Ball and Nova Scotias Stephen McNeil, also want to talk about Bill C-69, federal legislation that is currently stalled in the Senate and which would set more stringent rules for environmental assessments of energy projects. Critics maintain it will create more red tape and delays in project approvals that will scare off potential investors. We are looking for clarity around Bill C-69, Ball said in an interview, adding that its creating uncertainty in his provinces offshore oil and mining industries. We know that the regulatory regime can be an impediment in attracting investment. In a similar vein, Biggs said he wants to talk about reviving the defunct Energy East pipeline proposal, which TransCanada abandoned last year, citing regulatory hurdles and changed circumstances. Quebec Premier Francois Legault, meanwhile, said he wants to talk about continuing U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum and compensation for dairy farmers hurt by the new NAFTA. In a statement Wednesday, he also said he intends to raise Quebecs demand for federal compensation to cover the cost of the influx of irregular asylum seekers and press Ottawa on the excessive and ever longer time taken to address Quebecs files. Manitobas Pallister is among the few premiers who appear to actually want to make progress on knocking down interprovincial trade barriers barriers he said amount to imposing a seven per cent tariff on goods that cross provincial borders. I think its time to strike on that, he said Wednesday. That said, Pallister too said the meeting needs to be narrowly focused on a few key economic issues, including the oil price crisis. First ministers are to meet for two hours with Indigenous leaders Friday morning before holing up behind closed doors for some six hours with Trudeau. Read more about: SAINT JOHN, N.B.A talkative Dennis Oland chatted with police at length about his relationship with his difficult dad, Richard, initially unaware that investigators were narrowing in on him as the prime suspect in his fathers murder. Video of the police interview with Dennis Oland on July 7, 2011, the day Richard Olands bludgeoned body was discovered, was shown Thursday at Olands retrial for the second-degree murder. Olands defence team had tried to get the video excluded prior to the trial, but Justice Terrence Morrison of the New Brunswick Court of Queens Bench allowed it to remain in evidence. This second trial of Oland, whose 2015 conviction was set aside on appeal, is proceeding before Justice Morrison alone. In the video, entered into evidence by Crown prosecutor P.J. Veniot, Oland denies having anything to do with his fathers death. I have no reason to want my father dead, to kill him, Oland tells Const. Stephen Davidson of Saint John police in the video. No, I mean, weve had our ... things. But no, I wouldnt rob someone of the fun that theyre having and, you know, I ... hes just ... no. The trial has heard already that 69-year-old Richard Oland was having fun. Worth an estimated $37 million, the former executive of Moosehead Breweries Ltd. and member of the prominent Maritime beer-making family was having a new racing yacht built in Spain. Oland tells Davidson in the video his dad was in great health and still enjoyed racing yachts, skiing and fishing. Oland also said he had become aware, along with other members of the family, of an extramarital relationship his father was having and added that one of his sisters had discovered a jar of Richards Viagra. Oland tells the police officer he discussed the affair with a family friend about a year before the murder. He said he told the friend he should tell Dick that people know and it should stop. Sitting across from each other in a cramped police interview room in Saint John, Davidson asked Oland if he ever sailed with his dad. Hes just a real hard guy to be on a boat with, so we just stopped, Oland said in the interview. Put you to work, huh? Davidson asked. Well, its just, no. He just barks and barks and barks. Oland said he believed his father was somewhere on the autism spectrum and possibly had Aspergers syndrome which he said would explain his social awkwardness. He pushed the wrong buttons sometimes, he said of his father. Richard Olands body was discovered lying face down on the floor of his Saint John office on the morning of July 7, 2011. By around 8:30 that evening two and a half hours after his interview with police began Dennis Oland was a suspect. The prosecution contends Oland was facing serious financial problems and turned to his father for help on July 6, 2011, the day of the murder. Prosecutors say he killed his father in a rage. Oland told police he only visited his father that day, between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., to discuss a subject they were both interested in the family history of the Olands. The defence is making a case that the Saint John police mishandled the investigation and rushed to judgement in deciding very quickly that Dennis Oland was the killer. Earlier on Thursday, the court heard from forensic toxicologist Dr. Albert Fraser, who examined bodily fluids taken from Richard Olands corpse. Fraser said a small amount of alcohol found in Olands urine was consistent with alcohol consumption several hours prior to death. The court learned there was no evidence that Oland had a drink during the day on July 6, 2011. Defence lawyer Alan Gold suggested the alcohol could have been ingested 60 to 90 minutes before death, but Fraser said that would be too fast for alcohol to travel through the stomach, into the circulatory system and into the urine. Timeline is key in the trial since it is not known for sure when Oland was killed. Dennis Oland left the office at 6:30 p.m. and the prosecution argues the killing occurred around that time. The defence is relying on a witness who heard loud thumps from Olands office between 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. that night a time that would exclude Dennis as the perpetrator. But Fraser excluded the possibility that Richard Oland might have had a drink with an unknown assailant after his son left and shortly before his death. The trial has learned that Oland was bludgeoned to death with an unknown weapon or weapons. The 45 wounds on his hands and head were mostly from a sharp-edged implement, such as an axe of some sort, and there were a few round wounds that appeared to be from a hammer. Read more about: The chair of Waterfront Toronto says she doesnt know what the province has in store for the agency after Ontario Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton said, Im going to fix it. I cant speak to what fix it means or what the minister is referring to specifically, Helen Burstyn said Thursday, after the provinces auditor general criticized the agencys handling of a bid to develop a parcel of Torontos waterfront. Burstyn noted that, of the provinces four seats on the 12-member board, one is now empty and the other three including hers are up for renewal in 2019. The current provincial representatives on the board were appointed by the Liberal government that was toppled by the Progressive Conservatives in June. The new PC government is now in a position to appoint new representatives to the board, and Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly signalled that he wants to see big changes along the Lake Ontario shoreline, including a redevelopment of Ontario Place. Burstyn was speaking after a Waterfront Toronto meeting that began with a spat when Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong (Ward 16-Don Valley East) was denied access to a private session because his term expired Nov. 30. Minnan-Wong is the only city councillor on the board. He said he had been invited to the meeting, and while he knew that his term expired Nov. 30, he thought he was supposed to continue to represent the city until a successor was chosen by Mayor John Tory. Minnan-Wong has been critical of the agency, whose federal, provincial and municipal representatives oversee development along the citys waterfront. Ian Beverly, general counsel for Waterfront Toronto, said he had a conversation with the city a couple of weeks ago and was told that someone from the city would be appointed in mid-December. We make them aware when someones tenure is up, said Beverly. Minnan-Wong said no one told him not to come to the meeting, even though he was at a Waterfront Toronto meeting a week ago. They didnt call my office. They didnt tell me, he said. The councillor has served as city councils representative on the Waterfront Toronto board for four years. He said he will not seek another term. A Waterfront Toronto spokesperson later apologized for the confusion. We schedule our board meetings months in advance and provide our directors with board materials many days in advance of the meetings so that they can read them and be prepared. In the case of todays board meeting, (Minnan-Wong) would have received his board materials on Nov. 29 while he was still a director, which may have contributed to the confusion, said Andrew Tumilty. Clearly we should have deleted todays and all subsequent board meetings from his calendar. The auditor general said Wednesday that Waterfront Toronto gave preferential treatment to Sidewalk Labs, the sister company to Google, which won the bid to develop an area at Parliament St. and Queens Quay. Burstyn denied Sidewalk Labs was given preferential treatment, saying the board remains confident that the process was fair, open and competitive. Tumilty pointed out that Waterfront Toronto consulted with 50 companies, including Sidewalk Labs, before launching a request for proposals. Read more about: Ontarios auditor general has recommended the province conduct an independent review of two controversial GO Transit stations, after concluding Metrolinx inappropriately recommended the province build them under pressure from the former transportation minister and the City of Toronto. In her annual report released Wednesday, Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk concluded Metrolinx undermined its own decision-making process and inappropriately changed its recommendations on the Kirby and Lawrence stations in June 2016. She also determined that over the past decade Metrolinx, the provincial Crown corporation in charge of transportation planning in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, incurred about $436 million in additional costs as a result of politically motivated changes in transportation plans and shortcomings in how the agency manages light rail projects. A provincial committee asked Lysyk in September 2017 to review the Kirby and Lawrence East stations following a Star investigation that found the ministry of transportation interfered to secure the approval of the stops, which were being advanced along with 10 other stations as part of a major GO expansion. The proposed Kirby station is in Vaughan, in the riding formerly represented by Steven Del Duca, who was Liberal transportation minister when the stop was approved. Lawrence East in Scarborough is a key part of Mayor John Torys SmartTrack plan. Initial business cases Metrolinx performed concluded that the disadvantages of both stations outweighed their benefits. Read more: Highlights from the 2018 auditor general report Ontario Auditor General Report finds Wynnes free tuition scheme far more expensive than promised Metrolinx overrode that conclusion because the minister of transportation and the City of Toronto had made it clear they wanted these stations, Lysyk wrote in her report. As previously reported by the Star, despite Kirby and Lawrence East initially being left off Metrolinxs list of recommended stops, the ministry sent press releases to the agency indicating the government planned to announce their approval. Metrolinxs response to the influence was to make the Kirby and Lawrence East evaluation results look better, the auditor found. The Metrolinx board chair and chief executive officer guided the process whereby the Metrolinx board ultimately supported the decision to add these two stations. The auditor determined it was in Del Ducas power to issue a written directive telling Metrolinx to add the stations, but he didnt do so. A written directive wouldnt have changed the agencys initial assessment of the stops, but it would have demonstrated greater transparency and accountability in that it would have signalled clear ownership of the decision. Lysyk determined the problems with the two stations went beyond their initial approval. A revised analysis Metrolinx completed in February used new modelling assumptions that showed that Kirby and Lawrence East performed much better than in the initial business cases. However, Lysyk determined the new analysis was predicated on a best-case scenario that assumed major changes to the GO system like fare integration with other transit agencies and the ability to run express trains on the lines, which may not be implemented by the time the stations are supposed to be built. The report also raised red flags about Metrolinxs oversight of LRT projects. Among its findings was that the alternative finance and procurement model the agency used to contract out the construction of the $5.8-billion Eglinton Crosstown failed to completely transfer the risk of delays and cost overruns to the private consortium building the line. In August, Metrolinx agreed to pay the consortium, which is known as Crosslinx, a $237-million settlement in order to ensure it sticks to the projects planned opening date of September 2021. Although Metrolinx agreed to the payment the auditor determined the agency lacked sufficient documentation of Crosslinxs claims that the government agency was partially responsible for delays. The report also determined Metrolinx overpaid for light rail vehicles it ordered to run on Toronto-area light rail lines. The agency agreed in 2010 to purchase 182 vehicles from Bombardier, at a time when contracts to build the LRT projects had yet to be finalized. Subsequent changes to the LRT projects, including city councils decision to cancel the Scarborough light rail line and replace it with a subway extension, meant Metrolinx required fewer vehicles and didnt need them until years later than initially thought. After extensive negotiations with Bombardier, the agency eventually reduced its order to 76 vehicles. But it paid $19 million to manage the delivery changes with Bombardier, and the cars collectively cost $30 million more than they would have under the initial contract. The auditor generals recommendations included that the ministry of transportation independently assess whether Kirby and Lawrence East should proceed, and for Metrolinx to establish a clearer framework for how it conducts business cases of major projects. In an interview, Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, who took the job in October 2017, said the agency had already improved our business case methodology and the additional advice from the auditor general is being incorporated to ensure a transparent decision-making process. Verster defended the Crosstown settlement, saying the agency would have had to pay more if it had gone through a full arbitration process, and the agreement ensures the project will be completed on time. He noted the settlement amount fell within the projects contingency fund budget. This is a good outcome for passengers and for the taxpayer, he said. The auditors criticism of Metrolinx comes as the Ontario PC government is taking steps to upload ownership of the TTC subway system to province and put it under the agencys control. In a press conference at Queens Park, Transportation Minister Jeff Yurek indicated the government believes Metrolinx can be trusted with Torontos subway network. I can assure you that we will be working with Metrolinx to ensure that they are going to undertake all the recommendations of the auditor general, he said. I think were in the perfect position to upload the TTC, and ensure that were building the regional network that this province needs. Asked if Kirby and Lawrence East will remain part of the regions transportation plans, Yurek said the government will be reviewing all projects to see if they are in fact whats best for the people of the province. A spokesperson for Tory said city staff recommended Lawrence East as a SmartTrack stop because they believe there is a strong case for it. It is an important part of the Scarborough transit network plan, Don Peat said, asserting that voters endorsed the mayors transit plans when they re-elected him in October. Ben Spurr is a Toronto-based reporter covering transportation. Reach him by email at bspurr@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter: @BenSpurr Read more about: When Nafisa Nezam Omar was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, she got an unusual prescription: Tai Chi. Several months after enrolling in the traditional style of martial arts, Omar, who lost her husband to a heart attack as well as a brother to gunfire and a sister to rocket shelling in Kabul, says shes finally being able to enjoy my life. Im now volunteering and doing well, she said. The Rexdale Community Health Centre, where her doctor is based, is among Ontario community health centres taking part in a pilot program that offers social and artistic remedies including choir classes, fishing lessons, knitting and a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum as an alternative treatment for certain health issues such as anxiety and loneliness. The ROM announced Thursday it would be offering 5,000 free passes, each valid for four people, as part of the project. One of the things theyre trying to promote is a sense of belonging and empowering people to participate, said Kate Mulligan, director of policy and communications for the Alliance for Healthier Communities, which represents 107 community-governed primary health care organizations and is leading the one-year program. It might be that the physician or nurse practitioner sees that youve been coming in 10 times and a medical solution is not readily available for whats bothering you. Subscribe to the Star to support deep local reporting Among the most common complaints gobbling up physician time and cost OHIP is loneliness, Mulligan said. She said through the program patients who meet the criteria are referred to a link worker, who walks them through a menu of treatment alternatives. The full menu of programs are free of charge to participants. The Rexdale program has focused on ROM-type things and getting people to participate in the community, Mulligan said. The concept of social prescriptions where health practitioners prescribe artistic and social activities as alternatives to medication for people with mental health difficulties started in the U.K., and has caught on in Montreal. The Ontario program was launched this summer with a $600,000 grant from the provincial health ministry, targeting health needs of people who arent well-served by the mainstream health system, such as people who are racialized, LGBTQ, those facing employment barriers and Indigenous people, Mulligan said. Have your say: The money is not for us to hire staff at the centres or implement, she said. Its more to do with how to evaluate this, so we can learn how it works and see if it improves health outcomes and reduces costs to the health system. Aided by a group of mentors parachuted in from the U.K. where social prescribing shows promising results the local team commenced designing Ontarios first model for social prescribing in June. An evaluation of a similar project in Gloucestershire, England, done by the University of West England in 2016, showed a 23 per cent decline in attendance and emergency admissions, decreasing dependence on primary care, and physician appointments declining by 21 per cent in the six months after a social prescription. TOP STORIES. IN YOUR INBOX: For the days top news from the Stars award-winning journalists, sign up for our daily headlines newsletter. Its really taking off in the U.K and their context is similar enough that we could see a strong connection and a way to sort of transfer the approach to here, Mulligan said. Shes keen on tracking how singing groups, such as choirs, might increase lung capacity for people battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There can also be singing groups for people with Alzheimers, she said. The fate of the program will hinge on final outcomes, but Mulligan said if uptake figures are any barometer, then the thousands of people she estimates are already socially prescribed in Ontario is a precursor to success. Within the next six to 10 months we will have answers for the type of health outcomes were seeing, Mulligan said. The objective is to draft a final report recommending how to make social prescribing permanent for the 11 participating community health centres and potentially expand out to others under the Alliances banner. The plan is to make this sustainable for them without having to infuse any new workers or new money, Mulligan said. Its an expectation that all 11 will continue doing it. The program is being heralded as a groundbreaking yet vastly underrated method by supporters, such as Dr. Iris Gorfinkel, a general practitioner in Toronto. Im a huge proponent of this idea, said Gorfinkel, who wants to see the practice expanded. As family doctor I see so much loneliness and so much problems that arise directly from loneliness. With medical evidence linking loneliness to several psychiatric disorders, it represents a very large aspect of Gorfinkels work as a general practitioner. Consider that about 25 per cent of visits to a family doctor are related to psychological matters, she said. She said studies in England have found loneliness can be equivalent to smoking in terms of its health effects. Its extremely damaging, she said, so much so that she contends it should be a part of doctors routine questions during patient visits. The outcome of the study will be highly anticipated in medical circles, she said. Im looking forward to their findings, Gorfinkel said. Back in 2010, a handful of University of Toronto professors gave in to an impertinent first-year medical resident and consented to a meeting with him. In a boardroom of the medical sciences building on Kings College Circle, Nav Persaud warned the group he had discovered some big problems with a course they ran on pain management. The then-29-year-old doctor-in-training charged there were serious errors in the curriculum for pain week, which was taught annually, over the span of a week, to hundreds of students from health science programs, including medicine, dentistry, nursing and pharmacy. Whats more, the course was rife with conflicts of interests related to inappropriate ties to the pharmaceutical industry, he argued, imploring them to fix it. But the unsolicited advice coming from a trainee no less was most unwelcome, according to some in attendance. Who do you think you are? How dare you question these materials. That was the gist of the response, recalls Dr. Rick Glazier, a professor from the faculty of medicine and research director in the department of family medicine at St. Michaels Hospital, where Persaud was doing his residency. Even though Persaud was polite and respectful in asking tough questions, he was treated as being out of his place, as being highly impertinent, says Glazier. The academics who organized the program shut Persaud down, denying his assertions, the senior doctor recounts. But the harsh reception did not dissuade the young man from endeavouring to set right what he saw as a significant and potentially dangerous problem. The pain-week battle would mark the first time in Persauds career he would take on authorities in the health world. He has since gone on to make a name for himself as a crusader for improved care, often with Big Pharma in his crosshairs. Read More: Renowned spine surgeon is transforming the way Ontario deals with back pain Shes helping women change the world one entrepreneur at a time She was determined to stop the senseless dying in her city. What she did next was illegal but it saved lives At only 38, he has also distinguished himself as an advocate for patient safety, social justice, transparency and pharmacare not to mention a brilliant researcher and practitioner. With a reputation for being principled and persistent, he has not been afraid to rock the boat if thats what it has taken to effect change. In just under a decade, Persaud has helped expose and eventually get banned a Big Pharma marketing scheme that saw brand-name drug companies digitally insert vouchers into electronic patient records with the intent of boosting sales. He helped create the Health Justice Program, a partnership between St. Mikes and legal clinics, which provides legal assistance to patients encountering difficulties that affect their well-being, for example, mould problems in rental housing. And he spearheaded an effort at his family practice clinic to stop pharmaceutical reps from providing freebie drug samples, a marketing scheme aimed at boosting drug sales. But it all started with the pain-week course and the problems that came to his attention in 2009 in the emergency department of St. Mikes. A medical student had written an order for Percocet for a patient who had overdosed on Tylenol. It was an odd and dangerous choice, given that Percocet contains acetaminophen the generic name for drugs such as Tylenol, which the patient had just ODd on. It also contains oxycodone, an opioid. Persaud caught the mistake in time. He then had a conversation with the student, who had already been through pain week, and learned she was unaware of what was actually in the drug. I started wondering how it was that medical students were being taught information that was misleading and potentially dangerous for patients, especially in the context of what by then had become the opioid crisis, Persaud says. So he started doing some digging. He had taken the same course years earlier, but the problems didnt jump out to him then. But to a more experienced and knowledgeable Persaud, they were glaring. For starters, he discovered that a reference book provided to students free of charge was paid for by Purdue Pharma. That was the same drug manufacturer that three years earlier, in 2007, pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to misleading regulators, doctors and patients about the highly addictive nature of its drug OxyContin. It paid $600 million (U.S.) in penalties. Persaud also learned that a course lecturer had previously received money from Purdue, as a member of its speakers bureau. Course material wrongly described oxycodone as a weak opioid, less powerful than morphine. In fact, its at least 1.5 times stronger than morphine. Also included in the material was a quote attributed to a 2006 Canadian Medical Association Journal article, stating that placebo-controlled trials showed strong and consistent evidence that opioids relieve pain and improve function for patients with chronic, non-cancer pain. Persaud looked up the original article, but the quote was nowhere to be found. After getting nowhere in addressing his concerns with the course organizers, Persaud took them up the ladder, to associate deans, vice-deans, deans and anyone else who would listen. In navigating the daunting world of academic politics, he sought advice from two superiors at St. Mikes Glazier and Dr. Philip Berger, then chief of family medicine. Dr. Nav Persaud was just a doctor in training when he noticed some big problems with a course the University of Toronto ran on pain management. He pushed to get the curriculum fixed -- and succeeded. Glaziers research expertise is in the area of evidence-based medicine. He also has a personal interest in the opioid crisis. A year earlier, his 18-year-old son Daniel died from an accidental opioid overdose. The highly respected researcher a senior scientist at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences who was appointed in October as scientific director of the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research was stunned by the dismissive response to Persaud: It was such a flagrant denial of fact. (Persaud) was objecting to things that were clear and objective errors. But in time, Persauds tenacity paid off. The university launched an inquiry. The course was subsequently overhauled, the book dropped, the lecturer dropped, and the medical schools conflict-of-interest guidelines strengthened. Berger was mightily impressed by this trainee he had just come to know. He would later offer Persaud a full-time job as a family doctor at St. Mikes. The hospital which has an international reputation for working with disadvantaged and marginalized communities turned out to be a good fit for the forward-thinking doctor. As a boss, Berger also turned out to be a good fit. The pair are much alike, with reputations for pushing the envelope on issues they care about and for being unafraid to speak truth to power. Berger, who eventually became Persauds mentor, describes his protege this way: He is fearless, very smart and singularly stubborn, all of which makes him a lethal force when he takes on institutions, governments or anybody in power. Berger adds: Hes probably the smartest person Ive ever met. Persaud was born in 1980 in Toronto shortly after his parents emigrated from Guyana. He and his older brother were raised in the Keele and Wilson area, in a neighbourhood with many newcomer families. His father, an engineer back in Guyana, found employment as a labourer in an insulation factory and eventually worked his way up to management in a medical testing company. His mother got a job as an X-ray technician. In his last year at William Lyon Mackenzie high school Persaud decided he wanted to become a scientist. The inspiration came one evening when he took the TTC down to U of T to hear the renowned, late physicist Stephen Hawking speak. Persaud obtained an undergraduate degree in physiology from U of T where he later studied medicine. Before graduating, he took three years off to study at Oxford University two years on a Rhodes Scholarship and another year on a scholarship from Oxford. There, he met a fellow student who would become his wife. Today, he and Sheetal are parents to two boys, ages 9 months and 2 years. Early in his career, Persaud was recognized for his strong research abilities. Adalsteinn Steini Brown, dean of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at U of T, took notice of him when he had just finished his residency and received his first academic appointment as a lecturer in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. Today Persaud is an assistant professor. Back in 2011, Persaud also received a financial award from the department and a national fellowship to support his research. He stood out from the start, Brown says. He was identified early on by the (department) as an outstanding scientist with high potential. Today, Persaud spends more than 75 per cent of his time doing research as a scientist at the Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Mikes and the remainder working as a family physician at the hospital. He has so far been published in academic journals about 75 times, most recently in November. A study he is leading was among 19 included in a Canadian Medical Association Journal supplement on patient engagement in health research. Getting patients more involved in all aspects of health care is part of a major cultural shift now underway around the world. It was a highly competitive process just to get a research project accepted for this initiative, which requires that patients be part of the research teams. Persauds project was one of two selected for presentation at the launch of the supplement in Ottawa in mid-November. Titled CLEAN Meds, it explores the feasibility of providing free medication to patients who otherwise would go without because they cannot afford them. If it proves feasible, a good case could be made to create such a program. It would also give a big boost to the campaign for a national pharmacare program, which Persaud supports. Story Behind the Story delivers insights into how the Star investigates, reports, and produces stories. While many academics are happy just to be published, Persaud aims higher, observes Brown, board chair of the Ontario SPOR (Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research) SUPPORT Unit, which co-funded the initiative with the federal government. Hes a perfect representation of a new generation of leaders in research who are really, really committed to rigorous work, but who also are just as passionate about seeing it get into practice, remarks Brown. One such example of Persauds research effecting change is a 2016 study he led, which found that 1 in 10 people who died of an overdose had been released from a provincial prison within the previous 12 months. It led to the creation of a program to distribute the opioid antidote Naloxone to inmates returning to the community. The media-savvy Persaud has become a go-to expert on issues of patient safety and transparency. In late-November, he was prominently featured in a series of CBC stories about patients being harmed by faulty medical devices. He has long called on regulators and industry to be more transparent about problems with such devices and to do more to protect patients. Persaud achieved success on another transparency battle earlier this year with the publication of a study, which revealed the morning sickness drug Diclectin fell short of its manufacturers own threshold for effectiveness. He reanalyzed data more than 9,000 pages of it from an earlier clinical trial, funded by the manufacturer, and poked many holes in the findings. He fought for years to get access to the data, filing numerous access-to-information requests to both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada, but with little success. The data was deemed confidential business information. Subscribe to the Star to support deep local reporting It wasnt until the 2014 passage of Vanessas Law (Protecting Canadians from Unsafe Drugs Act) that Health Canada agreed to show him the manufacturers original trial data. But he first had to sign a confidentiality agreement promising to destroy the documents. Health Canada has proposed updating regulations that would make publicly available reams of previously confidential clinical trial documents about prescription drugs and medical devices. Brown says Persauds growing list of achievements shows that taking calculated risks can have high-impact results. He is very good at using traditional tactics, but also guerrilla tactics. The guy has got a conviction of his principles, the dean remarks. As for what to expect next in the young scientists career, Brown says: I think it will be more and more of the same in larger and larger leadership roles. A Toronto Public Health official says the city is best-equipped to prevent deaths from opioid overdoses downtown even though the majority of suspected overdose calls including those that are fatal are concentrated there due to the prevalence of treatment services such as overdose prevention sites. In the first year-long study of its kind, the city examined data from Toronto Paramedic Services on suspected opioid overdose calls from August 2017 to August 2018. During that span, paramedics responded to 3,203 suspected opioid overdoses, of which 161 were fatal, said Liz Corson, acting supervisor epidemiology and health status at Toronto Public Health. Were definitely still seeing the vast majority of calls in the downtown, said Corson, who co-authored the report. That would correspond to the majority of deaths as well. However, according to the study, which mapped both the number of calls and the fatality rates in neighbourhoods across Toronto, many areas with a high fatality rate are outside the core. Corson said the conclusion can be drawn that someone who overdoses downtown has a greater chance of survival due to the concentration of resources to counter overdoses. People who are using drugs in the overdose prevention sites and supervised injections services are far less likely to overdose, she said. Its even less likely for paramedics to have to come because theyre in the hands of health care professionals already. Read more: Supervised injection sites face new roadblocks in Toronto with provincial guidelines It started as a tent. Now the Moss Park drug injection site has federal approval Justin Lidstone died of an overdose. His family was gutted. We spent a year with them to understand what happened The overdose prevention sites and supervised injection services totalling eight locations are all situated downtown. The fact that there has been no deaths in any supervised injection services or overdose prevention services speaks to that better than the data in this report, she said. The city records monthly numbers of suspected opioid overdose calls on its website, dating back to August 2017. Last month, paramedics responded to 281 non-fatal and 19 fatal incidents. During the duration of the study, the top five neighbourhoods and top 10 main intersections with the highest number of calls were all in the downtown area, bounded roughly by Bathurst St. to the west, Bloor St. to the north, the Don Valley Pkwy. to the east, and Lake Ontario to the south. Thats where the vast majority of drug use is happening, Corson said. Downtown is the priority area for the services. The Church-Yonge corridor accounted for the most suspected overdose calls during the course of the study at 358, followed by Moss Park with 337. Over the one-year period covered in the report, paramedics attended to 31 fatal suspected opioid overdoses in the eight neighbourhoods located in the downtown area. This represents 19 per cent of the total fatal cases across the city, Corson said. Those eight neighbourhoods only represents five per cent of the total number of neighbourhoods, but 19 per cent of the total fatalities, Corson said. Thats the highest volume area. Thirty-six per cent of total cases (non-fatal and fatal) responded to by paramedics were in this area.. The count of fatalities is still disproportionately higher downtown, but the percentage of cases that are fatal is slightly lower in the downtown compared to the city as a whole. The stats in the study only represent people who die before medics arrive or while paramedics are administering care and does not include people who die at hospital. Overdoses paramedics did not respond to would not be captured in the study. Corson said those numbers would be tracked by the coroner. The study also does not factor in deaths resulting from cases originally defined as accidental, but was later discovered to be from an opioid overdose by the coroner. Coroner data shows there were 308 opioid overdose deaths in Toronto last year. This represents a 66 per cent increase in the deaths compared to 2016. Corson cautioned the paramedics data collected is nuanced, but it does provide a good snap shot of the opioid crisis across the city. The data also shows high fatality rates scattered in areas such as Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough. That doesnt necessarily show that the number of fatalities are higher (than downtown), she said. It might just be that there is a very small number of calls overall, and it just happen to be that a higher percentage of those are fatal. However, Corson said expanding overdose prevention and supervised consumption services beyond downtown is facing roadblocks. The provincial government has actually asked all of the current overdose prevention sites and supervised consumption services to reapply for a new model of harm reductions services, Corson said. They have limited the number of harm reduction services in the province to 21 locations. Under that model, expanding outside the downtown core of Toronto is going to be challenging, she said. They might not approve the applications of all the existing services in Toronto. Were currently in the application process. Dr. Rita Shahin, Torontos associate medical officer of health, said the safety net is stronger downtown as services correspond to where drug use is happening most often. Not everyone who overdoses calls 911, so sometimes its hard to look at data and draw those conclusions, she said about using just the paramedics data to delineate where its less likely for overdoses to be fatal. If youre overdosing in a private residence and nobody is with you, it doesnt matter where. What began with eight police bullets striking a young man on a hot July night in Toronto has ended, more than five years later, with a former police officer behind bars, a rare and unusual conviction upheld. The Supreme Court of Canada announced Thursday it would not hear the case of the former police officer James Forcillo, who was convicted of attempted murder in the fatal shooting of Sammy Yatim on a streetcar in 2013. The application asking Canadas highest court to hear his appeal had been Forcillos last hope to overturn his conviction and six-year jail sentence, after both were unanimously upheld by Ontarios Court of Appeal earlier this year. The decision marks the conclusion of a legal saga that prompted public outrage, spawned a review of Toronto police use of force and saw the unprecedented attempted murder conviction, by a jury, of a Canadian police officer in a death occuring while the officer was on duty. Its done, Yatims mother, Sahar Bahadi, said when reached by phone Thursday moments after the decision was released. Bahadi said it was a decision she expected, but was nonetheless relieved to hear. Still, nothing will compensate me. I lost my son, and nothing will bring him back to me. We hope that with this decision, Mr. Forcillo finally accepts his conviction and sentence, and responsibility for his actions, said Sammys father Bill Yatim in a statement. The Supreme Court of Canada accepts just a fraction of the cases applicants submit to be heard at the highest level only about 11 per cent are successful in this and the court does not provide reasons why it rejects cases. At most, what one can take away from a dismissed application is the court saying there isnt a significant legal issue of national importance for Canadas highest court to decide right now, said Eugene Meehan, lawyer at Supreme Advocacy in Ottawa who specializes in Supreme Court matters. Michael Lacy, one of Forcillos lawyers, tweeted Thursday that he respected the decision, saying Forcillo will now continue to serve out his sentence. The former cop he resigned effective September 4, Toronto police confirmed will be eligible for day parole in July, and for full parole as of January 2020, according to a spokesperson for the Correctional Service of Canada. Forcillo has been behind bars since November 2017, after he was arrested for violating bail conditions. He later pleaded guilty to perjury for lying in a court affidavit hed filed to change his address and was sentenced to an additional six months. Lawyer blasts delays in case of officer accused of excessive force for Tasering Sammy Yatim Toronto cop who shot Sammy Yatim wants case heard at Supreme Court of Canada Toronto cop who shot Sammy Yatim pleads guilty to perjury over false affidavit The finality of Forcillos conviction in a shooting that occurred while he was on duty will have a long-standing impact, particularly to publics perception of justice, said Kate Puddister, assistant professor of political science at the University of Guelph, who focuses on police accountability. Public confidence in the police and in the administration of justice can become incredibly strained when the police use lethal force, and this case demonstrates that, when that force is not justified, there are real and significant consequences, she said. It is impossible to overstate the significance of a conviction of a police officer in respect of a shooting death of an emotionally disturbed person, said Julian Falconer, lawyer for Bahadi, who has represented families of people killed by police. The system acquits these officers as a matter of course. Falconer said the signal the courts have given is important, because it recognizes how difficult a deliberation this was for the jury and they respected the process and the unusual verdict. Yatims shooting death on July 27, 2013 sparked outrage within hours. Video shot by a bystander captured Forcillo shooting Yatim in two separate volleys: first, as he stood on the steps of an empty Dundas streetcar, then nearly six seconds later. He resumed firing as Yatim lay on the ground, paralyzed and dying. Minutes before the shooting, Yatim had exposed himself and wielded a small knife, sending passengers and the streetcar driver fleeing. The police were summoned. The death of Yatim sent hundreds of demonstrators into Torontos streets within 48 hours, and led to Forcillos being charged with second-degree murder by the Special Investigations Unit, Ontarios police watchdog. A year later, Forcillo was charged again, this time with what many considered to a confounding count: attempted murder. Crown prosecutors argued at trial the charge applied only to the second volley, fired as Yatim lay on the streetcar floor. (The initial second-degree murder charge was in connection to the first three shots, unleashed while Yatim was still standing.) The attempted murder charge would be the only one that stuck, and the prosecutions decision to splice the shooting into two counts is now considered by some within the legal community to have been a wise move. It also may prove influential. Patrick Watson, a criminologist who teaches at Wilfrid Laurier University, is researching criminal cases involving fatal police shootings and noticed the recent conviction of a Chicago police officer has parallels to Forcillos case. In October, Jason Van Dyke was found guilty of second-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery with a firearm, one for each bullet that struck the victim, Laquan McDonald. Some colleagues and I did speculate that this may have been emulating (Crown prosecutor Milan) Rupics technique breaking down incidents into constituent parts such that the jury can decide, through video and testimony, if at any point, the officers decision becomes unreasonable, Watson said. Forcillos lawyers appealed the conviction to Ontarios highest court, arguing, in part, that the shooting should not have been divided into two separate charges, because it was one continuous event. But Ontarios highest court found there were obvious differences between the circumstances of the first and second volley, namely that Yatim was laying on his back when Forcillo fired the second round. The Ontario Court of Appeal also upheld Forcillos six-year sentence, which was one year higher than the mandatory minimum sentence for attempted murder with a firearm, and dismissed Forcillos lawyers arguments that it was unconstitutional. While the Supreme Courts decision ends the criminal case, there are still other proceedings connected to Yatims death, including a coroners inquest. A spokesperson for the coroners office said Thursday a date has not yet been set, as they were waiting for the appeal process to finish. Yatims parents have also filed separate lawsuits. Sgt. Dusan Pravica, who Tasered Yatim after he was shot eight times, remains before the Toronto police disciplinary tribunal for allegedly using unnecessary force. In his statement Thursday, Bill Yatim criticized how long it was taking for Pravicas conduct to be addressed, citing it as an example of the violent and aggressive nature of the police culture he has vowed to work to change following his sons death. From the beginning, we have said that it is our hope that this tragedy our family endured would force the police community to refocus their attention and efforts on revising their recruitment and training procedures, and to identify strategies to minimize the excessive use of force, Yatim said. Bill Yatims lawyer, Ed Upenieks, echoed those concerns. Now that the legal process is complete, Upenieks hopes the tragedy of Yatims death is not forgotten. Theres so much more that we can, and should, do. We should have those memories of Sammy on the streetcar, and think of what could have been done differently. Parents and students at three high schools in Bloor West Village got a scare Thursday as armed police swarmed their shared building after reports a man had been spotted with a gun inside a school entrance. The lockdown, which went on for five hours, started after police received a call around 10 a.m. that an armed man had been spotted. The episode coincided with the 29th anniversary of the worst mass shooting in Canadian history, in which 14 women were shot dead in Montreal. The three Toronto schools, Western Technical-Commercial School, Ursula Franklin Academy and The Student School, share a building on Evelyn Cres., near Runnymede Rd. and Annette St. Dozens of police cruisers surrounded the building and more than 100 officers were on site during the lockdown. A police spokesperson at the scene said members of the Emergency Task Force searched everywhere within the building, from lockers to the boiler room. They could be seen filing out of the school in the early afternoon. The lockdown left parents stranded outside the schools as they waited to receive news about their kids, many of whom texted updates from within the building. When it was over at close to 3 p.m., parents outside the building were jubilant in their sense of relief. In the beginning, we were pretty calm, knowing police was there, said Grade 10 student Owyn McJannet, who was delighted to find his mother waiting outside. But then we saw the SWAT people come in and they were shouting instructions, and it was like next-level stuff. I got pretty scared. Kids in the buildings daycare were let out first, shortly after 2.30 p.m., much to the delight of their parents waiting anxiously outside. He had quite an adventure today. Im so happy hes out and safe, parent John Hayden said of his two-year-old son. There are approximately 2,000 kids at the building housing the schools, said Anthony Vandyke, principal of Western Tech, and Georgia Gallagher, principal of Ursula Franklin. The schools run lockdown sessions every year for the students, but its something they never want to happen, Gallagher said. The students are stressed. Theyre upset and want to get out, she told reporters during the lockdown. Its been a tough day for the kids. Vandyke said the students were just talking quietly and playing games during the lockdown. The investigation is still ongoing, but we thought it was safe to allow students out, Sgt. Sal Granata at the scene after the lockdown was lifted. Were happy everyone is safe. Police are relying on video surveillance and witness accounts for their investigation, he said. No weapon had been recovered at the scene as of Thursday afternoon, Granata said. During the lockdown, police said a Grade 10 student, who was having trouble breathing, required medical attention. The student, Yusuf Corbacioglu, later told reporters he had felt uneasy and sick and fainted before paramedics took him out for treatment. I am okay and it had nothing to do with what was happening, he said, standing next to his mother. Alec Freda, an 18-year-old Western Technical student, told the Star that a staff member made an announcement over the PA system in the morning about the lockdown. He was in math class. Everyone thought it was just routine, he told the Star via Facebook during the lockdown. Now police are in SWAT gear checking classes and going though bags. Honestly, we all feel safe, but we cant shake the feeling that this cant be a coincidence being on Dec. 6. The date marks the anniversary of the attack at Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, where 14 women were shot to death and 10 others wounded by Marc Lepine in the worst mass shooting in Canadas history. The date has been held as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women since 1991. The student said that a second announcement was later made to ask teachers and students to open their classroom door when police knocked. Other than that, weve been getting a lot of news from social media and texting friends, he said. The nearby Stepping Stones Montessori Daycare on Runnymede Rd., was also placed on lockdown as a precaution. Other schools in the area Keele Street Public School, Runnymede Public School, Annette Street Public School, Humberside Collegiate Institute and Mountview Alternative Junior School were put on a hold-and-secure status. Lockdowns are used when a threat is inside, or very close to, a school. Students are kept in classrooms or other designated spots away from the perceived threat, where access and visibility is minimized. Staff members, responsible for the safety of students, make sure no one leaves these designated areas. Schools are given a hold-and-secure when there is a threat in the general vicinity of a school, not on or near school property. Outer doors are locked, and no one is able to enter or exit the school. School activity continues inside as usual, but the comings and goings in and out of the building are halted temporarily. Carlota McAllister, whose son is a student at Western, spent the morning looking for updates along with many worried parents. She said that ,while she understands that the police and the school are busy with the lockdown, there should be a way for the school board to send notifications to the people affected. I dont want to bug people, but they tweeted this out over an hour ago, and theyre not saying to keep calm or whether the kids are okay or that no shots were fired. They should be saying that every five minutes, McAllister told the Star in a phone interview outside the school. She said that she found out about the lockdown from her ex-husband who saw the police tweet. At noon, the school board sent an email to parents and guardians with the subject line, We Are Safe. All students and staff are safe, and police are on site to investigate, the email reads. The police designated Runnymede Library at Bloor St. W. and Glendonwynne Rd. as a staging area for parents to meet their children at the end of the lockdown. A handful of TTC buses could be seen on standby. By midday, many parents had arrived outside the school to check on their kids. Liz Fursberg, a parent whose 14-year-old son is studying robotics engineering in Grade 9, said she was at work near Bay and College Sts., when she heard the news. I immediately took my bike and ran all the way here, she said outside the school. Her son kept texting her to let her know that everything is calm inside the school, she said. Im more concerned about my son going through this experience, said Fursberg, who added that she had talked to her son earlier Thursday about the Ecole Polytechnique massacre. Its pretty terrifying and its a lot to process for a kid. Premier Doug Ford insists hes not to blame for U.S. regulators zapping Hydro Ones $6.7 billion takeover of Avista Corp., which will cost Ontario taxpayers tens of millions in cancellation fees. In his first public statement since Washington state rejected the Ontario utilitys proposed takeover of Avista citing political meddling by Fords government, the premier was unrepentant. Upon assuming office we acted decisively to keep our promise to Ontario voters, Ford said Thursday, referring to his decision to get rid of Mayo Schmidt, the Hydro One CEO he derided as the $6-million man for his hefty salary. I will never apologize for keeping my promises to the voters. We are reducing hydro rates and, after years of neglect, finally putting the ratepayer first, the premier said. Energy Minister Greg Rickford, meanwhile, appeared to be holding out hope that the deal could somehow be salvaged. That was one of three regulatory bodies decisions and that is not an expected outcome. Hydro One and Avista are reviewing that decision and considering their options, Rickford told the legislature. Outside the house, the minister rejected the suggestion that political interference scuttled the bid. Im not sure thats what the decision said, he said. Ford emphasized that the setback doesnt change our focus on bringing down hydro rates and protecting the people of Ontario. This is a deal that was put together by the former board and former CEO of Hydro One a deal that did nothing to lower hydro rates for Ontario residents, the premier said, adding ratepayers should not take a back seat to foreign regulators. Our government ran on a clear promise to clean up the mess at Hydro One. This included a firm commitment to renew the Hydro One senior leadership that had lost the confidence of Ontario ratepayers. The people of Ontario elected us to follow through on this promise, he said. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) said the $6.7-billion deal was not in the public interest because it was evident decisions impacting Hydro One were influenced by political considerations in Ontario. Read more: Opinion | Jennifer Wells: Hydro One madness sparks well-founded fears in U.S. Doug Fords Hydro One shakeup could risk $3.4-billion Avista acquisition Opinion | Jennifer Wells: Hydro Ones takeover of U.S. utility sparks customer backlash: This is an incredibly bad idea Schmidts departure was followed by the resignation of the entire board, which state regulators said suggested Ontario was willing to put political interests above those of shareholders. The cancellation deal will result in Hydro One paying a $103-million kill fee plus untold millions in lost share value since the province owns the largest stake in the utility. In a joint statement Wednesday, Hydro One and Avista, which serves 400,000 electric and natural gas customers in eastern Washington, said they were extremely disappointed in the decision. The UTC warned the risk of Fords government interfering in Hydro Ones affairs was significant. This, in turn, could diminish Avistas ability to continue providing safe and reliable electrical and natural gas service to its customers in Washington, the regulator said. TOP STORIES. IN YOUR INBOX: For the days top news from the Stars award-winning journalists, sign up for our daily headlines newsletter. Hydro One is 47 per cent owned by the Ontario government after former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne controversially sold off a majority share of the utility. Both Fords Progressive Conservatives and Andrea Horwaths New Democrats opposed the Liberal sell-off. But Horwath blasted the Tories for their bumbling in the electricity sector. The Washington state regulators were pretty clear: This is a government that does whatever they want, whenever they want and they cant do business with people like that, she said. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: Many Icelanders are calling for the resignations of a group of politicians who were secretly recorded in a bar using sexist and obscene language about female colleagues, including making disparaging remarks about a disabled former member of Parliament. The politicians including former Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, former Foreign Minister Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson and a female minister, Anna Kolbrun Arnadottir met at a bar called Klaustur two weeks ago in Reykjavik, Icelands capital, ordered beers and spent more than three hours talking. A man sitting nearby overheard the conversation, made a recording with his cellphone and sent it to the news media. The recording went viral after it was posted online last week, spurring nationwide outrage in a country that has a female prime minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir, and that prides itself on its gender equality record after topping the World Economic Forums gender gap index for several years. This year, a law was passed that requires companies and government agencies to prove they are paying men and women equally. Some of the politicians who were recorded have apologized. Sveinsson, the former foreign minister, who has a reputation for being a champion of womens rights, is heard on the recording mocking a female lawmaker for coming forward as part of the Me Too movement and laughing at domestic violence accusations made against a former member of Parliament. Some in the group expressed a desire to sleep with particular female colleagues. One person warned that one such woman could not be trusted because she plays on men like women know best. The political career of another woman is questioned because she is not as hot this year and her beauty is fading fast. Arnadottir, the only female politician at the table, is heard at one point responding, Can I ask you to imagine if this was a male politician you are speaking of? On the recording, the men erupt in laughter. Icelanders took to social media to express disgust. My burning question is yet this, one user tweeted. Where on the Centrist Party hot-or-not scale do I stand? An entertainment website, Nutiminn, created a quiz asking users to guess whether a certain quote came from a rap song or the tapes. Many people were especially disturbed by the way some in the group referred to Freyja Haraldsdottir, a disabled former member of Parliament. One person called her an island, a possible reference to that fact that she uses a wheelchair that lets her lie flat. Haraldsdottir, who received a personal apology from Gunnlaugsson, said that without any form of action such apologies were empty. The MPs dont consider what they did a violation, she said by telephone Wednesday. That is the message they send by not resigning. And it hurts as much as the actual act. She added, My body has been on everyones lips in the past days, and I find it very uncomfortable. I wonder what impact this will have on me and other disabled people, like disabled children. Four of the lawmakers, including Gunnlaugsson, a former chairman of the Progressive Party, apologized for their insensitive remarks but said the comments had been made in a private conversation. It was not our intention to hurt anyone, and its clear that our manner of speaking at that time is inexcusable, they said in a joint statement published last week. We are determined to learn from this and will try our utmost to be polite and respectful to our colleagues. Two of the lawmakers were removed from the Peoples Party but continue to serve in Parliament. Two others have taken leave. A survey published Monday by the pollster Maskina found that 80 per cent of Icelanders thought the men on the recording should resign, and that 74 per cent believed Arnadottir should do so. Arnadottir, a member of the Centrist Party, said Wednesday that she would not resign. The bar patron who made the recording has spoken only anonymously to the news media, saying that he was appalled by what he heard and decided to stay until the end. When the group was leaving, he told the newspaper DV, one lawmaker asked if the man had been sitting there the entire time. Another dismissed him as a tourist, he said. Halldora Mogensen, a lawmaker with Icelands Pirate Party, described the mood in Parliament after the tapes were released as toxic and expressed concern about how colleagues would move past the scandal. The targets of this awful talk, will they just have to continue to work with them like nothing happened? she said. Some details of the recording have been the subject of considerable speculation in the news media. One theory held that squeaky noises heard at one point could have been one of the politicians imitating a seal when talking about Haraldsdottir. But because those noises did not prompt a reaction at the table, others thought it was likelier to be the sound of a squeaky chair. In a tweet, Haraldsdottir tried to make light of the speculation: This was not a chair. This was not a bicycle. This was most likely my wheelchair power-sliding outside Klaustur bar. PARISThe yellow vests in France are worrying greens around the world. The worst riots in Paris in decades were sparked by higher fuel taxes, and French President Emmanuel Macron responded by scrapping them Wednesday. But taxes on fossil fuels are just what international climate negotiators, meeting in Poland this week, say are desperately needed to help wean the world off of fossil fuels and slow climate change. The events of the last few days in Paris have made me regard the challenges as even greater than I thought earlier, said Stanford University environmental economist Lawrence Goulder, author of the book Confronting the Climate Challenge. Economists, policy-makers and politicians have long said the best way to fight climate change is to put a higher price on the fuels that are causing it gasoline, diesel, coal and natural gas. Taxing fuels and electricity could help pay for the damage they cause, encourage people to use less, and make it easier for cleaner alternatives and fuel-saving technologies to compete. These so-called carbon taxes are expected to be a major part of pushing the world to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and try to prevent runaway climate change that economists say would be far more expensive over the long term than paying more for energy in the short term. But its not so easy for people to think about long-term, global problems when they are struggling to get by. Read more: Yellow vests riot in Paris, but anger is rooted deep in rural France Macron returns to a France in turmoil as nation weighs state of emergency French political protesters angry over fuel taxes clash with police Macron said the higher tax was his way of trying to prevent the end of the world. But the yellow vest protesters turned that around with the slogan: its hard to talk about the end of the world while we are talking about the end of the month. The resistance to the fuel tax is a personal blow to Macron, who sees himself as the guarantor of the 2015 Paris climate accord, its strongest defender on the global stage. He has positioned himself as the anti-Trump when it comes to climate issues. The French government quietly fears a Trump-led backlash against the accord could spread to other major economies whose commitment is essential to keeping the deal together. The fuel tax was not originally Macrons idea; it dates back to previous administrations. But he vigorously defended it and won the presidency in part on a promise to fight climate change. So what went wrong? Yale University economist William Nordhaus, who won this years Nobel Prize for economics, said the tax was poorly designed and was delivered by the wrong person. If you want to make energy taxes unpopular, step one is to be an unpopular leader, he said. Step two is to use gasoline taxes and call them carbon taxes. This is hard enough without adding poor design. Macron, like French presidents before him, made environmental and energy decisions without explaining to the public how important they are and how their lives will change. Hes also seen as the president of the rich his first fiscal decision as president was scrapping a wealth tax. So hiking taxes on gasoline and diesel was seen as especially unfair to the working classes in the provinces who need cars to get to work and whose incomes have stagnated for years. The French government already has programs in place to subsidize drivers who trade in older, dirtier cars for cleaner ones, and expanded them in an attempt to head off the protests last month. But for many French, it was too little, too late. The French reaction to higher fuel prices is hardly unique, which highlights just how hard it can be to discourage fossil fuel consumption by making people pay more. In September, protests in India over high gasoline prices shut down schools and government offices. Protests erupted in Mexico in 2017 after government deregulation caused a spike in gasoline prices, and in Indonesia in 2013 when the government reduced fuel subsidies and prices rose. In the United States, Washington state voters handily defeated a carbon tax in November. Higher taxes on fuel have always been a policy more popular among economists than among voters, said Greg Mankiw, a Harvard economist and former adviser to President George W. Bush. Even proponents of carbon taxes acknowledge that they can disproportionally hurt low-income people. Energy costs make up a larger portion of their overall expenses, so a fuel price increase eats up more of their paycheque and leaves them with less to spend. And because energy costs are almost impossible to avoid, they feel trapped. It is also not lost on them that it is the rich, unbothered by fuel taxes, who are hardest on the environment because they travel and consume more. The mistake of the Macron government was not to marry the increase in fuel taxes with other sufficiently compelling initiatives promising to enhance the welfare and incomes of the yellow vests, said Barry Eichengreen, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley. Now the question is How can we address the climate problem while also avoiding producing political upheaval, Goulder said. The key is giving a good chunk of money back to the people, Wesleyan University environmental economist Gary Yohe said. Many economists back proposals that would tax carbon, but then use that money to offer tax rebates or credits that would benefit lower-income families. The protests, while sparked by fuel prices, are also about income inequality, populism and anti-elitism, experts say, not just about carbon taxes. Is it a death knell for the carbon tax or pricing carbon? I dont think so, economist Yohe said. It is just a call for being a little bit more careful about how you design the damn thing. Read more about: BACK FROM THE DEAD: Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari, 75, denied bizarre rumours that he had died and been replaced by a look-alike, a body double named Jubril from Sudan. Its (the) real me, I assure you, he said, adding that hes not a clone. No comment from Jubril. BACK FROM EXTINCTION: The worlds smallest mammal, the Etruscan shrew, at least on the island of Tavolara. The tiny creature was thought to have died off 50 years ago on the island off the Sardinian coast, the Daily Telegraph reports. But its benefited from rat eradication. EXPOSED: A silly law by a 9-year-old boy in Severance, Colo. Dane Best persuaded the towns leaders to toss out a nearly century-old ban on snowball fights. It was part of an ordinance making it illegal to toss stones or missiles at people, animals, buildings, trees, any other public or private property. Fun town. OVEREXPOSED: A journalist tossed out of Australias parliament. Patricia Karvelas allegedly breached the dress code for showing way too much arm. After a backlash, she received an apology, with no less than the defence minister expressing regret. MOVING FREELY: Commuters in Luxembourg. The country, home to 110,000 but with another 400,000 commuters from neighbouring countries, says it will remove fares on trains, streetcars and buses next summer. Its part of a climate-friendly platform by a new government. Can Luxembourg save the world? STAYING PUT: A life-sized statue named Victorious Youth. The bronze dating from 300 BC to 100 BC is a highlight at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The Museum vows it will keep it, even though an Italian court upheld an earlier ruling that ordered it returned to Italy. It was found in the sea in 1964. DISPUTED: A multi-million-euro family inheritance. The fight involves retired Vatican ambassador Carlo Maria Vigano, whose sex abuse coverup allegations rocked the Vatican. Now Vigano is trying to explain a court ruling forcing him to pay his brother (also a priest) 1.8 million euros in a messy civil case. GIVEN UP: Boris Beckers claim to have diplomatic immunity from bankruptcy. The former tennis star had said his appointment as a Central African Republic diplomat gave him protection from any legal claims. A planned trophy auction will now go ahead. It has been six months since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced when Canada would legalize recreational marijuana. Since then, barely a day has passed without some form of media commentary on the subject. You may think the exhaustive analysis to date has covered all elements of what is to come, but you would be mistaken. Discussions have centred around licensing and usage legislation but two months on from legalization, it is becoming clear just how significant an impact this industry will have on Canadian society with the subject still dominating national discourse. The scale of the unknown and the potential implications of incomplete planning are still vast, and with little in-depth analysis given to date on marketing or economic regulation, something we should have considered long before now, there is capacity for volatile and potentially unethical marketing to creep in to the industry. In 2017, a task force was appointed to analyze and offer recommendations to the federal government on how to legislate for the legalization of marijuana. As part of this task force, esteemed experts with decades of experience in public health, police, legal, policy and addiction shared thoughtful considerations and recommendations on building legislation. But the task force saw the notable absence of experts from marketing, business or the economics fields. Despite marketing being prevalent throughout our daily lives, the general public is generally unaware of the influence it can have on the economy and society. Many people still believe marketing to equate to billboards and TV ads, when, in fact, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Within marketing, we often refer to the four Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. These pillars cover an endless number of subjects worth considering subjects which, to date, have not been sufficiently explored in relation to marijuana legalization. Why should we care, you might ask? Lets take promotion as just one example to illustrate the breadth of marketing and its influence. Laws have been put in place around the advertising of cannabis products, but advertising is just one component within promotion. Only now, as we pass the watershed moment, are governments beginning to look at the other elements public relations, on-street activity, celebrity endorsements, not to mention sponsorships, which are a huge influencer of consumer behaviour. It is, of course, a positive that regulation is being created to serve these requirements, but this reactive approach, responding to challenges as they appear, makes the task much more difficult than if consideration was included in task force planning, long before legalization was upon us. We should be taking lessons from other industries, staying ahead of the curve. Looking at tobacco and e-cigarettes, we see the effect that marketing insights can have on legislation when recommendations come as an afterthought, long after products are in-market. Without proper planning and expert insight, we leave ourselves open to challenges and epidemics that may otherwise be avoidable. Marijuana is set to add $8 billion to the Canadian economy, and yet, economics experts were also not included on the planning task force. Without a specialist to pose questions or offer insight into the less obvious areas of economics, legislation has left many areas exposed. By including an economic voice, we would have a better idea of what level of competition is best for the economy and whose role it is to manage market growth. Without these insights, we now face an uncertain, unstable road ahead. On the week of our new minister for marijuana being appointed to enforce legislation, it is clear that a framework is needed to ensure production and consumption is marketed in a responsible way. The reality that lies ahead for us as we embrace this new industry is unknown, and without clear line of sight of how it will develop, the best we can do is employ the knowledge and insights of experts best placed to advise. We must continue to look ahead, embracing the opportunities and preparing for the challenges the industry will bring, while ensuring we consider all possible outcomes as we build a framework for success in the future. VANCOUVERThe head of British Columbias construction unions says Conservative politicians rushing to scold Justin Trudeau for insulting workers living in rural construction camps need to grow up and get a grasp on reality. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau brought up work camps temporary accommodations set up in rural areas for workers on construction projects at the G20 summit in Argentina last weekend. There are gender impacts when you bring construction workers into a rural area, the prime minister was recorded as saying. There are social impacts because theyre mostly male construction workers. How are you adjusting and adapting to those? His comments were later met with scathing criticism by Conservative politicians on social media. Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer, Carleton Ottawa MP Pierre Poilievre and Alberta United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney slammed the prime minister for insulting Canadian workers, saying the social impact of work camps is positive because they bring economic activity to communities. Tom Sigurdson, executive director of the B.C. Building Trades unions, said its true that work camps, where many Building Trades members temporarily reside, bring economic benefit to communities. But they can also pose risks to those communities like increased sexual violence and illicit drug sales, he said, and it would be both foolish and dangerous to sweep those risks under the rug. These problems do exist and as responsible leaders in the industry we have to do all that we can to mitigate against the disaster that can come up, he said. It was appropriate for the Prime Minister to say things need to be done. Sigurdson had harsh words for Poilievre, a career politician who stood in the House of Commons Monday to say the government should apologize for what he called Trudeaus despicable rhetoric. Read more: Link between rural work camps and violence against women is real, researchers say Pierre Poilievre, who has never had any mud on his Oxfords, for him to make the claims that he claimed is just outrageous, Sigurdson said. It showed just how out of touch they are with the industry. As StarMetro reported this week, the connection between work camps and an increase in gendered violence is supported by evidence. Social impacts of work camps are top-of-mind for B.C.s construction industry right now, because the $40-billion LNG Canada project in Kitimat is set to bring in up to 6,500 temporarily housed workers at a time. The camp will be among the largest ever in B.C., roughly doubling the population of Kitimat for the time its open. The large influx of mostly men is likely to create a market for the sale of illicit drugs and sex trafficking, both documented effects of previous work camps. And while most workers are responsible and recognize their role as guests in the community, Sigurdson said, there are a few that, quite honestly, need to recognize that their behaviour is unacceptable and disruptive to the community. Researchers from the University of Northern British Columbia have said that LNG Canada, the province, and Kitimat all need to work to make sure ample supports are in place so that the negative social impacts of work camps are minimized. Sigurdson agreed those conversations are necessary for the well-being of both workers and the community. Subscribe to the Star to support deep local reporting in your community. Some leaders within the construction industry are working to change the composition of male-majority camps altogether, which they believe will have a seismic effect on the culture of the camps. Sandra Brynjolfson a journey electrician by trade, is the co-ordinator of B.C. Women in Trades, a centre aimed at increasing the proportion of female tradespeople. As a tradeswoman, an electrician, Ive worked in a camp, I can tell you I felt very alone, very isolated, she said in an interview Wednesday. It will be a great day when the percentage of women increases. She said she thinks Trudeau is right to point out the risks of male-majority work camps. Most construction men are good people, she said. Here at the centre were turning to those men to help us drive the change. Read more about: VANCOUVERApartment-building owners are warning that a Dec. 4 motion passed by Vancouver City Council will lead to a dramatic withdrawal of investment in both existing and new rental buildings. The motion passed unanimously and aims to better protect renters whose landlords are trying to evict them in order to renovate the units and rent them at a higher rate. Jon Stovell, president of Reliance Properties, said he is not concerned about some parts of the motion, such as a commitment to track apartment-building sales, inform tenants of their rights and explore how the city can track and regulate buyout offers made to tenants. Stovell is also chair of the Urban Development Institute (UDI), a lobby group for real-estate developers. Its this portion that particularly concerns Stovell: Require landlords to offer displaced tenants the opportunity to temporarily move out for the necessary duration of the renovations without their leases ending or rent increasing. Stovells company is currently trying to empty a 58-unit apartment building in Vancouvers West End in order to start a major renovation. Reliance has offered Berkeley Towers tenants between $8,000 and $30,000 to leave, but 37 of the tenants are fighting that attempt. Theyre citing a Supreme Court ruling that resulted in a provincial guidance being issued to the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB) in May. That guidance says that RTB arbitrators must consider whether it is necessary to end a tenancy when tenants are willing to accommodate renovations, and its been frequently referenced in recent decisions to set aside eviction notices. Read more: To avoid renoviction battles, Vancouver landlords are offering tenants money to move out Tenants tales of woe inspire Vancouver councillors to call for tough action on renovictions B.C.s stricter rent controls may not halt construction, if Toronto is any example But the Supreme Court case is under appeal, and Stovell thinks its giving tenants false hope. Theyve been made to think they can stay, but I dont think its necessarily true, Stovell said. But because of that uncertainty, I think it will take any plans of anyone planning a real major renovation to one of these buildings to give it another 50 or 60 years of life as a building dedicated to rental, its going to bring all those plans to an end, and nobodys going to invest in any rental buildings. Another concern from the UDI is that the province will put in place vacancy control, which means that landlords would not be able to raise the rent by an unlimited amount when tenants move out. The UDI has warned that 12,500 units of new rental will not get built if the province puts vacancy control into place. The provincial government is expected to release recommendations on B.C.s rental laws next week but in September made an early change by reducing the annual allowable rent increase. Stovell said hes experienced the effect of the uncertainty first-hand. A pension fund was ready to invest in a Reliance rental project near Main St. and Broadway in Vancouver, he said, but changed their minds when they realized the province and local governments were looking to put more tenant protections in place. Ontario has recently relaxed rent-control rules, so the pension fund decided to invest in that province instead, Stovell said. He declined to name the pension fund. For the Berkeley Towers tenants, the unanimous council vote was a win, although the work isnt over yet. Several parts of the motion, including a call for vacancy control, were referred to staff for more study, and the city still lacks the power to regulate buyouts. Im proud of our council, said Andre Dechene, one of the tenants leading the fight to stay. Its really unusual for them to come together, and it shows they really care about people. Stovell characterized the renovation as extensive and necessary to fix problems with the buildings heating and plumbing system, while Dechene sees it as an attempt to redevelop the building in a way that will allow the company to charge the highest rents. The planned renovation will reduce the number of units from 58 to 52. Councillor Pete Fry was upfront about the direction council was taking with the motion. We have a different set of priorities than previous councils, that we are prioritizing the interests of renters over industry, Fry said, adding that he doesnt believe vacancy control would affect new rental development because landlords can charge as much as they want for new buildings. That comment shows great naivete over how the real-estate industry plans for projects, Stovell said, because owners plan for how a building will perform financially over time. If landlords cant count on increasing the rent when tenants move out, they wont be able to reinvest in the building as it ages. Its so unfortunate that the city has paid so little attention to the urgings of the apartment-building industry and the warnings, Stovell said. Read more about: VANCOUVERThe federal government is facing harsher criticism for Canadas continued involvement with Chinas Huawei Technologies after the chief financial officer of the controversial telecom was arrested in Vancouver on Saturday. Canadas Justice Department says the United States is seeking Wanzhou Mengs extradition but is not providing further details about the case because of a court-ordered publication ban. Meng, who is also Huaweis deputy chairwoman on the board, is currently in custody, according to Vancouver Supreme Court records. The court will proceed with her bail hearing Friday morning. The Chinese telecommunications giant is currently in partnership with leading Canadian universities across the country as well as companies such as Telus, with whom it is developing interconnected 5G networks in Canada. Matthew Dube, New Democrat MP and critic for public safety and emergency preparedness, told StarMetro the opposition has heard concerns from Canadas allies. The big challenge that we face (is) that theres a lot of questions that remain unanswered ... The just trust us line that weve been getting ... is not necessarily helpful, Dube said. Read more: What we know and dont know about the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou Canadian businesses face retaliatory risk after Huawei arrest, say analysts China demands Canada release Huawei executive arrested in Vancouver Both the United States and Australia have banned the company from participating in the construction of 5G networks because of security concerns, and Washington has been increasing pressure on Canada, Britain and New Zealand to follow suit. Canada is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance with the United States, Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Last month, New Zealand became the third Five Eyes member to ban domestic telecommunications operators from using Huaweis equipment on national security grounds. Dube said even the opposition is currently in the dark about Ottawas response to mounting criticism from allies, experts and the general public regarding its ongoing silence. Weve heard assurances but blind assurances from the minister of public safety and the prime minister. And I think that, ultimately, its incumbent on them to provide the proper assurances whether that has to be done privately for reasons of national security to parliamentarians and hopefully to the public as well, Dube said. This is critical infrastructure, and I think we need to, obviously, adjust ourselves accordingly. Subscribe to the Star to support deep local reporting in your community Dube noted that just this week, the head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) spy agency David Vigneault told members of the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto that he considers espionage and foreign influence to represent the greatest threat to Canadian national interests. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday his office got a few days notice that this was in the works, referring to Mengs arrest, but he emphasized the actions of law-enforcement officials are independent from politics. We are a country of an independent judiciary, and the appropriate authorities took the decisions in this case without any political involvement or interference. Reuters has reported the arrest is related to a potential violation of U.S. trade sanctions, but StarMetro has not independently verified this claim. What this indicates is that the U.S. government thinks it has a particularly strong case against this individual who is involved in the movement of goods, the alleged sale of goods, said Christopher Parsons, a cybersecurity expert with Citizen Lab in the Munk School at the University of Toronto. The development of interconnected 5G technology is very costly, so there are economic reasons that Huawei has been attractive to Canadian companies and universities, according to Parsons. Equally concerning is Huawei very helpfully helps facilitate research amongst Canadian universities. But as part of that, amongst certain universities, its meant that Huawei subsequently obtains the patents that are realized, he told StarMetro. This might mean in years to come, China could become a powerful arbiter of which countries can obtain access to networks and technologies. Last month, the Weekend Australian published an article citing secret intelligence reports showing Huawei officials were pressured at some point in the past two years to provide password and network details to infiltrate a foreign system. At that time, the report prompted experts in Canada to reiterate concerns that working with Huawei is a grave mistake. In 2017, Huawei announced a $3-million three-year commitment with the University of British Columbia to support research in advanced communications. In September, the company sealed a new five-year agreement to extend its partnership with the University of Toronto after already providing more than $3.5 million in research funding to the university. Both UBC and the University of Toronto supplied statements to StarMetro suggesting that unless the federal government issues an explicit ban on business dealings with Huawei, the research partnerships the schools have established with the company would stand. UBC is not aware of any restrictions regarding working with Huawei and will continue with its partnership, wrote Gail Murphy, UBCs vice-president of research and innovation. We have no comment on the recent reports of legal proceedings against a Huawei employee. The U of T works with individuals or organizations that are legally operating in Canada, wrote Vivek Goel, U of Ts vice-president of research and innovation. We will respect any direction that we receive from the Government of Canada with respect to national security. Both universities said they focus on partnerships with companies that will allow their graduates and faculty to make a positive contribution to the world of innovation and comply with all legal restrictions when it comes to foreign companies. Chinas foreign ministry in Beijing has demanded the immediate release of Meng and for clarification on the reason behind her detention. The Chinese side demands the Canadian side to earnestly ensure Chinese citizens security, humanitarian treatment and legal rights and interests. Detaining the person involved with no explicit reason certainly harms her human rights, spokesman Geng Shuang said at a press conference. Meanwhile, a federal review was released Thursday detailing the Canadian Centre for Cyber Securitys assessment of the current cyber threat environment facing Canada and Canadians. Nation-state adversaries have the greatest capability and intent to conduct cyber threat activity against Canadian public institutions, the report says. State-sponsored cyber threat actors vary in sophistication and it is likely that some advanced actors can operate undetected. Charles Burton, a political scientist at Brock University, told StarMetro in November that concerns around the surveillance potential of hardware and infrastructure provided to Canada by Huawei were particularly pressing because the company is subsidized by the Chinese government. According to Chinese law, citizens of the Peoples Republic of China who are working in sensitive areas are obligated to respond to the requests from government to provide information that will be of use to the Chinese state, Burton explained, noting the company is referred to as a national champion firm. The subsidies to Huawei are in fact paid back by Huawei providing an all-of-government approach to the installation of this equipment, where it will allow the state to gather extensive amounts of data, which they can gain information that is of use to Chinas modernization and military purposes. North American telecommunications are already heavily integrated, Burton said, which means if some aspect of the Canadian system were using Huawei equipment, it could be used as a back door to get to U.S. technologies, including the military, through covert means. Huawei did not respond to a request for comment for this story. In November, StarMetro reached out to Huawei five times for comment on privacy and security allegations but received no response. On Nov. 5, a tech publication reported that Huawei categorically denied it has ever provided, or been asked to provide, customer information for any government or organization. The Thursday report from the federal cybersecurity agency appears to identify concerns that closely match Burtons analysis of the current situation. Cyber threat activity against Canadian public institutions occurs most often when Canada is a global research leader or involved in sensitive international or bilateral issues, the report says. We assess that nation-states around the world are continuing to invest in their cyber capabilities with the intent of advancing their national security and economic objective. A further government review is underway to assess the cyber threats and risks inherent to the implementation of 5G infrastructure in Canada, according to a statement on the website of the federal Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. A spokesperson for the Office of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness said it could not comment on specific companies in the context of the review. Dube said he hopes the current 5G review takes place as quickly as possible. With files from The Canadian Press and Melanie Green. Correction December 7, 2018: This article was edited from a previous version that mistakenly said Charles Burton is a political scientist at the University of Ottawa. In fact, Burton is a professor at Brock University. Read more about: EDWARDSVILLE Police are investigating a burglary in which the victim identified a stolen computer tower he built by hand. The victim, who lives in the 200 block of Parkview Court, Edwardsville, reported the burglary on July 12, but additional information became public on Wednesday. The victim told officers that a computer tower, a gaming laptop and several other pieces of computer equipment were taken from his home. OFallon police were given information about the crime in Edwardsville and notified Edwardsville police on Aug. 17 that a burglary similar to the Edwardsville case had occurred in their city. OFallon police said they had arrested and charged Dominique Hudson, 27. OFallon police obtained the suspects cell phone, which yielded pictures of suspected stolen equipment. One of the pictures was of a computer tower, apparently inside Hudsons home. The victim of the Edwardsville burglary identified the computer tower without prompting, according to a court document. Hudson was out on parole when the burglaries occurred. He was sent back to Southwestern Illinois Correctional Facility, where he is serving time for three previous burglaries. Details of the burglaries are included in an sworn statement filed by Edwardsville police in an effort to search Hudsons cell phone. Reach reporter Sanford Schmidt at 618-208-6449. EDWARDSVILLE Police are investigating a fatal crash in rural Edwardsville as a reckless homicide, based on reports from two people that a suspect was driving recklessly just before the crash. The Oct. 31 crash came after state police broadcast that two people called and reported a 2013 Gold Chevrolet Malibu was traveling at an estimated 90 to 95 miles per hour, nearly hit construction workers, drove around a construction barrier, nearly hit other vehicles, was weaving side-to-side and ran another vehicle off the roadway. Court documents identify the driver of the Malibu as William H. Lewis, of St. Ann, Missouri. He has not been charged with any crime regarding the incident. Additional details were made public Wednesday when police filed a request for a search warrant for the cars involved in the crash. The first reports to police dispatch came as the suspect vehicle was driving north on Interstate 255 between the Dupo and Columbia exits, traveling toward the Edwardsville area. The crash was at South Moreland Road and Willis Lane. Killed in the crash was Christopher S. Poynter, 32, of the St. Louis area. He leaves a wife, a son, his parents and a grandmother. The Malibu collided head-on with a Poynters Kia Sol, traveling southbound on South Moreland Road. The engine of the Malibu became detached from the car upon impact, hitting a third vehicle a 2013 Buick Enclave, injuring the occupants. A court document said several witnesses spotted the Malibu being driven recklessly. The driver, who may face charges, was taken to St. Louis University Hospital. The court document states that personnel at the hospital would not draw blood from the Malibu driver without his consent, and the suspect was not conscious to do so. Some details of the crash were revealed in a request for a search warrant. Police are seeking data recorders from all three cars involved in the crash. Court records do not show any charges as of Wednesday. 67,351 voters, or 67.1 percent, approved a non-binding referendum making Madison County a sanctuary gun county. The Second Amendment states: The right to bear arms shall not be abridged. The Second Amendment doesnt give Americans the right to bear arms; instead, it places a curb on government. The Founders recognized owning firearms as a God given or natural right. The Founders recognized citizens need for personal self-defense but also as a defense from tyrannical government. They worried American government could someday turn against its people. Today, the government funds the strongest military in the world and a clandestine ability to destroy citizens lives. The Founding Fathers saw an armed citizenry as another check or balance against potential governmental tyranny. Founding Father Tench Coxe wrote: Whereas civil rulers, not having their duty to the people duly before them, may attempt to tyrannize, and as the military forces raised to defend our country, might pervert their power to the injury of their fellow citizens, the people are confirmed.in their right to keep and bear their private arms. (Philadelphia Federal Gazette, 1789) Remember McCarthyism, Watergate, our IRS attacking conservative groups, and the unproven Steele Dossier and FISA warrant? Alexander Hamilton wrote: the people are most in danger when the means of injuring their rights are in the possession of those of whom they entertain the least suspicion. (Federalist #25, 1787) Congratulations Madison County voters! The people weighed-in against unconstitutional state gun laws. Philip W. Chapman Highland SPRINGFIELD When you are a young man, 20 years seems a long time. But as we age it seems just the blink of an eye. I was thinking about that last week when I watched the Green Book, a movie about a gifted black pianist, Don Shirley, touring the segregated South in the early 1960s with his white driver. The Green Book was a manual carried by African Americans listing restaurants, motels and other accommodations that would serve black people. The obstacles he faced are hard to imagine. Having been born in 1965 in Illinois, I dont have any personal memory of legal segregation. I know it existed in my hometown of Galesburg. The beaches at Lake Storey and seats at the Orpheum Theater were segregated. I just dont remember it. But my first newspaper job was in the South, working for the Galveston Daily News. At the time, being all of 23 years old, I was perplexed by the hostility many African Americans held toward the newspaper. I asked an older reporter about it and he explained the newspaper had advocated for segregation and at one time wouldnt even run black and white obituaries on the same page. When I asked when the newspaper stopped this abhorrent practice he told me, Oh, maybe, 20 years ago. My reaction: Well, why are they still angry? That was a really long time ago. Yeah, I know, pretty arrogant, pretty ignorant. I now know two decades is not that long ago at all. But it sure seemed like it when I was young. The stain of segregation and racial discrimination is a lasting one in our society. Overt, legal segregation of public accommodations may be gone. But racism isnt. Many folks hate the term white privilege. But it is time that we all own up to its existence. Just last month, I pulled into a Springfield gas station that had a sign up on its pumps that said Please Pay First. I waved at the attendant, who I didnt know, and he turned the pump on for me. When I went in to pay after filling up, I asked, How do you know who to turn the pump on for? The attendant gave me a smirk and said, You can look at people and just tell. I shifted my feet uncomfortably and paid for the gas. I know a black person who always has to prepay at that station. Its not as overt as a Whites Only sign. But it is just as racist. My mother grew up in an all-white area of rural Illinois. She never thought much about segregation or racial discrimination until she witnessed it while taking nursing classes in Louisville, Kentucky in the early 1950s. I would be out walking and black men would step off the sidewalk and onto the street when they met me, she said. Even decades later, her shame was evident and her eyes downcast as she related the story to me at the kitchen table. She still felt sullied by the experience. White privilege wasnt something she sought or wanted. It didnt mean she didnt have to work hard for the things she achieved. She had her own struggles. Childhood poverty and an alcoholic father were among them. But the color of her skin was never one of those challenges. Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a freelance reporter. ScottReeder1965@gmail.com. Bangladeshi artist Mahbubur Rahman is a metal-head. In his latest solo exhibition Sounds from Nowhere in Delhi, where he is back after a hiatus of nine years, Rahman presents a deeply moving meditation in metal. There is stainless steel, surgical scissors, gold leaf and iron ink on two-dimensional surfaces. Particularly striking is his "Dislocation" series made this year, rendered in "iron ink" drawing and gold leaf on digital print. They bear a semblance to yellowing, rust-covered stamp paper superimposed with paintings of old human figures plodding on with luggage trunks and family members. It directly references the trauma of partition, uprooting of identity and issues of citizenship. "I wanted to work with metal in a liquid form, in the form of ink. I collected dust from the lead machine and rusted them with water. It has a brownish, golden effect," says Rahman who is at the forefront of multidisciplinary art practice in Bangladesh. He even uses his own body as a medium to seamlessly merge art with activism and to convey his iron-clad commitment to issues that have plagued post-independence Bangladesh, from its post-colonial identity, migration, social stigmas to political censorship and control. Sounds from Nowhere includes painting, charcoal drawings, photography, sculpture and photographic performance art. But the title of the show derives its inspiration from a labour tragedy in 2013 when an eight-storey commercial building Rana Plaza collapsed, killing over 1,100 workers employed by garment factories. Rahman was in touch with people involved in the rescue efforts. One of them found a hacksaw blade used to save a female worker. Rahman was disturbed to see the blade and spent sleepless nights agonising over an appropriate artistic response to the tragedy. What could have been going through the mind of a person tasked to cut a leg in order to give life? "I thought in this case the sound of the hacksaw on human bones should be more rhythmic. It should have a positive connotation. It should be like music in a way; as he cuts a leg, he is saving a life. The hacksaw blade is more like a violin bow," says Rahman who installed a violin in stainless steel with hacksaw blade as a specimen of kinetic sculpture in Burning Violinas if the blade moves on the string of a violin. Born in 1969 in Dhaka, Rahman studied painting at the Institute of Fine Arts at University of Dhaka. Even as a student there, Rahman was experimenting with site specific work, performance, installation, objects and figures within the confines of a strictly traditional, academic syllabus which did not quite encourage new ideas and modern mediums. He met his wife and partner, Tayeba Begum Lipi, at the University and together they went on create Britto Arts Trust, an alternative artist-run organisation with the aim of connecting Bangladeshi artists with the global art scene with international collaborations and residenciesleading alternative arts practices in Bangladesh. Much more recently, Britto Arts Trusts has shown at the India Art Fair to promote contemporary voices from Bangladesh. Today Rahman, who has also shown his work at the 54th Venice Biennale, is one of the most important cultural activists-artists in Bangladesh. Having closely known recently-released photojournalist Shahidul Alam, Rahman expressed suffocation at Alam being openly taken away for voicing anti-government views when the show opened in Delhi on November 29. Lipi and Rahman both work with metals. Lipi has addressed gender violence using razor blades and safety pins in her more intimate sculptural installations of the marital bed, undergarments, bathtub, ironing board and sewing machines. Rahman is more interested in visual commentaries on the larger socio-political realities in his country. In the current solo, there is a profusion of surgical scissors. There is a uniform, cello, human busts and headgears made out of scissors, their blades interlocking into each other in a fine mesh or poking out as menacing reminders. Fascinated with medical equipment and the atmosphere of an operation theatre, he has sought to incorporate these seemingly sterile objects in his sculptures and paintings. "We know the purpose of a material like this is for sharp things, but I transform it into something more aesthetically pleasing," says Rahman who once went to buy his surgical material for a Partition project in India and was surprised to find that Bangladesh imported them from Pakistan."My political purpose was served when I realised that these scissors were made in Pakistan and came all the way to Bangladesh and I was converting this material into art for India," says Rahman, not without a touch of irony. Blueprint12 is exhibiting Mahbubur Rahmans solo show "Sounds from Nowhere" which will be on view till December 8 at Bikaner House in Delhi. Stock markets across Asia saw steep falls on Thursday after news emerged that a senior executive of Chinese technology giant Huawei had been arrested in Canada. Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei, was reportedly arrested on December 1; however, news of the arrest was not immediately released. Wanzhou faces potential extradition to the US over alleged violations of sanctions on Iran by Huawei. She is due to appear for a bail hearing on Friday. China condemned the arrest of the Huawei executive and urged Canada and the US to correct the wrongdoing. The action against the Huawei executive saw tech stocks in the stock markets at Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Tokyo and Seoul get hammered. Prominent stocks such as Sony were 3 per cent down in Tokyo, while Samsung was almost 2 per cent lower. Other concerns pulling shares down were worries about an upcoming OPEC meeting to decide oil output. The fall in Asian markets also reflected on the BSE Sensex, which fell over 300 points on Thursday morning. The arrest of the Huawei executive triggered renewed worries that the US-China trade war will resume following a brief lull in the wake of a tariff ceasefire between US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping last week. The US government has been persuading allies to stop using Huawei equipment, citing security concerns given fears of Chinese spying using the company's assets. On Wednesday, British telecom firm BT announced Huawei equipment would not be at the core of its '5G' systems, when they are rolled out. In November, New Zealand imposed a ban on the use of Huawei equipment, while in August, Australia banned Huawei and ZTE from supplying 5G-standard equipment. (With agency inputs) Malt-based health food drinks have been very popular in India for decades, none more so than Horlicks, widely consumed by children in their growing years as a health supplement. The iconic brand was invented by British-born William Horlick and his brother James in 1873 as a malted drink mix. As a lightweight non-perishable food supplement, it soon became popular among polar explorers. Later, it was used as an energy booster among soldiers in the first and second world wars. Indians got a taste of it through the soldiers who fought the war and brought Horlicks back with them. In a country where vitamin and protein deficiencies were commonplace, the powdered milk drink soon caught on among families who saw it as an essential nutritional supplement for kids. Over the years, its popularity grew and new brands such as Boost, Bournvita (Mondelez International) and Complan (Heinz) cropped up. But, Horlicks remained a market leader and over the years expanded from just being a drink for children to other variants, Mothers Horlicks, for instance. Horlicks has a rich history of more than 140 years, but its future destiny now lies with a new owner. Under an all-stock deal, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), the largest fast moving consumer goods maker in India, is merging GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, giving it access to the iconic Horlicks as well as other brands like Boost, Viva and Maltova. Horlicks, which is currently owned by pharma major GSK Plc, will be owned by Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch parent of HUL. The deal values the GSK Consumer Healthcare business at Rs 317 billion and is the largest such deal in the FMCG space in the country. The share swap ratio has been set at 4.39 HUL shares for every one share held in GSK Consumer India. GSK and its group companies will hold 5.7 per cent in the merged entity, while Unilever's shareholding will stand at 61.9 per cent. Additionally, GSK will sell its 82 per cent stake in GlaxoSmithKline Bangladesh and other related brand rights for the consumer healthcare nutrition activities in certain other markets to Unilever, for which it is expected to receive around GBP 566 million in cash. HUL is already a strong player in the foods space, with brands like Knorr soups, Kissan tomato ketchup, Red Label tea and Bru coffee. Acquisition of Horlicks and Boost, which together account for almost 60 per cent market share, will give it instant leadership in the health food drinks category and also helps it leverage the health and wellness trend. With this proposed strategic merger with GSK Consumer Healthcare India, we will be expanding our portfolio with great brands into a new category catering to the nutritional needs of our consumers, said Sanjiv Mehta, chairman and MD of HUL. I am confident that this merger will create significant shareholder value through both revenue growth and cost synergies, he said. For the year-ended March 2018, HUL's revenue from foods and refreshments segments stood at Rs 63.90 billion. With the merger of GSK Consumer Healthcare, the turnover of the foods and refreshments business will top Rs 100 billion, making HUL among the largest in the business. The deal pushes HUL among the market leaders in the only key category where it did not have market leadership (food and refreshments) unlike beauty and personal care, and home care where it is the dominant player, said Krishnan Sambamoorthy, analyst at Motilal Oswal Financial Services. On a pure valuation basis, analysts give a thumbs up to the deal, expecting it to be earnings accretive to HUL in the medium-term. The deal is EPS (earnings per share) accretive for HUL as it brings in incremental profit after tax of Rs 7 billion (13 per cent up as per FY2018 financials), while equity capital gets diluted by just 8.5 per cent, said broking firm Sharekhan. However, there is some concern among marketmen over the slowing growth rate of the health food drinks category. According to market research firm RedSeer, the category grew at 10 per cent year-on-year till 2015-16, but volumes have remained stagnant since. Health food drinks was a $860 million market in 2017, which is expected to cross $1 billion by 2020, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 5.6 per cent, it added. HUL remains optimistic. The company points to structural demand drivers in India, including a large and young population, rising affluence and disposable incomes and persistent nutritional needs, and sees huge potential for market development. India is among the largest markets for health food drinks, but overall penetration of the category is only 24 per cent and rural penetration is just 14 per cent. HUL management has guided double-digit revenue growth for the acquired health food drinks portfolio in the medium-term...HUL management is confident of driving premiumisation, given its experience and success upgrading consumers across categories and GSK Consumer's promising super premium portfolio (especially protein products), said analyst Rohit Chordia at Kotak Institutional Equities. Furthermore, the analyst notes that HUL's direct distribution reach is about three times that of GSK, which, along with its IT infrastructure, could help improve distribution and growth, especially in the hinterlands. Also, compared with its strong presence in the south and east, Horlick's market share and penetration is relatively weak in north and west, which HUL could grow. HUL also sees significant cost savings post merger, helped by common infrastructure, IT systems and workspace, supply chain optimisation, sharper marketing, efficient procurement of raw material and efficiencies in distribution. Full synergy benefits for the acquired portfolio could be around 800-1,000 basis points, say analysts. For the GSK, selling the health foods business is a part of its plan to increase investments and focus on other strategic interests, including its pharmaceuticals business. Another focus area for the London-listed firm has been consumer healthcare. Earlier this year, it had bought out rival Novartis out of their joint venture in the consumer healthcare space. Horlicks has made a significant contribution to GSK and to the health of consumers across India for many decades and we believe Unilever is well placed to maximise its future potential. Proceeds from this transaction will be used to support the groups strategic priorities, including investing in our pharmaceutical business, said Emma Walmsley, CEO, GSK. Even as it exits the health foods business, GSK said that India remained a key market. The company will continue to invest in growth opportunities for its over-the-counter (OTC) and oral health brands in the country, which include Crocin, Eno antacid and Sensodyne toothpaste. Under an arrangement between GSK and HUL, the later will also distribute the OTC and oral health products under a consignment selling agreement for five years. Given HUL's distribution reaches over 7 million outlets, the OTC and oral health brands of GSK stand to get a big sales boost. The UK government on Wednesday night said it has sought urgent information from India on the circumstances surrounding the detention and extradition of Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper scam case, who is facing allegations of bribery. Christian Michel, a British national, was arrested in the UAE and extradited to India on Tuesday night. Michel, who was the alleged middleman in the graft-tainted AgustaWestland chopper deal during the UPA rule, was sent to five-day CBI custody by a special CBI court in New Delhi, a day after he was extradited from the UAE. "Our staff continue to support the family of a British man following his detention in the UAE," said a spokesperson for the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). "We are in contact with his family and the Emirati authorities regarding his case, and are urgently seeking information from the Indian authorities on his circumstances," the spokesperson said. Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI. Michel has denied all charges and alleged that the CBI wants him to take the names of the Gandhi family, a claim which had been refuted by the Central probe agency. CBI prosecutor D.P. Singh said in court that Michel was required for custodial interrogation to unearth the "deep-rooted conspiracy" and the money trail in the case. Michel's custody was required to identify his accomplices including the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials, bureaucrats and politicians, who were influenced or were instrumental in changing the decisions, which made Anglo-Italian company AgustaWestland eligible to participate in the bidding process and to ultimately secure the deal, Singh argued. India has since scrapped the contract with AgustaWestland, then the British subsidiary of Italy-based Finmeccanica, for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP helicopters to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks by it for securing the deal. The deal, initialled in 2010, was scrapped on January 1, 2014. In the court, the special judge was informed by the CBI that its investigation showed Michel had entered into 12 contracts through two of his firmsM/s Global Trade and Commerce Ltd, London and M/s Global Services FZE, Dubai, UAEwith M/s Finmeccanica, M/s AgustaWestland, M/s Westland Helicopters, UK and others. The British High Commission in New Delhi has also sought consular access to Michel. Savitri Bai Phule, the MP for Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday resigned from the BJP, alleging the party was creating divisions in society. Phule reportedly claimed her views were being ignored in the BJP as she was a dalit and alleged there was a conspiracy against dalits. Phule had in recent months been increasingly critical of the BJP. On December 4, Phule responded to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement on Hanuman being a dalit. Phule claimed, Lord Hanuman was a dalit and a slave of 'manuwadi' people, who had to face humiliation for being a dalit. Phule also targeted Adityanath and other BJP leaders for eating at dalit homes as a means to garner votes only. If he (Yogi Adityanath) really loves dalits, then he should love them more than he loves Lord Hanuman. Has he ever embraced any dalit? she asked. Phule had also criticised BJP leaders who have been raising demands for building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, claiming the party had no other issues. "The country does not need a temple. Will it end unemployment and other problems of dalits and backwards? The temple will benefit Brahmins, who are only 3 per cent, Phule had claimed. In May, Phule had referred to Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, as a mahapurush who had contributed to India's independence. Phule's comments came even as BJP leaders were demanding Aligarh Muslim University remove a portrait of Jinnah; the demands had sparked violent protests. In April, Phule held a rally in Lucknow, demanding there be no changes in the Constitution or reservation policy. The rally saw heavy criticism of the BJP. Touched by the compassion of the nurses who tended to her... Since being appointed defence minister in September last year, Nirmala Sitharaman has already been to a few countries of military importance including Russia, China and France. Currently on her maiden visit to the US, Sitharaman hopes to strengthen military ties between the two countries. This is, however, not the first time Sitharaman is meeting her US counterpart, James Mattis. Improving defence, security and global strategic ties was on the agenda when she met with Mattis and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo in New Delhi for the 2+2 dialogue along with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in September. They talked about ensuring freedom of the seas and skies and upholding peaceful resolution of maritime disputes. Sitharaman is expected to visit the Defense Innovation Unit of the US Department of Defense at California and the Indo-Pacific Command headquarters in Hawaii during her official trip, which ends December 7. India's purchase of Russian missile systems was one of the topics discussed during the 2+2 dialogue. This time, both Sitharaman and Mattis are expected to discuss not only Russia but also the Iran sanctions. Both countries are expected to try to resolve the differences over India's ties with Iran. With the US imposing sweeping sanctions on Russia through CAATSA (Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act), the planned purchase of the S-400 missile system implies the possibility of secondary sanctions on India. The defence minister is already negotiating for a waiver on the recent deals with Russia including two Grigorovich-class Project 1135.6 frigates for the Indian Navy and the S-400 missile system from Russia. An important topic of confluence of interest is relations with China. The Sitharaman-Mattis meeting will be unlike any other as it will see the progress of the much-talked-about COMCASA (The Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement), which would open the doors to sell sensitive defence equipment to India, which has previously been sold only to the closest US allies. COMCASA has been opposed by India as it has been viewed as intrusive, but recently, the Modi cabinet cast off the opposition. Another major topic that is likely to come on the table is the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement or BECA. The BECA will enable the countries to exchange advanced satellite data for navigation and missile targeting. Acquisition of new weapons including Guardian drones will certainly be another important topic discussed by Sitharaman and Mattis. Not only does the US have interest in the Indian defence market, but it also hopes to further joint military exercises including forces on land, air and seaIndian and US Air Forces are currently engaged in an exercise at the Kalaikunda air base in West Bengal. Taking defence cooperation to a higher level like this could finally mean that we would be better equipped to tackle threats from immediate neighbours. India and the US are also expected to focus on stability in Afghanistan. Last month, the Taliban released an open letter, expressing a desire for peace talks and calling on the American people and peace-loving congressmen to pressurise the Donald Trump administration into negotiations. To this, President Trump has turned to Pakistan for help in negotiating with the Taliban and unofficial discussions have been under way. Considering the Taliban has gotten support from Pakistan in the past, the outcome of the discussions could be of interest to both nations. Dehradun, Dec 6 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government has constituted a panel headed by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj to look into objections being raised about upcoming film Kedarnath, a love story set against the backdrop of the 2013 deluge, an official release said. Starring actor Sushant Singh Rajput and debutante Sara Ali Khan the film directed by Ashish Kapoor releases tomorrow. Headed by Maharaj, the committee set up on Wednesday has Home Secretary Nitesh Jha, Information Secretary Dilip Jawalkar and DGP Anil Raturi as members, the release said. The panel will examine the objections being raised about the movie and submit its report to the government. An appropriate decision on the screening of the movie across the state will be taken on basis of its report, it said. A senior BJP leader from Uttarakhand had first raised objections against the film, accusing it of promoting "love jihad" by depicting a romantic love story between a Muslim porter and a Hindu pilgrim. Demanding a ban on the release of the film, Ajendra Ajay had also said that despite being set against one of the worst human tragedies, the film made fun of Hindu sentiments. A PIL was also filed recently in the Uttarakhand High Court alleging that the film was an "ugly taint" on the Himalayan shrine. However, the makers of the film have appealed to people not to jump to conclusions about its content by just seeing its teaser or trailer. PTI ALM AAR Mumbai, Dec 6 (PTI) The Bombay High Court dismissed Thursday a PIL opposing the release of Bollywood film "Kedarnath" for allegedly hurting religious sentiments and "lowering the dignity" of the eponymous deity. The film, starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Sara Ali Khan in the lead, is set to release on Friday. A bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice M S Karnik heard all parties at length but dismissed the public interest litigation (PIL), noting that it was not maintainable. The petition, filed by two local lawyers Prabhakar Tripathi and Rameshchandra Mishra, claimed that the film, set in the backdrop of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods, dilutes the gravity of the calamity and hurt their religious sentiments. "The storyline is imaginary and the movie is an untrustworthy story of love between a Hindu Brahmin girl and a Muslim boy connected with the natural disaster of Uttarakhand that took the lives of several Hindu pilgrims," the petitioners said. They claimed that the film "lowered the dignity of Lord Kedarnath". The PIL was opposed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the film's producers. Appearing for the film's producers, senior advocate P Dakhepalkar told the bench that the movie was just a love story that used Kedarnath as its setting. "The film is a love story between two persons belonging to different classes and faiths. It has no intention of hurting anyone," he said. "Besides, our religious sentiments are not so frail that they will be affected by just a film that shows a temple in its background. Every right of freedom of expression must be given to us," he said. Dakhepalkar argued that perhaps, some people were indeed very sensitive and their sensibilities might be affected but the court cannot go by that. "Instead, the court must check if we have followed procedure and secured film certification," he said. CBFC's counsel Advait Sethna told the bench that the board had very strict guidelines for issuing certification to a film. He said the board had followed all regulations in granting the certificate for public release of the film. Both Sethna and Dakhepalkar pointed out that the high courts of Gujarat and Uttarakhand had already dismissed similar pleas opposing the film. At this, the bench decided to dismiss the PIL. However, it suggested that the authorities could think about constituting a body of experts to regulate and preview trailers and posters of films released online that currently go unsupervised by the CBFC or any similar body. A detailed court order is likely to be made public later in the evening. PTI AYA GK DIV DIV Mumbai, Dec 6 (PTI) Anil Kapoor has revealed that he was offered to play one of the male leads opposite Sridevi in the 1989 blockbuster "Chaalbaaz", which had the late actor in a double role. The male leads in the film were finally played by Sunny Deol and Rajinikanth. "Srideviji was a complete entertainer, she could fill the screen with her powerful persona. When I was offered 'Chalbaaz', I thought what will I get to do in front of Srideviji, who is doing everything in her double role. "As an artist I felt a bit hesitant, so I refused the movie. She created magic on screen the way she portrayed the double role with finesse, which nobody could match," Kapoor said on Star Plus reality show "Dance+4" which paid a tribute to Sridevi. Sridevi, who married Anil's elder brother, producer Boney Kapoor, frequently collaborated with her brother-in-law, including the sci-fi cult classic "Mr India" but Kapoor's favourite Sridevi film is "Sadma". He believes she should have won a National film award for her role in the movie. "Her brilliant act in Sadma will always remain unmatched. Some movies and actors live forever and Srideviji unparalleled act in Sadma is one of them," he said. PTI KKP BK BK Mumbai, Dec 6 (PTI) Pankaj Tripathi says his dream of working towards the interest of the youth of Bihar will soon be realised now that the actor has been appointed the State Icon by the government. The actor, who has garnered acclaim and popularity through stellar performances in "Newton", Stree" and most recent web series "Mirzapur", has been named the face of his home state by the Election Commission of India (ECI). "In a democracy, voting is a huge and most important right of a common man. Whatever changes a common man wants to bring in the country he can bring it through the process of voting. "Today's youth have a very wrong notion considering the voting day as a holiday in the calendar. They should not think that way and should come forward in huge numbers to vote, increase the voting percentage," Tripathi said in a statement. The actor, who hails from Bihar's Gopalganj, said he will try his best to abide by the responsibility bestowed upon him. "I come from a very common family background in a small village and getting an opportunity from home state to represent the state for an important and sensitive work is an honour for me and my family. "I'll try to work with sincerity and abide with the responsibility conferred upon me by the Election Commission of India. It was my dream and wish to work in the interest of youth and in public domain which is soon going to be realised." Tripathi also has Bihar Samman to his credit. PTI RDS BK BK Rimbo (Sweden), Dec 6 (AFP) Yemen's government and rebels doubled down on their rival demands Thursday, just moments before hard-won peace talks were due to open in Sweden under the auspices of the United Nations. A top Huthi rebel official threatened Thursday to bar UN planes from using the Yemeni capital's airport unless peace talks in Sweden lead to its full reopening. "If the Yemeni capital's airport is not opened to the Yemeni people in the peace talks in Sweden, I call on the (rebel) political council and government to close the airport for all planes," Mohammed Ali al-Huthi tweeted. The Yemeni government hit back, demanding the rebels withdraw from the flashpoint port city of Hodeida. Yemen's foreign ministry demanded the "coupist militias withdraw fully from the western coast and hand the area over to the legitimate government" via Twitter -- a reference to rebel-held Hodeida, home to Yemen's most valuable port. The Sweden talks mark the first attempt in two years to broker an end to the Yemen conflict, which has killed at least 10,000 people since 2015 and triggered what the UN calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Some 14 million people are at imminent risk of starvation in Yemen, according to UN estimates, as a Saudi-led military coalition continues to battle the country's Iran-backed Huthi rebels. (AFP) RUP RUP Tehran, Dec 6 (AFP) A suicide bomber killed at least four people outside a police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, its governor said. Chabahar governor Rahmdel Bameri said many people were also wounded in the morning car bombing. "The explosion was very strong and broke the glass of many buildings close by," Bameri told state television. Many nearby shop owners and civilian passers-by, including women and children, were severely wounded, he added. Chabahar lies in Sistan-Baluchistan province some 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of the Pakistan border. The province has a large, mainly Sunni Muslim ethnic Baluchi community which straddles the border and has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and jihadists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shiite authorities. The province's deputy governor in charge of security, Mohammad Hadi Marashi, said multiple assailants took part in Thursday's attack. "The terrorists tried to enter Chabahar police headquarters but they were prevented by the guards and they detonated the car bomb," he said. Chabahar has a deep-water port on the Gulf of Oman and with Indian assistance Iran has been developing it as a a major energy and freight hub between Central Asia and India, bypassing Pakistan.(AFP) RUP RUP New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 1700 hours: FGN10 PAK-INDIA-LD TRADE India, Pak trade much below than potential: Report Islamabad: The trade between India and Pakistan can go up to USD 37 billion from the current USD 2 billion if the two neighbours tear down artificial barriers like trust deficit and complicated and non-transparent non-tariff measures, according to a World Bank report. By Sajjad Hussain FGN14 US-LD XINJIANG 800k to 2 million religious minorities detained in Chinese internment camps: US Washington: An estimated 800,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the Trump administration has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations in the Communist nation's Xinjiang province.By Lalit K Jha FGN18 US-LD DALAILAMA US to oppose China's effort to impose its own Dalai Lama on Tibetans: official Washington: The US has hinted that it will oppose any move by China to impose its own Dalai Lama on the Tibetan people as Washington believes that the decision to pick the successor to Tibet's current top Buddhist leader should be as per religious traditions and the state has no role in it. By Lalit K Jha FGN17 CHINA-US-2NDLD TRADE China to 'immediately' implement US trade truce measures Beijing: China said Thursday it would "immediately" implement measures agreed under a trade war truce with the United States -- and was confident it could reach a deal within 90 days. (AFP) FGN5 CANADA-ARREST-2NDLD HUAWEI Top Huawei executive detained in Canada, angering China Ottawa: A top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Thursday, angering Beijing days into a trade war truce with the US. FGN19 IRAN-3RDLD ATTACK Suicide bomber kills two in southeast Iran: Revised toll Tehran: A suicide bomber killed at least two people and wounded many more outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, according to a revised official toll. (AFP) FGN20 OIL-PRICES-SAUDI REAX Brent oil price sinks under $60 on Saudi comments London: Brent oil prices sank under $60 on Thursday after Saudi Arabia made remarks that were deemed overly cautious by analysts ahead of OPEC's latest output decision. (AFP) RUP RUP Colombo, Dec 6 (PTI) Sri Lankan Parliament will take up a motion to express confidence in ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe next week, officials said Thursday, as the political crisis following his controversial sacking by the President intensified. The motion has been listed for which no dates have been fixed, parliamentary officials said. Parliament meets next on December 12 and the day's business is to be determined on the same day. If there is no firm indication, it will be taken up on that day, they said. Sri Lanka is going through a major political crisis since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena, in a controversial move, removed Wickremesinghe and installed ex-strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place. The President on Wednesday said that the current political crisis will not drag on beyond a week even as a war of words between him and Wickremesinghe intensified. On Monday, a lower court temporarily barred Rajapaksa from performing his duties after which he filed an appeal before the Supreme Court. The interim ruling was a major blow to both President Sirisena and Rajapaksa. Sirisena, after sacking Wickremesinghe on October 26, dissolved Parliament and called for a snap election on January 5. However, the Supreme Court overturned his decision and halted the preparations for snap polls. Sirisena said that he has always taken decisions in the best interest of the country and the people. In his strongest yet statement against the president, United National Party (UNP) leader Wickremesinghe on Tuesday said the United National Front (UNF) was prepared to face elections and they are "not afraid of elections." The ousted premier also urged the President not to "be like Hitler and some of the other dictators who used the referendum". Sirisena has said in the past that Wickremesinghe is a stubborn, headstrong person who was following far right wing neo-liberal policies. As many as 122 parliamentarians of Wickeremesinghe's UNP, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and Tamil National Alliance last month filed a petition in the Court of Appeal challenging Rajapaksa's authority as the prime minister. Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa both claim to be the prime ministers with the former claiming that his dismissal is invalid because he still holds a majority in the 225-member Parliament. Prior to the crisis, Wickramasinghe's UNP had the backing of 106 parliamentarians while Rajapaksa and Sirisena combine had 95 seats. Rajapaksa has, so far, failed to prove his majority in Parliament. The President has said that due to sharp personal differences with Wickremesinghe, he would not reappoint him as the Prime Minister. However, Wickremesinghe's UNP claims that Sirisena will be left with no choice as he would be the man who will command the confidence in the House. PTI CORR CPS AKJ CPS New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours: FGN27 PAK-KARTARPUR-KASHMIR Kashmir issue won't be put on back burner after Kartarpur border opening: Pak official Islamabad: Pakistan said Thursday that the "core issue" of Kashmir with India will not be put on the back burner after Islamabad opened the Kartarpur border for Sikh pilgrims. By Sajjad Hussain FGN25 PAK-IMRAN-KARTARPUR Imran Khan, Pak Army hope India will respond 'positively' to Kartarpur border opening for Sikhs Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan and the Pakistan Army on Thursday hoped that India will respond "positively" to Pakistan's "goodwill gesture" of opening the Kartarpur border for the Sikh pilgrims. By Sajjad Hussain FGN24 LANKA-PARLIAMENT Lankan Parliament to take up motion to express confidence in deposed PM Wickremesinghe Colombo: Sri Lankan Parliament will take up a motion to express confidence in ousted prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe next week, officials said Thursday, as the political crisis following his controversial sacking by the President intensified. FGN10 PAK-INDIA-LD TRADE India, Pak trade much below than potential: Report Islamabad: The trade between India and Pakistan can go up to USD 37 billion from the current USD 2 billion if the two neighbours tear down artificial barriers like trust deficit and complicated and non-transparent non-tariff measures, according to a World Bank report. By Sajjad Hussain FGN14 US-LD XINJIANG 800k to 2 million religious minorities detained in Chinese internment camps: US Washington: An estimated 800,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the Trump administration has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations in the Communist nation's Xinjiang province.By Lalit K Jha FGN18 US-LD DALAILAMA US to oppose China's effort to impose its own Dalai Lama on Tibetans: official Washington: The US has hinted that it will oppose any move by China to impose its own Dalai Lama on the Tibetan people as Washington believes that the decision to pick the successor to Tibet's current top Buddhist leader should be as per religious traditions and the state has no role in it. By Lalit K Jha FGN26 SAUDI-2NDLD OPEC OPEC looks to cut oil production to support falling price Vienna: OPEC countries were gathered Thursday to find a way to support the falling price of oil, with analysts predicting the cartel and key ally Russia would agree to cut production by at least 1 million barrels per day. (AP) FGN17 CHINA-US-2NDLD TRADE China to 'immediately' implement US trade truce measures Beijing: China said Thursday it would "immediately" implement measures agreed under a trade war truce with the United States -- and was confident it could reach a deal within 90 days. (AFP) FGN5 CANADA-ARREST-2NDLD HUAWEI Top Huawei executive detained in Canada, angering China Ottawa: A top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Thursday, angering Beijing days into a trade war truce with the US. (AFP) FGN19 IRAN-3RDLD ATTACK Suicide bomber kills two in southeast Iran: Revised toll Tehran: A suicide bomber killed at least two people and wounded many more outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday, according to a revised official toll. (AFP) FGN20 OIL-PRICES-SAUDI REAX Brent oil price sinks under $60 on Saudi comments London: Brent oil prices sank under $60 on Thursday after Saudi Arabia made remarks that were deemed overly cautious by analysts ahead of OPEC's latest output decision. (AFP) PTI CPS Fadnavis pays tributes to Ambekdar; hails Constitution Mumbai, Dec 6 (PTI) The Constitution framed under the chairmanship of Dr B R Ambekdar is a powerful document which has the capacity to make India the greatest country in the world, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Thursday. Fadnavis said his government is committed to establishment of egalitarian society as envisaged by the Dalit icon. The CM was speaking to reporters after paying tributes to the chief Constitution maker at his memorial Chaityabhoomi here on the occasion of his 62nd death anniversary. Fadnavis was accompanied by Governor Vidyasagar Rao and his Cabinet colleagues during his visit to Chaityabhoomi, where Ambekdar was cremated, at Dadar in Central Mumbai. "I salute the great visionary Babasaheb Ambedkar whose Constitution is so powerful that it has potential to make our country the greatest in the world. "We are following the same Constitution. Our government is committed to establishment of egalitarian society that Babasaheb dreamt of where the last man standing in the society is equally resourceful and powerful," he said. On the occasion, Fadnavis distributed various aids to visually impaired students and also visited stalls set up near Chaityabhoomi, which is thronged by lakhs of people ever year on December 6, which is observed as 'Mahaparinirvan Diwas'. Fadnavis also released a special issue of `Lokrajya', a magazine published by the state government. He later visited a photo exhibition at the memorial with Cabinet colleagues Dilip Kamble and Deepak Kesarkar. Earlier in the day, a group of Dalit activists assembled outside the Dadar railway station and reiterated their demand to name the station after the Bharat Ratna awardee. "A few members of Dalit organisations, including women, were seen holding banners demanding the name change. They reiterated their demand peacefully. "They were also holding photos of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and raised slogans before leaving the venue," a senior Central Railway official said. PTI APM RSY RSY Three more held in Gujarat constable exam paper leak Ahmedabad, Dec 6 (PTI) Gujarat police on Tuesday arrested three persons including one of the prime accused in connection with the leak of a constable recruitment examination. As the examination scheduled last Sunday was cancelled, a fresh examination will be held on January 6. The number of persons arrested in the case has now reached 11, a police official said. Those arrested Thursday were identified as Yashpal Solanki, Indravadan Parmar and Rajendra Vaghela. Solanki and Vaghela were to appear for the written examination on Sunday, the official said. It was cancelled hours before after the authorities learnt that the paper had been leaked. Indravadan Parmar and some others hatched the conspiracy to obtain the question paper in advance with the help of a Delhi-based gang, said Gandhinagar Superintendent of Police Mayur Chavda. "Parmar was in contact with this gang which had promised to provide the question paper for money. He and some of his accomplices, who are yet to be arrested, then decided to send some candidates to Delhi to collect the paper," Chavda told reporters. Two days before the examination, around 30 persons, including some candidates, reached Delhi, where the gang provided them the question paper and answers. In return, the gang collected cheques of Rs 5 lakh from each candidate. "Though the gang members asked these candidates not to write down anything and just memorise every question, Solanki managed to write them down on a piece of paper and gave it to Parmar. Parmar passed it to other candidates. He had planned to make money by circulating the question paper," said Chavda. Police have formed several teams to nab the members of this Delhi-based gang, he said. As many as 8.75 lakh candidates were to appear for the examination for 9,700 posts of constable across 2,440 centres. Prior to Thursday's arrests, police had nabbed eight persons including two BJP workers -- Manhar Patel and Mukesh Chaudhary -- in the case. A fresh examination for constable's post would be held on January 6, the state government announced Thursday. PTI PJT PD KRK KRK Coochbehar (WB), Dec 6 (PTI) West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh Thursday accused the Trinamool Congress government of trying to scuttle the voice of the opposition and dared it to stop his party's 'rath yatra' programme in the state. He said the BJP has full faith in the judiciary and has moved court seeking permission for the 'rath yatra' programme scheduled to start from here on Friday. "From our past experiences we knew that we won't be granted permission for the programme. That is why we had approached the state government nearly a month back for police permission. But they kept on delaying the matter and now at the last moment they are denying us the permission," Ghosh said. The BJP moved the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday claiming the West Bengal administration and the police were not responding to its applications for permission to take out three rallies in the state from December 7. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah is scheduled to kickstart the party's 'Save Democracy Rally', comprising three 'rath yatra', in the state. Ghosh said the TMC government do not have the constitutional right to decline the permission for holding a political programme. Every political party has the right to conduct its programme, he said. "Who are they (TMC) to stop us," Ghosh asked, adding, "The intention of the TMC is to create a controversy and an untoward situation, so that they can put blame on us. But we won't fall into their trap." He alleged that in various parts of the state the BJP workers are being threatened by goons associated with the TMC. "They (the TMC) are trying hard to stop our cadres from attending the rath yatra," he alleged. PTI PNT SUN RG NSD NSD Lucknow, Dec 6 (PTI) BJP MP Savitribai Phule resigned from the party on Thursday, saying it is dividing society. The MP from Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, has long been critical of the party's leadership, The Dalit leader said her objective was to get the Constitution implemented in letter and spirit. "I have resigned from the party. But I will continue as a Lok Sabha member till the end of my tenure," she said in Lucknow. She said she will launch an agitation to champion the cause of Dalits from December 23, adding that the country needs a Constitution not a temple. Phule has been attacking the BJP and its governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged indifference to the concerns of Scheduled Castes. She has also accused the BJP of dividing society and often the party over its Hindutva plank. PTI ABN SMI KR SMI MIN MIN New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Union minister Uma Bharti Thursday appealed to Congress president Rahul Gandhi to honour his "Brahmin credentials" by supporting the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhaya. Describing the Congress as "obstructionist" in construction of the temple, Bharti said the party is trying to "disturb" the atmosphere and is playing vote bank politics on the issue. Bharti's remarks came on the 26th anniversary of the Babri mosque's demolition in Ayodhya by Hindutva activists in 1992. "For the sake of his janeu -- a sacred thread wear by Hindus -- and to honour his credentials, Rahul Gandhi should come forward and support the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhaya. He should convey it to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he will support ordinance on this issue," Bharti told reporters here. The Congress has described Gandhi-scion as "janeu-dhari Hindu" (one who wears sacred thread). Similarly, last month a priest at Pushkar in Rajasthan said his gotra is Dattatreya Kaul brahmin. Noting all these developments, Bharti said she is hopeful about him on this issue as for the first time the Congress is telling its chief "janeu-dhari" Hindu and Dattaterya Kaul brahmin. "He undertook a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar. His party is saying he is a Lord Shiv devotee, if it is really so then he should support the construction of the temple," she said. Emphasising that the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhaya is a nationalist work, she urged all political leaders, including Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Communist Party of India (Marxist)General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, to support this noble cause. Bharti, a leading figure of Ram Janmabhoomi movement, has been saying the Ayodhya dispute is of land and not of faith. It has been resolved long back that Ayodhya is the birth place of Lord Ram. Terming Hindus as the "most tolerant" people in the world, Bharti had said any talk of constructing a mosque on the periphery of a Ram temple in Ayodhya could make them "intolerant". PTI DR JTR KJ KJ New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) The Union Cabinet on Thursday gave its ex-post facto approval to the signing of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and the Kanagawa Prefectural Government of Japan in the field of healthcare and wellness. The activities between the two sides will start after the receipt of copy of the signed MoC. The initiatives taken between the two countries will be as per the terms of reference of the MoC signed and will be a continuing process till the MoC remains in operation, an official statement said. The MoC, will enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional systems of medicine. This will be of immense importance to both the countries. There are no additional financial implications involved. The financial resources necessary to conduct research, training courses, conferences or meetings and deputations of experts will be met from the existing allocated budget and existing plan schemes of Ministry of AYUSH. The bilateral relations between India and Japan have a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural ties. Having a background of strong traditional medicine, there is a growing interest towards ayurveda and yoga in Japan, the statement stated. PTI PLB KJ KJ New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday urged party workers in Rajasthan and Telangana to put all their efforts at their respective polling booths to ensure the party's win in both the states. In his audio message to the workers of Rajasthan, Gandhi told them that they have to defeat the BJP by taking people to the polling booths and make the Congress win. "Put all your effort into your booths to defeat the BJP. The people are standing with you...The government that will be formed will be of poor people and of the weaker sections. It will be a government of farmers, small traders, Dalits, adivasis, backwards, and also your government," he said in the message posted on the Congress' official Twitter handle. In his audio message to the party workers in Telangana, Gandhi said the Congress party realised the "dream of Telangana" for the state's people. "That dream of Telangana has been betrayed for the last five years. KCR (Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) ji did not do what he had to. Now your time is coming. Stand at the polling booth and put all your effort to make the Congress win," he said. Voting for the assembly polls in Rajasthan and Telangana will take place on Friday. The results will be declared on December 11. PTI ASK KJ KJ New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Does the CBI Director have such protection that neither the Centre nor the CVC can touch him for his any action during the fixed tenure of two years? This question arose on Thursday in the Supreme Court which was hearing the petitions filed by CBI Director Alok Verma and others challenging the Centre's decision to divest him of all powers and sending him on leave along with Special Director Rakesh Asthana. Both have levelled allegations of corruption against each other. When senior advocates Fali Nariman and Dushyant Dave, appearing for Verma and an NGO, Common Cause respectively, argued that neither the Centre nor the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) had any power to take disciplinary action against the CBI Director, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi asked: "Will that not make CBI Director virtually untouchable? Is that what Parliament intended?" "Does the fixed tenure of CBI Director supersede all rules and makes him untouchable?", asked the bench, also comprising Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph. These questions cropped up while Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CVC, was justifying the action taken against the CBI chief. Though Verma, according to the Centre remains the CBI Director, Additional Solicitor General P S Narasimha appearing for the CBI, submitted that there was no need to go to the Selection Committee before taking disciplinary action against Verma. Nariman and others opposing the Centre's decision took the stand that action against the CBI chief can be taken only by the high-level panel, comprising the Prime Minister, leader of the opposition and the Chief Justice of India, involved in the selection process. The hearing also saw Asthana's counsel and senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi taking the stance that a direction be passed to take the CVC enquiry report against Verma to its logical conclusion. Rohatgi, who was Attorney General before K K Venugopal, told the apex court that Asthana was a whistle-blower in the case, but was painted by the government with the same brush and sought a direction to the Centre that it should take the CVC's preliminary inquiry against Verma to a logical end. "My assumption is that the CVC report is adverse in part to the gentleman (Verma). The Central government should take this report to logiocal end," Rohatgi said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, referred to the legal provisions and said that on these allegations the government could have come to the selection committee and asked the panel to "please transfer Verma". "Please don't give this handle to the Government to suspend or divest of power any CBI authority. This will affect the independence of the CBI and will render the Vineet Narain judgment toothless," Sibal told the bench. He argued that a 'transfer' actually amounts to a public casting of doubt on the CBI Director. "That's why legislature has drawn a ring fence around transfer by introducing the prior approval of the panel." Further, he said CVC's powers of supervision over CBI extend to corruption cases alone and that is the extent of the CVC Act. When Nariman was asked by the Bench "If the situation arises, can the court appoint a CBI Director, he said: "Yes, in its inherent powers, it can." When Sibal concluded his arguments, Dave in a lighter vein, said "Mr Sibal says he won't want to exercise this power when he is the Home Minister". Sibal was quick to respond, "As if I am not already in enough troubles." PTI RKS SJK SA Hyderabad, Dec 6 (PTI) After a high-voltage campaign that witnessed a shrill war of words by contesting parties, Telangana is set for Assembly polls Friday with the Congress-led alliance, the TRS and the BJP locked in a triangular contest. More than 1.50 lakh polling officials, including reserve staff, are in the process of giving final touches Thursday to make the election to the 119-member House a smooth affair. Over 2.80 crore electorate are eligible to exercise their franchise in the state, which has a total of 32,815 polling stations. Campaigning had come to an end at 5 pm Wednesday. Additional DG (Law and Order) Jitender Thursday told PTI that about one lakh police personnel, including 25,000 central security forces and 20,000 from other states, are engaged in poll duties. A senior police official said security was beefed up at bordering areas which were identified as Left Wing Extremist-affected regions. The assembly polls in Telangana were originally scheduled to be held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections next year, but the House was dissolved on September 6 as per a recommendation of the state cabinet. It is to be seen if TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao's gamble to opt for early elections pays off. The Congress has stitched together the 'Prajakutami' (People's Front) along with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) and the Communist Party of India (CPI), to take on the ruling TRS. The TRS, seeking a second term in office, is going alone, as also the BJP. While KCR was without doubt the star campaigner for the TRS, the Congress and the BJP fielded their bigwigs for the campaign. For the Congress, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the party President Rahul Gandhi addressed election rallies and the BJP relied on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party president Amit Shah. Rahul Gandhi also addressed a joint meetings with TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. "We will win 100 seats," Rao repeatedly said during campaign meetings. Rahul Gandhi said Wednesday the Congress-led alliance was confident of winning the elections "hands-down" and claimed that KCR was showing "signs of nervousness and insecurity" in recent campaign meetings he addressed. The BJP, which won five seats in alliance with the TDP in the last elections in 2014, said it ensured that there was a triangular fight in Telangana this time. "Earlier, when the election season began, it was projected by both the Congress and the TRS as if the fight was between them, but it was a propaganda," Telangana BJP spokesperson Krishna Saagar Rao told PTI. "Vigorous campaign by BJP's national and state leaders ensured that it has become a triangular contest where nobody can actually say who is winning and how many seats," Rao said. Meanwhile, state Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said "Polling will start at 7 am and end at 5 pm, while in 13 constituencies which were classified as Left Wing Extremism-affected, polling ends one hour earlier (4 pm)." As many as 446 flying squads were in operation in the state to swing into action if any irregularity was reported and 448 static surveillance teams would also keep a watch on the situation. They would wait in the wings to take action, Kumar said. Besides, 224 video surveillance teams and 133 video-viewing teams were pressed into service. There were 126 assistant expenditure observers and 123 accounting teams. For the first time, the Election Commission is using Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) in Telangana. As many as 1,821 candidates, including a transgender, are in the fray in the elections and the counting of votes would be taken up on December 11. Huge sums of unaccounted cash and illegal liquor and other goods were seized since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on September 27. As per the last count, the total seizures stood at nearly Rs 129 crore, including unaccounted cash and illegal liquor. The entire force of the Telangana Police has been deployed for free, fair and peaceful conduct of elections, a senior police official said. As per the Election Commission notification, 13 of the 119 Assembly segments have been identified as sensitive to Left-wing extremism (LWE). "Special arrangements have been made for Left Wing Extremist areas bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. Combing operations and area domination exercises have been carried out extensively to prevent untoward incidents. State and central security forces have also been deployed and adequate measures taken," the official said. Air ambulance and helicopters are being arranged by the election authorities for any contingency at strategic locations. PTI GDK VVK RS SS AAR Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 6 (PTI) The Congress-led opposition UDF Thursday staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly dissatisfied over the government's assurance to make necessary amendments to a controversial circular, which allegedly gags the media. Demanding a discussion and withdrawal of the circular, the Opposition tore away copies of the order of the home department and walked out. A recent circular issued by the department had put in place a set of guidelines regarding media's interaction with the chief minister, cabinet ministers and celebrities within the Secretariat and in other public places. Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala questioned the motive of the department, which issued the circular on a subject which apparently comes under the Information and Public Relations Department (I&PRD). "This circular is a draconian one. This is against the freedom of the press. The government must hold discussions with the opposition and media associations. How can a state like Kerala regulate the media?" he said. However, Industries Minister E P Jayarajan, who replied to the adjournment motion in the absence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, said the circular had been "misinterpreted" and there were no restrictions on the media. "The Left parties have always fought for press freedom. When media was being attacked by the Sangh Parivar forces, it was the Left parties who were in the forefront to defend the media," he said. The minister pointed out that the Left government was not going to curtail the media freedom and would make necessary amendments in the circular. He said the matter had been brought up by the Opposition as they were facing a dearth of issues to be raised against the state government. Congress MLA K C Joseph, who moved the motion, sought a discussion and said the circular was "unfortunate". He said the chief minister was behind the restrictions on media and it was the present government which had ended the custom of press briefing after the weekly cabinet meetings. "Why is the home secretary issuing a circular and interfering in the functioning of the I&PRD? This order must be withdrawn," Joseph said. The LDF government, however, was not in a mood to allow the discussion without the chief minister in the House and told the opposition that it will consider the motion for discussion later. The dissatisfied opposition leaders then tore the circular and staged a walkout. PTI RRT UD SS SRY New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) The Army has instructed its ground operatives working during disasters to go to the media directly whenever there is need, as such occasions lead to an information vacuum that need to be plugged, Defence Ministry spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand said on Thursday. Speaking at a conference on 'Media and Disaster', Anand said that in recent floods in Kerala the ground operatives were allowed to interact with media without prior permission of the higher ups. In case of a disaster, there is an information vacuum and nobody provides information to the media and the leaked information starts taking round, he said. "There is a need to fill this vacuum. During Kerala Floods, the Army had instructed its ground operatives that they needed no permission to interact with media. "During tragedies now, we have taken this decision that ground operatives may go directly to media whenever it is required," Anand said. The conference hosted by Special Centre for Disaster Management (JNU), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and, Disaster Management Initiatives and Convergence Society (DMICS) was addressed by experts from different fields including media. Training of reporters covering disasters and natural calamities and role of social media in such happenings was emphasised by K G Suresh, director general of Indian Institute of Mass Communication. Citing example of Nepal earthquake where Indian media faced backlash of the locals over its coverage of the tragedy, Suresh underlined significance of respecting sensibilities of the affected people. JNU registrar Pramod Kumar said knowledge and information were saviours during disasters. Media played a crucial role in exchange of information based on the knowledge provided by experts on different aspects of disasters, he said. Senior journalist Laxmi Prasad Pant underscored challenges before journalists by citing the Kedarnath tragedy that struck nine years after he had "predicted" it in 2004 and claimed he faced a police case as well as opposition from different quarters over his report. PTI VIT RCJ New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) A 22-year-old man was arrested for allegedly carrying countrymade pistol, police said Thursday. The accused was identified as Ajay Kumar, a resident of Arjun Park, Najafgarh. On Tuesday at around 6.45 pm, police apprehended the accused after a brief chase during patrolling near Prem Vihar, Najafgarh, a senior police officer said. During checking, one 9 mm countrymade pistol, two live cartridges and one magazine along with one motorcycle were recovered from his possession, police said. PTI NIT ******* 2) New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Two men were arrested for allegedly stealing valuables from government quarters in R K Puram area, police said Thursday. The accused were identified as Suraj (22) and Raja (20). On Tuesday, an incident of house theft was reported from Sonia Gandhi Camp, Sec-7, R K Puram. The burglars decamped with jewellery and cash from the house after breaking the lock, a senior police officer said. On Wednesday at around 10.50 pm, police arrested the accused persons during night patrolling at Kashmiri market, Sec-1, R K Puram, the officer added. Some gold and silver ornaments and Rs 24,000 were recovered from their possession, police said. PTI NIT ******* 3) New Delhi, Dec 6 (PTI) Three men, including a juvenile, were apprehended for allegedly robbing event manager's mobile phone, police said Thursday. The accused were identified as Veeru (21), Sunny (23) and one juvenile. On the intervening night of July 23 and 24 at around 1 am, two men robbed the complainant at knife point near Kalkaji Mandir. During investigation, the mobile was found working in Andhra Pradesh. The user of the mobile stated that he had purchased the phone from a mobile shop at M-Block market, GK-1. Later, the two accused were arrested and one juvenile was apprehended, police said. PTI NIT AMP RCJ RCJ ZOOT BOSCHWITZ, Chariho, Football, Boschwitz rushed for two touchdowns and passed for two others as Chariho lost to Narragansett in the Division III Super Bowl. For the season, Boschwitz threw for 1,174 yards and 13 TDs. He also rushed for eight touchdowns. SAM MONTALTO, Stonington, Boys Soccer, Montalto, scored a pair of goals as Stonington defeated Ellington, 3-1, for the Class M state title. It was the teams second state championship in three years. Montalto finished his career with a school-record 105 goals. He scored a school-record 36 goals this season despite missing three games with an injury. Vote View Results A British businessman at the centre of India's 525m 'Choppergate' corruption scandal has been extradited to the country. Christian James Michel yesterday appeared in a New Delhi court charged with bribery, after being flown in from Dubai. The 57-year-old is accused of paying kickbacks to Indian officials to secure a deal between the government and UK-based Agusta Westland, now known as Leonardo Helicopters. Bulk buy: India ordered 12 luxurious AW101s, or 'VVIP' helicopters for 'very, very important people' Under the 2010 agreement, India ordered 12 luxurious AW101s, or 'VVIP' helicopters for 'very, very important people' from Agusta. Only three were delivered before Indian officials cancelled the deal amid corruption claims and investigators have named Michel as a key middleman. Michel frequently jetted into India and had an extensive network of contacts in the Indian Air Force and Ministry of Defence, the Central Bureau of Investigation said. It believes he could reveal Indian politicians who were involved in the scandal. With elections in India just months away, the probe has also become politically charged. The Agusta deal was struck when the Indian National Congress party held power, and prime minister Narendra Modi's party has used it as a stick to beat his opponents with. Referring to Michel at a political rally, Modi told supporters: 'Who knows what secrets will tumble out once he starts talking?' Another 11 people have also been charged. Michel is understood to deny the charges against him. His lawyer was allowed to briefly meet him yesterday but was unable to secure his release on bail. Indian investigators said that he would be confronted with documents recovered in raids by authorities in Switzerland. Extradited: Christian Michel According to them, Michel was hired by top executives at Leonardo, the Italian parent of Agusta, to help secure the contract in 2006. He made 300 trips to India between 1997 and 2013. Nearly 38m was set aside via UK-registered companies for him to use in bribes, it is claimed. In the years running up to the announcement of the deal, Michel is said to have bribed a string of air force officials, bureaucrats and politicians. The 525m deal was announced in 2010 and was hailed as a breakthrough for British business in India's lucrative programme to beef up its military. However three years later, as former UK prime minister David Cameron arrived in India for a state visit, it had become a source of embarrassment. Investigators claimed Michel had escaped from India and had been 'deliberately evading' them ever since. They secured his arrest in the United Arab Emirates in February 2017. He was extradited on Tuesday. Michel, who has two homes in London, and his lawyers could not be reached for comment last night. Yesterday, the UK Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking information about his circumstances. Glencore has been dragged into another corruption probe after Brazilian authorities accused it of paying bribes to employees at a state-owned oil company. The London-listed company, along with commodity traders Vitol and Trafigura, are alleged to have made the payments to get contracts with Petrobras between 2011 and 2014. More than 12m is said to have been spent by the three companies. It is the latest scandal to hit Glencore this year, while its shares are down nearly 27 per cent. In the spotlight: It is the latest scandal to hit Glencore and boss Ivan Glasenberg this year In July it revealed the US Department of Justice was probing possible corruption and money laundering at its businesses in Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Venezuela, and the UK Serious Fraud Office is also reportedly probing its activities. Yesterday, Brazilian police had arrested 11 people. It is part of Operation Car Wash, one of the worlds biggest corruption investigations which has uncovered billions of dollars of illegal payments to company executives and politicians. 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 The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Gulu district in partnership with the United Nations Human Rights Council and other human rights bodies are preparing to commemorate the 70th Human Rights Day slated for the December 10, in Gulu town. The Day will be marked under the theme, Stand up for Human Rights. Addressing Journalists at Northern Uganda Media Club NUMEC), Nicolas Ogwang, the regional manager Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC)-Gulu, said that celebrating the Day is derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. He said it important to mark the Day as it enables people across the world to know their rights, become actors and work hard to ensure that rights of other people are respected. Geoffrey Okello director NGO Forum also noted that they are taking this period for education and awareness on human rights. The Days celebrations in Uganda will run concurrently with 16 days of gender activism. Stories Continues after ad However, Immaculate Acayo quality assurance program manager at Gulu Women Economic Development & Globalization (GWED G ) said a lot of inequalities exist ranging from gender based violence, discrimination, denial of womens and orphans rights to properties among others. She said it was high time such issues are addressed. She called concerted efforts combat human rights abuses in communities. Chali Olawole Mongadji, from the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner said that the event is important as it strengthens the human rights law. The preparation team is to visit the prisoners at Gulu main prison and dialogue with them on human right matter. In Uganda, the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) is mandated to ensure that peoples rights are protected. Article 52 (1) of the 1995 Constitution lays down the following functions of the Commission: To investigate , at its own initiative or on a complaint made by any person or group of persons against the violation of any human right, visit jails, prisons, and places of detention or related facilities with a view of assessing and inspecting conditions of the inmates and make recommendations, to establish a continuing programme of research, education and information to enhance respect of human rights. Others are to: To recommend to Parliament effective measures to promote human rights including provision of compensation to victims of violations of human rights or their families, create and sustain within society the awareness of the provisions of this constitution as the fundamental law of the people of Uganda, educate and encourage the public to defend this Constitution at all times against all forms of abuse and violation, formulate , implement, and oversee programmes intended to inculcate in the citizens of Uganda awareness of their civic responsibilities and an appreciation of their rights and obligations as free people and monitor the Governments compliance with intentional treaty and convention obligations on human rights. Article 52 (2) also requires the Commission to publish periodical reports and submit annual reports to Parliament on the state of human rights and freedoms in the country. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 10, 1948 General Assembly resolution as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. 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. There was once a thing called nationalism. As defined by Websters, the word connotes allegiance, loyalty, and love for ones country. Its synonym, patriotism, is in the same category. However, things have shifted in the nomenclature of etymology as we are now to assume that the latter is acceptable and the former, a pejorative. As the two political parties of Democrat and Republican have been at odds since forever, now the masks and gloves are off. Political business is booming to the point where having love for ones country and wanting it to succeed economically, socially, and otherwise is up for grabs. Its no longer cool to want the nation, as it was founded, to remain under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Constitution. As with other countries and their constitutions, its an ever sliding rule to accommodate the whims of the people. With ours, the doctrine itself sets the precedent. And its worked so well that other countries; i.e., Ukraine, see the good in it and have made inroads to adopting similar principles. Now Nationalism, rather than allegiance to ones country and tied to patriotism, is something akin to Hitlers national socialism; i.e., Nazism and that a nationalist believes non-Americans are inferior, which is an ignorant and quite foolish belief. While nationalism is often associated with socialism, not all nationalists are Nazis! And now nationalism is on par with another term, White Nationalism, which is nothing more than a ginned up liberals talking point. When the president speaks of MAGA, its assumed that he means to turn the country back to a white-dominated nation, which couldnt be farther from the truth. Our current president has done more for the minority communities in this country than any president in recent memory. And many of the economically challenged are seeing the duplicitous nature of liberal administrations that have let them down year after year, and now they are awakening to the truth. America is the most welcoming nation on the planet. All ethnicities are welcome here. And the current administration is on point to vet incoming migrants so that they may come into the nation legally-not illegally or by any means possible. Where they are not welcome is when they wish to supplant the American Constitution with another form of rule, or to come in with the idea that they will not assimilate and just use the country to earn money and take jobs that would otherwise go to American citizens. Being an American Nationalist is not about tribalism, or a particular sect of people, or supremacy, or where one comes from. What ties us together is not ethnicity; it is the rule of law under the Constitution. It is our paramount allegiance and our secular identity. All men, that is, all people, are created equal. Albany A trio of brick buildings first used by brewers and later by a heating fuel company are being transformed into 75 apartments. The owner of the $13 million project is the Capital District Real Estate Investment Team, which tapped historic tax credits and the city's Industrial Development Agency to pay for construction. The owners worked with 3t Architects to overhaul the space and create the complex, which will be called @HudsonPark. The goal, said CDREIT principal Gilah Moses, was to create a unique "live-work-play" space. To that end, the complex will have a dog-grooming station, a co-wprorking space, a lounge and bicycle storage. The designers let the building dictate how to proceed in the transformation. Exposed brick and structural steel are in evidence throughout the complex. The smallest apartments are 285 square feet. Some are on two floors, with a spiral, steel staircase connecting the two levels. Other small studios have Murphy beds, so the living space can do double duty as a bedroom. The rent on the smaller units will be around $900. Bigger apartments, up to 938 square feet, will go for $1,500 per month. A few of the bigger ones were created out of truck bays, where the doors will be replaced with a wall of windows (with mechanical shades for privacy). The complex has three courtyards, each with heated floors and drains to manage snow. Some of the units will have a washer/dryer, all have stainless steel appliances, tile backsplashes and tile flooring. There will be about 50 off-street parking spaces. The buildings were originally part of two breweries, according to Craig Gravina, a local expert of the history of brewing in Albany. The brick building along Myrtle Avenue, with distinctive star-shaped anchor plates, was built in 1880 when Hinckel Brewing Company expanded its Park Avenue operation, first established in the 1850s (now also apartments). The Dobler brewery also operated on the site. Long Energy, a heating fuel company, was the most recent owner of the space. Extensive testing was done to ensure the soil was not contaminated, Moses said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan praised the project. "Projects like the apartments at 160 Myrtle Avenue are precisely what we had in mind when drafting ReZone Albany," she said. "Transforming this property into residential units will be a great addition to the Hudson/Park Neighborhood, and I look forward to seeing the finished product and further revitalization in our city resulting from this initiative and the visionary developers who utilize it." Albany-based Sunrise Management & Consulting will handle marketing and leasing. The company is accepting applications now and expects to see the first tenants in March while work continues on other parts of the complex. Internal Facebook documents released by a U.K. parliamentary committee offer the clearest evidence yet that the social network has used its enormous trove of user data as a competitive weapon, often in ways designed to keep its users in the dark. The Parliament's media committee accused Facebook on Wednesday of cutting special deals with some app developers to give them more access to data, while icing out others that it viewed as potential rivals. In other documents, company executives discussed ways to obfuscate how the company was collecting and exploiting user data. The committee released more than 200 pages of documents on the tech giant's internal discussions about the value of users' personal information. While they mostly cover the period between 2012 and 2015 the first three years after Facebook went public they offer a rare glimpse into the company's inner workings and the extent to which it used people's data to make money while publicly vowing to protect their privacy. Facebook said the documents are misleading and that the information they contain is "only part of the story." "Like any business, we had many internal conversations about the various ways we could build a sustainable business model for our platform," the company said in a statement. "But the facts are clear: We've never sold people's data." In a Facebook post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg sought to put the documents in context. "Of course, we don't let everyone develop on our platform," he wrote. "We blocked a lot of sketchy apps. We also didn't allow developers to use our platform to replicate our functionality or grow their services virally in a way that creates little value for people on Facebook." The U.K. committee seized the documents from app developer Six4Three, maker of a now-defunct bikini-picture search app. Six4Three acquired the files as part of a U.S. lawsuit that accuses Facebook of deceptive, anti-competitive business practices. The documents remain under court seal in the U.S. In a summary of key issues pertaining to the documents, the committee said Facebook "whitelisted," or made exceptions for, companies such as Airbnb and Netflix, giving them continued access to users' "friends" even after the tech giant announced changes in 2015 to end the practice. "Facebook have clearly entered into whitelisting agreements with certain companies, which meant that after the platform changes in 2014/15 they maintained full access to friends data," the committee said in a statement. "It is not clear that there was any user consent for this, nor how Facebook decided which companies should be whitelisted or not." The documents "raise important questions about how Facebook treats users' data, their policies for working with app developers, and how they exercise their dominant position in the social media market," said committee chair Damian Collins. "We don't feel we have had straight answers from Facebook on these important issues, which is why we are releasing the documents." The cache includes emails from Zuckerberg and other key members of his staff. The emails show Zuckerberg and other executives scheming to leverage user data to favor companies not considered to be threats and to identify potential acquisitions. Collins said the emails raise important issues, particularly around the use of the data of Facebook users. "The idea of linking access to friends' data to the financial value of the developers' relationship with Facebook is a recurring feature of the documents," Collins said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The committee's summary said the company used surveys of what mobile app customers were using to decide which companies to acquire. It also said Facebook knew that an update to its Android mobile app phone system which enabled the Facebook app to collect user call logs would be controversial. "To mitigate any bad PR, Facebook planned to make it as hard as possible for users to know that this was one of the underlying features of the upgrade of their app," the summary said. Facebook executives clearly understand the material is valuable. An unsigned memo setting policy for a system upgrade known as "Platform 3.0" rejected anyone who could be construed as a competitor. "There are a small number of developers whom no amount of sharing to FB or monetary value can justify giving them access to Platform," the memo said. "These developers do not want to participate in the ecosystem we have created, but rather build their own ecosystem at the expense of our users, other developers and, of course, us. That is something that we will not allow." The documents also suggest Facebook would jealously safeguard its interests. In a January 2013 email exchange, Zuckerberg signed off on cutting access to Twitter's Vine video-producing app, which had allowed users to find friends via Facebook. "Unless anyone raises objections," Facebook Vice President Justin Osofsky wrote, the company would cut Vine's access to users' friend networks. "We're prepared reactive PR." "Yup, go for it," Zuckerberg replied. Malta A federal court failed to advance Timothy Rizzo's claim that his 2012 exposure to dangerous chemicals in a Saratoga County computer chip factory led to a rare autoimmune disease. Rizzo, an engineer from Johnstown, has said his exposure comes from when he was working for a contractor at GlobalFoundries' Fab 8 in Malta, installing chip manufacturing equipment in a chemical metal plating room. He said he was exposed to toxic chemicals from one of the machines made by Applied Materials. Rizzo has said he suffers from granulomatosis with polyangiitis, which causes inflammation and constriction of blood vessels and can reduce the amount of blood flow and oxygen to organs. He says his exposure in the chemical plating room occurred on Aug. 2, 2012. Rizzo sued GlobalFoundries and Applied Materials in 2015 in U.S. District Court in Albany but so far he has been unsuccessful in getting a trial. On Nov. 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a September 2017 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Mae D'Agostino of Albany to dismiss the case in favor of GlobalFoundries and Applied Materials. Attorneys for the two companies argued in U.S. District Court that there is no definitive cause of granulomatosis with polyangiitis. They also successfully got testimony from Rizzo's medical experts excluded. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "We affirm for substantially the reasons given by the district court in its thorough and well-reasoned Sept. 11, 2017 decision," the appeals court wrote in its Nov. 27 decision. Reached by phone, Rizzo declined to comment on the Nov. 27 Second Circuit decision as he decides what to do next . Neither GlobalFoundries or Applied Materials responded to requests for comment. Rizzo has represented himself in his appeal and made oral arguments of his case in front of three federal judges at the Thurgood Marshall federal courthouse in Manhattan on Nov. 7. Amanda Rice, an attorney with Jones Day, argued during the Nov. 7 oral arguments on behalf of GlobalFoundries and Applied Materials. I love Christmas stories. I love the warmth and love and the sadness (there's always a little bit of sadness) and ultimately, the happy ending. Usually, there is merriment and drink and food in a Christmas story. What's not to like? In this Christmas story, there is all of those things but especially the love, drink and food. This story starts with a scene, a sweet and quiet picture, of a mother and her grown daughter, quietly talking in a small room. They sip wine and speak of things that aren't terribly important, of the weather, a favorite radio or television show. A holiday flier has arrived in the newspaper and that is of particular interest. The daughter in the scene is me. The small and quiet room is the nursing home where my mother lives, not far from my house. We sit together often in that room, and though nursing homes can be sad and lonely places, my mother's room is a refuge, a place of peacefulness and often, joy. It isn't that there is anything particularly fancy or great about her room; there is not. There is a bed, bookshelves, a small TV. She has a beloved radio on which she can listen to the opera on Saturday afternoon. During the holiday season, there is a string of lights, a small blinking tree. I'll bring her a poinsettia. No, it's not any of these things that make her room special. That only comes from my mother herself. "You've come," she says when I arrive in the sanctuary of her room. After a long day, a day of work and driving, traffic, groceries, teenagers, the outside world is suddenly, blessedly, very far away. The time we have together is short but always so sweet. And when it's time for me to go, she thanks me for coming and says, "Much love." I love that she says that. I always bring something with me when I visit. There are fresh flowers, which bring color and light to her dark space. I bring candies for her jar and colorful magazines. She is a great lover of books and I bring biographies, mysteries, travel books, anything that will engage and transport her from her little world, even if only for awhile. No matter what else I bring when I visit my mom, the most important thing, what she most looks forward to, is the small glass of wine I pour when I get there. I keep two plastic wine glasses for our visits and I haul whatever I have open: Chianti, rose, chardonnay. She has a way of acting like whatever wine I've poured into that plastic glass is the best, the finest wine there is. With one hand on her chest, she closes her eyes and savors the first sip. That first taste, the one she's been waiting for, is always the best one. My mother landed in a nursing home in the way that many do. She fell, she broke her femur, and dementia and other issues made it impossible for her to return home and care for herself. That she is in a place where she is well cared for and safe is a relief beyond words. And so we are able to spend time together, more time than we have since I was a young child. Sometimes we go out to the drugstore, the library, clothes shopping. Most often, I sit in her room on a small ladder-backed chair the same one I sat on as a child and we talk. She and I have done some cooking together lately, and I wonder why I hadn't thought to do that before. A few weeks ago, we made cookies. They were big and chewy, studded with chocolate and nuts. We each ate three of them, washed down with a glass of red wine, and when I worried about eating too much, she waved her hand. "One must never count calories when eating cookies before Christmas, my darling," she wisely said and really, it's true. When I felt like cooking up some festive holiday food, I asked her to come help. We made food with a theme: rich, boozy and spiced. First was a beef stew. This is the kind of food I cook to make my family happy when there has been weeks of salads, whole grains and plates piled high with vegetables for dinner. It's for a time when a little red meat is in order. This stew is different; it has a cinnamon stick, clove, paprika and cayenne just enough to add some warmth. There's plenty of garlic and shallot and a few glugs of red wine for flavor and kick. It's good enough for guests, can be made days in advance, and is also just fine for a weeknight dinner. It makes people happy on any day. Doesn't that sound like the right kind of cooking to do in December? The fig cake is a party cake, too. It's got a healthy dose of rum (use bourbon or orange liqueur if you like) and plenty of spice. On its own, small squares would be lovely with a cup of tea. With a douse of the rich, boozy cognac sauce, it's elevated to a decadent dessert. When my mother and I were making the sauce and tasting it, I wondered if we should add more cognac. "More cognac would really make it shine," she said. We wanted shiny. I added another glug of cognac. Go ahead and add all the booze to the sauce; it's shiny indeed. In this season of giving, I've been thinking about the things I give her, all the stuff I carry in at each visit. Those things are not the best gifts given between us. The best gifts are what she gives to me: the kind and wise and downright loving things she says. It's also how she welcomes me into her room, her world, her heart. In this story, the happy ending is found right where it started, with a mother and daughter tucked into a small room in a nursing home, two plastic glasses filled with wine and a string of twinkly lights lighting the scene. Caroline Barrett is a freelance writer who lives in Delmar. Reach her at cvbarrett@verizon.ne-t. BOOZY BEEF STEW WITH WARM SPICES Serves 6 3 pounds stew meat Kosher salt Black pepper Olive oil 5 medium shallots, peeled and cut into long strips 4 garlic cloves 1 bay leaf 1 3-inch cinnamon stick teaspoon smoked paprika teaspoon clove teaspoon cayenne 2 cups red wine 4 cups beef broth 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes 3 large carrots, peeled and cut on the bias 1 cup petite peas Microgreens, for serving Plain Greek yogurt, for serving Crusty bread, for serving Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Season the beef liberally with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear in a large dutch oven set over medium heat. Cook until browned on all sides, then remove to a plate and set aside, repeating until all the meat is browned. Add a swirl of olive oil to the pot and cook the shallots, stirring and scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pot, until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two, turning the heat down if it starts to brown quickly. Stir in the spices, adding more olive oil if the mixture is dry, and cook until very fragrant, about one minute. Pour in the wine, broth and tomatoes and add the beef back in. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add the carrots and peas and cook for another 15 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls, garnished with the greens, yogurt and bread. BOOZY FIG CAKE WITH COGNAC SAUCE Makes one 8-by-8-inch cake 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ginger teaspoon each white pepper, nutmeg and clove 1 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 7-ounce bag dried mission figs, stems trimmed and quartered 2 tablespoons molasses cup olive oil cup dark rum 1/3 cup strong black coffee 2 eggs cup unsweetened applesauce Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 glass baking dish. Whisk together the four, baking powder, salt, spices and sugar in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the figs, molasses, olive oil, rum and coffee in a blender and blend to a chunky puree. Scrape out into the flour mixture, add the eggs and applesauce and mix well. Pour into the prepared pan, smooth over the top, and bake for 30 minutes. Serve small squares at room temperature with the Vanilla Cognac Sauce. VANILLA COGNAC SAUCE 1 pint heavy cream 1 cup brown sugar 1 stick unsalted butter 1 tablespoon vanilla cup cognac teaspoon salt Heat the cream in a heavy-bottomed pan until simmering. Stir in the brown sugar and whisk until it's completely dissolved. Add the butter and when it's melted, whisk in the vanilla and cognac. Continue to simmer for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Turn off the heat, season with salt and serve warm. Albany If you want to know why Albany so often seems stuck in the mud, travel with me to New Scotland Avenue and Ramsey Place. It is here that Judy Doesschate, a Common Council member who lives on a corner of the intersection, is trying to stop a medical tattoo business from opening across the street from her home. The effort is NIMBYism at its worst. The business, Colour Cosmetic Studio, is owned by Kathleen Cronin, who wants to move it from Guilderland to her hometown. The building she would occupy, at 372 New Scotland Ave., has been used as office space for decades, most recently by a chiropractor. The city OK'd the business, and Cronin, who paid about $215,000 to buy and renovate the property, assumed she was set to go. Then, Doesschate took her opposition to the Board of Zoning Appeals, where she has filed more than 100 pages outlining a case that's backed by the Helderberg Neighborhood. An attorney, Doesschate argues that medical tattooing is not a legal use of the property and that Cronin's business belongs in a commercial district rather than a residential neighborhood. For those who are unfamiliar with the neighborhood, some geography: New Scotland Avenue is a busy thoroughfare, a pleasant mix of schools, churches, homes and businesses. Near Ramsey Place is a business strip that includes The Fountain and Capital City Gastropub, among other restaurants. Head east and you'll eventually get to Albany Medical Center; travel west and you'll soon hit the busy area around St. Peter's Hospital. From Cronin's point of view, her newly purchased property is not only an appropriate place for her business, but an entirely logical one. "Albany is a place that I love," Cronin told me Wednesday. "To me, bringing my business to Albany was a move made out of love for the neighborhood where I grew up and my wanting to be between the two hospitals." Doesschate's effort seems to have been helped by a mistaken belief that Cronin intends to operate a tattoo parlor horror of horrors! but that's not at all what the registered nurse intends to do. Instead, Cronin typically uses "paramedical micropigmentation services" to restore what medical conditions or surgery have taken away. For example, for a woman who has had a mastectomy, Cronin might restore the appearance of areolas and nipples. For a woman who has lost hair from chemotherapy, she might restore the appearance of eyebrows. Cronin has an eight-week backlog of clients, she says. Cronin launched the business after watching her mother and a best friend die from cancer, and I could fill the rest of this column with tearful testimony from clients grateful for the way her work has improved their lives. But the case for allowing her business is as much economic as it is emotional. Here we have a woman who wants to move her business into the city from a suburb and yet is being blocked. Unfortunately, that's hardly unusual in Albany, which has a well-developed reputation for being unwelcoming to businesses and resistant to even the smallest of changes. I don't live in Albany, and so it is admittedly awkward, as an outsider, to take a side in a neighborhood issue. But irrational NIMBYism Not In My Backyard! is not just detrimental to the city. It's bad for the entire region, given how important vibrant cities are to its overall health. Maybe it's a sign of progress that the planning department approved Cronin's relocation, but you'll understand if she's nevertheless frustrated. "It's a nightmare," said the 59-year-old, who has hired a lawyer to combat the appeal. "This is wiping me out. All the money I set aside to do pro bono work is gone." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. I spent about 40 minutes on Wednesday talking with Doesschate, who was eager to press her case. She argued that while Cronin has made a compelling "pitch" for the work she does, the essence of her business is not fundamentally different than a tattoo or beauty parlor, which makes it unlike a chiropractor's office under city zoning. Doesschate, who may sue to stop Cronin's business if the BZA rules against her, went on to decry the creeping commercialization of New Scotland and to outline technicalities that, in her view, should have prevented the city from approving Cronin's business. At the end of our conversation, Doesschate asked if she had convinced me. I told her she hadn't. Doesschate may believe she's fighting a good war against creeping commercialization, but in this case has picked the wrong battle. Cronin's business is relatively consistent with how the location has long been used, will do no harm to neighbors and performs a necessary social good. It's a business Albany should welcome, not rebuff. But what do I know? I live in Menands. More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill Montgomery County man John Sapienza would never have taken off to start a new life and leave all his possessions behind. That's what his daughter believes. State Police also believe the circumstances of the St. Johnsville man's disappearance he was last seen on Feb. 24, 1997 in the small Mohawk River village are suspicious. The police are trying to revive interest in the case as part of their weekly spotlight on cold cases. More for you What to do when a loved one goes missing A friend reported Sapienza, then 62, missing on Feb. 27 after getting a phone call from Sapienza's wife that his car was found abandoned in a grocery store parking lot in New Hartford, several miles west in Oneida County. A manager confirmed the van had been there for about four weeks. Before Sapienza's disappearance, he had separated from his wife. He planned to travel cross country to visit his daughter in California. He never arrived there, and has not been heard from again, police said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Sapienza is described as 5-foot-8 and 135 pounds at the time. He had gray hair, brown eyes and may have a mustache. Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Troop D headquarters at 315-366-6000. NEW YORK The general counsel for a Syracuse development company was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison Thursday and fined $500,000 for his role in the "Buffalo Billion" bid-rigging scandal and lying to federal agents. U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni imposed the punishment on Joseph Gerardi, 59, of COR Development as part of a flurry of sentencings in the wide-ranging corruption scandal. On Tuesday, SUNY Polytechnic Institute founder Alain Kaloyeros convicted last summer alongside Gerardi will learn his fate. Federal prosecutors for U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman asked the judge to impose a "substantial prison sentence" for Gerardi, but one below sentencing guidelines that called for a range of imprisonment between five years and 10 months to seven years and four months in prison. Gerardi's attorneys had asked for for a term of probation with home confinement. He will remain free on bail for the time being as his lawyers prepare to argue that he should remain free pending appeal. A jury in July convicted Gerardi and Kaloyeros as well as COR president Steven Aiello and Buffalo developer Louis Ciminelli on all counts of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy. Gerardi who in addition to his prison sentence will serve two years of supervised release was also convicted of lying to federal investigators. On Monday, Caproni sentenced Ciminelli to two years and four months in prison and a $500,000 fine. He will remain free pending appeal. Prosecutors said the men rigged the bids on $855 million in contracts that were part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "Buffalo Billion" initiative, intended to improve the economies of Syracuse and Buffalo. The contracts were for a "preferred developer" in each city to build nonspecific future SUNY Poly-related projects. The bids, given out by Fort Schuyler Management Corp., the development arm of SUNY Poly, were supposed to be awarded in a fair process. Federal prosecutors said the defendants "cooked" the bidding process and steered bids to COR and Ciminelli's company, LPCiminelli. The jury concluded Kaloyeros allowed the executives at COR and LPCiminelli to have sneak previews of requests for proposals (RFPs) in September 2013, a month before Fort Schuyler officially put the projects out to attract bids. Gerardi was able to edit and dictate language to be put into the Syracuse RFP though even he expressed concern that one element of the tailoring was "too telegraphed," testimony showed. In a sentencing recommendation, Gerardi's lawyers told the judge "every single act Joe took with respect to the Syracuse RFP" was directed by now-disgraced consultant Todd Howe, who was working for both SUNY Poly and COR. The defense recommendation referred to Howe as a "master manipulator who directed that ethical corners be cut. ... Joe was operating way out of his league and is paying the price for picking a crooked guide." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Howe, who pleaded guilty to eight felonies in September 2016, became the prosecution's star witness against Joseph Percoco, a former top aide to Cuomo. Percoco was convicted of receiving $35,000 in bribes from Aiello and Gerardi in return for official state action. Howe was arrested in the middle of that trial after cross-examination revealed he had bilked his credit card company for a night's stay at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel after he had signed an agreement that required him to stop committing crimes. Howe is also awaiting sentencing. "Joe did not propose or initiate RFP-related actions. He followed the instructions of Mr. Howe, an experienced and well-credentialed government relations expert who came highly recommended," the defense memo stated. "At the time, Mr. Howe had not yet revealed himself to be the criminal we know today." Federal prosecutors told the judge that Kaloyeros "was more proactive than his co-defendants in perpetrating the fraud." They also suggested Gerardi was more culpable than Aiello because Gerardi "took on a greater role directing the RFP fraud, including editing the RFP by hand." "The scope and impact of this fraud was enormous," prosecutors stated. "It went to the control over and fair use of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, and adversely impacted not only Fort Schuyler's disposition of that money but also the public's faith in the fair and just administration of vast sums of taxpayer dollars and public investment in economic development." The prosecutors asked the judge to consider Gerardi's conduct in the Percoco case as well, even though he was acquitted of all charges in that trial. Aiello, however, was convicted in the Percoco trial of conspiring to commit honest services fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday. Albany Teachers at All Saints Academy, a Catholic grade school near the Harriman campus, were marching in place and counting out loud in unison as part of a training session on how to improve their basic math lessons. One of the participants, though, was filming the exercise with a camera. In the next few days, Emanuel Humphrey will be back in his native Uganda relaying the training to teachers in the network of small rural schools hes responsible for. The kind of participatory exercises that are common in U.S. schools are still a novel idea to Ugandan educators who teach in the old British Colonial style where, as Humphrey described it the students are supposed to sit and listen and look at the blackboard. There are lots of other differences. While teachers in New York may get 25 or 30 kids in a class, Ugandan classrooms can easily contain 70 or more students, due to the lack of resources, along with that impoverished East African nations high birthrate. Here, every child has a seat, marveled Magoma Henry Stephenson. In Ugandan classrooms students without chairs which is most of them simply sit on the floor. Stephenson, a retired administrator, and Humphrey are among the four Ugandan educators who have been touring Capital Region schools for the past two weeks as part of an ongoing exchange program run by The Giving Circle, a Saratoga Springs-based charity that has launched a number of African initiatives over the past few years, including the building of rural schools where none had existed. Theyve also visited Albanys Giffen elementary school as well as schools in Guilderland, Queensbury, Cambridge and will go to Shenendehowa as well. On Wednesday, the Ugandans visited Rita Floess' third-grade class at Giffen where they watched the students solve relatively complex math problems by breaking up into teams and pretending they were issuing postage stamps. "The kids designed their own stamps and determined the values," said Floess. "They were really impressed with how our kids do math," said Floess. "In Uganda their instruction is more 'stand and deliver.' " The young students, who were almost all African-American, were also fascinated to meet people from Uganda, a country they had studied during a geography lesson earlier in the year. The exchange is one of a number of projects operated by The Giving Circle, which was started by current Executive Director Mark Bertrand in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Since then, the groups outreach has expanded with building up Ugandan schools as one of the focuses. Its a challenge, given the poverty and remoteness of the communities that they work in including Jinja and Kagoma Gate. The latter is exceptionally poor, since many of the residents descended from Congolese or Sudanese refugees who work in the local sugar fields. There was no school, said Ann Fantauzzi, a retired teacher and the charitys vice president of operations who has traveled to Uganda a number of times. Theyve set up programs that give students two meals a day in school, which is more than they would get at home or working in the fields, and consequently keeps them in class. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Volunteers have also funded and helped put in clean water sources, an orphanage and health clinic. More for you Saratoga Springs charity hosts fundraiser for Ugandan chess program In one of the schools, sign language is taught from an early age which has served to educate and integrate the countrys substantial population of deaf youngsters who have lost their hearing due to malaria. Early on during their visits, Giving Circle volunteers realized that the Ugandans want better schools for their kids. One of the things that sort of became apparent over the years is that there is a great desire by the Ugandans to improve their education system, said Carl Korn, the chief press officer at New York State United Teachers who volunteers with The Giving Circle. This winter, a group of Capital Region teachers who are also involved in The Giving Circle will head to Uganda as part of the exchange program, he noted. For now, though, the U.S. visit has been a non-stop learning experience for the Ugandans, who have been exposed to any number of conveniences that U.S. residents take for granted, such as ample WiFi coverage, washing machines, clean water, a vast variety of supermarket foods and Interstate highways. There have also been some adjustments to traveling from an a near-tropical country to upstate New York in December. Ive never felt this kind of temperature, Humphrey said with a smile. We dont have this business of snow, ice, whatever. rkarlin@timesunion.com 518 454 5758 @RickKarlinTU SARATOGA SPRINGS Universal Preservation Hall needs another $300,000 to top off its $5.5 million campaign and complete restoration of the future arts venue by the spring of 2020. Speaking on the stone steps of the historic building on Washington Avenue, Campaign Director Teddy Foster said construction has finally begun on the crumbling Methodist church hall. But to transform it into a "remarkable gathering space for the Capital Region and beyond," UPH is asking for a bit more cash. "We were tasked to raise $5.5 million," Foster said. "We are now inviting the public to help us wrap that up because we are almost there. With the public's help, we will be going full force when we open in 2020." Foster said the centerpiece of the UPH's restoration, which totaled $9.4 million, will be its 700-seat flexible performance space on the second floor's Great Hall. The brick structure with its Tiffany-inspired stained glass windows and vaulted ceiling, will also have a large community room and a modern glass atrium that will serve as its accessible entry. In addition to music, theater and dance, Foster said she expects the space to be used for children's performing arts, fundraisers, lectures, films, weddings, conferences and other events. She credits much of UPH's ability to begin construction to Proctors, which has partnered with UPH since 2015 and has galvanized donors and generated grants. Proctors CEO Phillip Morris said he was happy to join in the effort because he sees UPH becoming a place that the "Capital Region will come." Foster also thanked the state's Empire State Development, which granted UPH an $800,000 performance-based capital grant and $750,000 through its Restore New York Communities Initiative. "This is a really cool building," said Empire State Development Deputy Regional Director Arnie Will. "When we walk through this building and see its potential, it was not hard to be strong supporters of it. We look forward to coming back here when they cut the ribbon." To help launch the final fundraising push, Saratoga County's Prosperity Partnership's President Marty Vanags rebated half of UPH's fee to the county Industrial Development Agency, totaling $26,250. He also noted that arts has generated $80 million in Saratoga County. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. "Culture and arts are so important to economic development," Vanags said. Bonacio Construction is restoring the building, which will also enjoy updated electric, heating and cooling systems as well as state-of-the-art acoustical treatments. Sonny Bonacio, president of the construction company, said he's doing it at cost because he grew up in the neighborhood and knows it will be "an amazing addition to the community." Foster was also joined at the fundraising launch by the city's Mayor Meg Kelly, city Commissioners Michele Madigan and Peter Martin, Supervisor Matthew Veitch and Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner (D-Round Lake). Foster told he crowd that UPH will be "spectacular." "We are keeping our promise to Saratoga today," Foster said. "We are making good on a promise we made in 2003. That's when we became a nonprofit and we said we going to bring a year-round cultural center to downtown Saratoga Springs. I know it is taking a little bit of time, but good things come to those who wait." SARATOGA SPRINGS The 10 members of the Citizen's Advisory Board, meant to consult with the police department without having authority over it, have been named. They are: Padraig H.S. Bond Activist and senior at Saratoga Springs High School Charles Brown Community activist John E. Carter, Jr. Attorney and chair of the Governor's Juvenile Justice Advisory Group Maggie Fronk executive director of Wellspring Catherine Hamilton Co-owner of Putnam Market Kendall Hicks Retired army veteran, exalted ruler of Frederick Allen Elks Lodge Joy King Community activist Chad Radock Community organizer and founder of Local Progress NY William Stanley Provider of services to individuals with disabilities and long-time member of the Frederick Allen Lodge Dr. Nedra R. Stimpfle Educator, community volunteer and founding member of the Mayor's Senior Advisory Committee Public Safety Commissioner Peter Martin said he and his deputy John Daley will attend the public meetings that will take place quarterly. Police Chief Gregory Veitch is also expected to be there, when he can, Martin said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The board, which met for the first time in November, was formed after Veitch came under fire after a Times Union investigation last summer revealed that Veitch admitted in court papers that the city police department did not launch an internal investigation into the death of 21-year-old Darryl Mount. The young man died after he was severely injured after city police pursued him on Aug. 31, 2013. After a public outcry, Martin formed the committee, he said, "to facilitate conversation between the community and our police department on policy and operation matters." Washington The nation bid goodbye to George H.W. Bush with high praise, cannon salutes and gentle humor Wednesday, celebrating the life of the Texan who embraced a lifetime of service in Washington and was the last president to fight for the U.S. in wartime. Three former presidents looked on at Washington National Cathedral as a fourth George W. Bush eulogized his dad as "the brightest of a thousand points of light." After three days of remembrance in the capital city, the Air Force plane with Bush's casket left for a final service in Houston and burial Thursday at his family plot on the presidential library grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station. His final resting place is alongside Barbara Bush, his wife of 73 years, and Robin Bush, the daughter who died of leukemia at age 3. His plane, which often serves as Air Force One, arrived at Ellington Field outside Houston in late afternoon. As a motorcade subsequently carried Bush's remains to the family church, St. Martin's Episcopal, along a closed interstate, hundreds of people in stopped cars on the other side of the road took pictures and shot cellphone video. One driver of a tanker truck climbed atop the hulking vehicle for a better view, and at least 15 firefighters scaled a pair of stopped firetrucks to salute. Upon its arrival at the church, Bush's casket was met by a military band and Houston Democratic Mayor Sylvester Turner. The national funeral service at the cathedral was a tribute to a president, a patriarch and a faded political era that prized military service and public responsibility. It was laced with indirect comparisons to President Donald Trump but was not consumed by them, as speakers focused on Bush's public life and character with plenty of cracks about his goofy side, too. Trump sat with his wife, a trio of ex-presidents and their wives, several of the group sharp critics of his presidency and one of them, Hillary Clinton, his 2016 Democratic foe. Apart from courteous nods and some handshakes, there was little interaction between Trump and the others. George W. Bush broke down briefly at the end of his eulogy while invoking the daughter his parents lost in 1953 and his mother, who died in April. He said he took comfort in knowing "Dad is hugging Robin and holding Mom's hand again." The family occupied the White House for a dozen years the 41st president defeated after one term, the 43rd serving two. Jeb Bush stepped up to try to extend that run but fell short when Trump won the 2016 Republican primaries. The elder Bush was "the last great soldier-statesman," historian Jon Meacham said in his eulogy, "our shield" in dangerous times. But he took a lighter tone, too, noting that Bush, campaigning in a crowd in a department store, once shook hands with a mannequin. Rather than flushing in embarrassment, he simply quipped, "Never know. Gotta ask." Meacham recounted how comedian Dana Carvey once said the key to doing an impersonation of Bush was "Mr. Rogers trying to be John Wayne." None of that would be a surprise to Bush. Meacham had read his eulogy to him, said Bush spokesman Jim McGrath, and Bush responded to it with the crack: "That's a lot about me, Jon." The congregation at the cathedral, filled with foreign leaders and diplomats, Americans of high office and others touched by Bush's life, rose for the arrival of the casket, accompanied by clergy of faiths from around the world. In their row together, Trump and former Presidents Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton stood with their spouses and all placed their hands over their hearts. Alan Simpson, former Republican senator from Wyoming, regaled the congregation with stories from his years as Bush's friend in Washington. More seriously, he recalled that when he went through a rough patch in the political game, Bush conspicuously stood by him against the advice of aides. "You would have wanted him on your side," he said. Simpson said Bush "loved a good joke the richer the better. And he threw his head back and gave that great laugh, but he never, ever could remember a punchline. And I mean never." George W. Bush turned the humor back on the acerbic ex-senator, saying of the late president: "He placed great value on a good joke, so he chose Simpson to speak." Meacham praised Bush's call to volunteerism, placing his "1,000 points of light" alongside Abraham Lincoln's call to honor "the better angels of our nature" in the American rhetorical canon. Meacham called those lines "companion verses in America's national hymn." Trump had mocked "1,000 points of light" last summer at a rally, saying "What the hell is that? Has anyone ever figured that one out? And it was put out by a Republican, wasn't it?" Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney praised Bush as a strong world leader who helped oversee the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union and helped bring about the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, signed into law by his successor, Clinton. Earlier in the day, a military band played "Hail to the Chief" as Bush's casket was carried down the steps of the U.S. Capitol, where he had lain in state. Family members looked on as servicemen fired off a cannon salute. His hearse was then driven in a motorcade to the cathedral ceremony, slowing in front of the White House. For much of the way, the route was lined with people bundled in winter hats and taking photos. Waiting inside, Trump shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, who greeted him by saying "Good morning." Trump did not shake hands with Bill and Hillary Clinton, who looked straight ahead. Bill Clinton and Michelle Obama smiled and chatted as music played. Carter was seated silently next to Hillary Clinton in the cavernous cathedral. Obama cracked up laughing at someone's quip. Vice President Mike Pence shook Carter's hand. Trump tweeted Wednesday that the day marked "a celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life." Bush's death makes Carter, also 94 but more than 100 days younger, the oldest living ex-president. Following the cathedral service, the hearse and its long motorcade drove to the National Mall to pass by the World War II Memorial, a nod to the late president's service as a World War II Navy pilot, then transferred his remains at Joint Base Andrews for the flight home to Texas with members of his family. Bush is set to lie in repose at St. Martin's Episcopal Church before boarding a special funeral train to be carried to his burial on Thursday. On Tuesday, soldiers, citizens in wheelchairs and long lines of others on foot wound through the Capitol Rotunda to view Bush's casket and honor a president whose legacy included a landmark law affirming the rights of the disabled. Former Sen. Bob Dole, a compatriot in war, peace and political struggle, steadied himself out of his wheelchair and saluted his old friend and one-time rival. Trump ordered the federal government closed Wednesday for a national day of mourning. Flags on public buildings are flying at half-staff for 30 days. [December 06, 2018] Consumers in Singapore want brands to stand up for local causes 86% believe brands should get involved in the issues that matter to them Health and well-being and poverty the most important social issues 53% are more likely to buy a brand more aligned with their views SINGAPORE, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in Asia favour brands that engage in social issues -- provided these are the causes that matter to them personally. According to Purpose in Asia, a new report from Kantar, 90% of consumers in the region and 86% in Singapore want brands to get involved in the issues they care about, meaning that an authentic brand purpose is now an expectation as opposed to a bonus. Aligning with the issues that matter to consumers also makes business sense. 53% of people questioned in Singapore said they were more likely to buy brands aligned with their views, and a similar number (48%) said they would be happy to pay 'a little more' for brands with sustainability credentials. The study also revealed a disconnect between the causes that dominate global media and international brand campaigns, and the issues that matter to consumers in Asia. While climate change and gender equality were the two high-profile issues most likely to be seen by people in Asia, causes closer to home mattered most to them personally, such as health and well-being or ending poverty. The results of the study highlight the role of social media in circulating information about causes. TV was still the channel where ost people heard about social issues, however, the rise of social media in many countries in Asia is facilitating a more active form of participation. 41% of people in Singapore said that they had liked posts on social media around an issue they cared about, and 34% have shared a post or article. And social media was impacting behaviours as a result. 55% of people in Singapore said they were more conscious of an issue in day-to-day life after seeing a post about it on social media, whilst 23% said they have changed their behaviour as a result. In terms of how brands should engage with issues, authenticity was key. Consumers were quick to challenge brands that outwardly supported a cause, but at the same time had problems with their own business practices, or brands that misjudged the tone needed to engage in emotionally-charged issues. Developed markets were more sceptical of brands' involvement. Only 33% of Australians felt that brands were able to authentically engage with issues, in comparison to India where 74% perceived it as trustworthy brand activity. Consumers believe that brands have a key role to play in advancing the issues that matter to people. Educating consumers about an issue was the top activity cited, followed by initiating and funding programmes to support the issue, and then funding organisations directly. Joy Lee, Regional Digital Consultant for Kantar's Insights Division said: "Brands have understood the power of purpose for a number of years now. However, the challenge lies in identifying what resonates across the diverse landscape of Asia, and then engaging in an authentic way. Brands now have permission to get involved and make a difference. The good news is that this isn't necessarily about making a lot of noise on the global stage. It can also be about supporting local initiatives and driving small but meaningful change where it matters most to people." Notes to editors: About the study: The quantitative research component undertaken for Purpose in Asia surveyed over 3,000 people over 18 with access to the internet. This was carried out by Lightspeed in August and September 2018 across nine markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. To ensure alignment, the research used the consistent framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Social media analysis using Netbase was then undertaken. Data covered a year's worth of comments. Mainland China was excluded as its social media landscape is considerably different; this allowed for better comparability within a more homogenous context. About Kantar: Kantar is one of the world's leading data, insight and consultancy companies. Working together across the whole spectrum of research and consulting disciplines, its specialist brands, employing 30,000 people, provide inspirational insights and business strategies for clients in 100 countries. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. SOURCE Kantar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Consumers in the Philippines want brands to stand up for local causes 97% believe brands should get involved in the issues that matter to them Health and well-being and poverty the most important social issues 76% are more likely to buy a brand more aligned with their views SINGAPORE, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in Asia favour brands that engage in social issues -- provided these are the causes that matter to them personally. According to Purpose in Asia, a new report from Kantar, 90% of consumers in the region and 97% in the Philippines want brands to get involved in the issues they care about, meaning that an authentic brand purpose is now an expectation as opposed to a bonus. Aligning with the issues that matter to consumers also makes business sense. 76% of people questioned in the Philippines said they were more likely to buy brands aligned with their views, and a similar number (71%) said they would be happy to pay 'a little more' for brands with sustainability credentials. The study also revealed a disconnect between the causes that dominate global media and international brand campaigns, and the issues that matter to consumers in Asia. While climate change and gender equality were the two high-profile issues most likely to be seen by people in Asia, causes closer to home mattered most to them personally, such as health and well-being or ending poverty. The results of the study highlight the role of social media in circulating information about causes. TV was still the channel where most peple heard about social issues, however, the rise of social media in many countries in Asia is facilitating a more active form of participation. 66% of people in the Philippines said that they had liked posts on social media around an issue they cared about, and 63% have shared a post or article. And social media was impacting behaviours as a result. 78% of people in the Philippines said they were more conscious of an issue in day-to-day life after seeing a post about it on social media, whilst 30% said they have changed their behaviour as a result. In terms of how brands should engage with issues, authenticity was key. Consumers were quick to challenge brands that outwardly supported a cause, but at the same time had problems with their own business practices, or brands that misjudged the tone needed to engage in emotionally-charged issues. Developed markets were more sceptical of brands' involvement. Only 33% of Australians felt that brands were able to authentically engage with issues, in comparison to India where 74% perceived it as trustworthy brand activity. Consumers believe that brands have a key role to play in advancing the issues that matter to people. Educating consumers about an issue was the top activity cited, followed by initiating and funding programmes to support the issue, and then funding organisations directly. Joy Lee, Regional Digital Consultant for Kantar's Insights Division said: "Brands have understood the power of purpose for a number of years now. However, the challenge lies in identifying what resonates across the diverse landscape of Asia, and then engaging in an authentic way. Brands now have permission to get involved and make a difference. The good news is that this isn't necessarily about making a lot of noise on the global stage. It can also be about supporting local initiatives and driving small but meaningful change where it matters most to people." Notes to editors: About the study: The quantitative research component undertaken for Purpose in Asia surveyed over 3,000 people over 18 with access to the internet. This was carried out by Lightspeed in August and September 2018 across nine markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. To ensure alignment, the research used the consistent framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Social media analysis using Netbase was then undertaken. Data covered a year's worth of comments. Mainland China was excluded as its social media landscape is considerably different; this allowed for better comparability within a more homogenous context. About Kantar: Kantar is one of the world's leading data, insight and consultancy companies. Working together across the whole spectrum of research and consulting disciplines, its specialist brands, employing 30,000 people, provide inspirational insights and business strategies for clients in 100 countries. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. SOURCE Kantar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Genkicell Chain Invited to China to Communicate about Project Landing TOKYO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Genkicell Chain, Japan's well-known One Health Blockchain project, accompanied by a Japanese delegation on high-tech innovation, recently had a one-week investigation, exchange and visit to three Chinese cities, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Jinhua, to ascertain the potential in the Chinese market and seek opportunities of cooperation in the fields of blockchain, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data and One Health. Genkicell Chain's team members included the CEO, Shota Awata, and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Kintsu Masayuki, among other members. The delegation included famous Japanese investors, well-known consortiums and entrepreneurs, as well as the political and business class, including former Senator of Aichi Prefecture, Misako Yasui; JBA legal counsel and member of Cryptocurrency Legislative Committee at Japanese Financial Services Agency (FSA, the financial regulator of Japan), Masataka Ogasawara; and the chairman of global asset management company, Union Capital Group, Tomita Takashi. Shota Awata had mentioned earlier in a live broadcast interview with a well-known media in US blockchain that the current friendly diplomacy between Japan and the Chinese government would be beneficial for Genkicell's plan to launch in China. The project itself is also related to China's famous blockchain projects Ontology and Juyaotang (the producer and supplier of China's third largest Chinese herbal medicine). In addition, it is related to other local Chinese projects and companies that have established good relationships with Genkicell. The trip to China mainly focused on topics such as project landing, solutions to the problems caused by the aging society, development of the Internet industry, and big data information. The delegates also communicated these topics to the related governmnts of Nanjing, Hangzhou and Jinhua cities. China's Yangtze River Delta region has been regarded as a strategic emerging industry and the core of development likely to accelerate independent innovation as well as promote economic restructuring. The region also actively responds to the National "Three-Year Action Plan" (Three-Year Action Plan for the Integration of the Yangtze River Delta Region - (2018-2020)). The main goal of this plan is to build a world-class industrial cluster aimed at optimizing the layout of key industries and promote the deep integration of the industrial chain. After the G20 summit, Hangzhou City, as the organizer, proposed the direction of "building the first city of digital economy" and jointly promoted technological innovations, including cloud computing, big data, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and cooperatively building the Yangtze River Delta region into a global digital economy. Additionally, they aim to develop the highlands. As such, the blockchain technology in China's Yangtze River Delta region has been accelerated to attract the attention of many Japanese developers. Zhongyu Chen, the chairman of the Zhejiang Normal University Committee and professor at the School of Mathematical and Information Engineering and the Institute of Blockchain, strongly supports Genkicell's idea of landing in China and believes that Genkicell has potential, especially since the aging society in both Japan and China is becoming increasingly severe. The One Health industry is becoming a major industrial form of domestic demand. Therefore, it is necessary to encourage and support its implementation and solve One Health problems using blockchain technology. Genkicell Chain also initiated their upcoming application - GEN (GID). Shota Awata gave a detailed introduction to the project on behalf of Genkicell and explained the GID function in the GEN series products. "GEN (GID) is a global decentralized health management application that applies Genkicell's modular infrastructure to easily collect health data from hospitals, laboratories and IoT devices via scalable interfaces. It can also effectively conduct health prediction and prevention by building user biometric data quantification. At the same time, it helps enterprises and service organizations to reduce operating costs, provide data foundations for hospitals and research institutions, and promote the accelerated development of One Health industries." Since China is the most populated country worldwide, it is possible that a large number of people suffer chronic diseases. In particular, data indicates that nearly 300 million people suffer from chronic diseases and an estimated 8 billion consultations are carried out every year. Meanwhile, the number of medical examinations is about 500 million, with medical examinations accounting for about 95% of China's health management services. Therefore, the application of GEN (GID), a global decentralized health management App, can effectively solve problems such as huge operational costs, health prediction, and prevention. Jian Wang, deputy director of Zhejiang Provincial Department of Commerce, also expressed that he expects the Genkicell project to be beneficial and that the project will be landed after the inspection. More information about Genkicell Chain: Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Genkicellchain Twitter:https://twitter.com/@genkicell Telegram EN:https://t.me/genkicellGroupen Reddit:https://www.reddit.com/user/genkicell Medium:https://medium.com/@Genkicell View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genkicell-chain-invited-to-china-to-communicate-about-project-landing-300761218.html SOURCE Genkicell Chain [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] JSA Announces Telecom Exchange (TEX) will be in Dallas, New York, Toronto and Los Angeles in 2019 MIDDLEBROOK, Va., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) , the preeminent provider of Public Relations, Marketing and Event Planning services for the tech and telecom industries, and founder and host of the C-Level networking event series, the Telecom Exchange (TEX) , announces today four locations for TEX 2019: Dallas, New York, Toronto and Los Angeles. This expansion comes on the heels of the company's successful launch of the "TEX 2.0" event format this year. The new format facilitates meaningful, action-oriented engagement between C-levels, and allows executives to conduct business and foster better one-on-one collaborations, while setting the agenda for industry growth in diverse CEO Roundtable panels. JSA's flagship TEX will remain in the New York metro area for its ninth consecutive year, at the W Hoboken on May 14-15. New to the calendar, TEX Dallas will be a "Pop-Up" event, one day only on March 13, and will feature one CEO Roundtable, direct networking and a cocktail reception. TEX Toronto will be held on September 24-25, in the original TEX 2.0, two-day format, and will be the first TEX to debut in Canada, consistent with JSA Canada 's dedication to the Canadian tech and telecom marketplace. Lastly, TEX will return to Los Angeles on November 12-13 for its third year, to be held at the Kimpton Palomar Hotel in Beverly Hills. Canada North America JSA is also offering TEX Annual Sponsorships, a new opportunity to help companies reach their 2019 marketing goals with increased brand equity and thought leadership in front of key tech and telecom decision makers. For a limited time only, confirm your TEX Annual Sponsorship by December 31, 2018 and receive a 10% discount. Limited opportunities are available so first come, first serve. "With four TEX events on the 2019 calendar, now is a great time for companies to maximize their return on investment with TEX," concludes Cutaia. To secure your company's C-level participation with a TEX 2019 Annual or other sponsorship, visit www.TheTelecomExchange.com . There are C-level speaking opportunities also available based on Board approval. For more information including Roundtable topics, email [email protected]. About JSA Celebrating more than 13 years of success, Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) is the preeminent provider of Public Relations, Marketing and Event Planning services to the tech and telecom industries. Awarded 'Most Outstanding Telecoms PR Agency' by LiveWire for two years in a row, our success is attributed to our skilled JSA team, innovative tools, and established media and industry relationships, allowing us to deliver the finest outreach and brand awareness services available with measurable return on investment. Our clients enjoy 'insider access' to the top journalists, bloggers, analysts and thought leaders shaping tech and telecom as well as critical networking opportunities, including JSA's own industry networking event series, the Telecom Exchange (TEX) and its online C-level social platform, the CEO Exchange . We also feature client and marketplace news via JSA WalkOuts (3D-like interactive video), JSA TV (our video newsroom on YouTube), JSA Radio (our podcast channel on iHeartRadio), Virtual CEO Roundtables (our monthly panel discussions with top industry thought leaders), Telecom News & Trends (our newsletter to 28K+ subscribers) and Tech and Telecom News Now (our industry blog with 130K+ readers). To learn more about how JSA can elevate your brand, visit www.jsa.net . Join the conversation: Follow JSA on LinkedIn and Twitter . For media inquiries, please contact: Jaymie Scotto & Associates (JSA) +1 866.695.3629 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jsa-announces-telecom-exchange-tex-will-be-in-dallas-new-york-toronto-and-los-angeles-in-2019-300761174.html SOURCE Jaymie Scotto & Associates, LLC Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces Investigation on Behalf of Aphria Inc. Investors (APHA) Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces an investigation on behalf of Aphria Inc. ("Aphria" or the "Company") (NYSE: APHA) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. On this news, Aphria's share price fell $1.85 per share, or over 23%, to close at $6.05 per share on December 3, 2018, on unusually heavy trading volume. Follow us for updates on Twitter (News - Alert): twitter.com/GPM_LLP. If you purchased Aphria securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Lesley Portnoy, Esquire, of GPM, 1925 Century Park East, Suite 2100, Los Angeles California 90067 at 310-201-9150, Toll-Free at 888-773-9224, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.glancylaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181205005892/en/ [December 05, 2018] Smart Metering and Beyond: EDMI Celebrates 40 Years Since Formation SINGAPORE, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- EDMI Limited, a global smart metering solutions leader, will celebrate 40 years of operation on 7th December 2018. Today, its customers include some of the world's largest energy companies, including distribution network operators, utilities and service providers, across 100 countries with over 11 million metering points and systems deployed globally. Borne in Brisbane, Australia, EDMI was originally established as "EDMQ" (Electronic Design and Manufacturing Queensland), in a small shed in 1978. It initially began life, not in metering, but as an engineering consultancy that delivered smart solutions for diverse projects such as irrigation systems, digital scoreboards, and consumer energy use monitors. It became EDMI (Electronic Design Manufacturing International) in 1982, and soon after found a niche in developing innovative solutions in the metering world. In 1990, EDMI introduced its first smart electricity meter (the Mk1), at a time where no similar grid interconnect meter existed in the maket. The Mk2 meter followed in 1994; and the Mk3 meter released in 1996 became a transmission mainstay for many years. Now in its 40th year, EDMI offers a range of end to end metering solutions with smart electricity and gas meters, across transmission, commercial and industrial, residential and sub-metering markets. Along with meters, it develops communication devices and software for meter data management (MDMS), head end solutions and data analytic systems. EDMI's global headquarters is in Singapore, with ~1500 employees across 14 countries, and owned by leading Japanese smart metering company Osaki Electric. "Celebrating 40 years is testament to our commitment to developing innovative products collaboratively which our customers can rely on, and we thank them for their enduring support," said Mr. How New Seng, Chief Executive Officer at EDMI. "Continuing to leverage our heritage in providing quality smart metering products, we are now evolving to create solutions that will facilitate the transformation of the energy market as we shift to a cleaner, intelligent and distributed energy ecosystem; from smart grids, to smart cities and beyond," he concluded. To commemorate and reflect on EDMI's 40 years, Mr. How took the opportunity to meet with EDMI founders, Mr. John Flood and Mr. Neil Gibson, captured in a video interview. To watch this, click here. About EDMI EDMI Limited is one of the leading smart metering solutions providers in the world. EDMI is focused on designing, developing and manufacturing innovative and technologically advanced energy meters and metering systems for the global utility industry. EDMI's metering portfolio includes a comprehensive range of premium quality metering products, advanced infrastructure and energy management systems. For more information, please visit: http://www.edmi-meters.com. Media Contact: Eriko Kanda Marketing Communication Manager EDMI Limited Email: [email protected] Phone: +65-6751-2616 Logo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20181205/2318003-1LOGO SOURCE EDMI Limited [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 05, 2018] Breakthrough in Transport: Graforce's Plasmalysis Is Key to Low-carbon Traffic and Aviation BERLIN, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- With the UN Climate Change Conference in Katovice (COP24) now underway, the international community is discussing how to drastically reduce CO 2 emissions. Transport is a key factor, responsible for about a fifth of global CO 2 emissions - and the trend is rising. German technology company Graforce has developed a unique technology for producing climate-neutral, synthetic fuels from industrial wastewater and renewable energies. With low hydrogen production costs, a wide variety of wastewaters and significantly reduced emissions, its new plasmalysis technology makes a significant contribution to replacing fossil fuels. "We are well below the climate targets agreed in Paris. It's high time to seize every opportunity," explains Dr. Jens Hanke, founder of Graforce. "E-fuels could be critical to climate protection, especially in the transport sector." Gasoline, diesel, natural gas, kerosene: climate-neutral fuel production is possible Graforce has been woring on the future of energy supply since 2010. At its Power2X plant in Berlin, Graforce is already producing hydrogen using the plasmalysis process developed in-house. Unlike electrolysis, which uses distilled water, plasmalysis produces hydrogen from high-energy chemical compounds in wastewater. The process halves fuel production costs and results in significantly higher yields. A high-frequency field of tension - called plasma - is generated from solar or wind energy above wastewater, which is produced, for example, in production processes in biogas, sewage or industrial plants. This plasma breaks down the carbon and nitrogen compounds (urea, amino acids, nitrates and ammonium) contained in the water into individual atoms, which then rebond. This produces hydrogen and - depending on the requirements - CO, CO 2 or methane (CH 4 ). Synthetic liquid fuels can then be produced from the resulting CO 2 or CO and hydrogen using the proven Fischer-Tropsch process. These fuels make, above all, long-haul transport, aviation and shipping more climate-friendly without any adjustments or restrictions. Using methane or mixing hydrogen with biogas produces HCNG, which can be used as fuel in natural gas vehicles and in combined heat and power plants to reduce emissions (CO 2 , CO, HC, NOx) by 20 to 60 percent. The only waste products that remain are purified water and oxygen. Graforce cooperates with the carmaker Audi, the utility company Berliner Wasserbetriebe and other firms. - Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) - For more information: http://www.graforce.com Contact Graforce GmbH Dr. Jens Hanke Johann-Hittorf-Str. 8 12489 Berlin Phone: +49 30 - 63 2222-110 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Sonata Software Announces Signing Definitive Agreement to Acquire Australia Headquartered Microsoft Dynamics 365 Partner, Scalable Data Systems, in Line With the Strategy to be a Global Leader in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business BANGALORE, India, December 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonata Software, today announced that it has signed definitive agreement to acquire Scalable Data Systems, headquartered in Brisbane, Australia. Scalable Data Systems is a highly respected provider of business solutions in the Australian market, with a history of more than 25 years and has built a solid reputation in providing Microsoft Dynamics 365 F&O solutions for industry leading clients in Australia especially in the Manufacturing and Wholesale & Distribution. Scalable's IP for Commodity Trading "CTRM" has now earned market leading reputation globally with due recognition accorded to the company as a Microsoft Gold and an ISV Partner. (Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/654282/Sonata_Software_Logo.jpg ) Sonata software has been focused on being a Digital Transformation Partner of choice for customers in Retail, Distribution, Manufacturing, and Travel industries with their unique PlatformationTM methodology, end-to-end digital platforms and alignment to be a strategic partner for Microsoft in their digital transformation initiatives, based on the Dynamics 365 Cloud-based solution. Sonata has in the past acqured IBIS, a US headquartered Dynamics 365 partner, and has its own IP, i.e. Brick and Click for Retail and Modern Distribution, for Distribution and Manufacturing industries; and now with the Commodity IP from Scalable has extended supply chain capabilities focused on Manufacturing and Distribution industries. Commenting on the acquisition, Srikar Reddy, Managing Director & CEO, Sonata Software, said, "Scalable Data Systems brings great value in terms of Microsoft Dynamics 365 capabilities and resources to Sonata. This will provide Sonata with additional IP, and geographical reach, along with a strong fillip to its strategy to be a global leader in the Microsoft Dynamics 365 partner ecosystem with core IPs across wide range of industries and a global footprint, specifically also making us a strong Dynamics partner in the Australian market." Brett Crew, CEO of Scalable Data Systems, commented, "Sonata is an acknowledged leader in the Microsoft Dynamics space and has a great track record of acquiring and nurturing firms for fueling further growth. With this transaction, Scalable will get an additional capability in the Microsoft tech stack and be able to now address larger and broader opportunities in the market." About Sonata Software Sonata is a global technology company that enables successful platform based digital transformation initiatives for enterprises, to create businesses that are connected, open, Intelligent and scalable. Sonata's Platformation methodology brings together industry expertise, platform technology excellence, design thinking led innovation and strategic engagement models to deliver sustained long term value to customers. A trusted partner of world leaders in the Retail, Distribution, Travel and Software industries, Sonata's solution portfolio includes its own digital platform such as Brick & Click Retail Platform, Modern Distribution Platform , Rezopia Digital Travel Platform, RAPID DevOps Platform and Halosys Mobility Platform, best in class capabilities on ISV digital technology platforms such as Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure, SAP Hybris, Cloud Engineering and Managed Services, as well as new digital applications like IoT, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation, Chatbots, Block Chain and Cyber Security. Sonata's people and systems are nurtured to bring together the depth of thought leadership, customer commitment and execution excellence to make a difference to business with technology. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Datalex - The Commerce Platform of Choice for the Aer Lingus Digital Retail Marketplace Datalex plc (Euronext Dublin: DLE) announce a new five-year digital commerce agreement with Aer Lingus to support their future retail strategy. Commenting on the announcement, Datalex CEO Aidan Brogan said: 'Datalex and Aer Lingus have enjoyed a successful strategic partnership for over ten years. Together we have enabled new innovations in digital commerce which have delivered significant value to Aer Lingus and their guests. Aer Lingus is highly regarded as a progressive airline retailer and industry first-mover delivering innovative and personalized digital customer experiences to over 12 million guests each year. We are proud to strengthen this partnership and to future-proof their ambitions as a leading travel retailer." Going forward, Datalex and Aer Lingus will partner on a joint technology strategy which will leverage the latest in digital commerce innovation to give Aer Lingus the ownership, control, speed and agility to future-proof its digital retail strategy. Joint technology and business teams will focus on optimizing digital retail experiences and accelerating time-to-market for new revenue-generating product and service offers across web, mobile and partner retail platforms. Rachel Izzard, Chief Financial Officer, Aer Lingus said: "Aer Lingus is one of Ireland's largest ecommerce companies and our digitally-enabled value-proposition is fundamental to our growth strategy. The majority ofour annual turnover of 2bn is generated online, driven by 60 million visits to our digital platforms in 2018. From express bag drop, to self-service, to Wi-Fi on our transatlantic routes, we continue to leverage the latest technological developments to provide frictionless customer experiences. Our renewed, longstanding partnership with Datalex - a global leader in digital commerce for travel retail - will enable us to leverage new platform capabilities, accelerate and enhance offer and order management across all sales channels, as we realise our ambition to be the leading value carrier on the North Atlantic. About Aer Lingus Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland, founded in 1936. It operates 67 aircraft on over 100 routes to destinations in the UK and Europe and flies 17 direct routes to North America. The airline carries more than 12 million guests per annum. Aer Lingus is Ireland's only 4-Star airline, awarded by Skytrax, the international air transport rating organisation. Its mission is to become the leading value carrier operating across the North Atlantic enabled by a profitable and sustainable short-haul network, and supported by a guest-focused brand and a digitally-enabled value proposition. Its home base is Dublin Airport. Aer Lingus is a member of International Airlines Group (IAG), one of the world's largest airline groups. About Datalex Datalex is a market leader in digital commerce for travel retailers. The Datalex Digital Commerce Platform enables an omni-channel travel marketplace of over one billion shoppers covering every corner of the globe, driven by some of the world's most innovative airline retail brands. Its customers include Aer Lingus, Lufthansa Group, Air China, JetBlue Airways, Hainan Group, Swiss International Air Lines, Philippine Airlines, Copa Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Transat, Air Malta, Multiplus, HP Enterprise Services and STA Travel. The company is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, and maintains offices across Europe, USA and China. Datalex is a publicly listed company and is listed on the Irish Stock Exchange (Euronext Dublin: DLE). Learn more at www.datalex.com or follow on Twitter (News - Alert) @Datalex. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181205005819/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Capacity Building to Unlock Private Finance for Green Energies: RENAC's Green Banking Programme Now Launched for the MENA Region The Renewables Academy AG (RENAC), an international training provider for green energy technologies, announces the start of the scholarship application phase for one of the trainings under its 18-month programme "Green Banking MENA - Capacity Building on Green Energy and Climate Finance". The programme comprises a total of three training courses, a Train-the-Trainer seminar, an Applying Green Energy Finance Programme and an Online Training. The main objective of the programme is to sustainably improve capacity for renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) financing options in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005296/en/ RENAC's Green Banking MENA programme aims to promote green investment opportunities in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia (Photo: Business Wire) The agreement signed in Paris during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) is proof of the key role renewable energy and energy efficiency play in international climate change mitigation efforts. While green markets keep gaining momentum, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia enjoy the necessary natural resources for widespread implementation of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. Local professionals with the appropriate know-how will be able to profitfrom new business opportunities in a growing industry, which additionally presents manifold benefits (reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, energy security and job creation, among many others). Currently, RE and EE projects face substantial blocks to external financing from banks, which is usually characterized by high interest rates. The trainings are intended to tackle these circumstances. Through the "Green Banking MENA" programme, professionals from private and public financial institutions involved or interested in financing green energy projects will gain specific knowledge in technologies, financial schemes, risk evaluation, mitigation measures and international climate finance options. Interested professionals from Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia can apply here until 15 January 2019 for the first part of the scholarship programme, the Train-the-Trainer seminar at RENAC's Training Centre in Berlin, Germany. "Green Banking MENA" is a scholarship programme as part of the project DIAPOL-CE - Policy dialogue and knowledge management on low emissions development strategies in the MENA region. DIAPOL-CE is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) within the German International Climate Initiative (IKI) and implemented by GIZ. Since 2015, RENAC's award-winning Green Banking programme has been successfully implemented in South-East Asia and is now being transferred to other regions, such as MENA. To ensure that the content of the programme meets local requirements, capacity needs assessment trips took place in winter 2017 in cooperation with the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE). "The Green Banking Train-the-Trainer seminar is a great opportunity to learn from one of the world's top renewable energy countries as well as obtain efficient didactical methods", said Nguyen Thi Cam Tu of Vietnam Public Joint Stock Commercial Bank, who participated in the scholarship programme in Vietnam. In addition to the Train-the-Trainer seminar at RENAC's Training Centre in Berlin to build up local trainers, the programme's activities include a face-to-face training in the partner countries and an online training. About RENAC The Renewables Academy AG (RENAC) based in Berlin, Germany, is one of the leading international providers for training and capacity building in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Since 2008, more than 10,000 participants from over 140 countries have joined RENAC's training programmes. For further information, please visit RENAC's website. Interested professionals can apply until 15 January 2019. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005296/en/ [December 06, 2018] Phoenix Finance invited by CNBC to Discuss Fintech Development in China GUANGZHOU, China, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Vince Zhang President of Phoenix Finance (the company), the one-stop-shop intelligent investment platform at the forefront of the financial products and services industry, was a guest on CNBC's influential news and talk program Squawk Box during the network's East Tech West forum in Guangzhou, China. During the show, Zhang talked about current developments and prospects of the country's emergent fintech industry, as well as the company's role as a leading intelligent fin-tech platform. CNBC's three-day Forum brought together leaders at the cutting edge of the technology industry and top investors from across the globe. At the event, Vince Zhang was interviewed by Financial Times correspondent Louise Lucas during a "fireside chat", where he painted a rosy picture of the future of China's fintech industry. During the interview, Vince Zhang said: "The country's relatively backward financial infrastructure - such as an immature credit system - allows technology to play a bigger role, and offers companies greater freedom to fuel innovation in areas including payments, wealth management and insurance." "In addition, regulatory policies have been constantly improved with the development of the industry, providing strong guidance and guarantee for the healthy and orderly development of the industry. As the industry develops, more consumer protection, risk control and compliance measures will be introduced. Which means it is time for the industry to regain its confidence andmarch ahead." Phoenix Finance, founded by influential media group Phoenix Satellite Television, is adopting a strategy that accelerates the introduction of cutting-edge technologies in AI, big data and blockchain industries to bring comprehensive solutions and more intelligent wealth management products to investors. In recent years China has stood out in the global arena as a key driver of innovation in the fintech space, joining the United States and Europe in an increasingly intertwined global exchange of ideas and technology. As a part of its intelligent finance strategy, Phoenix Finance has developed a broad range of intelligent products aimed at helping clients make more scientific, rational and rewarding investment decisions. These products include: Fengming Intelligent Analysis Engine that helps clients decipher correlations between information and the value of financial products. Zhenzhun Asset Allocation a tool that generates tailor-made asset-management schemes for clients based on their profile and family financial situation. Magic Mirror, an intelligent investment fund software, helping fund investors make real-time adjustments to their portfolios to maximise returns and minimize risk. "Phoenix Intellinsur," a family AI insurance advisor that uses data collection to generate insurance allocation schemes based on user profiles to provide free, neutral, comprehensive and personalized third-party smart insurance services for families in China . Another aspect of Phoenix Finance's strategy is global development. With a global vision, a wealth of fintech experience and diversified business lines, Phoenix Finance offers a range of comprehensive solutions serving Chinese clients in multiple regions. In the United States, the company operates through local partnerships and stringent credit risk assessment models and is licensed to offer U.S. mortgage-backed securities products as a licensed Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Registered Investment Advisor (RIA). In addition to the United States, Phoenix Finance' overseas businesses also include consumer lending in Southeast Asia. In January, Phoenix Finance entered the European market via a strategic partnership with Saxo Bank, a milestone deal that will bring richer global assets and product range to overseas Chinese customers. "Technology has changed finance and will create more possibilities in the future," said Vince Zhang. About Phoenix Finance Founded by Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Limited, Phoenix Finance is a one-stop-shop investment platform that provides Chinese investors around the world with top-notch financial products and services. Partnering with top-tier global financial institutions to source desirable investable assets and attaching great importance to the application of big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain, Phoenix Finance provides a broad range of wealth management products and customized advisory services tailored to the needs of each investor. Phoenix Finance's product offerings include P2P, mutual funds, insurances, global investment, wealth management and more. Having accumulated 8.75 million registered users, Phoenix Finance is now a leading fintech platform in China. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/phoenix-finance-invited-by-cnbc-to-discuss-fintech-development-in-china-300761156.html SOURCE Phoenix Finance [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Panopto And Shuttle Computer Group Announce New Video Capture Appliance SEATTLE and CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Panopto, a leading video platform provider for businesses and universities, and Shuttle Computer Group, a leading designer of small-form-factor computers, today announced a new Panopto-Certified video capture appliance. Preconfigured to work with the Panopto video platform , the Shuttle XH110G Remote Recorder provides organizations with an automated workflow for capturing, publishing, and streaming lectures and business presentations. In recent years, enterprise video platforms have driven large-scale video capture from a luxury to a commodity. As businesses and universities continue to generate more video content, they need capture solutions that scale with increasing demand and work well in space-constrained environments including classrooms and conference rooms. In response to this market demand, Panopto and Shuttle are introducing a new video capture appliance. With a small footprint built for podium or desk installation, quiet operation, and a price point under $2000, the Shuttle XH110G is ideal for organizations looking to cost-effectively scale their video capture infrastructure. The device is powered by an Intel Core i7 CPU and a Magewell Pro dual-HDMI capture card, enabling users to record and broadcast two feeds of HD video through Panopto's video platform. As with all Panopto-certified video capture appliances, the XH11G Remote Recorder was jointly engineered by Shuttle and Panopto and certified through a rigorous testing process. Through Panopto's appliance certification program, the XH110G is built to order and integrated with Panopto Cloud or an on-premises Panopto server. Once the device is connected to the network, it registers as a remote recorder and can be configured and securely controlled by Panopto administrators and videographers from any web browser as well as iOS and Android phones. Through an intuitive dashboard, recordings and live broadcasts can also be scheduled in advance, either as single events or as a recurring series. All videos captured by the Shuttle XH110G are automatically published to Panopto's video content management system, where they're encoded for playback on any device. In addition, Panopto's unique Smart Search technology indexes content within the videos, enabling users to search inside recordings and fast-forward to any word spoken or shown on-screen. "As organizational use of video continues to skyrocket, it's imperative for video platforms to adapt to the needs of each classroom, conference room, or auditorium," said Sean Gorman, Chief Operating Officer of Panopto. "Through our partnership with Shuttle, we're taking the next step in that strategy, providing businesses and universities with an affordable, reliable, purpose-built device that streamlines the capture and production workflow and scales to meet growing organizational demand." "Panopto's platform is transforming video capture, archive, and playback, and Shuttle is proud to be a part of creating this new versatile device," said Ray Lin, general manager, Shuttle Computer Group. "As a well-priced turnkey solution for both education and corporate, the XH110G Remote Recorder makes it easier to implement and use advanced video applications." The XH110G is available in the United States starting today. For more information about the device or to inquire about an order, visit www.panopto.com/shuttle . About Panopto Panopto helps businesses and universities create searchable video libraries of their institutional knowledge. Since 2007, the company has been a pioneer in video capture software, video content management systems, and inside-video search technology. Today, Panopto's video platform is the largest repository of expert learning videos in the world. Headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Pittsburgh, London, Hong Kong, and Sydney, Panopto has received industry recognition for its innovation, rapid growth, and company culture. For more information, visit www.panopto.com . About Shuttle Computer Group Shuttle Computer Group is the North American subsidiary of Shuttle Inc., a publicly traded company established in 1983. Shuttle specializes in small form factor PC hardware for digital signage, point-of-sale (POS) and interactive kiosks in the retail, restaurant, food service and hospitality industries as well as motherboards and bare bones systems. For more information, visit https://us.shuttle.com . View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/panopto-and-shuttle-computer-group-announce-new-video-capture-appliance-300761121.html SOURCE Panopto [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] MedMen Appoints Veteran Retail Finance Executive as Chief Financial Officer MedMen Enterprises Inc. ("MedMen" or the "Company") (CSE: MMEN) (OTCQX: MMNFF) (FSE: A2JM6N) announced today the hiring of Michael W. Kramer, a veteran finance executive with a proven track record at retailers such as Apple (News - Alert) Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch and Forever 21, as Chief Financial Officer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005222/en/ Michael Kramer Appointed CFO of MedMen (Photo: Business Wire) "Michael's extensive financial and operational experience in retail and tech, and his success in scaling high-growth businesses will be instrumental as MedMen moves to operationalize the balance of our footprint," said Adam Bierman, MedMen co-founder and chief executive. "His appointment underscores our commitment to investing in a strong management team with a track record of execution. Our industry and business continue to evolve, and it is paramount that we have the right talent to execute at each stage of our growth." Kramer's three decades of eperience include serving as chief financial officer of Apple Retail, where he developed successful brick and mortar retail strategies. He also oversaw 12 quarters of increased year-over-year earnings for Abercrombie & Fitch. "I look forward to working with MedMen's talented team to advance its growth plan," Kramer said. "We will remain focused on execution, on maintaining a strong balance sheet, and moving toward profitability." Kramer has been on advisory boards for organizations such as Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, and Kansas State University's Business School. He will report to CEO Adam Bierman, and will oversee Accounting, Financial Planning and Analysis, Financial Reporting, Investor Relations, Internal Audit, Payroll, Procurement, SEDAR Reporting, Tax and Treasury, among other functions. Interim CFO Jim Miller will return to his previous role as the company's vice president of accounting. Kramer's appointment is effective December 10. Kramer's hiring follows a number of key executive hires in recent months, including: Chief Operating Officer Ben Cook, an accomplished global supply chain executive with brands such as Apple and Sam's Club. Chief Marketing Officer David H. Dancer, a veteran marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience leading brands such as Teleflora, Charles Schwab, Visa and American Express (News - Alert). Senior Vice President of Human Resources Clarence Foster with 20 years of experience leading companies in manufacturing, automotive and consumer products for companies such as Nissan Motors and L'OREAL. Chief Digital Officer Mike Lane with two decades of experience leading design and development of digital customer experiences at brands like Live Nation, Ticketmaster, FOX Broadcasting and Adobe (News - Alert). ABOUT MEDMEN: MedMen Enterprises is a leading cannabis company in the U.S. with assets and operations nationwide. Based in Los Angeles, MedMen brings expertise and capital to the cannabis industry and is one of the nation's largest financial supporters of progressive marijuana laws. Visit http://www.medmen.com. SOURCE: MedMen Enterprises View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005222/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Vubiq Networks' New Patent Application Enables Orders of Magnitude Greater Bit Density for RFID Tags Vubiq Networks, Inc., the innovation leader in millimeter wave wireless broadband technology, products and solutions, today announced that it has filed yet another millimeter wave radio frequency identification (RFID) patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The new application is entitled System and Method for High-Bit Density Millimeter Wave Chipless RFID and has been assigned the application number 62775479. The patent application defines advanced, high-bit density chipless RFID technology using the company's polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technique that incorporates polarization and phase detection. The new technology will provide orders of magnitude higher bit density for RFID tags as compared to "prior art" or other competitive approaches. "This patent application, which represents our fourth RFID patent and our 17th patent in the overall millimeter wave market, will provide additional worldwide protection for our proprietary RFID technology," said Mike Pettus, founder and CTO of Vubiq Networks. "Our technology lowers costs by enabling the use low electrical conductivity metals for the antenna elements, avoiding costly silver-based inks. We are able to achieve this because we are not relying on spectral signature response, but instead are relying on radar cross-section and antenna re-radiaton mechanisms." The comprehensive patent application includes "reduction to practice" by addressing both hardware and software applications. It provides for very high density chipless tag (News - Alert) data encoding through the use of innovative geometrical layout of the patch antennas as the tag elements. The technology provides for reduced optimized element spacing, providing very high bit density for chipless RFID. "Our new patent-pending technology not only provides for greater bit density, but also greatly lowers the cost of RFID tags, which is a very important consideration for emerging Internet of Things applications and smart objects," said Vubiq CEO John Dilworth. "This fourth patent application further strengthens our fundamental patents and our position in the synthetic aperture radar RFID market." Additional millimeter wave RFID patents held by Vubiq Networks include: US Patent Number 7460014, issued December 2, 2008 - RFID System Utilizing Parametric Reflective Technology. US Patent Number 7498940, issued March 3, 2009 - RFID System Utilizing Parametric Reradiated Technology. US Patent Application 62746829, submitted October 17, 2018 - Multimode Millimeter Wave RFID Systems and Methods Thereof. About Vubiq Networks Vubiq Networks, Inc. is a privately held millimeter wave innovation company headquartered in Irvine, California. The company designs, manufactures and markets proprietary, high-bandwidth, millimeter wave wireless products, including the HaulPass V10g 10 Gbps V-Band wireless transmission link. Vubiq Networks continues to innovate in the millimeter wave market with solutions in wireless broadband communications, video transport, wireless data center solutions, RFID tag decoding, and synthetic aperture radar applications. For further information, please visit www.vubiqnetworks.com or contact [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005189/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Salveo Capital Announces Investment in Ascend Wellness Salveo Capital, an alternative investment firm specializing in the legalized cannabis space, today announced it has acquired a minority equity interest in Ascend Wellness ("Ascend"), a vertically integrated multi-state operator in the cannabis industry. Ascend is a Massachusetts-based cannabis company with developing licenses in Illinois and Michigan. Together, the three markets are comparable in size to California, one of the most profitable cannabis regions in the U.S. With its multiple retail locations, along with a sizable grow facility, Ascend Wellness aims to build a best-in-class, multi-state premium cannabis retail experience. Ascend is led by Abner Kurtin, a successful Boston-based entrepreneur, along with Andrea Cabral, the twice-elected Sheriff of Suffolk County and the first female sheriff in Massachusetts history. "As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, having the ability to vertically scale while creating a premium customer retail experience has become critically important," said Abner Kurtin, Chief Executive Officer of Ascend. "We are excited about the opportunities in our target markets and Salveo's investment further validates our growth strategy. Salveo's deep investment and operational experience within the cannabis space will help stimulate significant growth and permit us to further expand our footprint in the markets in which we serve. It is an honor to accept Salveo's investment and we are eager to begin working closely with them to promote further value creation in the business." "With top-tier management and aggressive multi-state growth plans focused on the East and Midwest regions, we believe that Ascend is well positioned to take advantage of the ever-evolving market," said Michael ruber, a Managing Partner at Salveo Capital. "Importantly, we are firmly aligned with Ascend's belief that Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan present compelling opportunities for expansion. We are very pleased to complete this investment and look forward to working collaboratively with the entire Ascend team." Salveo Capital focuses on high-growth, ancillary service providers to the cannabis industry as well as businesses that cultivate and dispense the plant. The firm is currently investing capital out of its first private equity fund ("Fund I") and is targeting a $25 million close. Salveo is seeking to rapidly scale its platform with a goal of reaching $100 million of committed capital by late 2019. In addition to Ascend, Salveo Capital has completed ten investments thus far including Harborside, PathogenDx, Flow Kana, Baker, Front Range Biosciences, Headset, Purissima, Hiku (formerly Tokyo Smoke), Treez and Wurk. Legalized cannabis is a $9 billion market in North America and, according to industry research, is expected to reach an estimated $22 billion by 2020. From an international perspective, various countries around the world including Australia, Germany and Spain are legalizing marijuana, while others including Israel and The Netherlands are permitting exportation. Most recently, Canada enacted full legalization on October 17, 2018. About Ascend Ascend Wellness is a vertically integrated cannabis company operating in Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan. Ascend is redefining the cannabis retail experience, offering a customer-centric environment and a curated selection of products with effect-based categorization. Ascend also operates a large-scale indoor cultivation facility in Massachusetts. About Salveo Capital Launched at the end of 2016, Salveo Capital is an alternative investment firm specializing in the legalized cannabis space, particularly ancillary businesses. Salveo Capital's approach is to bring an institutional quality discipline to company vetting, investment structures and portfolio management. The Firm is committed to shaping the early-stage, yet rapidly growing, industry by providing funding and development to companies with the will and vision to be the future faces of legalized marijuana. As cannabis legalization spreads, Salveo Capital seeks to build long term sustainable companies and support innovative technologies, products and services to help address the unique requirements of the industry. The firm is led by Managing Partners Michael Gruber and Jeffrey Howard and based in Northbrook, Illinois, and with vertical industry executives and cannabis operating advisors across the country, including key markets of California and Colorado. For more information, please visit www.salveocapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005174/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Frost & Sullivan Publishes Update Coverage Report on Vonetize Plc: Cancellation of the deal with the television studio is not expected to affect the company's operations TEL AVIV, Israel, Dec. 6, 2018 /CNW/ -- TASE analysis project was launched in 2016 in order to raise the investors' level of knowledge of TASE listed technology and life-science companies and the markets in which the companies operate, thus creating appropriate pricing and increasing the exposure of investors from Israel and abroad. Its goal is to encourage investments in these companies by removing the barrier of lacking understanding in the market. In order to maintain professional, independent and unbiased analysis, the companies signed an agreement with the TASE to receive the analysis services for an obligatory period of two years. The companies cannot withdraw from the project during this period. The analysis is funded by the companies surveyed with funding from the Chief Scientist and the TASE. Summary of Highlights In our Q1 2018 report published at the end of June 2018 and in our immediate report published July 2, 2018, as well as in our immediate report from the beginning of November 2018, we reported the delays in completing Stage 1 of the deal to sell the controlling shares in Vonetize to Desilu Studios Inc., a Hollywood television studio. For further details on the deal and the acquiring company, see the annual report we published on May 7, 2018. On November 4, the company notified Desilu Studios of the cancellation of the deal to sell the controlling shares. We did not grant additional value to the company's activities due to the anticipated deal and therefore there is no change in our view of the company's value due to the cancellation of the transaction. Vonetize released its third quarter report for 2018 on November 30 which included the following highlights: A decrease in revenues from end users alongside promotion of cooperation and advancing activity in Russia The company's revenues remained at a similar level to those of the first nine months of 2017, amounting to approximately $ 980 thousand . In the last six quarters, we identify a certain reduction in revenues from end-users. . In the last six quarters, we identify a certain reduction in revenues from end-users. The company's cash and cash flows as of September 30, 2008 amounted to approximately $600 thousand , while cash used for operations amounted to approximately $ 2.9 million , meaning the company needs financing in the short term. amounted to approximately , while cash used for operations amounted to approximately , meaning the company needs financing in the short term. The company's auditors gave it a "going concern" warning. On October 2 , and following previous reports of a binding memorandum of understanding signed between Vonetize and a leading corporation in Russia , the company announced the launch of a global content service (TotalNow) and channel (TotalAction). Also in October, the company announced that it had signed a deal with an internet provider from Brazil , and following previous reports of a binding memorandum of understanding signed between Vonetize and a leading corporation in , the company announced the launch of a global content service (TotalNow) and channel (TotalAction). Also in October, the company announced that it had signed a deal with an internet provider from On October 7 , the company announced that it had signed an agreement with Hongkong Zeasn Information Technology Company Limited, a manufacturer of operating systems for smart TVs from various manufacturers, based in Hong Kong . The agreement was in regard to the distribution of Vonetize services. In light of the developments described above, we reduce the value of the company to NIS 32 million (approximately USD 9 million ); previously, our estimate of the company's value was NIS 41 million / $ 11.2 million ; the target price now ranges between 0.67 NIS to 0.92 NIS and on average is 0.79 NIS . The decrease in value is due to the company not meeting our revenue expectations. We originally estimated $ 1.6 million in 2018 revenues, and now estimate revenues of $ 1.3 million for the year. We have also decreased our 2019 revenue projections due to the company not meeting its operational goals in Russia as a result of the delay that occurred this past year. For further details, including market analysis, the company's product and technology, see our annual report published on May 7, 2018 and the initiation of coverage published by Frost & Sullivan on June 8, 2017. For our valuation methodology see the first valuation dated October 2, 2017. About the company - Vonetize Plc ("Vonetize"), an Israeli-headquartered company, offers Video-on-Demand (VOD), Over-The-Top (OTT) content services, technology platforms as fully-managed services for set-top boxes, smart phones, smart TVs and other Internet-connected devices. The company offers multi-screen end-to-end video content solutions, including; premium content from Hollywood studios, cloud-based digital video delivery of live VOD content, content management systems, billing, CRM, and marketing/business intelligence (BI) analysis systems. The company is active in Israel, Latin America, Africa, and the UK. Vonetize has been listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since July 2016. It was established and incorporated in Cyprus as Pixelate T.V. Ltd. in April 2011, and rebranded in February 2016. See full report here. Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion Contact: Kristi Cekani Corporate Communications - Frost & Sullivan, Europe P: +39.02.4851.6133 E: [email protected] http://www.frost.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/frost--sullivan-publishes-update-coverage-report-on-vonetize-plc-cancellation-of-the-deal-with-the-television-studio-is-not-expected-to-affect-the-companys-operations-300761217.html SOURCE Frost & Sullivan [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Home Bank and FHLB Dallas to Award $10K in Grant Funding to Educate At-Risk Youth Home Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) will award $10,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP (News - Alert)) funds to A New Vision Leadership Foundation of Acadiana to support its S.T.E.M. Education in Minority Communities program. Bank representatives will award the funds at a check presentation at 3:00 p.m. Friday, December 7, 2018, at Domingue Recreation Center at 901 Mudd Avenue in Lafayette. The media is encouraged to attend. A New Vision Leadership Foundation of Acadiana is a nonprofit organization that seeks to educate, expose and empower at-risk youth to improve in all aspects of their lives through college readiness, professional development and civic engagement. The structure of the PGP enables FHLB Dallas member institutions such as Home Bank to make a contribution of $500 to $4,000 to a community-based organization (CBO), which FHLB Dallas will match at a 3:1 ratio. For more information about the PGP, visit fhlb.com/pgp. WHAT: Check Presentation WHEN: 3:00 p.m., Friday, December 7, 2018 WHO: Brandon Kelly, Vice President, Community Reinvestment Director, Home Bank Darren Guidry, Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer, Home Bank Erica Williams, Founder/CEO, A New Vision Leadership Foundation of Acadiana Royal Hill, Centers Manager, Lafayette Parks and Recreation Melanie Dill, Community and Economic Development Product Manager, FHLB Dallas WHERE: Domingue Recreation Center 901 Mudd Avenue Lafayette, Louisiana 70501 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005016/en/ [December 06, 2018] Diamond CBD Goes Funny In New CBD Educational Awareness Ad Campaign MIAMI, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via OTC PR WIRE -- Diamond CBD Inc., wholly owned subsidiary of PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: POTN), and leader in hemp extraction and innovative CBD products for the wellness market, kicked off their nationwide educational campaign with a series of video shorts aimed at introducing CBD to a mainstream market. Called, "I am THC, I am CBD," the videos deftly mix humor and nostalgia to reach their ultimate goal of dispelling the myths about CBD commonly held by general audiences who are unfamiliar with the extract. The brainchild of the Miami-based marketing solutions team at Creative Propulsion Labs, "I am THC, I am CBD" takes inspiration from the classic "Get a Mac" ad campaign developed for Apple Inc. in the late 2000s. In a nostalgic nod to those ads, the "I am THC, I am CBD" campaign sees two actors appropriate the personas of THC and CBD, respectively, with brief but humorous exchanges that ultimately find CBD prevailing over THC in some way. "Although the market is expected to grow to almost $2 billion in the next decade, a good number of people still carry misconceptions about what CBD is and isn't," said Kevin Hagen, the CEO of PotNetwork Holdings, which owns Diamond CBD. "We wanted a way to introduce CBD to everyone; your mom, your uncle, your best friend without seeming too off-putting or too technical. When Adam Mizrahi [CEO of Creative Propulsion Labs] and the team came to us with this idea, we knew it would be a hit from the start." The campaign is part of a broader push by Diamond CBD to both bring CBD to the mainstream and to raise the standards of the industry as a whole. Recently, Hagen put out a call to arms of sorts, challenging the industry to become more accountable to consumers through tougher quality checkpoints. It's a movement that Diamond CBD believes they can spearhead, through leading by example. Along with the video campaign, the company will launch a CBD Education Center called, "What is CBD," which will become the official repository on the web for factual, up-to-date information about CBD. Diamond CBD has also added to its already high-quality standards, with increased product testing and increased transparency for consumers as well. "Diamond CBD has always held to the highest standards possible within the CBD industry, placing consumers first," said Hagen. "Now, we challenge the rest of the industry to join us." The "I am THC, I am CBD" campaign will be available on the web at DiamondCBD.com, as well as on other high traffic channels frequented by target demographics. About Diamond CBD, Inc. : Diamond CBD focuses on the research, development, and multinational marketing of premium hemp extracts that contain a broad range of cannabinoids and natural hemp derivatives. Diamond CBD's team consists of hemp industry pioneers and natural product experts, chemists, doctors and scientists, dedicated to producing the finest and purest cannabidiol (CBD) oils. The result is a robust selection considered among the most powerful natural CBD oils, tinctures, edibles, and vape liquids found anywhere. For more information, please visit its website at www.DiamondCBD.com. About PotNetwork Holdings, Inc .: PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. (OTC Pink: POTN) is a publicly traded company that acts as a holding company for its principal subsidiaries, First Capital Venture Co., the owner of Diamond CBD, Inc., the maker of Diamond CBD products. For more information, please visit its website at www.PotNetworkholding.com Safe Harbor: Forward-Looking Statements are included within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements regarding our expected future financial position, results of operations, cash flows, financing plans, business strategy, products and services, competitive positions, growth opportunities, plans and objectives of management for future operations, including words such as "anticipate," "if," "believe," "plan," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "could," "should," "will," and similar expressions are forward-looking statements and involve risks, uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control, which may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to differ materially from anticipated results, performance, or achievements. We are under no obligation to (and expressly disclaim any such obligation to) update or alter forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact:PotNetwork Holdings, Inc. Investor Relations: Marisol Elwell 1-800-915-3060 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] CATHEXIS Corporation Announces Rebranding, New Leadership Team FALLS CHURCH, Va., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CPS Professional Services, a management consulting company that delivers innovative enterprise performance improvement solutions and services to a host of leading federal government and industry clients, recently announced the business' rebranding to CATHEXIS. The step elevates the company's focus on data analytics, enterprise performance platforms, training and training support, and includes a new leadership team, logo, and website. The new website URL is www.cathexiscorp.com. "The cornerstone of our company continues to be helping to solve our clients' most complex and challenging issues," said Shawn Gundrum, CATHEXIS Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner. 'Cathexis' is defined as the focus of mental and emotional energy toward people, activities and ideas. "For us, it means the commitment of our personal and professional energy toward our clients' people, missions and visions," he said. Under the management of Gundrum, who acquired the company in May 2018, CATHEXIS has bolstered its customer base by securing key contract opportunities as it continues to position itself for future growth. Gundrum has invested in upgraded management tools and systems to align with efficiencies already established as part of the company's ISO 9001-2015 certification. Along wit the company's renaming and move in this new direction, Gundrum announced to its clients, team members and strategic partners the promotion of two managers to Director roles. Stafford Lewis, a 10-year company veteran who most recently served as the company's FAA portfolio manager, and Pam Piester, who joined the company in 2016, round out the leadership team led by Gundrum and Terry Peck, who continues to serve as the Chief Operating Officer. CATHEXIS' client base includes the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Postal Service, and multiple U.S. Department of Defense customers. In August, CATHEXIS was one of four prime award recipients for the Air Force Category Management contract. Task orders under the award, valued at $20 million, will run through August 2023. Competitors vying for this award were chosen for their expertise in Category Management execution and business intelligence, program implementation, data analytics, and staffing/task management. According to Gundrum, CATHEXIS' approach was based on data-driven decisions, internal and external benchmarking, market analysis, and gap analysis that will assist the maturation of USAF Category Management and minimize risk to the overall USAF mission. "We are excited to help the Air Force attain its overall goal of saving $2 billion and ultimately boosting lethality within the force." Now with the company for almost six months, Gundrum is optimistic about its future. "CATHEXIS had a strong second half of 2018, and we look forward to capitalizing on our improved business processes to deliver even more capability to our clients in 2019 and beyond," he said. About CATHEXIS Falls Church, Virginia-based CATHEXIS Corporation is a management consulting company that provides innovative enterprise performance improvement solutions and services to a wide array of federal government clients. Formerly CPS Professional Services, the company's core competencies have evolved to keep pace with a dynamic federal marketplace driven by changing requirements and emerging technologies. The service-disabled veteran-owned small business projects growth in its military and veteran affairs business during the next five years. For more information about CATHEXIS, please visit www.cathexiscorp.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cathexis-corporation-announces-rebranding-new-leadership-team-300761052.html SOURCE CATHEXIS Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Robert Livingston Appointed to Board of Directors of Amphenol Corporation Amphenol (News - Alert) Corporation (NYSE:APH) today announced that Robert A. Livingston, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Dover Corporation (NYSE: DOV), has been appointed to Amphenol's board of directors. Prior to his retirement in April 2018, Mr. Livingston spent 35 years with the Dover Corporation, including most recently as its President and Chief Executive Officer for almost 10 years. Prior to that, Mr. Livingston served as President of Dover Engineered Systems and Dover Electronics. Mr. Livingston has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Salisbury University. Mr. Livingston is also a member of the board of directors of RPM International Inc. "Bob brings a wealth of experience to Amphenol and we are excited to welcome him to Amphenol's board of directors," said R. Adam Norwitt, Amphenol's CEO. "We believe his successful track record leading a large, publicly-traded U.S. multinational manufacturer together with his extensive experience in global manufacturing, mergers and acquisitions and finance will be extremely valuable as Amphenol continues to grow around the world." "We conducted an exhaustive search for a director who would further strengthen our board's breadth of talent and background, and we are deligted to have identified such an outstanding individual," said Martin Loeffler, Amphenol's Chairman. "I am confident that Bob will make a significant contribution to the board and the Company." "I have been extremely impressed by Amphenol's innovative products, dynamic leadership team and unique entrepreneurial culture, and am honored to be joining their board," said Mr. Livingston. "I have tremendous respect for Martin, Adam and the other board members, and I look forward to working with them." Amphenol Corporation is one of the world's largest designers, manufacturers and marketers of electrical, electronic and fiber optic connectors, interconnect systems, antennas, sensors and sensor-based products and coaxial and high-speed specialty cable. Amphenol designs, manufactures and assembles its products at facilities in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa and sells its products through its own global sales force, independent representatives and a global network of electronics distributors. Amphenol has a diversified presence as a leader in high growth areas of the interconnect market including: Automotive, Broadband Communications, Commercial Aerospace, Industrial, Information Technology and Data Communications (News - Alert), Military, Mobile Devices and Mobile Networks. Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this press release which are other than historical facts are intended to be "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other related laws. While the Company believes such statements are reasonable, the actual results and effects could differ materially from those currently anticipated. Please refer to Part I, Item 1A of the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, for some factors that could cause the actual results to differ from estimates. In providing forward-looking statements, the Company is not undertaking any duty or obligation to update these statements publicly as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005186/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Precision BioSciences and Durham STEM Students Lead Launch of First Genome Editing Experiment Into Space Precision BioSciences today announced that the world's first genome editing experiment in space has been launched aboard a SpaceX (News - Alert) Dragon cargo spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission was launched yesterday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and is anticipated to deliver its cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts aboard the ISS are expected to perform the first genome editing experiment in space using Precision's proprietary, next-generation genome editing technology, ARCUS. Precisioneers JoAnn Hux and Ginger Tomberlin have been working with Karen Kingera, STEM Director of Immaculata Middle School in Durham, North Carolina, and her dedicated group of 15 students for over a year on this project. The program was made possible by Space Center University at Space Center Houston and the DreamUp program. DreamUp places select student projects on SpaceX ISS payloads, and students whose projects are chosen are also invited to attend the launch and participate in presentations and poster sessions at Cape Canaveral. Hux, a molecular biologist, said "I have always enjoyed teaching local students about my work at Precision and was honored when they invited me to mentor this Space Center University project. These young scientists have designed a fantastic gene editing experiment for the Space Station, and I could not be prouder of them." Precision's ARCUS editing technology is particularly well-suited to this type of project because it is based on a single, compact protein. The ARCUS nuclease is stable across a range of temperatures and can be dried down and rehydrated without compromising function. Details of the student-led experiment can be found on the ARCUS ISS project page at nasa.gov. After viewing the launch, Precision CEO Matt Kane said, "I'm so pleased Precision could be part of this experiment and really admire the Precisioneers who have given their time to support these amazing young scientists. As a kid, I dreamed about being an astronaut and even attended Space Camp. Watching SpaceX take our gene editing platform into orbit - it's an absolute thrill. Our hope is that this will be the first of many steps to make ARCUS genome editing a critical component of future scientific endeavors, including space exploration." About Space Center University Space Center University is a challenging five-day program offered year-round. The program promotes teamwork, problem solving, communication and engineering solutions to space related situations. It is designed to develop and improve critical thinking skills, fiscal responsibility, creativity and the drive to be successful. For additional information, please visit www.spacecenter.org/space-center-u About the DreamUp Space Program DreamUp is an educational spinoff company from commercial services provider NanoRacks. Their mission is to realize an educational community where space-based research and space-based projects will be available to all students, from primary to post-doctorate, to the International Space Station and beyond. For additional information about DreamUp, please visit www.dreamup.org About Precision BioSciences Precision BioSciences is dedicated to improving life. Our mission is to cure genetic disease, overcome cancer, and feed the planet. We are striving to achieve this goal with ARCUS, our therapeutic-grade, naturally-derived genome editing platform to help overcome life's greatest genetic challenges. For additional information, please visit www.precisionbiosciences.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005220/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Phoenix Life Sciences International Announces the Release of the Company's Investor Relations Deck and Accompanying Video Presentation DENVER, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phoenix Life Sciences International Limited (OTC: PLSI) (Phoenix Life), an international adaptive healthcare solutions company, today announced that it has released an online version of its Investor Relations deck with an accompanying video presentation on its website and at http://phxlife.net/PLSI-Deck . During the presentation video, Phoenix Life CEO Martin Tindall walks prospective investors through the companys background, overall mission, business model, future plans and information on how to invest in Phoenix Lifes goal of transforming the future of global healthcare. We are excited to release our Investor Relations deck and video presentation on our company website to provide investors in the public markets with a clear understanding of the business of Phoenix Life, our mission and our objectives, said Phoenix Life Sciences International CEO Martin Tindall. With all of the momentum our company is experiencing, we have received continued interest in better understanding our company and our vision. Through this presentation, we hope to share more about Phoenix Lifes global vision of creating natural alternatives to traditional healthcare and further attract further scientific partners to join us in our mission. Phoenix Life plans to utilize a vertically integrated operation to produce its medical cannabis pharmaceutical products and ensure maximum efficacy. The company aims to partner with the single-payer healthcare systems of both established and emerging economies to conduct medical studies on cannabis for diabetes and establish programs for diabetes patients to receive the company's botanically derived products. The company is also releasing videos on its website for the public to learn about its Medical Advisory Board , its Product Pipeline and Background Story . This further expands our News and Media coverage section of our website. To learn more about what the news is saying about Phoenix Life Sciences International, please visit the companys In the News page at: https://plsi.co/news/ . To watch the Investor Relations deck presentation, please visit http://phxlife.net/PLSI-Deck . To learn more about Phoenix Life Sciences International, please visit https://www.phoenixlife.co . About Phoenix Life Sciences International Limited Phoenix Life Sciences International Limited is an adaptive healthcare solutions company. Our business is to advance research and integrate programs and manufacturing of products that target and treat diabetes, pain, cancer, and address psychological, gastrointestinal, autoimmune, neurological and sleep disorders. We strive to create partnerships and integrate these programs for human health into communities worldwide as part of our Global Health Initiative. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Information contained in this press release regarding Phoenix Life Sciences International, Limited and its subsidiaries, (the Companies) may constitute forward-looking statements or statements which may be deemed or construed to be forward-looking statements. The words plan, forecast, anticipates, estimate, project, intend, expect, should, believe, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve, and are subject to, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the Companys actual results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements to differ from the future results, performance (financial or operating) or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The risks, uncertainties and other factors are more fully discussed in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Companies herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by the above-mentioned cautionary statement. The Companies disclaim any obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this press release, except as may be required by law. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) DISCLOSURE These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and therefore the products sold by Phoenix Life Sciences International are not available on U.S. LEGAL DISCLOSURE Phoenix Life Sciences International does not sell or distribute any products in the United States that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act (US.CSA). This company does not grow, sell, and distribute cannabis-based products in the United States and is solely involved with the legal distribution of medical cannabis-based products within certain international markets outside of the United States. Investor Contact: Phone: 1.888.717.5655 or international +1.720.699.7222 E-mail: [email protected] Media Contact: Kathryn Reinhardt CMW Media [email protected] 619-972-3089 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Bias Intelligence Inc. Announces Commercial Availability of Bias Optimizer Suite 2.1 SEATTLE, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bias Intelligence Inc., an AI-based prescriptive analytics company focused on the end-to-end delivery of solutions to the most challenging process optimization problems facing global companies, today announced the commercial release of Bias Optimizer 2.1. Additionally, the company announced the service, in conjunction with TH2s Rental and Fleet Management platform, is now deployed to production at Tourism Holdings Limited (NZX: THL), the largest provider of recreational vehicles (RVs) for rent and sale in Australia and New Zealand, and the second largest in North America. "I am incredibly excited to announce the release of Bias Optimizer 2.1, said Ilya Buzytsky, Chief Executive Officer of Bias Intelligence. At Bias our belief is that there is a new category of system optimization problems that legacy software products simply cannot solve. We aim to advance the system optimization industry by leaps and bounds using modern cloud and AI-based technologies and are incredibly excited to be working with TH2 to have our first production deployment at Tourism Holdings Limited. One of the core products of TH2s B2B platform is fleet optimization, scheduling and availability getting this right is critical to improved fleet utilization and lower costs for rental delivery, said Keith Chilek, Chief Technology Officer of TH2. Integrating the Bias Optimizer as part of our overall platform was a natural fit to achieve our performance and capability objectives. Tourism Holdings Limited (THL) operates over 6,000 RVs across multiple countries and manages a growing amount of customer reservations each day which the company is required to schedule, maintain and honor. Ensurin that the right RV is in the right location at the right time is a top priority for the company and ensures THL exceeds customer expectations. A significant challenge for THL is the efficient relocation of RVs in such a way that it optimizes the complex balance of fuel costs, employee time, RV down time, and customer experience. Reducing these costs while increasing customer experience is a direct benefit to THL bottom line results. To address these challenges, THL deployed Bias Optimizer 2.1 in production in October 2018. BIAS Optimizer 2.1 is unquestionably superior to our old system, said Nicky Bree, Commercial Fleet Operations Manager at Tourism Holdings Limited. We are now tracking demand and scheduling in near real-time managing each hour by hour and filling all available times to accept a booking, which has increased our revenue opportunities. The system has been stable since deployment and we haven't looked back. "We are thrilled with the experience that THL is having with the Bias platform, said Andrey Shishkarev, Chief Technology Officer of Bias Intelligence. We worked hard with TH2 to advance our ability to handle complex multi-modal models, real-time system constraint changes, and support for advanced algorithms based on dynamic and genetic programming paradigms. The THL use case is a perfect fit for our technology and one that we expect to continue to create significant value for enterprise companies around the world. To learn more about Bias Intelligence, please visit http://biasintelligence.com . About Bias Intelligence Bias Intelligence is an AI-based prescriptive analytics company focused on the end-to-end delivery of solutions to the most challenging process optimization problems facing global companies today. Bias Intelligence delivers these solutions through a set of packaged software offerings combined with an advanced understanding of big data platforms in the industry today. We enable customers to unlock the true potential of their data by helping them gather insight and make decisions in order to optimize their business processes. Bias Intelligence was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Learn more at http://biasintelligence.com . About TH2 TH2 is a joint venture created by two travel giants: Thor Industries, the worlds largest RV manufacturer, and Tourism Holdings Limited, the worlds largest RV rental operator. TH2 brings together the worlds best travel and tech companies to reimagine the RV experience. TH2s innovative approach to the RV experience will improve every aspect of ownership with capabilities that include trip planning and booking, remote monitoring, theft tracking, and peer-to-peer RV and campsite rental. About Tourism Holdings Ltd. Tourism Holdings Ltd. engages in the manufacture, rental, and sale of motorhomes and other tourism related activities. The company was founded on September 19, 1984 and is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand. Contact Information Contact: Ilya Buzytsky Chief Executive [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Cloudera Foundation Awards More Than US$1,750,000 to Help AidData and Terres des hommes Use Data to Address Pressing Global Challenges PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cloudera Foundation was created in 2017 because its founders believe that the responsible use of data is a powerful tool to make progress on the world's most challenging problems. They set up the Cloudera Foundation to make it easier for organizations globally to use data to address social and environmental problems. Today, the Cloudera Foundation announces its first grantees. The foundation will award US$1,152,000 to AidData in support of the further development of a self-service tool that helps nonprofits unlock the power of location data, as well as tools like remote sensing and AI. This will enable many more organizations to identify where disadvantaged populations are located as well as to better evaluate their programs' effectiveness. The foundation will award US$640,000 to Terre des hommes to use predictive analytics and machine learning to help health professionals in West Africa avoid misdiagnosis and errors in treatment of deadly diseases such as pneumonia or diarrhea among children under the age of five. In parallel, Cloudera, Inc. is donating software and technical support worth close to US$1,000,000 to both grantees. The two grantees were selected after an 8-month process that involved talking to more than 200 nonprofits around the globe working on a wide range of issues, including health, human rights, and climate change, among others. The Cloudera Foundation evaluated potential grantees based on the potential impact of their project, the importance of using data to achieve that impact, and the ability of the nonprofit to implement and continue to use data management technology over time. The selection process confirmed that it takes much more than providing software licenses to nonprofits to enable them to reap the benefits of the advances in storing, processing, and analyzing data. Therefore, in addition to financial support and free licenses of Cloudera, Inc.'s software, the Cloudera Foundation will draw on the expertise of its own data technologists and that of the larger Cloudera, Inc. staff volunteers to help the grantees to achieve their impact goals. "We are very excited to announce the Cloudera Foundation's first grants, and we could not be more thrilled about these partnerships," said Claudia Juech, the Cloudera Foundation's CEO, who previously served as Associate Vice President and Managing Director for Strategic Insights at The Rockefeller Foundation. "With these first grants, in addition to funding, we are able to provide the kind of technologies and deep expertise in realizing value from data that is often out of reach for many organizations. The field is just learnng how to harness the power of data to take on major global challenges, and we are eager to play a meaningful role in advancing that work." AidData - GeoQuery The partnership with AidData, a research lab at William & Mary's Global Research Institute, will support the continued development and expansion of AidData's self-service portal GeoQuery . GeoQuery allows nonprofits that don't have deep data science expertise or significant computational power to aggregate a wide variety of data including satellite imagery and data about health, conflict, or economic information, among others into a format that is compatible with Microsoft Excel or other commonly-used software. It will help overcome the challenge that many organizations face there is significant data available, but organizations often don't have the means to use it. "To learn as a global community, we need to make it easy for anyone to access big data," said William & Mary President Katherine A. Rowe. "A flagship initiative of the AidData research lab, GeoQuery provides just one example of how William & Mary students and faculty from diverse backgrounds and disciplines are working together to identify, test, and scale these kinds of innovative solutions to real-world problems. We are grateful that the Cloudera Foundation sees the potential of GeoQuery, and shares William & Mary's long-term vision for its global reach and impact." Terre des hommes IeDA Terre des hommes is the leading Swiss organization for children's aid, providing assistance to over three million children and their families in more than 45 countries each year. The partnership with Terre des hommes will support a project called Integrated e-Diagnostic Approach (IeDA), which has equipped hundreds of clinics in Burkina Faso, West Africa, with computer tablets to help health professionals diagnose and treat deadly diseases of children under the age of five. The partnership between Terre des hommes and the Cloudera Foundation will help IeDA use the data that health professionals collect to further improve quality of care. It will also equip the Ministry of Health with additional insights into how to detect health threats and improve how the government allocates resources to reduce child morbidity and mortality. "Collecting data can be extremely difficult in West Africa, especially in remote areas, and IeDA has made important strides in overcoming this challenge: by end of the year we will reach 4 million medical consultations stored in our database," said Riccardo Lampariello, Terres des hommes' head of health programs. "Our partnership with the Cloudera Foundation will allow us to use such a wealth of data in much more powerful ways. Working with this sophisticated technology and partnering with their data scientists will help improve diagnoses, spot trends, and upgrade health clinics management with the ultimate goal to save children's lives." Helping to develop a field The Cloudera Foundation's work comes at a time when an increasing number of institutions have emerged that are interested in using data to address global problems. Jake Porway, a pioneer in the Data for Good movement as well as the founder and executive director of DataKind , a global nonprofit dedicated to using data science and AI in the service of humanity, welcomed today's announcement. "At DataKind, we've worked to create a world where social organizations like nonprofits and governments can boost their impact using the same data technologies that companies use to boost their profits. Given our work, we have a privileged view of the data science needs of the sector and what it takes to create lasting solutions with social organizations. Unsurprisingly, funding for data and the expertise on how to use it is one of the biggest gaps. I'm so pleased to see Cloudera Foundation's model for support as it's an important advancement in the data for good space that is so rare to find these days and helps to move the needle on the world's toughest challenges." As one of the world's largest philanthropies, the Wellcome Trust plans to invest more than 5 billion in the next five years in areas that include science, population health, medical innovation, the humanities and social sciences, and public engagement. Chonnettia Jones, Wellcome Trust's Director of Insight and Analysis, acknowledges that the field of philanthropy needs better tools to ensure that these funds can be spent effectively to help as many people as possible. "Until now, the use of data science has largely benefited big corporations and government efforts," she said. "But the Cloudera Foundation is now making it possible for the social sector to be able to use sophisticated data tools to improve the lives of people around the world. This is a really promising development for the field of philanthropy." About the Cloudera Foundation The Cloudera Foundation is an independent, privately funded 501(c)(3) foundation that works with nonprofits around the globe to harness the power of data to improve people's lives and protect the planet. For more information, visit www.clouderafoundation.org. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cloudera-foundation-awards-more-than-us1-750-000-to-help-aiddata-and-terres-des-hommes-use-data-to-address-pressing-global-challenges-300761120.html SOURCE Cloudera Foundation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Gibbs Law Group and Paul LLP File Class Action Lawsuit against Wells Fargo for Violating Federal Housing Assistance Laws Gibbs Law Group, along with the law firm of Paul LLP, have filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of borrowers who were wrongfully denied a mortgage modification under the federal Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) due to an alleged software error by Wells Fargo (News - Alert). To read our Wells Fargo class action lawsuit complaint, visit our website: https://www.classlawgroup.com/wells-fargo-mortgage-modification-lawsuit/. The lawsuit alleges, among other things, that Wells Fargo failed to implement and maintain its internal software and protocols to correctly determine whether a mortgage modification was required under HAMP regulations. The lawsuit further alleges that Wells Fargo knew of the error in 2015 but failed to disclose it for nearly three years. And that as a result, hundreds of borrowers suffered grave consequences of the incorrect denials including wrongful foreclosures, increased fees, and serious damage to their credit. Attorneys at Gibbs Law Group and Paul LLP are reviewin potential claims on behalf of additional borrowers who were affected by Wells Fargo's wrongful mortgage modification denials. "The damage that Wells Fargo caused to borrowers affected by this error has been profound and life-changing," said Michael Schrag of Gibbs Law Group. "Wells Fargo must be held accountable for the harm and anxiety it has needlessly caused borrowers and their families," added Rick Paul of Paul LLP. Borrowers who believe they were wrongfully denied loan modifications by Wells Fargo between 2010 and 2018 and would like to learn more about their legal rights in the Wells Fargo Mortgage Modification Lawsuit may contact our team at 1-800-254-9493. About Gibbs Law Group Gibbs Law Group is a national litigation firm representing consumers in individual and class action lawsuits in state and federal courts concerning consumer protection, financial fraud, employment laws, and personal injury. Gibbs Law Group's attorneys have been named among the Best Lawyers in America and have been recognized among the Top Plaintiff Lawyers in California. About Paul LLP Paul LLP is a national litigation firm whose practice focuses on complex business, product liability, and employment litigation, typically involving multi-parties, class or mass actions. Paul LLP's attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyer and American Registry's Top Attorneys in Missouri/Kansas. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005300/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Boku Inc acquires Danal Inc for $112 Million consideration SAN JOSE, Calif., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Danal, Inc., today announced Boku (AIM: BOKU), the world's leading independent direct carrier billing company, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of Danal, Inc for a total consideration of $112 Million plus warrants. The acquisition creates the global leader in mobile identity and authentication solutions driven by real-time connections to Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and proprietary third-party data sources. The acquisition of Danal will accelerate the development of Bokus mobile identity service offering, allow expansion into new merchant segments, and ensure broader exposure to key geographies. Danals strong backlog of business opportunities and Bokus global network of connections and capabilities will open up new revenue channels for Danals existing customers and create a powerful and global mobile identity solution. Jim Greenwell, CEO of Danal Inc commented, Boku shares Danals commitment to providing top-tier identity services. As well, the two companies have a similar heritage and background with its deep ties to gloal MNOs. This is a great merger for the two companies and an excellent outcome for Danal customers, partners, employees and shareholders. Jon Prideaux, CEO of Boku, Inc said, We are delighted to have acquired Danal, Inc., a company that we have always respected. Danal has developed a fabulous business with connections to carriers and great customers and distribution partners. Boku's global carrier connection capability will enable the combined company to expand coverage and develop new territories. Completion of the acquisition is subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions and is expected to be on or around 31 December 2018. About Danal Danal, Inc. is the premier global provider of mobile identity and authentication solutions driven by unique real-time connections to mobile operator networks and data. Danals patented technology solves for multiple use cases across various industry verticals such as financial institution, healthcare, marketplaces, e-commerce, hospitality, etc. The supported use cases range from solving for compliance (GDPR, KYC, AML, TCPA, PSD2 SCA, etc.), Identity proofing (computer vision, video streaming, biometrics and machine learning) during registration, high-value transactions and access control plus user experience improvements (auto form-fill, instant enrollment, guest check-out, etc.) and fraud prevention (account takeover, SIM fraud, device spoofing, malware, etc.). Danal, Inc. is a privately held US company whose investors include Discover Financial Services, Morgenthaler Group, Orange Telecom, Bangkok Bank, Experian, Hansol Group, and Danal Co, Ltd. Get in Touch . Contact Us: [email protected] 408-232-3300 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] UC Funds Announces Grand Opening of Residence Inn Hotel in Stamford, Connecticut UC Funds, a vertically-integrated commercial real estate specialty finance firm, announces the ribbon cutting for its new Residence Inn Stamford Downtown, located at 25 Atlantic Street in Stamford, Connecticut. It is the first hotel in Stamford to offer extended-stay lodging and serves as Downtown Stamford's only all-suite property. Daniel Palmier, Founder and CEO of UC Funds, and David Martin, Mayor of Stamford, will cut the ribbon at Residence Inn Stamford Downtown today, December 6, at 11 a.m. The ceremony will also include remarks by Mayor Martin and Palmier, along with a champagne toast. UC Funds acquired the asset in April 2017, after stalled construction from its previous owner caused the site to sit untouched for two years. UC Funds immediately set upon an accelerated construction timeline to finish the project. The eight-story, 156-key hotel opened its doors November 21, 2018. This Marriott-franchised hotel is managed by Urgo Hotels & Resorts. "We're honored to celebrate the opening of Residence Inn Stamford Downtown after nearly two years of collaboration with the Marriott and Urgo organizations," said Palmier. "The hotel provides a new anchor for the community and we expect the extended-stay offering to have a major impact on Stamford's continuing revitalization as a bedroom community for Manhattan and a gateway to New England." UC Funds quickly expanded its Stamford portfolio, having acquired the adjacent Courtyard Stamford Downtown in 2016. The Residence Inn construction marks the latest move in the firm's total capital commitment in excess of $100 million in Downtown Stamford and fulfills the growing demand for downtwn lodging among business travelers throughout the Northeast. "The Residence Inn in Downtown Stamford will provide a unique lodging opportunity for both corporate and leisure travelers to Stamford," said Mayor David Martin. "These accommodations are a successful example of how Stamford's business environment continues to thrive." The new Residence Inn features luxury apartment-style accommodations and over 2,000 square feet of meeting and event space, ideal for corporate travelers searching for sophisticated Manhattan-style lodging in a central location. The hotel also boasts a state-of-the-art fitness center, a mezzanine level outdoor bar, and a patio area. A tapas-style restaurant and tequila bar located in the lobby provides the ONE CLUB brand's signature high-end service for guests and visitors. The hotel lies 30 miles outside New York City and is within walking distance of the Metro North railway station. It also sits within a three-block radius of Downtown Stamford's many restaurants and attractions. "The new Residence Inn will attract guests who have spending power and will patronize restaurants and shops in the downtown area, generating revenue for Stamford's local businesses," said Kevin Urgo, Principal and Managing Partner at Urgo Hotels & Resorts. "There is no doubt that UC Funds' investment will act as a catalyst for other investors and make the area a more attractive option for residents and businesses alike." Palmier partnered for the second time with DES-SYN's Jillian Pritchard Cooke to capture UC Fund's upscale ONE CLUB branding and design, balancing natural light with hard surfaces to create a welcoming color scheme throughout the hotel. This design was most recently used in UC Funds' acquisition and redevelopment of ONE CLUB Gulf Shores in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Palmier and Pritchard Cooke collaborated closely to develop a synergetic design for all guest rooms and common areas, using space and visual points to create an atmosphere with panache and conducive to relaxation. Pritchard Cooke's DES-SYN team also incorporated their signature sustainability, keeping health standards a top priority, avoiding toxins, and ensuring all products emitted little or no gas. The Residence Inn offers studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom suites and features a two-story ceiling, a baby grand player piano, and a fireplace. Other amenity highlights include complimentary Wi-Fi, a whirlpool spa, a 2,000-square-foot 24-hour fitness center, and a 24-hour market with on-the-go food, beverages, and snacks. "The hotel is very attractive, in a beautiful location right in the heart of downtown. The economic benefit is huge," said Sandy Goldstein, President of the Stamford Downtown Special Services District. "Dan Palmier has been an incredible community partner. It has to be in your DNA to know that it's important to be a part of the community and quite clearly Dan knows that." For information on the Residence Inn ribbon cutting ceremony please email [email protected] or call 212-288-1237. For booking inquiries, call the Residence Inn Downtown Stamford at 203-564-5000. About UC Funds Founded in 2010 by Dan Palmier, UC Funds is a vertically integrated commercial real estate specialty finance firm that originates, structures, underwrites, and asset manages its estate investments. A national balance sheet provider of both debt and equity capital solutions, UC Funds has provided over $2 billion of capital solutions to date. UC Funds offers quick and customized financial solutions throughout the entire capital stack, including joint venture equity. One of the nation's most entrepreneurial lending institutions, UC Funds focuses on multifamily, retail, office, hotel, industrial/warehouse, adaptive reuse, and construction assets nationwide. The firm has developed strong relationships with past and current borrowers through their renowned customer service, creativity, speed, and reliability. In July 2017 UC Funds announced the launch of their industry leading non-recourse commercial mortgage bridge loan, UC GO. This is the most transformative and competitive commercial mortgage product available in commercial real estate. UC GO is now available at 85 percent loan to value and 0.5 debt service coverage ratio. The variable rate non-recourse product, which starts at LIBOR +275, is available for loans as little as $5 million. To apply for UC GO financing, please contact Domenico Manago, Managing Director of Sales, at 857-288-2811 or email [email protected]. For more information on UC Funds, visit www.UCFunds.com or https://danielpalmier.ucfunds.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005509/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Unique Dining Experience in Dallas Serves Up Awareness for Disability Employment The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), with support from Voya Financial (Voya), are advocating for equal rights for all individuals with Down syndrome through a unique dining experience known as C21. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005514/en/ Voya's President of Corporate Markets for Retirement, Bill Harmon, National Down Syndrome Society President and CEO, Sara Hart Weir, Self-Advocate, Kathy Mai and Voya President of Tax-Exempt Markets, Heather Lavallee, together at the C21 event in Dallas on Wednesday, Dec. 5. (Photo Credit: Sarah Pebworth) C21, named for the extra 21st chromosome that is characteristic of people with Down syndrome, is traveling to cities across the country. The latest experience took place at Maggiano's Little Italy in Dallas; prior C21 events popped up on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the New York Stock Exchange and the Atlanta History Center. The goal of C21, which is staffed entirely by self-advocates with Down syndrome and other disabilities, is to demonstrate to the world that these individuals are ready, willing and able to work. "We often hear the phrase 'Everything is Bigger in Texas.' This couldn't have been more true when C21, a unique dining experience, landed in Dallas," said NDSS President and CEO Sara Hart Weir. "C21 helps showcase to the world in a 'big way' the real abilities that individuals with Down syndrome bring to the workplace. At NDSS, we are dedicated to working with businesses and organizations, from Main Street to Wall Street, to demonstrate that our future workforce should be integrated, diverse and inclusive." "At Voya, we believe that all Americans deserve a secure financial future, especially those with disabilities and special needs who may sometimes struggle to be welcomed into the workforce," said Heather Lavallee, president of Tax-Exempt Markets for Voya's Retirement business. "The mission of C21 closely aligns with our broader focus and is a reflection of Voya's unique culture, wich is committed to helping all Americans achieve the future they envision." A primary objective of C21 is to call attention to a series of antiquated laws that hinder individuals with Down syndrome from pursuing their career aspirations and living independently. This includes current employment legislation, specifically the passage of the bipartisan H.R.1377, Transitioning to Integrated Meaningful Employment (TIME) Act. This legislation seeks to responsibly phase out an 80-year-old provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which, even in 2018, continues to allow certain employers to pay wages lower than the federal minimum wage to workers who have disabilities. To learn more about NDSS and C21, visit ndss.org. To experience an example of the impact this unique dining experience has been creating, you can also watch a brief video of the event Voya and NDSS hosted in Atlanta earlier this fall. Voya is committed to supporting all Americans with holistic financial wellness, insurance and retirement planning solutions. This includes support for the special needs and caregiver community, where Voya offers a depth of resources focused on holistic education and planning through its Voya Cares program. To learn more, visit Voyacares.com. About NDSS The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), is the largest nonprofit in the United States dedicated to advocating for all people with Down syndrome in the world. The mission of NDSS is to be the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. NDSS provides state-of-the-art, comprehensive programming to all individuals with Down syndrome and their families, which include: The National Advocacy & Public Policy Center in Washington, DC, its Down Syndrome Health Resources & Promotion Program, the first of its kind #DSWORKS Employment Program, which is showing the world that people with Down syndrome are ready, willing and ABLE to work as well as the National Buddy Walk Program. NDSS envisions a world in which all people with Down syndrome have the opportunity to enhance their quality of life, realize their life aspirations and become valued members of welcoming communities. For more information, visit NDSS.org and follow us on Facebook (News - Alert), Twitter and Instagram. About Voya Financial Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), helps Americans plan, invest and protect their savings - to get ready to retire better. Serving the financial needs of approximately 14.3 million individual and institutional customers in the United States, Voya is a Fortune 500 company that had $8.6 billion in revenue in 2017. The company had $543 billion in total assets under management and administration as of September 30, 2018. With a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible - one person, one family, one institution at a time - Voya's vision is to be America's Retirement Company. Certified as a "Great Place to Work" by the Great Place to Work Institute, Voya is equally committed to conducting business in a way that is socially, environmentally, economically and ethically responsible. Voya has been recognized as one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute; one of the 2018 World's Most Admired Companies by Fortune magazine; as a member of the Bloomberg (News - Alert) Gender Equality Index; and as a "Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" on the Disability Equality Index by Disability:IN. For more information, visit voya.com. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (News - Alert) @Voya. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005514/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] New Program Helps Businesses, Non-Profits Create an Ownership Culture-Even If They're Not Employee-Owned The New Jersey/New York Center for Employee Ownership at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations (SMLR) and the Democracy at Work Institute today announced a new program to help organizations increase engagement and productivity by giving a voice to rank-and-file workers. Modeled on the successful strategies used by many employee-owned companies, the Participatory Management Certificate Program can help businesses boost their bottom line. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005552/en/ "When employees participate in decision-making and understand how their organization creates financial value, they can better contribute to the success of the business," said Professor Bill Castellano, executive director of the New Jersey/New York Center for Employee Ownership. "More and more organizations are striving to create this kind of entrepreneurial culture as they wrestle with economic and global challenges." Rutgers studies show employee-owned firms have higher productivity, lower turnover, and more stable employment. To help more organizations reap these benefits-even if they are not employee-owned-Rutgers researchers teamed up with the respected practtioners at the Democracy at Work Institute to design an intensive certificate program that combines case studies, research, and practical applications. Geared toward managers in large firms, small businesses, cooperatives, and non-profits, the program will show participants how to create a values-driven, participatory work environment by: Improving transparency when sharing information Empowering employees in decision-making Developing a management style that fosters participation Engaging employees and promoting their growth Building organizational citizenship and a high-involvement organization "Our aim is to aggregate and share the enormous wisdom contained within employee-owned companies," said Melissa Hoover, executive director of the Democracy at Work Institute. "While this program offers clear benefits to the managers of the wave of companies transitioning to employee ownership, any company with an interest in employee engagement and participation should find it valuable. Employee-owned businesses are really the standard-bearers for innovative and effective practices in the management of participatory workplaces, and now these are widely available to learn from." The five-day program will take place at Rutgers University in Spring 2019 (dates to be announced) and other locations nationally in the coming years. An online version is planned for 2020. About Us The New Jersey/New York Center for Employee Ownership provides education and technical assistance to businesses exploring an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), equity compensation, or worker co-op. The Center is located within the Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. The Democracy at Work Institute is the nation's leading training and development organization for worker cooperatives, bringing together best practices from highly successful companies to grow and strengthen employee ownership in the U.S. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005552/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Honda R&D Americas Announces Expansion in Raymond, Ohio Honda (News - Alert) R&D Americas, Inc. and JobsOhio today announced a grant partnership supporting and promoting a growing, high-tech workforce at Honda R&D Americas' Ohio Center, including the addition of 175 new jobs. Associates at the Raymond, Ohio, R&D center - Honda's second-largest R&D center in the world - are responsible for creating the advanced technologies and automobile and powersports products that bring new value to Honda and Acura customers in North America and global markets. Honda R&D Americas is advancing its driver-assistive and human interface systems to support Honda's vision of contributing to a collision-free society. In October, in Marysville, Ohio, Honda demonstrated its "Smart Intersection" technology for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication designed to help reduce traffic collisions at roadway intersections, one of the first such deployments of V2X technology in a real-world setting. "We've been building our team of innovative Honda engineers in Ohio for more than 30 years," said Frank Paluch, president of Honda R&D Americas, Inc. "As Honda takes on new challenges to meet the future needs of our customers, we continue to build a next-generation workforce by investing in our associates, our operations and our communities to promote the growing, high-tech presence here in Ohio." JobsOhio will support the project with a JobsOhio R&D Center Grant, a JobsOhio Workforce Grant and JobsOhio Talent Acquisition Services. "Honda R&D Americas' investment in Ohio is an important step forward in building the next generation of mobility," said Kristi Tanner, JobsOhio senior managing director for automotive. "We are thrilled that Honda is working on its latest technology here in the Columbus Region, where they can partner with the likes of Connected Marysville, TRC and 33 Smart Mobility Corridor." Honda R&D Americas, Inc. Operating 12 facilities in the United States, Honda R&D Americas, Inc. (HRA) was incorporated in 1984 after beginning operations in California in 1975. HRA is responsible for creating advanced products and technologies that provide new value to Honda and Acura customers. HRA conducts all phases of product development in the U.S., from market an technology research and styling through engineering design to prototype fabrication and testing, local parts procurement and support for mass production preparation. With major facilities in Ohio, California, and North Carolina, HRA is engaged in the development and testing of Honda and Acura automobiles, Honda powersports and power equipment products, and is also playing a lead role in the development of leading-edge safety, driver assistive and environmental technologies. Learn more at http://www.hondaresearch.com/ JobsOhio is a private, nonprofit corporation designed to drive job creation and new capital investment in Ohio through business attraction, retention and expansion efforts. JobsOhio works with six regional partners across Ohio: Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth, Columbus 2020, Dayton Development Coalition, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership and Team NEO. Learn more at www.jobs-ohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005606/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Promoboxx Names Ernie Cormier as Chief Executive Officer BOSTON, Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Promoboxx, the only retail marketing platform powered by brands, today announced the appointment of veteran tech executive Ernie Cormier as Chief Executive Officer and President. Ben Carcio, co-founder and former CEO, will become Chief Marketing Officer. Ernies experience and successes span a broad range of companies from startups to Fortune 200, including CEO & President at Nexage, the pioneering ad tech platform acquired by Millennial Media and now a major component of Oath's advertising platform. With an engineering and product background, Ernie has delivered successful outcomes and business results for many companies across several sectors, including serving as Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Media (UK), Chief Product Officer at AOL, VP Product Management at Nextel, as well as CEO or senior executive at several bootstrapped and venture-backed startups. Ernie will work with Ben and the team to further strengthen Promoboxxs offerings and customer relationships, while deepening and expanding strategies to drive the company to scale. Under Bens leadership and vision, Promoboxx was recognized for the first time as a fast growing private company on the 2018 Inc. 5000 List, with 3-year growth of over 100%, providing a strong foundation to build a significant amount of value for all constituents. Im excited to work with Ernie. He brings us deep complementary expertise across product, technology, marketing, and sales, said Ben Carcio. Bringing in Ernie represents our strong commitment to he success of Promoboxx and our customers. Weve proven that this market can scale, and under Ernies leadership, we are committed to accelerating that growth. For me, Im looking forward to working more with our product and marketing team to unlock the potential of this massive underserved market. In recent months, in addition to the Inc. 5000 recognition, Promoboxx has continued to expand the capabilities of the Promoboxx platform. Industry-leading brands, including Rossignol, Hino Trucks (a Toyota Group company), Wolverine Brands, and Natural Balance (a JM Smuckers company) now rely on Promoboxx to connect to, manage, and market through their entire retail channel to reach local consumers near every storefront. Promoboxx sits at an exciting position in the retail marketing industry, said Ernie Cormier. It has delivered value, and shown commitment to local retail, making it a trusted partner and an industry leader. It has strong opportunities for further growth, along with a strong team and good investors, ready to scale through sound strategies executed well. Im eager to join the team and get to work. The combination of Ernies operational, strategic, and product experience, with Bens retail marketing domain expertise, visibility, and reputation in our industry is a tremendous asset as Promoboxx enters its next phase of growth, said Matt Fates, General Partner at Ascent Venture Partners and a Board Member at Promoboxx. About Promoboxx Promoboxx is the only retail marketing platform powered by brands. With Promoboxx, national manufacturing brands connect, manage, and market through their entire retail channel to engage consumers, extend brand reach, and increase local sales. Promoboxx empowers brands to activate independent, specialty retailers with localized, multi-channel content and campaigns. Retailers customize that content for their local markets and automatically promote it to their earned and paid audiences across social, mobile, email, web, and digital advertising channels - all with just a few clicks. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Boston, Promoboxx partners with over 75 leading brands, including Chevrolet, GE Appliances, New Balance, and The North Face. And with over 3 million retailer campaigns launched, Promoboxx creates thousands of local consumer touchpoints with every campaign. For more information, visit www.promoboxx.com or call +1 (800) 380-7502 x3. Media Contact Isolde Decker-Lucke, Promoboxx [email protected] 617.702.9085 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] FogHorn Joins Expert Panel at the Edge AI Summit to Discuss Collaboration Between Edge and Cloud SUNNYVALE, Calif., Dec. 06, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FogHorn , a leading developer of edge intelligence software for industrial and commercial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced that its Chief Technology Officer, Sastry Malladi, will be a panelist for the session The Role of the Cloud in the Edge AI World at the Edge AI Summit on December 11 at 5:00 p.m. in San Francisco, CA. At the event, FogHorn will join industry experts from IBM and Cloudflare to discuss edge intelligence and its influence on the cloud for 2019 and beyond. Additional Panelists: Stacey Higginbotham: Founder: Stacey on IoT (moderator) Robert High - Fellow, VP & CTO, Watson: IBM James Allworth - Head of Innovation: Cloudflare According to Gartner , within the next fou years, 75 percent of enterprise-generated data will be processed at the edge - versus the cloud - up from less than 10 percent today. The move to the edge will be driven not only by the vast increase in data, but also the need for higher fidelity analysis, lower latency requirements, security issues, and huge cost advantages. One of the most exciting aspects of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) today is bringing the power of cloud-based AI to compute constrained industrial edge devices, said Sastry Malladi, CTO, FogHorn Systems. This is only possible with deep edge to cloud integration, and edgified machine and deep learning models, which FogHorn has pioneered. I look forward to sharing real-world examples of the benefits this powerful combination is delivering to the market today at the Edge AI Summit. More information about FogHorns participation at the Edge AI Summit is available at https://www.edgeaisummit.com/events/edge-ai-summit . To learn more about FogHorn, visit www.foghorn.io . About FogHorn Systems FogHorn is a leading developer of edge intelligence software for industrial and commercial IoT application solutions. FogHorns software platform brings the power of advanced analytics and machine learning to the on-premises edge environment enabling a new class of applications for advanced monitoring and diagnostics, machine performance optimization, proactive maintenance and operational intelligence use cases. FogHorns technology is ideally suited for OEMs, systems integrators and end customers in manufacturing, power and water, oil and gas, renewable energy, mining, transportation, healthcare, retail, as well as Smart Grid, Smart City, Smart Building and connected vehicle applications. FogHorn and Lightning are trademarks of FogHorn Systems. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Media Contact Kyra Tillmans [email protected] +1 925-271-8214 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] ALC Announces Chudleigh as SVP PRINCETON, N.J., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ALC, a recognized leader in the data and identity products and services industry, has announced that Steve Chudleigh has joined the company as SVP, Data Strategy & Operations. He is a 28-year veteran of the data-driven marketing industry with wide-ranging experience that includes strategic planning and execution, developing market-driven multi-channel solutions, managing data operations and technology, and negotiating global data partnerships. In his new position, Chudleigh is responsible for leading the data organization that builds and delivers ALC data solutions to the marketplace, developing third-party partnerships to expand ALC's data and identity product suites, and participating in ALC's product council whose mission is to refine and expand the company's offerings to reach more industries, channels and geographies. Prior to joining ALC, Chudleigh was a group vice president at Acxiom Corporation. In that role he was responsible for leading the data acquisition, analysis and operationsteams. In addition to developing and executing Acxiom's overall data strategy, Chudleigh successfully negotiated multi-million-dollar source partnerships while transforming and optimizing processes to most effectively leverage Acxiom's data assets. Earlier in his career, Chudleigh honed his craft in a variety of positions with Neustar, TARGUSInfo and Equifax/Polk. CEO Rick Erwin cites Chudleigh's impressive track record as the #1 reason to welcome him to ALC. "Throughout his career, Steve has been instrumental in creating significant value for data owners. His ability to focus on flawless execution while managing costs will make him critical to ALC's success. In the consumer data industry, veterans like Steve are always winners." Chudleigh received his B.A. in international relations from Brigham Young University. He has lived in Mexico and maintains his fluency in Spanish by making frequent trips from his home in Utah to Costa Rica (where he supervised a data-capture operation early in his career). About ALC Founded in 1978, ALC has grown to become one of the industry's leading privately-held direct and digital data marketing services providers. Headquartered in Princeton, New Jerseyand with offices across the United States the company enables its roster of blue-chip clients including the leaders in virtually every business sector to grow and improve bottom-line profitability through the innovative use of marketing information. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alc-announces-chudleigh-as-svp-300761196.html SOURCE ALC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Zettaset Joins Cloud Foundry Foundation as a Silver Member Zettaset, a leading provider of software-defined encryption solutions, today announced that it has joined the Cloud Foundry Foundation, home to a number of open source projects including Cloud Foundry Application Runtime, Cloud Foundry Container Runtime and Cloud Foundry BOSH, as a Silver member. Zettaset joins Dell EMC (News - Alert), Google, IBM, Pivotal, SAP and VMware, in addition to prominent end users including American Airlines, Fidelity, Ford, Home Depot, Volkswagen and more than 60 other technology innovators, as a member. Through the membership, Zettaset will empower Cloud Foundry developers to integrate scalable, flexible and secure encryption capabilities into their cloud-based applications. "We are excited to join the Cloud Foundry Foundation to help the community develop and deliver secure and scalable cloud applications," said Jim Vogt, President and CEO, Zettaset. "Our artifact encryption product for BOSH Backup and Restore provides Cloud Foundry users with a cryptographic solution that protects and scales with their DevOps deployments. We look forward to releasing additional products in 2019 that will secure and protect other Cloud Foundry components to accelerate the adoption of DevOps in the enterprise." Zettaset's software-only approach to encryption simplifies deployment and eliminates the need for proprietary appliances, making it an ideal solution for cloud applications. Its configurable key policies and administration provides the flexibility necessary for large-scale deployments. Designed to be deployed across physical, virtual and cloud infrastructures, Zettaset drastically reduces the total cost of ownershi compared to legacy solutions. The company's products can be deployed and maintained by existing IT and DevOps staff and do not require specialized encryption experts. "Cloud Foundry enables enterprises to efficiently create and deploy cloud applications, and security has always been a guiding factor," said Abby Kearns, Executive Director, Cloud Foundry Foundation. "The continued increase in data breaches makes integrated security more important than ever, and Zettaset provides DevOps teams a simple way to integrate security in their deployments." Cloud Foundry is an open source technology backed by the largest technology companies in the world, including Dell (News - Alert) EMC, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Pivotal, SAP and SUSE, and is being used by leaders in manufacturing, telecommunications and financial services. Only Cloud Foundry delivers the velocity needed to continuously deliver apps at the speed of business. Cloud Foundry's container-based architecture runs apps in any language on your choice of cloud - Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IBM Cloud, Microsoft (News - Alert) Azure, OpenStack, VMware vSphere and more. With a robust services ecosystem and simple integration with existing technologies, Cloud Foundry is the modern standard for mission critical apps for global organizations. Zettaset's first Cloud Foundry-specific encryption product, XCrypt Archive for BOSH Backup and Restore, is now available. For more information, please visit Zettaset. About Cloud Foundry Foundation The Cloud Foundry Foundation is an independent non-profit open source organization formed to sustain the development, promotion and adoption of Cloud Foundry as the industry standard for delivering the best developer experiences to companies of all sizes. The Foundation projects include Cloud Foundry Application Runtime, Cloud Foundry Container Runtime, BOSH, Open Service Broker API, Eirini, CF Containerization, Abacus, CF-Local, CredHub, ServiceFabrik, Stratos (News - Alert) and more. Cloud Foundry makes it faster and easier to build, test, deploy and scale applications, and is used by more than half the Fortune 500, representing nearly $15 trillion in combined revenue. Cloud Foundry is hosted by The Linux Foundation (News - Alert) and is an Apache 2.0 licensed project available on Github: https://github.com/cloudfoundry. To learn more, visit: http://www.cloudfoundry.org. About Zettaset Zettaset is a software-defined encryption solution that can be transparently deployed across all physical and virtual enterprise environments. Unlike traditional solutions that are appliance-based, Zettaset is a cost-effective, software-only solution that is easy to deploy, does not impact performance, and scales with your business from on premise to the cloud. Learn more at zettaset.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005042/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Investor Group Led by DVI Equity Partners Announces Series B Investment in Luminoso Technologies, an Award-Winning Artificial Intelligence Company DVI Equity Partners, LLC (DVI), along with VT Companies and DF Enterprises, announced today an investment in Luminoso Technologies' Series B round of financing. Luminoso's award-winning software applies artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) to derive insights from text-based and unstructured data such as contact center interactions, chat-bot and live chat transcripts, product reviews, open-ended survey responses and email. The software natively analyzes text in fourteen languages, as well as emoji. Terms of the investment were not disclosed. "Luminoso is a remarkable company and well-positioned to be a NLP technology leader," said DVI Managing Partner Robert Griffin, who led the investment and will soon join the Luminoso board of directors. "They are automating data analysis that once took hundreds and even thousands of human hours, enabling global enterprises to unlock the voice of their customers, employees, product design team and more to optimize their operations, brand and customer experience." Luminoso was recently listed in "The Gartner (News - Alert) Marketing Technology Vendor Guide, 2018" report as a Cool Vendor*. Luminoso was also cited as a Sample Vendor in the Gartner "Hype Cycle for Digital Marketing and Advertising, 2018" report in the "Artificial Intelligence for Marketing" category. According to Gartner analyst Bryan Yeager in the report, "Near-term business impacts of AI for marketing center on making insight generation and prediction faster, more accurate and more actionable." "Luminoso is in a time of unprecedented growth and opportunity," said Luminoso CEO Adam Carte. "We are excited to partner with three well-capitalized and sophisticated family office investors in this next stage of our development. In particular, we believe DVI's experience with and knowledge of the data analysis and artificial itelligence space will strengthen and help expand our leadership position in AI and NLP markets." According to the Markets and Markets report titled "Natural Language Processing Market," the NLP market size is estimated to grow from $7.63 Billion in 2016 to $16.07 Billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.1 percent. About Luminoso Technologies Luminoso Technologies is a leading artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language understanding (NLU) company that enables companies to rapidly discover insights in open-ended feedback. Luminoso's award-winning software applies AI to accurately analyze text-based data, for any industry, without lengthy setup time or training. Luminoso can analyze unstructured data natively in 14 languages, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Arabic. Companies use the insights that Luminoso's solutions uncover to streamline their contact center processes, monitor brand perception, and optimize the customer experience. The company is privately held and headquartered in Cambridge, MA. For more information, visit www.luminoso.com, and follow Luminoso on Twitter (News - Alert) at @LuminosoInsight. About DVI Equity Partners, LLC DVI Equity Partners, LLC has a singular mission of investing in early stage, emerging technology companies specializing in disruptive technology with an emphasis on companies founded and led by women and minorities. The firm evaluates emerging technology companies that create business-to-business (B2B) value in areas including national security, enterprise software, artificial intelligence, and data storage and analysis. DVI shares expertise, resource and forms relationships with entrepreneurs to help them transform the way industries and the public sectors conduct business. Visit dviequitypartners.com for additional information. Disclaimer: Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. *Gartner, Cool Vendors in Artificial Intelligence for Marketing, May 2017 - A Cool Vendor Gartner, Inc. "Hype Cycle for Digital Marketing and Advertising, 2018" by Bryan Yeager, Mike McGuire. July 25, 2018. Gartner, Inc. "The Gartner Marketing Technology Vendor Guide, 2018" by Bryan Yeager, Adam Sarner, Noah Elkin, Benjamin Bloom. August 20, 2018. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005703/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] PaymentEvolution launches a Small Business Payroll Solution with Central 1 TORONTO, Dec. 6, 2018 /CNW/ - PaymentEvolution, the payroll, payments, and benefits management solution for small and mid-sized businesses across Canada, announces the launch of a Small Business Payroll Solution with Central 1 Credit Union (Central 1). As Canada's leading digital banking and payments provider for credit unions and financial institutions, Central 1 will make the easy-to-use payroll solution available to thousands of Canadian business owners. Incorporating the industry-leading payroll platform from PaymentEvolution, clients of Central 1 can now make integrated payroll available to their business members and customers. "Central 1 is redefining what online banking means for small businesses by developing innovative ideas that will help credit unions support the financial success of both individual and business members," said Mark Blucher, President and CEO, Central 1. "Our research shows that payroll is one of the biggest frustrations for entrepreneurs and that our integration with PaymentEvolution addresses that head on, in a way that is simple for any small business to operate." "PaymentEvolution and Central 1 share a common goal of empowering small businesses across Canada to do more. By enabling financial institution and credit union clients of Central 1 to deliver innovative smallbusiness solutions, we're helping Canadian business owners succeed in their communities while giving their staff an amazing employment experience," said Sam Vassa, CEO and Co-founder, PaymentEvolution. Currently, banks connect to external payroll service providers but don't have an integrated view of all their financial transactions built in, which results in many time-consuming side effects. Central 1's fully-integrated online Small Business Payroll Solution from PaymentEvolution simplifies the entire payroll system by Cutting payroll processing times in half from the typical six business days that occurs when using a third-party payroll provider to three, resulting in three extra days of cash flow per pay period Setting up the integrated payroll solution with a company's credit union; it's quick and easy because of the existing financial institution relationship, avoiding the nearly week-long wait it can take to set up a third-party payroll service. Calculating files and automatically paying all federal and provincial payroll taxes on behalf of the small business. Creating and clearing payments quickly using direct deposit so business owners can see and understand their cash flow quickly, at a glance. The Small Business Payroll Solution from PaymentEvolution is flexible and serves the entrepreneurs and business owners who fuel Canada's economy. The flexibility of this payroll solution allows business owners to pay all employees, including full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers, vendors, gig-workers, and contractors. All Canadian bank accounts are supported, giving employees flexibility to receive their pay at the financial institution of their choice. About Central 1 Central 1 is a preferred partner for financial, digital banking and payment products and services fuelling the success of businesses across Canada. With $19.5 billion in assets, we leverage our scale, strength and expertise to power progress for more than 300 credit unions and other financial institutions, enhancing the financial well-being of more than 3.4 million Canadians. For more information, visit www.central1.com. About PaymentEvolution PaymentEvolution is Canada's largest and most loved cloud payroll, payments and benefits management platform for small and mid-sized businesses. See why over 18,000 businesses trust PaymentEvolution at https://PaymentEvolution.com SOURCE PaymentEvolution Corporation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] INVESTIGATION ALERT REMINDER: The Schall Law Firm Announces it is Investigating Claims Against Glencore plc and Encourages Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 to Contact the Firm The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Glencore plc ("Glencore" or "the Company") (OTC: GLNCY, GLCNF) for violations of 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose information pertnent to investors. Reuters (News - Alert) reported on December 5, 2018, that trading firms including Glencore have been accused by Brazilian prosecutors of paying more than $30 million in bribes to employees of Petrobras, a graft scheme that prosecutors believe may still be ongoing. In exchange for these bribes, Petrobras employees are alleged to have offered the traders better prices for oil and related commodities and services. According to Reuters, top executives of Petrobras had "total and unequivocal" knowledge of the scheme. Based on this news, shares of Glencore traded down sharply during morning trading on December 6, 2018. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall, or Sherin Mahdavian, of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected]. The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005830/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Military Members Are Getting a Fresh Start by Becoming Entrepreneurs Through Photo Booths BUENA PARK, Calif., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- FireBooth, a trending photo booth tech company, has provided opportunities to military members, offering them successful transitions into the private sector after serving their country. Mark Lizada, owner of FireBooth.com is hoping to eliminate the challenge for military members to re-integrate back into society through his new innovative product that allows them to start their own service business for as little as $200 a month. While a franchise can cost well upwards of a mortgage (with a high net worth required), FireBooth offers a low barrier to succeed. FireBooth provides cutting-edge photo booths sold online. Anyone can purchase the multiple models to start their very own business. They can buy it in one payment, or through monthly installments. They are also provided with dozens of resources and products to compliment their business. Mark invests heavily in his future business owners, providing constant value to them through his blog and emails. Andrew Cruz, a Gunnery Sergeant from the Marine Corps, says, "The Photo Booth business has been a life changer. Not only has the business done phenomenal, but it has also created additional opportunities." He has purchased 9 photo booths from FireBooth for his photo booth business, The PB Guy. Andrew initially wanted to start his business as an extra form of income. But when business began to grow and boom, he knew he had a big future ahead. Now he plans on building an exit strategy to take care of his family when he transitions out of the military. Today, his dreams and expectations have grown, seeing a fture to influence and add value to many people through his business. FireBooth is proud to provide business opportunities to former and current military members. The company is actively seeking ways to help the community and those who could benefit from starting their own business at a low cost. In a time where re-integration has become difficult for many, FireBooth provides hope and a beacon for a new start. The photo booth business has seen extraordinary success through event rentals and more. Business owners can lease out their equipment, along with hosting the activity, to make any event full of fun and memories. Those interested in FireBooth can visit www.FireBooth.com. The website has multiple booths and products to choose from, along with valuable resources needed to start a business. For more information or high-resolution images, please contact: Mark Lizada on (800) 705-6202 or email: [email protected] About FireBooth.com FireBooth is a photo booth tech company based in Buena Park, California. It comprises a group of photo booth owners, designers, and engineers who are passionate about the industry. Their mission is to challenge the way people view photo booths through innovative design, technology, and funproviding a business opportunity to change lives. www.FireBooth.com Related Images firebooth-a-trending-photo-booth.png FireBooth, a trending photo booth tech company firebooth-a-trending-photo-booth.jpg FireBooth, a trending photo booth tech company firebooth-a-trending-photo-booth.jpg FireBooth, a trending photo booth tech company firebooth-a-trending-photo-booth.jpg FireBooth, a trending photo booth tech company View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/military-members-are-getting-a-fresh-start-by-becoming-entrepreneurs-through-photo-booths-300761499.html SOURCE FireBooth [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Rideau, Inc. recognized as one of Quebec's top employers by Les Affaires MONTREAL, Dec. 6, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - Rideau, Inc., a leader in employee recognition, placed number 18 of the top 300 Small-to-Medium sized companies on Les Affairs annual lists. The prestigious list ranks businesses according to the number of people they employee and their contributions to the economy of the Province of Quebec. This is Rideau's third consecutive appearance on the list. Founded in 1928, Les Affaires is a pillar of the Quebec business community and features original content designed to support both the large corporate structure as well as small business owners. "We are excited to be formally recognized in the top 20 of Quebec's small-to-medium-sized businesses, said Rideau President and CEO, Peter W. Hart. "Rideau has called Quebec home for over 100 years and we are proud to have contributed to its economy by employing its people and supporting local businesses for over a century". Les Affaires' list is determined by the number of employees each company employees in the Quebec are. The list highlights companies who employ and work with people in Quebec to contribute to the economy of the province. "We appreciate being recognized by Les Affaires in this manner because it takes into account, first and foremost, the impact Rideau has made in the lives of the people in Quebec", says Jean Marcotte, Head of Financial Analysis of Firms and Funds at Fondaction and who serves on Rideau's Board of Directors. "Rideau, at its core, has always put 'people first' and nothing shows commitment to the people of Quebec like remaining a constant employer and supporter of local businesses." According to Emploi Quebec, small and medium sized business employ the greatest number of workers in Quebec. As the search for talent becomes more competitive, Rideau's reputation as an employment pillar in the community is appreciated. "The war for finding the best talent continues to be challenging, but we have always been committed to keeping as many jobs as possible in Quebec", says Jennifer Lumba, Rideau's Chief Marketing Officer. "I personally work with some of the best and brightest people in the industry as the talent pool in Quebec is highly diverse and multifaceted." About Rideau Recognition Solutions: Rideau leverages their century of experience in the recognition industry to reinvent the human capital landscape with a true Return on Recognition. Built upon award-winning, state-of-the-art technology and validated by years of clinical scientific research, Rideau's new approach to employee recognition is transforming the use of recognition analytical data. With the use of their proprietary analytics, Rideau is able to identify real-time opportunities to increase employee engagement, employee retention, and customer satisfaction as well as identify the concrete, measurable return on investment that yields lower recognition program costs. Follow Rideau on social media: Website: rideau.com Facebook: rideaurecognition Twitter: @rideau LinkedIn: Rideau Recognition Solutions SOURCE Rideau Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Prime Minister announces investment in artificial intelligence to create over 16,000 jobs for Canadians MONTREAL, Dec. 6, 2018 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced an investment of up to nearly $230 million for the AI-Powered Supply Chains Supercluster (SCALE.AI) based in Quebec. The investment is expected to create more than 16,000 jobs and add more than $16 billion to our economy over 10 years. The funding will be matched dollar-for-dollar by private sector partners. The government of Quebec also announced an investment of $60 million to support the initiative. SCALE.AI brings the retail, manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure, and information and communications technology sectors together to build intelligent supply chains through artificial intelligence and robotics. This supercluster is helping Canadian small and medium-sized businesses take advantage of new opportunities, and positioning Canada as a global export leader. The Prime Minister made the announcement while delivering remarks at the G7 Multistakeholder Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Montreal, Quebec. The conference brought together over 150 technology leaders, academic experts, members of civil society, and government officials from G7 countries, including Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Navdeep Bains, France's Secretary of State for Digital Affairs Mounir Mahjoubi, and Quebec's Minister of Economy and Innovation Pierre Fitzgibbon. Together, they discussed the opportunities and challenges that stem from advancements in artificial intelligence, and explored ways to collaborate on the responsible use of artificial intelligence and harness its economic and social potential. During the conference, Prime Minister Trudeau, alongside Minister Bains and Secretary Mahjoubi, discussed the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence being created by Canada and France, which will become a global point of reference for understanding and sharing research results on artificial intelligence. The Panel will support and guide the responsible development of artificial intelligence that is grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth. It will also facilitate international collaboration with the scientific community, industry, civil society, related international organizations, and governments. Prime Minister Trudeau also highlighted the Government of Canada's $950 million support for the Innovation Superclusters Initiative. The investment is expected to create more than 50,000 middle class jobs and grow Canada's economy by $50 billion over the next 10 years. Artificial intelligence has the potential to unlock unprecedented social and economic benefits, and keep our workers and our industries competitive in a rapidly changing economy. As a global leader in innovation, Canada is harnessing new technologies like artificial intelligence to shape a better future for all our citizens. Quotes "Today's announcement is an important step toward making Canada an export and AI leader. Our governmen launched an ambitious strategy to keep this sector competitive in the long term, and support Canada's innovators. Together, we can build an innovation economy one that benefits everyone and provides new opportunities for the middle class to succeed." The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau , Prime Minister of Canada "From farmers increasing their crop yield to citizens accessing health services, artificial intelligence has the potential to improve the life of every Canadian. Our government's focus is providing businesses with the support they need to thrive and create jobs, equipping Canadians with the tools to seize these opportunities, and ensuring AI advancements reflect Canadians' values." The Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development "With our 'AI for Humanity' strategy, France is positioning itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence, with a particular emphasis on the ethical issues it raises on the world stage. With Canada, we are proud to have laid the groundwork for the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence, and we invite researchers, businesses, international organizations, and countries that share our values to join us. Together, we will ensure that artificial intelligence is at the service of all of humanity." Mounir Mahjoubi, Secretary of State for Digital Affairs for France "Our open and innovative society, which values research and excellence, allows cutting-edge sectors like artificial intelligence to reach critical milestones in their development today. Thanks to the mobilization of an unprecedented network of researchers and partners, and the government support announced today, supply chains will be transformed, and we may also potentially usher in a new chapter in Quebec's economic history. We are proud to contribute to the activities of Canada's artificial intelligence supply chain supercluster, SCALE.AI. The most recent scientific and technological advances in artificial intelligence will benefit many companies in many industrial sectors, immediately positioning them as key players in the economy of tomorrow." Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation for Quebec Quick Facts The Innovation Superclusters Initiative is a centrepiece of the Government of Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to prepare Canada for the innovative jobs of today and tomorrow. Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year strategy to prepare for the innovative jobs of today and tomorrow. Canada's five superclusters the Digital Technology Supercluster, the Protein Industries Canada Supercluster, the Next Generation Manufacturing Supercluster (NGen), the AI-Powered Supply Chains Supercluster (SCALE.AI), and the Ocean Supercluster promote collaboration between individuals, businesses, and post-secondary institutions across the country. five superclusters the Digital Technology Supercluster, the Protein Industries Canada Supercluster, the Next Generation Manufacturing Supercluster (NGen), the AI-Powered Supply Chains Supercluster (SCALE.AI), and the Ocean Supercluster promote collaboration between individuals, businesses, and post-secondary institutions across the country. Together, the five superclusters represent more than 450 businesses, 60 post-secondary institutions and 180 other participants in sectors covering 78 percent of Canada's economy. economy. Last year, Canada launched a $125 million Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy to retain and attract top academic talent, and to increase the number of post-graduate trainees and researchers studying artificial intelligence and deep learning. launched a Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy to retain and attract top academic talent, and to increase the number of post-graduate trainees and researchers studying artificial intelligence and deep learning. The International Panel on Artificial Intelligence is a key outcome of the Canada-France Statement on Artificial Intelligence announced by Prime Minister Trudeau and the President of France Emmanuel Macron prior to the G7 Summit this past June. Under Canada's 2018 G7 presidency, Canada has advanced a common vision on Artificial Intelligence, which the G7 Innovation Ministers set out in their Statement on Artificial Intelligence at their meeting in Montreal on March 27-28 . The G7 Leaders also set it out in the Charlevoix Common Vision for the Future of Artificial Intelligence during their meeting in Charlevoix on June 8-9, 2018 . Related Product Mandate for the International Panel on Artificial Intelligence Associated Links G7 Multistakeholder Conference on Artificial Intelligence Innovation Superclusters Initiative AI-Powered Supply Chains Supercluster (SCALE.AI) This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca/ SOURCE Prime Minister's Office [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Skechers President Michael Greenberg Receives Two Ten Footwear Foundation's Award for Humanitarian Achievement At yesterday's 79th Annual Two Ten Gala in New York, Skechers president Michael Greenberg was given Two Ten Footwear's most prestigious honor - the T. Kenyon Holly Award for his outstanding local, national and global humanitarian achievements for children. Greenberg's wide-ranging philanthropic efforts have funded education, supported children with special needs, and donated to families impacted by natural disasters. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005894/en/ Skechers president Michael Greenberg accepts the T. Kenyon Holly Humanitarian Award at 79th Annual Two Ten Gala in New York. Photo by Natural Expressions. "Michael Greenberg doesn't just give his name to causes; he gets deeply involved in them. Every event that he's supported has thrived because of his passion and personal input," said Neal Newman, president of Two Ten Footwear Foundation. "He has been a tremendous supporter for Two Ten, and has helped to change the lives of hundreds of footwear employees and their families facing a major life crisis, such as homelessness, a medical emergency, natural disaster recovery, or a job loss. With similar fervor, he's built charitable events from the ground up - and he cultivates their growth with the same ambitious philosophy that has made Skechers a successful business empire. Two Ten is proud to award Michael with our highest honor. He sets an example for our industry to follow." Greenberg saw a need for children with special needs to benefit from a schoolwide mentorship program, and became involved in the South Bay Friendship Foundation in 2005. The Foundation has grown into a thriving organization that offers more than 30 school clubs across Southern California and over 60 classes and outings - from trips and summer camps to Dodgers sporting events. To support the Foundation and local schools, he established the Skechers Pier to Pier Walk (www.skechersfriendshipwalk.com) in 2009. Now California's largest of its kind, the Nickelodeon-sponsored event has topped donations every year since its inception, gathering thousands every October to raise more than $11 million for the Foundation, schools and college scholarships for exceptional students nationwide. In 2014, Greenberg honored his son by establishing the Harrison Greenberg Foundation, which raised $4 million to save and revive the historical Roundhouse Aquarium on Southern California's Manhattan Beach Pier. Designed by world-renowned architectural firm CambridgeSeven, the new state-of-the-art teaching and experiential destination offers galleries, touch tanks, educational programs and camps free of charge to hundreds of thousands of visitors worldwide, including thousands of children throughout the community - some of whom are learning about marine life for the first time. During Hurricane Katrin's devastation in 2005, Greenberg reached out to support devastated communities, and has since launched a series of donation events for families affected by national disasters - most recently giving shoes, socks, apparel and backpacks to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico, as well as those affected by last month's California wildfires. To date, the BOBS from Skechers charity footwear program has donated more than 15 million pairs of shoes to children in need throughout the United States and in more than 60 countries around the world. "I'm moved and inspired to receive this year's T. Kenyon Holly Award. And though honored, I feel that everything I've done has been based on need, and what any business leader should do," began Michael Greenberg. "I truly believe that every company should give back in any way that they can, and that every human should do the same. The need is great locally, nationally and globally, and we are an industry of achievers. Together, our impact could be massive." The T. Kenyon Holly Award is presented to an individual in the footwear, leather or allied industries who exemplifies the spirit and character of the late T. Kenyon Holly, past president of Two Ten Footwear Foundation. About Skechers U.S.A., Inc. Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:SKX) based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. Skechers footwear is available in the United States and over 170 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, 2,802 Skechers Company-owned and third-party-owned retail stores, and the Company's e-commerce websites. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia and the Middle East, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, throughout Europe and Latin America. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. About the Two Ten Footwear Foundation Founded in 1939 at 210 Lincoln Street in Boston, MA, the Two Ten Footwear Foundation is the national charitable foundation of the U.S. footwear industry. Two Ten provides emergency financial assistance, natural disaster recovery, educational scholarships, counseling services and professional development programs that improve the lives and careers of the country's 330,000 footwear employees and their families. The only industry-centric foundation in the country, Two Ten brings the footwear community together to support each other during times of crisis and ensure a bright future for the industry's workforce. For more information, please visit www.twoten.org. This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, Skechers' future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," "will be," "will continue," "will result," "could," "may," "might," or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include international economic, political and market conditions including the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2018. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and the companies cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can the companies assess the impact of all such risk factors on their respective businesses 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. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005894/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] SAIC Announces Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2019 Results Science Applications International Corporation (NYSE: SAIC), a leading technology integrator providing full life-cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets, today announced results for the third quarter ended November 2, 2018. "As we prepare for the future, we continue to focus on delivering strong performance across our contract portfolio, as evidenced by our third quarter results. Our fifth consecutive quarter of revenue growth and the highest profitability in our five year history are proof points of the disciplined execution of our strategy," said SAIC CEO Tony Moraco. "We look forward to accelerating the execution of our long term strategy, Ingenuity 2025, with the acquisition of Engility. We will enter next year with increased customer access, more investments in competitive and differentiated solutions, along with improved cash flow to enhance opportunities for shareholder value creation." Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2019: Summary Operating Results Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended November 2, 2018 Percent change November 3, 2017 November 2, 2018 Percent change November 3, 2017 (in millions, except per share amounts) Revenues $ 1,177 3 % $ 1,145 $ 3,467 4 % $ 3,326 Operating income 73 1 % 72 213 10 % 194 Operating income as a percentage of revenues 6.2 % -10 bps 6.3 % 6.1 % 30 bps 5.8 % Adjusted operating income(1) 87 19 % 73 227 15 % 197 Adjusted operating income as a percentage of revenues 7.4 % 100 bps 6.4 % 6.5 % 60 bps 5.9 % Net income 48 12 % 43 146 14 % 128 EBITDA(1) 84 - % 84 244 7 % 227 EBITDA as a percentage of revenues 7.1 % -20 bps 7.3 % 7.0 % 20 bps 6.8 % Adjusted EBITDA(1) 98 15 % 85 258 12 % 230 Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues 8.3 % 90 bps 7.4 % 7.4 % 50 bps 6.9 % Diluted earnings per share $ 1.11 13 % $ 0.98 $ 3.37 18 % $ 2.86 Adjusted diluted earnings per share(1) $ 1.35 36 % $ 0.99 $ 3.61 24 % $ 2.90 Net cash provided by operating activities $ 86 8 % $ 80 $ 162 22 % $ 133 Free cash flow(1) $ 80 11 % $ 72 $ 138 17 % $ 118 (1) Non-GAAP measure, see Schedule 5 for information about this measure. Revenues for the quarter increased $32 million, or 2.8%, compared to the prior year quarter due to newly awarded contracts ($54 million), which includes an information technology (IT) integration contract supporting state and local customers, and increased orders in our supply chain portfolio ($24 million). These increases were partially offset by completion of contracts and other net decreases across our portfolio ($46 million). Operating income as a percentage of revenues of 6.2%, was consistent with 6.3% for the prior year quarter. Adjusted operating income(1) as a percentage of revenues increased to 7.4%, compared to 6.4% for the prior year quarter due to improved performance across our portfolio ($22 million), inclusive of newly awarded contracts, and higher net favorable changes in estimates related to performance obligations satisfied over time ($14 million). These improvements were partially offset by an increase in our inventory provision ($25 million). Net income for the quarter increased $5 million as compared to the same period in the prior year due to a lower effective tax rate, partially offset by expenses associated with the debt refinancing activities in the current quarter. Adjusted EBITDA(1) as a percentage of revenues for the quarter increased to 8.3%, compared to 7.4% for the prior year quarter, consistent with adjusted operating income(1). Diluted earnings per share was $1.11 for the quarter and adjusted diluted earnings per share(1) was $1.35. The weighted-average diluted shares outstanding during the quarter was 43.2 million shares. (1) Non-GAAP measure, see Schedule 5 for information about this measure. Cash Generation and Capital Deployment Cash flows provided by operating activities for the third quarter were $86 million, compared to $80 million during the same period in the prior year. The improvement is primarily due to higher customer collections, partially offset by an increase in vendor payments and payments for acquisition and integration costs. During the quarter SAIC deployed $13 million of capital in cash dividends. No plan share repurchases were made during the quarter pending the close of the Engility acquisition. New Business Awards Net bookings for the quarter were approximately $1.2 billion, which reflects a book-to-bill ratio of 1.0. SAIC's estimated backlog of signed business orders at the end of the quarter was approximately $10.4 billion of which $2.4 billion was funded. Although not contributing to bookings for the quarter, SAIC was awarded several single-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity vehicles with $1.2 billion of ceiling value. SAIC was awarded the following contracts during the quarter: Notable Protect Awards (maintaining our existing contract base): The U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic: SAIC was awarded an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract by the Navy to continue the production and delivery of integrated Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems, networks, and support equipment in support of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic. The single-award contract has a five-year period of performance worth approximately $597 million. The contract has an additional two-year award term that, if earned, would increase its potential value to approximately $861 million. The U.S. Army: SAIC was awarded a task order to provide aviation and unmanned system simulation technical support to the Army's Research, Development, and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) Systems Simulation, Software and Integration Directorate (S3I). Awarded under the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) Expedited Professional & Engineering Support Services (EXPRESS) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA), the task order has a three-year period of performance, is worth approximately $98 million. U.S. Space-related Activities: SAIC was awarded a $255 million contract to provide systems engineering and technical assurance work that supports various space-related activities. As part of this contract, SAIC will use its Model Based System Engineering methodologies to develop mission-planning tools and products that help customers to save time, resources, and money. This work will be performed primarily in the continental United States. Notable Expand Awards (selling new services & solutions to existing customers): The U.S. Navy Office of the Chief of Naval Operations: SAIC was awarded an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract by the Navy to provide support the deputy chief of naval operations, the Bureau of Naval Personnel, the Navy Personnel Command, the Navy Manpower Analysis Center, Commander Naval Education and Training, and the Commander Navy Recruiting Command. Services will include chief information officer, engineering, network and information technology system support; data and information management; information assurance; cybersecurity; enterprise business intelligence; enterprise business analytics; software analysis; hardware maintenance and development; and business process reengineering. The multiple-award contract has a six-year period of performance and is worth potentially more than $213 million for all awardees. SAIC is one of five awardees competing for task orders. Orange County, California: SAIC was awarded a prime contract to provide information technology (IT) managed services and solutions to agencies and departments within Orange County, California. The firm-fixed-price contract has a three-year base period of performance valued at approximately $51 million, two one-year options, and a total contract value of approximately $77 million, if all options are exercised. Work will be primarily performed in Santa Ana, California. Under the contract, SAIC will deliver IT and technology services including converged network (WAN and LAN), voice communications, security operations center, and overall IT service management. Notable Grow Awards (selling services & solutions to new customers): The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the General Services Administration (GSA): GSA awarded SAIC three GSA-led Information Technology (IT) modernization Centers of Excellence (CoE) contract awards to support the USDA. As part of GSA's government-wide IT modernization plan, the CoEs provide agencies with consulting, acquisition, and IT engineering services to improve the way agencies design services and interact with their customers. Under the initiative, SAIC was awarded the following: Data Analytics Capacity Building : A single-award task order worth an estimated $4 million to provide program management, data science, organizational change management, and training support to more than 100,000 personnel within the USDA. SAIC will align with USDA to enhance the way the entire department works together and thinks about, manages, and leverages insights from their data. : A single-award task order worth an estimated $4 million to provide program management, data science, organizational change management, and training support to more than 100,000 personnel within the USDA. SAIC will align with USDA to enhance the way the entire department works together and thinks about, manages, and leverages insights from their data. Data Visualization and Analytics : A single-award blanket purchase agreement worth an estimated $35 million with firm-fixed-price task orders to provide professional services to develop and deploy advanced analytics and data visualization capabilities within USDA's mission areas. SAIC teams will evaluate alternatives across technologies, including blockchain, to develop and implement solutions to infuse the Voice of the Customer and enhance USDA's mission delivery. : A single-award blanket purchase agreement worth an estimated $35 million with firm-fixed-price task orders to provide professional services to develop and deploy advanced analytics and data visualization capabilities within USDA's mission areas. SAIC teams will evaluate alternatives across technologies, including blockchain, to develop and implement solutions to infuse the Voice of the Customer and enhance USDA's mission delivery. Infrastructure Optimization Cloud Adoption: A multiple-award blanket purchase agreement worth an estimated $50 million to support DevSecOps transformation. Additionally, work includes the migration of more than 800 applications and data center consolidation. SAIC was awarded the following notable contracts subsequent to the end of the quarter: Notable Protect Award: Defense Logistics Agency (DLA): SAIC was awarded a firm fixed-price requirements contract to continue to act as lead supply chain manager and integrator for a DLA tire delivery program. The contract has a five-year base period of performance worth approximately $900 million. The contract also includes two, two-year option periods, plus four two-month option periods which, if exercised, would bring the total potential contract value to $1.7 billion. As part of the tires program, SAIC has delivered more than 1.5 million tires meeting a stringent 97 percent on-time delivery rate. Customers using the Global Tire Program integrator contract are the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and foreign military sales. Webcast Information SAIC management will discuss operations and financial results in an earnings conference call beginning at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time on December 6, 2018. The conference call will be webcast simultaneously to the public through a link on the Investor Relations section of the SAIC website (http://investors.saic.com). We will be providing webcast access only - "dial-in" access is no longer available. Additionally, a supplemental presentation will be available to the public through links to the Investor Relations section of the SAIC website. After the call concludes, an on-demand audio replay of the webcast can be accessed on the Investor Relations website. About SAIC SAIC is a premier technology integrator providing full life cycle services and solutions in the technical, engineering, intelligence, and enterprise information technology markets. SAIC is Redefining Ingenuity through its deep customer and domain knowledge to enable the delivery of systems engineering and integration offerings for large, complex projects. SAIC's more than 15,000 employees are driven by integrity and mission focus to serve customers in the U.S. federal government. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $4.5 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this release contain or are based on "forward-looking" information within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "guidance," and similar words or phrases. Forward-looking statements in this release may include, among others, estimates of future revenues, operating income, earnings, earnings per share, charges, total contract value, backlog, outstanding shares and cash flows, as well as statements about future dividends, share repurchases and other capital deployment plans. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risk, uncertainties and assumptions, and actual results may differ materially from the guidance and other forward-looking statements made in this release as a result of various factors. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause or contribute to these material differences include those discussed in the "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Legal Proceedings" sections of our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings with the SEC, which may be viewed or obtained through the Investor Relations section of our website at www.saic.com or on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Due to such risks, uncertainties and assumptions you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. SAIC expressly disclaims any duty to update any forward-looking statement provided in this release to reflect subsequent events, actual results or changes in SAIC's expectations. SAIC also disclaims any duty to comment upon or correct information that may be contained in reports published by investment analysts or others. Schedule 1: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION CONDENSED AND CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 (in millions, except per share amounts) Revenues $ 1,177 $ 1,145 $ 3,467 $ 3,326 Cost of revenues 1,048 1,036 3,125 3,022 Selling, general and administrative expenses 42 37 115 110 Acquisition and integration costs 14 - 14 - Operating income 73 72 213 194 Interest expense 16 11 38 32 Other (income) expense, net (1 ) (1 ) (2 ) (1 ) Income before income taxes 58 62 177 163 Provision for income taxes (10 ) (19 ) (31 ) (35 ) Net income $ 48 $ 43 $ 146 $ 128 Weighted-average number of shares outstanding: Basic 42.5 43.2 42.5 43.5 Diluted 43.2 44.2 43.3 44.8 Earnings per share: Basic $ 1.13 $ 0.99 $ 3.44 $ 2.94 Diluted $ 1.11 $ 0.98 $ 3.37 $ 2.86 Cash dividends declared and paid per share $ 0.31 $ 0.31 $ 0.93 $ 0.93 Schedule 2: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION CONDENSED AND CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited) November 2, 2018 February 2, 2018 (in millions) ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents $ 193 $ 144 Receivables, net 765 674 Inventory, prepaid expenses and other current assets 114 132 Total current assets 1,072 950 Goodwill 863 863 Intangible assets, net 164 179 Property, plant, and equipment, net 67 61 Other assets 36 20 Total assets $ 2,202 $ 2,073 LIABILITIES AND EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 452 $ 504 Accrued payroll and employee benefits 219 150 Long-term debt, current portion 11 41 Total current liabilities 682 695 Long-term debt, net of current portion 1,026 983 Other long-term liabilities 83 68 Total equity 411 327 Total liabilities and equity $ 2,202 $ 2,073 Schedule 3: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION CONDENSED AND CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited) Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 (in millions) Cash flows from operating activities: Net income $ 48 $ 43 $ 146 $ 128 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization 11 11 33 33 Stock-based compensation expense 8 6 24 21 Loss on extinguishment of debt 4 - 4 - Provision for inventory 25 - 25 - Increase (decrease) resulting from changes in operating assets and liabilities: Receivables (52 ) (78 ) (86 ) (178 ) Inventory, prepaid expenses and other current assets (11 ) (21 ) (5 ) 17 Other assets 3 1 (9 ) 1 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (11 ) 70 (47 ) 62 Accrued payroll and employee benefits 56 47 69 45 Other long-term liabilities 5 1 8 4 Net cash provided by operating activities 86 80 162 133 Cash flows from investing activities: Expenditures for property, plant, and equipment (6 ) (8 ) (24 ) (15 ) Other - - 1 - Net cash used in investing activities (6 ) (8 ) (23 ) (15 ) Cash flows from financing activities: Dividend payments to stockholders (13 ) (12 ) (40 ) (40 ) Principal payments on borrowings (759 ) (33 ) (776 ) (42 ) Issuances of stock 2 1 5 4 Stock repurchased and retired or withheld for taxes on equity awards (1 ) (43 ) (56 ) (148 ) Disbursements for obligations assumed from Scitor acquisition - - - (2 ) Proceeds from borrowings 791 - 791 25 Debt issuance costs (12 ) - (13 ) - Net cash used in financing activities 8 (87 ) (89 ) (203 ) Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 88 (15 ) 50 (85 ) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 114 148 152 218 Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 202 $ 133 $ 202 $ 133 Schedule 4: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION BACKLOG (Unaudited) The estimated value of our total backlog as of the dates presented was: November 2, 2018 August 3, 2018 February 2, 2018 (in millions) Funded backlog $ 2,394 $ 2,099 $ 2,012 Negotiated unfunded backlog 8,051 8,355 8,215 Total backlog $ 10,445 $ 10,454 $ 10,227 Backlog represents the estimated amount of future revenues to be recognized under negotiated contracts and task orders as work is performed and excludes contract awards which have been protested by competitors until the protest is resolved in our favor. SAIC segregates backlog into two categories, funded backlog and negotiated unfunded backlog. Funded backlog for contracts with government agencies primarily represents contracts for which funding is appropriated less revenues previously recognized on these contracts, and does not include the unfunded portion of contracts where funding is incrementally appropriated or authorized by the U.S. government and other customers even though the contract may call for performance over a number of years. Funded backlog for contracts with non-government agencies represents the estimated value of contracts which may cover multiple future years under which SAIC is obligated to perform, less revenues previously recognized on these contracts. Negotiated unfunded backlog represents the estimated future revenues to be earned from negotiated contracts for which funding has not been appropriated or authorized, and unexercised priced contract options. Negotiated unfunded backlog does not include any estimate of future potential task orders expected to be awarded under indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) schedules or other master agreement contract vehicles. Schedule 5: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited) This schedule describes the non-GAAP financial measures included in this earnings release. While we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures may be useful in evaluating our financial information, they should be considered as supplemental in nature and not as a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. Reconciliations, definitions, and how we believe these measures are useful to management and investors are provided below. Other companies may define similar measures differently. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Operating Income Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 (in millions, except per share amounts) Net income $ 48 $ 43 $ 146 $ 128 Interest expense 16 11 38 32 Interest income (1 ) - (2 ) - Provision for income taxes 10 19 31 35 Depreciation and amortization 11 11 31 32 EBITDA(1) 84 84 244 227 EBITDA as a percentage of revenues 7.1 % 7.3 % 7.0 % 6.8 % Acquisition and integration costs 14 - 14 - Restructuring costs - 1 - 3 Adjusted EBITDA(1) $ 98 $ 85 $ 258 $ 230 Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenues 8.3 % 7.4 % 7.4 % 6.9 % Operating income $ 73 $ 72 $ 213 $ 194 Operating income as a percentage of revenues 6.2 % 6.3 % 6.1 % 5.8 % Acquisition and integration costs 14 - 14 - Restructuring costs - 1 - 3 Adjusted operating income(1) $ 87 $ 73 $ 227 $ 197 Adjusted operating income as a percentage of revenues 7.4 % 6.4 % 6.5 % 5.9 % EBITDA is a performance measure that is calculated by taking net income and excluding interest, provision for income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA and adjusted operating income are performance measures that exclude restructuring and acquisition and integration costs that we do not consider to be indicative of our ongoing operating performance. The acquisition and integration costs relate to the Company's pending significant acquisition of Engility. The restructuring costs excluded relate to the Company's plan in fiscal 2018 to restructure certain aspects of its operations and is the only significant restructuring since we began operating as an independent company five years ago. We believe that these performance measures provide management and investors with useful information in assessing trends in our ongoing operating performance and may provide greater visibility in understanding the long-term financial performance of the Company. Schedule 5 (continued): SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited) Adjusted diluted earnings per share: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 Diluted earnings per share $ 1.11 $ 0.98 $ 3.37 $ 2.86 Acquisition and integration costs, divided by diluted 'weighted-average number of shares outstanding' (WASO) 0.32 - 0.32 - Tax effect of acquisition and integration costs, divided by diluted WASO (0.08 ) - (0.08 ) - Net effect of acquisition and integration costs, divided by diluted WASO 0.24 - 0.24 - Restructuring costs, divided by diluted WASO - 0.02 - 0.06 Tax effect of restructuring costs, divided by diluted WASO - (0.01 ) - (0.02 ) Net effect of restructuring costs, divided by diluted WASO - 0.01 - 0.04 Adjusted diluted earnings per share(1) $ 1.35 $ 0.99 $ 3.61 $ 2.90 Adjusted diluted earnings per share is a performance measure that excludes restructuring and acquisition and integration costs that we do not consider to be indicative of our ongoing operating performance. The acquisition and integration costs relate to the Company's pending significant acquisition of Engility. The restructuring costs excluded relate to the Company's plan in fiscal 2018 to restructure certain aspects of its operations and is the only significant restructuring since we began operating as an independent company five years ago. We believe that this performance measure provides management and investors with useful information in assessing trends in our ongoing operating performance and may provide greater visibility in understanding the long-term financial performance of the Company. Schedule 5 (continued): SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited) Free Cash Flow Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 November 2, 2018 November 3, 2017 (in millions) Net cash provided by operating activities $ 86 $ 80 $ 162 $ 133 Expenditures for property, plant, and equipment (6 ) (8 ) (24 ) (15 ) Free cash flow(1) $ 80 $ 72 $ 138 $ 118 Free cash flow is calculated by taking cash flows provided by operating activities less expenditures for property, plant, and equipment. We believe that free cash flow provides management and investors with useful information in assessing trends in our cash flows and in comparing them to other peer companies, many of whom present a similar non-GAAP liquidity measure. This measure should not be considered as a measure of residual cash flow available for discretionary purposes. (1) Non-GAAP measure, see above for definition. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005844/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] K&L Microwave, Inc. Receives 2018 Champions of Maryland Manufacturing Award DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- K&L Microwave, Inc., part of Microwave Products Group and Dover (NYSE: DOV), is pleased to announce that the company has been awarded the 2018 Champions of Maryland Manufacturing Award for Energy and Sustainability from the Regional Manufacturing Institute of Maryland ("RMI"). RMI's review committee fielded 280 nominations where K&L was selected as one of the top five Champions of Manufacturing for Energy and Sustainability in the industry. K&L has made energy efficiency a priority through all facets of the company while ensuring a commitment to sustainable business practices. K&L is proud of the commitment to increase its environmental awareness, reduce environmental impact, protect the health and safety of employees, support the local community while continuing to meet the needs of customers. About K&L Microwave, Inc.: K&L is recognized by top-tier defense contractors and wireless infrastructure providers as a world leader in the design and manufacture of RF and microwave filters, duplexers, and integrated assemblies. Applications include satellite communications, radar, radio communications, fire control radars, telemery applications, missile guidance systems, mobile radio base stations, and air traffic control and communications. Commercial products include high-performance receive and transmit filters, delay line filters, duplexers and diplexers, combiners, receive multi-couplers, wireless system assemblies for base station requirements, and lower-cost ceramic and lumped element parts. More information is available at www.klmicrowave.com. About Microwave Products Group ("MPG"): MPG is a leading global provider of mission-critical engineered electronic components and subsystems and is comprised of the businesses K&L Microwave, Inc., Dow-Key Microwave, Pole/Zero Corporation, and BSC Filters. Our expertise is the design and manufacture of communications-based specialty products engineered components and subsystems for demanding military, space, commercial aerospace/industrial, and telecom infrastructure applications where function and reliability are crucial. More information is available at dovermpg.com. About Dover: Dover is a diversified global manufacturer with annual revenue of approximately $7 billion. We deliver innovative equipment and components, specialty systems, consumable supplies, software and digital solutions, and support services through three operating segments: Engineered Systems, Fluids and Refrigeration & Food Equipment. Dover combines global scale with operational agility to lead the markets we serve. Recognized for our entrepreneurial approach for over 60 years, our team of over 24,000 employees takes an ownership mindset, collaborating with customers to redefine what's possible. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Dover trades on the New York Stock Exchange under "DOV." Additional information is available at dovercorporation.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kl-microwave-inc-receives-2018-champions-of-maryland-manufacturing-award-300761626.html SOURCE Dover [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Patra Corp Expands Successful Initial Phase of Patra Academy, Partners with Military Spouse Employment Program Patra Corporation, a leader in insurance processing and technology, has moved forward from Phase 1 of its Patra Academy program. Patra Academy was developed as an innovative way for the company to meet its hiring needs in light of the industry talent shortage. Developed to expand its pool of talented insurance professionals through recruitment and formal training, Patra Academy recruits, trains and hires individuals with no previous insurance experience. Upon completion, graduates are placed within Patra's nationwide network of insurance staff. "Patra has expanded its place in the insurance and InsureTech marketplaces. Patra Academy is supporting the company's growth by providing a path to find, train and employ great talent," said John Simpson, CEO of Patra. "Not only are we feeling the talent shortage within the insurance industry, good business practice dictates that we don't hire away talent from our clients, leading to even fewer qualified candidates. It's very limiting." As the program has expanded, Patra has discovered that it's well-suited to an under-utilized, and often underserved, talent pool: military spouses. Because Patra allows many of its employees to work remotely, Patra has been able to train and employ more than 30 military spouses and veterans with jobs that are portable enough to follow them to their next duty station; two Patra Academy locations are in proximity to militar bases - Fort Campbell, near Clarksville, Tennessee, and Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. Patra Academy also recently formalized a partnership with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), which will focus recruiting on and near major military installations, hiring spouses of active duty military. "Patra's approach to recruiting, hiring, training, and employing our country's military spouses is inspiring. They truly appreciate the immense talent our spouses possess and Patra Academy is proof of its commitment to supporting our military families," says Kristen Geist-Hodgkins, Program Manager and Team Lead for the Employment Readiness Program at Fort Campbell. Patra Academy takes a "starting from scratch" approach, as most new hires have no insurance experience. The company pays for trainees to earn their insurance licenses, trains them on Patra account manager processes and provides them with a professional career at the company. Graduates, who begin working at Patra in roles suited to their training and other pre-Academy skills, often include former attorneys, engineers, accounting and retail professionals. Patra Academy's success and subsequent expansion bring the total number of locations to three, with a facility at its headquarters in El Dorado Hills, California in addition to those in Fallon and Clarksville. To date, Patra Academy boasts a retention rate near 90 percent. Patra is committed to expanding its innovative solution to address the company's staffing needs, and its commitment to recognizing the talent possessed by military spouses and veterans. As the company continues its expansion, it is looking to add three additional facilities nationwide in the next five years and continue to cultivate its partnership with the MSEP, by seeking out new locations near active military bases. About Patra Patra powers insurance processing by leveraging people and technology, supporting insurance organizations as they sell, deliver and manage policies and customers. Patra's team of global experts allow brokers, MGAs, wholesalers and carriers to capture the Patra Advantage - profitable growth and organizational value. This is accomplished through the deployment of Patra's proprietary Insurance Process Delivery System - an integrated portfolio of outsourced services, insurance specific workflows and technology. Learn more at patracorp.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005989/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Morgan Stanley Partnered with Taproot Foundation to Host Fifth ScopeAthon with 10 Non-Profits Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) today announced 44 employees participated in the firm's fifth ScopeAthon event this year to help 10 nonprofits build actionable plans to tackle a mission-critical challenge. This ScopeAthon was a half-day, pro bono consulting event, pairing teams of Morgan Stanley employees with local nonprofit organizations. The participating nonprofits presented an organizational challenge currently facing their group and were matched with teams of employees who leveraged their skillsets to help develop an informed, detailed scope of work with actionable next steps for the nonprofit to overcome the issue. During Morgan Stanley's five ScopeAthons this year, over 250 Morgan Stanley employees were engaged to work on a combined 56 projects, donating over 1,000 hours of their time. Yesterday's event brings the firm's total amount of employee donated professional services to over $2.3 million in 2018. "We are excited to host these 10 nonprofits at our 5th ScopeAthon event alongside the Taproot Foundation to help them tackle challenges that obstruct their ability to achieve their mission," said Joan Steinberg, Morgan Stanley's Global Head of Philanthropy. "Morgan Stanley is committed to giving back and pro-bono events, such as ScopeAthons, that provide a powerful opportunity to engage our employees' talents and skillsets to help drive meaningful impact in our communities." The 10 nonprofits that participated in yesterday's ScopeAthon event with Taproot include: ScopeAthons are part of Morgan Stanley's broader pro bono initiative and expands upon the success of our annual Strategy Challenge. About Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005993/en/ [December 06, 2018] Consumers in Malaysia want brands to stand up for local causes 93% believe brands should get involved in the issues that matter to them Health and well-being and poverty the most important social issues 64% are more likely to buy a brand more aligned with their views SINGAPORE, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in Asia favour brands that engage in social issues -- provided these are the causes that matter to them personally. According to Purpose in Asia, a new report from Kantar, 90% of consumers in the region and 93% in Malaysia want brands to get involved in the issues they care about, meaning that an authentic brand purpose is now an expectation as opposed to a bonus. Aligning with the issues that matter to consumers also makes business sense. 64% of people questioned in Malaysia said they were more likely to buy brands aligned with their views, and a similar number (65%) said they would be happy to pay 'a little more' for brands with sustainability credentials. The study also revealed a disconnect between the causes that dominate global media and international brand campaigns, and the issues that matter to consumers in Asia. While climate change and gender equality were the two high-profile issues most likely to be seen by people in Asia, causes closer to home mattered most to them personally, such as health and well-being or ending poverty. The results of the study highlight the role of social media in circulating information about causes. TV was still the channel where most people heard abou social issues, however, the rise of social media in many countries in Asia is facilitating a more active form of participation. 57% of people in Malaysia said that they had liked posts on social media around an issue they cared about, and 53% have shared a post or article. And social media was impacting behaviours as a result. 67% of people in Malaysia said they were more conscious of an issue in day-to-day life after seeing a post about it on social media, whilst 30% said they have changed their behaviour as a result. In terms of how brands should engage with issues, authenticity was key. Consumers were quick to challenge brands that outwardly supported a cause, but at the same time had problems with their own business practices, or brands that misjudged the tone needed to engage in emotionally-charged issues. Developed markets were more sceptical of brands' involvement. Only 33% of Australians felt that brands were able to authentically engage with issues, in comparison to India where 74% perceived it as trustworthy brand activity. Consumers believe that brands have a key role to play in advancing the issues that matter to people. Educating consumers about an issue was the top activity cited, followed by initiating and funding programmes to support the issue, and then funding organisations directly. Joy Lee, Regional Digital Consultant for Kantar's Insights Division said: "Brands have understood the power of purpose for a number of years now. However, the challenge lies in identifying what resonates across the diverse landscape of Asia, and then engaging in an authentic way. Brands now have permission to get involved and make a difference. The good news is that this isn't necessarily about making a lot of noise on the global stage. It can also be about supporting local initiatives and driving small but meaningful change where it matters most to people." Notes to editors: About the study: The quantitative research component undertaken for Purpose in Asia surveyed over 3,000 people over 18 with access to the internet. This was carried out by Lightspeed in August and September 2018 across nine markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. To ensure alignment, the research used the consistent framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Social media analysis using Netbase was then undertaken. Data covered a year's worth of comments. Mainland China was excluded as its social media landscape is considerably different; this allowed for better comparability within a more homogenous context. About Kantar: Kantar is one of the world's leading data, insight and consultancy companies. Working together across the whole spectrum of research and consulting disciplines, its specialist brands, employing 30,000 people, provide inspirational insights and business strategies for clients in 100 countries. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. SOURCE Kantar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Consumers in Indonesia want brands to stand up for local causes 95% believe brands should get involved in the issues that matter to them Health and well-being and poverty the most important social issues 53% are more likely to buy a brand more aligned with their views SINGAPORE, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in Asia favour brands that engage in social issues -- provided these are the causes that matter to them personally. According to Purpose in Asia, a new report from Kantar, 90% of consumers in the region and 95% in Indonesia want brands to get involved in the issues they care about, meaning that an authentic brand purpose is now an expectation as opposed to a bonus. Aligning with the issues that matter to consumers also makes business sense. 53% of people questioned in Indonesia said they were more likely to buy brands aligned with their views, and a similar number (57%) said they would be happy to pay 'a little more' for brands with sustainability credentials. The study also revealed a disconnect between the causes that dominate global media and international brand campaigns, and the issues that matter to consumers in Asia. While climate change and gender equality were the two high-profile issues most likely to be seen by people in Asia, causes closer to home mattered most to them personally, such as health and well-being or ending poverty. The results of the study highlight the role of social media in circulating information about causes. TV was still the channel where most people heard abou social issues, however, the rise of social media in many countries in Asia is facilitating a more active form of participation. 62% of people in Indonesia said that they had liked posts on social media around an issue they cared about, and 53% have shared a post or article. And social media was impacting behaviours as a result. 73% of people in Indonesia said they were more conscious of an issue in day-to-day life after seeing a post about it on social media, whilst 38% said they have changed their behaviour as a result. In terms of how brands should engage with issues, authenticity was key. Consumers were quick to challenge brands that outwardly supported a cause, but at the same time had problems with their own business practices, or brands that misjudged the tone needed to engage in emotionally-charged issues. Developed markets were more sceptical of brands' involvement. Only 33% of Australians felt that brands were able to authentically engage with issues, in comparison to India where 74% perceived it as trustworthy brand activity. Consumers believe that brands have a key role to play in advancing the issues that matter to people. Educating consumers about an issue was the top activity cited, followed by initiating and funding programmes to support the issue, and then funding organisations directly. Joy Lee, Regional Digital Consultant for Kantar's Insights Division said: "Brands have understood the power of purpose for a number of years now. However, the challenge lies in identifying what resonates across the diverse landscape of Asia, and then engaging in an authentic way. Brands now have permission to get involved and make a difference. The good news is that this isn't necessarily about making a lot of noise on the global stage. It can also be about supporting local initiatives and driving small but meaningful change where it matters most to people." Notes to editors: About the study: The quantitative research component undertaken for Purpose in Asia surveyed over 3,000 people over 18 with access to the internet. This was carried out by Lightspeed in August and September 2018 across nine markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. To ensure alignment, the research used the consistent framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Social media analysis using Netbase was then undertaken. Data covered a year's worth of comments. Mainland China was excluded as its social media landscape is considerably different; this allowed for better comparability within a more homogenous context. About Kantar: Kantar is one of the world's leading data, insight and consultancy companies. Working together across the whole spectrum of research and consulting disciplines, its specialist brands, employing 30,000 people, provide inspirational insights and business strategies for clients in 100 countries. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. SOURCE Kantar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Consumers in Thailand want brands to stand up for local causes 93% believe brands should get involved in the issues that matter to them Health and well-being and poverty the most important social issues 63% are more likely to buy a brand more aligned with their views SINGAPORE, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in Asia favour brands that engage in social issues -- provided these are the causes that matter to them personally. According to Purpose in Asia, a new report from Kantar, 90% of consumers in the region and 93% in Thailand want brands to get involved in the issues they care about, meaning that an authentic brand purpose is now an expectation as opposed to a bonus. Aligning with the issues that matter to consumers also makes business sense. 63% of people questioned in Thailand said they were more likely to buy brands aligned with their views, and a similar number (53%) said they would be happy to pay 'a little more' for brands with sustainability credentials. The study also revealed a disconnect between the causes that dominate global media and international brand campaigns, and the issues that matter to consumers in Asia. While climate change and gender equality were the two high-profile issues most likely to be seen by people in Asia, causes closer to home mattered most to them personally, such as health and well-being or ending poverty. The results of the study highlight the role of social media in circulating information about causes. TV was still the channel where most people heard about social isues, however, the rise of social media in many countries in Asia is facilitating a more active form of participation. 66% of people in Thailand said that they had liked posts on social media around an issue they cared about, and 51% have shared a post or article. And social media was impacting behaviours as a result. 71% of people in Thailand said they were more conscious of an issue in day-to-day life after seeing a post about it on social media, whilst 41% said they have changed their behaviour as a result. In terms of how brands should engage with issues, authenticity was key. Consumers were quick to challenge brands that outwardly supported a cause, but at the same time had problems with their own business practices, or brands that misjudged the tone needed to engage in emotionally-charged issues. Developed markets were more sceptical of brands' involvement. Only 33% of Australians felt that brands were able to authentically engage with issues, in comparison to India where 74% perceived it as trustworthy brand activity. Consumers believe that brands have a key role to play in advancing the issues that matter to people. Educating consumers about an issue was the top activity cited, followed by initiating and funding programmes to support the issue, and then funding organisations directly. Joy Lee, Regional Digital Consultant for Kantar's Insights Division said: "Brands have understood the power of purpose for a number of years now. However, the challenge lies in identifying what resonates across the diverse landscape of Asia, and then engaging in an authentic way. Brands now have permission to get involved and make a difference. The good news is that this isn't necessarily about making a lot of noise on the global stage. It can also be about supporting local initiatives and driving small but meaningful change where it matters most to people." Notes to editors: About the study: The quantitative research component undertaken for Purpose in Asia surveyed over 3,000 people over 18 with access to the internet. This was carried out by Lightspeed in August and September 2018 across nine markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. To ensure alignment, the research used the consistent framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Social media analysis using Netbase was then undertaken. Data covered a year's worth of comments. Mainland China was excluded as its social media landscape is considerably different; this allowed for better comparability within a more homogenous context. About Kantar: Kantar is one of the world's leading data, insight and consultancy companies. Working together across the whole spectrum of research and consulting disciplines, its specialist brands, employing 30,000 people, provide inspirational insights and business strategies for clients in 100 countries. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. SOURCE Kantar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [December 06, 2018] Consumers in Asia want brands to stand up for local causes 90% believe brands should get involved in the issues that matter to them Health and wellbeing and poverty the most important social issues 60% are more likely to buy a brand more aligned with their views SINGAPORE, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers in Asia favour brands that engage in social issues -- provided these are the causes that matter to them personally. According to Purpose in Asia, a new report from Kantar, nine in ten consumers in the region want brands to get involved in the issues they care about, meaning that an authentic brand purpose is now an expectation as opposed to a bonus. Aligning with the issues that matter to consumers also makes business sense. 60% of people questioned said they were more likely to buy brands aligned with their views, and the same number said they would be happy to pay 'a little more' for brands with sustainability credentials. The study also revealed a disconnect between the causes that dominate global media and international brand campaigns, and the issues that matter to consumers in Asia. While climate change and gender equality were the two high-profile issues most likely to be seen by people, causes closer to home mattered most to them personally, such as health and wellbeing or ending poverty. These two topics appeared within the five most important issues for all countries questioned, and appeared alongside issues such as quality education and hunger in emerging markets, and decent work and economic growth in developed markets. The results of the study highlight the role of social media in circulating information about causes. TV was still the channel where most people eard about social issues, however, the rise of social media in many countries in Asia is facilitating a more active form of participation. Over half (53%) said that they had liked posts on social media around an issue they cared about, and 45% have shared a post or article. These figures were far higher in emerging markets like Thailand (68%), Indonesia (67%) and Philippines (65%). And social media was impacting behaviours as a result. 61% of people said they were more conscious of an issue in day-to-day life after seeing a post about it on social media, whilst a third (31%) said they have changed their behaviour as a result. In terms of how brands should engage with issues, authenticity was key. Consumers were quick to challenge brands that outwardly supported a cause, but at the same time had problems with their own business practices, or brands that misjudged the tone needed to engage in emotionally-charged issues. Developed markets were more sceptical of brands' involvement. Only 33% of Australians felt that brands were able to authentically engage with issues, in comparison to India where 74% perceived it as trustworthy brand activity. Consumers believe that brands have a key role to play in advancing the issues that matter to people. Educating consumers about an issue was the top activity cited, followed by initiating and funding programmes to support the issue, and then funding organisations directly. Joy Lee, Regional Digital Consultant for Kantar's Insights Division said: "Brands have understood the power of purpose for a number of years now. However, the challenge lies in identifying what resonates across the diverse landscape of Asia, and then engaging in an authentic way. Brands now have permission to get involved and make a difference. The good news is that this isn't necessarily about making a lot of noise on the global stage. It can also be about supporting local initiatives and driving small but meaningful change where it matters most to people." Notes to editors: About the study: The quantitative research component undertaken for Purpose in Asia surveyed over 3,000 people over 18 with access to the internet. This was carried out by Lightspeed in August and September 2018 across nine markets: Australia, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan. Defining and measuring the issues that matter to people across a diverse landscape such as Asia presents challenges. To ensure alignment, the research used the consistent framework of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). Social media analysis using Netbase was then undertaken to understand the different nuances within the conversations around the issues that were selected as most important within each market; data covered a year's worth of comments and cleaning and processing utilized Kantar's research grade data principles. Mainland China was excluded as its social media landscape is considerably different; this allowed for better comparability within a more homogenous context. About Kantar: Kantar is one of the world's leading data, insight and consultancy companies. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune Top 500 companies. SOURCE Kantar [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] About Me Father Tony Ashland, Oregon, United States The Rev. Dr. Anthony A. Hutchinson, Anglican/Episcopal priest: I am the Rector (Senior Pastor) at Trinity Episcopal Church in Ashland, Oregon. I am Anglo-Catholic in faith and churchmanship, and am committed to a welcoming Church that embodies grace in its life and practice. I was ordained and first served as a priest in Hong Kong, and later in Beijing. I speak French and Chinese. View my complete profile Why "Elliptical Glory" for Fragmentary Glimpses? This web log is intended to share homilies, some liturgical materials I have prepared or adapted (prayers, litanies, etc.), and occasional journal entries. "Elliptical" can mean "fragmentary, with words missing," or "in the shape of a flattened circle." While "glory" refers to the brilliance surrounding the Deity, it can also refer to the grace that reflects such radiance in life. In Christian iconography, a "glory" is the whole body halo around the Christ or the Blessed Virgin in paintings and statuary. When pointed at the ends, a "glory" in this sense is also called a mandorla (from the Italian for "almond"), or a vesica piscis (a "fish's [air] bladder) . In geometry, an ellipse is a curve traced out by a point that is required to move so that the sum of its distances from two fixed points (called foci) remains constant. If the foci are identical with each other, the ellipse is a circle; if the two foci are distinct from each other, the ellipse looks like a flattened or elongated circle. According to Keplers First Law of Planetary Motion, an object in orbit follows an ellipse, with the center of mass as one of the foci. The ellipse was called imperfect by theologians who originally objected to its use by Kepler to refine Copernicus heliocentric model of the solar system, as opposed to the perfect circles of Aristotelian geocentric cosmology. "Elliptical" can thus also imply the 'imperfect' path between two centers, or falling toward the true center, but moving forward fast enough to avoid collision, but slowly enough to prevent escape. A vesica piscis is created by the overlapping of two circles and since before Christianity has been a general symbol for the intersection of the spiritual and phenomenal realms. It is oriented vertically in Christian iconography as a glory, representing the intersection of the divine and the human in the person of Jesus, the fruit of the Blessed Virgin's womb. If you look around the smartphone landscape right now, it's not pretty. Apple is reportedly having trouble moving both the iPhone XR and iPhone XS and is reassigning marketing people to bolster sales. And Gartner just announced the biggest decline in smartphone sales since the analyst firm started tracking them. Why the ho-hum reaction to 2018's crop of smartphones? It's partially because people are holding onto their phones longer, but it's also because the biggest names in the industry simply didn't innovate much this year. Chinese giants like Huawei and Xiaomi have pushed the envelope in 2018 with their new handsets especially the Huawei Mate 20 Pro but their phones aren't readily available in the U.S. As good as the new phones from Apple and Samsung have been this year, they aren't big departures from what we've already seen. But there's one smartphone maker that has innovated more than anyone else and whose devices are fairly easy to get your hands on, and that's Google. Topping our list of Innovation Award winners for 2018, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL don't look much different than their predecessors, but there are lots of small and big leaps forward crammed into these flagships, especially in regard to the camera. Here are just a few things that stand out about Google's phones. Night Sight is jaw-dropping and amazingly useful I've been taking a ton of photos with Google's new Night Sight mode enabled and disabled, and the results are literally night and day. Because the Pixel 3 takes a number of continuous frames and merges them, the results are astoundingly good even in close to complete darkness. You simply don't need a flash to get a great picture in low light, and that's a fantastic achievement. (Night Sight is even available for older Pixel phones) You simply don't need a flash to get a great picture in low light, and that's a pretty fantastic achievement. The Pixel 3 also generally takes sharper pics than the competition in challenging lighting conditions. It delivers more accurate hues and better contrast. I noticed this right away when comparing a shot of a Christmas tree taken by both Google's flagship and the iPhone XR. Top Shot picks the best photo for you Say you're taking a group pic and someone blinked in one frame and someone got distracted in another shot. Using machine learning, Google knows the attributes of the good photo and can recommend the best image in a bunch collected just before and just after you press the shutter button. You can also scroll through the images yourself and pick your own favorite, if you're so inclined. Call Screen is your phone's bouncer for spam calls Robocalls are out of control, and the bad guys are getting more sophisticated, targeting users with phone numbers that are from your own area code. How do you know when you should answer? On the Pixel 3, Google Assistant can screen your calls for you with the push of a button and transcribe what that telemarketer is saying in real time. It works very fast, and is surprisingly accurate. MORE: Pixel 3 vs. iPhone XR: Battle of the Affordable Flagships Android Pie and Slices While other phones are getting Android 9 Pie, the Pixel 3 was the first to ship with Google's new OS, and it includes plenty of handy features. My favorite is Slices, which essentially serves up the best bits of apps to save you time. For example, if you search for Lyft on the Pixel 3, you'll see a time-saving shortcut for getting a ride to work that also displays pricing. Marketing matters If you want people to buy your phones, the marketing has to spell out that you should shell out $750 to $1,100. But I think the ads for the iPhone XR and XS don't speak to meaningful innovation at all. The first commercials for the iPhone XS Max, for example, were all about the big, 6.5-inch display. Big screens are not new. And the iPhone XR's first ad was all about the multiple color options. Enticing, yes, but the vast majority of people are just going to put a case on their phone. I've had more than one person say to me, 'I wish the iPhone could do that.' The marketing around the Galaxy Note 9 also landed with a thud. So it has a big battery. That's nice, and it is useful, but that's not innovative. And the new S Pen tricks touted in another spot come across as more gimmicky than practical. When I watch the Google's Pixel 3 ads, they do an excellent job of explaining the benefits of features like Top Shot, Night Sight and the not-so-new Flip to Shhh in a way thats humorous and enlightening. I've had more than one person say to me, "I wish the iPhone could do that." Some early bugs The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are definitely not perfect. In fact, Google just released an update that addresses several bugs, including a bad-memory performance issue that was causing apps running in the background to shut down. Another bug prevented some photos from being saved, which is ironic given that the Pixel 3 is now the best camera phone. It definitely doesn't count as innovation, but it's nice that Google was able to address these issues fairly quickly. MORE: The Most Innovative Tech of 2018 Bottom Line The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL won't top the sales charts, and that's because they're inexplicably sold only through Verizon in the U.S., at least as far as major carriers go. (You can also get them through the lesser-known Google Fi wireless service.) And while you can buy Google's phones unlocked, most people here don't buy their phones that way. Regardless, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are the most innovative phones of the year, and Google deserves a lot of credit for solving real-world problems with its flagships. Credit: Tom's Guide The U.S. and China have been posturing for a trade war over the last few months. President Donald Trump's administration has levied tariffs on an increasing number of goods originating from China, with the original estimate of $34 billion worth of affected goods quickly rising to $200 billion. Both countries have also engaged in disputes regarding DRAM manufacturing. Tensions are likely to escalate further now that Canadian authorities have arrested Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou, a deputy chairwoman at the company and daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, with plans to extradite her to New York. The arrest is said to be linked to allegations that Huawei sought to circumvent U.S. sanctions on Iran. Canada's Department of Justice told reporters that a bail hearing is set for Friday, December 7 and that further details couldn't be provided because of a publication ban requested by Meng. "Americans are grateful that our Canadian partners have arrested the chief financial officer of a giant Chinese telecom company for breaking U.S. sanctions against Iran," U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) told The New York Times. He also said that China has been "working to creatively undermine our national security interests." That sentiment echoes the reasoning given by the U.S. Department of Commerce when it prohibited U.S. companies from exporting goods to the Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Company in October. But that's far from the first time the U.S. has cited national security concerns about Chinese companies. Trump previously banned government agencies from using devices and components made by Huawei and ZTE, for example. Neither Huawei nor the Chinese government have taken Meng's arrest lying down. The company said it's "not aware of any wrongdoing by Ms. Meng," according to the BBC, and a Chinese official said "detention without giving any reason violates a person's human rights." China has asked both the U.S. and Canada to provide a reason for Meng's arrest and immediately release her to "protect the person's legal rights." KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police blocked off several intersections Wednesday afternoon after witnessing a rolling gun battle between two cars. Just before 4 p.m., police on patrol in the area of 27th Street and Walrond Avenue when they witnessed people in two cars shooting at each other. KC Scout team activates 'snow desk' to better monitor, respond to weather-related traffic incidents LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - As salt trucks treated highways around Kansas City early Thursday morning, another team worked from inside to make sure the driving public has a safe commute. Traffic operators and customer service representatives monitor phone calls, cameras and other tools from the Kansas City Scout center based at the Missouri Department of Transportation's Kansas City district office. Local tech for better surveillance over garbage streets and crumbling infrastructure. Here's the nice news version of spy cams most placed to keep track of the status quo among the plebs. Checkit: 4 Of These Items Are Booze Dead-Tree Church Chat Evangelical Vineyard Church sends pastor to rehab with love | The Kansas City Star Congregation members of the Vineyard Church in Kansas City's Northland were expecting regular worship services on the weekend before Thanksgiving, but they got troubling news instead. Taste Kansas City BBQ Tech Have you tried ALL the BBQ restaurants in KC? KANSAS CITY, Mo. - How many of Kansas City's barbecue restaurants would you say you've visited? Half of them? More than half? Well, there's an app for that. Visit KC is trying to help you up your barbecue number with its new app called the Kansas City BBQ Experience. Kansas City Sketchy Last Wishes KC family shocked after mother's suspicious last will leaves everything to pastor KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Beatrice Allen was a mother and a grandmother, hard working and fiercely religious. When she died last September at the age of 90, her family struggled to accept that she would no longer be part of their lives. Another Inner Suburban Scam Prairie Village police issue warning about survey company mail scam The Prairie Village Police Department is issuing a warning about a scam involving mail saying it's from a survey company. Police said a Mission Hills, Kansas, resident received instructions for this scam in the mail. Documents state they are from a survey company that is evaluating customer service. Kansas City Newsie Head Check 41 Files: What might counseling for Kareem Hunt look like? KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The fallout from Friday's release of a video showing former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt shoving and kicking a woman at a Cleveland hotel in February now includes questions about how the investigation was handled. Morning Weather Warning First Alert: Morning snow, temps turn colder Light snow showers to begin your Thursday. A dusting up to a half an inch is possible for Kansas City. The rest of your day will be cloudy, and then becoming p... It's Always The Hipster Weekend Holiday-Flavored Macarons, Charlie Brown at Worlds of Fun & Other Weekend Possibilities Winter has its own food group. Dive into hot chocolate and caramel popcorn and all the foods that let you add a bit of cold weather insulation at WinterFest. Decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus, pop by the North Pole or catch Charlie Brown's Christmas Spectacular. The winter-themed celebration runs through Dec. The legacy of one of our all-time faves endures. Take a peek:Closer to home, these links are dominating our news morning . . .is the song of the day and this is thefor right now . . . Finally, Volkswagen has made the announcement. After investing billions of dollars into electrification already, the German automaker said that the next generation of its cars will be the last with internal combustion engines, which will be phased out completely by 2026. What They Had To Say According to Bloomberg, Volkswagens head of strategy, Michael Jost, said at the Handelsblatt automotive summit in Wolfsburg that VWs engineers are working on the last platform for vehicles that arent CO2-neutral. He added, Were gradually fading out combustion engines to the absolute minimum. In the year 2026, the last product based on a combustion platform will be started. There Is Still Time For The Combustion Engines To Die This doesnt mean that combustion engines will be retired by 2027; it means there will be no new development of petrol or diesel engines from 2026. The combustion engines will likely go on till mid-2030s, especially in developing countries or where the automaker is still finding its foot. Also, developing countries will take at least a decade or so to accommodate infrastructure for charging electric vehicles. What Does The Future Hold? Volkswagens involvement and progress in the field of electrification has been tremendous in the last couple of years. It is the right move for the automaker moving forward as it attempts to leave the Dieselgate demons behind. And of course, the pressure on automakers to hit tough emissions targets to combat climate change is immense. The company made an announcement last year that the Volkswagen Group, which includes its other brands like Skoda, Audi, and Porsche, will invest $38 billion in electrification, autonomy, and technology by 2022. This financial investment itself shows how committed the German manufacturer is towards electrifying all its cars across brands. One of Volkswagens most prominent moves in this direction is the I.D. range of electric vehicles that includes a hatchback, Buzz Cargo Van, and Crozz SUV. All of these will built on the groups new MEB EV platform. The first I.D. hatchback will reach the showrooms in 2020, while the others still have time to come. Our Take When a company of this magnitude goes berserk and has set its eyes on something, it only means trouble. We have to wait and watch if VW can actually gain the upper hand and become the God of Thunder (God of Lightning would be more apt, right?), or can it expect the same wrath from other automakers as well? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Further Reading Read our full review on the 2018 Volkswagen I.D. Vizzion Concept. Read our full review on the 2017 Volkswagen I.D. Buzz. Read our full review on the 2017 Volkswagen I.D. Crozz II Source: Bloomberg Harold Tubbs Carr Jr., 93, of Brevard, passed away peacefully Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018. He was born Sept. 14, 1925, in Bangor, Maine, to the late Harold T. Sr. and Doris (Tubbs) Carr. He was a graduate of Bangor High School class of 1942. In December 1943, he was inducted into the Army and served in the European theater during World War II. He was wounded in action, leading to his discharge in August of 1945. During his service, he was awarded two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat. On Nov. 8, 1945, he was united in marriage to Alice Marie Young and together they celebrated 72 years of marriage. They raised four boys in Mattituck, N.Y. before moving to Penrose in 1991. Later they moved to Brevard. He was a loving father and grandfather and is survived by his sons, Stephen, Robin, and Alan (Tami) Carr, as well as many grandchildren. He attended Husson College in Bangor, receiving his teaching certificate as a business education teacher. He taught for several years in schools in Maine and Mattituck, and also pursued a graduate education. In 1967, he was appointed as a supervisor for the Board of Cooperative Education Services, and continued to serve the board until he retired in 1981. For the 10 years that followed, he set up and ran a consulting business in Eastern Long Island, assisting approximately 15 schools. Upon moving to North Carolina, he was active in his church, serving as treasurer, spent time volunteering for Christian ministry, and supporting Sharing House. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice, who passed away this past February. In addition, he was preceded in death by his eldest son, Rodney; daughter-in-law, Linda (Robin); his parents; and siblings. He was role model to his four boys in his values and beliefs, and was the living definition of a caring and devoted husband to his wife, Alice. His family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Paula Hickman for taking special care of their parents over the past several years. The death of former President George H. W. Bush last week was a stark and brutal reminder to me of his presidency and personal life, as opposed to that being displayed by President Donald Trump. Bush: A decorated war veteran vs. Trump, who never served in the military and has little respect for veterans like John McCain or Americas Unknown Soldier. Bush: Negotiated and compromised when necessary vs. Trump, who is unable to cooperate or negotiate. Bush: Believed that character and having a moral compass was vital vs. Trump, a narcissistic misogynist with little or no apparent personal substance. Bush: Believed in patriotic values and a sense of service vs. Trump, a shady businessman who, it appears, has, for years, cheated contractors and buried his competitors under endless lawsuits. Bush: Believed in dignity, decorum and never publicly berating or belittling opponents vs. Trump, who is a liar and a consummate, threatening bully with no empathy, save for himself and, perhaps, his family. Bush: Engendered respect from political opponents and world leaders vs. Trump, who regularly appeals to bigoted groups like the KKK, while publicly cozying up to the oppressive leaders of Russia, Saudi Arabia and the Philippine Islands. Bush: Compiled a lifetime of meaningful and effective public service, while Trump appears to know nothing, and have no interest in learning about, the business of government, preferring to be allowed to dictate, rather than govern, when at all possible. Bush: Consistently displayed strength, sacrifice, dignity, compassion, integrity and humility, while Trump appears to only worship profit margin, applause, ratings, and being seen as a winner in his own sadly myopic eyes. America: I believe that we can do much better than this. Paul Morgan Brevard Frequently, modest people who quietly do good work are often overlooked until they are gone. Then we realize their contributions, their subtle but steady work that has made life easier or better for us. That is the case of President George H.W. Bush, who passed away last Friday at the age of 94. President Bush focused on getting the job done, on good governance, regardless of who received the credit. His mother taught him early in life that modesty and humility, not self-centeredness and braggadocio, are virtues. He was taught service to country is noble. Bush served this country in multiple ways. At 18, instead of going to college, he enlisted in the Navys flight training program. In September of 1944 during a bombing run in the Pacific, his plane was shot down. The other two crew members were killed while he was rescued by a submarine. For his bravery and actions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Asked later if he ever thought about the two men who died in his plane, he responded every day. After graduating from college and working as a businessman in the oil industry in Texas, Bush became involved in politics. He became a two-term Congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, envoy to China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency and vice president. In 1988, Bush was elected president. As president, he was instrumental in peacefully ending the Cold War, primarily due to his respect for our adversaries. When the Berlin Wall was being dismantled, Bush was almost invisible because he did not want to make it more difficult for the moderate Soviets to retain leadership. Partly due to his equanimity, the Soviet Union was dismantled and Germany reunified peacefully. In addition, he signed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, which cut American and Soviet long-range nuclear arsenals by 25 percent. Maybe his most memorable foreign achievement was the quick victory in the Gulf War. Bush was able to build a collaboration of roughly 30 nations including the Soviet Union, Egypt and Saudia Arabia to drive Iraq out of Kuwait in 1991. He gave the Iraqis time to withdraw from Kuwait, but when they did not, he ordered several weeks of air strikes. When ground forces entered the fray, it took just 100 hours of fighting before the Iraqis surrendered. Bush also had successes on the domestic front. He negotiated and signed the Americans With Disabilities Act, stating, Let the shameful walls of exclusion come tumbling down. That single act opened up the doors of opportunity that had previously been closed to millions of Americans. He improved the nations air and water, which included addressing the issue of acid rain. These domestic initiatives dovetailed with his global environmental initiatives, such as the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change, which ultimately led to the Paris Agreement to reduce carbon emissions, and the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which produces a comprehensive climate change report every four years. Like every president, Bush had his flaws and failures. At times he indulged in pandering and race-baiting during elections. (As he later told historian Jon Meacham, Politics isnt a pure undertaking not if youre going to win, its not. Thats the way politics is, unfortunately.) There are also questions about his knowledge of the Iran-Contra controversy and his close connections with the House of Saud. Bushs biggest political failure was partially the result of being uncharacteristically brash, when he made the comment in 1998, Read my lips. No new taxes. Bush went against that pledge during his presidency when he raised taxes in an effort to bring the budget into balance. While the tax increase was economically prudent move and set the groundwork for President Clinton to balance the budget, it cost Bush politically and contributed to his defeat in 1992. Upon leaving the White House, Bush left a letter wishing Clinton success, concluding I am rooting hard for you. Later, Bush developed a close friendship with Clinton, and they led efforts to raise funds for the victims of the tsunami that devastated southeast Asia in 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. George H.W. Bush served this country throughout his life. While many of his achievements may have been overlooked, he worked to make America a better place and the world a safer one. George H.W. Bush was probably the most decent, kind man ever to hold the office. According to historians, presidents Bush and John Adams were the most successful one-term presidents in U.S. history. But Id like to focus not on Bushs military and political accomplishments but on the innate decency of the man. George Bush loved people and wrote personal letters and notes to everyone all his life. My favorite is the time he, as president, wrote to the young Marine who dropped his rifle in his presence during the Marine barracks Silent Drill Team display. That night the Commander-In-Chief wrote the chagrined private a note which said in part, Dont worry about it, son, Ive done a lot worse. Your Friend, George Bush. He remembered everyones name, asked about their families and pets, and following the (now recently broken) tradition of all prior presidents, never publicly criticized his successor or any current occupant of the office. Following his familys upbringing and traditions, he was a classy, good, humble gentleman. I will always treasure a handwritten personal letter I got from him many years ago. God bless you, Bush 41. A life so well lived. Anchors away! Jack Matthews Osprey, Fla. Cruise line curates 122 local tours for guests to visit locals homes, farms, workplaces, markets and studios across the world Regent Seven Seas Cruises announces two shore excursion innovations designed to offer luxury travelers the most bespoke experiences in destinations around the world: Go Local Tours and Regent Choice small group tours. Our guests desire to learn about the people, cultures and natural wonders of our world is the inspiration behind Go Local Tours, Regent Seven Seas Cruises President and CEO Jason Montague said. Their fascination for immersive exploration, and the fact that many guests return to some of the same ports theyve visited before and are looking for distinct authentic, one-of-a-kind experiences, led to our groundbreaking approach to elevate luxury travel shore excursions. These local experiences will be exceptional. Go Local Tours. Regent Seven Seas Cruises guests will enjoy a more direct way to experience the culture of a destination through Go Local Tours. Now, guests can spend a day at a family-owned goat farm in the countryside of Andalusia to learn the generations-old way of making cheese, or discover the joy of fishing with the residents of Portofino, or observe skilled artists in their studios in Palma de Mallorca. Guests will experience the world through the eyes of those who live in the community and discover the best of a favorite destination. The cruise line worked for seven months to curate 122 small local experiences for guests, nearly 50 of which are included in its FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions. Go Local Tours are available on 2019 Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages, along with 2019 voyages calling on Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay. Examples of Go Local Tours include: Spain Visit the mountain village of Alfarnate, located in the province of Malaga in Andalusia. Here, a local guide escorts guests through the village shops to introduce them to the local artisans. The next stop is the nearby town of Alfarnatejo, to an ancient, restored house, where guests enjoy a glass of local wine before a host escorts guests to their own home for a traditional Spanish lunch and an introduction to Spains gastronomical culture. Finland Guests will experience the unique and beautiful sights of central Helsinki. The day starts with a visit to the most popular food market, Kauppahalli, to observe and taste the variety of local fish, meat, and cheeses. Next, guests take a local tram toward Kamppi Center to visit the two most famous Finnish supermarkets before touring the underground Central Bus Station, which connects Helsinki with the surrounding towns. One more level under the ground, guests will take a Metro to the Hakaniemi Market Hall for a tour. Following a typical Finnish snack, the tour ends with a relaxing walk through Kaivopuisto Park, the oldest and best-known park in Helsinki. Greece Visit the Monastery of Agia Irini south of Heraklion and close to the traditional village of Kroussonas. The Monastery serves as a nunnery and is amongst the oldest in Crete. At the completion of the guided visit the nuns will offer guests traditional hand-made sweets. In the village of Kroussonas guests will visit the traditional Cretan boot maker, Stivania, and tour the oldest bakery in the village. A host will introduce guests to traditional Cretan music accompanied by a lesson in folk dances such as the Ballos. The demonstration will also show how families prepare cheese and make Cretan cheese pies. Afterward, guests are treated to olive oil and wine tastings, and a demonstration in Cretan weaving. A traditional Cretan lunch will be served at the end of the tour. Regent Choice small group tours. In 2009, Regent Seven Seas Cruises elevated the luxury cruise industry by introducing FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions, an innovation which demonstrated the tremendous value Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers with one all-inclusive voyage price. Regent Choice small group tours are smaller versions of the cruise lines existing popular FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions and Regent Choice tours. Hosting no more than 16 guests, for a subsidized, supplementary fee Regent Choice small group tours allow for more personal destination engagement with a knowledgeable guide. These excursions are curated to provide additional ways to engage luxury travelers interests and passions, from food and wine to art and architecture, and include access to UNESCO World Heritage Sites. About 250 excursions on 2019 Mediterranean and Northern Europe voyages will be offered as Regent Choice small group tours. Imagine the intimacy of you and only 15 others in your small group walking through the beautiful sites in Dubrovnik, observing the historic towns unique marble-paved squares, tall houses, steep-cobbled streets and fountains as you engage in conversations with a local guide. Small group tours allow for deeper, more meaningful conversations, interactions and explorations during many of our most popular tours, Montague said. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Travel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Travel Industry Wire Azul will fly three times a week to the Portuguese city starting June 2019 from its main hub in Campinas Azul announces a new non-stop service to Porto, Portugal starting on June 3, 2019. The city will receive three weekly flights from Campinas, Azul's main hub, which will have a total of 17 weekly frequencies to Portugal. Sale of tickets to Porto starts today and is available on all Azul distribution channels. The Portuguese city is the second destination in Europe to receive flights from Azul after Lisbon. The non-stop flight will be operated on an Airbus A330, with 272 seats. With the addition of this new flight, Campinas, the largest hub in Latin America, will offer non-stop service to 57 destinations, including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Lisbon. In partnership with Aigle Azur, Azul also offers flights to Paris, France. According to Abhi Shah, Azul's Chief Revenue Officer, "the new flight to Porto is another milestone for Azul, Viracopos airport and the Brazilian aviation market. This addition further strengthens our main hub by offering more connecting options to our customers both in our domestic as well as international network. I am confident that this new flight will be very successful". "Azul's new service between Viracopos and Europe will contribute to the international growth of the airport. From January to October of this year, Viracopos' international passenger growth was 24.3% totaling more than 552 passengers" says Gustavo Mussnich, CEO of Viracopos airport. Porto Alegre, Florianopolis, Curitiba, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Goiania and Cuiaba will be the main Brazilian cities offering convenient connections to the Campinas-Porto flight. Within aproximately nine hours, customers will be able to leave these cities and arrive at the portuguese city. Furthermore, from Porto, Azul will offer convenient connections to Amsterdam, Geneva, Luxembourg, and London in partnership with TAP. Fernando Vieira, director of Porto's airport believes that the new flight will further strengthen the airport. "We are very pleased with the announcement of Azul's new flight from Campinas. Porto's airport currently serves 30 airlines, connecting to 79 destinations and with Azul's addition we will further increase our connectivity worldwide", says Fernando. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest Travel industry news and trends. Subscribe 2021 Travel Industry Wire It really isn't necessary but it sure is a lot of fun. I am conflicted. The Passivhaus movement is growing all over the world, and the people behind Passivhaus Portugal are very active, running a conference every year in Aveiro, a small city between Lisbon and Porto. I did a presentation by video last year which was evidently well received, and this year they asked me to come in person. I did so knowing that it was silly, putting big heavy cement overshoes on my carbon footprint to speak at a conference about reducing our carbon footprint. But there is something about meeting people in person, and I had never been to Portugal. High speed electric train arriving in Porto/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 It got still sillier when I flew Easyjet from London to Porto, paying less for the fare on a two-hour plane ride than I did for a two-hour train ride from Aveiro to Lisbon. Cestaria is the one in the middle/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 I loved Portugal. The food was wonderful, the people are friendly and warm, the cities are models of walkability, and did I mention the food? I loved running along the beach in Costa Nova, (and staying in a Passivhaus) and climbing the stairs in Lisbon. Hugo Cunha via twitter Having participated two years in a row in the Passivhaus Portugal conference, I can attest that being there and meeting everyone and seeing the other presentations is a whole lot better than phoning it in. I learned a lot, made some great connections and came back refreshed, excited and intellectually stimulated. But I can't help feeling that it was an illicit pleasure, that I can't justify the carbon footprint, particularly given the topic being discussed at the conference. This, while I am trying to decide about going to next year's Passivhaus conference in China! Is it better to go, to learn, to talk, to exchange ideas, or should I stay home? But I have submitted an abstract for the China conference and if it is accepted, will be presenting a paper. Is this not too great an opportunity to miss? Many in academia are starting to say no, it isn't. One group led by Parke Wilde of Tufts University is trying to get academics to stop flying, noting that they fly a lot more than the general population: Many university-based academics fly much more than 12,000 miles per year. We have faculty colleagues who diligently limit their environmental impact in many areas of their lives, but not their flying behavior. For an academic professional who eats comparatively little meat, commutes by public transportation, sets the home thermostat at a reasonable temperature, and drives a fuel-efficient car, unrestrained flying behavior easily may be responsible for a large fraction of his or her total climate change impact. This is absolutely the case for me. I do all of the above, bike everywhere in town, and flying is by far the biggest component of my climate footprint. And flying is even worse than just the carbon. They do not consider the enhanced impact due to the release of aviation emissions at high altitudes, where they influence climate change through the process of radiative forcing. This radiative forcing may multiply the climate change impact of flying by a factor of 3. The more conservative adjustment factor used in the CoolClimate Network calculator from the University of California Berkeley to account for radiative forcing is 1.9, meaning that the full climate change impact of flying is approximately double the direct impact of the greenhouse gas emissions. After accounting for this issue, some estimates suggest aviation is responsible for 5% of global human climate change impacts. Steps in Lisbon/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 Parke Wilde notes that many academics worry that if they don't fly, they won't get the exposure they need and it will hurt their career: "They feel pressure not to miss the same events that other people in the field are attending." But he also notes that not going to conventions gives one more time for research and writing. This is certainly true; I promised my editor that I would keep working while I was away, but I was too busy walking and going to museums and eating great food and drinking fine port to actually meet my work commitments. Overall, I would have been a whole lot more productive if I had phoned it in. Over a decade ago, George Monbiot wrote about the difficulty of convincing people that they shouldn't just hop on a plane and fly. When I challenge my friends about their planned weekend in Rome or their holiday in Florida, they respond with a strange, distant smile and avert their eyes. They just want to enjoy themselves. Who am I to spoil their fun? The moral dissonance is deafening. The stripy houses of Costa Nova/ Lloyd Alter/CC BY 2.0 But it is so easy. The economic craziness that makes that Easyjet flight cost 30 pounds is part of the problem, a reverse incentive encouraging people to fly instead of taking shorter, greener trips. In gorgeous Costa Nova I was told that people from Lisbon don't come there anymore because it is cheaper to catch a plane and vacation in Tunisia. There is a giant economic distortion happening here that makes flying so cheap. When we had a beer after my talk in Lisbon, conference organizer Joao said he hoped I would come back for next year's conference. I would love to; it is such a great way to mix work with play. The flight isn't too expensive and the food and the hotels are cheap. But I am beginning to think that in all of these events, the carbon cost is just too high. What do you think? Do the benefits of travel to conferences outweigh the carbon cost? Should people stop flying to conferences? Treehugger and our third-party partners use cookies and process personal data like unique identifiers based on your consent to store and/or access information on a device, display personalized ads and for content measurement, audience insight, and product development. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Treehugger.com, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, click below. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. List of Partners (vendors) No more crocodile skin handbags. Chanel is going cruelty-free in all future collections. Chanel is the latest high-end fashion label to go cruelty-free. The luxury brand announced this week that it will ban furs and animal skins, including crocodile, lizard, snake, and stingray, from its collections. A spokeswoman for Chanel told CNN that it was impossible for the company to source animal products ethically: "At Chanel, we are continually reviewing our supply chains to ensure they meet our expectations of integrity and traceability. In this context, it is our experience that it is becoming increasingly difficult to source exotic skins which match our ethical standards." Why Did Chanel Change Now? Karl Lagerfield, who has been creative director since 1983 when he took over from founder Coco Chanel, said that change is in the air, but that it was not "imposed" on the company: "It's a free choice." But no doubt the company has been influenced by a societal shift in people's attitudes toward furs and leathers. Chanel joins Gucci, Versace, Armani, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Michael Kors, Vivienne Westwood and others in choosing to phase out animal materials. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is celebrating the announcement. It said in a statement, "The champagne corks are popping at PETA, thanks to Chanel's announcement that it's kicking fur and exotic skins including crocodile, lizard, and snake skin to the curb. For decades, PETA has called on the brand to opt for luxury, cruelty-free fashion that no animal had to suffer and die for, and now it's time for other companies, like Louis Vuitton, to follow the lead of the iconic double C's and do the same." What Cruelty-Free Actually Means Chanel's path forward is not yet clear. The Independent reports that "it will work on developing new sustainable materials that have a low environmental impact, though Chanel has yet to clarify exactly what this will entail." Synthetic alternatives to fur and leather have come a long way in recent years to a point where "advancements in textiles have made faux fur and vegan leather nearly indistinguishable from animal pelts and skins" (PETA quote). President of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, says it may take some time for the animal products to move through the distribution chain, but that new innovative products will eventually replace them that do not compromise on luxurious aesthetic standards. I am all in support of going cruelty-free, but jumping aboard the petroleum-based alternatives ship is not quite so cut and dry. Plenty more research is needed into the long-term effects of plastic fake fur and 'pleather' on the environment and how these materials, too, can harm animals indirectly during production and following disposal. (Read: Vegan fashion is not always eco-friendly.) Hopefully Chanel's innovation will focus on truly sustainable alternatives that are plant-based and fully biodegradable. Now that sounds like luxury worth paying for. laxmi@tribune.com Vijay C Roy Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 6 Bicycle importers have found a unique way of circumventing high customs duty by bringing in parts of bicycles as spares from countries like China and assemble them locally and evade taxes to the tune of about 10%. Bicycles in fully build-up condition attract basic customs duty of 30% while duties on parts are around 20%. India imports bicycles from China, Cambodia, USA, Germany, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Some of the importers import complete bicycles in a knocked-down condition and show it as spare parts. Evasion of duty makes Indian products uncompetitive and also hurts retailers who are tax- compliant, said a Hoshiarpur-based importer, Abhishek Kashyap. Some manufacturers said, importers are also importing bicycles of other origin countries through Sri Lanka and Bangladesh route under South Asia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) and evading tax completely. On an average, India imports 50,000-70,000 bicycles per month from Sri Lanka. China-made products are often imported from Sri Lanka at zero duty by showing that the product is manufactured in SAFTA countries. This is hurting Ludhiana-based manufacturers, Vishivkarma Industries Managing Director Charanjit Singh said. The total turnover of the bicycle industry in Punjab is around Rs 5,000 crore. Important players in the market are Hero Cycles, Avon Cycles, TI and Neelam Cycles. Punjab accounts for over 4,000 manufacturing plants that employ over 2.5 lakh people. The influx of assembled bicycles from China and other countries by circumventing the duty is ruining the domestic industry, said Badish Jindal, an industrialist from Ludhiana. Currently, India produces 18 million bicycles per annum. Punjab accounts for 92% of the countrys total production of bicycle parts and 75% of bicycle production. Normally, the duty evasion is rampant in high premium bicycles, which are priced between Rs 15,000 and Rs 7 lakh. Circumventing the tax has become a common practice by a large number of importers that helps them cut the cost of the products they import. Industry representatives also pointed out that some of unscrupulous importers even got indulged in under invoicing in order to neutralise the impact of customs duty. Last year, the tax department raided Ludhiana-based companies after getting a tip-off that these companies were evading huge amounts of customs duty on the import of cycle parts. According to them, the firms were under-billing their import purchases to fleece the government and were paying less customs duty than the actual amount due to them. Indian manufacturers are heavily dependent on China for high-end bicycles and parts such as basket, spoke, air-pumps, hub-cup, hub-kone, carrier, bicycle chain, handle bolt and brakes among other items. Rs 15,000 - Rs 7 lakh Cost of imported bicycles Import duty on bicycle 30% Import duty on spare parts 20% harinder@tribunemail.com Srinagar/Jammu, December 6 An Army jawan and a BSF constable were killed in ceasefire violation by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir today. Rifleman Rajesh Kumar from Uttar Pradesh was killed when a volley of bullets was fired towards a forward post in Machil sector of Kupwara, 150 km northwest of Srinagar. Pakistan violated the ceasefire in Machil sector at 10.45 am. One soldier got martyred in the enemy fire, said Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia. Indian forces retaliated strongly, he added. This is the third ceasefire violation by Pakistan in the past 24 hours in north Kashmir. Earlier today, Pakistan forces violated the ceasefire in Kamalkote area of Uri in north Kashmirs Baramulla district, resulting in the suspension of cross-LoC trade via the Kaman bridge. Yesterday, Indian posts in the same area were targeted in which two soldiers were wounded, he said. In the Sunderbani sector, a BSF Constable was killed and another injured in heavy fire from across the LoC this evening, officials said. The incident happened at a forward post in Mala area. The sector is manned by BSFs 126th battalion. While a bullet hit Constable Prosenjit Biswas in the stomach, Constable Mansa Ram suffered a gunshot wound in the thigh, they said. They were airlifted to Command Hospital at Udhampur, where Biswas succumbed to injuries. The condition of the other jawan is stable, officials said. The violations come a fortnight after a Brigade Commander-level flag meeting between the two sides. TNS shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Tribune Web Desk Chandigarh, December 6 The Comedy Nights star, Kapil Sharma recently took to twitter to announce his upcoming nuptials with his long-time girlfriend, Ginni Chatrath in Jalandhar on December 12. The couple have started celebrating their pre-wedding rituals. Pictures of two sets of wedding invitations went viral on social media. We can assume that one is from the grooms side and the other is from the brides side of the family. Both the invitations looked lavish, filled with sweets and dry fruits. Kapils wedding card read, With great joy in our hearts and blessings of our parents, it gives us immense pleasure to announce that Ginni and I will embark on a new journey of love, respect and togetherness on 12th of December, 2018. Further saying, We would like to thank each and every one who has been a part of our wonderful sojourn and seek the best wishes and prayers of our loved ones. Lots of love. In a recent interview with IANS, Kapil said, We wanted to keep it low key. But Ginni is the only daughter in her family. Her folks wanted the wedding to be on a lavish scale. And I completely understand their sentiments. My mother also wants the wedding to be lavish. Kapil is supposed to return to work with The Kapil Sharma show on Sony television. Reports say, Salman Khan and his father, Salim Khan will be the first guests on the show. Photo Credit: Lovelyimaginations/ Instagram. amansharma@tribunemail.com New Delhi, December 6 Air India has suspended two pilots after the Boeing plane that was flying from the national capital to Hong Kong "descended rapidly" on October 20, according to an airline official. The incident happened when the Boeing 787-8 aircraft-carrying 207 people, including 10 crew members-was approaching the Hong Kong International Airport. A senior Air India official said two pilots were suspended on the same day of the incident. During approach at the airport, the aircraft "descended rapidly and deviated significantly from the normal glide path triggering a Ground Proximity Warning System alert", as per a preliminary report prepared by Hong Kong's Transport and Housing Bureau. The crew recovered the aircraft at about 200 ft above mean sea level before performing a go-around and later landed "uneventfully"on the second approach, the report said. Hong Kong's Air Accident Investigation Authority is probing the serious incident. "The investigation team is conducting detailed analysis of the data and information collected in order to determine the circumstances and causes of this serious incident. "During the course of the investigation, should any safety recommendation be necessary, it will be promulgated immediately," the report said. - PTI editorial@tribune.com Mukesh Ranjan Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 As the rigorous questioning of extradited accused Christian Michel continues in the Rs 3,600-crore AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal case, the CBI is preparing to soon confront the Dubai-based British middleman with his former driver Narayan Bahadur to ascertain the contacts and addresses visited by the fixer during his stay in Delhi. It is learnt that Michel has been evasive on several questions and in case he gets cornered, he starts showing aggression. Michel had allegedly travelled over a dozen times to Delhi in the years preceding the negotiations for the deal and Bahadur used to be his driver in the national capital. Sources in the agency said the CBIs prime focus was to question Michel and later issue summons to other accused linked to the case, including former IAF Chief SP Tyagi, his cousins and Gautam Khaitan of IDS Infotech. Sources said Michel is being confronted with documents running into more than a lakh pages. He was a frequent visitor to India and was operating as a middleman for defence procurements through a wide network of sources in the Air Force and the MoD at different levels, including retired and serving officials. Bahadur, who was earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate, had said he used receive money from Michels firms. Sources said Michel was being questioned round the clock, minus reasonable duration of sleep. gspannu7@gmail.com Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Patiala Jail superintendent to get Muzaffarpur shelter home sex abuse cases prime accused Brajesh Thakur medically examined after his children alleged that he was being tortured in jail. Keeping in view the allegations made in the letter, we direct the Superintendent of the Central Jail, Patiala, to produce Mr Brajesh Kumar Thakur before the Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, Patiala at 4 pm today. We also direct that the Chief Judicial Magistrate or any other Judicial Magistrate authorised by him to be present in the hospital, a Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur ordered. The Medical Superintendent, Rajindra Hospital, Patiala shall constitute a medical board who shall examine Mr Brajesh Kumar Thakur and submit a report to this court by Monday, 10th December, the Bench said. The top court directed its registry to immediately convey the order to Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jail Superintendent and Medical Superintendent at Patiala. The order came after senior counsel Vikas Singh placed before the Bench a letter dated December 6 purportedly written by Nikita Anand and Rahul Anand children of Thakur, who was transferred to Patiala Central Jail on the top courts order. The letter alleged that Thakur was being tortured physically and mentally in Patiala Jail. The Supreme Court had on October 30 ordered shifting of Muzaffarpur shelter home sex abuse case main accused Brajesh Thakur from Bhagalpur jail in Bihar to high security prison in Patiala following allegations that he was an influential person who was using mobile phones in jail. The alleged sexual exploitation of the girls was first highlighted in an audit report submitted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to the states social welfare department. The sexual abuse of 34 of the 42 inmates was confirmed after medical examination. According to TISS audit report, many girls at the shelter home had complained of sexual abuse. An FIR was lodged against 11 people, including Thakur, on May 31. The probe was later handed over to the CBI. On November 28, the top court had ordered CBI probe into 16 more cases of shelter home abuse in Bihar. Originally, the top court had taken cognisance of the matter after receiving a letter from one Ranvijay Kumar, who had expressed concern that the alleged victims were subjected to media interviews. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 The Supreme Court on Thursday refused urgent listing of a PIL seeking a probe into the allegations leveled by former Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph that former Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was being remote-controlled. A lawyer mentioned the matter demanding urgent listing of the PIL, saying it was a question of credibility of the institution. However, Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi declined to permit urgent listing of the PIL. Credibility of the institution is not determined by newspaper reports, but by people who man it, the CJI said. Days after retiring from the top court, Justice Joseph who was one of the four judges to hold a press conference against the then CJI Dipak Misra had accused Misra of being controlled by external influence. It had a bearing on listing of cases having political significance, Justice Joseph had alleged. Someone from outside was controlling the CJI, he had alleged. Justice Joseph had said senior judges had met Justice Misra, wrote to him to maintain independence and majesty of the Supreme Court and finally held a press conference on January 12 after all attempts failed. monicakchauhan@gmail.com Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, December 6 Accusing the BJP of dividing society, disgruntled party MP from Bahraich Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phule on Thursday resigned from the saffron party. Speaking to reporters in Bahraich, Dalit leader said upholding the Constitution and the rights it guarantees to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is her duty for which she is resigning. Phule announced to hold a massive rally at Ramabai Ambedkar maidan in Lucknow on December 23. She promised to make an explosive announcement at the rally. "I have resigned from the party. But I will continue as a Lok Sabha member till the end of my tenure," she said. She has also accused the BJP of dividing society and often the party over its Hindutva plank. The Dalit MP, who has long been critical of the party's leadership and resigned from the party on the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar, said she wants to get the Constitution implemented in letter and spirit. "Desh ke chowikdar ki pehredari mein, sansadhono ki chori karai ja rahi hai (the country's resources are being looted under the watch of the country's gateman)," she said in a derisive reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Slamming the BJP, she said people did not get Rs 15 lakh as promised but money was being misused in the construction of statues and temples. "It (BJP) is spreading hatred by raking up Hindu-Muslim, India-Pakistan issues and doing nothing to bring back those who fled with our money," the 37-year-old MP said. Ministers, she added, were making statements against the spirit of the Constitution "It seems the BJP wants to run the country from Manusmriti and not from the Constitution," Phule asserted, referring to the ancient Hindu code. "I am resigning on the death anniversary of B R Ambedkar as Manuwadi mentality is being promoted and the RSS, the VHP and the BJP are hurting the sentiments of Dalits and Muslims by creating a 1992 like situation. They are playing divisive politics and vitiating the communal atmosphere...," she said. Phule also said she wanted to draw the country's attention towards the issue of reservations in promotion. Reacting to her resignation, BJP spokesperson Harishchandra Srivsatava said Phule was trying to hide her failures as she had failed to meet the expectations of the people of Bahraich. "From today onwards, I have nothing to do with the BJP. My voice was being ignored in the party as I am a Dalit. There is a great conspiracy against Dalits and their rights. Reservation for Dalits and backwards is also being slowly taken away," she said. Known for her controversial statements, Phule has been attacking the BJP and its governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh for their alleged indifference to the concerns of Scheduled Castes. On Tuesday, Phule said Lord Hanuman was "a Dalit and a slave of 'manuwadi' people", adding her voice to the row which erupted over UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's statement that the deity was a Dalit. Asked about the Ram temple issue, pending in the Supreme Court, Phule said the BJP is raking up the matter as it has no other issues. "The country does not need a temple. Will it end unemployment and other problems of Dalits and backwards? The temple will benefit Brahmins, who are only 3 per cent. The money offered in temples are used by them for their gains and make our community (Dalit) their slave," she had said. Phule earlier also raised questions on BJP leaders dining at Dalit homes and termed Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, "a mahapurush" (great personality), causing embarrassment to her party. With PTI inputs rchopra@tribunemail.com Islamabad, December 6 Forged stamps and documents of Indian and Afghan governments, along with literature of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), have been recovered during a raid at a printing press in Pakistans restive northwestern region, according to a media report on Thursday. Police raided the printing press in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwas Peshawar after acting on a tip-off that clandestine activities were going on at the Yousafzai Printing Press, the Express Tribune reported. Police recovered forged documents and stamps of Afghan and Indian government besides literature of TTP from a printing press in the old city area of Qissakhwani Bazaar, the paper quoted Station House Officer (SHO) Muhmamad Noor Khan as saying. Following the raid, police arrested owner of the press Qari Saif Ullah and was under interrogation. Charges will be framed after initial investigation, police said. PTI harinder@tribunemail.com Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service Chandigarh, December 6 As the three-day Military Literature Festival kicks off in Chandigarh on Friday, a look at the literary interests of the three service chiefs shows they have diverse preferences, almost like the forces they command. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawats favourite book is The Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which is based on the French-Vietnam war and was authored by Jules Roy (first published in 1963). Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, currently the senior-most military commander, marks The Cruel Sea as his favourite book. It is based on a British naval fleet in the North Atlantic during the World War-II (1939-45) and was authored by Nicholas Monsarrat (first printed in 1951). IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoas preference is more recent, the 2016 released Indias Wars: A Military History, 1947-71, authored by Air Vice Marshal Arjun Subramaniam (retd). The author was a fighter jet pilot, so is the IAF Chief. The book is detailed and has insider viewpoint and provides some lessons for military planners. A Ph.D in Defence and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras, the Air Vice Marshal is said to be researching for a sequel to his book and will cover the 1972-2015 period. Monsarrat served in the Royal British Navy during WW-II and rose to the rank of Lt Commander. He served on warships in the North Atlantic. His book is a portrayal of ordinary men learning to fight and survive in a battle with German U-boats (submarines). The book went on to be made into a movie by the same name in 1953. The Battle of Dien Bien Phu is considered a decisive battle. The Vietnamese rebels led by Ho Chi Minh fought against the French and attacked their garrison, something considered as turning point in the first Indo-China War (194654). The term Indo-China was used for former French colonies Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. After WW-II, French forces tried to re-occupy the area and camped at Dien Bien Phu valley in late 1953. Vietnamese commander Vo Nguyen Giap amassed troops and placed heavy artillery in caves of the mountains overlooking the French camp. Boosted by some Chinese help, Giap mounted assaults, eliminating use of the French airfield. The Vietnamese forces overran the base, which led to the signing of the Geneva Accords of 1954. rchopra@tribunemail.com Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service Chittorgarh, December 6 The famed land of valour has moved on from times that saw local Rajputs agitate violently over distortions in the film Padmavat. What seemed like a tsunami of caste anger this January has long subsided with the Sanjay Leela Bhansali production no issue on the Rajasthan election eve. Chittorgarh locals have moved on to fundamental questions of home and hearth with even the rival Rajput candidatessitting MLA Chandra Bhan Singh of the BJP and Surendra Singh Jadawat of the Congressdiscussing only development. The Padmavat issue was eventually resolved. It did hurt Rajput pride but the matter finally ended when objectionable portions of the film were deleted. Not that anyone in Chittorgarh cared to watch it, says college student Poonam Rathore, who hails from the Rajput community which created havoc in January over the release of the film forcing the BJP government in Rajasthan and at the Centre to get portions of it edited. The final script was released nationally but not in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, where Rajputs ensured the film never hit the screens. Back in Chittorgarh, locals have sore memories of January which saw the states Rajput Karni Sena vandalise parts of Rani Padminis majestic palace inside the historic Chittorgarh Fort. Such was the level of arson that the Archeological Survey of India, which maintains the heritage fort, had to close it down for a fortnight. The Fort reopened on April 18. Karni Sena activists had broken the mirrors installed in Rani Padminis Palace because they believed that the original palace never had mirrors. Bhansalis film showed Raja Ratan Singh of Chittorgarh allowing Allauddin Khilji to see Rani Padminis reflection in the mirror. There is no historical proof that Ranis reflection was ever mirrored. Rajput women practise purdah and its impossible that Rani Padmini showed her face. This is a distortion, says Subhash Chandra Sukhwal, a state government-approved tourist guide at the Fort. Chittor residents still maintain that Bhansali distorted their history to sell his film but say they are not angry with the BJP over the issue anymore. The issue is over except that we have to deal with tourists who now visit the Fort more because they have seen the Bhansali film and less because they value the history of this place, rues Sukhwal. Inside the city too, people speak of Padmavat as a done and dusted matter and want candidates to focus on pollution. The city is home to a range of polluting units of cement, minerals, limestone and marble, Hindustan Zinc and Birla Cement being the leaders. Pollution is a big issue in Chittor. The sitting MLA has done a lot of work although this area has been a Congress stronghold. It is difficult to say who will win, says Dharmendra Singh, a restaurant owner in the segment. Former Congress MP from Chittorgarh Girija Vyas is contesting assembly elections from the neighbouring Udaipur this time. She is challenging Rajasthan Home Minister Ghulab Chand Kataria, the sitting lawmaker from the City of Lakes. amansharma@tribunemail.com Yash Goyal Jaipur, December 6 On the eve Rajasthan assembly elections, while contenders across parties on Thursday moved door to door to reach out to voters, a 'countdown clock' put up at the Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters here last year has turned out to be a major attraction. The digital clock was installed at PCC office on the fourth anniversary of the Vasundhara Raje-led BJP government. The clock is keeping Congress leaders and workers enthused as the party is confident of forming next government with a comfortable majority. Even those passing by the Congress office look at the digital clock - that "counts BJP government's time to the last second" - with amazement. Brushing aside the BJP's claim to get an absolute majority after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party chief Amit Shah's thunderous rallies and road shows, Satyendra Raghav, a PCC spokesman, said, "When people have made up their mind to change the ruler, the so-called heavy campaign would not cut much ice now." Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and her main rival Manvendra Singh were busy whole day in door to door contact with the voters in selected areas of Jhalarapatan seat. Congress' probable CM face and PCC president Sachin Pilot and former CM Ashok Gehlot were making last-ditch efforts to woo voters in their constituencies of Tonk and Saradarpur (Jodhpur), respectively, since 8 am. BJP's special media dome set up a month ago in Civil Lines in the bungalow of a party MLA, hailing from royal family, wore a deserted look as there was no press conference today and neither was there crowd of party workers. A tent decorator would dismantle the entire dome and luncheon area by tomorrow, a party spokesman said. While there was thin presence of party workers at the BJP headquarters, only party's administration wing people were seen guessing the victory numbers and taking feedback from their block level workers and IT wing 'cyber yodhas'. A BJP spokesman told The Tribune that after a solid campaigning by the PM and Amit Shah "BJP ka ab soopara saaf nahin hoga. Party ko kareeb 80 se 120 seats milni chahiye" (BJP will not be wiped out. Party should get 80 to 120 seats out of 200 seats). Secretariat and other government offices also registered poor attendance as employees are on election duty. gspannu7@gmail.com Jitendra K Shrivastava Tribune News Service Patna, December 6 Union Minister and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP) chief Upendra Kushwaha on Thursday slammed the BJP over its Ayodhaya temple politics saying that it was not the duty of political parties to construct temple or mosque. Kushwaha took on the BJP saying, Bihar BJP unit appears that it has bowed down before Nitish Kumar. The BJP raises the issue of Ayodhaya temple just before Lok Sabha election as it does not want to construct it. RLSP does not oppose construction of temple or mosque as political party is not supposed to be involved in it. Kushwaha said he strived hard to meet BJP president Amit Shah but he never spared time for him. Later on, he tried to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi but failed to get any positive response from him too. Addressing a concluding session of a three-day Chintan Shivir; of his party in Motihari, Kushwaha slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over state governments education policy. He also laid stress on the importance of education as it was the only ladder of success for the poor. If the Nitish government accepts RLSPs 25-point-education reforms, RLSP will be ready to bear all brunt including seat-sharing for Mission 2019 and insulting remarks made against me, said Kushwaha. Partys MP Ram Kumar Sharma and other two MLAs Sudhanshu Shekhar and Lalan Paswan were also found absent from the partys function in Motihari. Attacking Nitish Kumar, Kushwaha said: Government schools lack in benches, desks, and laboratories so what is called as Nitish model of education. If this is Nitish model, it is not possible to fulfil dream of Dr Ambedkar as for the poor, the only way to success is education. Most of school teachers are unable to read or count and write address of correspondence. How the poor would become educated with such teachers. Those teachers who are competent do not get salary on time, he said adding that mid-day meal should not be closed but the meals should be prepared from outside the school. amansharma@tribunemail.com Tribune News Service New Delhi, December 6 The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld Puducherry Lieutenant-Governor Kiran Bedi's decision to nominate three Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) to the Assembly of the Union Territory. A three-judge Bench headed by Justice AK Sikri dismissed petitions challenging March 22 verdict of the Madras High Court declining to declare illegal the nominations made by the Central government under Section 3(3) of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963, to the Legislative Assembly of Union Territory of Puducherry. The Bench, which also included Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justce S Abdul Nazeer, ruled that the L-G had the power to nominate the three MLAs. The Congress had challenged Bedi's decision contending she should have consulted Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy before the nomination of the three MLAs. Swaminathan, KG Shankar and V Selvaganapathy were nominated by Bedi to the Assembly last year and the decision was challenged in the Madras HC by MLA Dhanalakshmi Narayan. The high court had upheld the nominations leading to second round of litigation in the Supreme Court. Upholding the HC verdict, the top court noted that Section 12(1) provided that all questions at any sitting of the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory shall be determined by a majority of votes of the members present and voting other than the Speaker or person acting as such. "When the expression used is votes of members present, obviously the members of the Assembly both elected and nominated person has to be counted, we cannot while interpreting Section 12(1) exclude the nominated members. Further Section 12(1) uses the expression "all questions at any sitting of the Legislative Assembly", the expression "all questions" shall include all matters, which are to be decided in any sitting of the Legislative Assembly. The statutory provision does not give indication that nominated members have no right to vote on budget and no confidence motion against the Government," the Bench said. "Further, subsection (1) provides that in the voting majority of the votes of the members present and voting, the speaker shall not be a person, who shall vote. When provision of subsection (1) clearly provides no voting by Speaker, if intention of Legislature was to exclude the votes of nominated members, the said expression was bound to find included in the subsection (1). "The conclusion is inescapable that all members, including the nominated members, are entitled to vote in the sitting of the Legislative Assembly and the submission of Shri (Kapil) Sibal (petitioner's senior counsel) that nominated members cannot exercise vote in budget and no confidence motion has to be rejected," the top court said. "Other provisions like subsection (4) of Section 12, which provides for quorum to constitute a meeting of the Legislative Assembly used the word "one-third of the total number of members of the Assembly", members of the Assembly obviously will include both elected and nominated members. Thus, there is no basis for submission raised by Shri Sibal that nominated members cannot exercise their vote in budget and no confidence motion against the Government," the top court said, rejecting the petition. rchopra@tribunemail.com Shahira Naim Tribune News Service Lucknow, December 6 The honour of a martyr, a road and a college in his memory as well as the promise to pay off the familys home and education loans are among the many assurances given to the grieving family of slain Syana Station House Officer Inspector Subodh Kumar Singh during their meeting with CM Yogi Adityanath on Thursday. Coming out of their meeting with Yogi, policemans son Shrey said they had been assured of getting justice. Later, the family, including widow Rajni, sister Manisha and sons Shrey and Abhishek, remained present as DGP OP Singh and minister in charge of Etah Atul Garg spoke to reporters about the interaction. DGP Singh said the family spoke at length about their demand for justice and the problems that they faced. Hearing them out with seriousness, CM Yogi has promised to pay off their pending home loan and education loan which is around Rs 25 to Rs 30 lakh. The DGP said while one son is taking coaching to join the civil services the other is studying to become a lawyer. The Rs 10 lakh earlier announced for the parents of the martyred policeman will also be given to the family as his parents are no more. As such the family will be given Rs 50 lakh, said DGP Singh. He also pointed out that the MLA representing Aliganj in Etah Satyapal Singh Rathore as well as the minister in charge Atul Garg had remained with the family during the cremation which was conducted with full state honours. Both had also accompanied the family during their meeting with CM Yogi at his residence, four days after the incident in Bulandshahr when a Bajrang Dal mob had brutally killed the inspector on duty. Besides DGP OP Singh, cabinet minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi was also present at the CMs residence. The family and villagers had been angry and were not allowing the cremation to take place on December 4 at their ancestral village of Taregawan in Etah demanding the presence of CM Yogi. Yogi had earlier announced a compensation of Rs 40 lakh for the widow and Rs 10 lakh for the inspectors parents. The slain inspectors widow, Rajni, who had threatened to commit suicide if the culprits were not punished, did most of the talking during the meeting with the CM. She had alleged of a conspiracy due to which her husband was done away with in a planned manner. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Kolkata, December 6 The West Bengal government has denied permission for BJP president Amit Shahs proposed Rath Yatra from Cooch Behar on grounds that it might cause communal tension, the states Advocate-General informed the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. Kishore Dutta told the court that the Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police refused permission for the BJP presidents Rath Yatra from Friday. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah is scheduled to kick-start the partys Save Democracy Rally, comprising three rath yatras, in the state. The state government submitted that it might cause communal tension in the district. Dutta said the district has a history of communal issues and that there was information that some communal provocators and rowdy elements had become active there. The SPs refusal letter also noted that several top BJP leaders would come to Cooch Behar, as also people from other states, stating that these may affect the communally sensitive district. Stating that refusal of permission was an administrative decision in view of the ground situation, the AG said that details of apprehension cannot be spelt out in open court due to its sensitive nature and he can submit these to the court in a sealed cover, if directed. The BJP, which moved the court seeking direction to the state government for giving permission for its three rallies, told the Bench of Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty that it will hold peaceful yatras. Asked by the judge as to who will take responsibility if anything untoward happens, BJP counsel Anindya Mitra submitted that the party will hold a peaceful rally, but that it was the duty of the state government to maintain law and order. Mitra submitted that the Constitution guarantees the right to hold political programmes. He said that assumption of untoward situation cannot be a ground for refusal. Asked by the judge whether he was agreeable to deferment, the BJP counsel answered in the negative and said that it started preparations for long and had approached the administration for permission in October. He submitted that it is only now that they have refused permission after sitting on the applications for long. The advocate general also opposed the BJP filing a supplementary affidavit opposing the refusal of permission, saying it can either come with a fresh petition or an amendment to his petition. The BJP campaign is scheduled to begin from Cooch Behar district in the north on December 7, from Kakdwip in the South 24 Parganas district on December 9, and from the Tarapith temple in Birbhum district on December 14. PTI rohitb@tribuneindia.com Rahul Bedi Senior journalist The recent Delhi High Court judgment upholding the trial courts conviction of 88 persons for their role in the Sikh pogrom in East Delhis Trilokpuri in 1984 has come almost two generations after the horrendous massacres in Indias Capital stunned the world. Thirty-four years after the slaughter of some 350 Sikhs in two alleyways in this trans-Jumna resettlement colony, these convictions are unlikely to engender even a modicum of closure for the survivors and their families. In what can only be called a cruel joke, the guilty have been sentenced to five-year imprisonment for their involvement in butchering Sikhs in Trilokpuris Block 32 for 48 hours from November 1, 1984, the day after Indira Gandhis assassination by her two Sikh bodyguards. The slaughterers took time off for meals, before returning to resume their savagery against the colony of Dalit migrant Sikhs, many of who eked out a meagre existence weaving charpoys. Their only sin, like thousands of other victims, was that they were Sikhs. The killers had no fear of police or the authorities in satiating their blood lust, calculatedly planned by senior Congress politicians armed with voter lists. It would also be humanly unfeasible for Trilokpuris survivors to erase the picture of their lanes littered with bodies, body parts and mounds of hair brutally hacked off in an odious bid to obliterate their Sikh identity. It was impossible for anyone walking down this alley, once the killings were done, to place their feet flat on the ground, for fear of stepping on either a body or a scythed limb. This macabre scene was set horrifically against a patina of sticky blood, partially coagulated in the November chill over which flies and insects buzzed incessantly. Amidst the carnage a young polio-afflicted mother sat emotionlessly in the doorway of her tenement cradling her baby girl; the bodies of almost all her male family members lay gruesomely piled high behind her. As a group of newspaper journalists including myself who had stumbled upon the slaughter, gingerly navigated their way towards her, she wordlessly surrendered her child to them in an act of capitulation and hopelessness. We lifted them up and handed them over to a handful of local policemen, who by now had arrived, never to see either of them again. Alongside, a three-year-old girl, stepping over the bodies of her father and three brothers and countless others lying in the street clung helplessly to one of us, pleading mutely for help. She wanted to be taken home, not realising that she was already there but it was knee-deep in corpses. But the most spine-chilling part of this grisly setting was the total silence that hung over the killing zone, despite it being surrounded by hundreds of people who, no doubt included the perpetrators. There was not a whisper from the mob, as the defused light from a couple of hastily lit Hurricane lanterns added to the ghoulish scenario as we stumbled our way over human remains. Hundreds of pairs of bloodthirsty eyes malevolently followed our every move in an encounter that even 34 years later remains terrifying. The official toll in Delhi, in what is decorously referred to as the 1984 riots, was around 2,730. A more realistic casualty figure tabulated by rights activists, however, is around twice that number. At the time, all Sikhs in Delhi were unable to comprehend the cataclysmic events that brought this bloody apocalypse upon them as the state turned avenger and systematically supervised the massacre of their easily identifiable community. It seemed they had failed to realise that the earth had moved in response to a big tree falling. Consequently, as the blood letting eased, thousands of traumatised Sikhs staggered out of hiding, flocking to hastily erected refugee camps in gurdwaras and school compounds, as their homes lay charred, pillaged or both. Nobody had an answer for them, as they set about the grim task of cremating their dead and putting their shattered lives in order. The carnage ended only with Indira Gandhis funeral on November 3. Thereafter, Army units, deployed earlier across Delhi in a haphazard and diffused manner, were finally issued shoot-to-kill orders by the federal government to control marauding mobs and restore some semblance of order. It was possibly the first time in recent history that the state, headed by the Congress had participated in seeking revenge and later to cynically exploit Mrs Gandhis murder to ensure Indias biggest-ever electoral victory for her son and heir Rajiv. Over decades, at least nine inquiry commissions, interminable and indeterminate court proceedings, and more recently, judicially monitored Special Investigation Teams followed, with the feeble aim of punishing the guilty for the 1984 pogrom and bringing closure to victims families. No senior police officer, state official, politician or anyone in authority associated with orchestrating the massacres has been indicted. Many reportedly involved in the killings had died, and the endless investigative and judicial processes against former Congress MPs Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler for their alleged role are unlikely, after 34 years, to reach a retributive conclusion. In August, Congress president Rahul Gandhi told an audience in London that his party was in no way involved in the 1984 pogrom. Give it another few years and perhaps the Congress will even deny that the carnage happened. amansharma@tribunemail.com Varinder Singh Tribune News Service Jalandhar, December 6 The raging controversy over Canadian-Indian Jaspal Atwals Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus February India visit has taken a new turn with the findings of the Canadian National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians indicating that the PMs then National Seucurity and Intelligence Adviser (NSIA) had shot two emails to Indias National Security Adviser Ajit Doval about Atwal, but did not get any response from the NSA chief. Jaspal Atwal was convicted of attempted murder of former Punjab minister Malkiat Singh Sidhu during the latters visit to Vancouver. He was also said to have been associated with some radical Sikh organisations active in Canada. Jaspal Atwal had sparked a controversy after he was seen attending an official event hosted by the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi in February and was dubbed as a potent security risk to the PM, his delegation and his family in the findings of the Canadian National Security and Intelligence Committee comprising Senators and MPs. Doval, the report suggested, had accompanied Trudueau during his week-long Indian trip which had taken off on February 17. The then NSIA chief Daniel Jean, the report said, had inquired via e-mail whether he and Doval could meet during the event and had also left his phone numbers, but did not got any response from the NSA. Another mail of the NSIA chief on February 22, the report suggested, had enquired about Atwals background who was not a part of Canadas official delegation. Again, the report said, Doval had not responded. It was also suggested by senior Canadian officials after Trudeaus India visit that certain media reports were exaggerating information about Atwal at the behest of a section of Indian intelligence set-up saying Atwal was already removed from Indian blacklist and the motive could be to embarrass the visiting Canadian PM for having a soft stance towards radical Sikhs based in Canada. harinder@tribunemail.com If it is true, as the authors of the joint report state, that so long as sectional interests are paramount, any form of self-government to which India can attain must be limited and unreal at best, surely we have a right to expect that all true sons and daughters of the mother land will realise that the choice we have been asking them to make between general and special electorates is nothing less than a choice between the real and full sell-government to which they aspire and the limitations and exclusiveness of communal life and ideals. So far as the Mahomedan community are concerned, our hands are tied down both by the past action of Government and the Lucknow compact, which must be regarded as binding upon us so long as we cannot get out of it by the mutual consent of both parties. To the day when this consent shall be obtained we may and do look forward with all the fervour and earnestness of which we are capable. pardeepdhull@gmail.com Washington, December 6 An estimated 8,00,000 to 2 million religious minorities are currently being detained in internment camps in China, the Trump Administration has told lawmakers, who have expressed serious concerns over the massive human rights violations there. At a Congressional hearing here, Scott Busby, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State at the Bureau of the Human Right Democracy and Labor, alleged that Beijing was supporting similar repressive moves by other authoritarian regimes across the globe. The US government assesses that since April 2017, Chinese authorities have indefinitely detained at least 8,00,000, and possibly more than 2 million, Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minorities in internment camps, he said. Testifying before a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Busby said reports suggested that most of those detained were not being charged, and their families had little or no information about their whereabouts. At first, China denied the existence of such camps, but as public reports have emerged, Chinese authorities now assert that they are vocational education centres, which glosses over the fact that many renowned Uyghur intellectuals and retired professionals are also detained in these camps, he said. Former detainees, who have reached safety, have spoken of relentless indoctrination and harsh conditions, for example, praying and other religious practices are forbidden. The apparent goal is to force detainees to renounce Islam and embrace the Chinese Communist Party, Busby said. Life outside the internment camps is not much better, he noted. Neighbourhoods have entry and exit checkpoints manned by armed police. Families have been forced to accept Chinese officials into their homes for extended home-stays. Thousands of mosques have been shuttered or destroyed, while some turned into communist propaganda centres, Busby alleged. Unfortunately, fleeing China is not enough to escape the long arms of the government. China has routinely pressured other countries to return Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs and members of other Muslim minority groups, which has often proven successful, he told the lawmakers. Even when such individuals reach safety, China continues to harass and intimidate them. Chinas repression of minority groups does not end in Xinjiang, he said. Its policies have spread hundreds of miles away, for instance to the Hui Muslim communities. Tibetans also face continued repression and pervasive surveillance. The Tibetan Autonomous Region was the testing ground for many of the techniques now used in Xinjiang, Busby claimed. Senator Cory Gardner said the so-called authoritarian closing under President Xi Jinping had resulted in an unprecedented and intensifying crackdown on civil society, ethnic minorities and religious freedom in China. The news of mass concentration camps for Uyghur Muslims and the Xinjiang Autonomous Province has shocked the conscience. And this necessitates a serious response from the United States and the international community, he said. Senator Ed Markey said it was pretty clear that there was a systematic effort by the Chinese government, not just within China, but also around the world, to back those policies which are most repressive and which allow for a compromise of human rights. Senator Tim Kaine said reports indicated that a million Han Chinese have been recruited to forcibly occupy homes of Uyghurs so that those not in detention camps, are having Han Chinese placed in their homes to ensure there isnt a Quran visible and they dont pray during the day. Senator Marco Rubio rued the silence of the Muslim world in the face of the forced internment of hundreds of thousands of Muslims Uyghurs. PTI rchopra@tribunemail.com Houston, December 6 George HW Bush was to be laid to rest on Thursday, concluding a four-day tribute to the 41st president that saw America briefly set aside its political divisions. After a state funeral on Wednesday in Washington that was attended by the countrys five living presidents and foreign dignitaries, Bushs flag-draped coffin was flown to Houston. He will lie in repose at St Martins Episcopal Church, where the Bushes worshipped for decades, until he is buried. Bush will be interred at his presidential library in College Station next to his wife Barbara, who died in April, and their daughter Robin who died of leukemia at age three. At the memorial service President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania shared a front row pew in the National Cathedral with past presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and their wives as an honour guard brought Bushs casket into the prayer hall. Former president George W Bush tapped the casket twice when he walked up to deliver a rousing eulogy, fighting through tears as he sang the praises of his father and predecessor as commander-in-chief, who died Friday at age 94. He showed me what it means to be a president who serves with integrity, leads with courage, and acts with love in his heart for the citizens of our country, Bush said. He was born with just two settings--full throttle, then sleep, he said. To us, his was the brightest of a thousand points of light, he said in a reference to his fathers signature call to volunteerism. Wednesdays funeral capped a national homage that saw Bush lie in state in the US Capitol rotunda, where thousands paid respects to a statesman who steered the nation through turbulent times, including the end of the Cold War--and in a style dramatically different to the current president. Since Bushs death, Trump has traded his usual provocative posture for one of solemnity, tweeting before the service about a day of celebration for a great man who has led a long and distinguished life. He will be missed! Trump wrote. At the funeral, Trump and his Democratic predecessors appeared locked in an uneasy truce. Trump arrived and shook hands with Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. But his greetings stopped there, and the body language turned cold as he failed to acknowledge Hillary Clinton, his defeated Democratic rival in 2016. Clinton stared straight ahead and the two made no eye contact. It was a marked contrast when Bush Jr arrived minutes later and shook hands with the current and past presidents and their wives--and handed Michelle Obama a piece of candy, as he did during the memorial service for senator John McCain in the same cathedral in September. Bells tolled while the casket was carried down the aisle, as dignitaries, including Britains Prince Charles, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Polish president Lech Walesa, and former US vice presidents and cabinet officials looked on. Bush was a decorated World War II aviator who nearly died when he was shot down on a bombing mission. He served as a congressman, envoy to China, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and vice president to Ronald Reagan before winning the White House. Trumps ascendancy to the head of the Republican Party saw him exchange vitriolic attacks with the Bushes, notably slamming the presidential sons 2003 invasion of Iraq and mocking candidate Jeb Bush during the Republican primaries. Bush Sr, meanwhile, branded Trump a blowhard, and revealed he did not vote for him. AFP shriaya.dutta@tribuneindia.com Ankara, December 6 Istanbuls chief prosecutor has filed warrants for the arrest of a top aide to Saudi Arabias de facto ruler and the deputy head of its foreign intelligence on suspicion of planning the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, two Turkish officials said on Wednesday. The prosecutors office has concluded there is strong suspicion that Saud al-Qahtani and General Ahmed al-Asiri, both removed from their positions in October, were among the planners of Khashoggis October 2 killing at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, the officials said. The move comes a day after senior US senators said they were more certain than ever that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was responsible for the killing, citing a CIA briefing. A group of the US senators introduced a resolution on Wednesday urging the US government to hold the crown prince accountable for a number of actions, including the Khashoggi killing and contributing to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The United Nations human rights chief on Wednesday called for an international investigation. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has pushed to keep international attention on the murderthe order for which he says came from the highest levels of the Saudi governmenteven as US President Donald Trump has said Washington should not take action that would undermine its relationship with the kingdom. The prosecutions move to issue arrest warrants for Asiri and Qahtani reflects the view that the Saudi authorities wont take formal action against those individuals, one of the Turkish officials said. The international community seems to doubt Saudi Arabias commitment to prosecute this heinous crime. By extraditing all suspects to Turkey, where Jamal Khashoggi was killed and dismembered, the Saudi authorities could address those concerns, the official said. Erdogan has said the order for Khashoggis killing probably did not come from King Salman, putting the spotlight instead on Salmans heir and de facto ruler Prince Mohammed. Saudi Arabia has said the prince had no prior knowledge of the murder. After offering numerous contradictory explanations, Riyadh later said Khashoggi had been killed and his body dismembered when negotiations to persuade him to return to Saudi Arabia failed. WILLFULLY BLIND Making some of their strongest accusations so far, both US Republicans and Democrats said they want to pass legislation to send a message to Saudi Arabia that the United States condemns the death of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organised by people under the command of MbS, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters after the meeting with Central Intelligence Agency Director Gina Haspel, referring to the crown prince by his initials. Graham, who was one of the sponsors of Wednesdays US Senate resolution and has become one of the presidents most vocal allies, said there may not be a smoking gun, but that there was a smoking saw, a reference to a bone saw that investigators said was used to cut up Khashoggis body. Trump and some of his fellow Republicans have argued that Washington should not take action that would risk its relationship with Riyadh, which is viewed as an important counterweight to Iran in the Middle East. Erdogan has said that solving the Khashoggi killing would also be in the interest of the Saudi monarchy. The United States last month imposed economic sanctions on 17 Saudi officials for their role in the killing. Among those sanctioned were Qahtani, who was formerly a top aide to the crown prince. Qahtani had tried to lure Khashoggi back to Saudi Arabia after he moved to Washington a year ago fearing reprisals for his views, according to people close to the journalist and the government. But Asiri, the former deputy head of foreign intelligence, was not on the sanctions list. Saudi Arabias public prosecutor has said Asiri was the one who ordered the operation to repatriatebut not kill Khashoggi. Reuters rchopra@tribunemail.com Tehran, December 6 A suicide car bomber attacked a police headquarters in the southeastern Iranian port city of Chabahar on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding several others, state TV reported. State television broke into its regular broadcast to report the attack as such assaults are rare in the Islamic Republic. Rahmdel Bameri, a provincial official, told state TV that a suicide attacker driving a vehicle loaded with explosives drove up to the police headquarters. He said police officers blocked the vehicle and started firing at the driver, who then detonated his explosives. State authorities did not identify who was behind the attack. No militant group immediately took responsibility for the attack. State TV also aired footage of smoke rising over the city. Chabahar, near Irans border with Pakistan on the Sea of Oman, is home to a new port recently built and is an economic free zone for the country. The attack comes as Irans economy reels in the wake of the US re-imposing sanctions lifted by Tehrans nuclear deal with world powers. While Iran still complies with the accord, President Donald Trump withdrew America over the deal in part due to Tehrans ballistic missile programme, its malign behaviour in the Mideast and its support of militant groups like Hezbollah. Iran has been targeted in recent years by militant attacks. In September, gunmen disguised as soldiers opened fire on a military parade in Ahvaz, killing and wounding dozens. Arab separatists and the Islamic State group both claimed the assault. Another coordinated June 7, 2017 Islamic State group assault on parliament and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 50. Meanwhile, India has strongly condemned the terror attack at Chabahar port, an important transit into Afghanistan and Central Asia. Reacting to the attack, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, India strongly condemns today's despicable terrorist attack in Chabahar, Iran. We express our condolences to the government and the people of Iran and the families of the victims of this attack. We wish speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror, added Kumar. AP/TNS sanjiv@tribunemail.com Ottawa, December 6 A top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said Thursday, angering Beijing days into a trade war truce with the US. The detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer, comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions violations by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials who deemed the company a national security threat. The arrest stirred tensions just as the United States and China agreed to a ceasefire in their trade spat while negotiators seek a deal within three months. News of her detention rippled through stock markets in Asia, particularly Shanghai and Hong Kong, with tech firms among the worst hit. By lunch Shanghai was 1.3 per cent lower while Hong Kong was 2.6 per cent off. AFP rchopra@tribunemail.com Ottawa, December 6 A top executive and daughter of the founder of Chinese telecom giant Huawei has been arrested in Canada and faces extradition to the United States, officials said on Thursday, angering Beijing days into a trade war truce with the US. The detention of Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer, comes after American authorities reportedly launched an investigation into suspected Iran sanctions violations by Huawei, which was already under scrutiny by US intelligence officials who deemed the company a national security threat. The arrest stirred tensions just as the United States and China agreed to a ceasefire in their trade spat while negotiators seek a deal within three months. News of her detention rippled through stock markets in Asia, particularly Shanghai and Hong Kong, with tech firms among the worst hit. By lunch Shanghai was 1.3 per cent lower while Hong Kong was 2.6 per cent off. China is working creatively to undermine our national security interests, and the United States and our allies cant sit on the sidelines, US Senator Ben Sasse said in a statement linking the arrest to US sanctions against Iran. Sometimes Chinese aggression is explicitly state-sponsored and sometimes its laundered through many of Beijings so-called private sector entities that are in bed with (President) Xi (Jinping)s communist party, he added. Meng was arrested in the western city of Vancouver on December 1, Canadas ministry of justice said in a statement. The ministry said the US is seeking her extradition and she faces a bail hearing on Friday, adding it could not provide further details due to a publication ban that was sought by Meng, whose father, Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei, is a former Chinese Peoples Liberation Army engineer. The arrest occurred on the same day that US President Donald Trump and Xi struck the trade war truce at a summit in Argentina. Chinas embassy in Ottawa demanded Mengs release. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly protests over such kind of actions which seriously harmed the human rights of the victim, the embassy said in a statement. The Chinese side has lodged stern representations with the US and Canadian side, and urged them to immediately correct the wrongdoing and restore the personal freedom of Meng Wanzhou. Huawei said it was unaware of any wrongdoing by Meng and was provided very little information about the charges. Huawei complies with all applicable laws and regulations where it operates, including applicable export control and sanction laws and regulations of the UN, US and EU, the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that US Department of Justice had opened an investigation into suspected violations of Iran sanctions by Huawei. The New York Times said the company had been subpoenaed by the Commerce and Treasury Departments over alleged violations of Iran and North Korea sanctions. Huawei is not the first Chinese telecoms equipment firm to face the ire of US authorities. Earlier this year, the US imposed a seven-year ban on the sale of crucial US components to Chinese smartphone maker ZTE after finding it had failed to take action against staff who were responsible for violating trade sanctions against Iran and North Korea. The ban nearly killed the Chinese tech company, which said it was forced to cease major operations in May. A month later, Washington and Beijing reached a deal that would strike ZTE from the sanctions list--just days after China reportedly offered to ramp up purchases of American goods to help cut the yawning trade imbalance with the US. American officials denied any connection between the two. In exchange, ZTE agreed to pay a hefty USD 1 billion fine and put an additional USD 400 million in escrow in case of future violations. It was also ordered to replace its board of directors and retain outside monitors. The case showed that China is highly dependent on imports of US-made semiconductors or computer chips and reinforced Beijings need to become self-reliant on this key technology. Huawei is one of the worlds largest telecommunications equipment and services providers. But despite global success, its US business has been tightly constrained by worries it could undermine American competitors and that its cellphones and networking equipment, used widely in other countries, could provide Beijing with avenues for espionage. In May, the Pentagon said that devices from Huawei and ZTE posed an unacceptable security risk. Personnel on US military bases are banned from buying equipment manufactured by the Chinese tech firms. Over the summer, Australia barred Huawei from providing 5G technology for wireless networks in the country over espionage fears. New Zealand followed suit in November, but said the issue was a technological one. Britains largest mobile provider, too, has joined the global ban on Huawei. On Wednesday, BT announced it was removing Huaweis telecommunications equipment from its 4G cellular network, following a warning from the head of MI6 foreign intelligence service that singled out the Chinese company as a potential security risk. Despite being essentially barred from the critical US market, Huawei surpassed Apple to become the worlds number two smartphone maker in the second quarter of this year. AFP A PRISON officer with 26 years of service was shot dead yesterday in front of his fruit and vegetable stall in Valencia. He is the 26th prison officer to be murdered in the last 30 years. Police said around 1.30 p.m. Trevor Serrette, 48, of Sangre Grande was sitting behind the counter at the stall located off the Eastern Main Road, Valencia. He was there with a 64-year-old relative and a friend when a white Nissan AD Wagon with two men stopped in front. On Thursday night all eyes were glued to some form of media as the nation eagerly and attentively followed every word uttered by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley. No one knew what would have been said or implemented. The address to the nation focused on the vulnerabilities created by this coronavirus pandemic. The strain on the medical system, the strain on the economy and on the education system. -:- 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. In March of 2018 we booked tickets for 3 to fly to Guatemala in Jan 2019 for 2,100.00 I bought the extended cancellation protection for 70.00. In December 2019 I attempted to reschedule/cancel this reservation due to a death in the family, and a birth in the family. I was told that the "extended" cancellation policy only covered me for 24 hrs after making the reservation in March. I tried to reschedule for July of 2019. They were not willing to do this for less than almost double of what my original reservation cost. I was then told that even a month and 4 days early I could NOT cancel this reservation. I was further told that I could only receive a travel voucher good for 1 year from the date of the original booking, and even this travel voucher cost me 450.00. And I have to book now before March 7, 2019 or lose the entire amount. I will NEVER book with JustFly again, and I STRONGLY recommend that no one else does either. And to top it all off, TrustPilot, who handles the reviews for JustFly, wont LET me post a bad review. If you catch the ferry from dist 1 in HCMC , it will take you to the beach city of Vung Tau. Lots of cheap (or expensive) accommodation and restaurants and a couple of nice beaches. From VungTau you can catch another fast ferry to Ben Tre (about 2.5 hrs) which drops you off about 100klms from the biggest city in Mekong which is Can Tho. The ferries are cheap and its fairly easy to get buses to take you further into Mekong but many people find Ben Tre a destination in itself. In need of some advice - First time traveling in Asia In need of some advice - First time traveling in Asia Hi everyone, Since it's the first time for me traveling in Asia (no experience with night trains, busses etc) could you guys please take a look at my Itinerary? I'm still figuring out if my plans are possible, or just silly? 1 - arrive in Hanoi around 3PM. 2 - Exploring in Hanoi, take the night train to Sapa. 3 - Sapa - Exploring and a trek, will arrange something over there 4 - Sapa - Same 5 - From sapa to Ha Giang (Read something about a bus going in the morning) I should arrive in Ha giang this day, won't do anything but chilling and walking around. 6 - Ha giang Loop with an easy rider 7 - Ha giang Loop second day 8 - Ha giang Loop, Night bus to Cat Ba (area?) I'm really not sure about this one.. seems way to exhausting and maybe even dangerous? 9 - Cat Ba 10 - Cat Ba (+ leave to one of the below options..) After this part I've got a few options and I'm hoping some of you can help me out. Traveling from Cat Ba to Phong Nha is way to long I think. So Maybe I should chill at Ninh Binh for 1 day and then move on to Phong Nha were I can stay for 3 days? Or should I skip Phong Nha? I 'm thinking about a 2d1n trek with Oxalis to Hang En cave..... 11. Ninh Binh / Phong Nha 12. Ninh Binh / Phong Nha 13. Ninh Binh / Phong Nha 14. Ninh Binh / Phong Nha --> Traveling to Hue. From here I want to go to Hoi An, where I would like to have a suit tailor made. With that in the back of my head It should be advisable to stay in Hoi An for at least 3 days. If that's not possible I won't get a suit :( Because it seems like I don't have enough time, but a stop at Hue is advised.. 15. Hue - exploring the city and going to Hoi An the same day / evening 16. Hoi An 17. Hoi An 18. Flight from Hoi An to Phu Quoc (stop at Ho Chi Ming) 19. Phu Quoc 20. Phu Quoc 21. Phu Quoc to Ho Chi Ming 22. Ho Chi Ming 23. Flight back home To be honest It would feel really bad to skip Phong Nha, but it seems the smartest thing to do. Wwhat would be your advise for me? Please note that I'm a travel newbie and happy to listen to all of your feedback / advice Thanks! There are so many places I would love to visit but I am not sure how feasible it is all going to be. And how long it takes to get from place to place or a itinerary that might work better than one another ?? Would like to visit the following places : SaPa Ha Giang Ba Be Cao Bang Possibly, Bai Tu Bay And Ninh Binh We would have a proximately two weeks up north, and would then fly from Hanoi down to Da Nang , Hoi An and carry on from there. But any input on the places in the north Id like to go and how to get there would be greatly appreciated. We will be three people. Im not sure how much private transport is or possibly buses? Trains to? Thank you thank you Hi all, Last minute trip being thrown together by active mid age couple for February 2019. Prompted by an invitation to stay with friends in Tokyo for a week, we are adding another 2 weeks b4 we arrive. Newbies to Japan, so in the middle of information & research overload!! We are buying a 21 day JR Pass, and have fiddled around with the itinerary so we get max benefit from it for the 23 days. Appreciate any comments or suggestions on the order of itinerary and/or places to nearby stopovers that are must sees or dos! 1. Kyoto - Fly into Osaka. Arrive 5.30pm. Catch bus or train to Kyoto. 2. Kyoto - Orientation of town, get over jet lag 3. Kyoto - Southern sights of town, including downtown. 4. Kyoto - Western area 5. Kyoto - Eastern area & sights What area of Kyoto is it best to base ourselves in? 6. Osaka - START JR PASS. Day trip to Nara. Forward our luggage or leave at train station? 7. Osaka - Day trip to Hiroshima & Miyajima Island 8. Koya San - Leave luggage at hotel hopefully, travel to stay at Buddhist Temple overnight 9. Osaka - Arrive back to hotel mid day. Spend the rest of day sightseeing Osaka. 10. Takayama - 11. Takayama - visit Shirawago village 12. Hiraya Onsen- Bus to Onsen via Ropeway 13. Hiraya Onsen - 14. Matsumoto - bus? Visit black castle any other suggestions nearby? 15. Kawaguchiko - relax in onsen b4 heading to Tokyo 16. Kawaguchiko - ? sights nearby? 17. Tokyo - via?? would like to arrive late afternoon 18-23 Time with friends. We are having day or overnight trip to Nagone with them to see snow monkeys during this time hence the JR pass delayed use. Im open to alternative suggestions from day 12-17. We want to experience outdoor onsens in the snow in the mountains & also a few days around Mt Fuji Thanks for reading & looking forward to replies x Approx Aus $300:00 per night without meals is not a lot to spend per couple on an island with beach or garden views. Serenity Island Resort in the Manamucas island group having specials also could be cheaper than Navini Resort but both maybe over your budget.. It is about 30 mins from the mainland and has it's own transport like Navini but way better snorkelling driectly from the beach. Just an aside on flying in the morning of your show. I do it almost every trip and never worry. My flights arrive around noon, show's at 8, what could go wrong? And then... On my last trip I was to arrive at 11:25 on Friday November 16 and was going to Springsteen at 8. And then the day before was the freak snow storm and almost half of the NYC area flights were delayed or cancelled! My Delta app was telling me my flight was ontime but I was sweating bullets as there would be no way to replace that ticket if something bad happened. Everything ended well, my flight touched down 45 minutes early and the snow was all but vanished. Still, it was enough to possibly make me rethink my plans in the future. - Data released by Ministry of Education revealed there are no adequate slots to accommodate 1,038,162 candidates who sat the 2018 KCPE - Only 1,021,457 of them will have slots available in secondary schools - The selection process commenced on Monday, December 3 - Some 31,337 students have already been placed in national schools - Another 1,626 have been placed in Special Needs Education schools The directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta to have all candidates who sat the 2018 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams join secondary school might not be achieved. This is after data released by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday, December 5, showed about 17,000 of the candidates may miss Form One slots in regional schools. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. READ ALSO: Kenyans angered with appointment of 91-year-old former VP Moody Awori to government job Almost 17,000 candidates to miss Form One slots despite President Uhuru's directive Source: UGC READ ALSO: Raila Odinga meets coast MP facing ejection from ODM party for disloyalty A break down of the data showed there were no adequate slots in secondary schools for 9,310 boys and 7,395 girls who sat the national examination Of the 1,038,162 candidates who sat the exams, 31,337 students have already been placed across the 103 national schools and 1,626 across the 35 Special Needs Education (NSE) schools. Selection to extra-county, county and Sub-county schools started on Wednesday, December 5, with slots available for some 998,000 candidates. READ ALSO: 15-member-gang rape 6-year-old in turns, kill, drink and eat her body parts The selection of candidates to extra-county schools is based on a 20:40:40 ratio, to be shared across the host Sub-county, the host county and other counties in that order. The available places in county schools will be shared out between the Sub-counties on a 20:80 ratio, spread across the host Sub-county and the rest of the Sub-counties in that order. All the candidates for Sub-county schools will be selected from the host Sub-county based on merit and choice. READ ALSO: Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge lands UN appointment Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said at the end of the process, the ministry will have carried out the Form One selection exercise using criteria that is fair and accurate. All candidates have an equal chance of getting selected to their preferred schools based on merit, equity, choice and affirmative action, said Amina. She announced that reporting dates for all Form Ones in all categories of schools is January 7, 2019 and not later than January 11, 2019. READ ALSO: Uhuru says he will not sign into law bill granting MPs free cars, rent-free houses As I announced during the release of the KCPE results, there will be no second selection. There is therefore no reason for parents to delay their children from reporting to school on the provided dates, Amina said. Overall, she said there are some 12,045 places available for refugees in Kakuma and Dadaab Refugee camps. 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 A grandmother's pain over the Nairobi CBD Matatu ban| Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke - The free Wi-Fi Bill was tabled in Parliament by nominated MP Geoffrey Osotsi - Osotsi wants government to connect Kenyans to free internet services as a matter of obligation - He said the move would help in resolving the issue of digital exclusion in the country - The MP argued over 74% of Kenyans have no access to internet and cannot access government services - The internet, he said, is now one of the most powerful tools in the world for communication and access to services The days of buying or subscribing to data bundles to access the internet could soon be over in Kenya if a Bill seeking to compel the national government to connect the 290 constituencies in the country to free Wi-Fi sails through. The ambitious Bill sponsored by nominated MP Geoffrey Osotsi was tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, December 5, and received an overwhelming endorsement from the lawmakers, an early indication it is most likely going to succeed. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: If you love using any public WIFI, you have every reason to be very afraid Nominated MP Geoffrey Osotsi on Wednesday, December 5, tabled in Parliament a Bill seeking to force the national government to connect all Kenyans to free internet. Photo: CitizenTV. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kenya WiFi providers: List of wireless internet companies TUKO.co.ke on Thursday confirmed members of the 12th Parliament passed the motion on free Wi-Fi in each constituency as proposed by Osotsi who argued the national government had an obligation to provide free access to internet. "This is important because the country is a signatory to a number of international conventions around the issue of universal access to internet. We want to get to a level where this country will maximiSe the use of internet. We must ensure we resolve the issue of digital exclusion," the MP said. According to the nominated Member of Parliament, more than 74% of Kenyans do not have access to the internet and therefore cannot access government services online. Source: UGC READ ALSO: 20 funny WiFi names According to Osotsi, more than 74% of Kenyans have no access to internet yet the government expects citizens to access some of its services online such as the e-citizen platform which is not accessible in the rural areas. "Can we have it all over so that people can have even access to government services. We are now in era of the internet of things. For example in other countries, internet is used for managing things like accident through artificial intelligence," the MP said. READ ALSO: Ajira digital programme: registration and training He added the motion also seeks to bring on board private investors to support the agenda which he said is nothing new because some of the counties were already working with internet service providers to bring free Wi-Fi to their people. "Liquid Telecom, one of the operators, is already partnering with county government in Nyeri, Nakuru and Kiambu to offer free Wi-Fi in those counties," Osotsi said. READ ALSO: Full list of internet service providers in Kenya in 2018 The lawmaker further argued universal access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had become a critical international obligation provided for under the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). "Technological innovations associated with the transition to the next generation networks are already transforming the way universal access is being extended to rural and remote areas in both developed and developing countries," he said. 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. Nairobi Matatu ban madness-Kenyans react - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko Newspaper - High Court will determine whether Mwilu should face criminal prosecution or not - The Deputy Chief Justice had appealed against her public prosecution - She wants the Judicial Service Commission, which she is a member of, to hear her case - Mwilu was accused of bribery, tax evasion and abuse of office - DPP Haji hired a UK-based lawyer, Khawar Qureshi, to argue the high-profile case Deputy Chief Justice (DCJ), Philomena Mwilu, is set to appear in court on Thursday, December 6, for the hearing of a case in which she is seeking to block her criminal prosecution in relation to graft, tax evasion and abuse of office charges. A five-judge bench is expected to determine whether or not Mwilu, who doubles as the Deputy President of the Supreme Court and a senior member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) should face criminal prosecution. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu arrested Deputy Chief Justice, Philomena Mwilu, is set to appear in court on Thursday, December 6, for determination of a case seeking to block her criminal prosecution. Source: Facebook READ ALSO: ODM pokes holes into arrest of deputy chief justice Philomena Mwilu The DCJ, TUKO.co.ke understands, will be fighting to stop the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Noordin Haji, from pursuing her as she insists the charges leveled against her are malicious and only meant to publicly embarrass her and malign her reputation. "The charges leveled against me have been constructed by the office of the DPP to malign me and harbour an ulterior motive. They have been commenced in abuse of court process with the singular objective of embarrassing me," she said through her lawyers. READ ALSO: Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu moves to High Court to block her prosecution The DCJ is pushing for the allegations she is facing to be directed to the Judicial Service Commission which she is a member of. Haji, on the other hand, is determined to see the DCJ thrown behind bars for the alleged crime and has hired a renowned British-based lawyer, Khawar Qureshi, to specifically argue the case against Mwilu. "The evidence in our possession revealed Lady Justice Mwilu abused her office for personal gain. She accepted a gift in the form of money in circumstances which undermined public confidence in the integrity of her office. She also obtained execution of a security belonging to Imperial Bank Limited now in receivership by false pretence," Haji said in August 2018 . READ ALSO: This man Qureshi: The Queens Counsel who will help Uhuru fight corrupt bigwigs in court The DPP added Mwilu also failed to pay taxes as required by the law and conducted herself in total disregard of the law and the Constitution. "In view of the above, I have concluded that the evidence is sufficient with a reasonable prospect of conviction and it is in the public interest that criminal proceedings should be preferred," he said. READ ALSO: DPP denies claims he is under instructions to revisit the Judiciary Mwilu was arrested on August 28, 2018, at the premises of the Supreme Court in Nairobi for alleged involvement in corruption dealings involving the collapsed Imperial Bank. She was subsequently released on a KSh 5 million personal bond and ordered to appear in court on August 29, 2018, to take plea. In response, the DCJ filed an application through her lawyers in a move aimed at ensuring she does not take plea. One of her lawyers, Okong'o Omogeni, argued that the allegations leveled against his client were not in anyway criminal charges. "The transaction herein referred to was purely a commercial dealing concluded at arms length and could not be equated to a matter of pursuit of criminal justice," Omogeni argued. High Court will now decide how the case proceeds. 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. Raped by Police While Seeking Asylum - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke - Rino Mastrotto Group said it was ready to expand its operations to Africa through Kenya - Its founder, Rino Mastrotto, met Ruto during which they discussed possibility of partnership with Kenyan government - The DP welcomed the investor and assured him of government's full support should he decide to set base here - Ruto noted Rino Mastrotto's presence in Kenya would create jobs for the youth and boost income for farmers Rino Mastrotto Group, the largest leather products manufacturer in Italy with presence in several countries across the world, has expressed its interest in setting base in Kenya after holding talks with Deputy President William Ruto. The company's founder, Rino Mastrotto, said he was ready to expand operations to Africa through Kenya and would consider a partnership with the Kenyan government. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Ruto spotted in Rome touring dairy farms as he urges Kenyan farmers to diversify Deputy President William Ruto holding talks withhe Rino Mastrotto, founder of Rino Mastrotto, one of the world's largest leather products producers, in Italy on Wednesday. Photo: William Ruto. Source: UGC READ ALSO: William Ruto insists maize farmers need to diversify, stop lamenting TUKO.co.ke on Thursday, December 6, learnt Ruto met the Italian investor at his office in Veneto, Italy, during which they discussed the possibility of setting up Rino Mastrotto's African base in Kenya. "The desire by Rino Mastrotto Group, one of the world's largest leather companies, to explore possibilities of setting up shop in Kenya is welcome. It will create jobs for youth; increase farmers' incomes; consolidate our status as the gateway to Africa and expand the manufacturing sector," the deputy president said. READ ALSO: Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge lands UN appointment Ruto added Kenya's conducive business environment and largely untapped market for leather products would make it possible for Rino Mastrotto to succeed. "Kenya's investor-friendly climate, skilled labour market and a huge consumer base make it an attractive investment destination," he said. READ ALSO: Avocado farming to create next millionaires - Raila Odinga Rino Mastrotto was founded in 1998 and has over the decades expanded its distribution networks to Africa, Asia, Europe, South America, North America, Central America and Oceania. The company specialises in the mass production of world-class leather seats for vehicles such as Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, Lamborghini, to mention a few. Its other products include upholstery leather, leather for footwear and leather goods. READ ALSO: First Lady Margaret Kenyatta to open 120 bed capacity mother and child hospital in Makueni As was earlier reported by TUKO.co.ke, the DP was in Rome to pursue avenues of collaboration in areas of agriculture, trade and to explore new markets for Kenya's agricultural produce such as coffee and tea. "In Rome, Italy to gain insights on best practices in leveraging agro processing, value addition, especially in dairy sector to achieve food security," he tweeted on Sunday, December 2. 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. Nairobi Matatu ban madness-Kenyans react - On Tuko TV Source: Kenyan Breaking News The unending feud between Ugandan businesslady Zari Hassan and activist Mange Kimambi took a nasty turn after the two decided to involve their children in the petty online battle Zari has quite a handsome amount of followers who speak nothing but niceties about the mother of five but it is comments from the activist that really tick her off. The genesis of the beef is not quite known although a quick look at the twos activities online will reveal no love lost in two women who can resort to very immature insults just to tear each other down. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Zari Hassan in online shouting match Tanzania activist who claimed she was arrested for faking her age In the latest round, Zari took to Instagram to accuse Kimambi of being the first one to stoop low and call out her children, hence she was forced to fire back. She was speaking in relation to an earlier post where she called Kimambis children malnutritioned as she accused the activist of being so determined to shame her that she forgot to take care of her own children. Five years in a row you have been on my case three of those on Tiffahs, two of those on Nillan. One clapback sends you to ICU crying victim. If it hurts to insult your kids why insult mine? Zari said in the post. READ ALSO: Diamond Platnumz's wife-to-be spotted leaving club with Nigerian sensation Wizkid The drama strategically took place during Zaris son Nillans birthday and amid all the festivities, there was one particular message from Kimambi which left people scratching their heads. The activist took to her Instagram to also wish the boy a happy birthday while strongly suggesting the child does not belong to Diamond contrary to popular belief. READ ALSO: City politician sues blogger Cyprian Nyakundi for KSh 20 million over claims he cheated on wife She shared a photo of Nillan alongside the late tycoon Ivan Ssemwanga as if to suggest the two had a more striking resemblance than with Diamond. 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 Nairobi Matatu ban madness-Kenyans react | Tuko TV: Source: Tuko.co.ke NRG Radio presenter and Diamond Platinumz's new lover Tanasha Donna has finally addressed claims she recently slept with Nigerian star Wizkid Ayo. As reported by TUKO.co.ke earlier, Tanasha was recently spotted partying with Wizkid in a Nairobi club and later left with him in a move that left many with unanswered questions. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Diamond Platnumz's wife-to-be spotted leaving club with Nigerian sensation Wizkid READ ALSO: Tanzanians express dislike for Diamond Platinumz's new Kenyan lover, claim she's not hot To many, the hot Kenyan lass probably had something with the Coko hitmaker after many of their photos were shared countless times on social media. Well, in a quick rejoinder to tackle the rumour, Tanasha neither denied nor admitted to have slept with Wizkid, leaving her fans even more confused. Word has it the video is only one week old and if memory serves us right, the beauty was already dating Diamond around that time. READ ALSO: All photos of Diamond Platinumz's Kenyan lover Tanasha Donna welcoming him to Nairobi Responding to an Instagram post claiming she may have cheated on Diamond with Wizkid, she stated her darling husband-to-be (Diamond) already knows of the video and that whoever is trying to stir up some cheating rumours can come up with something new or simply go suck it. "Why don't you tell us something me and my hubby-to-be do not know already," she wrote sarcastically under the telling video. Her answer however, did not really clear the air as she did not admit to have slept with the star or not. Diamond and Tanshsa have been heads over heels in love with each other and have been serving their respective fans with nothing but couple goals. 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 Meet Nandy-The African princess| Tuko TV Source: Tuko - The airline's direct flight frequency to America will drop to five as from January 15, 2019 - They will be available on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday - The airline's CEO, Mikosz, clarified the move was not necessitated by low demand - Mikosz said decision was made as part of airlines routine operation review based on seasonality - This comes barely a few days after KQ suspended launch of Nairobi-Mogadishu direct daily flights The national carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ), on Thursday, December 6, reduced the frequency of direct daily flights between Nairobi and America's New York city from seven to five days a week., TUKO.co.ke learnt The airline announced it had decided to scale down the frequency of flights between the two cities effective January 15, 2019, as part of its routine operation review based on seasonality. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Kenya Airways suspends launch of direct flights to Mogadishu Kenya Airways (KQ) CEO, Sebastian Mikosz, clarified the move was not necessitated by low demand, but rather it was a routine operational review. Photo: KQ. Source: UGC READ ALSO: KQ historic direct flight to US lands safely in New York after 15 hours In a statement sent to newsrooms on Thursday afternoon, the flag carrier's CEO, Sebastian Mikosz, clarified the move was not necessitated by low demand. "The decision to adjust our schedule is to cater for seasonality in line with global practices that allows airlines to reduce or add frequencies based on low or high seasons. We will evaluate the option of reverting back to daily flights for this route next summer as we have been doing for our Paris and Amsterdam flights, Mikosz said in the statement. READ ALSO: KQ rushes against time to fly Uhuru on maiden direct flight to US Mikosz added the non-stop flights between Nairobi and New York and launched October 2018 will resume in May 2019 upon completion of the routine review. We will operate five times weekly and monitor how market evolves until May, June and then upon decision shift back to the daily routine.This route remains significant to us because of the role it plays in opening more economic and tourism growth opportunities for Kenya and East Africa," he said. READ ALSO: Celebrated Kenyan female pilot to commandeer maiden direct flight to US The announcement came barely a week after KQ's much publicised launch of direct daily flights between Nairobi and Somalia's capital city, Mogadishu, was suspended. The official launch was reportedly slated for Wednesday, December 5, only for it to be put off until further notice, about a month after it was first announced. A statement issued by the flag carrier indicated the daily Nairobi-Mogadishu flights could not leave the runway because of some delays in getting all the crucial operational requirements. "There is delay in Kenya Airways (KQ) getting additional operational requirement. The launch has (therefore) been postponed until further notice," Mikosz said. READ ALSO: Kenyans troll Kenya Airways for scaling down direct flights to New York weeks after launch The Nairobi-Mogadishu daily flights were expected be leave Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi at 7.40am and land at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu at 9.55am every day. 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.: Tuko news. When Uhuru, Ruto and Raila Met at State House - On Tuko TV Source: Tuko.co.ke - The man is suing a hospital after his wife got pregnant despite him having a vasectomy - Samuel sued Marie Stopes Kenya Limited for damages alleging the vasectomy procedure was unsuccessful - It took several tests to confirm that indeed the man was not sterile A man who no longer wanted to have kids with his wife and decided to take a vasectomy surgery has sued a hospital and a doctor in Mombasa after the wife became pregnant. The Mombasa-based man wants the court to hold Marie Stopes and its doctors responsible for conducting a faulty vasectomy surgery on him and award him exemplary and general damages. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens. Mombasa man goes to court after impregnating wife despite undergoing vasectomy Source: UGC READ ALSO: Wakenya waduwazwa na video ya ajabu, mvua yanyesha na kupiga paa moja pekee Samuel sued Marie Stopes Kenya Limited and Dr Igogi accusing them of negligence and failure to exercise reasonable care and skill while operating him. Samuel alleged that after undergoing the surgery in March 23, 2004, the Dr Igogi assured him that the operation was successful. However, a year later in 2005, his wife became pregnant and upon taking subsequent tests, it was revealed that he was not sterile as he had been led to believe after the vasectomy operation. Gatenjwa's wife got pregnant in 2006, two years after he reportedly got a vasectomy Source: UGC READ ALSO: Ex-senator suggests Uhuru-Raila handshake gave Kikuyu nation better 2022 presidential candidate than Ruto I decided to undergo a vasectomy surgery because my wife was experiencing unpleasant health side effects as a result of previous contraceptive measures taken. So after discussing with my wife, we decided we would not be in a position to bear more children hence settled for the operation, said Samuel. He told Lady Justice Dorah Chepkwony that he put his wife at great heath risk, causing him to suffer due to negligence on the hospital's part.. Samuel said Marie Stopes and its doctor failed to ensure that the tubes that carry sperms were properly and permanently blocked. He said that he agreed to undergo the surgery upon seeking advice from the doctor at the said hospital who assured him there would be no risk and the operation would provide a permanent solution to his intention to be sterilised. READ ALSO: Legendary Kenyan actor Mzee Ojwang shines from the grave, feted at coveted theater awards Samuel through his lawyers Messrs Khaminwa said doctors told him he would be fully informed of any adverse effects that may result from the vasectomy. He was promised the operation would be conducted in a professional and competent manner and under all reasonable care, skill and diligence. Samuel said the doctor failed to advise him there was a risk that his sterilisation would not be permanent. He said that despite notifying Marie Stopes of the fault, nothing was done to mitigate the situation. The hospital and doctor failed to take heed of the fact that I take the issue of sterilisation seriously and its outcome would have grave implication on my family, said Samuel. However, Marie Stopes denied that they ever advised Samuel to undergo vasectomy and asked him to prove otherwise. The hospital insisted it did not guarantee the outcome of the procedure being obviously aware that medicine is not exact since and the results are not predictable. We admit having carried out the procedure as alleged but we did not inform Gatenjwa that the operation was a success as he alleges, said Marie Stopes . Through lawyer Michael Maundu, the hospital said it fully advised Samuel of the procedure prior to carrying out the same and the surgery was conducted upon his consent. The plaintiff confirmed that he had fully understood and agreed to undertake the risks involved in the said procedure, said Maundu. The lawyer said having voluntarily agreed to undertake the said procedure and having executed a disclaimer, Samuel was barred from making any claim against the hospital or doctor from the alleged failure of the said operation. Editor's note: The second name of the complainant has been withheld for privacy purposes. Story by Hazary Baraka, TUKO.co.ke correspondent 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 Nairobi Matatu ban madness-Kenyans react | Tuko TV: Source: Tuko Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana has won many hearts for the many projects he has unveiled, earning the title of the most hardworking governor in the country. Unlike most governors and other political leaders who spend most of their time politicking, Kibwana has been burning the midnight oil to ensure Makueni county receives everything it deserves as far as development projects are concerned. Send 'NEWS' to 40227 to receive all the important breaking news as it happens READ ALSO: Photos of impressive Makueni mother and child hospital which has put other governors to shame The hospital has the capacity to hold 120 beds. Photo: Kivutha Kibwana/Twitter Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Wakenya waduwazwa na video ya ajabu, mvua yanyesha na kupiga paa moja pekee No sooner had Makueni residents and Kenyans moved on from his recent achievement in which he set up a milk and mangoes processing factories than he surprised them with yet another interesting development. The governor launched the Makueni Mother and Child Hospital with a 120 bed capacity and its simply classic. The governor shared photos of the exemplary facility which other governors might want to replicate. Makueni governor revealed he only used KSh 135 million on the hospital. Photo: Kivutha Kibwana/Twitter Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Governor Ferdinand Waititu's introduction of his team to Uhuru Kenyatta will leave you in stitches The photos clearly showed serenity, work done with passion, commitment and diligence. Accompanying the photos, Kivutha shared details of the costs his county incurred to set up this one of its kind medical institution. The governor shook many after revealing the entire project cost KSh 135 million which is quite fair for such a huge project. READ ALSO: Tears of pain as Mombasa man stabs two daughters to death after night of drinking ''For a cost of Sh 135 Million, both construction and equipping, the Mother and Child hospital will be able to accommodate 120 adults and 80 neonates at a time,'' he tweeted. With the revelation, it became clear Kivutha is not only hard working but also economical having used a small amount of money for an elephant of a project. Indeed other governors need to emulate his way of doing things. 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. Meet Nandy-The African princess| Tuko TV Source: Tuko Breaking News A round of talks between delegations from Yemens Houthi Ansarullah movement and the countrys former Saudi-backed government open in Sweden under the auspices of the UN in an effort to find a political solution to the Yemen conflict and end a devastating Riyadh-led war on the country. AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A round of talks between delegations from Yemens Houthi Ansarullah movement and the countrys former Saudi-backed government open in Sweden under the auspices of the UN in an effort to find a political solution to the Yemen conflict and end a devastating Riyadh-led war on the country. The negotiations, which kicked off on Thursday in the Swedish town of Rimbo, mark the first attempt since 2016 to end the Saudi-led war, which has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis since its onset in early 2015. Speaking alongside Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom at a presser, UN special envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths described the renewed talks as a critical opportunity to restore peace to Yemen as delegates from the Houthi movement and the government of ex-president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi appeared in public together for the first time since 2015. During the coming days we will have a critical opportunity to give momentum to the peace process, Griffiths told reporters. The UN diplomat also said Yemens warring parties agreed to a prisoner swap that would allow thousands of families to be reunited. The Saudi regime and its allies launched the bloody war to reinstall Hadi, who had stepped down and fled to the Saudi capital amid a political conflict with the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which is currently Yemens de facto power. In the absence of an effective government, the Houthi movement has taken state affairs into its own hands. It has also been defending the country against the Saudi aggression. The coming days are a milestone, Griffiths said. Dont waver... let us work in good faith ... to deliver a message of peace. The UN envoy further warned that half of the Yemeni population could become vulnerable to famine if no solution is reached to end the war. He also said that as part of confidence building measures, Yemens warring parties agreed to a prisoner swap that would allow thousands of families to be reunited. /257